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ROCKET MAN

Big day of racing - hype horses falter but not the Bear

95 BEYER FOR 2ND IN 'BULL'


BEAR'S ROCKET ran a huge race in yesterday's $150,000 Grade 3 Holy Bull and put himself o the trail to the KENTUCKY DERBY for Alberta's Danny Dion and trainer Reade Baker.

The Kentucky bred by Lion Heart led for most of the 9 furlongs and was only edged in the late stages by SARATOGA SINNER, a longshot making his 4th career start.
Bear's Rocket was huge odds too and paid $27 and change to place.

"I thought he would be a bit eager on the pace, "Baker told THOROUGHLOG. Coming out of those races at Woodbine where he showed speed and he had worked in a minute a couple of times down here."
"I didn't think the pace was that fast and then when I saw the logical runners staggering, I knew we had a good chance."

Kent Desormeaux rode the colt who was a $250,000 yearling purchase.

The hyped up colts BEETHOVEN and WEST SIDE BERNIE did little in the race other than hit the edges and the result threw into disarray an already bizarre Kentucky Derby scene.

One thing that may be said about the Gulfstream surface yesterday is that it seemed to favour horses racing on or very close to the lead.

Bear's Rocket had won two of seven races at Woodbine and was 4th in the Display Stakes, which has turned into a lovely key race. The winner of the Display was Patena, another Canadian-owned Derby hopeful.

The cool thing about the Holy Bull result, other than Bear's Rocket, was that Saratoga Simnner (Harlan's Holiday) just won his maiden over Bear's Prospector, who was much the best that day but got into tons of trouble.

Bear's Prospector is set to race again soon as is another possible Derby hopeful for the Bear and Baker team, Bear's Conductor.

"We're on the (Derby) trail," said Baker.

Yesterday's results in some other races certainly proved that hype just doesn't guarantee a win.

Everyone went bananas over the debut of Barbaro's full brother NICANOR in a one mile maiden event yesterday.

It was easy to get caught up in the fun but one in-house TV person said "We haven't seen anything like this in horse racing history" with regards to the buzz when the colt came into the paddock (remember Secretariat? or any number of other great horses?)

Nicanor broke a bit behind the field, rushed up eargerly along the inside but then flattened out and was well beaten.

According to owner Roy Jackson,the colt, who was 25 lengths back at the finish, grabbed a quarter at the break.

FROM THE MINNEAPOLIS STARTRIBUNE.COM:

"The back of his foot grabbed his quarter coming out of the gate," said co-owner Roy Jackson. "It'll be a bit painful. ... But we got the first race in him, and we'll go from here."


CANADIAN-BRED BOMBS

In race 1 on the card, Canadian-bred WELL POSITIONED made his 3yo debut off a 91 Beyer Figure maiden win but was really disappointing.
At odds on, the Awesome Again fellow was under a ride fromthe get-go and faded on the turn, was farback under heavy whipping and was well beaten at the wire.



DONN HANDICAP

ALBERTUS MAXIMUS tracked the pace set by FINALLYMADEIT and then edged clear to win the DONN HANDICAP on the Holy Bull card of racing.
The Albert the Great 5yo won th Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on synthetic dirt last year and then was bought by Shadwell Farm.

Three horses were eased up in the Donn including A.P. Arrow.



SCORES!
Trainer Adamo claims back CREASE INFRACTION

Top Ontario horseman ANTHONY ADAMO and the DONT TELL THE WIVES STABLE claimed back 11-year-old Ontario bred CREASE INFRACTION yesterday ay Penn National and the old timer gelding won the race as the even-money favourite.

Adamo had lost the horse to Don Brown Jr., (owner) for $7,500 from his last race.
Adamo had claimed the gelding at Woodbine last May for $20,000.

The son of Friendly Lover was previously owned by Dominic Triumbari who had claimed him for $40,000.

The gelding has won $688,000 and 14 races in 78 starts.




CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

THUNDER FOX, an 8yo by Awesome Agains-Astas Foxy Lady by Zuppardo's Prince won a $5,000 claiming race at Mountaineer Park yesterday for Geri Summers and trainer Stacey Cooper.


IN THE WORKS

JAMBALAYA is still training steadily as he nears a return to racing. The Grade 1 winner worked at Gulfstream in 1:01 2/5 yesterday, 8/23, for Kingfield Farms and Catherine Day Phillips.



CANADIANS TODAY...

Sunday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 4:07 p.m. EST
SUWANNEE RIVER S.-GIII, $125,000, 4yo/up, f/m,
1 1/8mT

PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS

1 Long Approach Broad Brush Sheppard 8-1
2 Lady Carlock Chester House Nafzger 12-1
3 Waquoit's Love Not For Love Hills 4-1
4 Drop a Line Lemon Drop Kid Motion 20-1
5 Ballymore Lady War Chant Kenneally 15-1
6 The Niagara Queen Langfuhr Pletcher 5-1
7 Callwood Dancer (Ire) Danehill Dancer (Ire) Attfield 5-2
8 Mushka Empire Maker Mott 8-1
9 Tejida Rahy Matz 6-1
10 Flibberjibit Arch Ma Wolfson 10-1

Sunday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:04 p.m. EST
GULFSTREAM PARK TURF H.-GI, $300,000, 4yo/up,
1 1/8mT
PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS

1 Just as Well A.P. Indy Sheppard 20-1
2 Kiss the Kid Lemon Drop Kid Tarrant 10-1
3 Pick Six Dynaformer McGaughey 12-1
4 Court Vision Gulch Mott 4-1
5 Red Rocks (Ire) Galileo (Ire) Hennig 3-1
6 Sligovitz Sligo Bay (Ire) Lynch 15-1
7 Uigur (Brz) Astor Place (Ire) Malek 15-1
8 Kip Deville Kipling Dutrow 5-2
9 Nergal (Fr) Simon du Desert (Fr) Clement 8-1
MTO Phil the Power Red Bullet Orseno 6-1
11 Summer Patriot Unbridled’s Song Tagg 10-1


THOROUGHBRED NIAGARA SITE
Voice your opinion!

The folks at THOROUGHBRED NIAGARA invite everyone who is interested in trying to save FORT ERIE RACING to visit its site (see link on the sidebar at right) and voice your opinions.




EXCERPT:

CANADIAN GRADED STAKES STORY
DAILY RACING FORM
By Bill Tallon

The Marine Stakes at Woodbine and the British Columbia Oaks at Hastings, both of which were run as Grade 3 races last year, have been dropped from the Canadian graded stakes rankings this year.

The demotions of the Marine, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, and the B.C. Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, were the only changes made by the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee for 2009.

Woodbine will be the site of 31 of Canada's 35 graded stakes, headed by four Grade 1's - the Canadian International, E.P. Taylor, Woodbine Mile, and Northern Dancer Turf.

READ MORE AT WWW.DRF.COM



FAIR GROUNDS BREAKDOWNS CONTINUE
nola.com EXCERPT

Maddie's Tale, a 3-year-old maiden filly who was pulled up on the turn during the sixth race Friday, broke a knee and was euthanized, trainer Ronnie Werner said.

The catastrophic breakdown was the ninth that occurred during a race this season, according to Louisiana State Racing Commission records. There have been 10 catastrophic breakdowns during training hours this season.




THE DEBATE CONTINUES....

Beyer on Dutrow horse's effort leads to Dutrow on Beyer

http://horseracing.sportsline.com/cbs/headlines/showarticle.aspx?articleId=33660

Beyer on the radio:

http://www.thoroughbredracingradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=431&year=2009&month=01&day=28&Itemid=35

Letters to DAILY RACING FORM

http://horseracing.sportsline.com/cbs/headlines/showarticle.aspx?articleId=33684