MOVEMENT

In today’s Thoroughblog – action starts to reach a frantic level and we have to catch up.

It’s WOODBINE OAKS WEEK,  PLATE TRIAL WEEK,  BELMONT WEEK – and CLOCKWISE TURF RACING WEEK!

Plus SPORT OF QUEENS RACING has its horse – meet QUEEN’S HONOR!

 

WOODBINE OAKS/ PLATE TRIAL set for Sunday

Oaks probables – 11

 

Neshama – allowance winner last out  80 Beyer

Garavogue Colleen – 2nd to Neshama

Crumlin Spirit – won Lady Angela, 3rd Fury 87 Beyer in Lady Angela

Dublin Diva – allowance winner 80 beyer

Gamble’s Ghost – Selene Stakes 79 Beyer

Tiz Imaginary – Fury Stakes

Conquest Partygirl – maiden win, 80 Beyer

Luckbe Tanya – placed this year

Caren – 2nd Selene

Trini Brewnette – 3rd Lady Angela

Swoop and Strike – Sam Son filly

 

Four fillies from the Mike Doyle barn, three of which he co-owns, could be entered on Thursday for the Oaks at 1 1/8 miles for $500,000.

The lovely TIZ IMAGINARY is owned by Bill Graham and Patrick Husbands will ride the daughter of Tizway. She worked on Saturday in 1:01.70 for 5 furlongs.

Garavogue Colleen, a $25,000 purchase by Doyle, is a grey Ontario sired gal by Sligo Bay, Crumlin Spirit (named for an Irish town) was not sold by Graham but then bought by Doyle and Duffy, is a little powerhouse and Dublin Diva  – Doyle says he has a sneaky feeling she could be any kind.

Dublin Diva (Leroidesanimeaux) worked 7 furlongs in 1:26.80 on Saturday.

NESHAMA, owned by Carnegie Hill Stable of Mitch Kursner, worked 5 furlongs in company with Aunt Sue on Saturday under Gary Boulanger. Neshama won an allowance race recently with Eurico da Silva on board but da Silva may have to ride Swoop and Strike.

 

In QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS – ESPOSITO caused a ripple of excitement when he bounded to victory in an allowance race over older horses on Sunday for the Chartwell Partnership of Scott Heider ,Craig Bernick, Donato Lanni and partners.

The Adena Springs bred had not raced since December when he was in a key stakes race in the slop at Remington Park and ran a close third. He had been putting in many miles of workouts at Fair Hill Training for trainer Tom Proctor.

On Sunday, the colt, ridden by Alan Garcia (whose agent is Anthony Esposito) took hold of the bit and charged to a big win with an 84 Beyer – 7 furlongs in 1:23.37.

The son of Ghostzapper (sire of last year’s Plate winner Shaman Ghost)  out of stakes placed Money My Honey (3rd in the 1 1/4 mile Wonder Where Stakes) seems to have all the tools for the Plate but with just that single sprint run on his engine before the July 3 classic at 10 furlongs, he would seemingly be up against things.

Still, if the colt bounces back well and thrives in the next few weeks with Proctor and his assistant Lesley Schultz, then the colt will likely come back to try the big dance.

Co-Owner Scott Heider, from Omaha, whose family has owned horses for 29 years and won a stakes race on the weekend with Coco as in Chanel, said Esposito is named after Phil Esposito, the Canadian-born hockey player who was with the Boston Bruins for much of his career.

It was Lanni, a Canadian, and Bernick who named the colt as both are hockey fans.

Thoroughblog had an interesting conversation with Heider about horses and Esposito – look for it soon on THOROUGHBLOG.

Plate fave SHAKHIMAT looks like a bear. He is jet black and full of beans and he had a workout on Sunday in 59.60 for 5 furlongs on the Tapeta for trainer Roger Attfield.

The Plate Trial is his next race (entries drawn Thursday). He is also an Adena Springs-bred colt (Lonhro – Reggae Rose).

AYE AYE CAPTAIN, from the Kingfield, Carnegie Hill fold, had a 59.80 workout on Saturday as he readies for the Trial.

There could be 2 other races for Plate hopefuls to compete in from Friday through Sunday, allowance events at route distances in which the horses would not have to carry 126 pounds.

