From Harnesslink

1. Proof that racing is bleeding to death! - AU
   Sometimes it is the littlest things that tell the greatest story. An oversight can be the symptom of something far more dramatic, an indication that eyes have been averted, minds distracted. A small crack can signal a great eruption.
2. Half-sister to Somebeachsomewhere in Victoria, Peter Wharton - AU
   Is she the most valuable standardbred broodmare in Australia? It is Child From The Sea, an Astreos half-sister to Canadian pacing superstar Somebeachsomewhere 3, 1:49 ($1,583,296), holder of the two-year-old world record and winner of America’s richest race, the $1.5 million North America Cup.
3. Somebeachsomewhere harness racing’s savior, Derick Giwner - North America
   With all due respect to Martin Luther King Jr., I have a dream. I have a dream that Somebeachsomewhere can be the savior of the harness industry by accomplishing feats of uncommon genius.
4. Tony Shaw recovering well from skull surgery - NZ
   According to an article in The Dominion Post on Wedesday (July 2), Tony Shaw is awake and talking after undergoing head surgery at Auckland City Hospital.
5. Just An Excuse euthanised, Greg O’Connor - NZ
   Two time New Zealand Trotting Cup Champion Just An Excuse had to be humanely destroyed at the Raglan farm of his trainer Robert Mitchell today after he was found with a shattered off front leg.
6. World Champion Lis Mara to Nevele R Stud - US & NZ
   Nevele R Stud in association with Kentuckiana Farms of the US will be standing world champion pacer Lis Mara at Nevele R Stud, Canterbury, New Zealand this season. Nevele R has secured the lifetime breeding rights for the multiple world champion and co-fastest race winning stallion of all time.
7. Records smashed as Menangle hosts 15,000 - AU
   The weekends opening of the Menangle track came with the promise of a new era of speed racing on a world-class 1400m track, and it delivered.
8. John Campbell closing in on 10,000, Carol Hodes - US
   In the next few weeks, Hall of Fame driver John Campbell will reach another career plateau. With eight wins this past week, he now stands only 17 shy of 10,000 victories (through June 28, 2008).

United States

• Court: FL Governor Exceeded Authority, Blood Horse
• Free-Legged: A wedding anniversary at Winterwood, USTA
• Mega-resort with gambling planned in N.Y.’s Borscht Belt, The Canadian Press

Canada

• Sophomore trotter defies odds, GuelphMercury
• Davies just grand at making the call, Dailygleaner.com
• Horse owners champing at the bit, The Gazette
• $120M tax break urged for Woodbine project, The Star

Australia

• EI-free, but vaccination remains a hot topic, The Age
• Radical consideration, Barossa & Light Herald
• Harness board want money plan,Warick Daily News
• HRNSW confirms $650,000 workers compensation payment, Harness Racing NSW
• One-stop shop for stewards but who’ll pay the bills? Sydney Morning Herald

New Zealand

• Racing: Salute a champ, with no excuses, NZ Herald
• Miracle Mile likely to shift to Sunday on new Menangle track, NZ Herald
• Winston Peters Present double edged, The Press
• Ferguson wins world selection, Sunday Star Times

Europe

• Harness driver Dowse finds home in America, RecordOnline

Best of the Best

• NZPA racing cuts are reckless & irresponsible, Harnesslink
• THE VIEW: Bring Back Beach, Standardbred Canada
• Somebeachsomewhere harness racing’s savior, Harnesslink

From the Harness Racing Blog Network

• The amazing harness racing helmet cam, Harness Racing Blog
• Horse Injury Critics Need to Wake Up, Harness Racing Insider

With all due respect to Martin Luther King Jr., I have a dream. I have a dream that Somebeachsomewhere can be the savior of the harness industry by accomplishing feats of uncommon genius.

I have a dream that he will be the horse that I fondly remember as I reach my latter years in life. I have a dream that one day men, women and children of all walks of life will flock to The Meadowlands, The Red Mile and every track that Somebeachsomewhere races to witness harness racing’s great superstar.

As Barack Obama continues his historic run for the presidency and fulfills some of the dreams which Mr. King spoke about on August 28, 1963, every harness enthusiast should say a little prayer for Somebeachsomewhere and hope that he can make an historic run of his own for harness racing.

Of course, comparing the issues which Mr. King fought for to harness racing is foolish, and I mean no disrespect. But wouldn’t it be nice, for the first time in what seems like forever, for the harness industry to have a superstar; for a horse to capture the imagination of “Joe Public” the way Barbaro or Funny Cide did for the Thoroughbreds.

For the uninitiated, Somebeachsomewhere is a special son of Mach Three-Where’s The Beach. He has won every time he has stepped onto the track – 9 for 9 in his career. He paced the fastest mile in history by a 2-year-old (1:49.3 – Metro Final). He has won almost $1.6 million in his brief career. His popularity drew over 10,000 people to Mohawk Racetrack in Canada for the North America Cup; a race he won convincingly.

Somebeachsomewhere has received the highest of praise from his competition. Driver David Miller told Harness Racing Communications, “He definitely ranks with the best horses to come along in a long time.” As I have previously stated, one trainer told me he could be the best horse ever.

On July 12, Somebeachsomewhere will race in the United States for the first time in his life. I will be on hand to witness the young freak of nature with my own two eyes. How many of you will be joining me?

As I read Charles Leerhsen’s book (Crazy Good – The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America), I can’t help but wonder if Somebeachsomewhere can be that special horse, like Dan Patch; a horse which people care about, want to see and go out of their way to do so. By the way, reading isn’t my cup of tea – I’m a past performances guy – but this book is a must for any harness fan.

I’m only up to chapter seven, but I have already seen the devotion that fans had back in the late 19th century. Leerhsen wrote that reports had the attendance for Dan Patch’s first race at 8,000 people, with many traveling far and wide to watch him. Even more amazing, this was Dan Patch’s first career race. That’s right, all he did was train and word of mouth alone caused this windfall of people to show up.

