HISTORY – ZENYATTA GOES FOR 16
Sarah K. Andrew photo
CHAMPIONS RETURN!
(and psst, Zenyatta races today but does anyone outside the biz know?)
Canadian racing’s champions are back in action this weekend as BIOFUEL competes tomorrow in ther Star Shoot Stakes and FIELD COMMISSION races Sunday. The co-champion 2yo filly and champion male sprinter, respectively, head small stakes fields on the second weekend of racing at Woodbine.
While it is not uneexpected that the return of Canadian champs is not going to make big headlines in the local papers, gosh, the outing today of ZENYATTA in the Apple Blossom is not getting much play and should have been pounded by the racing indsutry in every ad on TV and radio worldwide.
Of course, the race is on a Friday at 7:30 p.m., perhaps it would get good play if people are sitting in a bar watching on TV, but it’s sad that this horse, going for a record of wins and NEVER HAVING BEEN BEATEN(!) is not getting the press she deserves and the sport deserves.
STEP ON THE GAS, BIOFUEL IS BACK
BIOFUEL, the co-champion 2yo filly in Canada last year, is set to make her 2010 debut in Saturday’s STAR SHOOT STAKES at Woodbine.
The Stormin Fever gal, who is pointing to the La Lorgnette, has trained so forwardly this spring, in Florida and locally, that trainer Reade Baker decided to sprint her in the Star Shoot since she won her maiden in her debut at 6 furlongs.
A bonus is that the race drew just 4 rivals to face her as main threat Jenny’s So Great is staying in an allowance race on Friday.
The four rivals are a pair of Mkle Doyle trainees – Tee Game, 2nd in the 1 1/16 mile Ontario Lassie and Bodua, winner of the Fanfreluche Stakes.
The other pair is the quick Wild Forest Cat from trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn and allowance winner Sharp Secretary, owned by Lansdowne Stable.
The Star Shoot, named after the sire of Triple Crown champion Sir Barton, is race 6 on a 10-race card on 
Saturday.
BIOFUEL, Dave Landry photo
FIELD FOR THE STAR SHOOT
Post / Horse / Jockey / Trainer
1 / Tee Game / Slade Callaghan / Mike Doyle
2 / Biofuel / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Reade Baker
3 / Wild Forest Cat / Luis Contreras / Steve Asmussen
4 / Bodua / Jim McAleney / Mike Doyle
5 / Sharp Secretary / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Lorne Richards
JACQUES CARTIER THE FEATURE SUNDAY AT WOODBINE
Another small stakes field for this weekend but champion FIELD COMMISSION is back, with yet another new jockey, and the event is an intriguing one.
Field Commission has the rail and inside speedball HOLLYWOOD HIT, who has not been seen since that controversial score in the Kennedy Road last year (that ruling in which the horse was disqualified for a positive test was upheld on Mar. 27 and so Bogue Chitto was declared the winner).
HOLLYWOOD HIT is currently trained by Dan O’Callaghan while Terry Jordan sits out a 30 day suspension.
And EL BRUJO, a finalist for sprinter and 3yo last year, and surprisingly didn’t win either (although connections of the gelding sure had fun at the Sovereign awards ceremony!), is back too and according to trainer Malcolm Pierce, the Candy Ride 4yo is training like a superstar.
FIELD FOR THE JACQUES CARTIER
Post / Horse / Jockey / Trainer
1 / Field Commission / Emile Ramsammy / Dan Vella
2 / Monty’s Best / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Reade Baker
3 / Written in Stone / Corey Fraser / Mark Frostad
4 / El Brujo / Patrick Husbands / Malcolm Pierce
5 / Hollywood Hit / Jim McAleney / Danny O’Callaghan
SWEET SIXTEEN
Zenyatta goes for history-tying 16th consecutive win in Apple Blossom
By: Beth Harris, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – After throwing US$5 million at racing’s two female superstars to run in the Apple Blossom Invitational, Oaklawn Park’s president got half of what he and the horse racing world wanted to see.
Zenyatta is here.
She’s the early 3-5 favourite for Friday’s 1 1-8-mile race, now worth $500,000 instead of $5 million if both horses had run. Just four challengers – none of whom has won a prestigious Grade 1 race – are taking her on as Zenyatta tries to win her 16th in a row.
That would tie Citation and Cigar’s modern mark in unrestricted races. Peppers Pride, who retired last year with a 19-for-19 record, and Hallowed Dreams, who won 16 straight, achieved some of their success in statebred stakes.
“I haven’t quite got used to 15 yet, so 16 would be awesome,” Zenyatta’s co-owner Jerry Moss said Thursday. “I only start getting real nervous about it right before the race.
