It’s Boxing day in Ontario, good luck to those who went out shopping! What a happy time for friends and family, certainly horse racing lovers perhaps received some new books for Christmas – LORD OF MISRULE perhaps? the new DICK FRANCIS (Felix Francis), or maybe the new Laura Hillebrand (author of Seabiscuit?) –
yours truly was lucky enough to receive an intriguing tome ‘They Shot Phar Lap Didn’t They?’, from Australia, and it will go nicely in my collection of 200+ racing books!
Lots of food, drink and fun and now, racing fans itching for some action may want to enjoy opening day at Santa Anita, but a check of the weather and track conditions will be needed before we do any serious handicapping.
CANADIAN NEWS
Canadians south of the border are quiet right now, some have come home to Ontario for a few days, but surely the action will heat up once Gulfstream gets going.
Trainer KEVIN ATTARD reports that he is no longer training the stable of runner for Knob Hill Stable but did add that Canadian classic winner ALEZZANDRO has been retired.
READE BAKER RACING STABLE is in business at Palm Meadows – BEARS CHILL kicks up his heels just before Christmas, photo by Janis Maine
readebakerracing.com
SANTA ANITA OPENS TODAY!
threat of more rain clouds picture
By Grahame L. Jones
December 26, 2010
The rain was unrelenting.
All week long it swept in never-ending sheets across Arcadia and — more important from the horsemen’s standpoint — across the city’s fabled Santa Anita racetrack.
It continued day after dismal day, quickly turning the Great Race Place into the Great Rain Place ahead of Sunday’s opening of the track’s 74th winter-spring meeting.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-santa-anita-opens-20101226,0,6864047.story
BUT WILL HORSEPLAYERS ACROSS THE CONTINENT BOYCOTT BETTING??
takeout hikes irk bettors…
http://blog.horseplayersassociation.org/
BIG NEWS FOR B.C. RACING
Hastings wil have increases
Santa came early for horse racing
By Tom Wolski, The Province December 24, 2010
For the first time in what seems like years, those trying to scratch out a living in the horse racing industry know they will be getting more than a lump of coal on Christmas Day.
Santa Claus came early, in fact. And that was OK with everyone at Fraser Downs and those who will begin training for the 2011 thoroughbred season in a couple of months when Hastings reopens the backside. Thousand upon thousands of people involved in horse racing learned the future will be looking significantly brighter for the first time in years.
The news that there will be a significant purse increase and bigger bonuses for horses bred in B.C. is positive news indeed and couldn’t have come at a better time. Everyone benefits from something like that — the owners, the breeders, trainers and jockeys/drivers. And the fans will, too, because it promotes better horses and thus a more competitive product, eventually.
At Hastings there will be double-digit, across-the-board increases to the daily average distribution up to and including stake races.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/life/Santa+came+early+horse+racing/4023185/story.html#ixzz19EIjDyAu
SHEETS FOR FREE!
Thoro-Graph’s Annual Holiday Giveaway.
As a thank you to its loyal customers, All* Thoro-Graph Online data will be free for Race Dates 12/26 through 12/31.
If you are not a regular customer, now is the opportunity to test drive the full range of our products. Samples of all our data are available by clicking through to the INTRODUCTION section of our site.
A FULL online account is necessary to access the data – a credit card is required. To upgrade your account, or open one, please visit our website at
http://www.thorograph.com
