**Thoroughblog will join JASON PORTUONDO for a PEGASUS WORLD CUP DISCUSSION on G98.7  FM.Saturday morning at about 11:20-11:30-a.m. – .listen live http://g987fm.com/world-beat-sports

 

 

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SHAMAN GHOST, Ontario-bred, ready to fly in the Pegasus – VANESSA NG PHOTO from horse-races.net

 

TAKING FLIGHT

Arrogate is wearing 3/4 shoe, Shamam Ghost 3 furlongs Fri. morning 38.43

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ARROGATE, possibly worth $50 million – VANESSA NG, another great image

 

 

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CALIFORNIA CHROME – Vanessa Ng – horse-races.net

 

 

 

 

It is the biggest horse racing story since American Pharoah’s American Triple Crown run, especially from a Canadian standpoint.

Canadian auto marts magnate FRANK STRONACH’s super-sized idea to run the world’s richest race at his Gulfstream Park in the dead of winter, in which owners have to pay $1 million each to run int he race, is set to take flight.

The PEGASUS WORLD CUP, worth $12 million (about 7 to the winner), was featured on CNN, People magazine, every newspaper you can think of around the world and it will be on NBC tomorrow at 4:30 – thanks to Stronach putting up $1 million to have it aired.

Not only is Stronach from these parts (he built his Beechwood Farm in Aurora into a horse racing powerhouse in the 1980s and then Adena Springs into one of the world’s top breeders and stallion owners) but remarkably, his Queen’s Plate winner from 2 years ago, SHAMAN GHOST, has been delicately handled and prepared precisely to be in the 12 horse field.

Another Ontario-bred BREAKING LUCKY is also in the field, presenting a group of American owners and Etobicoke’s Reade Baker and Christine and Jay Hayden, who bred the colt in Lucan, Ontario.

On paper (yes, I know the race is not run on paper), there is no reason that the race will not come down to the 2 stars. CALIFORNIA CHROME, making the last start of his storied racing career and ARROGATE, arguably the most valuable horse in the world based on his breeding, looks and huge wins in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Travers Stakes. The Daily racing Form reported on Friday:

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Arrogate did develop an abscess on the inside of his right hind foot a few weeks ago. Baffert pointed out on Thursday, when Arrogate was paddock schooling before the races, that he has three-quartered that hind shoe – filing off the part of the shoe nearest the abscess – a common tactic used to try to prevent the abscess from being concussed by the shoe and becoming a quarter crack.

“He’s been marching right along, no excuses,” Baffert said. “My job is to have him super-cherry to run. He wasn’t getting on that plane unless he was super-cherry.”

 

The race has attracted attention from all sorts of media outlets:
CNN –
Once deemed among the world’s 100 most influential people, Belinda Stronach has overseen a 120,000-strong workforce and survived breast cancer.

Now she has turned her attention to the “sport of kings” and putting on the world’s richest horse race.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/sport/pegasus-world-cup-belinda-stronach-horse-racing/
SUN-SENTINEL.COM – MEET THE HORSES..

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/horseracing/fl-pegasus-meet-the-owners-20170126-story.html
PEOPLE.COM

http://people.com/sports/yes-theres-a-worlds-richest-horse-race-and-the-prize-is-a-whopping-7-million/

 

POST TIME IS 5:40 P.M. SATURDAY
Pegasus World Cup post positions
Here are the post positions with morning-line odds (and jockeys in parentheses):
1. Arrogate (Mike Smith), 7-5 – good post for speed colt, perhaps the most valuable horse in the world
2. Prayer for Relief (Florent Geroux), 50-1 – 9-year-old has not won in a race in 4 years
3. Neolithic (John Velazquez), 30-1 – youngsters won an allowance race on the lead last time out
4. Noble Bird (Julien Leparoux), 25-1 – very fast and needs the lead to have a chance to win
5. War Story (Antonio Gallardo), 50-1 just ran the race of his life in a race-long battle
6. War Envoy (Luis Saez), 50-1 –
7. Shaman Ghost (Jose Oritz), 20-1 – Queen’s Plate winner, Ontario bred, owned by Stronach
8. Semper Fortis (Tyler Gaffalione), 50-1 –
9. Keen Ice (Javier Castellano), 12-1 – good stretch runner comes off big workout
10. Breaking Lucky (Luis Contreras), 25-1 – Ontario-bred is on even terms with Shaman Ghost
11. Eragon (Edgar Prado), 50-1 – Mystery horse from Argentina
12. California Chrome (Victor Espinoza), 6-5 – Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Dubai World Cup…what else do you need to know?

