Ponies Sept 2016 Issue FINAL Spread Small

A PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
DEBBIE SAMPSON
HIGH STAKES ARE ON THE MENU THIS FALL
WOODBINE/MOHAWK
THE GREAT RACE PLACE - LOOKING

FORWARD TO ANOTHER BREEDERS CUP
EVENT
SANTA ANITA PARK
ON THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME
RAMON DOMINGUEZ
LIVING THE HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE
VOLUME 2/ISSUE 4 2016 $2.95 CDN
Woodbines TURF WARS Continue
Saturday, September 17th,

With The Running Of The,
$1 Million RICOH WOODBINE MILE!!

Races Start At 1:00 p.m.
Post Time For RICOH WOODBINE MILE- 6:41 p.m.
Pictured, Tepin, a five time Grade l winner and 2015 Eclipse Award Champion Grass Mare
is expected to contest this years Ricoh Woodbine Mile on September 17th. Photo by David Alcosser.
The Ricoh Woodbine Mile Is The Feature Event Of A Stakes Laden Card
Of Racing, And Features A Star-Stacked Line Up Of International Horses To Be Contested On The WorldFamous E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Join Us For A Potpourri Of Betting Opportunities, Food Specials, And Some Great Live Racing,
Including The Running Of The Grade l, Northern Dancer Turf presented by HPIbet.
AND
After The Races, Stick Around For Woodbines Hockey and HOPS Party In
Champions Bar & Patio, And Watch TEAM CANADA Take On The
CZECH REPUBLIC In The Opening Game Of The World Cup of Hockey!
WHY NOT MAKE IT A WOODBINE WEEKEND?
For more information go to www.woodbineentertainment.com
At The Post
Well its official-PONIES 24-7 is now
a year old with this our 6th issue,
and because of this mini publishing
milestone, we thought that we
would do things a little differently
this month.
Beginning with the front cover.
The original painting of Ramon
Dominguez riding Eclipse winning
mare Havre De Grace to victory in
the Beldame Stakes, was inspired
from a photo supplied by wellknown horse racing photographer
Adam Coglianese, and the Debbie
Sampson piece helps to reinforce
PONIES 24-7s sincerity of LIVING
THE HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE!
Debbie is a renowned artist of
sports and horse racing celebrities;
a collection of some of her work is
highlighted in this issue as well in a
Lifestyle feature editorial.
Speaking of Ramon Dominguez,
hopefully you will enjoy reading the
interview with him, as much as I
enjoyed conducting it. As a jockey
with celebrity status, in my books,
Ramon was one of those that was
at the top of the list, a class guy
on and off the track according to his
peers, and had a career worthy of
his Hall of Fame induction this past
August.
After an extremely warm and dry
summer, fall racing is upon us,
with battle lines set on both the
Thoroughbred and Standardbred
fronts. For the Thoroughbreds, all
roads lead to the Breeders Cup,
with a major September stop at
Woodbine for the $1 Million Ricoh
Woodbine Mile, a race that has
proven to be influential on the
results for prior Breeders Cup Mile
events. This years Breeders Cup
will be held for an unprecedented
ninth time at Santa Anita, on
November 4th and 5th, and
with equine racing stars like the
PONIES 24-7
undefeated filly Songbird, California

Chrome, and an array of new talent
that flexed their muscles over
the summer, this years Breeders
could be the best in history! Not
to be forgotten is harness racings
Breeders Crown Championships,
this year to be hosted by the
Meadowlands, with eliminations on
October 21st and 22nd, and the
finals one week later, October 28th
and 29th. The Breeders Crown is
always an opportunity to see the
best in harness racing!
As for PONIES 24-7, as we head
into our second year of publishing,
expect to see some gradual
changes in magazine content,
delivery and distribution. There are
many elements to LIVING THE
HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE,
many good stories to be told, and
probably most importantly, for the
horse racing industry in general,
innovative ideas that help to improve
racings image, with the end goal of
attracting both investment into the
industry, and a new demographic of
educated racing fans!
Finally if you are interested in
purchasing a Limited Edition Print
of our Cover of Ramon Dominguez
and Havre De Grace, contact me at
the email below, or check out our
Facebook page.
Heres to another year of publishing
PONIES 24-7!
Until next time
Larry Simpson
lsimpson@ponies247.com
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016
Contents
EDITOR: LARRY
SIMPSON
Larry Simpson is an
avid and passionate
writer, horseplayer,
handicapper, and
marketer of both
Thoroughbred and Standardbred
racing. He has published and
edited several horse racing journals,
conducted handicapping seminars for
both breeds and is a major proponent
for the education of new racing fans
through publications like PONIES 247, and initiatives that develop fresh
demographics for racing, produce
cultured bettors and promote the
value of the horse racing advertising
space!
LARRY SIMPSON
13
6
17
SANTA ANITA PARK

The Great Race Place Again Welcomes
The Breeders Cup
LARRY SIMPSON
22
DEBBIE SAMPSON
Cover Artist Has A Flair For Sports
LARRY SIMPSON
Volume 2, Issue 4
September/October, 2016
Publisher & Editor
Larry Simpson
24
TIOGA DOWNS AND

MEADOWLANDS UPDATE
26
ROSECROFT RACEWAY
Famed Track Begins A New Era Of
Racing
17
LARRY SIMPSON
Art Design
Darryl Melo
Atomic Arms Studio
28
PONIES 24-7 Magazine is published by

PONIES 24-7 Inc., and distributed bi-monthly
Across North America to racing fans, equine
supporters and those devoted to the love of
horse racing. The contents are published as a
matter of news, information and entertainment
only and reproduction in whole or in part are
prohibited.
AFTER THE FINISH LINE

A Busy Year Of Fund Raising
DAWN MELLEN
31
THE RACERS EDGE

A Thoroughbred Handicapping Primer
LARRY SIMPSON
32
TO SUBSCRIBE, VISIT
www.ponies247.com
ABOUT THE COVER
Artist Debbie Sampsons original of newly
inducted Hall of Fame jockey
Ramon Dominguez and champion Havre De
Grace, inspired by a racing shot supplied by
noted Thoroughbred photographer Adam
Coglianese.
RACING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL

FLAIR
Woodbine and Mohawk Set To Host
The World
LARRY SIMPSON
Online Editor
Kelly Simpson
RAMON DOMINGUEZ
From Venezuela to the Hall of Fame
BRAGGIN RIGHTS: NO LONGER

A MYSTERY
Our Mims Resident Was Dubbed
Lady Jane
CHERYL A. BELLUCCI
22
PONIES 24-7
COVER
STORY
He was on top of the racing

world in 2013, riding a threeyear streak as the Eclipse
Award winning jockey in
North America, from 2010
to 2012, and was fresh off a
career season that included a
single-year-record for purses
won of $25,634,852. When
it happened, just a few days
before he would receive his
2012 Eclipse Award- it being
as horse racings newest Hall of
Fame elect Ramon Dominguez,
refers to now as the fall!
A Thoroughbred jockey since
he was 18, plying his trade first
in his native Venezuela, Ramon
was in the prime of his career
until the fall, where in a race at
Aqueduct, his mount would clip
heels, stumble and unseat the
talented jockey who was then
kicked in the head by a trailing
horse. The end of one chapter
of Ramon Dominguezs life, but
more importantly the beginning
of another!
From Caracas Venezuela to the Horse Racing Hall of Fame,

Its Been A Ride of A Lifetime For
RAMON DOMINGUEZ
By Larry Simpson
Photos by Adam Coglianese unless otherwise indicated.
Recently, PONIES 24-7s

Publisher Larry Simpson had
the opportunity to speak
with Ramon Dominguez, as
he summered in Saratoga,
spending his time doing
speaking engagements at local
establishments, as well as
accepting the accolades from
his peers as one of the greatest
jockeys ever, with an August
induction into the National
Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
LARRY SIMPSON: Ramon, you

grew up in Venezuela where you
happened to win your first race,
how old were you when you
finally realized that you wanted to
become a jockey?
RAMON DOMINGUEZ: It was at
a very early age, probably when
I was around 13 or so. One of
the jobs my father had, back
in Venezuela was selling Pick
6 tickets, which is still a huge
game back there, even now. The
Pick 6 machine would be in one
location and people would come
to him to make their bets, much
like an off track betting facility.
After collecting the bets, he
would physically have to take the
machine to the racetrack. I went
with him one day, watched a live
race, and right away knew that this
is what I wanted to do, become a
jockey! In fact it soon became an
obsession for me that I was going
to ride Thoroughbred race horses
as a career. My father wasnt too
excited about my choice of career
path though, and suggested
to me that I should maybe try
show jumping, as there was an
equestrian school right across the
road from where we lived. I did
show jumping for a year, and then
found out that there was a training

center for Thoroughbreds close
by, and decided to start going
there instead. The next step was
the racetrack, and eventually my
father warmed up to the idea of
me becoming a jockey!
LS: Do you remember your first
winner in Venezuela?
RD: I do, and it obviously it
was one of the highlights of
my riding career as it did take
me quite some time to win my
first race. I was 18 and it was at
the La Rinconada Racetrack in
Venezuela.
LS: Maybe for our readers benefit
Ramon, how large is horse racing
in Venezuela?
RD: Horse racing is huge!
Unfortunately lately it has been
affected by the economy, but
even still, you can go to the
racetrack on any given day and
the grandstand will be packed.
Its a sport that most people
follow. Its year round racing, with
one track in one state racing on
Wednesdays, another state will run
Thursdays and Fridays, and the
main track (La Rinconada), racing
on Saturdays and Sundays.
RD: Even before the time that I

