News Archive

Return Home

Lexington Legend wins
October 31, 2004
Lexington Legend, who won the Kentucky Sire Stakes 2-year-old colt pace final at The Red Mile when a clear path opened up for him at the top of the lane, made his own way on the front this time to win an elim for the American National in 1:53.3 at Balmoral Saturday night. With Dave Magee driving,
[read more]

Chello's Sin D Upsets
October 30, 2004
Indiana Sire Stakes finals are the headliner event at Indiana Downs over the weekend, and Friday night Chello's Sin D put distance between herself and her foes in the final turn before narrowly holding on to win the $60,600 Indiana Sire Stakes final for freshman filly pacers. The 17-1 choice beat fa
[read more]

Big trainer race in Ind.
October 30, 2004
The trainer standings at Indiana Downs have been tight all season long, and the Shelbyville track's leading trainer will be crowned Saturday, Oct. 30, on the final day of the meet. Conditioners Dan Perdue and Sara Haynes are separated by one victory, and each has several opportunities to win on the
[read more]

Sire Stakes in Indiana
October 29, 2004
LW Sweet Talker, twice a winner this season, took home top honors Thursday at Indiana Downs with a victory in the $52,200 Indiana Sire Stakes final for two-year-old filly trotters. With Don Irvine Jr. in the bike for the first time, the Gulf Talk freshman won by three-quarters of a length over Doubl
[read more]

Artbitration wins comeback
October 29, 2004
Artbitration, the winner of this year's Lynch Memorial, won at The Meadows over a good track Friday afternoon in 1:53, just missing her lifetime mark by one-fifth of a second. The filly had been sidelined with a respiratory infection during late August and September, missing the Fan Hanover, Nadia L
[read more]

DSBF finals held
October 28, 2004
Med Vac broke his own track record for 2-year-old gelding trotters with a wire-to-wire 2:00.4 victory in the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final Wednesday night at Harrington Raceway. Driven by John Wagner, Med Vac was a two-length winner over Maid To Command and Command Of Heart.
[read more]

Man beats horse at Windsor
October 28, 2004
In front of an overflow crowd at Windsor Raceway Wednesday night, Canadian collegiate track star Ryan McKenzie edged the 3-year-old pacing filly Sammartha Stewart in a charity match race. McKenzie covered his half mile in a blazing 1:55.4, while Sammartha Stewart, starting her one-mile journey fr
[read more]

Raceway Park sold
October 28, 2004
According to a report in Thursday's Cincinnati Enquirer, Raceway Park and the off-track betting parlor it operates near the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, have been sold to Argosy Gaming Co. for about $20 million. Argosy operates the Argosy riverboat casino near Cincinnati, and a chief exec
[read more]

Ohio dates not approved
October 28, 2004
The Ohio State Racing Commission has issued a release stating that the live racing schedule for 2005 approved tentatively by the commission at its monthly meeting in October will not go into effect. The release said: All of the state's seven commercial racetracks and representatives of Thorough
[read more]

A new Legacy at Perretti
October 28, 2004
Trotting Triple Crown champion Windsong's Legacy will be standing at stud for the 2005 breeding season at Perretti Farms in New Jersey. The farm announced Thursday that it had reached a deal to stand the stallion at stud, although a stud fee has yet to be set. Windsong's Legacy became harness rac
[read more]

Modern Art to Seelster
October 28, 2004
Seelster Farms in Ontario has announced Woodrow Wilson and New Jersey Classic winner Modern Art will stand stud at the farm in 2005. Modern Art is a son of Artsplace out of the top race filly Wendy M Hanover, a full sister to Western Hanover. Modern Art has career earnings of $1,055,233 and a li
[read more]

Am-Nat fields drawn
October 27, 2004
Two fields of American-National horses are set for the finals on Nov. 6 at Balmoral Park. Set to go are the $180,000 Two-Year-Old American-National Filly Pace, and the $235,000 American-National Aged Trot. The freshman pace for colts and the aged pace both require eliminations, scheduled for Satu
[read more]

NJ track leasing suspended
October 27, 2004
In a statement issued Monday, incoming New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey said plans to lease the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks to private interests have been suspended indefinitely. "As governor of New Jersey, I want to review what steps are appropriate to ensure the health and prosperity
[read more]

