WOODBINE TRACK ANNOUNCER DAN LOISELLE will call his final race in the Lady Angela Stakes on Sunday – this image by Will Wong of Virtadero heading into the sunset after a win is very fitting.
Anyone who has watched races at Woodbine since 1987 has a favourite Dan Loiselle race-call, tag-line or pun.
When I had the chance to interview hockey player/NHL broadcaster EDDIE OLCZYK recently and I mentioned Woodbine, Eddie said whenever he hears Danny’s calls, he thinks about his years in Toronto.
That is quite an impact for one person to make on a sport. Danny is only one of two race announcers that Woodbine has had since it opened in 1956.
A kind and welcoming person, Danny has opened his announcer’s booth to thousands of fans, friends and family of those fans, and friends of anyone who has ever worked there. What a treat to be able to take someone upstairs to meet Danny and watch him call a race.
The few years we had the Media Announcer’s Challenge during Queen’s Plate week were a hoot with Danny helping out media types to call a race, all of us realizing what a skill it is to bring a race to life, quickly, correctly and in interesting fashion.
On Sunday, he will be surrounded by friends and family as he calls the Lady Angela Stakes, race 4, his last call.
Tom Durkin, considered one of the best racecallers in the US in history, is in town to spend the day having been through the big retirement bash himself.
Below is the Prince of Wales from 1992, just one of the stirring calls from Danny of the thousands of races he has called.
Plate 2007 – MIKE FOX!
KEITH MCCALMONT grabbed this image of Eurico Rosa da Silva in the press box – happy times always.
WOODBINE ANNOUNCES DAN LOISELLE SEND-OFF:
Track announcer Dan Loiselle, the voice of Canadian horse racing, will call his last race at Woodbine Racetrack on May 31 bringing a 29-year career as thoroughbred race caller to a close.
“They come to the final sixteenth, and Canada salutes the Breeders’ Stakes winner and the Triple Crown champion…Wando was better than wonderful this afternoon, he was magnificent!”
Loiselle’s voice has travelled across the continent adding a Canadian accent to five all-star announcer days having stepped into the booth at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park (twice), Arlington Park and Monmouth Park.
In addition to calling the races, Loiselle has played a vital role as master of ceremonies for a myriad of functions including Sovereign Awards, O’Brien Awards, Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Awards and LongRun Galas.
TORONTO STAR FEATURE from 2014
QUEEN’S PLATE NEWS
CONQUEST CURLINATE is headed back to Woodbine and could take the place of DANZIG MOON in the Plate Trial Stakes on June 14 as trainer Mark Casse figures out what to do with his 6 Queen’s Plate possibilities.
Casse’s contingent includes the aforementioned pair plus Conquest Boogaloo, Field of Courage, Conquest Typhoon and Oil Strike.
Trainer Roger Attfield has two main players for the Plate as he goes for a record 9th Plate score: BILLY’S STAR and DANISH DYNAFORMER.
Brian Lynch trains SHAMAN GHOST for Stronach Stables and the Marine winner is considered a very strong Plate candidate. UNBRIDLED JUAN is set to have another start before the Plate to see if he will join his mate in the big race.
Reade Baker has 2 contenders in BREAKING LUCKY and BEAR AT LAST and AMI’S FLATTER and R U WATCHINGBUD are also in the picture.
Owner’s Update: Conquest Curlinate
Sometimes the right decisions aren’t always the easiest ones to make, and today we decided not to run Conquest Curlinate in the Belmont Stakes. Considering Curlinate is an Ontario bred, the Queen’s Plate has always been the longtime goal with Conquest Curlinate, so we decided to direct all of our efforts towards getting him ready for the Queen’s Plate on July 5th.
You might be wondering why we thought it wasn’t right to run Curlinate in the Belmont Stakes, and we will let our trainer Mark Casse explain why he thought it was the right move: “We kind of felt like he wasn’t training at the top of his game and you don’t want to try American Pharoah unless you’re at the top of your game. We have always said we want to win the Queen’s Plate, that’s our goal.”
Curlinate will begin his journey to Woodbine in the next few days to start preparing for the Queen’s Plate. We hope all of you are as excited as we are to see this big guy compete in Canada’s most prestigious race!
Thank you for your understanding and support,
Ernie, Dory and Team Conquest
EPSOM DERBY – Golden Horn favoured for June 6 classic
Jack Hobbs runs off with William Buick in media show
Connections, the media, Investec and some of the course’s annual members gathered at 7.30am today, Tuesday May 26, to see six Classic contenders work on the unique undulating Epsom Downs course.
