170 - IT'S A WRAP

For those of you who will not be joining the Blog through the winter (i'll follow racing action plus Canadians all winter)...all the best for a happy and healthy holiday and winter season. Thank you for supporting my little site. - JM

*UPDATE - TURF WAR gets 96 Beyer Figure in Delta Jackpot dead heat..

HONG KONG UPDATE – DOCTOR DINO EDGES QUIJANO I HONG KING VASE..

Dylan Thomas and Red Rocks way back

DAN LIEBMAN REPORTS FOR THE BLOOD HORSE.COM

It was a grand day for Godolphin Dec. 9 in Hong Kong, with a win and a second for its two runners in the Cathay Pacific International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Following a narrow defeat in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile (HK-I) with Creachadoir a short head back of Good Ba Ba, Sheikh Mohammed’s racing stable scored the big prize on the card, taking the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (HK-I) with Ramonti.

In the other two International Races, local sprint star Sacred Kingdom won the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (HK-I) and Doctor Dino proved best in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase (HK-I).

Ramonti was winning his fourth of six starts this year for trainer Saeed bin Suroor after being purchased by Godolphin following a third in last year’s Mile. The 5-year-old son of Martino Alonso was piloted by Frankie Dettori. The other three group I wins in 2007 by Ramonti were in England.

There was a stewards inquiry and objection by the rider of the second-place finisher, Mike Kinane, aboard local hopeful and heavy favorite Viva Pataca, but the order stood. Musical Way was third in the seven-horse field.

Ramonti covered the 1 ¼ miles in 2:02.80.

Out of the El Gran Senor mare Fosca, he was bred in France by Scuderia Siba.

In the Mile, Good Ba Ba was an important winner for trainer Andreas Schutz, who is in his second season training in Hong Kong after a successful career in Germany.

In a thrilling stretch duel, Good Ba Ba and jockey Olivier Doleuze just beat Creachadoir and Dettori, with Darjina in third. The winner, owned by John Yuen Se Kit, is by Lear Fan out of the Zilzal mare Elle Meme. The 5-year-old gelding was bred in Kentucky by Haras Santa Maria de Araras.

Doctor Dino won the Vase with an excellent ride from Olivier Peslier, waiting for room and then flying late to get home 1 ½ lengths in front of Quijano. The 5-year-old son of Muhtathir is trained by Richard Gibson for owners Dr. Javier Salmean and Dino Nanni of Spain.

Europe’s Horse of the Year, Dylan Thomas, finished mid-pack in 7th.

to read more,visit blood.horse.com

Copyright © 2007 The Blood-Horse, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

RIGHT CHOICE

STAKE JUST MISSED TRACK RECORD – 92 Beyer for winner

An early start to yesterday’s and today’s final cards of racing – 12:40 and Laurie Silvera, Sid Attard and Mike DePaulo won the first 3 dashes. The former 2 trainers have had stellar seasons while the latter has certainly picked up steam since the fall. His trainee HEY NOW, won easily at odds-on in an allowance race for 2yo in 1:16 1/5 for 6 ½ furlongs. He’s a Forestry Kentucky bred for Cam Allard.

Race 4 – A rapid pace set by Warrior Belle (later joined by C’mon Surprise me) set things up for ROWANBERRY ROAD from the Jordan Lay stable and owner Clarry Lay. The 5-year-old Tethra mare stalked and rallied 3 wide and held off a rail charge from ORILLIA GOLD to win the maiden allowance for Ontario-sired gals. Nice purse of $60,000 for Lay and company who took the filly off Lasix at the start of 2007.

Jim Emson spoke for Jordan Lay after the race on SUN TV on Lay’s first win at Woodbine.

“We wanted her to sit off the lead and it worked out well,” said Emsom.

Race 5 – Bomb’s away!! The speed/stalkers bias bias ruined LOWER ESTATE’S rallying chances in the $20,000 claiming race for non-winners of 2 and T

IME TO ACCOUNT held on to win at 48 to 1 after outduelling another closer stalker, King Rush.

No doubt TIME TO ACCOUNT (Unaccounted For) has been picked by handicappers a litany of times in 2007 but he was 0 for 8 and 0 for 10 last year.

These are the horses that win at this time of year folks.

Win number 2 for jockey STEVE BAHEN.

The 5yo, owned by the estate of Gilliam Luxton, is trained by Sandy McPherson.

