WOODBINE KEEPS GOING STRONG
The races are full of horses, the action is awesome and the money is there to be made.
Big operations and small ones alike are winning races these days at Woodbine and the going is not easy. Other than the very well documented plight of our business against the ridiculous government, the horsepeople continue to band together and support each other every race day.
Fort Erie and Woodbine horsepeople make up the large fields at the track these days as the claiming levels go all the way down to $6,250 now (and could stay there throughout next year).
It makes handicapping and picking winners very tough (it’s not easy to find a public selector who had more than 2 winners yesterday at Woodbine) but fun nonetheless.
This week’s wrap:
CHIEFSWOOD STABLE has won a lot of races this year and most of the with offspring of NIIGON. The farm’s Queen’s Plate hero and rising star stallion died suddenly last month and certainly his passing will be felt by not only Chiefswood by by Colebrook, which also raced a lot of winners by the sire this year.
Chiefswood won its 20th race of the meeting on Friday when FUTURE STRIKE romped in a maiden allowance. The Niigon 3yo gelding was making his 4th start and he is trained by Stu Simon.
RAYMOND SMITH bred and owns DER BEE BUZZ and that 2yo filly won her debut in a maiden allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19 3/5. The filly is by the former Pennsylvania stallion COMPANY APPROVAL (With Approval). Nick Gonzalez trains. The Beyer was just 44.
Box Arrow Farm and Gord Colbourne celebrated a win in the 4th race, a maiden 2yo race for $32K. The gelding HEY YOU PICK ME, by Wando, won his 3rd career strat and he was a $7,000 yearling purchase from Gus Schickedanz.
DESTINY’S SONG is a cool dude. This gelding won his 4th race of the year in just his 7th race when he took a $19K claimer yesterday. He is owned by Rita Hearst and trained by Mike Doyle. Jermaine Bridgmohan rodes this 3yo winning machine.
Norm Files photo
The fastest race of the day was the 8th, an allowance/optional claiming event won by 3 to 5 shot YOUCAN’TCATCHME. Almost everyone picked this 3yo by The Daddy, owned and bred by Murray Stroud and trained by Sam DiPasquale. She was coming off a nose lost in the Ont. Fashion Stakes and was the boss of the field she met yesterday.
WEDNESDAY – Trainer MIKE MCDONALD has had an incredible year, sending out 15 winners at Woodbine including the winner of the 1st on Wed. night – MIA’S MYSTIC, a 2yo by Survivalist bred by Linda Mason. The colt won for $20K claiming while taking his maiden score.
The fastest race Wednesday night was the maiden 2yo allowance at 1 1/16 miles which posted an 82 Beyer Figure. It was certainly a loaded field and the winner, AVIE’S QUALITY, is a nice prospect for Ivan Dalos, breeder of the son of Elusive Quality – Fly for Avie, in partnership with Darley. Josie Carroll trains the colt.
The final race of the night was an odd affair as there was a dead heat for the win between UNCLE CAR and MAY FOURTEEN but the latter drifted out so badly through the stretch that he was disqualified.
The winning photo was on the Woodbine website:
Wednesday night’s final race was a dead heat for win…
LEADING OWNERS AT WOODBINE BY WINS
1 Bear Stables, Ltd. 209 39 31 35 $1,688,415 19% 105 50%
2 John C. Oxley 96 26 21 20 $2,524,869 27% 67 70%
3 Chiefswood Stable 86 20 12 7 $1,043,538 23% 39 45%
4 Sam-Son Farms 87 19 15 13 $1,570,547 22% 47 54%
5 Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. 75 17 13 10 $1,621,691 23% 40 53%
5 Colebrook Farms 129 17 14 15 $860,615 13% 46 36%
7 Debmar Stables 91 16 13 15 $762,011 18% 44 48%
7 Paul M. Buttigieg 69 16 12 4 $754,441 23% 32 46%
9 Ace Racing Stable, Inc. 75 15 19 9 $388,625 20% 43 57%
10 Norseman Racing Stable 72 14 10 7 $436,206 19% 31 43%
TRAINERS
1 Mark E. Casse 416 88 78 67 $6,582,433 21% 233 56%
2 Reade Baker 302 51 46 42 $3,113,999 17% 139 46%
3 Sid C. Attard 241 45 45 28 $2,274,087 19% 118 49%
4 Robert P. Tiller 279 44 43 52 $2,493,190 16% 139 50%
5 Scott H. Fairlie 197 38 38 24 $1,135,032 19% 100 51%
6 Nicholas Gonzalez 192 33 32 29 $1,679,719 17% 94 49%
7 Brian A. Lynch 134 31 20 23 $1,391,968 23% 74 55%
8 Michael J. Doyle 226 27 28 28 $1,474,954 12% 83 37%
9 Malcolm Pierce 143 26 26 21 $2,017,853 18% 73 51%
10 Daniel J. Vella 209 25 25 24 $2,046,214 12% 74 35%
JOCKEYS
1 Luis Contreras 871 162 144 129 $7,967,592 19% 435 50%
2 Patrick Husbands 677 152 120 99 $8,485,448 22% 371 55%
