Happy Saturday – we move into the last 50+ racing days of 2012 at Woodbine..3 weeks to the Canadian International and 5 WKS until it’s Breeders’ Cup time, let’s hope we have a solid Canadian contingent..
**REMINDER – SIRE BOOK, FOR 2013, PLEASE CONTACT US TO MAKE SURE YOUR STALLION GETS IN THE BOOK, glossy, 4 colour with all the stats for your stallion. Stallion pages will be going out to Kentucky soon so get your order for your page today!!
*This post is dedicated to our friend Allie
BELLEVILLE INTELLIGENCER REPORT
TRANSITION PANEL MEMBER ‘OPTIMISTIC’
Elmer Buchanan, one of three former cabinet ministers serving on the province’s Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel, told The Intelligencer the group is now more optimistic about the sport’s prospects.
Ontario’s Slots at Racetracks funding program will end March 31, 2013. The panel is exploring ways to retool the racing industry.
“The panel is very optimistic,” Buchanan said in a telephone interview from Guelph, where the panel is holding meetings all week.
“We believe that it’s going to be at a size that’s significant and is going to be able to survive in Ontario.
“The government has encouraged us to continue to dialogue with the industry — both the horsemen and the tracks — to see if they are willing to work toward a solution,” Buchanan said.
“We’ve got a positive response from both sides on that.
He and fellow panelists John Snobelen and John Wilkinson are to file their final report by month’s end.
READ MORE:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2012/09/20/horse-racing-buchanan-optimistic
STRONACH STABLES’ AWESOME FEATHER – 108 BEYER IN COMEBACK
Wow,, she’s 10 for 10 and while she rarely races, this is one freaky gal who hopefully will stay together for a series of races.
The daughter of Awesome of Course won the Nasty Storm Stakes yesterday at Belmont under Jeff Sanchez.
DRUGS AND VETS, NEW YORK TIMES 3RD INSTALLMENT
GRITTANI, 3 TRACK RECORDS!
Jockey Terry Husbands wins 5
GRITTANI, gorgeous and fast. M Burns photo
Fort Erie racing fans were treated to a dazzling display of speed on Tuesday with two five furlong stakes events for Canadian breds taking place on the main track. Both offered a purse of $50,000.
The inaugural running of the George Frostad Memorial was won in gate to wire fashion by the five year old son of Bold n’ Flashy named Grittani. Trained by Alec Fehr for his owner Steven Johnson the gelding smashed the previous track record of :56.50 held by Dart for Dough stopping the clock in :56.07. It took 9 years to break the record but Grittani, under local jockey Terry Husbands had the race wrapped up well before the finish line.
“I knew after my last start on this horse that he was a monster and it really as easy as the gates opening for him to win this race,” said Husbands. “When we hit four furlongs I was saying to him ‘woah, not yet’ but it was over.”
Trainer Alec Fehr was beaming with pride as this is Grittani’s third track record in a just over a year. The gelding owns the fastest time for 870 yards, when he took the Battle of the Breeds against the Quarter Horses and also holds the record for 4 ½ furlongs at Fort Erie.
“This is the fastest horse I have ever trained,” said Fehr. “After watching him run today it looks like he will be quite handy at 6 furlongs too.
Grittani returned $9.30 for the win, Executive Fire finished second and Say No More was third.
Grittani’s winning Beyer was 90.
The Ernie Samuel Memorial was run for fillies and mares. Once again it was jockey Terry Husbands who got busy right out of the starting gate aboard his mount Time Sharing for trainer Tony Adamo. Jumping to a quick lead she was challenged briefly by Tree Poise under jockey Kirk Johnson but Time Sharing was able to re-break at the top of the stretch and switch into another gear to win by two lengths.
“Today, when I was on my way to the track, I asked God if he could please help me win one stake but to win both, it’s awesome,” said the smiling jockey.
Time Sharing, a six year old mare by Perigee Moon was claimed by owner James Schlehr for the low price tag of $6,250 at Woodbine this spring. She has won three races from six starts for the Adamo barn.
“I was concerned about the Woodbine horses in this race, they are legit runners,” said Adamo. “What I had going for me is the fact that my mare has raced on dirt and loves this surface. It couldn’t have worked out any better.”
Time Sharing stopped the clock in :56.69 and returned $18.20 to win. Woodbine shipper’s Anywhere finished second with Henny’s Heart rounding out the top three.
For jockey Terry Husbands this day is certainly one that the young rider will never forget. On top of the two stakes victories, Terry added three more wins to his tally for a total of five victories on the day. Husbands joins an elite club of riders who have had five winners in one day at Fort Erie. Sandy Hawley and Robbie King hold the record for the most wins on a card with six.
DANCE THE DANCE LEADS CANADIAN-BASED HORSES BY WINS, by meeting
Dance the Dance actually has 7 wins this year but 6 at Assiniboia Downs this year. She is a mare owned and trained by Shelley Brown and she was bred in California and is by Roman Dancer.
