If you didn’t get blown away by the tornados that touched down throughout southern Ontario and in the Toronto area – check out some new links on THOROUGHBLOG.
The new TODO numbers are quickly becoming a craze – it’s not a speed figure, it’s a compilation of a horse’s ability and performance and the numbers come with a cool graph of a horse’s form.
IN-FORM SHEETS are also becoming popular and offer a rating of each horse too.
CHECK OUT THE WOODBINE MILE TOP 5 CONTENDERS ON THE MAIN PAGE OF THROUGHBLOG TOO!
RE: WINDFIELDS RELEASE
Located on the news today is a release from Windfields about the farm closing its doors.
This news was in the pages of DAILY RACING FORM last July:
http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=96095&subs=0&arc=1
WINDFIELDS TO CLOSE ITS DOORS
Legendary Windfields Farm is closing its commercial doors after 72 years of serving the world’s racing industry with some of the best bloodlines and horse care in the sport.
The Oshawa, Ontario, farm, which was the birthplace of the great Northern Dancer, will revert to being a family enterprise of breeding mares and racing foals as of Nov. 1.
“We are shutting down our stallion station and returning to a private farm,” said Noreen Taylor, the vice president of Windfields. “The commercial nature, and the community of staff that goes with it, is coming to a close.”
The farm currently stands four stallions and foaled 114 mares this spring for dozens of clients. Ten of the mares that produced foals are owned by Windfields.
Taylor’s late husband, Charles, was the son of E.P. Taylor, who purchased the Windfields Farm property in 1950.
WOODBINE THURSDAY
OFFICER’S DREAM ran a 78 Beyer Figure to win a super maiden allowance event in race 3 – her first career start – and she paid a healthy $17.
The Officer filly had worked in :10 flat for a 2yo sale in Florida this winter and, if you watched her video, you would have been impressed how easily she made that prep look. She won in 57.83 for 5 furlongs yesterday over the Robert Tiller trainee AMAZON BELLE, an impressive Canadian bred from breeder Jennifer Leuty.
Officer’s Dream is owned by Janice Attard and Robert Harvey and trained by Sid Attard.
Congrats to trainer STEVE ROBERTS who won his first race of the meeting with the Langfuhr filly BEATRICE M. The Gus Schickedanz-bred was making her 3rd career start and first on the grass and won at 6 to 1 for owners Michael Loughry and Gerry Morello,
The filly is out of Little Star Vicky, dam of so many turf winners and this gal cost just $7,112 (US) at auction.
No one wants PHOR PHILIPPE it seems. The Where’s the Ring gelding, an $8K buy in Kentucky and an Ontario bred from Tony and leslie Russo, won for the 4th time in his 7th race in 2009 yesterday for $16K claiming and stayed in the barn of Bob Tiller and Howard Fishman.
The steady, closing type has won for $12,500 and $16K all season with Corey Fraser riding.
He is the first 4-time winner of the WOODBINE MEETING.
His dam, Buffy One, had 3 previous runners and no winners from 32 starts.
80TH CANADIAN DERBY TOMORROW!
TO VIEW EQUIBASE PP’S FOR THE CANADIAN DERBY NOMINATIONS, click here:
http://www.thehorses.com/files/Canadian%20Derby.pdf
EDMONTON SUN:
Favourite draws preferred slot
Stylish Citizen an invader from Toronto
By Paul Owen, Freelance
Things are already going right for Stylish Citizen.
The 8-to-5 morning line favourite in the 80th running of the Canadian Derby at Northlands Park was the first name drawn at Wednesday’s post-position draw.
The three-year-old from Toronto will start in the coveted fifth post in Saturday’s race.
“(Jockey Jim) McAleney wanted five, and he’s rode out here before,” said Brian Ross, assistant trainer for Stylish Citizen.
McAleney won the 2004 Canadian Derby on Organ Grinder. It will be his job to guide Stylish Citizen around the tight corners of the Northlands track, an adjustment from the bigger Woodbine course the horse is usually racing on.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Favourite+draws+preferred+slot/1911402/story.html
SKY CLASSIC, ETERNAL SEARCH, BELLE GESTE all honoured
Some of the greats of Canadian racing past will be honoured this weekend.
The SKY CLASSIC STAKES, a Grade 2, pits the top 4 from the Grade 2 Nijicnky last month at a slightly longer distance on Sunday.
RAHY’S ATTORNEY, the likely Sky Classic fave, is using this race for the WOODBINE MILE, while second fave MARCHFIELD is headed to the Canadian International along with CHAMPS ELYSEE.
EQUIBASE OFFRS FREE DAILY RACING FORM PP’S FOR THE SKY CLASSIC:
http://www.equibase.com/rotw/drf.pdf
MARCHFIELD eyes the SKY CLASSIC. Photo by TERENCE DULAY.
IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO…
HI-5 bet at Woodbine tomorrow
THERE is no HI-5 betting at Woodbine Race Course but the Arima Race Club (ARC) have made arrangements for Trinidad and Tobago punters to play this popular wager on racing from Canada’s No. 1 track.
ARC official Roger Hadeed revealed yesterday that starting tomorrow race fans will be allowed to place HI-5 bets once per day from Woodbine racing, which the ARC recently began simulcasting. Hadeed pointed out that this menu will be available four days a week (Wednesday until Saturday) and the designated race for HI-5 betting will be announced a day in advance.
The bet will begin tomorrow with a single-winner bonus of $2,500, courtesy Ceramic Trinidad Limited.
And punters will have an advantage over the HI-5 betting in this country as the club’s take will be only 15 per cent, compared with the 29 per cent (including eight per cent for single-winner bonus) at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.
The HI-5 wager has been a revelation since it came on stream at Santa Rosa as there have been at least a handful of payouts in the $100,000 range .
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=161520746
TROUBLES AT DEL MAR
Two more horses put down at track
By Hank Wesch
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
DEL MAR — Two horses were euthanized after being injured during workout sessions over the main track yesterday morning, raising the number of fatalities here this summer to 10.
At 7:25 a.m., Sovine, a 4-year-old filly with 23 career starts trained by Herbert Bacorn, suffered a broken right front pastern, the bone just below the ankle, according to a track veterinary report. Sovine had just finished a half-mile workout in 48 seconds.
At 9:10 a.m., Pauper’s Prize, a 3-year-old colt with four lifetime starts trained by Vladimir Cerin suffered a broken left shoulder while galloping on the east (clubhouse) turn, according to the report.
Seven horses were euthanized because of injuries from July 19-30,
