TODAY’S NEWS – One more sleep and then it’s SOVEREIGN AWARDS NIGHT in Toronto! An interesting evening awaits the litany of folks flying in for the party at Ultra Club – noms listed on today’s post and CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED is prominent!! and does CHAMPS ELYSEES’ one win get him the big award?
THE BABIES ARE COMING’ THE BABIES ARE COMIN!
Send your foal pics and news to the BLOG!
Dave Landry photo
MICHAEL GILL THREATENS TO SUE PAULICK REPORT, Canadian trainer LAYNE GILIFORTE etc.
“I am going to have horse racing as my business, and my hobby will be punishing each and every one of you pinheads, so happy blogging you have my attention.”
MICHAEL GILL wrote in to the comments section on Ray Paulick’s site recently, so did the Adamo family and LAYNE GILIFORTE.
The latter has comment #121 on this site:
The latest story
http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/gill-threatens-to-sue-the-paulick-report/
ULTRA SOVEREIGN AWARDS!
Tomorrow night is THE NIGHT!
The champions of CANADIAN RACING 2009 will be announced at the ULTRA CLUB, in downtown Toronto.
This is a step away from the normal Sovereign Award ceremony – no longer a black tie, sit down dinner but a cocktail party, lots of hors d’ouvres and awards and fun until 10 p.m. when the club opens to the public.
About 150 people are alreayd pencilled in to arrive – they are coming from all parts of Canada (Tribal Belle’s connections are headed here with an entourage)..
So who said no one would come at the end of January?
Hey, it’s a great time for a party, good luck to EVERYBODY!!
WILL ONE RACE BE THE DECIDING RACE?
Champs Elysees’ win the Canadian International – does that lone score for him make him Horse of the Year and champion turf male? Or just one or none?
Dave Landry photo
THE NOMS:
Champion Two Year Old Female
Bay to Bay
Biofuel
Franny Freud
Negligee
Champion Two Year Old Male
Bear Tough Guy
Ghost Fleet
Hollinger
Champion Three Year Old Female
Hooh Why
Milwaukee Appeal
Tasty Temptation
Champion Three Year Old Male
Awesome Rhythm
El Brujo
Eye of the Leopard
Champion Older Female
Ginger Brew
Serenading
Smart Surprise
Champion Older Male
Ice Bear
Marchfield
Palladio
Champion Female Turf Horse
Lady Shakespeare
Much Obliged
Points of Grace
Champion Male Turf Horse
Champs Elysees (GB)
Marchfield
Rahy’s Attorney
Champion Male Sprinter
El Brujo
Field Commission
Hollywood Hit
Champion Female Sprinter
Carem Crescent
Smart Surprise
Tribal Belle
Outstanding Breeder
Adena Springs
Eugene Melnyk
Minshall Farms
Outstanding Broodmare
Destroy
Pico Teneriffe
Rahy’s Hope
Outstanding Trainer
Roger Attfield
Malcolm Pierce
Mark Casse
Outstanding Owner in Canada
Bear Stables, Ltd.
Juddmonte Farms, Inc.
Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc.
