CHILLS

93 Beyer Figure for Canadian-based colt KENTUCKY BEAR who won his debut at Gulfstream yesterday.
(photo from www.readebaker.com)

KENTUCKY BEAR – YOU’LL GET TO KNOW HIM

It was supposed to happen months ago.

KENTUCKY BEAR, a Mr. Greeley Kentucky-bred owned by Dany Dion’s Bear Stables of Alberta and trained by Toronto’s Reade Baker, won his career debut at Gulfstream yesterday at 1 mile in a tough field.

His Beyer Figure was a whopping 93.

Held in high regard by everyone at the Baker barn since last summer, Kentucky Bear had many starts and stops to getting his career kickstarted.

He was entered at Gulfstream in the first week of racing and was scratched (when Edgar Prado was named to ride) when a workout was not good.

No sign of Prado yesterday (he was away visitng family) so Elvis Trujillo was the lucky guy.

Based on yesterday’s performance, it appears that this colt was just fooling everyone.

He’s the real deal.

And guess what happens when you wait so long to bet a horse and it takes forever for him to debut? Never mind. (He paid $23 too, blimey!)

Another 3yo from Woodbine, YES UT’S BULL was not as good yesterday. The Lorna Perkins trainee had little excuses as he trailed in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn as the 2nd favourite. The other 2 Holy Bull offspring were 1st and 2nd in the race.

CANADIAN-BRED WINNERS

TURF PARADISEJanuary 21, Alw, $15,000, 4yo up, f&m, a7.5fT, firm,

1:29.48.

HELLO GLORIOUS, Dk b. or br. f. 4, Touch Gold —Capture a Star, by

Capote. O—Kevin R. Owens; B—Adena Springs (On.); T—R. Kory Owens.

9-2-0-0, $34,522. $35,000 2006 ADSSPR.

FAIR GROUNDS Jan. 21 MY VINTAGE SPORT, B. g. 4, Porto Foricos-My Intended, by Bold

Ruckus. Fair Grounds, 1/21, a5.5fT, good, 1:06.28. Won by 1/2. O—

Kuehne Racing; B—Kuehne Racing (On.); T—Michael Mareina. 2-1-0-

1, $29,725. $67,248 2005 ONTSEP. Full to MY VINTAGE PORT (G1,

$734,353).

CANADIAN-BRED MARYFIELD NAMED CHAMPION FEMALE SPRINTER

ADENA SPRINGS, STRONACH WIN

PIZARRO DOES NOT GET ANY FIRST PLACE VOTES FOR APPRENTICE

Here’s a story from the Louisville-Courier Journal..

Curlin wins, will continue to race

Announcement made as he's named Horse of the Year

By Jennie Rees

jrees@courier-journal.comThe Courier-Journal

As his colt Curlin was feted at last night's Eclipse Awards dinner in Beverly Hills as North America's 2007 Horse of the Year, majority owner Jess Jackson made official what had been widely anticipated: The 4-year-old standout will race this year.

In his acceptance speech, Jackson made a plea for stronger marketing in the sport, saying, "Make this poetry in motion, as a theater, have more and more heroes. And since we need it so badly, we've decided to race Curlin next year.

" … We quarreled in the family, among ourselves and in my heart whether to retire him and take the money (from a lucrative season at stud) or to give the fans and the industry what we need: marketing a hero (in) a horse that is bred to endure and can blend stamina, quality, brilliance and speed into a mile and a half or two miles."

The assets of Curlin's 20 percent owners -- jailed lawyers Bill Gallion and Shirley Cunningham -- are tied up in civil and legal action involving their handling of the diet drug fen-phen class-action settlement. But with the breeding season about three weeks away and Curlin in training in New Orleans instead of at a stud farm, it had become increasingly likely that he would be back in competition.

Curlin is the first 3-year-old champ to stay in training since 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide, a gelding. A major objective for Curlin is expected to be the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 29.

Last year was a whirlwind campaign in which Curlin captured the Preakness Stakes in his fifth career start and the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. But this time a year ago, nobody had heard of the 3-year-old colt, who cost $57,000 as a yearling when picked out by Louisville horseman Kenny McPeek. He had a different trainer, different owners and was two weeks from making his first start.

"He's a very special horse," trainer Steve Asmussen said last week. "Everything he did in the length of time he did it, that just all adds up to how good he is."

Horse of the Year proved Curlin's most emphatic victory as he received 249 votes on the 267 ballots cast by members of the National Turf Writers Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association representatives and Daily Racing Form employees. Runner-up with 12 votes was 3-year-old filly champion Rags to Riches, who beat Curlin by a head in the Belmont Stakes to become the first filly to take the Triple Crown finale in 102 years.

Curlin was elected 3-year-old champion with 262 first-place votes, to only three for second-place Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner. War Pass, the unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, also received 262 votes as 2-year-old colt champion to tie for the largest margins of Eclipse victory.

The other big winner was Todd Pletcher, who earned a record-tying fourth straight Eclipse as outstanding trainer and became only the second trainer to have three Eclipse champions in one season. His former boss, D. Wayne Lukas, also had a trio in 1995. Pletcher, who defeated Asmussen 139-65 for the trainer Eclipse, conditioned Rags to Riches, English Channel (male turf) and Lawyer Ron (older male).

