FG’s Claiming Crown attracting
trainer Woodard
NEW ORLEANS - Dec. 3, 2011 - Trainer Joe Woodard holds
the Churchill Downs record of saddling an unprecedented
10 consecutive winners at the Twin Spires oval and has
also won multiple training titles at Turfway Park, River
Downs and Beulah Park, but the Kentucky-born conditioner
hadn’t been to New Orleans in at least 15 years until he
stepped off a plane at Louis Armstrong New Orleans
International Airport Thursday afternoon.
The native of Louisville, who began his training career
in 1992, has been attracted to the Crescent City by this
weekend’s 13th running of the Claiming Crown, billed as
the “Breeders’ Cup for blue collar horses,” which is
being hosted by Fair Grounds for the first time in its
history. Woodard has entered a total of six horses in
Saturday’s five Claiming Crown races – tying stakes
horse-rich trainer Mike Maker for the most horses
entered in this edition of the series.
In total, Woodard’s horses – all owned by the Louisville
automobile dealership family of Billy, Donna and Justin
Hays – consist of Lambeau, 6-1 in the morning line for
Saturday’s$50,000 Iron Horse as the fourth race; Plasma
Beam, 9-2 third early choice in the$50,000 Express as
the fifth event; the three-horse entry of Networking,
Shesadozer and Costly, combined for wagering purposes
and pegged as the 3-1 second choice in the$75,000 Glass
Slipper as the seventh race; and Thabazimbi, 9-2 third
choice in the morning line for Saturday’s$100,000
Emerald as the eighth race of the afternoon.
When the Hays family hired Woodard as its trainer, the
ownership was primarily interested in claiming horses
that could benefit from a customized training regimen,
and Woodard’s Claiming Crown entrants demonstrate the
success of his program. Lambeau, Plasma Beam and
Networking, for instance, all won at first asking after
being haltered by Woodard and all of his Claiming Crown
entrants have run good races under his care.
“I use an oxygen therapy chamber on my horses that are
undergoing a layoff from competition,” Woodard said,
“but I’ve had a lot of success using cold salt
hydrotherapy for my horses that are in training. It
helps with practically all lower leg injuries. But the
main thing about the success I have enjoyed is that I
have a very nice feed program and I take very good care
of all my animals.”
Ironically, in spite of the claiming horse churn of
Woodard’s success to date and the claiming horse nature
of this weekend’s showcase, the conditioner is aiming
for higher ground in his future equine endeavors.
“I’m in the process of trying to upgrade my stock right
now for this winter,” said Woodard, “and I plan to keep
six to 10 horses in training at Fair Grounds this season
in pursuit of that goal.”
Nevertheless, Woodard still cherishes his headline
moment to date: that of saddling 10 straight horses to
pose in the winner’s circle at his history-heavy
hometown track during its spring meeting of 2005.
“I was raised 15 minutes from Churchill Downs, and I
started going to the track there with my father when I
was five years old,” Woodard said. “There’s been a lot
of history made there under those Twin Spires over the
years, and to do what I did in front of all the people I
grew up with turned out to be a very emotional moment
for me.”
REMINDER: SPECIAL 12:10 P.M. POST TIME FOR SATURDAY’S
CLAIMING CROWN –Guests of Fair Grounds and fans of the
New Orleans oval’s simulcast signal are reminded that
there will be a special early post time of12:10 p.m. to
accommodate the 13 races scheduled for Saturday’s13th
running of the Claiming Crown.
TRANSLATIONS OF THABAZIMBI, TUTTI BUONA GENTE FOR TRIVIA
BUFFS – Billy, Donna and Justin Hays’ Thabazimbi, a
contestant in Saturday’s $100,000 Claiming Crown
Emerald, was named by Dr. John Chandler, noted South
African-born breeder, who advised that “Thabazimbi”
means “Mountain of Iron” in the Bantu dialect of the
natives from that iron ore-rich region of South Africa.
Mark Martinez’s Tutti Buona Gente, on the other hand,
who goes to the post in Saturday’s featured$150,000
Claiming Crown Jewel for trainer Michelle Lovell, was
bred by Haras Santa Maria de Araras SA in Kentucky
despite the Argentine flavor of its founders. “Tutti
Buona Gente” means “We Are All Good People” when loosely
translated from Italian.
About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s
third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since
1872. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is owned by
Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select
Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming
facility and 10 off-track betting parlors throughout
southeast Louisiana. The 140th Thoroughbred Racing
Season will run Nov. 24, 2011 to April 1, 2012,
highlighted by the $1 million Louisiana Derby on April
1. More information can be found online at
www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com . |
