Monday, December 23, 2024

Canada: Awesome Road is favored in Manitoba Derby

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Photo:

Candice Chavez / Eclipse Sportswire

Awesome Road has bounced between barns since he was moved in
a private sale this spring. Now he has landed in Canada as the morning-line
favorite Monday night for the 76th Manitoba Derby, a US$90,150 race that is the
annual highlight of the Assiniboia Downs racing season.

The 1 1/8-mile dirt test for nine 3-year-olds is scheduled
as the seventh of eight races at the Winnipeg track. The post time is Monday at
11:05 p.m. EDT.

Click here for Assiniboia Downs entries and results.

A debut winner last summer at Ellis Park, Awesome Road (7-5)
has not scored in six races since. After failing to hit the board in three 2023-24
Kentucky Derby points preps, his best finish this year was a third in the slop
of an Oaklawn allowance in May. That was his last race for trainer Brad Cox.

The $600,000 Quality Road colt then was sold by the Albaugh
family and Donegal Racing to a group led by Arnold Bennewith and the Wiest
family. Awesome Road raced once for Robertino Diodoro, finishing a distant
fifth May 27 in the Texas Derby, before being transferred for Monday’s race to
Canada-based trainer Rick Wise.

Antonio Whitehall, who ranks second with 25 wins this season
at Assiniboia Downs, will ride Awesome Road from post 8 in the field of two
colts and seven geldings.

Bricklayer (5-2), an Always Dreaming colt, won his last two
races just 17 days apart at Churchill Downs in a maiden breaker and then at Canterbury
Park, both since he was claimed for $30,000 by owner-trainer Ben Colebrook. Bricklayer
won once for Colebrook before he was sold privately to current owner Larry
Gorneau Jr., who will become the colt’s fourth trainer in as many races. Luis
Fuentes will break with Bricklayer from post 3.

Roussette (9-2), who drew outermost post 9, was claimed for
$30,000 by owner Henry Witt Jr. after a maiden-breaking victory for trainer Al
Stall Jr. on June 28 at Churchill Downs. Formerly owned by CJ Thoroughbreds,
the Blame gelding finished fifth for his new trainer Mark Simms Jr. on July 6
in an allowance race at Ellis Park. Assiniboia’s leading jockey Prayven Badrie,
who has had 28 winners this season, will be Roussette’s sixth different rider
in eight races.

Last year’s Manitoba Derby was part of the inaugural version
of what has been renamed the Western Canadian Derby Series. It was removed this
year because of a government anemia quarantine of Assiniboia Downs, leaving
only the Aug. 24 Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile and the Sept. 14 B.C.
Derby (G3) at Hastings.

Post Silks Horse / Sire Rating Trainer / Jockey Last Start / Next Start HRN
1 Horse Silk Magnolia Speed Magnolia Speed

Clearly Now

0.00

Lee Delaronde

Dane Dawkins

3rd, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

30-1

Last Race

Next Race

3rd, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

2 Horse Silk Lucky Appeal Lucky Appeal

Breaking Lucky

0.00

Lee Delaronde

Arthur Budhu

4th, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

50-1

Last Race

Next Race

4th, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

3 Horse Silk Bricklayer Bricklayer

Always Dreaming

0.00

Larry Gourneau

Luis A. Fuentes

1st, CBY ALW (07/14/2024-R3)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

5-2

Last Race

Next Race

1st, CBY ALW (07/14/2024-R3)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

4 Horse Silk No Show No Call No Show No Call

Kentucky Bear

0.00

Mike Taphorn

Ronald Ali

1st, ASD ALW (07/22/2024-R7)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

20-1

Last Race

Next Race

1st, ASD ALW (07/22/2024-R7)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

5 Horse Silk McEwen McEwen

Khozan

0.00

Shelley Brown

Renaldo Cumberbatch

1st, ASD ALW (07/08/2024-R6)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

15-1

Last Race

Next Race

1st, ASD ALW (07/08/2024-R6)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

6 Horse Silk Lt. Norm Lt. Norm

City of Light

0.00

Steve Keplin

Sven Balroop

2nd, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

12-1

Last Race

Next Race

2nd, Derby Trial S.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

7 Horse Silk Itsallgoodman Itsallgoodman

Speightster

0.00

Gonzalo Anderson

Rasheed Hughes

2nd, Count Lathum H.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

8-1

Last Race

Next Race

2nd, Count Lathum H.

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

8 Horse Silk Awesome Road Awesome Road

Quality Road

5.91

Rick Wise

Antonio Whitehall

5th, 2024 Texas Derby LS

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

7-5

Last Race

Next Race

5th, 2024 Texas Derby LS

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

9 Horse Silk Roussette Roussette

Blame

0.00

Mark Simms Jr.

Prayven Badrie

5th, ELP AOC (07/06/2024-R9)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

9-2

Last Race

Next Race

5th, ELP AOC (07/06/2024-R9)

2024 Manitoba Derby LS

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