When Phil first heard that McKinsey was doing a report on thoroughbred racing he naturally assumed that it had to do with breeding. 
Turns out it was McKinsey , not Kinsey.
Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Jockey Club: Progress on McKinsey Report
Phil has yet to see a copy of the Jockey Club’s McKinsey Report. Maybe the HPHR would be so kind as to lend Phil her copy. Unless she’s not finished reading it yet.
Jockey Club – Selected Exhibits
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Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.
Henry David Thoreau
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Thoroughbred Times – Wagering falls slightly in January
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Beer sales have been on the decline in the U.S., with shipments dipping 1.4% last year to 210 million barrels, an eight-year low, according to trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights. Anheuser-Busch, whose brands include Budweiser and Bud Light, slipped below the 100 million-barrel benchmark for the first time in a decade.
Brewers are fighting back, introducing craft beers and other spins on the classic beverage in a bid to recapture straying customers. Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is spending at least $30 million on Super Bowl ads, will devote two of its six game-time spots to one of those products, its new higher-alcohol Bud Light Platinum.
LA Times – Hsu – Beer brewers revise playbooks to win back lost customers
The Globe And mail – Brown – Through a glass, smartly: Beer today, but not gone tomorrow
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$353,248 P6 carryover
Sunday February 5, 2012
Santa Anita Park
Early Superbowl Post Time – Noon MST
DRF – Santa Anita: Longshots create $353,248 pick six carryover
$162,148 P6 carryover
Sunday February 5, 2012
Gulfstream Park
Early Superbowl Post Time – 10:35 AM MST
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DRF – Free – Santa Anita: Game On Dude the big horse in San Antonio; $353K carryover on Sunday
Bloodhorse – Shinar – Game On Dude Makes Return in San Antonio
DRF – Hovdey: Nearly 99, Nerud still looks ahead
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ESPN – West - Older crop promises big racing season
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Thoroughbred Times – Nichols – Ultimate Eagle dominant winner of Strub Stakes
Bloodhorse – Shinar – Ultimate Eagle All Alone in Strub Triumph
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DRF – Grening -Aqueduct: Calibrachoa repeats feat in Toboggan
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Bloodhorse – Shinar – Mr. Commons Plenty Special in Arcadia Win
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Bloodhorse – Shandler – Endeavour: Zagora Sharp in Return
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DRF – Rampellini – Oaklawn Park: Alternation begins season with stylish Essex score
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Imagination is but another name for super intelligence.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
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Thoroughbred Times – Thoroughbred Celebration Horse Shows featuring ex-racehorses gets stakes boost
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Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night!
Bette Davis
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Thoroughbred Times – Hansen, Union Rags lead list of 397 early Triple Crown nominees
Horse Race Insider – Triple Crown Nominees Post Gains in 2012
Bloodhorse – Haskin – Derby Dozen – February 3, 2012
DRF – Plonk – Countdown to the Crown: Week 5 – Feb. 3, 2012
Bloodhorse – Mitchell – Triple Crown Nominations Soar
Bloodhorse – Triple Crown Nominations
Brisnet – Triple Crown Nominees PPs
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I’ll Have Another was ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who is a top rider at the Hastings track in Vancouver, but has only 20 rides at Santa Anita this season. Ten of those 20 have been in claiming races. Before Saturday’s stunner, Gutierrez’s best efforts at Santa Anita were three places and a show. It was the first time he had ridden for O’Neill and his 10% of the $120,000 winner’s purse brought him a nice $12,000 payday for his 1 minute 40.84 seconds over the 1 1/16 miles.
LA Times – Dwyre – I’ll Have Another gets in the Derby picture
From the Derby Newsletter
Mario Gutierrez Wins the R.B. Lewis on Saturday at Santa Anita
Mario Gutierrez took a big step forward in his career on Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita winning the $200,000 Grade 2, R.B. Lewis Stake aboard longshot, I’ll Have Another for trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam.
Speaking to Mario after the race, we told him that was the break he needed, to win a major at Santa Anita. He has been riding a fair share considering there are 50 riders at Santa Anita and most of the best riders in North America or at least the best on the West Coast. For his sake I hope that breaks the ice and he the better horses start coming. His agent Ivan Puhich who is the uncle of Mike Puhich the Manager at Pegasus Training Centre absolutely knows everyone on the backstretch at Santa Anita and we hope things will start to prosper for both of them after that win. We just might not see Mario back at Hastings in 2012. I better start looking for another rider rather quickly. Nobody wants to see him make in the big time more then me.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on May 5th at Churchill Downs on I’ll Have Another in the Run for the Roses or I sure hope so.
