Down The Stretch Podcast

In this very busy episode: + Moira wins an Eclipse Award; Donato Lanni accepts + Wins in the U.S. by Sahin Civaci, Sofia Vives and Steve Owens + The $3 Million Pegasus Invitational from Gulfstream + The $1 Million Southwest Stakes from Oaklawn + Marty Drexler talks about his great start at Gulfstream + Trainer Tony Beaton tells us which of his horses he thinks deserves the O’Brien + Groom Natasha...

Something for Donald Trump to address – Canadians taking U.S. money: a pair of wins for Marty Drexler at Gulfstream and a winners circle pic for Sahin Civaci at Aqueduct. Harness driver, Billy Davis explains why it took 17 years for him to decide to drive full-time at Mohawk. James MacDonald looks back at his spectacular year and looks forward to his honeymoon in Hawaii. We ‘sample’ Free Rein, Woo...

Familiar faces from Woodbine were winning in the U.S. - Kazushi Kimura rode a Tall Oaks Farm-bred filly to a huge upset in a Stakes race at huge odds at Santa Anita. We’ve got wins at Aqueduct from Sofia Vives and Sahin Civaci. Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz scored at Gulfstream. We don’t know the creeps who let War Envoy, a Breeders’ Cup horse end up starving, emaciated and knee high in mud,...

In this very special episode, we have edited together the funniest, weirdest, wackiest and most wonderful moments in horse racing from 2024. Sit back and enjoy: + The bad beats - A sulky explodes in deep stretch; a leading horse jumps the fence just before the wire + Shamrock wins on March 17, Count Dracula wins on Halloween and Saturday wins on Thursday + How mature are we that we loved it when N...

From the final day of racing at Woodbine, we check out the Steady Growth Stakes and the individuals who dazzled in 2024. On Saturday, the La Prevoyante Stakes came down to a very close photo between a heavy favourite and the longest shot. We celebrate the career of Justin Stein, who has quit riding to become a steward. Ron Sadler’s Northern Ruby, a 10-year-old, ran for the last time and finished h...

The Valedictory Stakes at 1 ½ miles was the feature at Woodbine; what kind of a price could you get on a horse ridden by the leading jockey and sent out by the leading trainer? From Paris to New Jersey in a matter of hours – Doug McNair talks about 2 dramatically different harness racing experiences. Jonathan Drury and Tyler Borth broke through the same plateau this week, and Western Fair Raceway’...

The Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Coronation Futurity at Woodbine were each worth $250,000. We talk with Jennifer Stein who brings us up to speed on her husband Justin, who was badly injured in a 5-horse spill. There was an amazing debut win by a horse named Little Red Domi. Mark Romeo of Terra Racing Stable tells us no one was as surprised as he was with this 2-year-old’s first race. Driver Doug...

We take the good with the bad this week – 5 horses down and 3 jockeys to the hospital after the first race Thursday at Woodbine. The good refers to Sahin Civaci, who won the Shady Well Stakes on Saturday and it was one of his 6 wins on the card. Another jockey, Austin Adams has been piling up the wins and taking advantage of being the go-to apprentice. Driver Mark MacDonald talks to us about the c...

Saturday was an amazing day at Woodbine. The longest shot, Wicked Django won the Autumn Stakesat 24-1. A horse called Nobals won the Kennedy Road Stakes and needed huge cahones to get past Patches O’Houlihan. Earlier in the card, Sahin Civaci won 3 races as he has virtually clinched the riders’ title at Woodbine. The 12th race was a mandatory Super Hi-5 payout. The winner was 79-1, and when no one...

A dreadful day at Woodbine – 2 horses died and a Stakes race was cancelled. Kevin Attard talks about Moira, her win in the Breeders Cup, his stretch run exuberance, and the emotion of selling her 2 days later. Also, Korina McLean, the woman who has ridden Moira more than any jockey - she was also at Del Mar to witness the great mare’s spectacular win. There was a monster upset in the $10 million M...

Of course, we lead this week with Moira’s great win in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies and Mares Turf. Comments from Donato Lanni and Kevin Attard. Rik Chapman called in from Sydney, Australia on the Golden Eagle Stakes and the Melbourne Cup. Trainer Angus Buntain talks about 8 great days in his career. We have an amazing result for an Ontario-bred pacer named Southwind Amazon, a 14-year-old who has now...

This week we have a complete breakdown of Canadian interests at the Breeders Crown., featuring James MacDonald and Scott Zeron at the Meadowlands and from Woodbine, a first for Leo Salles, Saul McHugh and Robyn Brohman. The Tour de Fort ended the racing season at Fort Erie and many of the horses wanted out much earlier. Is Fraser Aebly a likely candidate for apprentice jockey of the year? He says...

