CAST YOUR VOTE

As mentioned yesterday - THOROUGHBLOG readers have spoken, SEALY HILL won the Horse of the Year poll 25 to 10. Let's see who you think will be champion 3yo colt - voting is below right. The above photo of SEALY HILL was on Flickr on the site of pics by silverny99.

THE POST TIME for the last 2 days of the Woodbine meeting, Dec. 8 and 9, is earlier at 12:40 (so we can cram in a bunch more dashes!)

TIGER MOVED HER TAIL - $109,000 (.20) PAYOFF IN WIN 4

THURSDAY AT WOODBINE

STROKE THE TIGER was much the best and won as part of a well bet entry from Sam-Son Farms in race 1.

The Smart Strike homebred out of Quiet Cheer was tabbed as a good thing when she debuted in October but she reared up at the start and threw jockey Rob Landry.

After more workouts, Lasix and blinkers, she reappeared yesterday and was very professional and…oh never mind..

She was DISQUALIFIED for an outward shift on the first turn that caused longshot Princess Helena to steady and clip heels – Stroke the Tiger was placed last.

Hard to tell how much Stroke the Tiger’s move caused the incident, she did move, but did the outside horse come in a bit and did ‘Helena not keep a straight course? Too many questions. At least one reader didn't like the call (see yesterday's comments)

Sooo, GLENGARRA (Arch), who had been 2nd in two straight races and had had a lot of chances to win her maiden, was placed first for owner Bob Costigan and trainer Mac Benson.

Race 2 – maiden allowance guys, Ontario-sired and EL GRAN JAKE led for every jump but the very last one as the heavy favourite when NO NEVER NO MORE got him. The winner, a 4yo Ontario bred by Whiskey Wisdom, is the first winner of the meeting for trainer Anne Cameron.

WILDANDPROSPEROUS rallied between tiring fillies to win for the 2^nd time in as many starts in race 3. The Wild Event, Florida-bred won her debut by a nose and won this race, for $12,500 (same price as her maiden score) by only slightly more). Co-owned by Pat Parente and Bruno Zuccato and trained by Parente.

Race 4 – Bombs away as FLASHY ADAM (Brite Adam) won for $10,000 in his 2^nd start at Woodbine in 2007 since he left Fort Erie. He still races for breeder RMC Stable and Mycki Neubauer trains. He was 40 to 1 yesterday and was making only his 4^th run at the distance (it was his first win.). SWEETSOUTHERNSON was claimed by Shale Wagman and Bard Baird and is headed to Florida.

Race 5 – Ballycroy Trail’s homebred FRINGE BENEFITS, trained by Steve Roberts, won her maiden with a rally and a drop to $9,500 claiming. The Trajectory filly is out of Automatic Lady by Briartic. It was the 3yo filly’s 12^th career start and she was 5.75-1.

Race 6- A hot pace set things up for the deep closer QUICK SALE who won for $8,000 claiming and getting her first win since being claimed by Robert and Scott Fairlie. The 5yo Pembroke mare has now won 8 of 31 races.

Race 7- Beclawat Farms’ homebred WARREGO (she’s a Florida-bred, however) won her maiden at 17 to 1 to wrap up the Pick 4 (the payoff of $109,000 was a 20 cent payoff since the pool was $29,000). The Umriugar filly did what most horses did yesterday in the brisk wind and bitter cold – rallied from far back. She started from the widest post – 12 – and had raced 5 times before with one second-place finish.

BRIDLED JET capped a super year (unless he races once more next week) with his 4^th win of the season in race 8. The Unbridled Jet bay 4yo led all the way for $12,500, the lowest level he has competed for since the spring. He was claimed for $16,000 2 starts ago by Audre Cappuccitti.

Race 9 went to CRITICAL PATH, a 2yo filly who won her maiden for Ontario sired gals at the allowance level. The Gardiner Farms-bred is owned by Hendrie Stable and trained by Mike Doyle. She was just over 2 to 1 and was the 2^nd winner on the card for her sire Trajectory. She had just finished 4^th in the South Ocean Stakes and the top 3 are in the Ontario Lassie Sstakes on Sunday.

The finale race went to BALLERINA’S HALO who rallied late to win for $10,000 under Chantal Sutherland. The 7yo was favoured and note that the William Sorokolit runners that are dropping in class have been winning frequently.

TODAY AT WOODBINE

It’s going to be cold again but the track seems to be running fairly right now, fast times for good horses, slow times for not-so-good ones, and closers have only a slight edge.

A 5 furlong starter allowance starts off today’s Pick 4 and since the Scott Fairlie barn won yesterday, why not key in on MIZ YAH BEAUX as the pick? She’s 2 for 2 at 5 furlongs.

One of the featured races of the day is the maiden allowance for Ontario-sired guys as race 5. The race was scheduled for last Thursday when the races were cancelled.

Only 3 in the big field have raced before and all could contend – MONEY SPITTER (Raj Waki), D’DUPLICATE (D’Wildcat) and DANZIGS TRICK (Cat’s at Home).

THOROUGHBLOG reader Lois Keays bred Waths Up Patrick, a Paynes Bay colt who debuts for HJT Racing.

The final two legs of the Pick 4 are fairly straight-forward with maidens BEDLAM and MELODY OF GOLD in contention in race 6 and HIGH TABLE and ATLANTIC SURGE the top players in the 7^th race.

SOME SLOTS ON THE WAY OUT AT GULFSTREAM

RACING BACK IN

(from the Blood-Horse)

Magna Entertainment Corp. has overhauled the ailing slots operation at its Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino complex by reducing the amount of machines it offers and expanding its simulcasting area.

In a letter to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, Gulfstream said by reducing the amount of machines from the previous bank of about 1,200, it would add “back into those vacant areas more simulcasting to accommodate the demands of our racing fans” in order to increase revenues over 2007.

“We believe we can do that with fewer machines,” said the Oct. 30 letter signed by Michael Couch, who is listed as Gulfstream’s slots operations director.