Page 4 - October 2007 The Game

4 The Game, October 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
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Assiniboia Downs 2007 Season Ends
Trainer Marty Drexler gets first training title
After a stellar 2006, Marty Drexler was being told by some to savour it because you won’t see that good a year again. In a way that was true, because he would only do better. Marty Drexler, a former mutuel teller, and son of a plastic surgeon who fled Czechoslovakia for a better life in Canada, became the first trainer in recent memory to not only capture the trainer title for number of wins, but also the best percentage and total earnings.
Marty Drexler led all trainers with 43 wins in 129 starts including 30 seconds and 8 thirds. His horses captured the Manitoba Lotteries Derby, the Winnipeg Sun Stakes, the Jack Hardy Stakes, Harry Jeff rey Stakes and the CTHS Sales Stakes giving him a total of $541,091 in winnings. His win percentage was 33% and his in the money percentage was 63%.
At 37, the hard working Drexler looks to be going places with not only his work ethic and horse sense, but his uncanny like- ability. It was this characteristic that helped when he met Stewart Hyman of Shyman Farms. Finding good owners that love this sport is one of the most important jobs of a trainer and finding one with the ability to buy top quality race horses is a gold star.
Rounding out the top five trainers: Tom Gardipy Jr. 190-35- 26-32 $247,633; Ardell Sayler 220-33-33-35 $265,926; Carl Anderson 200-33-30-32 $340,223; Clay Brinson 96-25-19- 10 $216,678.
Alan Cuthbertson wins it again with an exclamation point
At 60 years of age, Alan Cuthbertson should be golfing and talking about the good old days with his buddies, however Cuthbertson is having nothing to do with that except for the occasional golf game with his two sons.
Cuthbertson defended his riding title not only getting the most wins of all the jockeys, but doing it in a dominating fashion winning 106 for the season. His closest competitor was Kirk Johnson with 52; less than half his total number of wins.
He guided 8 stakes winners through their paces including victories in the Winnipeg Futurity, Jacky Hardy, Winnipeg Sun, Canada Day, Free Press, Chantilly and Golden Boy Stakes. In total he won more than $960,000 in purses.
After of years of fighting personal demons, Alan Cuthbertson has definitely shown his appreciation to the fans of Assiniboia Downs for giving him a second chance. It has been spectacular to watch!
Rounding out the top five jockeys: Kirk Johnson 368-52-46- 50 $426,472; Mark Anderson 326-47-50-57 $527,520; Rohan Singh 277-45-46-36 $485,790; Christopher Husbands 238-33-28-30 $293,614.
Information from Assiniboia Downs Website at www.assiniboiadowns.com
Northlands 2007 meet ends September 30
With only days left to the 2007 Northlands meet (at press time for The Game) it will be exciting to see if Ron Smith can repeat as leading trainer. Trainer Greg Tracy is once again hot on his heels and the outcome could go either way.
As of September 25, trainer Ron Smith and Greg Tracy were within one win of each other for the trainer title and each had a number of horses still entered to run.
At press time Ron had a record of 159-32-29-31 $4476,810 and Greg with 134-31-30-27 $492,572.
Rounding out the top five trainers are: Robertino Diodoro with 146-28-26-16 $361,062; Ron Grieves with 118-25-17-16 $317,154 and Dale Saunders with 116-16-18-10 $230,336.
The outcome for leading jockey honours is more clearcut with Rickey Walcott likely to take the title for the third consecutive year. As of September 25, Rickey had 82 wins, 63 seconds and 61 thirds in 380 starts with earnings totalling $1,158,380. Stephan Heilier is second with 60-54-51 $1,027,026 in 329 starts and Quincy Welch is third with 57-61- 45 $1,037,506 in 293 starts.
Horse Racing Community partners with Crime Stoppers
In an effort to maintain the honesty and integrity of horse racing, the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) has officially signed a partnership agreement with Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers is a not-for profit community-based charitable program involving the co-operative efforts of the community, the media and the police in the fight against crime.
With the financial support of the industry-funded ORC Equine Medication Control and Drug Task Force, there is now a program in place to give Ontario’s horse racing community an anonymous, confidential way to report any illegal activity related to horse racing.
“By far the majority of people who
work in horse racing are honest, dedicated professionals who care about the horse and play by the rules,” says John L. Blakney, Executive Director of the ORC. “That community has sent a loud and clear message: the use of nontherapeutic medications or any illegal activity will not be tolerated.
“We are pleased to get the cooperation of the renowned Crime Stoppers organization to support the effort to maintain the honesty of our sport.”
With the Crime Stoppers program, callers are never asked to identify themselves, nor will they ever be asked to testify or be named. Cash rewards are offered to people who call the program and their information assists in an
investigation.
“The Task Force is supported with
funding from Ontario racetracks and horse people associations”
Standardbred driver Jody Jamieson (L) and thoroughbred jockey Robert Landry with a
Crime Stoppers poster
Remembering Young Andrew Smith
Seven year old Andrew Smith, who passed away on September 9 during an operation following a liver transplant, enjoyed a ride on Nicki the pony with Dixie Jacobson’s daughter, Bonnie Davies, and Dixie’s son-in-law Mark Cloutier. Andrew Smith was one of the more than 275 children who have been helped by the David Foster Foundation. Dixie and Roy Jacobson host an annual picnic at their Carousel Farm in Langley, BC every year for the organ transplant children and their families. The picnic is a chance for kids and their families to meet each other and for members of the David Foster Foundation to meet them.
The Foundation, which was the brainchild of its namesake David Foster more than 20 years ago, provides financial and emotional support to families of children who are in need of life saving organ transplants. For more information go to www.davidfosterfoundation.org or www.davidfosterandfriends.com.