FAN BASE

UPDATE - 4:15 P.M.

Horse of the Year from several seasons ago, WAKE AT NOON, who was vanned off after the Kennedy Road Stakes on Sunday (he's now a 10yo) is headed home according to his farm, Select Stud in Kettleby Ontario. The horse reportedly is sore "up front" and could have a tendon or suspensory injury.
Wake at Noon has 3yo offspring of this year and his first full crop are to be yearlings of 2008.

SOVEREIGN AWARD PREVIEWS START TODAY

SEND YOUR COMMENTS!!

CHAMPION SPRINTER IN CANADA – OUTSTANDING JOCKEY/APPRENTICE JOCKEY

Voters across Canada (media and industry members only) will be debating soon as the ballots get ready to be sent out at the end of this month for the Sovereign Awards – to be given out on Dec. 14 in downtown Toronto.

THOROUGHBLOG will start offer mini-previews and, hopefully, fire up debates, on categories each day.

Today, the champion sprinter and jockey and apprentice jock will be discussed:

SPRINTER

Sunday’s Kennedy Road Stakes was supposed to tell us a bit more but all it did was mess things up as invader CONNECTIONS won.

Do you vote on a horse’s record, Beyer Speed Figures, purses, longevity?

Here are some thoughts:

STRADIVINSKY

WON the Jacques Cartier over Judith’s Wild Rush (where did he go?) with a 100 Beyer;

WON Highlander prep on turf and

3^rd in Highlander Stakes.

JUST RUSHING –

WON Vigil Stakes Grade 3 with 96 Beyer Figure;

2^nd Bold Venture Stakes;

2^nd Play the King Stakes Grade 2;

3^rd Kennedy Road Grade 3

3^rd Mt. Sassafras Stakes

FINANCINGAVAILABLE

WON BALLADE STAKES – 101 Beyer

WON ONTARIO FASHION Stakes – 96 Beyer

2^nd Royal North Stakes Grade 2

2^nd Seaway Stakes Grade 3

Others you could consider are the 3yo’s LEGAL MOVE, DANCER’S BAJAN, plus MAIN EXECUTIVE, DAVE THE KNAVE..what do you think??

OUTSTANDING JOCKEY

It seems as if Patrick Husbands has this locked up (will he attend this year having boycotted for the last umpteen editions?) based on stakes wins, earnings and he is still leading by wins (see below)

Emma-Jayne Wilson had a super year in her first full season as a journeyman and she won the QUEEN’S PLATE on Mike Fox.

Emile Ramsammy had another big year too.

APPRENTICE JOCKEY

Tyler Pizarro, still in the battle for leading jockey overall by wins, will win unanimously.

ANOTHER HORSE RACE! JOCKS ARE GOING TO THE WIRE!!

Patrick Husbands 630 131 125 80 $8,397,322

Tyler Pizarro 875 123 121 99 $5,212,409

Emma-Jayne Wilson 895 120 131 128 $7,524,481

Emile Ramsammy 728 115 82 76 $5,242,493

ANDERSON FARMS LEADS ALL CONSIGNORS BY AVERAGE AT KEENELAND

Bob Anderson’s Anderson Farms sold 9 horses for an average of $396,667 (US) on during the recently completed Keeneland November sale yesterday to lead all consignors.

Leading the bunch was HATPIN, which Anderson sold for Sam-Son Farms for $1,050,000.

From Ocala.com - TRUE METROPOLITAN TRIBUTES

Florida-bred shining up north

BY BILL GIAUQUE

Winning the $150,000 Autumn Stakes (Canada gr. 3) Saturday, Florida-bred True Metropolitan made a statement in his effort to repeat as champion older horse in Canada.

Bred in Florida by Frank Bertolino, the gelded son of Proud and True recorded his seventh win of 2007, including six stakes wins.

Coming to the Autumn Stakes, True Metropolitan was trying to rebound off a neck loss in the Premier Handicap (Can.gr. 3) at HastingsParkin British Columbia. Prior to that True Metropolitan ran off three consecutive stakes wins.

He has now won 16 times in 33 starts for earnings in excess of $850,000.

Proud and True, the regally bred sire of True Metropolitan, stands at Don Dizney's Double Diamond Farm in Ocala for $2,500. Proud and True is a son of super sire Mr. Prospector, and he is out of Personal Ensign, a champion older mare and broodmare of the year.

Personal Ensign earned $1.6 million and retired undefeated in 13 starts. She climaxed her racing career with an incredible come-from-behind victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. 1).

At stud, she produced My Flag, a filly that won $1.5 million, but was never named a champion; Miner's Mark, a Grade 1 winner of $967,170 and a stallion that once stood in Florida; Traditionally, a Grade 1 winner of $495,660; Our Emblem, the sire of Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem; in addition to Proud and True, who placed in the Baltimore Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Now that Thanksgiving is near we are nearing a verdict on the leading Florida stallions. Macho Uno is currently the leading Florida freshman sire with more than a million in progeny earnings.

Macho Uno, a champion 2-year-old and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. 1), stood at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs South. He has two stakes winners from 64 2-year-olds in his first crop to race, including Wicked Style, winner of the Grade 1 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity.

Because of his success, the son of Holy Bull is scheduled to stand the 2008 breeding season in Kentucky at Adena Springs Kentucky.

The only stallion that could threaten Macho Uno's title is D'wildcat, a son of Forest Wildcat standing at Vinery Stud, near Summerfield. D'wildcat has two stakes winners from only 39 two-year-olds in his first crop.

His daughter Authenicat won the Victorian Queen Stakes and placed in the Pocahontas Stakes (gr. 3). Another daughter The Golden Noodle won the Landaluce Stakes and placed in the Moccasin Stakes.

D'wildcat has progeny earnings of $701,694. On the race track, D'wildcat won the Grade 1 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes and $570,444. He stands for $6,500.

In third place, another Vinery stallion Repent has one stakes winner from 70 2-year-olds in his first crop. A son of Louis Quatorze, Repent is represented by stakes winning colt Atoned, winner of the Continental Mile Stakes.

Repent has progeny earnings of $474,317.

Trippi, a son of End Sweep standing at Mike O'Farrell's Ocala Stud, appears to be on his way to the leading Florida sire title with more than $4 million in progeny earnings.

A winner of the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes and $666,220, Trippi has five stakes winners in 2007, led by Miss Macy Sue, a stakes winner of $546,217.

Trippi's closest pursuer is fellow Ocala Stud sire Montbrook who trails Trippi by about $1 million.

The son of Buckaroo has been Florida's leading sire before stands for $15,000. His three 2007 stakes winners include Phantom Income, winner of the NATC Futurity.

THE MORNING LINE

More than one reader has asked for an explanation on how I come up with the MORNING LINE ODDS for Woodbine.

Here is a brief description of my process:

Overview of a race – narrow it down to 3 horses that the PUBLIC will like based on finish position last time, trainer, rider, Beyer Figure, class etc.

Using the percentages formula (5 to 2 odds translates into 29 percentage points), assign odds to each horse.

Add up the points and them massage so that total lands around 119-124 (not 100%, must take into account take-out on each dollar by government)

Hope this helps, please write again if you have more questions.