They're cheating again in Chicago:

http://www.drf.com/news/article/79844.html

Rosemary Homeister Jr.'s ex-husband Jose Ferrer has been suspended for 30 days for a suspicious ride.

A few notes from visiting Woodbine for the Canadian International/EP Taylor weekend:

1) Generally impressed with the layout of a facility that combines a large racetrack setting with a slots environment. The slot area is hidden below - the usual machine-filled environment with a decent view of the racetrack. You can definitely spend your day at Woodbine without even realizing what the financial engine of the place is hidden below. It was hard to navigate the building at times - they could use a few more escalators and working ones at that (one jolted to a stop when it was packed today)

2) The layout of the course is magnificient. The turf course's only rival in North America is Santa Anita's hillside course. Really great to watch the three top races from the stands with field glasses.

3) The polytrack seemed to be running a little more even-handily than Keeneland's. Watching the races from Fort Erie (about 90 minutes drive) with a very sloppy track and Woodbine with the Poly was quite a contrast. The sport is definitely changing with Poly and her sisters.

4) The wagering rules vis-a-vis commingingly with US tracks is somewhat confusing. They commingle with NY and KY but not SoCal. But why no 10 cent supers from Keeneland? No entry into the big carryover today at Santa Anita. Need to bet a $3 Canadian dollar Pick-6 at Belmont. They bump the juice up and some of the pools like the tris and supers at Keeland calling the takeout "extraordinarily low" in an information brochure.

5) Their Horseplayer Interactive wagering platform (phone/internet) has a small area for members and to recruit new members. Unfortunately it is restricted to only Canadian residents. My account was closed about two years ago - it was related to the commingly with US pools and the ability of account holders to register IRS type wins via their account without requiring completing an IRS form. No easy way out for us Americans.

6) Woodbine plays up its history throughout the building and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is located on the first floor with beautiful displays and portraits of many Queen's Plate winners. Very nicely done. They also gave out a DVD of highlights of 50 years of racing at Woodbine and jockey cards of all-time greats.

7) Canada is debating whether to ban advertising for offshore internet wagering sites - less draconian than what our fools did in Washington. One of the gift shops at Woodbine is basically a lottery retailer and you can bet sport parlays on everything via the Ontario Lottery (www. proline.ca). Very popular line. Slot revenues have basically flat-lined in the province and Ft. Erie is looking at cutting racing dates because slot revenue is starting to fall.

8) Sunday's card at Woodbine was great - full fields and good horses. With the advent of Polytrack, it would definitely make sense to setup this day of racing as an NIT, Alamo/Sun/Holiday Bowl type of consolation day for horses that are not quite good enough to run in the Breeders Cup. That would require adding a few races on the Polytrack to make for a championship lite day. With strong leadership from David Wilmot, I can see Woodbine making the leap to start a Canadian Championship Day of racing. The country with its rich racing history deserves its place on racing's stage.

9) Toronto is a great town and I would strongly recommend a visit to our great neighbors to the North.

10) And the number one reason to consider moving to Canada - You can win any amount of money possible and there are NO tax forms to fill out!

Horses in Training - Expected Starts for Top Horses – Oct 19:

