Christophe Lemaire, Greg Conley & Tom Wenzel Join The Show - Episode #137

This week’s show includes an interview with the current #6 rated jockey in the world, Christophe Lemaire. Lemaire has been dominant in Japan for several years and is renowned from successes world-wide. He’s involved with furthering interest in racing through hip-hop music with EmD owner Greg Conley and others. Also, trainer Tom Wenzel remembers beloved groom Darrell LaFrance, who passed away last month after eight decades in the sport. It’s off-season mode at Emerald Downs and full card simulcasting continues, seven days a week. The 2024 Breeders’ Cup is just three weeks away, Nov. 1-2. The Fifth Floor will open early those days with seating first-come, first-served. Book a suite or a room for Breeder’s Cup days through the EmD Group Events department. Call 253-288-7700 to book any meeting or event, including a Christmas party!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 1 (00:28):
Mucosuit.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
Horse Racing Northwest October edition Here at Emerald Downs Joe
with the Invins Broom. Thanks for joining us on horse
Racing Northwest as we have completed the course of twenty
twenty four season. Still a little talk from that coming
up from vincent I and we've got a couple of
guests today. Christophe Lemaire is going to join us. We

(01:11):
actually talked to him in Japan a couple weeks ago.
He is number six in the world rankings among jockeys.
Of course, he wrote Dermasoda Gake to runner up finish
in the Breeders Cup last year behind White Bear a Barrio,
and that's the plan again for him to ride Dermasota

(01:33):
Gaki at del Mar and he's got all kinds of
great stats in Japan. Greg Conley of Rage, Greg Conley
prominent horse owner here at Emerald Downs and the Joe
Toy Stable. He got to know Christoph by just finding
out that Christoph Lamaire liked hip hop music. And of
course Greg's working on an album with a number of

(01:55):
prominent hip hop artists out of la including Frank Nitty.
So they got communicating and they're going to see each
other down there and in San Diego area the Breeders
Cup November first and second at del Mar and Christoph
is helping out with an album that well, you'll hear

(02:15):
the interview with Greg and Christophe Lemaire coming up on
today's horse Racing Northwest Vince Tom Winzel's also going to
join us. You know, you could talk to Tom about
a whole lot of things that are good at Emerald
Downs and another one that he's going to kind of
concentrate on today as the passing of Daryl la France
at age seventy seven and Darryl hit the racetrack in

(02:41):
nineteen sixty three as a teenager at Renton High School
and a lifelong career on the backstretch at Emerald Downs
and of course Long Acres and many other West Coast
tracks as a groom and he left a heck of

(03:01):
a legacy. And Darryl had you know, a little bit
of a rough last year with some complications and things.
But people sure knew Daryl around the racetrack.

Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, even those of you been around the track may
not know him by name, but you'd certainly recognize him.
He was in the Winter Circle for a whole lot
of wins over the years. Kind of a quiet guy, Joe,
but worked for some great outfits and took care of
some good horses.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
And yeah, another big loss. Yeah, we'll go over that.
Darryl passed away at age seventy seven on September twenty eighth.
So Tom Winzel will join us to talk about Darryl
and Moore and he. That'll be in our second segment
or first segment. We'll have the Christophe Lemaire interview, and

(03:50):
of course toward the end we'll have our sports shorts, selections, trivia,
et cetera, et cetera. But for right now, Vince again.
The Breeders Cup November first and second at del Mar
Friday and Saturday, two day Breeders Cup. As usual, Emerald

(04:10):
Down's fifth floor will be open early. It's a first come,
first serve basis, so keep that in mind for Breeders
Cup week not far off right now.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Most of the final major preps were held in the
last couple of weeks, and now people are shipping out
to Delmar if they're not already there or making plans too.
And yeah, it's what three it'd be three weeks from
this weekend, so it's pretty much here.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
And Turf Paradise opens on November second, Breeders Cup Saturday
for racing. They opened their track for training this week.
We're going to have all kinds of local horsemen and
horses down there at this meet. Turf Paradise, sure are
it fits nicely on the racing calendar for Emerald Downs horsemen.
Now you get Seattle in the summer pretty much Phoenix

(04:58):
in the winter. The purses are relatively similar and all that.
So yeah, look for a lot of local connections down
there right now. The last couple of weeks we've seen
a lot of our guys down at Fresno, a couple
updates down there. Clovis connection, of course, that real tough
beat in the mile, well he bounced back with a

(05:18):
real easy win, six length win in the Harris Farms
at seventy three thousand dollars stakes at Fresno. He ran
six furlongs at eight and four, which is very fast
down there. Paid two forty and I got a ninety
one buyer. So he's a really good horse, Joe.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
And that was like ten for sixteen, what exactly is
now he's three for six this year, ten for sixteen lifetime.
As we've talked, he can sprint and he can route,
and he's a really talented horse and he's only four.
That other one, Blaine Wright ran in the mile. Prince
Abu Dhabi this weekend. They run the Bulldog Stakes there
on Sunday, that's October thirteenth, and a lot of familiar

(05:57):
faces nominated to that race. The entries will probably maybe
out later this afternoon. Armadoro we know very well here
at Emerald Downs Red Cross Night, a horse owned by
George Tadaro, Rim Protector, trained by Tim mccanna, owned by
Cordy Jarning, Freddy DeSimone and then Prince Abu Dhabi has
been training steadily at Pleasant and is nominated to the race.

(06:18):
So I got to think that's where Prince Abu Dhabi
would be would be running, and he'll be tough in
that race. He ran really good in the mile. He
had a kind of a tough trip from an outside post.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
John Lindley is waiting for this horse to run back, because, yeah,
as he's commented, every horse from that was outside in
the mile, that tried and against that bias, and it
just takes you back to that day August eleventh, a
tremendous day at Emerald Downs, and what a victory it
was by five star general it was.

Speaker 4 (06:46):
And yeah, so looking forward to hopefully when the entries
come out later today, we'll see him in there. So
that's this weekend at Fresno.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
Yeah, that's a big race, a lot of local interests
there down at Fresno. Lonesome Boy he means the top
Washington Bred earner for twenty twenty four. Of course, son
of Nationhood campaigning strictly back east this year with the
win at Parks, the stakes win at Parks, Allowance win
at Aqueduct last January, and of course he ran a

(07:17):
really big race in the Wood Memorial, finishing fourth of
eleven or twelve in that race and kind of in
it all the way. He did get a chip in
his next start and had some time off this spring
and summer. But he has come back. And of course
he was in the the what five hundred thousand dollars
or a million.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
Million dollar and he was up close in that race,
and you know, watching a couple of he tries that
Harse tries hard. He was just a little too tough
for him. I think, so I think this next spot,
it sounds like they Joli are pointing towards a shot.
He's going to have a pretty good, pretty good opportunity
for a winning.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah. It looks like possibly next weekend at Parks he
could be running in a one mile steak. Lonesome Boys
made one hundred and fifty two grand and it's been
in some tough spots precise timing. Our horse of the
meeting three for three all Stakes, that daughter of dialed
In was our leading earner, as well as horse of

(08:16):
the meeting ninety one thousand juvenile Philly trained by Kay Cooper.
Terry's Boy is a claiming horse, a seven year old
who his last two wins he's won at two southern
California tracks.

