Page 94 - February_2023

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SPEEDHORSE February 2023
Canadian Champion
HAD TO BE IVORY si 112, $279,789
Jockey Cory Spataro leads Had To Be Ivory to a neck victory in the Ontario Bred Maturity.
Breeders: Carol & Jaime Robertson Owners: Carol & Jaime Robertson Trainer: Bryn Robertson
Jockeys: Josh Scott, Cory Spataro
2022 Record: 6-6(5)-0-0, $62,354
Picov Maturity, QROOI Distance Series #1 S., Ontario Bred Maturity, QROOI Distance Series #2 S., Alex Picov Mem. Champ. S.
Had To Be Ivory not only won his third Canadian Championship in 2022, he did it three years after winning his second title. The gelding won back-to-back Championships in 2018-2019, got sick and missed most of 2020, and returned for a good year in 2021. But incredibly, at age seven in 2022, he had his best season ever—a perfect six for six.
Known for being a ham around the barn, Had To Be Ivory has endeared himself to the entire Robertson family. Carol Robertson and her daughter-in-law, Jaime, bred and race the gelding, a son of Ivory James and out of Had To Be Fandango, a stakes winning and stakes placed mare who won the Maple Leaf Derby in 2011. Carol’s husband, Bryn, trains him.
Had To Be Ivory is also popular at Ajax Downs, where he has made each of his 28 lifetime starts. He has collected trophies for many of the track’s stakes, some multiple times.
He began the year in the Picov Maturity, an event he had captured in 2019 and 2020. As the odds-on favorite, he won the race for a third time, his margin 3/4-lengths over Carneros.
Had To Be Ivory scored in two of Ajax Downs’ distance series races, in June and September. In the second of those, he set a New Track Record of :21.410 for 440 yards, breaking the old mark that had stood for nine years. Had To Be Ivory also holds the 400-yard track record at Ajax, having set that in 2021.
In between the distance races, Had To Be Ivory added an allowance victory and captured his third Ontario Bred Maturity. He had also won the latter in 2019 and 2021.
Had To Be Ivory capped off his perfect season in the Alex Picov Memorial Championship Stakes. Sent away as the 1-5 favorite, he dominated, winning the 440-yard event wire-to- wire by 2 1/2 lengths.
On top of his perfect season, Had To Be Ivory has put together a formidable overall record. He has won 22 of 28 lifetime starts, 14 of them stakes, with three seconds, two thirds, and one fourth.
Clive Cohen Photography
IVORY JAMES
si 103
Bred by: Michael A. Pohl Raced to 3 • $220,026 11-5-2(1)-0
1,326 foals, 56 SW Progeny Earnings: $22,716,731
CORONA CARTEL si 97
Bred by: Robert D. Etchandy Raced to 3 • $557,142 14-6(3)-3-0
2,135 foals, 190 SW Progeny Earnings: $68,156,503
HOLLAND EASE si 109 Bred by: Dutch Masters III Raced to 4 • $361,227 27-6(1)-7(3)-8(3)
876 f, 43 SW • $12,243,892
FIRST DOWN DASH si 105
EASY HENRYETTA si 90
CORONA CHICK si 113 Bred by: Robert D. Etchandy Raced to 3 • $591,326 18-15(5)-2(1)-0
16 f, 4 SW • $3,625,157
CHICKS BEDUINO si 104
SIZZLING LIL si 91
DASHIN FOLLIES
Bred by: Henry E. Brown Raced to 2 • $475 3-0-0-0
41 foals, 3 SW Progeny Earnings: $1,696,260
STRAWFLY SPECIAL si 97 Bred by: Dan & Jolene Urschel Raced to 4 • $222,920 26-11(1)-5(2)-3(3)
1,454 f, 79 SW • $25,832,929
SPECIAL EFFORT si 104
FLY IN THE PIE si 99
DASHING FOLLY si 108 Bred by: Bob Burt
Raced to 5 • $535,841 21-12(9)-2(1)-1
18 f, 2 SW • $331,622
FIRST DOWN DASH si 105
HEMPES FOLLY si 98
HAD TO BE
FANDANGO
si 98
Bred by: Jud Little Raced to 5 • $150,512 24-7(1)-7(3)-2
5 foals, 1 SW Progeny Earnings: $467,729
HADTOBENUTS si 114 Bred by: Raul Cantu Jr Raced to 4 • $259,747 17-9(2)-1(1)-2(1)
129 foals, 7 SW Progeny Earnings: $1,112,911
STRIKE THE CASH si 102 Bred by: Hal & Karen Phenix Raced to 4 • $19,336
18-4-2-2
77 f, 1 SW • $662,020
FIRST DOWN DASH si 105
MISS STRIKIN JET si 94
SHES BAD si 94 Bred by: J. L. Madewell Raced to 3 • $1,350 12-1-1-0
14 f, 2 SW • $481,047
FIREBRAND BAR si 94
MISS OAKIE MITO si 82
GRIM FANDANGO si 87 Bred by: Cindy & Luke Knox Raced to 3 • $6,968 10-1-1-4
5 foals, 1 SW
Progeny Earnings: $152,825
STRAWFLY SPECIAL si 97 Bred by: Dan & Jolene Urschel Raced to 4 • $222,920 26-11(1)-5(2)-3(3)
1,454 f, 79 SW • $25,832,929
SPECIAL EFFORT si 104
FLY IN THE PIE si 99
COUP DE SUE
Bred by: Daniel E. Lucas Unraced
7 f, 1 SW • $138,692
COUP DE KAS TB
BARBARA MANDREL si 101