Additional Stories on a Slow Day

Having a small does of cabin fever, here is a bonus posting for today with some small tidbits.

Interested in owning a set a horseshoes worn by I Luv The Nitelife?  They will be going up for auction by Horse Rescue United starting on January 14.  Proceeds will be used to assist in rescuing and supporting horses in the care of HRU awaiting placement.  The auction will also offer other items for bidding.  Click on the link for more information.


In these days where horsemen have to deal with old decrepit stalls in the backstretch or worse yet, the backstretch is eliminated, horsemen in Prince Edward Island must be thrilled that the barns are being replaced at Red Shores Charlottetown.  What is unique is 75% of the money for the renovations comes from the provincial and federal governments with the balance put up by the horsemen.  Obviously, the two governments recognize how much harness racing contributes to the province.


I know they are calling it the Polar Vortex (we used to call it a typical winter), but I must admit it is a unique event when it caused Northfield Park to cancel racing two days straight.  They just don't cancel racing out there.  I guess even those hardy horsemen out there have their limits.  But at Dover Downs, they have decided to tough it out, committed to racing for the benefit of those in to go and no doubt hoping all those harness dollars which were going to be wagered elsewhere will find a home at Dover Downs.


Thanks to inquiring minds (meant in the best of ways) at Harnessracing.com, we learn there was a horse named Polar Vortex.  Unfortunately, unlike the current Polar Vortex, he didn't make that big a mark.  Let me put it this way, if any breeder wanted to, you most likely will be able to register a foal using this name.


One last Polar Vortex comment.  Thanks to the vortex and good old-fashioned Lake Effect Snows, Buffalo Raceway's opening night has been moved to Saturday, January 11.  It will be interesting if people will be going stir crazy in Hamburg and decide to head to the track Saturday night.

If at first you don't succeed, you appeal the decision made by the MGCB.  The Northville Record reports that Northville Downs has appealed the initial decision of the MGCB to deny them the ability to race thoroughbreds this year.  The track hopes to make more money by making each race a de facto stakes race, requiring each horse to pay to start in a race, something the standardbred horsemen have refused.


If at first you don't succeed (part two), you try to change the law and that effort begins tomorrow in Maine as Scarborough Downs, which has been denied the ability to get a slot license may be putting all their eggs into a basket called LD 1111, an act which would allow a racetrack without slots to obtain slots if local approval is granted even if it means the track needs to move to get a town to approve the slots.  Don't get me wrong, Scarborough is in trouble.  If this bill doesn't become law, there is a real possibility that Scarborough may close.


Bored Tonight?  If you have nothing to do tonight with the lack of racing action, going stir crazy and have a Netflix or Amazon Prime (I am certain others will do as well), you may want to look for the foreign film "After The Wedding" (it's clean).  If you rather watch a television series or wish to avoid reading your movie (subtitles), three BBC comedy series I enjoyed was "Gavin and Stacie", "Coupling", and "The Vicar of Dilby".  I found these comedy series to be quite humorous.