TUESDAY IS NEWSDAY! FORT ERIE IS SUPER DUPER, let’s get it on the Canadian SCORE CABLE CHANNE
L…BEAR IT’S TIME puts name on OAKS LIST with big BEYER, DONVER AND DENNY buying at sale…
NORTHERN DANCER’S ANNIVERSARY COMING UP – WOODBINE COULD BE OFFERING SPECIAL DAY/GIVEAWAY
other bits and pieces from a long weekend!
Norm Files photo – NICK GONZALEZ discusses Woodbine horses at the Fort, track surfaces and much more at the seminar yesterday – Fort Erie racetrack
A DAY AT THE FORT
So many cool memories at historic track
I spent the day at FORT ERIE yesterday for Victoria day, visiting with fans for a handicapping seminar and doing so
simulcast TV the ore-game show with Elissa Blowe.
Racing fans in ONtario love Fort Erie, it’s beautiful, quaint, you are up close to the horses and it’s a family
affair.
It has plenty of potential to get back into the game of bringing wagering dollars in also, it just needs a little
push and maybe a little help from its friends.
ELISSA BLOWE is essentially a one-woman show at Fort Erie, her office filled with easels of charts and plans, boxes
of flyers and ideas. She is the marketing and media manager for the track which is run for the Fort Erie Live Racing
Consortium with Rick Cowan at the helm.
Indeed, Fort Erie has been marketing heavily but it does it well and without spending much money – when the budget
is small, you have to be CREATIVE – and that’s what larger tracks, such as WOODBINE, miss out on.
Creativity.
The Fort Erie, OLG, Ontario, Fort Erie township flyers that Blowe has put together will go in every paper and it
says this:
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?
DO YOU GO OUT FOR DINNER?
TRY THE SLOTS? WATCH A FREE CONCERT?
CATCH A HORSE RACE?
HAVE SOME COCKTAILS ON A PATIO?
YES
And a list of the events at the track is impressive – from the beginning of 4 p.m. twilight racing to the TIKI BAR
GRAND OPENING (June 7)
Free concerts from some solid bands are also going to take place after the races on Tuesday.
The concert stage and Tiki bar are beginning construction this week.
There will be a breakfast club on Sundays in August, a family day, ladies night and so much more.
Don’t forget a really cool PUSS N BOOTS GAY with giveway on Sept. 5.
So the ef-FORT is there to be sure.
Horse racing is an exciting sport that allows people to bet on it and win some money with a teeny bit of knowledge.
Educating fans at the Fort seems to be an important move.
I was startled when a polled fans during the day about:
1 – how many of you use the DAILY RACING FORM to handicap the races – the answer was about 1 out of every 20 people.
Not joking.
2- Fans thought the morning line odds were picks, that’s old-school for sure.
3 – the Turf Grill restaurant was open and there were plenty of people in there but many were just in there to eat –
or in one case, a trainer who had a couple of horses in was happier just to make out with a girl – anyway, the sound
is not on very loud, the only track you could hear the best was Woodbine.
Surely there is not the budget to have customer service people help out and influence folks ot bet, but let’s drill
it into their mindset someshow.
A little help from WOODBINE etc. would be nice., After all, the horses from Woodbine fill the races at the Fort and
trainers have a place to go with the lesser stock.
Why the track is not on THE SCORE show is curious – indeed, more money is made on New York simulcast, but THE
SCORE channel is CANADIAN, FORT ERIE is CANADIAN.
Get the elitist mindset out of the way and get FORT ERIE ON THE SCORE shown on Sundays. It will help that track’s
handle a little bit and not hurt Woodbine’s all that much…
On the track, it was a neat day as MOLINARO WARRIOR sizzled in the feature, an allowance/optional claiming event for
$20K. The winner ran 6 furlongs in 1:09.80 for Molinaro Stable and he’s 2 for 2 at the meeting.
In that race, old timer PEACE ROCK, 11 – years-old was a non-factor and that was tough to watch.
Trainer GREG COX snuck down with a pair of Woodbine based gals and won both races easily – QUICK GLIMPSE and the grey monster SOAR.
Trainer BILLY THARRENOS snuck into a deadly weapon with firster BLUE SKY OF ATHENS, who got bet off the board and won her debut by a long margin, eased up. She is an ONtairo bred by Bluesbreaker.
MOLINARO WARRIOR, 2 for 2 at the Fort this year
Apprentice rider JANINE SMITH appeared to win her first Fort Erie race in the 5th when ACE IN MY POCKET own his maiden in a maiden allowance. HOwever, the gelding bore inbadly at the start, wi[ed out others and was quickly demoted for the infraction. The sizy HARDROAD TO HEAVEN was placed first and he was one of the ones who got wiped out.
