MONDAY MORNING NEWS – ARCTIC COSMOS COMING TO WOODBINE..
. SECRETARIAT MOVIE OPENS IN 4 DAYS AND REPORTS HAVE WOODBINE HAVING SECRETARIAT DAY! (http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2010/10/04/daily1.html)
and more, more more.
HE’S SPECIAL – HAYNESFIELD, out of Josham Farms-bred mare NOTHING SPECIAL, wins the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Cindy Pierson Dulay www.horse-r
aces.net
ITS IN THE STARS, COSMOS IS COMING!
from Daily Mail
St Leger winner Arctic Cosmos set for start in $2m Pattison Canadian International
By David Milnes Last updated at 12:39 PM on 3rd October 2010
Arctic Cosmos, who gave William Buick his first classic success in the St Leger at Doncaster last month, is to have his next start in the $2M Pattison Canadian International at Woodbine on October 16th.
In the aftermath of his defeat of Mikhail Glinka and Corsica on Town Moor, trainer John Gosden had indicated the Breeders Cup Turf as a target for his son of North Light and is now planning to use a trip to Toronto as a staging post to Churchill Downs in November.
Gosden trod the same path with his 2008 Leger hero Lucarno but plans were undone by firm ground in Toronto on that occasion
and he could only finish eighth to the US trained Marsh Side.
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Watch the ENGLISH ST. LEGER here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0NpptKGF6A
BREEDERS CUP 360 ITEM
Gosden on blinkers, Arctic Cosmos, and a possible Breeders’ Cup run
“We had a house in the Hollywood Hills. I’m not sure why we ever left.” So an elated, but somewhat rueful, John Gosden reflected on his time in California after Raven’s Pass had gifted him a glorious “homecoming” in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Since his return to Britain in 1990, the languid trainer has consistently used his West Coast grounding as a reference frame for his methodology. When first he would refer to a horse having done “22 and change,” it jarred a little with an audience unaccustomed to analysis through the specifics of sectional timing.
Now, the world is a much smaller place; a British enthusiast or handicapper has been able to enjoy American racing on satellite TV channels for several years, while U.S. and Southern hemisphere horses are regular enough visitors to Royal Ascot and other major meets through the summer. World Thoroughbred Rankings have enabled us to contextualize more effectively performances from one continent to another.
Thus, it hardly seemed out of kilter when Gosden told how he had elicited some much needed improvement from his St. Leger (G1) hero Arctic Cosmos by “putting these semi-blinkers on, the same that Secretariat used to wear in America, to aid his concentration.”
Gosden’s enlightened thinking on the application of headgear, however, remains curiously anathema to the European horseplayer. Whilst ‘Blinkers ON’ is a delicious angle for U.S. bettors, the equivalent ‘b1′ in Britain sends shivers down the spine, apparently codifying an animal as difficult at best, a complete dog at worst.
http://www.breederscup360.com/archives/2010/gosdens-cosmic-turf-plan-looks-smart/
THE POWER OF THE ZEN
100 Beyer for 19th win
Did anyone every think she was actually going to get up to win this time?
Deep into the stretch of Hollywood Park at about 7:17 Sat. evening (EST) Zenyatta had tipped out and was furiously trying to catch up to Switch, who had scampered away to a two length lead. For sure, Zenyatta was a deserving 1 to 10 shot on paper but
ppeared to have given herself too much to do. Then suddenly, she switched gears herself and caught Switch, just barely.
19 for 19 and with one more race to go.
Surely the older horse group she will meet in the Classicwill be within her reach and that long stretck run at Churchill will be nice too.
The all stakes pick 4 at Belmont was gettable and would have got you $1,200 for 1 dollar. Your truly was all over AVE and HAYNESFIELD, but keyed Unrivaled Belle in the Beldame and paid the price. OUCH.
Congrats to ROGER ATTFIELD, whose grass horses have been cleaning up all over the place – AVE won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl by a neck and paid a nice $23 She was bouncing back with a good effort and earned a 97 Beyer.
Ave has only raced once at Woodbine so is currently not a Sovereign Award eligible.
AVE (ABOVE) AFTER HER FLOWER BOWL WIN – TRAINER ROGER ATTFIELD, not shown, has been on a roll with his turfers in the US).
SOUTHDALE SURGES
94 Beyer inm 100th Durham Cup
Rod Ferguson’s lovely black colt SOUTHDALE got back to doing what he does best, race on Polytrack, and he cut the croner and sped away to a clear win in the Grade 3 Durham Cup.
The 4yo, once a Queen’s Plate prospect last year before he got hurt, won the Grade 3 Eclipse warlier this year but had spent just a bit too much time dabbling in grass races and it seems he does not like that surface.
