American Pharoah may be headlining the The Really Big Shew at the Spa in the Empire State this Saturday, but Phil’s leading off with a joke for all the melonheads.

Especially the transplanted fair weather and closet melonheads who have quickly and quietly morphed back into Eskimo and Stampeder fans.

Knock, Knock
Who’s There
Owen
Owen Who
O an’ eight

Mrs. Robinson

Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Dr. Seuss

Globe And Mail – Don’t tread on my beer

National Post – CP – Taking 14 cases of beer across provincial lines illegal because constitution section protecting it has gone dormant: witness

Phil has a question:

Why do we pay all those politicians and bureaucrats all the tax money we do when a beer drinker from New Brunswick could be all we need.

NY Times – Drape – New Jersey’s Effort to Legalize Sports Betting Is Denied on Appeal

Mother’s Little Helper

ESPN – Cronley – Off track propositions

Phil has a proposition:

How about a prop bet on inquiries.

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Springstead -Why Baffert didn’t need too much convincing to run Pharoah at the ‘Graveyard of Favorites’

Born To Run

The Guardian – Why American Pharoah’s victory lap is setting a worrying precedent

Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Hunter S. Thompson

Take The Long Way Home

NY Times – Drape – American Pharoah Awes Saratoga Springs on Eve of Travers

Horse Race Insider – Pharoah’s Chariot in Rarified Air

Ghost Riders In The Sky

TwinSpires Blog – Handicapping Insights – Powell – Pharoah heads fantastic day; Beholder throws down gauntlet 

Saratoga August 29 – Travers – Brisnet

Bloodhorse – NBC Schedules Two-Hour Travers Broadcast

“Saratoga is Saratoga; it’s the premier race meet in the country,” American Pharoah’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, said.

But the Spa, as the track is known, comes by its nickname Graveyard of Champions honestly, as anyone who rooted for Gallant Fox and Affirmed can attest. Gallant Fox was beaten by the 100-1 shot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Midsummer Derby, and Affirmed was disqualified in 1978 for interfering with his fierce rival Alydar around the grandstand turn.

NY Times – Drape – American Pharoah Is 1-5 Morning-Line Favorite in Travers Stakes

Lady and the Track – Travers Stakes 2015 Odds, Posts, Events

Louisville Courier-Journal – Rees – American Pharoah draws post 2; ‘He can handle it’

TwinSpires Blog – Scully – American Pharoah receives post 2 in 10-horse Travers

TDN – American Pharoah Draws Post Two in Travers

Bloodhorse – Johnson – American Pharoah Draws Post 2 for Travers

ESPN – Finley – Don’t be afraid to bet the Travers

TwinSpires Blog – Scully – Pharoah good enough under any circumstances but paceless Travers looks like a slam-dunk

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – McLaughlin takes contrarian view, thinks Travers pace scenario may not benefit American Pharoah

Stolen Dance

NY Times – Drape – Baffert Makes It Official as American Pharoah Allays Anxiety

Bloodhorse – Balan – It’s Official: American Pharoah to Travers

Bloodhorse – Terranova Barn Prepares to Welcome ‘Pharoah’

Empty Nesters 

Bloodhorse -Travers Nominee Japan Fractures Sesamoid

Bloodhorse – Smart Transition Breezes Bullet for Travers

Bloodhorse – Velazquez to Ride Smart Transition in Travers

Bloodhorse – Genaro – NYRA Devising Strategy to Share ‘Pharoah’

Twin Spires Blog – Pugh – Graveyard of Champions Will Not Deter Pharoah

LA Times – Pedulla – Will jet lag slow American Pharoah in the Travers?

ESPN – West – A taste of apprehension

Lady and the Track – Macatangay – American Pharoah Faces New Track, Travel Concerns in Travers

Bloodhorse – Violette Undecided on Travers for Upstart

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Violette still having ‘internal battle’ over whether to run Upstart in Travers

Bloodhorse – Hangin With Haskin – Travers Stakes: High Anxiety

The Work Song

It’s Travers week and, barring any untoward occurrences during American Pharoah’s scheduled trial this morning, there promises to be a hot time in the old town come Saturday.

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – SARATOGA: History, Horses and Healthy Business

Horse Race Insider – Jicha – Pharoah’s Travers great for racing but what about his future

TwinSpires Blog – Scully – Travers could be race against the clock for American Pharoah

ESPN – West – Counting the lengths

TwinSpire Blog – DeRosa – Just How Powerful is American Pharoah’s 14-point Prime Power Advantage?

