The Post Positions are drawn for America’s most popular Horse Race, the $2-million 139th Kentucky Derby (also known as “The Run for the Roses”)! The expected Choice this year is Orb at 7/2 ($9 payouy on a $2 bet) coming in off a sharp win March 30th in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. He certainly looks every bit a Winner with red-hot Rider Joel Rosario aboard, now winning four races in-a-row. Orb has a record of four wins in seven starts for Owners Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable.
Verrazano (pronounced “Vair-a-zon-o”) certainly will not make it easy for Orb, listed as the second choice at 4/1 ($10 payout on a $2 bet). Some may even dispute that he is the deserving Favourite, touting a perfect four-for-four record for the Partnership of Let’s Go Stable (Kevin Scatuorchio & Bryan Sullivan), Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith. Although he barely held-on in his last race to win the important Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct in New York April 6th, Jockey John Velazquez (whom also has ridden Orb prior) has given the hard-fighting Colt his vote of confidence. After all, he has won his first four races by a combined 27 lengths.
Revolutionary certainly isn’t to be discounted. Although he’s faced easier competition than the two top choices, he comes into the Derby with three consecutive wins, including the Louisiana Derby on March 30th, fighting gamely to win. He appears to be peaking at just the right moment and Calvin Borel, who has the distinction of riding one of the most celebrated Fillies of our time, Rachel Alexandra and setting a record winning three out of four consecutive Derbys; he gets the job for Winstar Farm. He is listed at 10/1 ($22 payout on a $2 bet).
Like Hip-Hop Music, the Kentucky Derby often is an East Coast/West Coast Rivalry and California often brings its A-Game and they do so this year with Goldencents, Winner of the Santa Anita Derby on April 6th in Arcadia, California. He happens to be trained by Doug F. O’Neill who won this same race last year with ill-fated Champion I’ll Have Another. Goldencents is listed at 5/1 ($12 payout on a $2 bet) and runs for W.C. Racing, Dave Kenney & RAP Racing.
Although the 10-furlong distance may be a challenge, Itsmyluckyday looks to be a decent price for Bettors at 15/1 ($32 payout on a $2 bet). He stamped himself as one to watch after defeating last year’s two-year-old Champion Male Shanghai Bobby on January 26th in the Holy Bull Stakes with alarming speed. He came back only to lose ever so narrowly to Orb as the Favourite in the Florida Derby.
Rich in history, the Kentucky Derby has several traditions associated with it. The Fashion as always is a blast as Racing Fans come out in an extravagant display of hats. The Mint Julep is the Beverage of Choice and rightfully so. Think a Mojito, but made with Bourbon, less tangy, but just as refreshing.
Some Celebrities expected to partake in the Festivities this year include:
Gladys Knight
Jennifer Tilly
Jo Dee Messina
Luke Bryan
Martina McBride
Mallory Hagan, Miss America 2013
Angela Bassett
Christian Siriano
Jennifer Hudson
Max Alder
Shaquille O’Neal
DJ Pauly D
Taboo from Black Eyed Peas
Brandy
Justin Timberlake, Elizabeth Banks and Jerry O’Connell also are huge Horse Racing Fans and even if not attending surely this is a day they look forward to!
18 Competitors go forward Saturday. Who will be your Pick? See all the Contenders here on the Kentucky Derby‘s Official Website!
NBC airs the Derby Saturday, May 4, 2013 between 4-7 PM EST.
(Photo credit: Kentucky Derby.com)
The v. finest in Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Racing were honoured tonight at Woodbine Racetrack, right in time for tomorrow’s 2013 Season Launch. This year marks the 38th edition of the Awards, recognizing remarkable talent in the Industry from Breeders to Journalists to Horses.
Winning tonight’s most prestigious Award was Champion Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Uncaptured, owned by Oklahoma Oilman John C. Oxley and trained by Mark Casse. Until last week the now three-year-old Colt was seen as a major Kentucky Derby Contender and last season he won an impressive six out of seven races, including the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Cup Stakes and Grade III Iroquois Stakes back-to-back against some stiff competition in Kentucky. His Breeder, long-time veteran and former Football Player William D. Graham for the first time ever was awarded Breeder of the Year.
Double Winners tonight were Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and Turf Female, Irish Mission, who competed effectively against the Boys last Summer, even defeating them in the third leg of Canada’s Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Stakes. Roxy Gap, owned by the same Man who owns the Ottawa Senators, Eugene Melnyk, won both Older Female and Female Sprinter.
