SEPT 1 NEWS – GOSH, the fall is here, although it does not feel like in currently in southern Ontario, it’s a heatwaaaave….LONG WEEKEND comin up, yearling sales stakes day on Monday and the sale on TUESDAY!
SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER
1st of the month and the fun is just beginning
YEARLING SALES, LONG WEEKEND, SCHOOL SUPPLIES and TURF RACING…the weather is very steamy right now but by this weekend it will be crisp and fall-like as racing heads into the last part of the 2010 season.
No racing tomorrow and a small card on Friday but hopefully the phones have been working and the bi g names will be flocking into Woodbine soon.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE WOODBINE MILE close tonight.
This weekend we can look forward to the SEAWAY, VICE REGENT and then 6 yearling sales stakes races on Monday.
SUNDAY WOODBINE WRAP
Got one anyway!
It was a tough thing to take when UTTERLY COOL, an impressive winner of the Play King Stakes prep recently suffered an injury and had to be put away instead of heading to the Play the King and then perhaps the Woodbine Mile.It was some bad luck for Mel Lawson’s Jim Dandy Stable, yes, the same fellow who was recently inducted into the Canadian horse racing Hall of Fame.
But lo and behold, here comes SMOKEY FIRE, seemingly on a cram session, who won the Bold Venture Stakes off the long layoff 2 starts back, was blasted at Saratoga in the Vanderbilt, and then was sharp enough to score an upset in the Play the King, the local prep for the Sept. 19 Woodbine Mile.
Trained by Sid Attard (who didn’t appear all that happy after the race), the grey gelding, a regular mount for the injured Emma-Jayne Wilson, was ridden by Jono Jones, who cited the geldings love for a strtech fight. Smokey Fire defeated JUNGLE WAVE, owned by Tucci Stables and also trained by Attard while Horse of the Year FATAL BULLET, in only his 2nd grass outing, ran a super 3rd.
Flopping in the race were SIGNATURE RED, the Highlander Stakes winner, and last year’s champion sprinter FIELD COMMISSION, who trailed throughout.
As the field turned for home, Jungle Wave collared Fatal Bullet and the two matched strides to the wire, with Smokey Fire gradually inching closer on the outside. As the trio hit the line, Smokey Fire was able to get up by a neck, with Jungle Wave edging Fatal Bullet by a similar margin for the place award. The final time was 1:20.83 after the three-quarters had been reached in 1:08.38.
SMOKEY FIRE by Dave Landry
WOOHOO– Longshot bettors would have had a field day as the Pick 4 kicked off with a wild finish in a maiden allowance race for Ontario sired guys at 2 turns. The leading rider, Eurico Rosa Da Silva, somehow got George Ledon’s WOOKINWICKED to win the race despite drab form but under heavy left handed whipping, the gelding drifted out badly and interfered with MOLINARO PADRINO, who wound up 3rd. The lucky winner was BROTHER BO, at 48 to 1, making his 4th career start for Bill Diamant, who bred the son of Bold Executive. The gelding, who had shown a burst of speed in his previous race, battled hard to just miss by a
neck and then was award the win.
Joe Stritzl’s BELIEVE THE FOX is 2 for 2 in her career thanks to a front running allowance score. The Foxtrail – Crown’s Believer gal is trained by Norm McKnight.
Trainer RAM PEALRMAN sent out the winner of the 9th, 13 to shot TRAJECTORY’S DREAM, for owner Idit Pearlman. The Trajectory gelding won the maiden allowance under Na Somsanith with a rail run.
And HALTON GULLY, a full brother to Barbados Gold Cup winner STERWINS, won his turf debut in the finale with a bounding win for owner and breeder Eugene Melnyk.
WOODBINE SCOREBOARD – TRAINERS
Mark Casse is in charge of the trainer ranks by wins and money as the usual suspects are leading the top 5.
Mark E. Casse 326 50 44 42 $2,680,692
Reade Baker 210 35 40 31 $2,071,578
Sid C. Attard 162 29 29 18 $1,884,318
Steven M. Asmussen 177 28 28 26 $1,151,196
Roger L. Attfield 125 28 20 16 $2,183,361
Nicholas Gonzalez 148 27 19 11 $1,671,980
Robert P. Tiller 168 24 26 26 $1,397,845
Laurie Silvera 115 20 19 11 $848,142
Michael P. De Paulo 134 20 17 18 $899,604
Sam Di Pasquale 87 16 20 9 $593,676
Scott H. Fairlie 130 16 18 21 $702,522
Gregory de Gannes 97 16 11 17 $742,830
Brian A. Lynch 91 16 10 5 $895,115
JOCKEYS
This is a good race still, as Eurico and Patrick continue to slug it out – should be a fun fall to watch how things unfold.
While some may have thought Sutherland may make a run for the lead, it is likely that the two boys will go right to the end.
