News and Notes May 31

BY JIM WELLS

The comments came one after another. What a great horse race. That’s the way a stakes race is meant to be run. Could you pick a winner in this one?

The $50,000 Hoist Her Flag Stakes Saturday afternoon produced the kind of finish that brings race crowds to their feet, raises their blood pressure and then engenders expletives of various kinds when the results are posted. Three horses across the track at the finish.

In Sunday’s case, the local boys made good against a host of invaders. Pro Pink (#2 on the rail in photo above), Minnesota owned and Canterbury trained and ridden, got to the wire first but it took her bobbing head at the precise moment to separate her from the second place horse, 7-5 favorite Sole of the City.

Even at that, there was only the difference of a nostril in the photo. “Her head was coming down as the other one’s was going up,’’ said winning rider Derek Bell. “I didn’t expect to be on the lead like that but she broke so sharp.’’ Sole of the City shipped in from Prairie Meadows on a three-race winning streak, including a $50,000 stakes on May 8. On her back for those three wins as well as for Saturday’s race was Inez Karlsson, a native Swede who was a boxer before she turned to race riding.

Bell got the split decision in this match-up, however, and that brought a word of praise from the trainer, locally-based Mac Robertson, who is gunning for a fourth straight training title this season. “It’s nice to see Derek finally win a photo for me,’’ Robertson cracked while making a hasty exit from the winner’s circle. That’s high praise coming from Canterbury’s champion trainer.

You needed a wedge to separate the first two horses, and it was another three parts of a length to the third-place horse, Awsugahnow. The winning time in this seven-horse race was 1:11 and 1/5, following fractions of 58, 45 and 3/5 and 22 flat. The winner is owned by Joseph Novogratz of Eden Prairie and returned $6.80, $3.20 and $3.

The race honors the memory of Hoist Her Flag, Canterbury’s horse of the year in 1987 and again in 1989.

Dan and Bev Mjolsness of Red Wing owned and campaigned the mare, a winner of 11 stakes in Shakopee, and were on hand to present the trophy on Saturday.They attended a graduation in Barrington, Ill., where their son lives this weekend and left at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning in order to reach Shakopee on time.

Dan Mjolsness recalled one of the many memorable episodes in his horse’s grand career. “She won six consecutive races with Donna Barton riding her,’’ he said. Bev Mjolsness recalled the elderly fellow who was always at their table whenever Hoist ran and always bet the same way. “What are you going to do today?’’ Bev recalled asking him on each occasion. “I’m going to bet $100 across the board,’’ he said each time. They both recalled the words of a nationally-known writer saying that the history of Canterbury will have to include a chapter on Hoist Her Flag.

Hoist was a heck of a horse, and the sprint in her honor Saturday was a heck of a race.

GOLF, ANYONE?

The Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Assn. will stage its 14th annual golf tournament on Monday, July 14, at the Shoreland Country Club in St. Peter.Registration is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The entry fee is $45. Golfers can sign up in the HBPA office in the racing office.

CHAPEL A FEW DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE...

The new grass on one side of the embankment next to the Dean Kutz Memorial Chapel was a brilliant, lush green the other morning after the deluge the night before. An opposing side is still awaiting its application of sod, so the landscaping is incomplete, a complement to the building interior which still has a ways to go as well.

A visitor _ the Sage of Canterbury _ walked in the front door to survey progress on the chapel that will honor the first jockey inducted into Canterbury Park's Hall of Fame.

The Sage, of course, is the definitive source on all questions, the purpose of life on earth, the right horse to bet in a given race, you name it.

Here is what he saw and heard in the chapel that day: Cement dust and sheetrock refuse is readily available in the building and with the price of oil and groceries being what they are these days, an enterprising person could bag it up and sell it by the pound. It might fetch a pretty good price from someone trying to disguise a building project as a work in progress.

The men's and women's bathrooms have been roughed in and can be distinguished by their usual differences. There are two toilets for the women. A box labeled as containing a urinal was in the opposite room, which has a single toilet.It doesn't seem necessary at this stage of construction to put signs up designating "Men" and "Women." In any event, the toilets are not hooked up and some problems might be eliminated by not using them quite yet.

There are a number of electrical outlets already in place with the apperance of being "good to go.'' There are also a number of wires still protruding from walls that the electrically-ignorant might be well advised not to touch. The building is still awaiting carpet or whatever covering will be applied to the cement floor. Perhaps that is an option not included in the original price.

As the visitor made his way through the front door, George Strait's voice could be heard emanating it was assumed from a radio in a backroom somewhere, tuned to a local country-western station. Wouldn't that have been something if George himself had been back there composing a new song, and all of Canterbury unaware of his presence. As it was, George didn't sound in a happy mood. Apparently someone had just walked out of his life, leaving him high and dry.

About then the visitor was startled to come upon a workman _ either a plumber or an electrician _ working in one of the back rooms.

The workman had some interesting information to share."The building is a little behind schedule,'' he said. "It was supposed to have been done last year.''

The Sage, of course, already knew that.

Much Ado About A Quarter Crack

May30, 2008

There has been much discussion about Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown's left front hoof. Dr. Jennifer Selvig DVM discusses the quarter crack.


videographer Jon Mikkelson

News and Notes May 29

BY JIM WELLS

HOW TO KEEP A SECRET'

Trainer Jamie Ness pulled up to his barn in a golf cart the other morning, just returned from watching a morning workout at the track.

"By the way, how did the big guy come back from Monday's race?'' a passenger in the cart wondered.

"He could run again tomorrow,'' Ness responded. The turf is really easy on him.''

At that moment, Cory Jensen, Ness's right-hand man and cousin, was approaching the barn door with Lookinforthesecret, the horse in question, at the end of a lead rope.

Lookinforthesecret made mincemeat of six rivals in the $50,000 Honor the Hero Turf Express on Monday, and now Ness's biggest problem is finding races in which to keep him sharp for the Claiming Crown on Aug. 2.

The six-year-old son of Cimarron Secret had plenty left in the tank after the race, so it was comparable to, say, the tuneup fight that Oscar De La Hoya had recently as he continues sharpening up for a rematch with the Pretty Boy, Floyd Mayweather.

In other words, there was very little real danger of De La Hoya or Lookinforthesecret losing their most recent outings, but they were necessary just the same. And hey! The money wasn't bad, either.

Jockey Daniel Centeno, a regular rider on the horse, flew in from Monmouth Park to ride the Secret on Monday and ran him hard enough only to win.

"Daniel didn't ask him. He knew he had enough to win,'' said Ness. "We saved him for another day.''

So, what's next for the Secret?

"I don't know,'' Ness said. "He's best when he races back in three weeks, and I don't see anything for him here.''

Ness is considering a $50,000 race in Winnipeg on the dirt June 15 if he doesn't find anything else in the meantime. "I'd rather keep him on the turf, though,'' Ness said. "This part of the country there aren't many 5/8-mile turf races. There's a plethora of them on the East Coast.''

Ness is one of the few trainers you'll find using a term like "plethora.'' Then again, he was a public relations/journalism major at the University of South Dakota State.

Lookinforthesecret has earned more than a half million dollars in his career and has won 13 races and finished as runnerup five times in 19 starts under Ness, who claimed him for owner Balkrisna Sukharan of Blaine. The claiming price was a modest $12,500. Not bad, considering that he has returned about $489,000 to his connections since the purchase. Sukharan is a throwback to another era in racing, when family thoroughbred dynasties owned big spreads lined with miles of black fencing and passed on the glory from one generation to the next. That was before the coming of the corporations, the emphasis on making a quick buck with a good horse and the defacing of even revered institutions like the Kentucky Derby to include the name of a company that makes it's money selling fast food to America's hungry, on-the-go multitudes.
Sukharan has not bought into the corporate thinking. He turned down $250,000 for Lookinforthesecret the same day he got him for twelve-five, and he turned down $450,000 for Repenting. Sukharan reportedly is a rich man in spirit only, but his horses aren't for sale, anyway. "This is my dream. I told Jamie I'm not going to sell,'' he said.

Just inside the door at Ness's barn is a three-year-old named Best Westerner, a full brother to the Secret.

You would think they were from entirely different bloodlines by their opposing personalities. The Secret is a laid back animal. "He's real easy on himself,'' said Ness. The brother?

"He's the complete opposite. The village idiot,'' Ness said.

Best Westerner is a three-year-old with a preference to go a route of ground and without the laid-back disposition of his brother. Jensen confirmed that the other morning when he cautioned a visitor to the barn about the horse. "He's a biter,'' said Jensen, displaying the very visible evidence on his upper arm. "This is more than a week old.''

Best Westerner is a talented horse, nonetheless. "He just has some growing up to do, yet. He needs to mature,'' Ness said.

So does another three-year-old, tucked away in the back corner of the barn, the winner of a $100,000 race at Presque Isle Downs a couple of weeks ago, a $25,000 claim named Repenting.
Ness has very high hopes for this talented animal. "He's still got some growing up to do,'' he said. "He's not quite there yet mentally, but I don't think Lookinforthesecret wants any part of this one.'' Repenting has won four in a row, 7/8ths is the longest he's gone. "He's screamin' to go longer,'' Ness said.

Meanwhile, Ness has the feed bills and the help to pay, so he's heading to Assiniboia Downs this weekend with a filly named Polynesian Kitty he wants to run in a $50,000 stakes event. "That's $52,500 in U.S. money,'' he pointed out. That statement started a whole new conversation about the sagging dollar and how things used to be.

"It was just the opposite not that long ago. The dollar was worth more in Canada,'' a bystander chimed in.

"Yeah, wasn't it though,'' Ness responded.

THOSE INCAS COULD PUT UP A BUILDING.

Luis Canchari has been in Shakopee from the very beginning, as a rider from 1985 until the track closed after the 1992 season, and most recently as a jockey agent, selling the services of riders he imports from his native Peru.

Luis was at one-time known as Louie the Glove and is sometimes still referred to simply as "The Glove.''

