ROUGH renewal of the Victoria Stakes as 2-year-olds BELIVEAU (outside) and HOLLYWOOD HIDEAWAY) crash around through the stretch run. Behind them Get’erdonebud and Iluvebeefstew bounced off each other a few times and the latter then pulled up with a fractured lower leg. The Adam Rice trainee was later put down. MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
ROUGH STUFF
The first weekend of summer and the 2-year-old Thoroughbreds are getting in their training moves and some have already made starts.
The first juvenile stakes race of the season was the Victoria Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine, a race made famous by so many great Canadian breds such as Alydeed, Deputy Minister, Viceregal and Nearctic.
First run in 1903, the old stakes event was switched to the grass for the first time for this year’s running. Not many of the entrants had even set foot on turf in a workout before the 6 furlong dash.
Three first-time starters met 2 Woodbine winners and 2 shippers but the storyline was how rough the race became.
While beginner HOLLYWOOD HIDEAWAY, a beautifully bred colt by Zensational and from the dam of Horse of the Year Arravale, fought on hard along the rail in the stretch, his rival BELIVEAU, a winner of this career debut, was moving inwards to cozy up to that rival for the battle to the wire.
Beliveau, ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva as Patrick Husbands elcted to ride the filly beginner, Conquest City Girl (a $525,000 purchase), traded bumps with Hideaway as he drifted in and caused his rival to come out from the bumping.
It was scary to watch as the two youngsters battled to the wire, in particular when Hollywood Hideway was being checked and he threw his head straight up int he air.
Beliveau, a Where’s the Ring colt out of Minstral Show by Tale of the Cat, won the race for a group of owners – Mike Ambler, Jeff Begg and East West Stable, but after plenty of viewing, he was disqualified and placed 2nd.
Brune Lunsford’s homebred Hollywood Hideaway,trained by Barb Minshall, was placed 1st. Luis Contreras was on the eventual winner.
“My horse was fighting really hard to the end, but the other horse started laying in on my horse,” said Contreras. “At the end, just three or four jumps before the wire, he got me really bad. My horse was fighting back and I know if nothing happened I would have won the race.”
“He’s still a little bit green, but he ran huge. He loves the turf,” added Contreras. “He was fighting back. He was trying to win the race. He’s all class. He breezed really nice on the ‘Poly’, but his pedigree is all turf.”
Hollywood Hideaway set splits of :23.23 and :46.61 in the Victoria, from the outside post in a field of eight, as Beliveau stalked from second position.
Conquest City Girl, the 9-5 race favourite, was slow from the gate but advanced wide through the turn before flattening out. Hollywood Hideaway, a ½-length leader at the top of the lane, opened up a greater advantage before being collared and bumped by Beliveau in the run to the wire. The final running time was 1:09.65.
The Beyer Figure was 70.
ILUVBEEFSTEW, an Arkansas bred who was brought to the race by Adam Rice, owner and trained, broke the lower part of a leg in the stretch run after some crashing around with Get’erdonebud and he was at the wire and pulled up. He was loaded on to the van but was put down.
More Saturday – Gotta GET RHYTHM! This first time starter was was poetry in motion in her debut, powering away from off the pace under Erico Rosa da Silvera to win in 51 flat, a few 100ths off the track record. Her Beyer was 68 as the track was quick fast.
The winner is owned by Richard Day’s Kingview Farm, Sean Fitzhenry and Anderson farms, who co-bred with Marette fareell in Ontario.
She is by Street Boss out of Holy Eclair and is a half sister to the rapid Ontario bred SEDUIRE, a graded stakes winner in California.
race 2 – maiden allowance, open, for older horses and the heavily favoured BROKEN CLOUD, owned by Jim and Susan Hill, battled on the pace and drew off to win in 1:22.29 – a 72 Beyer Figure. The winner was ridden by JimMcAleney and the entrymate, Arties Silver Mine, finished 2nd. Reade Baker trains for the Hills.
race 3- LADY MADELEINE crushed this field of $10,000maiden claimers in her first try at a route distance. The 3yo filly by Saffir out of Lady Elena by Elajuud. Bred by Spring Farm and owned and trained by Nick Detoro.
Juan Crawford rode the winner.
race 4- maiden allowance on the grass at 6 furlongs for Ontario sired fillies and mares and front runner NEEVES, a 60 to 1 shot by Old Forester, led all the way but was caught right near the wire by BELLACOMEILSOLE, who had been 10th beaten 19 lengths in her season debut. She was making her grass debut for George Bigliardi and trainer Pat Parente. Luis Contreras wins again!
The winner is a homebred by Philanthropist.
race 5 – a maiden $16,000 claiming race was won by YOU’RE MY BLUE SKY by inches over 48 to 1 shot GOLDEN BLUE ECHO. The winner was making his 2nd career start and first since December for Bill Sorokolit and trainer Darn Banach. Erika Smilovsky rode the son of Sky Conqueror.
more to come…
