Photo Essay: Time Alert - A Son of Secretariat - Warms Up Woobine

To Woodbine I had to go...but, baby it's cold outside. I thought it might snow, oh baby it's cold outside. Alright, it wasn't that cold at Woodbine on Saturday if you were standing in the sunlight - - but it was cold enough that the jockeys were all bundled up to face the elements on a card that featured the Kennedy Road Stakes.

These eyes!


Saturday was LongRun day at Woodbine and the fans came out to meet the jockeys who were autographing the brand new 2011 LongRun Calendar and share a little love for the retired racehorses. Time Alert, a 21 year-old son of Secretariat, was also at the track to greet his fans. The spry old fella had a distinctive red coat and seemed to enjoy meeting up with his old pal Sandy Hawley.

Owned by Maggie and John LeBlanc and Martha Scott, Time Alert led the post parade for the afternoon's third race. With his red coat shining in the afternoon sun, Time Alert strolled onto the track and danced a two-step for an appreciative crowd. He seemed happy to be back at the racetrack where he enjoyed a 66-race career. LeBlanc, a trainer whose father, John Sr. rode Secretariat's 'rabbit' Angle Light in Big Red's 1973 Kentucky Derby win, steered Time Alert in front of the grandstand and then posed in the winners circle following the race.

(For more information, please visit the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society website - - and be generous!)

Caroline Duquet made a few fans on Saturday...some just wanted to talk


But others were inspired to sing!


Emma-Jayne Wilson is back...


Luis Contreras and Corey Fraser mix it up with the fans


Are you on my xmas card list?


Queen's Plate winners Emile Ramsammy and Rob Landry


Sandy Hawley and Time Alert


John Leblanc and Time Alert go nose to nose


Time Alert on the track to lead the post parade


Despite the cold weather, several fans braved the elements and there was a good bit of atmosphere in the grandstand. Jockey Luis Contreras won four races on the afternoon as he continues to demonstrate why he is one of the best riders at Woodbine. Leading jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva added two more wins to his already impressive season totals as he looks to wrestle the title away from perennial champ Patrick Husbands who was shut out on the day.

Eurico Rosa da Silva makes a few new friends


The Kennedy Road Stakes featured a compact, but competitive, field of seven horses. Fatal Bullet, the 2008 Horse of the Year, went to post as the even money favourite but Field Commission, Signature Red and shipper Ravalo had plenty of fire power in their past performances.

Ravalo was quick from the gate hitting the quarter in 22.26, but jockey Jeffrey Sanchez settled his mount and allowed Fatal Bullet and Paso Doble to take over into the turn. Fatal Bullet was a half-length in front after a half-mile in :44.26, with Ravalo stalking from fourth. As the field turned for home, Sanchez moved to the lead where he was joined by Luis Contreras and Signature Red. That duo threw it down as they raced to the finish line and the six year-old Ravalo needed all of his experience to win by a head. Fatal Bullet held on for show in front of Forgetthestorm. The final time was a swift 1:09-flat.

The outrider leads the way under threatening skies


Chantal Sutherland guides Forgetthestorm to the track


Emma-Jayne Wilson and Paso Doble hit the dance floor


Eurico gets ready to fire with Fatal Bullet


Emile Ramsammy playing the Field Commission on this day


Luis Contreras narrowly missed his fifth winner with Signature Red


Road warrior Ravalo and jockey Jeffrey Sanchez


General Brock marches to the track under the command of Tyler Pizarro


Signature Red takes the lead away from Ravalo...


But Ravalo fights back to win the Kennedy Road by a head


Ravalo wins the 2010 Kennedy Road Stakes


A victorious Ravalo walks off into the sunset


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It was a tough afternoon for Woodbine-based shippers.

Golden Moka, trained by Brian Lynch, traveled to Aqueduct and led the G3 Discovery field to the half but faded to finish fifth in a race won by Stormy's Majesty.

BrisNet reports:

Stormy's Majesty broke alertly from post 2 and traveled with 5-2 choice Golden Moka (Golden Missile) on the front end. Up a half-length on that rival through a quarter in :23 3/5, Stormy's Majesty conceded a slight lead down the backside as Golden Moka was a head in front through a half in :47 4/5. However, Stormy's Majesty quickly dispensed with that rival around the far turn, forging ahead to a one-length advantage after six panels in 1:12. Meanwhile, 7-1 chance Not Abroad (Not for Love) made a bold, wide move to reach contention approaching the quarter pole, and appeared to be the only one with a chance to upset the leader.

In the stretch, however, Stormy's Majesty proved to have plenty of gas left in the tank. Drawing off under urging by Prado, he went up 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go as Not Abroad failed to show acceleration.


Stormy's Majesty wins the 2010 Discovery Handicap


Mark Casse's Blue Laser had a tough time of it in the G3 Delta Downs Jackpot in a race marred by an incident on the turn that saw three horses bolt off on the turn into the stretch when Aces N Kings unseated rider Calvin Borel.

ESPN reports:

Blinkers on led to a lot of bling for the connections of Gourmet Dinner, who in his first start in the equipment powered to a 2 1/4-length win over Decisive Moment in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Saturday.

...

Blue Laser and Dreamsrunwild were pushed to the outside fence on the final turn of the Jackpot, when Aces N Kings darted off the rail and unseated his rider, Calvin Borel. Borel escaped serious injuries, but had a laceration on his chin. Aces N Kings also was not injured in the incident, but darted because his stifle locked up, said his owner, Caroline Dodwell.

Gourmet Dinner earned $600,000 for his win, and the graded earnings he picked up likely ensures him a spot in the starting gate for next year's Kentucky Derby if that is a path his connections choose to take with the son of Trippi.

Mark Frostad's filly Stars to Shine headed into Saturday's Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs off an allowance win at Woodbine. The filly looked in good position at the top of the stretch and closed to finish fifth behind an impressive winner.

BloodHorse.Com reports:

Aruna remained unbeaten in three starts in the United States, wearing down Wild Mia in the stretch to take the $199,675 Mrs. Revere (gr. IIT) (VIDEO) for 3-year-old fillies Nov. 20 on the Churchill Downs turf.

A Kentucky homebred on Flaxman Holdings, Aruna made the first five starts of her career in France with modest success but has been perfect since shipping to the U.S. barn of Graham Motion. After the 1 1/16-mile Mrs. Revere, the daughter of Mr. Greeley served notice that she could be among the top horses in her division next season.

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