and so this is the end of 2013…what have we done?
Well, a lot of betting and cheering, a lot of work and a lot of sweat, some tears for sure. The year had it all, the highs and the lows and where would we be without these incredible and beautiful animals born to race as fast as the wind. Congratulations to everyone for 2013 and best of luck over the winter. Woodbine sets to open for racing APRIL 12.
A highlight for me was leading in JOSE SEA VIEW, a cool two-year-old gelding for BRERETON JONES after he won the Display Stakes on Sunday Dec. 8. Trainer Reade Baker (and Mr. Jones!) was gracious enough to allow me to do the honours after this homebred son of the new Ontario stallion BADGE OF SILVER won the Display for his 2nd stakes win of the season, likely getting him the Sovereign Award for champion 2yo male, MICHAEL BURNS PHOTO
ALL THE TRIVIAL STATS you need (?) to know
I have put up some EQUIBASE stats for all the horses and humans for 2013, just getting my wits about me after a long week away from the computer.
There were many things during the last few days of racing at Woodbine that struck me as, how should I say, cozy? Comforting? Emotionally rich? Maybe they were just really neat goings-on I noticed (when I finally watched the final races recently).
QUAESITOR winning the VALEDICTORY for Wayward Stable was pretty cool. This 4yo gelding by Friends Lake – Questuary by Archers Bay blew past favoured EAGLE POISE in the final furlong to win the Grade 3 race a 1 3/4 miles and boost his career earnings to $455,000. The chestnut fellow was 3rd in the Valedictory last year.
Ian Howard trains the gelding and those watching Woodbine racing would have wondered where Howard was when Quaesitor won the prep for the Valedictory in his previous race. Howard and Woodbine elected to part ways briefly towards the end of the season but there was Howard, back with his horse after the Valedictory.
There were 25 races run on Saturday and Sunday, the other stake was Saturday’s ONTARIO .something, LASSIE! In yet another wild matchup between two ONTARIO SIRED, homegrown fillies who run Beyer Figures in the 80s, it was PALADIN BAY who got the edge one final time in what has to be the most feel-good story of 2013. Look for a feature on Jessie and Harold Ladouceur and their super 2yo on the Blog soon,
MONEY LEADING HORSES AT WOODBINE
Midnight Aria ended on shelved with an injury after the Queen’s Plate win, UP WITH THE BIRDS probably should have won the Plate? WISE DAN gave us goosebumps and JOSHUA TREE is just our favourite Euro.
1 Midnight Aria 3 1 0 2 $592,926 33% 3 100% 103
2 Up With the Birds 3 2 1 0 $583,953 67% 3 100% 103
3 Wise Dan 1 1 0 0 $579,540 100% 1 100% 120
4 Joshua Tree (IRE) 1 1 0 0 $574,080 100% 1 100% 117
5 Phil’s Dream 10 7 1 1 $518,276 70% 9 90% 119
6 Forte Dei Marmi (GB) 4 3 0 0 $384,601 75% 3 75% 114
7 Ultimate Destiny 9 5 3 0 $382,671 56% 8 89% 111
8 Go Greeley 6 4 1 1 $375,603 67% 6 100% 94
9 Paladin Bay 9 3 3 2 $361,888 33% 8 89% 102
10 Nipissing 4 1 1 0 $339,094 25% 2 50% 99
11 Alpha Bettor 5 3 1 1 $336,241 60% 5 100% 111
12 Lexie Lou 8 3 2 1 $310,244 38% 6 75% 101
13 Spring in the Air 5 1 2 1 $298,795 20% 4 80% 101
14 Tannery (IRE) 1 1 0 0 $287,040 100% 1 100% 112
15 Leigh Court 6 4 1 0 $283,840 67% 5 83% 99
16 Essence Hit Man 4 2 2 0 $278,989 50% 4 100% 113
17 Smartyfly 5 1 3 0 $275,196 20% 4 80% 105
18 Youcan’tcatchme 5 3 1 0 $249,259 60% 4 80% 103
19 Original Script 3 2 0 1 $243,830 67% 3 100% 97
20 Riding the River 6 1 1 1 $235,329 17% 3 50%
RACE WINNING HORSES AT WOODBINE
Remarkable stories? PHIL’S DREAM had an injury of suspensory type that caused him to miss all of 2012 and comes back with a year like this? Shocking may be the better word. ALEC FEHR and his one-horse stable ULTIMATE DESTINY was quite something to watch, and trainer JOHN ROSS’s GO GREELEY WAS A TOP 2YO.
