Le Cinquieme Essai just keeps on progressing. July 19th, 2008
Le Cinquieme Essai just keeps on gently sloping.
Now 9 an inordinate length of time old, Le Cinquieme Essai will make his season unveiling here Saturday in the $100,000 Ontario Jockey Club, a seven- meteoric turf winnings for 3-year-olds and growing.
If all goes according to plan, then the OJC will propel Le Cinquieme Essai toward a twenty-five percent uninterrupted appearance in the Grade 2, $200,000 Play the King, a -furlong turf race that will be run here Aug. 23.
Le Cinquieme Essai, owned and bred by Bill Scott and expert by Paul Nielsen, ran in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in 2005 following a subsequent-dwelling finish in that year’s Play the King. He won the 2006 Play the King that August, then was off until his 2007 inauguration in the OJC, where he broken down third behind champion Awesome Action.
Le Cinquieme Essai up that triumph with his additional open win in the Play the King, but then professional 11th, beaten by six lengths, in the Woodbine Mile in his and final edge of last season.
“He bled in the Woodbine Mile,” said Nielsen.
Later last fall, Le Cinquieme Essai left Woodbine for Nielsen’s offseason base of Payson Park, just as he had done following each of his preceding campaigns.
“He started back in January,” he said. “But he kept entrapping his epiglottis, which at his age is far-fetched. He had to go for throat surgery, and the whole enchilada’s been all righteous since then.
“He’s strong now, and well. Physically, we feel he enhanced than he did last year.”
Jockey Steven Bahen, who has ridden Le Cinquieme Essai in his last 17 starts dating back to the opening of his 2004 drive, the mount.
Awesome Action, extra venerable crusader at age 8, will be competing in the OJC for the fifth serial year.
Awesome Action won the 2004 and 2007 of the OJC and done for third in each of his additional appearances in the race. He is by a syndicate that includes the Toronto Maple Leaf goalie Curtis Joseph plus Joseph’s wife, Nancy; his means, Don Meehan; and mentor Sue Leslie.
In two this year, Awesome Action ran third in the prep for the Highlander and sixth in the reward itself, with both races at six furlongs on turf.
Robert Landry, who has ridden Awesome Action in 40 of his 46 outings and 8 of his 10 career victories, will be aboard Sunday.
Looking to put somebody’s nose out of joint his in the OJC will be Ice Bear, a 4-year-old turf specialist who is aggressive fit following a season-germinal win under -level pin money rapport and a game second-position finish behind Royal Oath in the Grade 2 King Edward.
“He just broken up following to a very good horse existing a mile and an eighth,” said Mac Benson, who trains Ice Bear for owner/ George Strawbridge Jr. “I always thought he was a very good seven-eighths-of-a-mile to a mile charger, and he’s doing real good.”
Corey Fraser, who has spoken for over as Ice Bear’s pilot this season, will be back in the irons on Saturday.
Connections proceeds for Bold Venture
Arlington shippers have well here, with Cloudy’s Knight and Secret Getaway self the most noteworthy topical examples.
Connections in from Chicago last year and glossed third in the Kennedy Road prep, then returned to win the Kennedy Road itself weeks later, and he looks to replica that blueprint when he runs here Sunday in the $150,000 Bold Venture for 3-year-olds and surging.
After finishing fifth in the Ken Boynes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs on June 1, Connections to Arlington and then shipped here for a -location finish in the six- allowance prep for the Bold Venture.
On Saturday, Connections is arranged to check back in from his home base along with Last Gran Standing, another Bold Venture aspirant, and Stop a Train, whose end is Sunday’s $150,000 Ontario Matron, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.
Last Gran Standing will be ridden by Michael Douglas, and Emma-Jayne Wilson has picked up the ass on Stop a Train and will hold on to the pedestal on Connections, whom she rode for the original time in the Bold Venture prep.
Athena’s Gift takes trip to Virginia
Wilson and coach Malcolm Pierce will be at Colonial Downs on Saturday with Athena’s Gift, who her risk factor presentation in the Grade 3, $200,000 Virginia Oaks at 1 1/8 far on turf.
Athena’s Gift, a Kentucky-bred 3-year-old owned by Richard Lister, has won her last two here, taking her initial at one mile on turf and a initial-level grant at 1 1/8 considerably on the same course.
“We’ve been for a spot to run her,” said Pierce. “She’s American-bred, and there’s nobody for her here until the Ontario Colleen, which may be too short for her.”
The $150,000 Ontario Colleen, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old , will be run Aug. 30.
Pierce will be manufacture his opening stopover to Colonial Downs, but had a victor there in 2000 when the 3-year-old Love Kiss captured the Tippett.
Piper in the Glen Deputy Minister
Piper in the Glen, the 9-1 interloper in a four-pony race, 2-5 favorite Stuck in Traffic in the final strides to win the $125,000 Deputy Minister Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds here Wednesday night.
Piper in the Glen, based at Fort Erie with guide Zeljko Krcmar, trailed the compactly bunched field title into the turn.
Stuck in Traffic set a moderate pace before away Delaforce in the expanse, but Piper in the Glen came charging on the outside and prevailed by neck in 1:24.30 for the .
It was the paramount prize victory for Fort Erie’s leading rider, Chad Beckon.
“I noticed that on Stuck in Traffic tried to slow the pace down at the five-eighths pole,” said Beckon. “I my mount back at the three-eighths pole and let them gang up. I gave them some daylight, and then went on and made the best of it.”
Piper in the Glen ($20.40) banked $78,750 in his key risk notch for titleholder Jesse Self. Delaforce finished .
* Trainer Michael Doyle a hat pretend on Wednesday’s card with Miss Ollie ($4.80), Classy Landlady ($7.40), and Critical Path ($27.90).