The heat, the heat, almost unbearable this week but relief is here (it’s actually storming here today, whew!)
The racing action is certainly still hot at Woodbine and the betting opportunities always plentiful – who doesn’t love the 20 cent Pick 3’s and Pick4’s, yet more great innovations from Woodbine, a leader of all North American tracks.
Three day wrap from this week follows below, right after a look at the stakes races this week:
Dene Court (DEN-AY) tries to stretch out to 1 mile today in the Damsel Stakes -Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
SWEET BRIAR TOO. ONTARIO DAMSEL – today
The girls are on stage today at Woodbine where some on and off showers should makes things very nice for the afternoon.
The SWEET BRIAR TOO (named for the Gus Schickedanz homebred mare , dam of Langfuhr) should be a romp in the park for one of the year’s top Canadian-breds, ROXY GAP, already a 2 time graded stakes winner this season. The 7 furlong dash is race 6, near the end of the first PICK 4. The 3yo filly MAN STUFF is an interesting entrant if you are playing exactors etc.
The DAMSEL is for Ontario foaled 3yo fillies and is race 8. The race features the SAM-SON Farms homebred PART THE SEAS and DENE COURT, both recent winners on the grass. The latter won on soft turf in her grass debut in the Alywow Stakes against open company. The latter just won an allowance. The 1 mile distance will be the deciding factor for those 2 plus the 3rd contender, GRAVELLY BAY.
The Damsel is race 8.
TOMORROW 0- DANCE SMARTLY STAKES
http://www.drf.com/news/klein-dance-smartly-woodbine-offers-overlay-opportunity
Here is stakes winner Don’s Folly at his new home with Emily Fisher. The Cole family retired him because they felt that he had done more than enough for them and they wanted him to have a good life beyond racing. He went through LongRun to Emily and all are happy!
Janet Black sent this photo!
WOODBINE WEEKLY WRAP
Some nice wins for some smaller stables highlighted the week at Woodbine:
WEDNESDAY – Dr. Judy Pottins won her first race when PECHE MOBILEE, a 2nd time starter in a $50,000 maiden allowance, 1 1/16 miles, won her 2nd career start at nice odds. The filly had made a really nice move around the turn in her debut and was adding Lasix. Pottins bred the daughter of Mobil out of her ‘Peach’ of a mare, MA PECHE.
Long time maiden JINX BUSTER is now a winner! The 5yo by Dance to Destiny – Me d’Sea n Rosalie, bred by Brian Marcy, won his 20th career race in the 7th on Wed. night for owner Dan Rebernik and trainer Danny O’Callaghan.
The high Beyer Figure for Wed. night was in the 4th race on the grass, SHIRLEY STREET for Jam Jar, who won with an 81 Beyer. John Ross trains.
THURSDAY – DELEGATION remained unbeaten with his 2nd win in as many starts and the day’s best 87 Beyer Fogure. This is a 3yp gelding by Speightstown owned by Gary Barber. He was a $150,000 2yo in training and he is trained by Mark Casse.
Local sire ATLAS SHRUGS is the sire of OSCAR SHRUGS who won his maiden for owner/breeder Bill McGowan in race 2, a maiden $25,000 event. Don Pleterski trains the 3yo gelding.
Owner/trainer ROY JONES won his first race of the season and it was a nice one, a $52,000 allowance with the Niigon filly AYENDA, who led all the way trough 10 furlong on grass. The filly had lost for $9,50 claiming this year but was back on the grass and she is a daughter of the money-making mare KABUL.
friday – It was the hottest day of the week and trainer JAMES HATCHETT won his first race of the year when SPARKLE AND SHINE coasted to a maiden win for $20,000 in race 2 under Slade Callaghan.
The 2yo filly RING OF LUCK, yet another nice one by former Ontario sire WEATHER WARNING, beat the boys in a maiden allowance in race 3. She was bred by Jim Terdik and is owned by Racing Canada and Infront Enterprises. Abraham Katryan trains the 2yo filly who was making her 3rd career start.
Congrats to longtime local trainer MIKE WRIGHT who won his first race of the year when ZIPPY LADY won gate to wire in race 6 for $11,500 claiming. The City Zip 6yo was ridden by David Garcia and she was making her 5th start of the year.
SHANE LEARN, who had a big season training at Tampa Bay Down a couple of years ago, won with his first starter of 2012 when Gina Billers’ PISCITELLI won for $37,500 off the claim for $12,500. This is a classy gelding who was narrowly beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2009 and he was very game in his win yesterday. Steve Bahen rode the son of Victory Gallop. His Beyer was 68.
ATLANTIC HURRICANE got the days best Beyer when she won the ROYAL NORTH prep with a 90 Beyer for her first win of the season. The champion mare was never going to beaten although Jenny’s So Great had a bit of trouble and was hard ridden to close fast for 2nd.
TU ENDIE WEI AT BELMONT
Brereton Jones’ champion filly TU ENDIE WEI has a good chance to rally for a prize in today’s speed-laden VICTORY RIDE STAKES at Belmont (4:30 p.m.).
It is supposed to be searing-hot at Belmont today, hitting in the 102 Fahrenheit range. Tu Endie Wei has not raced on dirt before. She is trained by Reade Baker:
from DRF:
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez believes his speedy New York-bred filly Agave Kiss can rate. And perhaps one day he will get the chance to find out.
It’s highly unlikely that day will be Saturday, when the undefeated Agave Kiss aims for her seventh straight success in the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park.
Agave Kiss drew the rail for the Victory Ride, which basically forces jockey Ramon Dominguez to send his filly to the front. Agave Kiss has been in front at every point of call in her six races, all at the Victory Ride distance of six furlongs.
“I would like to be outside..
http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-park-agave-kiss-likely-gun-it
