6 of 10 Northwood Bloodstock Agency has sold SIX OF THE TEN HIGHEST PRICED RACEHORSES ever sold at public auction NO OTHER AGENCY HAS SOLD MORE THAN ONE! In the last 15 years NORTHWOOD BLOODSTOCK AGENCY has sold more horses at the Harrisburg Mixed Sale than any other agency... there must be a reason. Now Accepting Entries To The STANDARDBRED HORSE SALE Harrisburg, PA November 12 & 13, 2010 Bob Boni Northwood Bloodstock Agency 201-863-2082 fax: 201-863-4104 www.northwoodbloodstock.com Email: nwbloodstock@aol.com P.O. Box 2053 Secaucus, New Jersey 07096 THE NUMBER ONE BLOODSTOCK AGENCY FOR YOUR MIXED ENTRIES
Come Together It s the title of one of The Beatles most iconic hit songs and could well serve as the mantra for Sue LeSLIe who is certainly doing her part to bring all factions of Ontario s often-fractious horse racing community together. By Heather MacKay Roberts Sue Leslie understands the value of working together as a team. It's the only way she ensures that all aspects of her life run smoothly and she is trying to pass that same philosophy to the horse racing industry. She s had to learn to operate efficiently given her various roles. A well known Thoroughbred owner and trainer, she serves as the Chair of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association, President of the Ontario division of the Horsemen s Benevolent and Protective Association, Chair of the Fort Erie Thoroughbred Horse Racing Consortia, a steward of the Jockey Club Of Canada and a director of LongRun, the Thoroughbred retirement association. The main reason she s involved in so many different aspects of the horse racing industry is Ontario is because she is so passionate about it. Sue Leslie is the ultimate professional, praised Hugh Mitchell whom Leslie succeeded as Chair at OHRIA a year ago. I would gladly work on any board she is affiliated with as she s such a hard worker and simply cares so much about the horses and the industry. Sue is a great listener who is highly principled, and she possesses the leadership skills needed for the job. More recently, Leslie took on another role at OHRIA, that of President, replacing Hector Clouthier who announced his intention of returning to politics. It wasn t that Leslie was looking for something else to do, she was busy enough preparing her good three-year-old filly for the Woodbine Oaks, one of the premier events on the racing calendar at Woodbine. Leslie, who was born in Hamilton, Ontario and lived in Texas and Florida for several years, first became involved in horse racing more than three decades ago when she and her husband, who ran a plumbing business, decided to get involved in ownership. We d been casual fans for a number of years, she explained. My husband liked to bet and I ve always been a big animal lover. We built a farm in 1984 and I was involved in the running of that on a day to day basis, we still had the plumbing business as well. The farm was sold when Sue s husband passed and she became involved in the training of her horses, sending out her first winner in 1997. Since that time she s added to her barn and currently trains 18 at Woodbine with several others on a farm. I m trying to cut back the numbers a bit so I can devote more time to industry issues, said Leslie who has a home in south Florida where she stays during part of the winter each year. She had a top year in 2001 thanks to Millennium Allstar who
COME TOGETHER Photo by Michael Burns won the Achievement Stakes and finished second in the Queenston Stakes and Plate Trial but was a disappointing eighth in the Queen s Plate. What sets her apart from many of her fellow conditioners is the fact that she shares ownership of all of the horses in her barn. I think that provides reassurance for the owners. They know that I will make the best decisions I possibly can for their horses as I m as invested as they are and it shows them I m truly a part of the team. One of her long time owners who is very familiar with teamwork is Curtis Joseph, known as Cujo, a former goalie with the Toronto Maple Leafs and now retired. I was training for Gary Leeman who was playing in the NHL at the time and his agent was Don Meehan, who was also Curtis s agent, Sue explained. He brought them to the barn and Curtis fell in love with the horses. I ve had horses for him since 1992 and we ve become good friends. He understands horses very well because their dispositions and injuries are so much like hockey players that he gets