Down The Stretch Podcast: Recent Episodes
TMDS
A colourful, entertaining and passionate weekly look at thoroughbred, standardbred and quarter horse racing in Ontario hosted by Peter Gross.
In this episode, complete coverage of the Obrien Awards featuring Chantilly, James MacDonald, Doug McNair and George Millar. We found Canadians winning at Oaklawn and a smart looking winner of the Kentucky Derby prep at Tampa Bay. The story of Johnstown Jet defies logic. He won last week at Mohawk for Kyle Bossence, but before that, he was an Amish buggy horse for 6 years. Trainer Carmen Auciello talks with us about the most excellent Points North, the latest horse to hit the million-dollar mark. Do you remember Randy Exelby’s NHL goaltending career – all 63 minutes of it? Exelby’s horse ownership is much more substantial. We’ve got a couple of race callers who got fooled in deep stretch, and songs created by artificial intelligence about your favorite horse racing personalities.
We’ve got Marty Drexler and Sahin Civaci adding to their totals in the U.S. There were Kentucky Derby preps in New York and California - favorites won each of those, but did you see all the longshots at Mohawk last Thursday? We did. We’ve got some make-up audio with Doug McNair after we stiffed him last week when he won 6 at Mohawk. Joe Santos of Acera talks about insuring your racehorse. We’ve got Chevy Chase in this podcast and artificial intelligence could never replace Garnet Barnsdale, but apparently A. I. can sing about him.
In this very busy episode:+ Moira wins an Eclipse Award; Donato Lanni accepts+ Wins in the U.S. by Sahin Civaci, Sofia Vives and Steve Owens+ The $3 Million Pegasus Invitational from Gulfstream+ The $1 Million Southwest Stakes from Oaklawn+ Marty Drexler talks about his great start at Gulfstream+ Trainer Tony Beaton tells us which of his horses he thinks deserves the O’Brien+ Groom Natasha Steacy is excited and grateful to be nominated for an O’Brien+ Did you see how Ryan Munger and his wife swept the double in South Africa?+ And did you know that Garnet Barnsdale has a new gig?
When was the last time a Canadian jockey did this? – Sahin Civaci won 7 races over a 3-day span at Aqueduct. We also have jockey Sofia Vives, owner Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Marty Drexler. Time to start looking at prep races for the Kentucky Derby and you should observe what Disco Time had to do to win the Lecomte at the Fair Grounds. This podcast bows to driver Trevor Henry who crushed it at Mohawk with 5 wins Monday night. Trainer Nick Gallucci joins us to help answer the question – can a 2-year-old filly be named Horse of the Year in the upcoming O’Brien Awards? And a race result at the Meadowlands that had never happened before.
Something for Donald Trump to address – Canadians taking U.S. money: a pair of wins for Marty Drexler at Gulfstream and a winners circle pic for Sahin Civaci at Aqueduct. Harness driver, Billy Davis explains why it took 17 years for him to decide to drive full-time at Mohawk. James MacDonald looks back at his spectacular year and looks forward to his honeymoon in Hawaii. We ‘sample’ Free Rein, Woodbine’s documentary on the people and horses in thoroughbred racing. Producer Alanna Nolan describes what they’re trying to do. Will Moira win the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Lady on the Turf? Host Peter Gross and Moira’s exercise rider, Korina McLean assess her chances. And when a 60-1 bomb won at Gulfstream, announcer Pete Aiello nailed it, which is why we’re running his stretch call.
Familiar faces from Woodbine were winning in the U.S. - Kazushi Kimura rode a Tall Oaks Farm-bred filly to a huge upset in a Stakes race at huge odds at Santa Anita. We’ve got wins at Aqueduct from Sofia Vives and Sahin Civaci. Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz scored at Gulfstream. We don’t know the creeps who let War Envoy, a Breeders’ Cup horse end up starving, emaciated and knee high in mud, but we do have Olivia Dixon of the Kentucky Humane Society to tell us how the horse was rescued. Katie Larsen runs Southern Belle Thoroughbreds. In 2024, she found homes for 200 retired thoroughbreds, but suffered a terrible accident that has her on crutches. We go to Mohawk Park for the last race of 2024 and the first of this year, and we have another one of those amazing nights at the track from James MacDonald. Bern Tobin tells us about the incredible Get Around Town, now retired after racing 459 times and how did we manage to get the Beach Boys in this one?
In this very special episode, we have edited together the funniest, weirdest, wackiest and most wonderful moments in horse racing from 2024. Sit back and enjoy:+ The bad beats - A sulky explodes in deep stretch; a leading horse jumps the fence just before the wire+ Shamrock wins on March 17, Count Dracula wins on Halloween and Saturday wins on Thursday+ How mature are we that we loved it when Nobals won?+ Appearances by Belichick, Lucille Ball, Rosa Parks, Nyquist, Koufax and a happy horse named Ha Ha Ha+ Frank Mirahmadi on the Price is Right+ A sample of the wonderful race calls of Larry Lederman+ When a deer tried to beat the thoroughbreds+ Darryl Ezra on cheeky horse names - Horizontal Helen, Tiny Tinker, Abolish It and Toilet Paper+ James MacDonald proving he is much better as a harness driver than a race caller+ The horse players’ anthem performed at Mohawk+ Santa Claus defeating The Grinch in Charlottetown.
From the final day of racing at Woodbine, we check out the Steady Growth Stakes and the individuals who dazzled in 2024. On Saturday, the La Prevoyante Stakes came down to a very close photo between a heavy favourite and the longest shot. We celebrate the career of Justin Stein, who has quit riding to become a steward. Ron Sadler’s Northern Ruby, a 10-year-old, ran for the last time and finished her career in the winners’ circle. Another extraordinary milestone for driver James MacDonald, but he’s got a long way to go to match what 84-yearold Don McKirgan did last week. Western Fair’s Drivers Challenge means a lot of children will get toys this year. We’ve got a race from England in which brothers James and Sean Bowen dead-heated and perhaps the most important horse race of the year took place in Charlottetown when The Grinch went up against Santa Claus.
The Valedictory Stakes at 1 ½ miles was the feature at Woodbine; what kind of a price could you get on a horse ridden by the leading jockey and sent out by the leading trainer? From Paris to New Jersey in a matter of hours – Doug McNair talks about 2 dramatically different harness racing experiences. Jonathan Drury and Tyler Borth broke through the same plateau this week, and Western Fair Raceway’s Amy O’Toole helps promote the Toys for Tots drive. And how much grief did jockey Paco Lopez heap on himself for hitting a horse in the face – after he had won the race? Jonathan Stettin and Ken McPeek elaborate.
The Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Coronation Futurity at Woodbine were each worth $250,000. We talk with Jennifer Stein who brings us up to speed on her husband Justin, who was badly injured in a 5-horse spill. There was an amazing debut win by a horse named Little Red Domi. Mark Romeo of Terra Racing Stable tells us no one was as surprised as he was with this 2-year-old’s first race. Driver Doug McNair was hoping for a better outcome at an International Drivers’ competition in France on Friday. Eleven years ago, it all went south, and this year...it wasn’t much better. Why would Highfield Stock Farm in Alberta purchase a high-quality stallion named Tapiture? We find out from Jennifer Buck. Harness driver Austin Sorrie had a huge night at Western Fair that included his 1000th win. And we ask the question - what happens more...a natural hattrick in hockey or in horse racing? And that will bring us to Fraser Aebly, who had a sensational week.
We take the good with the bad this week – 5 horses down and 3 jockeys to the hospital after the first race Thursday at Woodbine. The good refers to Sahin Civaci, who won the Shady Well Stakes on Saturday and it was one of his 6 wins on the card. Another jockey, Austin Adams has been piling up the wins and taking advantage of being the go-to apprentice. Driver Mark MacDonald talks to us about the challenge of leaving the New York circuit and coming to Mohawk where he just might funnel some wins away from his brother James.Have you ever seen a horse pay over $400 to place? It happened at the Meadows and we’ll tell you why. And those of us who feel strongly about racial equality had to be cheering when Rosa Parks took the lead at Del Mar and refused to give it up.
Saturday was an amazing day at Woodbine. The longest shot, Wicked Django won the Autumn Stakesat 24-1. A horse called Nobals won the Kennedy Road Stakes and needed huge cahones to get past Patches O’Houlihan. Earlier in the card, Sahin Civaci won 3 races as he has virtually clinched the riders’ title at Woodbine. The 12th race was a mandatory Super Hi-5 payout. The winner was 79-1, and when no one correctly bet the first 5 horses, the payout for 4 was spectacular.Emma-Jayne Wilson joins us on the phone to talk about the terrible accident she sustained in October. Wilson, 43, vows she will ride again. Woodbine’s Bill Ford explains the abundance of caution that the track employed, cancelling races after 3 horses died on November 9. At Chelmsford Race Course in England, how close did jockeys and horses come to catastrophe when the starting gate could not be moved off the track? And 71-year-old Keith Ballard, Australia’s oldest jockey, wrote a Hollywood ending to his 55-year career.
A dreadful day at Woodbine – 2 horses died and a Stakes race was cancelled. Kevin Attard talks about Moira, her win in the Breeders Cup, his stretch run exuberance, and the emotion of selling her 2 days later. Also, Korina McLean, the woman who has ridden Moira more than any jockey - she was also at Del Mar to witness the great mare’s spectacular win. There was a monster upset in the $10 million Melbourne Cup in Australia, and a great back story for the winning jockey Robbie Dolan, who dazzled tv viewers on the Australian version of The Voice. The Ontario-bred pacer, Southwind Amazon is now the winningest standardbred of all time. This episode has Tony Randall and Jack Klugman from a classic horse racing episode of The Odd Couple and continuing a sitcom theme – Lucille Ball winning at Aqueduct.
Of course, we lead this week with Moira’s great win in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies and Mares Turf. Comments from Donato Lanni and Kevin Attard. Rik Chapman called in from Sydney, Australia on the Golden Eagle Stakes and the Melbourne Cup. Trainer Angus Buntain talks about 8 great days in his career. We have an amazing result for an Ontario-bred pacer named Southwind Amazon, a 14-year-old who has now won 137 times. Did you see that Count Dracula won at Churchill Downs on Halloween? From the final day of racing at Ajax Downs, we give props to Cassandra Jeschke, Rachel Isaacs, Brian Bell, Diego Benitez, Jason Pascoe and James Bogar. And visa vis the Presidential race in the U.S., we tell you why a horse race is better than an election.
This week we have a complete breakdown of Canadian interests at the Breeders Crown., featuring James MacDonald and Scott Zeron at the Meadowlands and from Woodbine, a first for Leo Salles, Saul McHugh and Robyn Brohman. The Tour de Fort ended the racing season at Fort Erie and many of the horses wanted out much earlier. Is Fraser Aebly a likely candidate for apprentice jockey of the year? He says he’s not thinking of it, but we are. Driver Doug McNair tells us that his November appearance at an international race in Paris next month will be a return to the scene of the crime. We had 5-win nights last week for both Travis and Trevor Henry and Rik Chapman called in from Australia voicing a stunning and unlikely win in the Cox Plate.
This podcast covers all 3 genres of horse racing in Ontario and beyond. We have the Ontario Derby Stakes from Woodbine and a nice chat with veteran jockey Eswan Flores who recently scored his first Stakes win of the year. It was Breeders Crown elimination weekend at the Meadowlands and we tell you how Canadians did and how a couple horses blew up the tote board. At Western Fair last week, Sugar Doyle, Ghislain Paquet, Melissa Keith and even...James MacDonald called races. You can decide who did it best...and worst.How much legal trouble did Jody Jamieson get into? The law firm of Hopple, Hopple, Hopple and Fetlock represent the trotter Paquet who was hurt by Jamieson’s post-race comments.The quarter horse season at Ajax Downs is nearing its finish line. Did Diego Benitez wrap up the jockeys’ title by winning 3 times on the 3rd last card? And a bizarre finish at Keeneland as the jockey on a 13-1 shot thought the race finished at the 16th pole. It didn’t and a lot of pick-5 bettors were badly burned.
A horse racing podcast should have horse races and this one does! We have all 8 OSS Gold Super Finals from Mohawk Saturday night. We have Sahin Civaci winning 5 times at Woodbine and Fraser Aebly sweeping both Stakes races on Saturday. Driver Doug McNair had a 6-win night at Mohawk Friday and we tell you why former jockey, Francine Villeneuve had maybe her best day of the year at Woodbine. Have you ever watched Unfiltered, the horse racing doc produced by Ontario racing Management? We sample several minutes of the latest episode that looks at the rivalry between trainers Mark Casse and Kevin Attard. We have all 7 races from the Wednesday card at Ajax Downs, and 15-year-old Alexandra Homorcean scored 1st place in the Bill Galvin Alliance Youth Literary Derby and she thrills us with a rendition of her award winning harness racing poem.
There were 4 Graded Stakes races - all on the grass – at Woodbine Saturday. Patches O’Houlihan won the Nearctic, so we’re touting him as the Sovereign Award winner as the next Canadian Horse of the Year. Owner Frank Di Giulio and trainer Bob Teller disagreed about Patches being in the race. Last Thursday, the final leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series was run, and the overall champion was a horse that didn’t win a single leg. Jockey Jose Campos is from Mexico and he tell us what it was like winning the Prince of Wales in Fort Erie. Harness horse owner Dave Byron talks about buying a filly for $3,000 then winning the $75,000 Grass Roots Final at Mohawk We have 7 races from Ajax Downs this week as we try and figure out who the leading jockey and trainer will be and Garnet Barnsdale turned 60 last week, so instead of co-producing this podcast, he went to Las Vegas; we do get to participate vicariously as he sends us his breakdown of a day in Sin City
The $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes assured we would have 3 different winners in the Triple Crown. A night of Stakes racing at Mohawk and we focus on the great work of Louis-Philippe Roy and Doug McNair. What’s the profit situation in horse racing books? We find out from Perry Lefko, Jennifer Morrison and Curtis Stock. This podcast also features 7 race calls from Ajax Downs and on Military Appreciation Day at Woodbine, did the special guests get a huge tip?
It was the most lucrative night of harness racing this year at Mohawk and we have the Metro Pace, the Mohawk Million, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Elegant Image and the She’s A Great Lady. Let’s just say it was a great night for Dexter Dunn and Captain Treacherous. At Woodbine, Jose Campos added another Stakes win to his Prince of Wales triumph, winning the Zadracarta with Owen’s Tour Guide. We document Canadian outcomes in the Little Brown Jug and the Jugette at the Delaware fair Grounds. Harold Ladouceur speaks with Down The Stretch about becoming the first indigenous trainer to win a Canadian Triple Crown race and Ken Albu reveals he was one of the very few to bet on Gambler’s Pose, the horse he trains that produced the largest win price in North America this year. And a great moment at the Shenandoah Fair race course in Virginia as 95-year-old trainer, William Fletcher sent out his first winner in 4 years.
We have a 6-pack of Stakes races from Woodbine; the 4 Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In turf races and two others – David Moran’s emotional win in the Ontario Matron Stakes and Sofia Vives delivering the white hot, Patches O’Houlihan in the Vigil. Then we’re off to Mohawk for the Milton Stakes and eliminations for the Metro Pace and the Canadian Trotting Classic. John Burness of Colebrook Farms revealing that Simply In Front’s win in the Music City Stakes was the first time he had ever had a horse in a $2 million race. At Fort Erie, Vitality won the Prince of Wales Stakes making Harold Ladouceur the first Indigenous person to win a Triple Crown race in Canada. As usual, we cover the card of racing from Ajax Downs, but not as usual, when a heavy favourite self-destructed at Pocono, the show prices went nuts. And how many bettors wondered where their money went when a 1-5 shot lost the Wonder Where Stakes?
A busy week in horse racing is reflected in episode 241. We have the Niagara Stakes from Woodbine as apprentice jockey Pietro Moran continues to pile up the wins. Mohawk had 6 Grand Circuit races Saturday night and earlier that day, Colebrook Farms’ Simply in Front won a $2 million race in Kentucky. The Saratoga meet ended on Labour Day, but not before 89-year-old D Wayne Lukas gave himself a birthday present and Flavien Prat put a cherry on his record-breaking exploits. Jockey Amanda Vandermeersch tells us what it was like winning the Puss N Boots Cup at Fort Erie, then jumping into the infield pond. And the Fort’s race caller, Doug McPherson handicaps the upcoming Prince of Wales Stakes. Host Peter Gross got fed at Woodbine when the new Homestretch Bar and Suites was debuted and just to confuse you, we document how it was Saturday on Thursday.
Lots of Taylor Swift in this podcast – her main squeeze, Travis Kelce bought into a share of Swift Delivery who went off as the favourite in the Toronto Cup. Scott Zeron is not quite as famous as Taylor Swift, but he produced two huge hits at Mohawk, winning the Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot on the same night. Trainer Kevin Attard talks about his King’s Plate winning filly, Caitlinhergrtness and one of her owners, Elliot Walden of Winstar Farm, tells us why the filly won’t run in the Prince of Wales and how she was named after basketball star, Caitlin Clark. Teenage jockey Pietro Moran had a mixed bag Friday at Woodbine – 3 straight wins, then a DQ. Very similar to the 2-win, 1-DQ afternoon by Rachel Isaacs at Ajax Downs. And the cheesiest of stories – how a screwup at Mohawk resulted in a horse winning a race and paying... nothing to win.
The first King’s Plate ever to be run on a Friday and for Kevin Attard and Rafael Hernandez, it was worth waiting for as the only filly in the race knocked off the boys. We have several other Stakes races from Woodbine and the mid-summer classic, the Travers from Saratoga, which was almost won by another filly. Harness driver Jordan Stratton may be American, but he tells us how he helped write two very big Canadian stories. Ajax Downs had 6 races last week and we have the call of each one, and 10 year-old Clara Smith shows us why she has a Stakes level talent when it comes to writing about race horses.
It had never happened before. The King’s Plate got rained out! Woodbine CEO, Mike Copeland announces when it will be run. Kevin Attard says Woodbine made the right decision. Attard is also in this podcast talking about his great mare, Moira winning the $500,000 Beverly D Stakes in Virginia. Trainer Blake MacIntosh gets our props for crashing over the $20 million mark with a horse named Mamba. The classy pacer, Nijinsky returned to Mohawk and bossed a field around. Jockey Diego Benitez was the star last week at Ajax Downs, winning 3 races, including the feature. Garnet Barnsale gives us the Gold Cup and Saucer race from Charlottetown. And just how sensational was Yannick Gingras’ Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philly? The great Blues singer/guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mambo Number 5 performer, Lou Bega help this podcast along.
In this half hour of exciting, mind expanding, heart pounding horse racing content, we present:+ The epic moment at Woodbine when trainer Josie Carroll scored her $100th win+ The Bison City Stakes and the Canadian Stakes from Woodbine+ The Pure Ivory and Millar Farms Final trots from Mohawk+ A night at the Canadian Hall of Fame Induction Gala featuring Kevin Attard, Patrick Husbands, Sylvain Filion, Hec Clouthier, Dr. Ian Moore, Dan Vella and Richard Grubb+ Jennifer Rivet telling us how her boyfriend A.J. Miziolek proposed to her in the winners’ circle after the horse she cares for won.+ Jim McKenny broke Peter Gross’ heart by going to Saratoga without him. McKenny breaks down his losing Saturday at the Spa.+ We run the entire card from Ajax Downs and chat with James Bogar who is the leading trainer and the leading owner.And how cool was it that a horse named Federer won a race in Australia on the same day that the 20 Grand Slam winner celebrated his 43rd birthday?
Once again, this podcast visits multiple locations for the best in horse racing. We have the Sweet Briar Stakes from Woodbine and the Whitney Stakes from Saratoga. Garnet Barnsdale reports from the Meadowlands on the $1Million Hambletonian and a couple other races that really mattered. We talk with the charismatic Robert Tiller about his next great sprinter, Patches O’Houlihan, who won the Pink Lloyd Stakes under Sofia Vives. Vives gets props here for a 3-win day at Woodbine last Friday. Jack Darling owned and trained the world’s fastest pacer, Bulldog Hanover – but why has he bought into a share of a thoroughbred? And you need to know that for the Ontario bred Futurity Stakes at Ajax Downs that....Elvis was in the building.
Host Peter Gross lost his voice this week, but no problem – friends and family signed on to get episode 235 off the launch pad. Garnet Barnsdale stepped in to host and his son, Nick broke down 5 OSS Golds from Mohawk Park. Jennifer Morrison filed from Ajax Downs and Jim McKenny recapped the Atlantic Womens’ Driving Challenge. Peter’s family rallied to the cause- son Roger handled the feature interview, grandson, Graham voiced the Stakes races from Woodbine and even Peter’s 101-year-old mother, Marilyn nailed the script when quarter horse trainer Lauren Spada sent out a thoroughbred winner at Fort Erie. Also saving this podcast are Saratoga race caller Frank Mirahmadi and Canadian musical star, Lu Kala.
A huge card at Woodbine Saturday with Sahin Civaci and Sofia Vives capturing 2 Stakes races each – Vives is the first apprentice to win the Woodbine Oaks. We’ve got a winners’ circle tribute to Emma-Jayne Wilson the all-time purse earning lady jockey, and a 4-win day last week for another apprentice, Pietro Moran. Casie Coleman talks with us about winning the Meadowlands Pace with Legendary Hanover. We steal clips from Unfiltered, the definitive horse racing documentary. How smart did you need to be to bet on Mensa in the Victoria Stakes? And how devastated were bettors in Ireland when a sure winner jumped the fence just before the finish line?
Emma-Jayne Wilson stands alone; she has broken Julie Krone’s record for most money earned by a lady jockey. James MacDonald steered Legendary Hanover to an impressive win in the Meadowlands Pace. They’re racing at Saratoga and a monster longshot shocked in the first Stakes race. We had more logical outcomes in the My Dear and Ballade Stakes at Woodbine. Trainer Josie Carroll talks with us as she inches closer to the 1000-win mark. A crazy Thursday night at Mohawk when 4 different drivers delivered daily doubles. We ‘sample’ Hot Mic’d with driver Paul MacKenzie and we go to Belterra Park for a history making win by 70-year-old Perry Ouzts. Did a horse really pay $331 to place? And just how funny was it when a horse named Ha Ha Ha won at Royal Randwick?
