Down The Stretch Podcast

In this 31st episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, host Peter Gross delivers all kinds of horse races. There were 5 Stakes races at Woodbine on Saturday, including the $500,000 Canadian Oaks won by rising star, Curlin’s Voyage. The amazing Pink Lloyd won another Stakes race, his 22nd added money win, his 25th conquest from 31 starts. Driver Bob McClure paced past the $25 million mark and there were longshots scoring upsets in two $108,000 OSS Gold Series at Mohawk. Down The Stretch talks with jockey Skye Chernetz who delivered two bombs at Woodbine last week. Chernetz rode a winner for her mother, Bonnie Eshelman, who in the early 70s pissed off a lot of close-minded people by becoming one of the first female jockeys in Canada. Staying with the theme of parents and offspring – Nikki Alderson won a race at Woodbine, so her father, 57 year-old Ed Walton had to top her by winning twice at Ajax Downs. And how did Daryl Thiessen go from grappling with bulls to steering standardbreds? You’ll find out when you tune in this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast.

This Down The Stretch Podcast has two huge races from, the weekend. Based on the finish of the Travels Stakes at Saratoga, Tiz the Law is the best three year-old thoroughbred in North America. And, applying the same logic to the Hambletonian, it is a lady horse, Ramona Hill who is the best trotting three year-old. Jody Jamieson gives insight to his spectacular night at Mohawk as well as his take on the innovative Heinz Challenge. Horse racing is a dangerous sport and we find out more about how badly jockey Jerome Lermyte and driver James MacDonald were hurt in respectively scary looking spills. 57 year-old jockey Ed Walton continues to lead all the kids at Ajax Downs. And thanks to Carly Simon for providing sound track to this podcast. If you’re wondering why, you’ll just have to listen.

Imagine everything that could happen in all genres of horse racing and imagine it’s in the same podcast and you would have this week’s Down The Stretch Podcast. Host Peter Gross has races from Woodbine, Mohawk, Saratoga. Ajax Downs and Del Mar. Driver James MacDonald got mic’d up during a harness race, had a career night at Mohawk, then got banged up in a bizarre spill at Mohawk Saturday night. Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson won aboard a 44-1 shot and we have the call. Also in this podcast, the Whitney Stakes went Saturday at Saratoga, a chat with Woodbine Chaplain Shawn Kennedy and how a couple of former NHL stars took a ‘hot tip’ and parlayed it into a nice payoff.

What do Pink Floyd, Pink Lloyd, Fred Astaire, Josie Carroll, Kevin Attard, Robert Geller, John Imbriale, Frank Ferrari, Kenny Middleton, Tony Calo, Jack Darling, Dr. Ian Moore, Antoinetta Culic, Justin Stein, Rafael Hernandez and Ed Walton have in common? They are all in this week’s Down The Stretch Podcast. Host Peter Gross has big race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs, Saratoga and a bizarre result from Delaware Park. How did Fort Erie end up with a Massachusetts Stakes race? Leamington Park Raceway has hired an 18 year-old boy to be its fulltime announcer, so we talk with Nathan Bain who knows exactly what he wants to do with the rest of his life. If you know what to do with the next half hour of your life, you will enjoy the only podcast in Canada dedicated to all three styles of thrilling horse racing in this country.

This episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast is proof that a lot happens in horse racing in a week. Host Peter Gross has stretch calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs, Saratoga, Monmouth and the Meadowlands.. He talks with jockey Darryll Holland who was nursing some bruises after a scary fall. Harness driver Phil Hudon was a little more lucky. He tells us what happened when the bridle on his pacer fell off just before the start of a race. Quarter horse jockey Cassandra Jeschke talks about the best day she ever had at Ajax Downs and trainer Dr. Ian Moore assesses the chances of Tattoo Artist in next month’s North America Cup Pace. Shadow Play, Goalie Jeff, Natural Image, Tall Dark Stranger and Authentic make dramatic appearances and our host makes the point that this podcast hit the airwaves on the last day of his 60s.

