CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED AND THE GAME MERGE!
– The two powerhouses in Canadian horse racing publishing, CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED – a leading racing magazine for half a century – and THE GAME, sucessfully run by the Roberts family for many years, have merged into one monthly publication and will debut following this year’s Queen’s Plate.
Canadian Thoroughbred’s new managing editor is Stacie Roberts, who started The Game newspaper and developed it into one of the most popular publications at the track. Jennifer Anstey is publiser of Canadian Thoroughbred.
The latest issue of the magazine is the popular QUEEN’S PLATE SOUVENIR MAGAZINE, available now and on Queen’s Plate day to fans arriving at the track.
BEYER TWEAKING HELPS OAKS GALS
– The adjustment of Beyer Figures for syntethic tracks (see yesterday’s post that links Andy Beyer’s story) has elevated the Beyer Figures of a couple of contenders in Sunday’s WOODBINE OAKS.
Tasty Temptation’s Beyer has gone from 87 to 92 off the Beyer correction and Milwaukee Appeal’s latest number is now an 89. Both fillies are solid players in the 1 1/8 mile Oaks, the Canadian classic for 3yo fillies which is going to lure a large field.
The absence of VAN LEAR ROSE, injured earlier this year, has left the door wide open for a top sophomore filly.
The favourite’s role could land on a filly who has not raced in Canada, however as WYNNING RIDE will ship in for Arnold Zetcher and trainer Bob Baffert. Hotshot rider JOE TALAMO makes his Woodbine debut.
A pair of gals from Chiefswood Farm and Gus Schickedanz make up 4 of the 15 entries and there are 2 maiden sentered – INDIGO NORTH and SOUL OF NATAKA.
STEWART ELLIOT is a surprise visitor as he will ride MILWAUKEE APPEAL, who was been ridden by Na Somsanith. ALAN GARCIA, who rode Rutherienne to win the Nassau Stakes at Woodbine last weekend, will be back to ride ACADAMICIENNE, the French filly who has arrived in New York and will head to Toronto on Saturday. EIBAR COA will be in town to ride MISS BLAKELY, a filly who has not raced in Canada nor on a syntethic surface, for trainer Joe Orseno.
All in all, a very good race from a handicapping standpoint with a handful of quality stakes winners in the group:
EARLY LOOK AT THE WOODBINE OAKS (15)
Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey
JOE TALAMO, rider of I WANT REVENGE this spring and a star on the Jockey show on Animal Planet, will be at Woodbine on Sunday. Photo from Animal Planet.
Academicienne/NYKY Thoroughbreds Stable/Kiaran McLaughlin/Alan Garcia
Dance For Us/Minshall Farms/Barbara Minshall/Robert Landry
Double Malt/Mike Ambler & Partners/Malcolm Pierce/Eurico Rosa da Silva
First Circle/Gus Schickedanz/Mike Keogh/Jono Jones
Gore Bay/Chiefswood Stable Ltd./Eric Coatrieux/Chantal Sutherland
High Mist/N.C. Stables et al./Reade Baker/Jim McAleney
Indigo North/Chiefswood Stable Ltd./Eric Coatrieux/Tyler Pizarro
Koonunga Hill/Empress Stables/Steve Owens/Emma-Jayne Wilson
Milwaukee Appeal/C.E.C. Farms/Scott Fairlie/Stewart Elliott
Miss Blakely/Capitol Hill Th’breds & Team Five Star Stable/Joe Orseno/Eibar Coa
Politelyprecocious/Gus Schickedanz/Mike Keogh/Constant Montpellier
Secret Wish/Cudney Stables/Jim Day/Justin Stein
