Received on 07/17/10 from http://www.drf.com/news/article/114798.html

By Bill Tallon

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Madman Diaries is back at Woodbine, and that's bad news for the four other 2-year-olds who face him in Saturday's $150,000 Colin Stakes.

Trained and bred by Wesley Ward, who also is a part-owner, Madman Diaries was a 9 3/4-length winner of a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race in his local bow May 9. Six weeks later, Madman Diaries doubled up in the five-furlong Victoria, with a winning margin of nine lengths.

Madman Diaries, who breezed a bullet four furlongs in 47.40 seconds at Keeneland last Friday, drew the favorable outside post for the six-furlong Colin, and Jeffrey Sanchez will be back from his Calder base in search of the triple.

"I tried to give him a little more time after he ran such a couple of big efforts there," Ward said. "But when I breezed him, he breezed like a billion dollars and he came out of it bucking and squealing. He's had four weeks; he just didn't need any more time."

Brock N Rock, an impressive winner of his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs here June 4, was no match for Madman Diaries in the Victoria but held well for second money.

Sam DiPasquale, who trains the Florida-bred Brock N Rock for owner Murray Stroud, has reason to believe that his gelding could make things more interesting this time around under regular rider David Clark.

"Unfortunately, when we ran him in the stake he was off, health-wise," DiPasquale said. "Clarkie said he was a lot quieter than usual. We did some blood tests on him a day and a half later, and he had a high white blood cell count.

"It really knocked him out -- he missed six days of training, until we got the virus cleaned out. We almost considered putting him away for the year. When you run them when they're a little sick, sometimes they don't bounce back."

DiPasquale's concerns abated somewhat, however, after he sent out Brock N Rock to breeze five furlongs in 1:02.40 here last Saturday.

"It was a good work," he said.

Rounding out the Colin field will be Devilish Stunt, coming off an impressive maiden win here at 4 1/2 furlongs; Glory Game, a winner when debuting for a $62,500 claiming price here at five furlongs; and Standup Comic, who was supplemented at a cost of $3,000. He finished up the track at Churchill Downs in his only start.

Costigan sends pair in Shady Well

Trainer Carolyn Costigan has found herself in the spotlight here as the trainer of Roan Inish, who won the Woodbine Oaks, finished third in the Queen's Plate, and is slated to make her next appearance in Saratoga's Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 21.

In the meantime, Costigan has entered Lassair, who is a full sister to Roan Inish, in Sunday's $150,000 Shady Well Stakes.

"She's nothing like Roan Inish," said Costigan. "She's much more muscular than her sister is."

Costigan also entered Lisvernane in the Shady Well, which is a 5 1/2-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies and attracted a field of 12.

Both Lassair and Lisvernane race for Costigan's father, Bob Costigan, and will be making their debuts in the Shady Well.

"They both were broken at Fares Farm in Kentucky," said Carolyn Costigan, who later met up with the fillies at California's San Luis Rey Downs.

Costigan gives plenty of credit to Oswaldo Rayas for his role in the development of Lassair and Lisvernane.

"He is very talented with babies and was recommended to me when I arrived at San Luis Rey Downs," the trainer said. "He would come in and ride my 2-year-olds for me. He has the patience of a saint, and these fillies are a testament to his professionalism and horsemanship."

Lassair and Lisvernane shipped into Woodbine along with the rest of Costigan's string in early April.

"The two of them were hit by the virus, just before the end of May," Costigan said. "We took it easy on them for a couple of weeks.

"They've been training well, the two of them."

Costigan elected to start Lassair and Lisverane in the Shady Well because of the race's 5 1/2-furlong distance, which is longer than any of the maiden races contested here to date.

"Neither of them are sprinters," she said. "I didn't need either of them getting a tough lesson against professional sprinters first time out. I want them to be running at the end of the year."

Costigan also has a candidate for next Saturday's Toronto Cup in Tir Chonaill, who would be making his local bow in the open $150,000 turf stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

"He'll like the distance, he's a turf horse, and he's working very well," Costigan said. "He was injured in California. He only had one start, and it was a very impressive race.

Tir Chonaill, a Kentucky-bred, debuted at Santa Anita on Feb. 19 and showed late life while finishing sixth but beaten just 1 1/2 lengths by the winner in a seven-furlong maiden race.

"He was just figuring it out in the last 50 yards," Costigan said.

Simply Splendid skips Dance Smartly

Simply Splendid, who would have been one of the leading contenders, was not among the six fillies and mares entered for Sunday's Grade 2, $300,000 Dance Smartly on Thursday.

"She came up with an abscess in her foot," said Gail Cox, who trains Simply Splendid and owns the Kentucky-bred 5-year-old in partnership with John Menary. "She missed a breeze, and with this type of race you wouldn't want to go if she wasn't 100 percent. We'll just have to go to Plan B, whatever that is."

Simply Splendid had blossomed on the turf here this year, winning the Grade 2 Nassau over one mile after capturing the allowance prep for that stakes at the same distance.

Impossible Time wins turf allowance

Sugar Bay, Sheraton Park, Redverse, and Avie's Tale, all of whom were among the 17 nominees for the Dance Smartly, competed under third-level allowance terms over 1 1/16 miles on turf here Wednesday evening. Sugar Bay fared the best of quartet, finishing a troubled second.

Impossible Time, an improving Ontario-sired 5-year-old mare trained by Roger Attfield, overcame her own traffic problems in the eventful stretch run to win by two lengths under her regular rider Jono Jones.

Attfield, who is in England this week, will be represented by Ave and Mekong Melody in the Dance Smartly.