ROYALS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TORRENTIAL RAIN, DEEP SLOP – PREAKNESS

Post position, horse, trainer, jockey, morning-line odds

1. Quip, Rodolphe Brisset, Florent Geroux, 12-1
2. Lone Sailor, Tom Amoss, Irad Ortiz Jr., 15-1
3. Sporting Chance, D. Wayne Lukas, Luis Contreras, 30-1
4. Diamond King, John Servis, Javier Castellano, 30-1
5. Good Magic, Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz, 3-1
6. Tenfold, Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr., 20-1
7. Justify, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, 1-2
8. Bravazo, D. Wayne Lukas, Luis Saez, 20-1

Baltimore Sun Friday – With rain in forecast after wet week, few seem concerned with track conditions for Preakness

America’s Best Racing – Quip Considered Most Likely Upsetter

 

Okay, so we know there is no such thing as a sure thing. That is a horse racing edict. Some may think JUSTIFY is a lock in the Preakness since he lays over the field ‘on paper’ and looks and power and all that stuff.

But the Derby was 2 weeks ago and the pace was fast and Justify ambled home an impressive winner but looking a bit the worse for wear. He emerged with a bruised hoof and had a special shoe on for a few days.

He is back to his old self now according to those who are standing in the rain at Pimlico.

But once again, it is hard to take a short price on Justify, at least from this corner. Will the Pimlico slop be similar to Churchill Downs’ or will it be deeper? More slippery? Will Bravazo be sent along to get his best position on the lead?

Can GOOD MAGIC finally get there?

I picked GOOD MAGIC in the Derby and I like him again .

The ridiculously bad trip LONE SAILOR had in the KENTUCKY DERBY also makes me like him quite a bit as my upset play.

1 – GOOD MAGIC/LONE SAILOR with JUSTIFY, LONE SAILOR/GOOD MAGIC

TURF RACING RETURNS TO WOODBINE – Day 10

Newcomer Santos getting mounts

The grass is greener… on the turf course! Woodbine’s EP Taylor course is ready to go today and there will be 2 races on today’s 8 race card on the grass, both sprints.

With the rails out in the 5 path it may help speed horses steal away in these dashes.

New on the scene is ADEMAR SANTOS (pictured), a career winner of 465 races and already popular with the locals thanks to his big smile. Ron Burke represents Santos at Woodbine.

Jalon Samuel, the top rider in Barbados is expected to be riding at Woodbine soon and his agent is Jordan Miller.

The AGCO Stewards Race Reports are back on the Woodbine site and you can catch up with them here:

The May 6 report was also added to the site. This is what you can find on these reports:

Race 7 – Stewards Inquiry into the start regarding #6 “Cool Catomine” ridden by Ismael Mosqueira. Horse was last to load and rushed the doors causing them to open early. Spoke with Official Starter Ian Ross who said as soon as the horse was loaded he hit the doors as he was about to hit the button. Ismael Mosqueira relayed the same version of events. After review a refund of Mutuels was ordered on #6 “Cool Catomine” for an unfair start. 

Video Review

Race 8 – Clear

Race 9 – Trainer Denyse McClachrie of #4 “Castle in the Sky” called following the race and asked that we not go official until she spoke with her rider Patrick Husbands. Received a follow up call from Patrick stating he did not have any problems in the race and advised Denyse there was no reason to claim foul.

SATURDAY’S FEATURE AT WOODBINE is the Grade 3 SELENE STAKES, which could act as a good primer for Dixie Moon on her way to the Woodbine Oaks. The Curling filly, who won the Ontario Lassie last year on the main track and the Cup & Saucer on the grass, meets a tricky field of mostly American invaders including Grade 3 winner Go Noni Go.

 

Black Eyed Susan Stakes

There will be a lot of action at Pimlico today with the Black Eyed Susan Stakes, a litany of allowance races moved from turf to the slop and the Pimlico Special, featuring the amazing Canadian bred SOMETHING AWESOME:

Friday, Pimlico, post time: 3:43 p.m. EDT
PIMLICO SPECIAL S.-GIII, $300,000, 3yo/up, 1 3/16m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Irish War Cry – Curlin Isabelle de Tomaso Motion Ortiz 118
2 One Liner – Into Mischief WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International Ltd., Pletcher Saez 118
3 Rated R Superstar – Kodiak Kowboy Radar Racing LLC McPeek Castellano 120
4 Discreet Lover – Repent Trin-Brook Stables, Inc. St. Lewis Franco 118
5 Hedge Fund – Super Saver WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International Ltd. Pletcher Smith 122
6 Papa Zulu K – Broken Vow Gunpowder Farms LLC Rubley Esquivel 118
7 Afleet Willy – Wilburn BB Horses Gonzalez Torres 118
8 Something Awesome – Awesome Again Stronach Stables Corrales Prado 118
9 Untrapped – Trappe Shot Michael Langford Asmussen Santana, Jr. 118

