HorseRacing Central October 2, 2009

DIAMOND FUTURITIES UP NEXT

With the buzz having slowly subsided from a super BC Oaks and BC Derby last weekend at Hastings, we can now move forward to a couple of traditional highlights of our racing season: the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity on Saturday and the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity on Sunday.

Victorious Vye puts her undefeated record on the line Saturday when she takes on Vying Ty Grr in the Sadie Diamond for 2-year-old fillies. The 6 ½ furlong feature has drawn 10 horses and goes as the seventh race. After winning her debut in a maiden special weight race on Aug. 18, Victorious Vye, trained by Rob Gilker, scored a comfortable win in the CTHS Sales Stakes on Sept. 12. Vying Ty Grr was a disappointment (fifth) in the Lassie Stakes on Aug. 26 but in her previous start she won the BC Cup Debutante by more than five lengths.

Clear to Canada could be favoured in Sunday’s Jack Diamond Futurity for 2-year-olds foaled in Canada. The race has drawn 10 horses and goes as the seventh on the card.

Clear to Canada finished second in his second start in the CTHS Sales Stakes. Trained by Terry Clyde, he scored a front-running win with Keveh Nicholls in the irons when he debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight race on Aug. 28. Troy Taylor-trained Dyna Stroll with Mario Gutierrez up is expected to be an early front-runner along with Dino Condilenios’ Locksmith.

CLASH OF THE PACIFIC – OCT. 16

By the time the nine survivors meet in this year’s Clash of the Pacific on Friday, Oct. 16 at Fraser Downs, they will have earned their marching orders.

Elimination races with $10,000 purses are set for back-to-back Friday nights beginning tonight and continuing a week later on Oct. 9. The top nine money earners make it to the $75,000 ‘Clash Final’ on Oct. 16 in what is expected to develop into an epic harness racing showdown.

“The talent is certainly there,” says Fraser Downs Director of Racing Jackson Wittup. “Besides our local elite horses, we’ve got entries from Ontario, Alberta and the U.S. You couldn’t write a better script.”

Wittup says reviewing the Clash of the Pacific lineup is not unlike looking at an all-star roster in the NHL or major league baseball. Grand Bend Turbo, with over $900,000 career earnings primarily on the Ontario circuit, is back after winning the Clash of the Pacific in 2007.

Another Alberta contender is Neal Diamonique, named three-year-old Horse of the Year in 2008 with more than $200,000 in earnings. Weekend Bernie is an Alberta-bred with 33 career victories and $600,000 in lifetime earnings and recently set a track record in Alberta. JJJ Stables, based in B.C., have Ridgeline competing with 8 wins at The Meadows in Pennsylvania and Robert Murphy checks in with Artistically, recently plucked from the Mohawk circuit.

Locals Little Dude Starrbuck and Kiawah are a story within themselves. Little Dude Starrbuck with trainer/driver Scott Knight handling the lines established a Fraser Downs record last week by going gate-to-wire in 1:50.4. The previous record had been set on April 25 by Bill Boden and Monica Hudon’s Kiawah, driven by Dave Hudon in 1:51.2.

STARTING TIME CHANGES

While the regular 7:30 p.m. start time applies tonight at Fraser Downs, there has been a minor adjustment for the following three cards: Saturday, Oct. 3; Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10. Because of 14-card races on those three nights, starting time will be moved up to 7:10 p.m.

WHAT’S ON TAP OUT OF TOWN

Saturday

It’s Breeders’ Cup preview day at Belmont Park, featuring five graded stakes races and more than $3 million in purse money. The fillies and mares start the action at 12:23 p.m. in the $600,000 Beldame. The favourite is the brilliantly-bred Music Note at 2-5. Next up are the sprinters in the $400,000 Vosburgh (12:59 p.m.) with Fabulous Strike and 3-year-old Munnings likely to take most of the support at the mutuels. The older turf specialists then take over with the $600,000 Flower Bowl (1:35 p.m.) for fillies and mares at a mile and a quarter. European influence Moneycantbuylove is 7-2 on the morning line. The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (2:09 p.m.) is next with Gio Ponti the favourite, followed by the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Headliners are two top 3-year-olds Summer Bird and Quality Road to challenge recent runner-up to Rachel Alexandra, Macho Again. The races goes at 2:43 p.m.

It’s opening week at Hawthorne with the premier event being the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup (2:14 p.m.). It features Longacres Mile runner-up Awesome Gem (David Flores) as the second choice behind Midwest stakes star Jonesboro. At Woodbine, the 2-year-olds are in the spotlight in the $125,000 Victorian Queen (11:26 a.m.) and one of the top choices is local owner James Redekop’s Oistins.

Out west at Santa Anita it’s California Cup Day showcasing the best Cal-breds running for over $1 million in purse monies. There are seven stakes on the card with the first going at noon.

Sunday

Belmont has three more key stakes beginning with the 2-year-old grass stars with a “Win-And-You’re-In” opportunity in the Miss Grillo for fillies and the Pilgrim for colts and geldings. Also on the program the older grass milers will go in the Kelso Stakes. At Woodbine there are two added-money events: the $150,000 Carotene (11:27 a.m.) featuring Soul of Nataka owned by Kelowna resident Chuck Fipke; then the $150,000 Durham Cup (1:30 p.m.) with Palladio and Ice Bear as the probable choices.

At Santa Anita, a couple of very important 2-year-old preps will take place with the $300,000 Oak Leaf (3:00 p.m.). A total of 13 hopefuls will travel a mile and a sixteenth in hopes of earning a berth in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and there is another near-capacity gate in the $300,000 Norfolk (4:00 p.m.) as 12 colts and geldings try to get a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 7.