REWARDS

Congratulations to GENTLEMAN JACKSON, a warrior at Woodbine who was recently retired by Robyn Lewis who claimed the gelding at Fort Erie this week. Thoroughblog will catch up with Jackson next week as he embarks on his new life – Photo courtesy of Robyn Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONRAD FARM BUYS UP A STORM AT KEENELAND

Manfred and Penny Conrad spent $1,130,000 on four Canadian-bred yearlings at this week’s Keeneland September Yearling sale that continues on until this weekend.

The Conrads, who have stakes winner Muskoka Wonder and Shamrock Rose this year, are from Wellesley Township and have an 11-hectare farm where they keep some of their horses.

Mark Casse has been training the horses for the Conrads.

A review of this week’s sessions at Keeneland (Book 3 and 4, see Canadian results below) shows about 77 Ontario-bred yearlings that went through the ring and about 30% of them were ‘RNA’d’, reserve not attained. Some of these may have been sold after the sale.

This brings to mind some comments made by breeders and buyers following the CTHS Ontario sale on Aug. 30 regarding the number of Ontario-bred yearlings that are entered in sales in Kentucky rather than on home turf.

Certainly a lack of buyer-power at the Ontario sale is a concern but if local breeders leave one or two of their yearlings to sell at home, might that not help fuel some more buyer interest, perhaps a bidding war or two?

Horses foaled here were RNA’d last week for as little as $9,000. It is likely that a lot of those horses who did not pique the interest of Americans at Keeenland would look a lot better at the CTHS sale.

 

Ontario-breds that have sold through Book 3 and Book 4

Hip   Price  Sire       Seller or Breeder or other notes

3 $600,000 Speightstown colt Anderson Farms, agent
4 $70,000 Disorted Humor colt South Point Sales Agency (Arika Everatt-Meeuse)
34 $130,000 Ghostzapper colt
36 $400,000 Honor Code colt Bill Graham
58 RNa 45,000 Union Rags colt
105 rna 625,000 Galileo filly
161 185,000 Violence colt
268 $950,00 Hard Spun filly Anderson Farms
331 $225,00 Uncle Mo colt Michael Byrne
403 rna 17,000 Palace Malice colt
629 150,000 Daredevil colt
759 rna 140,00 Union rags colt
780 460,000 Honor Code colt Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency for Josham Farms
797 375,000 Daredevil colt
803 190,000 Into Mischief filly bought by William K Werner
835 rna 65,000 Bernardini colt
848 200,000 Hard Spun colt – Dixie Chicken Sean Fitzhenry bred sold by Keith lancaster
872 200,00 Quality Road – El Prado Essence colt – L. Cappuccitti
887 100,000 Lemon Drop Kid colt bought by William Werner
932 500,000 City Zip – Forest Gamble colt bred by Ivan Dalos, sold by Warrendale to Godolphin
944 300,000 Lemon Drop Kid colt Sean Fitzhenry

Book Two-Four Canadian-breds:

ALBERTA  1396 – $100,000 Violence colt – bred by Highfield Stock Farm

ONTARIO

1027 rna 70,000
1063 185,000 sold by Windhaven to Conrad Farms – Lea o/o Lunch Hour
1114 235,000 Conrad Farms purchased from Hill ‘n’ Dale – Josham farms breeder
1147 5,000
1154 out
1204 360,000 Street Sense – Swanky Bubbles – Hill n Dale for Josham, bought by Conrad
1243 80,000 Cairo Prince – Vintage Red Sue Foreman consigned
1269 100,000
1274 105,000 Windhaven bred
1316 125,000
1361 rna 22,000
1371 350,000 Conrad Farm, sold by Hill ‘n’ Dale, Curlin colt
1390 out
1397 rna 90,000

1412 30,000
1416 out
1445 rna 45000
1479 270,000 Adena Springs sold to Jonathan Thomas, agent

1620 30,000
1616 Windways Munnings filly 85,000
1568 rna 190,000
1605 rna 12,000
1635 rna 25,000
1640 rna 40,000
1718 rna 22,000
1731 11,000 windhaven
1769 rna 40,000
1801 275,000 Galloping ami sold by Ivan Dalos
1887 rna 9,000
1924 25,000 Bayern filly, Hill ‘n’ Dale
1994 2,500 Stormy Atlantic filly
1999 50,000 Bodemeister colt Hill n Dale
2024 rna 70,000 out of Surtsey
2059 3,000
2073 35,000 sold by Windhaven
2176 105,000 Munnings
2190 rna 190,000
2228 rna 14,000
2257 30,000 Frac Daddy
2282 35,000 Frac Daddy

