GREENER PASTURES
AGAIN PLACING HORSES
There are pastures green awaiting more
horses.
After a small period of time where
there was no room at the inn, the Greener Pastures adoption
program, operated by the B.C. Standardbred Horse Adoption
Society, is again placing horses at a rapid pace in the
recreational riding and driving community.
Pull the Goalie is bound for Chilliwack
and a home with Gail Mackenzie. Ken Emory of 150 Mile House
has adopted Mile Oak Mallory where she will be helping him
introduce his grandchildren to riding. Dale Rosamond of
Chilliwack has adopted Mr Wild, now known now by his barn
name "Mr Ed". As Dale prefers horses to cars, Mr Wild will
be carrying him a short distance to work every day.
Greener Pastures is still looking for
good, sound horses. Owners will be asked to complete
application forms and have their veterinarians recommend the
horses for recreational use. Greener Pastures can be
contacted through the B.C. SA/SBS office at 574-5558 or be
calling Tim Larsen evenings and weekends at 532-7736.
Meanwhile, the program's connection
with 4-H continues to grow stronger and more 4-H inquiries
are coming in on a regular basis. Greener Pastures has
accepted an invitation to the 4-H provincial demonstrations
in Vernon next July. It is hoped that the three Greener
Pastures horses shown there will be adopted after the event.
Fund raising remains a priority for the
success of the GP program. Feeding and caring for the horses
adds up to a big expense and when other costs, such as
veterinary and advertising, are included the total expense
is considerable. The recent stallion auction contributed to
funding, as do the 50/50 draws at the track on Fridays.
Last year the Winners Circle program
was introduced at Fraser Downs with the co-operation of the
track. Through this program horse owners can contribute a
fixed amount or a percentage from each purse cheque to
Greener Pastures.
Owner Keith Stonehouse has stepped up
and signed on to this program and pledged five per cent of
the winnings of his horse Lunar TKO to the program. Other
owners are encouraged to join in supporting the program and
forms will be faxed or emailed by request.
TWO STRAIGHT FOR DUKE: For the
second successive week the same horse captured the winners
over feature event at Fraser Downs.
Duke Is Duke can use the last two weeks
to present his case as a force to be reckoned with in the
Downs' upper equine echelon.
The seven year-old gelded son of Jennas
Beach Boy is owned by Serge Masse and Joseph Lin and trained
and driven by Masse and was even more impressive this week
than last.
The 5-2 second choice in the field of
six was on the rail on the gate but was content to take the
two hole behind quick-leaving Haras Colta Cola. He was first
up after the half (where he trailed by 1 1/2 lengths) and
had the lead at the three-quarter pole by two. He never
stopped rolling after that, winning by 5 1/4 lengths, and
covering the mile in 1:53.3, fastest to date in 2005.
Infinite Dreams, the 2-1 favorite,
started from the two hole but slipped to sixth. He rallied
late to be best of the others while Coyote Hanover was
third.
Duke Is Duke now has four wins in 12
starts in the year with earnings of more than $23,000.
NOISY AGAIN: That sound heard
last Friday at the Downs was Make Some Noise capturing the
fillies and mares open for the second straight week.
In her second start since returning to
the Downs, Make Some Noise, a six-year-old daughter of
Camluck, upset the favorite in winning with a clocking of
1:55.3. The 2-1 second choice came first up at the half and
roared to the front, beating 3-5 favorite Carson Jane by 5
3/4 lengths.
Make Some Noise, owned by Robert
Murphy, trained by Bob Merschback and driven by Jim Burke,
now has two wins in four starts and earnings of more than
$8,000 in 2005. Her career earnings are now more than
$224,000.
In the field of five, Make Some Noise
started from the four spot on the gate and was still fourth
(4 1/2 lengths back) at the half. But she swung out,
followed by Carson Jane, and swept to the lead by the
three-quarter pole and got stronger to the wire.
Early-leader Jennas Lil Dude was third.
