Page 18 - December 2006 The Game

18 The Game, December 2006 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
True Metropolitan Now a True National Sovereign Candidate
The number of times that a horse has come from Hastings Racetrack in B.C. and captured an autumn stakes race at Woodbine while defeating the incumbent Queen’s Plate winner could be counted on the fingers of one hand, with enough digits left over to play the piano.
That’s why True Metropolitan’s impressive win in the Woodbine Slots Cup Stakes on November 18 is such an eye-opener. True Metropolitan, a four year-old by Proud and True out of Forest Dunes, was ridden expertly by Todd Kabel in the mile and sixteenth test. True
Metropolitan stalked the leaders down the backstretch and then made a ferocious move around the field. He came into the stretch with the lead and opened up confidently, hitting the wire a good four lengths better than Edenwold, whose only win in 2006 came in the Queen’s Plate.
True Metropolitan is trained by Terry Jordan, but was saddled for the Slots Cup by local conditioner Lorne Richards because Jordan is not licensed in Ontario.
“We felt if he gave a good showing in this race, he’d be considered for a Sovereign Award for best older horse,”
said Richards.
Now it will be pretty hard for the
voters to overlook True Metropolitan for a Jockey Club of Canada Award. It might have been necessary for the gelding to make the expensive trip from Vancouver to Woodbine to enhance his Sovereign profile, but he sure tore things up out west. True Metropolitan came to the Slots Cup with a streak of four straight wins, the last of which was the Grade 3 Premier Handicap at Hastings in which he galloped home by 3 1/2 lengths at odds of 3-2. True Metropolitan has now had stakes wins this year at Hastings, Northlands Park, Stampede Park and, of
course, Woodbine.
True Metropolitan was almost 5-1 in
the Slots Cup, but the decisive manner in which he won should make him odds-on for a Sovereign trophy. At least, that’s the way Richards sees it.
“This was arguably the best field of dirt hoses for a race in Canada this year,”
insists Richards, “Five out of the six horses in the field had won stakes races their last start.”
Exactly right. True Metropolitan, off a win in the Premier, defeated Just Rushing, (who had won The Labeeb Stakes), Pellegrino, (coming in after taking the Chief Bearheart), Ecentric, (recent winner of the Grade 3 Fayette at Keeneland) and Barracuda Boy, (best in the Durham Cup last time out).
“I don’t know of any other dirt horse aside from Judith’s Wild Rush, who is strictly a sprinter, that has won more than two open stakes races this year,” emphasized Richards.
All votes for the Sovereign Awards had to be submitted before the end of November, but there is some consideration by the connections of True Metropolitan to run him in the Valedictory Stakes at a mile and three- quarters on December 10, the last day of the season.
Best Wishes for a Very Happy & Healthy Christmas
& New Year
To all my Staff, Owners, Partners, Friends & Racing Fans
Thank You
& Good Luck in 2007
ROGER L. ATTFIELD RACING STABLE
Horse Racing Alberta wins Best of Show for Third Consecutive Year
Horse Racing Alberta recently received awards in four categories at the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) Awards including Best of Show for the third consecutive year.
The annual CAMA Awards recognize excellence in marketing and communications within the national agricultural sector.
The Horse Racing Alberta branding
campaign “The Horses - There’s a Horse for Everyone” won the following categories for Consumer Direct Campaigns: Best of Show; Television/Radio; Education Materials and Sales Support Materials.
“It is always an honour to be recog- nized for our marketing efforts outside of the horse racing industry,” says Dr. David C. Reid, Chairman and CEO of Horse
Racing Alberta. “Horse racing and breeding are proud partners in agricul- ture and we are thankful for the acknowledgement given by CAMA. I’d like to thank our industry part- ners and our advertising agency Y&R for another successful year.”
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Thank You for More Great Memories & Another Wonderful Season
May your holidays be filled with Joy and the coming
year be Overflowing with all the Good Things in Life Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson & Agent Mike Luider