Down The Stretch Podcast

In this collectors’ edition episode, we present some of the most appealing songs about horse racing, which will include The Hollies, Carly Simon, The Band, George Jones, Bing Crosby, Chris de Burgh, The Pretenders, Betty Grable and Lisa G Fly. We have an interview with Jim Hill, who, with his wife Susan, is a leading Canadian thoroughbred horse owner. Television producer, Curtis MacDonald talks ab...

Canadians are winning races in Florida – we’ve got 4 of them. Driver Doug McNair had a big Friday night at Mohawk Park and trainers Shawn Steacy and Camilla Christoforou assess their O’Brien Award chances. Psychic Nikki makes horse racing predictions. Did she see the winning jockey in the next Kentucky Derby? And what’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld in this podcast?

We get nosy, asking What was the best gift you got for Christmas; what was the best gift you gave? We got answers from Jody Jamieson, Kevin Attard, Marty Drexler, Gary Boulanger, Justin Stein, Ken Middleton, Doug McPherson, Ed Walton and Doug McNair. We present recent wins in Florida for owner Larry Cordes, and trainers Roger Attfield and Mike De Paulo. We have milestone moments for Jay Harris and...

Podcast # 153 takes a look back at the great and unforgettable moments in horse racing in 2022.From the Pegasus at Gulfstream to the Saudi Cup and Emblem Road’s massive shock. What incredible statistic applied to all 6 winners of the Triple Crowns in the U.S. and Canada? This audio includes Rich Strike, Moira, jockeys Justin Stein and Declan Carroll, Sir For Sure, Roger Attfield, Charles Fipke and...

It was the final weekend of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine for 2022 and it took place without either of the 2 leading jockeys. Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson is along to tell us how and why Canada’ next premier race will be called the King’s Plate. Did you catch what James MacDonald did last Monday at Mohawk? We breakdown his record setting night. Woodbine riding champion Kazushi Kimura needed 3 days to...

The Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday had a mind-blowing finish. The night before at Mohawk, the great Bulldog Hanover was front and centre at Mohawk for his retirement sendoff. We meet his groom, John Mallia. Nicholas Boyd is a owner/trainer/driver who specializes in catching runaway horses on harness tracks. He talks about his latest rescue at Flamboro Downs. How many times do you think t...

In this podcast, we have 3 Stakes races from Woodbine and stretch calls from the Meadowlands of the final race of two brilliant harness horses. Dexter Dunn and Jack Darling give their reactions to the end of Bulldog Hanover’s brilliant career. Driver Doug McNair schooled 7 others at Century Mile to earn the right to rep Canada in next year’s World Driving Championship and he tells us how he pulled...

Thanks to the weather, only 2 races were run at Woodbine in Sunday. We have jockey Justin Stein talking about the vile message he found on his phone and we segue into the politics of race riding – i.e. is it kosher to let your brother through on the inside when your horse is fading? Chantal Sutherland chimes in on that. A nice chat with Taylor Logan and her dad, Elliot about Complex Regional Pain...

Imagine you’re a 16 year-old-boy in Richmond. Kentucky, and a horse named after you wins a Breeders’ Cup race while you’re in the winners circle. We have the inspiring story of Cody Dorman. Hall of Fam trainer, Mark Casse tells host Peter Gross how wrong he was last week describing Casse’s win in the Juvenile Fillies, and Casse predicts an impending Sovereign Award for rookie jockey Sofia Vives. H...

Warning: Don’t listen to this podcast if you don’t care for thrilling finishes, emotionally uplifting stories, or sensational performances by jockeys and harness drivers. From the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on the weekend, we have several race calls, including profitable finishes for trainer Roger Attfield and owner Charles Fipke. Cody’s Wish won the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, which just added anothe...

Bulldog Hanover’s authoritative win in the Open Pace is one of 12 Breeders Crown Championship races from Mohawk featured in this podcast. Driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Jack Darling talk about the amazing pacer. Race caller Doug McPherson breaks down his 5 most memorable moments as the racing season ends at Fort Erie. Another Quarter Horse session is in the books at Ajax Downs. Not only do we have...

It really deserves consideration for the horse racing story of the year – harness driver Natasha Day swept the 6 races in the Ontario Women’s Driving Championship at Western Fair. She tells us how it happened. All 6 of Day’s winning drives were called by Melissa Keith who puts the historic event in perspective. We document another huge night of racing at Mohawk Park with the 8 OSS Gold Super Final...

How did Rougir and Kazushi Kimura win the E.P. Taylor Stakes and why was Queen’s Plate champion, Moira disqualified? A defeat in Kentucky for Bulldog Hanover; perhaps taking the shine off an otherwise great week for trainer Jack Darling who got into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Darling, jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva and race caller Frank Salive talk about the honour of their inductions. W...

