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**UPDATE….THE CANADIAN MILLIONS SALES STAKES NIGHT RESULTS

GO GREELEY, Canada’s top 2yp colt, wins the Simcoe by inches!

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great night of racing at Woodbine,, all the best to owners, breeders , and horsepeople, consignors as we head into important week for this business…

10:03 p.m. LOGAN’S PEAK bought back for $6,500 at the yearling sale 3 years ago..MARY ELLEN KENNEDY deserving winner as longtime breeder and owner…trainer Nick Gonzalez is happy for Logan’s Peak too…he’s going shopping next week..”the new models are out”!

9:57 – BOOM!! LOGAN”S PEAK a homebred for ME Kennedy and co-owned by D Menzies, trained by Nick Gonzalez, wins Algoma under the red hot Eurcio da Silva…4yo filly by Teuflesberg out of Yukon Lady by Saint Ballado was 4th in a Grade last time but had been racing for $40K claiming last year…DIXIE STRIKE off the board after traffic early – 6 to 1 on the winner..Tee Game was 2nd at 11 to 1

9:51 – ALGOMA will wrap up big night at Woodbine for owners and breeders and sellers of yearlings in this country, in particular Ontario…breeders and sellers have put in 2 years for this year’s crop of youngsters, let’s hope they get rewarded on Tuesday and next Saturday

9:36 p.m. John Ross – “You look at the pedigree and look at overall conformation, I have done it for a lot of year. I have bought 8 stakes winners out of the CTHS Ontario sale..” Thanks his assistant Ricky…

9:32 – GO GREELEY, 4 for 5 in his career, wins the SIMCOE STAKES by a nose over Spin the King, this 2yo colt is a grand boy by Horse Greeley –  out of Orchids Halo by Smoke Glacken, bred by Laura Yates’ Shannon Farms..bought by Ross for JAM JAR for $40K. When Jam Jar’s Bud Reynolds passed away earlier this year,. Bud had instructions that Ross could take one of the horses..he took GO GREELEY. $360,000 in earnings now. Eurico da Silva rode.

9:28 – wild finish in the SIMCOE STAKES. rivals SPIN THE KING and GO  GREELEY hit the wire together after 6 1/2 furlongs…

9:13 half siblings to Lexie Lou as well as ON RAINBOW BRIDGE, hip no 192 is an Old Forester colt out of Miss Deputy, the War Deputy mare who produced a very unlucky ‘Bridge (but already a 2 time stakes winner) to be sold by Osprey Stable through Mapleville Farm agent

9:06 LEXIE LOU, the 2yo filly, wins MUSKOKA STAKES and the real LEXIE LOU is in the winner’s circle with jockey Gary Boulanger and John Ross. Put blinkers on this filly, has made a difference. Ross bought her “she had real good conformation”..mare had not had any runners from 6 previous foals!

9:05 p.m. ON RAINBOW BRIDGE loses a big purse, drifted out badly in the stretch and the dream season continues for JOHN ROSS, owner and trainer of LEXIE LOU, who cost $5,500 at auction! She just won $120,000. By  SLIGO BAY out of ONEEXCESSIVENITE by In Excess, bred by Paradox Farm and there is a half sister in the Tuesday yearling sale, hip no. 209, a filly by OLD FORESTER, great Canadian stallion, to be sold by Beth Hancock!

9:01 – Wild left handed whipping by Skye Chernetz aboard ON RAINBOW BRIDGE caused that 2yo filly to drift out badly in the stretch and impede LEXIE LOU…waiting for inquiry by stewards

8:56 p..m.  WIN PHOTO in the Muskoka Stakes…looks like ON RAINBOW BRIDGE has won another stake…2YO FILLY owned by CURT KOZBA’s Triple K Stables, trainer Dave Cotey. LEXIE LOU runs huge for 2nd for John Ross, whose GO GREELEY comes up next!