His latest find is 28-year-old rider Miguel Melendez, and Luis was selling him hard the other morning. "He could use a little press,'' Luis said.

"He raced in Argentina, won a half-million dollar race there.''

The conversation shifted at that point to Canchari's homeland and all its wonders.

Machu Picchu, the Incan metropolis in the Andes, was first up in the conversation.
Canchari exalted about the wonderful craftmanship of his ancestors and how they could build a city of stone without mortar that is still standing hundreds of years later, at an altitude of 7,000 feet nonetheless. He exuded praise and adoration for the tropical jungles.

Then his spiel shifted entirely to that of a travel agent.

"Life is short,'' Canchari reminded. "Life is short. You are only here once. You need to see Machu Picchu and the jungles of Peru while you can. They are wonderful.''

Canchari has similar sentiments about all of his riders.

RIVERA READY TO RIDE

Juan Rivera is confident he will be ready to ride on Friday night's card after getting banged up in the eighth race on Monday.

With the race about to start, Rivera's horse, Our Valley Girl, flipped in the gate and he was pinned beneath her. "My horse she was right on top of me,'' he recalled.

Rivera went about business as usual for the next day or so before visiting relatives from Puerto Rico, including his mother and father, encouraged him to get checked out.

"I went to the hospital and they took X-rays,'' he said. "Nothing was broken. They told me not to ride horses for three days. I was lucky.''

Rivera suffered a bruised tailbone and a swollen knee and some swelling in his right eye.
He is named on six horses Friday and five on Saturday.

"I'm just a little sore now, but I'm doing OK,'' he said. "I should be fine.''

Comings…..

Trainers Zach Armstrong and Ralph Mitchell arrived yesterday. They both were previously stabled at the recently ended Will Rogers Downs meet.

Trainer Owen McQuade arrived as well last evening. He already had horses on the grounds but brought an additional load for the summer.


and Goings….

Jockey Matthew McGowan has returned to his home state of Virginia.

jm

Lookinforthesecret Wins on Memorial Day

BY JIM WELLS

By most accounts the favorite in the feature race Monday was the winner of the $50,000 Honor the Hero Turf Express even before he took the track. An odds-on choice to beat a field of six opponents, the six-year-old Lookinforthesecret is no longer the secret force he is in some jurisdictions, as a 6-1 choice for example in the $214,000 Turf Sprint Handicap at Calder Race Course in late April, a race he led from gate to wire to pad his lifetime earnings at that point to $512,918. Lookinforthesecret is a son of Cimarron Secret by Tejano from the Vicksburg mare Looking Better. Trainer Jamie Ness claimed him for $12,500 for owner Balkrisna Sukharan, of Blaine, MN.

As the field lined up for Monday’s Honor the Hero sprint on the grass, Lookinforthesecret had paid for his original purchase tab and then some. Under Ness’s direction, the horse had banked $458,940, winning 12 times and finishing second five other times from 18 starts. Add another $30,000 to the savings account after Monday’s win. Never mind that Lookinforthesecret was a gate to wire winner once again and was never seriously challenged the entire five furlongs. Ness’s nerves were bouncing the entire way. “Whew!,’’ he said, wiping his forehead with his arm.. “I’d much rather be 10-1 at Calder than the favorite anytime.’’

Despite the way this race sized up on paper – a colt running against weanlings comes to mind – Ness wasn’t making any assumptions. He evened summoned rider Daniel Centeno from Monmouth Park, who was on Lookinforthesecret’s back for 11 races, winning nine of them. For the record, Lookinforthesecret finished two lengths in front of Pimm’s O’Clock and 5 ½ in front of the third-place finisher, Minnesota-bred Joni’s Justice.

Sukharan didn’t share any of Ness’s anxiety heading into or during the race. Was he concerned at any point along the five furlongs? “No, no,’’ he said. “This is the horse’s perfect distance and on the turf. He really likes this.” Sukharan is a man who loves racing and loves his horses. Offered $250,000 for the horse the same day he claimed him for $12,500, he said no. Offered $450,000 for another up-and-comer named Repenting, claimed by Ness for $25,000, he said no.

“This is my dream,’’ Sukharan explained. “I told Jamie I’m not going to sell them.’’ Baring the unforeseen, there are still better things to come for Lookinforthesecret. He suffered from some breathing problems at one point but has recovered steadily. “He’s getting stronger and stronger and has no problems,’’ said Centeno.

CHAPEL OPENING DELAYED

Construction issues have delayed the much-anticipated grand opening of the Dean Kutz Memorial Chapel. Originally scheduled for June 2, the formal dedication has been postponed until the night of July 28 when the format originally scheduled for June 2 will take place. Chaplain Tommy Bartram said he still hopes to hold the weekly prayer service in the chapel on Monday night, June 2. “We were behind the eight-ball trying to get things ready on time. It was our fault,’’ said Bartram.

The interior of the building is unfinished at this point and there are some issues with the floor as well. Bartram said that there are still legal forms required by the City of Shakopee that need to be filed as well. Several events are planned on Saturday and Sunday immediately before the rescheduled grand opening. Hall of Fame rider Pat Day has adjusted his plans and will be at Canterbury for all three days of the dedication.
A dinner banquet with Day in attendance will be held in the grandstand on Saturday the 26th of July. Tickets are $50 apiece and will benefit the new chapel, as will silent and live auctions planned over the weekend. Day will be available throughout the weekend to sign autographs. Also in attendance will be Dr. Enrique Torres, head of the Racetrack Chaplains of America and Waverly Parsons, president of the organization.

News and Notes May 25

BY JIM WELLS


ONE BUNCH CAN RUN, THE OTHER CAN DO THAT AND PASS, TOO
Jerry Livingston started bringing horses to Canterbury Downs in 1987 and kept a stable here every year until last year when he was strongly considering retiement from the quarter horse racing business.

Racing, like a number of other sporting ventures _ boxing comes to mind off hand _ does not often let go of its proponents easily, and that is what happened to Livingston, who is back at Canterbury this spring with a string of 10 horses.

Livingston won training titles at Canterbury for three straight meets beginning in 1995, and titles of that nature _ again we allude to boxing _ make leaving the limelight all the more difficult.

The 60-year-old trainer intends to see the meet through before pulling up stakes, although he does plan to take a short break at one point to attend to another coaching adventure _ training is sort of like coaching, right? _ and that is the 7th and 8th-grade football teams at Santa Teresa Middle School near El Paso, Texas. Livingston, it turns out, has developed a second passion that takes a dedication similar to what is required in the barn each day.

The seventh and eighth-grade teams were winless the previous year and went 5-3 after Livingston took over last season. He directed the offense and a colleague coached the defense. Now, Livingston has the head job all to himself since the colleague pulled out of the arrangement.
Livingston needs to be available for a short training camp July 23-25 and then takes over in earnest with the opening of practice on Aug. 18.

Livingston says he came by the job "by pure accident. I ran into the wrong guy at the wrong time.''

The fellow asked Livingston if he would help out and the trainer said, "I'm not interested in any way, shape or form.''

One day he stopped by practice.

"And it looked like a lot of fun,'' said Livingston, who played high school ball in Lewellen, Neb. "I'm a quick learner and nobody else wanted the job.''

So, which is easier, handling seventh-grade football players or skittish two-year-olds in the barn? "That's a good question,'' Livingston said, taking a pause. "I guess I'd say seventh-grade football players.''

Livingston's team was leading by five points with 30 seconds to play in the last game of the season when the other team took a timeout. "Hey, coach,'' his players implored, "let us take a knee.''

"I guess they had seen it on TV,'' Livingston said. Livingston was opposed to the idea, but the players persisted.

He relented. The defense held, and his team prevailed.

One of the opposing coaches crossed the field to congratulate Livingston. "Weren't you nervous?'' he asked. "You didn't even blink an eye. I was so nervous I threw up.''
Livingston had an answer waiting.

"When you've lost a hundred horse races by the bob of a head at the wire, a seventh-grade football game isn't apt to make you nervous,'' he said.

IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY
Trainer Troy Bethke was part of the groundbreaking ceremonies at Canterbury Downs in 1984, attended by various politicians, including Gov. Rudy Perpich, and others in Shakopee city administration and in the horse industry.

Bethke grew up with horses in the Stillwater area and, with his brother Bill, had ridden in quarter horse and thoroughbred races at country fairs and local meets. As his part of the groundbreaking ceremony, he galloped a horse around for documentation by the local media.
Bethke recalled the occasion the other day in the racing office, on the site once occupied by farmland. "There were three farms out here,'' he said. The farms had been sold to make way for a different part of the ag scene, horses and racing.

There was a windmill on one of the farms that caught the attention of Bethke's mother and father, who still live in rural Stillwater.

"That windmill is on their farm today,'' Bethke said. "It's not functioning, but they wanted it there.''

A new generation of Bethkes will have memories of another kind to tell 20 years hence.
Bethke and his wife, Susan, have three children _ Holly 16, Olivia four, and Scott, eight.
Scott accompanied his father around the track and in the grandstand last week, taking mental notes through the eyes of an eight-year-old.

"He knows the names of all the horses in the barn and the color of all the silks,'' Troy said.
His eight-year-old sensibilities are sometimes affected by the realities of racing.
He was all teary-eyed the other day moments after the Bethke young-ones' favorite horse, Isaiah, didn't run to expectation.

Troy got an explanation from Susan, who had mentioned earlier in the season that they would have to get rid of any horses that weren't running up to snuff.

"He had it all figured out the moment the race was over,'' said Troy, who has assured the Bethke children that Isaiah is still a member of the family.

WHEN WINNING DOESN'T QUITE FEEL THAT WAY

Sometimes, even when you're a winner, you don't feel like one.

At least that was the case with trainer Keith Bennett, who has a stable in Shakopee for the first time this meet, after the first grass race of the season this weekend, a mile and 1-16 event.
Bennett is familiar with Ry Eikleberry, who rode frequently for him during a very successful campaign that just ended in Phoenix. Bennett won the training title there, and Eikleberry was often on his winners.

