TOP BEYER FIGURES FROM LAST WEEK ACROSS CANADA
Decorated Soldier won the Grade 3 Seagram Cup – Michael Burns photo
(Aug. 8- 12)
94 – DECORATED SOLDIER
91 – AVIES MINESHAFT (turf)
91 – DARING DUCHESS (turf)
88 – RED FEVER (turf)
85 – RED CABERNET (turf)
85 – FOREST BROTHER (turf)
83 – DIVINE DANCE
82 – WIN THE WAR
128TH BREEDERS’ STAKES – THIRD JEWEL OF TRIPLE CROWN
AHEADBYACENTURY trains on the grass last week – he’s the best horse in the race, but will he like turf? MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
What the Breeders’ Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine does not bring us is WONDER GADOT trying to win the Canadian Triple Crown, but the 9-horse field is a fun betting race and it will be a big payoff for an owner, trainer, rider and barn of the winner. The purse is $400,000 for the 3-year-old that can win at 1 1/2 miles on turf, a testing event especially if this week’s rain leaves the course a bit on the yielding side.
If you are a seasoned handicapper/racing fan, you know one of the “rules” of placing a bet is never take a short price on a horse doing something for the first time.
AHEADBYACENTURY is the morning line favourite for the Breeders’ (he might not end up being the post time favourite) and based on his 2nd place finishes in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales, he deserves some respect. The $67,000 CTHS Ontario yearling purchase by John Ross and the Jack of Hearts Racing Stable is making his first start on the grass, however. His sire, MIDNIGHT LUTE, was a 2-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner who never raced on grass and his dam also never tried turf. Both the sire’s of the sire and dam are not turf sources either.
Aheadbyacentury does have 3 siblings who placed on grass and that is good news for this stretch runner. On his Beyer Speed Figures on the main track, the bay colt is one of the best in the field, it is just a matter of him taking to the green stuff.
Four of the entrants have won on the grass previously and you will likely find the winner in this group.
SAY THE WORD, whose jockey Rafael Hernandez has won this race the last 2 straight years (he’s only been riding in Canada for 2 years), won his maiden at 1 3/16 miles on turf at Keeneland in the spring. He finished 6th in the Plate after getting too sweaty and unnerved on Plate day which sweltering. Sam-Son Farms owns and bred this gelding by More That Read and Graham Motion has been training the horse at Fair Hill. Despite the traveling back and forth, Say the Word has a big chance to take this race.
NEEPAWA, a son of the late Scat Daddy, goes for the red-hot Chiefswood Stable and this colt was just 3rd in the Toronto Cup on turf against ‘open’ company. He had the lead late in that 1 1/8 mile race but tired so he will have to be nursed along at the distance by jockey Jerome Lermyte.
ESKIMINZIN won a 6 furlong stakes race on grass but does not have the breeding for the distance.
FLIGHT DECK was 4th in the Toronto Cup but he has been just a shade behind better ones this season.
The others in the race, the filly HOT CASH, the maiden REAL DUDE and winners GINGER SKY and ABSOLUTION would be upset winners.
BREEDERS STAKES
Saturday at Woodbine, Post time 5:45 (TSN2)
(With post, jockey/trainer, morning line)
1. Ginger Sky (Emma-Jayne Wilson/Francine Villeneuve) 12-1
2. Eskiminzin (Sheena Ryan/Carlos Grant) 20-1
3. Absolution (Alan Garcia/Tony Gattellaro) 20-1
4. Real Dude (Gary Boulanger/Sid Attard) 8-1
5. Aheadbyacentury (Luis Contreras/John Ross) 5-2
6. Say The Word (Rafael Hernandez/Graham Motion) 3-1
7. Neepawa (Jerome Lermyte/Mark Casse) 6-1
8. Flight Deck (David Moran/Mile DePaulo) 10-1
9. Hot Cash (Eurico Rosa da Silva/Mike Doyle) 7-2
MEET THE CANADIAN DERBY PROBABLES
HYNDFORD is a winner at Gulfstream Park and Belmont. Previously trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Street Cry is a major player in next week’s Canadian derby for her trainer Robertino Diodoro – Gulfstream Park photo
Fun item by Curtis Stock
Curtis Stock talks to the nominees for next weekend’s Canadian Derby. The race is expected to lure the Street Cry (Ire) gelding HYNDFORD, a big winner at Belmont in May, Alberta Derby winner REGAL MAX, Manitoba Derby winner SKY PROMISE, B stakes winner DAY RAIDER and horses owned by Team Valor and Highfield and Bear Stables:
HALL OF FAMER MARK FROSTAD TURNS JOCK’S AGENT
MARK FROSTAD, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2011 and is a Sovereign Award winning trainer of champions such as Chief Bearhart and Dancethruthedawn, has traded horses for a jockey!
Frostad is now representing jockey OMAR MORENO at Woodbine.
The underrate rider, Sovereign Award winner in 2009 for top apprentice in Canada, has 481 wins in his career.
CTHS MANITOBA YEARLING SALE SUNDAY
There are 27 yearlings in the sale this year with some nifty pedigrees in the book.
Hip no. 2, a yearling gelding by Rascal Cat is out of Just Awesome, a half sister to AWESOME AGAIN and MACHO UNO.
There are also plenty of offerings by top Manitoba sires Quest, Going Commando and True sense plus others by Signature Red and Silver Max.
SHE’S BAAAAAACK! WINX GOES FOR 26 STRAIGHT TONIGHT
WINX, COURTESY WINX WEBSITE
“Whatever happens, happens, but if she is beaten we will congratulate the winners and life will move on. It is not going to stop for any of us.” – co-owner Peter Tighe about the great Winx
If you can stay up until about 1 a.m. Toronto time, make sure you hop onto HPI.com and watch ROYAL RANDWICK as the mighty mare WINX goes for her 26th straight win off a summer layoff. The race she is running, by the way, is the $500,000 WINX STAKES, the race has been named for her.
As we have seen here in Canada, the best of the best on winning streaks can get beat. PINK LLOYD’S thrilling streak came to an end not long ago (he has since won another one!) so there is always that chance.
Read today’s Daily Telegraph story and preview of the Winx Stakes, featuring, Winx (her website is here.)
SANS JUSTIFY, PACIFIC CLASSIC COMES UP LIGHT
ACCELERATE is currently one of the top older horses racing in America today. He is a heavy favourite in the Pacific Classic – grade 1, at 10 p.m. (EST) Saturday – Del Mar – KELLEY CARLSON PHOTO, courtesy horse-races.net
JOHN CHERWA’S RACING NEWS at LA Times
The highlight of Del Mar’s summer meet will be Saturday’s $1-million Pacific Classic. But, unlike the last few years, it doesn’t have the star power we have come to expect.
