PATRICK HUSBANDS RIDE BEING INVESTIGATED
Husbands blamed for Blackstone Street flop
EXCERPT FROM NEWSDAY
By MIDAS Saturday, January 9 2010
WOODBINE champion jockey Patrick Husbands is being blamed for the poor performance of Blackstone Street in the 16th running of the First Citizens Gold Cup at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Boxing Day last.
During an inquiry by the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority into the running of the son of Victory Gallop/Skipping Lass, champion trainer Glenn Mendez said that in his opinion the horse was “fit and sound as at any stage of his career.”
And he also produced a veterinarian certificate from Dr Roger d’Abadie to back up his claim.
Mendez offered that the rider (Husbands) who was flown in especially for the mount to challenge Bruceontheloose, “may have attempted unorthodox tactics which worked against the horses’ natural running style.”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,113882.html
WHEN JOCKEYS GO BAD
Jockeys battle – literally – at Phila. Park
By Mike Jensen
Inquirer Staff Writer
Two jockeys at Philadelphia Park got into a fistfight yesterday, which wouldn’t be big news – except the jockeys were riding in the fifth race when the brawl broke out.
Divine Light, ridden by Eriluis Vaz, was disqualified after Vaz punched Mi Helena’s jockey, Ademar Santos, in the face as their horses rode along the backstretch. Neither horse finished in the money.
A replay showed that after Vaz threw his punch, Santos appeared to punch Vaz right back. Then Vaz nailed Santos with his whip.
Santos said Vaz had veered toward him three times before the blows began.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/81058557.html
CANADIAN-OWNED ‘DAVE’ A GOOD ONE FOR ALBERTA GROUP
74 Beyer Figure in his maiden win
courtesy www.the horses.com
Intriguing start to 2010 for Highfield Stock Farm
Written by Jonathan Huntington
A promising win by a three-year-old runner – with a sentimental name – has started the year on the right foot for Alberta’s Highfield Stock Farm.
Distorted Dave closed almost five lengths in the stretch to win a maiden allowance on Saturday at Santa Anita. Sent off at 10-1, the son of Distorted Humor covered the 5.5 furlongs in 1:03.39. “We don’t think he’s a five and a half furlong horse,” said Adrian Munro of Highfield Stock Farm. “We think he’s a two-turn horse.”
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
WRAY LAWRENCE, owner and trainer from Toronto, won the third race at Charles Town racetrack yesterday with Ontario bred PICTURE THE GOLD (Snow Ridge – Ascot Gold, Mutakkdim) in an $8,000 claiming race.
The 4-year-old filly was 70 centson the dollar and won the 6 1/2 furlong race by more than 3 lengths. Ronney Brown is listed as trainer for Lawrence.
DAVE COTEY won the first race at PENN NATIONAL yesterday with Kentucky bred A KISS IN THE PARK. The race was a maiden allowance worth $34,000 and the winner, a son of Ecton Park, won by 4 1/2 lengths.
Also at Penn National, former Woodbine runner SAINTE DAIME, owned by Winston Penny and trained by Les Frost broke down in a $5,000 claiming race.
In yesterday’s final race at Penn National, former Woodbine runner BLACK PEONY was 6th at .50 to 1 setting up big payoffs in the maiden event. The winner was 39 to 1, the runner-up 42 to 1 and the listed payoffs for $2 bets like the superfecta camein at $227,000.
It’s not that warm at Palm Meadows either! Reade Baker trainee FIJI BOY goes out for a gallop recently in Florida. Baker’s first starter of 2010, ANDALUSIAN, was 4th in a grass starter allowance yesterday at Gulfstream.
Janis Maine photo
DAVID WILLMOT FEATURE IN BLOOD-HORSE
How he came to be a leader at Woodbine, how he tried to buy the track, why he’s stepping down…
http://cs.bloodhorse.com/files/folders/tbh_regionals/entry86977.aspx
FROM SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES
OLD BOLD CHIEFTAIN YOUNG AT HEART FOR SATURDAY’S SAN PASQUAL
Bold Chieftain is a happy warrior. At age seven, he is an exception in racing, still competing at stakes level as a full horse. Saturday, the millionaire son of Chief Seattle goes for his 15th victory from 33 career starts in the Grade II $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.
“He’s been very special,” said trainer Bill Morey Jr., who has been in the business for 40 of his 69 years. “We’ve picked our spots well for this horse and he’s rewarded us like another millionaire we had, Dixie Dot Com.”
The California-bred Bold Chieftain has never raced outside of the Golden State for owners Dwaine Hall of Los Altos, Ernest Langbein of Alameda and Morey, from San Carlos, yet has earned $1,122,411. The versatile dark bay has won sprints, routes, on turf, dirt and synthetics, and on slop and in mud.
“We bred him, we raised him, we watched him grow from a baby, and we watched him add those zeroes on, and they got to the point where, wow, we hit a million,” Morey said. “The horse has done everything we’ve asked him. We don’t want to push the horse if he’s not happy, but there’s no market as a stallion right now. Our best offer was $20,000, so if the horse is happy and healthy, why not try to keep going a little bit further? If the horse wasn’t healthy, we would not keep racing him.
“But gee whiz, $20,000? I could run him in a $100,000 claiming race, for crying out loud. Anyway, there’s no market in being bought as a stallion, and he’s healthy and in good form. He’s lost a step, but he sure loves those Cal-bred races.”
Eight of Bold Chieftain’s victories have come in races restricted to state-breds. He has never won a graded stakes, although he was second in the Grade II Del Mar Mile in 2008. Bold Chieftain will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, who has been aboard 22 times, winning 12.
“Through the years, the horse has had little quirks, but Russell’s always gotten along with him,” Morey said. “Bold Chieftain has gotten older, like all of us.
“If he comes out of Saturday’s race healthy, we’ll look at the Sunshine Millions Classic (Jan. 30). Even though the purse has been reduced (from $1 million to $500,000), it’s still a lot of money and we don’t have to ship.”
The field for the San Pasqual: Cherokee Artist, Rafael Bejarano, 115, 9-2; Bold Chieftain, Russell Baze, 119, 5-1; Nownownow, Joe Talamo, 116. 9-2; Goldsville, Alex Solis, 113, 30-1; Neko Bay, Mike Smith, 115, 3-1; Spurrier, Joel Rosario, 113, 12-1; and Furthest Land, Garrett Gomez, 121, 8-5.
