CELEBRATE 250 YEARS OF HORSE RACING IN CANADA!
It is said one of the first advertised horse races to be held in Canada came on July 1, 1767 on the Plains of Abraham (named for a farmer who owned the land) near Quebec City.
250 years later horse racing takes place with 3 breeds from coast to coast employing hundreds of thousands of people from the grooms and hotwalkers to the owners, breeders, jockeys and racetrack staff.
Fittingly, Canada celebrates its 150th birthday in 2017 and this year we can celebrate and remember a great country and one its oldest sports.
Stay on Thoroughblog year-round for some cool memories and news about this 250th year of horse racing in Canada!
HORSE RACES NOW/ROBERTS COMMUNICATIONS AT IMPASSE
Getting horse racing to the masses is critical to our sport, now more than ever. It should be easy with Facebook, Twitter, radio, TV, YouTube and tons of outlets who can broadcast racing.
Sadly, some initiatives end up struggling because of the mean old green – money.
If you have the Horse Races Now app on your phone you have noticed that video streaming has not worked for several months (Woodbine) and now all tracks are unavailable for video:
Horse Races Now (HRN) and Roberts Communications Network (RCN) have come to an impasse over contract negotiations concerning horse racing video feed. RCN has opted to turn off the video feed to HRN, causing the abrupt disruption of both live and race replay videos on the HRN app for more than 66 racetracks. Roberts Communications Network, created in 1984, is a
primary communications video provider to the pari-mutuel and horse racing industry.
HRN fully intends to find a solution with RCN. Otherwise, litigation concerning the business practices of RNC could be undertaken. Horse Races Now has had rapid growth through their iPhone and Android applications and that growth has lead to a dramatic increase in user bandwidth, leading RCN to demand an unrealistic compensation package for HRN.
“We are trying to find a positive here. Obviously, the growth of Horse Races Now is good for the sport, which the industry needs. However, entities that have controlled these delivery systems seem threatened by our growth. I’ll take that as a compliment” said HRN Founder Kenneth McPeek. “We want fans to see the races and our model is based on advertising around the video feed – subscription based services are dead. We are fighting for the fans and will continue to, hopefully, work this out as soon as possible. The fan support has already been huge”.
Horse Races Now, the free app, has had more than 500,000 downloads in 200 countries since its development just four years ago. Seasoned horse racing professionals to casual fans praise the app’s comprehensive features, giving racing followers of all levels the easiest tool to stay connected and engaged with horse racing. Younger fans have flocked to the app, a demographic horse racing needs to stay viable as a sport in the future, and one the industry has had challenges connecting with.
McPeek continues “I firmly believe that until the horse racing industry figures out how to deliver races broadly to the fans, the sport will never grow. I believe Horse Races Now is the solution. We are fighting to make horse racing accessible for all fans.”
For information contact Cyndi Greathouse (859) 699-3334 or press@horseracesnow.com.
PEGASUS WORLD CUP STORYLINES CONTINUE TO…ER..INTRIGUE
Loooch Racing Stables’ WAR STORY will have his 9th trainer in his 18th career start in the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28…
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/pegasus-world-cup/war_story_gets_ninth_trainer_navarro_serey/
Horses that are so far confirmed or being considered for the $12 million Pegasus are:
CALIFORNIA CHROME – seeking revenge from narrow Breeders’ Cup Classic loss
ARROGATE – missed his prep race because of wet track
SHAMAN GHOST – Canadian bred house horse
ERAGON – Mattress Mac is back, with a mystery horse
KEEN ICE – stretch runner is always dangerous
SEMPER FORTIS – Reddam Racing stakes place colt
WAR STORY – nice horse, mismanaged
NEOLITHIC – up and comer at Gulfstream
SEND IT IN – from New York-bred races to big time
BREAKING LUCKY – Canadian-bred is training like a bear but will he get a spot in field?
Frank Stronach and Shaman Ghost – Michael Burns photo
SOVEREIGN AWARD VOTING TO BEGIN JANUARY 9
Voters for the Sovereign awards for the champions of racing in Canada, will receive their voting passwords and info next week and there is quite a bit of reviewing to do based on some very wide open categories.
Thoroughblog looked at some of the possible winners in the horse categories on this post…https://canadianthoroughbred.com/thoroughblog/cup-o-kindness/
Voters are asked to give time to consider who dominated his or her division, who was a true champion of their category.
There was one significant update recently..
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IT WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR ‘ROSES’
Former Woodbine-based stakes winner GOODYEARFORROSES, a contender for Champion Older Mare and Female Turf horse in Canada, won the off-the-turf Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 31.
Recently purchased by Ruis Racing for $200,000 at the Fasig Tipton November sale, the mare was owner and trained by Roger Attfield along with Lincoln Collins at Woodbine in 2016.
Although Saturday’s $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes was for the moment denied its Grade III status due to a shift from Santa Anita’s turf course to the main track, Irish-bred Goodyearforroses unleashed a graded-worthy performance, as she took command turning down the backside under Corey Nakatani en route to a powerful 5 ¼ length win as she covered a mile and one eighth over a sloppy surface in 1:51.42. (The Frankel’s ultimate graded status will be determined by the American Graded Stakes Committee in the coming week).
Idle since running a close third in a Grade III stakes run at 1 ¼ miles over Woodbine’s synthetic main track, Goodyearforroses made her first start on dirt today in what was also her Southern California debut for new trainer Richard Baltas.
As for Nakatani, who made his return to the saddle here on Monday following an 8 ½ month hiatus from the saddle, the victory, which was his second on the day, was vintage “C. Nak,” as he seized the initiative early aboard a horse he’d never ridden in the afternoon.
“The plan was, whatever came easy to her, don’t take it away,” said Nakatani. “It was an off track, so I just went out there and did my job. I just shook her up a little turning for home, and she kicked on…It’s always nice to win here at Santa Anita Park…I have to thank Richard and the owners for having faith in me.”
With no show wagering due to three late scratches necessitated by the change in surface, Goodyearforroses was off at 5-2 in a field of four fillies and mares three and up and paid $7.60 and $3.60.
A 4-year-old filly, Goodyearforroses, who is now owned by Abbondanza Racing, LLC, got her fifth win from 13 starts and with the winner’s share of $60,000, increased her earnings to $199,195.
WINNERS – ROGER ATTFIELD sent out the 3yo filly CHIRINGUITA (by Hard Spun) to win an allowance race on the grass at Gulfstream on New Year’s day. The 7 1/2 furlong turf race was the second North American outing for the filly who was 8th in a Woodbine Tapeta race in September to Lily’s Goldie.
Back on grass, the grey gal rallied from far back to win the GUlfstream test in 1:28.60 for an 83 beyer Figure.
PLAY GODOLPHIN’S FANTASY GAME!
Beat the winter blahs and try for some prizes by making a winning stable…