actually became a rider, I knew
that I wanted to come to the U.S.,
and pursue a riding career here.
The United States is the big
leagues for most major sports,
horse racing included, and actually
in South America, everybody
followed North American horse
racing. When I had all of my
documents together and in place,
I came to the U.S. in 1996, which
was just after my first year of riding
in Venezuela.
LS: So in 1996 you took that big
step so to speak, and moved to
the United States, where did you
settle in first?
RD: I rode my first race and
eventually my first U.S. winner at
Hialeah Park, and pretty much just
rode the Florida circuit (Hialeah,
Calder and Gulfstream) for two
years. Then in 1999 I rode the
Hialeah meet and then made
the move to Delaware Park and
Maryland later that season, where
I stayed for the next ten years.
LS: What was your goal when you
moved to the U.S. to ride?
Ramon en-route to an Aqueduct Stakes win. Photo by David Alcosser
PONIES 24-7
course, as it is so much different

than the others you find in North
America. Woodbine has those
beautiful, big wide turns and a
long stretch, which you needed
to be conscience of. Sometimes
too the long stretch could be very
forgiving!
LS: What prompted you to move

your riding tack to North America?
Was there someone who was a
driving force behind you or did you
make that decision yourself?
RD: I think every jockey has a

different goal that they want to
achieve. For me, my short term
one was to do well every day that
I was riding, and of course I also
wanted to win a jockeys title at a
major racetrack, which I was able
to do in Maryland first. Also like
most jockeys I also had the dream
to ride in the Kentucky Derby. But
overall I think one of my major
goals was to continue to develop
my riding skills to the point that I
LS: Now that you have retired from

riding, do you have any regrets?
Ramon with another jockey legend Manny Ycaza. Photo by Susie Raisher
could win more consistently, and

then eventually come to New York
and ride on a full time basis, which
I was able to do approximately
eight years ago.
LS: Was there one track that you
could say was a favorite for you
to ride on and maybe it could be
considered your comfort zone?
RD: Delaware Park certainly
was a special place for me, its
a beautiful track with a nice
paddock and was the first track
that I did very well at. Now having
said that, I loved Maryland and
made great friends there too, and
of course Belmont Park has its
own uniqueness as well. For me,
Saratoga could be considered
that special or favorite track, with
the atmosphere that surrounds it,
and the fact that it was always a
challenging meet to ride at. You
could say I may be a little biased
as Saratoga can be a very tough
track to win at consistently, and
I was quite lucky to do very well
there!
as long as I had an opportunity

to win. Honestly though, I loved
riding on the turf course as I think
the race itself unfolds quicker than
it does on the dirt so a jockey
needs to be able to make split
second decisions. A jockeys
intuition plays a bigger role in turf
races I think, which makes it a lot
more challenging for the riders and
the horses as well.
LS: You rode up here at Woodbine
in Toronto, a few times. What was
it like riding on the E.P. Taylor
turf course, which is more of a
European layout?
RD: I loved riding at Woodbine. It
was a beautiful track to race on,
and before I came up there for
my first ride, I educated myself
on the dynamics of the turf
RD: None whatsoever! I count

my blessings everyday, and I am
still reaping the rewards of being
a professional jockey. Being
inducted to the Hall of Fame was
something beyond my dreams,
and the support I have received
from my family, I absolutely have
no regrets. Im truly a blessed
man!
LS: So you never wake up in the
morning and say, Gee, I wish I
had of won the Kentucky Derby?
RD: No nothing like that. Of
course every jockey wants to
win the Kentucky Derby but with
me focusing on something that I
didnt do would be like focusing
on a glass that is half full. Instead
I can look back on some great
memories, working with some
good people and of course riding
some of the best horses ever!
LS: A few years ago I interviewed

jockey Robbie Davis, who was
known to be a very good turf rider.
Did you have a preference riding
on the dirt or the turf?
RD: Actually I liked riding fast
horses (laughs), so it really didnt
matter whether it was grass or dirt,
Stakes winning Coup De Grace and Ramon

PONIES 24-7
LS: Ramon, I followed your

career from up here in Canada
for a long time, and one thing
that I noticed, was that it didnt
matter which track you were
riding at, you always had a high
percentage of winners, which
obviously is the barometer for
a successful jockey! (Editors
note: Ramon Dominguez retired
with an overall win percentage of
23%). What do you attribute this
success to, was it because you
did your homework prior to riding
at the track, and perhaps noticed
track biases existed or was there
something else that you could say
contributed to your high win per
cent?
whom I was
racing against in
a particular race.
I believe too,
that theres a
lot that you can
prepare for, but
the key though
is to have a
connection with
the horse and
listen to it so
that it performs
in a comfortable
manner, rather
than forcing it to
do something
its not really
prepared to do.
RD: I think there were many

factors that contributed to this.
The primary one had to be my
agent, Steve Rushing, who
put me on live horses on a
very consistent basis. He was
amazing at his job as he got me
riding for pretty much all of the
top trainers wherever I went. I
also did my homework as you
mentioned, when I went to a new
track, and actually any track that
I was riding at full time. I would
look at how the track had been
playing, and actually you could say
handicapping how I could see
the races I was riding in, playing
out. Also I would take notice of
LS: Something
else that has
always intrigued
me with jockeys
too, is whether
they can recall
how a horse
Photo by Chelsea Durand
performed for
them maybe
three or four starts back, if they are with you my memory for some
back on it today. If you were riding things was really never that great.
But when you are talking about
a horse today for the first time in
horses, I could remember very
awhile, could you remember how
well. Even now, when I run into
it may have raced for you the last
someone and they will say You
time you rode it?
rode this horse for me at Saratoga
a few years ago, and when they
RD: Thats something that has
give me the name of the horse
amazed me also, as to be honest
I can pretty much tell them how
the horse raced that day, whether
Six winners in a day!
he went to the lead, or we were
boxed in, whatever, it is still very
clear in my mind. This type of
memory that I had for horses
was very helpful for me when I
was riding, as I could look at the
Daily Racing Form chart line and
remember quite well how the
horse had performed for me on
that particular day. It was probably
a big advantage that I was able to
put to good use during my riding
career.
was that you seemed to be very

strong in the stretch, in fact, in a
lot of cases if you had the lead
turning for home, not too many
horses would get by you. Was
this something you practiced as a
jockey?
LS: One of your talents as a rider
10
PONIES 24-7
RD: I wouldnt really say that I was

strong physically, in fact I always
thought that there were other
jockeys that were probably better
finishers than me. I think though,
that instead of the race being
won by a jockeys strength, in my
case I won a high percentage of
races more so by listening to the
body language of the horse and
allowing him or her to be running
in a very comfortable position
that ultimately would enable the
horse to finish well. If a horse is
finishing well, it makes it that much
more difficult to be passed in the
stretch!
LS: Another point about jockeys
too, is that the top ones seem to
have stop watches in their heads,
and you were one of the best at
putting a horse on the lead and
rating it well enough to win! When
you were on the lead, did you
actually have an idea of how fast
you would be at say the six-furlong
pole if it were a distance race?
RD: To be honest no! Most people
think we know how fast we are
going, but thats not true at all.
The truth is, for me anyway, again
it goes back to listening to the
horse! Allowing the horse to be
running comfortably and be at
the six-furlong pole at a pace he
or she wants to be at. And as I
indicated earlier, I think by allowing
the horse to be comfortable,
chances are that turning for home
it will finish up very well. Actually
too, I should point out that for the
last ten years of my career I really
didnt use the riding crop that
often, as in a lot of cases I could
just look at or feel my horse and

know that I had enough horse
underneath me to get me to the
wire.
LS: Going back to when you were
growing up, was there a jockey or
jockeys that you may have tried to
copy their riding style from?
RD: Actually there were so many
as it was an era quite similar to
now. You look at the riding colony
here in New York, it is so good,
that any young kid who wants
to be a rider has many excellent
jockeys to choose from. For me,
there were two great riders in
Venezuela that I really looked up
to, one was Juan Vicente Tovar
who was the all-time leading rider
in Venezuela, and the second
was an amazing horseman by the
name of Angel Francisco Parra.
Actually I would analyze many of
the jockeys back then, and often
asked a lot of questions to where
it got to the point that the jockeys
were saying, Oh God, here comes
Ramon again! But I wanted to
learn and was fortunate to have so
many Venezuelan riders to learn
from!
LS: You obviously were a good
student, and had a great riding
career, culminating with the
highest honor this year of being
inducted into the Horse Racing
Hall of Fame! How did it feel, when
you found out that you were being
honored this year?
RD: Amazing! It was very
emotional, but at the same time
I was ecstatic when I received
the news! It was such an honor
to be inducted and actually when
I began my riding career, being
elected to the Hall of Fame was
probably the furthest thing from
my mind!
sake, tell us whats keeping you

busy now?
RD: My wife Sharon and I continue
volunteering with the Racetrack
Chaplaincy and the Permanently
Disabled Jockeys Fund. There are
several projects that Im working
on. I have always enjoyed helping
people and now Im having a
great time actively coaching and
mentoring a team in the network
marketing profession.
LS: Finally Ramon, what do you
think horse racing needs to do to
bring a new generation of fans into
the sport?
RD: To me I think that there is a
major need to make the jockey
the main athlete of the sport. Yes
it is horse racing, and we all love
the animals, but the challenge
is that by having the horse the
primary star whether its Northern
Dancer, Secretariat or American
Pharoah, they are only around
for two to three years and then
they are gone. It is difficult I think
for a younger person to become
attracted and feel attached
to horse racing with this short
appearance span. A jockey on the
other hand has a longer career
and thus I think is much easier to
promote and at the end of the day,
I believe it becomes simpler to
attract new fans when you make
the jockey the primary star. Also
it is very important for the horse
racing industry, to make sure that
everyone is on the same page,
be it the horsemen, racetrack
management, etc., so that they
work together to elevate the image
of the jockeys which in turn will
help escalate the awareness of the
entire horse racing industry!
LS: Ramon maybe for our readers

PONIES 24-7
11
NORTH AMERICAS BEST TROTTERS

Descend On Mohawk Raceway
Saturday, September 17th

Mohawks Trotting Night Of Stars,
With Over $2.5* Million In Purses
Post Time- 7:30 p.m.
*Based on Estimated Purses
Pictured, 2016 Hambletonian winner Marion Marauder, who is expected to be part of the field for the Canadian Trotting Classic Final.
Photo by New Image Media
Featuring 5 Trotting Stakes, Including

The Finals Of:
The $700,000 Canadian Trotting Classic
The $680,000 Maple Leaf Trot
The $400,000 Elegant Image
The $370,000 William Wellwood Memorial
And The $410,000 Peaceful Way Stakes.
Party Under The Stars With Food Specials, And A Plethora Of
BETTING OPPORTUNITIES Available, Including A $50K Guaranteed Early Pick 4,
A $30K Guaranteed Standardbred Pick 5, And A
Jackpot Hi 5 With A Regular Carryover!
OFFERING A HUGE POTENTIAL FOR BIG POOL PAYOUTS!!
DONT MISS THIS GREAT NIGHT OF RACING
AS THE MOHAWK MEET CONTINUES INTO THE FALL!!
For more information go to MohawkRacetrack.com
RACING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FLAIR

PLANNED FOR THE FALL!
Woodbine and Mohawk Set To Host The World
By Larry Simpson
Wise Dan photo by David Landry
For many, the horse racing season

has just started, with every weekend
chalk full of world class stakes
events culminating with the grand
prize- the Breeders Cup for the
Thoroughbred set in November,
and the Breeders Crown for the
harness crowd in late October.
hosted the finals in 2015 (this

year the Meadowlands will be the
host on October 28th and 29th),
but many of the stars expected to
compete in late October, will be
stopping by Woodbines sister track,
Mohawk on September 17th at least
on the trotting side.
Over the past years Woodbine

Racetrack has proven to be one of
the stops hosting races that have
proven to have major implications
on the road to the Breeders Cup,
namely the Ricoh Woodbine Mile,
a $1 Million Classic event, this year
to be raced on September 17th,
and to a lesser extent, the Pattison
Canadian International, on October
16th. Likewise with the Breeders
Crown in mind, Woodbine actually
Heres the skinny on what you

could expect to see on September
17th at Woodbine and Mohawk,
then again at Woodbine on October
16th.
as beginning with its running in

2012, then in 2013, Woodbine
saw champion turfer Wise Dan,
catapult his two Woodbine Mile
wins, into victories in the Breeders
Cup Mile the same two years. In
2014, Trade Secret (GB), parlayed
his victory in the Woodbine
Mile, to a third place finish in the
Breeders Cup Mile, while lasts
years victor Mondialiste (Ire),
finished a good second behind the
outstanding filly, Tepin in the Cup
Mile.
First lets take a look at the Ricoh

Woodbine Mile, a $1 Million dollar
event over Woodbines E.P. Taylor
Turf Course. Recently, the Mile
has proven to be a successful prep
race for the Breeders Cup Mile,
So what does this all mean for

this years running of the Ricoh
Woodbine Mile. Well actually,
there could be an excellent chance
at a Woodbine Mile/Breeders Cup
Mile parlay, as Tepin, the fiveVOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016
PONIES 24-7
13
time Grade l winner and Eclipse

Award Champion grass mare of
2015 is expected to be one of the
starters in the Woodbine event.
And the chances of a Breeders
Cup Mile start for Tepin, or any
Ricoh Woodbine Mile starter who
may win, are even greater, as the
Woodbine Mile and its $1 Million
purse is a Breeders Cup Win and
Youre In event. At press time, a
very good field of international
horses was being assembled for
this years Ricoh Woodbine Mile,
including obviously the above
mentioned Tepin, the Irishbred Arod, and the improving
Canadian-bred Passion for Action,
a recent winner of the Grade ll
Highlander Stakes on Queens Plate
day.
Some Past Handicapping Trends
For The Ricoh Woodbine Mile:
Front end speed has not ruled, in
fact you need to go all the way back
to 2005 and find the Bobby Frankel
trained Leroidesanimaux (Brz) who
streaked to a more than a 7 length
win over a yielding turf course, and
did it on the front end. Wise Dan
won his two Miles basically with

the same trip, in a stalking position
where he was no more than two
lengths off the lead at the halfmile pole, while last years winner
Mondialiste (Ire) and 2014 winner
Trade Storm (GB) both closed from
far off the pace. It could be a case
of the old adage, that class horses
can win on any type of surface
and from anywhere on the track,
which probably accounts for the
wins by Wise Dan, Trade Storm
(GB), Mondialiste (Ire) and even
Leroidesanimaux (Brz) for that
matter who actually was one of the
top turf horses of his day and this
was reflected in his 3-5 post time
odds. Instead though it could be a
case that over the years, there has
been two or three speed horses
contesting the front end for the
Mile, setting things up perfectly for
the stalker or off the pace eventual
winner, and making it difficult for
a wire to wire performance like
Leroidesanimaux (Brz) in 2005.
The final of the Canadian Trotting

Classic, based on the results of the
eliminations from the week prior,
will include the top three, 3-yearold trotters in North America,
squaring off much like they did
in the final of the Hambletonian
Stakes at the Meadowlands in
early August. Marion Marauder,
Southwind Frank and Bar Hopping,
were the first, second and fifth
place finishers in the Hambletonian
Final respectively with Marion
Marauder only a nose better than
Southwind Frank. A note of interest
though, is that Bar Hopping was
Switching gaits for a moment,
only 1-1/2 lengths behind the top
Mohawk Raceway is hosting also on pair, and actually went to the gate
September 17th, a group of trotting as the post time favorite! Probably
Bar Hoppings favoritism was
based on an incredible front-end
performance in his Hambletonian
elimination where he was over five
lengths to the good at the wire.
Marion Marauder has since won
the second leg of Trottings Triple
Crown, the Yonkers Trot and his
elimination heat of the Canadian
Trotting Classic, while Southwind
Frank went to Pocono Downs and
won the Colonial Trot (a race that
Bar Hopping finished third after
stating from the 8-hole) in late
August, and finished second in his
elimination, behind you guessed it,
Bar Hopping! It should set up for
an exciting final!
Swedens Nahar, owned by the hockey playing Sedins. Photo by New Image Media
14
PONIES 24-7
stakes events with purses totaling

over $2.5 million with finals of the
Canadian Trotting Classic, Maple
Leaf Trot, Elegant Image, William
Wellwood Memorial and Peaceful
Way Stakes to be contested. Most
of these finals had eliminations
prior to the finals on September
17th, with a couple of the stakes
having some interesting side stories
that may unfold.
The Maple Leaf Trot Final, with

its purse of $632,000, should
have all eyes on the trotting mare
Hannelore Hanover, whose owners
antied up a $45,000 supplementary
fee to start, and saw her win her
elimination heat, and why not!
Hannelore Hanover had only won
13 of her 14 starts this season prior
to her Maple Leaf elimination and
has lifetime earnings of just over $1
Million.
All eyes too could be on a Swedish
11-year-old gelding by the name
of Nahar, who has won 39 times in
his career, including the prestigious
Elilopp in Sweden. Nahar, who has
earnings of over $1.8 Million, just
happens to be owned by the hockey
playing Sedins, Daniel and Henrik,
of the Vancouver Canucks. Nahar
finished fourth in his elimination
good enough to advance to the
September 17th Maple Leaf Trot
Final, and there is a pretty good
chance that his owners could be in
attendance at Mohawk that night,
as they will be nearby prepping for
their first game with Team Sweden,
in the World Cup of Hockey!
Some Handicapping Advice When
Betting Races With Eliminations
Look for horses that maybe were
coming off a layoff going into
their elimination race, especially
this horse came up with a good
performance to finish second or
third. Could be an example of
trainers intent, where the trainer
knew coming off the layoff, the
elimination would be a great
tightener, where the horse will fire
big in the final. Nahar could be a
fine example of this in the Maple
Leaf Trot Final, as the gelding was
making his first North American
start, and only his second start
since late June when racing in
Sweden. The 11-year-old has some

back class, and should be much
better off with a race over the
Mohawk surface!
Last but not least to be what I
consider one of the hidden gems of
Woodbines Thoroughbred racing
season, the Pattison Canadian
International. And I must admit,
this scribes favorite horse race
of the season, and has been (and
I know Im dating myself) since
the days of The Axe ll (1963) and
George Royal (1965 and 1966)!
The Pattison Canadian
International another with a purse
now of $1 Million, has a long and
distinguished history, actually
its first running was in 1938 at
Torontos now defunct Long Branch
Race Track. Now a grueling 1
miles on the turf Woodbine has
hosted the international event since
1956 (it was originally at 1-5/8ths
miles on the dirt, then moved to
the turf in 1958, also at 1-5/8ths
then switched to 1-1/2 miles on the
grass in 1987, and has traditionally
hosted the international stars of
Thoroughbred racing in October.
Of course probably Woodbines
greatest coup was attracting the
biggest name equine star of the
time, Secretariat who in 1973 used
the Canadian International as his
retirement from racing and on a
couple of occasions was used by
some as a final prep for one of the
Breeders Cup events.
winners were Champs Elysees

(GB), three time winning Joshua
Tree (Ire) in 2010, 2012 and again
in 2013, Sarah Lynx (Ire) in 2011,
Hillstar (GB) in 2014 and last
years winner Cannock Chase, who
although an American bred, took
all his racing lessons in England
under the tutelage of noted trainer,
Sir Michael Stoute. At a 1-1/2 miles
on the turf which can range from
a good to yielding surface, the
European contingent that usually
make their way to Woodbine in
October for the International, have
generally shown a propensity to
take to the less than firm surface,
and normally have indicated some
prior good racing experience at
the classic distance as well. In
addition, the European horses have
had another major advantage, two
words, Ryan Moore! The world
class jockey has happened to win
the last three runnings of the
Pattison Canadian International,
seemingly making himself quite
at home in the Woodbine winners
circle!
Looking for an edge in this years
International? Previous history
says, that the horse ridden by Ryan
Moore will be a good bet!
The 1-1/2 miles in the fall, over a

turf course that has been less than
firm has proven very advantageous
for the European entrants to the
Pattison Canadian International
with the last seven installments
being won by visitors from across
the pond so to speak! Since 2009,
PONIES 24-7
15
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Santa Anita Park

