HAVE A VISION?
Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner COURT VISION who stands at Park Stud in Orangeville as part of the Spendthrift Canada project, had his first baby born in Canada yesterday.
The beautiful stallion (Gulch – Weekend Storm by Storm Bird) is out of a sister to Summer Squall and half sister to A.P. Indy and he won 9 of 31 races and $3,7 million. He was also a graded stakes winner as a 2yo and then each year to age 6.
His first foal is a filly out of Panteccaria, the dam of stakes winner Nicki Knew. This gal was born on Jan 20 (Sunday) at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Aurora. Glenn Sikura photo
For more on COURT VISION visit:
http://www.parkstud.ca/horses/court-vision-2844.html
Canadian-owned CLEARLY NOW set for Holy Bull
will take on Bobby
(photo by Norm Files)
Uphill Stable’s 3-year-old Clearly Now worked a sharp half-mile in 48 flat Saturday morning at Palm Meadows for trainer Brian Lynch and will test undefeated Eclipse champion Shanghai Bobby and other Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown hopefuls in Saturday’s $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park
A Kentucky-bred son of Horse Greeley, Clearly Now won his first two starts sprinting at Woodbine in September and November last year and finished third in the $150,000 Display Stakes going 1 1/16 miles last out on Dec. 1. Clearly Now was a $30,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase.
“He showed ability from the start with his first two wins,” said Lynch Sunday morning. “I might have had him a little too fresh for his first start going a distance in the Display, but I think I learned a little bit about him that will help this time. This is the time of year (for a 3-year-old) you want to see what you have.”
Shanghai Bobby Gets Final Drill for Holy Bull Sunday
Starlight Racing, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s undefeated Eclipse champion Shanghai Bobby worked five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 Sunday morning at Palm Meadows for trainer Todd Pletcher in his final tune-up for his role as the favorite in next Saturday’s $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Also on the Palm Meadows Sunday morning tab working for a start in the Holy Bull was George and Lori Hall’s Bern Identity with a ‘bullet’ five furlongs in 59 1/5 move for trainer Kelly Breen as he prepares for his first start since finishing second as the favorite in the $1 million Delta Jackpot (G3) at Delta Downs on Nov. 17.
Also on the Palm Meadows tab from the Pletcher arsenal preparing for upcoming stakes engagements were Dreaming of Julia (51), El Padrino (49 1/5), Kauai Katie (49 3/5), Overanalyze (51 3/5), Violence (50 4/5), Fusaichiwonderful (49 3/5), Discreet Dancer (59 2/5), Graydar (59 2/5), Verrazano (1:00 4/5) and San Pedro (1:01 3/5).
The Gulfstream work tab Sunday also had several high-profile names, some postponed from Saturday when the track was ‘sloppy’ for morning workouts. Trainer Dale Romans accepted his well-deserved Eclipse Award Saturday night and was busy Sunday morning as Sienna Farms LLC’s 3-year-old Dewey Square worked 59 flat for a possible start in the Holy Bull.
MAYOR FORD ON CASINO
TORONTO STAR FEATURE – Toronto residents still have five days to speak out on the controversial prospect of casino development in their city, but Mayor Rob Ford says he already knows what most people think.
“I have a pretty good feeling of what they want out there,” Ford said during his weekly two-hour radio program on Sunday. “How can people say no to this?”
An outspoken proponent of casinos, the mayor devoted much of his radio show to extolling the benefits — in jobs and revenue — that he says would flow from the construction of a major casino somewhere downtown, along with an expansion of the gambling attractions already available at Woodbine Racetrack.
His brother Doug — radio co-host and city councilor for Ward 2, which contains Woodbine — is also an enthusiastic advocate for casino development and joined the mayor on air in promoting the expansion of gambling facilities in Toronto.
“This is all about creating jobs, folks,” he said.
