(PHOTO - The handsome Alakazaam and his co-owner and trainer Greg Watson before the Ontario Sires Stakes Derby on July 3 - NEW IMAGE MEDIA PHOTO)
Alakazaam knows how to win races, even the close ones.
For the fifth consecutive time the handsome sorrel 3-year-old has been a winner at Ajax Downs including his last pair of starts by mere inches. On Sunday July 3, the Greg Watson trainee surged just in time to take the $73,980 Ontario Sires Stakes Derby by a nose over a very game Sugarmans Delight from the Christine Tavares barn.
“He’s a real athlete,” said Watson, who owns the gelding with his wife Susan under Full Circle Racing and Cummings Cattle Co., owned by Brian and Betty Cummings. “He knows where the finish line is. He’s a pretty nice horse.”
The OSS Derby was made up of the fastest 10 qualifiers from trial races held on June 19 but with three veterinary scratches of Ice Fishn, a trial winner, Blue Speedo and Hammer Tyme, the field was shaved own to seven horses.
Ridden by Chesley Willick, Alakazaam, winner of the fastest trial, was not the quickest away from the gate at the start of the 350-yard dash and when the horse to his inside, Hope Rambles On, broke a half step slowly, Alkazaam shifted inwards. By that time, Sugarmans Delight had scampered to a short lead and appeared to have the race won under Cory Spataro but Alakazaam put it into overdrive and grabbed the win. Speedocracy, also a trial winner, was half a length back in third place. The time of :17.750 was good for a 96 speed index with an 11 km/hr crosswind.
The $29, 580 winner’s share boosted the career earnings for the son of Meezoomn – Corona Deluxe by Corona Cartel to $47,723.
“I saw him as a short yearling and he had a little bit of spook to him,” said Watson. “The breeders, Dan and Michelle Lucas, asked if I wanted to buy him. I did so they sent the colt to Matt Frazier in Kentucky.”
Watson said Alakazaam’s nervous tendencies have been something he has had to work around.
“Matt Frazier deserves a lot of credit,” said Watson. “One day he was galloping him in the fog at Hialeah Park in Florida as a 2-year-old. Out of the fog came a white or grey horse galloping and Alakazaam went backwards faster than you can believe and dumped Matt.”
“Hes just a nervous horse. We have a couple of bulls on our farm here and when he grazes he never takes his eyes off of them.”
Alakazaam has figured out a way to keep some of that nervous energy in check, however. He has actually won six races in succession but was disqualified from one last September.
Watson said the Adequan Derby trials on July 31 would be next for Alakazaam.
Heste’s Hunderups have three wins
Three of the first five races of the afternoon were won by the same owner, trainer, breeder and rider while two of them also went in the same clocking for 330 yards.
Heste Sport Inc.’s Dm Paid in Cash ended a long winless streak with a hard fought win under Norm DeSouza, the regular rider for trainer Darlene Ballis-Hunderup. The 6-year-old mare by Dm Selexus – Unpaid by Dash for Cash was in the middle of a furious battle to the wire and won the $14,000 allowance race by a nose over Yawl Keep Texting, who was an nose front of Reckless an Wild.
The mare was winning her first race since October, 2015 and her 4
th overall in 34 races.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said DeSouza. “I love her, she’s a nice horse she just needs to be in the right place and today she and she delivered.”
The time of the race was :17.220, an 84 speed index.
One race later, another Heste homebred, Dm King City won an allowance race for Ontario breds at 330 yards in the same time under DeSouza. The grey 4-year-0old is also by Dm Selexus and from the mare Shake the Chart by Check the Charts. The 1 ¼ length romp was the second win of the season for Dm King City from four starts.
In race 5, Heste and Hunderup’s Pagranas Winner stormed to the lead from the post and won by ½ a length in a maiden race for 3-year-olds and up. The 3-year-old filly by Winners Award was 9 to 1 despite a couple of recent troubled runs in a stakes race and trial race. She was racing with Lasix for the first time. Pagranas Winner sped 350 yards in :18.120 good for an 84 speed index.
Christine Tavares’ Lookin to Be Iconic scored a 15 to 1 upset win in race 3, an allowance race for Ontario-breds at 350 yards. The 5-year-old sorrel mare, a homebred by Junos Back, won by a neck over 4 to 5 favourite Kool Kinda Ivory. Neil
Husbands rode Lookin to Be Iconic to her second win in her 16
th career start.
The Tavares team and Husbands combined to win race 6 as well with Illbegoneflyingin a speed index race at 330 yards.
The bay 4-year-old filly by Fastazyoufly was winning for the third time in her 14
th career race. She earned an 83 speed index for a time of :17.240
Storytime Blue easily won a speed index race, race 4, for owner Gary McNichol and trainer Michelle Woodley with Cory Spataro riding., The six-year-old homebred mare by Volcom was winning for the first time since September, 2014 and she scored by 1 ½ lengths in :17.780 for 350 yards, a speed index of 94.
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