Today’s news – 3yo divisions in Canada a mess as favourites flop…El Brujo wins big in Kentucky..Toccet’s rockets in B.C…LongRun Gala…Woodbine winners…more!
HE’S THE WIZ
can El Brujo win champion 3yo colt in Canada?
Canadian-breds have done well in other places in 2009 and it will be exciting to see the likes of SQUARE EDDIE (working up to 5 furlongs now) and HARLEM ROCKER (working again as of last week) return sometime this fall.
And a big win by EL BRUJO on Saturday in the Kentucky Cup Sprint (Grade 3) is the latest succcess story from Canadian-breds.
The Candy Ride- Enchanted Spell Ontario bred 3yo has been transformed back to a sprinter after a faily run at the Queen’s Plate this spring and now he could be one serious sprinting dude.
First things first.
Owned and bred by Jeff and Annabel Begg’s Windways Farm (they bought him back at auction for $9,500), El Brujo had the rail in the Sprint field but stayed off the pace and then whizzed past his rivals to earn a 96 Beyer Figure in the win.
Malcolm Pierce trains the bay and Garret Gomez rode.
The Oct. 17 Perryville at Keeneland could be next.
With the flop of Queen’s Plate winner EYE OF THE LEOPARD in the Ontario Derby on Sunday and a mish-mash of 3yo stakes winners who have not been all that consistent (Gallant, Perfect Shower, Stylish Citizen, Awesome Rhythm and Tommy Danzigger), why wouldn’t El Brujo get some consideration for the award even if he is strictly a sprinter?
from BRISNET.COM:
Windways Farm’s homebred EL BRUJO (Candy Ride [Arg]) uncorked a last-to-first rally to catch Brass Bay (Rainmaker) in Saturday’s $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint S. (G3), becoming the second straight Woodbine shipper to claim the six-furlong Polytrack dash at Turfway Park. The Malcolm Pierce sophomore was following in the footsteps of 2008 winner Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet), who went on to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and ranked as Canada’s Horse of the Year.
El Brujo, the 5-2 favorite in his first start away from his home base, was the middle leg of a graded stakes sweep for Garrett Gomez on Kentucky Cup Day. He had guided Indescribable (Pleasant Tap) to a score in the Kentucky Cup Distaff (G3), and later engineered a victory aboard Furthest Land (Smart Strike) in the Kentucky Cup Classic (G2)..
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=16333
Terence Dulay photo.
FROM THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS:
KENTUCKY CUP SPRINT S.-GIII, $100,000, TPX, 9-26,
3yo, 6f (AWT), 1:09, ft.
1–@EL BRUJO, 122, g, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Enchanted Spell, by Devil’s Bag
2nd Dam: Dame Mysterieuse, by Bold Forbes
3rd Dam: Belle de Nuit, by Warfare
($9,500 RNA yrl ’07 KEESEP). O/B-Windways Farm
Limited (ON); T-Malcolm Pierce; J-Garrett K Gomez;
$58,900. Lifetime Record: 12-5-4-1, $415,956. *1/2
to Volio (Beau Genius), MSP, $181,505; Galadriel
(Ascot Knight), SW; and Manitoba Miss (D’wildcat),
SP, $158,235.
LIGHTS OUT – CHIEFSWOOD REWARDED WITH BIG WIN
Only a few hours after attending the smashing HORSE LOVER’S MASQUERADE BALL for LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and once again being an interal ‘diamond’ sponsor of the event, Robert and Mark Krembil were in the winner’s ciurcle with their Pulpit filly AURORA LIGHTS after that 3yo upset MILWAUKEE APPEAL and the busy HOOH WHY in the $300,000 Selene Stakes.
The filly, an $800,000 purchase, had never raced in a stakes event before and was just getting the hang of racing it seems (she was blown out in her first 3 career races).
And there she was, darting up the rail from off an honest pace set by an aggressive Hooh Why to win by just over a length with a 94 Beyer Figure.
Left in her wake was MILWAUKEE APPEAL, who could only be 2nd with her new rider Patrick Husbands on board, Hooh Why was not far off in 3rd.
The race was supposed to be a showndown for the 2nd and 3rd place finishers who are the 2 who figure to argue for the Sovereign Award for champion 3yo filly. The former has been consistent and steady and ran well in the Plate while Hooh Why is a Grade 1 winner.
Tough call at this point with a couple of months of racing to go.
MORE WOODBIBE WEEKEND WRAP
GAIL COX (far right) won 3 races on Saturday.
The ONTARIO DERBY turned out to be a very modest affair (winning Beyer Figure was 84) and the upset winner was CROWN ISLE, a lovely 3yo by Arch bred in Kentucky who won for the Uphill Stable of Len Zenith.
John Charalambous trains the dark bay colt who has been very steady this season.
The big news from the trainers corner was the three-bagger collected by GAIL COX on Saturday (including the Late double).
Cox, who has brought the stakes filly SIMPLY SPLENDID back from a broken ankle this year, won with first time starter JESTERS JAZZ at 51 to 1 and that chestnut 2yo became the first winner fo her sire MR. JESTER (Silver Deputy) who stands at Colebrook Farm in Uxbridge.