Bloodhorse – Shinar – I’ll Have Another Uncorks Lewis Shocker
Brisnet – I’ll Have Another pulls $88.60 stunner in Robert B. Lewis
DRF – Privman – Santa Anita: I’ll Have Another connects at 43-1 in Lewis
If Indian Bill would have put $10 – $10 on Mario in the Robert B Lewis his pouch would be so laden he’d have to hire a valet carry it.
Phil barely got to the OTB in time to watch the Lewis let alone wager on it, but like Phil said last week. Sometimes: works whisper ready.
As far as the horse’s name, O’Neill said it came from the Reddams. “Paul and Zillah came up with that and neither one of them drink (alcohol), so I don’t know. It sounds like something I would have come up with, but it wasn’t me.”
Bloodhorse – Shinar – I’ll Have Another a Wildcard in Lewis Stakes
Bloodhorse – Shandler – Alpha Easily Passes Withers Test
Thoroughbred Times – Alpha much the best in Withers Stakes romp
Bloodhorse – Shinar – Maiden Battle Hardened Gets Up in Sam Davis
Thoroughbred Times – Nichols – Battle Hardened loses maiden status in Sam F. Davis Stakes
DRF – Welsch – Tampa Bay: Keneally makes correct call by running maiden Battle Hardened in Sam Davis
Bloodhorse – Shinar – Creative Cause Preps for San Vicente
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Bloodhorse – Alpha: A Top Dog or Pretender?
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ESPN – Novak – Will Derby Dreams come true?
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Life can be like a roller coaster…
And just when you think you’ve had enough,
and your ready to get off the ride and take the calm, easy merry-go round…
You change your mind, throw you hands in the air
and ride the roller coaster all over again.
That’s exhilaration…that’s living a bit on the edge…that’s being ALIVE.”
Copyright © 1999 Stacey Charter
That’s following the Triple Crown Trail again.
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New Stride Stallion Season Auction
OPPORTUNITY FOR BREEDERs
2012 Stallion Seasons for Sale
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ESPN – Munson – Leigh Steinberg’s demons
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LA Times – Dwyre – NFL has failed to tackle plight of retired players
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The Globe And Mail – Dowbiggin – The Usual Suspects – NBC dresses up in its Super Bowl Sunday best
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NY Times – Crystal Ball – Picking The Big Game
Grantland – Barnwell – The Fearless Super Bowl Breakdown
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According to the council – and we’ll have to take them on their word on this one – if the wings were laid end-to-end they would circle the circumference of the Earth more than twice.
The ennead know Phil’s not taking some council’s word. Phil did the arithmetic. The average chicken wing is about 80 mm. A metre is 1,000 mm so that calculates to 12.5 wings per metre. A kilometre is 1000 metres so that calculates to 12,500 wings per kilometre. 1,250,000,000 wings would stretch 100,000 kilometres. The circumference of the earth at the Equator is 40,075.16 kilometres. The council is right. 1.25 billion chicken wings laid end to end would stretch almost 2.5 times around the earth at the Equator.
1.25 billion wings.
How many cardiologists on call.
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Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Lao Tzu
In the meantime, we have this insanely interesting week of media interviews, which so far has produced nothing. Gotta love the way reporters are treating this game like World War III, when obviously it is so much bigger than that. All those microphones … someone could chip a tooth.
LA Times – Erskine – Onion dip at a Super Bowl party? That’s so cliche
LA Times – Score! Super Bowl Sunday appetizers
The Globe And Mail – Touchdown: 10 tasty snacks for your Super Bowl party
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A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.
Aesop
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NY Times – Battista – Diving Into the Details for When the Super Bowl Comes to New York
DRF – Hersh – Fair Grounds: Havre de Grace gently galloping toward 2012 debut
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Balzac Billy saw his shadow on Groundhog Day foreshadowing 6 more weeks of winter and 6 more months of rumours swirling around UHA’s racetrack proposal. Phil’s heard them all.
The Province and the Feds clamped the lid shut on what else transpired on Groundhog Day. Phil heard from his underground network source that when Balzac Billy emerged from his burrow he was carrying a massive dinosaur bone between his teeth. Busloads of palaeontologists and archaeologists from the University of Lethbridge rushed to the scene later that day and after securing the site traced the source of the bone through the labyrinth of tunnels zigzagging under QEII east to Cross Iron Mills and further east to the centre of the proposed UHA racetrack barn area.