The Great Race Place Readies Itself For Another Breeders Cup
Originally opened in 1907, a few blocks

east of its current location, in what it is
now Arcadia Park, it wasnt until after
the legalizing of pari-mutuel wagering in
1933, that Dr. Charles H. Strub, a San
Francisco dentist, and movie mogul Hal
Roach, successfully created a new Santa
Anita Park, at the foot of the San Gabriel
Mountains, where it still resides today. It
was quite a feat at the time, considering
the two were able to find success with the
racetrack, despite the fact that the country
was in the midst of the Great Depression.
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Over time, Santa Anita become a show

place on the west coast for great horses,
with equine stars like Seabiscuit, John
Henry, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, and more
recently, Zenyatta, Beholder, California
Chrome, American Pharoah, Nyquist, and
the undefeated Songbird, all calling The
Great Race Place home at some time in
their careers.
As well, through the years, Santa Anita,
became home to names like Woolf, Pincay,
McCarron, Shoemaker, Stevens, Smith and
Desormeaux, and in 1986 they hosted the
Breeders Cup for the very first time, which
they will once again hold this year over the
two days of November 4th and 5th.
COMMITMENT BEGINS LONG

BEFORE THE RACE DOES.
Recently, Larry Simpson, PONIES 24-7s

Publisher had the opportunity to speak with
Santa Anitas Vice President of Marketing,
Nate Newby, and they discussed the
upcoming Thoroughbred meet which opens
on September 30th, some proposed onOLGevents,
IS A PROUD
SUPPORTER
OF ONTARIO RACING.
track
and of course
the Breeders
Cup, which the track will be hosting an
unprecedented ninth time.
For more information go to www.ponies247.com

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PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY.
Photo by Kelly Serfoss
PONIES 24-7: Nate, you have been part

of the Santa Anita team for some time.
Tell me a little about your background
and how you got involved in horse
racing!
NATE NEWBY: Actually my father
always had a few horses when I was
growing up, racing them in New Mexico
and Colorado, and I just fell in love
with horse racing back then. I went to
Colorado State University, and during
school, I got my trainers license and
trained some horses at Arapahoe Park
in Denver. In 2002 I was lucky enough
to get an internship here at Santa Anita,
and over time I guess you could say
my luck continued as there was an
opening in the Marketing Department
and eventually I worked my way up
from there.
PONIES 24-7: So you could say that
horse racing was in the blood?
NATE NEWBY: A little bit but (laughs)
obviously the racing in New Mexico
and Colorado is a little different than
Santa Anita but still enough to provide
me with a taste for racing and an
opportunity to fall in love with it!
PONIES 24-7: Other than your family
connections to horse racing, was there
a horse or jockey that maybe attracted
you to the sport?
NATE NEWBY: I dont think that
growing up there was one that stood
out, but over the last 15 years here at
Santa Anita, I would have to say seeing
Zenyatta winning the Breeders Cup
Classic. Actually I felt pretty lucky to
watch her race the many times she did
at Santa Anita, as she was a special
horse!
PONIES 24-7: You could be considered
an anomaly of sorts, having been
introduced to the sport of horse racing
at an early age. What do think horse
racing needs to do to attract a new and
younger generation into the sport as
fans?
NATE NEWBY: Wow, thats a question
that I could probably spend about 12
hours on! At Santa Anita, the Stronach
Group and Frank Stronach have
invested heavily into the facility, which
I think has been the catalyst for us to
go out and attract new fans and really
18
PONIES 24-7
be competitive in the
Southern California
entertainment and
gaming markets. Santa
Anita is an amazing and
beautiful facility, and
having the upgrades
over the past four or
five years that Mr.
Stronach has put into
it, has really helped us
go out and attract that
new younger fan. We
try and run an event
every weekend when
we are racing, while
incorporating some
form of entertainment with horse racing.
It may be a regular Trackside event
like a Food or Craft Beer Festival. We
also started a Wagering Ambassador
program last year, because as you
know horse racing can be a bit of an
intimidating sport for the young person
to come in to, so to have somebody
of a similar age walk you through
the initial steps like How do I read a
program? or How do I make my first
bet? has been a huge benefit for us
to be able to make these younger fans
more comfortable. I think having staff
available to help educate new fans,
and by us planning as many events as
possible where we incorporate them
into the racing, is helping us to attract
that new fan!
PONIES 24-7: Since the Stronach
Group put all of the renovations and
upgrades into Santa Anita, have you
noticed a change in the demographic
where the actual average age has
maybe come down some, and maybe
you even have more women coming out
to the track?
NATE NEWBY: Absolutely, and it
all coincided with the renovation
of the track. Our core fan base
five or ten years ago, was like most
other racetracks, an aging male
demographic, and unfortunately many
were dying off! I think we spent much
of our marketing dollars over the years,
trying to get those same group of core
fans to come out to the track more
often, rather than go out and create
new fans, because it was easier and
more economical to do so. It was a
bit of a short sighted strategy to say
the least, but with this renovation,
and really making the investment to
Actor Colin Farrell

(standing with the
sunglasses), is just
one of the many
entertainment
celebrities who
have enjoyed a day
out at Santa Anita.
Photo by Benoit
Photos
Pictured, Jeff Goldblum is another who has

visited Santa Anita. Photo by Kelly Serfoss
go after new fans, we have seen the

demographic drop dramatically, and
much more women in attendance as
well. On our weekends, we are now
at 50% male/female, as opposed to
years ago when it was probably 60/40
or 70/30 on race days skewing to
males. We sell a lot of tickets online
now, so we collect that demographic
information, and we actually sell quite
a few tickets on social media, which
obviously makes it a much younger
demo that we are now reaching. On
the weekends, you will see more 25 and
30 year-olds everywhere rather than the
older demographic of five and ten years
ago.
PONIES 24-7: Do you see more families
with children coming to the track more?
NATE NEWBY: Absolutely, I think one of
the biggest benefits Santa Anita has, is
it has the best infield of any racetrack
in the country, which lends itself more
to family events every weekend. We
have pony rides, face painting, carnival
games, we have a great playground in
the infield as well, and we have made
it family friendly! Its free parking and
free admission to come into the infield,
and in southern California, having an
entertainment destination with free
admission and free parking is virtually
unheard of! We also organize quite
a few family events in the infield as
well, some complete with barbecues,
or other inexpensive packages that
families can take advantage of.
PONIES 24-7: Obviously the sports
and entertainment market is very
competitive in southern California, who
do you think is Santa Anitas major
competition, when trying to attract new
and younger fans?
NATE NEWBY: Thats the biggest

challenge in southern California as there
are so many entertainment options
available and gambling destinations
with casinos within a 90-mile radius.
Plus Las Vegas is only a four-hour
drive away or a very reasonable flight.
I really dont think it is just one of the
other entertainment or sports options
that exist that could be considered
competition, instead it is a challenge
for us, between the Dodgers, the
Lakers, the Kings and the college
sports teams like UCLA and USC
(they both draw close to 100,000 fans
per game), so you could say we are
in against multiple competition every
weekend. But on the flip side, we also
have a very large population in the
southern California area, and we are
doing some different things to make it
a little easier for people to get to Santa
Anita. We are quite lucky as there has
been a major investment put into public
transportation in the Arcadia area and
there is a Light Rail station that opened
up in Arcadia earlier this year and we
run a free shuttle from the station to the
track. The Light Rail only costs $1.25
so it is a very inexpensive option to get
here, and I think we will see it continue
to grow. We also began a partnership
with Uber last year and started a
program with our fans, which we will
be renewing again this year, where we
rebate them back 50% of their Uber
ride to and from Santa Anita. It speaks
loudly to that younger demographic that
loves Uber, and also it gives everyone
a safe option to get home, just in
case you may have had one too many
beverages here!
PONIES 24-7: So do you try to work
with the other sports teams with cross
promotions?
NATE NEWBY: We try to work with

everyone as there is quite a bit of
crossover between the fans attending
the various sports. In fact, we did
some market research this year, which
showed the tremendous crossovers
that existed, between Santa Anita
attendees and Dodgers attendees.
We did a promotion with the Dodgers
last year, and are actually working on a
promotion as we speak to work with the
Dodgers as they make a playoff run this
season. We do some radio advertising
on the Dodgers Radio Network as
well. We also believe that by the NFL
moving the Rams back to LA, it is also
a great opportunity for Santa Anita,
and actually we are in the process of
rebranding one of the areas at the track
which is our sports bar, and will be
inviting the Rams fans to come out and
root for them because it is a fun day
to watch the football games and also
play the races. It has always been our
strategy not to ignore the competition
with other sports but rather to partner
with our local teams and work to attract
their fans to Santa Anita.
PONIES 24-7: Obviously Nate, we need
to touch upon the upcoming Breeders
Cup event, just how important are these
two days of racing to Santa Anita?
NATE NEWBY: We are hosting it for
a record ninth time this year, and
it is just a great event that gives us
an amazing amount of exposure,
internationally and on network television
here in the US with NBC Sports and
the NBC Network. Breeders Cup is a
great opportunity for us, as we get a
lot of fans from around the world who
come to Santa Anita that week, some
for the first time, so I think that it helps
establish Santa Anita as one of the best
racetracks in the world. The record
attendance for us over a two-day
period is 98,319, which was from 2014,
and our ticket sales so far for this year
will be tracking close to that number, or
even a touch more!
sporting events in the world, makes

