PREP DAY!

It looks like perfect conditions for racing today through holiday Monday - CIVIC HOLIDAY in Canada.

Lots of racing on the Monday across the country and some previews are below.

(Photo, right) Some photos on the post today from some sharp image-makers - SARAH K. ANDREWS took this super shot of MUNNINGS at Saratoga last weekend. The Speightstown fellow cost $1.7 million, ran a 90 Beyer.




TODAY AT WOODBINE

Signs, eeks, that the fall season is upon us soon - the prep for the PLAY THE KING STAKES, often a race associated with the WOODBINE MILE.

But the Play the King Stakes is placed differently this year as Woodbine experiment swith the much-discussed WIN AND YOU'RE IN pgroam for the Breeders' Cup.
The Woodbine Mile is placed differently on the schedule for Breeders' Cup Mile hopefuls and the Play the King is just 2 weeks before. So don't expect any Play the King runners to be in the Woodbine Mile this year.

Meanwhile, locals get a shot at big money in the Play the King anyway.
Today's prep gives us some of the top players in THE GREAT CARUSO (Sultry Song), STARTICUS (Atticus) and the popular grey WOLLEMI PINE (Aljabr).

It should be a heck of a prep today as Starticus,
a course record hold and riding a 3 race winning
streak, will try and hold off the very sharp
THE GREAT CARUSO. Wollemi Pine
will be charging.



Photo at right, a recent morning at SARATGOA captureed by EASY GOER'S site at Flickr.com






BREEDERS' STAKES FIELD
Sunday Aug. 3

$500,000 Breeders' Stakes (Race 9, 5:08 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Canadian Breds, 1 1/2 Miles (Turf)

PP. Horse, Jockey, ML Odds

1. East End Tap (ON), Slade Callaghan, 10/1
2. Palmers (ON), Patrick Husbands, 4/1
3. Sligovitz (ON), Todd Kabel, 7/2
4. Marlang (ON), Richard A. Dos Ramos, 8/1
5. Deputiformer (ON), Jerry Baird, 12/1
6. Pronger (ON), Eurico Rosa Da Silva, 15/1
7. Go in Peace (ON), Steven R. Bahen, 20/1
8. Mamma's Knight (ON), James McAleney, 15/1
9. Solitaire (ON), Robert C. Landry, 5/2
10. Cryptonite Kid (AB), Tyler Pizarro, 15/1
Each assigned 126 pounds.



SUNNY SINGH TO NORTHLANDS

The Edmonton Sun is reporting that SUNNY SINGH is headed to Northlands Park to ride in Alberta for an undisclosed amount of time.



(Photo at right).WITH FLYING COLOURS is by A.P. Indy out of My Flag by Easy Goer.
Check out Sarah K. Andrews at Rock n Racehorses (see link at right)




ROSBERG ARRIVES AT HASTINGS
A.P. Indy fellow on big card Monday at Hastings

Royalty racing at B.C. Cup
If looks won races, he'd be a cinch
Tom Wolski, The Province


Just how big is this holiday Monday's B.C. Cup Day? After factoring in how several horses used huge air miles to participate in this, the biggest afternoon of horse racing in British Columbia, and how the best local runners are looking forward to giving these invaders a run for their money, the only word is 'huge'.

Among several strong stables hoping to take home a Cup is Swift Thoroughbred. Their big horse Rosberg, who runs in the $50,000 Sprint, is a world traveller who is perhaps the most royally bred horse to race at Hastings.

In 2004, Rosberg made his racing debut in Southern California for renowned owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's elite stable.

Despite finishing fourth, his connections still were confident Rosberg was something special.

Why not when your father A.P. Indy commands a $300,000 US stallion fee and gets it. And your mother Bosra Sham is a multiple champion in England.

In his next start with Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone riding, he won his first race at Santa Anita in Southern California.

Rosberg was then shipped to Maktoum's racing base in Dubai. For three years, he fell off the radar.

Then at age seven, he resurfaced wearing the racing silks of the powerful Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stables.

Among his most recent efforts, a fifth-place finish in the $1-million Godolphin Mile run at the Nad al Sheba Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

In his last start at the Opening Verse Stakes, at Churchill Downs, Ky., he ran unplaced and his owners decided to sell him.

"We found out about Rosberg through the same bloodstock agent who works with the Darley Stable," said co-owner Horatio Kemeny. "He had bought us the Visualiser. When we first looked at his racing form, it was a little bit confusing. Since we had prior success with this agent, we decided to buy him to race at Hastings.".

