PREAKNESS: VANCOUVER’S PETER REDEKOP HOPE ‘FATE’ IS ON HIS SIDE
He won’t be at the famous PREAKNESS STAKES when his colt ANOTHERTWISTAFATE tries for the second jewel of the American Triple Crown, but PETER REDEKOP will no doubt have eyes on the race while attending his granddaughter’s wedding in Calgary on Saturday.
Anothertwistafate earned an automatic berth into the Preakness for his win in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate earlier this winter. The colt is by Scat Daddy, sire of the great Justify, and Redekop bought his colt for $360,000.
A horse racing lover and philanthropist, Redekop will add $100,000 of his own money to his home city’s big race, the BC Derby 3 year-old race, this year.
More on Peter Redekop from a recent issue of Canadian Thoroughbred Magazine (paywall)
PREAKNESS FIELD and PICKS
IMPROBABLE has not won this year but his trainer Bob Baffert has won 7 Preakness Stakes – CINDY PIERSON DULAY PHOTO from horse-races.net
THOROUGHBLOG is going with:
1 – (2) BOURBON WAR at 12-1 to pull a surprise with his new blinkers on. He is a stretch runner who might be closer to the pace with his new shades. He did not get into the Kentucky Derby field and that makes his a fresh guy.
2 – (1) WAR OF WILL had a well documented rough go of things in the slop in the Derby. This is his chance to shine but how he handles the rail post with other speedy types to his outside is a question.
3 – (4) IMPROBABLE is the favourite but he has yet to win a race this year.
4 – (7) ALWAYSMINING is the Maryland hometown hero who is a monster but the race will go faster early and late than what he is used to.
WAR OF WILL, a.k.a WOW, had that tough trip in the Kentucky Derby. He has the rail post again for the Preakness while back in 2 weeks (as are 3 other Derby starters). Can he strut his stuff? CINDY PIERSON DULAY – horse-races.net
Preakness Posts/Notes:
1. War of Will (4-1) by War Front
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Last race: seventh in Kentucky Derby (May 4 at Churchill Downs) 95, 78, 90
2. Bourbon War (12-1) – Blinkers ON
Trainer: Mark Hennig
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Last race: fourth in Florida Derby (March 30 at Gulfstream) 90, 93, 89
3. Warrior’s Charge (12-1) SUPPLEMENTED $150,000 by Munnings
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Last race: first in allowance optional claiming race (April 12 at Oaklawn) 97, 89, 76
4. Improbable (5-2) by City Zip
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Last race: fourth in Kentucky Derby (May 4 at Churchill Downs) 96, 99, 95
5. Owendale (10-1) by Into Mischief
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Last race: first in Lexington (April 13 at Keeneland) 98, 74, 91
6. Market King (30-1) by Into Mischief
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jon Court
Last race: 11th in Blue Grass (April 6 at Keeneland) 39, 93, 77
7. Alwaysmining (8-1) by Stay Thirsty
Trainer: Kelly Rubley
Jockey: Daniel Centeno
Last race: first in Federico Tesio (April 20 at Laurel) 92, 96, 87
8. Signalman (30-1) by General Quarters
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Last race: third in Blue Grass (April 6 at Keeneland) 88, 83, 84
9. Bodexpress (20-1) by Bodemeister – dam is Ontario bred Pied a Terre
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: John Velazquez
Last race: 13th in Kentucky Derby (May 4 at Churchill Downs) 80. 96, 91 (maiden)
10. Everfast (50-1) by Take Charge Indy
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Last race: fifth in Pat Day Mile (May 4 at Churchill Downs) 74, 79, 65
11. Laughing Fox (20-1) by Union Rags – dam is Ontario bred SASKAWEA (stakes winner by Stormy Atlantic)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Last race: first in Oaklawn Invitational (May 4 at Oaklawn) 91, 89, 77
12. Anothertwistafate (6-1) by Scat Daddy – CANADIAN OWNED – PETER REDEKOP
Trainer: Blaine Wright
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Last race: second in Lexington (April 13 at Keeneland) 95, 94, 94
13. Win Win Win (15-1) BLINKERS ON by Hat Trick (Jpn)
Trainer: Michael Trombetta
Jockey: Julian Pimentel
Last race: ninth in Kentucky Derby (May 4 at Churchill Downs) 89, 88, 89
WOODBINE: LONG WEEKEND HAS 4 DAYS OF RACING, 3 STAKES
Sunshine Millions Classic winner SOUPER TAPIT, who won the Marine Stakes at Woodbine 2 years ago, is a headliner for the Grade 3 Eclipse Stakes on holiday Monday – GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO
Four days of racing at Woodbine this weekend will keep the community busy. Plus, we get a look at a few Queen’s Plate hopefuls on Sunday in the Queenston Stakes.
The Queenston will be joined by Saturday’s G3 Selene Stakes (featuring early Woodbine Oaks favourite and Champion 2yo filly Bold Script)and Monday’s G3 Eclipse Stakes for older horses.
