News From the North

Harness racing is on the ropes, this time in New Brunswick, Canada as Harness Racing New Brunswick is racing 37 days this year due to the provincial government cutting the $600,000 subsidy to harness racing.  As mentioned in this CTV Atlantic report, whether there will be harness racing next year in the province is a question mark as it doesn't seem like the province is about to restore the cuts net year.

Horsemen in NB realize they need assistance from some source, ideally slot machines.  The only problem is the casino in Muncton, NB has exclusivity until 2018. 

This year the Atlantic Sires Stakes was cut from New Burnswick due to funding problems.  Next year, that may be the least of the problems.


With the Ontario draft report suggesting the end of the Horse Improvement Program is coming, many breeders are going to be going out of business, soon.  With the OnSS grassroots program supporting the off-spring of the run of the mill stallions, the reduction in value of the sires stakes program will mean the demand for these stallions and their foals will likely evaporate overnight.  To survive in breeding in Ontario, blue blood pedigrees are the only ones which will be in demand.


David Briggs offers criticism of the draft proposal being circulated in Ontario.

Oops, a Little Detail

When I first talked about the new proposal for racing in Ontario, I missed a section regarding what tracks would be included in harness racing.  Thanks to the Ontario Spectator, we have those details.

Basically, harness racing would be held at a circuit of tracks; specifically Mohawk Racetrack, Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs, Western Fair District, and Grand River Raceway.  Yes, you noticed it; Woodbine Racetrack would no longer host harness racing under this plan.  Most standardbred horsemen apparently prefer racing at Mohawk.

Rideau Carleton Raceway would become its own circuit an exempt from most of the rules within the proposal.  The reasoning for this exemption is that Rideau Carleton is the Cal-Expo of Ontario, an island to itself.  

The complete draft of the proposal may be found here.

Overall, this report is something which could work in the States if the state governments would be willing to work for the industry instead of their political appointees.  I suggest racing's leaders in the United States review the report.

Another Way Not to Fix Eliminations

Good news racing fans, this weekend there is a good betting race in the Meadowlands Pace eliminations (if you bet eliminations) as ten horses go to the starting gate seeking one of the seven positions available for next week's final.  Having ten horses in an elimination is welcome to horseplayers who are used to seeing five to seven horse eliminations where you can't make a good wager.

The bad news is that three horses get a bye this week and advance automatically to the Meadowlands Pace Final (though by doing so give up the right to possibly choose their own post position).  The trio of horses, Captaintreacherous, Wake Up Peter, and Twilight Bonfire are getting a free pass to the big dance although their trainer, Tony Alagna plans on qualifying Wake Up Peter to give him a tightner.

Granted, a ten horse race where there are only seven slots to the final is certainly preferable for horseplayers instead of  six and seven horse fields battling it out for five slots each in the final.  But while this is better for the gambler, this is a lousy way to determine the field for the Meadowlands Pace final as it gives an unfair advantage to certain horses not available to others.

Let us consider the fact the trainer of a horse being offered a bye has an advantage over the other trainers in that he gets a choice to race in the elimination or give his horse a week off; something not available to others.  This means come next Saturday, the Alagna trainees will have a week off whereas the others havee to race this week; a big advantage as standardbreds get more like their thoroughbred cousins.  If a trainer knows his horse races better with a week off, he has a huge advantage over his competition (though to be fair, he runs the risk of drawing post ten in the final).

I understand for publicity purposes having Captaintreacherous in the Meadowlands Pace is a big marketing coup so the publicity department must be tickled pink that Alagna has chosen to skip the elimination but is this fair to everyone else?

Horses are living beings so there is no such thing as a guaranteed win (one need only to look at Niatross going over the rail at Saratoga as an example) as a horse can have a bad week, be it illness or bad racing luck (again, see a video of the hatchet job Safe Arrival did on Niatross in their Meadowlands Pace elimination).  The ten horses racing this week run the risk of not advancing because they had a bad week whereas those who have received a bye don't run that risk, hence they have a big advantage.

Yes, the byes are given to horses who most likely would advance from an elimination and the offer of a bye doesn't come to them without earning it based on their lifetime or seasonal earnings but instead of giving certain horses an advantage over the others, wouldn't it make better sense to do what they do with The Battle of the Brandywine or something similar, perhaps determining the starters based on a point system as they do with the Kentucky Derby?  Wouldn't it be better to offer starting spots to those with the highest earnings, weighting the dollars earned in their sophomore season so they are worth more than the money earned in the freshman season?  Under this scenario, the best horses are ensured of making it to the big dance with everyone making it to the final on equal footing.