Sandy Farber dies
October 27, 2004
Sanford "Sandy" Farber, owner of Run The Table and mayor of Palisades Park, N. J., died Sunday, Oct. 24. He was 73. Mr. Farber was a basketball star at the University of Miami, served in Army intelligence, and produced several Broadway shows, including the hit "Little Mary Sunshine." Mr. Far
[read more]

Dover nears opening
October 27, 2004
Dover Downs is set to open Saturday, Nov. 6, with the opening day card highlighted by Matron eliminations for 2-year-old filly pacers and 2-year-old filly trotters. The Sunday, Nov. 7, card will be highlighted by eliminations for the Progress Pace for 3-year-old colt pacers. The Delaware track ha
[read more]

Track review in PA
October 25, 2004
The Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission will begin hearings today for the proposal for a new harness track in northwestern Pennsylvania called Bedford Downs. Bedford Downs was scheduled to represent its proposal in person and planned to have several of its consultants testify before the commissio
[read more]

Poor track shuts Northville
October 25, 2004
After poor racetrack conditions forced the three-day shutdown of Northville Downs, including the revocation of simulcast rights by the Office of Michigan Racing Commissioner, the track in suburban Detroit is scheduled to re-open Monday night pending a hearing at the commission office earlier in the
[read more]

Flu strikes at Cal-Expo
October 25, 2004
Cal-Expo has been forced to cancel two Wednesday programs as a result of a sudden outbreak of equine influenza that has ravished the barn area. According to a story in the Sacramento Bee, about 125 horses were stricken with the flu last week, including 21 that had to be scratched out of the Oct. 14
[read more]

Ledford recovers in time
October 24, 2004
Driver Eric Ledford battled a stomach flu for much of last week, but recovered in time to travel to Woodbine to drive Bramasole to a second-place finish in the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot and be present for the official retirement of Eternal Camnation, who he drove to many of the mare's gre
[read more]

Sears Scores Triple
October 24, 2004
Brian Sears drove three winners, including 39-1 Yankee Slide, as the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Racetrack saw a typical mixed bag of favorites, not so favorites and longshots walk into the winner's circle Saturday night in Toronto. Sears capped off the evening's eight Breeders Crown races with an
[read more]

Big party for Camie
October 24, 2004
Eternal Camnation was retired in a special ceremony at Woodbine Saturday night after she led a post parade for the Breeders Crown. After posing with the world's richest pacing mare, her owners and their friends gathered at a nearby hotel to celebrate. Many of those celebrating Eternal Camnation's
[read more]

Crown finals set to go
October 22, 2004
This year's Breeders Crown extravaganza for 2 -and 3-year-old pacers and trotters will take place Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. The program will have an early 7:20 p.m. post time, with the Crown finals being races two through nine. Here are the complete fields for each final by
[read more]

Tom Ridge to Southwind
October 22, 2004
Southwind Farm has reached an agreement to acquire Tom Ridge, who became the world's fastest trotter when he captured the World Trotting Derby in 1:50.2. Southwind's acquisition of the horse is pending a satisfactory fertility report. Plans call for Tom Ridge, a son of the sire Muscles Yankee, t
[read more]

No
October 22, 2004
Rocknroll Hanover, one of the favorites in the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Pace, has been scratched. No reason was immediately known why the colt was scratched before he was taken to the detention barn at Woodbine Friday night. The winner of the Metro Pace and the sport's first sub-1:50 two-ye
[read more]

2005 dates awarded in Ohio
October 21, 2004
Though members of the Ohio State Racing Commission acknowledged there is room for further cuts, they approved a racing calendar for 2005 that reduces dates by about 10 percent. Under the schedule, Northfield Park will race 211 days, the most of any harness track, from Jan. 1-Dec. 30. Raceway Park
[read more]

Inca shoots for title
October 21, 2004
Driver Dave Palone is hoping Allamerica Inca finally brings him his first Breeders Crown victory Saturday night at Woodbine. Palone has 18 Crown final starts on his resume, with two seconds and four thirds but no victories, and he says the freshman gelding Allamerica Inca "is probably my best shot."
[read more]

