Paul Hagemann's homebred Deacon Speakin' ventured north from his California base to run away with a 7 3/4-length victory in the $53,000 Portland Mile Handicap on March 23. After tailing early leaders Ladner Lad and Elusive Schemes for the first six furlongs, $13.80-to-one longshot Deacon Speakin' and rider Juan Gutierrez broke free in the stretch and drew off to win the eight-furlong race in 1:36.70 over a fast track. Steve Fisher conditions the 46th Mile winner.

  It was the first stakes victory for the five-year-old Washington-bred son of Timber Legend-Hail the Minister, by Mane Minister, who has now earned $123,640 and has a record of 5-10-3 from 33 starts over three seasons of racing.

  Philip Hall's Ladner Lad, a four-year-old British Columbia-bred son of Mass Market-Our Judy R, held on for second, finishing a half-length better than Vann Belvoir and Gloria Ballestresse's six-year-old Elusive Schemes, a Kentucky-bred son of Elusive Quality-Renaissance Lady who finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of fourth place Autism Awareness.  Race favorite Pretty Katherine fell back to seventh in the field of nine.

  Also on the Wednesday card was the $32,100 Portland Meadows Derby. Alec's Moon, who had scored impressively in the Portland Meadows Oaks, continued her domination of the three-year-old crowd as the Kentucky-bred filly drew clear to defeat all comers by two lengths and earn her second stakes victory. The daughter of Malibu Moon-Belle Cielo, by Conquistador Cielo, a winner of  half of her eight starts, has now earned $115,240 for the partnership of Mark Dedomenico LLC, John Carver and winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Kevin Krigger was up on the heavy favorite for her 1:47.91 win in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

  Denise Gero's Littleman John, a California-bred gelding by Grey Memo-Know That Song, was best of the male runners, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front of 2010 Oregon champion Shamundi. The son of Seattle Shamus-Anima Mundi (Ire) owned by Margaret Root and Dean and Lois Vogt had gone off as the second betting choice in the field of nine.

  The final added money event on the ten-race card was the $10,000 Overnight Handicap, a five-furlong race open to runners three and up. Stephen Quilici's Bleu Tarp stalked Kevin and Joann Sather's early leader Yakutat (Songandaprayer-Fresh Tracks) before moving up near the quarter and then drawing away with a 4 1/4 length tally in a quick :57.48, only .35 of a second off Salt Water's :57.13 track record. Vic Carlson's Dat's Dream (Langfuhr-Go Again Valid) finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Yakutat among the seven starters.

  It was the fourth victory for Bleu Tarp, a five-year-old gelding bred in Washington by Sonja Forsberg. Trained by Bill Tollett, the son of Private Gold-Go Platinum, by Silver Buck, improved his record to 4-4-2 from 14 starts. He has earned $23,649. Bleu Tarp was one of four winners for rider Gutierrez.

  Portland Meadows has been granted three additional days of live racing by the Oregon Racing Commission. The 2010-11 meet, which was originally scheduled to end on March 30, will now end on April 6. While the final Monday and Tuesday cards will continue with a 12:40 p.m. first post, the final two Wednesday posts on March 30 and April 6, will begin an hour earlier, at 11:40 a.m., when the track expects to card 11-races per day.

  2010 Oregon champion older horse or gelding Tillman's Image was left out of the list of honorees in the news item printed in the previous addition of Gate-to-Wire. The six-year-old gelded son of Klinsman (Ire)-Royalty Image, by Roy, owned by Coleman and Webb's Nordic Stables and bred by Stan Mak's Happy Valley Stables LLC, was voted his title after winning the Lethal Grande Sprint Championship and earning $12,652 in his record of 1-1-3 from 13 starts. He was trained throughout his campaign by Delmar and Bennie Webb and Debbie Van Horne.

  It is with great sadness and shock that we all viewed the terrible earthquake and destruction in Japan. Washington State Animal Response Team (WASART), an animal-welfare nonprofit organization, is in contact with major international animal relief organizations to explore deploying to Japan when conditions are safe to do so. However, as a small, all-volunteer organization, neither WASART nor its individual members have the resources to fund this major undertaking. Aid of supporters is needed to allow this relief mission to take place.

  WASART has established fundraising through PayPal on their website at http://washingtonsart.org/ and on Facebook to assist this effort. The money raised will be used first to help send WASART volunteers to Japan under the auspices of a larger animal-welfare organization. Members of WASART will take their own supplies and equipment on the journey. Any funds that are in excess of travel expenses, or if the team does not deploy, will be donated to an animal-welfare organization already active in Japan. All donations are tax-deductible.

  The third annual study produced by the durability committee of the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit has been released. Stallions who rank in the top 200 nationally by earnings for a calendar year are ranked by the current year, in this case 2010, by lifetime starts per starter and percentage of foals of racing age that have started. All Northern Hemisphere, except for racing in Japan, are included in the statistics.

  Topping the 2010 Sires by Lifetime per Starter list Concorde's Tune, a 1989 son of Concorde Bound those 447 foals averaged 23.33 starts. Four-time leading Washington sire Matty G ranks 14th on the list with 378 foals achieving 19.86 starters per starter.

  Petionville, a 1992 son of Seeking the Gold, leads the 2010 sires by lifetime percentage of foals of racing age that have started with 83.48 percent of his 581 foals of racing age making it to the races. Matty G ranked 25th on this list with 79.63 percent of his 541 racing age foals having started.

  For more information on the study, which was also included in the March 12, 2011, issue of The Blood-Horse, check http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org.

