WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT HUB ADVANCING
A mirror image hotel will go up to the east of the grandstand where the current tent area is at Woodbine
You can already see the evidence of re configuring at Woodbine for the incoming table games for the OLG casino with walls closing off sections of the 60 plus year-old grandstand. The new turf course, which will replace the Standardbred track, will start to be constructed on April 10.
And in no time, there will be construction in the current Tent Area as a hotel is one of the first buildings to go up.
URBAN TORONTO has a story this week:
March 8, 2018 11:42 am | by Nathan Petryshyn
From concept renderings, ideas for the Woodbine Racetrack Development have evolved into rezoning and site plan approval submissions to the City of Toronto from the Woodbine Entertainment Group. The future of the 684-acre site has been highly discussed, with early concepts considered by the Design Review Panel in late 2017. Architectural plans and renderings by Chris Dikeakos Architects Inc. and CGL Architects for the first phase are now in the public record, showcasing the entertainment hub the horse racing facility could become. If approved, the site would see development of retail
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/03/details-emerge-woodbine-racetrack-entertainment-hub
THREE KENTUCKY DERBY PREPS IN 22 MINUTES on SATURDAY
Hold on to your Daily racing Form’s, the trail to the KENTUCKY DERBY heats up Saturday with three ‘prep’ races (these are big stakes on their own, seems weird to call them preps) at three different tracks in just 22 minutes.
As long as there is no post time drag or other delays, it will be fun to go from watching the Tampa Bay Derby (featuring Canadian-bred, Thoroughblog Queen’s Plate favourite FLAMEAWAY), Santa Anita’s San Felipe (featuring the exciting BOLT D’ORO) and Aqueduct’s Gotham, with FREE DROP BILLY on the scene from Florida.
A field of nine is expected to compete in the Tampa Bay Derby, part of a big card of racing at that track. Two horses were entered in the race that are expected to race in the Gotham.
FLAMEAWAY, bred by Deb Holmes’ Phoenix Rising Farm, is a Woodbine stakes winner who just won the Sam F Davis at Tampa Bay Downs for owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. The gritty chestnut colt is a speedster who is tough on the lead.
Set as the top Queen’s Plate contender on Thoroughblog, the son of Scat Daddy will be severely tested on the pace by the very fast WORLD OF TROUBLE, who won the Pasco Stakes with a 97 Beyer Figure recently. The son of Kantharos is a speedster stretching out in distance.
FLAMEAWAY held off Catholic Boy in the Sam F. Davis in his most recent start. The amazingly versatile colt gets another big test in the Tampa Bay derby, could a trip to the Kentucky Derby be next> CINDY PIERSON DULAY – horse-races.net photo
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs, post time: 5:20 p.m. EST
LAMBHOLM SOUTH TAMPA BAY DERBY-GII, $400,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Arazi Like Move Graydar Loooch Racing Stables, Inc. Gonzalez Spieth 118
2 Tiz Mischief Into Mischief Frank L. Jones, Jr. Romans Rosario 118
3 Vino Rosso Curlin Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable Pletcher Velazquez 118
4 Grandpa Knows Best More Than Ready Fern Circle Stables McPeek Leparoux 118
5 Flameaway Scat Daddy John C. Oxley Casse Lezcano 120
6 Enticed Medaglia d’Oro Godolphin, LLC McLaughlin Gallardo 122 (*expected to race in Gotham)
7 Free Drop Billy Union Rags Albaugh Family Stables LLC Romans – 124 (*expected to race in Gotham)
8 World of Trouble Kantharos Dubb, Michael & Bethlehem Stables LLC Servis Ortiz, Jr. 118
9 Untamed Domain Animal Kingdom West Point Thoroughbreds Motion Ortiz 122
10 Quip Distorted Humor WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & SF Racing Brisset Geroux 118
11 Caloric Stay Thirsty Michelle Winters Winters – 118
Breeders: 1-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC, 2-T/C Stable, LLC, 3-John D. Gunther, 4-DS Stable, LLC, 5-Phoenix Rising Farms, 6-Godolphin, 7-Helen K. Groves Revokable Trust, 8-Darsan Inc., 9-Clearsky Farms, 10-WinStar Farm, LLC, 11-SJT Racing Stable LLC
A few minutes later on the west coast, BOLT D’ORO, one of the top 2-year-olds in the US last year, makes his return to racing. He meets up with MCKINZIE and speedster LOMBO in what should be a serious derby showcase.
