LET'S PLAY

WOODBINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Paul Attard, Jimmy Day get first wins


The results from last night's card were just goofy enough to pave the way for another CARRYOVER in the PICK 7.

While the sum listed in the EQUIBASE CHART seems to be consistently different than what is announced on race day at the track, the carryover is reported by Equibase as $45,000 for today's 8-race card.

The track was essentially favoured closers again with a slight emphasis on the outside paths although it was possible to win on the pace and along the inside in a couple of occasions.



FEATURE: Fresh filly SECOND OFFENSE won the night's feature, a light allowance/optional claimer that was on turf at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Johannesburg filly, a much better turf sprinter than anything else, got an easy lead on the pace (23 4/5) and stormed home at 9 to 2 for LUIS DE HECHAVARRIA and trainer Ian Howard. Chantal Sutherland, set to go on a 3 day suspension, rode the winner. It was the filly's 4th win in 18 starts.
Overbet favourite BE ENVIED ran into a traffic jam in the small field at the head of the stretch but was never going to catch up to the quickening late pace anyway.

"She was immature as a 2yo, always did everything right, I still think she'll go a mile, but she does everything right, nic horse to have,' said Howard on THE SCORE show.



Very green but very ready - SLIGO KING won the first race of the evening for Stronach Stables in his very first race of his career.
He was 20 to 1!
The Kentucky homebred rallied from last place in the 1 1/16 mile event, circled around horses on the turn, drifted out through the stretch but drew off for trainer Sean Smullen.

The dark bay Sligo Bay gelding (out of the Gold Case mare Prom Princess) had been entered in a race at Fort Erie on Monday but went for the $72,600 purse instead.

He showed many workouts after a gap from March through May and Rob Landry was his rider.

Speaking of ace TRAINING JOBS, conditioner PHIL GRACEY has had a project on his hands with the Richter Scale 5yo TUGASKE, who had raced just once this year, in April when he won his maiden in allowance company. The Winsong Farms and Gail Wood-bred fellow, leased now by Wood, had been off for 3 years before that race,
Last night, he led all the way under beautiful rating by jockey Rob Landry (2nd win of the night) and won for $40K at 6 furlongs on the grass in 1:09 4/5.
"He got to the races easy this spring," said Gracey. "But after that win he came up with a pus pocket in his foot, it took a lot of time to get that right.
I breezed him myself the other morning on the grass and he went super."

And HALL OF FAME trainer JIMMY DAY had his first winner of the season with hsi 25th starter - WISE KNIGHT, in race 6.
The 6yo Whiskey Wisdom-Ascot's Dolly gelding was making his 4th start of the year and was winning for the first time in a couple of seasons in the $16K claimer.
He came from 5-6 lengths off the pace to win by 1/2 a length for Cudney Stables. Sue Bigelow bred the gelding who was claimed by Mike Kowalski and Sam DiPasquale.

PAUL ATTARD, son of Sid, won his first race of the Woodbine meeting in the race after Day's score. KY BLUZ GIRL, who lost as the favouruite in her latest for $20,000 claiming, was claimed by Paul Attard for himself that day and suddenly woke up with a win last night at 11 to 1 for $30.000.
Emma-Jayne Wilson got the mare by Hold for Gold up for the nose win while keeping mostly to the inside and rail.


OTHER WINNERS

The 4th, a maiden claimer, was a bit messy and resulted in a surprising winner. WITNESS TO ALL, the most experienced maiden in the race with 12 previous outings, rallied from 5 lengths off the pace to win on the far outside while his rivals scrapped and wallowed on the inside.
The Kinshasa gelding, a 3yo Ontario bred bred by Elizabeth and Gord Lickrish, is owned by Dave Cotey et al.
The gelding was dropping in class and turning back to 7 furlongs from a route distance.

Big trouble in the race for TANNERS CROSSING, who was trapped on the rail for quite a lot of the stretch run.

The 5th race resultd in a wild finish, The $20,000 claiming event for fillies and mares had 6 gals within 1 1/2 lengths at the finish. The winner, out in the 4 path, was BONNE BAY (Cape Town-Blondeinthemeadow, Meadowlake), scoring fo rthe 2nd time in her 11 start for owner/breed Bill Graham and trainer Roger Attfield.
She was halving in claiming price from $40K but was not claimed.

Owner JOHN FIELDING, who also has harness horses and runners overseas, won the night's finale with morning line choice HOLBORN, a Smoke Glacken 3yo making his 4th career start.
The very fast gelding, who won his maiden in June for $32,000, was dropping to $25,000, battled on the pace and won by a length in a sharp 1:10.26.
The Ontario bred was foaled by Cavendish Investing Ltd.



