VISIT

The next SUPERMAN? At right is DUNKIRK, the $3.7 million yearling from 2 years ago who make shis 2nd career start today at Gulstream Read more below (photo from www.thehorse.com)

CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

Trainer/owner SCOTT FAIRLIE won a race a Philadelphia Park yesterday with Ontario bred TALE OF THE FOX who won y 6 1/2 lengths under Woodbine jockey NA SOMSANITH.
Former Woodbine trainer MAGGIE COUSE put the saddle on the filly by Tale of the Cat-Foxy Connection.
The filly was claimed from the $20,000 claimer by trainer Scott Lake.

IN THE WORKS

Back in action at Fair Grounds are stakes winners for trainer JOSIE CARROLL - AUTHENICAT worked a sharp 5 furlongs in 1:00 3/5 yesterday and SERENADING went in 1:01. Also DANCE TO MY TUNE worked in 1:01.


AT OCALA TRAINING CENTRE, trainer CATHERINE DAY PHILLIPS was busy working a litany of Canadian breds:


ACE IN MY POCKET (ON) 34.80 b 3/13
DR. FUNKENSTEIN (ON) 34.00 b 1/13
LONG PANTS (ON) 37.00 b 10/13
MR. FORICOS TWO U (ON) 37.20 b 11/13
NO MORE TEARS (ON) 35.80 b 7/13
QUIET APPROVAL (ON) 34.00 b 1/13
RACE THE BREEZE (ON) 36.40 b 8/13
SELEMBAO (ON) 35.60 b 5/13
SHORT SHORTS (ON) 37.20 b 11/13
SPORTLEY (ON) 34.80 b 3/13
STAND STRONG (ON) 35.60 b 5/13
TRUE JEAN (ON) 37.60 b 13/13


ALL EYES ON DUNKIRK
today at Gulftream, Gomez flies in to ride colt!

DUNKIRK, yet another Kentucky Derby grey prospect by Unbridled's Song, makes his 2nd career start in a 9 furlong allowance at Gulfstream today, a loaded field of lightly raced 3yo prospects.

Dunkirk, the $3.7-million saletopper at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, will face winners for the first time in a 11⁄8-mile allowance event, carded as
the eighth race. Post time is scheduled for 4:42 p.m. EST.

Garrett Gomez will fly in from Southern California to pilot Dunkirk, who cruised to a 53⁄4-length win under Edgar Prado in his debut on January 24 at Gulfstream Park.

He earned a 78 BEYER SPEED FIGURE.

Gomez picked up the mount on the colt out of 2000 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Status, by A.P. Indy, when Prado opted to stick with Alma d’Oro for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.
Alma d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro, scored by five lengths in a one-mile
maiden special weight race on January 15 at Gulfstream.

Handicapping the race - there are a number of possibilities in the race.
Impressive debut winner WARRIOR'S REWARD, from all reports, is an imposing equine and he was 30 to 1 for his debut that he won with an 81 Beyer Figure.
He adds Lasix off the debut win and is a son of Medaglia D'oro.

ALMA D'ORO received a 90 BEYER SPEED FIGURE for his maiden score at 1 mile at Gulfstream.

AMERICAN DANCE, by A.P. Indy, has not raced since he was 3rd in the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct last fall behind Old Fashioned. He is an Edward Evans homebred with an 84 Beyer from his last outing.

And in the outside post is canadian owned SAINT READE, by Pulpit, who is turf to dirt for his 2nd race of the meeting. The promising colt was 5th in the ultra-key Display Stakes last fall at Woodbine. Whos is owned by Jus Luk Stable and trainer by Reade Baker. JIM MCALENEY will ride.




FAIR GROUNDS STATS through yesterday

Name Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings

Steven M. Asmussen 295 58 54 40 $2,046,345
Cody Autrey 125 37 26 14 $656,204
W. Bret Calhoun 152 37 18 13 $908,601
Thomas M. Amoss 119 23 19 16 $614,650
Morris G. Nicks 89 23 7 12 $527,840
Michael Stidham 108 18 21 14 $578,595
Patrick Mouton 160 17 13 26 $705,182
J. Larry Jones 70 13 11 8 $689,730
Albert M. Stall, Jr. 90 12 11 14 $512,760
Sturges J. Ducoing 56 12 10 6 $440,112
Alvin Sider 110 11 7 13 $249,854
Merrill R. Scherer 69 11 6 6 $350,261
Steve Margolis 47 10 10 7 $372,940
William I. Mott 49 9 8 12 $429,410
Mark E. Casse 70 9 7 6 $297,750
Malcolm Pierce 51 9 5 9 $357,140


