STRATOSPHERE

CELEBRATING CANADIAN-BREDS

Sales across the country and big racing dates this month

We begin a month-long celebration of Canadian-bred racehorses this weekend with the incredible test of the Travers that Wonder Gadot will take tomorrow. Horse racing comes to an end at Northlands Park with a big card of racing Saturday night.

The CTHS Ontario yearling sale is Thursday, August 30th after Canadian Millions night with six stakes races. The BC CTHS sale is coming up September 11 followed by the CTHS ALBERTA sale on September 19.

The BC sale has 89 fine yearlings and there are 139 babies in the Alberta CTHS sale.

CTHS Alberta has a preview of the consignments follow this link 

$50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes at Hastings

Hastings Park hosts several $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes on Friday. Mike Heads, courtesy of Derby Bar & Grill offers this preview:

Racing resumes at Hastings Racecourse this evening with a seven race card that features former CTHS sale graduates running in four $50,000 stakes races. The day is a preview for the upcoming CTHS yearling sale on September 11th at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley.

The first stake is for three and four year old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth. The race ended up with four nominees and three have entered.

On the inside is Nick and Pauline Felicella’s CYPRESS PARK who has won two of her three starts this year. She has been impressive in all of her races and this will be her first try going long. Enrique Gonzalez is back aboard for trainer Anita Bolton.

The Red Leaf Stable’s DAZ LIN DAWN is back in town after an unsuccessful journey to the U.S. She was the 2017 Horse-of-the-Year at Hastings and will be happy to be in these friendlier surroundings. She is coming back quickly in 12 days after finishing fourth in a much tougher stakes race in Seattle. Aaron Gryder will be in the tack for trainer Blaine Wright.

The RNH Stable’s YUKON BELLE was a no-threat third in her last after missing the break. She is at her best when contesting the early pace but will need to be sharper at the beginning if she is to gain the early lead. Antonio Reyes gets the call again from trainer Barbara Heads.

The 2nd race is for two year fillies going six and a half furlongs.

Nick and Pauline Felicella’s HONKY TONK WOMAN (Violence) has been very good in her first two starts running second against the boys in her debut and then finishing third in the BC Cup Debutante. This race has come up far easier and she should be the one to beat. Enrique Gonzalez rides for Anita Bolton.

The Canmor Farms NOTICE was a pace casualty in her last as she dueled through demanding early fractions and finished far back. She is an easier spot today but still has to deal with the filly that she dueled with last time out. She has a good post for her style and Aaron Gryder will get the call from Mark Cloutier.

Gordon Christoff’s HEFTY RANSOM is a well bred filly that hails from a top barn and could win at first asking. She is from a popular freshman sire  and sports a stylish final work in 1:01 which was the fastest of eleven that day. Scott Williams is aboard for John Snow.

James Redekop’s BACKSEAT RIDER looked good breaking her maiden at the $12,500 claiming level. She improved when the blinkers were added and  is tackling a much tougher assignment today. David Lopez is in the saddle for Mike Anderson.

Mohamad Khan et al. own MARYAM who showed good speed in her second start and managed to hang on well for third. She will need to move forward from that race but does hail from a barn that does well with their young stock. Sahin Civaci rides for Jim Brown.

The High Stakes Thoroughbreds and Charlene Miller’s TIMELESS SHRUG grinded out a game victory in her debut last month at the $16,000 claiming tag. She will go on Lasix tonight and Antonio Reyes is at the controls.

Dennis Tucker’s G M T BABY was drilled into the ground early  in her first stakes try. She battled through a sizzling 21 3/5 and then. 45 flat half mile before finishing last. If she can reproduce her July 14th race then she has a good shot. Amadeo Perez gets a leg up from trainer Phil Hall.

The 3rd race is for two year old colts and geldings at six and a half furlongs.

The I Have a Dream Syndicate’s KLONDIKE GENTLEMAN has turned in a couple of even efforts in his brief career. He is half brother to YUKON BELLE who is competing in race one. Antonio Reyes gets the call from Pat Jarvis.

Elphinstone Racing Stable and Darin Mace’s VOLOS VELOCE finished just ahead of his stablemate in his first start checking in fourth beaten two lengths. Denis Araujo is in the tack for Pat Jarvis.

Kim Peacock and Lance Giesbrecht’s WHISKEY BOUND will add blinkers after two consecutive six place finishes. He is by talented stallion Afleet Alex and is one that could improve. Sahin Civaci rides for trainer Keith Pedersen.

