SKY DANCE

CONQUEROR OF THEM ALL

102 Beyer Figure

(some files from Toronto Star today)

Furnishing a patented stretch run that left his rivals scrambling, Sky Conqueror won the Grade 2 Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Woodbine yesterday, stamping the colt one of the top grass horses in North America.

Eclipse Award winning rider Edgar Prado was brought to Toronto by owner Bill Sorokolit to ride the colt for the first time, thinking his homebred is on his way to bigger and better things.

“They told me to ride him like a good horse, that’s all I did,” said Prado, who reviewed films of Sky Conqueror’s previous races before yesterday’s 1 ½ mile turf event.

And Prado was simply a passenger on Sky Conqueror, never needing to use his whip on the flashy chestnut 4-year-old.

Staying closer than usual because of the slow pace set by French Beret, Sky Conqueror galloped along in fifth place, nine lengths behind the lead.

When Prado simply waved his whip as a cue for his mount to move, he held on and let the colt take charge.

The winning margin for Sky Conqueror was a deceptively small 1 ½ lengths under mild urging while Marsh Side, making his first start since December, rallied to steal second away from Jambalaya.

“He’s the best horse I’ve ever owned,” said Bill Sorokolit, who owns a realty company in Mississauga, Ontario. “I was very nervous being the favourite but he’s an honest horse.”

Sky Conqueror, last year’s champion turf male horse, could now head south to the United States again (the colt won the Grade 1 Woodford Turf Classic at Churchill Downs) for the Arlington Million at Arlington Park in Chicago or the Sword Dancer Invitational at Belmont Park, both on Aug. 11.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf, on Oct. 26 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey is a major goal.

Sovereign status?

Interestingly, the colt would have to race in Canada once more to be eligible for a SOVEREIGN AWARD (e.g. Horse of the Year). But perhaps that is not high on the list for the Sorokolits and trainer Darwin Banach.

What a nice match-up it would be to see Sky Conqueror take on After Market, yesterday’s Eddie Read winner who also has a big late kick as well as English Channel, The Tin Man etc.

Earlier on the card, ARRAVALE, Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year, had an inauspicious return to the races as a 4-year-old, finishing last in the $304,900 Dance Smartly Stakes.

The Kentucky-bred filly was eager to run early in the 1 1/8 mile race and jockey Jose Valdivia tried hard to restrain the millionaire.

“I just couldn’t get her to relax,” said Valdivia. “She was fresh, it was 1 1/8 miles and she carried 124 pounds. I think the layoff got to her but I have faith that she’ll be back.”

Owner Bob Costigan told THOROUGHBLOG this morning that his filly seemed fine after the race and will keep us informed.

American invader Masseuse, who was taken off the track in a van when injured in a race last August, won the Dance Smartly by a scant nose in her fourth start since the injury.

The 5-year-old mare paid $6.40 to win as the second favourite behind Arravale and was ridden by Edgar Prado.

Gritty little GANGSTER, a blocky sprinting son of Mutakddim, finally got a long deserved stakes score in the Bold Venture at 6 ½ furlongs – a perfect distance for the 6yo.

Gangster rallied in time to beat his stablemate JUST RUSHING (who was favoured) by a neck. He has not won much in recent years but has banked $540,000 in his career now.

His Beyer was 96. The gelding was originally at $10,000 Keeneland Nov. weanling.

And SHE’S INDY MONEY got da money in the Ontario Matron when Garret Gomez gave her a nice trip and finished on her strongly to win by a neck over Ontario-bred ARDEN BELLE. The winner is regally bred by A.P. Indy and the first foal for Grade 1 winning mare Nany’s Sweep. It was the first stakes win for She’s Indy Money, owned by Love Oak Plantation and trained by Malcolm Pierce. The Beyer was a 91.

Arden Belle is a very good one and may have been best in the race. She had a very wide trip throughout and just need a bit more power in the stretch under the learning apprentice Matt Moore.

SPEED horses won 4 of the first 5 Polytrack races on Sunday’s card with the 2-year-old Stronach Stables homebred FIDELIO leading all the way to win his debut from the rail post for trainer Brian Lynch and jockey Todd Kabel.

Fidelio was bought back Stronach team folks for $90,000 at the Adena sale.

The Awesome Again colt’s workouts were generally quite slow but he was always in charge with GIANT GAMBIT rallying from far back and wide to be a strong 2nd. The latter was an Adena Springs (Stronach) 2yo purchase.

KETTLE RAPIDS had only raced a route distance one other time in 9 starts and the quick grey had run so well to begin the season but had really tailed off in tough situations. Presto! He got the lead yesterday in a 2 turn race with a class drop for $25,000 and led all the way despite going very fast on the pace under Tyler Pizarro.

This corner simply loved EL COMMANCHERO in the 4^th race but that one trailed the slow pace and then was shuffled back badly on the rail into the last turn. Still, the Nick DeToro finished last, enough said.

So what does the DeToro barn do later? Win with the very unlikely TORQUAY at 24 to 1 a few races later (same rider, Eurico Rosa da Silva) who rallied to win by a nose.

JIGGS COZ retired for year

Trainer Sid Attard said yesterday to Elissa Blowe on the in-house TV that Plate Trial Stakes winner Jiggs Coz, who was second in last weekend’s Prince of Wales Stakes, has been retired for the year with a bone chip in an ankle.

SATURDAY NOTES

AWESOME ACTION earned a 98 Beyer Figure when he won the OJC Stakes on the grass in a mild upset.

BEAR HOLIDAY’s interesting Colin Stakes win earned him a hefty 86 Beyer Figure.

He was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Bear Stables and then withdrawn at the 2yo sale this year at Keeneland.