MAKE THE GRADE

UPDATE - SQUARE EDDIE likely off DERBY TRAIL

The DAILY RACING FORM reports that Square Eddie, a Canadian-brede, is likely off the Derby trail with a shin fracture.
More will be know in 2 weeks.
Pointing the colt to the QUEEN'S PLATE seems the next logical step (JUNE 21).




LINKS and COMING SOON...

Thoroughblog wants to alert you to a new book coming out by April 1 - published by writers from The Blood-Horse magazine and some contributors.
SECOND CHANCE HORSES features poignant stories about former racehorses in new jobs and 2 chapters are about Canadian guys.
SWAMP LINE (pictured in the top right of the book cover) and LINDROS and IMPROPRIETY are in the book.
Order your copy now! (See the Chapters link below right on my sidebar and enter the book's title.


LINKS

Check out some new LINKS on my sidebar - THE WOODBINE STAKES SCHEDULE can be accessed with one click...EXCLUSIVELY EQUINE SALES re-trains racehorses, UNITED THOROUGHBREDS are seeking new shareholders...




DUBAI TODAY

By lunch time, make sure you have the TV tuned to HPI, the continent's best horse-racing channel.
VINEYARD HAVEN (Lido Palace) makes his 3yo debut for Godolphin in the UAE GUINEAS at Nad Al Sheba and he meets 2 tough stablemates in Desert Party and Regal Ransom.

Bred by Lynne Scace, a Calder trainer, the grey colt was bought by Bobby Frankel, won a graded stake and then bought by Godolphin.

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is a bit revealing in his discussion about the colt's chances today in the THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS...

(he's been preparing for his three-year-old season over the Tapeta surface of the Al Quoz training center) Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor admitted that Vineyard Haven hasn't wowed his new connections over the synthetic track. "Vineyard Haven is a dual Grade I winner in America, but he hasn't been showing us a great deal in his work,"said bin Suroor. "i am hopeful that we will see a different horse on dirt; he will also improve for his first appearance of the year"


OCALA DAY OF CHAMPIONS IS MONDAY!


The annual racingday in Ocala is earlier in this day and age. On Monday, a series of races for sales grads takes place, sponsored by Darley.
In race 1, the Sprint for fillies, trainer MARK CASSE has BEDTIME STORY entered for Will Farish. She won her maiden at Woodbine and was 5th in the Mazarine Stakes. She is by Pleasantly Perfect.

Race 2 - the Sprint for colts, SOUTHERN EXCHANGE, a Sovereign Award finalist, is trying to get back into good form. He was 7th beaten 24 lengths in the Sunshine Millions Dash recently. He is locally trained by Greg de Gannes.
Southern Exchange is cross-entered in the $150,000 OBS Championship going a route distance later on the card.

In the OBC Championship, Casse has entered two colts - SKIPADATE, 2nd in the Summer Stakes on turf at Woodbine last year but recently 7th beaten 25 in the Delta Jackpot, and DYNAMIC FORCE, 8th beaten 38 in the Lecomte Stakes, will go postward.
Patrick Husbands is named to ride Dynamic Force.

Trainer JOHN ROSS and owner DOMINIC TRIUMBURI have AWESOME RHYTHM entered. He is a Toccet colt who won his maiden at Woodbine and was 6th in a recent Gulfstream allowance race.

The PP's for the races are here:

http://www.obssales.com/OBSPAGES/Race2009PPs.pdf




EARS TO YOU A Pomeroy filly out of Blarneystone Lass was foaled Feb. 7 at Ascot Stud. The filly is a half-sister to 2 stakes winner. Photo courtesy Ascot Stud.












Charging More to Wager Is an Ill-Conceived Bet
EXCERPT

"The industry's business collapsed in the final months of 2008; total betting in December was a stunning 20 percent below the previous December. Wagering for the entire year was the lowest since 1998." - Andy Beyer


WASHINGTON POST - DAILY RACING FORM By Andrew Beyer Thursday, February 12, 2009; Page E03 Imagine the following discussion in the executive suite of a modern-day corporation.

Executive 1: "The economy is killing us. Customers are deserting us. Our business is terrible. What are we going to do?"

Executive 2: "I've got an idea. Let's raise our prices!" Executive 1: "Raise prices! Brilliant!"

Surely no business -- not even the Detroit auto industry -- would be foolish enough to do this when the country is plunging into a deep recession. But there is one industry that believes raising prices makes economic sense.

Last week, an executive of the Maryland Jockey Club appeared before the state racing commission with a request to raise the takeout on Pick Three and Pick Four wagers at Laurel and Pimlico from 14 percent to 25.75 percent.

Takeout -- the amount the track retains from every bet -- is the price of a wager. According to John Scheinman's report in the Thoroughbred Times, the commissioners didn't even debate the request before approving it to go into effect March 1.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021104250.html



BLOOD HORSE-REPORTS EXCERPT..