ESPN – Ehalt – Where Pharoah goes, excitement follows

ESPN – Ehalt – Travers the right spot for American Pharoah

Killer Queen

Bloodhorse – Team Texas Red Partners With TV Star

Bloodhorse – Hangin With Haskin – Deep in the Heart of ‘Texas’

TwinSpires Blog -Reilly – Texas Red maturing physically, mentally ahead of Travers

Louisville Courier-Journal – Rees – Texas Red gets his American Pharoah rematch

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly –  A quick look at projected fields for Travers undercard

Albertans Jim and Susan Hill race two on the Travers undercard at the Spa on Saturday. Loose on the Town moves up to Graded company in the King Bishop GI $500,000US going 7 furlongs on the dirt for trainer for trainer Brian Lynch with Jose Lezcano in the irons. Solid Appeal looks to get back to her winning ways in the Ballston Spa GII $400,000US going 1 1/16 miles on the turf for cnditioner Reade Baker with Luis Saez in the saddle.

Speaking of saddles do you think the CCW or QKB could give the slightest care about a couple of thoroughbreds owned by Albertans running at Saratoga on Saturday when the jiggies will be trotting under saddle at Century Downs in exhibition races.

Lady and the Track – Saratoga Travers Day Picks & Plays

TwinSpires Blog Scully – Five Plays on the Travers Undercard

Carryovers

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Arlington
Pick 6 Jackpot    $60,204.00
Assiniboia Downs
Super High Five Jackpot    $2,461.00
Del Mar
Super High Five     $28,619.00
Ellis Park
Super High Five     $1,000.00
Pick 6    $402.00
Evangeline Downs
Super High Five     $743.00
Fair Grounds
Pick 5 Jackpot    $556.00
Super High Five     $343.00
Ferndale
Pick 6    $4,961.00
Golden Gate Fields
Pick 6 Jackpot    $3,690.00
Gulfstream Park
Super High Five     $4,179.00
Indiana Grand Race Course
Pick 6    $3,053.00
Los Alamitos
Pick 6    $2,310.00
Louisiana Downs
Pick 5 Jackpot    $1,060.00
Monmouth Park
Pick 6 Jackpot    $87,028.00
Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort
Pick 5    $7,499.00
Northlands Park
Pick 5    $3,930.00
Prairie Meadows
Pick 4    $845.00
Ruidoso Downs
Tri Super    $3,901.00
Woodbine
Super High Five Jackpot    $100,565.00

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Fort Erie
Pick 5    $3,634.00
Super High Five     $1,542.00
Presque Isle Downs
Pick 6    $877.00

Guaranteed Pools

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Northlands Park
$10,000  — Pick 4

Equibase Carryovers and Guaranteed Pools

Bloodhorse – Balan – Mandella: Beholder ‘One of the Greats’

ESPN – Duckworth – Beholder answers all questions

ESPN – Finley – Beholder’s team should go for it

So what is the source of Beholder’s ability to shine over a mile and a quarter? Well, Tricky Creek’s first three dams were by His Majesty, Nijinsky and Swaps. Then there’s Beholder’s second dam Crystal Lady, who had Hail To Reason and the two-mile winner One For All as her grandsires, plus a Sea-Bird mare as her second dam.

TDN – Caulfield – Pedigree Insights: Beholder

Bloodhorse – Hangin With Haskin – The ‘Iron Lady’s’ Secret Garden

Breeders’ Cup Challenge

NY Times – Robertson and Fausset – 10 Years After Katrina

ESPN – Wright Thompson – Beyond The Breach

The Bitter Southerner – Elie – The Whys

There is no such thing as paranoia. Your worst fears can come true at any moment.
Hunter S. Thompson

TDN – Jess’s Dream Becomes a Reality in ‘Rising Star’ Performance

Bloodhorse – Jess’s Dream Wins Long-Awaited Debut

TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Jess’s Dream rallies from far back to give mama ‘Rachel’ a second winner

Friday, August 28, 2015 7:00 PM CDT
Saturday, August 29, 2015 7:00 PM CDT

Louisville Courier-Journal – Rees – American Pharoah gets new shoes for Travers

Baffert better watch what he says about Nikes or next thing you know Michael Jordan will be suing.

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Louisville Courier-Journal – Lintner – Jockey Espinoza joins ‘Dancing with the Stars’

After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.

