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Thursday, October 04, 2007

REAL DEAL

2YOFILLY GETS 90 AT WOODBINE

Meet the fastest 2yo so far at Woodbine - AUTHENICAT simply demolished a field of Ontario-sired fillies last night in the VICTORIAN QUEEN STAKES, stopping the clock in 1 09 4/5, winning by almost6 lengths under wraps and posting a 90 Beyer Figure.
The Vinery - Fog City gal was bred by Gail Wood of Hillsburgh, Ontario and is from the first crop of D'Wildcat out of Authentic Deed by Alydeed. She is trained by Josie Carroll.
Oh yes, yet another stakes winning mount for Patrick Husbands.

AUTHENICAT was coming off a huge win and a nice Beyer Figure in an allowance race (what's our favourite saying - FIGS DON'T LIE!) but it was still a bit hard to be convinced since she set a slow pace - even if she won under a hand ride.
Okay - we're convinced now.

Lots of weird stuff on a nice night at the track.
JIM MCALENEY'S whip CLASSIC FRANCESCO on the face in a close stretch run in the opener and that one did not want to pass the favoured PRINCELY PICKLE. Can't blame him - ouch, it sure looked like it hurt on the replay.
Meanwhile, watch out for the Julia Carey (trains the Pickle) trainees - they are moving into spots where they are ultra dangerous.

Old timer VERY PROFESSIONAL won again last night looking happy and smart for Willy and Vito Armata. The 9yo won for $11,500 claiming.

The CHIEFSWOOD STABLE train rolls on - 7 wins in last 13 starts - and STOEN HUMOR, a $500K yearling purchase was a virtual certainty to win last night in her Polytrack debut. She won, but paid a measly $4 and change. The Distorted Humor, Kentucky bred was ridden by Patrick Husbands.

Trainer George Newland scratched favoured FLAT ROCK out of race 4 and let COPPER TOPPER go on his own - that was enough of a sign for most who cashed at 7 to 2.

The lovely-moving SLIPPERY BUTTER was an easy winner over maiden 2yo fillies in race 5 for Albert Sanges and trainer Noel Randall. The owner had said a couple of weeks back that they were getting aggressive and wanting to win races in bunches. Ms. Butter is by Stephen Got Even.

Sanges was back in the winner's circle 2 races later when JUDITH'S JEWEL won for the 3rd consecutive race - kind of. The gelding was up to dead heat speedy TOUGH MANCER, who has been very tough of late.

And bombs away in the finale when Spring Farms' homebred TRADING ON LINE paid $76 for his maiden score for trainer Bev Chubb and jockey Anthony Stephen (2 wins on the night). The gelding had a 51 Beyer Figure form his last race when 7th for $20K claiming and he was in for $16k.
The Daily racing Form's Closer Look writer Paul Turney tabbed the gelding as an exotics play based on the distance stretch-out to 7 furlongs.

Notes

EMMA-JAYNE WILSON, featured in this month's CHATELAINE magazine, has been invited to participate in the Hong Kong Jockey Challenge on Dec 5 at Sha Tin racecourse...a very large contignent of women jockeys at Woodbine got larger as Alberta's Johanne Duquet has arrived for the last 2 months of the season...no racing todaybut a super THANKSGIVING WEEKEND of racing is coming up and at Keeneland, Canadian Horse of the Year ARRAVALE is in the First Lady S. on Saturday.

23 Comments:

At 8:57 AM, Anonymous said…

I was watching the races yesterday night and saw that Jody Hammatt's horse got scrated at the gate in the 2 year old race. Was the horse a vet scratch or was he scratched because of the $5,000 fine he got for trying to cheat the system and the public with Speedstorm? I won't play any of his horses anymore, how do I know his works are for real on any of his horses?
At 11:26 AM, Anonymous said…

I noted on Keenelands website that there is Track Maintenance info for the day and also the description of the equipment used. A nice touch!
It doesn't require any rocket science to provide this info.
At 6:33 PM, Anonymous said…

Will a 5,000.00 fine really make a difference to the cheating trainer?
At 8:56 PM, Anonymous said…

Jody Hammett is one trainer, (among several) who had some winners early in the season, but has now petered out. That's why he has to stoop to deceit.

