Down The Stretch Podcast

A busy week in horse racing is reflected in episode 241. We have the Niagara Stakes from Woodbine as apprentice jockey Pietro Moran continues to pile up the wins. Mohawk had 6 Grand Circuit races Saturday night and earlier that day, Colebrook Farms’ Simply in Front won a $2 million race in Kentucky. The Saratoga meet ended on Labour Day, but not before 89-year-old D Wayne Lukas gave himself a birthday present and Flavien Prat put a cherry on his record-breaking exploits. Jockey Amanda Vandermeersch tells us what it was like winning the Puss N Boots Cup at Fort Erie, then jumping into the infield pond. And the Fort’s race caller, Doug McPherson handicaps the upcoming Prince of Wales Stakes. Host Peter Gross got fed at Woodbine when the new Homestretch Bar and Suites was debuted and just to confuse you, we document how it was Saturday on Thursday.

Lots of Taylor Swift in this podcast – her main squeeze, Travis Kelce bought into a share of Swift Delivery who went off as the favourite in the Toronto Cup. Scott Zeron is not quite as famous as Taylor Swift, but he produced two huge hits at Mohawk, winning the Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot on the same night. Trainer Kevin Attard talks about his King’s Plate winning filly, Caitlinhergrtness and one of her owners, Elliot Walden of Winstar Farm, tells us why the filly won’t run in the Prince of Wales and how she was named after basketball star, Caitlin Clark. Teenage jockey Pietro Moran had a mixed bag Friday at Woodbine – 3 straight wins, then a DQ. Very similar to the 2-win, 1-DQ afternoon by Rachel Isaacs at Ajax Downs. And the cheesiest of stories – how a screwup at Mohawk resulted in a horse winning a race and paying... nothing to win.

The first King’s Plate ever to be run on a Friday and for Kevin Attard and Rafael Hernandez, it was worth waiting for as the only filly in the race knocked off the boys. We have several other Stakes races from Woodbine and the mid-summer classic, the Travers from Saratoga, which was almost won by another filly. Harness driver Jordan Stratton may be American, but he tells us how he helped write two very big Canadian stories. Ajax Downs had 6 races last week and we have the call of each one, and 10 year-old Clara Smith shows us why she has a Stakes level talent when it comes to writing about race horses.

It had never happened before. The King’s Plate got rained out! Woodbine CEO, Mike Copeland announces when it will be run. Kevin Attard says Woodbine made the right decision. Attard is also in this podcast talking about his great mare, Moira winning the $500,000 Beverly D Stakes in Virginia. Trainer Blake MacIntosh gets our props for crashing over the $20 million mark with a horse named Mamba. The classy pacer, Nijinsky returned to Mohawk and bossed a field around. Jockey Diego Benitez was the star last week at Ajax Downs, winning 3 races, including the feature. Garnet Barnsale gives us the Gold Cup and Saucer race from Charlottetown. And just how sensational was Yannick Gingras’ Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philly? The great Blues singer/guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mambo Number 5 performer, Lou Bega help this podcast along.

In this half hour of exciting, mind expanding, heart pounding horse racing content, we present:

+ The epic moment at Woodbine when trainer Josie Carroll scored her $100th win

+ The Bison City Stakes and the Canadian Stakes from Woodbine

+ The Pure Ivory and Millar Farms Final trots from Mohawk

+ A night at the Canadian Hall of Fame Induction Gala featuring Kevin Attard, Patrick Husbands, Sylvain Filion, Hec Clouthier, Dr. Ian Moore, Dan Vella and Richard Grubb

+ Jennifer Rivet telling us how her boyfriend A.J. Miziolek proposed to her in the winners’ circle after the horse she cares for won.

+ Jim McKenny broke Peter Gross’ heart by going to Saratoga without him. McKenny breaks down his losing Saturday at the Spa.

+ We run the entire card from Ajax Downs and chat with James Bogar who is the leading trainer and the leading owner.