Ann Richards

Dancing In The Dark 

Lady and The Track – Smith – Horse Racing Finds Fresh Voice in Matt Dinerman

Nominations for the 70th Running Of THE BRITISH COLUMBIA DERBY(Grade III)
$250,000 Guaranteed  A SPECIAL WEIGHT STAKES FOR THREE YEARS OLD
ONE MILE AND ONE EIGHTH
TO BE RUN SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ACADEMIC b.f.3 Riversedge Racing Stables, Ltd. and Bear Stables, Ltd. Tim Rycroft
ADITYA ch.g.3 James Redekop Anita Bolton
BLUE DANCER dk b/.g.3 Derby Quest Farms Ltd. & Shot in The Dark Racing Corp. Greg Tracy
BLUEGRASS ANGUS b.g.3 Copper Water Thoroughbred Company Craig MacPherson
BROTHER DUSTER dk b/.g.3 Ken Johnson Taylor Anderson
BURRARD BREEZE ch.g.3 J.Lazazzera, R. Munro, G. Matkovich & F. Rawlinson Brian O’Connell
CAPITALISM ch.g.3 Derby Quest Farms Ltd. & Shot in The Dark Racing Corp. Greg Tracy
CENTREFIRE ch.g.3 Landry, C., Landry, D., Red Diamond Stable and Highfield Stock Farm Greg Tracy
CRIUS ch.g.3 Leif Nordahl Mike Anderson
DEALERSHIP dk b/.g.3 3480 Equine Inc. LLP John Snow
HOLLYWOOD ANGEL ch.g.3 Peter Redekop, B. C., Ltd. Anita Bolton
LAMU b.c.3 Mark DeDominico LLC Troy Taylor
LORD ROSBERG b.g.3 Gail Breckenridge & Lillian Jarvis Meehan Pat Jarvis
MERLOT gr/ro.g.3 Swift Thoroughbreds Inc. Dino Condilenios
MIGHTY FRASER b.g.3 North American Thghd Hse Co., Inc., R. Morrison, P. Tom G. Hopper Troy Taylor
MOKHANDOIT dk b/.g.3 Mohamad K. Khan Mark Cloutier
PEACE ARCH b.g.3 Rob & Vicky Gilker & George Robbins Robert Gilker
PERCY FAWCETT b.g.3 Randall and Rossi LLC and Lucrarelli, Frank Frank Lucarelli
PRIME ENGINE ch.c.3 Mark Dedomenico LLC Troy Taylor
PRINCE HOTEL dk b/.g.3 Barry Tyrer Rob VanOverschot
PURPLE HEAVEN b.g.3 Ted Graling Twylla Bensmiller
SABADO ALEGRE (CHI) b.c.3 Copper Water Thoroughbred Company Craig MacPherson
SEDIN b.g.3 Roy & Dixie Jacobson Mark Cloutier
THETRAILERGUY ch.g.3 Heidi Nelson Monique Snowden
TORNIADOR dk b/.c.3 Milton Palma, Geovani Olade & Ernesto Rojas Milton Palma

Lady and the Track – Hammer – Saratoga Springs Pledges To Help Racehorse Retirement

Twin Spires – DeRosa – A Bad Beat & Badly Beaten Elicit Different Responses in Horseplayers

Edmonton Sun – FRANK FONTANA’s Northlands Favourites

Matt’s Picks and Free Program – Friday August 28, 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015 6:30 PM MDT
Saturday, August 29, 2015 1:00 PM MDT

Bloodhorse – Zayat Stables to Donate to New Vocations

TwinSpires Blog – Zayat Stables to Donate a Percentage of American Pharoah’s Earnings to New Vocations

NY Times – Drape – Eric Cancel, an Apprentice Jockey at Saratoga, Listens and Learns

NY Times – The Apprentice

Upcoming  Stakes

Lady and the Track – Smith – Two-Year-Old Thoroughbreds To Watch: Team Picks 4

Bloodhorse – Genaro – Forum: No Easy Way to Proceed on Lasix Issue

Hastings Wrap-up For August 28—Richard Yates

Onto Every Track, A Little Rain Must Fall

Friday night at historic old Hastings Racecourse saw the second “off” track of the season, although it was no more off than “good” and it played pretty quick compared to the times permitted by the fast tracks of the last few weeks. We ran 36 horses in the last four races and the public bet $336,000 on them. The first three with 17 head handled about $139K for a total of $475,000. Another graphic illustration of the connection between good field-size and doing good business.

Field size and off tracks are also likely contributors to big prices, and there were plenty of those on Friday night. The average win payoff was just shy of $18.00 a race. No favorites won and only one ran as well as second.

Antonio Reyes won three races on the evening and Silvino Morales won his first ever at Hastings. Congratulations to jockey Morales.

El Capone Muscles In On The Win

The feature was the third, an open $25,000 claimer for older horses at a mile and a sixteenth, and it was won by El Capone ($38.80) in a photo with Senor Rojo. Off the Top persevered for third after dueling on the front end with Devil in Disguise for most of a trip that took the winner a very minimal 1:43.36 over a track labeled good that was, regardless, very fast. Last time this bunch hooked up (August 7) they went about eight lengths slower than they did over tonight’s track.

Many times when the photo sign goes up, it goes up because that it is what is supposed to happen, but 9 out of every 10 people at the track know who won, photo sign or not. This was not one of those. This one required a camera to be sure.

