VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Marketway was a convincing winner over Ten Thirty in the $50,000 Boulevard Casino Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Hastings last Sunday. Marketway’s owner, Glen Todd, was convinced enough to send her to Del Mar to point to the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockeys Eurico Da Silva and Patrick Husbands were tied for the most turf wins at the Woodbine meet with 13 apiece heading into this week. They both have a mount in Friday’s third race, a first-level allowance on the grass.
Da Silva will ride Red Eagle, who could be the dominant front-runner in the six-furlong feature. Following a lucrative 2011 campaign under the guidance of trainer Abraham Katryan, Red Eagle is winless in four starts this year, although several of those performances were solid.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A showdown is brewing in the 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture Stakes here next Wednesday evening.
Essence Hit Man, a 5-year-old gelding, was Canada’s champion male sprinter of 2011, and he is again the sheriff in that category, with victories in the Jacques Cartier and Vigil and a second-place in the Highlander during a rare foray over the turf course.
But Essence Hit Man will have a formidable younger gun to deal with in the 4-year-old gelding Eternal Rule.
FORT ERIE, Ontario – Irish Mission, winner of the Woodbine Oaks and runner-up in the Queen’s Plate, will break from post 6 and has been made the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes.
A field of nine was entered for the Prince of Wales at the ceremonial draw here Wednesday with Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte the guest drawmaster.
“It’s a perfect draw this time,” said trainer Mark Frostad, who had watched Irish Mission break from the outside post in the field of 14 for the Queen’s Plate.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Strong Impact ran too good to lose in his last start. Perhaps he will have some better luck on Friday the Thirteenth.
Strong Impact looms the horse to catch and beat in Friday’s seventh at Belmont Park, a $55,000 starter allowance race for horses that have started for a claiming tag of $50,000 or less.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Miss Speed Dating and Unusual Hottie were the victims of their own bad luck in their last starts.
Miss Speed Dating raced in traffic in her last start, on June 21, and finished fourth. Unusual Hottie led into the stretch May 25 and was caught late, finishing third.
They are the leading contenders in an optional claimer over a mile on turf for California-bred fillies and mares at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday evening. Friday’s card is the start of the final weekend of the spring-summer meeting. Del Mar opens Wednesday.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – This is the time of summer when some 3-year-olds who were tried and found wanting in Triple Crown races start to find their way back to spots that better suit their natural capabilities, and Daddy Nose Best could be just such a horse.
The last time that trainer Mick Channon won anything in the United States he was at Yankee Stadium in 1976.
Playing as the 27-year-old captain of the English national soccer team, Channon scored two goals in a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Italy in an exhibition game before more than 40,000.
“That’s probably the last time I was in the States,” Channon said earlier this week. “I had hair in them days.”
Now 63, Channon gave up soccer in 1986 after a 20-year career. He began training Thoroughbreds in 1990.
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