HALL OF FAME DAY

Russ and Lois Bennett, longtime leading Canadian breeders based on British Columbia, are among the inductees tonight at the annual Hall of Fame dinner and ceremony in Mississauga,Ontario. Northern Dancer’s dam Natalma is also on the list of inductees. Jammed Lovely and L’Enjoleur, Queen’s Plate winners, are also being inducted as is jockey Chris Loseth.

YEARLINGS, WE HAVE YEARLINGS

Jambalaya, Arravale, Street Sounds, Maryfield.

Those are just some of the Canadian-bred stars that grace the covers of the 8 (yes 8) catalogues that arrived at the door yesterday – all for the Keeneland September yearling sale. The blockbuster sale has 5,553 yearlings entered from Sept. 10-25.

The final horse in the sale is Meadow Springs Farm LLC’s Ohio-bred colt by Greenwood Lake – Avie’s Dancer by Lord Avie – in case you want to know.

Impressive offerings from this country include INISH GLORA’S first foal, hip no. 100, a colt named BRU BORU by Gone West. Insih Glora won $977,000 and was twice a champion older mare in Canada.

Hip no. 6 is the first Canadian-bred in the bunch, a chestnut Rahy filly out of Barbed Wire (Mazarine Stakes) by Affirmed, offered by Three Chimneys.

The first foal of Canadian champion CHOPININA (Lear Fan) is hip no. 28, a colt by Theatrical, a Canadian-bred offered by Hill ‘n’ Dale, agent.

Hip No. 70 is a Street Cry Canadian-bred filly out of Gather the Storm, a Storm Cat mare whose first foal, Voulez Vous, was a promising miss before she died this winter.

Hip 351 is a colt from the Everatt family’s Shannondoe Farm by Mr. Greely out of Jo Zak by Vilzak.

Anderson Farms sells a colt by Street Cry out of the winning Roy mare La Rein – hip 360 and a full sister to another one it bred, Street Sounds, winner of the Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes and Bison City Stakes at Woodbine, The filly, hip no. 416 is by Street Cry – Rare Opportunity.

First foals from top Canadian stakes winners Handpainted, Mulrainy

COMPADRE IS ‘LA MAN’, FAST TRACK, LOW BEYERS

LAST NIGHT AT WOODBINE

Whether you think it’s enough already with the ‘Le Gran’ horse names, two of those won last night, both by the local sire Compadre,and a third won later to give the stallion a 3 bagger.

LA GRAN RUBY, out of Edirne, by Regal Classic, won the 4th race for $15,000 claiming for her 4th win in her 20th start. The bay 4yo was 4th to three who were in the race last night, Speedstorm, Dr G’s Hot Sauce and Danish Fairytale, but reeled in ‘Dr G’ in the late stages to win by a tiny nose. The latter had opened up a huge lead but was going too fast on the pace.

Third favourite LA GRAN LESLIE (out of the mare Sea Willow by Sea Wall) was the next Compadre winner – the 5th race – in an allowance for Ontario-sired fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Owned by Let It Ride and R. Davidson and trained by Shelley Fitzgerald (just took over the training for this race), the dark bay came from last and 11th place early in the race – some 12 lengths off the pace – and won by a neck over another stretch runner, I’m a Pretty One, who grabbed the lead in mid stretch but was caught.

And COBOTOWN RON, the third Compadre winner (and all were bred by Fieldstone Farms), raced on his wrong lead all the way down the stretch while rallying to the lead to win the 7th race for $12,500 for 3yo’s. The light grey gelding is out of Wilderness Quest by Wild Again. Fieldstone and the Delmas family still own ‘Ron’. His Time of 1:10 3/5 was a 69 Beyer.

In other races, Colebrook Farms’ JADE’S A PLEASURE finally won her maiden when she wore down front running Jealous Rage in the first race. The 4yo Mutakkdim – Jade’s Pleasure filly was second favourite as Jealous Rage went from 5 to 2 to 8 to 5 in the gate. Jade is trained by Ashlee Brnjas. It was the homebred’s 8th start and she has picked up a purse share in every outing.

