A fun ride at racetracks in the south begins mid-afternoon with tons of stakes events and Kentucky Derby preps at Gulfstream and Risen Star…

cozy up in front of HORSEPLAYER INTERACTIVE and watch and wager all day long – don’t forget the almost $400,000 carryover on the last race at Woodbine Standardbred tonight!

 

**Friends of our fun and fabulous BARBARA PIRIE can send get welll soon cards to her sister Jan at Jan Pirie – 757142 2nd Line East – Mulmur ON L9V 0G or to the Orangeville hospital…

 

Horses shipped in from farms and training centres to WOODBINE yesterday, some 100 equine friends. The temperature was bitterly cold but better today with heavy snow expected until late Saturday. Training could begin tomorrow. MICHAEL BURNS/WEG PHOTO

 

THOROUGHBLOG PICKS MAJOR STAKES TODAY AT GULFSTREAM

 

UPSTART, from Gulfstream Park media, brings a 106 Beyer Speed Figure into the Fountain of Youth

 

Race 3- Okay, so I start off with an intriguing maiden allowance race which features the debut of the well-hyped JAPAN, a son of Medaglia D’Oro. Others in there of interest include DATA DRIVEN and Jim and Susan Hill’s FOURTH OF JULY.

Race 4- Grade 3 RAMPART – WEDDING TOAST over SHEER DRAMA

Race 5 – THE VERY ONE -Grade 3 – Canadian bred IRISH MISSION right back

Race 6 – GULFSTREAM PARK SPRINT – Grade 3 – There is Woodbine representation with Puntrooskie who could sneak into the Triactor… like SPEECHIFY

Race 8 – Grade 2 DAVONA DALE – thinking PUCA could be a really good one

Race 9 – Grade 2 MACDIARMIDA – loved that horse when he came to Woodbine (Mick der mid da_..anyway – return of champion MAIN SEQUENCE, looks pretty tough, like Stronach and Sid Attard to hit the triactor with MONEY TALKER

Race 10 Canadian Turf – Grade 3 – Can Excaper follow another grey from Canada, Izvestia and win this race? He has the rail, 3 bullet 5 furlong workouts, he looks very strong if he times his move right.  In exotics, Pick 4’s I will use GRAN TITO, SKY BLAZER, RING WEEKEND

Race 11 – Fountain of Youth – The speed of BLUEGRASS SINGER should not be taken lightly but UPSTART and FROSTED are very tough.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL STAR, winner of the Grey Stakes at Woodbine last year – meets IMPERIA at Fair Grounds – Steve Queen photo of IS. Eric Kalet photo

 

AT FAIR GROUNDS – The RISEN STAR STAKES – Grade 2 is a major Kentucky Derby prep – the promising J S BACH is scratched. Like TIZNOW RJ and IMPERIA

 

 

