THE CHALLENGE IS ON!

Woodbine has a three-pack of stakes races today on a good card of racing – although the grass races could be wiped out (well, not the stakes perhaps) after heavy rain in the area throughout the night.

The big news and headlines of the day will be the HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE, taking place in the trackside tent. Hundreds of fans from all over Canada are in town to try and win a spot in the big contest in Vegas. It's a two day contest with 10 $2 win/place bets each day.

There is also a media division that takes place upstairs in the press box, a fun event to see who can brag for the rest of the year as the 'best handicapper."

The BELLE GESTE (one of Canada’smost famous racemares, is at 7 furlongs on turf for Ontario-foaled fillies and mares. It could come off turf which would not help Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando’s half-sister HALF SISTER, who is 2 for 3 since moving to turf.

The SILVER DEPUTY is a 2yo stake at 6 ½ furlongs with 8 to 5 shot BEAR HOLIDAY (Harlan’s Holiday) looking to stay within range of his 86 Beyer he earned in the Colin Stakes.

And the feature – the PLAY THE KING (Grade 2) is a local prep race for the Woodbine Mile. Tough to pick the favourite as the oddsmaker and with soft turf – who knows what will happen. Invading PURIM exits a key race on Polytrack at Arlington, LE CINQUIEME ESSAI is the grand old guy who won the race last year, LEONNATUS ANTEAS is the 3yo coming off a 100 Beyer in turf and AWESOME ACTION, comes off a match of his previous top of 98 Beyer with a win in the OJC Stakes. Toss in Reade Baker trainee, STORM CALLER and a few others and it’s a good match up.
A recap of some of yesterday’s action is on yesterday afternoon’s post- plus A PREVIEW OF TODAY'S CANADIAN DERBY (6:45 post at Northlands Park).

OPINION

Thank you to the BAY MEADOWS STEWARDS who took note of so many fans’ queries and complaints after watching the first race at their track on Thursday.

The race was tough to watch as the leader, Imperial Eyes, was winning by a long margin coming to the wire,but the horse ‘went wrong’ (in the words of the track announcer) but was then hit with the whip again, ridden out to the wire and then suffered a much bigger breakdown (it appeared) after the wire.

Imperial Eyes was euthanized.

Reading the comments from trainer Art Sherman in the BLOOD-HORSE is also tough to watch.

“You can’t just go by perception” was one inane quote.

Hey, perception is reality in this game.

Later he said it “looked bad”.

“The horse took a few bad steps but just started running again.”

Okay, so Baze is the leading race-winning rider and perhaps he just made a mistake, an error in judgement.

It is a mistake that needs to be penalized however.

At least the stewards at Bay Meadows will look into it and that is all than fans and lovers of the game and the horse desire.

READ MORE…

From the Blood-Horse

Baze Faces Disciplinary Inquiry in Bay Meadows Incident

by Jack Shinar

Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, North America's all-time leading rider, faces a stewards' disciplinary hearing at Bay Meadows after his horse broke down Aug. 23 in the first race nearing the wire as the jockey whipped him. The trainers of the horse, who was euthanized afterward, said they support Baze.

The California Horse Racing Board initiated the hearing, set for the morning of Aug. 25, steward Darrell McHargue said. Baze appeared briefly before stewards Aug. 24 and requested an expedited meeting.

McHargue did not specify the complaint against the 49-year-old jockey, but Baze is believed to be charged under CHRB rules pertaining to cruelty to animals, misuse of a whip, and actions detrimental to horse racing.

The 4-year-old gelding Imperial Eyes, running in an $8,000 claiming race as the 3-5 favorite, held a seven-length lead at the furlong pole of the one-mile event when he took a bad step, according to the Equibase racing chart of the race. After a brief hesitation, Imperial Eyes switched leads and resumed running. However, a few strides from the wire, the horse broke down. Witnesses said Baze urged the horse with his whip after the initial bad step.

Imperial Eyes was pulled up past the wire after finishing second. He suffered a fracture to his left front cannon bone, according to assistant trainer Steve Sherman, who saddled the gelding for his father, Art Sherman. After being transported by van back to the stable, Imperial Eyes was euthanized on the advice of a veterinarian, Steve Sherman said.

Baze, contacted the evening following the incident, said he thought Imperial Eyes went lame initially, but when the gelding started running again, he thought he had misjudged what happened.

"I was trying to hold him together to the finish," he said.

Baze acknowledged using his whip. "We were in the shadow of the wire, and I did keep riding him to get him across the finish line," he said.

The Shermans were outraged that Baze was facing possible disciplinary action.

Asked if he thought Baze should be penalized for his ride, Steve Sherman responded, "Absolutely, 100 percent, no way. This should never even be considered.

"The horse took a bad step, and Russell folded up on him for a few lengths. But when he started running again, they were only a few lengths before the wire," he added. "The thing that people are reacting to is that he broke down right there at the finish just as Russell hit him, and that looked bad. But he didn't do anything wrong.

"You can't just go by perception. Look at his actions from the 16th pole to the wire. The horse took a few bad steps, but then he started running again. Can you imagine how people would have reacted if he had pulled up a 3-5 favorite leading by that far so close to the wire if there was nothing wrong with the horse?"

Art Sherman, who watched the race on television, added, "They're trying to hang Russell for this thing, and I don't get it. I rode for 23 years. Things happen on a racetrack that horses react to -- a tire mark, a piece of paper; it could be anything. If a jockey pulled up a horse every time they took a bad step, we'd really have a mess. You have to ride to protect the public. I support him."

Baze had 9,819 lifetime wins through Aug. 23, and his mounts have earned nearly $150 million.