It is being reported that three wild horses have been shot and killed near Sundre. There have been approximately two dozen unsolved shooting incidents involving the wild horses since 2004 and the Wild Horses of Alberta Society has offered a $10,000 reward for information regarding these shootings. A yearling, pregnant mare and a two year old stud were the latest victims in Tuesday's shooting. The province estimates that between 200-300 feral horses are living around the Park Ridge area close to Sundre. (Posted April 30, 2009)
A Delaware bankruptcy court has ruled that the Breeders' Cup will go as planned at the Santa Anita racetrack on November 6-7. Magna Entertainment Corp., which filed for bankruptcy in March, has been looking for approval from the court to auction off its properties, including the Santa Anita racetrack. Plans were in place to move the Breeders' Cup to Churchill Downs if the issue could not be resolved. (Posted April 29, 2009)
Churchill Downs will be instituting some changes at this year's Derby in order to address safety concerns that were raised after the euthanization of Eight Belles last May. Some of the changes for this Saturday include padded starting gates, use of riding crops rather than whips, a ban on a type of cleated shoe and laws against anabolic steroid use. In other Churchill Downs news, a two year old filly, Raspberry Miss was euthanized this morning following a collision on the racetrack. The filly sustained multiple fractures in her pelvis when Doctor Rap dumped his jockey and ran into her during training. None of the Derby horses were injured however several were on the track when the accident happened. (Posted April 27, 2009)
The Associated Press released information today that the pharmacy responsible for preparing the supplement given to 21 polo ponies which died over the weekend prepared it incorrectly. A Florida veterinarian had written the prescription for Franck's Pharmacy to prepare a compound similar to Biodyl, a French-made supplement that is used abroad but not approved for use in the U.S. Biodyl can be given to horses to help with exhaustion. The horses treated with the compound prepared by the U.S. pharmacy died within three hours of treatment. (Posted April 23, 2009)
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Shields passed away on April 17, 2009 at the age of 76 years. Sandy rode from 1957 until 1974 and was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Saskatchewan Hall of Fame in 2004. Sandy Shields rode Thrifty Miss to his first victory on June 24, 1957 on his way to becoming the all-time leading jockey in western Canada. During his fabulous 18 seasons at the track, he rode 8,588 mounts and recorded 1,509 first, 1,303 seconds and 1,148 thirds place finishes. His mounts earned $1,884,724. Six times during his riding career, Sandy won five races in a single day. In 1966, he won the Canadian Derby, the Saskatchewan Derby and the Alberta Derby riding Chariot Chaser earning him the Triple Crown in the West. Sandy Shields was described by veteran jockey Tom Stadnyk as having "had the ability that only great jockeys possess of being able to be one with the horse".
A celebration of Sandy's life will be held at the Mountain View Funeral Home on Saturday April 25th at 2:00 PM. Expressions of sympathy can be emailed to mountainview@arbormemorial.com. (Posted April 22, 2009)
| The Jockey Club Now Providing Free Tattoo Identification Services | |
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The Jockey Club announced today that it has established Tattoo Identification Services, a free resource to help owners identify tattooed but unknown Thoroughbreds in their possession. For legible tattoos, an owner can use a free tattoo lookup feature available from The Jockey Club's website, http://www.jockeyclub.com/, and the Registry homepage, http://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/. For illegible tattoos or partial tattoos, customer service representatives from the Registry will provide free research of a Thoroughbred's identity using the information contained in The Jockey Club's database, including color, markings, and photographs. Information on procuring identification from illegible or partial tattoos as well as tips for reading lip tattoos and a list of frequently asked questions is available at http://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/. "We hope that Tattoo Identification Services will be a valuable tool for individuals and organizations seeking to retire, re-train and find suitable homes for Thoroughbred racehorses when their racing careers are over," said Matt Iuliano, vice president of registration services for The Jockey Club. "We view this as an adjunct to our recently implemented checkoff program, and as a service to both the horses and the people who care for them." On January 1, 2009, The Jockey Club instituted a voluntary checkoff program enabling owners and breeders in North America to assist the retirement, re-training and adoption efforts of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Thoroughbred Charities of America when they submit their foal registration applications. As an incentive to encourage participation, The Jockey Club will match the checkoff on a dollar-to-dollar basis up to $200,000 in 2009. Checkoff proceeds and matching funds are being distributed to those two organizations on a quarterly basis, with over $100,000 distributed thus far. (Posted April 15, 2009) |
The Alberta HBPA has announced that purses for the 2009 Thoroughbred Meet have been determined. Overnites payments are budgeted to average $92,000 per day during the 96 day meet for total payments of $8,832,000. Per diem payments at Northlands for 2009 remain status quo. Stakes payments will total $2,370,000. In 2009, total purse payments to Horsemen will be $11,202,000. This amount excludes owners bonuses earned by Alberta breds placing 1, 2 or 3 in claiming races above the $7,500 level and certain Stakes races which offer added incentives for Alberta breds. The HBPA states that they "appreciate the patience and understanding with respect to the length of time it has taken to finalize this matter. Please bear in mind that, should wagering be adversely affected during 2009, the overnite payments will be reviewed accordingly". The complete Northlands Stakes Schedule and associated purses can be viewed at http://www.hbpaalberta.ca/reports/09npstakesfinalwebsite.pdf. . Any questions should be directed to Mat Monaco, Manager of the Alberta HBPA at 403-650-6448. (Posted April 15, 2009).