James MacDonald had another sensational weekend, winning the Canadian Driving Championships at Hippodrome 3R and delivering Legendary Hanover in a Meadowlands Pace elimination, though the win in the other elim by Nijinsky was the most impressive. Apprentice jockey, Austin Adams was in a special race in Deauville, France. Trainer Mark Casse gives Down The Stretch another wonderful interview about the day he won 3 of 5 Stakes races at Woodbine - along with the disappointment of the 2 he didn’t win. It was Legends Day at Clinton and we’ve got one Hall of Famer, Frank Salive calling the win by another Hall of Famer, Randy Waples. An apprentice jockey named Kelsi Harr demolished the tote board in Minnesota producing a record daily double payoff. Brian Bell, a veteran jockey at Ajax Downs is the reason fans got a tasty treat at Wendy’s. And just how good was Friday to trainer Bill Tharrenos when his two horses dead-heated for the win?
There were 5 Stakes races Saturday at Woodbine and Mark Casse won 3 of them. This podcast features 4 Stakes events from Mohawk’s Thursday card – 2 OSS Golds and a pair of Tompkins-Geers Grand Circuit races. Former jockey, Francine Villeneuve tells Down The Stretch how she became the agent for Justin Stein and Skye Chernetz. Villeneuve was very much an inspiration for the female jockeys of today so we have coverage of Monday’s card at Fort Erie in which 4 of 7 races were won by women.There were 2 Stakes race at Ajax Downs last week. Jockey Christian Benitez will enjoy hearing the call of both of them And, we always enjoy chatting with Ed Walton who, at 61 and 6 feet tall, is hanging up his tack.
It was the Alywow Stakes at Woodbine for 3-year-old fillies. Jockey Rafael Hernandez talks about his 5 wins on Fathers’ Day and how that shot him to the top of the jockeys’ standings. The Dads’ Day card at Ajax Downs featured another rendition of the mixed breed competition. Frank Mirahmadi just completed that 4-day Belmont meet at Saratoga, but we’ve got the entertaining race caller expanding on his winning appearance on the Price is Right. The price was right for anyone hitting the triactor last Tuesday at Royal Ascot and our Aussie correspondent, Ric Chapman filed a story about one punter who cashed very large on the outcome of a dog race.
We had another great North America Cup at Mohawk on a night of big money Stakes races. Imagine being John Fielding, the owner of NA Cup winner Nijinsky and you had to watch the race from a wedding in Massachusetts. Driver James MacDonald won a pair of Stakes races Friday at the Meadowlands and scored 3 more wins Saturday at Mohawk. Jockey Rachel Slevinsky is from St. Abert, Alberta; we’ve got her winning at Hawthorne on her birthday. At Ajax Downs last Wednesday, a natural hattrick for Diego Benitez and an unusual double for his younger brother, Christian. We go to Belterra Park where Perry Ouzts, who is almost 70, won 3 times on the same card, and moments of profound relief from Grand River – one horse broke a 53 race losing streak, then another snapped off a 69-race bummer.
We couldn’t go to Saratoga for the 4-day Belmont meet, but we have lots of content from the Spa. This podcast has the Fury and Queenston Stakes from Woodbine and the 3 North America Cup Eliminations from Mohawk. Ryan Munger tells us how riding at Woodbine is so much better than what he was doing in South Africa. We love to talk about the daily double and when one paid over $2,400, we threw it into this audio. We’ve got the 1st race on the newly built 5/8ths track at Grand River. Driver Chris Brown carried an 87-race losing streak into a Stakes race at Century Downs – guess what happened? And announcer Peter Berry got a surprise at Mountaineer when a deer interrupted his call.
There 4 Stakes race at Woodbine Saturday and lots of big money events that evening at Mohawk Park and we are all over them. Kazushi Kimura won a big Stakes races at Santa Anita, We got New York Racing’s Keith McCalmont on the phone to talk about 4 bonus days art Saratoga including this weekend’s Belmont Stakes, and if you’re making a lastminute trip to Saratoga, we may have good news for you. The Fort Erie thoroughbred meet is underway and day one was awesome. We’ve got races from Ajax Downs as we see how the jockeys and trainers races are shaping up. Doug McNair talks about the outstanding pacer, Wheels On Fire and a satisfying comeback from last year’s scary accident. Scary accident? Kaymarie Kreidel, the Preakness outrider, had one with her ponies just hours after she chaperoned Seize The Grey to the winners circle. And what’s our connection between the Trump decision and the 3rd race at Churchill last Thursday?
This one is full of fun, facts, fame and ferocious stretch calls. We have 5 OSS Golds from Mohawk and the fastest mile of the year. Pietro and David Moran, father and son, each winning on the same day at Woodbine and Ismael Mosqueira completing a very rare race riding triple. The Charles Juravinski Stakes race from Flamboro. Jockey Carly Furlonger, trainer Scott Reid and owner John Wilson with a really nice day at Ajax Downs. Gunnar Lindberg talks about winning the Avelino Gomez Award. Did you follow Garnet Barnsdale’s tips last week? You should have – he delivered an $83 winner. No only do we have several tuneful artists auditioning to sing the Anthems at Mohawk, but we also have the exclusive Horse Players’ Anthem, and everyone should pay attention to a race won by No One.
On Patrick Husbands Day at Woodbine, Patrick Husbands emphasized his own greatness with 2 last to 1st wins. 88-year-old trainer D Wayne Lukas won the Preakness for the 7th time. We have impressive wins by Legendary Hanover and Captains Quarters in preludes to the North America Cup. Anyone know who won almost a quarter million in last Thursday’s Pick-5 at Mohawk? How’s your national anthem – would you like to sing it at the track? Jockey Katie Davis won a race at Belmont on Mother’s Day. Had to Be Ivory proved again he is the greatest quarter horse in Canada, and 83-year-old Don McKirgan drove 2 winners on the same card at Northfield.
The big Stakes races were all at Mohawk with 4 SBOA Finals. Last Monday was vintage Jody Jamieson night at Mohawk when he steered home 5 winners. Friday at Woodbine, 50-year-old Shane Ellis had 3 riding assignments – he won with all 3 for the biggest day of his 25 year career. Down The Stretch was at Ajax Downs for their Opening Day and we chatted with Emilio Trotta, Ralph Peason, Cassandra Jeschke, Chantelle Bourgeois, Ramiro Castillo and Alexis Sanchez. We’ve got an amazing Kentucky Derby pre-race prediction from Kaitlin Free and some animated audio from some Aussie race analysts as they buried the Churchill Downs stewards for missing Tyler Gaffalione’s arm wrestling in deep stretch.
Product in this podcast not originating from Garnet Barnsdale:+ Sensational finish to Kentucky Derby # 150+ Post race comments from winning jockey, Brian Hernandez+ Patrick Husbands and Mark Casse winning another Stakes race at Woodbine+ Jennifer Morrison setting up Opening Day at Ajax Downs+ Mark MacDonell and the horse that has provided all his driving wins.Product in this podcast delivered by Garnet Barnsdale:+ Marty Drexler sending out a 20-1 winner in a $400,000 Stakes race at Churchill Downs+ Winning owner, Elliott Logan talking about that winner+ A pair of fillies looking sharp in season opening wins at Mohawk+ Snake venom apprehended in Kentucky+ The most amazing sports bet cash of the century+ Garnet’s Oaks wager+ Kicking off the racing season in Sarnia+ Garnet’s choice between Jennifer Marlow and Bailey Quarters
Our top story, of course, is the opening of the Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine and we’ve got track CEO Mike Copeland, Premier Doug Ford, jockeys Patrick Husbands, Emma-Jayne Wilson and Jason Hoyte, racing fans Gary Turpin and Jason Chrisjohn, and how about a 5-win opener for Sofia Vives? The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has 12 more worthy inductees. Sylvain Filion tells us what it means to him and Chris Vella is the very proud son of new Hall of Famer Danny Vella. We go to Western Fair for the Provincial Driving Championship, won by Tyler Borth. Sean Fitzhenry tells us how the entire cast of Second City is crucial to his operation. John Stapleton fills us with awe, talking about his historic and sometimes rare racing memorabilia. And was that really a :25.1 final quarter by Coco-Jojo at Mohawk Friday night?
This podcast features the 49th Sovereign Awards and we have interview clips from Jennifer Morrison, Michelle Armata, Robert McKenzie , Mark Casse, Sean Fitzhenry, Kazushi Kimura and Sofia Vives.We talked with Bruno Schickedanz about a horse he owns that keeps finding the winners circle at Gulfstream.Roger Attfield joined us to talk about the mind-blowing debut race by Ready for Shirl, who was the talk of the town after a remarkable win at KeenelandMartin Lachance drove home a winner at Mohawk and we’re playing that race because it was Lachance’s first driving win at the Campbellville track and we also have a horse named Zeb’s Breaking Dawn that won at over 63-1.And the Meadowlands is bragging about their huge handles recently and the owners of the 13-year-old trotter, JL Cruze are also bragging after he notched his 66th career win at the Big M.
We start with the last Kentucky Derby Prep – the Lexington Stakes, then go to Santa Anita for a win by Kazushi Kimura and an interview with the multi-skilled Ismael Mosqueira. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has revealed the finalists for the next wave of induction. Harness horse owner Brad Grant discusses his chances and Carolyn Filice tells Down The Stretch how thrilled her family is that her father, Sam Lima is a finalist. With the Woodbine Thoroughbred season beginning on April 27, we’ve got Patrick Husbands warming up with a win at Gulfstream. Two stories this week from Ric Chapman in Australia – the 8-figure sale price of the first foal from super horse Winx and an amazing win by a 6-year-old mare in a $5million race at Randwick. And, when an 83-year-old driver wins a race, you can bet it gets featured in this podcast.
With less than a month until the 150th Kentucky Derby, we have 3 prep races – The Wood Memorial from Aqueduct, the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Santa Anita Derby. Multiple stories from Santa Anita – 53-year-old Frankie Dettori won 6 in a row on Derby day and we chat with Kazushi Kimura who spent his winter winning races in California before coming north for his 3rd Sovereign Award as Outstanding Jockey. And we have a strange race from Santa Anita that was declared no contest with the field going down the backstretch. Trainer Bob Tiller knows which of 3 categories his sprinter, Patches O’Houlihan is a Sovereign cinch. Aussie racing journalist, Rik Chapman reports on the impending sale of the first off-spring of the super horse, Minx, and harness driver Phil Hudon tells us how he’s recovering since a race incident literally knocked him on his ass.
This one has 3 Kentucky Derby Preps that take us from Meydan in the UAR to Gulfstream to Oaklawn Park. Another week and another win for Marty Drexler. Lou Tucci talks about the chances of Babbo for a Sovereign in the 2-Year-Old Male category. Melissa Keith tells us how she got the job at Rideau Carleton as Canada’s first full-time lady race caller. Jody Jamieson explains why he named a trotter Paquet after its owner Brian Paquet died. How does a daily double pay more than $3,700 and join us at the table to feast on bagels, a small cooked fowl and donuts for dessert.
We’ve got a pair of Kentucky Derby preps as we go to the Fair Grounds and Turfway Park. A lot of Marty Drexler content as he keeps winning at Gulfstream and a little Steven Chircop in the mix. They had a draw for the Mohawk Million and we talk with lucky slot owners, Brad Grant and Tara Hills Stud’s Dave Heffering. Trainer Josie Carroll has 3 horses in 2 Sovereign Award categories and we got her to assess their chances. And on March 17, how good was a bet on a horse named Shamrock?
A lot of CanCon here:+ King’s Plate Champ, Paramount Prince winning at Gulfstream+ Chiefswood Stables sends out Waskesiu to take the Florida Oaks+ Ontario-bred Candy Overload was sweet in the Big Daddy Stakes at Turfway+ Kazushi Kimura rides another winner at Santa Anita+ Steven Chircop scores at Charles Town+ A 4-bagger for driver Travis Cullen+ A great first impression for Carter Gimblett at Flamboro+ Mark Casse breaks down the 8 Sovereign Award categories in which horse he trained are nominated+ Nicholas Barnsdale phones in from the Cheltenham Festival+ And the notorious NHL goalie, Gary Smith has a horse named after him...
This one is loaded with:+ 5 winners at Gulfstream by Marty Drexler+ Steven Chircop winning at Penn National+ 4 Kentucky Derby preps+ Julie Walker winning the International Women’s Day Trot+ Jennifer Buck on her Off-Track Worker Sovereign+ Michelle Armata, Groom of the Year+ Jessica Hallett winning at the Dan Patch Awards for a photograph published in Down The Stretch+ We remember colourful race caller Larry Lederman with a compilation of his more entertaining calls+ Tony Beaton blowing up the tote board+ Mark MacDonell snapping his 0-19 driving streak+ Fair Ground race caller John Dooley funneling his bets Guns N Roses
We have the stretch calls of 3 Kentucky Derby preps – The Risen Star from the Fair Grounds, the Hyacinth from Japan and the Sunland Derby. Harness Driver, Tyler Borth is winning in bunches and took time among his wins to speak with us. Marty Drexler is playing the claim game at Gulfstream and he’s playing it very well. He’s on the phone with Down The Stretch. And horse owner, Darryl Ezra helps us push the envelope on good taste with some of the naughtiest names inflicted on thoroughbreds.
We’ve got a handful of Canadian victories at U.S. tracks – Bill Tharrenos sending out a pair of winners on the same day at Gulfstream, Prince of Wales Champion Velocitor scoring and paying at the Fair Grounds, and CamHaven Farms sending out a winner that paid off at 27-1 at the Fair Grounds. We break down the Sovereign Award category for Outstanding Male Sprinter, trying to get Bob Tiller to compare Patches O’Houlihan to Pink Lloyd, but Tiller just won’t go there. COSA President Bill O’Donnell explains the relatively new rule at Mohawk about breaking stride – it’s not required very often, but it happened last Thursday night. Two-time NBA MVP Nicolai Jokic explains his love of harness racing, and when Koufax won a race at the Fair Grounds, we got curious about other horses named after sports stars.
This week we have the Sam F Davis Stakes from Tampa Bay, James MacDonald with another great night at Mohawk and a thoughtful little video posted by Woodbine for Black History Month. Trainer Barbara Anderson-Heads talks about her terrific mare, Infinite Patience and wonders why her 19 for 25 record might not be good enough for a Sovereign Award. Keith McCalmont of NYRA explains why the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga this June. Jockey Katie Davis tells us how thrilled she is to be repping the U.S.A. in the International Jockeys Challenge in Saudi Arabia and we have a race from Yonkers that had two horses with nearly identical names and it reminded us of the funniest all-time race call.
This podcast has the highlights from the 35th O’Brien Awards in Charlottetown. It was a very good night for James MacDonald, Dr, Ian Moore and the filly, Sylvia Hanover. We have Steven Chircop winning at Penn and Kazushi Kimura taking a Stakes race at Santa Anita. The Kingmaker is a new book about Northern Dancer written by Avalyn Hunter and Hunter reveals some amazing figures about the Dancer’s progeny. Woodbine trainer, Ted Holder talks with us about what it would mean to him to win the Sandy Lane Gold Cup in Barbados and the two horses he plans to send to next month’s big race. Garnet Barnsdale helps us explain ‘takeout’ and tells us which tracks treat you well and which tracks chisel your bet down. And if you hit the 11th race Saturday night at Mohawk., you could care less about takeout as a 40-1 shot won with a 105-1 shot second - what did that pay?
We’re everywhere this week – from the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream and the Eclipse Awards in which we feature Cody’s Wish, Kylie and Kelly Dorman and Sofia Vives. Then to Steven Chircop and Bruno Schickedanz winning races at Penn National, Marty Drexler and Raroma Stable scoring at Gulfstream. We’ve got Kazushi Kimura and Luis Contreras winning at Santa Anita. There was over $790,000 bet in the mandatory Jackpot Hi-5 Saturday at Mohawk and when Natasha Day won at over 50-1, the payoff was life-changing. Janaya Gallant is a 20-year-old trainer and her first winner paid over $100. We talk with Rachel Slevinsky, who was chosen by an international company to promote their racing products. And when a sulky disintegrated in mid-stretch in an Aussie harness race, Ben Wallace was reminded when it happened to him.
Woodbine introduced a tempting promotion on the Mohawk Pick 5 and Garnet Barnsdale explains why this is a good thing. When Sylvia Hanover’s groom, Natasha Steacy rises at the O’Briens to accept the trophy for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Pacing Filly, she will do so in her custom-made Sylvia Hanover sneakers...Horseowner Chris Nolan is from the U.S. but he tells us why he really likes Woodbine, Sam-Son Farm and his trainer, Steven Chircop. We were on the phone to Milena Kwiecien just after she learned her speedball, Snow Moose had been named Canadian Quarter Horse of the Year. And welcome back to the booth Ken Middleton, who tells us what it was like calling the races again more than 6 months after a dreadful training spill.
Standardbred racing takes the stage this week – Woodbine’s Bill McLinchey tells us about 3 significant changes to the Mohawk Million and a few more bucks added to the Metro Pace. Phil Hudon was just as amazed as we were when he won 4 in one night recently, and he breaks down his most excellent night. Linday Rainey of the Canadian Horse Racing JHall of Fame explains how you can bid for a service from among the most impressive thoroughbred and standardbred stallions. Talking about stallions – not only does Garnet Barnsdale provide us endless material for this podcast, he is also the sire of Nicholas Barnsdale who is a finalist at the O’Brien Awards in the Media Excellence Writing category. And if you thought after last Thursday that Belichick would never win again, you were wrong.
In episode 207 – and the first for 2024 - props to Woodbine Entertainment, whose broadcast team won an Eclipse Award for their Secretariat – The Last Race. Honours to trainer Harold Ladouceur, inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. James MacDonald hit the 400-win mark at Mohawk; he was good to the very last drop. Jockey Fraser Aebly was golfing with his dad, Derek when we found him to talk about his good start at Woodbine. A win at Santa Anita for Ajax Downs regular, Ismael Mosqueira, and for this first podcast of the year, we have Psychic Nikki with her horse racing predictions.
Can you jam every memorable moment from horse racing into 30 minutes? No, you can’t, but this episode takes us on a journey through the most amazing results, the most intriguing stories and the most talented horses and people who made the headlines in 2023. Host Peter Gross points out that both the Canadian and U.S. Triple Crowns produced 3 winners. He also tells us that invaders took most of the cash from the big money races at Woodbine. Harness racing had all kinds of great stories – TCI winning the William Wellwood, then surging back in the Mohawk Million after breaking stride; Scott Zeron winning the NA Cup, the Hambletonian, the Little Brown Jug, the Jugette and the Kentucky Futurity. Ken Middleton was badly hurt and his absence allowed an army of race callers necessary to replace him. And our Story of the Year is both inspiring and heartbreaking – the tale of Cody Dorman and the great horse named after him.
In this episode we review the most outrageous, unpredictable and certifiably insane moments in horse racing. Included in this delicious buffet are:+ 5 straight races in which the #1 was the winner+ A night of harness racing where it seemed only the Millers could win+ A horse that paid $1,000 to show+ The night Ken Middleton teased Maple Leafs fans only to have it turn badly on him+ The easiest horse racing question ever on Jeopardy that all the contestants got wrong+ Pete Aiello’s self-deprecating race call at Gulfstream+ A dead heat between brothers+ A race in which Somebody was coming late in the lane+ The 4th place horse that was placed 1st+ Katie Davis winning a race with her brother 2nd, her husband 3rd and her sister 4th+ Driver Doug McNair carving out the sign of the devil one night at Mohawk+ The track scraper who had one job....and did it during a race+ Frank Mirahmadi’s entertaining impressions+ How we worked in the Beatles and Chuck Berry into a story about a mare with a 17-race win streak
With the Thoroughbred racing season concluded, we officially identify the champion jockey, trainer and owner, which means references to Kazushi Kimura, Mark Casse and Bruno Schickedanz. Trainer Marty Drexler cracked the 100-win mark this year and he tells us how he became a major force at Woodbine. Doug McNair put on a show Saturday night at Mohawk. He had 4 winners, not that anyone got rich betting him. Jockey Isabelle Wenc rode professionally for the last time and reveals just how mentally and physically the sport wore her down. And – Moops is not only a winning pacer in Australia, but a hilarious episode of Seinfeld, which we sampled.
Starting with the La Prevoyante and Steady Growth Stakes from Woodbine, this episode has an interview with leading jockey Kazushi Kimura who talks about his compatriot Shohei Ohtani and why he’s looking forward to driving all the way to L.A. Friday was a big day at the track for newly arrived jockey Fraser Aebly. Writer Dave Briggs expands on his Harness Racing Update story called Only a dope would think harness racing doesn’t need serious change. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy erupted for 5 wins last Friday at Mohawk and we have a tasty call from Robert Geller that includes steak, cheese and soup.
Stakes races for 2-year-olds from Woodbine. Three jockeys – Emma-Jayne Wilson, Desean Bynoe and Rachel Slevinsky talk about their scary race-related accidents – all three injured in November. Owner Lou Tucci won the Queen’s Plate with Midnight Aria 10 year’s ago and has a chance to double up with a King’s Plate win after his Babbo won the Coronation Futurity. We had two longshots in the first 3 races last Thursday night at Mohawk – prices so huge, no one hit the Pick-3. Jockey Justin Stein has burst out of his long slump; in fact, recently he’s practically torrid. Nikki Cowper is the owner, trainer and exercise girl for a horse named Seattle Signal and when that filly won at 24-1, it was her first thoroughbred win. And who many people named Miller need to win on the same night before you crack open a beer?
There were 2 important Stakes races from Woodbine on Saturday, but the story was Kevin, Steve and Sid Attard taking down 5 of the 10 races, including both features. Jockey agent Neal Wilson talks about how Desean Bynoe is the 2nd of his 2 jockeys to suffer a year-ending broken leg. Natasha Day had a Monday night to remember – a win at Western Fair then a win at Mohawk, then a horse doing gymnastic moves in the winners’ circle. Woodbine’s Bill Ford tells us that re-invigorating the E. P. Taylor Turf course is a little more complicated than mowing your lawn. And 68-year-old Hall of Famer Doug Brown won a race at Mohawk for the first time in 15 months; how he did it is amazing.
