Page 4 - The Game May 2006

4 The Game, May 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
JOCKEYS - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
.......under McAleney by more than three lengths for owner Frank Romano. As Jimmy Mac ran into the scale room to be weighed, I suggested to him that he was now the only jockey in the country who could win every race of the year.
"I've been riding for quite a few number of years now and this is the first time I've ever won the first race of the year," said McAleney who was then asked about the obvious wind on open- ing day, "The wind is strong so the one thing I always focus on is make sure you have your stick cocked before you get into it otherwise the wind can grab it when you do need it."
Shortly afterwards, it did become the Emma-Jayne day. Could she score her first win with a horse more appropriately named than She's the Real Deal? The three-year-old filly won the fourth by open lengths and returned a very un-Wilson like $10.90. Wilson also won the 6th with If Momma Aint Happy and her win on Whirly Carol in the 7th gave her three straight on fillies, for those of you who are counting. Remember her suggestion to bet everything she was on? Wilson won three of the eight races she rode in and a $20 win bet on each would have rendered a profit of $33. Isn't hindsight a beautiful thing?
While the jockeys and horses seemed ready for opening day, the bettors came off rusty. Not a single favourite prevailed on the ten-race card. In fact, when Patrick Husbands won three of the first four races the next day, they stood as the first three favourites to win in Canada in 2006.
Through the first four weekends, a very interesting trend seemed to be developing; basically that no one individual seemed
to have any kind of exclusive rights to the winner's circle. After the first 93 races, there was Emma-Jayne on top with 12 wins, Patrick Husbands had 10, McAleney and Corey Fraser close up with 8 apiece, but no fewer than 22 riders had registered at least one win and 36 different jockeys had hit the board at least once. There was the same kind of distribution among the trainers; Reade Baker had sent out eight winners, one more than Mark Casse, three more than Frank Passero, With Jodie Hammett and Sid Attard sitting at four each. Incredibly, 41 different trainers have made at least one happy walk to the winner's circle so far.
The most puzzling statistic? Try this one: Reigning Canadian Champion jockey Todd Kabel, through the first four weekends had yet to win a race. Twenty mounts, no winners. Think that might change? Of Course!
And the gagsters in the press box are clearly in stakes condition. When Sunny Singh helped Pharoah burst his maiden in the second race on Friday, April 14, the puns were flying like dirt off a horse's hooves.
"Tut, tut tut on you if you didn't bet on Pharoah," proclaimed The Daily Racing Form's Jennifer Morrison.
"Darn, I meant to tell my Mummy about this," pitched in Woodbine's John Siscos.
"He had the race all wrapped up in mid-stretch," offered announcer Dan Loiselle.
"I would have bet more, but last time out Egypt me," joked Morrison, to win the exchange.
Ah thoroughbred horse racing. Sometimes you have to Pyramid the jokesters to find the real gems.
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Shoe restriction on Turf at Woodbine
Woodbine announces full 2006 TV schedule
Woodbine's thoroughbred racing product continues to enjoy a strong presence on television, introducing new fans to the exciting sport, while providing an opportunity for faithful enthusiasts to enjoy a few hours from the comfort of their living rooms.
Woodbine Entertainment announced its full 2006 TV schedule which includes special coverage of all of the Toronto oval's classic races.
he Queen's Plate, the first jewel in Canada’s Triple Crown, is slated for Sunday, June 25 and will be broadcast live on The Sports Network (TSN) for the first time ever.
The Prince of Wales Stakes (July 16 at Fort Erie), the second jewel, and the Breeders' Stakes (August 6), the third jewel, return to The Score in special one- hour time slots from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The Score is also set to air one-hour specials covering the June 11 Labatt Woodbine Oaks (4:30 p.m.) and the inaugural edition of the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf (4:30 p.m.) on July 23.
A 90-minute special featuring the September 17 Bell Woodbine Mile (4:00 p.m.) and a two-hour broadcast October
22, comprising the E.P Taylor and Pattison Canadian International (3:00 p.m.) are also keys to The Score's stakes menu.
The Score continues its full-card after- noon racing coverage with live Woodbine coverage, usually from noon to 6:00 p.m., on all but two Sundays until September 3 (except April 9 and June 25).
Fans can also find racing coverage on The Score Wednesday evenings from May 3 to October 25 (with the exception of July 5) from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
In addition to the shows on The Score and TSN, thoroughbred racing coverage will also enjoy its first full year on SUNtv, which began its relationship with Woodbine mid-way through last season.
SUNtv is scheduled to air 26 editions of Woodbine Post Time on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, concluding December 2, second last day of the 168-day meet.
Most broadcasts will incorporate the day's stakes feature into the two-hour program, which airs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The entire Thoroughbred racing TV schedule is available on WEG’s website at www.woodbineentertainment.com
In an effort to maintain a safe and level turf surface on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine, Tom Cosgrove, Director of Racing at Woodbine, announced that Woodbine will adopt a new shoe restriction policy in 2006.
The shoes allowed for racing on the turf at Woodbine will be restricted to Flat, Queen’s Plate and Queen’s Plate XT style shoes.
In a memo to the trainers sent April 22, it stated that the shoe restrictions will allow Woodbine to offer an increased number of turf races in the future.
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