23-year-old Jockey Scott Williams, also the Son of Jockey Danny Williams, was awarded Apprentice Jockey handed to him by past Winner Robbie King Jr. And for a second year in-a-row, Luis Contreras won Jockey, with his two young Sons there to accept his Award from former Champion Sandy Hawley, causing laughter with their antics on-stage.
Trainer Mark Frostad, who trains Irish Mission, made a heartfelt plea during his Acceptance Speech, with a call to the Provincial Government to preserve and protect a Sport which for so many years has built a History and also a substantial amount of revenue for Ontario. Premier Kathleen Wynne has expressed willingness to help keep Horse Racing alive in Ontario and was given due credit by him. Meanwhile, Trainer Casse also expressed great relief he and his Wife will be able to enjoy the races which have been revived at Fort Erie Racetrack this season, already planning a trip to Niagara Falls this Summer!
I had an amazing time attending my first ever Sovereign Awards tonight and must admit it was a bit surreal that a few Jockeys recognized me and knew me by first name! An unforgettable experience being in the same room as Veterans in the spirit of this treasured Sport and also those aspiring to be in the Industry like Nastia Zemtsova, a young Woman and avid Horse Racing Fan hoping to become a Jockey, who won tickets to the Event.
Woodbine‘s 2013 Racing Season kicks-off tomorrow at 1:00 PM and runs through December 15, 2013.
Some Snaps from the Evening:
For more details on tonight’s Winners, click here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Hot on the heels of its announcement earlier this week of adding its Ultimate Sports Celebrity Experience, Fan Expo Canada has just announced some new additions to their annual Convention in Toronto this August including the likes of Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) and also the legendary George Takei (Star Trek).
Fans who attended Fan Expo‘s Toronto Comicon this weekend were treated to the news first. Timing will be perfect particularly for Headey who stars in one of this Summer’s most eagerly-awaited Blockbusters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which she filmed here last year.
In case you didn’t catching wind, it was announced that Sports Icons like Hulk Hogan, Ron Turcotte, Joe Montana and Bobby Orr also will be meeting Fans for a fee this August, with more names to come shortly.
Perhaps this will be the year True Blood‘s Sam Trammell doesn’t bail on us Toronto Fans?
For more information, visit Fan Expo Canada‘s website here. Fan Expo Canada (Toronto) takes place between August 22-25, 2013 at Metro Convention Centre.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Huge day in Horse Racing as Celebrity Jockey and Hall of Famer, Gary Stevens, who at the age of 50, is coming out of retirement. Stevens announced his retirement in 2005 after a celebrated careeer which saw him win the Industry’s top honour, the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 1998.
Since then, Stevens has gone-on to make a name for himself appearing in Films such as Oscar-nominated Seabiscuit and HBO‘s ill-fated but acclaimed Series, Luck. He also has appeared as an Anchor on both HRTV and NBC Sports.
Despite downplaying rumours of his return to riding, Stevens announced earlier today on HRTV that he would be coming-out of retirement, later Tweeting Fans, “Just wanted to say thank you. I won’t let you down.”. He is said to have been training secretly at Pegasus Training & Equine Rehabilitation Center in Washington.
To put this into perspective for those not familiar with the Sport, this is equivalent to Mike Tyson returning to Boxing or Wayne Gretzky returning to Hockey. Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but you get the idea! Crossing fingers we see him here at Woodbine for some of our major races later this year!
Follow Stevens on Twitter here.
(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)
It was a superb day at Woodbine yesterday with the $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile being run before a large, excited crowd. American invader Wise Dan won the race by three lengths, ahead of local Star Hunters Bay (owned by Frank Stronach) who in his first-ever race on the grass has solidified himself as the leader of the Older Horse division at Woodbine. European invader Cityscape (GB) from the famed Juddmonte Farm was about four lengths behind the Winner in third. The final time of the race was a decent 1:34.0, with the five-year-old Winner paying a heavily-backed $3.10, earning him a spot at Horse Racing’s Championship Day, the Breeders’ Cup this November at Santa Anita Park in California.
