Tag: woodbine

Elysian Field Gives Casse Fourth Woodbine Oaks

Bet down from a 12-1 morning line to be off at less than half that quote, Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field (Hard Spun) stamped her authority on Sunday's Woodbine Oaks–despite some wayward ways in the final eighth of a mile–to give trainer Mark Casse a fourth victory in the first leg of the Canadian Filly Triple Crown and first since Barber's Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) scored in 2014. In partnership with Michael Langlois, Barber also won Sunday's Plate Trial S. with Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman).

With the white-hot Sahin Civaci at the controls, Elysian Field broke without incident from her low draw and raced three back on the fence about midfield and six lengths off the lead as 125-1 Friends for Life (Silent Name {Jpn}) and Fashionably Fab (Silent Name {Jpn}) matched motors up front. Favored Ticker Tape Home (Medaglia d'Oro), impressive winner of the Fury S. June 10 and trying a synthetic route for the first time, found the perfect stalking spot from third. Content to bide his time inside and wait for the runs to come, Civaci slipped Elysian Field some rein as they raced around the turn and the duo loomed a threat as they advanced, but Ticker Tape Home had gone for home three wide at the five-sixteenths and dared them to catch her. But reel her in they did, as Elysian Field rolled up to wrest command about a furlong out, threw her ears in the air and got to playing a bit as if the job was done, but was across the line safely clear. The final time was fractionally faster than that clocked by the colts in the Plate Trial one race earlier.

Dismissed at odds of 47-1 for her debut over the Saratoga turf last August for trainer Bruce Brown, Elysian Field flew home to be second and would have trained on following her private purchase, but for a health scare. Fifth, but placed eighth via DQ on the turf at Gulfstream Jan. 8, she filled the same spot going two turns on the synth in Hallandale Feb. 5. The chestnut graduated by 3 1/4 lengths in her first local try over 6 1/2 furlongs Apr. 30 and was four lengths adrift of Ticker Tape Home in second when last seen in the seven-furlong Fury.

“We bought her a month or two after her first start at Saratoga and we had her here for about two days and she went into the clinic for about a week, almost a little touch and go, colic,” said Casse. “I think it took its toll and we brought her home and she's got bigger and stronger. She's beautiful.”

Next up could be a date with the boys in the Aug. 20 King's Plate, a race won by Lexie Lou en route to Horse of the Year honors eight years ago.

“I want to talk to Barry Irwin from Team Valor, but she's a big, strong filly and I'm extremely happy how we get a month between the Oaks and the King's Plate, so that's important,” said Casse. “Three weeks is tough, so now we get four weeks, and I don't see why she wouldn't.”

Pedigree Notes:

Elysian Field is the 99th worldwide black-type winner for the highly reliable Hard Spun and her broodmare sire Smart Strike–whose daughters are now responsible for a remarkable 165 black-type winners around the world–needs little introduction, especially north of the border. Anderson Farms is also the breeder of Hard Spun's Grade I winner Hard Not to Love.

David Anderson's operation acquired Elysian Field's three-time winning dam for $100,000 in foal to Kantharos at the 2018 Keeneland January Sale and she produced three foals before being sold for $35,000 in foal to Collected at Keeneland November in 2021. The mare dropped a filly in 2022 and a filly by Union Rags this season, both in Kentucky.

Elysian Field's female family includes this year's GI Preakness S. hero National Treasure (Quality Road), SW Ultimate (Speightstown) and recent 'TDN Rising Star' Pirate (Omaha Beach).

 

 

Sunday, Woodbine
WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY BUDWEISER, C$503,000, Woodbine, 7-23, (C), 3yo, f, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:49.83, ft.
1–ELYSIAN FIELD, 121, f, 3, by Hard Spun
                1st Dam: Elysian, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Initiation, by Deputy Minister
                3rd Dam: Proposal, by Mt. Livermore
($50,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $70,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Team Valor International and Gary
Barber; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse;
J-Sahin Civaci. C$300,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, $306,692.
2–Wickenheiser, 121, f, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Game (Fr), by
Montjeu (Ire). ($245,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Clay Scherer, Al & Bill Ulwelling and Kevin Attard; B-Sean
Fitzhenry (ON); T-Kevin Attard. C$100,000.
3–Fortyfiveseventy, 121, f, 3, Perfect Timber–Avall Tale, by
Tale of Ekati. ($4,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O/T-Barbara J. Minshall;
B-Charles Fipke (ON). C$50,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 5.80, 6.35, 50.80.
Also Ran: Me and My Shadow, Ticker Tape Home, Big Brass Bed, Flysofreeashleeb, Courtly Ro, Fashionably Fab, Tito's Calling, Collect Dattt, Delphia, Great Kate, Friends for Life.

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Russell Baze Receives Avelino Gomez Award

Russell Baze has been named the 2023 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. The award, named after the late jockey who died after a three-horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks, 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 Thoroughbred racing.

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Baze was a prominent name on the North American racing circuit for 42 years, finishing as the all-time leader for wins by a jockey. He recorded 12,842 career wins, 270 of them stakes victories, and  paced all North American jockeys in wins a remarkable 13 times.

