MIKE AND ALEX SHOW?

The draw for the BREEDERS' STAKES the 3rd jewel of Canada's Triple crown is today - not a lot of attention is paid because there is not a horse going for the sweep this year.
ALEZZANDRO sure came close though, missing the Plate by 1/2 a length to MIKE FOX and then romping in the PRINCE OF WALES.

Good discussions going on currently - a story posted yesterday talked about why horse racing events are on TV at all.........an interesting debate.

UPDATE...3 P.M. - BREEDERS' POSTS

Field for the 117th running of the Breeders' Stakes
To be run Sunday, August 5, 2007

Three-Year-Olds, Foaled In Canada
One Mile and One-Half
E.P. Taylor Turf Course
Woodbine Racetrack
All to carry 126 lbs.

PP/Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey/M-L odds

1/It's a Danzig/Stan Fulton/Rebecca Maker/Jesse Campbell/10-1

2/Mike Fox/D. Morgan Firestone/Ian Black/Emma-Jayne Wilson/7-2

3/Ice Bear/Augustin Farms/Mac Benson/David Clark/8-1

4/Twilight Meteor/Peachtree Stable/Todd Pletcher/Chris DeCarlo/6-1

5/Walk with Kings/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Garry Cruise/12-1

6/It's Like This/Christina Takter, John Fielding & David Anderson/Mike
Doyle/Tyler Pizarro/30-1

7/Storm the Castle/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Slade Callaghan/20-1

8/Alezzandro/Knob Hill Stable and the Estate of Steve Stavro/Kevin
Attard/Todd Kabel/3-1

9/Top Speed/Shyman Farms/Wayne Mogge/Robert Landry/20-1

10/Marchfield/Melnyk Racing Stables Inc./Mark Casse/Patrick
Husbands/9-2

Probable favourites:  Alezzandro * Mike Fox - Marchfield

Total Purse/$500,000
Winner to receive/$300,000
2nd/$100,000
3rd/$55,000
4th/$30,000
5th/$15,000

Post-time:  5:08 p.m. ET
TV:  The Score 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET

Note - GOLANI WAS A LATE SCRATCH DUE TO LAMENESS.

WOODBINE WEDNESDAY

Meanwhile it was an entertaining and very informative show on THE SCORE last night and that keeps that program easily the tops of any program that Woodbine does during the week.

The important aspects of the show are good features, excellent interviews that yield useful information and (okay,the “great” giggling love-fest gets to be much at times) - well, the program is excellent for those who want to bet.

(but why did those good interviews suddenly stop for the last races?)

EMMA-JAYNE WILSON won the Daily Double – the first on ARTIE HOT, who was dropping out of stakes races for the $44,500 allowance on Polytrack for Tucci Stables and trainer Nick Gonzalez.

While Artie was very predictable, Wilson shook up NORTHERN CITY for Jim and Susan Hill and trainer Barry Lerman and won the 2^nd in her 2^nd career start and first since she debuted at Keeneland in April. The New York bred is by City Zip.

RACE 3 – A shrewd ride by Justin Stein got GURKHAS BAND home in front in the 6 ½ furlong, $50,000 claiming race (he was offered for $47,500) after setting a soft pace early and holding off the classy old timer Sir Blitz.

Considering the BAND ran so well after going 21 4/5 and 44 3/5 in his last start on turf in a sprint, this was a dream ride for the Florida-bred for Laurie Silvera, owner and trainer.

A classy guy who ran well last year for $62,500, Gurkhas Band ran in 1:15 4/5 and paid a lovely $21.50 for those who selected him.

“I was surprised,” said Stein, about getting away with 23 1/5 and 46 2/5. “I saw the fractions I couldn’t believe how soft they were and I had tons of horse for the stretch run.”

“I had him on stall race for a month before his first race, he was not traveling right,” said Silvera. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with him.”

Refreshing moment:

Trainer JOHN DIMARCO spoke of Flashy N Classy BEFORE race 4, a maiden allowance for Ontario sired older fellows:

When asked by Sandy Hawley – ‘did you do anything different with this horse for tonight?’, DiMarco said:

“The horse has a habit of wanting to bite other horses in a race and looking sideways so we put a sliding bit on him, closed up the blinkers so Patrick has more control over him.”

