Down The Stretch Podcast

This podcast has a record 19 horse race calls as follows: + 3 from  Robert Geller , including the Pink Lloyd and Ballade Stakes and the Highlander Stakes, which trainer  Gail Cox  really liked thanks to  Miss Vyvyanne + The very last horse race at Aqueduct called by  Chris Griffen + 7 calls from the great  Tom Durkin , including his guest appearance on the last day at the Big A, some of his histor...

From a huge Saturday at Woodbine, we have the Marine, the Highlander, the Selene, the Dominion Day and the Royal North Stakes and what a good day it was for  Julia Carey, Gail Cox, Josie Carroll, Ryan Munger, Fraser Aebly  and  Sid Attard .  Could  Beau Jangles  return to the winners’ circle in an OSS Gold Leg at Mohawk?  On the first Thursday card of racing at Mohawk, let’s just say it was a good...

From Woodbine, the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Stakes. A monster night at Mohawk for  Doug McNair  and we’re saying what he did will never happen again.  James MacDonald  talks with us about his North America Cup win and what’s left on his bucket list. We drop into Aqueduct for another win by Canadian trainer,  Melanie Giddings Yves Turcotte  is the only survivor of the 5 Turcottes who rode thorou...

The biggest night at Mohawk featured multiple Stakes races including the  $1 Million North America Cup . On the thoroughbred side, after almost 2 months of racing at Woodbine, the leading Stakes winning trainer is  Dale Desruisseaux . He talks with us about his 4 Stakes wins. The 4-year-old  Conn Smythe  won again to become the first horse to capture 3 races this year. Which Canadian-born trainer...

We’re not angry, but we do have the Fury Stakes from Woodbine. What happened to the unbeaten  Beau Jangles  when he met the strongest field of his 16-race career in an elimination for the North America Cup? The 158th  Belmont Stakes  went to Kentucky Derby champ  Golden Tempo  thanks to another last to first surge. Canadian  Melanie Giddings  scored a win last week at Saratoga, and after Tawny Por...

From Woodbine, 3 Stakes – the Belle Mahone, the Eclipse and the Jacques Cartier. From Mohawk - the Somebeachsomewhere and a pair of $100,000 Graduate Series races for 4-year-olds. Woodbine’s  Alanna Nolan  is on the phone telling how the company’s production team notched a pair of finalists for the Hashtag Sports Awards. A horse bred by Sam Son Farm won at Churchill Downs and paid $54.50 to win. C...

No Stakes races Saturday at Woodbine but trainers  Josie Carroll, Katerina Vassilieva, Catherine Day Philips  and  Krista Cole  combined for an incredible pick-6. OSS Gold Legs at Mohawk Saturday night and no horse yet has figured out how to defeat the amazing  Beau Jangles.  We have his trainer,  Dr Ian Moore  wondering if the 30-race win streak by the trotter  A Worthy Lad  is attainable. Former...

Saturday’s Stakes race at Woodbine was the Ruling Angel. Mohawk featured 4 SBOA Stakes events including a 14th straight win for  Beau Jangles .  The 151st Preakness went to a horse that raced near the front all the way while paying tribute to a classic 60’s tv series. You never forget your first – we’ve got  Kemaire Blackett  breaking through at Woodbine,  Landon Campbell  nosing out his dad in Ch...

The great  Beau Jangles  began his 3-year-old season at Mohawk. The great  Had to be Fabulous  ran her streak to 10 at Ajax Downs. Jim  Bannon  reveals the incredible Canadian pedigree that dominated in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Who is  Kemaire Blackett  and how did he win a race at 43-1?  Doug McNair  put up a five spot last Friday. Tyler Borth has repeated as regional driving champion. Dan Nob...

A spectacular finish to the Kentucky Derby and it contributed to our theme this week of brothers in sports. A rarity at Woodbine as two King’s Plate winners went head-to-head at Woodbine. It was the race before the Whimsical Stakes. We have  Emma-Jayne Wilson  in this podcast speculating if she can, like  Perry Ouzts , compete until she is 70. Owner  Bruno Schickedanz  showed us again how to win r...

Complete coverage of the  Sovereign Awards  including  Rosie Day, Sid Attard, Santino DiPaola, Pietro Moran, Rafael Hernandez  and  Kevin Attard .  Patrick Husbands  tells us why he is retiring after 37 years and why he might un-retire.  Sofia Vives  is back riding at Woodbine and she delivered  Mony Mony  to victory in the first Stakes race of the year. Kentucky Derby #152 is upon us.  Mike Smith...

We’re all over Opening Day at Woodbine with  Jeff Bratt, Robert Geller, Rafael Hernandez, Romero Maragh, Jose Campos  and  Garnet Barnsdale.  Micah Husbands  and  Mike   De Paulo  combine for a win at Gulfstream.  Award winning writer  Jennifer Morrison  provides her pick of Horse of the Year for the upcoming Sovereign Awards. A landmark win for driver  Bob McClure  – he’s now cracked the $60 mill...