Off the Top and Devil in Disguise gave each other no peace from soon after the break until late in the stretch when Senor Rojo and El Capone finished off runs from back and way back to hit the wire a nose apart, with El Capone prevailing after coming from last.

The front running duo of Off the Top and Devil in Disguise ran credible races, but the winner and runner-up ran large races, no matter how fast the track. A minute-forty-three and small change is not a lot of time for 25K types to take to cover a mile and a sixteenth.

El Capone was bred in British Columbia by Chad Purdy, as well as Rod and Ursula Bolivar who are the owners. John Snow trains the gelded son of El Corredor.

Also Noteworthy:

Jockey Antonio Reyes had a triple on the card, winning three of the last four races. He took the fourth with Lady At War ($17.80) for owners Grayross Stable and David and Sylvea Gregory, she also being the trainer. Reyes won the next race with Cadeo ($24.80) for Dr. Kenneth Walters. Tracy McNeil trains. Reyes concluded his evening with a victory aboard Authority Taken ($14.00) for owners G. Matkovich, R. Munro, and J. Lazazzera and trainer Brian O’Connell.

The stallion Cause to Believe had a daddy double. Cadeo, as reported, won the fifth race, and Pas Believen ($12.70) took the sixth with Silvino Morales getting his initial Hastings win for owner Clint Wilson and trainer Rob VanOverschot. Cause to Believe stands at Road’s End Farm.

Richard Hamel extended his lead over Pedro Alvarado (who did not win on the evening) to 9 wins by taking the opener on Zanita Rosae ($7.60) for Sapphire Stables and breeder, as well as trainer, Sandra Loseth. The winner went as the second choice and it was the shortest price of the day.

Second shortest price on the card came in the second race when Majestic Mark ($9.40) won as the third choice for kay and Sue Ohashi and trainer Patty Leaney. Alex Marti rode.

Folks with an inclination to make a little wager now and then will want to think about the Pick 6 that has now carried over to the tune of $22,520. One winning ticket could take that and some more home on Monday night. With the way that they bet out in simulcast land last Monday evening, a carryover this big could generate some serious play from near and far.

Hastings Wrap-up For August 24—-Richard Yates

Your Four O’Clock Choices:  Tea Time At The Empress Or Post Time At Hastings

Me, I’ll take post time at Hastings and those that made the same choice got a pretty good night of horseracing of a kind that tends to fuel speculation, and did so on Monday’s Twilight Card. Folks from near and far invested a little south of $600,000 on the evening’s offerings. Three winning favorites were mixed in among two winning 13-1 shots and some other healthy prices that no doubt rewarded the perceptive. The rest of us enjoyed the evening too.

David Lopez won the first two and Keishan Balgobin won the next two. It was the second night in a row Lopez has doubled and the two wins gave Balgobin nine in the last four race days. Trainer Pat Jarvis not only had a double of her own, taking the opener and the fifth, she doubled with two 13-1 shots.

The Champions Starter Series returned with the final qualifying legs: the race split for the colts and geldings and the filly and mare division went with a nine-horse field.

Uncle Willard Goes Straight

The first leg of the colts and geldings Champions Starter Series qualifiers went as the third on the card and it was Uncle Willard ($12.70) who took the mile and a sixteenth event in a final time of 1:45.87, getting there a neck ahead of Toccet’s Charm who he battled all the way down the lane. Dee Jay Snow closed willingly to take third without having any impact on the first two.

Keishan Balgobin had Uncle Willard in good position, if a little wide, throughout the trip. When the front running So Legit and Fransor’s Finest called it off after tormenting each other through six furlongs in 1:12.36, Uncle Willard took over, only to be joined mid-way on the final turn by Toccet’s Charm. It was just the two of them from there. In the end, it was Uncle Willard. He refused to quit when he was headed in the stretch, and Toccet’s Charm did not give up when the winner came back on him, he just came up a trifle short.

Uncle Willard is a son of Skimming and was bred in British Columbia by his owner, Les Hoggard. Craig MacPherson does the training and he clearly does it well as he trained Uncle Willard not to bolt after that one headed for the Province sign in his last race.

Winestock Rises To The Occasion

The second leg for the boys went as the sixth and Winestock ($5.80), who won two qualifiers going short, tried a mile and a sixteenth for the first time with the same result. He won, getting the distance in 1:46.03. Ganbei was second and Teddy the Bear ran a very game third. Amadeo Perez rode Winestock after leading rider Richard Hamel stuck with Chief Thundercloud, having won his last start on both horses.

Winestock and Teddy the Bear very soon locked up on the lead and they proceeded to eyeball each other through a mile before Winestock got a little separation late. Ganbei edged the tired Teddy the Bear for the place. Teddy the Bear deserved a better fate after fighting it out with the winner in a long battle that was not moving all that fast early, but intensified as they went along.

