VERY THANKFUL

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada.
Thank you to those who have written in with your comments, you will see many of the latest ones under Real Deal or For Bucky (names of posts).
The GREY BREEDERS' CUP is today at Woodbine, might we have a colt come out of this race and head to Monmouth in 3 weeks?

Yesterday at Woodbine - one of the grittiest guys on the circuit is DASHING ADMIRAL - he simply made sure his head was stuck out at the wire despite having several others rivals around him in race 1 - $32K claimer for older guys. What a super gelding, a son of Kiridashi, currently owned by the Paquette family.

Kentucky-bred ONE QUIET CAT set a track record for 1 mile and 70 yards when she won the 7th race for $37,500 claiming. The distance is not used much - her time was 1:42 1/5.

SAIL FROM SEATTLE (Gone West) is an up and comer from Sam-Son Farms - he won the Mt. Sassafras overnight stake yesterday over 3 rivals by a nose over the very gritty 3yo dancer's Bajan.

CANADIAN-BRED DAAHER WINS GRADE 2 JEROME
(not eligible for champion 3yo in Canada, only 2 starts)

from the Blood Horse...

Daaher Conquers Jerome Handicap With Ease
by Jason Shandler
Date Posted: October 7, 2007
Last Updated: October 7, 2007

Daaher Photo: Coglianese Photos

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Kiaran McLaughlin talked all week about how blinkers had made the difference in Daaher’s Aug. 26 allowance victory at Saratoga.

Apparently, the trainer was right on the money, as the 3-year-old Awesome Again colt was much the best in the $160,100 Jerome Handicap (gr. II) (VIDEO) Oct. 7. He won the one-mile event by 2¼ lengths on the dirt at Belmont Park.

Out of the Irish Open mare Irish Cherry, Daaher sat off a grueling pace set by Digger, who went a quarter-mile in :22.36, a half-mile in :44.52, and three-quarters of a mile in 1:08.35. Under a patient ride from Mike Luzzi, Daaher sat second through six furlongs and then made an easy move by the leader and gained the lead around the final turn in the event for 3-year-olds.

The stretch drive was no problem for Shadwell Stable’s Daaher, who held off a mild bid from Forefathers and drew clear to win in going away. The final time was 1:34.28.

It was the first graded stakes win for Daaher, who is now three-for-six lifetime. The inaugural Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is likely next for Daaher.

“(Shadwell manager) Rick Nichols is in England with the `boss’ (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum), and they couldn’t see the race, so they asked me to call the race for them,” McLaughlin said. “I told them he was going easy, even though they were going fast. I told them :22 and :44 is fast, but he took the lead when everyone else was off the bridle.

“He’s a fast horse. Mike felt like he had something left at the finish. The blinkers have made all the difference in the world. The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile ($1 million, Friday, Oct. 26, Monmouth Park) is a possibility."

Forefathers, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was second, another 5¾ lengths in front of Owners Manual in third. As the second choice in the betting, Daaher paid $8.30 to win. The exacta (7-6) was worth $113.

Betting favorite Most Distinguished finished fourth, while Digger retreated and finished sixth in the eight-horse field.

Daaher was bred in Ontario by Yvonne and Dagmar Schwabe.

OUT WEST - BREEDERS' CUP UNLIKELY FOR ALLSTAR

Dancing Allstar sprints to Hastings record

Dennis Feser, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, October 08, 2007

After she held her own with the best in Ontario this summer and crushed the opposition by 10 lengths in her return home last month, Dancing Allstar went postward as the 1-9 favourite Sunday afternoon in the Sadie Diamond Futurity. She ran like she was 1-30, zipping through the sloppy course in 1:153/5ths -- the fastest 61/2-furlong clocking by a 2-year-old at Hastings Racecourse.

"Everything was winning on the lead today, so I just told Mario [jockey Gutierrez] to put her right there," said Terry Jordan, who trains the daughter of Millennium Allstar and the Honor Grades mare High On Believen for Bob Cheema.

Dancing Allstar broke her maiden here in May before testing Woodbine where she won the My Dear and finished second in both the Colin and the Ontario Debutante. Bred by Bent Tree Farm in B.C., she was a $15,500 bargain at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sale. She took the CTHS Sales title here in September and with Sunday's $64,447 share of the $107,462 purse she's banked $240,000.

She's just a nice horse," said Jordan after her 63/4-length win over My Special Angel and five others. "She's very easy to train and does all you ask her. We'll probably run her in the Fantasy [Oct. 27]. I'm pretty sure she will go long."

Somebody or somebodys in North America were positive she would finish at least third, with $208,000 wagered on her to at least finish third, topping the $144,000 bet on Monashee to show in last month's Delta Colleen. She paid $2.20 to win and $2.10 to show.