TAYLOR SAID, a top older horse in Canada, has 6 wins in North America but 4 at Hastings Park…
1 Dance the Dance 9 6 0 3 $36,010 67% 9 100% 92
2 Balooga Bull 6 5 0 1 $120,221 83% 6 100% 114
2 She’s Regal 7 5 2 0 $86,225 71% 7 100% 81
1 Big Brother Joe 7 5 0 1 $36,794 71% 6 86% 102
1 Tethra’s Word 6 5 0 0 $33,754 83% 5 83% 86
1 Whos Hot Now 6 5 0 0 $31,182 83% 5 83% 75
1 Highly Favoured 6 5 1 0 $14,934 83% 6 100% 81
1 Disco Damsel 8 5 2 0 $28,550 63%
WOODBINE JOCKEY RACE – HUSBANDS by 10
1 Patrick Husbands 522 117 94 69 $6,532,659 22% 280 54%
2 Luis Contreras 645 107 112 93 $5,822,905 17% 312 48%
3 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 511 98 80 81 $5,131,412 19% 259 51%
4 Justin Stein 583 94 73 95 $4,910,592 16% 262 45%
5 Emma-Jayne Wilson 509 75 89 83 $4,050,634 15% 247 49%
6 Jesse M. Campbell 381 51 39 45 $2,496,899 13% 135 35%
7 Tyler Pizarro 318 40 42 39 $2,043,562 13% 121 38%
8 Steven Ronald Bahen 343 37 33 43 $1,635,136 11% 113 33%
9 Gerry Olguin 311 33 34 35 $1,526,048 11% 102 33%
10 Omar Moreno 277 30 23 39 $1,235,969 11% 92 33%
LEADING TRAINERS BY WINS
1 Mark E. Casse 317 65 62 46 $5,059,274 21% 173 55%
2 Reade Baker 224 41 40 29 $2,509,019 18% 110 49%
3 Robert P. Tiller 215 37 28 39 $1,976,795 17% 104 48%
4 Sid C. Attard 172 31 27 20 $1,661,868 18% 78 45%
4 Scott H. Fairlie 154 31 35 19 $975,672 20% 85 55%
6 Nicholas Gonzalez 142 26 23 24 $1,257,547 18% 73 51%
7 Ralph J. Biamonte 93 20 15 15 $1,178,279 22% 50 54%
7 Brian A. Lynch 93 20 12 19 $934,103 22% 51 55%
LEADING OWNERS
1 John C. Oxley 73 21 17 13 $2,027,443 29% 51 70%
2 Melnyk Racing St. 62 14 12 6 $1,370,072 23% 32 52%
3 Bear Stables, Ltd. 157 30 30 28 $1,249,139 19% 88 56%
4 Sam-Son Farms 61 13 11 8 $1,012,454 21% 32 52%
5 Robert S. Evans 14 4 2 2 $887,002 29% 8 57%
6 Stronach Stables 49 8 8 4 $872,676 16% 20 41%
7 Paul M. Buttigieg 59 16 10 4 $734,762 27% 30 51%
8 Canyon Farms 3 3 0 0 $710,977 100% 3 100%
9 Debmar Stables 68 14 9 13 $686,602 21% 36 53%
10 Colebrook Farms 106 12 13 13 $673,417 11% 38 36%
LETTERS, WE GET LETTERS….
Subject: Toronto and Gang/Gun Violence
Dear Sir:
As a consequence to the latest summer of the gun, we have had numerous meetings between politicians of all levels of government, political parties, community leaders, concerned citizens et al. These meetings have prompted much discussion and well intentioned solutions. But, unfortunately, the only meaningful result has been numerous photo ops.
The resulting dominant themes identified have been the need for more social services, youth involvement programs and the need to foster a sense of community.
Toronto already has an incredibly successful program that meets these criteria. A unique example of co-operation between pubic and private enterprises that employs thousands of young members of our culturally diverse community: Woodbine Racetrack.
If one was to visit the ‘backstretch’ of Woodbine any morning, (6.00am would be ideal,) one would find literally thousands of ‘visible minorities’ hard at work. They are employed as grooms, hot walkers, stable hands, exercise riders, etc. Their commitment to their jobs, their pride in what they do, and their sense of community, is obvious.
This is all under threat as the Provincial Liberal Government cancels the revenue sharing agreement under the “Slots at Racetracks” program. Already some of Ontario’s racetracks have announced their closing.
If I was a gang recruiter, I would be standing by the Backstretch gate, handing out recruitment posters. The newly unemployed would be fertile ground.
G. Lang.
LETTER TO a LIBERAL MPP
Ms Best:
The Ontario Government seems to be hell-bent on destroying the
Horse racing Industry in this Province by removing the Slots from
the race tracks and going into a Casino that will likely be foreign
owned.
This will result in the loss of about 65,000 jobs that are dependent
on the racing industry.Under no circumstances will there be 65,000 jobs
created by a Casino.
The Slots have enabled the Woodbine Track to upgrade its facilities
and created a venue that has attracted worldwide participants.
This will now face oblivion.
I am not a horse owner nor am I associated with the Industry except
as a fan and spectator.I just feel that it is sheer stupidity on the
part of the Liberal Party.Looks like there will be 65.000 fewer votes
cast for your party.
I am a resident in your Riding and I voted for you in the last election.
Do you think that I could support this legislation?
Regards
A. Sidor