Eikleberry got the call on a horse trained by Bennett named Estrelita D' Cielo and guided the seven-year-old horse to a commanding victory in the grass claiming event with a $10,000 purse.
In second place was Current Miss, also trained by Bennett and ridden by another Phoenix veteran, Juan Rivera.

Not a bad way to finish a race, one-two, right, Keith?

"Oh, I just hate to race two of them in the same race like that,'' he said. "But what are you going to do when they're both ready to run.''

The winner is owned by Adam R. Lewis of Moapa, Nev. The second place horse is owned by Perry Bruno of Salt Lake City.
And Bennett wound up with mixed feelings for his owners.

"Now I've got one guy happy with me and the other one upset,'' he said. "What are you going to do.''

Trainer Profile: Ed Ross Hardy

BY JIM WELLS

She stood there in the barn with her arms crossed defensively, the only way a 15-year-old girl knew how to protect her feelings.

He didn't know quite what to make of it, but he knew on the spot that he liked her, even though she was five years younger and still in high school.

He was from South Austin, Texas. She was from Le Sueur, Minn.

The girl and her mother, a former Texan herself, had gone to the barn, hoping to find a horse that would make a good barrel racer. The mother recognized immediately what had happened to her daughter. "It was an instant crush,'' she says.

Years later, after the love-struck youngsters started dating, the mother would reveal to him that her daughter had been harboring a crush for a long, long time.

So, in fact, had he. Today, seven years after their marriage, Ed and Kari Hardy talk freely about those early days when they developed a passion for one another and for racing quarter horses.

The love that took flame in a barn at Canterbury Park in 1996 is still flourishing in the barn as they begin another season of racing here. Ed Ross Hardy is the first to tell you that he knew as much about racing as he did about flying a spaceship when he first arrived at Canterbury. He had a head full of dreams and a heart full of passion but very little else to go with it. After winning six straight quarter horse training titles, seven overall, in Shakopee, it is clear that Hardy knows a great deal more than he did as the 20-year-old who showed up at Canterbury in 1996, hoping to find a place to launch a young man's ambitions."I've been lucky, real lucky,'' Hardy said. "I've got a lot of good people around me. I've had good owners and good horses, and a lot of people who were willing to teach me what I didn't know.''

Hardy acknowledges his wife and everyone around him for the success he's had in Shakopee and elsewhere. His mother-in-law, Sharon Wilmes, and her husband, Art, help out in the barn. They ran the Wilmes Feed business on the backside from 1985 until the track closed in 1992. Hardy's father, Bob, handles the bookkeeping for the stable.

Sharon was grooming a horse outside the Hardy barn the other morning as she recalled some of those early days at Canterbury. Kari was four years old. Her older brother, Corey, went to work for Vic Padilla, who had Kari bandaging the legs on horses by the time she was five years old. Later, Vic, Jr., taught Kari to gallop and break horses. Corey and his brother, Kelley, worked in the Doug Oliver barn at one time as well. The Padilla and Wilmes families became friends and the passion for horses continued, although down different avenues.

Kari got into barrel racing and competed in local shows and in the high school rodeo while at Le Sueur-Henderson High School.

Meanwhile, Ed Ross Hardy was growing up in South Austin. He played football, baseball, ran track and swam. "He can swim like a fish,'' Kari says.

A long-distance relationship of sorts was nourished each winter when the Wilmes family headed to Waco, Texas, to celebrate Christmas with Sharon's family.

"They would stop by where I lived to see me,'' Hardy said.

He was a good athlete, good enough to get a partial scholarship to the University of Texas as a wide receiver, defensive back and long snapper. If you grow up in Texas, a passion for football seems to be a birthright, but Hardy's ambitions at UT were short-lived. He injured a knee and lost his scholarship.

Bob Hardy had purchased a couple of horses in the late 1980s, a colt and mare. Ed took the mare on trail rides and did some roping with his buddies. Then, Bob Hardy decided to try the colt at the races. The seed was planted, but Ed never imagined he would wind up as a trainer, even after his football career ended.

"I had never really found anything else I was interested in,'' he said. "Besides the race track.'' Bob Hardy bought a couple of horses and put them in Ed's name at Manor Downs, and Ed wound up as the leading owner there one year.

By then, the family had purchased 10 acres in Manor, Texas, and relocated from South Austin. Ed kept hanging around the track. "I decided to give training a try,'' he said. His father provided him with a couple of horses, and Ed headed to Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Iowa.

"I was working for a guy up there,'' Ed said, "and we had a falling out. I was in the track kitchen one day, feeling kind of frustrated, and a woman told me there was a track that had been closed but was reopening about four hours north.'' Canterbury Downs.

"I called my dad and told him there was track up here reopening and they were going to run quarter horses,'' Ed said.

Bob Hardy was a on a plane the next day. "I remember walking into the racing office and everybody was real friendly,'' Ed Hardy recalled. "We told them our situation and they said they'd love to have us.''

The Hardys returned to Iowa that night and arranged to have a trailer haul their horses north. Ed Hardy has had nothing but success at Canterbury ever since. His first two starts as a trainer produced the first two wins of his career. "Eddie Cervantes was my jockey and he won with Cat Bacardi and Filled with Cash,'' Hardy said.

Hardy's resume includes two world champions. He trained One Rare Bug, winner of the 2002 Canterbury Derby, and Lett Her Zoom. His first stakes win came in the 2002 Northland Futurity with Capones Vault, who truly distinguished himself by winning the Texas Classic Futurity that year at Lone Star Park, the first million dollar horse race in the state of Texas. Hardy expects to have 30 horses in his barn this meet, although the most recent addition to this family operation was missing the other morning during chores. Kari and Ed have a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Jordan. Kari and Sharon were too busy in the barn to attend to her. "It's just killing both of us,'' Sharon said. "We had to take her to day-care.''

Not to worry. This family love affair with quarter horses is assured of moving on to a new generation some day just the same. Little Jordan can apply names to several of the horses in the barn and has been on most their backs.

News and Notes May 23

BY JIM WELLS


WHEN SPANISH EYES ARE SMILING....

Juan Rivera was anticipating the upcoming Memorial Day weekend earlier this week when he talked about the visitors coming to see him from Puerto Rico.

His dad and mother, a brother and sister-in-law, a nephew, two aunts and a cousin will be in Shakopee for the next couple of weeks, and Juan is looking forward to the visit.

His father's name is Juan and so is his brother's. Juan, the Canterbury jockey, chuckled when reminded that another athlete, heavyweight boxer George Foreman, has five sons, all named George.

Juan's father was a trainer and jockey agent who started him in the thoroughbred business, and Shakopee Juan will have an interesting tale to share with him this weekend.

Canterbury race caller Paul Allen began calling Rivera 'Senor Smiley' a while back. "He smiles more than any jockey I've ever seen,'' said Allen.

But that's not the half of it.

Trainer Brian Porter originally intended to surprise Rivera with the news that he applied the nickname to a two-year-old he will run later this summer. Porter let the cat of the bag early, about three weeks ago, however. "I just couldn't keep the secret any longer,'' he said.

Porter bought the colt from a breeder in Arkansas. "He's a full brother to a multiple stakes-winner I had that won more than $100,000,'' Porter added.

He was having trouble coming up with a name for the horse when he decided on Senor Smiley.

"I ride Juan a lot on my horses, so I decided to use that nickname.''

Senor Smiley won't be debuting anytime soon. "He's knees weren't closed so I held him back,'' Porter said. "But he should be ready soon, and then I'll begin breezing him. I hope to run him by August.''

Whenever Rivera spots Porter taking a horse to the track in the morning, he'll ask if that's his horse.

Allen explained the derivation of the nickname he gave Rivera. Allen was in Cancun, Mexico, a couple of years ago with his family. His son, Derek, now eight, smiles a lot, and some of the hotel staff began calling him Senor Smiley in Spanish.

"It dawned on me how much Juan smiles,'' Allen said. "I just started calling him that.''
Allen can't wait for the day Porter sends out the horse to run..."And riding Senor Smiley is Senor Smiley.''

Rivera was asked the other day if it is fair to assume that his father is Senor Smiley, Sr., and if that would make him Senor Smiley, Jr.

He merely shrugged his shoulders and....smiled.

GOOD NEWS FROM CHINA

Paul Nolan received some welcome news the other day. His aunt and godmother, a missionary nun in China, was safe and not affected by the devastating earthquake.

Nolan had been concerned because he couldn't reach his aunt by email. "I can't get hold of her, and I'm not sure why,'' he said at the time. "She's a teacher over there, a Mother Superior I think, and I know that some of the schools were hit hard.''

Sister Maureen Grant, a member of the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban and a sister to Nolan's mother, was OK.

"She's in the southern part of the country, a place called Guang Zhou, and didn't feel any of the tremors or aftershocks,'' said Nolan. "She teaches a lot of kids, but none of them had lost any relatives.''

Nolan had not yet heard of his aunt's safety when he responded to a race fan the other day. Nolan was on a horse leaving the paddock for the racetrack when the incident occurred.

"A fan yelled out to me asking how my aunt was,'' said Nolan, who clearly wasn't expecting that kind of query at the time.

"It took a moment for it to register,'' said Nolan, who whipped around in the saddle and responded.

"I don't know,'' he said to the fan, "but thanks very much for asking.''

MAC SPELLS IT OUT....

Mac Robertson has won three and arguably four consecutive training titles at Canterbury Park, although the first of those is credited to his dad, Hugh, since the horses were run that year in his name.

Robertson's horses are generally in the thick of a race even when they don't win, and one of his training techniques undoubtedly has a lot to do with that consistency.

"I've been fortunate,'' he said the other day. "I've got some nice horses again and I'm sure they'll win some races.''

Not always the way he intends, however.

Robertson tries to be patient with his horses. “ I let the horse decide when he's ready to run,'' he said.

That sometimes creates tension between the trainer and his owners, particularly at Canterbury, where the season is short.

"Everybody wants to run, run, run,'' he said. "Usually, the longer you wait, the better off you are. If I'm not (better off) and the owners aren't, the horses are, and I like horses a lot better than people.''

