Toronto, ON – A select field of eight turf specialists will contest the $2 million, Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International, Saturday at Woodbine. In addition to the mile and one-half Pattison, which is Canada’s richest horse race, two other turf stakes will highlight the undercard – the $1 million E.P. Taylor, at one mile and one-quarter, […]
Horse Racing News
The Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program is inviting applications for two rider scholarships being offered in the first quarter of 2010. The Quarter Horse Program will provide scholarship funding for one or two riders to attend the Olds College Exercise Rider/Jockey Training Certificate Program in Alberta to be trained for the unique needs […]
The Board of the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) has ordered a moratorium on all race date reductions. The effect of the moratorium is that racetracks will conduct no fewer race dates in 2010 than they did in 2009. Applications from racetracks for the 2010 racing season amounted to reductions of 150 days from those approved […]
Frank Stronach plans to close his Adena Springs South stallion operation near Williston, Fla., and relocate some of the stallions to either Adena Springs near Paris, Ky., or Gardiner Farms (Dr. Michael Colterjohn, president) near Caledon East, Ontario, Canada. “The decision to move the Adena South stallions to Canada and Kentucky was not an easy […]
Toronto, ON – Patrick Husbands tallied his 2,000th career win in Sunday’s 10th race at Woodbine. A six-time Sovereign Award winner and five-time leading rider at Woodbine, Husbands partnered with trainer Mark Casse, owner Eugene Melnyk and four-year-old gelding Grazettes Landing to reach the milestone. “This is a pretty nice horse,” said Husbands, who currently has […]
Starting today, Paddock Judges will be checking participants for safety vests. ORC rules require that as of October 1, 2009, anyone jogging, training or warming up a horse at a licensed racetrack is required to wear a safety vest. This requirement does not apply to shuttling a horse back and forth from the paddock to […]
Toronto, ON – Donver Stables’ Careless Jewel, a three-year-old daughter of Tapit, seeks her fifth consecutive score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion, at Philadelphia Park. The Kentucky-bred, trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by fellow Woodbine-based Robert Landry, is the morning line 8-5 favourite in the 1 1/16-mile feature. Careless Jewel, who finished […]
The switch by Assiniboia Downs from Sunday racing to Wednesday racing has proven to be an unqualified success. The track showed a huge 29.2 per race increase in handle despite five fewer race days. The 63-day meet ended Sunday. The mutuel handle increased $2 million. This year’s handle was $8.8 million compared to last year’s $6.8 […]
Toronto, ON – Beginning Wednesday, September 23, Woodbine Entertainment Group will be offering its Pick 6 wager during every Thoroughbred racing card. The Pick 6, which asks fans to pick the winners of six consecutive races, had been offered only during Sunday programs. The bet, offered on the final six races of the card, is a […]
Rexdale, ON – Juddmonte Farms’ homebred five-year-old mare Ventura became the first female to win the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile in its 13 editions, rallying from ninth at the head of the lane to outbattle Ferneley in the final sixteenth of a mile, Sunday at Woodbine. At the finish of the turf classic, Ventura […]
Toronto, ON – Eleven new directors have been elected to the Ontario Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association for a three year term. They are as follows: Owners Conrad Cohen, William Diamant, Stan Fishman, Lynne Hindmarsh, Sam Lima and Larry Regan. Trainers Roger Attfield, Mark Casse, Nick Gonzalez, Sue Leslie and Danny Vella. The HBPA of Ontario is a […]
Toronto, ON – New York invader Bribon, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Ventura and defending champion Rahy’s Attorney head a well-matched group of 10 turf specialists for Sunday’s $1 million, Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. The 13th edition of one of the premier grass races in North America will be televised live across […]
Toronto, ON – Trainer Steve Asmussen recorded his 5,000th career victory in Friday’s seventh race at Woodbine. The 43-year-old conditioner, who won his first Eclipse Award last year, reached the milestone with two-year-old Passion Rules, who led from gate to wire and drew off convincingly in the maiden claiming event. Asmussen, a resident of Arlington, Texas, […]
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Standing outside his barn at Saratoga Race Course on a sparkling Sunday morning, trainer Steve Asmussen was still basking in the glow of Rachel Alexandra’s historic victory in the 56th running of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes as he reported the filly came out of the race in good shape. “I’m just […]
All participants in horseracing in Ontario are reminded that new rules governing the urging of horses came into effect on September 1, 2009. The rules – which will apply to Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing – focus on the safety of the participants, the welfare of the horse and the perception of the product. […]