M1 - Peter Tritton Launches Presidential Down Under Duo

Australian-born trainer Peter Tritton sends out a pair of down under imports in his quest to upset the mighty Golden Receiver in Saturday’s $103,500 Presidential Final at the Meadowlands.

Second Wind N and Malak Uswaad N have drawn posts three and four, respectively, and the favorite Golden Receiver, going for his second consecutive Presidential Series sweep, will leave from post seven in the nine horse field.

The Presidential has been carded as race 11 of 13, which also includes the $51,000 Super Bowl Final [race five] and the $67,400 Clyde Hirt Final [race six].

Tritton, born in Sydney, Australia, settled in Delaware and has enjoyed the lucrative options of racing in the region, while continuing to tap into his sources in Australasia.

“I’ve been in America about ten years and I’m pretty settled here,” said Tritton, 61.  “I started in Indiana at Hoosier Park for a few months, but eventually came to Delaware.  I ended up buying a farm in Felton, Delaware about four years ago and got married.  I trained back home, and when some of my horses reached the top classes I used to send them to America.  At one point, I decided to come over with three of the horses I sent and I just liked the way of racing here.  Of course, the main thing here was more money.  You could make decent money back home, now it’s tougher there, yet it is turning around a bit.  My son, Shane Tritton is doing well back home, and he has won titles the past three years.

“It’s about $20,000 to ship a horse over here now, which as much as it is to buy one,” he noted.  “When I first came here it was about $9,000.  You have to buy one that’s pretty good value.  I grew up with the guys who send them to me, so I know who to talk to.  It’s pretty hard at the moment with the exchange rate, plus the flight.”

Second Wind N is a seven-year-old by Dream Away with a mark of 1:49.4 at Harrah’s Philadelphia and career earnings of $196,892.  He finished fifth and sixth in the two legs of the series.  Eric Carlson will drive.  Tritton has been both puzzled and concerned about the pacer’s recent form.

“Second Wind N was a pretty nice horse over in New Zealand as a four-year-old, then his form went patchy and they couldn’t figure out what was the matter with him,” he recalled.  “You mostly have to buy horses like him with some problems and try to sort them out.  Tim Tetrick was driving him recently and loved him.  I think he’s got an issue flipping his palate sometimes and he may need a procedure.  I would have been real happy if he had come charging home fourth last week instead of sixth.  He wasn’t bad, but that’s not as good as he can go.  His last three starts haven’t been like he was before.  He hasn’t shown that burst.  He’s just not 100 percent right now, and there’s not much difference between him and Malak Uswaad N. 

Malak Uswaad N is a five-year-old by Bettor’s Delight with a mark of 1:50 taken at Harrah’s Philadelphia and a career bankroll of $172,715.  He has a fourth and a third in the series with Hall of Famer Ron Pierce driving.  Tritton seems optimistic this half of his duo is poised to shine.

“I think Malak Uswaad N will be real good Saturday night,” said Tritton.  “He was scratched sick on December 20 and most of mine are getting better.  I’ve had a lot of trouble with this one’s feet and we’ve got that sorted out.  He had pads on his feet last week, Ron Pierce said they didn’t suit him, so we’re going to take them off.  We’re going to have to be ready for Golden Receiver, who will be tough to beat when he goes in 1:48 on the front.  We’ve got to be close to him with a chance to beat him.  Malak Uswaad N has beaten every horse in that field except him, but I just might have him right now.

“He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained, and I’ve raced in the Inter Dominion back home.  He’s just such a relaxed horse.  He’s not hard on himself.  As we go through this year he’s only going to get better.  This race may be a stepping stone to see if he’s good enough to go with these.  Ron Pierce loves him.”

Tritton maintains a manageable, select number of top class pacers. 

“I don’t like to have a big stable,” he said.  “I have ten horses at the moment, six are Open class and only one is an American bred.  It’s tough to get them all raced.  I’ve got another nice one called Mainland Key N, who I’ll likely race in the Levy.  He’d only won $21,000 when we bought him and he’s got close to half a million now.

“I like to stick with the higher class horses.  They are easier on themselves, often cost less to keep, they make more money and you can get a top driver.”

