The frost may not be on the pumpkin yet, but I can here Jack tuning up in the mountains. Last weekend for Del Mar and second last for Saratoga.
This Saturday´s late Pick 4 at Saratoga may not be as hard as Chinese math, but we´ll have to wait for Earl and see where he passes.
More...No Northlands racing this weekend until holiday Monday as the Chucks are in town. Will Hoss Huntington mount his mighty steed and ride to the rescue and keep the Chuck Championship in Edmonton?
More...North American Thoroughbred Horse Company Inc.
Suite 207 - 17637 1st Avenue
More...Thanks to Mae Smith and the Saskatchewan Horse Federation a marketing opportunity has been identified to market performance and breeding horses to China. The provinces participating in this program at this time will be Saskatchewan, Quebec and Alberta (if Alberta has takers). This marketing project must be totally funded by the participants.
< More...Derby Bar and Grill
Did You Ever Want To Own A Race Horse?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
More...Chianti´s has opened a location in Clareview that´s a lot more convenient for horsemen:
13712 40th St
Edmonton, Alberta T5Y 3E5
Chianti´s gets Phrugal Phil´s seal of approval.
More...It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.
Winston Churchill
Was Winston ruminating on today´s late Pick 4 at Saratoga?
More...Saturday´s Travers at Saratoga features one of the deepest most contentious fields in years. The Travers is also the last leg of the $1 Million Guaranteed All-Graded Stakes Late Pick 4 featuring the Grade 1 Travers and the Grade 1 King´s Bishop. That´s $1 million guaranteed to be in the pool. Phil´s had a quick look at Saturday´s Saratoga card and the late Pick 4 looks harder than Chinese math.
More...With Hastings Park taking a PNE break today and next weekend the BC crew will be watching Emerald Downs as there´s BC shippers a plenty.
Dino Condilenios has Burj Dubai, Teide, and Almost Time in the $250,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.The Condilenios-trained Kimmyv and the John Snow-trained Blue Sky Holiday are set for the $75,000 Emerald Distaff.
More...Except for Hastings Park which takes a PNE break today and Sunday, there´s plenty of action this weekend. The BC crew will be watching Northlands today and Emerald Downs on Sunday as there´s BC shippers a plenty.
More...Tabarnak, Sacre Bleu, Callisse
Canadians cuss more than Yanks or Brits.
More...THE DERBY BAR & GRILL WILL BE OPEN
TUESDAY AUGUST 24th
More...Joe Halerewich and Jack McCurdy´s Dashforpeace put on a late dash for the wire in Saturday´s Filly Sales Stakes at Northlands and just nipped Lucky Strike Stable and Viking Stable´s Spirited Winner. Bred by Al and Bunny Noren just outside the northern Alberta megalopolis of Wanham, Dashforpeace was prepared by Diana Feuerhelm and masterfully handled by Ruben Lara. Most 2 year olds show no affinity for passing on the rail and moving between horses; so great job Diana and Ruben.
More...Horse Racing Industry Participants:
As discussed at the open meeting with industry on July 27,2010, the financial challenges affecting the horse racing industry have created a very difficult environment for racing in this province and elsewhere.
More...Phil alluded to the duties that Horse Racing Alberta and Edmonton Northlands have to ensure that the interests of owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, backstretch workers, bettors and fans are protected and that those groups are dealt with in a fair and forthright manner and all transactions are conducted with open integrity.
More...Phil received a number of e-mails about last Saturday´s Westerner Handicap.
First concern was the scratch of Salt Flat Speed. Nothing wrong there. A minor health concern that did not resolve itself, hence the horse was scratched.
More...The Thrill of victory
The Agony of defeat
More...Salt Flat Speed´s run at Joe´s record will have to wait for another day. He´s been scratched from today´s Westerner with an abcess.
More...While handicapping Saturday´s late Pick 4 at Saratoga I started to wonder if the state and province breeding programs fuelled with slots dollars hurt the handle. The last race at Saratoga on Saturday is New York bred MSW going 1 mile on the turf. If that race was not part of the late Pick 4 I´d pass it over for open bottom claimers any day of the week.
