Barrieau and Campbell to National Finals
Horsetalk
By
Hal Hennessey
Atlantic Canada’s perennial leading driver Gilles Barrieau and young gun Marc
Campbell finished 1 – 2 at the CDPEC in the Atlantic Regional Driving
Championships on Saturday. They defeated a field of the top drivers from the East
Coast in the 9-race challenge and earned the right to represent the region at the
Canadian Finals slated for BC’s Fraser Downs in March. They’ll compete against
Brad Forward and Paul MacDonell from Ontario, as well as Quebec’s Guy Gagnon
and Daniel Potvin, with the overall winner advancing to the World Championship
schedule for May in Norway. Two Western regional reps emerging from their
December 13th competiton in BC will join them. Both Barrieau and Campbell are
having a great year on the track. In 571 starts Barrieau is 153 – 117 – 93, has
$303,144 in purse earnings and a driving average of .436, which is the best in the
country. He has been there before of course, having represented Canada at the
World Championships held in Australia and New Zealand last year. Campbell has
682 starts with totals of 109 – 113 – 107, $256,550 in winnings and a .304 average.
Both are top-notch individuals in every sense of the word and we have no doubt
they’ll represent Atlantic Canada well.
---------------------------------------Ralph Annear’s 2 year old pacing filly Darko continues to impress, as last Saturday
she won her 3rd major Maritime stake in a row. This brings her record in 12
lifetime starts to 7 – 1 – 1 and earnings of $56,498 dollars. This past week with
regular pilot Kenny Arseneault at the controls, the Largo filly won her division of
the $11,300 Lady Slipper Gold stake in 1:58.4. This victory follows on the heels
of her win the previous week in the Island Breeders and the Maritime Breeders
Final on October 26th. Arseneault was also the driver of the 2nd division gold
winner Spainish Angel, who pulled off a 10-1 upset. She’s owned by Susanne
Inch and Mary Allison of NB. Southview Whitney and Longworth Midnight won
the 2 Grassroots divisions of the series.
-------------------------Stacy Chiodo of the US won the 2008 Final of the Mildred Williams International
Driving Championship for women drivers at Dover Downs in Delaware last
Thursday evening. She clinched the competiton by winning a dash at Freehold in
the afternoon and 2 that night at DD. Kelly Case finished second. Atlantic
Canada’s rep Tammy MacKay, while not a factor on the final day, acquitted
herself well and caught money in every race she contested. More importantly, the
ladies got to show off their driving skills on the international stage. 76 female
harness racing drivers competed at 32 tracks throughout North America and raised
$90,000 for breast cancer in the process. We congratulate them all. BTW is that
another glass ceiling I hear cracking? You rock ladies!
--------------------------The world’s largest Standardbred Horse sale just wound down Saturday in
Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Commonly called the Black Book because of its
catalogue colour, roughly 2400 horses went under the auctioneer’s gavel in 6 days.
Per usual for 2008, the sale’s average price was down but a number of Islanders
still went shopping - following perhaps the Warren Buffet adage that when the
market dips, it’s a good time to buy. Usually we don’t cover the sale extensively,
but this year was interesting and we thought you might like to know more about
the new stock coming to PEI. One of harness racing’s latest millionaires, Shadow
Play, helped foot the bill for a number of purchases by his ownership group Dr. Ian
Moore and partners. The Doc’s colt selections included Ideas Galore by Western
Ideal ($22K), a Camluck yearling called Cheek Strap ($45K), Silky’s Best by
Bettor’s Delight ($45K) and Spring Run ($20K) by The Panderosa, Shadow Play’s
sire. Interestingly enough Shadow Play’s full sister, Susie Girl, went through the
sale for $32,000 dollars - double what Moore paid for him. Many of the ‘experts’
considered her a steal at that price. Hunter River’s Earl Smith also got in on The
Panderosa offerings, as he picked up one of his colts called Pan Grad for $6,000.
---------------------------------------Good to see a number of Island breeders also in the hunt and some well-bred
broodmares purchased by local buyers. Given the Atlantic Classic sale’s dismal
results this year, it’s perhaps time more of them got the message and upgraded.
Don Smith picked up an Albert Albert mare Malocchio ($15K), in foal to Art
Major and Louis McIsaac bought a Camluck mare bred to Real Desire ($2500).
Belfast’s Mike Slana also got himself a Camluck broodmare Dress to Thrill
($4500) in foal to Stonebridge Regal while Bob Connolly of RE’s Stables
purchased a young Cambest filly bred to Modern Art ($2K). Tignish’s Casey
Gavin went to the well twice, dipping in first for a Western Hanover broodmare in
foal to Royal Mattjesty ($1500) and later for one by Matts Scooter bred to Mcardle
($8K).
--------------------------------------Insofar as racehorses go, Leith Waite purchased a well-bred 2 YO pacing filly by
Western Hanover called Hangingonmythread, paying $3500 for her. Bonshaw’s
Philip Hodgeson paid the same for Miss Oh So Fine a 3 YO trotting filly by SJ’s
Photo, who’s been race timed in 2:01.3f. He also bought a 2 YO unraced trotting
colt by Sj’s Caviar called Designed by Lindy for $6K. As always it’ll be interesting
over the next few years to see how these purchases turn out for their Island buyers.
----------------------------In an article last week Summerside officials are quoted as saying they were talking
to the Feds regarding funding of the new $3 million dollar grandstand at SRW. No
doubt they were reminding them of Prime Minister Harper’s commitment to the
project, plus of course the promises made by then cabinet minister Monte Solberg
and Gail Shea just before the election. The article went on to say that the city was
also in discussions with Atlantic Lotto about its potential involvement through
funding and the leasing of the new facility for VLT machines. There was also
mention of monies to replace the horse barns and upgrading of the underground
infrastructure at the racetrack. On that part, I have to wonder if Summerside
officials are back to insisting on that friggin $250,000 tunnel under the track again.
It was a deal breaker last time and in my humble opinion just an absolutely
unnecessary expense to boot. My greatest concern however continues to be the fact
that there is no mention of horsemen in all of this. Personally I don’t believe that
at any time has ALC or the City of Summerside demonstrated any great concern
for them or the Harness Racing industry on PEI. And I don’t believe they are
going to start now. So we’ll take the opportunity to remind Minister Shea that the
Conservatives promise was also made to the horsemen of Western PEI. One hopes
that she’ll ensure that their interests are protected. After all they have more votes
than city officials or Atlantic Lotto and are certainly the only ones with their own
money invested in the business.
---------------------------------Now that’s enough lampooning and harpooning - good luck and good racing.
Questions/Comments? hal.al@sympatico.ca