MARITIMER ENTERED IN TURF HANDICAP AT MEYDAN THURSDAY
Race 2
TB – Handicap
1600M(a8F) – Turf
USD 120,000
Track Condition: Good
Rail Position: Out 12m
Safety Limit: 14
Official Rating Horse Weight Age (yrs) Owner Trainer
109 LE DRAKKAR (AUS) 57.0 7 Sh Hamdan bin Mohd Al Maktoum A bin Huzaim
109 MALOSSOL (USA) 57.0 4 Selim Blanga Moghrabi/Ste B & B De G Botti G Botti
108 REROUTED (USA) 56.5 5 Mssrs Chandler, Westwood et al M de Kock
108 DARK ORCHID (USA) 56.5 4 Godolphin S bin Suroor
107 DISA LEADER (SAF) 56.0 7 Gilbert Rousset Syndicate M de Kock
107 QUICK WIT (GB) 56.0 6 Godolphin S bin Suroor
106 KINGLET (USA) 55.5 4 Godolphin M Al Zarooni
105 MANDAEAN (GB) 55.0 4 Godolphin M Al Zarooni
105 DON’T CALL ME (IRE) 55.0 6 Matt & Lauren Morgan D Nicholls
104 TRADE STORM (GB) 54.5 5 Universal Racing D Simcock
104 MARITIMER (CAN) 54.5 4 Ramzan Kadyrov S Benzel
104 FINJAAN (GB) 54.5 7 Sh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum D Watson
104 FISCAL (GB) 54.5 4 Sh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan M Al Jahouri
102 IGUAZU FALLS (USA) 54.0 8 Sh Mansoor bin Mohd Al Maktoum M bin Shafya
102 ENERGIA DUST (BRZ) 54.0 4 Estrela Energia Stables F Borges
102 SPELLWORK (USA) 54.0 4 Godolphin S bin Suroor
102 REX IMPERATOR (GB) 54.0 4 Clipper Logistics D Nicholls
101 ANAEROBIO (ARG) 53.5 5 Mohd Khaleel Ahmed M de Kock
101 CANWINN (IRE) 53.5 7 Sh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum D Selvaratnam
100 AKEED WAFI (IRE) 53.0 4 Jaber Abdulla A Al Raihe
100 IL GRANDE MAURIZIO (IRE) 53.0 9 Sh Ahmed bin Mohd Al Maktoum A Al Raihe
100 MASTEROFTHEROLLS (IRE) 53.0 5 Godolphin S bin Suroor
100 RASSAM (IRE) 53.0 4 Godolphin S bin Suroor
100 JET LEGEND (SAF) 53.0 5 Sh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum M de Kock
100 MARCHING TIME (GB) 53.0 7 Sh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum D Watson
MARKET QUOTE, sizzling winner
It was a basic maiden allowance race on the grass yesterday at Santa Anita. Older mares, 1 mile, California-bred. But what is fun about watching racing all winter is that sometimes you see some neat performances.
Like MARKET QUOTE (After Market – Field of Dreams, By Unbridled’s Song) who won her debut yesterday with a 76 Beyer.
This gal dwelt at the start, just stood there, lost about half a dozen lengths. Thanks to a hot, early pace, she had some pace to chase and she came from about 20 lengths behind to win. Go watch it if you get the chance.
James Perron Racing sent in a foal picture of Sweetsouthern Doll and her first young one by Giant Gizmo. This filly, named Sweetsouthern Belle, has a question mark on her head – as JP Jr. wrote in…”for the uncertainty of the industry”.
**Send us you r FOAL PICTURES – they could make into Canadian Thoroughbred magazine!
OXBOW IN LECOMTE, AVIE’S QUALITY WELL BEATEN
“You guys [the media] didn’t even know he was in the race, did you? If you had to make a living handicapping you’d all starve to death.” – D Wayne Lukas
Ah, Lukas is back in the Triple crown talk at least for now. OXBOW took off under a somewhat whip-happy Jon Court and won the Lecomte by 11 yesterday, leaving Canadian owned AVIE’S QUALITY far back. That colt was never in the running and perhaps did not like the dirt.
The winner is by Canadian-bred AWESOME AGAIN and is out of a full sister to TIZNOW – that’s 3 Breeders’ Cup Classics from those 2 stallions there.
FAIR GROUNDS RELEASE
By Graham Ross, Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS (Saturday, January 19, 2013) – Bluegrass Hall’s Oxbow, conditioned by D. Wayne Lukas, put that Hall of Fame trainer solidly into the Kentucky Derby picture once again this year with a dominant 11 1/2-length victory in the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds during Saturday’s Road to the Derby Kickoff Day program at the Crescent City oval.