5 Phil’s Dream 10 7 1 1 $518,276 70% 9 90% 119
7 Ultimate Destiny 9 5 3 0 $382,671 56% 8 89% 111
8 Go Greeley 6 4 1 1 $375,603 67% 6 100% 94
15 Leigh Court 6 4 1 0 $283,840 67% 5 83% 99
40 Silent Treat 10 4 3 1 $183,933 40% 8 80% 95
59 Renegade Man 7 4 1 0 $152,543 57% 5 71% 98
61 Line of Best Fit 10 4 1 1 $151,565 40% 6 60% 92
65 Port Severn 8 4 0 2 $148,963 50% 6 75% 102
89 Urban Forester 9 4 2 0 $118,056 44% 6 67% 110
202 Glory Game 9 4 3 1 $75,311 44% 8 89% 98
265 Daniel Be Good 9 4 1 1 $61,814 44% 6 67% 94
292 Sheza Rounder 10 4 2 1 $59,647 40% 7 70% 83
375 Sotique 9 4 0 1 $50,656 44% 5 56% 85
OWNERS BY RACES WON
The Bear! on top again and he had been a blessing to the business with his purchases and his claims and his horses running great races. His Horse of the Year FATAL BULLET was recently retired.
3 Bear Stables, Ltd. 169 33 19 20 $1,770,228 20% 72 43%
5 Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. 91 27 15 5 $1,400,011 30% 47 52%
1 John C. Oxley 125 26 17 23 $2,163,388 21% 66 53%
4 Chiefswood Stable 104 23 16 16 $1,622,076 22% 55 53%
2 Sam-Son Farms 99 21 17 14 $2,099,045 21% 52 53%
9 Frank D. Di Giulio, Jr. 78 19 12 17 $853,651 24% 48 62%
8 Buttigieg Training Centre 103 17 10 6 $936,395 17% 33 32%
7 Hill, Jim and Susan 92 16 16 12 $1,144,149 17% 44 48%
13 Winview Racing Stable 65 15 9 7 $612,890 23% 31 48%
11 Colebrook Farms 134 14 16 13 $701,761 10% 43 32%
OWNERS BY PURSES
1 John C. Oxley 125 26 17 23 $2,163,388 21% 66 53%
2 Sam-Son Farms 99 21 17 14 $2,099,045 21% 52 53%
3 Bear Stables, Ltd. 169 33 19 20 $1,770,228 20% 72 43%
4 Chiefswood Stable 104 23 16 16 $1,622,076 22% 55 53%
5 Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. 91 27 15 5 $1,400,011 30% 47 52%
6 Tucci Stables 84 10 17 16 $1,323,325 12% 43 51%
7 Hill, Jim and Susan 92 16 16 12 $1,144,149 17% 44 48%
8 Buttigieg Training Centre 103 17 10 6 $936,395 17% 33 32%
9 Frank D. Di Giulio, Jr. 78 19 12 17 $853,651 24% 48 62%
10 J.R. Racing Stable Inc. 32 9 5 5 $713,205
TRAINERS BY PURSES
1 Mark E. Casse 412 85 55 52 $5,259,633 21% 192 47%
2 Reade Baker 274 54 32 37 $3,086,731 20% 123 45%
3 Robert P. Tiller 294 62 44 44 $2,818,181 21% 150 51%
4 Malcolm Pierce 142 25 22 23 $2,437,845 18% 70 49%
5 Nicholas Gonzalez 215 30 38 27 $2,028,974 14% 95 44%
6 Brian A. Lynch 160 26 34 30 $1,725,561 16% 90 56%
7 Josie Carroll 133 34 11 11 $1,680,166 26% 56 42%
8 Roger L. Attfield 129 18 14 14 $1,642,471 14% 46 36%
9 Michael J. Doyle 207 27 29 21 $1,385,675 13% 77 37%
10 Sam Di Pasquale 171 27 24 28 $1,312,388 16% 79 46%
WELLOILEDMACHINE and his best buddy TRISTAN – we love our horses and that’s what it is all about. DENNIS WINDSOR PHOTO
TRAINERS BY WINS
MIKE DOYLE had a big year, sneaking into the top 10. Robert Tiller holds off Reade Baker for 2nd and MARK CASSE won the title for a 7th time.
