Tuesday morning on Thoroughblog – the aftermath of a $9 million dollar day at Woodbine; the final day of racing at Fort Erie and we remember Daryl Wells, Jr. and will enjoy the Tour de Fort
ERUPT under Stephane Pasquier win the Canadian International at Woodbine – Oct. 16 Mr Will Wong photo
TOP BEYER FIGURES FROM WOODBINE WINNERS SATURDAY/SUNDAY
103 ERUPT – (T)
99 CALGARY CAT (T)
97 AL’S GAL (T)
92 SEEKING THE RING
86 SOMETHING AWESOME
Interesting finish shot of the E.P. Taylor as AL’S GAL (inside) wins but jockey Jose Ortiz on Suffused appears to think he has won – Mr Will Wong photo
BETTORS ERUPT – 9 MILLION WAGERED ON INTERNATIONAL DAY
ERUPT is headed to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 5 following his big win in the canadian International at Woodbine on Sunday. The gorgeous plain bay with black points posted a 103 Beyer Figure in racing 1 1/2 miles on the grass in 2:32.37 over a course that was on the better side of ‘good’.
It was the first win in 5 races for the Dubawi colt this year after some troubled outings in England and France.
In a chat with winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard on Monday morning from his yard in Chantilly, Thoroughblog learned that Erupt was soon too be back in France to ready for the Breeders’ Cup.
“Ii was delighted with the way Erupt looked when I arrived at Woodbine on the Friday [before the race], Graffard told Thoroughblog.
“I just wanted him to get a win, for him especially after some bad luck.”
One of four European raiders in the 1 ½-mile mile turf race for three-year-olds and upward, Erupt was surprisingly the most lightly-regarded of the quartet at 12-1 with Idaho sent off as the 7-5 favorite, Dartmouth at 3-1 and Protectionist at 5-1.
The opening mile of the Canadian International went much as expected with World Approval cutting out splits of :26.66, :52.79, 1:18.80 and 1:44.21 (during the race, the TRAKUS time posted splits of :27. 54. 1:19..).Dartmouth, who is owned by Her Majesty the Queen and was looking to give trainer Sir Michael Stoute his third consecutive Canadian International win, was in a perfect stalking spot in second place with The Pizza Man racing third on the inside and covered by Erupt.
William Buick, riding Dartmouth, finally put away World Approval with a furlong to run but at this point Erupt was finishing more strongly and would not be denied.
“I was a bit worried about my stall number (Post 8), but he started well,” said Pasquier. “We took good position right behind the leader and the race was perfect today. “I feel that I had a lot of gas, actually. It went easily.”
Both Pasquier and Graffard had to leave immediately after the race. Electra Niarchos, niece of Stavros Niarchos’ daughter Maria, accepted the winning trophy.
The mutuel handle on the day was an excellent $9,212,804, a record for the Pattison Canadian International card. The previous mark was $6,476,316, recorded in 2015.
FANFRELUCHE FIGURES IN ERUPT’S PEDIGREE
Erupt’s dam MARE NOSTRUM is a granddaughter of Grand Luxe, a Canadian bred winner of the Fury Stakes at Woodbine and daughter of the great Fanfreluche.
– – – – – – Mr. Prospector
– – – Seeking the Gold
– – – – – Con Game
– – Dubai Millennium (GB)
– – – – – Shareef Dancer
– – – Colorado Dancer (IRE)
– – – – – Fall Aspen
Dubawi (IRE)
– – – – – Shirley Heights (GB)
– – – – Deploy (GB)
– – – – Slightly Dangerous
— Zomaradah (GB)
– – – – – Dancing Brave
– – – Jawaher (IRE)
– – – – – High Tern (IRE)
– – – – – Northern Dancer
– – – – Nijinsky II
– – – – – Flaming Page
– – Caerleon
– – – – – Round Table
– – – – Foreseer
– – – – – – Regal Gleam
Mare Nostrum (GB)
– – – – – Bold Bidder
– – – Spectacular Bid
– – – – – Spectacular
– – – Salvora
– – – – – – Sir Ivor
– – – – Grand Luxe
– – – – – – – Fanfreluche
MORE FROM A WONDERFUL WOODBINE WEEKEND
AL’S GAL, claimed for $35,000 from a losing run at Gulfstream in Feb. 2015, won the E.P. Taylor in a very gritty run. The English Channel mare, who had 4 different owners and trainers in her first 10 starts, was very game and won by inches over a charging Suffused, owned by Juddmonte Farm. Al’s Gal is expected to contest the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 4.
Trainer Kevin Attard and owners Cory Hoffman and Stephen Chesney all had the same look after the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes – the cat that swallowed the canary. That is because CALGARY CAT, their champion sprinter of 2014, got back into the winner’s circle with a spirited run to win and boost his career earnings to $900,000. This Cowtown Cat 6-year-old, perhaps one of the greatest claims in North America in the last decade (he was taken for $25,000 3 years ago), is now back in the picture for champion sprinter again. He is not likely to go to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Great image from MR Will Wong as the boys charge to the wire in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes and it was Ontario bred CALGARY CAT (far left) who got up to win over another Ontario bred – Conquest Enforcer (second from left)
FORT ERIE WRAPS UP WITH A TOUR OF DE FORT
A tribute to Daryl Wells, Jr. will be part of the final day of racing at Fort Erie today and the 2 mile TOUR DE FORT, featuring the 2016 Horse of the Year BEST OFFER is the highlight race.
Once again, Mike Blake and the gang have shared their great pre-race video of some of the Fort Erie horsepeople:
