Down The Stretch Podcast

Some important races this week – the Woodbine Oaks and Kings Plate trial and other Stakes races from Woodbine, and the $1 Million Haskell from Monmouth. Trainer Mark Casse got his 4000th win and tells us what that means to him. Jockey Pietro Moran is both the leading rider and leading apprentice at Woodbine, but can he duplicate the amazing season of Mickey Walls in 1991? Count the natural hattric...

The sad news first - Horse of the Year, Patches O’Houlihan could not be saved. Saturday at Woodbine, a mind-boggling daily double produced by apprentice rider, Xarel Forde and a sweep of 2 Stakes races by veteran Rafael Hernandez. Jockey Flavien Prat did something no other rider has done in the 162-year history at Saratoga Trainer Randy Harris was back in the winners circle at Mohawk for the 1st t...

We had to check in on Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was thrown from a horse Friday. She tells us she’s a little bruised, but otherwise ok. The Stakes race at Woodbine Saturday was the Hendrie for fillies and mares. Woodbine’s CEO Mike Copeland tells us everything we need to know about the Go Station being built on the racetrack grounds. Harness trainer Ashley MacDonald broke through at Mohawk on Canada –...

The Canada Day Racing Festival at Woodbine gave us 5 Stakes races and Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan gave us cause for concern after his wayward win in the Highlander. A great night at Mohawk Friday for Jody Jamieson – he had 4 wins including a pair of Stakes. We meet apprentice rider, Xarel Forde. He tells us how much he enjoys winning at Woodbine and how he got his unusual name. H...

We’ve got Saturday’s Alywow Stakes from Woodbine which went to an invader; and from Friday’s card. Apprentice Xarel Forde became the first jockey in Canadian history with a name beginning with X to score a hat trick. Same day, veteran rider, Slade Callaghan won in his first race back. The great Emma-Jayne Wilson joins us to talk about what it feels like to win a race again and what her twin daught...

Not only do we have a spine-tingling call from Chad Rozema of the $1,000,000 North America Cup at Mohawk, but we have the 5 other Stakes on the undercard. Also, must-hear audio from driver Braxten Boyd who came 2nd with a huge longshot. Boyd was mic-ed up for his 1st million-dollar race. After 207 days of recuperation, Emma-Jayne Wilson rode back into the winners’ circle at Woodbine in a race domi...

This podcast goes everywhere. We've got the Fury Stakes from Woodbine and 3 eliminations at Mohawk for next week's North America Cup. Also, Horse of the Year Chantilly in an elim for the Fan Hanover. The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes happened at Saratoga and as a result, we know who will be the 3-Year-Old of the Year in the U.S. We chat with an emotionally charged Todd Ratchford who drove th...

There were 4 Stakes races at Woodbine Saturday and 4 wins for Eswan Flores. We’ve got 5 Grand Circuit races from Mohawk and a Camluck Classic at Western Fair that needed a disqualification to determine a winner. Big thrill for us as we got jockey Umberto Rispoli to chat about his amazing and controversial win on Journalism in the Preakness. We talk with Paul Souter, the next winner of the Avelino...

Jockey Ryan Munger had a break out day at Woodbine. We have 3 nice OSS Stakes from Mohawk - Chantilly romped at 1-9, but when Crack Shot at 1-9 didn’t hit the board, we had some interesting prices. John Bianco sent out a winner at a mile and a quarter at Aqueduct and we were really impressed with the time of Bourbon Day. On May 18, Trainer Dale Desruisseaux had what we think was his best day ever...

We feature the Ruling Angel and the King Corrie Stakes from Woodbine. There were fireworks and SBOA finals from Mohawk Saturday, including the 2025 debut of horse of the year Chantilly. Pimlico Racetrack may be falling apart, but that was a pretty good Preakness on Saturday. Veteran Brian Bell was back on horses at Ajax Downs and had a good Wednesday afternoon. We have a great interview with Katie...

On the 5th card of racing at Woodbine, Pietro Moran inched ahead in the jockeys’ race, Fraser Aebly went inside twice, and apprentice Xarel Forde scored his first win...sort of. We have a feature on Kentucky Derby winning jockey Junior Alvarado, who defied odds simply by being on Sovereignty on the first Saturday in May. Rick Zeron, who is 68, steered a trotter to a win at Mohawk and Garrett Roone...

This podcast includes the 151st Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks and victories at Churchill Downs by Sovereign Award winning Nitrogen as well as Down The Stretch Owner of the Month, John Bianco. Horse of the Year, Patches O’Houlihan returned in record-setting style in the Thorncliffe Stakes and it was Earhart soaring past her rivals in the Whimsical. Drivers Bob McClure, James MacDonald and Jody...

We have full coverage of the Sovereign Awards, featuring Kevin Attard’s great night, Emma-Jayne Wilson, Roger Attfield and Groom of the Year, Victor James. Two days later, it was Opening Day at Woodbine. Good thing we interviewed the new rider, Brooke Bays. Also, Pietro Moran and Michael Copeland and the first Stakes of the year, the Star Shoot. We created an award – it has no trophy and no cash v...

