Toronto, ON – Woodbine’s main track opened for training on Wednesday March 17th, a key sign that the opening of the 2010 thoroughbred season is just around the corner. The 167-day meet opens in less than a month, on Friday, April 2.
Steve Koch, Vice-President of Thoroughbred Racing, noted the surface is in great condition. “With the fine weather and perfect track conditions, everyone is in a great mood,” said Koch. “I think the opening of the main track for many is like seeing your first robin to mark the beginning of Spring. This perfect morning serves as a good omen for another great year of racing at Woodbine. Everyone’s optimism is running high these days.
“Irwin Driedger (Director of Thoroughbred Racing Surfaces) and his team should be very pleased with how the Polytrack opened up,” continued Koch. “The sunny and unusually warm weather in concert with the technical advantages of the Polytrack surface produced superior first-day conditions. If these conditions continue to hold our local horsemen will be ‘loaded for bear’ on opening weekend.”
In preparation for their 2010 debuts, 44 workers tested the Polytrack surface for the first time this year. Ten-time winner Wholelottabourbon, who is conditioned by Nick Gonzalez, was one of the local individuals that trained over the main track. The eight-year-old son of Foxtrail covered three furlongs in :36 4/5, breezing. Gonzalez, who is still tending to his stable in Ocala, Florida, had his wife and assistant, Martha, send out a handful of trainees on Wednesday morning, including Foxy Lion and First Row Center.
“Martha said the main track was absolutely beautiful,” said Gonzalez, who won 43 races at Woodbine in 2009, to rank seventh in the standings. “It was awesome. I’m actually jealous of the weather in Toronto. It’s been the coldest winter on record in Ocala and it was ideal for training at Woodbine today.”
Gonzalez, who will nominate a few horses, including multiple added-money winner Stuck In Traffic, to the Debut Stakes on Opening Day, can’t wait for the gates to open on the Thoroughbred season. “We’ve had a good winter, the horses are in great shape and are getting geared up for the start of the campaign,” said the veteran trainer, who finds himself 31 wins shy of 1,000 for his career. “It should be a dynamite year.”
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