Beyer Figures, whether you love ’em or not love ’em, are in the news right now as people try to get ratings on Kentucky Derby horses and Plate horses;

BODEMEISTER’S Beyer of 105 is now a 108 after some adjusting…adjusting happens often when the Beyer people sit down and examine closer – Woodbine maiden winner JOHANNES is now credited with a 96 for her debut instead of a 91 –
and perhaps the  Beyer people will likely have to take a look at Woodbine this weekend and determine that the numbers appear to be too low for races Friday/Saturday…we’ll see if any adjustments are made with the Woodbine Beyers – ‘fig’s aside, what a big weekend for Plate hopefuls…

SIDENOTE : Thoroughblog is investigating the whereabouts of MARITIMER, canda’s champion 2yo colt of 2011 – he reportedly has a new trainer since his UAE Derby run last month…

 

CITY SLICKER
94 Beyer for Town Prize , Peyton places on Plate list

Warm weather and some super fast horses led to some fast times on the weekend at Woodbine and the 3yo speedster TOWN PRIZE just about beat ESSENCE’S HIT MAN’s 6 furlong track record as he cruised to a big win in the WOODSTOCK STAKES, an age-old sprint event for 3yo’s.
Owned and bred by William Sorokolit in KENTUCKY, the Speightstown colt is out of Prized Stamp, by Prized. he ran a huge race to be 3rd in the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream and parlayed that into a 5 length score yesterday. He was 3 to 1 behind the expected favourite HOGY, who was 2nd.
Queen’s Plate hopeful MENLO CASTLE was a decent 3rd.

Speaking of the QUEEN’S PLATE – how about PEYTON getting a place on the top 10 now?
This colt has come from nowhere for Bill Graham’s Windhaven and surged to close tot he top of the list with a stunning win over OLDER HORSES yesterday at Woodbine.
The homebred by Tale of the Cate – Emanating by Cox’s Ridge was bought back as a 2yo for $180,000 (good move Bill!) and he was a bit wandering as a 2yo with some nibbles:

*slow start in debut when 6th
*turf
*traffic
*4th with 58 beyer when starting to improve
*4th in first route try
*then maiden win with 61 Beyer

what stood out was his 1:12 3/5 handily workout on April 4 in tandem with stakes winner AMIABLE GRACE, but then he followed that up with 1:04 breezing.
Emma-Jayne Wilson kept the gelding well off the pace and then blew home to win nicely with an 86 Beyer Figure.
The Doyle trainees have been racing like brand new horses almost this spring and this gelding is now a serious Plate contender.

BEEKER STREET made some noise yesterday too – he is not currently eligible to the Plate (neither is Maritimer or Fastestwhogetspaid) – as he won his debut as everyone expected and he posted an 85 Beyer Figure. The son of Belong to Me – Carah Five, by  You and I was bred by Donver Stables.

MORE FROM SUNDAY:  Got the feeling that there was a bit of an outside flow to the track on this day…

The Robert Tiller barn continues to roll (I picked 2 of his 3 to win and the one I didn’t was the one that win, sorry Bob!) – IFIMLYINIMDYIN won for Norseman Racing Stable in race 1 for $32,000 claiming for maidens. The barn had a favourite in race 2 in CHASE THE UNKNOWN but that guy seemed to get bogged down on the rail in a pace duel with firster Cold N Bold and it was longshot DESTIND TO PAY who ran around 3 wide to win his maiden for a hot Paul Buttigieg Stable.

Buttigieg was telling THOROUGHBLOG earlier this spring about his 0 for 17 start last season and the attention it got but there is always a new set of horses!

Race 3 went to quarter horse jockey MICHELLE RAEKELBOM’S filly SOUR GRAPES, an Old Forester gal bought for $6,000 as a yearling. She is 2 for 4 in her career with over $75,000 in earnings now. Wray Lawrence trains and it was the first win for jockey Slade Callaghan.

Terry Jordan saddled his first winner when David Ross‘ PROMISE ME won a $20,000 claiming race to start the Pick 4. The filly was in the care of her 4th trainer.

