TORONTO

in today’s THOROUGHBLOG..BROWN PANTHER likely favourite for International, JUST THE JUDGE a major filly coming for EP Taylor, Ontario bred CALGARY CAT tough to beat in Nearctic…

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Michael Owen and Samantha Reilly for the photo of Mr. Owen and his star horse BROWN PANTHER

 

 

 

 

CANADIAN-OWNED GRAND ARCH picks up WISE DAN’S rider

It was tough to hear that WISE DAN has an injury and will miss the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 1 but racing’s hero has done so much, especially this year after the colic surgery. The ankle injury, a non-displaced fracture,  is not serious but perhaps the gelding has run his last race.

John Velazquez, Wise Dan’s regular rider, will now partner Jim and Susan Hill’s GRAND ARCH, trained by Brian Lynch, in the Mile.

Grand Arch was just edged by Wise Dan in the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland and hei s a graded stakes winner at Woodbine this year.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita should have Canadian horses such as KAIGUN (Mile or Turf Sprint), and C CONQUEST TYPHOON, who will be ridden by Patrick Husbands in the Juvenile Turf.

CONQUEST HARLANATE is in the Juvenile Filly Turf.

 

 

IT’S INTERNATIONAL WEEK –

– from Secretariat, Dahlia, All Along and more greats

Sunday is the big day of the Woodbine racing schedule, with the Grade I Canadian International heading a big card of racing which will be very different for local fans this year.

The International goes at about 3:30 p.m. (TSN 3-4) which is about the earliest any major race has gone off at Woodbine (other than the Breeders’ Cup, 1996).

The 3 major grass races are expected to lure about half a dozen horses from overseas plus another group from the US and some good Ontario based runners.

The forecast heading into Sunday is a bit dicey with a lot of rain expected Tuesday through Wednesday (Weather Channel currently saying about 20 mm) and off and on through Friday. At least one International hopeful, Big Blue Kitten, is seeking a firm turf.

BROWN PANTHER will be all the rage come Sunday – with his popular connections, soccer star Michael Owen, and his big Group 1 win in the Irish St Leger in his last race.  Facing a field of 7 or 8 others, this 6-year-old horse is bound to be the 2 to 1 favourite or lower.

 

INTERNATIONAL FIELD

Horse / Trainer / Owner / Jockey

Big Blue Kitten / Chad Brown / Ken & Sarah Ramsey / Joel Rosario
Brown Panther / Tom Dascombe / A Black & Owen Promotions Ltd / Richard Kingscote
Dynamic Sky / Mark Casse / John Oxley / Patrick Husbands
Hillstar / Sir Michael Stoute / Sir Evelyn De Rothschild / Ryan Moore
O’Prado Ole / Dale Romans / Donegal Racing / TBA
Reporting Star / Pat Parente / Copper Water Thoroughbred Company / Justin Stein
Suntracer / Chris Block / Team Block / TBA
The Pizza Man / Roger Brueggemann / Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc. / Florent Geroux
War Dancer / Kenneth McPeek / Diamond M Stable / Luis Contreras

 

SUNTRACER LOOKS TO PUT A SHINE ON PCI PROCEEDINGS

Suntracer, a six-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy, comes into his second Grade 1 appearance off a splendid effort in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup on September 13, a gutsy nose win for owner Team Block.

Boasting 35 career starts, the most of any starter going postward in Woodbine’s fall turf classic this Sunday, Suntracer’s connections will hope to celebrate lifetime win No. 8 in what will be his first test at Canada’s Showplace of Racing.

A hot early pace would certainly boost his odds for victory.

His patented late turn of foot was certainly on display in the 1 ½-mile Kentucky Turf Cup. Tenth and last at the start, Suntracer methodically improved his position under Florent Geroux (who’ll ride The Pizza Man in the Pattison), taking a one-length lead at the stretch call and then holding on over ‘firm’ ground.

It came on the heels of a disastrous ninth-place finish in the American St. Leger on August 16 when he was 20 lengths behind The Pizza Man.

