TODAY’S NEWS – PALLADIO win Autumn, track record by HELICOPTER, Fipke buys $1 million mare
Palladio holds the 3yo Awesome Rhythm safe in the Autumn
Norm Files photo
ANY PALL A DIO IS PAL OF MINE
90 Beyer for champ
PALLADIO has never been the easiest horse to figure out during his 5 years at Woodbine and other locales. The
Haras Santa Maria de Aras homebred by Lycious had one of his preferred trips yesterday however as he stormed home to win the Grade 2 Autumn Handicap and go soaring over $1 million in earnings.
He is a 7-year-old horse trained by Roger Attfield.
“I’ve had him since day one and he’s a very good horse,” said
Attfield, who also sent out Sligovitz (fourth) and Tutti Buona Gente
(ninth) in the Autumn. “The race has to have pace and he has to be
covered up as long as possible and make a quarter-mile run. I’m
surprised he didn’t get any respect because I loved him today.”
Palladio’s other win this campaign came in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup
Stakes on the Woodbine Polytrack, the bay taking the 1 1/16-mile event
by 1 ¼ lengths.
Curiously, the race was set up to be a super showdown with top older horse Ice Bear, Queen’s Plate hero Eye of the Leopard and recent stakes winner Stunning Stag but all three of those were scratched.
Tiede, the older horse star from out west, was a non-threatening 5th.
PALLADIO’s nine wins have come on Woodbine dirt, Keeneland grass, Thistledown dirt (Ohio Derby) and his last few wins have all come in graded races on Woodbine’s Polytrack.
Palladio should find himself a contender for the Sovereign award for champion older horse for 2009.
Debut winning 2yo SHUKRIYA runs in Josham Farms silks and wins with 73 Beyer. Pinkston Stable is the listed owner.
Norm Files photo
more from SATURDAY
For the second time in succession, trainer MIKE MATTINE sent out a 2yo debut winner – yesterday it was the Grand Reward miss SHUKRIYA, a weanling purchas by Josham Farms for $70,000.
The winner was close to the pace all the way ( she did have a 34 and change workout during the summer) and won a tough stretch battle with 2nd time starter Somme.
Mattine, who was 0 for 23 with debut winners from starters in the last 5 years, until recently, won with Solar Blessing on Aug. 28.
SHUKRIYA ran a 73 Beyer Figure in the debut win.
She was entered in no less than 5 other sales after she was bought as a weanling and was bought back for $27K as a yearling the next year.
Where has THIS track been all my life?? Is what LARRY RIVELLI must be saying as he flew in with HELICOPTER, a horse he recently claimed foir $10,000 at Arlington and scooped up the winner’s share of a $79,500 purse.
The 3yo gelding is tied for second as the winningest horses in all of North American with 8 scores – only one horse, Calm and Collected, has 9.
This horse by Three Wonders, usually a sprint sire, but Helicopter has thrived recently in long events for Rivelli.
The horse has won 4 of his last 5 races and 3 of 4 since Rivelli claimed him.
He set a TRACK RECORD for 1 1/4 miles yesterday (!), a surprise since the Queen’s Plate has been run at this distance a few times since Polytrack has arrived. His time was 2:03.51.
INITFORREAL has won twice in succession for $20K claiming now for D. Rowbotham and partners and trainer Arthur Silvera.
The Real Quiet 4yo filly had not won a race in oct. 2007 until she won her latest and then Saturday. She came from last place behind a slow pace on a slow surface to win.
THUMBIN A RIDE, at 21 to 1, wins yesterday for Centennial farms Niagara and the red-hot Don MacRae barn
Norm Files photo
THURSDAY/FRIDAY
Congrats to trainer ALEXANDER MARTINEZ who won his first race of the Woodbine meeting when MYAH’S GRACE won the 1st race on Thursday for maiden 2yo fillies, claiming $25K. The Mutakkdim filly was making her 4th career start for the Dixieland Stable.
Trainer CHRISTOPHER VELLA, son of Danny vella, won his first race at Woodbine ehn his own 2yo EDDIE ZANETTI, by Cryptoclearance, won his maiden for $20K in race 3
Older mare ARCHIE’S GAL, who has won over $500,000 and is 7-year-ol, won the last race on Thursday for owner/trainer Steve Asmussen and was claimed by owner Cyril Simek and trainer Anne Cameron.
Thursday’s track was dreadful for horses coming up the rail – 6-8 wide seemed to be the most successful trip.
On FRIDAY, The team of trainer PAUL ATTARD and EMMA WILSON continued to go on with wins. It was 21 to 1 shot
WHOS HOT SNOW who took the 3rd for $40K 2yo fillies. It was the During-Flying Stuka gal’s first outing around 2 turns and her 3rd race since being claimed by Attard from Dave Cotey. The filly was bred by Windways Farm.