NYSS purses to rise
October 21, 2004
Purse estimates for the New York Sire Stakes program have been announced by the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State to reach $8.5 million in 2005. Purses of $7.6 million were distributed in 2004, representing a significant increase for next year. "Despite a number of uncertainties in New Yor
[read more]

Bunny Lake retired
October 21, 2004
Bunny Lake, the 2001 Horse Of The Year, has been retired from racing. Wendy Spring, who shares ownership of the mare with her husband Skip and trainer John Stark Jr., told Bob Heyden of the Meadowlands that the decision was made after the mare's race at The Red Mile on Kentucky Futurity Day. "I d
[read more]

Man vs. filly at Windsor
October 21, 2004
Windsor Raceway has lined up a charity match race between Canada's 2003 College Athlete of the Year Ryan McKenzie and Sammartha Stewart, a 3-year-old pacing filly from trainer Bob McIntosh's stable. The handicap event is scheduled to take place Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. McKenzie, who set nume
[read more]

Amigo Hall retires
October 20, 2004
Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall has been retired and will stand stud in 2005 at Tara Hills Stud in Ontario. The 4-year-old son of Balanced Image, who captured the 2003 Hambo as the longest price in the trotting classic's history at odds of 27-1, retires with nine wins in 25 career starts, a career be
[read more]

Mich.: No on Proposal 1
October 20, 2004
With less than two weeks before Election Day, horse racing proponents in Michigan are putting forth a full-fledged attempt to garner support in defeating Proposal 1 on the ballot. Admittedly behind in the polls, a come-from-behind victory appears crucial for the future of racing in the Wolverine Sta
[read more]

Photo Color aims for Crown
October 20, 2004
Although trainer Ron Gurfein may have surprised some people by entering Cantab Hall in the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot after scratching the horse "sick" out of the second heat of the Kentucky Futurity, some people were also surprised when the name Photo Color was placed in the entry box.
[read more]

Jug winner bypasses Crown
October 20, 2004
Timesareachanging, who appeared to have taken control of the 3-year-old colt pace division after capturing the Little Brown Jug last month, is a notable absence from Saturday night's Breeders Crown festivities as trainer Brett Pelling decided to keep the horse in his stall. Pelling isn't without a s
[read more]

Stage set for Crown finals
October 19, 2004
This year's Breeders Crown extravaganza for 2 –and 3-year-old pacers and trotters will take place Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. The program will have an early 7:15 p.m. post time, with the Crown finals being races two through nine. Here are the complete fields for each final
[read more]

Forest City sale concludes
October 19, 2004
The Forest City Yearling Sale held its annual two-day fall sale Sunday-Monday, Oct. 17-18, and sold 314 yearlings for an average price of $22,773(C), or $18,171 in U.S. dollars. That was a decline of five percent from the average price attained at last year's sale when fewer yearlings were sold for
[read more]

Chitown start for Kikikatie
October 19, 2004
Kikikatie, forced to miss this year's Breeders Crown when a Coggins scare at The Red Mile kept the 3-year-old pacing filly in her barn, will instead race in a $16,500 Open Pace for fillies and mares at Balmoral Park Thursday night. Kikikatie, who finished fourth in a division of the Glen Garnsey
[read more]

Hanover yearlings online
October 19, 2004
Videos of yearlings bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and offered for sale at Harrisburg, Pa., next month are now available online at Hanover Shoe Farm's website at www.hanoverpa.com. The Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 1.
[read more]

Perretti to stand Revenue
October 18, 2004
Perretti Farm of New Jersey has confirmed that it has reached an agreement to stand the top international star Revenue at stud for the 2005 breeding season. Revenue dazzled North American racing fans with his powerful 1:51.3 victory in the Allerage Farms Open Trot at The Red Mile earlier this month.
[read more]

Gregory a USTA director
October 17, 2004
Driver/trainer Jeff Gregory has been elected to fill the membership director spot vacated by the resignation of Luc Ouellette in District 12. Ouellette moved to Ontario and thus resigned. The outcome of the voting was announced at the annual membership meeting, held today at Freehold Gardens Hote
[read more]