And how cool was it that a horse named Federer won a race in Australia on the same day that the 20 Grand Slam winner celebrated his 43rd birthday?

Once again, this podcast visits multiple locations for the best in horse racing. We have the Sweet Briar Stakes from Woodbine and the Whitney Stakes from Saratoga. Garnet Barnsdale reports from the Meadowlands on the $1Million Hambletonian and a couple other races that really mattered. We talk with the charismatic Robert Tiller about his next great sprinter, Patches O’Houlihan, who won the Pink Lloyd Stakes under Sofia Vives. Vives gets props here for a 3-win day at Woodbine last Friday. Jack Darling owned and trained the world’s fastest pacer, Bulldog Hanover – but why has he bought into a share of a thoroughbred? And you need to know that for the Ontario bred Futurity Stakes at Ajax Downs that....Elvis was in the building.

Host Peter Gross lost his voice this week, but no problem – friends and family signed on to get episode 235 off the launch pad. Garnet Barnsdale stepped in to host and his son, Nick broke down 5 OSS Golds from Mohawk Park. Jennifer Morrison filed from Ajax Downs and Jim McKenny recapped the Atlantic Womens’ Driving Challenge. Peter’s family rallied to the cause- son Roger handled the feature interview, grandson, Graham voiced the Stakes races from Woodbine and even Peter’s 101-year-old mother, Marilyn nailed the script when quarter horse trainer Lauren Spada sent out a thoroughbred winner at Fort Erie. Also saving this podcast are Saratoga race caller Frank Mirahmadi and Canadian musical star, Lu Kala.

A huge card at Woodbine Saturday with Sahin Civaci and Sofia Vives capturing 2 Stakes races each – Vives is the first apprentice to win the Woodbine Oaks. We’ve got a winners’ circle tribute to Emma-Jayne Wilson the all-time purse earning lady jockey, and a 4-win day last week for another apprentice, Pietro Moran. Casie Coleman talks with us about winning the Meadowlands Pace with Legendary Hanover. We steal clips from Unfiltered, the definitive horse racing documentary. How smart did you need to be to bet on Mensa in the Victoria Stakes? And how devastated were bettors in Ireland when a sure winner jumped the fence just before the finish line?

Emma-Jayne Wilson stands alone; she has broken Julie Krone’s record for most money earned by a lady jockey. James MacDonald steered Legendary Hanover to an impressive win in the Meadowlands Pace. They’re racing at Saratoga and a monster longshot shocked in the first Stakes race. We had more logical outcomes in the My Dear and Ballade Stakes at Woodbine. Trainer Josie Carroll talks with us as she inches closer to the 1000-win mark. A crazy Thursday night at Mohawk when 4 different drivers delivered daily doubles. We ‘sample’ Hot Mic’d with driver Paul MacKenzie and we go to Belterra Park for a history making win by 70-year-old Perry Ouzts. Did a horse really pay $331 to place? And just how funny was it when a horse named Ha Ha Ha won at Royal Randwick?

James MacDonald had another sensational weekend, winning the Canadian Driving Championships at Hippodrome 3R and delivering Legendary Hanover in a Meadowlands Pace elimination, though the win in the other elim by Nijinsky was the most impressive. Apprentice jockey, Austin Adams was in a special race in Deauville, France. Trainer Mark Casse gives Down The Stretch another wonderful interview about the day he won 3 of 5 Stakes races at Woodbine - along with the disappointment of the 2 he didn’t win. It was Legends Day at Clinton and we’ve got one Hall of Famer, Frank Salive calling the win by another Hall of Famer, Randy Waples. An apprentice jockey named Kelsi Harr demolished the tote board in Minnesota producing a record daily double payoff. Brian Bell, a veteran jockey at Ajax Downs is the reason fans got a tasty treat at Wendy’s. And just how good was Friday to trainer Bill Tharrenos when his two horses dead-heated for the win?