BUNNY HOP – Zensational Bunny won the Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday with Patrick Husbands. Gary Barber owns. NORM FILES PHOTO
TOP MARKS
Casse wins stakes at Woodbine and Hawthorne, Sam-Son breeding
On Easter weekend, trainer Mark Casse had a basketful of colourful eggs and some had surprises in them. Of course, ZENSATIONAL BUNNY won the Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine.
The Bunny, a private purchase by Gary Barber last year and a stakes winer last fall for the new interests, had been a flop (flopsy?) since then but appreciated being back at Woodbine in a sprint, on Polytrack. The daughter of Zensational – Beach Bunny by Storm Bird stalked the pace of longshot Shanagarry before edging past in mid strtech. She then held off Paladin Bay to win in 1:10 1/5, good for an 86 Beyer Figure.
Favoured NORQUAY was outrun early, as was LEXIE LOU, and the former ran into the back end of another rival it appeared and checked hard. She wound up 7th. LEXIE LOU galloped out strongly, better than Paladin Bay and others, and can be seriously considered the next time she runs.
Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni are breeders of the Bunny, who was in the care of Pat Parente last season when she won her debut.
The female family of Beach Bunny is all Sam-Son Farms.
beach Bunny is out of JEWEL IN MY CROWN (Secretariat) who is out of Tiffany Tam, dam of Queen’s Plate winner Regal Intention and Oaks winner Tiffany’s Secret.
Casse had a stellar day and continues a hot run in April. He had 11 starters on Saturday, 2 stakes winners, 2 other winners, and 1 stakes placed.
DYNAMIC IMPACT, a bay colt by Tiznow that Woodbine has not seen, was the upset winner of the Illinois Derby with a 102 Beyer Figure (1 1 /8 miles in 1:49). The $125,000 yearling purchase is owned by John Oxley and he was up to beat favoured Midnight Hawk by a teeny nose. The colt is out of the mare Feather bed, by Sam-Son’s SMART STRIKE. Featherbed’s dam is Favorite Feather who is out of In My Cap, a top Sam-Son mare by Vice Regent.
**Sidenote to the Illinois Derby: With all the battles that racing faces about perception, it was hard to understand WGN’s broadcast of the Illinois Derby when Nancy Ury came on to talk about Midnight Hawk.
Ury said that sometimes trainer Bob Baffert holds his horses intentionally for one race to set up for another. It was said twice in a matter of a few minutes. On TV. In front of fans.
JOHNS, RICHARDS WIN GULFSTREAM STAKE
Keith Johns’ TRUE NORTH STABLE and trainer LORNE RICHARDS won the Lincoln Stakes wirth $75,000 at GUlfstream on Saturday with STORMY RUSH. The 6yo gelding was making his 4th start of this year and was winning for the 2nd straight ime. This is a gelding (by Stormy Atlantic) who had promise in the Roger Attfield barn in 2012 (5th in the Nearctic to Next Question) but he mossed almost an entire year nefore returning in Nov. 2013 at Woodbine.
Richards has won 2 of 7 starts this year and is headed back to Woodbine shortly.
VAN AREM-BRED WINS STAKES AT PIMLICO
KNIT ONE PURR TOO, who got some press from Thoroughblog when she won an allowance race recently, parlayed that into a stakes win at Pimlico on Saturday. Bred in Ontario by Dr. Brian Van Arem ( T and T Racing), KNIT ONE PURR TOO won the Stormy Blues Stakes at 5 furlongs on the grass with a 73 Beyer Speed Figure. She is by Tale of the Cat out of the Danzig mare Luxuriously and was a $32,000 yearling purchase. The owner is PTK LLC and Dane Kobiskie trains the 3yo filly.
DR. BRIAN VAN AREM, breeder of KNIT ONE PURR TOO – from barnmice.com
WOODBINE SATURDAY
Easter Bunny hunch bets aside, the Saturday card at Woodbine was a good one and there were several races that earned Beyer Figures in the 80s.
The day began with a 4 to 5 winner in ROMAN ARISOCRAT, who battled early and then drew off to win in the 2 path for One more Time Racing and Don MacRae. Chris Griffith rode.
This 5yo, who was making only his 6th career start and first since July 2013, was bred by Paul and Marylou Little in Nobleton, On. The Littles also bred a MSW winner on opening weekend, MARTEN LAKE, a full brother to this guy (Trajectory – Kain’s Deed by Alydeed.).
Race 2 was another virtual sure thing winer – ECHO FLAT OUT was making his 3rd start off a layoff and shipping back to Woodbine from Parx where he was in dull form. Scott Fairlie had claimed this guy in November for $10,000 and won with him with blinkers off on Saturday.
Race 3- crazy fractions in the 7 furlong races on Saturday. This race wentin 25 and 49 which was bizarre. More bizarre is that the speed did not hold even though jockey Jesse Campbell did all he could to keep Hesa Big Dude going.
HESA BIG DUDE, under heavy left handed pressure, then drifted out sharply and wiped out Seeley’s Bay. The Dude was later disqualified.
