CHROME ARRIVES IN NEW YORK
Have Nasal Strips, will travel!
photo from AMERICA’S BEST RACING, have you check them out lately? http://www.americasbestracing.net/
FOUR DAYS OF WOODBINE with some impressive runners
There was 39 races in 4 days over the four-day long weekend at Woodbine and there were so many super performances by horses and humans.
I covered Sunday’s racing in yesterday’s post (tagged Queen Victoria) so here are notes from Friday, Saturday and Monday.
Quick stats from the 4 days – How about EURICO DA SILVA winning 10 of the 39 races? Unreal roll for the track’s most popular jockey.
PATRICK HUSBANDS is also on a tear, he won 7.
Trainers that had a good series of days included JOHN SIMMS, BRIAN LYNCH, SCOTT FAIRLIE, DON MACRAE who all won a pair and MALCOLM PIERCE, who won 3.
(the new picks site, JMBETS.CA – 18 winners from 39 races!)
MONDAY NOTES
PHIL’S DREAM, – Canada’s champion sprinter, rode the rail to a big win in the New Providence. He’s back in the winner’s circle, let’s see if he is a good as 2013. WEG/MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
PHIL’S BACK! Champion sprinter of 2013, Phil’s Dream, bounced back from a blip outing in the prep for the New Providence to win the big race itself. The sizy 5-year-old dark bay Philanthropist gelding stalked on the rail and powered through to win the6 furlong dash for Ontario sired rivals in 1:09 1/5 – an 86 Beyer Speed Figure according to DAILY RACING FORM.
The champ is 9 for 16 in his career and he has earned over $674,000 for owner, breeder and trainer Paul Buttigieg. The gelding was 7 for 10 in 2013 and a Grade 1 winner.
His Beyers have been low this year but perhaps he is not as his peak yet.
Pat O’Grady’s SORRY ABOUT THAT was a brave 2nd in a mad battle with others and Omar Moreno rode that grey gelding.
Race 1 Monday – Ontario sired allowance at 1 1/16 miles went to FREITAG, a Giant Gizmo gelding out of Deadlock by Regal Classic owned and trained by Nathan Squires. The $2,200 yearling purchase was making his 2nd start of the year and he had a nice trip under Slade callaghan. His time of 1:45 was good for a 72 Beyer Figure. He is ahalf brother to multiple stakes winner Stuck In Traffic.
Race 2 – From a very slow start to a good position down the backstrtech to a strong win – that was AIR BLADE in the $40,000 allowance/optional claiming event. The winner was making the 3rd strat off a layoff and he was stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for only the 3rd time in his career. James Redekop owns this Kentucky bred by Ghostzapper. Queen’s Plate eligible Man Cave was a flat 3rd.
Race 3 – The incredible TAPIT’S BREW won again and he probably should not have based on a tough trip. This flashy cheatnut is a guy who loves to win and at 8-year-olds he is in top form. He was up with the very slow pace early in this 7 furlong $32,000 claiming race but then was shuffled well back around the turn. He had to angle out and rally in the stretch and somehow, he pipped Officeinthevalley.
Bred by Ben Berger in Kentucky, this Tapit fellow was a $30,000 yearling purchase 7 uears ago by Eduarado Azpurua. In 2008 when he began his career, he raced for West Point Thoroughbreds and was beaten a neck by eventual graded SW Get Stormy. He finally won his maiden for $50,000 claiming at Belmont and later was claimed for $40,000 by Scott Fairlie and Heritage Hill Farm.
Interestingly, Fairlie ran the gelding right back for $20,000 in his next race, which he won.
Heritage Hill owned Tapit’s Brew for 27 races, until Dec. 21013 when he was claimed by trainer Nick Gonzalez. Jamie Ness and Midwest Thoroughbreds then claimed the horse at Gulfstream for $12,500 before Tino Attard claimed him for $12,500.
Tapit’s Brew has won 15 of 49 races and over $375,000.
Race 4- CANNA RED became the first winner of the season for trainer Tommy O’Keefe, who also owns the Florida bred 3yo filly by D’wildcat. She won the maiden race for $8,000 with 1st tiem lasix and blinkers off. Chantal Sutherland Kruze rode.
Race 5 – A nice maiden allowance race but every horse in the field was at the mercy of SHAFT OF LIGHT, Sam-Son Farms’ first-time starter by Smart Strike – Silver Adventure, by Silver Deputy.
The colt was all the rage and picked by mostly everyone. The handsome colt, running with an unusual tail carriage (arched and held up) pressed the pace and then took off to win in 1:22 3/5 – a 73 Beyer Figure. He was wrapped up 70 yards from the wire by jockey Patrick Husbands.