All in all, a great day the Fort, yours truly picked 4 winners on top including a $16 winner and the approaches and angles that were discussed at the seminar seemed to be of interest to the fans
Now it’s time for a bit more help.
STORIES, MOVES LIKE THIS ONE BELOW ARE NOT GOING TO HELP – ONTARIO..
New rules cut into Fort Erie’s slots take
By RAY SPITERI Niagara Falls Review
Accounting changes at Ontario Lottery and Gaming means Fort Erie will receive nearly $50,000 less a year.
“We count on that money,” said Mayor Doug Martin. “That revenue provides for our fire department, our health and wellness (committee). That’s where the revenue comes from.”
Since September 1999, the town has been collecting money — more than $32.4 million — from a portion of revenues from the OLG Slots at Fort Erie Race Track. Payments are made on a quarterly basis according to the government fiscal year, which runs April to March.
Now, accounting changes at OLG will lead to Fort Erie and 21 other municipalities that host gaming facilities getting approximately 3% less, according to OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti.
With the corporation’s fiscal year beginning April 1, Bitonti said a process that has taken a couple of years — changing over to international financial reporting standards — came into effect. It will mean less cash for host municipalities, and OLG, he added.
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3129924
WOODBINE SUNDAY AND MONDAY WRAP
TIME FOR THE BEAR AND THE OAKS
Less than 2 weeks to the WOODBINE OAKS, the first big event of the 167-day WOODBINE SEASON and a small but select
group seems to be getting together.
Certainly it appeared to be a 3 horse race an early blush – INGLORIOUS, ROXY GAP and MARKETING MIX – but the win by
BEAR IT’S TIME (Philanthropist) yesterday in the Ontario sired Lady Angela Stakes was eye-catching. She ran fast – 84 BEYER FIGURE – and toyed with a modest group. Whether she spins back in 2 weeks is up to the Bear (Danny Dion) and trainer Reade Baker (see quotes below)
MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO for Canadian Thoroughbred and media – BEAR IT’S TIME, she cost $8,000 as a yearling, wow
WOODBINE OAKS POSSIBILITIES
Abrianna (Stronach Stables) maiden winner
Bear It’s Time stakes winner
Baganara (Kelly Callaghan) allowance winner
Dominating Force (Dura Racing & M.J. Doyle Racing Stable Ltd.) maiden winner
Grand Style (G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.) stakes winner
Inglorious (Donver Stable) stakes winner
Marketing Mix (Glen Hill Farm) stakes placed
Niigon’s Touch (Chiefswood Stable) maiden winner
Roxy Gap (Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc.) stakes winner
Sense of Pride (Ronald K. Kirk) maiden
Silver Ami (Ivan Dalos) winner
Conditioner Reade Baker had some question marks prior to deciding to run Bear It’s Time in the 29th edition of the race.
“I don’t really know, maybe it’s Contreras,” said Baker, in praising the winning rider’s role in improving Bear It’s Time’s
recent works. “He came over to work her and she’s blossomed. I love off-the-pace riders and he’s a very good one.”
Baker suggested Bear It’s Time’s next start could come in the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, on June 5.
Other than the stakes results from the weekend – QUEEN’SPLATEKITTEN, PASO DOBLE and BEAR IT’S TIME, the story of the weekend included the MARK CASSE show, 7 winners over the 3 racing days on the weekend including 4 yesterday, yikes!
And some lost that were not really supposed to – such as Bingo and Rock the Moon, a maiden entrY yesterday. The latter had run well in a stakes race last time but her regular rider Corey Fraser was not on board..
TRAINERS who got their first win of the season included DAVID BELL with PORT STANLEY on Sunday in race 1. It was the Charles Fipke horse’s first start of the season (and one of 6 winners of 10 races for TORONTO STAR!)
ASHLEE BRJNAS won the finale yesterday with the promising RECONNECT, the filly who was supposed to win her debut outing but needed to stretch out to a route distance before she could do it. The NIIGON – A FAMILAR FACE gal rallied 4 wide to get the win in her 2nd career start for owner/breeder Colebrook Farms.
NORTHERN DANCER – BORN MAY 27. 50 YEARS AGO
The June issue of CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED honours the 50th anniversary of NORTHERN DANCER’S BIRTH (also the 50th anniversary of the borth of the top thoroughbred magazine in the land.
Stories and cool features on trainers and Plate conteners will fill the pages.
The legend was born MAY 27 and it is believed that there is indeed a celebration to come at Woodbine to honour the birth of the greatest horse to be born in this country.
