WILD

 

SNOW DAY – an amazing image of a young Thoroughbred playing in the early snow

in Ontario. Photo by Santino DiPaola

 

157-156

That is the score in the Jockey race for most wins at Woodbine this year.
Luis Contreras narrowly over Patrick Husbands and we head into the 9 cards.

 

WOODBINE WRAP – Friday – more like the Wild West at Woodbine

Baby, it’s cold outside and the elements this week have been tough on humans and horses.
Friday’s racing, with some big fields, would have been a trip handicapper’s dream card for all the notes one had to take on tough trips for horses. Problem is, with only two handfuls of racing dates left, will any horses run back?

Race 1- B T ‘S BABY, at 10 to 1, strolled  to victory on the outside in this 2yo filly race for $32,000 claiming. This Vibank – Purite Select, by Formal Dinner miss is 2 for 6 in her career and she  was ridden by Ericka Smilovsky for Natural Eight Stable and trainer Bill Tharrenos.
It has been a big year for the Tharrenos team with 16 wins at Woodbine, 21 overall.

Race 2- STORMIN CLOONEY led all the way under Luis Contreras to win this $12,500 claiming race. The grey 4yo was winning for the first time this year in his 8th race and he is trained by Stuart Simon for himself and Brent and Russell McLellan. It was the 2nd race without blinkers for the son of Stormy Atlantic.
In this race, WISDOM LISTENS broke slowly from the rail and was in traffic trouble before closing nicely, but too late.

Race 3- A front running win by MARITIME PULPIT was popular as he got a lot of attention on Facebook from his human friends. This 3yo gelding was ridden by Patrick Husbands who nursed this Pulpit homebred of Ben Hutzel to the win in his 11th try. The race was a $25,00 claiming event. His younger half brother is Passion for Action, a top 2yo this season. Mike DePaulo trains.
In the stretch run, LUMBER MAN who finished third, came in a bothered Adaptor who was tired but there was not inquiry. Later, an almost idential incident resulted in a disqualification.

 

Race 4- Maiden fillies, Ontario sired, and LETTER FLY led all the way with her blinkers back on for owner and breeder Janet Jeanpierre. Ian Black trains this light grey gal by Alphabet Soup out of Flying Tabriz by Turkoman. Emma0Jayne Wilson rode the filly to win this maiden allowance.
The race was spiced up by the rocketing move by FOR TRIXIE from last place and around the turn as she went from 9th place to 2nd place in a blink but then she started lugging in very badly and her rider Ericka Smilovsky had to  grab a hard hold of her and hang on. The Old Forester filly seems to have some ability but perhaps was a bit tired from that wild move around the turn.

Race 5 – Congratulations to ARTHUR SILVERA who got his first winner of the season with a horse that just arrived in his barn a month ago. DATA BASED, a 3yo by Survivalist, had been claimed for $4,000 at Fort Erie and he raced there a few times before heading back to Woodbine. The gelding was adding blinkers for this $8,000 claiming race and, just as he did in May, he won his first race with the blinkers. He was 40 to 1 under Matt Moore.
Tish Warwick owns the Ontario bred.

Race 6-  a maiden 2yo race for $32,000 claiming was won in impressive fashion by DAN AND RED, a Munnings gelding who flew past the field from far back and won big under Justin Stein. Sam DiPasquale owns and trains the gelding after claiming him from his latest, his 2nd career start.
Dipasquale has won with 4 of his last 11 claimed runners and he has another one running today.
In this race, an erratic Hutchy bore in through the stretch run and bumped Voynich, who was tiring (similar to the 3rd race incident) and he was disqualified from 4th to 10th.

race 7 – This was vintage Patrick Husbands. As the leader for the Sovereign Award for champion jockey based on the work he did with Lexie Lou and his 150 plus wins, Husbands rode BEAR’S TAURUS in this $10,000 claiming race like he was possessed. Hey, he was on the best horse but wow, what a journey he had.
The gelding was in the back of the large field early and out in the 5 path as the field went into the turn. It was at that point when SEETHING, under Helen Vanek, appeared to drop in and Husbands had to grab Bear’s Taurus just in time to avoid a spill. Seething went on with things while wide and Husbands had to regroup his gelding and then they splits horses and drove on to the win for owner and trainer Jamie Attard.
The handsome Bear’s Taurus is 5 for 25 in his career and he was claimed by Mike Edwards.
The race’s 70 Beyer Figure was the highest Beyer of the afternoon.