Saturday, Santa Anita Park, post time: 5:30 p.m. EST
SAN FELIPE S.-GII, $400,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Bolt d’Oro Medaglia d’Oro Ruis Racing LLC Ruis Castellano 124
2 Lombo Graydar Michael V. Lombardi Pender Bejarano 122
3 Ayacara (GB) Violence Marquis, Charles K. & Marquis, Cynthia F. Desormeaux Desormeaux 120
4 McKinzie Street Sense Watson, Karl, Pegram, Michael E. & Weitman, Paul Baffert Smith 124
5 Aquila Union Rags Kaleem Shah, Inc. Callaghan Pedroza 120
6 Calexman Midshipman Wilson, Holly & David Cerin Quinonez 120
7 Peace Violence Spendthrift Farm LLC & Town & Country Racing Mandella Van Dyke 120
8 Kanthaka Jimmy Creed West Point Thoroughbreds Hollendorfer Prat 120
And then back to the east, FREE DROP BILLY scratched out of last weekend’s Fountain of Youth and headed north to try the Gotham for trainer Dale Romans:
Saturday, Aqueduct, post time: 5:42 p.m. EST
GOTHAM S.-GIII, $300,000, 3yo, 1m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 Dial Operator Dialed In New Farm Servis McCarthy 117
2 Cove Blue Ghostzapper Bakke, Jim & Isbister, Gerald Romans Landeros 117
3 Beautiful Shot Trappe Shot Calumet Farm Desormeaux Arroyo 117
4 Whereshetoldmetogo El Padrino Black Cloud Stable LLC Pecoraro Rocco, Jr. 119
5 Firenze Fire Poseidon’s Warrior Mr. Amore Stable Servis Franco 123
6 Free Drop Billy Union Rags Albaugh Family Stables LLC Romans Davis 123
7 Old Time Revival Brethren Fred J. Brei Decker Hamilton 117
8 Nine Route The Factor August Dawn Farm Englehart Carmouche 117
9 Enticed Medaglia d’Oro Godolphin Racing, LLC McLaughlin Alvarado 121
Breeders: 1-New Farm, 2-Claiborne Farm, 3-Southern Chase Farm, Inc., Karen Dodd &Greg Dodd, 4-David H. Wade, 5-Mr Amore Stables, 6-Helen K.Groves Revokable Trust, 7-Jacks or Better Farm Inc., 8-McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, LLC, 9-Godolphin
Major Races (all ages) Saturday March 10
Date Race Track
GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile SA —featuring Canadian bred CHANNEL MAKER, back out West from a troubled trip in Florida. He takes on US Turf Champion WORLD APPROVAL…
GI Santa Anita H. SA
GI Triple Bend S. SA
GII San Felipe S. SA
GII Tampa Bay Derby TAM
GII Hillsborough S. TAM
GIII Florida Oaks TAM
GIII Tom Fool H. AQU
GIII Gotham S. AQU
GIII Honeybee S. OP
SHOPPING FOR 2-YEAR-OLDS IN FLORIDA
OCALA BREEDERS’ SALES – 2-YEAR-OLDS IN TRAINING
Gallop show underway
A Canadian-bred filly from the first crop of CENTRAL BANKER (Grade 2 stakes winner by Speightstown) is the first to have a workout during the gallop show for the OBS Juvenile sale which will held on March 13 and 14. The Central Banker filly was bred by Shannondoe Farm and was sold last year for $70,000 as a yearling. She worked two furlongs in 22 1/5 on the first day of the gallop show, Thursday.
There are four other Canadian breds entered in the sale including an Awesome Again colkt from the champion mare El Prado Essence. That youngster, bred by A and G Racing Stables, is a half brother to EIGHT TOWN, the Canadian bred who was 3rd in last weekend’s Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint. This one was a $120,000 yearling purchase.
Hip 336 is a colt from the first crop of Will Take Charge and hip 339 is a colt from the first crop of GOLDENSCENTS. The Goldenscents youngster, named GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY, was bred by Ericka Rusnak and was bought last fall at the CTHS Ontario sale for $13,967 US).
Hip 497, the Into Mischief filly and a January foal, was a $40,000 yearling purchase and she was bred by Bill Graham’s Windhaven.
The gallop shows continues Friday.
Hip No. Workout time Foaling Date Sex Pedigree – Consignor
130 22.1 5/2/2016 F Central Banker Wouldthisbemagic ON Eisaman Equine, Agent 7
289 4/6/2016 C Awesome Again El Prado Essence ON Bobby Dodd, Agent I 10
336 3/30/2016 C Will Take Charge Golden Mean ON King’s Equine, Agent II 2
339 3/30/2016 C Golden Opportunity Goldencents Golden Vow ON Sugar Hill LLC,
497 1/11/2016 F Into Mischief Onebadkitty ON Crupi’s New Castle Farm, Agent VIII
AJAX CASINO FIGHT HEATS UP
With the opening of the 49th racing season at Ajax Downs on the horizon (May 6), the mainstream media continue to follow the battle by Ajax to keep its casino at Ajax Downs in place. The future of Quarter Horse racing in Ontario depends on the Ajax casino, the second most successful casino in the province, staying put while the OLG considered moving it to Pickering. There is a petition available to sign:
Read the Toronto Sun’s latest story:
http://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-casino-controversy-heats-up-in-ajax
Here is the AJAX DOWNS RACING and Training Days CALENDAR FOR 2018:
