Down The Stretch Podcast

That was a monster, gutsy win at Churchill by Queen’s Plate Champion, Mighty Heart and it’s just one of many victories in the U.S. by Canadian horsepeople. We’ve got McNair, McClure, MacDonald, Zeron and Auciello attached to winning harness races. We have Chantal Sutherland producing a $21.40 winner at Gulfstream. Should Canadian horse racing have a lottery-type game attached? Comments on that fro...

The Provincial Government has finally relented and allowed racing to resume. Woodbine’s new Chief Commercial Officer, Michael Copeland discusses that and other issues. Trevor Henry, Mark MacDonald, James MacDonald, Doug McNair and Scott Zeron continue to show our neighbours to the south how to drive standardbreds and we have an abundance of evidence. The podcast suffers when we don’t run Chantal S...

The unpleasant case of Medina Spirit, Bob Baffert and the positive test gets full coverage this week. We have feedback from Jim Lawson, Lori Cirillo, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Robin Dawson Ric Chapman in Australia, Gary ‘Suitcase’ Smith in California, Boomer Esiason and even Saturday Night Live. Oklahoma City lawyer, William Federman lays out the Class Action suit against Baffert. And t...

Host Peter Gross looks at the wonderful life of Keith Waples, with help from Earl Lennox and Fred Grant. Mark McKelvie reveals why Woodbine had to push back the NA Cup and who could go to the track to get a Covid vaccination. Scott Zeron tells us how much he has to drive in order to drive all afternoon and all night. Canadians winning at the Meadowlands, Yonkers, Scioto Downs and Philly. Jockey Jo...

A huge portion of this podcast is consumed by Canadian harness drivers winning races at U.S. tracks. In fact, this podcast has 19 harness race calls, unofficially a record for a podcast. Down The Stretch interviewed Louis-Philippe Roy then watched him win at Hoosier Park. Other Canadians taking down U,S. purses are Scott Zeron, James MacDonald, Mark MacDonald, Bob McClure and Trevor Henry. Chantal...

We cover a lot of ground in this episode. Jason Portuondo, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Jim McKenny and host Peter Gross give their Kentucky Derby selections. Several local harness drivers have taken their bikes to U.S. tracks and we document wins by Louis Philippe Roy, Doug McNair, Bob McClure, Scott Zeron and Mark MacDonald. Jody Jamieson talks about his decision to go to Tioga Downs. Sh...

With the province back in lockdown and horse racing in no man’s land, Mary Jane Sibbitt created a petition to let Doug Ford know how safe horse racing can be. The race stoppage was a huge impediment to Anthony MacDonald whose thestable.ca has 121 horses and nowhere in Ontario to race. They could not stop the Sovereign Awards and Mighty Heart could not be stopped in his quest for the Horse of the Y...

There’s a very satisfying female component to this week’s episode. Host Peter Gross talks with the irrepressible Chantal Sutherland whose epic career continues as she is winning races at Gulfstream. Another lady rider, Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to take down the prestigious Grand National, the gruelling 4 ¼ mile steeplechase at Aintree. Trainer Gail Cox sent out a winner at G...

Another pandemic lockdown means racing in Ontario has been stopped again. Racing continues in the United States and this podcast has three Kentucky Derby Preps, including a mind-blowing upset in the Wood Memorial. Canadians took down races in the U.S. – Norm McKnight send out a winner at Oaklawn, Bill Tharrenos scored at Gulfstream and Chantal Sutherland is also at Gulfstream and she brought home...

A sad note in this podcast as the great jockey Todd Kabel has died. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson discusses single sports betting and the odds of the thoroughbred opener going as scheduled on April 17. A win at Gulfstream for trainer Josie Carroll, 6 wins on one night for driver Sylvain Filion. We also have three Kentucky Derby Preps, a preview of racing at Fort Erie with Antonietta Culic, and 17 year-o...

More fun than you ever thought possible in a horse racing podcast. The Louisiana Derby was the first Kentucky Derby prep to offer 100 points to the winner and the favourite flopped. We present Buck Dancer, who deserves to be in the conversation when we argue who’s the best trotter in Canada. His trainer Carmen Auciello tells us about him. The fastest pacer in Canada so far this year is Sintra and...

In this week’s podcast, Camilla Christoforou started her training career with a bang, winning with her first entry. Bob Baffert sent out his 13,595th horse and it won the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. Drivers James MacDonald and Doug McNair showed how unbreakable they are – both were thrown from their bikes on Thursday, both came back to win races on the weekend. Jockey Ademar Santos won a race for Col...