The bone was from the oft mentioned but never discovered Magibbosaurous Rex, a diminutive cousin of T Rex who nonetheless was renowned for its combativeness and more renowned as the most loquacious of the dinosaurs. Magibbosaurous Rex’s range extended from the foothills west of Calgary all the way to Lethbridge and now it appears as far north as Balzac. Horse Racing Alberta has dispatched the Undertaker as this sort of work is right up his alley and he needed something to do. The U of L sources believe they’re may be many more skeletons yet to be unearthed.
A Stop Work Order has been issued until the palaeontologists and archaeologists complete their dig. So nothing’s really changed.
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Luck Sunday February 5
If you miss an episode of Luck check HBO’s schedule. It’s reprised numerous times each week.
Brisnet – HBO renews ‘Luck’ for second season
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ESPN – Cronley – Almost Normal
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Pegasus Horse Sale
Photos and Videos available
Pegasus Horse Sale
Drew Forster reports we have a few spots left on the bus going to the Pegasus Sale on Tuesday. The bus is leaving at 8:00am from the Derby and should be returning by about 7:00pm. Complimentary refreshments and snacks will be served on the bus both to and fro.
Call Drew at 604-536-2878 to get a seat.
Mike Puhich, the Sale Manager says Pegasus is ready and the excitement continues to mount with all the final preparations. Puhich says with the horse shortage on the west coast he is getting calls everyday inquiring about the horses. We expect trainers from California, Oregon, Washington, Louisiana, BC and Alberta to attend says Puhich with a large contingent from California expected as early as Sunday. Lines of Credit have been established from California, Washington, Florida, Kentucky, New York, British Columbia and as far away as New Zealand. Puhich says its been non stop all week not only preparing the horses but the interest has been overwhelming.
Puhich also notes that all the horses have been x-rayed and throat exams done and are available for your perusal in the Sale Office. Dr. Jim Bryant will also be available on-site the day of the sale.
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Thoroughbred Times – Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa set to play Preakness InfieldFest
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The Globe and Mail – Brady – Tom Brady a Montreal Expo: What might have been
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Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
William S Burroughs
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NY Times – Dwyer – Fair Play Had Nothing to Do With It
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NY Times – Harney – When Matters of the Heart Require a Love of Football
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The Globe And Mail – 14 flirty Valentine’s Day cocktails
NY Times – Clark – Plain-Jane Cookie Dolls It Up for Valentine’s Day
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2012 STAKES SCHEDULE AT HASTINGS RACECOURSE
FEATURES 40 RACES AND $2.5 MILLION IN PURSES
BC Premiers on Oct. 8 Upgraded to Grade 3 Status
Vancouver, B.C. (Feb. 1/12) – Hastings Racecourse has released its 2012 stakes schedule that includes 40 races with a total of $2.5 million in purse money.
Raj Mutti, Regional General Manager, BC Racing, also announced that the $100,000 BC Premiers has been upgraded to Grade 3 status, joining the $200,000 BC Derby and $100,000 Ballerina in that category. Several winners of the Premiers in the past have gone on to be named Horse of the Year at Hastings, Mutti said. We are very pleased to have it now recognized as a Grade 3 race.
The BC Premiers will share the stakes spotlight with the Ballerina on the Canadian Thanksgiving Day holiday card on Monday, Oct. 8.
The richest single day of stakes racing in 2012 at Hastings will be on Sunday, Sept. 9 with the headline attraction being the $200,00 BC Derby. Five additional stakes boost the total purse money to $700,000: BC Oaks ($100,000), SW Randall Plate ($50,000), Delta Colleen ($50,000), Jack Diamond Futurity ($100,000) and Sadie Diamond Futurity ($100,000).
BC Cup Day, with six stakes totaling $325,000 in purses, is set for the Aug. 6 Holiday Monday. Reserved for B.C.-bred horses, the feature attraction is the $75,000 Peter Redekop Classic for 3-year-olds and up. All six other stakes races come with $50,000 purses: BC Cup Debutante, Nursery, Dogwood, Stellar’s Jay and Distaff.
As has been the tradition at Hastings Racecourse, the Stakes Schedule begins with the $50,000 George Royal on Sunday, April 15 as part of opening weekend. The 71-day meet goes from Saturday, April 14 to Sunday, Oct. 14.
