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Written by Garry Allison
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Monday, 05 July 2010 23:01 |
LETHBRIDGE - The final weekend of the spring meet in Lethbridge saw unofficial winners declared in the jockey and trainer standings, both surprises.
The trainer honours went to Stan Marks, the surprise not being the talent, but the grand ol'trainer's age, 82. Stan's horses won a pair of races through the 16-races of the Rocky Mountain Turf Club weekend to bring his meet-long total to 10.
The other surprise came, not in the fact talented veteran Scott Sterr won five of the 16 races, but that pre-weekend meet leader Nate Smith could boot home only one winner. With his five victories, Scott swept past Nate for a total of 30 wins on the meet - and this after being set down by the stewards and missing the first two days. Nate was one back with 29 winners. In the show position was the "Raging Grannie" Kym Espy with 24 wins, three coming the final weekend. Janice Seesequasis, with three wins over the weekend, wound up with 13 victories overall, good for fourth spot.
If there could be a key to it all after two months of racing it came in Sunday's fifth race when Scott, on a Stan Marks horse, Project Fifth Five, out-ran Nate on Sweep's Cry. Ironically Kym was third on Major Temper. Had the win-place been reversed, Scott and Nate would have tied for the championship and Stan would have ended up tied with Pete Dubois.
The win was really not a surprise to Scott however. After an off-season which included irrigating his place - "I just about drowned myself working the irrigation," he said with a laugh - he was looking to be back on top as the leading rider at the RMTC's spring meet, and perhaps the fall as well.
"If you are looking any other way you might as well not be here. I don't come to the races to run second," Scott said sincerely. Stan's two weekend wins moved him past Pete Dubois for the top trainer title. Pete finished second with nine, being shutout the final weekend. Tied with Pete, with two weekend victories, was Lyle Magnuson, Tom Rycroft was next in line with eight victories. Stan took little personal credit for his success. "They just gave me some good horses to work with," he stated.
On the wagering side of the weekend, which did not have any high-purse feature races, the biggest pay-off for fans came during Friday's fourth race when Blandford Stewart brought Miss Heavenly One home to pay 26.00, 21.50, 4.50 - it would have been great to have $10 across the board on that longshot wouldn't it?
OUT OF THE GATE: Newsman Terry Vogt ably filled in as track announcer the final weekend as regular Dale Johnson headed to Grande Prairie... There'll be an unveiling of a life-size bronze of George Woolf and Seabiscuit on July 17 at Cardston's Remington Carriage Museum, don't miss it . . . the ponies return to Whoop-Up Downs Sept. 3-6 and the Fall Meet continues through Oct. 15-17.
-copyright thehorses.com
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 17:17 |
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Written by Garry Allison
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 19:32 |
LETHBRIDGE - There were no big races last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club, money wise, but for owners, trainers and jockeys every race is "big."
In a sense it's like the World Cup of soccer, everyone is jockeying for positions in various standings, and certainly for money to be earned. And, like the World Cup there were some surprises - like the weather, its was actually hot.
Friday, Red Birdie with Jackie Smith aboard teamed with Smiley Smile and Jennifer Reid to pay a 3-1 Exactor of $323.30. Bill Mooney trains the winning horse for owner Jim England. Saturday, veteran trainer Laurent (Lorne) Dupont, now retired at age 87, was at Whoop-Up Downs to watch old pal Stan Marks' horse Tana's Star run. Well, the 82-year-old Stan saw his horse run third, behind Betty Jo with Christopher Fung aboard and Laurina Bugeaud on Kilkenny Aileen.
Betty Jo, by Personable Jo out of Bet She Can Skat by Peace Arch and bred in Washington by Tracy Leslie, is now trained by one of the many female trainers at Whoop-Up Downs, Wanda Halerwich and owned by Margo Belzile. There were only seven races on the Saturday card, followed by six on Sunday.
Sunday's six races went by so fast Bully's GM Rose Rossi was still in the middle of the kids' pony rides and didn't even have time for her popular kiddies candy toss. Both events are hits with the kids each weekend and Rose, after all the miles leading the pony and its little riders around the Whoop-Up Downs tarmac, is as fit as many athletes.
Sunday, Goodbye Earl, trained and owned by Earl Fowler, went down coming out of the second turn, pitching rider Janine Smith to the turf. Janine bounced back up but the chestnut gelding had to be put down. As the pack passed us along the rail, before the first turn, trainer Earl Fowler said this was his final spring race in Lethbridge. "I'm not going on to Grande Prairie or Millarville, I'm heading back for Great Falls."
There's racing at Millarville July 1, another RMTC feature, and then the ponies return to Whoop- Up Downs July 2-4 for the final weekend of the Spring Meet. Millarville's festive affair includes the Millarville Derby, a $10,000 mile and an eighth Stakes Race. As well there will be a $7,000 five furlong Sprint Stake and a colourful and popular $7,000, 350-yard, Paint Stake. Plans also call for a $6,000, 350-yard dash and a $6,000 five furlong run. The card will also include another seven furlong $6,500 race for the Thoroughbreds.
-copyright thehorses.com
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