This week we feature the Kennedy Road Stakes from Woodbine and it was an Australian horse that won. Rafael Hernandez is in his 20th year as a jockey and he tells us how he won 4 races on the same card recently. Sofia Vives enhanced her apprentice jockey stats with an impressive 3-win Friday at Woodbine. We have a great betting story – trainer-owner-journalist Santino DiPaola breaks down the $48,000 he and his entourage won and Garnet Barnsdale explains why betting on a second time out horse in a mandatory payout pool is the best thing to do with your betting dollar. And the pacer, Sintra had a retirement party at Mohawk last Saturday. Jody Jamieson and Dave Menary offer unforgettable memories of a wonderful 48-win warrior.
In episode 199, we have Stakes races at Woodbine on Friday and Saturday. Rafael Hernandez did not violate his wedding vows but he did score with 4 females on the same day. Tattoo Artist lost to Bythemissal and that probably affected his Dan Patch status. Cody Dorman died on the plane ride home from the Breeders’ Cup, but the story of Cody and Cody’s Wish will resonate forever. Race caller Frank Mirahmadi breaks down the races from the Breeders’ Cup that he thought were the most exciting. And photo-Journalist Jessica Hallett talks about the generosity of the industry after a horrible stable fire at Tioga Downs.
Santa Anita hosted 14 Breeders’ Cup races. This podcast has the stretch call of all of them; not many longshots and very modest returns for Canadian connections. There were 3 Stake races on the weekend at Woodbine – The Grey, the Mazarine and the Autumn and we have multiple harness racing angles: Driver Tyler Borth walks us through his 7-win night in London. James MacDonald won 6 last Friday at Mohawk. Ed Hensley hit the 6,000 win mark at Flamboro. Julie Walker stunned the bettors when she won the all-lady drivers race at Mohawk. A 2-year-old filly in Australia paced a mile in 1:49.1 and our friend from down under, Ric Chapman, previews the $8 Million Melbourne Cup.
We sent Garnet Barnsdale to Hoosier Park and he broke down the Breeders Crown races, emphasizing the Canadian Content – how did Sylvia Hanover, Tactical Approach, Scott Zeron and Tattoo Artist do? Amazing feats by horse racing athletes – Sylvain Filion hit the 10,000-win mark on Monday at Mohawk Park, then added 5 more on Friday on a night when Fort Erie race caller Doug McPherson described the action Also with the 5-bagger stunt – Kazushi Kimura who swept the Saturday Stakes at Woodbine and added 3 more wins. Legendary trainer Roger Attfield talks to us about Shirl’s Speight, who is back in next week’s Breeders’ Stakes at Santa Anita. The quarter horse season came to an end at Ajax Downs and Brian Bell punctuated his championship season by riding the winner in the final Stakes race. And Presque Isle race caller, Jeff Cernik had a bucket full of fun in a certain race last week.
We have the disputed outcome from the Ontario Derby at Woodbine. We chat with apprentice jockeys Cheyenne Kerr, Fraser Aebly and Pietro Moran about the thrill of winning for the first time at Woodbine. The country’s leading apprentice, Sofia Vives, had an unforgettable ride in Fort Erie’s final race. Doug McNair pushed his harness driving purse earnings past the $80 million mark then drove to Indiana to win a pair of Breeders Crown Eliminations. Also good times at Hoosier Park for Louis-Philippe Roy and Tattoo Artist. And we’re not worthy to be in the same room with the guy who won a lot of money when he accurately predicted the exact finish of all 12 horses in a big Stakes race in Australia.
The $250,000 Cup and Saucer is one of 5 Stakes from Woodbine featured this week. There were 8 $300,000 OSS Golds at Mohawk. At Ajax Downs, 2 horses dead-heated for 2nd in a Stakes event, and both were elevated to the win spot. We got Scott Zeron on the phone. This year, Zeron won the North America Cup, the Hambletonian, the Jug, the Jugette and the Kentucky Futurity. Does that make him the Dan Patch Driver of the Year? You might not have heard about Michael Copeland taking over the job as CEO of Woodbine from Jim Lawson. Lawson tells us why the transition was so quiet. We have another (yawwwwn) 5win night for James MacDonald at Mohawk, and, over the span of 3 days at Laurel Racetrack, a horse named Haint Blue ran twice – except - it was a different horse each time.
It was another huge Sunday at Woodbine with the Grade l Canadian International, the E.P. Taylor, the Algonquin and the Nearctic Stakes and most of the big purses went to invaders Resilience, the filly won the Jimmy Freight Stakes and Jimmy Freight was resilient, coming off a 6-month layoff to win on the same night. It took another magical drive from, Scott Zeron as Tactical Approach won the Kentucky Futurity, 3rd leg of the Trotting Triple Crown/Trainer Layne Giliforte tells us what it was like winning the Breeders’ Stakes – the biggest win for him in 30 years and it came only after some heart-stopping filly on colt conflict in the stretch. Has jockey Brian Bell created enough wiggle room in his quest to win the riders race at Ajax Downs? And how does a horse pay over $1,000 to show.? It happened in Summerside, P.E.I.
This podcast is full of great races – The Breeders’ Stakes, 3rd leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine, 4 OSS Golds from Mohawk Park, Tattoo Artist crushing again, this time at the Dayton Raceway. Natural hattricks at Woodbine for jockeys Sahin Civaci and Sofia Vives. We check out the very close jockeys race at Ajax Downs; will it be Brian Bell, or Ramiro Castillo or J B Botello?.Promoter and horse owner Adriano Sorella tees up next weekend’s Jimmy Freight Stakes, and, appropriately, after the weekend of the Breeders’ Stakes, we talk with the only woman to win this race and let’s just say that Laurie Gulas’ life has not always been in the winners’ circle.
We start with the Bull Page and Victorian Queen Stakes from Woodbine, go to Mohawk Park for the Mohawk Million, the Elegant Image, the She’s a Great Lady, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Metro Pace and another stunning win by Tattoo Artist. Two ends of the jockey spectrum -55-year-old Gary Boulanger tells us why he’s retiring 36 years after his first ride and 21-year-old Sofia Vives, in her first full year of riding, gets the news from us that she will win the Sovereign as Canada’s outstanding apprentice.Scott Zeron won both the Little Brown Jug and the Jugette last week in the same year that he won the NA Cup and the Hambletonian so we ask, ‘Is he the driver of the year?’A special treat for you as Tom Durkin interrupted his retirement to call a $3,000 trot at the Delaware Fair Grounds. He nailed it. We look at the contentious jockeys’ race at Ajax Downs, and some schadenfreude in this podcast - pleasure at the pain of others - someone bet $40,000 to show on a sure thing in a 4-horse race at Assiniboia Downs. Wait until you hear what happened.
This podcast features the Ricoh Woodbine Mile, Justin Stein in the Prince of Wales, Kevin Attard on his champion Velocitor, Bob Tiller explaining how he missed his horse winning the Vigil Stakes and Doug McNair delivering Grace Hill in the Milton Stakes. Trainer Lauren Spada and jockey Rachel Isaacs each recorded their first Stakes win last Wednesday at Ajax Downs. Veteran jockey Helen Vanek ended her thoroughbred career with a win at Fort Erie. Two-year-olds were trotting for big money Thursday at Mohawk and did harness fans do a double take when they heard thoroughbred caller Robert Geller describing the standardbreds last Monday?
This week’s episode is jammed with Thoroughbred and Standardbred Stakes races – from Woodbine – the Singspiel, Moira back in form in the Canadian Stakes, Sahin Civaci wining both the Zadracarta and the Wonder Where on Sunday. From Mohawk – Bob McClure taking down 3 of 4 OSS Golds to start the week. From the Meadowlands, another superb post-10 win with Tactical Mounds from Scott Zeron. Doug McNair winning a Stakes at Yonkers. We chat with Dr. Ian Moore about Canadian Pacing Derby Champ, Tattoo Artist, and after the interview, Moore flew to Scioto Downs to watch both Tattoo Artist and a 2-year- old Clever Cody win Stakes races. And irresistible jockey, Katie Davis relives the most remarkable superfecta finish in horse racing history.
This podcast has the Toronto Cup Stakes from Woodbine and both the Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot from Mohawk. Louis-Philippe Roy with a candid moment. Had to Be Ivory, Canada’s greatest quarter horse won a Stakes race at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Trainer Carmen Auciello hit a major milestone. After witnessing too many horse deaths at Saratoga, Mark Casse says American tracks need to do what Woodbine has done. Teesha Symes talks about the out of control starting gate at Georgian Downs. How did Emma-Jayne Wilson and Kirk Johnson celebrate their birthdays at Woodbine on Friday? How did two senior citizens, Doug and Carmen Hie deliver two sisters in a pace at Kawartha Downs? Did you see how Katie Davis won at Saratoga with her brother, husband and sister right behind her? And were horseplayers at Fort Erie cheated out of a legitimate payoff because of a terrible rule?
Lots of Stakes races this week - from Woodbine - the Muskoka, the Elgin, the Algoma and the Simcoe; from Mohawk - the William Wellwood, the Peaceful Way, 2 Nassagaweya finals and a pair of Eternal Camnation finals. We drop in to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes and we visit Ajax Downs and talk with the amazing Ed Walton, the 60-year-old jockey who is still bringing in winners.
We’re on the phone with Mark Casse who explains why he could not tip us on his King’s Plate winner or his Oaks winner. Host Peter Gross went to Woodstock, Ontario to participate in some virtual harness racing and the latest issue of Down The Stretch is now on line, and we have an 8-year-old who gives it a good review.
The big story is, of course, the first King’s Plate since 1951, only somewhat overshadowing a brilliant day for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Patrick Husbands. This podcast also has the Catch a Glimpse, the Bold Venture, the Soaring Free and the Dance Smartly, as well as a huge upset on Saturday in the Sweet Briar Too. Mark Romeo of Terra Racing Stable looks back on the last time Queen Elizabeth attended Woodbine and the thrill of their horse, Big Red Mike winning. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson tells us just how hard it was to finally get horse racing on the Bet365 platform.
A wild night of harness racing at Mohawk park and we have the 3 eliminations for the William Wellwood Memorial Trot. Vance Cameron exhilarates us with his rendition of the the $100,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes from Red Shores. Father and son are still winning at Ajax Downs, and Melissa Keith breaks down Sunday afternoon at Clinton when she called the whole card.
Amazing and historic moments in horse racing – Scotty Zeron won his 3rd Hambletonian, but his drive with Tactical Approach may very well be the greatest harness drive of all time. Louis-Philippe Roy broke out with 5 wins at Mohawk Saturday night. Jockey Katie Davis made history twice at Saratoga, each time doing something that had never been done before. We have the Vice Regent and Hamilton Stakes from Woodbine and trainer Michelle Love tells us how she won a Stakes race for the first time in her 13-year career. And we have all of the quarter horse card from Ajax Downs on a day when Ramiro Castillo and his son Alexis Sanchez won 5 of the 7 races.
Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson sweats it out, telling us how extreme heat caused two cards of racing to be cancelled. We have 3 Stakes races from weather friendlier Woodbine on the weekend and the CanCon from an Hambletonian Elimination at the Meadowlands. Russell Baze, the all-time winningest jockey in North America was the latest winner of the Avelino Gomez Award, but our attempted interview didn’t get out of the starting gate. We did better with Flavien Prat, who is winning races at both the Saratoga thoroughbred track and the Saratoga harness track. We run the entire card of quarter horse racing from Ajax Downs and challenge the listeners to figure out what all the winners had in common.Driver James MacDonald scored another grand slam at Mohawk, but this one had a fascinating twist to it and a bizarre race from Harrah’s Philadelphia in which each of the first 3 finishers were DQ’d.
Deviating dramatically from all previous episodes, this 30-minute epic concerns host Peter Gross and his buddy Jim McKenny and their return to Saratoga after a 4-year absence. Over 11 days, the pair were joined by Gary ‘Suitcase’ Smith and Garnet Barnsdale. The betting was uninhibited and, for the most part, unsuccessful. Listen in horror as Pick-5 bets die after just one race. Mark Casse had an opening day winner and tells us why that matters, while indicating he has good reason to go to Woodbine for the Oaks and Plate Trial. The host takes a bath, financially and literally as he enjoys the Roosevelt Spa and Massage. Then he interviews race caller Frank Mirahmadi and gets pep talks from Rodney Dangerfield, Marv Albert, Robert De Niro and Andy Rooney. The trip was not fruitless thanks to the free kiwis given out daily. On the final Saturday of the trip, Down The Stretch hooked up with trainer Jeff Gillis who had 2 strong entries in the $250,000 Joe Gerrity Pace at the Saratoga harness track. And on the way home, Gross and McKenny place more losing bets on the Queen’s Plate Trial and Woodbine Oaks, leaving them wonder how they could leave the Casse horses out.
Ken Middleton tells us how he got badly hurt in a training accident, what the doctors needed to do to fix him up and when he might be calling races again. We have 2 Stakes races from Woodbine -the Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay. Jump in - the water’s fine! Trainer Mark Casse talks about his epic Canada Day at Woodbine, and he thanks jockey Sahin Civaci. Agent Leroy Trotman is putting his riders on winners and he thanks Civaci. And we thank Civaci for allowing us to interview him!
Driver Doug McNair won a free for all with Logan Park, who trotted faster than any other older male horse in Canadian history.
How often does this occur - a father and a son riding parimutuel winners in the same week? We’ve got it because it happened to Ramiro Castillo and Alexis Sanchez.
And don’t be confused if you go to Mohawk on a Tuesday and see it’s Wednesday or Friday at the track.
There was a huge Canada Day celebration with 5 Srtakes races at Woodbine. We go to Yonkers for the Messenger Stakes and the Yonkers Trot, and to Ajax Downs for a couple of races from last Wednesday. Why did it take jockey Rico Walcott 16 years to decide to ride at Woodbine? We find out from the Queenston Stakes winning jockey. There is an amazing group of apprentice jockeys winning at an unprecedented rate at Woodbine; hear how Sofia Vives, Desean Bynoe, Amanda Vandermeersch and Rachel Slevinsky dominated a full afternoon last week. Bulldog Hanover’s owner/trainer Jack Darling invites racing fans to suggest a name for Bulldog’s new filly. And you will have to listen to decide why Peter Gross’ interview with jockey Chantal Sutherland went off the rails.
It’s another fully entertaining Down The Stretch Podcast with the Ballade and Alywow Stakes from Woodbine. Jockey Jose Campos had his biggest day ever and driver Doug McNair talks about his extraordinary night at Mohawk -how he won two big Stakes sandwiched around a frightening crash. More McNair in Unfiltered, the OLG’s ground-breaking horse racing documentary which we sample. Woodbine CEO, Jim Lawson tells us how the new gigantic casino will benefit horse racing. We have Matt Kakaley winning 9 of 10 races at Yonkers and 96-year-old Red McKenzie still training winners at Century Downs. How did Jimi Hendrix and Sonny Liston get in the same horse race? And how did the Buffalo Bills direct Garnet Barnsdale to winning ticket?
The 40th North America Cup provided a full night of thrills and, unfortunately, spills at Mohawk Park – wait until you hear about Doug McNair’s night. Wonderful things from great jockeys – Emma-Jayne Wilson won 4 races on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine. Brian Bell won 5 at Ajax Downs on Sunday. Patrick Husbands has a strike rate of over 25%. We find out from the 50 year-old Husbands why he’s still so good. Jockeys’ agent Brandon Fairlie - known also as Agent Orange - tells Down The Stretch about his perfect afternoon at Woodbine with his jockeys Rachel Slevinsky and Omar Moreno. WEG executive Klaus Ebner explains how the new bet, the Swinger Omni, came to fruition, and Garnet Barnsdale tipped us on a dead heat between brothers, a 69 year old jockey still winning, Frank Mirahmadi calling a race that included a horse named after him, and Ken Middleton calling a race where it seemed every horse had the word Bettor in it.
This week, we are amazed by the women in horse racing – When Arcangelo won the Belmont Stakes, Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a U.S. Triple Crown race. Too bad FOX tv blundered historically with its presentation. Three women - Sofia Vives, Skye Chernetz and Emma-Jayne Wilson brought in pricey horses at Woodbine. Women trainers won 3 of 4 eliminations at Mohawk for the North America Cup and we have a $200,000 race at Northfield, Ohio won by Lauren Tritton. Melanie Pinto is featured for her 2 wins last Tuesday at Fort Erie. But there is room for men to succeed in horse racing - Jason Pascoe is crushing it at Ajax Downs and we grill Michael Copeland, the man who will replace Jim Lawson as CEO of Woodbine. And how would you have called a race in which one of the horses was named Sumomomomomomomomomo?
We tackle horse racing on a chronological basis and by doing so, gets thrills from $100,000 races at Mohawk, 70 year-old amateur driver Robert Ciavardini and jockey Pierre Mailhot still winning at Fort Erie in his 40th year of riding. We visit the early returns from Woodbine’s new and intriguing bet. Then it’s on to quarter horse results from Ajax Downs and a good start for JB Botello. Is Justin Stein ready to break out? Will Churchill Downs solve its disturbing problem? Can anyone stop driver James MacDonald, and just how good was Saturday for apprentice riders, Sofia Vives, Amanda Vandermeersch and Deshawn Bynoe?. That same day, Patrick Husbands put on a Stakes clinic, and that night at Mohawk was jammed with big money Stakes legs and splits, Then, on Sunday, a breakthrough win for Keveh Nichols as he snapped a long losing streak.
This podcast cover lots of ground - some of it on the turf because Woodbine ran its first grass races last Saturday. It was a big day for South African jockey Ryan Munger. It was Opening Day at Fort Erie and when a lady named Rachel Slevinsky won a race, it piqued our curiosity. Race caller Sugar Doyle had his ’A’ game at Western Fair for the Forest City Pace and the Camluck Classic. Garnet Barnsdale hooked up with Chris Christoforou at the President’s reception for the new inductees into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Host Peter Gross got his idol, the legendary race caller Tom Durkin on the phone to chat about him coming out of retirement to call the Belmont Stakes. And for families that like to have all the cheques coming to the same address, we have races at Mohawk won by father Dustin and son Tyler Jones, and a heat from Australia in which the Parnham brothers ran 1-2-3-
This is another very busy horse racing podcast. We’ve got a couple of Stakes races from Woodbine and 4 SBOA Finals from Mohawk. Irwin Driedger passed away on the weekend and we remember him. There was a slight upset in the Preakness at Pimlico, so once again, there will not be a Triple Crown winner. Mighty Heart, who won the 2020 Queen’s Plate, has been retired and author Jennifer Morrison tells us how life-changing this one-eyed wonder was to her and all the people involved in his racing career. We have 2 Morrisons in this podcast – Moncton’s Ailsa Morrison won again at Gulfstream. The terrific Modern Games won a Group l race in England, but not before a rival tried to rip his face off. Ever seen a husband-wife team take down the daily double? It happened at Louisiana Downs. And sit back and laugh at horse racing jokes from the King of the One-Liners, Henny Youngman.
We have the Whimsical Stakes and the Jacques Cartier from Woodbine. Apprentice jockey Amanda Vandermeersch brought in a huge longshot. South African rider, Ryan Munger is off to great start. Veterans Emma-Jayne Wilson had a great 5-win weekend at Woodbine. We chat with Ariane Milligi Fuller who tells us the best thing to do if you’re going to Saratoga and need a place to stay. We run 3 legs from Mohawk of the eliminations for the SBOA Stakes and go to Ajax Downs for Opening Day which included a race call from the Down The Stretch host, Peter Gross.
As exciting as the 149th Kentucky Derby was, with a 15-1 upset, it wasn’t the best story at Churchill Downs on Saturday, it was the Churchill downs Stakes in which Cody’s Wish won for teenager Cody Dorman.We have the three finals of the Ontario Sired Graduate Series at Mohawk and we talk with Mark Etsell, the owner and trainer of the wonderful Adare Castle.How about Ryan Munger? In the South African jockey’s first ride at Woodbine, he delivered a 10-1 shot, then told us how he did it. We chat with both Brad Grant and Yvonne Schwabe, who were named respectively to the Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing committees at Woodbine.In recent weeks horses named Toronto and Boston won on the pace, but were those wins accurate predictors of what would happen in playoff hockey series?And on the same day that King Charles lll was being coronated, a horse owned by the king was racing in a Stakes event at Newmarket.
There was a disqualification in the 1st Stakes race of the year and it was all about not checking the Blind Spot. Expert handicappers Jim Bannon, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Jim McKenny and Peter Gross submit their Kentucky Derby picks. We talk with the latest Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees, Irwin Driedger and Chris Christoforou. Ailsa Morrison broke through at Gulfstream. James MacDonald knows how to rinse and repeat at Mohawk. Chad Rosema explains the brave expensive move that Grand River Raceway is undertaking and what was it that Ken Middleton said in a recent race call that aroused the ire of 1000’s of Maple Leafs fans?
April 22 was Opening Day of the thoroughbreds at Woodbine and this podcast is all over it. We talk with first race winner Amanda Vandermeersch and her fellow apprentice rider, Sofia Vives. Robert Geller shows he’s game ready in the broadcast booth and fans grabbed their free Woodbine fanny packs to stuff with their winnings. Raj Maharajh explains how a palace intruder and a Trinidad Calypso star helped him name his two-year-old Sovereign Award winner. Philip My Dear. James Macdonald continues to crush it at Mohawk – he scored hattricks on both Friday and Saturday. Less than two weeks until the Kentucky Derby, but we have a debuting two-year-old who popped huge at Keeneland. And we embarrass race analyst, Andy Serling who emphatically claimed a certain horse could not win. Guess what happened?
This podcast has a nice package of Canadians cashing $US at Gulfstream - Chantal Sutherland, Mike DePaulo, Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz. We go to Aqueduct, Keeneland and Santa Anita for Kentucky Derby preps; wait until you hear what the winner of the Wood memorial paid!With just a few days until the April 13 Sovereign Awards, we break down the more significant categories; can you say Moira?There’s controversy at the Meadowlands and it concerns some rules about what drivers can and cannot do in a race and both writer John Berry and driver Scott Zeron tell Down The Stretch the potential punishment is excessive.How many pop stars have made it as jockey? Troy Hearn has been trying to win a thoroughbred race for over 20 years, but as Troy Fernandes, he’s found the YouTube winners circle as an appealing singer.It was Easter weekend, and at Mohawk Saturday night, Doug McNair carved out the sign of the beast - 3 straight wins, all from post 6. And how about that ‘tip’ that God himself gave the Aqueduct bettors on Good Friday?
