BRENNAN BATTLE BECKONS
A small but select field of seven is
set to battle Friday in the $30,000 Pat Brennan Memorial
stake for three-and four-year-old colts and geldings.
Five saw action last weekend in prep
races and one, Thisisbliss, came home a winner.
The son of Blissful Hall made it three
in a row with a 1:56 clocking for trainer Wayne Isbister
last Friday.
Boiling Over was also in action Friday,
placing second to the scorching win of El Toro.
Accent Seelster, Stonebridge Camlot and
Dancelikeahos took on older horses last Sunday and acquitted
themselves in fine fashion. Seelster was third, just a neck
from the win, clocking 1:55.2. Camlot was a recent winner in
1:55.2.
Cucomunga last raced on Feb. 24 while
Joe Millionaire has been idle since Feb. 17. However, on
that date the three-year-old son of No Nukes paced to the
win in 1:56.2 for trainer Jim Wiggins.
Three of the leading wagering choices
at post time drew inside sports. Stonebridge Camlot has the
rail, Thisibliss is in the two-hole and Accent Seelster will
start from the three.
Conversely, Joe Millionaire and Boiling
Over will start from the outside, six and seven
respectively.
It should be a close battle – and fun.
DUCA LIKES IT HERE: Duca, a
newcomer to the Fraser Downs arena, is obviously quite happy
with his new surroundings.
Duca captured the open event last
Saturday in his third race since owner Niele Jiwan shipped
him to the Downs from Ontario. In his three starts, all in
the open, Duca now has two wins and a second (by a nose).
The five-year-old son of Western
Hanover was a 4-5 favorite and went gate to wire to win by
half a length in 1:54.1 for trainer/driver Bill Davis.
Duke Is Duke had the two-hole trip
throughout but could only marginally cut into Duca’s lead as
they came down the stretch. Armbro Bach was a strong third
in the field that was reduced to five with the scratches
(sick) of Red Star Senator and Armbro Blacktie.
Duca, who has a lifetime mark of 1:52
set at Woodbine in Toronto, was eighth in the Pepsi North
America Cup consolation. As a three-year-old he won a leg of
the Youthful Pacing Series and was third in the $100,000
Burlington Stakes at Mohawk.
He has now won $17,875 in 2006 and more
than $185,000 in his career.
Jiwan, who has horses racing at
Woodbine, admitted he had watched Duca race a lot. Despite
some blips by Duca, Jiwan thought about claiming him on one
than one occasion.
“He has good breeding (he is by the Cam
Fella mare Five Oclock Cindy),” Jiwan said. “I thought after
awhile, as he was a little horse, that he would be good on
this track (the Downs).
“Then I worked out a deal with his
previous owners and bought him for $35,000.”
Jiwan, “who admits he is having a lot
of fun,” gives the credit to Davis for Duca’s fine start at
Fraser Downs.
COLA SIZZLES: In one of the top
races of last weekend, the non-winners $7,500 last six
starts, Haras Colta Cola with driver/trainer Paul Harrison,
used the two-hole trip to advantage.
The seven-year-old son of Armbro
Operative, picked up his first win of 2006, covering the
mile in 1:55.2.
Colta Cola, traveled the last quarter
in 28.4 seconds, attacking at the head of the stretch and
nipping Hot Venture, who had led from the gate, by a head at
the wire. Accent Seelster used a 28.2 last quarter to finish
just a neck back of the winner.
The top six finishers in the field of
eight charged home in the stretch and were separated by only
2˝ lengths at the wire.
YANKEE MONEY HOT: Yankee Money,
a six-year-old son of Make A Deal, continues to roll in
2006. Trained and driven by Jim Marino (and owned by Jim’s
mom Barbara Landers), Yankee Money, won his second straight
and pushed his 2006 record to 8-4-2-1.
He also covered the mile in a lifetime
best 1:57.3 as he moved up in class again – this time to
$8,000 claimer.
Thisisbliss, a four-year-old son of
Blissfull Hall, last Friday won his third consecutive race
for trainer Wayne Isbister and driver Jim Marino.
Thisisbliss has now won more than $18,000 in 2006.
Alex Gibb-trained horses were sharp
last Friday. Lunar Chipmunk, a six-year-old son of Atomic
Force, won his second in a row for Gibb, and was Terry
Kaufman’s first driving win of 2006. Trulyatyrant, a
six-year-old son of True Tyrant also trained by Gibb and
driven by Marino, won his fourth, in seven starts in 2006.
Rocket Rachael, a four-year-old
daughter of Pacific Rocket, made it two straight victories
for trainer Carol St Amand and driver Rod Therres.
Goldies Eldorado, a 10-year-old
Manitoba-bred son of Reckless Regard, made it three straight
victories last Saturday for trainer/driver Scott Knight.
Goldies Eldorado now has 29 career wins.
Rodeo King, a three-year-old son of
Blissful Hall, lowered his career best to 1:58, for
trainer/driver Serge Masse while U Smooth Operator, a
four-year-old son of Armbro Operative, did the same in
1:58.1 for trainer Paul Urquhart and driver Bill Davis.
