TIME FOR GIVING

BITS

Yesterday's photo quiz - yes, some of you were correct, that was BALLINGDAGGIN in the photo, taken at Old Friends. The 22-year-old was the first winner of the MOLSON EXPORT CHALLENGE (now known as the Woodbine Mile).

If you are planning matings this year you must get a copy of the CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED SIRE BOOK, almost 300 pages and glossy with many stallion photos and news items, stallion statistics. An impressive publication.

Holiday notes: THOROUGHBLOG will be on idle from Dec. 25 through to the 28th or 29th...If you want to watch some good video stuff from the year, the HPI channel will show some good stuff over Christmas eve and day.

COOL CUSTOMER

Ten-year-old, soon to be 11, COOL N COLLECTIVE is still going strong. The Canadian bred Ruhlmann gelding is also on the move to another barn again.

The old-timer has been claimed 5 times in one year and now, two times in succession.

Yesterday, he won at Philadelphia Park for $12,500 claiming for owner and trainer Ryan Beattie and was claimed by trainer Katherine Demasi and the Repole Stable.

His win yesterday, in front running fashion by 5 ½ lengths, was his 5th in his 12th start in 2007. He was racing for $7,500 claiming in New York in the winter (for more on Cool N Collective just type in his name on the SEARCH button up top).

He has a record of 61-12-22-7 and $613,000 in earnings.

Mark Reid’s Canadian-bred 2yo NOR’EASTERNER, trained by Tony Dutrow Jr. won his maiden in the race after Cool N Collective. The Fusaichi Pegasus – One More Breeze, by Mythical Ruler.

Previously trained at Woodbine by Bobby Frankel, the colt was coming out of a 3rd place finish to the promising colt Highvale at Woodbine. Yesterday he rallied from well back and won the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:45 – a 68 Beyer Figure.

He was a $250,000 Keeneland Nov. weanling, a $45,000 buy back as a yearling and a $125,000 buy back as a 2yo.

CAW Locals Pledge Support for Striking Woodbine Workers

TORONTO, Dec. 18 /CNW/ - In a show of solidarity CAW local union leaders have pledged their full support for the 180 bartenders and servers on strike at three Woodbine Entertainment Group locations in Southern Ontario.

On December 17, over 50 union representatives gathered in Toronto to

strategize ways to intensify efforts on the picket lines as the strike

continues into its third week. Local union leaders will be encouraging members in the Toronto and surrounding areas to join with striking workers on the picket lines over the next number of weeks at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto and the Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville.

The union has targeted Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to increase picketing efforts, considered peak times for business at the racetracks.

Plans are also currently underway to hold a major public rally in support of the striking workers on Boxing Day, the details of which will be made available over the coming days.

(Editor's note - on Saturday the delays were short as we tried to get into Woodbine. Be ready for it to get worse this weekend)

Letter to THOROUGHBLOG..(anonymous writers still are not in the holiday spirit!)

Jennifer, would you please do your readers the favor and take responsibility for the utter crap you reprint from other websites/publications. Just because something is in print elsewhere does not mean you can't at least exercise some amount of standards for wasting print space here with it.

Why, for example, would you print something from this (person)

""Trained by Steve Asmussen (who sent up an assistant trainer to look after the colt) Kodiak Kowboy showed up at Woodbine for a two-furlong maiden race (that’s 220 yards, folks) and finished fourth on April 29.""

(Editor's note: If this writer is referring to the 220 years comment, remember, those that read the local newspapers are not necessarily racing savvy)