“You like to see a horse handle the situation that you put him in,” said Lukas, speaking over the phone from Oaklawn Park shortly after the Lecomte. “We took all the worst of it shipping in yesterday and taking on your local guys all coming out of their own stalls and having works over the racetrack. So we took all the worst of it today and still got along pretty good. Now we’re a little tighter and in a little better shape if we come back to the Risen Star.”
The Grade II Risen Star Stakes will be run at Fair Grounds on LouisianaDerby Preview Day Feb. 23,and the local series for 3-year-olds with designs on a Triple Crown campaign later in the spring will conclude with the 100th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 30.
On Saturday, Oxbow broke in stride to contest the early pace under jockey Jon Court, carved out early fractions of 24.44 and 48.58, began to draw off after being set down for the drive and increased the margin significantly in the late stages.
“I actually thought I’d be one-two-three, but Wayne said don’t be surprised if you find yourself on the lead,” said Court. “He said to be relaxed and he wanted to see him happy with a smile on in the bit and he can win this race and that’s exactly how it turned out.”
Oxbow, a bay colt by Awesome Again, returned mutuels of $11.20, $6 and $4.60 as the third choice of the fans, toured the mile and 70 yard-distance in 1:43.30 and increased his career earnings to $217,500 with his second win in six lifetime starts.
Charles Fipke’s Golden Soul finished second, paying $5.60 and $3.80, while finishing third a length and a half farther back was Frank Irvin’s Fear the Kitten, who returned $4.20 to show.
The Lecomte is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, a 36-race series awarding points to the top four finishers in each race.
Point totals will be used to determine spots in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. The Lecomte is worth 17 points: 10 to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third- place finisher and one to the fourth-place runner.
Only Oxbow had previously earned points entering the Lecomte with one point for his fourth-place finish in the Grade I CashCall Futurity and now has 11-points total.
OH WISE ONE!
WISE DAN IS HORSE OF THE YEAR!
Someone voted for Frankel for Horse of the Year, hey, why not? But WISE DAN was a worthy Horse of the Year based on his Grade 1 wins on grass and his versatility. He won at Woodbine, the Woodbine Mile, and his owners and trainer, the Finks and Charles Lopresti were fun to have at our track. Congrats everyone!
DAVE LANDRY PHOTO OF WISE DAN
ECLIPSE AWARDS – VOTING BREAKDOWN COURTESY JENNIE REES:
from http://blogs.courier-journal.com/racing/2013/01/19/voting-breakdown-for-2012-eclipse-awards/
2012 Eclipse Awards winners
Horse of the Year: Wise Dan
Voting: Wise Dan 194; I’ll Have Another, 30; Fort Larned, 12; Royal Delta 8; Little Mike, 6; Frankel 1; Groupie Doll, 1; Shanghai Bobby 1; abstentions, 1.
Two-year-old male
Horse (trainer) sts-1-2-3*earnings
Shanghai Bobby (Pletcher)*5*5-0-0*$1,687,000
Won G1 Champagne in NY, BC Juvenile in Calif.
Voting: Shanghai Bobby, 253; Uncaptured, 1.
Two-year-old filly
Beholder (Mandella)*5*3-1-0*$1,215,000
Won BC Juv. Fillies; lost Del Mar Debutante by nose
Voting: Beholder, 225; Executiveprivilege, 27; Dreaming of Julia, 1; So Many Ways, 1.
Three-year-old male
I’ll Have Another (O’Neill)*4*4-0-0*$2,629,600
Won Santa Anita Derby, Ky. Derby, Preakness
Voting: I’ll Have Another, 247; Bodemeister, 3; The Lumber Guy, 1; Paynter, 1; Union Rags, 1; abstention, 1.
Three-year-old filly
Questing (McLaughlin)*7*3-1-0*$792,320
Won G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama
Voting: Questing, 106; My Miss Aurelia, 102; Believe You Can, 17; Contested, 13; Dance Card, 6; Lady of Shamrock, 5; In Lingerie, 4; Zo Impressive, 1.
Four-year-old & up male
Wise Dan (Lopresti)*6*5-1-0*$2,622,037
3 G1 turf victories included BC Mile; set Poly record; 2nd G1 Stephen Foster
Voting: Wise Dan, 139; Fort Larned, 109; Little Mike, 4; Game On Dude, 1; Shackleford, 1.
