HELLO 2009!

WHAT WILL WE WISH FOR IN 2009?

No bad news stories in racing - let's end horse slaughter and get those people who lose track of the horses they breed or own or train that made them lots of money. (see below)

Let's figure out synthetic tracks - or tracks in general. It's a mess (see below)

Let's get folks out to the track, betting!
Let's help them learn the intricacies of handicapping a race and reading the Daily Racing Form.

Let's get more facets of the industry working together to promote the sport - front side folks, office workers, photographers, media people. We're in this together people! (see below)

Good racing, in particular at Woodbine, continued strong field size but let's improve the stakes schedule (less 2yo stakes and more for sprinters, older mares) and get more folks to come for the big races!



NEW POLL ON THOROUGHBLOG

Thanks to the 100 folks who voted on the last poll - 37% of readers are OWNERS-TRAINERS, 40% are fans/bettors and 16% are industry members.

What should racing focus on in 2009? VOTE NOW (at right)

THOROUGHBLOG also points out a new advertiser - trainer VICTOR RAMOS, who has had strong success over the years including years of wins with the old-timer gelding COMARCTIC, IS SEEKING NEW CLIENTS...(SEE ad at right)




WOODBINE AND HARNESS FOLKS STILL FIGHTING
and Happy New Year!

press release..

Woodbine’s contract with the Ontario Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) has expired. Important changes Woodbine is seeking include:

* OHHA’s support in the fight against cheaters including support for Woodbine’s duty to provide honest racing by barring or suspending individuals who have had a positive test for performance enhancing drugs, and
* OHHA permitting existing HPI account wagering customers to continue wagering in the event OHHA boycotts live racing at an Ontario racetrack.

Woodbine intends to offer live racing even if field size is small as a result of OHHA’s call for a boycott.

Woodbine also intends to continue offering its customers all regular standardbred and thoroughbred simulcasts.

We ask for your patience and support while we take steps to improve the integrity of standardbred racing at Woodbine/Mohawk, as well as the consistency of HPI wagering services used by Ontario customers.

Thank you,
Woodbine Entertainment Group

**Note: OHHA explains all of its positions in one of its official publications www.downthestretchnewspaper.com



FATAL BULLET, KENTUCKY BEAR AND OTHERS.....

Fatal injuries prompt concern over track at Santa Anita

By Jay Privman
Daily Racing Form
(Archive)


ARCADIA, Calif. -- Even though Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface came through a recent spate of wet weather without losing any days to training, there has been growing concern among trainers over injuries at the track, and those fears may have been further inflamed on Wednesday when Boozin' Bear sustained fatal injuries in the day's first race.

Boozin' Bear, who suffered a condylar fracture to his right hind leg, became the third horse to be euthanized from racing injuries during the first five days of the meeting. All the horses were racing on the main track.

The first death occurred in the first race of the meet last Friday, when two horses were pulled up. One of them, Warren's Zenzo, could not be saved and was euthanized.

Flashing Forward, a 4-year-old filly who broke down in Monday's seventh race, was subsequently euthanized, Dr. Jill Bailey, Santa Anita's track veterinarian, said Wednesday.

In addition, the stakes-winning filly Indyanne sustained career-ending injuries in the La Brea Stakes last Saturday.

According to Bailey, no horses have been euthanized as a result of training injuries in the morning, though she said a horse who was injured Monday morning was undergoing surgery on Wednesday.

Ron Charles, Santa Anita's president, said he could not explain the recent injuries. He said he had been in touch with Ian Pearse, the founder of Pro-Ride, and said Pearse intends soon to travel from his native Australia to look anew at the surface.

read the rest

www.drf.com


CASSE PICKS UP WIN AT SANTA ANITA

DEEVEETEE, an Ontario bred Doneraile Court filly, won an allowance/optional claimer at Santa Anita yesterday for 2yo fillies. The filly was 4th in the Fanfreluche Stakes at Woodbine after her maiden score. She is out of stakes placed Diamonds to Me, by Belong to Me and was bred by Huntington tud Farm. Mark Casse trains for Zal Hagopian.
She was a $47,000 (can) yearling purchase.