Now with 2 graded stakes wins on his side, he takes a slight lead in the race for champion older horse in Canada over SOUTH COVE, a 3 time stakes winner who has won one graded event.
Lots more racing to go, we’ll see who wins the Autumn and goes on to be the top older horse according to the voters for the Sovereigns.
Southdale is by Street Cry out of Pinafores Pride by Saint Ballado. He is 4 for 9 for the Ferguson family and trainer Ian Black and his career earnings are up to over $350,000.
MORE SUNDAY WOODBINE
Luis Contreras booted home the DAILY DOUBLE to kick off a cold, cloudy Sunday at the Bine.
The winner of the first race was the impeccaby bred MAGICAL MERRY, the first foal of graded stakes winning grasser MONA ROSE, the good mare of the O`Brien family who was sold by them to Stan Dodson.
The 2yo debut winner, a filly by Aragorn, rallied for the Polytrack win despite her super grass breeding, and is American owned, by David Ross, whose horses are trained locally by Mike Pino, although Amber Mayers is currently the name trainer while Pino is sitting out a suspension.
Magical Merry was a $60,000 local yearling purchase and that is unusual since Dodson lets a yearling go at auction.
Another fancy debut winner was FUN FILLED, a cute name for a cute filly, who rallied to win her debut on the grass for owner and breeder Pin Oak Stud. The daughter of Distorted Humor is out of turf stakes winner Confessional. She was 5 to 1.
JENNY’S SO GREAT was great in winning the Carotene Stakes at 9 furlongs on the grass. The Greatness filly has certainly been one of the stranger runners in the last year. She was a speedy 2yo and stakes placed but a bust this spring when she could not seem to get anything going. All of a sudden, she woke up when trainer Greg de Gannes took a big chance and dropped her in for $40K
claiming, and then moved her to the grass. From a Lost Soldier mare, the filly was bred in Ontario by David Cassidy and was an American purchase.
The bay 3yo has had 6 different jockeys in her last 7 races but was a TRIPLE ADVANTAGE BEYER FIGURE HORSE in the race.Owners Bill and Vicki Poston owned Southern Exchange, a local stakes winner who is now racing for $10K claiming.
GIVING IT ALL SHE HAS
Medabuck wins for Philanthropist
The Kris S. stallion PHILANTHROPIST had his first stakes winner as a sire Saturday when James Redekop’s MEDABUCK, a $25,000 yearling purchase, won the Victorian Queen Stakes at Woodbine.
The fleet dark bay gal runs like her older half brother SWAMP LINE, who was a fast stakes winner at 2. This gal, bred by Ron Clarkson (who bred the recently retired Twisted Wit) led all the way through 6 furlongs to win her 2nd race in as many starts.
Redekop said he came into town from the west coast to watch when trainer Terry Jordan suggested the owner come to see his filly out of Opening Line as she had been training well.
The filly was bet off the board – 8 to 5, despite racing against stakes winner Lucky Be Me and others.
Philanthropist is well behind Old Forester for leading freshman sire but this speedy filly should help his numbers.
MORE SATURDAY
Race 1 featured a maiden score by a nice prospect by the name of TOP THE PODIUM, an Ontario bred by classy sire MEDAGLIA DÒRO out of the champion 2yo filly MY VINTAGE PORT, by Porto Foricos.
The bay colt, bought by Mike Ambler and partners from Ken Parsley and Rick Pettifer (about $60,000 at auction) wore down speedster Riopelle for the win in the 7 furlong dash. It was his 2nd career start and Malcolm Pierce trains the bay, February-born fellow.
Race 2, one of the contenders WORTH A PUNT went too fast on the pace (he was trying blinkers on for the first time) and stopped while rallying RAGING STAR won for the 2nd time this year for owner and trainer Nick Nosowenko. The winner is a Five Star Day gelding who was previously 0 for 8 in races at one and one-sixteenth miles.
Race 3 – 2yo fillies and the fave CHACHALACA went to the lead and kept on going in that position to win the $25K claaiming event for owner Rolph Davis. The filly, a local yearling sale purchase is by Langfuhr out of Playwild and was bred by Gus Schickedanz.
SUGAR BAY, a top 3yo filly two years ago, may not be the same gal she was then but she worked hard over squishy grass to win the BELLE GESTE overnight stake for George Strawbridge and trainer Mac Benson. The Syncline gal stalked Mullins Beach all the way and then edged clear in deep stretch.
AMERICAN GRADED STAKES WINNERS COME FROM LONG LINE OF CANADIAN-BREEDING
HAYNESFIELD, winner of the prestigious JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP and JAYCITO, a maiden winner in the Grade 2 Norfolk Stakes on the weekend, brought to the headlines some cool breeding from Canada.
