Hachiko's Pony Conference Dynasty

[Hachiko]

It's hard work, but Twilight Sparkle handle Georgia 59-19

By Rhett Bentley
The Daily Twilight
August 30, 2020

Quarterback Frank Whitworth passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 294 more yards and four more scores as M.A. Larson's Twilight Sparkle Unicorns grounded the Georgia Bulldogs, 59-19, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Halfback Eric Love also played a key role in the win, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

"Frank's a dual-thread guy that is ready for the next level," said Coach Larson after the game. "He was a man with the gift when he came here, and he remains a man with the gift when he leaves Twilight Sparkle. The coaching staff have been high on this young man for a long time and he's been doing work for us in a big way.

"It's nice to get a good win on the road, but it's even better if we can get 12 more before this season is done," said Whitworth. "Seriously, the coaches have been telling me to take it one game at a time, especially Coach Larson, because he wants it done right from the start."

The game marked the debut of Haruka Takayama as offensive coordinator and Yuu Sonoda as defensive coordinator. Overall, it was a passable performance from the new women in charge but not a convincing one. At least not yet.

"My two wonderful assistants have a lot to learn when it comes to calling plays, but for this go-around, they did a really good job," Coach Larson said of the playcalling of Coach Takayama and Coach Sonoda. "Haru and Yuu are going to be a force to be reckoned with and it might be a race between those two for the Broyles. Of course, it does make things interesting because they are wife and wife. But that is a different story that I will leave to you for speculation."

Twilight Sparkle improve to 1-0 and return to action on the road on Sept. 5 against the Oregon Ducks. Twilie only have two home games this year, and their first eight games are all on the road, including their conference opener against Fluttershy.

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Saratoga Race Course

By Rhett Bentley
The Daily Twilight
September 3, 2020

Saratoga Race Course, which has a capacity of 50,000, is a thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It is the oldest racetrack in the US, and is often considered to be the oldest sporting venue of any kind in the country.

Saratoga Springs was the site of standardbred racing as early as 1847. On August 3, 1863, casino operator and future congressman John Morrissey organized the first thoroughbred race card on the track previously used for harness racing (and now the location of the Oklahoma Training Track). The current course was opened across the street from the old standardbred track the following year. Among those instrumental to the creation of the Saratoga Race Course were John Hunter (later the first chairman of The Jockey Club), William R. Travers, John Morrissey, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The Saratoga meet originally lasted only four days. The meet has been lengthened gradually since that time; for many decades, the meet lasted four weeks and began in late July or early August. The meet today lasts a total of 40 racing days, with races held six days per week, and traditionally ends on Labor Day.

Saratoga Race Course has been in use almost every year since 1864, with only a handful of exceptions. The course had been closed in 1896, temporarily, due to increasing competition among thoroughbred tracks making the meet at Saratoga not viable that season.[8] Anti-gambling legislation, which had passed in New York, resulted in a cessation in all thoroughbred racing in that state during 1911 and 1912. The track's first parimutuel betting machines were installed in 1940. From 1943 to 1945, racing was curtailed at Saratoga due to travel restrictions during World War II. During those years, the stakes races usually held at Saratoga Race Course were instead contested at Belmont Park.

In the 1960s, the grandstand was extended, doubling the track's seating capacity. In 1999, Saratoga Race Course was rated as Sports Illustrated's #10 sports venue of the 20th Century.

Saratoga Race Course has several nicknames: The Spa (for the nearby mineral springs), the House of Upsets, and the Graveyard of Champions. Famous race horse Man o' War suffered his only defeat in twenty-one starts while racing at Saratoga Race Course; Secretariat was defeated at Saratoga Race Course by Onion, after winning the Triple Crown; and Gallant Fox had been beaten by the 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Travers Stakes.

The grounds at Saratoga Race Course contain several unique features. Prior to each race, a bell is hand rung at exactly 17 minutes prior to scheduled post time for each race to call the jockeys to the paddock. Patrons can get close up views of the horses being led to the paddock as the path from the stables runs through the picnic grounds. There is a mineral spring called the Big Red Spring in the picnic grounds where patrons can partake of the water that made Saratoga Springs famous. A gazebo is a prominent feature on the infield, and a stylized version of the gazebo is part of Saratoga Race Course logo.

Saratoga Race Course is home to several of the most important races in North America. Since 1864, the track has been the site of the Travers Stakes, the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in the United States. Like the Kentucky Derby, the Travers Stakes is contested on dirt and is open only to three-year-olds. A lake in the middle of the track contains a canoe that is painted annually in the colors of the winning stable for that year's Travers Stakes winner. Several other major stakes races are held at Saratoga each year as well, including the Alabama Stakes (for three-year-old fillies), the Hopeful Stakes for two year olds, and the Whitney Handicap for open competition. A new addition in recent years has been "twilight racing", where the first race post time is at 2:30 pm on some days, previously 2:45 PM.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 2 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 100, Oregon 27
Rarity 34, UC Davis 14
Applejack State 35, Eastern Washington 13
Texas A&M 28, Pinkie Pie 12

 

[Hachiko]

The mystique of Woodbine Racetrack

By May Young
The Daily Dash
September 9, 2030

Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian race track for thoroughbred and standardbred racing at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horse racing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing programs on the same day. However its sister track, Mohawk Raceway located in Campbellville, Ontario hosts most of the major standardbred races in the summer. It is owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, formerly known as the Ontario Jockey Club. The track was opened in 1956. It has been extensively remodelled since 1993, and since 1994 has three racecourses.

The current Woodbine carries the name originally used by a racetrack which operated in east Toronto, at Queen Street East and Kingston Road, from 1874 through 1993. (While the Old Woodbine Race Course was at the south end of Woodbine Avenue, the current Woodbine is nowhere near it.) On June 12, 1956 the name was transferred to the new racetrack which would be known as New Woodbine Racetrack until 1963 when the "New" was dropped from the name. The old track was converted to a combined thoroughbred and standardbred track known thereafter as Old Woodbine or, for most of the rest of its history, as Greenwood Raceway (during standardbred meets) and Greenwood Race Track (during thoroughbred meets). The two thoroughbred and two standardbred meets conducted at Greenwood were transferred to the new Woodbine in 1994, which was until then exclusively devoted to thoroughbred racing. On July 4, 2010 Queen Elizabeth II visited the Racetrack as part of her state visit to Canada, viewing the 151st running of The Queen’s Plate Stakes, as well as taking part in the presentation of trophies and holding a book signing.

The track was the opening venue for the 1976 Summer Paralympics. The Breeders' Cup was held at Woodbine in 1996. The Arlington Million was held at Woodbine in 1988. The Woodbine facility is also home to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

The future status of Woodbine Racetrack is in doubt. Nick Eaves, President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group, announced during the 2012 Queen's Plate post position draw that Woodbine may be forced to close in April of 2013 due to the cancellation of slot revenue-sharing by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. However, the track is still in existence.

The outermost E. P. Taylor turf course for thoroughbreds is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long with a chute allowing races of 1.125 miles (1.811 km) to be run around one turn. It is irregularly shaped, the clubhouse turn departing from the traditional North American oval, and the backstretch is from 2.5 feet (76 cm) to 3 feet (91 cm) higher than the homestretch. The Taylor turf course and the main dirt course at Belmont Park on New York's Long Island are the only mile-and-a-half layouts in North American thoroughbred racing.

Inside the Taylor course is the main Polytrack course for Thoroughbreds. A left-handed one-mile oval with chutes facilitating races at seven furlongs [.875 miles (1.408 km)] and at 1.25 miles (2.01 km) the Polytrack synthetic dirt surface has been in use since August 30, 2006. Inside the Polytrack course is an oval Standardbred racecourse seven-eighths of a mile [.875 miles (1.408 km) in circumference, made of crushed limestone. The ground floor of the stands houses a slot machine parlour. Some of the income from the slot machines is used to supplement the horserace purses.

Woodbine has been a regular host for the Breeders Crown and will once again host the 2 and 3 year old events in 2009, but starting in 2010 all the Breeders Crown races will be held on the same night. The 2010 event will be at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. All the Breeders Crown races will be held at Woodbine in 2011. Woodbine was also the host of the Can $1,500,000 North America Cup for 3-year old pacing colts and geldings from 1994–2006. That race along with the Elegant Image Stakes for 3-year old filly trotters and the Good Times Stakes for 3-year old colt and gelding trotters, have been moved to Woodbine's sister track, Mohawk Raceway.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 3 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 80, Alabama 37
Rainbow Dash 42, Old Dominion 27
Applejack State 37, Arizona State 34
Rarity 44, Minnesota 14

 

[Hachiko]

The mystique of Flemington Racecourse

By May Young
The Daily Dash
September 15, 2030

Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River. The area was first used for horse racing in March 1840.

The Flemington Racecourse site comprises 1.27 square kilometres of Crown land. The course was originally leased to the Victoria Turf Club in 1848, which merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 to form the Victoria Racing Club. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861. In 1871 the Victoria Racing Club Act was passed, giving the VRC legal control over Flemington Racecourse. The racecourse is shaped not unlike a pear, and boasts a six-furlong (1,200 m) straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of 2,312 metres and a final straight of 450 metres for race distances over 1,200 metres. Races are run in an anti-clockwise direction.

The course has a crowd capacity of over 120,000 and contains three grandstands. The biggest ever attendance was on VRC Derby Day in 2006 when 129,089 people saw Efficient win the VRC Derby. The racecourse has undergone a facelift in recent years, with the opening of a new $45 million grandstand in 2000. It also contains a bronze statue of the famous racehorse Phar Lap, which was donated to the Club as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations in 1988. The Hill Stand, built in 1977, houses the artist Harold Freedman's seven panel mural which traces the History of Racing. The work was commissioned to mark the Australian bicentenary in 1988. Flemington Racecourse was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 7 November 2006, announced during the 2006 Melbourne Cup.

The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Flemington Racecourse today hosts many of Australia's top races, including the Melbourne Cup, VRC Derby, VRC Oaks, MacKinnon Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and Lightning Stakes.

The site has its own railway branch line, which operates on race days, bringing visitors to the adjacent railway station. Originally, it was serviced by Salt Water River station, before that was demolished in the 1860s and replaced with a station on the present site. Trains depart from platforms 8 and 9 at Flinders Street Station. The No. 57 tram from the City (Elizabeth and Flinders Streets) stops at the Epsom Road entrance. Car spaces for the disabled are available and taxi ranks are located adjacent to the main entrances. Shuttle buses run from Epsom Road to the main turnstiles of the racecourse. Lift access is available in the Prince of Wales Stand and to the first floor of the Members Stand.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 4 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 133, Clemson 30
Arizona State 56, Pinkie Pie 45
Rairty 24, Army 10
Applejack State 24, Akron 17
Fluttershy 48, Hawai'i 14
Rainbow Dash 34, Louisiana Tech 20

@Travis7401 and the BTTYay off to a flier.

As for @TrojanMan and Pinkamena, well...

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Greyville Racecourse

By Lane Payne
The Daily Party
September 21, 2020

Greyville Racecourse is a Thoroughbred race track in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 2,800 metre pear-shaped track consists of several gradient features: it is run uphill from the 2,400 metre mark to the 1,800 metre mark, after which it slopes gently downward for approximately the next 800 metres then uphill again into the nearly flat 500 metre homestretch.

The track's infield holds the Royal Durban Golf Club's Championship golf course. Greyville Racecourse is host to the prestigious Durban July Handicap and in August, the Greyville Gold Cup, both Group One races that annually draw the best horses from around the country.

The history of horse racing in KwaZulu Natal goes back well over 150 years, with the first meeting held in July 1844, close to the sight of the present course. Greyville Racecourse celebrated its centenary in 1996, the Durban July was first held in 1897 with only seven horse competing.

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret visited in 1947. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh also dropped by in 1995. The track staged South Africa's first-ever Sunday meeting in February 1996 and became the first to race under floodlights.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 5 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 128, Auburn 59
Rainbow Dash 42, Brigham Young 21
Fluttershy 30, Akron 24
Arkansas State 49, Pinkie Pie 35
Applejack State 48, Arizona 21

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of the Red Mile

By Brett Caneck
The Orchard
September 28, 2020

The Red Mile is a horse racing track located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. The track hosts harness racing, a type of horse racing in which the horses must pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies while racing. It is one of harness racing's most famous tracks and is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region, an area of Kentucky famous for horse breeding and racing.

The race track itself is one mile long and made of red clay. From this, it is obvious to see how the name originated. In addition to the track, The Red Mile features a two-story clubhouse, a round barn, and a park. The clubhouse is often used for weddings, parties, and other gatherings. The Tattersalls area can accommodate large groups and is often used for horse sales.

The track was founded on September 28th, 1875 and was sponsored by the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association. Attendance to the opening races was minimal because the track had not been advertised. Once newspapers published articles about the new track, attendance picked up. The track is the second-oldest harness racing track in the world and the oldest horse racing track in Lexington.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 6 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 79, Michigan 24
Arkansas 59, Pinkie Pie 23
Fresno State 45, Fluttershy 36
Rarity 31, California 24

 

[Hachiko]

The mystique of Gulfstream Park

By Jazz Daywood
The Daily Twilight
October 4, 2020

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America. Gulfstream Park was opened on Wednesday February 1, 1939 conducting a four-day meeting. The initial meeting had a crowd of 18,000. In 1944, the track was reopened by James Donn, Sr. for a 20-day meeting in December. The Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946 and the Florida Derby began in 1952. In that year the clubhouse was built and the Grandstand seating was expanded.

Gulfstream Park introduced turf racing for the first time in 1959. In 1952 the clubhouse was erected and a new addition was put on the grandstand. It also marked the first running of the Florida Derby. The following year, the Florida Derby became the first stakes in Florida with a $100,000 purse. The 1955 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Swaps set a then world-record of 1:39 3/5 for a mile and 70 yards while carrying 130 pounds in the Broward Handicap. The following year was just as exciting at Gulfstream when Gen. Duke equaled the world record of 1:46 4/5 in defeating Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby.

In 1959, a new era at Gulfstream began with the opening of its world-acclaimed turf course. In 1961, James Donn Jr. became president of Gulfstream. It also marked the construction of what was then the world’s largest tote board. Following the death of his father, James Donn Jr., Doug Donn was elected Gulfstream Park’s president. In 1961, James Donn Jr. succeeded his father as president of Gulfstream Park. In this year the Clubhouse was enlarged and the then-world's largest totalisator board was installed in the infield. A big break for Gulfstream Park came in 1972, when the track was awarded "middle dates" for a 40-day January through April meet.

In 1980, Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. set a meeting record with 60 winners. In 1982, the Grandstand was renovated with new architecture and in 1984 the renovation of the clubhouse was completed. In 1986, the renovation of the track was completed with the new Gulfdome, a domed dining terrace. In 1989 Gulfstream Park hosted the Breeders Cup for the first time (which it did again in 1992 and 1999). Gulfstream played host its first Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 1989, highlighted by the Classic match-up between Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence and Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer. Gulfstream would host the Breeders’ Cup again in 1992. In 1990, the track was purchased by Bertram R. Firestone.

Jockey Julie Krone took the jockey’s title in 1993 with 98 winners. In 1994, Holy Bull won the Florida Derby while, in 1995, Cigar won the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap on his way to a perfect season. Meanwhile, ’95 Florida Derby winner Thunder Gulch would go on to win the Kentucky Derby. Monarchos would repeat Thunder Gulch’s feat in 2001. In 1994, a half interest in the track was sold to Nigashi Nihon. The track was purchased by Magna Entertainment Corporation, in 1999 for $95 million. In 2010, the ownership of the track was taken over by Magna parent MI Developments Inc. (MID). The track is currently owned by The Stronach Group since July 3, 2011.

Hal’s Hope, winner of the 2000 Florida Derby, would return in 2002 to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap. The 2002 season was also highlighted by the first running of the popular Sunshine Millions, pitting Florida-breds vs. California-breds for purses totaling $3.6 million. Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s state-of-the-art training facility in Palm Beach County, was opened on Nov. 29, 2002. Trainer Todd Pletcher started his unprecedented run of nine consecutive training titles in 2004. The track began a $130 million renovation of the grandstand and clubhouse in 2004 and slot machines were approved for the track in 2004. It now hosts all of the races in the series of races known as the Sunshine Millions.

In 2006, Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey rode his last race aboard Silver Tree in the Sunshine Millions and the great Barbaro would win the Florida Derby before making headlines with his victory in the Kentucky Derby. The renovation, first effective for the 2006 spring meeting, was heavily criticized by racegoers and commentators, who felt that the new racino laid its emphasis entirely on the casino part, destroying the racetrack's atmosphere. In June, 2011, Tim Ritvo was named President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino. He was a prominent jockey and racing official at Suffolk Downs in the 1980s before establishing himself in the 1990s as a leading Florida trainer. Ritvo has also served as Vice President and Director of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association.

In April 2012, Javier Castellano, who collected his first Gulfstream title by riding a record 112 winners, scored his 3000th career success aboard Virtuously on Feb. 24 and Todd Pletcher, who claimed an unprecedented ninth consecutive training title at Gulfstream with 72 trips to the winner’s circle, recorded his 3,000 career victory when he saddled Spring Hill Farm for a winning performance on Feb. 11. Stronach Group named Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer of its Racing Division on June 8 of that year.

The current dirt course is one and one-eighth miles in circumference, with a one-mile backstretch chute. The turf course is one mile in circumference; depending on the race day, the portable rail can be moved to the inside or outside of the course, thereby changing the circumference. The track can seat 16,627 people. The track originally had a one mile dirt oval and a 7 furlong turf oval prior to the 2005 renovation. On Opening Day, December 1, 2012, of Gulfstream Park's 2012-2013 meet, the track hosted the 14th running of racing's Claiming Crown. The Claiming Crown has become the most important event for horse racing's claiming runners, and Gulfstream Park is raising the purses for each individual race in honor of this.

