BEARS, OH MY!

(Thanks to Turfway Park for the Pat Lang photo)






DEADLY

Fatal Bullet sets track record at Turfway, onto BREEDERS' CUP
Bear Now romps too

Read more on the mainpage of the Toronto Star site... http://www.thestar.com/Sports/HorseRacing/article/507789


Look out Breeders' Cup...the Bear will be in the house again.

Danny Dion's BEAR STABLES and trainer READE BAKER and jockey EURICO ROSA DA SILVA went 2 to 2 at the Kentucky Cup at Turfway Park yesterday and are heading to the Breeders' Cup with FATAL BULLET and BEAR NOW.

The team from Canada are sitting on a key of dynamite named FATAL BULLET, a freakishly fast horse who went so fast on Turfway's Polytrack yesterday in the Kentucky Cup Sprint win that it was hard to believe he would hang on.
Hang on? The Red Bullet colt drew of through the stretch and ran the 6 furlongs in 1:08, beating the record by 2/5.
A blocky bay, he was 1 for 3 last year at 2, could have been claimed for $62,500 in his season debut and he just won 2 stakes at Woodbine and Presue Isle ever since Da Silva took over as his rider.
Bred by Adena Springs in Florida, the colt is out of the Regal Classic mare Sararegal who raced at Woodbine.
A 3yo gelding, Fatal Bullet has won 6 of 7 this year and he cost just $27,000 at the Stronach 2yo sale.

BEAR NOW, a Tiznow filly, was odds on to win the Distaff and tracked the track before surging clear into the stretch for a workmanlike score in her event.
She will go to the Distaff at Santa Anita and then be sold at auction.


MORE TURFWAY

Since the Kentucky Cup races are run over a synthetic surface, - not the same as what you would get with Pro-Ride at Santa Anita, the races have a solid bearing on the Breeders' Cup.

KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE FILLIES - SUGAR MOM reached out and blew past the leaderson her way to a big win and her first stakes score. She is a Monarchos filly out of the CANADIAN CHAMPION ..PLENTY OF SUGAR, who was bred by Kinghaven Farms.

JUVENILE COLTS - Not as visually impressive as the fillies but WEST COAST BERNIE (Bernstein) was making just his 2nd career start since his debut win at Monmouth for trainer Kelly Breen. A $50,000 yearling purchase and he is out of a Gilded Time mare.


CURLIN IS THE RICHEST GUY
Now let's see him in the Breeders' Cup!

In a methodical and steady manner, CURLIN won the Jockey Club Gold Cup over a sloppy track at Belmont and passed Cigar as the richest horse in North American history.

The Smart Strike-Sherriff's Deputy colt ran a 111 Beyer Figure.

From www.horse-races.net...JESS JACKSON quotes..

"I have been a lifetime supporter of Thoroughbred racing, and many of you don't know all of the things I've done. I feel that Curlin is the epitome of what my lifetime has contributed to the racing community and I hope to do more.

As to going out to Santa Anita (for the Breeders' Cup Classic), we'll probably load him up, but first we'll have to get him adjusted. But it is up to him whether he likes the track and the surface.
So, those are concerns we still have. But we'll consider it now that we're past this hurdle. That's the next prospect for us and we'll give it every bit of attention. Let's put it this way: we haven't avoided (Big Brown).
I don't fault (IEAH Stable) for the way they've handled Big Brown. But if he is truly going to the big race, we'll have to see whether Curlin likes the track.
We're not trying to avoid him and there is always the Clark after that or the Japan Cup (Dirt). So, we have to take them one at a time. I don't want to risk a horse of Curlin's stature that we need in the gene pool. So, I am being very cautious and doing my due diligence first."




NEW YORK, NEW YORK

What bearing will the BELMONT races yesterday have on the Breeders' Cup?
Not much likely since the turf was very soft and the track was sloppy..

(Photo at right is GRAND COUTURIER just crushing older turf distance horses in the Joe Hirsch...www.horse-races.net photo)

In the Flower Bowl on grass for the fillies and mares went to pacesetter DYNAFORCE.
The biggie in the race, Mauralakana, was throwing her head early, a lot, under a strong guzzle down the backstretch through 52 4/5 over soft turf.

Then there was a sudden sprint inside the quarter pole by Mauralakana but the front runner DYNAFORCE had lots left afterr 6 fur. in 1:19 and change and darted away.

Is FATAL BULLET afraid of the New York sprinters? Well, the track was sloppy for the Vosburgh but what is clear is that the super good FABULOUS STRIKE is very fast from the break and so is BLACK SEVENTEEN, the upset winner at 23 to 1 who won the protracted pace battle down the stretch. That race was a barn burner - perhaps the 2 leaders will be vulnerable on Cup day.

Note: BLACK SEVENTEEN is by Is It True and he posted a 109 Beyer on the Hollywood synthetic surface last year.


