WALES WEEK

(aaaaaah, that's good..PRESIOUS PASSION, winner of the United Nations Handicap at Monmouth over the American holiday weekend, gets a sponge bath after his win. Sarah K. Andrews, rocknracehorses, photo)



HARLEM ROCKER WORKS

Stronach Stables (lessee) and Adena Racing Venture's HARLEM ROCKER, unbeaten on dirt and coming back to Canada to try and get his career back on track in the Prince of Wales Stakesworked 5 furlongs at Belmont yesterday in 100.72.

The grey Macho Uno colt won the Withers while being eased up but then was drubbed in the Plate Trial on the Woodbine Polytrack. The colt will be getting back to dirt at Fort Erie.

A field of 8 or 9 is likely going to be entered on Wednesday for the 1 3/16 miles 'Wales, the 2nd jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Much like the Plate, the Wales appears to be a 2-3 horse race - Not Bourbon, Harlem Rocker and Solitaire.



PRINCE OF WALES PROBABLES

& BLOG ODDS

NOT BOURBON 8-5
HARLEM ROCKER 5-2
SOLITAIRE 7-2
DEPUTIFORMER 12-1
EAST END TAP 15-1
TOOK THE TIME 15-1
PRONGER 20-1
SEBASTIAN'S SONG 15-1
PEWTER 20-1



from Fort Erie...

FORT ERIE, July 6 – A possible field of 9 will break from the starting gate in next Sunday’s running of the Prince of Wales Stakes.

Heading up the field will be Queen’s Plate winner NOT BOURBON (photo from www.horse-races.net).

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Roger Attfield, the son of Not Impossible is expected to arrive here at Fort Erie Tuesday afternoon and will work over the main track on Wednesday morning.


Solitaire, coming off a third place finish in the Plate, is scheduled to travel to Fort Erie from Saratoga . Solitaire worked well at the Spa Sunday morning, Five furlongs in 1:02 1/5, giving trainer H. James Bond the green light for the POW. Bond may also run Pewter who missed the Plate but has worked well since a dismal effort in the Trial.


Deputiformer, 4th in the Plate will be one of two sent out by trainer Mike De Paulo. The Silver Deputy colt made the lead at the top of the stretch in the Plate but was gunned down by the eventual top three finishers. De Paulo will also saddle Pronger in the Wales . He scored an impressive maiden win June 20 at Woodbine. Both horses are scheduled to work at Woodbine Monday morning.

Took The Time will compete for trainer Mark Casse. He finished 8th in the Plate after awkward trip. Owner Earle Mack will be looking for his third Prince of Wales win. He had back to back wins with Peteski and Bruce’s Mill in 1993 and 94.

East End Tap went to post at odds of 56-1 in the Plate. He finished 6th but was only 51/4 lengths back of Not Bourbon. He’ll be sent out by trainer Reade Baker who is looking for his first Wales win.

Sebastian’s Song will carry the colours of Niagara Fall’s Centennial Farms. He lacked rally in the Plate and is hoping a switch the Fort will make a difference. He is scheduled to work at Woodbine Tuesday morning.



WEEKEND WRAP SUNDAY - Just crazy

Sylon Stables and partners' KRZ EXEC was well prepared for her first race of the year, the $150,000 Ontario Daml Stakes for Ontario foaled 3yo fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Raced over a very firm turf course and chasing some fast ones like ANNE'S PURSE and GLORIOUSLY, Krz Exec (Bold Executive-Krz Lady by Regal Intention) tipped out to the 3 path in the stretch and wore down the battling speedsters to win right on the wire.
Anne's Purse edged Gloriously for 2nd and SHILLA had a messy trip and was 4th.
The time of 1:14.66 WAS AN 85 BEYER FIGURE.

Krz Exec is another success tory for the mare Krz Lady, a stakes winner for Ron Guidolin and family.
The mare's first foal, KRZ RUCKUS, won over $1.1 million and a litany of stakes races. She has also produced Krz Time, Krz n Flashy, multiple winners, and has a 2yo Krz N Bold.

"We had some small things happen to her along the way. We weren't
positive we were going to run here," said DePaulo. "She was jumping out
of her skin in the barn. She was looking like she was going to get hurt
so we thought we'd better run her. She worked decently enough on the
grass."

DePaulo said he admired the determination shown by the filly, who
competed exclusively against Ontario-sired rivals in her first six
career starts.

"She's got a ton of heart. She's a really good filly," added the
Toronto-born conditioner.

