Sunday morning news – Dixie Strike, Todd Kabel, no contest race at Woodbine..it’s Emmy night, hoping for Jon Hamm to get first Emmy for Man Men!

 

 

DIXIE STRIKE Grade 1 placed in Cotillion
becomes a millionaire!

It was only a four horse field and she may have only beat one rival, but John Oxley’s DIXIE STRIKE ran a decent race when 6 1/2 lengths behind MY MISS AURELIA and QUESTING in Parx’s Grade 1 Cotillion yesterday.

The $971,000 purse meant that Dixie Strike earned $115,000,  vaulting her to $1,011,645
The Canadian bred is by the late Dixie Union out of Noble Strike (also deceased). Mark Casse trains.

 

WOODBINE RARITY – NO CONTEST RACE

The field for the 10th race at Woodbine yesterday was pulled up in early stretch as injured jockey Matt Moore was being moved to the inside of the track.
The rider had fallen when The World to Me clipped heels soon out of the gate of the 1 1/16 mile race. As the field stormed into the final turn, an outrider flagged the field down, told them to pull up and the loose horse siren went off.
All the horses pulled up well and most of the field cantered or trotted wide nearing the wire.
It was a very orderly, if not impressive emergency event.
The horse appeared fine and Matt Moore is in hospital undergoing tests.
The pari-mutuel (or pari-mutual as the TV department noted) refunds on the race were about $339,000. Pick 3’s doubles and Pick 4’s paid off on an ‘all’.

WATCH THE RACE
http://www.drf.com/news/woodbine-no-contest-called-after-rider-unseated

 

PEAK PERFORMANCE
87 Beyer for Bear’s Peak

Taking advantage of a very predictable pace battle between ROYAL EGBERT and JENNA’S WABBIT, Bear Stables’ BEAR’S PEAK rallied to win the Overskate Stakes yesterday under Justin Stein.
The smooth striding 4yo chestnut is by Peaks and Valleys out of Royal Ascot and was bred by Helmut and Nacy Kleinart.
Reade Baker trains Bear’s Peak. The gelding was a stakes winner at 2 of the Bull Page Stakes but missed time from November 2010 to June 2012. He has won 3 of his 4 returning races.

More Saturday – Luis Contreras seemed to be okay after taking a tumble from the stumbling CAROLINA MOON in race 6, an Ontario sired allowance. The Sam DiPasquale trainee veered in after stumbling badly at the break. The winner of that race was LA DONNA MOBILE (loved the race call as she came to the wire!), who finally won in her 8th start of this year. She is a Mobil 4yo bred by Scott Erwin and Azurri Racing Stable.
The filly has won over $100,000 now. Barb Minshall trains for Minshall Farms.

Dan Gale and Ballylynch Racing’s ACTIONONTWO was a predictable winner of race 7 as she was dropping out of stakes races. The 3yo Arkansas bred is 3 for 8 in her career. Mike Doyle trains the Artie Schiller gal.
She posted an 82 Beyer Figure.

From Friday – Fieldstone Farms’ PRIMORDIA won her maiden by 7 1/2 lengths in race 1 for 420K claiming and was 55 to 1 to boot. The grey is by SMOOTH BID, and this is the first winner for the stakes winning of $350,000. HAMPSTEAD HEATH, one of the top 2yos of 2011, made a successful return to the races off an injury and won a maiden allowance on the grass for Rob Smithen and trainer Brian Lynch…

**This past week, 19,000 gallons of wax was added to the Polytrack as maintenance needs to be done. The track has played fairly other than perhaps an outside bias, and the times have been just right.

 **TORONTO STAR had 6 winners on top yesterday from 9 races….

 

COTILLION STAKES – GRADE 1…

EXCAPER 2ND AT DELAWARE

Ian Black trainee EXCAPER finished a game 2nd in the Grade 3 Kent Handicap at Delaware Park yesterday. The grey 3yo chased the tough OPTIMIZER to the wire after both went fast on the pace. The winner scored by 4 1/2 lengths.
Excaper was ridden for the first time by Alex Solis.

TODD KABEL RIDING AT AJAX DOWNS

Multiple champion jockey TODD KABEL is named on 2 horses today at Ajax Downs quarter horse track. One is a maiden 2yo filly, PERRYS DELIGHT for owner/trainer EMILY WALKER.
Kabel has not been riding at Woodbine but is eligible to accept mounts.
The weight carried by the quarterhorse mounts is 124 pounds.

WILKO TO ALBERTA

Ontario stallions are on the move. Wilko is heading to Highfield Stock Farm in Alberta, reports Blood-Horse.com:

Breeder’s Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Wilko   will stand the 2013 breeding season at Highfield Stock Farm near Alberta, Canada. A fee will be announced later.
Wilko began his stallion career in 2008 with Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs and stood most recently at Adena Springs North near Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
By Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Awesome Again  , Wilko ranked as Canada’s leading first crop sire by winners in 2011. He currently leads Canada’s second crop stallions by winners with 15 so far this year, including group II-placed runner Don Carlos R. and the 2-year-old filly Qiaona, who ran second in the Sept. 15 Barretts Debutante at Fairplex Par

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/72980/wilko-moves-to-albertas-highfield-stock-farm#ixzz27IHNMugt

GAYEGO is also headed to Alberta after one season at Norse Ridge Farm in King, Ont.
VIBANK is scheduled to sell in the Keeneland November sale and he has been standing at Park Stud.