FLURRY

How do you make ugly weather - beautiful?
Grey horses DRY MARTINI, STUD MUFFIN and TEMPORTARY SAINT charge to the finish line in Saturday's Stuyvesant Handicap at Aqueduct.
Thanks to Vanessa Ng for the great shot.



IN COMMAND

ACTIVE DUTY one of 2 Woodford Racing LLC 2yo's in the 6-horse CORONATION FUTURITY yesterday, rallied from off the pace (set by his stablemate) won the 1 1/8 mile 2yo classic for Canadian-breds.
The son of Deputy Commander - pUnchbowl, Two Punch earned a 77 Beyer Figure for his time of 1:52.01.

The Adena Springs bred, bought for $80,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2007, was 4 to 1 in the morning line but somehow paid $25 to win.

Incredibly, it was the colt's first main track race after 4 previous runs on grass, a surface for which he is not bred.
Also, jockey Patrick Husbands seemed to elect to ride Gallant, the pacesetter, who did not look like much of a contender. Corey Fraser got the winner.

"I got the privilege to work both of these horses," said Fraser. "It set up pretty nice for me. I was actually wondering if (Gallant) was the only one I had to worry about."

Gallant gave way and the big favourite El Brujo charged hard but the eventual winner had the jump on him. El Brujo is by Candy Ride and is multiple stakes placed.

Khabibulin was 3rd, about 4 lengths behind the winner and a head in front of Gallant (Aptitude).

Active Duty, who is gelded, is from a dam who has been a super producer with Powerful Touch, a stakes winner, and Ghetto Superstar and Wolf Howl among the top offspring.


MORE SUNDAY STUFF

The Polytrack was a sizzlin in the snow flurries yesterday - HOME FOR HARLAN won an allowance race for Jim and Susan Hill and trainer Reade Baker in 1:08.86, just ticks off the track reocrd.
The track was so fast that the time only got him an 89 Beyer Figure even though the 3yo rode the worst part of the track - the inside.

A $16,000 claiming race went in 1:22.22 for 7 furlongs in an earlier race - race 7. The winner was the suddenly hot MANLIEST from the suddenly hot NICK DETORO barn, which won 2 races on the card.
Manliest is a 5yo by Ascot Knight and he has won two straight races.

The other DeToro winner was MOONLIGHT DESIRE, who was sharp off the freshening and battled on the pace through 6 furlongs and won her maiden for $32,000. She is by Bold Executive out of Miss Independence by Regal Search.
In that race, Chemistry Flash ducked after the start and tried to make the gap and lost jockey Emile Ramsammy who was unhurt.

Race 2 was a 5 furlong $40K claimer for non-winners of 3 and the rapid pace of 21.50 and 44.93 was aided by the wind and presser GHOSTLY CONCERTO won his 2nd straight race for the Mike Wright Stable.
In that race, a fast closing Kiernan's Legacy was delayed in traffic in the stretch and was much better than his 4th place finish said.

More winning streaks - PLEASANT MIX won her 2nd consecutive race for Lorn Perkins and GDS Stable when she got out of a traffic jackpot and won for $12,500. The Alphabet Soup 4yo filly was claimed by Christina and Paul Attard.

The 4th race was a shocker - recent $10,000 claiming INSIDE EXECUTIVE led all the way to win an Ontario sired allowance race with a purse of $62,800 (if you don't have an Ontario sired horse you sure are missing out!). The Bold Executive gelding had been in dull form for most of the year but scorched 6 furlongs in 1:09.85 in yesterday's win for Ace Racing and Scott Fairlie.

Charley Tango won his 2nd consecutive race for Shyman Farms and trainer Martin Drexler. The Maria's Mon gelding came in from Assiniboia Downs and has won 2 of 3. Pat Husbands picked up the mount since Gerry Olguin booked off after the first race.
The race was for $10K claiming.

Two-year-olds fillies were in the 8th and 9th races.
The 8thwas for $20K and the winner was NINE MIRACLES for the Steve Asmussen team who train the horse for Kirk and Robison. The Orientate filly was 5 to 2 and she won from the 12 post.

The next race was for Ontario sired gals and D'COUNTRY won her maiden for Vinery and Singer Stables. She is by D'Wildcat (now standing in Florida) and from Western Melody by West by West and was bred by Tony Russo, Leslie Ruso and Pat Costello in Ontario.
She was a $35,000 weanling purchase in Kentucky.

In that race, Ocala Dawn had an unfair start, one of several such instances in the last few days. This tim the filly's her gate opened a bit before the others.

Horses (and starting gates) have been acting up a lot lately - must be the weather!


JULIA P'S PHTOSTREAM at Flickr.com: Weeeeeeeeeee, these Jack Russells race to the finish at Camden in South Carolina yesterday








EXCERPT - CURLIN LIKELY FINISHED RACING.

Trainer: No other '08 race likely for Curlin
His stud career will begin in 2009

By Jennie Rees • jrees@courier-journal.comThe Courier-Journal • November 17, 2008

Though owner Jess Jackson left open the possibility that Curlin could race once more this year before being retired to stud at a yet-to-be-determined farm, trainer Steve Asmussen all but eliminated any chance that the 4-year-old reigning Horse of the Year will compete again on the track.
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"Without stepping on my own tongue, I don't see anything worthy of him," Asmussen said by phone yesterday.

In a news release that went out late Saturday night announcing the retirement for 2009, Jackson said "if an appropriate venue and purse are offered, we would consider one more race in 2008."

Churchill's Grade II Clark Handicap on Nov. 28 -- which at one time seemed a possibility for North America's first $10 million-earner -- has been ruled out, Asmussen said. Even though Curlin gallops every morning at Churchill Downs, he has not had a workout since before he finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 25.

Also, Churchill recently cut the Clark's purse $100,000 to $400,000 as part of an overall purse cut, for which the track cited the slumping economy and protracted dispute with horsemen over revenue of account-wagering.

"We've eliminated ourselves from the Clark," Asmussen said. "With the purse cut and it being a Grade II, there's not enough incentive to be ready for it even if the possibility was so."

read more

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081117/SPORTS08/811170459/1002/SPORTS




SOVEREIGN AWARD NOMINEES FOR MEDIA


OUTSTANDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

George Williams, Ace Is Tops For King, Winnipeg Free Press, May 16, 2008

Beverley Smith, Race For Life, The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2008

Peter Gross, Lloyd Duffy Still Bringing In The Winners, Down The Stretch, October 20, 2008



OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY

Chris Lomon, The Coldwater Kid’s Kind Deed, The Game, March 2008

Peter Gross, How Many Horses Can One Man Save, Down The Stretch, August 8, 2008

Perry Lefko, Remembering The King of Handicapping, Canadian Thoroughbred Magazine, June 2008



OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPH

Matt Waples, Not Bourbon Gets Kissed, Canadian Thoroughbred Magazine, August/September 2008

Michael Burns, Sr., Morning Mist, The Blood-Horse, April 12, 2008

Michael Burns, Jr., DaSilva Rides Into Spotlight, The Toronto Star, April 6, 2008



OUTSTANDING FILM/VIDEO/BROADCAST

Horse Racing Alberta , Ky Alta Stakes, CTV Alberta Network, July 12, 2008

Sport of Kings Communications, The Luckiest Man In The World, City TV British Columbia , August 8, 2008

Woodbine Entertainment Broadcast Department, 2008 Woodbine Mile, The Score, September 7, 2008