34 DAYS TO WOODBINE’S OPENER
Fresh coats of paint in the barns, new wall boxes and tack boxes and that bubbling-over feeling of bringing your beautiful horses back to the track after a winter vacation. Woodbine is starting to get busy with just over a month before opening day (April 20).
On Sunday, 45 horses had timed workouts, 44 at three furlongs including Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales runner-up AHEADBYACENTURY, trained by John Ross for himself and the Jack of Hearts Stable and graded stakes DECORATED SOLIDER. The former breezed in :39 while the later just missed the bullet as he sped in :36.
The tough, cold weather and wind seems to be subsiding and the spring thaw should begin this week. The main track, scheduled to open March 1, has yet to open because of weather.
Riders are slowly starting to filter back to action as well. This year will mark the return to riding of JUSTIN STEIN, a winner of 1,208 races through 2016. Stein retired and moved to British Columbia but is back and Anthony Esposito is his agent.
HEDEMAN, a 3-year old by Old Forester, shipped in to Woodbine for trainer Renee Kierans last week
TIMESKIP, by Court Vision, is back from his winter frolicking in the snow; photos Renee Kierans
Martin Drexler’s Woodbine barn sparkles with new paint and fluffy stalls for his horses – photo courtesy Drexler Racing Facebook page
PHASING OUT LASIX
Well known trainers at odds
In the Thoroughbred Daily News on Saturday, Hall of Fame trainer ROGER ATTFIELD, one of Canada’s all time leading conditioners of racehorses, applauded the coming rules on eventual ban of Lasix by The Stronach Group:
It’s about time!!!
Congratulations to The Stronach Group for doing something about a subject that many of us have been talking about for a very long time. Hopefully all other jurisdictions will come on board to enable our industry to gain the respect that it deserves. I believe that the horse and the sport much loved by all connected will again be embraced and loved by many. We must have uniformity and integrity.
This is why l joined WHOA (Water Hay Oats Alliance) many years ago.
MARK CASSE, a leading trainer at Woodbine and in North America, has always maintained Lasix is necessary. When Lasix was banned at the Breeders’ Cup for 2-year-old races in 2012, Casse was against the move.
“When [a stable of our size] has a horse who is a bad bleeder, it would hurt not to have Lasix. But to some stable that has 10 horses, it could be devastating.
“If you have 10 horses, you’re going to be lucky if you can keep seven of those horses running. Now, if you had no Lasix, you might be down to five. You might have two bad bleeders among those 10, and you won’t be able to control it with Lasix. The poor owners have a hard enough time of it now, now you want to add that burden?
Another successful US trainer GRAHAM MOTION, also a member of WHOA wrote a letter calling for uniform rules across North America.
This has been a strange week.
What started as enthusiasm when I heard that California was considering taking a more aggressive approach against medication ended with a chaotic situation where nobody really knew what was going on. While I admire the efforts to limit medicating race horses in California, the way it is being handled is quite disturbing, including investigations by the state attorney’s office into the trainers who had horses fatally injured on the track. The affiliation with PETA, an organization who have clearly stated that their ultimate goal is to eliminate horse racing, is equally as troubling. California’s problems are our problems and we all should be extremely concerned.
We constantly hurt ourselves as an industry not being well represented by a group spokesperson or, even better, a governing body who can guide us through these difficult situations and bring some kind of national stability to our industry.
While it is admirable that we are running for fantastic purses in most jurisdictions, little has changed with regards to the monitoring of horses that are entered to race and the veterinarians who are treating horses throughout the day. The sensitivity of the testing procedures continues to improve, a good thing, but not enough is done to improve the environment where our samples are handled and the stables that we ship our horses into on race day are often in less than desirable condition and by no means a sterile environment. Hopefully this will also be addressed by the powers that be in California and in turn give other jurisdictions an example to follow.
If we want to defend ourselves against the critics and justify our sport, we need to shape up and not turn a blind eye to today’s problems because the reins are slipping through our hands.
And Tanya Gunther, who bred Triple Crown winner Justify with her father John Gunther, tweeted:
Recent events @ Santa Anita and the arguments surrounding Lasix/raceday meds makes me sick with worry about the industry. Have we not argued about this enough? Can we not come together and make positive change? For the love of horses, can someone please tell me who is in charge?
The horsepeople and Santa Anita have an agreement regarding Lasix now. The drug will be slowly phased out beginning next year with 2-year-olds.
Other rules announced by Belinda Stronach include whip restrictions, it can only be used as a corrective measure. It is not certain as of yet how this will play out on a daily racing basis and if stewards will be fining riders for whipping in general.