Gulfstream Park has, in recent years, been a venue for concerts, with performances taking place on the grounds outside the grandstand. Reserved seats to the concerts are sold in advance, and others paying normal admission to the track may watch the concert in standing room. Various singers and groups who were popular in earlier times perform at Gulfstream as part of their tours. The track was also host to the Miami Pop Festival on December 29, 1968 featuring The Grateful Dead and others.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 7 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 95, LSU 24
Rainbow Dash 55, Tulane 16
Rarity 28, Arizona State 16
Alabama 38, Fluttershy 21
Applejack State 47, Air Force 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Arlington Park

By James Loy
The Carousel
October 13, 2020

Arlington International Racecourse is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks (six) than any other major metropolitan area. Arlington International was the site of the first thoroughbred race with a million-dollar purse in 1981. It is located near the Illinois Route 53 freeway.

Arlington International Racecourse was founded as Arlington Park by California businessman Harry D. "Curly" Brown who would later serve as president of Oriental Park Racetrack in Havana, Cuba. The track officially opened in 1927 to 20,000 spectators. Jockey Joe Bollero, who later became a successful trainer, rode Luxembourg to victory in the first race ever run at Arlington.

Benjamin F. Lindheimer acquired control of Arlington Park in 1940 and owned it until his death in 1960. Long involved with the business, adopted daughter Marjorie Lindheimer Everett then took over management of the racetrack. Widely respected Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Jones of Calumet Farms was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying that Lindheimer "was the savior of Chicago racing" and that "Arlington Park became the finest track in the world—certainly the finest I've ever been on." Benjamin Lindheimer is well remembered as the person who promoted the 1955 match race broadcast by CBS Television in which Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Nashua defeated Kentucky Derby winner, Swaps.

Arlington was the first track to install a public-address system and employed the pioneering race caller Clem McCarthy to describe the action. It added the first electric totalisator which allowed a credible tote board and decreased time between races, in 1933. In 1936 it added a photo finish camera. It introduced the first electric starting gate in 1940, the largest closed circuit TV system in all of sports in 1967 and the introduction of trifecta wagering in 1971.

In 1981 Arlington was the home of the world's first million dollar thoroughbred race: The Arlington Million. The result of that race is immortalized in bronze at the top of the paddock at Arlington, where a statue of jockey Bill Shoemaker riding John Henry to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over 40-1 long shot The Bart celebrates Thoroughbred racing's inaugural million dollar race. Arlington entered a new era when Richard L. Duchossois led an Illinois investment group to purchase the track from its former owners and made a pledge to continue presenting championship racing. That was tested on July 31, 1985, when a small fire spread quickly out of control and completely destroyed the grandstand and clubhouse.

Unsure of the future of Arlington, the meet was moved to Hawthorne Race Course. Yet it was announced that the Arlington Million would still be held at Arlington International. On August 25, 1985 they did just that by using temporary bleachers. The track fully reopened in 1989. It briefly used the name "Arlington International Racecourse" before reverting to the old name. Arlington reverted to using Arlington International Racecourse starting in 2013.

In 2000, Arlington reopened after a two-year shutdown. In September of that year, Churchill Downs Incorporated completed its purchase of the track. Arlington hosted the 2002 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at their track.

On May 14, 2010, Lee DeWyze, a citizen of Mount Prospect, Illinois and a contestant on American Idol, performed a concert for approximately 41,000 fans. A year later, on May 14, 2011, Haley Reinhart, of Wheeling, Illinois, also made the top 3 on American Idol. She, like DeWyze, had a hometown concert at the track for nearly 30,000 of her own fans and supporters.

The track has a one mile and one-eighth dirt oval and a one mile turf oval. The track is capable of seating at least 50,000 with extension. There is stabling on the backstretch for over 2,000 horses. Arlington replaced its dirt course with a synthetic track prior to the opening of the 2007 season.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 8 Scores...

Rainbow Dash 45, LSU 38
Fluttershy 43, Ole Miss 33
Pinkie Pie 61, Georgia State 48

@Travis7401 and @TrojanMan with big wins. Not bad.

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Meydan Racecourse

By Alfred Lee
The Orchard
October 20, 2020

60,000 capacity Meydan Racecourse is a horse racing facility located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It opened on March 27, 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse which formerly occupied the same site. It is able to accommodate over 60,000 spectators in a 1 mile long grandstand. When not used for races it will serve as a business and conference integrated facility. A horse racing museum and gallery are also planned. The development also includes an 9-hole golf course. The 7.5 million sq. m Meydan Racecourse includes Meydan Marina, The Meydan — the world's first 5-star trackside hotel with 285 rooms, 2 race tracks and the Grandstand, which comprises a hotel, restaurants, a racing museum and 72 corporate suites for entertaining throughout the year. It has a 2,400 metre left-handed turf race track and a left-handed 8.75-furlong (1,750 metres) Tapeta synthetic dirt course. It operates from November through March and features the Winter Racing Challenge, Dubai International Racing Carnival and the Dubai World Cup Night. The Dubai World Cup is the world's richest race day with over US$26.25 million in prize money.

The Racecourse district occupies 67 million square feet (620 ha), the overall Meydan City development however is 200 million square feet (1,900 ha). It is divided into four sub-districts: Meydan Racecourse, Meydan Metropolis, Meydan Horizons, and Meydan Godolphin Parks. Meydan is closely affiliated with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The Dubai World Cup (Arabic:كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic:ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place where people congregate and compete, a sort of meeting point in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The race is operated through the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) whose Chairman is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. It offers nine races, consisting of eight Thoroughbred contests and one Purebred Arabian contest.

The Dubai World Cup, the final race of Dubai World Cup night, was created in 1996 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who owns Darley Stud & Godolphin Racing, one of the world's leading Thoroughbred breeding and racing operations.

Annually held on the last Saturday in March, the Dubai World Cup is part of the Dubai World Cup Night of races, and has carried a purse of USD ten million since 2010, making it the world's richest horse race. It is a Group 1 flat race on an all-weather surface known as Tapeta for Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbred four-year-olds & up and for Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbred three-year-olds & up run over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 10 furlongs) in late March.

The race's first winner was the future United States Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Cigar, owned by Allen E. Paulson. A plaque honoring that horse hangs outside the barn of Bill Mott at Belmont Park.

In 2006 the Dubai World Cup was broadcast live on TVG Network and HRTV and taped later for showing on ABC. It was the first time that the race was shown on national TV in the United States. In 2010, the Dubai World Cup was first held at the new Meydan Racecourse on March 27.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 9 Scores...

Rarity 45, Rhode Island 17
Fluttershy 34, Applejack State 31
Rainbow Dash 34, Pinkie Pie 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Emerald Downs

By Alfred Lee
The Orchard
October 27, 2020

Emerald Downs is a thoroughbred racetrack in Auburn, Washington, located a half mile east of Highway 167. It is named after Seattle, the Emerald City. Emerald Downs first opened its doors to race fans on June 20, 1996, with the inaugural 100 day meet running through November 4. It replaced Longacres Racetrack, which closed in September 1992 after sixty seasons of racing. Following the closure of Longacres, racing was not held in Western Washington from 1993–1995. However, Thoroughbred racing continued at Yakima Meadows and Playfair Race Course in Spokane during this time. Emerald Downs is a Limited Partnership, with a group of investors led by Track President Ron Crockett. In 2002, the land where Emerald Downs is situated was purchased by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for roughly $70 Million.

The Emerald Downs track is a one mile (1.6 km) oval in the shadow of Mount Rainier. The track surface itself is made of geo-textile fabric, washed rock, course sand, and one-component track material. However, there is no turf course. The tote board is located in the center of the oval track.

The Emerald Downs infield is designed as a storm system that is sized to accommodate all storm runoff for the entire southern portion of the track property, including all rooftop surfaces as well as parking lots and the racetrack surface. Before releasing any water, Emerald Downs tests for turbidity and PH levels. Samples are also sent to a laboratory for further testing of dissolved oxygen, ammonia and fecal coliform levels. Finally, the water is released into Mill Creek at an engineered rate of discharge in order to help prevent flooding downstream from the track. Much of the infield is under water during the fall and winter, creating a home for ducks, geese, rabbits, and other small wildlife.

The Emerald Downs Grandstand is a modern racetrack facility designed by EwingCole. There is general admission seating on track level, including a grassy park area with free children's activities on weekends (weather permitting). Outside on the third floor are box and reserved seats in the grandstand, as well as box and reserved seats on the fifth floor indoor clubhouse. Pari-mutuel windows are located on each floor to place wagers. There are eight food stands and six beverage services throughout the facility. There is also the Rainer Restaurant on the fifth floor, with reservations generally accepted two weeks in advance. The state-of-the-art facility and in-house catering at Emerald Downs lends itself to hosting a variety of events year-round. The Triple Crown Suites on the 6th floor and the large banquet space on the 4th floor are just a couple of venues available for group events.

The track hosts Live Thoroughbred racing from mid April through the end of September. Races are run Friday through Sunday and holidays the majority of the season. The track conducts several large ungraded stakes and many overnight handicaps and stakes. There are an average of 8 races on week nights, and 10 races per race weekend. In addition to live racing, the track offers simulcast wagering year round. The first Quarter Horse race in track history was held in 2010. In 2011, Emerald Downs added a major Quarter Horse stakes, the $60,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge Stakes run on Labor Day weekend.

Emerald Downs biggest race is the Longacres Mile Handicap, a Grade III event. The race was announced in June 1935 so Longacres founder Joe Gottstein could have a signature one mile (1.6 km) race. He felt the mile was an overlooked distance, neither a sprint nor an endurance run. In order to attract racers and attention, the purse was set at $10,000, instantly the largest staked one mile (1.6 km) race in the country (and it would remain so for more than 40 years).

