C’MON IN

 

ROBERT GELLER JOINS WOODBINE JUNE 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the departure of Dan Loiselle as longtime race announcer at Woodbine just days away, Woodbine has announced that Robert Geller will be his replacement.  It was not a secret that Geller, who has been the only track announcer at Emerald Downs, was the new race-caller, but there had been many weeks of delay to arrange the transfer.

Geller, whose Facebook page was flooded with well wishes and sad goodbyes when it was announced quite a while back that he was leaving Emerald Downs, is no doubt a popular person at his former home track. He is an actor and a racing lover. He is busy on social media and promotes the sport well.

In a chat with the Toronto Star and Thoroughblog, Geller talked about his 20 years at Emerald. “I got to know a lot of people, and I like to get to know people. Everyone there are all so supportive of my decision to move.”

Geller will be arriving in Toronto on June 7 for his first race call on the 13th. He has visited the Woodbine booth with Loiselle and while admittedly a bit nervous of taking over from the “icon”, he is ready to take the mic, take it one day at a time and find his comfort level in the job.

“Some people are going to like my style, some people won’t,” said Geller who has a British/Australian accent. “It feels like a really good fit for me. I am following someone who devoted their whole life to Woodbine so I will take it slow and try and build up my own fan base.”

Geller noted that the racetrack itself dictates a style of race-calling as well. He is excited about calling turf races for the first time since he was in Hong Kong

 

WOODBINE MEDIA BIO – The 55-year-old Geller was born in Birmingham, England but at the age of three and a half, moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia where he would regularly attend the races as a young boy. His love for horse racing runs in the blood, with one grandfather a former bookmaker in Brighton, England.

A qualified speech pathologist, having graduated from the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in communication disorders, Geller worked in a variety of positions as a speech pathologist including St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Geller pursued his passion for calling races on the weekends, eventually earning part-time work calling harness, greyhound and thoroughbred racing in his home state of Victoria.

He took his first official job in 1984 at Wangaratta, calling ten race days a year. His calendar began to quickly fill up, appointed as the course commentator across the four tracks in the north-east of the state, expanding to Benalla, Tatura and Wodonga along with summer duties on the picnic circuit at Wonthaggi and Woolamai Racing Clubs along the Mornington Peninsula.

In 1989, Geller pursued an opportunity with the prestigious Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club becoming the English-speaking race caller at Happy Valley and Sha Tin, a role he held for six and a half years.

He left Hong Kong for Washington State in 1996 to become the track announcer at Emerald Downs for its inaugural season and has been their race caller since.

Since its 2000-2001 season, Geller has also taken on announcer duties at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino in New Mexico and will continue in that capacity.

On July 5, Geller will call his first Queen’s Plate, succeeding Loiselle, who has been the familiar voice of the Gallop for the Guineas since 1987 when Market Control was a surprise winner for Roger Attfield and Kinghaven Farms.

Loiselle began his career with Woodbine, then known as the Ontario Jockey Club on August 1, 1967 as an assistant race secretary in the standardbred division and backup announcer. The 63-year-old native of Scarborough announced at the end of the 2014 Woodbine meet that he would bring his 29-year-career to a close on May 31.

“Robert is an elite announcer and a class act, and I wish him the very best” said Loiselle. “It has been an absolute honour for me to announce Canada’s greatest races, and I am confident Robert will be embraced by Canadian racing fans, and will find a tremendous following in this country.”
MIKE SMITH TO RIDE CONQUEST TYPHOON in Plate Trial

Casse has large number of Plate hopefuls, hopes Trial “splits”

 

 

Trainer Mark Casse chuckled when he said he wanted the Plate Trial Stakes,  to be run on June 14, split into divisions.

The trainer won his first Queen’s Plate last year and is loaded with Canadian-breds this season, of all ages.

His list of Plate contenders has to be a big scary for rival trainers but this year, it is a super group and hopefully it will be a great field.

The leading Plate contender right now, according to THOROUGHBLOG, is CONQUEST CURLINATE, who heads to the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

“Win, lose or draw, his next race after the Belmont will be the Plate,” said Casse. The grey colt is a deep, closing type who has run Beyer Figures in the 90s and has been 2nd in the Peter Pan and Illinois Derby, both Grade 2 events.

DANZIG MOON, 5th in the Kentucky Derby, is headed to Woodbine from Churchill Downs shortly after drowning in the slop in the Preakness.

Danzig Moon, by Malibu Moon, has never raced on Polytrack.

