IAN BLACK checks out his trainee FIFTY PROOF in Japan, they are headed to the Japan Cup on Sunday – Janet Black photo
THE PROOF IS IN….JAPAN!
Local gelding tries tough nuts in Japan Cup
FIFTY PROOF has arrived in Japan for Sunday’s JAPAN CUP
He’s by Whiskey Wisdom, a classy runner for Kinghaven Farms years ago, a former Ontario sire who now stands out in Manitoba. He’s as big a house almost/ And he is a long distance grass lover. FIFTY PROOF, owned by Kinghaven, John Fielding and Ben Hutzel is taking on the world, literally, in this weekend’s Japan Cup.
And the field is very strong.
Joshua Tree and Mores Wells, the 1-2 from the Canadian International are in the race, Grand Prix de Deauville winner Marinous
and Prix de Dollar winner Cirrus des Aigles.
There are about seven Japanese horses eyeing a start including the good filly BUENA VISTA.
A total of 15 horses looks likely for the race.
IAN BLACK and rider TYLER GASKIN inspect track – Janet Black photo
TOKYO RACECOURSE – Janet Black photo
FIFTY PROOF GALLOPS – JAPAN RACING PHOTO
PP’S FOR THE RACE – JAPAN VERSION
http://japanracing.jp/_news2010/pdf/101118.pdf
FROM JAPAN RACING
The 30th Japan Cup (G1) — Report on Overseas Contenders
The Japan Cup, established in 1981, marks three decades this year with its 30th running. A large showing from overseas – eight runners representing five countries – will vie with 10 of Japan’s best for a purse worth nearly 530 million yen.
The participants from overseas include the top two finishers in this year’s Canadian International Stakes (G1) and the Premio Roma (G1) champion from Italy. Four entries are in Japan from France, and one each from Britain, Ireland, Italy and Canada. They are Cirrus Des Aigles, Marinous, Mores Wells, Timos, Dandino, Joshua Tree, Voila Ici, and Fifty Proof.
Marinous (horse number 2)
Marinous (FR, C4, by Numerous, rating; 118L, trained in France) is the top rated of the contenders from overseas and the winner of this year’s G2 Grand Prix de Deauville. Owned by Saeed Naser Al Romaithi, Marinous displayed a strong finish from the outside to finish sixth in the Arc in his last outing. However, he is known as a soft ground specialist and the key concern will be the expected firm Tokyo going. The colt is trained by the French-born Frederic Head, 63, France’s current No. 8 trainer, who retired from a stellar career as jockey in 1997. Head is based in Chantilly and oversees an operation with some 60 horses. As trainer he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile with Goldikova for three years straight from 2008, also becoming the first person to win the race as both jockey and trainer. He rode 15 races in Japan. Marinous will be ridden in the Japan Cup by French rider Davy Bonilla. Bonilla has ridden the colt for 13 of his 19 starts, including three wins, five seconds, two thirds and his recent Arc bid.
http://japanracing.jp/_news2010/101124-02.html
Racing Post report:
O’Donoghue teams up with Joshua Tree again
By Nicholas Godfrey
Japan: Colm O’Donoghue gets a chance to lay down a claim for the job as Aidan O’Brien’s number one rider when he partners Joshua Tree in the Japan Cup on Sunday.
For so long one of the main Ballydoyle understudies, O’Donoghue is the bookmakers’ favourite to take over the role as retained rider left vacant by news of Johnny Murtagh’s resignation.
Colm O Donoghue
Having enjoyed the biggest success of his career with a fine effort to win last month’s Canadian International on Joshua Tree, O’Donoghue retains the ride on the son of Montjeu in Sunday’s 528 million yen (£4m /€4.7m) contest – a prize fund making the Tokyo contest the second-richest race in the world behind the Dubai World Cup
WOODBINE T-MINUS 9 CARDS
It’s beginning to look a lot like…Nov. 25, one month until you-know-what and just nine giant cards of racing left for the thoroughbreds at Woodbine.
Ho Ho hum, a long winter is coming up for those of us who work in the industry.
But until the last day, there are a lot of races, a lot of horses and some cool handicapping puzzles.
