DANDY WEEKEND OF RACING COMING UP
24 races at Woodbine Saturday, Sunday with 3 stakes
As we get closer to Canadian yearling sales later next month and into September, races will be scrutinized ever further by prospective shoppers, especially when it comes to 2-year-old races.
Saturday’s SHADY WELL STAKES for registered Ontario-breds is a nice little collection of babies from several local breeders and two fillies are by Ontario’s first year sire FRAC DADDY (Scat Daddy). The large gal OWLETTE, trained by Wesley Ward, is a contender and she has the rail post in the competitive field.
The SHADY WELL is named after an amazing mare in Canada from the 1930s who won three straight Durham Cups among other stakes races.
Saturday’s Race 3 is another one of those huge-purse events for maidens, Ontario-breds sold at any auction.
The purse is $95,000 for a modest field at 1 1/8 miles on grass in race 3, a seven horse field.
Long grass races will become more the norm as the autumn season arrives.
The TURF ENDURANCE SERIES at Woodbine begins Saturday and on Sunday, the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes at 12 furlongs begins to collect the marathon turfers working their way to the Canadian International.
The Woodbine rider’s race is a good one as reigning champion Eurico da Silva has plenty of competition this year:
Eurico Rosa Da Silva 260 62 55 44 $2,581,416
Rafael Manuel Hernandez 283 55 47 39 $2,054,502
Luis Contreras 288 48 50 38 $2,069,711
Kazushi Kimura 315 47 45 45 $1,494,83
The trainers race is not quite as contentious:
Mark E. Casse 191 — 39 36 28 $2,199,539
Norman McKnight 123 — 34 21 12 $801,572
Martin Drexler 98 — 20 20 10 $606,760
Robert P. Tiller 92 — 19 13 12 $848,430
Kevin Attard 111 — 16 16 11 $650,692
Woodbine’s leading owner’s list:
1 Chiefswood Stable 65 15 7 9 $821,360 23% 31 48%
2 Stronach Stables 45 11 5 7 $581,902 24% 23 51%
3 Sam-Son Farm 37 5 6 4 $580,494 14% 15 41%
4 Ivan Dalos 31 5 9 2 $473,493 16% 16 52%
5 Sayjay Racing LLC, Hall, Greg and Hubbard, Brooke 1 1 0 0 $458,280 100% 1 100%
6 Joey Gee Thoroughbreds 52 8 6 10 $454,423 15% 24 46%
7 Live Oak Plantation 30 8 8 1 $432,375 27% 17 57%
8 Bruno Schickedanz 75 21 11 6 $426,767 28% 38 51%
9 Entourage Stable 15 8 2 2 $400,112 53% 12 80%
10 Gary Barber 28 6 6 5 $339,830 21% 17 61%
11 Scott, Anne and William J. 8 3 4 0 $255,647 38% 7 88%
12 Colebrook Farms 49 7 8 5 $230,665 14% 20 41%
13 Frank D. Di Giulio, Jr. 21 5 4 4 $199,038 24% 13 62%
14 Buttigieg Training Centre 58 7 6 6 $191,030 12% 19 33%
15 Charles E. Fipke 15 2 6 2 $148,123 13%
Meanwhile, at Saratoga, which had to cancel part of its card on Thursday because of thunderstorms the Grade 3 JIM DANDY brings together American 3-year-olds getting ready for the Travers Stakes next month.
In case you don’t know the story of the name Jim Dandy, see clipping above.
The US sophomore colts are as much in disarray as the Canadian 3-year-olds with no big leader. Mark Casse trainee WAR OF WILL, the Preakness Stakes winner, is looking to get back on track in the Jim Dandy:
Gary Barber’s War of Will has already proven he can compete against the top 3-year-olds in the country when he won the Grade 1 Preakness on May 18 at Pimlico. After running in all three legs of the Triple Crown, the War Front colt will again face top-level talent as part of a six-horse field in Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy presented by NYRA Bets at Saratoga Race Course.
The 56th running of the Jim Dandy, contested at 1 1/8 miles, is Race 11 on the 12-race card that will also feature the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at six furlongs and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf. A traditional prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 24, the Jim Dandy will be shown on Saratoga Live, airing from 1-7 p.m.
