Thumbing through Phil’s dog-eared archives Sal noticed that Phil’s favourite holidays featured roasting turkeys and carving up pumpkins.
Sal says that the happiest of the 150 or so patrons in the 600 seat Colours at Northlands Park on Saturday was Durwood Ashcroft whose Alberta bred All Run finished a very creditable second to the Breeders’ Cup destined Lord Nelson in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship GI with Martin Garcia in the saddle for trainer Richard Baltas. All Run is by Flower Alley, out of the Proud Citizen mare, Proud Runner, who was astutely claimed by Durwood’s Esquire Stables from Bar None Ranches.
Sal says to watch for All Run’s sibling that’s being trained by Carson Frey.
Bloodhorse – Balan – Lord Nelson Strikes Again at Santa Anita
Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Ross – Three little stories that tell you so much about Songbird
NY Times – Levin and Austen -Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes From Across Canada
NY Times – Wells – For Canadians, Thanksgiving Is a ‘Quieter’ Affair in October
NY Times – Canadian Thanksgiving Day Recipes
The Globe and Mail – Seven mouth-watering turkey-less Thanksgiving mains
The Globe and Mail – Waverman – Recipes: A simple Thanksgiving dinner
ESPN – Schoenfield – What we learned: It’s a Happy Thanksgiving in Canada
The spineless pussy willows in Ottawa are actually helping to condition the Canadian public to accept the surrender of our country, which American forces were unable to accomplish in 1776 and 1812.
Paul Hellyer
NY Times – Mather – Buy Me Some Peanuts and Wiener Nougat
While most Canadians were clearing away their dishes after Thanksgiving dinner, two Grade-A turkeys were going at each other Sunday in the second U.S. presidential debate.
Edmonton Sun – Bonokoski – Turkey Time! Clinton vs. Trump’s done like dinner?
NY Times – Pennington – What Exactly Is ‘Locker-Room Talk’? Let an Expert Explain
If you were paying attention to Matt Jukich on Saturday you may have heard him mention that Lookin at Lee who charged home late for second in the Clairborne Breeders’ Futurity GI at Keeneland on Saturday is a son of Langara Lass who campaigned in BC, Alberta and Washington winning the 2006 Sonoma Handicap at Northlands Park.
There are few, if any, Canadian men that have never spelled their name in a snow bank.
Douglas Coupland
Sal’s borrowing Phil’s Homer hat to point out that the the first and second finishers in the Champagne GI Stakes at Belmont on Saturday were grandson’s of Harlan’s Holiday whose sire Harlan’s broodmare was Country Romance who was campaigned by Hal Yerxa’s CFCW stables for conditioner Red McKenzie. Couldn’t have been too long ago.
It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she’s something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of.
Emily Carr
Sal picked up a Canada Coast to Coast Monopoly board at the local Mickey D’s. They got the board wrong. Sales Tax is between Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and Niagara Falls while all of Canada knows it should be right next to Parliament Hill, sandwiching Parliament Hill between Income Tax and Sales Tax.
From the Derby Bar & Grill Newsletter
The Ascot Graduation Stakes
A dominating performance is the best way to describe Strate Remark’s ($10.40) win in the Ascot. He went to the lead right out of the gate despite being under a hold, pulled jockey Denis Araujo to the lead and kept him there until they were home by 5 ½ lengths after a-mile-and-a-sixteenth that went in 1:45.43. Driller and Igor finished second and third, respectively, a neck apart. Aside from the winner, 4 lengths would have covered the field, but Strate Remark only had his shadow for company as he came home in brilliant sunshine to a glorious conclusion of a two-year-old season that saw him win the Sales Stake and run second in the Jack Diamond before taking down the Ascot.
After getting to the lead with consummate ease, Strate Remark soon found that Slicky Boy had established himself in second on his flank where he stayed to just after three-quarters in 1:13.97, at which point Araujo let out a notch and Strate Remark started opening up on Slicky Boy and everybody else. The gap widened around the final turn to two lengths, then three, then four coming down the lane, then five, and five-and-half lengths at the wire. He covered the last five-sixteenths in 31.46. It was a convincing score in a race that will most likely determine the division champion.
Strate Remark is by Sungold out of the Red Rock 24-year-old mare Remarkable Gal who has now foaled four stakes winners (plus one in Macau) and two stakes-placed horses. Strate Remark is a full brother to the 2011 Sadie Diamond victor Sunnyside Gal and a half to Grade 3 winner Trick of the North and multiple stakes winner Remarkable Miss. Trick of the North took the Premier’s at a mile-and-three-eighths and Remarkable Miss won two route stakes, so distance is in the family. Red Rock Farm bred Strate Remark who sold for $35,000 in the 2015 CTHS Sale.
The winner is owned by Riversedge Racing Stable, Ltd. and trained by Cindy Krasner.
