TRAINER PHIL HALL FINALLY WINS RACE NAMED AFTER DAD’S HORSE
George Royal Stakes at Hastings Park
“I wasn’t around when George Royal was running,” an understandably emotional Hall explained in the winner’s circle after leading-in the five-year-old son of Hansen, “but I’ve heard all the stories. I’ve always wanted to win this race and this is very special.” – trainer Phil Hall
AWHITESPORTSCOAT, owned by Peter Redekop, made his Hastings Park debut a winning one in the George Royal Stakes. The son of Hansen is from the Ontario-bred mare SHESADOZER by Perigee Moon. The grey was recently winning for optional claiming at Emerald Downs. He ralied from just off the pace to win the 6 1/2 furlong George Royal in 1:17.08. Read more
The statue of GEORGE ROYAL in the Hastings Park paddock
On Saturday at HASTINGS, Horse of the Year HERE’S HANNAH made an impressive 4-year-old debut in the Vancouver Sun Stakes, worth $50,000. The daughter of Numaany – Dreams Start Here by A Fleets Dancer raced 6 1/2 furlongs in the slop in 1:16.82.
With a work tab strafed by bullets this spring, there can have been few doubts that 2018 BC Horse of the Year Here’s Hannah had retained all of her extraordinary talent and enthusiasm.
However, there is often a small lingering inner pessimist that worms into the ears of many horse people, remaining there until the gate clanks open and the truth is revealed.
Relax. Here’s Hannah is back. And, if Saturday’s demonstration of ruthless front running in the $50,000 Vancouver Sun Stakes is anything to go by, the John Morrison-trained daughter of local stallion Numaany is as good as ever. Read more
AMERICANS SWEEP WEEKEND STAKES AT WOODBINE
Toronto, ON – May 25, 2019 – Jockey Patrick Husbands guides Global Access to victory in the $125,000 Marine Stakes Grade 3 for owner Live Oak Plantation and trainer Michael Trombetta. Skywire is at far left. michael burns photo
Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mike Trombetta took Saturday’s stakes race at Woodbine with GLOBAL ACCESS who upset favoured SKYWIRE in the Grade 3 Marine while trainer Graham Motion sent out SECRET MESSAGE to upset favoured Starship Jubilee in the Grade 3 Nassau Stakes.
It was a tough weekend for those who wanted to race on grass (or in the Greenwood Stakes) as rain left the turf soggy Saturday and a huge storm rolled in late in the day. That storm caused the field for the Greenwood Stakes (Achievement Stakes), led by heavily favoured PINK LLOYD, to high tail it from near the starting gate to the standardbred barn where the 2nd annual Greenwood Stakes day party was seeking shelter. The storm did not let up and the last 2 races wound up cancelled. The Greenwood Stakes will be run Saturday June 1.
Races were off the turf Sunday except for the Nassau Stakes which played nicely into the plans of soft-turf loving Secret Message.
But first, the Grade 3 Marine Stakes and Global Access a three-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway who turned the tables on Canadian bred Skywire in the Marine with blinkers removed.
Hoffa’s Union established the lead out of the gate and had Lyrical Note looming at his flank through fractions of :24.90, :49.69 and 1:13.45. Meanwhile, Global Access was positioned outside stalking the leaders in third and poised to make a move on the final turn that eventually landed him in the winner’s circle in 1:42.83.
The winning Beyer Speed Figure was 89 and Skywire earned an 87.
Global Access swept to the lead at the top of the lane and held clear of the favoured Queen’s Plate eligible Skywire, who closed steadily from behind to finish within a length of the winner. Dabo finished third while Lyrical Note and Hoffa’s Union completed the compact field of five.
Global Access won the DRF Bets Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay at the end of March and was the runner-up to Skywire in last month’s Wando Stakes at Woodbine. With the blinkers off for the Marine, Husbands predicted “there’s no three-year-old in Canada that could beat this horse.”
Having said that, since the colt is American bred, there won’t be a race for him at Woodbine on the main track until the Ontario Derby later this year.
In addition to SKYWIRE, there were a couple of other Queen’s Plate eligible horses in action and FLAWLESS BOURBON posted an 81 Beyer Figure for his maiden win several races after the Marine. This Not Boursbon – Internallyflawless, Giant’s Causeway colt was pretty much a surprise winning the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:43.56 at 22 to 1 for Charles Fipke and trainer Roger Attfield.
Attfield was not on hand for the win but the colt scored by almost 7 lengths with Steve Bahen on board.
The top Beyer Speed Figure of the Friday – Sunday week was the 96 earned by HOLLYWOOD HIDEAWAY winning a 6 1/2 furlong optional allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sunday in 1:15.98.
