Page 14 - June 2009 The Game

14 The Game, June 2009
Just as horsemen and fans alike
~ The Road to the Canadian Classics ~ Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
are anticipating two of the Canadian Classics, the Woodbine Oaks and the Queen’s Plate, The Game is keeping its readers informed as to which ne equines will make their way down the road to glory. - Dave Catsimbras
been working in Florida over the winter under the care of conditioner Roger Att eld and would started his ’09 season in a maiden special weight event at
Aline Allain groom of Southdale
Active Duty and groom Gary Sutherland
just a sprinter, handling the two turn Coronation Futurity at a mile and an eighth, in a second place effort as a two-year-old. Pierce looks forward to the next challenge, “Well, it’s going to be a little bit of a test, the next step is going to be the Plate Trial at the end of May and that’s going to tell us a lot. We expect him to move forward; right now everything is good and we’re on target for the race (Queen’s Plate).”
Trainer John Ross has made it clear that his colt Costalivin (Tomahawk- Sylky Market) is taking the necessary
Commander-Punchbowl), another Woodford equine, will more than likely be on his way to Plate. “As of right now, I’m going to run him in the Plate Trial. He’ll probably have one breeze before the Plate Trial and hopefully, if he runs good, we’ll head for the Queen’s Plate”, states Casse.
Groom O’Neil McLarty with Costalivin
Keeneland on April 10. It was a troubled career debut there, but Southdale still nished a game third, gaining on the leaders, in the six and a half furlong race.
High Mist (Olmodavor-High Humidity) is a Reade Baker pupil looking towards the Woodbine Oaks
steps to get to the Queen’s Plate, “His rst race, to me, was very encouraging. He nished second to My Bad, going seven-eighths of a mile. He hooked
Mark’s big lly for the Woodbine Oaks (presented by Budweiser) is a very talented Woodford-owned, gray, named Tasty Temptation (Medaglia d’Oro- Parisia). Based on her last race she has come around to be a top contender for the ’09 Oaks.
(presented by Budweiser). She was very accomplished as a two-year-old winning in three of her four races, including the Franfreluche Stakes on October 18, 2008. She has started out the ’09 meet
at Woodbine with two strong efforts starting with a third place nish in the overnight La Voyageuse Stakes and a second place result in the seven furlong Fury Stakes on May 3. “She’s been a pleasant surprise and she’s run well so far this year, so for $500,000, we’re going to try the Oaks” says Reade of the bay lly. With the Oaks just around the corner tactics are already worked out by the seasoned trainer, “We’ll probably work her next at seven-eighths or a mile and then ve-eighths a week before the race and that’s it. She’s a nice sound lly and I think she’ll run well in the Oaks.”
a horse that had a race under his belt and was stakes-placed already, in a
non- winners of two. The way the horse (Costalivin) closed, he wasn’t stopping. I was very happy with him and I think he’ll get a lot out of it.” Ross stretched Costalivin out for his next start on May 20 at a mile and one-sixteenth in another non-winners of two, allowance race where he won easily as the favourite in the race with Patrick Husbands aboard. Though Woodbine’s top jock may have other plans for the Queen’s Plate as he has been aboard stakes winner and Plate contender El Brujo. Costalivin, owned by Jam Jar Racing Stable, was 50-1 in the winter book.
Keino West (Kissin Kris-Vanetta Hill) is trainer Steve Attard’s Plate hopeful and was a top-ten winter book choice at odds of 15-1. With a maiden breaking performance to end the ’08 season at Woodbine, Keino West has started the ’09 meet at the Toronto oval zero for two, including a sixth place
Nicknamed “Chocolate”, this well- bred lly nished second in the La Lorgnette, surging at the leader, Grade I winner Hooh Why, in an effort that may have seen her win with a little more room. Casse is quite ‘high’ on the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, “I think
Molinaro Stables homebred Flip for the Coin (Compadre-Social Knight) (top ten winter book 10-1) looks to be making his preparations for the Queen’s
Monica Knowland, groom of Keino West
Groom Wesley “Toogles” Sterling with Tasty Temptation
Steve Owens trainee Koonunga Hill (Wonneberg-Easy to Praise) is poised to make a name for herself as a three-year- old on her road to the llies classic; she was very good as a two-year-old hitting the board in six of seven races. She
Flip for the Coin groom Brian Hutchinson (right) trainer Vito Armata (left).
