WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE – EXPANDED CASINO GAMING STILL BEING SOUGHT FOR WOODBINE RACETRACK
WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP has reportedly approached Toronto Mayor JOHN TORY in an effort to reconsider the failed 24-20 council vote from 2013 with regards to expanding gaming at Woodbine racetrack…
One of the latest newcomers at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Aurora is this one by Take charge Indy from Storm Wife by Stormin Fever. The frisky colt is a half brother to graded stakes winner Paladin Bay – ERICKA RUSNAK photo
Temperatures soared (can I use that word to describe the move from -15 to +9?) in southern Ontario today – this could be the beginning of something good…
SO WHAT IS TAPETA?
http://www.tapetafootings.com/system/system.html
MICHAEL DICKINSON, founder of Tapeta and trainer of the mighty DA HOSS (2 Breeders’ Cup Mile wins, one off a year-long layoff), has said that Tapeta surface is a synthetic surface for North America, while Polytrack is a surface for Europe.
There are many similarities between the construction of Tapeta and Polytrack, which is the current surface at Woodbine, but the components that make up the top layer are different: Tapeta surface uses a selection of specifically blended fibres, waxes, PVC and sand up to a depth of 7 inches.
Golden Gate and Presque Isle use Tapeta for its main tracks.
With the announcement imminent on what Woodbine Entertainment has decided will be its next surface (the Polytrack is at the end of its life-cycle and needs to be re-furbished), horsepeople have been debating what the answer should be for days, weeks and months. The opinions are all solid and the divide between opinions of a synthetic and a dirt track is almost half and half.
First and foremost that has to be considered is the safety of horses and riders as Nick Eaves of Woodbine said to the Toronto Star last summer (http://www.thestar.com/sports/2014/07/24/the_dirt_on_the_prince_of_wales_stakes_the_second_jewel_of_canadas_triple_crown.html).
But of course, the injuries are different on Polytrack versus dirt is what the pro-dirt people say.
Or, Polytrack and other synthetic dirt tracks allow us to race in harsh weather and don’t allow for sloppy tracks – cancellations.
And it goes on – there are many good reasons for either synthetic or dirt.
KENTUCKY DERBY FEVER RISING
An eager CARPE DIEM seems to be trying to get his stablemate OCEAN KNIGHT out of the way early in the Tampa Bay derby – AMBER CHALFIN PHOTO
DORTMUND (red white and blue) scored a workmanlike win in the San Felipe over a charging PROSPECT PARK (far left) – KELLEY CARLSON PHOTO from www.horse-races.net
EL KABEIR won the Withers Stakes and is a top new York contender for the Derby – VANESSA NG PHOTO
AMI’S FLATTER, with an 89 Beyer Speed Figure in his 3rd start of the year, adding Lasix and blinkers, ran well and hard in the Tampa Bay Derby – AMBER CHALFIN PHOTO at www.horse-races.net
AMI’S FLATTER is an exciting Canadian-bred 3-year-old who is motoring along on the same path that Ami’s Holiday did last year, testing the US waters to see what comes to the top. Ami’s Flatter ran well in the Tampa Bay Derby and is likely headed to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on the dirt in April to see if he is Kentucky Derby material.
From here, he looks like the leading Queen’s Plate contender by a good margin right now and Dalos has never won the Plate.
The QUEEN’S PLATE TOP 10 LIST has been undated and can be found on the home page of Thoroughblog (www.canadianthoroughbred.com/thoroughblog)
KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS
1 El Kabeir John Terranova 75 $620,792
2 International Star Mike Maker 71 $490,979
3 Dortmund Bob Baffert 70 $630,000
4 Carpe Diem Todd Pletcher 64 $870,000
5 Itsaknockout Todd Pletcher 50 $240,560
6 Upstart Rick Violette, Jr. 36 $615,680
7 War Story Tom Amoss 24 $120,000
8 Far Right Ron Moquette 22 $385,906
9 Ami’s Flatter Josie Carroll 20 $99,200
10 Prospect Park Cliff Sise Jr. 20 $80,000
+Tiz Shea D Bill Mott 20 $80,000
11 Mr. Z D. Wayne Lukas 14 $518,326
12 Frosted Kiaran McLaughlin 13 $176,200
13 Classy Class Kiaran McLaughlin 13 $85,000
14 Texas Red Keith Desormeaux 12 $1,176,000
15 Keen Ice Dale Romans 12 $106,520
16 Ocho Ocho Ocho Jim Cassidy 10 $660,250
17 American Pharoah Bob Baffert 10 $360,000
18 Daredevil Todd Pletcher 10 $339,600
19 Far From Over Todd Pletcher 10 $150,000
20 Metaboss Jeff Bonde 10 $126,000
21 Lucky Player Steve Asmussen 10 $97,231
22 Bolo Carla Gaines 10 $94,980
+Divining Rod Arnaud Delacour 10 $75,000
23 Frammento Nick Zito 10 $42,000
24 Firing Line Simon Callaghan 8 $130,000
25 Bold Conquest Steve Asmussen 7 $87,176