Now an earner of $330,000, Krz Exec has now won four straight Woodbine
contests, dating back to October 17, when she broke her maiden in a one
mile and 70-yard event. To close off her two-year-old campaign, she
captured the South Ocean and Ontario Lassie Stakes.

DePaulo now has a variety of options for the filly, who is owned by
Sylon Stable and Partner.

"There's an Ontario-sired stakes in a few weeks. We'll probably take a
look at that. There's a two-turn race for Ontario-sired fillies in
August. We'll take care of her the best we can and find the right spot,"
said DePaulo.

Jockey BAIRD won the 2yo maiden allowance on the card with BEAR'S ROCKET, a son fo LION HEART (1st crop),who upset heavily favoured BROADWAY AL

ROBERT TILLER and jockey DAVID CLARK won a pair of races together (Clark added a 3rd) - MISS JUICEY romped in race 3, an allowance,non-winners of 3 for Ontario-sired.
The filly is yet another winner for 3 Sons Racing and Tiller by TRAJECTORY. She is out of Juicey, by Notebook. She has won 3 of 6.
AMERICAN SIGNATURE, an Exchange Rate gelding, won for $32K for Goldmart Farms later, also for Tiller and Clark.

Clark's third winner was on the suddenly very good EENY MEENY (Chester House-Subconcious by Defere), owned and trained by Roger Attfield and Will Werner. The Ontario homebred won her first level allowance race 2 starts ago and was 2nd in the Zadracarta Stakes but was disqualified.

Ontario bred COBRADOR ended a long winless streak thanks to a great ride by Jim McAleney in the grey's first race for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Graph Racing colt by El Prado had his move timed just right and he won by a neck, his first score since he was a 2yo (he's now a 4yo).

Earlier in the day, the $2 million yearling purchase NEEDHAM'S FORT (A.P. Indy) made his debut as a 4yo at 4 to 5 and was far, far behind in last place. The winner was Shelter Valley's STOLONBOY, trained by Joe Walls.


SATURDAY NOTES - Start Me Up

BUCEPHALUS won his maiden in the Clarendon Stakes, worth $150,000 and became yet another nice runner produced by the mare MAY TIME.
The Knob Hill Stakes colt, a beautiful 2yo by Cape Canaveral, was making his 2nd career start after closing fast to be 2nd in his debut against maidens, won a stretch long duel with the popular EL BRUJO (Candy Ride) to win by a head.
A jockeys claim of foul, Emma-Jayne Wilson on El Brujo, against the winner through the stretch, ridden by Jim McAleney, was disallowed.
The race was a rough one on the babies with a ton of whipping being done on the youngsters.


STARTICUS, a talented sprinter who may be stakes bound, set a course record for 6 furlongs on the grass in 1:07.39 when he won the 3rd race, an allowance, on Saturday.
The Atticus Kentucky-bred is owned by Danny Lococo and trained by Ralph Biamonte
The 4yo led all the way under Corey Fraser.


ELSEWHERE

Perhaps Canadian Horse of the Year SEALY HILL is just not that into racing anymore.
The Point Given 4yo was given a small chance to hit the board in the Grade 1 Vanity at Hollywood Park but she was flat in a 5th place performance (she was brushed a bit off the turn for home but was stalling).
Later, trainer MARK CASSE had more frustrations when CLEARLY FOXY, owned by Charles Laloggia, was a troubled 3rd in the American Oaks.
The Vanity winner is the undbeaten star ZENYATTA (photo of this super mare is on flickr.com, at qtfeather2000's site)


JUNGLE FIGHTER WINS MOUNTAINER STAKE

Ontario bred JUNGLE FIGHTER, owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Justin Nixon, won yesterday's Independenc Day Stakes at Mountainer. The 1 mile turf race was worth $75,000.
Jugnle Fighter is a 70 gelding by Wild Rush—Joustabout, by Apalachee who has won 7 of 19 races and over $279,000.


JENNIFER BURNIE FUNDRAISER

Tejano Run season available for the charity
The Fort Erie golf tournament raised about $20,000 for Jennifer Burnie, the Fort Erie horsewoman injured badly in a car accident this spring. The community gathered forces and had a tournament, dinner, silent auction and all 18 holes were sponsored by local horsefolks.
ASCOT STUD, in continuing the fundraising effort, is offering a season to TEJANO RUN for the Burnie charity.
The top notch stallion has 5 stakes horses in 2008 including a Grade 3 stakes winner.
It is a 2009 season but the breeder can breed back the following year if a live foal is not produced.
The price is very reasonable.
Contact Mike Newell (or Ascot Stud) at 905-834-5739.