North American jurisdictions not only need to standardize the medication rules right across North America they need to standardize the whip use rules.
Watch the replay of the Delta Downs Jackpot Stake and you’ll notice that Kent Desormeaux on the winner, Exaggerator, is complying with the California rules down the stretch while the other riders are following the Louisiana rules.
Bloodhorse – Novak – Exaggerator Holds in Delta Jackpot
DRF – Rampellini – Desormeaux brothers team up with Exaggerator to win Delta Jackpot
Lady and the Track – Macatangay – Exaggerator Wins Delta Downs Jackpot and Derby Points
Sporting Post – Aussie Jocks Baulk At Whip Rules
Cairns Post – O’Neill – Cairns racing identities voice concerns over new whip rules
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.
Lao Tzu
Phil has been informed that fractional wagers are now available for California tracks. Like the other fractional wagers in Canada 20¢ is the minimum for US 10¢wagers and 60¢ is the minimum for US 50¢ wagers.
Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – McClean – The horse with a will to win almost impossible to resist
Bloodhorse – Tapp – A Few Questions With Keith Desormeaux
Phil’s vignette of Canadian History:
Edmonton Journal – Cummings – Life and Times: TV pioneer brought cable to Northern Alberta
The Globe and Mail – McGregor – Development on Ottawa River draws divide in indigenous communities
The Guardian – Pikulicka-Wilczewska – A day at the races in horse-mad Turkmenistan
Bloodhorse – Short Hospital Visits for Jockeys Saez, Doyle
DRF – Rampellini – Kyriaki ships in from California to take Treasure Chest
Sports Illustrated – AP – Jockey Joe Talamo takes day off to marry longtime girlfriend
DRF – Privman – Talamo completes hectic weekend by winning Cary Grant with Solid Wager
Racing Post – Scargill – Sutherland to make second riding comeback
CTHS Ontario 2015 Winter Mixed Sale Results
Phil’s Comments on the Serecon Report
Racing Post – Mottershead – Qipco blames Channel 4 for ‘shrinking’ audience
Bloodhorse – Precious – Asmussen Fined in New York PETA Probe
DRF – Crist: A Lasix argument that doesn’t hold water
Phil found a new favourite website:
DRF – Dunleavy – Darby Dan dusts off its silks for son of Soaring Softly
Bloodhorse – Balan – O’Neill Wins No. 2,000 with Formally Wild
DRF – Litfin – Frosty Margarita part of four-win day for Irad Ortiz Jr.
Carryovers
Sunday November 22 2015
Aqueduct
Pick 6 $34,739.00
Churchill Downs
Pick 6 Jackpot $145,088.00
Fair Grounds
Pick 5 Jackpot $6,753.00
Super High Five $793.00
Gulfstream Park West
Pick 6 Jackpot $49,422.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $1,826.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $1,444.00
Laurel Park
Pick 6 $11,896.00
Super High Five $3,269.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $2,260.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $678.00
Super High Five $623.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $440.00
Z-5 Super Hi-5 $405.00
Turf Paradise
Pick 6 $1,558.00
Woodbine
Super High Five Jackpot $264,215.00
Tuesday November 24 2015
Hawthorne
Super High Five Jackpot $99,789.00
Pick 5 $7,549.00
Pick 6 Jackpot $4,859.00
Guaranteed Pools
Equibase Carryovers and Guaranteed Pools
One of Phil’s constant comments is that if the thoroughbred purses in Alberta improved so would the quality of racing which in turn would improve the handle and the purses.
