(PHOTO - MEMORIES TIMES SIX (grey) edges Sign It Down (7) and Bold Six Love in the first trial for the June 5 Picov Maturity, worth $50,000-added. New Image Media photo))
Memories Times Six and One Famous Glass won exciting trials for the $50,000 Picov Maturity at Ajax Downs on May 22, setting up for an intriguing final on June 5.
There are 10 qualifiers for the 300-yard final which will be held on the same day as AQHA Challenge Maiden, a $20,000-added event that also had two trials on May 22.
One Famous Glass, the 2013 Horse of the Year in Ontario as voted by the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario, Inc., was winning a trial for the Maturity for the second straight season. The sorrel 6-year-old, who goes by the nickname of Eagle, was once again on his toes and ready to roll in this year’s season debut for trainer Bryn Robertson.
Ridden by Helen Vanek, the Texas-bred had the quicker of the two trials as he battled the mare First Down the Track to the wire, won by a nose and posted a time of :15.510, good for a 97 speed index. Hialeah invader Fast Man Vic, already a three-time winner this season, was third for Full Circle Racing as the even-money favourite.
One Famous Glass, a son of One Famous Eagle, is owned by Carol and Jaime Robertson and Dr. Charles Hall.
Seven of the eight entrants from the first trial advanced to the final (see chart below).
In the first trial the 6-year-old Ontario bred
Memories Times Six posted a mild upset with a win at 6 to 1 over Sign It Down. Last year’s exciting stakes winning filly Embrace Extravagence was the even-money favourite but in her first start since September, got rolling too late and ended fifth with an 83 speed index.
Memories Times Six was making his second start of the season for trainer Joe Tavares following a fourth-place finish behind the very tough One Kool Wave. A grey son of Sixes Royal – Is It Memorex by Leaving Memories, the gelding overtook Eyesa Speedy Simon and held off Sign It Down, who won her season debut on May 1, to win by a nose. The time for his trial was :15.770 or an 89 speed index.
“I claimed this horse myself,” said Norm Picov, who dropped a claim slip for the gelding from his 2015 debut for $10,000. “I got a great horse and a great trainer.”
Picov will be receiving a special award from the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame at its 2016 induction ceremony on Aug. 3 in Mississauga, ON.
The AQHA Challenge Maiden trials had fields of five and six 3-year-olds and up going 330 yards thus all but one horse advanced to the June 5 final. Memory of Jay was a strong winner of the first trial but the colt’s sharp left-hand move soon out of the gate caused interference to Fast Buck and Memory of Jay was disqualified from the win and placed third. Moved up to the winner’s circle was Jason Pascoe’s
Dashin Carter who also won his season debut on May 8 with rider Cory Spataro. The first trial went in a time of :17.270 for a speed index of 82.
Ruth Barbour’s flashy colt
Country Boy 123 won the second trial of the AQHA Challenge Maiden in a slightly quicker time of :17.250. Bought for $7,000 by Barbour at the 2014 Heritage September sale in Oklahoma, Country Boy 123 was making his 2016 debut after a series of troubled runs as a juvenile. The son of Country Chicks Man won by three-quarters of a length under Husbands. The exciting winter-raced sophomores Valiant Stoli Time and Bubbles Cartel Gal were second and third.