As soon as the announcement was made, the first running of the race had 20 entrants; 16 actually started. The stakes attracted the owners of a New Orleans horse named Biff, grandson of Man o' War, who had just won $5000 in Chicago. Biff had the attention of everyone for weeks before the event and no owners would run their horses in preliminary races with him. Biff was first out of the gate but was stalked by Coldwater, a 20-1 longshot that wasn't regarded well. Near the end of the mile Biff was showing clear strain and Coldwater overtook him to win.

In 2008, locally owned and bred Wasserman took the Longacres Mile closing fast to win in a photo finish over horses shipped in to run the race. The 75th Longacres Mile was run on August 22, 2010. It was won by the betting favorite, Noosa Beach. Ridden by Ricky Frazier and trained by Doris Harwood for owner Jeff Harwood, the winner paid $5.60, $3.80 and $3.00. Jersey Town finished second, followed by the 2009 Mile champion, Assessment.

The 2011 Longacres Mile featured a showdown between defending champion Noosa Beach and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Awesome Gem. Awesome Gem took the lead near the wire, defeating Noosa Beach by 1 1/2 lengths. It was his 9th win in 46 career starts, boosing his earnings to over $2.6 Million. In 2012, jockey Mario Gutierrez became the first rider to sweep the Kentucky Derby and Longacres Mile in the same year, guiding I'll Have Another to wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and then taking the Mile aboard Canadian shipper Taylor Said.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 10 Scores...

Fluttershy 17, Rainbow Dash 14
Rarity 34, Portland State 28
Applejack State 37, Pinkie Pie 21

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Laurel Park

By Alfred Lee
The Orchard
November 4, 2020

Laurel Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is 1 1/8 miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades until returning to the "Laurel Park" designation in 1994. Laurel Park Racecourse opened October 2, 1911 under the direction of the Laurel Four County Fair. In 1914, New York businessmen and prominent horsemen, Philip J. Dwyer and James Butler purchased the track and appointed Matt Winn as the general manager. In 1918 the field was used by Army Engineers as a training camp before deployment to France. In 1947, the Maryland Jockey Club, which owned Timonium and Pimlico, purchased Laurel Park from the Butler estate with the idea of shifting the Pimlico meeting to Laurel. After the Maryland General Assembly rejected the idea of replacing Pimlico with Laurel Park, the track was sold to Morris Schapiro who had his youngest son, John D. Schapiro as the track's new president. Laurel was sold to the Schapiros in 1950.

From 1950 to 1984, Laurel Park underwent a period of great change. The track was renamed Laurel Race Course and the Washington, D.C. International was introduced at 1½ miles on the turf. In 1953 Laurel opened a new clubhouse and turf club, and in 1957 the grandstand was remodeled. In an effort to improve conditions for the International, Laurel lengthened its turf course from seven furlongs to one mile in 1959; simultaneously, the main track was extended from one mile to one mile and one-eighth. Laurel remodeled its clubhouse and grandstand to accommodate winter racing in 1966, enclosing the track’s seating area with 30,000 square feet of half inch thick glass. Conversely, when Laurel was awarded the summer racing dates in 1982, the track installed an air conditioning system in the grandstand and clubhouse. In 1984, the 34-year Schapiro era ended with the sale of the track.

Laurel entered a new era in December 1984, when Frank J. De Francis and his partners, Robert and John “Tommy” Manfuso, purchased the racetrack from Schapiro. Laurel Park Racecourse was updated in 1985 with an innovative creation of the 'Sports Palace'. In August 1989, Frank DeFrancis died and his son, Joe DeFrancis who now serves as president of Laurel and Pimlico. In 1994 the track's name returned to "Laurel Park". Yet more improvements included those to the main entrance, Grandstand interior and backstretch barns.

In 1994, an effort to redevelop land occupied by Laurel Park and its adjacent properties was attempted to relocate the Washington Redskins Stadium at the crossroads of Whiskey Bottom Road and Brock Bridge Road. Citizens and clergy launched a successful effort that killed the proposal. A lack of sufficient parking space was a significant factor in the decision.

In 1999, at Laurel Park, the MJC broke ground on a new $1.85 million backstretch housing project, Laurel Commons, in cooperation with Laurel Quality of Life, Inc., the Enterprise Foundation, Inc. and the Ryan Family Foundation, Inc. In addition, Laurel Park, as part of a $16 million multi-year renovation plan, opened four premier Clubhouse areas: “Tycoons,” an upscale cigar and brandy bar with an excellent television presentation of racing and other sporting events; “Sunny Jim’s,” a simulcast theater with individual carrels, and food & beverage service; “Clocker’s Corner,” a casual simulcast theater and cafe in a convenient track-side location and the “Kelso Club,” a premier accommodation for VIP customers with concierge service. Magna Entertainment Corp. On July 15, 2002 The Maryland Jockey Club and Magna Entertainment Corp announced the creation of an alliance designed to raise the level of Maryland thoroughbred racing to new heights. and began another renovation of Laurel Park's track and facility in 2004 to early January 2005 widening both racing surfaces.

In 2013, following a failed attempt to introduce slot machine gambling, Laurel Park owners Stronach Group announced plans to use the Maryland Racetrack Facility Redevelopment Account to fund year-round racing, facility improvements and a tunnel under the adjacent B&O railroad tracks, connecting to a 1000-unit Transit Oriented Development called Laurel Park Station on the Howard County portion of the Racetrack property.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 11 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 63, Fluttershy 0
Rainbow Dah 43, Elon 7
Applejack State 38, Montana 22
Rarity 45, Pinkie Pie 20

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Ayr Racecourse

By Lay Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 11, 2020

Ayr Racecourse at Whitletts Road, Ayr, Scotland, was opened in 1907. There are courses for flat and for National Hunt racing. The course stages the highest-quality racing and most prestigious races run in Scotland in both codes of the sport.

Horse racing in Ayr dates back to 1576, but the first official meeting did not take place until 1771 at a racecourse situated in the Seafield area of the town. This first racecourse was a mile oval with sharp bends. In the early days, racing was supported by the local landed gentry and members of the Caledonian Hunt. Important figures in the course's history have included the Earl of Eglinton, Sir James Boswell and the Duke of Portland.

In 1824, Ayr's most important race meeting, the Western Meeting, was established and by 1838 it offered £2000 in prize money and the most valuable two year old race of the season in Britain. The meeting's feature race, the Ayr Gold Cup, became a handicap race in 1855 and is now the richest sprint handicap in Europe.

Due to the small size of the track and limitations on the size of the paddock, a new site for the racecourse was eventually sought and in 1907, the course was moved to its current location in the Craigie area of town. After extensive research into other British courses, the new course layout was based on that of Newbury, with the exception that Ayr's straight course is six furlongs rather than a mile. The former racecourse is now playing fields, known as the Old Racecourse, and part of Seafield golf course. Local road names Racecourse Road and Racecourse View also reflect this history.

A jumps track was added in 1950 and in 1966 the Scottish Grand National was transferred to the track after Bogside Racecourse was closed down. It is now regarded as the premier racecourse in Scotland.

Ayr has been voted Best Racecourse in Scotland and the North East nineteen times by the Racegoers Club, including the last nine years in a row. It has also won the Neil Wyatt Ground Staff Award for the Best Dual Purpose Course twice - in 1996 and 2011. This award is voted on by representatives of the National Trainers Federation and Professional Jockeys' Association to recognise the achievements of racecourse groundstaff. In 2012, Ayr was nominated in two categories in the Racecourse Association Showcase Awards - the Food and Beverage and Owners' Experience categories, winning the latter. It has been designated a four star visitor attraction by VisitScotland.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 12 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 70, Pinkie Pie 0
Fluttershy 49, Rarity 24
Applejack State 51, Georgia Southern 21
Rainbow Dash 31, North Dakota State 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Epsom Downs Racecourse

By Lay Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 18, 2020

120,000 capacity Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half (2400m). It also hosts the Epsom Oaks for three-year-old fillies and the Coronation Cup for all ages over the same distance.

The first recorded race was held on the Downs in 1661, although a local burial list of 1625 refers to "William Stanley who in running the race fell from his horse and brake his neck" so it is likely that racing was established much earlier than that. Epsom is referenced in the diary of Samuel Pepys in 1663 and Charles II is said to have been a racegoer there. By 1684, Epsom had a clerk of the course and from 1730 was hosting twice yearly race meetings.

In the summer of 1779 Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby organised a race for himself and his friends to race their three-year-old fillies. He named it the Oaks after his estate. The race became so successful that the following year a new race was added for colts and fillies - the Epsom Derby. In 1784 the course was extended to its current distance of a mile and a half and Tattenham Corner was introduced. Henry Dorling, step-father to cookery writer Mrs Beeton, was a Clerk of the Course at Epsom, appointed in 1840.

In 1913 the suffragette Emily Davison threw herself in front of King George V's horse Anmer, bringing him down. Davison was badly injured and died four days later. In 1952 the racecourse was featured extensively in the film Derby Day set around the 1952 Epsom Derby.