it a little easier to attract a new visitor
to Santa Anita. It gives us a great
opportunity to build on, we are focusing
on some college programs this year,
some live music and craft beer and
food trucks in the infield to go after that
new fan that maybe have never been
to Santa Anita before, or possibly have
never been to a Breeders Cup.
PONIES 24-7: Plus I guess that it
doesnt hurt that you have so much
California content with horses like
Beholder, California Chrome, Nyquist
and Songbird expected to take part in
the Breeders Cup this year?
NATE NEWBY: We are actually quite
lucky this year being the home of a lot
of the best horses in the world right
now, and are quite excited that we will
have an opportunity to promote our
local stars to an international audience.
And it makes it easier for us to promote.
California Chrome for example, is a real
draw to the non-horse racing savvy
group, as they still know who he is and
he gets a lot of attention in the local
media market, which really isnt easy to
do in LA, because there is just so much
going on. Hes certainly a celebrity!
PONIES 24-7: In early summer the
Santa Anita Turf Course had a complete
overhaul done, was this more so for
the Breeders Cup, or had it reached a
point that it was just time to do so?
NATE NEWBY: Well I think it was
more of a situation that Santa Anitas
schedule has changed so much now,
as traditionally for many years we
stopped racing in April, and then we
would always have the big opening day
on December 26th. So with Hollywood
Park closed now and soon to become
the home of the LA Rams, we picked
up a few extra race dates and our
season started looking a little different
now and with Breeders Cup coming
PONIES 24-7:Do you notice quite a

few new visitors to Santa Anita, for
Breeders Cup?
NATE NEWBY: I think one of the
great things about Breeders Cup is
that it draws a real solid horse racing
audience, and with all that exposure
that it gets as one of the biggest

PONIES 24-7
19
Horses break from the gate on the famous Santa

Anita Turf Course. Photo by Kelly Serfoss
up, it was time to put in a Bermudabased turf course that handled the
different seasons a little better! We
made the decision to stop racing on the
turf course near the end of our season,
which ended in July, which gave it
some extra time to grow, and so far it
looks great.
PONIES 24-7: What other major
promotions do you have planned for
Santa Anita for your upcoming meet?
NATE NEWBY: The Autumn Meet is
a great season just because it is six
weeks leading up to Breeders Cup
and we start off with a huge day of
racing on opening Saturday where
we have five Grade l stakes races.
We are quite optimistic that some of
the stars we mentioned earlier will be
part of that race day. On that day too,
we do various events for all levels of
racing fans, events in the infield for
the kids, live music in the infield as
well, and then on the track side we
have our Oktoberfest promotion which
has some craft beer promotions and
happens to be right at the Finish Line.
Its a pretty inexpensive event where
you can buy a package for $20 that
includes a couple of Oktoberfest beers
and a give away. Our Chandelier Room
is one of our gems at Santa Anita,
and was renovated three or four years
ago, and we have been hosting Guest
Chef events there with Sprout LA, a
restaurant group that have done the
best restaurants in Los Angeles. These
events include getting these Chefs
to come in and do food tastings and
presentations and incorporate great
food, with horse racing and specialty
cocktails, and it is just a fun party. Its
been a very popular event for us and
will start on the opening Saturday as
well.
PONIES 24-7: The fact that you are
20
PONIES 24-7
sitting so close to Hollywood,

can you play off that factor and
attract some of the movie and
entertainment stars to Santa
Anita?
NATE NEWBY: I would say in
the last year at Santa Anita,
there has probably been the
most celebrities in attendance,
at least since I have been here
anyway! Its different now that
instead of buying the traditional
30 second advertising spot,
you can get a celebrity out here that
maybe has maybe 5 or 10 million
followers on social media and we can
reach a lot more new fans through this
avenue. We have really worked on this
part of the business and actually have a
couple of agencies that help us, and we
host an event in our suites almost every
week. Most of the celebrities like being
out mingling with the fans but we have
the Chandelier Room and some private
suites that gives them some space
when they want it.
PONIES 24-7: Who would be a couple
of these celebrities that have recently
visited Santa Anita?
NATE NEWBY: Jennifer Lawrence,
Colin Farrell, Jeff Goldblum, Julia
Roberts, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci,
Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Christina
Hendricks, Ty Burrell, Elizabeth Banks,
Robin Thicke, Bella Thorne and Kevin
Dillon have all visited Santa Anita in
the last year or two. Weve also had
a solid turnout from the sports world
including players from the Lakers and
Dodgers. The L.A. Kings even brought
out the Stanley Cup to Santa Anita after
their championship season.
PONIES 24-7: What attracts these
celebrities to Santa Anita, is it the
horses, the people or the gambling?
NATE NEWBY: I think that they
appreciate the horse, and they want to
go to the paddock and be next to the
horses or the athletes! We had Julia
Roberts come out to Bob Bafferts barn
to see American Pharoah and having
those equine stars here gives us a
major advantage as they seem to be
the draw for the celebrities. Obviously
Santa Anita is a great building, and
it gives them an opportunity to have
a fun day and hang out with their
friends, but they all seem to want to get

close to the horse and experience that
side of the business first hand! Actually
another benefit of Breeders Cup is the
celebrities that are drawn to it. We had
Elizabeth Banks, Bobby Flay and Kate
Upton in 2014, and its much more than
where they just show up for a couple of
hours, now they become more engaged
and can talk knowledgably to the media
and their contacts.
Introducing
PREMIUM SEATING AT SANTA ANITA
PONIES 24-7: Finally Nate, what are

the future plans, if any for Santa Anita,
and any strategies perhaps in play to
continue bringing in new fans, and a
younger demographic?
NATE NEWBY: I think Larry, you hit the
nail on the head, that is our number one
goal to bring in new fans, and we have
shown increases over the past three
years but for us that is just the starting
point! We feel that the opportunity is
so much bigger, and just continuing
to grow at a faster rate, and we can
rebuild our fan base with 20, 30 or 40
year olds who love the sport and have
them share it with their friends and
family. As for the track itself, we are
constantly doing renovations to the
infrastructure on a yearly basis since we
did the major renovation four years ago.
We recently renovated one of our more
popular spots, the Winners Terrace, an
area that is right next to the Winners
Circle for groups, and did some major
renovations on the Gallop Out. It was a
sports bar area in our Club House and
will open in time for our Autumn Meet
with more of a lounge feel and some
of the best views at the track just past
the Finish Line! We are continuing to do
some good things here at Santa Anita,
and all of us here are very optimistic
about the future, to continue to build on
it and watch it grow even more!
The best seats in the house are waiting for you. Enjoy private, luxury accomodations in your own suite with fine dining,
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LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
BLENDING PASSION WITH ART

DEBBIE SAMPSON
My specialty is using paint and color to capture the motion and energy in my sports pieces adding a three
dimensional effect. In my horse and pet portraits, I specialize in capturing the personality of my subjects.
Debbie Sampson
As PONIES 24-7 is constantly

looking for new and creative ways
to introduce and Live The Horse
Racing Lifestyle let us introduce
you to Florida sports artist Debbie
Sampson, who has supplied this
issues cover, an original of two
Eclipse Award winners, Hall of
Fame Jockey Ramon Dominguez
and Havre De Grace.
Debbie was basically self-taught,
although she did receive private
oil painting lessons as a young
girl for about a year with her first
published piece appearing in
the Quarter Horse Journal when
she was 14.Beginning in the
late 1990s Debbies paintings
gained national recognition with
her appearances on CNN, ESPN,
Channel 7, and the Sunshine
Network where her work was
shown during major sporting
events. Debbies painting
accomplishments were also
covered in USA Today, The Miami
Herald, and The Fort Lauderdale
Sun-Sentinel, with some works
appearing on covers of major
publications such as The Sports
Collectible Digest and Dans
Papers (Weekly publication, New
York City and The Hamptons).
Debbie was also honored with
her works selected for Official
Posters for the Dressage on The
First Coast FEI Great American/
USDF Region 3 Championships,
The Aventura Festival of the Arts
(Aventura, Florida 1994), and with
a Limited Edition lithograph of
Scott Mellanby distributed by the
Florida Panthers Hockey Club. She
was also the artist in residence
at Calder Race Course and

Casino in Miami, Florida from
2003 to 2011. More recently,
Debbie was chosen Artist
of the Month at the National
Museum of Sports Art in
Indiana for May, 2013, and was
one of the artists selected for
the National Museum of Polo
and Hall of Fame 2014, and
a finalist for Showtimes Big
Boxing Mayhem: Mayweather
vs. Maidana 2 World Title
Fight Artist in September,
2014.
Debbie says that she loves
to show the excitement and
movement through color
and by using the palate
knife to apply the paint. She
says that lighting can add
more movement depending
on how thick the paint has
been applied. Debbie works
in capturing the triumph
and energy of professional
athletic competition primarily
with an oil canvas as well as
graphite pieces, and works
with every client to develop a
unique piece of art, to ensure
complete satisfaction. Her
attention to detail makes
Debbie a popular choice of
professional athletes, their fans
and corporations involved in
sports.
Her work has continued to be
shown at many fine art shows,
museums and galleries across
the United States. Hopefully
you will enjoy our Cover and a
few samples of Debbies work
that appears on these pages!
Contact information for
Debbie: debbie@artsports.com
Web Site : www.artsports.com
By: Larry Simpson
For more information on signed Limited Edition prints of our Cover, contact Debbie!
PONIES 24-7
23
MEADOWLANDS
LIVE RACING CALENDAR 2016
Good News For Tioga Downs

