THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT

(UPDATE) SATURDAY P.M.

RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
‘Slew’ pounded down to even-money, finishes 4th

Yes, pace makes the race. Two very good illustrations of horsemanship led to a ding-dong finish in the $150,000 Vigil Stakes today at Woodbine, a Grade 3 Canadian race and the first Can. Graded event of the year.
JUST RUSHING (Wild Rush) and ARE YOU SERIOUS (You and I) were in a slow, 4 horse pace jumble to the turn in the 7 furlong feature for older horses and then separated themselves from the field. To the wire, the pair battled with Just Rushing coming out with a half-length score.
Just Rushing, owned by Tucci Stables and a natural front runner, was allowed to lope along on a loose line by Emma Jayne Wilson but the easy approach, 3 others joined the dark bay with the thick white blaze. Good and Lucky and Bear Character were in the early mix as the quartet walked the first fractions in 23 2/5 and 46 1/5.
Champion JUDITHS WILD RUSH made an early move wide on the turn and continued to chase the 2 leaders through the stretch while heavily favoured SHILLELAGH SLEW, making a much anticipated debut after a champion 3yo season and ankle surgery trying to close a gap into heavy Polytrack kickback into the stretch.
The favourite never really got close, finishing fourth but galloping out well.
Just Rushing edged the usually stretch-running ARE YOU SERIOUS, who led very late and ultimately ran a huge race against his preferred style of running – full credit to jock Corey Fraser.
The final time was 1:23 4/5.
“He’s got a ton of heart, he’s been going good this spring,” ‘said trainer Sid Attard of Just Rushing. “Emma knows this horse so well, she gave him a heck of a ride.”
Emma-Jayne Wilson said after the race, “I didn’t realize how excited I am to be on him until I was in the paddock,” said Wilson. “I was so happy the way my horse dug back in. Rushin is a fighter, he loves to be in the winner’s circle. He loves to be right in the fight.”
Meanwhile, at odds-on Shillelagh Slew lured in virtually all the handicappers, who likely could not have know the colt would have been pounded down to odds-on.

SO MANY QUESTIONS

Between gulps of cough syrup I checked some questions (see posts from last 2 days), so here are some answers or attempts at answers..

Jockey agent question - Robert Landry has Doug Gibbons, Eurico Rosa da Silva has Don Parante and Gerry Olguin has....not sure about the last one...check back to see if someone answers.

Jockey question - Yes, there are some jockeys who study a DRF to see if they have a chance to win or how the race sets up but I would not say it's the majority. The smart, successful ones do. Also, some listen to trainers who tell them a horse needs to be ridden hard - and the trainer would know, so again, the good riders listen and take notes.

The Polytrack has been an ongoing concern and perhaps someone will give some up-to-date information about it - why the kickback is so bad, etc. The rains today should have helped it - it has helped it a bit not not a whole lot.

DA SILVA and 'DA' SOUZA

As soon as I made mention of the big afternoon TYLER PIZARRO (the leading rider) and trainer SCOTT FAIRLIE had yesterday, jockey EURICO ROSE DA SILVA, a speed and short distance specialist rider bagged a 3rd win on the card and trainer NORM DESOUZA won his second.

Da Silva, who is always smiling, is off to a suprt start in 2007and seems very popular with many trainers. His wins yesterday were on Albert Sanges' LION MAN (who stalked a 3 horse speed duel and then powered along 3 wide to win (very good ride). Then Da Silva was merely a passenger on DeSouza's very energetic filly SAN DIEGO NIGHTS, who was under a hand ride most of the way when winning for $20,000 claiming at 7 furlongs with a fornt running style (she added blinkers and said see ya!).

And Da Silva and DeSouza teamed up to win the 9th with the ole grey mare REAL BEAUTY, who had not won in a long time and now suddenly has 2 wins in succession in 2007. The 7yo Ontario bred by Alphabet Soup is owned by HJT Stable.

It was a day for the smaller sized horsepeople as trainer JERRY SEYMOUR won the last race with longshot JUDITH'S MILLENIUM and that filly was ridden by DAVID GARCIA.

Yesterday's card wrap-up would not be complete with a mention of the debut win by BOLD FINALE, well prepared to win that Maiden allowance for older guys for Carlo d'Amato and co-owner and trainer Shelley Fitzgerald.

And EXECUTIVE FLIGHT won the feature,an allowance/optional claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs, for the Sorokolit, trainer Darwin Banach team that has been rede-hot. The Bold Executive Ontario-bred won with startling ease over a field that included stakes winner LONDON SNOW, who may not have handled the loose Polytrack.

OTHER NOTES

MARCH TO VICTORY, a Queen's Plate eligible, was scratched from a soft turf race yesterday at Keeneland. Now he has to find a race to get going on his 3yo campaign if he's going to make the Plate. A story on that colt's breeder, BILL GRAHAM, done by myself, appears in the DRF tomorrow. One reader had asked about the whereabouts of SOUTH BAY COVE and what is know is addressed in the story.

Canadian-bred JIMMY G is a co-favourite in a Maiden allowance at Aqueduct today. The Forest Camp colt was bred by Edward Freeman and partners.