Here’s how it’s done:
Bloodhorse – Claiming Crown Attracts 309 Nominations
Bloodhorse – Lewyn – Oaklawn Purses Drive Stall Apps Way Up
Louisville Courier-Journal – Lintner – Churchill’s strong Fall Meet years in making
DRF – Dunleavy – Ritvo says goal is to race 200 days a year in Maryland
Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Maryland’s Growth Potential Focus of Meeting
Vice Sports – NBA, MLB, and Other Sports Leagues Named in Daily Fantasy Sports Class Action Suit
Sports Illustrated – McCann – NBA, sports investment groups among those sued over DFS
Upcoming Stakes
Nov 22
Aqueduct
Key Cents stake $100,000 2yo Fillies State/Prov 6f Dirt
Del Mar
Cary Grant stake $100,000 3&up State/Prov 7f Dirt
Japan Racing Association
Mile Championship GI $1,808,000 3&up 8f Turf
Woodbine
Kennedy Road Stake CDN-GII $200,000 3&up 6f AW
Nov 23
Japan Racing Association
Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stake GIII $580,000 2yo 9f Turf
Mahoning Valley Racecourse
Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Distaff $75,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 6f Dirt
Steel Valley Sprint $200,000 3yo 6f Dirt
Nov 25
Penn National
Blue Mountain stake $75,000 2yo Fillies State/Prov 6f Dirt
Fabulous Strike (L) $200,000 3&up 6f Dirt
Swatara (L) $100,000 3&up 8.5f Dirt
Woodbine
Sir Barton stake $125,000 3&up State/Prov 8.5f AW
Zia Park
Eddy County stake $140,000 2yo State/Prov 8f Dirt
Zia Park Championship (L) $150,000 3&up 9f Dirt
Zia Park Derby $200,000 3yo 8.5f Dirt
Zia Park Distaff stake $100,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 6f Dirt
Zia Park Oaks $300,000 3yo Fillies 8.5f Dirt
Zia Park Sprint $100,000 3&up 6f Dirt
Nov 26
Aqueduct
Fall Highweight Handicap GIII $250,000 3&up 6f Dirt
Furlough stake $150,000 2yo Fillies 6f Dirt
Churchill Downs
Falls City Handicap GII $200,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 9f Dirt
River City Handicap GIII $100,000 3&up 9f Turf
Del Mar
Hollywood Turf Cup GII $250,000 3&up 12f Turf
Fair Grounds
Thanksgiving handicap $60,000 3&up 6f Dirt
Nov 27
Aqueduct
Go for Wand Handicap GIII $300,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 8f Dirt
King’s Swan stake $150,000 2yo 6f Dirt
Churchill Downs
Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare GI $500,000 3&up 9f Dirt
Commonwealth Turf GIII $100,000 3yo 8.5f Turf
Dream Supreme stake #$80,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 6f Dirt
Del Mar
Seabiscuit Handicap GII $250,000 3&up 8.5f Turf
Remington Park
Don C. McNeill $75,000 2yo State/Prov 8f Dirt
Slide Show $75,000 2yo Fillies State/Prov 8f Dirt
Nov 28
Aqueduct
Cigar Mile Handicap GI $500,000 3&up 8f Dirt
Comely Stake GIII $300,000 3yo Fillies 9f Dirt
Demoiselle Stake GII $300,000 2yo Fillies 9f Dirt
Remsen Stake GII $300,000 2yo 9f Dirt
Churchill Downs
Golden Rod Stake GII $200,000 2yo Fillies 8.5f Dirt
Kentucky Jockey Club Stake GII $200,000 2yo 8.5f Dirt
Del Mar
Hollywood Derby GI $300,000 3yo 9f Turf
Jimmy Durante Stake GIII $100,000 2yo Fillies 8f Turf
Native Diver Handicap GIII $150,000 3&up 9f Dirt
Fair Grounds
Battle of New Orleans stake $50,000 3&up Fillies & Mares abt 5.5f Turf
Golden Gate Fields
Golden Gate Debutante $50,000 2yo Fillies 6f AW
Gulfstream Park West
Buffalo Man stake $75,000 2yo 6f Dirt
House Party stake $75,000 2yo Fillies 6f Dirt
Hut Hut stake $75,000 2yo Fillies 8f Dirt
Pulpit stake $75,000 2yo 8f Turf
Smooth Air stake $75,000 2yo 8f Dirt
Wait a While stake $75,000 2yo Fillies 8f Turf
Hawthorne
Blackhawk handicap $50,000 3&up 6f Dirt
Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap GII $250,000 3&up 10f Dirt
Pershing handicap $50,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 6f Dirt
Japan Racing Association
Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai Stake GIII $580,000 2yo 10f Turf
