Page 18 - 17 February 2012

Canadians ranked high in many AQHA Racing categories in2011.
by Kim Ito
Although the Canadian winter is fully in swing, there is still a lot going on north of the border. The winter months are always a good time to look back at the past season’s achievements and look forward to what the new season will bring.
AQHA YEAR END RANKINGS
Canadians ranked high in many AQHA Racing categories in 2011, and three Ontario based owners were nominated for AQHA Champion Owner: Ivy Lane Racing, Roger Girard and Christine Tavares.
Ivy Lane Racing ranked third overall for Owners (Races Won) with 53 wins. The syndicate was also ranked seventh for Owners (Money Earned) with $797,543 in earnings. Ivy Lane Racing had over 300 starts last year and finished in the top three 149 times with two stakes wins and four stakes placings. They finished the year with an overall win percentage of 17 percent and accumulated 1,652 points, earning them AQHA Regional High Point Owner for Canada. One of their horses, Cole Miner, was AQHA Regional High Point Aged Gelding.
Christine Tavares ranked fourth for Owners (Races Won) with 39 wins and ranked 13th for Owners (Money Earned). Tavares had 377 starts in 2011 and her horses earned over $570,000 in purses. Her horses finished in the money 127 times and fin- ished the year with a 10percent win percentage.
Roger Girard ranked eighth for Owners (Races Won) and was 37th for Owners (Money Earned). From only 122 starts, Roger won 24 races, finished second 23 times and finished third 16 times. His horses had two stakes placings in 2011, and finished the year with a win percentage of 24 percent and earnings in excess of $311,000.
Our riders are also starting to see the benefits
of the increased purse programs in Ontario, two of whom were ranked in the top 40 riders for money earned in 2011. Helen Marie Vanek, returning to Ontario after a long stint riding in the southern states, ranked 36th, racking up $919,385 in purses. Helen also ranked 46th for races won with 48 wins. The 2011 QROOI High Point Leading Rider Brian Bell, was not far behind in 38th, with $909,237. He also ranked 34th for Races Won, with 59 wins and was AQHA Regional High Point Jockey in Canada with 1,806 points.
QROOI (Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario) Horse of the Year Leanintoit, a 2-year-old filly by
Tres Seis out of First Lady Amber, ranked first in the AQHA for races won in 2011. Leanintoit is owned by Donald M. Ito and Richard Wincikaby of Ontario and was bred by Marcus Smith of Texas. Purchased at the 2011 Heritage Place Winter Mix Sale for $23,500, Leanintoit went on to win seven races from eight starts, finishing third in her only defeat. Her 2011 earnings totalled $148,480.
2012 HERITAGE PLACE WINTER MIXED SALE
Many enthusiastic Canadians have also been
busy preparing for the upcoming season. According to the unofficial Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale results, there were 37 horses purchased by Canadian interests. The largest purchase at $29,000 was Hip 852, Stolen Identity, a 2009 colt by Identity Theft by Ontario trainer Joe Tavares. Tavares was the AQHA Regional High Point Trainer for Canada in 2011. The next highest seller to Canada was Hip 417, Mr Teton Jess, a 2006 stallion by Mr Jess Perry for $13,500 by Kenneth B. Kennedy. There appeared to be a lot of interest in foals by Feature Mr Jess and Ivory James this year, with those two stallions represented by nine of the 37 horses.
BITS AND PIECES
Ontario-based jockey Jesse Daigrepont has been suspended for suspected use of an “electrical device.” Daigrepont was originally suspended by the stew- ards for two years in November of 2010, “for being guilty on the balance of probabilities of possessing an electrical device in the starting gate for the running of the 6th race at Ajax Downs on May 23, 2010,” according to official Ontario Racing Commission documentation. Daigrepont quickly filed an appeal on Nov. 19, 2010, and rode the entire 2011 meet before his appeal hearing was held on Dec. 15, 16 and 21. His appeal hearing involved extensive testimony from a diverse range of witnesses. The official ORC document on the hearing states, “The Administration has satisfied the Panel, upon a balance of probabili- ties, that Daigrepont violated TB Rule Nos. 9.27.03, 15.09.01 and 16.13(c). Daigrepont is suspended for
a period of 5 years, with 3 years stayed. Therefore it remains a two-year full suspension...effective from the date of this decision (January 5, 2012 to January 4, 2014)”. All official hearing and appeal hearing documentation can be found on the Ontario Racing Commission website.
LOOKING BACK
A look back at 2011, and ahead to 2012.
16
SPEEDHORSE, February 17, 2012
AROUND THE GLOBE