Harness Cold Conditions with Hot
Conditioners this Winter By Greg Blanchard
The Woodbine Winter racing season is almost upon us and as always it will offer up some of the most challenging conditions of the year for handicappers. Variables like frigid temperatures, high winds, snow, ice and sleet - just to name a few - all come into play on a regular basis and these conditions can change quickly and quite often. Astute handicappers are in-tune with these changing conditions and must adjust accordingly.
A chartline can only tell you so much about a race, so it’s very important to do your homework in assessing just what conditions were like the last time a horse raced. For example, a horse that competed in race 10 on a certain night may have faced an entirely different set of conditions than a horse who competed in race one or two.
At this time of year the weather can change dramatically from week-to-week and certain trainers are better than others at keeping on top of shoeing changes, in particular, that will allow horses to cope successfully with these potential shifts in track condition.
One such horseman is veteran Ben Baillargeon, who won his first ever Woodbine training title in 2008 when he tied with fellow conditioner Rob Fellows for top spot in the standings. He entered the month of November this season having already equaled his total win output from last year and sitting well ahead of his rivals on the trainer’s leader board.
Despite his overall numbers, Baillargeon hit a mini slump in late summer and into the early Fall/Winter meet at Woodbine. However, he is a conditioner who annually does well in the winter months and is one to watch at this time of year. And, it was in the latter part of 2008 when Baillargeon made his big push to share in the trainer’s title.
He carried that late-season form over into the early portion of the 2009 campaign and a big part of that success was due to trotting mare Afternoon Dreams. She rattled off five straight wins, including victories in the Finals of both the Lifetime Dream and Don Mills Trotting Series and it was a good indication of how Baillargeon had her ready to compete each week under trying conditions.
She won in temperatures ranging from -1 to -11 degrees Celsius with an allowance for time on three occasions. Her wins were recorded from the front end, from the pocket and from off the pace. In a nutshell, you can feel confident playing Baillargeon-trained horses no matter what time of year it happens to be or what the track and weather conditions are. There are enough variables to consider without having that as part of the guessing game.
Harness racing analyst Mike Hamilton has some thoughts on winter racing and a particular angle that has served him well over the years. It is something he calls the "caulked up and ready to go" angle.
“They often have snow and ice at Georgian a few weeks before we do, and on the first bad night of the year at Woodbine you might see a winner or two that raced the previous week at Georgian,” he explains. “That first snowfall can sometimes come unexpectedly and catch people off guard. The horses who’ve already been prepared - meaning the use of additional grab on their shoeing - will usually thrive under these types of conditions.”
Woodbine harness fans will also start to notice an influx of horses from jurisdictions like Michigan, Ohio and Indiana at this time of year, in addition to horses from several of the other ‘B’ track venues in Ontario. Normally, these types of horses would be overmatched on this circuit but now is a time where some of them have success. In my opinion, it is due to a couple of factors.
Some of WEG’s claiming and conditioned classes begin to thin out as horses start to feel the wear and tear of a long summer campaign. A fresh horse can sometimes come into town and capitalize on this scenario at a price.
A pacing mare who fits this profile perfectly is Michigan invader Gina Raider, who is trained by Keith Crawford. We seldom see her on the WEG circuit during the summer months but she has become a regular fixture here during the winter campaign.
Early in 2009, she arrived at Woodbine after competing at non-winners $5,000 last five in her five previous races at Sports Creek Raceway in Michigan. She had won one of those five during that span and posted a best individual clocking of 1:58.2 over the five-eighths mile oval while racing for a weekly purse of just $2,200.
Gina Raider’s next eight starts all came at Woodbine where she won twice and worked her way up to the Open level where she finished second, charted in 1:51.1 on March 20 in the $44,000 contest.
Generally, when you see Crawford show up at Woodbine, his horses are competitive and he is not the only one. There are many other high percentage trainers from out of town who seem to have a good sense of which horses from their stables can come here and compete.