YOUSAIDIDO, by that budding turf sire Broken Vow, edged a brave Joyful Juno in the 2nd race, 1 3/8 mile turf allowance for fillies and mares. Joyful Juno led all the way through slow pace fractions – 25 3/5, 51 4/5 and 1:18 1/5 and just about made it. Curiously, the winner came from last place early in the race and the 3rd place finisher Baroness, also came from far back. Favourites More to Prove and Pectoralis Major, who tracked the slow pace, faded in the stretch run. The winner is owned by B and B Stable and B. Mowat and trained by Stanley Baresich.

The Baresich team almost stole the 3rd race with Lotaguska, who was softened up in a pace duel in that $12,500 maiden claiming race, opened up a big lead and then was worn down by STAR BUNNY (Cat’s at Home – Punch Bunny, Two Punch), who rallied wide and from well off the pace to win for breeders Ron and William Gierkink.

The only favourite to win on the night was Bud MaLete’s Market Share, a Sky Classic gelding who won the 2nd split of the $12,500 maiden race at 7 furlongs. He battled on the pace, chased Mon Jolie and then took off again to win in his 7th race. The gelding had actually won his previous race at Hastings in June at the maiden allowance level but was disqualified.

The finale went in fast time for the $20,000, non-winners of 3 claimers, 1:23 (was the track getting faster as the night went on?) and the ever-steady GIVE ME AN INCH won a close photo in a wild finish to win at 32 to 1 in his 2nd race in 7 days. The gelding was 6 to 1 when he faded in a previous race last Wed. night for $10,000 claiming. He edged Glenn Is Gold, 10 to 1. A massive pace duel between 4 horses took its toll on those guys in the 7 furlong race.

Fast time, yes, and he was one of the big Beyer guys of the night – a 72.

TODAY AT WOODBINE

Today’s 8th race is an Ontario-sired allowance at 6 furlongs on the turf (if the predicted rains hold off), expect TALK ABOUT SEATTLE to be scratched (he’s entered on Saturday).

Some interesting things to note about the field of non-winners of 3 – BACKGAMMON just won his return to a grass sprint after throat surgery before the race and the one he beat, Tree Rings, came back to run very well again; JUST ALWAYS is a likely bounce candidate after running hard in his return race (Dec. to July) against open company; BOLD COMMENT has been 2nd 11 times including all 4 times he’s gone postward this year and his entrymate CATSIMILE is going to be the dominant pace runner.

LOGICAL

WILD LOGIC, an Ontario foaled-Ontario sired D’Wildcat filly, won her maiden for $50,000 claiming at Saratoga yesterday for Vinery and Fog City Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen. The filly debuted at Woodbine in the spring. She was bred by Anthony and Leslie Russo.

BETTORS SPEAK OUT!

Courtesy The Blood-Horse

Wagering Protests Planned by Disgruntled Bettors

By Ryan Conley

A group of bettors frustrated with the fractured structure of advance deposit wagering are planning protests against racing entities they believe are responsible for the industry sector’s ills.

The idea for the protests, which could include wagering boycotts of certain racetracks, grew out of a petition circulating on the Web site forum PaceAdvantage.com. The petition, which voiced angst that content-wrangling between such powers as TrackNet Media Group and TVG is hurting bettors, was signed by more than 400 people and read at the The Jockey Club Round Table Conference Aug. 19 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Chicago-area resident Richard Young, who originated the petition under his forum name of “betovernetcapper,” primarily blames TrackNet, the Churchill Downs Inc./Magna Entertainment Corp. consortium formed in March, for causing chaos in the ADW scene. He hopes to launch a Web site called boycotttracknet.com within in the next few days to help organize like-minded fans.

“I haven’t been happy with TrackNet since their inception,” said Young, who has been an active bettor for 20 years. “When they came up with the nonsense that I couldn’t play this track with this account, or that track with that account, and that I couldn’t play the (Kentucky) Derby, and I couldn’t get rebates – that really (made me angry).”

Young and others on the PaceAdvantage.com forum are also angry with Woodbine Entertainment Group over several issues, including circumstances that led to the track’s Aug. 10 signal cut-off to Premier Turf Club, an ADW located in North Dakota.

