BRE X OPENS MEET WITH
FAMILIAR RESULT
It was déjà vu all over again for Bre X
last Friday on Fraser Downs’ opening day when the
seven-year-old son of Dal Reo Hop Sing captured the first
Invite of the meet.
A year ago, Bre X, owned by Kadence and
Tante Stables, and trained by Wayne Isbister, won the Invite
regularly. On two occasions he set the track record. But a
suspensory injury sent him to the sidelines and last
Friday’s race was his first since Dec. 27.
Driven by Bill Davis, Bre X settled
into third early in last Friday’s event and did not make his
move until turning for home. He was second at the head of
the stretch and a 28.1 last quarter gave him the win by 1¼
lengths in 1:55.2.
Haras Colta Cola raced to the front
from the six-hole and led until caught by Bre X. A
fast-closing (also 28.1) Spider M grabbed third in the field
of seven.
A good-old boy also achieved a
milestone on Friday when Woodmere Windrop won the sixth race
and earned $2,800, running his lifetime earnings to more
than $250,000. It was the 48th career victory for Woody,
many of them coming under the ownership of Marian Young and
the sage expertise of trainer Bill Young.
Woodmere Windrop is a 10-year-old son
of Drop Off out of Stylish Winner and was bred by Wallace
Wood of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Some time off also worked for
seven-year-old Tadgee.
Racing for new owners SW Farm and
trainer/driver Terry Kaufman, Tadgee won by 11 lengths in
1:57.4. The gelded son of Carlsbad Cam, who had made 11
starts with one second in 2004, had not raced since July 24.
His clocking was just 3/5 of a second off his life mark
which was set in 2000.
RUMORS JUST THAT?: Astute Fraser
Downs racing fans noticed last weekend that perennial
leading driver/trainer Bill Davis was back from Alberta.
They noticed that he drove, picking up,
for him, a modest pair of wins. They also noticed that he
did not have a training win, and most even noticed that he
did not have a training start.
Rumors were flying on the backstretch
that Davis and the powerful Red Star Stable, owned by Robert
Murphy, have parted company.
When Davis returned from Calgary, the
Red Star horses were either left in the hands of Murphy’s
Alberta trainer Jamie Gray or returned to Murphy’s South
Surrey horse farm.
But Monday morning Murphy said the
rumors were “Not true.
“We have horses waiting to come back
from Alberta and some to come down from the farm (in the
Interior), he said.”
Davis’ barn has a small number of
horses owned by his wife Laurie and the Victoria Pacing
Stable.
WHITE HOT! Driver/trainer Rick
White who was off the gate fastest and indicated that he
could again be a force.
White led both contingents, winning six
times as a driver with four of those coming with horses that
he conditions. He sent out Red Star Madeline, owned by Niele
Jiwan, in the first race of the meet and they combined,
despite starting from the outside eight post, to finish
first by three lengths in the event for maidens.
Two races later he was back at it
again, piloting three-year-old colt Noteworthy (also owned
by Jiwan) to a 6½-length victory in a lifetime mark of
1:59.3.
The closest any driver got to White was
two wins. Sharing that figure were Gord Abbott, Scott
Knight, Bill Davis, Dave Hudon, Clint Warrington and Dave
McKellar.
Trainer Ken Dorman picked up three
triumphs, one more than Bill Young (who was two-for-two) and
Ann Cooper.
FERGIE RETIRED: An old familiar
name will no longer be seen on the race programs at the
Downs as Ferguson Road has been given to the Greener
Pastures horse adoption program.
Fergie, who raced out of many stables
over the years at the Downs, is an Ontario bred 12-year-old
gelding by Topnotcher out of JR Hope.
He had 73 lifetime wins, $256,175 in
earnings and a lifetime mark of 1:54.3.
IDOLS NO RIVALS: Fraser Downs’
announcer Rick Uppal does not have to fear job loss – at
least for several years.
The Downs held its first Fraser Downs
Idol event Sept. 11 as several patrons (and some Downs staff
and a couple of backstretch guys) tried their hand, make
that mouth, at announcing a qualifying race. Most – all of
the Downs staffers – were told not to quit their day jobs.
Leading the way were youngsters (14
years of age and younger) Christian Woolley, Robbie
Scrannage and Justin Currie (all sons of Downs’ trainers)
who knew the lingo, both Uppalese and other.
Even Downs’ general manager Chuck
Keeling took the mic and had some lingo of his own. There
was “in second, I don’t know who that is” and some flagrant
promotion of the Downs’ casino, which is open every day at 9
a.m.
NEW STALLION STAKES: The B.C.
Standardbred Breeders Society has finalized the conditions
for the Stallion stakes event for four-year-olds, which will
be raced for the first time next spring and will become a
regular feature of the B.C.-sired event.
All horses nominated as yearlings that
are now three will be eligible to sustain to the event. The
payment will be $100 and will be due on Nov. 5. There will
also be a starting fee of $200 payable at the time of entry
for the first leg. Based on these numbers, the finals are
estimated to go for about $25,000 each.
The first leg, if required, of the
Stallion Stake for four years olds will be raced on Friday,
April 15 with the final Saturday, April 30. The $100,000
final for three years olds will be run on the same day.
Funding for the 2005 event is coming
from the $30,000 that had previously been earmarked for the
Stallion bonus.
OFF TO VEGAS: Pam Welch, who
lives a stone’s throw from Fraser Downs and who perhaps
could be called a regular, was the winner of the trip for
two to Las Vegas in the draw held Saturday.
Welch and a guest will be travelling to
Vegas, along with $500 in the spending money. Patrons from
both the racing and casino sides of Fraser Downs could enter
the draw.
IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN:
Downs’ patrons can also win a seven-piece living room set
with an entry placed between now and Oct. 3. Entry forms are
available at the customer service desk in the casino. The
draw will be made Monday, Oct. 4.
POP UP CHICKEN: A chance to
appease your hunger for winning and food at the same time
will be back again this meet at the Downs. Church’s Chicken
and the Downs will again combine on special Church’s meal
deals. The winners will receive pop-up vouchers when
placing wagers with tellers.
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