HEATING UP

UPDATE.... SQUARE EDDIE HAS SORE SHIN

Canadian bred SQUARE EDDIE, a Kentucky Derby hopeful who was headed to the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, has had the sidelines with an ouchy shin as reported by THE BLOOD-HORSE and Steve Haskin.

The Smart Strike - Forty Gran colt, owned by Paul Reddam and bred by Kinghaven Farms, could still make the Derby with one prep race before the May 2 event.

Of course the QUEEN'S PLATE looks good for him now too - should be miss the Derby.
The QUEEN'S PLATE, worth $1 million Canadian dollars, is very early this year - June 21 (Father's Day) and Square Eddie is certainly the early favourite for the 1 1/4 mile test.


HIND END WORK FOR PATENA
Louisiana Derby is next

Canadian owned Kentucky Derby hopeful PATENA had his first workout since some vet work recently and accordind to DAILY RACING FORM, will race next back at Fair Grounds...

excerpt from DRF...

Dutrow is targeting the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby for Patena on March 14, while hoping to find a two-turn allowance race here for impressive maiden winner Alma d'Oro.

Patena, purchased shortly after his second-place finish in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds early last month, had his first work for Dutrow on Sunday, going a slow half-mile in 52 seconds.

"We did some hind end work on him after his work, basic stuff, and he'll breeze again in about 10 days," Dutrow said. "The Louisiana is a good fit for him, because he loves that track. I'm a horse-for-a-course guy, and the timing is perfect. I think he'll run big in that race, and it's all he should need to be ready for the Derby."


NEW GRADUTE - At Norse Ridge Farm in Schomberg, Ont. this first foal of Ontario stallion ALUMNI HALL was a filly born to EASTER EGG (Danzig), owned by Lane's End.





CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
TODAY

PLAY OF THE DAY?

SAINT READE competes for Canadian stable Jus Luk today at Gulfstream in race 5, an allowance race on the grass. Trained by Reade Baker and ridden by Jim McAleney, SAINT READE comes out of that monster key race at Woodbine - the DISPLAY STAKES, won by Patena.
The Pulpit 3yo bred in Maryland has never raced on the grass but he adds blinkers and has shown plenty of ability on Polytrack.

LORNA PERKINS could saddle the winner of race 1 at Gulfstream today with Anthony Coombes Ontario bred THEWORLDISMYSTAGE.

YESTERDAY

DONT TELL THE WIVES STABLE and trainer ANTHONY ADAMO won a race at Penn National yesterday with Ontario bred LOON LOST, a Salt Lake-All a Blur, Honour and Glory filly who won for $5,000 maiden claiming. She was even money and won by 5 1/2 lengths.


WEEKEND PREVIEW
CANADIAN OWNED BLUE EXIT GOES IN STRUB

Jim and Susan Hill, who race horses at Woodbine and are from Alberta, and Harlequin Ranches (Dick Bonnycastle) are co-owners of the promising 4yo colt BLUE EXIT, who races Saturday in the Grade 2 STRUB STAKES.

The Pulpit colt won his most recent start and was brought to North Ameirca in a deal orchestrated by Canadian bloodstock agent Warren Byrne.

SHAFTED, trained by Woodbine-based MARK CASSE, could earn a berth on the Kentucky Derby trail should he do well in Saturday's Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.
The colt looks good in the field based on a nice win over the Santa Anita surface in his last start under jockey Joel Rosario.

Robert B. Lewis S. (G2)
February 7, $200,000, 3yo, 11⁄16m, Santa Anita Park, 4:07 PM PT
P Horse Sire Jockey Wt. Trainer

1. Bittel Road Stormy Atlantic John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher
2. Pioneerof the Nile Empire Maker Garrett K. Gomez 122 Bob Baffert
3. Papa Clem Smart Strike Rafael Bejarano 115 Gary Stute
4. I Want Revenge Stephen Got Even SD Joseph Talamo 115 Jeff Mullins
5. Mark S the Cooler Johar Corey S. Nakatani 115 Doug F. O’Neill
6. Oil Man (Ire) Pyrus Mike E. Smith 115 John W. Sadler
7. Brother Keith Johar Tyler Baze 115 Robert J. Frankel
8. Shafted Mineshaft Joel Rosario 117 Mark E. Casse
9. Charlie’s Moment Indian Charlie Jose Valdivia Jr. 117 Walther Solis