Horsewoman Jasmine Baggerman Dead

Jasmine Baggerman, a veteran horsewoman, died Feb. 9. She was 49.

Originally from Canada, Baggerman came to Ocala 10 years ago and quickly became an important part of the industry working with prominent Florida and Kentucky breeders at the sales. She was also employed by the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. as an outrider during the 2-year-olds-in-training season.

Baggerman is survived by her parents, John and Mieke Baggerman, plus two brothers and two sisters. A memorial service will be held at the OBS Pavilion Monday, Feb. 16, at 10:00 a.m.
http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/49171.htm?id=49171





CAN'T WAIT FOR QUEEN'S PLATE FANTASY?

ENTER THE ROAD TO THE ROSES CONTEST....

Make up a team for the Derby and try to win some cash, it's free to enter!

http://www.roadtotheroses.com/






AMERICAN TRIPLE CROWN NOMINEES 401 nominated, down 11%


Here are the Canadian connected 3-year-olds nominated to the American Triple Crown:

Active Duty B. g. Deputy Commander-Punchbowl Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse Adena Springs (On.)

Air Strike B. c. Smart Strike-I Beat the Tornado Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse Liebau Farms (On.)

Bear’s Conductor B. c. Congaree-Symphonic Lady Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker Stonerside Stable & Heiligbrodt Racing Stable (Ky.)

Bear’s Prospector B. c. Silver Deputy-Glory and Grace Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker Chip Montgomery, Dearborn Stable Ltd., &
Garretas Inc. (Ky.)

Bear’s Rocket B. c. Lion Heart -Aim for the Moon Bear Stables Ltd. Reade Baker White Fox Farm (Ky.)

Coffee Bar Ch c. Mineshaft -Java (GB) W.S. Farish Mark E. Casse W. S. Farish & Skara Glen Stables (Ky.)

D’oro Diablo Dk. b. or br. c. Medaglia d’Oro -Dancehall Floozy Robert Harvey Eddie Kenneally Robert G. Harvey (On.)

Eye of the Leopard B. c. A.P. Indy-Eye of the Sphynx Sam-Son Farms Mark R. Frostad Sam-Son Farm (On.)

Millennium Lakes Dk. b. or br. c. Storm Cat-Tweedside Melnyk Racing Stables Inc. Mark E. Casse Eugene Melnyk (Ky.)

Patena B. c. Seeking the Gold-Handpainted IEAH Stables Richard E. Dutrow Jr. Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm & N.E.T.P. (Ky.)

Salo Jak Ch. c. Graeme Hall -Fafnir Mi Jak Racing Stable Inc. Gilberto Zerpa Mark Casse (Fl.)

Shafted Ch. c. Mineshaft-Twist Afleet Woodford Racing LLC Mark E. Casse George Bolton & Charles Bolton (Ky.)

Sibelius Ch. c. Friends Lake -Madiera Earle I. Mack Richard A. Violette Jr. Josham Farms Limited (On.)

Skipadate Gr. or ro. c. Skip Away -Valid Approval Heiligbrodt Racing Stable Mark E. Casse Hidden Point Farm Inc. (Fl.)

Southern Exchange Gr. or ro. c. Exchange Rate -Miss Madeleine Poston, Bill and Vicki Gregory de Gannes Karl M. Hohensee (Fl.)

Square Eddie Ch. c. Smart Strike -Forty Gran J. Paul Reddam Doug F. O’Neill Kinghaven Farms Limited (On.)

Well Positioned B. c. Awesome Again -Taxible Paul P. Pompa Jr. Patrick L. Reynolds Adena Springs (On.)



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.



CANADIAN GRADED STAKES

This was actually printed last week in Daily Racing Form and later on Thoroughblog but the official release came out yesterday...


Following their annual meeting the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee announced the list of 2009 graded races. It was determined that 35 races would have graded status for 2009; two races were downgraded to listed races; the Marine Stakes and the British Columbia Oaks

In attendance at the meeting were; Michael Byrne, Chairman of the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee, Dick Bonnycastle, Chair of the Jockey Club of Canada, Ross McKague, Director of the Manitoba Jockey Club, Glenn Sikura, President of the CTHS - Ontario Division, Gordon Wilson, National President of the CTHS/President of the CTHS – Alberta Division, Lorne Mitchell, Director of Racing at Hastings Racecourse and Steve Lym, Director of Thoroughbred Racing/ Racing Secretary at Woodbine Racetrack.

To qualify for graded status in Canada races must carry the following minimum purses; CDN $250,000 for Grade 1, CDN $150,000 for Grade 2 and CDN $100,000 for Grade 3.
On 30 January 2009 the Canadian Pari Mutuel Agency issued a Memorandum to the Canadian Horse Racing Industry announcing its plan to implement testing for veterinary approved anabolic steroids: boldenone, nandrolone, stanozolol and testosterone, as of June 1st, 2009. Any graded stakes races occurring before that date would be tested for anabolic steroids.

www.jockeyclubcanada.com