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Son Of Hot California Sire Clubhouse Ride Takes Aim At Snow Chief Stakes

Margot's Boy, yet another son of the “now” California stallion Clubhouse Ride, goes for his fourth straight victory and his first stakes triumph in Saturday's $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes at a mile and an eighth on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

The race is named for the Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old male of 1986 who retired in 1987 as the all-time California-bred earnings leader with $3,383,210.

He was trained by Mel Stute.

Clubhouse Ride stands at Pete and Evelyn Parrella's 145-acre Legacy Ranch in Clements, California, for $3,500.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais (pronounced pie-EEZ), Margot's Boy's style is one of catch me if you can. In his last three races, he went to the front and stayed there, although at a mile and one eighth the Snow Chief will mark his longest race yet.

“We'll see how it develops; he doesn't have to be in front,” said Craig Lewis, who also conditioned multiple Grade 2 winner Clubhouse Ride.

“But I prefer to be in front if nobody else wants to be there and if he doesn't have to go too fast.”

Drayden Van Dyke has ridden Margot's Boy in all of his races and will be aboard again Saturday in the Snow Chief, one in the lucrative Golden State Series, this restricted to 3-year-olds.

“I won't have to tell Drayden anything,” Lewis said. “He knows the horse very well. He's a smart rider; I'm sure everything will be fine.

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Ward ‘n Jerry Making Quick Turnaround For San Juan Capistrano

There's an old saying in racing about a horse that “can run all day,” and it applies wholeheartedly to Ward 'n Jerry, a 7-year-old California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit whose forte is marathon turf races.

That's why the gelding owned and bred by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams is coming back on a quick turnaround in next Sunday's traditional closing day feature, the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at a mile and three-quarters on turf.

One might say Ward 'n Jerry tuned up for the race in his last start on June 6 when he made a mild rally to finish fifth in the one-mile Crystal Water Stakes under 126 pounds.

“That wasn't quite his distance,” said Mike Puype, who sent out Ward 'n Jerry to win the G3 San Luis Rey Stakes at a mile and a half on grass March 21 at Santa Anita. “There's not really anything at Del Mar at a distance he likes so we have nothing to lose coming back here in just two weeks.

“Looking at the field, there's not that many horses of quality that can run that far, either. It's a good spot. … He's going to be pretty tough to beat in there.”

In 21 career races, Ward 'n Jerry has won six, with two seconds and three thirds for earnings of $375,579. All but his first three races–all sprints–have come on turf, the last 18 in a row at a mile or longer.

Puype, 53, a native of Phoenix, has been training since 1986, and has the utmost respect for Mr. and Mrs. Williams. “I've been with them a long time,” he said. “They're great clients.”

They live in Boise, Idaho, and in 1979 Williams founded the Idaho Timber Corporation, which grew into one of the top 10 private corporations in Idaho.

Should Puype capture the San Juan, it would still leave him in pursuit of a record that will never be broken, established by Charlie Whittingham, who won the race a remarkable 14 times.

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Tiger Dad Outfoots Rivals, Including Favored Stablemate, In Thor’s Echo At Santa Anita

With most of the attention focused on last year's winner, trainer Carla Gaines' “Avis choice,” consistent Tiger Dad, set the tone early as he battled head and head for the lead with a well-meant Principe Carlo, eventually gaining the ascendency in deep stretch as he drew off to win Saturday's $100,000 Thor's Echo Stakes by three quarters of length at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Ridden by regular pilot Victor Espinoza, Tiger Dad, a 4-year-old California-bred gelding by Smiling Tiger, got six furlongs in 1:09.56 while never threatened by his well fancied stablemate Desert Law, who checked in third as the even money favorite.

“I have been riding him quite a few times (his last eight races), so I really have the confidence in him. When some other horse is outside, it is exactly what he wants because he won't let them go by. I didn't want to take the lead too soon because he has a bad habit of waiting for horses, so today I was just hoping the outside horse (Principe Carlo) would keep going and keep me company all the way to the wire and it worked out perfectly.”

Most recently second to highly regarded Collusion Illusion in a six-furlong allowance here on May 17, Tiger Dad was the third choice at 5-2 in a field of five California-bred or sired three year olds and up and paid $7.60, $3.80 and $2.20.

“He ran fantastic,” said Gaines. “He really dug in and Victor knows him so well. As I said pre-race, my other horse (Desert Law) needs a race off of a layoff. He got a little far back.”

Owned by his breeders, Mark Devereaux and Scott Gross, Tiger Dad, who had been out of the money in just two of his previous 14 starts, notched his first stakes victory and improved his overall mark to 15-4-5-3. Out of the Unusual Heat mare Q T Shae, Tiger Dad bagged $60,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $276,661.

Breaking from the far outside with Agapito Delgadillo up for trainer Ryan Hanson, Principe Carlo, who was claimed two starts back for $20,000, battled gamely throughout and finished 1 ¼ in front of Desert Law. A winner of his last two starts, Principe Carlo was the narrow second choice at 5-2 and paid $3.60 and $2.20.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Desert Law, who had been idle since running second in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 27, paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.06 and 57.09.