There is a reason his horses are currently not producing. Anyone observing Hammett's early season winner's knows that 99% of those winners scored without a pre-race warm-up. And I mean ZERO warm-up. While that method produces long priced winners, it also produces damaged horses and that is what Hammett is experiencing now. What goes around, comes around. Amen.
At 2:04 AM, the_drake said…

I've come up under the wings of some of the finest handicappers and trainer turned handicappers in the US of A. One thing I've never heard them mention was the F ing biases, aside from when Keeneland clearly had an extreme inside speed bias. Come on people, can you please learn to handicap the horse, then use the bias as a decider for who to throw in the tri. I've never seen a bigger bunch of people who might as well be handicapping scientologists with their way of thinking. Just for one day why don't you people handicap the horse rather than the track and see what happens, I'll lay that you still loose because you can't handicap to begin with, but I'll let you blame the bias.
At 2:20 AM, the_drake said…

I forgot to mention a few other things weighing on The Drakes mind.
I guess I was wrong about Arravale, she's taking on the best N.A. fillies at Keeneland, good for her connections for taking on the yanks, I hope she runs the race of her life and then doubles up in the cup. Also good luck to the Casse horse this weekend at Keeneland. In other news, I remember being ripped by saying this years 3yo CAN classic crop couldn't win a NX1 or maybe 2 in the US, well after the results lately I don't think I'm too far off with a $30k claimer winning the Ontario Derby v. the Plate and Prince winner and Leo as a non factor v. a nice allowance winner and a few LA. Bred Restricted winners. Our crops need to improve to get back to the days that With Approval, Sky Classic, and Izvestia ran for our flag. It's up to the breeders to send their mares to accomplished hard knocking solid sires, not like the 4 race wonders like Vindication. Or some of the other over hyped Ontario sires.
At 6:31 AM, Anonymous said…

tHERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO HANDICAP AND THE REASON PEOPLE LIKE TO FIND A BIAS IS THAT IT IS COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE AND THEREFORE YOU CAN FIND HORSES THAT OTHER PEOPLE DONT LIKE.IT IS A LOT MORE FUN THAN GOING BY THE BEYER NUMBERS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY AND THE TRAINER ANGLES WHICH ARE GENERALLY MORE OF A HINDRANCE THAN A HELP.oF COURSE IF YOU READ THE BIAS WRONGLY,IT IS NOT A GOOD HANDICAPPING TOOL BUT WHEN ONE DOES EXIST,AND YOU READ IT CORRECTLY,IT CAN PRODUCE GREAT OVERLAYS.ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT JIM mCALENEY SAID ON TV AFTER THE SECOND RACE THAT IT SEEMED TO BE A SPEED TRACK BUT TO ME IT WAS A TRACK FOR STAMINA HORSES,AND THAT THREW UP A NICE EXACTA 1/5 IN THE ROUTE RACE.A LOT OF TRACKS DONT SEEM TO HAVE A BIAS BUT WOODBINE OFTEN DOES AND THAT IS AN EXTRA DIMENSION TO ADD TO TRYING TO FIND A NICE PRICED WINNER.
AS FAR AS ARTIE HOT IS CONCERNED,THIS HORSE HAS A FANTASTIC TURN OF FOOT AND IS PROBABLY THE BEST 3 YEAR OLD IN THE COUNTRY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ONCE A 32.000 CLAIMER.HE JUST NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO RUN AND NICK GONSALEZ HAS FIGURED HIM OUT.
At 2:21 PM, Anonymous said…

Denying track bias exists is like denying grass is green.

As far as Hammett goes, no I think a 1-5 year suspension is warranted when trainers knowingly call in the wrong horse for a workout. The $5000 and the embarrassment that goes with it is not enough to protect the public especially when Woodbine has so many races with first time starters and horses off over a month.

For every Hammett that is caught, how many others get away with it?

What Hammett did was try to get a probably sore horse a published workout a couple of days before a race outside of 30 days since her last race, meanwhile, the horse who really worked would have got an unpublished workout if he didn't get caught.