Mahoning Valley Racecourse
Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial handicap $75,000 3&up State/Prov 9f Dirt
Turf Paradise
Queen of the Green stake $35,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 8f Turf
Walter R. Cluer Memorial stake $35,000 3&up 8f Turf
Woodbine
Kingarvie stake $125,000 2yo State/Prov 8.5f AW
Woodbine
Ontario Lassie stake $150,000 2yo Fillies R 8.5f AW
Nov 29
Aqueduct
New York Stallion Series (Thunder Rumble Div.) $125,000 3&up R 7f Dirt
Del Mar
Cecil B. DeMille Stake GIII $100,000 2yo 8f Turf
Matriarch Stake GI $300,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 8f Turf
Golden Gate Fields
Berkeley Handicap GIII $100,000 3&up 8.5f AW
Japan Racing Association
Japan Cup GI $5,426,000 3&up 12f Turf
Keihan Hai GIII $685,000 3&up 6f Turf
Woodbine
Display stake $125,000 2yo 8.5f AW
Valedictory Stake CDN-GIII $150,000 3&up 14f AW
Nov 30
Colonial Downs
*Buckland stake $50,000 3&up Fillies & Mares 5.5f Turf
*Kitten’s Joy stake $50,000 3&up 12f Turf
Dec 1
Portland Meadows
Detroit Lake handicap $9,000 g 3&up 6f Dirt
Foster Lake handicap $9,000 g 2yo 6f Dirt
Paulina Lake handicap $9,000 g 3&up Fillies & Mares 6f Dirt
TwinSpires – Blog – Aqueduct Holiday Fest stakes probables revealed
Bloodhorse – Balan – Los Alamitos to Drop Futurity, Starlet in ’16
TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Lament of a California stakes gravedigger
TwinSpires Blog – Scully – Inaugural running of Steel Valley Sprint features top 3 from Perryville
DRF – Dunleavy – Aye a Song hangs on to win West Virginia Futurity
2016 Road to the Kentucky Derby
The 142nd running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) will be run Saturday, May 7, 2016, and for the fourth consecutive year, a tiered point system in select races will determine who qualifies to America’s greatest race.
Race Track Date Points
Remsen Aqueduct Nov 28, 2015 10-4-2-1
Kentucky Jockey Club Churchill Downs Nov 28, 2015 10-4-2-1
Los Alamitos Futurity Los Alamitos Race Course Dec 19, 2015 10-4-2-1
Jerome Aqueduct Jan 9, 2016 10-4-2-1
Sham Santa Anita Park Jan 16, 2016 10-4-2-1
Smarty Jones Oaklawn Park Jan 18, 2016 10-4-2-1
Holy Bull Gulfstream Park Jan 30, 2016 10-4-2-1
Withers Aqueduct Feb 13, 2016 10-4-2-1
Robert B. Lewis Santa Anita Park Feb 13, 2016 10-4-2-1
Southwest Oaklawn Park Feb 15, 2016 10-4-2-1
El Camino Real Derby Golden Gate Fields Feb 20, 2016 10-4-2-1
Fountain of Youth Gulfstream Park Feb 27, 2016 50-20-10-5
Risen Star Fair Grounds Feb 27, 2016 50-20-10-5
Gotham Aqueduct Mar 12, 2016 50-20-10-5
Tampa Bay Derby Tampa Bay Downs Mar 12, 2016 50-20-10-5
San Felipe Santa Anita Park Mar 12, 2016 50-20-10-5
Rebel Oaklawn Park Mar 19, 2016 50-20-10-5
Sunland Derby Sunland Park Mar 20, 2016 50-20-10-5
Spiral Turfway Park Mar 26, 2016 50-20-10-5
UAE Derby Meydan Racecourse Mar 26, 2016 100-40-20-10
Florida Derby Gulfstream Park Apr 2, 2016 100-40-20-10
Louisiana Derby Fair Grounds Apr 2, 2016 100-40-20-10
Wood Memorial Aqueduct Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Blue Grass Keeneland Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita Park Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Arkansas Derby Oaklawn Park Apr 16, 2016 100-40-20-10
Lexington Keeneland Apr 16, 2016 10-4-2-1
Bloodhorse – Balan – Rusty Slipper Gives de Sousa First Graded Win
TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Rusty Slipper bestrides Red Carpet with de Sousa
Bloodhorse – Angst – Button Down Secures First Stakes in Cardinal
TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Button Down shows signs of things to come in Cardinal
2016 Road to the Kentucky Oaks
Race Track Date Points
Demoiselle Aqueduct Nov 28, 2015 10-4-2-1
Golden Rod Churchill Downs Nov 28, 2015 10-4-2-1
Starlet Los Alamitos Race Course Dec 12, 2015 10-4-2-1
