NUMBER ONE (WITH A BULLET)

Hollywood Hit – 114 BEYER FIGURE!

Don’t blame FATAL BULLET, champion and Horse of the Year if he couldn’t win his 2010 season debut yesterday at Woodbine. He ran a 107 Beyer Figure in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes – a typical number for him.

But Canadian owned HOLLYWOOD HIT was faster than a speeding bullet, he won the 7 furlong race in 1:20.07 over a fast Polytrack, scorching the track record by 2/5 and earned a staggering 114 Beyer Figure.

The Beyer zooms the Peter Redekop owned gelding to the top of the charts of top Beyer Figures in North American for horses at distances up to one mile: (published by Daily Racing Form)

may10hit1.jpgNORM FILES PHOTO

 

 

 

 

Main Track: up to one mile

through 05/09/2010

HORSE    TRK    DATE    DIST    BEYER

FIGURE

Hollywood Hit        WO     09 May    7F            114

Wall Street Wonder    AQU    23 Jan    6F    109

Pashito the Che    GP     30 Jan    6F           108

This Ones for Phil    GP     30 Jan    6F    108

Fatal Bullet    WO     09 May    7F          107

Warbling (f)    GP     14 Mar    7F            107

Chief of Affairs    OP     11 Mar    5 1/2F    106

Custom for Carlos    OP     09 Apr    6F    106

Le Grand Cru    BEL    30 Apr    1M            106

Majesticperfection    OP     01 Apr    6F    106

Chief of Affairs    OP     09 Apr    6F    105

Cost of Freedom    HOL    06 May    6F            105

Eightyfiveinafifty    AQU    09 Jan    6F    105

Signature Red    WO     09 May    7F            105

An Oklahoma bred who raced for his breeder C.R. Trout until an agent (Alistair Roden) found him and told Redekop about the Cactus Ridge fellow, HOLLYWOOD HIT , who cost $250,000, made headlines last year when he won the Kennedy Road Stakes with a Beyer of 108 but he was later disqualified for a positive test.

The test put the horse on the sidelines, missing the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and sent trainer Terry Jordan and his assistants to the bench for 30 days this spring.

Jordan is back and so is the Hit.

Hollywood Hit won the Jacques Cartier in his season debut under trainer Dan O’Callaghan.

But his Vigil win was stunning.

The cute bay led all the way under Jim McAleney while Fatal BUllet tracked all the way but could not get past.

PETER REDEKOP WATCHES FROM HASTINGS

Story from The Province

B.C. owner loving fast-lane horse

 

 

By Kent Gilchrist, The Province May 11, 2010 12:07 AM

 

There are few things better than showing up those Centre of the Universe know-italls.

That’s why the reaction of Peter Redekop in Silks, the Hastings Racecourse clubhouse restaurant, when his horse Hollywood Hit set a track record en route to winning the $150,000 Grade Three Vigil Stakes stakes race at Toronto’s Woodbine on Sunday, was as encouraged as it was understandable.

By all reports, Redekop, who has been supporting the local thoroughbred industry for decades, created quite a stir when Hollywood Hit beat favourite and 2008 Breeders Cup sprint runner-up Fatal Bullet on his way to a lightning-fast seven furlongs in 1:20.07 — 44/100ths of a second faster than the previous best around the track.

“I really love speed horses,” said Redekop on Monday after receiving at least 10 congratulatory calls before 11 a.m.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/owner+loving+fast+lane+horse/3011620/story.html#ixzz0ncQ5PVJI

QUEEN’S PLATE TAKING SHAPE

“The Queenston should be fun” – that is what Roger Attfield said on Sunday after he won a race with first time

starter SOUL BLUES. He was referring to the anxiously awaited return of his superstar HOLLINGER, owned by Robert Harvey and Al Wortzman – the 2yo champ of last year who has never lost.

Attfield’s Plate team does not end there either. He has Stronach Stable’s colt MOBILIZER, who emerged from his maiden win in relatively good order but certainly has room for improvememnt.

Attfield can’t compare the 2 colts right now – Hollinger seems to be in a world of his own but there is always the concern about 1 1/4 miles and anything goes at that distance.

may10hotep1.jpg

HOTEP, by Dave Landry

 

 

 

 

STORMY LORD WORKOUT

Kinghaven farms/Hat Trick colt getting ready for Queenston next Saturday

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/Woodbine/News/Pages/Videos.aspx

PREAKNESS WEEK

15 could enter, First Dude would be excluded

How the Preakness shapes up

Post time: Saturday at 6:15 p.m. EDT at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Purse: $1 million. Distance: 13/16

miles. Weight: 126 pounds. Television: NBC-3,

Post time: Saturday at 6:15 p.m. EDT at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Purse: $1 million. Distance: 13/16 miles. Weight:  126 pounds. Television:  NBC-3,

4:30 p.m. Radio: WQKC-1450 and horseracingradio.net.

Confirmed starters

Horse    Trainer/jockey    Last race

Super Saver    Pletcher/Borel    1st Kentucky Derby

Aikenite    Pletcher/Castellano    2nd Derby Trial

Dublin    Lukas/Thompson    7th Kentucky Derby

Northern Giant    Lukas/TBA    9th Arkansas Derby

First Dude    Romans/Dominguez    3rd Blue Grass

Hurricane Ike    Sadler/Albarado    1st Derby Trial

Caracortado    Machowsky/Atkinson    4th Santa Anita Derby

Pleasant Prince    W. Ward/Leparoux    3rd Derby Trial

Schoolyard Dreams    Ryan/Coa    4th Wood Memorial

Probable

Paddy O’Prado    Romans/Desormeaux    3rd Kentucky Derby

Lookin At Lucky    Baffert/TBA    6th Kentucky Derby

Jackson Bend    Zito/Smith    12th Kentucky Derby

A Little Warm    T. Dutrow/Velazquez    2nd Louisiana Derby

Possible

Yawanna Twist    R. Dutrow/TBA    2nd Illinois Derby

STAN BERGSTEIN speaks out of Derby whipping

Thoroughblog admits it – it didn’t  speak out on the wild whipping of SUPER SAVER in the Kentucky Derby by

Calvin Borel, who was winning his 3rd Derby in 4 years (what in the world are all the other riders doing?).