First day at Forest City
October 17, 2004
The first of two sessions of the annual Forest City Yearling Sale in Ontario was held Sunday and the sale topper was a half sister to $1.1 million winner Peaceful Way. That filly, by Yankee Paco, brought a top bid of $90,000 from trainer Gregg McNair. The 159 yearlings that went through the ring bro
[read more]

3YO Filly Trot elims
October 16, 2004
Kentucky Futurity Filly winner Housethatruthbuilt, Hambletonian Oaks champion Silver Springs, and the fast, highly-respected filly Peaceful Way will square off in the Breeders Crown championship, all three advancing to the final after elims Saturday night at Woodbine. Housethatruthbuilt won her e
[read more]

Inca fastest 2YO colt
October 16, 2004
Driver Dave Palone said his mount Allamerican Inca got a "little steppy," but that didn't keep the Western Hanover gelding from rolling to an easy 1:52 victory in a Breeders Crown 2-year-old pacing colt elim Saturday night at Woodbine. The second elim went to Shanghai Phil in 1:53.1. Village Jolt
[read more]

A
October 16, 2004
Quik Pulse Mindale won the first of two Breeders Crown elims for 3-year-old pacing colts, scoring in 1:51. The second elim was won by Geartogear in 1:51.4. Quik Pulse Mindale, who was supplemented to the race, was given an off-the-pace journey by regular driver Tony Morgan, who later said his hor
[read more]

Pocono sold to Indians
October 15, 2004
Pocono Downs has been sold to the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority by Penn National Gaming, which had to divest itself of the track to satisfy the conditions of Pennsylvania's new slot machine legislation that stipulated that a company that holds 100 percent ownership in one track could hold no more
[read more]

Balanced Image Dies
October 14, 2004
Balanced Image, one of the top Standardbred trotting sires of all time with progeny earnings of more than $81 million, was euthanized early Wednesday afternoon at his home of Glengate Farm in Ontario. He was 26. Balanced Image had been retired from the breeding shed after the 2003 season. He had
[read more]

Cantab lands post 11
October 14, 2004
In a bit of irony, Cantab Hall has drawn the trailing post 11 in the $625,000(C) Breeders Crown for 3-year-old colt trotters at Woodbine Racetrack Saturday, Oct. 23. In last weekend's Kentucky Futurity, Cantab drew post six in the first heat but finished fifth to Windsong's Legacy - who overcame pos
[read more]

2YO pacing fillies battle
October 14, 2004
Savannah Sky, Fast Ruffles and Cabrini Hanover won the three eliminations for the Breeders Crown for 2-year-old pacing fillies Thursday night at Woodbine. Savannah Sky, an Artiscape filly trained by Chris Ryder, won in 1:52.1 by three-quarter lengths over Art's Bid. Show Time was third. Fast R
[read more]

Colt has new owners
October 13, 2004
About a month after he captured the Woodrow Wilson at the Meadowlands, Village Jolt had new owners. Jeffrey Snyder, who was the winning owner in the Wilson, sold an interest in the Cam's Card Shark colt to Arlene and Jules Siegel just before the Metro. Village Jolt, who has been entered in the Br
[read more]

Elims for 2YO Colt Pace
October 13, 2004
Eighteen of the sport's swiftest and richest freshman colt pacers entered the Breeders Crown, forcing two eliminations on Saturday Oct. 16, at Woodbine. The first elimination features Woodrow Wilson winner Village Jolt, whose bankroll of $580,727 tops the divisional money standings. Village Jolt'
[read more]

20 go in Crown 3FT elims
October 13, 2004
Housethatruthbuilt heads the list of 20 three-year-old trotting fillies entered in the $625,000(C) Breeders Crown, forcing two eliminations to be held Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack. Owned by Ted Gewertz and Patricia Spinelli, Housethatruthbuilt will be driven by Brian Sears for trainer Trond
[read more]

Crown 3CP up for grabs
October 13, 2004
Thirteen 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers have been entered in the $693,750(C) Breeders Crown, with two eliminations going postward Saturday night at Woodbine to pare the final field down to 10. Little Brown Jug and dead-heat Cane Pace winner Timesareachanging was not entered, but his stablemate W
[read more]

