FULL MOON MADNESS

Roccotaco(GOBAMA)'s photostream on www.flckr.com

Are you a moon child?

Did you have trouble sleeping last night?

Is your horse acting strange today?

The cycle of the moon has a distinct effect on horses, emotionally and physically and there is some evidence that a FULL MOON, (tonight) brings a few more foals into the world than any in other lunar cycle.





WEEKEND WRAP

KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL
Stardom Bound: filly might not meet boys now


Beyer Figures...

FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) - 96

PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire Maker) - 94 Beyer

HAYNESFIELD (Speightstown) - 90

STARDOM BOUND-filly (Tapit) - 84



In the RISEN STAR STAKES, the results chart says that FRIESAN FIRE (Photo above by Cindy Pierson Dulay) was "clearly best" and certainly he was after a very clear trip.

But the story of the race had to be some nightmarish journeys by others in the big field.

Notably, favoured GIANT OAK had almost a comical journey from far back. The large Giant's Causeway colt stayed inside and well back early in the race, moved up down the bactstretch but hit a wall of horses and had to stop, was in the 2 path turning for home and trapped and jockey Edgar Prado had to get the colt all the way out some 6 or 7 paths off the turn to get clear sailing.


(at right,GIANT OAK was very fractious before the race, his trainer Chris Block was almost fractious after the race - not impressed with colt's trip. Photo by Cindy Pierson Dulay)


SOUL WARRIOR tried a big run up the rail leaving the three-quarter pole and then was stopped and he was 6th at the end just behind the Oak.

FLYING PEGASUS races about twice as far as anyone else in a wide trip.

Tab these ones for the La. Derby.

For PATENA fans, the win by FRIESAN FIRE made that guy look good. Now in the stable of Rick Dutrow, the Ieah colt, co-owned by a group of Canadians, was 2nd to that one in the Lecomte Stakes and will head to the La. Derby next month.


STARDOM BOUND, the grey stretch-running champion, won the Las Virgenes with a thrilling rally but a soft 84 Beyer Figure.

In today's THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS, trainer Bobby Frankel responded to IEAH's plan to race the filly in the Santa Anita Derby:

"Stardom Bound's conditioner Bobby Frankel seemed less enthusiastic about the idea of competing against males. "I don't know," Frankel said. "Cooler heads will
prevail. I don't know. It's their horse."



FROM DAILY RACING FORM
BEYER FIGURE STANDINGS
3-year-olds: male or female
through 02/08/2009

HORSE TRK DATE DIST BEYER FIGURE

This Ones for Phil GP 24 Jan 6F 116
Notonthesamepage GP 03 Jan 6F 114
You Luckie Mann GP 24 Jan 6F 110
Elusive Heat (f) GP 29 Jan 6F 108
Taqarub AQU 19 Jan 6F 103
Capt. Candyman Can GP 30 Jan 7F 101
Hull FG 07 Feb 6F 99
Silver City OP 16 Jan 5 1/2F 99
Hello Broadway GP 30 Jan 7F 98
Cinnamon Road GP 07 Jan 1M 96
Friesan Fire FG 07 Feb 1 1/16M 96
Kelly Leak GP 24 Jan 6F 96
Nuclear Wayne FG 17 Jan 6F 96
Saratoga Sinner GP 31 Jan 1 1/8M 96
The Pamplemousse SA 17 Jan 1M 96
Theregoesjojo GP 10 Jan 7F 96
Bear's Rocket GP 31 Jan 1 1/8M 95
Frolic's Dream (f) GP 30 Jan 7F 95
Ju Jitsu Jax GP 24 Jan 6F 95
Mr. Hot Stuff SA 01 Feb 1M 95
Poltergeist OP 17 Jan 1M 95
Sky Jedi SUN 07 Feb 5 1/2F 95
War Echo (f) FG 07 Feb 1 1/16M 95
Brave Victory GP 30 Jan 6F 94
Cliffy's Future AQU 22 Jan 1M 70Y 94
Fitzaslew GP 30 Jan 6F 94
Flying Spur (f) FG 05 Jan 1M 94
Hamazing Destiny OP 07 Feb 6F 94
Pioneerof the Nile SA 07 Feb 1 1/16M 94
Pitched Perfectly AQU 22 Jan 1M 70Y 94
Take the Points GP 31 Jan 1M 94





AMERICAN TRIPLE CROWN NOMINEES
401 nominated, down 11%



Here are the Canadian connected 3-year-olds nominated to the American Triple Crown:



Active Duty B. g. Deputy Commander-Punchbowl Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse Adena Springs (On.)

