CALLING HORSE LOVERS

Light news day today (in horse racing anyway...the rest of the world has gone completely mad? Yet another young Hollywood star is in the news, this time HEATH LEDGER, who passed away yesterday -What has become of the young folks these days - or should I ask, what the heck happened to these people's parents???)
But I digress...

Don't forget to check www.churchilldowns.com for free Past Performances for tomorrow morning's Dubai races. Bet bet bet!!
Help ban slaughter everywhere....read on.

DAY 2 OF DUBAI RACING CARNIVAL

HPI PLAYERS, GET UP TOMORROW MORNING AND WATCH/WAGER on DUBAI RACING!!

From sportinglife.com

Godolphin's new recruit Diabolical will bid for Group Three glory in Thursday's Dubai Carnival feature - the Al Shindagha Sprint.

Having won at Grade Two level in his native America, he is penalised, along with Mike De Kock's Asiatic Boy, the only horse to win the UAE Triple Crown culminating in the Group 2 UAE Derby on World Cup night.

Of Diabolical, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: "He is a nice horse who has been working well but will certainly benefit from the run.

"His form is good and we are hoping for a big effort."

Asiatic Boy has not been seen since finishing fifth in the Juddmonte International behind Derby winner Authorized in August.

Although the colt now takes a marked step back in trip, his trainer is still expecting a decent run.

De Kock said: "We know six furlongs is short of his best but he is naturally quick so we hope he can be competitive.

"The Dubai World Cup is his aim and we intend to run him twice at the Carnival in preparation - this being the first one."

Bin Suroor saddles both My Indy, the choice of Frankie Dettori and Basko De Zarautz in the other dirt race - a seven-furlong conditions event for three-year-old colts.

Both are unbeaten, as are Doug Watson's Aquino and De Kock's Honour Devil.

Stan Moore's Lizard Island, a Group Two winner for Aidan O'Brien and Clive Brittain's Yahrab are the highest-rated among the 16 runners.

On the turf, division one of the six-and-a-half-furlong handicap sees Jonathan Geake's Ripples Maid in action with the Dandy Nicholls-trained Indian Trail.

Nicholls has both Machinist and Something in the second division, in which Roger Fisher's Beckermet has top weight.

Moore's Snoqualmie Boy and Brittain's Lake Poet face four Bin Suroor-trained runners, including Dettori's mount New Guinea in a 12-furlong handicap, while the action concludes with a 10-furlong handicap.

Couer De Lionne has his first start for Ed Dunlop after his expensive purchase at Tattersalls, while Richard Guest's European Dream runs in the same race.

Group One winner Linngari is a surprise runner in the seven-and-a-half-furlong handicap, in which he has to concede weight to 10 rivals including With Interest, Traffic Guard and Appalachian Trail.

KENTUCKY BEAR ON TO KENTUCKY??

Perhaps getting ahead of ourselves, Kentucky Bear could be on his way to the Kentucky Derby thanks to that 93 Beyer Figure win in his debut Monday at Gulfstream.
Apparently, some people got rich off his $23 payoff. Not this corner!
'Reade' on...

From www.readebaker.com

01/22/08 - KENTUCKY BEAR EYES KENTUCKY DERBY - At odds of 10/1 Kentucky Bear under jockey Elvis Trujillo drew away from the field of three year old colts to win a maiden allowance race at Gulfstream Park yesterday. Kentucky Bear is by the very popular sire Mr. Greeley out of Tate, a mare by Afleet. Bred in Kentucky by Alexander Valley Breeders, the colt was a $42,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland. Danny Dion of the Bear Stables Ltd. is the owner. The race went in 1:36.2 for the mile and Kentucky Bear earned a 93 beyer speed rating for the effort. The early nominations for the Kentucky Derby closed on January 19th and Kentucky Bear is on that list

CURLIN RACIN

Curlin is expected to continue racing despite a mess in the horse's ownership.

Meanwhile, THOROUGHBLOG reported that the colt was heading to DUBAI sooner, rather than later, to compete strictly in the Dubai World Cup and not at Gulfstream as has been reported. That information still has to be confirmed.

Here's an excerpt from www.courier-journal.com

Richard Getty, an attorney for Jackson, said a decision would be made soon on whether to run Curlin in the United States to prepare for the Dubai World Cup.

"We will continue to monitor these proceedings so that nothing happens that would affect this great horse without our knowledge," Getty said.

(for our U.S. friends but you can call too! )

Today….January 22: Make the Call to Save Horses!

The doors on the last remaining U.S.-based horse slaughter plants have been shuttered. Now, Congress must act to end the transport to slaughter of American horses to Mexico and Canada. These brutally long trips over the border end in a grisly form of slaughter—the need for federal legislation has never been more urgent than it is today.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_horsecallinday

TAKE ACTION
Check to see if your U.S. Representative is already a co-sponsor of H.R. 503 and if your two U.S. Senators are co-sponsors of S. 311.

If they are, please call and thank them for supporting H.R. 503/S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, and urge them to do all that they can to pass this important legislation.

If they are not, please call and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 503/S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and prohibit their export for slaughter in other countries.

You can reach your members of Congress by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or click here to look up your federal legislators and their Capitol office phone numbers.

Let us know you called! Fill in and submit the form on the right to help us track the calls in to Congress.

I made the call for horses

I called my members of Congress and urged them to support H.R. 503/S. 311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to end the slaughter and transport to slaughter of American horses.

Signed by:
[Your name]
[Your address]