In horseracing, success is celebrated with stories like this one. Sold to Centennial farms for $4511 as a yearling, Hip 132 is now called Niagara Skyline and is trained by John Charalambous.
After six starts in 2021 and not getting to the wire first, Niagara Skyline finally broke his maiden on May 14, 2022 in a maiden optional claimer going 6 1/2 on the all-weather track. Since then the four-year-old gelding has hit the wire another three times this year and racked up purse earnings of $101,593 for 2022.
It has been quite some time since his debut in Keeneland on April 23 2021 with hopeful dreams and freshness but he looks to be a developed racehorse now and is quite speedy. His highest speed figure so far has been 109 on the turf going six furlongs. That's a step forward and some potential is there for this four-year-old gelding by War Dancer.
Even if you ride a reckless race in Hong Kong you will still be able to have a chance to keep riding. The Hong Kong Jockey club has found its way of keeping jockeys on track, especially during these unique times of Covid 19.
It's simple, you ride a bad race and they will fine you, hitting you deep into the pockets with the hopes of deterring jockeys from repeating the same bad rides over and over. Suspensions are over as it seems but they are still some stiff penalties for repeated actions.
It seemed like a good move at the time but rumor has it that it's their unique way of maintaining enough jockeys to ride on each card. The pandemic has been rough on many and not having enough jockeys to ride on the card was very tough sources revealed.
Perhaps it's a chance to explore Hong Kong, one young jock expressed to me as he is hopeful to be a successful rider in the future. Why not, approach every opportunity as a learning experience, and if it doesn't work try somewhere else. I figure it may be a good way to keep a jockey sharp and then become a good rider.
I know you have your own thoughts as well, what do you think?
The Mexican-born jock Jose Campos is no stranger to winning races but this time he has decided to move his tack and give Woodbine a shot. In his twelve starts at Woodbine this year he hasn't won yet but he was able to produce one of the biggest thrills to horseplayers by running a very close second with his horse Flat Out Vixen at odds of 39-1. By the way, Ami's link was the horse that won this race, ridden by Slade Jones at odds of 20-1 closing from way behind the pack.
On that day, Flat Out Vixen ran her best race ever by speed figure ratings, pushing up to an 87 after running a 68 in the previous race.
Jose Campos
Campos gets back up on Thursday, October 20th at Woodbine racetrack seeking to win his first race at Woodbine. He rides three horses on that day with two of them trained by Patrick Dixon (Little fire, Speedy Bubbles) and one trained by Zeljko Krcmar (Ima Daredevil).
With five starts for the season and four first-place efforts, Hazelbrook has now elevated Jason Hoyte into the stakes-winning jockey category by winning two grade 3 stakes at Woodbine. This year alone Hazelbrook has made $248,595, winning all of her races with Jason Hoyte in the saddle.
Jason Hoyte celebrates
I had a small chat with the winning jockey himself Jason Hoyte about the ride and what it felt like to win the Ontario fashion stakes. Jason said honestly it is a great feeling and an awesome experience. He praises trainer Lorne Richards and commends him on his training ability not only with Hazelbook but also with other horses. I asked Jason Hoyte if he felt any pressure leading up to the race since the horse was an overwhelming favorite for the race. He said to me "honestly I felt no pressure because I know the horse and I am always cool no matter the occasion".
winning owners
Hazelbook drew the one hole and I asked Jason Hoyte if he had any concerns about being on the rail since the horse had always come from the outside to win. Jason recognizes that most or all of the jockeys knew the same information about his horse coming into the race. His main concern after the race got going was the horse in front of him stopping which could impede Hazelbrook's chances to win the race. Once the race shaped up the way that it did he knew that his horse was not going to lose and he rode her to victory as planned.
Speaking with Jason I could hear how excited he still was about winning the race. Jason also commented on enjoying the moment with his daughter in the winner's circle celebrating the victory.
So what's next for Hazelbrook I asked Jason Hoyte and he quickly points to the trainer. I guess we will have to wait to find out!
With a bit more experience and him maturing by the minute, Slade Jones won his first Stakes aboard A Touch Of Red. She broke sharply and then Jones went to work with her saving the best part for the last as he outdueled stable mate Ancient Spirit to the wire ridden by Rafael Hernandez.
Trainer Sid Attard complimented Jones after the race by praising the kid for his awareness and knowledge as a young jockey. Woodbine's Jeff Bratt made a comment that the Sire usually produces good offspring, speaking obviously of Signature Red who produced Kawacatoose as well.
My keen ear was pricked and caught the acknowledgment of the Jones blood. With Slade Jones dad being Jono Jones and grandfather being the great Chally Jones and the importance of having that good gene running in the family, even as a jockey.
