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Sam-Son Farm, Cox Strike Again, Upsetting Singspiel Stakes With Count Again

For the second Saturday in a row, a Sam-Son Farm homebred trained by Gail Cox posted an upset of a graded stakes at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, this time winning the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes with the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding Count Again by about 1 3/4 lengths.

Ridden by Luis Contreras, Count Again only had Sam-Son/Cox stablemate Say the Word beaten midway through the 1 1/4-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up. But he swung wide into the stretch and rallied for the victory over Stronach Stables' Sir Sahib, with Say the Word getting up for third, Nakamura finishing fourth, Woodbridge fifth, Standard Deviation sixth, Tiz a Slam seventh, Skywire eighth and Jungle Fighter last in the field of nine. Standard Deviation, Tiz a Slam and Nakamura each went off at 7-2 as co-favorites.

Stewards reviewed the stretch run after Count Again veered inwardly in midstretch, causing a chain reaction that forced runner-up Sir Sahib to alter course. The original order of finish was allowed to stand.

Count Again, an Ontario-bred produced from the stakes-winning Red Ransom mare Count to Three, covered 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:00.67 and paid $21.20 for the win.

On Sept. 12, Sam-Son and Cox teamed up to win the G2 Canadian Stakes with the Candy Ride filly Rideforthecause, who upset heavy favorite Cambier Parc.

Tiz a Slam, a Roger Attfield trainee who won the 2019 Singspiel, went to the front of this year's renewal, setting early fractions of :25.82 and :49.91 for the opening half-mile. After six furlongs in 1:13.65, Jungle Fighter and Nakamura applied some pressure to Tiz a Slam's outside, with Contreras beginning to put Count Again in gear on the outside after he had slipped toward the rear of the field in the run down the long backstretch.

Nakamura engaged Tiz a Slam at the top of the stretch, briefly putting his head in front after a mile in 1:37.20, but Count Again was sailing along toward the lead on the outside. The gelding ducked in, forcing Nakamura to shift in. That led Daisuke Fukumoto, who'd saved ground throughout on Sir Sahib, to alter course and chase after Count Again in the final furlong after going around Nakamura. Once clear, Sir Sahib didn't make up any ground on the winner.

The Singspiel was the stakes debut for Count Again, who debuted at Ellis Park for trainer Neil Howard in August 2019, finishing third in a dirt sprint. He graduated from the maiden ranks in his second start at Keeneland on Oct. 9, then was off until winning an April 3 allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs when under the care of J. Kent Sweezey.

Count Again had two local runs for Cox, finishing third in a June 20 allowance/optional claiming race going 1 1/6 miles on turf, then getting beaten a neck by Woodbridge in a 1 1/4-mile allowance/optional claiming race Aug. 29. Contreras was aboard for both of those races.

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Siskin’s Sister Is First Winner For Flintshire

Talacre, a half-sister to this year’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin (First Defence), is the first winner for five-time Grade/Group 1 winner Flintshire (GB), who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale in Kentucky.

1st-Gowran, €15,500, Mdn, 9-19, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:42.50, gd.

TALACRE (f, 2, Flintshire {GB}–Bird Flown {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), third last time over seven furlongs in The Curragh’s Loder Irish EBF Fillies Race on Aug. 14, raced behind the leaders on the rail throughout the early stages. Angled wide for her challenge at the top of the straight, the 11-4 second favourite hit the front passing the furlong pole and stayed on to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Eylara (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), the debutante half-sister to the five-times group winner and G1 Irish and Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Hong Kong Vase-placed Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Talacre, a full-sister to the stable’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 Phoenix S. hero Siskin (First Defence), MG1SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $546,021, becomes the first European winner for her Hill ‘N Dale Farms-based sire (by Dansili {GB}). Ger Lyons’ brother and assistant Shane said, “She’s after running into some good fillies before and she made the running the last day which wasn’t ideal. She’s like her brother Siskin, in that she likes to get a lead. It worked out brilliant today, but she still pricked her ears and wandered in front so there is a lot left in the tank for next year. It was a mile today and she wants a mile and a quarter next year. I’m not sure if there is anything left for her for black-type this year. If not it won’t be the end of the world to wait for next year. She’s always showed us a lot and she’s going the right way. Colin [Keane] said that ground is a bit dead which wouldn’t be ideal either.” The dam is a half-sister to the Listed Buckhounds S. winner and G2 Hardwicke S. runner-up Barsanti (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and to Rising Tornado (Storm Cat), who is responsible for the five-time Grade I-winning champion Close Hatches (First Defence) whose son is the GII Wood Memorial S. winner Tacitus (Tapit). The listed-placed second dam Silver Star (GB) (Zafonic) is a full-sister to the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Prix de la Salamandre-winning champion juvenile Xaar (GB) from the family of the GI United Nations H. hero Senure (Nureyev). Bird Flown’s yearling filly by Noble Mission (GB) is named Coccinella, while she also has a foal full-brother to the winner. Lifetime Record: 4-1-2-1, $23,192.

O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Ger Lyons.

