dave landry photo
CANADIAN STUFF
Zoning in on Barbados
SAFETY ZONE, claimed last fall by Eugene Melnyk and trainer Mark Casse, won an allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday in his first run since he won the Labeeb Stakes at Woodbine. The son of King Cugat, a $40,000 claim, rallied from far back and wide to get up in time to win with an 80 Beyer Figure.
The bay gelding will likely race once more before h heads to Barbados to represent Melnyk and Canada in the Barbados Gold Cup, a race won by the owner and trainer last year (Sterwins).
Casse told Thoroughblog that Sterwins was unlikely to make the Gold Cup this year but certainly the team has a solid replacement.
Speaking of the Melnyk and Casse team, the 3yo filly ROXY GAP was a decent 3rd in her season debut in the Old Hat Stakes on opening day at Gulfstream, albeit as the 2nd favourite.
The daughter of Indian Charlie was bumped soundly at the start of the race and found herself quite far off the hot pace and she had too much ground to make up. She earned a 76 Beyer Figure in her first loss in 4 races.
TIM ORLANDO, who races horses at Woodbine with trainer Bev Chubb, won the last race at Parx Racing yesterday with former Woodbine runner SOUTHBOUND AGAIN. Trained by Joe Orseno, the 6yo gelding led all the way and held off the big favourite to win the $7,500 claiming race.
INHISGLORY, owned by Candian Peter Redekop, won the Turfway Prevue Stakes for 3yos with a 69 Beyer Figure. Trained by Wayne Mogge, who owned the son of Pure Prize before he was sold to Redekop just a day before being entered in the Prevue, was last in a previous race at Woodbine 2 starts ago (behind Top Prospect), Inhisglory is headed to Fair Grounds.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60670/inhisglory-shows-heart-in-turfway-prevue-win
WILSON, RULES
EMMA-JAYNE WILSON had a good day at the Parx racing office yesterday with a win and a couple of top three placings. The winning ride for Wilson came on BROKEN RULES in a starter allowance for $25,000 for trainer Cathal Lynch. That Peace Rules runner was the 2 to 1 favourite.
SAY UNCLE
MR. UNCLE NED won his maiden at Fair Grounds yesterday for Canadian trainer Mark Frost. The Robert Evans’ homebred by Mr.
Greeley had not shown much at Woodbine or Fair Grounds in 6 previous races but was coming off a troubled trp in his last race. A
confirmed grass runner, the Kentucky bred was 11 to 1 in his score yesterday by 2 lengths under Anna Napravnik.
Mr. Uncle Ned, out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, was bought back as a yearling for $110,000.
UNCLE AGAIN
Early Kentucky Derby favourite UNCLE MO is likely to make his 3yo debut in the TAMPA BAY DERBY, now a Grade 2 race worth $350,000.
The stunning colt, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is going to be in the same race that last year’s Derby winner SUPER SAVER was in.
Speaking of Tampa Bay Downs, it has a great product and is fun to wager on but good grief, is it not time to change up the commentators/annoucners etc?
Yesterday’s Pelican Stakes (won by See I A) stretch call was a disaster.
LIFE AT TEN SAGA CONTINUES
LOUISVILLE-COURIER JOURNAL REPORT
Inspector General’s office brought into Life At Ten inquiry
Posted on January 7, 2011 by jrees
More than two months after the fact, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Life At Ten in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. A new twist is that the commission asked the Office of Inspector General in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for assistance for part of the inquiry, confirmed KHRC executive director Lisa Underwood.
“We did decide since there were some employees of the commission who were involved that it would be appropriate to have an outside party be part of the interviewing, … to have some independent review for certain aspects of it,” Underwood said Friday in a phone interview.