It’s unclear how many would back the protests, as debate on how it should be handled continues to churn among forum members. But Young believes he has on board enough significant betting interests, including a few “whales”--large volume bettors--to make an impact.

“I expect that within a year, we are going to have appropriate simulcast rates for all ADWs,” he said.

Young said he chose not to bet this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) for the first time in 20 years because neither of his respective accounts with Youbet.com or Premier Turf Club could carry the Churchill Downs signal.

“They wanted us to go through hoops to bet the Derby,” Young said. “I could have bet it somehow. But I didn’t want to be told I couldn’t do this or that.”

TrackNet president and chief executive officer Scott Daruty said he understands the frustration felt by bettors, but believes it was unfair the new content provider has been singled out as the enemy.

“It’s ironic to me, because that’s our goal, too,” said Daruty of TrackNet’s stated premise of making racing content available outside the exclusive contract environment operated by rival TVG for the last 10 years or so. “In an ideal world, every account wagering company -- including TVG, Youbet, Churchill, and Magna – would have access to all racing content. And then the customer could choose which provider suits them best.”

He claims TrackNet has made several overtures for short-term content sharing agreements with TVG, a premise CDI president Robert Evans reiterated at the Round Table. “They continue to be rebuffed,” Daruty said of the offers.

Other ideas being discussed in the way of protests include what Young called a “procott,” which is also sometimes known as a “buycott.” In this scenario, Young said, bettors would wager strongly into the pools of a smaller track to show the “influence” of an organized front.

Postings on PaceAdvantage.com suggest a procott is being planned for Aug. 25 by using the pools of The Downs Racetrack & Casino at Albuquerque in New Mexico. Young also wants to see Yum! Brands pull its sponsorship from the Kentucky Derby and suggested he could organize protests at the company’s restaurants.

Alan Marzelli, president of The Jockey Club, said his organization isn’t taking sides, despite reading part of the petition at the Round Table.

“You get a letter, and it’s signed by 400 people … and makes legitimate points, why would you ignore it?” Marzelli said. “It’s not to say we advocate or don’t advocate what they are doing. We are simply frustrated with the state of play.

“This industry is a group of companies that form the nucleus of an interactive sport, the greatest interactive sport in the world. And we have got to behave that way. We depend on each other, we need to work with each other, and it frustrates us at The Jockey Club when we don’t.”

Marzelli repeated his feelings first voiced at the Round Table about The Jockey Club working as a facilitator in the ADW drama. He cited Equibase, of which The Jockey Club is a partner, as an example.

“Equibase and Daily Racing Form eventually formed a partnership,” he said of the one-time rivals for distributing racing statistics. “If you would have said that in 1992, people would have looked at you like you just landed on a spaceship from Mars.

“We found a way to work together. What role we play from here is up to the stakeholders.”

FOOTPRINT FORWARD

From the Edmonton Sun

By Jonathan Huntington

Footprint the next superstar thoroughbred at Northlands Park?

That is the $180,000 question this week because Footprint is the 5-2 morning-line favourite for Saturday's Canadian Derby.

The winner's share of the $300,000 race for the top three-year-olds in Western Canada is exactly $180,000 - meaning his career bankroll would double with a win to $360,000.

Not bad for being a $12,000 purchase two years ago by his local ownership group.

But there are more staggering numbers behind this chestnut gelding as he prepares to tackle the toughest field he has ever seen - at the longest distance he will ever see, one-mile and three-eighths.

Trained by Joan Petrowski, Footprint has won his last two stake races - the Count Lathum and Ky Alta at Northlands - by 12 lengths combined.

"Every time I ask him he explodes," said the gelding's jockey Real Simard.

"The last time, just past the quarter pole (in the Count Lathum), I asked him and he just went from second to fifth gear."

But to win on Saturday and stake claim as the inexpensive-turned-wonder horse, he's going to have to beat Amazin Blue - who denied Footprint the Alberta Derby in June.

Flying from California for Western Canada's top race, Amazin Blue is the second choice on the morning-line at 3-1.

The Alberta Derby champ has dropped to second choice for two reasons: Footprint's sudden rise during the summer and his own stumble in California.

Amazin Blue was soundly beat by eight lengths in an allowance race at Del Mar in July.

