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Munnyfor Ro Overcomes Wide Trip to Take Woodbine Oaks

Munnyfor Ro (Munnings) completed a quick-fire stakes double for her outstanding sire, overcoming a tough trip from a double digit gate to take out Sunday's C$500,000 Woodbine Oaks in Toronto.

Settled behind midfield through the opening furlongs, the $65,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase traveled four and five off the inside–though with some cover–down the backstretch and began working into it entering the final half-mile. Four deep for the run around the second turn, she sustained a long run despite the ground loss, hit the front in upper stretch and stayed on nicely to defeat Emmeline (Violence). Il Malocchio (Souper Speedy) was third. Minutes earlier, Munnings's Miss Alacrity stormed to victory in the Colleen S. at Monmouth Park.

Munnyfor Ro broke her maiden in career start number five over the Keeneland turf course while under the care of Brian Lynch ahead of a third to Gam's Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) in a first-level Churchill allowance May 8. Sixth to that foe in the GIII Regret S., Munnyfor Ro was a latest runner-up in the GIII Selene S. over this Tapeta track July 10.

“We were expecting a good performance out of her,” said winning trainer Kevin Attard. “She came up here this season in good shape from [trainer] Brian Lynch–had a great campaign over the winter time. She ran a fabulous race in the Selene. I thought she'd move off that race forwardly enough to kind of be really competitive here today. Had a good interim breeze and put it all together.”

For owner Rajendra Maharajh, it was a perfect day from start to finish.

“It's just a wonderful story and today's my mom's 80th birthday,” shared Maharajh. “Everybody is here with us, so it's a family day and a lovely day.”

Munnyfor Ro could take on the boys in the Aug. 22 Queen's Plate over a mile and a quarter, according to Attard, but would need to be supplemented to that first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

The winner's stakes-winning second dam is a full-sister to GI Ashland S. winner Little Belle, who has since gone on to produce Grade I-winning turf distaffer Dickinson (Medaglia d'Oro). Repartee is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Retort (Liam's Map) and a yearling filly by Unified.

Saturday, Woodbine
WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY BUDWEISER, C$500,800, Woodbine, 8-1, (C), 3yo, f, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.31, ft.
1–MUNNYFOR RO, 121, f, 3, by Munnings
                1st Dam: Repartee, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Dubai Dancer, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Dubai Belle, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. ($65,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Raroma
Stable; B-Daybar, LTD. (ON); T-Kevin Attard; J-Justin Stein.
C$300,000. Lifetime Record: GSP, 9-2-2-2, $320,985.
2–Emmeline, 121, f, 3, Violence–Babcock, by Uncle Mo.
($16,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-RCC Racing Stable Ltd. & Realm
Racing Stables; B-William D. Graham (ON); T-John Mattine.
C$100,000.
3–Il Malocchio, 121, f, 3, Souper Speedy–Egbert Bay, by Sligo
Bay (Ire). O/B-Franco S. Meli (ON); T-Martin Drexler.
C$50,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, 4 3/4. Odds: 3.35, 8.15, 13.00.
Also Ran: Youens, Curlin's Catch, Miss Marie, Erasmo's Girl, Lorena, Jilli Marie, Lady Moonshine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Da Silva Named 2021 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award Winner

Eurico Rosa da Silva, one of Canadian Thoroughbred racing's most accomplished riders and popular personalities, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. The Gomez Award is given to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport. It is named in memory of one of the sport's most heralded and loved performers. The Cuban-born Gomez died of complications after a three-horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks.

“What a nice surprise. Jessica Buckley [Woodbine Entertainment SVP, Standardbred & Thoroughbred Racing] called and told me,” da Silva said. “I was so happy. I didn't expect this, but I feel very lucky. This is a great award. I am so thrilled. I feel like I know Avelino. I have heard so many stories about him. I've heard how great he was as a rider and how the fans loved him. So, to win this award that is named after one of the best riders, it is amazing.”

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, da Silva launched his career in his homeland before moving to Macau. He recorded his first Woodbine victory on May 20, 2004, first topped the track's jockey standings in 2010 and won the riding title from 2015-2019. In 2018, he set the record for most wins in a single meet at Woodbine with 237 victories. A seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's Outstanding Jockey, he also has victories in all three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown and racked up 2,286 total victories in his career.