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BCTOBA News
Hastings Racecourse officially opened the track for training this morning and numerous horses have now started their training preparation to get ready for the April 14th opening date. Also this morning, the 2012 Hastings Stakes Schedule was made available.
Two notable dates are B.C. Cup which is on Monday, August 6th with six stakes races totalling $325,000 and the B.C. Derby day on Sunday, September 9th with six stakes worth an impressive $600,000.
Also a note that Hastings will have three graded stakes races in 2012. The newly upgraded B.C. Premiers joins the Ballerina and the B.C. Derby with Grade III status.
The 2012 Hastings Stakes Schedule available on our website at www.bctoba.com.
Thank you,
Mike Heads
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BC CTHS News
2012 - 2014 CTHS (BC Division) Board of Directors
Leif Nordahl – President, Ralph Jesiak – Vice-President, Shane Gumprich – Vice-President, Jim Alendal, Mike Anderson, Ernie Braithwaite, Dave Forster, Cathy Reggelsen
National Directors: Leif Nordahl, Ralph Jesiak & Ernie Braithwaite
Committees
BAP -Shane Gumprich – Chair, Ernie Braithwaite, Dave Forster, Leif Nordahl
Publications - Jim Alendal – Chair, Mike Anderson, Leif Nordahl, Cathy Reggelsen
Finance - Shane Gumprich – Chair, Ernie Braithwaite, Leif Nordahl
Sales - Ralph Jesiak – Chair, Jim Alendal, Mike Anderson, Ernie Braithwaite, Leif Nordahl, Cathy Reggelsen
Office – Ralph Jesiak – Chair, Leif Nordahl , Shane Gumprich
Promotions – Shane Gumprich – Chair, Dave Forster, Leif Nordahl, Cathy Reggelsen
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The trouble with super heroes is what to do between phone booths.
Ken Kesey
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Bloodhorse – Calder Returns Derby, Oaks to 2012 Schedule
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Thoroughbred Times – NYRA’s McClain earns honor from business publication
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National Post – Peter Gusen: There’s a fairer (and cheaper) way to even the provinces’ playing field
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A new Alberta law will force every government department to dismantle its budget and rebuild it from scratch, justifying each expense along the way.
The law, called the Results-Based Budgeting Act, could mean substantial restructuring of government service delivery, and critics warn it will usher in an era of privatization.
Let’s hope this extends to Horse Racing Alberta. Like to see the HPHR justify transferring money from the thoroughbred purses at Northlands Park to subsidize the Hillbilly Harness House League.
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Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Oldfriendskentucky Helps Thoroughbred Friends
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ORC – Windsor Purse Redirection Plan Approved
Ontario does the exact opposite of Horse Racing Alberta. It re-allocates purse money to Signature programs that have a higher handle than the bush tracks. Horse Racing Alberta takes money from the thoroughbred purses at Edmonton Northlands to subsidize the Hillbilly Harness House League where the daily handle’s less than the crap game pot in the basement of the Dover Hotel.
With all the Albertans of both breeds flocking to Ontario even the HPHR would have to admit that Ontario is running better programs with higher purses than Alberta. Wouldn’t a reasonable person with a modicum of intelligence wonder why Horse Racing Alberta continues bleeding the healthy chicken to subsidize the sick one.
Even an old dog can learn a new trick if their mind is open.
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Bloodhorse – Preciuos – Cuomo Shoots Down Plan for Belmont Casino
Brisnet – Dick Powell – Handicapping Insights – JANUARY 27, 2012
Genting executives say that to build its proposed 3.8 million-square-foot convention center at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the company would need to retain a bigger slice of the revenue that it currently splits with the State of New York. It would also need to remain the exclusive holder of video lottery machine licenses in the area. These are among several details that would have to be resolved before a deal with the state could advance on building the huge convention center.
Crain’s New York Business – Smerd – Genting spells out its needs for convention center
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Life is just a bowl of pits.