2016 Picov Maturity Trials
(Trials - Sun, May 22; Final - Sun, June 5)
Horse Race # Post Time Finish Trainer Jockey Owner
1 One Famous Glass 7 2 15.51 1 Robertson Vanek Robertson, C&J/Hall
2 First Down the Track 7 7 15.51 2 Reid, D Bell Wincikaby/DK Training
3 Fast Man Vic 7 5 15.54 3 Watson Willick Full Circle
4 Fiesty Icon 7 8 15.75 4 Kennedy Spataro Kennedy
5 Memories Times Six 6 6 15.77 1 Tavares Husbands Picov Cattle
6 Sign It Down 6 7 15.78 2 Reid, D Bell Wincikaby/DK Training
7 Pegasos One Underpar 7 4 15.80 5 Reid, S Jeschke Chillvally
8 Mr Act Up 7 1 15.82 6 Dunlap Holmes Wilson
9 Eyesa Speedy Simon 6 1 15.83 3 Watson Willick Hall
10 Bold Six Love 7 3 15.85 7 Bourgeois DiBert Bourgeois
2016 AQHA Challenge Maiden Trials
(Trials - Sun, May 22; Final - Sun, June 5)
Horse Race # Post Time Finish Trainer Jockey Owner
1 Country Boy 123 3 2 17.25 1 Robertson Husbands Barbour
2 Valiant Stoli Time 3 5 17.38 2 Pascoe Bell Kwiecien
3 Dashin Carter 2 1 17.42 1 Pascoe Spataro Pascoe
4 Bubbles Cartel Ga 3 6 17.42 3 Pascoe Castillo Miller/Pascoe
5 Pagranas Winner 3 1 17.55 4 Ballis-Hunderup DeSouza Heste Sport
6 Fast Buck 2 3 17.58 2 Dunlap Holmes R. Crispi
7 Memory of Jay 2 4 17.59 3 Lehtinen Scott Lehtinen
8 The Katy Special 2 2 17.61 4 Slater Slater Slater/Tomlinson
9 PYC Trickie Lady 2 5 17.64 5 Reid, S Jeschke Wilson
10 Ivory Wayne 3 7 18.12 5 Dunlap Holmes Crispi
Also competed:
11 Bodacious Victory 3 4 18.28 6 Reid, S Jeschke Wilson
Here is a recap of the winners of the remaining four races on the May 22 card at Ajax Downs:
Race 1- Fly Fast for Kayley was an impressive winner of this 220-yard speed index race, the first win for the gelding since the fall of 2013. A 7-year-old owned and bred by Picov Cattle Co., Fly Fast for Kayley was in front for almost every stride of the race and won handily under Cassandra Jeschke in :12.140, earning the gelding a speed index of 90, the second highest from his 37 career races. The son of Fastazyoufly – Perfect Task by Special Task was making his first start for new trainer Bob Broadstock.
Race 4- This maiden race at 250-yards was worth $14,400 and the winner was Jimmy Boyz Cartel, a grey 3-year-old gelding owned by James Bogar and trained by Lynn Farrell. It was the first start of the season for the son of Streakin Six Cartel – Missy Suspect by Ausual Suspect and third career race. Josh Scott got the gelding up in the last jump to win by a head over favoured Buster Bri, owned and trained by Chantellle Bourgeois. The time of :13.880 was good for a 72 speed index. Rachel Cruwys bred Jimmy Boyz Cartel in Ontario.
Race 5- The remarkable 9-year-old gelding Caraway Blue got out of the gate quickly avoiding trouble behind him and won this starter allowance as a heavy favourite for Ivy lane Racing. The son of Jess Louisiana Blue – Caraways Fly N High by Cash N Balance won the 250-yard dash by a length while rivals Im Pretty Fames (third), Rockin Miss Kitty (sixth) and Storytime Blue (seventh) were all interfered with by J J Maxwell who veered out from the rail post.
“He’s one of those horses who doesn’t make many mistakes,” said winning rider Mike Holmes. “He knows how to get down the racetrack. If you leave with him, keep him straight, he does the rest and makes it look easy.”
It was the 13
th career win for the Caraway Blue from 41 starts and he is trained by Tim Dunlap. The gelding was bred in Ontario by 984428 Ontario Limited.
Race 8 – a maiden event at 220-yards for Ontario sired 3-year-olds and older was won by Scott Reid’s Albertt, who was bred and is trained by Reid. The son of Mr Jess Tex out of Squincheyes by My Eye Opener was making his second start of the season and third career start. Cassandra Jeschke rode the quick grey 3-year-old to the half-length win over a fast closing favourite No Cerveza for You who was making his career debut for Big Dog Racing and DK Training Centre. The win was :12,370 for an 80 speed index.
Wagering on Ajax Downs was up for the third consecutive week over last year. The May 22 card realized a handle of $68,870, up from $30,584 on the same day in 2015.
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