There was a huge upset in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct as Ontario-bred Weyburn stunned at odds of 46-1. Canadian drivers Mark MacDonald and Rick Zeron picked up a lot of cash at the Meadowlands Friday night and we have a story about Cool Rock who found a way to the winners circle after losing 57 in a row. Lori Cirillo is just 17, but she owns several racehorses, both harness and thoroughbred and...

Garnet Barndale, now the Bo Derek of harness racing, defied the odds by picking all 10 winners on a card at Western Fair. Canadians Jim and Susan Hill sent out the winner of the $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream. Two heavy favourites won Kentucky Derby Preps in the States and when Gretzky The Great came 3rd at Turfway at even money, trainer Mark Casse was surprisingly pleased. Scott Zeron...

Pari-mutuel harness racing has recommenced in Ontario. Host Peter Gross drops in on Mohawk Park, Rideau Carleton and the Raceway at Western Fair. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson has been fighting for single sports betting at racetracks and he tells us how that project is getting closer to reality. Greg Gangle and Shannon ‘Sugar‘ Doyle express how happy they are that racing is back in London. There was an...

Harness racing resumes this week at Mohawk. Woodbine’s CEO Jim Lawson gives us the good news and he also talks about the battle to implement historical horse racing in Ontario. Mark McKelvie brings us up to speed on the second Mohawk Million. We talk with Michelle Gibson after she found out she’s the Sovereign Award winner as Groom of the year and the flamboyantly charismatic Will Wong tells us ho...

Trainers Josie Carroll, Kevin Attard and Bob Tiller talk about their Sovereign Award nominations as does Nikki Alderson, up for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. Dr. Ian Moore had a great night at the O’Briens, so he provides an upbeat interview. The only horse racing in Canada took place in Prince Edward Island. Track manager Lee Drake explains how their harness racing was conducted safely. Scott Ze...

This podcast has all the results from the O’Brien Awards with special props to Garnet Barnsdale, winner in the Written Work Category and Dr. Ian Moore, owner-trainer of horses that prevailed in 4 categories, including Horse of the Year. Jason Portuondo co-hosted with Ken Middleton and Portuondo is also half the equation (with Chad Rozema) of the new Horse Racin’ Around the World on HPI. We have co...

Trouble on the high seas for the Down The Stretch Podcast. Are we going to be sued by famous race caller Dave Johnson who has trademarked his iconic phrase And Down The Stretch They Come? Peter’s toe-to-toe with Johnson’s lawyer, Andrew Mollica is epic! So was Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus at Gulfstream. We have wins by horses with Canadian connections in Florida and at the Meadowlands, and...

This podcast has 5 storylines. Danny Vella explains why lasix is not a bad thing. Ray Paulick tells us about the Ray Paulick Report and why the Ontario government made a mistake with the horse racing file. Harness horse owner, Mike Tanev has a unique point of view on the stoppage of racing. We meet Ferrin Peterson who is both a jockey and a veterinarian. The groom is the foundation of the entire i...

In the first podcast of 2021, Peter Gross has a wide-ranging series of stories. There’s Jon Stettin, whose podcast is called After the Wire and not only does he comment on some of the best racing stories of 2020, he tells Down The Stretch how he hit a Pick-6 that paid over half a million dollars. Thanks to Joe Tilley Sports, we have clips from Eurico Rosa da Silva and writer Bruce McDougall; the l...

This is the 50th and last Down The Stretch podcast of 2020. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson defends his controversial tweet that challenged the government’s stoppage of horse racing. Sam-Son Farm is selling off many of its broodmare, all of them in foal and David Whitford identifies some great ones. Sylvain Filion won the final race at Mohawk...and many others during the season. Looking back on the year i...

Besides races from Mohawk, Woodbine, Churchill Downs, Mahoning Valley and Tampa Bay Downs, this Down The Stretch podcast has 5 fascinating features: 1) The Passing of the great Awesome Again 2) Horsewoman Heather Young re-united with a wonderful horse named Pieceoftherock after 8 years 3) Jody Jamieson gives harness driving tips 4) A chat with Eurico Rosa da Silva about his gut-wrenching book 5) ....

This podcast presents a wide range of horse racing stories. There was a huge Pick-5 payoff at Mohawk as well as two legs of the Valedictory Series and two more of the Niagara series. Ever wonder what a track announcer does when he can’t see any of the horses? We’ve got a minimalist race call from the Meadowlands. Shannon Henry tells us how her husband Trevor and seven other thoughtful drivers will...

This week’s Down The Stretch Podcast will certainly give you something to think about. Make sure you listen to the end for Peter Gross’ show stopping parody of the Grinch That Stole Chistmas. Before that, Jim Lawson, Jennifer Morrison, Sue Leslie, Justin Stein Steve Buffery and Tia Menard comment on the government’s abrupt stoppage of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine. How did Jose Bautista get in t...