Page 14 - July 2005 The Game

14 The Game, July 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
By Jonathan Huntington
With the Calgary monsoons behind them, horsemen have moved north to Edmonton in pursuit of record purses.
A whopping $9.1 million is sitting on the table in purses for the 72-day meet at Northlands Park, which started June 24 and ends Oct. 29.
Included in that total is a record stakes program, which features 41 events and a minimum pot of $50,000, a 25% increase over last year.
In fact, 15 stakes were raised by $10,000 each to reach the new bottom level.
And every financial increase is due to one thing: slot machines.
“We probably wouldn’t be racing (with- out slots),” said Les Butler, the chief racing executive at Northlands Park.
Northlands is home to 500 slot machines courtesy of Ralph Klein’s ruling government, with the revenue from the one-arm bandits being shared between the province and the racing industry.
However, the slot revenue isn’t just helping boost purses – it’s also being used to vastly improve the grandstand.
The cover was taken off a sparkling $5.7 million renovation project on opening night.
A new walking ring/paddock – almost four times the size of the old area – is the highlight improvement for horsemen.
Two new luxury suites, outdoor patio and escalators are welcome additions for handicappers.
Derby Dollars: The increased purse for the Canadian Derby is also a welcome addition for fans and horsemen.
The 76th Run for the Daisies, the high- light race of the year in Edmonton, is now worth $300,000, making it the richest
event in Western Canada.
“I think we’ll probably see more import
horses,” said Northlands Park’s racing secretary Fred Hilts.
“And you could see more local guys trying to buy a Derby horse.”
Organ Grinder, a Sovereign Award finalist from Toronto, won last year’s Derby by a nose over local longshot Controlled Meeting.
Like everything else, the $50,000 boost in the purse comes from slot revenue.
The Derby is set for Aug. 27.
Dodging Disaster: Stampede Park lost its closing day (June 19) because of mon- soons in southern Alberta, but it could have been so much worse for the Calgary track.
Fortunately, the 75th Alberta Derby – the richest and most prestigious race of the meet – was the day before.
Rain pelted the track throughout the card that afternoon, but the race crossed the finish line just hours before the Elbow River spilled over its banks, flooding key parts of the track.
“There was about five feet of water in
the walking ring (at the paddock) all day (June 19),” explained Keith Marrington, Stampede’s senior racing executive.
“The Paddock Bar (on the main floor of the grandstand) also had six inches of water in it.”
Water spread across half of the main floor in the 17,000-seat grandstand, while part of the facility lost power for almost two days.
Cinderella Story?: Is Knight’s Covenant about to write the Cinderella story of the Alberta racing season?
After needing almost 10 attempts to win his first race of his career, the three-year- old runner scored a massive upset in the Alberta Derby, winning at 25-1 odds.
But that is only a fraction of the story.
Knight’s Covenant is arguably the worst actor at the track.
“He was on the starter’s list until the day before entries,” said trainer Monica Russell, who constantly gate schooled the fractious youngster for days before getting the starter’s permission to enter just hours before the entry box closed.
KC – as Russell calls him – was known to rear in the gate, throw his rider on post parade and be a general pain in the neck in the paddock.
But something clicked on Derby day.
“That was the first time he walked into the gate and was the first time he kept all four feet on the ground in the paddock,” said Russell after the race.
KC is also giving his northern Alberta owner quite an initiation to the sport.
Robert Vargo just entered the game – and looks like a genius for paying $38,000 to buy the Alberta-bred runner considering the winner’s share of the $125,000 Derby was almost $80,000.
Russell is now targeting the $50,000 Ky Alta Stake on July 16 as the Ascot Knight gelding’s next stop on the road to the $300,000 Canadian Derby.
Finish Lines: Stampede Park’s overall thoroughbred handle dropped $800,000 from last year.
“That’s (a result) of missing two days this spring,” said Marrington, who was forced to cancel two days during the 47- day meet because of torrential rain.
“We would have bet $500,000 over those two missed days.”
~ Alberta Racing ~
Racing Moves North to Edmonton
Sixthirtyjoe (outside) with jockey Ricky Walcott was the winner of Northlands’ opening stakes race of the season, the Journal Handicap on June 25. Hot Talk with jockey Perry Winters (inside) was runner up in the race. Photo by Ryan Haynes.
Northlands Fact Box
Northlands Park Summer Thoroughbred Meet
Opening card: June 24 Number of dates: 72
Closing day: Oct. 29
Post Times: 6 p.m. Wed. and Fri./1 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Admission: Free
Live audio/video of races: www.northlands.com
Stampede Park Stakes Recap
Northlands Park Stakes Recap
Saturday, May 28 - Sunday, June 26, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Hoofprint on My Heart Handicap - 3 yr-olds $50,000
Winner: Dakota Duke
Owner: Stanley Ryan
Trainer: Greg Tracy
Jockey: Quincy Welch
Breeder: Arthur Appleton in FL
Pedigree: Stormy Atlantic - Fiesta Baby, by Dayjur
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Lilac Handicap - 3 yr-old fillies
$50,000
Winner: Kathern’s Cat
Owner: Brent McLellan, Roy Russ & Stuart Simon Trainer: Stuart Simon
Jockey: Quincy Welch
Breeder: Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey in KY Pedigree: Catienus - On Broadway, by Rubiano
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Duchess of York St.- 3 yr-old & up fillies & mares $50,000
Winner: Gold Accent
Owner: Ray Hanson, George Gilbert, D.K. Chan,
Glyn Kelly
Trainer: David Forster
Jockey: Ricky Walcott
Breeder: Jonabell Farm Inc. in KY
Pedigree: Gold Legend - Ly Dawg, by Lyphard
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Herald Gold Plate Handicap - 3 yr-old & up $50,000
Winner: Five Point Star
Owner: Swift Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Dino Condilenios
Jockey: Pedro Alvarado
Breeder: Bruce Unwin in BC
Pedigree: Amaruk - Astartobe, by Marcellini
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Alberta Derby - Gr3 - 3 yr-olds
$125,000
Winner: Knight’s Covenant
Owner: Robert Vargo
Trainer: Monica Russell
Jockey: Desmond Bryan
Breeder: Springs Lake Farm in AB Pedigree: Ascot Knight - Moveable Type, by Criminal Type
Saturday, June 25 - Sunday, June 26, 2005
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Journal Handicap - 3 yr-old & Up
$50,000
Winner: Sixthirtyjoe
Owner: Seivad Farms
Trainer: Deanne Davies
Jockey: Ricky Walcott
Breeder: DeanneDaviesinAB
Pedigree: Important Notice - Flying Mariposa, by Rambling Rector
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Penny Ridge Stakes - 3 yr-old fillies
$50,000
Winner: Wild Bender
Owner: Barb Saunders
Trainer: Dale Saunders
Jockey: Ricky Walcott
Breeder: DaleSaundersinAB
Pedigree: Stephanotis - Wild Creek, by Chapel Creek
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