Page 12 - The Game June 2006

12 The Game, June 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Woodbine in May: Horses, People and Numbers
By Peter Gross
As the Woodbine racing season moved from May to June, a few horses have distinguished themselves as intimidating candidates for the Queen’s Plate. Though Woodbine is celebrating its 50th birthday, the June 25 edition of the mile and a quarter classic will actually be the 51st at the Rexdale track. (You’ve got to have serious mathematical skills if you’re going to play this game.)
Atlas Shrugs, owned by Charles Roberts and John Pepper, has put his cards on the table with wins in the Woodstock and the Queenston Stakes. The Baker Reade trained colt is a son of the Canadian sire Compadre, who seems to be increasing his influence almost daily as his offspring rack up the wins. Malakoff, trained by Brian Lynch and owned by the Stronach Stables, opened a few eyes when he galloped off in the Marine Stakes on May 20. As the only Plate eligible in the field of five, Malakoff seemed overmatched against multiple stakes winner Bear Character and the U.S. invader Throng. That made the $12.40 win price on Malakoff an early Christmas present to the horse’s backers, especially considering that stakes genius Todd Kabel was riding.
So far the mystery horse for the Plate seems to be the gelding Wanna Runner. The son of El Corredor from the Mt. Magazine mare Shebandowana is pointed
towards the Plate after a convincing win in the Lone Star Derby in Texas on May 13. Wanna Runner has now piled up over $566,000 in earnings for owner Mike Pegram from four victories in eight races. If Wanna Runner does run in this country’s most important race, it will be the first time the Bob Baffert trained horse will race at Woodbine.
While the three-year-olds are sorting themselves out, the local jockeys race is full of intrigue. Emma-Jayne Wilson continues to accumulate wins and was still on top through the Victoria Day Weekend with 32 wins. For the second year in a row, Wilson and agent Mike Luiders are taking the shotgun approach - ride as many horses as possible and the numbers will add up all by themselves. In 2005, Wilson set a record by riding in 1095 races. Through 29 racing dates this year, she has already accepted 182 mounts and if you pro-rate her stats over the rest of the year, she will finish with 186 wins from 1059 rides. Except I’m told that as many as 11 days of racing will be lost when Woodbine installs the polytrack, so let’s make those numbers 172 wins from 979 engagements (What did I tell you about the math?).
The real breakthrough at Woodbine so far has to be Justin Stein. The move from tiny Hastings Park to the big oval could have been fraught with a myriad of challenges and disappointments. However,
when Stein urged first-
timer Lanie’s Wild
Side to an easy win in
the 8th race on May
20, it gave him three
wins on the card for
the second
consecutive Saturday.
Through May 22,
Stein was second
among riders with 24
wins, eight behind
Wilson and he’s pulled
that off with 43 fewer
rides. Stein thinks owners and trainers see the advantage of using an apprentice.
“I would have to say one of the primary factors is that the bug is quite live here,” he says, “Bug riders with any sort of talent are getting quite a bit of business.”
Stein is getting a lot of mounts from trainers Mike DePaulo, Malcolm Pierce, Steve Attard and John Ross and, as his win total swells, attention from other trainers is inevitable. Already, Stein seems to have a Queen’sPlatecandidate.
“I’ve been named by Steve Attard on Ascot Bill,” says Stein with excitement in his voice, “It would be awesome to ride in the Plate. There’s all the top riders and horses. To be a part of it would be special.”
So far the bettors, typically, haven’t quite figured out how good Stein is. This is a kid who, last November 6, rode seven winners on one card at Hastings.
On the first day of racing, Stein modestly indicated he hoped to do well enough to pay his bills. Eight weeks into the Woodbine season, his horses had earned $962,586. Unless he’s renting Casa Loma, Stein’s bills are up to date.
There’s another very intriguing and positive trend taking place at Woodbine. When E.P. Taylor opened this track in 1956, the idea of a woman trainer was about as strange as artificial dirt, but let’s face it, these are indeed changing times in horse racing. Between April 28 and May 14, female trainers won 13 races at Woodbine. In fact on Sunday May 7, three different women posed in the winner’s circle as Nancy Triola, Barbara Minshall and Josie Carroll all celebrated wins.
That puts Sovereign Award winning trainer Reade Baker in the interesting
position of being chased (well, at least statistically) by a lot of women. Baker and his favourite jockey Jim McAleney seem to pick up a win every racing day. Through Victoria Day, Baker was alone at the top of the trainer’s list with 19 wins, and most of those were produced with Jimmy Mac on board. Mark Casse had scored 14 times, one better than Sid Attard.
The best betting story of the month concerns my good friend Jim McKenny, the former Leaf and long-time Toronto sporstcaster. We were scrutinizing the form on the day before the Kentucky Derby when I told him there was a double combining the Kentucky Oaks on Friday onto the Derby on Saturday.
“Well, which horses are you taking in the Oaks?” he asked
“I’ve got it down to 2, 4, 9 and 13,” I told him.
Later that day, just as the fillies were being loaded at Churchill Downs for the Oaks, and I was comfortably in my bedroom watching on HPI, McKenny called.
“What were your horses again?” he asked
“2, 4, 9 and 13,” I repeated.
I heard a curse at the end of the phone, just as the gate sprung open.
“ thought you said 2, 4, 9 and 14!” he exclaimed angrily.
Moments later, the dejection turned to joy as the 14 horse, Lemons Forever, swooped down the Churchill stretch to win the Oaks at odds of 47-1. When Barbaro won the Derby the next day at odds of 6-1, McKenny cashed $890.
What’s that expression - I’d rather be lucky than good?
Stronach stables’ Malakoff winning the Marine Stakes with Jockey Todd Kabel aboard for trainer Brian Lynch
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