TODAY’S NEWS – EMBUR’S SONG CONFIRMED FOR PLATE, FILLIES WILL TEST THE BOYS FOR THE QUEEN!!
HOLD ON! BIG RED MIKE is tough in the Plate Trial. Terence Dulay/www.horse-races.net photo
WILD FINISH -Moment of Majesty (left) and Embur’s Song (right) are split by a determined ROAN INISH. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
SMILING
Smaller stables dominate big races
It was the biggest smile competition Sunday afternoon at Woodbine when Dom Romeo and family celebrated BIG RED MIKE’S Plate Trial win and Robert Costigan and his family whooped it up with a score in the prestigious WOODBINE OAKS by their homebred ROAN INISH.
By now you have read everything about the two big races on Sunday, how thrilling the finishes were, how exciting it will be to see both winners test the 1 1/4 mile Plate on July 4 in front of HRH Queen Elizabeth.
EMBUR’S SONG, the 3rd place finisher in the Oaks who appeared to be ‘home and cooled out’ in early stretch, is coming back to Woodbine for the Plate according to Fares Farm manager Shannon White.
Trainer Todd Pletcher won the Plate years ago with Eugene Melnyk’s ARCHERS BAY.
The Beyer figures for Mike (Tenpins – Regent n’ Flashy), of 94 and Roan Inish, (Elusive Quality – Inish Glora) 93, put them in range of past Plate winners.
Jockey DAVID MORAN, who made headlines in Ireland with the Oaks ride aboard Roan Inish said the filly was essentially all-in at the end of the Oaks so she will beenfit from the 3 week rest.
MOMENT OF MAJESTY, owned by Curtis Joseph, Don Meehan and Suse Leslie, lost a heartbreaker in the Oaks. A trip to the Plate is not for sure as they realized their filly peaked in the big race and sould have to least run the same race in the Plate to be successful.
Meanwhile, the PLATE TRIAL was a tough race to take simply because the pace was so slow and Big Red Mike got to coast on the pace. That’s the trouble with prep races these days – you don’t want to bet on them because the riders are fiddling around with their mounts, experimenting and, well some even have no idea how fast or slow they are going.
MOBILIZER will be a big pick in the Plate as he is improving quickly for Stronach Stables and trainer Roger Attfield. Attfield feels okay we think even if HOLLINGER bombed so badly in the Plate when virtually eased. Mobilizer sat a dream trip and was just edged by Mike.
GIANT’S TOMB ran a good race as he was well off the slow pace and he finished okay under Patrick Husbands for Sam-Son Farms. MOBTHEWARRIOR was under a made ride for a long time and did not given up to hold 3rd but he has distance questions.
As for D’S WANDO, not sure what happened there but he was too far off the slow pace and had not fire in the late stages.
ROBERT COSTIGAN (second from left), wife NORA (black hat) and daughter/trainer Carolyn (FAR RIGHT) CELEBRATE THE OAKS WIN
HERE IS THE THOROUGHBLOG TOP 10 PLATE LIST:
JULY 4 QUEEN’S PLATE
1 HOTEP
2 ARTIC FERN
3 MOBILIZER
4 BIG RED MIKE
5 ROAN INISH
6 MOMENT OF MAJESTY (not eligible)
7 EMBUR’S SONG
8 DARK CLOUD DANCER
9 MOBTHEWARRIOR
10 GIANT’S TOMB
OTHER POSSIBLE STARTERS – WHO WE GUNNA CALL, SMART SKY
COOL SHOT – SMART SKY is headed to the Queen’s Plate for C. Scott Abbott (of Trivial Pursuit fame) after his maiden win on Sunday. Norm Files photo
ZENYATTA’S VANITY
If you haven’t seen it, you must.
If you have seen it, you got goosebumps, got teary-eyed or just fell off your chair…
Please, let’s see ZENYATTA somewhere else other than California!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-fJpTGaPH8
$4,000 CLAIMING HORSE SETS TRACK RECORD AT FORT ERIE
You know your track is a weee bit too fast when….
SET IN STONE, a $4,000 claimer, ran 6 furlongs in a stunning 1:08.18, beating the previous record of 1:08.35 set by High Blitz 5 years ago.
Owned by MAD Racing and Martha Gonzalez and trained by Nick Gonzalez 9what a weekend he had, with 3 winners on Sunday at Fort Erie alone), SET IN STONE won the non-winners of 3 lifetime race by 13 lengths under Francine Villeneuve. He is by Menifee and is a Kentucky bred.
ONTARIO BREDS AT OCALA JUNE 2YO SALE
(if sold, price follows hip no.)
HIP COLOR YEAR
NO. NAME SEX FOALED SIRE DAM
121 Justafeeling………….CH F………08 Best of the Bests (IRE)..Alaround Pleasure
148 Red Eagle…………….B C……….08 Legal Jousting (IRE)…..Bold Carma
183 $9,500 Open At Dawn………….CH F………08 Northern Afleet……….Dealing With Daisy
261 Perfect Dreamer……….CH F………08 Pleasantly Perfect…….Imaginary Number
264 $35,000 Whispers of War……….B F……….08 War Front…………….In a Whisper
322 $110,000 (Zayat) …………………….GR/RO C……08 Pomeroy………………Mimi’s Tizzy
340 Lady Rita…………….DKB/BR F…..08 Roman Ruler…………..My Jo Jo
ROYAL ASCOT UNDERWAY
PAST PERFORMANCES FOR TODAY’S RACES…
Canadian-bred filly DUBAI MEDIA (Songandaprayer – Forty Gran) in the finale, a listed event…
http://www.trni.tv/pdf/20100616ASC%28D%29_INTER.pdf
DAY ONE…
GOLDIKOVA DOES IT AGAIN
(ASSOCIATED PRESS EXCERPT)
ASCOT, England — Champion mare Goldikova won the Queen Anne Stakes on opening day at Royal Ascot, beating Paco Boy by a neck on Tuesday for her sixth victory over male horses.
Goldikova held off a late challenge by Paco Boy in her debut at the prestigious meet attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
By winning, Goldikova enhanced her credentials as one of the best female horses in the world.
The 5-year-old from Ireland is a two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and the 2009 Eclipse Award champion as the top female turf horse. Goldikova has 12 victories in 17 career starts. The goal this year is winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile for a third time in November at Churchill Downs.
Goldikova has twice as many wins over boys than U.S. Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Goldikova has six wins over males in Group 1 races; Rachel Alexandra beat the boys in the Preakness, Haskell Invitational and Woodward; and unbeaten Zenyatta won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in her lone race against males.
Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Goldikova was sent off as the 11-8 favorite in the mile race, which drew a field of nine. Paco Boy, who won this race last year, made a strong run in the stretch but came up short.
“When Paco Boy came I was a little scared, but when she gets to the front she is never beaten,” winning trainer Freddie Head said. “She always finds something else. She is extraordinary.”