Strub S. (G2)
February 7, $250,000, 4yo, 11⁄8m, Santa Anita Park, 4:38 PM PT
P Horse Sire Jockey Wt. Trainer

1. Dixie Chatter Dixie Union Tyler Baze 117 Richard E. Mandella
2. Blue Exit Pulpit Mike E. Smith 117 Jerry Hollendorfer
3. Trevor’s Clever Stephen Got Even Michael C. Baze 117 Ted H. West
4. Victory Pete Five Star Day Chantal Sutherland 117 Alexis Barba
5. Gio Ponti Tale of the Cat Garrett K. Gomez 123 Christophe Clement
6. Medjool Monarchos Alex O. Solis 117 Julio C. Canani
7. Nownownow Whywhywhy Joseph Talamo 121 Patrick L. Biancone
8. Cowboy Cal Giant’s Causeway John R. Velazquez 121 Todd A. Pletcher
9. Wishful Tomcat Tactical Cat Joel Rosario 119 Robert J. Frankel
10. Cause Giant’s Causeway Martin Garcia 117 Myung Kwon Cho
11. Cherokee Artist Cherokee Run Jose Valdivia Jr. 117 H. Graham Motion
12. Wesley El Prado (Ire) Javier Castellano 119 Mark A. Hennig
13. Slew’s Tiznow Tiznow Rafael Bejarano 119 Doug F. O’Neill

Las Virgenes S. (G1)
February 7, $300,000, f, 3yo, 1m, Santa Anita Park, 3:05 PM PT
P Horse Sire Jockey Wt. Trainer

1. Navigator Stormy Atlantic Victor Espinoza 116 Ronald W. Ellis
2. African Skies (GB) Johannesburg Joseph Talamo 116 Patrick L. Biancone
3. Century Park General Meeting Tyler Baze 118 Bob Baffert
4. Nan High Yield Corey S. Nakatani 116 Craig Dollase
5. Stardom Bound Tapit Mike E. Smith 122 Robert J. Frankel
6. Haka Dynaformer Rafael Bejarano 116 Christophe Clement
7. Saucey Evening More Than Ready Garrett K. Gomez 118 H. Graham Motion
8. Toro Bonito El Corredor John R. Velazquez 116 Bob Baffert
9. Pinkarella Malibu Moon Joel Rosario 116 Doug F. O’Neill


AT FAIR GROUNDS SATURDAY...

The RISEN STAR STAKES for Kentucky Derby hopefuls, is the feature but there is a bunch of stakes races and lots of local interest.

Among the Canadian horses are FRENCH BERET and WINDWARD ISLANDS in the Fair Grounds Handicap. The former is one of the hottest Canadian-breds around right now.
GOOD AND LUCKY, Canadian-owned by Jim and Alice Sapara, is entered in the Mineshaft Handicap (Grade 3).
SHILLA, Ontario bred, is in the Pan Zareta Stakes.

The performance of FRIESAN FIRE, who won the Lecomte, will give us a good read on PATENA, the Canadian-owned fellow who is headed to the Louisiana Derby and was 2nd in the Lecomte.


Saturday, Fair Grounds
RISEN STAR S.-GIII, $200,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY WT

1 Map of the World Hennessy Bourque 116
2 Indygo Mountain A.P. Indy Theriot 116
3 Nowhere to Hide Vindication Lanerie 116
4 It Happened Again Proud Citizen Thompson 120
5 Uno Mas Macho Uno Hernandez Jr 120
6 Friesan Fire A.P. Indy Saez 122
7 Giant Oak Giant’s Causeway Prado 120
8 Dumar Maria's Mon S Bridgmohan 120
9 Code of Honour Omega Code Toups 116
10 Soul Warrior Lion Heart Valenzuela 116
11 Summer's Empire Empire Maker Campbell 122
12 Flying Pegasus Fusaichi Pegasus Albarado 120
13 Au Moon Malibu Moon Leparaoux 116



TODAY/TOMORROW IN DUBAI

It is still 6 weeks until the big night of racing in Dubai (March 28 Dubai World Cup) but the racing is ongoing at the Carnival as horses get ready for their big test on that day.