In 2009 the racecourse opened the new Duchess's Stand. It has a capacity of 11,000 and has a 960m² (10 000 sq ft) hall. It can be used for banqueting, conferences and exhibitions. The estimated cost of the new stand, which was built by Willmott Dixon, was £23.5 million.

On 4 June 2011, in their first public outing since returning from their Seychelles honeymoon, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (along with The Queen, William's brother, Prince Harry, and Catherine's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton) attended the 2011 Epsom Derby at the track.

The racecourse is between Epsom, Tadworth, and Langley Vale. As it is in a public area, people can watch the Derby free, and this meant that the Derby used to be the most attended sporting event of the year. It presents a stern challenge for inexperienced horses and a true test of stamina for those that might previously have contested the 2,000 Guineas Stakes over a mile (1600m).

Epsom Downs houses the third largest racehorse training facility in the country. The facility is managed by the Epsom trainers society. There are 11 trainers who use the facility, including Simon Dow and Laura Mongan (the only female trainer at Epsom). The area is served by the Epsom Downs railway line as well as Tattenham Corner railway station which is where the British monarch alights from the British Royal Train on race days.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 13 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 77, Rainbow Dash 7
Pinkie Pie 28, South Dakota State 19
Fluttershy 31, Bucknell 21
Applejack State 48, Rarity 17

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Doncaster Racecourse

By Arthur Heineman
The Daily Twilight
November 25, 2020

Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.

Doncaster is one of the oldest (and in terms of physical capacity – largest) established centres for horse racing in Britain, with records of regular race meetings going back to the 16th Century. In 1600 the corporation tried to put an end to the races because of the number of ruffians they attracted, but by 1614 it acknowledged failure and instead marked out a racecourse.

Doncaster is home to two of the world's oldest horse races. The earliest important race in Doncaster's history was the Doncaster Gold Cup, first run over Cantley Common in 1766. The Doncaster Cup is the oldest continuing regulated horse race in the world. Together with the 2 miles (3,200 m) Goodwood Cup and 2 1⁄2 miles (4,000 m) Ascot Gold Cup, the Doncaster Cup is part of Britain's Stayers' Triple Crown for horses capable of running longer distances.

Ten years later the Racecourse moved to its present location and in 1776 Colonel Anthony St. Leger founded a race in which five horses ran. This race has remained in existence and become the world's oldest classic horse race. During the first world war the racecourse was used for military purposes and substitute races were run at Newmarket from 1915 to 1918.

Doncaster has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf. Every September, Doncaster hosts the prestigious four-day Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival, which is acclaimed as the premier sporting occasion of the Autumn calendar. Doncaster has also taken over events whose traditional homes have closed, such as the Lincoln Cup in 1965.

More history was made at Doncaster in 1992 when it staged the first ever Sunday meeting on a British racecourse. A crowd of 23,000 turned up despite there being no betting. The racecourse is more than just a racecourse. It regularly hosts conventions such as the Tattoo Festival and business meetings such as Doncaster Dynamites BNI every Wednesday. The current membership committee of that BNI chapter comprises local Doncaster business people Michael Reeder, Ailsa Watson, James Criddle, Mark Appleyard, Jason Cole, Ian Smith and Andrew Isaacs.

Today the St. Leger Stakes remains the world's oldest Classic Horse Race and features in the Horse Racing calendar as the fifth and final Classic of the British Flat racing season. This pride of place every September on the famous Town Moor course.

Doncaster is a left-handed, pear-shaped track of around 1 mile 7½ furlongs which is mostly flat. There are courses for Flat racing and National Hunt racing. The racecourse is easily accessible by road, railway and air.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 14 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 55, Applejack State 10
Rainbow Dash 33, Rarity 21
Pinkie Pie 37, Richmond 6
Fluttershy 51, Montana 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Chepstow Racecourse

By Arthur Heineman
The Daily Twilight
December 2, 2020

Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing course located just north of the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley and close to the border with England.

The track is a roughly oval circuit of just under 2 miles (3,200 m). It is a left-handed undulating course, used for both flat and jump racing. The finishing straight is about 5 furlongs (3,300 ft; 1,000 m) in length, with five fences on the chase course to be jumped. There is also a straight mile course. There are 28 fixtures in the 2012 calendar year. It is one of three racecourses in Wales, the others being at Bangor-on-Dee and at Ffos Las. It is also used as a venue for numerous other indoor and outdoor events, such as weddings and conferences.

Several places in South Wales had race meetings in the late nineteenth century and there had been racing at St Arvans, very close to the present course, between 1892 and 1914. In 1925 a group of ten South Wales gentry and businessmen, that included Courtenay Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar who was also Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire, and Lord Queenborough; formed a company to purchase Piercefield House, and lay out a new racecourse in its estate. Despite struggling to raise enough cash, the racecourse was opened on 6 August 1926. The first race was a two-year-old seller won by Lord Harewood's colt Conca D'Oro, the 7-4 favourite. The two day flat race meeting had good prize money and was termed "The Welsh Goodwood".

The course nearly had to close down immediately after the first meeting and survived only thanks to a large bank loan guaranteed by the directors. Unforeseen extra costs in laying it out meant that it struggled financially for the first ten years of its existence and yet more contributions were needed from the directors. The first jump racing took place in March 1927. Since then the course has been used for flat racing in the summer and jumping in the winter. To begin with, the flat racing was more prestigious, with the Welsh Derby, Oaks and St Leger being run for good prize money. In 1933, at a two day meeting, the multiple champion jockey Gordon Richards won eleven consecutive races at Chepstow – all six races on the first day and the first five races on the next, before being beaten in a close finish in the final race of the meeting.

During the Second World War, the entire site became designated as RAF Chepstow, an operational outpost of RAF St. Athan, No.32 MU. Equipped with only a grass runway in the centre of the course, additional aircraft accommodation for bombers was created at Oakgrove on the opposite side of the road, accessed by stopping the traffic to allow the aircraft to cross. Types stationed on the course during the war included:

• Boulton Paul Defiant
• Hawker Hurricane
• Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
• Vickers Wellington
• Bristol Blenheim

After the war, and the demise of the nearby Caerleon course, the Welsh National was transferred to Chepstow in 1949. From this point National Hunt racing overtook flat racing as the dominant activity as a string of good class horses and top trainers and jockeys contested the race. The three and three-quarter mile race, more recently known as the Coral Welsh National, owes much to the support of the bookmaking firm for establishing it as one of the major events in the National Hunt calendar. They have sponsored it for forty years, making it the second longest continuous race sponsorship.

The opening of the Severn Bridge and the completion of the M4 motorway made the course more accessible to English racegoers. The Clay family, which had bought Piercefield House in 1861, were involved with the management course since its formation. Listed on the AIM stock market as a plc in the late 1990s, Sir Stanley Clarke built up an 80% stake in the company, and then reversed his existing Northern Racing racecourse holdings into the shell. Clarke took over as executive chairman of the Racecourse Company in 2000, resigning in 2003 before his death the following year from cancer.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 15 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 76, Rarity 13
Applejack State 34, Rainbow Dash 21
Fluttershy 37, Pinkie Pie 31

Week 16 Scores...

No Scores

A good game between @Travis7401 and @TrojanMan but in the end, the BTTYay prevailed.

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Lingfield Park Racecourse

By Arthur Heineman
The Daily Twilight
December 9, 2020

Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc.

Lingfield is best known as a winter all-weather flat-racing course; the track is Polytrack, rather than the usual turf found in the UK. There are only three other all weather courses in the UK, the others being at Southwell, Kempton and Wolverhampton with another all weather track, Great Leighs, currently moth-balled. Lingfield stages flat racing on turf in the summer and National Hunt races are also run on turf.

The racecourse is located in a 450-acre (1.8 km2) estate and was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who also agreed to let Lingfield incorporate the Prince of Wales feathers into its official heading. The course initially held jumps racing only, but in 1894 the Jockey Club granted permission for flat racing to be held. Racing has been held continuously ever since, with the only exception being during World War II when the War Office requisitioned the course. Ladbrokes sold the course in 1982 and the new owners installed flood defences on the estate to alleviate the flooding that had become a major problem in the years immediately after the war. A golf course was developed and this opened in June 1987. Arena Leisure purchased the course in 1991, and in 2001 made the decision to replace the Equitrack all weather surface with Polytrack, opening in November 2001. Other recent developments have been the re-laying of the back straight on the turf course in 2002/2003 and the construction of a £5.5 million grandstand in 2004. In early 2009 the course had another record broken as Matsunosuke became the highest rated horse to win on the all weather surface rated 112 or 117 by Racing Post rating. This was dubbed as the greatest all weather horse of all time in the UK.

The racecourse is featured in the 1954 film The Rainbow Jacket. Lingfield Railway Station adjoins the course, served by trains from London to East Grinstead via Oxted.

 

[Hachiko]

Great news for Corch @Travis7401! The Fluttershy Spirit win the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, 35-13, over the Fresno State Bulldogs! As for @TrojanMan and Pinkie Pie...there will be no bowl for them this year.

 

[Hachiko]

Bowl Season, 2020 Scores...

