MEANS TO AN END

The first day of spring arrived yesterday at 7:44 a.m. and on the Woodbine backstretch, indeed the sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky.

But we sure were bundled up!

It was a frigid morning to kick off spring 2009 but the mercury starts to go up again this weekend.

On the track, well over a hundred horses zipped by in workouts, alone or in compnay. The times were normal to fast and there were some recognizable names on thetab including stakes winners MAIN EXECUTIVE and LEGAL MOVE, both guys getting ready for the sprint stakes to start the season.

Everyone is happy at this time of the season, talkative, funny and eager to get going.

The Woodbine season starts April 4.

So, while we have some time to wait, there is some interesting stuff to watch today..



BIG DAY FOR BERNIE

It's a big day for some fringe Kentucky Derby prospects - in particular WEST SIDE BERNIE (PHOTO AT RIGHT BY AMBER CHALFIN), who made a wild, full throttle-while-widest rally in the Holy Bull Stakes against an inside, speed bias.
He's at Turfway today for the Lane's End Stakes.
It will hbe interesting to see how bad that Polytrack surface is this weekend, it has had a lot of kick back this winter.
Bernie's main rival appears to be PARADE CLOWN, a son of Distorted Humor.


Saturday, Turfway Park, post time: 5:43 p.m. EDT
LANE'S END S.-GII, $500,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT)
PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ODDS

(FIELD BOX COURTESY THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS)

1 Hold Me Back WinStar Farm LLC Haras Santa Maria de Araras/WinStar-KY Mott 6-1
(c, Giant’s Causeway--Restraint, by Unbridled’s Song) Desormeaux

2 Bittel Road James T Scatuorchio & John Iracane John Iracane-KY Pletcher 5-2
(c, Stormy Atlantic--Sultry Sal, by Sultry Song) Gomez

3 A. P. Cardinal Ol Memorial Stable Adena Springs Farm-KY McLaughlin 10-1
(c, A.P. Indy--Smok’n Frolic, by Smoke Glacken) Velasquez

4 West Side Bernie Lori & George Hall Polo Green Stable/Andrew Savas-KY Breen 3-1
(c, Bernstein--Time Honored, by Gilded Time) Prado

5 Jack Spratt Sand Dollar/Skychai/Conway et al Nikolaus Bock/Lee McMillin-KY Maker 8-1
(c, Candy Ride {Arg}--Mayapple, by Miner’s Mark) Leparoux

6 Parade Clown Donamire Farm Mira Ball-KY Ball 10-1
(c, Distorted Humor--Twilight Parade, by El Prado {Ire}) Coa

7 Bruce N Autumn Zayat Stables LLC Arthur Hancock-KY Romans 20-1
(c, Lemon Drop Kid--Loose Park, by Stop the Music) Lebron

8 Orthodox Kim & John Glenney Mr & Mrs John Glenney Jr-KY Glenney 10-1
(r, Pulpit--Dominique’s Joy, by Strawberry Road {Aus}) Castanon

9 Loch Dubh Texas Toyco LLC The Answer LLC-KY Talley 20-1
(c, Friends Lake--Star Landing, by Caller I.D.) Borel

10 Flying Private Grand Slam Farm LLC John & Martha Jane Mulholland-KY Lukas 12-1
(c, Fusaichi Pegasus--Beautiful Treasure, by Unbridled) Ocampo

11 Dynamite Bob Bobby R Rankin Bobby Rankin-KY Lopez 50-1
(c, Malabar Gold--Morning Roar, by Roar) Guzman

12 Proceed Bee William Stiritz Hunter Valley Farm/H & W T’breds/Wade-KY Gestes 12-1
(g, Bernstein--Procession, by Private Terms) Prescott
859-873-



SPICE IS HOT

Hmmm, Thoroughblog is going to scrape up some coins here and there and put it all on SPICE ROUTE today in the PAN AMERICAN HANDICAP, a Grade 3 at Gulfstream.
The flashy 5yo gelding, owned by Harlequin Ranches, Ralph Johnson and Roger Attfield will be ridden by Jim McAleney and he looks poised to win his first North American stakes race after a 3rd place finish in the MacDiarmida in his season debut.
Spice Route is in post 2 for the 1 1/2 mile turf test and he is a son of King's Best.

JIM MCALENEY goes for a big win in this race and he would be the first Woodbine jockey to win this event since DONNY SEYMOUR guided superstar mare CAROTENE to win the 1980 Pan Am.

The Pan Am has been good to Canadian horses as JAMBALAYA has won it as has Canadian bred FLAG DOWN.

SPICE ROUTE'S main competiton is SLIGOVITZ, a Canadian-bred by Sligo Bay (who now stands in Ontario) and is owned by Stronach Stables (who recently hired Roger Attfield to train some horses).
Sligovitz, trained by Brian Lynch, ran a 100 Beyer Figure in the Gulfstream Turf Handicap when 3rd to Kip Deville. He was 2nd in the 12 furlong Breeders Stakes at Woodbine but has to prove he is a 12 furlong horse still.



Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:45 p.m. EDT
PAN AMERICAN S.-GIII, $150,000, 4yo/up, 1 1/2mT
PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS

1 Sligovitz Sligo Bay (Ire) Lynch 5-1
2 Spice Route (GB) King=s Best Attfield 5-2
3 South Handyman (Arg) Southern Halo Garoffalo 12-1
4 Quasicobra Wild Rush Romans 4-1
5 Presious Passion Royal Anthem Hartmann 3-1
6 Buddy's Humor Distorted Humor Levine 6-1
7 Nergal (Fr) Simon du Desert (Fr) Clement 6-1


Other stuff -
The 11-year-old millionaire TOUR OF THE CAT races for just $7,500 claiming again today at Aqueduct. He is 2 for 4 this year.
In the next race, the red-hot Canandian-bred claimer THREE IN THE BAG is off the claim again and the Silver Deputy 7yo has won 2 of his last 3 races.

Queen's Plate contenders are in the finale at Gulfstream - D'ORO DIABLO (Medaglia D'Oro) from owner/breeder Bob Harvey, COUNT FLOYD (Aldebaran) and CARCILLO (Perfect Soul), the latter who is not yet nominated to the Plate.



BLACK MINK WINS

She stole the race up the rail

Michael Byrne's homebred filly BLACK MINK, bred in Ontario at Byrne's PARK STUD, won a $50,000 claiming race on the grass at Gulfstream thanks in part to a lovely trip tucked in behind the speed on the rail.
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Black Mink, by Black Minnaloushe - Miss American Mink by Quiet American, zoomed to a 2 1/2 length win at 5 to 1 win in the 1 mile grass race.
MIKE DEPAULO trains the 4yo filly.