The longer that horse racing in Ontario remains in lockdown, the more serious become issues of animal welfare. Racehorses are allowed to train under Ontario’s strict lockdown but – unlike almost all other jurisdictions in the United States and even in other Canadian provinces - they are not allowed to race. The province realizes that horses need care. But how … [Read more...] about The Clock Ticks on Horse Racing
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No Longer Under the Kentucky Derby Radar
HOLD YOUR HORSES: on May 7, the Bob Baffert Stable was notified that Medina Spirit had tested positive after the running of the Kentucky Derby for the Class 3 drug, betamethasone, a corticosteroid. Tests showed 21 picograms of it in his system. Baffer's sprinter Gamine tested positive for the same drug last year when she finished third in the Kentucky Oaks, and was disqualified … [Read more...] about No Longer Under the Kentucky Derby Radar
The Faces of Woodbine, Locked Up
All the curry combs in the world won’t fix this mess that the horsepeople of Woodbine find themselves in these days, as they try to dodge the relentless third wave of the COVID pandemic. They need to set the combs down and race. Actually race. If they don’t, an entire community that creates tens of thousands of agricultural jobs in the province could be in peril. The … [Read more...] about The Faces of Woodbine, Locked Up
Mighty Heart’s Date with History
Mighty Heart has become a bit of a locomotive in the Canadian racing world, the little man’s folk hero, the little engine that could. On Saturday, he will attempt to become the 13th Canadian Triple Crown winner, a good omen, considering that he broke from post 13 in the Queen’s Plate last month, and was listed at odds of 13 to 1. The one-eyed wonder is the … [Read more...] about Mighty Heart’s Date with History
When a Cup and Saucer is Golden
Mrs. Orpen would have loved it. It all sounded so dramatic: a horse called Master Spy came out of the mists at Woodbine Racetrack and won the 84th running of the Cup and Saucer Stakes, a dark streak that could not be caught. The Cup and Saucer was Mrs. Orpen’s race, all those years ago, when it first was held. Her husband Abe Orpen was an Irish immigrant who … [Read more...] about When a Cup and Saucer is Golden
A Jubilee of Epic Proportions
“Come on, mama,” Tino Attard repeated to Starship Jubilee as she floated into the paddock before the $1-million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 19. It was almost like a chant. He was rather like a pacing parent. The elder Attard was a believer in this spunky 7-year-old mare. She made believers out of the rest of us moments later. At odds of 6 to 1, Starship Jubilee trounced … [Read more...] about A Jubilee of Epic Proportions
Eric Lamaze in the Battle of his Life
Eric Lamaze considers himself lucky, even though his life reads like a tragic novel and he’s currently undergoing intense treatment for a brain tumour. He says although his future is uncertain, he’s making plans. This past weekend, he says he will put all of his energy toward competing at the Tokyo Olympics next summer. And then step aside from the … [Read more...] about Eric Lamaze in the Battle of his Life