Darryl MacArthur now president of fractured OHHA

VP MacArthur takes over Presidency of Ontario Harness Horseman's Association

Less than a week after the resignation of OHHA President Bill O'Donnell and eight Directors including Collen Belore, Bob Young, Jennifer Duncan and Doug Hie, Darryl MarcArthur is filling the role of President until the next elections.

Here's the Standardbred Canada story on Darryl MacArthur new President of OHHA

Darryl, you have landed in one smokin' hot seat, so here are some genuinely friendly suggestions for your busy May schedule:

A) Analyze the divisive votes and either schedule a full membership vote or explain publicly why such extremist positions (eg. cooperating with legal action against our biggest business partner) should be supported. A compromise may be that the party in question is protected for costs up to June 30, 2009, but is asked to withdraw the opposition in exchange for a mutual agreement for OHHA and WEG to either agree on a contract or go to arbitration.

B) Extend an olive branch to WEG and ask for discussions to resume first on the topics that are closest to agreement, with the 2 or 3 most difficult issues being worked on by committee members from both parties initially, and added to the main menu a few weeks later. If the vote on the access agreement action is publicly under review, then WEG is likely to be far more willing to move forward in good faith.

C) Learn to delegate and empower. OHHA has eleven committees and somehow you managed to get on ALL of them. Reduce this to six or seven max and you'll have more time to focus on the bigger issues facing harness horsemen in Ontario.

D) Emrbace Innovation - The OHHA website is both dated and sadly out of date, with breaking news from January and March. Let's work together to make the OHHA web presence a communication forum and a valuable information and links resource for members.


Peace 2 All,


Joe Trainor

Shadow Play works out in 1.53.4 at CDP, ships East

Doc Moore has Shadow Play Ready To Roll

After setting a track record of 1.55 on his home training oval earlier in the week, Shadow Play paced a mile in front of a large crowd at the Charlottetown Driving Park yesterday afternoon. Stopping the teletimer at 1.53.4 on his own, Shadow looks ready begin the prep races in Ontario (against sharp, tough horses like Ramegade Bruiser)required to get him ready for the likes of Mister Big, Dali, Art Official and other contenders in the major pacing stakes races for aged horses in 2009.

NEWS: Job Openings at the Ontario Harness Horseman's Association

Regardless of whether you favour a confrontational approach or are in the conciliatory camp, the mass resignation of the President of the OHHA Bill O'Donnell and eight directors means that it is time for 2 things to happen:

A) The dispute with Woodbine Entertainment Group must go to arbitration if the sides cannot find common ground in the next couple of months, say by June 30, 2009.

B) There are some very important positions at the Ontario Harness Horsemen's Association that need to be filled promptly.

The final straw for the peace camp was the vote to financially back Jim Whelan's legal battle against Woodbine. Here are some of the key players who resigned and some of the roles they had been performing:


President - Bill O'Donnell


Treasurer - Colleen Belore
(& District 10 Director)


Chairman of the Pension Fund - Bob Young
(& District 6 Director)


Executive Committee Member - Jennifer Duncan
(& District 7 Director)



The other OHHA directors who resigned are Dave Byron (District 5), John Thomson (District 3), Doug Hie (District 3), Paul Rashotte (District 2) and Bob Montgomery (District 1).


Link to Globe and Mail article analyzing the problem at the OHHA, interview with Bill O'Donnell



Standardbred Canada Online story about OHHA resignations with letters from Colleen Belore, Doug Hie and John Thomson

Top 50 pacers eligible for 2009 Pepsi North America Cup stakes race

I will try to update this list every 10 days or so. Unofficial Advance Odds by HarnessHorses.info Editor Joe Trainor, as of April 26, 2009.

North America Cup 2009 Pacing Colts to Watch


BOLDING added 05may09

1 - Well Said - 5-1

1 - Major In Art - 5-1

3 - Art Colony - 7-1

4 - Dial Or Nodial - 8-1

5 - Sheer Desire - 10-1

5 - Chasin Racin - 10-1

7 - Drop Red 12-1

7 - Glad To Be Back - 12-1

9 - Nebupanezzar - 15-1

9 - Captain Sir - 15-1

9 - Vertigo Hanover - 15-1

12 - Good Chi - 18-1

12 - Lifesong - 18-1

14 - Carnivore - 20-1

14 - Annieswesterncard - 20-1

14 - Schoolkids - 20-1

17 - OK Boromir - 25-1

17 - Trail Boss - 25-1

19 - Mr. Wiggles - 30-1

19 - Allamerican Motive - 30-1

21 - Western Posse - 35-1

21 - Vintage Hanover - 35-1

21 - Arctic Warrior - 35-1

21 - Allamerican Improv - 35-1

25 - Mr. Terror - 40-1

25 - Johnny Z 40-1

27 - Blended Whiskey 45-1

27 - Fast Pay 45-1

27 - Fire On The Water 45-1

30 - Deep Finesse 50-1

30 - Lisagain 50-1

30 - Pangiorno 50-1

33 - Estero Bay 55-1

33 - Fire In The Shark 55-1

35 - Aintnofoolsgold 60-1

Moving Up on Next Chart:

