**Thoroughbred owners and breeders are re-thinking being involved in the Ontario industry already. Big farms are hearing the rumblings and meanwhile, there has not been any communication to the industry from Dwight Duncan, Finance Minister, Dalton McGuinty, Premier, with regards to plans, if any, for the racetrack/slots revenue sharing program.

read more below

**Awful accident at CHARLES TOWN on a sloppy track, 7 horses of 8 in a race lost riders and chain reaction cause by breakdown of former Woodbine gal SHARP BEAUTY, track had another breakdown on the night, cancelled the 9th race eventually

*big Saturday for CASSE/CONTRERAS

 

INGLORIOUS, the Quuen’s Plate/Woodbine Oaks winner of 2011, breezes on the grass yesterday at Palm Meadows – :49 for 4 furlongs

Janis Maine photo

 

 

 

BREEDING INDUSTRY ON PINS AND NEEDLES
An interview with David Willmot and other breeders in Ontario

The breeding season in Ontario is well underway but business is already being negatively affected by the uncertainty caused by the Liberal government’s apparent plan to review the successful racetrack slots program, says David Willmot, owner of famed Kinghaven Farms in King City, Ont.

“There are already decisions being made, right now, to withdraw investments from the industry,” said Willmot, who is also chairman of Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG). “No matter what happens now, owners and breeders locally and in the U.S. are cancelling stallion and mare contracts and rethinking investing in Ontario’s breeding industry.”

Horse racing and breeding has been left in the dark in the weeks following the Drummond Report’s inclusion of a review of the racetrack slots program among its recommendations for cutting the province’s deficit.

Instead, comments and ad campaigns by Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government, deemed “reckless” by Willmot, have the rocked the industry.

Recent radio ads claiming that the program in place is a “secret subsidy for a few, very wealthy racetrack owners” severely misrepresent the program and are unfounded attacks on a business plan that has been a boon for the province, said Willmot.

“All we have seen is a confounding, vociferous attack with no details on what the government plans to do,” said Willmot. “If they have specifics (on plans for a review of the slot program) they better tell us soon because there is already a loss of economy coming.”

**READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN THE TORONTO STAR TODAY!**

 

SEVEN HORSE ACCIDENT AT CHARLES TOWN

Former Woodbine runner SHARP BEAUTY broke down on the lead early in a 4 1/2 furlong allowance race last night at Charles Town and caused a massive 7 horse accident, leaving one horse left with a rider aboard.

SHARP BEAUTY (Sharp Humor) raced at Woodbine last year and was claimed for $10,000 by James  Schlehr and trainer Les Frost.

Earlier at Charles Town, another local horse, DISCLOSURE, broke down on the sloppy track and he was trained by Marilyn McMullen.

VIDEO IS AT END OF POST – WARNING :  ACCIDENT FOOTAGE IS NOT PLEASANT

 

CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

2012 RECORDS OF SOME OF CANADA’S TOP TRAINERS

MARK CASSE
56     6    10    6    $ 401,810    45/3,804
JOSIE CARROLL
27     4    4    1    $ 144,967
JOHN SIMMS
38     2    3    5    $ 30,585
BRIAN LYNCH
19     1    3    2    $ 50,570
ROGER ATTFIELD
17     1    5    2    $ 216,095
TINO ATTARD
14     2    1    1    $ 31,840
PAUL ATTARD
7     0    0    1    $ 3,940
JIM SMITH
4     1    0    1    $ 16,080
CRAIG SMITH
16     3    2    3    $ 36,050
MALCOLM PIERCE
14     2    1    1    $ 69,241

MARK FROSTAD

21 2 2 6 $94,381

 

 

Top 2yo filly of 2011, TU ENDIE WEI struts her stuff at Palm Meadows in Florida, she’s getting ready for a workout soon

Janis Maine photo

 

CONTRERAS/CASSE AT AQUEDUCT SATURDAY

STEALCASE, CASSE take shot at GOTHAM

Recent maiden winner STEALCASE, a Lawyer Ron colt owned by John Oxley, meets 11 in the Gotham (G3) on Saturday in New York. The 3yo meets up with champion HANSEN, who figures to be a heavy, heavy favourite in the race.

Casse and Contreras are also getting together with champion DELIGHTFUL MARY in the Grade 2 Top Flight, where that filly has a bit of chance meeting up with It’s Tricky, a tough one who comes off a layoff.

