BIRD WATCHING
KEENELAND ALLOWANCE ON SATURDAY READS LIKE A GRADED STAKE
Next week, UP WITH THE BIRDS and FORTE DEI MARMI are up for Sovereign Awards for champion 3yo colt and older male respectively, as well Horse of the Year.
On Saturday, the 4yo Sam-Son colt and the 8yo Roger Attfield trained old timer will compete in an allowance race at 9 furlongs on turf on Day 2 of the Keeneland meeting. The small field also includes Grade 1 winner BOISTEROUS. Most of the horses in this race are off the pace types and with Forte dei Marmi and ‘Birds’ having not raced this season, their task will be tough. Ontario-bred AWESOME OVERTURE is also in the field off light workouts at Palm Meadows and he makes his grass debut. TRICKY HAT, with blinkers on, looks like the horse to beat.
Race 5 – Post Time – 3:13 PM Double-Exacta-Trifecta($.50 min)-Pick 3($.50 min)(Races 5-6-7)-Superfecta($.10 min)
Keeneland ALLOWANCE
Purse $68,000. (Includes $8,500 – KTDF – Kentucky TB Devt Fund). For Four Year Olds And Upward Which Have Not Won $34,305 Three Times Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Starter, Restricted, Or State Bred Over A Mile On The Turf Since September 29. Weight, 123 Lbs. Non-winners Of $45,000 Twice At A Mile Or Over On The Turf Since December 5 Allowed 3 Lbs. Non-winners Of Two Races $45,000 Such A Race Since November 5 Allowed 5 Lbs. (Races Where Entered For $80,000 Or Less Not Considered In Allowances). In the event that this race is taken off the turf it will be contested at One Mile and One-Eighth on the main track. One And One Eighth Miles. (Turf)
PP Horse Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Forte Dei Marmi (GB) 8/G L E S Prado 118 R L Attfield
2 Awesome Overture (ON) 5/H L R Albarado 118 P Attard
3 Tricky Hat (CHI) 5/G L R Napravnik 118 C R McGaughey III
4 Up With the Birds (ON) 4/C L S Bridgmohan 118 M Pierce
5 Unbridled Ocean (KY) 6/H L J Lezcano 118 W I Mott
6 Sky Blazer (KY) 6/G L J Rocco, Jr. 118 B Tagg
7 Boisterous (KY) 7/H L J Rosario 118 T A Pletcher
Owners: 1 – Stella Perdomo ; 2 – Chiefswood Stables (Robert and Mark Krembil) ; 3 – Andrew Rosen, Robert Trussell and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck) ; 4 – Sam-Son Farm (Mark Samuel) ; 5 – Besilu Stables (Ben Leon, Jr.) ; 6 – Joyce B. Young and Gerald McManis ; 7 – Gary Barber
(VIDEO) – KENTUCKY DERBY MEMORIES
Howard Cosell and Jim McKay – awesome. FOOLISH PLEASURE’S KENTUCKY DERBY 1975.
Enjoy this video, it’s not too long – see DIABLO, AVATAR, PRINCE THOU ART and others. (apologies to announcer Chic Anderson, who called Prince Thou Art winning until very late)
SOCIAL INCLUSION – the exciting mystery horse who posted a 111 Beyer Figure in an allowance win at Gulfstream Park (beating Honor Code). A speedster, is he going to be long gone in the 9 furlong Wood Memorial on Saturday? Or was that GP win a fluke? GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
WOOD MEMORIAL $1 million – SATURDAY at Aqueduct
Kristo, most recently third in the Grade 2 San Felipe, 13 ½ lengths behind winner California Chrome, is scheduled to arrive at Aqueduct Tuesday for the Grade 1, $1 million TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial, his first start outside California. Trainer John Sadler said the bay son of Distorted Humor worked well at Santa Anita on Sunday, covering six furlongs in a handy 1:12 2/5.