I've heard this happens a lot more than you think.
At 7:04 PM, Anonymous said…

IS IT NESASARY TO PUBISIZE NEGATIVE AND CRUEL COMMENTS ABOUT A TRAINER? DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS ON EXATLY HAPPENED? THIS IS A TOUGH ENOUGH GAME AS IT IS SO PLEASE JEN HAVE A LITTLE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN IT, TRYING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, I KNOW YOU ARENT THE ONE WHO POSTED THAT COMMENT BUT YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HAS THE SAY WHEATHER IT GETS POSTED OR NOT, SO DO THE RIGHT THING.
At 10:04 PM, Anonymous said…

On the Hammett controversy...I am a rider in his barn, and I can assure you the horse speedstorm did work that morning 3/8 she was missed early in the morning (clockers stand mistake) as the scheduled work for 9:30 needed to be moved up. Only one horse of his was caught that morning and it turns out the stews "felt" he was doing something misleading, not the case, I personally breezed Speedstorm that morning and she did make time!!!! All trainers have years that which they wish they could right off for many different reasons. Hammett might have made a mistake in not correcting the name with the trainer who he was working in company with, I can assure you it was not intentional and it was corrected before 10am that morning. Racing is under alot of scrutiny...everyone is under the microscope, Hammett is being used as an example to industry contributors and the racing public, it is to demonstrate that consequences are being enforced. The filly was scrached becaused she was kicked by the pony in the knee at the gate and ended up with a gashed cannon bone, thus needed to be scratched. By the way the early winners in the season, had been training at a swimming centre since February and had enough under them to beat horses that were winter raced, before you make assumptions on a trainers methodology and assume that horses are breaking down, due your due dillegence, this man does not send out sore horses, has had one horse scratched on the track to date and retires horses long before any others would, examples, PRAISE FROM DIXIE, GAMBLERS SLEW, VSOP PLEASE, SOOTING, all winners who were struggling all retired to ensure that they were not harmed racing, not ending up in anyones hands who would not treat them well...Hammett is having a bad year, point me to one trainer that has stock who's purchase value's average at 5K per head that isn't. Things will turn around for Hammett, after all is he is the guy who turned a 2% owner to a clipping 20% win average in one season, bad luck sometimes is all it takes!
At 8:43 AM, Anonymous said…

To Cangamble,
I wouldn't know Jody Hammett from the man in the moon, but it seems to me that before you start calling for suspensions and impugning someone's integrity you ought to at least know the facts of what happened. You are awfully opinionated and eager to criticize everyone and everything, but you can't seem to even do what you do in a professional and proper way.
At 9:52 AM, Anonymous said…

My gripe isn't against Hammett, it is against the system. I think any trainer who calls in the wrong horse should be subject to at least a years suspension.
In this case, I'm fairly confident that this case is fishy. The stewards did fine him even after the explanations. Blame the stewards for impugning his reputation, not me.
And when a trainer has a 30 dayer, the trainer always goes out of his or her way to make sure that the clockers DON'T MISS the workout.

This still doesn't take away from the fact that this type of thing happens a lot more than the average person thinks, and it should be deterred by the official way more than it is right now.

In fact, I don't see how something like this escapes the courts.
It has all the elements of defrauding the public. (Again, I'm not saying I know for sure that Hammett was guilty in this case. I strongly believe that he was though)

Bettor depend on workouts to be accurate, and so do potential owners who are looking to claim horses. Calling in the wrong horse is defrauding the public, but because it is met with a slap on the wrist fine, it is something trainers can consider getting away with.
At 11:46 AM, Anonymous said…

That filly that was scratched on Wednesday night was walking VERY SORE in the paddock and did not improve during post parade. The commission vets scratched the horse in the interest of the animals health and for the sake of the betting public. Now you are telling me she also had the misfortune of getting kicked by the pony as well as coming over sore? Sounds like someone from the public relations team attempting to do some damage control to me.
At 1:45 PM, Anonymous said…

