Trip Notes for Oct. 18-19: Raven Run, Canadian International, E.P. Taylor and more...
Saturday, October 18
Keeneland - Raven Run (race 9)
COMMENT: Taris had romped in three of her four starts. She had won on Aqueduct’s inner, on Laurel dirt and on Presque Isle synthetic last time Sept. 10 after six months off after fading to sixth in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn. She showed herself the real deal with a smashing performance here. She used her speed to go right out to the lead, took some pressure from Miss Behaviour, dispatched with that rival on the far turn, opened up into the lane and kicked clear to win in a romp. The Breeders’ Cup is definitely not in her plans, according to her trainer. This run stamps her a potential big-shot 4-year-old filly come 2015. Sweet Whiskey lagged back, came with a nice run, and while no threat to the romping winner ended up clear of the rest. Thank You Marylou was very slow into stride from her rail post, pitched wide into the lane and finished decently, though the winner was already long gone. La Madrina, the favorite after two big wins in New York this summer, lagged back but never mustered a run.
Sunday, October 19
Woodbine - Canadian International (race 6)
COMMENT: A couple Euros were favored here and while one got the job done, Hillstar, the other, the more fancied of the pair, Brown Panther, made the long journey from Europe for nothing as he dumped his rider in the post parade, ran off and had to be scratched. Hillstar, the favorite coming off a Group 3 win in England after four straight seconds (including one to Brown Panther in a Group 2 in May), bided his time in fifth, surged to the lead into the lane and kept on to keep hard-trying Big Blue Kitten at bay in the final sixteenth. Big Blue Kitten was just behind the winner from the start, didn’t accelerate as quickly as that foe but got going in the lane to take up the chase and finished second. Dynamic Sky, a sharp rallying second in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer here last month, was last early after a troubled start, moved a bit closer going to the far turn and came with a nice run in the lane but was never really a threat to the top pair. The Pizza Man, fifth in the Northern Dancer after winning five straight in Illinois, volleyed for the lead with Reporting Star, was still fighting with that foe into the lane when the winner surged past and weakened a bit in the final furlong.
Woodbine - Nearctic (race 8)
COMMENT: Caspar Netscher, coming off a string of not-so-hot outings in England, found this venue and company to his liking, powering home for the win. He lagged back while Black Hornet set a strong pace, came with a strong run into the lane to reel in Black Hornet, and was edging away at the line. Black Hornet seemed to flourish in his turf debut as he cut fast splits, held a big lead in midstretch but couldn’t quite fend off the winner. Calgary Cat, winner of the Grade 3 Bold Venture on the main track here last month and sent off the tepid 3-1 favorite, came with a decent rally through the lane to nearly get second. Excaper, ninth as the favorite in this race last year, stalked in third, loomed a threat in midstretch but couldn’t sustain his run.
Woodbine - E. P. Taylor (race 10)
COMMENT: The Euros all three of the day’s big events as Just the Judge overcame a bad start to win this race as the favorite. She stumbled badly at the start, nearly losing rider Jamie Spencer. She managed to gather herself and settled toward the back as fellow Euro invader Wall of Sound set a modest pace. She steadily advanced, had to wait for room, bulled her way through into the lane, came with a strong run in midstretch to grab the lead and prevailed over hard-charging fellow European shipper Odeliz. While it’s a quick turnaround her connections are still targeting the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita in a couple weeks. Odeliz, who ran second a neck ahead of Just a Judge in an English Group 3 June 6, sat last early after getting bumped hard at the start, was still just behind the winner turning for home, didn’t accelerate quite as quickly but got going strongly late only to fall a bit short while well clear of the rest. Deceptive Vision, the top local hope after a game win in the customary prep for this, the Grade 2 Canadian here Sept. 14, stalked the pace early, moved up to challenge Wall of Sound going down the backstretch, tried to battle back when hooked by the winner into the lane, and kept to her task to just hold third. Wall of Sound was no match for the top two but stayed on gamely and only missed the show by a neck.