Siblings finish 1-2-3
October 13, 2004
The 15-year-old broodmare Lady's Classic has three foals of racing age and, in a racing rarity, the trio finished one-two-three in Wednesday's fourth race at Summerside Raceway in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The Traders Lady, a 6-year-old daughter of Balance Of Trade, won the race over the
[read more]

Apple Krisp sold
October 13, 2004
The 3-year-old filly pacer Apple Krisp has been sold on the eve of the Breeders Crown. The Horseman has learned New York Jets star receiver Wayne Chrebet's Double Down Stable has purchased the daughter of Life Sign from William Peshina's Royal Wire Products for an undisclosed sum. Apple Krisp has
[read more]

Cantab readies for Crown
October 13, 2004
Just three days after scratching Cantab Hall out of the second heat of the Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile, trainer Ron Gurfein has entered the 2003 Trotter of the Year into the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Racetrack in hopes of defending his championship. After finishing fifth in the first heat of
[read more]

Crown supplements
October 12, 2004
Quik Pulse Mindale, the fastest sophomore pacing colt of 2004 and two sire stakes winning fillies--L Dee's Val and Invitro--have been supplemented-- at a price of $62,500 -- to the Breeders Crown 3-year-old races, to be contested on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Woodbine. Quik Pulse Mindale, the fastest
[read more]

2YO Crown Trots
October 12, 2004
Just 19 two-year-old trotters, nine colts and 10 fillies, entered their respective Breeders Crown divisions. With no eliminations needed, the trotters will go straight to the finals at Woodbine on Saturday, Oct. 23. In the $525,900 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot, divisional stand out Ken Warkentin will l
[read more]

Red Mile barns quarantined
October 12, 2004
JJ's Ironman won the ninth race last Wednesday at The Red Mile, capturing the late-closing event in a career-best time for driver Eric Ledford, trainer Seldon Ledford and owners James Jesk and Ledford Racing, but 48 hours later, preliminary Coggins testing on the 3-year-old colt came up positive. Th
[read more]

Final results are negative
October 12, 2004
JJ's Ironman won the ninth race last Wednesday at The Red Mile, capturing the late-closing event for driver Eric Ledford, trainer Seldon Ledford and owners James Jesk and Ledford Racing, and 48 hours later, preliminary Coggins testing on the 3-year-old colt came up positive. That resulted in the shu
[read more]

Carolina Sunshine shines
October 09, 2004
Carolina Sunshine closed from far back to surge past a game Eternal Camnationi to win the $100,000 Allerage Farms Series final for older mare pacers Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile. With Brian Sears driving, Carolina Sunshine followed cover before swinging wide in the final turn to go on to the 1
[read more]

Barns shut down in Lex
October 09, 2004
A positive Coggins test by JJ's Ironman, a 3-year-old pacing colt trained by Seldon Ledford, has shut down barns at The Red Mile and forced horses trained by several horsemen to be quarantined. In addition to horses trained by Ledford, horses trained by Joe Seekman, Travis Alexander and Charlie Norr
[read more]

Revenue wows in Allerage
October 09, 2004
Swedish trotting star Revenue captured Saturday afternoon's $208,000 Allerage Farms Series final at The Red Mile in what has to be considered one of the most exciting races of the year in North America. With John Campbell driving, Revenue took the early lead and was able to maintain that position
[read more]

Stroke Play out a winner
October 09, 2004
Stroke Play, in her final career start, rallied to a 1:54.1 victory in the $85,000 Allerage Farms Series final for older mare trotters. Driven by Brian Sears, Stroke Play outclosed Dresden Dolly for her seventh win in nine starts this year. Jorgen Jahre Jr. owns Stroke Play, a daughter of Yanikee
[read more]

One down, one to go
October 09, 2004
Windsong's Legacy overcame heavy traffic to capture the first heat of the Kentucky Futurity Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile. The Hambo winner hit the wire in 1:54. Castle Of Fortune led the field at the quarter, but then Cantab Hall took control, trotting to the half in :56 while Windsong's Le
[read more]