One More Time Racing and Don MacRae held their breath as FOREVER AWESOME held on to win race 5 for $10,000 claiming. The 5yo horse, who has been 2nd or 3rd 10 times in his career also won his season debut last year.

Owner/trainer Jim Ensom is 4 for 4 at the meeting now – KAWAGUCHI won her maiden in her season opener, a $16,000 claiming race. She was claimedf rom her 2011 finale for $12,500.

And the regally bred MEDAGLIA’S EXPRESS, making his 2nd start since 2010, won the finale for Debra Rombis. The Medaglia D’oro  5yo was listed as a first time gelding, had never raced on Polytrack and did not have a workout in 22 days, but chased 4-5 wide and drew off for Chris Griffith.

 

GRADE 1 POWER FOR BAY TO BAY

Rob Smith’s fantastic filly BAY TO BAY tried hard but could not quite catch the front running Daisy Devine in the Grade 1
JENNY WILEY, worth $300,000. The Canadian owned, Kentucky bred was one length back at the finish, another superb run by the daughter of Ontario sire SLIGO BAY.

Bay to Bay (middle, green) tries hard to get past Daisy Devine in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley. A top filly from Canada, trained by Brian Lynch for Rob Smithen, Bay to Bay got stuck behind a slow pace. EquiSport/Wendy Woolley

 

 

AFTER 6 RACING DAYS!!

WOODBINE TRAINERS

1    Reade Baker    12    5    4    0    $261,409    42%    9    75%
1    Wesley A. Ward    13    5    1    1    $105,887    38%    7    54%
3    Robert P. Tiller    16    4    4    4    $206,779    25%    12    75%
3    Michael J. Doyle    10    4    1    2    $125,704    40%    7    70%
3    Jim Ensom    4    4    0    0    $69,656    100%    4    100%
6    Audre Cappuccitti    13    3    1    0    $147,323    23%    4    31%
6    Josie Carroll    8    3    0    0    $118,983    38%    3    38%
6    Paul M. Buttigieg    7    3    1    1    $112,343    43%    5    71%
9    Katerina Vassilieva    3    2    0    0    $49,069    67%    2    67%
9    Brian A. Lynch    2    2    0    0    $30,609    100%    2    100%
WOODBINE LEADING RIDERS

1    Luis Contreras    36    8    7    8    $336,084    22%    23    64%
2    Eurico Rosa Da Silva    34    6    4    5    $308,380    18%    15    44%
3    Patrick Husbands    27    5    3    3    $230,019    19%    11    41%
3    Justin Stein    37    5    4    4    $223,641    14%    13    35%
3    Gerry Olguin    22    5    4    1    $159,674    23%    10    45%
3    Jesus M. Rios    13    5    1    1    $105,887    38%    7    54%
7    Emma-Jayne Wilson    30    4    6    5    $232,363    13%    15    50%
7    David Moran    31    4    3    2    $124,085    13%    9    29%

 

 

APRIL 24, BUDGET GOES UP FOR VOTE

If opposition parties say ‘nay’, we could be saying ‘yay’…

http://viewfromthegrandstand.blogspot.ca/2012/04/fate-of-ontario-racing-

known-on-april.html

HERE/THERE

PEEK A BOO! Lana Sniderman and Spencer Borg’s new arrival is a Giant’s Causeway – Tiz a Smarty filly born at Woodlands. Dan Steeves photo

 

 

 

 

 

LASIX STALEMATE

Effort to ban race-day meds fails

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A proposal to ban an anti-bleeding drug on race days in Kentucky lost by a nose on Monday in a debate dividing a hobbled thoroughbred industry struggling to preserve the Bluegrass state’s reputation as the nation’s horse capital.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ended the tense discussion on the use of furosemide with a 7-7 roll call vote on the proposed regulation that would have prohibited the drug from the Kentucky Derby in 2014, and in the whole state starting in 2015. The race-day ban would have first applied to 2-year-olds racing in 2013.

The proposal would have made Kentucky the first state to ban race-day use of furosemide, marketed under the brand names Lasix or Salix. The drug is used to treat pulmonary hemorrhaging in racehorses. Furosemide is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the United States. Its use is banned in other countries because it enhances performance.

