SURF N TURF

FASIG-TIPTON KENTUCKY

Shyman Farms sells Canadian bred for $230,000

Stuart Hyman's SHYMAN FARMS sold Pulpit - Magna Cum Laude colt to Edmonton Inc. for $230,000 at yesterday's 2nd and final session of the Fasig Tipton Kentucky sale.
The ONTARIO-BRED was among the highest priced colts at the 2-day sale.

BUYERS...

311 colt Even the Score - Laird's Honor $40,000 READE BAKER, agent

369 filly Stormy Atlantic - Quick Rhythm $90,000 JIM & SUSAN HILL

386 filly Not for Love - Search for a Cure $45,000 JIM & SUSAN HILL

416 filly Northern Afleet - Te Pap Crystal $62,000 BAR NONE RANCH

519 filly Sky Mesa - Forty Nine Hearts $130,000 JIM & SUSAN HILL




DEPUTY MINISTER STAKES


Small fields for big stakes races have plagued the last month of racing at Woodbine - the overnight stakes races and small events are no exception.

No one wants to race against STUCK IN TRAFFIC tonight in the 7 furlong Deputy Minister Stakes.

He even has a stablemate in the race, DELAFORCE, and jockey David Clark is named on both (although Delaforce has different owners than the Traffic man).

Stuck in Traffic (Kiridashi) has 3 other rivals including popular debut winner Kinshasa's Paradis and the streaking Stray Cat Strike (Cat's at Home).

The stakes race highlights the late pick 3 which are the most intersting races on the card.

The stake is followed by a filly and mare allowance race at a route distance with the regally bred Dance With Doves (A.P.Indy-Dancethruthdawn) trying to get back to winning form).

The finale is a maiden allowance loaded with possible goodies. Seven debut runners includinf a grey Elajjud filly who is working fast, LUCY'S DOLLY plus CAPE SCHANK, who ran a 71 Beyer Figure when missin gin her debut for $20,000 claiming.

and don't forget to enter the SCORE'S/WOODBINES 1-2-3 CONTEST!!

http://thescore.123racing.ca/User/MyAccount2.aspx



VIEWPOINT - LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

REVISITING POLYTRACK

Did it cost Canada a star?


It may be years before the impact of Polytrack and synthetic surfaces of its ilk is known.

But the immediate effect, at least in about 2 years of the surface in Woodbine history is..well, as a handicapper, it's impossible to know what kind of track you will get each day.

Perhaps more concerning is what Polytrack might do to the game as far as competition.

HARLEM ROCKER bombed so badly in the Plate Trial (he, a Grade 3 stakes winner in New York) that the top Canadian - bred 3yo in the land did not race in the best race for local 3yo's - the Queen's Plate.

While there may have been some other issues at work on Plate Trial day, the fact that this colt was kept ouf of Canada's biggest race because of the track is a concern.

Of course he romped in the 2nd jewel of the Triple Crown on the Fort Erie dirt.

So, what are we dealing with now? Turf specialists, dirt specialists and now synthetic specialists? How are we going to know what horses are the best?

And are these speed figures, be in sheets of Beyers, accurate? The Woodbine Polytrack last Wednesday night was quite slow and bizarre. Who knows what it will be like this evening.

And fancy 2yo MR. MISTOFOLEES, from the Todd Pletcher barn, fled the scene (according to Daily Racing Form) after he was shipped all the up to Woodbine, worked on the track with ANGEL CORDERO before heading to Arlington and skipping Saturday's Colin Stakes.

Shippers to Woodbine stakes are few and far between right now, in particular for Polytrack stakes. Harlem Rocker will never be back. What do you think?



and more on SYNTHETIC from the DAILY NEW - LOS ANGELES



EXCERPT:

Not everyone is happy with Del Mar synthetic surface
By Art Wilson, Staff Writer


DEL MAR - It was dubbed a smashing success by Del Mar officials last summer, credited with dramatically cutting the number of racing fatalities in both the mornings and afternoons.

But the new Polytrack synthetic surface, installed last year for $9 million, was deemed anything but a rousing success by some horsemen, most notably trainer John Shirreffs, who told a special California Horse Racing Board symposium on artificial tracks in February that Del Mar was a "resounding failure for the horses racing on it."

Fresh on some trainers' minds was Student Council's painfully slow 2:07.29 clocking while winning the 2007 Pacific Classic - nearly six seconds off the slowest of 16 previous runnings of the 1 1/4-mile Grade I test.