Speaker 4 (08:28):
Del Mar and then Santa Anita again a nice win
last weekend. That horse was originally with Tim McCann He
also had one called Terry's Tomcat who won a bunch
of races in northern and southern California. I think Jeff
Mullins has the horse right now, but he's really sharp.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Yeah, he's three for four this year is Terry's Boy. Okay,
just saw Bonnie Jenny. She came in to get a
couple of trophies. Trainer Bonnie Jenny won her first local
derby this year with Dynamic Secret, taking the Muckle Shoot
Derby at Emerald Downs. And he was our top three
year old at the meeting and she's really excited about

(09:07):
next year because she's got She said she had two
or three unstarted two year olds and then her clients
bought several horses at the Wtboa Sail as well. So
Bonnie Jenny had a good year and she is looking
forward to next year. Tom Wins will be joining us loosed.

(09:29):
His Whiz did scratch out of the Muckle Shoot Tribal
Classic on closing day. He was defending champ and of
course he was a stakes winner again at Emerald Downs
this year. He's two time defending Washington Horse of the Year.
You know Tom did scratch him. It was an off
track that day, but we'll ask Tom about lose his Wiz,
who we do know is wintering at his consistent Oak

(09:53):
Harbor home right now and we'll be until training starts
next year. Oh, we did have a change in the
leading sire. There were some rulings that came down after
our last podcast.

Speaker 4 (10:08):
There were and yeah, so there was about four or
five races that got retroactively overturned, so a couple of
them that affected the final totals. Alex Cruz lost a win.
He's still the champion rider, but instead of sixty forty
finishes with sixty three, and Kevin Kraiger picked up a
win but means he got second place outright with forty

(10:30):
nine wins. And then Frisco Frills lost a win. That
meant Coast Guard lost a win as sire, so Coast
Guard and Harbor the Gold end up tying for first
and sire wins at nineteen each. We thought it had
been Coast Guard Harbor the Gold another title for him
or a co title this year. And then Tano House

(10:51):
picked up a win, moved up from second, so he
ends up with four wins for the meet. So a
few things there.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Third horse to get four wins.

Speaker 4 (11:02):
That's right, So we had a really nice season.

Speaker 3 (11:04):
Two surprisingly perfect Mary Walker Tano House led the meet
with four wins. And yeah, you speak of Harbor the Gold.
That was his twelfth Emerald Downs leading sire title. Of course,
he's been passed for three years, but he did sire breet.
He did cover a few mayors the year that he

(11:26):
did pass, so he had two year olds again this year,
Harbor the Gold twelve Emerald Downs leading sire titles. Of course,
he's the tracks all time leading sire by far and away,
leading stake sire by far and away. But congratulations to
Eldorado Farm in the Hagens. Coast Guard gets his first
title co title with Harbor the Gold this year.

Speaker 4 (11:46):
Yeah, and it was a matter of time. He's been
a big factor around here the last few years. Also
a Brage has piled up a lot of wins over
the last decade. But yeah, Coast Guard. I remember when
he ran down southern California and he said it was
a good looking doying. He had some class. And yeah,
his horses are runners.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yep, and the Hagens of El Dorado Farms, Ron and Nina.
They also have had previous Emerald Downs leading sire's basket
Weave and Tribunal and now Coastguard gets the title. So
good stuff there. Let's see, uh we talked to okay,
leading sires. This is the first year that an out

(12:27):
of state sire has been our leading stake sire back
to back. We've had leading stake sire's you know, Bertrando
sire of a Striker, PhD and so forth over the years,
but this is the first time and out of state
sire has been the leading stakesire two years in a row.

(12:48):
And each time the Factor has been involved, he's done
really well with his runners up here, sure has, and
of course one of them was a Loha Breeze and
Appeal Factor and even going back to part of Northwest Yeah,
fact West Factor top two year old Philly at Emerald Downs.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (13:07):
So the Factor tied with three steaks wins this year
with dialed in. Dialed In of course, had all three
of his steaks wins from precise timing. The Factor had
a Loja Breeze with two and Appeal Factor with one.
So we got to get a Washington sire back on
that list. All right, Let's see what else we got

(13:28):
going here? Oh, yeah, group sales, uh, the Breeders Cup
and Christmas of course coming right up. Group sales at
Emerald Downs. You want to have a Christmas party or
a little Breeders Cup, get together. We've got all these
different rooms. Give our group sales department a call at
two five three two eight eight seven thousand. That's two

(13:49):
five three two eight eight seven thousand. And yeah, we've
got the Emerald Room which holds you know, three to
four hundred. We've got the View Room, we've got the
sixth floor sweets, we've got the loft suites and just
all kinds of different rooms. And of course we can
cover all your audio visual needs as well. It's been

(14:11):
a pretty popular place for Christmas parties and if you're inclined,
give us a call for that right. Other things, Infinite
Patients won the Ballerina for the third time up at
Hastings last Saturday. And that daughter of Sun Gold a B. C. Bread.

(14:33):
She had a great career events, as you know. Out
of thirty two, yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:38):
That's in virtually all of them in Western Canada. And yeah,
won't be seeing that name probably in the future, but
that was twenty two out of thirty two.

Speaker 3 (14:49):
Wow. Tremendous. She had a ten race winning streak at
one point between Hastings and Century Mile, and yeah, three
for three in the Ballerina. She was also five for
five as a two year old. Barbead's trainee Infinite Patients
won the Ballerina ten race winning streak at one point
in her career. The longest winning streak at Emerald Downs

(15:13):
made me think of that, and uh nine.

Speaker 4 (15:17):
Usa U no her Striker PhD or was it?

Speaker 5 (15:21):
Keeps on?

Speaker 4 (15:21):
Debbie?

Speaker 3 (15:22):
There you go, stop shopping. Debbie won all nine of
her races at Emerald Downs eight steaks and I think
Striker won eight steaks in a row and ruppers and
wranglers too. I think stop shopping. Debbie fits in nicely
with our guest Tom Winsley.

Speaker 4 (15:38):
Yea. And it was a shame because that horse, you know,
Tom will even tell you when she went down to
the La Woman after our meet here was it twenty fifteen,
I want to say twenty fourteen, twenty fourteen. She just
wasn't quite right. She was a little bit, you know,
close to scratching her and she.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
Oh, yeah, she was sick the week before.

Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah, And we just didn't they didn't get to see
her best punched on there, and I really think she
could have run with those horses.

Speaker 3 (16:05):
I always felt bad about that too, because she was
pretty darn awesome, you know, and she just was you know,
probably hey, when you're coming off being sick and you
go out and jog or something, you know, it's not
the same feeling a lot. But anyway, Halen Aator also
won nine straight. If Tim and Sue Spooner or listening

(16:26):
her Dan Markle, she won eight in a row that
one year, topped off by the Bell Roberts, and then
she won her first start the following year. So she
won nine straight at Emerald Downs as well, a Northwest record.
Hayleen Aader two thousand and five in her first race
and six. All right, we could keep you know, Vincent,

(16:46):
I can keep extending on these type of things, and
one thing leads to another. But we talked about Christophe
Lemaire number six and the world rankings among jockeys really
has found a home in Japan, and you'll hear some
of that statistics from Vince and we're going to go
to that right now. Christophe Lamaire here on horse racing

(17:08):
Northwest Joe with the Vince brun on horse Racing Northwest
and a prominent owner and a great race fan and
a visionary Greg Conley joins us here. Greg, good to
have you part of the show this week. Thanks, Joe,
really appreciate it. Always love being on with you guys. Yeah,
you've been on several times and just trying to move

(17:31):
the game forward, bring in a few younger people, maybe
a different focus group type and you know, let's keep
it going. And we've got a special guest on horse
racing Northwest today. It's one of the top riders in
the world, Christophe Lamaire live from Japan. And Christoph, great

(17:54):
to have you here talking with us in Auburn, Washington,
outside of Seattle.