Air Strike B. c. Smart Strike-I Beat the Tornado Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse Liebau Farms (On.)

Bear’s Conductor B. c. Congaree-Symphonic Lady Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker Stonerside Stable & Heiligbrodt Racing Stable (Ky.)

Bear’s Prospector B. c. Silver Deputy-Glory and Grace Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker Chip Montgomery, Dearborn Stable Ltd., &
Garretas Inc. (Ky.)

Bear’s Rocket B. c. Lion Heart -Aim for the Moon Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker White Fox Farm (Ky.)

Coffee Bar Ch c. Mineshaft -Java (GB) W.S. Farish Mark E. Casse W. S. Farish & Skara Glen Stables (Ky.)

D’oro Diablo Dk. b. or br. c. Medaglia d’Oro -Dancehall Floozy Robert Harvey Eddie Kenneally Robert G. Harvey (On.)

Eye of the Leopard B. c. A.P. Indy-Eye of the Sphynx Sam-Son Farms Mark R. Frostad Sam-Son Farm (On.)

Millennium Lakes Dk. b. or br. c. Storm Cat-Tweedside Melnyk Racing Stables Inc. Mark E. Casse Eugene Melnyk (Ky.)

Patena B. c. Seeking the Gold-Handpainted IEAH Stables Richard E. Dutrow Jr. Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm & N.E.T.P. (Ky.)

Salo Jak Ch. c. Graeme Hall -Fafnir Mi Jak Racing Stable Inc. Gilberto Zerpa Mark Casse (Fl.)

Shafted Ch. c. Mineshaft-Twist Afleet Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse George Bolton & Charles Bolton (Ky.)

Sibelius Ch. c. Friends Lake -Madiera Earle I. Mack Richard A. Violette Jr. Josham Farms Limited (On.)

Skipadate Gr. or ro. c. Skip Away -Valid Approval Heiligbrodt Racing Stable Mark E. Casse Hidden Point Farm Inc. (Fl.)

Southern Exchange Gr. or ro. c. Exchange Rate -Miss Madeleine Poston, Bill and Vicki Gregory de Gannes Karl M. Hohensee (Fl.)

Square Eddie Ch. c. Smart Strike -Forty Gran J. Paul Reddam Doug F. O’Neill Kinghaven Farms Limited (On.)

Well Positioned B. c. Awesome Again -Taxible Paul P. Pompa Jr. Patrick L. Reynolds Adena Springs (On.



CANADIANS ELSEWHERE


BRUCE PAQUETTE had his first winner at Gulfstream as a trainer (listed as Roger Paquette) when his GONE MISSING won for $20,000 claiming in a 6 1/2 furlong dash.
The Paquette family's Majestic Thoroughbreds race and breed in Ontario. Gone Missing was claimed.

KELLIHER, a Kentucky bred by Forestry, won for Jim and Alice Sapara and trainer Josie Carroll at GUlfstream. The 3yo filly won for $35,000 claiming by 1/2 a length at 1 1/16 miles on the grass.


(At right, trainer JOSIE CARROLL saddled Good and Lucky before a 2nd place finish in the Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Carroll and the same owners (Jim, Alice Sapara) won a race at Gulfstream yesterday. Photo by Cindy Pierson Dulay)


BOLD COMMENT, an Ontario bred by Bold Executive-Pyrenee, won for $16,000 claiming at Philadelphia Park yesterday. Bred by Gardiner Farms and previously raced by Windways Farm, the gelding has come to life at Philly Park. He was claimed yesterday by owner Michael Gill.

UTMOST RESPECT, an Ontario bred by Numerous out of Buxton Spice by Bold Ruckus, won again at Charles Town yesterday. The 7yo won for $8,000 claiming at odds-on in a 7 furlong dash.

TWISTED WIT - a Canadian bred stakes winner of over $800,000, was last in a $20,000 claiming race at Philadelphia Park yesterday. He is now owned by Jack Armstrong and trained by Robert Mosco.