SEASONAL

 

DIXIE DOES IT
Fitzhenry’s filly fights to finish

 

DIXIE MOON (Curlin – Dixie Chicken, by Rahy) was able to end her first season of racing with a victory, albeit a very narrow one, in the Ontario Lassie Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

The big and brave chestnut filly, who had travelled to Del Mar for the November Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf, was a bit of a surprise entrant in the Ontario Lassie, a 1 1/16 mile Tapeta race for Ontario-bred 2-year-olds, after her trip west.

Sent off at just 1 to 5 and with regular rider Eurico da Silva on board, Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry’s stakes winner was under pressure on the pace throughout the race and then held off invader Queen’s Fate, trained by Mike Maker, to win by the smallest of noses. Da Silva was winning his 34th stakes race of the season and is just 2 stakes wins off the record held by Todd Kabel and Avelino Gonez. There are only 2 stakes races left on the calendar.

In an oddity, as Dixie Moon charged down the stretch in a battle with Queen’s Fate, the filly swapped to her wrong lead and then lightened her body weight with quite a big ‘poop on the run’.

The time of the race of 1:45.43 translated into a 67 Beyer Figure.

DIXIE MOON heads to Florida and Palm Meadows Training Centre with the Catherine Day Phillips trainees. The filly is expected to now get a break before resuming training in the new year.

 

 

 

More from Sunday

Plenty of the small stables were nice winners on Sunday including Mickie Neubauer and partner Carl Norris, who sent out their beautiful 5-year-old Malibu Moon gelding MALIBU WOOD to win a $12,500 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta. The sturdy fellow was winning for the  4th time in his 23rd race but for the first time in his 4 starts this season. He was one of 4 claims on the day by McKnight, who is headed to Oaklawn Park for the winter.

Paul Buttigieg won 2 races on the card as did trainer Denyse McClachrie along with owner Ryan Kerbel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAINER STANDINGS with 4 cards left

 

The AMAZING TRAINERS RACE at Woodbine continues to intrigue. Four cards of racing left and Norm McKnight’s stable is trying to catch the Casse team, which has romped in this category for years.

McKnight has 2 entrants Wednesday night and Casse has one.

 

  Trainer     STARTS   1ST   2ND    3RD EARNINGS PURSES RACED FOR  WIN%  AVERAGE WIN ODDS               WINS/STARTS   10-DAY STREAK   STAKES WINS/STARTS

Mark E. Casse………………………………… 496 93 84 70 $6,704,114 $44,518,787 18.8            9.50                                                                     93/496                              4/19                                17/108

Norman McKnight…………………………..288 91 54 33 $2,514,353 $12,978,358 31.6            7.90                                                                       91/288                            9/25                                     0/9

Kevin Attard…………………………………… 287 42 53 40 $2,376,071 $17,694,208 14.6            8.00                                                                         42/287                        0/12                                        6/30

 

Martin Drexler……………………………………. 196 40 38 27 $1,458,739 $8,957,131 20.4              8.40                                                                           40/196                          3/15                                    1/7

Sid C. Attard……………………………………… 217 38 36 25 $1,715,877 $12,603,790 17.5                10.40                                                                            38/217                         2/13                              1/22

Michael P. De Paulo…………………………… 312 37 42 39 $2,025,039 $20,178,977 11.9                 13.80                                                                          37/312                           1/20                                 1/38

 

Robert P. Tiller………………………………….. 247 36 30 36 $2,528,088 $14,910,638 14.6                  9.00                                                                              36/247                                       2/9                             12/34

Roger L. Attfield………………………………… 184 36 25 24 $2,707,739 $19,832,734 19.6                    9.40                                                                                36/184                                        1/6                             7/56

Denyse McClachrie……………………………. 153 35 17 16 $934,040 $6,172,717 22.9                         11.30                                                                                         35/153                                        2/10                   1/4

Nicholas Gonzalez…………………………….. 249 29 41 37 $1,654,802 $13,884,608 11.6                     10.10                                                                                    29/249                                       0/4          2/24

 

 

 

ONTARIO BRED COLTIMUS PRIME  SET FOR GULFSTREAM’S CLASICO CARIBE

2014 Prince of Wales Stakes winner COLTIMUS PRIME (Milwaukee Brew) has had 4 workouts in 17 days at Gulfstream Park West as he readies for the special day of racing at Gulfstream. The $300,000 Clasico del Caribe is one of five races comprising the Clasico Internacional del Caribe, the premier Thoroughbred event in Latin America and the Caribbean. Gulfstream will become the first pari-mutuel facility in North America to host the Clasico Internacional del Caribe since its inception in 1966.

Coltimus Prime, a 6-year-old now owned by former jockey Rene Doulgas and bred by former owner Jayson Horner, won a Group 1 in Panama in June. he has had 3 races since then including a 3rd in a Group 1 on Oct. 29.

Several horses competing in Saturday’s Clasico Internacional del Caribe– including Clasico del Caribe starters Fray Angelico from Panama and La De Horacio from Venezuela – schooled in Gulfstream Park’s paddock Sunday afternoon.

Fray Angelico and La De Horacio were joined by Panama’s Crown Roses and Cigona, fillies preparing for the Dama del Caribe. Appearing in the walking ring later in the afternoon was Puerto Rico’s Arquitecto, who will run in the Confraternidad del Caribe.

