Page 8 - July 2008 The Game

8 The Game, July 2008
A slow month in Vancouver for stakes races, but there
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
A Look at Racing in British Columbia By Jim Reynolds
were a couple of out-of -town races to consider and a heated contest is developing in the Pinhead Derby (that’s the race for leading apprentice jockey for those of you who want to be politically correct). As it stands now Stephanie Fedora leads the apprentices with six wins followed by Jayson Rodriquez who has four and Jaun Carlos Gutierrez with two. Both Rodriquez and Gutierrez have suffered injuries this spring and missed action for a few weeks. On June
Spaghetti Mouse is by Archer’s Bay out of Desert Mouse by Peace and Carrots.
14 Fedora and Rodriquez put a little heat in the con-
test winning two races each on a ten race card. As for the racing scene here Terry Jordan and Troy Taylor are splitting the stakes races with Taylor cleaning up much of the regular races with 26 wins, 10 seconds, eleven thirds, in 64 starts for an incredible 73% in-the-money races.
for earnings of $502,000) Lady Raj defeated Wind Storm by 71⁄2 lengths in a pedestrian time of 1:45.64. Hastings’ leading jockey, Mario Gutierrez, who rode six winners on the card of eleven races, handled the task extremely well winning handily over a weak eld. Lady Raj is by El Prado (IRE) out of Perfect Raj, by Rajab
May 31, - Vancouver, The Senate Appointee Stakes 3 y.o. & up llies and mares, 6 1⁄2 f, purse $50,000
June 15, - Assiniboia downs - Free Press S. - 3 y.o. and Up 6 1⁄2 f, purse $50,000 Guaranteed
Named for one of British Columbia’s best racemares
the Senate Appointee has been won by some pretty good
mares including Strawberry Morn. This year the laurels went to Holy Nova. The Troy Taylor trained lly ran the six and one half furlongs race in 1:16:2 under jockey Mario Gutierrez.
The travelling show put on by Hastings’ trainer Terry Jordan took its act to Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg this month winning the $50,000 guaranteed Free Press Stakes. Jordan’s Ronaldino won that race in a thrilling stretch
June 7, - Vancouver, The John Longden 6000 3 y.o. & up, 1 1/16 miles, purse $50,000
drive over Lookingforthesecret who obviously couldn’t nd it. Jockey Alan Cuthbertson did however winning the race by 3⁄4 lengths in 1:10:4 for the 6 1⁄2 furlongs and showing the talent and ability that made him so popular here.
The John Longden 6000, was named in honour of the champion jockey who chose to come back to his roots in Canada to win his landmark 6000th victory at Exhibition Park aboard a horse named Prince Scorpion. This year the race carried a guaranteed purse of $50,000 and presented a eld of good horses over 1 1/16 miles. Specialists at the distance included 2006 BC Champion and ‘05 Derby winner Spaghetti Mouse, 2007 three year old BC bred champ Ookashada, New York invader Sir Gallovic, the classy old gelding Shacane, and sprint specialist BR Remark.
June 7, 2008 – Woodbine, The Eclipse Stakes G3, 4 year-old & Up,1 1/16 miles, purse:$150,000
Won handily by Nick and Pauline Felicella’s Spaghetti Mouse in a time of 1:41:3 under an excellent ride by jockey Pedro Alvarado the win was the rst stakes victory for new trainer Lenore “Terry” Dubois and re ected the patience and time put into this horse by her and Alvarado.
True Metropolitan is by Proud and True out of Forest Dunes by Green Forest in FL
Holy Nova winning the Senate Appointee
June 15, - Vancouver, The Strawberry Morn Stakes. 3 y.o. & up, 1 1/16th miles, purse $50,000
In another race honouring British Columbia’s great race- mares the Strawberry Morn Stakes (Strawberry Morn, 15 victories (13 stakes), seven seconds and a third in 27 starts
Ronaldino is by Katahaula County out of Always a Star, by Sunny’s Halo
Again moving the show, this time to Ontario, Jordan’s 9 year old gelding True Metropolitan showed why he has two Sovereign Awards winning the Eclipse Stakes carrying jockey Jim McAleney the 1 1/16 mile distance in 1:43:1. Both Jordan and owner Bob Cheema echo the thoughts that ‘True Met’ is at his peak and “better than he’s ever been”.
June 14, Stampede Park The Alberta Derby – 3 y.o., 1 1/16 miles, purse $125,000 Guaranteed
Trainer Craig MacPherson snuck into Calgary June 14 and left town a few days later with the winners share of the biggest purse of the year so far in West- ern Canada winning the Alberta Derby with Neville Davis’ Arkhill.
Employing the services of Stampede Park rider Rickey Walcott MacPherson was still smiling Sunday afternoon at Hastings. Arkhill won in hand in a time of 1:43:2. Hastings based Todd & Kinsella’s Peaceful Turzia and Leo Shaw’s Savo Island nished out of the money in the race.
Congratulations
Not Bourbon, owner Charles Fipke & Trainer Roger Attfield
2008 Queen’s Plate!
makers of: www.integricare.ca
Arkhilll is by Orchid’s Devil out of Larkhill, by Alfaari.
Thoroughbred Racing Returns to Northlands
All the action of live thoroughbred racing returned to Northlands Park
on June 20 with Bold Rico, ridden by Perry Winters, trained by Rod Heggie for Reid Racing Stables, taking the honours of being the rst winner of the 2008 meet.
Thoroughbred Racing running through to October 5. The highlight of the
meet includes the biggest day of the year; the $300,000 Canadian Derby on Saturday, August 23. A month later, the meet comes to a close with the 12th renewal of the Alberta Fall Classic on September 27. Other feature races of the meet include the Ky Alta Stakes on July 12 and the largest of the three year old lly stakes, the Sonoma Stakes on August 9.
Veteran trainer Dale Saunders was the winner of the rst Stakes event of the meet with Inuit Fisher as the clear cut winner of the $50,000 Journal Handicap with Quincy Welch in the irons for owner Jim McFadyen on June 21.
Live thoroughbred racing
is scheduled four days a week
at Northlands Park; Wednesday & Friday evenings, post time 6:05 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday afternoons, post time 1 p.m. There are three holiday race cards, July 1, August 4, and September 1, post time 1 p.m.
The emerging leaders after the rst weekend of racing at Northlands were trainer Doug MacDonald with 3 wins and a third in 4 starts and Jockey Jake Barton with 4 wins and a third in 13 starts.
- Information expanded from Northlands Press Release
The 2008 summer meet at Northlands will offer 61 days of
Did You Know....
That the Jockey Club is now offering microchips for sale to interested own- ers and breeders for use in thoroughbreds within the US. While microchips are not currently a requirement for Thoroughbred registration the Jockey Club has sited the additional layer of con dence in identi cation at horse farms, veterinary clinics, transportation centers, horse sales and racetracks as the reason for offering the $20 devices. For more information visit www.registry.jockeyclub.com
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