Chantal Sutherland was on a 14-1 winner at Gulfstream. Nick Gonzalez cashed in Hallandale and Cheifswood’s Weyburn took down a Stakes race. An amazing Saturday at Gulfstream as the Ortiz brothers, Irad and Jose won 10 of the 14 races, including the Florida Derby. We also have the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn. Jockey Steven Bahen talks about his career after announcing his retirement at the age of 56. Does that mean there is an opportunity for another good rider? Jockey Ryan Munger e-mailed audio from South Africa, explaining why he's coming to Woodbine this year. Trainer Josie Carroll commiserates with host Peter Gross over the probability neither of them will win the Sovereign Award in their respective categories. James MacDonald won 6 at Mohawk Saturday night, including both New Holland Series finals and when you hear our interview with 11-time Sovereign Award-winning writer, Curtis Stock, you will want to get a copy of his latest book about the 5 Turcotte brothers who were all jockeys.
This podcast takes us all over the planet – to South Africa and a winning race from jockey Ryan Munger, who, as we hear from his agent, Mike Luider, is coming to Woodbine this year. Canadians continue to use U.S. racetracks as their personal ATMs; Chantal Sutherland and Kevin Attard with wins at Gulfstream and Steven Chircop scoring at Aqueduct. This podcast has 3 Kentucky Derby preps and we document an amazing Japanese sweep at the UAE Derby in Dubai. Then we go to the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park in Kentucky and the Sunland Derby in New Mexico. Dan Vella talks with us about retiring from training and taking on a new position at Woodbine as the horse people’s liaison. There was a horse racing question on Jeopardy last week. We would have nailed it but all 3 contestants blew it. And possibly the most important story we have ever done - when Jody Jamieson put a picture of his creamy chicken dumpling soup on Facebook, we got him on the phone to tell us how he makes it.
This podcast has many races from Gulfstream featuring wins by Emma-Jayne Wilson, Chantal Sutherland, Bill Tharrenos, Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz. Tedson Holder talks about his important connection to It’s a Gamble, the recent winner of the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup. Jeff Hunt didn’t drive his first standardbred until he was 32, but that was worth waiting for it – we have Hunt talking about his great first impression. Kathleen O’Connell made racing history by becoming the winningest lady trainer in North America. We also have Liam Burke, oldest winning jockey in Ireland and 80-year-old Robert Sampson still winning harness races in Maryland. Saulsbrook Victor continues to dominate at Mohawk and we have more proof that Gulfstream’s Pete Aiello is the brightest race-caller on this side of the Atlantic.
This is another full package of exciting, spinetingling, mind-blowing horse racing results, stories and interviews. We go to Tampa Bay Downs for the Tampa bay Derby, a Kentucky Derby prep. We go to Gulfstream and find Canadians winning races, specifically - Marty Drexler, Bruno Schickedanz and Emma-Jayne Wilson. Last Thursday at Mohawk there were 2 races in which all the drivers were women. That same night, a rare result in a 10-horse trot. We talk Sovereign Awards with Mark Casse, Kevin Attard and Groom of the Year Amber Hutchinson. And how would you feel if your horse ran straight and true, didn’t impede anyone, didn’t break any rules and the judges disqualified it after watching the wrong replay? Believe it or not.. that happened.
With the Kentucky Derby just 2 months away, we run Derby preps from Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Santa Anita and Turfway Park. We have another winner at Penn National for Steve Chircop who tells us why his lead in the trainers’ race is probably temporary. Roger Attfield chatted with us from Payson Park about the 4 Sovereign Awards his horses might score. Groom Ricardo Nicholson already knows he’s a Sovereign Award winner and he tells us how good that feels. Woodbine’s champion jockey Kazushi Kimura had a big win in a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita and we wish we had bet it. Mark McKelvie explains the thinking of Mohawk Park when it did two different things on snowy nights in Ontario. Saulsbrook Victor won again, and the way he did it is worth listening to, and Vic Stauffer is a great race caller – but wait until you hear how he announced a race when he couldn’t see the horses.
Another podcast jammed with fascinating, relevant and historic horse racing material – a $Million Kentucky Derby prep race at Oaklawn and a history making win by trainer Steve Asmussen at that same track. This podcast always emphasizes success by Canadians and we have Bill Tharrenos sending out a winner at Gulfstream and trainer Steven Chircop continuing to score at Parx. Natasha Day was mic-ed up at Flamboro and thanks to COSA’s Wired 360, we play her descriptive audio as she does play-by-play of her pacer. Also in this podcast, racing commentator Jeff Bratt tells us how excited he is to be hosting the upcoming Sovereign awards, and long-time broadcaster Chad Rozema explains his move from the studio to the job of running the show at Grand River Raceway. And just to drop your jaws, a night at Flamboro when the first 5 winners all came from the same post, and a 6-year-old pacing mare who didn’t let a 78-race losing streak discourage her.
We’ve got a nice package of Canadians - Chantal Sutherland, Marty Drexler, Jim and Susan Hill – winning at Gulfstream. There was a 13-1 upset in the Risen Star Stakes on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Jennifer Morrison files from the Quarter Horse Awards Banquet, which had a sad subtext. Trainer Willy Armata assesses the chances of Ironstone for a Sovereign Award in the 3-year-old colt category and Woodbine’s Mark McKelvie reveals how the Free For Alls at Mohawk will mean bigger purses for harness people. We were fascinated by a Finnish study that determined that men with high IQs are more likely to bet the horses, so intellectual giants like Jim Bannon, Tommy Massis, Garnet Barnsdale and Jim McKenny submitted their opinions. And a guy had just one job at Rosecroft Raceway – how could he not know there was a race going on?
This podcast features win at Gulfstream from Chantal Sutherland, Emma-Jayne Wilson, and Martin Drexler. We have stretch calls from Kentucky Derby preps at Aqueduct, Tampa Bay and Golden Gate. Harness trainer Carmen Auciello talks about the upcoming New Holland pacing and trotting series at Mohawk and what it’s like to be the runner-up year after year in the O’Briens to Richard Moreau. Michael David is the son of long-time local jockey, Daniel David and because we saw his Facebook page, we called him to talk about his riding career. Jessica Paquette is the only full-time female announcer in the U.S. Her race calls are sharp and her interview in this podcast is fascinating. And how did we edit in Chuck Berry, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney into a story about a pacing mare that won 17 straight?
This podcast has all the winners from the O’Brien Awards, also known as Bulldog Hanover appreciation night. We’ve got a couple of Kentucky Derby prep races, dominated by Bob Baffert and Bill Mott. Woodbine trainer Steven Chircop continues to win races at Penn National and Laurel. Trainer Sara Baillargeon talks about winning at Mohawk for the first time and driver Tyler Borth also delivered his first winner at the Campbellville track. Irad Ortiz is the best jockey in North America and he proved it again by winning 7 straight at Gulfstream. And some 39 years after he took the lovely Janice Groom to the 1984 Queen’s Plate, host Peter Gross finds her to see if a subsequent date is a possibility.
This week, we run the upset of the Pegasus Stakes and tell you how the winner has a Woodbine connection. Bob Baffert sent out the winner of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. Patrick Husbands won the Coolmore Stakes in Barbados and we have the race call. We interview Emma-Jayne Wilson who is getting fit and riding a few at Gulfstream and we chat with Steven Chircop who is the leading trainer at Penn National. Brett MacDonald hit a nice harness driving plateau and tells us how his pacer Saulsbrook Victor is exceeding all possible expectations. Woodbine’s Chris Lush explains why we can’t phone in our bets anymore, and Oaklawn’s Vic Stauffer gets props for his colourful call of the week.
In this podcast, we feature wins in Florida from jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson and trainer Katerina Vassilieva. We have the Lecomte Stakes from the Fair Grounds, and we advise that Instant Coffee might be nice in the morning, but don’t advance bet him for the Kentucky Derby. Bulldog Hanover will dominate the February 4 O’Brien Awards and we talk with his owner/trainer Jack Darling about the recent announcement that the Bulldog is the next recipient of the Cam Fella Award. Trainer Julia Ezra explains who you can get into her Double Blooded Syndicate for a small price and big thrills. Owner Carol Robertson talks with us about her Had To Be Ivory, who has just been named Canadian Quarter Horse of the Year for the 3rd time. And host Peter Gross made the mistake of running his life-long betting theories past a very cynical Garnet Barnsdale.
In this collectors’ edition episode, we present some of the most appealing songs about horse racing, which will include The Hollies, Carly Simon, The Band, George Jones, Bing Crosby, Chris de Burgh, The Pretenders, Betty Grable and Lisa G Fly.We have an interview with Jim Hill, who, with his wife Susan, is a leading Canadian thoroughbred horse owner. Television producer, Curtis MacDonald talks about the Sam McKee Award his company won for coverage of the Hambletonian. Jason Portuondo, once a broadcaster, now a racing official, takes the Down The Stretch judging exam, trainer Marty Drexler pulled off a win at Gulfstream, and we have an embarrassing moment for a race-caller at Sunland Park when he proclaimed a winner a little too early.
Canadians are winning races in Florida – we’ve got 4 of them. Driver Doug McNair had a big Friday night at Mohawk Park and trainers Shawn Steacy and Camilla Christoforou assess their O’Brien Award chances. Psychic Nikki makes horse racing predictions. Did she see the winning jockey in the next Kentucky Derby? And what’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld in this podcast?
We get nosy, asking What was the best gift you got for Christmas; what was the best gift you gave? We got answers from Jody Jamieson, Kevin Attard, Marty Drexler, Gary Boulanger, Justin Stein, Ken Middleton, Doug McPherson, Ed Walton and Doug McNair.
Podcast # 153 takes a look back at the great and unforgettable moments in horse racing in 2022.From the Pegasus at Gulfstream to the Saudi Cup and Emblem Road’s massive shock. What incredible statistic applied to all 6 winners of the Triple Crowns in the U.S. and Canada? This audio includes Rich Strike, Moira, jockeys Justin Stein and Declan Carroll, Sir For Sure, Roger Attfield, Charles Fipke and Modern Games. A fond farewell to Dr. Glen Brown and some great harness races – Oh Well in the Mohawk Million, Slay in a wild Canadian Trotting Classic and the impressive Pebble Beach in the North America Cup. Then we rank the most memorable stories of the year which include Natasha Day, James MacDonald, Bulldog Hanover and the wonderful Cody Dorman.
We break from our normal format to present a collection of the most amusing, goofiest and mind expanding stories of the year..things that can only happen in horse racing. Like Turf Paradise’s Craig Braddick playing Torture the Track announcer, or Tampa Bay’s Jason Beam and his hilarious parody of Don McLean’s America Pie. There was the night that the number 5 kept winning at Mohawk and we couldn’t resist when we found a horse named Horse. A race at the Meadows that paid tribute to alcoholic beverages, a heat in Alberta where the top 4 horses were all Outlaws and a race from Gulfstream where the chaotic outcome was specifically defined by the winning horse. Bill Megens is now 89, but when he trained a winner recently at Western Fair, he gave an unusual prediction of his retirement date. And there is no jockey quite like quarter horse rider Tony Phillips. To celebrate his winning year at Ajax Downs, Phillips produced a rap of his equine accomplishments. Also appearing in this podcast –Tom Durkin, George Thorogood, the Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Alanis Morissette, Fred Flintstone, the Who, the Bobby Fuller Four and Aerosmith.
It was the final weekend of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine for 2022 and it took place without either of the 2 leading jockeys. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson is along to tell us how and why Canada’ next premier race will be called the King’s Plate. Did you catch what James MacDonald did last Monday at Mohawk? We breakdown his record setting night. Woodbine riding champion Kazushi Kimura needed 3 days to drive his car from Toronto to Santa Anita. We ask his agent, Jordan Miller... why? And Colleen Dalos explains why she believes owning horses is extending her life.
The Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday had a mind-blowing finish. The night before at Mohawk, the great Bulldog Hanover was front and centre at Mohawk for his retirement sendoff. We meet his groom, John Mallia.Nicholas Boyd is a owner/trainer/driver who specializes in catching runaway horses on harness tracks. He talks about his latest rescue at Flamboro Downs.How many times do you think this happens in horse racing? Jockey Katie Davis won a race at Aqueduct less than a year after giving birth.And before he committed suicide, Anthony Bourdain was this brilliant television journalist who travelled the world to taste great food. We’ve got a clip of him eating a Jamaican patty at Aqueduct.
In this podcast, we have 3 Stakes races from Woodbine and stretch calls from the Meadowlands of the final race of two brilliant harness horses. Dexter Dunn and Jack Darling give their reactions to the end of Bulldog Hanover’s brilliant career. Driver Doug McNair schooled 7 others at Century Mile to earn the right to rep Canada in next year’s World Driving Championship and he tells us how he pulled it off. Then there’s rookie driver, Damian MacLellan who has a habit of making winning debuts. It took us 149 episodes to finally interview legendary trainer Roger Attfield, who turned 83 on the Monday this podcast was released. And even though he’s been gone for more than a year, Barney Curley’s legend lives on and we have the story of his incredible coup at the hands of the Irish bookmakers.
Thanks to the weather, only 2 races were run at Woodbine in Sunday. We have jockey Justin Stein talking about the vile message he found on his phone and we segue into the politics of race riding – i.e. is it kosher to let your brother through on the inside when your horse is fading? Chantal Sutherland chimes in on that. A nice chat with Taylor Logan and her dad, Elliot about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and their creative way of bringing awareness to the painful disease. Newly arrived jockey Jose Campos is winning races at Woodbine. We discuss that with him and his agent Gerry Olguin. We have a pacing mare who has won 15 times this season, a disqualification at Gulfstream in which the elevated horse describes the reason for the dq; and when it comes to a horse’s name, how about the one in the 2nd race last Friday at Woodbine that actually told you what to do? Plus musical contributions from The Hollies, Alanis Morrisette and The Who.
Imagine you’re a 16 year-old-boy in Richmond. Kentucky, and a horse named after you wins a Breeders’ Cup race while you’re in the winners circle. We have the inspiring story of Cody Dorman. Hall of Fam trainer, Mark Casse tells host Peter Gross how wrong he was last week describing Casse’s win in the Juvenile Fillies, and Casse predicts an impending Sovereign Award for rookie jockey Sofia Vives. Ho hum, just another 5-win night at Mohawk for James MacDonald, two nights after he won a Stakes race at Dover with a horse that paid…$74 to show. How happy was Allywag Hanover that Bulldog Hanover wasn’t in the Potomac Pace? So happy, he paced the fastest mile ever on a 5/8th track.
We’ve got the Maple Leaf Stakes and the Bessarabian Stakes from Saturday at Woodbine, and Ivan Dalos’ terrific horse, Avies Flatter is about to have a new career.
Warning: Don’t listen to this podcast if you don’t care for thrilling finishes, emotionally uplifting stories, or sensational performances by jockeys and harness drivers. From the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on the weekend, we have several race calls, including profitable finishes for trainer Roger Attfield and owner Charles Fipke. Cody’s Wish won the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, which just added another wonderful chapter about the horse named after teenager, Cody Dorman. COSA President Bill O’Donnell gives his take on the Breeders’ Crown races the previous week at Mohawk. In a week in which hattricks abounded in the NHL, driver Doug McNair pulled off the natural hattrick at Mohawk. Have you ever heard of jockey Sofia Vives? We think you will. We talk with her after she won 3 of her first 8 races at Woodbine. And award winning horse writer Curtis Stock is about to release a book that tells the story of 5 Turcotte brothers from New Brunswick, all of whom were terrific jockeys, a ll of whom encountered tragedy in their lives.
Bulldog Hanover’s authoritative win in the Open Pace is one of 12 Breeders Crown Championship races from Mohawk featured in this podcast. Driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Jack Darling talk about the amazing pacer. Race caller Doug McPherson breaks down his 5 most memorable moments as the racing season ends at Fort Erie. Another Quarter Horse session is in the books at Ajax Downs. Not only do we have Jennifer Morrison to tie a bow around things, but jockey Tony Phillips wraps up his championship season with his Championship Rap. Harness driver Travis Henry hits a plateau and have you ever seen a horse pay $260... to show?
This podcast features several Stakes races from Woodbine and the most riveting elimination heats from Mohawk Park for next weekend’s Breeders Crown Finals. Another milestone for driver James MacDonald, and because there was no actual race for the world’s fastest pacer, Bulldog Hanover decided to take part in a qualifier – but how fast did he go? Trainer Jack Darling tells us. Dead heats – how often do they occur – last week more than you’d think, and we’re monitoring the Redemption Tour of jockey Leo Salles.
It really deserves consideration for the horse racing story of the year – harness driver Natasha Day swept the 6 races in the Ontario Women’s Driving Championship at Western Fair. She tells us how it happened. All 6 of Day’s winning drives were called by Melissa Keith who puts the historic event in perspective. We document another huge night of racing at Mohawk Park with the 8 OSS Gold Super Finals – winning the 2 Year-Old Colts and Geldings final was Stockade Seelster and we feature his owners Sally Macdonald and her nephew, Paul MacDonald. And trainer Mike Keogh, who directed Wando to Canada’s last Triple Crown sweep, talks about his battle with prostate cancer.
How did Rougir and Kazushi Kimura win the E.P. Taylor Stakes and why was Queen’s Plate champion, Moira disqualified? A defeat in Kentucky for Bulldog Hanover; perhaps taking the shine off an otherwise great week for trainer Jack Darling who got into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Darling, jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva and race caller Frank Salive talk about the honour of their inductions. Why can’t we bet on horse racing at Bet365 or Fanduel or Bet MGM. Woodbine’s Michael Copeland says be patient..it’s going to happen. And it did happen for harness driver Gilles Barrieau – he scored his 5,000th win.
It was the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine and staying on his horse proved to be a winning strategy for jockey Declan Carroll. Pacer Bulldog Hanover demolished the field in Ohio and that provoked us to wonder if it’s time to call him the greatest harness horse of all time. We get opinion from Garnet Barnsdale, Brad Grant and Paul MacDonell . We have audio from a great night at Mohawk by driver Louis-Philippe Roy and Flamboro Downs race-caller Gary Guy getting a little ahead of himself. How lucky must one fan have been to take down the whole Jackpot High-5 pool when none of the longshots made the top 5? And just to make you smile… when 88 year-old horseman Bill Megens won another race, he tipped us on his impending retirement…sometime in the 2030s.
Last Saturday gave us another monster night of Stakes races at Mohawk, including the Mohawk Million, Canadian Trotting Classic and the Metro Pace. This podcast is heavy on the harness racing; we interview Doug McNair, go to the Little Brown Jug and watch in amazement as 70 year-old Reg Gassien takes down another driving title. Julie Ezra is the daughter of trainer, passionate horseman and borderline lunatic Darryl Ezra and we discover he has passed on his horse racing genes. The sensational Bulldog Hanover crushed again and set a track record at Hoosier. We also have Stakes races from Woodbine and Ajax Downs and we hook up with Frank Salive, Jack Darling and Shadow Play to get their reactions to being finalists for the next induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
The Ricoh Woodbine Mile was the hilite of a monster day of racing at Woodbine on Saturday. That same night, fillies and mares went at it at Mohawk in the Milton Stakes. Then on Sunday, Emma-Jayne Wilson capped a terrific day by winning the Singspiel Stakes. This podcast has the Prince of Wales from Fort Erie; Justin Stein discusses his win aboard Duke of Love and Declan Carroll explains how he got ejected from Sir for Sure. Teenage phenom Slade Jones had the biggest day of his riding career. Moncton’s Ailsa Morrison scored a pair of wins at Gulfstream last Friday. And James MacDonald is crushing it at Mohawk, soaring past the $50,000,000 mark, but even so, he might not even be his mother’s favourite driver.
Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson talks about the impact Queen Elizabeth has had on horse racing and reveals the amazing moment he spent with the Queen chatting about horses.
Lots of Stakes races – the Wonder Where and the Toronto Cup from Woodbine and from Mohawk, 3 versions of the Simcoe and 2 of the Champlain
Fort Erie race caller Doug McPherson will be announcing his first Prince of Wales on September 13; he analyzes the field for us. It won’t make the Hebsies, but iconic sportscaster Mark Hebscher reveals how he was the first race caller at Flamboro Downs. Horse trainer/owner Blake McIntosh tells us just how dilapidated and neglected Flamboro Downs has become. And we’ve got the moment when a horse driven by James MacDonald pushed his purse earnings past the $50 million mark.
Does this podcast have the Greatest Horse Racing Story ever? Listen to our report on Cody Dorman and the great horse named after him and make your own decision. Is Bulldog Hanover the greatest pacer ever? Listen to his win in the Canadian Pacing Derby and jump into the debate. This podcast also goes to Woodbine for a couple of weekend Stakes and to Ajax Downs for the Picov Derby. Lots of Tim Tetrick in this audio – after notching his 13,000th win at Harrah’s, he drove the upset winner in the Maple Leaf Trot. We found bloodstock agent, Donato Lanni at the CTHS Yearling Sale – did he buy the next Queen’s Plate winner? And you might want to raise a glass or guzzle a shot or two when you hear a booze- fuelled harness race from the Meadows.
If you thought a podcast covering the week after the Queen’s Plate would be an anticlimax, with nothing to talk about, listen to this one and admit you were wrong.
There was a monster card of harness racing Saturday night from Mohawk - the William Wellwood Memorial, the Eternal Camnation, Jimmy Freight and Bulldog Hanover, both impressive in Canadian Pacing Derby Eliminations.
At Woodbine on Sunday, 4 Yearling Sales Stakes races.
We’re still buzzing about Moria and in our Moria pack, trainer Kevin Attard tells us how the Queen’s Plate changed his life. Owner Donnato Lanni of X-Men Racing explains how a group of harness men came to own Moira and how his children come up with colourful names, and Joe Nevills of the Paulick Report explains why Moira is a big story in the US.
We’ve got the Travers Stakes from Saratoga and chaos at Mohawk Park last Monday in which no one was hurt thanks to safety protocol. Then there’s this race from The Track On 2 in which the top 4 horses all shared the same name. And those listening to the entire podcast will be treated to music from Dire Straits, The Tubes, Norman Greenbaum, The Bobby Fuller Four and, of course, Jay and the Americans.
