Skip to:

Thoroughbred Daily News

Subscribe to Thoroughbred Daily News feed
Thoroughbred Horse Racing’s Leading Worldwide Source of News & Information
Updated: 2 weeks 5 days ago

Casa Creed to Miss Saudi Sojourn

Tue, 2024-02-13 15:57

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who had been scheduled to run in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 24, didn't make Tuesday's flight overseas after a fever last week forced him to miss a workout, reports the DRF. Owned by Lee Einsidler and Mike Francesa, the multiple Grade I winner finished runner-up in the race in 2022-23.

“He's been under tack for some light exercise, but his bloodwork wasn't completely normal yet,” Mott told DRF Tuesday. “It was just a week ago that he developed a fever. It hasn't been enough time. He could get sick from the flight and we don't want one halfway across the world and have him sick.”

According to Mott, the 8-year-old may be shipped to Dubai for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint Mar. 30. He finished fifth on Dubai World Cup Day in 2022.

The post Casa Creed to Miss Saudi Sojourn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

HOTY to be Announced at Annual CTBA Awards Dinner Mar. 12

Tue, 2024-02-13 15:32

The 2023 California-bred Horse of the Year will be announced at the CTBA Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 12 at Le Meridien Hotel in Arcadia, CA.

The finalists for Horse of the Year are (in alphabetical order) Ceiling Crusher (Mr. Big), Kings River Knight (Acclamation) and The Chosen Vron (Vronsky).

For ticket information for the Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting, click Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner | CTBA or contact Christy Chapman at Christy@ctba.com.

 

Other Cal-bred champions to be recognized at the banquet:

 

Champion Two-Year-Old Male – Yo Yo Candy, bred by Checkmate Thoroughbreds, owned by Happy Tenth Stable and trained by Daniel Velazquez.

 

Champion Two-Year-Old Female – Grand Slam Smile, bred by owners Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williams and trained by Steven Specht.

 

Champion Three-Year-Old Male – One in Vermillion, bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, owned by Jonathan Kalman, trained by Esteban Martinez.

 

Champion Three-Year-Old Female – Ceiling Crusher, bred by Harris Farms, owned by Wonderland Racing Stables, Todd Cady, Tim Kasparoff and Ty Leatherman, trained by Doug O'Neill.

 

Champion Older Male – The Chosen Vron, bred by Tiz Molly Partners, owned by Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker & Richard Thornburgh, trained by Eric Kruljac.

 

Champion Older Female – Closing Remarks, bred by owner Harris Farms, trained by Carla Gaines.

 

Champion Sprinter – The Chosen Vron, bred by Tiz Molly Partners, owned by Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker & Richard Thornburgh, trained by Eric Kruljac.

 

Champion Turf Horse – Closing Remarks, bred by owner Harris Farms, trained by Carla Gaines.

 

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Earnings – Grazen, property of Nick Alexander.

 

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Number of Winners – Stay Thirsty, property of Terry Lovingier.

 

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Turf Earnings – Grazen, property of Nick Alexander.

 

Champion Sire of California Conceived 2-Year-Olds by Earnings – Stay Thirsty, property of Terry Lovingier.

 

Trainer of the Year – Eric Kruljac.

 

Broodmare of the Year – Lutess, owned by Connie & Mike Pageler.

 

Champion Breeder of California Foaled Thoroughbreds by Earnings – Richard Barton Enterprises.

 

CTBA Hall of Fame – Russell Drake, Clay Murdock, Soviet Problem, Tribal Rule.

 

The post HOTY to be Announced at Annual CTBA Awards Dinner Mar. 12 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Sarah Delany to Leave Hospital, Long Road Ahead

Tue, 2024-02-13 13:12

Trainer Sarah Delany was scheduled to be released from a Houston, Texas hospital Tuesday after undergoing spinal surgery due to an injury suffered at Delta Downs Wednesday morning. Delany, who trains alongside her husband Benny Martinez, was injured Wednesday morning at Delta Downs when she was kicked by a horse in the back of her neck, according to family friend and client Brian Poppenberg. The local Lake Charles hospital sent her via CareFlight to Houston, where she underwent emergency surgery.

“This morning I spoke with her husband Benny, and she is being released to go home to today,” said Poppenberg via email to the TDN. “Benny has family that will be staying with Sarah 24/7 and a nurse will be at their home every other day, as she navigates the process of recovery. She is only able to walk, talk, sit, and sleep. In my conversation with Benny, and after talking to Sarah, he will continue taking care of the barn, with the help of some new hires to assist in everything Sarah does.”

A Gofundme page has been started for Delany to raise the needed funds for her care. Poppenberg said that Darley had offered a season to Mystic Guide to be auctioned off with all monies raised to go to Delany's care, and that details regarding that auction will be forthcoming.

“Huge thanks to them for stepping up,” said Poppenberg. “Please continue to help Sarah and Benny, through this long road.”

Sarah Delany's Gofundme page may be accessed here. 

The post Sarah Delany to Leave Hospital, Long Road Ahead appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Derby Future Wager 4 Opens Friday

Tue, 2024-02-13 12:34

The Pool 4 future wager for the GI Kentucky Derby will open Friday and will close Sunday. The 39 individual 3-year-olds listed in the future wager field are led by Grade I winner Locked (Gun Runner), who is 10-1 on the morning line. “All other 3-year-olds” is the wager's 2-1 morning-line favorite.

The fourth of six future wagers opens at noon ET Friday and closes at 6 p.m. Sunday. Click here for the complete field.

Other future wager dates are set for Mar. 15-17 and Apr. 4-6. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5.

The post Derby Future Wager 4 Opens Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Letter to the Editor: Detection of Banned Drugs in Horses

Tue, 2024-02-13 12:22

As a Clinical Pharmacologist (human) and an avid horse player, I have grown tired of these instances of biologic samples from horses having banned substances found and the “interesting” explanations as to how the exposure happened. One recent example was a story of a horse in which three samples of blood had metformin (a drug used to treat type II diabetes in humans) detected. The explanation was that a groom and later the trainer was taking metformin and “touched the horse's face.”

This explanation is questionable from a clinical pharmacology standpoint. Metformin for human use is a film coated tablet (coated with a polymer). Unless the individual taking the tablet crushes or chews it (and puts a finger in the mouth), handling the film coated tablet does not transfer metformin to the hands. Additionally, published data shows that the amount of metformin absorbed from an oral dose in a horse ranges from 3.9-7.1% (fed vs fasted state) which is minuscule. Finally, the suggested dose of metformin in horses for approved use is 15 mg/kg (7.5 grams in a 500 kg horse) versus a usual 500 mg dose in a human. Thus, horse exposure from a human dose (by rubbing the face) or even putting a finger/hand in the horse's mouth would be quite a stretch of science.

This story is not the only one that TDN readers have seen over time. We have been subjected to stories of a horse with detectable betamethasone in his blood supposedly not from an intraarticular injection but due to use of a topical product, a horse with dextromethorphan in the blood due to a groom using a cough syrup and urinating in the stall and many other stories. These explanations stretch the science of clinical pharmacology to unreasonable levels.

I'd like to offer my human-based clinical pharmacology expertise to HISA/HIWU to “solve” these human-based inaccurate explanations in terms of horse exposures to banned drugs, gratis.

Horse racing is a great sport with a long tradition. Unfortunately, stories of horses having banned substances (no matter how low the exposure) is a negative for a sport where interest at least in the USA is declining and groups like PETA show up to protest at large racing venues putting more negative attention to the sport. But, worst of all, use of banned substances is bad for the horses and aren't the horses our primary interest/concern?

Sincerely,
Joseph S. Bertino Jr., PharmD, FCP, FCCP
Guilderland, New York

The post Letter to the Editor: Detection of Banned Drugs in Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Parx Cancels Tuesday Racing

Tue, 2024-02-13 09:57

With a winter storm bearing down on the Philadelphia area, Parx was forced to cancel its live race card Tuesday. It was the sixth time the Pennsylvania oval has canceled racing due to weather this year.

The post Parx Cancels Tuesday Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Wong Suspended Two Years and Fined $25,000, Says He’ll Appeal

Mon, 2024-02-12 14:40

Trainer Jonathan Wong has been suspended for two years and fined $25,000 for a post-race metformin positive from last June after a Jan. 9 hearing before the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's arbitration panel.

The two-year period of ineligibility retroactively starts July 1, 2023, when Wong's initial provisional suspension was first imposed.

He will also pay $8,000 of HIWU's share of the arbitration, in addition to his own arbitration fees.

As the maximum possible sentence for such a violation, the ruling marks the latest twist in a case that became entangled in the evolving rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) enforcement efforts. While the arbitrator rejected that this was contamination, several other Metformin cases have called into question whether or not possible environmental contamination should be treated the same way that other positives are treated.

The case also appears far from over. In a short statement, Wong wrote that he had appealed the ruling which could now go before the Federal Trade Commission, head to federal court, or both. Wong also explained that he would seek a temporary injunction against the ban.

“By the time this new story breaks, we will have already filed or will be filing our appropriate appeal, whether in Federal Court or with an Administrative Law Judge through the Federal Trade Commission. It is entirely possible we will dual-path this situation and file in both. In all instances, we will seek an Emergency Order with Injunctive Relief.  The facts and merits of the case will be heard,” Wong wrote, in a joint statement with his long-time owner, Brent Malmstrom.

Wong-trainee Heaven and Earth (Gormley) broke her maiden at Indiana Grand June 1 but subsequently tested positive for the prescription drug Metformin, a type 2 diabetes treatment that HISA has classified as a banned substance.

As a matter of protocol at that time, HIWU initially provisionally suspended Wong at the beginning of June when the A sample returned a positive finding for Metformin.

