NUMBER ONE (WITH A BULLET)
Hollywood Hit – 114 BEYER FIGURE!
Don’t blame FATAL BULLET, champion and Horse of the Year if he couldn’t win his 2010 season debut yesterday at Woodbine. He ran a 107 Beyer Figure in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes – a typical number for him.
But Canadian owned HOLLYWOOD HIT was faster than a speeding bullet, he won the 7 furlong race in 1:20.07 over a fast Polytrack, scorching the track record by 2/5 and earned a staggering 114 Beyer Figure.
The Beyer zooms the Peter Redekop owned gelding to the top of the charts of top Beyer Figures in North American for horses at distances up to one mile: (published by Daily Racing Form)
NORM FILES PHOTO
Main Track: up to one mile
through 05/09/2010
HORSE TRK DATE DIST BEYER
FIGURE
Hollywood Hit WO 09 May 7F 114
Wall Street Wonder AQU 23 Jan 6F 109
Pashito the Che GP 30 Jan 6F 108
This Ones for Phil GP 30 Jan 6F 108
Fatal Bullet WO 09 May 7F 107
Warbling (f) GP 14 Mar 7F 107
Chief of Affairs OP 11 Mar 5 1/2F 106
Custom for Carlos OP 09 Apr 6F 106
Le Grand Cru BEL 30 Apr 1M 106
Majesticperfection OP 01 Apr 6F 106
Chief of Affairs OP 09 Apr 6F 105
Cost of Freedom HOL 06 May 6F 105
Eightyfiveinafifty AQU 09 Jan 6F 105
Signature Red WO 09 May 7F 105
An Oklahoma bred who raced for his breeder C.R. Trout until an agent (Alistair Roden) found him and told Redekop about the Cactus Ridge fellow, HOLLYWOOD HIT , who cost $250,000, made headlines last year when he won the Kennedy Road Stakes with a Beyer of 108 but he was later disqualified for a positive test.
The test put the horse on the sidelines, missing the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and sent trainer Terry Jordan and his assistants to the bench for 30 days this spring.
Jordan is back and so is the Hit.
Hollywood Hit won the Jacques Cartier in his season debut under trainer Dan O’Callaghan.
But his Vigil win was stunning.
The cute bay led all the way under Jim McAleney while Fatal BUllet tracked all the way but could not get past.
PETER REDEKOP WATCHES FROM HASTINGS
Story from The Province
B.C. owner loving fast-lane horse
By Kent Gilchrist, The Province May 11, 2010 12:07 AM
There are few things better than showing up those Centre of the Universe know-italls.
That’s why the reaction of Peter Redekop in Silks, the Hastings Racecourse clubhouse restaurant, when his horse Hollywood Hit set a track record en route to winning the $150,000 Grade Three Vigil Stakes stakes race at Toronto’s Woodbine on Sunday, was as encouraged as it was understandable.
By all reports, Redekop, who has been supporting the local thoroughbred industry for decades, created quite a stir when Hollywood Hit beat favourite and 2008 Breeders Cup sprint runner-up Fatal Bullet on his way to a lightning-fast seven furlongs in 1:20.07 — 44/100ths of a second faster than the previous best around the track.
“I really love speed horses,” said Redekop on Monday after receiving at least 10 congratulatory calls before 11 a.m.
QUEEN’S PLATE TAKING SHAPE
“The Queenston should be fun” – that is what Roger Attfield said on Sunday after he won a race with first time
starter SOUL BLUES. He was referring to the anxiously awaited return of his superstar HOLLINGER, owned by Robert Harvey and Al Wortzman – the 2yo champ of last year who has never lost.
Attfield’s Plate team does not end there either. He has Stronach Stable’s colt MOBILIZER, who emerged from his maiden win in relatively good order but certainly has room for improvememnt.
Attfield can’t compare the 2 colts right now – Hollinger seems to be in a world of his own but there is always the concern about 1 1/4 miles and anything goes at that distance.
HOTEP, by Dave Landry
STORMY LORD WORKOUT
Kinghaven farms/Hat Trick colt getting ready for Queenston next Saturday
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/Woodbine/News/Pages/Videos.aspx
PREAKNESS WEEK
15 could enter, First Dude would be excluded
How the Preakness shapes up
Post time: Saturday at 6:15 p.m. EDT at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Purse: $1 million. Distance: 13/16
miles. Weight: 126 pounds. Television: NBC-3,
Post time: Saturday at 6:15 p.m. EDT at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Purse: $1 million. Distance: 13/16 miles. Weight: 126 pounds. Television: NBC-3,
4:30 p.m. Radio: WQKC-1450 and horseracingradio.net.
Confirmed starters
Horse Trainer/jockey Last race
Super Saver Pletcher/Borel 1st Kentucky Derby
Aikenite Pletcher/Castellano 2nd Derby Trial
Dublin Lukas/Thompson 7th Kentucky Derby
Northern Giant Lukas/TBA 9th Arkansas Derby
First Dude Romans/Dominguez 3rd Blue Grass
Hurricane Ike Sadler/Albarado 1st Derby Trial
Caracortado Machowsky/Atkinson 4th Santa Anita Derby
Pleasant Prince W. Ward/Leparoux 3rd Derby Trial
Schoolyard Dreams Ryan/Coa 4th Wood Memorial
Probable
Paddy O’Prado Romans/Desormeaux 3rd Kentucky Derby
Lookin At Lucky Baffert/TBA 6th Kentucky Derby
Jackson Bend Zito/Smith 12th Kentucky Derby
A Little Warm T. Dutrow/Velazquez 2nd Louisiana Derby
Possible
Yawanna Twist R. Dutrow/TBA 2nd Illinois Derby
STAN BERGSTEIN speaks out of Derby whipping
Thoroughblog admits it – it didn’t speak out on the wild whipping of SUPER SAVER in the Kentucky Derby by
Calvin Borel, who was winning his 3rd Derby in 4 years (what in the world are all the other riders doing?).