Afrashad – 4yo c- Suroor – Godolphin – Sport Page – Aqueduct – Oct 28
Alexander Goldrun – Jim Bolger –
Alexandrova – 3yo f - A O’Brien - Coolmore – out for the year
Andromeda’s Hero – 4yo c – Zito - LaPenta
Araafa – 3yo – Noseda – Homaizi & Sagar
Aragorn – Drysdale – Ballygallon Stud – 4yo c – BC Mile – Churchill – Nov 4
Art Master – 5yo h – Frankel - Juddmonte
Ashkal Way – 4yo g – Suroor – Godolphin – Citation – Hollywood – Nov 24
Asi Siempre – 4yo f – Biancone – M Schwartz – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Attila’s Storm – 4yo h – Schosberg –Barry Schwartz
Aussie Rules – 3yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore – BC Mile – Churchill – Nov 4
Badge of Silver – 6yo g – Frankel – Ramseys – BC Mile – Churchill – Nov 4
Balance – 3yo f – Hofmans
Balletto – 4yo f – Albertrani – Darley – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Becrux – 4yo g – Drysdale – Team Valor – Citation – Hollywood – Nov 24
Bernardini – 3yo c – Albertrani - Darley – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Big Timer – 2yo c – Semple – McKenzie
Bordonaro – 5yo g – Spawr – Carrillo or Cassella – BC Sprint – Churchill – Nov 4
Bright One - 3yo c – Romans –
Brother Derek – 3yo c – Hendricks – Peacock –
Bushfire – 3yo f – Kenneally
Cacique – 4yo c – Frankel – Juddmonte – BC Turf – CD – Nov 4
Caradek – 4yo c – Suroor – Godolphin
Circular Quay – 2yo c – Tabor – Pletcher – BC Juve – Churchill – Nov 4
Commentator – 4yo g – Zito – Farmer – BC Sprint – Churchill – Nov 4
CP West – 2yo c – Zito – BC Juve – Churchill – Nov 4
David Junior –4yo c- Brian Meehan – BC Classic – CD - Nov 4
Declan’s Moon – 4yo c – Ellis -
Deep Impact – 4yo c- Ikee – Kaneko Makuto Holdings - Arima Kinen – Nakayama – December 24
Discreet Cat – 4yo c – Suroor - Godolphin – Cigar Mile – Aqueduct – Nov 25
Dubai Escapade – 4yo f- Harty – Darley – First Flight – Aqueduct – Oct 28
Dylan Thomas – 3yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore – out for the year
English Channel – 4yo c – Scatuorchio – Pletcher – BC Turf – Churchill – Nov 4
Film Maker – 6yo m – Motion – Adam – BC F&M Turf – Churchill – Nov 4
Fleet Indian – 5yo m– Pletcher - Saylor – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Flower Alley – 4yo c – Pletcher – Melynk – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Funny Cide – 6yo g – Tagg – Sackatoga – Empire Classic – Belmont – Oct 21
George Washington – 3yo c – O’Brien – Magnier – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Germance – 3yo f – Rouget – Radwan -
Giacomo – 4yo c – Shirreffs – Jerry & Ann Moss –
Gold Storm - Cascio –
Good Reward – 5yo h – McGaughey - Phipps –
Gorella – 4yo f – Biancone – Martin Schwartz – BC – Churchill – Nov 4
Gouldings Green – 5yo h – Reinstedler – Melynks –
Great Hunter – 2yo c – Reddam – O’Neill – BC Juve – Churchill – Nov 4
Happy Ticket – 4yo f – Leggio - Madison – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Heart’s Cry – Arima Kinen – Nakayama – December 24
Henny Hughes – 3yo c – McLaughlin - Zabeel – BC Sprint – Churchill – Nov 4
Holy Roman Emperor – 2yo c- O’Brien – Magnier – 3yo campaign
Honey Ryder – 5yo m – Pletcher – Glencrest – BC F&M Turf – Churchill – Nov 4
Horse Greeley – 2yo c – Mandella – 3yo campaign
Hurricane Run – 4yo c – Fabre – Tabor –
Invasor – 4yo c – Pletcher - Maktoum –
Irridescence –5yo m – Hammond - Team Valor – Hong Kong Cup – Sha Tin – Dec 10
It’s No Joke – 4yo c – Fulton – Maker – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Jazil – 3yo c – McLaughlin – Maktoum - out for year
Karen’s Caper – 4yo f – Stonerside – Frankel – Matriarch – Hollywood – Nov 26
King of the Roxy – 2yo c- Pletcher – Team Valor – BC Juve – Churchill – Nov 4
