CHURN

CALM BEFORE BREEDERS’ CUP STORM

Two weeks from today (Friday) is Day 1 of the 2-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs, this year and pre-entries are due Monday and those will be released to the public on Wednesday.

More tweaking and adding of races has been done to the biggest day(s) of racing in the world. The event has come a long way from the first Breeders’ Cup at Hollywood Park in 1984 when there were 7 amazing races:

The team at horse-races.net has a good preview and list of the races for each day, plus possible entries at their site:

The Breeders’ Cup will have a total of 14 Championship races (13 Grade 1) spread over two days of racing with $30 million in purse money on the line. New in 2018, Friday November 2nd is billed as “Future Stars Friday” featuring all the Championship races for juveniles on the same card, including the inaugural $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (ungraded) and highlighted by the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Saturday November 3rd will have nine races for older horses headlined by the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at 1 1/4 miles. The Championships will be held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, for the ninth time.

Read more on the Breeders’ Cup.

CANADIAN CONTENT for the Breeders’ Cup races is light. One Woodbine-based horse is confirmed to go – MY GAL BETTY, a 2-year-old stakes winning filly owned by Bill Werner and trained by Roger Attfield.

A $120,000 yearling purchase from the Fasig Tipton October sale last year, the daughter of Point of Entry was recently 2nd in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes. The filly is a Kentucky bred but has been stabled here.

Werner recently purchased a number of yearlings as he looks to increase his stable.

My Gal Betty will be entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf.

There are a few Canadian-bred horses that will be entered in Cup races such as CHANNEL MAKER, WONDER GADOT and RANSOM THE MOON.

In England at Ascot Saturday (morning our time) ROARING LION competes in the QUEEN ELIZABETH II and could actually come back in the Breeders’ Cup Turf or Classic. The Kitten’s Joy grey colt has won three straight Group 1’s at 10 furlongs:

From the Racing Post:

Roaring Lion will head to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday in preference to the longer Qipco Champion Stakes with Oisin Murphy brimful of confidence his partner is ready to shine back at a mile. 

 

The CHAMPION STAKES features CRACKSMAN, winner of this race last season. From The Guardian:

Cracksman, the odds-on favourite for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, will wear blinkers for the first time in the final race of his career, in an attempt to coax him back to the form that secured a seven-length success in the same race last season.

GREY WEEKEND

Of Ghosts and Phantoms!

The Grade 3 Grey Stakes for 2-year-olds will be held Sunday and this famous race (from Canadian standards) will be having its 108th running.

A decade ago the winner was MINE THAT BIRD, who incredibly went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird’s initial owner/trainer was Dave Cotey, who has Grimgrinnin Ghost in the field off a maiden win for $32K claiming.

The colt gets his name from  the theme song for The Haunted Mansion attractions at Disney theme parks. It was composed by Buddy Baker, with lyrics written by X Atencio. Its melody has been adapted for numerous uses since its composition in the late 1960s (Wikipedia).

The race has not spawned many serious horses since then and this year’s field, so far, tops out at 70 on the Beyer Figure scale.

More interesting is the GREY HANDICAP the very next race which is for all grey horses. The big field of older horses will go 1 mile on the grass. Last year’s winner Arthur’s Pass is set to try and double up.

Ontario Racing has a story on his co-owners Jim and Graeme Bruce who are quite new to racing ownership:

 

HASTINGS PARK WRAPS UP 2018

courtesy of Glen Todd/Derby Bar & Grill

Owner/trainer GLEN TODD of the Derby Bar & Grill is featured in the current issue of Canadian Thoroughbred magazine. He has offered up some statistics for the recently completed Hastings meeting:

The total handle (by my figures which should be fairly accurate) was $25,243,879 compared to $27,770,077 in 2017 or $2,526,198 less then 2017. The loss of handle was mainly attributed to only running 7 races on Sundays.

The season total of races run was 374 which consisted of 36 stakes races and 338 overnight races. Total payout was $7,654,679.00, the overnight race totaled $5,484,649 and stake race payouts were $2,170,000.

Breakdown of the overnight purses was $4,953,500 to purses, plus $501,244 to BC Breds and an additional $29,935 to 8-12 finishers.

Stake Races totals where an combinations of $712,250 from nomination fees, $180,000 from Sponsors and $1,277,750 from the horsemen’s purse pool.

Wintering Incentive Fund payout for horses returning from 2017 who had started at Hastings in last start of 2017 for $6250 or less totaled $168,000 or a total of 84 horses returned.

The Maiden Special Incentive Bonus paid out a total of $170,000 with the Purse Pool providing $127,500 and the CTHS BAP Program paying $42,500 directly to the breeder.

