Page 33 - February 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, February 2005 33
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
Shamardal topped the European juvenile ratings for the 2004 season and the son of Giant's Causeway, formerly trained by Mark Johnston, has joined the godolphin team and will race this year under the care of Saeed Bin Suroor.
He was given a mark of 123 placing him one pound above another Godolphin owned colt Dubawi which shared the second spot with Ad Valorem from the Irish stable of Aidan o'Brien. Rebuttal and Wilko were the next best of the colts just ahead of the top European filly Divine Proportions.
She rates a 117 mark 3lb ahead of the Irish filly Damson which like Ad Valorem carries the colours of Mrs John Magnier with the top English filly being Playful Act which is trained for the Sangster
family by John Gosden.
Third top Irish rated colt Berenson, trained by Tommy Stack who had a grade winner at Woodbine last year, so impressed the Godolphin team when runner up to Dubawi in the National Stakes at the Curragh, that they made the Irish trainer and co owner an offer he could not refuse and this colt has also joined Godolphin with this year's classics in mind.
Godolphin's Doyen was runner up to Stronach Stable's Ghostzapper in the four years old and up category while the French colt Bago was next best to Smarty Jones in the year younger group.
Meanwhile the biggest jockey news concerns Kieren Fallon who has been riding successfully in Florida in recent weeks. The six times British champion, until losing his title to Frankie Dettori last
year, was rumoured to be thinking of staying in America but has scotched this rumour.
On a brief three day visit home to collect an award he said " I am learning a lot in America and will return a better rider, I have signed a contract with Michael Stoute, I am lucky to have one of the best jobs in World racing and hope to regain my championship this year".
Fallon is still on police bail following the betting exchanges prompted investigation into alleged race fixing in Britain last year. So far the investigators have been unable to unearth any evidence of wrong doing on his part or the other jockeys named.
John Murtagh who for many years was stable jockey to John Oxx in Ireland for whom he rode many classic winners, resigned from the position at the end of 2003 due to weight problems. He announced his retirement but after a few months he returned to ride as a freelance in England.
He was soon back among the winners riding mainly for James Fanshawe and will continue to do so this year. However, as most of the top racing in England is on Saturdays he has agreed to ride for the seventy strong Irish stable of Michael Halford when available. Most top Irish races are now run on Sunday and Murtagh will fly between the two countries a couple of times per week.
Michael Kinane who took over the Oxx job, is currently in Dubai along with compatriots Kevin Manning and Pat Smullen (brother of Sean). However, as usual it is the other two Irish riders Ted Durcan and Willie Supple who are enjoying most success there.
The fare on offer in India may not be on a par with the major racing countries but never-the-less a visit there is certainly paying dividends for another Irish rider Niall McCullagh. He has been there
for over two months and has an amazing strike rae of almost 50%.
Successful in Cleveland
For Anthony Alderson, his love for horses was immediate. He recalls seeing Secretariat run at Woodbine in 1973 and says that his desire to become a jockey was all consuming.
Anthony immigrated to Canada, the youngest son of 8 boys and 3 girls, who made their home in Canada with their mother in 1969 after the death of their father 7 years earlier.
Anthony attended the races with his brothers and it didn’t take long before the starry eyed eight year-old fell in love with the animals on the other side of the rail.
At age fourteen he decided that his small stature would afford him the chance to become a jockey and he showed up at the backstretch gates, eager to learn.
Anthony had never ridden or even worked with horses, so he began like most newcomers, walking hots. His brother joined him a couple of days later and the pair worked for trainer Bonnie Bolton for two years.
During that time, Anthony began grooming and it wasn’t long before he had his feet in the stirrups and was out on the racetrack in the morning. In 1979 he began the season as a exercise rider for trainer Laurie Silvera and by 1980 he had his apprentice jockey license.
His brother Desmond, had become a trainer and was overseeing the conditioning of his family’s horses.
Anthony rode his first winner on May 30, 1981, a horse named Band on the Run, for owner G. MacDougall and trainer Ray Miller. He continued riding at Woodbine, Greenwood and Fort Erie however Waterford Park (now Mountaineer) was where he had the majority of his mounts competing for $1100 to $1500 purses.
