OH BABY

MORE BABY STUFF!
Thanks to NORSE RIDGE FARM in King, Ontario for this picture of IVAN DALOS' chestnut filly from the first crop of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner SILVER TRAIN out of Victorious Ami.
Also, thanks to Norse Ridge for a nice tour of the farm yesterday and meetings with ALUMNI HALL and the other stallions.

LEO IS BACK!

Knob Hill champion will meet tiny field in Gulf Handicap

LEONNATUS ANTEAS is one of 7 or 8 horses, at most, that will be in Saturday’s GULFSTREAM PARK HANDICAP at Gulfstream.

The Grade 2 event will not be the next race for Canadian-bred DAAHER, he is expected to go in the STYMIE HANDICAP at Aqueduct.

Leonnatus Anteas, trained by Kevin Attard, has been going steadily in training moves at Payson Park.

He was 2^nd in the Autumn Handicap to True Metropolitan in his last start in November at Woodbine.

CURLIN RACES TOMORROW

At 12:15 tomorrow afternoon, tune in to watch CURLIN race in Dubai when he meets only 5 others in the Jaguar Stakes. It is the Horse of the Year’s first race of the year and his prep for the Dubai World Cup.

BYE – BACKS!

CANADIAN-BRED SELLS FOR $900,000

Last weekend, an $850,000 2yo buy-back, COOL COAL MAN, won the Fountain of Youth.

Yesterday, champion WAR PASS’ little brother by Monarchos was bought back for $1.5 million from the Fasig-Tipton 2yo sale. Wow, that’s a lot of cash!

The colt was consigned by Scanlon Training Centre.

Certainly not the same fireworks at this year’s sale as there was 2 years ago when I had the fortune (misfortune?) of seeing some folks pay $16 million for a 2yo colt who is now at stud as a maiden, Ouch.

A Canadian-bred 2yo filly by Medaglia D’Oro – Irish Cherry, thus a ½ to DAAHER and SPUN SUGAR, brought $900,000 from LAEL STABLES (Barbaro). Maybe we’ll see this gal at Woodbine in 2008??

Also, ANTHONY COOMBES’ UNSTABLE STABLE, which recently won a race at Oaklawn Park and race its horses at Woodbine during the year, paid $120,000 for a Stormy Atlantic-Broad Strike colt. The trainer for Unstable is Lorna Perkins.

JIM AND ALICE SAPARA’S Winsong Farms (won the Queen’s Plate 2 years ago with Edenwold) paid $200,000 for a Two-Punch-Clever Phase colt.

DENNY ANDREWS, TRAINER MIKE DEPAULO paid $45,000 for a Forestry-D’Enough filly, Aa half-sister to D'Wildcat.

WEATHER WARNING SEASON FOR SALE

E-mail me to get a good deal on a breeding to Storm Cat's son WEATHER WARNING at Windfields...

FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY

Getting Derby fever yet? Check out the WIDGET on the bottom, right of my sidebar to see a piece about this new DVD, the First Saturday in May!

TODAY - FRIDAY

Majestic Thoroughbreds race the Ontario-bred One Way Love filly ILLUSIVE LOVE in race 1 on the grass for maiden fillies, claiming $75,000 – TODAY

Coming up Friday at GUlfstream, Canadian-breds KAPAZUNDER (Golden Missile) and COLORFUL JUDGEMENT are in the featured allowance race (optional claiming $62,500).

SILVER JAG, a Queen’s Plate eligible by Point Given, debuts in the last race Friday at Gulfstream for owner/breeder EARL DAYNES and trainer Josie Carroll.

BARBADOS GOLD CUP PREVIEW

From www.nationnews.com

Martinique four in for Gold Cup
Published on: 2/27/08.

THE FOUR HORSES selected to representing Martinique in Saturday's Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup arrived in the island on Monday and were seen on the Garrison track yesterday.

The four, Demon Salsa (Luana Lalung), Laurandal (Gengoul Didier), Capsulite (Louis-Philippe Beuzelin) and My Man (Pradip Singh) did nothing spectacular on the sand track, but were just allowed to familiarise themselves with their new and strange surroundings.

All four horses looked in good condition, with one in particular, My Man, being a big, strapping, well-put-together animal. However, because of his size it would not be surprising if he would find the tight Garrison track a bit challenging.

Laurandal, winner of his last two top races in Martinque, is a nice looking, rangy chestnut. Reports indicate he might be the best of the Martiniquan invasion.

Demon Salsa and Capsulite also look race-ready, but not knowing anything of their performances in Martinique, it is difficult to determine how good they really are.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago's lone representative Storm Street is expected to arrive in Barbados today, and no doubt he will be seen at the track tomorrow.

Storm Street has done really well since he arrived in Trinidad, winning three of his four races. His last victory was in the Arima Race Club Trophy over the Gold Cup distance of 1 800 metres on February 9.

He blew away the opposition in that event which he won by an impressive six-and-a-half lengths. He was partnered by Barbadian jockey Desmond Bryan in that race, and owner Derek Chin has retained the services of the Bajan for Saturday's Gold Cup.

It has been reported that a large number of Trinidad race fans will be coming over to give Storm Street their support in the big race on Saturday.

As far as the local contingent is concerned, most of the six, if not all, have finished their preparation for the Gold Cup and their trainers are just keeping them ticking over until the big day.

They are expected to have their final "gallop" either this morning or tomorrow morning, and according to trainer Roger Parravicino, who looks after the new import Itzmo, his final workout would be tomorrow morning.

It does appear as if the Gay Smith-owned Sharp Impact might be withdrawn from the Gold Cup to go in the Spa Sprint. If this should happen it would let in the Lord Michael Taylor/Clifton Racing-owned Pure Temptation, the first reserve.

It also appears that champion creole Apostle will not get in the Gold Cup, so he would have to take his chances in the 2 000-metre Tangelwood Stakes. Whiskey For Me, last year's Gold Cup winner, has not been seen doing any real serious work, but reports indicate that he is in good heart.

DERBY CONTENDERS – SOME LISTS

Do you have your favourite yet for the KENTUCKY DERBY?

Lots of time left but KENNEDYS CORRIDOR (see link at right on my sidebar) sent a forum the following list of the last 3 Beyer Figures on some contenders…

Colonel John --93, 82, 85
Cool Coal Man 98, 92--71
Court Vision ??>98??--76, 90
Denis of Cork 96, 82--83
Elysium Fields 97, 86--83
El Gato Malo 98--84, 89
Fierce Wind 85, 89--83
Georgie Boy 102--88, 79
Giant Moon 93--82, 84
Into Mischief 95--95, 83
Pyro 90--105, 100
Tale Of Ekati --82, 94, 95
War Pass 97--113, 103
Z Fortune ??>90??, 95--77

So many lists out there of top contenders. The LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL certainly has a super site for Derby stuff – here’s the link (and I will put it on the links page on the side!)

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999980222054

FRESHMAN SIRE CONTEST - MORE ENTRIES

Within the next month, I will have a link to click on so you can see everyone's teams. Then we can start posting some results once the babies get racing!

Deadline for entries is Saturday - no exceptions, I have tons of entries already!!

Entry from R. Davis:

Chapel Royal

Cuvee

Friends Lake

Lion Hart (Stable Star)

Medaglia D'Oro

Speightstown

Smarty Jones

Soto

Tomahawk

Toccet

From Buster99

1. Smarty Jones ( star )

2. Perfect Soul

3. Speightstown

4.Lion Heart

5.Medaglia D'or

6. Birdstown

7. Peace Rules

8. Pleasantly Pefect

9. Congaree

10.Strong Hope