SKY'S THE LIMIT

SKY CONQUEROR following his win in the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Stakes at Woodbine. Coming up - a showdown with California turf star AFTER MARKET in the Arlington Million?
(photo from horse-races.net) See comment below from our friends at Horse-races.net and link to more photos.

In response to one reader asking about the goals for SKY CONQUEROR, I wrote that the Breeders’ Cup was a major goal. It surely is ‘a goal’ for this horse, but the clarification should have been, the Can. International is also a goal. It will depend on how the team decides. Yes, Mr. Sorokolit is quoted as saying he is not thrilled with going to Monmouth but the lure of the Breeders’ Cup can be a strong one.

To further clarify the Star and Globe stories – the Globe wrote that Sky Conqueror was last year’s Horse of the Year and I wrote that he was turf champion, the latter is correct.

BANACH HOT

While TODD PLETCHER was TRAINER OF THE WEEK on the TDN (Thoroughbred Daily News), it’s hard to ignore DARWIN BANACH’s 4 for 5 record last week including Sky Conqueror’s Northern Dancer win. That placed him 2^nd on the earnings list for trainers last week. Bill Mott went 5 for 10.

The Banach barn was quiet for several weeks (0 for 29!!) but suddenly woke up last week – the question is, how did Executive Flight lose the Ontario Matron – the barn’s only loss?

Oh yes, and its CRYPTOGRAPHIC won by 11 lengths at Fort Erie yesterday.

SIRIUS STUFF

Readers who noted the oldies music (really, really old) piped into Woodbine on the Sirius Satellite network made enough noise that the music is now current and surely more inviting to the people who are in the stands/bars.

Don't forget - you can win a Sirius radio package by sending in a request for a race replay you would like to see to the Race night show on THE SCORE each Wednesday night. Tune in tomorrow night to see who the first winner is and that race they wanted to see.

OLDER HORSE BLUES

Sprinter STRADIVINSKY has to undergo surgery and is out of the season, see today’s www.drf.com column by Bill Tallon. The sprint division is wide open at Woodbine with GANGSTER popping up and winning his first stakes race on Sunday in the Bold Venture (albeit against claiming types like Cool Selection, who was overbet in that race).

The Polytrack older horse division, sprinting in particular, has been weak so thank goodness Woodbine has the grass course and some top class grass horses.

Woodbine’s POLYTRACK is closed today for the addition of more Jelly Cable. The track yielded slightly slower times last week

SCOREBOARD

FORT ERIE JOCKEYS (through Jul 23)

Robert King Jr. 40

Chad Beckon 32

Kris Robinson 31

Danny David 29

FORT ERIE TRAINERS

Mark Fournier 19 (for 59)

Scott Fairlie 14 (for 26)

Don MacRae 10 (for 44)

Nick Gonzalez 9 (for 39)

WOODBINE JOCKEYS

*Tyler Pizarro 57

Patrick Husbands 52

Emile Ramsammy 49

Emma-Jayne Wilson 44

David Clark 44

(*apprentice)

WOODBINE TRAINERS

Robert Tiller 33 (for 159)

Mark Casse 30 (for 136)

Sid Attard 27 (for 144)

Abraham Katryan 26 (for 124)

NEW POLL

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