Supporters said the race-day ban of the drug would improve the sport’s public image, which could attract new fans for a sport that has struggled in the completion for gambling dollars.

Commission Chairman Robert Beck Jr. said thoroughbred racing has suffered from a misperception that the sport is “drug infested.”

Opponents countered that the proposal would saddle Kentucky with a competitive disadvantage that would drive away trainers and horses. They warned no other state would follow Kentucky’s lead in imposing a race-day ban on furosemide. It would take just one subpar performance by a thoroughbred running without race-day Lasix to prompt the trainer to move the horse elsewhere, they said.

 

FRIDAY’S WOODBINE WINNERS

A recap of Friday’s races:
SMART BRASS by Smart Strike out of millionaire Brass in Pocket won her maiden in her 10th start with blinkers re-added. Big win for the well bred Frank DiGiulio Jr homebred.

Trainer PHIL GRACEY, a whiz at having one ready in the spring, saddled SO SOVEREIGN for Gail Wood and Dr. Ruth Barbour to win a maiden allowance for Ontario sired gals. The win was vintage David Clark, who backed up the pace so strongly (24 4/5 for 1/4 mile in a sprint race?) and then the Bold Executive gal took off.

RAINCOATS’NTUXEDO’S was a predictable winner of race 3, a 3yo allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs. The fastest guy in the race is owned by Ninela Thoroughbreds and trained by Abraham Katryan. The colt by Weather Warning may had had some winter training at a nearby training centre and he was well prepared to go 2 for 4 i nhis career.

Stakes winner YOU DON’T PASS won his season debut in 2011 and again this year. He was a price each time. The Pikepass 6yo is owned and trained by Audrea Cappuccitti. He won for $15,000 claiming this year.

CHARLIE’S FRIEND raced wide and then pulled away to win the 5th for $9,500 claiming for C scott Abbott and trainer Mike Doyle. Luis Contreras rode the Ontario bred by Friends Lake

Winter raced TURFISTE was the winner of the 6th for $8,000 claiming for Nichange Enterprises and trainer Mike Catania. The 6y0 horse is 8 for 31 in his career.

A seemingly  outside bias continued to help outside pace pressers and favoured FORESTADOR won the 7th, an allowance race for Ontario sired guys. This Brandon and Terry Greer homebred is 3 for 5 in his career and was stakes placed last year. He had not races since June.

SWEET STARLET won for the 4th time for owner/trainer Jim Ensom in her 8th try in the $60,000 claiming event, race 8. The $20,000 claim was making her season debut.

And Santa Cigana’s Dansanray Stables won the finale with SILENT SERENITY, who won the maiden $32,000 claiming race by a long margin in her 2nd career race. She is by Silent Name (Jpn).

 

 

 

ON TIME AGAIN
Almost Time takes George Royal title

Vancouver – In what was described by trainer Dino Condilenios as “a tremendous trip” by jockey Frank Fuentes, Almost Time won the 19th running of the $50,000 George Royal by a length in Sunday’s feature at Hastings Racecourse.

“I believe in Almost Time all of the time,” Fuentes quipped in the winner’s circle following his victory. “He didn’t bump around in the gate and broke cleanly. He was training wonderfully and it paid off today.”

Almost Time, from the Swift Thoroughbreds stable, was named B.C.-bred Horse of the Year in 2011 after winning the BC Cup Classic, stalked the pace to win in 1:10.72. Almost Time paid $20.20.

Winning Machine, an Emerald Downs champion who won the B.C. Derby at Hastings in 2009, was the wagering favourite at 2-1 but tired after taking the lead in midstretch and finished fourth.

With two outsiders, Jump Up and Kissme and Heavenly Chorus finishing second and third, respectively, the 8-9-2 triactor paid $7,406.80.

For a second consecutive day on opening weekend at Hastings, the wagering handle Sunday was up considerably compared to last year.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Almost+Time+takes+George+Royal+title/6463469/story.html#ixzz1sIGvHEiG

 

IT’S THE SAME ALL OVER

BREEDERS BATTLE IN VANCOUVER

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Breeders+battle+against+odds/6459970/story.html