Fine feathered friend..
CHARLES PRAVATA
(see his stream on flickr.com) caught this winning ARCH FILLY at home with her close friend.
the filly's name?

LITTLE BOSS CHICK !




TAKING A SHOT AT PICK 7...

Here are some thoughts on today's very small card:

Race 2 - 6 horse turf allowance with CARMA MOON and D'AWESOME CAT looking solid.

Race 3- 1 1/16 miles Ontario sired allowance and DANCINGALL THEWAY will try to carry his speed and big 84 Beyer Figure the distance. POWER OF ATTORNEY is a major threat.

Race 4- ugly $12,500 claimer, non-winners of 2, the Daryl Ezra stable is hot so consider HAIL THE MOON.

Race 5- Nice maiden allowance, B level, and there are 2 from the MARK CASSE barn with blinkers on for her debut. the serious player appears to be HIGH MIST, just a $22,000 juvenile purchase by promising young sire OLMADAVOR for the Reade Baker stable.

Race 6- CANADIAN PREP, a small field without much speed so CALLWOOD DANCER looks very tough since she's already a Grade 2 winner this year. QUIET JUNGLE is sold for Sam-Son too.

Race 7 - Tough race for $20K, fillies, non-winners of 2. HIP HIP HOORAY and ARTIC SPIDER are the picks.

Race 8 - Maiden allowance for older guys, Ontario sired and GALILEAN should be tough on the cut-back from 7 to 6 furlongs for Suzanne Drake. ROMILLY RASCAL is also logical.



MCALENEY AND TRUE 'MET' in LONGACRES MILE SUNDAY

3 to 1 2nd choice for Win/In event



The 73rd Longacres Mile, worth $300,000, is up on Sunday at Emerald Downs and the winner gets a berth in the $1 million BREEDERS' CUP DIRT MILE.

The favourite is West Point Tbrds' TROPIC STORM (Stormy Atlantic).

True Metropolitan, the only millionaire, drew post 11 in the 12-horse field. The CANADIAN CHAMPION is there from WOODBINE WHERE HE WON THE ECLIPSE Stakes.

Only one horse has won the Mile from the 11 post according to a story in the SEATTLE TIMES TODAY...

Woodbine-based BOLULIGHT, who raced for Kinghaven Farms before being sold to western interests.



No. Horse Trainer Jockey Odds


1. Southern Africa Roy Lumm Russell Baze 20-1
2. Tropic Storm Craig Dollase Aaron Gryder 5-2
3. Luhuk's Dancer Ted West Kevin Radke 6-1
4. Wasserman Howard Belvoir Jennifer Whitaker 5-1
5. Schoolin You Vann Belvoir Gallyn Mitchell 30-1
6. Diligent Prospect Charles Essex Kate Repp 20-1
7. Nationhood Mike Chambers Seth Martinez 6-1
8. Flamethrowintexan Jim Penney Gary Baze 15-1
9. Honour the West Jim Penney Leslie Mawing 20-1
10. Assessment Howard Belvoir Juan Gutierrez 20-1
11. True Metropolitan Terry Jordan Jim McAleney 3-1
12. Call on Carson Dan Markle Ricky Frazier 20-1


AMERICAN WINNER OF NOTE..

The CANDY MAN CAN! The 2yo CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN, by Candy Ride, won his debut at Saratoga yesterday with an 87 Beyer under a hand ride.
His dam, STORMY WAY, was a Woodbine ace who raced for Vizier Bloodstock and trainer Shelley Fitzgerald.
A star on the rise.

CANADIAN-BRED WINNER

At ARLINGTON PARK, MOUNTAIN STAG, Dk b. or br. g. 4, Running Stag—My Valley Girl, by Friendly Lovver won a 5 furlong turf allowance dash for Maggi Moss.
The gelding was bred by Adena Springs on Ontario.



Big Brown's connection pass on Curlin challenge

BIG BROWN VS. CURLIN?

NOT LIKELY


EXCERPT FROM NEWSDAY
BY ED McNAMARA | ed.mcnamara@newsday.com

Ten days after trainer Rick Dutrow said Big Brown was "way better than Curlin," Jess Jackson challenged him to prove it.

The majority owner of the 2007 Horse of the Year yesterday invited Big Brown's connections to face Curlin Aug. 30 in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Jackson said if the Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner showed up, he would donate $50,000 to Anna House, the Belmont Park child-care facility for backstretch workers.