Last Saturday gave us another monster night of Stakes races at Mohawk, including the Mohawk Million, Canadian Trotting Classic and the Metro Pace. This podcast is heavy on the harness racing; we interview Doug McNair, go to the Little Brown Jug and watch in amazement as 70 year-old Reg Gassien takes down another driving title. Julie Ezra is the daughter of trainer, passionate horseman and borderli...

The Ricoh Woodbine Mile was the hilite of a monster day of racing at Woodbine on Saturday. That same night, fillies and mares went at it at Mohawk in the Milton Stakes. Then on Sunday, Emma-Jayne Wilson capped a terrific day by winning the Singspiel Stakes. This podcast has the Prince of Wales from Fort Erie; Justin Stein discusses his win aboard Duke of Love and Declan Carroll explains how he got...

Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson talks about the impact Queen Elizabeth has had on horse racing and reveals the amazing moment he spent with the Queen chatting about horses. Lots of Stakes races – the Wonder Where and the Toronto Cup from Woodbine and from Mohawk, 3 versions of the Simcoe and 2 of the Champlain Fort Erie race caller Doug McPherson will be announcing his first Prince of Wales on September 1...

Does this podcast have the Greatest Horse Racing Story ever? Listen to our report on Cody Dorman and the great horse named after him and make your own decision. Is Bulldog Hanover the greatest pacer ever? Listen to his win in the Canadian Pacing Derby and jump into the debate. This podcast also goes to Woodbine for a couple of weekend Stakes and to Ajax Downs for the Picov Derby. Lots of Tim Tetri...

If you thought a podcast covering the week after the Queen’s Plate would be an anticlimax, with nothing to talk about, listen to this one and admit you were wrong. There was a monster card of harness racing Saturday night from Mohawk - the William Wellwood Memorial, the Eternal Camnation, Jimmy Freight and Bulldog Hanover, both impressive in Canadian Pacing Derby Eliminations. At Woodbine on Sunda...

Not only did the filly Moira crush 10 others in the Queen’s Plate, she ran the fastest Queen’s Plate ever. We talk with the winning jockey Rafael Hernandez and the trainer Kevin Attard. Visiting jockey Flavien Prat plays along with us as we attempt an interview in two languages. Saturday night at Mohawk provided a full card of eliminations for big Stakes races next week. Marie Claude Auger won the...

As we heat up for next week’s Queen’s Plate, trainer Katerina Vassilieva reveals that imported jockey Flavien Prat will ride Rondure and Prat’s agent, Brad Pegram tells us what a good call that is. We feature 6 Stakes races from Woodbine and the Dan Patch from Hoosier Downs which was another tour de force from the world’s fastest harness horse, Bulldog Hanover. There’s free music from The Reklaws...

This podcast includes the Ontario Colleen Stakes from Woodbine and a night at the Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inductions. We talked with Gary Boulanger, Sue Leslie, Paul MacDonnell, Vicki Pappas and Randy Waples. Garnet Barnsdale was at the Meadowlands Saturday night to witness the biggest upset in the 97-year history of the famed Hambletonian. Jockey Amanda Vandermeersch talks about the first win o...

They ran.the Woodbine Oaks and the Queen’s Plate Trial on Sunday. Two days before that, leading jockey, Kazushi Kimura was injured in a fall. So when Jockeys Benefit Association President Daren Gomez justifies a significant increase in riders’ fees, he knows what the stakes are. Veteran Slade Callaghan talks with us after receiving the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. Powerhouse owner, Brad Grant rev...

We have the Victoria Stakes and the My Dear Stakes from Woodbine and the first two legs of the Women’s Driving Championship from Hanover and Dresden Raceways. Owner Jack Darling talks with us about Bulldog Hanover whose last 4 mind-blowing races include a world record-setting mile last Saturday at the Meadowlands. Harness drivers winning in bunches...4 for Louis-Philippe Roy on Monday then 6 for S...

Trainer Katarina Vassilieva tells us how thrilled she is that her 3 year-old Rondure is a likely Queen’s Plate favourite. We meet jockey Micah Husbands whose career got off to a wonderful start. Kevin Attard and agent Leroy Trotman tell us why the sky is the limit for this kid. The Stakes race at Woodbine was the Alywow on Saturday. There were some big pots in OSS Gold races at Mohawk on Monday an...

Wow – did all this happen in just one week? 4 wins for Trevor Henry, 5 wins for James MacDonald. Big moments for Ismael Mosqueira at Fort Erie and Ricardo Moreno at Ajax Downs. The sale of Jimmy Freight. A world record-tying win by Bulldog Hanover. Roger Attfield’s 2,000 win came with a racing rarity. Tim Tetrick’s bizarre and unlikely Friday night. And 6 minutes of the most valuable marketing tip...