1978 SANTA ANITA HANDICAP – one of our favourites, the remarkable VIGORS
Feelin HOT HOT HOT – well, not yet in Ontario but with the incredible racing action today at Tampa Bay, Gulfstream, Santa Anita and the GOLD CUP in Barbados – it is a racing fan’s dream day!
BIG PICK 6 CARRYOVER at AQUEDUCT, $500,000 carryover at Woodbine Standardbred tonight for the High 5
Some handicapping, some news and some this and that on the ‘Blog today, oh and a Happy Birthday to V !
(Turn your clocks forward tonight!
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JIM ROME talks SHARED BELIEF and Woodbine
Thank you to Woodbine for the opportunity to publish my interview with JIM ROME this week…
TORONTO, March 6 – As one of the most recognizable broadcasting personalities in sports, Jim Rome has interviewed some of the world’s most famous celebrities. When you ask him about one of his greatest moments in sports, however, it is his horse Shared Belief who dominates the conversation.
On Saturday (Santa Anita Race 11, 8:17 p.m. EST), Rome’s sleek black gelding is set to confirm that he is the best older horse on the continent as he takes on 12 rivals including Sovereign Award nominee Dynamic Sky in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap.
The “Big ‘Cap” is one of North America’s most prestigious races, won by greats such as Seabiscuit, John Henry and Spectacular Bid. Shared Belief comes in off a romping score in the San Antonio Handicap on Feb. 7 beating the 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome by 1 ½ lengths.
“Being a part of Team Shared Belief is one of the greatest thrills of my entire life…
Read more:
SPEAKING OF HOT – THARRENOS wins 2 at Gulfstream on Thursday
BILL THARRENOS
BILL THARRENOS, who will have a large string of horses at Woodbine this season, won the 2nd race at Gulfstream on Thursday when MY COUSIN FAY won a $6,250 claiming event. The 5-year-old mare was 5 to 2 and was ridden by Luis Contreras.
Later Tharrenos, training for himself and Alan Alber, won with TWIST N’ BAKE, a Langfuhr 3-year-old filly, in a $25,000 optional claiming/starter allowance. The winner was odds-on and won the 7 1/2 furlong grass race by 4 1/2 lengths. Tharrernos lost the filly through the claim box.
Tharrenos has 4 wins at the Gulfstream meeting to this point.
JULIA CAREY, owner/trainer, claimed ODE TO JOE for $25,000 from a maiden race on the grass on Thursday at Gulfstream. The 6 to 1 shot was 4th.
On Friday at Gulfstream, Sovereign Award older horse nominee Sky Captain was 4th and Canadian-bred Ami’s Holiday was 6th in a fast turf allowance race (1:32.57 for one mile). The former was just 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner while the latter, making his first start since September, was only behind by 4 3/4 lengths.
MARK CASSE sent out Mike Rutherford’s RESISTIVITY to win an allowance/optional claiming race on the grass by 2 1/2 lengths. The Bay 4-year-old is a Kentucky bred by Student Council.
SOME WOODBINE TRAINERS AND THEIR RECORDS AT MEETINGS THIS WINTER
SCOTT FAIRLIE 6 FOR 12 PENN NATIONAL
NICK MILENI 1 FOR 5 PENN NATIONAL
STEVEN CHIRCOP 2 FOR 10
MARK CASSE IS 6 FOR 35 GULFSTREAM
MARK CASSE 10 FOR 47 SANTA ANITA
BRIAN LYNCH 4 FOR 39
NICK GONZALEZ 3 FOR 36
JOSIE CARROLL 1 FOR 20
BILL THARRENOS 4 FOR 18
DAN VELLA 4 FOR 15
RICKY GRIFFITH 3 FOR 28
JOHN SIMMS 3 FOR 35 – TAMPA BAY
MIKE WRIGHT 3 FOR 14
HANDICAPPING SOME OF THE BIG RACES TODAY
Queen’s Plate contenders AMI’S FLATTER and DANZIG MOON are at Tampa Bay Downs on the dirt, DECISION DAY is on the grass at Gulfstream Park; DYNAMIC SKY takes on SHARED BELIEF in the Big Cap and PRIVATE ZONE is the choice in the Gulfstream Park Handicap…
There are KENTUCKY DERBY prep races – the Gotham and San Felipe – on 2 coasts and a whole lot of other stakes races mixed between.
