SEPTEMBER STEAM

Watch the horses today folks - the humidex is expected to near 40 Celcius...

UPCOMING EVENTS - seminar with Daily Racing Form's STEVE CRIST, Saturday, 11 a.m. Woodbine 2nd floor
SHOOT FOR A CURE/JOCKS BBQ - Woodbine test, Tuesday Sept. 11 evening
WOODBINE MILE POST DRAW - Thursday Sept. 13
JERRY BAILEY WEEKEND - Sept. 15 and 16

WOODBINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Not a great night as far as horse health is concerned with numerous late scratches at the gate or in the paddock and the break down of LEAGUEOFHEROWN (who was claimed) in race 5.

Tyler Pizarro won three races and hinted that he should be able to re-claim leading rider soon, back from Emile Ramsammy.

A recap:

Off the turf for RACE 1, a maiden allowance for the boys at 1 ¼ miles on Polytrack but the race was delayed when ICE BERLIN was fractious in the gate and had to be a late scratch.

A steady pace set by River Heights and Charming Country allowed Legal Ties to sit a nice trip in 3rd. That one made a 3 wide move on the turn but was joined 4 wide by Gator King.

It was the latter who edged clear on his wrong lead to win while giving his rider some difficult times, causing him to stand up several strides before the wire.

Gator King, an Ontario-bred by El Prado, could have made a dent in the Queen’s Plate perhaps but he did not debut until May 6 when 4th to Marchfield in a maiden race.

He was recently 2nd in a 10 furlong turf race but seems to be perhaps better on the Polytrack.

The group of maidens in race 2 sure may a nice pre-race appearance.

A slow pace was set in the 1 1/16 mile race by Trading On Line who was then edged by Power of Attorney on the turn but that move was too premature for the Crown Attorney gelding. Tyler Pizarro, meanwhile, has a shrewd way of judging a race and when his colt, Can B Valid, drew in from the Main Track Only list, he allowed him to settle, tried to keep him from getting caught too wide from his 11 post and moved him at the last moment to get the win.

He should have no trouble securing leading rider again with skills like that.

CAN B VALID is an attractive chestnut colt by I Can’ Believe out of Valid Vany and it was his 12th career start.

“We were all doing a little rain dance this morning so it would come off the turf,” said trainer Ashlee Brnjas, who conditions the Colebrook Farm horses for her father John.

The Brnjas family was back in the winner’s circle for race 6 when GOLDEN BELIEVER held on to win his maiden for $16,000 claiming in his 7th start. The I Can’t Believe Ontario-bred is out of Utah Gold by Salt Lake.

A lot of buzz about the British Columbia invader YEAR AFTER YEAR for race 3 for 3-year-olds, claiming $16,000 and even more so when the horse was fractious in the gate and had to be scratched.

Twofivefiveslew was sent hard to the lead by jockey Marty Merceica but was all done off the turn. A herd of runners closed in on the leader, most hung in mid stretch but not the fellow ridden by TYLER PIZARRO, Captain Kyle, who was 6 to 1 at post time. The winner is by the still sizzling hot local sire Compadre.

The whispers suggested WOODBOURNE, by Danzig, was supposed to be a good one. He was a Queen’s Plate nominee at one time but did not make his debut for Eugene Melnyk until last evening.

Making a striking appearance and dancing around in anticipation,Woodbourne reared up in the gate before the start, broke a tad behind most of the other field and then stalked the pace in 3rd while off the rail.

Leaders Geste and Smartcard went 23 2/5 and 46 4/5 (slow but the track is slow right now), Smartcard faded, Geste battled hard and repelled Woodbourne, who surprisingly could not go past the speedster who was being hard ridden.

“He ran under the lights, he was on the hyper side, he wouldn’t go near the pony,” said jockey Patrick Husbands of Woodbourne. “We just wanted him to get his legs together, tonight was a schooling race.”

Geste is owned by Monticule and trained by Reade Baker. He is by Coronado’s Quest and is a Kentucky-bred.

The time was 1:23 2/5.

The 5th race was delayed when KAYLA’S COMET was scratched in the paddock.

After about 10 minutes extra in the paddock, the race got going and LEAGEOFHEROWN pulled up early in the race then fell, causing Nancy’s Calling to check hard and eventually be eased.

LEAGUEOFHEROWN, who, according to trainer Don Schnell, had been plagued by sore shins which is why she had not raced since June, 2006 when winning her debut for maiden allowance at Prairie Meadows, was claimed by Stronach Stables for $10,000.

