Northlands Park Thoroughbred Dates Set for 2010
As reported on www.thehorses.com - Northlands Park will host an 85 - day thoroughbred meet starting Friday May 2010. The race meet will end October 11 - Thanksgiving Day. The 2010 schedule calls for one break from August 29 to September 5 for the chuckwagon derby. The met will follow the traditional Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday rotation of race cards. There will be five holiday cards: May 24, July 1, August 2, September 6 and October 11 - closing day. (Posted Thursday, February 25 2010)HBPA Announces "approximate" Purses for Northlands Park Race Meet
Mat Monaco - executive director of the Alberta HBPA - has announced an approximate purse pool for the upcoming 85 day Northlands Park thoroughbred meet.
Monaco has also informed horsemen in a statement that "thoroughbred training will commence at Northlands on April 15, 2010 (weather and/or track conditions permitting). (Posted Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010)
The Calgary Herald reported on February 24, 2010 that the developers of the multi-million dollar racetrack and entertainment complex in Balzac are selling some of the land in order to raise money after seeking creditor protection last fall. Read the full article: Calgary-area Racing Complex Selling Land to Raise Funds
Read the new 2010 - 2012 Business Plan released by Horse Racing Alberta.
"The Industry Working Committee that was developed from the Strategic Planning Session in January continues to work hard with all stake holders to develop a sound three-year live racing plan.” Horse racing Alberta is a private, not-for-profit organization mandated to govern, direct, control, regulate, market and promote the Alberta Horse Racing and Breeding Industry. (Posted February 16, 2010)
Terry Keyko is the new COO at HRA. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Huntington)
For more information about Keyko, check out the link http://www.thehorses.com/index.php/stories/industry-news/1371-terry-keyko-is-hras-new-coo. Keyko has 30 years of experience with the Alberta government and replaces David Reid, who left HRA last July. HRA has also posted their business plan for 2010-2012. (Posted Feb. 16, 2010)
One of the suggestions from the Wildrose Alliance is to "eliminate the 25 million annual grant to horseracing."
Don Propp Passes Away
Alberta horseman and racing enthusiast, Don Propp, passed away on February 1, 2010 at the age of 76 years. His family wrote that his "biggest passion was thoroughbred racing. He was always thrilled to watch the horses he bred and owned race...and sometimes win". One of Don Propp's bred and owned recent successful race horses was Royalty Boy who had an untimely death last year as an 8 year old after running in the Speed To Spare race at Northlands. Royalty Boy had just been claimed from Don Propp before the Speed To Spare by Side Management. Don Propp still owned Royalty Boys 24 year old dam, Briars Button, who also produced Briars Flash who placed second in the Northland Oaks and the Jack Hardy Stakes at 3 and third in the Penny Ridge Handicap and the Chariot Chaser Handicap. As well, Don's mare Briars Button produced the 2007 filly by Hurricane Center, Royal Buttons, who is a new prospect in Cody Andersons barn. (Posted Feb. 16, 2010)
THE JOCKEY CLUB DENIES STUD BOOK PRIVILEGES FOLLOWING HORSE CRUELTY JUDGMENT
At its February 9, 2010, meeting, The Jockey Club's Board of Stewards accepted the recommendation of The Jockey Club Registrar to deny Florida resident Lope M. Gonzalez all privileges of The American Stud Book on a permanent basis effective January 1, 2011.
This action was taken based upon information received by the Registrar, which included the judgment entered October 14, 2009, in the Circuit Court of Marion County Florida in the matter of the State of Florida vs. Lope M. Gonzalez (Case number 09-MM-7123), and pursuant to Section V, Rule 19(A)(4)(d) of the Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book concerning acts of cruelty committed to a horse.
Denial of all privileges of The American Stud Book includes the privilege to register foals or submit any documents related to foal registration. The January 1, 2011, effective date allows registration of foals already conceived prior to the judgment.
Ogden Mills Phipps, the chairman of The Jockey Club, said, "The Jockey Club fully supports and assists law enforcement agencies, the courts and racing regulatory authorities in the investigation of matters involving cruelty to Thoroughbreds. When there is a final determination by a court, an official tribunal or an official racing body that a person has killed, abandoned, mistreated, neglected or abused, or otherwise committed an act of cruelty to a horse, The Jockey Club will not hesitate to take appropriate action under Rule 19."
Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book are located at jockeyclub.com/registry.asp?section=3#nineteen.
Nominations for 2010 Inductees to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is looking for nominations from the public for people or horses to be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame for 2010. All nominations will be considered by the Nomination Committees of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Board of Directors for both the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries.This year's Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala Fundraising Dinner will be held at the Mississauga Convention Centre on Thursday, August 19. The celebration will begin with a cocktail reception starting at 5:30 pm followed by a full course dinner at 7:00 pm. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is excited to announce this year's Guest Speaker, Gemini Award Winner, stand-up Comedian Tim Steeves. Steeves, who has written comedy for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report and also helped create the Canadian Comedy Special "Talking To Americans", will be sure to entertain!
