San Pail Eyes Glorys Comet As First Test
In 2012 By Greg Gangle
San Pail, a hot favourite for Canada’s Horse of the Year honours in 2011, has earned himself a well-deserved rest after a head-turning campaign.
The son of San Pelligrino-Village Beauty earned $1,266,420 in 2011 with a 14-2-0 record from 16 starts. Overall, San Pail has banked $2,977,885 lifetime with 49 trips to the winner’s circle.
“He still jogs every day or every other day,” Hughes said. “I don’t want to let him right down, it’s what I have done with him in the past and it has worked. His first test next season will be the Glorys Comet at Woodbine.”
In the past, the Glorys Comet was scheduled for January, but Woodbine Entertainment Group recently announced a date change to March for the stakes event eliminations, where it will be paired with the Spring Pacing Championship. Both $125,000 finals are scheduled for April 7. San Pail captured the 2010 edition, but Hughes wasn’t going to prepare his gelding for the race until he found out of the change.
“That played a big role,” he said. “I raced him in January last year, but I wouldn’t do it this year. He’s got a long season ahead of him, so having him ready at the end of March or early April will better suit his season.”
When reflecting on San Pail’s 2010 campaign which included victories in the Breeders Crown, Maple Leaf Trot, Allerage Trot, Credit Winner, Nat Ray and, of course, the Glorys Comet, Hughes was, not surprisingly, amazed at his star’s exploits.
“It was overwhelming, really, to be honest,” he said. “As a trainer, you just don’t dream of those types of seasons, but he’s just a special horse. He has drawn such an incredible fan base and it’s just unbelievable to see the passion the people have for him. The winner’s circle is getting bigger and bigger all the time. It’s great to see.” While he rallied to win the Breeders Crown Open Trot in October, Hughes acknowledges San Pail wasn’t on top of his game compared to earlier in the year.
“He was just a tick or two behind what he usually is,” he said. “He wasn’t as sharp as he was in the Maple Leaf Trot, but that’s understandable. The Breeders Crown was later in the year and that takes a toll on any horse. It’s a long season, plus, travelling with him to Lexington surely took something out of him.”
Rod, his wife Emily, son Wyatt, and father Jerry, will be looking forward to the O’Brien Awards and Dan Patch Awards. After runner-up status in last year’s Horse of the Year balloting, San Pail is hardly a longshot to be crowned the 2011 champion in Canada at the end of January. Being honoured in the United States (the Dan Patch Awards are in February) would be equally pleasing.
“He should win there, too,” he offered. “What else did he need to do to win? We travelled with him there more than before and he never lost on their turf. I don’t know who else would beat him.”
For now, San Pail will take a breather, while his connections envision their superstar scooping up some serious hardware in the coming months.
Prime Canadian Winter Racing at The Raceway
A new era is now well underway in London as The Raceway - formerly Western Fair Raceway - began live racing for another season on October 14.
The new name and new look at the track are part of a company-wide re-branding strategy where The Raceway is now one component of the new Western Fair District – a multi-faceted entertainment and gaming destination serving South-western Ontario.
The Raceway continues to be one of the prime Canadian Winter harness racing products with live racing four days a week. Racing happens every Monday and Tuesday at 3:35 p.m. and Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05 p.m. until December 31.
In the New Year, the Saturday programs will be replaced by Wednesday afternoon cards with a 3:35 p.m. post time as well. A pair of major events has already taken place this fall.
On November 12, The Raceway played host to 35 of the top handicappers from across the country in the Trot Canada National Handicapping Championship. It was Bill Porter from Elora, Ontario who took home the $25,000 top prize.
Then, on November 26, the top older female pacers in the sport congregated for the $195,000 Forest City Pace. It was Voelz Hanover, one of five millionaires in the field, who pulled off the upset victory in the third edition of the event which has quickly grown in stature.
A new pick-5 wager has been introduced this season. It is a $1 base wager with a carryover component to it. It has been picking up momentum in the early going and management is hoping the wager will generate some substantial carryovers this upcoming season.
“We always want to continue to develop our wagering menu,” said Racing and Gaming Manager Ian Fleming. “We thought a carryover wager was a good addition for us and so far we are happy with how it is going. We’ve seen the pools gradually increasing as we get into the racing season.”
In addition to a new look for the pre-game show on HPItv and The Raceway simulcast show, the track also features a new-look to its portion of the Western Fair District website.
Customers can access a variety of information right from The Raceway home page, including free live streaming video, free programs, trainer/driver stats, news, a Twitter feed and much more.
“I consider it kind of one-stop shopping,” commented the track’s Assistant Manager/Announcer Greg Blanchard. “We have several different lines of business at The Western Fair District, so when a customer gets to our racing page, we want them to be able to get everything they need to watch and wager right there.
“There is lots of secondary information available for them as well and we will continually strive to develop this part of our product.”
Bill Porter of Elora, Ontario won this year's Trot Canada National Handicapping Championship.
Photo credit: Iron Horse
For more information on The Raceway, visit www.westernfairdistrict.com or follow them on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.