2303 210,000 Broken Vow – Mendocino Beano Sean Fotzhenry solid to Solis/Litt
2339 rna 27,000
2357 rna 75,000
2358 rna 19,000
2361 rna 34,000
2383 rna 9,000
2393 12,000 Mucho Macho Man filly bred by Keith and Rachel McClelland
2400 rna 27,000
2430 3,000
2474 60,000 Bayern – Witch’s Coven Catherine Day Phillips
2501 rna 22,000
2509 rna 14,000 Society’s Chairman
2533 45,000 Paynter filly
2535 72,000 Catherine Day Philips, agent; sold by Anderson Farms
2546 25,000 Society’s Chairman
2549 rna 32,000
2565 9,000
2568 9,500 Frac Daddy bought by Nick Nosowenko
2570 175,000 Street Sense – Dattt Echo bought by Scott and Evan Dilworth
2586 out
2589 70,000 Carpe Diem colt bred by Mitch Kurnser, sold by Cara Bloodstock, agent to Ken and Sarah Ramsay

2790 2,000
2855 16,000
2961 60,000
2995 45,000
3034  $10,000
3073 rna 9,500

3079 – 15,000 Michael Lay/Society’s Chairman
3146 rna 12,000

3152 50,000 Attreides colt

3166 $33,000 Anderson farms

3167 11,000 Adena Springs Discreet Cat

3181  75,000 Elusive Quality colt bred by Anderson Farms/ bought by C. Day Phillips

3195 30,000 Anderson Farms Elusive Quality filly

3238 47,000 Midshipman colt bought by K and S Ramsay

3252 rna 11,000

3300  50,0000 Tapiture filly bred by Ivan Dalos

3315 20,000 Society’s Chairman colt sold by A Everatt-Meeuse to Tony Gattellaro

3320  18,000 Racer’s Edge bought, Silver Max filly from Adena Springs

3330  rna 9,000

3332  17,000 Conquest Curlinate filly sold by A Everatt-Meeuse

3368  5,500 Congrats colt

Other Canadian purchasers of non-Canadian-breds

Henley Farms 1411 $10,000 Ghostzapper filly

North American Thoroughbred Horse Co $20,000 Cairo Prince filly
Constitution colt 95,000

1513 North American Thor Horse Company 150,000 filly Liam’s Map hip 1513

Ian Howard, 10,000 Palace Malice colt

Racer’s Edge – $14,000 for Trappe Shot filly

 

RECENT SALES RESULTS ACROSS CANADA:

CTHS ALBERTA – Sale completed Sept. 19 with a slight decrease in average price, number sold and gross sales.

2018     77     $755,500     $9,443     -7.7%

CTHS BC  – Buyers scarce for mix of Canadian bred and US yearlings

2018     66     $981,110     $14,865     -19.80

CTHS MANITOBA – Few horses sold but average spikes

2018 10  17  $88,500 $8,850 47.8%

 

WONDER GADOT TRIES TO GET BACK ON TRACK IN COTILLION

Gary Barber’s filly Wonder Gadot is on target to start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes in what will be the 3-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly’s 10th start of the year. It follows her last place finish against the boys in the Grade 1 Travers on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

The Ontario-bred owns victories in the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie at 1 1/4 miles and 1 1/16 miles, respectively, and had the chance to capture the Canadian Triple Crown with a win in the 1 1/2 mile Breeders’ Stakes on turf at Woodbine.

After careful consideration, which included opting to run in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga, owner Gary Barber decided to try for history and instead elected to run in the Travers.

Wonder Gadot will now shorten from the Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles to the Cotillion’s 1 1/16-mile distance.

“She’s doing great,” said trainer Mark Casse. “My only concern with the race is that it’s a little bit on the short side for us, but it’s a big pot and its straight 3-year-old fillies, so we’ll give it a try. She’s training well.”

Wonder Gadot will face top 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl for the third time in her career on Saturday after finishing third behind her in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra on February 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course, then second a half-length behind in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs. After a tough stretch duel between the two under the Twin Spires, Wonder Gadot’s rider Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez claimed foul for alleged interference during their stretch run. The claim was disallowed, and the results stood.

