Gorgeous colt FLAT OUT worked like a monster at Churchill this week and will be tough in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic….if you get a chance and can find it (!), the workout is something to watch. Breeders’ Cup website photo

 

BREEDERS’ CUP WEEK

Friday at around 4 p.m. the 28th BREEDERS’ CUP gets rolling at Churchill Downs and a little bit of rain tomorrow could make things a bit springy on the grass. Other than that, the weather looks nice (could it be as nice as it is here in T.O. today?).

The big stories of this year’s Breeders’ Cup include GOLDIKOVA, going for 4 Miles in a row and the Classic matchup between HAVRE DE GRACE, the filly, FLAT OUT, the freak and UNCLE MO, the speedy sensation who is, according to most media, in the wrong race.

The girls are on tap FRIDAY for the ladies card (except for the new Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint which starts the Cup festivities). Highlighting that card is the Ladie’s Classic with ROYAL DELTA looking so very tough off a stunning workout this week.

FLAT OUT is a flat Out freak

POWERFUL AND PRETTY-BOY …FLAT OUT looked like a monster is his workout this week and will take some beating in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It goes to show you that anyone can have a good horse and the horse can come from anywhere.

First of all, he is one of 5 horses since 1984 to be named FLAT OUT (each one foaled in a different country)
This guy is by the sire FLATTER, a stakes placed son of A. P. Indy who has been modest as a sire at best.
The mare, Cresta Lil, won a couple of minor stakes and $62,000 and she is by the modest sire Cresta Rider (by Northern Dancer).

Cresta Lil has produced 9 other foals including OUR BEST MAN, a 1997 Runaway Groom gelding who raced over 100 times and won 19 races.
The mare was bought in foal to Flatter for $5,000 – here is a squib from BreedersCup.com:

Breeder Nikolaus Bock… purchased Flat Out’s dam, Cresta Lil, while she was carrying him for $5,000 from Claiborne Farm at the 2005 Keeneland November mixed sale and the next year she was sold to A. Renee McCollum for $3,500 at the 2006 Ocala Breeders Sale October mixed sale. Cresta Lil has not produced a registered foal since 2008 … Flat Out was sold as a weanling for $11,800 at the 2006 OBS fall mixed sale and then he was sold again for $85,000 at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale.
FLAT OUT is the first graded stakes winner for trainer Charles Dickey:

According to statistics from Equineline.com, Dickey has saddled 6,403 thoroughbreds since 1976. Those are his only graded-stakes victories, as well as the only races Dickey has won worth more than $100,000. On Saturday, Dickey and Flat Out will try to beat horses trained by Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Larry Jones and others in the $5 million Classic.

Goldikova yesterday at Churchill , can she win 4 Miles in a row?- www.horse-races.net photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A personal favourite – HAMAZING DESTINY is a starter in the Sprint on Saturday – trained by D Wayne Lukas..

 

 

 

 

WOODBINE TV DEPARTMENT ON SITE:
Interview at Churchill with Gail Cox, trainer of Hard Not to Like:
http://bcove.me/59dg38vo

 

 

A real threat in the Mile is BYWORD, A 5YO by Peintre Celebre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE LITTLE CANADIAN-ORIENTED GEMS FROM THE BREEDERS’ CUP:

Ontario sires with starters in the races include PERFECT SOUL (Ire) – he just moved to Ontario and has PERFECT SHIRL in the Filly and Mare Turf, and WANDO, sire of Mile starter TURRALURE.

BOLD RUCKUS, a longtime leading Canadian sire, is the grandsire of EXCAPER who starts in the Juvenile Turf for Mr. and Mrs. Kaster, who race the 2yo at Woodbine.
EXCAPER won his debut for trainer Ian Black and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson and he was 2nd to FINALE in the Summer Stakes. FINALE is an expected favourite for the Juvenile Turf and his post 13 was not looked upon favourably by his trainer Todd Pletcher.
EXCAPER drew post 11.
Bold Ruckus is the sire of Excaper’s mum ADA RUCKUS, a 3-time winner and a Canadian-bred who was bred by Eaton Hall Farm, Lionel Schipper and Sam Young.
That trio also raced ADA PROSPECT, the dam of Ada Ruckus and ADA PROSPECT was the champion 2yo filly in Canada in 1983 and a Canadian bred by New Prospect – Town Ad.

TAMARIND HALL, bred by Eugene Melnyk, is in the Filly and Mare Sprint. She is a Florida-bred by Graeme Hall who raced for Melnyk 5 times at Woodbine and Tampa before she was claimed for $20,000 by James Perron and trainer Scott Fairlie. She was later sold to her current owners and she has taken a huge leap, enough to give her a shot in the big race:

COURT VISION  -Woodbine Mile winner COURT VISION makes his last career start in the Mile and then is headed to PARK STUD to begin stallion duties in Orangeville next season.
The horse has been getting rave reviews for his training this week at Churchill.

