HEAVY SNOW IN ONTARIO TODAY – I may have lost the dog out there! – Kidding.

So while Thoroughblog stays in to watch racing, snuggle with the pup and read my books, how about some excitement already cooking up south of the border for Canadian racing fans?

Read on!

 

 

rosesIndubai5no.jpg

OOOO, FREAKY STUFF..

That is ROSES IN MAY winning the Dubai World Cup a few years ago for trainer Dale Romans.

Yesterday at Gulfstream, Dale Romans sent out Canadian-bred BLACK N BEAUTY to win an nice allowance and he is by the same sire as Roses in May and from a granddaughter of Roses in May’s sister.

 

 

 

BLACK IS BEAUTY!

$2,500 yearling purchase is Ontario-bred, 83 Beyer at Gulf

He has a way to go to reach the heights of guys like Kentucky Derby fave UNCLE MO, but Zayat Stables’ BLACK N BEAUTY at least looks like an interesting Queen’s Plate prospect following his front running win around one-turn in a one mile GUlfstream race yesterday.

The dark bay was a baragin purchase.

As hip no. 3544 at the Keeneland yearling sale in Sept. 2009, he brought just $2,500 and was bought by Morning Bloodstock – I have not been able to find out who or what Morning Bloodstock is but Zayat owns him now anyway and he races horses frequently at Woodbine.

Frank Stronach’s ADENA SPRINGS bred BLACK N BEAUTY who is by DEVIL IS DUE, who is 22-years-old this year but still going strong. What a guy this horse is – he won almost $4 million, 4 Grade 1’s including the Wood Memorial as a 3yo.

Devil His Due has had 38 stakes winners from 11 crops.

What is most intriguing about BLACK N BEAUTY’S pedigree is that his 3rd dam, TELL A SECRET is the dam of ROSES IN MAY, the most successful Devil His Due offspring – yep, the same Roses in May who won the DUBAI WORLD CUP!

Intriguing in-breeding to say the least.

Oh, and who trained ROSE IN MAY? DALE ROMANS, the trained of Black N Beauty.

Trainer DALE ROMANS said he had nothing to do with buying this colt but wow, what a story. HARBOR GIRL, a Boston Harbor mare, was a winner on the track and her other foals before Black N Beauty inclde Woodbine winner DINO DINARO.

from Gulfstream notes:

“He’s one of those horses who goes to fast, seemingly, and then takes off,” Desormeaux told Gulfstream officials after the race. “So, yes, he’s very talented. He goes at a speedy canter. Most horses are fighting to go as fast. His natural cruising speed will drive most horses into the ground—that’s a sign of true talent.”

 

The Holy Bull Stakes, also at one mile on the dirt, is scheduled for Jan. 30 at the Florida racetrack, and trainer Dale Romans indicated Black N Beauty’s performance Jan. 7 was good enough for the colt to move on to the major stakes.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60662/black-n-beauty-sharp-in-gulfstream-victory#ixzz1AS1MsrMO

Patience Drive Wins Friday at Fair Grounds, 90 Beyer

Melnyk Racing Stables Inc.’s Patience Drive challenged the pacesetting Age of Humor, owned by Skychai Racing and Twin Creeks Farm et al., in the vicinity of the furlong grounds and outgamed that rival the rest of the way to win Friday’s $51,000 filly and mare allowance/optional claiming feature at Fair Grounds by a half-length.

The winner, trained by Malcolm Pierce and ridden by Miguel Mena, returned mutuels of $9.40, $5.20 and $3.80, toured the 1 1/16 distance of the race taken off the grass and run on the main track in 1:45.54 and increased her career earnings to $147,245 with her third career win in 15 lifetime starts.

Patience Drive is a homebred by Pulpit out of Lion Castle. She has been stakes placed and well travelled in her career. Looks like she has a bright future.

