The day is upon us. Our first claim is getting ready to run his first race. While MUNDY was exciting, ASK EDDY was our first so he holds a special place – especially trying to overcome a balky ankle and two downright lousy races. Before we get to how his race shapes up, here is some housekeeping for Saturday.
We will have a section in Silks, some patio seating set aside for us if it’s dry, inside if it’s wet. This time it should be designated as such. As a reminder, Group 2 are letters G – K. We will head over to the paddock after the 7th race is official. I will be down in Silks for at least the 7th race, hopefully earlier. I won’t be back from Detroit until after midnight tomorrow so I’m not sure exactly when I’ll get to the track, but I will be there!
Now with no further ado…
Littlebrownroad (Berndt/Martin): 2nd at a much shorter race at this level last out but certainly seemed to want more room. Record at the distance – 5 wins in 24 starts – is very good so don’t let the PPs with all the sprints deceive you. This old timer (10 with 103 starts) still has fight left in him.
Cachemassa Creek (Donlin/Butler): Another old warrior (9) with 23 Canterbury starts on his resume (7 wins) he was claimed last out by Lucky Horseshoe Racing by trainer Larry Donlin. Very consistent check earner but has only seen the winners’ circle twice since August 2011.
British Columbia (Chambers/Von Rosen): Claimed for $6250 two starts back, he completely failed to fire over the turf in his first Canterbury start. He drops down here where he should be competitive and tough to beat.
Tachometer (Pride/Frink): Horse was demolished in two stakes tries in Idaho over a year ago and picks this spot for his comeback. There is a good chance he may need a race.
Jersey Devil (Rhone/Keith): Last win was right of a $16,000 claim in a $35,000 race at Churchill last summer. After a follow up 2nd, the Devil hasn’t sniffed the winner’s circle and now drops to the bottom.
ASK EDDY (BRINSON/A. CANCHARI)
Third Rail (Shyrock/Escobar): Winner in his first Canterbury start of the year at this level and distance, tried to step it up to allowance company on the heels of that win and was rudely welcomed. He’s back here now and has already proven he can win here.
Victory Check (Oliver/Stevens): Another horse dropping in from a higher level after some disappointing efforts.
Miles Heir (Diodoro/Franco): Solid third last out in a starter allowance after shipping in from Santa Anita where he raced at the bottom, picking up some wins along the way. Got a feel for the track last out and could be in a nice position here.
Hammers Bullet (Robertson/Bell): Not sure the last time I saw a Mac/Derek horse at 12-1 in the morning line, but this guy was beaten by 20 last out while showing nothing at all – albeit his first time over the turf. It could be easy to draw a line through that performance if he hated the surface. Won in front running style at Hawthorne in April and seems to do his best running on the engine.
As always, the question we ask here is can our charge win? The answer is a qualified “yes”. He’s been training well but we don’t know how he really feels. There are some toughies in here and his last two races were dismal. EDDY’s best running has been done close to the lead and push on late. Will there be some speed to run at here?
Well…not really. Cachemassa Creek and Hammers Bullet are the closest – as is EDDY! Race strategy could play a part in here as much as how he is feeling. IF he can run his race; IF the ankle doesn’t give him problems; IF he can get a couple of speedsters top track…it could fall into place for us. We do know one thing: he is ready to go, so he should give us a run for our money!
Good luck!
Canterbury Racing Club 
The main thing is everyone have a safe trip and then go from there. It will be nice to see Eddy run and cash some winning tickets.
What does Eddy “say” about the rest of the field? I haven’t seen the PP’s yet but will soon.
I’m not sure what else to add to the post! He’s given me no additional insight, but as surly as he is, I’m sure he is disdainful of them all! He’s a cranky bugger.
What happens if the track is wet and muddy?
Will Ask Eddy do well on this surface?
He’s 1 for 4 on a wet track with a 3rd so he should be fine.
Question – due to the crazy weather we have been having is there any chance Eddy might be scratched? According to this morning’s weather forecasts storms are supposed to start earlier today, as early as 3:00. Would racing be halted if the storms get bad? Or even the final races canceled? Thanks for your input.
Eddie has run 4x over a wet track and won once and finished 3rd once, so the odds are he will not scratch. If conditions get bad enough, racing can get cancelled. A few Sundays ago racing was cancelled after 3 races due to unsafe riding conditions, so it is indeed possible to cancel part of a card, though riders and track management will do all they can to put the races on. It’s also possible that there could be a delay during the card to let the bad weather pass through and then resume.
Are we going to wait to the end of June to get the financial report?
No. We haven’t received a bill. I spoke to Clay earlier in the week Nd he promised to send it over. Once I get it, I’ll post the first statement through the end of May.