ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

MAKING A LIST

It is the time of season for hope and good wishes for health and happiness and soon it will be 2009.

A new year means new dreams for horsefolks, handicappers, bettors and fans alike.

Everyone has their own wish list for horse racing for the new year.

HERE'S WISHING that horse owners and trainers take care of their horses during and after their racing careers.
Too many are still ending up tossed aside to end up at the London, Ontario OLEX or Barkey's in Cookstown, Ontario - ultimately on trips to the slaughterhouses.

And hey, why are there slaughterhouses still open in Canada anyway?

HERE'S WISHING that Ontario HORSE RACING continues to progress - betting was down a bit in 2008 -hey, who has money? - but the racing was overall quite good and how about all the new faces Woodbine saw as far as owners and trainers and shippers are concerned?

HERE'S WISHING that a smart solution to the FORT ERIE disaster is found. Does that mean shut it down or get the province and the government involved? Tough call.

HERE'S WISHING that tracks can find a way to lure people to the races - education on how to handicap a race has to be a top consideration - the amount of stats and info in the DAILY RACING FORM is mind boggling - new fans will need help.

HERE'S WISHING that all groups of horse racing - backstretch workers, veterinarians, blacksmiths, front side workers sitting at desks, and those in-between, work together to promote the sport.
Too many folks that make money in horse racing care too little about the future of the game.

HERE'S WISHING everyone has super holiday season, your horses are happy and well and so are you and yours.

- THOROUGHBLOG

*Thank you to my little group of advertisers: PARK STUD, ASCOT STUD, MARK RIPPLE, MATT NAMKUNG, KRISTA KOCOT, NICOLA SCOTT, SHYMAN FARMS, CENTENNIAL FARMS NIAGARA, PAUL TURNEY, FIRESTONE FARMS, and CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED MAGAZINE feedback has been tremendous as THOROUGHBLOG approaches its 3rd year.

My latest POLL (at right) said there are lot of owners, trainers and bettors and fans on board the 'BLOG.
If you want to join the team, send me an email with your ad, the prices are very reasonable.


HPI UPDATE

As reported in THOROUGHBLOG this week, the HPI TV channel is without pre-game shows or hosts now.

In response to the letters I have received it appears as if GULFSTREAM PARK is not on the schedule for next year's simulcast, according to the lists on the Woodbine - HPI website.

This is not likely the case so Thoroughblog will attempt to get an update.


CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

SNOW DELICIOUS (Maria's Mon-Falling Snow, by Deputy Minister) won for $17,500 claiming at Fair Grounds yesterday for Cardial Racing and trainer Tom Amoss. The filly was bred by Sean Fitzhenry in Ontario and she raced at Woodbine this summer and fall. She was claimed from the race by Joe Rink and Ed Johnston.



UPCOMING

Ouch, FATAL BULLET would have liked nice and cozy in Friday's Malibu - instead the gelding is on the swidelines for 3 months.

Malibu S. (G1)

7 Furlongs (All Weather Track) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $250,000

Post # Horse Jockey Weight Claim Price Equip. Med.

1 Into Mischief Espinoza V 119 L
2 Colonel John Gomez G K 123 L
3 Bob Black Jack Flores D R 119 L
4 Golden Spikes Rosario J 123
5 Nownownow Talamo J 115 L
6 Guns On the Table Bejarano R 117 L
7 Georgie Boy Prado E S 119 L


FABULOUS STRIKE is another superstar in action this weekend:


Saturday, Aqueduct
GRAVESEND H.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo/up, 6f
PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY WT

1 Night Stand Diamond Alvarado Jr 114
2 Fabulous Strike Smart Strike Dominguez 126
3 Songster Songandaprayer Maragh 117
4 Lucky Island (Arg) Lucky Roberto Garcia 121
5 Good Card Good and Tough Castellano 114
6 Grand Champion Two Punch Migliore 117
7 True Quality Elusive Quality Lopez 115
8 Cavallo Pazzo Mt. Livermore Hill 115


EXCERPT:
TORONTO STAR REPORT

Handicapper complains about Woodbine contest being called off by glitch
Dec 23, 2008 04:30 AM

CHRIS ZELKOVICH
SPORTS REPORTER

David Fasulo says he was waiting for confirmation last week that he had won $6,000 in an online fantasy horse handicapping game.

Instead, he was told that all he was getting was a $10 credit. The Brampton resident says he isn't buying Woodbine Entertainment Group's explanation that a software glitch prompted the online game, in which contestants made fantasy bets on 12 harness races held on Dec. 13, to be shut down.

"If you can't trust (Woodbine), who can you trust?" Fasulo wrote in an email to the Star.

Woodbine says it's not a matter of trust but an unfortunate series of events caused by the malfunction of software provided by Toronto's Fantasy Sports Services, Inc.

Corporate affairs vice-president Jane Holmes said Fantasy Sports, which is owned by the Toronto Star, notified the track that it was having problems with the software early in the race card and that incorrect results were being posted.

"As soon as it was determined that the problems could not be corrected, the contest was cancelled," she said. "The unofficial results that had been showing were not accurate."

Woodbine says it stopped the game before the final race and notified the 575 entrants, all subscribers to HorsePlayer Interactive, that $10 would be credited to their accounts. Holmes said the game would be offered again once software issues had been corrected.

READ THE REST..
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/557696