AND IN CALIFORNIA


Arguably the most impressive performances of the day were that of ZENYATTA - she's 8 for 8 in her career and wins without barely being asked..and STARDOM BOUND, the 2yo grey filly by 1st crop sire TAPIT who came from last to win the Oak Leaf in a strong gallop.



RE-CAP OF THE GROUP 1'S YESTERDAY

courtesy Thoroughbred Daily News

Rainbow View (Dynaformer) Fillies Mile - ASC
Raven's Pass (Elusive Quality) QE II S. - ASC
Black Seventeen (Is It True) Vosburgh S. - BEL
Cocoa Beach (Chi) (Doneraile Court) Beldame S. - BEL
Curlin (Smart Strike) Jockey Club Gold Cup - BEL
Dynaforce (Dynaformer) Flower Bowl Inv. - BEL
Grand Couturier (GB) (Grand Lodge) J Hirsch Turf Classic - BEL
Cost of Freedom (Cee's Tizzy) Ancient Title S. - OSA
Red Giant (Giant's Causeway) C L Hirsch Mem. - OSA
Stardom Bound (Tapit) Oak Leaf S. - OSA
Wait A While (Maria's Mon) Yellow Ribbon S. - OSA
Well Armed (Tiznow) Goodwood S. - OSA
Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) Lady's Secret S. - OSA


MORE BEARS IN ALBERTA
And siblings win three consecutive stakes!!!


It was a big racing day at Northlands as the Alberta season winds down...

BEARS ARTISTE, an Alberta bred by Alphabet Soup out of Lady Glacken by Smoke Glacken won the Alberta Paks for the BEAR STABLES.

The 3yo filly was 4 to 5 in the 9-horse field.

And how about this for an oddity...

the 9th race - the Sturgeon River Stakes went to COOL VENTURA (a 3yo) by Seattle Syn out of the Devil On Ice mare Devil's Favour..

the 10th race, The Red Diamond Express Stakes went to 4yo COOL SYNSATION
by Seattle Syn out of Devil's Favour and the 11th race.

the $50,000 Alberta Premier's Futurity went to COOL DIABLO, a 2yo by Young Devil out of...Devil's Favour.
All 3 are owned and were bred by Abe Brewster and trained by Cody Anderson.

(Thanks to Thoroughblog reader Bill S. for the heads up on the Alberta news)


SWEEEEEEEEET
Sugar Bay leads Canadian 3yo fillies

The transformation that SUGAR BAY has made since the spring when she was caught late in a 2 turn allowance race against modest rivals to a 3-time stakes winner has been fun to watch.

A true-blue George Strawbridge homebred by the owner's own sire Syncline out of the mare Otra Vez by Rahy who is from the owner's family of Autumn Slew and others won yesterday's La Lorgnette Stakes with laughable ease.

Fitting too is that her trainer Mac Benson trained La Lorgnette.

Despite racing a lot further than most in the field with her wide trip, SUGAR BAY stalked Victory Romance and then blew by off the turn to win under virtual hand riding.
Born to Be was 2nd and Nicki Knew was 3rd while Victory Romance who does not appear to be a route horse, faded to 4th.
The time was 1:43 2/5.

The win makes SUGAR BAY the clear leader for champion 3yo filly in Canada (GINGER BREW would win that award but she needs to race once more in Canada).

"I apologize for hitting her on the rear end that one time but she started to sight see on me in the stretch," said Chantal Sutherland who rode the filly.

The Carotene Stakes is 2 weeks back but trainer Benson was not sure Sugar Bay would do that.

THE AVOWAL STAKES, a new overnight stake on the calendar, is a 7 furlong event for older mares on turf.

The winners was Beclawat Stables' homebred SASKAWEA making her 3rd start of the year and returning to turf. The Stormy Atlantic - Saintly Angel, St. Jovite gal won the $105,628 race in 1:21 3/5.
It was her 5th win in 15 races and she's earned over $550,000.

There was reportedly some confusion to the entries in Avowal Stakes and 2 horses that wound up on a Also Eligible list and 2 horses from the body of the race were all removed to make it only a 12 horse field.


Note: Jockey SUTHERLAND reportedly is leaving riding at Woodbine soon to go to California to take part in a reality TV show on Animal Planet.




OTHER WINNERS
at Woodbine


NATIVE MANDATE was nicely prepared for his debut, race 1 for 2yos for $40k, by trainer Paul Attard. The Full Mandate Florida bred is owned by Bob Harvey and won from just off the pace under Jono Jones. His dam's 1st foal to race, Me Oh My, won 5 of 8 races as a 2yo.


