HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

Celebrate our great country by heading out to Woodbine for 3 stakes events today.
The PICK 7 was won by one person yesterday - $83,000.

Lots of interesting action at other tracks too - the FORT ERIE SLOTS CUP is worth $25,000 and TRUE REALITY puts her 87 Beyer Figure on the line in her second 2 turn race. The filly was racing for $5K claiming not long ago.

IT'S DOMINION DAY IN THE BISON CITY

The BISON CITY, the second jewel of the Triple Tiara series for fillies has just 5 horses in it today at Woodbine but it should be intriguing nevertheless. The top 3 from the Oaks will have this race to themselves.

STREET SOUNDS will probably have an easier ride on the pace after going too fast up front in the Oaks. SEALY HILL, the Oaks winner, will have to stay close and SASKAWEA has to figure out a way to win with her stalking style.

The Bison City is race 6.

The 9^th race is the Grade 3 DOMINION DAY, another short field but the match-up is TRUE METROPOLITAN, the liKely pace runner in the 10 furlong race and PALLADIO. Both are Canadian champions. The latter goes for the same owners of RED BIRKIN, who was disqualified from a stakes win at Monmouth Park yesterday (see below).

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

WOODBINE SATURDAY

It was a nice touch that owner Morgan Firestone’s silks were raised to music yesterday in a little ceremony between races. That is the first time the owner’s silks were raised with music or a ceremony. The winner’s silks for the Plate, Woodbine Mile and Canadian International fly in the Woodbine infield.

As the folks on the TV said, that is something that should be done on the day of the Plate after the race, however, like the painting of the silks on the weather vane at Churchill Downs.

Owners have not been getting enough credit in racing, at least in these parts: i.e. the ads congratulating Emma Wilson this week in the local papers mentioned only her.. not the owner, trainer.

Legal Move

He didn’t bounce – well he ran hard again and was certainly not flat. LEGAL MOVE, who won the Bold Ruckus Stakes a couple of weeks ago on turf in his first start off a long layoff, had a dream trip in yesterday’s Achievement Stakes for Ontario-foaled 3yos and won again.

The Bold Executive fellow, owned by Woodford Racing, held off Dancer’s Bajan who rallied so hard from so far back but just missed.

Trainer Mark Casse and jockey Pat Husbands have combined for a litany of big wins in June this year.

“He just amazes me, he trains like an average horse but he has a great desire to win,” said Casse.

Trainer MAC BENSON celebrated his birthday with a win with IMAGE OF DEVIL in a turf maiden race for fillies. Jerry Baird rode.

“She’s a very crooked legged filly, but she comes from a good family. She’s always shown us a lot though,” said Benson about the daughter of Came Home from Grade 1 winner Devil’s Orchid.

JOYFUL JUNO, a $5,000 claim by Rainbow Stable last fall, won for $37,500 claiming on the grass yesterday under Todd Kabel, who picked up the mount from an injured Michelle Rainford.

The pace was on the slow side but both Joyful Juno and PLETCHIE, the heavy favourite, rallied from well back. No excuses for the trailers early in that event.

Old timer SIZE MATTERS got back on the winning track when he won for $16,000 claiming in race 9 for Frank Passero and J. wright. The gelding raced covered up for the longest time, was in big traffic trouble on the turn but then got through and reached out with long strides to win easily.

BREATHTAKING STUFF

Okay, I have never been all that excited about LAVA MAN, winning races in California only and flopping everywhere else.

But yesterday , how could one not be moved by his run in the Hollywood Gold Cup? This corner bet A P Excelent and always thought the front runner had Lava Man beat. But the Man dug in hard right before the wire and grabbed his 3^rd Gold Cup. Pure grit.

Tom Durkin’s call of the Suburban at Belmont was cool. POLITICAL FORCE strolled to victory for trainer Allen Jerkens and Durkin yelled out, Political Force does it for Allen Jerkens, who won his first Suburban in 1962!”

Beau Purple 45 years ago and still training like a whiz in 2007.

Wow.

THE TIN MAN, at age 9, ran courageously again, this time in the American Handicap but he could not hold off a final late surge by Out of Control.

ROGER ATTFIELD had RED BIRKIN ready to win the Boiling Springs at Monmouth yesterday but the heat of the stretch run, she drifted out and caused interference. The filly was disqualified from the win and placed 3^rd.

STUD MUFFINS

Young stallion D’WILDCAT, who stood in Ontario for the first couple of years after his retirement, sired his first stakes winner when THE GOLDEN NOODLE (??) won the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park.

SILVER DEPUTY sired his 70^th stakes winner when THRONG won the Dr. Fager Stakes at Arlington. The 4yo Throng is out of an Easy Goer mare.

Red hot on the freshman sire list is HOOK AND LADDER, who has had a number of debut winners from a limited number of starters.

LIGHTS, CAMERA,…CAMERA?

Little tiny DANCE TO MY TUNE won a nose photo over moose-like Anna’s Ballerina in race 3 yesterday at Woodbine although the only way anyone would have known how close it was, was waiting until after the race.

Whoever was running the camera filming that race was not paying much attention. The top two were headlong in a duel to the wire but the camera pulled farther and father back and focused more on the 3rd and horses thereafter that the top 2 ran out of the screen. Literally.