THE CABLE CONNECTION

SECRETARIAT'S BROTHER - AT 32-YEARS-OLD!

Thanks to a Blog friend who sent this link along today...

http://www.secretariat.com/brother.html


JELLY ROLLS INTO WOODBINE

Jelly cable, an expensive but vital component for a northern climate racetrack, will be added to Woodbine’s Polytrack surface as soon as consecutive days of warm weather arrive in the Greater Toronto area.
Woodbine’s Polytrack was a dream surface for almost 2 months after it was installed last summer but cold temperatures played havoc with the wax covered sand and the fibres.
David Willmot, chief executive officer of Woodbine Entertainment, believes the wax manufacturing changed last fall and did not have enough petroleum in it and that caused a separation of the surface.
“The Polytrack is still manageable and it’s safe and it’s better than what we had (as a main track),” said Willmot. “We’re 99% certain what has to be done but we need warm weather for three or four days, re-waxing, putting in some more fibre bits and adding jelly cable.”
Jelly cable is the cable that encases copper wiring and it’s petroleum covering is “is critical to holding the surface together, preventing separation”, said Willmot.
Keeneland’s Polytrack surface has jelly cable but Turfway Park does not.
The work should be done on the Polytrack sometime in May.

Speaking of Cable.... THE SCORE cable channel will again have Woodbine racing on Wednesday nights but instead of 2 hour programs - they will be 3 hours!

END OF AN ERA

It is a sign of the times that print media is shrinking and racing statistics are the first to go. The Daily Racing Form, over 100 years old and the daily racing paper, will curtail printing results charts as of next Wednesday.
It is a shocking announcement that THE racing paper will no longer print charts and instead, offer them to readers on-line or through its SIMULCAST WEEKLY publication that is available by subscription.
Woodbine fans have always had a separate insert with the previous week’s charts and Beyer Figures but apparently, no more. Load up on printer ink!
I guess it won’t be long before local newspapers follow suit? Let’s hope not.
Customer service at DRF is 1-800-306 FORM.

NOW THIS WAS A RACEHORSE

Eeeeaaaasy Goer, in front!
If you weren’t around to ever see him run here’s a clip of his Gotham win. And Marshall Cassidy had a style that was all his own, I miss it!

http://www.trackchampion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26589

BARBARO WRISTBANDS

In an effort to raise $1 million for the NTRA Charities and Barbaro Memorial Fund, the latest Barbaro item available is a Riding With Barbaro wristband ($2 U.S.), available on the following site:

http://allpro.stores.yahoo.net/bame.html
The http://www.ridingwithbarbaro.com/ site that is advertised this morning was not working at the time.