Well, the snow arrived a day late, but did it come. A long running blizzard bringing two feet of snow and four+ feet drifts. It means only one thing, time to scan YouTube for some interesting harness racing videos from around the world.. Now, this is not the same as the Top Races video sold by the Harness Racing Museum each year, but they are horse-related.
Number Ten - Let go to Evergreen Park? Odds are if you are not from Alberta, you have no idea there was a track called Evergreen Park. Well, here is a commercial from this past meet:
Number Nine - Announcer Loses His Voice. Rest assured, this race will never become part of his portfolio if applying for a new job.
Number Eight - ATG commercial l from 2009. First time I saw it so it is worth considering. Gives a whole new meaning to following the horses...
Number Seven - And We Complain About a Second Tier? Note this race from Germany. A minor race called the German Derby with at least three horses in the second tier. It is a 1900m race but watch them at the end.
Number Six - Stakes Races for Older Horses Can Happen and What is More Exciting. Here is a video from 2009 of the Breeders Crown for five year olds in Germany. Also, I can't help but this type of racing is more exciting than the single file racing we tend to favor (the race is over after the 3:40 point; the rest is post race ceremonies). We need to make sure Jeff Gural sees this one.
Number Five - They Still Race in Argentina? Granted, the track may be a bit spartan, but they still race there. This race was held on December 19, 2010.
Number Four - Debuting Riina Rekilia. Some would say it is sexist, and to a degree it may be. But could you imagine what the attendance for harness racing would be if we had commercials with an attractive woman driver or trainer in it. The sad truth is sex sells. For those who may want to say it is all about physical looks, Ms. Rekilia has been quite impressive this year racing in Canada and the United States and she is quite intelligent. Might even be able to get some women to show up as well.
Number Three - Riina Redux. Okay, a little bragging here. Christiana Hanover driven by Riina Rekilia won the $221,000 Moni Maker Trot at the Red Mile at 52-1. Why the bragging? I mentioned this horse wins at big odds and with a driver with a high UDR, she had to be played at long odds. Were they long enough for you? They were for me.
Number Two - Prix de Finlandia (Monte Racing) - Always wondered why we have not been able to get monte racing (racing under saddle) going in North America. First of all, like the designated hitter in baseball, racing under saddle extends or gives a racing career to a horse that doesn't handle the sulky correctly. Secondly, it may help attract those gamblers who have a problem with sulky racing (integrity issues). I guess, like everything else, it is people in the industry refusing to change.
Number 1 - Rock N Roll Heaven wins the Little Brown Jug. Had to show the 2010 Horse of the Year winning the Little Brown Jug. Not only did he race the Jug, he raced other races on the half mile oval. Other trainers should take note. Not racing on the half mile oval is an excuse. Also, have to point out this ownership team deserved this horse. They shared him with the public.
No comments:
Post a Comment