Speaker 6 (18:00):
Yeah, Hi everybody, I'm Krystoph Lemaire. I'm Krystalph lehma writing
joking Japan. It is actually eight o'clock in the morning
on Tuesday, and I'm very glad to be the Beauty
Day to join you today to talk about the future

(18:21):
f stationing and try to make may people interested on
the horse team on that beautiful sport. We need a
lot of support and I'm very glad we talk about
it today with you.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
Yeah, and as we welcome in Christoph. Just a little
background on him, obviously he's from France were in nineteen
seventy nine, but writing in Japan, where he has been
the best jockey by races one from twenty seventeen through
twenty twenty one, also again in twenty twenty three. Numerous
awards over there and racing. Fair to say, Christoph, Racing

(18:58):
is pretty big in Japan.

Speaker 6 (19:02):
Yes, definitely behind baseball. You can say that it's the
most popular sport in the country. The stakes money is
very big. The level of the horses gets higher and higher.
Last year we had the number one rated horse in

(19:25):
the world as the Equinox Scores in Dubai and one
of the best races in the home country. In Japan,
there's about three million people following horse racing. On the
this day racing we have around one hundred thousand people

(19:51):
on the race course hearing for the jopeyes for their
favorite horses. The merchandising here is very big, and the
jockeys considered as though athletes and big star like soccer
players in Europe or NBA players in America or baseball

(20:17):
players in Japan. So it's a great nation of horse racing.

Speaker 3 (20:22):
Hey, well, you're right at the top of the list
of the stars then athletes in Japan with that record.
Then we're going to of course bring Greg in and
talk about how you guys got together. But first of all,
jockey of your stature, and I'm sure you were doing
pretty well there in the late nineties when you were younger,

(20:43):
But how did you get over to Japan in the
first place.

Speaker 6 (20:50):
As a young kid, I always wanted to travel thanks
to horse racing. So when I had your opportunity when
I was in France, I wanted to go to Japan
to experience that big horse racing country. And then from
two thousand and two I started to go to Japan

(21:11):
every winter for since of three months. I did that
for fifteen years, and ten years ago I had the
opportunity to get a sing time license after passing an
examination in writing tests in English and then a test
in Japanese with the stewards. Then I was rewarded by

(21:36):
a full time jockey license with my colleague near Cody Moro,
which is an Italian jockey, also very finest in France.
In Italy Soris and so we are the only two
foreigners to get that license and for the last ten
years I moved with my family and live in Japan

(21:57):
sing time.

Speaker 3 (21:59):
Yeah, talk about traveling, huh guys getting over to Japan
for the winter for three months and of course that's expanded,
but the Mid East in the winter and spring for
big races there. And how about capping it off well,
just an addition to the resume winning the Melbourne Cup
that that had to be a great thrill as well. Christoph, Oh, yes.

Speaker 6 (22:24):
That was one of my best suvenir in my career
because it's at first it was not expected because I
was not supposed to ride the horse. But at the
last minute the gopy of Gnaden was suspended and I
was called to come over to Australia to Melbourne to

(22:47):
ride the horse that I was used to ride in
front and the story ended perfectly with the very novel winning.
But for me that was quite some experience and winning
the Medbone Cup is something very big and as soon

(23:10):
as I meet some Ostanian people, they they just uh,
they are in wow on having in front of them
a joking who won the Melbourne Cup, the race that
we called the race who stopped the nation, So.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
It was really really yeah, it's a national holiday in Australia.
That race has a lot of longevity, history, tradition, everything.
Christophe Lemaire joining us on horse Racing Northwest and guys,
the connection is pretty good. And you talk about the
top jockeys in the world. I've heard this discussion with

(23:46):
just within the last few weeks. As we get closer
to the Breeders Cup. There's you know, Ryan Moore and
William Buick from Europe, and you know, Flavian Pratt is
kind of doing what he wants in North America and
I read Rteas is always there. But Christoph Lamaire's name
comes up as well, so we've got top company here.
And Greg, how did your association start with Chris Stopp.

Speaker 7 (24:09):
Well, as you know, we are doing some things a
little bit differently to recruit and bring a culture into
horse racing. And you've shared in the past some of
the songs that we are creating because we have an
album that is called the Winter Circle Album, and that
album is full of hip hop legends. Hip hop hasn't

(24:31):
traditionally been a horse racing place to go. And I
met Christoff by reading his profile and in his profile
it said hip hop fan and so I said, why
not reach out to this guy? And he was gracious
enough to respond to me almost immediately because I think

(24:53):
that what I shared with him, you know, he was surprised,
how did you get these guys to sing about the
sport that we love and sound like they are actually
the jockeys. And so we hit it off, and we
started talking about our visions together, and I introduced him

(25:14):
to Frank Nitti, who you have talked with a few
different times, and they hit it off, and so all
of a sudden, we had the trifecta, so to speak,
between all of us, and we started tailoring the album
towards the legend who we are now calling the Doctor
Dre of horse racing, and that's Christophe Lamire.

Speaker 3 (25:37):
All that's outstanding, and Christoph, it sounds like you just
accepted Greg's approach readily and wanted to get involved with
them right away.

Speaker 6 (25:50):
Yes, definitely.

Speaker 8 (25:52):
First of all, you know, it's kind of the people's
story and the feeling talking with Greg, the feeling, the
feeling gets very.

Speaker 6 (26:04):
Good as soon as we talk to each other. And
as Greg said, we share the same vision of horse waking.
Both of us are very passionate and we we would
do anything for horse walking or for waking to become
more popular and more known as a who sport with

(26:29):
a lot of stories inside, with a lot of sales,
with a lot of good messages. So so yeah, the
connection came very quickly. And to create a hip hop
album dedicated to horse waiting was a fantastic idea to me,

(26:54):
and I wanted to be part of this project.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
Oh that's great. You know, in North America, one of
our challenges is making new fans, Younger fans, you know,
want to read the racing form, learn how to wager,
learn how to look at all the data and come
up with, you know, an opinion on their own. And
now with we have a lot of casinos the last

(27:18):
thirty years in North America. Plus now sports betting is
legal in virtually every state. So the youngsters growing up,
they know about the stars in basketball, football, baseball, golf,
you know, soccer, but horse racing is more of a challenge.
What about in Japan over there, do you guys see

(27:38):
a good mix of crowd at the races? Live?

Speaker 6 (27:44):
Yes, a big cloud on the West coastes, a lot
of people working on TV. But Gla, you know, he's
very active and do a lot of promotions to keep
the sport at the high level and to to compete
against all this these sports that you mentioned before. You know,

(28:10):
we are in a very competitive world where image is
very very important, so we have to keep thinking about
how to promote the sport, how to how to introduce
the sports to people, and producing an hip hopagon is

(28:34):
a way to do that. On my side, in Japan,
I created a fashion brand inspired by horse ratings, so
it's quite new in the in the country and uh
and it's about buzzing. I have the idea to create

(28:56):
horse racing cafee alongside my fashion around in the night
sport in Kyoto.

Speaker 5 (29:04):
So you know, we have to.

Speaker 6 (29:07):
Be imaginative and find different ways to promo the sports.

Speaker 4 (29:15):
Joe. Joe mentioned Pratt and then in America were also
very familiar with Frankie the Tory, a couple of very
successful French writers who have made it big in America.
Have you ever thought about writing full time in the States, Christoph.

Speaker 6 (29:32):
Yeah, I thought about it, but you know, when I
had the opportunity to come to Japan, it was the
right time for me. I knew very well the country
and I felt more comfortable to come to Japan than
America that I already experienced, but where it's very difficult

(29:56):
to get good ride, it will be successful. So my
first choice went went for Japan. Well, of course, I
know a lot about about American horse working history and
it's always a great pleasure to be part of the

(30:17):
Kentucky Derby or the bridder of Cup or the group
one here in your country.