Also, first-timer CLEVER ATTORNEY flipped in the paddock, according to THE SCORE show, but was deemed okay to race by vets.

Well, Flashy N Classy ran well, he chased front running Dad’s Fishing early in the 6 furlong race, bid to the lead off the turn but then was passed late by VEGAS ANGEL, a grey Ontario-bred gelding by Tethra-Corey’s Angel, by With Approval, bred by John Carey and Tucci Stables.

Winning owners – Ninela Tbreds, C. LoGrasso and A. Hrynisak, trainer – Abraham Katryan.

“He’s a nice little horse, my exercise rider suggested an equipment change,” said Katryan.

Vegas Angel debuted on the grass and had good speed, earned a 70 Beyer. He bounced in his Polytrack debut in what figures to be an ultra-key race won by Beenthruthedesert.

Race 5 – ANTHONY STEPHEN, who arrived a couple of months ago from hastings Park (and India, Hong King and Macau) to ride at Woodbine, got his first local score with a very nice riding job on BUENISIMA, a 31 to 1 long bomb who stalked the pace covered-up on the rail most of the way before tipping out 3 wide and rallying to catch Juli’s Dancer, who ran rank on the pace all the way.

It was the first win of the year for trainer Eric Garcea. Buenisima had blinkers off and EAR MUFFS on. It was her first top three finish since a win last May 11 at the allowance level; The filly had only one other attempt at the $10,000 claiming level that she won at last night and it was a 5th place finish, beaten 2 ¾ lengths (1 ¾ to Juli’s Dancer) with a 56 Beyer Figure.

Race 6- FAITH TO THE END, well named, as she was clear on the turn in that “B’ level maiden allowance, passed by Stronach Stables’ SILK CANDY in mid-stretch but then battled back to win by a long nose for KK Sangara and trainer Lorne Richards. She is by Buddha and a Florida bred.

JIMMY JIMMY, I mean, JUST IN CASE JIMMY, a fan favourite, came from impossibly far back and seemingly had no chance to catch up but somehow did, nailing HIGH VOLT JOLT on the wire in race 7, a $50,000 claimer. Jimmy stole the race from the Jolt, who was moved early, on the turn, cleared but couldn’t hold on. It was the 5^th win in Jimmy’s 30^th start for Bill Werner and Roger Attfield.

In that race THAT’S AN OUTRAGE was eased in his 2^nd race since being claimed by Tucci Stables for $60,000.

And HONEY TREAT simply galloped in the finale for maiden $20,000 fillies. The Kentucky bred by Wild Rush was in the pace duel and then took off for Don Amos and Clover IV Racing and trainer Danny Vella.

BREEDERS’ STAKES NO. 117

Lots of cool twists to the BREEDERS' this year  - despite no Triple Crown winner.
Can MIKE FOX redeem himself from that drab outing in the Prince of Wales?
Will ALEZZANDRO romp in his grass debut, thereby missing the Triple Crown
sweep by 1/2 a length?
Does the EUGENE MELYNK, MARK CASSE, PAT HUSBANDS train roll on
(Sealy Hill, Gouldings Green etc.) with MARCHFIELD?
Does George Strawbridge get a Canadian classic win with his supplemented
ICE BEAR?
Does owner STUART HYMAN get his first win as an owner AT WOODBINE with
TOP SPEED or the maiden GOLANI?
and just how fast is STORM THE CASTLE going to go early in the race as his role of
rabbit for SAM-SON FARMS? Or will he go fast at all?

(FROM WOODBINE MEDIA OFFICE) - NOTE - SEE UPDATE ABOVE

Probable Field for the 117th running of the Breeders' Stakes

To be run Sunday, August 5, 2007

 Three-Year-Olds, Foaled In Canada

One Mile and One-Half 

E.P. Taylor Turf Course

Woodbine Racetrack

All to carry 126 lbs.

Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey

Alezzandro/Knob Hill Stable and the Estate of Steve Stavro/Kevin

Attard/Todd Kabel

Golani/Shyman Farms/Mike Keogh/Emile Ramsammy

Ice Bear/Augustin Farms/Mac Benson/David Clark

It's a Danzig/Stan Fulton/Rebecca Maker/Jesse Campbell

It's Like This/Christina Takter, John Fielding & David Anderson/Mike

Doyle/Tyler Pizarro

Marchfield/Melnyk Racing Stables Inc./Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands

Mike Fox/D. Morgan Firestone/Ian Black/Emma-Jayne Wilson

Storm the Castle/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Garry Cruise

Top Speed/Shyman Farms/Wayne Mogge/Robert Landry

Twilight Meteor/Peachtree Stable/Todd Pletcher/Chris DeCarlo

Walk with Kings/Sam-Son Farm/Mark Frostad/Slade Callaghan

Total Purse/$500,000

Winner to receive/$300,000     

2nd/$100,000   

3rd/$55,000

4th/$30,000

5th/$15,000

Post-time:  5:08 p.m. ET 

TV:  The Score 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET

POW hero Alezzandro set for Breeders'

TORONTO, August 1 - Prince of Wales Stakes hero Alezzandro returns to

action in Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine. 

Owned by Knob Hill Stable and the Estate of Steve Stavro, the

fast-improving Kevin Attard trainee seeks to become the first

three-year-old since A Bit O'Gold in 2004 to win the final two jewels

 of

the Canadian Triple Crown of Racing.

Like A Bit O'Gold, Alezzandro won the Prince of Wales after finishing a

narrow runner-up in the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate. 

Reigning Sovereign Award winning jockey Todd Kabel guided Alezzandro to

the front and never looked back during his 1 3/16-mile tour of the Fort

Erie main track, his first race over a conventional dirt surface. 

On Sunday, the son of High Yield will face another new challenge - a

maiden voyage over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The surface switch doesn't deter Attard, who watched the dark bay work

six furlongs over the 1 1/2-mile course in 1:16 3/5, breezing, with the

'dogs' up. The move was Alezzandro's first career turf breeze.

"As a two-year-old, we had him on the turf at Payson (Park, Florida),

but nothing serious. I don't think turf should be an issue," said

Attard. "He worked well. He seems to have the same kind of stride on

dirt and Polytrack as he does on turf."

While working over the course gave Alezzandro a feel for the terrain

beneath him, Attard said it was also designed to give him an idea what

he would see as he progresses around the oval, which is located outside

the Polytrack.

"We were trying to get him on the turf and acquainted with that course.

A lot of horses gawk at the stands because they're so much closer to

 the

grandstand than they are accustomed," explained the 31-year-old.

As a lightly-raced sophomore with just four starts under him,

Alezzandro certainly has the right to exhibit the behavior of others in

his breed. It's unlikely, considering how he's handled all his lessons

while being fast-tracked to stardom.  

"He's had a tight schedule," said Attard. "He's progressed each time

he's run. Hopefully, the streak continues and he keeps taking those

steps forward and we haven't seen the best of him yet."

At face value, Alezzandro's ability to control the pace early and stay

on bravely appears to have played a significant part in his rise to the

top of the division. In each of his three route efforts, he's led for

 at

least the opening eight furlongs.

According to Attard, Alezzandro's early approach is not a prerequisite

element in his recipe for success. 

"I think he's kind of inherited the lead because nobody has really

wanted it. I don't think he's a need-the-lead type of horse," offered

Attard. "When he broke his maiden he wasn't on the lead. He sat off and

made his move."

Outside the Knob Hill camp, there may be more doubt surrounding

Alezzandro's tactical arsenal, which is fine with Attard.

"I read that (trainer Mark) Frostad is sending a horse in there to be a

rabbit for mine. If somebody wants the lead on Sunday, it's all

 theirs,"

declared Attard.

The plot thickens -- only on Sunday, after a 1,440-foot stretch run,

will the climax present itself.  If one thing is certain, it's that the

presence of Alezzandro's sheer talent has the potential to make the

117th edition of the Breeders' Stakes a great event.

 -end-