BCS National Championship Game
Twilight Sparkle 87, USC 24

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Applejack State 42, Toledo 28

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
Fluttershy 35, Fresno State 13

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Rainbow Dash 41, Middle Tennessee State 20

Armed Forces Bowl
Rarity 42, North Texas 17

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

Coach changes in store for Pony Conference

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
January 21, 2021

Change is in the air in the Pony Conference. For starters, the defending national champions are going to have some new veterans in the ranks. Twilight Sparkle offensive coordinator Haruka Takayama has moved on and will be replaced by former Purdue Boilermakers OC John Shoop. Meanwhile, outgoing defensive coordinator Yuu Sonoda is moving on and will be replaced by former Wisconsin Badgers head coach Gary Andersen. Anderser was previously the defensive coordinator at Applejack State.

Speaking of the Appleknockers, Vance Bedford has taken over as defensive coordinator of Applejack State. As for head coach Big MacIntosh, he remains the boss after another successful season. Also receiving an extension is Fluttershy head coach Mike Canales, who benefitted from the schemes of the new offensive coordinator at Fluttershy, Travis Rountsaville.

There will be some new faces at Pinkie Pie this year. The new defensive coordinator is Kevin Sherrer, who replaces Luke Fickell after a terrible 3-9 season. Taking over at head coach is Ron Carey, who replaces Brian Stewart.

On the wings, literally, of a solid 10-3 season, Rainbow Dash head coach DJ Durkin, offensive coordinator Mike McIntrye and defensive coordinator Ron English all received contract extensions. Finally, Rarity head coach Sweetie Belle is back at the helm of the Royals after a 9-4 season.

 

[Hachiko]

Twilight Sparkle picked to finish first in 2021 Pony Conference

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
July 1, 2021

The kings of Pony Conference Football, the Twilight Sparkle Unicorns, have been picked by the coaches and media to finish first via poll at PonyCon Football Media Day at the Tara Strong Convocation Centre on the campus of TSU in Ponyville, Calif. The Unicorns earned all 180 possibie points and were followed by the Appleknockers of Applejack State (150), the Fluttershy Spirit (120), the Rainbows of Rainbow Dash (90), the Rarity Royals (60), and the Pinkie Pie Major Trouble (30), who were picked to reprised their bottom-of-the-barrel finish in the conference.

Already, the Unicorns have hit the ground running, signing six recruits at important positions on the field to fill holes that will be left by seniors who will be graduating from Twilie. Once again, their first seven games will be on the road, all against ranked opponents.

1. Twilight Sparkle 180
[BCOLOR=#ffffff]2. Applejack State 150[/BCOLOR]
3. Fluttershy 120
4. Rainbow Dash 90
[BCOLOR=#ffffff]5. Rarity 60[/BCOLOR]
6. Pinkie Pie 30

Twilight Sparkle Unicorns
8/28 at #8 Georgia Tech
9/4 at #3 USC
9/11 at #2 Georgia
9/18 at #4 PSU
9/25 at #11 Missouri
10/2 at #10 Navy
10/9 at #20 Air Force
11/6 vs. #9 Fluttershy
11/13 at Pinkie Pie
11/20 vs. #13 Rainbow Dash
11/27 vs. #5 Applejack State
12/4 at #22 Rarity

Applejack State Appleknockers
9/4 vs. Minnesota
9/11 vs. Northwestern
9/18 vs. Ole Miss
10/9 vs. Hawai'i
10/16 vs. Boise State
10/23 vs. #9 Fluttershy
10/30 vs. Pinkie Pie
11/3 vs. Cal Poly
11/13 vs. Montana State
11/20 at #22 Rarity
11/27 at #1 Twilight Sparkle
12/4 at #13 Rainbow Dash

Fluttershy Spirit
9/4 vs. SMU
9/11 at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
9/18 vs. Western Michigan
9/25 vs. Brigham Young
10/2 at North Carolina
10/23 at #5 Applejack State
10/30 at #13 Rainbow Dash
11/6 at #1 Twilight Sparkle
11/13 vs. #22 Rarity
11/20 vs. South Dakota
11/27 vs. Eastern Washington
12/4 vs. Pinkie Pie

Rainbow Dash Rainbows
9/4 at Montana
9/11 at South Florida
9/18 vs. Colorado State
9/25 vs. UL Monroe
10/2 vs. Washington
10/23 vs. Pinkie Pie
10/30 vs. #9 Fluttershy
11/6 vs. Georgia Southern
11/13 vs. Villanova
11/20 at #1 Twilight Sparkle
11/27 at #22 Rarity
12/4 vs. #5 Applejack State

Rarity Royals
9/4 vs. Fresno State
9/11 vs. Boise State
9/18 vs. Toledo
9/25 vs. Arizona
9/27 at #23 Florida
10/23 vs. Wofford
10/30 vs. North Dakota
11/6 at Pinkie Pie
11/13 at #9 Fluttershy
11/20 vs. #5 Applejack State
11/27 vs. #13 Rainbow Dash
12/4 vs. #1 Twilight Sparkle

Pinkie Pie Major Trouble
9/4 vs. Memphis
9/11 at Kansas
9/18 vs. Troy
9/25 at #20 Air Force
10/2 vs. Mississippi State
10/23 at #13 Rainbow Dash
10/30 at #5 Applejack State
11/6 vs. #22 Rarity
11/13 vs. #1 Twilight Sparkle
11/20 vs. Portland State
11/27 vs. Maine
12/4 at #9 Fluttershy

 

[Travis7401]

lol @TrojanMan

 

[TrojanMan]

Gonna open a 40-lb box on Twilight Sparkle. Bring it, twinks

 

[Hachiko]

​

Twilight Sparkle win shootout over Georgia Tech, 87-41

By Dean Hess
The Daily Twilight
August 28, 2021

A wild shootout at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. saw M.A. Larson's Twilight Sparkle Unicorns hammer the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 87-41. The show was essentially decided by one man. Quarterback Jake Butler passed for 492 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 305 yards and six more touchdowns.

"I really like the style that Jake brings to the table," said Coach Larson after the game. "He's been working on being the complete quarterback and if he keeps going the way he's going right now, I am confident about his future as an NFL pro. I think he's going to be a solid successor to Frank Whitworth, who is one of the top quarterbacks to play for Twilight Sparkle. Jake's got the gift."

Wide receiver John Bennett had eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown while leading the team in blocking with 10 pancakes. Wide receiver Travis Farria and wideout Chaz Phillips added nine pancakes. Cornerback Gabriel Morrison led the defense in tackling with 16 tackles, right outside linebacker Kenan Dunlap had 10 tackles and two sacks, and right end Kyle Davis had three sacks.

Twilight Sparkle improve to 1-0 and travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum next week to face the USC Trojans.

 

[Hachiko]

​

The Mystique of Fairyhouse Racecourse

By Dean Hess
The Daily Twilight
August 31, 2021

Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of Ireland's premier horse racing venues. Situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, 3 km off the N3. It is the home of the Irish Grand National. The first race meet was held in 1848. In 1870, the first Irish Grand National steeplechase was held there.

The racetrack itself is a one mile and 6.5 furlong right-handed circuit, with a 2.5 furlong straight and a slight uphill finish. The main business of Fairyhouse racecourse is betting on the races known traditionally in parts of Ireland as turf accountancy. Admission to Fairyhouse race meetings is free to under-16s along with various other promotions such as concession rates for OAPs and seasonal festivals (i.e. Winter Festival, Easter Festival etc.) It also hosted the first three Witnness festivals from 2000 to 2002 inclusive.

Fairyhouse is the premier horse race meeting hosting both the Irish Grand National and Irish Gold Cup but has always been a fine quality racecourse attracting international racing stars such as Desert Orchid, Prince Regent, and Persian War among others. The course was the training ground for l'Escargot, a winner of the Irish Grand National against famous racer Red Rum to name but a few racing achievements. The Powers Gold Label Stand and Jameson stand were reopened following refurbishment in 1999 and Fairyhouse is boasted by Meath Tourism to be "firmly established as one of the most modern facilities in the country, providing an outstanding level of comfort and service." The Irish Grand National is run every Easter Monday and currently sponsored by Jameson Whiskey.

Fairyhouse is owned by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and was managed by Doneraile man Dick Sheil, a graduate of Warrenstown Agricultural College and UCD from 1999 until October 2006, one year after ownership passed hands from Fairyhouse Club LTD owing to financial difficulties. HRI viewed Dick Sheil as a tremendous asset to the course having brokered considerable sponsorship and managing many major meetings. The course was overseen by a caretaker manager for almost a year and on October 1, 2007 the position was filled by chartered accountant Caroline Gray who had worked for the HRI finance department for five years previously and was described as an "innovator" by HRI. The Powers Whiskey sponsorship is backed up by the Irish branch of Pernod Ricard, a sponsorship existing since 1960 and the longest sponsorship in Irish racing. Fairyhouse General Manager Caroline Gray credits this sponsorship for making the Irish Grand National what it is today but the term is due to end in April 2010 and future sponsor is currently uncertain. Wet weather often affects Fairyhouse and Ireland has been experiencing the worst flooding on record in 2009.

On a Sunday, when there is no race meetings, Fairyhouse opens as a market selling local produce ranging from saddlery and tools to fresh vegetables, arts and crafts products and even electrical goods. The market also accommodates car boot sales. The course is also a premier venue for musical events.