Obviously, to think that this could happen today is foolhardy.

If Somebeachsomewhere was actually able to remain undefeated into the fall and set a world record, how would anyone even know? Word of mouth is nice when you are dealing with the local Italian restaurant, but it simply will not be enough for racing. With mainstream on-air coverage of the sport limited to the Hambletonian, Somebeachsomewhere could do something amazing and no one outside of the industry would ever know.

So, here is what needs to happen: Somebeachsomewhere needs to win the Meadowlands Pace and break the stakes record of 1:48.3 (Rocknroll Hanover – 2005). He needs to enter the Oliver Wendell Holmes at The Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day. The Holmes needs to be prominently displayed on NBC television along with the Oaks and Hambletonian.

The National Broadcasting Company needs to do one of those heartwarming features on the horse which could capture a nation. Last but not least, Somebeachsomewhere needs to step out on the track on August 2 and do something spectacular.

Are any of the above likely, or even possible?

The harness industry needs it to be possible. We need hope that the sport still matters. I’m tired of hearing about the demise of harness racing and tired of unproductive committee meetings.

Somebeachsomewhere has a chance to be the great harness hope.

Can he do it?

I don’t know, but I have a dream.

Reprinted with permission from Harness Eye

Click here to comment

This past Spring the media has had a field day with the Triple Crown races and the magnificent thoroughbred Big Brown.

The Richard Dutrow pupil who captured the first two legs (Kentucky Derby & Preakness) in fine style and then failed to fire in the Belmont Stakes, has been the subject of controversy–both for his loss in the final Triple Crown leg and because of the debate of steroids, racetrack surfaces and the catestrophic breakdown of the filly Eight Belles in the Derby.

As a one-time supporter of the animal rights group PETA, I was mortified by the tactics they used to garner public interest and distain for horse racing. To say that PETA used a high school mentality is an understatement.

While in the past I’ve supported PETA’s effort in their work against animal testing and cruelty cases, in this instance, they were criticizing a sport and the animals involved in a way that showed blatant ignorance.

Plain and simple–horses are big, athletic animals–and as athletes, are prone to injuries just like any other athlete. Those involved with horses on any level know that a horse can break a leg in the field just having fun.

There have been instances where horses have jumped up playfully in a paddock, landed wrong, shattered an ankle and had to be destroyed. A horse I once owned suffered this fate. He wasn’t racing, he wasn’t being asked to do anything–he was simply being playful. Hence the term “accident.”

Does anyone in their right mind really believe that the connections of Eight Belles didn’t love and cherish their filly and were devastated by her horrific injury after she gave such a brilliant performance? And to blame the jockey, the trainer and the owner is just another sign of ignorance.

As well, look to the outstanding 3-Day event pony Theodore O’Connor who recently had to be humanely destroyed after he spooked in his own barn area. “Teddy” wasn’t competing–he was simply walking on his way back to his stall after a workout, was frightened, and sustained an injury that necessitated him being destroyed. Everyone in the eventing world was shocked and saddened by his demise, and horse lovers everywhere can only share sympathy with his rider Karen O’Connor who surely bore the burden heavier than the rest of us.

The bottom line is: horse racing doesn’t deserve the harsh criticism it has gotten lately. Injuries and accidents occur in every aspect of life, and to think that horses would be immune–whether they’re standing, walking, trotting or galloping–is simply proposterous.

From Harnesslink

1. Costly delays in driving and drug charges - NZ
   Harness Racing New Zealand [HRNZ] chiefs were pleased with the Supreme Court finding in the Lisa Cropp charges, but they fear more costly delays before Geoff Small is brought to task over his driving and drug charges.
2. Southern agent cleans out northern ranks, Garrick Knight - NZ
   Canterbury agent Bruce Hutton has just ended a seven-day buying spree in the northern region that has netted half-a-dozen horses to fill his growing American order list.
3. Australasian record at Menangle Sunday? Marshall Dobson - AU
   An Australasian record is likely to be established at Menangle this Sunday in the Group One $100,000 SEW Eurodrive Len Smith Mile. The mobile feature sees a class field of 11 runners, including one emergency, doing battle.
4. Plenty of Flair about Fleur De Lil, Frank Marrion - NZ
   Fleur De Lil has been a truly grand filly and now mare and her clash with the likes of Molly Darling and Good Looking Girl in the $100,000 Ladyship Mile will be one of many highlights at the big opening on the new Menangle track in NSW on Sunday.
5. Shing Bromac for Breeders’ Crown, Don Wright - NZ
   Paul Court is to return from Canada in August to set up in a training partnership with his father Graham at Harcourt Lodge in West Melton, near Christchurch. Court jun will be home in time to drive the stable’s standout juvenile trotter Shing Bromac who has already qualified for the Australasian Breeders Crown in Victoria on 17 August.
6. Woodlands sponsor $150,000 Free For All, Barry Johnson - NZ
   Woodlands Stud which operates from its showplace property at Clevedon, Auckland has confirmed a partnership agreement with the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club to sponsor the Group One classified New Zealand Free for All.
7. Age records fall at Menangle opening day, NSW H.R.C - AU
   The new, spacious 1400-metre Menangle track had been expected to churn out fast times, and today’s (24th June) opening meeting didn’t disappoint, with the first race on the program producing a new national mark.
8. Positive to Ketamine or ‘Special K’ rejected - AU
   A Controversial positive swab case involving the party drug ketamine has forced changes to testing procedures in Victorian thoroughbred and harness racing. The Kerry O’Reilly-trained pacer Resia Springfield returned a positive swab to ketamine, known in party circles as “Special K”, after winning at the Ballarat harness meeting on December 7, last year.
9. ‘Trish’ has one move and it’s explosive, Carol Hodes - US
   Robert Siegelman is a happily married man, but he is the first to admit that a little filly with one set of white eyelashes has captured his heart. Cheyenne Trish is her name and her trainer’s only wish is that she would have a little luck so that she can make the most of her explosive speed.
10. Taking a harness racing road trip, Derick Giwner - US
    Ever since I started following harness racing, I always wanted to visit every track possible. Before I ever dreamed of being the editor of Harness Eye – or even involved in racing – I still recall going to the Catskills (upstate New York) and begging my father to take me to Monticello; he never did.

