Down The Stretch Podcast

From Woodbine, the Ontario Derby for boys and the Ontario Fashion Stakes for girls. We have the great Emma-Jayne Wilson talking about her 2,000th win. We celebrate women in harness racing – driver Amy Macdonald breaking through at Northfield and Jessica Turenne prevailing on Harness the Hope night in London. Out east, Woodmere Rockit ran his perfect streak to 11. Gambler Ryan Willis tells us how he won the Bet Ontario Handicapping Contest and how he actually makes money betting harness horses. Tyler Peeples puts together fractional syndicates and explains why *MyRacehorse.com is coming to Canada. It was Thanksgiving Monday at Ajax Downs and it went very well for Cassandra Jeschke, Corry Beland, Chantelle Bourgeois, James Bogar and Milena Kwiecien. And Down The Stretch talks with Keanu Uchida, the star of Dancer, A Musical in 10 furlongs. 

*Racehorse ownership reimagined. MyRacehorse is now live in Canada! Click hear to learn more: https://debut.myracehorse.com/us/canada 

Another great story line from jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson – she had 4 wins on Friday and her lone win Saturday was the 2,000th of her career. Pietro Moran also with a 4-win day Saturday that included the Sophomore Stakes. We also have the Ontario Damsel and the Silver Creek Stakes. It was OSS Gold night at Mohawk with 8 finals including the showdown between Beau Jangles and Redland Rocketman. We talk with 90-year-old Len Green who owns DJ Stable which sent out Voyageur to win the Natalma at Woodbine.

In this blockbuster episode, we have the Cup and Saucer Stakes from Sunday at Woodbine and the Fall Turf Showcase on Saturday - the  Dance Smartly, the Algonquin, the Nearctic and the Canadian International Stakes. At Mohawk Friday night, 3 valuable OSS Golds where the horses earned more than the bettors.

Trainer/owner John Pentland talks about his amazing 3 days during which he won the Little Brown Jug with Redland Rocketman, then the She’s a Great Lady Stakes with Jersey Bulldog.

We’ve got reigning Harness Horse of the Year, Beau Jangles winning at the Red Mile in Lexington. Versatile horse person, Dawn Lupul is now with the Highfield Investment Group and she tells us why it’s great for horse racing in Alberta than her company has bought Century Downs and Century Mile Racetracks in Alberta.

Jockey Ismael Mosqueira experienced the very good and the very bad at Ajax Downs. He won 4 races last Wednesday, but was also ejected from a horse that stumbled out of the starting gate.

Your host of this podcast auditioned to be the next full-time Mohawk Park race caller. Was Rob Platts overly cruel in rejecting him?

And Garnet Barnsdale so loves his harness horse Woodmere Rockit, he flew over 1300 kilometres to Charlottetown to see if the 2-year-old pacer would remain perfect through his first 10 races.

It was the most lucrative night of harness racing in Canada Saturday night at Mohawk and we have the Elegant Image, the She’s a Great Lady, the Metro Pace, the Canadian Trotting Classic and the Mohawk Million. Shalom Hanover was a late scratch from the Metro Pace, but Dr. Ian Moore compares the unbeaten 2-Year-old to last year’s unbeaten rookie, Beau Jangles.

Jody Jamieson carried the Maple Leaf into the Little Brown Jug’s winners’ circle with Redland Rocketman, who won his elimination and the final by open lengths. At Woodbine on Sunday, it was the Breeders’ Stakes, final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. And we’re off to Ajax Downs where veteran rider Brian Bell pulled off the natural hattrick.