 

[Hachiko]

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Week 2 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 97, USC 42
Rainbow Dash 56, Montana 7
Memphis 20, Pinkie Pie 17
Fresno State 49, Rarity 25
Fluttershy 49, SMU 17
Minnesota 38, Applejack State 10

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Punchestown Racecourse

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
September 7, 2021

Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival. The racecourse itself is right handed with an undulating hurdle and steeplechase track. The hurdle course is one mile six furlongs in distance while the chase course is 2 miles. Punchestown Racecourse also has the only cross country banks course in Ireland.

As well as horse racing, Punchestown hosts several music events, including the annual Oxegen festival , while AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Eminem are among the artists to have played sold out concerts on the racecourse.

The Punchestown Festival is the major horse racing festival of the Irish National Hunt Season and is usually held annually in April. The Punchestown Festival is held over five days, between Tuesday and Saturday inclusive. It is seen by many as the Irish version of the Cheltenham Festival and is run in a very similar format.

The major races at the Festival are the Champion Chase, Ryanair Novice Chase, Champion Hurdle, World Series Hurdle, Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle, Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle, Growise Champion Novice Chase, Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, Champion INH Flat Race and the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Punchestown is also the home of Ireland's best known International Three Day Event. Run under the title of "Punchestown International Three Day Event and Horse Show," the annual event incorporates a CCI*** Three Day Event, National Showjumping and Showing as well as a Young Event Horse Class. Punchestown hosted the European Eventing Championships in 1991 and 2003. The 2008 event was cancelled at an early stage due to problems with the ground.

Punchestown Races were reorganised and reconstituted as "Kildare and National Hunt Steeplechases" in 1861. The first day of the 1868 meeting attracted 1 spectator.

As well as horse racing, Punchestown is a noted venue for its music festivals. These include Creamfields - held in 2000, 2001 and 2002; the Ozzfest - a few times; Witnness - held in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003; and the current favourite Oxegen held there each year since 2004. Maximum capacity for concerts is usually 80,000 people.

Eminem played two dates there in 2003, selling out both. They included his first ever Irish concert on 26 June 2003. He did not return to Ireland again until 2010 when he topped the bill at Oxegen 2010, also held at Punchestown Racecourse. American rock band Bon Jovi played there on Saturday 7 June 2008. Australian rock band AC/DC played there on 28 June 2009. The concert was controversial, with long queues, lack of lighting at exists and too few stewards reported, barriers being pushed over and fans, forced into walking 10 kilometres to the concert, later expressing their rage against organisers MCD Productions for failing to ensure roads were clear.

Punchestown was the site of Jamboree 2008, Scouting Ireland's first national Scout Jamboree from August 2-10 2008. Bad weather forced the cancellation of visitors' day, with those who were to come being ordered to stay away. Thousands of people from around the world attempted to break a world hand-shaking record.

 

[Hachiko]

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Week 3 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 91, Georgia 42
Pinkie Pie 44, Kansas 38 (OT)
Boise State 45, Rarity 24
South Florida 31, Rainbow Dash 28
Fluttershy 52, Tulsa 21
Applejack State 35, Northwestern 28

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
September 14, 2021

Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of the most prominent horse racing venues in Argentina, its installations include a 2,400 meters (1.5 miles) track suitable for races in all weather.

The establishment was founded on May 7, 1876, as the first racecourse in Buenos Aires, and the first National Derby was held there in 1884. On its inauguration, the trains and streetcars of Buenos Aires were not enough to transport the large number of people who wanted to attend the event. However, close to 10,000 people witnessed the first race ever disputed at the Hipódromo, which was won by the horse "Resbaloso".

A sales floor for racing thoroughbreds, Tattersall de Palermo, was opened in 1898. The original viewing stands were replaced by a Beaux Arts tribune designed by Louis Faure-Dujarric, in 1908. The Hipódromo introduced a technology named "Photochart" in 1947. Photochart was a photographic device that registered the precise moment when the horses crossed the end line, thus simplifying the selection of the winner in neck-and-neck outcomes.

The Hipódromo de Palermo was renamed Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo in 1953. The addition, in 1971, of an electrical lighting system on the racetrack enabled night racing.

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Horseracing in the Philippines, Part I

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
September 15, 2021

Horseracing in the Philippines began as a recreational activity in 1867. Its history is divided into three major time periods based on the breed of horses raced, in conjunction with the three significant eras of Philippine history. According to the type of horses used, the periods are the Philippine-pony era (1867–1898), the Arabian-horse era (1898–1930), and the Thoroughbred era (1935–present).

The Philippine-pony era refers to the time when the "Spanish Philippines" were a colony of Spain, 1521–1898. At that time, racehorses were bred from the Suluan, Indian, and Chinese lineages of the Classical period in Philippine history, 900–1521. The Arabian-horse refers to the time when the "American Philippines" were a territory of the United States, 1898–1946), although the Arabian-horse era only lasted until 1935. The Thoroughbred-era (1935–present) replaced the breeding of Arabian horses for horseracing with local breeds; the era continued when the Philippines became an independent republic in 1946.

The earliest record of horseracing in the Philippines was in 1867. At that time a straight flat course measuring 1⁄4 mile (402 m) was used. From 1867 to approximately 1881, the common breed of horses used were those whose lineage were of Suluan, Indian, and Chinese stock. Also in 1867, the Manila Jockey Club (MJC) was founded by Philippine Governor-General José de la Gandara y Navarro, a Spaniard, together with the club's founding members (the socios fundadores, literally meaning "founding partners"). The MJC was the first racing club established in Southeast Asia, with 100 founding partners from the "prominent and affluent families" of the time period, including Spaniards, Filipinos, and English. These families include the Ayalas, the Zobels, the Tuasons, the Elizaldes, the Bousteads, and the Prietos. Edward Boustead was the father of Nellie Boustead, a French woman courted by two Philippine revolutionary heroes, namely José Rizal and Antonio Luna: in Paris, they nearly came to a duel over her. Because the MJC was established as a social and recreation club, from 1867 through the 1870s only "fun runs" without betting were held annually, during April or May. The straight course ran from the Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila up to the Quiapo Church. The jockeys for the carreras officiales ("official races") were exclusive to club members. The prizes for the winning jockeys included a gold medal, a silver medal, and an ornamental watch.

English-style horseracing was first used in the Philippines from 1881, being held twice yearly for four consecutive days. The event was supported by Governor-General Eulogio Despujol. The location was moved in 1881 from the MJC in Quiapo, Manila to the oval of the Hippodromo de Santa Mesa (Santa Mesa Hippodrome) in the district of Santa Mesa, also in Spanish Manila, next to the Pasig River; by 1880 Quiapo had become crammed with shops and businessmen's residences. The new location was a ricefield rented by the club from the Tuasons, a family club member. The grandstand next to the new oval track was made of nipa and bamboo. Back then, horseraces in the oval track ran clockwise, like in England, but nowadays they run counter-clockwise, like in the United States.

The horseracing activities of the MJC were suspended during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, a conflict between Spanish soldiers and Filipino revolutionaries. They resumed after the ratification of the 1897 Pact of Biak-na-Bato. The truce was celebrated in Manila with a fiesta in Manila for the entire month of January 1898. The MJC intended to celebrate the truce by holding a race known as the Gran Copa de Manila ("Grand Manila Cup") in May 1898. The prize trophy for the winning horse rider would have been a 22-inch (56 cm) silver cup made in Hong Kong, embellished with horses' heads and a likeness of Justitia, the goddess of justice. But it was not to be, because in 1898 horseracing in the Philippines was suspended with the onset of the Spanish-American War, that lasted from April 25 until August 12, 1898. The Gran Copa trophy was sent by the MJC to the Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong for safekeeping, and was only returned in 1937, after 38 years.

 

[Hachiko]

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Week 4 Results...

Twilight Sparkle 111, Penn State 23
Rainbow Dash 35, Colorado State 21
Toledo 38, Rarity 21
Ole Miss 42, Applejack State 37
Troy 31, Pinkie Pie 24
Fluttershy 38, Western Michigan 21

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Horseracing in the Philippines, Part II

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
September 22, 2021

After the Spanish-American war, the Philippines became a territory of the United States, because Spain opted to make peace with the United States. resulting in the 1898 Treaty of Paris (1898), where Spain negotiated on terms favorable to the US, allowing temporary American control of Cuba, and ceding indefinite colonial authority over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine islands – as island possessions – to the US.

Horseracing at the Santa Mesa Hippodrome (also known as the Santa Mesa Oval) resumed in the Philippines in 1899. In 1900, the MJC was moved to San Lazaro in the district of Santa Cruz, Tayuman in Manila (the MJC is currently known as the San Lazaro Leisure & Business Park). The site measured 16 hectares (40 acres) and had a grandstand and a 1200-meter or six-furlong track. In 1901, during the term of American Governor-General William Howard Taft, the "democratization of horseracing" allowed "people from all social strata" to go to the hippodrome during horseracing days. Betting was introduced and permitted in 1903. In 1930, foreign breeds such as Arabian horses were imported by the Bureau of Agriculture. Also in 1930, the Bureau of Animal Industry was established, and continued to import Arabian horses. During this time, there were two other racetracks that tried to compete with the MJC: the Pasay Country Club (between Harrison Street and Vito Cruz Street) and another in Cebu. Neither lasted long.