Santa Ynez Santa Anita Park Jan 9, 2016 10-4-2-1
Busanda Aqueduct Jan 16, 2016 10-4-2-1
Silverbulletday Fair Grounds Jan 23, 2016 10-4-2-1
Forward Gal Gulfstream Park Jan 30, 2016 10-4-2-1
Martha Washington Oaklawn Park Feb 6, 2016 10-4-2-1
Las Virgenes Santa Anita Park Feb 6, 2016 10-4-2-1
UAE Oaks Meydan Racecourse Feb 25, 2016 50-20-10-5
Busher Aqueduct Feb 27, 2016 50-20-10-5
Davona Dale Gulfstream Park Feb 27, 2016 50-20-10-5
Rachel Alexandra Fair Grounds Feb 27, 2016 50-20-10-5
Santa Ysabel Santa Anita Park Mar 5, 2016 50-20-10-5
Honeybee Oaklawn Park Mar 12, 2016 50-20-10-5
Sunland Park Oaks Sunland Park Mar 20, 2016 50-20-10-5
Bourbonette Oaks Turfway Park Mar 26, 2016 50-20-10-5
Gulfstream Park Oaks Gulfstream Park Apr 2, 2016 100-40-20-10
Fair Grounds Oaks Fair Grounds Apr 2, 2016 100-40-20-10
Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Park Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Gazelle Aqueduct Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Ashland Keeneland Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Fantasy Oaklawn Park Apr 9, 2016 100-40-20-10
Beaumont Keeneland Apr 17, 2016 10-4-2-1
TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Jet Black works her Magic in Delta Downs Princess
Bloodhorse – Novak – Jet Black Magic Upsets Delta Princess
DRF – Rampellini – Jet Black Magic turns tables on La Apassionata in Delta Princess
Bloodhorse – Lewyn – Goffs Posts Excellent Gains in Gross, Average
Lady and the Track – Laughter – 2015 Eclipse Awards Predictions
Bloodhorse – Balan – California Chrome Strong in Los Al Drill
DRF – Litfin – Sky Flight gets up to win photo in Artie Schiller
From the Derby Bar and Grill Newsletter
BCTOBA Newsletter for November 20, 2015
HASTINGS NUMBERS UP FOR 2015
The 2015 Thoroughbred season ended on the last Sunday in October with a nine race card that handled close to $1 million. The total handle and field size average were both up from 2014, which is always encouraging. Hastings Racecourse General Manager Darren MacDonald was pleased with the 2015 numbers; “there was a 14.7 % increase over last year in all sources wagering” (which includes on-track and simulcast wagering).
The 2016 live Thoroughbred season at Hastings will begin on Sunday, April 17th and end on Sunday, October 16th for a total of 53 live racing days. The calendar, showing dates and post times, is available on the Hastings website. The Owner and Breeders Incentive Programs for 2016 have also been announced and can be found on the homepage of the BCTOBA website at www.bctoba.com.
The local racing Associations have announced that there will be a Two Year Olds in training and Horses of Racing Age sale in the Hastings Racecourse paddock on Saturday, March 26th, 2016.
NEW B.C. STALLIONS
There have been two recent additions to the stallion roster in British Columbia:
Lent, a son of Pulpit and from the female family of two-time Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Bayakoa, is a half-brother to Fort Larned, 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner with earnings over $4.4 million.
Devil in Disguise, a two-time stakes winner at Hastings and was second in the Grade III B.C. Derby and third in the Grade III Canadian Derby at Northlands Park.
These two stallions will fill a much needed void with the passing of the brilliant local stallion Rosberg. Lent will stand at Emerald Acres and Devil in Disguise will stand at Canmor Farms, both are located in Aldergrove, B.C.
2015 THOROUGHBRED AWARDS DINNER
A reminder to everyone that the 2015 Thoroughbred Awards Dinner is rapidly approaching and will be held on Thursday, December 3rd at Newlands Golf Course. Reception is at 6:00, dinner at 7:00 and the awards presentations begin at 8:00. For tickets call Cristan Gossen at 604-671-8140, or B.J. Davidson at 604-534-0145 ext. 301.