Horses eyeing those races include MIKE, who worked in 1:00 for 5 furlongs on Saturday, and CHEBURASHKA, who would be supplemented to the Plate with a good effort this weekend.

 

8 TO GO CLOCKWISE, RIGHT-HANDED ON TURF ON FRIDAY!

OMAR, a fast fellow who has won at the meeting for trainer Robertino Diodoro will be well bet to win the first clockwise starter allowance race for the inaugural EuroTurf series at Woodbine on Friday.

The 5  furlong turf dash is race 1 and 8 horses are in the body of the race with 3 also eligibles.

Woodbine is the first track to card regular, clockwise grass races in North America. This race will be quicker than the test race that was held 3 weeks ago. Emma-Jayne Wison rides Omar from post 7.

 

 

 

DEAL FOR RACE DATES SIGNED BETWEEN WOODBINE – HBPA

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario (HBPA) today announced the signing of a contract which guarantees 133 dates of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine every year through the 2018 racing season.

A commitment to revenue sharing between WEG and the horsepeople on any new gaming that may occur through Woodbine is also part of the agreement, which concludes March 31, 2019.

The previous agreement closed on March 31, 2016.

“This three-year extension of our deal with the horse people allows us to build on the momentum of the current success of our 2016 racing season,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment Group. “It also sets the foundation for a deeper relationship between Woodbine and Ontario’s horsepeople in the short and long term. This stability and vision allows us to continue to offer our customers and horseplayers the highest quality of horse racing.”

“The HBPA is proud of reaching an agreement through the 2018 racing season with Woodbine,” said Sue Leslie, President of HBPA of Ontario.  “Woodbine and its horse people must work together in co-operation in order to face the many outside challenges before our industry.  This agreement exhibits the commitment needed to help provide stability and assurance that we are on the same path together moving forward. This contract should be welcomed by all sectors of the industry.”

The 2016 133-day meet launched on April 9 and concludes December 4.

 

 

SUNDAY’S TOP BEYER FIGURES FROM WOODBINE
According to Daily Racing Form
93 DIMENSION (GB) 
91 NASHVILLE KNIGHT
84 ESPOSITO

81 SCHOMBERG (turf)
80 AZIMUT
80 MR GRUMPY

 

ANOTHER DIMENSION?

No, just a very sharp and fresh Dimension, the 8-year-old bay gelding who came from well back after a slow start to win the Connaught Cup – Grade 2 at 20 to 1 in a 5 horse field on Sunday at Woodbine.

Heads were being scratched so hard that hair was falling out.

The race figured to be a two-horse race between the red hot PASSION FOR ACTION and the unlucky STACKED DECK, last year’s champion sprinter.

The former was coming off the Grade 2 Vigil win and the Jacques Cartier win while the latter had all kinds of trouble in the Vigil when 2nd.

The race was filled by returning Glenville Gardens, who was working fast, Bye Bye Bernie, the Nearctic winner from last year who was in so-so form and Dimension, who had been winless since 2014 but did win the Play the King at Woodbine three years ago.

When Stacked Deck bounced out to the lead early in the 7 furlong turf race the result looked all but solidified. But then the dark bay bore out, propped and shied on the turn and lost ground and he lost all chance. He wound up last while Dimension came from last to outbattle Passion for Action for the win.

David Moran rode the long bodied son of Medicean who had been 5 for 31 coming into this race. Conor Murphy trains the gelding for his Riverside Management.

Sunday’s Tapeta surface was much faster than it was on Saturday.

The rain that fell for a bit seemed to tighten up the top and lessen the kick-back.

 

QUEEN’S HONOR jogging and galloping at Fort Erie

Seventy-five, yep, 75 owners from the SPORT OF QUEENS RACING CLUB went down to meet their horse on Saturday at Fort Erie. The 2-year-old from the first crop of TO HONOR AND SERVE – SHES GOT SKILLS by Siphon (CHI) was a $24,000 bu-back at the recent Maryland 2yo sale and then purchased privately by the Sport of Queens Club.

The filly, through a names submission contest from members, has been named QUEENS HONOR.

The filly is training at Fort Erie with Francine Villeneuve.