Tasty Temptation is more talented than Active Duty”, he explains. “ We’re going to come back in the Oaks. I think she’ll be very tough there and if she were to run a big race in the Oaks, I think we would contemplate supplementing her, she’s not nominated, to the Queen’s Plate.”
has had one race off the shelf in ’09 at Woodbine in the six-furlong Star Shoot
Plate. Trainer Vito Armata is certain the son of Compadre will be ready to go for the big race, “He already ran at seven- eighths, I was pleased the way he ran. So far every thing is good with the horse and we’ll now a little bit more about him over the next couple of weeks.” The mile and one-quarter distance of the Plate is of no concern to Armata as he mentions, “ The farther he goes the better he is.” Flip for the Coin nished his ’08 campaign in the mile and one- sixteenth Kingarvie Stakes, nishing a very determined fourth, out just one and three-quarters of a length back of the winner.
result in the seven furlong Queenston Stakes May 2. That has not deterred the dark bay’s conditioner in the slightest, “He’s a stone-cold closer. He needs two turns badly. We ran him ve and a half rst time out, knowing it was too short, but he never went to Florida and we’re just trying to get him into racing shape. He’s getting there now.”
Malcolm Pierce trainee and top ten winter book entry (15-1), El Brujo (Candy Ride (Arg)-Enchanted Spell), is on a roll to start his ‘09 Woodbine campaign. Owned by Windways Farm, El Brujo has gone two for two this season winning against stakes competition in the Achievement Stakes in April and most recently in
Koonunga Hill, with groom Cliff Tuomisto
His most recent start was in the same race as Costalivin on May 20, where he nished third in a place photo, galloping out strong.
Mark Casse has con rmed that his Queen’s Plate winter book entries, Eugene Melnyk-owned Kellham(50-1) and Woodford Racing LLC owned Air Strike(40-1), Navy Band(50-1) and Spartacus(50-1) will not be on the road to the Canadian Classic.
Sam-Son Farm conditioner Mark Frostad has veri ed that his early Plate nominees Battle at Sea (40-1), Dance into Heaven (40-1), Quietdetermination (50-1) Continued page 16
Ian Black will be looking to go to the ‘Gallop for the Guineas’ with the very talented colt Southdale (Street Cry(Ire)- Pinafores Pride). Black’s trainee had
However, Woodbine’s 2008 leading trainer has con rmed that top ten winter book prospect (10-1) and ’08 Coronation Futurity winner Active Duty (Deputy
In his race on May 3 at Woodbine, the dark bay improved to break his maiden in a seven-furlong contest against open company in another maiden allowance race. Black is very pleased with his horse’s improvement, “He’s training very nicely, he’s very relaxed and seems to have a good mind, hopefully we can get him to go a mile and a quarter.” Naturally, Black will be looking for another race to prep the Roderick Ferguson owned son of Street Cry, “ The plan right now is to get him another start before the Plate, either a condition race or the Plate trial, whichever one we think will t for him the best.”
Active Duty had been in California for the winter, where he would vie to a third place nish in an optional claiming allowance contest, at a distance of one mile and a sixteenth, on January 29. His rst test at Woodbine for the ’09 meet was in the seven furlong Queenston Stakes where again he nished in third.
Wendy Dadswell, groom of High Mist
Owned by Track West Racing Inc., the gelding is likely to run in an allowance event at a distance of a mile and one- eighth, “We’re trying to nd an easier spot for him, skipping the Marine, so hopefully he’ll go into the Plate as a winner.” explains Attard.
El Brujo winning the Queenston Stakes at Woodbine May 7
the Queenston Stakes on May 2. It’s easy to conceive that the bay gelding will be a favorite going into the Plate, as he has proven that he is not
Stakes resulting in a fth place nish. “It was just a race to get her to the next level. She didn’t get beat all that far. She scoped a little bit of mucus after that race, hopefully we’ll have that taken care of on the road to the Lady Angela, the second step towards the Woodbine Oaks”, explains Owens of the Empress Stables home-bred. Koonuga Hill did bounce back in the Lady Angela on May 23 nishing an very impressive second by a head to San Sousi after battling it out down to the wire.
The Game JUNE 2009.indd 14
5/26/09 12:35:32 AM
Michael Burns Photo courtesy of WEG