RACE 4- Another nice first-timer 2yo to win was GRAEME WAFER, 4 to 1 in the morning line based on fast, fast workout times at Fort Erie and his trainer RALPH BIAMONTE who is 29% wining with debuting maiden claimers.
Still, there was a big favourite in the race - L.A. RULES, a good looking Peace Rulers fellow wo was 2nd , 3rd and and 4th in all of his races for maiden allowance.
L.A. Rules led most of the way but in the stretch, under plentiful, steady whipping he could not hold off GRAEME WAFER, who is by Graeme Hall out of Bar U Mokwa and is a Eugene Melnyk Ontario bred that cost $11,000.

race 5 - Older guys for $40K on the grass in a steady drizzle...Jockey Tyler Pizarro guided longshot NEAR NOISE to win the 9 furlong race for Fieldstone Farms and trainer Analisa Delmas, the 3rd win of the meeting for the stable.
Near Noise - bred for grass by Compadre out of a Farma Way mare - was 9th in an open allowance race at1 mile 2 starts ago and came home his last 2 furlongs in that much tougher race in 23 1/5.
The 4yo is now 3 for 18 in his career.


WOODBINE'S TV SHOW on the Sun channel showed some super clips of many races pertinent to the horses racing yesterday plus videos of past ONTARIO DERBIES (that race is Sunday), formerly know as the Col. R.S. McLaughlin.

In house, however, the camera angles got bad again, a regular problem during the last few years. The presence of the large standardbred barn has made it diffucilt for the Tv department to film races at 6 1/2 and 7 furlongs on the main track and oftentimes, the shot fans see are horses simply running away from the camera...it happened yesterday.
In the stretch run, the camera pulls back very, very far and has been cutting off the horse winning the race on a regular basis.
Hopefully these kinks will be worked out - at least the in-house graphics are nice and clean, unlike that mess of numbers put on by Santa Anita Oak Tree this week.


TRAINER JOHN WILSON DIES AFTER ACCIDENT

Fort Erie-based trainer JOHN WILSON, passed away last evening after he was kicked by a horse in the saddling enclusure at PRESQUE ISLE DOWNS.
According to a report sent out by Fort Erie, Wilson, 86, was saddling FORBIDDEN DREAMS in the Fitz Dixon Memorial Stakes, race 6, when he was kicked by the 2yo.
Wilson was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead although it is unclear as to the cause of death - there were reports he may have died of natural causes.
Wilson owned and trained Forbidden Dreams with Lorna Possler.



PROBABLE FIELDS FOR WOODBINE'S BIG RACES SATURDAY

Next Saturday, 4 graded stakes, Win and You're In events, all on turf...the big one, The Canadian Interntional, goes just minutes before 6 p.m.

Here are the probable fields for the races:

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL

Horse/Owner/Trainer/Jockey

Cedar Mountain/Augustin Stable/Neil Drysdale/Indefinite
Champs Elysees/Juddmonte Farms/Robert Frankel/Garrett Gomez
Doctor Dino/Javier Martinez Salmean/Richard Gibson/Frankie Dettori
Lauro/Gestuet Ittlingen/Andreas Wohler/Eduardo Pedroza
Lucarno/Augustin Stable/John Gosden/Jimmy Fortune
Marlang/Gus Schickedanz/Debbie England/Richard Dos Ramos
Marsh Side/Robert Evans/Neil Drysdale/ Indefinite
Mourilyan/Ramzan Kadyrov/Herman Brown/George Baker
Quijano/Gestuet Fahrhof/Peter Schiergen/Andrasch Starke
Seaside Retreat/William Farish Jr./Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands
Spice Route/Harlequin Ranches/Roger Attfield/Jim McAleney

E.P. TAYLOR STAKES
Horse Trainer

Arden Belle R. Gerl
Callwood Dancer R. Attfield
Folk Opera S. Bin Surorr
Freen Lyons N. Drysdale
Hostess J. Bond
J'ray T. Pletcher
Sealy Hill M Casse
The Niagara Queen S. Asmussen
Toque de Queda M. Delzangles


NEARCTIC STAKES
6 furlongs,. turf


Heros Reward D. Capuano
Just Rushing Sid Attard
Mohegan Sky L . Rice
Mulmur M. Frostad
Off Duty L. Whiting
Quietly Mine (C Clement
Santiago Aitlan A. Wohler
Starticus R. Biamonte
Starvinsky B. Jackson
Storm Treasure S. Asmussen
The Great Caruso M. Pierce
True to Tradition S. Lake


SUMMER STAKES 1 mile, turf, 2yos
Bourbon Bay L. Stevens
Grand Adventure M . Frostad
Jess not Jesse L. Rice
Major Marvel D. Capuano
Relatively Ready D. Donk
Skipadate M . Casse
Utterly Cool S. Attard


Notes:

JUNGLE FIGHTER is on the Hot Canadian-bred list after his game 2nd place finisher (he was 3rd, placed 2nd) in the Grade 3 Robert F. Carey Memorial Stakes on turf yesterday...
.SUGAR BAY is also now on the Hot Canadian-bred list..only on THOROUGHBLOG!

EQUILEASE STABLES Campfire Girl, trained by
JOHN CHARALAMBOUS was a good 3rd in the Presque Isle Debutante Stakes last night. She is a Kentucky bred by Forest Camp.

New ads...Exciting young Ontario stallion LAURA'S LUCKY BOY and CHAPTERS-INDIGO..buy off the site and SAVE!!