TONE BROKE TAKES BREEDERS’
Moves to top of 3-year-old ranks
TONE BROKE (fourth from right) reels in Avie’s Flatter to win the Breeders Stakes and He’s a Macho Man (on rail) gets second place – CINDY PIERSON DULAY PHOTO – HORSE-RACES.NET – USED WITH PERMISSION
TONE BROKE muscled his way out of some traffic through the long stretch of the E P Taylor turf course on Saturday to take the 129th Breeders’ Stakes at 1 1/2 miles, the 3rd jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown.
The big, sleek dark bay won two of the three legs of the series having taken the Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie, defeating Queen’s Plate winner One Bad Boy.
The son of Broken Vow – Mendocino Beano by Smart Strike was bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry and the colt was a $40,000 yearling purchase by L and N Racing, comprised of Tulsa, Okla. lawyer Lee Levinson; his sons Andy and Michael; and family friend and prosecutor Don Nelson. The colt’s earnings now stand at over $600,000.
Tone Broke finished third in the Plate with Luis Contreras riding, won the Prince of Wales with Ricardo Santana and the Breeders’ with Rafael Hernandez on board. A 2-time winner at Remington Park as a juvenile last year, the colt’s only blemishes on his form were the two races in which he was beaten more than 70 lengths in Dubai.
While some delay in traffic for Tone Broke late in the Breeders’ worked out well for him as he was the last to make his move, Ivan Dalos’ AVIE’S FLATTER once again had a lead into the stretch run of a Triple Crown race only to get passed. He was second in the Plate and Prince of Wales and edged for second in the Breeders’ by He’s a Macho Man, owned by the Di Scola Boys.
The turf was listed as yielding and was a bit giving following rain early in the day. His time of 2:30 . 43 translated into an 82 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Tone Broke moves to the top of the 3-year-old ranks in Ontario, likely Canada, with the key Ontario Derby – Grade 3, coming up next month.
MORE FROM THE WEEK AT WOODBINE (excluding Sunday)
91 FAIR MAIDEN Catch a Glimpse Stakes – turf
86 – KILLAG KATIE
84 PIONEER OF NEW YORK
83 – DIDDLEY – $10,000 claiming
82 TONE BROKE Breeders’ Stakes – turf
82 DIFFERENTIAL
79 RED CABERNET ETERNAL SEARCH STAKES – inner turf
FAIR MAIDEN was one of the most exciting horses that raced at Woodbine on the weekend. Owned and bred by Godolphin and trained by Eoin Harty (who also had Journeyman in the Canadian Derby at Century Mile, more on that later) Fair Maiden, by Street Boss, won the Catch a Glimpse Stakes on yielding grass by 7 1/2 lengths under Emma-Jayne Wilson. The juvenile filly is scheduled to race next in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes.
DEJA VU AT CANADIAN DERBY – EXPLODE PLACED FIRST AS JOURNEYMAN DISQUALIFIED
$2,500 purchase gives Nielsen big win
OLE A. NIELSEN AND EXPLODE – photo courtesy Alberta Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.
Ole A. Nielsen got his Canadian Derby.
The Vancouver resident who was raised in Edmonton, told media last week that winning the Canadian Derby (Grade 3) was a boyhood dream.
Okay, so his horse EXPLODE didn’t actually cross the finish line in front but he probably would have had it not been for Godolphin’s JOURNEYMAN, an improving son of Animal Kingdom, pushing and bumping him all the way out to the other side of the track.
The 1 1/4 mile Grade Canadian Derby, the first held at Century Mile, featured this exciting battle to the wire through the stretch as Explode and Journeyman hooked up. Final Jeopardy, purchased for a rumoured $450,000 by Peter and James Redekop before the race, was trying to catch up in third.
But it was Nielsen’s Explode, a Kentucky bred by Trappe Shot – Light Blow by Kingmambo who battled his way under jockey Amadeo Perez and was eventually placed first by the stewards. Journeyman, a winner of his last two starts for Godolphin and trainer Harty (who had been at Woodbine to saddle Fair Maiden to win the Catch a Glimpse Stakes) had felt a number of hard thwacks from Dane Nelson on his left side and drifted out from that.
Explode was bought by Nielsen for just $2,500 (YS) at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2016 as a weanling. The owner bought a handful of horses to re-sell in Canada to help the horse population. But Explode, offered for sale at the BC CTHS yearling sale, did not meet his $15,000 (CAN) reserve and Nielsen kept him. Mark Cloutier trains the winner.
This all came just days after the 2017 Canadian Derby result was changed once again, this time by a tribunal that disqualified winner Chief Know It All from first and elevates Double Bear, who had dead-heated for second (see the Aug. 16 ‘Tblog for more)
Here is the recap story by Terry Jones:
https://edmontonsun.com/sports/other-sports/jones-explode-wins-first-canadian-derby-at-century-mile
MANITOBA: ESCAPE CLAUSE THIRD AT THISTLEDOWN; HIDDEN GRACE REMAINS UNBEATEN
Champion Older Mare in Canada 2018 ESCAPE CLAUSE faded to third in the Lady Jacqueline Stakes Saturday at Thistledown in Ohio. The tough Manitoba mare, now with earnings of over $856,000 has been tackling some of the best in the US since the winter and she has run well but lost four straight.
Meanwhile at Assininboia Downs, HIDDEN GRACE, owned by Barry Arnason, Cam Ziprick et all remains unbeaten as she won the Distaff Stakes Friday night 1 to 10 odds. The 3-year-old filly is 7 for 7.
In a four-horse field. Hidden Grace won easily (albeit with a 51 Beyer Speed Figure) and, as there was show wagering allowed, some $142,000 was bet on win, place and show (mostly to show) by one big bettor leading to a large minus pool.
Both Escape Clause and Hidden Grace are by Going Commando.
CTHS ONTARIO – CANADIAN PREMIER YEARLING SALE/CANADIAN MILLIONS NIGHT
Aug 28 owners of CTHS Ontario sales graduates have a chance to race their purchases for stakes money on Canadian Millions night, followed by some 270 fresh yearling faces offered for sale the next day.
Most of the top breeders and consignors are represented at this year’s Canadian Premier Sale, which begins at 12 Noon Aug. 29.
This is the most important night for local breeders and the hope is that there will be enough buyers to make the sale a successful one.