Lachance says Cantab sick
October 09, 2004
After the first heat of the Futurity, driver Mike Lachance reported that Cantab Hall is sick and he expected the colt to be scratched from the second heat. Cantab Hall finished fifth in the first heat.
[read more]

Yankee Lariat upsets
October 09, 2004
Yankee Lariat used a second-over trip behind Little Brown Jug winner Timesareachanging in a $229,800 division of the Tattersalls on Kentucky Futurity Day at The Red Mile. The time was 1:50.4. Trained by Bob McIntosh and driven by Jack Moiseyev, Yankee Lariat had finished fourth in the elimination
[read more]

1:49 by Royal Mattjesty
October 09, 2004
Royal Mattjesty won the $195,000 Allerage Farms Series Open Pace Final with a gutsy first-over move on the pacesetting Boulder Creek. He won in 1:49 with John Campbell in the sulky. Quality Western got up for second. Royal Mattjesty now has eight wins this year for his owners, Perretti Racing Sta
[read more]

It's Windsong's Legacy
October 09, 2004
Windsong's Legacy became the frst trotting Triple Crown winner since Super Bowl in 1972 when he captured the second heat of the Kentucky Futurity in 1:54 Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile. Windsong's Legacy won the rail post for the second heat but got away third as Yankee Slide surprisingly too
[read more]

Change at Big M for elims
October 08, 2004
Stakes race elimination winners will get to pick their post positions for the finals of major stakes, beginning with the Fall Final Four later this year at the Meadowlands. The first stakes impacted by the change in conditions will be the quartet of finals for two-year-olds on Dec. 4. The elimina
[read more]

Filly brings $200,000
October 08, 2004
A filly by the pacing sire Artsplace topped the second session at Tattersalls Thursday night when she brought a winning bid of $200,000 from Myron Bell. The filly's mother is a half sister to the dam of world champion Worldly Beauty. The filly was sold under the name of Art's Temptress and was of
[read more]

Backstretch with Gordon
October 08, 2004
Today is Ladies' Day at The Red Mile, with the card featuring the Kentucky Filly Futurity and two divisions of the Glen Garnsey Memorial 3-Year-Old Filly Pace, so I decided to seek out a very special lady this morning on the backstretch. And to keep it short and sweet, I found someone who is the def
[read more]

Bring on Rainbow Blue?
October 08, 2004
Glowing Report showed she's at the top of her game when she grinded first-over against Kikikatie and still won a $118,200 division of the Garnsey Memorial in 1:50.1 at The Red Mile Friday. Kikikatie faded to fourth while She's My Belle was second. But can Glowing Report beat Rainbow Blue? Jerry S
[read more]

Filly Futurity final set
October 08, 2004
Hambletonian Oaks winner Silver Spring and Oaks runner-up Housethatruthbuilt won their respective eliminations for the Kentucky Filly Futurity, setting up a showdown in the final between the two 3-year-old filly trotters. George Brennan made a quarter move to the lead out of the two hold past the
[read more]

2YO colt sparkles in ISS
October 08, 2004
Allamerican Inca rallied late to a 1:50.4 victory in the first of two $179,200 International Stallion Stakes divisions at The Red Mile Friday afternoon. Shanghai Phil captured the second $179,200 split with a 1:51.2 effort. Dave Palone was in the bike behind Allamerican inca, who won for the thir
[read more]

Housethatruthbuilt wins Fut.
October 08, 2004
Housethatruthbuilt parlayed a dream trip in the second heat of the Kentucky Filly Futurity final into a victory Friday afternoon at The Red Mile. Driven by Brian Sears, Housethatruthbuilt followed up her elim victory with a career-best 1:52.4 effort to take home the lion's share of the $243,000 tota
[read more]

Rainbow Blue sparkles
October 08, 2004
Rainbow Blue continued her dominance over the 3-year-old pacing filly division with an effortless 1:51.2 victory in the second $120,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial division at The Red Mile Friday afternoon. Off since equaling her own world record of 1:49.2 at The Red Mile Sept. 12, trainer and co-owner
[read more]

