Down The Stretch Podcast

We put a lot of miles on the podcast with Stakes races at Mohawk and Woodbine, Mighty Heart running in West Virginia, an historic mark for Steve Asmussen at Saratoga. The Whitney Stakes, Industry Day at Grand Ravine and where will Chiefswood Stables’ Weyburn be on Queen’s Plate day? Eurico Rosa da Silva, James MacDonald, Emma-Jayne Wilson, Ake Svanstedt, Tom Patton, Antonio Gallardo and Shaun Brigdmohan brighten up this podcast and we update the speedballs at Ajax Downs.

With less than 3 weeks until the Queen’s Plate, how come only 4 horses ran in the Plate Trial? Weyburn, the best Canadian-bred 3 year-old skipped the Trial to take on bigger fish in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga. The Woodbine Oaks produced a brilliant 3 year-old filly. Two year-olds trotted for big money at Mohawk. Ever seen a dead-heat between a father and daughter in a trot? That happened to Roy and Kacey Burns in Ohio. How about Robert Tisbert, an 84 year-old driver, steering his harness horse to the winners circle. Twenty speedballs erupted from the gates in two trials for the Ontario Derby at Ajax Downs and we have the 10 finalists. What do Elizabeth Taylor and this podcast have in common? Well, we have multiple Husbands - Patrick and Christopher.Our buddy and contributor Garnet Barnsdale owns a piece of a horse that won at Mohawk and Garnet got just a tad excited.

One continuing theme of this podcast is that horse racing is the only professional sport in which women compete with and regularly defeat the men, and we have ample proof this week. Natasha Day and Maggie Jones talk about the Womens’ Driving Championship. Chantal Sutherland had a monster 4 win day at Gulfstream. Harness owner Sydney Weaver expresses the joy of winning with a horse she bred. Fillies raced in two OSS Golds at Mohawk. Thoroughbred ladies competed in the $175,000 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine and the winning mare was trained by Josie Carroll. And how does jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson win the final race so often?

Canadian connections won a big race at the Meadowlands, but they needed a disqualification to get there. We have Stakes races from Woodbine and Mohawk and a stimulating lunch with jockey Ademar Santos. We feature Justin Stein’s 4-win Thursday and Gary Boulanger, who won 4 races a week ago tells us how his new-born son Christian pulled him out of a dangerous funk. Women harness drivers were featured on the weekend at Hanover and Dresden raceways. Keith McCalmont assesses a huge Opening Day at Saratoga and just how dangerous was the jockey who has been suspended for the rest of the Woodbine thoroughbred meet?

Queen’s Plate candidates ran in two Stakes races on Sunday designed to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Kevin Attard, Gail Cox and Robert Landry assess their horses. There were 4 $100,000 OSS Gold races midweek at Mohawk. Driver Tony Kerwood hits a big number in Minnesota. We have this week's races from Ajax Downs. Ariane Milligi-Fuller tells us why Racing City Realty will find you a rental if you're taking a road trip this summer to Saratoga. The amazing Daryl Thiessen, 52 days after smashing a collarbone and breaking a femur was back in the winners circle. And how did Ke$ha get into this podcast?

Actual people at the track and we talk with them. Josie Carroll played it perfectly with Mighty Heart and Belichick. Jockey Keveh Nicholls gives us the emotional back story to his breakout year. Jockey Josh Scott tells how he won on his first thoroughbred ride. There were 6 OSS Gold races at Mohawk, all for more than $100,000. Hippodrome’s race caller Guy Lafontaine makes his task twice as hard and driver David Miller pulled off a near impossible triple header.

Horse racing is sometimes predictable and sometimes not. In this 75th Down The Stretch Podcast, jockeys Keveh Nicholls and Josh Scott surprised the bettors and drivers James MacDonald and Jody Jamieson shared the Saturday night hilites at Mohawk. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson explains why he has stopped tearing his hair out. Trainer Bill Tharrenos is enjoying a good start and Chiefswood Stable’s Rob Landry explains why Weyburn, Canada’s best three year-old, might not make it to the Queen’s Plate. Veteran jockey Helen Marie Vanek is dominating the early cards at Ajax Downs. TSN’s Laura Diakun conveys the fun she has on Racing Night Live. Why does host Peter Gross have to call on his inner restraint while describing a certain win by Chantal Sutherland? Ever seen two halves of an entry, sandwiching a 3rd horse in the stretch? Want to know what the stewards did? And we have 91 year-old, Buddy Simpson, winning a harness race.

This is the first Down The Stretch Podcast this year with racing hilites from all three genres in Ontario. We have Stakes races from Woodbine as Pink Lloyd was trying to win the Jacques Cartier for a 4th time. It was a mind-boggling week at Mohawk. Driver James MacDonald had two 5-win nights and a 4-bagger as well. Jody Jamieson, Doug McNair and Sylvain Filion also put together 4-win nights. But maybe the athletic brilliance of the week belongs to 27 year-old Rachael Isaacs. On her first day as a professional jockey, Isaacs won 3 straight races at Ajax Downs. Ever hear of a mare giving birth...then coming back and winning a race? Who is the most wreckless jockey at Woodbine? Agent Tony Esposito thinks he knows and isn’t shy about pointing out why his jockey Rafael Hernandez is out of action.

Harness racing and thoroughbred racing resumed in Ontario and we have hilites from the first cards. There’s a new slanted starting gate at Mohawk and Bill McClinchey, Woodbine’s Director of racing explains the change. We chat with veteran driver Jody Jamieson who hated it when the 10-horse started behind the 1, and trainer Carmen Auciello gives us 5 horses ready to win, but it’s the one he didn’t give us that hurts. Jockey Justin Stein is ready to take another run at the riders’ title. Emma-Jayne Wilson always brightens our podcast when we have her on. Scott Zeron winning at The Meadowlands. Chantal Sutherland hitting a big number at Gulfstream. And Belterra Park race caller, Austin Meyer found a unique way to make a 3-horse race sound funny and intriguing.

Both standardbred and thoroughbred racing resume in Ontario over the next two weeks and Queen’s Plate winning jockey Daisuke Fukumoto finally has his license approved, thanks to the diligent work of his agent Pram Seebah. The 153rd running of the Belmont may have proved that Essential Quality is the best three year-old in North America. Medina Spirit’s second test came back positive and there was nothing positive for trainer Bob Baffert when his lawyer floundered on CNN. Very restrictive whip rules at Monmouth have provided us with a wide range of responses from journalist Bill Finley, former jockey, Irwin Driedger, and trainer Gary Contessa. And how rare is it for a broodmare to produce twins? How rare is it that both make the races on the same day? Find out in this episode.