Speaker 3 (30:23):
Yeah, that's great, and you're making a trip over here,
not too long, I take it. I'm assuming you're going
to ride Derma soda Gaki in the Breeders Cup. Is
that the plan at this point?

Speaker 6 (30:36):
Yes, it's the plan. The horse will have a run
tomorrow actually in a group place in Tokyo, and if
everything is fine for him, we'll make the trip to
del Mark.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (30:53):
He tried to do better than last year where if
he's second in the Bridle of Cut Classic, so I'm
anything forward to.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
Yeah, that was that was a dramatic race. Well, white
a Barrio was was solid, of course, and he won
it and Christoph and Derma Sodagaki a strong second in
that race of the Breeders Cup Classic last year. Well, Greg,
Christoph is right away he likes hip hop and it

(31:23):
sounds like he's got a creative thinking mind as well.
So you guys have meshed pretty well together, have you. Absolutely?

Speaker 7 (31:30):
And he set a term that really stuck, especially with
Frank Nitti, and that's street jockey. And he has his
line of clothing that is branded towards that and it
fits the mentality you know, of the hip hop culture
as well too. So very excited to you know, mesh

(31:51):
these two things together. And who knows what the future
may hold, but I do know that the album is
about ninety seven percent complete. That is great, including uh,
some Japanese hip hop because Christoph has some connections in
Japan and we have an amazing Japanese song that I

(32:12):
think will get melded together with some of Frank Nitty's
vision and it is amazing to hear the Japanese flow
right into English.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
Yeah. Uh, Christoph, you've got a little song writing niche
there in your background. Do you you jump into that
at all?

Speaker 6 (32:36):
You mean inside the album? Right?

Speaker 3 (32:39):
Yeah? Write and some lyrics or some a little bit
of melody or you know, uh, you like to get
involved there.

Speaker 6 (32:49):
Yeah, yeah, I like most of the of the songs
that I heard, you know, the lyrics talking about kids, life, Gotti,
whales life, talking about horses, talking about the feeling that
Gothy can have on the back of the horse, the

(33:10):
feeling that you can have just before the start of
the race or in the final yarbs. I think this
is uh, this is amazing to having uh you have
it in a melody with with some floats and and
some good bits behind. This is something uh unexpected and

(33:33):
unusual for hip hop listeners. So I think we have
a lot of things to stay uh. And yeah, if
you hear some songs like a Final lab Or or
Kentucky Abi, Yeah, you can have the you can steel

(33:55):
the sweel that you can have watching horse.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
Well, very good. Talking with one of the world's top riders,
Christophe Lamaire. He's headed over to the US and not
too far from now several weeks for the Breeders Cup
at del Mar and Greg, you probably can't get a
better guy, international guy to get involved with you, and

(34:23):
best of luck to you guys to get this album going.
I like that percentage that Greg threw out. It's getting
close to completion and Christoph will certainly be rooting for
you when you come over here. We want to move
horse racing forward and you guys have got a nice
new angle to help do that. So hey, thanks very

(34:46):
much for your time, appreciate it. You're going to be
on horse Racing Northwest. It's a podcast from Emerald Downs.
We're a track just outside of Seattle. We just completed
our twenty ninth season. But again, thank you so much
for joining us today.

Speaker 6 (35:03):
That was my pleasure. And well done to MRI Down
for being here and keep supporting horse racing. We really
need it, so thank you to all of you.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
Thank you Christophe Lamaire joining us a special interview on
horse Racing Northwest and thanks to Greg Conley as well.
Christophe Lamaire, thanks for Greg Conley for hooking him up.
And Greg is excited about the proposition of getting horse
racing involved in the hip hop culture and getting some

(35:40):
new fans into the game. A great goal there and
he's having fun doing it. And by the way, Greg
did tell me that Christoph Lamire is the fastest ever
to nineteen hundred victories in Japan and winning at thirty
two percent this season this year. That's tough there.

Speaker 4 (35:59):
It's tough and too fat one. It's hard to pile
up the winds as they do in North Americas. They
don't race as often there and they have big field size.
So yeah, thirty two percent is really overachieving.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
That is fantastic when you're running in you know, twelve
to sixteen eighteen horse fields, you know. So thanks for
that one other thing I had. Oh yeah, stakes races
this weekend Maryland, the Maryland Million, West Virginia Breeders' Days.
They got a lot of steaks at those tracks. Mountaineer

(36:35):
and Laurel Hastings has a couple two year old steaks
as well this Saturday. So we're going to take a
time out and we're going to come back with trainer
Tom Wenzel here on horse racing Northwest.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
It doesn't matter if you love craps, blackjack machines or
dining on the finest Asian, American and Salis cuisines. It
doesn't matter what you do or where you're coming from.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
Mucosuit.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
What you do is all at Muckleshoe, an easy drive
from wherever you are. All roads lead to Muckleshoe.

Speaker 9 (37:17):
Mucosuit top of the stretch and Swiss lightning on the outside.
Really testing. I'm pure brass then Nick and Nigg in
the stretch and it's Swiss lightning going better on the inside.
I'm pure brass trying to find, but Swiss lightning and
Nig in front. I'm pure bras, not done with. I'm
pure brass hanging in there. Swiss lightning and Nig in

(37:38):
front of I'm pure bras, Swiss lightning putting away, I'm
pure brass close to the wire and Swiss lightning first
and a long neck.

Speaker 3 (37:45):
That was Swiss lightning winning an Emerald Downs in twenty thirteen,
Mary perone trainer and a little group of owners there
from the Peron family, Mike Dale and also one part
owner Darryl la France, longtime groom to say the least

(38:05):
since the nineteen sixties, and as we mentioned in our
first segment, Darryl did pass away in late September at
age seventy seven, but he won't be forgotten at the racetrack,
both Long Acres and Emerald Downs. And one fella who
knew him quite well and employed him is trainer Tom

(38:26):
Winzele joining us here on horse Racing Northwest. Tom. Thanks
for coming on.

Speaker 5 (38:30):
Yeah, you bet anytime, Joe.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, Darryl boy just got a long list of names
of people that liked Darryl and helped him out and
you know, helped make that home for him in the
stable area at Long Acres and then Emerald Downs and
you were one of them. Tom. How did Daryl happen
to come around your barn?

Speaker 5 (38:54):
Well, he was I think when he was working for
David Dietrich kind of been the mid early two thousands,
and then David decided to kind of move on from
from training somewhere in that neighborhood, and that's when I employed.
I think my first year Darryl helping my barn was

(39:14):
about two thousand and seven, the year the Great Face
won the Mile.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
M Well, that's great. Yeah, there's another name I didn't have,
Dave Doutrich, because Darryl worked for Glenn Williams and Craig
Roberts at Long Acres. I know he rubbed Toninoville and
tool Kit there in the seventies. A couple of very
prominent stakes winners of course, Charles Essex, yourself, Bob Bean,

(39:40):
Debbie Johns, and then Mary Perona course working with him
in her barn. You know other people that really helped
him out and were really thoughtful and helpful to Darryl
were Bob Cappelletti, you know your guy, Sally and Joe Steiner,
the boss, Alan Bozell, Lanta Allen that there's just a

(40:03):
really long list of people that knew and were very
fond of Darryl. He was, you know, a little bit
mentally challenged. And his sister, Marilyn Responte. I spoke with
her earlier this week. She said, it was just it
was so great that he got over to the racetrack
when he was sixteen because he found a home there

(40:25):
Tom and he stayed there. People appreciated him, and he
worked for you. He did work for you.