Today is ROUND 2 of the MAKTOUM CHALLENGE :

from Emirates Racing web site:

The Group 3 Thoroughbred equivalent is over 1800m, also on dirt and features a clash between Round I winner My Indy, representing Godolphin and Mike De Kock’s Asiatic Boy who was runner-up in last year’s Dubai World Cup.

The South African explained: “Asiatic Boy has been pleasing us in his work and is ready for a run. His campaign is geared around the World Cup again and he will improve for this outing but he should go well.”

Saeed Bin Suroor, trainer of My Indy, added: “We were very pleased with My Indy three weeks ago and he won as we hoped he would. He had been working like an improved horse before that race and has continued to in good form. We have to be hopeful.”


UAE OAKS TOMORROW
Classic feature at Nad Al Sheba tomorrow
12:38 - 05 February 2009

Friday’s second Dubai International Racing Carnival meeting of the weekend, kindly sponsored by GPD Investments, is highlighted by the first Classic of the season, the UAE 1000 Guineas.

Restricted to three-year-old fillies, ten have been declared for the 1600m dirt feature and trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, seeking his seventh win in the race, appears to have a very strong hand with Sos Brillante, a winner on the opening night of the Carnival, joined in the field by UAE debutante Devotee and it looks significant that Frankie Dettori chooses to partner the latter.

Bin Suroor said: “We were pleased with Sos Brillante’s win and she has been doing well at home since but Devotee has also been working well and has some good dirt form in America.”

Japanese contender Earth Living adds an extra dimension to the race.

The preceding race, the Concourse 2750 is a turf handicap and the longest Carnival race to date. A quality field of 14 have been declared.

Mourilyan, a dual Carnival winner for John Oxx last year, makes his first UAE start for new handler Herman Brown who said: “He is ready for a run and was highly tried last year. He was unlucky in Canada and is an exciting addition to the string – but I am sure he will improve for this run.”

The only horse giving him weight is Godolphin’s Veracity and Bin Suroor added: “He is a horse who stays well and has been going well at home. His last run in France was a good one and he will improve for this initial outing.”



SELLING RACING:

HRA/TRA meeting in Las Vegas

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/February/02/Future-focus-of-TRA-annual-meeting.aspx


OR....SELLING RACING ACCORDING TO BRANDON O'MEARA
in the Saratogian
By BRENDAN O'MEARA, The Saratogian

Just like boxing and newspapers, horse racing is fading faster than a Rush Limbaugh OxyContin high.

That’s not to say racing is dead, but it will never be on the public conscience the way it used to be ever again. This is old hat and has not been news for about 30 years. Perhaps racing just has to embrace its niche — however small — and go with it.

That seems to be what the NTRA is doing with its marketing task force. It has developed a 48-page business plan on how to market the sport of horse racing, citing ways that it can reach the public and garner new fans.

It was recently brought to my attention the efforts of this task force when I suggested that racing do a better job marketing its product the way other major sports do. The message was, “Listen buddy, they already do. Why don’t you pay attention?”

This plan is quite comprehensive, but I haven’t seen much of it put in motion. There is a lot of beef — or bean curd for my fellow vegetarians — on the bones of this project, certainly too much for me to hark on here, (so go to The Carryover’s ‘Get informed!’ section and click on the NTRA Marketing Task Force link).

I’m a big fan of its “Take back Saturday” initiative as well as an increased Web presence.

My feeling was that trainers should be marketed as the “teams,” since they are the ones who have the most spider-web-like networks across all racing circuits.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE:

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/02/04/sports/doc498a6d8260dfb843838355.txt