"The recent remarks about Curlin inspired me to offer to get these two great horses to race at the Spa," Jackson said in a statement. "Imagine Curlin against Big Brown on a legendary track ... It would be thoroughbred racing at its very best and in the name of a great cause."

Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables, jokingly made a counterproposal. "The day of the Woodward, we're challenging them on the basketball court at Saratoga," the Massapequa resident said. "It'll be three-on-three: me, Rick and Kent Desormeaux against Jess Jackson, Steve Asmussen and Robby Albarado."

Neither the horses nor the humans will battle that day, when Curlin would be favored on the track and Big Brown's connections would have the edge in hoops. (Jackson, though tall and trim, is 78; Iavarone and Desormeaux, both 38, were star athletes in high school.)

Big Brown was all out to win the Haskell Aug. 3 and won't return until next month. "No, we can't run in the Woodward," Iavarone said. "We've got to get him back on his feet."

Iavarone mentioned three options - a turf stakes Sept. 13 or 14 that Belmont would have to create to lure Big Brown; the 1 1/8-mile Massachusetts Handicap Sept. 20 on the dirt at Suffolk Downs; and the 1¼-mile Clement L. Hirsch Sept. 27 on grass at Santa Anita, site of the Breeders' Cup four weeks later.



FRESHMAN SIRE CONTEST

Okay..yesterday I sifted through stallion pages on the internet - stats through Aug. 12 - and came up with some pretty close numbers on the 1st crop sires for our contest.

The points went like this:

A WIN - 1 POINT
EXTRA WIN 1 POINT (not including stakes)
STAKES WIN - 3
GRADE 1 - 10
GRADE 2- 7
GRADE 3 - 5

ANY STAKES PLACING, (2ND OR 3RD) - another 2 points.

You can send in any queries, comments about the contest after you see the following standings but this is just mid-season check - the year-end will be the important list.


First the stallions:

LION HEART 29
CONGAREE 16
CANDY RIDE 15
PEACE RULES 14
MEDAGLIA D'ORO 13
TAPIT 12
CHAPEL ROYAL 11
SOTO 9
CUVEE 8
OMEGA CODE 8
TOMAHAWK 8
FRIENDS LAKE 7
SPEIGHTSTOWN 7
TAPIT 6
TOCCET 6
READ THE FOOTNOTES 5
PERFECT SOUL 5
NEWFOUNDLAND 4
ACTION THIS DAY 4
THE CLIFF'S EDGE 3
SMARTY JONES 3
STRONG HOPE 2
EAVESDROPPER 2
TETON FOREST 1
TENPINS 1


LEADERBOARD FOR FRESHMAN SIRE CONTEST
(see you teams using the link on the right) - 33 teams

stats through AUGUST 12

R DAVIS 130
MIKE D 127
LAURA IN LEX 123
THE DRAKE 122
KLAUS 121
JANIS M 119
BILL D 113
CARL N 112
MYCKIE D 112
SARAH 110
BILL STEWART 109
KG 109
BOB S 108
VICKI P. 106
RICK P 106
MIKE ROMEO 105
SAMUEL M. 105
DL 104
RB 102
TERRI R 100
PHIL MCSWEEN 89
BUSTER 97
VALERIE 93
ROBERT C. 91
ASCOT STUD 90
KINGSGATE 88
WING OF ERIN 86
KEVIN K 85
RTURK 81
CRYSTAL 75
KAREN N 64
LAKEAYS 50
REBECCA M

Horses not listed have 0 points so far...obscure selections like PAOLINI, BALLINGARRY, CETEWAYO have not been included at the midway mark


NEW CASINO/SLOTS OPENS TOMORROW AT HASTINGS

EXCERPT FROM THE VANCOUVER SUN today..

New casino with slots, show lounge opening at Hastings Racecourse
By Randy Shore, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER -- A gleaming new casino festooned with big-screen TVs, a show lounge and 600 slot machines opens at 9 a.m. Friday at Hastings Racecourse.

The most controversial component of a $40-million facelift for the 116-year-old track at Hastings Park, the 42,000-square-foot casino replaces the stark benches and concrete of the old lower grandstand with a bright glossy gambling house, a bar with live entertainment and restaurant service.

A temporary casino with 150 slot machines that opened last November at the track will close when the new casino opens its doors to the public.

The temporary facility has done strong business since the day it opened, according to Great Canadian Gaming representative Howard Blank.

"It was put in place just to give people a taste of what's to come," Blank said.

"People definitely voted with their feet."

The new slots, combined with live and video-feed horse racing, are expected to bring even more people to the racetrack, he said. But there will be no table games in the new casino.