Speaker 5 (40:33):
Oh yeah, he worked for me for about eight years
from two thousand and seven to fourteen, about the time
when mister Paxton passed, as when my barn got kind
of downsize. But yeah, it was great, a great eight years.
Darrel was a fun guy to have around the barn.
He was very comfortable around horses, and I think the

(40:56):
horses knew that too. Daryl wasn't very tall and but
just had a huge heard loved the horses tremendously and
I think all the horses knew that. I know he
had talked to me, you know, about different things through
the years and and you know, talk to me about
taking care of you know, tough horses that weren't easy
to take care of because they had to be a

(41:17):
little bit cautious with him because they were on the
rogue side or were a little tough. But Daryl got
along with horses very well, and it just seems like
those horses knew that too, and so it's just it
was kind of a perfect mix for him to find
his way to the racetrack and he pretty much stayed
there his whole full adult lifetime.

Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, you know, Bob Cappelletti mentioned his name again, stable
manager for George Tadarrow and out there with you watching
training almost every day of the week. Bob said, you know,
it's it's a tribute to horse racing and the sport
itself for Daryl to find horse racing, you know, just

(41:59):
around time I'm of college graduation and just really find
a home at the track and to be able to
stay there and be accepted and to do that type
of work. And gosh, I can't think of which trainer
told me that, just as you said that he had
a really tough horse, but that horse was just putty
around Darryl, and so he did have a little horse

(42:22):
whispering in him. It sounds like Tom.

Speaker 5 (42:25):
I would say that, you know, there's always a place
for everybody in this world, and Darryl definitely found his nets.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Yeah, and you know, working for you for all those
years and other people that were always concerned about as
well being. He had a kind of a rough last year.
His sister reported, and I know you were aware of it,
that he had pneumonia first and that turned into COVID
and he had actually had some kidney issues as well.

(42:53):
Mary Perone was a full time nurse throughout her adult
life and she was around a lot toward the end,
and she was very concerned about Darryl's health and just
one of the many people at Emerald Downs along with
Tom that Yeah.

Speaker 5 (43:11):
It's always tough when you get to the age where
your memory starts giving you troubles. And Daryl was kind
of at that stage in the last year or two.
And I'd seen him a few times on the front
side this summer and and set alow to him and
just see how he was doing. Then you could kind
of tell by the look in his eye at that
time that everything wasn't always registering this, you know, this

(43:34):
last year and so, and that's tough, you know. And yeah,
you're you're, you know, you get to that stage and
it's probably tougher on us than it is on him.
But I can only imagine when your memory starts going
south on you trying to piece anything together, it gets
a little confusing.

Speaker 3 (43:52):
Darryl was born in North Dakota, the second of five children,
second oldest, and of course Marylyn, his sister, lives in
the Seattle area, and she was really sad just remembering
her brother. And she said there was just really long

(44:12):
periods of time when nobody would hear from him because
he was a groom and he'd go to Spokane once
in a while, or Portland or northern California during the
off season unless he called them. Then, you know, people
didn't hear from him. But he was taking care of
horses for all these different horsemen and doing the great
job that he started in nineteen sixty three. How about

(44:38):
that for longevity, Vince and I marvel on longevity a lot.
That's right up there at the top. Vince.

Speaker 4 (44:43):
Yeah, I was reading some old articles on him, and
Daryl had said that when he graduated from Renton High School.
He had planned on applying at Boeing and then a
neighbor in Renton said, hey, you know, I know some
people were looking for grooms at the racetrack. Know I
could put in a if you're interested the Anderson family. Yeah,

(45:03):
and then one thing led to another and a career
was born. You know, it's what do they call that
synchronicity or whatever, but it was it worked out beautifully. Wow.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
That yeah, goes back to nineteen sixty three. Apparently the
Anderson's that I got that name from his sister Maryland,
and their father did work at Boweling. That's why he
did come out here from North Dakota. But yeah, just
a real long run at the racetrack for one Daryl
of France. And he was a groom of the year

(45:36):
one year here at Emerald Downs. And we're gonna we're
gonna have a race purse for him next year, of course,
and that will be something to look forward to to
honor him. And remember Darryl.

Speaker 4 (45:47):
All right, question for Tom and Darryl. I guess you know,
I know, well he seemed like, you know, a pretty
kind of a quiet fello. Tom. Do you find those
kind of guys. It seems to me like often kind
though those kind of guys can our gals can make
good grooms.

Speaker 5 (46:02):
Yeah, I think there's uh, if you will, kind of
introverted to respect amongst you know, people that are a
little more quiet on the side, they uh, you know,
they probably some of them. I'm sure I would say
myself almost included. Sometimes I feel more comfortable with the

(46:23):
with the horses as I do the people, sometimes so
or even more. But I think Darryl was somewhat that way.
And I think once you got to know him, he
was very uh for the much outgoing in the barn
area and was always fun to talk to and joke
around with. But yeah, he had a quiet way to him,
I think naturally even beyond his a little bit of

(46:46):
his handicap, but he was he was, you know, one
of a kind, probably one of the the last of
some of the old time grooms that were around when
I first came around. So uh, he might have been
last one that I can really remember it to be real.

Speaker 3 (47:02):
Honest, boy, I mean, it'd be hard to top it, really. Yeah.
And you started at Long Acres when.

Speaker 5 (47:09):
And the I was about eighty nine, I thought about
the last three or four years at Long Acres.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah, Tom Winzel joining us. Tom was our leading steaks
trainer this year, defending his title fourth time, I think,
being leading stakes trainer at Emerald Downs.

Speaker 4 (47:25):
That is right, twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, twenty twenty three
and twenty twenty four. And in between those four he
had three second place in steaks and he's second old
time now with sixty one, so six behind Doris Hardwood
and then right behind Tom is playing right with fifty
nine and Frankly Coarelli at fifty five.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
What happened to the Gotstein this year? Tom, you didn't
win it?

Speaker 5 (47:49):
I think I screwed up on the instruction.

Speaker 3 (47:51):
Now, your horse ran quite well, Candy Kabayo, just kind
of on the inside there lacked a little room at
some spots, but you only got beat what a length
length and a half something like that.

Speaker 5 (48:04):
Yeah, I feel kind of bad because I I you know,
I talked about it, and if you watched this horse run,
he had been coming off the pace a little bit
and I was, I was, you know, expecting to be
a little off the pace. I had we had the
inside post. I believe I had the one post in
this race for the two, we're very close to that,
and and we broke great got close and it was

(48:27):
almost pretty much on the lead if we wanted it,
and we decided. I know, my instructions with Leslie were
a little bit more, hey, let's get we can't out
of the first turn and and and have some position
and if anybody really wants to go, make them go
hard around us. But uh, but I I was almost
bummed out we didn't just kind of move on with it.

(48:48):
But I know our instructions were a little bit we're
probably off the pace. And and then when Blaine, Blaine's
rights horse with silver Amerdor didn't really want to didn't
get very aggressive in the race, which was kind of surprising.
It it kind of turned it into a front end
buddy track. That wasn't that tough, you know?

Speaker 3 (49:07):
Yeah, yeah, you got to be late.

Speaker 5 (49:09):
And they just kind of ran around there in America
around after that.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
That's right, Colonel Ludlow stayed there, held the lead, held off,
fought off the Philly one thousand miles who was barely
in front of you, and third and you were a
neck in front of see that tiger, the Blainwright trained
favorite of the race.

Speaker 5 (49:27):
So yeah, and we kind of once we got to
the backside, we kind of naturally took back a little
bit to subtle and that was the you know, kind
of our original thoughts of being that. But the way
the race was going, I wish well almost would have
just went on with it that day, and I think
we would have had a shot to win. And if
we would have done that, And that's not Leslie's fault,
that's my fault for not giving him probably the green

(49:49):
light to do something like that.

