WHO DO YOU LIKE?
SPICE ROUTE wants to know your pick for the big races at Woodbine tomorrow!
Thoroughblog analyzes the 3 graded races on turf that will be seen on ESPN2 TODAY…
Sarah K. Andrew photo
Post Horse Trainer Jockey Odds
1 Champs Elysees Bobby Frankel Garrett Gomez 4-1
2 Allied Powers Michael Bell Jim Crowley 15-1
3 Quijano Peter Schiergen Andrasch Starke 6-1
4 Just as Well Jonathan Sheppard Julien Leparoux 6-1
5 Marsh Side Neil Drysdale Javier Castellano 7-2
6 Buccellati Andrew Balding William Buick 10-1
7 Jukebox Jury Mark Johnston Royston Ffrench 5-2
8 Spice Route Roger Attfield Jim McAleney 8-1
JUDDMONTE cleans up at Woodbine these days.
Will CHAMPS ELYSEES end his career today with a Grade 1 win?
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo.
72ND CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL
The first time I went to the track was for the 1977 CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL – back then it was one of very few 1 1/2 mile turf events in North America and a race that always attracted the stars of the world (Dahlia, Exceller, etc.).
And 22 years later, while the race is not nearly the same in its star power, it offers some handicapping tests.
The NEARCTIC and E.P. TAYLOR may often take a backseat to the $2 million event but they are strong this season.
First, the NEARCTIC:
6 Furlongs (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 Field Commission Leparoux J R Vella Daniel J 119 L 12-1
2 Silver Z Landry R C Wallis Nathan 114 L 30-1
3 Grand Adventure Husbands P Frostad Mark 115 L 15-1
4 Karakorum Elektra Ramsammy E Rice Linda 114 L 15-1
5 Legal Move Sutherland C Fournier Mark 117 L 20-1
6 Little Nick Bejarano R Iwinski Allen 117 L 12-1
7 Chamberlain Bridge Gomez G K Calhoun W. B 119 L 4-1
8 Bogue Chitto Olguin G L Howard Ian 117 L 12-1
9 Heros Reward Castellano J J Capuano Dale 119 L 7-2
10 Storm Treasure Contreras L Asmussen Steven M 117 L 8-1
11 Jungle Wave Kabel T K Attard Sid C 121 L 5-2
The invaders are good ones –
CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE Hhas the highest last-race Beyer Figure in the field thanks to a win in the aptly named TURF MONSTER STAKES.
This guy was bred by Eugene Melnyk and he’s won 11 of 22 races.
Guess what though? He’s never raced at 6 furlongs on turf!
He drew off last time so e should handle it and Garret Gomez knows how long the stretch run is.
Canada’s JUNGLE WAVE (okay, he’s American bred) is the latest claim sensation by the Tucci family and trainer Sid Attard.
If he’s not over the top, then he’s the one to beat.
He has a super outside post position, turned back from the Woodbine Mile (and he was 4th in that to Ventura!) and a 101-103 Beyer Figure is attainable.
Price plays? FIELD COMMISSION would be the one for that. He has chased Jungle Wave and he was less than al ength behind that one in the Mile. Has the very deadly Julian Leparaoux onboard (for sure this time, he was supposed to ride him last time!).
9th (5:03)
E. P. Taylor S. (G1)
1 1/4 Miles (Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000
Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 Treat Gently (GB) Gomez G K Frankel Robert 124 L 8-1
2 Rainbow View Leparoux J R Gosden John H M 118 FTL 8-5
3 Lahaleeb (IRE) Buick W T Channon Michael R 118 12-1
4 Eastern Aria (UAE) Ffrench R L Johnston Mark 118 FTL 12-1
5 Princess Haya Bejarano R Matz Michael R 124 L 7-2
6 Look Here (GB) Crowley J Beckett Ralph 124 FTL 3-1
7 Roses ‘n’ Wine Sutherland C Bell David R 124 L 12-1
8 Salve Germania (IRE) Castellano J J Pletcher Todd A 124 L 6-1
First Half Late Double / Exactor / Triactor / Superfecta Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11)
It’s hard to to imagine thisrace will not go to LOOK HERE or RAINBOW VIEW, the Group 1 winners from Europe who seem to have a class edge over these gals.
LOOK HERE won the Epsom Oaks last year and she has been racing against the boys this season – she was beaten 2 noses in a Group 1 – Ask and Youmzain were ahead of her (the latter was 2nd in thge ARC to SEA THE STARS).
LOOK HERE is better at 1 1.2mile and RAINBOW VIEW might be better at 1 mile.
Interesting to note that a report came down from the PRESS ASSOCIATION yesterday that RAINBOW VIEW’S trainer JOHN GOSDEN says the filly’s coat is turning dark and perhaps she is past her best form.
