by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, April 12, 2005 … Trainer Bob McIntosh’s power should be in full effect this Friday evening at Woodbine in the C$60,600 final of the Youthful Pacing Series, but that doesn’t mean that a charge from the Dustin Jones stable can’t take the top spot.

WEG Photo

Blueridge Dbang has post position seven this Friday evening at Woodbine in the C$60,600 final of the Youthful Pacing Series.

Blueridge Dbang, a gelded son of Dragon Again, didn’t find the winner’s circle in the Youthful prelims, but he has shown that he could possibly better his rival three-year-olds when the main pot is on the line.

The 20th annual edition of the Youthful has been carded as Race 2 (8:00 p.m.) and a 10-horse field has been drawn for the event, which is restricted to non-winners of three races or $15,000 lifetime as of December 31, 2004.

Blueridge Dbang, who is a bay out of the Laag mare Almahurst Icicle, has drawn post position seven and Jones has listed Paul MacDonell, the gelding’s regular pilot, to again perform the driving duties.

“He’s been racing really well,” said Jones, who going into Tuesday’s racing has conditioned 18 winners this season from 130 starts. “In the first leg he was only beat a length. He raced really well, but it was just that he lost his cover a little too early and he just flattened out right at the wire.

Paul said when he moved him he thought that he was going to go right on by.

Also, he hadn’t raced in 11 days.”

Even though Blueridge Dbang, a career winner of $40,621, finished fourth in that mile, as Jones said, he only finished a length in arrears. The career winner of three race’s mile was timed in 1:53, capped off by a :27.3 final quarter-mile.

“Last week [in the second leg] he just took the top at the quarter in :26.4, then he let a horse go and he came [a final quarter] in :27.2; I thought he raced really well,” continued Jones.

Blueridge Dbang, who was racing at odds of 21-1 and is owned by Abingdon, Virginia’s Darlene Conway, finished just a quarter-length back in second in the 1:53.1 mile, which was won by one of McIntosh’s impressive colts, I Zee.

Blueridge Dbang notched a lone victory in six starts as a two-year-old and so far this campaign he has compiled a 2-2-1 record and $26,024 in earnings after eight starts.

“It’s going to be quite a race,” Jones said, in reference to the upcoming final. “McIntosh has three in there and then you have the one [Berts Casey] that Brad Forward is driving. It’s going to be pretty tough, we’re going to have to have a good trip I imagine.”

Shanghai Phil update

Shanghai Phil, a three-year-old pacing colt who had a very productive campaign last year, is close to qualifying back for Jones.

“I plan on training him tomorrow [Wednesday] at Mohawk in a mile around 2:01 or 2:02 and he is about two weeks away from qualifying,” said Jones, 43.

Shanghai Phil, who is a Blissful Hall—Matter Of Style bay, was superb at two. He took his mark of 1:51.2 when he captured a $179,200 division of the International Stallion Stakes at Lexington’s Red Mile and also recorded a victory in a $156,700 division of the Bluegrass Stakes. The speedy colt took a C$113,243 division of the Champlain Stakes at Mohawk in 1:51.4 and also finished one length back in third in the C$1.2 million Metro Pace at Woodbine, pacing his mile in 1:50 flat.

In total, Shanghai Phil banked $476,907 at two after assembling a 6-3-2 record from 13 starts.

“He wintered really well,” said Jones. “Right now he’s as good as he was when he was at his best last year. When he stopped the year last year he didn’t have any major problems and he looks really good.

“I’m really looking forward to his year.”

The complete field for the final of the Youthful is as follows:

Head # – Horse – Post Position – Listed Driver – Trainer

1 – Stonebridge Regal – (pp1) – J. Moiseyev – R. McIntosh 1A – Ijustdontgiveacam – (pp5) – Ma. MacDonald – R. McIntosh 1B – I Zee – (pp10) – C. Christoforou – R. McIntosh
2 – The Bam Man – (pp2) – M. Saftic – R. Griffiths
3 – Sub Woofer – (pp3) – M. Baillargeon – T. MacDonnell
4 – Berts Casey – (pp4) – B. Forward – J. Nantais
5 – Village Joshua – (pp6) – C. Christoforou – D. McCall
6 – Blueridge Dbang – (pp7) – P. MacDonell – R. Jones
7 – Bona Fide X Ample – (pp8) – Ma. MacDonald – R. Griffiths
8 – Hes A Nice Guy – (pp9) – L Ouellette – W. Elliott 1C – Arties Samartie – (ppAE1) – Ma. MacDonald – R. McIntosh

NOTE: All horses will be racing from the Retention Barn.