PERFECT SHOWER POURS IT ON
sideways, but hey, he won at 45 to 1
For such a huge longshot winning the 119th Breeders’ Stakes, the 3rd jewel of Canada’s Triple crown, there sure was a lot of kickin goin on when everyone realized it was the master of the Triple Crown himself, Roger Attfield, who had pulled off the miracle.
PERFECT SHOWER, who just won his maiden for $25,000 claiming in his first start at the meeting, sped to the lead, got the jump on everyone, drifted out to the other side of the turf course and held off the closers to win in stunning fashion.
He picked up a career best Beyer Figure of 80 on the turf that appeared to be on the good side.
PERFECT SHOWER (far, far left) is going to the other side of the track but still winning the Breeders’. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo.
TORONTO STAR REPORT:
Roger Attfield can now truly be called the king of the Canadian Triple Crown.
Racing fans and rival horses alike were caught napping at Woodbine when Attfield student Perfect Shower, a 46-1 long shot, raced to a stunning upset in the 119th running of the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes yesterday, the third jewel of Canadian thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
It was a record eighth Breeders’ win for Attfield, who also co-owns the record for Queen’s Plate wins with eight.
Perfect Shower became the longest-priced winner in Breeders’ Stakes history, easily surpassing Social Wizard, which won in 1981 as a 20-1 long shot and paid $43.70.
Perfect Shower paid a whopping $95.30, $34.80 and $13.60 in winning the 1 1/2-mile event in 2:29.39. Guipago, a 29-1 long shot, returned $23 and $11.90. Reservoir took third, paying $5.90. Mr Foricos Two U, who finished second in the Queen’s Plate, was fourth.
While Perfect Shower’s win was a surprise, equally as stunning was the flop by Queen’s Plate winner Eye of the Leopard: the 4-5 favourite wobbled home 11th in the 13-horse field.
“Obviously, we took a big shot (running Perfect Shower) in this race,” said Attfield, who trains the 3-year-old colt for owner and breeder Charles Fipke.
“But he had been training so very, very well. I knew there were two or three legitimate horses in the race but the rest of us were all bunched up in a group.”
Perfect Shower received an excellent ride from jockey Jono Jones, who kept the son of turf champion Perfect Soul within a few lengths of front-running long-shots Genius Kinshasa and Full Throttle.
“I pressed my horse a little bit early,” said Jones, who sent his colt up to challenge for the lead with a quarter of a mile to race. “I knew I was a long-shot so I just made the rest of them try to catch me.”
read the rest:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/675470
RACHEL, OH RACHEL
116 BEYER in Haskell romp
It was a stunning display over the boys and surely one that will have taken something out of her this time.
Deep slop abd a speed test from Munnings, Rachel Alexandra (Medgalia d’Oro) worked hard and won the Haskel by 6 with a 116 Beyer Figure, putting her among the best racehorses in moden history (Easy Goer ran in the 124 range).
Of course, there is the little matter of how many times Calvin Borel hit the filly who PRobably has not felt the whip much lately.
It was at least 7 strikes with the whip (he is quoted as saying he tapped her twice at the 16th pole but he was hitting her left handed before he straightened out for home) and he was still hitting her pretty late in the race.
After feeling the sting of the whip several times, Rachel Alexandra tears away from the boys. Sarah K. Andrew photo.
NEW YORK DAILEY NEWS’ SHERRY ROSS REPORTS:
OCEANPORT – Oh, she’s the one.
Rachel Alexandra turned her latest challenge into a six-length, spine-tingling romp in the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational Sunday at Monmouth Park, defeating some quality 3-year-old colts and Mother Nature.
Steve Asmussen, who has won thousands of races and saddled hundreds of classy thoroughbreds and conditioned a Horse of the Year, said he has never seen anything like her. The 37,090 fans who braved the elements to witness her dominating victory over six others – a Belmont Stakes champion and the Arkansas and Iowa Derby winners were in her muddy wake – surely agree.
Asmussen planted a big kiss on Rachel Alexandra’s white-blazed face as jockey Calvin Borel brought her back for her seventh trip to a winner’s circle this year.
“What else can you do?” Asmussen said of his uncharacteristic display of affection. “It’s like, ‘How do you do that, babe?'”
Asmussen took over her training following her 20-1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks and her sale to Jess Jackson. Just 15 days after dusting the fillies, Rachel Alexandra became the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness, beating the boys and boosting her fan club.