United States

• The total truth? Ban steroids now, Wire to Wire
• Historical Treasure: Gift provides another dimension in pacer Dan Patch story, TribStar

Canada

• Industry Review Panel & a Few Notes, Pull the Pocket

Australia

• State-of-the-art operation puts code on track, Penrith Star
• Integrity can beat viciousness, The Australian
• Significant Prizemoney Increases for Queensland, Australian Harness Racing
• Unsafe grandstand closes Albion Park, Herald Sun
• NSW Government Approves Race Fields Legislation, Racing and Sports
• Pacing legend Brian Hancock’s tribute to Menangle Park, The Daily Telegraph

New Zealand

• First success for owners, Otago Daily Times
• Dixon may end season on top note, NZ Herald

Best of the Best

• Free-Legged: Regulation without representation?, USTA
• The Battle of Ontario: Go Directly to Court, Standardbred Canada (Comment here)

Fri 27 June - Thames H R C 
Race 3[ 7:21pm] - Final Field Option 503
Race 6[ 8:50pm] - Final Field Option 506
Race 7[ 9:20pm] - Final Field Option 507
Race 9[10:15pm] - Final Field Option 509
Race 10[10:40pm] - Final Field Option 510
Betting opens at approximately 8:30am raceday

Fri 27 June - Forbury Park T.C.
Race 8[ 9:31pm] - Final Field Option 808
Race 9[10:02pm] - Final Field Option 809
Race 11[10:52pm] - Final Field Option 811
Betting opens at approximately 8:30am raceday

Sun 29 June – Menangle Park, NSW Harness
The NZ TAB will have Final Field betting available on the full card from this day meeting where the first race of nine starts at 1:20pm.

The Fly

Race 7 – 1st Mystic Mink opened $4.50 & closed $4.20 – Largest wager $2,200 at $5.00
Sirhakazz (2nd) $4,000 at $3.50
We liked the winner Mystic Mink when we priced the field and unfortunately so did one of our customers who had a decent wager on her but she did close a winning result in the single market. The late money came for Smoke N Mirrors and our opening favourite Sirhakazz.
]]> http://harnessracingblog.com/friday-recap200608/ http://harnessracingblog.com/friday-recap200608/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:23:56 +0000 admin http://harnessracingblog.com/friday-recap-this-week-in-harness-racing-june-14-to-june-20/ Below is what happened in harness racing this week, as reported on Harnesslink and from other places across the web.

From Harnesslink

1. Somebeachsomewhere strolls in $1.5M Cup - North America
   Still unbeaten, unchallenged and yet to be really tested. Three-year-old colt pacer Somebeachsomewhere earned a standing ovation from a packed and adoring Mohawk Racetrack crowd after another scintillating, yet facile triumph in the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, the richest harness race on the continent.
2. Gotta Go Cullen logical winner, Don Wright - NZ
   We harness racing journalists have always been inclined to flog and over intellectualize a contentious issue in the hope of firing up readership by way of feeding off controversy.
3. Heavy fines and suspensions - US
   Trainer Ernest Adam, the current leading trainer at Freehold Raceway, and veterinarian and horse owner Dr. Stephen Slender have each been fined $56,000, billed $12,000 in testing fees, and were suspended for 13-1/2 years by the New Jersey Racing Commission in the wake of positive tests for Erythropoietin-Human, commonly known as EPO, in six horses in their care.
4. Artistic Fella smashes world record - US
   Joseph Alborano’s Artistic Fella, with Tim Tetrick in the sulky, unleashed a powerful performance to capture the $500,000 final of the Ben Franklin pace in the world record time of 1:48 at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack on Sunday, June 15 .
5. North America Cup trainer and driver quotes - North America
   Trainer and co-owner Brent MacGrath: “He raced great. That foot’s still a bit of an issue. ” “He’s going to have a couple of weeks now before he really does anything. I did train him a little bit this week. The money was on the line. And I wanted to make sure he didn’t get a little short on the end.”
6. Wallis pair fit and ready to rumble, Garrick Knight - NZ
   Michelle Wallis will have taken the most from today’s (June 18) workouts at Alexandra Park after two horses with a history of leg problems produced good performances. Retail Therapy followed up his good effort a fortnight earlier by putting in a top effort for second in a three-horse field.
7. Total Truth scratched due to positive test - US
   The Pennsylvania Racing Commission has confirmed that Total Truth, an entrant in the $500,000 Ben Franklin Pace at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack on June 15, was scratched from the race by the judges after an earlier test for a permissible steroid (Stanazol) revealed the horse to be over the legal limit.
8. On the path with ‘Patch’, Carol Hodes - US
   Charlie Leerhsen is on the road these days, shaking hands and signing autographs. He is not running for president, maybe czar, but that is another story. The Sports Illustrated executive editor is selling books, his latest effort is 355 pages called Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America.
9. Smart handicappers watch their races live, Derek Giwner - US
   Where were you when Jason Giambi hit his game winning 2-run home run last Thursday afternoon, or when Varenne put on a sparkling display at the Meadowlands a few years back? Well I missed the first one by a few minutes due to a meeting, but was on hand for the second event in the Meadowlands winner’s circle.
10. Horses to Watch at the Meadowlands, Derek Giwner
    This list is designed to provide horses who had tough trips, traffic trouble or looked impressive in their recent start. Always consider whether each horse is at a competitive level and if their price warrants a play before wagering in their next start. Horses which were listed the previous week and did not race will remain listed for a second week.