Eurico Da Silva 521 105 72 76 $5,460,553
Patrick Husbands 552 100 80 75 $5,695,807
Chantal Sutherland 486 81 69 65 $4,860,123
Omar Moreno 545 70 77 81 $2,947,106
Emile Ramsammy 500 67 58 56 $3,021,270
Emma-Jayne Wilson 441 61 72 51 $3,456,833
Jono C. Jones 317 44 43 41 $2,738,353
James McAleney 344 41 51 40 $2,574,543
Luis Contreras 274 41 44 49 $1,917,626
Justin Stein 374 33 38 41 $1,531,454
Corey Fraser 266 31 31 32 $1,730,044
Tyler Pizarro 250 30 31 28 $1,409,548
FORT ERIE SCOREBOARD – TRAINERS
Nick Gonzalez continues to mosey along in front at the Fort, leading by a pile over John Simms. Note the super record for trainer
JUSTIN NIXON at 12 for 33!!.
Nicholas Gonzalez 155 37 24 27 $429,177
John Simms 158 21 16 19 $207,569
Justin J. Nixon 33 12 4 7 $117,258
Michael Newell 122 11 16 12 $131,776
Daryl G. Ezra 70 11 14 11 $126,284
Lyle Morden 92 11 13 11 $152,065
Marilyn G. McMullen 77 11 6 11 $114,615
Howard Keen 120 9 11 9 $132,427
Winston Wilkinson 68 9 6 6 $92,683
Anthony Husbands 37 9 0 8 $84,181
Michael Wright, Jr. 80 8 11 11 $102,120
Jennifer Davis 47 8 9 10 $94,799
Layne S. Giliforte 38 8 3 3 $68,547
JOCKEYS
Krista Carignan 340 61 61 46 $676,511
Real E. Simard 283 40 27 42 $442,710
Christopher Griffith 262 35 38 36 $416,625
Francine Villeneuve 217 34 33 28 $384,510
Anthony Stephen 153 27 16 24 $577,187
Brian A. Cheyne 174 23 23 22 $254,994
Melanie Pinto 159 23 17 25 $262,986
Rui M. Pimentel 136 20 17 19 $251,848
Mike Mehak 213 18 30 22 $238,182
Kirk Johnson 230 17 26 28 $249,089
Daniel J. David 115 16 15 10 $171,077
Omar Moreno 64 16 6 7 $147,700
Sunny Singh 127 13 11 18 $150,316
Cory Spataro 121 11 12 14 $129,948
THANKS JAMBALAYA!
Grade 1 winner off to retirement
Canadian-bred JAMBALAYA, a fairy tale story for Catherine Day Phillips and husband Todd, as well as breeder Gus Schickedanz, was recently retired from racing after a series of attempted comebacks just were not working out.
The son of Langfuhr – Muskrat Suzie won the Grade 1 Arlington Million in 2007, won a race last year but will now enjoy his retirement at the Kingfield Farms in King, Ontario.
Starts 1st 2nd 3rd $ best Beyer
LIFE 23 9 1 7 1,643,446 104
2009 2 1 0 0 55,232 97 ALL
2007 6 3 0 3 979,421 104 ALL
2006 7 1 1 3 221,677 104 ALL
2005 7 4 0 0 380,846 98 ALL
2004 1 0 0 1 6,270 56 ALL
HASTINGS PARK NEWS
ANOTHER TOP 2-YEAR-OLD SCORES FOR OWNER/TRAINER JUAN OLMOS
August 27, 2010
Vancouver, B.C. (Aug. 26/10) – Juan Olmos and Lara Racing Stables have uncovered another impressive 2-year-old in Tlaquepaque, winner of the 36th running of the $50,000 New Westminster stakes Thursday night at Hastings Racecourse.
Tlaquepaque gained the lead in the late stretch at the urging of jockey Amadeo Perez and beat Lookout Dubai by 2 ½ lengths over 6 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:18.47. Following the footsteps of top 2-year-olds Huitzilopochtli (2009) and El Sinaloense (2008) owned and trained by Olmos, Tlaquepaque paid $8.20, $4.90 and $3.20.
The 22nd running of the $50,000 Lassie saw Overvalued defeat the odds on favourite Victory With Class. Overvalued, trained by Tracy McCarthy and ridden by Dave Wilson, shook off some early pressure from G Its Late and won by 7 lengths in a final time of 1:18.35 over 6 ½ furlongs. Nuj Nuj Wink Wink rounded out the top three. Overvalued paid $5.20, $2.60 and $2.10.
Live racing resumes at Hastings Racecourse on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 6:40 p.m. and goes Thursday, Sept. 2 and Friday, Sept. 3 at the same start times.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT..
EXTREME RACING AT GEORGIAN DOWNS.. photo by Norm Files