With a chance for redemption, Casse is confident that his filly will be ready on Saturday and her two breezes since her Travers, a bullet 47.2 for four furlongs over a wet-fast Saratoga main track on September 6, followed by a slower 51 seconds flat at the same distance on September 14, over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga have kept her in peak form.

“She went a little too fast the time before so we wanted to make sure we didn’t do that again,” said Casse. “I think maybe we overreacted, but she did it well. We don’t have to worry about her fitness, that’s for sure.

Casse added that Wonder Gadot will ship from Saratoga to Parx early Saturday morning.

The Saturday racing card at Parx is headlined by the PENNSYLVANIA DERBY, featuring a very solid group of some of the better 3-year-olds in America including the returning MCKINZIE, HOFBURG and BRAVAZO.

HORSEPLAYERS CHIME IN ON PINK LLOYD’S GATE MISCUE

The hot button subject of the week was Pink Lloyd’s busting through the gate before the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes.

Over at the LA Times, newsletter writer and columnist John Cherwa fielded opinions about the unfortunate event:

 On Sunday, I posed a question to you readers and you responded in kind. Let’s recap. On Saturday, Pink Lloyd, an extraordinarily successful horse in Canada, broke through the gate, unseated his rider, took a few strides and was caught by the outrider. After a delay, he was loaded back in the gate and then ran a miserable race—for him.

      So, I asked you if you think this was handled properly. I didn’t use every response, the horse Barbaro was brought up a few times, and, as usual, no first and last name got you excluded. Also, I shaded toward using the early replies as opposed to those of similar thought that came in later. Finally, I edited some of you long-winded folks.

      So, here’s what you had to say, in no particular order.

“If I am at home, I immediately cancel my bet. If I am at the track, tough luck, not enough time. Don’t think it’s fair to be penalized because you are at the track. Also, what about pick 6 and other bets? No easy answer.”

Read more at here. 

 

INTERNATIONAL/E.P. TAYLOR CARD AT WOODBINE NEWS

Three weeks until the final big racing day at Woodbine, the $800,000 Canadian International along with the E P Taylor Stakes.

JOHNNY BEAR is heading the local group for the International and already you can find some news on horses that may come over for either race:

Eziyra is set to go on her travels after extending Dermot Weld’s excellent record in the Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes at the Curragh.

The Aga Khan-owned filly was winning the Group Two for a fourth time in five years for the master of Rosewell House.

Last seen finishing a fine third in the Yorkshire Oaks behind the brilliant Sea Of Class, the drop back to 10 furlongs seemed to suit the daughter of Teofilo.

Aidan O’Brien’s Curly was sent into a early lead by Seamie Heffernan and she still held a sizeable advantage as the field turned into the straight.

Declan McDonogh set off in pursuit on Eziyra with two furlongs to run and when it seemed like she had mastered Curly, Jessica Harrington’s I’m So Fancy emerged as a serious challenge on the outside.

The two became embroiled in a tussle, but Eziyra was always holding on and the 11/8 favourite obliged by three-quarters of a length, with Who’s Steph flying at the finish to nab I’m So Fancy on the line for second.

Weld said: “She’s a wonderful filly to train. She’s now won five Group races and been second in two Group Ones, sheer consistency.

“We’ve won this race a lot of times and that’s three years running now. This is a very good filly and I’d say she could be the best of them from sheer consistency.

“I’ve had it in my mind to go to Canada for the E.P Taylor and that would be possibly her next race. and then we’ll go on for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with her after that.

“She used not to be that relaxed and that’s why she wears the hood, but on the racetrack all she does is battle. She’s a very courageous filly and a very good one.

“She’s very straightforward. She’s a very genuine, very sound filly and I said if there’s a nice gallop sit second or third and if there’s no pace make it yourself as you’re in the key box, drawn one.

“We’ll look forward to Canada with her and then the Breeders’ Cup. I’d say this is it this year. She’s been a Group-winning two-year-old, a very good three-year-old and good four-year-old.”

It would be neat to see THUNDERING BLUE come for the International, he has a following overseas:

 

NORTHERN DANCER SCHOOL unveiled

LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN NORTH AMERICA BELONGS TO…(22 wins)

DOES DOUG FORD WANT TO BUILD A CASINO IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO?

Read about it here.