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Ongoing Research On Horse-Human Interactions Bode Well For Equine Welfare

The interactions between horses and humans were discussed during a three-day, virtual conference hosted by the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES). Dr. Katrina Merkies recounted research on understanding human impact on the physiological and behavioral states of horses. She believes that evidence-based research will continually improve equine welfare, reports Equine Guelph.

During her presentation, Merkies referenced a survey that asked people to characterize their bond with their horse. Respondents reported that their horse approaches them, vocally greets them and touches them. They also stated that their horses may turn to them when frightened.

Another study noted that while survey participants may be able to discern a scenario where there is a physical threat to a horse, they might not be able to accurately answer questions regarding when a horse is bored or frustrated. This lack of understanding is of concern as the “five freedoms of animal welfare” recommends that animals not just survive, but thrive in the care they are receiving—their social and emotional needs must also be met in addition to their needs for food, water and shelter.

Merkies also reported that:

Horses blink less when they're acutely stressed
People who possess insecure attachment styles do not overly stress therapy horses
Horses can aptly distinguish between human facial expressions
Horses are more likely to approach an attentive person than an inattentive person
Horses react to the tone of voice used with them
Incorrect use of negative reinforcement increases stress in horses
Horses that live out most of the time become desensitized to novel stimuli more rapidly

Merkies finished her presentation reiterating that humans in charge of horses must be in tune with equine needs and allow horses to express themselves. She believes that education will assist horse owners and handlers in their ability to recognize positive welfare as well as welfare warning signs.

‘We’ll Take Our Best Shot’: Art Collector In ‘Stiff’ Work For Preakness

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, who would have been co-second choice for the Kentucky Derby (G1) until a minor foot issue forced him out of the race, worked five-eighths of a mile at Churchill Downs in a strong 59.40 seconds – a time for the distance eclipsed Saturday only by Kentucky Derby winner Authentic's 59.20.

“I thought it was good,” said trainer Tommy Drury, who will have his first Preakness starter. “We wanted to make sure we did enough today. They had him in 59-and-change, and I had him three-quarters (of a mile) in 1:12. It was what we were looking for. We went a little longer between races than we'd hoped to be. We just wanted to make sure we're where we want to be. Leading up to the race from here, now you're just kind of back on a maintenance program. You know you've got him where you want him, and hopefully we'll be on the flight the Tuesday before the Preakness (G1) and we'll take our best shot.”

The fractional times for Art Collector's work were 24.20 seconds for the first quarter-mile, and 36 for three-eighths, reflecting a final quarter-mile time in 23.40. He then galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. reporting that the gallop-out extended to a mile.

“He worked a really good five-eighths and then his gallop-out was huge,” Hernandez said. “He galloped out a really, really good mile. We knew going into this work that we needed it to be a pretty stiff one because we're going into the Preakness, and they're not going to give you anything. We needed to make sure our horse was in good shape. What was nice about him was that he came back after the work and it was like he didn't even do anything. We seem to be on the right page…. I had him on my watch in '12s' the whole way, 11-and-2 from the eighth pole to the wire, and then he galloped out the same way, just kind of cruising along.”

Turned over to Drury in January, Art Collector is 4-for-4 as a 3-year-old after breaking his maiden last year on grass at Kentucky Downs and finishing first in an entry-level allowance race, only to be later disqualified for registering over the permitted level for a dewormer. After ripping off a pair of allowance races to start 2020, the son of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini powered to victory in Keeneland's rescheduled Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and then in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

The Ellis race on Aug. 9 was meant as a bridge between the July 11 Blue Grass and the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby. But to the chagrin of his team — all from Louisville — Art Collector nicked the bulb of his left front heel in a routine gallop the day before Derby entries were to be taken. While a minor issue, it was bad timing, leaving the foot tender and with strict medication rules limiting how it could be treated.

“He's been good,” Drury said when asked how Art Collector is doing now compared with how he was doing before the foot mishap. “Fortunately he's been good mentally and he's certainly happy enough. He had his ears thrown up galloping out this morning. He's doing all the things you want to see a horse do at this stage of the game. The nice cool morning I think had them all feeling good, and he certainly was one of them.”

Art Collector would have been the first Derby starter for Drury, a lifelong Louisvillian, and the 72-year-old Lunsford, who has lived in the city most of his adult life. Hernandez has made Louisville his home since he began riding full-time in 2004.

While missing the Derby at home was a huge disappointment, Art Collector's team quickly set their sights and enthusiasm on a road trip to Baltimore.

“If you'd asked me in January, 'You've got a shot to go to the Preakness, what do you think about that?' I'd have been doing backflips,” said Drury, whose first graded-stakes victory in 30 years of training came with Art Collector in the Blue Grass. “It's one of the most historic races in the country. We'd have loved to have been in the Derby because this is home for us, but gosh, to be able to run in the Preakness four weeks later. That's the one thing that gave me comfort, knowing that we've got a huge race coming up right around the corner, that we can miss this one and be ready for that one — be on our game and take our best shot. That's really all we've been trying to do: make good decisions, use good judgment and make sure that our horse is taken care of.

“Ever since the morning that we didn't enter for the Derby, the Preakness has been our primary concern. He seems like he's going into it the right way, and now we've just got to stay out of his way a little longer.”

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