Articles:

The Feeber

John The Drummer

Dave The Comet

Sir Lloyd

Confidential

Another plate eligible purchased by Reade, is SIR LLOYD - a colt by Apalachee. Purchased as a yearling for $6.000.00 at the Canadian Breeders Sale, SIR LLOYD made his debut in fine fashion, winning his maiden allowance debut by 5 lengths (while attaining an 81 beyer speed rating). SIR LLOYD put a smile on the faces of his owners: the partnership of Lloyd Simpson, Arthur Barkin and Partner. Guess who SIR LLOYD was named after?

Rounding out this field is CONFIDENTIAL - a filly, by Smarten. CONFIDENTIAL won her maiden allowance race as a two year old at 1 1/16 miles and was bred by Reade.

The winter book odds for the Queens Plate hopefuls is prepared each year by Jennifer Morrison-Learn, handicapper and writer for the Daily Racing Form and The Toronto Star. According to Morrison-Learn, "Reade Baker probably has the most enviable position, He's got four strong contenders in Sir Lloyd (30-1), John the Drummer (40-1), Dave the Comet (40-1) and The Feeber (60-1). They are all very legitimate Queen's Plate horses". SIR LLOYD is on the short list of favourites in the 11th spot. - j.m.

This will be good for bettors. But it will be good for owners, too. Whether you live in Alberta or Alabama, you can now send a horse to a trainer at Woodbine and never have to miss one of its races.

Not much is known about Track Power, a satellite service that will be available only in the United States. And two of the other three services will be of little use to horse owners. The You Bet Racing Network, which has been in operation for about a year, offers audio and video feeds from participating tracks on a tiny corner of a computer screen. On-line betting is also offered. You get a better feed from a decent Internet connection. As for Television Games Network, the much-hyped and well-funded service that is supposed to be shown on U.S. cable systems this fall, its mandate is to broadcast only three or four races an hour from all tracks. TVG is supposed to be more entertainment than pure horse racing.

That leaves The Racing Network as the best option for owners who want to see their horses run. It's the best option in Canada because other than You Bet it's the only option. But it's the best option in the United States because of the wide menu offered.

Subscribers to The Racing Network will be asked to buy a satellite system (about $350 in the United States, $500 in Canada) and mount the small dish on a roof or a wall. This might not be as convenient as receiving a channel on cable, and it means most apartment owners can't subscribe because they won't be allowed to attach a dish to the building. But a satellite system means plenty of rooms for channels.

The U.S. version of The Racing Network will offer more channels than the Canadian version. But viewers in Canada will see some major tracks not available in the United States, such as Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association circuit. Everyone will see Woodbine, and everyone will see live daily British racing when it is added later in the year. Subscription fees will be $14.99 a month in the United State and $19.99 a month in Canada. - by Neil A. Campbell

1. Buying or Breeding Horses
2. Horse Management
3. Selling
4. Conditioning

In addition to the stallion statistics, it is imperative to know the percentage of mares confirmed in-foal in the last year. I like to see a stallion get over 80% of his mares in foal. With a new stallion, how many mares are being booked to him? This information is helpful in making your decision because I have seen mares who have "come up empty" because a stallion has such a busy schedule that she could not be breed back at the right time. You can make the best choice of stallion in the world but unless you are aware of this information, it may all be for not.

If you are sure that you are going to race the offsping, then I recommend that you breed to a proven stallion! If you plan to sell the offspring, the best value can be had if you breed to a stallion that does not have any offspring to the races by the time your horse (or fetus) sells. Even better is the first year stallion. Knowing which stallions will be marketable is a little bit like speculating with stocks, I have been relatively successful with my first year stallion selections and I am offering the following list of proven and unproven stallions (listed alphabetically) to assist you with your choices. Let me know if you need any further help purchasing seasons etc., - Reade

A: Adequan or Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) is chemically similar to the mucopolysaccharides of cartilagenous tissue. It is a potent proteolytic enzyme inhibitor and diminishes or reverses the processes which result in the loss of cartilagenous mucopolysaccharides. When administered intra muscularly, PSGAG improves joint function by stimulating synovial lining activity, reducing synovial protein levels and thereby increasing fluid viscosity in traumatized equine joints. Widely used to treat degenerative joint disease (DJD), a typical dosage regimen is an injection every 4 days for a total of 6 treatments.

