JAKE’S TAKE Now a regular feature on Thoroughblog – Jake’s Pick of the Day! Today, April 9, Jake’S pick of the day IS malvina’s ring IN RACE 7 at WOODBINE. This 4yo maiden filly comes off the winter break for trainer Dan Vella but ran her best race in her debut last June – a 48 Beyer in a 6 1/2 furlong dash. Barn is only average with the layoffs in last 2 years but the field is not strong.
Ruff Ruff!
BIG DAY FOR DAVE
You just never know. IN racing. In breeding. In stallions. Okay, so it was his first starter but FORMER ONTARIO sire WEATHER WARNING had his first starter at Keeneland yesterday. Yes, Keeneland. The Storm Cat stud, who was recently cast off to NEW MEXICO was not all that popular here and that was curious.
Well his son EVERYDAY DAVE, an Ontario bred, born here for JEAN PIERRE DUBOIS’S DREAM WITH ME STABLE, which set up shop in ORANGEVILLE to try and continue on the big operation it runs in France, but it disappeared quickly.
This colt, bought locally by trainer Brian Lynch for Wesley Ward, cost $40K and was sold by Bernard McCormack. He figures to cut a swath through the Ontario sired 2yo ranks if he stays healthy.
BIG RACES TODAY!
All over North America the top of the 3yo crop are getting set for their last preps for the Kentucky Derby. it’s also that time when the Derby hopefuls start to crack under pressure, literally. PREMIER PEGASUS – OUT, yesterday – TO HONOR AND SERVE, OUT.
And now JAYCITO is out of the Santa Anita Derby with a bruised foot. Sheesh.
So we watch and wait and hope that next weekend brings a good race from our Canadian-bred ELITE ALEX as he sets sail in the Arkansas Derby.
PICKS :
Today’s events include the WOOD MEMORIAL, a famous race in its own right – the very race that Secretariat lost heading into the
Derby. Hard to believe.
It would be hard to believe if UNCLE MO were to lose today since the field is a dreadful group, but does something smell? Hmmmm. Mo’s return Beyer of 89 gives us pause, and TOBY’S CORNER is an up and comer. Why not go to the corner of Toby?
St least he’s my exactor horse.
SANTA ANITA DERBY – It’s interesting to sort this race out as it is very wide open and seems to have plenty of front runners. I will give BENCH POINTS another shot – he lost for the first time in the San Felipe but it was his first 2 turn race. The top2 are not back.
ASHLAND STAKES – It’s a weak Grade 1 also and KATHMANBLU will be overbet off soft win at Fair Grounds – DANCINGINHERDREAMS one of 2 John Oxley inthe race, gets the call from Thoroughblog. Two Canadian based fillies (last year) are in the field – WYOMIA and DELIGHTFUL MARY, the 2yo filly champ from last year. We will be cheering.
STAR SHOOT STAKES at WOODBINE – THIRD CHANCE gets the call to run down NINA FEVER late in this 6 furlong dash.
WYOMIA GETS GARRISON TO PUT TRAINING HAT BACK ON
Farm manager at Solera saddles Sov. nominee today
Keeneland media..
Given a choice of life on the farm or life at the track, Curtis Garrison likely would choose the former.
“I like the farm, because the track never closes,” Garrison said. “(At the farm) you have plenty of time to do what you have to do.”
And the farm is where Garrison has spent most of his time since the mid-1980s. He is the farm manager at Edward Seltzer’s Solera Farm in Williston, Florida.
“I think the last time I was stabled regularly at the track was 25-26 years ago,” Garrison said. “I started out with Quarter Horses and then Thoroughbreds and trained in Louisiana and Florida.”
For the past week, the farm life has been left behind as Garrison tends to Central Bank Ashland (G1) hopeful Wyomia.
Wyomia, who is owned by Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, was one of a handful of horses that Garrison ran off the farm at Tampa Bay Downs this winter. The daughter of Vindication earned her ticket to Kentucky with a victory in the Suncoast Stakes in her 2011 debut.
She will be ridden Saturday by Freddie Lenclud, who was aboard for the Tampa victory as well as a half-mile work in :47.80 here last Saturday.
Until Wednesday, Garrison and Wyomia had Barn 22 all to themselves with Garrison spending a lot of time on the phone back to Florida and the farm.
Solera has served as the winter base for numerous horses such as Wyomia, who was trained last year at Woodbine by Danny Vella.
“We have had horses such as Sovereign Award winners King Corrie and Mt. Sassafras at the farm,” Garrison said. “I like to watch them go on and run good races.”
A good race Saturday could propel Wyomia on to Churchill Downs and a possible start in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 6. But that likely would not be enough to bring Garrison back to the track fulltime.
“I’ve got enough to do at the farm,” Garrison said. “However, if I was asked, I’d probably do it short term like this.”
FRIDAY WOODBINE
D’ORO DIABLO won the featured allowance/optional claimer in a mild surprise. The Bob Harvey homebred by Medaglia D’Oro battled on the pace all the way, ended up on the rail in the stretch and didn’t have many challengers under Tyler Pizarro. Trained by Sid Attard, the 5yo is 4 for 18 in his career now. Big favourite GARY D. had a dreamy trip early but then stalled on the turn and faded. The time for 5 1/2 furlongs was a super 1:03 1/5.
