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Sovereign Awards Derby & Auction Prices Santa Anita Derby Day Wood Memorial Day Kentucky Derby Contenders |
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 Gretzky the Great heads back to the barn after winning the Summer Stakes |
Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" weekend at Woodbine concluded on Sunday with two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds on the turf, each contested at 1 mile around 1 turn of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. Conditions were typical for late September with sunny skies and a temperature of 16 C (61 F), and the Taylor course remained firm as it was on Saturday (GoingStick reading of 11.8).
A field of 7 two-year-old males contested the $250,000 Summer Stakes (G1) looking for automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on November 6. Gretzky the Great was sent off as the 5-2 favorite off a 2 race win streak including the Soaring Free Stakes last out. In to challenge him included 11-4 second choice American Monarch, a debut winner at Saratoga on August 8, and 7-2 third choice Secret Potion, who was second behind American Monarch in the same debut race.
 Gretzky the Great leads in the stretch. |
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 4 Gretzky the Great Kimura 6.80 3.30 3.00 3 Ready to Repeat Contreras 5.00 4.00 7 Dolder Grand Husbands 4.10 Winning Time: 1:34.53 $1 Exacta 4-3 11.30 $1 Trifecta 4-3-7 57.85 $1 Superfecta 4-3-7-5 220.70 |
Left: Gretzky the Great heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Kazushi Kimura, celebrating his first Grade 1 win, said, "He's such an amazing horse. When I came to the straight, he had tremendous explosion. He was a little bit lugging in, but he's still a baby, you know. If I want to do something (with him), I can do anything."
Right: Gretzky the Great gets hosed off while the stewards review the inquiry. Kimura added, "First time out it was only five furlongs on the (Woodbine inner) turf, then when he won the first time I was like, 'Oh, that will be a stakes horse for the future. And then winning a stakes and now got a Grade 1, he's such a nice horse."
Left: Second place finisher Ready to Repeat circles while the stewards review the inquiry. He improved his record to 2 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third in 5 starts, earning $133,342 for owner-trainer Gail Cox and co-owners John Menary, Michael Ambler, and Windways Farm.
Right: Third place finisher Dolder Grand in the paddock before the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved his record to 2 thirds in 2 starts, earning $26,839 for owner D. J. Stable.
 Lady Speightspeare leads down the stretch in the Natalma Stakes |
Jockey Larry Munoz sent 50-1 longest shot Big Big Plans to the lead through fractions of 23.77, 48.92, and 1:11.59 while pressed by Lady Speightspeare and stalked by Dreaming of Drew. Turning for home, Big Big Plans tired badly as Lady Speightspeare and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson took over the lead through 7f in 1:23.04. Alda, last early under Steven Bahen, put in a strong late rally but Lady Speightspeare easily held her off to win by 3/4 length in 1:34.61. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to 5-1 fourth choice Seasons third.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 6 Lady Speightspeare Wilson 7.00 3.90 2.90 5 Alda Bahen 3.70 3.00 2 Seasons Contreras 3.50 Winning Time: 1:34.61 $1 Exacta 6-5 10.95 $1 Trifecta 6-5-2 48.85 $1 Superfecta 6-5-2-4 95.85 |
Left: Lady Speightspeare in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson said, "She went to the lead with such intent, I think it was the same thing today in the gate. She knew it was coming, they yelled ‘last one,' she was anticipating the doors to open so she popped up a little. But kudos to the gate crew here at Woodbine, they kept her straight and steady so, despite her rearing, she didn't manage to get herself hung up or hurt in any way, which meant she was able to compete and win today. She knew that she was going to get a chance to run and I had a chance to let that horse cross over and just put her right on her flank and she settled into stride, got into rhythm and, man, when they started to come to her, just like last time, she really leveled off and dug in."
Right: Lady Speightspeare heads back to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Roger Attfield said, "That's always nice to see. When you break your maiden and you're going into a race like this off of going wire-to-wire you really haven't had any education or anything going into something like this so it was nice to see that for sure. (Going to the Breeders' Cup) would be up to Mr. Fipke, and I would say knowing Mr. Fipke we probably are."
Left: Second place finisher Alda exits the walking ring before the race. The Graham Motion trainee improved her record to 2 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 4 starts, earning $126,283 for owner-breeders Wertheimer et Frere.
Right: Third place finisher Seasons in the post parade. The James Toner trainee improved her record to 1 win and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $60,429 for owners LNJ Foxwoods and Phillips Racing Partnership.
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