More...Side Management Ltd. and Starline Thoroughbreds´ Salt Flat Speed will be trying for his sixth win and 4th Stakes win in a row in Saturday´s Westerner Handicap going 1 1/16 miles at Edmonton Northlands.
51 more to beat Joe.
More...Richard Bonnycastle´s Harlequin Ranches´ Alberta-bred Free Fee Lady, making her first start on turf, handled the surface well enough to capture the $250,800 Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday, August 1, 2010.
More...Barb Side´s No Hesitation forgot the script on Saturday, but his Improv routine in the Count Lathum had the fans dancing in the aisles.
More...Phil´s taken the liberty of reproducing the contents of the e-mail I received from NTRA on Friday.
Both Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky are set to square off in Sunday´s 43rd running of the IZOD Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Sunday´s Grade 1 event has drawn a field of eight for the 1 1/8 mile, $1 million race. Lookin at Lucky drew the rail (again!) and was made the 5-2 morning lind favorite. Super Saver (post 6) and the exciting up-and-comer Trappe Shot (post 8) are the co-second choices at 3-1. Other horses entered are Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, Afleet Again, Our Dark Knight and Uptowncharlybrown.
More...Over 200 owners, breeders, trainers and other sectors of the industry turned out for The Horse Racing Committee open forum Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam, the largest turnout for a horsemen´s meeting in a very long time.
More...The New Jersey Mr. Christie doesn´t make good cookies. Many of his slash and burn fiscal policies are hard to swallow as well.
More...Richard Bonnycastle´s Harlequin Ranches and Partners´ Spice Route will be cutting back to 9 furlongs in Saturday´s $300,000 Nijinsky Stakes GIIC on Woodbine´s Turf Course.
More...50 beautiful young thoroughbreds 2-5 yr olds including brood mares will be heading to the meat market on Monday in Chase BC! Well bred and unraced.
More...Under strict conditions imposed by the CHRB at their Thursday, July 22, 2010 meeting Patrick Valenzuela was again given a conditional license to ride in California.
More...The thoroughbred industry continually complains that lack of stars who stick around for any period of time hurts the industry. Yet when a mare like Tuscan Evening, who was shooting for her 6th consecutive Graded Stakes win in 2010 in last Saturday´s Modesty Handicap at Arlington, comes along the industry blows the tremendous marketing opportunity.
More...Have you ever liked a racehorse just because?
More...Richard Bonnycastle´s Harlequin Ranches´ Sedona Miss breaks from the 5 hole with apprentice Ryan Pacheco in the saddle in the Strawberry Morn Handicap for fillies and mares going 1-1/16 miles at Hastings park on Saturday, July 17.
More...Noticed that Northlands has hired a couple of media veterans for their marketing department. Would have loved to be a fly on the wall for the interviews.
More...Richard Bonnycastle´s Harlequin Ranches´ Alberta-bred Free Fee Lady drew away to a four-length win in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine July 11, earning $157,500 for her second win in three starts.
More...Gio Ponti, who´s half brother Fisher Pond stands at Paddockhurst Stables, Nisku Alberta, overcame a pace so pedestrian even a harness caller wouldn´t have had trouble and a not so stellar ride to jump back into the win column in Saturday´s Man o´ War at Belmont.
Bloodhorse - Gio Ponti Up Late
More...While Big Red Mike and the Queen hogged the spotlight at Woodbine on Sunday, Richard Bonnycastle´s Harlequin Ranches´ and Partners´ Spice Route closed on the million mark with his victory in the Singspiel scant days after the race´s namesake succumbed to laminitis.
More...The first leg of Canada´s (Ontario´s) Triple Crown, The Queen´s Plate, goes this afternoon on the Woodbine polyfluff on July 4, American Independence Day.
More...The first nomination fee of $100 for the 65th running of the BC Derby is due July 1.
The purse has just been increased by $50,000 with the help of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation bringing the purse to $150,000.00. General Manager Raj Mutti is also looking to add at least one more sponsor to Derby Day in an attempt to bring it up to $200,000.00 before Derby Day on Sunday, September 26th, 2010.
More...