Eliminations are the bane of harness racing.  When is the industry going to recognize it?  Perhaps more accurately, the industry knows eliminations are a tradition that needs to go; when are they going to do something about it?

Please note I am not criticizing Tony Alagna.  He is the beneficiary of a rule and would be foolish not to take advantage of it if the racetrack is offering it.


Bill Finley over at ESPN writes about the current state of racing in Ontario and how the tracks lost their way and the path it needs to take to get back to normal, meaning caring about the customers.  It is good reading.

The Risks of Racing Takes Out a Star

Betterthancheddar has been retired due to a torn suspensory and will be heading to stud once he has healed up.  No doubt this is very disappointing to his connections and some individuals probably are blaming this on "the damn Gural rule".   Yes, they lost out on this past breeding season but once he recovers from his injury Cheddar will be ready to go, whether it is in time for the Southern Hemisphere season or the 2014 breeding season in North America.

Does anyone really think his racing at four is going to impact his breeding career, especially when it ended due to an injury?  While he didn't win a race this season, he was 3-0-1-1 before this last start when he finished an injured eighth.  Maybe not a spectacular start to a season, but certainly crediblee considering he was taking on aged horses.  Anyone involved with breeding who doesn't consider Cheddar because of his 4-0-1-1 record this year is someone who probably shouldn't be involved with breeding. 

Yes, by racing this year, the owners now have to incur veterinarian costs they may not have had to.  But this is the nature of the business.  A horses could stand at stud and run in the field during turnout and break their leg (it has happened) and have to be euthanized.  Things happen when you deal with living beings be they racing, breeding, or even at play.  Unless you can put a horse in plastic bubble, there is always a risk of injury.

Here is wishing Betterthancheddar a speedy recovery and a very successful breeding career.

Joe F's Thoughts

VFTRG contributor Joe F. offers his thoughts on some of this past weekend's racing action and what the implications are.

The second and third place finishers in the Hempt, Vegas Vacation and Sunfire Blue Chip, are not staked to the Meadowlands Pace, which holds an elimination round next week. Others from the final not nominated are Word Power, Evenin Of Pleasure and Emeritus Maximus. Dedi’s Dragon and Some Kinda Beach, the second and third place finishers in the Hempt consolation, are also ineligible.

I believe a $100,000 supplemental fee will get Mr Ed in. David Brooks supplemented PB Bullville in 2000 and he broke in his elimination. (Was it 150K back then?) Five years ago Bullville Powerful was supplemented to the Pace and made the final with a second place finish in his elimination, but he finished last in the final. For comparison sake, it costs $62,500 to buy into the BC at the 3YO level; that’s what Intimidate’s connections coughed up last year. Unless folks start reaching into their pockets for that spare hundred grand, the Pace will feature a less appealing cast of characters than the Hempt did.

The Pace and BC (3YO) supplemental fees both translate to about 12.5% of the purse. The Ky Futurity buy in is about 11.2% of the purse. Mel Mara was supplemented to the Tattersalls Pace for 60K in 2012. Jackavin bought into the 67 Messenger and got clobbered by Romulus. Cam Fella and RNR Heaven both bought into the Messenger and won. Heaven’s connections paid 60K for a shot at the $437,100 purse—that’s 13.7%.

There’s a long history of horses buying into the various BC races. One of the first times the BC buy in fee was paid was in the 1986 Mare Trot at Scioto Downs. The great mares Grade Singing and Davidia Hanover were staked to the race, and finished one-two. The Australian mare, Scotch Notch, had missed most of the season but her connections put up $26,000 to get her into the race. As expected, she was short and finished third for Mike Gagliardi. Baroque was also supplemented, and she finished fourth. Scotch Notch lost $3,000 on the deal, while Baroque lost twice that.

In 1989 the connections of Crystal Tree put up almost $33,000 to get her into the Mare Pace at Northfield. Armbro Feather won the race for Jack Kopas, with Storm Tossed second for JC and Anniecrombie third for Mike Lachance. Crystal Tree was scratched lame. $33,000 circled the drain.