it, she said in a story in The Globe And Former NHLer Curtis Joseph has been a long time partner of Sue Leslie's and he's shown here at this year's draw for the Woodbine Oaks holding the name of his homebred filly Moment Of Majesty who lost the race by a nose. Alongside is the guest drawmaster, Olympic medalist Joannie Rochette. Mail by Beverley Smith. He s very passionate about the business. He probably knows pedigrees better than I do. This year Leslie, Joseph and Meehan are racing the impressive filly bred by Joseph, Moment Of Majesty who narrowly lost the Woodbine Oaks on June 13, losing by a nose at the wire. That was heart breaking, Sue said. They also ran the diminutive lass in the Queen s Plate this year, watched over by Queen Elizabeth and it would have been fitting for the filly to come through given her name, but it wasn t to be her day and she finished eighth. Leslie first became involved in the politics of the industry in the mid 1990s, prior to the installation of slots at the province s racetracks. I thought then, as I do know, that the business was far too fractured. There wasn t enough co-operation or a sense of working together for one common goal. The industry needed to unite and the more I became involved the more frustrated I became. They didn t seem to be making any headway and there didn t seem to be any willingness to put aside personal issues to work together so I stepped away for awhile. I simply observed for a few years and by 2000 a few things had changed so I was ready to become more involved again. By that point there was no shortage of money thanks to the slots and I was at a different point in my life that I had the time to invest. There had been many changes and people seemed to be working better together. In the past financing had always been an issue but that had changed thanks to the slots. The naysayers will say that OHRIA hasn t accomplished anything but that s ridiculous. The bottom line is that OHRIA has been able to move the industry forward in terms of the pari-mutuel tax reduction and slots and has been one July/August 2010 The Harness Edge
BREED TO SELL? BREED TO RACE? WE BREED TO WIN!! Selling On September 11-12 at The Canadian Sale Flamboro Downs, Dundas, Ontario 69 Kendal Grace b.f. Life Sign Dexters Magician Dexter Nukes 109 Kendal Glamorous br.f. Life Sign Armbro Cherish Camluck 126 Kendal Gucci br.f. Life Sign Sweetie Gonzalez Big Towner 290 Kendal Gustav b.c. Life Sign City Of Dreams Dragons Lair Selling As Agent 90 Amiga Valley br.f. Amigo Hall Crystas Chip Pine Chip 141 Signora Bella Vita b.f. Life Sign Lady Micbri Artiscape 179 Limbabean br.f. Peruvian Hanover Jazz Music Fund Fundamentalist 204 Buckshot N Bullets br.c. Million Dollar Cam Tassagh Apaches Fame For more information please visit: 9661 Trew Road, R.R.#1, Campbellcroft, ON L0A 1B0 (905) 797-2124 Fax (905) 797-2081 Website: www.kendalhills.com Email: kendalhillsstud@on.aibn.com
COME TOGETHER voice for the industry in the eyes of the government. There are still groups that exist that believe they can take their own agendas to the government regarding horse racing issues. The people will be polite and listen to them but that gains nothing and it s potentially dangerous, she warned. The role of OHRIA is to act as that voice to the government on behalf of everyone involved in racing. What those at the table need to understand is that sometimes their own personal issues need to be set aside and we sometimes have to make hard decisions. But ultimately they are the ones for the best of the industry. We need to speak to the government as one voice for all breeds and be united. The government does listen when we do that. We re in partnership with the government and they need to be convinced that we re worthy of the money we re currently receiving, the slot revenue is instrumental to our survival. Leslie relates OHRIA s role to that of her shed foreman. I can t have all of my staff coming to me with 15 different ideas on what needs to be done. There needs to be one person assigned to say Sue, we all agree we need a new truck or whatever it is and I know that person speaks for the team. The government is the same way, they want one voice speaking for the industry. It s a pretty common sense approach. Over the past couple of years OHRIA has been busy helping to facilitate extensions of the slot agreements between the Ontario government and each of the province's racetracks with slots. The OHRIA board