Not only did the filly Moira crush 10 others in the Queen’s Plate, she ran the fastest Queen’s Plate ever. We talk with the winning jockey Rafael Hernandez and the trainer Kevin Attard. Visiting jockey Flavien Prat plays along with us as we attempt an interview in two languages. Saturday night at Mohawk provided a full card of eliminations for big Stakes races next week. Marie Claude Auger won the ladies’ race at Mohawk and driver Scott Young extended a very rare winning streak with the trotter Cool Muscle. A great night in Summerside, PEI for Anthony MacDonald and thestable.ca as Sintra won the historic Gold Cup and Saucer. And the greatest father-son combination in Canadian harness racing ran 1-2 in a legends race at Kawartha Downs. Wait until you hear what the all-Waples exactor paid.
As we heat up for next week’s Queen’s Plate, trainer Katerina Vassilieva reveals that imported jockey Flavien Prat will ride Rondure and Prat’s agent, Brad Pegram tells us what a good call that is. We feature 6 Stakes races from Woodbine and the Dan Patch from Hoosier Downs which was another tour de force from the world’s fastest harness horse, Bulldog Hanover. There’s free music from The Reklaws who will perform at Woodbine on August 21. Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto had his best day of the year with 3 wins and we play all of them. Two eliminations in Charlottetown for the Prestigious Gold Cup and Saucer - James MacDonald drove the winners of both, then gave us quite the scoop. At Ajax Downs, there was an upset in the final leg of the Quarter Racing Owners Sprint Series and trainer Lauren Spada won with the first horse she ever sent out. We have a nice chat with longtime harness horse breeder and owner Jim Bullock, who recently was ushered into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame...and a race at Rideau Carleton with an outcome that was... 6,000-1.
This podcast includes the Ontario Colleen Stakes from Woodbine and a night at the Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inductions. We talked with Gary Boulanger, Sue Leslie, Paul MacDonnell, Vicki Pappas and Randy Waples. Garnet Barnsdale was at the Meadowlands Saturday night to witness the biggest upset in the 97-year history of the famed Hambletonian. Jockey Amanda Vandermeersch talks about the first win of her career and agent Brandon Fairlie is working on a riding resurgence for the career of veteran Omar Moreno. Canadian quarter horse champ Had To Be Ivory pulled off another win at Ajax Downs. We’ve got an exactor from Mohawk – the biggest payoff in 59 years and Peter Gross, the host of this podcast does the hard work at the official opening of the Stella Artois Lounge at Woodbine, because if someone doesn’t eat the giant shrimps, the Asian chicken and the brisket sliders, how would anyone know what it is like?
This week, Emma-Jayne Wilson’s electric ride in the Niagara Stakes from Woodbine. Sylvain Filion’s 5-bagger at Mohawk Park. Jockey Nicole Hein scratching one off her bucket list, winning for the first time at Woodbine. Trainer Jason Pascoe crushing it at Ajax Downs. Linda Rainey of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on this year’s inductees and the enticing prizes up for bid in a virtual auction. A 12 year-old harness horse in Nova Scotia won a race after being off for 4 years. Ever heard of a betting prop that kicks back an ROI of over 150%? We’ve got one and Rafael Hernandez has a dilemma all of us would like to have.
They ran.the Woodbine Oaks and the Queen’s Plate Trial on Sunday. Two days before that, leading jockey, Kazushi Kimura was injured in a fall. So when Jockeys Benefit Association President Daren Gomez justifies a significant increase in riders’ fees, he knows what the stakes are. Veteran Slade Callaghan talks with us after receiving the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. Powerhouse owner, Brad Grant revels in the thrill of owning Bulldog Hanover, the world’s fastest harness horse. Trainer Paige Austin didn’t need long to send out her first winner and her guy, James Macdonald is making a travesty of the drivers' race at Mohawk. And the multi-talented race caller, Jason Beem makes us laugh with his brilliant parody of Don McLean’s American Pie.
We have the Victoria Stakes and the My Dear Stakes from Woodbine and the first two legs of the Women’s Driving Championship from Hanover and Dresden Raceways. Owner Jack Darling talks with us about Bulldog Hanover whose last 4 mind-blowing races include a world record-setting mile last Saturday at the Meadowlands. Harness drivers winning in bunches...4 for Louis-Philippe Roy on Monday then 6 for Sylvain Filion on Friday. We’ve got Moncton, New Brunswick’s Ailsa Morrison winning on opening day at Colonial Downs. Opening Day? The Saratoga meet got underway and Jon Stettin of Past The Wire tells us he is not a fan of the new location of the starting gate for 1-mile races. Jockey Miguel Nicholls broke his maiden at Ajax Downs and didn’t mind getting soaked for it. We talk with Darren Dunn who tells us why the thoroughbred racing at Assiniboia Downs is producing great betting numbers, and have you ever wondered why racetracks don’t pay off to the penny?
Trainer Katarina Vassilieva tells us how thrilled she is that her 3 year-old Rondure is a likely Queen’s Plate favourite. We meet jockey Micah Husbands whose career got off to a wonderful start. Kevin Attard and agent Leroy Trotman tell us why the sky is the limit for this kid. The Stakes race at Woodbine was the Alywow on Saturday. There were some big pots in OSS Gold races at Mohawk on Monday and there was nothing cheesy about the payoff that Goudawon created in an OSS Gold Friday night. We check out last week’s card of quarter horse racing at Ajax Downs and we ask the question, how does almost 10,000 wins, a Little Brown Jug, a North America Cup, a Meadowlands Pace and a Breeders Crown not get Jack Moiseyev into the US Harness Racing Hall of Fame? Emma Christoforou and Bill O’Donnell weigh in on this.
Wow – did all this happen in just one week? 4 wins for Trevor Henry, 5 wins for James MacDonald. Big moments for Ismael Mosqueira at Fort Erie and Ricardo Moreno at Ajax Downs. The sale of Jimmy Freight. A world record-tying win by Bulldog Hanover. Roger Attfield’s 2,000 win came with a racing rarity. Tim Tetrick’s bizarre and unlikely Friday night. And 6 minutes of the most valuable marketing tips that horse racing has ever heard!
A great cast of characters in this week’s podcast. Jockey Patrick Husbands won the Sunday Stakes at Woodbine, then used his winners circle interview to give props to broadcaster Jason Portuondo, who was working his last day with a microphone before becoming a steward. How about Isabelle Wenc’s karma? Wenc organized a softball tournament to raise necessary funds for her best friend, Sheena Ryan who is recovering from a devastating injury. The day after the tournament, Wenc won a race at Fort Erie. This podcast has 3 huge milestones – Dave Palone steering his 20,000th winner, Bob McClure with # 3,000 and Doug McNair cruising past the $70 million mark.
We have a lot of Neil Diamond in this podcast, because we have a story about Neil’s Diamond, a horse loved so much by Franz and Danielle Crean, they shipped him up from Puerot Rico when his racing career ended.
The $1Million North America Cup was part of an extraordinary night of harness racing at Mohawk Park. We have the one Stakes race from Woodbine on Sunday and Woodbine’s Michael Copeland breaks downs how horse racing will be integrated into the tsunami of betting sites that have erupted in Canada. Two wins for 16 year-old Slade Jones on the weekend and he’s just 16. Canadians Chantal Sutherland and Ailsa Morrison produced an incredible finish at Gulfstream and we have it. We’ve also got Vicki Pappas of LongRun revealing how you can come and see Pink Lloyd and many other retired thoroughbreds. If you have plans to go to Saratoga, we’ll help you out - Ariane Fuller of Racing City Realty tells us why renting a house is better than staying in an overpriced motel. And why are we running all 7 races from last Wednesday's speed extravaganza at Ajax Downs? What did all the winning jockeys have in common?
This podcast has Stakes races from Woodbine and the 154th Belmont Stakes from New York. There were two elimination heats for the North America Cup at Mohawk as well as huge miles from both Test of Faith and Bulldog Hanover. Garnet Barnsdale went all the way to Cleveland to report on the Battle of Lake Erie. We have races from Fort Erie and Ajax Downs; as for the latter - we talk with a buoyant Cheyenne Kerr after she rode her first pari-mutuel winner and we meet John Wilson, who has owned quarter horses for over 60 years. And when this podcast’s host went to Woodbine last Friday, he ran into Zeljko Krcmar, Shale Wagman and Tedson Holder.
In this episode we have two Stakes races from Woodbine and a six-pack of big heats from Mohawk Park. Woodbine’s Director of Thoroughbred Racing, Tim Lawson reveals the details of this year’s Ladies of the Lawn Series. Woodbine conducted its first grass races on Thursday; one of winners was ridden by Slade Jones, who registered his first pari-mutuel victory at the age of 16. Sandy Hawley talks about that, how he’s enjoying his retirement and a park in Oshawa named after him. The 125th season of racing at Fort Erie got underway and thanks to the Fort’s new announcer, Doug McPherson and Ajax Downs race caller Frank Ferrari, we get to enjoy Helen Vanek’s Fort Erie/Ajax Downs double. And did you vote in the Provincial Election last week? We tell you why a horse race is better than an election.
We cover a lot of ground this week, from Woodbine for an upset in the Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes to Sweden for the Elitloppet to Presque Isle Downs where Kazushi Kimura is winning races. We go to Gulfstream because Moncton’s Ailsa Morrison is bringing in price horses and we go to The Raceway at Western Fair where Trevor Henry went crazy and Jimmy Freight was awesome. Everyone loves good six and we have 6 sixes in a row at Mohawk. Racing Secretary Tony O’Sullivan talks about ‘Pop-Up’ races and we have the bizarre story of the filly...who was really a colt.
This week. Jim Lawson and John Kopas help us look at the great life of Dr. Glen Brown. We’ve got the 147th Preakness Stakes and a Canadian-bred filly winning the Black Eyed Susan Stakes. Chantal Sutherland won a big race on Preakness day at Pimlico, Ailsa Morrison had a great day at Gulfstream and Kazushi Kimura tripled up at Presque Isle. We’ve got Mark Casse sweeping the board in the Ruling Angel Stakes and James MacDonald with a strange three-bagger at Mohawk. Down The Stretch spent an afternoon at Ajax Downs, and what is the deal with Flamboro Downs - did they simply not want anyone to notice their biggest race of the year?
This podcast features races from Woodbine, Mohawk and Ajax Downs. We have the Jacques Cartier Stakes from Woodbine, and some huge payoffs thanks to Chantal Sutherland, Trevor Henry and Sylvain Filion. Larry Collmus breaks down his historic and spine-tingling call of 80-1 shot Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby. Jennifer Morrison explains – logically - why she bet on Rich Strike and Morrison also provides Opening Day stuff from Ajax Downs. Jockey Isabelle Wenc describes how badly her friend Sheena Ryan was hurt and how you can help with a Go Fund Me project.
We give props to a lot of jockeys who don’t challenge for the riding title. In this podcast, we feature wins by Sunny Singh, Kirk Johnson, Keveh Nicholls, Shawn Bridgmohan, Corey Jordan, Antonio Gallardo, Eswan Flores, Larry Munoz and Nicky Alderson, who won a race with her first ride in 20 months.
Jockey Declan Carroll has landed at Woodbine and he delivered a $59 winner early in the meet. We needed to talk to him about that.
And the Ontario Regional Drivers Championship needed all 11 races at Western Fair to determine which drivers will go to the Nationals in November. We’ll tell you how Louis Philippe Roy pulled it off.
It was a week in which the $2 bet ruled – The Kentucky Derby went to an 80-1 shot, but you got more if you bet on Full Disclosure at Mohawk. Jockey Declan Carroll brought in a 28-1 bomb. Chantal Sutherland’s 2 wins at Gulfstream were both on outsiders. Bill Tharrenos with another winner in Florida and Ailsa Morrison delivered a heavy favourite.The reigning Queen’s Plate Champion, Safe Conduct pulled off a nice upset at Belmont. Broadcaster Jason Portuondo tells us about the abrupt change in his career, 11 time Sovereign Award winning writer, Curtis Stock chats about his book on the 5 Turcotte jockeys from New Brunswick and soccer star Cyle Larin has a thoroughbred that knows how to strike the back of the net.
We have two Stakes races from Woodbine - the Star Shoot and the Woodstock. We love women jockeys and we have three of them – Emma-Jayne Wilson, Chantal Sutherland and Ailsa Morrison with winning rides. There will be a dramatic purse adjustment to the Free For All Paces and Trots at Mohawk and race secretary Tony O’Sullivan tells us why they’re boosting the prize money. Garnet Barnsdale has been instrumental for over 2 years, suggesting stories for this podcast, but this week, Barnsdale is the story. Jennifer Morrison joins the podcast to talk about the upcoming Quarter Horse season, and with the help of the legendary rock group The Who, we ask the question, Who Are You Eswan Flores...and why are you winning races at Woodbine?
Very much about milestones and big numbers this week. Driver Paul Mackenzie talks about hitting the 9000 win mark and bears us no ill will that we never previously talked to him. It’s easy to lose track of how many Sovereign Awards Mark Casse and the horses he trains have won. Casse tells us it never gets lame. Michael Whelan became a $10 million man on the weekend. Driver/trainer Dagfin Henriksen can check a big one off his bucket list – he’s taking the excellent trotter Perfetto to the prestigious Elitloppet race in Sweden. Doug McNair had a pair of hat-tricks – he had 3 wins on Friday at Mohawk and 3 more on Friday. Horse of the Year, Mighty Heart made his debut as a 5 year- old, but it did not go well. We have another win at Gulfstream from Chantal Sutherland. Who is Eswan Flores and how many races did he win at Woodbine on Saturday? And the pacer, Line Drive Hanover can boast the longest active winning streak of any horse in Canada.
On Opening Day at Woodbine, we talked with Jim Lawson, Emma-Jayne Wilson and Robert Geller, and apparently, it was a good thing that jockey Patrick Husbands didn’t retire. This podcast mentions every winner from the Sovereigns, a noble deed since Down The Stretch lost in its category. Clips from Mighty Heart’s owner Larry Cordes, Groom of the Year Denzil Fonseca and winning jockey Kazushi Kimura. Shirl’s Speight carried the Canadian flag into the winners circle in a big race at Keeneland; we’ve got the call of a sensational finish.
This one is all over the place – to Tampa Bay and 2 wins from Chantal Sutherland, and to Gulfstream for a brilliant upset by Ailsa Morrison. There were Kentucky Derby preps at Keeneland and Santa Anita. Ho Hum, another 6 win night for James Macdonald. Pat Hudon tells us about his remarkable 11 year-old trotter Odds of Amethyst. Did you know that soccer star Cyle Larin is also a horse owner? We have his dad, Prentice Boreland. Mary Jane Jones takes us on a journey to the past. New Zealand’s Paul Court talks about Stable Hub, his app for trainers. And guest appearances by Tanya Tucker, The Pussycat Dolls, Ram Jam, The Village People and Richie Valens.
We have 3 Kentucky Derby Preps, but why is the one at Turfway Park not too persuasive? Lots of Canadians winning in the U.S. - Chiefswood Stables’ Weyburn and Susan and Jim Hill’s Phantom Currency taking down Stakes races and we have the calls. Have you ever heard of Ailsa Morrison? In this podcast, you will hear about this jockey from New Brunswick winning in New York and Florida. Jennifer Morrison offers sweet memories of Eugene Melnyk and we have 3 very strange horse races; one that defied math, one filled with off-stride chaos, and one involving jockey Manny Franco, who won a race after being dislodged from the saddle.
Woodbine’ CEO Jim Lawson tells us about a soccer stadium being built kitty corner to the racetrack, how good Opening Day will be, and why he’s very anxious for the Sovereign Awards. On the same day at Gulfstream, Canadian horsemen, Marty Drexler, Bruno Schickedanz, Mike De Paulo, Bill Tharrenos and Steven Chircop all sent out winners. Down The Stretch travels from New Orleans to Dubai for Kentucky Derby Preps. We talk with Mohawk’s outrider, Joanne Colville about a horse even she didn’t think would win. Jean Rene Plante has won over 2,800 races as a driver, but he’s most proud of a hockey championship by the Burlington Eagles, a team he coaches. And when trainer Kayla Hendry won for the first time with a pacer named Rough Trade, we couldn’t resist the urge to drop in some Carole Pope.
Jennifer Morrison, author of Run With A Mighty Heart talks about her book and who will be Horse of the Year in the upcoming Sovereign Awards. We have Bruno Schickedanz, Marty Drexler and Chantal Sutherland winning at Gulfstream. James MacDonald did it again – he won 5 races Saturday night at Mohawk. Owner/driver/trainer Rick Uppal explains how is 16 year-old pacer, Best Dream Seeker is even allowed to race, let alone win. And what would a podcast about horses be without a horse named.. Horse?
This week we present a critical Kentucky Derby prep at Tampa Bay Downs. Nine brave owners have committed $100,000 each for September Mohawk Million. We talk with Brad Grant and the stable.ca’s Anthony Macdonald. We have Dawn Lupul’s call of Natasha Day winning the International Women’s day race at Mohawk and comments from the winning trainer, Bob Fellows. Driver Scott Young chats about his career and women in sulkies. Saturday was a great night at the track for Ed Hensley (and those who bet him. And long-time harness horse owner Maurice Bygrave tells us how being a dentist comes in handy with a quarter crack and how he was instrumental inspiring his nephew Jason Portuondo into the thrill of the game.
This podcast covers a lot of ground, gender and nationalities. We go to Aqueduct, Gulfstream and Santa Anita for Kentucky Derby preps. We have the most bizarre dead heat of all time from Yonkers. Chantal Sutherland winning by maybe 2 centimetres. A first at Mohawk Park for driver Natasha Day who will be one of 10 ladies in a special race to celebrate International Women’s Day. A first for Montreal owner Nidel Charfi at Tampa Bay. And when we hear a call at Tampa Bay, it makes us want to chat with colourful announcer, Jason Beem. Race calling is not what Wally Hennessey does best, but after more than 11,000 driving victories, he took at shot at the mic at Pompano Park.
There were some mind-blowing payoffs when Emblem Road, as the longest shot, won the $20,000,000 Saudi Cup. Woodbine Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto won a Grade 3 race at Santa Anita and it was a good Thursday at Gulfstream for trainers Bill Tharrenos and Marty Drexler. We have longshot Canadian content from Tampa Bay. Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms bred a winner and trainer Julie Belhumeur also had one. We stir the controversial pot with a persuasive interview with Bob Baffert’s lawyer, Clarke Brewster who tells us why the stewards got it wrong by taking down Medina Spirit. Jockey (and new mom) Katie Davis is thrilled that the dumb rule about married jockeys is going to be changed and Turf Paradise race-caller Craig Braddick not only increased his vocabulary but provided us with possible the funniest segment we have ever had. Guest appearances by John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Eric Stoltz.
The 2021 Sovereign Awards will be given out on April 14 and the Down The Stretch Podcast is a finalist! Groom Denzil Fonseca doesn’t have to wait – he’s already been told he’s the Groom of the Year and trainer Mike Doyle tells us why. We have calls of Kentucky Derby preps from the Fairgrounds and Tokyo and how could we leave out an 18-1 shot delivered brilliantly by Chantal Sutherland at Gulfstream? Harness driver James Macdonald continues to win in bunches – how about 4 consecutive hattricks at Mohawk? You will enjoy the interview with both Zerons – dad, Rick and son, Scott and you will not believe what a horse named Uhtred did on Saturday.
Exciting horse races, Kentucky Derby preps and odds defying outcomes in this podcast. We have the Sam Davis from Tampa Bay and the El Camino Real from Golden Gate. Ivan Dalos won a case because his lawyer, Stephen Jack argued successfully there was nothing wrong with a horse winning without the use of lasix. We have writer and horse owner Andy Cohen throwing shade on the industry for not taking criminal activity seriously enough. Bill Tharrenos keeps winning at Gulfstream and his horses keep getting claimed. A brilliant return to the track for driver Nick Steward. High 5s all around at Mohawk when the same number kept coming up in the Pick 5. And guest appearances by Sinead O’Connor, Ram Jam, Sesame Street and Fred Flintstone.
This podcast is loaded. We start with the O’Brien Awards honouring the best in Canadian harness racing. We reveal the Horse of the Year. American horse racing podcaster, Jon Stettin talks about the guy who got DQ’d from a betting contest and we borrow from Stettin an interview with Chantal Sutherland. We have Sutherland winning at Gulfstream and Emma-Jayne Wilson bringing in a 9-1 shot in a Stakes race at Tampa Bay. Owner Jim Ensom and trainer Marty Drexler talk about their winners in Florida. There were 3 preps for the Kentucky Derby and we have the stretch calls. Author Jennifer Morrison joined horse owner Larry Cordes at Ajax Downs to sell copies of her newly released book on Queen’s Plate champion Mighty Heart. At Mohawk, it may be frigid, but drivers Doug McNair and James MacDonald are smoking. And Courtney Robson owns and trains Thunder Romps, a rare horse that has won both as a pacer and a trotter.
People are now allowed to enter Ontario racetracks. Woodbine’s CEO Jim Lawson discusses that and the fact that even though he has never lined up at Saratoga’s Big Red Spring to get a cheap baseball cap, he’s open to the idea of enticing fans with giveaways. They ran the $3Million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream and let’s just say that Life is Good for jockey Irad Ortiz. It’s not so bad for Chantal Sutherland, who had another win in Florida and Daisuke Fukumoto broke through at Santa Anita. We have an animated chat with the former head of OHRIA, Hec Clouthier. Clouthier has some fond memories of ‘Bud’ Fritz and tells us a wild story of a government meeting in Berlin that turned into a police chaperoned trip to the racetrack where he drove the Mayor’s horse in a harness race. Carmen Auciello is the leading trainer at Mohawk, but he wonders why there aren’t more quality pacing mares in this province. If James MacDonald is going to repeat as Mohawk’s driving champ, he’s going to have to repel Louis-Philippe Roy and Doug McNair. And we have an astonishing story of a jockey named Debbie Waymouth. Wait until you hear how badly she was hurt in an accident. Wait until you hear how old she is.
In this episode, we remember harness racing legend Bud Fritz. Should horse racing be concerned that Michael Beychok, one of its brightest and most successful bettors is backing away? Why are there no full-time lady race callers in North America? We seek the answer from Turf Paradise’s Craig Braddick, who persuaded Dani Jackson to come from England to call the races. Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle has ceased calling the action at the Raceway at Western Fair. He tells us that Alberta racing made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. We also have an early Kentucky Derby prep from the Fair Grounds and the Raroma Stable, Jim Ensom, Marty Drexler and Chantal Sutherland repping the Maple Leaf and winning races in Florida.
