SELENE HONOURED

POST PREAKNESS

111 Beyer for Curlin, Street Sense

Well, it appears that this corner is in the minority about the tactics/result of the Preakness but that’s what makes this game so fascinating!

Indeed, STREET SENSE is a very good horse, but not a great one. If he was Triple Crown worthy, he would have overcome what was perceived by this author to be a case of certain overconfidence.

And Mario Pino, well know for moving too soon in any race, did an even worse job on Hard Spun, heading into the rapid three-quarters fraction.

Yes, CURLIN is too a good horse and still learning and yes, it was a theatrical trip. Stumbling at the start was the best thing for him though…if he didn’t perhaps he would have been pressing/chasing with Hard Spun through the fast pace.

The time equaled the stakes record, so Curlin and Street Sense got big Beyers – 111 in fact.

We wait another year for a super horse. Gosh, where was Invasor 2 years ago?

TURNING UP THE HEAT

SAHARA HEAT piled on a lot of value when he won the Grade 3 MARINE STAKES at Woodbine yesterday, benefiting from a shrewd ride by Fernando Jara, who lulled the other colts and geldings to sleep with a slow pace.

The race was not very exciting from start to finish and the winning Beyer Figure – 77 – was far removed from the numbers earned by the Canadian-bred sophomores this year.

Tough trips in the race include ANGEL IN THE HOUSE, who came from well back up the rail to be 3^rd.

KUMA, making just his second career start, had a disastrous experience. The Unbridled Song colt broke a bit slowly from the gate, was very rank and tossing his head, had to be checked and steadied, went wide around the first turn and then raced wide in the back the rest of the way.

Another maiden in the race, INCLUDE US, the only Plate eligible, gallumped along for 5^th.

Interesting races on the card included the 2 furlong baby race for fillies that was won by C. Scott Abott’s Carson City miss BELLA NEVADA, trained by Mike Doyle.

It was the filly’s first start and she was ridden by Slade Callaghan, who is having a great spring. The filly’s time of :21.99 was a track record.

Jam Jar’s stakes winning filly LOTTACOSTA won the allowance race that was taken off the grass for 3yo fillies. The filly led all the way and ran a 73 Beyer Figure while beating Bear Dixiecat. Lottacosta is a Kentucky bred by Cat Thief.

Trainer SCOTT FAIRLIE continutes with a hot hand. Old timer PREMIUM SALTINE got away with very slow pace fractions in the 7^th race for allowance/optional claimers and won under light handling from Na Somsanith. The stakes winning Salt Lake gelding ran an 86 Beyer Figure.

And what about the meeting’s 3^rd three-time winner – GIGI’S CHARM. This red-hot Stormy Atlantic mare won again yesterday for Edenvale Farms and trainer Robert Tiller, ran an 82 Beyer Figure and was not claimed for $47,500.

Jockey DEAN DEVERELL won 2 races.

The track seemed a bit kinder to speed in the sprint races and outside stalkers won any other races.

LIKE, that didn't quite work

And ‘Rocket’ off Plate trail

LIKE MOM LIKE SONS did not get the lead for the first time in his brief career and the previously undefeated colt was well beaten in yesterday’s HIRSCH JACOBS Stakes at Pimlico. The Norsemen Stable colt finished fifth of seven.

The Kentucky-bred had other big races pinpointed for the summer but has to prove he can compete against such company.

Trainer JOE ORSENO, at Monmouth Park, is quoted as saying REATA’S ROCKET, a Canadian-bred on the list of top Plate contenders, will now be sprinted having proven that he cannot travel route distances. The colt is now off the Plate trail.

WITHOUT SELENE THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN…

The 54^th Selene Stakes today is a big money race for 3yo fillies and a Grade 3 to boot. The purse is $250,000 and a large and competitive field has been collected.

The Selene is named for one of the greatest, most influential mares in racing history.

Selene, a stakes winner of 16 races for Lord Derby, is the dam of HYPERION, one of the most important stallions in the sport.

Selene also produced champion sires Sickle, the great grand-sire of Native Dancer, and Pharamond II, grandsire of Tom Fool.

(Information courtesy of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame).

The Selene was first run in 1954 at Old Woodbine.

It has been won by some of the greats in Canada racing – Wonder Where, Fanfreluche, Northernette, L’Alezane, etc.

The last Selene winner to go on and win the Woodbine Oaks (remember, the Selene is an open race) was Gold Strike in 2005.

Red-hot stallion STORMY ATLANTIC is represented by Canadian-bred SASKAWEA, who had a dream trip to win the Fury Stakes earlier this month for Beclawat Stables.

Kentucky-bred CALENDAR GIRL has a big Beyer Figure from a stakes win at Hastings Park in Vancouver while Canadian-bred PALACE PIER has to regroup from the Fury where she faded to 4^th.

Meanwhile, the Darley Stable, Eoin Harty, Oliver Castello, Fernandno Jara team is back with recent maiden winner MARIETTA, by Machevellian, and the way the barn’s SAHARA HEAT won yesterday, she has to be respected.

Pairings from Reade Baker and Dave Cotey plus singles from Mark Casse and Sam-Son Farms make the race very intriguing.

The remainder of the card is not quite as interesting but there is racing tomorrow including the ECLIPSE HANDICAP, with 4 champions in the field.

AND..

Manitoba-bred YONG MUSICIAN won her maiden at Monmouth Park yesterday, The Yonaguska filly is out of Alljazz, by Stop the Music and a ½ sister to stakes placed King of Jazz.

Canadian-bred HOMESTEADER was second in the Whimsical Stakes at Pimlico on Friday.

Daily Racing Forms’ RON GIERKINK pointed out good-priced winner COUSIN SALLY plus 3^rd place finisher LOVE THE GREY in his handicapping column last week based on them filly’s exiting key races.