A Race Close to My Heart

The Woodbine Mile holds a special place in my heart which in a way is very wierd. I don't like in Canada where Woodbine is or have ever been there. But there's just something about the race that makes me very interested. It could be that Kip Deville finished second in the race before taking the BC Mile, or that Leroidesanimaux won before bombing in the Mile, or it could be that I just love a mile race on the grass. Whatever it is, this is one of my favorite races in the year. A new Woodbine Mile Champion will be crowned on Sunday. Before we look foward to this year's race, lets look back at Ventura's win last year.



Here is this year's field:

10th (5:42)
Woodbine Mile S. (G1)
1 Mile (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $1,000,000
Post # Horse Jockey Weight Claim Price Equip. Med.
1 Crowded House (GB) Rosario J 117 L
2 Victor's Cry Nakatani C S 124 L
3 Zifzaf Leparoux J R 117 L
4 Court Vision Albarado R J 124 L
5 Straight Story Maragh R 117 L
6 Smokey Fire Jones J 121 L
7 Signature Red Da Silva E R 121 L
8 Auteur Smith M E 117 L
9 Riviera Cocktail Prado E S 117 L
10 Woodbourne Sutherland C 117 L
11 The Usual Q. T. Espinoza V 124 L
12 Famous Name (GB) Smullen P J 119 FTL
13 Grand Adventure Husbands P 121 L

I''m not going to get into usual analyzing the race since this week (that won't be returning until the BC). However I will pick a winner right now. I'm going with my heart and going with Court Vision with Smokey Fire a very close second. I would not be suprised if The Usual Q.T. wins, but I'm just not a fan of his.  More importantly, I hope that all the horses return safe and sound.

2009 Favorite Races: North of the Border

Over the past few weeks I've been sharing some of my favorite races of 2009. Today's race is actually two races, one of them is a restricted stakes for CAN breds and the other is a G1. Today's races are the Woodbine Oaks and the Woodbine Mile.

First off the Woodbine Oaks, where Milwaukee Appeal stole the show. Ridden by 2004 KY Derby winner Stewart Elliot, the daughter of Milwaukee Brew was able to hold off the slow starting Tasty Temptation.



Milwaukee Appeal would go on to finish third in the Queen's Plate and second in the Prince of Wales losing by a nose, she was also second in the Alabama behind Careless Jewel.

The second race is the Woodbine Mile, the second race to feature Ventura, instead me telling you about it I'll let you see it :).



Of course Ventura went on to finish second in the BC F/M Sprint before wrapping up her career in the Matriarch with a win.

I'll be back next Friday with two more 09 Favorite races. I'll have a post next week (hopefully).

2009 Favorite Races: Matriach Stakes

Over the past few weeks I've been sharing some of my favorite races from the past week. This week is a special one with Christmas coming up (and to make up for not doing one last week) you are not getting one, not two, but three of my favorite races. Today is the most recent of them the Matriarch Stakes.

She was a daughter of a cancer victim, he passed away from cancer. Together Bobby Frankel and Ventura made history. The daughter of Chester House was one of Frankel's favorite horses, and was the defending Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Champion. Unfortanlly new fresh blood came in to beat her not once, but twice. While Informed Decidsion walked away with a BC win and future Eclipse, it's Ventura who retires as Bobby's last wish.

After her second place finish in her defence of the F/M Sprint, Bobby reccomended that she be pointed to the Matriach which was held during Hollywood's Turf Festival. With his asst. Huberto Ascanio now in charge, Ventura started getting prepared for the race. Unfortanlly during the preperation, Bobby lost his battle with cancer. Venutra would go off as the post time and sentimental favorite. She would not disapoint as she sat third behind Tuscan Evening and took the lead at the top of the stretch to win going away. Here is the video from the race:



Venutra will be bred next year, her mate has not been chossen at this time.

I'll be back tomorrow with another Favorite Race! And it's a good one too :).

How Time Flies

It just feels like yesterday that I started this blog, however next month (January 28 to be exact) is will be one year since I began my journey on this blog. And what a year it's been,

the up and down on the Triple Crown trail
Well Armed's Dubai World Cup win
Rachel Alexandra's amazing 20 length romp in the Oaks
Mine That Bird's 50-1 shocker in the Derby
The previously mentioned Rachel and MTB's heartstopping Preakness
Zenyatta's much anticpated 5yo debut
Summer Bird sweeping the "Big Three" NY G1's
Sea the Stars' Arc
Rachel's heartstopping Woodward
Rachel's Haskell
Zenyatta's amazing BC Classic win
Rule breaking his maiden and setting a track record
Ventura's very popular Matriach win
Unbridled Belle's Obeah and Turn Back the Alarm
Swift Temper's Delaware Handicap and Ruffian wins
Careless Jewel's amazing Alabama and Delaware Oaks wins
Icon Project's uber impressive Personal Ensign

There are many other races that I could put here, but that would take ages to compleate. One thing is for sure, this is a year that no one will forget.

