A Million Thoughts..Willard to Woodbine?

Aaah, what a day..betting the SUNSHINE MILLIONS races and then heading downtown to watch the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS give a good 'ole fashioned spanking to the MONTREAL CANADIENS...yummy.
On the bad news front...BARBARO is still struggling..hang in there friend!
(Right...Canadian-bred turf star JAMBALAYA worked again yesterday morning at the Ocala Training Centre getting ready for the Canadian Turf Handicap at Gulfstream)


Thoughts on some of the Millions races - Canadian-owned MISTICAL PLAN looked so good on post parade and was up in time to win the Oaks by a nose. Maybe a horse to watch from that race...PRENUPTIAL, who put in a nice rally while wide but was in the 7 path off the turn and flattened out.
SMOKEY STOVER also gave away himself in post parade, not just on paper, and was an easy winner of the Sprint at Santa Anita...no doubt the Bordonaro people will hush hush a bit now about the horse not getting nominated for an Eclipse Award (although he did well last season for sure). Smokey could be the next Lost in the Fog - same owner and trainer.
SHAGGY MANE, what a claim!! Jim Kwong picked her up for $12,500 last year and she easily won the Filly Sprint.
I'm going to get in a whole lotta trouble for this thought...LAVA MAN, okay, he's $4 million the hard way at various distances and surfaces but like Jay Hovdey write in yesterday's DRF, he's a California guy and that's it, that's all. Reading the Pasadena news and other outlets this morning, good grief...John Henry comparisons???? This horse has not been close when he goes away from his confines of California...Sure, he's cool, fun to watch, brave and all that...but let's not get silly people.

Classy old-timer WILLARD STRAIGHT was claimed by Tucci Stable's (who owned multiple champion mare One for Rose) yesterday at Gulfstream for $50,000 and may be headed to Woodbine for grass racing.
The 7-year-old (Lion Cavern - My Reem) won a stakes race as a 3 and 4-year-old and was a close 5th in the Grade 3 Connaught Cup at Woodbine last year for owner/breeder Lawrence Goichman and trainer Todd Pletcher behind Remarkable News.
Yesterday, Willard was a closing second in his first race for claiming. The horse has won 7 of 25 races and over $300,000.

Yesterday morning, the highly touted Canadian-bred 3-year-old EASTERMAN worked 5 furlongs in 1:02 for trainer Mike DePaulo. Perhaps the colt will race down south before heading to Woodbine. DePaulo prepared last year's classic contender SHILLELAGH SLEW, who went on to be named champion 3yo colt.

Read a story from today on Canadian-bred BUFFALO MAN (El Prado), the top rated Canadian-bred on the Hot List on Thoroughblog... http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070128/COLUMNISTS01/701280568/1037

A Canadian-bred colt by the name of ROMAN LEGION owned by Stuart Hyman, tried to make it 2 for 2 yesterday at Mountaineer but was eliminated at the break in an allowance race and rates another shot the next time he competes.
YESTERDAY'S HORSES TO WATCH

PRENUPTIAL (California)
ROMAN LEGION (Mountaineer)