Jen's Thorough-blog

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL 71

Euro’s getting their ground

(MARLANG, a Canadian-bred 3yo, passed up this weekend's Jamaica Stakes to try the big guys tomorow. The last 3yo to run well in the race was Phoenix Reach in 2003. www.horse-races.net photo)

More rain yesterday (hail in some places) and more expected today will likely push the Woodbine turf course into ‘good’ mode by tomorrow’s $2 million Pattison Canadian International (G1) and the 3 other graded stakes on the grass, all Win and You’re In events.

The Europeans are very particular about the state of the grass course although at Woodbine, a soft course would like not be considered all that soft overseas.

Through Tuesday the course was still quite firm but rain has been off and on and perhaps it will be a little less than firm by tomorrow.

Much has been written in this space about favourite DOCTOR DINO, LUCARNO and MOURILYAN, but what about the German based fellows QUIJANO and LAURO?

Quijano is well know to Woodbine – he’s been here for a few weeks since he was 2^nd in the Northern Dancer Stakes.

He was also a troubled 3^rd in last year’s International and is steady as they come.

What to make of LAURO? This guy has not raced since APRIL 2007 but he showed some class in his few races.

Trainer ANDREAS WOHLER often comes to Woodbine for this race – he was 2^nd with SIMONAS at 21 to 1 in 2004, 5^th in 2003 with SABIANGO and 2^ND IN 2001 with PAOLINI.

Wohler has said LAURO is as good as Paolini but has also said the horse is staying at Woodbine for the Sky Classic Stakes later..is tomorrow’s race a prep for the Sky Classic?

Reminders for TOMORROW..

*CARRYOVER FOR THE PICK 7? The bet has been carrying over for months it seems but it is $16,000 today and if not won, will provide another good play for the fans betting on tomorrow’s big card.

*PICK 4 BET ON THE 4 STAKES EVENTS

*POST TIME 1 P.M.

*JIM MAZUR SEMINAR at 11 a.m. at the track

*MEGAPICK, don’t forget to enter at theracetrack.ca!

*You can bet on the card of racing today!

BULLET AND BEAR on their way

FATAL BULLET and BEAR NOW, the Bear Stables’ two Breeders’ Cup representatives are on their way to Kentucky as of now and will get a ride to California tomorrow to ready for the Breeders’ Cup.

Trainer Reade Baker is hopeful that BEAR’S CONDUCTOR will race well in the Grey Stakes on Sunday and earn a trip to the Cup as well.

KEENELAND OPENS TODAY…

Friday, Keeneland Race Course, post time: 5:10pm EDT

DARLEY ALCIBIADES S.-GI, $500,000, 2yo, f, 8.5f (AWT)

PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS

1 Be Smart Smarty Jones Lukas 6-1

2 Devotee Elusive Quality Albertrani 6-1

3 Bon Jovi Girl Malibu Moon Ritchey 7-2

4 August Rush Milwaukee Brew Ward 12-1

5 Mani Bhavan Storm Boot Klesaris 7-5

6 Dream Empress Bernstein McPeek 9-2

7 Amanwella Fusaichi Pegasus Motion 8-1

All carry 118 pounds.

Friday, Keeneland, post time: 4:40 pm EDT

FIRST LADY S.-GI, $400,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT

PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS

1 Precious Kitten Catienus Frankel 2-1

2 Dreaming of Anna Rahy Catalano 3-1

3 Rutherienne Pulpit Clement 4-1

4 Roshani Fantastic Light Pletcher 6-1

5 Bayou's Lassie Outflanker Romans 15-1

6 Forever Together Belong to Me Sheppard 6-1

7 Rosinka (Ire) Soviet Star Motion 10-1

8 Stormy West Gone West Mott 12-1

ARC NEWS

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is Sunday…

From the RACING POST..

The favourite Zarkava has been drawn in the number one stall on the inside rail in Sunday's Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe which may be a hindrance for a filly who normally comes with a storming late run.

There will be 16 runners in the €4 million race including the Aidan O'Brien trained Duke of Marmalade, the mount of Johnny Murtagh, while Seamie Heffernan will be on board Soldier of Fortune. They are drawn 14 and nine respectively and Richard Hills has the number 11 slot onYoumzain.

Godolphin have decided to run Schiaparelli with Frankie Dettori in the saddle. Ryan Moore is on Ask, while Jimmy Fortune rides Sir Michael Stoute's other runner Papal Bull.
The unbeaten French colt Vision d'Etat has a decentdraw in nine. Getaway, who will be trying to give Andre Fabre his eighth Arc victory under Olivier Peslier is drawn in four.

Following early morning rain, the ground on Friday morning at Longchamp was 3.3 or good to soft and more showers were expectedduring the day. Sunny periods should prevail throughout Saturday but rain is due in the evening and expected to last throughout the night and into Sunday morning.