Soul of Nataka/Charles Fipke/Roger Attfield/Richard Dos Ramos
Tasty Temptation/Woodford Racing/Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands
Wynning Ride/Arnold Zetcher/Bob Baffert/Joe Talamo
OAKS ENTRANTS WITH BREEDER AND BREEDING
HORSE BREEDER DAM (SIRE)
Academicienne 3-F Laurel Byrne Merida (Royal Academy)
Dance For Us 3-F Minshall Farms Heart Beat (Monashee Mountain)
Double Malt 3-F M. Ambler and Partners Matching Sox (Whiskey Wisdom)
First Circle 3-F G.Schickedanz Marienburg (Langfuhr)
Gore Bay 3-F Chiefswood Stables Ltd. Eclipse Bay (Dynaformer)
Greenapple Martini 3-F Theodore F. Burnett Trishyde Slew (Medaglia d’Oro)
Indigo North 3-F Chiefswood Stables Ltd. Turned On (Grand Slam)
Koonunga Hill 3-F Empress Stable Easy To Praise (Wonneberg)
Milwaukee Appeal 3-F C.E.C.Farms Appealing Forum (Milwaukee Brew)
Miss Blakely * 3-F Capital Hill Thoroughbreds LLC and TeamA Bit Special(GB) (Smart Strike )
Politelyprecocious 3-F G.Schickedanz Stop Looking (Langfuhr)
Secret Wish 3-F Cudney Stables Awesome Lass (Street Cry(IRE))
Soul of Nataka 3-F Charles E.Fipke Nataka (Perfect Soul)
Tasty Temptation 3-F Woodford Racing LLC Parisa (Medaglia d’Oro)
Wynning Ride 3-F Arnold Zetcher Wynyard (Candy Ride)
QUEEN’S PLATE LOSES SOUTHDALE, $1 MILLION UP FOR GRABS
– The 150th Queen’s Plate on June 21 will be an interesting betting race now that Southdale, who narrowly lost the Trial to Eye of the Leopard, has been sidelines. The Leopard is still learning and third-place finisher Rapid Release is improving, El Brujo comes off a weird outing and the rest are looking for a peak effort on the right day. The field could look like this for Canada’s biggest race:
SOUTHDALE, one of the most exciting colts on the Plate trail is out. Terence Dulay photo.
The following list is the possible starters for the Plate:
Active Duty 3-C Woodford Racing LLC Punch Bowl (Deputy Commander)
Bucephalus 3-C Knob Hill Stable May Time (Cape Canaveral)
Collerosa 3-G Frank Romano Vinona (Tomahawk)
Costalivin 3-C Jam Jar Racing Stable Sylky Market (Tomahawk)
El Brujo 3-G Windways Farm Enchanted Spell (Candy Ride)
Eye of the Leopard 3-C Sam-Son Farm Eye of the Sphynx (A.P. Indy)
Flip For The Coin 3-G Molinaro Stable Social Knight (Compadre)
Keino West 3-G Track West Racing Vanetta Hill (Kissin Kris)
Mr. Foricos Two U 3-G Annecchini and D’Alimonte Holdings Ltd.Song Spring (Porto Foricos)
*My Bad 3-g Tucci Stables Endeavor – My Sweest Tooch
Rapid Release 3-C Dolantori Racing Bail Money (Action This Day)
Shut It Down 3-G K. K. Sangara Bar U Raphael (Porto Foricos)
Stardust Ziggy 3-C UN Stable Rare Vision (Holy Bull)
*Tasty Temptation 3- F Woodford Racing Medaglia d’oro – Parisia
*would have to be supplemented
SCORE IN THE 1-2-3 CONTEST!
It’s time to log in your picks for Wednesday night thoroughbred racing and cheer on your picks on THE SCORE.
Tonight’s races include:
SCRIBE SAYS SEA THE STARS WINS EPSOM DERBY SATURDAY
by Marcus Armytage
FROM TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
The Derby 2009: Sea The Stars stands on the brink of greatness
Aidan O’Brien’s six runners in Saturday’s Investec Derby make it a fascinating renewal but I believe we will be hailing another Irish colt, Sea The Stars, as one of the greats after he has become the first Guineas-Derby winner since Nashwan 20 years ago.
