**Today in Ontario racing – WOODBINE has a $425,000 carryover of the High 5 in the last race (pick top 5 finishers) , 2yo fillies go for the Shady Well Stakes for Canadian breds.
**at Ajax Downs – Craft Brewery Day is a big event for the track and there are also 3 Trials for the upcoming $60,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity…
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Okay, now we really wish horses could talk, at least sometimes.
To say racing fans were gobsmacked would be an understatement,
To say one particular person, who bet the bulk of the $1 million to show on ARROGATE in the San Diego Handicap is waking up feeling a wee bit sick, also doesn’t explain half of it.
Then there’s Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes following around Bob Baffert; ‘awkward’ as the world’s greatest racehorse bumbled along ahead of just one horse.
ARROGATE was ‘flat’ according to Bob Baffert and perhaps not cranked up enough for his race against what was, on any normal Arrogate-type day, a totally overmatched field.
But the grey colt, $17 million in his bank, rested since his Dubai win in March, had a pile of workouts at 6 furlongs and the like. He just was simply outrun all the way on Saturday in a race he should have easily taken.
Meanwhile, the winner, ACCELERATE, zoomed to the lead and kept going and this was the 2nd time the son of Lookin at Lucky has beaten Arrogate, having done so in Arrogate’s 1st career race.
Of course, the show payoffs were wonky, place prices too (Donworth, blasted 16 lengths in his one run in a year) paid $119 to place).
It would be hard to imagine Arrogate racing again off that outing but if he does, it would be curious to see if he could bounce back from this very big drubbing.
Bryce Miller – LA TIMES
This was Miracle on Ice, on hooves. This was Buster Douglas KO’ing Mike Tyson, on dirt. This was mouths collectively agape, faces stunned and eyes drained of answers.
As Arrogate, the No. 1 ranked horse in the world, entered the starting gate Saturday at Del Mar in the San Diego Handicap, it was so ridiculously favored that the 1-20 odds produced too many digits to show on the track’s big board.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-del-mar-arrogate-20170721-story.html
MESA’S MATRON – and Luis Contreras continues to dominate
Toronto Ont.July 22, 2017.Woodbine Racetrack.Jockey Luis Contreras guides Ami’s Mesa to victory in the $125,000 dollar Ontario Matron Stakes for owner Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie Carroll. michael burns photo
AMI’S MESA sprinted away in the stretch run of the Grade 3 Ontario Matron to win her first stakes race since she won the Glorious Song as a 2yo in 2015.
The delicate Sky Mesa – Victoria Ami by Victory Gallop 4yo filly was coming off a sizzling return win in a sprint for owner/breeder Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie Carroll.
She liked the slow, slow pace in this 1 1/16 mile race, her first 2 turn outing on the main track as she had enough sprinting quickness to catch up to Stronach Stables’ tough gal Ice Festival in the late stages.
The time of 1:43.44 was good for an 88 Beyer Figure.
Jockey Luis Contreras is so confident these days that horses are just moving past others like they were invisible.
Contreras won 4 races yesterday for a variety of trainers.
One of those wins was on GLENVILLE GARDENS, who woke up in this 2nd outing of the year to post the day’s best Beyer Figure of 91.
This cantakerous 5-year-old is difficult to ride in the mornings but he is a marvel in the afternoon on his best day.
Coming off a 7th place finish in the Connaught, the dark bay owned by Janice Attard and trained by Sid Attard, sped to a handy win, his 9thin 18 races.
Speaking of horses who love to win lots of races – BLURRICANE bounced back from a 9th place finish in the Hendrie Stakes to win for $62,500 claiming. The Rebellion mare has 9 wins in 22 races and she is currently owned by the Manitoba team of Ken Lee and partners. Marty Drexler trains.
here is something unique about Woodbine race results in the last 10 days or so – the Ontario sire Silent Name (JPN) has had 4 consecutive debut winners from SUMMER SUNDAY, TANGLEFOOT, BE VEWY VEWY QUIET and yesterday’s impressive winner BIG MISTAKE, a Paul Buttigieg beginner who posted a 74 Beyer Figure. Silent Name also had impressive debut winner Silent Sonet in the spring.
