HorseRacing Central November 19, 2010

SUPER HIGH 5 WAGERING NOW AVAILABLE

Horse racing fans throughout B.C. can now play the Super High 5 on simulcast coverage from Churchill Downs, Golden Gate, Hawthorne, Hollywood Park, Fairgrounds, Maywood and soon Calder. Super High 5 in the U.S. will be designated as a Pentafecta in Canada on the tote machines (Pen).

The concept is the same as a Superfecta, except you have to pick the top five horses in a designated race (usually the last race on the card) and the bet is a $1 minimum. If nobody picks all five correctly, the pool is carried over.

SPECIAL TIME FOR START OF BIG U.S. CARD

Saturday’s card from Delta Downs in Louisiana gets underway at 11:00 PST with the feature being the $1 million Delta Jackpot for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles. Many of the top jockeys in the U.S. will have mounts, including Joe Bravo, Joe Talamo, JJ Castellano and Patrick Valenzuela. The big race goes as the 7th on the card (2:15 p.m.). Total purses for the day will total more than $2.4 million.

A reminder that Thursday, Nov. 25 is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and many of the American tracks will have earlier than normal starts. Some of the morning tracks will be joined in progress. Please consult your simulcast schedule.

JOCKEY CHALLENGE AT PORTLAND MEADOWS

This should be fun: a Jockey Challenge at Portland Meadows on Monday, Nov. 29 pitting a team of four riders representing Southern California against the top four jockeys currently leading the Portland meet. They will be competing for bragging rights but also $20,000 in prize money.

The Jockey Challenge races will be 4,5,6 & 7 with eight horses in each race and only riders in the challenge will have mounts. The showdowns can be watched via simulcast from 2:06 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. PST.

Team Southern California will include Joel Rosario, Joe Talamo, Martin Pedroza and David Flores. Team Portland Meadows will consist of Joe Crispin, Javier Matias, Mark Anderson and Troy Stillwell.

A SALUTE TO THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY STARS

Set for Friday, Dec. 10 at Hastings Racecourse, the 2010 Thoroughbred Awards Dinner honours the past year’s top horses, owners, trainers and jockeys as well as the latest Hall of Fame inductees. A limited number of tickets at $70 are still available by contacting B-J Davidson at 604.574.0145 (cthsbc@cthsbc.org) or Cristan Gossen at 604.647.221 (cgossen@gmail.com)

Front and centre at this year’s Awards Dinner will be 77-year-old Troy Taylor. He won the leading trainers title at Hastings in 2010 for a fourth consecutive season and will officially become the latest inductee into the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame, along with the great horse Dancewithavixen, winner of eight stakes as a 3-year-old filly.

Dancewithavixen was owned and trained by Tom Longstaff, who passed away at the age of 66 on Nov. 4. A Celebration of Life ceremony in Tom’s honour will be held on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 2:00 p.m. in the George Royal Room at Hastings Racecourse.

STRONG INTEREST IN COMMUNITY DAYS AT THE TRACK

Word has spread quickly that Community Days at Hastings Racecourse are a win-win situation for fund-raising organizations in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhoods and North-East sector of Vancouver.

An enthusiastic gathering of potential 2011 applicants turned out for this week’s Benefits Consultation in the George Royal Room at Hastings Racecourse.

Hosted by General Manager Raj Mutti along with Hastings Director of Human Resources Yvonne Groothedde and Human Resources Coordinator Jennifer Mason, the 2011 Community Days Benefits Package was clearly laid out in a power point presentation.

As part of an agreement with Vancouver City Council approving slots at Hastings Racecourse, it was agreed that Hastings would deliver Community Days at the Track; a permanent Child Care facility; access to the infield; community legacy funds; movie nights at the track; a Learning Centre, Groom School and Local Hire Program.

All eight commitments will have been accomplished with the gala opening of the permanent Child Care facility in early January 2011.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 1, 2011

Hastings Racecourse will be staging eight Community Days at the Track in 2011 with the successful community partners being awarded exclusive use of the Marquee Tent that includes food and beverages; prizes to be auctioned off throughout the designated race day, a $5,000 donation and opportunities to sell 50/50 tickets to further benefit each participating organization. All applications must be received by March 1, 2011 in order to be eligible for consideration.

Applications can be obtained simply by contacting: hastingsbenefits@hastingsracecourse.com

CAN THE STREAK CONTINUE FOR MYSTIC MAIDEN?

She made in 12 victories in a row and 19-for-20 in her incredible career by winning last week’s $75,000 Mary Murphy Breeders Stakes at Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino. Now Mystic Maiden takes her show on the road, competing in the $30,000 Western Filly Pace eliminations in tonight’s opening of the Northlands fall harness meet in Edmonton.

It will be Mystic Maiden’s first start away from Fraser Downs and regular driver Dave Hudon will be there ready to do business from the seven hole in a field of nine in the 8th race on the Northlands card. It leads up to the $100,000 Final on Nov. 26.

FRASER DOWNS TO HOST WESTERN REGIONALS

Standardbred Canada has designated Fraser Downs as the host site for the 2011 Western Regional National Driving Championship on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Nationals will be held at Red Shores Racetrack at Charlottetown Driving Park on May 7.

Regular racing resumes at Fraser Downs tonight (7:00 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (1:15 p.m.)