ACROSS THE LAND

WOODBINE FRIDAY, DAY 1 OF 6 STRAIGHT CARDS!!
Pick 7 carryover up to $12,000


Woodbine powers through a six-day stretch beginning today.

There will be lots of races and stakes action and the purse money offered for these races - Wow!


RAIN EXPECTED all day tomorrow for the King Edward Breeders' Cup tomorrow - Grade 2, $300,000, the favourite has never won a stake (SOCIETY'S CHAIRMAN)

Bison City, Sunday, 2nd leg of Triple Tiara, no Oaks winner, best Beyer Figure in race comes from recent maiden winner (SKIPPING QUEEN)

My Dear Stakes is Monday - 2yo fillies, should see some shippers, perhaps ROYAL CARD, who is co-owned by Canadian Mark Dobson

Dominion Day is Tuesday - True Metropolitan and Sterwins, hoping for some big name US horses.....(remember Funny Cide came once?)

There are curiously very few shippers for our big races this weekend, considering how much money is up for grabs.


Today, TODD KABEL is expected to ride in his first races since he finished 2007 in the fall.
Kabel's first mount is in race 2 on LONG JOURNEY.

Three allowance events today:

RACE 3 - on the turf for fillies and mares and Pin Oak Stables' WHISPER TO ME is favoured in a 6-horse field. She is a Thunder Gulch gal who wants a good pace to run at.

RACE 7 - maidens on the grass. NICE CASE will be favoured despite light turf breeding as he's run two 80+ Beyer Figures in 2 starts. The long stretch run may be a hurdle. Nicely bred CHEERS MATE should be a contender in a turf sprint like his mum Ring of Flowers was.

RACE 8 - Ontario sired allowance for non-winners of 2- lots of speed in the race and several recent maiden winners. NAKED NUES and BOLD FINALE are the main contenders.



LET'S GET UNITED!

Getting new folks involved in racehorse ownership is one key to the growth of the industry.
Make it addordable for you and me and people can have tons of fun following there horses and hopefully making a few dollars.

The latest Ontario syndicate (and take note of those Woodbine purses folks) is UNITED THOROUGHBREDS, started by David Godin.

"It is our goal to make ownership of race horses less challenging while taking away the major cost that is generally associated with owninga racehorse. We do this by dividing the cost of buying and keeping a horse amongst shareholders.

You have the opportunity to purchase as many shares as available, therefore choosing a participation level that fits your investment needs. Owning a race horse is a "risky" investment, with many horses racing at a claiming level or yearlings that never make a race at all. Dividing the "risk" will ensure owning a racehorse is a manageable expense that will allow you to learn the ropes before risking it all."

Godin has enlisted several top horsepeople to start purchasing yearlings this fall for the inaugural United syndicate.

His website is detailed on how the monies are divided and there will be plenty of information there for owners.

You can check his website by clicking on his advertisment at RIGHT.



ALEX BROWN ON THE BLOOD-HORSE


There was a good on-line chat at THE BLOOD-HORSE yesterday featuring horse welfare guru ALEX BROWN, who gallops horses for Steve Asmussen at Woodbine as well.
Brown answered questions about everything (he loves the female jockey colony at WOODBINE), even about his employment with Asmussen.

Read the transcript HERE:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses/AB062608.asp



ASMUSSEN FACES POSSIBLE LONG SUSPENSION
and one of his owner's MOSS to fight for him
(and DUTROW has another too)

Just not a great year for the racing industry.
Two of the prominent trainers have positives again, one, Steve Asmussen has horses stabled at Woodbine.
The drug is a class 2 but Asmussen will fight it according to the LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL:


Asmussen to fight Texas finding on lidocaine
By Jennie Rees • jrees@courier-journal.comThe Courier-Journal • June 27, 2008


An attorney for leading trainer Steve Asmussen vowed yesterday to fight the Texas Racing Commission's charge that a 2-year-old filly in his care tested positive for the local anesthetic lidocaine after winning a maiden race at Lone Star Park on May 10.

Lawyer and horse owner Maggi Moss said she feels so strongly that she's making it her first legal case in 1½ years. Moss -- who led the nation in victories in 2006 and won her first Churchill Downs title last spring -- was a high-profile defense attorney in Des Moines, Iowa, before taking an indefinite leave to devote full time to her racing stable.