SANTA ANITA is now focused on its track with a scheduled return to racing on March 29. It is on that day that whip restrictions and Belinda Stronach’s other rules are expected to take effect:
*Increasing the ban on legal therapeutic NSAIDS, joint injections, shockwave therapy, and anabolic steroids.
*Complete transparency of all veterinary records.
*Significantly increasing out-of-competition testing.
*Increasing the time required for horses to be on-site prior to a race.
*A substantial investment by The Stronach Group in diagnostic equipment to aid in the early detection of pre-existing conditions.
*Horses in training are only allowed therapeutic medication with a qualified veterinary diagnosis.
KENTUCKY DERBY: REBEL, REBEL
Next up, La. and Sunland Derbys Mar 23
LONG RANGE TODDY, a handsome son of Take Charge Indy – STEVE QUEEN PHOTO – HORSE-RACES.NET
OMAHA BEACH, on the inside, pips GAME WINNER, the previously unbeaten Champion 2-year-old in the US in his return – STEVE QUEEN – HORSE-RACES.NET
Two big favourites from trainer Bob Baffert were edged in two divisions of the Rebel Stakes worth $750,000. The race was split as horses from California had one of their Derby ‘preps’, the San Felipe, cancelled. The two rebels were exciting and close finishes and they ran in virtually the same time for 1 1/16 miles (1:42.07 and 1:42.49).
Of course, the difference between a 1 1/16 mile race and a 10 furlong race at Churchill Downs is expansive but the 4 horses who all earned Beyer Figires of 96 and 95 had solid efforts.
Coming up this Saturday is the LOUISIANA DERBY featuring WAR OF WILL, Gary Barber’s super colt who will be odds-on in a big field. Also this weekend is the SUNLAND DERBY, featuring Canadian owned ANOTHERTWISTAFATE, who comes from Peter Redekop’s big stable.
Derby points
(one spot each reserved for Japanese and European winners of upcoming qualifier)
1. War of Will 60 Gary Barber Mark Casse $440,840
2. Code of Honor 54 W.S. Farish Shug McGaughey III $338,070
3. Long Range Toddy 53.5 Willis Horton Racing LLC Steve Asmussen $830,000
4. Haikal 50 Shadwell Stable (Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum) Kiaran McLaughlin $247,500
5. Tacitus 50 Juddmonte Farms Inc. (Prince Khalid Abdullah) Bill Mott $210,000
6. Game Winner 45 Gary & Mary West Bob Baffert $1,610,000
7. Omaha Beach 37.5 Fox Hill Farm (Rick Porter) Richard Mandella $450,000
8. Mind Control 30 Red Oak Stable (Stephen Brunetti) & Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin) Gregg Sacco $355,000
9. Improbable 25 WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt), China Horse Club Ltd. (Ah Khing Teo) & Starlight Racing Bob Baffert $389,520
10. Gunmetal Gray 21.75 Hollendorfer LLC, Pearl Racing & West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley) Jerry Hollendorfer $247,500
11. Bourbon War 21 Bourbon Lane Stable (Jamie Hill) & Lake Star Stable Mark Hennig $90,200
12. Somelikeithotbrown 20 Skychai Racing LLC (Jim Shircliff & Harvey Diamond) & Sand Dollar Stable LLC (David Koenig et al) Mike Maker $321,665
13. Country House 20 Mrs. J.V. Shields, E.J.M. McFadden Jr. & LNJ Foxwoods (Larry, Nanci & Jaime Roth) Bill Mott $80,000
14. Outshine 20 Let’s Go Stable (Kevin Scatuorchio & Bryan Sullivan) & Richard D. Schibell Todd Pletcher $74,500
15. Knicks Go 18 KRA Stud Farm (Jin Woo Lee) Ben Colebrook $665,085
16. Signalman 18 Tommie M. Lewis, Steve Crabtree, Dean Demaree, David Bernsen, Jim Chambers, & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) Kenny McPeek $396,840
17. Mucho Gusto 14 Michael Lund Petersen Bob Baffert $210,000
18. Tax 12 R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch & Corms Racing Stable Danny Gargan $167,500
19. Harvey Wallbanger 10 Harold Lerner LLC, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables, Scott K. Akman & Paul Braverman Kenny McPeek $208,320
20. Well Defined 10 Stonehedge LLC Kathy O’Connell $172,970
21. Instagrand 10 OXO Equine LLC (Larry Best) Jerry Hollendorfer $156,000
22. Vekoma 10 R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables George Weaver $147,600
23. Gray Attempt 10 Dwight Pruett Jinks Fires $136,666
24. Win Win Win 10 Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte C. Weber) Mike Trombetta $116,000
25. Anothertwistafate 10 Peter Redekop B. C. Ltd. Blaine Wright $60,000
UNIQUE IDEA: B.C. HORSES OF RACING AGE SALE
CTHS, HBPA, BCTOBA get together to buy and then sell horses to address horse shortage
Lots of prospective buyers at BC CTHS Horses of Racing Age Sale, Hastings Park, March 16 – thank you to PATTI TUBBS and DERBY BAR & GRILL RAILBIRD CORNER FOR PHOTOS
with files from Derby Bar & Grill
A total of 27 thoroughbreds were purchased for a collective $251,400 at the CTHS (BC) Horses of Racing Age Sale at Hastings Racecourse Saturday and in the words of president Grant Watson, the feedback was all positive.