“It’s truly a special thing how people feel about her,” said Asmussen, who said he can’t go anywhere without people asking about his unique filly. “(At the Preakness), I’d never been in a race where the majority of the people was on one horse’s side like that. That was my introduction into Rachelmania and it’s been like that since.”
ROX ROLLS
Just five horses in the Grade 3 Royal North and many bettors like the age-old betting angle, bet the longest shot in the small field.
Those punters would have been rich after the 6 furlong Royal North as GLITTER ROX, making her first start of the year, rallied from behind a frantic pace duel to win in 1:09 while heavy, heavy favourite Saskawea could not hit the board in the tiny field.
The race could not have set up any better for a stretch runner but Saskawea orMommie Whiz were the more logical picks since Glitter Rox had not raced yet for the Ellie Boje Farm of Rahy’s Attorney fame.
Dancing Allstar broke slowly again and might be signalling that she is no longer interested in racing.
While Canadian Ballet shot to a clear lead undera good hold, suddenly Dancing Allstar flew up to that rival and the pair battled hard to the top of the stretch.
Canadian Ballet held on gamely to be 2nd while Glitter Rox rallied and ‘Allstar’ folded.
In yet another interview with Patrick Husbands done by SUN TV, that rider said his filly Canadian Ballet ran “game” as, what he thought would have been the dominant speed of the race.
Ian Black admitted what most thought – that the race was merely a starting point for Glitter Rox for this season.
“She was held up (this spring) with a splint, she didn’t get in until April. I was prepping here for the Belle Geste, I had to start here somewhere but to get a graded win is incredible,” said Ian Black.
As for the Elle Boje group that includes Joe and Ellen McLellan:
“They only bred the two horses that season and now they are both graded stakes winners.”
OTHER WINNERS SATURDAY
SIZZLING
Rail skimming LORD OF GREATNESS fashioned a 25 to 1 shocker in race 5, wiping out a lot of Pick 4 tickets that started out well with Jimmy Sims.
A $40,000 claim last time by Tucci Stables and trainer Sid Attard, the Greatness colt had won for $32K this season but had ben a bit flat in his last pair of starts.
Attard, usually about 10-11% right off the claim, has done well with claims for the Tucci group.
Listed at 10 to 1 in the morning line, the Florida bred squeezed through the rail and held off fast closing Seal Team from the sizzling Steve Asmussen barn.
“Sid told me don’t rush him, I’m old school, I still try to save ground,’said David Clark.
Other winners:
Trainer Roger Attfield just took over the training of turf miler JIMMY SIMS from Steve Asmussen and got a win right away in race 4 and that was thanks to the horse’s natural speed and the other riders in the race letting the horse go a silly :25 and :49 for the first 2 and four furlongs.
The race was over early.
Kudos to newcomer FIFTEEN LOVE who closed from far back to be 2nd.
IWILLGOTOTHEMOON kicked off the day with a giant win in a maiden 2yo race with a 73 Beyer Figure over a very fast Polytrack. His time of 57 2/5 for $40,000 claiming was indicative of how fast the track was on Saturday.
The Perigee Mooon baby was making his 2nd start for the team of Steve Attard and Sheldon pettle. He was a $1,500 weanling and a $9,000 (US) yearling.
WINDFIELDS FARM may be closed down commercially but it was represented by a nice 2yo winner at the maiden allowance level on Saturday. SOUTHERN PRIDE (D’Wildcat) won his 2nd career start in 1:10 flat for a 78 Beyer Figure.
He is out of Native Expressions and the colt started off as a $15,000 weanling, went through several sales before being bought by Bill and Vicki Poston for $30K as a 2yo in training.
The Postons would win with another ONtario bred 2yo on Sunday (see Sunday’s report).
SUNDAY STUFF FROM WOODBINE
JENNY’S SO GREAT, an Ontario bred by Greatness bred by David Cassidy, wins a maiden allowance in her 2nd career strat over the impressive debut runner ERNFOLD.
Bill and Vicki Poston own.
Norm Files photo.
The co-feature on BREEDERS’ day was the NANDI STAKES for Ontario sired 2yo fillies. The very game gal OISTINS was the winner with a 53 Beyer Figure, over Shesadozer. The winner is a Peaks and Valleys filly who was bred by Gord Colbourne. Peter Redekop owns and Terry jordan trains. Cindy Pierson Dulay photo.
