STRANGE BUT TRUE

The title is the theme today...
The Ontario Racing Commission is holding firm its stance on ‘mum’s the word’ at the moment until the official ruling is written on the PATRICK HUSBANDS hearing last week.
Husbands was given a 60-day suspension and a $5,000 fine for a fight he had with Constant Montpellier (who got 120 days and a $5,000 fine but his hearing is next week) last fall but all of a sudden, the ORC said the stewards were wrong and all Husbands got was a $2,500 fine. Readers here want to know why, so Thoroughblog will try and find out more about this and the Jody Hammett query.

Meanwhile, let’s get down to some cool racing today (This site should have updates as we go along today).

CHAMPIONS AND BLUE GRASS

Lots to watch today in addition to a super card at Woodbine which includes the JACQUES CARTIER STAKES and the first 2yo race of the season (2 furlongs, no whips).
JUDITH’S WILD RUSH, a three-time Canadian champion, is up against speedballs STRADIVINSKY, VIBANK and TWISTED WIT and others. Judith won this race last year.
A $500,000 baby is in the 2yo race, the first leg of the PICK 4 at Woodbine today. SARCASM (Distorted Humor, great name) is out of a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Point Given.
Steve Asmussen will start one in the race – WILD LOGIC, from the first crop of former Ontario sire D’wildcat (so yes, she’s Ontario-sired eligible).
The pro-tem 3yo leader in the United Stakes, STREET SENSE, competes in the Blue Grass at Keeneland, his last start before the Kentucky Derby. The Blue Grass is a small field with little speed, will they gang simply let TEUFLESBERG get loose on the lead again as he did in the Southwest Stakes?
This race is bound to be a bit strange because of what could be a slow pace set-up so don’t form final opinions on what happens in this race.
I have just one future bet on the Derby – Street Sense.

Canadian barn Chiefswood Stable (see note below about its win yesterday at Keeneland) starts the regally bred filly ESSENTIAL EDGE in the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley today, at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Tough spot, though, as the free-running filly by Storm Cat is up against champion WAIT A WHILE, who is already 1 for 1 in 2007. The latter is also a speedy type of runner.

MR. SOUL (Aptitude-Tab a Cat, Tabasco Cat) is a Canadian-bred 3yo (not a Plate eligible currently) in the NORTHERN SPUR Stakes at Oaklawn today. The colt won his maiden with an 80 Beyer Figure 2 starts ago and was 3rd last time in an optional claiming/allowance race. He was bred by Anderson Farms, Robert Pollock and Rob Cudney in Ontario and was a $55,000 Keeneland Sept. yearling.


WE’RE NUMBER ONE
‘Inside’ Woodbine

There was another distinct bias at WOODBINE yesterday, at least in terms of post position and paths on the track. Post ONE won 5 of the 9 races plus a 3rd and a 4th in a Superfecta race and most of those winners were speed or stalkers along the rail. Speed was good but not necessarily dominant.
Trainer DANNY VELLA has had a good start to the year after staying at home in Ontario this winter instead of heading south. The well-bred gelding IGALI (Forest Wildcat), owned by Glenn Sikura and the Four Score Stable, led all the way to win his maiden as a 4-year-old the day’s first race after a prolonged duel with invader Cabazon.
The riders of the two horses had good days on Friday the 13th. Constant Montpellier, who rode Igali, won the 3rd race on speedy MR. JEMS (Bold n’ Flashy) and Michelle Rainford, ride of Cabazon, popped up and won 2 races on maiden winning fillies OKEECHOBEE ROAD (Stack) and JILTED LOVER (One Way Love). The latter was yet another winner on the season for veteran trainer John Cardella.
Indeed, with no banking on the new Polytrack surface, horses trying to make the wide, sling-shot rallying move off the turns aren’t having a lot of luck.
What is so cool about Polytrack, however, is the success that grass horses have on the surface, making races so much more interesting.
This is not news but when horses who have raced almost exclusively on grass transfer that form to Polytrack, it means the races are much more intricate as handicapping puzzles.
Street Sounds, the Canadian-bred filly who won the Beaumont Stakes on Thursday, is such an example.

STRONG SHOWINGS YESTERDAY

SKY CONQUEROR had a solid 2007 debut outing at Keeneland yesterday as he was beaten just 2 lengths by SHOWING UP. The champion grass horse of last year was racing at a distance a bit short for him but that outing should set up the William Sorokolit homebred nicely for longer turf events. Should be fun to see him hook up with Canada’s Grade 1 winner of this year, JAMBALAYA.

Canadian classic contenders in action at KEENELAND yesterday included maiden winner MARKDALE (Holy Bull-Dance to Reason, Devil’s Bag) who upset the last race at 27 to 1 for owner/breeder Chiefswood Farm. The colt was making his 2nd career start and first start as a 3yo. His final time of 1:25 3/5 for the 7 furlongs was the slightly slower split of a maiden allowance race. His dam is a half-sister to Plate winner NIIGON.
(No Beyer Figure available as of this morning)

Sam-Son Farms’ Labatt Woodbine Oaks contender QUIET JUNGLE hinted that she may be a superstar even if she finished on the edges in an allowance race yesterday. The Forest Wildcat filly broke a bit slowly and was last for a while behind a slow pace but she was “going well at the finish”. Note that the winner of the race, PANTY RAID, is a good one who was 2nd to SEALY HILL (Canadian-bred) in the Bourbonette Stakes at Turfway. Good frame of reference.

Canadian owner STUART HYMAN won a race at Bay Meadows Thursday with his Kentucky-bred TYCOON DOBY, who won his maiden in a 7 ½ furlong grass race. ‘Doby’ is by Cherokee Run/

THINGS THAT MAKE US GO…WHAT?

Who’s feeling OLYMPIC today? Oaklawn Park folks, not Keeneland.
Bizarre is just one word to describe the presence of OLYMPIC CHIEF in the Arkansas Derby as a first time starter with limited prepping reported at four furlongs and shorter.
What the….?
Owned by Fred Davidson, trained by Janet Davidson, ridden by G. Kato…the colt, a $7,000 yearling purchase, was denied an entry into the Blue Grass Stakes by Keeneland officials. Interesting.
Keeneland says no, because of safety, Oaklawn seems to not have any issues.
Not sure what to think about this but I hope these folks with this colt know what they are doing (?) – who wants to sour a horse on the racing experience in their very first start.

Then there is ONE HOT WISH, that freaky filly who won her 2yo debut at Keeneland in Thursday and set a world record for 4 ½ furlongs (albeit over the Keeneland Polytrack superhighway). She is going to be led into the ring first at the Keeneland 2yo sale on Tuesday, but as hip no. 227. No, she’s not in the catalogue and yes, the last hip in the book is 226.
What?

Okay, so not everybody is a believer in speed figures when it comes to deciphering a horses form, but let’s look at TIME SQUARED in the Blue Grass. Hey, I loved this horse late last year after his debut outing but he just won his maiden with a 67 Beyer Figure, gobbling up a staggering late pace in a Keeneland maiden race just 8 days ago. He’s by Fusaichi Pegasus and was a $1,050,000 yearling purchase, that’s nice but what is he doing in the Blue Grass?
Hey folks, 'figs ' don't lie is my moto. (Okay, occasionally they do)

MEDIA GROUPS SIGNS ON

Not sure what this means right now, but it's a Woodbine note..
http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20070411/genesis.html