Winestock is owned by Derby Quest Farms Ltd. And Shot in the Dark Racing Corp. Greg Tracy trains the Kentucky bred son of Johannesburg. Winestock broke his maiden for 50K at Santa Anita in 2013 for Bob Baffert and then lost his form. He regained it with two wins in conditioned $7,000 races, one of those being by 19 lengths and has walked up the ladder at Northlands, winning two allowance conditions. Now, by dint of having run those two cheap races in Edmonton and then getting real good, he is a fantasy horse for the conditions attached to the Champions Series. Three down and one to go.

Habida Wins Comfortably

The qualifier for the distaff side of the Champions Starter Series was won by Habida ($28.90) who was pretty dominant when all was said and done, although Hey Didjanotis provided some competition for a long time before tiring to fourth. Habida’s final time of 1:46.75 was good for a 3 ½ length win over Closing Intentions. Haida Gwaii was another length and a half back in third.

Habida did not break on top from the ten-hole, but jockey Sahin Civaci was quick to put her on top anyway. First time past the grandstand, Hey Didjanotis ran up beside her and competed for a while. Hey Didjanotis appeared to be the only horse in the race capable of even bothering the winner, and when she started to weary, it was over. The closers closed, but they never, ever threatened.

Habida is by Causetobelieve out of the Katahaula County mare Comic Opera, she having won the Fantasy at two. Habida was bred by her owners Bryan and Carol Anderson and Jim Eccott, and as mentioned, it was the second win on the card for trainer Pat Jarvis.

S.L. Express Gets In On Time

The opener, a $16,000 sprint for non-winners of two races (BC-breds get three) went to S. L. Express ($28.80) who survived by a neck over the closing Zenya. Splendid Scat was another length back in third. The winner covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.65.

Despite breaking from the outside David Lopez had S. L. Express down inside and laying third as they straightened out for the run down the backstretch. A duel on the front end between Blended and I Believe in Angel essentially put S. L. Express in the catbird seat and she sat there until starting a move on the turn that had her in front coming out of it.

Zenya had launched a long, determined move that began right after the leaders had gone a half in 46.69 and continued to the bitter end, that being a neck short at the wire. Zenya had to shift out very slightly at the head of the lane to get clear and that may have been the difference. But S. L. Express gets full marks for digging in and holding on. For what little bit its worth, the winner never let Zenya by on the gallop out. They both ran well.

A daughter of Rosberg, S. L. Express was bred by Bruce Unwin and Swift Thoroughbreds. She runs for Blue Willow Dairy, Ltd. and Pat Jarvis trains.

Kiss Em Goodbye Does

The closer was an open $16,000 claimer for three year-olds, it went at 6 ½ furlongs and it was won by the favored Kiss Em Goodbye ($5.40) in what was for all practical purposes a two horse race with runner-up Smart Focus. Mister Mecate closed well to be third, but not well enough to alarm the first two.

Smart Focus tried every step but Kiss Em Goodbye shook him off going into the last turn and there was no danger anywhere else. The winner sprinted the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.29 under Marklee Buchanan.

Mel and Fran Snow bred Kiss Em Goodbye in British Columbia and they continue to own the gelded son of Storm Victory. Mel trains. It was the fourth win in seven starts this year for Kiss Em Goodbye.

Also Noteworthy:

The stallion Storm Victory had two winners on the night. Aside from Kiss Em Goodbye, he sired Silent Native who won the fourth for Keishan Balgobin, trainer Philip Hall and owner/breeder Elton Gunther and his co-owner, Lorraine Gunther.

The second half of the David Lopez riding double came in the second on Always a Sunrise for owners Kevin Scott and William Laity and trainer Charlene Miller.

Leading rider Richard Hamel took the seventh on Flare Miss for owner Leif Nordahl and leading trainer Mike Anderson. The win gave Hamel 50 for the season and stretched his lead over Pedro Alvarado to 8. Balgobin’s hot streak has him solidly in third with 32 wins.

Mike Anderson’s 24 wins are four more than Troy Taylor and Craig MacPherson have in a tie for second. Barb heads and Philip Hall are next with 13 apiece.

Owner Swift Thoroughbreds with 12 retains a one win margin over Mark DeDomenico LLC and North American Thoroughbred Horse Company. Russell J. and Lois Bennet have 10 wins, good for third.

