CLEAN PLATE

JIMMY BOND at Woodbine yesterday for the post position draw for the QUEEN'S PLATE. His trainee SOLITAIRE is the 7 to 2 2nd favourite.

Bond will be at my seminar tomorrow morning between 8:30-10:30 at the Woodbine trackside tent.

(horse-races.net photo, visit them for more Plate news)






The news in horse racing these days centres on CLEANING UP THE SPORT, proecting OUR HORSES, making racing folks and the people that workin the offices on the FRONT SIDE realize they NEED to do more for the horses.



From the draw yesterday (and there is lots of newws and views from the post draw on YESTERDAY'S POST), one of the biggest news items was the LONGRUN THOROUGHBRED RETIRMENT FOUNDATION- WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT fundraising initiative, strangley not mentioned by any media in today's papers, but surely a precedent setting move once again by Woodbine and LongRun.

(The saddle towels on eBay fundraiser was discussed on yesterday's post)

Other stuff - an intriguing Plate with a few really good ones who could win, a strike by Casino workers that may disrupt everyone at the Plate and more.


GINGER BREW - Thoroughblog's girl
Vote on my poll at right and you can see that Stronach Stables' GINGER BREW is the overwhelming pick to win the 1 1/4 mile classic and become the 34th winner of the Plate.




QUEEN'S PLATE IN THE NEWS “For Canadians, this is THE race,” David Willmot,
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/374438.html


AND BOB SUMMER'S PLATE RANKINGS (also found at the Buffalo News website) Here's Bob's top 7


1. Not Bourbon (9-4-2-1, $361,160. Roger Attfield, Jono Jones): Has won two straight stakes races, most recently the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, where he was clocked in a stakes record 1:49.73 for the 1 1/8 miles. ... Has spent his entire career racing on Woodbine's Polytrack. ... Attfield has won the Plate with Norcliffe (1976), Market Control (1987), With Approval (1989), Izvestia (1990), Alydeed (1992), Peteski (1993) and Regal Discovery (1995). Post 13, Morning line 3-1.

2. Took the Time (3-1-2-0, $47,440. Mark Casse, Ramon Dominguez): Has closed strongly in all three races but has no stakes experience. ... Finished second against older horses in his last race, on May 18 over 1 1/16 miles. ... "He got beat by an older horse that day who had kind of an easy lead ... But we got out of it what we wanted," said Casse, who has since put three 5-furlong works under his belt. ... "I think the timing's good for us. We kind of did it on a plan of giving him a little extra time between races. If you look at obviousy in the Plate Trial in recent yers, the winner hasn't been that successful. I think a lot of it has to do with timing." ... Post 15, Morning Line, 20-1.

3. Ginger Brew (6-4-2-0, $493,866. Brian Lynch, Javier Castellano): Winner of Woodbine Oaks will try to beat the boys after Frank Stronach-owned stablemate Harlem Rocker was withdrawn. ... Stronach won the Plate in 1994 with Basqueian and in 1997 with Awesome Again. ... "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think she had a chance," said Lynch. "She's potentially a Grade 1 winner down the road. She wouldn't be running for the sake of trying to prove a point in the Queen's Plate." Post 10, Morning Line, 4-1.

4. Solitaire (2-0-1-1, $33,780. H. James Bond, Robert Landry): Maiden closed strongly to finish just a neck behind Not Bourbon in the Plate Trial in his first race of the season. ... His sire, Victory Gallop, won the 1998 Belmont Stakes. ... "He's got a lot of raw talent, but we had to be a little delicate with him in the beginning," explained trainer Bond. "Hopefully, he's going to reward us for it. I thought he ran a great race [in the Trial]. The greenness might have got him beat. He was getting to the other horse. Another jump or two and he might have got it." ... "We've got to improve and get rid of that greenness. Hopefully he'll mature a little bit more in this race." ... Landry won the Plate with Niigon (2004). Post 12, Morning Line, 7-2.

5. Deputiformer (8-1-2-2, $212,720. Mike DePaulo, Jerry Baird)): His only win came in the $253,000 Cup and Saucer on the turf as a 2-year-old. ... Could be the lone speed considering this remark from DePaulo. ... "We've been taking a hold [trying to rate him in his races] and I think we've discouraged him. We won't be taking any holds Plate Day. I would rather let him do his thing than keep restraining him. He's going to be a freer Deputiformer." ... Jockey Baird chose this one over Mamma's Knight. Post 5, Morning Line, 30-1.

6. Mamma's Knight (8-2-1-0, $104,978. Sam DiPasquale, Justin Stein): Woke up with an 8 1/2-length victory in a June 4 allowance race, rallying from last to first. ... "The race was a great confidence builder for him. He came back more aggressive," DiPasquale said. "We expect him to finish in the top five. He'll be passing horses down the lane." Post 8, Morning Line, 50-1.

7. Sebastian's Song (4-2-0-1. $94,360. Alec Fehr, David Clark): Led after a mile, but tired in the Plate Trial. ... Fehr said "He kicked in too soon and was really hard on the bridle [in the Plate Trial]. We’re going to try to make him wait a little longer in the Plate, maybe move him at the quarter pole.” ... Jockey Clark chose this one over Silver Jag. Post 14, Morning Line, 12-1.



CLEANING UP THE SPORT
Rob Longley in the Toronto Sun writes about no steroids in the Plate..

http://torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2008/06/20/5932751-sun.html


MOMENTUM WOODBINE THURSDAY


Who are the hot players heading into the Queen's Plate on Sunday?

Jockeys ROB LANDRY, EMMA WILSON, TYLER PIZARRO have been on a roll in recent weeks while their Plate trainers have not been as sizzling.

Yesterday in a 9 race card at Woodbine, Wilson won 2, Pizarro also 2 and Landry scored on Sam-Son farms' STROKE THE TIGER, a FULL SISTER to Queen's Plate entrant HARVEST HOME.
Hunch play?

Here's a wrap of yesterday's stuff:

Stakes winner ANNE'S PURSE seemed doomed for a pace battle in her 3rd career start yesterday but was still rated at 4 to 5 to win considering the competition. The Big C Little C's filly had to work too hard to keep up to the 21 3/5, 44 1/5 pace, did not seem to relax and faded badly. JOVIAL JILL posted a carer best 79 Beyer to win for Peter Dewit's Display Farm (breeder) and B. Cowan. Ian Black trains and Wilson rode.
She's by Bold Executive.

BLACK NAPKINS was all the rage in the 2yo filly race, race 1, even though it was a claiming event. Three 2yos scratched and left a field of 5 and the Yonoaguska firster won in steady fashion with a 60 Beyer. Bred by Huntington Stud, the filly is owned by Kiaora Racing and trained by JOHN ROSS (who won again later)/

David Sorokolit's ACADEMY KING won his maiden as a 5yo in race 2 after many chances. The Royal Academy Ontario bred was the first of Pizarro's winners.

IT'S RIDICULOUS was an appropriate winner of the 5th race. He took a ton of betting support for his 3rd career start and was given a super ride by Emile Ramsammy to be dragged out of a ridiculous pace duel between GIANT'S FORZA and POWER ALLEY, and he rallied to win with a 71 Beyer. He's a Norseman Stable-Tony Mattine project who won that maiden $40,000 race over 10 riva;s.

You can't fool the Woodbine betting public - PARLOUR TIME raced on the grass in her season debut (not really bred for turf), she was unplaced and then suddenly appeared for $40K claiming yesterday. She won at 7 to 2 with a wide, wide rally.

John Ross won again when the cool horse HEDGE ON GOLD won for $10K for owner/breeder Doug Tufts. He's a Kentucky bred by Golden Missile.

STROKE THE TIGER was powerfulin her maiden score on the grass off the long layoff. The 1 1/16 mile turf race hints that the Smart Strike filly's brother HARVEST HOME will move up big-time on the grass.

And classy old DAVE THE KNAVE is racing for just $20K claiming but he won yesterday despite being passed by Dancin Joey in early stretch.The Whiskey Wisdom gelding has won over $650,000 and was claimed last year by Tucci Stables and trainer Sid Attard. He was not claimed yesterday.


TODAY'S TIDBIT
First-time starter in race 8, NATANYA (Graeme Hall), for Eugene Melnyk, was born in December, very unusual for a racehorse. She is listed as a 4yo but is technically a 3yo.


ROYAL ASCOT


The prestigious ROYAL ASCOT meeting is still going strong.
Today, the Group 1 CORONATION STAKES is the feature with the Pivotal filly INFALLABLE the big play it seems, possibly SPACIOUS (Nayef).

There is a Canadian-bred gal in the field. RAYMI COYA, bred by Anderson Farms and M. Farrell comes off a listed win in her seaosn debut and ended 2007 with a Group 3 win at Newmarket.

The Van Nistlerooy filly is out of the Maria's Mon mare Something Mon.

Yesterday at Ascot, YEATS won that Gold Cup race for the 3rd in succession. It's been a long time since he was at Woodbine when he bombed in the Canadian International.

Canadian-bred 2yo's were in action in the NORFOLK STAKES, a Group 2.

ELEGANT CAD (Chapel Royal -Power Gem, by Mutakkdim) was bred by Ron Clarkson and was 4th in his debut. In the Norfolk, he finished 5th.

SERVOCA (El Prado-Cinderella'slippers, Touch Gold) was an also ran. The Ontario-bred was bred by Dermot Carty.

The winner of the Norfolk was SOUTH CENTRAL, a debut winner by 13 lengths and a nose winner yesterday in his 2nd race. A Forest Camp fellow, he is out of Brittan Lee, the dam of BRODERICK, who races at Woodbine on Sunday, and the filly EBON LEE, who races in a maiden allowance at Fort Erie on Sunday (both bred by Woodbine horsefolks Bill Diamant and Vicki Pappas).


NEW YORK TIMES
Report from Washington -

Horse racing under fire.. Dutrow Jr. "doesn't feel well"and is a no-show


Congress Is Considering a National Authority By JOE DRAPE

WASHINGTON — Members of a Congressional subcommittee scolded the horse racing industry Thursday for endangering thoroughbreds with lax drug policies and faulty breeding, and said the sport emphasized greed over transparency. The panel is considering endorsing a central governing body for the sport and warned that it could reopen the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 to make that happen.

“Unlike every other professional and amateur sport, horse racing lacks any national regulatory authority that can promulgate uniform rules and regulations,” said Representative Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois. She led the hearing, which was entitled “Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse.”

Read the rest

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/sports/othersports/20racing.html?ref=othersports