A SCREAM IN SELENE
SHE’S A BEAR!
In a stunning performance, BEAR NOW, owned by Bear Stables and trained by Reade Baker, decimated fellow 3-year-olds fillies in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes, worth $250,000 yesterday at Woodbine.
The Tiznow-Controlled, In Excess Kentucky-bred won by 8 lengths and earned a whopping 98 Beyer Figure for her track-record setting 1 1/16 mile performance (1:43 3/5)
Sasakwea, winner of the Fury Stakes, was the best Canadian-bred in the race as she was 2nd and shipper
Having the blinkers removed has obviously made a more professional and runner of Bear Now, who was third in the Star Shoot Stakes behind Native Legend in her last start.
Bear Now was ridden by Emile Ramsammy, who took the call when Corey Fraser, who rode the filly before, took stablemate Bear Bullet Too.
Interestingly, it was the latter’s speed, along with My List, that set up the rapid pace so that Bear Now and other stretch runners, could close for the big shares.
(*One reader, see comments in the yellow section below from yesterday does not like the fact that the fillies were uncoupled and that the one who seemingly Fraser took, was used as a rabbit. What is your opinion?)
Fraser did win earlier on the card for Baker onYesterday’s 10 race card featured 10 different jockey winners and two-baggers by Baker and JOHN ROSS, who has been on a roll for the last week. One of Ross’ maiden riders, Garry Cruise, has also had a good week and he rode CAPTAIN KYLE(Compadre-Belong to Katie, Belong to Me) to win the 6th race. The other Ross winner was Canadian-bred 2yo J D GAS (Honour and Glory).
SCOTT FAIRLIE won again, this time with WRITER’S WALK in the 1st race, a non-winners of 1 ‘other than’ allowance race’. Michelle Rainford, who generated a lot of excitement with her win from the broadcast team on THE SCORE, said after the race that she knew the horse was a winner “on post parade”. That was Rainford’s only winner on the card.
The year’s first grass race went to JOHNNY HOLLYWOOD, who was racing for $8,000 claiming in the winter at Gulfstream but now galloping for $37,500 for trainer/co-owner Jody Hammet. Jono Jones rode.
Stay tuned for the first match-up tomorrow and get ready to vote for your favourite Plate!
PAST THE PREAKNESS
The Preakness Stakes is history – it was an exciting race and the top three colts are super fun to watch and very brave runners. Many opinions have across the lines this way and nobody is wrong to have an opinion on what transpired.
It is this corner’s opinion that STREET SENSE was ridden overconfidently (and when jockeys turn around during a race, putting their mounts off stride or causing them to lose concentration, that is very annoying. The rivals are there, keep riding!)
But Curlin and Hard Spun ran hard, exceptional races as well.
Now, on to the
posted by Jen Morrison @ 7:31 AM
6 Comments:
At 9:58 AM,
Anonymous said…
Regarding the use of a "rabbit" in Woodbine's Selene Stakes (see yesterday's blog), the trainer made a mistake in (effectively) admitting, in a TV interview, that this actually took place. If the trainer had stayed silent on this issue, there would be no screaming or bitterness from the crowd.
At 10:13 AM,
Anonymous said…
The use of "rabbits" is fairly common in racing and sometimes can be easily identified when handicapping a race when the horses are coupled in the entries. So why are horses from the same owner and trainer allowed to be entered as separate betting interests? This makes it much more deceiving to the public. In this situation the horses should be forced to be coupled.
At 7:47 PM,
Anonymous said…
Jen,
I fully agree with your underlying observation of the Preakness, but I don't exactly think that "overconfidently" describes what we all witnessed on Saturday.
Check the running-line and fractional times for Street Sense, and you'll see that he ran the second half-mile of the race in a shocking :46. That would be pretty awesome for anybody during the second half-mile of an eight furlong race, but to do something like that and still have 1 1/2 furlongs left to travel is completely absurd.
Most would agree that Curlin is a horse of some ability, and that he was making a strong move around the far turn. Consider that Street Sense was three lengths behind him after six furlongs, and 1 1/2 lengths ahead of him with a furlong to go, and then consider how fast Street Sense was traveling to do that.
It was an amateurish ride by a person who went from hero to goat in two weeks. The funny part is that most so-called racing "experts" can't even understand simple functions of pace.
At least you hint that you have the correct vibe at the core.
Some have been saying that Street Sense started to move when he saw Hard Spun's rider panic and move way too early despite two overmatched speed horses who were still knocking one another out up there. There could be some truth to that, but it still says that Borel rode like a three-star apprentice this time around, perhaps costing an eventual Triple Crown.
At 7:59 PM,
Anonymous said…
I have no problem with 'rabbits' in a race and certainly wouldn't want them coupled....why?
I would prefer if a horse is nominated beforehand for its purpose, but otherwise I'm fine with it.
Much of the time it's just a case of simply doing basic handicapping.
I sometimes wonder if some punters want everything handed to them on a plate.
I presume the 'anon' below would have been one of the first to complain if they set very slow fractions, opening up the the race to any number of winners.
At 7:07 PM,
Anonymous said…
I am a keen understander of PR and the issues related to just handing someone over the mic for comment. Of course there are going to be upset, we have to admit that we all needed to read between the lines on the event that took place in the Selene. However, I do agree with the comment around coupled entries, regardless of what the cash is up for graps same owner/trainer combo's should be coupled. At minimum, we know that you cannot use anothers owners horse to benefit another in the stable...so, it is quite clear that if there are two entries with the same trainer/owner combo...there is a plan. And that is not a bad thing, do I have to remind all of you how the world record was broke for a human going one mile, it was a four man team - even though only one man got the recognition it was a team effort.
However, with all that said. Woodbine will constantly run into these troubles. They are not providing any training prior to handing off the mic. They are not providing trainers and jockeys with the PR and Media training that is required before putting people into the public eye. A hudge part of being in any sport is knowing how to engage people via the media and in most other sports those who are in the spotlight are properly coached to address the media and the public. It is not free speach. I also think that we should make some effort to capture this type of information pre race and give the betting public the advantage of knowing the plan ahead of time. New concept Jen, something along the lines of a pre-race journal highlighted trainers thoughts.
At 7:11 PM,
Anonymous said…
Jen, saw your must read section. I have one for you...Kite Runner.
Amazing!! Jody and I just named a horse after the book, it is also coming out in movie in November 2007.
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