“We were thrilled with the job everyone did, from start to finish,” Watson said in the aftermath of the proceedings under sunny skies before an active gathering of horse racing enthusiasts. “Our members really stepped up and with the three industry organizations working together, it was a big success.”
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS-BC), Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association of B.C. (HBPA of BC) and Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (BCTOBA) joined together as the Hole in the Wall Gang and were consignors for 21 of the 27 horses sold.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Consignment horses were purchased with funds provided by the BC Horse Racing Industry Management Committee for the purpose of directly enhancing the horse population at Hastings Racecourse and as such, are currently owned by the Industry. As such, all funds from their sale will be returned to Industry Enhancement Programs.
These horses were sold without reserve but with certain conditions:
1. Their papers will be retained in the Hastings Race Office for the entire 2019 season and cannot be raced elsewhere for the duration of the 2019 Hastings season.
2. The horses will not be eligible for any of the existing Incentive Programs.
3. Buyers, as a Condition of Purchase will be required to sign an agreement acknowledging the conditions and committing to abide by them.
All two-year-olds, they were initially purchased with funds provided by the BC Horse Racing Industry Management Committee. All funds from the Saturday sale will be returned to the committee for Industry Enhancement Programs.
“We are all aware of the horse shortage and the need to fill races,” Watson said. “As a result of the sale we will have horses competing that may not have been running at Hastings this year.”
The sale topper was not part of the Hole in the Wall Gang but a BC-bred son of Bakken (Distorted Humor), whose first crop are 2-year-olds of 2019. The gelding, named REFRIED DREAMS, was bred by Red Rock Farm and is from a full sister to multiple stakes winner Remarkable Miss.
TERRY JORDAN, who has not trained since 2012 when he was at Woodbine, is back in Vancouver and re-entering racing. He paid $24,000 for the sale topper.
TOP PRICES
$24,000 HIP 14 – REFRIED DREAMS, Ch.g. Bakken – Remarkable Lady by Finality
Consignor -Red Rock Farm – Purchaser – Terry Jordan
$23,000 HIP 12 – MACHINE, c. by Colonel John – Macha Glorita, by Macho Uno
Consignor- Hole in the Wall Gang. Purchaser Ole A. Nielsen – This guy was a $10,000 yearling purchase as Fasig Tipton, October
$21,000 HIP 2 DESERT HILLS, c. Shakin It Up – I Like It, by Henny Hughes
Consignor -Hole in the Wall Gang – Purchaser Copper Water Thoroughbred Co. – colt was a $10,000 yearling purchase Fasig Tipton, Oct.
$20,000 HIP 18 – STAY ALL NIGHT, c. by Stay Thirsty – Sweet Madness, by Freud
Consignor – Hole in the Wall Gang. Purchaser Gary C. Johnson, Pumpkin Stable and Sharlea Stable – an $8,000 yearling at Fasig Tipton Oct.
CANADIAN OWNERS AND HORSES WIN HALF OF AIKEN TRIALS
Gus Schickedanz applauds as his filly Roansmoke gets her picture taken. Trainer Mike Keogh is at far right. Thank you DEDE BILES of the Aiken Standard for the image – she has a 65 photo album at the aikenstandard.com
he popular horse racing celebration day and fair at Aiken, South Carolina, the Aiken trials, once again proved to be a super day for wintering Canadians.
Gus Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh won their 4th straight City of Aiken Trophy, the headline race at 4 1/2 furlongs. This year they took it with the Proud Citizen 4-year-old SILVER SHERIFF , co-owned by Don Howard.
The team also won a filly race with the grey gal Roansmoke.
The first race of the day was a 2-year-old colt race at 2 furlongs and from the rail, the Ontario bred GIANT GIZMO colt, owned by Woodbine owners Larry Butler and Eileen Gilbert, won by a neck. The attractive dark bad was a $12,000 CTHS Ontario yearling sale purchase and was bred by Donver Stable. Gail Wood sold the colt last fall form her consignment.