Robertson doesn't want to be misunderstood on the issue, however.

"Don't get me wrong,'' he said. "I probably have the best group of owners out there, but we still have to wait and run the horses when they're ready and not overrun them.''

Robertson says there is a good reason behind his approach.

"Whenever I take a shortcut it doesn't work for me,'' he said. "Some people can take shortcuts and get lucky. I've never been lucky. I have to see a thing through...if it works out, it works out.''

CLAIMING CROWN NOMINATIONS UP, UP

The $600,000 Claiming Crown returns to Canterbury Park on Aug. 2. Early nominations to the event reached an all-time high with more than 200 horses nominated to the seven-race card.
Those horses have started at least once since Jan 1 for a claiming tag that ranges from $7,500 and $35,00. The Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park in 2002 and at Ellis Park last year and will be staged for the eighth time this summer at Canterbury, its original home.

Owners and trainers from 29 states and Canada have submitted nominations. Among those is Richard Englander, who has had four horses win Claiming Crown races. Entries have also come from trainer Scott Lake, who has sent out eight winners, and trainer Mike Maker, who won three races last year.

Nominations close June 13.

Trainer Profile: Tammy Domenosky

Trainer Tammy Domenosky was a new face on the Canterbury scene last year.

Photographer Frank Mazzocco spent many hours in Tammy's barn last year, documenting the life of a trainer. His photo essay can be found at www.picsbyfrank.com/domenosky
We would like to thank Frank for his hard work and also Tammy for opening up her barn and allowing Frank to capture some wonderful images.


Tammy was raised in Waukesha, Wis., but left for Tucson, Ariz., to study racetrack management at the University of Arizona. After arriving, she decided to sit out the first year to gain resident status for tuition reasons. She never got to the university. She began grooming and got her gallop license at Yavapai Downs in Prescott Valley and the rest is history. She went to work in the Justin Evans barn and worked there until getting her trainer's license in February of 2007. Domenosky, 25, spent last summer at Canterbury Park before heading to Mountaineer Park for a short spell and then went on to Kansas and then Chicago. She has 22 horses in her barn this meet and is delighted to be back. "I really like the people here,'' she said. "They are so happy to have you. They make you feel like you're at home.''

NTRA THOROUGHBRED NOTEBOOK May 22, 2008

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.



BIG BROWN PREPARES FOR HISTORIC TRIPLE CROWN BELMONT RUN

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown, looking to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner in the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 7, continues his preparation for a possible date with destiny.

"He went out and did his usual thing," his regular exercise rider, Michelle Nevin, said yesterday of the colt's return to the track for the first time since Saturday's impressive 5 ¼-length victory at Pimlico. "He was very interested in the chickens today."

Owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr., the undefeated Big Brown will be making only his sixth career start in the 140th edition of the Belmont, the oldest, and at a mile and a half, the longest leg of the Triple Crown. Seattle Slew, who was 9-0 when he swept the series in 1977, is the only horse to win all three races while undefeated.

Among those expected to challenge Big Brown in the Belmont are Casino Drive, who is undefeated in two starts; Tale of Ekati, the winner of Aqueduct's Grade I Wood Memorial; Denis of Cork, third in the Kentucky Derby; Anak Nakal, Behindatthebar, Ready's Echo, Macho Again, Ichabad Crane, and Tomcito.

Meanwhile, Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow continues to exude confidence in his colt.

"It's not a sure thing but he's very live," quipped Dutrow, adding that barring the unforeseen, he fully expected to be in the winner's circle.

"I wish [the Belmont] were now because our horse is fit," he said. "Time is on our side because our horse is good."

The other undefeated horse in the Belmont will be Casino Drive, who ran off to an impressive 5 ¾-length victory in the Peter Pan on May 10 in his second start. The Japanese colt also galloped early Wednesday morning as his connections mulled over selecting a jockey for the race. According to Nobutaka Tada, the racing manager for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto, Japanese, European and American riders are under consideration. Favored are Yutaka Take, Edgar Prado and Garrett Gomez.

"It's up in the air," said Tada, saying a decision would be made within a few days.

Casino Drive has the same dam (mother) as the last two Belmont Stakes winners - Jazil (2006) and Rags to Riches (2007.

Two of the people behind Tale of Ekati, trainer Barclay Tagg and his assistant Robin Smullen, have an interesting perspective on Big Brown's run at the Triple Crown. In 2003, Funny Cide, now Tagg's stable pony, headed into the Belmont as the favorite following his impressive wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, only to finish third.

"Big Brown is a pretty formidable character," said Smullen. "I'm hoping for us that we run well, and win. Both Smarty (Jones in 2004) and `Funny' looked unbeatable coming into it - when they win the first two legs the way they did, they look unbeatable. Maybe Big Brown is - but there's a ton of people willing to try if he's not."



NATIONAL HANDICAPPING CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNING TO RED ROCK
JANUARY 23-24

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas announced today that the $1 million Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) would return to the popular Las Vegas property in 2009 for the event's tenth annual renewal. NHC X will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 23-24, 2009, at Red Rock, which is the Official Hotel of the NTRA.

"We are delighted to return the National Handicapping Championship to the beautiful Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa," said Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications and industry relations for the NTRA. "Last year's event was the best NHC ever, and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the Red Rock staff was apparent throughout the competition."

"We were proud to host the first-ever million-dollar NHC this past January," said Art Manteris, vice president of race and sports operations for Station Casinos, Inc. "I think the NTRA, DRF and the 278 competitors came away with a favorable impression of our property and our highly trained staff at Red Rock, and we look forward to providing another outstanding experience next January."

The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino racebooks, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping Web sites, each of which sends its top three qualifiers to the national finals. This year, more than 100,000 people are expected to attempt to qualify for the 2009 NHC at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas.



SUPERSTUD STORM CAT RELIEVED OF HIS STALLION DUTIES

Claiming Crown, Thoroughbred racing's $600,000 day for "blue collar runners", returns to Canterbury Park in Minnesota this year and horsemen from all sections of the country and Canada appear eager to be part of it.

More than 200 horses, which have started at least once since January 1, 2007, for claiming prices ranging from $7,500 to $35,000, have been nominated for the seven-race program that will be held Saturday, August 2, at the Shakopee, Minn., racetrack.

"This will be the eighth time we have hosted this event," said Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson, "and this is the largest number of early nominations we have ever received." Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park in 2002 and at Ellis Park last year.

Owners and trainers living in 29 different states and Canada have submitted nominations, including Richard Englander, whose colors have been worn by four Claiming Crown winners; trainer Scott Lake, who has saddled eight winners; and trainer Mike Maker, who won three races at Ellis Park.

Nominations (at $500) close Friday, June 13 and that is also the deadline for names to be submitted for open nominations made in April. For additional information contact Claiming Crown coordinator Nat Wess at 800-340-6361 ext. 6411 or visit www.claimingcrown.com.



PANELL, RIGATTIERI WIN FIVE TOGETHER ON SATURDAY AT SUFFOLK DOWNS

Jockey Dyn Panell and trainer John Rigattieri teamed up to win five races, including four in a row, on last Saturday's nine-race card at Suffolk Downs before a Preakness Stakes day crowd of 7,220.

Panell and Rigattieri earned their first trip to the winner's circle when the favored Good Will ($5.20) won race three. The tandem then proceeded to sweep races five through eight. They took the fifth in a six-length romp aboard Dixie Red ($3.40) and followed that up with a determined score by Prince of Iron ($5.20) in the sixth. The streak was extended in the seventh race with a 1 ¾-length victory by 4-5 favorite Blondie's Halo ($3.60) and culminated with an upset by Handsome Bruno ($15.80) in the eighth.

The five-win day was the third of Panell's career. He is the first jockey to accomplish this riding feat at Suffolk Downs since Winston Thompson on November 11, 2006. Panell rode five winners for Rigattieri on June 19, 2006. Rigattieri also saddled five winners on July 15, 2006, four of which were ridden by Panell.

Panell has the highest winning percentage among Suffolk jockeys each of the last three seasons, winning at a 27% clip. He finished fourth in the 2007 Suffolk standings with 67 victories from only 244 mounts. Rigattieri has been leading trainer at Suffolk Downs the last four years, saddling 64 winners a year ago.



RACING TO HISTORY

May 22, 1974: Locust Hill Farm's Ruffian won her first start, a maiden race for two-year-old fillies, by 15 lengths at Belmont Park. Sent off at odds of 4-1, Ruffian completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.

May 23, 1936: Rushaway, ridden by John Longden, won his second derby in as many days, taking the 1 1/4-mile Latonia Derby at Latonia in Covington, Ky. Rushaway had won the 1 1/8-mile Illinois Derby, run at Aurora, outside Chicago, the previous day.

May 23, 1992: Jockey Jacinto Vasquez had his 5,000th career winner, aboard Susan Pixum, at Calder Racecourse.

May 24, 1905: Harry Payne Whitney's Tanya became the second (and last) filly to win the Belmont Stakes. Ruthless was the first filly to win the Belmont, in 1867. Whitney also won the Kentucky Derby with a filly, Regret, in 1915.

May 24, 1977: At odds of 13-1, Louis and Patrice Wolfson's two-year-old colt Affirmed won his maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park, ridden by jockey Bernie Gonzalez.

May 25, 1991: Jockey Steve Cauthen won his fourth European derby, the Derby Italiano, with Hailsham, trained by Clive Brittain. Cauthen has also won the Epsom Derby twice, the Irish Derby and the French Derby, in addition to his Kentucky Derby win with Affirmed.

May 27, 1823: A $20,000 match race between American Eclipse (representing The North) and Henry (representing The South) was held at Union Course, Long Island. Eclipse won in two-of-three heats, after his original jockey, William Crafts, was replaced by Samuel Purdy before the second heat. The race, witnessed by 60,000 spectators, was the first to have been timed by split-second chronometers, which were imported for the event.

May 27, 1873: A bay colt, Survivor, won the first Preakness Stakes by 10 lengths, the largest margin in the race's history.