It’s a star studded Down The Stretch Podcast as host Peter Gross interviews trainers Josie Carroll, Mark Casse, Roger Attfield, Sid Attard and Kevin Attard. Also on board are jockeys Justin Stein who is lighting up the board at Woodbine, Ed Walton, who at 57 is the leading rider at Ajax Downs and Nikki Alderson, who at 27, is Ed Walton’s daughter and the race she won last week at Fort Erie had announcer Frank Salive almost falling out of his booth. This podcast also has race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, Ajax Downs and a call from Charles Town in which the race favourite took a 7 length lead into the stretch and then ...well let’s just say things went horribly wrong. And why does this podcast keep sampling that 80s hit Turning Japanese by The Vapors?

Host Peter Gross has filled this Down The Stretch Podcast with many races, including the three weekend thoroughbred Stakes events from Woodbine and at least 8 OSS Gold Series tussles from Mohawk (so many, we may have lost track). Walter Parkinson is the President of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario and he explains how the breeders sued the government and won. Veteran driver Jody Jamieson looks back on his career, which includes more than 8,000 wins. We also have a stories about a very proud broodmare, who saw her kids sweep the late double and a harness horse in Pennsylvania who has a back-up job. A huge day at the racetrack for leading jockey Rafael Hernandez and a beautiful tribute to Don Seymour that you get to hear thanks to the kindness of Woodbine Entertainment.

If there’s something excitingly cool happening in horse racing, it’s in this episode of the Down The Stretch Podcast, hosted by Peter Gross We have the amazing Pink Lloyd kicking off his season with another impressive Stakes win. His regular rider is now Rafael Hernandez who is taking his best shot at winning the riders title. We interview him as well as his chief rival Emma Jayne Wilson. Lots of jockeys in this podcast. 33 year-old Jason Hoyte has morphed from a top notch exercise rider to a professional jockey and he now has a win under his belt. Maybe our most thrilling discussion is with 65 year-old Perry Ouzts, Ouzts won 5 races last Thursday at Belterra Park and continues to carve out one of the more amazing stories in professional sport. Garnet Barnsdale tells us about the latest innovation at Mohawk – putting microphones on the drivers during a race. Race calls from Woodbine, Mohawk, The Meadowlands, Belterra Park and Ajax Downs. It’s all there in the latest chapter of the Down The Stretch Podcast.

Host Peter Gross plays the stretch call of the 152nd Belmont Stakes. This podcast features longtime harness racing trainer/owner Jack Darling who owns Beaumond Hanover, right now the fastest three year-old pacer in Canada. Right after Bob Tiller won a thoroughbred race for 2,000th time, we got him on the phone. Veteran jockey Helen Vanek chats about her decision to ride full-time at Ajax Downs and Fort Erie. Contributor Garnet Barnsdale tells us that behind every great harness race trainer...there’s a great woman, in this case, Ben Baillargeon’s daughter, Sara. We take you to Royal Ascot where the sensational Stradivarius put another Grade l win under his belt. And, only by listening to this podcast, will you understand how a rocking good version of a Jewish song by the Maccabeats has anything to do with the sport of horse racing.

Horse races from all over in this podcast: The first two Stakes races of the year at Woodbine, the first mile under 1:50 from Mohawk, an amazing night on the track for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, the whole card from the first day of racing at Ajax Downs thanks to Jennifer Morrison and one of the most bizarre races ever, though you had to be in France to see it. We have had several weeks of Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson on the show, but we flip the script with Brodie Lawson who talks about the first Racing Night Live on TSN. Garnet Barnsdale reports on some innovative thinking at Hanover Raceway and Keith McCalmont of the New York Racing Association previews next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. And you may wonder, why are we playing The Guess Who and the Reklaws in this podcast? You’ll have to listen to find out!