United States

• Scarpias suspended in Pennsylvania, USTA
• MacDonell celebrates after a million-dollar night, GuelphMercury
• Grand ‘re-opening’ set for all-weather track at Horse Park, Starkville Daily News
• Mohegan Sun-rise: 7/17, Times Leader
• Dan Patch may become household name, again, StarTribune
• The slots fair-ness issue, Baltimore Sun
• Teague, Hall Comment On Steroid Positive, Standardbred Canada
• Governor Paterson Announces Details of Agreement with NYC on Immediate State Takeover of New York City OTB, Yonkers Tribune
• More than 3,000 racehorses died in U.S. over 5 years, International Herald Tribune
• New Kings arena and redevelopment could end Cal Expo harness racing, sacbee.com
• Trainer, owner fined $136G for substances in 6 horses, APP.com
• Damage extensive at Hawkinsville harness racing facility, The Macon Telegraph

Canada

• MLA not pleased with EPR’s answers, Telegraph Journal
• Kids take reins at harness racing camp, Innisfil Journal
• Sport of Kings laid to rest in Calgary, The Calgary Sun
• ‘HANA’, HD & Other Acronyms, Pull the Pocket

Australia

• Hugh Millar keen to break down Kiwi EI barrier, Herald Sun
• Saturday night’s Globe Derby meeting will feature a seldom-run Monte, Australian Harness Racing

New Zealand

• Green machine oils wheels, Sunday Star Times
• Error nets windfall, Otago Daily Times

Europe

• Polytrack surface for harness racing! - Herald Ireland
• Disqualified horse to set record straight, Daily Post (UK)

Best of the Best

• Outside the Box: Sound and Fury, Bob Carson - USTA
• Breaking Down Barriers, Pull the Pocket

Bonus Video: Somebeach wins NA Cup

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/HKTe919uvrI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

From the Harness Racing Blog Network

• Menangle Park Raceway Opening Day TAB Wagering, Harness Odds

There will be seven Group One races on an action packed nine race program starting at 1:30pm (NZ time) and the NZ TAB will have Final Field betting available on all races including full tote wagering.
The state-of-the-art 1400-metre racing circuit was designed and prepared by world renowned trackman of America, Dan Coon. The refurbished facilities include a new grandstand, dining, participants’ area and stabling.
Menangle Park Sunday 29 June Opening Day Feature Races
- SEW EURODRIVE LEN SMITH MILE (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophies & Rug. Open to all pacers, a Group 1 event.

- CORDINA CHICKEN FARMS LADYSHIP MILE (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophies & Rug. Mares. Open to all Mares, a Group 1 event.

- ROCK & EARTH EXCHANGE TROTTERS FLYING MILE (GROUP 1)
$50,000 plus Trophies & Rug. Open to all Trotters, a Group 1 even

- NSW SIRES STAKES 2YO FILLIES FINAL (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophy & Rug. 2YO Fillies.

- W SIRES STAKES 2YO C&G FINAL (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophy & Rug. 2YO Colts and Geldings.

- SW SIRES STAKES 3YO FILLIES FINAL (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophy & Rug. 3YO Fillies

- SW SIRES STAKES 3YO C&G FINAL (GROUP 1)
$100,000 plus Trophy & Rug. 3YO Colts and Geldings.

From Harnesslink

• Dobson out of Line with team driving talk! - NZ
  According to an article in The Sydney Morning Herald by Dave Murray, claims were made that Ian Dobson was out of line for an alleged ‘team driving’ comment he made to the Sunday Star-Times.
• Somebeachsomewhere sizzles in 1:49 (Vids), John Siscos - CA
  While thoroughbred Big Brown failed to a deliver a Triple Crown earlier today in New York, his harness counterpart Somebeachsomewhere remained unbeaten with another scintillating performance…this time in one of Saturday’s eliminations for next weekend’s $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack.
• Ultra sound for Auckland Reactor - NZ
  According to an article by Anthony Corban for The New Zealand Herald dated Sunday, June 8, Auckland Reactor is scheduled for an ultra sound examination at Bill Bishop’s Christchurch veterinary clinic on Wednesday (June 11).
• Peruvian Hanover’s 2yo’s make impact
  Peruvian Hanover’s owner Ian Dobson must have that luck of the Irish, first there was Christian Cullen, and now it looks like his second stallion Peruvian Hanover is also on the way to becoming a proven sire on the track.
• Nobody asked, but here’s an opinion, Carol Hodes - US
  It looks like we are going to be able to fill it to the rim with Brim again. The coffee, which was marketed from 1961 until the mid 1990s, is about to make a return to supermarket shelves along with other seemingly “dead” brands. Volkswagen brought back the Beetle a few years ago and tapped into nostalgia for what is often perceived as a simpler time with better crafted products.
• Auckland Reactor out for twelve weeks, Don Wright - NZ
  Indications are it will be about three months before champion 3 Year Old pacer Auckland Reactor can be trained again. Co trainer Mark Purdon told Harnesslink today Wednesday 11 June that he, his stable veterinary consultant Dr Bill Bishop (Canterbury Equine Clinic) and Professor Joe Mayher of Palmerston North had detailed and productive discussions in Christchurch today concerning the superstar’s predicament.
• Fake Denario sets World Record, Garrick Knight - US and NZ
  Fake Denario (7g Fake Left-Campeche) became the equal second fastest New Zealand-bred horse ever, and in the process set a world record, when winning in 1:48.2 (fifths) at Harrah’s Chester, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
• Smart handicappers watch their races live, Derick Giwner
  Where were you when Jason Giambi hit his game winning 2-run home run last Thursday afternoon, or when Varenne put on a sparkling display at the Meadowlands a few years back? Well I missed the first one by a few minutes due to a meeting, but was on hand for the second event in the Meadowlands winner’s circle.