Here are the stats heading into today’s card:
TRAINERS BY WINS
1 Mark E. Casse 530 81 70 71 $4,412,543 15% 222 42%
2 Reade Baker 344 60 66 49 $3,439,166 17% 175 51%
3 Sid C. Attard 263 45 43 28 $2,596,413 17% 116 44%
4 Steven M. Asmussen 258 43 39 35 $1,484,345 17% 117 45%
5 Roger L. Attfield 197 39 33 22 $3,362,291 20% 94 48%
6 Robert P. Tiller 275 37 38 42 $2,294,165 13% 117 43%
6 Nicholas Gonzalez 223 37 32 18 $1,980,948 17% 87 39%
8 Michael P. De Paulo 218 32 30 27 $1,435,436 15% 89 41%
9 Laurie Silvera 179 31 25 19 $1,289,339 17% 75 42%
10 Scott H. Fairlie 218 29 28 31 $1,071,744 13% 88 40%
11 Michael J. Doyle 230 26 34 24 $1,674,042 11% 84 37%
12 Michael V. Pino 63 25 11 8 $629,688 40% 44 70%
JOCKEYS BY WINS
1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 886 179 140 122 $8,500,096 20% 441 50%
2 Patrick Husbands 899 160 137 136 $8,393,851 18% 433 48%
3 Chantal Sutherland 818 130 117 121 $7,588,876 16% 368 45%
4 Omar Moreno 926 124 130 128 $5,142,732 13% 382 41%
5 Luis Contreras 594 108 92 93 $4,570,345 18% 293 49%
6 Emile Ramsammy 813 100 95 87 $4,688,135 12% 282 35%
7 James McAleney 486 69 69 61 $3,886,611 14% 199 41%
8 Emma-Jayne Wilson 465 63 74 54 $3,417,619 14% 191 41%
9 Jono C. Jones 507 58 68 65 $3,921,361 11% 191 38%
10 Justin Stein 622 57 64 76 $2,758,394 9% 197 32%
11 Corey Fraser 432 49 51 48 $2,665,723 11% 148 34%
12 Tyler Pizarro 471 47 52 49 $2,173,692 10% 148 31%
13 Gerry Olguin 464 45 63 46 $2,177,690 10% 154 33%
14 David Clark 407 41 47 39 $2,119,350 10% 127 31%
OWNERS BY PURSES
Rank Owner Name Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings Win% Top3 Top3%
1 Sam-Son Farms 99 26 15 16 $2,430,102 26% 57 58%
2 Bear Stables, Ltd. 185 36 38 25 $1,723,806 19% 99 54%
3 Melnyk Racing St. 160 28 22 30 $1,693,247 18% 80 50%
4 Harlequin Ranches 68 16 17 10 $1,190,166 24% 43 63%
5 Smith, D. Magn, Bin Hamad Al Atty 1 1 0 0 $1,185,840 100% 1 100%
6 Terra Racing Stable 58 9 9 8 $1,112,626 16% 26 45%
7 Charles E. Fipke 67 13 13 9 $891,741 19% 35 52%
8 Stronach Stables 113 16 16 20 $885,561 14% 52 46%
9 Hill, Jim and Susan 59 7 10 8 $770,126 12% 25 42%
10 Paul M. Buttigieg 80 16 11 5 $766,923 20% 32 40%
HORSES BY WINS
Rank Horse Name Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings Win% Top3 Top3%
1 Impossible Time 7 5 2 0 $371,215 71% 7 100% 103
1 Safety Zone 8 5 3 0 $167,387 63% 8 100% 103
1 Kirkland Lake 9 5 1 1 $141,238 56% 7 78% 102
1 Certain Pride 8 5 2 1 $138,256 63% 8 100% 92
1 Preakness Laugher 7 5 1 0 $79,532 71% 6 86% 97
EQUIDAILY LISTS PREVIEWS ON THE SMORGASBORD OF THANKSGIVING STAKES
U.S. holiday action packed..
FAIR GROUNDS OPENS
Frostad, Pierce in action tomorrow
http://www.nola.com/horseracing/index.ssf/2010/11/10_horses_to_watch_this_season.html
