The first day of spring. We have made it to the other side again, whew!. An easy winter in Ontario but it sure is cold these days – bitter temps this weekend will end and turn into heavy, heavy rain next week. Showers, flowers and horses.
The AIKEN TRIALS are a sure sign that spring is here, Kentucky Derby trials too (and hockey playoffs – yours truly keeps it short today for a trip to Markham and the finals for Peewee AA, go Eagles!)
Huge, good news is Alberta too, read on…
ENOREE by More than Ready from Woodsmoke, sets track record in the City of Aiken Trial – 4 1/2 furlongs in 51 4/5. Aiken Trials photo (Facebook)
CUPID has aim on KENTUCKY DERBY after Rebel win
95 Beyer Figure in win that followed maiden score with 88 Beyer
Oaklawn Media Relations
HOT SPRINGS — One year after winning the Rebel Stakes with eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert finally returned with the right horse after two unsuccessful trips earlier this season and won the $900,000 race with Coolmore’s Cupid. Overall, it was Baffert’s sixth victory in the race since 2010. His other winners were champion Lookin at Lucky, Secret Circle, The Factor and Hoppertunity.
Using his inside post position to his advantage, Cupid went to the front right from the start and proceed to lead his 13 other rivals through fractions of :22 4/5 and :46 4/5 while being tracked by Siding Spring and Madtap. Jockey Martin Garcia was able to give Cupid a breather into the far turn and it allowed him to keep just enough in reserve to hold off Whitmore to win by 1 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1:43 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track. Creator, who like Cupid is a gray son of Tapit, came on willingly for third.
“I am so happy that he ran so well, especially for Martin,” said Baffert by phone. “He works so hard getting these horses ready and he got the win. I’m happy for the Coolmore (owners) gang, too. I knew going in he was a nice horse. But he never had been tested and that was a pretty strong bunch. That was like the Tapit Rebel.
“We got a little beat up that last couple of times we were at Oaklawn (this year). The last time we went there Jimmy said they were booing him. We kept throwing 3-year-olds at them and we finally found the right one. I’m just very happy.”
Cherry Wine, who shipped in from Dale Roman’s barn in South Florida, finished fourth, a head in front of 5-2 favorite and Southwest Stakes winner Suddenbreakingnews. They were followed by Gray Sky, Discreetness, Cutacorner, Spikes Shirl, Ralis, Z Royal, Madtap, American Dubai and Siding Spring.
Cupid, who just broke his maiden Feb. 7, was winning for the second straight time in his fourth career start. He has now earned $587,500. He also jumps into fourth in the Kentucky Derby points standing after receiving 50 points for his victory. Whitmore is now 10th with 24 points after finishing second in the Rebel and Southwest Stakes.
Suddenbreakingnews, who earned 10 points by winning the Southwest, and Discreetness, who has 10 points from his victory in the Smarty Jones, are sitting at No. 25 and No. 27, respectively and would need a top four performance in the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby April 16 to advance on to Churchill. The Arkansas Derby offers a 170 total points with 100 points to the winner.
CUPID’S BREEDING – the Genius of Vice Regent
Oh how wonderful VICE REGENT was when he was here at stud in Oshawa. An amazing sire of speed and stamina.
Vice Regent is the sire of CUPID’S 2nd dam CHARGES D’AFFAIRE, an Ontario bred foaled at Windfields Farm in 1992. She won all of about $6,000 on the track but has been a very good producer. She is the dam of many winners including graded SW HOSTESS.
When bred to another Ontario bred – BEAU GENIUS (by Bold Ruckus, Charges d’Affaires produced PRETTY ‘N SMART, the dam of CUPID.
Pretty ‘n Smart won 2 of 7 races and was graded stakes placed.
Cupid was a $900,000 purchase and last year the mare had a $500,000 Tapit yearling.
AIKEN TRIALS LURE BIG CROWD
Grant from city, imported horses help event avoid cancellation
GUS SCHICKEDANZ was on hand to receive trophies for 2 wins during the famous AIKEN TRIALS yesterday in South Carolina. The Schomberg owner and breeder, who sends his horses to South Carolina every winter to rest and train, often has horses compete. Yesterday his grey mare ENOREE won the featured City of Aiken Trial in track record time for 4 1/2 furlongs (51 4/5) over stablemate Sweet Grass Creek.
Enoree, stakes placed, a winner and 2nd in a pair of allowance races to end her 2015 Woodbine campaign, is out the fast mare Woodsmoke. Sweet Grass Creek is a Wando fellow, now 4, who is very fast (remember the wild fractions he set in the Queen’s Plate?).
Earlier, the farm’s 3yo filly SWEET CRIMSON, second in her only start last year at Woodbine, won a dash for maidens at 4 1/2 furlongs.
