Horse Week sponsored by Equine Canada runs from May 30 - June 7. This promotion is held annually to celebrate Canada's thriving horse industry. It features a wide range of activities held across the country and has become an important national event for the Canadian horse industry. To get full information about events occuring through Horse Week in Alberta, click on Equine Canada Horse Week. (Updated June 1, 2009)
The Jockey Club web site is reporting that the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced it is providing $50,000 to fund an innovative research project designed to create a state-of-the-art method of assessing racetrack surfaces. The project is being conducted by Dr. Sue Stover, Dr. Mont Hubbard, Dr. Shrinivasa Upadhyaha and Jacob Setterbo at the University of California-Davis. The researchers seek to replicate synthetic and dirt racetrack surfaces in a laboratory setting. Successful validation of the laboratory “track in a box” will enable the study of factors that affect hoof impact, and thus propensity for injury, on racetrack surfaces in a carefully controlled environment. The track in a box is designed to gather data from simulated hoof impacts on different surface materials. Subsequently, hoof impact data will be used in a computer model of the equine forelimb to predict fetlock joint angle and suspensory ligament and digital flexor tendon strains with different race surface properties. The recently launched project is being added to the 17 others that the foundation earlier announced it would be funding in 2009. The total allocation for all 18 will be $924,894 this year. To read full details, click on Grayson-Jockey Club Study on Surfaces. (Updated June 1, 2009)
Equibase has released the "Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators" for May 2009. May 2009 vs May 2008 shows wagering on U.S. Races, which includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races, is down 8.26% ($1,499,103,122 down to $1,375,229,442), U.S. Purses are down 6.73% ($112,695,212 in May 2008 to $105,106,967 in May 2009) and U.S. Race days are down 4.93% (from 629 in May 2008 to 598 in May 2009). Year to Date 2009 vs. Year to Date 2008 shows wagering on U.S. races, which again includes worldwide commingled wagering, down 9.22% (from $6,069,837,619 to $5,510,415,896), U.S. Purses down 5.54% (from $427,010,362 to $403,346,939) and Race Days down 0.99% (2,216 to 2,194). (Posted June 4,2009)
Johnny Whittle, main jockey for Red Smith during the 1970's, passed away on June 7, 2009 at the age of 64 years. He won numerous stakes races in his time on the Western circuit including the Canadian Derby in 1974 on Progressive Hope. (Posted June 16, 2009)
Saturday, June 27th is the 24th Running of the Chariot Chaser. Three Alberta-breds; Tricky Temper, Jeffiner and Bodgits Lady are part of the field of eight in the six and one half furlongs race. Tricky Temper was the winner of the Mount Royal Stakes held on June 7th and will be running against Dandy Dora and Belong Again who placed second and third in that race. (Posted June 26, 2009)