This podcast covers all 3 genres of horse racing in Ontario and beyond. We have the Ontario Derby Stakes from Woodbine and a nice chat with veteran jockey Eswan Flores who recently scored his first Stakes win of the year. It was Breeders Crown elimination weekend at the Meadowlands and we tell you how Canadians did and how a couple horses blew up the tote board. At Western Fair last week, Sugar Do...

A horse racing podcast should have horse races and this one does! We have all 8 OSS Gold Super Finals from Mohawk Saturday night. We have Sahin Civaci winning 5 times at Woodbine and Fraser Aebly sweeping both Stakes races on Saturday. Driver Doug McNair had a 6-win night at Mohawk Friday and we tell you why former jockey, Francine Villeneuve had maybe her best day of the year at Woodbine. Have yo...

There were 4 Graded Stakes races - all on the grass – at Woodbine Saturday. Patches O’Houlihan won the Nearctic, so we’re touting him as the Sovereign Award winner as the next Canadian Horse of the Year. Owner Frank Di Giulio and trainer Bob Teller disagreed about Patches being in the race. Last Thursday, the final leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series was run, and the overall champion was a hors...

The $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes assured we would have 3 different winners in the Triple Crown. A night of Stakes racing at Mohawk and we focus on the great work of Louis-Philippe Roy and Doug McNair. What’s the profit situation in horse racing books? We find out from Perry Lefko, Jennifer Morrison and Curtis Stock. This podcast also features 7 race calls from Ajax Downs and on Military Appreciation...

It was the most lucrative night of harness racing this year at Mohawk and we have the Metro Pace, the Mohawk Million, the Canadian Trotting Classic, the Elegant Image and the She’s A Great Lady. Let’s just say it was a great night for Dexter Dunn and Captain Treacherous. At Woodbine, Jose Campos added another Stakes win to his Prince of Wales triumph, winning the Zadracarta with Owen’s Tour Guide....

We have a 6-pack of Stakes races from Woodbine; the 4 Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In turf races and two others – David Moran’s emotional win in the Ontario Matron Stakes and Sofia Vives delivering the white hot, Patches O’Houlihan in the Vigil. Then we’re off to Mohawk for the Milton Stakes and eliminations for the Metro Pace and the Canadian Trotting Classic. John Burness of Colebrook Farms reve...

A busy week in horse racing is reflected in episode 241. We have the Niagara Stakes from Woodbine as apprentice jockey Pietro Moran continues to pile up the wins. Mohawk had 6 Grand Circuit races Saturday night and earlier that day, Colebrook Farms’ Simply in Front won a $2 million race in Kentucky. The Saratoga meet ended on Labour Day, but not before 89-year-old D Wayne Lukas gave himself a birt...

Lots of Taylor Swift in this podcast – her main squeeze, Travis Kelce bought into a share of Swift Delivery who went off as the favourite in the Toronto Cup. Scott Zeron is not quite as famous as Taylor Swift, but he produced two huge hits at Mohawk, winning the Canadian Pacing Derby and Maple Leaf Trot on the same night. Trainer Kevin Attard talks about his King’s Plate winning filly, Caitlinherg...

The first King’s Plate ever to be run on a Friday and for Kevin Attard and Rafael Hernandez, it was worth waiting for as the only filly in the race knocked off the boys. We have several other Stakes races from Woodbine and the mid-summer classic, the Travers from Saratoga, which was almost won by another filly. Harness driver Jordan Stratton may be American, but he tells us how he helped write two...

It had never happened before. The King’s Plate got rained out! Woodbine CEO, Mike Copeland announces when it will be run. Kevin Attard says Woodbine made the right decision. Attard is also in this podcast talking about his great mare, Moira winning the $500,000 Beverly D Stakes in Virginia. Trainer Blake MacIntosh gets our props for crashing over the $20 million mark with a horse named Mamba. The...

In this half hour of exciting, mind expanding, heart pounding horse racing content, we present: + The epic moment at Woodbine when trainer Josie Carroll scored her $100th win + The Bison City Stakes and the Canadian Stakes from Woodbine + The Pure Ivory and Millar Farms Final trots from Mohawk + A night at the Canadian Hall of Fame Induction Gala featuring Kevin Attard, Patrick Husbands, Sylvain F...

Once again, this podcast visits multiple locations for the best in horse racing. We have the Sweet Briar Stakes from Woodbine and the Whitney Stakes from Saratoga. Garnet Barnsdale reports from the Meadowlands on the $1Million Hambletonian and a couple other races that really mattered. We talk with the charismatic Robert Tiller about his next great sprinter, Patches O’Houlihan, who won the Pink Ll...

Host Peter Gross lost his voice this week, but no problem – friends and family signed on to get episode 235 off the launch pad. Garnet Barnsdale stepped in to host and his son, Nick broke down 5 OSS Golds from Mohawk Park. Jennifer Morrison filed from Ajax Downs and Jim McKenny recapped the Atlantic Womens’ Driving Challenge. Peter’s family rallied to the cause- son Roger handled the feature inter...