RAILBIRD NOTES
BY GLEN TODD
HASTINGS NEWS BY GREG DOUGLAS
Bloodhorse – Mitchell – Runhappy Back on Work Tab; Malibu Next
Louisville Courier-Journal – Lintner – Effinex ‘almost certain’ to run in Clark
Bloodhorse – Potential Clark Horses Keen Ice, Effinex Work
Lady and the Track – Hammer – Shotgun Kowboy Heads to Churchill Downs for Clark Handicap
TwinSpires Blog – TURF TALK: No Eclipse Implications in Clark Despite Weak Older Male Division
DRF – Hegarty – New York commission to release Asmussen report Monday
The Horse – Walking in Water: A Key Ingredient in Valegro’s Winning Mix?
Bloodhorse – Virginia Group Pursues Thoroughbred Home
Oscar Wilde
“If it wasn’t for Century Downs and people like [HRA CEO] Shirley McClellan that made this happen, those are the heroes in my opinion…they’ve got some great people there on the racing side of it,” with Hoerdt singling out track superintendent Don Monkman, Wittup and Raeann Gemmill.
Standardbred Canada – Century Concludes First Season
Shirley McClellan’s a hero. A trippa di zianata.
I hate to shatter Kelly’s Hoerdt’s illusion but his rose coloured glasses are out of focus if he thinks Shirley McClellan is a hero. Phil thinks his rose coloured glasses need to be shattered. I’m sure the Undertaker could find time to help him pick up the pieces and get home.
As a matter of perception to the thoroughbred racing industry in Alberta Shirley McClellan is Villain No 1 with a bullet.
You can’t call someone a hero who’s pulling down $250k per annum and then ignores her duties and obligations to Horse Racing Alberta to work on Jim Prentice’s campaign for leadership of the Alberta Tories and work on trying to keep the Tories in power in the last provincial election including using the opening of Century Downs in Calgary as a massive photo op advertisement for the now defeated Jim Prentice.
Think Shirley McClellan’s a hero ask Bobby Allen from Alberta Downs for his opinion on that subject. HORSE RACING ALBERTA DEC 5 14 – Alberta Downs DEMAND LETTER
Phil has a question:
Do the actions of Shirley McClellan described in the Dec 5, 2014 Demand Letter sound heroic to you.
If Shirley McClellan is such a hero why was the Cuff Report commissioned to try and straighten out the brutal mismanagement at Horse Racing Alberta.
Where’s the 2016 Schedule for both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing along with the purse structure.
Why hasn’t the slot revenue split agreement that expires March 31, 2016 been renewed.
Why haven’t thoroughbred purses increased over the last 10 years.
Why has the handle for racing in Alberta stagnated while the province of Alberta was enjoying the halcyon days of economic and population growth.
Why was Alberta HBPA the group that represents the thoroughbred racing participants to lose their representative on the Board of Horse Racing Alberta pursuant to the passed, but not yet proclaimed Horse Racing Alberta Amendment Act.
The Mission Statement and objects of Horse Racing Alberta may sound warm and fuzzy motherhood and apple pie, but the reality is that recently defeated Tories treated Horse Racing Alberta like a semi-retirement home for their loyal to top up their pensions.
Why doesn’t Shirley McClellan follow the legislated mandate of Horse Racing Alberta to lead a racing industry renewal.
Why does the Chair and Board at Horse Racing Alberta not ensure that Shirley McClellan their high paid employee follow the legislated mandate of Horse Racing Alberta to lead a racing industry renewal.
How many thoroughbred races in Alberta have lost Black Type Status under the Rick LeLacheur – Shirley McClellan tag team at Horse Racing Alberta. Better add a few more: Jockey Club Of Canada Letter to Northlands Park Racing Secretary Jason Teague.
Please do not cast any aspersions upon Jason Teague, Northlands Park nor any other body for leaking this document as they were only complying with the Jockey Clubs requirements:
A notice of change in black-type status for all effected races in Canada will be communicated to industry participants and breeder societies by The Jockey Club of Canada in January however it is the obligation and the responsibility of the racetrack operator to adequately communicate, to all future race participants, the change in Black-type Status should the race continue to be offered.