Longshot? TREAT GENTLY was a whiz in her North American debut in July at Belmont and who is to argue with anything from the Juddmonte/Frankel, etc team?
THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL wraps up the big races for Woodbine for 2009. It’s a competitive field of some decent old timers.
The 3yo JUKEBOX JURY, however, is a gritty guy who could sit a good trip off a slow pace and it will be interesting to see how rank the Europeans are.
JUST AS WELL might have won the NORTHERN DANCER Stakes if he did not have to extract himself from an occurring mess in the stretch.
He avoided the jam-up but still was delayed and he closed well.
CHAMPS ELYSEES plods along these days, and he was sawed off in the ‘Dancer’ when QUIJANO wa spushed into him. The latter is a steady 7yo who is always in the nibbling vicinity.
BUCCELLATI comes out of some slow paced races and his form may look better than it actually is.
MARSH SIDE, well he will have to win back-to back for the first time to get it done again – he won this lastyear.
SPICE ROUTE is a serious contender if he can run the best race he has run before (last year’s International when he was 2ndf) – possible.
INTERNATIONAL/ E.P. TAYLOR IN THE NEWS
TORONTO STAR:
Look Here for the latest in equine girl power
Champion filly is ready for Stakes after racing the boys; Just As Well is an International fave
In most years, the $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes, held at Woodbine racetrack on Saturday afternoon, would take a backseat in the headlines after the Canadian International, the richest race of the Canadian season at $2 million.
But this year’s Taylor, the female counterpart of the International named for the father of Ontario thoroughbred racing, surpasses that rich race in equine star power.
GLOBE & MAIL – SPICE ROUTE FEATURE
BEVERLEY SMITH
TORONTO — From Friday’s Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Friday,
Roger Attfield had a major training job on his hands getting Spice Route ready for the $2-million Canadian International Championship Stakes.
The five-year-old gelding is the only Canadian interest in the eight-horse event tomorrow at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack – but he’s coming into the race off an almost three-month layoff.
Spice Route will start from the outside post position – No. 8 – and was made an 8-to-1 shot behind three-year-old grey colt Jukebox Jury, an Irish-bred that has not raced outside Europe, listed at 5 to 2 yesterday.
It’s no easy feat, getting a horse ready for a 1½-mile competition against some of the world’s best without racing in three months. Spice Route last ran in the Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine on July 26, a 1¼-mile race won by Rahy’s Attorney. Spice Route placed fifth – and Attfield has been agonizing ever since about his choice to run the horse in that race.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/spice-route-canadas-only-hope/article1325790/
BRITISH RAIDERS HEAD WOODBINE MARKET
By James Burn11.08AM 15 OCT 2009
BLUE SQUARE have opened markets on the two big races at Saturday’s Canadian International meeting – and British-trained runners could be in for a successful trip if the betting is anything to go by.
Jukebox Jury, trained by Mark Johnston, heads the market for the International, while Rainbow View (John Gosden) is favoured over Look Here (Ralph Beckett) in the EP Taylor.
Jim Crowley takes the ride on Look Here for the second time having been narrowly beaten aboard the filly in the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial at Newbury last time.
“It was a pretty good run last time after she disappointed in the King George and it was nice to see her run a good race again,” Crowley told At The Races. “I think Doctor Fremantle [Newbury winner] is a very good horse. It was disappointing to get beat, but he’s a good horse.
WOODBINE THURSDAY WRAP
Some interesting results in the last 2 days at Woodbine on a Polytrack that seemingly has played quite fair.
The stewards continue to be very busy these days – jockeys have been fined portions of their purses in stakes races for whip infractions, and there have been a lot of inquiries and dead heats.
In the finale on Wednesday night, Zayat Stables’ SIR MOTT bore in through the stretch and appeared to take away the path of TAZ CAt (isn’t that colt a weird colour too by the way?). There was no change in the order of finish but could have certainly been a DQ.
And yesterday, there was quite an unsettling event in race 6, albeit a race for inexperienced 2yo’s.
A crowd of baby fillies went around the turn with LOVE REVEALED leading in the 2 path under Todd Kabel. She had several fillies to her outside and many right behind her. late on the turn, FREUDIAN FETISH, waiting for room behind horses, dove to the rail after Love Revealed had already gone there and, seemingly not clear, then wiped out the latter as she tired.
Certainly the filly who was interfered with was losing ground but the path was taken away and it was surprising the winner was not DQ’d.
The winner, by the way, is an Ontario bred Freud filly for Anthony Coombe’s UN Stable and trainer Lorna Perkins.
An interesting winner on the card was VIKINGER, a 5yo making his debut for just $12,500 for Stronach Stables and a son of the great Danehill. The gelding won handily on the Polytrack at 7 furlongs for trainer Sean Smullen.
The mare, D’articleshore, is a sister to millionaire ROCK OF GIBRALTER.
Talk about pedigree power.
