October, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

More Than Ready Gelding Has Last ‘Word’ in Northern Dancer

Say the Word uncorked a last-to-first rally in Sunday’s GI Northern Dancer S. at Woodbine to post a mild upset. The dark bay dropped out the back under Emma-Jayne Wilson as favorite Admiralty Pier did as he pleased up front. He was ridden for more to inch slightly closer heading for the home as stablemate and fellow Sam-Son representative Count Again (Awesome Again) took the first run at the pacesetter. Admiralty Pier and Count Again continued to trade jabs to midstretch, but neither had any response for Say the Word as he blew to the front over the top with Sir Sahib (Fort Larned) mirroring that move to complete the exacta.

“It was perfect actually,” Wilson said of her trip. “The first time I rode him, [trainer Gail Cox] let me know that Junior Alvarado from Saratoga had said that he was funny with his mouth, he could be a little sensitive and to trip him [out] in a certain sort of way. Last time, we got the on -hole going a mile and a quarter, and I just got shuffled back. It took me a bit to just kind of get on the same page with him last time, being as sensitive as he was. I mean, he ran well, he ran third, but he was coming on end.

“So today, I was more confident with him, more ground and I knew where the line was with him for my hands and give and take. He settled for me beautifully; I literally just held the mane for pretty much the first mile and a quarter. Then as I gathered him up, I knew…I just knew. He was gaining on them last time and I just knew when he straightened, he was already in flight and it was going to be tough to beat him.”

Say the Word upended a 1 3/16-mile Saratoga optional claimer Aug. 14 at 51-1 while being offered up for the $62,500 tag. He was most recently third behind Count Again and Sir Sahib in the 10-panel GIII Singspiel S. here Sept. 19. His lone 1 1/2-mile outing came when second in the 2018 Breeders’ S. here while under the tutelage of Graham Motion. Say the Word made two starts for Gail Cox last fall, including a fourth in the GIII Durham Cup on this main track. He was then off the board in a trio of tries for Neil Howard at Fair Grounds, and returned to the Cox barn to be sixth in a local optional claimer June 20.

“I think this horse kind of likes to know the people that he’s with, so he’s not one that’s easy to shift around all the time,” Cox said. “He also loves this turf course and he loved the distance. Last year, he was sent to me and we ran him on the Tapeta, and it was not to his liking.”

The Samuel family’s Sam-Son Farm upped its record win tally in the Northern Dancer to eight Sunday.

Sunday, Woodbine
NORTHERN DANCER TURF S. PRESENTED BY PATTISON-GI, C$340,200, Woodbine, 10-18, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:29.87, gd.
1–SAY THE WORD, 121, g, 5, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Danceforthecause, by Giant’s Causeway
                2nd Dam: Dancethruthestorm, by Thunder Gulch
                3rd Dam: Dance Smartly, by Danzig
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. O/B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Gail Cox; J-Emma-Jayne
Wilson. C$216,000. Lifetime Record: 25-5-2-4, $445,292. *1/2
to Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), GSW, $291,226. Werk
Nick Rating: B+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sir Sahib, 121, g, 5, Fort Larned–Xs Belle, by Dynaformer.
O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (KY); T-Kevin Attard.
C$60,000.
3–Admiralty Pier, 123, g, 5, English Channel–Full Steam Ahead,
by Kitten’s Joy. ($100,000 Ylg ’16 FTSAUG). O-Hoolie Racing
Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Barbara
Minshall. C$30,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 5.80, 5.70, 2.15.
Also Ran: Count Again, Woodbridge, Nakamura, Jungle Fighter, Peace of Ekati. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:

Say the Word is the 25th highest-level winner (92nd graded/group winner) for international sensation More Than Ready) and is out of a Giant’s Causeway mare like MGISW Verrazano. He is one of 26 Grade I/Group 1 winners out of Giant’s Causeway dams. Say the Word’s third dam is none other than legendary Hall of Famer Dance Smartly. This is the extremely productive female family of Smart Strike, Dancethrudawn, et al. Danceforthecause, whose 4-year-old son Rideforthecause was fourth in the GI E.P. Taylor S. two races later on the card, produced a Distorted Humor fily in 2019 and a Street Sense filly this term. She was bred back to Twirling Candy.

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Excessive Drinking May Indicate Ill Health

Horses that urinate excessively suffer from polyuria (PU); to remain adequately hydrated, the horse must increase his drinking, called polydipsia (PD). These conditions, which often go hand-in-hand, can indicate disease or a behavior problem, or be a consequence of diet, says Dr. Harold Schott of Michigan State University.