 

OBS WINTER MIXED SALE
Dale Desruisseaux purchased a 3yo unnamed filly by Into Mischief for $6,700 at the first session of the OBC Winter sale on Wednesday. The filly is from the family of

Tower of Texas.

Here are the Ontario bred horses in the sale –

2,000 32 10 M Bristol Road Harlington Black Rock Road Line of David Ontario Kayleen Holstein, Agent 11
1,700 185 10 M Rocket Ninety Nine Medaglia d’Oro Tango Prospect Star Guitar Ontario Big Easy, Agent 6
OUT 200 14 G Super Saver American Armada Ontario Niall Brennan Stables, Agent V 13
8,000 210 13 C Gotta Get Away Candy Ride (ARG) Catch the Flag Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
19,000 213 13 F Run the World Strut the Stage Classic Reign Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
OUT 214 14 F Tell the Duchess Smart Strike Classira (IRE) Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
6,500 215 14 C Cleopatra’s Honor To Honor and Serve Cleopatra’s Finest Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
$15,000 216 12 G Sea to Sea Tiznow Dance to the Sea Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
OUT 228 13 G Last Class to Go Strut the Stage Go First Class Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14
273 12 G Strut the Ring Strut the Stage Torreadora Ontario Sam – Son Farm 14


4,700  464 04 M Opera Smart Strike Capdiva Shackleford Ontario Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent CXIII
1,200 468 10 M Laynes Road Harlington Chancery Lane First Dude Ontario Perrone Sales, Ltd., Agent I 8
2,000 NICK NOSOWENKO  528 14 F Spring in the Wind Spring At Last First With Class Ontario Abbie Road Farm (Lisa McGreevy), Agent I
OUT 558 09 M Ragtime Road Dixieland Band High Arch Ontario Select Sales, Agent I 6
RNA 1,000 578 06 M Dash It Dreamer Kiridashi Itstartswithadream Danza Ontario Ends Well, Agent I 7
1,000 709 09 M Wicked Great Greatness Slightly Wicked Field Commission Ontario Kim Harrison (Top Speed Farm), Agent VI 3

 
Ontario’s MARE PURCHASE PROGRAM STILL AVAILABLE THROUGH 2 MORE SALES

The Fasig Tipton Midatlantic Mixed Sale is Jan. 29 and the Fasig Tipton Kentucky Mixed sale is Feb. 6 and 7.

http://www.fasigtipton.com/ci/catalogues/view/2017/Kentucky-Winter-Mixed

http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogues/2017/Midlantic-Winter-Mixed/Midlantic-Winter-Mixed-new.asp

The Kentucky sale has a litany of Ontario breds:

