Down The Stretch Podcast

There were 5 Stakes races Saturday at Woodbine and Mark Casse won 3 of them. This podcast features 4 Stakes events from Mohawk’s Thursday card – 2 OSS Golds and a pair of Tompkins-Geers Grand Circuit races. Former jockey, Francine Villeneuve tells Down The Stretch how she became the agent for Justin Stein and Skye Chernetz. Villeneuve was very much an inspiration for the female jockeys of today so we have coverage of Monday’s card at Fort Erie in which 4 of 7 races were won by women. There were 2 Stakes race at Ajax Downs last week. Jockey Christian Benitez will enjoy hearing the call of both of them And, we always enjoy chatting with Ed Walton who, at 61 and 6 feet tall, is hanging up his tack.

It was the Alywow Stakes at Woodbine for 3-year-old fillies. Jockey Rafael Hernandez talks about his 5 wins on Fathers’ Day and how that shot him to the top of the jockeys’ standings. The Dads’ Day card at Ajax Downs featured another rendition of the mixed breed competition. James MacDonald couldn’t get a flight to the Meadowlands, but that didn’t keep Hasty Bid out of the winners’ circle. Frank Mirahmadi just completed that 4-day Belmont meet at Saratoga, but we’ve got the entertaining race caller expanding on his winning appearance on the Price is Right. The price was right for anyone hitting the triactor last Tuesday at Royal Ascot and our Aussie correspondent, Ric Chapman filed a story about one punter who cashed very large on the outcome of a dog race.

We had another great North America Cup at Mohawk on a night of big money Stakes races. Imagine being John Fielding, the owner of NA Cup winner Nijinsky and you had to watch the race from a wedding in Massachusetts. Driver James MacDonald won a pair of Stakes races Friday at the Meadowlands and scored 3 more wins Saturday at Mohawk. Jockey Rachel Slevinsky is from St. Abert, Alberta; we’ve got her winning at Hawthorne on her birthday. At Ajax Downs last Wednesday, a natural hattrick for Diego Benitez and an unusual double for his younger brother, Christian. We go to Belterra Park where Perry Ouzts, who is almost 70, won 3 times on the same card, and moments of profound relief from Grand River – one horse broke a 53 race losing streak, then another snapped off a 69-race bummer.

We couldn’t go to Saratoga for the 4-day Belmont meet, but we have lots of content from the Spa. This podcast has the Fury and Queenston Stakes from Woodbine and the 3 North America Cup Eliminations from Mohawk. Ryan Munger tells us how riding at Woodbine is so much better than what he was doing in South Africa. We love to talk about the daily double and when one paid over $2,400, we threw it into this audio. We’ve got the 1st race on the newly built 5/8ths track at Grand River. Driver Chris Brown carried an 87-race losing streak into a Stakes race at Century Downs – guess what happened? And announcer Peter Berry got a surprise at Mountaineer when a deer interrupted his call.

There 4 Stakes race at Woodbine Saturday and lots of big money events that evening at Mohawk Park and we are all over them. Kazushi Kimura won a big Stakes races at Santa Anita, We got New York Racing’s Keith McCalmont on the phone to talk about 4 bonus days art Saratoga including this weekend’s Belmont Stakes, and if you’re making a lastminute trip to Saratoga, we may have good news for you. The Fort Erie thoroughbred meet is underway and day one was awesome. We’ve got races from Ajax Downs as we see how the jockeys and trainers races are shaping up. Doug McNair talks about the outstanding pacer, Wheels On Fire and a satisfying comeback from last year’s scary accident. Scary accident? Kaymarie Kreidel, the Preakness outrider, had one with her ponies just hours after she chaperoned Seize The Grey to the winners circle. And what’s our connection between the Trump decision and the 3rd race at Churchill last Thursday?

This one is full of fun, facts, fame and ferocious stretch calls. We have 5 OSS Golds from Mohawk and the fastest mile of the year. Pietro and David Moran, father and son, each winning on the same day at Woodbine and Ismael Mosqueira completing a very rare race riding triple. The Charles Juravinski Stakes race from Flamboro. Jockey Carly Furlonger, trainer Scott Reid and owner John Wilson with a really nice day at Ajax Downs. Gunnar Lindberg talks about winning the Avelino Gomez Award. Did you follow Garnet Barnsdale’s tips last week? You should have – he delivered an $83 winner. No only do we have several tuneful artists auditioning to sing the Anthems at Mohawk, but we also have the exclusive Horse Players’ Anthem, and everyone should pay attention to a race won by No One.

On Patrick Husbands Day at Woodbine, Patrick Husbands emphasized his own greatness with 2 last to 1st wins. 88-year-old trainer D Wayne Lukas won the Preakness for the 7th time. We have impressive wins by Legendary Hanover and Captains Quarters in preludes to the North America Cup. Anyone know who won almost a quarter million in last Thursday’s Pick-5 at Mohawk? How’s your national anthem – would you like to sing it at the track? Jockey Katie Davis won a race at Belmont on Mother’s Day. Had to Be Ivory proved again he is the greatest quarter horse in Canada, and 83-year-old Don McKirgan drove 2 winners on the same card at Northfield.

The big Stakes races were all at Mohawk with 4 SBOA Finals. Last Monday was vintage Jody Jamieson night at Mohawk when he steered home 5 winners. Friday at Woodbine, 50-year-old Shane Ellis had 3 riding assignments – he won with all 3 for the biggest day of his 25 year career. Down The Stretch was at Ajax Downs for their Opening Day and we chatted with Emilio Trotta, Ralph Peason, Cassandra Jeschke, Chantelle Bourgeois, Ramiro Castillo and Alexis Sanchez. We’ve got an amazing Kentucky Derby pre-race prediction from Kaitlin Free and some animated audio from some Aussie race analysts as they buried the Churchill Downs stewards for missing Tyler Gaffalione’s arm wrestling in deep stretch.

Product in this podcast not originating from Garnet Barnsdale: + Sensational finish to Kentucky Derby # 150 + Post race comments from winning jockey, Brian Hernandez + Patrick Husbands and Mark Casse winning another Stakes race at Woodbine + Jennifer Morrison setting up Opening Day at Ajax Downs + Mark MacDonell and the horse that has provided all his driving wins. Product in this podcast delivered by Garnet Barnsdale: + Marty Drexler sending out a 20-1 winner in a $400,000 Stakes race at Churchill Downs + Winning owner, Elliott Logan talking about that winner + A pair of fillies looking sharp in season opening wins at Mohawk + Snake venom apprehended in Kentucky + The most amazing sports bet cash of the century + Garnet’s Oaks wager + Kicking off the racing season in Sarnia + Garnet’s choice between Jennifer Marlow and Bailey Quarters

Our top story, of course, is the opening of the Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine and we’ve got track CEO Mike Copeland, Premier Doug Ford, jockeys Patrick Husbands, Emma-Jayne Wilson and Jason Hoyte, racing fans Gary Turpin and Jason Chrisjohn, and how about a 5-win opener for Sofia Vives? The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has 12 more worthy inductees. Sylvain Filion tells us what it means to him and Chris Vella is the very proud son of new Hall of Famer Danny Vella. We go to Western Fair for the Provincial Driving Championship, won by Tyler Borth. Sean Fitzhenry tells us how the entire cast of Second City is crucial to his operation. John Stapleton fills us with awe, talking about his historic and sometimes rare racing memorabilia. And was that really a :25.1 final quarter by Coco-Jojo at Mohawk Friday night?