240TH EPSOM DERBY JUNE 1ST
Two supplements make for filed of 15
BANGKOK, by Australia, is a contender for the Epsom Derby – Coolmore website photo
TELECASTER is the hot horse for the Epsom Derby
An £85,000 late-entry fee has been paid by the owners of the Hughie Morrison-trained Telecaster for the colt to be added to the line-up for the Epsom Derby on Saturday. Telecaster won the Dante Stakes at York and is already fourth in the betting for flat racing’s premier Classic. An original entry for Telecaster was cancelled in March at which point he had never set foot on a racecourse.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir Dragonet has also been added to the field. A maximum of 15 runners will take part in the 240th Derby, eight of them trained by O’Brien. As well as Sir Dragonet, the Chester Vase winner, his challenge is headed by Broome and Anthony Van Dyck, both of which have been successful in Derby trials, at Leopardstown and Lingfield respectively.
Sir Dragonet, a Camelot colt, opened eyes wide with a dominating victory in the Group 3 Chester Vase May 8 in only his second career start but would need a supplemental entry fee to get into the Derby — a minor inconvenience for the Coolmore lads. The fact he’s the 3-1 favorite with official Derby bookmaker Unibet speaks for itself.
Broome, an Australia colt, was a comfortable winner of the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown May 12 and is the second-favorite for the Derby at 7-2.
Horse by Horse notes for EPSOM DERBY.
FRANK BARROBY 2019 RECIPIENT OF AVELINO GOMEZ MEMORIAL AWARD
Frank Barroby (right) is a lifer at the horse racing game. Countless honours as both a jockey and trainer have rolled his way. And now he’s been chosen as the 2019 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award for his contributions to Canadian jockeydom and the sport.
The 75-year-old Saskatchewan native (his hometown of Ravenscrag is now a ghost town) is thrilled to bits, particularly because he actually rode against Gomez in the two seasons he worked as a jockey at Woodbine. And he loved the guy.
“I thought a lot of Avelino,” Barroby said. “He was kind of a showy guy and just as good a rider as I’ve ever seen. When he was on a horse, and he wanted them to pick it up, you could see them extend themselves.”
“Gomez wasn’t the most talkative guy,” said Barroby, who is a quiet sort himself. “We were good in the [jock’s] room. I liked him. I really did. Robin Platts told me he was a showboat. But dammit, he was good and he had every right to be.
“I remember him walking on the outside rail [after being defeated on a favourite] and that there was this one lady who always gave him a hard time and he’d give her a hard time. It was wonderful to watch.”
Irwin Driedger, executive director of the Jockeys’ Benefit Association of Canada, describes Barroby as “a class act” who is very highly regarded in British Columbia. “He’s on a bit of a pedestal there,” he said.
Barroby grew up in Saskatchewan, one of 12 siblings, quite close to where jockey Dick Armstrong, the squire of Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, was born. Barroby followed Armstrong to the track, snaring his first win at Assiniboia Downs in 1961 with a difficult grey mare that had no tail and a habit of drifting.
Whatever Barroby had was magical. Even when he lost his bug, he didn’t miss a step, winning 78 races in 42 days at Assiniboia. In 1965, he rode 182 winners, short of winning the national title by five wins to Hugo Dittfach. He hadn’t realized he was so close and at year’s end, had taken time off to go hunting. He tries not to think about it.
He rode the prairie circuit – Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Saskatoon and Regina – and won riding titles in four provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. When he rode at Woodbine for two years in the mid-1960s, he was nicknamed “King of the Bullrings.” Barroby also rode against Johnny Longden. In 1968, he moved back to Vancouver to ride for top owner Peter Redekop.
Barroby was leading rider in his first year at Hastings Park in Vancouver with 91 wins in 1968. For eight years, he led or sat near the top of the standings before retiring as a rider in 1976 when weight became an issue. He became a top trainer, too, leading the way in 1986, 1990 and 1993. Now with 976 wins under his belt, he currently trains a stable of 13.
In 2010, Barroby was the first B.C.-based trainer to be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
ROGER BAROWS WINS JAPANESE DERBY AT 92 to 1
There was a massive upset in the Japanese Derby on Sunday as outsider Roger Barows shocked racegoers in the packed Tokyo stands with a 92-1 victory.
The son of Deep Impact settled in second behind the front-running Lion Lion before fending off the fast-finishing Danon Kingly in the final 300 metres to win by a neck.
The winner is entered in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and trainer Katsuhiko Sumii said: “I heard that his owner wanted to go the The Arc. If so, I would like to prepare for it.”
FEATURE ON TRACK ANNOUNCER ROBERT GELLER
“…It’s no surprise to see the progressive folks who run Woodbine hiring an Aussie who cut his teeth in the industry in outback Victoria.” Watch it here.
