let’s try not to drown out there this weekend – good day to cozy up to the TV and watch all the racing or better yet – head to the track and watch!
Thanks for the comments regarding the move to rid racing of drugs – I will post my opinion next week. Now, let’s do some picks and discuss racing at Woodbine from Day 6…
SATURDAY APRIL 16 – JAKE’S TAKE – In Week 1, Jake picked out 8 to 1 MALVINA’S RING who was 2nd and paid $7 to place. This week, Jake is looking at WOODBINE’s 6th race – FIRE CHIEF, for owner Hugh Blackmore/trainer Don MacRae!
THOROUGHBLOG SELECTIONS
Last weekend the ‘Blog hit with Toby’s Corner in the Wood Memorial – here are some picks for stakes races today:
SHAKERTOWN – Canadian Champion Grand Adventure is back in action and he almost won this race last year. That being said, the race is his first of the season so let’s stay on the wes Ward bandwagon and take GREAT ATTACK to win it.
1- Great Attack 2 – Grand Adeventure 3- Chamberlain Bridge
PICK 4 AT KEENELAND
COMMONWEALTH STAKES – 5 horse field – WISE DAN looks tough
JENNY WILEY – Canadian Champion MISS KELLER is back but let’s give her one and go with British bred FANTASIA and AVIATE – beware of soft turf or off the turf before you play your tickets
BLUE GRASS – CRIMSON CHINA – that’s all, I loved his last race when he came charging from off a slow pace at Turfway. This is a good colt. Longshot players can consider BRILLIANT SPEED for trainer Tom Albertrani (he has 2 in the race).
Queen’s Plate contenders SENSATIONAL SLAM and QUEEN’SPLATEKITTEN will be fun to watch but they don’t figure for more than a small piece.
RACE 10 – Depending on the surface – trainer ROGER ATTFIELD has a couple of tough gals for the grass in NO EXPLAINING and PERFECT SHIRL, while FUGITIVE ANGEL looks like a solid contender on any surface.
MORE KEENELAND TODAY
RED ACE, a top Queen’s Plate prospect for owner John Fort (Twilight Meteor) stretches out to 2 turns in the 4th race, an allowance event. The chestnut son of Northern Afleet just won his maiden with an 86 Beyer Figure in his 2nd start. He is bred by Janeane, James and Arika Everatt in St. Thomas. In the same race is STRIKE OIL, the last stakes winner bred by Windfields Farm. The Forest Wildcat colt is also a Plate hopeful and he was recently 3rd in the OBS Championship Stakes in Ocala. He is a stretch runner who appears to be coming around after a sluggish beginning to the season.
WOODBINE FRIDAY
one thing to know – it was windy! The track was slow as it was last Friday – and it seemed fair other than the usual outside flow.
One of the features of the day was the 9th race for Ontario sired gals and what a cool story as GIN QUEEN led most of the way under Pacheco (obviusly he bounces back well) and took the bulk of the $58,600 purse. This gal was a $9,500 claim last October by trainer Anthony Polsinello and Cheryl Green (from Nobleton Feed Mill). The filly was 4th and 2nd in 2 allowance races off the claim last fall and then was beautifully prepared to win her opener (big workout times). You could heard the screaming and cheering at the wire on the replay when the filly held on to win. Ay one time, this gal was in stakes races but she lost a lot of value last year but she sure looks good in short races.
She is by Bold Executive out of Rich Mist and was bred by Mike Doyle.
The afternoon started out with an allowance event for Ontario sired gals and it was a tiny field with a 3 to 5 shot but that one didn’t win – it was speedy ROBNPETERTOPAYPAUL (not a big fan of the name) who won her season debut for F. Panza and trainer Sam DiPasquale. The Where’s the Ring filly is out of a Bold Executive mare and was bred by Silver Willow Farm. David Clark rode the dark bay, who finished up very fast – 57 2/5.
RACE 2 – Trainer JOHN CARDELLA is off to a good start again this spring and the beginner SHARP BEAUTY – an easy pick in a weak field, won her debut on the engine in the $20K claiming event at 5 furlongs. She is by high % debut sire Sharp Humor and has a sibling who won first time out. The filly was ridden by the leading jock Luis Contreras.
RACE 3- What makes LUIS CONTRERAS interesting as a rider locally is that he can relax horses off the pace as well as ride speed horses. He was scrubbing big fave GAME PROSPECT in race 3 on the turn as she was off the slow pace (48 to the half mile mark in a 5 1/2 furlong race? yes, it was windy) but then rallied 3 wide and wore down Peak Choice to win her maiden for 3 Sons Racing. Trainer Robert Tiller took his 2nd win of the season.
The winning filly is from the 1st crop sire SURVIVALIST and she was bred by Mike Byrne on Ontario.
RACE 4 – It was a tough comeback race for jockey MICHELLE RAINFORD, who has been off for a couple of years but seems to be attempting a comeback. Her mount TIGERHEAT dwelt at the start of race 4 and then rushed up fast to open up a long lead before stopping. The $16K claimer went to MEDIDOCIHOSPISURG who usually comes out on the losing end of photos but he held off Bearcatt and won his 4th race for Un Stable and trainer Lorna Perkins. The 6yo by Thunder GUlch had been 2nd in his season debut on April 3.
RACE 5 – ZOUNDS was not happy at the start as he bolted inside out of the chute and lost apprentice Ryan Pacheco and this one-time big money purchase has certainly fallen on hard times. A speed duel early set things up for rallying WILD SUNDAY, an 8yo who I picked in the TORONTO STAR on April 3 (he was 5th at 5 furlongs) and he certainyl enoyed the 6 1/2 furlongs for owner Beryl Larson. Wild Sunday, bred in England, won his maiden in France in 2005 and was claimed by this owner in 2009 for $10K.
RACE 6 – Another win for OMAR MORENO as he sat on speedy FOXY DEVIL who won her 2nd career start and first of the year with blinkers for for Peter Dewit, who bred the daughter of Devil Begone. A flashy chestnut, she showed little in her debut last year but did have the best Beyer Figure from her last race of 36.
RACE 7 – JESSE CAMPBELL kept stakes winner LEGAL REVIEW out of the speed duel in race 7 and got the gelding up for his first win since the Bull Page Stakes 2 years ago. The son of Bold Executive won the Ontario sired allowance with blinkers on for Woodford Racing and Westrock Stable. It was trainer Mark Casse’s first winner of the meeting. The race had a curious favourite in the lone 3yo, ALTIUS, who was inside and in the sped duel early.
RACE 8 – A 59 bullet workout glared off the page of FIREBUG who was 12 to 1 in this event for $20,000 claiming, non-winners of 2; The son of Offlee Wild had a lovely inside, tracking trip under apprentice Cory Spataro and won handily for Cary Brooks who trains for Phil Brooks. It was the gelding’s first start of the year.
