FRIDAY NEWS – Tis the season to watch Canadians in the south, check out stallions for your mares, reflect on the year that was 2010..
OPEN HOUSE AT NORSE RIDGE FARM THIS SATURDAY!
Noon to 3 p.m.
In King City – Norse Ridge is one of the biggest stallion stations in Ontario and this year it announced the arrival of Queen’s Plate winner NOT BOURBON. The stallion joins 5 others at the big farm. You can see all the stallions in a parade on Saturday at the farm.
Call 905-886-7886 for more info.
CANADIANS STILL ON THE GO
EURICO ROSA DA SILVA is now riding at Aqueduct – his lone mount yesterday was last – and EMMA-JAYNE WILSON has her first mount Sunday at Parx Racing for Canadian trainer Scott Fairlie (Sovereign Fund).
At FAIR GROUNDS – the JOSIE CARROLL and MALCOLM PIERCE barns are in full swing and hey, the undefeated 2yo Canadian filly ROXY GAP recorded a workout at Palm Meadows on Wednesday and may be gearing up for action!
Horsemen William “Billy” Lane Passes Away
Fort Erie, December 10…Billy Lane, a long-time Ontario horsemen passed away Wednesday, December 8th after losing his battle with cancer. He was 55 years old.
Lane first took out his groom’s license in 1973 and became a licensed trainer in 1980 saddling his first winner Black Timber that same year at Fort Erie Race Track. Known around the racetrack as “Uncle Billy” he enjoyed a number of different careers during his 40 years in the racing industry. He worked at Woodbine in the mid 90’s as the Assistant Stallman and also worked as a mutuel clerk before taking on a new challenge in the role of jockey’s agent representing riders such as Happy Ando, Kristopher Robinson and Cory Clark. “He truly loved the game of racing and was a dedicated horseman,” said his nephew Scott Lane.
Billy is survived by his wife Joan Mitchell, who is also a horse trainer. They have 2 children, Mavis and Matthew.
In lieu of a funeral, the family has arranged for a memorial celebration to take place on Saturday, December 18th at the Fort Erie Legion Hall (located on the corner of Garrison Road and Central Avenue) from 2pm – 5pm. If so desired, donations to the Longrun Thoroughbred Retirement would be appreciated by the family
ALL THEY ARE IS DUCKS IN THE WIND….
Okay, I know I put this up already, but Woodbine’s Matt Stevens took this footage, it somehow ended up on YouTube and it has had over 3 million views. It’s the most press Woodbine will ever get!!
No ducks were harmed in the making of this video. A video of a mother duck and her ducklings braving a brutal crosswind as they waddle across Woodbine’s Racetrack’s grounds has received over three million hits in just four days. Matthew Stevens, the Woodbine Entertainment cameraman who captured the moment maintains they made sure the ducklings wouldn’t fall into the storm drain and “were fine.” “It’s crazy,” said Stevens of the explosion of views. “I guess this is my 15 minutes, so I’d better enjoy it.”
it’s funny, only because all the ducks were okay and Mother Nature was on the one responsible…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBLt6Kd9EY
HONG KONG FESTIVAL
Our friends at horse-races.net net are in Hong Kong and ready to report
The four Group 1 events will be contested over the right-handed 1 3/16 mile turf course at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon (late Saturday/early Sunday morning in America), all of which are under weight-for-age conditions. North American racing fans can watch the races on HPI-TV in Canada and at selected simulcast locations starting shortly after midnight Eastern time.
ENTRIES – http://www.horse-races.net/library/hkir10-entries.htm
WORKOUT PHOTOS AND QUOTES http://www.horse-races.net/library/hkir10-works1.htm
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) – 2000m
HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) Race 8
1 VISION D’ETAT FR 7 Olivier Peslier
2 COLLECTION HK 5 Darren Beadman
3 CIRRUS DES AIGLES FR 13 Franck Blondel
4 SUPER SATIN HK 1 Douglas Whyte
5 GLASS HARMONIUM GB 4 Craig Williams
6 IRIAN HK 2 Brett Prebble
7 SRI PUTRA GB 3 Philip Robinson
8 PACKING WINNER HK 6 Olivier Doleuze
9 SUPER PISTACHIO HK 9 Felix Coetzee
10 PLANTEUR FR 10 Frankie Dettori
11 STACELITA FR 12 Christophe Lemaire
12 REGGANE FR 11 Gerald Mosse
13 SNOW FAIRY GB 8 Ryan Moore
AMERICAIN, winner of the Melbourne Cup, leads REGGANE, winner of the E.P. Taylor Stakes, out of the paddock at Sha Tin where the big racing day takes place tomorrow night, late
Cindy Pierson Dulay photo
THOROUGHBRED TIMES REPORT
LEMON ARBOR DEBUTS AT 8
I guess the problem we made was giving [Murphy] the papers on the horse. I probably should have sent them to the Jockey Club and said ‘Not for racing.’ ” – PHIL HRONEC, on giving the horse away
Disastrous debut for eight-year-old gelding at Mountaineer
by Jeff Lowe
As West Virginia moves toward mandatory pre-race examinations for all horses entered to race in the state, an eight-year-old gelding that raced for the first time on Sunday at Mountaineer Race Track might have benefited from extra scrutiny.
Lemon Arbor was never competitive in a $5,000 maiden-claiming race before he was pulled up and vanned off with a bowed tendon that apparently will keep him from racing again. Sent off as the 9.10-to-1 fourth choice in the field of eight, Lemon Arbor trailed throughout the five-furlong first race and was described in an official Daily Racing Form chart as having “poor action around the bend.” Jockey Augustin Bracho eased Lemon Arbor entering the stretch and dismounted in midstretch.
Chief steward James O’Brien said Lemon Arbor satisfied West Virginia’s requirements for a first-time starter up to age 13 to have a gate card and at least one published workout. Horses 13 or older require commission approval, O’Brien said. Lemon Arbor breezed three furlongs in :37.20 on September 12 at Mountaineer and six furlongs in 1:16.20 on October 16 in his two listed workouts since March.
BLOOD-HORSE REPORT SAFETY ALLIANCE UPDATE
“Not good enough”
Safety Alliance Participation Falling Short
By Tom LaMarra
When it is released in early January 2011, the second report from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance independent monitor may have this message: Not good enough.
The alliance, which began accrediting racetracks in 2009, said its goal was to have 30 facilities fully accredited by the end of 2010.
With less a month to go, the figure stands at 19, with another track on the way.
During a Dec. 8 presentation at the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing and Gaming in Tucson, the alliance provided an update, which included a video message from former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, the independent monitor. Thompson issued the first annual report a year ago.
Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60268/safety-alliance-participation-falling-short#ixzz17cY42ogn
WOODBINE’S STEVEN KOCH SPEAKS OUT..
Steven Koch, vice president for Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine in Canada, said track operator Woodbine Entertainment Group believes it is “imperative” the industry support alliance efforts. He said being accredited offers opportunities for advocacy regarding the public and its perception of horse racing, which took serious hits in 2008.
Woodbine was credited for having 13 “best practices” in the area of safety, he said.
“It’s a reinforced opportunity for self-review,” Koch said of accreditation, which must be undertaken every two years. “Accreditation is earned, not given.”
ALBERTA NEWS – FROM WWW.THEHORSES.COM
Alberta owner Cory Wagner has a two-year-old filly heading to the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes this Saturday. Big Tiz is scheduled to run in the $300,000 event for trainer Mark Glatt and jockey Garrett Gomez. Big Tiz has four top-three performances in five career starts.
