Great racing day at Woodbine with QUEEN’S PLATE CONTENDERS in action against some tough American-breds and champions Solid Appeal and Sisterly Love square off on the grass….
Toronto Ont.May 24, 2014.Woodbine Racetrack.R8 Hendrie Stakes Spring in the Air Jockey Patrick Husbands.WEG/michael burns photo
IT’S SPRING! FINALLY!
It was almost as if SPRING IN THE AIR, the 4-year-old filly, knew that spring was indeed, in the air.
On the first, actual, warm and sunny day of ‘spring 2014’, John Oxley’s champion filly put it all together and roared from far off a rapid pace to win the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.
Bred by WinStar Farm LLC and foaled at Anderson Farms in St. Thomas, ON, Spring in the Air almost always shows up with a good effort in her races while being a bit win shy. She won the Fury Stakes last year at 7 furlongs and was 2ndin the Woodbine Oaks and 4th in the Queen’s Plate. She went to the shelf in Sept. and returned with a mild rally in the Whimsical behind Purely Hot.
She simply just needed that race it appears, plus she needed a wild pace battle to develop between Purely Hot, who was 3 wide of shippers Kitty Wine and Unhedged. The pace was so fast (the fractions were 22.74, 45.32 but the track was not overly fast and it was a 3-horse battle) that Mekong Delta, who was last some 15 lengths behind at one point, flew around horses and was only a length back in 2nd. The 50 to 1 shot Aunt Els stalked the pace and rallied nicely for 3rd.
“Today she ran a decent race,” said jockey Patrick Husbands. “When I reached the five-eighths pole, I saw four horses going head and head so the most important thing I was interested in was not to get caught behind them when they start to stop. I took her out at the five-eighths pole and watched them and she just ran them down.”
The final time of 1:16/79 was just a 75 Beyer Figure. Spring in the Air is by Spring at Last out of Unbridled Run by Unbridled. Mark Casse trains the bay filly.
MORE FROM SATURDAY
RACE 1 – The day started well for the Oxley/Casse team as SKY AMERICA dug deep and held on to win the first race, an allowance/optional claiming event under Justin Stein. The filly was not favoured by was hard to pick against since she had simply moved too soon in her local opener when a runner-up.
She almost did the same thing yesterday but held off favoured 3yo GDANSK, a Canadian-bred for Mike Ambler. The winning Beyer was 72.
RACE 2- LAYOVER IN TOKYO became the 14th horse at Woodbine this year to double up in wins as the 4yo by U So Bad rallied from off the pace to win the $7,500 claiming race under Luis Contreras. Norm Knight trains the gelding.
RACE 3- FILL YOUR BOOTS got up in the last couple of strides to win thiis split of race 2 for $8,00 claiming. Mike Ambler owns the Bold Executive gelding who was bred by Hope Stock Farm in Ontario. Jesse Campbell rode the winner who was odds-on and ran much fast than the first split (68 Beyer vs. 51 Beyer).
the race was a scary one for FIRM BELIEVER who was rallying wide for a good share of the purse before Midnight Black seriously bore out and eliminated Firm Believer from any chance of a close finish. Midnight Black, riden by Tommy Wong, was disqualied for Firm Believer was placed fourth.
RACE 4 – There may be too many Egbert’s (a town up north) but TOO MANY EGBERT’S won a nice prize as he took a maiden allowance race in his 2nd career start. The Paul Buttigieg homebred is by Laura’s Lucky Boy (a son of Theatrical (Ire)) and out of Mount Royer by Silver Deputy. He was ridden by Davy Moran. He posted a 67 Beyer according to Daily Racing Form.
RACE 5 – Funny how we bet a horse one day and then next time, ignore the horse all together. CAP IN HAND, a favoured runner from this corner when he was 2nd at 30 to 1 in his season debut for the Tucci Stables, came right back and battled hard on the pace on the rail and won the maiden allowance at 5 to 1. This corner was all over INDIAN GUIDE, a Pin Oak fellow who was beaten a nose at 4 to 1 while the public was curiously riding BIG FIVE O, who finished last.
The winner is a Canadian-bred by Midnight Lute (wait, Tucci’s, Midnight Lute…) and he was bred by Kelynack Racing Stable Ltd. His dam is multiple grass stakes star Heyahohowdy.
Indian Guide is also a Canadian-bred by Cowboy Cal.The winning Beyer was a good 75. The winner was ridden by Chantal SKruse.
RACE 6 – SMARTYFLY was 2 to 5 and the Sam-Son filly made easy work of the field in the first grass race of the year. Eurico da Silva rode the filly with confidence as she reeled in speedy Crysta’s Court and held off She’s Popular to win the 7 furlong dash in 1:21.56, good for an 84 Beyer Figure.
The winner is trained by Malcom Pierce and she won the Wonder Where Stakes last year, seems poised for a good run in grass stakes in 2014.
RACE 7 – SERIOUS INDEED hopped to the lead and jumped into the winner’s circle for GRASSHOPPERS STABLE and trainer Paul Attard. The 6-year-old gelding was claimed last December for $16,000 by the Grasshoppers, a syndicate, and after a disastrous stint in Florida, got back to Woodbine to be 3rd in his local opener. he is by Its No Joke and Partick Husbands gave this even-money shot the perfect ride.
Fifth place finisher SAMMY ALEXANDER is a horse to watch after a dreadful journey.