Sponsored by the CTBA, the Thor's Echo, for 3-year-olds and up, is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for California-bred or sired horses.

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Newstome, Owlette Take Opening Stakes Of Woodbine Meet

Stakes action kicked off at Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario, Canada, on Saturday afternoon with 3-year-old colt Newstome winning the $100,000 Woodstock Stakes and Owlette taking the six-furlong companion Star Shoot for fillies.

With Luis Contreras aboard, Newstome made headlines with a commanding victory in the season's first stakes event for trainer Michael Trombetta and owner Marie Trombetta.

Leaving from the inside, Aye Aye Sir charged out along the rail in the Woodstock with Lookinatamiracle and outsider Untitled looming through a :22.30 first quarter. The outside foes continued to press the pace into the turn and past the :45.14 half-mile mark with Newstome, who had stalked the front-runners early, joining the fray then sprinting away down the stretch for the wide-open win in 1:09.99. He ran off by 5 1/2 lengths, with Untitled chasing in second and Lookinatamiracle edging out Aye Aye Sir for the third-place honours. Striking Moon and Stormy Soul completed the order of finish.

“I got a great trip,” said Contreras afterwards. “He broke running and I was able to save ground and get in the stalk position. In the middle of the turn, I was just loaded with a lot of horse and turning for home, he just 'go.'”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Equivine Farm, the grey Goldencents–Newstouse colt, who won a pair of black type stakes stateside during a $175,000 juvenile campaign, was making his Woodbine debut and now boasts wins in half of his eight career starts.

In addition to picking up the mount on the stakes winner, Contreras is off to a great start to the season with four other victories so far through the first four race days.

“It's been a long wait and the most important thing right now is to stay safe, and stay like that for the whole rest of the meet.”

Sent postward as the 5-1 second choice, Newstome paid $13.90 to win.

Clayton and supplement Muchmorethanthis were scratched and entered in Sunday's ninth race, a $101,200 seven-furlong allowance race.

In the Star Shoot, Owlette set out for the lead from the gate and never looked back, winning her season's debut for jockey Jerome Lermyte and trainer Wesley Ward.

Owlette clocked panels of :22.13 and :44.12 en route to victory 1:09.55 by 1 3/4 lengths over Sovereign Award champion filly Curlin's Voyage, who got up for second off a ground-saving trip. Coach Lori finished third after closing outside of Two Sixty, who was used early and stalked the winner throughout.

New York Groove, Tara Dawn, Ima Beast, Cool Shadows and Take Charge Eh completed the order of finish. Gizmo Flash was scratched, with her connections opting to race in a six-furlong dash on Sunday.

Owlette, who paid $6.50 to win as the slight 2-1 favorite, was successful in her season's debut after winning the Shady Well and Victorian Queen Stakes last year at Woodbine for owner Ted Broeck Farm. Bred in Ontario by Michael Byrne, she now sports a career record reading 4-2-0 in six starts with $235,000 banked in purse earnings.

The Frac Daddy–Itstartswithadream filly made a great first impression on Lermyte, who picked up the mount as Patrick Husbands stayed aboard Curlin's Voyage.

“I had the chance to get on her a few times in the morning and I was very confident, and she proved today that she has the ability,” said Lermyte. “The whole trip she kept me confident. When we turned for home, she was still nice and relaxed. I knew I had more – I had another gear – and I was confident the whole way.”

Commenting on Owlette's ability to stretch out in distance, Lermyte noted that, “She went a mile and sixteenth [last year finishing second in the South Ocean Stakes] and she ran a good race. Wesley puts his horses on point, so you don't have to worry about anything.”

Owlette and Artie's Princess, who won a five-furlong allowance race on Opening Day for Lermyte and Ward, are both nominated to the Woodbine Oaks (August 15) and The Queen's Plate (September 12).

“She [Artie's Princess] gave me a very nice race. I was very happy with her so that's two nice fillies,” said Lermyte.

In other action, Woodbine Oaks eligible Avie's Samurai ($7.90) was an impressive winner in the afternoon's opener, taking the lead in the turn and winning the $101,200 seven-furlong allowance optional claiming sprint by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:24.14. Contreras was aboard the homebred First Samurai–Avie's Sense filly for trainer Josie Carroll and owner Ivan Dalos.

The Queen's Plate nominated Golden Wave won his Woodbine debut with a 1:23.72 effort over seven furlongs in the fourth race, a $123,200 maiden allowance. The Atreides–Tidal Surge colt pressed the pace and turned into the stretch with the lead en route to a two-length victory over Fort Hope for trainer Mike De Paulo and owner Mickey Demers. Justin Stein rode the 13-1 upsetter, who returned $29.30 to win.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Sunday afternoon with an 11-race card beginning at 1 p.m.

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