499 AND COUNTING

Too bad about the retirement of FINANCINGAVAILABLE (see yesterday's post) but we have lots of good memories from a versatile mare who set more than one track record.
Some good races for older horses coming up this weekend (the less said about 10yo WAKE AT NOON in the Kennedy Road Stakes right now the better, more on the weekend).
This is post 499 from yours truly.
Come back tomorrow for post 500 - and please, send a note and say hi, let me know if you would like to see certain things on the Blog, etc....

BUTTER TOASTS ‘EM - Woodbine Thursday

SLIPPERY BUTTER is the kind of horse one would love to own. A 2yo by Stephen Got Even who has shown a beautiful galloping stride since her debut, she won for the 2nd time in his first career of racing yesterday with a strong stretch rally. The race was for $40,000 claiming. The filly has also been 2nd twice and third once in her 7 races. She was claimed for $32K by Albert Sanges and trainer Noel Randall and yesterday, was claimed by Frank DiGiulio Jr’s family, Edenvale Farm, and trainer Bob Tiller.

Other stuff…

Race 1 went to outsider BUNNY LAKE, who is one of the kindest fillies you would ever meet. Trainer Donna Lee Pizarro had her in fine shape from her trip from Fort Erie to win for $11,500 claiming. She’s an Oklahoma bred by Defrere.

Race 3 - A little freshening served NAUGHTY NADA well as the Hamilton family’s filly by Inspired Prospect won for the 2nd consecutive time with a sustained rally around the turn.

The heavily favoured (3 to 5) Springledge looked like lone speed, was lone speed, led until late but then wound up 4th. Eeeks. The winner is trained by John Charalambous, his 12th win of the season at Woodbine.

Another heavy favourite got trashed yesterday when Jimmy G was nowhere to be found in race 4, a maiden claiming race for $20K for older horses.

The winner of that race on the pace was Stronach Stable’s 5yo horse GRAND PRESIDIUM (trainer Sean Smullen), who was dropping from 3 drab outings at the MSW level on turf.

Smullen’s name showed up again in the next race as the former trainer CHEEKY JONES, a Stronach-bred by Awesome Again, who won first time off the claim for trainer Paul Attard for the Pastorek family. The 3yo was making only his 4^th career start. Stakes winner RAGE TILL DAWN was 2^nd and was claimed by Shyman Farms and Martin Drexler.

Maiden 2yo fillies for $25,000 in race 6 was a fairly formful race as LUVUBYE from the Herb Chambers barn, trainer Jody Hammett, won in her 3^rd career start with blinkers off and a drop from $40,000.

The Florida bred is by Suave Prospect. The top finisher in that race all rallied from off the pace.

Race 7 was more about TREE RINGS not getting through on the rail on his way to a likely win than it was about BLUE DEPUTY’S win for trainer Sid Attard and owner Veronica Attard. The former was favoured and elected to try the rail but a fading front runner would not let her through and he lost all chance.

The winner, another score for jockey Patrick Husbands in what has been a big fall for him, is now 2 for 20 and he’s by the late Archers Bay.

The roll ended for 9yo hero VERY PROFESSIONAL as the old-timer, who had won 4 consecutive races, looked uncomfortable yesterday as he faded while chaning leads a lot form the turn to the finish. The Will Armata owned gelding was not claimed for the $15,000 tag.

The winner, ST REGS, who had his own little streak going, three 3rds in succession, was claimed by Lisa MaCallum Smith and Cindy Cox. St Regs is an Irish bred who is as genuine as they come. He was never more than 2 lengths off the pace in that win yesterday.

The winners of the finale, yes winners, got just over $6,000 each. HIGH GRADE SILVER and SILVER PEARL (two Silver’s? hmmmmm) landed on the wire together in a wild finale which featured 6 horses within 2 lengths at the wire.

The former, trained by Jimmy Day (he changed his name with the race office apparently from Jim Day) was winning for the 2^nd consecutive time in his 7^th race of the year in the $9,500 claimer. He’s Cudney Stables Ontario bred by Honor Grades. Silver Pearl was up for 3 Sons Racing, a top owner of 2007, and trainer George Newland. He’s an Ontario bred by Tethra and it was his 3^rd win in his 27^th career start.

TRACK MAINTENANCE REPORTS AT WOODBINE

A timely and interesting article on how to approach betting the last 4 weeks of racing at Woodbine based on the track maintenance reports offered on the Woodbine website can be found in today’s Daily Racing Form (subscribers only). Pick up a copy today or sign up at DRF.

Here’s an excerpt from the article by Ron Gierkink…

“There are no hard-and-fast rules regarding how the track will play after it has been power harrowed, but it will usually be slower than it was on the previous day, and speed horses can be at a disadvantage. That seemed to the case last Friday, when closers won 8 of the 10 races on the card, after the track was power harrowed to three inches the previous night.”

VALEDICTORY PREP TODAY

TEMPERATURES PLUMMET IN T.O. – PICK 7 CARRYOVER AT $16,000

Brrrr, very cold now in Toronto and just over 3 weeks left in the season.

Today’s feature is the prep for the Valedictory Stakes, the popular 1 ¾ mile stakes race held on the last day of racing.

The prep, at 1 ½ miles, features the quirky old-timer PELLEGRINO, who stands out on class in the race but is far from a horse you could bet confidently. The 8yo Gary Tanaka owned horse is a conundrum – he pops up without warning and he has won on the Polytrack. He has also won a stake at 1 ½ miles.

His competition will come from the younger bucks, YOUNG DOM and GATOR KING, the latter going for a hot Stronach Stables. The El Prado Ontario bred just beat the former in a turf race but he won his maiden at 10 furlongs on Poly.

Another good feature is the 8^th race, the last race of the Pick 7. Most will key KID SPARKLE despite her 11 post. The Ontario bred by Glitterman was 2^nd to Shilla in the Fanfreluche Stakes with an 88 Beyer last time.

Several possible upsetters in the race include returning SUMMUS (Graeme Hall), ROSY WREATH and SHE’S THE UMPIRE.

Yesterday at Hawthorne, the Ontario bred Awesome Again 2yo PALMERSTOWN won for the 2^nd consecutive time in an allowance race for owner Mike Ryan. The colt was bred by Adena Springs and is out of the mare My Chanel (a daughter of Woodbine stakes winner Vid Kid)

From Standardbred Canada…

Martin Pleads For Government Support

November 15, 2007

Reaching out to the community of Niagara in an open letter, Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin has plead for help in ensuring the dire Fort Erie Racetrack for thoroughbreds is immediately put on the government's agenda list.

With a very real chance of the track's closure in the near future, Martin is pleading that the border oval get full-scale, timely support from the government. A $300 million private-sector, redevelopment initiative has been proposed for Fort Erie Racetrack. The redevelopment would include a 350-room hotel, a massive entertainment complex and more than 2,500 condominium/timeshare units.

Even though Fort Erie has 1,250 slot machines, and has had machines for eight years, they are still in need of the aid.

Within Martin's letter, he states:

"We must ensure that live racing remains in Fort Erie – the prospect of a closure or shutdown of racing operations would be devastating to our Town and the Region. If we were a town fighting to save our race track in the prospect of down trending attendance and revenues numbers it would be one thing. But we're on the eve of a major investment that will restore and build on historical peak attendance and gaming revenues. The Province, the OLG, Nordic Gaming, operator of the race track facility and the HBPA (Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association) all stand to gain from this investment. Our market research clearly indicates that an increase in US tourist visits will generate more than sufficient new revenues to save the track and support this new development."