8:38 p.m. VICKI PAPPAS, owner, breeder, LongRun founder, says “you don’t have to be a millionaire in this game to have success”, talking about SKYLANDER GIRL, who cost $3,500 and has won two stakes for Alex Patykewich….Muskoka coming up

8:29 : GOOD BETTER BEST wins his first stakes race for DICK BONNYCASTLE, Harlequin Ranches. Trained by Roger Attfield, this son of Best of the Bests (Ire) – Miss Crissy by Bold ‘n Flashy was sent hard to the lead in the 1 1/16 mile race, did not get lead as ULTIMATE DESTINY wanted it, chased and then ran down the big fave under Luis Contreras, great ride. Half brother, hip 191 on Tuesday night Woodbine sale, is a colt by MARCHFIELD, whose first exciting crop sell this year! Offered by Mike Byrne, agent.

 8:04 EURICO DA SILVA picks up the mount on BEAR NO JOKE, gets a big bear hug from the Bear, Danny Dion…Trainer READE BAKER: ” I got a lot of chill in this race last year (no joke, his former horse Bear’s Chill won the Kenora last year)”..upset that Emma-Jayne Wilson taken off horse of ORC STEWARDS…says he “wouldn’t be here” if it was not for DANNY DION.

8:02 – BILL DIAMANT present the Kenora trophy to the Bear, the Bakers. Diamant is an owner/breeder and VP of the HBPA Ontario

7:56 p.m. Yowza, BLACK HORNET, predictably odds-on in the KENORA STAKES at 6 furlongs, goes 21 2/5, 43 3/5 and, well, way too fast and he was caught by one of my favourites BEAR NO JOKE! The winner is owned by BEAR STABLES, was a $75,000 yearling by and bred by the Everatt family in St Thomas.

Tough luck for EMMA-JAYNE WILSON who was listed to ride but a trip to Saratoga today led to her not being able to ride this son of It’s No Joke – Nithi by Wolf Power. The winner is actually related to last year’s winner Bear’s Chill, who was also in this race but was last.

Danny Dion, a great friend of racing and significant investor, not only sponsors a race on this card but perhaps may be shopping next week at the sale? Reade Baker has been the Bear’s longtime trainer. Bear No Joke is 5 for 15 in his career and he has won over $350,000.

 

7:40 p.m. SANDY HAWLEY hanging out at the private party for CTHS Ontario and famous singer ANDY KIM stops by to ‘rock me gently’..okay, never mind. Kim looks great, he is learning about racing, how cool is that. Says that he would name a horse SUGAR SUGAR.

Private party seems to be for sponsors of the big stakes races on this card and to get newcomers interested in the game, fashion show and horse talk, sounds liek a great idea……apparently no media invited.

 

7:33 DENNIS WINDSOR SAYS..rename the Halton Stakes to the MOBIL STAKES! Mobil won the race 3 years in succession and his son WELLOILEDMACHINE has won in 2 years straight! Too bad Mobil is not in Ontario anymore..he was sold earlier this year.

7:27 P.M. Christine and Dennis Windsor, who picked up WELLOILEDMACHINE 4 years ago for $15,000 because Christine groomed the sire Mobil celebrated another win by their sleek 5yo in the HALTON STAKES, picking up another $75,000. The Mobil – Sleek and Powerful by Sir Cat battled on the pace all the way, edged clear and held off champion Pender Harbour.

Nice return to riding for 2013 for JIM MCALENEY who rode the winner. Kevin Pasher came over with the Mike Keogh trainee. He was 9 to 2 over Pender Harbour at even money.

The winner was bred by John Kennedy.

There is a half brother to WELLOILEDMACHINE in the open session on Sept. 10, hip no. 244, bred by G. Cardwell. That colt is by new sire MAST TRACK, who stands at Adena Springs. Beth Hancock sells the yearling colt.

 

Get your Canadian Premier yearling sale catalogue, bring it to the races tonight, update as siblings of the sales yearling race in Canadian Millions sales Stakes night!