Front-runners struggled all summer over Del Mar's main racing strip, and many handicappers complained about the inconsistencies. The track was firm for morning workouts in the cool weather, but it loosened up considerably under the warm sunny skies that accompanied the afternoon races.

Del Mar officials, while refusing to jeopardize the safety of the horses, are trying to please both sides and make Polytrack a firmer surface in the afternoons, thus speeding up times and making the track less of a graveyard for speed horses.

Last year, the track reported only six fatal breakdowns - four in the mornings and two in the afternoons - compared to 14 in 2006 over the track's dirt surface, most of which occurred

"We added more wax to it to combat the higher temperatures about a month ago and we have since been watering it, trying to make it maybe a little bit tighter," track superintendent Steve Wood said while taking a break from last-minute preparations for the beginning of Del Mar's 69th season today.

"So far it's been working very good. (Responses) have been 1,000 percent positive."

Wood said unlike last summer, when the surface was never watered under the advice of Polytrack representatives, there will be regular watering activity this year depending on the weather.

The track has installed a reverse osmosis system on site that will provide purified water for use on the surface, meaning tap or other unpurified water that could contain contaminants that harm the Polytrack materials will be avoided.

Martin Collins, the founder of Polytrack, offered this guarantee during the special CHRB meeting in February - the track at Del Mar this summer will produce faster times than last year.

Wood agrees, and he thinks the difference will show immediately.

"I think the times will improve for sure," he said. "Beginning with the first race."

Still, dissatisfied trainers want to see the proof before deciding whether to run some of their standout horses during this 43-day meet.

read the rest...


http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_9893556



BET WITH THE BEST 2 - LONGSHOTS

It is one of those books you will always pick up and review...just like a lot of the great handicapping books out there.

The DRF press has don it again with th sequel to Bet With the Bests, this time focussing on how to pick longshots using new tools, the 'turn back' approach, class and trainer angles, Grade 1 races, foreign imports etc.

The book immediately grabs the reader since the stories Andy Beyer tell are so common to all of us bettors.

There is no better feeling than betting on a longshot that wins.

Beyer tells a wild story at the outset of the book:

"I uncovered a horse at Gulfstream whom I consider the best single pick I have made in this millenium" - that's quite a statement from one of othe world's most popular anbd successful handicappers.

"I still remember that five-furlong sprint on February 11,2006 in vivid detail - and I am haunted by the memory."

Yes, Beyer uncovered a nice one in that turf sprint...but he didn't cash.

Oh,we've all been there.

The book is filled with good stories and tips the top men in the business - Tom Brohamer, James Quinn, Brad Free etc.



OTHER STUFF

AIN'T LOVE GRAND (Dixie Union-On the Fritz), a 2yo that cost $525,000 as a yearling and was bred by Windfields Farm, makes her debut in the 2nd race at Belmont today..

Gardiner Farms' stallion TRAJECTORY had 3 winning offspring at Fort Erie yesterday...Mike Mewell and Mike Barkowski had two winners on the Fort Erie card also.

KIP DEVILLE (top right, Vanessa Ng photo) had a workmanlike win in the Poker Stakes and is headed back to Woodbine for the Mile.



from THOROUGHBRED TIMES TODAY..
and equineline.com...

LEADING ONTARIO SIRES OF ONTARIO-FOALED RUNNERS
2008


Stallion Starters Winners SW's Prgeny earnings


Bold Executive 110 41 4 $2,195,920
Trajectory 68 29 3 1,259,946
Not Impossible (Ire)(deceased) 16 7 1 1,003,622
Tejano Run 57 26 2 875,463
Peaks and Valleys 80 30 1 837,817
Tethra 63 22 1 779,973
Bold n’ Flashy 64 17 0 732,808
One Way Love 53 20 0 700,843
Whiskey Wisdom 53 11 0 541,403
•Perigee Moon 50 17 0 $510,497
Cat’s At Home (deceased) 55 19 0 507,148
Ascot Knight (deceased) 45 11 0 468,824
Rock and Roll 30 13 0 399,742
Compadre 43 9 0 381,425
Kinshasa 31 9 0 331,362
Crown Attorney 22 6 1 321,506

(Perigee Moon is listed as pensioned)


ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

Many folks have asked about the 'big announcement' that was touted last weekend at Fort Erie.
As I wrote in Monday's post, there was a model and diagram of a development project that was on display in the dining room but there was not a conference or handout or news release.