Does the loss of Black Type Status on more than 20 races in Alberta under the Rick LeLacheur – Shirley McClellan tag team at Horse Racing Alberta sound like a heroic effort at leading a racing industry renewal.
Is there any person in the world who can eat just 1 salted peanut.
Phil’s often compared Shirley McClellan to the Jewish bubbe who has 2 chickens. One gets sick so she kills the healthy one to make chicken soup for the sick one. At least the bubbe had the decency to take the axe to the neck of the healthy chicken and finish the job quickly. Rather than put the axe to the thoroughbred’s neck Horse Racing Alberta has attached the jiggies to the thoroughbreds backs like leeches trying to suck the innards from the thoroughbreds.
Over the last decade the pro standardbred policies of Horse Racing Alberta have not lead a racing industry renewal, but they have dragged the thoroughbred industry down to the same level of acceptance as the standardbreds.
Note to the Undertaker:
Don’t scurry yet as maybe the QKB wants the Gravy recipe.
I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.
Buddha
National Post – Bonnie Stern: Three soups to help you fight the flu
Bloodhorse – Balan – CHRB Discusses California Stabling Disputes
DRF – Andersen – California horsemen look for alternatives to stabling at Los Alamitos
DRF – Hegarty – Ruling in Mahoning Valley mix-up expected by Monday
Speaking of villains what breed of horse was Goldfinger training at his ranch.
Bloodhorse – Lewyn – Good Project Front-Running Railway Winner
Bloodhorse – Kieckhefer – Slots Spread, Illinois Tracks Can Only Watch
Would Kelly Hoerdt still think that Shirley McClellan was a hero if he knew about the ADW deal just given to Max Gibb’s Rocky Mountain Turf Club whose ADW will be offered by Express Bet.
The current ADW agreement has Northlands Park and Century Downs splitting the province for customers with their ADW being offered by HPI. A percentage of the wagers made go to Northlands Park and Century Downs to cover their operating expenses and a percentage is allocated to the horsemen.
Not only Kelly Hoerdt, but all standardbred horsemen and all thoroughbred horsemen should be contacting their representatives to find out if the same percentage of wagers from the Rocky Mountain Turf Club ADW be allocated to the horsemen across the province. The answers you get may astonish you and I’m sure that Shirley McClellan won’t be a hero in too many horse persons eye when the find out the proposed allocation from RMTC’s ADW.
October / Breeders Cup Newsletter
Racing Post – Qatar Racing to cut back on trainers in 2016
Bloodhorse – CBA Symposium Scheduled for Feb. 2
Racing Post – Sexton – Profile: record-breaking freshman Uncle Mo
Bloodhorse – Angst – Adena Springs Stallion Tiago Euthanized
DRF – Rampellini – Custom for Carlos in demand
DRF – Thoroughbred Charities of America stallion season auction set for January
DRF – Chitu to Bridlewood Farm in Florida for 2016
DRF – Curlin to Mischief to Rancho San Miguel in California for 2016
Bloodhorse – Novak – Smarty Jones to Stand at Calumet Farm
Bloodhorse – Pedigree Analysis: Blitey
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To book a great ASD time, call Samantha at 204-885-3330 ext. 0!
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 Sam with New Year’s Eve tickets |
ASD‘s receptionist will . . .
• Book your prime rib buffet tonight which includes the
popular pasta bar • Book other Thursday buffets including SPECIAL
TURKEY-ENHANCED buffets on Dec. 10 and 17 • Book your tickets for the FABulous New Year’s Eve
Gala ($49.95) hosted by FAB 94s Alix Michaels |
• Sadly, an ASD institution has passed (see The Week That Was)
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DO THE DOWNS
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Click for schedule
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Popular pasta bar tonight
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CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE
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Official stations of horse racing.
Click to listen |
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Business people generally shy from controversy, especially the negative kind. But Houston furniture chain owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has put himself in the eye of a storm
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Maria Borell (with Sunday Silence tattoo on her back) gets support
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since he fired trainer Maria Borell, the trainer of Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Runhappy, the day after the win without paying her any commission on the horse’s big win of the $1.5 million race.