Leanback Coco, a three-year-old
daughter of Cambest, made her first start of 2006 a winning
one on Sunday for driver/trainer Serge Masse. It was her
fourth straight victory in as many career starts (her last
win was Nov. 3) and she cruised the mile in a career best
1:57.2.
Red Star Soprano, a five-year-old son
of Barnet Hanover, won his third in four 2006 starts. He
also picked up a new lifetime mark of 1:56.4 for
trainer/driver Barry Treen.
Also covering the mile in career
topping fashion was Dianes Desire for trainer/driver Bill
Davis. The three-year-old daughter of Scruffy Hanover was
clocked in 1:58.3.
THE DUST REMOVED: Red Star Dusty
wins again.
Remember Dusty? The five-year-old son
of Just Camelot out of Blazing Sevens started his racing
career leaving many in his dust.
In the seventh start of his career, as
a two-year-old, he broke his maiden. In his next start, he
captured the Sales Stake for two-year-old colts and
geldings. Two starts later, now a three-year-old, he won the
Stallion Stake. In his next start he was second and then he
won again, this time on March 14, 2004.
He had 12 starts, four wins and more
than $57,000 in earnings.
Then he fell into a bit of a slump. His
next win – last Sunday -- came 52 starts later.
Now owned by Robert Ross of Lumby and
trained by Ann Cooper, Dusty was in a conditioned claimer,
$6,000, non-winners of five. Tim Brown drove him to victory.
It was his eighth start of 2006 and pushed his year earnings
to more than $5,300. He closed to within less than $3,000 of
$100,000 for his career.
Interestingly his time last Sunday was
1:58, just one tick off his career best, set in his previous
victory.
THREE SHARE NICE WEEKEND: Three
of the top drivers at the Downs each had a big day last
weekend but it was not enough to have sole domination of the
weekend.
Jim Marino had five wins on Friday,
Bill Davis had four Saturday and Serge Masse had five
Sunday. However, when the sun sank each had six victories
over the three days.
The six victories did push Marino past
the 100 mark for the meet as he now sits at 101, Davis has
95 while Masse, who dominated the meet early, moved back
into third with 63.
(Masse has the meet-leading URS close
to .400 and win percentage at 30 per cent.)
Gord Abbott had three wins while Tim
Brown and Barry Treen had two apiece.
Terry Kaufman picked up his first
driving win – in only his second start -- of 2006.
Davis led all trainers with five
triumphs, widening his meet-leading total to 56. Masse was
second with three while Wayne Isbister, Mike Glover, Ann
Cooper, Alex Gibb and Treen had two each.
HIP HIP HOVEY! To the surprise
of absolutely no know, except perhaps her, Sharalyn Hovey
has been awarded the Doug Gillespie award for 2005.
Sharalyn, the group sales manager at
Fraser Downs, received the award at the recent annual B.C.
Standardbred Industry awards.
The Doug Gillespie award is in
recognition of the achievements of Gillespie, the original
food service manager of Cloverdale Raceway and Sandown
Raceway.
The award’s criteria for winning
pinpoints the person who demonstrates superior leadership
and service excellence throughout the year. Dedication to
not only Fraser Downs but also their co-workers and the
community is what makes this person stand out among all
others.
Anyone who comes to the Downs, not only
in one of the food service areas, knows the friendly and
capable work of Sharalyn Hovey.
ERNIE GETS LAST SPOT: Ernie
Moroz of New Westminster captured week 10 last Saturday and
completed the field of finalists for the California Dreamin’
Handicapping Contest at Fraser Downs.
Moroz led the way, in a week where big
payoffs prevailed, with a total of $938 and won the $250
weekly prize and the last spot in the final.
June Trachyk had an $815 total and
finished second while June McQuillan was close behind in
third with $798. Edith Mcevoy made it three of the fairer
sex in a row with a $702 total while Ron Miscich placed
fifth at $688.
Others in the final already are Les
Shubrook, Lloyd Burbridge, Len Zurowski, Mark McNulty, Ian
Barrie, Koji Kariya, Tom Mohammed, Art Worsfold and Bob
Kosolofski.
They will compete head-to-head on this
Saturday in the Homestretch Party Zone.
The winner of Saturday’s face-to-face
showdown will take a guest to Santa Anita racetrack in
California for the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.
Each Saturday contestants handicap six
races from the Santa Anita card, races three through eight,
of which three must be handicapped. For each of the three
horses selected, a mythical $20 win/place/show bet will be
placed.
RECORD SALE: At the Fasig-Tipson
Florida select sale of thoroughbred two-year-olds in
training on Feb. 28, the most expensive horse purchase in
racing history took place.
A bay colt by Forestry sold for a world
record price of $16-million, purchased by Demi O'Byrne,
acting on behalf of Coolmore managing partner John Magnier,
Michael Tabor and Derek Smith.
Previously, the most expensive
racehorse ever sold at public auction was a whopping
$13.1-million for Seattle Dancer at the 1985 Keeneland July
selected yearling sale.
The colt was consigned by Dean De Renzo
and Randy Hartley of Florida, who purchased him at the 2005
Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July select auction for only $573,000
from Taylor Made Sales Agency.
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