Taylor is the REAL DEAL!!! Canadian-bred heading to Santa Anita…his race is at 2:00 of the video below, read about his win at bottom of post
There was good news for Canadians yesterday in horse racing land…TAYLOR’S DEAL won another stake at Turf Paradise and is headed to Santa Anita, Avie’s Sense, Canadian-owned and trainer had a big run in New Orleans..Peter Redekop’s COMEDERO won a stakes race at Oaklawn.
It’s Academy Awards Sunday and while there may not be as much interest in this year’s ‘reaallly big shew’, it still lures those interested eyes.
Same can be said for some of the races this weekend that offer up intrigue but to this point, hmmmm, not too exciting.
PERFECT SHIRL was flat, ROYAL DELTA was just as flat and Kentucky Derby hopeful EL PADRINO needed a while lotta stretch run to get up and win the Risen Star Stakes.
Today – it’s the FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH and MACDIARMIDA STAKES!
SHIRL A BIT RUSTY
Perfect Shirl, making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, finished eighth in Saturday’s The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream under jockey John Velazquez.
“She just got tired,” said trainer Roger Attfield. “She probably needed the race, which is what I thought was going on. She’s had a bit of a disruptive winter, but she should move forward off this race.”
Shirl had been prepped for races in Argentina and other spots but ran into several snags and finally was in re-group mode.
She was essentially one-paced in the 1 3/8 mile race on Saturday and the winner was 11 to 1 shot HERE TO WIN, a South African import last year.
DELTA IS ALSO RUSTY
Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner ROYAL DELTA was also a bit sluggish off the winter break in the Sabin Stakes earlier on the Gulfstream card Saturday. However, trainer BIll Mott is not worried and said Ben Leon’s $9.5 million mare is headed to Dubai and the World Cup.
AWESOME MARIA was just that as she won the race by 5 lengths for Robsham Stable. She posted a 100 Beyer Figure.
Royal Delta made steady progress under Jose Lezcano to get up for second by a head over Groupie Doll, the 4-1 third choice who had briefly taken the lead on the far turn.
“It’s not a surprise. The other filly is a good filly and we got a good race in our filly. About the time she settled it was time to go. With the short wire, she wasn’t going to beat the winner today,” said Mott, referring to the alternative finish line instituted for 1 1/16-mile races that is shortens the stretch run by a sixteenth of a mile.
HURRAH FOR YARA
60 to 1 winner of Davona Dale, biggest win for trainer
Peras International’s Yara went into Saturday’s $250,000 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park unheralded after winning two of five starts in sprints, the first four at Calder last year. But the 3-year-old Florida-bred filly won a long head-to-head duel with Michael Dubb and partners’ 4-5 favorite Grace Hall in the stretch to score by hard-fought triumph by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile test.
She posted a 90 Beyer Figure for her win – her previous best was a 75.
A strong field of nine 3-year-old fillies lined up for the Davona Dale with Grade 1 winner Grace Hall making her first start since finishing second to Eclipse champion My Miss Aurelia in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4 for trainer Anthony Dutrow.
Ridden by jockey Jesus Castanon, Yara broke sharply to take command around the turn and into the backstretch until jockey Ramon Dominguez brought Grace Hall up to challenge from the inside midway through the backstretch, taking the lead briefly. The two fillies fought it out to deep stretch before Yara edged away to victory. Darley Stable’s Captivating Lass finished third, 3 ½ lengths behind Grace Hall.
“This is the biggest win of my career,” Florida-based trainer Jose Garaffolo said. “I knew it was a tough field, but I was always confident that she would handle a distance. The owner (Anderson Castro) is from Venezuela and is investing in several horses over here, including some I have coming up.
“I picked this one out,” added Garaffolo, who paid $24,000 for the daughter of Put It Back at the 2011 OBS April 2-year-old sales. “The goal is the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with maybe a race before then. I usually wait to see how they come out of a race to make more immediate plans.”
Yara had finished fourth, beaten 22 ½ lengths in the seven-furlong Forward Gal Stakes (G2) over a sloppy Gulfstream track in her previous start on Jan. 29. She paid $131 for $2 to win Saturday after being timed for the 1 1/16 miles in 143:41 over the ‘fast’ track.