is a very dedicated group but they all need the support of the groups they are representing at the table. A leader is only as good as the pack behind them. The split of the Standardbred horsemen presented a challenge and was an issue for awhile but we seem to be working through that and building a rapport between all parties. Moving forward, Leslie believes the emphasis needs to be placed on better communication between the regulators and the industry. I believe there needs to be more interaction and regular contact between the Ontario Racing Commission, Ontario The star of Leslie's stable this year has been the three-year-old filly Moment Of Majesty. Lottery Corporation and the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency and the industry. We re all in this together. There should be ongoing dialogue and I would like to see representatives all in the room at one time working together discussing issues of concern to all. The relationship is no different than a friendship or a marriage. There needs to be respectful and meaningful communication in order for the relationship to succeed and grow stronger. Part of my job is to mend relationships. I want to improve how all the Photo by Michael Burns July/August 2010 The Harness Edge
groups in the industry work together. We re most effective when we re united and there s too much at stake and too much competition to allow individual complaints and issues to get in the way. Sometimes people have to give a little for the overall good. I like to think that I am able to put the best interests of the industry at the forefront. When we put one party s interests ahead of another is when we get into trouble. There might be something that comes up that may not be the first choice of the Thoroughbred horse people, but if it is better for the overall business, then we need to go along. At the end of the day it s not helpful if just one segment of the industry is doing well. I know in my heart that if the industry doesn t work together the declines will continue and the industry will struggle to survive. There are many issues facing racing that Leslie feels the industry needs to be looking at, some which fall under OHRIA s mandate, others which do not. They include changes to the income tax laws, Part of my job is to mend relationships. I want to improve how all the groups in the industry work together. We re most effective when we re united and there s too much at stake and too much competition to allow individual complaints and issues to get in the way. Sometimes people have to give a little for the overall good. specifically Section 31, race dates which she believes is a critical one, new forms of betting to be introduced, and marketing. It also concerns me that the industry does not have a strategic plan. There needs to be a single message from the industry in response to issues such as horse slaughter. Public perception of the industry is crucial and a strategic plan would address that. Leslie is very receptive to hearing from those involved in racing. My door is always open. I want to hear any ideas or suggestions for improvements. With everything Leslie has on her plate, it s a wonder she has time in a day to see to it all. Luckily, the hectic pace suits her. I m an early riser. I usually work for a couple of hours before I go to the barn. I m there for three to four hours and then the rest of the day is devoted to industry issues. Sometimes that s seven days a week. Fortunately, I like to be busy. I love the industry and want to do my part. NOW THAT S FILLY POWER!! Photos by New Image Media EastEr BonnEt Mccall Magic 115. MISS MAJESTIC b.f. Majestic Son-Gypsys Bonnie-Cumin From the first crop of Majestic Son, a half-sister to OSS winner EASTER BONNET 2,1:58.4s, 3,1:58.1f, 4,1:56.1f- 10 ($184,933) and BONNIE RONNIE 4,1:58s ($47,190). From 100 per cent producer GYPSYS BONNIE 3,Q2:02.1s, 4,1:59h ($83,763). 225. ENDA THE HALL b.f. Angus Hall-Fin De Maye-King Conch First foal from stakes placed FIN DE MAYE 2,2:04h, 3,1:58.4f ($39,712), a half-sister to CBC and OSS Gold winner MCCALL MAGIC 2,2:02h, 3,1:55.1s ($483,263). Both fillies are well conformed and athletic. We invite your inspection. Selling at The Canadian Yearling Sale, Sept. 11-12 at Standardbred Canada Sales Pavilion at Flamboro Downs, Dundas, Ontario Consigned by Dr. Keith Colquhoun (agent), 5151 Wellington Rd. 29, R.R.5, Rockwood, Ontario N0B 2K0 (519) 856-4040 The Harness Edge July/August 2010