SPELL BINDING

WENDYU over at Flickr.com posted some photos from Saratoga yesterday including this super shot of the gritty PROUD SPELL winning the Alabama.



In today's news - BEAR NOW had a dreadful trip yesterday in the Belle Mahone - later this year she will be sold at auction too...read more..





FREE SPIRIT 78 Beyer in stake


A lucky JULIET'S SPIRIT held on to remain undefeated when she won the ONTARIO DEBUTANTE STAKES yesterday at Woodbine for 2yo fillies.

That makes TWO UNDFEATED 2yos by the sire EXCHANGE RATE at Woodbine this year. Another Exchange Rate filly C Karma was 3rd yesterday.
(Photo of the Danzig stud below is from Three Chimneys Farm)

Juliet's Spirit, owned by Padua Stable, sizzled 6 furlongs in 1:10 - the track was very fast yesterday.

The Florida-bred, under leading rider Jim McAleney, was kept just off
the early pace through brisk opening fractions of :21.82 and :44.54.

As the field straightened for home, Juliet's Spirit seized command and braced for the challenge of a game After the Applause.

"She epitomizes the term professional," said McAleney, who celebrated
his first Ontario Debutante victory. "She came over today and she was
smiling from ear to ear."

McAleney, who has been aboard the filly in all of her starts, noted
Juliet's Spirit was more aggressive than usual in the early stages of
the six-furlong race.

"She was a little more ambitious than she was last time," said
McAleney. "She knew what she was here for. She did settle. When it was
time to go, I let her go. I wound up going a little bit sooner than I
wanted to because I didn't want to get into a wrestling match with
her."

Juliet's Spirit launched her racing career on June 7, a neck nod at 4
½ furlongs, courtesy of a late rally.

Prior to the Ontario Debutante, Juliet's Spirit triumphed by 2 ½
lengths in the My Dear, at odds of 7-1.

On Saturday, she was sent off as the 8-5 choice.




BEAR NOW HEADED TO KENTUCKY and a tough trip yesterday


The BELLE MAHONE was a nightmare for millionaire BEAR NOW.
Full marks go to the steady SERENADING (A.P. Indy-Daijin) who came from last, rode the rail and was up for her first stakes win for John and Glenn Sikura.

The Beyer was 91.

But Bear Now, a front runner, had trouble early. STAR OPERATOR, a sprinter, was the horse most considered the danger to Bear Now since she was likely going to try and set the pace.

Star Operator had tried long races before and gone slow on the pace in those events and still faded, so it was not likely she was ever going to be a contender in the race.

But Justin Stein hustled her out of the gate and then drifted very wide into the first turn, carrying Bear Now out to the million-path.

This went for most of the race - Star Operator getting farther and father out into the track and taking Bear and Jerry Baird with her. It did appear that halfway through the race that Star Operator was trying to lug out but surely she was not familiar with route racing.

Curious tactics indeed, especially for a filly who had little chance to win.

Bear Now got the lead once she was moved to the inside but the pace had been too fast and she tired and wound up a game 3rd.

Trainer Reade Baker said the filly emerged from the race with mucous in her breathing passages.

Bear Now's schedule for the remainder of 2008 is the KENTUCKY CUP DISTAFF
on Sept. 27 at Turfway, the Breeders' Cup Distaff and then she will be sold at FASIG TIPTON.

MIRACULOUS RACES YESTERDAY
Check the replays out at www.calracing.com (sign up is free, then you enter a horse name) or at hpi.com, if you are a Woodbine account holder.


It was a wild day all over with bizarre incidents from the one in the BELLE MAHONE to a weird one at ELLIS PARK.

At Ellis Park, the first race was marred by a front runner who started to lug out late. The jockey went hard with the whip but the horse went further out, finally the jockey either bailed or just fell off somehow and the horse ran into several rivals.

