        |
|
 |
Hong Kong Jockey Challenge Hong Kong Cup Entries Hong Kong Cup woeks Closing Day at Del Mar Japan Cup & Cattleya |
|
|
 Piper's Gift with jockey Rafael Hernandez heads to the winner's circle after the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. |
With just 2 weeks remaining in the Woodbine Thoroughbred season, there are few stakes opportunities left as many of the top stables have begun to ship south for the winter. On Saturday the major 2-year-old preps for next year's Woodbine Oaks and King's Plate were conducted after sunset, under cloudy skies and a post time temperature of 0 C (32 F) but wind chills of -3 C (27 F). The $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes featured Canadian-foaled 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta. Piper's Gift was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the field of 8 off her 5 1/2 length romp in the Glorious Song Stakes on October 12. In to challenge her included 9-2 second choice Bells of Paradise off her debut win on November 1, and 11-2 third choice Katie's Grace, third in the Mazarine Stakes (G3) after winning her debut.
 Piper's Gift takes the lead in the stretch. |
Jockey Fraser Aebly sent Bells of Paradise to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.63, 49.95, and 1:14.82 while pressed by 65-1 longest shot Ashlee B and stalked by Piper's Gift. Turning for home, Bells of Paradise continued to lead to the 1/8 pole but Piper's Gift, confidently ridden by Rafael Hernandez, came out 4 wide for room and rallied by to win by 4 1/2 lengths over late-running Katie's Grace in 1:46.39. It was a neck back to Ashlee B third.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 4 Piper's Gift Hernandez 2.90 2.10 2.10 7 Katie's Grace Munger 3.50 2.90 3 Ashlee B Gaskin 7.30 Winning Time: 1:46.39 $2 Exacta 4-7 10.50 $2 Trifecta 4-7-3 180.40 $2 Superfecta 4-7-3-6 597.60Results Chart |
Left: Piper's Gift in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Dale Desruisseaux said, "I think once (Hernandez) got her covered up, she relaxed for him, and that's what we were looking for when we talked earlier this morning. And once she got relaxed, I was pretty confident. She's a little headstrong in the mornings, but my gallop girl does a great job with her. We've been training her behind horses since the last race, trying to get her to relax, and it's paid off."
Right: Piper's Gift heads back to the barn after the race Robert Landry, general manager for owner-breeder Chiefswood Stables said, "She hasn't done too much wrong this year. She's a special filly. We'll give her some time. Obviously, I'll speak with the owners and Dale, but the ideal situation would be to give her a little bit of time, give her a chance to grow a little bit and mature, and start her back up in maybe six to eight weeks, and maybe have her ready for Keeneland or early here."
Left: Second place finisher Katie's Grace in the post parade. The Catherine Day Phillips trainee improved her record to 1 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $88,874 for owners Chivalry Throroughbred Racing and Hubert Vester.
Right: Third place finisher Ashlee B returns after the race. The Patrick Dixon trainee improved her record to 0 wins, 0 seconds, and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $18,245 for owner Colebrook Farms.
The horses break from the gate for the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
 Fire and Wine wins the Coronation Futurity. |
Jockey Slade Jones sent 16-1 Fire and Wine to the lead first time by and posted easy fractions of 24.08, 49.59, and 1:13.98 while pressed by Dixie Law and stalked by Navy Street. Turning for home, Fire and Wine opened up a 5 length lead through 1 mile in a slow 1:38.85, and cruised the rest of the way to win by 5 lengths over favorite Military Time in 1:51.90. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to late-running 31-1 Imyourmedicineman third.
Left: Fire and Wine in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Slade Jones said, "I had a lot of confidence in him. I know he was a really good horse. I get on him all the time. He just has that big stride and he just keeps running. I told myself I would go to the lead and make them come after me. It played out great that way. Once I got to the half-mile pole and I kind of felt him underneath me, I had a lot of confidence right about there. I knew he had a lot to go, so I knew it would be a fight no matter what. I didn't expect him to kick on like that, but he ran a huge race."
Right: Fire and Wine heads back to the barn after the race. Winning owner Paul Ryder said, "I am still thinking about it, it's unreal. I didn't think he could do it [win] again, to be honest. I thought that was a little bit of a fluke last time. When I saw him go out and take the lead and open it up to six or seven [lengths], I thought, 'My God, he is going to do it again.' And then he had something left in the stretch and he just opened up. He's an amazing horse." Trainer Zeljko Krcmar, celebrating just his fifth stakes victory, added, "It's nice to see it. He (lifelong friend Ryder) deserves something very good."
Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Military Time after the finish. The Mark Casse trainee improved his record to 1 win, 1 second, and 0 thirds in 3 starts, earning $78,907 for owners Gary Barber and St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola).
Right: Third place finisher Imyourmedicineman in the post parade. The Harold Ladouceur trainee improved his record to 1 win, 0 seconds, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $46,701 for owner Oh Em Gee Stable.
The horses break from the gate for the Coronation Futurity.
Back to Horse-Races.Net main page
| Search Horse-Races.Net: |
