BIG DAY FOR CANADIAN-BREDS

(Editor's note: The sign of the racing times is a bit sad. For some print and electronic media outlets the only racing story was Jambalaya's win yesterday, one of the biggest in Canadian racing in the last decade (680 News Radio for example) but others elected only to report on yet another suspension in standardbred racing. Ouch.

(This morning's update follows a post yesterday on JAMBALAYA'S huge win in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup yesterday)

$2,500 gelding joins elite group of Canadian-bred Grade 1 winners

Chief Bearhart, Mt. Sassafras With Approval, Sky Classic. Those are some names of the true-blue Canadian-bred and raced horses who took Grade 1 races in the United States past years. It’s been a while since a really good one has come along and proven him or herself against the best in the world.
JAMBALAYA joined that group yesterday with his stirring stretch charge in the Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup (1 3/8 miles turf), a super-exciting race even without the wonderful result.
And he cost only $2,500! Day Phillips picked up the Gus Schickedanz-bred at the Keeneland Sept. sale 4 years ago.
His dam, Muskrat Suzie was a one-time winner but she is by one of the world’s best broodmare sires, VICE REGENT. Muskrat Suzie has a 3yo this year, Mustfuhr, who is a Queen’s Plate eligible bred by Dr. Brian Van Arem.

It was the first Grade 1 win for Phillips, who told THOROUGHBLOG last night that she actually lost track of Jambalaya on the last turn of the race and thought the gelding had dropped out of contention.
She will race the gelding next in the Pan American Handicap at Gulfstream in 5 weeks.
Oh yes, as mentioned yesterday, Jambalaya’s best previous Beyer Figure was 104 earned at 1 3/8 miles last year. His Beyer yesterday? 104.

See a cool pic and read some quotes…
http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=37723

MINSHALL REMEMBERS 'SASSAFRAS'

In response to Millhouse's comment on last night's post about Grade 1 winners at Gulfstream, owner/trainer Barb Minshall updated us this morning on Mt. Sassafras:

Hi Jen

The mention of 'Mt. Sassafras" ( a gelding) in recent column brings back lots of memories. He is happily retired at Nancy Sullivan's farm here in ON. He is now 15 yrs. old; he never ran in a claiming race.

b. minshall


‘METEOR’ SHOOTS TO THE TOP

Starting off right where he left off in 2006 as a stakes winning 2yo, TWILIGHT METEOR (by Canadian-bred Smart Strike) zoomed past another Smart Strike colt, Sedgefield, to win the Hallandale Beach Stakes yesterday at Gulfstream and perhaps edging past BUFFALO MAN as the early favourite for the Queen’s Plate (Buffalo Man races Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes).
The ‘Meteor’s Beyer Figure was 94.
Twilight Meteor (to read more about this colt, do a ‘search’ on the top of the blog) was bred by Kinghaven Farms (David Willmot) and is out of One Over Prime, a daughter of champion With Approval, a Canadian Triple Crown winner. The colt was bought by Peachtree Stables (John Fort) for $150,000 as a yearling and is trained by Todd Pletcher. The colt was sold by Kinghaven as a weanling for $57,000.
Pletcher says the colt could race next in the Lane’s End Stakes at Keeneland (Polytrack) or in the Palm Beach Stakes on turf at Gulfstream. Twilight Meteor won the Bourbon Stakes on Keeneland’s Polytrack last fall with a whopping 97 Beyer Figure. Of course the Queen’s Plate will be contested on Polytrack for the first time in 2007 at Woodbine.
Let’s hope Twilight Meteor is pointed to the Plate in June.
A bright chestnut with one white hind stocking and a straight white line down his face stemming from a star, the colt is closely related to Whisky Wisdom, who stands at Windfields Farm.
See more about yesterday’s race..
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=7084

MORE CANADIAN-BREDS DO WELL

Sam-Son Farms’ SCARLET BUTTERFLY looked to be in too deep in the Grade 3 Bayou Breeders’ Cup yesterday at Fair Grounds but was a strong and smooth 2nd to heavily favoured J’ray in the turf race. The Butterfly was beaten 4 3/4 lengths in her first graded stakes attempt and she should be fun to watch up at Woodbine.
The lightly raced, 2-time winning 'Butterfly' is by Theatrical from Hummingbird Red, by Red Ransom. The mare is a 2-time winning half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Soaring Free.
In the same race, Malcom Pierce trainee ELLE RUNAWAY dropped too far off a slow early pace and could not catch up, ultimately finishing 5th.

On Friday, North Highland Farms’-bred HOMESTEADER, who was 8th in last fall’s Jammed Lovely Stakes, won her 2nd consecutive race at Laurel Park in Maryland, this time with a 96 Beyer Figure. The daughter of Pioneering is out of the undefeated mare Sugarloaf, dam of last year’s placed 2yo Baileysinheritance.

WOODBINE WORKERS!!!

The first group of workers were logged in officially at Woodbine yesterday, 5 weeks before the season is set to start (Mar.31). Thirty-one horses worked either 2 or 3 furlongs.

SKY DIAMOND CONTINUES SLIDE, SHAKE YOU DOWN IN TODAY

Canadian-bred Sky Diamond, stakes placed and earned of $450,000, faded in a race for $12,500 yesterday at Aqueduct and was claimed by trainer Jason Servis. The gelding, now 7-years-old, was winning for $77,500 claiming last year at Woodbine.
Shake You Down, multiple stakes winner, old guy, etc. (lots of mentions of this guy in previous posts) is racing at Charles Town today for $10,000.

SHILLELAGH SLEW WORKS, 'BRIDGE AT FG

Champion 3yo colt of last year, SHILLELAGH SLEW is continuing training in Florida having worked four furlongs in :48 4/5 yesterday at Palm Meadows.
Sam-Son Farms' British-bred ICE BRIDGE is a strong contender in the 7th at Fair Grounds today, dirt or grass. He had a brutal trip in his last start on Jan 12 and adds blinkers.
Ontario-breds WESTMORELAND and GO TO THE SUN are in the 9th race, an allowance on turf.

WHAT THE....???

Comment line on PIZZA DUDE in the 1st at Tampa Bay today.. "drew off, pulled up"

(the horse's running line shows him breaking 12th of 12 followed by - - - - - )

Huh??