Her trainers include Asmussen, who leads the country in victories and purse earnings with a massive stable that includes Horse of the Year Curlin. Moss said she hired Karen Murphy, a well-known New York equine attorney, as co-counsel. Lidocaine, which is present in some hand lotions, isn't allowed in a horse's system while racing.

It is classified by the Association of Racing Commissioners International as a Class 2 drug, which means it has therapeutic use but also a high potential to enhance performance.

Moss said Asmussen was served by the Texas Racing Commission yesterday morning with a charge that Gainesway Stable's 2-year-old filly Timber Trick tested positive for a metabolite of lidocaine after winning a May 10 maiden race at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie.

A metabolite is what is produced after the drug goes through the body.

In a release yesterday evening confirming the charge, the commission said Texas has zero tolerance for any substances banned for racing, except the anti-bleeder medication furosemide and the anti-inflammatory known as bute.

If the Lone Star stewards determine there's been a violation, the penalty under Texas law is a fine ranging from $1,500 to $2,500, a suspension of six months to a year and loss of the race purse. Other states would honor those sanctions.

read the story:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/SPORTS08/806270554/1002/SPORTS



IN BRITISH COLUMBIA:
DANCING ALLSTAR HEADS TO FLORIDA,
MILLENIUM ALLSTAR REMEMBERED


DAILY RACING FORM'S Randy Goulding reports that DANCING ALLSTAR, Canada's champion 2yo filly last year who is pummeling her opposition in western Canada, could race next at Calder in a Summit of Speed race on July 12.
The filly is headed to Woodbine in a week and then to Florida if arrangements can be made.
She is owned by Bob Cheema and trained by Terry Jordan.

Dancing Allstar's late sire is honoured here:


Millennium Allstar's legacy one for the ages Tom Wolski, The Province


Last weekend for the second consecutive year, two young horses, Dancing Allstar and Star Prospector, bred by Bent Tree Farm's outstanding stallion Millennium Allstar, each won $50,000 CTHS (Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society) Sales Stakes races.

It's a feat for the record books, but the story of how these two horses and their breeder Val Hiebert made it this far is a story worth telling.

In 2004, Hiebert's husband Don in search of a top stallion for their breeding farm purchased Millennium Allstar from NHL goalie Curtis Joseph. The stallion was later bred to mares High On Believen and Lady Fettuccine. In January 2005, after a long battle with cancer, on a vet's advice, Millennium Allstar was euthanized.

Five months later, his owner also passed away from serious illness.

"It was shocking," said Val. "It was extremely sad because Don loved Millennium Allstar and only got to see Dancing Allstar in the field for a few months before passing away. He never did see Star Prospector."

"Because Don had passed away before ever knowing how good he was and had no idea Millennium Allstar would turn out to be this top stallion, he set up a partial will that we hold a partial dispersal of the farm."

Abiding by her husband's will, Val sold the two mares privately, and sold Dancing Allstar and Star Prospector through the CTHS. Last year, Bent Tree Farm was named B.C.'s Leading Breeder. Over the past three years Hiebert has presented winning trophies to horses she bred at her small breeding farm.

BONUS RACES: Hard to remember when B.C. had five consecutive days of live horse racing. This afternoon thoroughbred racing returns to Sunflower Downs in Princeton for perhaps the only one-day race meeting in Canada. This unique annual event celebrates the 40th running of Princeton Days, a key highlight of the lesser-known "B" Circuit of horse racing in this province.


ALBERTA RACING FUTURE, FOR NOW, RESTS AT NORTHLANDS


The EDMONTON SUN's JOHN SHORT talks with LES BUTLER about Northlands Park in Edmonton, where racing may have to live for the next 2 years...

More than a dozen years ago, Les Butler was hired to take control of racing at Northlands Park.

In the early stages, surrounded by clutter as the Spectrum was taking shape as part of the Northlands commitment to thoroughbred and standardbred racing, he talked openly of his hope that both breeds would prosper to the point that five-year plans were almost commonplace.