Latent Heat – 3yo c – Frankel – Juddmonte
Lava Man – 5yo g – Doug O’Neil – STD Racing – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Lawyer Ron – 3yo c – Pletcher – Stonewall Farms –
Lemons Forever – 3yo f – Stewart – Horton Stable -
Librettist –4yo c – Suroor – Godolphin –
Mandesha – 3yo f – Royer Dupre – Princess Aga Khan
Master Command – 4yo c – Aaron Jones – Pletcher – Clark – Churchill – Nov 24
Meteor Storm – 7yo h – Dollase – Horizon Stable -
Michael Lewis – 3yo c – Catalano –
Midnight Lute – 3yo c – Baffert - Pegram
Miesque’s Approval – 7yo h – Live Oak - Wolfson
Nobiz Like Showbiz – 2yo c – Tagg - Valando – Remsen – Aqueduct – Nov 25
Notnowcato – Stoute – Champion Stakes –
Officer Rocket – 2yo c – Holthus – Iroquois – CD – Oct 29
Ouija Board –5yo m - Ed Dunlop – BC F&M – Churchill – Nov 4
Park Avenue Ball – 4yo c – Char-Mari – Ryerson -
Passport – 2yo c – Brothers – Claiborne
Perfect Drift – 7yo h -Murray Johnson – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Pine Island – 3yo f – McGaughey – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Point Determined – 3yo c- Baffert – Lewis Trust –
Pool Land – 4yo f – Pletcher – BC Distaff – Churchill – Nov 4
Premium Tap – 4yo c- Pletcher –
Pride -6yo m – De Royer Dupre - NP Bloodstock -
Proclamation –4yo c – Suroor - Godolphin
Rail Link - 3yo c – Fabre - Juddmonte –
Rebel Rebel – 4yo c – Morvich – Oak Tree – Oct 29
Red Evie – 3yo f – M. Bell
Remarkable News – 4yo c- Angel Penna – Rincon – out for the year
Round Pound – 4yo f- Matz – Fox Hill
Satwa Queen – 4yo m - Roualle – BC F&M – Churchill – Nov 4
Scat Daddy – 2yo c – Tabor & Pletcher & Scatuorchio – BC Juve – Churchill – Nov 4
Seek Gold – 5yo h – Moquette – Fayette – Keeneland – Oct 28
Shermanesque – 2yo c – Reinstedler –
Shirocco – 5yo h – Fabre – Baron Georg Von Ullmann – BC Turf – Churchill – Nov 4
Showing Up – 3yo c – Barclay Tagg – Jacksons – Hollywood Derby – Hollywood -
Silent Name – 4yo c – Gary Mandella –Stronach & Wertheimer
Silver Train – 4yo c- Dutrow – Four Roses -
Siren Lure – 5yo g – Sherman – BC Sprint – Churchill – November 4
Sir Greenley – 4yo c- Jerkins – Sport Page – Aqueduct – Oct 28
Sir Percy – 3yo c – Tregoning - Pakenhams –
Sixties Icon – 3yo c – Noseda – Susan RoySongster – 3yo c – Albertrani – Darley – Sport Page – Aqueduct – Oct 28
Soul Search – 4yo f – Howard – Farish -
Soviet Song – 6yo m – Fanshawe – Elite Racing Club
Spun Sugar – 4yo f – Pletcher – Stronach
Stevie Wonderboy – 3yo c – O’Neil -
Strong Contender – 3yo c – Ward- Oxley –BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Suave – 4yo c – Magee – BC Classic – CD – Nov 4
Surf Cat – 4yo c – Headley – Naify & Headley -
Summerly – 4yo f – Asmussen/Blasi –Winchell
Sun King – 4yo c – Zito – Farmer – BC Classic – Churchill – Nov 4
Sutra – 2yo f – Stidham – Oak Crest – BC Juv Filly – Churchill – Nov 4
Sweetnorthernsaint – 3yo c – Tombetta – Balsamo & Theos – Laurel – Alw Race – Oct 19
Sweet Return – 5yo h – McAnally – Citation – Hollywood – Nov 24
Take D’Tour – 5yo m– Fawkes – Muller -
Teofilo – 2yo c – Bolger – Bolger – 3yo campaign
TH Approval – 5yo h – Inda – Hotehama –
Three Valleys – 4yo h – Frankel - Juddmonte
The Tin Man – 8yo g – Mandella – Todds – BC Turf – Churchill – Nov 4
Too Much Bling – 3yo c – Baffert – BC Sprint – Churchill – Nov 4
Unbridled Express – 2yo c – Flint
Vacare – 3yo f – Block – Lothenbach -
Visionario – 2yo c – Fabre – Aga Khan -
Wait a While –3yo f – Pletcher -
Wanderin Boy – 5yo h – Zito – Arthur Hancock -
War Front – 4yo c – A Jerkins – Allen
Wild Desert – 4yo c – Borislow – Dutrow -
Wild Fit – 3yo f – Patrick Biancone –
Youzmain – 3yo c – Channon – Jaber Abdullah