SWEET 16 (OF JUNE)

'Morning all. Here's a nice story to lead off the day, written by the Happy Handicapper, Bob Summers at the Buffalo News...good stuff..

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/100069.html

Bev Smith also wrote in today's Globe and Mail about Rags to Riches and fillies beating the boys...check out the www.globeandmail.com

CERTAIN WINNER

Woodbine’s Polytrack surface is offering up considerable kickback again and while it doesn’t look as bad as it did in the spring, you can tell the inside trailing horses are not having much fun.

Yesterday offered up a distinct, wide rally bias – was it just these eyes that saw virtually every horse come around in the 3 and 4 path to win yesterday?

Heavily favoured CERTAIN CIRCLES (King Cugat) continued the roll for the Will Farish Jr and Mark Casse team when he was up to beat a gritty Wollemi Pine in the allowance race on turf at Woodbine yesterday.

Wollemi Pine, in his first turf sprint, set a soft first 2 furlongs, quickened and took off in the stretch before Certain Circles gradually wore him down. The Beyer was an 82 for 1:21 1/5 on the fast turf.

Gandalf also ran an 82 Beyer Figure when he won for $40,000 claiming for non-winners of 3 yesterday. The Kentucky bred was another winner for the hot Ralph Biamonte Stable. The grey looked a bit worse for wear coming back to the winner’s circle but there is no questioning his heart.

Biamonte won with first-time starter OURANIA (Double Honor) in race 5.

Only 3 Canadian-breds won on the card yesterday. One was PARADISE CAT, for trainer Andrew Smith and owner Al Bozzo. It was a very good stalking trip and ride by Tyler Pizarro that helped the daughter of Perigee Moon rally to win as the 2 to 1 favourite in the $40,000 claiming race.

Lots of rough stuff going on in the races at Woodbine these days.

In Thursday’s finale, Athenais lost her rider Justin Stein after she was bumping and smashing with Love the Grey and Slade Callaghan right near the wire. It was a very dramatic head on replay.

Yesterday, Can’t Stop thebeat, a maiden gelding, tried to make the gap after starting from the rail post under Michelle Rainford and the jockey did well to stay on. Of course, then the horse rushed down the backstretch to catch up with the field and then he tired.

In the same race, apprentice rider Stephanie Fedora hit her horse, Perigee Again in deep stretch (left handed) and the horse veered out badly and hit eventual winner Tough Mancer.

SUGAR SWIRL WINS

Stronach Stable’s Ontario-bred SUGAR SWIRL held off a stubborn Veneti to win the Alyssum Stakes at Belmont yesterday. The chestnut is by Touch Gold out of Astrapi and it was her 5^th win in 12 starts. She put up a 93 Beyer Figure and sneaks into the HOT CANADIAN-BRED LIST again....(SEE AT RIGHT)

LAST 2 SELENE STAKES WINNERS IN HILL’N’ DALE

The Hill ‘n’ Dale Stakes, a race sponsored by the popular farm in Kentucky and Ontario, features this year’s Selene Stakes winning 3yo BEAR NOW and 4yo SEDUCTIVELY, last year’s Selene Stakes winner in the 1 1/16 mile race for $100,000. The race offers the top 3 finishers breeding seasons to El Corredor, Roman Ruler and Grand Reward.

Bear Now, who could bounce a bit off that 99 Beyer Figure explosion when she won the Selene by 8 lengths, was supplemented to the trainer by Bear Stables and trainer Reade Baker. Bear Now is by Tiznow.

Seductively is looking to bounce back at a distance that perhaps is not her best. She bled in the Hendrie Handicap after winning the Whimsical.

Roving Angel is a contender in the race as well since she has good early speed and ran fast when she won the Belle Mahone Stakes last year.

YOUNG PEOPLE

Thank you to reader Mr. Griffiths for the note yesterday on one writers opinion about luring young people to the track.

Young people seem to like the news sites for racing such as Equidaily and Racing Dispatch - span of attention short nowadays. Racing Dispatch has my first installment of what the Queen's Plate is all about at racingdispatch.com

INDIAN VALE IN GRADE 2

Canadian-bred INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy-Marley Vale) will try to get back into top form in the Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs today. Eugene Melnyk’s homebred filly was 4^th in her last start at Churchill when the track came up sloppy. The track should be fast for the Vale today.

At Belmont, the second offspring of GANDRIA, a champion in Canada, is debuting in race 4. Dr. Warren (by Came Home) was a $200,000 yearling purchase and is an Ontario bred .