  The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced in mid-March the 17 research projects, which includes nine new subjects, which it will be funding in 2011. Among them is a study by Dr. Robert H. Mealey of Washington State University on "Determinants of Immune Protection Against Babesia equi (piroplasmosis)." A blood parasite, piroplasmosis, was first found in North America in 2010 and the disease can cause abortion and mortality in horses. Mealey's research hopes to identify the immune response necessary to protect horses against infection of the tick-spread parasite.

  The other new projects are: AAV-IRAP Gene Therapy to Prevent Osteoarthritis (which received the Elastikon™ Research Award), Hemorrhagic Anovulatory Follicle Syndrome, Early Diagnosis of Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy, Stem Generation of Equine Induced Pluripotent Cells for Regenerative Therapy, Hormone in Use of Recombinant Equine Follicle Stimulating Anestrous Mares, Investigation of Cell and Growth-Factor Dependent Tenogenesis, Laminar Energy Failure in Supporting-Limb Laminitis and Digital Hypothermia in Laminitis: Timing and Signaling.

  For more information about the 2011 projects or to donate, visit http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org.

  The WTBOA e-newsletter, Gate-to-Wire, was recently named by Constant Contact Inc., who provides our e-mail server, as one of their "All Star Award" winners for 2010. The WTBOA newsletter was recognized as one of the top customers among the over 400,000 small businesses and organizations they host. Among the criteria for selection are: frequent communication with members and customers; update lists often; have high open and click-through rates and low bounce rates; usage of social features; and mailing list sign up tools.

  The WTBOA thanks all the supporters who subscribe to our e-newsletter as we try to keep Thoroughbred enthusiasts throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond updated with the latest industry news.

  At their March meeting, the Ada County Commission unanimously rejected Treasure Valley Racing (TVR) LLC's bid to run a 2011 racemeet at Les Bois Park. Five categories were named as failing to meet minimum standards: annual lease dollar amount; disposition of "excess" handle; contract length; landscaping contract; and deposit for cash bond. It is now up to TVR and Expo Idaho (where Les Bois Park is located) to negotiate.

  Mark Dedomenico LLC, John Carver, Peter Abruzzo and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's 2010 Eclipse Award winner Blind Luck finished second to Havre de Grace in the 1 1/16-mile $150,000 Azeri Stakes (G3) run at Oaklawn Park on March 19.  The four-year-old daughter of Pollard's Vision-Lucky One, by Best of Luck, has earned $2,478,712 from her record of 9-7-2 from 18 starts.

  Randall and Rossi LLC's 2008 Emerald Downs champion two-year-old and multiple stakes winner Gallant Son finished third in the $75,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita Park on March 18. The now five-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Malabar Gold-Explicity, by Exploit, who is trained by Frank Lucarelli, earned $9,496 in the about 6 1/2-furlong turf race. Gallant Son, who has now earned $310,632, has a 6-3-2 record from 22 starts.

  Jack and Ivor Jones' multiple stakes-placed mare Point of Reference, a five-year-old Washington-bred daughter of Benchmark-It's Stevie's Time, by Quiet American, earned her seventh victory on March 20 in a six-furlong allowance/$50,000 optional claiming race at Golden Gate Fields. The Frank Lucarelli trainee has won $222,337.

  In Wade's Honor, a three-year-old Pennsylvania-bred daughter of St. Hilaire Thoroughbred stallion Polish Miner, took an 8.32 maiden test at Penn National by 6 1/2-lengths on March 19. Out of the Farma Way mare B. J. Ruckus, In Wade's Honor has a 1-1-1 record from three starts and has earned $17,248.

Robert James "Jim" Eagle

  Former horseman and restaurateur Jim Eagle, 67, passed away on March 10, 2011.

  Born on April 4, 1943, in Vancouver, British Columbia, his family moved to Cranbrook when he was four. It was there he developed a passion for hockey, playing on both the midget and juvenile provincial championship teams. He next played junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he won a memorial cup in 1963. He attended the University of Denver, graduating with a degree in commerce. He played defense on the college's Pioneers hockey team.

  Jim played professional hockey with the Memphis Wings, Pittsburgh Hornets and Omaha Knights before returning west to play with the Western Hockey League's San Diego Gulls team for five seasons, ending his pro career in 1971.

  In 1972, Jim and partner Jim Becker opened the first Chapter Eleven restaurants in Spokane. The chain would later expand to 13 restaurants across Washington.

 Jim was introduced to racing while working as a mutuel clerk during his college days at Northlands Park and Centennial Park (Colorado).  Jim later moved to Yakima where he developed what was to be his second great passion, Thoroughbred racing. He first was seen purchasing yearlings at WTBOA sales in the early 1970s, but later became a successful breeder and consignor. In 1979, in his first public consignment, he sold the co-highest selling colt at the WTBOA sale. His Yakima farm, Culpepper Thoroughbreds, bred many good stakes horses, including stakes winners Foolish Owners -  who won or placed in 18 stakes races - and Different Beat and stakes-placed Fire Fool Miss. The longtime WTBOA member and former WHBPA board member also raced 1979 Washington three-year-old filly champion and Bay Meadows Oaks winner In Your Defense with his good friend Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms.

  In the early 1980s Jim had over 30 broodmares at Culpepper and had shares in top stallions in Washington, Kentucky and British Columbia. It was during this time, in January 1981, that he survived a near fatal plane crash while en route to Spokane. He also raced under the El Rancho No Gotta Racing Stables banner.

  Jim returned to Cranbrook five years ago and was a scout for the Vancouver Canucks.

 He was predeceased by his father, Bob, in 1993; and mother, Hazel, in 2008.