Fourteen pacers were entered in the 1991 Open Pace at The Meadows. There were two supplemental entries; they were the out of the mainstream pair, Jake And Elwood and Dorunrun Bluegrass. Jake And Elwood was favored from the two for JC, while Dorunrun was second choice for Pierce from the five. Those two cooked each other in the early going, leaving Mike Lachance on top with third choice, Camluck, who held off a late charge by Cross Country to win in 52.1. It was 48 degrees that night. Jake lost 20 of his $49,000, while Dorunrun lost 25.

In the 1994 334K Open Pace at Freehold, Peter Heffering put up $44,000 to supplement the great Riyadh. He and his entry mate Silent Spring were the 1-5 favorites. Riyadh had the five for Brett Robinson, while Village Jiffy, who had upset Presidential Ball and Life Sign in the three-year-old BC the previous year, was just inside him with Paul MacDonell. Village Jiffy pressured Riyadh in relentless fashion, beating him by a couple. Heffering didn’t lose his gamble as the second place finish put him up almost 40K.

Kadabra’s connections won 235K on their 50K bet on him in the 2002 3-year-old colt trot at Woodbine.

Red Bow Tie wound up plus 120K when his connections bought into the Open Pace at the Meadowlands in 1998. And they wound up plus 140K the following year when the Raging Glory gelding won again.

Northern Luck finished first in his elimination and third in the final when his connections put up 45K to get him into the 3-year-old colt pace at Mohawk in 1997. They were up 43K after the race.

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Uncle Peter’s WR win in the preferred at Pocono Saturday bodes well for an appearance in this week’s TVG FFA leg at M1. It was a weak field, but he followed Arch around and won easily in the fastest time ever on a 5/8 track…..Herbie has the rail against a preferred field at Mohawk Monday. I guess we can assume he will skip the TVG…..Market Share, Wishing Stone, Sevruga and Guccio all took this week off…..Market Share is the only sophomore champ from last year getting it done, and he’s just started twice. Intimidate is in the Witness Protection program; Check me Out has yet to race for dollars; Michaels Power put on another forgettable performance in a preferred pace at Mohawk Saturday; and Heston Blue Chip is now zip for four. Last year’s O’Brien winner, Cheddar, is also zip for four—he finished eighth in the Franklin. As for last year’s freshman stars,  Somwherovrarainbow, who snookered US voters into elevating her over Nitelife last year, was a seventh place no factor in the Lynch. She appears to be a different filly. The same goes for To Dream On: what’s up with her? The latter’s counterpart, Bee A Magician, is better than ever, while Wheeling N Dealin has a qualifying jones.

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Impressive performers in the NYSS over the weekend:

Sunday at Buffalo in a 38K 2YO trot, The Lindy Treat, a full brother to 2002 2YO F trotter of the Year, Pizza Dolce, won easily from the seven in 2:01.2 for Ray Schnittker. He was a 65K Harrisburg buy. Another division was won in 2:01.3 by the Rc Royalty gelding, My Man Charlie. He’s out of the Muscles Yankee mare, Sand Moxie. George Ducharme, the trainer of the speedy 3YO Rc Royalty jumpin jack, Royalty For Life, also has this one.

Friday night at Saratoga Jim Morrill won three of the four 46K NYSS for 2YO pacing colts. His win in the seventh with the American Ideal colt, He’s Watching, was other worldly. The 2/5 shot broke at the start and appeared to be out of it. Meanwhile, American Force, a gelded half brother to Piece Of The Rock took the field to the quarter in :26.4. The other three splits hit the quarter in :28.2, :29.1 and :29. Morrill’s colt was last, eleven out at the half, then he circled the field on the last turn and won in :55. It was bizarre.

Forty Five Red, an If I Can Dream half brother to Thirty Two Red won the third division handily in :56.4. Another If I Can Dream won a split of the Excelsior Series in :57.2. Western Hanover left potential stallions Well Said, If I Can Dream, BBJ and WWS in his last couple of crops, while Artsplace has all his marbles on Sportswriter.

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19 of the 48 colts in Sunday night’s six divisions of the PA All Stars for 2YO pacers were by SBSW. That amounts to 40%. His progeny won two of them; sons of Art Official, Western Terror, Allamerican Native and Four Starzzz Shark took the other four…..Frau Blucher toyed with the competition in a 3YO trotting filly split of the All Stars. Frau and Lady Broadway are shining the light on Broadway Hall. Aside from that pair, Chris Oakes also has Classic Martine, the winner of another All Stars split last night. The Classic Photo filly, who starred in the Weiss, is now six of nine with more than a hundred thousand earned in 2013.