BRIGHT FUTURE

LET'S GO!!

The WOODBINE BACKSTRETCH is OPEN

Trainers and backstretch workers were busy setting up shop on the WOODBINE BACKSTRETCH yesterday, enjoying mild temperatures (11 degrees Celcius today, highest since 1981) and lots of mud!

Meanwhile, further north - ALUMNI HALL loves to play in the snow at Norse Ridge Farms and he is a proud poppa - his first foals are arriving right now. DAVE LANDRY PHOTO.




PATENA 20 TO 1 IN KY. DERBY FUTURES


2009 KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER POOL 1 – Feb. 12-15
Number - Wagering Interest -Morning line odds


1 - Beethoven - 15-1
2 - Big Drama - 30-1
3 - Capt. Candyman Can (g) - 10-1
4 - Chocolate Candy - 50-1
5 - Flying Pegasus - 30-1
6 - Friesan Fire - 12-1
7 - Giant Oak - 15-1
8 - Haynesfield - 50-1
9 - Hello Broadway - 50-1
10 - I Want Revenge - 50-1
11 - Midshipman - 12-1
12 - Notonthesamepage - 30-1
13 - Old Fashioned - 10-1
14 - Papa Clem - 20-1
15 - Patena - 20-1
16 - Pioneerof the Nile - 12-1
17 - Silver City - 50-1
18 - Stardom Bound (f) - 12-1
19 - Taqarub - 30-1
20 - The Pamplemousse - 30-1
21 - This Ones For Phil (g)* - 12-1
22 - Vineyard Haven - 12-1
23 - West Side Bernie - 50-1
24 - Mutuel Field (“All Others”) - 5-2
(f) – filly (g) – gelding * – Not nominated to Triple Crown




MORE ON KENTUCKY DERBY-

DUBAI PREVIEW FOR TOMORROW
Vineyard Haven is in

Frankie Dettori is listed to ride DESERT PARTY for the UAE GUINEAS but VINEYARD HAVEN (photo at right from www.godolphin.com) is entered in the race as he starts his journey to the Derby.

UAE 2000 Guineas (Grade III) (G3)

About 1 Mile | Open | 3 and 4 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $250,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Rocks Off (ARG) Shea K de Kock Michael F 131 8-1
2 2 Fullback (IRE) O'Shea T P Moore James A 121 20-1
3 3 Desert Party (STREET CRY) Dettori L bin Suroor Saeed 121 2-1
4 4 Absent Pleasure (ELUSIVE QUALITY) Mullen R Martins Eduardo 121 30-1
5 5 Regionalista (BRZ) Leme J Bary Pascal F 131 15-1
6 6 Regal Ransom (DISTORTED HUMOR) O'Donohoe D J bin Suroor Saeed 121 4-1
7 7 Blues and Rock (ARG) Murtagh J P de Kock Michael F 131 12-1
8 8 Vineyard Haven (LIDO PALACE) Durcan T E bin Suroor Saeed 121 5-2
9 9 Redding Colliery (MINESHAFT) Egan J F Brown Herman J 121 8-1
10 10 I Am The Best (GB) Ffrench R L Al Raihe Ali R 121 20-1


Also on the DUBAI card, Godolphin's CITY STYLE is in the 4th race, the GNB Plate. This 3yo gelding is by City Zip out of the Canadian bred mare BRATTOTTHECORE.

CAN'T WAIT FOR QUEEN'S PLATE FANTASY?
ENTER THE ROAD TO THE ROSES CONTEST....

http://www.roadtotheroses.com/




UNITED THOROUGHBREDS

There are a few shares left in a WHERE'S THE RING filly who is being syndicated by UNITED THOROUGHBREDS (see link at right). This filly is eligible for the lucrative ONTARIO SIRED PROGRAM at Woodbine so get on board!
The group's website offers videos and lots of other bits.



EXCLUSIVELY EQUINE TRAINING

Nicole Kybartas' Exclusively Equine Training and Sales (www.myequinesales.com) re-trains ex-racehorses and sells them and you can find some real beauties on her fancy website.
The Ontario-based agency invites you to visit and check out their horses.
The link is also on the sidebar at the right.






Mamma's girl...On Feb. 4 this little girl entered the world.
She is a Tejano Run filly out of Pleasureindancing by Dance Brightly, foaled at Ascot Stud. Photo courtesy Ascot Stud.








CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

The JAMES PERRON RACING STABLE scored a win at Fair Grounds on Monday with CATEGORY SEVEN, a Gulf Storm filly who has discovered a love of grass. The 4yo Florida bred won by 2 1/4 lengths for $30,000 claiming.

RUNAWAY WIDOW (Ontario-bred) won for $5,000 claiming at Mountaineer Park two nights ago. The Valid N Bold- Widow Sue-Dignitas 4yo filly was 23 to 1 and beat even-money favourite LAHAINA LADY, a former Woodbine runner.

In race 5 at Mountaineer on Monday, NEWBURY, an Ontario bred by Archers Bay-Branchbury by Mt. Livermore won for $5,00 claiming. He is a 7yo gelding.

WOODBINE TRAINER BOBBY PION won the 9th race with MARIA BONITA for $5,000 claiming. Pion has won several races at the meeting and ius listed as owner of Maria Bonita, a California bred by Louis Quatorze.

THAT BOY, Ontario bred by Storm Boot-Liquid Fill, won for $10,000 at Philadelphia Park yesterday in a 5 1/2 furlong dash.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER has won 2 races in succession at Philly now. He won yesterday for $10,000 claiming and is an Edenvale Farm bred by Bold Executive out Del Rio's Delight.


AT FASIG TIPTON-KENTUCKY on Monday, CARA BLOODSTOCK (Bernard and Karen McCormack) paid $14,500 for the mare SAILING (Arazi), a 5 time winner and Group 3 winner who is out of a Group winning dam and is a 1/2 Sister to a Royal Ascot Group Stakes Winning two year old.
McCormack said the mare will visit DISCREET CAT this season.




FORT ERIE NEWS
PRINTED IN SOOTODAY.COM
NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO PROGRESSIVE
CONSERVATIVE PARTY

*************************
'No races, No slots!' demand Tory MPPs Tim Hudak and Lisa MacLeod

QUEEN'S PARK, ON - (February 10) - The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) must move aggressively to ensure Ontario’s troubled horse racing industry succeeds down the stretch, MPPs Lisa MacLeod and Tim Hudak said today.

The ORC was called before the standing committee on government agencies today to discuss its mandate and how the industry will address challenges, such as what would happen to slots revenue if horse races were discontinued at certain racetracks.

“No horses, no slots,” stated MPP Tim Hudak. “When the PC government instituted the slots-at-racetrack initiative, the presence of the machines was tied to an on-going horse racing program. I worry the McGuinty government will allow Fort Erie Racetrack to fail and pocket all of the slot revenue for themselves.”

“If there is no racing but the slots are operating in Belleville and in Fort Erie, that is a real problem and a real concern for me,” stated vice-chair Lisa MacLeod. “The slot monies were put in place to protect and enhance the viability of the horse racing industry. The government ought to be addressing this and the ORC should be a more aggressive advocate.”

It was revealed that the Belleville Racetrack slots will be operating in late 2009, but races will not occur until 2010.

This means 20 percent of the revenue that would normally go to the track and purses may go to the provincial treasury.

Races at the 111-year-old Fort Erie Racetrack are in jeopardy this season.

Other disturbing points included the comment by John Blakney, executive director of the ORC, that “Eighty-some race dates that have been lost throughout Ontario.”

The horse racing industry supports 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and $1.6 billion in wages and salaries.

Areas of concern include the reduction in purses for horse races; declining slot revenues at tracks; the impact of industry layoffs affecting trainers and riders; setting a minimum number of races to ensure a track’s viability (race days); and closure of a site (Fort Erie Race Track).




YOUTUBE/ALEX BROWN RACING START CONTEST

It sounds a bit odd but it is the Horse Slaughter Contest:

Alex Brown Racing is sponsoring a YouTube contest that will run from Tuesday, February 10 to Sunday May 10 2009. We will offer a $1,000 prize, to be sent to the horse rescue organization of choice of the winning entry, as of Noon eastern time, May 10, 2009. All entries are to be completed, posted and approved, by Noon on Friday April 10, 2009.

Entrants must read and be familiar with the document: Deconstructing the Horse Slaughter Issue: Chapter Horse Slaughter.

READ THE RULES etc at:

http://alexbrownracing.com/wiki/index.php/YouTube_Horse_Slaughter_Contest




CASSE FEATURED IN DRF
4 for 31 at Santa Anita meeting

http://www.drf.com/news/article/101581.html