THOROUGHBLOG’s first foal picture of 2014 comes from Curraghmore Farm in Waterdown. Here is a filly by KENTUCKY BEAR out of BEARAVIE foaled on January 16. Bearavie is a winning daughter of Old Forester. Bear Stables is the proud owner of this newcomer.
THOROUGHBLOG’S QUEEN’S PLATE CONTENDERS
It is early in 2015 and a long way to the July Queen’s Plate but the top 2 contenders on THOROUGHBLOG’S first Plate contenders list are already in racing shape. AMI’S FLATTER, the Flatter 3-year-old owned and bred by Ivan Dalos, was 2nd in his season opener for trainer Josie Carroll behind highly regarded speedster Bluegrass Singer. DECISION DAY, also trained by Carroll, will tackle Bluegrass Singer on Saturday in the Holy Bull Stakes. Decision Day, winner of the Coronation Futurity last season, is owned and was bred by Donver Stables.
NIPIGON, a Chiefswood Stable homebred, was second in the Coronation and is trained by Rachel Halden. He has yet to work in 2014. CONQUEST TYPHOON is nearing a start for Conquest Stables and trainer Mark Casse as he has logged several workouts at Santa Anita. He could be named Canada’s champion 2-year-old colt at the Sovereign awards on April 10 (see list of nominees in this post).
DONVER’S DECISION DAY
Vern and Donna Dubinsky have had some wonderful horses in recent years: two of them, both fillies, were among the best of their generation. INGLORIOUS, a $90,000 yearling purchase, won the Queen’s Plate, earned over $1 million and sold for $1.35 million when she was retired. CARELESS JEWEL, a $40,000 yearling purchase, won the Grade 1 Alabama by 11 lengths and later sold fr $1.95 million. That’s big money for a couple of yearling purchases.
After a couple of quiet years without a lot of horsepower, the Dubinskys are back with another potential star and this one never should have been racing for his breeders.
DECISION DAY, a finalist for Canadian champion 2-year-old colt, will begin his 3-year-old season in the Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. It is a tough field and will be his first race on a traditional dirt track, but trainer Josie Carroll has already had one sophomore colt run well this winter (Ami’s Flatter) so the Donver colt will get a turn.
“I really don’t know what to expect,” said Vern Dubinsky from Florida. “I would be ecstatic if he was in the top three. I know he has a lot of heart and he tries hard.”
The son of Macho Uno (who is by Holy Bull) out of Cry of the Wild by Unbridled’s Song has post 10 in the field that includes UPSTART, 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, plus hotshots such as stakes winner Bluegrass Singer and graded stakes placed Frosted.
DECISION DAY was foaled at Gail Wood’s Woodlands in Hillsburgh (see photo) and was put through the April 2yo sale in Ocala. He was sold for $40,000 to fellow Albertan Curt Kobza but then returned to the Dubinskys. The breeders kept the colt and watched him win the Coronation Futurity last fall in his 3rd start.
CRY OF THE WILD, a winner once for Sam-Son Farms, was bought for $57,000 in foal to Majestic Warrior for the Dubinskys. That foal, Tulita, is a multiple winner. Cry of the Wild is no longer owned by the Dubinskys.
No matter what happens on Saturday, DECISION DAY is a leading contender for the Queen’s Plate in July, perhaps taking the Dubinskys back to one of their favourite races.
DECISION DAY as a foal at Woodlands.
DECISION DAY(far right) battled hard in the Coronation Futurity last fall and won the 1 1/8 mile race with a 77 Beyer Figure. Terence Dulay photo
SKY CLASSIC PENSIONED
One of Canada’s greatest Thoroughbreds, SKY CLASSIC, has been retired from stud duty at the age of 28. The champion son of Nijinsky II, owned and bred by Sam-Son farm, has been at stud at Pin Oak (Josephine Abercrombie) since he retired from racing. Sky Classic was Canada’s champion 2-year-old and champion turf horse in Canada and at the Eclipse Awards in 1991 and ’92.
Sky Classic is the 4th leading Canadian-bred earner with $3.3 million from his 15 wins in 29 races. He sits behind AWESOME AGAIN, VICTORY GALLOP and CHIEF BEARHART on the earners list and the first 2 are also currently at stud.
SKY CLASSIC, photo by Michael Burns
Sky Classic has sired 20 crops of racing age at Pin Oak, with 489 winners and combined progeny earnings of more than $50.4 million. In addition to Canadian Horse of the Year Thornfield, he has been represented at stud by Canadian champion Sky Conqueror, Turkish champion Texas Gal, Argentine champion Magnetic Eyes, and Grade 1 winners Nothing to Lose and Hyperbaric.
Sky Classic has several sons at stud, including Sky Conqueror, who stands at Mapleville Farms in Caledon East, Ontario.
