DAVE LANDRY PHOTO
Check in later today for news on the first overnight entries for Saturday’s opening day at Woodbine! Overnight should be out around 2-3 o’clock…
TODAY’S BITS – Fans want to meet WOODBINE’S TRAINER’S, big names all around…WINSTAR FARM IN KENTUCKY offers super contest…SOVEREIGN AWARDS nearing, get your entry into the CONTEST!!
WOODBINE PREVIEW:
TRAINERS RACE SHOULD BE MORE COMPETITIVE
The focus at the beginning of each Woodbine season is often the jockeys (this year the woman riders are getting yet more play since Emma-Jayne Wilson will be riding against a few apprentices) but what about the men and women who train the horses for the owners of these beautiful animals?
Trainers have to hire the grooms and hotwalkers and riders and the the best trainers have the best staff.
Hall of Fame trainers such as ROBERT TILLER and ROGER ATTFIELD are interesting men who have loaded stables once again for 2011.
READE BAKER, in the top 3 in the last few years, a Sovereign Award winner and a Sovereign Award nominee again this year along with MARK CASSE and ATTFIELD, has stars such as FATAL BULLET and BIOFUEL and newcomer HUNTERS BAY headed north tomorrow from Florida.
Speaking of Casse, his client JOHN OXLEY, one of the biggest players in the game right now, spent $2 million at a recent 2yo sale and this top American owner has entrusted Casse with these beauties – DELIGHTFUL MARY was bought for $500K by Oxley and is up for champion 2yo filly for 2010 at the Sovereign awards on Friday night.
A meet and greet with Woodbine’s horsepeople would be a super idea and something unique that the track could offer. Remember that signing by Catherine Day Phillips a few years back? It was a mob scene!
Fans have constantly commented – it would be cool to meet the trainer’s ask them about their horses and their methods or thoughts on training and racing.
So, expect to see Casse and Baker and Sid Attard and the regulars all fighting it out but don’t forget NICK GONZALEZ, SCOTT FAIRLIE, IAN BLACK AND DANNY VELLA.
Watch out for some of the women trainers this year too: BARBARA MINSHALL had to start from scratch after the champion trainer lost most of her horses when Minshall Farms disbanded but now she has a bunch of newcomers in her stable, some nice ones!
CAROLYN COSTIGAN has a large stable this year including the runners for Augustin Stables and Day Phillips has some Plate prospects.
MARK CASSE (FAR RIGHT), WWW.HORSE-RACES.NET PHOTO
LAST YEAR’S TOP WOODBINE TRAINERS
Mark E. Casse 572 87 76 77 $4,925,585
Reade Baker 365 66 69 53 $3,804,310
Sid C. Attard 281 46 45 31 $2,764,972
Steven M. Asmussen 276 45 42 37 $1,590,667
Robert P. Tiller 295 42 41 50 $2,630,578
Roger L. Attfield 205 41 34 25 $3,633,995
Nicholas Gonzalez 233 37 32 19 $2,076,499
Michael P. De Paulo 231 34 32 27 $1,585,964
Scott H. Fairlie 238 34 31 32 $1,212,761
Laurie Silvera 191 31 25 19 $1,334,651
Michael J. Doyle 251 28 40 24 $1,883,406
Michael V. Pino 75 27 14 8 $710,131
Josie Carroll 175 26 21 22 $1,627,597
Daniel J. Vella 169 24 26 23 $1,228,252
Malcolm Pierce 183 23 17 31 $1,573,245
Mark R. Frostad 98 23 14 13 $2,338,487
Ian Black 208 22 30 22 $2,298,728
Brian A. Lynch 152 22 20 13 $1,268,719
CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED UP FOR AWARDS
All 3 nominated photos at the Sovereign Awards on Friday night (honouring 2010’s champs) came from the pages pf CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED MAGAZINE.
Writers from the magazine, including yours truly and news editor KEITH MCALMONT are also up for awards and will certainly be more prominent in Canadian Thoroughbred in years to come.
Do you have YOUR Subscription yet?
