Down The Stretch Podcast

Deviating dramatically from all previous episodes, this 30-minute epic concerns host Peter Gross and his buddy Jim McKenny and their return to Saratoga after a 4-year absence. Over 11 days, the pair were joined by Gary ‘Suitcase’ Smith and Garnet Barnsdale. The betting was uninhibited and, for the most part, unsuccessful. Listen in horror as Pick-5 bets die after just one race. Mark Casse had an o...

Ken Middleton tells us how he got badly hurt in a training accident, what the doctors needed to do to fix him up and when he might be calling races again. We have 2 Stakes races from Woodbine -the Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay. Jump in - the water’s fine! Trainer Mark Casse talks about his epic Canada Day at Woodbine, and he thanks jockey Sahin Civaci. Agent Leroy Trotman is putting his riders o...

There was a huge Canada Day celebration with 5 Srtakes races at Woodbine. We go to Yonkers for the Messenger Stakes and the Yonkers Trot, and to Ajax Downs for a couple of races from last Wednesday. Why did it take jockey Rico Walcott 16 years to decide to ride at Woodbine? We find out from the Queenston Stakes winning jockey. There is an amazing group of apprentice jockeys winning at an unprecede...

It’s another fully entertaining Down The Stretch Podcast with the Ballade and Alywow Stakes from Woodbine. Jockey Jose Campos had his biggest day ever and driver Doug McNair talks about his extraordinary night at Mohawk -how he won two big Stakes sandwiched around a frightening crash. More McNair in Unfiltered, the OLG’s ground-breaking horse racing documentary which we sample. Woodbine CEO, Jim L...

The 40th North America Cup provided a full night of thrills and, unfortunately, spills at Mohawk Park – wait until you hear about Doug McNair’s night. Wonderful things from great jockeys – Emma-Jayne Wilson won 4 races on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine. Brian Bell won 5 at Ajax Downs on Sunday. Patrick Husbands has a strike rate of over 25%. We find out from the 50 year-old Husbands why he’s still...

This week, we are amazed by the women in horse racing – When Arcangelo won the Belmont Stakes, Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a U.S. Triple Crown race. Too bad FOX tv blundered historically with its presentation. Three women - Sofia Vives, Skye Chernetz and Emma-Jayne Wilson brought in pricey horses at Woodbine. Women trainers won 3 of 4 eliminations at Mohawk for the North...

We tackle horse racing on a chronological basis and by doing so, gets thrills from $100,000 races at Mohawk, 70 year-old amateur driver Robert Ciavardini and jockey Pierre Mailhot still winning at Fort Erie in his 40th year of riding. We visit the early returns from Woodbine’s new and intriguing bet. Then it’s on to quarter horse results from Ajax Downs and a good start for JB Botello. Is Justin S...

This podcast cover lots of ground - some of it on the turf because Woodbine ran its first grass races last Saturday. It was a big day for South African jockey Ryan Munger. It was Opening Day at Fort Erie and when a lady named Rachel Slevinsky won a race, it piqued our curiosity. Race caller Sugar Doyle had his ’A’ game at Western Fair for the Forest City Pace and the Camluck Classic. Garnet Barnsd...

This is another very busy horse racing podcast. We’ve got a couple of Stakes races from Woodbine and 4 SBOA Finals from Mohawk. Irwin Driedger passed away on the weekend and we remember him. There was a slight upset in the Preakness at Pimlico, so once again, there will not be a Triple Crown winner. Mighty Heart, who won the 2020 Queen’s Plate, has been retired and author Jennifer Morrison tells u...

We have the Whimsical Stakes and the Jacques Cartier from Woodbine. Apprentice jockey Amanda Vandermeersch brought in a huge longshot. South African rider, Ryan Munger is off to great start. Veterans Emma-Jayne Wilson had a great 5-win weekend at Woodbine. We chat with Ariane Milligi Fuller who tells us the best thing to do if you’re going to Saratoga and need a place to stay. We run 3 legs from M...

As exciting as the 149th Kentucky Derby was, with a 15-1 upset, it wasn’t the best story at Churchill Downs on Saturday, it was the Churchill downs Stakes in which Cody’s Wish won for teenager Cody Dorman. We have the three finals of the Ontario Sired Graduate Series at Mohawk and we talk with Mark Etsell, the owner and trainer of the wonderful Adare Castle. How about Ryan Munger? In the South Afr...

There was a disqualification in the 1st Stakes race of the year and it was all about not checking the Blind Spot. Expert handicappers Jim Bannon, Jennifer Morrison, Garnet Barnsdale, Jim McKenny and Peter Gross submit their Kentucky Derby picks. We talk with the latest Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees, Irwin Driedger and Chris Christoforou. Ailsa Morrison broke through at Gulfstream. James MacD...