On B.C. Cup day, if looks won races Rosberg would be a cinch.

ACTION: Each year, the $100,000 Peter Redekop Classic features the best older horses in B.C. And this year should not be any different. The Classic field includes local fan favourite Spaghetti Mouse, who won this race in 2007, again showing his fondness for the Classic mile and an eighth distance. The Classic marks the local debut of Kinsella & Todd's, Texas Wildcatter.

GIRL POWER: Hastings newcomer apprentice jockey Stephanie Fedora will be trying to become only the second female rider to win a B.C. Cup race. Former jockey Nicola Wright rode the first of her two Cup winners in 2002 aboard Vernon Invader in the B.C. Cup Classic. Fedora has two Cup rides with Parklane (Dogwood Stakes) and Iceman (Stellar's Jay Stakes). "I am extremely excited and grateful to trainers Barb (Heads) and Craig (McPherson) for giving me this opportunity," said Fedora.

MONEY TALKS: Heading into B.C. Cup Day, good news for horseman as they were given a 10 per cent purse increase.

"I think it is great," said Mel Snow, president of the B.C. Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Association. "It shows the industry ia moving in the right direction."

On the heels of that announcement came news of Hastings opening its slot machine gaming and entertainment facility on Aug. 15.

Tom Wolski presents Sport of Kings, Saturdays at 11 a.m. on Citytv.

twolski@shaw.ca



MANITOBA DERBY PREVIEW
from the WINNIPEG SUN

CASSE, CARROLL battle ANDERSON and co.out west

By SCOTT UNGER, SUN MEDIA

When Ruckus Rules arrived at Assiniboia Downs this spring, his trainer, Carl Anderson, just wanted him to win a race, let alone be in the biggest race of them all at the local track.

But that's exactly where Ruckus Rules finds himself, as he drew the first post position yesterday for the 60th running of the $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby, which goes Monday afternoon.

BROKE HIS MAIDEN

"It'd be wonderful," Anderson said at the prospect of winning.

"A horse like this comes along. He was just a green horse in the spring. We were just looking at breaking his maiden and maybe winning another long race. Now all of the sudden we've run second in one stake and fourth in the other one and we're in the derby."


Ruckus Rules broke his maiden here in Winnipeg on June 8, before finishing fourth in the Harry Jeffery Stakes and second in the Derby Trial.

"After the fourth place finish in the first stakes race we ran him in, I knew he would improve in the distance," Anderson said.

With two second place finishes -- 1969 and 1994 -- in previous Manitoba Derby's, Anderson is itching to reach the winner's circle for the first time in the Downs' most prestigious race of the season and he's counting on Ruckus Rules to do it.

Bloodlines count for a lot in horse racing and Ruckus Rules' are very impressive.

His sire is Monarchos, who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby, while his father is route specialist A.P. Indy.

"He's pretty well bred. He's as well bred as any horse in the race," Anderson said.

It's also a small field for the derby with just six horses scheduled to march to the post.

"I like that better. We're guaranteed money and less traffic trouble," said Anderson.

LONG SHOT

Another local horse in the race is Mr. Exspeedient, who captured the Derby Trial just a head of Ruckus Rules earlier this season.

Colosseum, trained locally by Martin Drexler, is the long shot in the race, but does have a win and two second place finishes in three starts.

Toronto invaders Bonanza and Matt's Broken Vow will be battling it out for the second time this season against each other. Matt's Broken Vow edged Bonanza by half a length in the Marine Stakes at Woodbine in May.

The only girl in the race is Rasierra, who is coming in from Iowa. She's a speed horse that likes to close on the leader.

"Her best race was when she was off the pace," trainer Ray Tracey Jr. said. "She has laid too close (to the front) and it's hurt her."

The last filly to win the Manitoba Derby was Fanfreluche in 1970.



Mighty Yeats slams Goodwood rivals
(and carries 136 ppounds doing so)

Yeats took his career earnings past the £1million mark by landing the Royal Bank of Scotland Goodwood Cup for a second time.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained triple Ascot Gold Cup winner took over from the pace-setting Tungsten Strike two furlongs out and powered clear of the opposition. The 8-15 shot was giving Johnny Murtagh a double on the day and was his fifth winner of the meeting. Tungsten Strike (33-1) hung on for second with Sagara (33-1) third.

Murtagh said: "He's a great horse and a true warrior. The crowds turned out to see him and he didn't let them down. He's often done more at home. He was a little fresh at Ascot and today was much better. He's got a very high cruising speed - when he gets into top gear he can maintain it constantly. He's truly a great stayer."