Again I am writing this column during another one of our most exciting weekends of racing in North America. Congratulations to Casie Coleman and her team on winning the Metro with SPORTSWRITER in a world record time of 1:49.2. Way to go Casie! Now your critics will stop saying you are just a ready-made horse trainer and respect you for your true horsemanship in developing two and three-year old stake horses!
It was hoped we would have had another world record in DuQuoin at the World Trotting Derby by Muscle Hill, but the wet weather took away all chances of that. After watching Muscle Hill, who would have thought that we might have forgotten all about Deweycheatumnhowe in less than a year?
Speaking of world records, how about Bruce Ranger winning 13 races out of 18 drives at Pompano Park on September 5? At least we now have a clear-cut record. I always had trouble with some of the records coming from drivers who competed at two tracks or double cards on the same day.
October is a month where there are two significant days: Thanksgiving and Halloween. On one hand, our industry should be so thankful when you see the amount of money that goes into purses across North America (especially in September and October, when all of the Grand Circuit and Breeders Crown races take place). I hope many of you were (or are) able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with as many family members as possible!
On the flip-side, I really think the reference to scary Halloween is also very prevalent.
Racing in British Columbia, for example, is in for a very interesting autumn. There have been some changes with the government process of funding horse racing, where each segment (namely standardbreds, thoroughbreds and track operators) must apply for what they believe they require to sustain their respective part of the horse racing industry (scary).
Also, by the time you read this column, the 2010 dates for Alberta should be announced. Whether the news be good or bad (scary) I give Shirley McLellan (HRA Chair) credit for realizing that horsemen at least deserve some notice of what is being proposed for race dates.
Another scary thing is Great Canadian Gaming announcing their 2010 ‘proposed’ dates for Flamboro Downs and Georgian Downs; there is a proposed reduction from the 333 dates we’re seeing in 2009, to 221 in 2010, and 160 in 2011.
And Quebec racing (or lack of) continues to be the scariest situation of them all, with only 50 dates for 2010, all at one track.
It sounds to me like Adrenaline was considered a success, and I know that success can’t always be measured by dollars and cents! In this case, success was measured by the number of new and younger customers being exposed to our great sport in a fun setting. Thanks to Hiawatha Horse Park for hosting the first ever Adrenaline!
Time is running out to qualify for the Trot Canada National Handicapping Championship, which will be held at Rideau Carleton Raceway on November 8. Check out the Standardbred Canada website to find your nearest qualifying racetrack.
The new whipping rule is just testing its wings in Ontario and British Columbia -- I hope it is considered to be working for everyone’s best interest, but I also hope that participants and regulators will be open minded and willing to make changes if it is not. We will have to wait and see!
Finally, don’t forget to get out and watch the two and three-year-old Breeders Crown races on Saturday, October 24 at Woodbine. These races are headed to the U.S. in 2010 and we will really miss them in Canada!
Until next month!