MOUNTAINEER STATS
Pion batting 50%


Douglas E. Shanyfelt 16 5 1 2 $41,649
J. Michael Baird 11 5 1 1 $52,277
Bart Baird 31 4 3 2 $36,995
Chris J. Englehart 10 4 2 0 $31,792
Robert J.W. Johnston 12 4 1 3 $28,367
Stacey Cooper 14 4 1 2 $31,856
Robert A. Pion 8 4 1 0 $25,234

DUBAI PREVIEW THIS MORNING
South Africans go for Group 2 score again

from Dubai Racing Club

Thursday’s seventh meeting of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival, kindly sponsored by the Commercial Bank Of Dubai, is a nine race card featuring the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort.

Seven have been declared for the 1600m turf feature in which South African trainers are seeking a sixth win in seven years and jockey Kevin Shea is bidding to win it for a fourth consecutive year.

The South African partners Imbongi for compatriot Mike De Kock who has won the race three times, twice with Shea and saddles two this year and the jockey, says:

“It is certainly a race I have enjoyed a lot of success in and it was our win with Ipi Tombe in 2003 which really put Mike (De Kock) and I on the map here in Dubai. Imbongi ran a really nice race on his first start here and hopefully we can go close.”

De Kock also saddles Hunting Tower, the mount of Frankie Dettori, and the trainer added: “He won well first time but then only had a week between races which, in hindsight, was not long enough. I expect both to run well.”

Shea combined with Herman Brown to win this in both 2006 and 2007 with Linngari but it is John Egan in the saddle on the trainer’s Traffic Guard this year.

Runner-up to Epsom Derby winner New Approach in last year’s Irish Champion Stakes, he has had a run this carnival and Brown expects a big run: “We knew he would need his comeback and he has been going well since. These races are never easy to win but he should give a good account.”

Johnny Murtagh partners Summit Surge, a carnival winner already this year for fellow Irishman Ger Lyons and he appears the main danger to the South Africans in a race the internationals have dominated since 2002.

De Kock’s 2008 UAE Derby winner Honour Devil reappears in the Al Dana Investment Plate, a 1600m dirt conditions race with Murtagh resuming his partnership with the four-year-old who also landed the UAE 2000 Guineas last year.

COMING UP SATURDAY


Mac Diarmida S. (G2)
February 21, $150,000, 4yo & up, 13⁄8mT, Gulfstream Park, 5:14 PM ET
P Horse Sire Jockey Wt. Trainer

1. Finallymadeit Concerto SD Eduardo O. Nunez 120 Javier Negrete
2. Silver Mountain Victory Gallop Pascacio Lopez 116 Thomas F. Proctor
3. Spice Route (GB) King’s Best Edgar S. Prado 120 Roger L. Attfield
4. Summer Patriot Unbridled’s Song SD Eibar Coa 120 Barclay Tagg
5. Quasicobra Wild Rush Julien R. Leparoux 118 Dale L. Romans
6. Always First (GB) Barathea (Ire) Rene R. Douglas 122 Thomas H. Voss
7. Slambino Grand Slam SD Cornelio H. Velasquez 116 Frank A. Alexander
8. Imawildandcrazyguy Wild Event Manoel R. Cruz 120 William A. Kaplan
9. Baltimore Bob Malibu Moon Jose Lezcano 118 Helen Pitts
10. Mr. Sidney Storm Cat Kent J. Desormeaux 118 William I. Mott
11. Phil the Power Red Bullet SD Eibar Coa 120 Joseph F. Orseno
12. Presious Passion Royal Anthem Elvis Trujillo 122 Mary Hartmann


NOW THIS IS A CHANNEL!

THE BLOOD-HORSE introduced the AUCTION CHANNEL yesterday and it is a super resource for looking up any horse that went through a sale in recent years.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/thoroughbred-sales



COMMENT ON POST FROM LAST SUMMER

Once in a while I get a comment on a post from a long time ago.
This note came today from a woman who saved a mare named Kristin, related to Secretariat (see the post called Speak Up last August) - not her full name, however.

Hi Jen, I was one of Kristin's "moms" and we thank you for helping publicize her plight (and by extension that of so many other forgotten horses). We miss Kristin SO much but we don't regret a moment we spent with her!

We would love to track down her foals and find out what happened to them. If anyone knows of one please email me at summerhorse.geo@yahoo.com