Buyers bet on new sire
October 07, 2004
Seven yearlings from the first crop by Bettor's Delight energized the opening session at Tattersalls on Wednesday night as four of them fetched prices of $115,000 or more. The seven generated an average price of slightly more than $107,000. The sale topper was a full brother to Little Brown Jug r
[read more]

Backstretch with Gordon
October 07, 2004
I sang a little bit of the rainbow blues this morning as my first stop in the barn area at The Red Mile was to see the sport's top-ranked horse, the 3-year-old filly pacer Rainbow Blue, who was supplemented into Friday's Glen Garnsey Memorial. I saw trainer George Teague yesterday afternoon at the r
[read more]

Upsets mark afternoon
October 07, 2004
Freshman colt trotters and filly pacers took the spotlight in the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile Thursday (Oct. 7) afternoon with the undefeated streak of world champion Cabrini Hanover coming to an end at the feet of Fast Ruffles in 1:52.3. Other filly winners were Restive Hanover in
[read more]

Backstretch with Gordon
October 06, 2004
Sometimes things just pop into your head out of nowhere. While I was driving to The Red Mile this morning I started humming a song I bet I haven't heard in years. It's the jingle that went with the commercials selling Windsong perfume: "Windsong stays on my mind." With Windsong's Legacy just three d
[read more]

Draw for Ky. Futurity
October 06, 2004
Windsong's Legacy drew post 11, which puts him at the rail in the second tier, in the $393,300 Kentucky Futurity, the third and final leg of the trotting Triple Crown. Transylvania division winner Al Dente Hanover will start from post 12, the second position, in the second tier while Cantab Hall dre
[read more]

Trying something new
October 06, 2004
Trainer Ray Schnittker has been trying something a little different to get his 3-year-old trotter Self Obsessed ready for the Kentucky Futurity: he's been riding him in the infield at The Red Mile. After Kim Zito, the wife of Thoroughbred trainer Nick Zito and an owner of Centerfold Hall, drew th
[read more]

Two fillies trot in 1:56.3
October 06, 2004
Magenta Hall and Seducer Hall shared the fastest times (1:56.3) as 2-year-old filly trotters raced in four $88,750 divisions of the International Stallion Stakes, sponsored by the Status Stables, at The Red Mile Wednesday (Oct. 5) afternoon. Other winners were Possessed Bydreams in 1:57 and Solveig
[read more]

Backstretch with Gordon
October 05, 2004
Boy, has it been busy around here these past few days. Trouble is, it's just not work that is keeping me hopping, nor even just the races. It's trying to keep up with the social life that I've discovered goes hand in hand with all the action during these two weeks of Grand Circuit racing and yearlin
[read more]

Average drops at Ky. sale
October 05, 2004
A full brother to the top 2-year-old colt trotter Ken Warkentin was the sale topper at the Kentucky Standardbred Sales Company yearling auction at Fasig-Tipton with a price of $290,000, but despite the high-priced seller the overall average price for the three-day session resulted in a drop of 6.95
[read more]

Wohlgetan Fraulein
October 05, 2004
In one short month Fraulein Bluestone has gone from being the 3-year-old maiden filly trotter who defeated the highly regarded colt Cash Hall in a qualifier at The Red Mile to a bona fide star in the making. After making breaks in four of her first five starts this year in Canada, the daughter of
[read more]

NY horsemen indicted
October 05, 2004
According to a story in Tuesday's The Buffalo News, several New York-based horsemen have been indicted in what the newspaper is calling "one of the largest methamphetamine rings ever uncovered." Trainer-driver Louis Russo was shipping horses from Canada into the U.S. at the Lewiston-Queenston Bri
[read more]

Mare's last hurrah in Lex
October 04, 2004
Eternal Camnation, harness racing's richest pacing mare with $3.7 million in earnings, will race her last race Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile in Lexington. Although the 7-year-old mare finished second in the Milton last Saturday at Mohawk, trainer Jeff Miller said the time had come to retire her
[read more]

Legacy day in PA
October 04, 2004
A press conference will be held on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol building on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in honor of Windsong's Legacy and his quest for the trotting Triple Crown. The conference is being organized by Pa. State Rep. Peter Daley of the House Agriculture Committee.
[read more]