“She’s relaxed and ready, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Friday, Oaklawn Park, post time: 7:25 p.m. EDT
APPLE BLOSSOM INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $500,000, f/m,
4yo/up, 1 1/8m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Be Fair Exchange Rate Borel Lukas 8-1
2 Taptam Pleasant Tap Berry Calhoun 10-1
3 War Echo Tapit Bridgmohan Asmussen 7-2
4 Zenyatta K Street Cry (Ire) Smith Shirreffs 3-5
5 Just Jenda K Menifee Thompson C Jones 3-1
BLUE GRASS STAKES TOMORROW
ODYSSEUS WAITS ON THE RAIN
On a soggy Thursday morning at Keeneland, the waiting game was on at Barn 33.
“We are going to wait it out,” said Dan Blacker, assistant to trainer Tom Albertrani and exercise rider for Padua Stables’ Odysseus, the 7-2 morning line second choice for Saturday’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1). Odysseus will break from post position one.
Instead of going to the track just before 7:30 a.m. as has been his norm this week, Odysseus cooled his heels back at the barn. By 9 a.m., the rain had diminished to a drizzle and by the time Blacker and Odysseus hit the track, the precipitation had stopped.
Odysseus jogged a mile and then stood at the paddock runway for a few minutes.
“He’s got great composure, and if you let him, he would stand there for an hour. He loves to watch everything,” Blacker said.
Odysseus then galloped 1 ½ miles, picking up the pace the final half of the exercise.
“He basically did a two-minute lick the last three-quarters and picked it up the final quarter mile,” said Sasha Sanan, son of Padua owner Satish Sanan. “I got him in 14 (seconds), :14, :14, :14, :13 and :13.”
Should Odysseus pass his Toyota Blue Grass test, he could give Padua its fifth starter in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
“We had Curlin and Any Given Saturday in partnership in 2007,” Sanan said. “That was quite a crop. We also had Quintons Gold Rush (in partnership) in 2004 and Exchange Rate (in 2000).”
A Kentucky Derby starter every three or four years is not bad, “but we’d love to have one every year,” Sanan said with a smile.
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS HOPEFULS
GALLOP AT KEENELAND
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Pleasant Prince, the 3-1 morning line favorite who will break from post position six for Saturday’s Toyota Blue Grass, galloped 1½ miles in the rain Thursday morning under exercise rider Brian Pena. Trainer Wesley Ward, who was at Gulfstream Park, was expected to return to Lexington later Thursday. …
Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, listed at 10-1 on the morning line for the Toyota Blue Grass, galloped 1 ½ miles under Mary Doser before the heaviest of the morning deluge hit. Paddy O’Prado will break from post position seven.
Todd Pletcher is pleased with the outside post positions for his two starters in this year’s race, said assistant Ginny DiPasquale. Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite will break from post eight with Garrett Gomez aboard, and Interactif will start from post nine under Rafael Bejarano.
“Aikenite tends to like to be on the outside,” DiPasquale said about the Yes It’s True colt, who was second in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1) here last October. “It seems like when he’s inside, he gets in a little bit of trouble. This will hopefully keep both horses freer to run on. Interactif is a good closer anyway. Hopefully, they can get tucked in before the first turn and they’re not hung out nine wide.”
On Thursday, Aikenite walked through the paddock and galloped about 1¼ miles with exercise rider Melvin Hernandez. Interactif is currently at Churchill Downs and will be vanned to Keeneland on Saturday morning.
Ellen and Peter O. Johnson Sr.’s Make Music for Me, who arrived at Keeneland Tuesday afternoon from Southern California, galloped 1 3/8 miles with Andy Durnin aboard.
“He was very comfortable,” said Durnin, who has worked with trainer Alexis Barba for 14 years since she was an assistant to the late Eddie Gregson. Durnin said he and Barba had not talked about a race strategy for the colt, who drew post four.
“He’s a pretty straightforward horse, so tactically there’s not really much to discuss,” Durnin said. “He’s going to go out there and run his race.”
Durnin said he expects Barba to be here Friday morning to watch the Bernstein colt train. Mike Smith, who has ridden Make Music for Me in his last three races, will be aboard in the Toyota Blue Grass.
Bred to Win Partners LLC’s Codoy also toured the paddock on his way to the track, where he galloped about 1 5/8 miles with Mimi Davis aboard. The Bernstein colt, who drew post five with John Velazquez aboard, and Stately Victor both are 30-1 longshots in the morning line.
“I hope he doesn’t run like he’s 30-1,” Codoy’s trainer, Mark Hubley, said with a laugh. “Most of these horses have run second to a good horse. We’ll see what happens. Listening to the handicapper (morning line oddsmaker Mike Battaglia), I got a little intimidated (with him) extolling the virtues of everybody else’s horse, but I think this race is pretty wide open, really. It’ll be fun. It’ll be exciting. We’re ready to go.”
P# PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1 Odysseus (KY) 3/C LA* R Maragh 123 T Albertrani 7/2
2 2 First Dude (FL) 3/C LA* R A Dominguez 123 D L Romans 8/1
3 3 Stately Victor (KY) 3/C LA* A Garcia 123 M J Maker 30/1
4 4 Make Music for Me (KY) 3/C LA* M E Smith 123 A Barba 6/1
5 5 Codoy (KY) 3/C L J R Velazquez 123 M Hubley 30/1
6 6 Pleasant Prince (FL) 3/C L J R Leparoux 123 W A Ward 3/1
7 7 Paddy O’Prado (KY) 3/C LA* K J Desormeaux 123 D L Romans 10/1
8 8 Aikenite (FL) 3/C LA* G K Gomez 123 T A Pletcher 4/1
9 9 Interactif (KY) 3/C LA* R Bejarano 123 T A Pletcher 4/1
ROGER ROGER
Hall of Famer and last year’s Sovereign award winning trainer ROGER ATTFIELD saddles 2 in the prestigious Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland today.
Attfield has Charle’s Fipke’s streaking SOCIETY’S CHAIRMAN and the talented PASSAGER in the 1 mile turf test.
The CHAIRMAN just won the Appleton at Gulfstream with a last-gasp rush and is in career form.
Back for a second try in the Maker’s Mark Mile is Johanna Louise Glen-Teven’s Passager (FR).Passager ran second to Mr. Sidney in last year’s Maker’s Mark Mile. Corey Nakatani has the mount on Passager, who will break from position seven under a 117-pound impost.
Friday, Keeneland
MAKER’S MARK MILE S.-GI, $300,000, 4yo/up, 1mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Pictural El Prado (Ire) Mernagh Dutrow Jr 117
2 Society’s Chairman Not Impossible (Ire) Lezcano Attfield 119
3 Cherokee Artist Cherokee Run Rose Motion 117
4 Wesley K El Prado (Ire) Castellano Hennig 119
5 Karelian K Bertrando Leparoux Arnold 117
6 Court Vision K Gulch Albarado Dutrow Jr 121
7 Passager (Fr) Anabaa Nakatani Attfield 117
8 Rogue Victory K Victory Gallop Desormeaux Weaver 117
TIME TO DO YOUR DUTY – VOLUNTEER!
LongRun Volunteer Education Day
LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society is hosting their first Volunteer Education Day on Saturday, April 24 at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
LongRun is a non-profit organization which finds loving homes for retired thoroughbred racehorses as well as providing education to the Ontario thoroughbred racing community and the public on the alternative careers available for retired racehorses.
The Volunteer Education Day is designed to inform the public on the exciting volunteer programs which are available at LongRun.
Volunteering for LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society allows the opportunity to do your part in finding loving, adoptive homes for thoroughbreds after their racing days are over. LongRun volunteers have the opportunity to interact with the horses as well as make new friends and have fun at various LongRun events throughout the year.
LongRun is looking for volunteers to help with farm inspections, adoption follow-ups, fund raising and special events.
The Volunteer Education Day is from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a special presentation from Internationally renowned Animal Communicator and Medical/Spiritual Intuitive, Charlotte Szviak. Admission is free, with donations welcome. A light lunch will be provided along with a chance to win exciting door prizes.
For more information or to be added to the LongRun mailing list contact LongRun at 416-675-3993, ext. 3440 or [email protected].
www.longrunretirement.com
Bruceontheloose not going to Woodbine
Glen Mohammed
Thursday, April 8th 2010
THE CANADIAN public will not get the opportunity to see this country’s Horse of the Year Bruceontheloose compete at Woodbine racecourse, Canada in May after all.
The Jamaica-bred grey colt was supposed to have his farewell race in the 1,600-metre Champagne Stakes on April 17 on the turf before being shipped to Woodbine with trainer Dr Greg De Gannes. But instead, he will be staying in Trinidad because the mandatory blood work done on him before shipping tested positive for tick fever. As a result, he will not be allowed in Canada.
Contacted in Miami yesterday, owner Gervan Mouttet was disappointed by the results, but was very upbeat that the T&T public will get the chance to see ’Bruce’ compete at Santa Rosa Park for the rest of the season.
’His blood tested positive for tick fever,’ Mouttet disclosed. ’They say they could treat it, but it is a 70 per cent chance it could clear up. I said I do not like the odds, I will stay in Trinidad and deal with Storm Street. His stablemate Bristling (who won on Monday) looks like a good one also.’
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