 

Stars to see include ULTIMATE DESTINY, who should cruise in the Elgin Stakes! Photo below of Ultimate Destiny by Norm Files.

 

Witness the excitement of horse ownership at The Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day

Ask anyone in the Sport of Horseracing and they’ll tell you that there is nothing like the excitement of winning a race.
Now is your chance to experience that excitement for yourself by purchasing a yearling prospect at the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, September 3rd and 7 th at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
With more than $14.9 million available in the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program and many more other financial incentives for locally bred horses, the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division)
Sale has delivered excitement for hundreds of owners who have enjoy
ed success including Alberta natives, Vern and Donna Dubinsky’s Donver Stable who campaigned Inglorious to win Canada’s coveted horse racing prize, the Queen’s Plate in 2011 and was subsequently voted Canada’s Champion Three-Year-Old Filly with career earnings of more than $1.4 million; and Denis Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk and Bob & Roberta Giffin
who campaigned the 2011 Champion Three – Year -Old Male, Pender Harbour, who to date has earnings close to $1.3 million .
But don’t just take our word for it. Come out and witness the thrill of winning first hand at The Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day on Wednesday, August 28th beginning at 6:45
pm at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto (Valet Parking is available at the West Entrance)
.
Hosted by the CTHS (Ontario Division ) and the Thoroughbred Improvement Program, The Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day will give you the opportunity to meet and talk with owners who have purchased yearlings out of previous CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sales and to watch the excitement unfold when the Ontario Sales
Graduates compete in a series of six high calibre Stakes Races and a total of $1,000,000 in prize money for the winning owners of all eight races on the card
.
With the support of the HBPA of Ontario and Woodbine Entertainment, The Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day will also be televised on Rogers Sportsnet One starting at 7pm for those that are unable to attend.

www.cthsont.com

 

THE LINE-UP FOR TONIGHT!

 

Six Yearling Sales Stakes, worth $900,000 in total, will be featured Wednesday evening at Woodbine on the eight-race card.

The revamped Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day, restricted to horses entered in past local Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) Yearling/MIXED  Sales, will be contested at a variety of distances on both turf and Polytrack.

The races will be broadcast live on Sportsnet ONE from 7:00 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST.

Two-year-olds will compete in the $200,000 Simcoe for colts and geldings, and the $200,000 Muskoka for fillies, both at six and one-half furlongs on Polytrack.

Go Greeley, a son of Horse Greeley-Orchids Halo, tops the Simcoe at 9:22 p.m.  Trained and owned by John Ross and ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, Go Greeley, a $40,000 purchase, is a nose away from being unbeaten in four starts.  After breaking his maiden impressively, the dark bay colt was upset by Spin the King in the Clarendon, but has rebounded to take the Colin on July 20 and the Vandal on August 11 to push his bankroll to $250,260.

Heart to Heart, trained by Mike Stidham, came to Woodbine from Arlington Park and just failed to beat Go Greeley in the Vandal, falling a nose short.   Emma-Jayne Wilson rides the son of English Channel-Ask the Question, a $25,000 purchase.

Spin the King, to be ridden by Luis Contreras for trainer Brian Lynch, hasn’t run since upsetting Go Greeley in the Clarendon Stakes on July 7, when breaking his maiden in his second start.   The Giant Gizmo-Muriel colt was a $50,000 buy for J. M. Stritzl Stable.

Beware of MAN O’ BEAR, a long striding Corinthian colt who had a smart debut race for the Bear Stables and trainer Reade Baker.

The Muskoka, at 8:53 p.m., is headed by stakes winners Skylander Girl and On Rainbow Bridge.   Skylander Girl, just a $3,500 yearling purchase, has taken both the My Dear on July 6 and Ontario Debutante Stakes on August 10 in her four starts to date, for earnings of $218,920 for owner-trainer Alex Patykewich.   The daughter of Stroll-Heliotrope will be ridden as usual by Jim McAleney.