Clerk of the course Christian Delporte said yesterday: “Unless there are some heavy downpours, I expect the going to be 3.4 or good to soft.”

WOODBINE THURSDAY

Desk cleaning…CAWAJA BEACH earned a 79 Beyer Figure on Wed. night for her Victorian Queen Stakes win..remaining undefeated. The 2yo beginner CONGOR BAY earned a 75 Beyer in the first race despite racing two seconds slower, no doubt a split variant was used for that card of racing that got faster as the night went on…

THURSDAY’S card was made up of all claiming races except for a maiden allowance event but it gave a chance for some smaller stables to pick up wins.

Once again, the rail seemed swamp-like, any horse trying to make a move there on the turn was spinning the ole wheels.

Trainer PAUL ATTARD started the year slowly but is picking up steam..he won 2 races yesterday.

One angle for Attard is his first-off-the-claim. He was 36% heading into yesterday and won with new claim BRILLIANT MOON, a full sister to multiple stakes winner Love That Moon. The filly by Migrating Moon was claimed for $20K from her debut last month and she won for $32K yesterday in dominant fashion.

Attard’s other winner was JOEY D. who came back from a scary incident in his last race when he clipped heels and lost his rider Jim McAleney to win his maiden in race 8 for $11,500. The One Way Love 3yo gelding was bred by Mark Hughes and is owned by York Tech Racing.

In that race, RENIER, trained by Roger Attfield, was blocked behind horses off the turn and by the time he got out, he lost his groove and closed too late. Tab for next time.

Race 1 went to Bruno Schickedanz’s WALTZIN TO T MUSIC who led all the way in her first start in one year, an angle that works well with trainer Mark Fournier. The Outflanker Ontario bred was dropping from $23,500 claiming to $11,500. She was claimed by Warren Wilcox.

The “feature” on the day went to a 35 to 1 shot…SPRINGSIDE, a 2yo Kentucky bred by Awesome Again out of Folly Dollar by Digression had shown little in her 2 previous races – 9^th beaten 15 lengths in her debut on Polytrack and 9^th beaten 7 lengths on turf last time but she rallied 4 wide around the turn and was up to win for Jim and Alice Sapara who bought her for $335,000 as a yearling.

Race 3 went to SNOW DELCIOUS, trained by Catherine Day Phillips for Cardinal Stable. The filly was in for $40,000 claiming, a new low for her, and rallied to win under Richard Dos Ramos. The Ontario bred is by Maria’s Mon.

Race 4- was won by the 2yo filly SOUTHERN FLAME a Flame Thrower gal who took the $32,000 claimer for winners with a wide rally off the turn. She is owned by ATM Racing and trained by Abraham Katryan.

Trainer LIZ CHARALAMBOUS sent out INSPIRATION Lad to a big win for $20,000 claiming in race 6, racing 6 furlongs in 1:10 2/5, a fast time for yesterday. The Ontario bred by Mutakkdim is owned by Margaret Cudney. The gelding was blocked behind rivals off the turn in that race but angled out and did not lose much momentum.

GO BOLDLY is on a roll for Mare Gardiner and trainer Wray Lawrence. The Demaloot Demashoot filly, bred in Florida, won for the 2^nd time in succession on the step up from $11,500 to $16,000 in race 7. She was won 3 of 11 races this year.

In that race, RAWSON’S RETREAT came out of the gate and bucked before trailing the field.

And trainer JOHN CARDELLA won the last race with the Horse Chestnut gelding FREE TO FLY who rallied widest and was the last to move on his way to his maiden win on the drop from $20,000 to $12,500. His time was the faster split of the maiden race.

Peppers Pride going for horse racing record of 17 victories in 17 starts

the associated press

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.03.2008

ALBUQUERQUE — With one more victory in a 6-furlong allowance race Saturday at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., Peppers Pride, a 5-year-old thoroughbred mare, would improve to 17 victories in 17 starts, a modern North American record.

Peppers Pride is poised to break the mark of 16 straight victories that she shares with Triple Crown winner Citation, two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, Mister Frisky and Hallowed Dreams.

Some have compared Peppers Pride's run to a minor-league baseball record because she has never raced outside New Mexico, all of her starts have been against fillies and mares, and she has never run on a sloppy track.

Joel Marr, who trains Peppers Pride, said most of the grumbling comes from fans and reporters or race commentators — but never from anyone who makes a living by handling horses.

Fellow trainer Bob Baffert, a UA graduate and a native of Nogales, Ariz., said the circumstances do not matter.

"It's significant. It's very difficult to win, no matter what. It's tougher in open company, but it still takes a great horse to go out and win every time."