ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey Robert Landry has put away his tack for this season but is intent on returning to action here at Woodbine next spring.
Landry cited issues involving his diet and weight reduction as the reasons behind his decision to take a break from the saddle.
“I’ve got to change my diet,” said Landry, who will be 48 years old on Sept. 18. “When you’re riding, you’re always pushing the limit. You’re dehydrated and you’re starving yourself; you only eat one big meal a day.
“I need to take the rest of the year to eat properly. It’s a precaution. You’ve got to look after your health first – nobody else is going to do it for you.”
While Landry will not be riding, he will be keeping close ties to the racing game as a consultant for the Chiefswood Farm of Robert and Mark Krembil.
“Chiefswood has asked me to be a consultant for the rest of this year,” said Landry. “It’s an opportunity for me to do something while I’m off. It works out perfectly, for both of us.”
Landry gave the Chiefswood outfit its biggest career win when he piloted Niigon to victory here in the 2004 Queen’s Plate.
Simmard returns from layoff in Bowling Green
The training track turf course reopened on Wednesday following a two-week break and trainer Roger Attfield was the main customer.
Attfield sent out 12 of the 15 workers over the firm going, including a handful who were prepping for upcoming stakes.
Simmard breezed five furlongs in a bullet 59.60 seconds under exercise rider Melanie Giddings while going in company with multiple stakes winner Palladio, who was clocked in 1:00.20 under jockey Richard Dos Ramos.
Unraced for almost eight months, Simmard is headed for Belmont Park and Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
“The turf was very firm, and he jarred himself up badly in his last race,” said Attfield, who had watched Simmard finish last of eight in a classified allowance/optional $100,000 claiming race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 22. “He needed lots of time so we sent him home, and he came back in May. He’s doing really, really well.”
The 5-year-old Simmard became a stakes winner in the Chief Bearhart over 1 1/4 miles of yielding turf here last fall.
While Simmard also was nominated to the Grade 1 Northern Dancer, a $750,000 race at 1 1/2 miles on the turf here Sept. 18, Attfield sees the Bowling Green as a more logical target.
“I think that might be a really good spot as opposed to running him here, when I’ve already got Spice Route for the Northern Dancer,” said Attfield.
Spice Route, who was scratched from the 1 1/4-mile Sky Classic here Aug. 22 when the turf came up soft, would be making his first start since capturing the Grade 3 Singspiel over 1 1/2 miles of firm going on July 4.
On Wednesday, Spice Route breezed six furlongs in 1:14.40 under exercise rider Suzanne Lorimer.
Stormy Rush tunes up for Summer Stakes
Stormy Rush, a 2-year-old, breezed six furlongs in 1:14 under jockey Tyler Pizarro while working with 4-year-old stakes-winning stablemate Perfect Shower, who was clocked in 1:14.60 under jockey Jono Jones.
Tyler Pizarro was aboard Stormy Rush, who worked in company with older stablemate Perfect Shower and his rider Jono Jones.
Stormy Rush, a Kentucky-bred, is undefeated in two starts and is headed for the Summer Stakes here Sept. 18.
The Grade 3, $250,000 Summer is a one-mile turf race and is part of the Breeder’s Cup’s Win and You’re In program.
Stormy Rush won his first start over six furlongs of turf and his second over six furlongs of Polytrack.
Impossible Time and Missit also breezed five furlongs in company, as did Bluegrass Princess and Russian Rosie.
Jones was aboard Impossible Time and Patrick Husbands rode Missit as both were clocked in 1:01.20.
Russian Rosie, with Richard Dos Ramos, and Bluegrass Princess, with Luis Contreras went in 1:00.60.
Injury will keep Jungle Wave out of Woodbine Mile
Jungle Wave, second in the Grade 2 Play the King over seven furlongs of turf here Aug. 29, will not be proceeding to the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 19.
“He reached out there, and grabbed his sesamoid,” said Sid Attard, who trains Jungle Wave. “We’ll have to X-ray him again. I hope he’ll only be out for a couple more weeks.”
Jungle Wave, a Kentucky-bred 5-year-old gelding, won the Play the King last year and went on to finish fourth, beaten just four lengths, in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile.
Attard still plans to be represented in this year’s Woodbine Mile with Smokey Fire on target after defeating Jungle Wave in the Play the King.
Smokey Fire has yet to race beyond seven furlongs but Attard believes he will get the trip.
“Since he started to relax nicely, it’s been so much easier for him,” said Attard, who also sent out Smokey Fire to capture the 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture here on the main track in his first start of the season.
Nearctic next for Bogue Chitto
Bogue Chitto is back at Woodbine after finishing fifth, beaten one length, in the $251,000 Turf Monster Handicap at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania.
Pam Shavelson was Bogue Chitto’s trainer of record for the five-furlong Turf Monster but his Woodbine-based conditioner, Ian Howard, was on hand for the occasion.
“He ran very well,” said Howard. “It was just a little too short for him. He was 4 1/2 lengths behind at the eighth pole and was closing on end.”
Bogue Chitto now will be pointed for the Grade 1, $500,000 Nearctic, a six-furlong turf sprint here Oct. 16. Bogue Chitto finished second in last year’s Nearctic.