Saturday, Aqueduct, post time: 5:02 p.m. EST
GOTHAM S.-GIII, $400,000, 3yo, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 My Adonis Pleasantly Perfect Trujillo Breen 120
2 Stealcase K Lawyer Ron Contreras Casse 116
3 Finnegans Wake Powerscourt (GB) Desormeaux Romans 116
4 Pretension Bluegrass Cat Santiago Grove 116
5 Maan Malibu Moon Maragh Kenneally 116
6 Dan and Sheila K More Than Ready Velazquez Pletcher 116
7 Suns Out Guns Out K Empire Maker Ortiz Jr Romans 116
8 Raconteur K A.P. Indy Velasquez Pletcher 120
9 King and Crusader K Lion Heart Luzzi Dutrow Jr 116
10 Side Road Street Cry (Ire) Garcia McLaughlin 116
11 Done Talking Broken Vow Cohen Smith 116
12 Hansen Tapit Dominguez Maker 123
13 Tiger Walk Tale of the Cat Castro Correas IV 116

 

Saturday, Aqueduct, post time: 2:42 p.m. EST
TOP FLIGHT H.-GII, $200,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1a Coco Ecolo Johannesburg Trujillo Breen 113
2 Delightful Mary Limehouse Contreras Casse 116
3a Sleepless Dixie K Dixie Union Curatolo Breen 114
4 Bahama Bound Empire Maker Velazquez Dutrow 114
5 It’s Tricky Mineshaft Dominguez McLaughlin 122
6 Love and Pride K A.P. Indy Velasquez Pletcher 116

 

MARK CASSE FEATURE IN THIS WEEK’S BLOOD-HORSE!

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/files/folders/tbh_regionals/entry202350.aspx

 

FROSTAD HOPES TO SET A TREND at Gulfstream

Stone Farm’s recent allowance winner TREND will contest the 1 mile Canadian Turf ‘Cap for trainer Mark Frostad. The field includes the mighty LITTLE MIKE. Canadian jockey MELANIE PINTO has a mount aboard longshot  PERFECT FOOTPRINT.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:17 p.m. EST
CANADIAN TURF S.-GIII, $150,000, 4yo/up, 1mT
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 Doubles Partner Rock Hard Ten Leparoux Pletcher 117
2 Mutual Trust (GB) Cacique (Ire) Castanon Mott 121
3 Beau Choix Elusive Quality Rocco Jr Tagg 117
4 Data Link War Front Solis McGaughey 117
5 Trend Sligo Bay (Ire) Lopez Frostad 117
6 Seruni K Saint Liam Court Oliver 119
7 Perfect Footprint K Pleasantly Perfect Pinto Figueroa 117
8 Little Mike Spanish Steps Bravo Romans 119

 

CHANTAL SUTHERLAND AND THE DUDE

From THE NATIONAL in Dubai

Chantal Sutherland could be the first female rider in Dubai World Cup

Geoffrey Riddle

Chantal Sutherland could become the first woman to ride in the Dubai World Cup after Game On Dude was aimed as an intended runner at the world’s richest race.

Bob Baffert, the trainer, confirmed last night that the Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up would not take part in Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita handicap and would be prepared to run at Meydan racecourse on March 31.

When asked about whether the five year old would defend his title in the prestigious handicap, won by the likes of Seabiscuit and Affirmed, the last horse to win America’s Triple Crown, Baffert replied: “He’s not running. He’s going to Dubai.

“We’ve been discussing it for the last few weeks. It was one of those things where the horse’s last work was great. He’s never looked better.”

http://www.thenational.ae/sport/horse-racing/chantal-sutherland-could-be-the-first-female-rider-in-dubai-world-cup

 

HEY – HEY : COOL STUFF – DAVY JONES, former Jockey, LOVED THE TRACK

Photo of Jones and his wife Jessica Pacheco:

http://www.celebrityparentsmag.com/2009/11/on-the-cover-the-legendary-davy-jones.html

Story from 1994 Louisville Courier-Journal

For the first time in 120 years at Churchill Downs, that happened yesterday, when the world’s most famous “Monkee” — Davy Jones — galloped the 3-year-old filly Love Dancing for trainer Burk Kessinger. Jones, a schoolgirl heartthrob in the 1960s when he was front man for the Monkees, is in Louisville performing in “Grease!” at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. But he has been around race horses almost as long as he has been in show business — nearly 40 years. For years, Jones held an amateur steeplechase jockey’s license in his native England and someday wants to train race horses.

Jones, 49, said he would rather ride a horse than perform. So his good fortune, in addition to cashing a number of bets at Churchill Friday, was meeting exercise rider Deborah Keene, who also works as a receptionist in the horsemen’s lounge. Keene invited Jones to ride for her boss. She informed Kessinger he had a new jockey.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120229/SCENE04/302290092/1037/SPORTS/1994-Monkee-Davy-Jones-rode-horse-Churchill-Downs?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|s

 

CHARLES TOWN ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT