We needs hugs here in Ontario; 2nd day of incredibly cold temperatures (car reads -21, not including wind), but by the time the Woodbine training track opens later this week, it will be closer to +3..wild stuff.

Some news and notes from Saturday’s racing:

 

TEPIN TROUNCES at TAMPA BAY
Easy to love this fab filly

 

from Tampa Bay Downs media:

You could almost feel trainer Mark Casse’s torment during the race. He paced nervously in the jockeys’ weigh-out area adjacent to the winner’s circle as long-shot Lovely Loyree led Tepin and the rest through pedestrian fractions of 24.19 seconds for the quarter-mile, 50.17 for the half and 1:14.84 for six furlongs.

But Tepin put all worries to rest with her explosive stretch kick, leaving the rest behind. Lady Lara was a half-length ahead of Lovely Loyree, who held on well for third. Tepin’s time for the mile-and-a-sixteenth was 1:42.91.

“You know, that’s why I have so much admiration for guys like Bob Baffert and my good friend Bill Mott (trainer of Lady Lara), who is one of my idols,” a suddenly composed Casse said after Tepin’s magnificent performance. “I can only imagine what they must have gone through with American Pharoah and Cigar.”

Owner Robert E. Masterson was ebullient after the victory, the eighth in 16 starts for Tepin. First-place money of $90,000 pushed her career bankroll to $2,565,973. She paid $2.60 to win.

“These are once-in-a-lifetime horses,” Masterson said. “I’ve had a lot of graded horses, but this one, she’s a champion and she is just special. We know her so well – when they let her go out in (50.17 for the half-mile), it was like, you’re not going to catch her down the lane. She is just too fast.”

Casse agreed that the pace scenario really didn’t matter for Tepin in her first race since her Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Mile triumph against males at Keeneland.

“That is what is so great about her,” Casse said. “Julien can kind of do whatever he needs to do – if they’re running fast, he’ll sit back, and if they are running slow, she’ll relax. You’re always nervous coming back, but she’s back.

“The ultimate goal is the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year, but our first major goal with her is the Grade I Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland (April 15). She kind of likes Keeneland. That will be against the boys, so I think we’ll try them again,” Casse added, while not ruling out the Grade II, $200,000 Hillsborough Stakes here on March 12.

Casse’s other Lambholm South Endeavour entrant, 2014 Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou, trailed throughout, finishing sixth with an 82 Beyer Figure.

 
FROM TEPIN to DESTIN

The Giant’s Causeway 3-year-old DESTIN won the Sam F. Davis with a 91 Beyer Figure. No Derby points for this race but an improving colt.

TAMPA BAY TIMES – By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent

OLDSMAR — Todd Pletcher didn’t make the trip Saturday to Tampa Bay Downs. His presence was still felt.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/horseracing/destin-captures-sam-f-davis-stakes-at-tampa-bay-downs/2265328

 
LET’S BE FRANK – REDDAM has another Ky Derby prospect

 

FRANK CONVERSATION scored a steady win from off a slow pace in the El Camina Real Derby at Golden Gate on Saturday and posted an 86 Beyer Figure for 1:50.64 on an all weather surface.

The son of Quality Road from a stakes placed Unusual heat mare also won the California Derby at GG with a 91 Beyer this winter. The colt is one of 2 Derby prospects now for Canadian J. Paul Reddam who owns the champion 2yo of 2015 NYQUIST, who is set to return to the races next weekend.

The really good effort in the race came from KASSEOPIA (GB), the white faced colt from Europe who stopped by Woodbine last fall to be 2nd in the Grey Stakes to RIKER.
Now trained by Graham Motion, the colt had a dreadful start from the gate, was wide and far back but he rallied very wide to get 3rd, just over 2 lengths back of the winner.

Speaking of RIKER, the probable champion 2yo in Canada of 2015 has returned to the worktab after 4 weeks of not having any published preps. He had a 48.30 breezing prep for 4 furlongs at GUlfstream on Feb. 9, 2nd fastest of 23. His previous workout came on Jan. 31.

 

 

EMILE RAMSAMMY guides NOMINEE to Grade 2 Trinidad win over Canadian-bred
and Patrick Husbands busy also

 
One of Woodbine’s top jockey’s, Emile Ramsammy, rode NOMINEE to a mild upset win in the Grade 2 ERIC ‘COLT’ DURANT MEMORIAL STAKES at Santa Rosa Park in Trinidad on Saturday. The winner ia a 7-year-old horse by Awesome Again from the Distorted Humor mare La POrta and was bred in Kentucky by Stronestreet Thoroughbred Hldings.
Now owned by Antonio Navarro, NOMINEE raced in a stalking position outside of rivals but appeared to be on his way to 2nd best behind heavily favoured Canadian-bred THISONESFORRON until he had a strong burst to get up and grab the win in the turf event.