Race 8 – WINGS OF PARADISE, a well bred 4yo by Langfuhr out of champion Gandria, won for the 2nd time this year in this $20,000 optional claiming race for Keith and Rachel McClelland. Gerry Olguin rode the filly in this 6 furlong dash and it was her 3rd career win. Tiny Bear was claimed from the race by Aurora Meadows.

Race 9 – FLIGHT PATH won her maiden by a neck in this $8,0o0 claiming event for Rocco d’Alimonte and Frank Annechini. Catherine Day Phillips trained the filly who was claimed by Nick DeToro. Eurico da Silva rode te grey gal to the win.

WEDNESDAY, snow day!

Snow fell for most of the night and the track maintenance crew was hard at work between races, grooming and prepping the Polytrack.

Of note for the night was the Daily Double sweep by trainer Ricky Griffith and jockey David Garcia: ZEBRANO won a maiden race for Racing Canada and she is by Old Forester, while LADY OF MORAY won for $20,00 maiden claiming for Spring Farm and she is by Philanthropist.

The Featured race, race 7, was a 9 furlong allowance for Ontario sired runners and QUIET COUNTRY led all the way to post a 72 Beyer Figure, the highest of the night. This is a a Silent Name – At a Country gelding owned and bred by Ralph Shepherd and co-owned by Neil Shepherd. Bruce Smither trains.

 

BIG RACES WITH CHAMPIONSHIP RAMIFICATIONS

Champion 2 year-old male in Canada is up for grabs for CONQUEST TSUNAMI today as he competes in the Delta Downs Jackpot. The Canadian bred by Stormy Atlantic would need to win this race, or come close, to beat out his stablemate Conquest Typhoon for the award.

KARIBU GARDENS is in action at Gulfstream in a Grade 3 and he could challenge Dynamic Sky for champion male turf horse with a win.

Tomorrow at Woodbine, sprinters go for the Kennedy Road and SHARP SENSATION is the leader for top sprinter with Calgary Cat in the field. A win by the Cat could make things interesting.

 

5:15 est.  DELTA DOWNS JACKPOT S.-GIII, $1,000,000, 2yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ML

1 Prime Engine K Mark DeDomenico LLC Gene Tenbrink (KY) Hollendorfer 8-1
(c, 2, Northern Afleet–Gravy Train’s Song, by Unbridled’s Song) R Baze

2 Dekabrist Gennadi Dorochenko Mineola Farm II LLC (KY) Dorochenko 30-1
(c, 2, Street Boss–Shutterbug, by Deputy Minister) Rios

3 Mr. Z K Zayat Stables LLC Richard D Maynard (KY) Lukas 5-2
(c, 2, Malibu Moon–Stormy Bear, by Storm Cat) Lopez

4 Conquest Tsunami K Conquest Stables LLC   Josham Farms Ltd & Yvonne Schwabe (ON) Casse 4-1
(c, 2, Stormy Atlantic–Classic Neel, by El Corredor) Bridgmohan

5 Saratoga Heater PR Racing Machmer Hall (NY) Stall Jr 15-1
(c, 2, Temple City–Hot Spell, by Salt Lake) Rosario

6 Golden Actor K T’bred Champion Training Center Catherine Parke, Susan Knoll & Stonestreet (KY) Roncancio 7-2
(c, 2, Curlin–Clever Actress, by Theatrical {Ire}) Gallego

7 Red Button K Al & Saundra S Kirkwood Blue Heaven Farm LLC (KY) Glatt 12-1
(c, 2, Distored Humor–Skipping Around, by Skip Trial) T Baze

8 Wake Up Nick Reddam Racing LLC Lee & Susan Searing (CA) Mora 10-1
(c, 2, Cindago–Storm Hearted, by Lion Heart) Gutierrez

9 Far Right K Harry T Rosenblum Nossab LLC & Patrick J Crowley (KY) Moquett 10-1
(c, 2, Notional–Zindi, by Vindication) Lanerie

10 Ocho Ocho Ocho K DP Racing LLC Siena Farms LLC (KY) Smith 6-1
(c, 2, Street Sense–Winner, by Horse Chestnut {SAf}) Smith
Also Eligible:

11 Unblunted K Slam Dunk Racing Hurstland Farm (KY) McCarthy 15-1
(c, 2, Sharp Humor–Bright Orange, by Bright Launch) Talamo

12 Two Six Wins K Fetkin, Fazio, Joslin, Ciardella & Pender Rcng Labhras Draper, Randolph Little & Darley (KY) Pender 20-1
(c, 2, Midshipman–Friona, by Allen’s Prospect) Pedroza

Saturday, Gulfstream Park West, post time: 3:29 p.m. EST
TROPICAL TURF H.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/8mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML

1 Rapscallion K Speightstown Saez Motion 10-1
2 Lubash Freud Blanc Clement 3-1
3 Reporting Star Circular Quay Marquez Parente 6-1
4 Dreams Cut Short Belong to Me Prado Maker 5-1
5 Edge of Reality K Lawyer Ron Bravo Motion 8-1
6 Grand Tito K Candy Ride (Arg) Gonzalez Sano 6-1
7 Lochte Medaglia d’Oro Bocachica Vitali 5-2
8 Unbridled Command Master Command Zayas Wolfson 20-1
9 Karibu Gardens Flower Alley Goncalves Carroll 12-1

Main Track Only:
10 Midnight Cello Midnight Lute Jara Vitali 4-1
11 Valid K Medaglia d’Oro Bocachica Vitali 9-5
12 Csaba Kitten’s Joy Zimmerman Gleaves 6-1
13 I’m Steppin’ It Up Congrats Caraballo Pecoraro 12-1

 

 

CALIFORNIA FINALLY GETS WHIP RULES (that Ontario implemented several years ago)
Ed Zieralski:
DEL MAR — The California Horse Racing Board on Wednesday changed the name of the jockey’s whip to “riding crop” and initiated a rule that jockeys may only use it three times in succession on a horse before stopping to let the horse respond.

Meeting at Del Mar’s Surfside Race Place, the CHRB discussed a long list of issues related to the state’s horse racing business, but the amendment to CHRB Rule 1688, Use of Whips (now Riding Crops), was the most impactful to daily racing, jockey strategy and gambling. One commissioner, Steve Beneto, recommended that whips be dropped completely and that jockeys just hand-ride horses.

“We talked to Mike Smith, Gary Stevens, Alex Solis and Kent Desormeaux, all Hall of Fame jockeys, and they are on board with this,” said Darrell Haire, regional representative for the Jockeys’ Guild. “The riding crop is a valuable tool that allows the rider to get the best out of his horse. It’s used for control and for encouragement.”

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/nov/19/horse-racing-whip-limit-jockeys/

 

SOVEREIGN AWARDS – who is in contention…

The Canadian racing meetings are all over except for a couple weeks left at Woodbine. Most of the major races have been run. Here is a look at some of the contenders for Sovereign Awards for championship honours in Canadian racing – 2104:

2yo filly – CONQUEST HARLANATE won the Natalma and Mazarine, both graded stakes and is the top contender over BROOKLYN’S WAY, the Princess Elizabeth winner

2yo colt – The Coronation Futurity has yet to be run and could determine the winner of this category. The colts have shared the prizes – CONQUEST TYPHOON, PASSION FOR ACTION,  GLENVILLE GARDENS are all route stakes winners and other stakes winners are CONQUEST TSUNAMI (Delta Jackpot Saturday evening)  and PHIL’S COCKTAIL

3yo filly – LEXIE LOU

3yo colt – This looks a year where the champion sophomore could (should?) be from elsewhere – ALERT BAY is a multiple graded stakes winner for Peter Redekop this year in California and British Columbia. He won the BC Derby and beat older horses in the BC Premier’s while also taking the Echo Eddie Stakes at Golden Gate and placing in stakes at Santa Anita. He had high Beyer Figures and won over $380,000. The son of City Zip won stakes from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 3/8 miles.

His competition would be Coltimus Prime, the Prince of Wales winner, and Ami’s Holiday, the Breeders’ Stakes winner.

Older male – LUKES ALLEY has the edge over SKY CAPTAIN, PENDER HARBOUR and HIS RACE TO WIN

Older female – STRUT THE COURSE is the leader here based on her Maple Leaf win but it is a weak category

Male Turf – Looks like DYNAMIC SKY has won it thanks to his win in the Red Smith (Grade 3) last weekend at Aqueduct. He may be win shy but he ran a lotof good races in big events this year. Other contenders are KAIGUN and UP WITH THE BIRDS are not eligible  – KARIBU GARDENS, ALDOUS SNOW, RIVER SEVEN.

Female Turf – Perhaps DECEPTIVE VISION, LEXIE LOU, or SAVVY HESTER

Male Sprinter – The Kennedy Road is coming up and will be a huge race but SHARP SENSATION has won 3 stakes at 3 different tracks on 3 different surfaces already. CALGARY CAT  has to Kennedy Road to have a chance to beat the sensation for this prize.

Female Sprinter – SPRING IN THE AIR could have the edge currently. Silent Treat?

HORSE OF THE YEAR – Lexie Lou.