North American Cup Stories from the last couple of days (See them all)

1. Draw for 2008 North America Cup
2. Undefeated ‘Somebeach’ 8-5 fav in Cup
3. ‘Like going into the ring with Mike Tyson’
4. More Coverage Of Somebeachsomewhere
5. NA Cup advance wagering available Friday
6. Media catches NA Cup Fever

Somebeachsomewhere wins Elimination #2

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/WWcQ-8bd_MQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

United States

• New harness track has big plans, Star Tribune
• Free-Legged: The Feds are coming! , USTA
• NY Gaming Summit scheduled for June 24-25 in Saratoga, The Business Review
• Jurisdictions Bar Horses From Florida, Pompano, Standardbred Canada
• Meadows trainer died of chest injuries, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
• ‘Patch’ left his mark, Commerical News
  

Canada

• Harness racing driver-trainer recuperating after surgery, The Guardian (PEI)
• Not just horsing around, The Daily Gleaner
• NA Cup favourite deserves it, GuelphMecury
• Jamieson: “I’ve never seen a horse like him in my lifetime”, Pull the Pocket
• NA Cup post-draw thoughts, harnessracing.com

Australia

• Australian Government to Cover Flu Cost, Standardbred Canada
• Club on track after washout drama, The Recorder
• $1m pacing classic confirmed, The Daily Telegraph
• What next?, Barossa & Light Herald

New Zealand

• Friday Forum, The Press
• Trotters fight to be called best of year, NZ Herald
• Breathing down his neck, NZ Herald
• Fun, fashion as Caduceus club runs winner, The Southland Times
• All bets off as star colt is sidelined, NZ Herald

R1 - No large majors of note but the best backed is Sailors Sin in to $8.00 from $11and she
is leading the way in multi-wagers.

R2 - Party Girl Becqui $1,000 at $2.40

R3 - The first starter Kobe Bryant is taking all the money in single wagering in from $2.60 - $2.40. In multi-wagering the first three favourites are equal in support.

R4 - No large wagers but dominating multi wagers is the favourite Sno’s Big Boy

R5 - Strike Up The Band took a $980 at $4.20

R6 - Avant Garde at $4.50 is the best backed runner over Sunset Beach at $9.00

R7 - The feature race of the night and Calamity Gal is the best backed runner into
$3.80 from $4.50

R8 - Ohoka Moon $1,000 at $8.00 and Awesome Armbro easily leading the way
in multi wagers

R9 - Roman Conqueror $700 at $4.60

R10 - Vinnie Barbarino is into $8.00 after opening at $18 with wagers of
$1,000 at $18, $1,000 at $13 & $1,000 at $8.00. Only one runner getting backed in
multi-wagers and that’s the favourite Franco Tetris who is at $1.45

Blenheim

R8 - No large single wagers but no surprise to see Megasam getting huge support in
multi wagers and he is into $2.40 from an opening price of $2.60.

Even more strange is that both the comments relate to the new Ontario Harness Horse Association sponsored website Get Sulky, and both appeared within 1 day of each other.

Some Background

The Get Sulky website was built and ‘promoted’ by a company called ‘Launch! Brand Marketing’, who profess to be the “experts in promotional marketing”. According to Kelly Spencer from Grand River Raceway the website’s designed to “appeal to male leaders ages 18-34” and is “being driven virally by a team of Viral Marketing Professionals at Launch! (the agency working on behalf of the Standardbred Revenue Allocation Committee).”

(Read more about the project here.)

After a bit of digging I found hundreds and hundreds of comments all over YouTube basically spamming this Get Sulky website.

Could this be the Viral Marketing Professionals at work?

Here are a few of the comments I found promoting Get Sulky on YouTube:

From a user named whitestormj on this page

English please…..Google Get Sulky to get your fact straight..until than ur out of it.

From a user named jergrow on this page

BUDDY! You are SOO missing the point, google get sulky

From a user named franride on this page

BUDDY! You are SOO missing the point, google get sulky

From a user named Annibaby85 on this page

ahaha harness lovers check out get sulky!

From a user named jmars899 on this page

interesting indeed. Sulky is the way to go get google get sulky

Often the comment related to the video it was on, as in this one “haha Souljah Boy’s New Dance- Get Sulky!! Google that”. This means there are real people making these comments.

Using Google, I found over 500 comments spamming YouTube, and a few more spamming various websites, blogs and forums.

The accounts that made these comments are all from Canada, were all registered in May 2008, and most have subscribed to all the Don and Ron videos - which it looks like Launch! Brand Marketing produced.

Those accounts are also leaving comments on the Don and Ron videos themselves, to make them appear to be popular. From what I can tell, nearly all of the comments on the Don and Ron videos have been made by accounts that are set up to spam YouTube.

It looks to me like there is a concerted effort to spam YouTube and other online websites. If this is part of the “2 years of work by the Standardbred Revenue Allocation (SRA) Marketing Committee,” then it looks like their money wasn’t put towards the best use.

Here’s a comment left by somebody who was spammed by one of these accounts:

Hey Spam Whore,
Just because you’re too stupid to write anything intelligent, and have no friends in real life, don’t annoy others with your spam. I have deleted your stupid message within 5 mins, reported you to administrators and blocked you MORON.

GET A LIFE, PATHETIC LOSER.

On the Get Sulky website, they allow users to comment on some videos they have uploaded. I noticed some of the names that are spamming YouTube happen to be the same as those also leaving seemingly legitimate comments over on Get Sulky. This is most likely a badly implemented effort to make the website look busier and more popular than it actually is.

Side note

Does anybody get these videos?

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/ECjwAWcjDvw" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Update

Before publishing I send this post to John Walzak, COO of OHHA. He was aware of the commenting campaign and replied with Launch! Brand Marketing’s response:

Alas, if only it were true that good marketing “just happened” spontaneously. If only people could find out about a product magically without ever having to see, read or listen to someone talk about the product’s positive attributes. Everyone would automatically “just know” and then buy it/do it/wear it/own it. Shazaam!

