WEDNES-DAZE RACING

The popular topics from readers centres on the judging of races by stewards - does it affect the way the game is perceived? Or does anyone care?
A litany of disqualifications, non-disqualifications and other decisions have been met with queries from many but no answers yet.
The latest question was about SINIBIX, the 2yo filly who ran off badly prior to her 2nd career start last weekend, was deemed okay to run and she was ultimately eased in the race.

The next topic - Canada's Triple Crown. We just finished another series and for the third year in a row - 3 different winners - and not the best this country has ever had to offer either.
(Okay - Jambalaya is now a Grade 1 winner).
Overhaul needed? Three surfaces, three distances, 2 tracks, strictly Canadian-breds. Should any of these be changed?

Mike Fox, Alezzandro and Marchfield, all horses I'd love to own, but where do they fit on the list of the Dance Smartly's, With Approval's and Izvestia's?

WOODBINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Another hot, steamy week is on the way and we race at night tonight, the start of a regular 5-day week. Thursday’s and Friday’s cards are very light entry-wise as we enter the middle of August – usually called the “ugly season” locally because the spring and summer horses are resting or retired and the fall horses have not geared up yet.

The grass is good to go, though, and there are two non-claiming events on the surface tonight.

The maiden allowance at 1 1/16 miles for fillies & mares includes a full sister to Triple Crown winner WANDO – Fuhrleen – who is showing signs of improvement with the introduction to grass.

The 4^th race is a first-level allowance race featuring promising maiden winners PRAY TELL (Kentucky-bred by Pulpit), SKIPPED BAIL (Ontario-bred by Skip Away) and SAFE LANDING (Kentucky-bred by Lemon Drop Kid).

One of tonight’s best bets?

TRUTH TAKES TIME in a weak 2^nd race for $10,000 claiming mares, non-winners of 2 for Lenny Matchett and trainer Bobby Tibbitts. Leading rider Tyler Pizarro is on board.

STALLION NEWS

A good feature today in THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS on BOLD EXECUTIVE, Canada’s longtime leading sire.

Fast facts from the story – his 411 starters have made an average of 19.6 starts and have average earnings of $68,175.

He has 68 stakes winners or stakes placed horses.

EXECUTRIX was his latest stakes winner when that filly won the Nandi Stakes on Saturday.

PHILANTHROPIST will join Bold Executive at Gardiner Farms in Caledon East next spring. The 6yo Kris S. stallion is out of Hidden Reserve (a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Educated Risk and Inside Information), by Mr. Prospector. Philanthropist raced for Ogden Mills Phipps until January of this year. He won 6 of 18 races including the Grade 3 Queens County Handicap at Aqueduct. He earned 6 Beyer Figures in the mid to high 90s.

VIBANK, winner of the Clarendon and Victoria Stakes as a 2yo in 2005, will reportedly be entering stud at park Stud in Orangeville for next spring. The speedy colt is by Silver Deputy out of the Bold Ruckus mare Princess Ruckus. The mare is a ½ sister to Langfuhr.

SCOREBOARD

Woodbine Owners

Tucci Stables 17

Sam-Son Farms 14

Bear Stables 12

Woodford Racing 10

Woodbine Jockeys

Tyler Pizarro 69

Patrick Husbands 59

Emile Ramsammy 59

Emma-Jayne Wilson 50

Woodbine Trainers

Robert Tiller 37

Mark Casse 35

Sid Attard 29

Abraham Katryan 28

Fort Erie Jockeys

Robert King Jr 49

Chad Beckon 43

Danny David 34

Fort Erie Trainers

Mark Fournier 22

Scott Fairlie 17

Nick Gonzalez15

RAINFORD OUT FOR YEAR

McAleney due back Aug. 16

What comes as no surprise, apprentice MICHELLE RAINFORD will not ride for the remainder of the season.

Jockey Jim McAleney, who has been sidelined with a broken leg for several months is pointing to August 16 for his return.

Read more about Rainford from the DRF today…

By Bill Tallon

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A season that began in a blaze of promise for apprentice jockey Michelle Rainford has come to an abrupt end.

Rainford, 27, rode 95 winners last year in her first full campaign, including 10 during the final week of the meeting, to rank ninth in the standings here at Woodbine.