HA or hyaluronic acid, is a normal component of synovial fluid or joint "oil". It has several functions, one being to enhance the viscosity so that there is a lubricating effect. Another is to stabilize the lining of the joint so that damaging products of inflamation (prostaglandins) are less likely to leak out of the circulation and onto the joint. It can be administered intra articularly or intravenously for these beneficial effects. - Dr John Chris, DVM

Both Adequan and HA have definite beneficial effects although there is a difference of opinion as to how much. I am a believer in the benefits of both Adequan and HA, and I'd like to give a series of HA to all of the two year olds as a preventative measure. I believe in giving Adequan to horses that are three years old and up, that have joint problems. For valuable horses not on these programs, I'd like to pre-race both drugs because studies have shown that in horses with joint problems, use of Adequan and HA reduces inflammation in the joints therefore increases stride length to normal. Both drugs have shown significant long term beneficial effects to the joints without any compromising effects on articular cartilage. Adequan and HA are very costly treatments and require owners approval and support for use. Reade

George Farr and Donnybrook Lass 3yr. old filly by Bold Ruckus

Terra Farms have three two year olds in the barn who are all training very well. There is an Ascot Knight colt, named Master Stuart owned in partnership with Reade, a Muhaya filly named Missy in Action, and a Bold 'n Flashy colt named Bold Chris. In addition to the two year olds, Terra Farm has two very nice three year old fillies, Cala Ruckus and Katherine of Ascot. Katherine of Ascot won as a two year old and you can bet that this little Ascot Kinght filly is big on winning!

Terra Farm's Don Romeo reviews the Racing Form in search of a winner at Gulfstream Park.

Honourable John, owned by the partnership of A. Barkin, L Feigman and M. Cavalaris, came inches away from breaking his maiden last year and is now ready to avenge his position. Cinnamont Stable & Associates, Fairflightmiss now a 4 year old, has proved to be a filly who loves Woodbine. Her winnings last year totalled over $56,000.00, and with the increased purses this year she should be able to top that.

Sitting on top of a win is Amazonian Striker, she is owned by Martin Dinkin. Count on her to get that maiden win right away. Ana Pozios has a three year old named Tsakpina who wants to win. She should remember how to do it, after winning as a two year old, in her first start. - j.m.

• "Trainers are terrified about their percentages today. It shouldn't be only about winning races. It should be about developing a horse to the utmost of his potential. There needs to be a little more imagination." -- Trainer Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame, Nominee.

• If you notice your horse is off his feed, has a rough coat, or has trouble keeping weight on, it may be because of an ulcer. These problems can get in the way of training and can affect a horse's performance. There is a study that shows that 9 out of 10 horses with these symptoms had ulcers. If your horse shows signs of these symptoms, have your trainer check with your veterinarian.

• The grass may be greener..., but too much all at once may be a contributing factor in the development of OCD lesions. They say everything in moderation is OK, and this certainly holds true for spring grass. It seems so beautiful to see a mare and foal turned out in a luxurious green field in the spring enjoying the bounty, but this may lead to an overload of protein and OCD lesions may result. Keep in mind that when horses roamed freely, they discovered spring grass gradually as mother nature allowed.

• Bob Baffert will not train for The Thoroughbred Corp., the racing stable owned by Prince Ahmed Salman that dismissed trainer Wally Dollase. " I just don't feel good about it. It's hard to develop horses if you don't know (how long) you're going to have them" Baffert said. "You don't have a good sense of security, and it affects your training."

• The recent purchase of Santa Anita Racetrack by Frank Stronach's Venture Company caused quite a stir in the financial section of Toronto newspapers. Apparently it is easier to be critical of Stronach's Magna Corporation than to research the new venture and report on something that may be a fantastic opportunity in what could be a new growth industry.

• Santa Anita Race track may be where the gold is. After reviewing the winter race meet at Santa Anita, I think the track may be the most lucrative venue for winter racing. The purses are extremely high and the caliber of racing is comparable to that of Woodbine. If you are interested in claiming horses this year to race at Santa Anita in the winter of 1999-2000, let's plan for it now!!!