Sam-Son won the Queenston Stakes on Saturday with SPEIGHTSONG but with that colt not a probably Plate contender, who knows if this monster will be steered to the big dance:
Race 6 – KATIE IT’S FINE was up in time to win the $25,000 claiming race for Debmar Stables and trainer Ricky Griffith. The tough 5yo mare is now 9 for 31 and she has won 4 times since she was re-claimed by Debmar. Gary Boulanger gave the mare a fine ride.
Race 7 – favoured BREAKING BALL had a lovely journey in this first level allowance race and won nicely for Cabarnet Racing and Ed Seltzer, who bred the son of Smart Atrike – One Emotion. The 6yo gelding has had 4 trainers in 20 races and Brian Lynch currently has him. He won in 1:22, good for an 81 Beyer Figure.
Race 9 – maiden fillies for $25,000 and there was a lot of action here – 3 horses were claimed and the 2 to 5 favourite EYES
HER MAN held on to win in a depserate stretch run.
The winner is a Magna Graduate filly who was 3rd in her opener at the allowance level and then suddenly was dropped in class by Frank DiGiulio and trainer Robert Tiller.
She led all the way through 6 furlongs and ran in 1:11 2/5 – just a 39 Beyer Figure. She was claimed as were 2 other runners.
The final race was a maiden allowance for Ontario sired gals at 1 1.16 miles. Another heavily bet favourite won, this one CALL HER KARMA won by 8 lengths for Colebrook Farms and trainer Ashlee Brnjas. This gal is out of the farm’s top mare A Familiar Face (dam of Seen It All Before and Reconnect) and she had been 4th and 2nd in her 2 sprint starts.
She had Justin Stein named as her rider for the 3rd career start but after a couple of changes and movements, Luis Contreras, who was named on Miss Stone (who was then scratched), was the rider.
Call Her Karma is by Seeking the Best (Ire) and her Beyer was 66.
SATURDAY –
Race 1- EXECUTIVE STORY, a 3yo gelding by Bold Executive out of Glory’s Glory by Defensive Play won this $8,000 claiming event on a drop from maiden allowance. John Cardella owns and trains with Paul Cooper. Steve Bahen rode.
Race 2 – a maiden $50,000 dash was won by MAJESTIC KITTEN, a first time starter for James Perron Racing, which has not raced many horses at Woodbine in the last year. Brian Lynch trains this son of Kitten’s Joy who was a $20,000 yearling purchase and the gelding is a full brother to a grass winner.
Race 3- STEEL DUST DANCER, a maiden allowance winner last year, plunged to $12500 claiming for his 2014 debut and he won by a long margin for John Hillier and trainer Don MacRae. Eurico da Silva rode the son of Unbiridled’s Song.
Race 4- THE QUEEN’S REIGN, reclaimed by trainer Scott Fairlie late last year for $16,000 after losing her for $8,000, led all the way to win for $10,000 under Michelle Rainford.
Race 5 – SPIN THE KING was heavily bet, overbet, from the rail post in his return as a 3yo in this Ontario sired allowance. He had speed but was burned out by the duel and YER BLUE rallied up the inside under Husbands to win his season debut as a 4yo. He is ownd by Tucci Stables who bred the son of Endeavor. Sid Attard trains.
Race 6 – SANDYS HURRICANE was one of 2 winners for trainer Johm Simms on the weekend. This light grey gal was dropping in for $16,000 maiden claiming fr her 4th career race and she moved wide off the turn to win her maiden for Micheal and Dennis Payer, the breeders of the Alphabet Soup filly.
Race 7- HILLABY a tank of a 4yo filly by Distorted Humor out of Horse of the Year SEALY HILL, made mincemeat of this maiden allowance field in her first race in over 1 year. She won easily with an 82 Beyer Figure. Mark Casse trains for Eugene Melnyk.
Race 9 – Favoured THUNDERING WATERS stalked wide and rallied to win for $12,500 for Centennial Farms Niagara and trainer Mark Fournier. Justin Stein rode this 6yo gelding.
Race 10 – an Ontario sired allowance race at 6 furlongs and from the rail, MACHITO extricated himself under a red-hot Patrick Husbands and rallied to win his season debut for Windways Farm. Malcolm Pierce trains the Tethra – Ms Petula by Trajectory 4yo gelding who was bred by David Strucke.
FRIDAY at WOODBINE – 4 winners were doubling up!
Race 1 – DR SPORT won this $20,000 claiming race for 3yos for Copper Water Thoroughbreds Company Ltd and trainer Pat Parente. The winner was making his 2nd local start and he was dropping from allowance class. He was pumped up on the lead not long after the start and won under Justin Stein.
