Page 89 - 2 November 2012

lady of the lake Stakes
MIRACle eMPReSS
by Tracy Gantz
John McCormick took over Miracle Empress’ training in late September
and moved the filly up immediately. In her first stakes attempt, at nearly 46-1, Miracle Empress shocked nine rivals to win the Lady of the Lake Stakes at Fort Erie.
Off a little slowly from the outside post, Miracle Empress immediately got into the
race under jockey Erika Smilovsky. She bar- reled down the track, and it
became a five-way race for
the wire. Miracle Empress
and the Paint Mantracker
got there before the rest,
with Miracle Empress taking
the neck victory in the final
stride. She covered the 350
yards in :17.920.
“I liked the horse, and we
knew she was ready to run,”
said McCormick. “We didn’t
know if she could win, but
she’s big strided.”
Bred by Abigail Kawananakoa in California, Miracle Empress has spent her entire racing career in Canada. Owned by Heste Sport Inc., she made her first start at Fort Erie last year, broke her maiden at Ajax Downs in her eighth start, and had two other seconds prior to the Lady of the Lake.
Kawananakoa bred Miracle Empress out of Noblesse Oblege, who won The Classics Derby
in 1997 and finished third
in the 1998 QHBC Distaff Classic-G3. Kawananakoa bought Miracle Empress back for $4,500 at the
2010 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Noblesse Oblege has produced four winners from six starters. The second
dam, stakes-placed Native Noblesse, also foaled All American Futurity-G1 win- ner Noblesse Six and Pure D Dash, a champion in Mexico.
Guylaine Paquin’s homebred Mantracker APHA (Country Quick Dash-Treasure Winner) finished second with Chelsey Willick aboard. Greg Watson trains the Paint filly, who has won three races at Ajax, all against Quarter Horses.
Quiteasassystrawbery (Gold Medal Jess- Ramblin Strawfly) ran third for owner Ross Holmes, trainer Jason Pascoe, and jockey Marty Mercieca. The filly was coming off a win and a second in allowance company at Ajax.
Rounding out the field were ZZ Dynasty (FDD Dynasty-Zip Zima), Hearts On Valkyrie (Desirio-Cold Hearted Calcar), Bellas Twilight (Fast Debonair-Sassy Sexy Lady), Mygirlrox (Royal Shake Em-Girls Rock), Tsunami 09 (Wave Carver-Easy Launch), Blazen Blue (Dashin Is Easy-La Blazen), and Tres My Steps (Tres Seis-Im Quick Say Bye Bye).
Fort Erie $45,720 • 350 yards :17.920 • si 82
Chicks Beduino
Royal Miracle Dip
Trippy Dip
MIRACLE EMPRESS, ’09-f.
Dash For Cash
Noblesse Oblege
Native Noblesse
racing news
CanAm nations Cup Stakes
I See CAnDy PAInt
by Tracy Gantz
Carl Pevehouse might have been upset to see his homebred Found A Candy Tree’s 300-yard track record toppled at Fort
Erie except for one thing: It was another of his horses, I See Candy Paint, which broke the mark. I See Candy Paint won the Oct. 10 CanAm Nations Cup Stakes in setting the track record. Both horses share the same third dam, Send Me Candy.
Sent away the favorite, I See Candy Paint hesitated slightly in the gate, breaking eighth. He was then in tight quarters for a few strides. However, he overcame both to battle Yoast to the wire under jockey Tony Bennett. It took a photo to separate them, but I See Candy Paint emerged the nose victor in :15.250 for a 101 speed index. Found A Candy Tree’s old mark was 15.380.
Clinton Crawford trains I See Candy Paint for Pevehouse, who bred the gelding in Oklahoma. I See Candy Paint had come close in stakes before, finishing second in the 2011 Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Derby-G3 and third in that year’s Texas Classic Derby-G1.
Eye On This Candy, the dam of I See Candy Paint, finished third in the 2004 Valley
Junction Futurity-G2. The mare has produced three starters, all winners, includ- ing multiple stakes-placed Eyema Special Candy. The second dam, Send Me The Candy, won the Remington Futurity-G1, and Eye On This Candy is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner This Candys Special.
Yoast (Shazoom-Doctor Prospector) finished a length to the good in second with
Debbie Freeman in the irons. Larry Abney trains the 8-year-old gelding and owns him with breeder Chris Sheehy. Yoast also ran sec- ond in the 2009 Indiana Downs Classic Stakes and Bradford Stakes.
Danielle DiBert piloted My Corona Is Rare (Corona For Me-Mynewsensation) to third for owner-trainer James Bratton. The 4-year-old stallion finished second in last year’s Ontario Jackpot Derby.
Completing the field were Aquafina (First Down Dash-Runaway Wave), Shiftin (Gol-Merri Roc), All Wacked Out (Eyesa Special-Sexy Shania), One Kool Wave (Wave Carver-One Kool Bud), Rockish (Rocky Jones-A Mere Formality), Jessshazoom (Shazoom-Jessies Arrangement), and RA Jess Dream On (Jess Rock On-Dream Imaging). Caraway Blue was scratched.
Fort Erie $61,339 • 300 yards :15.250 • si 101 • Ntr
Corona Cartel
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Dashin Follies
I SEE CANDY PAINT, ’08-g.
Mr Eye Opener
Eye On This Candy
Send Me The Candy
SPEEDHORSE, November 2, 2012 87
Michael Burns Photography Michael Burns Photography