May 27, 1878: The entire field of Preakness Stakes horses-three-was owned by a single family, the brothers George and Pierre Lorillard. George's horses finished first and third.

May 27, 1882: Trainer Robert Walden won his fifth consecutive Preakness Stakes, with Vanguard. Walden won a total of seven Preaknesses, a record for a trainer.

May 27, 1981: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey in racing history to win 8,000 races when he rode War Allied to victory in the first race at Hollywood Park.

1987 A great year for racing

by Dave Valento

It is widely considered the 2008 group of three-year olds is below par (besides Big Brown). Many feel that other than Curlin the older horses are pretty average, as well. With the nature of racing today, with horses running less and retiring early, it is hard to get a good gauge on the combined depth of horse quality until it has past us by. The racing year of 1987 might be the measuring stick when sizing up thoroughbred racing.

There were so many great horses running in 1987 that it is a bit mesmerizing. We may never again be so fortunate. Let's look at some of the big names of that year:

- Alysheba ($6,679,242): Won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and was beaten a head in the Breeder's Cup Classic. One of the greatest thoroughbreds ever.

- Bet Twice ($3,308,599): Won the Belmont by 10 lengths and the Haskell over Alysheba and Lost Code in one of the best races of the decade


- Lost Code ($2,085,396): Won the Grade 1 Arlington Classic and the Ohio and Illinois Derby. Also made a trip to Canterbury and wired a good St. Paul Derby group.

- Cryptoclearance ($3,376,327): Big late closer that was very exciting to watch. Won the Florida Derby and was 4th to Alysheba in the Kentucky Derby. Ran a huge 2nd in the Travers that year. Had a great career as an older handicap horse, running until 1990.

- Java Gold ($1,908,832): Got a late start to three-year old season due to injury but was dominant in a stacked Travers field.


- Gulch ($3,095,321): One of the most versatile horses to ever run. Won the Wood Memorial and was 3rd in the Belmont and then turned around and won the Met Mile and was the Breeder’s Cup Sprint winner in 1988.

- Ferdinand ($3,777,978): 1986 Derby winner was a superstar older horse, as well. He was victorious over Alysheba in the single greatest Breeder’s Cup Classic ever run


- Very Subtle ($1,608,360): Won the Breeders Cup Sprint over males in 1987.

- Groovy ($1,346,946): 2nd in Breeders Cup Sprint and an absolute speedball freak.

- Zany Tactics ($580k): Set the world record for 6 furlongs at Turf Paradise (1:06.4).

- Theatrical ($2,840,500): Recent hall of fame inductee won the Breeders Cup Turf in 1987.


- Forty Niner ($2,726,000): Two-year old champion of 1987. Was a force in 1988, winning the Travers that season.

There were other greats from that season. We at Canterbury really enjoyed equally great local running. We got to see Who Doctor Who ($813k). The “Doctor” won 33 of 64 starts in a legendary career. There was also Hoist Her Flag ($290k) as she was into her five-year old season in 1987. How about Turbo Launch? She broke her maiden at Canterbury in her first start by 15 lengths and later that season knocked off the highly touted California invader, Lost Kitty. Turbo Launch only raced 8 times (winning 4) in an injury shortened career. She may now be known best for being the granddam of Point Given. There were also names we’ll never forget like Charging Through, Forkintheroad, Staff Riot and John Bullit.


It was a year in racing (especially for Minnesota racing fans) that can be looked back on very fondly. Oh, did I mention the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1987?

Big Brown on to The Belmont

May 18 News & Notes

BY JIM WELLS

Horse racing produces its share of rags to riches stories, yarns about champion horses nearly dying as weanlings and horses counted out long before they developed.See Seabiscuit and John Henry for examples.Sometimes, the tales are not about honored champions but simply colorful or out of the ordinary.

See Sunday’s sixth race at Canterbury Park for an example. The winner of that race was a brown five-year-old gelding named Ty Two, a son of Unusual Heat (Nureyev) from the Raise a Champion mare Raise a Rebelette. How this horse got away from the gate as an 11-1 underdog will remain one of the mysteries of the season. He has done nothing but win or come close all year, with four wins and three seconds from 10 starts in 2008.Throw in the fact that he had Canterbury’s defending riding champ, Derek Bell, on his back, and the mystery becomes a real puzzler.

Bell put Ty Two on the rail and he ran down the fast tiring frontrunner Ruba Dub Dub, the post-time favorite, in the.stretch run of the 5 ½-furlong sprint for $5,000 claimers.The winner is owned by HBPA president Tom Metzen, who bought him from trainer Doug Oliver in Phoenix. And the sale came about in a most unusual way. You’ve heard of the bus not leaving the curb until someone gets off. Well, in this case, the van wasn’t leaving Phoenix until someone got on.

“Billy Parker was hauling a load to Grand Island, Neb.,’’ Metzen recalled. “Chad Anderson, Bobbie Grissom and Dave Van Winkle were supposed to have two horses each on the van. Anderson only had one, and Parker said he wasn’t leaving with an empty stall.’’

Metzen bought the horse and Ty Two headed to Fonner Park and promptly proved his mettle. He was a winner three times and a runner-up three other times in six starts, running for the final time in Nebraska on May 2.

Sunday, he made his first start in Minnesota and, once again, found the winner’s circle.“That trip to Fonner did him good,’’ said Oliver. “He wasn’t doing anything in Phoenix and his owner wanted to sell him. They put him on the rail, and on those tight turns at Fonner he just zipped around that track. Now he knows how to win.’’

The horse that his previous owner didn’t want was sold for $1,000. “He got him cheap,’’ said Oliver.

This much is certain about Ty Two: He will not get away at 11-1 next time..

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR SEVERAL REASONS

“Happy Birthday, Todd,’’ someone yelled to trainer Todd Hoffrogge before the fourth race.

Hoffrogge turned 40 on Sunday.

Now throw in the fact that Kay Owens of Eagan was celebrating her birthday (the race was sponsored in her name: “The Kay’s Birthday Sprint’’) and picking a winner on pure whim was a simple matter.

Paul Nolan brought in the winner, Ribot’s Rift, for Sand and Cee Stables of New Prague. And he was trained by? Hoffrogge, of course.

“It’s not about me, though, ‘’ the trainer said. “It’s about the owners and the sponsors.’’“It’s a 60th birthday and retirement celebration,’’ said Mike Owens, Kay’s husband, who was joined by numerous family and friends. Kay Owens worked for the American Red Cross for 30-plus years and actually celebrated her birthday last week.

Her brother, Dave Hansen, is vice president of finance at Canterbury Park.

May 17 News and Notes

BY JIM WELLS
Bright, breezy spring weather provided Saturday afternoon with the perfect conditions for watching horse racing at Canterbury Park, cheering on Big Brown during the simulcast of the Preakness Stakes and hoping for his continued success three weeks hence.Although there was plenty of live racing to watch, with nine races, including two $50,000 stakes, many patrons in Saturday’s crowd were eager for the Preakness to unfold. Thoroughbred racing has another opportunity for a Triple Crown winner, the first in 30 years, in the Belmont Stakes on June 7.“Big Brown. Big Brown. Big Brown. That’s what I told everybody before the Derby,’’ said Russ Sampson. “They didn’t want a 2-1 horse, but they wanted a winner. I really hope he wins the Triple Crown.’’ He’s right on track after winning the Preakness easily and with plenty left in the tank. “They can’t beat him, can they,’’ trainer Jerry Livingston said rhetorically before the race.It hasn’t happened yet.“The stars have to be aligned just right,’’ said Tom Metzen, Jr.They appear to be right in line.The undercard Saturday in Shakopee provided some hefty rewards for long-price players, starting with the first race of the afternoon. Ry Eikleberry arrived in Shakopee this week and announced his arrival by winning with his first mount of the meet in Friday night’s last race. He followed up with a victory aboard 11-1 choice Doctor Click, trained by Troy Bethke, in the card opener on Saturday.The Doctor returned $23.80, $16.20 and $8.60, but he didn’t provide the biggest payback on the card.That distinction went to Banker’s D Light, owned and trained by Phil Hartman of Glendale, Az., in partnership with Adam Seuer of New Market, Minn.Sent off at 24-1 under Anne Von Rosen, Banker’s D Light was a convincing winner in the $50,000 10,000 Lakes Stakes, well in front of the defending champ Sir Tricky, a fourth-place finisher on Saturday. “Not bad, huh,’’ Von Rosen said to a bystander in the winner’s circle. “You know I don’t like this,’’ she said to paddock analyst Kevin Gorg, as he prepared to interview her. Von Rosen said that Hartman instructed her to keep the gelding close to the leaders but he drew off with her at the 3/8ths pole. “He (Hartman) did an awesome job getting him ready,’’ Von Rosen added. The winning rider couldn’t help but recall her last victory in the race, aboard the late Careless Navigator, owned by Almar Farm, in 2006. On Saturday, Banker’s D Light finished 1 ½ lengths in front of Trickyville Dew and Scott Stevens, who wasn’t willing to settle for second in the companion race, the $50,000 Lady Slipper Stakes. Stevens’ mount in that race was A.J. Bakes, the star 2-year-old filly last year in the Todd Hoffrogge barn. The question on Saturday was A.J. Bakes’ ability to run against older company. No problem was the answer. Stevens was confident nearing the wire, although his horse was tiring. “I heard them company, but she dug in,’’ he said. “The horse I was worried about was (the Mac Robertson trained) Thanks for the Tip.’’ Stevens knew that horse was done at the 3-8ths pole. And here’s something to consider:A.J. Bakes and Big Brown are both by Boundary. The win completed a hat trick for Stevens on the card. “The only thing better would have been winning the race before this one, too,’’ he said.Stevens won the 2003 Lady Slipper with Fancy Injun. “That was (trainer) Jaime Ness’s first stakes win,’’ he said

Lady Slipper / 10,000 Lakes Stakes Preview

New and Notes May 16

BY JIM WELLS


CHINESE TREMOR REACHES SHAKOPEE.

