CHAMELEONS

TRAINER GREG DE GANNES, Canadian based now but originally from Trinidad/Tobago, could be headed to the Breeders' Cup a couple of runners including C KARMA, a Win and You're In victress yesterday.
Jockey JONO JONES RODE 4 WINNERS.





Below is C KARMA and her Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fly-sheet, www.horse-races.net photo)


Yesterday's racing at Woodbine featured one of the strongest biases of the summer on the Polytrack.
The inside was absolutely treacherous and any horse taking the 1-2 paths suck and faded.
Review the charts from yesterday and pick out some horses to watch for next time.
JONO JONES won 4 races and lost the 1st race by a tiny nose and was 2nd and 3rd in his others.
Horses were having trouble with the heat and it never did rain until after the races...although the grass course was soft.



GOOD VIBES

C KARMA earned a 79 BEYER SPEED FIGURE in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes and earned a berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a new event on the ever-growing Cup cards.
She is the 3rd stakes winner for the Storm Cat stallion EXCHANGE RATE at Woodbine this year, following Southern Exchange and Juliet's Spirit.
C Karma and Southern Exchange are both trained by Trinidadian GREG DE GANNES, who came to Canada in 1973.

(Photo of race finish..AFTER THE APPLAUSE blew the turn and landed fourth, she's on the far left. The winner is in the turquoise with Koonunga Hill, Freyga and Laragh to her inside. www.horse-races.net photo)

In the Natalma, raced on a very hot and muggy day and over a testing, soft grass course, the little Pam Edel owned and bred C Karma mowed down the centre of the course to take over from front running Laragh (recently bought by IEAH and Silly Goose Stables) and then held off the furious rally of 45 to 1 shot FREYGA, a maiden who fared just best of the Ontario-breds - she edged stakes winner KOONUNGA HILL for 2nd.

PANTHER STRIKE, an Ontario-bred maiden, got loose on the paddock before finishing unplaced. LADY SHAKESPEARE, a debut winner and a full sister to Shakespeare, was not a factor.


(photo - TERENCE DULAY, www.horse-races.net) caught PANTHER STRIKE freaking out in the paddock for the Natalma)


It seems as if C KARMA will now join Southern Exchange at the Breeders' Cup on Oct. 25 for De Gannes. The latter is owned by Bill and Vicki Poston.

Florida-bred C KARMA follows the tradition of many De Gannes runners - mostly American-bred and American-owned.

However, Ge Gannes trains the stakes placed 2yo filly, Ontario-bred Astrotime for Andrew Fredericks and did pop up once on the sales results at the Canadian bred sale at Woodbine 2 weeks ago.

From the Ge Gannes website:

As the second son of the legendary Dr. Rolph de Gannes, he migrated to Canada in 1973 when his father took the position of Resident Veterinarian at the fabled Windfields Farm in Oshawa, Ontario. During his youth at the famous nursery, personal exposure to such icons as Deputy Minister, The Minstrel, Sunny’s Halo, and Vice Regent, served to cement what was already a foregone conclusion. Life as a servant to this great industry was a foregone conclusion.

Fueled with this enthusiasm Greg proceeded to obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from the University of Guelph in 1988. Upon graduation he went to work for the firm of Fishman & Chris at Woodbine Racetrack specializing in the care of thoroughbred race horses.

In 1991, when Windfields closed their Maryland Nursery, Rolph (The Legend) moved back to Ontario and started his own rural practice specializing in Equine Reproduction. Taking advantage of the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream, Greg teamed up with his 'true mentor' to form a mixed Equine Practice, bringing together the farm and race track practices.

In 1988 a chance meeting with trainer Mark Casse would signal a serious change of course for Greg. Exposure to Mr. Casse, an exceptional horseman, and ultimately to Mockingbird Farm in Ocala, Florida would lay the foundation for Greg to move in a new direction within the racing industry.

Working at this fabled farm in the Training Division as the Head Veterinarian and Principal Assistant to Mr. Casse was very rewarding. The knowledge Greg gleaned during this time in both training and sales was invaluable. Personal exposure to horses such as Valid Appeal, End Sweep, Successful Appeal, Swept Overboard, and Exciting Story (Greg's Personal Favorite) to name just a few, only served to underscore the importance of this time in his life, and to solidify his desire to train race horses.

2003 presented Greg with an opportunity to branch out on his own.

http://www.degannesracing.com/trainers/gdr/index.cfm?enter=true



BIRD WATCHING

The offers have been flying in for MINE THAT BIRD, the Kentucky bred 2yo from the first crop of Belmont Stakes winner BIRDSTONE, before yesterday's Swynford and surely after.

The leggy fellow had to work hard on a hot and muggy day yesterday to win the 7 furlong event with a last gasp surge to win by a short neck over Win and Reign, a stakes winner, who was a neck ahead of El Brujo.

The Beyer Figure was a light 76.

(PHOTO, Rider Chantal Sutherland was very excited to win the Swynford - to say she went beserk at the wire with the whip flailing would be an understatement. Terence Dulay photo from www.horse-races.net)


Dave Cotey, Derek Ball and Hugh Galbreath own the gelding who comes from the Canadian female family of Little to Do.

"He's well-balanced and he's correct. He's got a beautiful, beautiful
walk. He's very athletic looking," offered Cotey.

"We'll see what he can do in the Grey," said Cotey, suggesting that the
Grade 3, $250,000 event at 1 1/16 miles on October 5 would be Mine That
Bird's next flight.


FOUR AT FORT FOR PINTO

Apprentice rider MELANIE PINTO, a guest at last week's Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club at Woodbine and now based at Fort Erie, won four races on the card yesterday.

Also noticeable about that card of racing at Fort Erie was the sizzling times put up by winners - DISBELIEF came very close to the very, very old record for 6 1/2 furlongs of 1:15.80 set 40 years ago my Muzledick when he scorched the trip in 1:15.98.

That race was for $16,000 claiming.

Beyer Figures were not available from DRF this morning as the very fast nature of the track seems to have caused some delay in calculations.



ONTARIO EQUINE CENTRE

Write in your letters of support for new equine facility

from the website for the proposed Guelph 'horse park'

OEC – Our Vision:
“The Ontario Equine Centre will be an internationally recognized facility with a
research focus and dedicated to the welfare of the horse as well as the
promotion and development of equine activities that benefits the industry, its
people and the people of Ontario.”
OEC – Who We Are:

The OEC is an Ontario not-for-profit incorporated entity. The Board of Directors is
comprised of individuals who represent all equine interests in Ontario and Canada.
We share a singular focus – securing the ability to develop the OEC on Agricultural
Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) owned land near the village of Arkell

The site building phases, with all facilities built to the highest international standard,
are planned as follows:
1. The office administration building, sales and events complex,
equine show grounds and associated facilities, and campground.
2a. The Standardbred training track and associated barns, and feed
and manure storage etc facilities.
2b. The Thoroughbred training track and associated barns and other
facilities.
3. The cross country courses.

http://www.ontarioequinecentre.ca/