51 M BM READY AND ALLURING     MORE THAN READY APALACHEE ALLURE APALACHEE TOWN PRIZE ONTARIO 4 KAIZEN SALES (RICHARD KENT) AGENT
54 M BM READY TO RAMBLE           GIANT’S CAUSEWAY READY AND ALLURING MORE THAN READY ONTARIO 4 KAIZEN SALES (RICHARD KENT) AGENT
63 M BM RIVERS TO SAIL               CANYON CREEK (IRE) ONCE UPON A KISS CONQUISTADOR CIELO ONTARIO 12 MILLFORD FARM (MR. & MRS. ROBERT S. WEST JR.) AGENT II
106 M BM SIX ROADS                 MARCHFIELD ASK THE QUESTION SILVER DEPUTY ENGLISH CHANNEL ONTARIO 4 HILL ‘N’ DALE SALES AGENCY AGENT
136 M BM SUPERTUNIA               WAR CHANT HELIOTROPE NORTHERN SCORE FLAT OUT ONTARIO 11 FOUR STAR SALES AGENT
147 M BM TALE OF THE FOX       TALE OF THE CAT FOXY CONNECTION PHONE TRICK JACK MILTON ONTARIO 5 POPE MCLEAN (CRESTWOOD FARM) AGENT
166 M BM TIZ DREAMY               TIZNOW DREAMS SILVER HAWK PADDY O’PRADO ONTARIO 14 VINERY SALES AGENT IV
169 M BM TRUELLADEVILLE        YES IT’S TRUE DEVIL’S BRIDE DEVIL’S BAG SKY KINGDOM ONTARIO 1 BACCARI BLOODSTOCK LLC AGENT I
180 M BM VELVET HAMMER                SMART STRIKE NOIR VELOURS TUNERUP DAREDEVIL ONTARIO 10 BUCKLAND SALES (ZACH MADDEN) AGENT
186 F BMP VOW TO ROMANCE           BROKEN VOW VICTORY ROMANCE SLEW CITY SLEW ONTARIO 2 TAYLOR MADE SALES AGENCY AGENT X
191 F BM WESTERN EXECUTIVE              BOLD EXECUTIVE PRIZED OF THE WEST GONE WEST SOCIETY’S CHAIRMAN ONTARIO 4 KAIZEN SALES (RICHARD KENT) AGENT
254 M BMP BIG BROWN BROOKSKI              BIG BROWN MS BROOKSKI MONTBROOK ONTARIO 9 PAUL TACKETT AGENT
342 F BMP END OF TROUBLE                      INTO MISCHIEF MEHNDI PULPIT ONTARIO 8 BLUEWATER SALES LLC AGENT VI
381 M BMP GINGER BEER                     MILWAUKEE BREW GIN N GINGER GO FOR GIN ONTARIO 7 SCOTT MALLORY AGENT
402 F Y TALE OF EKATI HEART LAKE       UNBRIDLED ONTARIO 11 FOUR STAR SALES AGENT FOR WILLIAM D. GRAHAM (WINDHAVEN FARM)
412 C Y EXHI HONG KONG DANCER        TEJANO RUN ONTARIO 1 DENALI STUD (CRAIG & HOLLY BANDOROFF) AGENT VIII
477 M BM LISBONVALE               ARCHERS BAY KATYROADPINK ALLEN’S PROSPECT SAN PABLO ONTARIO 11 FOUR STAR SALES AGENT
494 F Y PAYNTER MALIBU QUEEN        MALIBU MOON ONTARIO 11 FOUR STAR SALES AGENT FOR WILLIAM D. GRAHAM (WINDHAVEN FARM)
510 M BMP MILWAUKEE RED           MILWAUKEE BREW SCARLET SLIPPER RED RANSOM ONTARIO 3 SHAWHAN PLACE LLC AGENT
538 M BM MY GIRL ANDY               EMPIRE MAKER GO FIRST CLASS EASY GOER BAYERN ONTARIO 4 HILL ‘N’ DALE SALES AGENCY AGENT
624 F R/BMP SOARWITHTHEBIRDS           GIANT’S CAUSEWAY SONG OF THE LARK SEEKING THE GOLD ONTARIO 5 PARAMOUNT SALES AGENT XXII
625 F R/BMP TELL THE DUCHESS               SMART STRIKE CLASSIRA (IRE) DANEHILL ONTARIO 5 PARAMOUNT SALES AGENT XXII
634 F R/BMP LIMITLESS               DISCREET CAT POSITION LIMIT BELLAMY ROAD ONTARIO 8 ST GEORGE SALES AGENT IX