Page 52 - 12 October 2012

alex Picov Memorial Futurity
Corderoy road
by Tracy Gantz
Marlene Woodley and her husband, John McInerney, break Thoroughbred youngsters and give them their early les-
sons for much of the year. McInerney also rides Quarter Horses on the Canadian circuit, and Woodley trains those that they own. They came away with one of the biggest races at Ajax Downs on Sept. 25 when Corderoy Road captured the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity at 25-1.
McInerney and Corderoy Road came out of the gate well, and the gelding was in stride when Miss Miami Vise bumped him slightly from the outside.
“That had me a little worried,” said Woodley, “but he was already running when he got hit. What saved him was that he broke well.”
Corderoy Road raced clear, and midway in the 400-yard event, he came out a little.
“He got a little wobbly and started looking around,” said Woodley, “but John tapped him on the shoulder and he straightened out well.”
Indeed, Corderoy Road completed the final part of the race in such fine form that he won by three-quarters of
a length in :19.850 for a 101 speed index. He improved considerably over his second in the trial, when he ran in :20.640 for an 81 speed index to be the fifth-fastest qualifier.
“He’s been with us since he was a weanling,” said Woodley, “and we broke him. He’s a goofball, but he’s a good boy. He’s still a baby. He’s classy, though, and he knows his job.
“We always knew he was a really nice horse. He’s been a typical 2-year-old. He had to figure out what he was doing. We didn’t know if he would win, but we knew he’d run well, that he’d show up.”
In addition to the Thoroughbreds they break, Woodley and McInerney
give the initial lessons to the Quarter Horse babies of Gary
and Marlene McNichol. The couple bought
a half-interest in Corderoy Road as a yearling from the McNichols, who bred him. He races
in the name of Woodley and Marlene McNichol.
“My husband has known them for about 30 years,” said Woodley. “They breed a lot of horses and stand a couple of stallions up here. We also bought Shaikh Down, a half- brother to Corderoy Road, as a weanling.”
Shaikh Down, who is still in training, won the 2011 Ontario Bred And Foaled Derby and has finished third in four other stakes. A son of Get Down Perry, the 4-year-
old gelding has earned well over $100,000. Corderoy Road, by Rock Solid Jess, began
his career by winning his trial for the Maple Leaf Futurity, and he finished third in that final. He ran eighth in another trial before his second in the Picov trial and the victory in the final. Woodley is hoping to point him for the Ontario Jackpot Futurity at Fort Erie.
The McNichols bred Corderoy Road and Shaikh Down in Ontario from win- ner Reckless Wish, who finished second in the 1998 Miss Betty Stakes. Reckless Wish has produced five winners from six starters, including stakes-placed Ice N Oak.
Guylaine Paquin’s homebred Stolin Ivory (Ivory James-A Sixes Cowgirl) finished second under jockey Scott Sterr. Greg Watson trains the filly, who won her trial as the second-fastest qualifier. She began her career with two wins and finished second in the Princess Futurity.
Brian Bell piloted Jesskissmytexas (Mr Jess Tex-Strawfly Fortune) to third for owner- breeder Donald Ito and trainer Don Reid. After breaking his maiden in his second start, the colt qualified third by running second in his trial to Stolin Ivory.
Fastest qualifier and odds-on favorite Carters Secret (Carters Cartel-Dollish) ran fourth, followed by Eye Zoom (Eye Dash- Azooma), Paint Me (Jumpn-Gotta Blazin Body), Cruwysn Down Home (Down
Home Dash-Suns Elegant Lady), Sugar Bar (Sugarman Perry-Hannas Rare Bar), and Miss Miami Vise (Ivory James-Miami Movin). La Petite Rose was scratched.
Ajax Downs $155,754 • 400 yards :19.850 • si 101
Mr Jess Perry
Rock Solid Jess
Rockin The Tetons
CORDEROY ROAD, ’10-g.
Reckless Dash
Reckless Wish
Revitalizing
50 SPEEDHORSE, October 12, 2012
Corderoy Road & John McInerney lead from start to finish in the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity.
Racing news
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