HAYNESFIELD, an overlay in the Grade 1 Gold Cup as the lone speed is by SPEIGHTSTOWN, so it was actually a bit tricky to see him making 1 1/4 miles all the way in front.
But the colt’s dam is NOTHING SPECIAL, who raced at Woodbine in route races (she was a local yearling sales graduate), was a stakes winner of about $274,000 and is by Tejabo out of Moody Maiden.
Nothing Special was bought for about $3,500 at auction at Woodbine and raced for trainer Marty Wansborough for a few races until she was sold to Barry Weisbord. NOTHING SPECIAL was bred by Ted Burnett’s Josham Farms.
The mare is a granddaughter of the great Canadian mare COOL MOOD.
JAYCITO is a son of Canadian-bred sire SMART STRIKE and out of Lynne Hindmarsh’s former runner NIGHT EDITION, a daughter of Ascot Knight from Lydia STar. The Norfolk winner was bred by Runnymede Stables and partners, which bought the mare for $62,000 at the Keeneland Nov, sale from a Hindmarsh dispersal. Night Edition was bred but not in foal to Tethra for that sale.
Her only other foal is a 5yo of this year.
REAL EYE OPENER
Quarter horses are fast and fun at the Fort
Fort Erie quarter horse racing started off with a bang when Michele Raekelboom gunned STREAKING EYE OPENER to a clear win in the first event of the day, a starter allowance worth $10,000.
Owned by Alan Todd, the gelding was winning for the 3rd time in his 10th race.
The seventh race was the Peace Bridge Stakes, a race for three-year-olds and up going 870 yards (10 yards short of four furlongs, or slightly less than a half a mile). The first Quarter Horse stake went to the handsome grey Silver Grill, earning the winner’s share of the $40,000+ purse for owner Sharen MacGregor. Ontario trainer Barry Wood, said “I was so happy to win this today.
The owner had a heart attack two weeks ago, and was here to see this great effort. If we get in, Silver Grill will be back for the Distance Challenge here on October 24th. ”
Winning Jockey, Marty Mercieca said “I had won on him two races back at Ajax Downs, and just loved this horse. He took the turn
really well, and gave his all to the wire.”
Mercieca was also aboard the winner of the final stake of the day the Fort Erie Bank of America Challenge, a $35,000 added race
for three-year-olds and up going 250 yards (30 yards more than one furlong, or 1/8th of a mile). Mercieca took the photo finish
aboard Johnny R Smith, for local owners Craig and Peter Spada of Fort Erie. The Spada family was out in full force to cheer on heir stable star as his career earnings cleared the $100,000 mark.
“He’s better at 400 yards,” explained Peter Spada. “This was a tricky distance but Johnny came through. I think Marty made the difference. He’s a helluva jockey.”
It was clearly a good day for Fort Erie veteran rider Marty Mercieca. “The Bulldog” took a bite out of opening day — he tallied four wins – 50% of the day’s race card.
Quarter Horse racing has proven to be a welcome addition to the live Thoroughbred racing program that will continue to be offered at this historic track. Live Quarter Horse racing returns on Saturday, October 9th and Saturday, October 16th with a 1:30 post time.
The weekend of October 23rd and 24th will have added attractions for families as well as the Battle of the Breeds – featuring mixed RAce cards and two races in which Quarter Horses will race against Thoroughbreds. Post time will be moved up to 12:30 for the
final weekend.
PROOF IS IN THE …PHOTOS?
Fifty Proof keeps win
CANGAMBLE, another local blog, has both photos from 2 of the big “bust the gate open before everyone else” occurences this year
(there have been others).
INDIAN APPLE IS was odds on, won her race despite getting a head start, and was considered a non starter right after the race.
FIFTY PROOF’s break through the gate move was not noticed by anyone other than horseplayers and horsemen.
The video evidence seems to be simple to understand but no one seems to understand dethe verdict where the appeal by rival horsemen to decLAre him a non-starter the horse from the win was denied.
There must be something that can explain this away…
see for yourself: http://www.cangamble.blogspot.com/
HEARD: INVITATION ONLY SOLD, CLASSIC LEGACY TOO
Simcoe Stakes winner INVITATION ONLY has reportedly been sold to Earle Mack and will be traine dby Mark Frostad. The One Way Love fellow had a nice workout recently:
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/Woodbine/News/Pages/Videos.aspx
Reports have also come through that CLASSIC LEGACY (Florida-bred by Macho Uno) undefeated in 2 races and holder of a whopping 87 Beyer Figure, has been sold by trainer Bob Tiller to trainer Bob Baffert.