The red-hot MARKO MESIC barn continued to roll meanwhile as MORO MOO won with a class drop from $23,500 to $10,000, blinkers added and a well timed ride by Emma-Jayne Wilson. Long bomber PRIVATE ELEGANCE was 2nd with a $41.20 payoff for place for trainer Luke Carnegie.

The winner is an Ontario bred by Kiridashi and is owned by co-breeder George Pavlopoulos and partners.

The late double went to 9-year-old RELAUNCH STAR (Opening Verse), his 8th career win in his 57th start and first win in his 10th outing this year. He is owned and trained by Mike Wright.

And Trajectory had a new winner when BELLA CREEK won the finale for maiden fillies for maiden allowance. The Ontario-bred out of Alma Bellum is owned by GDS Stables and trainer Lorna Perkins.

BE WARNED – BECRUX IS BACK

BECRUX, last year’s Woodbine Mile winner, is back at the Etobicoke track as he gets ready for another shot at the $1 million turf race. There has never been a back-to-back winner of the Mile.

Becrux, owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber et al, is trained by Neil Drysdale.

The 5yo gelding ran the best race of his North American career in the Woodbine Mile (106 Beyer Figure) but has never come back to that Beyer Figure.

He is a minor stakes winner since then but was a close 2nd with a 102 Beyer in the recent Del Mar Mile Handicap.

Reports are that ART MASTER (Grade 3 winner Poker Handicap), HOST (7-year-old owned by Eugene Melnyk, 3rd to Art Master in Poker, won a Grade 1 in 2005), KIP DEVILLE (Grade 1 and 2 winner in the spring, 3rd in Oceanport last time at odds-on) and REMARKABLE NEWS (3 for 4 this year, two straight Grade 2 wins) are going to compete.

Also, SHAKESPEARE, a Grade 1 winner who missed two years of racing before winning an allowance race a month ago, is also tabbed as a possibility.

FROM THE DAILY RACING FORM

Assiniboia Update-9 days left in season

Manitoba sale strong on average

By ADAM GOSS

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - A total of 37 yearlings went through the auction ring here at Assiniboia Downs on Tuesday night at the annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Manitoba yearling sale.

Twenty-five sold for gross receipts of $122,000, down 14 percent from last year when 33 yearlings sold for $141,600.

The average of $4,880 increased 14 percent from the average of $4,290 in 2006.

The sales-topper was a filly by Prized out of the winning mare Prospecting Lady purchased by Ken Lee and Dennis Mitchell for $15,000.

* Last Saturday, Spillway ($14.10) received a heady ride from jockey Alan Cuthbertson and was able to get by heavy favorite Polynesian Kitty late to win the $30,000 Jack Hardy Stakes. Trained by Martin Drexler, Spillway completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.40. Owned by Shyman Farm, Spillway improved her record to 4-2-2 in 13 starts with earnings of $58,036. It was her first stakes win.

On Sunday, 9-year-old Car Keys ($16.50) made his first venture into stakes company a winning one in the $30,000 R.J. Speers. Arthurlooksgood was second with Illusive Force third.

Trained by Gary Danelson and ridden by Renaldo Cumberbatch, Car Keys completed the 1 1 /16 miles in 1:46.20. Owned by Jacqueline Smith, Car Keys improved his lifetime mark to 8-5-3 from 21 starts for earnings of $155,550.

Givem Hell Harley ($5.30) won the four-horse restricted North Dakota Futurity on Sunday for the connections of owner Sina Horst, trainer Devron Leinang, and jockey Rohan Singh. Givem Hell Harley completed the six furlongs in 1:15.80.

On Monday, Bella Mariella and Eight by Ten scored their first wins in divisions of the restricted $30,000 CTHS Sales Stakes. Bella Mariella ($4.10) took the fillies division over Still Flying and Meow Wow for owners Larry Fallon and Garry Naherniak, trainer Drexler, and jockey Paul Leacock. Bella Mariella completed the six furlongs in 1:14.20.

In the colts and gelding division, Eight by Ten ($5.70) finished ahead of Vinegar Jim and Dust de Gold. Owned by Betty Hughes, trained by Lise Pruitt, and ridden by Jerry Pruitt, Eight by Ten completed the six furlong in 1:14.00.

* With nine racing days remaining in the Assiniboia Downs meet, little is left to be decided in the jockey and trainer standings.

Cuthbertson tops all jockeys with 86 wins. Kirk Johnson is second with 46, followed by Singh with 45. Drexler, who currently has 37 wins, should be able to close out his first trainer title. Ardell Sayler is second with 28, followed by Tom Gardipy with 26.