Page 27 - June 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper The Game, June 2005 27
2005 Fort Erie Season Began May 1
By Harlan Abbey
It looked like the opening of Fort Erie Racetrack's 108th season Sunday was going to be an easy day for cashing bets. All you had to do was follow bloodlines.
The late Dan Beckon was one of Canada's top jockeys. So his son, apprentice Chad Beckon, 24, formfully won the first, second and third races on the opening program. He also finished third in the fourth and fifth races before an out of the money ride in the sixth race with his last mount.
A bettor would make a profit if he followed the "betting on jockeys" system, but not a "killing." All eight races resulted in formful results. No winner paid less than $5.70, nor more than $12.30. In fact, the biggest straight $2 payoff was $30.10 on Sweet Anthony, who finished second in the second race to Beckon's mount, Elora, who led all the way to win easily.
Elora, trained by the Fort's Paul Mandolfino, paid $5.70. Rocket Ridge won the opener of the program for Woodbine-based trainer Phil England and paid $7.60. Third-race winner Deemed Ready, trained by Fort-based Debbie Rombis, paid $11.60.
Most of the day's races, all run at 4.5 or 5 furlongs, resembled cavalry charges with four and five horses running nearly abreast down the homestretch until the final 100 yards or so.
Francine Villeneuve, Fort Erie's leading female rider for several years, rode two winners, including owner-breeder Douglas Tufts' Ontario Road, who won the featured $20,000 allowance seventh race. The five-year-old Kentucky-bred was one of four winners who had raced earlier in the year. It also was a 50-50 split for horses entered by Woodbine-based trainers and those running on their "home" track.
The feature also offered the day's only "come-from-behind" winner as Villeneuve pushed Ontario Road down the middle of the stretch to catch early pacesetters Alfaari's Magic, ridden by apprentice Daniel Boudreau, and Cloud Jumper, piloted by Roderick Dacosta.
Ontario Road's trainer, Campbell Wilson, said he feared the five furlongs of the allowance feature were too short. He had been seventh ("But only beaten a bit over three lengths," Wilson said) and second in two six furlong races at Oaklawn
Park in Arkansas. "Francine, who has a second and two wins on him, had more confidence in him that I did," the trainer said, adding: "His offset knees stop him from being able to compete at the $40,000- $50,000 level. But his two-year-old half- brother, Hedging For Gold, has straight legs and should be a lot faster.
Despite his father's heritage, Chad Beckon didn't come to the racetrack until 2001, when he began exercising Thoroughbreds for trainer John Ross. Although his first winning ride was at Woodbine, on Fort Erie trainer Myckie Neubauer's Little Personality last summer, Beckon shifted his tack to Fort Erie in August to get more mounts. He won 15 races here and believes the higher weight scale should help him, as trainers using apprentices get five pounds off their horses' assigned weights.
"My dad won the Western Canada 'triple crown' but his dream was to win the Queen's Plate," Beckon said. "I'm not going to give that dream up."
Shellie McGirr, who trains the Fort Erie string for Woodbine-based Mike DePaulo, won the fifth race with Lady's a Pistol, ridden by apprentice Hiroshi "Happy" Ando, who undoubtedly has traveled the furthest to reach his goal of race-riding. He cannot be licensed to ride races, or even to exercise horses, in his native Japan because he wears contact lenses. Last year, he had his first career win in the opening race of the 2004 season.
McGirr is almost better known for finishing second than for winning races. Her first trainee, Therapy, tied the North American record by finishing second 11 consecutive times. He finally won, but contracted cancer and had to be put to sleep. Another horse she owns, Dixie Soup, has won $90,000 running second and third in allowance races.
The last race of opening day, won by Judith's Pirate, was a validation of owner Marc Desautels' hard work. "He bought the horse for $700 because he had a bad quarter crack in his hoof," said trainer Paula Loescher. "He babied him and spent every day working to heal that hoof."
Racing continues at Fort Erie Saturday thru Tuesday. The track will race on Fridays in August and also on July 1. The season ends Oct. 31.
Photo Left - Fort Erie Racetrack installed a new open concept weigh station for the jockeys. Some of the Special Guests that were on hand for opening day were having a turn at weighing themselves.
Jockey Jack Lauzon is his regular happy self as he makes his way out of the paddock aboard Stylish Joe for trainer Gary Johnson and owner London Creek Racing
It was a sunny but cool & windy day on opening day at Fort Erie Racetrack on Sunday, May 1. Despite the cold there was a large crowd and plenty of exciting racing.
Photo Right - Jockey Happy Ando is back to have his photo taken aboard Lady’s a Pistol in the fifth race for trainer Mike DePaulo and owner David James.
Photo Right - Jockey Roderick DaCosta in the paddock before the second race in which he rode Borntobeloved to a third place finish for trainer Ross Armata and owner S.A. Racing Stable Inc.
HBPA Representatives Lori Scott (Left) and Colleen Murphy (right) flank volun- teer Lynda Valvo, as they hand out free mugs to the race fans on opening day at Fort Erie.
Photo Left - Jockey Francine Villeneuve is aboard the John Simms trained Falluja before the fifth race. Francine is currently tied with Chad Beckon as leading rider at the Fort with 15 wins a piece after 11 days of racing. (May 23)
Photo Right - Apprentice Jockey Jennie Roche guides Execuqueen back to be un-saddled after finishing out of the money in Race 5.