“In his last race, we changed his running style and took him back a speed-favoring track and that probably was a mistake,” said Sadler of Kristo, who is 1-3-1 from five career starts. “He ran much better in the [Grade 3] Sham before that [second to Midnight Hawk] and we think he deserves one more chance.”
Kristo is looking to emulate the Wood success of California invaders such as I Want Revenge (2009), Bob and John (2006), Congaree (2001) and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000).
Uncle Sigh, runner up to fellow New York-bred Samraat in the Grade 3 Withers and the Grade 3 Gotham, will “hopefully” have his final tune up for the Wood over the Belmont Park training track tomorrow morning, said trainer Gary Contessa.
“Ideally, I would like to breeze him an easy half-mile tomorrow,” said Contessa. “We’ll have to see what it’s like. If not tomorrow, then we’ll do it on Wednesday.”
Corey Nakatani, who was aboard for Uncle Sigh’s neck defeat in the Gotham, will return aboard Uncle Sigh for the 1 1/8-mile Wood, Contessa confirmed.
Unbeaten Social Inclusion arrived at Aqueduct Racetrack at approximately 3 a.m. on Monday after departing Gulfstream Park by van on Sunday, according to a tweet made by owner Ronald Sanchez.
Social Inclusion, who is trained by Manuel Azpurua, settled in barn 4 at Aqueduct and is expected to gallop up to the Wood Memorial, which will be his first start away from Gulfstream and third overall. He won a six-furlong maiden race by 7 ½ lengths on February 22 and a 1 1/16-mile open allowance race by 10 lengths on March 12.
First race post time for Saturday’s 12-race card will be 1 p.m., with the Wood scheduled as race 10 with an approximate post time of 5:40 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m., and guests will be able to pick up a TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial baseball cap with the purchase of a full Post Parade program or a coupon, while supplies last. Also Saturday, NYRA is offering a $500,000 Guaranteed All-Graded Stakes Pick 4 beginning with race 8 and comprising the Grade 2 Gazelle, the Grade 3 Bay Shore, the Wood, and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.
GET YOUR HORSES TO FORT ERIE – 37 DAY MEETING BEGINS MAY 27
Town gives $500,000 to Fort Erie Race Track
Provincial funding too late to cover all of the bills
Fort Erie Post
By James Culic
FORT ERIE — With just three hours left for the Fort Erie Race Track to pay its lease, councillors met in private at Town Hall and approved a $500,000 cash payment to the struggling horse track
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/4441293-town-gives-500-000-to-fort-erie-race-track/
FIRST RACE UNDER THE ALLIANCE – LAST NIGHT
from STANDARDBRED CANADA
The first race of the newly formed Ontario Standardbred Racing Alliance took place on Tuesday night at The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, Ontario.
The Racetrack Alliance is an eight-track partnership which includes The Raceway, Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs, Clinton Raceway, Hanover Raceway, Grand River Raceway, Mohawk and Woodbine.
The Ontario Standardbred Alliance (Alliance) also expressed its strong support for the Horse Racing Partnership Plan announced by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF).
A statement from the Alliance tracks was released on Tuesday night. That statement continues below.
The five-year plan provides not only more total race days annually than last year but also provides a firm base of activity with established purse levels, uniform race classes, a consistent year round schedule at the Signature level, and increased racing opportunities at the Premier tracks.
The announcement heralds an unprecedented agreement among eight Ontario racetracks in the formation of the Standardbred Alliance. The members represent a three-tier racing hierarchy, ‘Grass Roots’ (Clinton, Hanover), ‘Signature’ (Flamboro, Georgian, Grand River and Western Fair) and ‘Premier’ (Mohawk and Woodbine).
The Alliance, which will be led by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), was created to deliver standardbred racing and wagering opportunities with a focus on ease-of-access for existing customers, and consistent and co-ordinated racing opportunities with guaranteed purses for its participants. In addition, the Alliance will deliver more efficient racetrack operations through the consolidation of services and purchasing and a coordinated approach to attracting new customers to Ontario standardbred racing.
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/notices/4-1-14/alliance-tracks-applaud-partnership-plan.html