Everything changed when Desmond passed away in 1987. Not only had Anthony lost his close brother (the pair did everything together) but the family had lost its trainer.
Anthony stepped in as the family’s trainer and has been at Barn 17 at Fort Erie ever since.
In 1989, he met Kristen Leeper, who was attending the races with her grandparents. The pair were married in 1992 and now have three children, twelve
Trainer Anthony Alderson is pictured here with his wife Kristen, their daughter Kayla and 6-year- old gelding Sandspit at their Fort Erie farm.
year-old Jeffrey, nine year-old Ryan and three year-old Kayla.
Today, Anthony is a public trainer who gallops his own horses, looking after a modest stable of six or seven horses including one horse for his brother Malcolm.
Anthony recently returned from Thistledown in Cleveland which was the first time he had ‘wintered’ anywhere with his horses. He enjoyed a successful few months with 5 wins in 22 starts.
Sandspit had a win on September 13 for $8400 and another win on November 29 for $8500. Sandspit was the only claim Anthony has made in the past three years. The now 6-year-old gelding was a $150,000 yearling purchase and Anthony claimed him at Fort Erie for $5,000 in 2002 and he has since made more than $85,000.
Have No Fear, owned by his brother, Malcolm Alderson, had a couple of wins at $7200 on November 12 and November 28 before being sold privately. The L.D.S. Stable’s, Nunziata, had a win for $6400 on October 18 before being sold privately.
Anthony plans to return to Fort Erie when it opens in the spring and currently has three horses including Sandspit; and a couple of unraced three year old fillies named, Band of Diamonds (by Tethra) and Mischief Maker, for his brother. He plans to claim a horse at the beginning of the season for L.D.S. Stable and is open to new clients.
Kruel Intention looking to score in the Sunshine Millions
ByElenaFenech
Kruel Intention will be the lone Canadian competing in this year’s Sunshine Millions on January 29 at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The Florida bred son of Gold Case is coming off an easy win and is looking to add to his earnings in the 6 furlong Sunshine Millions Dash worth $250,000.
Kruel Intention was a modest purchase by long time conditioner Laurie Silvera who is known to have a keen eye when it comes to scouting out young talented horses. Laurie knew he had potential when he saw him at the Adena Springs Two-Year-Olds in Training sale and didn’t hesitate to purchase the colt, winning the bid at the bargain price of $10,000. The colt is owned by Larry Spindler.
Laurie went to the sale looking for a few good two year-olds and at the time he also purchased Criminal Mind, another talented horse who was trained by Arthur Silvera until being sold in November. Criminal mind has already come back to finish a strong second for his new connections.
Over the past few months Arthur has been approached with numerous offers for Kruel Intention but has advised owner Larry Spindler against selling him at this point, “He is the best horse I have ever trained.” said Arthur who is looking forward to the Sunshine Millions Dash.
Arthur arrived in Florida with his horses on December 7, after a successful season at Woodbine. He was looking forward to a good winter south of the border and wanted to get a race into Kruel Intention before the Sunshine Millions. He couldn’t find a suitable race at Gulfstream and with not many options he ran the colt at Tampa Bay Downs on New Year’s Day. With jockey Martin Ramirez in the irons he cruised to the wire in 104.4 winning by two and galloping out strong in the 5 1/2 furlong race for non- winners of two.
“This race (the Sunshine Millions Dash) was our ultimate goal. He is doing well. Joe Bravo will ride him for me, things are looking good.” said Arthur. He also has plans to race filly Gemini’s Revenge, that same day. She broke her maiden at Woodbine for $32,000 and is pointed towards a $25,000 claiming six furlongs non winners of two event with Joe Bravo scheduled to ride. “She will be tough.” said Arthur.
Although Arthur doesn’t like to plan too far ahead, he has kept Kruel Intention eligible for the OBS Sales Stakes, a 6 furlong $60,000 event on March 15.
While enjoying his time in Florida Arthur is looking forward to another good season at Woodbine. He plans to ship back at the end of march and will have approximately 15 horses in training, the majority of which will be two year olds.