It was hard enough to see the horses I bet on never mind the wild flailing of Borel on the WinStar colt. We
have seen Borel and his heavy whipping on Rachel Alexandra, so really, there is nothing new here.
Daily Racing Form columnist Stan Bergstein spoke out on the Borel ride in DRF last week:
SAID BERGSTEIN: “I would like to know, however, what Super Saver thought of it. Or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Or all those at home who dislike what St. Calvin administered to his mount through that long stretch last Saturday.”
http://www.harnesstracks.com/2010DRF/drfmay42010.htm
If you want to watch the Derby again, click on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orRbxG8YuhY
AJAX DOWNS OPENS, photos by Norm Files
KOLD TONGUE won the fastest Maple Leaf Trial in 15.71
ADD A SHARK won the $25,000 allowance feature with the familiar Roger Girard silks. Girard’s Kold Tongue is above.
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS OPENS
Local horse triumphs
Rare season-opener success
By KEN WIEBE, Winnipeg Sun
The number of vehicles in the parking lot suggested the Manitoba Derby might be going to the post a few months early.
In reality, it was the first card of the 2010 racing season at the Assiniboia Downs and a sun-soaked crowd of
roughly 6,000 was on hand to see a day filled with impressive showings and the occasional photo finish.
“The crowd absolutely exceeded expectations,” said Darren Dunn, the director of operations and long-time voice at Assiniboia Downs. “I haven’t seen that (large a crowd for opening weekend) in too long. Finally we got some nice weather to start a season off. The stars aligned nicely for us. We’re very pleased.”
Setting the bar high on opening weekend leaves Assiniboia Downs with the challenge of trying to build on that
success as live racing resumes on Friday — but that’s a good problem to have.
“The only thing we can do is keep bringing in full fields. We have 100 more horses than last year and we have
to be able to get them into the races and give people options to wager on,” he said. “We have to give them a
reason to come back.”
Opening day highlighted the depth of talent in both the jockey and trainer colony at Assiniboia Downs.
There was only one multiple-winning jockey (Vicky Baze) and one multiple-winning trainer (Tom Gardipy Jr.) on
Sunday as both won twice during an eight-race card.
You often hear about parity, but is it a good thing when applied to horse racing?
“It is, because if we have somebody dominant, it skews the wagering and it skews the expectations,” said Dunn.
“It makes it difficult to spread the love in the back-stretch. When you have that parity, I can honestly say it
makes everybody work harder.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/05/09/13888091.html
BUT THE TRACK’S FUTURE IS IN JEOPARDY says WARNER…
Winnipeg Sun feature
Downs official warns province
Track future in jeopardy without more $$
By KIRK PENTON, Winnipeg Sun
It was one of Harvey Warner’s sternest state of the union addresses in recent memory.
The president of the Manitoba Jockey Club, which runs Assiniboia Downs, basically threw down the gauntlet
Thursday when the thoroughbred race track held its season-opening luncheon.
Warner essentially told Manitoba’s NDP government that it’s time for new revenue streams at the track — or the track’s future will be in jeopardy. It’s a plea that has been sent out for more than a decade, but Warner
believes the Downs can’t wait much longer.
“Without the ability to compete with new additional products, we cannot continue to grow and exist,” Warner
told the crowd. “And in actual fact, we’ve come to the point where we don’t grow anymore.”
The Downs currently relies mostly on revenue from race betting and 140 onsite video lottery terminals. The MJC had been pining for a casino to be added to the facility, but Warner said they are about to propose something new.
“We’re putting something different forward, so what I don’t want to do is pre-empt what we’re talking about,”
Warner said in an interview after his address. “My remarks were clear: As things change, we have to have the
ability to change.
“As the original gaming franchise, we should be always considered a partner. There’s an ability to develop
something here that ends up in ultimately bringing the province more money and also us more money.”
Warner said with each casino built and every new form of gaming created in Manitoba, the Downs takes an
economic hit.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/05/06/13856071.html
COOL VENTURA NAMES ALBERTA HORSE OF THE YEAR 2009
from www.thehorses.com
Written by Jonathan Huntington
Saturday, 08 May 2010 15:10
Cool Ventura and his ownership crew cleaned up at tonight’s 2009 Alberta thoroughbred awards in Edmonton.
Owned by Ab and Michele Brewster, Cool Ventura captured Horse of the Year, Alberta-bred of the Year and
champion older horse. Ab Brewster was named Horseperson of the Year.
As an added bonus, Cool Kahuna was voted champion 2yo colt. Like Cool Ventura, Ab Brewster owns and bred Cool Kahuna.
Cool Ventura won the Speed to Spare and Alberta Breeders’ Handicap at Northlands Park in 2009. Now
five-years-old, the gelding earned $117,300 last year under the guidance of trainer Cody Anderson.
ura-wins-horse-of-the-year
