Even though the Ontario Racing Commission announced late last week that it has given thoroughbred owner Bruno Schickedanz a stay from a 12-month suspension in regard to the ultimate euthanization of champion runner Wake At Noon, the Woodbine Entertainment Group has stated that it still will not be granting the owner stalls in the Woodbine Racetrack backstretch
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In a ruling released last Friday afternoon by the ORC, the commission announced that it decided to grant Schickedanz a stay and placed him on probation with a list of conditions.
Earlier this week, Woodbine Entertainment Group Executive Vice President Jamie Martin told Beverly Smith of The Globe And Mail that despite the ORC's stay in regard to the matter, it would still not be granting Schickedanz stalls for his charges, regardless. WEG ended up barring Schickedanz-owned horses after the incident.
“It doesn’t really change what we decided,” Martin was quoted as saying. “I was never concerned whether they (the ORC) suspended his licence or not.”
On June 29, 2010, Wake At Noon, a decorated career winner of $1.6 million in purses, was humanely destroyed after he broke down during a workout at Woodbine. The 13-year-old, who had not raced since 2007, had recently been put back into training by Schickedanz after the fan favourite had found limited success in the breeding shed.
(With files from The Globe And Mail)
Related Stories
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• Schickedanz Ban Upheld By ORC
• Schickedanz Barred; Wake At Noon Euthanized
I am usually pretty critical
I am usually pretty critical of many of WEGS decisions, but at tip of the hat to them for standing firm on this one.