Schickedanz barred from Woodbine

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Owner and breeder Bruno Schickedanz will no longer be allowed to enter or stable horses at Woodbine, the track's executive vice president of racing, Jamie Martin, said Friday.

The decision follows an incident this past Tuesday in which the Schickedanz-owned Wake At Noon shipped in to breeze over the training track and was euthanized after suffering a catastrophic breakdown.

"We have completed our investigation, and as far as the discussions I've had, with the various people involved, I think this is the right approach," said Martin. "The horses he has racing today and tomorrow will be allowed to run, but we are no longer accepting entries for any of his horses, and he's going to have to move his horses off the backstretch."

An Ontario Racing Commission investigation into the matter also is under way.

Wake At Noon was Canada's horse of the year, champion sprinter, and champion older horse in 2002, but had experienced limited success when standing at stud for Schickedanz.

At the time of his death at age 13, Wake At Noon had had not run since November of 2007. He was not stabled here and was not eligible to race.

"I don't want to comment on this until I can get some legal advice," said Schickedanz, who was here at Woodbine on Friday afternoon.

Tom Marino, who was Wake at Noon's trainer of record at the time of Tuesday's incident, has been ruled off for an indefinite period.

A voice mail message was left on Marino's cell phone requesting comment but no response had been received as of midafternoon Friday.

Schickedanz, 63, entered the racing business in the early 1980s and maintains a large number of racehorses and breeding stock. The bulk of his horses here are with trainer Greg De Gannes, including the stakes winners Yummy With Butter and Legal Move.

Schickedanz also has 30 stalls at Fort Erie, where he has been the leading owner on a number of occasions and has entrants in races Sunday and Monday. His horses there are trained by Mike Wright Jr.

John Whitson, Fort Erie's secretary, had received word of the Schickedanz situation at Woodbine.

"I'm waiting, to see what happens," said Whitson, with reference to the racing commission investigation.