Fray Angelico, a 3-year-old son of Concerto, has won four of six starts including the Coronal Nacional (G2) last time out. The colt has worked twice over Gulfstream’s main track, including a half mile Saturday in :48.87.

“The horse, he’s adapted well,” said trainer Alberto Paz Rodriguez. “The track is faster than our tracks in Panama, but the horse is very healthy. He’s doing very well. It will be a tough race, tough competition, but from his first work to his last I have seen a lot of improvement.”

Trainer Carlos Arteaga admired his 3-year-old filly La De Horacio get acquainted with Gulfstream’s paddock and walking ring. The filly will meet the boys in the Clasico del Caribe after finishing fourth in the Clasico International Simon Bolivar.

“The quarantine was rough for her but at this time she’s doing very good and her attitude is very good,” said Arteaga, who participated in the 2012 Clasico Internacional del Caribe in Puerto Rico. “I hope she will run well and give us a good show.”

Below is FRAY ANGELICO, one of the main contenders for the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe, in a recent workout:

 

DAZZLING!

‘Dawn’ is BC Horse of the Year, takes 3 other awards

 

The sensational three-year-old filly Daz Lin Dawn stole the show at the 2017 B.C. Thoroughbred Awards Dinner in much the same manner she dominated the racing scene at Hastings Racecourse this past summer.

Winner of seven consecutive stake races in 2017, Daz Lin Dawn swept four major awards: Horse of the Year in both the B.C. Bred and Open Divisions and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, again in both Divisions.

Owned by JDP Holdings, Nancy Betts and Delton Stable, Daz Lin Dawn was privately purchased at the 2015 CTHS Yearling & Mixed Sale for $15,000. Today she is living the good life at Jack Bennett’s Road’s End Farm in Abbotsford with career earnings of $280,650.

Daz Lin Dawn launched her incredible stakes streak at Hastings in the BC Cup Dogwood on April 30 and proceeded to continue on a once-a-month pace with victories in the Ross McLeod (May 22), Emerald Downs (June 25), Supernaturel (July 15), Hong Kong Jockey Club (Aug. 7), CTHS Sales (Aug. 25) and BC Oaks (Sept. 9).

Betts, who also trains Daz Lin Dawn, told the Awards Dinner audience: “I have waited 30 years to have a horse like her. She’s the absolute best I’ve ever trained.”

Part owner Paul Caravetta said the question now is: “What kind of horse do we really have here? She’s B.C bred but California sired so Santa Anita could be in our plans. It’s something we’ll have to talk about over the winter.”

In the meantime, Caravetta is satisfied with “talking” to Daz Lin Dawn during his once-a-week visits to Road’s End Farm. “She’s just being a horse,” he says, “relaxing, eating well and taking it easy.”

Caravetta made two more trips to the podium as part owner with B.C. Stables of Here’s Hannah, named Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in both the B.C. Bred and Open Divisions. Here’s Hannah, trained by John Morrison, won all three of her starts in 2017, including the Sadie Diamond and Fantasy graded $100,000 stakes.

As a sign of things to come, Here’s Hannah was runner-up to Daz Lin Dawn in the balloting for both the B.C. Bred Horse of the Year and Open Horse of the Year.

Notis the Jewell was a triple winner as Champion Older Filly/Mare in the B.C. and Open Divisions as well as Upper Level Claimer of the Year. Notis the Jewell is leased and trained by Bill McLaren.

Double winners included Wise Market as Champion 2-Year-Old Male in both the B.C. bred and Open Divisions trained by Phil Hall and owned by Hall, Blair Law and Brian Albertson; also Modern as Champion Older Male Open Division and Champion Sprinter, owned by Swift Thoroughbreds and trained by Dino Condilenios.

Other 2017 winners were: Power Corrupt, Lower Level Claimer of the Year, owned by Mitch Sutherland and trained by Jim Brown; Hunter’s Appeal, Champion 3-Year-Old Male, B.C. Bred Division, owned by Mohamad Khan and trained by Jim Brown; Chief Know It All, Champion 3-Year-Old Male, Open Division, owned by Rollingson Racing Stable, Randy Howg, Rick and Clayton Wiest and trained by Robertino Diodoro; Crazy Prophet, Champion Older Male B.C. Division, owned by Shamrock Racing Stable and trained by John Snow.

Individual presentations were also made to 2017 B.C. Racing Hall of Fame inductees trainer Barbara Anderson Heads, jockey Gerry Olguin and 2003 BC Derby winner Roscoe Pito’s connections. Richard Hamel, Leading Jockey; Jose Asencio, Leading Apprentice Jockey; Glen Todd (North American Thoroughbred Horse Company), Leading Owner and Brad Dimond, HBPA Backstretch Person of the Year.

 

 

SHAMAN GHOST RETIRED, TO STAND IN CALIFORNIA

Shaman Ghost, a Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion, has been retired from racing and will stand at a farm to be determined in California for the 2018 breeding season at an advertised fee of $10,000.

The 5-year-old Ghostzapper horse finished his on-track career with eight wins in 17 starts for earnings of $3,859,311, making him the second-highest-earning Canadian-bred of all time behind his paternal grandsire Awesome Again at $4,374,590. Jimmy Jerkens trained Shaman Ghost for owner/breeder Stronach Stables.

http://www.drf.com/news/shaman-ghost-retired-will-stand-california