Turf racing was expected to start this weekend but the incredible amount of rain in the last few weeks has left the ground soggy and races that were scheduled for grass were carded for the Tapeta.
G3 SELENE STAKES – Just 5 in the field, three from Mark Casse’s stable. BOLD SCRIPT for Chiefswood Stable and trainer Stuart Simon should be the boss as she takes her final step to the June 8 WOODBINE OAKS.
QUEENSTON STAKES – At 7 furlongs, it might not have a big impact on the June 29 Queen’s Plate but we get a look at last year’s route stakes winner DUN DRUM for the first time this year. The Ontario-sired guy is a neat story (make sure you get the June issue of Canadian Thoroughbred soon to read about the combo of co-owner Joan Addison and trainer Ian Black). The race has speedsters Souper Success and Couderoy Road and My Silencer meeting Federal Law who cuts back in distance and Dun Drum.
G3 ECLIPSE STAKES – Expecting another small field with Mark Casse’s barn thankfully entering horses to flesh out the fields. SOUPER TAPIT is coming back to a track he likes and he won the Sunshine Million Classic this winter. WONDER GADOT has also been nominated as she recently returned home.
FEEL GOOD STORY: MARYLAND RETIREMENT HOME RESIDENTS ENJOY RETIRED RACEHORSES
By Tara Bahrampour
A couple years ago, Elaina Thomas, who manages a horse farm north of Baltimore, was on a trail ride passing a nearby retirement community when the residents sitting on their porches waved to her. She could have gone over and let them see her horse up close and been done with it. But she had another idea.
Glen Meadows, the retirement community, sits on 300 acres of rolling Maryland hills that also includes Notchcliff Farm, where Thomas works and where several horses are retired from racing. What if residents of both places could come together on a regular basis?
At the same time, Jennifer Perkovich, fitness director at Glen Meadows, had been looking for a horse farm for the residents to visit because many of them had grown up in the area and been around horses in their younger years (the Pimlico Race Course, home of this Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, is just 15 miles away). Looking around, Perkovich realized there was a barn right there on the property. … Read More
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS HAS SUCCESSFUL OPENING
Manitoba’s great mare headed to Belmont
With the great Manitoba-bred mare ESCAPE CLAUSE plying her trade in the U.S., her home track of Assiniboia Downs opened for 2019 last Sunday May 12. Wagering was up 25% over a year ago which sets the table for a solid season at the Winnipeg track. Read more
Last weekend , the CTHS and HBPA Manitoba held its 2018 Awards night and to no surprise ESCAPE CLAUSE was named Horse of the Year and Champion Older Mare. That came a week after she was named Horse of the Year at the Alberta Awards.
At the Manitoba Awards, her breeders Cam Ziprick and Barry Arnason were named Breeders of the Year. Escape Clause’s award haul for 2018 is impressive from her Sovereign Award for Canadian Champion Older Mare, 2 Horse of the Year titles and Older Mare titles in 2 provinces and awards for her breeders and sire Going Commando.
CENTURY MILE’S STAKES DOUBLEHEADER MONDAY
TROOPER JOHN (Colonel John)
Trooper John and Born in a Breeze renew rivalry
by Curtis Stock:
The Hatfields had the McCoys. Batman had the Joker. Edmonton has Calgary.
And now it looks like Trooper John, trained by Tim Rycroft, has found a nemesis in Born in a Breeze, who is trained by Tim’s father, Tom.
At Century Mile’s opening day two weeks ago Trooper John and Born in a Breeze both lagged behind the rest of the field during the early going. Trooper John moved first sweeping past the front runners to take the lead with about an eighth of a mile to go. But Born in a Breeze had the last laugh storming past Trooper John like he had just robbed a bank late in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length.
Last year, the pair met twice. On June 9 it was Born in a Breeze making an early one and again winning by half a length over Riversedge’s homebred Trooper John, who dead heated for second with Double Bear. On May 19, in The Journal Handicap, it was Trooper John who prevailed holding off Born in a Breeze by a diminishing neck in a swift 1:10 1/5.
Three meetings. Three nail-biting close finishes. Three times they ran first and second.
Now, in Monday’s Journal renewal at Century Mile they meet again. “Two nice horses,” said Tim. “There doesn’t look like there’s a lot of separation between the two. They’ll both try hard. It all depends on how the race shakes out.
“I fully expect Trooper John to be better on Monday than he was in his first start this year,” said Tim. “Born in a Breeze was winter raced while Trooper John was coming off a long layoff.”
HORSE RACING WAITS FOR GOVERNING BODY
The aftermath of the Kentucky Derby (G1) continues to to hog headlines with the recent 15 day suspension of jockey Luis Saez who rode Maximum Security to victory only to be disqualified to that colt’s owner/breeders Gary and Mary West appealing the DQ to a high court.
It certainly has been a tough year for horse racing from all points. The cry for a governing body, a la other sports such as football, baseball, etc. continues. The Louisville Courier-Journal wrote and interesting article on the topic: From Derby DQ to Lasix, horse racing has problems. Could a national set of rules help?