COZY CABIN WINS AT GULFSTREAM TOO

The 4yo filly COZY CABIN, bred by the famed Windfields Farm, won for $30,000 claiming in the finale at Gulfstream yesterday. The filly, owned by John Russell, is trained by Mike DePaulo. Cozy Cabin is by Forest Camp out of Barney’s Mistress, who also produced the classy DEPUTIFORMER (who was recently claimed once again, he races at Fair Grounds).

COZY CABIN earned a lifetime best 70 Beyer.

 

MORE WINNERS

EURICO ROSE DA SILVA won 2 races at Aquduect on Thursday…MOBIL THE GAMBLER, owned by Herbert Chambers and trained by Richard Morden, won his maiden by 18 3/4 lengths at Charles Town in a $10,000 claiming event. He’s by Mobil.

O  MAR!

WOODBINE (and Alberta) jockey OMAR MORENO is among the three finalists for an Eclipse Award for top apprentice jockey in the United States and odds are, the young fellow is going to win it. We find out JAN. 17.

Big purses help Moreno’s stats look awfully good, but hey, they are pretty good compared to his rivals.

37    Omar Moreno    1,041    146    141    138    $5,468,354    14%    425    41%

68    Angel Serpa    904    105    83    114    $3,467,440    12%    302    33%

144    Forest Boyce    759    129    125    109    $2,065,984    17%    363    48%

COULDN’T AGREE MORE NICK!

Thoroughblog agrees – shouldn’t the Life at Ten incident have meant more to voters?

by NICK KLING, TROY RECORD

Among the interesting sidebars of the voting is the lack of consequences as a result of the infamous ‘Life At Ten’ incident in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. As you recall, the heavily-bet filly was practically eased after jockey John Velazquez told television viewers she was not warming up properly.

Despite some observers, your narrator among them, believing Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher should be subject to sanctions for their part in the debacle, both were named Eclipse finalists.

Velazquez joins Ramon Dominguez and Garrett Gomez for the award as Outstanding Jockey. Pletcher is an Outstanding Trainer finalist with Bob Baffert and John Shirreffs.

The latter category is particularly galling. Left out in the cold are Jerry Hollendorfer and Albert Stall, Jr. They train Blind Luck and Blame, respectively. Blame could be anointed Horse of the Year, while Blind Luck is a shoo-in for three-year-old filly champion.

The failure to acknowledge Pletcher and Velazquez’ part in an event clearly definable as anti-fan indicates a significant percentage of voters are out of touch with the everyday horseplayer.

Winners will be announced Jan. 17.

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2011/01/07/sports/horseracing/doc4d26b14eb5bf1284118876.txt?viewmode=fullstory

HANK WESCH – A LOOK BACK

San Diego Tribune

One of Thoroughblog’s favourite beat writers looks back on 2010 in racing:

Horse racing: One last look back at 2010’s highs, lows

By Hank Wesch | Special to the U-T

Originally published January 7, 2011 at 10:11 p.m., updated January 7, 2011 at 10:23 p.m.

Yes, the calendar has already turned.

But we haven’t had a chance here to look back at 2010 from the San Diego County horseplayer/fan perspective to get some closure. So here are the month-by-month highs and lows:

January — Team Zenyatta says the Breeders’ Cup Classic-winning mare won’t be retired as previously announced and will run again in 2010 … Two days later, at the Eclipse Awards dinner in Beverly Hills, Rachel Alexandra is crowned 2009 Horse of the Year … Speculation rages at mid-month that Santa Anita will replace its synthetic surface with dirt.

February — Hopes for a Rachel vs. Zenyatta matchup in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in April heat up then fizzle … Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Golden Eagle Farm matriarch Betty Mabee dies at age 88… Edmund Gann, 86, and Mary Jones Bradley, 90, prominent owners and Rancho Santa Fe residents also pass on … Equine fatality statistics for California in recent years, released in the California Horse Racing Board’s annual report, mostly serve to create more debate regarding synthetics vs. dirt safety.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/07/one-last-look-back-2010s-highs-lows/