SPEAR-HEADING

The MOST: Eugene Melnyk's HOST, now trained by Tom Albertrani, closed with a huge rush to win the Canadian Turf Handicap yesterday at Gulfstream. A Canadian wins the Canadian Turf- cool. (Photo released by Gulfstream Park)


Okay, Gulfstream is in full swing now and the Canadian folks have horses on the go.
Yours truly is back doing a bit of work (finally) and breeders are getting set for the newbies to arrive.

SANTA ANITA was sealed yesterday as the heavy rains started and will continue on the weekend. Thus, the track was sizzling. Still, it's hard to get excited when a Canadian-bred runs as fast as...

Mercedes Stables’ RENEGADE RUBY, a 4yo by El Corredor out of Tom’s Annie by Storm Cat won her maiden at Santa Anita yesterday over the sizzling fast Cushion track. The filly raced 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14 flat and earned a whopping 91 Beyer Figure.

She was bred by Hill ‘n Dale Farms in Ontario and is the 3^rd foal, and first to race, of the unplaced mare (from 2 starts).

The 2^nd dam Be Your Best is the dam of multiple winner Boodles.

And at Golden Gate Fields, the promising 3yo gelding, CAFÉ TORTONI won an allowance race at one-mile in 1:37.59 by a nose for Moonrunners LLC. The British Columbia-bred by Katahaula County out of Trillia (Regal Classic) has won 3 of 7 starts and $71,395. He was bred by Prescott Farms.

STRONACH AN ECLIPSE FINALIST AND THE LEADING BREEDERS

Okay, so the farm should win for top breeder in North America but the Canadian stats were not there and I still say it made no sense it won the Sovereign Award in this category...

2007 leading breeders - North America

From equibase.com

(Ranked by total purse earnings)

Name Starters Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Earnings

Adena Springs 564 3479 538 539 449 $18,055,772

Sez Who Thoroughbreds 267 2059 291 295 273 7,856,427

Farnsworth Farms 327 2701 357 348 362 6,350,751

Wygod Martin J. Mr. & Mrs. 138 787 148 125 93 6,318,155

Melnyk Eugene 164 1027 166 153 142 5,874,095

Fares Farm Inc 8 37 9 5 7 5,155,253

Kenneth L. Ramsey &

Sarah K. Ramsey 137 1113 175 155 140 4,981,442

Jones Brereton C. 222 1311 178 191 157 4,659,137

Franks John 250 1895 214 235 246 3,985,679

Appleton Arthur I. 134 834 146 128 95 3,782,956

BRISNET SCRIBE HANDS OUT SOME AWARDS...

Kellie Riley's "awards" factors in some Canadian performers (ances)

Most Mysterious Fizzle to a Promising Campaign

T -- SKY CONQUEROR (Sky Classic) looked like a rising star in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby Day, overcoming a nosedive at the start to get up in the last stride. The Canadian was unable to follow through with further top-level conquests, however, and wound up playing the role of the conquered.

Most Breathtaking, Instantaneous Acceleration

T -- SHAKESPEARE answered the "To be or not to be" question in a matter of strides in the Woodbine Mile S. (Can-G1), rallying from an apparently one-paced fourth into a warp-speed winner.

Best Late Bloomers

T -- CLOUDY'S KNIGHT (Lord Avie) improved out of all recognition as a seven-year-old to earn the accolade of Canada's champion turf horse. The chestnut gelding captured the Fair Grounds H. (G3), finished second to Einstein in the Muniz, just missed by a nostril in the Stars and Stripes H. (G3), and checked in a rallying second in the Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) before wrapping up the year with a pair of stellar efforts. Cloudy's Knight landed the Sky Classic S. (Can-G2), then drove to a narrow score in the Canadian International S. (Can-G1) over highly touted European invaders.