9/22/04

Griffin Place mentioned in Hoofprints
By Peter Watts
Article from www.thehorses.com

OK, I thought. Alberta Fall Classic Day is coming up this Saturday at Northlands Park. This will be the eighth edition of the event, so it's starting to develop some history and traditions. Maybe I can find out a few statistical tidbits and fashion a column around that.

Some 20 hours spread over three days later, here is my blurry-eyed review:

Late Nite Martini and her Free At Last colt. May 7, 2003

Number of horses to start - 354. There have been 49 winners (7 races x 7 years of competition). So far, so good on the math! Among the multiple stakes winners are Late Nite Martini (the 1997 & 1998 Fall Classic Distaff), Golden Remark (1998 Sturgeon River & 1999 Alberta Oaks), and Northern Neechitoo (1991 & 1993 Fall Classic Distaff). All 3 horses are from trainer Floyd Arthur's barn.

Timboruck is the alltime leader in appearances with seven for trainer Doug Smith. Timboruck is another two-time winner, taking the '97 & '99 Red Diamond Express.: Timely Ruckus won the 2000 Red Diamond Express among his six appearances for trainer Ernie Keller.

Twenty-six trainers have shared in the wins. Floyd Arthur is the runaway leader with 9, from 32 starters. Dale Saunders is next with 4 wins from 24 starters. Arthur is the only trainer to have at least one win in each of the first seven runnings of the Fall Classic. A total of 83 trainers have had at least one starter on Fall Classic Day. Saunders has the only one-two finish with Highland Leader and Shady Remark in the '97 Premier's Futurity.

Most rides on Fall Classic Day over the years: Quincy Welch with 39 coming into this year. That's the most of the 27 jockeys who have taken part in the event. Perry Winters has the most wins with 9 and has won at least once in each race except for the Alberta Oaks where he is still looking for his first win. Richard Hamel went 19 starts without a win before besting the field aboard Regal Ability in last year's Alberta Breeders Handicap.

Quincy Welch and Ricky Walcott have each won three times on Fall Classic Day. Walcott was the first to do it in 2001, with They Call Me Cody in the Beaufort Stakes, Robnroy in the Red Diamond Express, and Highland Leader in the Alberta Breeders. A year later, Welch won a triple with JimmyJiffyGee in the Premier's Futurity, Turbo Charger in the Alberta Breeders, and GoGo Tommy Joe in the Beaufort.

Chris McGregor won 3 Alberta Oaks: with Synful Secret in '97; with Golden Remark in '99; and with Brighton Belle in 2001.

And before they were officials, Robert Noda and Yves Turcotte were winners on Fall Classic Day. Noda, who won the '98 Beafort Stakes aboard Shady Remark, will be in the stewards' stand this Saturday. Turcotte, who now serves as the clerk of scales, won the '97 Beaufort aboard South Side and the '98 Alberta Oaks with Betty J.

The list of owners and breeders who have participated in Fall Classic Day awaits further research. But I don't want to leave this topic without acknowledging how important they are to the "Day" and to the industry. Their dollars are the fuel for an important part of Alberta's agri-business activity, an activity that generates millions of dollars and thousands of jobs throughout the province. Thanks to them it works for all of us.

Fall Classic Day will be featured on a 1 hour telecast on the CTV Alberta network, beginning at 4 PM on Saturday. And there are good fields for all 7 races. The Alberta Breeders Handicap drew a field of 7, led by Speed to Spare champion, Beau Brass. The Fall Classic Distaff will have 7 starters, including two-time champion Northern Neechitoo, and A Shaky Start, which has won 2 stakes this year. The Red Diamond Express also has 7 entries, including Sixthirtyjoe, which has won 3 times at the allowance level in 2004. The Sturgeon River for 2 year old fillies has drawn a field of 8, including Filly Sales Stake winner, R Lucinda. The Alberta Premier's Futurity for 2 year old colts and geldings will go with a field of 10, including the Sales Stake winner, Blinkanhesgone. The Alberta Oaks has drawn a field of ten as well, including Kelly's Guest, winner of the Chariot Chaser. And, the Beaufort Stakes for 3 year olds attracted 10 entries, including Manitoba Derby winner, Royalty Boy.

