NOVEMBER NOSES

The stakes racing is super at WOODBINE these days - the GRADE 2 AUTUMN STAKES, one of the oldest races on the calendar, featured a blanket finish with the A.P. Indy colt MARCHFIELD winning (www.horse-races.net photo, COPYRIGHTED) -( Marchfield has Stunning Stag to his inside and Ice Bear on the rail)




MARCHING

All Husbands all the time, jock wins both stakes


A big weekend of racing for a bunch of folks and their horses at Woodbine but the circuit lost another nice prospect yesterday morning.

FREYGA, 2nd in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes for Eaton Hall farm, broke a hind leg while working a half mile on the Woodbine Polytrack yesterday. The 2yo filly, trained by Mike Doyle, broke down at the finish line.



On SATURDAY, the Polytrack was very fast - $20,000 claiming horses soared 6 furlongs in 1:08.20 (one fifth off Legal Move's track record).

Yesterday, a brisk wind led to slower times although the track seemed to play slower anyway and offered a solid, outside, rallying bias.

GINGER BREW (PHOTO of her win yesterday by www.horse-races.net) likely wrapped champion 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY at the Sovereign Awards next month with her stunning win in the Jammed Lovely Stakes.

She was fresh and sharp and went slow on the pace, toyed with the 4 rivals and then took off to win in a gallop im 1:21.75 - good for a 91 Beyer Figure.

The filly had been off since she was 2nd in the Queen's Plate in June, Trained by Brian Lynch for Stronach Stables, Ginger Brew is headed to Florida.

MARCHFIELD was the last horse to move in yesterday's Grade 2 AUTUMN STAKES and that was the best stragey as everyone else moved too soon in the 1 1/16 mile race.

The pace was fair - 25.06 into a strong wind and then a much faster 2nd quarter in 48.77. This is wehen True Metropolitan and Palladio were among the early movers in the race. Suddenly a 4 horse scramble materialized while Eugene Melnyk's Marchfield trailed.

When the early movers staggered, STUNNING STAG swept by 4 wide to take the lead but also moved too soon. Marchfield followed, dove inside off the turn, had to switch paths in late stretch and then rallied in time to win. Pat Husbands steered the colt to the win.

ICE BEAR ran a huge race as he was under fire all the way and really fought hard to just miss.

Mark Casse trains Marchfield, who was winning his first stakes race in more than a year.
He has been 1st or 2nd in his last 4 races. He is headed to the Casse string in California.

The champion OLDER HORSE SOVEREIGN AWARD is up for grabs still - MARCHFIELD, ICE BEAR could be in the driver's seat but it certainly is a very weak division.


MORE SUNDAY STUFF

Stronach Stable's had another winner when 4 to 5 shot SINGING SISTER won the 1st race, a maiden allowance. It was the first career start for the 3yo, the only beginner in the field. A very leggy red Bullet filly, she needed every inch of the 7 furlongs to win but got up in the last few jumps.

NYUK NYUK NYUK added to his impressive $707,000 career earnings total with a win for $32,000 yesterday. He is 11 for 48 and is an Ontaio-bred by Mutakkdim.
That win came with Emma-Jayne Wilson on board and Wilson was back to win the 3rd on SOUTHERN ARCH, who was down from allowances to $40,000 claiming for Tobert Tiller and Sunburst Farm. He rallied wide to wi his 2nd race in his 13th start.

Regally bred PATENA won his maiden in race 5, a loaded 2yo race. The Seeking the Gold-Handpainted 2yo, bred and owned by Hill 'n' Dale's John and Glenn Sikura (who sold a part of the colt to Dominic Dilalla), won by more than 5 lengths in decent time of 1:23 21 - a 74 Beyer Figure.
Josie Carroll trains the colt.

One day after his younger 1/2 brother SHUT IT DOWN won the Frost King Stakes, FORTY CREEK (Crown Attorney-Bar U Raphael, Varick) won a 10 furlong $40,000 claiming race at 9 to 1 and is suddenly a hot prospect for the Valedictory Stakes on the last day of racing.
Owned by George and Jeannette Bland and trained by Glenn Magnusson, Forty Creek has blossomed this year and has won 3 of his last 5 races.