“He trained on it last fall and he was ok on it,” said Casse. “He will go to the Plate Trial and if he only runs okay, then we may just go the Prince of Wales like Uncaptured did.”

Field of Courage will run in the Plate Trial. This is an Ontario sired guy by Marchfield. “He’s a funny horse, huge pedigree, we like him.”

Conquest Boogaloo, who had a horrendous journey in the Marine Stakes is the “sleeper”. He will be in the Plate Trial as well, making at least 3 horses for Casse in the 1 1/8 mile race.

As for the Oaks, Casse said the team is high on SEASON TICKET, who competes in the Selene Stakes tomorrow.

 

 

 

WOODBINE THIS WEEKEND – THE DOORS ARE OPEN!

The highly popular Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf, which offers free and rare access to more than 155 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city, presents a unique opportunity to see Woodbine Racetrack as never before on May 23 and May 24.

In honour of this summer’s Toronto 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games, this year’s Doors Open theme – Sports, Recreation and Leisure – showcases private and public recreational sites ranging from aquatic centres to athletics stadiums.

“Woodbine is honoured to be part of this great event,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group. “Doors Open Toronto offers a tremendous opportunity for people to experience the many diverse and celebrated sites across our great city. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our historic venue.”

Guided bus tours of Woodbine’s private stable area, beginning at 10 am, will be offered. Visitors will have the opportunity to see where more than 2,000 horses live and train, hear from experienced caretakers and racing personnel, tour the paddock, and walk through the Thoroughbred starting gate.

Visitors will also have a chance to participate in a guided walking tour of Woodbine’s Grandstand, beginning at noon.  , including the Hall of Fame, showcasing WEG’s rich racing history, the state-of-the-art in-house broadcast studios, press box, the Thoroughbred paddock, and the Winner’s Circle.

There will also be an opportunity to meet Woodbine’s jockeys and drivers.

Those attending can take in the sights and sounds of live racing action on both days. Post time for Saturday and Sunday is 1 pm.

Parking is available at Gate 10 for easy access to the tour registration area. Accessible drop-off and tour sign up is located at Gate 11.

Tours are on a first come, first serve basis and are scheduled once on the site. Accessible tours are available upon request.

And, don’t forget to bring a camera or video camera. Interior photography and filming is permitted, including tripod.
Visit the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and Woodbine Racetrack as they take part in Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf.

This is your opportunity and to learn about the history and heritage of Canadian horse racing from historians and docents including Hall of Fame Founder/Director Emeritus, Lou Cauz; author and Hall of Fame Member Bill Galvin; and harness racing ambassador, owner and super fan, Sydney Weaver.

See rare memorabilia and photos of iconic Canadian horses Northern Dancer and Cam Fella, test your trivia knowledge for the chance to win great CHRHF merchandise, and take your picture as a harness driver or jockey in the photo area.

 

AND THERE ARE 20 AWESOME RACES ON THE SCHEDULE TOO
(See Posts on Thoroughblog for each day’s picks!)

 

Jumpin jack flash, we’re on the grass grass grass!  Grass racing is back beginning Friday and the turf course will be the site of a superb graded stakes race on Saturday – the NASSAU STAKES (grade 2),  worth $200,000. A very strong field of some top fillies and mares will go 1 mile on the E.P. Taylor turf course and if you can pick the winner of this race, you should have a nice payoff.

Two gals from trainer Malcolm Pierce’s barn, each owned by different farms, will likely battle for favoritism: OVERHEARD and  DECEPTIVE VISION both Sovereign Award nominees in 2014.

Overheard, owned by Pin Oak Stud, won the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) last year in just 4 races. She was a decent 4th in her opener this year on soft turf at Keeneland.

Deceptive Vision, meanwhile, won the Doubledogdare on the dirt at Keeneland in first start of the season. She was 3rd in the Nassau last spring. Interesting that Eurico Rosa da Silva will ride Overheard rather than Deceptive Vision.

Champion older mare of 2014, Strut the Course is back after a winter at Webb Carroll’s training centre in South Carolina. “She’s doing well,” said Barb Minshall in a chat with Thoroughblog last weekend. “She likes the grass just as much as the Polytrack I think.” Minshall has 22 horses at Woodbine including a litany of juveniles for owner Bruce Lunsford.

 

On Sunday, the 3-year-olds fillies, some with Woodbine Oaks aspirations next month, will do battle in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes (G3), a race that began in 1954 as a sprint. Malcolm Pierce and Pin Oak are prominent in this race as well with probably favourite DON’T LEAVE ME, who won the Bourbonette Stakes off the layoff at Turfway in March.

