HEATING UP

(Photo at right) WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT's Steve Koch (Third from right) and Jane Holmes (fourth from right) present a cheque to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement for its Queen's Plate saddle-towel fund raiser.



THURSDAY WOODBINE WRAP


Just $1.1 million bet as Thursdays continue to be the weakest link during the Woodbine meeting.
The card was very weak too with just 8 races and one drab allowance race.

That allowance went to the useful Kinshasa gelding SOMARVELOUS, who won his maiden with 1st time Lasix in his latest start with a 77 Beyer Figure. The 3yo rallied despite a very slow pace set by Say No Evil. The race lost a horse when rainbow Mischief was scratched behind the gate.

Also on the card:

What was that by TRIBAL BELLE? A maiden winner for $8,000 claiming at Hastings Pask (1st time blinkers) 2nd time out and again last time for $35,000, the Tribunal filly won by almost 7 lengths in a devastating front runnig score for $80,000 claiming.
The Canvasback homebred is trained by Terry Jordan.

There were some awful performances yesterday - favoured KY BLUZ GIRL was never a factor for $20,000 claiming (dropping from $47,500) in the 1st leg of the Pick 4, won by Clearly in Charge (Bold Executive) who was making her 3RD START OFF THE LAYOFF for trainer Ross Armata.

But the Scott Fairlie barn, which sent out Ky Bluz Girl, had a win on the card anyway, SEASIDE LINKS won off the claim and looked like a better horse than he was in his last few starts in quite a stunning reversal of form.

Tariner RALPH BIAMONTE's 2yos are big-time tough. He had another debut winner yestderday when ENCROACHMENT (Snuck In, Florida bred) worked hard to get past a tougher 1ster named Forbidden Dreams to win for $32,000.

Trainer LES FROST (7 for 36 at tracks other than Woodbine) won his first race of the meeting when BEYOND ASCOT (Ascot Knight) won for $23,500 yesterday in his 5th race of the year.

Classy old DANCIN JOEY, 8, won his 8th race in his 26th start for $20,000 for Tony Mattine and Gord Cappuccitti in race 7 thanks in part to a ridiculous pace run by XALER, who opened by more than 6 lengths early in the sprint.

And trainer JULIE ROBILLARD won her 1st race at Woodbine with the 5yo gelding CRY HAVOC, a predictable winner of the finale for $12,500.


One month old! This is a Gone Fishin colt out of Aidensfield (full sister to champion Dance for Donna) owned by Maureen Hewitt Topp and HIllside Thoroughbreds.





SCOTZANNA STAKES

Woodbine Friday

"Never bet a graded stakes horse when it is obviously prepping" or a quote something like that can be found in many handicapping books.

What to do with SUGAR SWIRL today in the $100,000 Scotzanna Stakes, an overnight event just invented.

She will be odds-on as a triple graded stakes winner in a 6 horse field but for sure,if you are betting the Pick 4, you have to be wary. She has raced on Polytrack just twice in her life and not since last fall at Keeneland (a very different Poly surface).
It will be almost 100 degrees and humid.
She is prepping for a bigger race, she has a new rider and,some her rivals are sharp.

The good news is, she has big Beyer Figures and some tactical speed in a race lacking in speed - the 2 best ones to her inside are stretch runners.

At six furlongs off the short layoff (her trainer is deadly with these kind of layoff types) she is still not worth the low odds you'll get.



CASINO STRIKE MAY END TODAY
A press conference this morning may announce the end of the 6 week-long strike by security workers at Casinos around Ontario including Woodbine.
That strike played havoc with Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks day even though the strikers are not racing people.


OTHER STUFF
HARLEM ROCKER might go from the Prince of Wales to the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. The light grey Macho Uno Stronach Stables dude earned a 90 Beyer in the TRAVERS...

The Horseplayers Association of North America has a website at:
http://horseplayersassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/hana-mission-statement.html