It was a great week for Woodbine’s boss, Jim Lawson, who explains why more money is bet at Mohawk than at any other North American racetrack. Moira Fanning and John Campbell tell us why Mohawk was awarded the next Breeders Crown races. Kevin Attard is a finalist as Outstanding Trainer in the Sovereign Awards. Nick Gallucci is up for an O’Brien as Outstanding harness trainer. Both of them join this podcast and admit to being longshots. Jacob Roberts is a standardbred trainer who notched his first career win at Flamboro and Bill Tharrenos is taking down purses at Gulfstream. By the way, how may DiPaolas or DePaulos does it take to win a race and how does Madonna get into this podcast?
The Down The Stretch Podcast loves stories about the relationship between people and their horses and this one fulfills that quotient. Mark McKelvie lays out the rules for watching the races at Mohawk. George Millar tells us how satisfying it is to be nominated in several O’Brien Award categories, especially after what he went through in 2021. Debi O’Brien-Moran talks about her favourite horse, Ciona Bromach who never raced in a claimer throughout his 330-race career. Quarterhorse trainer, Jason Pacoe chatted while driving back from Oklahoma, where Ontario-based horses will be running this winter. Carmen Auciello had one of those training dream nights at Mohawk and the racetrack is the only place in the world where a 20-cent bet can make you a millionaire. It happened at Gulfstream.
This podcast is barely 28 minutes, but somehow we squeeze in Kazushi Kimura, Rafael Hernandez, Justin Stein, Emma-Jayne Wilson, Patrick Husbands, Luis Contreras, David Moran, Daisuke Fukumoto, Antonio Gallardo and Gary Boulanger. We speak with agents, Jordan Miller and Pram Seebah. Listen to wins in Florida from Chantal Sutherland and Isabelle Wenc. Tampa Bay Race caller Jason Beem channels his Billy Joel. Ric Chapman files from Australia about an American mare who's getting rich. James MacDonald spent so much on Christmas presents, he needed to win 6 races on Boxing Day and his 5 year-old son, Chris tells us why daddy is so good. Props to those 14 year-old standardbreds who took one last shot at glory and even the Rolling Stones make a guest appearance.
Race callers Robert Geller, Ken Middleton, Frank Ferrari, Frank Salive, Peter Aiello, John Imbriale, Larry Colmus, Dan Loiselle and even Earl Lennox help us this week remembering the greatest races of 2021 and the events that touched, inspired and disturbed us. From Safe Conduct to Weyburn to Munnyfor Ro to British Royalty and Pink Lloyd, Essential Quality, Medina Spirit and Knicks Go. From Venerable to Desperate Man to Monte Miki to Bob Loblaw, the biggest races and the most stunning finishes of the year.
To celebrate the 100th podcast, we present 30 minutes of the craziest, funniest, most touching and most unusual moments in horse racing in 2021. A wonderful interview with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, a woman dq’d because her brother claimed foul, the night Garnet Barnsdale went 10 for 10, a horse named Ho Ho Ho that didn’t have anything to laugh about, Punxatawney Phil winning on Ground Hog Day and what could possibly go wrong if you bet a horse called Whacudposblygowrng? Imagine being a race caller and there’s only 3 horses in a race. How do you make it sound interesting? There was a night at Mohawk when the number 7 just kept coming in and how did we mix the Kennedy assassination and a classic episode from Seinfeld into this podcast?
Is Patrick Husbands retiring? We go straight to the great jockey and we get trainer Mark Casse’s take on it as well. Pink Lloyd has settled into his new life at LongRun’s Farm and Vickie Pappas reveals how you can own the bridle he wore in all his wins. We chat with standardbred owner, promoter, and horse racing visionary Adriano Sorella, and ask why he’s bringing Jimmy Freight back to the races. Bill Tharrenos is off to a sizzling start at Gulfstream. Geriatric horses are still finding the wire in the last year of their career. We present the argument for Chantal Sutherland as Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year, and a bet that only Garnet Barnsdale was brave enough to place.
Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson talks about a completed thoroughbred racing season, single game betting, the best date for the Queen’s Plate and whether or not a podcast host can be comped at the new hotel on the racetrack site. Braiden Reibeling chose the best time to score his first harness racing win – he did it on his 21st birthday. Emma Christoforou is only 19, but she trained a winner at Mohawk. Jack Darling tells us how his great and versatile pacer, Bulldog Hanover is going to manage racing and reproducing at the same time. New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Joe Applebaum explains how his state passed a bill banning horse slaughter. How did a dog get into a horse race at Monticello? And there was a great and emotional night at the Meadowlands when brilliant race caller Larry Lederman returned to the announcer’s booth.
Thank you Pink Lloyd for scripting our lead story. The amazing sprinter won the final race of his career. Jockey Rafael Hernandez, trainer Bob Tiller and owner Frank DiGiulio heap praise on the incredible 9 year-old. Writer Jennifer Morrison talks about her book, Run With a Mighty Heart, about the 2020 Queen’s Plate Champion. Trevor Henry was great last Thursday at Mohawk winning 5 races. Twenty-two year-old Austin Sorrie is on the verge of greatness and we will tell you why. This podcast also presents the strongest argument you will ever hear for betting the daily double, and Ajax Downs race caller Frank Ferrari provides his rendition of the most outrageous race of the year – The Massive Ego Stakes.
This week, there’s a new race secretary at Mohawk Park and we find out why Tony O’Sullivan is a good choice for the job. We have a beef with Santino DiPaola, not because his training stats are improving every year, but because his video essays keep bumping this podcast off the Sovereign Award eligibility list. What’s it like to be one of the jockeys at the bottom of the statistical ladder? We talk with Corey Jordan, whose win last week was his 2nd of the year. Also, we have Stakes races from Woodbine, Jody Jamieson and Sylvain Filion winning in bunches at Mohawk Park, and two driving brothers hitting an unprecedented plateau.
Amazing accomplishments, thrilling finishes and bizarre outcomes are the varying themes this week. Pink Lloyd won again – it was his 25th Stakes conquest. Trainer Robert Tiller expresses his love for the great sprinter. Jockey Patrick Husbands scored win #3501. Driver Ross Battin steered home his 5,000th winner. Jonathan Drury and Carmen Auciello teamed for a huge night at Mohawk. Chantal Sutherland was booting home winners at an awesome rate at Gulfstream. Brad Grant loves his amazing trotter Atlanta, so he and partner Howard Taylor ponied up large for a full baby sister. A horse owned by Bruno Schickedanz won a Stakes race at Aqueduct at 44-1, and where were you when the lights went out... at Grants Pass, Oregon?
In a week in which so much happened in horse racing, what they did to the bettors on Friday at Del Mar was astonishing, as in astonishingly stupid. It tarnished what was otherwise a great Breeders’ Cup weekend. Pink Lloyd can still rock 6 furlongs at Woodbine - he won a Stakes race for the 25th time. His jockey Rafael Hernandez talks about another fine season and how he ended up riding a quarter horse at Ajax Downs. There was a frightening spill Friday night at Mohawk and drivers Doug McNair, Nick Boyd and Bob McClure were all fortunate not to be seriously injured. Ajax Downs completed its season of quarter horse racing and Jennifer Morrison wraps up the year for us. We sample a brilliant version of harness racings Mic’d Up and Ric Chapman files from Australia on the $6 million Melbourne Cup. By the way, wasn’t it a great week to be called James MacDonald?
This week, Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson talks about where horse racing in Ontario is at after a long and difficult 18 months, what racing fans complain to him about and his favourite races. And we have races. Stakes events at Woodbine Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the Breeders’ Crown from the Meadowlands - it was a good weekend for Scott Zeron. Have you ever heard of a horse winning a race, then being disqualified because it had no medication in its system? Find out why Colleen Dalos is so frustrated. We have the second last card of racing from Ajax downs, and what was Rafael Hernandez doing there Wednesday? And while were at it - what was Irad Ortiz doing at Rideau Carleton harness track on Thursday? We go to Melbourne Australia; ok we don’t actually go there, but we do have a report from our correspondent Ric Chapman, who tells us who is going to win the $8million Melbourne Cup.
This week’s podcast features Stakes races from Friday and Saturday at Woodbine and Canadian content from the eliminations at the Meadowlands for next week’s Breeders’ Crown. Two stories that originated in the OSS Superfinals: Race caller Ken Middleton tells us what it was like to describe his own horse stunning the field in the 2 Year-Old Pace and we talk with all 4 owners of Desperate Man, the $20,000 purchase who won both the North America Cup and his Superfinal.
As the quarter horse season winds down, there was a race at Ajax Downs that took less than 7 seconds. Jennifer Morrison’s recap is worth the price of admission.
Moira Rose, the incandescent star of Schitt’s Creek makes a guest appearance and how, you may ask, does a classic Seinfeld episode get into our podcast? Not going to give it away, but we can say that trainer Darryl Ezra has a unique argument as to why his horse should not have been disqualified from 1st in a race at Fort Erie.
It’s amazing how many terrific things happen in horse racing in a week. How about 8 $225,000 OSS Super Finals at Mohawk? You have to hear Ken Middleton’s call of the 2 Year-Old Colts and Geldings Pace. We have the E.P.Taylor and Nearctic Stakes from Woodbine. Is Ironstone the best two year old thoroughbred in Canada? Will he give his trainer, Willie Armata his first Queen’s Plate contender and will Brazilian jockey Ademar Santos get a shot at Canada’s biggest race?
It’s déjà vu times two for Hall of Fame driver, Paul MacDonell who is winning repeatedly with both a son and a grandson of Somebeachsomewhere.
Imagine a night at the track when the same number keeps coming in race after race.
Bill Megens turns 88 in a few weeks and he’s still winning harness races. Carly Furlonger is about 6 decades younger than that, but she had her greatest day of riding last Wednesday at Ajax Downs. And how about a race from Gulfstream with a horse with no vowels in his name.
How did the ‘peoples’ horse’ Mighty Heart do in the Durham Cup? We have the call as well as multiple Stakes races from Woodbine and Mohawk. Hall of Fame driver Paul Macdonell tells us how excited he was to drive a talented grandson of Somebeachsomewhere. Owner Bruce Lunsford and trainer Barb Minshall flesh out the wild story of Breeders’ Stakes champion British Royalty. Mark Casse won 5 races at Woodbine on Saturday. Handicapper supreme Garnet Barnsdale supplies ideas to improve the standardbred program. Chantal Sutherland pays over $50 at Gulfstream. At Ajax Downs, a cool jockey named Castillo rode a horse named Cool Kastillo, and have you ever heard of a rider winning 8 Stakes races at the same track on the same day? You will if you listen to this podcast, which also includes guest musical performances from The Beatles, The Mamas and Papas and David Bowie.
On consecutive days at Woodbine, they ran the 3rd leg of the Triple Tiara for fillies and the 3rd leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. One went to the favourite, one went to a long-shot. We pay a sad farewell to trainer Ashlee Brnjas, who passed at 40. Conditioner Blake MacIntosh won a harness race for the 1,000th time and tells us about it. Jody Jamieson is always a good quote. He’s suffering from back pain and the pain of stewards, who are too quick to replace drivers who show up late. We have news of a nice honour for the legendary Sandy Hawley, who advises he may not be the most famous entity to come out of Oshawa. Also, Stakes races from Woodbine, Mohawk and Ajax Downs and a bizarre race at Mohawk in which two horses made disastrous breaks, only to come back and run 1-2.
The richest trot of the year in Canada – the Mohawk Million – is featured in this week’s podcast, along with several other harness racing and thoroughbred Stakes races. Leading jockey Kazushi Kimura came out of the weekend with a 25 race lead on Emma-Jayne Wilson. We talk with him and his agent Jordan Miller. What was it like for Brandon Greer to win the Ricoh Woodbine Mile with a horse he bred, owns and trains? We have the sensational finish to the Littler Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio, and there was Canadian content in the Juggette. And they have right to be furious - bettors at Mohawk last week were cheated out of payoffs that they deserved.
Has horse racing in Ontario ever looked better? It was a week full of huge Stakes races – The Pattison International and the Ricoh Mile at Woodbine, the Canadian Trotting Classic and the Elegant Image among a buffet of Stakes races at Mohawk and the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie. Kevin Attard and Gary Boulanger talk about winning the second jewel of the Triple Crown with Haddassah. We have Kathy Cecchin, the trainer of North America Cup champion Desperate Man and Kathy’s daughter Nikki Davies talking about their amazing win. Included in this podcast is a wrap of the weekly card at Ajax Downs, an insane sequence that produced two dead heats within 25 minutes on Racing Night Live and two consecutive races at Monticello Raceway that only Trump’s base could love. All of this plus Elvis and Prince.
The favourites were upset in the $1Million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk and the back story of the winner is wonderful. This podcast has a monster package of Stakes races from Mohawk and a few more of the thoroughbreds from Woodbine. Fort Erie’s Frank Salive handicaps the Prince of Wales Stakes and irrepressible trainer, Darryl Ezra, explains why his wild longshot just might win. Chantal Sutherland makes this podcast again, thanks to her 3 wins last Thursday. We’ve got the weekly wrap-up from Ajax Downs, a chat with 87 year-old Bill Megens, who we think is the oldest person ever to win a harness race in Canada, and a special guest appearance by Supertramp.
This podcast features millions of dollars of Stakes races Friday and Saturday at Mohawk. We find out from trainer Phil Serpe why Queen’s Plate Champion Safe Conduct won’t run in the Prince of Wales. There’s a great conversation with jockey Isabelle Wenc. She’s beaten the odds just to be a professional rider and most of her winners beat the odds as well. Her agent Alan Raymond tells us about her ‘impeccable’ work out routines. Garnet Barnsdale was at Clinton Raceway on Sunday. He saw Trevor Henry win the Drivers’ Charity Challenge and he also saw driver Natasha Day make history. Ever hear of a jockey getting punished for not using his whip enough? It happened in Singapore. And at The Meadowlands Friday night, Super Heroes and Villains battled for supremacy.
There was a huge Sunday card at Woodbine – 4 Stakes races, all for horses that went through the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sales. And this came the day after Mohawk presented 7 Stakes races. All these in this podcast. Host Peter Gross speaks with Mitchell Kursner, who didn’t really think he was breeding a Queen’s Plate horse when he took his mare, Duchess Dancer to Bodemeister. We also have trainer Julia Carey, who inherited Safe Conduct for the Plate weekend when the horse’s trainer couldn’t make it. It was Essential Quality winning the Travers Stakes Saratoga and have you ever seen a horse try to bite a rival in a race? It happened during the stretch run of a $600,000 Stakes race, also at Saratoga. And when we heard that Tony Dandeo, an 86 year-old harness driver, won a race at Freehold, we got the race and his comments.
For the 1st time in 2 years, racing fans were allowed into Woodbine to watch the Queen’s Plate, all of them conducting themselves safely as they watched Safe Conduct and Irad Ortiz win the 162nd edition of the Plate. By a stroke of outrageous coincidence, Safe Conduct was actually the 2nd horse with that name to win a Stakes race last week. The other was a 2 year-old trotter at Mohawk. The Gold Cup and Saucer is the biggest harness race on Prince Edward Island and we treat you to the exhilarating Vance Cameron race call. This podcast is jammed with Stakes races from Woodbine, Mohawk and Ajax Downs and we probe the human side of versatile jockey, Ismael Mosqueira. And hang into to the end to hear the heroic act of a jockey who, in mid-race, abandoned any chance of winning to save another rider from certain disaster.
Canadian recording star Jim Cuddy headlines a star-studded cast in this podcast. Cuddy talks about performing at the Queen’s Plate and which of his songs may have horse racing themes. Mark Casse tells us about being inducted into the National Horse Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga and about a childhood experience that changed the arc of his life. We gave Woodbine’s Jason Portuondo a budget of three words per horse to evaluate the entire potential field for next Sunday’s Queen’s Plate. Jennifer Morrison reveals fast times at Ajax High, trainer Daryl Ezra explains how he claimed a horse that finished 10th and turned it into a runaway winner, and just for some shadenfreude, we’ve got what we consider to be the worst horse race ever!
We put a lot of miles on the podcast with Stakes races at Mohawk and Woodbine, Mighty Heart running in West Virginia, an historic mark for Steve Asmussen at Saratoga. The Whitney Stakes, Industry Day at Grand Ravine and where will Chiefswood Stables’ Weyburn be on Queen’s Plate day? Eurico Rosa da Silva, James MacDonald, Emma-Jayne Wilson, Ake Svanstedt, Tom Patton, Antonio Gallardo and Shaun Brigdmohan brighten up this podcast and we update the speedballs at Ajax Downs.
With less than 3 weeks until the Queen’s Plate, how come only 4 horses ran in the Plate Trial? Weyburn, the best Canadian-bred 3 year-old skipped the Trial to take on bigger fish in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga. The Woodbine Oaks produced a brilliant 3 year-old filly. Two year-olds trotted for big money at Mohawk. Ever seen a dead-heat between a father and daughter in a trot? That happened to Roy and Kacey Burns in Ohio. How about Robert Tisbert, an 84 year-old driver, steering his harness horse to the winners circle. Twenty speedballs erupted from the gates in two trials for the Ontario Derby at Ajax Downs and we have the 10 finalists. What do Elizabeth Taylor and this podcast have in common? Well, we have multiple Husbands - Patrick and Christopher.Our buddy and contributor Garnet Barnsdale owns a piece of a horse that won at Mohawk and Garnet got just a tad excited.
One continuing theme of this podcast is that horse racing is the only professional sport in which women compete with and regularly defeat the men, and we have ample proof this week. Natasha Day and Maggie Jones talk about the Womens’ Driving Championship. Chantal Sutherland had a monster 4 win day at Gulfstream. Harness owner Sydney Weaver expresses the joy of winning with a horse she bred. Fillies raced in two OSS Golds at Mohawk. Thoroughbred ladies competed in the $175,000 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine and the winning mare was trained by Josie Carroll. And how does jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson win the final race so often?
Canadian connections won a big race at the Meadowlands, but they needed a disqualification to get there. We have Stakes races from Woodbine and Mohawk and a stimulating lunch with jockey Ademar Santos. We feature Justin Stein’s 4-win Thursday and Gary Boulanger, who won 4 races a week ago tells us how his new-born son Christian pulled him out of a dangerous funk. Women harness drivers were featured on the weekend at Hanover and Dresden raceways. Keith McCalmont assesses a huge Opening Day at Saratoga and just how dangerous was the jockey who has been suspended for the rest of the Woodbine thoroughbred meet?
Queen’s Plate candidates ran in two Stakes races on Sunday designed to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Kevin Attard, Gail Cox and Robert Landry assess their horses. There were 4 $100,000 OSS Gold races midweek at Mohawk. Driver Tony Kerwood hits a big number in Minnesota. We have this week's races from Ajax Downs. Ariane Milligi-Fuller tells us why Racing City Realty will find you a rental if you're taking a road trip this summer to Saratoga. The amazing Daryl Thiessen, 52 days after smashing a collarbone and breaking a femur was back in the winners circle. And how did Ke$ha get into this podcast?
Actual people at the track and we talk with them. Josie Carroll played it perfectly with Mighty Heart and Belichick. Jockey Keveh Nicholls gives us the emotional back story to his breakout year. Jockey Josh Scott tells how he won on his first thoroughbred ride. There were 6 OSS Gold races at Mohawk, all for more than $100,000. Hippodrome’s race caller Guy Lafontaine makes his task twice as hard and driver David Miller pulled off a near impossible triple header.
Horse racing is sometimes predictable and sometimes not. In this 75th Down The Stretch Podcast, jockeys Keveh Nicholls and Josh Scott surprised the bettors and drivers James MacDonald and Jody Jamieson shared the Saturday night hilites at Mohawk. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson explains why he has stopped tearing his hair out. Trainer Bill Tharrenos is enjoying a good start and Chiefswood Stable’s Rob Landry explains why Weyburn, Canada’s best three year-old, might not make it to the Queen’s Plate. Veteran jockey Helen Marie Vanek is dominating the early cards at Ajax Downs. TSN’s Laura Diakun conveys the fun she has on Racing Night Live. Why does host Peter Gross have to call on his inner restraint while describing a certain win by Chantal Sutherland? Ever seen two halves of an entry, sandwiching a 3rd horse in the stretch? Want to know what the stewards did? And we have 91 year-old, Buddy Simpson, winning a harness race.
This is the first Down The Stretch Podcast this year with racing hilites from all three genres in Ontario. We have Stakes races from Woodbine as Pink Lloyd was trying to win the Jacques Cartier for a 4th time. It was a mind-boggling week at Mohawk. Driver James MacDonald had two 5-win nights and a 4-bagger as well. Jody Jamieson, Doug McNair and Sylvain Filion also put together 4-win nights. But maybe the athletic brilliance of the week belongs to 27 year-old Rachael Isaacs. On her first day as a professional jockey, Isaacs won 3 straight races at Ajax Downs. Ever hear of a mare giving birth...then coming back and winning a race? Who is the most wreckless jockey at Woodbine? Agent Tony Esposito thinks he knows and isn’t shy about pointing out why his jockey Rafael Hernandez is out of action.
Harness racing and thoroughbred racing resumed in Ontario and we have hilites from the first cards. There’s a new slanted starting gate at Mohawk and Bill McClinchey, Woodbine’s Director of racing explains the change. We chat with veteran driver Jody Jamieson who hated it when the 10-horse started behind the 1, and trainer Carmen Auciello gives us 5 horses ready to win, but it’s the one he didn’t give us that hurts. Jockey Justin Stein is ready to take another run at the riders’ title. Emma-Jayne Wilson always brightens our podcast when we have her on. Scott Zeron winning at The Meadowlands. Chantal Sutherland hitting a big number at Gulfstream. And Belterra Park race caller, Austin Meyer found a unique way to make a 3-horse race sound funny and intriguing.
Both standardbred and thoroughbred racing resume in Ontario over the next two weeks and Queen’s Plate winning jockey Daisuke Fukumoto finally has his license approved, thanks to the diligent work of his agent Pram Seebah. The 153rd running of the Belmont may have proved that Essential Quality is the best three year-old in North America. Medina Spirit’s second test came back positive and there was nothing positive for trainer Bob Baffert when his lawyer floundered on CNN. Very restrictive whip rules at Monmouth have provided us with a wide range of responses from journalist Bill Finley, former jockey, Irwin Driedger, and trainer Gary Contessa. And how rare is it for a broodmare to produce twins? How rare is it that both make the races on the same day? Find out in this episode.