Here are some other non-regulars to keep an eye out for this winter at Woodbine: Zaim Cunmulaj, Rob Harmon, Kelly Goodwin, Chris Haskell and Dean Nixon.
Seven Signs to Help Steer Early Season Standardbred Success
By Bob
Heyden
Horses handle adverse winter weather conditions better than humans. Some race like they were born in it. Others may not take to it at all. Precipitation, high winds and ice forming on the ovals are to be expected and dealt with. That’s why it’s important to pay particular attention to “last quarters”. They can often vary greatly from one night to another. The nasty conditions at 7:45 pm can be a distant memory at 9:30 pm, and that can be an advantage for you.
There are some horses - Ramegade Bruiser in 2009 for example - who like to make hay when the sun isn’t shining in the winter and early spring. Sometimes it's a conscious decision not to tangle with the bearcats during the 'regular' season, other times it is a preference to the cold. But either way, a star can emerge in the winter racing season. On January 1st, 1994, when the ribbon-cutting for Woodbine Racetrack was just completed, Arrive At Five won the feature and established himself as not only a local presence and star, but as a bonafide free-for-all force. He went on to become the older Pacer-of-the-Year. It CAN happen. REAL stars can and do race in the winter.
Trainers race them accordingly. If you cannot beat 1:53 no matter what the season, why race against 1:50 pacers in June? You can also see that a lot of the big name trainers are wintering elsewhere such as Florida during the winter months. So it's prime time for trainers who might be considered background players during the 'normal' stakes season.
For instance, middle moves usually make up more ground than during the warmer months because the first fractions are often close to the same but the middle ones aren't. Closing 10-12 lengths into a 1:01.4 middle half as opposed to a 57.4 middle half in June are two different things. It makes less of a dent in the past performance lines in January and February. Form cycles are more likely to last a bit longer in the colder months for one simple reason: doing well in the chillier months has more to do with an affinity for the weather and conditions than it does with the competition.
And with it, prices surge upward. Racing in the winter for a trainer is a commitment to success. If a conditioner is sending out his horse in the first 3 to 4 months on the calendar, you can bet he's got a strong hunch, or a past history, that says his horse is competitive. Come rain or shine, sleet or snow.
Many of the big name drivers take a light winter racing schedule or no schedule at all. Steve Condren, John Campbell and Mike Lachance, for example, are usually back in full bloom sometime around April or even early May. So it stands to reason that a hungry younger driver or two can benefit from this winter racing opportunity.
You don't always know, unless your ears are wide open or you invest some shoe leather, that a nearby farm didn't open its training track for three days due to a blizzard. That means horses more than likely did NOT get out of their stalls, and had their training interrupted. And that can affect on-track performance.
Five Minutes with Jody Jamieson
By Chris Lomon
| Q. | If you could sing a duet with anyone in the music industry, who would it be and why? |
| A. | “It would definitely be Faith Hill. She is absolutely gorgeous and she has an amazing voice. I really enjoy her music, so she would be my top choice.” |
| Q. | If you were to make an appearance on Dancing With The Stars, who would you choose as your partner and how would you fare? |
| A. | “I’m going to keep with the country theme and go with Carrie Underwood. I don’t think I’d totally embarrass myself out on the dance floor. I suppose I could hold my own.” |
| Q. | Who is the one singer/group/ artist that you are somewhat ashamed to admit you like? |
| A. | “That would be Tom Jones. He’s got a great on-stage presence and I like some of his songs.” |
| Q. | What’s the one place in the world you haven’t been, but would love to visit? |
| A. | “It would be France. Horse racing is huge over there and I’d like the chance to see what the atmosphere is like during a big racing day. Obviously, it’s a beautiful country and it has plenty to see and do.” |
| Q. | Your favourite sports team is… |
| A. | “The Toronto Maple Leafs. I’ve always been a big fan and I still am. Even through tough times, you stick with who you cheer for. My favourite player would be Mats Sundin. I’ve been lucky enough to drive for him a few times and actually got to meet him, just briefly, on a couple of occasions.” |