Although presented annually on Woodbine Oaks day at Woodbine, this year's ceremony will take place Sept. 19 at Woodbine. With attendance currently limited to due COVID-19 restrictions, the September date will allow more fans to share in the festivities.

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McPeek Contests Decision to Deny His Entries

When his barn at Saratoga was placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus, trainer Ken McPeek assumed his horses would be allowed to race starting Aug.1, the day the quarantine was due to be lifted. Instead, none of his entries for the Aug. 1, 4 and 5 cards were accepted because, McPeek was told, the horses were still under quarantine at the time entries were taken.

While it is too late to get his horses entered into the upcoming cards in question, McPeek, through his attorney Drew Mollica, has appealed and demanded a hearing over the matter, which Mollica charges, has caused his client “irreparable harm caused by the arbitrary and capricious denial of the ability to enter eligible horses trained by McPeek in races at Saratoga Racecourse …”

“Understanding that it is too late for these horses to run in these races, there are two very good reasons for doing what we are doing,” Mollica said. “First, McPeek feels aggrieved by the lack of respect shown for him and his owners and for fellow horsemen confronted with this situation. His position is that this just can't be. Secondly, we seek equitable relief, whatever that may be. We are seeking some relief. McPeek and his owners followed every protocol, did everything they were asked. They were committed to racing, trained for these races and had no opportunity to run. At some point, McPeek would like someone to be held accountable.”

Mollica listed seven horses McPeek had intended to run over the three days in question. He has not started a horse in Saratoga since July 15, the opening day of the meet.

Mollica said that McPeek and his owners were put on public notice by the commission that the horses affected by the quarantine would be released from quarantine and permitted to race starting Sunday, Aug. 1. Instead, the entries were denied. That led to Mollica reaching out to the stewards on July 30, some 3 ½ hours before the Aug. 3 card was drawn, in hopes that a hearing could be held and the McPeek horses could begin running as soon Aug. 4. He said he sent emails and placed phone calls to Gaming Commission steward Braulio Baeza Jr. and to the commission itself, none of which were returned.

“All New York horsemen need to know what the rules are,” Mollica said. “As I wrote in my letter, when the Gaming Commission created this protocol they were well aware that entries for August 1 and beyond took place prior to August 1. It's understood that if you are going to enter the population August 1, entries for August and beyond took place prior to August 1. To come up with an explanation that McPeek's horses were ineligible to run is completely illogical.”

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Empire Maker Filly Flies Home First Time Out

2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-1, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.77, fm, head.
BLISSFUL (f, 2, Empire Maker–Belleski {MGSW, $374,586}, by Polish Numbers) flashed some ability in her morning trials over the Keeneland main track last month, including a sharp half-mile gate move in :47 4/5 (3/62) in her penultimate move July 14. Off at an overlaid 32-5 off a 7-2 morning line, the attractive bay filly hopped slightly at the break and was clearly last to make the first turn before setting into a good rhythm at the tail for the in-form Luis Saez. Creeping into it down the backstretch while stalking favored Silvery Rill (War Front x Stays In Vegas) in her slipstream, Blissful appeared to idle some about three furlongs out, but jumped back into the bridle under an energetic ride approaching the quarter pole. Despite surrendering first run to Silvery Rill, Blissful found her best stride inside the final eighth of a mile and finished with a flourish to score by a narrow margin. A $155,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling, Blissful breezed an eighth of mile–a touch greenly–in :10 2/5 and was hammered down for $350,000 at this year's OBS April Sale. A late April foal, Blissful is a full-sister to Keri Belle, GSW, $323,140, who broke her maiden in her first try on turf at odds of nearly 10-1 at Aqueduct in 2014 before going on to land the GIII Megahertz S. at Santa Anita in 2016. Belleski, who also graduated in her first go on the grass prior to becoming a dual graded-stakes winning turf sprinter, is the dam of a yearling filly named Sparrow (Into Mischief). She was barren to Klimt for this season. Sales history: $155,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT;$350,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Belladonna Racing LLC, Manganaro Bloodstock & Edward J Hudson Jr; B-Thoreau LLC & Empire Maker Syndicate (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.

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