That was a monster, gutsy win at Churchill by Queen’s Plate Champion, Mighty Heart and it’s just one of many victories in the U.S. by Canadian horsepeople. We’ve got McNair, McClure, MacDonald, Zeron and Auciello attached to winning harness races. We have Chantal Sutherland producing a $21.40 winner at Gulfstream. Should Canadian horse racing have a lottery-type game attached? Comments on that from author Robin Dawson and Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson. Greg Thompson from Texas talks about his podcast, which covers only quarter horse racing. And if you remember the terrific jockey, Ray Sabourin, you’ll gobble up our story on how he’s morphed into a chef.
The Provincial Government has finally relented and allowed racing to resume. Woodbine’s new Chief Commercial Officer, Michael Copeland discusses that and other issues. Trevor Henry, Mark MacDonald, James MacDonald, Doug McNair and Scott Zeron continue to show our neighbours to the south how to drive standardbreds and we have an abundance of evidence. The podcast suffers when we don’t run Chantal Sutherland winning, so suffice it to say, we’re happy this week. It was a great Sunday at Churchill Downs for Canadian horse owners Jim and Susan Hill. American Bruce Lunsford tells the podcast why he loves racing at Woodbine and if there’s a more distressing accident than the one Daryl Thiessen experienced at Century Downs, we don’t want to see it.
The unpleasant case of Medina Spirit, Bob Baffert and the positive test gets full coverage this week. We have feedback from Jim Lawson, Lori Cirillo, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Robin Dawson Ric Chapman in Australia, Gary ‘Suitcase’ Smith in California, Boomer Esiason and even Saturday Night Live. Oklahoma City lawyer, William Federman lays out the Class Action suit against Baffert. And then, how did Medina Spirit do in the Preakness Stakes? It was another week in which Canadian drivers marched onto American tracks and took down their purses. We have race calls of wins by Scott Zeron, Doug McNair, Louis-Philippe Roy, Bob McClure, Trevor Henry and Mark MacDonald. We find out from Irwin Driedger how much a jockey is worth in this province, Bob Broadstock updates the status of the Quarter Racing industry and Josie Carroll’s Belichick raced tough at Churchill Downs. Chantal Sutherland brought in another good-priced horse and how come a horse named Hohohoho didn’t get the last laugh?
Host Peter Gross looks at the wonderful life of Keith Waples, with help from Earl Lennox and Fred Grant. Mark McKelvie reveals why Woodbine had to push back the NA Cup and who could go to the track to get a Covid vaccination. Scott Zeron tells us how much he has to drive in order to drive all afternoon and all night. Canadians winning at the Meadowlands, Yonkers, Scioto Downs and Philly. Jockey John Velazquez got a headache he didn’t deserve – an offensive Facebook posting that he spent the week denying. And the heart-warming story of Nigel Latham, the dying Aussie horse racing fan, who had his last wish fulfilled.
A huge portion of this podcast is consumed by Canadian harness drivers winning races at U.S. tracks. In fact, this podcast has 19 harness race calls, unofficially a record for a podcast. Down The Stretch interviewed Louis-Philippe Roy then watched him win at Hoosier Park. Other Canadians taking down U,S. purses are Scott Zeron, James MacDonald, Mark MacDonald, Bob McClure and Trevor Henry. Chantal Sutherland makes this podcast again, thanks to a brilliant ride on an 8-1 shot at Gulfstream. Jockey John Velazquez had the kind of weekend all athletes dream about. He won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday with Malathaat, then delivered 12-1 shot, Medina Spirit to victory in the Kentucky Derby. Writer Robin Dawson has been around horses for several decades and he gifted us his first novel, Last Hurrah, which is a great read. Dawson tells us it’s about murder, money laundering, horses killed for insurance and crumbling racetracks. And we ‘sampled’ Mic’d Up to hear Jody Jamieson giving us the play-by-play while he wins with the outstanding Sintra.
We cover a lot of ground in this episode. Jason Portuondo, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Jim McKenny and host Peter Gross give their Kentucky Derby selections. Several local harness drivers have taken their bikes to U.S. tracks and we document wins by Louis Philippe Roy, Doug McNair, Bob McClure, Scott Zeron and Mark MacDonald. Jody Jamieson talks about his decision to go to Tioga Downs. Shannon Henry explains why Trevor is off to Hoosier Park and she’s staying home with the two year-olds. Chantal Sutherland has won some more races at Gulfstream. Lee Drake tells us about the upcoming racing on Prince Edward Island and trainer Gary Contessa will whip up a lot of horse people. He says the new whip rules at Monmouth Park only make things more dangerous. This podcast also includes appearances by Nat King Cole, Devo and Merle Travis.
With the province back in lockdown and horse racing in no man’s land, Mary Jane Sibbitt created a petition to let Doug Ford know how safe horse racing can be. The race stoppage was a huge impediment to Anthony MacDonald whose thestable.ca has 121 horses and nowhere in Ontario to race. They could not stop the Sovereign Awards and Mighty Heart could not be stopped in his quest for the Horse of the Year Trophy. Sam-Son Farm’s Danceforthecause was named the Outstanding Broodmare and two days later, one of her sons won a Grade III at Keeneland. Chantal Sutherland keeps winning races at Gulfstream, and we also have race calls from Yonkers, the Meadowlands, and just for fun, a race at Oaklawn that gave announcer Vic Stauffer fits.
There’s a very satisfying female component to this week’s episode. Host Peter Gross talks with the irrepressible Chantal Sutherland whose epic career continues as she is winning races at Gulfstream. Another lady rider, Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to take down the prestigious Grand National, the gruelling 4 ¼ mile steeplechase at Aintree. Trainer Gail Cox sent out a winner at Gulfstream for Sam Son Farm and Aida Yahyapour is an award winning culinary expert who helps us pair great meals with great races. Also in this podcast – Woodbine’s CEO, Jim Lawson tells us how frustrating it is to run a horse racing operation when the government won’t allow live racing. Harness driver Jonathan Drury did a wonderful thing – he sought out one of his favourite horses, bought him out of a sale and sent him to the farm for a well-deserved retirement. Scott Zeron and Mark MacDonald continue to take down purses at the Meadowlands. And all the Kentucky Derby preps have been run; the two Stakes last Saturday produced long-shot winners.
Another pandemic lockdown means racing in Ontario has been stopped again. Racing continues in the United States and this podcast has three Kentucky Derby Preps, including a mind-blowing upset in the Wood Memorial. Canadians took down races in the U.S. – Norm McKnight send out a winner at Oaklawn, Bill Tharrenos scored at Gulfstream and Chantal Sutherland is also at Gulfstream and she brought home a winner on Sunday. Host Peter Gross talks with Zenia Wadhwani, Woodbine's Director of Corporate Citizenship about the track’s support of students at nearby Humber College. Horse owner Dale Desruisseaux explains why he sold his pizza business to get a slice of the horse racing world. And no one took down as many handicapping tournaments and huge pick 6s like Tommy Massis, who now insists – he’s retiring as a professional horse player.
A sad note in this podcast as the great jockey Todd Kabel has died. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson discusses single sports betting and the odds of the thoroughbred opener going as scheduled on April 17. A win at Gulfstream for trainer Josie Carroll, 6 wins on one night for driver Sylvain Filion. We also have three Kentucky Derby Preps, a preview of racing at Fort Erie with Antonietta Culic, and 17 year-old Joshua Attard tells us how thrilled he is to have a Queen’s Plate eligible.
More fun than you ever thought possible in a horse racing podcast. The Louisiana Derby was the first Kentucky Derby prep to offer 100 points to the winner and the favourite flopped. We present Buck Dancer, who deserves to be in the conversation when we argue who’s the best trotter in Canada. His trainer Carmen Auciello tells us about him. The fastest pacer in Canada so far this year is Sintra and he was one of 4 wins for driver Jody Jamieson Saturday night. More success in the Meadowlands for Scott Zeron and Mark MacDonald and you will wish you bet on them. Kyle Ruhl is the grandson of John Ferguson and while Kyle won’t duplicate the great forward’s hockey career, he’ll take his best shot as a standardbred owner and trainer. Brian Henderson was a mutuel clerk at Ontario racetracks for 50 years; we preview his book Win Place Show and tell you how to get a free copy. We also have a mind-blowing story of an English horse player who bet a 5-race accumulator and cashed £250,000 even though his final selection lost. And you will enjoy the race caller who didn’t like the move the jockey made, so he called him a “bloody idiot.”
In this week’s podcast, Camilla Christoforou started her training career with a bang, winning with her first entry. Bob Baffert sent out his 13,595th horse and it won the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. Drivers James MacDonald and Doug McNair showed how unbreakable they are – both were thrown from their bikes on Thursday, both came back to win races on the weekend. Jockey Ademar Santos won a race for Colebrook Farms at Tampa Bay and why horse owner Johnny Taboada uses the word autism every time he names a yearling.
There was a huge upset in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct as Ontario-bred Weyburn stunned at odds of 46-1. Canadian drivers Mark MacDonald and Rick Zeron picked up a lot of cash at the Meadowlands Friday night and we have a story about Cool Rock who found a way to the winners circle after losing 57 in a row. Lori Cirillo is just 17, but she owns several racehorses, both harness and thoroughbred and she tells us just how thrilling it is to be young and winning races. Woodbine’s Mark McKelvie reveals the 6 heavy hitters who have staked themselves to the next Mohawk Millions and veteran jockey Ademar Santos is looking forward to posting some big numbers this year at Woodbine.
Garnet Barndale, now the Bo Derek of harness racing, defied the odds by picking all 10 winners on a card at Western Fair. Canadians Jim and Susan Hill sent out the winner of the $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream. Two heavy favourites won Kentucky Derby Preps in the States and when Gretzky The Great came 3rd at Turfway at even money, trainer Mark Casse was surprisingly pleased. Scott Zeron scored a double at the Meadowlands. Jockey Tony Phillips raps for us about Quarter Horse of the Year, Feisty Icon and trainer Angus Buntain talks about the expansion of Malta Manors thoroughbred stable.
Pari-mutuel harness racing has recommenced in Ontario. Host Peter Gross drops in on Mohawk Park, Rideau Carleton and the Raceway at Western Fair. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson has been fighting for single sports betting at racetracks and he tells us how that project is getting closer to reality. Greg Gangle and Shannon ‘Sugar‘ Doyle express how happy they are that racing is back in London. There was an upset in the $20 Million Saudi Cup and O’Brien Award winning writer Garnet Barnsdale made a dumb mistake – he punched the wrong horse on a pick-5 bet and it turned out to be the smartest dumb thing he ever did.
Harness racing resumes this week at Mohawk. Woodbine’s CEO Jim Lawson gives us the good news and he also talks about the battle to implement historical horse racing in Ontario. Mark McKelvie brings us up to speed on the second Mohawk Million. We talk with Michelle Gibson after she found out she’s the Sovereign Award winner as Groom of the year and the flamboyantly charismatic Will Wong tells us how excited he is to be nominated for Outstanding Photograph. This podcast looks back on great race calls by Marshall Cassidy who passed last week and what could possibly go wrong if you bet a horse called Whacudposblygowrng?
Trainers Josie Carroll, Kevin Attard and Bob Tiller talk about their Sovereign Award nominations as does Nikki Alderson, up for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. Dr. Ian Moore had a great night at the O’Briens, so he provides an upbeat interview. The only horse racing in Canada took place in Prince Edward Island. Track manager Lee Drake explains how their harness racing was conducted safely. Scott Zeron is winning at the Meadowlands and we have two of his victories. Find out what happens when a jockey and her horse interfere in a race and it’s her brother who gets clobbered, and if there was a horse named Punxsutawney Phil running on Groundhog Day, don’t you think it makes sense to bet him?
This podcast has all the results from the O’Brien Awards with special props to Garnet Barnsdale, winner in the Written Work Category and Dr. Ian Moore, owner-trainer of horses that prevailed in 4 categories, including Horse of the Year. Jason Portuondo co-hosted with Ken Middleton and Portuondo is also half the equation (with Chad Rozema) of the new Horse Racin’ Around the World on HPI. We have coverage of the Eclipse Awards in which the best horses in the U.S. got their silverware. Ontario Racing’s Jonathan Zammit reveals how harness horsemen can get compensation as their horses sit idle. This podcast has stretch calls of the Holy Bull and Robert B Lewis Stakes, precursors to the Kentucky Derby. Jennifer Morrison tells us that she’s going to write the book on Mighty Heart, the one-eyed colt who won the Queen’s Plate and the Prince of Wales last year. And have a listen to what ensues when a developmentally arrested host presses the Winbak Farms manager to explain how harness stallions provide for their mares when denied the actual physical embrace.
Trouble on the high seas for the Down The Stretch Podcast. Are we going to be sued by famous race caller Dave Johnson who has trademarked his iconic phrase And Down The Stretch They Come? Peter’s toe-to-toe with Johnson’s lawyer, Andrew Mollica is epic! So was Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus at Gulfstream. We have wins by horses with Canadian connections in Florida and at the Meadowlands, and Marvin Katz, talks about the thrill he got when his Tall Dark Stranger won the Dan Patch Award as Horse of the Year. On January 31, the Canadian O’Brien Awards will be given out and our host, Peter Gross talks with Jim Marino, whose Major Custard went 15 for 16 in 2020, but because he did all his work out west, he’s the underdog against Tattoo Artist in the Three Year-Old Colt category.
This podcast has 5 storylines. Danny Vella explains why lasix is not a bad thing. Ray Paulick tells us about the Ray Paulick Report and why the Ontario government made a mistake with the horse racing file. Harness horse owner, Mike Tanev has a unique point of view on the stoppage of racing. We meet Ferrin Peterson who is both a jockey and a veterinarian. The groom is the foundation of the entire industry and two of them – Tanya Mitchell and Brady Jackson tell us what it feels like to be nominated for an O’Brien. And we also have the very weird story of a horse with a nasty name.
In the first podcast of 2021, Peter Gross has a wide-ranging series of stories. There’s Jon Stettin, whose podcast is called After the Wire and not only does he comment on some of the best racing stories of 2020, he tells Down The Stretch how he hit a Pick-6 that paid over half a million dollars. Thanks to Joe Tilley Sports, we have clips from Eurico Rosa da Silva and writer Bruce McDougall; the latter talking about Riding For Freedom, the wonderful book he wrote with da Silva, who walks us through some of his greatest victories. Contributor Garnet Barnsdale is up for an O’Brien Award for a story he wrote and he handicaps his chances against Chris Lomon. We’ve got a head-scratching story about newlywed jockeys Katie Davis and Trevor McCarthy who decided to ride in New York for the winter only to find that there’s this ridiculous rule that if two jockeys who are married to each other are in the same race, their horse must be coupled in the betting. And last week at Turfway Park, jockey Akifumi Kato won a race. This got our attention because Kato is...69.
This is the 50th and last Down The Stretch podcast of 2020. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson defends his controversial tweet that challenged the government’s stoppage of horse racing. Sam-Son Farm is selling off many of its broodmare, all of them in foal and David Whitford identifies some great ones. Sylvain Filion won the final race at Mohawk...and many others during the season. Looking back on the year in racing, several industry players picked out their favourite races. And there’s one race at Los Alamitos that caller Michael Wrona won’t be putting on his resume. Find out why in this Down The Stretch Podcast.
Besides races from Mohawk, Woodbine, Churchill Downs, Mahoning Valley and Tampa Bay Downs, this Down The Stretch podcast has 5 fascinating features:
1) The Passing of the great Awesome Again
2) Horsewoman Heather Young re-united with a wonderful horse named Pieceoftherock after 8 years
3) Jody Jamieson gives harness driving tips
4) A chat with Eurico Rosa da Silva about his gut-wrenching book
5) ...and how do you cheer for your horse?
This podcast presents a wide range of horse racing stories. There was a huge Pick-5 payoff at Mohawk as well as two legs of the Valedictory Series and two more of the Niagara series. Ever wonder what a track announcer does when he can’t see any of the horses? We’ve got a minimalist race call from the Meadowlands. Shannon Henry tells us how her husband Trevor and seven other thoughtful drivers will be donating all their winnings so that children can get gifts for Christmas. Get ready to sing along to songs with walking themes as we hear how Adriano Sorella lost 140 pounds in less than 8 months. Ever heard of a recall in a thoroughbred race? Neither have we...well until this week at a track in England. And if your ears can handle it, this Down The Stretch podcast gives you a twisted version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
Did it take us 47 podcasts to discover the horse racing story of the year? Garnet Barnsdale tells us about Brandon Campbell who won two big Stakes races at Century Mile after breaking both wrists in a wild accident. Host Peter Gross wonders why jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson never gets serious consideration for the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s best female athlete and we hear from Wilson on this. Jody Jamieson scored a four-bagger at Mohawk Saturday night, but he probably wasn’t quite as excited as the guy at the Winners off-track theatre in Sydney, Nova Scotia who took down the entire Pick-5 pool Friday night. And as racetrack owners enjoy the fruits of slots at their properties, how does this jeopardize the live racing? Peter tells us about two tracks in the U.S. that are no longer on the betting landscape. This Down The Stretch Podcast is grateful for the contributions of the Rolling Stones and Simon and Garfunkel.
This week’s Down The Stretch Podcast will certainly give you something to think about. Make sure you listen to the end for Peter Gross’ show stopping parody of the Grinch That Stole Chistmas. Before that, Jim Lawson, Jennifer Morrison, Sue Leslie, Justin Stein Steve Buffery and Tia Menard comment on the government’s abrupt stoppage of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine. How did Jose Bautista get in this podcast? In fact, why are we thanking Elton John and Kiki Dee? And Monomoy Girl fetched HOW MUCH at the sale?
Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine came to an abrupt end. Was it Rafael Hernandez or Justin Stein who won the jockeys’ race? There were multiple Stakes races at Woodbine, milestone wins for Mark Casse and driver Trevor Henry. There was a Crossover Pick 5 that no one could figure out. What did harness horse guy Adriano Sorella do when he discovered a horse he once owned was in a kill pen? Your horse finishes 7th, 40 lengths behind the winner and they pay you off – yes, that happened. And how marvelous was it that Billy Crystal took part in this podcast?
A full cast of players in Down The Stretch Episode 44 – Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson talks about a casino takeover, single sports betting and fixed odds betting. Harness horse owner, Marvin Katz rhapsodizes about his great pacer, Tall Dark Stranger. Racing Analyst Jeff Bratt tells us why next weekend’s Stakes races at Woodbine could determine the Horse of the Year. On Friday the 13th, one horse player won over $17,000 for a 20 cent bet. County music start Buck Owens makes a guest appearance and if you’ve found this year’s U.S. elections to be a laughing matter, you’ll enjoy the silly Presidential Race Cup by Australian comedian Sammy J.
Host Peter Gross loved all the Breeders’ Cup races, even if there wasn’t a single Canadian horse winning. How did trainer Kevin Attard feel when his wonderful mare, Starship Jubilee tossed her jockey right out of the gate in the Filly and Mare Turf? This podcast has the call of all 9 races from Saturday. You will also hear how badlu Mark Casse did at Keeneland on the weekend, but how great he did at Woodbine. On the harness racing side, a spectacular milestone for driver Trevor Henry and a self-stamped birthday present for Jody Jamieson. When Shes A Sassy Beach swept a Stakes series at Mohawk, it made for an emotional call from her owner, Ken Middleton who shared ownership with the recently deceased Bill Galvin. If you have an HPIbet account, there’s a new way of funding it as we find out from Woodbine’s Kevin Maharaj. And this Down The Stretch Podcast has some more Mic’d Up from Mohawk, featuring driver and play by play man Chris Christoforou.
Host Peter Gross says the Three Year-Old Breeders Crown race at Hoosier Park was the greatest harness race ever. Is he right? And how did a horse driven by Scott Zeron pay so much? This podcast has all the Canadian connections from the Breeders’ Crown, including Bob McClure’s first Crown trophy. Woodbine’s CEO Jim Lawson is in this podcast telling sports fans that even though there is no hockey or basketball this fall, there is plenty of horse racing. Sunday was a huge day at Woodbine for jockey Justin Stein who won the Coronation Futurity and four other races. Horse racing in Canada has changed dramatically with the news that Sam Son Farm is dispersing most of its assets. This podcast looks at the great moments of Sam Son’s amazing horses. Also a wrap from Jennifer Morrison on the quarter racing season and how did Ronnie Hawkins get into this podcast?
It is very hard to sweep the Triple Crown. Even though Mighty Heart, trained by Josie Carroll was unable to take the Breeders’ Stakes, Carroll gets credit for sending out the winning horse in all three legs. Find out why. The third leg of the fillies’ Triple Tiara produced the third of three winners in the series. Owner Marvin Katz of Toronto had two winners at Hoosier Park in the eliminations for the upcoming Breeders’ Crown. Chantal Sutherland is still winning at Keeneland. We have an amazing call of an 18 horse Stakes race in Australia – amazing because the race caller is 10 years old. And we meet Eric Lloyd who not only plays Elwood Blues at Orlando’s Universal Theme Park, but he’s also written a great book about 11 Triple Crown winners meeting in Heaven for a race.
It’s just a few days until Mighty Heart runs in the Breeders’ Stakes as he shoots for a sweep of the Triple Crown and host Peter Gross talks with trainer Josie Carroll and Mighty Heart’s jockey Daisuke Fukumoto. Peter reminisces about being at Monmouth Park 40 years ago when Glorious Song raced against Spectacular Bid. Last Saturday at Mohawk they had 8 OSS Super Finals, each worth $250,000 and we have the stretch call of every one of them. Country Boy 123 is the greatest quarter horse in Canadian history, but his attempt at a 4th straight win in the Alex Picov Maturity was foiled. With Racing Night Live back on TSN, Woodbine has rewarded bettors with a unique and tempting wager. And how does Bonnie Tyler, Japanese music and Scorpion Racing in Mumbai figure in this podcast?
Woodbine and TSN have agreed to extend Racing Night Live through to December. Christina Litz is the woman who struck the deal and she tells us just how good this is for horse racing. True to our promise to cover thoroughbred, standardbred and quarter horse racing in Ontario, this podcast has two Stakes races from Woodbine, both won by Patrick Husbands and Mark Casse, all kinds of Stakes races from the harness side and the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity from Ajax Downs. Driver Bob McClure pulled off a rare triple, winning big money races at Flamboro, Mohawk and Western Fair in a span of maybe 27 hours. Trainer Bob Broadstock sent out a winner at Ajax Downs last week and he did so for the First Line Syndicate. Then he told us how much fun the 18 shareholders in the syndicate are having. This Podcast also includes music from The Reklaws and a cat who thought he could outrun some horses in France.
