CANDY FOR CRAIG – Jenny Craig’s SIDNEY’S CANDY carries thick Kinghaven Farms bloodlines. He’s unbeaten this year but has post 20 and might not get to lead all the way as he likes.
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
WHO DO YOU LIKE?
That will be the big question at racetracks throughout North American today as everyone handicaps, and then re=handicaps, the 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby tomorrow.
While the field is remiscent of a high allowance event based on Beyer Figures, it’s competitive enough to allow for a lot of difference of opinion.
Not many seem to be comfortable with 10 furlongs judging by their 9 furlongs races, not many have high 90 Beyer Figures to contend. Some have too much speed and well others, we’re not sure why they are in the race.
The likelihood that the track will be muddy or sloppy makes it even tougher to predict a winner.
Much has been made about the horses trying a traditional dirt track for the first time after racing on synthetic and the possibility of a wet track will help those synthetic guys out a great deal.
STATELY VICTOR has a lot of qualities that make him interesting. He won the Blue Grass stakes from off the pace and has a ton of speed to run at. He is well bred for slop (Ghostzapper his sire ran a 128 Beyer Figure in the slop) and, well, he’s coming around at the right time.
I have picked AWESOME ACT also. I loved his race in the Wood Memorial, at least from a set-up standpoint. If I had bet o him that day I would have lynched jockey Leparoux. He was gizzled and strangled off the pace and then let go but Eskendereya was long gone and in another world. Assuming this one moves at the latest possible moment (not sure the 10 furlongs will be up his alley), he has a chance to take the Derby.
See more picks in tomorrow’s TORONTO STAR.
LET ME GO!! Longshot MAKE MUSIC FOR ME could be the first Derby winner saddled by a woman. Alexis Barba trains.
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
KENTUCKY OAKS
Big field, big favourite
BLIND LUCK, by the vision-impaired stallion POLLARD’S VISION is a huge favourite in the Kentucky Oaks based on her romping win in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn but is the race really that cut and dried with a 14-horse field?
Blind Luck ran a 104 Beyer Figure last time in the 4-horse Fantasy and deserves to be favourite but there are others in the field that offer value.
AMEN HALLELUJAH (Montbrook), with Julien Leparoux on board, had a regression last time off a huge effort in the Davona Dale at GUlfstream. She is bred to be a better miler but a patient journey gets her close. Her dam was 3 for 4 in the mud in case it rains.
TIDAL POOL has an intriguing Beyer Figure pattern as well, but also needs to distribute her energy a good way to be successful. The Yankee Gentleman filly has won in the mud for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
And for a nice up and comer, how about IT’S TEA TIME, (Dynaformer) who has only raced 3 times and never on dirt, but she just missed in the Ashland at Keeneland and she is a closer.
Post
Position Horse Jockey M/L
Odds
1 It’s Tea Time Alan Garcia 15-1
2 Jody Slew Miguel Mena 30-1
3 Quiet Temper Robby Albarado 10-1
4 Age of Humor Rajiv Maragh 30-1
5 Blind Luck Rafael Bejarano 6-5
6 Beautician Alex Solis 15-1
7 Crisp Joel Rosario 8-1
8 Tidal Pool Calvin Borel 8-1
9 Bella Diamante Mike Smith 30-1
10 Champagne d’Oro Martin Garcia 30-1
11 Evening Jewel Kent Desormeaux 10-1
12 Ailalea John Velazquez 15-1
13 Amen Hallelujah Julien Leparoux 8-1
14 Joanie’s Catch Paco Lopez 30-1
HE’S MOVING LIKE A TREMENDOUS MACHINE!
The SECRTARIAT movie trailer is out and hey, it looks pretty good folks….
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/secretariat/?cmp=dmov_dpic_sec_psg_title_secretariat_Extl
WOODBINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Bye Golly – MOLLYGOLLY kicked off the first Wednesday night card of 2010 with a front running score under Patrick Husbands. It was the second win in two cards for owner/trainer Audre Cappuccitti. Mollygolly won the maiden $12,500 race at 7 to 2. She is a daughter of Pleasant Tap.
Also picking up a 2nd win in as many cards was Molinaro Stable as MOLINARO JOYFUL burst between fillies to win an Ontario sired allowance going away in race 2. The light grey gal is by Parisianprosopector out of Bold Executive mare. Vito Armata trains.