So what to expect in 2010? I haven't decided yet, there maybe a road trip to an undisclosed location where there is a pretty well known track, but plans have not been written in stone yet. There might also be a trip to Pimlico to see the Preakness (TBD if I can convince a non horse racing friend of mine to come with me, then we are all set!). I'll have my favorite race of the year post up tomorrow, followed by on Friday with a preview of that night's Delta Jackpot which features my boy Rule.

Wins for Bobby

I hadn't planned to post tonight as there is one more G1 this weekend tomorrow at Hollywood. However, I thought I would share a great weekend Humberto Ascanio had the past two days. While his name may not sound fermiler, his late boss' name should. That's because Humberto's late boss is the late Bobby Frankel who lost his battle with cancer last week.

Yesterday and Today where the first two days of Hollywood's Turf Festival, and Humberto sent out not one, but two winners.

In yesterday's G1 Citation, Fluke sprang the upset and his stablemate Proudinsky who finished fourth.



However it was today's G1 Matriach that had tears down my eyes. Last year's BC Filly/Mare Sprint winner Ventura ended her career on a high note. Not only did she win the race, but she did it in a stakes record time as well. While Fluke was a great win, I'm sure this one means more as Bobby loved his fillies and Ventura was one of his favorites. Huge congrats to Fluke and Ventura's connections, Fluke is expected to stay in training, while Ventura will be heading to the breeding shed.

Here is Ventura's Matriach win:



The Japan Cup is tonight (it's already tomorrow in Japan), with three Americans Just as Well, Interpratation and Marsh Side compeating. Plus future Japannese stallion Conduit and defending HOY Vodka. I gotta go with Vodka, I mean it is the Year of the Girl after all, plus this is more then likely her finale. Hollywood Derby tomorrow, with my boy Take the Points. As for today, somewhat of a bust as Pyro, Vineyard Haven both fell to Kodiak Kowboy in the Cigar, Citrus Kid was a respectival third in the Remsen, Stardom Bound fell to Flashing in her dirt debut in the Gazelle.

Not really a Weekend review this week, however I will recap the Hol. Derby on Monday or Tuesday.

Breaking news (10:11 PM): Guess whose hurt, I give you a clue. The first part of his name is a season. If you guessed Summer Bird, you would be absolutly right. Newest addition to the Chestnut and Grey Heartthrobs (a series that I will be starting this upcoming week), he suffered a non life threatning leg fracture in Japan. This could be the worst serenerio to happen to the Awesome Threesome (him, Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra). Hopefully he'll be okay and will be able to return, but with fractures you never know what will happen.

The Year of the Female

First there is Zenyatta winning with heart and class on the West Coast and of course Rachel Alexandra in the East, add in the super 4yo Goldkovia and "undefeated" 3yo Stacelita in Europe (undefeated is in quotes as in her last race she was elevated from second after Dar Re Mi was DQ'ed), and of course the boy beating 2yo Necssary Evil (who is on the sidelines right now with an injury.

The Year of the Female continued today with Ventura's win in the Woodbine Mile. She not only beat Rahy's Attorney who she lost to last year, but she beat Bribon, who outside of Gio Ponti could be the best older male in the US. And while this was a win and your in for the BC Mile (Turf), from what I read, she will go to BC Filly and Mare Sprint where she is the defending champion.

Here is her win from today:



So you have the following fillies have won or finished in the top three in open company in North America. Please keep in mind I know I'm probley missing a few.

Rachel Alexandra- wins in the Preakness, Haskell and Woodward
Allicansay is Wow- 2nd Del Mar Mile
Lethal Heat- 3rd Del Mar Mile
Ventura- 2nd Kilore Mile and win in the Woodbine Mile
Necesary Evil- win in the Hollywood Juvenile
Evita Argentina- win in the San Vincente
Life is Sweet- 3rd Hollywood Gold Cup

With her win today, it flatters... Gio Ponti who beat her by a nose earlier this year in the Kilore.

In other news: Forever Together lost a heartbreaker today also at Woodbine, while stablemate Just As Well won the Northern Dancer via DQ.

Next weekend is another light one, and then the weekend after that the final major preps for the Breeder's Cup begin. Can Macho Again become the latest horse to get his heart broken by Rachel and come back to win? We'll have to wait and see!