FINI

UPDATE 1:43 P.M.


WOODBINE HAS TO CANCEL LAST CARD OF RACING!!
Mother Nature not happy today

Brisk wind and temperatures that would make an ice cube uncomfortable led to the cancellation of racing at WOODBINE - unfortunately on its final day of racing for the season.

More to come...



Enjoy the last day of racing at Woodbine - the big promotion today is the HBPA/Longrun calender giveaway!

If you have not said THANK YOU to the horses yet, this is a good day to do so.

Donate to LONGRUN today!



HUSBANDS BY 2...MAY HAVE WRAPPED UP TITLE

The numbers appear to be on the side of Patrick Husbands as 13 races are set to go today to finish up the 167 day Woodbine session.
It has been a wild ride these last few weeks as we watched the riding title get close and very competitive.
Both riders are up for a Sovereign Award on Friday night.

Name Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings

Patrick Husbands 807 164 140 111 $9,372,538
James McAleney 835 162 111 121 $8,461,072


TODAY'S MOUNTS

HUSBANDS

Race 1 Archie's Gal 3-1
Race 2 Awesome Rhythm 3-1
Race 3- Jumpto conclusions 6-1
Race 4 Skip Code 5-2
Race 6 Lucius Vorenus 8 -1
Race 7 Ascot's Legend 7-2
Race 8 Sanibel 3-1
Race 9 Southbound Again 3-1
Race 12 Lost in the Forest 6-1

MCALENEY


Race 2 - Not for Royals 8-1
Race 3 Aliciainwonderland 8-1
Race 4 Long Journey 4-1
Race 6 Thunderbear 6-1
Race 7 Ciano Nights 4-1
Race 8 Bearursa 10-1
Race 9 Beach Deputy 6-1
Race 10 Include Us 15-1
Race 13 Stolonboy 15-1



WOODBINE JOCKEY DRAWS YEAR BAN

Thoroughblog and DAILY RACING FORM have learned that Simon Husbands has received a one year ban for an "unsatisfactory ride" in a race last Sunday at Woodbine.

The Woodbine stewards reportedly received at least one complaint - owner, trainer or fan, it was disclosed who it was - soon after the running of the race in which Husbands' horse Bug's Boy was second as a longshot.

Read more from DAILY RACING FORM..


By Bill Tallon

Jockey Simon Husbands is facing a suspension of one calendar year for what stewards termed "an unsatisfactory ride" aboard Bug's Boy, who finished second in the third race at Woodbine on Nov. 30.

"Husbands did not persevere with his mount throughout the race or demonstrate an effort to ensure the best and fastest race of which his mount was capable," read the stewards' ruling, which was released Saturday.

Stewards Richard Grubb, Fenton Platts, and Gunnar Lindberg heard testimony from Husbands and trainer John LeBlanc, whose wife, Maggie, and son, Douglas, own Bug's Boy. Robert King, secretary manager of the Jockeys' Benefit Association of Canada, also was present.

Bug's Boy finished second in the race at 14-1.

Husbands, 39, is the older brother of Patrick Husbands, who has been one of the top riders at Woodbine over the past decade.

Through Friday, Simon Husbands had ridden 165 horses at the Woodbine meeting and recorded 13 wins, a total of 45 in-the-money finishes, and earnings of $677,495.

Grubb, the senior steward at the hearing, said that Husbands indicated he will appeal the suspension, which was set for Dec. 8, 2008, through Dec. 7, 2009.

GRIT ON DISPLAY

81 Beyer for Patena

The regally bred PATENA got up in time to win the Display Stakes yesterday at Woodbine to become the latest stakes winner in the rich family of Passing Mood, one of the great broodmares in Canadian history.

Patena had a nice trip to stalk the pace in the 1 1/16 mile race and took aim on the filly HOOH WHY in deep stretch and got it done.
It was another good win for veteran rider Rob Landry who has had a super season.

John and Glenn Silkura and Domenic Dilalla (Centennial Farms Niagara) own the colt.

Trainer Josie Carroll, who trained Patena's dam, Handpainted, was
thrilled to see the Kentucky-bred reel off his second consecutive win.

"Physically, there are a lot of similarities between the two,"
offered Carroll. "This horse was going to take a little time. The
owners let me take as much time between races and its' certainly paid
off."

