JUST DESERT

CHAPEL ROYAL's first crop of foals race this year at 2. Did you take him for your Freshman Sire team? (PHOTO from www.horse-races.net)
Read below for important update/ammendment to the THOROUGHBLOG contest!

THOROUGHBLOG FRESHMAN SIRE CONTEST – UPDATE!!

Okay folks, the entries are rolling in for the THOROUGHBLOG FRESHMAN SIRE CONTEST and there have been lots of ideas and offers for prizes so we can look forward to that.

I asked everyone to send in their top 10 1^st crop sires and points will be given for each sire’s winners, stakes winners, etc.

**UPDATE – I would request that everyone decide, from their list, A STALLION STAR, so that the points will be doubled for that sire and we avoid having any dead-heats/ties.

So please – for those of you who sent in a team, can you please email me a stallion star from your list and I will publish these as we get closer to the cut-off date – MARCH 1.

Thanks for your patience! It’s my first contest!

SPEAKING OF CONTESTS

If you like sports pools, the ROAD TO THE ROSES fantasy league is open for business – it’s free or you can pay $10 for a team with a chance to win even bigger prizes.

Go to www.roadtotheroses.com to play.

Also, the Kentucky Derby’s 10^th annual Future Wager opens Thursday, time to start sifting through the contenders and picking out your favourite.

CURLIN HEADED TO DUBAI NEXT WEEK

Owner Jesse Jackson said that Horse of the Year CURLIN is going to prep for the Dubai World Cup in Dubai in a race on Feb.28.

The Smart Strike colt has been training in New Orleans with Steve Asmussen.

From the Louisville-courier journal..

"We weighed the pros and cons of taking him overseas or kicking off 2008 in the (United States)," Jackson said. "… It comes down to the fact that Curlin has earned the chance to compete in the Dubai World Cup and has the opportunity to continue to make history as an international champion."

Only 2 other Horses of the Year have raced in the Dubai World Cup – Cigar and Invasor.

BTW - YESTERDAY

NO ACRONYMS won her maiden at Philadelphia Park for LITTLE RED FEATHER racing and trainer David Duggan in her 3^rd career start. The Ontario-bred 3yo filly by Milwaukee Brew – Last Supper, De Niro was bred by Adena Springs.

She won for $25,000 claiming with a 44 Beyer Figure and was claimed.

KENTUCKY BEAR, a monster winner of his debut outing for Bear Stables and trainer Reade Baker, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02 yesterday at Palm Meadows.

COMING UP – BIG SATURDAY CARD AT FAIR GROUNDS

FRENCH BERET, a Grade 3 stakes winner on the Fair Grounds turf in his last start for Sam-Son Farms, has the rail for the Fair Grounds Handicap on Saturday.

The Ontario-bred Broad Brush 5yo gelding will be ridden again by James Graham.

STERWINS, third to French Beret in the Col. Bradley last time, is also in the field with Patrick Husbands up. The Ontario bred is owned by Eugene Melynk.

Both guys meets tough ones like champion BETTER TALK NOW.

LEGAL MOVE, one of the top Ontario-sired runners at Woodbine, is in the COLONEL POWERS STAKES at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf on Saturday. The Bold Executive 4yo, owned by Woodford Racing, has not competed since November when 5^th in the Kennedy Road Stakes against older horses.

Legal Move is up against a loaded field of speedsters including the undefeated Langfuhr colt EUROEARS.

Trainer Mark Casse will send out Kentucky bred BONANZA in the tough Risen Star Stakes for Kentucky Derby aspirants.

From Sun-Sentinel

HORSE RACING: Runner-up protests Suwannee River winner Green Girl

A protest was filed Monday with Gulfstream Park officials contesting the running

and results of Sunday's $100,000 Suwannee River Handicap.

The complaint was filed by Mark Hennig, trainer for race runner-up La Dolce Vita.

The protest centers around the actions of race winner, Green Girl, who unseated jockey Rene Douglas during the post parade.

When Green Girl tossed Douglas as the field was entering the track, jockeys Eibar Coa and Edgar Prado dismounted their horses, J'ray and Bel Air Beauty, respectively.

From DAILY RACING FORM…As the basis for the protest, Mark Hennig, who trains La Dolce Vita, cited a Gulfstream Park house rule that states, "If a horse throws its jockey on the way from the paddock to post the horse must be returned to the point where the jockey was thrown where it shall be remounted and proceed over the route of the parade to the post. The horse must carry its assigned weight from paddock to post and from post to finish."

"Me and every trainer and jockey in the race thought it was absurd Green Girl was allowed to benefit by not having her impost on her for approximately 10 minutes," said Hennig. "We are talking about a handicap race in which the basic principle of handicapping the weights is to even things out between the participants. Having one horse go 10 minutes not carrying its weight prior to the race goes completely against that principle."

Gulfstream Park rules require horses to carry full weight from the paddock to the starting gate.

Officials expect to render a decision by Friday.

— Tim Dwyer

from the ‘YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING’ FILE…

Valenzuela to try Louisiana

FROM DAILY RACING FORM

By MARCUS HERSH

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela plans to move his tack from Southern California to New Orleans, and was named to ride two horses on Friday's card at Fair Grounds.

Valenzuela, 45, had his conditional California jockey's license revoked on Dec. 28. Valenzuela had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on Dec. 20, a violation of the conditions of his license and the latest in a long line of problems that have derailed Valenzuela's career.

Racing officials in Louisiana have allowed Valenzuela to ride there because Valenzuela obtained a Louisiana jockey's license when he rode in the Dec. 7 Delta Jackpot, and that license remains in good standing. Charles Gardiner, the executive director of the Louisiana Racing Commission, said that because there were no sanctions against Valenzuela in California, and that he had not been ruled off the track, reciprocity guidelines that carry from state to state were not in effect in Valenzuela's case.

"If he didn't already have a license here, it may have been a different story," Gardiner said.

Valenzuela had launched his most recent comeback in early November in New Mexico before moving back to California. Valenzuela inquired about riding in New Mexico after his license was revoked in California, but was denied, according to the New Mexico Racing Commission. At the time of his recent inquiry, Valenzuela did not have a New Mexico license.

Valenzuela must meet with Fair Grounds stewards before he rides at the track, and Gardiner said that stewards "may ask for certain criteria" from Valenzuela.

Jockeys at Fair Grounds are tested randomly for drugs, and must undergo daily breathalyzer tests before riding

GORGEOUS HORSE PHOTOS

Just stumbled on this website.... www.Equinephoto-art.com

Photos from Nancy Rokos - very impressive.