Speaker 4 (49:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:52):
Well, three straight Gottsteen victories prior to that, and as
Vince mentioned, number two all time now in stakes wins,
A downs a couple of really good years and you
did scratch Slew's Tis Wiz the same day. Who was
entered to run in the Muckleshoote Tribal Classic. Is he okay?

Speaker 5 (50:11):
Yeah he is. We just unfortunately the week kind of
before the race, he got a foot bruise, small access
and I just couldn't get it resolved by race day unfortunately,
and so minor thing, but he got a little bit
of a surfootspell and just wasn't going to work at
that time that day because of.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
That yep, fair enough. And I did talk to Roy
Brewer here recently, co owner of Slew's Tis Whiz along
with the Wenzels and the Griffins, and he's at his
regular fall and winter home in Oak Harbor area.

Speaker 5 (50:50):
Correct. Yeah, he's in Okarbor, would be island great.

Speaker 3 (50:53):
And the plans are to bring him back next year.

Speaker 5 (50:56):
Yeah, as long as he's as long as he's willing
to run it decens need did this year, We'll raise
him a few more years, as long as he's a
willing participate and doesn't lose too much steam, you know.

Speaker 3 (51:08):
Yeah, Well you've always said that he really tries hard
out there, and that's you know, I guess that's half
the battle. And he's got his a fair amount of ability.
Two time defending Washington Horse of the Years Los his
Whiz and of course long.

Speaker 5 (51:23):
Acreas and he's always even as he gets told, he's
always going to horse that actually liked being at the racetrack.
And not that he doesn't mind being turned out, but
I remember sometimes even in the early years, when he
was turned out at Carl's place, Carl Craig Carlow, he said,
you know, he thought this horse seemed like he liked

(51:44):
being at the track a lot better than he did
at the farm. So hopefully Slough will have his interest
for a few more years for us, and we can
we can keep running him for for a little ways longer.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
Love to see those good Washington Breads come back year
after year to his wiz Steakes winner again in twenty
twenty four for Tom Winzel and Tom, you made a
recent trip with Bob Capelletti back to Kentucky to take
a look at some young horses, and and you're you're
going to come back with a few I hear.

Speaker 5 (52:16):
Yeah, Bob bought be about four five see five this
year when we were back there. So we had a
productive trip. And you know, it's always a new group
of horses, and you're always optimistic about them, but they
gotta prove it to you in the afternoon eventually.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
Yeah. Well, I believe all of your recent Gottstein winners
are from back there, aren't they.

Speaker 5 (52:40):
Correct?

Speaker 3 (52:41):
Yeah, so minor league in Lloyd's logic.

Speaker 5 (52:45):
And in midnight Mojo.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
Midnight mojo, right, So Tom will probably do okay with
you know, some Kentucky breads, Pence.

Speaker 4 (52:55):
I would think they would fit nicely here. And you
know you just mentioned minor league and how's he doing.
Tom He was he was looked like he was headed
for big things this year, and I know you had
a little bit of a setback with him.

Speaker 5 (53:08):
Yeah, we did after I was I had a little
trouble with him after the the first state race this
year and we kind of got that resolved. And that's
a little training and things leading up to that. The
second Stake race when we ran third, and then and
then a workout in between that, he had a more

(53:32):
serious issue that we had to address with a with
a knee and and so that's where he is. We
had to put him on the shelf, couldn't make the
Derby this year because of that, and we uh we
did h did some surgery on him and crossing our
fingers and hopefully that hopefully we'll hope it resolved. Uh

(53:54):
and if we'll see, we'll see how it goes with him.
It's that it wasn't it's just a normal, normal chip
or something. It was more of a crack that we
had to do a little work on. But you know,
we'll see how it goes. I hope, I'm optimistic. Everything
went well on the surgery and we'll give him the
right amount of time and and then bringing him back.

(54:16):
It's just you let him. However, he's doing clinically and
it's barn and hopefully well that we can get him
going again. He's a very talented horse. I thought he
was probably well, you know, it's probably pretty talented horses
I've had in a while and had a lot of
determination this horse. So keep my fingers crossed to me

(54:38):
we can get him back this year and see what happens.
But we actually end up buying a half brother to
him at the sale this year too. I don't know
if these guys that were aware of that, but of
the five the five horses that Bob and I bought
back there, one was a half brother to Minor League.

Speaker 3 (54:55):
Okay, what's the what's the sire.

Speaker 5 (54:58):
He's This one is by Cairo Friend.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Oh, I love that sire.

Speaker 4 (55:01):
Those have done well.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
He had he had a fifty two to one first
time starter win yesterday at uh I believe Indianapolis.

Speaker 5 (55:10):
Yeah, they've been really really good horses around the country
and we've had a few at emill Down's run well
and Blaine Blaine's had a horse or two by this
horse and uh and I actually this was the least
an expensive one of the bunch we bought. So but
he was a good looking horse and uh uh pretty

(55:33):
looking horse, so we uh and Bock has bought a
couple off the Shawan place that have turned out pretty good,
including Minor League. I think that him was diamonds are
and so we're more than comfortable buying off this consignment
and farm. Uh and so we like this cult enough

(55:53):
to take a shot on him very good.

Speaker 3 (55:55):
Yeah, Minor League himself by mine shaft out of subtle
step by smart strike, So a smart strike mayor. And
this one the yearling by Cairo Prince out of subtle
step by smart strike. And yeah Minor League Vince had
a nice little four race winning streak. Yeah, he broke
his maiden, then won the Gottsteam, then won that allowance

(56:18):
real impressively here and then took the first steak at
the meeting or the first three year old stake the Auburn.
So yeah, Tom, good luck with him, a real talented
horse and just have a great fall and winter. Tom,
and a lot of the horses turned out, I take it.

Speaker 5 (56:36):
Yeah, we turned out a good chunk of them. We're
going to send a few down to Phoenix to try
this winner down there with a trainer name Wade Wreck
that we've used for a lot of years, and so
hopefully that'll go well. We did send a Loha Breeze
to Phoenix this year, so we're going to try her
down there, and you would think she'll be very competitive

(56:59):
down there, and there's a few others in the punch,
so hopefully they'll have a little fun this year with
some of those horses.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
Very good. Well, yeah, you've got a good start on
him and a lot of success on so many runners
at Earl Downs. Tom Wensle joining us talking about Daryl
of France and of course a lot of topics appreciate it. Tom, again,
have a good fall and winter.

Speaker 5 (57:22):
Okay you guys as well.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
Thank you, Tom. Tom Weinzel joining us on horse racing
Northwest and yeah, remembering Daryl of France. Just so many
people just really were interested in Darryl and concerned about him.
Of course the last year. It's yeah, that's a long

(57:45):
time to be involved in one occupation and I guess
that answers that that his longevity led him to a
lot of doors.

Speaker 4 (57:55):
I'm glad we're going to have a race for him.
It sounds like next season, and that'll give a lot
of the friends and family a chance to go down
to the Winter Circle and celebrate his great career.

Speaker 3 (58:07):
Yeah, and Darryl passing away at age seventy seven. Blaine
Johnson passed away at age eighty. He actually passed away
in June. He was the publicity director at Long Acres
in the early seventies when he was pretty youthful. And
this guy nineteen seventy one two three was publicity director

(58:30):
and then he wrote for the Seattle PI, and Vince
you know his career pretty well because he covered the
sonics for the PI when Bill Russell came to town,
and those were we always read his column well.

