SMOG ALERT

HHH and whew, smog city in T.O.
Make sure you vote on your favourite Queen's Plate match-up at the Woodbine Plate microsite (see link at right on my sidebar). The match-ups for this week were shown last night and yours truly make my picks on yesterday's posts.
Ottawa Senators in deep water for the Stanley Cup after last night's game but racing fans have the Plate Trial on Sunday and the Labatt Woodbine Oaks next weekend to look forward to.
Check the top 10 Plate and Oaks contenders on the Woodbine microsites too.

WILL PLATE FAVE BE SOLD BEFORE THE RACE?

Peachtree Stables’ JOHN FORT told THOROUGHBLOG yesterday that two separate interests have been making offers to purchase his Canadian-bred colt TWILIGHT METEOR in order to race the Smart Strike 3yo in the June 24 Plate.

“We’re in the business to sell horses,” said Fort.

If a deal is not made, Fort intends to bring the horse to the Plate and said the sleek chestnut came out of his latest effort, a 3^rd place in the Straight Deal Stakes on turf at Belmont, in good order.

JU JU IS A BEAST, POLY AND JELLY FAST

Woodbine Wednesday

Odds-on JU JU BEAST was not only a likely winner on paper before last night’s 4^th race on grass at Woodbine but during the race, he always looked like he was going to romp.

At the wire, the Gilded Time-Shebandowana gelding was in front by 7 lengths in a complete gallop and he raced 6 ½ furlongs in a sizzling 1:14 2/5, not far off the course record.

Eaton Hall Farms’s owns the gelding, who was surprisingly not claimed for $37,500.Josie Carroll trains and Yvonne Schwabe bred Ju Ju Beast.

Incidentally, Ju Ju’s half-brother, graded stakes winner WANNA RUNNER, is in the Grade 3 Berkeley Stakes at Golden Gate on Saturday evening seeking his first win since before his Queen’s Plate outing last summer.

A lively Polytrack (made that way in part by the addition of more wax and, yesterday, the Jelly cable plus very hot and humid temperatures) led to BRIDLED JET racing 6 furlongs in a bizarre 1:09 2/5 and just 6/100 of a second off the track record.

Oh yes, he also posted an unthinkable 95 Beyer Figure...hmmmm.

And Bridled Jet was racing for just $12,500 claiming and was yet another winner for the high percentage stable of trainer NORM DESOUZA.

A very shocking result came in the 6^th race, a maiden allowance, that featured heavily favoured PROPHETICALLY, who was a troubled 2^nd in her debut but earned a 79 Beyer Figure. The Pulpit filly had a beautiful trip under Emma-Jayne Wilson, popped to the lead off the turn into the stretch but then was suddenly empty.

Meanwhile, Eugene Melnyk’s first-timer MARTIN’S BAY, the next logical contender, looked to be picking up the pieces until Kentucky bred grey SWEETDETERMINATION rallied up the rail with her ears pinned flat back against her head and won by a length for LT Stable and trained Dan O’Callaghan.

It was the 2^nd winner on the night for Richard Dos Ramos.

And to complete the longshots night, the unfortunately named YUMMY WITH BUTTER (by little know Ontario-sired SILVADOR out of SOPHISTICATEDBAGEL) came from last place to win the night’s finale for maiden claimers with an inside rally at 22 to 1.

The last Pick 3 paid $9,000, very close to the record $10,000.

Funny stuff on the TV last night – Race Night on THE SCORE – trainer Ralph Biamonte, who sent out DILLON SAID to win the 2^nd race in gate to wire fashion, commented on jockey Corey Fraser’s remark that he didn’t know how the kickback of the Polytrack was because his charge led all the way:

“(Corey) would have felt a lot of kickback if he had got beat”

Trainer ROGER ATTFIELD is red-hot these days and sent out Bill Graham’s first-time starter SANS SOUCI ISLAND (Chester House) to win a route race on the grass at 20 to 1.

“She’s a tricky filly in the morning – a lot like women, very temperamental”

AMERICAN HORSES HEADING NORTH

Reports that SWEETNORTHERNSAINT and EMBOSSED, the latter who won the Dallas Turf Cup last weekend, are heading north to races at Woodbine in the coming months were in the DRF yesterday and today.

Interesting that the latter is owned by Gary Tanaka, who already has turf stakes winner ECCENTRIC up here with trainer Roger Attfield.

FORT ERIE - $300 MILLION FACELIFT?

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