The Dave Cotey-trained On Rainbow Bridge, ridden by Skye Chernetz, enters the Muskoka off two impressive stakes victories.  Owned by Triple K Stables, the daughter of Bold Executive-Miss Deputy, an $18,000 purchase, took the Shady Well on July 14, when not only breaking her maiden in her second start but also defeating favoured Skylander Girl in the process.  Most recently, she won the Nandi on August 3 by a comfortable one and one-quarter lengths over rival Paladin Bay, who she’ll face again.

PALADIN BAY, bred by Ericka Rusnak and a $10,000 yearling purchase, is a contender in the Muskoka Stakes for owner Jessie Ladouceur. Norm Files photo

She is by Sligo Bay out of Stormin Wife

 

 

The $125,000 Halton Stakes (7:22 p.m.), for three-year-olds and upward at one mile on the turf, is topped by Pender Harbour, Welloiledmachine and Aldous Snow.

Pender Harbour, a Sovereign Award winner in 2011 as Canada’s top three-year-old, has earned over $1.2 million.   To be ridden by Jesse Campbell for trainer Mike DePaulo, the five-year-old gelded son of Philanthropist is winless in only two outings this year, but won three stakes last year, including the Elgin, another stake for yearling sales graduates, and one in which he is cross-entered this year as well.
Welloiledmachine, a five-year-old gelded son of Mobil, is winless in six starts since taking last year’s renewal of the Halton for trainer Mike Keogh.  Jim McAleney rides.

 

The six-furlong, $125,000 Kenora Stakes (7:54 p.m.), for three-year-olds and upward on Polytrack, drew only four entrants, headed by Winview Racing Stable’s Black Hornet.   Trained by Pat Parente and ridden by Justin Stein, the three-year-old gelded son of Pioneering-Start Stinging has won his last two starts very impressively, the Queenston on May 11 and the Achievement Stakes on June 29, at seven and six furlongs, respectively.

The $125,000 Elgin Stakes (8:24 p.m.), for three-year-olds and upward at one mile and one-sixteenth over Woodbine’s Polytrack, includes Ultimate Destiny and Good Better Best.

Ultimate Destiny, owned and trained by Alex Fehr, is perfect in three official starts this year, including the Steady Growth Stakes on June 15, when decisioning Good Better Best.  In his last race, the four-year-old gelded son of Dance to Destiny finished second to Alpha Bettor in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup on August 3, but was declared a non-starter for pari-mutuel purposes after a starting gate infraction.   Todd Kabel rides.

Good Better Best, trained by Roger Attfield for Harlequin Ranches, is also cross-entered in the Halton, along with Pender Harbour and Aldous Snow.   To be ridden by Luis Contreras, the five-year-old son of Best of the Bests has won once in four outings this year after going winless in seven starts last season.

The $125,000 Algoma (9:50 p.m.), for fillies and mares at one and one-sixteenth miles on Polytrack, drew 10 hopefuls, headed by the overwhelming favourite Dixie Strike. Owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse, the four-year-old daughter of Dixie Union-Noble Strike has banked over $1 million, while winning five of  her 15 career starts, including a victory over males last year in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the second leg in the Canadian Triple Crown.

She was also third to Strait of Dover in the Queen’s Plate and sixth to Irish Mission in the Breeders’ Stakes.  To be handled by Gary Boulanger, Dixie Strike has started only once this year, just missing to Acting Naughty in the seven furlong Sweet Briar Too Stakes on July 6.

FORT ERIE’S FINAL TWILIGHT TUESDAY, 3 STAKES

Mountain Echo just wins, wins wins…Michael Burns Photography

 

 

The final Twilight Tuesday took place at Fort Erie Race Track under grey skies but the hazy weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the substantial crowd who gathered for a great card of racing followed by a free concert by Horns from Hell.