Elsewhere, the Stampede Princess Final for a purse of $28,200 is Saturday's feature at Stampede Park in Calgary. Ethel Seelster for Keith Clark and Yotta Yotta for Gerry Hudon, each won the $6,000 eliminations last Saturday. Ethel Seelster has 7 wins and better than $35,000 in earnings for Clark and co-owner Robert Smith of Innisfail. Hudon and co-owner William Boden of Vancouver have banked better than $32,000 thanks to Yotta Yotta's efforts.

Then on Sunday afternoon it's the Premier's series for 2 year olds. Each of the finals for colts and geldings and for fillies, are worth $40,000 added. The entry will determine whether the finals are split into more than one division.

At Lethbridge, a couple of huge races headline the weekend activity. A Special Martini was the fastest qualifier for the Canada Cup Derby and the 3 year old filly is the 5-2 morning line favourite to beat the boys and win the biggest share from a purse of $44,885. Then on Sunday afternoon, more than $90,000 is on the table in the final of the Canada Cup Futurity for quarterhorses. That is some serious change.

Other notes - Alberta Standardbred Horse Association's board meets Saturday evening in Calgary to review the results from the recent yearling sale and to plan for an expedition to the Harrisburg Sale in November. ASHA went to last year's sale and came home with ten broodmares in foal. The mares were auctioned off to various breeders. Eight of the mares produced live foals this spring. Owners of the other two mares received complimentary breedings to As Promised courtesy of ASHA after their foals were lost.

"The program worked really well last year," comments ASHA executive director, Ted Billo. "We expect to have about $90,000 US to spend in Harrisburg this fall and we hope to do as well again this year." ASHA's mixed sale is coming up Dec. 5th at Northlands Park in Edmonton and the broodmares acquired in Harrisburg will be auctioned off to local bidders at that time.

For the season, Bill Tainsh continues to lead the drivers race at Stampede Park with 115 wins from 619 starts. Keith Clark is second with 101 wins and he leads the trainers standings with 79 wins, 19 more than Gerry Hudon.

Other notes (Part 2) - R.K. "Red" Smith leads the thoroughbred trainers at Northlands with 31 wins, but Dale Saunders is closing ground. Saunders now has 24. And Joan Petrowski has had a good week, moving up to third overall with 19 wins. There's a three-way tie for fourth spot among Dale Greenwood, St Simon, and Pam mcDougall, each with 15 winners.

Other notes (Part 3) - Deputy Country, a strong contender for Alberta Horse of the Year, is now in Carl Anderson's barn at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg. The three-time stakes winner in Alberta has nothing left to race in here, but added the R.J. Spears Handicap to his resume a week ago, and has now won $132,250 this season for owner Arnold Heppner of Spirit River SK.

2004 Deputy Belle colt by Free At Last

In her most recent outing, Raylene, Alberta's Horse of the Year in 2003, was 8th in the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap, a mile and an eighth test on the turf at Woodbine. The race was run last Sunday for a purse of $330,500. Raylene will remain in training in Toronto under Reade Baker.

Late Night Martini and Deputy Belle, both former stakes winners in Alberta are now broodmares at Griffin Place in Buckley, WA, about 45 miles southwest of Seattle. Late Nite Martini has had 3 live foals, including a Free at Last colt which was purchased in Seattle this month for $23,000 US by R.K. "Red" Smith. Late Nite Martini is in foal again to Slewdledo, a son of Seattle Slew. The Griffin's also own Lady Beverly, a Grade 1 winner of the Selene Stakes at Woodbine.

Lady Beverly yawning after a long van ride from Kentucky. May 7, 2003

The $250,000+ BC Derby goes Sunday afternoon in Vancouver. Quincy Welch will go out to ride Victory Light for trainer Tom Longstaff. Victory Light has been racing in Toronto and at Saratoga and should be one of the favourites. Welch will also ride Ice Girl for Calgary owner, Mat Monaco in a $40,000 stake at Hastings Park. Ice Girl is coming off a win in the City of Edmonton Distaff at Northlands on August 28th. Richard Hamel will also be in Vancouver. Hamel will be aboard Stuart Simon's horse, Plenty of Heat, in the Derby.