TUESDAY FOR THERESA?

It is Tuesday of Preakness week - it's going to be smoking hot in T.O. - will the Polytrack work begin today? Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, this evening in Wester Virginia, Canadian folks Emma-Jayne Wilson and trainer Julia Carey have a potentially big night....

NEW THOROUGHBLOG POLL

Is Street Sense going to collect leg 2 of the Crown?

Thanks to everyone who voted in my first poll – Will JAMBALAYA be able to beat SKY CONQUEROR in 2007. Both Canadian-bred fellows won Grade 1 grass races in the United States this season and they could hook up in the NORTHERN DANCER STAKES on Woodbine’s own ‘Super Sunday’ – July 22.

Of 48 votes cast, 44% said ‘no shot’ that Jambalaya will beat Sky Conqueror this year while 35% said ‘abolsutely’. Another 21% said ‘on firm turf only”, which is Jambalaya’s favourite surface.

The new poll that starts today – WHO WILL WIN THE PREAKNESS ON SATURDAY?

The prospective field looks like this:

Horse Sire Trainer Jockey

1 Street Sense Street Cry Carl Nafzger Calvin Borel

2 Hard Spun Danzig Larry Jones Mario Pino

3 Curlin Smart Strike Steve Asmussen Robby Albarado

4 Flying First Class (Perfect Mandale D Wayne Lukas Mark Guidry

5 King of the Roxy Littleexpectations Todd Pletcher J Velasquez

6 C P West Came Home Nick Zito Edgar Prado

7 Xchanger Exchange Rate M Shuman TBA

8 Circular Quay Thunder Gulch Todd Pletcher TBA

9 Mint Slewlep Slew City Slew Robert Bailes TBA

Hop on the THOROUGHBLOG POLL and VOTE!

WHAT GOES AROUND..

Mike Ambler, horse owner and lover, won a race at Fort Erie yesterday with HIGHLAND SOLACE (Highland Ruckus), a couple of weeks after claiming champion RARE FRIENDS for $4,000 just to retire the 8-year-old gelding.

Ambler and partners won the 6^th race, a $10,000 claiming event that offered a $7,320 winner’s share.

Michael Osborne is the trainer of Highland Solace.

Jockey TYLER PIZARRO (tied for the lead at Woodbine) won the Daily Double at the border oval and REGINA SEALOCK won two races as well.

SHILLELAGH SLEW SIZZLES

Monday’s Battle of Champions- Eclipse S.

Preparations for Monday’s Grade 3 Eclipse Stakes continue and they indicate the race is going to be a good one.

SHILLELAGH SLEW, last year’s champion 3yo colt who disappointed in his season debut last month, burned 5 furlongs in 59 1/5 yesterday at Woodbine on Polytrack.

QUINCY WELCH will come into town from British Columbia to partner his friend TRUE METROPOLITAN in the Eclipse. The Met was last year’s older horse of the year in Canada.

Welch will also ride speedball CALENDAR GIRL (Elusive Quality) in the Selene. Both horses are owned by Bob Cheema and trained by Terry Jordan.

WHIMSICAL STAKES – AGAIN?

Kinghaven Farms’ Seducitvely may have won Woodbine’s Whimsical Stakes last month but who will win the Whimsical Stakes at Pimlico on Friday?

It could be another Canadian-bred.

HOMESTEADER (Pioneering), who has reached 96 on the Beyer Figure scale this year, is in the 7-horse field for the Whimsical at 6 furlongs.

It is race 4 on the big 13-race card which includes the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

AND TODAY…

EMMA-JAYNE WILSON rides FRIENDLY THERESA at Mountaineer in the Hancock County Handicap ($75,000) at 5 furlongs. She is trained by Julia Carey for Carey, G. Borg and JMJ Stable. Theresa won her season debut at Woodbine with an 87 Beyer Figure and is 5 to 1 for the race tonight.

TUCCI STABLES’ CUT THE MUSTARD, who got an inordinate amount of support in the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes last month at Woodbine with Wilson on board, is also entered.

Champion WHOLELOTTABOURBON (Kentucky-bred), races for $20,000 claiming at Fort Erie…

VALCAS, a Canadian-bred by Perigee Moon-Euphonius, bred by Richard and Ann Cadger, is seeking his 4^th consecutive win of 2007 in a $5,000 claiming event at Mountaineer Park tonight.