War of Will, who earned a spot in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 3 LeComte and the Grade 2 Risen Star earlier in the campaign at Fair Grounds, was placed seventh in the “Run for the Roses” on May 4 at Churchill. He roared back to best a 13-horse Preakness field, giving trainer Mark Casse his first career win in a Classic by virtue of his 1 ¼-length score at 1 3/16 miles.
After running ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 8 in the 1 ½-mile test won by stablemate Sir Winston, War of Will continued to train, first at Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky before shipping to Saratoga in preparation for his Spa debut. After two breezes on the main track, Casse said all that’s left is for him to prove it on race day.
“He’s good and he’s ready,” Casse said. “The best way to describe it is that he’s in a good place. We’re happy. A lot of times, a trainer will say, ‘I wish I could have done this or that.’ That’s not the case here. I’m happy with him. It’s up to him now.”
War of Will, purchased for $298,550 as a 2-year-old, has already amassed $1,491,569 in earnings, going 4-1-1 in 11 career starts, earning graded stakes blacktype at Woodbine, Fair Grounds and Pimlico.
After contesting his first four starts on the grass, including a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine and a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, War of Will switched to the main track and won his first three dirt starts, including two graded stakes.
“We trained him here last year and he liked the track,” Casse said. “He just reconfirmed this year that he gets over it nicely. We’re ready and hopefully he brings his A game. They still have to beat him, I think.”
All 11 of War of Will’s previous starts have come against double-digit size fields, and Casse said the nine-furlong distance should suit War of War.
“He’s won at a mile and a sixteenth and a mile and three-sixteenths, so a mile and eighth shouldn’t be a problem,” Casse said.
Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 6.
Juddmonte Farms’ Belmont Stakes runner-up Tacitus is also back in action for the first time since the “Test of the Champion,” drawing post 5 with regular rider Jose Ortiz back in the irons.
Tacitus finished in the top-three in both of his Classic appearances for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, placing third in the Kentucky Derby following Maximum Security’s disqualification before running second by a length to Sir Winston in the Belmont Stakes last month.
SATURDAY MORNING – ENABLE IN THE KING GEORGE VI and QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES at Ascot
Goes for 2nd King George, could join Dahlia and Swain as duel winners
John Gosden is wary and respectful of Enable high-class opponents as she bids to regain her crown in the King GeorgeVI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine proved she has lost none of her brilliance when making a successful start to her campaign in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown three weeks ago, and will bring the house down if she can follow up in Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated Ascot showpiece.
The daughter of Nathaniel produced a devastating display in the 2017 King George, and she is a red-hot favourite to become the third dual winner after Dahlia (1973 and 1974) and Swain (1997 and 1998).
LEADING (Living) CANADIAN SIRES
Sire (Sire’s Sire) YOB Fee (Farm Foals Starters Wnrs Top Earner Earnings
1. Silent Name (JPN) Sunday Silence, 2002 $10,000 (CAN)
Adena Springs North, CAN 85 36 5 2 4 1 – Summer Sunday
($211,607) $1,256,406
2. Old Forester Forestry, 2001 $4,000 (CAN)
T. C. Westmeath Stud Farm Inc., CAN 79 29 5 1 3 1 – Pink Lloyd
($191,642) $1,085,886
3. Giant Gizmo Giant’s Causeway, 2004 $6,500 (CAN)
Adena Springs North, CAN 56 24 10 – – – – Dirty Girl
($50,620) $707,225
4. Souper Speedy Indian Charlie, 2009 $4,000 (CAN)
T. C. Westmeath Stud Farm Inc., CAN 22 8 3 4 5 – – Speedy Soul
($220,629) $686,262
5. Going Commando Unbridled’s Song, 2000 $1,250 (CAN)
Ziprick Thoroughbreds, CAN 17 8 4 1 2 1 – Escape Clause
($473,000) $623,692
6. Where’s the Ring Seeking the Gold, 1999 $3,000 (CAN)