Jim and Susan Hill’s highly regarded DASHING TOM won his debut race 4 for Ontario sired 2yos. The Tomhawk fellow, out of Sally Gap, was a $65,900 yearling purchase and he is trained by Reade Baker.
And 8-year-old FROMAJACK TO A KING won his 10th career race in his 52nd start when he took Friday’s finale in a fast 1:10 1/5 for $12,500 claiming. The old guy is owners by SA Racing and partners and trained by Ross Armata.
Happy to be here – apprentice OMAR MORENO is having a lot of success at Woodbine
Norm Files photo
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
The temperatures sky rocketed early in the week but plunge at night at the Polytrack on Wed. featured what seemed to be a terrible rail path (see Thursday too).
The feature on Wednesday night was a very weak 5 horse field of Ontario sired gals in the South Ocean Stakes, named for one of the top broodmares in Canadian history.
On a slow surface, a speedy Attitude Included sped to a three length lead around the first turn while being stalked by Someone to Love.
At the quarter pole, Lady Boudreasu was up to make a bid but Attitude Includd shrugged those ones off and then held a closing Shesadozer safe to win ingate to wire fashion.
For the second consecutive Wednesday night, the freshman sire MOBIL had a 2yo stakes winner (Mobthewarrior last week).
Attitude Included is owned and trained by Mark and Tina Casse and is yet another success story for the new combination of Casse and main rider Corey Fraser.
The filly is out of Fair Amour and was bred by Donald and Joan Palmer in Ontario.
Casse bought the bay filly for just $5,642 (US) from the local sale.
She’s now 2 for 6 in her career with one other stakes placing.
“It was how th race unfolded, I thought there was a good chance I would be on the lead. I giggled a little bit after the first quarter – she was comfortable,” said Fraser.
I would like thank Mark, he’s been a big force for my career.”
Old timer and one-time stakes winner NYUK NYUK NYUK went over $700,000 in earnings in the last race on wednesday night. The son of Mutakkdim-May Tine, bred by Gordon and Elizabeth Lickrish, won for $8,000 claiming for his 12th win in 58 races.
He has raced almost exclusively for Tucci Stables and trainer Sid Attard who took him for $50K in 2005 and have won well over $400,000 wth the gelding.
FASIG TIPTON – KEENELAND SALES
FIPKE BUYS BIG
Charles Fipke bought a mare from the immediate family of Horse of the World SEA THE STARS at the November sale at Fasig Tipton last week.
Always Awesome, whose only foal to race is Woodbine claimer Bear Always was bought in foal to Medaglia d’Oro:
46 M ALWAYS AWESOME AWESOME AGAIN ANZILLE ADENA SPRINGS JACK WERK, AGT / CHARLES FIPKE $1,000,000
AT KEENELAND..
0292 B.M. Reverently Royal Oak Farm, Agent 390,000
Anderson Farms, Agent for Kinghaven Farms
0318 B.M. Sweet and Careless Denali Stud, Agent 900,000
Brookdale Sales, Agent for the Complete Dispersal ofWindfields Farm Limited
*dam of CARELESS JEWEL
0483 B.C. Discreet Cat — Kris Pit Josham Farms Limited, Agent 75,000
Winter Quarter Farm, Agent II
0787 CH.M. Engaging Windhaven 100,000
Eaton Sales, Agent for Overbrook Farm (A Complete Dispersal)
0817 B.F. Game (FR) Sean Fitzhenry 27,000
Select Sales, Agent
0815 DB/BR.M. Galadriel Windways Farm Limited 70,000
Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent LXXVIII
0932 B.M. My Alibi Jim & Susan Hill 70,000
Eaton Sales, Agent
0938 CH.C. Mizzen Mast — Nawal (FR) Jim & Susan Hill 95,000
Mill Ridge Sales, Agent
0990 DB/BR.M. Ruby Mist Bar None Ranch 47,000
Cara Bloodstock (Bernard McCormack), Agent II
1027 DB/BR.F. Successful Appeal — Star of the Woods Jim & Susan Hill 100,000
Bluegrass Thor. Services, Inc. (J. Stuart), Agent for SelectBloodstock LLC
1035 B.M. Stroke the Tiger Mike Carroll 75,000
Sam-Son Farm
1049 DB/BR.F. Grand Slam — Termalina Kelynack Farm Inc. 50,000
Paramount Sales, Agent VIII
1180 DB/BR.M. Dream Smartly Dr. B. Van Arem 30,000
Cara Bloodstock (Bernard McCormack), Agent II
1208 B.M. Fly Borboleta Windhaven 75,000
Viking Stud, Inc., Agent for Twin Hopes Farm(Helen T. Andrews)
1248 CH.M. Imaginary Gold Windhaven 200,000
Eaton Sales, Agent for Overbrook Farm (A Complete Dispersal)
