Bolton's start nets Brennan win
Bolton was bolting (as in the
dictionary.net definition, drive forth). Blacktie was knot.
All puns aside, a good start by Armbro
Bolton and a poor start by Armbro Blacktie may have been the
biggest factor in the result of the $37,400 Pat Brennan
Memorial final last Saturday at Fraser Downs.
The two favorites reversed order from
the elimination the week before when Blacktie won by a neck.
Bolton, part of an even-money entry, led most of the way
this time to win by a length over Blacktie, a 7-5 second
choice. The former started from the four-hole on the gate
but led by the quarter while Blacktie, on the rail, did not
get untracked and was fifth, 61/2 lengths behind at the
quarter.
Bolton, owned by J J J Stable and Al
Anderson and trained by Anderson, set fractions of 27.4,
58.1, and 1:26.2 in rolling to a 1:55.1 (equaling his best)
mile.
Law Of The Yukon, second to the half,
finished third with Southwind Sage fourth in the field of
eight.
"I thought Larry's (driver Micallef)
horse (Blacktie) would leave a lot more," said top driver
Bill Davis in the winner's enclosure after his drive behind
Bolton. "I knew I had to leave a little even if I had to
take a seat."
Davis admitted he did see Blacktie
coming (on the outside) but added that the others had seemed
"to let me go."
Blacktie worked it up on the outside to
get within a half length but this time he could not catch
his birthing buddy. (They both were born in 2001 at
Armstrong Brothers farm in Inglewood, Ont.)
Bolton now has three wins, a second and
a third in five starts and earnings of more than $30,000 in
2005. The Brennan Memorial is for three and four-year-olds
that are non-winners of $25,000 up to Nov. 30, 2004.
Rick Mowles, owner of J J J Stables,
said they got Bolton as a yearling at the Forest City sale
in Ontario. They paid $19,000 for the now four-year-old son
of Matts Scooter.
"We actually went to get another horse
but also liked him as well," said Mowles. "I think the other
horse, which we paid $27,000 for, is now racing somewhere in
$4,000 claimers."
Bolton and entry-mate Dal Reo Revolt
will now be moving to Edmonton where they will join trainer
Larry Micallef, who has taken several horses to the Alberta
capital where racing commences tonight.
"They fit non-winner stakes up there,"
Mowles explained.
Not that trainer Anderson, who has led
the stable to a dominant stakes showing at the Downs, will
be idle. They still have powerhouse three-year-old filly
Betterfrombehind who will be here for the Delta Stake but
they also have 15 yearlings on Anderson's California farm.
THE DUKE SHINES: Duke Is Duke
could be working on his swagger.
The seven year-old gelded son of Jennas
Beach Boy rolled into town in early January, bringing with
him a highly impressive lifetime mark of 1:51.1, set last
year at the Meadowlands.
Serge Masse, trainer/driver and part
owner, along with Joseph Lin, had him aimed for the Clash of
the Pacific, the new open stakes race set for February. But
illness slowly him down and his prep races were not too
startling.
In his second Clash elimination he
showed some old form, winning in 1:56.4. In the final, he
drew the trailing nine-hole, one not ideal for him and he
slipped late in the race.
However, Masse put him right back into
action last Sunday in the winners-over feature and he was
ready.
Starting from the three-hole in the
field of seven, the 8-1 choice used a perfect two-hole trip
to slide home in 1:55.2, his best time at the Downs. He
passed early pacesetter Camlucks Dominator and held off late
charges to win by 13/4 lengths.
The Bruster and Nuclear Dew came from
sixth and seventh respectively at the head of the stretch to
get second and third. The 1-5 favored entry of Red Star
Emerson and Red Star Admiral was fourth and fifth
respectively.
Duke Is Duke now has two wins and a
second in seven starts in 2005. The win bumped his lifetime
earnings to more than $112,000.
BIGSTREAKONTHEGO: Bigshoestofill
likely now has gainedsomerespect.
Heading into the fillies and mares open
last Saturday at the Down, the five-year-old daughter of As
Promised out of More Class had two straight victories in the
event.
Despite that she was only a 3-1 third
choice -- albeit debatably so. She had to take that billing
because Carson Jane, the mare with the 1:53 clocking last
year at the Meadowlands and five wins (all in the open) in
her last seven starts at the Downs and Rustle For It, the
mare with five straight wins, one in the open on Jan. 29 and
one in the Miss Valentine stakes, were also entered. They
also had the one and two hole on the gate.
Bigshoestofill started from the three
hole and followed the others, joint 3-2 favorites, away from
the gate with Carson Jane leading.