Stay tuned!
FUNNY STUFF FROM THE PREAKNESS
Dale Romans obviously not happy before race!
LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL
RICK BOZICH
BALTIMORE
The first time Bailey and Jacob Romans knew that their father, Dale, was serious about winning his first Triple
Crown race was during the steamy Preakness post parade.
His colt, Shackleford, was carrying on as if he wanted to run his entire race before he reached the starting gate.
Bailey Romans, the trainer’s 18-year-old daughter, asked her father whether the colt’s fractious behavior concerned
him.
“He told me to be quiet,” she said.
Jacob, 15, asked his dad to lighten up, please. It didn’t work. Not at all.
“He ignored me,” Jacob said.
The second time Romans’ children knew he was determined to defeat Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and the rest
of the Preakness field was when the horses angled into the stretch at Pimlico.
Shackleford had surged past the pace-setting Flashpoint. Perfect. That was the plan. But the determined Astrology
was pressing him, and Animal Kingdom was positioned to make the same powerful move the colt had made while
overtaking Shackleford in the Derby two weeks ago.
HASTINGS RE-CAPS
CLASSIC ALLEY KAT KICKS OFF THREE-DAY WEEKEND WITH STYLISH SENATE APPOINTEE STAKES WIN
May 23, 2011
Vancouver, B.C. (May 21/11) – Classic Alley Kat was the class of the field in Saturday’s $50,000 Senate Appointee
Stakes to launch three days of racing over the Victoria Day holiday weekend at Hastings Racecourse.
Trained by Elizabeth Stolzenberg and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Classic Alley Kat held a clear lead throughout the
six and one-half furlong feature for fillies and mares to win by two and-a-half lengths in a final time of 1:16.40.
It was Classic Alley Kat’s second straight stakes win, having crushed the field in the Brighouse Belles on April 23.
Classic Alley Kat paid $3.40, $2.50 and $2.20.
An enthusiastic crowd was on hand for the first of three days of racing as part of the Victoria Day celebrations.
Sunday’s card will start at 3:20 p.m. to allow hockey fans to watch the Canucks-Sharks Stanley Cup playoff game that
starts at 12:00 noon from San Jose. With more than 600 television sets located throughout the Hastings grounds,
Canuck Nation will have the best of both worlds available with the Western Conference Final at noon and live
thoroughbred racing at 3:20 p.m.
FASIG-TIPTON MIDATLANTIC SALE FOR 2YOS
CANADIAN BUYERS
50 F INDIAN CHARLIE FROLIC AWAY BREAKING POINT FARM J HOLLENDORFER & DENNY ANDREWS $120,000
174 F ARTIE SCHILLER MAY WE CARY FROMMER AGENT FOR TIMBER BAY (PHASE I OF COMPLETE DISPE DENNY
ANDREWS $65,000
| 302 | F | ANY GIVEN SATURDAY | SAVANNAH BAYOU | PIKE RACING AGENT | CIARAN DUNNE FOR DONVER STABLE | $125,000 |
Ontario breds in the MIDATLANTIC SALE:
6 F CANDY RIDE (ARG) EGADS PIKE RACING AGENT BRET CALHOUN $50,000
54OUT
123 123 F CHAPEL ROYAL KASABONIKA BREAKING POINT FARM K.O.I.D. CO LTD II $20,000
201 201 F NORTH LIGHT (IRE) MIZ MITZIE WAVERTREE STABLES INC. (CIARAN DUNNE) AGENT
TIMOTHY BRIGNOLE $3,000
216 OUT
276 OUT
543
KYLAR IN CANADA
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Promotions, Web Videos, Training Videos, Stallion Videos, Farm Videos, Clinic Videos and our unique “Race Day
Experience”, the most exciting creative offer for any horse owner to document a special event such as the Canadian
Oaks or Plate. Capturing all the exciting moments, from morning training leading up to the race, interviews with the
trainer and barn crew, group and family moments, the parties and celebrations and customizing your own movie. This
is the perfect keepsake for everyone!
Executive producer, Amanda Roxborough began her career at Woodbine as a jockey and trainer. As well as heading up
Kylar Productions she has worked with top national networks TVG, ESPN, HRTV and HDNet.
We are available for immediate booking and requests. Please visit www.KylarProductions.com for more information.
Our productions have been seen on EquiStarsTV, HRTV, Equestrian Life.com, and a few of our clients include Darby Dan
Farms, Bob Baffert, Kenny McPeek, George Bolton and Emirates Eq. Federation.
Amanda Roxborough, Executive Producer
Amanda@KylarProductions.com
561.222.9300