EVERYONE IS SOOO QUICK TO JUMP ON JODY H. THIS MAKES ME LAUGH....WHAT ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO WHEN MALCOM PIERCE WORKED A 2YRLD ON THE TRAINING TURF UNDER A 3YRLDS NAME??? HE GOT CAUGHT HE GOT A $300.00 FINE, [i have the program that has the rulling] AND I'M SURE THE STEWARD RECALL THAT INCODENT WITH MALCOM, [so the way i see this is that they see a guy having a bad year so they proceed to add fuel to the fire and make his live and profession misserable, Jody, with the help of his wife and staff has given Chambers some of his best years, wich people people tend to forget, one year where things dont click people do there best to drag him down!!!! this is a tough game some times a kick by a horse could be allot esier than the daggers flying at you from behind. GOOD LUCK
At 4:01 PM, Anonymous said…

I'm all for Pierce or anyone else getting a year suspension for that too. This isn't about Hammett, it is about the fact this happens a lot and it is the fines like Pierce got when caught that help trainers believe they aren't doing much wrong and that they can take a shot whenever and work the wrong horse when they feel they need to.
At 7:12 PM, Anonymous said…

WHAT ABOUT THE CANADIAN HORSE THAT WINTER TRAIN IN THE STATES DURING THE WINTER TIME? THEY ARRIVE TO CANADA AND SHOW UP IN THE ENTRIES, THERE WORKOUTS SHOW 1.05..1.04...52.0...51.0, ARE THOOSE REAL WORKOUTS? HELLLLL NO, AT MOST TRAINNING CENTERS ACROSS THE U.S.A, TRAINERS DO THE CLOCKING THEMSELVES, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO WRITE DOWN WHAT EVER THEY WANT AND THE WORKS GETS POSTED IN THE D.R.F.
At 8:29 PM, Anonymous said…

I don't recall what happened with Malcolm a few years back but I suspect that the difference might have been that Malcolm (who has a very good reputation) made an ERROR and was in fact not attempting to be dishonest as was the case here. My guess is that is why the $300 vs $5,000 fine difference.
At 10:19 AM, Anonymous said…

How is the drf allowing this self clocking process that the above poster mentions? I have only been to training centers that have officials on site at certain times and do the clocking for you. Could you provide examples where the trainers post their own clockings please.
At 1:50 PM, Anonymous said…

BETTER YET I COULD YOU GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE....A HORSE NAMED GRANDE HOMBRE A FEW YEARS AGO, TRAINING AT CLASSIC MILE PARK IN OCALA, DEBUTS EARLY JANUARY..HIS WORKS SHOW 1.04..1.05..AND A 3/8 GATE WORK 38.0...ANYWAZ THE HORSE WINS BY A POLE...THE HORSE WAS SENT OFF AT 18/1, HE HAD NO RESPECT AS FAR AS THE TOTE BOARD SHOWED, ALSO HE SHIPPED IN THE NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE TO GULFSTREAM. AFTER THE RACE THE TRAINER WAS COMMENDED ON HOW HE CLEVERLY CONSEALED THIS HORSE AND GOT SUCH A HUGE MUTUAL, THE HORSE WENT ONWARD AND EVENTUALLY GOT SOLD FOR OVER 1MILLION DOLLARS TO THE ARABS AND COMPETED IN DUBIA. THERE WHERE ALLOT OF TALK SURROUNDING THE WORK OUTS, WHERE THEY REAL? WHERE THEY FAKE? CLASSIC MILE PARK, NELSON JONES TRAINING CENTER AND A FEW OTHERS IN FLORIDA THAT I KNOW THE TRAINERS ARE PERMITTED TO CALL IN THIER WORK TIMES.
At 8:06 PM, Anonymous said…

EUGENE MELNYKS FARM IN OCALA IS A LISTED TRAINING CENTER BUT PRIVATE, THERE ARE NO CLOCKERS IN ATTENDANCE TO TIME HORSES WHILE THEY WORKOUT. THE FARM MANAGER RECORDS AND SUBMITTS TO D.R.F WHAT EVER TIMES HE PLEASES.
At 8:11 PM, Anonymous said…

if i were jody hammet i would deffinatly take this public, put the o.r.c on the hot seat.
At 8:23 PM, Anonymous said…

i witnessed that horse work 58.2 6 days prior to his race at gulfstrm, wich was one of the fastest 5f work ever on that track.
At 5:07 PM, Anonymous said…

I disagree with the comment about taking this off the blog, if Hammett(or anyone) does the crime..they should do the time. The public was cheated, so they should have the right to hear the details or speculations regarding it.