Rodney Dangerfield
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To view a Stall Application Kit, please click here
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Northlands Park – Stall Application
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Important Dates to Note
Friday February 10
Northlands Park Stall Application Deadline
Saturday February 11
Hutcheson Stakes GII 7 Furlongs Gulfstream Park $150,000
Wednesday February 14
Valentine’s Day
Thursday February 16
New Stride Stallion Auction Closes
Saturday February 18
El Camino Real Derby GIII 1 1/8 Mile Golden Gate Fields $200,000
Sunday February 19
San Vicente Stakes GII 7 Furlong Santa Anita $150,000
February 20
Southwest Stakes GIII 1 Mile Oaklawn Park $250,000
February 25
Risen Star Stakes GII 1 1/16 Mile Fair Grounds $300,000
February 26
Fountain Of Youth Stakes GII 1 1/16 Mile Gulfstream Park $400,000
Saturday March 3rd
The Santa Anita Handicap Santa Anita
John Battaglia Memorial Stakes 1 1/16 Mile Turfway Park $75000
Gotham Stakes GIII 1 1/16 Mile Aqueduct $400,000
March 10
Saturday March 10th
The Swale Stakes Gulfstream Park
Tampa Bay Derby GII 1 1/16 Mile Tampa Bay Downs $350,000
San Felipe Stakes GII 1 1/16 Mile Santa Anita $300,000
Albastakiya About 1 3/16 Mile 1900 Meters Meydan Racecourse $250,000
Sunday March 11
Palm Beach Stakes GIII 1 1/8 Mile Gulfstream Park $150,000
Saturday March 17
Rebel Stakes GII 1 1/16 Mile Oaklawn Park $500,000
Saturday March 24
Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes GIII 1 1/8 Mile Turfway Park $500,000
Early Nominations for Hastings Stake Races due
Sustaining Fees for the CTHS BC Sales Stakes Due
Sunday March 25
Sunland Derby GIII 1 1/8 Mile Sunland Park $800,000
Saturday March 31
Dubai World Cup
Florida Derby GI 1 1/8 Mile Gulfstream Park $1,000 ,000
UAE Derby Group II About 1 3/16 Mile 1900 Meters Meydan Racecourse $2000,000
Sunday April 1
Louisiana Derby GII 1 1/8 Mile Fair Grounds $1,000 ,000
Friday April 6th
Fort Erie Race Track – Trainers may begin to set up your stalls on
Saturday April 7th
Santa Anita Derby GI 1 1/8 Mile Santa Anita Park $750,000
The Illinois Derby GIII 1 1/8 Mile Hawthorne Park $500,000
Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial GI 1 1/8 Mile GI Aqueduct $1,000,000
Fort Erie – Horses may begin to ship in
Sunday April 8th
Fort Erie Race Track open for training
Saturday April 14th
Arkansas Derby GI 1 1/8 Mile Oaklawn Park $1,000,000
Toyota Bluegrass GI 1 1/8 Mile Keeneland $750,000
Hastings Park Opening Day
Saturday April 21
Coolmore Lexington Stakes GIII 1 1/16 Mile Keeneland $200,000
Jerome GII 1 Mile Aqueduct $200,000
Saturday April 28
The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial GIII 1 Mile Churchill Downs $200,000 added
Friday May 4th Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs
Northlands Park Opening Day
Saturday May 5th
Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs
Sunday May 6th
Fort Erie Race Track Opening Day
Assiniboia Downs Opening Day
Friday May 18th
CTHS BC 2012 Sale Entry Fees Due
Saturday May 19th
Preakness Pimlico Race Track
Friday May 25
Marquis Downs Opens
Saturday June 11th
Belmont Stakes Belmont Park
Sunday July 1
Millarville Canada Day Racing
Sunday July 15
The 77 th Edition of the Prince of Wales Stakes 1 3/16 miles $500,000 Fort Erie Race Track The 2nd Jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown
Monday August 6th
BC Cup Day at Hastings Park
Saturday August 18
Arlington Million XXX GIT 10f (turf) Arlington Park $1,000,000
Beverly D. GIT 9.5f (turf) Arlington Park $750,000g
Secretariat Stake GIT 10f (turf) Arlington Park $500,000g,
Sunday September 9th
BC Derby Day at Hastings Park – 6 Stakes
Monday September 10
CTHS BC Yearling Parade
Tuesday September 11
CTHS BC Yearling & Mixed Sale
Monday October 8
Ballerina Stake GIIC 9f Hastings Racecourse $100,000g
British Columbia Premier’s Handicap GIIC 11f Hastings Racecourse $100,000g,
Sunday October 14
Hastings Park Closing Day
Friday November 2
Breeders Cup Santa Anita
Saturday November 3
Breeders Cup Santa Anita
Tuesday December 25
Christmas Day
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Thoroughbred Times - Humane Society considers court action on horse slaughter
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ESPN – Dodgers seek to bar Bryan Stow claims
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Phil M Stockmen