The devastating earthquake in China could be felt 1,000 miles away and produced a ripple effect felt in places around the world.
Including Canterbury Park.
Jockey Paul Nolan was standing outside his truck the other morning on the backside when an exercise rider rode past and yelled something. "Yeah, I got a mouthful and it didn't taste all that good,'' Nolan responded. Earlier, a fractious two-year-old had dumped Nolan and he still bore the telling dirt marks on his boots and jeans.
Nolan's thoughts were clearly not on the rambunctious green horse at that point. He had been talking about the whereabouts of a relative in China when the rider trotted past.
When Nolan resumed the conversation later on by phone, he spoke of his aunt and godmother, a missionary nun stationed in China; where, he isn't certain.
What concerned Nolan most was his inability to reach his aunt, Sister Maureen Grant, by email.
"I can't get hold of her, and I'm not sure why,'' Nolan said. "She's a teacher over there, a Mother Superior I guess, and I know that some schools were hit hard.''
Grant belongs to the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban, an order founded in Ireland in 1924 and is a sister to Nolan's mother, who lives in Safford, England.
"I'm going to contact my mother and see if she's heard anything,'' he said. In the meantime, Nolan is hopeful that he hasn't heard anything because all is well.
"You know the saying,'' he said. "No news is good news.''

AN EMPTY STALL AT THE MALL

Nolan represented Canterbury Park and the racing industry as part of a presentation at the Mall of America this week celebrating Minnesota's 150th birthday.
"It was a pretty good history of Minnesota,'' said Nolan, who appeared in silks and brought along a riding saddle but no horse. "They had a number of different aspects of Minnesota life.''
Among other organizations represented from the Shakopee and Eden Prairie areas were the Renaissance Festival and the Minnesota Vikings.
"Bob Lurtsema, the former Viking was there,'' added Nolan, who will be wearing a variety of silks this weekend.
He has six mounts on Friday's card, seven on Saturday and five on Sunday.

A LEAN, MEAN AGENT

Yes, that is Richard Grunder, jockey agent extraordinaire, slim and trim after cutting back on the sweets and mashed potatoes and adding afternoon walks to his daily regimen. Grunder has the book for defending riding champ Derek Bell and Adolpho Morales. Although that will require a bit of barn-hopping mornings, it is afternoons when Grunder gets in the serious walks.
"I do six miles a day,'' he said.
He has trimmed about 36 pounds. "And I'm going to cut more,'' he said.
Grunder has been cutting back on the sweets and snacks and taking smaller plates at mealtimes.
It isn't easy at times.
"I love ice cream,'' he said. "I just love it.''
It doesn't help that he recently discovered Cold Stone Creamery. "Oh, my,'' Grunder added. "I'm driving down the road and that red car just tries to turn in.''
Late night television is a dangerous time, too.
"I was watching Law and Order and nodding off last night when I spotted a bag of chips,'' he said. "
His current appearance would suggest that Grunder resists more temptations than he succumbs to.

News & Notes May 15 (5/15/2008)

BY JIM WELLS

GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND WE'RE....

Rolls of fresh sod were lined up outside the Dean Kutz Memorial Chapel Thursday morning. A fellow wearing a painter's cap and white, paint-stained pants opened the door to the new facility and walked in, bucket in hand. Inside the racing office, a notice implored stable hands, jockey agents and trainers to pitch in and help lay sod that afternoon.

Around the corner, chaplain Tommy Bartram sat in his office reading a spiritual book of some kind.

Eventually, Bartram and his wife, Larissa, will have their office in the new building.
Right now, they are gearing up for the grand opening on June 2.

"We'll have our regular Monday night service in there at 6 p.m.,'' said Bartram. On the program, as a speaker, is Hall of Fame rider Pat Day, who will address the gathering, as will Bartram. Enrique Torres, the head of Racetrack Chaplains of America, also will be here.
The chapel, named for former Canterbury rider Dean Kutz, who died of cancer, will serve a variety of purposes in the stable area. Services will be conducted there on Mondays. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings will be held in the building on Tuesdays. English lessons also will be conducted in the building. The building will accommodate social gatherings. Bartram also expects to conduct some weddings and counseling services in the chapel.

"I've done probably 10 or 15 weddings out here,'' Bartram said.

A silent auction on May 31 in the grandstand and a dinner are planned to help raise funds for the chapel.

Bartram was unable to say Thursday what his sermon will cover on opening night. "I'd tell you, but I don't know,'' he said. "It's something I'm praying on now.''

AN EYE FOR AN EYE....

Patrice Underwood was nursing a black eye and a swollen nose Thursday morning after a run-in with her horse the night before.

The HBPA executive director was throwing some hay into the stall for her thoroughbred, Wiley Gray, when he swung his head and caught on the face with an open mouth.

Wiley Gray, once trained by George Bango, can have a bad disposition at times. "He was a biter,'' Underwood said.

Underwood, who rode at Canterbury as Patrice Finnegan, wasn't about to let this thoroughbred get the best of her.

She did what any stable manager or rider worth her salt would do. "Once I got the bleeding stopped in my nose, I saddled him up and made him work,'' she said.

GROOMS BUT NOT BRIDES

The Groom Elite 101 class will begin on June 3 and be held on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from noon to 3 p.m.

The class will cover a variety of topics including horse behavior and safety, conformation, shedrow safety, care of the legs, feeding and grooming and a variety of other issues related to the horse, its training and care.

Lunch will be served to prospective candidates who can sign up for the program in the HBPA office in the racing building.
Graduates of the program will receive a diploma and Groom Elite jacket.

QUIET ENOUGH TO HEAR A PIN DROP

The racing office has been so quiet the first couple of weeks of the meet that some horsemen have referred to it as a morgue. The stable kitchen was often packed with horsemen taking their morning coffee or grooms and hot-walkers and exercise riders eating breakfast. Trainers, jockey agents and riders used the building to congregate after morning workouts in years past, but are conspicuous by their absence this year.

Horsemen make their entries and then disappear.

One reason?

The no smoking rule that took effect in Minnesota last year.

"The racing office used to be blue with smoke,'' recalled former rider and now HBPA executive director Patrice Underwood.

FRIDAY NIGHT RACING BEGINS

Management put on the finishing touches for its first Friday night card of the season.
Crowds and wagering have increased over the last three or four years following the introduction of live bands and specials for the Friday night cards. . . .

"In terms of raw attendance, Thursdays are still better (averaging around 5,000),'' said Eric Halstrom, vice president of racing operations. "But we have higher per capita wagering on Friday nights with crowds hovering around 4,000.''

Friday nights feature live bands and will include something new this season. "We're introducing 2-for-1 night,'' said Halstrom.

Two can get in for the price of one. And _ to avoid discriminating against singles _ individuals will be admitted for half price, $2,50.

The Chris Hawkey band will perform as part of tonight's card.

"The bands seem to help,'' said Halstrom.

NTRA THOROUGHBRED NOTEBOOK May 15, 2008

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by NTRA Communications.

DERBY WINNER BIG BROWN GOES FOR SECOND LEG OF TRIPLE CROWN IN PREAKNESS
Authoritative Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown has been installed as a prohibitive 1-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore. The Richard Dutrow-trained colt, who became the first horse in 79 years to win the Derby from the No. 20 post, drew the No. 7 post in a field of 13 entered yesterday in the middle jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown. Kent Desormeaux retains the mount aboard the undefeated son of Boundary.
"Maybe he'll get to save some ground for the first time," said Big Brown's co-owner Michael Iavarone of IEAH Stable when asked about the seven post. "I think if he gets a clean trip, I don't know of anybody who can run with him."
The Preakness can be seen live on NBC in a telecast airing from 4:30-6:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday. Should Big Brown win the Preakness, he would, in all likelihood, journey next to Belmont Park for the June 7 Belmont Stakes and an attempt to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978.
The only Derby foe of Big Brown's back for another crack at him is morning line second-choice Gayego, who started from post 19 in Kentucky and will break from post 12 under regular rider Mike Smith. Winner of the Arkansas Derby, Gayego finished 17th in the Run for the Roses.
"It's a little outside, but what can you do?" said Gayego's trainer Paulo Lobo of the draw. "It's better than 19. Let's see how the horses are going to break. Everyone's going to want a good position into the first turn, so it's going to depend on how they break."
Perhaps the most intriguing new challenger for Big Brown is Behindatthebar, who captured the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 19 in his most recent start.
"We like our post position," said Behindatthebar's co-owner Don Stanley. "Our horse has no speed, so he'll have to go back. He'll come running, so the post position is good. We should do fine from this post."
The complete Preakness Stakes field, in post position order, is: Macho Again (jockey: Julien Leparoux, morning line odds: 20-1); Tres Borrachos (Tyler Baze, 30-1); Icabad Crane (Jeremy Rose, 30-1); Yankee Bravo (Alex Solis, 15-1); Behindatthebar (David Flores, 10-1); Racecar Rhapsody (Robby Albarado, 30-1); Big Brown (Kent Desormeaux, 1-2); Kentucky Bear (Jamie Theriot, 15-1); Stevil (John Velazquez, 30-1); Riley Tucker (Edgar Prado, 30-1); Giant Moon (Ramon Dominguez, 30-1); Gayego (Mike Smith, 8-1); and Hey Byrn (C.C. Lopez, 20-1).

SUCCESSFUL DERBY SPONSORSHIP TO BE CONTINUED AT PREAKNESS
A Kentucky Derby Day promotion facilitated by NetJets Inc., the Jockeys' Guild, Churchill Downs and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association ("TOBA"), in which all Derby jockeys wore the NetJets logo, has raised $500,000 to benefit the NTRA Charities - Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Jockey John Velazquez will present the gift to representatives of the Fund on Friday morning at Pimlico Race Course.
NetJets contributed $200,000 to the donation on behalf of the 20 jockeys participating in Kentucky Derby 134 and made an additional contribution of $100,000. Richard T. Santulli, chairman and CEO of NetJets, made a personal donation of $100,000, as did Bill Casner, owner of WinStar Farm and chairman of TOBA. NetJets will also sponsor the riders competing in Saturday's 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes.
"NetJets is truly honored to join with the Derby jockeys and Bill Casner to make this donation to the NTRA Charities - Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund," said Richard T. Santulli. "Through our sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby and now the Preakness, we hope to build awareness of the many worthy charities within the Thoroughbred industry, and help raise additional money to benefit these great causes."
"This is the single largest donation in the history of the Fund, and we greatly appreciate the contributions of NetJets, the Kentucky Derby jockeys and the personal gifts of Richard Santulli and Bill Casner," said Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the NTRA. "Their generosity and dedication is making a difference in the lives of disabled riders."
"The industry worked together for the benefit of the industry and a worthy cause," said Velazquez, who also serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Jockeys' Guild. "My fellow riders and I, along with the Jockeys' Guild, look forward to continuing to work with all segments of the industry to help racing and its charitable efforts."
Preakness jockeys will donate their NetJets sponsorship money to The Jockey Club Foundation, a charitable trust that provides financial assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families, and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which is committed to the advancement of research to enhance the health and soundness of horses of all breeds.

SUPERSTUD STORM CAT RELIEVED OF HIS STALLION DUTIES
Officials of Overbrook Farm near Lexington, Ky., announced Tuesday that Storm Cat, one of the most influential stallions of recent history, would be pensioned due to diminishing fertility. The 25-year-old stallion, that stood for an advertised stud fee of $300,000 this year, had gotten only three mares pregnant during the current breeding season.
Storm Cat is the sire of 160 stakes winners and his progeny have earned over $112 million. He was North America's leading stallion in 1999 and 2000, and in 2002, his stud fee was a whopping $500,000. Only this year did the fee drop to $300,000.
At auction, his sons and daughters regularly commanded prices of $1 million and up. Among his top offspring to race were Giant's Causeway, who is now a top sire in his own right, and 1994 Preakness winner Tabasco Cat.
According to Overbrook Farm, Storm Cat remains in good health.

RACING ON THE AIR (all times Eastern)
May 16, Woodlawn Stakes, Adena Stallions' Miss Preakness Stakes, Maryland Lottery Pimlico Special and The Very One Stakes (Pimlico); 3:30-5:00 p.m., ESPN2
May 16 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Pimlico), 5:00-6:00 p.m., ESPN2
May 17 Maryland Sprint Handicap (Pimlico); 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ESPN2
May 17 Skipat Stakes and Gallorette Handicap (Pimlico); 12:00-2:00 p.m., ESPN
May 17 Old Mutual Turf Sprint, Hirsch Jacobs Stakes, Barbaro Stakes and Dixie Stakes (Pimlico); 2:00-5:00 p.m., ESPN
May 17 Preakness Stakes (Pimlico); 4:30-6:30 p.m., NBC

RACING TO HISTORY
May 15, 1918: Two horses-War Cloud and Jack Hare Jr.-were declared the winner of the Preakness Stakes, not because of a dead heat, but because the race was run in two divisions.
May 15, 1952: John Longden gained his 4,000th victory, riding at Hollywood Park.
May 15, 1954: Nashua won his first race, running 4 ½ furlongs over a straightaway at Belmont Park.
May 15, 1993: Genuine Risk, the second of three fillies to have won the Kentucky Derby since it began in 1875, gave birth to her first foal after 13 years of failed attempts and miscarriages. The foal, a son of Rahy, was named Genuine Reward.
May 15, 1999: Lee Chang Ferrell, a patron in the Pimlico infield, jumps onto the track in midstretch and interferes with the running of the Maryland Breeders' Cup Handicap. The race winner, Yes It's True, avoids the trouble, but wagers on fifth-place finisher Artax are refunded due to the incident. Later that day, Charismatic, winner of the Kentucky Derby, takes the Preakness Stakes before a record crowd of 100,311.
May 15, 2004: Smarty Jones won the Preakness Stakes by 11 ½ lengths, the largest winning margin in the 129-year history of the Preakness.
May 16, 1884: Buchanan became the first maiden to win the Kentucky Derby. Only two other maiden horses have gone on to win the Run for the Roses: Sir Barton in 1919, and Brokers Tip in 1933.
May 16, 1925: The first network radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired from WHAS in Louisville.
May 16, 1979: Gary Stevens rode his first career winner, named Lil Star, trained by his father, Ron Stevens, at Les Bois Park.
May 16, 1998: Bob Baffert became the first person to train Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winners in successive years. In 1997, Baffert won the Derby and Preakness with Silver Charm; the following year, he won with Real Quiet.
May 16, 1998: During Preakness Stakes Day at Pimlico Racecourse, a transformer went down at 1:00 p.m., causing a power failure in the grandstand. With temperatures in the 90s, the facility had no operating air-conditioning, lights, closed-circuit television, public address system, elevators, escalators or betting windows. A record crowd of 91,122 was on hand and an estimated $1.5 million in on-track handle was lost.
May 17, 1875: America's oldest continuously held sporting event, the Kentucky Derby, was first run. The race was won by Aristides, who was ridden and trained by African Americans Oliver Lewis and Ansel Williamson, respectively. The day marked the opening of Churchill Downs; an estimated 10,000 spectators witnessed the first Derby.
May 17, 1881: James Rowe Sr., then age 24, became the youngest trainer to saddle a Kentucky Derby winner after Hindoo took the 7th Derby for his owners, brothers Phil and Mike Dwyer, both notorious gamblers.
May 17, 1915: Rhine Maiden, in winning the Preakness Stakes, produced the only Kentucky Derby-Preakness wins by fillies in the same year. The 1915 Derby was won by Regret, who did not compete in the Preakness.
May 17, 1930: Two-year-old Equipoise gave owner C.V. Whitney his first stakes victory when he captured the Keene Memorial Stakes at Belmont Park at odds of 3-5.
May 17, 1947: Seabiscuit, owned by Charles S. Howard, succumbed to a heart attack at Ridgewood Ranch in Willits, Calif. He was 14.
May 17, 1976: Sixteen-year-old Steve Cauthen rode his first winner, Thomas Bischoff-trained Red Pipe, in the eighth race at River Downs. By the end of his first year of apprenticeship, Cauthen had won 240 races from 1,170 mounts and $1.2 million in purses.
May 18, 1931: Fifteen-year-old Eddie Arcaro rode his first race, finishing sixth, at Bainbridge Park, Ohio. At year's end, he remained winless after 36 tries.
May 18, 1935: The Seagram family won the Queen's Plate stakes (then called the King's Plate), a record 20th time. From 1891-1898, the Seagrams' horses won the Plate every year.
May 18, 1957: Eddie Arcaro set the record for most number of Preakness Stakes wins by a jockey, six, when he rode Bold Ruler to victory for Wheatley Stable.
May 18, 1968: Judy Johnson became the first female trainer to saddle a horse for the Preakness Stakes. Her horse, Sir Beau, finished seventh in a field of 10.
May 18, 1968: Calumet Farm set the record for most number of wins in the Preakness Stakes by an owner, seven, when Forward Pass won the race by six lengths.
May 18, 1985: Patricia Cooksey became the first female jockey to compete in the Preakness Stakes. Her mount, Tajawa, finished sixth in a field of 11.
May 18, 1996: Jockey Pat Day won his third consecutive Preakness Stakes and his fifth Preakness overall, after riding Louis Quatorze to victory. The win, for trainer Nick Zito, snapped the Triple Crown race win-streak of trainer D. Wayne Lukas, which had run to six, beginning with the 1994 Preakness, won by Tabasco Cat.
May 18, 1998: Trainer Aimee Hall saddled four winners from five starters at Suffolk Downs, with all of the winners being ridden by her husband, Jose Caraballo. The wins are believed to be the first involving a married couple as jockey and trainer.
May 19, 1961: Jockey Bill Shoemaker notched his 4,000th career win aboard Guaranteeya at Hollywood Park.
May 19, 1964: Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. won his first race, aboard Huelen, riding at Presidente Remon in Panama.
May 19, 1973: Secretariat's winning performance in the Preakness Stakes was marred by a controversy over the timing of the race. The original teletimer time was 1:55 for the 1 3/16-mile race; Pimlico amended it to 1:54 2/5 two days later.
May 19, 1999: Secretariat was honored as the 35th greatest athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN's SportsCentury, a series of programs profiling the top athletes of the past 100 years. Secretariat was the only non-human to make the top 50.

Booly A Forgotten MN Bred Graded Stakes Winner

In October of 1992 an 0 for 4 Minnesota bred maiden named Booly was entered in the Grade 3 Selima Stakes to be run on the Laurel turf course. The filly won as the longest price on the board. She was the third MN bred to win a graded stakes race.

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I was corrected (see the comments) and must ammend the list of Minnesota bred graded stakes winners. Below are the four we know of. The Oracle submitted a blog entry on Super Abound last year. If the readers have additions, please chime in. Click the horse's name to view the lifetime past performaces. Thanks to Daily Racing Form for providing the data.