April 15th is the deadline set for the County of Lacombe to provide the necessary environmental and development permits to allow Alberta Downs to proceed with the plan to open for racing on April 18th, 2009. The proper Lacombe County approvals are required if developer and owner Bobby Allen is to go ahead with the first racing meet to be held at Alberta Downs. The Red Deer Advocate newspaper reported on April 10th that County commissioner Terry Hager said the municipality wants all of the approvals in place before racing can begin. The county has not yet decided if it will issue a stop work order to stop the upcoming events or give Allen more time. Last December, the County approved re-zoning to allow for a horse racing and gaming facility with up to 150 slot machines but the gaming portion is now shelved due to a provincial moratorium on new gaming licenses. Read the latest article in the Red Deer Advocate (Posted April 15, 2009)
Proceedings from the March 27, 2009 Alberta Livestock Care Conference have been posted at
http://www.afac.ab.ca/lcc/2009/conference.htm. Some interesting topics have been discussed n relation to the livestock industry working together for responsible animal care. Direct issues relating to the horse industry can also be found at http://www.afac.ab.ca/current/horses.htm. (Posted April 15, 2009)If you would like to have some input into the Northlands racing scene this year, read the following posted on the HRA web site:
| Written by Jonathan Huntington |
| Tuesday, 07 April 2009 21:21 |
| The Northlands racing marketing department is entering a new chapter. With the thoroughbred season around the corner, new promotions aimed at raising live handle are coming.However, I want to hear from local racing fans if they want to offer marketing suggestions. The fans at Northlands play a vital role in the sport and should be listened to. I'm just two months into this new role and willing to consider any financially viable option to make Northlands more attractive to our current fan base and to potential new customers. Of course, I can't guarantee how many suggestions would become part of the Northlands marketing campaign. There is only so much money in the budget. But this invitation is the first step on a path that hopefully improves your experience this summer at Northlands. Forward any marketing suggestions or comments to Northlands Park Racing Marketing Manager Jonathan Huntington at 780-471-8140 or email him at jhuntington@northlands.com (Posted April 8, 2009) |
The Canadian Derby, set to run at Northlands on August 22, 2009, will have a purse set at $300,000 again this year. There were concerns that the purse would drop to $200,000 or $250,000 due to a shortfall in funding for 2009 however through sponsorship and advertising sales by Northlands park for http://www.thehorses.com/ and live CTV racing broadcasts, nearly $100,000 was raised to maintain the purse amount. For further information, visit the Horse Racing Alberta web site at http://www.thehorses.com/. (Posted April 8, 2009)
Gross revenue from Keeneland's 2 -year-olds in training sale dropped 27.6% and average price dropped 15.5% with the median price falling 21.7%. Of the 216 horses catalogued, 69.4% or 150 were either scratched or failed to find new homes. The two day sale ran on April 6 and 7. Keeneland's Director of Sales, Geoffrey Russell, commented that "This is where the Thoroughbred market is at the moment; it's a totally different world from this time last year...but make no mistake, there is still great interest in the Kentucky Derby which is one of the ultimate goals for people in the Thoroughbred industry. The horses that stood out the last two days were definitely the horses that people saw as classic, two turn American horses". (Re-printed from the Bloodhorse.com April 8, 2009)
Northlands Park and HRA have announced the 2009 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule. (Posted April 7, 2009)
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced on April 3 that Churchill Downs will be the first U.S. racetrack reviewed by an inspection team as part of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance accrediation process. The on-site inspection will include inspections of all facets of the racing facility, and interviews with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards, regulators and customers. The Alliance was formed last October with the goal of establishing uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, it includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen's association. It includes specific standards that focus on areas including reporting of equine injuries, aftercare of racehorses, health and safety of jockeys, riding crops and their use and on-track emergency medical care for humans and athletes. Further information can be read at http://www.ntraalliance.com/. (Posted April 7, 2009)
