YEAR END

Sunshine on my shoulders...JIMMYMAC BEAR, a promising 2yo (soon to be 3) trains at Palm Meadows last week for trainer Reade Baker, photo by Janis Maine.




TWO-HORSE RACE AT FAIR GROUNDS
but ship-in horses allowed to race starting tomorrow

The equine herpes outbreak at Fair Grounds is reportedly contained but not until a race was decimated to must 2 horses yesterday....

EXCERPT..
Ban lifted on horses shipping in to Fair Grounds
by Bob Fortus, The Times-Picayune Monday December 29, 2008, 8:31 PM

Despite five more Fair Grounds horses testing positive for equine herpes, ship-in horses will be allowed to race at the track when racing resumes Wednesday.

"Positives are limited to the barn that's under the quarantine, and there's no indication that there's any infection in the rest of the population,''said Dr. Tom David, Louisiana State Racing Commission equine medical director.

Results from the first round of testing on about 40 horses trained by Dallas Stewart and 26 trained by Neil Howard were obtained Monday by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Stewart confirmed that the positives came from Jean Lafitte, Seaside Home, Pearl of Valor, Clear Sailing and Wizardofdoneraile - 2-year-olds in his barn.

Howard's horses tested clean. "I'm sorry about all the trouble that's happening, and we're doing our best to get to the bottom of it,'' Stewart said.

"I feel bad because it's hurt racing. ... For the inconvenience it's caused, I apologize.'' Officials of the LDAF and racing officials, including representatives from the Louisiana State Racing Commission, the Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, the Evangeline Training Center and the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, met Monday in Baton Rouge on how to deal with the situation.

Afterward, the commission decided that it is safe to allow ship-ins to the Fair Grounds, subject to LDAF criteria, and to lift a lockdown on horses based at the Fair Grounds, said commission executive director Charles Gardiner.

Horses were allowed Saturday to ship to the receiving barn and race at the Fair Grounds. Those horses had to leave the track after racing. But restrictions were tightened Sunday, when no horses were allowed to ship to the Fair Grounds to race.

There were 44 scratches Sunday, most of them of horses scheduled to ship to the track to race.

Because the test results on the horses in question weren't known Sunday, the tighter restrictions continued in effect Monday.

There were 37 scratches on the Monday card, again mostly of horses scheduled to ship to the track.

Twelve horses were scratched from the second race, creating a two-horse race.

Under the LDAF criteria, handlers of horses shipping to the Fair Grounds must bring proof that the horses had a certified veterinary inspection within the previous 48 hours and a recent herpes vaccination, Gardiner said.

Also, the horses must show a normal temperature reading upon arrival, he said. Stewart's and Howard's barns, which are connected, have been quarantined since Friday in response to a positive test for equine herpes on the filly Diamond Song, who is trained by Stewart.

She was sent to a Kentucky equine hospital last week after losing equilibrium after a workout.

http://www.nola.com/horseracing/index.ssf/2008/12/ban_lifted_on_horses_shipping.html



CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

WARRIOR BELLE (War Deputy-Bebopper, Prosperous) won an allowance/optional claiming race at Charles Town Sunday for the Webb Stable.
The Ontario bred won the 4 1/2 furlong race in 51.82 and was offered for the $25,000 claiming price. Brian Wallace is the breeder.

BELLE OF ASCOT (Ascot Knight-Marina Bella, Bold Executive) won for $5,000 claiming at Moutaineer yesterday for David Hix. The Jennifer Leuty-bred 5yo mare won by 3 1/2 lengths.

And in PERU

(from Thoroughbred Daily News)
Apple Ollie, c, 3, Swain (Ire)--Soundtrack (SW, $351,668), by Lear Fan. Hipodromo de Monterrico, 12-28, Cond, 9fT, 1:53. Lifetime Record: 9-5-1-1,
S4,000. O-Stud Discusion; B-Dr John Storer & Mr & Mrs Hugh Lowenstein (ON); T-Juan Manuel Umbert. *$8,500 yrl >06 KEESEP; $5,200 2yo =07 FTKFEB.



BEAR NOW still BUSY

Champion olde rmare in Canada BEAR NOW had a workout at Fair Grounds yesterday - 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 - and appears to be readying for continuing her racing season following her unplaced outing in the Breeders' Cup.
The Tiznow mare was sold by Bear Stables for $950,000 at the Keeneland November sale to Town & Country Stable.



ECLIPSE AWARDS
are all these awards getting stagnant?


The winning photo has been announced and soon, voters will get their packages to vote for the Eclipse Awards for 2008.

Horse of the Year figures to come down to CURLIN and ZENYATTA.

The loss of racing coverage in newspapers etc. has seemed to have an affect on the stuff winning horse racing awards these days.

The photo category for the SOVEREIGN AWARDS featured a tiny group of entered photos and the winning one was of Charles Fipke kissing his horse.

Now, the ECLIPSE AWARD winning photo (large pic by Matt Goins at right) is virtually the same photo that won in 1999 (below) - Frankie Dettori leaping off a grey horse.





JOHN HENRY DOCUMENTARY
Upcoming movie on the great JOHN HENRY...