SLUMMIN

UPDATE...FORT ERIE NEWS..

Courtesy Daryl Wells Jr./Fort Erie racetrack

Economic Development and Tourism Corporation - Fort Erie (EDTC) -

WITHDRAWS OFFER to Purchase the Fort Erie Racetrack:

Nordic Gaming Corporation / Elad Canada, the owner and operator of the Fort Erie Race Track, has been working with both the Town of Fort Erie and the Province of Ontario, as well as other stakeholders, for the past several years to move forward with a proposal to revitalize the Town of Fort Erie as a major tourist destination and in so doing, generate sufficient population to operate a profitable racetrack.

More recently, Elad has been working with the Town of Fort Erie , in addition to the Province and other stakeholders, to ensure that live racing would continue in Fort Erie for the 2009 racing season. It was within this context that a proposal was made by the local Economic Development and Tourism Corporation (EDTC) to work with the Province to purchase the Fort Erie Race Track.

On Friday, February 20, 2009 the EDTC presented Elad with a very lengthy offer that contained a myriad of conditions that from both an economic and performance perspective were non achievable and unacceptable. In addition, the only condition that Elad had previously placed on an offer, which would have ensured live racing for 2009, was not fully satisfied. While Elad was prepared to continue negotiating with the EDTC to arrive at an agreement on both the shortfall and the conditions that the EDTC attached to the offer that it presented on Friday afternoon, on Monday, February 23, 2009, Elad Canada was informed by email that in fact, the EDTC was withdrawing its offer to purchase the Race Track.

While it is unfortunate that there will be no agreement to purchase between the EDTC and Elad, Elad and Nordic continue to believe in the importance of the Fort Erie Race Track both to the local community and the Province as a whole. In that regard, the Company will continue to work diligently to try and find a commercially viable solution to ensure the Race Track’s long-term survival.

TROUBLED ROUTE

Florida was not the place to be for Canadians on the weekend with several suffering bad trips.

SPICE ROUTE, the stakes winner owned by Harlequin Ranches and trained by Roger Attfield, was trapped and steadied at a crucial part of the MacDiarmida Stakes and closed too late to be 3rd behind a very game winner, PRESIOUS PASSION.

Earlier on the card, the Catherine Day Phillips trainee ALTONA ROAD, 10 to 1 in a maiden allowance race on the grass, stumbled and checked and had little chance to make an impact.

The Gulfstream turf course, which has come under scrutiny lately, claimed another horse on Saturday - odds- on favourite REV IT UP RHONDA broke down on the backstretch during race 5, a starter allowance.

On Sunday at Gulfstream, Attfield and Harlequin Ranches had more bad luck as champion turf mare in Canada of 2008, CALLWOOD DANCER, was eased when last in the The Very One Stakes.

At Tampa, Attfield=trainee SOCIETY'S CHAIRMAN, had the lead late again but once again, was caught. This time it was in the Tampa Bay Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. The 6yo Not Impossible stakes winner was nabbed by a neck and a nose by 30 to 1 shot Victory Alled and 3 to 1 Classic Campaign, both of whom came from farther back off the pace.
Robert Landry rode Society's Chairman.


JAMBALAYA, VAN LEAR ROSE UPDATE
from Gulfstream barn notes

Kingfield Racing Stable’s Grade 1-winner Jambalaya has seen the timetable for his return from his 16-month-long injury pushed back again and will not be ready in time for the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3) next Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Catherine Day-Phillips said the 7-year-old, winner of the 2007 Gulfstream Park Turf (G1) and Arlington Million (G1), has not progressed enough in his training this winter in South Florida.

“Unfortunately, we’re forced to go by his schedule,” said Day-Phillips Saturday. “He’s just not coming together as quickly as I would have hoped.”

Jambalaya, a gelded son of 9LANGFUHR (PRESS RELEASE SAYS Dynaformer) emerged from his win in the Arlington Million with a deep bone bruise. He was working toward a return last winter in Florida, but was hampered by a pulled muscle in his hind end. He had been working steadily until the last two weeks this winter and was not nominated to the Canadian Turf last Saturday.

Day-Phillips also pointed out her family’s 3-year-old filly Van Lear Rose, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Oct. 24 at Santa Anita, is back in training.

“She’s just getting back going,” she said. “I’m not sure she can be ready for anything at this meet … maybe something at the tail end. If not, we’ll get her back (to Woodbine) and go from there.”



CANADIANS ELSEWHERE

PATENA MAKES WORKTAB

The process of training Canadian-owned PATENA for the Louisiana Derby has been slow and steady but the Seeking the Gold colt posted a faster workout yesterday at Gulfstream - 1:14.40 for 6 furlongs.

Now trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., Patena is a Kentucky Derby hopeful recently sold (70%) to IEAH by John and Glenn Sikura and Dominic Dilalla.

The colt had been working very slowly in recent weeks in his first few preps for his new trainer.


BEAR'S ROCKET readies for Tampa Bay Derby with a 1:01/60 work at Palm Meadows training centre yesterday. Second in the Holy BUll Stakes with a 97 Beyer Figure, Bear's Rocket is owned by Bear Stable and trained by Reade Baker. He is a Kentucky bred by Lion Heart.

PRETTY KATHERINE (Vindication) is a Canadian-bred who was nominated for stakes at Woodbine last year and there is stilla chance she can hit the Toronto track in 2009.
The filly just won on Friday at GOLDEN GATE FIELDS in a 6 furlong allowance race with a 71 Beyer Figure for co-owner, breeder John Sikura.
Her trainer JERRY HOLLENDORFER apparently has been granted stalls at Woodbine.


UTMOST RESPECT should be getting a lot of that these days - he won his 5th consecutive race at Charles Town yesterday, with an 82 Beyer Figure. The 7yo by Numerous-Buxton Spice by Bold Ruckus was bred by Monshall Farms.
Today, the gelding races for $8,000 claiming.He loves to win too - he has 14 victoris from 56 career races and 12 other top three placings.

NOFUNATHOME won a non-winners of 4 lifetime at Mountaineer yesterday for owner/trainer MIKE NEWELL. The 4yo filly is by Cat's at Home out of Runaway Babe by Blushing John. She won for $5,000 claiming by 5 3/4 lengths.

In race 3 at the Mountain yesterday, WALL STREET DAVE, an Ontario-bred by Kinshasa - Simply Wild, by Wild Again won for $5,000 claiming by 9 lengths at 9 to 2.

Ontario-bred MOLLI DAY (Harlan's Holidau-Mollywaki, by Miswaki) repelled Ontario bred SPICEY DISH to win a $5,000claiming race at Mountaineer on Saturday. Owned by Six Brothers Stable and trained by Robert Johnston, Molli Day was 3 to 1 for the one mile race.

CREASE INFRACTION, at age 11, raced for trainer Anthony Adamo on Friday and was third for $14,000 claiming with a 77 Beyer Figure.


LANE'S END STAKES NOMINEES
includes many local horses

ACTIVE DUTY (Ontario bred g. by Deputy Commander)
BEAR'S PROSPECTOR - owned by Bear Stables, trained by Reade Baker
BEAR'S CONDUCTOR - owned by Bear Stable, trained by Reade Baker
BEAR'S ROCKET - owned by Bear Stable, trained by Reade Baker
PATENA - co-owned by John and Glenn Sikura, Centenntial Farms
SHAFTED - trained by Mark Casse