But that’s not reality. In fact, people “don’t just know,” - they have to find out about it somehow, and in the online marketing world it is an accepted industry practice to seed a “viral marketing campaign” with a few paid bloggers. This is done to achieve critical mass as quickly as possible. In the blogosphere, people are open about expressing their opinions on what they like and don’t like – marketers simply kick start the process with a few paid blog posts (and we don’t make it a secret.) We aren’t out to fool anyone.

The initial GetSulky.com blogs are designed to promote the beautiful sport of harness racing. As respectable marketers we abhor spam (the unsolicited sending of emails), all our work is permission-based. It is our job to get things going for our clients – but where it goes is then up to the blogosphere to decide. So what you are calling spam is in fact an opportunity for people to freely express their opinion.

Reading the above and John Walzaks response, I got the impression that they believe it’s ok to spam other websites and mislead people, as long as your not sending out unsolicited emails. (Definition of social media spam.)

Do you think this reflects positively on the harness racing industry? Is this the kind of image of racing we want to portray to young people, that of manipulators and spammers?

It looks like we are going to be able to fill it to the rim with Brim again. The coffee, which was marketed from 1961 until the mid 1990s, is about to make a return to supermarket shelves along with other seemingly “dead” brands. Volkswagen brought back the Beetle a few years ago and tapped into nostalgia for what is often perceived as a simpler time with better crafted products.

A Woodstock Museum is opening in upstate New York, a flashback to the middle of the last century [with or without hallucinogens].

So what does this have to do with harness racing?

Maybe it had to do with a comment Rachel Ryan of the Meadowlands said the other evening about the set of four monochrome mugs and coasters the track is going to give out on four successive Saturdays, starting June 21.

The giveaways will spotlight past Meadowlands Pace winners Niatross, Matt’s Scooter, Gallo Blue Chip and Nihilator.

“It’s a 60s look,” said the savvy marketing manager who was not born yet when that decade rocked the world.

But this is not about mugs either.

It is the idea that maybe what racing needs is not a reinvention of the industry but rather a look back on what is best about the product as a sport, form of entertainment and gambling option. And maybe there is a way to draw on the feelings that drew people to racing in the past.

Much has been said that racing is too slow for the fast action crowd that plays video games. So other than putting joysticks at each tote machine, this argument seems far from useful. With simulcasting broadcasts flashing on rows of flat screens, there is almost always a race going off to stimulate the easily bored.

A lot of folks think that baseball is too slow-moving and boring but if you offer the right setting, much as the premise behind the movie Field of Dreams suggests, “they will come.” The New York Yankees sell out nearly every home game and are currently averaging crowds in excess of 51,000. And they are only winning half of their games.

Some of the features that made racing special in the mid 20th century are irretrievably gone.

Where racing was once the only form of legal gambling [outside of Las Vegas] in the United States, betting options have grown exponentially.

Not only do casinos line the Boardwalk and Marina in Atlantic City but they have blossomed on Native American grounds and on riverboats.

The hybrid combination of slot machines [or video lottery terminals] at racetracks, known as racinos, are reproducing like rabbits. And much like the carrot eating analogy, there is a point at which there will be too many racinos, too close to each other, for any of them to thrive.

There is also the inevitable – and already sighted – questioning from legislators who approved racinos. Why support an activity that people don’t attend? Why share the proceeds of the slots with racing people when all of it could be routed to the state’s coffers?

While no one doubts the value of racinos to fuel purses now, will this eventually be seen as a deal with the Devil?

Lotteries, once restricted to once-a-week drawings to benefit worthy causes like education, have exploded into hundreds of forms of rub-offs and multi-state pools to satisfy the insatiable demands of state budget shortfalls.

Poker came into vogue thanks to the introduction of a simple little lipstick-sized camera that makes the game television-friendly. With overexposure, the obsession with poker may already be waning a bit. But it made celebrities of the gamblers and embraced celebrities who wanted to gamble.

Horse racing seems to be flailing around, looking for a way to save itself.

Maybe some of the answers rest in what made it healthy in the mid to late 20th century.

First, make the racetracks a warm and welcoming place to visit. Spend the funds necessary to refurbish and refresh facilities. Make sure the restrooms are clean, clean, clean [more on that later]. Post signs to help newcomers find their way to and around the grandstand. The goal is to grow, not only accommodate the hardcore.

Second, expand the advertising and marketing dollars to get the word out that racing is taking place. This may seem counter-intuitive when business is bad and budgets are being sliced. But the only way to stop the vortex that is sucking away business is to be more aggressive in positioning tracks as an entertainment alternative.

Yes, racetracks are a place of entertainment. While the gambling is the plasma by which tracks survive, the competition is doing a better job of siphoning off the “whales” or major players. The perks they can offer cannot be matched at the tracks.

On the other hand, racing is a great night [or day] of entertainment for a relatively modest price. Admission at most tracks is free or a dollar or two. Programs are [or should be] equally affordable. General parking should be free [like the neighboring malls].

Tracks should invest the time and effort to know what their community wants and expects from a dining out experience and meet or exceed those expectations. Racing is like dinner theater – a great show that complements a great meal. Keep it simple. Focus groups might help, but all it takes is a tour of the local eateries to see what people want and what price points will fly in that market.

Third, make sure the employees who are your front line with the customer are in on the game plan. They need to understand that their job and the future of the enterprise are on the line. Provide incentives [an extra day off, a bonus, a choice of assignments] to those who “get it” and purge those who do not.

It may not be easy in an era of lawsuits, but if the customer is not treated like the treasure he or she is, the next night out will be at Charlie Brown’s or Olive Garden, and the negative word of mouth will keep others away, too.

The customer, by the way, is not always right. By all means, make an effort to satisfy a customer’s complaint and find a way to resolve a problem. But if he [or she] is spitting, cursing and otherwise acting in a disruptive manner, throw him out.

Racetracks are not libraries or museums. They are a place for rowdy and enthusiastic cheering. But if the tone of the track is coarse and slimy, it will not be a place that most women will want to attend.

