Page 8 - The Game April 2006

8 The Game, April 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Purse Money will stay in Fort Erie
By Harlan Abbey
To paraphrase the most recent Las Vegas televised advertising campaign, the purse money at Fort Erie (in 2006) will STAY in Fort Erie.
At least, that's the mind-set area horsemen have embraced as they prepare for the earliest start of the Fort Erie racing season on Saturday, April 29.
Purses for $5,000 and $7,500 claimers have been raised $3,000 per race and those at the $12,500 level have been raised $2,500 per race.
At the upper end of the scale, the $30,000 "cup races," limited to eight last year, will be increased to 19 and run mainly in August and September. They again will be restricted to horses with two previous starts at Fort Erie.
The "open" stakes, featured by the $500,000 Prince of Wales, will be scheduled during June and July.
There will be open $15,000 claiming races and $20,000 claiming races for horses who are non-winners "other than" maiden or claiming races. There also will be starter allowance races for horses that have previously started for a $5,000 claiming tag, with $14,000 purses.
For maidens, those at the $5,000 level will run for $11,000 purses, maiden $10,000 claimers will compete for $14,500 purses, and maiden allowance/optional claiming races will carry $16,500 purses.
Last year, there were approximately 1,000 Thoroughbreds on the grounds,
which have 1,200 available stalls. In mid-March, there had been 1,500 stall applications.
A good portion of stalls at the "border track" have often been filled with Thoroughbreds at the lower end of the claiming ladder and owners and trainers frequently had to send their less-competi- tive runners to Thistledowns, near Cleveland, Ohio, or Finger Lakes, in Canandaigua, NY, to earn purse money. Now, those horses can stay at the Fort and hopefully contribute to larger starting fields, which in turn should lead to higher betting handle per race.
At the upper claiming levels, Fort horses often had to face more talented runners shipping down from Woodbine. As one example, Kannapolis (co-owned by this reporter and trainer Wilf Jones, and at that time eligible for "non-winners of four") had to run against Anglian Prince, third in the 2002 Prince of Wales and an earner of over $300,000, in an open $12,500 claimer.
"The new purse structure should keep the money here," said Nick Mileti, whose partner, Stacey Cooper, was named "Trainer of the Year" by fellow horsemen for the 2005 season. "But," he continued, "you can't have a stable of just $5,000 to $10,000 claimers. You can't tell owners 'Don't send your good horses here.' We've all got to ship our better horses up to Woodbine to compete."
Cooper and Mileti started last season with six runners and later were sent eight horses owned by perennial leading owner Bruno Schickedanz. This year they will
have 30 horses in their shed row, 15 owned by Schickedanz.
"We have a lot of young horses that will start out at Woodbine," said Cooper, one of which is Dorval Special, a maiden special weights winner as a 2-year-old last year. He's owned by 255 Racing.
"We also have two good mares from British Columbia. Lilsisterlightning is 9 but never started for less than an $18,000 tag and has won nearly $250,000 and is a stakes winner. Kendi Lou is 7 and was claimed at the end of the Woodbine season for $10,000 and has won $240,000. Both will run at Woodbine and at Fort Erie."
Raymond Pion, a 20-year racetracker, commented "The purses are going to be really good here. We raced $5,000 claimers at Thistledown for $7,600; now we can stay here and run for $13,000 -- it's a big difference. The cut-back in allowance races means more money for the small guy. If the schedule isn't changed it'll be great. I also like more conditions, such as non- winners in the last six months."
Pion's stable, a family-run operation with his son Sylvain as chief assistant, normally has had 10 to 12 runners but expects to fill 14 to 16 stalls in 2006. Mr. Babu was a top earner last year, with two wins at the Fort and one at Thistledown at the $20,000 level. Glitter Cat, now 7, has ten career wins and the Pions have high hopes for a 2-year-old filly, Nothingstupidemilie, by Cats At Home.
"We're always hoping for another Francisa D'Amour, who won $250,000 for us," Raymond Pion added. "She won the La Voyageuse Stakes and was second in the George C. Hendrie and third in the Seaway, all at Woodbine, won two stakes
at Thistledown and the Centre Stage Anne, by ten lengths, here at Fort Erie. She also was second when the track record for a mile and 70 yards was set and was second to Deputy Jane West. I think she was rated the third-rated sprinting mare in Canada."
The 2006 racing season at Fort Erie could be the last one for trainer Roy Russell, 81, and probably for his pet, the 9-year-old Neartic Ice. "I was at the track for 22 years, then was in the hardware business for many years, and then came back to the track after I retired from that," he said.
"I call Neartic Ice 'the gentle giant' because he's 17.2 hands but so laid back. Dan Taylor, who shoes him, said he once came into the stall and 'Ice' was laying down, and didn't move while Dan cleaned his feet before shoeing him.
"He's the best horse I've ever had and I raised him from a foal. He's won close to $200,000 over the years and almost always ran in allowance races, plus a couple of stakes. He's won four times and been second ten times -- four of them by only a nose.
"Last year he got cast in his stall and cut himself up so he only ran three times. But he's going good now and doing a lot of swimming at the Fort Erie Training Centre. Monique Dionne has been the jockey who's had the most success with him. When I throw her up, she says it's like climbing a mountain!"
Russell says his size and gentle demeanor will make Neartic Ice a natural as a show horse when his racing days end, but he also admits "If I see another runner that looks 'interesting,' the 'Gentle Giant' could have a stablemate in 2006."
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The Woodbine Colts Hockey Team were suited up and ready to play. The league team which plays every week at Ice Sports arena on Martin Grove Rd. is made up of guys from the racetrack. The team is sponsored by various trainers from Woodbine and in honour of their sponsorship the names of the trainer’s favourite horses are listed on the back of a players’ jerseys.
Part of the team from left to right: Jeff Stevens with Edmonton for trainer Reade Baker; Mike Hoy with El Prado Essence for trainer Audrey Cappuccitti; Tyler Gaskin with Wake at Noon for trainer Abraham Katryan; Andy Bankuti with KRZ Ruckus for trainer Mike DePaulo; Corey Cappello with Lost Soldier,
Anthony Esposito with Kissin Kris and Ross Armata Jr. with Native Regent for trainer David Bell. Photo right - Trainer Scott Fairlie shows off the great logo on the front of the jerseys. He has the horse Embattled on his back.
The team wished to thank the sponsors for their support. The Woodbine Colts have a must win game on April 2 which will decide if they go on to the league playoffs.
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