Craig Cameron owns and bred Jesters Jazz.
Cox’s other winners were Gladwynne and Tierra del Tigre.
The Pick 4 on Saturday (first one) paid $241,000 byt there was one-winner of a 20 center worth about $40K.
Congrats to Thoroughblog friends Michelle and Jeff Reynolds who celebrated a win Saturday with their grey gal INGLEWOOD DRIVE.
LONGRUN GALA SIMPLY SPECTACULAR
EURICO ROSA DA SILVA accepts the Volterra Award from Elaine Stavro.
Stacie Roberts photo.
It was a masquerade theme with masks, vibrant colours for the decor, amazing silent auction items, flowing champagne and a stunning 5 course meal hosted by Woodbine and super-check Josef Arujo.
It was the HORSE LOVER’S MASQUERADE BALL in which horse lovers came together to celebrate the horse.
If you missed it, it was certainly the most impressive Gala held by LongRun yet from the food to the win (thanks to COOLIO WINES!) to the decor, live band and dancing and the fun stuff throughout the night.
The list of sponsors and helpers is a long one – and the LongRun board of directors should be commended for tireless efforts to putting together a party to remember.
EURICO ROSA DA SILVA was presented with the Volterra Award. The jockey sponsors a retired racehorse and donates a portion of his purse winnings.
TOCCET’S ROCKETS SWEEP BRITISH COLUMBIA DERBY AND OAKS
Hastings Park News
Kentucky-bred WINNING MACHINE stalked a fast pace set by JERSEY TOWN in last night’s B.C. DERBY and then powered past the front runner late to win the 61st renewal of Hastings’ biggest race.
Even-money favourite TOMMY DANZIGGER chased the pace and then faded badly inthe last two furlongs.
The winner is a Kentucky bred by TOCCET out of the Carson City mare DANCE WITH CARSON.
The 3yo had raced at Emerald Downs in all of his previous races and won the Emerald Downs Derby.
His time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.57. Fleur de Lis Stables own the colt.
In the Oaks, recent purchase LA ROCCA (Toccet – Perfect Wave, Boston Harbor, powered to a 2 1/2 length win in 1:49 4/5 over WOODBINE INVADER, OCHOA.
The summary follows from THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS:
BRITISH COLUMBIA OAKS, $111,902, HST, 9-26, 3yo,
f, 1 1/8m, 1:49 4/5, ft.
1–LA ROCCA, 121, f, 3, Toccet–Perfect Wave, by
Boston Harbor. ($32,000 yrl ’07 FTKJUL; $310,000
2yo >08 OBSMAR). O-Peter Redekop B C Ltd;
B-Overbrook Farm (KY); T-Terry Jordan; J-Fernando
Hernandez Perez; $68,715. Lifetime Record: 9-3-2-2,
$185,250.
2–Ochoa, 121, f, 3, Grand Slam–Where’s the Church,
by Deputy Minister. ($187,000 yrl ’07 KEESEP).
$22,905.
3–Miss Kay Dee Raine, 121, f, 3, Mass Market–
Marker’s Mariah, by No Marker. $11,155.
Margins: 2HF, 3, 3. Odds: 0.90, 5.95, 17.25
Thursday night at the post-position draw dinner, Emerald Downs trainer Doris Harwood said she and her two B.C. Derby entries and their caretakers from Seattle were here for a good time, since it was her first visit north.
By Sunday evening, the shadow of the Hastings Racecourse grandstand was the only thing beating Winning Machine across the finish line, the horse Harwood conditioned for Fleur De Lis Stables.
Winning Machine finished a length ahead of Jersey Town, who made the trip all the way from Monmouth Park in New Jersey and her own Noosa Beach to make the 64th running of the $275,000 Grade 3 stakes race a clean sweep for American invaders.
If Harwood was happy Thursday night after being presented with a CD and a few baseball caps by Hastings management as a memento of the occasion, you can imagine how she was feeling Sunday evening after watching her charges pick up $165,000 for the win and $30,250 for the third-place finish.
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/American+invaders+make+sweep/2041992/story.html
JUKEBOX JURY WINS IN GERMANY, ON TO WOODBINE
Canadian International Saturday Oct. 17
Possible runners
MARSH SIDE
MARCHFIELD
CHAMPS ELYSEES
BUCCELLETTI
SARISKA
JUKEBOX JURY
ASK
CASUAL CONQUEST
JUST AS WELL
Jukebox Jury holds on for German Group 1 success
Trainer Mark Johnston has admitted that Jukebox Jury’s victory in the Group 1 Preis von Europa in Germany on Sunday provided him with “the best five minutes of his life.”
The victory in Cologne came almost exactly at the same time as Shakespearean landed the Goffs Million Mile at the Curragh, meaning the trainer landed a valuable quick fire across the card double.
Jukebox Jury took the lead with a furlong left to run, swamping Enroller under a power packed ride from Royston Ffrench, holding on bravely while Dettori chased them home aboard Godolphin’s Eastern Anthem.
There was a nose between the pair at the line, with Enroller fading and Bronze Cannon never getting close to landing a blow.