GRAND COURTRIER had no business winning the SWORD DANCER as he was trapped on the rail in the stretch, steadied and checked when appearing to run up on rivals, stumbled and then somehow got out of the mess to win.
Wild stuff.

PROUD SPELL could be one of the best fillies in recent memory. What a race she ran to hold off MUSIC NOTE in the Alabama at Saratoga yesterday.
VOTE ON MY NEW POLL for top 3yo filly of the year!

And at WOODBINE, MATT'S LUCKY LADY posted a 93 Beyer Figure in an allowance win. The Lil's Lad gelding is rapidly improving for trainer Josie Carroll, who also trains Serenading.

REVERENTLY scored an impossible win in the last race, an allowance on the grass for fillies. The Pulpit miss, owned and bred by Kinghaven Farms, was very far back in last place in the sprint, was still some 15-20 lengths back turning for home but barged through horses in a very fast rally to win at 12 to 1.

QUEBEC CITY,an Ontario bred 2yo colt who had raced at Churchill, Woodbine, Churchil, then back tol Woodbine in his 4 starts, stayed in one place and won his maiden yesterday in front running fashion (that was not easy to do yesterday).
The colt is by grass stakes winner Even the Score out of Perth Lassie and was bred by Ralph Piercey and Mike Lauer.


and of course, TOM DURKIN'S CALL YESTERDAY was too funny - the regal Classic claimer ARRRR (he's out of a Bold Ruckus mare too)









THUMBELINA IS AT WOODBINE TODAY
It was written int his space that THUMBELINA, the world's smallest horse, was making a visit to Mohawk last night.

The little girl was there but in fact is ALSO COMING TO WOODBINE TODAY - reportedly.

There is no word where she will be - or what time for that matter - but if you want to see her, she'll be at Woodbine today




EXCERPT - THE OLYMPIAN PAPER

True Metropolitan looks to end Canada's drought in Longacres Mile

By Grant Clark | Olympian news services • Published August 17, 2008



Since the inaugural running of the Longacres Mile in 1935 local horsemen have always been concerned with which Southern California invaders would show up to challenge their charges in the Northwest’s richest race.

Concern continues this year because one entry from the Golden State will be there when the Longacres Mile goes to the post at 5:30 p.m. today at Emerald Downs.

Still, the biggest threat to take the money and run could very well be from the Great White North.

True Metropolitan, who will carry the 122-pound high weight, looks to become the first Canada-based horse to win the Grade III Longacres Mile since Travelling Victor won the stakes in 1985.

“It’s our race to win, it’s our race to lose,” said owner Bahadur Cheema, who is confident in his horse despite the probability it will have a wide trip from post No. 11. “It’s horse racing, so anything can happen, but we like our horse.”

True Metropolitan, the only millionaire in the field with $1,040,056 in earnings, is a two-time Sovereign Award-winner as Canada’s champion older horse, a three-time Group 3 winner in Canada and a 15-time stakes winner.

All of that could add up to the 6-year-old gelding notching career win No. 18 in the 73rd running of the Longacres Mile.

In 2007, True Metropolitan won the Autumn Stakes and Dominion Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto, the Speed To Spare Championship Stakes and Westerner Handicap at Northlands Park in Edmonton.

“He’s on top of his game, he’s better than last year,” Cheema said. “He looks better, he’s training better. He’s run four races this year, and he’s won two and finished second twice.”

Jockey James McAlaney, the leading rider at Woodbine, will make the trip from Toronto to ride True Metropolitan. McAlaney has ridden the Terry Jordan-trained gelding four times, twice winning aboard him this year. The combination won the George Royal Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes, the race that pushed the thoroughbred over the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Despite the lofty resume, True Metropolitan was not installed as the morning-line favorite. That honor went to Tropic Storm at 5-to-2.


(Note: Bolulight was a Canadian horse that won the race since Travelling Victor)

READ MORE
http://www.theolympian.com/sports/topstories/story/547443.html