HBPA (Ontario) President Sue Leslie / Thoroughbred Trainer Robertino Diodoro / Ontario Thoroughbred Breeder Colin Davis

Ann and  Larry  interview HBPA (Ontario) President Sue Leslie, who discusses the recent agreement on a two-year contract with Woodbine for their 2023 and 2024 Thoroughbred race meets and what are the details behind the contract. Sue also explains the reasons behind an additional $300,000 that is contributed to the Woodbine backstretch community and also discusses the Fort Erie Racetrack contract for their 2023 racing season. Sue then talks about the renaming of the Queen’s Plate to the King’s Plate and the process behind the renaming. Thoroughbred Trainer Robertino Diodoro, who talks about the upcoming Arkansas Derby next Saturday at Oaklawn Park and in particular a horse by the name of Airtime, that he claimed for $50,000 and is planning on  entering in the Derby, with the hopes of qualifying for the upcoming Kentucky Derby. Robertino also discusses the fact that should Airtime race well next week, this would not be the first time that he would be on the Kentucky Derby, having raced the horse KEEPMEINMIND in both the Derby and Preakness two years ago. He also talks about how he grew up in Western Canada and had family ties to Thoroughbred racing there and how he occasionally still races at tracks like Century Mile in Alberta and Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg. Ontario Thoroughbred Breeder Colin Davis, who discusses Ontario Racing’s  Thoroughbred Improvement Program’s Mare Purchase Program, which he credits to assisting him in the start-up of his farm’s Breeding Program and he adds too that the Mare Purchase Program is also very unique to the North American Thoroughbred industry. Colin also mentions how he actually has a racing division to his Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds and the story behind winning his first race last year as an owner at Woodbine and how moving forward he would like to make the farm operation a full time business with his family. Larry  provides  his ‘Ponies Picks of the Day’ selections for several North American Racetracks. 

Key Points:

Sue talks about the new contract between the HBPA (Ontario) and Woodbine and how and why it was only for the 2023 and the 2024 Thoroughbred racing seasons. She also discusses how there are other ancillary projects that should help contribute over time and increase the purses at Woodbine going forward and also outlines how an arrangement to support the Woodbine backstretch workers was originally structured and then outlines some of the costs incurred by the backstretch workers, that the program helps to cover. She  also mentions about the HBPA’s arrangement with Fort Erie and how it differs from the one with Woodbine and also talks about the renaming of the Queen’s Plate to the King’s Plate and why it was necessary to do so and what was part of the process behind the renaming. 

Robertino, initially talks about the upcoming Arkansa Derby at Oaklawn Park next Saturday  and in particular a horse that he initially claimed for $50,000 named Airtime that he will now be entering in the race with hopes of ending up on the Kentucky Derby trail, should the horse race well. He also discusses what attracted him to claiming Airtime and that he believes he is a horse that can ‘run all day’  and mentions  the fact that this would not be his first time racing on the Kentucky Derby trail if Airtime did race well next week, having raced KEEPMEINMIND  in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness two years ago. Robertino is also asked to compare Airtime to KEEPMEINMIND and whether there are any similarities between the two horses and also talks about growing up in Western Canada with family roots in the Thoroughbred industry.  He adds that he still races occasionally at Century Mile in Alberta and Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg and is asked whether he has ever considered racing  at Woodbine. 

Colin discusses the importance of Ontario Racing’s Mare Purchase Program in helping to kick-start  his Thoroughbred breeding business and also discusses how people in other racing jurisdictions are in ‘awe’ of such a program that currently, is only available in Ontario. Colin also discusses how he was originally interested in Standardbreds at first by attending the races at nearby Kawartha Downs growing up and discusses the fact that he also has a racing division  of his Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds and tells the story behind his first winner at Woodbine last summer. He also talks about how moving forward he would like to make Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds  a full time venture and as he develops the breeding side of his business, how his plan would be to breed both commercially and to race.  Colin also discusses whether he may at sometime possibly get involved again with Standardbreds and also whether he could see his family getting more involved in Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds.