SEVEN DAY STRETCH

CURLIN TO WOODBINE?

105 Beyer in his return


Okay it's a pipe-dream for sure but Jennie Rees in the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL reported today that, with Curlin's big goal this fall being the PRIX DE'LARC DE TRIOMPHE in France, the team behind the colt want to race the son of Smart Strike on the grass once.
It would like come in the Man o'War at Belmont since Woodbine does not have much to offer as far as long grass races in the time frame for Curlin.

Rees:

"In that regard, Asmussen said he'd like to see Curlin's next start be in a month over a large turf course such as Belmont (which has the $500,000, Grade I Man o' War), Arlington (the $200,000, Grade III Arlington Handicap) or Toronto's Woodbine (which doesn't have a race but has slots revenue to make one happen)."

Slots revenue to make one happen - gosh, that would be interesting.

What Woodbine can offer is the Seagram Cup on July 27, a Grade 3 worth $150,000 at 1 1/16 miles (Chinese Cultural day) and the more likely Nijinsky Stakes on August 4, Grade 2, $300,000.
Curlin, under 128 pounds won easily in his comeback from his Dubai trip yesterday in the Stephen Foster.



SNOW CLOSES WITH A FLURRY

WOODBINE-Saturday

A "bigger and stronger" LONDON SNOW is bad news for the other older mares out there - at least the sprinters.
Th 5yo Trajectory mare, out of Muriel by Bold Executive, stormed from last place in yesterday's Ballade Stakes to win the Ontario sired event with her ears pricked.
The 6 furlongs in 1:09 4/5 was good for an 89 Beyer Figure - her career top.
Owned by Kirk Bradden Stables Inc and trained by John Charalambous, London Snow and jockey Steve Bahen are a fun pair to watch.
At the outset of yesterday's race, the mare was last and on the outside while Only If Split sped off to a big lead. The ones chasing that fleet runner tired while London Snow burst onto the scene in mid-stretch.
"There was a lot of speed in the race - outside, it gets you where you want to be and stalk like we did," offered Bahen. "She rated really nicely. She was very relaxed. When I called her, she came running today. She loves it when she switches leads. That's her second gear all the time. That was fantastic."
Only If Split held second for K K Sangara and Executive Flight rallied for third.
London Snow has won 6 of 19 races and $446,358.
Her wins includde the La Prevoyante Stakes at one-mile on the grass (she is a good turfer up to that distance) and the Lady Angela Stakes last spring at 7 furlongs.
Last year the mare was winless in six races.
"She's bigger and stronger," said Charalambous. "She had a tendency to cramp up in the mornings. She's only done that a few times. She's been a lot more confident. "She's a pretty versatile horse, too. We have a lot of possibilities: long, short, turf. It doesn't matter."
Muriel, a one-time winner in 7 races, has also produced Lady Zipster, a minor winner, and the 3yo Muriel'sPride plus a couple of other winners.
Muriel's dam is the top Gardiner Farms mare Beautiful Sister, the dam of Rose of Lancaster, Campaign Andover and Key to Beauty.


OTHER STUFF FROM YESTERDAY


CAWAJA BEACH (a beach on Georgian Bay) was the 1st winner for the stallion WHERE'S THE RING yesterday Woodbine. The stallion stands at Gardiner Farms.

A filly out of Cosa Rara, a hard kncking multiple winner, Cawaja Beach was bred and is owned by Hard Eight racing and Ace Racing of Scott fairlie and partners.
The filly's time was 51 4/5 was a full second faster that the other split of the 2yo maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs, won by SANS SOUSI (2nd time starter by Bold Executive).

HERLUF had a great ride by Chantal Sutherland and camew from off the pace to win the 3rd race for Openwood Farm. Bred by Susan Rasmussen, the 5yo Kiridashi-Pirate Brat gelding has won 2 of 22 races thanks to that allowance win.

There was DEAD HEAT for win in race 5 - NOT IMPOSSIBLE'S son CAPPAL MOR finally won but had to share the win with STRAY CAT STRIDE, who did all the work on the pace in the 6 1/2 furlong off-the-turf race for maiden allowance Ontario-sired guys.

The former is owned by Barry Smith and E. Skrzypek and trained by Dan Vella. The latter is an Ian Jamieson homebred by Cat's at Home trained by Dan O'Callaghan.

KRISTA KOCOT, who stands LEGAL JOUSTING (see ad this page) had her first HOMEBRED race yesterday.She doesn't own the 3yo CARMA MOON, but bred the chestnut gelding by Perigee Moon-Bold Carma.
And it was a great day for Kocot as CARMA MOON blew past the field to win his debut for $16,000 claiming in 111 3/5 for owner/trainer Paul Buttigieg.



OTHER WINNERS:

TELEPATHIC (Tiznow-Flashy n Smart) won his maiden at age 5 yesterday at Hollywood Park for Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss. The $310,000 yearling purchase was bred by Ontario's DOM ROMEO.
He earned an 85 Beyer Figure.


HOTTEST CANADIAN BRED?

The Canadian-bred top horses list best be updated I think.


THREE IN THE BAG a 6yo by Silver Deputy - Light Show, by Pleasant
Colony won for the 9th tim in 30 starts in an allowance race at Philadelphia Park yesterday.
It was his 2nd straight win and he won his last 2 by a combined 24 1/2 lengths.
The gelding was coming off a 109 Beyer Figure win in an allowance/optional claimer at Delaware.
Yesterday he bounced down to a 98.
He was bred by Kinghaven Farms and is owned by Michael Dubb.


QUEEN'S PLATE NEWS

15-16 is the magic number

Will the Stronach team have 3 in the race? It is looking more likely that the filly, GINGER BREW will be in the Plate - the barbeque press conference and horse parade is tomorrow and surely that will be the most popular question.

Botched recent workouts by HARLEM ROCKER (see yesterday's post) and NOT BOURBON (Not Impossible) leave the race open for SOLITAIRE, practically everyone's pick in the race already or the filly if she goes.


HERE IS THE CONTENDER'S LIST...


NOT BOURBON (Not Impossible)-
won Plate Trial

SOLITAIRE (Victory Gallop)- 2nd Plate Trial, maiden

HARLEM ROCKER (Macho Uno)- graded SW (PHOTO)

*GINGER BREW (Milwaukee Brew)- Woodbine Oaks

SEBASTIAN'S SONG (Cherokee Run) - 3rd Trial

PALMERS (Grand Slam)- 2nd allowance

SHADOWLESS (Stormy Atlantic)- winner '08

TOOK THE TIME (Greenwood Lake)- allowance placed J

JUNGLE BREW (Milwaukee Brew) - maiden

MAMMA'S KNIGHT (Ascot Knight)- OSS allowance winner

DEPUTIFORMER (Silver Deputy)- SW at 2

HARVEST HOME (Smart Strike)- maiden

EAST END TAP (Pleasant Tap) winner

SILVER JAG (Point Given) maiden

D. FLUTIE (Langfuhr)- maiden

DYLAN'S CHOICE (Sligo Bay)- maiden claiming winner




ARKHILL WINS ALBERTA DERBY -

"TOES OUT LIKE CHARLIE CHAPLIN"

EXCERPT - DOUG ABRAHAM, CALGARY HERALD

Jockey Rickey Walcott aboard steed bred in B.C. and foaled in Alberta
Doug Abraham, For the Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, June 15, 2008

With B.C. horses coming across the mountains and devouring Stampede Park stakes all spring -- like B.C. pine beetles now decimating our timber -- it came as no real surprise that coast-based Arkhill captured Saturday's $125,000 Alberta Derby.

At least, the owner, Neville (Ted) Davis, is a Calgarian and a long-suffering bill payer at that, having not sipped from a derby trophy since winning the 1974 Canadian Derby as part owner of Progresive Hope.

Davis is a true sportsman -- he even ran Arkhill in a $50,000 claimer in his final derby tuneup.

"I had to," a smiling Davis explained. "He'd already won three of his first four races (all wins at Vancouver, a second at Calgary), so he'd won his way out of allowance races."

Perhaps, he knew -- or gambled -- that nobody would look twice at claiming Arkhill, bred in B.C., but foaled in Alberta.

"He's just a nice little colt who toes out so badly that he looks like Charlie Chaplin when he's walking toward you," joked trainer Craig MacPherson.

But, noted Davis, Arkhill's "got a wonderful way of racing . . . he just goes along until the jockey asks him."

Saturday's showdown was a wide-open affair as evidenced by the lack of a clear betting favourite and, when jockey Rickey Walcott engineered a perfect trip out of post position No. 3, it magically turned into a one-length victory over Papa Time, Alberta's best finisher at 16-to-1 odds.

"I had a perfect trip," Walcott reported. "I was in tight quarters early, but was able to slip out when a horse drifted and I got on (pacesetter) Little Davey's outside shoulder and I knew I had lots of horse at the half-mile pole.

"I did exactly what the trainer told me. He said to keep ridin' him through the slippery spots because that's when Arkhill had a tendency to let go (of the bit) and slip back."

Although Arkhill had never raced beyond 61/2 furlongs, MacPherson said the colt acted liked he wanted to run on. And run on he did to a 1:43.2 clocking for one and 1/16th miles on a wet track rated good.

It was Rapid Rickey's biggest Calgary win after his kid brother, Rico, scored a natural hat trick earlier on the card.

"A great day for the Walcotts," Rickey proclaimed.

* ARKHILL is by Orchid's Devil out of the Alfaari mare Larkhill.

© Calgary Herald