April 22 was Opening Day of the thoroughbreds at Woodbine and this podcast is all over it. We talk with first race winner Amanda Vandermeersch and her fellow apprentice rider, Sofia Vives. Robert Geller shows he’s game ready in the broadcast booth and fans grabbed their free Woodbine fanny packs to stuff with their winnings. Raj Maharajh explains how a palace intruder and a Trinidad Calypso star h...

We have complete coverage of the 48th Sovereign Awards, including interviews with Kevin Attard, Bruno Schickedanz, Kazushi Kimura and Slade Jones. The always accessible Jim Lawson explains his reasons for stepping down as Woodbine’s CEO. Harness trainer Teesha Symes went 4 for 4 at two tracks recently, but gave Peter Gross blowback when it was suggested it was the greatest night of her career. It...

This podcast has a nice package of Canadians cashing $US at Gulfstream - Chantal Sutherland, Mike DePaulo, Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz. We go to Aqueduct, Keeneland and Santa Anita for Kentucky Derby preps; wait until you hear what the winner of the Wood memorial paid! With just a few days until the April 13 Sovereign Awards, we break down the more significant categories; can you say Moira...

Chantal Sutherland was on a 14-1 winner at Gulfstream. Nick Gonzalez cashed in Hallandale and Cheifswood’s Weyburn took down a Stakes race. An amazing Saturday at Gulfstream as the Ortiz brothers, Irad and Jose won 10 of the 14 races, including the Florida Derby. We also have the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn. Jockey Steven Bahen talks about his career after announcing his retirement at the age of 5...

This podcast takes us all over the planet – to South Africa and a winning race from jockey Ryan Munger, who, as we hear from his agent, Mike Luider, is coming to Woodbine this year. Canadians continue to use U.S. racetracks as their personal ATMs; Chantal Sutherland and Kevin Attard with wins at Gulfstream and Steven Chircop scoring at Aqueduct. This podcast has 3 Kentucky Derby preps and we docum...

This podcast has many races from Gulfstream featuring wins by Emma-Jayne Wilson, Chantal Sutherland, Bill Tharrenos, Marty Drexler and Bruno Schickedanz. Tedson Holder talks about his important connection to It’s a Gamble, the recent winner of the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup. Jeff Hunt didn’t drive his first standardbred until he was 32, but that was worth waiting for it – we have Hunt talking ab...

This is another full package of exciting, spinetingling, mind-blowing horse racing results, stories and interviews. We go to Tampa Bay Downs for the Tampa bay Derby, a Kentucky Derby prep. We go to Gulfstream and find Canadians winning races, specifically - Marty Drexler, Bruno Schickedanz and Emma-Jayne Wilson. Last Thursday at Mohawk there were 2 races in which all the drivers were women. That s...

With the Kentucky Derby just 2 months away, we run Derby preps from Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Santa Anita and Turfway Park. We have another winner at Penn National for Steve Chircop who tells us why his lead in the trainers’ race is probably temporary. Roger Attfield chatted with us from Payson Park about the 4 Sovereign Awards his horses might score. Groom Ricardo Nicholson already knows he’s a Sover...

We’ve got a nice package of Canadians - Chantal Sutherland, Marty Drexler, Jim and Susan Hill – winning at Gulfstream. There was a 13-1 upset in the Risen Star Stakes on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Jennifer Morrison files from the Quarter Horse Awards Banquet, which had a sad subtext. Trainer Willy Armata assesses the chances of Ironstone for a Sovereign Award in the 3-year-old colt category a...

This podcast features win at Gulfstream from Chantal Sutherland, Emma-Jayne Wilson, and Martin Drexler. We have stretch calls from Kentucky Derby preps at Aqueduct, Tampa Bay and Golden Gate. Harness trainer Carmen Auciello talks about the upcoming New Holland pacing and trotting series at Mohawk and what it’s like to be the runner-up year after year in the O’Briens to Richard Moreau. Michael Davi...

This podcast has all the winners from the O’Brien Awards, also known as Bulldog Hanover appreciation night. We’ve got a couple of Kentucky Derby prep races, dominated by Bob Baffert and Bill Mott. Woodbine trainer Steven Chircop continues to win races at Penn National and Laurel. Trainer Sara Baillargeon talks about winning at Mohawk for the first time and driver Tyler Borth also delivered his fir...

This week, we run the upset of the Pegasus Stakes and tell you how the winner has a Woodbine connection. Bob Baffert sent out the winner of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. Patrick Husbands won the Coolmore Stakes in Barbados and we have the race call. We interview Emma-Jayne Wilson who is getting fit and riding a few at Gulfstream and we chat with Steven Chircop who is the leading trainer at Penn...

In this podcast, we feature wins in Florida from jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson and trainer Katerina Vassilieva. We have the Lecomte Stakes from the Fair Grounds, and we advise that Instant Coffee might be nice in the morning, but don’t advance bet him for the Kentucky Derby. Bulldog Hanover will dominate the February 4 O’Brien Awards and we talk with his owner/trainer Jack Darling about the recent anno...