"I felt that we needed that sort of stability to let everyone grow comfortable," he recalled this week. Now an assistant general manager whose special responsibilities include racing and gaming, Butler could not hide his frustration when asked to predict the future of all aspects of racing in this region. Like it or not, every intelligent projection is coloured by the on-again, off-again state of the CrossIron racing development at Balzac, near Calgary's northern edge.

"Everyone is aware that the project won't be started until 2010 at the earliest," Butler said. With Calgary Exhibition and Stampede officials adamant that they won't be involved in racing next year - and with several horsemen equally insistent that they wouldn't return to Stampede Park under any conditions - the pressure sits squarely on Northlands to accommodate both harness and thoroughbred seasons next year.

"There is always talk that Lethbridge or Grande Prairie or some other centre (Ponoka? Lacombe?) could be made to work," he cautioned, "but I don't see it happening in a year." After completing their spring season here, the hard-working harness folks moved to Grande Prairie, where purses are small and expenses are high. It has been reported that the average handle for "live" racing at Grande Prairie is less than $2,000 per day. If so, there is no sign of the bright future horsemen would like to anticipate.

"There is only one track that can accommodate exercise riders in sufficient numbers to prepare and operate a full race meeting for either breed," Butler said. "This is it." The Northlands commitment began long before the Spectrum was built and is still intact. Last year, the cost of renovating a paddock, creating a dedicated sports book and upgrading service and facilities contributed to a $300,000 Northlands loss. "We can't afford that again," he said.

More than a dozen years ago, Les Butler was hired to take control of racing at Northlands Park.

In the early stages, surrounded by clutter as the Spectrum was taking shape as part of the Northlands commitment to thoroughbred and standardbred racing, he talked openly of his hope that both breeds would prosper to the point that five-year plans were almost commonplace.

"I felt that we needed that sort of stability to let everyone grow comfortable," he recalled this week. Now an assistant general manager whose special responsibilities include racing and gaming, Butler could not hide his frustration when asked to predict the future of all aspects of racing in this region. Like it or not, every intelligent projection is coloured by the on-again, off-again state of the CrossIron racing development at Balzac, near Calgary's northern edge. "Everyone is aware that the project won't be started until 2010 at the earliest," Butler said.

With Calgary Exhibition and Stampede officials adamant that they won't be involved in racing next year - and with several horsemen equally insistent that they wouldn't return to Stampede Park under any conditions - the pressure sits squarely on Northlands to accommodate both harness and thoroughbred seasons next year.

"There is always talk that Lethbridge or Grande Prairie or some other centre (Ponoka? Lacombe?) could be made to work," he cautioned, "but I don't see it happening in a year."

After completing their spring season here, the hard-working harness folks moved to Grande Prairie, where purses are small and expenses are high. It has been reported that the average handle for "live" racing at Grande Prairie is less than $2,000 per day. If so, there is no sign of the bright future horsemen would like to anticipate. "There is only one track that can accommodate exercise riders in sufficient numbers to prepare and operate a full race meeting for either breed," Butler said. "This is it."

The Northlands commitment began long before the Spectrum was built and is still intact. Last year, the cost of renovating a paddock, creating a dedicated sports book and upgrading service and facilities contributed to a $300,000 Northlands loss.
"We can't afford that again," he said.

Read the rest of the story from the Edmonton Sun..
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2008/06/27/6000826-sun.html



NOT VERY APPEAL-ING


Lots of appealing going on these days - JEREMY ROSE has an appeal hearing set for the middle of July for his whip incident when he hit a mare in the eye in a race last wekend (scroll down to a post from 2 days ago watch the head-on, it's shocking).
TYLER PIZARRO has appealed 3 and 5-day suspensions according to DAILY RACING FORM, one of which involved a rider falling off.
Pizarro has received some accolades, and some head scratchings, for his ride on SKIPPED BAIL on Wednesday night when he had the horse in several jackpots but showed no fear to barge his way through.


eBAY SADDLE TOWELS FROM PLATE, 4 days left!!!

The saddle towels worn by QUEEN'S PLATE STARTERS are up for auction at eBay. All horses are at their reserve bids except for one:
SHADOWLESS has had 7 bids and is up from $250 to $510!

Show your support for horses and LONGRUN...

http://search.ebay.ca/queens-plate_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQfromZR40QQsatitle
ZqueenQ27sQ20plate