Campbell leaves Siegels
October 04, 2004
Trainer Jim Campbell told The Horseman Monday morning that he parted ways over the weekend with owners Jules and Arlene Siegel and will open up his own public stable at White Birch Farm in New Jersey, conditioning both racehorses and yearlings. Campbell has trained horses for the Siegels for 10 y
[read more]

Tom Ridge out of Futurity
October 04, 2004
Trainer Jimmy Takter told The Horsman Monday afternoon that he will not be entering Tom Ridge in Saturday's Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile after the 3-year-old colt trotter came up sick following a fourth-place finish Oct. 2 in a Transylvania division. "I don't want to jeopardize the horse and
[read more]

DQ in second Transy split
October 02, 2004
Show Me The Monet was about to become a rare front-end winner on the Saturday Red Mile card when he broke stride just before the wire. He ran through the wire and the judges placed the fast-closing Sky Watch first in the $112,400 race. Driver Don Irvine Jr. took control with Show Me The Monet at
[read more]

Tom Ridge falters
October 02, 2004
Tom Ridge, the world's fastest trotter, was beaten by Al Dente Hanover in a $112,400 division of the Transylvania Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile. Tom Ridge set most of the pace, but faded to fourth in the 1:54.3 mile. Luc Ouellette raced Al Dente Hanover off the pace as Ron Pierce put Tom Rid
[read more]

Shanghai Phil wins from 10
October 02, 2004
Shanghai Phil, a colt by Blissful Hall, won the first division of the Bluegrass Series for 2-year-old pacing colts with a virtual wire-to-wire effort from post 10. His time was 1:52.2. Shanghai Phil, who Mike Lachance drove for trainer Dustin Jones, was comiing into the Bluegrass off of a runner-
[read more]

Mr. Muscleman scores
October 02, 2004
Mr. Muscleman put forth a a four-wide stretch rally to win an elimination of the Allerage Farms by a nose over HP Paque in 1:53.4. Muntineer won the first elim in 1:54.4, defeating Elegant Man. In Mr. Muscleman's race, Fool's Goal was also on the wire but broke stride when pressured. Since no other
[read more]

Upset in 2YO colt pace
October 02, 2004
Getting Real, a 23-1 shot, pulled off an upset in the second Bluegrass division for 2-year-old pacing colts. With George Brennan driving, Getting Real, a colt by Riyadh, turned in a big stretch rally to defeat Michael's Marvel and Thin Blue Line in 1:53.2. Noel Daley trains Getting Real, who had
[read more]

Inca charges to victory
October 02, 2004
Allamerican Inca came from far back at the top of the stretch to win the third $158,700 Bluegrass division for 2-year-old colt and geldings pacers at The Red Mile Saturday afternoon. The freshman gelding, who set a world record with a 1:51.2 win at The Meadows two starts ago, won the Bluegrass by op
[read more]

Soph colts battle it out
October 02, 2004
Western Terror, driven by Brian Sears, rallied from far back in the first $87,500 division of the Bluegrass Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings to win in 1:51.2. Santastic's Pan captured the lead from Little Brown Jug elim winner Blissed Out at the three-quarter mark and remained on
[read more]

Backstretch with Gordon
October 01, 2004
This morning was THE MORNING as I decided it was time for the first - and only - backstretch debate. No, I didn't go political and ask horsemen if they preferred John Kerry or George W. Bush; I posed the topic of whether there was a preference between trotters and pacers. With the backstretch loaded
[read more]

Stroke Play wins qua.
October 01, 2004
Four-year-old trotting mare Stroke Play, who has not raced since finishing fifth as the 1-5 favorite in the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands July 31, won a qualifier at The Red Mile Friday morning in 1:55.2. With Brian Sears driving, Stroke Play defeated Gildone and Mike Lachance by three lengths.
[read more]

Glowing Report in 1:50.4
October 01, 2004
Fresh off her Jugette victory last week at the Delaware County Fair, Glowing Report captured her $96,200 division of the (Bluegrass) Winbak Farms-Stonegate Farms 3-year-old filly pace in a lifetime best 1:50.4 Friday (Oct. 1) afternoon at The Red Mile. The second division saw Nu-Diamond Star score a
[read more]