There were other Ontario breds in the races including BORDAGRAY (2nd in a maiden dash), who is a half brother to Conquest So True, and a Victor’s Cry filly who finished second to Sweet Crimson.
SWEET CRIMSON, by Langfuhr, wins a Trial race at Aiken on Saturday. Ontario bred filly owned and bred by Gus Schickedanz.
Results of the 74th Annual Aiken Trials
March 19, 2016
First Trial- The Gaver Trophy, 2yo Maiden Fillies ¼ mile :23 2/5
1st-Unnamed, gr. f. Hansen/Ablaz,; O- John Behrendt; T- Arch Kingsley; J- Rebecca Lavarre
2nd- Mygirlfriday, db. f. Lunarpal/Girlish Figure, O- George Sikora; T- Kenny Huffman
J- Kayla Phillips
3rd- Unnamed, gr. f. Dominus/Chanel Number Mine, O- Allen Poindexter; T- Cary Frommer;
J- Rigoberto Robles
Second Trial- The Coward Trophy, 2yo Maidens ¼ mile :22 3/5
1st- Aikenetta, b. f. Aikenite/Babae, O- Dogwood Stable; T- Ron Stevens; J- Kylie Cahoon
2nd- Country Dash, b. c. Country Day/Kardashian, O- Travis Durr & Dale Martin; T- Travis Durr; J- Alfredo Roman
3rd- Unnamed, b. g. Not For Love/Otherwise Perfect, O-Dunbarton Stable, LLC;
T- Cary Frommer; J- Jose Luis
Third Trial- The Post Trophy2yo Maidens ¼ mile :23 1/5
1st- Unnamed, db. c. Street Hero/Tactical, O- Webb Carroll; T- Travis Durr; J- Alfredo Roman
2nd- Artillery Ridge, b. c. Fierce Wind/Ahba, O- Halsey Minor; T- Arch Kingsley; J- Rebecca Lavarre
3rd – Tresso, ch .f.Gio Ponti/Attemptress, O- Wendy Hendricks; T- Cary Frommer; J- Jose Luis
Fourth Trial- The Von Stade Trophy, 3yo & Up Maiden Fillies 4 ½ F :55
1st- Sweet Crimson, (Ontario bred) b. f. 3, Langfuhr/Sweet Bama Breeze, O- G. Schickendanz; T- Mike Keogh; J- Tim McKinney
2nd- Dancin Street, db. f. 3, Victor’s Cry/Oh Dear (Ontario bred); O- Eileen K. Gilbert; T- Brad Stauffer;
J- Kylie Cahoon
3rd -Royal Cashmere, gr. f. 4, Defrere/Cashmere and Silk, O- Quiet Winter Farm; T- Glenn Thompson; J- Rigoberto Robles
Fifth Trial- The Islin Hall Of Fame Trophy, 3yo and Up Maidens 4 ½ F :54 2/5
1st- Donaghy, db. c. 3, Jump Start/Pagan Star; O- Dunbarton Stable, LLC; T- Cary Frommer;
J- Jose Luis
2nd- Bordagaray (Ontario bred) , b. g. 3, Haynesfield/Hold the Sugar; O- Dogwood Stable; T- Brad Stauffer ;
J- Sarah Hansel
3rd- Daggers Toll, b. g. 3, Ocean Indy/Split the Toll; O- Doris Tummillo; T- Kenny Huffman;
J- Kayla Phillips
Sixth Trial- The City of Aiken Trophy, 3yo and Up Winners 4 ½ F :51 4/5 (NEW TRACK RECORD)
1st- Enoree (ON), gr. m. 5, More Than Ready/Woodsmoke; O- G. Schickendanz; T- Mike Keogh;
J- Tim McKinney
2nd- Sweet Grass Creek (ON), ch. g. 4, Wando/Sweet Bama Breeze; O- G Schickendanz;
T- Mike Keogh; J- Jose Ramos
3rd- Glowing Ember, b. g. 6, Bernstein/Fanfire; O- Dogwood Stable; T- Brad Stauffer;
J- Sarah Hansel
news reel from WBTV –
http://www.wbtv.com/story/31518995/thousands-flock-to-aiken-for-aiken-trials
ALBERTA GOVERNMENT RENEWS FUNDING FOR RACING
The Alberta government announced renewed funding for horse racing in the province on Saturday.
The 10-year agreement replaces a previous arrangement that expires this month. Through the agreement, Alberta will continue to send a portion of slot machine revenue to Horse Racing Alberta (HRA), a private, not-for-profit corporation, although that amount will be less than previously.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/funding-alberta-horse-racing-1.3499168
SILKEN CAT, Quebec-bred, champion, passes away
http://www.drf.com/news/silken-cat-dam-speightstown-dies-23