Outstanding Photograph
Terence Dulay, Hang on Big Red Mike, Canadian Thoroughbred, August/September 2010
Tod Marks, Miss Keller and her Bunny, Canadian Thoroughbred, December 2010
Cindy Pierson Dulay, Catching Seeking The Title, Canadian Thoroughbred, August/September 2010
Outstanding Newspaper Story
Perry Lefko, Memories of the King of Claiming, Down The Stretch Newspaper, December 17, 2010
Jennifer Morrison, Da Silva will have crowd on his side at Prince of Wales, Toronto Star, July 23, 2010
Beverley Smith, Silky Smooth, Not Without the Colour Man, The Globe and Mail, August 17, 2010
Outstanding Feature Story
Perry Lefko, Horse Hugs, Down The Stretch Newspaper, December 17, 2010
Keith McCalmont, Julia Brino: I’m coming back to ride, Down The Stretch Newspaper, January 2010
Jennifer Morrison, Mission Accomplished, The Blood Horse, January 6, 2010
Outstanding Film/Video/Broadcast
CBC Television Network Sports, 2010 Queen’s Plate, CBC Sports, July 4, 2010
ESPN Inc., 2010 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, ESPN2, October 16, 2010
Horse Racing Alberta and Whiteiron Productions, 81st Anniversary of the Canadian Derby, TSN, August 21, 2010
WINSTAR, ALL ABOUT GETTING THE FANSINVOLVED
WINSTAR, which won the Kentucky Derby last year and races horses at Woodbine with trainer Mark Casse, has launched what is being ocnsidered the most ambitious project, 6 months in the making, for fans to get more involved in horse racing.
While racetracks struggle to find ways to get people to the track, here is a big farm in Kentucky going all out:
WinStar Launches StableMates:
Edited Press Release: WinStar Farm has announced the debut of WinStar
StableMates. The Thoroughbred racing club offers the
following levels of membership.
Grade 1 Members will receive concierge-level care, including a stay at the nearby AKentucky Castle@ in
conjunction with a VIP behind-the-scenes treatment in all areas of the farm, as well as racing experiences such
as paddock area and box access at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. Grade 1 Membership is limited to the
first 75 who sign up.
Grade 2 Members get full access to all of the offerings of the website, WinStarFarmStableMates.com, plus special Q&A
sessions with farm managers, eligibility for special drawings, giveaways and tickets to races, and more.
Grade 3 Members receive access to most of the website, as well as weekly VIP Farm Tours, ticket and
memorabilia drawings, a choice of StableMates apparel and discounts through the WinStar online store.
For those who just want to see a small part of the website offering, yet still engage in WinStar Farm’s
games, contests, polls, and community, there is a free level of membership provided.
“This website makes it easy and affordable for racing fans and Thoroughbred horse lovers to participate in a
very unique and fun way into the business and daily activity of a major Thoroughbred racing operation,@
WinStar President Elliott Walden said. AWinStar is committed to being a leader not only on the track, but
in all efforts in lifting the profile of Thoroughbred racing, giving fans a more meaningful way to interact
with the sport and industry.”
CONTEST!!! SOVEREIGN AWARD NOMINEES
Thanks to the latest entries for our Sovereign award contest! Two days left in the contest, try and guess the winners of the horse
awards (see list of nominees below) and win MURIEL LENNOX’S new book, THE HORSE AND THE TIGER!
HORSE OF THE YEAR __________________________?
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly:
Delightful Mary
Roxy Gap
Wyomia
Champion Two-Year-Old Male:
Blue Laser
Madman Diaries
Rockin Heat
Champion Three-Year-Old Filly:
Biofuel
Free Fee Lady
Roan Inish
Champion Three-Year-Old Male:
Big Red Mike
Hotep
No Hesitation
Champion Older Female:
Hooh Why
Impossible Time
Simply Splendid
Champion Older Male:
Sand Cove
Southdale
Stunning Stag
Champion Turf Female:
Mekong Melody (IRE)
Miss Keller (IRE)
Perfect Shirl
Champion Turf Male:
Grand Adventure
Rahy’s Attorney
Windward Islands
Champion Female Sprinter:
Hooh Why
Indian Apple Is
Sugar Again
Champion Male Sprinter:
Essence Hit Man
Hollywood Hit
Smokey Fire