Only Bobby Frankel (five) has won more Eclipse awards as trainer: 2000-2003 and in 1993. The other four-time winners: the late Laz Barrera (1976-79) and Lukas (1985-87 and 1994).

Curlin became the first Eclipse Award champion for the 42-year-old Asmussen, who led the nation with 488 victories. Curlin won his maiden race in February by 123/4 lengths for trainer Helen Pitts and owners Gallion and Cunningham, who bought the horse as a yearling on McPeek's advice.

Jackson eventually acquired 80 percent ownership of Curlin. Teamed with Asmussen and jockey Robby Albarado of Louisville, the horse romped in Oaklawn's Rebel and Arkansas Derby before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby. He then beat Street Sense to win the Preakness but lost the Belmont in a stretch duel.

He was third in Monmouth's Grade I Haskell but rebounded to take Belmont's Jockey Club Gold Cup by a head over Lawyer Ron and the Breeders' Cup Classic by 41/2 lengths in the Monmouth mud.

"He's a brilliant horse, but how fast he is, is just part of the picture," Asmussen said. "How he takes what happens, his personality the whole time -- it's the total package."

The list of Eclipse Award winners, with first-place votes (includes all horses getting first-place votes in Horse of Year category):

Horse of the Year: Curlin, 249; Rags to Riches, 12; Invasor, 2; Corinthian, 1; English Channel, 1; Street Sense, 1 (abstention, 1).

Two-Year-Old Male: War Pass, 262.

Two-Year-Old Filly: Indian Blessing, 250.

Three-Year-Old Male: Curlin, 262.

Three-Year-Old Filly: Rags to Riches, 258.

Older Male: Lawyer Ron, 147.

Older Female: Ginger Punch, 247.

Female Sprinter: Maryfield, 155.

Male Sprinter: Midnight Lute, 229.

Male Turf Horse: English Channel, 251.

Female Turf Horse: Lahudood (Britain), 188.

Steeplechase Horse: Good Night Shirt, 222.

Outstanding Owner: Shadwell Stable, 144.

Outstanding Breeder: Adena Springs, 203.

Outstanding Trainer: Todd Pletcher, 139.

Outstanding Jockey: Garrett Gomez, 248.

Apprentice Jockey: Joe Talamo, 254.

From latimes.com

In Summation wins at Santa Anita in track record

The 9-5 favorite clocks 1:06.67 in defeating second choice Barbecue Eddie in the Palos Verdes Handicap at Santa Anita. The track record had been 1:07.34.

By Bob Mieszerski, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

January 22, 2008

Given how fast the main track at Santa Anita is playing these days, starter Jay Slender should probably be equipped with a green flag and somebody else should be waiting at the finish line with a checkered flag.

In what is becoming a regular occurrence in Arcadia, another track record was established, this one in the $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap, a thrilling Grade II dominated by the top two betting choices.

At the conclusion of six furlongs in a ridiculously swift 1:06.67, In Summation, the 9-5 favorite, was up to defeat pacesetter and 2-1 second choice Barbecue Eddie by a neck.

The final time bettered the Cushion track record of 1:07.34 set by Switzerland last Nov. 3.

Owned by Tom Moore's Waterford Stable and trained by Christophe Clement, In Summation, a 5-year-old Put It Back horse, already has two graded wins in 2008. He also won the El Conejo, a Grade III, on New Year's Day.

Under new rider Rafael Bejarano, who took over for the injured Corey Nakatani, the Florida-bred won for the 10th time in 21 starts. Three of his last four victories have come in California.

"The only instructions we told Rafael were just make sure you break well and take it from there," said Nicholas Bachalard, Clement's assistant, who indicated that In Summation will get some rest in Florida and will be pointed for the Breeders' Cup Sprint here in the fall.

Surf Cat, the 7-2 third choice, was a non-threatening third in his first start since Oct. 7. He has lost four in a row for trainer Bruce Headley since beginning his career seven for 11.

A full field of 12 is scheduled to run in the $1 million Classic, the highlight of the eight race Sunshine Millions program on Saturday at both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.

Restricted to horses bred in California or Florida, the Sunshine Millions, which had its inaugural running in 2003, is divided between the two tracks.

The Classic, which will be contested at Santa Anita, is headed by morning-line favorite Diamond Stripes, who will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, and includes defending champion McCann's Mojave.

The other Sunshine Millions races that will be run here are the $300,000 Filly And Mare Sprint at six furlongs, the $500,000 Filly And Mare Turf at one-eighth of a mile and the $250,000 Dash at six furlongs.

The races at Gulfstream are the $300,000 Sprint at six furlongs, the $250,000 Oaks at six furlongs and the $500,000 Turf at 1 1/8 miles.

Jockeys Joe Talamo and Victor Espinoza will begin serving suspensions on Sunday for incidents that occurred during the races last Saturday. Talamo, who was cited for causing interference on Midnight Excess in the third, was suspended for three days. Espinoza will be grounded five days for causing interference on Surf Academy in the seventh.