The Magnusson barn almost won 2 in a row but ESSON LAKE this time was on the short end of a photo with her arch rival FAVORITE FANTASY in a 1 3/16 mile allowance race for the girls. The winner, owned and bred by Nancy and Richard Kaster has won 2 of her last 4 at Woodbine on 2 different surfaces.

The 8th race was a 2yo maiden allowance went to the very quick BARE WITH ME making his 3rd career start for owner-breeder Ralph Biamonte (Vince Kerrio co-owns). The Bold n' Flashy fellow is out of In the Buff by Take Me Out.

A classic bounce and bounce back was KALUA ON THE ROCKS, a British Columbia bred by Horse Chestnut who won her Woodbine debut off a July - Sept. layoff with a 64 Beyer Figure and then bombed last time with a 38 Beyer.
She popped up and won under a hand ride last time in 1:16.45. for $20K claiming, non-winners of 3 - the same level she was at last time. James Redekop owns and trains.

The last race went to the Bruno Schickedanz filly PURPLE MOON, dropping for $20,000 claiming to $10,000 for non-winners of 2 and she was 14 to 1.


SATURDAY WRAP

SHUT IT DOWN had the best trip in the Frost King Stakes as the 2yo broke badly and the others went fast on the pace to set things up for a big rally for this guy.
He earned an 80 Beyer Figure for the win for K K Sangara and trainer Lorne Richards.
Orignally an $18,000 (US) yearling purchase by Mark Casse, the Porto Foricos gelding was a private purchase by Sanagara.
The 2yo is out of Bar U Raphael and was bred by Mark Hughes.

OTHER WINNERS: Trainer Malcolm {ierce sent out a 2nd debut winner for Live Oak Stud in a week when NATUALLYONTHEROCKS gallumped his way to a win in the 1st race, a maiden allowance. He's a light bay 3yo colt by Empire Maker.

The Steve Asmussen barn had one its best days with 2 winners: WILD CHANT, a 2yo filly making her 2nd start for Winchell Thor. and she is a homebred by War Chant; ClASSIC TIARA won for $32,000 claiming in her Woodbine debut for Maggi Moss.

The Ontario bred 2yo GULCH KNIGHT won his maiden for $20,00 claiming in his 3rd race for John Cardella. The Scrimshaw gelding was bred by Tanya Lobsinger and is out of Dame Agnes, by Ascot Knight.

The finale, a maiden allowance for older horses, went to Silver Duck Racing Stable's homebred GALILEAN by Piccilo Pete. Suzanne and Tim drake own Silver Duck and they house the retired stakes winner Barbeau Ruckus at their farm in King City.



PEPPERS PRIDE WINS AGAIN!!

EXCERPT - SUN-NEWS

Peppers Pride wins 18th Straight, highlights New Mexico Classic Day
Sun-News report Article Launched: 11/10/2008 12:00:00 AM MST


Joe Allen's Peppers Pride pushed her consecutive-victory record to 18 with a another-day-at-the-office victory the $170,000 New Mexico Classic Cup Championship for Fillies and Mares during Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper New Mexico Classic Cup day at Zia Park in Hobbs on Sunday afternoon.

The stakes-filled Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper New Mexico Classic Cup day celebrates New Mexico-bred racing with 11 races for state-breds. The total purses of $1,850,000 makes the New Mexico Classic Cup the richest program of state-bred racing anywhere. With regular rider Carlos Madeira aboard for trainer Joel Marr, Peppers Pride raced the mile in 1:38 1/5 to defeat the field of distaffers.

She finished one length ahead of La Sorpresa while Silver Expression finished third, another three quarters of a length back.

"We spent a long time in the gate, but then we got a perfect trip," said Madeira, the only jockey Peppers Pride has known.

"I just took her back and let her make her run." Peppers Pride's all-time record has focused attention on New Mexico racing and pressure on trainer Marr has increased as the winning streak has grown.

"We want to win every time, so the pressure grows," said Marr. In her previous start, a Zia Park allowance race, she established the record for consecutive wins by a thoroughbred with her 17th-straight victory. She is now seven-for-seven at Zia Park. Allen and Marr will be discussing Peppers Pride's future.

If she comes out of the Championship for Fillies and Mares in good order then she could race in the New Mexico Racing Commission Handicap at Sunland Park in mid-December. Next year there is the possibility that she could be bred, possibly to a top sire in Kentucky, or she could remain in training.

"We'll see how it goes and let her tell us what's best," Marr said.


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