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH NEWS

Violette Seeking Second Fountain of Youth Success with Upstart
Trainer Rick Violette won’t be entering uncharted territory Saturday when he saddles Upstart for a start in the $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (G2). The veteran trainer achieved success in 2004 with Read the Footnotes, who posted a narrow victory in the key 1 1/16-mile prep for the Florida Derby (G1) and Triple Crown.
“Read the Footnotes ran his eyeballs out in the Fountain of Youth,” said Violette, whose trainee finished a neck ahead of favored Second of June while coming off victories in the Remsen and Nashua at Aqueduct the previous fall.
A New York-bred like Upstart, Read the Footnotes finished fourth in the Florida Derby as the even-money favorite, but his Gulfstream experience seemed to put the son of Smoke Glacken in a position to win the Kentucky Derby that year.
“At the half-mile pole he was sitting right behind Smarty Jones and his jockey Robby Albarado hadn’t asked him to run yet. Then the last eighth he started grinding. After he pulled up we found a knee chip and never ran again,” said Violette, noting that he had become excited by the possibility of winning the Kentucky Derby at the half-mile pole. “If you get me to the half-mile pole in the situation and the jockey hasn’t asked him to run yet, I’ll sign up now. We’ll take it from the half-mile pole home. I’d take that any day of the week.”
Smarty Jones won the Derby by 2 ¾ lengths before winning the Preakness and finishing second in the Belmont. Read the Footnotes faded to seventh in the Derby.
Violette made it the Kentucky Derby with a New York-bred horse again last year, when he saddled Samraat for a fifth-place finish, nose out by Jimmy Jerkens-trained Wicked Strong for fourth. Samraat had prepped in New York, where he won his first five starts before finishing second in the Wood Memorial (G1).
“Samraat, he was as brave as any horse we’ve had. He always found more. He ran a really good race and just got beat by Jimmy’s horse at the wire for fourth. He won a couple of Grade 2s and finished second in the Wood, so he was a real horse,” Violette said. “If Upstart has that much courage, we’ll be in good shape.”
Bluegrass Singer Gets Lopez for Fountain of Youth
Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner Bluegrass Singer will have a new rider for his next scheduled start in Saturday’s $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Paco Lopez will replace Javier Castellano in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, the Bluegrass Cat colt’s fourth start at the Championship Meet. Castellano has been aboard for the last two races, including a third-place finish in the $400,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2) on January 24.
Lopez will be the fourth jockey in nine starts to ride Crossed Sabres Farm’s Bluegrass Singer, following Orlando Bocachica, Hall of Famer Edgar Prado and Castellano.
“Boca got hurt and we went with Edgar, and Edgar had an obligation. Then Javier rode him twice, and Javier had an obligation,” trainer Marcus Vitali said. Cory [Moran, Lopez’s agent] approached me and I really thought it would be a good fit.”
Bocachica, recovering from a January 14 spill at Gulfstream, broke Bluegrass Singer’s maiden last October. Prado was up for an entry-level allowance victory on December 17,and Castellano guided him to a 1 ¾-length score in the Mucho Macho Man, formerly the Gulfstream Park Derby, on January 3.
“This horse has had a lot of different riders due to the obligations of the other riders, so it’s kind of been musical rider. Fortunately for me, it seems to work out,” Vitali said. “Every time a new rider has been on him, he’s won.”
Lopez and Vitali teamed up to win the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) on January 24 at Tampa Bay Downs as well as the Fred Hooper (G3) on the dirt February 7 at Gulfstream Park.
“Paco won a stake for me at Tampa and a stake for me at Gulfstream, so you’ve got to keep in line with what’s working. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Vitali said. “The horse likes to lay up close and he’s good with those types of horses. If the horse makes the lead, he’s good at rating the pace. It’s always good to get a horse you think will be compatible with your horse.”

 

QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS – pay attention you artist’s out there!!

 

 

The Queen’s Plate is looking for an official artist and it could be YOU!

Create your interpretation of Canada’s most prestigious horse racing event using various mediums including watercolour, oil, acrylic, pencil, design artwork and more! Submit your artwork before April 30, 2015 to artcontest@woodbineentertainment.com​​ and include a short description on the inspiration and techniques used for a chance to WIN:

* $1,000 CASH

* Queen’s Plate VIP Experience

* Display of the winning artwork at the 156th running of the Queen’s Plate on Sunday, July 5

* Artwork included in the 2015 commemorative Queen’s Plate program

* Invitation to participate in an autograph signing at Woodbine Racetrack following the Queen’s Plate event

ENTER TO BECOME THE OFFICIAL ARTIST OF THE 2015 QUEEN’S PLATE​

If there are any contest questions on artwork design submissions outside what is mentioned in the rules and regulations, please contact WEG Creative Director, Ken McConnachie at artcontest@woodbineentertainment.com

 

ORC AND WEG ANNOUNCE ENHANCED OUT OF COMPETITION TESTING
Now applies to Thoroughbred Grades I, II and III Stakes Races

The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) and Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) will further enhance the ORC’s current Out of Competition Testing (OCT) program. WEG will apply for reimbursement of qualifying out-of-pocket testing and laboratory expenses through The Jockey Club’s Out of Competition Testing Grant Fund (“Grant Fund”).

The Grant Fund has been established by The Jockey Club to assist in defraying out-of-pocket costs associated with out-of-competition testing programs for Graded Stakes races at eligible licensed Thoroughbred racetracks to promote the integrity of Thoroughbred racing.

In August 2014, WEG and ORC first announced an enhanced testing program pertaining to all Thoroughbred Grades I and II stakes races run at Woodbine Racetrack for the balance of that season. This Out of Competition testing has been enhanced once again through the 2015 season, and will now also apply to Grade lll stakes races.

All participants that nominate their horse(s) to Grade I, II and/or Grade III stakes races will be required to allow access to the horse(s) and consent to biological samples being collected from the horse(s) by the ORC or its representative.

The sample collection(s) will take place from the closing of nominations to running of the race, without further notice or warning.

Should a participant fail to produce a horse when requested, the horse will become ineligible to run in the race and the owner and/or trainer may be ineligible for licensing in Ontario. In addition, further regulatory action may be appropriate in these circumstances.

For further information on this initiative, please contact: ORC Assistant Manager of Racing Russ Fernandes at 416-213-0520.