 

VILLENEUVE RECORD 1,000TH WIN NOT RECOGNIZED BY EQUIBASE/DRF

A victory in Jamaica last month for jockey Francine Villeneuve will not count in her record at the rider, who reportedly retired yesterday, stands pat at 999 career wins according to statistics gathered for the racing industry by Equibase/Daily Racing Form.VILLENEUVE is named on horses at Woodbine this week.
2011 Thoroughbred Racing Summary:

Starts     Firsts     Seconds     Thirds     Earnings
225     30    39    31    $ 428,815

Career Thoroughbred Racing Summary:

Starts     Firsts     Seconds     Thirds     Earnings
8,129     999     1,019     1,065     $ 15,456,354

 

GOOD FEATURE THIS WEEK – WHAT’S NEXT FOR VILLENEUVE:

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3354220

 

FORT ERIE WRAPS UP

John Oxley’s GAME BALL (Sky Mesa) wins the TOUR DE FORT on the last day of racing at Fort Erie yesterday – M. Burns Photography

 

 

FORT ERIE FINAL STATS

OWNERS BY WINS

1    Molinaro Stable    93    17    18    11    $184,641    18%    46    49%
2    Martin Drexler    20    10    7    2    $96,010    50%    19    95%
3    Dale Powell    43    9    8    3    $70,141    21%    20    47%
4    Katie Woods    31    8    5    6    $84,704    26%    19    61%
5    James R. Pearson    44    7    7    3    $69,168    16%    17    39%
5    Bear Stables, Ltd.    27    7    5    5    $69,063    26%    17    63%
5    C S Dowson Farms    36    7    4    5    $58,993    19%    16    44%
5    Dixieland Stable    34    7    3    4    $51,329    21%    14    41%
9    Fieldstone Farms    46    6    8    9    $75,009    13%    23    50%
9    Stephen Organ    56    6    10    12    $74,122    11%    28    50%
9    J. and G. Murphy Holdings, Ltd.    18    6    3    1    $44,775    33%    10    56%
9    Andree A. Justice    17    6    2    1    $43,331    35%    9    53%
9    Murray Stroud    16    6    0    2    $36,509    38%    8    50%

GRAY MINUTE, a daughter of NIIGON, was the HBPA’s FORT ERIE HORSE OF THE YEAR

M. Burns photo

 

 

TRAINERS BY WINS

ROSS ARMATA upended perennial leading Fort Erie trainer NICK GONZALEZ to take the championship for 2011.

1    Ross Armata    135    28    27    13    $268,126    21%    68    50%
2    Nicholas Gonzalez    129    25    18    13    $251,410    19%    56    43%
3    Martin Drexler    48    18    10    7    $182,230    38%    35    73%
3    Jennifer Davis    127    18    18    15    $159,817    14%    51    40%
3    Layne S. Giliforte    72    18    9    13    $157,824    25%    40    56%
6    John Simms    127    16    18    20    $163,839    13%    54    43%
6    Shawn Rideout    99    16    10    13    $144,899    16%    39    39%
8    Sam Di Pasquale    34    15    4    2    $109,401    44%    21    62%
9    Carla Christoffersen    49    14    8    6    $119,439    29%    28    57%
10    Anthony Husbands    61    13    10    5    $129,201    21%    28    46%
11    Marilyn G. McMullen    119    12    13    17    $140,032    10%    42    35%
12    Daryl G. Ezra    66    11    15    10    $121,020    17%    36    55%

JOCKEYS BY WINS

1    Christopher Griffith    359    59    53    44    $645,389    16%    156    43%
2    Kirk Johnson    359    56    53    44    $624,420    16%    153    43%
3    Real E. Simard    347    54    55    55    $593,836    16%    164    47%
4    Krista Carignan    271    49    48    30    $574,570    18%    127    47%
5    Martin Ramos Ramirez    288    48    42    44    $513,340    17%    134    47%
6    Betty Jo Williams    286    44    33    57    $484,697    15%    134    47%
7    Brian A. Cheyne    325    38    47    44    $422,410    12%    129    40%
8    Francine Villeneuve    215    30    38    31    $408,902    14%    99    46%
9    Terry Husbands    200    26    24    26    $301,521    13%    76    38%
10    Roderick Dacosta    110    25    21    11    $234,277    23%    57    52%

HORSES BY WINS

1    Molinaro Rush 12    5    5    1    $42,212    42%    11    92%    80
1    Kinstar                   11    5    2    1    $38,902    45%    8    73%    88
3    My Natalie 7    4    2    1    $41,669    57%    7    100%    92
3    Game Ball    4    4    0    0    $37,877    100%    4    100%    89
3    Gee Pari    7    4    1    2    $37,432    57%    7    100%    91
3    Soar    8    4    1    0    $27,414    50%    5    63%    77
3    Mr. Henry Two U    5    4    1    0    $25,467    80%    5    100%    86
3    Dark Continent    8    4    1    2    $24,685    50%    7    88%    80
3    Carlas Express    8    4    0    1    $24,359    50%    5    63%    83
3    Worth a Punt    9    4    1    0    $24,175    44%    5    56%    86