SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE…Canadian-breds sweep 3 stakes races over open company!
(Woodbine Mile picks over at JMbets.ca)
ERNIE SEMERSKY and DORY NEWELL lead in CONQUEST TYPHOON after the Summer. David Adams is on the right side of the horse. www.horse-races.net photo
ERNIE AND DORY CONQUER WOODBINE
(so does Husbands and Casse)
The Conquest Stables of Ernie Semerky and Dory Newell won both Win and You’re In Stakes races for 2yos on the grass yesterday at Woodbine while Patrick Husbands won 5 of the 10 races on the card.
Even better is that the Typhoon and the “Harlanator” are both Ontario breds: Conquest Harlanate was bred by Bill Graham at Windhaven in Caledon. He sold her for $75,000 as a short yearling to Black Hawk Stables last year. Then last Sept., the filly was sold for $120,00 to Lisa Orth and now she is with Mark Casse and Conqyest.
Harlan’s Holiday is the sire and Allison’s Pride, by Dixieland Band is the dam.
This is the 11th named for for the mare (who was unplaced in 2 races) – she has recently produced Slamin Dixie, Harlan’s Panther and in 2000, her offspring Penobscot Bay is a stakes runner; Conquest Typhoon was bred by Josham Farms’ Ted Burnett and he is by Stormy Atlantic out of Swanky Bubbles by Ascot Knight.
This is a wonderful Canadian family that traces back to NEAR BYE LADY, the 4th dam, who is the granddam of top miler SCHOSSBERG. The 2nd dam is Bye the Victory who had 4 winners. Swanky Bubbles, a 2-time winner for Burnett, has had 2 other runners including stakes placed Bubbles to the Top.
Conquest Stables’ Conquest Typhoon, with Patrick Husbands, capped a dream day for his connections with an authoritative win in the $234,800 Summer Stakes for two-year-olds.
His Beyer Figure was 78.
The victory in the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event meant that the owner, jockey and trainer Mark Casse will be well represented at the Breeders’ Cup. Earlier in the card, Conquest Harlanate won the Natalma, earning herself a berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday, October 31.
The win by Conquest Typhoon, a Canadian-bred son of Stormy Atlantic-Swanky Bubbles who was purchased for a whopping $330,000 at the 2013 Keeneland Select Sale, meant the colt earned an all-expenses paid trip to California for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, also on October 31.
The victory was a lot easier than the filly’s triumph, who gutted out a neck decision. Sitting a stalking third while Samuel Dechamplain cut out early fractions of :24.08, 48.97 and 1:14.96 over a ‘good’ turf, Husbands called on his mount turning for home and with almost effortless fashion easily struck the front, going on to win by four and one-half lengths in 1:41.10. Samuel Dechamplain hung on for second, a nose in front of U S Marshall.
The Summer lost the morning line favourite, Conquest Tsunami, a stablemate of the winner, when he was scratched. It didn’t matter, as Conquest Typhoon carried the stable’s silks to the easy win, his first victory in three starts, while coming off two runner-up finishes, one in the Clarendon Stakes, and another when beaten a neck on the grass in his last.
Favoured Saratoga Dreamer, trained by Christophe Clement, was fractious in the paddock, at the gate and rank during the early running, eventually fading to last in the eight horse field.
“A couple of days ago when I breezed him (Conquest Typhoon), Mark says he wanted an easy half-mile,” recalled Husbands. “He went in 47. They said, ‘Patrick, what are you doing? I said, ‘Mark doesn’t know how good these horses are right now.’”
About his last start, when caught at the wire, Husbands said, “Last time I rode him, I looked to the left, right, (approaching the wire) didn’t see anybody. Suddenly, here’s comes Luis (Contreras, aboard Passion For Action). I tried to get him going again. He galloped out 20 lengths in front of the other horse. I said please tell Mark I screwed up.”
No screw-ups today, though, as Conquest Typhoon proved much the best. Last year, it was a filly, My Conquestadory, also owned by Conquest Stables and trained by Casse, who won the Summer.