“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know what to expect in the Turf Cup,” said conditioner Chris Block, who trained Never Retreat to 2011 Horse of the Year and champion Turf Female Sovereign Award triumphs, for his family’s Team Block. “I had never been more confident in his chances heading into the St. Leger. To this day, I still don’t know why he ran like that. He’s better than that. So, when he was cut loose and came running to win the Turf Cup, racing wide, too, it was very impressive.”

Suntracer has one win, one second and one third from seven starts this year.

 

BIG BLUE KITTEN READY TO POUNCE 

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s homebred Big Blue Kitten will certainly be one of the [contenders].

Trained by Chad Brown and to be ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time, the six-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy-Spent Gold will try to go one better for this combination than Hyper did last year, when finishing a close second to Joshua Tree in the PCI.

Big Blue Kitten arrives off a fourth-place finish in the Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park on September 27, but less than three lengths behind winner Main Sequence, currently one of the favourites for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“It was a little disappointing,” said Brown.  “We really liked him going into the race.   There wasn’t a lot of pace in the race.  It wasn’t a bad effort but it wasn’t a winning effort, either.  But he came out of the race in great shape and he’s training well.  He had a maintenance breeze yesterday (four furlongs in 49 4/5 seconds at Saratoga) and went well.  If the turf is firm, we’re planning on bringing him up for the International.”

Blue Big Kitten is also the field’s leading money winner with almost $1.3 million, most of which came from his two Grade 1 wins last year, the United Nations at Monmouth Park and the Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

“He ran terrific in both races.  It seems like the longer the better for him.”

Last year was an incredibly successful season for the consistent performer, as he won four of eight starts, was second twice and third once.   His only out-of-the-money finish was in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, yet was beaten less than five lengths in eighth.

“I thought he ran well but it was probably one race too many last year.  He’d had three pretty hard Grade 1’s in a row.”

 

NEARCTIC STAKES – GRADE 2 – CALGARY CAT rarin’ to go

Trainer Kevin Attard reports that CALGARY CAT is ready to take on tougher in the Nearctic on Sunday and no matter what happens, Attard said he is thrilled that Cory Hoffman and Stephen Chesney’s horse has a chance in the big race.

Attard will talk about the horse and why he was claimed for just $25,000 on the next episode of TALKIN’ HORSES, this week.

CASPAR NETSCHER comes in for David Simcock, who won the Woodbine Mile with TRADE STORM. This horse actually retired to stud duty in 2013 but was sub-fertile. He has struggled since returning to the races.

 

EARLY LOOK AT THE GRADE 2 NEARCTIC STAKES (8)

Horse / Trainer / Jockey
Big Blue Spirit / Darrin Miller / TBA
Black Hornet / Pat Parente / Justin Stein
Calgary Cat / Kevin Attard / TBA
Caspar Netscher / David Simcock / TBA
Dreamsgonewild / Bruce Alexander / TBA
Excaper / Ian Black / Emma-Jayne Wilson
Paso Doble / Mark Fournier / TBA
Stormy Rush / Lorne Richards / TBA

Paso Doble, a now eight-year-old millionaire son of Bold n’ Flashy, will try to earn his first turf win following three seconds from five grass starts. Eurico Rosa da Silva guided the Mark Fournier trainee to a head score in the Overskate Stakes last time out for owners Centennial Farms Niagara Inc.

Caspar Netscher ships to Woodbine from a fifth-place run in the Group 3 John Guest Bengough at Ascot on October 4. The five-year-old son of Dutch Art boasts a lifetime record of 5-4-2 from 25 starts. He is trained by David Simcock for owner Charles Wentworth.

Big Blue Spirit, a five-year-old son of Invincible Spirit trained by Darrin Miller for Silverton Hill LLC, arrives at the Nearctic from a rallying fifth-place effort in the Kentucky Downs Turf Dash.  A three-time winner form 19 starts, Big Blue Spirit started his career at the Curragh in Ireland before shipping to the U.S for new connections.

 

E.P. TAYLOR, the French and Irish invade

JUST THE JUDGE, a Group 1 winner who was recently 3RD IN THE GRADE 1 BEVERLY D., is headed to Toronto for the EP Taylor and she is sure to be heavily bet.