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Manitoba Jockey Club vice-president
Sharon Gulyas shares in an important part of the Jewish burial tradition |
On a fittingly mild Sunday afternoon a horseplayer widely known simply as “The Russian” (inset above) was laid to rest at Shaarey Zedek cemetary across from Kildonan Park at the age of 79, leaving a gaping hole in the racing landscape at Assiniboia Downs. The Russian, Sammy Vizhgorodsky, wasn’t just a player, he was an institution since immigrating to Winnipeg in the 1980s. Who could forget his raspy accented voice proclaiming “there should be an investigation” if a horse he loved didn’t win. “Call in the RCMP,” he would say if his horse lost.
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Patrick Valenzuela
Watch him at Delta |
P VAL IS BACK; WILL HE RIDE TONIGHT? Patrick Valenzuela, a very talented jockey with a checkered past, is making a comeback which could start as early as tonight if either of the horses he is named to ride (race 7 and 10) make it in from the also-eligible list. He hasn’t ridden since Jan. 20, 2014. If he doesn’t ride tonight, he should be riding in tomorrow’s first race and has a mount in Saturday’s $1 million Delta Jackpot. Drug use has haunted his past. In 2004, he even shaved every hair from his body so none could be plucked to be analyzed for drug content. Watch out when P Val is riding a horse with early speed.
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Where are they now?
by Rob MacLennan
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Witt Six to race in Zia Park Derby next Wednesday
As the first snows approach, we now think more and more of summer warmth, especially of our local connections that are racing south of the border and to the east.
WOODBINE: Murray Duncan had Wild N’Crazy in on Sunday and he ran a good third in a tough race at Woodbine. The lone upcoming entrant for Duncan is Sugah Sweet in the first race this Friday. Also at Woodbine Jodi Radul has Sunny Weather with jockey Chris Husbands in the ninth race on Friday.
DELTA: Moving south, trainer Jerry Gourneau has two entrants this week at Delta Downs in Vinton, LA: FP Silent Eyes on Friday in the seventh race and Sierra Delta in the ninth
race Sam’s Town Stakes on the undercard of Delta Jackpot day. My pick for the Delta Jackpot (seventh race) is Found Money for California-based trainer Doug O’Neill who has been red hot as of late and ships in to try to win a race he has won before with Goldencents. WITT SIX IN ZIA PARK DERBY: Jerry also has Manitoba and Canadian Derby runner-up Witt Six in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby next Wednesday. The race came up tough with Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s International Star leading the field. The whole Zia card is filled with stakes and high quality racing.
TURF PARADISE: At Turf Paradise the Brown and Schnell barns continue to be active. Jared Brown has three horses this Saturday: Bosque Angel in the sixth, Many Routes in the seventh and Dotted Princess in the eighth. Sounds like an easy pick-3, doesn’t it? The Brown barn is expanding with three recent claims including the fast mare Woodlandsway, the talented 3-year-old Believe Too who was actually nominated to the 2015 Golden Boy Stakes by the Robertino Diodoro barn and the hard-knocking bottom claimer Indy Racer.
Don Schnell continues his good start at Turf Paradise. Idling ran another second in a $6,250 claimer on the grass. Three more horses ran yesterday and you can check out their results on Equibase: I Am Awesome, Runaway Cal and the Winnipeg Futurity winner Heber.
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HISTORY ON THE HOOF: The best of Bob
Did you know . . . Wendell Holmes Mustard had one of, if not the longest consecutive careers as an owner/trainer at local race tracks–from 1951 at old Polo Park to the time of his death in 1980 at Assiniboia Downs? Read “A kind man and the horses knew it” here.
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NEXT INSIDER: Next Thursday morning–Thanksgiving in the U.S.–which kicks off three days of great stakes action including the grade 1 $500,000 Cigar Mile and the $300,000 Remsen Kentucky-Derby prep race at Aqueduct on Saturday. Plus classy turf stakes at Del Mar. First post a week from today: 10 a.m.