How great is Mighty Heart? This podcast has him winning the Prince of Wales, so he’s just one step away from sweeping the Triple Crown. We've got interviews with Mighty Heart’s owner Larry Cordes and the groom Siobhan Brown. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson updates us on happenings at Woodbine and Mohawk and how September may have been the most exciting month ever in Canadian horse racing.How about mic’d up times two – the listener will have to decide who did it better – Bob McClure or Peter Gross who got behind a standardbred at Carmen Auciello’s farm. A filly won the Preakness and ran very fast doing it. Also, we have Stakes races from Woodbine and Ajax Downs and one of the worst beats for a certain horseplayer – his horse took the lead...then made an abrupt right hand turn. It’s another packed Down The Stretch Podcast.
The first Mohawk Million provided more proof that owner Brad Grant knows his trotters. He dealt his slot to get Venerate into the race and that was the winner from post 10. Host Peter Gross talks with Grant, whose horses won the Hambletonian and Maple Leaf Trot as well. This Down The Stretch Podcast has the call of all the big money Stakes races at Mohawk and the added money events from Woodbine. Quarter Horse jockey Cory Spataro made this podcast by winning 5 straight races at Ajax Downs. Jockey Jeffrey Alderson doesn’t bring in too many winners, but the one he had last week at Woodbine generated a huge payoff. Fort Erie Race caller Frank Salive is along to discuss the Prince of Wales Stakes and some of Peter’s twisted betting strategies. And what were the officials in New Zealand thinking when they approved the name Colin Oscopy for a race horse. This...and more in the Down The Stretch Podcast.
Like a 14 horse field for the Queen’s Plate, this podcast is filled with great racing outcomes, stories and interviews. Host Peter Gross hits the Queen’s Plate superfecta by interviewing winning trainer Josie Carroll, her groom, her exercise rider and the owner of Mighty Heart, Larry Cordes. The sensational mare, Starship Jubilee won the $1.2 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile and maybe the most unusual thing about this is how much she paid. This podcast has four Stakes races from Mohawk, including another impressive win by Hambletonian champion, Ramona Hill. Ajax Downs conducted 6 elimination heats for upcoming Stakes races and not only does this podcast play all 6, but we also have more rapping from Tony Phillips. The 6 day racing meet at Kentucky Downs is unique and it got a little more so when the stewards screwed up and placed the wrong horse first, and just for a giggle, another Coronovirus race call. All this in the Down The Stretch Podcast.
Turns out June’s loss is September’s thrill. The 161st Queen’s Plate went on September 12 at Woodbine and trainer Josie Carroll not only won with 15-1 shot Mighty Heart, she got the bottom half of a huge exactor when Belichick came second. We have the complete call of the Plate as well as the four other Stakes races on the card. That same night Mohawk offered both the Peaceful Way and the William Wellwood Stakes for trotters and the latter race went to On A Streak who chose a half million race to break his maiden. Down The Stretch stole a few moments with winning driver Scott Young after the biggest score of his career. What did Sandy Hawley sound like 50 years ago when he was interviewed on Hockey Night In Canada? We have that audio and got the 2020 version of Hawley to talk about it. And the most charismatic jockey at Ajax Downs is Tony Phillips, aka TP. He was in full rapping mode after winning 4 races on September 7, including a dead heat.
In this Down The Stretch Podcast, host Peter Gross warms up for the Queen’s Plate with selections from from Jennifer Morrison, Jason Portuondo and race caller Robert Geller. The 146th Kentucky Derby ran on the first Saturday in September and despite more than $10 million bet to win on Tiz the Law, there was an upset. Saturday night at Mohawk gave us the Maple Leaf Trot and the Canadian Pacing Derby and that afternoon at Woodbine, the amazing Pink Lloyd won again. Trainer Bob Tiller joins the podcast to talk about his heroic 8 year-old gelding. Mark Mckelvie of Woodbine Entertainment reveals how a limited number of fans will be allowed to watch harness racing at Mohawk Park. Jockey Ed Walton continued his unprecedented streak at Ajax Downs and Jim McKenny sat down with host Peter Gross as they talked about what might have happened if they’d been allowed to go to Saratoga this summer. The only way you can hear what went down is to find the Down The Stretch Podcast.
The 33rd Down The Stretch Podcast is so full of thrilling horse racing stuff that the Pointer Sisters joined in with the background singing. A monster pacing machine named Tall Dark Stranger won the North America Cup at Mohawk. The following Sunday featured three Stakes races at Woodbine. We talked with NYRA’s Keith McCalmont about what it’s like to be at Saratoga without fans. Jockey Ed Walton’s amazing streak at Ajax Downs is still intact, so much so that novelty song performer Ray Stevens makes an appearance. Race caller Kenny Middleton gave another excellent rendition of the NA Cup, but what did he sound like when his own horse, She’s a Sassy Beach won a race as he was in the booth? You might be surprised. And bettors never agree with the judges’ decisions when a horse is DQ’d, and we have two races in which horses were taken down leaving us wondering, “Huh?”. Friend of the Down The Stretch Podcast, Jim McKenny got jammed out of a $1,200 score even though his horse never made contact. But six days later, he got it all back and more in three glorious races from Del Mar. Find out how by listening to this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast.
When Peter Gross started the Down The Stretch Podcast in February, he got to a point in March when he had no actual horse races to run. Now he has an embarrassment of riches. This podcast has multiple Stakes events from Woodbine and Mohawk and another win at Ajax Downs for the amazing Country Boy 123. Will there be a Canadian horse in the Kentucky Derby next month? Looks like it, as Darren Rogers at Churchill Downs tells us. A rare moment for track announcer Robert Geller who almost never misses at the finish line....but...Down The Stretch loves jockeys and we find out from Marklee Z Buchanan not only what it was like to win 4 races on one day at Fort Erie, but also what the ‘Z’ stands for. And just to top that, Justin Stein captured 6 races last Friday at Woodbine and we have the call of all of them. Teenagers are going at each other’s throats in the Leamington Raceway Handicapping Challenge... and how did Peter get both Mike Myers and Wayne Gretzky into this episode? If you listen, you’ll find out.
In this 31st episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, host Peter Gross delivers all kinds of horse races. There were 5 Stakes races at Woodbine on Saturday, including the $500,000 Canadian Oaks won by rising star, Curlin’s Voyage. The amazing Pink Lloyd won another Stakes race, his 22nd added money win, his 25th conquest from 31 starts. Driver Bob McClure paced past the $25 million mark and there were longshots scoring upsets in two $108,000 OSS Gold Series at Mohawk. Down The Stretch talks with jockey Skye Chernetz who delivered two bombs at Woodbine last week. Chernetz rode a winner for her mother, Bonnie Eshelman, who in the early 70s pissed off a lot of close-minded people by becoming one of the first female jockeys in Canada. Staying with the theme of parents and offspring – Nikki Alderson won a race at Woodbine, so her father, 57 year-old Ed Walton had to top her by winning twice at Ajax Downs. And how did Daryl Thiessen go from grappling with bulls to steering standardbreds? You’ll find out when you tune in this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast.
This Down The Stretch Podcast has two huge races from, the weekend. Based on the finish of the Travels Stakes at Saratoga, Tiz the Law is the best three year-old thoroughbred in North America. And, applying the same logic to the Hambletonian, it is a lady horse, Ramona Hill who is the best trotting three year-old. Jody Jamieson gives insight to his spectacular night at Mohawk as well as his take on the innovative Heinz Challenge. Horse racing is a dangerous sport and we find out more about how badly jockey Jerome Lermyte and driver James MacDonald were hurt in respectively scary looking spills. 57 year-old jockey Ed Walton continues to lead all the kids at Ajax Downs. And thanks to Carly Simon for providing sound track to this podcast. If you’re wondering why, you’ll just have to listen.
Imagine everything that could happen in all genres of horse racing and imagine it’s in the same podcast and you would have this week’s Down The Stretch Podcast. Host Peter Gross has races from Woodbine, Mohawk, Saratoga. Ajax Downs and Del Mar. Driver James MacDonald got mic’d up during a harness race, had a career night at Mohawk, then got banged up in a bizarre spill at Mohawk Saturday night. Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson won aboard a 44-1 shot and we have the call. Also in this podcast, the Whitney Stakes went Saturday at Saratoga, a chat with Woodbine Chaplain Shawn Kennedy and how a couple of former NHL stars took a ‘hot tip’ and parlayed it into a nice payoff.
What do Pink Floyd, Pink Lloyd, Fred Astaire, Josie Carroll, Kevin Attard, Robert Geller, John Imbriale, Frank Ferrari, Kenny Middleton, Tony Calo, Jack Darling, Dr. Ian Moore, Antoinetta Culic, Justin Stein, Rafael Hernandez and Ed Walton have in common? They are all in this week’s Down The Stretch Podcast. Host Peter Gross has big race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs, Saratoga and a bizarre result from Delaware Park. How did Fort Erie end up with a Massachusetts Stakes race? Leamington Park Raceway has hired an 18 year-old boy to be its fulltime announcer, so we talk with Nathan Bain who knows exactly what he wants to do with the rest of his life. If you know what to do with the next half hour of your life, you will enjoy the only podcast in Canada dedicated to all three styles of thrilling horse racing in this country.
This episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast is proof that a lot happens in horse racing in a week. Host Peter Gross has stretch calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs, Saratoga, Monmouth and the Meadowlands.. He talks with jockey Darryll Holland who was nursing some bruises after a scary fall. Harness driver Phil Hudon was a little more lucky. He tells us what happened when the bridle on his pacer fell off just before the start of a race. Quarter horse jockey Cassandra Jeschke talks about the best day she ever had at Ajax Downs and trainer Dr. Ian Moore assesses the chances of Tattoo Artist in next month’s North America Cup Pace. Shadow Play, Goalie Jeff, Natural Image, Tall Dark Stranger and Authentic make dramatic appearances and our host makes the point that this podcast hit the airwaves on the last day of his 60s.
It’s a star studded Down The Stretch Podcast as host Peter Gross interviews trainers Josie Carroll, Mark Casse, Roger Attfield, Sid Attard and Kevin Attard. Also on board are jockeys Justin Stein who is lighting up the board at Woodbine, Ed Walton, who at 57 is the leading rider at Ajax Downs and Nikki Alderson, who at 27, is Ed Walton’s daughter and the race she won last week at Fort Erie had announcer Frank Salive almost falling out of his booth. This podcast also has race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs and a call from Charles Town in which the race favourite took a 7 length lead into the stretch and then ...well let’s just say things went horribly wrong. And why does this podcast keep sampling that 80s hit Turning Japanese by The Vapors?
Host Peter Gross has filled this Down The Stretch Podcast with many races, including the three weekend thoroughbred Stakes events from Woodbine and at least 8 OSS Gold Series tussles from Mohawk (so many, we may have lost track). Walter Parkinson is the President of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario and he explains how the breeders sued the government and won. Veteran driver Jody Jamieson looks back on his career, which includes more than 8,000 wins. We also have a stories about a very proud broodmare, who saw her kids sweep the late double and a harness horse in Pennsylvania who has a back-up job. A huge day at the racetrack for leading jockey Rafael Hernandez and a beautiful tribute to Don Seymour that you get to hear thanks to the kindness of Woodbine Entertainment.
If there’s something excitingly cool happening in horse racing, it’s in this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, hosted by Peter Gross We have the amazing Pink Lloyd kicking off his season with another impressive Stakes win. His regular rider is now Rafael Hernandez who is taking his best shot at winning the riders title. We interview him as well as his chief rival Emma Jayne Wilson. Lots of jockeys in this podcast. 33 year-old Jason Hoyte has morphed from a top notch exercise rider to a professional jockey and he now has a win under his belt. Maybe our most thrilling discussion is with 65 year-old Perry Ouzts, Ouzts won 5 races last Thursday at Belterra Park and continues to carve out one of the more amazing stories in professional sport. Garnet Barnsdale tells us about the latest innovation at Mohawk – putting microphones on the drivers during a race. Race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, The Meadowlands, Belterra Park and Ajax Downs. It’s all there in the latest chapter of the Down The Stretch Podcast.
Host Peter Gross plays the stretch call of the 152nd Belmont Stakes. This podcast features longtime harness racing trainer/owner Jack Darling who owns Beaumond Hanover, right now the fastest three year-old pacer in Canada. Right after Bob Tiller won a thoroughbred race for 2,000th time, we got him on the phone. Veteran jockey Helen Vanek chats about her decision to ride full-time at Ajax Downs and Fort Erie. Contributor Garnet Barnsdale tells us that behind every great harness race trainer...there’s a great woman, in this case, Ben Baillargeon’s daughter, Sara. We take you to Royal Ascot where the sensational Stradivarius put another Grade l win under his belt. And, only by listening to this podcast, will you understand how a rocking good version of a Jewish song by the Maccabeats has anything to do with the sport of horse racing.
Horse races from all over in this podcast: The first two Stakes races of the year at Woodbine, the first mile under 1:50 from Mohawk, an amazing night on the track for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, the whole card from the first day of racing at Ajax Downs thanks to Jennifer Morrison and one of the most bizarre races ever, though you had to be in France to see it. We have had several weeks of Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson on the show, but we flip the script with Brodie Lawson who talks about the first Racing Night Live on TSN. Garnet Barnsdale reports on some innovative thinking at Hanover Raceway and Keith McCalmont of the New York Racing Association previews next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. And you may wonder, why are we playing The Guess Who and the Reklaws in this podcast? You’ll have to listen to find out!
On this far-ranging Down The Stretch Podcast, host Peter Gross welcomes back horse racing to Ontario with many race calls from Woodbine and Mohawk. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson flips the narrative by grilling Peter. Garnet Barnsdale provides an interview with driver Jonathan Drury and Jennifer Morrison sets up the quarter horse season at Ajax Downs. We have two jockeys on this show – Darryl Holland has come over from England to ride at Woodbine and all he did was win the first race he was in and Tony Phillips shows why he’s possibly the most entertaining jockey at Ajax Downs. Only on this Down The Stretch Podcast will you hear Tony’s latest rap! Frank Salive has called races at 75 tracks, but he’s never too busy to talk about Fort Erie with his long-time friend, Peter Gross. And this was perfect timing for Santino Di Paola and his wonderful Letter to Horse Racing which is getting hearts pounding on Facebook and YouTube.
In this jam-packed podcast, host Peter Gross actually has calls of Canadian horse races. Woodbine CEO informs what racing will look like when Mohawk’s standardbreds kick back in on June 5 and the thoroughbreds go on June 6. Australian horse racing expert Ric Chapman explains why we should consider ‘fixed odds’ wagering. Ryan Clements talks about his creation, Catch Driver, a phone app that puts you in the sulky. Ajax Downs General Manager Emilio Trotta warms us up for some quarter horse racing. When Mohawk race caller Ken Middleton was a little insecure about describing the action after being quiet for so long, he turned to us for a little race calling ‘refreshing.’ And after little Fonner Park completed the most remarkable meet in its history, its CEO Chris Kotulak looks back at the extraordinary circumstances that multiplied the handle by 900%.
A podcast designed to make you feel better about the world. Host Peter Gross breaks down the Virtual Sovereigns with real interviews with Kevin Attard, Bob Tiller and David Whitford of Sam Son Farm. We have three races from the U.S. in which Canadian-owned horses win and pay large. Quarter Horse owner Craig Spada tells us how training two year-olds is similar to the hockey players he had to control when he was an NHL referee. Garnet Barnsdale hooks up with harness driver Doug McNair who is looking to continue the winning ways he was executing before racing was turned off. We touch base with Keith McCalmont of the NYRA to find out if there will be racing at Saratoga this summer. Trainer Shana Lopez has a heart-warming story about saving her favourite horse from slaughter. And you have to listen to the response of Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson when our host accuses him of being “out to lunch.”
This episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast has many exciting segments. The temporarily reclusive Bob McCown reveals his connection to harness racing and his affection for enjoying the races in the dining room. Jim Lawson sounds relieved that both thoroughbred and standardbred racing will return the first week of June. Adriana Sorella talks about his latest idea to promote harness racing and writer Dave Briggs tells us which horses his money is on for the virtual Sovereign Awards. From Ajax Downs, jockey Cassandra Jeschke says she’s really anxious to get back on a quarter horse. Harness race handicapper and lasagna maestro Garnet Barnsdale offers some insightful ideas on how to bet horses we haven’t seen for weeks and with the first weekend in June welcoming the return of horse racing on two fronts, we search through the annals of history for the greatest events of June 5 and June 6.
In this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson explains what Historical Horse Racing is. We play for you the spine-tingling Kentucky Turtle Derby and quarter horse racing caller Frank Ferrari reveals how he’s spending his down time. Emma-Jayne Wilson’s agent Mike Luider reveals how he has stayed with the same jockey for over 16 years and what new rider he is planning to import. Jim McKenny, former NHL star and a close friend of this podcast developed a pari-mutuel crush on jockey Ademar Santos at Tampa Bay and we will tell you how much he cashed when Santos went on a longshot streak. And if you enjoy hearing stories of massive scores at the racetrack, your brain will explode when you find out what Tommy ‘The Hammer’ Massis did in a pick-6 at Happy Valley in Hong Kong.
In this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, Jennifer Morrison expands on the history of quarter horse racing in Ontario and former NHL star Eddie Olczyk talks about cancer, fighting Bob Probert and some of the huge scores he's pulled off betting on the horses. Anthony MacDonald of thestable.ca explains why having well-known hockey players investing in harness horses helps promote the sport. We have races won by Canadians from Gulfstream and Tampa Bay and, of course, the brilliant call of the 'virtual' Kentucky Derby. And Woodbine CEO, Jim Lawson, in his weekly appearance, talks about the return of horse racing and accuses host Peter Gross of being a 'sophisticated bettor.'
Episode 15 of the Down The Stretch Podcast proves you can still have fun in the midst of a raging pandemic. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson demonstrates his lighter side answering silly questions from Peter Gross. There's two wonderful interviews with jockeys; Mickey Walls ruled Woodbine in the '90s and Ed Walton, even though he's almost 6 feet tall and 56 years old, is planning to ride quarter horses this year. And what can horse racing fans do when there's no horse racing in Ontario? Watch movies. This podcast counts down the 10 Greatest Horse Racing Movies and you are invited to dispute the selections by host Peter Gross.
All kinds of exciting stuff in this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast. Two wins in two days on the grass by Roger Attfield at Gulfstream. A $35,000 Pick 6 score ...that wasn’t at Remington. We talk with trainers Chantelle Bourgeois and Kevin Attard and find out from Jason Portuondo, Kenny Middleton, Dan Loiselle, Jim McKenny, Mike Romeo, Jennifer Morrison, Bill O’Donnell, Tommy Massis, Garnet Barnsdale and Angus Buntain which horse changed their lives. And of course, every Monday, Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson updates us on the status of racing in Ontario.
This episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast includes Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson, HBPA President Sue Leslie, incoming Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell, Toronto Sun racing writer Steve Buffery, Canadian jockey Chantal Sutherland and former NHL Goalie Gary 'Suitcase' Smith and some of his wild horse betting stories. Peter Gross asks listeners to send him stories about their 'life changing' horses and a creative Aussie race caller delivers the hilarious 'Coronavirus Stakes.'
The 12th episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast covers a lot of ground. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson reveals that no backstretch worker has yet tested positive as he assesses the status of racing in Ontario and, specifically, the Queen's Plate. Peter Gross interviews David Onley, whose experience with the poliovirus in 1953 sheds perspective on the crisis today. Also the CEO of Fonner Park in Nebraska tells how his little track suddenly got nation-wide attention. And, despite a couple of live 'tips', Peter Gross failed to cash, but his buddy Jim McKenny sure did!
In this Down The Stretch Podcast, Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson updates the status of horse racing in Ontario, multiple award-winning journalist Dave Briggs comments on the big crisis and who he believes should be Horse of the Year. Peter Gross asks avid horseplayers how they're filling their spare time and there's some stretch calls from Canadians winning at Gulfstream.
The 10th Down The Stretch Podcast was produced completely on an I-phone. Peter Gross finds out from legendary harness driver Bill O’Donnell how the standardbred industry is dealing with the present crisis. Peter walks O’Donnell through some of the great moments of the Magic Man’s career. Also, jockey Gary Boulanger, a Queen’s Plate champion, talks about the horrible accident that nearly killed him in 2005 and how he not only survived, but made an amazing comeback to continue riding 8 years later. Thanks to cell phone technology, this Down The Stretch podcast gets you into the winners circle.
The 9th episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast was all about trainers. Bonnie Eshelman, Bob Tiller, Santino Di Paola, Michelle Woodley and Carmen Auciello revealed how they prepare their horses to be at their best. Each of these guests weighed in on the indictments of trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro. We ran the winning debut race of Golden Ami, trained by Hall of Famer Josie Caroll and there were also a couple of Kentucky Derby preps, even if we don't know for certain that there will be a Kentucky Derby this year.
It's a Down The Stretch podcast jammed with race calls as Peter asks his guests Angus Buntain and Ric Chapman to identify their alltime great horses and great races. Harness luminaries David Briggs and Ken Middleton submitted their most thrilling harness racing moments. This podcast has set a record for most race calls in a 40 minute span.
Peter Gross assembles 175 years of horse playing experience to pass on to the listener. When Jennifer Morrison, Jason Portuondo and Garnet Barnsdale spill their guts about how to cash at the track, the info provided is pure gold.
In this episode of the Down the Stretch podcast experts from standardbred, thoroughbred and quarter horse sectors talk about how to invest in a racehorse and what your best move is depending on the size of your budget. Host Peter Gross has two amazing stories of horse ownership.
On this show, co-host Erika Smilovsky talks about winning races at Ajax Downs, Woodbine and Fort Erie in an episode whose theme is jockeys and drivers.
Legendary race caller Dan Loiselle co-hosts with Peter Gross and they discuss the challenges and skills of horse race announcing.
Four aging horseplayers tell amazing gambling stories and define what it means to bet on a horse race.