Bloodhorse – Tapp – MarketWatch: NY-Bred Earning Power

CTHS SALE PREVIEW AT THE DERBY

Bloodhorse – NY-Breds in Spotlight at Spa on Travers Eve

Bloodhorse – Lewyn – Lubash Takes West Point for Second Time

---

CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED HORSE SOCIETY (BC Division)

2015 Sales Catalogue

2015 Yearling & Mixed Sale
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Thunderbird Show Park, Langley, BC

#7-5492 Production Blvd,

Surrey, BC V3S 8P5
Phone (604) 534-0145 Fax (604) 574-CTHS (2847)

Email cthsbc@cthsbc.org

CTHS BC

TwinSpires Blog – Scully – Private Zone heads Forego; Holy Boss seeks fifth straight win in King’s Bishop

Bloodhorse – Balan – Competitive Edge Needs Rebound at Saratoga

Bloodhorse – Novak – The Big Beast Faces Private Zone in Forego

Fire

TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Flintshire looks tough in Sword Dancer as does Tepin in Ballston Spa

Bloodhorse – Hammonds – Red Rifle Must Hit Bull’s-Eye in Sword Dancer

Lost in all the Pharoah PhanPhare is the appearance of Flintshire, Juddmonte Farms Inc,’s 5 year old Dansili  horse who’s so far made $5,075,568US. Flintshire has knocked heads with many of the world’s finest turf runners at various venues around the world.

Pletcher continues to play with Phil’s head as he has now named a rider for Red Rifle – Ortiz, not who Phil was expected.

Messi may be the scourge of the soccer pits, but his namesake is in tough on Saturday. His German owners must have given up on sending him to the breeding shed as he’s running on Lasix in the US which is verboten for stallions standing in Germany.

Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Tepin Seeks Rebound in Ballston Spa

Tiny Dancer

Bloodhorse – Balan – Bradester, Valid Meet Again at Monmouth

Floyd M Arthur

Countdown to 1,000 Wins

998

2 to go

Dale L “Colonel” Saunders

Countdown to 2,000 Wins

1,996

4 to go

Beware the Value Play

Lady and the Track – Macatangay – Unbridled Forever the Value Choice in Ballerina Stakes

Bloodhorse – Novak – La Verdad Chases Grade I in Ballerina

Henny Hughes is represented in Graded Stakes this weekend by another mare – Merry Meadow.

OCTOBER 3

$100 EARLY BIRD ENTRY FEE
(until September 19)

$125 ENTRY FEE
(starting September 20)

Sign up at the information desk.

Northlands Park Jockey Standings to Saturday August 22, 2015

Rank Jockey Name Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Total $
1 Rico W. Walcott 300 93 62 35 $956,201
2 Scott Williams 260 48 39 41 $509,646
3 Tony Maragh 218 37 29 35 $408,140
4 Shannon Beauregard 187 29 29 29 $336,716
5 Ismael Eluid Mosqueira 186 24 21 34 $298,232
6 Quincy Welch 166 26 14 22 $278,158
7 Ruben Lara 204 16 29 29 $268,327
8 Jorge Espitia 175 21 22 24 $231,994
9 Skyler White Shield 108 15 22 13 $176,794
10 Desmond Bryan 141 16 19 18 $157,056

Northlands Park Trainer Standings to Saturday August 22, 2015

Rank Trainer Name Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Total $
1 Greg Tracy 191 52 39 23 $647,165
2 Tim Rycroft 198 33 25 35 $525,588
3 Joan Petrowski 220 18 28 23 $255,859
4 Dale L. Saunders 108 21 19 5 $241,069
5 Rodney J. Cone 190 26 21 22 $232,737
6 Robertino Diodoro 47 15 6 5 $178,103
7 Craig Robert Smith 96 20 16 18 $174,329
8 Dale Greenwood 74 10 15 11 $170,355
9 Jerri R. Robertson 83 11 13 15 $157,596
10 Ron Grieves 101 13 18 16 $154,146

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better.

It’s not.

De. Seuss

Results for the Alberta HBPA Board of Directors election have been posted.

Want to meet the new Board.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Parx Fall Festival kicks off with Smarty Jones

  For Sale

All The Way To Reno

Bloodhorse – Balan – Stellar Wind Tops Torrey Pines Field

Bloodhorse – Badilla Earns Emotional Win at Golden Gate

Get ready football fans! This September 12 is set to be the most exciting day you’ll have all year. We’re inviting you to join us here at Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino before the Battle of Alberta Labour Day Rematch! We want you to celebrate the Green & Gold with Beer, BBQ & Free Parking (w/a food bank donation) while cheering on live horse racing from Edmonton’s largest patio party. It’s going to be wall to wall fun and you shouldn’t miss a second of it!

Sept. 12, 1 to 5 p.m.

• 1 p.m. Post Time
• 5 p.m. Fan Parade to Commonwealth
• 5:30 p.m. Molson Fan Fest
• 7:30 p.m. Kick Off

*All times subject to change

Welcome to the Save-On-Foods Family Huddle – an alcohol-free, general admission section at Commonwealth Stadium during Eskimos home games.