Race 2- UNLEASH THE TALENT was a predictable winner as he was dropping from $15,000 claiming for Frank Cirillo and trainer Anthony Adamo. He took off on the lead and had just 5 furlongs to negotiate to win his maiden. He is by Talent Search and was previously owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsay.
Race 3- Frank Cirillo won another race, this time with SNIT FIT, with trainer Kevin Attard. The grey mare needed most of the 1 1/16 miles to get up to win the $11,500 claiming race in her 2nd local start.
Race 4- TWO BREWS TO GO is one of 13 two-time winners on the meeting thanks to this inside, stalking trip win in an allowance race. The Mike Ambler homebred is a Milwaukee Brew filly who was ridden with flair by Jesse Campbell.
Race 5- BELLA’S REBEL is another 2-time winner – she led all the way t win this 2nd outing of the season (and second race since last July) for Gary Wellwood and trainer Scott Fairlie, Jennifer Leuty trains the Rebellion filly.
Race 7 – 4year-old DUPPY CONQUEROR battled on the pace and drew off to win her season opener for Kingview Farm and trainer Catherine Day Phillips. She is a Sligo Bay (Ire) filly who is 2 for 4 in her career.
Race 8 – the featured allowance at 7 furlongs went to RUN TO THE BANK, a son of Wando, who is 2 for 2 this year and he was winning one of the toughest races of his career. He beat Pender Harbour in the event and he is 8 for 25 in his career. The gelding came from far off the pace to win for Nick Nosowenko.
Race 9 – SHACKLETON HILL is 2 for 3 this year and he rallied wide and from well back under Juan Crawford for Chris Jolin.
CHROME IS EVERYWHERE
Thanks to his first two resounding wins in the first legs of the American Triple Crown (the 12th horse to do so since 1978) and thanks to a wild nasal strip topic, mostly overblown by zealous members of the media looking for a headline, California Chrome is a headliner everywhere.
NewsTalk 1010’s Mike Toth discussed the colt on his ’60 seconds with Toth’ Tuesday morning, knocking the Habs off the top.
Tonight, CNN plans to do a piece on the NASAL STRIP.
‘NASALGATE’
TIME.COM
by Sean Gregory
The New York Racing Association has just lifted its ban on nasal strips for this year’s Belmont Stakes — a victory for common sense that may allow history to take place
On Sunday night, Jeff Blea, president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and one of the most respected horse-racing vets in the country, was watching the local news at his home in the Los Angeles area. He spotted an alert going across the ticker at the bottom of the screen: California Chrome may not run Belmont, giving up his bid for the Triple Crown. “Oh jeez,” Blea thought. He expected the worst. Maybe the horse had suffered a career-ending injury.
http://time.com/105634/california-chrome-triple-crown-nasal-strips-horse-racing-belmont-stakes/
WOODBINE OAKS TOP 10
1. PALADIN BAY
2. HOT AND SPICY
3. WILD CATOMINE
4. LEXIE LOU
5. LLARNMON
6. UNSPURNED
7. COOL FAITH
8. SPLASHY GIZMO
9., GDANSK
10. NEESA
COMMANDER IN COMMAND
BC based champ loves Edmoton
EDMONTON JOURNAL STORY BY CURTIS STOCK
EDMONTON – After what Commander did in taking Monday’s 59th running of the $50,000 Journal Handicap — comfortably winning despite being four wide almost throughout the six-furlong affair — Northlands should just get it over with and rename the racetrack Commander Park.
After all, the six-year-old Commander pretty much owns this place. The victory was his eighth in nine career starts at Northlands Park.
“He just loves this track,” said Dennis Terry, who trains the six-year-old for Glenn Todd’s North American Throughbred Horse Company.
MARIO PLEASES HOMETOWN CROWD
Jock visits Hastings for Victoria day
VANCOUVER – The home-town racing hero returned to his roots at Hastings Racecourse Monday afternoon and didn’t disappoint his army of admirers.
The entire east end of Vancouver no doubt heard the bellowing cheers for jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard Taylors Deal as he turned on the jets to win the $50,000 John Longden 6000 for trainer Troy Taylor.
It was also a banner day for Taylor, the 82-year-old thoroughbred racing icon, who was in the winner’s circle for a comfortable victory with I Think So under veteran jockey Alex Bisono. Taylor’s horses treated him to wins in four races on the Victoria Day holiday card that attracted an estimated crowd of 8,000.
FASIG-TIPTON MARYLAND 2YO SALE
ONTARIO- breds in sale
134 OUT
137 OUT
206 Langfuhr filly, not sold $27,000
392 Tuesday
397
451