“We had to turn him out for a while, he was full of ulcers, he looks 100% better now,” said McPherson (yo, what’s with that Eskimo hat Sandy!?!)

TIME TO ACCOUNT paid $99.50 – ouch.

Race 6- Beyer Figures don’t lie! RAMBEROO (65) looked like not only the favourite but a winner “on paper” in the 1 1/16 mile maiden 2yo race for $32,000 – getting that huge drop from maiden allowance to maiden claiming.

It was easier than that on the track. Jockey Gerry Olguin, headed to Santa Anita for the winter (watch that Santa Anita surface Gerry, we hear it’s not too good right now!), had the son of Domasca Dan on the engine all the way and he battled and then drew off. He is out of Bold Tigress by Bold Executive and was bred by Richard Day and Bob Cudney. New owners Racing Canada et al bought the colt for $18K (U).

SIR BARTON STAKES

ARCH HALL could not make it 4 runnings of this race in a row for him as the slow pace up front set by MY IMPERIAL DANCER and EXECUTIVE CHOICE blew things for everyone.

It was the latter who won, fittingingly since top trainer Reade Baker and jockey Jim McAleney did not start out the year together (McAleney was injured), but ended the season together with a bang.

For Executive Choice the victory was his second score of the season and first since a 7 ½-length romp in the Steady Growth Stakes on June 9.

The gelding, owned by Jim Aston, Augi Onesi and Bull Market Stable,

tracked Halton Stakes winner My Imperial Dancer through fractions of

:24.55, :48.10 and 1:11.73, before McAleney made his move just around the

final turn.

Executive Choice then held a stubborn Archers Alyancer at bay. "He did

(relax)," said McAleney, who paired with Time Of War to win the

2003 Sir Barton. "We were right there near the lead, but he was

comfortable there. He was very, very happy. It was like playing with a loaded

gun. Aim and shoot."

The veteran rider, who broke his femur in a morning training accident

just days before the start of the 2007 Woodbine season, is pleased with

how his abbreviated campaign has panned out.

"I've been very happy with the way things have gone. It's never

redundant. It's a credit to the people we're associated with, their loyalties

and their friendships."

Baker was equally thrilled with the effort of Executive Choice, who

finished second, along with three fourth-place finishes, after the Steady

Growth score.

"I knew down the backside," said Baker. "The favorites were way out of

it. They had no chance of catching (up). You try to take a hold of him,

he fools around with his head and does some silly things. I thought I

could get him over it. I couldn't. Let him be what he is."

Executive Choice, bred by Adena Springs, now has eight wins from 29

career starts.

* MR. BOWIE looks like a nice prospect as he won his 2nd career start for $50K maiden claiming despite a wild trip off the turn when lacking room. Like a professional, the Alphabet Soup 2yo split rivals and surged to victory. He was claimed by Gus Vlahos and trainer David Bell.

*When you see a horse that was beaten 5 lengths in a Grade 1 race like the Arlington Million (2006, behind The Tin Man) and he suddenly pops up at Woodbine for $62,500 claiming, it’s probably a good idea to take notice.

It was hard to figure out why MAJOR RHYTHM was at Woodbine – an 8yp in from the Midwest and a $600,000 earner who had raced mostly on turf and never sythnthetic.

Ahhh, the Polytrack. Saddled by Bev Chubb, the only timer by Rhythm pressed the slow pace and then edged clear to win for the 12th time in his 56 starts.

*They gave money away in race 11 (okay, so I’m redboarding). But, as mentioned yesterday, a HOT BARN is a HOT BARN.

Jim Smith trainee HELLO MONEYPENNY was easy to pick and she paid $13 in the 11th, an allowance race for fillies and mares.

*It has been very tough to pick winners at this meeting – 166 days later – but jumping on a bandwagon, especially at this time of year, is a good idea.

In the finale, the well bred BELLA TRELLA won a wacky race for maidens, $11,500 claiming.

The Cherokee Run miss was plunging in class for trainer Scott Fairlie. It was the 2nd race of the day in which a horse ridden by Chantal Sutherland drifted in through the stretch and caused interference. The first one (Selina’s Mask) was not demoted but in the last race yesterday, 2nd place finisher Lady Ty was.

*The handle of $2.7 was decent for the 12 race card – hopefully everyone has their wallets full for today (and at the end of the tday!!)