For more information on the 2010 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Nominations and Celebration visit http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/ or contact Louis Cauz at Lou.Cauz@horseracinghalloffame.com or 2010 Event Co-ordinator Stacie Roberts at 416-230-5190 or sroberts@horseracinghalloffame.com.
Omar Moreno - Outstanding Apprentice Jockey
Omar Moreno, a graduate of the Olds College Jockey school was awarded the 2009 Sovereign Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey at the Awards Night held in Toronto, Ontario on Friday, February 5th. Watch a video of Omar accepting his award.
Moreno made quite a statement when he moved his tack to Woodbine. The apprentice rider won 22 races from 171 starts at the Toronto oval, 60 top-three finishes in all. Moreno hooked up with agent Jack Lauzon, who retired from a highly successful career in the saddle following the 2007 meeting, and rode for a variety of outfits. Moreno's patience paid off handsomely in his abbreviated stint at Woodbine. He contested three added-money events, finishing fifth twice and second with Silver Z in the Bessarabian Stakes on November 22. Silver Z, at 37-1, lost by just a half-length to Sovereign Award finalist (Champion Female Sprinter) Tribal Belle in the Bessarabian. (Posted Feb. 9, 2010)
Journal reporter sets awards record
Jan 30 2010
Journal sports reporter Curtis Stock has won a record 10th Sovereign Award for a touching story he wrote last September on the retirement of longtime Alberta thoroughbred trainer Lorne Dupont.
Stock picked up his award for the most outstanding newspaper article at the Jockey Club of Canada awards banquet in Toronto on Friday night. The Jockey Club has been handing out Sovereign awards since 1975 to recognize outstanding horses and people in the thoroughbred industry in Canada. "It (the record 10th award) means I've been around a long time," Stock said. "Horse racing is the sport I enjoy covering the most but, given the dicey state of horse racing in Alberta, I can only hope I will get a chance to write more racing stories for at least a few more years."
Read article: Lifetime of Horse racing Brings Love, Happiness and Tragedy (Posted Feb. 9, 2010)
Proposed Regulations for Horses Going Into the Food Chain (Les Burwash, Alberta Agriculture)
Based on audits by the European Union Food and Veterinary Office in 2007, new restrictions on horses able to enter the food chain are being phased in over the next three years. As of July 31, 2010, all horses presented to a processing plant must be accompanied by an equine information document dating back 180 days. This document must list all medicinal treatments administered to the horse during this time and must be signed by the owner, or previous owners if the horse has been owned less than 180 days. Read more... (Updated Feb. 9, 2010)
Premise & Equine ID (Rick Fredrickson, Alberta Agriculture)
To better prevent, prepare, respond and recover from animal/plant health, human health and food safety emergencies. The BSE experience has taught us the price is too high not to have a world class traceability system in place. For an update on what currently applies to horses and what's coming, Read more...
Dubai set to open a $2 billion horse racing complex amid struggle to pay bills
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The opening of Dubai's US$2 billion racetrack is the latest indication that the indebted Gulf sheikdom has no plans to scale down ambitions to host high profile sports events, particularly those close to its ruler's heart. Despite a struggle to pay the bills for its boom-time excess, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - a long time horse enthusiast and one of the world's premier endurance riders - is in no mood to save when it comes to horses and racing. The new Meydan racing facility includes two race tracks, a grandstand for 60,000 spectators, a 290-room-with-a-view luxury hotel, a marina and a racing museum. To read the full article, click here...
The Quest For a New Three-Year-Plan for Alberta Racing
An industry-wide committee led by CTHS President, Gordon Wilson, has been formed to determine a three-year-plan for racing all breeds in Alberta. According to Wilson, the goal of the group is "to establish a three-year-plan for racing and training for thoroughbreds, standardbreds and quarter horses across the province". The committee was formed at the end of a six hour Alberta racing strategy session held on January 20th 2010 at Northlands Park in Edmonton. The idea for the committee came after Wilson presented a new look potential calendar for the province starting next year. Wilson's committee has been charged with reporting to HRA and the rest of the racing industry by May with an action plan ready for June. The committee has representation from every corner: CTHS (Adrian Munro), ASHA (Sam Johnson and Fred Gillis), HBPA (John Stavropoulos), Northlands Park (Kevin Behm), Evergreen Park (Ed Welsh), Calgary Market (David Chalack) and Wilson as chairman. There will also be reps from Alberta Downs, Medicine Hat, Alberta quarter horse and RMTC.
Written by Jonathan Huntington
To read the complete article, visit the Horse Racing Alberta at http://www.thehorses.com/ (Posted January 27, 2010)
Equine Welfare Projects (Jennifer Woods, HWAC)
Three new welfare related projects are scheduled for 2010, delivered by the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC). HWAC partners include all provincial horse councils, NAERIC, all provincial farm animal care groups, Canadian Quarter Horse Assoc., Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Bouvry Exports, SSPCA, J. Woods Livestock Services and Agri Food & Agri Canada. Read more... (Posted January 27, 2010)