Meadowlands Back For Their Fall Season
JANUARY
Tioga Downs photo by Fred Brown.
Tioga Downs, the harness

track located in Nichols, New
York, could begin offering table
games and slot machines as
soon as November of this year,
as the New York State Gaming
Commission approved the tracks
bid for a state casino license in
late August. The decision was
made after a lengthy selection
and investigation process that
had been going on for more than
two years for Tiogas owner Jeff
Gural, and the Class lll commercial
gaming license granted will
transform the facility into a fullscale casino. This transformation
will include replacing the Video
Lottery Terminals (VLTs) with slot
machines, and allow Tioga to
add Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, a
Poker Room and other casino card
games permitted by the gaming
commission.
The decision could be
considered an anti-climatic end
to a tempestuous pursuit by
Tioga Downs, as the racetrack
facility initially had their license
application rejected in 2014,
however Jeff Gural credits
widespread and increasing
public support that showed
the commission that the
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community wanted to see casino

gaming come to the area. Last
October, the New York State
Gaming Facility Location Board
recommended that Tioga Downs
receive the states final license,
and the decision was fully
endorsed in late August by the full
commission.
Presently, Tioga Downs is in the
midst of a multi-million dollar
expansion, which will usher in the
new forms of casino gaming, and
recently just opened up Virgils
Real BBQ, as well as the first
phase of the new gaming area.
They were expected to break
ground on the new 161-room
hotel and convention center, an
addition that is expected to alter
the Tioga property into a worldclass resort. When completed,
besides the hotel, the 32,000
square foot casino will have 1,000
slot machines, 50 table games
and a poker room. In all, Jeff Gural
has pledged a minimum capital
investment of $122.6 million into
the Tioga facility.
This year Tioga Downs is
celebrating its tenth anniversary
of providing its patrons live
harness racing, video lottery
terminals, video poker, electronic

table games and a variety of
eating establishments. For more
information on Tioga Downs, go to
www.tiogadowns.com.
Meanwhile, the Meadowlands after
a brief respite, after Hambletonian
day in early August, is back racing
with the Standardbreds starting
up on September 9th and racing
through until December 31st,
27 days in total and mostly on
Fridays and Saturdays. In addition,
for three days in September and
eleven in October, the track will
feature their annual Thoroughbred
meet. For complete dates and
post times for the harness and
Thoroughbred meets go to www.
playmeadowlands.com.
Finally, also in October, the
Meadowlands will host the
prestigious Breeders Crown
Championships, with eliminations
on October 21st and 22nd, and
finals raced October 28th and
29th. The Breeders Crown is in
its 32nd year and features North
Americas top two and three-yearolds racing for over $6 Million in
purses.
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First Post 7:00 p.m.
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playmeadowlands.com | #playbigm
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July 16: Crawford Farms
Meadowlands Pace
August 6: Hambletonian Day
October 28 & 29:
Breeders Crown
November 11 & 12:
TVG Finals
have a new tote system, and well

also have a new starting gate. We
believe that the Pick 5 with a low
12-percent takeout will also be
welcomed by our fans and will be
popular since most of our races
will have nine starters.
A NEW ERA AT ROSECROFT BEGINS

By Larry Simpson, with files from Rosecroft Raceway
Opening night action in front of Rosecrofts new High Definition television screen. Photo by Best Bet Photos
Rosecroft Raceway, the

Fort Washington, Maryland
Standardbred track, which has
hosted the biggest stars in harness
racing during its 67-year history,
began a new era on September
13th, when it opened its fall meet
under the new ownership of The
Stronach Group, parent company
of the Maryland Jockey Club.
Rosecroft has hosted champions
like Forrest Skipper, Mack Lobell,
Camtastic, Cams Card Shark,
and Jennas Beach Boy, whose
149.2 mark taken in August, 1996
still stands as the track record
for four-year-old horses. Another
accomplished horse to race at
the Maryland track was Nuclear
Breeze, who still holds the all age
pacing track record of 1:48.2, a
mark that was taken in 2007, and
at the time was an overall World
Record for pacers on a fiveeighths mile track.
While Sal Sinatra, President and
General Manager of the Maryland
Jockey Club said he hopes to
learn and observe during the fall
meet, the Maryland Jockey Club
is already investing money in the
facility and moving ahead with
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some changes.
A high-definition, 21-by-30
television is being installed in
the infield to replace the old tote
board. A new starting gate was
unveiled opening night, and a
new Pick 5 wager with a low
12-percent takeout also made
its debut on opening night. In
addition, Superfectas, Trifectas
and Exactas are being offered on
every race and two Daily Doubles
are also being offered starting with
the fall meet.
Speaking prior to opening night,
Sal Sinatra said, Were going
to observe and learn this fall
at Rosecroft, much like we did
when we first arrived at Laurel!
Sinatra, who arrived in Maryland
in December of 2014 also added,
We want to learn the habits of
our customers, what they like and
dont like, and what needs to be
improved.
We think the new infield
television, along with a highdefinition broadcast, will provide
our fans a much crisper broadcast.
The horsemen have reacted well
to the newly paved paddock. Well
The Maryland Jockey Club will

also try to grow Rosecrofts
presence by featuring its
simulcasts at its Thoroughbred
and off-track facilities in state,
as well as outside the state. For
instance, for the first time since
2008 Rosecrofts races will be
shown in Florida, home of The
Stronach Groups Gulfstream
Park.
Were really excited about the fall
meet at Rosecroft, Sinatra said.
We want to increase export sites,
introduce more fans and bettors to
the great sport of harness racing,
and we look forward to working
closely with the horsemen.
Rosecroft is scheduled to race
from September 13th to December
15th, on a Tuesday, Thursday
evening schedule.
More information on Rosecroft
Raceway is available at
www.rosecoft.com
please email
dawn@afterthefinishline.org
regarding the funding needs. Tell
us about the horse, its race name,
what you are requesting funding
for, the cost for each service
requested and photos of the
horse(s).
Raising funds to help the Off
Track Thoroughbreds is both fun
and challenging. After the Finish
Line plans fundraisers throughout
the year that create awareness
for our cause. We also receive
grants and monetary donations.
We also receive donations for
our live and silent auctions. We
look forward to meeting you at
one of our events. If you cannot
attend, please consider making a
donation.
The greatest victory for a Thoroughbred is not

winning a race,
but winning the race to live long past their days
on the racetrack.
Pictured Guns and Knives. Photo by Dawn Mellen
After the Finish Line has been very

busy hosting fundraisers to benefit
the Off Track Thoroughbreds. The
funds raised enable us to continue
to fund aftercare organizations
across the United States. This
year we have funded 35 aftercare
organizations and expect to fund
at least 60 organizations by years
end. We are approaching our 10th
year of helping horses connected
to the Thoroughbred racing
industry. We thank our supporters
for their ongoing confidence and
trust of our efforts.
After the Finish Line (ATFL)
is an all-volunteer 501 (c) 3
funding non-profit dedicated
to the welfare of Thoroughbred
horses. We provide funds to
the aftercare organizations to
assist: Off Track Thoroughbreds,
Thoroughbreds in training but
never raced, Thoroughbred foals,
and Thoroughbred stallions and
broodmares from the breeding
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PONIES 24-7
industry.
ATFL does not keep a farm with
horses. Rather, we fundraise and
award Monthly Emergency Funds
to qualified aftercare organizations
throughout the United States.
ATFL funds between 2 6
organizations per month to
address the immediate needs of
their horses. Last year we helped
over 250 horses at 57 rescue and
retirement organizations in 16
states.
Aftercare organizations can
request funding for the following
expenses: to save horses at
auctions, surgery or medical
needs, farrier, dental or veterinary,
hay and feed, boarding or
transporting a Thoroughbred to
safety. The talent of these exracehorses extends far beyond
the race track. Our funds help
the horses transition and excel
in second careers as hunter/
jumpers, dressage, eventing, trail,

companion or therapy horses.
After the Finish Line also received
two restricted grants. One is to
assist California bred horses
throughout the United States. The
second is to save six horses at
auctions throughout the United
States.
To start the funding process,
FUNDRAISERS
After the Finish Line hats. Photos by Ally Morris
After the Finish Line has secured

La Paloma Theater in Encinitas,
CA on Sunday, October 9th for
two special fundraising screenings
of the much anticipated movie,
HARRY & SNOWMAN. We will
host a matinee and evening
performance. Join us for this red
carpet affaire, photo opportunities,
poster give-a-ways, raffle, wine
tasting and much more! We can
seat up to 250 people at each
showing.
This year After the Finish Line
is hosting several HALTER
AUCTIONS through our eBay
Store, stores.ebay.com/
AftertheFinishLine. You will never
miss an auction if you click on the
Follow button on our store site.
Have you ever dreamed of owning
a halter from your
favorite racehorse?
Our Del Mar
Charity Halter
Auction included
Dortmund,
Einstein, Enola
Gray, Richards Kid
and Stellar Wind.
Our Saratoga
Charity Halter
Auction included
Cross Traffic,
Lemon Drop Kid,
My Miss Aurelia,
Quality Road and
Tonalist.
Racing fans
will have the
opportunity to bid
on more halters
throughout the
year. A Breeders
Cup, Christmas
and Eclipse
Awards Charity
Halter Auctions
are being planned.
Tonalist Halter by Dawn Mellen

Two special screenings of the much anticipated movie, Harry and
SNOWMAN will be held on October 9th at the La Paloma Theater as
a fund raiser
Some of the upcoming halters

auctions will include: Awesome
Again, Hopportunity, Lookin
at Lucky, Smokey, Love the
Chase, Om, Better Than Honour,
Texas Red, Two Step Salsa,
Ghostzapper, Super Saver, Wild
Dude, Havre de Grace, Lucky
Pulpit, Littlemissemma, Kittens
Joy, and many more! These are
sought after collectibles for sports
memorabilia collectors and racing
fans.
After the Finish Line had a
fantastic PACIFIC CLASSIC
fundraiser in the Clubhouse lobby
of the Del Mar Race Track. Fans
gathered where the turf meets the
surf to watch California Chrome,
Beholder and Dortmund, amongst
others, race in the $1million TVG
Pacific Classic on Saturday,
August 20th.
This was our 5th annual race track
fundraiser held on this million
dollar race day. Our charity tables
were located by the famous Peb
Bellocq mural. We sold racing
memorabilia, and items donated
by artists, race tracks, breeding
farms, equestrian businesses and
the Daily Racing Form. After the
PONIES 24-7
29
HANDICAPPING
Photo by Michael Burns
The Racers Edge