Four-year-old & up female
Royal Delta (Mott)*7*4-2-0*$2,009,251
1st BC Ladies’ Classic, G1 Beldame, two G2 stakes
Voting: Royal Delta, 231; Groupie Doll, 22; It’s Tricky, 1.
Male sprinter (3yo&up)
Trinniberg (Parbhoo)*8*4-2-0*$1,382,000
Won BC Sprint against older horses, 3 other graded stakes
Voting: Trinniberg, 233; Shackleford, 11; The Lumber Guy, 8; Caixa Eletronica, 1; abstention, 1.
Female sprinter (3yo&up)
Groupie Doll (Bradley)*9*5-2-2*$1,385,314
Won G1 Madison, Humana, BC Filly & Mare Sprint
Voting: Groupie Doll, 250; Mizdirection, 3; Contested, 1.
Male turf (3yo&up)
Wise Dan (Lopresti)*6*5-1-0*$2,622,037
Won G1 Woodbine Mile, Shadwell, BC Mile; G2 Fourstardave
Voting: Wise Dan, 170; Little Mike, 78; Point of Entry, 5; No Vote, 1.
Female turf (3yo&up)
Zagora (Brown)*8*5-1-1*$1,689,000
Won BC F&M Turf, four other graded stakes
Voting: Zagora, 242; Marketing Mix, 5; Lady of Shamrock, 4; Dayatthespa, 2; abstention, 1.
Steeplechase
Pierrot Lunaire (Davies)*5*2-0-1*$253,000
Won G1 Lonesome Glory, Grand National
Voting: Pierrot Lunaire, 116; Demonstrative, 99; Arcadius, 1; Divine Fortune, 1; Woodmont, 1; abstentions, 36.
Jockey
Name*Sts*1-2-3*earnings
Ramon Dominguez*1,398*341-245-203*$25,582,252
1st earnings; 2nd earnings, G1 wins (10); 3rd graded stakes (28)
Voting: Dominguez, 201; John Velazquez, 37; Rosie Napravnik, 4; Russell Baze, 2; Rafael Bejarano, 2; Javier Castellano, 2; Mario Gutierrez, 1; Mike Smith, 1; abstentions, 3; no vote, 1.
Trainer
Dale Romans*763*125-100-109*$11,834,249
1st BC Turf, Met Mile, Arlington Million, Pacific Classic, Blue Grass
Voting: Romans, 119; Todd Pletcher, 87; Bob Baffert, 35; Chad Brown, 2; Bill Mott, 2; Jamie Ness, 2; Doug O’Neill, 2; Steve Asmussen 1; Ian Wilkes, 1; abstentions, 3.
Owner
Godolphin Racing*48*15-7-9*$3,749,075
1st in earnings, G1 wins (8), graded stakes (15)
Voting: Godolphin Racing, 138; Midwest Thoroughbreds, 50; Reddam Racing, 26; John C. Oxley, 13; Morton Fink, 12; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 2; Janis Whitham, 2; Zayat Stables, 2; Repole Racing, 1; Starlight Racing, 1; abstentions, 7.
Breeder
Darley*523*96-75-66*$7,526,855
1st earnings, G1 wins (7), graded stakes (18)
Voting: Darley, 170; Adena Springs, 25; Morton Fink, 20; Brereton C. Jones, 15; Janis Whitham, 4; Phipps Stable, 3; Harvey Clarke, 2; Fred and William Bradley, 1; William D. Graham, 1; Palides Investments, 1; Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, 1; Stonestreet Thoroughbreds, 1; abstentions, 10.
BITS: BLITZ IN’
MILWAUKEE BLITZ, owned by Stronach Stables, set the table for a good night for Frank Stronach and the Adena and Gulfstream team when he won the last race at Gulfstream yesterday. Trained by Mark Frostad, the 3yo by Ontario sire Milwaukee Brew won at a nice price – 5.70 to 1 – despite the big drop from maiden allowance to maiden claiming, He was in for a $75,000 tag.
ATLANTIC HURRICANE was expected to be in the Sunshine Millions sprint for gals yesterday but was absent and there are reports she has been injured…stay tuned for more..Sovereign Award nominees will be announced next week (not media categories)…