Speaker 4 (58:43):
And he wrote a book called What's Happening where he
chronicled the nineteen seventy six seventy seven season, and I
read it. It was really well done, and those of
us who remember Bill Russell know he could be a
handful to deal with on a daily basis. And back then,
you know, a beat reporter traveled with the team, so
you know he got to know a Bill pretty well

(59:05):
and all the players and all that. It was a
really well written but Yeah, Blaine Johnson was a giant
in Seattle athletic history.

Speaker 3 (59:14):
You bet he grew up on Queen Anne Hill. I
think he was born in Olympia. Yeah, I did hear that.
And then he had a memorial service just this past
Sunday in Tacoma. He knew Joe Laducah real well, and
I went to the service with Joe. He loved basketball.
Blaine was over six three, he might have been six

(59:36):
' four, and you never really set the world on
fire playing. He was, you know, just his buddy there
that I sat here said, Ah, he never grew into
those long legs really, but he played some basketball, but
he really loved it, thus his enjoyment and his good
work covering the Sonics for the PI.

Speaker 4 (59:54):
But there isn't old and one of the old media guys.
There's a photo they used to have a sports writers
race around the track where they'd go a mile and
Blaine Johnson is laboring in the stretch. But like you mentioned,
those long legs, he was going to win. He was
going to the wire first, so he won it. I
think Craig Smith was in there second, and few letters. Yeah,

(01:00:15):
seen some of those pictures. Yeah, and Blaine was accomplished
in a lot of areas. After the Sonics, he kind
of worked his way down to Tacoma. He began getting
involved with the Tacoma Port Commission. He was managing editor
of the Tacoma News Tribune from nineteen eighty nine to

(01:00:36):
ninety two. He started renovating houses in Tacoma. He moved
down there in the mid nineties, and I think he
had commuted when he was managing editor for the TNT.
But he did a lot of personal renovations and flipped
some houses. But then he got involved in the city
at Tacoma and its history and its historic buildings. And boy,

(01:00:58):
you should have heard all the people talk about these
stories of these magnificent renovations and reclamations of old Tacoma.
That Blaine really took the ball and ran with it
and organized and got involved and made it happen. I mean,
just speaker after speaker, just you know, a lot of

(01:01:18):
it was Tacoma. But Joe Leducah met him when Joe
was at Central Washington and Blaine was doing a story
on Dean Nicholson, coach of legendary coach of Central Washington basketball,
and so they had a kind of a lifelong friendship,
and Blaine hired Joe Laducah to work at Long Acres,

(01:01:40):
and then Joe had a long career with the Washington
horse breeders. So I saw Blaine probably four times since
Emerald Downs opened all in Tacoma, I believe. And what
a humble guy for hearing all this stuff that he's accomplished.
He just was into what was going on at the
track and my life and just a really great listener.

(01:02:02):
And here I'm talking to this guy that's done all
these things. You know, what do they call a guy
who's accomplished in many feels like a renaissance man or
something like that. That was him.

Speaker 3 (01:02:12):
Yeah, No, he just hearing all these accomplishments are pretty amazing.
So Blaine did pass away in June at a j
D and boy, he has left quite a legacy here
in western Washington. We're gonna take a break and come
back with our final segment here on horse Racing Northwest.

Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
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What you do is all at Muckleshoe, an easy drive
from wherever you are. All roads lead to Muckleshoe mucouson.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
Course Racing Northwest. This is our third and final segment.
Thanks for joining us. We're going to have another podcast
on the thirty first of October, the day before the
Breeders Cup. So Thursday, October thirty first, we'll have our
next podcast and we'll have some Breeders' Cup looks for sure,
and we'll be reporting. Well, we might have the entries

(01:03:28):
for opening day at Turp Paradise. I'm sure we will
by then as well. Okay, sports shorts, Vince, I've got
one here. Of course, we're in the baseball playoff mode.
The ALCS and the NLCS haven't started, but they're right
around the corner. So who is the only team to

(01:03:49):
play in the ALCS but never win it? The only
team to play in the American League Championship Series but
never win it.

Speaker 4 (01:04:04):
Well, that would be your Seattle Mariners. You've got it
nineteen ninety five.

Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
Actually it says here they've played in it three times?
Is that right? They did in the early nineties. I
think they beat Okay side brottling.

Speaker 4 (01:04:18):
Out the one was the year they won to sixteen
games and they lost to the Yankees that year, Yeah,
four games to one.

Speaker 3 (01:04:25):
So they are zero to three in the ALCS. They're
the only team to play in it and not win it.
Milwaukee played in at one time and won.

Speaker 4 (01:04:33):
It, which but listen, sence, they're the only team never
to play in the World Series. So if you don't
include the Montreal Expos who went on to Washington Nationals,
and of course Washington won it five years ago.

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
All right, well, how about the NLCS. Seattle Pro Baseball
is not looking great. Milwaukee Brewers are the only team
to play in the NLCS and not win it, the
former Seattle Pilot but.

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
They did in the ALCS when they with Harvey's Wallbangers
in eighty two. They did make it at least once.
But yeah, yeah, this is taken.

Speaker 3 (01:05:05):
This is the nl list. Milwaukee's the only team to
play in the NLCS and not win it, zero to
two and they're the former Seattle Pilots.

Speaker 4 (01:05:13):
So, by the way, Milsi out there is his Detroit
Tigers are quite a role. They were kind.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
Of they were nowhere mid season.

Speaker 4 (01:05:23):
Not only nowhere, they were kind of, you know, just
kind of they made a big trade off one of
their better players, and we're kind of looking toward next
year and they've just gotten on a heater and it's
just unbelievable. So they are one went away from being
in the ALCS this year against either Kansas City or
New York Yankees.

Speaker 3 (01:05:41):
Yeah, okay, sports short from you.

Speaker 4 (01:05:43):
I got one. And if anyone can answer this, it
would be Joe NBA NBA and seventy six to seventy
seven Portland Trail Blazers, who you know, we are both
big fans of just because the way they played the game.
Were an amazing team. But they had three starters that
year shoot fifty percent or over from the field, which

(01:06:06):
is very difficult to do in the NBA.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
Gill Walton, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:06:11):
Bill Walton was fifty two point eight percent. That's right.
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:06:16):
I'm gonna say, Bob Gross.

Speaker 4 (01:06:17):
Very good. I thought you'd get that Seattle, you guy,
fifty two point nine percent.

Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
I played freshman ball with him at s how you did.

Speaker 4 (01:06:24):
Yeah, And he was unbelievably a great player, eyes in
the back of his head. If you watch that team,
he was kind of like what JJ was to the Sonics.
We all got really good. You know.

Speaker 3 (01:06:35):
Bill Walton loved him.

Speaker 4 (01:06:36):
Yeah, he was a smart player and and a tough player.
He could mix it up.

Speaker 3 (01:06:41):
He shot I think he might have shot sixty percent
in the NBA Finals that year. But yeah, he was smart.
He took good shots. He wasn't a huge scorer. So
there's two I I want to say, kind of an
obscure name, Larry Steele.

Speaker 4 (01:06:59):
No, he wasn't really a starter that year. He was
part of the tea starter. Larry Steele did have yours
where he shot over fifty percent. Guy out of Kentucky,
a good, hard nosed player, and it was on that team.

Speaker 3 (01:07:11):
I mean, Maurice Lucas is an obvious.

Speaker 4 (01:07:13):
He was the leading scorer on the team at twenty
per But he is not it. You know, Okay, I'll
give you one more chance.

Speaker 3 (01:07:19):
At it wouldn't be towards it, Yes, it is towards Sick.