Golden Horn (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori) Jack Hobbs (John Gosden/William Buick) and Elm Park (Andrew Balding/Andrea Atzeni) are 13/8 favourite, 6/1 and 7/1 respectively after going through their paces ahead of the Group One Investec Derby, Britain’s richest race, on Saturday, June 6.
Star Of Seville (John Gosden/William Buick), Jazzi Top (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori) and Al Naamah (Andre Fabre/Gregory Benoist) were also exercised and are 7/1, 9/1 and 20/1 respectively for the Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 5 with Coral, official betting partner.
John Gosden, the Newmarket trainer, said: “My jockeys still don’t do what I tell them to do. Frankie was perfect on Golden Horn, doing the right thing. I said pull up a good half furlong before the winning post and don’t go over the top but William had to have a feel (on Jack Hobbs) and went flying past the winning post and ended up right down by the stables.”
Golden Horn worked steadily and then a bit faster with Dickdoughtywylie (Rab Havlin – a 102 rated 10-furlong horse) over short of a mile and cruised up two and a half furlongs out before going to the front and passed the winning post two lengths ahead after being eased down.
Jack Hobbs, who also went over just less than a mile, came well clear of his work companion, Marzocco (Nick Mackay – a 108-rated stayer) in the closing stages.
Frankie Dettori declared: “The Dante is a telling factor at this stage and Golden Horn is thriving but don’t dismiss Jack Hobbs, who is a very good horse too. A mile and a half is definitely within Jack Hobbs’ compass and he is rawer than Golden Horn and has more improvement in him.
“Golden Horn is a very laid-back character and the important thing was to get him to whiz around the bend. He gave me a good feel. But he is the sort of horse who needs the crowd to rev him up and he is a better horse on a raceday.”
Gosden said: “As Golden Horn walked down, and it was very kind of my wife to lend me a lead horse, Dickdoughtywhylie, he was wandering along asleep but his temperament is big plus – like his father Cape Cross. If you don’t relax early on, you don’t stay.
“Jack Hobbs is an equally laidback horse but I noticed he was far more alert this morning, taking a look. He was very on the ball today and is a mighty improving horse.
“It is great for all of us to have these two horses for the Investec Derby and tremendously exciting. If the ground is like this on Derby Day, then Jack Hobbs will be running.”
William Buick commented: “I got ran away with! Jack Hobbs felt very comfortable on the track and we did not press any buttons today but he swapped his leads down the hill. He is still learning about the game but every step he takes he is going forward.
“He gave me a nice feel, handled the track and the ground which was perfect. All in all, I am very happy.
“I rode Star Of Seville also this morning. She led well around there and has good form. She too enjoyed the ground and handled the track well so she has a good chance in the Oaks.”
Dettori continued: “I don’t know which of the two fillies I will be riding in the Oaks, both won their trials and both are entitled to run well. We have 10 days to decide which one I will ride. Both are in great nick.”
– See more at: http://going.thejockeyclub.co.uk/thederby/the-stars-appeared-at-breakfast-today-at-epsom-downs-ahead-of-the-investec-derby-festival/#sthash.Cej6ItKT.dpuf
Investec Derby (Group 1)
For three-year-olds only, entire colts and fillies. Weights: colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed December 3, 2013 (409 entries), first scratchings deadline March 3 (102 remained – 4 subsequently scratched), second entry stage April 7 (12 second entries), second scratchings deadline May 22 (16 remain), five-day confirmations & £75,000 supplementary stage, June 1, final declarations 10.00am, Thursday, June 4.
Horse Owner Trainer
GOLDEN HORN – A, Oppenheimer J Gosden
BEST OF TIMES Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
CARBON DATING (IRE) Thistle Bloodstock Limited Pat Shanahan IRE
ELM PARK Qatar Racing Limited Andrew Balding
EPICURIS Khalid Abdullah Criquette Head-Maarek FR
GIOVANNI CANALETTO (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE
GLENEAGLES (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE
GREAT GLEN Julian Richmond-Watson Ralph Beckett
HANS HOLBEIN Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Sue Magnier/Teo Ah Khing Aidan O’Brien IRE
JACK HOBBS Godolphin & Partners John Gosden
KILIMANJARO (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE
MOHEET (IRE) Al Shaqab Racing Richard Hannon
PRINCE GAGARIN (IRE) Windflower Overseas & John Dunlop OBE Ed Dunlop
ROCKY RIDER Qatar Racing Limited Andrew Balding
ROGUE RUNNER (GER) Qatar Racing Limited Andreas Wohler GER
STORM THE STARS (USA) Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum William Haggas
ZAWRAQ (IRE) Hamdan Al Maktoum Dermot Weld IRE
Golden Horn and Frankie Dettori (left) working with Dickdoughtywylie at Breakfast with the StarsPic Dan Abraham – racingfotos.com Epsom 26.5.15