The Fantasy Stakes
Yukon Belle ($4.20) was no less imposing than the Ascot winner as she wired the Fantasy under jockey Antonio Reyes in a race that saw her go faster at every pole than did Strate Remark in the Ascot. Runner-up Daz Lin Dawn chased her all the way around and Anstrum ran an even third behind those two, but when they hit the head of the lane the Drosselmeyer part of Yukon Belle’s pedigree, the part that won the Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic, kicked in and she drew off from her pursuers to finish 2 ½ lengths clear after a mile-and-sixteenth in 1:45.29.
It seemed likely that Yukon Belle was going to like more ground and that proved to be the case. When Reyes asked her for a little more at the top of the stretch she provided it with a minimum of urging while clearly relishing the extra real estate. Both Daz Lin Dawn and Anstrum acquitted themselves well, but they were not about to run down Yukon Belle.
Yukon Belle is owned by R.N.H. Stable and trained by Barbara Heads. She was bred in British Columbia by Bryan and Carol Anderson. As mentioned, Yukon Belle is by the dual Classic winner Drosselmeyer, a son of Distorted Humor who is emerging as a sire-of-sires. Yukon Belle’s dam, Queen On Line, won only 2 of 31 starts but she won 199K, so she must have been keeping decent company. She sold for $35,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in foal to Drosselmeyer and carrying the winner of the 2016 Sales Stake and Fantasy and quite possibly the Champion two-year-old filly. The winner sold in the 2015 CTHS Sale for $51,000.
HASTINGS NEWS BY GREG DOUGLAS
HOCKEY-PLAYING OWNER WATCHES FROM AFAR
AS YUKON BELLE STORMS TO STAKES VICTORY
One Weekend Remains on Hastings Racing Calendar
Vancouver, B.C. (Oct. 10, 2016) – While her owner was back in Edmonton preparing for a race of another nature, Yukon Belle was in cruise control in winning the $75,000 Fantasy Stakes for two-year-old fillies at Hastings Racecourse on Thanksgiving Monday afternoon.
With the Edmonton Oilers about to launch their 2016-17 NHL season at home against the Calgary Flames this week, Burnaby-born centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was muscling through the final stages of training camp.
“You can rest assured, though, that he was watching Yukon Belle on a television screen somewhere,” his dad Roger said from the winner’s circle.
Trained by Barbara Heads and ridden by Antonio Reyes, Yukon Belle broke sharply from the rail and never looked back in a gate-to-wire finish over 1 1/16 miles in a final time of 1:45.29. “She trained well for this race and looked ready,” Heads said.
Yukon Belle, paying $4.20, $2.50, $2.10, dictated the pace throughout and drew clear with an impressive 2 ½ length victory to end a two-race winning streak by runner-up Daz Lin Dawn. Yukon Belle had earlier won the $50,000 CTHS Sales stakes in her debut on Aug. 26.
There was a mild upset in Monday’s co-feature when Strate Remark, trained by Cindy Krasner and ridden by Denis Araujo went wire-to-wire in the $75,000 Ascot Graduation for two-year-olds. “He settled down right from the start and stayed calm throughout the race,” Araujo said. “I knew he had a lot left in him at the far turn.”
Strate Remark won it comfortably by 5 ½ lengths in a final time of 1:45.43, paying $10.40, $5.40, $4.40.
There is just one weekend of live racing left on the 2016 thoroughbred season at Hastings Racecourse with start times on both Saturday and Sunday at 1:50 p.m. The two remaining stake races of the season are for B.C. and Washington sired or breds: the $50,000 BC Cup Classic for three-year-olds and up as well as the $50,000 BC Cup Distaff for fillies and mares three-years-old and up.
Horse Race Insider – Pricci – Clip & Save BC Prep Trip Notes from Super Saturday
ESPN – Stark – Sorry, Noah Syndergaard, Madison Bumgarner owns October
ESPN – DRF – Watchmaker – Photo Call’s upset of Tepin born of pre-race maneuvering
TDN – Finley – A Somewhat Super Saturday
Saturday Night’s Already For Fighting
Leduc – Representative – Wierzbicki – As many as 1,200 jobs expected from Century Mile track
Terry Hamilton’s Heart to Heart set the pace in the $200,000 Knickerbocker GIIIT at Belmont Park, Monday October 10, 2016 as he jumped out to the front early and led all the way, easily holding off runner-up Jay Gatsby by a half-length with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for conditioner Brian Lynch finishing the 1 1/8 miles on yielding turf in 1:50.62.
Bloodhorse – Heart to Heart Speeds to Knickerbocker Win
Bloodhorse – Grade II Winner Triple Threat Retired
Horse Race Insider – Pricci – Industry Continues to Disrespect Horseplayers, Fans and Its Own Legacy
Down in Newfoundland, we can hardly sleep for wondering when St. Pierre and Miquelon are going to invade.