The Swift Thoroughbreds BUGSY hooked into the toughest open company two year olds in his first two stakes tries. He gets into a restricted spot today and should prove very tough to outrun. Amadeo Perez is aboard for Dino Condilenios.

Peter Redekop’s ALEUTIAN HARBOUR closed up nicely in is debut after a tardy beginning. He will need to be better the the start if he is going to upset his rivals tonight. Enrique Gonzalez pilots for Phil Hall.

The Century Plaza Stable’s PADDY D’ORO made a huge step forward in is latest which has earned him a spot in the starting gate today. The connections feel that he has more to give and have taken the blinkers off him. Silvino Morales rides for trainer Carl Lausten.

Brian Albertson, George Gilbert and Phil Hall’s ALDERGROVE is a well bred son of Take Charge Indy that was a little green in his career debut. He has shown ability in the a.m. and could be better for leading trainer Phil Hall. Scott Williams rides.

The Riversedge Racing Stable’s CALL IT A WRAP was much better in is second start after a less than sparkling debut. He rallied like a pro from off the pace in his latest and is trending the right way. Aaron Gryder will be in the saddle for trainer Craig MacPherson.

The final CTHS stakes race of the day is in the 4th as three and four year old colts and geldings at a mile and a sixteenth. 

On the inside is Harold and Sandra Barroby’s SALZBURG who was a event claim out of a winning effort. He is in a much tougher spot but has run well at this distance in the past. Jose Asencio will be aboard for the Hall-of- Fame conditioner Harold Barroby.

WONDER GADOT SEEKS HISTORY IN 149TH TRAVERS STAKES

Canada’s darling, WONDER GADOT will start from post position 2 in the ‘midsummer derby’, the prestigious Travers Stakes at famed Saratoga racetrack on Saturday. The Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales winner, who is 2 for 2 since she added blinkers, faces a large, competitive field of some of the better 3-year-old colts in the US in the 1 1/4 mile race. Irad Oritz will ride her for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse.

Seven fillies have won the Travers, the last in 1915, Lady Roth, who actually didn’t win, she was placed first through DQ.

It has been 40 years since a filly even ran in the Travers.

What makes the filly intriguing in the race is that there are no colts with Beyer Figures higher than 99 – most years the top sophomores are running at least 100 (American Pharoah, in a class of his own was well over 100 in the fall of his 3yo season).

So the weak group of boys could be in the reach of the Wonder gal, although from a wagering standpoint, she might be an underlay of less than 6 to 1.

The field for 149th running of the Travers Stakes (1 1/4-miles):

PP Horse Trainer Jockey Odds – Last 3 Beyer Speed Figures – Notes

1 Trigger Warning Rone Rosendo 30-1    94, 92, 85 – son of Candy Ride, 2nd Indiana Derby last start
2 Wonder Gadot Casse Ortiz, Jr. 5-1        92, 95, 88 – daughter of Medaglia D’Oro, Queen’s Plate, Prince of Wales, 2nd Ky Oaks
3 Gronkowski Brown Rosario 4-1              99, 2nd in Belmont Stakes, son of Lonhro (AUS)
4 Bravazo Lukas Saez 12-1                          93, 91, 96 2nd Haskell, Preakness Stakes, son of Awesome Again
5 Vino Rosso Pletcher Velazquez 10-1     93, 97, 88 3rd Jim Dandy, 4th Belmont, son of Curlin
6 Meistermind Asmussen Franco 15-1     87, 89, 60, maiden winner by Bodemeister
7 King Zachary Romans Albarado 30-1    90, 98, 79 Matt Winn S., 4th Indiana Derby, by Curlin
8 Mendelssohn O’Brien Moore 12-1        90, 3rd Dwyer Stakes, by Scat Daddy
9 Good Magic Brown Ortiz 2-1                  98, 95, 99, Haskell Invitational, 2nd Ky Derby etc. by Curlin
10 Tenfold Asmussen Santana, Jr. 8-1    93, 93, 95 – Jim dandy S., son of Curlin
11 Catholic Boy Thomas Castellano 8-1  99, 96, 80 – last 2 stakes wins on turf incl. Belmont Derby, son of More Than Ready

Canadian-breds in action in big races on Saturday, first at Saratoga, include CHANNEL MAKER, last year’s Champion Three-Year-Old in Canada, who is in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. Channel Maker, bred by Ivan Dalos, recently dead-heated for the win in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes.