Doug Basset
Former Stampede Park "main track guy" and well know figure in the thoroughbred and quarter horse industry, Doug Bassett, passed away suddenly on Friday March 27 of a heart attack. He leaves behind his wife Wanda and daughter. Doug grew up in Raymond and Lethbridge and had just started a new position at Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge as the track and capital projects supervisor. His funeral was held on Friday April 3 at 1 PM at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge. Read Doug's obituary. (Updated April 7, 2009)
Two U.S. Senators have introduced legislation to prohibit the transport of horses for slaughter to Mexico and Canada. Senators mary Landrieu (D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) introduced S 727 - the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act into the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 26. S 727 would prohibit the transport, sale, delivery, or export of horses for salughter for human consumption. It also criminalizes the purchase, sale, delivery, or export of horsemeat intended for human consumption. Violators would face criminal and civil penalties, including being fined or imprisoned. The bill is the senate's version of HR 503, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, introduced into the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in January. Since then, HR 503 has gathered 112 co-sponsors. It was referred to the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on March 16. Re-printed from www.thehorse.com. (Posted March 31, 2009)
Kentucky stallions have been declared free of CEM (contagious equine metritis) by the state veterinarian's office and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The last Kentucky stallion known to have been exposed to CEM has been released from quarantine after it was successfully treated for the sexually transmitted disease that had been spreading among Kentucky horses. The quarter horse was the last of five in Kentucky that had been diagnosed with CEM which can cause infertility in mares.State veterinarian, Dr. Robert Stout, said it appears a stallion shippped to Kentucky from Wisconsin was the original source of the disease that was first detected in December. (Posted March 31, 2009)
The decision to move the 2009 CTHS Canadian-Bred Summer Yearling Sale to the Westerner venue at Red Deer has been carefully planned and thought out. The change in venues is in response to feedback gathered from consignors and buyers at the 2008 CTHS Summer Yearling Sale.The CTHS would like to maintain the Summer Yearling Sale as a quality sale that meets the needs of the members. To read the CTHS report on the reasoning behind the venue change, please click on the following link: The 2009 Canadian-Bred CTHS Summer Yearling Sale - Venue Decision . (Updated April 8, 2009)
Horse Racing Alberta has approved six date changes for the 2009 Northlands Park Thoroughbred Meet. Three changes come in the opening month as May 6 (Wednesday) and May 20 (Wednesday) have been removed while Victoria Day (Monday May 18) has been added. The other changes are - addition of September 6 (Sunday), October 12 (Thanksgiving Monday) and removal of October 14 (Wednesday). "This slight adjustment provides better racing opportunities for the horses", said Northlands director of racing Kevin Behm. With opening day of the meet set for May 1, the deletion of May 6 will likely help keep fields more attractive to bettors on the second weekend of the campaign."
"We have not added any extra live days but with the blessing of Northlands, have tweaked the schedule intending on attracting more fans and increasing wagering on the holiday Mondays," said HBPA executive director Mat Monaco. "Afternoon post times for May 18 and October 12 should result in a greater economic win for both Northlands and the HBPA and give fans and families an additional entertament choice on those days.
"With respect to rescheduling Wednesday May 6 to Sunday September 6, our past experience in Calgary was that after the first weekend of racing we had challenges filling the card for the card for the following Wednesday since not all horses stabled were ready to race or trainers did not wish for them to sprint 3 1/2 furlongs. May 6 has been replaced with September 6 where we believe we will get greater wagering interest in the markets who take our simulcast signal".
Go to www.thehorses.com for the complete 2009 Edmonton schedule.