Breeders: 1-Isabelle de Tomaso, 2-Kingswood Farm, 3-Thorndale Stable L.L.C., 4-Woodford Thoroughbreds, 5-WinStar Farm, LLC, 6-C. Kidder, N. Cole &
B. Kidder, 7-Bryant H. Prentice III, 8-Adena Springs, 9-Indian Creek & Jonathan Sheppard

On Preakness day, Canadian-bred STALLION HEIRESS, bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, is expected to compete in the Gallorette Stakes:

Saturday, Pimlico, post time: 3:25 p.m. EDT
GALLORETTE S.-GIII, $150,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Lake Ponchatrain – Afleet Express Ernest M. Haynes Haynes Bocachica 118
2 Brooks House – Mizzen Mast Millennium Farms Asmussen Santana, Jr. 118
3 Ultra Brat – Uncle Mo Alex G. Campbell, Jr. Motion Ortiz 122
4 Stallion Heiress – Exchange Rate Stallionaire Enterprises LLC Stidham Geroux 118
5 Cambodia – War Front Winter Quarter Farm Proctor Leparoux 118
6 Blessed Silence (Fr) – Siyouni (Fr) Arthur K. Starr & Bradley Thoroughbreds Clement Ortiz, Jr. 118
7 Special Event – Arch Emory A. Hamilton McGaughey III Vargas, Jr. 118
8 Elysea’s World (Ire) – Champs Elysees (GB) Sheep Pond Partners and All Pro Racing LLC Brown Castellano 122

FLAME OUT

Thoroughblog Plate fave will not run in Queen’s Plate

John Oxley’s multiple stakes winner FLAMEAWAY, recently 13th in the Kentucky Derby is going to by-pass the Queen’s Plate on June 30 and instead be pointed to the Ohio Derby a week earlier.

The decision not to race the son of Scat Daddy does not come as a complete surprise since the distance of the Plate, 10 furlongs, might be beyond the scope of the Sam F Davis winner. The Ohio Derby, run on the dirt, is at 9 furlongs and that surface might be the 2nd best surface for the Mark Casse trainee. A game fellow, Flameaway was 2nd in the Blue Grass and Tampa Bay Derby before his Kentucky Derby run.

With the likely favourite out of the Plate picture, the race loses only 1 of a team of Casse traines.

Gary Barber’s WONDER GADOT and Stonestreet Stables’ TELEKINESIS (worked May 13 at Keeneland in bullet 46.80) along with Chiefswood Stables’ NEEPAWA (races Sunday in an allowance race at Woodbine) form a strong hand for Casse for the Plate.

Take away those 3 and here are some names of horses who could be entered in the Plate:

Absolution (recent allowance winner)

Aheadbyacentury 3rd Marine Stakes

Cooler Mike – races Sunday allowance race

Dixie Moon – Selene Stakes Sat.

Hemp Hemp Hooray – turf speedster

Home Base – recent maiden winner

It’s Fate – races Sunday allowance race

Strike Me Down – recent maiden winner

Kitten’s Boy – stakes placed at 2

Pipers Warrior – Sunday, allowance race

Scrapper – Florida based Pletcher colt

Sent from Heaven – stakes placed

Silent Poet – fast maiden winner

Silent Sting – Queenston winner

 

HBPA WILL LAUNCH WEB PAGE FOR NEW OWNERS

New ownership groups and syndicates are popping up everywhere and the Ontario HBPA wants to have one place to visit for those interested in discovering the fun of racehorse ownership. More here.

FASIG TIPTON MIDATLANTIC 2-YEAR-OLD IN TRAINING SALE

Ontario-breds in the catalogue:

194 F HAYNESFIELD DREAMINOFCARMELA        GOTTCHA GOLD ONTARIO H ENDS WELL AGENT
352 C AFLEET ALEX MEANDERING STREAM         GONE WEST ONTARIO I-J DE MERIC SALES AGENT
478 F MAJESTICPERFECTION ROMANTIC SONG  SONGANDAPRAYER ONTARIO F-G PAUL SHARP AGENT I
522 C STREET SENSE SIWA                                         ALYDEED ONTARIO I GRASSROOTS TRAINING & SALES LLC
550 C GHOSTZAPPER STREET DANCER                  STREET CRY (IRE) ONTARIO G-H ALL DREAMS EQUINE AGENT

 

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO STARVED HORSES

Three-year-old MISS POLLYCAT (To Honor and Serve) is lucky to be alive. This unraced gal who had a lot of workouts at Woodbine last year, was a $4,000 purchase by Ricky Griffith as a yearling and was recently found on a farm in Stouffville starving along with 14 other horses. Seven horses were found dead on the property.

Miss Pollycat and a yearling were taken by Jessie Ladouceur who has been getting aid from Dr Vicki Banks and Rene Glennon. The others are also being cared for.

The farm in question was being rented Lee Small who was a regular in the Woodbine Club Lounge but has since been banned.

Read the story on Horse-Canada.com here.