UPGRADED 30apr09:

The George Teague-trained Bunkmeister

Four Starz Twins

Added 06may09:

Vertical Horizon

Pair A Dice

Added 03may09:

World Away


More NA Cup eligible colts to watch during May and June:

Get It Now
Special Art
Allamerican Chief
Mysticism
Primary Purpose
Suprizemeagain
Shipps Xpectancy
Millionaire Cam
Barber Pole
Standupnkissme
Best Dream Seeker
Stinger Blue Chip
Straight Shooting
Count On Art

Shadow Play trains in 1:58, readies for qualifier at Charlottetown Driving Park

Dr. Ian Moore reports that Shadow Play is tuning up nicely and will be qualifying as soon as next Saturday.

"With a decent track (off a tick) and a strong wind, Shadow paced his last of 3 training miles at his home track in 1:58 flat, first and last quarters in 29. He was very strong and all continues to be well."


Dr. Ian Moore training report on Shadow Play



Have you been wondering how Beach is doing in his new career as a standardbred pacing stallion? I was, and was pleased to get this good news from Adam Bowden's Diamond Creek Farms blog:

"He did it on the racetrack and he has continued his dominance in the breeding shed. Again, I can only comment on what I see but the numbers speak for themselves. We have bred six mares to Somebeachsomewhere and all six have been pronounced in foal. Five of the six mares were only covered once and the sixth mare was covered a second time because she didn't ovulate when bred the first time. The mares we bred to Somebeachsomewhere range from 18 year old Can Du River to maiden Loving Caroline, to foal-heat bred Loyal Opposition. I know I don't speak for everyone, with respect to the semen quality, but I couldn't be happier with the numbers we have received."

Hoping to hear more good news about Beach offspring on the way.

Maritimes harness racing fans will likely never see another year like 2008, but if Shadow can stand up well against Mister Big, Dali and other top pacers, there could be more good news coming for PEI.

3 year old colts to watch; Pepsi NA Cup Eligibles

Here is a list of some of the three year old pacing colts eligible for the Pepsi North America Cup on the 2009 harness racing stakes schedule:

(Unofficial Advance Odds by HarnessHorses.info)

1 - Well Said - 5-1

2 - Major In Art - 6-1

3 - Art Colony - 8-1

4 - Dial Or Nodial - 10-1

4 - Sheer Desire - 10-1

6 - Nebupanezzar - 15-1

6 - Drop Red 15-1

6 - Chasin Racin - 15-1

9 - Captain Sir - 18-1

9 - Vertigo Hanover - 18-1

11 - Glad To Be Back - 20-1

12 - Good Chi - 22-1

12 - Lifesong - 22-1

14 - Carnivore - 25-1

14 - Annieswesterncard - 25-1

14 - Schoolkids - 25-1

17 - OK Boromir - 30-1

17 - Trail Boss - 30-1

19 - Mr. Wiggles - 35-1

20 - Allamerican Motive - 40-1

21 - Western Posse - 45-1

22 - Vintage Hanover - 50-1


This is my second version of the top contenders list, and I'll try and expand it to 25 to 30 in coming weeks. More colts to watch in April and May include Arctic Warrior, Allamerican Improv, Deep Finesse, Lisagain, Pangiorno, Estero Bay, Fire In The Shark, Aintnofoolsgold, Get It Now, Special Art and Allamerican Chief.

Added to Watch List 21apr09, the Casie Coleman trained colt Mr. Terror.


Added to Watch List 24apr09: Johnny Z, Blended Whiskey, Fast Pay


Added 25apr09: Fire On The Water

Additional horses to keep an eye out for include:

Mysticism
Suprizemeagain
Bunkmeister
Shipps Xpectancy
Millionaire Cam
Barber Pole
Standupnkissme
Best Dream Seeker
Stinger Blue Chip
Straight Shooting
Count On Art
Primary Purpose
Ideal Danny
Grandma Jans Max
Shortstacked
Hay Goodlooking
Redneck Riviera
Bay Of Sharks
McLaren

Full online list of all three year old pacing colts eligible for 2009 north america cup at mohawk

Complete Trot Magazine NA Cup 2009 Spring Book Advance Odds online

Mr. Big wires 'em in 1.55.3 in 1st qualifier; standardbred racing news

News from the harness racing world:

2008 champion pacer Mr. Big qualifies with wire-to-wire win


Buck I St Pat wins by 5 lengths for first victory since injury


Saqqara Dream sets new lifetime mark with 153.3 victory


Full online list of horses eligible for 2009 Pepsi North American Cup


NA Cup eligibles Trail Boss, Captain Sir, Chief of the Beach all qualify at Mohawk 17apr