Three $30,000 Cup races were offered up for local horses, the Andy Passero Memorial, the Bob Summers Memorial and the Molson Cup.  As a result of heavy rain on Monday the Molson Cup was moved from the turf to the dirt for the safety of horses and riders.

This year marked the 4th running of Andy Passero Memorial which honors a great community leader whose life was cut short as a result of a tragic car accident.

Conditioner Richard Davis sent out the overwhelming favourite, Mountain Echo, who was in search of her 14th career.  “She’s such a special racehorse to me,” said an emotional Davis after her romping win at 6 ½ furlongs.

There really was no doubt about it once the gates swung open that Mountain Echo was the dominating winner.  Under a nice rider by young jockey Mallory Strandberg the mare pulled away to win by 7 lengths.  With this victory, Mountain Echo now has earnings of over $300,000 and her co-owner Richard Davis has some major decisions to make regarding her future.  “I’ve had quite a few phone calls from people who are interested in buying her as a broodmare; I wanted to see how she raced today first.”
Mountain Echo returned $3.10 to win.  Silver Shasa was second and Flashy Zee finished third.

The Bob Summers Memorial was carded as race 7 on the evening program.  With a large field of 12 runners the race was very difficult to handicap.  The public’s choice was the classy 8 year old gelding named Hey Now.  The winner of over $360,000 led the way in the 6 ½ furlong sprint but just inside the final sixteenth of a mile, long shot D’oro Diablo under a full head of steam by jockey Kirk Johnson got up to just in time.  This was the gelding’s first win at Fort Erie after 2 previous attempts.

“This horse is better on the turf and a very good sprinter but he handled the dirt today,” said trainer John Simms.  “I plan on taking him to Tampa with me this winter.”

Simms recently took over the training of D’oro Diablo for his longtime client Tony Gaito.

D’oro Diable returned $17.50 to win.  Hey Now held on for second and Molinaro Warrior rounded out the top three.

The final Cup race of the night was run just as darkness was setting in at the Border Oval.  The Molson Cup was moved from the turf to the dirt as a result of the heavy rain on Monday.  Once again, it was trainer Richard Davis who sent out the favourite and once again they did not disappoint.  Yes It’s Red, a 4 year old filly was ridden by veteran jockey Daniel David for her owner James Schlehr.  The switch in surfaces worked to the connections advantage as their filly had never raced on the turf.

I got caught out in the rain yesterday, and I almost said a bad word but then I thought to myself, this rain might help take the race off the turf,” quipped the jock.

For trainer Richard Davis the day couldn’t have been any better.  “This is like a dream come true.”

Yes It’s Red was able to get to the wire just in the nick of time under a picture perfect Dan David ride.  She defeated a very game Crimson Spire who is trained by John Simms and the classy Name In Lights who shipped in from Woodbine to run.
Yes It’s Red returned $3.60 to win.

For the months of September and October racing will continue on Sundays and Tuesdays with first race post time at 1:15.

NHC AT WOODBINE LAST WEEKEND…
Congrats to the winners of the handicapping contest at Woodbine and good luck the rest of the way to the big dance!
SUNDAY – Final Prize Pool = $39,750
1st place – 45%;  2nd place – 22%;  3rd place – 11%;  4th place – 7%;  5th place – 5%;
6th place – 2%;  7th place – 2%;  8th place – 2%;  9th place – 2%;  10th place – 2%

1st place     ​Frank Sorensen*     ​$17,887.50
​2nd place     ​Kevin Engelhard+     ​$8,745.00
​3rd place     ​Robert Montgomery**     ​$4,372.50
​4th place     ​Paul Hoffman+     ​$2,782.50
​5th place     ​Jack Dicenso     $​1,987.50
​6th place     ​Roger Cettina**     ​$795.00
​7th place     ​Tina Eymann     ​$795.00​
​8th place     ​Michael Cavalaris     ​​$795.00
​9th place     ​Bill Michelon     ​​$795.00
​10th place     ​Mauro Iriarte     $795.00​