FORT ERIE, Ontario – Jockey Real Simard started his 2010 racing season at Fort Erie wondering how things would work out, since it was his first venture outside Western Canada.
Simard, 45, is a native of northern Alberta and had won over 2,000 races since the mid-80s, primarily at Northlands Park in Edmonton and Stampede Park in Calgary.
“I decided it was time for a change,” said Simard, “and now that Stampede Park in Calgary is closed, it was the proper time to assess my future.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Points of Grace hadn’t had a break in more than nine months when she finished a close fourth here in last year’s Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes. Now, after getting the winter off, Points of Grace is a much fresher runner and appears to have hit her best stride coming into Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
“She’s going into the race in as good order as she can be,” said Malcolm Pierce, who trains Points of Grace.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Crowded House was supplemented to Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile, at a cost of $20,000. But that could turn out to be money well spent if Crowded House can capture the Woodbine Mile and pick up a cool $600,000.
Ben Cecil, who conditions Crowded House for the partnership of Paul Reddam, Peter and Carmen Burrell and Jonathan Harvey, was on hand here Friday to watch his colt gallop 1 1/4 miles over the Polytrack surface.
“He’s not the greatest-moving horse I’ve ever seen,” said Cecil. “For him, that looked pretty good.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Marsh Side will continue his march towards the Canadian International on Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf, the supporting feature on the Woodbine Mile card.
Marsh Side captured last year’s running of the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer over Just as Well and Champs Elysees. He went on to finish fourth in the Grade 1, $2 million International, a race that he won at 29-1 in 2008.
Marsh Side was in mediocre form prior to his last outing here in the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes, which he won convincingly over a course labeled soft.
Trainer James Jackson has proven to be tops in juvenile racing at Pinnacle Race Course this meet, winning 5 races from just 10 starters in 2-year-old races. Saturday he will saddle three of the nine fillies in the 34th running of the Sickle's Image Stakes, named for the 1953 American champion handicap mare who had strong Michigan ties. Post time for the Michigan-bred fixture, which is contested at six furlongs, is 4:46 p.m. Eastern.
Something akin to the Aesop fable "The Hare and the Tortoise" will take place Saturday afternoon at Finger Lakes when defending champion Lovely Daniella and stretch-out sprinter Gold for the Queen are rematched in the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap.
Classic Ramona will attempt to win the $84,000 Richmond at Hoosier Park for the second consecutive year Saturday. A 5-year-old mare trained by David Paulus, Classic Ramona comes into the 1 1/16-mile event off a two-month layoff. The same pattern worked for Paulus in 2009 when Classic Ramona wired the field at 7-1.
ELMONT, N.Y. – “We’re ready now.”
Those were the words of trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. Thursday morning after Rail Trip worked six furlongs in 1:11.97 over Aqueduct’s main track in preparation for a start in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 2.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Saturday card at Arlington Park is reminiscent of this entire meet: Short and green.
Arlington already has run a record number of turf races this meet, and the number of turf sprints carded here this summer also has risen to an all-time high. The two open allowance races on Saturday’s program, race 4 for first-level allowance horses and race 8 for second-level optional $40,000 claimers, both are carded for five furlongs on the grass.
Just as Well and Rahy’s Attorney, a pair of turf specialists with Grade 1 credentials at Woodbine on their r é sum é s, could have run at the top level again this weekend in Sunday’s Woodbine Mile. But instead, both will try to rebuild their confidence against slightly softer competition in Saturday’s $250,000 Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President’s Cup at Parx Racing.