LUCKY COMBOS: Long-shot players
were able to get quite excited last weekend when some nice
payouts were recorded.
On Friday night, Lucky Potion, a 113-1
shot, came from off the pace to capture the 11th race for
owner/trainer/driver Scott (Kid) Cisco. Lucky Potion paid
$228.60 for a $2 win wager.
Dontpush Your Luck raced from the
outside eight post to grab the win in the eighth race
Saturday for trainer/driver Tim (TJ) Jacobson. The 71-1 shot
paid $143.80 and then combined with 2-1 second choice Red
Star Hercules and 42-1 shot Serve Notice for a whopping
$23,759.10 triactor. That was less than $1,000 short of the
previous top triactor payout ever at the Downs.
DAVIS LEADS WAY: Bill Davis
continues to do what he does best - win a lot of races as a
driver at the Downs.
Davis led all pilots last weekend,
winning six times which is close to what he does on average
every weekend.
Jim Burke was next best with four
victories while Barry Treen, Scott Knight, Tim Brown and
Serge Masse had three each. Picking up two wins were Jim
Marino and Rick White.
Davis also shared the weekend lead -
with Masse -- for trainers with three trips to the winner's
enclosure. White, Treen, Knight, Bob Merschback and Wayne
Isbister all had two apiece.
BODEN BIG: Last Friday was a big
day for prominent Fraser Downs' horse owner Bill Boden. The
success, however, took place at Edmonton's Northlands Park.
Boden's Patriot Dream stretched her
2005 unbeaten skein to four as she captured the $76,639
Golden Garter final for three-year-old fillies at Northlands
Park.
Co-owner, trainer/driver Gerry Hudon
put the Freedoms Pass-Sea Blue daughter on top from the
start and never looked back to win in 2:00.1 over the track
rated good. Neverhitseventeen was second with Palamas
Promise third.
Patriot Dream, a winner of six of seven
starts last year at two, now has $62,000 earned this year
and $149,000 lifetime.
Boden and Hudon also combined to take
the first elimination of the Spring Series for three and
four-year-old mares as Hudon guided Paradise Of Grins to a
1:57.1 victory over Prom Miss and Dave Jungquist's Concrete
Angel.
It was the second-straight win since
shipping to Edmonton from Woodbine for the Grinfromeartoear
four-year-old owned by Boden. Paradise Of Grins now has four
wins in 10 starts this year.
Meanwhile, Keystone Romola cruised to a
1:57.2 effort to defeat Bigshoestofill and Lotana Franco in
the $17,500 mares open.
Boden and Hudon co-own the winner, a
five-year Western Hanover daughter who got her first 2005
win and increased her life earnings to $114,000 with the
victory.
Bigshoestofill is owned by Robert
Murphy of White Rock.
Boden did not stop there, also having a
productive showing on Saturday.
In the $9,000 eliminations for the
Sunwapta Stake, Classic Rustler, owned by Boden and Hudon,
captured the first with a 1:58.3 effort. Law Of The Yukon,
who recently raced at the Downs and is owned by Boden, was
third.
In the second division, Armbro Blacktie,
who is owned by Ming Siu of Richmond, finished in a dead
heat for first with Widdle Diddle - owned by Boden and Hudon).
They were timed in 1:56.
CRUISER CLOSES BIG: For the
second successive week Seven Seas Cruiser displayed a big
late kick to get a respectable result at Woodbine in
Toronto.
The tough B.C. bred, owned by John
Heras of Delta, roared home in 27.1 seconds, best in the
nine-horse field, to finish fifth. The event was a
non-winners $17,600 last 6 starts or nw $1,500 in 2005 or nw
four races or $100,000 lifetime for a purse of $23,000.
Driven by Chris Christoforou, Cruiser
started from the nine hole and took back, trailed by 17
after the quarter and was still ninth - 8 3/4 quarters back
-- at the head of the stretch. He finished 4 3/4 behind the
winner, Artesia, who covered the mile in 1:50.1.
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