"It was on the turf," said California-based trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, "and I wasn't happy with it."

Making matters a little more difficult for Amazin Blue is the fact Simard is going to try to control the race from Post 1.

Footprint was given the last post position selection yesterday at the Derby draw, but Simard got what he wanted with the rail.

"My horse breaks really good and if the other people want to go by me, they are going to have to send a little harder to get by me," continued Simard, who won this race in 1998 with A Fleets Dancer.

"And if not, we can control our own pace."

Pace makes this race with the gruelling marathon distance.

And for Simard, there is more to worry about than Amazin Blue.

While this is one of the smallest Derby fields in the last 20 years, there is quality.

Weather Warning (Post 3) is coming off a four-length win in the Manitoba Derby, while Ookashada (Post 7) has back-to-back stake wins in Vancouver to his credit.

In total, it is a field of seven for Edmonton's highlight race of the year.

And if Footprint wins, Petrowski will have quasi-predicted the victory more than a year ago.

"I told Gerry Kipling (last year) that if he keeps riding we will put him on and we will win the Canadian Derby," recalled Petrowski.

Kipling has stopped riding this year. So, it is up to Simard to bring home the victory.

THE FIELD

POST 1

FOOTPRINT

5-2 ODDS (MORNING-LINE)

JOCKEY: REAL SIMARD

The hot-shot favourite with back-to-back stake wins under his belt. But what has he beaten at Northlands Park in those wins? Questioning the local talent pool is a must. But on the flip side, by being based in Edmonton, he doesn't have to endure a long ship this week.

POST 2

GREENWOOD MEADOW

20-1 ODDS

JOCKEY: STEPHAN HEILER

Training since 1969, Dale Saunders has never won the Canadian Derby. If he wins this year, it will be one of the biggest upsets in Derby history.

POST 3

WEATHER WARNING

4-1 ODDS

JOCKEY: AL CUTHBERTSON

Coming off a win in the $100,000 Manitoba Derby, this Winnipeg import has no shortage of confidence. But this colt had an uncontested lead throughout his last win. That won't happen on Saturday.

POST 4

AMAZIN BLUE

3-1 ODDS

JOCKEY: QUINCY WELCH

The Alberta Derby champion did not look good in his last race, losing by eight lengths in California. Does have the benefit of the province's top rider in Quincy Welch - but he has never won this race.

POST 5

RAGE TILL DAWN

9-2 ODDS

JOCKEY: TYLER BAZE

Second in the Manitoba Derby, he had to chase a loose horse on the lead, which is very tough. The pace should be more appealing to a closer on Saturday.

POST 6

GANDOLF

15-1 ODDS

JOCKEY: JAKE BARTON

Winless in eight career starts, Gandolf will actually get plenty of respect because of his impressive speed figures from California. Trainer Jason Orman believes his gelding will also be able to handle the marathon one-mile and three-eighths distance, which is key.

POST 7

OOKASHADA

7-2 ODDS

JOCKEY: PEDRO ALVARADO

Has won back-to-back stakes at his home track in Vancouver. With Alvrado in the saddle, the Vancouver-based jockey could win his second Canadian Derby title in three years. He won with Alabama Rain in 2005.

OTHER STUFF

Next Thursday is a dark day at Woodbine and Emma-Jayne Wilson will head to the Greenwood teletheatre in downtown Toronto to sign autographs from 4 to 7 p.m.

This weekend is the HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE at Woodbine, a two-day contest that continues to grow in popularity.

More events coming up are seminars on Sept. 8 and 15 at Woodbine with guests STEVEN CRIST and JERRY BAILEY respectively.

LONGRUN's Gala ball is Sept. 28 with Motown theme. Help the horses and buy a ticket to the biggest event of the year. Call 416-675-3993 ex. 3440.

The ONTARIO FARM MANAGERS golf tournament is next Monday in aid of C.A.R.D.,might be a chance you can still get in.

DON'T FORGET - SHOP WITH ME at my new part-time gig at Home Interiors. This 50yo business from Dallas, Texas has a new catalogue and beautiful items for fall and Christmas deocrating. Check out www.homeinteriors.com/decoratedolphins and go shopping! (The link is also on the right side of this page)