ANGEL TERRACE/JONATHAN SHEPPARD/FLORENT GEROUX
DECEPTIVE VISION/MALCOLM PIERCE/EURICO DA SILVA
ENERGIA FRIBBY (BRZ)/MARCO BOTTI/TBA
EYEFUL/ANDRE FABRE/Flavien Prat
JUST THE JUDGE(IRE)/CHARLIE HILLS/JAMIE SPENCER
MERI SHIKA (FR)/ROGER ATTFIELD/EMMA-JAYNE WILSON
ODELIZ(IRE)/KARL BURKE/RYAN MOORE
POLLYANA (IRE)/JOHN HAMMOND/TBA
ROYAL FURY/BRIAN LYNCH/TBA
TANNERY (IRE)/ALAN GOLDBERG/TBA
WALL OF SOUND (GB)/TOM DASCOMBE/RICHARD KINGSCOTE
WATSDACHANCES(IRE)/CHAD BROWN/TBA
WHITE ROSE/BILL MOTT/TBA

 

WOODBINE MONDAY – LONGSHOTS continue to roll in

 LLANARMON (Cha-nar-mon) won the Carotene Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the grass for trainer Roger Attfield on Monday, her first stakes win since she took the Natalma last year. This Sky Mesa – Gold strike filly has been a handful for Attfield this year, a feisty gal who ran well in the La Lorgnette last time with a big rally on the Polytrack. A slow breaker from the gate, the filly rallied again on Monday and Emma-Jayne Wilson to win the 13th Carotene with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, the best of her career. She has 3 wins in 10 races for owner Harlequin Ranches.

Race 1-  DECISION DAY has put dreams of a possible 2015 Queen’s Plate contender in the minds of Vern and Donna Dubinsky. The ONtario bred colt by Macho Uno won his maiden in his 2nd career race on Sunday, 1 mile and 70 yards with a 62 beyer Figure. He was very green in the race but looked sharp.

The homebred was a $40,000 purchase by Triple K Stable in April at the Ocala 2yo sale but was bought back by the Dubinskys.

Race 2 – VALVASOR, a 39 to 1 shot in a small field of 2yos, won his debut from last place behind a slow pace for trainer Robert Gerl and a numbered company. The chestnut colt is by Canadian champion 2yo Kodiak Kowboy. Matt Moore rode.

Race 3- this 1 3/8 mile grass race was made for the 1-2 finishers CRUSHIN HARD and TURKISH. The winner won a similar race last year and he posted an 81 Beyer on Monday as he came from last to rake this under Steven Bahen, who replaced an absent Omar Moreno.

Race 4- JR SWIFT was the swiftest and at 29 to 1 won this $16,000 claiming race for 3yos for trainer Richard Davis and owner James Schlehr. Brought to Ontario by Conor Murphy, the gelding was 7th for $8,000 on Sept. 10 and then 3rd in a Fort Erie rougte race. He led all the way under a crafty David Moran on Monday,

Race 5 – GRAN BID and a red-hot Emma-Jayne Wilson ran down a brave Wales End to win this 10 furlong race for $12,500. the winner is a Smooth Bid homebred for Fieldstone Farm and Carlos Grant trains.

Race 6 – JULIA CAREY has won 3 races in 2 days and won this maiden $50,00 claiming race on the grass with PLEASURE, a Purim filly who was moved to her stable from Joan Scott for owners Opas, Sinatra and Jaln. Eurico da Silva rode.

Race 7 – LORD OF THE JUNGLE added blinkers and rallied inside under Tommy Wong to win for $7,500 claiming, his 2nd win of the season. The 6yo gelding was an overlay at 19 to 1 for trainer Tommy Bowden and Chris and Pat Fung.

Race 9 – this 5 furlong dash went to SKYRISH, owned and bred by Don Ross. This 4yo by Silent Name is 3 for 5 this year and an ace at the 5 furlong distances.

Race 10 the card ended with another 5 furlong race and it was 8 to 5 shot CHECK EM who battled his way to a win under Patrick Husbands for CEC Farm. The race was for $6,250 claiming.

Betting for 3 days at Woodbine was over $10.2 million.