Speaker 4 (01:07:24):
Dave Towards sixty one point two percent from.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
The field as a guard, a lot of layups from
great outlet passes, and you just mentioned it.

Speaker 4 (01:07:35):
Bob Gross and Dave Towards. They never shot unless they
had a high percentage shot. They were very smart on
the court. But I'm a little bit, you know, sensitive
when people say, you know, the late seventies NBA was
really bad, and I was on the verge. They didn't
watch Portland or Seattle play very often because those were
two excellent, very well rounded basketball team, very fundamentally sound

(01:07:56):
and very tough and very smart. So my soapbox a
little bit there because they say, you know, Bird and
Magic say the end. Maybe they did, but it's not
like that that there weren't any good teams out there
before they came along.

Speaker 3 (01:08:10):
No, Yeah, you're right that the seventy nine to eighty
season with the Bird and Magic joining the league changed
things in a good way.

Speaker 4 (01:08:19):
And then Jordan coming in, of course, but still there
were Seattle and Portland. They were they were very very
fine teams.

Speaker 3 (01:08:27):
Yeah, and I know I've said it several times, probably
on this podcast, but Portland was down two to Philly
in the championship series, and you knew that they were
going to win by thirty in their next game in Portland,
and they did, and then they won Game four by
about thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:08:44):
They did, and then the close out game Philadelphia game
a good game six, nice comeback. Yeah, And I told
you my little side story on that game, and I
it's passed the statute of limitations, But Henry Beby was
on that sixers team and me and my friend that
was the Mariners first year and Jim Bibbie, his older brother,
was pitching for the Indians that day, and he was

(01:09:06):
a good he had a good fastball. You know, he
threw a no hitter, big.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
Guy goot Taller and his brother.

Speaker 4 (01:09:11):
Yeah, and my brother goes, he this is baddie. He
wants to get out.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
He wants to go watch the.

Speaker 4 (01:09:17):
Game because the game six was going was going on
at the exact same time as the Mariners Indians game,
and he was gone after about five batters. Yeah, he
just got blown out of there. In my he's he
wants that, And I mean, I would never accuse anyone
of doing that, but it was kind of funny. And
he rocked off the mound. And I'm sure he did
watch Game six in the in the clubhouse.

Speaker 3 (01:09:39):
He may have been a little distracted. Yeah, okay, there's
some sports shorts.

Speaker 6 (01:09:45):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (01:09:45):
I was going to ask you about the crack and
you went to their opening game. Yeah, you know, I
mean this is early, but prospects for this season, well,
that was a.

Speaker 4 (01:09:53):
Tale of two thirty minutes. The Seattle Cracking dominated the
first thirty and then they gave up a goal and
they completely stopped. It was kind of alarming. They were
out shooting Saint Louis at one point twenty one to seven.
I saw a lot of good things. Dan Bowsma is
the new coach, taking over for Dave Hackstall, and I
saw a lot better passing, particularly in the in the

(01:10:14):
first half of the game, and a lot stronger attack
on the puck, and just you know, playing hard and
making smart plays and shooting the puck, which they never
used to do. But we'll see. And one thing I
didn't like. They started Philip Grubauer over Joey Decord in goal,
which makes absolutely no sense. The court is the better
goalie and Grubauer they're stuck with that contract. No one's

(01:10:36):
going to take it off their hands, so I mean,
I don't get what they're doing there, but they did
the next day signed the Cord to a five year contract.
He's clearly the guy at the future and I think
he's going to rest away the number one spot here
before long. Shane Wright, this will be his first full year.
He looked fine out there. Maddy Benierz, who was the
Calder winner two years ago. He looks like he might
bounce back well. And the two free agent signings, Brandon

(01:10:59):
Montur and Chandler Stevenson Montor looks really good. I don't
know about Stevenson Montors, a defenseman, I'm gonna eat a
lot of minutes. He played for the Cup winners in
Florida last year. He's very solid. So I think they're
definitely improved. Whether that's good enough to make the playoffs,
I think they're a fringe playoff team, but I think
they'll be a better team and definitely funner to watch.

Speaker 3 (01:11:18):
Okay, better team this year for the crack and home
opener earlier this week. Okay, selections, Well, you know I
have one as kind of a quick deal. But I
took a look at Laurel on Saturday the Maryland Millions
going on, and you brought up before we started, Jim
McKay was instrumental in getting the first state bred steak stay.

Speaker 4 (01:11:39):
That's right, Yeah, that was kind of a new concept
at the time in the eighties. Are Jim McKay. Everyone
remembers him from whyde World of Sports? A huge horse
racing guy from Maryland, and then California followed suit with
the cal Cup, and now we got him in New
York course the Washington Cup in our state. But yeah,
Jim McKay and the Maryland Millions was first on the map.

Speaker 3 (01:11:58):
Yeah, and the Maryland Millions is this Saturday, the twelve
at Laurel. Race six is the Lassie six for a
long sprint for two year old phillies. Really doesn't look
like super standout several winners in there. I'm looking at
a first time starter number two, Eccentric by Opportunity, who
was that Mike Pegram owned war horse for boy he

(01:12:21):
ran I think through his six year old year. He
was tough and made a whole bunch of money running
winning and running in the money in grade ones. And
this is a daughter of Yes I Dance, who's by
Yes It's true good speed breeding there the damn herself
Yes I Dance one six out of twelve and has

(01:12:43):
one previous runner who was a multiple winner and won
at two. So breeding notes fine and a first time
starter in a race it doesn't look you overwhelmingly tough.
Eccentric's her name. She's tend to one morning line race
six at Laurel on Saturday, part of the Maryland Millions. Okay,

(01:13:04):
what do we do next? Trivia? That sounds like we
do trivia. Our last question was the last time a
long Acre's Mile winner was a Washington Bread Mile winner
and not Washington Horse of the Year. That doesn't happen
very often, you know, But this is going back aways.

Speaker 4 (01:13:25):
Yeah, I think I know who it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:26):
Emerald down Zerra ed Nader in two thousand, he won
the mile, He won the Washington Championship. After that he
also won a race down you want a stake at
Bay Meadows. But Rings of Chime happened to win the
Grade one Ashland that year and set and still holds
the single season Washington earnings record at five hundred and

(01:13:50):
twenty six thousand Rings a Chime unfortunately the same year
as Edna.

Speaker 4 (01:13:54):
There were a few of those back in nearly I
want to say Trooper seven. Even in eighty one.

Speaker 3 (01:13:59):
Yes, Snowplow.

Speaker 4 (01:14:00):
That was Snowplow one. Yeah, And Snowplow did get at
Washington Horse of the Year.

Speaker 3 (01:14:05):
Maybe it was eighty eighty or eighty one.

Speaker 4 (01:14:06):
Eighty or eighty one. One of the years he won.
He didn't get it and that's right the depth back then.

Speaker 3 (01:14:12):
Okay, so we didn't get a winning submission on that one.
Our guys took a little time off at the end
of the meet our top trivia guys. So this week's question,
name the only woman leading seasonal steaks jockey at Emerald Downs.
There's only been one woman to be the top stakes
rider in a individual season. We've had three women be

(01:14:36):
leading stakes trainer Sharon Ross, Doris Harwood, k Cooper, but
we've only had one woman be the top jockey for
a season among steaks wins. So send your answers to
trivia at emeraldowns dot com once his mind's going there.
There's not too many candidates on that one, but I
think I got it. Okay, Well, i'll give you credit

(01:14:59):
next week if you do. We're not going to say
it right now, Okay, Hey, thanks for listening. Thanks much
to Tom Winzel and of course Christophe Lemaire and Greg
Connley for joining us on this edition of horse Racing
North Wax