Nearctic S. (gr. II)
(CAN-II , 6f ,)
FIELD COMMISSION
(CH h,
119
lb) $332,304
Service Stripe —Tearfull Moment , by
Schossberg
B—Minshall Farms,
ON.;
O—Seltzer, E. and Vella, D.;
T—Daniel J. Vella
Bogue Chitto
(CH g,
118
lb) $96,320
Crafty Prospector —Zurita , by
Storm Bird
B—Luis de Hechavarria,
FL.;
O—Luis De Hechavarria;
T—Ian Howard
Jungle Wave
(B g,
121
lb) $52,976
Hold That Tiger —Darien Blue Wave , by
Cure the Blues
B—Dr. Rodney Orr,
KY.;
O—Tucci Stables;
T—Sid C. Attard
Margins: 1½, head, nose. Others: Little Nick 117($28,896) , Heros Reward 119($14,448) , Grand Adventure 118($385) , Chamberlain Bridge 119($385) , Storm Treasure 117($385) , Karakorum Elektra 114($385) , Legal Move 117($385) , Silver Z 114($385) . Winning Jockey, Julien R. Leparoux.
Field Commission has made 18 starts, all of them at the same track. The 4-year-old colt was bred in Canada and that is where he has raced, with all of his outings having come at Woodbine Racecourse near Toronto.
Unraced at 2, Field Commission, by Service Stripe, broke his maiden in his first start as a 3-year-old and then ran in nine consecutive allowance races, winning three straight last fall. His final start in 2008 was his first start in stakes company and he ran well, finishing fourth in the Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-III), beaten just a half-length.
This year all seven of Field CommissionÕs starts have been in stakes races and the colt, who races for Ed Seltzer and trainer Danny Vella, has won two of those added-money events. Back in May, Field Commission won the Vigil Stakes (Can-III), and Oct. 17, he captured the Nearctic Stakes (Can-IIT).
The Nearctic was an impressive performance for Field Commission, who found himself blocked in the upper stretch, finally found a hole with a furlong to run in the six-furlong race, and drew off to a 11Ú2-length win. It was the first time Field Commission had been ridden by Julien Leparoux.
Field Commission and his dam, the Schossberg mare Tearfull Moment, were both bred in Canada by Minshall Farms. Field Commission is the third foal produced from unraced Tearfull Moment. Her 3-year-old, Pigeon Lake Donna, by Sea Wall, and 2-year-old, Monumental Journey, by Van Nistelrooy, are both unraced. She has not produced a live foal the past two years, having been barren to Bold Executive for 2008 and foaling a dead foal this year by Seeking the Best.
The second dam of Field Commission is the Briartic mare Water Spider, who was bred by E.P. Taylor, best known as the man who bred, raced, and stood Northern Dancer. Stakes-placed Water Spider was an excellent producer, being the dam of three stakes winners and four stakes-placed winners.
The Minshall family acquired Water Spider at the 1981 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse SocietyÕs yearling sale at Woodbine. Consigned by TaylorÕs Windfields Farm, she was purchased by Aubrey Minshall for $20,000. Aubrey Minshall died in 1993, and the farm has been operated since that time by his widow, Barbara.
Field Commission is one of 15 stakes winners sired by Service Stripe, who began his stallion career at Crestwood Farm near Lexington and now stands at Robert ZoellnerÕs Rockin Z Ranch near Beggs, Okla., just south of Tulsa. The son of Deputy Minister is owned by Zoellner and Rusty Roberts. His fee this year was $2,000.ÑD.M.L.