It was hard enough to see the horses I bet on never mind the wild flailing of Borel on the WinStar colt. We

have seen Borel and his heavy whipping on Rachel Alexandra, so really, there is nothing new here.

Daily Racing Form columnist Stan Bergstein spoke out on the Borel ride in DRF last week:

SAID BERGSTEIN: “I would like to know, however, what Super Saver thought of it. Or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Or all those at home who dislike what St. Calvin administered to his mount through that long stretch last Saturday.

http://www.harnesstracks.com/2010DRF/drfmay42010.htm

If you want to watch the Derby again, click on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orRbxG8YuhY

 

may10ajax1.jpg

 AJAX DOWNS OPENS, photos by Norm Files

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 may10kold1.jpg

 KOLD TONGUE won the fastest Maple Leaf Trial in 15.71

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 may10shark1.jpg

 ADD A SHARK won the $25,000 allowance feature with the familiar Roger Girard silks. Girard’s Kold Tongue is above.

 

 

 

ASSINIBOIA DOWNS OPENS

Local horse triumphs

Rare season-opener success

By KEN WIEBE, Winnipeg Sun

The number of vehicles in the parking lot suggested the Manitoba Derby might be going to the post a few months early.

In reality, it was the first card of the 2010 racing season at the Assiniboia Downs and a sun-soaked crowd of

roughly 6,000 was on hand to see a day filled with impressive showings and the occasional photo finish.

“The crowd absolutely exceeded expectations,” said Darren Dunn, the director of operations and long-time voice at Assiniboia Downs. “I haven’t seen that (large a crowd for opening weekend) in too long. Finally we got some nice weather to start a season off. The stars aligned nicely for us. We’re very pleased.”

Setting the bar high on opening weekend leaves Assiniboia Downs with the challenge of trying to build on that

success as live racing resumes on Friday — but that’s a good problem to have.

“The only thing we can do is keep bringing in full fields. We have 100 more horses than last year and we have

to be able to get them into the races and give people options to wager on,” he said. “We have to give them a

reason to come back.”

Opening day highlighted the depth of talent in both the jockey and trainer colony at Assiniboia Downs.

There was only one multiple-winning jockey (Vicky Baze) and one multiple-winning trainer (Tom Gardipy Jr.) on

Sunday as both won twice during an eight-race card.

You often hear about parity, but is it a good thing when applied to horse racing?

“It is, because if we have somebody dominant, it skews the wagering and it skews the expectations,” said Dunn.

“It makes it difficult to spread the love in the back-stretch. When you have that parity, I can honestly say it

makes everybody work harder.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/05/09/13888091.html

BUT THE TRACK’S FUTURE IS IN JEOPARDY says WARNER…

Winnipeg Sun feature

Downs official warns province

Track future in jeopardy without more $$

By KIRK PENTON, Winnipeg Sun

It was one of Harvey Warner’s sternest state of the union addresses in recent memory.

The president of the Manitoba Jockey Club, which runs Assiniboia Downs, basically threw down the gauntlet

Thursday when the thoroughbred race track held its season-opening luncheon.

Warner essentially told Manitoba’s NDP government that it’s time for new revenue streams at the track — or the track’s future will be in jeopardy. It’s a plea that has been sent out for more than a decade, but Warner

believes the Downs can’t wait much longer.

“Without the ability to compete with new additional products, we cannot continue to grow and exist,” Warner

told the crowd. “And in actual fact, we’ve come to the point where we don’t grow anymore.”

The Downs currently relies mostly on revenue from race betting and 140 onsite video lottery terminals. The MJC had been pining for a casino to be added to the facility, but Warner said they are about to propose something new.

“We’re putting something different forward, so what I don’t want to do is pre-empt what we’re talking about,”

Warner said in an interview after his address. “My remarks were clear: As things change, we have to have the

ability to change.

“As the original gaming franchise, we should be always considered a partner. There’s an ability to develop

something here that ends up in ultimately bringing the province more money and also us more money.”

Warner said with each casino built and every new form of gaming created in Manitoba, the Downs takes an

economic hit.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/othersports/2010/05/06/13856071.html

COOL VENTURA NAMES ALBERTA HORSE OF THE YEAR 2009

from www.thehorses.com

Written by Jonathan Huntington   

Saturday, 08 May 2010 15:10

Cool Ventura and his ownership crew cleaned up at tonight’s 2009 Alberta thoroughbred awards in Edmonton.

Owned by Ab and Michele Brewster, Cool Ventura captured Horse of the Year, Alberta-bred of the Year and

champion older horse. Ab Brewster was named Horseperson of the Year.

As an added bonus, Cool Kahuna was voted champion 2yo colt. Like Cool Ventura, Ab Brewster owns and bred Cool Kahuna.

Cool Ventura won the Speed to Spare and Alberta Breeders’ Handicap at Northlands Park in 2009. Now

five-years-old, the gelding earned $117,300 last year under the guidance of trainer Cody Anderson.

http://www.thehorses.com/index.php/stories/thoroughbred-news/44-northlands-park/1544-remarkable-night-cool-vent

ura-wins-horse-of-the-year