1 Mark E. Casse 412 85 55 52 $5,259,633 21% 192 47%
3 Robert Tiller 294 62 44 44 $2,818,181 21% 150 51%
2 Reade Baker 274 54 32 37 $3,086,731 20% 123 45%
7 Josie Carroll 133 34 11 11 $1,680,166 26% 56 42%
5 Nick Gonzalez 215 30 38 27 $2,028,974 14% 95 44%
12 Sid C. Attard 222 30 25 29 $1,248,987 14% 84 38%
11 Michael P. De Paulo 181 29 23 25 $1,273,749 16% 77 43%
9 Michael J. Doyle 207 27 29 21 $1,385,675 13% 77 37%
10 Sam Di Pasquale 171 27 24 28 $1,312,388 16% 79 46%
6 Brian A. Lynch 160 26 34 30 $1,725,561 16% 90 56%
TRAINERS BY TURF WINS
Reade Baker 65 13 4 6 $790,171 20% 23 35%
Malcolm Pierce 75 11 11 15 $1,236,711 15% 37 49%
Mark E. Casse 97 11 13 11 $1,090,893 11% 35 36%
Josie Carroll 27 10 0 1 $372,221 37% 11 41%
Roger L. Attfield 54 8 5 9 $988,321 15% 22 41%
TRAINERS BY FIRST TIME STARTER WINS
Robert P. Tiller 34 11 7 0 $372,713 32% 18 53%
Mark E. Casse 57 7 5 4 $451,749 12% 16 28%
Reade Baker 34 7 4 4 $289,283 21% 15 44%
Josie Carroll 22 5 1 4 $223,299 23% 10 45%
Nicholas Gonzalez 31 4 4 1 $144,078 13% 9 29%
JOCKEYS BY WINS
2 Luis Contreras 879 168 139 126 $8,128,323 19% 433 49%
1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 657 143 119 88 $8,131,932 22% 350 53%
3 Jesse M. Campbell 665 91 79 97 $5,389,849 14% 267 40%
4 Justin Stein 589 89 70 61 $4,900,282 15% 220 37%
6 Patrick Husbands 357 89 51 54 $3,959,735 25% 194 54%
5 Emma-Jayne Wilson 646 85 101 89 $4,537,997 13% 275 43%
7 Gary Boulanger 588 64 82 70 $3,711,143 11% 216 37%
11 Skye Chernetz 580 54 57 60 $2,152,103 9% 171 29%
8 Todd Kabel 470 50 54 55 $2,428,532 11% 159 34%
10 Omar Moreno 409 45 45 46 $2,166,919 11% 136 33%
JOCKEYS BY PURSES
1 Eurico Rosa Da Silva 657 143 119 88 $8,131,932 22% 350 53%
2 Luis Contreras 879 168 139 126 $8,128,323 19% 433 49%
3 Jesse M. Campbell 665 91 79 97 $5,389,849 14% 267 40%
4 Justin Stein 589 89 70 61 $4,900,282 15% 220 37%
5 Emma-Jayne Wilson 646 85 101 89 $4,537,997 13% 275 43%
6 Patrick Husbands 357 89 51 54 $3,959,735 25% 194 54%
7 Gary Boulanger 588 64 82 70 $3,711,143 11% 216 37%
8 Todd Kabel 470 50 54 55 $2,428,532 11% 159 34%
9 Steven Ronald Bahen 418 39 53 41 $2,198,647 9% 133 32%
10 Omar Moreno 409 45 45 46 $2,166,919 11% 136 33%