This week we have wins at Aqueduct by 2O24 Sovereign Award winning jockey Sahin Civaci. Rachel Halden had Kazushi Kimura aboard for a win at Keeneland for Chiefswood Stables. The Eclipse Award winning Pietro Moran is coming back to Woodbine and we know this because he told us from the Keeneland Jocks’ room. On Saturday, Moran was at Gulfstream to win a nice little handicap for Gail Cox. The latest...

Jockey Pietro Moran made a good first impression at Keeneland. There were 3 Kentucky Derby preps – the Wood, the Blue Grass and the Santa Anita Derby. Trainer Kevin Attard handicaps his chances at a 2nd Sovereign Award and chats about the jockeys who have won for him this year at Gulfstream. Harness driver, Garrett Rooney was epic last week at Western Fair – he won with 5 consecutive drives. Pat V...

Canadians winning at Gulfstream – Steve Owens, Pietro Moran and a bunch from Kevin Attard, including an 18-1 Stakes win. Kentucky Derby Preps from Florida, Arkansas, Dubai and Japan. The iconic Roger Attfield announced his retirement from training and he told us why as we delved into some of his great memories. Harness driver Mike Saftic talks about being a finalist for the Canadian Horse Racing H...

Pietro Moran continues to sizzle in Hallandale. Trainers Kevin Attard, Steve Owens and Marty Drexler were winning at Gulfstream. Melanie Giddings scored at Aqueduct. There were two Kentucky Derby Preps - the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway and the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds each offered 100 points to the winner. No one wins more races than Bruno Schickedanz, but he tells Down The Stretch he d...

Jockey Pietro Moran, who recently won the Eclipse Award as top apprentice in North America went nuts last week at Gulfstream – 9 rides and 5 wins...other Canadians winning in the U.S. - Marty Drexler, Devon Gittens Randy Exelby and Kevin Attard scoring at Gulfstream, and owner Bruno Schickedanz won at Aqueduct and Oaklawn on the same day. The one Kentucky Derby prep was the $500,000 Virginia Derby...

Canadians winning in the U.S. this week include Melanie Giddings and Marty Drexler at Gulfstream, John Bianco doubling down at Aqueduct and the team of Julie Mathes and Bruno Schickedanz scoring at Charles Town. We’ve got Kentucky Derby preps at Tampa Bay and Santa Anita with 50 Derby points to the winners. Woodbine and the NYRA have forged the Empire Trillium series and Woodbine’s Tim Lawson reve...

+ Trainer Katarina Vassilieva and Chiefswood Stables scored their first winner of the year and the 9-1 price was generous + We’ve got Kentucky Derby preps from Gulfstream and Aqueduct + Big news as Woodbine is bidding to host the Hambletonian for 3 years. Mark McKelvie breaks it down + Ho hum - a 6-win night at Mohawk for James MacDonald + Two Ontario-bred horses won big at the recent Dan Patch Aw...

Kentucky Derby preps take us to Turfway Park in Kentucky and to Tokyo. We have Canadians winning at Gulfstream – Melanie Giddings, Kevin Attard and Marty Drexler in the winners’ circle. We followed James MacDonald to Brisbane, Australia to see how he did in the Ultimate Driving Championship, and we also have a story about older brother Mark Macdonald, who has overcome some major health problems an...

From the Fairgrounds, the Risen Star Stakes and from Sunland Park the Sunland Derby as the 3-year-olds continue to sort themselves out for the first week in May. Then on to the King Abdulaziz racetrack for the $20 million Saudi Cup. Our Hot Gossip this week is about the stunning winner at Aqueduct for Canadian owner Elliott Logan. Mark Casse joins us to talk about Belmont’s new synthetic track, gi...

We start with wins at Gulfstream from Bill Tharrenos and Josie Carroll, then give you Kentucky Derby Preps from Aqueduct, Oaklawn, Tampa Bay and Santa Anita. A little boasting – the website MillionPodcasts has put Down The Stretch in the Top 10 in the world for harness racing coverage. Accordingly, we interview O’Brien Award winning driver, Damian Maclellan and Travis Cullen, who insists his lead...

We start with complete coverage of the O’Brien Awards, then award-winning writer, Dave Briggs talks about Lexus Kody who should have won in his category but was banned from the ballot. Only 1 Kentucky Derby prep – it was the Holy Bull at Gulfstream as the Withers and Southwest Stakes were snowed out. If you’re out for dinner with Jim and Susan Hill, make sure they pay – they had a prosperous Frida...

This jam-packed episode includes: + Pietro Moran winning an Eclipse Award, even if they got his name wrong + The $3 Million Pegasus taken by a longshot + Wins in the US by Josie Carroll, the Ontario-bred Uncle Cat and John Bianco with Acoustic Ave at Aqueduct + Patrick Husbands is retiring...or is he? We’re not sure after talking with his agent Leroy Trotman + The Trotter Perfetto joins the millio...

Tall Oaks Farm sent out a winner at Delta Downs. Marty Drexler had a 12-1 victory at Gulfstream. How good is Golden Tempo who rallied from last to win the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds in just his 2nd career start? Emma Christoforou joined us to report on dad, Chris, who suffered an awful spill at Mohawk. Francine Villeneuve, the first woman in Canada to ride 1,000 winners tells us how she wa...