3 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 708 142 114 107 $7,350,932 20% 363 51%
4 Emma-Jayne Wilson 702 107 117 113 $5,478,708 15% 337 48%
5 Justin Stein 760 104 91 122 $5,824,554 14% 317 42%
6 Jesse M. Campbell 531 76 60 63 $3,554,861 14% 199 37%
7 Tyler Pizarro 395 50 52 48 $2,643,745 13% 150 38%
8 Gerry Olguin 414 47 42 39 $2,059,390 11% 128 31%
9 Steven Ronald Bahen 461 45 53 55 $2,283,982 10% 153 33%
10 Omar Moreno 372 39 33 50 $1,660,654 10% 122 33%
LEADING HORSES IN CANADA BY NUMBER OF WINS
big brother joe 8 6 0 1 $44,536 75% 7 88% 102
Tethra’s Word 8 6 0 0 $41,276 75% 6 75% 86
Whos Hot Now 9 5 0 0 $32,449 56% 5 56% 75
High Plateau 7 5 0 1 $29,986 71% 6 86% 95
You’ve Been Played 11 5 1 2 $30,392 45% 8 73% 82
Balooga Bull 6 5 0 1 $120,221 83% 6 100% 114
She’s Regal 7 5 2 0 $86,225 71% 7 100% 81
Highly Favoured 6 5 1 0 $14,934 83% 6 100% 81
Hold That Echo 10 5 2 2 $102,842 50% 9 90% 81
VIBANK for $1,000 to Kentucky farm
Consignor Bernard McCormack reports that Vibank attracted a lot of attention after the Keeneland sale this week and he has found a home at a small Kentuckyfarm and will have a small selection of mares to be red too. The stakes winner was sold for $1,000 to a Cattle Co. according to Keeneland sales lists.
WHO’S WHERE?
The waning days of the Ontario thoroughbred season mean horsepeople are out and about. Florida and parts beyond are filling up with Canucks.
others are racing and in Kentucky today are a bunch of locals:
Saturday, Churchill Downs, post time: 8:36 p.m.EST
MRS. REVERE S.-GII, $175,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Leading Astray Belong to Me Perez Block 12-1
2 Charged Cotton Dehere Santana Jr Correas 30-1
3 Peace Preserver K War Front Velazquez Pletcher 4-1
4 Somali Lemonade Lemon Drop Kid Lanerie Matz 6-1
5 Lateegra K North Light (Ire) Hernandez Jr Doyle 30-1
6 English Class K English Channel Goncalves Lynch 10-1
7 Centre Court Smart Strike Leparoux Arnold 5-2
8 Solid Appeal K Successful Appeal Desormeaux Baker 30-1
9 Colonial Flag K Pleasant Tap Rocco Jr Matz 8-1
10 Volcat After Market Albarado McPeek 20-1
11 Miz Ida Proud Citizen Bridgmohan Margolis 9-2
12 Regalo Mia Sligo Bay (Ire) Castanon Nihei 10-1
COMMONWEALTH TURF S.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo, 1 1/16mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML
1 Film Shot Distorted Humor Goncalves Mott 8-1
2 Casual Trick K Bernardini Borel Zito 15-1
3 Two Months Rent K Purim Castanon Toner 10-1
4 Finale K Scat Daddy Velazquez Pletcher 8-1
5 Any Given Royal K Any Given Saturday Rocco Jr Lynch 20-1
6 Lea First Samurai Hernandez Jr Stall Jr 5-1
7 Burn the Mortgage Kitten’s Joy Desormeaux Catalano 15-1
8 Quick Wit K Sharp Humor Lebron Romans 12-1
9 Excaper K Exchange Rate Cohen Black 10-1
10 Artest Hard Spun Lanerie Nihei 20-1
11 King David Hat Trick (Jpn) Leparoux Maker 4-1
12 Skyring English Channel Court Lukas 20-1
13 Finnegans Wake Powerscourt (GB) Albarado Romans 8-1
14 Lockout Limehouse Bridgmohan Casse 8-1
AE General Logan K Exchange Rate Leparoux Motion 10-1
AE Ol Army Posse Martin Jr Peery 30-1
EBLOUISSANTE – “electrifying” – Zenyatta’s lil sis makes debut
PROVINCE SHOULD HELP FORT ERIE
ST CATHERINES STANDARD
The province must step up and help save Fort Erie’s horse racing industry, says regional council.
Council unanimously backed Fort Erie Coun. John Teal’s call Thursday for the province to sit down with Fort Erie and save the town’s racetrack before Dec. 1.
The track has been in turmoil since the spring, when slot machines were pulled out of the racetrack, spelling doom for horse racing in Niagara. But Teal said it’s more than a blow to Fort Erie, but to all of
Niagara’s agricultural sector — and he said a $50-million provincial transition plan for the industry is not enough.
“The majority of people who are losing their jobs would transition to social assistance,” he said.
He said Fort Erie would need a minimum of 60 horse-racing days per year to stay economically viable. And he slammed the notion of moving horse racing to Ajax Downs, saying Fort Erie is simply a
better track.
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/11/16/save-racetrack-region-urges-province
MORE COVERAGE OF STANDARDBRED PEOPLE SELLING/BREEDING/NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO
The TORONTO STAR has launched another set of stories along the same lines as recent lines – harness horse’s and their future
www.thestar.com