Which is why clean, clean, clean cannot be underestimated. If the bathrooms are not kept clean all the time and there is any hint of safety concerns, tracks will have lost the support of women.

It may have been lost on some folks but in most cases the decision on social events is in the hands of women who may already have an affection and affinity for horses. Make that a selling point.

This is not to say that the track needs to host a fashion show [although it is not the worst idea], but it does mean the facility needs look, feel and even smell clean, safe and friendly.

If newcomers have questions, they need a patient response, not a snippy retort, from people who want to be helpful, not just put in their time.

Coincidentally, author and equine educator Mary D. Midkiff wrote a column which appeared in the Long Island NY daily, Newsday, this Sunday [June 8, 2008]. In it she made the argument that it was women and their affection for the horseback riding disciplines who “gave horses a new lease on life” when their roles as a form of transportation waned.

Let’s face it. A lot of women who are interested in horse racing do so for the horse, not the gambling, but that affection could be captured to fuel a return to racing as a sports, entertainment and wagering option.

“Though the barn area affectionately and tellingly known as the ‘backside’ presents itself as a reasonably democratic place for female involvement, when it comes to major roles - training, riding [or driving] in races, breeding, owning, being a track official, serving as a track or racing association director, or holding a position of power in the industry - the scales are heavily weighted by, and toward, men,” Midkiff wrote.

“While such a huge imbalance between men and women almost always signals big trouble wherever it is found, racing’s gender gap - so powerfully counter to the trend in other horse sports - is an alarm bell that can no longer be ignored,” she argued.

So maybe it is time for racing to bring in new faces instead of recycling the same ones from track to track and from one industry leadership post to another.

And maybe it is also time to look back at what worked in the past.

Whether it is a mug collection that will be a constant reminder of a good time at the track or a prime rib dinner for less than $20 that was well-prepared and served, there are fresh and recycled ideas to be tried.

Horse racing should stop the self-flagellation and misplaced efforts to replicate the successes of others like professional wrestling, NASCAR and poker, and go back to what is at the heart of the industry – horses.

Safe tracks, healthy and drug-free horses, level playing fields, use of technology [how about putting those lipstick cameras on each horse’s head number?] and warm and friendly facilities would be great places to start.

Clearly, the current course that horse racing is following is flawed.

Race 3 – 1st Franco Tetris opened $2.60 & closed $3.00 – Largest wager $1,000 at $2.60 & $1,000 at $3.00
A bad start to the night with yet another favourite adding to their great winning record over the past few weeks. Favourites on average win 34% of harness races during the season but at the moment we think it’s more like 134%. We closed the ‘book’ on the race with the worst result Holmes The Charmer (8th) an outsider that opened at $51 and closed $26. Vinnie Barbarino (4th) took all the early morning money and he closed at $8.00 after opening at $16 and was our next worst result with the favourite Franco Tetris our only other losing runner. All the late money came for Spy (5th).

Race 6 – 1st Sno’s Big Boy opened $4.50 & closed $4.00 - Largest wager $1,450 at $4.50
On My Way (2nd) $1,000 at $7.00
La Femme D’Argent (10th) $1,000 at $5.00 & $800 at $4.50
Brylin Paige (11th) $1,000 at $5.00
We closed losing on last start winner La Femme D’Argent who we opened at $5.00 and closed at $4.20. The money came late for La Femme D’Argent and she closed at $3.20 the tote so a number of our customers got some nice overs prior to the start. Sno’s Big Boy was a winner for us which was a surprise given that he’s from the Steven Reid trained barn.

Race 7 – 1st Strike Up The Band opened $4.50 & closed $3.80 – Largest wager $2,100 at $4.50
Ohoka Utah (2nd) $1,000 at $5.00
The Cavalier (8th) $6,000 at $5.00
Ten minutes out from the close we were losing heavily on The Cavalier and Ohoka Utah but over the final three minutes all the money came for Strike Up The Band our opening favourite and we came out losing on him.

Race 8 – 1st Pulsation opened $7.00 & closed $10 – Largest wager $500 at $10
Ebony Gem (2nd) $2,000 at $1.50 (X2), $1,046 at $1.50 & $1,000 at $1.50 (X5)
We were losing a reasonable amount in multi final wagers on the favourite and no doubt there were plenty going through him into the final two races on the card so we were happy to see Pulsation take this race out. The tote price of the winner surprised us and we felt a little for the customer who had a $500 wager on him at $10’s. The ‘book’ definitely needed this result as the five greyhound races tonight were all taken out by the favourites and everyone of those were multied it seemed through Ebony Gem. Ebony Gem did close as our only losing result in single wagering but all the day’s early trading was for Ohoka Moon (4th).

Race 9 – 1st Sea Spray Darling opened $10 & closed $7.00 – Largest wager $481 at $10
Muscles Kiwi (10th) $2,000 at $4.80
We took a large late wager on Muscles Kiwi and he closed as easily our worst result. The winner was a small losing result and the best backed in multi-wagering was the favourite Jazmin Alicia who closed at $2.70 the tote and $2.80 the ‘book’.

Race 10 – 1st Sky Beauty opened $2.80 & closed $2.80 – Largest wager $3,000 at $3.20
Keepers Star (10th) $1,500 at $7.50
We saw no early money for the favourite Sky Beauty and when she was at around $4.00 the tote we put her out to $3.20 to balance the book a little and at that price there was one customer who jumped straight in with a $3,000 wager. Keepers Star closed as our worst result but gave her supporters no run for their money by breaking.

The ‘book’ came out a small winner on the night but if Ebony Gem had of won it would have been another round to our customers.

Next week at Alexandra Park the harness ‘book’ will have Final Field wagering available on all races. After our last visit on-course we are sure there will be a queue waiting in anticipation for us to open.