CONQUEST HARLANATE gets past Isabella Sings on the soggy grass to win the Natalma /www.horse-races.net
Conquest Harlanate, Patrick Husbands, needed every foot of the lengthy E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch before collaring favoured Isabella Sings near the wire to win the co-featured $228,800 Natalma Stakes Saturday at Woodbine.
Her Beyer Figure was 75.
Named for the dam of Canada’s most famous thoroughbred, Northern Dancer, the Natalma drew a dozen two-year-old fillies in the one mile turf test, with a Breeders’ Cup berth on the line. The winner received an all-expenses paid trip to Santa Anita for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Friday, October 31.
It was the fifth Natalma win for trainer Mark Casse, who also won with Sprung (2006), Clearly Foxy (2007), Northern Passion (2011) and Spring Venture (2012).
Two longshots, Green Doctor and Appeal to the Win, battled it out early over the ‘good turf’, through fractions of :23.29 and :46.94.
In behind the top pair off the far turn were Isabella Sings, with Corey Nakatani, while Conquest Harlanate followed. When the field turned for home, the Todd Pletcher-trained Isabella Sings took over but was immediately challenged by her foe on the outside.
The stretch run turned into a two-horse race, with Conquest Harlanate prevailing by just a neck on the line, getting the distance in 1:40.61. It was two lengths further back to longshot Skinner Box in third.
“We do a lot of work in the mornings teaching babies how to track horses and run them down,” said Husbands. “She left there pretty sharp so I took her back. She relaxed. Then I realized Corey may be getting too far (ahead). I didn’t want to pull the trigger too early but I realized I was running out of real estate. So she fought, fought, fought and got the job done.”
“We’re in,” said Semersky, about going onto California for the Breeders’ Cup. “Hopefully we’re going to be in a lot of times. We’ve got a lot ready to run. We’ve got a great trainer, a great team. It was an incredible ride by Patrick, he positioned ‘Harlanate’ perfectly. She may not be the best filly we have but she sure showed something today.”
CALGARY CAT – CLAIM OF THE YEAR, 98 BEYER IN VENTURE
Cat’s meow – $25,000 claiming CALGARY CAT won the Bold Venture in fast time for Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman and trainer Kevin Attard
Calgary Cat went from claimer to graded stakes winner with an energetic stretch run to capture Saturday’s Grade 3 $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Kevin Attard and patiently ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, Calgary Cat was last out of the gate in a field of 11 but improved position steadily along the rail as Bear No Joke sped a scintillating half in :44.47 in the 6 1/2-furlong ‘Poly’ tilt.
Black Hornet made a menacing move through the turn but could not maintain his run as da Silva guided Calgary Cat inside of Black Hornet as the field straightened away to score a three-length win. Bear No Joke stayed on strong for place money 1 1/4-lengths in front of Black Hornet who won a six-horse show photo by a nose. Calgary Cat covered 6 1/2-furlongs in 1:14.91.
It was Calgary Cat’s fourth victory in five attempts this season, arriving at the Bold Venture off a sweeping score in a grassy allowance event on August 24.
“He has tactical speed and he followed the race pretty easy,” said da Silva. “When you ask him he gives a very strong kick. He did on the turf last time and today he had a very strong kick.”
The Cowtown Cat fellow was a $25,000 claim from John Oxley by Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman, who were virtually speechless in the winner’s circle: “No words, if anyone wants to get into horse racing, they should, it is the greatest game”
THE CALM BEFORE THE RACING STORM
photo by RENÉE KIERANS
Horses training at Woodbine on a recent foggy morning. The quiet will be gone this weekend when 6 stakes races are run, 4 which are Win and You’re In!
