Page 5 - June 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game, June 2007 5
$45,000 Golden Boy kicks off Stakes Schedule at Assiniboia
Assiniboia Downs is scheduled to open its stakes race schedule for 2007 on Saturday, June 2 with the 30th renewal of the $45,000 Golden Boy Stakes for 3-year-olds – the first of two key prep races leading up to the $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby on holiday Monday, August 6.
This race typically highlights local talent, but this year’s running is also attractingattentionfromAlberta: CRJag trained by Rick Hedge and Freud’s Cure from Waymor Holdings trained by Rob Chabot. Along with those, Assiniboia Downs’ trainers have loaded their stables with talented 3-year-olds from all over North America.
Trainer Marty Drexler and his client Shyman Farms have nominated four horses including First Cavalry, winner of last year’s Winnipeg Futurity. Also sitting on the Shyman bench will be First Nations, Maccabi, and Roman Legion.
Other local connections with multiple nominations include K5 Stables with Country Humor and Storm Patrol; Gold Chester and Roman Dodger from the Starfield Stables and Larry Carter’s Gold and Blue Box and Western Deed.
The horses attracting the most attention will be K5 Stable’s Country Humor and Judy Bradley’s Albert Royalle. Country Humor was impressive as a 2-year-old, winning by 12 lengths last September. He has since run a very
solid third behind some impressive older horses this May.
Albert Royalle, trained by veteran trainer Clint Willson, goes into the Golden Boy Stakes undefeated in two starts including an impressive win on May 11 defeating a fast closing Holy Smoke Ya and Manitoba-bred speedster Sir Officer.
The other stakes race on tap for the first weekend in June will be Sunday’s $45,000 LaVerendrye Stakes. Last year’s top older mare and two time winner of this race Remiewaterbluz will defend her title against an impressive field including last year’s Matron Breeders’ Cup winner Empress Pegasus and Stampede Park invader Pretty Beaucat.
The 2007 LaVerendrye will showcase one of its most competitive fields in years. There will be those who hope to capitalize on wins already this season such as Beshairt and Miss Lucky Lou and several horses from some of the most prestigious tracks in North America including potential starters Culpeper Moon and Doctor Jane from Kentucky and Daisy Mountain from Chicago.
Something new this year: fans who attend at least six stakes events will be invited to a VIP Party at the end of the season with prizes determined by their number of visits. - Allan Gray
Polytrack Repairs at Woodbine
The new Polytrack surface at Woodbine underwent a series of renovations in May after the condition of the new racing surface began to deteriorate late last season. Woodbine officials received numerous complaints from both the horsemen and the jockeys when the cold weather hit last fall and again at the beginning the 2007 season in March. Less than four months after the unveiling of the Polytrack surface on August 30, 2006, cold temperatures caused the fibers and wax to separate which resulted in a gross amount of kickback as well as slow fractions.
Officials had to wait for the weather to offer them three consistent days of temperatures around 73 degrees before they could start the renovations.
On May 15, a dark day for racing, and the three days following, a high oil
content wax was added to the existing Polytrack. The track was closed for morning training however the May 16 evening card of racing was not effected.
Since the application of the oil, horsemen at Woodbine have been com- menting that there has been a noticeable reduction in the amount of kickback.
The next phase of the Polytrack surface renovation, which involves the addition of one foot of new material composed of sand, fiber, spandex, rubber, wax, and jelly cable was scheduled for May 29.
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New Starter at Woodbine
Longtime Fort Erie Starter, Drew Brown and his assistant Buck Fierheller are now working the same positions on the starting gate at Woodbine replacing
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