From Harnesslink

• Auckland Reactor arrives back home, Don Wright - NZ
  Auckland Reactor arrived back at his Rolleston home with co trainer Mark Purdon at 2.30pm this afternoon June 3rd, none the worse for travel after suffering no discomfort on the float trip from Auckland.
• ‘Somebeach’ an awesome performance (Vids), Karen Briggs - Canada
  The countdown to the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup has begun. The richest race on the continent for three-year-old pacers will be contested June 14 at Mohawk Racetrack and tonight, three $100,000 divisions of the Burlington Stakes showcased the leading hopefuls for the classic.
• John Penney was an industry stalwart, Don Wright - NZ
  New Zealand harness racing’s foremost administrator John Penney who died in Christchurch this morning (Saturday 31 May) after a brief illness will always be admired and respected as a courageous advocate of fair play and drug free racing.
• Edwards scaling the heights again, Frank Marrion
  Saving a horse which was for all intents and purposes en route to Bombay some 27 years ago has never stopped paying dividends for Mangere’s Ted Edwards. First Grade was a 4-year-old at the time by Gerry Mir, a trotting-bred son of Rodney who had been a good pacer and who was one of the first sires imported by the then fledgeling Canterbury stud Nevele R.
• Jewels at Cambridge an outstanding success, Cambridge Raceway - NZ
  Harness Jewels Day 2008, at Cambridge Raceway last Saturday was an unprecedented success. It had all the components needed for a great day’s racing - good weather, an extremely good venue, with a perfectly prepared track surface which saw national records broken, top racehorses and thrilling racing.
• Hoosier casino officially opens its doors, Cindy Duran - US
  Indiana’s first fully integrated casino and racetrack opened this morning when the official first dollar slid into one of 2,000 new state-of-the art slot machines at the Las Vegas-style Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson.
• Price, Profit and Protection! ‘Wittstruck’, Chris E. Wittstruck - US
  Amidst the current swirling controversy over breakdowns, steroids and synthetic surfaces lurks a racing topic the mainstream media barely addresses. From the perspective of our sport’s survival, it is a subject matter as important as inbreeding, drugging and other highly exposed issues.
• The ‘COLD’ hard truth ruins storybook finish, Carol Hodes - US
  It would have been a sweet ending if Katie and Timothy Torbert celebrated their fifth anniversary in the winner’s circle at the Meadowlands on Saturday night [May 31], snuggling their faces into the muzzle of Cold Cape Cod, clutching a bouquet of red roses and hoisting the trophy for the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic.
• Creating your own morning line, Derick Giwner - US
  A prepared horseplayer is a smart horseplayer. A smart horseplayer does his studying in advance and then makes exceptions for variables which turn up as the race-card unfolds.

Harness Jewels Stories (in order of number of views so far)

1. Changeover wins controversial Emerald (vid)
2. Tommy supplies Purdon/Payne double (vid)
3. Just reward for Fiery Falcon (vid)
4. Nearea Franco opens up Jewels with bang
5. Small/Butcher 2YO filly sets new record (vid)
6. Fourth NZ Record for Sovereignty (vid)
7. Back to back Jewels for ‘Richard’ (vid)

United States

1. Free-Legged: D-Day and American harness racing, USTA
2. When a threatened horse becomes a saved starfish, Examiner
3. Racetrack Slots Era Begins in Indiana, Blood Horse
4. Scioto Downs at 50. A crowd pleaser no more, The Columbus Dispatch
5. USA Today reviews Crazy Good, USA Today
6. Competition from nearby stats gives A>C> casinos a run for their money, NBC
7. USTA marketing: good idea, bad execution, Wire to Wire by Andrew Cohen
8. Marketing Committee Column Reaction, First Over by Andrew Cohen

Canada

1. Pepsi North America Cup favourites to run for berths Saturday, Guelph Mercury
2. Balzac setback frustrates horsemen, Calgary Herald
3. Not a job, but a way of life, Montreal Gazette
4. Somebeachsomewhere still undefeated, globesports.com
5. New Driver Fines Popping Up, Pull the Pocket
6. North America Cup Elims; Fair Odds Line & Handy Links, Pull the Pocket
7. Future of horse racing in Ontario at stake, Northern News

Australia

1. End of era, Barossa & Light Herald
2. Rogerson flexes his Muscle, Herald Sun
3. Harness Racing Australia CEO To Retire, Harness Racing Australia
4. Racing centre a step closer: 2009 start if plan gets green light, The Northern Daily Leader

New Zealand

1. Jaccka Lodge stud farm moving to Riversdale, Southland Times
2. Prelude tests pacer Indian Giver , The Nelson Mail
3. Galloping great in on harness racing action, Waikato Times
4. No Horses on the Courses, Scoop
5. Harness Jewels should always run in Ashburton, Southland Times
6. Two wins for Dalgety and Dunn, The Press
7. Relegation takes shine off Jewels, The Press
8. Another jewel in changeover’s crown, Sunday News
9. Breathing down his neck, NZ Herald

From the Harness Racing Blog Network

• Harness Racing in Pictures - Elitlopp, the Harness Jewels and some Interesting Shots, Harness Racing Blog
• Forbury Park Final Field early wagering, Harness Odds

[Click here to start a free Blog on our network]

Fri 6 June - Nelson H R C
Race 7[ 2:45pm] - Final Field Option 707
Final Field betting opens at 8:30am raceday

Fri 6 June - Auckland Trotting Club
Race 3[ 6:55pm] - Final Field Option 503
Race 6[ 8:20pm] - Final Field Option 506
Race 7[ 8:50pm] - Final Field Option 507
Race 8[ 9:20pm] - Final Field Option 508
Race 9[ 9:52pm] - Final Field Option 509
Race 10[10:22pm] - Final Field Option 510
Final Field betting opens at 8:30am raceday

Changeover beats Gotta Go Cullen to win the 4YO Emerald in a controversial race.

A convincing win for Fiery Falcon in the 3YO Emerald

On Saturday, we will have a reporter and a photographer at Cambridge, and we will have our whole team staffed in the office to upload the stories and videos. We will also have a comprehensive photo gallery available.

So be sure to bookmark the Harness Jewels page.