REST

INDIAN IS A BLESSING, AGAIN

But Indyanne breaks down, may be saved

Indian Blessing wins at Santa Anita
The Associated Press

ARCADIA, Calif.: Indian Blessing beat Ginger Pop by 1 1/2 lengths to take the $250,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Santa Anita.

Bsharpsonata was a nose back in the field of seven.

Under John Velazquez, Indian Blessing recorded her sixth victory of 2008 in 1:20.59. The winning purse of $150,000 increased her career earnings to $2,437,200. She paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.10 and has posted a 6-3-0 record in nine starts this year for earnings of $1,080,000.

The 36th running of the La Brea was marred by an injury to front-running Indyanne, who took a bad step and was pulled up nearing mid-stretch. Jockey Russell Baze was not injured. Track veterinarian Dr. Jill Bailey said there was a possibility the gray filly might be saved.

A race prior, Garrett Gomez, the nation's leading rider for a third straight year, was injured when his mount, Back At You, ducked into the rail during the stretch run of the $78,070 Eddie Logan Stakes for 2-year-olds. The jockey appeared to tumble headfirst onto the turf and might have been struck by his mount as the horse attempted to rise. Back At You eventually got to his feet and was not seriously injured.

Gomez was transported by ambulance to Arcadia Methodist Hospital. According to his agent, Ron Anderson, Gomez had several teeth knocked out, sustained a gash on his left knee and a swollen left hand. It remained unclear if he would be able to ride again before year's end.

Following the incident in the Eddie Logan, Flashmans Papers went on to win by a half length over 17-10 favorite Kelly Leak in the one-mile turf event with Congor Bay a neck back in third. The winning time was 1:36.61

He paid $14.20 to win and earned $45,870 to increase his career bankroll to $150,180 from a 3-0-2 record in eleven starts.


AND HE'S FABULOUS, AGAIN!

EXCERPT...Fabulous Strike wins Gravesend at Aqueduct

Associated Press - December 27, 2008 8:55 PM ET

NEW YORK (AP) - Fabulous Strike - 1 of the leading sprinters in the nation - has rolled to a 1 3/4-length win over True Quality in the $103,100 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct.

The 1-2 favorite made the task easier by scaring away half the competition. Eight horses were entered for Saturday's six-furlong race, but only four showed up.

True Quality took charge early, and Ramon Dominguez let Fabulous Strike settle in second. Then Fabulous Strike simply overpowered the pacesetter in the deep stretch. The time was 1:09.74 over a track rated good at the foggy Big A.

Fabulous Strike is a 5-year-old gelding trained by Todd Beattie. The horse earned $64,860 for owner Walter Downey. He got his 12th victory in 19 career starts, paying $3.10 and $2.30.

read the rest..
http://www.rnntv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9585188&nav=menu566_2


WOODBINE CLARIFIES POSITION ON SIMULCAST REVENUE

WEG RELEASE

To Woodbine Standardbred Horsepeople,

On December 24, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) provided its position to standardbred horsepeople regarding the outstanding issues related to the Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA) contract that expires on December 31, 2008. This included the fact that WEG is not proposing any changes to the sharing of wagering revenue from the previous contract.

However, horsepeople have since told us they have some concerns relating to revenue sharing from winter thoroughbred simulcast races. To clarify some misinformation, WEG commits to making no changes to the current winter simulcasting revenue sharing arrangement between breeds during the term of the proposed agreement.

WEG intends to offer live racing despite the call by OHHA to boycott the entry box.

Sincerely,

Woodbine Entertainment Group


AND OHHA MEETS TUESDAY...


The Ontario Harness Horse Association has sent out a notice of meeting for its district 6 members.

The meeting, which has been scheduled to discuss the WEG/OHHA contract for 2009 and beyond, is scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 7 p.m.

The meeting will take place at The Best Western Milton Inn at 161 Chisholm Drive in Milton, Ontario.

OHHA encourages its members to attend as a vote is expected to be taken.

Members are reminded to bring their membership card as membership will be verified at the door.

(With files from OHHA)


QUEEN OF THE FOG
Canadians elsewhere

QUEEN OF ALL CATS won the first race at foggy PENN NATIONAL yesterday, in deep slop and the races were cancelled one event later.
The Ontario bred by D'wildcat-Queen of Skye, Sky Classic is owned by Marko Mesic and was trained by Sam Webb. She won for $10,000 maiden claiming.



FIRST EPISODE OF JOCKEYS
airing on ANIMAL PLANET in February

If you love jockeys, then you will get your fix from this documentary on jockeys in California, starting Feb. 6 on Animal Planet.

The lives of a select group old riders, old timers and a couple of younger ones, are featured. Fast horses, big money and getting paid when you lose - it can be a great life!

(Curiously, the race-call heard of the first stakes race shown with Joe Talamo and Aaron Gryder is done by calling the jockeys names more than the horses...)

http://press.discovery.com/ekits/jockeys/


REMEMBERING SAM THOMPSON JR.

American jockey Sam Thompson Jr., 36

from Associated Press and wral.com

N.C. jockey dies after accident on Calif. track


Smithfield, N.C. — A jockey who grew up in Johnston County died Christmas Day, five days after a quarter horse threw him following a race at California's Los Alamitos Race Course.

Sam Thompson Jr., 36, had been on life support at Los Alamitos Medical Center in Orange County since the Dec. 20 accident. Thompson's family decided to take him off life support after he began to fail, and he passed away around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Lin Strickland, Thompson's brother-in-law, said.

Harems Dynasty, a 2-year-old filly starting in her first race, threw Thompson after finishing seventh.

Thompson grew up on a family farm off Stevens Chapel Road in Smithfield, Strickland said. He also attended Princeton High School.

Strickland said that Thompson's family encouraged him to retire last year, but he refused, saying that if he died on the track, he would die happy.

A broken foot forced Thompson to sit out most of the 2008 season, but he had won 12 races at Los Alamitos by Dec. 15, according to a release from the race course. Through his career, he won 600 quarter-horse races, including 55 stakes races at Los Alamitos.

Thompson was a leader in the jockey's room at Los Alamitos, as a Jockey's Guild senator and room representative, according to race course officials. He helped management in upgrading the jockeys' room and served in the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.