She already had 25 winners under her belt at this meeting, but, although she would not know it for six weeks, her season was effectively over after she was involved in a three-horse spill in the ninth race on June 21.

Rainford was taken to the hospital, where doctors apparently told her she had suffered a concussion.

That information did not register with a dazed Rainford, who woke up the next morning with soreness in a knee and hip and, believing that was the extent of her injuries, was back galloping horses within two weeks.

"I realized then there was something a lot more seriously wrong with me because I was not even feeling safe on a horse," Rainford said. "I was getting dizzy and coming in and out of consciousness almost as soon as I'd get off a horse and have to go sleep for four or five hours.

"I only did that for a couple of days and then I realized I needed a lot more time."

Rainford returned to the doctor and was told she would need to give herself a minimum of two full weeks without any symptoms before trying to get back on horses.

"I thought I did," Rainford said, "but I think I was giving myself the benefit of the doubt, which I probably shouldn't have.

"I tried again, getting on some horses, and the same thing happened. It sort of put me back at square one. I was back to getting dizzy spells again and headaches, which is where I'm at now."

Rainford, who suffered an earlier concussion during training hours this spring that she believed was "very minor," decided to call it a year last Thursday, following another meeting with her doctor.

"Basically, she said I shouldn't be doing anything for another 10 weeks, and that was a best-case scenario," Rainford said. "After all that time off, it would take me a good month to get ready."

That, plus the potential danger of suffering a third concussion within a short period of time, convinced Rainford and her agent, Alan Raymond, to call it a season.

Rainford, frustrated by her lack of activity, has been avoiding the racing scene but thinks that soon will change.

"I think now that the decision's been made, it will be easier for me to get back and know I'll have next year to look forward to," Rainford said. "We can really work, and hope to start off with a bang."

Rainford, who had been granted an extension of her apprentice allowance to Sept. 17 after not riding over the winter, will get credit for the 88 days she will have missed since June 21 when she does return to action.

Switch to turf suits Vestrey Lady

Trainer Reade Baker had a big day in absentia here Monday, recording three winners, including Vestrey Lady in the Grade 3, $126,600 Royal North for fillies and mares.

"Maybe I should stay away more often," said Baker, by phone from the Saratoga sale on Tuesday.

Vestrey Lady, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old who was the runner-up in the Sovereign Award voting for her division last year, won her third career stakes in the Royal North at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Last year, Vestrey Lady ran big races on Polytrack when winning the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette here and finishing second in the Grade 2 Raven Run going the same distance at Keeneland.

This year, however, Vestrey Lady appears to have developed an aversion to Woodbine's surface.

"I don't understand it," Baker said. "Now, she doesn't even want to train on it."

After watching three consecutive losses as the favorite on the main track, Baker tried Vestrey Lady in an open one-mile allowance on the turf.

Vestrey Lady, who had been going well in the mornings on the training track, responded by leading throughout to score by 1 3/4 lengths under regular rider Emile Ramsammy.

The Royal North was coming up just 10 days later, but Baker, who had been expecting a deep and competitive field, elected to run back Vestrey Lady when he learned the race was coming up light in numbers.

Vestrey Lady once again established command early and was able to turn back the odds-on favorite, Financingavailable, who had challenged strongly in midstretch.

"I just know with this filly that when you glide up to her like that, she digs in," Baker said. "If she's going to give up, it's going to be very reluctantly."

Horse ownership seminar set

Woodbine and the Jockey Club of Canada will conduct a horse ownership seminar from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Turf Lounge at 330 Bay St.

Partnerships, tax issues, Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society breeders awards, and the role of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association will be among the topics discussed.

OTHER NEWS

JAMBALAYA is headed to Chicago for the ARLINGTON MILLION this weekend – hoping for no rain and a rattling-firm course…Remarkable News and Becrux are just two names being tossed around for the Woodbine Mile coming up next month…Manitoba Derby winner WEATHER WARNING earned a 91 Beyer Figure for his score. He was the 155^th stakes winner for Storm Cat…WAKE AT NOON, 10yo and Horse of the Year who has been retired a few times, worked in 48.00 for half a mile yesterday at Fort Erie.