EDMONTON JOURNAL REPORT
Alberta horseman bid on Mine That Bird, but didn’t like him much
by CURTIS STOCK
EDMONTON — What if?
What if Mine That Bird, the favourite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, was running in Edmonton or Winnipeg instead of in New York?
It’s not as preposterous as it sounds.
Edmonton trainer R.K. ‘Red’ Smith took a look at Mine That Bird. Winnipeg trainer Aaron Sayler was even the underbidder on the Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up. “I went to $9,000,” said Sayler. “He sold for $9,500.”
So what if? What if Sayler or Smith had bought him instead of Toronto trainer Dave Cotey? “I probably would have done the same thing as Dave. Sold him,” said Sayler. “And in Winnipeg I wouldn’t have got near what Cotey got ($400,000).”
Smith actually went looking to buy a colt by Birdstone, the winner of the 2004 Belmont and the sire of Mine That Bird. “But I bought the other one and paid twice as much for him,” said Smith. The Birdstone colt Smith bought has yet to run.
www.vancouversun.com/sports/Horse+racing+rich+Derby+winner+Mine+That+Bird/1655869/story.html
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS ADJUSTS SCHEDULE
first stakes to be run tonight
By: Allan Besson
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS director of operations Darren Dunn and the horsemen who provide the thoroughbreds at the track recently got their heads together to do a little juggling with this year’s schedule.As a result, in an effort to maximize the opportunities for consistent, full-field live race cards, the Downs has made a modification to its 2009 calendar.
The addition of Tuesday night racing, with the first post time of 7 p.m., will now begin on June 23 instead of the original featured start of June 9.
The current live schedule of Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, with a first post time of 7 p.m., will see the addition of Tuesday evening races for four consecutive weeks from June 23 to July 14.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/other/downs-adjusts-racing-schedule-46802882.html
TONIGHT’S FEATURE AT ASSINIBOIA – THE GOLDEN BOY STAKES
First stakes of the season
Race 7 – 9:35 PM – courtesy Equibase
Golden Boy S.
Purse $30,000. 3-Year-Olds. Weight: 122 Lbs. Non-winners of $15,000 once in 2009 allowed 2 Lbs. Non-winners of three races lifetime allowed 4 Lbs. Of two races lifetime allowed 6 Lbs. Fees: $50 to nominate – $275 to enter – $275 to start. Six Furlongs.
PP Horse A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Theglow (KY) 3/C L R R Singh 116 C Torevell 10/1
2 Secret Officer (KY) 3/G L M P Iammarino 122 D Schnell 6/5
3 Copper Badges (MB) 3/G A Cuthbertson 116 B A Miller 10/1
4 Cooler Online (ON) 3/G L R Bowen 116 J Brown 8/1
5 Storm Ranger (KY) 3/C L R Cumberbatch 116 E J Corbel 20/1
6 Star Power (KY) 3/G L G Baze 116 E J Corbel 5/1
7 Back in a Flash (KY) 3/G L1* A Velazquez 116 L M Gray 10/1
8 Polish Game (OR) 3/G L L Delorme 120 M W Davis 3/1
9 Prayforthesoldiers (KY) 3/G L D M Lopez 120 A Sayler 7/2
Owners: 1 – Arnason Farm and McDonald, Mandy; 2 – Courtelis, Kiki and Schnell, Don; 3 – William G. Larson; 4 – Chip In Stable; 5 – Bouchard, Raymond, Allard, P., Beavis and Sissons, Grant; 6 – K 5 Stables; 7 – Lorna Gray; 8 – William E. Gollan; 9 – Play 2 Win
Breeders: 1 – David E. Hager II; 2 – Sequel 2001; 3 – William Larson; 4 – Ellah Bloodstock Inc.; 5 – Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC; 6 – Formal Gold LLC; 7 – Phipps Stable; 8 – William E. Gollan; 9 – Jenny Mills
Equipment Changes: 9 – Prayforthesoldiers – Blinkers On
