Page 2 - The Game June 2006

2 The Game, June 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
A Bit O’Gold Retired
Hotwalking at Age 70
A Bit O'Gold, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2005, has been retired from racing. The striking five-year-old son of Gold Fever, owned by The Two Bit Racing Stable and trained by Catherine Day Phillips, won 10 races from 18 career starts, including the final two jewels of the Canadian Triple Crown Series in 2004, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie and the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine, under regu-
lar rider Jono Jones.
"We felt it best to retire him at this point
in time," said Day Phillips. "He deserves a dignified retirement."
Equally effective on both surfaces, 'Goldie' galloped to victory in last year's Chinese Cultural Centre Stakes and Sky Classic Stakes on turf and Dominion Day Stakes on the Woodbine main track en route to the Horse of the Year title.
"We made the decision to retire A Bit O'Gold due to general wear and tear from racing," said Day Phillips, of the Ontario- bred gelding who also captured last year's Older Male and Top Turf Male Sovereign
honours.
A Bit O'Gold launched his two-year-ol
campaign by winning his first three starts including a 1 1/2-length victory in th 2003 Coronation Futurity, stampin himself as the 2004 Queen's Plat Winterbook favourite.
The Beclawat Stable-bred star was tr umphant in the Plate Trial, a 3 1/4-lengt victor in the 1 1/8-mile main track even before a narrow loss in the Queen's Plate t Niigon. He went on to take the Sovereig as Canada's champion Three-Year-Ol Male.
A Bit O'Gold, moved to Catherine’ Kingfield Farms in Maple to enjoy hi retirement.
A Bit O'Gold, who also recorded thre second-place finishes and two third-plac finishes, earned $1,888,155 for The Tw Bit Racing Stable.
Information courtesy of WEG Medi Relations
“MARTINWOODS FARM”
48 acres just east of Newmarket. Award winning 16 stall barn by Dutch Masters & indoor arena. Outdoor sand ring & grass jumping field. Paddocks and hayfields. 2 apts. 4 bdrm, stone & stucco main residence completely rebuilt. Pool & full cabana.
Stables pictured. $2,000,000
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Affectionately known around the barn as “Grandma”, 70-year-old Donna Minshall is a hotwalker for trainer Mike Doyle and has no intention of stopping anytime soon.
“I love it,” said the somewhat reserved but sprightly Donna, “They’ll probably have to carry me out of here. I love the horses too much. If I didn’t have the horses I’d be a little old lady.”
Donna, who has been hotwalking horses at Woodbine for more than 30 years, says the horses keep her young, “I couldn’t do without the horses now.”
Born in Parry Sound, Ontario in April 1936, Donna’s grandparents had all kinds of horses including some thoroughbreds. She did a bit of riding as a child however it was her own daughter, Marianne, who got her involved in the horse world herself, owning and showing paint horses in the Toronto area.
Marianne also worked at the racetrack and Donna used to drive her to work in the mornings before going off to her office job at G.H. Wood & Company.
“I would drive Marianne to work and sometimes I would stay for a little while,” explained Donna on how she began working at the racetrack. “Then I started staying longer in the mornings and working on the weekends and eventually I never left.”
Donna left her job at G.H. Wood and
has worked as a hotwalker for trainers John MacKenzie, Jim Hutchison, John Calhoun, John Cirillo, Emile Allain and Mike Doyle over the years.
“I would have been with Mike Doyle a lot longer however he would go away in the fall and by the time he came back in the Spring I would already have a job.” says Donna who has worked for Doyle the past three years steady since he now ships in horses in early Spring.
Donna lives in the dorm with her “significant other” John, while her daughter Marianne, who developed MS, is living with Donna’s 98 year-old mother, Audrey Nichols.
Donna Minshall with 2-year-old colt Devoy
KING HORSE FARM
The horse centre of King!
Owner’s residence; guest apartment, caretaker’s house plus 2 more full staff apts. Owner’s office in separate building & 7 box stalls. Paddocks. Pool, tennis court and lovely pond all on
25 acres. Stables and office pictured here. $2,700,000
Did You Know....
That a complete pari-mutuel refund was ordered
for the tenth standardbred race at Woodbine on May 20
after a gaggle of geese wandered onto the racetrack, scattering the entire field of six horses.
The ORC Judges ordered the refund which totalled $116,036. There were no horses or drivers injured in the incident which was the
second such geese incident within that week.
The earlier incident resulted in refunds on two horses in the race.
“ROCK GLEN FARM”
Caledon - 46 acres. Central location. 41 box stalls. 3 stall isolation barn. 80’ x 200’ arena and lounge. Exerciser. Outdoor sand ring & grass jumping field. 10 paddocks. 3 bay work shop. Storage building. Hayfields. Staff apt. 5 bdrm stone res. with board & batten addition. $1,650,000
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Elements important for sound joint function.
“FIELDSTONE FARM”
A well known and respected Thoroughbred nursery and R&R farm. 49 acres in the heart of Palgrave horse country. 3 bdrm manager’s residence. Staff apt. 21 box stalls in 2 barns. Indoor arena 70’ x 170’. 13 paddocks. 2 bdrm adorable settler’s cabin in the valley. Humber river flows by. $1,200,000
“ROLLING HILLS FARM”
Renovated 4 bedroom residence, staff apartment, fenced paddocks, schooling ring. 20+ stalls, bright indoor arena, extensive hacking. Wonderful views. King location. Exclusive. $2,450,000
MOFFAT DUNLAP REAL ESTATE LIMITED - Brokerage 905-841-7430 www.moffatdunlap.com
Moffat Dunlap, Broker of Record - John Dunlap, Broker; Peter Boyd, Murray Snider, George Webster, Sales Reps
For over 30 years, our independent firm has provided a personal
Real Estate service for some of the finest estates in the Greater Toronto Area
Call 1 866 825 2838
www.integricare.ca