LOOKING TO CONQUER THE NATALMA AND THE SUMMER
The rain continues to fall in Toronto so look for yielding to soft conditions for the two Win and You’re In juvenile stakes races on the EP Taylor grass today. Pin Oak Stables’ DON’T LEAVE ME and Conquest Stables’ CONQUEST HARLANATOR are contenders in the NataMla while CONQUEST TSUNAMI and CONQUEST TYHOON head the Summer along with SARATOGA DREAMER.
PICKS AND NOTES AT http://jmbets.ca/
CONQUEST STABLES are front and centre on Twitter and Facebook with their cool images
CONQUEST STABLE’S social media post on Natalma Stakes runner CONQUEST HARLANATOR. The stable has had many entertaining posts and fun pictures of their horses
TORONTO SUN FEATURE ON ANCIL
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/09/12/woodbine-mile-entrant-ancil-has-quite-a-background-story
THE PIZZA MAN IS READY TO DELIVER
Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – The Pizza Man, working on a five-race win streak, will make his first trip north of the border Sunday for the $300,000 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine.
Trained by Roger Brueggemann, the 5-year-old gelding has drawn the inside post in the nine-horse field and is the 2-1 morning line favorite for the 1 1/2- mile grass event.
“He’s doing great right now,” said Richard Papiese, principal of owner Midwest Thoroughbreds. “Roger is pleased and (jockey) Florent (Geroux) was smiling ear-to-ear when he got off him the other day and is flying up to ride him. (The Breeders’ Cup Turf) is the plan if he runs well. We will obviously take it one race at a time.”
Chicago is home base for The Pizza Man with victories this year in Arlington Park’s Black Tie Affair, Stars and Stripes and American St. Leger on Arlington Million Day, Aug. 16.
“He wouldn’t be running if he didn’t need the race,” Papiese said. “He was bouncing around after he won the (American St. Leger) and acted like he hadn’t run a week later. It wouldn’t be fair to him if we took him to the Breeders’ Cup without another race to prepare him. This race, with the course and competition, is a good prep for him.”
In addition to his three wins this year, The Pizza Man closed 2013 with victories in Arlington’s Illinois Owners Stakes and Hawthorne’s Carey Memorial Handicap.
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/12/4119867/the-pizza
-man-to-make-woodbine.html#storylink=cpy
PETER REDEKOP GOING FOR THIRD STRAIGHT BC DERBY
Vancouver Sun feature
A three-year-old California-bred horse named Alert Bay could make local thoroughbred racing history for owner Peter Redekop Sunday afternoon at Hastings Racecourse.
Not in the 69-year history of the BC Derby has an owner won three years in succession. Redekop was in the winner’s circle for the $150,000 Grade 3 Derby with Title Contender in 2013 and Second City in 2012. He also shared in a Derby victory with Squire Jones in 1994.
Alert Bay makes his first start at Hastings following an impressive record earlier this year on the California circuit that resulted in earnings in excess of $220,000. Redekop purchased him for $65,000 as a yearling at a Keeneland sale in January 2012.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Peter+Redekop+shot+Derby+history+riding+
Alert/10199872/story.html#ixzz3DCEmDIc1
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Peter+Redekop+shot+Derby+history+riding+
KOFFEE GRINDER is going for champion 3yo honours in Canada in the BC Derby – LISA THOMPSON PHOTO FROM DERBY NEWSLETTER
UNCAPTURED RETIRED
Uncaptured under Jockey Miguel Mena – MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
He wowed us with his stunning 2yo season, leading to a Horse of the Year title (the first by a 2yo since Ruling Angel in the 1980s). He won the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie with flair and on several occasions, ran his heart out in big American races.
Uncaptured, bred by Bill Graham and raced by John Oxley, will be standing at stud in 2015. A Grade 2 winner with speed and stamina, he posted a Beyer Figure of 96 as a 2yo.
LIFE 18 7 3 3 1,065,147 102
2014 3 0 0 1 45,000 102
2013 8 1 3 2 509,310 96
2012 7 6 0 0 510,837 96
http://www.drf.com/news/uncaptured-2012-canadian-horse-year-retired
