A lot of the key North American action was focused in Canada this weekend. The most valuable race of the weekend was the $1,000,000 (Canadian funds) Woodbine Mile (gr. I), which was taken in storming fashion by the five-year-old mare Ventura (TrueNicks A++). She is a reminder of just how severe a loss the premature death of her sire, Chester House was. He sired only three crops, but was represented by at least 27 stakes winners. Chester House sired Ventura and stakes winner Silent House from just three starters out of mares by Be My Guest, and did very well with Northern Dancer line mares in general.
On the same card, the Northern Dancer Stakes (gr. I) went to Just As Well (on the disqualification of Marsh Side). He’s the fourth A.P. Indy (TrueNicks,SRO) turf graded winner this year, following Telling (Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. I)), Marchfield (Sky Classic Stakes (gr. II)), and El Crespo (Palm Beach Stakes (gr. III). Regions that race on turf, and that are looking for a different bloodline than those that typically get grass runners, could do worse than look at an A.P. Indy with grass form. Just As Well is out of the grade I-winning Nureyev mare, No Matter What, and is from a family that is currently white hot. He’s half-brother to Rainbow View (Champion 2yo Filly in Europe last year and a recent grade I winner), and his dam is a half-sister to the very useful value-for-money sire, E Dubai (TrueNicks,SRO)
. The granddam, graded stakes winner Words of War (by Lord At War, who is turning into a surprisingly influential horse) is a sister to Ascutney, a graded winner who is also dam of Raven’s Pass.
In further Canadian action, Princess Haya, upset reigning Champion Turf Mare Forever Together in the Canadian Stakes (gr. III) to gain a first stakes win. The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO)
is out of a Slew City Slew (TrueNicks,SRO) (TrueNicks A++). Street Cry now has a graded winner out of a mare by Slew City Slew, a graded winner out of a mare by Seattle Slew, a graded winner out of a mare by Capote, and a graded I-placed horse out of a mare by Pulpit (by A.P. Indy), so it looks as if he is a safe bet with most branches of Seattle Slew.