Jockey Pietro Moran bounced back from a fall with a great afternoon at Woodbine. We have the Sweet Briar Too and the Durham Cup Stakes. Saturday at Mohawk, eliminations for the Metro Cup. Friday at Mohawk, James MacDonald with another 5-win night. We’ve got John Pentland talking about Redland Rocketman who tied a world record pacing in 1:46.4. Another visit to Ajax Downs and coverage of their Wednesday races. And there’s a show about Northern Dancer called Dancer – a Musical in 10 Furlongs. We’ve got the writer, Jim Betts and the star, Keanu Uchida

A monster Saturday at Woodbine with 6 Stakes races, 4 of which were of the Win and You’re in category. We have a lot of Doug McNair this week; he pushed through the $100 million purse barrier and in doing so won a lot of Stakes races. Pietro Moran is just 21, but the last 3 weeks have allowed him to check off from his bucket list- a Stakes win at Saratoga, the Wonder Where at Woodbine and the traditional plunge after winning the Puss N Boots at Fort Erie. Dave Briggs of Ontario Racing Management explains how some astute bettors will get to carve up $10,000 in the Bet Ontario Handicapping Contest. You should have been betting on Ismael Mosqueira last Wednesday at Ajax Downs. He rode 5 horses. He won 5 races. And did we have time to include an 8th straight win for the undefeated Woodmere Rock It?

This week’s episode covers all corners of the horse racing world. From Woodbine the Singspiel Stakes and the Wonder Where. And those wondering where Oaks and Plate winner Luster was, owner Andrew Rosen tells us why the most excellent filly won’t take part in the next 2 legs of the Canadian Triple Crown.  There was another monster card of harness racing at Mohawk Saturday night that included the Maple Leaf Trot and the Canadian Pacing Derby. Also, the Yearling Sales Stakes from Woodbine, Woodmere Rockit still perfect out east and we drop into Ajax Downs for family fun day. From Clinton Raceway, a wrap of the Charity Drivers Challenge. Wait until you hear what New Zealand superstar Ka Ying Rising did in Japan on the weekend. And if you enjoyed Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, you’ll love Pietro and Joshua Go to Saratoga!

At Woodbine Saturday, the Zadracarta and Toronto Cup Stakes. From Mohawk, the Peaceful Way and the William Wellwood, and from Saratoga, the Travers Stakes. We’ve got Pietro Moran winning at Saratoga on Thursday, then losing to dad, David on Friday. Harness driver Jody Jamieson talks about the thrill of winning the Gold Cup and Saucer in Charlottetown, while burning the interviewer for getting his age wrong. Paul MacDonell has retired after 45 years in the bike and he did so with a winning drive.  We have the Harness the Hope race from Grand River and a sensational drive from Anita Ouellette. And have you ever seen a horse win a Stakes race by 84 lengths?

It was the Seaway Stakes at Woodbine and the favourite could see her way to the winner’s circle. An interesting way for Chantal Sutherland to win two races at Monmouth Park. It was Friday Night Stakes races at Mohawk Park and Louis-Philippe Roy loved it.  We’ve got Audrey Cheung telling us about her first Stakes winner in her first year of training and former NHL player Randy Exelby explains why his thoroughbred ownership is working out a lot better than his professional goaltending. Our weekly Ajax Downs wrap has the trials for both the Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity and the Picov Derby. And a Garnet Barnsdale daily double - he calls in from Charlottetown telling us how Jody Jamieson won the Gold Cup and Saucer, and we feature a 6th straight win by the 2-year-old pacer Woodmere Rockit, owned by Barnsdale.

It was the 167th running of the King’s Plate at Woodbine and 5 other Stakes. The filly, Luster proved she is the best racehorse in Canada. Trainer Josie Carroll has a 4th King’s Plate, and trainer Kevin Attard dominated the rest of the card with 5 wins. We have coverage of the Class of 26 getting inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, including Mike Saftic, Michael Burns Jr. and Richard Dos Ramos. There’s a 2-year-old pacer named Woodmere Rockit, who is the best rookie horse out east. The Stable boss Anthony MacDonald tells us why Garnet Barnsdale is an astute owner. Had To Be Fabulous won for the 15th time in 18 races when she crushed it in the Princess Maturity at Ajax Downs. And call them the ‘Fishy Four’ – 4 horses, with a lot in common, won at Monmouth and Saratoga on the same afternoon and we tell you why this wasn’t a normal outcome.