Outstanding Jockey
Eurico Rosa DaSilva
Patrick Husbands
Chantal Sutherland
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
Omar Moreno
Tyrone Nelson
Melanie Pinto
Outstanding Newspaper Article
Perry Lefko, Fate of the Fort, Down the Stretch, January 2009
Curtis Stock, Edmonton Journal, Lifetime of horse racing brings love, happiness and tragedy
Edmonton Journal, September 2009
Eleanor Yeoman LeBlanc, Racing stars change hats for a good cause, Down the Stretch, September 2009
Keith McCalmont, They’re really at the post, Down the Stretch, July 2009
Outstanding Feature Story
Perry Lefko, Eddie and Jennifer, Down the Stretch, September 2009
Bruce Walker, A Penny for your thoughts, Canadian Thoroughbred magazine, 150th Queen’s Plate Souvenir Edition, June 2009
Jennifer Morrison, Lindros and Impropriety, Horse-Canada.com, September 2009
Outstanding Photograph
Peter Gross, Chantal and the flag, Down the Stretch, April 2009
Michael Burns Photography, A reflection of talent, Canadian Thoroughbred, July 2009
Dave Landry Photography, Alumni Hall enjoying winter, Canadian Thoroughbred, March 2009
Michael Burns Jr., For the birds, Canadian Thoroughbred magazine, October 2009
Outstanding Film/Video Broadcast
Tom Wolski, Episode 357, Sport of Kings, CTV BC, October 2009
Woodbine Entertainment Broadcast Department, The queen’s Plate – History, Heritage and Hope,
CBC Television, June 2009
Horse Racing Alberta & Whiteiron Productions, 80th Anniversary of the Canadian Derby,
TSN Canada, August 2009
MEYDAN STARTS TODAY
Canadian Press report
Dubai set to open a $2 billion horse racing complex amid struggle to pay bills
By Barbara Surk (CP) – 15 hours ago
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The opening of Dubai’s US$2 billion racetrack is the latest indication that the
indebted Gulf sheikdom has no plans to scale down ambitions to host high profile sports events, particularly
those close to its ruler’s heart.
Despite a struggle to pay the bills for its boom-time excess, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – a long time horse enthusiast and one of the world’s premier endurance riders – is in no mood to save when it comes to horses and racing.
The new Meydan racing facility includes two race tracks, a grandstand for 60,000 spectators, a
290-room-with-a-view luxury hotel, a marina and a racing museum.
Sheik Mohammed is among the biggest spenders on thoroughbreds. He also bankrolls the world’s richest horse race – the Dubai World Cup – and is determined to put the Middle East’s biggest social and sporting event on a par with Royal Ascot and the Kentucky Derby.
“They all have lots of history and have produced many champions,” said Saeed Humaid al-Tayer, the Chairman of Dubai Racing Club and Chief Executive of Meydan, a government-run company spearheading the project.
WATCH THIS VIDEO OF WHAT THE TRACK LOOKS LIKE – “SPACE SHIP”
BRUCE COULD BE ON LOOSE TO WOODBINE
ARC CUP first
Bruce’ set for seasonal bow in ARC Cup
Wednesday, January 27th 2010
Subs were paid at the first nomination stage last Wednesday for the Jamaica-bred roan/grey four-year-old colt, who could make his first start of the new season after counting the Republic Bank Trinidad Derby and First
Citizens Gold Cup among his victories last year.
Also nominated for a possible rematch are Gold Cup runner-up Cactus Amour and unplaced second favourite Blackstone Street, along with shipper Proud Kentuckian, who missed the race because of a tight shoe.
Connections of Bruceontheloose are holding discussions to ship the colt to Woodbine, Canada, but nothing has been agreed to as yet.
Nominations for this week’s 1,800-metre Caribbean Turf Championship were also accepted on Wednesday, with 13 nominees, including last year’s winner Chief Commander.
ARIMA RACE CLUB CUP (GRADE II)–OPEN (14)-1,800 Metres-Agra (USA), Blackstone Street (USA), Brickyard Crossing (USA), Bruceontheloose (Jam), Cactus Amour (USA), Chief Commander, Donut Prince (Jam), Honest Hero (USA), Just In Time, Ksar Ghilane (USA), Proud Kentuckian (USA), Raging Halo (USA), Sonata’s Melody (USA), Windjammer.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=161587706
OTHER STUFF
FAIR GROUNDS CUTS PURSES, OUCH…from DAILY RACING FORM… Beginning on Sunday, overnight purses will be reduced by 9 percent, according to a Fair Grounds press release.
The purses of 12 stakes races also were cut, with the New Orleans Handicap and the Mervin Muniz Handicap taking the biggest trims, both reduced from $500,000 to $400,000. Four more stakes, the Fair Grounds Handicap, the Mineshaft Handicap, the Bayou Handicap, and the Duncan Kenner Stakes, were cut to $100,000 from $125,000. Six other $75,000 stakes were reduced to $60,000…
Canadian owner JOHN UNGER won a race at PENN NATIONAL last night with his homebred DANCE THE WAY HOME (Cat’s at Home- Bold Courant). The filly won her maiden for $5,00 claiming.