Three Mark Casse trainees are in the field including SEASON TICKET, an Ontario bred by Lemon Drop Kid who is pointing to the Oaks.

“We really like her,”  said Casse on Thursday from Florida. “She will go to the Oaks from the Selene.”

Season Ticket was bred by Sean Fitzhenry and she is owned by Woodford Racing. Casse also has Bill and Vicki Poston’s Ol’ Fashion Gal, by Sky Mesa, in the race with a good chance and Watch This Cat, owned by Bridlewood Farm.

Oaks gals in the race include GREEN DOCTOR, STARLESS NIGHT and LEADING EDGE.

 NOTE:

There are a couple of strains of different viruses going through the Woodbine backstretch that are very contagious and thus there have been a lot of scratches currently. Yesterday’s 2-year-old race, the first of the season, had just 3 entrants.

QUINCY WELCH WILL RECEIVE AVELINO GOMEZ AWARD

 

 

 

Quincy Welch was  named the 2015 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.
With 1,855 wins to his name through May 18, including a career-best 173 triumphs in 2004, Welch has maintained his status as one of Canada’s most consistent and capable riders.

“After I found out that I was given this honour, I went online and began reading about all of the great names that have earned it,” said Welch, who was crowned Northlands Park champion jockey in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008. “It was really amazing to see all of the talented riders and to also find out more about Avelino Gomez. It didn’t take me long to understand just how great a jockey he was.”

Unfortunately, Welch wasn’t quite dressed appropriately at the moment he was told that he was the 2015 recipient.

“Robbie King (a former rider and Gomez honoree, and current Executive Director of the Jockey Benefit Association of Canada) came to see me here in Edmonton at the racetrack,” recalled Welch. “I happened to be in the sauna and I originally thought Robbie said I was a nominee for the award. When he said that I had won it, I jumped up and wanted to give him a big hug. I made sure I put on a towel first.”

The coveted Gomez Award is given to the person, Canadian-born, Canadian-raised or regular rider in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport.

A native of Barbados, now residing in Alberta, Welch won the 2007 Alberta Derby with Amazin Blue, despite the horse losing a shoe and having to rally from far back to win the $125,000 feature.

He had originally come to Canada on March 26, 1997, with an opportunity for the then 17-year-old to compete at Stampede Park.

Since then, Welch has built up an enviable resume, winning races across the country, including at Woodbine.

“Cash on the Run was a great horse,” he said, of the 1999 Birdcatcher Stakes champion at Northlands. “I also had the pleasure of riding True Metropolitan (a multiple stakes winner who was voted Canada’s champion older male in 2006 and 2007. When I came to compete at Woodbine a few years back, it was amazing to ride horses for great trainers like Roger Attfield and Mark Casse.”

King has kind words for Welch, whose wife, April, is the Equibase chart caller for Northlands Park.

“He looks as good on a horse today as he did when he first started,” praised the 2009 Gomez winner. “Like those of us who have been lucky enough to be recognized with this award, Quincy, who has also been nominated for the champion jockey Sovereign Award, is absolutely thrilled.”

Welch, who was at the Toronto oval for Woodbine-based jockeys Emile Ramsammy and Steve Bahen’s respective Gomez ceremonies, will take centre stage on June 14, the day he will be feted for his achievements.

“The two times I was there, I was in the back row, peering between other riders,” said the father of two children, son, Kyrie, and daughter, Keira. “I guess it will be a little different this time.”

Presented annually on Woodbine Oaks day at Woodbine, the honour is named in memory of one of the sport’s most heralded and loved performers. The Cuban-born Gomez died of complications after a three-horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks.

To commemorate his contributions to the sport, a life-size statue of Gomez, who called Toronto home and raised a family there, keeps watch over Woodbine’s walking ring. A replica is presented to each year’s honouree.

Welch joins Ron Turcotte, Johnny Longden, Sandy Hawley, Don MacBeth, Chris Rogers, Jeff Fell, Lloyd Duffy, Hugo Dittfach, Robin Platts, Larry Attard, Don Seymour, David Gall, Richard Grubb, Irwin Driedger, David Clark, Jim McKnight, Chris Loseth, Richard Dos Ramos, Robert Landry, Francine Villeneuve, Sam Krasner, John LeBlanc Sr., George Ho Sang, Jack Lauzon, Robert King Jr., Stewart Elliott, Emile Ramsammy, Steve Bahen, Mickey Walls and last year’s recipient, Patrick Husbands, as Gomez honourees. ​