NOMINEE won this race in 2014 but missed racing from April – December in 2015.

THISONESFORRON was bred in Alberta by Cavendish and is by Gilded Time out of Muddy Miss by Ares Vallis.

PATRICK HUSBANDS rode half a dozen races at Santa Rosa on Saturday and won one as he continues to keep busy this winter.

Results and replays of the races from Santa Rosa are here:

http://www.arimaraceclub.com/Results.html

 

 

KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS

Rank Horse Points Owner(s) Trainer Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

 

1. Nyquist 30 Reddam Racing LLC (J. Paul Reddam) Doug O’Neill $1,580,000
2. Mor Spirit 24 Michael L. Petersen Bob Baffert $336,800
3. Mohaymen 20 Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum) Kiaran McLaughlin $514,830
4. Sunny Ridge 18 Dennis A. Drazin Jason Servis $505,600
5. Exaggerator 16 Big Chief Racing LLC (Matthew W. Bryan) Keith Desormeaux $940,000

6. Flexibility 15 Klaravich Stables Inc. (Seth Klarman) & William H. Lawrence Chad Brown $232,500
7. Brody’s Cause 14 Albaugh Family Stable (Dennis Albaugh) Dale Romans $500,000
8. Greenpointcrusader 14 St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola), MeB Racing Stables LLC & Brooklyn Boyz Stables (Mary Ellen and Anthony Bonomo)
Dominick Schettino $369,300
9. Swipe 12 Big Chief Racing LLC (Matthew W. Bryan) Keith Desormeaux $597,130
10. Mo Tom 12 G M B Racing (Gayle Benson) Tom Amoss $188,326

11. Airoforce 10 John C. Oxley Mark Casse $444,080
12. Cocked and Loaded 10 Richard Ravin & Patricia’s Hope LLC (Vince Foglia) Larry Rivelli $280,840
13. Discreetness 10 Xpress Thoroughbreds LLC (Dwight Pruett) William “Jinks” Fires $245,042
14. Frank Conversation 10 Reddam Racing LLC (J. Paul Reddam) Doug O’Neill $199,000
15. Riker 10 Tucci Stables (Carlo & Lou Tucci) Nick Gonzalez $182,375
16. Collected 10 Speedway Stable LLC (Peter Fluor & K.C. Weiner) Bob Baffert $80,000
17. Vorticity 8 Matthew Schera James Lawrence II $150,000
18. Rated R Superstar 6 Radar Racing LLC (Paul Parker) Kenny McPeek $80,200
19. Kasseopia-GB 6 Team Valor International (Barry Irwin) & Gary Barber Graham Motion $46,809

20. Toews On Ice 4 Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman Bob Baffert $228,900
21. Tom’s Ready 4 G M B Racing (Gayle Benson) Dallas Stewart $66,670
— +Tusk 4 Flaxman Holdings Inc. (Stavros Niarchos) Graham Motion $40,250
22. Uncle Lino 4 Tom Mansor, Purple Shamrock Racing & Gary Sherlock Gary Sherlock $30,000
(Career: $82,160)
— +Gordy Florida 4 Dream Walkin Farms Inc. (Toby Covel aka Toby Keith) Kenny Smith $30,000
(Career: $70,359)
23. Let’s Meet in Rio 4 Juddmonte Farms (Prince Khalid Abdullah) Bob Baffert $23,000
24. Harlan Punch 2 Rosemont Farm LLC (James Eigel) Tom Amoss $138,000
25. Found Money 2 Reddam Racing LLC (J. Paul Reddam) Doug O’Neill $135,000
— +Hollywood Don 2 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) & Rockingham Ranch (Gary Hartunian) Peter Miller $96,250

 

MORE RACETRACK BAD NEWS

OPINION PIECE : by Nancy Smith / ocala.com

Legislature set to kill Florida racing

Florida horsemen are screwed. Only a miracle can save the $1.2 billion Florida horse racing industry they represent. Not a single savior emerged Tuesday.

The House Regulatory Affairs Committee quick-marched forward three bills in its revised gambling legislation, with only a handful of objections. In fact, not even one of the three lawmakers voting against the pari-mutuels bill (PCB RAC 16-02) did so because they want to preserve horse racing — an economic engine that breathes life into tens thousands of rural Florida families.http://www.ocala.com/article/20160214/OPINION/160219943