This week, we feature jockey Micah Husbands - his great week at Gulfstream and how he is doubly related to Patrick Husbands. One of our favourite guys, Gary Smith, the former colourful NHL goalie, had a huge score at Santa Anita. He tells us why he bet the 12-1 shot and how much he won. On April 24, it’s the 50th Sovereign Awards. Trainer Blaine Wright has two great horses nominated. No other hors...

We have Canadians winning at US tracks - Micah Husbands, Jim and Susan Hill and Roger Attfield. Two Kentucky Derby preps; the Blue Grass and the Lexington Stakes, both from Keeneland. Driver Doug McNair had a brilliant Friday night at Mohawk - 4 straight wins, one of which was numerically very special for trainer Dave Menary. We’ve got 69-year-old Doug Brown still bringing in a winner and how much...

This podcast takes you all around the world – to Gulfstream for wins by Rafael Hernandez, Marty Drexler and Micah Husbands. Then to Dubai for the $12 million Dubai World Cup, the UAE Derby, and a surprising appearance in the $2 million Golden Shaheen by jockey Chantal Sutherland. Also, Kentucky Derby Preps from Aqueduct and Santa Anita and correspondent Ric Chapman tells us how Moira did in a $4 m...

We have an emotional, yet uplifting interview with Kelly Myers, the mother of harness driver Hunter who died after a spill; even during the worst time of her life, she talks about the good that has come out of Hunter Myers’ life and career. The great Roger Attfield talks about his special Sovereign award, his long-time relationship with Emma-Jayne Wilson and some of the super horses he’s trained....

Emma-Jayne Wilson updates us on her rehab, her intention to ride again, her reaction about the special Sovereign Award she is getting, and what she thinks when Down The Stretch called her Canada’s greatest female athlete of the millennium. We’ve got more Canadians extracting Trump dollars in the U.S. - Steve Owens at Tampa Bay, Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz at Gulfstream and Mike De Paulo se...

We’ve got a winner at Gulfstream from Nick Gonzalez and 2 from Marty Drexler, one of which paid off at 16-1. Two reasons to be at Colonial Downs – Woodbine trainer, Justin Nixon won a $150,000 race and 89-year-old D Wayne Lukas sent out the winner of the Virginia Derby. Harness driver Doug McNair talks with us about being invited to the Elitloppet in Sweden with the terrific trotter, Logan Park. T...

March is Women’s History Month and Saturday was International Women’s Day; appropriately, this podcast has a healthy amount of female content: races at Mohawk and the Meadowlands in which all the drivers were women. Melissa Keith is North America’s only full-time harness race announcer. She was invited to the Meadowlands to call several races and she tells us how that happened. Melanie Giddings is...

As usual, multiple racetracks, lots of Cancon and compelling people; Bill Tharrenos, Leo Salles, Marty Drexler and Melanie Giddings in the Gulfstream winners’ circle. Kentucky Derby preps from Aqueduct, Gulfstream and Santa Anita. Harness driver James MacDonald hit the 4000-win plateau, won 4 wins on Monday night, but it was all about what happened when he ‘rolled up the rim.’ Brittany Kennedy is...

The Down The Stretch Podcast has been named a finalist in the Sovereign Award Broadcast category. Another nominee, Jennifer Morrison assesses several of the eligible finalists with Peter Gross. We have wins in the U.S. from Bill Tharrenos, Marty Drexler, Bruno Schickedanz and Josie Carroll. Kentucky Derby Preps from Turfway, Tokyo and Oaklawn Park. Longtime horseman and agent Leroy Trotman talks a...

Trainer Bill Tharrenos finally broke through at Gulfstream and so did apprentice rider, Rachel Slevinsky. We have the Risen Star from the Fair Grounds as the Kentucky Derby hopefuls stake their credentials. Trainer Nick Galluci expands on Chantilly, the Canadian Harness Horse of the Year and her owner, George Millar tells us how a great horse inspires him, even after serious surgery. And if 85-yea...

In this episode, complete coverage of the Obrien Awards featuring Chantilly, James MacDonald, Doug McNair and George Millar. We found Canadians winning at Oaklawn and a smart looking winner of the Kentucky Derby prep at Tampa Bay. The story of Johnstown Jet defies logic. He won last week at Mohawk for Kyle Bossence, but before that, he was an Amish buggy horse for 6 years. Trainer Carmen Auciello...

We’ve got Marty Drexler and Sahin Civaci adding to their totals in the U.S. There were Kentucky Derby preps in New York and California - favorites won each of those, but did you see all the longshots at Mohawk last Thursday? We did. We’ve got some make-up audio with Doug McNair after we stiffed him last week when he won 6 at Mohawk. Joe Santos of Acera talks about insuring your racehorse. We’ve go...