CANADIAN-BRED WINNERS
TAMMY’S CHOICE, a 4-year-old daughter of Giant Gizmo – Live In Sin, by Runaway Groom, won an allowance race at Mahong Valley Race Course on Monday. Owned by Nicole Lapointe and trained by Paula Loescher, the filly won the 6 furlong race in the slop in 1:12.33, good for a 67 Beyer Figure. She was bred in Ontario by Hope Stock Farm.
KINGSTON TERRACE, an Ontario bred 5-year-old by Johannesburg, won a 5 furlong fgrass starter allowance at Fair Grounds on Sunday for Dare to Dream Stables. The time of 1:03.66 was good for an 82 Beyer Figure. She was bred by Eugene Melnyk.
GET YOUR SOVEREIGN AWARD PARTY TICKETS!
The Jockey Club of Canada Announces 2014 Sovereign Award Finalists and extends an invitation for everyone to come to the Awards Party!
The Jockey Club of Canada will host the 40th Annual Sovereign Awards Party to honour the Canadian Champions of 2014 and to celebrate Thoroughbred racing in Canada on Friday, April 10, 2015 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
The cocktail-attire celebration awards party will include an opportunity to walk the Sovereign Award Red Carpet upon arriving at the “bubbly” reception followed by a buffet-style gourmet dinner and the presentation of the Sovereign Award Trophies to Canada’s racing Champions of 2014 and Canada’s 2014 Horse of the Year.
Even if you are not a finalist, you’re invited to come and have fun and celebrate with the Champions of Thoroughbred Racing in Canada.
This year’s event will once again be held on the eve of the start of Thoroughbred racing in Canada with Woodbine Racetrack’s 2015 Thoroughbred season beginning the next day at 1:00 pm (EST), Saturday, April 11.
Tickets to the 40th Annual Sovereign Awards Party are $250 each and tables of 10 are slightly discounted at $2400. All tickets are plus applicable taxes and must be reserved in advance by contacting The Jockey Club of Canada at 416-675-7756 or email: jockeyclub@bellnet.ca
In an effort to promote equal opportunity in determining the winners for 2014 in the 17 race award categories, the voting began January 2, 2015, allowing for statistics for the entire 2014 year to be considered. To be eligible to receive a Sovereign Award in each divisional category a horse must have raced in Canada at least three times for all horses three years-old and up and two times for all two-year-olds. For the Owner, Trainer, Breeder, Jockey and Apprentice Jockey categories, a minimum of 10 starts in Canada must be made. The Outstanding Broodmare Award is a lifetime achievement award. The mare must have a Canadian-bred Stakes horse (by, definition, the horse must have come first, second or third in a Stakes race) in the current year and must have produced a different Canadian-bred stakes horse in a previous year.
Follow this link for a PDF of the complete Sovereign Awards Eligibility, Selection and Distribution Guidelines:
http://www.jockeyclubcanada.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2014-SA-Eligibility-Selection-and-Distribution-Guidelines.pdf
Once again the Jockey Club of Canada is announcing the top four finalists in each category as determined by the online ballots of 40 knowledgeable voters across Canada and in the United States.
The 2014 Sovereign Award Finalists, listed alphabetically in each category, are:
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly:
Brooklynsway
Conquest Harlanate
London Tower
Mississippi Delta
Champion Two-Year-Old Male:
Conquest Tsunami
Conquest Typhoon
Decision Day
Phil’s Cocktail
Champion Three-Year-Old Female:
Executive Allure
Lexie Lou
Paladin Bay
Sweater Weather
Champion Three-Year-Old Male:
Ami’s Holiday
Coltimus Prime
Florida Won
Heart to Heart
Champion Older Female:
Hillaby
Silent Star
Spring in the Air
Strut the Course
Champion Older Male:
Calgary Cat
Lukes Alley
Sharp Sensation
Sky Captain
Champion Female Turf Horse:
Deceptive Vision
Executive Allure
Lexie Lou
Royal Fury
Champion Male Turf Horse:
Dynamic Sky
Excaper
Heart to Heart
Sharp Sensation
Champion Female Sprinter:
Cactus Kris
Executive Allure
Hillaby
Spring in the Air
Champion Male Sprinter:
Calgary Cat
Excaper
Phil’s Dream
Sharp Sensation
Outstanding Broodmare (lifetime award)
Cruising Kris
Eye of the Sphynx
Star Guest
Uproar
Outstanding Breeder:
Adena Springs
Paradox Farm Inc.
Sam-Son Farm
William Sorokolit
Outstanding Owner:
Gary Barber
Conquest Stables, LLC
John C. Oxley
Sam-Son Farm
Outstanding Trainer:
Josie Carroll
Mark Casse
Brian Lynch
Greg Tracy
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey:
Damario Bynoe
Sheena Ryan
Ericka Smilovsky
Nick Webb
Outstanding Jockey:
Luis Contreras
Eurico Da Silva
Patrick Husbands
Rico Walcott
The three finalists for 2014 Horse of the Year honours will be announced on the evening of the awards ceremony.