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs, post time: 5:23 p.m. EST
TAMPA BAY DERBY-GII, $350,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Divining Rod Tapit Garcia Delacour 116
2 Ocean Knight Curlin Ortiz Jr McLaughlin 120
3 Carpe Diem K Giant’s Causeway Velazquez Pletcher 122
4 Ami’s Flatter Flatter Contreras Carroll 116
5 My Johnny Be Good Colonel John Gallardo Harty 116
6 Souper Colossal K War Front Rosario Plesa Jr 120
7 Great Stuff K Quality Road Goncalves Wilkes 116
8 Moonlight Bandit Malibu Moon Lezcano Casse 116
9 Danzig Moon K Malibu Moon Leparoux Casse 116
**THOROUGHBLOG PICKS –
EL KABEIR has a huge advantage in the Beyer Speed Figures and will be tough to beat – looking at TENCEDOR (Warrior’s Reward) and impressive debut winner LIEUTENANT COLONEL to threaten
**TAMPA BAY DERBY – the Sam F Davis wound up a match race between speedy DIVINING ROD and the still unbeaten OCEAN KNIGHT..CARPE DIEM was 2nd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Ontario’s AMI’S FLATTER gets Lasix and blinkers piled on as he tries to bounce back. Thinking ‘Ami’ has a good chance to win it with good ride.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 4:30 p.m. EST
PALM BEACH S.-GIII, $150,000, 3yo, 1 1/16mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Nutty Futty Johar Valdivia Jr Van Culin 116
2 Call Me Crazy K Lemon Drop Kid Saez Ritvo 116
3 Decision Day Macho Uno Prado Carroll 116
4 Bears Personality K Awesome Again Lopez Baker 116
5 Night Prowler Giant’s Causeway Castellano Brown 116
6 Croninthebarbarian Stroll Bravo Simms 116
7 Felifran K Discreet Cat Lanerie Delgado 116
8 Eh Cumpari K Elusive Quality Caraballo Dilger 116
9 Divisidero K Kitten’s Joy Hernandez Bradley 116
** THOROUGHBLOG PICKS – not much early speed in this race – NIGHT PROWLER, very tough – Canadian-bred DECISION DAY has grass breeding, should go a lot better this time
SANTA ANITA H.-GI, $1,000,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Cool Samurai First Samurai Gryder Shirreffs 114
2 Diamond Bachelor K War Front Pedroza Biancone 114
3 Sr. Quisqueyano Exclusive Quality Talamo Walder 115
4 Dynamic Sky Sky Mesa Nakatani Casse 117
5 Shared Belief Candy Ride (Arg) Smith Hllndrfer 125
6 Moreno Ghostzapper Gonzalez Guillot 121
7 Patrioticandproud K Proud Citizen Trujillo Casse 116
8 You Know I Know Simon Pure Van Dyke Sadler 115
9 Crimson Giant Formal Gold Boulanger Stutts 114
10 Imperative K Bernardini Desrmeux Ppaprodrmu 117
11 Bronzo (Chi) Fusaichi Pegasus Baze Drysdale 117
12 Catch a Flight (Arg) Giant’s Causeway Stevens Mandella 114
13 Hard Aces Hard Spun Espinoza Sadler 115
SHARED BELIEF – he’s wonderful, but if you are a bettor, you are looking for something else..at least for the exotics..how about HARD ACES and DYNAMIC SKY
CANADIAN-BRED PRIVATE ZONE keeps going, tops Gulfstream Park ‘Cap
Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:00 p.m. EST
GULFSTREAM PARK H.-GII, $300,000, 4yo/up, 1m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Honor Code A.P. Indy Castellano McGghy 116
2 Wicked Strong K Hard Spun Maragh Jerkens 120
3 East Hall Graeme Hall Saez Kaplan 115
4 Loverbil Not for Love Marquez Jr Navarro 113
5 Private Zone K Macho Uno Pedroza Navarro 122
6 Valid K Medaglia d’Oro Lopez Vitali 117
WICKED STRONG – should be ready.
PATRICK HUSBANDS GOES FOR HIS 6TH GOLD CUP
Patrick Husbands has been galloping horses in his homeland in recent weeks, getting ready for his ride on GENTLEMAN’S KITTEN in today’s SANDY LANE GOLD CUP at the Garrison Savannah in Barbados. The Gold Cup is the most prestigious and popular race in the Caribbean. Ken and Sarah ramsay won the race last year with the no-deceased Major Marvel and they have 2 in this year’s field.
Rico Walcott, who, like Husbands, is nominated for Outstanding Jockey for 2014 in Canada at the upcoming Sovereign Awards, will ride
http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2015/03/04/husbands-eyeing-gold-cup-win/
