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The wind blew through the crevices of our tackroom walls that night.
We were bedded down in a vacant stall and the moon shone big and bright.
The backstretch of ole Stamford Park was quiet as a jail,
‘Cept for the occasional rattle of an empty water pail.

The mare had run her race that day, we’d bet our loot and won,
And just returned from Niagara Falls where we had a little fun,
Our bottle was almost empty, a spider did remain,
Which we’d consumer next morning to relieve a gnawing pain.

We lay there just a talking, ‘cause none of us could sleep;

Christmas came early for the Fort Erie community as in mid-December it was announced that the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium had reached a deal with the assistance of the provincial government, to lease the Fort Erie Race Track from its current owners, Nordic Gaming, ensuring that live racing would be conducted for at least another three years.

“It’s the end of the meet as we know it and I feel fine”
(With apologies to R.E.M.)

The idea of horse slaughtering has always been a sore point for me. When I started working in the horse racing business it was the first thing I learnt about. I read an article about the treatment of horses in US slaughter plants and it brought tears to my eyes. Even more to the fact that our own country still practices the slaughtering of race, wild and pure bred horses.

For most Thoroughbred racing enthusiasts, the face of racing are the people they see when they venture to the races.

The jockeys, trainers and owners have high profiles. In large televised races, it’s not uncommon to see interviews and features with prominent jockeys and trainers, but the infrastructure of horse racing goes much deeper. What they don’t see are the breeders’ and the other professionals that keep the sport moving.

Martinwoods Farm is a new training facility in Caledon, Ontario. Located thirty minutes from Woodbine, Martinwoods provides a quiet, relaxed environment for your horse. Over 88 acres of land supports 3 barns, a 27 stall main barn, and two smaller barns, five and six stalls each.

There have been many restorations from a previous stallion operation. The 3/8 mile track has been restored with a new sand footing, and there is new footing in the coverall arena as well.

Every year the Japan Cup attracts top turf horses from around the world. This year International entries included Conduit (IRE), who has two consecutive Breeders’ Cup Turf wins, Scintillo (GBR), Marsh Side (USA), winner of the 2008 Patterson International, as well as, Interpretation (USA) and Just as Well (USA). The stakes record holder at 2:22.1 is an American horse who claimed the win in 2005, named Alkaased. The 2,400 meters, left handed, turf course at Tokyo Racecourse plays host to the Japan Cup.

“It matters not the number of winners you select, if you don’t know how to bet ‘em.”
- advice from a long since retired
successful handicapper.

“I don’t believe it! All I did was cash tickets all day and I still lost money.”
- words from an average
everyday racing fan.

Have you ever noticed how many so called experts of the turf, day in day out, pick four or five winners on a Thoroughbred card and still go home broke!? And let’s be honest, it’s probably happened to you too, right!? The reason is always the same; poor money management!

As we go to press with this third issue of International Horse Racing Digest, another Thoroughbred racing season is quickly drawing to a close, and as ‘pounding hoofs’ turn to ‘snowflakes’, one can only reminisce about this past season, and look forward with anticipation to 2010. However, with this being said, quite a few questions still remain unanswered regarding our industry. Here are just a few of them.

By: Bill Galvin
Illustrations By: Elaine Macpherson

Have you gazed along the shedrow at the horsemen and the horses
Have you wandered to the railing at the Nation’s leading courses?
Have you often had the feeling that you own a horse, and still,
There is something sorely missing …. a gap you just can’t fill?

Have you ever watched a guinea with mucksack on his back?
Have you sometimes looked with envy at the riders on the track?
Have you often wished the hotwalker were you instead of he?
Do you long to bunk in a tackroom bed as a gypsy and be free?