AND CANADIANS ELSEWHERE..


TSALAGI, bred by Windways Farm in Ontario, won an allowance race at Sunland Park yesterday at 1 mile. The 3yo is by Cherokee Run--Ahead by a Century {SW
& MGSP, $369,862}, by Slew City Slew) and is 2 for 14 now for Steve Asmussen who trains for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable.
She was recently a $26,000 purchase at Keeneland November as a horse-of-racing age.

UTMOST RESPECT, bred in Ontario by Monshall Farms, won a starter allowance at Charles Town yesterday. The nine-furlong race was run in 1:55.29. The winner is a6yo (7 today!) by Numerous-Buxton Spice, Bold Ruckus.

FOREVER BEAUTY (Northern Trend-Forever Sassy, Fire Dancer) won a maiden claiming race for $12,500 at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday. Bred by Bruno Schickedanz, the filly raced 5 furlongs in 1:00.19 for owner Al Alesso.


GINGER BREW - CHAMPION 3YO FILLY IN CANADA, worked 6 furlongs on the grass in Florida yesterday - 1:16.00 - as she prepares for an upcoming stakes event.



BRISNET.COM
EXCERPT

GULFSTREAM OPENS SATURDAY

Hal's Hope, Spectacular Bid highlight Gulfstream opener
(and Reade Baker has 2 maidens entered)


Seventy years since it opened, Gulfstream Park will kick off its 2009 meet on Saturday with a nine-race card that includes a pair of stakes races, the $100,000 Hal's Hope H. (G3) and $100,000 Spectacular Bid S. First-race post time in 1:15 p.m. (EST), and the meet continues through April 23.

Four of the last six Kentucky Derby (G1) winners have wintered in South Florida, and Gulfstream's main event, the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1), will take place on March 28. Other highlights of the meet include Sunshine Millions Day on January 24; $500,000 Donn H. (G1) on January 31; and $250,000 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) on February 28.



QUEBEC HORSEMAN SENDING HORSES TO ...
excerpt from TORONTO STAR, Canadian Press

Quebec racehorses sold for meat as tracks close

Legal woes, competition from casinos hit hard at declining industry
Dec 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Andy Blatchford
THE CANADIAN PRESS

ST-ANDRÉ-D'ARGENTEUIL, Que.–Hoofing past the racehorse stalls in his stable, one of Quebec's largest breeders is quick to boast that he's among champions.

Yves Filion says he's had a lifelong passion for horse racing, but as Quebec's troubled industry plunges deeper into uncertainty, he wonders what the future holds. A pending court case has led to the indefinite closing of Quebec's harness-racing tracks and, to brace for the financial fallout, the horseman has already dispatched a pair of his prizewinner-producing mares.

"I sent them to the abattoir," he said at his stable, Bayama Farms Inc., in St-André-d'Argenteuil, northwest of Montreal.

The casualties included 11-year-old Pacific Terrific – the mother of Bayama standardbred racehorses Cherry Grove and Charming Ideal.

"It's sad, but I didn't have a choice," he said. "If the industry looked good for the future I wouldn't have had to send them over there. I would have kept them."

The Quebec government and its gaming commission, Loto-Québec, are engaged in a legal battle with the private company that operates the province's four raceways.

The company, Attractions Hippiques, has accused Loto-Québec of not living up to its side of a deal over video lottery terminals.

Until the case is heard in Quebec Superior Court, the racecourses will be boarded up indefinitely.

read the rest..
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/560007


ECLIPSE AWARD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
DO-OVER!

The winning photo for the Eclipse Award this year was farcicle (see Thoroughblog's post for a few days ago - it is also on the main page of Equidaily.com).
Never mind the subject matter but the sign is spelled wrong for Juvenile.

The Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance is having some fun with a Eclipse Award 'do-over':

http://thoroughbredbloggersalliance.blogspot.com/2008/10/big-brown-cocoa-puff-sophia-mangalee.html




NASTY STUFF FROM HARNESSLINK
re: Woodbine and harness folks

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=69445