They stayed that way to past the half
before Bigshoestofill, with Rod Therres in the sulky,
started second-over behind the first-up Goaheadandlietome.
Bigshoestofill was fourth at the three-quarter pole and at
the head of the stretch. But her 28.1 last quarter was
enough for her to edge Carson Jane by a neck at the wire.
Rustle For It was third and Goaheadandlietome fourth.
For the second straight week
Bigshoestofill covered the mile in a new lifetime mark -
this time 1:55.1.
Bigshoestofill is owned by Robert
Murphy and trained by Bob Merschback. The win was her third
of 2005 and goes along with a second and a third in seven
starts. She has earnings of $16,000 for the year and more
than $149,000 for her career.
MARINO MAGNIFICO: Putting it
mildly, Jim Marino continues to drive very well.
Marino, who is on a tear in 2005, led
all drivers last weekend with two fistfuls of wins - led by
a six-pack on Saturday. He now has 30 wins for February and
50 wins for 2005. Those figures have vaulted him into second
spot in wins for the meet as his 88 victories trail only
Bill Davis who has 115. (At the end of November Davis had 35
and Marino 11).
Tim Brown picked up six wins last
weekend while Scott Knight, Rod Therres and Davis had four
apiece. Gord Abbott was next at three and Jim Wiggins and
Serge Masse had two each.
Mike Glover continued his strong
showing as a conditioner leading all trainers with five
victories. Wayne Isbister made four visits to the winner’s
enclosure while Marino, Ann Cooper and Bob Merschback made
three each and Wiggins, Davis and Masse two apiece.
A newcomer made his first appearance as
a driver on Friday when Steve Germain drove Better Best for
Isbister.
Germain is now a Vancouver resident
after most recently competing at Rideau Carleton in Ottawa.
He is a native of Quebec and in 2004 had a win, two seconds
and four thirds in 33 starts as a driver.
Meanwhile, sharp-eyed Downs patrons
likely noticed a new name appear in the trainer ranks on
Feb. 20.
Itsallaboutthemoney, a four-year-old
mare leased by Bill Davis, a highly familiar name, is now
trained by Billy J. Davis. The latter, of course, is Bill's
son. The 18-year-old told Tom Wolski on Sport of Kings he
just got his trainer's licence and, "if I did half as
well/good as him (dad) I would be happy."
He also hopes to have his driver's
licence in the next year.
LONG, DUNN IN DREAMERS FINAL:
Richard Long of Abbotsford and Ken Dunn of Langley tied for
top spot, shared honors and $250, in the 10th and final week
of the California Dreamin Handicapping Contest last
Saturday.
Long and Dunn each totaled $918 in the
three races - entrants handicapped races three through eight
at Santa Anita Racecourse.
In the eighth race, the seven-horse
paid a whopping $754, and six players had it. Two of course
were the champs.
Ray Hall, Dave Powell, Ida Smith and
Mas Kariya also had the big $754 payoff and, unfortunately
nothing else, to share third. Koji Kariya was next at $556
and Efren Garcia was at $535.
More than 350 Dreamers started after
the top prize of a trip for two to the Santa Anita Derby in
April. Each Saturday contestants won $250 and the day's
winner(s) qualified for the final, set for Saturday in the
Homstretch Party Zone.
Long and Dunn will join Lance Beveridge,
Don Pegura, Doug Robertson, Ray Abgrall, Tom Churchill,
Maureen Nott, Frank Neves, Bill Veevers and Tim Wiesner, who
won previous weekly titles, in the big finale.
JENSEN TOPS HARNESS POOL: In a
difficult last quarter Rick Jensen picked up six points and
crossed the wire first in the KENO Harness Pool.
With points at a premium, Jensen, who
was on, or near, the lead throughout the contest, got six
points on the last weekend and finished with 80 and a
two-point margin. Jensen played the game from Hastings
Racecourse.
Carmen Coombs, who led going into the
last week, was second with 78. Kevin Clark had five points
for 77 and third place. Rob McElhinney was next at 75 while
Patrick Jordan, Cornelius Wiebe, Shirley Setter and Bill
Goldstone each had 74.
More than 350 entrants chased the
$10,000 total prize money in the pool, which covered seven
weeks (one week was cancelled). Contestants pick a team of
six horses, one from each box of six horses, and points are
awarded for top three finishes.
Jensen will take home $3,000 - and the
obvious bragging rights, for first while Coombs won $2,000
and Clark claimed $1,000. Spots four to ten will get $250
each and 11 to 40 will get $75.
-30-