YARA comes from one of the best Canadian breeding families in history – COOL MOOD, her 4th dam. A Woodbine Oaks winner, Cool Mood was a foundation mare for Kinghaven Farms as a soucre of power from the likes of WITH APPROVAL, etc.
YARA’S 3rd dam is PRINCESS LAIKA and if that sounds familar, she is the dam of Josham Farms’ good mare Gold Liaka.
Princess Laika is the dam of Lady Laika, dam of Yara’s mum Ashlee’s Lady (won $300 on the track) as well as millionaire Healthy Addiction.
SENSE OF PRIDE – Dalos filly 2nd in Grade 3 with 90 Beyer!
Ivan Dalos’ AVIE’S SENSE, a homebred by Street Sense – Fly for Avie ran a big race in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes yesterday to be 2nd and is headed to the Fair Grounds Oaks, Mar. 31, a Grade 2.
Trained by Ontario’s Josie Carroll, Avie’s Sense led most of the way and was only overhauled late by Summer Applause, who was actually trained last year by Carroll.
“She’s a pretty inexperienced filly. We tried to get an allowance race to go after her maiden win and it didn’t fill. That maybe hurt her a little bit, but I know how good the other filly (Summer Applause) is so I’m very happy. She’s graded stakes-placed off of her maiden win so we’re happy with that.”
Asked if the filly will she come back in the March 31 Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks? “I hope so. I think we’ll move on from this and I think she deserves to. She fought and she got a little tired.”
Avie’s Sense is a Kentucky-bred. She was 3rd in a maiden race at Woodbine to none other than Dixie Strike last fall and she was coming off a maiden win at Fair Grounds.
EL PADRINO – 99 Beyer Figure in gritty Risen Star win
El Padrino (left) guts out Risen Star win – Fair Grounds/photo
The Pulpit – Enchanted Rock – Giant’s Causeway colt EL PADRINO is 2 for 2 this year now with a 99 Beyer Figure yesterday from his hard fought win at Fair grounds over Brereton Jones’ MARK VALESKI.
A $210,000 Keeneland Sept. yearling, El Padrino is trained by Todd Pletcher for Let’s Go Stable.
BIG DEAL – TAYLOR WINS AGAIN!
Canadian-bred gelding an exciting prospect
North American Thoroughbred Horse Company Inc.’ Canadian-bred 3yo TAYLORS DEAL won his 2nd consecutive stakes race at Turf Paradise yesterday. The 3yo gelding by Second in Command romped by more than 2 lengths in the Turf Paradise Derby for jockey Mario Gutierrez, also from Hastings Park and trainer Sandi Gann. The $21,000 yearling purchase was bred by the Lytle family and Can A Mex Farms in BC.
North American Thor. Horse Company is a syndicate (http://www.nathc.ca/) made up of top BC owners such as Glenn Todd and trainer Troy Taylor.
Taylor said the gelding is headed to Santa Anita.
The gelding’s sire is stakes winner SECOND IN COMMAND, a son of Silver Deputy from Stormeor. This is his first crop. He stands in BC at Road’s End.
The dam is from the Canadian family of CHEALSEANNA.
TURF PARADISE DERBY, $75,000, TUP, 2-25, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43 4/5, ft.
1–TAYLORS DEAL, 122, g, 3, Second in Command– Fleet Amyanne, by Western Fame. (C$21,000 yrl ’10 BRCSEP). O-North American Thoroughbred Horse
Company Inc; B-Clive & Linda Lytle & Can-A-Mex Farms (BC); T-Sandi Gann; J-Mario Gutierrez; $44,175. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $79,928.
2–Makors Finale, 122, c, 3, Makors Mark–Coup de Foudre, by Basket Weave. O-K C Krieg III. $14,250.
3–Born Force, 122, g, 3, Political Force–Born Twice, by Opening Verse. ($1,200 yrl ’10 FTKOCT). O-Diana Jensen. $7,125.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 4.90, 4.60, 32.90