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DRF – Sparkman: On song in the Mrs. Revere
Bloodhorse – Military Attack Takes Prep for Hong Kong Cup
Bloodhorse – Lewyn – Buffering All the Way for Winterbottom Win
Bloodhorse – Precious – New York Lifts Ban on Palm Sunday Racing
TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Lady Lara, Lochte make for logical outcomes at Gulfstream Park West
Bloodhorse – Balan – Lochte Scores in Soggy Tropical Turf ‘Cap
Bloodhorse – Angst – Lady Lara Rolls to My Charmer Victory
NY Times – Stodghill – On the Cigar Trail in Cuba
Phil has a question:
Will the Undertaker, QKB or CCW have mixed emotions if HolyBull.ca unbelievably pulls up on the 21st anniversary of the 1995 Donn Handicap.
Racing Post – Haynes – Connections devastated at loss of Red Cadeaux
Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Cougar Ridge Edges Departing in Delta Mile
DRF – Gierkink – Ami’s Mesa stays unbeaten with Glorious Song triumph
TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Dolphus, Rachel Alexandra’s half-brother, wins debut at Fair Grounds
Bloodhorse – Half Brother to Rachel Alexandra Wins Debut
TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Stacked Deck states Sovereign case in Kennedy Road
DRF – Gierkink – Stacked Deck solidifies Sovereign Award credentials in Kennedy Road
Bloodhorse – Stacked Deck Excels in Kennedy Road Victory
TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Maurice completes Yasuda Kinen/Mile Championship double
Bloodhorse – Moore Pilots Maurice to Mile Championship
Readers will say, well, surely this is the sort of nonsense politicians always pack into their memoirs. And they will be right. But it is remarkable to come face to face with someone so utterly convinced of his own idealism, or so cynical as to insist upon it, so soon after he irrefutably demonstrated his lack of it — by squandering billions of dollars for a few seats the Liberals would probably have won anyway, proroguing the legislature to derail inquiries into same, and summarily resigning to watch the various police investigations unfold from afar.
National Post – Chris Selley: Dalton McGuinty a man of many (self-serving) regrets
Phil has a question:
Does McGuinty regret almost destroying the horse racing industry in Ontario.
LA Times – Sahagun – California outlaws recreational and commercial bobcat trapping
If drugs, gun running, theft, extortion and protection money fund ISIL why don’t we send in the Mob to clean them out.
We’re soldiers. Soldiers don’t go to hell. It’s war. Soldiers kill other soldiers. We’re in a situation where everyone involved knows the stakes and if you are going to accept those stakes, you’ve got to do certain things. It’s business.
Tony Soprano
NY Times – Grimes – Hollywood and Booze: An Enduring Marriage
FiveThirtyEight – Hickey – The 20 Most Extreme Cases Of ‘The Book Was Better Than The Movie’
Garden and Gun – Mischner – A Smaller-Batch Answer to Steen’s Cane Syrup
NY Post – AP – Government wants to kill 1,000 bison at Yellowstone this winter
LA Times – Jones – On Maui, you can get into an equine state of mind by becoming a cowboy for a day
Washington Post – Noack – Why babies should sleep in cardboard boxes, explained in 2 charts
Garden and Gun – Mischner – The Interview: Mavis Staples
NY Times – Morris -Estefan and ‘La Bamba’ Cover Only Part of America’s Latin Culture in the 1980s
Bitter Southerner – Relyea – With Drawl
Southern Living – Taylor – 3 Whiskey Classics For The Holidays
FiveThirtyEight – Hickey – Here’s What Your Part Of America Eats On Thanksgiving
Garden and Gun – Portman – Gravy 101: Learn the Basics
National Post – Colby Cosh: Is Alberta victim to low oil prices, or its NDP government?
Invite the right people
Before you begin to think of the kinds of whiskeys you’ll be pouring, make sure you have the right audience. They should be open-minded whiskey drinkers, or people who aren’t whiskey drinkers but are curious and interested in learning about whiskey.
LA Times – Turan – The beautiful and thrilling ‘Carol’ belongs among the best movie love stories
The Globe and Mail – Volvo unveils a seat ‘time machine’ hoping to change how we won’t drive
NY Times – Nocera – Danger at the Ballpark, and in a Baseball Ticket’s Fine Print
Phil M Stockmen
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STAMPEDE PARK confirms 38 positions will be eliminated or left vacant saying it is not immune to the economic downturn and has to cope with the $2,000,000.00 trim to its revenue from the Alberta government that was implemented by the Prentice government.
When will NORTHLANDS PARK be giving the bad news about their organization!