A horse's kidneys filter waste products from the blood and eliminate them from the body in the form of urine. They also regulate the volume of water in the body by concentrating or diluting urine. Nearly 100 percent of water filtered from the blood is reabsorbed by the kidney tubules. A small decrease in water reabsorption can result in a large increase in urine production.

Diet affects urine output in distinct ways. A foal drinking his dam's milk may ingest as much as five times as much water as an adult horse and produce clear urine 10 to 12 times a day. A mature horse on an all-hay diet may only pass dark yellow urine two or three times a day. Horses fed mainly alfalfa may have wetter stalls with fewer manure piles; this is because legume hay is higher in protein and calcium, and is more digestible than grass hay.

Excessive urination can be caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD), where the kidneys can no longer produce concentrated urine. A horse suspected of having this disease will need blood drawn to test its nitrogen and creatinine concentrations, which will be higher if the horse has CKD.

If urine samples collected from the affected horse show nothing out of the ordinary, the horse may be drinking excessive amounts of water out of boredom. This occurs most often in horses that are confined to stalls most of the day. This behavior can be modified by allowing the horse more turnout time or limiting his water supply to two five-gallon buckets a day.

Brother to Serpentine Unveiled at Gowran

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday’s Insights features a full-brother to this year’s Derby winner.

3.05 Gowran Park, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, 8fT
KING OF THE CASTLE (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full-brother to this year’s G1 Epsom Derby hero Serpentine (Ire) who was the latest in a line of smart performers out of the G1 Epsom Oaks-placed Remember When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Aidan O’Brien saddles the May-foaled chestnut, who is joined by the stable’s Roman Empire (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-brother to the G1 Phoenix S. winner Sudirman (Henrythenavigator) who was fourth on debut here in July.

3.35 Gowran Park, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
MARTINIQUE (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) is another notable Ballydoyle newcomer on the card, being a 825,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate whose dam is the G2 Park Hill S. runner-up Phiz (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}). Related to the dual group winner Peace Royale (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}), the March-foaled bay tackles 13 rivals in this introduction.

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Weaver Leaning Toward Sprint With Vekoma, Hoping For Hot Distaff Pace For Point Of Honor

Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Vekoma worked five furlongs in 1:01.28 Sunday on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in preparation for a start in either the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint or Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old Candy Ride chestnut is perfect in three starts this campaign, including a pair of G1 scores at Belmont in the Carter Handicap on June 6 and the Met Mile last out on July 4.

Weaver said Vekoma worked well in tandem with graded-stakes placed older horse Majestic Dunhill.

“He went in company with Majestic Dunhill, who has been a frequent workmate of his the past couple years. They worked together the whole way,” said Weaver.

A six-time winner from eight starts with more than $1.2 million in purse earnings, Vekoma has won at distances ranging from six furlongs on debut in September 2018 at Belmont up to 1 1/8-miles when capturing the 2019 G2 Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Weaver said both the Breeders' Cup Sprint and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile are still on the table for the versatile Vekoma.

“I'm leaning towards the Sprint, but the final decision will be made closer to the day,” said Weaver. “I think this horse would handle any track. He's a racehorse.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for both G1 scores this season, is confirmed to ride.

Weaver also said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor, a 4-year-old Curlin chestnut, will make her next start in the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Point of Honor captured the G2 Black-Eyed Susan in a productive sophomore season that included runner-up efforts in the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks and G1 Alabama at Saratoga.

Point of Honor has hit the board in all five starts this season [5-0-3-2], finishing second in the both the G1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont and last out in the G2 Beldame Invitational on Oct. 4 on Big Sandy in a compact four-horse field.

“I thought she ran well last time,” said Weaver. “She's been running well all year, we just haven't got her to the winner's circle. She hasn't dodged any competition and she's been running in tough races all year and she's always right there in the mix of it.

“We are planning on going to the Breeders' Cup with her,” added Weaver. “We think it will benefit her to have a fuller field and going back to a two-turn configuration at Keeneland.”

The late-running Point of Honor has faced short fields in all but one start this season when she rallied for third, after breaking last-of-14, in the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap in April at Oaklawn Park.

Weaver said a larger field in the Distaff should present Point of Honor with a more favorable pace scenario.

“I think a bigger field would help her. There's been quite a few races this year that came up with short fields and she's really not able to adjust and adapt to slow paces and different scenarios,” said Weaver. “Truly, her best race comes when she can leave the gate and get in a comfortable rhythm and come running. She's really not one that you can try to place closer to the pace. There's only so much tinkering you can do with her. There's a certain style of running that she likes, so a fuller field with an honest pace around two turns will give her the best chance to win.”

Weaver said both Vekoma and Point of Honor will train up to the Breeders' Cup at Saratoga and ship in to Keeneland on Nov. 2.

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