The winner was the classy 8yo horse LORD OF GREATNESS, nothcing his 13th win in his 46th race. He is owned by Entourage Stable and is trained by Robert Tiller. It was a smooth, stalking trip under Patrick Husbands for this cool old horse.
The first big Beyer Figure of the day came when SATURDAYATBERNIES roared 4 wide around the turn and won a 5 furlong, $20,000 claiming/’optional claoowance race for Robert Melrose and Julia Carey. This Bernstein gelding was in from Gulfstream where he had been racing long on the grass. He was coming out of a super key race and had lots of nice Polytrack workout times. He on in 57 4/5 and got an 82 Beyer.
Race 5 – Everyone’s pick ENDEAVOR’S DREAM, was pounded down to 7 to 5 by race time. This Ontario sired allowance race at 7 furlongs set up well for the Gulfstream shipper (he won his maiden at Woodbine last fall) as he pressed the pace 2 wide. It was evident on the turn, however, that when he landed in the middle of a 3 horse pace battle, he was going to have trouble staying. He led late
but was worn down by TOP MARC IN CLASS, who rallied wide in time under Luis Contreras for owner and breeder Craig Cameron. Trainer Gail Cox got this son of Marcavelly ready in Florida but he had not raced since June.
Race 6 – a maiden allowance, was won by eager first time starter WILD CATOMINE, th emost expensive yearling filly in Canada 2 years ago. Owned by John Oxley, this brawny Milwaukee Brew gal is out of Smart Catomine, who was owned by Anderson Farms and Rod Ferguson (breeders of Wild Catomine) but she was sold in 2011 for $25,000 to Bernard and Karen McCormack The mare has a 2014 colt by Spring at Last and will be going to Stroll.
Wild Catomine earned a 68 Beyer for her front running score.
In that race, MAHVELOUS DAHLING had a very troubled trip and galloped out well.
Race 7 – AVIE’S SENSE raced 2 times in 2011, 2 times i n2012 and just once last year. Yes, this Street Sense mare must have issues but Ivan Dalos’s Kentucky homebred made easy work of an allwoance field in race 7 to end a Pick 4 and start the 2nd Pick 4. She is trained by Josie Carroll who had her trianing at Oaklawn and Keeneland. Her Beyer was 84.
Race 9 – Crazy betting support for LENNON in a 5 horse field and that was not only a surprise but a mistake as he was a non-faced behind the super good dude RUN TO THE BANK, a Wando 6yo gelding who is now 7 for 24 in his life. Owned and trained by Nick Nosowenko, this guy was making his 2014 debut and the 5 1/2 furlongs seemed a bit short for him at this point inhis career but it did not bother him at all. Eurico da Silva rode the winner. The Beyer was 89.
The last race of the day was a longshot player’s dream (and another hunch bet) – APRIL HALO, owned and trained by Ed Knight won her 2014 opener after two consecutive 1 for 13 seasons. She ran well when fresh in 2013 ror trained Sam Parro but was 18 to 1 in this upset score from the rail. CANADIAN LADY had a dreadful trip and is worth tabbing for next time.
(Photo is of RUN TO THE BANK, running to the wire! Norm Files photo
HOT HOT HEAT sizzles at Keeneland
Ontario bred HOT HOT HEAT won a maiden allowance in his 2nd career race on Saturday for JMJ Stable. The son of Pulpit – Dancehall Floozy by Paramount Jet is a half brother to D’Oro Diablo, Bickersons and Dancehall deelites, all good earners. The colt was a $90,000 yearling purchase from breeder Bob Harvey.
He earned a 76 Beyer Figure for about 7 furlongs on Polytrack.
HUSBANDS, RAMSAMMY IN TRINIDAD 
Jockeys battle in Guineas, Champagne Stakes
By MIDAS Tuesday, April 15 2014
NOT only will this year’s edition of the National Lotteries Control Board-sponsored Easter Guineas and Champagne Stakes be an equine battle, but also a raging contest between the “knights of the pigskin.”
Patrick Husbands and Emile Ramsammy will be coming out of Canada, Antonio Whitehall (Barbados), and Shane Ellis (Jamaica) will be pitting their riding skills and wits against each other in both races.
The jockeys’ riding assignments were announced at the draw for starting postions for the two races at the NLCB Hospitality Suite, Queen’s Park Oval, yesterday.
For Husbands, he will be attempting to make it a four-timer and possibly five, after winning the three feature races in his native Barbados last month, including the rich Barbados Gold Cup.
He will be coming after having his first winning ride at Woodbine race course in Canada astride Tactical Moment on Sunday. He also had two third place finishes and one second when the 2014 season opened at the weekend.
Ramsammy on the other hand has managed one third place to date. Husbands will ride one of Baskaran Bassawh’s two entries in the feature $315,000 NLCB Easter Guineas over 1800 metres, first jewel in the local Triple Crown, Spitfire, —Ramsammy will ride Dark Treasure in the race while Whitehall will be astride Eye See You and Ellis aboard two-year-old queen Soca Rhapsody.
And in the NLCB Champagne Stakes, Husbands will be astride last year’s Derby winner Bigman In Town, Ramsammy aboard Kidz Ro and Whitehall rides Buffalo Soldier.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,193392.html