A Handicapping Primer
By Larry Simpson
A Thoroughbred Toss Out- Sometimes You Have To Dig Deep!!
Pictured Fuhrever Dancing. Photo by Dawn Mellen
Finish Line also sold BEHOLDER

hats.
PACIFICFEST was After the Finish
Lines other summer fundraiser
in Del Mar. Friends joined us for
an evening under the stars with
music, dancing, hors doeuvres,
and a live and silent auction in the
heart of Del Mar. Our live auction
included two bottles of Dom
Perignon champagne autographed
by the jockeys of Del Mar, a photo
of California Chrome autographed
by his owners, trainers, jockey,
exercise rider and groom and
a photo of American Pharoah
crossing the finish line of the
Belmont Stakes, winning the Triple
Crown, autographed by Victor
Espinoza.
30
PONIES 24-7
After the Finish Line hats

After the Finish Lines hats are
purchased by customers all across
the United States. All proceeds
benefit the rescue, rehabilitation
and re-training of Off Track
Thoroughbreds. ATFLs designer
canvas caps have an adjustable
metal clasp and feature our
colorful race horse logo, website
and service mark, A 501 (c) 3
funding non-profit for rescued
Thoroughbred ex-racehorses.
Choose one of three colors: black,
green or pink. The caps only cost
$20 + $5 shipping. Visit the ATFL
Store on our website.
Follow us on social media @
AfterFinishLine (Twitter) and
After the Finish Line (Facebook).
Contact us for additional

information or to donate items for
our fundraisers.
Dawn Mellen, Founder/President
After the Finish Line
10153 Riverside Drive
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
www.afterthefinishline.org
dawn@afterthefinishline.org
Separating the wheat from

the chaff! Or in racing circles,
contenders from pretenders!
Or better still, possible good
betting opportunities from
horses considered to be toss
outs! Usually, the latter are not
too difficult to find as they are
generally horses with obvious poor
form on paper, and are the first
ones eliminated from consideration
by the astute handicapper. But not
so fast! Sometimes it doesnt pay
to be too hasty when tossing, as
you will soon see.
Before eliminating a horse it
is imperative that you look for
excuses! See if you can find that
possible hidden element that
perhaps accounted for the last
few sub-par performances. You
may also find that the last race,
or even the second last race, may
not be sufficient enough to provide
you with a well rounded picture of
a horses capabilities, especially
when it comes down to analyzing
how he or she may run today.

Heres a prime example of where
recent performance, or rather lack
of performance in the past two
races, will sometimes cloud the
handicapping equation. Horse A
is a lightly raced three-year-old
colt, racing in a mid-range Maiden
Claimer for one of the tracks
leading trainers. Horse A finished
10th, beaten some 20 lengths in
his most recent start, and the race
before that finished 9th in a nine
horse field, again losing in double
digits. To most people, this horse
would be an automatic toss out
for todays race. Certainly on
paper it looks like he has gone
off form. Or has he? Sometimes
when the actual decision to pitch
a horse is made, especially if it is
conducted in a hasty fashion, you
may actually be costing yourself
some prime betting opportunities
that could be staring you right in
the face!
Lets assume that todays race is

a 6-furlong sprint on a fast track.
Our horses last race was at a
mile on the turf, and the race prior
to that on a very wet racetrack,
again at a one-mile distance.
Keeping in mind that Horse A is
lightly raced with only six lifetime
starts, the astute handicapper
decides to overlook the last two
races because of track excuses
choosing instead to concentrate
on the three-year-olds prior
racelines. In his first lifetime
start Horse A finished 5th at
6-furlongs. Then in the next three
starts, the past performance lines
show two third place finishes and
then a fourth, each time showing
good early speed but he backed
up in the stretch. Also, a quick
perusal of the odds in the past
performance lines for the first four
races shows that HorseA was a
well thought of horse, with odds
as low as 3-1, and as high as 6-1.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
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31
Braggin Rights: No Longer a Mystery!

By Cheryl A. Bellucci
Most of the horses that arrive at
Our Mims Retirement Haven come
with a history, a known race record,
a pedigree of sires and dams, or a
human family providing financial
and emotional aid. None of that
was true for a mare brought to the
Haven in November of 2014. She
came only with the mystery of her
identity.
The light gray Thoroughbred was
dubbed Lady Jane, a more proper
moniker for a resident of the
Haven than the normal Jane Doe.
A bit was known about her recent
history. She was donated to the
Haven by a person who saved her
from a kill buyer, but that person
was not able to provide proper
long-term care, and the mares
condition had begun to deteriorate.
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PONIES 24-7
Upon arrival, Lady Janes

health was assessed. The
Havens veterinarian,
Dr. Travis Burns of
Park Equine Hospital in
Lexington, determined
the mare to be about 25
years of age. He scored
her a 3 on the Henneke
horse body condition test.
Jeanne Mirabito, Haven creator,
immediately tended to Lady Janes
physical needs. The mare was
bathed and had her teeth floated.
Because her background wasnt
known, she was kept in a separate
barn from the other Ladies and
Elmhurst. Donors and fans quickly
sent funds to pay for the research
kit from the Jockey Club to
determine Lady Janes true identity.
Jeanne recalls her thoughts about
Photos by Heather Moreton
the unknown mare at the time.

She wore psychological scars that
told me she had more than her fair
share of trauma. That she was saved
from slaughter and had her identity
stripped away was only the tip of
the iceberg. I saw it in her eyes.
Who was Lady Jane? Jeanne
received some hints from a
researcher using the little bit known
about the mare, but nothing was
publicly shared. Multiple photos of
the mare along with her bloodwork
were sent to official channels so that althoughat the age of nineteen

her name could be discovered.
Brags was close to the normal
acceptance age of 20.
It took about seven months to find
out. On June 24, 2015, the Jockey
Jeanne summed up the case of the
Club contacted Jeanne with the
missing identity: Mystery solved
identity of the mare. Her name is
thanks to the hard work of The
Braggin Rights, and she is a 1996
Jockey Club! As with all our mares,
mare by Iroquois Park out of the
Braggin Rights has landed softly
Hard Work mare Jodi Z. She raced
and is forever safe, far away from
10 time, earning $12,591 with one
the kill pen and whoever it was who
win, four places, and one show.
sent her there. We have always had
Her single win came at Turfway on a certain amount of bragging rights
February 4, 2000. Most of her races and now we have the real deal.
were run at Turfway, but she started
her race career on March 26, 1998
Braggin Rights resides at the Our
at Delta Downs in an allowance
Mims Retirement Haven farm
race where she finished second. The along with Blue Viking, Trail
stats for her last race, a claiming at
Guide, Missy White Oak, Exciting
Turfway on March 7, 2000, flags her Bucket, Dogwood Patty, Ms. Royal
as on rail, faded. She finished last
Flagship, Play Book, and Jo Jos
in that race.
Gypsy. Our Mims grandson, the
1997 Breeders Cup Sprint winner
Braggin Rights first foal was born
Elmhurst, arrived at the Haven in
in 2001. A bay horse by the 1995
October of 2011.
stallion K O Punch, Dashing Devil
had seven starts with one win for
OMRH became a 501(c)3 nonprofit
career earnings of $3,532. Braggin
in 2006. Featured in Barbara
Rights had a total of six foals. Vito
Livingstons More Old Friends,
Filitto, a 2007 chestnut gelding by
the Haven specializes in restoring
1991 stallion Mutakddim, earned
health and spirit in aged mares.
$118,206 in his career. He won the
The Haven is supported through
Minstrel Stakes at Louisiana Downs donations, eBay auctions, and its
and ran second in the Lafayette
online shop.
Stakes at Evangeline and the Old
Hickory Stakes at the Fair Grounds.
At three, Vito Filitto ran second in
the Black Gold Stakes, also at the
Fair Grounds.
Sometime after Braggin Rights
last foal was born in 2011, Braggin
Rights was sold outside of the
major Thoroughbred auctions.
She took the hard way around,
but finally did find her way to Our
Mims Retirement Haven. As with
Jo Jos Gypsy, Brags was accepted
into the Haven despite being a tad
younger than the requirements,
Photo by Jeanne Mirabito
Our Mims Retirement Haven is

accredited by the Thoroughbred
Aftercare Alliance and the
Kentucky Equine Health and
Welfare Council. OMRH has
received grants from Thoroughbred
Charities of America (TCA).
Our Mims Retirement Haven web
site: http://www.OurMims.org
Our Mims Retirement Haven
donations: http://www.OurMims.
org/donate/
Twitter: @MimsRetirement
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.
com/OurMimsRetirementHaven
Braggin Rights and a friend. Photo by Heather Moreton