Bold Executive`s daughter MISS REGINELLA won an allowance race for Ontario sired gals to become 2 for 2 this season for owner Frank Romano.. Bred by Paul Buttigieg, Miss Reginella won on the pace like many others did on the evening`s card.
Owner Richard Lister bred Mollygolly, the night`s 1st race winner and then won with his own gal SKY AT SUNRISE, who took a $20,000 claimer on the pace and just held on to win by a nose under Emma-Jayne Wilson. Malcolm Pierce trains the daughter of Songandaprayer.
Glenn Harvey’s Kelynack Stable is the owner and breeder of the promising gal LUNA BLUE, who won her season debut and 2nd career start in a maiden allowance in 1:04.87 for 5 1/2 furlongs. The filly is by Lemon Drop Kid out of millionaire Mysterious Affair, who won so many stakes for her owner/breeder Mort Hardy.
Luna Blue is trained by Ricky Griffith.
And the BEAR STABLES bred the winner of the finale. BEAR STAR, by Teton Forest, won his maiden at the maiden allowance level with a strong, on the pace run for Eurico Rosa Da Silva.
FURIOUS TRAINING FOR FURY
The two top fillies are ready to go
Slowly, quietly, the hype machines have strated to churn at Woodbine for the fillies ROAN INISH and RESENTLESS and we get to see themmake their 2010 debuts tomorrow at Woodbine in the FURY STAKES, a 7 furlong event for Ontario bred gals. It’s not a tough field for the two gals (they were not Candian champions since the best 2yo fillies were American breds Biofuel and Negligee) as there are two maidens in the field, but how the race is run will mean everything to the late running Roan Inish (Elusive Quality) and the front running sizzler Resentless (Trajectory).
Resentless has worked three times since returning to Woodbine. Her fastest move came on April 11: five furlongs in :58 4/5, breezing.
“We’ve been trying to keep her down to a dull roar,” explained trainer Ian Howard. “That day we let her do a little bit more. Even though she worked fast, she did it fairly easily and galloped out in 1:11 and up in 1:25. She did it well within herself.”
Resentless will be free-wheeling while ROAN INISH, trained by Carolyn Costigan for her father Robert, will be coming from off the pace. Costigan has said her filly is not fully cranked for the race with this being the first step towards the Woodbine Oaks – perhaps the Queen’s Plate.
The Fury is slated for race nine on Saturday’s 11-race programme.
RESENTLESS, Norm Files photo
FIELD FOR FURY STAKES
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – Copperelle – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black
2 – Attitude Included – Corey Fraser – Mark Casse
3 – Roan Inish – David Moran – Carolyn Costigan
4 – Oil Painting – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
5 – Bodua – Eurico Rosa da Silva – Mike Doyle
6 – Resentless – Chantal Sutherland – Ian Howard
7 – Jenny’s So Great – Luis Contreras – Gregory De Gannes
8 – Tee Game – Slade Callaghan – Mike Doyle
FORT ERIE PREVIEW
Fort Erie’s beginning to look a lot like Woodbine…okay maybe not but a couple of well know folks from Woodbine have joined Fort Erie as it starts fresh on its 3 year time under the Fort Erie Consortium.
JOHN WHITSON, longtime vice president of racing at Woodbine, is now racing secretary and has gathered 77 horses for opening day tomorrow.
ELISSA BLOWE has left Woodbine’s television department to join Fort Erie as well.
STEVE ASMUSSEN has a large contingent of horses stable at Fort Erie but is not racing one on opening weekend.
The Buffalo News has a preview…
Villeneuve returns to hold the Fort
Female jockey after her 1,000th win
By Robert J. Summers
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
FORT ERIE, Ont. — Fort Erie Race Track has long been a proving ground for female jockeys. And this season, one of the best of them comes back to chase her personal milestone of 1,000 career wins.
Francine Villeneuve, last seen at the border oval in 2006 — when she rode 51 winners and finished third in the jockey standings — has decided to saddle up again at age 45. She has 934 career wins and is scheduled to ride trainer William MacKinnon’s Musical Storm in the first of Saturday’s eight races. She has no other mounts on opening day, the first of 78 racing days at the Fort this year.
“I never really retired,” Villeneuve said. “I just took some time off. Now it’s all or nothing. I’m coming back to focus on race-riding and winning races. … One thousand wins is definitely the motivating factor in my decision. It’s within reach, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/29/1035378/villeneuve-returns-to-hold-the.html
