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Multiple Safety-Related Violations Results in 4 1/2-Month Suspension for Jockey Salles

After racking up three safety-related riding penalties–two of which caused racing accidents within the first four weeks of the meet–jockey Leo Salles has been suspended by the Woodbine Racetrack stewards through Dec. 5.

Salles, 27, a Brazilian native who has previously ridden in the Middle East, told the Toronto Sun that he accepted responsibility for the latest accident on July 11 and won't be appealing the ruling, although he did term the suspension as overly harsh.

“I think I deserve some days, but I just think it was extreme,” Salles told the Sun. “I apologized. I care about my [jockey] friends. I just think it is part of horse racing. We know this game is dangerous and this could happen to everybody.”

Salles's 2020 season at Woodbine also ended prematurely because he had to sit out a 45-day suspension issued for “endangering the health and safety of another jockey and his horse” in an Aug. 9 race.

On Woodbine's 2021 season-opening card June 12, Salles racked up suspensions in back-to-back races: One was for three days for causing interference. The other was for 10 days for causing a spill that sent Rafael Hernandez, last year's leading rider at Woodbine, to the hospital with a hairline vertebra fracture.

On July 11, Salles's 58-1 maiden mount appeared to be out of contention near the back of the pack when he angled the horse outside but not clear of a tiring rival on the far turn, causing heels to clip and Keveh Nicholls to be thrown to the track (Nicholls resumed riding later that week).

Salles has a 2-for-39 riding record at the current Woodbine meet. He told the Sun that this season has been a “nightmare” for him.

“I just think my riding style doesn't match with the rules they have up here,” Salles added.

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Shaun Bridgmohan, Antonio Gallardo Shift Tack To Woodbine

Veteran jockeys Shaun Bridgmohan and Antonio Gallardo have both shifted their tack to Woodbine for the 2021 season, reports the Daily Racing Form, where they will be represented by agent Tom Patton. Patton formerly represented the recently-retired six-time Sovereign Award-winner Eurico Rosa da Silva.

Bridgmohan had been riding the Kentucky circuit, while Gallardo was most recently based at Presque Isle.

“I think the caliber of riders here has just shot up,” Patton told DRF. “When you've won as many races as Shaun, I don't care who you are, you're pretty good, and he's been riding against the best. He's been second in the Kentucky Derby, and second in Breeders' Cup races. He's done it all.

“Antonio has been the second-leading rider in North America twice in wins. In the last seven years, he's been in the top six five times. I think they're both really good riders.”

Bridgmohan began his Canadian tenure on Sunday, while Gallardo's first mounts come on Thursday's card.

Cupid Represented by First Winner at Woodbine

6th-Woodbine, C$77,590, Msw, 7-18, 2yo, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:04.59, ft, nose.
FEELTHEBEAT (c, 2, Cupid–Shelby's Song, by Songandaprayer) was third, beaten just a head in a blanket finish, in his five-furlong debut at Churchill June 4. Favored at 8-5 while adding blinkers in this move to the synthetic, the dark bay colt jumped out to the early lead and was in control while zipping through fractions of :21.91 and :44.89. He extended his advantage in upper stretch, but tired noticeably before just holding off the late-rushing Heat Merchant (Kobe's Back) to graduate by a nose and become the first winner for his freshman sire (by Tapit). Feelthebeat, who RNA'd for $60,000 as a KEESEP yearling, worked a furlong in :10 1/5 before selling for $47,000 at this year's OBS March sale. Shelby's Song produced colts by Girvin in 2020 and 2021. She sold for $3,500 at this year's OBS Winter sale. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $40,538.
O-Trinity Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Brad & Misty Grady (FL); T-Norman McKnight.

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Avie’s Flatter Chases Connaught Cup Crown Sunday At Woodbine

Multiple stakes winner Avie's Flatter, who cruised to victory in his return to action in June, faces eight rivals on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in Sunday's Grade 2 $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes, at Woodbine.

Bred and owned by Ivan Dalos (Tall Oaks Farm), the five-year-old son of Flatter, trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, romped to an impressive 5 ¼-length score over the Tapeta on June 13 at Woodbine.

The victory, at seven furlongs, was the first race in nearly a year for Avie's Flatter, whose previous outing was a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup last July.

Sporting a record of 5-3-2 from 14 starts, the bay's most recent effort had Dalos beaming.

“It was nice to see him come back. You always hope for that kind of effort, but you never know. We always knew he was a good horse. Last year wasn't a good year for him. He had all kinds of problems, but it looks like he's back to his old self.”

Avie's Flatter won his career debut by 2 ½ lengths on the main track at Woodbine in August 2018. He then rallied to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes on the Toronto oval turf one month later.

He ended his two-year-old campaign with consecutive wins at Woodbine, taking the Cup and Saucer Stakes by 5 ¼ lengths on the grass in October and the Coronation Futurity by a half-length in November, en route to Sovereign Award honours as Canada's champion two-year-old male.

The Ontario-bred made his three-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes in April 2019 following a 4 ½-month layoff. He rallied to win the 1 1/16-mile turf by a half-length.

That 2019 season yielded a second in the first two jewels of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, respectively, before a third in the final jewel, the Breeders' Stakes.

In three 2020 appearances, Avie's Flatter finished third in an allowance race in June, second in the Grade 2 Eclipse on July 4 and fourth in the Seagram Cup just over three weeks later.

“When he was a two-year-old and he started breezing, he showed that he had talent,” remembered Dalos. “When you breed a horse, you always hope you breed a good one, but they don't all turn out to be like that. I don't recall him being a troublesome horse. I think he was pretty mature. He always had a good mind.”

Dalos is hoping for a repeat of his latest performance, the first victory in 26 months for Avie's Flatter, who is a half-brother (same dam, different sire) to Canadian classic winner Avie's Mineshaft.

“That would be nice to see. Hopefully, he can come up with the same type of race he had in his last start.”

Trainer Mark Casse, who won the 2015 Connaught with Lockout, sends out Chuck Willis, Olympic Runner, Proven Strategies and Tap It to Win. Silent Poet, trained by Nicholas Gonzalez for Stronach Stables, is back to defend his title.

Hall of Fame jockey Robin Platts has won a record eight editions of the Connaught, including back-to-back runnings (1968-69) with James Bay. Plate Glass won the two first runnings, in 1912 and 1913.

The Connaught Cup is race 7 on Sunday's 12-race card.

First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $175,000 CONNAUGHT CUP

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Avie's Flatter – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

2 – Silent Poet – Justin Stein – Nicholas Gonzalez

3 – Olympic Runner – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

4 – Tap It to Win – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Proven Strategies – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

6 – Gray's Fable – Gary Boulanger – Roger Attfield

7 – Holiday Stone – David Moran – George Weaver

8 – Chuck Willis – Kazushi Kimura– Mark Casse

9 – Eskiminzin – Slade Callaghan – Carlos Grant

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