PONIES 24-7
33
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

And to take it just a little further,
our HorseA is still racing in
the same class today as in the
previous two races, so even
though he was beaten in double
digits two races in a row, Horse
As trainer (we have already
established that he is one of the
circuits leaders) is not trying to
bail out today by offering him at
a lower claiming tag. Obviously
we are not talking about damaged
goods-no fire sale here!
We simply must give a horse like
this careful consideration. He
obviously is not the automatic
toss out as we first thought.
The race on the wet surface is
a total throw out as Horse A
obviously didnt care for the mud,
which is not uncommon with
young horses, while the one-mile
turf race was probably used as a
stamina builder, and another way
of sharpening his already useful
speed. (Note-the highly proficient
turf to dirt angle is visibly present
with HorseA). Todays 6-furlongs
on a fast track should be just
what the good doctor ordered
for Horse A, as the prevalence of
early speed in his past two races
simply reinforces the fact that this
is a horse that is STILL in relatively
good shape, even though he has
not had the good finish results to
prove it!
Also, it is important to consider
who is riding this horse today. If
the jockey named just happens
to be one of the top riders on the
circuit, and he or she has ridden
Horse A before-BIG POSITIVE
ANGLE!! Who better to know the
horses actual capabilities on a fast
racing surface like today! Likewise,
if one of the leading jockeys on
your circuit has ridden the horse
in his past two drab races and he
or she stays on for todays race-
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BINGO-all the signs point to a big

effort today!
Now after digging deep on our
Horse A, we have come to the
conclusion that in todays race he
does appear to fit distance-wise
and class-wise and is not the
quick toss out that we originally
thought. Also, one of the circuits
leading riders is named to ride and
we have already established that
he hails from one of the leading
barns on the track. Therefore it
begs the question IS HORSE A
A GOOD BET TODAY?
Watch the tote board for action or
non-action if you may. If HorseA
gets very little betting action
on the tote, perhaps going off
at odds of 10-1 or more, in my
opinion I would let him go today.
Remember, in his past races,
Horse A was well bet, so todays
lack of betting action may be a
bit of a concern as it just doesnt
fit the same profile of past races!
Mind you, in every race, so-called
overlays are created and in the
case of our Horse A, the fact of
the matter may be that not enough
people have done the homework
to the same extent that you have.
Perhaps they have automatically
tossed Horse A because of his
two double digit losses, kind of the

what have you done for me lately
scenario, and with this being said,
he just might pop up at a good
price today. Obviously betting on
HorseA is a gamble, but isnt that
what betting horses is all about?
Certainly the lack of betting action
on the board today is cause for
concern, however not enough
cause for me to not make at least
a small wager on this overlaid
horse.
On the other hand, if Horse A has
a Morning Line of 12-1, and early
money shows up to the point that
he opens at 6-1 or less (basically
1/2 of his morning line), drifts back
up to 12-1, then back down again
as post time nears, then you just
might have a live value-play here.
Another good betting proposition,
probably a little stronger even than
the one mentioned above and thus
you would manage your bankroll
accordingly.
It is evident from the above
example that the most important
lesson to be learned about the
toss out theory is that you
need to dig deep in order to find
some hidden indicators. And this
perseverance will only make you a
better handicapper in the future!
TRACK TALKS
Keeping An Eye On The Woodbine And Mohawk Racing Scene!
WOODBINE NOTES
Stakes Continue To Be On The Menu This Fall
September 17th is a big day in racing for Woodbine
with not only the running of the Grade l Ricoh
Woodbine Mile, but also a tremendous undercard
that includes the $300,000 Guaranteed Grade l
Northern Dancer Turf Presented by HPIbet and the
$300,000 Guaranteed Grade ll Canadian Stakes (all
three are part of the Breeders Cup Win and Youre
In Challenge Series). However, the stakes season
does not end there, in fact less than 24 hours
later, on September 18th, you will find two more
Breeders Cup Win and Youre In Challenge Series
races that includes the $250,000 Guaranteed
Grade l Natalma Stakes for two-year-old fillies at
a distance of one mile on the turf, and the Grade
ll Summer Stakes for two-year-olds also at a
distance of one mile on the turf and a Guaranteed
purse of $200,000.
And the Graded stakes continue, as September
24th sees the $150,000 Guaranteed Grade lll
Ontario Colleen Stakes for three-year-old fillies
also at a distance of one mile on the turf, and the
$150,000 Guaranteed Grade lll Durham Cup, for
three-year-olds and up, at a distance of 1-1/8th
miles over the Tapeta surface.
As the racing calendar turns into October, Graded

stakes action includes on
October 8th the $150,000 Guaranteed Grade lll
Mazarine Stakes, for two-year-old fillies at 1-1/16th
on the Tapeta. The next day, October 9th, sees
the Grade III Grey Stakes, with a Guaranteed purse
of $150,000, a race for two-year-olds at 1-1/16th
also on the Tapeta. In past years the Grey Stakes
has had some implications on the Breeders Cup
Juvenile later in the year. On Sunday October
16th,the world comes to play at Woodbine with
the running of the Grade l $1 Million Pattison
Canadian International, 1-1/2 miles over the E.
P. Taylor Turf Course. A strong supporting cast
of graded stakes are also scheduled for this big
day of racing, including the Grade l $500,000
Guaranteed E.P. Taylor Stakes Presented by
HPIbet, for fillies and mares, three-year-olds

and up at 11/4 miles on the turf; the $300,000
Guaranteed, Grade l Nearctic Stakes, for threeyear-olds and up at 6 furlongs on the turf; and
finally the $150,000 Guaranteed Grade lll Ontario
Fashion Stakes, for fillies and mares, three-yearolds and up, at a distance of six furlongs over the
Tapeta.
A highlight of the Woodbine stakes schedule
every year takes place on October 22nd, with the
prestigious Cup and Saucer Stakes, $250,000
Guaranteed for two-year-olds foaled in Canada, at
a distance of 1-1/16th miles on the turf. Although
it is not a Graded event, it does give racing fans an
opportunity to see some potential Queens Plate
starters in 2017. With this in mind also put the
Coronation Futurity on your radar!
With a Guranteed purse of $250,000, the
Coronation is for two-year-olds but run over the
Tapeta surface, at a distance of 1-1/8th miles. Like
the Cup and Saucer the Coronation too is a good
gauge of talent for next years Canadian classic
three-year-old events.
Reservations are strongly recommended for the

Terrace Dining Room, Call 1-888-675-7223
Live harness racing continues at Mohawk until
November 7th.
Mohawk Bridle & Bits
Winning Post Positions, A Good Thing To Know!
(April 7th to September 12th)
Pacers: #6- 15.8%
#5- 14.8%
#4- 12.1%
#1-11.3%
#2-11.3%
#3-11.3%
Trotters: #5-16.2%
#6- 15.0%
#2- 13.4%
#7-12.6%
Its All About The Trip!

Horses on the lead at the have won 38.4% of all
races at Mohawk, while those on the lead at the
pole have won 44.7%!
(Source-Mohawk Raceway Program)
For The Harness Set

There is still plenty of harness racing at Mohawk,
including two nights in particular where the best
Ontario-bred two and three year olds will square
off.
The first is September 24th, when Mohawk
hosts the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots
Championships, with 8 $50,000 Guaranteed
Finals; and the second takes place on October
15th, when the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals
take center stage! The Super Finals will include 8
$250,000 Guaranteed Finals
While at Mohawk, why not plan to dine in their
Terrace Dining Room, which is open at 6:30 pm,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursdays the
Dining Room features a Pick 3 Prix Fixe Menu,
while on Fridays, its All You Can Eat Italian.
PONIES 24-7
35
ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 16TH, THE EYES OF THE INTERNATIONAL

WORLD OF HORSE RACING WILL BE ON WOODBINE
Pictured, 2015 Pattison Canadian International winner Cannock Chase and three-time winning jockey Ryan Moore.
With The Running Of The Grade l $1 Million

PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL
One Of North Americas Most Prestigious And Longest Running Classic Turf Races!
1-1/2 Miles on The Famed E.P. Taylor Turf Course
POST TIME- 1:00 p.m.
A Race That In The Past Has Been Won By Greats Like Secretariat, George Royal, Youth and Dahlia, And World Class Jockeys Like Johnny Longden, Ron Turcotte,
Sandy Hawley, Pat Day, Gary Stevens, Frankie Dettori, And Most Recently,
Ryan Moore, Who Has Won The International The Last Three Runnings!
This Years Pattison Canadian International Promises To Continue The Tradition of Great Horses And Jockeys, So Mark Your Social Calendar Now!
WOODBINE - SUNDAY, OCTOBER, 16th,
THE Grade l, $1 Million PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL
WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD OF HORSE RACING COMES TO PLAY!!
For more information go to WoodbineRacetrack.com

Ponies Sept 2016 Issue FINAL Spread Small

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A PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

HIGH STAKES ARE ON THE MENU THIS FALL

THE GREAT RACE PLACE - LOOKING

SANTA ANITA PARK

ON THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME

LIVING THE HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 2/ISSUE 4 2016 $2.95 CDN

Woodbines TURF WARS Continue

Saturday, September 17th,

$1 Million RICOH WOODBINE MILE!!

undefeated filly Songbird, California

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016

LIVING THE HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE

SANTA ANITA PARK

TIOGA DOWNS AND

PONIES 24-7 Magazine is published by

AFTER THE FINISH LINE

THE RACERS EDGE

RACING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL

LIVING THE HORSE RACING LIFESTYLE

BRAGGIN RIGHTS: NO LONGER

He was on top of the racing

From Caracas Venezuela to the Horse Racing Hall of Fame,

Recently, PONIES 24-7s

LARRY SIMPSON: Ramon, you

found out that there was a training

RD: Even before the time that I

Ramon en-route to an Aqueduct Stakes win. Photo by David Alcosser

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016

course, as it is so much different

LS: What prompted you to move

RD: I think every jockey has a

LS: Now that you have retired from

could win more consistently, and

as long as I had an opportunity

RD: None whatsoever! I count

LS: A few years ago I interviewed

Stakes winning Coup De Grace and Ramon

LS: Ramon, I followed your

RD: I think there were many

was that you seemed to be very

LS: One of your talents as a rider

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016

RD: I wouldnt really say that I was

just look at or feel my horse and

sake, tell us whats keeping you

LS: Ramon maybe for our readers

NORTH AMERICAS BEST TROTTERS

Saturday, September 17th

Featuring 5 Trotting Stakes, Including

RACING WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FLAIR

Wise Dan photo by David Landry

For many, the horse racing season

hosted the finals in 2015 (this

Over the past years Woodbine

Heres the skinny on what you

as beginning with its running in

First lets take a look at the Ricoh

So what does this all mean for

time Grade l winner and Eclipse

won his two Miles basically with

The final of the Canadian Trotting

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 | 2016

stakes events with purses totaling