It was an absolute pleasure partying in the Champions Lounge with some of Toronto’s most influencial Tweeters including @Photojunkie, @TheDanLevy, @PHJoshua, @TrishCA and @RochLatinsky, as our plates were filled with deliciousness (Woodbine‘s Fried Chicken is unparalleled) and our glasses kept being filled! It was amazing also hanging with Penelope Miller – the Social Media Wiz behind America’s Best Racing, one of the most influencial Racing Sites in the World. I am happy to report that most of us broke-even or even came out ahead after a thrilling afternoon at the races. Dare I say, some of us now are expert Bettors?
The day started off with a bang with my favourite Jockey, Emma-Jayne Wilson, earning her 1,000th win aboard D’Wildcat Gold. Wilson began her career at the races in 2005 and since then she has always been a top Rider locally, never looking back. During our visit, we got to watch races from the Winner’s Circle and before the Woodbine Mile, had an opportunity to get up-close with the Contenders in the Paddock. Our Tour led in part by Track Commentator and Sweetheart Dawn Lupul (a Fan of the Blog!) also led us to the Jockeys’ Room. We also got to see their colourful Silks Room and chat with some of the Jockeys. I had a total Fanboy moment seeing Wilson order a Chocolate Milk at the Cafeteria and top American Riders Brice Blanc and Garrett Gomez watching TV!
Currently, Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry is funded heavily by revenues generated from on-track Slot Machines, but a decision has been made by the Ontario Government to end this in the face of our Deficit. Now is the time for us to be aware of the current state of the Industry:
-Up to 13,000 Horses are expected to be euthanized. Times are uncertain for Breeders, unsure whether or not to breed their Mares with Owners and potential Owners hesitant to buy not knowing for sure whether there will be races and purses available to make it worthwhile.
-6,300 jobs in the Industry could be lost
-National Traditions like the Queen’s Plate (North America’s most historic Race), Woodbine Mile and Pattison Canadian International – all important races – may suffer a grim fate
-Cuts in Purses mean less of a reason for World Class talent to make their way north to Woodbine, a devastating blow to the efforts it has made to stamp itself as one of the World’s finest Racetracks
In 2011, the Horse Racing Industry brought-in $575 million to the Province. Why are we punishing an “A-Student” with a Suspension?
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
The Countdown is on to Sunday’s $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine Racetrack! Canada’s Olympic Gold Medal Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan even came out to join-in on the fun, as Post-Positions were drawn for the Race’s nine Competitors. Meet all your Contenders here!
I spent the morning on the Backstretch with some equine Friends, including previous Woodbine Mile Winner and remarkable Champion, Rahy’s Attorney, who soon will begin a second career at Woodbine as a Track Pony. After spending much time at the Farm recovering from a career-ending injury, the eight-year-old looks superb still and I got to watch him do a quick jog before heading back into his stall.
Although they aren’t competing in the Race, I fell in-love with the lovely Ardara, who at three-years-old just began her Career with a decent fourth-place finish this Summer. Her Trainer Carolyn Costigan who is in no rush with her, has high hopes with her Champion’s Pedigree. As you can see above, we hit it off rather well after I gifted her with some Peppermint Candies, getting rewarded back with a big, minty kiss!
I also got to meet Costigan‘s diminutive Star two-year-old Filly, Nancy O (Ire), who after a workout this morning, was all focused on winding down, grazing on some grass. Sweetheart.
I also got to hang with Breeder’s Cup Runner-Up Excaper, who went from bored to excited after a few Peppermints, bobbing his head up and down approvingly. On the way out, I ran into Turf Veteran Musketier (Ger), playing with his giant Teddy Bear in his own little fenced-in VIP Area. If that doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t know what will.
Although all five $25 Gift Cards I had up for grabs in my Party with Mr. Will at Woodbine Contest are all accounted for, I do hope to see you at Woodbine on Sunday for some post-TIFF fun and maybe we can even win a little cash to replenish our wallets!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
On Sunday, September 16, 2012, world famous Woodbine Racetrack will be hosting the $1-million Woodbine Mile, bringing together some of the World’s finest Turf Horses in one heart-stopping race.
Woodbine Racetrack & Mr. Will Wong would like to invite Readers to come out and party at the Track and there will be plenty of $25 Gift Cards to go around for Readers who show up on Woodbine Mile Day! One Reader will get to join Mr. Will up in the VIP Lounge for an afternoon of races, tons of Food and Drinks. Entrants must be of 19 years of age and provide their own transportation.
For more details on the Woodbine Mile and how to get to Woodbine (easily accessible by TTC or car), click here.
Simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook to qualify before Wednesday, September 12, 2012. See you there!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com