Welcome to PRINCE OF WALES day, celebrate Fort Erie, let’s hope it survives somehow..also today, did you know that former Woodbine stars – turned chuckwagon horses are now up for auction today? Read more below
WALES WATCHING
On the road again…Thoroughblog has travelled to numerous tracks this season, Belmont, Ajax, Mohawk, you name it. Fort Erie is up today as thousands will flock in 40 degree heat to the little Saratoga of southern Ontario.
It may be the last time a lot of us make the trip down the QEW.
The nine-horse Price of Wales it he object of out affection but is almost a sidelight to a day where fans and folks will be armed with signs and banners and t-shirts to declare their anger and sadness that the Ontario government has wiped out the slots at the track and essentially, wiped out an entire town.
Day of Destiny? Interesting that the one-paced ULTIMATE DESTINY is by Dance to destiny, a dirt-loving half brother to Prince of Wales winner SCATTER THE GOLD and Prince of Wales 2nd Dancethruthedawn. Mom DANCE SMARTLY won the ‘Wales too. M Burns photo
PICKING THE WALES
DEAD ON – Only guy in the race with a start on dirt and he almost won; have been waiting for him to bounce back. He’s first time as a gelding too.
ULTIMATE DESTINY – his Dad loved dirt, mare never raced and 2nd dam was a 1 1/4 mile turf stakes winner. Like the way he is going forward.
DIXIE STRIKE – Honest gal bounced back big-time in the Plate and she gets full marks for that since she has had a busy year. Wore blinkers for that race. Dirt is a question.
IRISH MISSION – has beaten Dixie twice and loves running long distances; needs to stay close to the pace, move from turf and Poly to dirt is dicey
QUAESITOR – big race off the 7 month layoff. Has to avoid the bounce. Factor if he does
CLASSIC BRYCE – his female family is made up of tons of traditional dirt, route winners, his mum ran a 93 Beyer in a dirt route. That’s the good news. The bad news, he has been losing ground in the stretch run all season long.
COLLEEN’S SAILOR – big effort when 4th in the Plate, his 2nd dam, Legal Rhythm, has produced many good dirt, route winners; hey, he beat Patrioticandproud 2 starts ago (he won Toronto Cup yesterday)
MENLO CASTLE-RUN IN ARUBA – Ralph Biamonte pairing can post 78/80 Beyer Figure and 70 respectively. Not likely good enough
THE FIELD
1 Classic Bryce Darwin Banach Todd Kabel 12-1
2 Ultimate Destiny Mike Keogh Steven Bahen 8-1
3 Dead On Malcolm Pierce Emma-Jayne Wilson 10-1
4 Dixie Strike Mark Casse Patrick Husbands 3-1
5 Menlo Castle Ralph Biamonte Omar Moreno 15-1
6 Irish Mission Mark Frostad Alex Solis 5-2
7 Run in Aruba Ralph Biamonte Jermaine Bridgmohan 20-1
8 Quaestior Ian Howard Slade Callaghan 8-1
9 Colleen’s Sailor Roger Attfield Corey Nakatani 4-1
Prince of Wales finds Fort in home stretch
By Aaron Mansfield
FORT ERIE, Ont. – Jim Thibert doesn’t like to think about it as the end.
Sure, Fort Erie Race Track has announced it will close at the end of this year, and that means Sunday’s Prince of Wales Stakes could be the last at Fort Erie, but there’s still a chance. It would take a miracle to save it, but Thibert, Fort Erie’s general manager, isn’t one to give up on a long shot.
“I would never bet against it,” Thibert said. “[The course] has been around 115 years, been through world wars, recessions and depressions. She’s been dead so many times it would make your head spin. A lot of people are working hard to keep it open. I can’t give people a false impression, but I would never bet against it. I’ve seen stranger things happen.”
At its annual meeting June 7, the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium decided to close the track on Dec. 31. It wasn’t by choice, though. The track was forced into a situation it hoped to never encounter. The facility has dealt with a loss of roughly $1.2 million this year after the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. officially closed its 400-slot machine operation at the race track on April 30 because it eliminated race-track slots from its 2012 budget.
Rod Phillips, gambling corporation president and chief executive, released a statement in March after reaching the decision.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/other/horse-racing/article947274.ece
OMBUDSMAN REACHES OUT THROUGH TWITTER – REVIEWING COMPLAINTS FROM HORSE INDUSTRY
Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin is reviewing more than 150 complaints from the public about the provincial government’s handling of the horse racing industry.
On the ombudsman’s official Twitter account on Monday, Marin responded to a query about the removal of slot machines from Ontario horse racing tracks by saying that his office had received about 30 complaints on the issue.
“We are conducting an initial assessment,” Marin wrote.
On Tuesday, Marin posted that he is reviewing more than 150 complaints on the issue.
Linda Williamson, director of communications for the ombudsman’s office, said she’s aware that interest groups have been encouraging the public to complain to the ombudsman about the issue
Read more: Ombudsman to review slot closure complaints
Remember me? I was 3rd in the Queen’s Plate, was a stakes winner of $799K. I am for sale today, I hope I go to a good home.
Forever Grand
WHY DOESN’T ANYONE WANT TO KEEP THESE HORSES?
Top racehorses Forever Grand and Anglian Prince up for auction, TODAY
The Grant Profit Chuckwagon Racing Team has decided to have a sale on Sunday, July 15, 2012 starting at 11:00 am at the Chuckwagon Barns at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta.
22 Proven Driving & Outriding Horses will be up for sale including three WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence Champion horses – King (2011 Champion Right Wheeler), Grandy (2010 Champion Right Leader) and Johnny (2009 Champion Left Wheeler). These champion horses and the remaining support crew have powered the Profit Racing Team to victories at Edmonton’s Chuckwagon Derby, Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede, Richard Cosgrave Memorial Badlands Dinosaur Derby, Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede and the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship over the past two seasons. They have also powered the Profit Racing Team into 5 winner-take-all championship final heats the past 2 seasons as well.
In addition to these spectacular equine athletes, the Chuckwagon, Harness and Outriding Saddles will also be up for sale. VJV Foothills Livestock Auction will be conducting the sale. For more information, you can go to http://vjvfoothillsauction.com/profitsale.htm or call 1-403-549-2120.
HERE WE GO AGAIN..
A year ago I wrote an editorial in Canadian Thoroughbred magazine about the ridiculous chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede – racehorses go there sometimes if their owners don’t want them anymore. Two horses died on the first day last year…This year, an 18-year-old horse collapsed and caused a chain reaction. At the age of 18, a full out charge, pulling a wagon around tight turns…hmmm, seems like a recipe for disaster…
Three horses killed at Calgary Stampede in chuckwagon event
Carrie Tait and Dawn Walton
CALGARY — The Globe and Mail
A horrific crash at the Calgary Stampede’s chuckwagon races Thursday evening left three horses dead and one in need of surgery.
The accident occurred on the backstretch, where teams of horses run at full-speed. Each chuckwagon heat, dubbed the “half mile of hell,” features four wagons. Each rig is pulled by four horses and accompanied by two cowboys galloping on horseback near their teams, known as outriders.One horse dropped to the dirt while pulling a wagon in the fourth heat of the evening, causing the crash. The fallen horse had died, and two more were humanely euthanized following the accident, said Kurt Kadatz, a spokesman with the Stampede. A fourth horse involved in the wreck needs surgery but is expected to survive.
Read The Globe and Mail Chuckwagon article