John Crosbie
Lady and the Track – Laughter – Dancing Rags has Pedigree to Dance all Dances
Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it’s doing in the Maritimes.
Tommy Douglas
Gentlemen, we all must realize that neither side has any monopoly on sons of bitches.
C.D. Howe
TDN – Finley – OTTBS Thriving on Journey Across Country
Twyla Tharp
Counterpoint
TDN – Op/Ed Feedback: W. Craig Robertson III
Point
TDN – Op/Ed Feedback: Dr. Rick Arthur
Bloodhorse – The Pizza Man Aims for Second Woodbine GI Win
TDN – Rees – Unsung Heroes Recognized at Godolphin Industry Employee Awards
Garden and Gun – Reed – The High & The Low: Recipe for Longevity
Hawthorne Sal
3 Responses to “Sal’s Suddenly Surfacing Thanksgiving Weekend Pop-Up Post”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
NORTHLANDS LAYOFFS TIP OF THE ICEBERG/CULLEN STABLE MAKES TRANSITION TO EAST
NORTHLANDS facing a massive cash flow crunch has CUPE 30 urging EDMONTON COUNCIL to fast track development as 25 members received layoff notices SEPT 1, as they put it bluntly REID says take the retirement package or be laid off, great management tactics as dark clouds hover in the backstretch for next spring.
NORTHLANDS website under officers has 4 VP’S axed from a group of 5 from 9, as the chainsaws are humming in the board rooms rather than for stall planks!!!
CULLEN STABLE in a exclusive winner’s circle interview were asked how many horseman helped them move east and the surprising answer was ZIP. After 190 wins and 900k in purses, you figure that ASHA/BACKSTRETCH would borrow BOB ALLEN or ROD HAYNES yellow school bus and volunteers along with some coolers of frosties and cold cuts to promote a quick exit, to share the wealth.
HRA CEO IMMEDIATELY RESPONDS TO CONCERNS?
The HRA EXPENSE accounts are post quarterly and will be updated on their website on OCT 15/ 3 rd quarter. therefore the hope that they where paying with their own dime are false, however since the 1 st quarter was posted to April 1/2016 and none for the 2nd quarter, they must have been on VACATION???
The HRA 2016-2018 BUSINESS PLAN has been sent to the ministers with changes at NP and new MOU, they were revised and resubmitted and will be posted when approved. They were submitted last NOV/15 the 2016 racing season is nearly over, it only cast more aspersions on HRA governance model!!
The UNDERTAKER types his leaders email address wrong again in Sept 19 post, close but no cigar!
AS THE OVAL SEASON WINDS DOWN, HORSE RACING OFF SEASON WITH MORE ? THAN ANSWERS!!!
CENTURY CASINOS conduct meetings with board members from various horseman organizations, with a positive outlook for the CENTURY MILE with 103 acres versus balzac’s 55, 48,000 sq. ft. casino to 32,000 sq. ft for grandstand and casino, and 1100 slots versus 625 pending AGLC approval.
ALBERTA government is casting a wide net to find people to serve on agencies/boards/commissions will any horse racing candidates need hip waders to deal with the current HRA governance ?
ALBERTA government expanded its sunshine list for nearly 150 agencies employees making over 125K however under the transparency act only applies to HRA tribunal appeal board field 307/583?
CENTURY DOWNS shows a 54K outstanding ticket total 2nd quarter april 1-july 1 2016, will the HBPA be negotiating a 50/50 split to fund backstretch worker programs and activities, DOUBTFUL!
MAINSTREET RESEARCH POSTMEDIA survey has 57% of respondents in a recent poll wanting the city to assume management of NORTHLANDS facilities @ lands even if it has to operate at a loss or scale back operations, will the upcoming offseason decision affect the future of thoroughbred racing?
AGLC/REC section 1.3.3 states that a license respecting a REC will be considered automatically cancelled by revocation of a licensee’s race track license by HRA or any other power, will CENTURY take over the NORTHLANDS casino and racing operations for the next 2 years, doubtful?
HRA has posted no expense accounts since April 1/2016 have the executives/board members been working for free on their dime, doubtful? accountability is like their accounting practices/ lacking!
TERRY JONES after calling Northlands a evil organization /sun article probably eats his last free meal at NP. However the century groups mid town buffets are fantastic $20, and large. Jonesy is rumoured to be eating carte blanche for the rest of the REC agreement at the CENTURY MILE.
CURTIS STOCK will he throw his resume in to be the new racing PR rep for the CENTURY MILE with a golf course, next door?
REDFORD has a 12.5K oil painting portrait hung quietly at the legislature, will TENILE donate her 12.4 k compensation from the board of COVENANT HEALTH to commission a portrait to hang in the paddock or above the $1 slots at CENTURY DOWNS, with her rumoured retirement in Jan 2017 at age 75?