Please note the new purchase location for Family Huddle tickets is Save-On-Foods.

Tickets are $27.50 (plus fees and taxes) for regular season games.

Get yours at participating Save-On-Foods in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Find a store near you.

Seating in the Save-On-Foods Family Huddle is located on the lower deck in sections PP, QQ, RR and on the upper deck in sections AA, BB, QQ and RR.

Please note that accessible seating is not available in this area.

Bloodhorse – Compton – Arch Filly Paces Trade at OBS Select Session

Here Comes The Night

The best Alberta-bred horses come together for one of the province’s most exciting race days. Come for the racing, but also enjoy great prizes and a marketplace featuring Alberta vendors!

September 19
Post Time: 1 p.m.

Bloodhorse – Compton – OBS Yearling Sale Stays Steady on Final Day

Bloodhorse – Compton – Stable Second Session at OBS August Sale

Born To Run

Jan Pichette

Lady and the Track – Mendoza – Unraced Lost Victory Proves To Be Prominent Indiana Stallion

Bloodhorse – Belmont Winner Palace Malice Retired

Watch AMERICAN PHAROAH Saturday in Saratoga’s Travers Stakes

Will yearling prices portend evenly-matched baby races? Extreme highs and lows were missing from Sunday’s Manitoba yearling sale in which 19 of 30 offerings were sold.  Does that portend evenly-matched 2-year-old races next year? The sales topper was a True Sense filly, Berazzle, purchased by Pat Beavis for $12,250. Gross sales were $104,050 compared to $133,900 last year in which 22 out of 31 offerings were sold.  Above is a Going Commando filly, How High She Flys, purchased for $1,500 by trainer Heather Wallerstedt. See full results of sale here.

FYI . . .

BUT YOU CAN STILL GET A REFUND: If you threw away your ASD pick-4 ticket Saturday night after the first leg because you missed the $10 winner, Lotus Lane, you did something you shouldn’t have done.  Never throw away your tickets until the bets you make are official.  A refund is available for ALL pick-4 bets because the next three races were cancelled due to unsafe track conditions (2 3/4 inches of rain had fallen) and federal racing rules require TWO LEGS of the pick-4 to go to make it an official pool (Two legs are also required for pick-5 pools in Canada and THREE legs for pick-6 pools in Canada.) But that doesn’t mean you have to eat your loss.  Get a claim form from a mutuel supervisor and fill it out.  Your claim will be matched with the refundable ticket on the computer and you’ll still get your refund.

	DO THE DOWNS Carryovers
Click for race schedule		Simple tips for winning (pass it on)
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Smashing climax to live racing

The 58th season of live racing comes to a dramatic and entertaining end on Labour Day with a Festival of Racing weekend encore edition that will include a rare Sunday night card at 7 p.m. featuring the Winnipeg Futurity and Gold Cup and a free “Manitoba Express” country concert with the pictured stars, all sponsored by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. Completing the 2015 meet on Labour Day Monday at 1:30 p.m. will be the Buffalo Stakes for Manitoba-bred 2-year-olds. Enjoy fan appreciation perks all weekend, too!

Official stations of horse racing. Click to listen

Manitoba bettors are making money overall at 23 tracks–especially Saratoga, Charles Town and Hastings–but are losing big at Woodbine and Gulfstream. (See “best” and “worst” in previous Insider.)

HOTTIES OF THE WEEK Hottest jock: Chavion Chow (5 wins) Hottest trainers: Shelley Brown & Tanya Lindsay (4 wins) Biggest upset: Stand Up Rita $16.60 (Sat. 3rd) Biggest 20-cent superfecta: $59.29 (Fri. 6th — 8-9-5-4) BOB’S BLOG TODAY: He was a Manitoba-bred colt who set a world record of 44 2/5th seconds for 4f and, hence, made it into the Guinness Book of Records.  Who is he?  Hint:  Half of his name refers to an historic something that was driven into the ground to mark the completion of the Canadian railway.  See if you’re correct here.

LAKE ASD:  2 3/4 inches of rain resulted in cancellation of last three races Saturday	Tanya Lindsay’s #2 C.C. Ride ($4.60), Adolfo Morales up, overtakes Zdeno
Don Schnell’s #3 Langara ($6.90) with Rohan Singh riding, overpowers Gold N Sochi	Despite an early duel, jockey Chris Husbands holds Tanya Lindsay’s #4 Lotus Lane ($10) together to the wire

Tanya on a tear; wins three stakes.  What’s her secret? Half of the Winner’s Circle Saturday night was a lake, thanks to almost three inches of rain, but even stocking the lake with flesh-eating piranha fish would likely have had little effect on trainer Tanya Lindsay as she happily splashed in and out of the prized area to mark victories in the Agassiz and Distaff stakes to add to the R. J. Speers she had won last Wednesday. Above, she shares a laugh with jockey Chris Husbands following the Distaff.   So what’s the secret to her success?  Attention to detail, said an admirer. “She’s still in the stables in the afternoons doing some little thing.”

