CLOCK WORK

FALL BACK!! That's tomorrow so we get an extra hour of sleep - and who doesn't need that?

In the news, Woodbine is very fast, the cards of racing this weekend are solid and we get so see champion FINANCINGAVAILABLE tomorrow in the Ontario Fashion Stakes.

THURSDAY AT WOODBINE

TRACK INFO AVAILABLE ON WOODBINE WESBITE

A nice mixture of logical winners and longshots made up Thursday’s card and the POLYTRACK was absolutely sizzling again.

(Note – the Woodbine website will offer Polytrack and turf maintenance information now and that can be helpful to horseplayers)

RACE 1- Blinkers on 2^nd time starter ROSY WREATH (Hennessy) and she was long gone on the field, 6 furlong maiden allowance, B level. Owned by John MacDonald and trained by Malcolm Pierce.

RACE 2- The quiet SCAOTT FAIRLIE barn came to life when FROM GRAY TO GOLD held on gamely to win the 2^nd race for 2yo fillies for $50,000 claiming. The One Way Love-Greyorgray miss is owned by CEC Farms. The nice filly SLIPPERY BUTTER was a hard trying 2^nd.

RACE 3- He loves Polytrack! LAST TO FIRST came back from Northlands Park after 5 drab outings in the spring and summer and promptly won his return for $16K for Steele Valley Farm, trainer Jerri Robertson. The Foxtrail Ontario-bred was taking his 3^rd score.

RACE 4- EEMY MEENY had an inside rally to win the 4^th for $40K for the Roger Attfield, Bill Werner combo and jockey Gerry Olguin. The Chester House Ontario-bred was making just her 4^th start of the year. Fresh!

RACE 5- Lovely pedigree on MOOSTRIKER and she came out of a traffic jackpot and won a thrilling race for $20K maiden 2yo fillies. She’s by Smart Strike out of Caledon Moon, from the family of Moon Mist, Barlee Mist etc.

RACE 6 – What can you say about VERY PROFESSIONAL. He’s a wonderful older guy who took his 5^th win of the season yesterday, this time for $11,500 claiming, and it was his 18^th career win in his 89^th start. He was not claimed once again. He has thrived in the care of Willie and Vito Armata.

RACE 7- The Jim Day barn had a longshot winner when HIGH GRADE SILVER, who was racing out of his conditions, got up to win at 30 to 1 under new rider Slade Callaghan. The Honor Grades gelding is a non-winners of 2 but beat non-winners of 3 in his 6^th race of the year. He was a late scratch last weekend from a similar race.

RACE 8 – Trainer SAM DISPAQUALE has had a year that must rate right up there with the CORYPHEE days of years ago (his Prince of Wales winner). He has a nice 2yo prospect for his longtime owner Mike Kowalski – MAMMA’S KNIGHT (Ascot Knight) who won the maiden allowance for Ontario sired guys at 1 mile and 70 yards. He was a $19K (US) yearling purchase locally. He was 2^nd time Lasix.

RACE 9- Sign of the times. You’ll see this a lot at this time of year. The Minshall homebred POSTIVELY STEEPED was 13^th and last in his debut at the MSW level on turf but won his 2^nd race yesterday when dropped in for just $10K.

TODAY AT THE BINE

The Display prep is race 2 and is the 2^nd career start for the exciting Kentucky bred colt MINER’S CLAIM, who earned a 77 Beyer in his debut. The Briarwood Stable colt is 8 to 5 on the morning line. His main competition has to be MIGHTY VOW, who had a world of trouble in the Grey Stakes last time.

Maiden allowance 2yo’s go a route distance in race 7 and Ontario-bred NOR’EASTERNER invades from New York. The Fusaichi Pegasus colt was an expensive weanling purchase and he has run well on the grass for trainer Bobby Frankel.

HE’S GOT TO BE A..

MACHO MAN (not to be confused with the top stakes winner from years back) makes his debut in the first race on Sunday at Woodbine – at the age of 7 (!!). This may be a first for Woodbine in modern history. The Highland Ruckus homebred gelding is owned by Don Cobe and trained by Hugo Taft. Also in the race, a $12,500 maiden claimer, is a 5yo beginner by Boundary for Audra Cappuccitti named Circle Bound.

ALSO SUNDAY…CORONATION FUTURITY, THE TOP RACE FOR CANADA’S 2YOS

(Kodiak Kowboy should not be worried)

It was a scary trend this year and one that hopefully will end next year because of a change in nomination procedures and Sunday’s CORONATION FUTURITY, long the top 2yo race for Canadian-foaled babies, has followed the trend.

A very weak field of 6 including 2 maidens will line up for 1 1/8 miles for $250,000. Wow.