Colebrook Farms Stallion Station, CAN 43 24 5 – – – – Undercover Cat
($71,691) $515,349
7. Milwaukee Brew Wild Again, 1997 $3,000 (CAN)
Adena Springs North, CAN 43 16 2 1 1 – – Hey Mabel
($56,479) $447,833
8. Imperialism Langfuhr, 2001 $2,500 (CAN)
Esquirol Farms, CAN 25 6 1 – – – – Imperial Hint
($259,000) $416,139
9. Not Bourbon Not Impossible, 2005 $3,500 (CAN)
Colebrook Farms Stallion Station, CAN 31 14 2 – – – – Aljozaliyah
($61,041) $381,453
10. Signature Red Bernstein, 2006 $3,500 (CAN)
Adena Springs North, CAN 23 11 5 – – – – Congeniality
($46,515) $295,400
11. Sligo Bay (IRE) Sadler’s Wells, 1998 $3,000 (CAN)
Adena Springs North, CAN 31 13 1 – – – – Full Extreme
($31,556) $288,102
12. Second in Command Silver Deputy, 2000 $2,000 (CAN)
Road’s End Farm, CAN 39 13 6 – – – – Lasting Light
($26,438) $262,339
13. It’s No Joke Distorted Humor, 2002 N/A
Esquirol Farms, CAN 11 6 4 – – – – I’m Not Joking
($79,573) $257,600
14. Singing Saint El Prado, 2004 $3,000 (CAN)
Beau Valley Sable, CAN 17 8 1 – – – – Meyer
($53,536) $239,692
DAILY RACING FORM CONTINUES STAFF CUTS
Following a large number of layoffs in the early spring of freelance writers and longtime contractors, Daily Racing Form has let go some of the bigger names in horse racing coverage for the paper.
Jay Hovdey, Mike Watchmaker, Byron King, Matt Bernier and others were among those let go by the famous daily racing paper, founder of “past performances” and publisher of Beyer Speed Figures, this week.
Current DRF correspondent Matt Hegarty, in a tweet response to Ray Paulick on Twitter said:
“One of the factors — not the only factor — in the decline of the “newspaper” industry is the rise of low-cost internet-only shops that rewrite stories from a wide variety of professional sources without incurring the costs of producing that content.
The evolution you mention is business-speak for plagiarism. Just because a company can build a business model on activities that are not regulated and would have been considered wildly unethical 20 years ago does not count as “evolved” activity. It’s just exploitation.”
Paulick had noted that the declining newspaper industry and shrinking horse racing industry has had a negative effect on the paper.
IN FAVOUR OF SYNTHETIC DIRT
From the Orange County Register:
“You want to fix breakdowns, quit pointing fingers at trainers and vets. Cut races and put in synthetic tracks.” – California trainer Peter Miller
IN MEMORY OF FLOYD ARTHUR
Starts: 5,561
Wins: 1,023
Earnings: $7,914,507
Notable Horses: Northern Neechitoo, Lady Alta, Late Nite Martini, I Want Fifty Three
1. How did you get into racing?
Floyd: I grew up on a farm and went to work at Alaskan Stables for a couple of years. They had some good horses and I started from there. After a couple of years, I went to the track and worked for a number of good trainers. I worked for Fred Jones, Marcel Crowe, Red Smith and learned a lot from all of them.
2. Do you remember your first win?
Floyd: My first win was with a horse named Magnac. He was trained by Red Smith and I was the groom.
3. Do you have a favourite win or a favourite horse?
Floyd: I can’t name a favourite, because I can’t choose just one. Magnac was a special horse to me. He was claimed for $2,500 and was a total Cinderella story and turned into a stakes horse. I used to take a few of Red’s good horses by train to Toronto every fall and I won a race by disqualification there with Magnac. He was the kind of horse you could ride with a halter – and don’t tell Red, but I did take him out a few times and ride him bareback on the track!
I was blessed to have had some really nice mares in my career, but I have to say I liked all my horses.
4. Do you have any advice for a new owner or trainer?
Floyd: Find a trainer who you can believe in, someone who can help you learn the game. There are so many different paths to choose from, so decide what you are looking for – do you want to claim some older horses and have some fun as a hobby or do you want to be serious and try to buy and develop young horses for the big stakes races. If you have a plan you can manage the risks and have some fun.
BIG RACE IN NAMIBIA, AFRICA
12-year-old Professor returns as reigning champion
