Page 4 - April 2007 The Game

4 The Game, April 2007
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
2004372 Ontario Ltd. - Publisher Editor - Peter Gross Advertising - Stacie Roberts Research - Steve Roberts Distribution & Web - Jason Roberts
Subscription rates per annum:
Canada $35.00 (inc.6%GST); U.S. $40.00 (US$) International $60.00 (US$) To subscribe call toll free 1-866-886-5827
Copyright 2006
Any reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written consent. Publisher accepts responsibility for errors in advertising only to the extent of the cost of the portions of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item. Also while every reasonable effort is made to verify advertiser’s statements, in any event, the publisher does not guarantee any advertiser’s claims, real or implied.
PUBLICATIONS
MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40046652 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
The Game
P.O. Box 52061,
Oakville, ON, L6J 7N5
email: info@thehorsegame.com Telephone: (905) 338-0544
Toll Free: 1-866-886-5827
Fax: (905) 338-0644
www.thehorsegame.com
Advertising Rates:
Full Page - $949.00
Half Page - $630.00 Quarter Page - $375.00 Eighth Page - 225.00 Business Card - $99.00
Professional Directory - $69.00 Front Page Earlug - $149.00 Front Page Basebar - $149.50
Classified Advertising $25/30 words (prepaid).
Cheque, Money Order, VISA, Mastercard, American Express Accepted
Frequency discounts & colour charges availableuponrequest. Ratesquoted are for black & white ads only and do not include applicable taxes.
Advertising Booking & Copy Deadline - approximately the second last Wednesday or Friday of every month.
To book your advertising space or for more information call Stacie Roberts 905-338-0544 or toll free 1-866-886-5827
or email info@thehorsegame.com
Editorial Inquiries: pgross@rogers.com
From the Editor - Peter Gross
Racing on YouTube
I have only recently started watching videos at www.youtube.com. For those of you recent to this planet, YouTube is the website that invites you to download video images of your
choosing, kind of like home movies with a universal audience. To my great pleasure, I have found a treasure trove of racing highlights, and the barrel seems to be just about bottomless.
When I typed Seabiscuit into their search engine, I was rewarded with a wonderful film of the 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. The race itself will raise the hairs on your neck, but watch the fans on the infield running from side to side to follow the action and actually pouring onto the track itself after the end of the race.
A race fan who identifies herself as carlykaiser has put together a heartfelt tribute to Man O’War (1917-1947). This submission has no actual film, but the stills are nicely edited with dramatic string music. The same carlykaiser has downloaded a 9 minute compilation of the best moments of Secretariat, which includes his win in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and his stunning 31-length Belmont demolition..
YouTube also allows you to compare the Kentucky Derby win by Secretariat and the 1989 win by Spectacular Bid and you will see that the two races are quite similar. Secretariat trailed, but, under Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, began picking off horses in the backstretch, running each quarter faster than the one before, and pulling away in the stretch. Sixteen years later, Spectacular Bid was seventh heading into the backstretch, but with Ronnie Franklyn guiding, he began a methodical rally, moving up four wide around the far turn and overwhelming the field in the stretch, winning with authority. Both races have a jaw-dropping quality to them - it’s equine greatness you’re viewing.
Of recent vintage, Discreet Cat can be seen winning the UAE Derby at Dubai last year. What I liked about this high quality submission is how the camera moves on dollies at the same speed as the horses and I wish we had that on this side of the pond. Discreet Cat also looks awesome winning the Cigar Mile
at Aqueduct last fall, striding almost effortlessly to victory after insane splits of 44.83 and 107.75.
The Canadian Pattison International from 2006 is on YouTube and it’s electric stuff hearing Dan Loiselle’s terrific call of the 8 year old Collier Hill refusing to give in to Go Deputy. But that’s merely a few months old. Going back 16 years, you will see the 1991 version of the International when Canada’s Sky Classic smoked them, when the race was still sponsored by Rothmans.
YouTube also offers about 18 videos of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and about a dozen tributes to Smarty Jones, 2004 Derby champion.
I found the stretch run of the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in which the Canadian superstar Awesome Again split horses in deep stretch to win by less than a length against a collection of horses (Swain, Victory Gallop, Silver Charm) considered by many to be the greatest field ever assembled.
With little effort, I found Tom Durkin's stirring call of Chief Bearheart's dramatic win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 1997 and, when I entered Northern Dancer, I was pleasantly surprised; there are at least a couple interesting black and white documentary style features on the Dancer's 1964 Kentucky Derby win. I have played the stretch run of that race from 43 years ago several times and each time, as Hill Rise fails by a neck to pass Northern Dancer at the wire, I hear myself thinking, ‘Hill Rise looks almost twice as big as Northern Dancer.’
There's also some rarely seen film of Northern Dancer winning the Preakness; in 1964, Dancer did what no other horse has ever done -capture the Derby, Preakness and Queen's Plate in succession. There was one lovely bonus in my search for Northern Dancer on YouTube; I stumbled across a 1969 piece of film of Dancer's son Nijinsky winning the Dewhurst Stakes on the rolling grass in England. It’s great stuff.
Not all my search engine requests were successful. When I typed in Queen’s Plate, I was presented with video of cheerleaders in thongs at what appeared to be a South American soccer game. Is that what they mean by lost in translation?
But that diversion aside, the internet is apparently full of exciting, vintage horse racing. All of it free and most of it thrilling.
Barbados Gold Cup - History is Made (Again!)
Also interesting was the fact that Rickey’s younger brother, apprentice Rico Walcott was aboard second place finisher, Who’s Wavering. This was the first Gold Cup win for trainer Elizabeth “Liz” Deane who also represents the first female trainer to win the race.
Northlands Leading Rider of 2006, Rickey Walcott, celebrates aboard Whiskey For Me after winning the 2007 Sandy Lane Gold Cup at the Garrison Savannah Racecourse in Barbados on March 3. History repeated itself this year as the Aysha Syndicate runners finished first and second with Whiskey For Me and Who’s Wavering (Owner Mrs. Gay Smith had that pleasure in 2006).
Backstretch Party • Celebrating a Win • After the Races
We Have Everything You Need
• Freshly prepared fruits, vegetables and salads
• Party Platters • Assorted Cheeses & deli meats • Fresh and frozen barbeque meats
• Fresh Hot gourmet pizzas & specialty sandwiches and much more!
Enjoy a fabulous selection of fine wines from Colio Estates Wines
After the Races...Take home a Meal to Go! Fresh barbequed ribs, chicken wings, wedge fries, Chinese Food, Sushi & More! Spruce up your barn with a visit to our Garden Centre
or visit our full service floral design shop
Fortino’s (Queens Plate Drive) Ltd. Hwy 27. & Queens Plate Drive, just North of Rexdale Blvd. 416-745-4675
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm,Fri-10pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 9am-8pm
Peter Gaskin (left), and Woodbine trainers Analisa Delmas and Gordie Colbourne enjoy the festivities during Barbados Gold Cup day at Garrison Savannah Racetrack