RACE 9 ROYAL FURY posted the highest Beyer Figure of the day, 87, when she rallied to win the allowance/optional claiming race with ease. Eurcio da Silva rode the Langfuhr filly who is owned by Ammerman Stable and trained by Brian Lynch.
RACE 10 – WICKSTEAD won this maiden allowance for Gus Vlahos. The Olmodavor 3yo gelding, am $18,000 yearling purchase from Kingview Farm (Richard Day) stalked wide and powered away to a nice win in his 2nd career race. Billy Tharrenos trains and Omar Moreno rode. In the back of the field, first time starter ROYAL CALVADOS, by Niigon, was making up some ground on the rial but he veered right into the railing, hit it and bounced off.
Betting on the card was a decent $3.8 million.
Today’s picks for a blockbuster card at Woodbine are at jmbets.ca
QUEEN’S PLATE CONTENDERS get busy
Leading local Queen’s Plate potential starters ASSERTING BEAR, AMI’S HOLIDAY, HEART TO HEART and TOWER OF TEXAS meet American bred 3yos in the Marine Stakes on Sunday.
MATADOR, another Canadian-bred, is scheduled to race in a 5-horse field on Wednesday night.
SUPERMONIC, by Latent Heat, goes in the Marine Stakes today for trainer Todd Pletcher. Eclipse Thorougbred Partnership photo
MARINE S., $125,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m (AWT)
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Conquest Top Gun Pioneerof the Nile Da Silva Casse 8-1
2 Heart to Heart English Channel Wilson Lynch 15-1
3 Ami’s Holiday Harlan’s Holiday Contreras Carroll 8-1
4 Puntrooskie In Summation Campbell Gonzalez 6-1
5 Tower of Texas Street Sense Boulanger Attfield 15-1
6 Asserting Bear Bear’s Kid Suthrlnd-Krus Baker 3-1
7 Supermonic Latent Heat Husbands Pletcher 5-2
8 Matador Malibu Moon Elliott Casse 7-2
WE MISS ARTIE in New York, GETTING READY
Ken and Sarah Ramsay’s Queen’s Plate colt, the early favourite, is in New York with the Todd Pletcher string and is on track for the Plate on July 7. The colt may race once, in the Plate Trial, before the Plate.
PROMISING 4YO retired
DEPUTY DANIEL, an impressive winner earlier in the meeting for Terra Racing and Regis Racing, sufered an injury in that win and has been retired and re-homed. The son of Spring at Last – Flashy Anna won his maiden in his third career start and second start off a long layoff and he posted an impressive 86 Beyer Figure.
THE CHAMP HAS APPEAL
SOLID APPEAL, Jim and Susan Hill’s champion turf mare of 2013 is back at Woodbine and ready to defend her Nassau Stakes title today at Woodbine. The Successful Appeal mare had a tightener ont he Keeneland Polytrack just as she did in 2013 before she won the Nassau.
Jesse Campbell rides for trainer Reade Baker.
Morning Line favoured SISTERLY LOVE does not figure to actually be the favourite since she has never raced on grass and is by a low percentage turf sire. The mare, however, is the champion older mare for 2013 and has a few grass winning siblings.
Sam-Son Farms’ very talented Deceptive Vision was on theverge of perhaps being a superstar when she suffered an injury that sidelines her last year. She won her latest on grass at Fair Grounds with ease and in fast time.
Sunday, Woodbine, post time: 4:39 p.m. EDT
NASSAU S.-GII, $200,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Savvy Hester K Heatseeker (Ire) Stein Griffith 15-1
2 Solid Appeal K Successful Appeal Campbell Baker 4-1
3 Surtsey Heatseeker (Ire) Olguin Attard 20-1
4 Sisterly Love Bellamy Road Elliott Casse 5-2
5 Deceptive Vision A.P. Indy Bridgmohan Pierce 3-1
6 Avie’s Sense Street Sense Contreras Carroll 8-1
7 Queen’s Daughter (Fr) American Post (GB) Husbands Casse 6-1
8 Northern Passion K First Samurai Boulanger Casse 12-1
9 Why Katherine Whywhywhy S-Kruse Attard 15-1
10 Meri Shika (Fr) Spirit One (Fr) Da Silva Attfield 20-1
THOROUGHBLOG: TO GO TO THE BELMONT, or NOT TO GO..
To witness a Triple Crown winner in person would be the ultimate for any racing fan or horse lover or industry member. If it is going to cost a bundle, however, and you are not sure if the horse, this year, CALIFORNIA CHROME, is a major certainty to get it done, do you travel anyway?
Opinions welcome! Here is the possible line-up for June 7.
.BELMONT STAKES CONTENDERS
Horse Sire Trainer Last Start
Candy Boy Candy Ride (Arg) Sadler 13th GI Ky Derby
Commanding Curve Master Command Stewart 2nd GI Ky Derby
Commissioner A.P. Indy Pletcher 2nd GII Peter Pan
Intense Holiday Harlan’s Holiday Pletcher 12th GI Ky Derby
Kid Cruz Lemon Drop Kid Rice 8th GI Preakness
Matuszak Bernardini Mott 2nd F Tesio
Ride on Curlin Curlin Gowan 2nd GI Preakness
Samraat Noble’s Causeway Violette 5th GI Ky Derby
Social Inclusion Pioneerof the Nile Azpurua 3rd GI Preakness
Tonalist Tapit Clement 1st GI Peter Pan
Wicked Strong Hard Spun J Jerkens 4th GI Ky Derby