Average purse pool payout on a daily average was $147,205 per day. The overnight payouts averaged $16,842 per race. That, by the way, is the highest average payout since 2009.

The total number of horses that made at least one start totaled 532 horses which was slightly off of 2017 when 550 horses started. The average number of horses per race was 6.877.

FORT ERIE COMPLETES 2018 SEASON

Gold Shark Fort Erie Horse of the Year

Another successful year of horse racing has come to an end in Fort Erie. Fans braved the cold weather on Tuesday, October 16 to see the conclusion of the racing season at the 121-year-old border oval.The season saw an increase in wagering both on and off track, with an overall increase of six percent. On track, attendance was particularly strong this year for traditionally popular days, including Opening Day, Father’s Day and the Prince of Wales Stakes, as well as the inaugural wiener dog races, which all attracted capacity crowds.

Veteran jockey Krista Carignan won four races on closing day and finished the season as leading rider with 57 wins. This summer was Carignan’s first season back to racing after taking a couple years off for a maternity break.

“I didn’t expect to come back and have as much business and get as lucky as I did this season, so I am very grateful that it was such a good year,” said Carignan, who has been riding on and off since 2006. “It all came back pretty quickly, but it takes a little bit of time to get into a good rhythm. I’m excited for next season, and look forward to starting off strong at the beginning of the year.”

Carignan stole the title from Kirk Johnson who has been leading rider for the last five seasons, finishing second this year with 40 wins at Fort Erie. The top five jockeys were rounded out by Helen Vanek, Pierre Mailhot, and Juan Crawford. Horse of the Year went to Gold Shark, owned by Tony Gaito and trained by John Simms.

GOLD SHARK is a 5-year-old gelding by Speightstown bred by Adena Springs, He won three races at Fort Erie this season and one at Tampa Bay Downs in the winter.

Leading trainer went to Robert Johnston, and Bruno Schickedanz took the title of leading owner.

Racing on closing day featured the Tour de Fort, a two mile and seventy-yard race on the dirt, and a closing day tradition at Fort Erie. World of Prospects and Mr Harlan, both trained by Paula Loescher ran neck and neck down the final stretch, but World of Prospects and Krista Carignan won by a nose in a running time of 3:35.69.

Male Claimer of the Year  Sponsored by HBPA of Ontario: Hombre Natural

Female Claimer of the Year Sponsored by Warwick Accounting Services: Lady of Moray

Male Sprinter of the Year Sponsored by Skymark Custom Sewing and Tack: Gold Shark

Female Sprinter of the Year Sponsored by Jim Pearson’s “Quick Kid” standing at Resline Ranch: About a Girl

Distance Male of the Year Sponsored by Fort Erie HBPA Office: Two Stellas

Distance Female of the Year Sponsored by Feastivities Events and Catering: Perfect Ella

Turf Male of the Year Sponsored by Fort Erie Race Office: Smooth Passage

Turf Female of the Year Sponsored by Michael Burns’ Photography: Court Ajourned

Best Claim of the Year Sponsored by Post Time Services: He’s Etain

Horse of the Year Sponsored by Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium: Gold Shark

Leading Trainer Sponsored by Dr. James Crawford: Rob Johnston

Leading Owner Sponsored by HBPA of Ontario: Bruno Schickedanz

Outstanding Trainer of the Year Sponsored by HBPA of Ontario: Josh Robillard

Leading Rider Sponsored by Jockey’s Benefit Association of Canada: Krista Carignan

Leading Apprentice Sponsored by Jockey’s Benefit Association of Canada: Kazushi Kimura

Outstanding Rider of the Year Sponsored by ATW Transport: Pierre Mailhot

Assistant Trainer of the Year: Lisa Smith

Groom of the Year: Julia Ezra

 

ONTARIO HBPA ELECTS EXECUTIVES

The new board of the Ontario HBPA has voted to keep the same President and Vice Presidents:

The newly elected Board of Directors of the HBPA of Ontario is pleased to announce election of the new executive.
President – Sue Leslie
Vice President – Owners, Bill Diamant
Vice President – Trainers, Nick Gonzalez
Secretary/Treasurer ‐ Sherry McLean

All positions were acclaimed. For more information, please contact Lesley Barker at 416‐747‐5252 ext.

 

BETTORS, BREEDERS and everyone; Brush up on what you know about Speed Figures!

The PAULICK REPORT has a good series on Beyer Figures, sheet numbers and Timeform ratings. Brush up on how these numbers are calculated. The first installment is about Beyer Speed Figures (at bottom):