Baze was inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1999 and earned the George Woolfe Memorial Jockey Award in 2002. Ten years later, he became a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

“When I started out, I was just a kid who enjoyed riding, and I wasn't very good at it either, but as I went along and became a more competent rider, all the accolades that have come my way were something I never even dreamed of,” Baze said. “All I wanted to do was go out there and win as many races as I could and do the best job I could, not only for the owners and trainers, but also the fans.”

To commemorate his lasting contributions to the sport, a life-size statue of Gomez, who called Toronto home and raised a family there, keeps watch over Woodbine's walking ring. A replica is presented to each year's recipient.

The Avelino Gomez Memorial Award ceremony will take place on July 23 at Woodbine, on Woodbine Oaks day.

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Party On Beats The Boys In Debut At Woodbine

1st-Woodbine, C$83,346, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, 5f (AWT), :58.15, ft, 8 3/4 lengths.
PARTY ON (f, 2, Twirling Candy–No Curfew, by Curlin) took on the boys in her debut, going off as the 2-1 choice and going right out to the early lead. Set down through fractions of :22.31 and :45.59, she easily dispatched pressure from Valyrian Sky (Sky Mesa) turning for home and easily the class of the field to the line to win by 8 3/4 lengths. The second impressive 2-year-old filly for Twirling Candy on the day, Party On is out of a half-sister to MGSW India (Hennessy) and her foal, MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}). This is also the family of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini), and GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Party On is her dam's last reported offspring afer No Curfew was barren to both Game Winner and Tapit in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Sales History: $50,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $32,759. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-X-Men Racing 3, Madaket Stables LLC and SF Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Kevin Attard.

 

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Making Waves: Classic-Placed Mare Makes Hay In Canada

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Fev Rover in the GII Nassau S. at Woodbine.

Gutaifan Mare Takes Second Canadian Grade II

The G1 1000 Guineas-placed Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) added her third group/graded win to her resume with an open-length victory in the Nassau S. for Tracy Farmer and trainer Mark Casse (video).

Bred by Manister House Stud, the 5-year-old was a £20,000 Goffs UK Premier yearling turned 695,000gns Tattersalls December purchase in 2021. Her latest siblings are a juvenile filly christened Leveret (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}) and a yearling full-brother. Group 2 winner Nashmeel (Blushing Groom {Fr}) was placed in a trio of top-level races in the U.S. and France prior to foaling GI Yellow Ribbon S. heroine Light Jig (GB) (Danehill), herself the dam of Grade I winner and sire Seek Again (Speightstown).

Gutaifan, who currently stands in France at Haras des Faunes, has sired a trio of stakes winners worldwide, with Fev Rover his first group winner so far. She is his only starter in Canada.

 

 

Sopran Basilea Game At Delaware Park

Madaket Stables LLC & Bill Strauss's Sopran Basilea (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) won the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. at Delaware Park for trainer Graham Motion (video).

A product of Aidan Sexton's breeding programme, the 5-year-old mare sold for €11,000 at the 2018 Goffs November Foal Sale, and won three of Italian stakes races led by the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio for Leonardo Ciampli and trainer Grizzetti Galoppo during her career in Italy. Sent through the Deauville ring during the Arqana December Sale, she was snapped up by her current connections for €300,000 last year, and was runner-up in the GIII Gallorette S. at Pimilco in May. The fifth winner out of Kathy Best (Ire) (King's Best), Sopran Basilea has The Irish Rover (Ire) half-siblings born in 2021 (colt) and 2022 (filly). The extended family has thrived in Italy, which includes recent multiple group winner Plusquemavie (Ire) (Kheleyf).

The winner is Darley stallion Night Of Thunder's second graded scorer in the U.S. after GIII Athenia S. heroine Pocket Square (GB). Overall in that jurisdiction, he has six winners from nine runners (66%) and three stakes winners (33%).

 

 

Lope De Vega Filly Graduates At Belmont

Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables LLC's No Show Sammy Jo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won a Belmont maiden at second asking for Graham Motion (video).

Bred by Fittocks Stud and St Albans Bloodstock, the daughter of Shomaria (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) was purchased for 150,000gns as a Tattersalls Book 1 yearling in 2021. Tracing to the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}), No Show Sammy Jo is the first foal out of her placed dam. Her Dark Angel (Ire) juvenile half-brother sold for 14,000gns to Meadowview Stables as a Book 2 yearling and she is also a half-sister to a weanling filly by Palace Pier (GB).

Lope De Vega has sired 36 winners from 67 runners (54%) in North America, with five of them scoring in stakes (7%) to date. Since the first of the year, the Ballylinch stallion is responsible for 11 stakes winners across seven countries led by G1 Tancred S. winner Arapaho (Fr).

Honourable Mentions:

Wise Racing LLC's Turf King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who was mentioned in our Feb. 18 column, became the 67th stakes winner and 40th graded/group winner worldwide for his Juddmonte sire in Woodbine's all-weather GIII Marine S. on July 1 for trainer Chad Brown (video).

Brown also trained Klaravich Stables' Program Trading (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to win a Belmont affair and improve his record to a perfect two-for-two near the end of June (video).

 

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