DAVE LANDRY captures Eurico da Silva checking for the on-coming Gables Ghost as he rides Neshama to the wire in the Woodbine Oaks. He didn’t think he had won at the finish.
By now we all now the results of the $500,000 WOODBINE OAKS and $150,000 Plate Trial, two exciting races that crowned one early leader in the 3-year-old ranks and another that sets a mighty intriguing table for the July 3 Plate.
NESHAMA is a really nice feel-good story. A filly by Ontario sire Sligo Bay (ire) from a mare by the obcure Ontario sire Indian Groom, Catch a Fire.
Catch a Fire is owned by Richard Day and was a winner of 3 races and $105,000. She is a daughter of Day’s lovely mare Escape Reality, who produced the Champion mare SWEETEST THING, who won the Breeders’ Stakes among other big races.
Catch a Fire had produced four winners leading up to the unveiling of the white-faced NESHAMA: Kathleens and Catch (2008), by Langfuhr has earned nearly $180,000, Dupper Conqueror was a useful gal locally and is still racing in the US, she has multiple wins (and is also by Sligo Bay) and we can’t forget Gibbons Gambler, a popular fellow at Woodbine who recently won his maiden in his 28th career start.
NESHAMA was bought for $65,000 at the 2014 CTHS Woodbine sale by Carnegie Hill Stable’s Mitch Kursner, Richard Day’s sister Cather Day Phillips and John Fielding and David Anderson.
Kursner, the majority owner, has raced horses since the early 2000s, shares in stables such as C Breeze Racing, and, for the last 5 years, horses with Day Phillips.
QUIET DRAMA, a Geiger Counter fily who won the New Hope Stakes aat Philly Park in the early 2000’s, was Kursner best runner leading up to this year’s Oaks.
“Duppy Conqueror was in the barn when Neshama was at the sale and she was one of my favourite horses,” said Kursner on a recent morning at Woodbine. The former construction worker/business owner was taken with Neshama at the same and wanted to buy her. He named her Neshama for the Hebrew word that means “soul” – as in, she had a very good Neshama about her.
At 2m the filly won her maiden in her 2nd start, 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack, and then missed by a nose to Trini Brewnetter in the South Ocean Stakes.
She began this year with a troubleed 5th in the Lady Angela Stakes before she won an allowance on May 18.
Interestingly, Gary Boulanger rode Neshama for her final workout for the Oaks on June 4 as regular rider Eurico da Silva may have had to ride Swoop and Strike in the Oaks. But when that filly was not entered, Da Silva, who spends many hours at the Day Phillips barn prepping horses, got to ride his fab filly.
Neshama had a great trip behind the tough and speedy CAREN, who ran her heart out in 3rd. As Neshama wore down Caren, heavy favourite Gamble’s Ghost was extracting herself from a tough traffic incident on the turn and into the stretch and she was flying.
Caren was third and the time of 1:52.34 was just a smidge off the Plate Trial time the race before.
NESHAMA (far right) is holding on as Gamble’s Ghost (far Left) comes charging – TERENCE DULAY/HORSE-RACES.NET
In the Trial, a pumped up but relaxed all the same, AMIS GIZMO powered to an impressive score over the hot Plate fave SHAKHIMAT, who chased longer Conquest Cavalry through solid pace fractions.
SHAK ran well and rated as he has been taught to do in recent workouts for trainer Roger Attfield but he was under a scrub on the turn and could not stay with the Gizmo.
Meanwhile, Amis Gizmo, also Ontario sired by Giant Gizmo, had missed a scheduled start in the Lexington Stakes in the spring and then bombed in the Wando Stakes in his first defeat of his career. He subsequently had an “issue worked out”, worked 6 furlongs in 1:10 (!) and was very, very strong.
He looms the Plate favourite now for Ivan Dalos who has been knocking on the door of a Plate win.
Owners of Neshama are David Anderson (second from left), John Fielding, fourth from left) Mitch Kursner and Catherine Day Phillips who also trains – TERENCE DULAY
SO WHO WILL BE THE PLATE RUNNERS?
could be 10-12 in Canadian classic
It appears as if the door is open enough that there will be quite a few longshots enter the Plate with the defeat of SHAKHIMAT in the Plate Trial.