TELEKNESIS, the Plate Trial winner who was 5th in the Plate, returns to racing in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens at 7 furlongs for trainer Mark Casse. Bill Graham bred the son of Ghostzapper.

RANSOM THE MOON is in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien at Del Mar and he is a Sam-Son Farms-bred star sprinter.

FLAMEAWAY is in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx

 

NORTHLANDS RACES FOR A FINAL TIME SATURDAY NIGHT

Saturday, Northlands, post time: 8:55 p.m. EDT
CANADIAN DERBY-GIII, C$200,000, 3yo, 1 3/8m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Gem Alta K Gemologist Riversedge Racing Stables, Ltd. Rycroft Sarmiento 122
2 Pickford K Hat Trick (Jpn) Team Valor International and Tracy Balgobin 122 Highfield Investment Group, Inc.
3 Hyndford K Street Cry (Ire) Wiest, Cory, Wiest, Rick, Wiest, Clayton, Diodoro Walcott 122 R 6 Stable and Tremblay, Norman
4 Sky Promise Sky Mesa Wiest, Rick, Wiest, Clayton, R 6 Stable and Diodoro Walcott 122 Tremblay, Norman
5 Shimshine Wilko White Pine Ranch Bourne Nelson 122
6 Regal Max Max Forever Almac Racing Stable and Kerredge Farm Hedge Muir 122
7 Day Raider K New Year’s Day Canyon Farms MacPherson Reyes 122
8 Fort Mac Big Brown Peacock, M. Kim and Giesbrecht, Lance Greenwood Araujo 122
9 Red River Bear Kentucky Bear Bear Stable LTD and Riversedge Racing Stables Smith Perez 122

Breeders: 1-Dr. Thomas A. Castoldi, 2-Team Valor LLC &Highfield Stock Farm LTD., 3-Landaluce Educe Stable & Darley, 4-Normandy Farm LLC, 5-Wally
Pugh & Andy Stronach, 6-Stone Ranches Ltd., 7-Kerby G. Chua, 8-Dr. Brad Dean Auger, 9-Bear Stables Ltd.

 

CANADIAN DERBY MOURNS END OF THOROUGHBRED RACING AT NORTHLANDS PARK

By: Curtis Stock

Regal Max was purchased for just $2,200 at the Alberta Yearling Sales. Shimshine was claimed for just $12,000. Shimshine has since won $183,113; Regal Max has won $139,668. They are both the kind of rags-to-riches stories that horse racing is founded on.

“It’s been my dream for the last 20 years to win the Canadian Derby,” Jason Petruniak, the son of Shimshine’s owner Walter, says in the video. “Not for me. I wanted to win it for my dad.” When Jason says that he immediately chokes up. “It’s David versus Goliath and we are definitely David.”

 

CTHS ONTARIO SALES NEWS

Horses racing at Woodbine Friday with siblings in catalogue

ACE 1 CLM $ 10,000

# 3 Indiantown Sunrise Hip 144 full sis

RACE 2 MDN $ 8,000

# 2 Dontdropurcrop Hip 202 1/2 bro by Milwaukee Brew

RACE 3 MSW OSS

# 1 Victor’s Real Life Hip 110 1/2 sis by Head Chopper

# 2 Ishiyaya Hip 187 1/2 sis by Silent Name

# 3 Pluie d’Avril Hip 199 full sis

# 7 Roche’s Point Hip 264 full bro

RACE 4 CLM $ 32,000

# 2 Entwhistle Hip 196 1/2 sis by Will Take Charge

RACE 6 MSW

#2 Personal Journey Hip 275 1/2 sis by Danza

RACE 7 CLM $ 16,000

# 6 Danzig Rainbow Hip 152 1/2 sis by Wicked Strong

# 7 Quidi Vidi Hip 93 1/2 sis by Sky Mesa

RACE 8 MDN CLM $ 32,000

# 3 Candycreet Hip 85 1/2 bro by Street Boss

# 5 Kentucky Charm Hip 62 1/2 sis by Singing Saint

# 6 Shelbourne Hip 259 1/2 sis by Tapizar

 

BUILDING ONTARIO HORSE RACING AGAIN

Ontario Racing and its board are working hard to make horse racing, all breeds, great again. Read more.

 

JUSTIN BIEBER BUYS STANDARDBRED FARM IN PUSLINCH

Justin Bieber has purchased a 101-acre property housing an equestrian facility and a more-than-9,000-square-foot home backing onto Puslinch Lake near Cambridge, Ont., CTV reports.