Landry, who won his first Display, praised Patena for his gumption down
the lane.

"I've always really liked this horse," said Landry, who is
closing in on 2,000 career wins. "Josie's done a great job with him
and gave him a chance to develop. He's a good, little horse. When you
ride those kind of horses, it makes our job really easy."

Patena came into the Display on a winning note, a maiden-breaking 5 ¼
length romp at seven furlongs on November 9 at the Toronto oval.

Hooh Why, the lone filly in the field, put in a game effort after a
third-place finish in the Glorious Song Stakes on November 15.

"She tried hard," said jockey Justin Stein. "She ran a really
strong race today."


EXCERPT - HILL'N' DALE WEBSITE BLOG....

PATENA WINS DISPLAY STAKES

Several years ago Hill 'N' Dale Farms had a dilemma. Because of a recent major transaction we had more stallion seasons than mares to breed them to. The solution was to sell as many seasons as possible and attempt to create some "foal sharing" arrangements with others. The result was entering into a multi year agreement with Holtsinger Inc. owners of the top broodmare PASSING MOOD.

For the Hill 'N' Dale/Holtsinger partnership, PASSING MOOD produced stakes winners-BAR U MOOD, TOUCH GOLD-G1 and DAIJIN.

DAIJIN had been offered for sale by our sales agency but we bought out the partnership when she failed to reach her sales reserve. Racing for Hill 'N' Dale, DAIJIN was a stakes winner at 3 winning the prestigious Selene S. and then running 3rd in the Test G1 at Saratoga.

As a producer, DAIJIN has been very kind to us commercially. We have also been fortunate to keep 2 A.P. INDY daughters of DAIJIN. Named HANDPAINTED and SERENADING, these 2 fillies have went on to be stakes winners.

HANDPAINTED came very close to winning Championship honours at 2 in Canada and continued her winning ways as a multiple stakes winner at 4. SERENADING was a stakes winner at 4 this season and will run again next season with very high expectations.

How does PATENA fit in to the equation? He is a 2 year-old son of SEEKING THE GOLD and HANDPAINTED. After breaking his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in his previous start, PATENA won the Dec. 06 Display S. ($150,000) at Woodbine Racetrack, representing the 6th stakes winner that we have bred or co-bred from this family.

"Oil Painting" a 2007 DISTORTED HUMOR filly out of HANDPAINTED, will be a part of our 2009 racing stable.



SPICEY
excerpt from brisnet.com

(Canadian-owned and trained) Spice Route hangs on for dear life in Tropical Turf

Harlequin Ranches' SPICE ROUTE (GB) (King's Best) had never run as short as 1 1/8 miles prior to Saturday's $100,000 Tropical Turf H. (G3) at Calder, and one might have wondered why the Canadian International (Can-G1) runner-up did not just hold tight a week to contest the 12-furlong W.L. McKnight H. (G2) on December 13 over the same course. Trainer Roger Attfield's decision to shorten up paid dividends, however, as the four-year-old gelding rallied from sixth to prevail in a head-bob over 6-5 favorite Soldier's Dancer (Lost Soldier) to capture the $60,140 winner's share by a nose.

Under Javier Castellano, the 3-1 second choice brought back $8, $3.40 and $3.20 after completing nine furlongs on firm ground in 1:48 2/5. Soldier's Dancer, who rated near the back before launching his wide bid in the final furlong, just failed in a sharp effort and returned $3.20 and $2.80. A. P. Magic (A.P. Indy), who set fractions of :24 1/5, :49 2/5 and 1:13 1/5, turned back the challenge of two-time Tropical Turf winner Ballast (Ire) (Desert Prince [Ire]) to reclaim third by a head, two lengths behind Soldier's Dancer, returning $10.40 to show at 62-1. The exacta was worth $21.60, the trifecta $374, and the superfecta with Ballast (4-2-7-6) returned $1,921.40.

Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic) finished fifth and was followed under the wire by Silver Tree (Hennessy), Simmard (Dixieland Band) and Minister's Joy (Deputy Minister), who trailed throughout. It's a Bird (Birdonthewire) was scratched.

"He was turning back in distance from the longer races in Canada, but I wasn't concerned," Attfield said. "I've always thought he could be a good miler. I loved him today."