Important Changes to Yonkers Stake Purses for 2013

Yonkers Racetrack management has increased the appeal of its most important stakes beginning in 2013 by guaranteeing final purses in the open divisions, slashing entrance fees for colt and filly races by more than half, and reducing the sustaining payments by 50% to these events. The changes take effect immediately with the foal crop of 2010.

The half-mile oval is home to three major harness events: the Yonkers Trot, Art Rooney Pace and Messenger Stakes. The Yonkers Trot and Messenger Stakes are part of the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns, respectively, making Yonkers the only track to host legs of each gait’s Triple Crown.

The Art Rooney Pace for three-year-olds will now have a guaranteed final of $275,000 on Saturday, June 1.  The Messenger Stake, slated for Saturday, November 2, will feature a final guaranteed at $450,000.

The Yonkers Trot, the first leg of the trotting triple crown, is scheduled for Saturday, July 27, with a $450,000 guaranteed final.

The purses for the accompanying filly divisions will continue with estimated purses as follows: the Lismore and Lady Maud are $115,000 estimated and the Hudson Filly Trot final is $110,000 estimated.

A wealth of information – dates, purses, payment forms, etc - on these stakes and more can be found at www.hambletonian.org.

 

Woodbine Entertainment Announces Prominent Stakes for 2013

Toronto, January 24, 2013 – Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) today confirmed that it will once again be the home of the iconic Queen’s Plate as part of Woodbine’s 2013 thoroughbred racing season, which opens on April 20.

WEG will be making an application for 133 thoroughbred racing days at Woodbine, along with a total of 183 standardbred race days at Woodbine (99 dates) and Mohawk (84 dates).

The Woodbine backstretch will re-open on March 1.

The announcement followed a two-year transitional funding agreement reached this week with the government of Ontario, and an agreement-in-principle with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. over leases for continuing slots operations at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks.

"I am delighted that at long last, we have been able to provide our fans, industry partners and the horsemen and women of Ontario with more clarity about our 2013 schedule," said Nick Eaves, President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group. "We will continue to work hard to achieve an industry model that will sustain and grow our industry, and this sport, for the long haul."

Major events for the upcoming racing season include:

The 154th running of the Queen’s Plate

: The first jewel in Canada’s Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and the longest continuously run stakes race in North America.　

The Pattison Canadian International: Traditionally, competitors from all over the world have competed in Woodbine’s famed 1 1/2–mile turf classic and 2013 will be no different. All-time greats, including Secretariat, Youth, Chief Bearhart and Sulamani captured the autumn time event.

The Ricoh Woodbine Mile

: Has featured star-stacked international fields of older horses including the 2012 edition, which spotlighted eventual multiple Eclipse Award-winning Horse of the Year, Wise Dan. Launched in 1997, the race is contested over Woodbine's world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The Pepsi North America Cup (Mohawk)

Staged for the first time in 1984, it has become one of the standards of excellence in harness racing. The continent’s finest three year-old pacers and dramatic finishes have factored into establishing the Pepsi North America Cup as a world-class sporting event.

Mohawk will also host the traditional standardbred Summer Meet from late spring through to the fall.

These agreements ensure the continuation of live horse racing at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks for the next two years. They take effect after the Slots-at-Racetracks program ends on March 31, 2013.

While the agreements will result in significant changes to WEG’s operating model, the average daily purses for thoroughbred will be comparable to those of 2012, and standardbred purses will be continue at existing 2013 rates.

"The uncertainty around racing this year has been very difficult," said Sue Leslie, President of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. "Confirmation of a 2013 racing season and a commitment to the long-term sustainability of horse racing is critical for horsemen."

Eaves noted that while the agreements provide short-term stability, a long-term, sustainable model for WEG and the Ontario horse racing industry could only be achieved by integrating horse racing into the province’s overall gaming strategy. He added that a core element of that strategy must be permanent, expanded casinos at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks.

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is a not-for-profit Corporation without shareholders. WEG is the largest horse racing operator in Canada offering world class horse racing at both Woodbine (Toronto) and Mohawk (Milton) racetracks. WEG operates off-track wagering operations through its "Champions" teletheatre network, which include WEGZ Stadium Bar in Vaughan, Turf Lounge in downtown Toronto and Greenwood in the Beach area of Toronto. WEG also operates Horse Player Interactive and HPItv.