November 27, 2021 “Come on, you raver, you seer of visions. Come on, you painter, you piper, you prisoner and shine! “ From “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” by Pink Floyd. And on Saturday, Pink Lloyd shone, against all odds. There were tears, for sure. Happy ones. Ones with mixed emotions, too. Pink Lloyd wrought a storybook ending to his long tale on … [Read more...] about Pink Lloyd: The Crazy Diamond
Rafael Hernandez
Never Underestimate the Power of Love
No cherub, he, this God of Love, this horse with the winged feet, at least until he’s good and ready. Jockey Rafael Hernandez thought it would be an excellent idea to get God of Love (the horse) closer to the pace on the yielding turf of Woodbine during the 85th running of the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes on Oct. 10. But God of Love would have none of it. “Nah,” he told … [Read more...] about Never Underestimate the Power of Love
Gary Boulanger: Rebirth
Gary (Boo) Boulanger had a bit of a renaissance at Woodbine July 10. Yet another one. He suffered a serious knee injury in June 2020 and has spent months of rehab to recover after surgery - just after he was to have been inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He’s known this rock and rolling motion of horse racing for his entire career. Up one … [Read more...] about Gary Boulanger: Rebirth
Eurico Rosa da Silva: Early Retirement
Woodbine’s leading rider, Eurico Rosa da Silva hadn’t pictured anything developing this way during his retirement ceremony at the track on Dec. 7: He found himself ass-over-tea-kettle in a bank of snow. You get a group of jockeys together, shivering in the cold like winter flies, and all sorts of naughtiness can happen. It all happened in the … [Read more...] about Eurico Rosa da Silva: Early Retirement
Tone Broke Conquers
Tone Broke is big and bullish, at least to a point. But so talented that he won the $400,000 Breeders Stakes over 1 ½ miles, in his first turf test on Aug. 17 at Woodbine. Patience was the key. And 34-year-old jockey Rafael Hernandez supplied it. Tone Broke scattered the pigeons when he broke from the gate in the Queen’s Plate, bearing to the inside, and then … [Read more...] about Tone Broke Conquers
Steaming at Woodbine
It's July and it's time for the 2-year-olds to surface. And the older horses start making their mark, race by race. Here are a few of my favourite things on a summer Sunday: … [Read more...] about Steaming at Woodbine