In 1935, the Philippine Legislature signed Act No. 4130. This law authorized the holding of Sweepstakes Races by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes, which replaced the National Charity Sweepstakes on October 30, 1934. The MJC became incorporated in 1937, becoming the Manila Jockey Club, Inc. (MJCI), transforming itself from a social association into a business.

In 1937, the Philippine Racing Club was established in Makati and became a competitor to the MJCI. Established by Filipino and American businessmen, the Philippine Racing Club (PRC) was also organized for the purpose of using horse breeds of "superior quality" for horseracing. In 1939, Commonwealth Act No. 156 was enforced. This Commonwealth Act was later amended through Commonwealth Act No. 156. The purpose of Commonwealth Act No. 156 was to include the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. in the holding of yearly National Grand Derby Races, with the goal of promoting the breeding of local or native horses in the Philippines. At the beginning of the 1940s, when Rafael Roces became the president of MJCI, he introduced two types of bet on the horseracing menu: the "daily double" bet and the llave ("key") bet. The daily double bet is unique to the Philippines, and is not offered in other countries. The daily double bet is still popular today.

While under American possession, the Philippines became involved in World War II (1939–1945). Although the war began in 1939, it only started to affect the Philippines directly in 1941 when the United States entered. MJCI had to close for the duration of the war. From 1941, the Gran Copa trophy of the MJCI was kept by Dr. Salustiano Herrera, an officer of the club. The invading Japanese armed forces used the premises of the MJCI as their barracks. After World War II, the MJCI's buildings were converted by the Americans into a facility with "a hospital and a garrison". Herrera returned the Gran Copa trophy to MJCI and it was installed in the Trophy Room.

After the Second World War, the Republic of the Philippines was officially recognized as an independent nation on July 4, 1946. In March 1946, the horseracing facilities of MJCI were returned to its members. It took two months of reconstruction before the racetrack became open to the public. In 1948, the Commission on Races was created by Republic Act. No. 309, a law signed by former Philippine President Elpidio Quirino to regulate horseracing.

In 1951, President Quirino further signed Executive Order No. 392, a presidential order that resulted in the creation of the Games and Amusements Board, which was given the responsibility to regulate public gaming. The Board was also tasked with enforcing gambling laws. In 1957, after the MJCI was registered at the Manila Stock Exchange, off-track betting stations were established in Manila, Pampanga, Cavite, and other provinces with the aim of eradicating illegal bookmakers. Horseraces at the club were broadcast on television Channel 11.

In 1964, the Philippines became the host of the Fourth Asian Racing Conference. In 1965, the National Stud Farm was created, through former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos's approval of Republic Act No. 4618. There were three main purposes for the National Stud Farm. First was to prevent the illegal importation of foreign breeds of horses. Second was to improve the existing breeds of Philippine horses. Third was to perform other functions related to horseracing. In 1969, regulation of the "distribution of gross wages sales on horseracing" was started through the approval of Republic Act No. 6115. During the 1960s, the Philippines became a member of the Asian Racing Conference (ARC), which focused on how further to improve horseracing in the region.

 

[Hachiko]

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Week 5 Results...

Twilight Sparkle 154, Missouri 42
Air Force 45, Pinkie Pie 21
Rainbow Dash 37, UL Monroe 24
Rarity 42, Arizona 28
BYU 44, Fluttershy 28

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Horseracing in the Philippines, Part III

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
September 29, 2021

In 1971, the MJC's Gran Copa trophy was lost in a fire. Today only a replica exists at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP). Despite of the loss, the Gran Copa de Manila horseracing event continued during the 1970s. With San Miguel Beer as the sponsor, two divisions of the Gran Copa de Manila were being held. The event also became known as the San Miguel Beer Copa or SMB Copa due to SMB sponsorship. In 1972, both the MJCI and the PRC were given franchises to "construct, operate and maintain their own racetracks for a period of 25 years". This was made into law by the Philippine Congress with Republic Acts No. 6631 and 6632.

In 1974, the twelfth Asian Racing Conference was held in the Philippines. Also during 1974, the Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM) was created through Presidential Decree No. 420. PHILRACOM was given the responsibility to promote and administer the development of horseracing in the Philippines as "a sport and a source of revenue and employment". The PHILRACOM was established through the efforts of the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (MARHO), an organization formed when a shortage in the supply of horsefeed, such as oats, occurred. On March 20, 1974, the two entities sharing authority over horseracing were the Philippine Racing Commission and the Games and Amusements Board (GAB). As of June 3, 1977, through Presidential Decree No. 1157, the rate of taxes from horseracing (together with Jai-alai) was equivalent to 10% of an individual's Sweepstakes winnings or dividends corresponding to each winning ticket, after deducting the cost of the ticket.

In 1988, Executive Order No. 194 reduced the level of horseracing taxes. This lowering of tax rates happened through the efforts of MARHO, which was headed at the time by Federico "Eric" Moreno, a Philippine justice. During the early part of the 1990s, computer technology was employed for the day-to-day operations of the MJCI.

In 1992, a program to monitor Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) was initiated by the National Stud Farm for all breeding stock. The tests adopted were the Coggins Test (also known as the Agar Gel Immuno-Diffusion (AGID) Test). In 1995, the Blood Typing and Parentage Validation Program was also adopted by the NSF for horses that were under contract with the Royal Western India Turf Club, Inc. (RWITC). In 1996, the Stud Book Authority of the Philippines (SBAP, also known as The Philippine Stud Book Volume I) was recognized by the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC). The Stud Book Authority of the Philippines recorded the "breeding activities of more than 500 Thoroughbred mares" (including those that were breeding in the Philippines) from 1994.

In 1996, the yearly MARHO Breeders Cup (MBC) program was established by MARHO leader, horseowner, and horsebreeder Aristeo "Putch" Puyat, together with Leonardo "Sandy" Javier, Jr., Puyat co-leader at MARHO. The program gives recognition and trophies to deserving horse owners, horse breeders, jockeys, and trainers, focused only on "high-quality stock" of Philippine-bred horses. In November and December 1997 an outbreak of equine influenza affected horseracing in the Philippines.

In 1999, the second volume of the Stud Book Authority of the Philippines known as The Philippine Stud Book Volume II was published, a record of the "breeding activities of more than 600 Thoroughbred mares" in the country from 1995 through 1998, including stallions which have produced offspring from pregnant (in-foal) mares imported into the Philippines during that time. Live horseraces at the MJCI were later broadcast on a dedicated cable television channel.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 6 Results...

Twilight Sparkle 135, Navy 21
Rarity 45, Florida 21
Washington 38, Rainbow Dash 34
Pinkie Pie 37, Mississippi State 27
North Carolina 34, Fluttershy 17

 

[Hachiko]

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The Mystique of Horseracing in the Philippines, Part IV

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
October 6, 2021

In 2000, Executive Order No. 296 was signed by Philippine President Joseph Estrada to integrate the "personnel, programs and resources" of the National Stud Farm with other units and agencies managed by the Department of Agriculture. With this Order the Stud Book Division became the Stud Book and Animal Registry Division (SBARD), placing it under the control of the Bureau and Animal Industry (BAI). With the same Order, the Stud Book Division became the Stud Book Authority of the Philippines (SBAP).

In 2001, three Japanese-owned thoroughbred horses bred in the Philippines were exported to Japan, and were proven to be of horseracing quality "at par" with racehorses bred in other countries. In 2003, the Philippine National Stud Book Division was transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Philippine Racing Commission, a bureau that was directly under the control of the Office of the President of the Philippines. The executive order was approved by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Also in 2003, the offices and racetrack of the MJCI were transferred to Carmona, Cavite at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP), a 77-hectare (190-acre) complex.

In 2004, after the start of the transfer of personnel, programs, and other resources of the Stud Book Division to the Philippine Racing Commission, The Philippine Stud Book Volume III was published, recording the breeding activities of 676 Thoroughbred mares from 1999 until 2002. Also in 2004, the first MARHO Founders Cup (also known as the "Pearl Stakes") horseracing festival was started by the founders of MARHO to celebrate the organization's foundation.

In 2005, Benhur C. Abalos became the leader of MARHO. Abalos and other members of MARHO took legal and police action against the activities of illegal bookmakers. The campaign would continue through 2006. Also in 2005, monitoring and eradication program for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) was made mandatory by PHILRACOM for all racehorses. Identification "passports" were also issued for all racehorses, including pedigrees, vaccination, laboratory test results, and other required information. Also during 2005 the MJCI developed a website featuring horseraces, tips, and results.

In 2006, MJCI became the first horseracing club in the Philippines to provide horseracing information through text messaging, a program known as the Karera Info sa Text, with plans to introduce betting via text message. Also in 2006, the Blood Typing and Parentage Validation Program for racehorses was replaced by a DNA technology program. A microchip numbering program was additionally adopted in 2007 for foals that were born in 2005. Also in 2006, because of the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (IABRW), the Philippines became a signatory to significant articles published by International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in relation to racehorse breeding. On December 8, 2006, the San Lazaro Leisure Park Turf Club of the MJCI became the first "racino" in Asia. The casino gaming area, named as the Casino Filipino at San Lazaro, was on the top floor of the SLLP Turf Club.

In February 2013, the Metro Manila Turf Club (also known as Metro Turf) opened, being the third world-class horseracing facility in the country. It operates at Malvar, Batangas.