The heavy favourites are COOL GATOR, 2^nd in the Grey Stakes last out, and DEPUTIFORMER, winner of the Cup and Saucer Stakes on turf in his last start.

The nation’s leading 2yo’s BEAR HOLIDAY (UNDEFEATED) and U.S. based KODIAK KOWBOY are not in the race.

Dancing Allstar eyes a Sovereign (and Monashee got loose at the airport??)

FROM DAILY RACING FORM…B.C. DOINGS

By RANDY GOULDING
DAILY RACING FORM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - According to trainer Terry Jordan, Dancing Allstar came out of her easy win in last Saturday's $109,217 Fantasy Stakes in excellent shape and could be headed to Woodbine to run in the $125,000 Glorious Song Stakes on Nov. 18. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Dancing Allstar went right to the front and was in hand the whole race. She paid $2.10 to win. "It was a pretty easy race on her," said Jordan. "If I can find a flight for her, we're going to run her one more time this year."

Dancing Allstar is a cinch to be named the top local 2-year-old filly in British Columbia. If she wins the Glorious Song, she would have to rank as a strong contender for a Sovereign Award.

A chestnut filly by Millennium Allstar, Dancing Allstar has won 5 of 7 starts this year, and four of her wins were in stakes races. She can sprint with the best of them, and her win in the 1 1/16-mile Fantasy under wraps proved she can get at least a middle distance. She lost by a nose when she took on colts and geldings in the $125,000 Colin Stakes, and her only loss to fillies this year was in the Ontario Debutante, where she took a clear lead into the stretch but was caught in the last few strides.

"If she wins the Glorious Song, I think she would have a very good chance of winning the award," said Jordan. "That would be a pretty impressive record if she does win the race. Hopefully we can get her there."

As of Thursday morning, Jordan hadn't been able to work out travel arrangements to Woodbine for Dancing Allstar.

Purchased for $15,500 as a yearling by Bob Cheema at the 2006 local Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling and mixed sale, Dancing Allstar has earned $306,002.

Royal Hudson to Oaklawn after break

Royal Hudson, trained by Dave Forster, paid a handsome $19.10 for his win over Desert Alf in the $110,994 Ascot Graduation Stakes last Sunday. Royal Hudson came from last to first as jockey Richard Hamel did a good job of avoiding traffic while weaving his way through the 11-horse field. Royal Hudson made his strong move from along the rail and got up in the last few jumps to beat Desert Alf, the favorite.

"I had a lot of horse and I just hoped we wouldn't get stopped," said Hamel. "Luckily the rail opened up at the eighth pole."

According to Forster, Royal Hudson will get about a month off before heading to Oaklawn Park.

"We should have him ready for the first week of the meet," said Forster.

Oaklawn runs from Jan. 18 through April 12 in Hot Springs, Ark.

Forster said that his son Grant, who is based at Emerald Downs, would also have a string of horses in training there.

Monashee gets loose at airport

Monashee arrived at Woodbine last week in good shape, but not before she gave her connections a scary moment. In what could have turned into a disaster, Monashee got loose on the tarmac at the Vancouver International Airport when she was being loaded on the plane that eventually took her to Toronto, said trainer Tracy McCarthy. Luckily for everyone involved, she ran only a few feet before she stopped. Chris Loseth, Monashee's exercise rider, was able to walk up to her and put a different halter on.

"She got scared when they went to load her onto the pallet," said McCarthy. "She threw a wreck, broke the halter, and ran onto the tarmac. She went about 15 feet before she stopped and then she let Chris get her. Can you imagine what would have happened if she kept going?"

Monashee has a reputation as being difficult to work with.

"This is who she is," said McCarthy. "She's settled in nicely here, though, and she seems to love the Polytrack."

Monashee, who has won 12 straight stakes races, all in Western Canada, is slated run in the $175,000 Maple Leaf Stakes Nov. 10. McCarthy plans on working her this weekend.

Fort Erie handle up a bit from '06

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
By BUD WILLIAMS
DAILY RACING FORM

Fort Erie ended its live season on Tuesday with an increase in the average handle for the 84-day race meet.

On live racing, the average handle per day from all sources totaled $882,550, up 1.6opercent from last year, when the meet covered 101 days and the daily average was $868,970.

Purse distribution was down 18.2 percent from the previous year, going from $11,162,000 to $9,132,300.

Jockey Robert King Jr. won the riding title for the second straight year with 106 wins. Chad Beckon was next with 73.

Mark Fournier won 46 races to lead trainers, while Nick Gonzalez and Scott Fairlie had 34 and 26 wins, respectively.

Courtesy of Daily Racing Form