The co-feature, an Ontario sired allowance (9th race) was another nice win for the promising 4yo HAWK OVER HEATH, who is now 2 for 2. He won his debut last year with an 81 Beyer and was the overwhelming choice in this 5 furlong dash and he won nicely in 57.70 under Justin Stein. The Tomahawk gelding was bred by Chad Schumer and nancy Sexton and was a local sales yearling for about $75,000. Overheath Stables leases the gelding, who is out of Miss American Mink.
The win by the Hawk saved the day for trainer Mike DePaulo who had run two big faves on the card that lost.
The first chapter of the day went to PAIGE’S BOOK, a chestnut Montbrook filly who won her maiden for $50K with a lively stalking trip and then a rally down the middle of the track. She had been 0 for 5 last year – never hit the board in 5 races – but had been working fast for trainer/owner Robert Tiller. It was Tiller’s first win of the season and the 4th for jockey Luis Contreras.
CLASSICAL HUMOUR, an impeccably bred 4yo beginner by Distorted Humor out of Grade 2 stakes winner Classic Stamp had a :46 3/5 workout on her page on April 2.
‘Nuff said. Incredibly, she was 9 to 2 in the morning line odds and she led all the way, was very game and paid 2 to 1 for the win. She is a Bill Sorokolit homebred and it was the first winner for Emile Ramsammy who rode, and trainer Darwin Banach.
It was a good day for the Sorokolit/Ramsammy/Banach team as MARKET VALLEY, 8 to 1 on the morning line, won at 5 to 2 in race 7 (the favourite was scratched, however). It was the career debut for the daughter of UNION PLACE, the Sorokolit stallion who was standing at Silver Duck Stable (the Sorokolits had a fire sale of horses not long ago and all their horses from that farm had to go but Union Place is still there according to sire registers). The filly was well prepared to win and she is out of a Peaks and Valleys mare.
Race 3 went to AURORA PROSPECT, who won for $11,500 claiming at 5 1/2 furlongs. That dash featured a lot of fillies being hard ridden just to get to the lead, such as Sister Friend, but the winner was relaxed, on the rail in the back of the field on the turn and then she raillied inside to beat the gals who were sent early. She is a lovely filly by Arch who is closing in on $100K in earnings. John Cardella trains for Linmac Farms and Omar Moreno picked up his first win of the season.
Mike DePaulo trainer MISS REGINALLA at 9 to 5 (6 to 1 in morning line) was badly beaten.
It was the battle of the long layoff gals in race 4 for $16K maiden claimers. AUBREY PARK, trained by Mike Doyle, had not raced since June 2010 in a maiden allowance at Woodbine and EVEN THE ODDS, owned by the syndicate group Seven Grasshoppers, had not raced since August when claimed for $25K.
It was the Doyle filly who won after a stalking trip under Slade Callaghan. The ONtario bred by Monashee Mountain tipped 3 wide off the turn and then had to out battle a game Cutie Girl to win.
Apprentice RYAN PACHECO may be the hot big this year and he hung it on crafty veteran DAVID CLARK in the 5th yesterday. CLARK, riding overbet favourite BUBBLES TO THE TOP, sent his filly up the rail into the turn and took the lead but came off the rail so Pacheco, who was following Clark on OLIVIA’S SONG for Laurie Silvera. The Ontario bred Trajectory filly won a hefty share of the $55,900 maiden allowance purse. She is a homebred out of Scarlet Chimes.
Pacheco, who had his dad and sister with him at the Sovereign awards, is a pleasant young fellow who is easy to cheer for.
Eurico! Our champion rider got his first win in race 6 when he held SAUCY STASH together long enough to win the maiden claimer for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Marai’s Mon grey colt was making his 5th start and was lucky to score since BIGASMAR was probably best. That leggy grey colt, by Value Plus, had a dreadful start from the gate, but had a beautiful ride after that, relaxed, eased up the inside to save ground, tipped out 5 wide off the turn and charged hard but he just missed.
SHANNONDOE FARM, BREEDER OF SAND COVE
Feature in St. Thomas Times..
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3066388
OCALA FEATURE ON SOVEREIGN WINNERS!
(cute photo of Delightful Mary)
By Carlos E. Medina
Correspondent
Two Ocala-bred horses were recently crowned the top 2-year-olds in Canada for 2010 during the Sovereign Awards ceremonies held on April 1 in Toronto.
The Sovereign Awards are the Canadian version of the Eclipse Awards.
Delightful Mary, who was bred in Ocala by Hobeau Farm, was named champion 2-year-old female. The now 3-year-old filly is the daughter of Limehouse and sold for 500,000 at the OBS 2010 spring sale as a juvenile. She has earned more than $373,000 in her five races and is owned by John C. Oxley.
“It’s always nice to be recognized as the best in anything, especially being the best in a country. It was especially nice for Mr. Oxley, who stepped up and paid a lot of money for her when he bought her in Ocala,” said Mark Casse, who trains the filly and also served as buying agent for Oxley.
awards