Super Abound Secretariat Stakes 1990 (G1)
Blair's Cove Swoon's Son 1990 (G3) Stars and Stripes 1991 (G3)
Booly Selima Stakes 1992 (G3)
Wally's Choice Oklahoma Derby 2004 (G3)

News & Notes May 11 (5/11/2008)

MTA 2-Year-old In Training Sale A Success
The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association Horses in Training Sale, held last night at Canterbury Park, should be considered a success. Kudos to the MTA for taking this on. It has been more than 15 years since a training sale has been held here. “It went very well,” said executive director Kay King. “We had awesome cooperation from everybody.”
Twenty-seven horses were consigned and every one made it through the ring. Of those, 17 were purchased by new owners, seven were buy-backs, and three brought no bids. Total sales were $265,900 with the sale topper being Hip #26, a 2-year-old Johannesburg colt, purchased for $40,000 by defense attorney extraordinaire Joe Friedberg.
MN Bred Quarter Horse Runs Big In Oklahoma
The first of two days of trials for the Heritage Place Futurity were held last evening at Remington Park in Oklahoma. Canterbury trainer Ed Ross Hardy had one entered, Alikazam, a 2-year filly by Shazoom out of the mare Miss Eyewear. She finished second in her heat recording a 97 speed index in a final time of 17.621 seconds. Unfortunately that was .004 too slow. “They take the five fastest (for the final in two weeks) on Saturday and the five fastest on Sunday,” Hardy said. “My filly was the sixth fastest.” With milliseconds deciding fate on a regular basis, quarter horse trainers seem to have a way of shaking off these bad beats. They just line up again somewhere down the road. Owned and bred by Minnesotan Rodney Von Ohlen, Alikazam is pointed to the Northlands Futurity trials in Shakopee on June 15.
Quarter horse racing begins at Canterbury on May 23. Hardy’s stable should begin arriving here next week and he plans to be here himself for the first weekend. He likely won’t have the numbers on site as he has in the past but expect quality and a lot of wins. “We have a pretty stout group of horses headed to Canterbury,” Hardy said.
jm
More on Web's Gemsby Jim Wells
There were three of them at the start, but the number has grown steadily since they claimed the first horse three years ago and today there are 14 total investment interests in 14 horses involving 20 individuals.
The name of the group is Web's Gems, its derivation a simple matter of a boyhood nickname that stuck and a passion for ESPN television. Of such glamorous stuff are partnerships in thoroughbred racing sometimes made.
The partnership has deep Minnesota roots, but it has taken on a life of its own and attracted investors from Iowa and California.
Here's the skinny:
Matt Wiebke, 38, who heads the group, is a lifelong resident of Bloomington. He and boyhood buddy Todd Klement used to show up at Canterbury when they were 14 years old and have their dads bet for them. The seed was planted. In 2000, having earned a MBA in finance at the U of M, Wiebke, by then an investment manager, bought a home next to jockey Paul Nolan, got increasingly more interested in the sport and decided to expand that interest. After attending a number of ownership seminars, he, Klement and business colleague Chris Sour of Wayzata hooked up with trainer Jamie Ness and claimed a horse named Uncle Brother in June of 2005. They lost the horse to trainer Troy Bethke the very next race, but the seed, planted a decade earlier, had sprouted.
And a name for that group?
"Well, my nickname was always Web,'' said Wiebke, "and Todd, after watching Web Gems on ESPN, suggested the name.''
The plan has taken some work and adjustment from the start.
In the business model that Wiebke first drew up, he put in half of the original $20,000 investment. Then, he tried to convince family and friends to make $5,000 investments. He had to adjust that figure.
"I lowered my minimum to $500, hoping to plant seeds,'' he said. "A few of those $500 have come and gone. But more importantly, my partners will tell other people they know and it goes from there. It's grass roots marketing if you will.''
Wiebke credits Dan Kjorsvik, another Ness owner, with helping him in the early stages of horse ownership. "I picked his brain a lot on how to operate. Jamie's been a huge driving force, of course, but Dan has been kind of a mentor.''
Klement got married and left Bloomington for the West Coast. Web's Gems now has three California investors and another from Iowa. The partnership is mostly Minnesotans, although Wiebke expects it might expand significantly beyond the state at some point.
The partnership is fluid. Sometimes investors decide to strike out on their own. Sometimes they simply want more say in the matter. "It's hard enough for me and Jamie to agree on something sometimes,'' said Wiebke, who recognized immediately the need for a single voice to represent the group.
"Can you imagine if we had to consult other investors every time we made a move,'' he said.
The most difficult part of the partnership is determining value each quarter or when a partner wants out. How much is a horse actually worth?
Sometimes Ness becomes part of the arrangement in a horse, an idea that started when the partnership was somewhat cash poor.
"We were struggling to make ends meet, our bank account was going down,'' Wiebke said. "We brought in a partner who committed to investing $8,000 but he backed out when we found a horse.''
At that point, Wiebke told Ness that he really liked the horse in question and could handle the purchase price. Monthly training and barn costs were another matter. A deal was struck.
Now, whenever Ness becomes part of the equation or any other ownership, owner identification will include his business label, Jagger, Inc., a tribute to his Boston Terrier.
As an investment manager, Wiebke is quite familiar with the benefits of diversification. It reduces risk, for one. "It limits the upside, of course,'' he said. "But the losses are easier to absorb.''
Ness's recognized skill with claiming brings in another financial gambit that Wiebke characterizes with a long respected business axiom.
"We try to buy low, sell high,'' he said.
WEB'S GEMS STABLE INVESTORS
Todd Klement, Foothill Ranch, Calif.
Chris Sour, Wayzata
Dan Bins, Minnetonka
Greg and Mark Vacura, Bloomington
Sheila Otterson, Blooming Prairie
Jon Theis, Minnetrista
John Bernstein, Minneapolis
Paul Jungquist, Fridley
Chris Tollefson, Eagan
Mark Kane, Brooklyn Park
Jim Merritt, St. Paul
Corey Tollefson, Prior Lake
Tom Toole, Mission Viejo, Calif.
Chris Buesgens, St. Paul
Ken Lundquist, St. Paul
Chris Coffey, Waukee, Iowa
Tom White, Laguna Woods, Calif.
John Waterman, Brooklyn Center.
Ness Wins At Presque Isle
Jamie Ness took a moment during the MTA sale of two and three-year-old horses Saturday night to watch the $100,000 Tall Ship Stakes from Presque Isle Downs. It was not mere curiosity, Ness had a horse named Repenting in the race and liked the three-year-old’s chances. Repenting rewarded that confidence by beating the field, including the favorite, trained by Steve Asmussen. Repenting was sent off as second choice at even money and won by 2 ½. “He’s on his way to Canterbury right now,’’ Ness said Sunday morning. “He’s the real deal.’’ Ness claimed Repenting for $25,000 in Tampa, and the horse has won four in a row. Next up? “I’m looking at the Ohio or Iowa derby,’’ Ness said. “I think he’s that good.’’ He trains the horse for Balkrisna Sukharen of Blaine, who has had a run of good luck with Ness-conditioned horses. Ness claimed Looking for the Secret for him last year in Tampa and the horse won the $250,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Dash at Calder on April 26. Owner and trainer have their sights set on the Claiming Crown for the horse. “He has won close to a half million for us,’’ Ness said. “He has the golden touch right now.’’ *************************** Doug Oliver was seated at a table on the second floor Sunday afternoon and chuckled when reminded of his statement a day earlier. Oliver sent out Mego, winner of the second race on that card, his only starter for the day. “This is the ideal way to do it,’’ he joshed. “One starter. One winner, and I’m done for the day.’’ Mego is owned by Bryan Oliver, Doug’s son. Sunday, Doug couldn’t help chuckling after the fourth race. Pop the Latch, owned and trained by Oliver, was the winner. The seven-year-old mare was his only starter on the card.

May 10 (5/10/2008)

BY JIM WELLS
On a damp, dreary afternoon only a few folks were present to witness a small piece of Canterbury history Saturday. Even track veterans paid scant notice when a filly named Mego hit the wire first in the second race on the card, a six-furlong sprint for $15,000 claimers. Not that they didn’t recognize the filly’s sire. Anyone with a faint grasp of Canterbury racing history might recall Thatsusintheolbean, who accomplished enough locally to be honored in the track’s hall of fame.. The Bean, as he came to be known, was trained by Doug Oliver and delighted racing fans with his consistency and soundness on the track. Oliver tried to sell the horse locally after retiring him but found no buyers and ended up taking $25,000 for him from breeders in New Mexico “I think that was a real steal for a horse like him,’’ Oliver said. “He never had a problem and retired completely sound.’’ The Bean, Canterbury’s 1999 Horse of the Year, didn’t have a long career at stud, however. He died _ shall we say _ going to the post. “I think it was early February of 2007,’’ said Oliver. “He was covering his first or second mare of the season and he fell over backwards and hit his head.’’ Therein lies the irony of the life and passing of a Canterbury champion. The Bean survived all the racetrack threw at him and retired sound enough to continue competing. Yet, he died trying to pass on those solid genes in a freakish accident. Oliver isn’t certain how many runners the Bean sired, a half dozen or more to be sure. He is certain of one quality in the Bean offspring he’s seen. “He wasn’t bred to quality mares, but he passed on his soundness and running ability just the same.’’ Oliver didn’t hesitate when he spotted one of the Bean’s daughters in the Arizona fall sale two years ago. He shelled out $32,000 for the chestnut filly, and she paid some dividends on the investment Saturday. “Yeah, she won easy,’’ said Bryan Oliver, Doug’s son and the owner of Mego. “Of course, all of his (the Bean) horses can run.’’ The Olivers ran another offspring of the Bean at Canterbury last year, a 3-year-old named Sean’s Olbean, named for Sean Kennedy, the longtime assistant to Oliver who died of cancer. But they had never had a Bean horse win at the track where its sire excelled….until Saturday.. So, what’s next for Mego after the third win of her career:? “They don’t write many non-winners of four here. Maybe we’ll run her on the turf,’’ Bryan Oliver said. “Her sire ran big here,’’ Doug Oliver added. He really liked it here.’’Thatsusintheolbean dominated races on the lawn at Canterbury in 1998 and 1999. Who knows, his daughter might grow to like Shakopee lawn, too. CANTERBURY UPDATE
The leading rider and trainer of 2007 hit the board Saturday in the sixth race, teaming for a victory with Moon Kid, a five-year-old Texas-bred gelding. Derek Bell rode, his fourth winner of the meet. Mac Robertson saddled the winner, his third of the meet. Robertson was in the winner’s circle again after Manuel Vazquez rode Kid Mariah to a six-furlong win in the eighth. Bernell Rhone, the 1996 training champ, saddled two winners on the card _ Eagle Storm in the third race and Heza Wild Guy in the seventh _ and is tied with Robertson with four wins for the current meet. Paul Nolan brought in General Hog in the closing race on the card, his fourth winner of the meet. The winner was owned, bred and trained by Ernie Witt.