Florida Report cont. Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 4:57 p.m. EDT TROPICAL PARK OAKS, $75,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML 1 Bikini Beauty Bernardini Bravo Clement 12-1 2 Party Now Tiznow Velazquez McGaughey 3-1 3 Naughty Holiday Harlan’s Holiday Goncalves Fawkes 20-1 4 Dancing House Tapit I. Ortiz […]

   Gulfstream media photo courtesy Gulfstream Park   CANADIAN RUNNERS Woodbine stakes winner GLENVILLE GARDENS, winner of the Display Stakes at the end of the Woodbine season, did not take to the dirt at Gulfstream on Wednesday in an allowance race for 2yos. The Street Cry colt, owned and bred by Eugene Melnyk, trailed through […]

Our Ontario racing community was shocked to hear of the passing of one of the good ones DEREK BALL, who passed away on Dec. 12 in his 65th year. A lawyer, Derek was a partner in the Dominion Bloodstock racehorses for many years. H was passionate about the game and he was friendly and always […]

                      BRIAN SWATUK – 1949-2014 Following a lengthy illness, one of Canada’s most talented horsemen, BRIAN SWATUK, has passed away in Caledon. A winner of over 1,000 races and well known for his work with young horses, Brian was the leading rider in Ontario in […]

  CANADIANS IN ACTION TODAY A couple of grey Canadian-based stakes winners are in stakes events at Gulfstream Park today. Grade 2 winner EXCAPER has an inside post in the El Prado Stakes, worth $100,000, and he is a 4 to 1 contender under Joel Rosario. Ian Black trains for the Kaster family. HAMPSTEAD HEATH, […]

  HE’S OFF! DAN LOISELLE, the voice of Canadian horse racing, has announced he will retire from the announcer’s booth on May 31, 2015.His retirement coincides with the retirement of his popular wife, Wendy, who has been an integral part of Woodbine’s customer relations and, currently, corporate responsibility for almost 40 years. His loyalty to […]

**Thoroughblog will continue to update the last day of racing at Woodbine for 2014 and gather some fun statistics for the year – all throughout later this week. I could be absent for a day or two starting today, stay tuned.     A whopping $5.4 million was bet on the final Woodbine card on […]

      168-162 – Patrick Husbands poised to win Woodbine riders title PATRICK HUSBANDS is one racing card away from toppling LUIS CONTRERAS as Woodbine’s race-winning leader. Contreras has had the last 3 years.  Husbands, who won 89 races last year when injured, is 6 wins in front heading into a 13-race card today. […]

    JACKPOT HIGH 5 Mandatory Payout today Some $85,000 carries over to the mandatory payout for the Jackpot high 5 today at Woodbine. The last race offers a tricky betting puzzle with maiden allowance guys, Ontario sired, sprinting.    Race 10 – POST Time – 5:25 PM Second Half Late Double / Exactor /.20 […]

  165-160 That is the jockey score heading into the last 3 cards of racing at Woodbine this year. PATRICK HUSBANDS leads LUIS CONTRERAS with 43 races left (13 on Sunday). For fans and handicappers, the last 3 days is an extravaganza of large field, maidens, short races, long races and hey, the VALEDICTORY drew […]

A great racing day in all parts of the world and Canadians should be proud of its horses. Sombering moments when learning of deaths of TRADING LEATHER (Japan Cup), CHEROKEE ARTIST ($20K claiming race) and the breakdown of STRAPPING GROOM (stake at Penn National yesterday)…   A LOU-LOU of a race – LEXIE chases California […]

Woodbine, Del Mar, Churchill, Aqueduct, Gulfstream, all great cards of racing today, then stay up until 1:55 a.m. to watch Japan Cup and UP WITH THE BIRDS1   KAIGUN CRUSHES – Canadian bred wins Seabiscuit S. Grade 2     Canadian bred 4yo KAIGUN, the top turf miler owned by Gary Barber, Tina Casse and […]

UP WITH THE BIRDS gettin down in Japan Thoroughblog/Toronto Star reached trainer MALCOLM PIERCE in Tokyo, Japan to talk about the Japan Cup on Sunday (around 1 a.m. Toronto time) and his first ever trip to that country. “I didn’t go to the Japan Cup with Chief Bearhart for Sam-Son (finished fourth in 1993) so […]

                      It may be the final 2 weeks of Woodbine racing for 2014 but there is a lot going on still – PATRICK HUSBANDS is now back on top of the riders standings – 160 to 159 and Luis Contreras will be out of town […]

  SNOW DAY – an amazing image of a young Thoroughbred playing in the early snow in Ontario. Photo by Santino DiPaola   157-156 That is the score in the Jockey race for most wins at Woodbine this year. Luis Contreras narrowly over Patrick Husbands and we head into the 9 cards.   WOODBINE WRAP […]