Scott and Seth “Scrambled” to the top

Heather Wallerstedt

“I WAS FIRED”–K5 STABLES TRAINER:  Trainer Heather Wallerstedt confirmed rumours Sunday that she will no longer train for K5 Stables.  “I was fired three weeks ago,” she told The Insider bluntly during Sunday’s yearling sale. That was despite the fact she has been training up a storm with his horses.  She has a 21 per cent winning record (68-14-13-10). She said it appears simply to be a personality conflict. She had taken over this year after K5’s previous trainer, Shelley Brown, was under suspension.in the spring. Shelley Colquhoun, an executive assistant for K-Tel International who often appears in Winners’ Circle pictures when owner Phil Kives is unavailable, confirmed Wallerstedt was let go but only after this race season is over.  Asked for the reason, she said:  “I don’t have comment on that.”  Kives was in Toronto and unavailable for comment.

Let’s raise a glass.
And $1 Million for Charity.

Join Breeders’ Cup and Maker’s Mark^® in our goal to raise $1 Million over the next three years to support a variety of deserving local and thoroughbred industry charities. Breeders’ Cup and Maker’s Mark^® have collaborated on a limited-edition, five-bottle collection featuring a few of the most legendary champions in Breeders’ Cup history. Each bottle pays tribute with a customized design and signature from each Champion’s connections.

This is an extremely limited offer, as only 500 bottles were made for each Champion. Don’t miss your chance to savor the memories of these past champions while helping the local community.

Through your donation you will be granted access to participate in the exclusive commemorative bottle auction which will take place at Keeneland on Thursday, October 29. This event will be the only opportunity to collect the first three bottles of the series. No reserve will be placed on the bottles up for auction.

Champions for Charity event tickets are required, click here to learn more.

TwinSpires Blog – Caldwell – Small, but talented, distaff fields make up Personal Ensign, Ballerina

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Johnson – Stopchargingmaria shows the way as Town and Country ‘dabble’ in racing

Bloodhorse – Hammonds – Stopchargingmaria, Untapable Meet Again

Lady and the Track – Macatangay – Stopchargingmaria Makes Her Case In Personal Ensign

Maria

Phil has a question:

If the jiggies are now dumping the buggies that carry the men with whips pounding on and kicking the horses does that not speak volumes about what the fans want.

Can the CCW or QKB interpret these signals or do the signals need to be written with bigger crayons.

What do you think is faster a jiggie horse with a guy on his back or the the Undertaker scurrying down the hallway to tell the QKB what Phil just said about her.

Save A Horse Ride a Cowboy

Man In Black

Bloodhorse – Lexi Lou’s Return Delayed Due to Eye Injury

Bloodhorse – Lexie Lou Entered Wednesday at Woodbine

Bloodhorse – Schwabe Appointed JC of Canada Steward

LA Times – Hennigan – U-2 spy plane pilot lives on the edge – of space, danger and obsolescence

The Globe And Mail – Reeves – Asian carp: How to stop an invasion

Outdoor Hub – Xu – Eat the Invasive: 7 Simple Asian Carp Recipes

Nation’s Restaurant News – Glazer – Chefs embrace challenge of cooking with ‘trash fish’

Phil’s Drink and a Flick:

Nevada Cocktail

Nevada Smith

Sands of Nevada

Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Globe and Mail – Crosariol – What’s the best wine for popcorn?

NY Times – Casey and Berkman – In Baseball, the Times Are Changing

Louisville Courier-Journal – Houston – Kids and fallout from Ashley Madison hack

NY Times – Kilgannon – In Fight for a Stretch of the Rockaways, Surfers and New Residents Collide

NY Times – Duke Kahanamoku, Legendary Surfer and Swimmer, Gets Google Tribute

Surfin USA

But when I retire, it will be because I cannot stare down one more watery vat of unseasoned grits, one more begrimed hotel toaster. If I wanted to make my own toast, I’d stay at home, not stand here in line with America’s future business leaders, a still-half-drunk wedding party, and an entire family reunion to use a toaster that shorted out in 1983.

Worst of all, though, is the abomination of the hotel biscuit. There is not enough congealing gravy in this world to cover the nastiness of a crunchy biscuit.

Southern Living – Bragg – The Abominable Biscuit

SeaBiscuit

LA Times – Rocha – Los Angeles man files class-action lawsuit against Ashley Madison site

I Could Be The One

Call Me Al

Phil M Stockmen