Page 35 - February 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, February 2005 35
Canadian Connections Racing at Tampa Bay Downs, Florida
Jockey Martin Ramirez (right) has been wintering in Florida for the past eight years. He is pictured here heading back to the jock’s room with Tampa Bay Downs’ leading rider, Jesus Castanon. Jesus captured the leading rider title for the Tampa meet in 2003- 2004. It was the first riding title in his thirteen year career as a jockey. Martin Ramirez, who has been a leading rider for the past five years at Fort Erie, will be heading to Woodbine for the 2005 season. He plans to be back in Ontario sometime in March.
Trainer Bruce Alexander in the paddock at Tampa Bay
Downs, after giving jockey Parker Buckley, a leg up on the horse, No Fear, before the ninth race on January 5.
Trainer Bev Chubb is pictured here on the backstretch at Tampa Bay Downs with 3-year-old Tanner’s Beach. This winter Bev has 12 hors- es in training at Classic Mile in Ocala, Florida and has been busy racing at Tampa Bay Downs. Bev is taking advantage of the training facility at Classic Mile to
Trainer John Simms (left) and the mare Roman Romance & crew pose for The Game camera on the backstretch at Tampa Bay Downs on January 6. Pictured here left to right: Trainer John Simms; Groom Geoff Dapp; Hotwalker Odilon Cantor Diaz; The Game’s Elena Fenech; John’s wife, Sharon Simms; and Jockey Martin Ramirez.
Trainer Greg de Gannes has
24 horses currently training at his Hamdelue Stables, a farm in Ocala and most recently scored a stakes win at the end of the Calder meet with Mr. Pee Vee in the $40,000 Rex’s Profile Stakes on December 29 for owners Two Docs Stable. He is pictured here on the backstretch at Tampa Bay Downs on January 6 where he had arrived to work Dr. Socrates in preparation for the 7 furlong, $60,000 Pasco Stakes for 3-year-olds on January 22. Owned by Greg and partners under the name Hamdelue Stables,
Dr. Socrates worked 5 furlongs
in 101.3 with jockey
Martin Ramirez in the irons. Greg is looking forward to shipping back to Woodbine for opening day and depending on stall allocations he will have anywhere from 10 to 20 horses for the 2005 season. Greg will have a full plate training and racing horses at Woodbine as well as having to maintain Hamdelue Stables in Florida.
Trainer Alec Hughes is busy bathing his 7-year-old mare, Miss Ida Belle, at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida.
Jockey Martin Ramirez is aboard the Greg de Gannes trained, Dr. Socrates, for a work at Tampa Bay Downs on January 6. The three-year-old went 5 furlongs in 1:01.3.
Fort Erie’s 2004 Leading trainer Tom Agosti is in the winners enclosure at Tampa Bay Downs on January 6 with Blather Skite, owned by Michael Barkowski and ridden by jockey Russell Woolsey.
Former Jockey Ron Behrens, who rode the famous Puss N Boots when they went swimming at Fort Erie, stopped for a photo along the rail during early morning training at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida. Ron is now a trainer and has been wintering at Tampa for many years.