The contenders all have Beyer Figures in the 83 – 85 range, below par for a top race such as the Plate but it makes the race a betting dream.
The main contenders are:
AMIS GIZMO -85 Beyer Plate Trial
SHAKHIMAT –81 Trial
NESHAMA (filly) – 83 Beyer Oaks
GAMBLES GHOST (filly) 83 Beyer Oaks
LEAVEM IN MALIBU -85 Beyer in allowance win
ALL ON RED -84 BEYER, 2nd in allowance
ESPOSITO – 84 Beyer in allowance win
SCHOLAR ATHLETE – 84 Beyer on turf
SIR DUDLEY DIGGES – 77 Trial
others:
MY NAME IS JIM – 62 maiden win
NARROW ESCAPE – 64 maiden win
CHEBURASHKA (would need to be supplemented) – 75 3rd allowance
More from Sunday at Woodbine
Most impressive 2yo winner of the season is now CONQUEST VIVI, who posted a 73 Beyer Figure (52.43 for 4 1/2 furlongs) in her big win in race 1 on Sunday for Conquest Stables and trainer Mark Casse.
Oh, this Court Vision filly is the 3rd foal of the mare Keen Victory (dam of Conquest Enforcer, Keen Gizmo) and she was bred by Ivan Dalos. Florent Geroux rode this $150,000 yearling purchase from the local sale (she topped the sale) as Patrick Husbands was injured on vacation a week ago.
Race 2- clockwise on the grass for the 2nd event of the Euro Turf series and LAST MINUTE LUCY was the winner for D. Muha, J. Stavropoulos and J. Lorito. Danny O’Callaghan trains and David Moran rode. In that race, trainer and Global Equine Training centre boss Saul McHugh saddled his first hhorse at Woodbine and his starter Pretty Bird finished 2nd.
BIG BROWN BROOKSKI was the first of 2 winners for trainer Kevin Attard on the day as she took a $32,00 claiming race for Soli Mehta. Eurico da Silva rode the Christine Hayden-bred mare by Bog Brown who is now 7 for 28 in her career.
Kevin Attard came right back with TITANICO to win race 4, a maiden claiming race for $20,000 and this son of Marcavelly got a great ride from Emma-Jayne Wilson who had the fellow going through horses in the late stages to get up for Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. The 4yo was making his 8th career start.
Race 5- an allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass and the reed hot Gus Schickedanz – Mike Keogh team won with SPRINGHOUSE, who led all the way to win for the 2nd time in his career. This is a Limehouse gelding and David Moran rode him to the win, his Beyer Figure was 82, a career best
Congrats to Laurie Silvera who won his first race of the season with PENNY STAMP, who edged Flirtin for Certin in a $10,00 claiming race. The winner is a Saffir mare who was making her first start of the year and Omar Moreno rode.
American invaders swept the Alywow Stales at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass as MISS KATIE MAE (Ire) owned by Bill Crager and Paul Hondos won her first stakes race in her 3rd North American start. She is by Dark Angel out of Kate the Great by Xaar and Javier Castellano rode for trainer Graham Motion. Princess Princess was 2nd for trainer Ben Colebrook.
ELIJAH led all the way to win a $40,000 claiming race, race 8, for Robertino Diodoro and owner Randy Exelby. Emma-Jayne Wilson rode this US Ranger 5yo who is 3 for 14 in his career.
Race 9 – Frank Stronach’s latest Woodbine runner is DON CAMILLO who came over from Ireland this winter. He had 4 races on the grass in the south but loves the all-weather as his only win overseas came on synthetic at Dundalk. He won this allowance race over a tough Nipigon and with another great ride was Emma-Jayne Wilson.
NESHAMA in her final Woodbine Oaks workout under Gary Boulanger – thank you TODD PHILLIPS for the image
TEPIN DOES IT!
Lands in the list of great grass miles with incredible Royal Ascot win Tuesday morning
Tepin’s trainer Mark Casse: “We wanted her to show everyone how great she is. She’s done that today”
ASCOT tweeted out this photo after TEPIN wins her 7th straght graded stakes race, overcoming a straight course, soft turf, no Lasix and no nasal strip to win the Group 1 Queen Anne this morning at Royal Ascot. Mark Casse, Norm Casse and owner Robert Masterson – congrats!