British Royalty will be put to the test today October 14, 2022, at Keeneland in the Sycamore Stakes which will be contested over one and a half miles. He is coming off a second-place finish at Woodbine in the grade 3 Singspiel Stakes which was won by ready for the lady and paid a lady like $30.60 to win. With fifteen starts he is looking for his third career win which is predicted to not come easily, especially at 30-1 ML odds. The last time he won he was at odds of 25-1 and was piloted by Patrick Husbands who guided him past the finish line in the Breeders stakes at Woodbine.
British Royalty wins at odds of 25-1
This time he has a stern bunch of older horses who are all hoping to get the bag.
On Saturday, October 8th, 2022 Moira was DQ from the E.P Taylor stakes which she originally finished second and was put back to eighth. It was the first time that the filly didn't hit the board in six career starts and it was the first time that she finished worse than second.
Rougir avoids conflict to win the E.P Taylor Stakes
The finished result is more misleading than the actual race that was run and if you are connected to this filly you must be feeling pretty good knowing that you have a prized horse for the future. Regardless of how you view the race and what caused the disqualification, it must have been a pretty low moment for the jockey to handle at that time, you would think!
Well, the very next day what the jockey did tells you how resilient he really is and the level that he currently is on. Rafael Hernandez wins his first four mounts of the day including a natural hat trick with the Eternal Search Stakes counted aboard Golden Vision.
At first Glance Beverley Chubb seem like the average horse trainer but after speaking with her I quickly realized that there is nothing average about her, at all!
She flies the flag of the smaller trainer around the track and amongst her peers she is recognized as one of the hardest-working people on the track. It can also be heard from most people who know her. In 2022 Beverley Chubb is having a spectacular year with thirteen wins and $291,459 purse earnings to date and there are still a couple more months left to go before it ends.
Based on the rate that she is moving she could surpass her highest purse earnings of $311,393 way back in 2004.
I had a chance to speak with Beverley Chubb about this season at Woodbine racetrack and also to learn a bit about her and the success she is experiencing this year. As I walked into her barn she greets me with a smile with her eyes locked and her ears perked, obviously still being very aware of her surroundings and all the activity that is going on around her we got into conversation.
Beverley Chubb
Beverley was born in Nassau Bahamas but then quickly moved to Bermuda at the tiny age of one year old, so technically she can be considered an island girl. Moving to Canada at fifteen years old her life obviously took off and later on she landed a job in animations working with the popular children's show at the time "TheCare Bears"! That job didn't last too long since the company she was working for decided to move to Taiwan and Beverley didn't have plans of moving there.
Being out of work isn't easy for most people in general, so after some deep thoughts and some offers to work at the racetrack, Beverley started galloping horses back in the late eighties at Woodbine racetrack. Being around the horses was normal for her since she had always owned horses growing up so she took to the track and had been there since that time. After several years of galloping horses and being an assistant trainer, Beverley decided to become a trainer and take the lead role in her own barn. This came about after she was offered an opportunity to train a claimed horse and she did not say no to it. I ask her what made her decide to become a trainer and she replied that it was a natural progression with the direction that she was heading toward after several years.
The move from assistant to the trainer wasn't too difficult for her back in those days and she was able to get by without much difficulty. I ask her who was the one person that had inspired her to actually become a trainer and she quickly replied that it was Daniel Vella. She was down in Louisiana at the fair Grounds with just one horse and a gentleman was looking for a trainer to look after some horses for him and Daniel Vella recommended her. She will forever be grateful for that moment when he recommended her, she confessed. Daniel Vella also was a mentor to her and he helped her along the way with water buckets and feed tubs and other training equipment if she was ever short of them.
I asked her what was the one moment on the track that will always be planted in her memory. Irish Cherry! Irish Cherry was one of the horses she trained and as a racehorse, she earned just $147,280.000, originally sold for $1100 as a weanling, and then, later on, was bought for 2.7 million dollars as a mare. She confessed that those are the stories that continue to keep guys like herself involved in the business even though at some times it can be very rough on them.
I asked Beverley about the guys who ride for her on a regular basis like Juan Crawford and she had very pleasant and encouraging things to say. Juan Crawford works really hard she said to me. "He gets on the bad ones and he tries hard and does such a great job with them that it is only fair that I give him some of the better ones also". Horse racing is the kind of sport that you can't say no to the good jockeys but she definitely chooses to always remember the guys who have been good to her over the years. Beverley doesn't have the top prize at Woodbine on her bucket list and her involvement in horse racing is much more personal than the accolades which come with it. She praises guys like Lorenzo Thompson who has worked with her for fifteen years and all the guys who continue to put in the effort that they do at the track.
Beverley Chubb and Juan Crawford teamed up.
She states that she has been very fortunate this year to win the races she did and she appreciates the recognition from everyone who has noticed.
Horse racing isn't a job for her or for many others who are involved. It is a lifestyle and could be very misunderstood by others who are not involved with it.