The HISA Authority subsequently announced that it had modified the rules surrounding provisional suspensions. Under the revised provisions, responsible parties who request B Sample confirmation following a positive test for a banned substance would no longer face a provisional suspension until the B sample findings are returned.

In Wong's case, he was notified on Aug. 9 that the B Sample confirmed the Metformin positive.

Though Wong was technically permitted to return to training for a brief period while the B sample was being processed, he explained at the time that his owners did not wish to transfer the horses back with the B Sample results expected imminently, and effectively has not trained since July 2.

Metformin ranks as the nation's third-most-prescribed human medicine, according to the consumer healthcare website Healthgrades, with more 20 million patients taking it. As a banned substance under HISA, a metformin positive comes with a possible two-year suspension and $25,000 fine.

Because of the possible severity of the sanctions and its ubiquity in the environment, metformin has been at the heart of several cases since HISA's anti-doping and medication control program went into effect that have led some to question whether HIWU is deploying too strict an enforcement approach to the drug.

In justification of its stance, HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus told the TDN last month that “we do have intelligence that metformin is being used intentionally to enhance performance.”

Furthermore, in October HIWU announced that internal reviews of its six contracted laboratories uncovered different limits of detection in blood for metformin, triggering a process of testing harmonization in blood across the labs for the drug. Until that point, all the metformin positives originated from just the one lab.

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) has posted a detailed explainer of the ruling on its website.

The report details how the A sample was sent to the HIWU-accredited Industrial Laboratories in Denver Colorado, while the B sample was sent to the Chicago Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois, for confirmatory analysis.

According to the report, the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, conducted “Further Analysis” on the A blood sample “received from Industrial,” and on the “remainder of the B urine sample” received from the Chicago lab.

“Apparently, they can swing till they're happy,” said Malmstrom, when asked about that development.

Wong's legal team presented several defenses during the hearing, including that Heaven and Earth had a groom who urinated in the stall and frequently touched the horse on the mouth. They said that the groom was on Metformin, and had fled to Mexico after the finding, for fear he had contaminated the horse, and could not be found. He argued that the sample being sent to the Maddy lab for further testing—a third laboratory–suggested questionable conduct on the part of HIWU. The samples at all three labs were positive.

“There is, unfortunately, the simple fact that Mr. Wong has been untruthful in this proceeding. I find that Mr. Wong has not met his threshold burden of establishing the source of the contamination and thus there is no mitigation that might possibly be considered for Wong, and his sanction should be two years of Ineligibility,” wrote arbitrator Nancy Holtz in her finding.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Wong is an experienced, highly successful trainer who has climbed the ranks of this industry from the bottom up. His conduct and performance as a trainer presents a mixed bag: He has submitted numerous letters of support and praise from a constellation of highly regarded people in the horse racing industry. There is also no doubt that Mr. Wong has suffered financially, professionally, and emotionally from the Provisional Suspension and this will no doubt continue during the balance of the Ineligibility period. Balanced against these facts, however, is a record which does not support that Mr. Wong did much to prevent this contamination from occurring. If Mr. Wong was engaged in routine, frequent trainings of his staff regarding not urinating in the stalls, keeping hands clean and so on–which I do not believe–he certainly did not couple this with any level of monitoring, enforcement, or deterrence such as through imposing consequences for violators. Mr. Wong is no doubt a decent person who, in his own way, has tried to put the safety and welfare of his horses first. But despite his best intentions, the evidence is clear that Mr. Wong has abdicated his obligation as a Covered Person to protect the safety and welfare of the horses under his care consistent with ADMC Rules.”

The post Wong Suspended Two Years and Fined $25,000, Says He’ll Appeal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Justify Halter Among Offerings at CASA Online Charity Auction

Mon, 2024-02-12 13:53

A halter worn by Triple Crown winner Justify is one of the items available during the 2024 Bourbon and the Bayou online silent auction, which benefits CASA of Lexington. Also available are halters worn by champions Gun Runner and Monomoy Girl. Bidding on the halters is open at bandb2024.givesmart.com.

CASA of Lexington is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy for hundreds of abused and neglected children in central Kentucky every year.

The auction, which concludes with an in-person gala, closes at 9:45 p.m Feb. 23. Buyers do not have to attend the gala and items will be available for pick-up at the CASA of Lexington office, 3245 Loch Ness Drive, beginning 10 a.m. Feb. 26 or may be shipped at buyer's expense.

The post Justify Halter Among Offerings at CASA Online Charity Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Ontario Mare Purchase Program 2024 Funds Fully Dispersed

Mon, 2024-02-12 13:38

The $800,000 allocated to the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program's Mare Purchase and Recruitment Programs has been exhausted for the year. The program provides Ontario residents with 50% of the purchase price–up to a maximum of C$25,000–per in-foal mares purchased either online or in person at a recognized public auction outside of Ontario, with progeny of 2024 to foal in the province.

“It's a good incentive,” David Clancy, a long-time owner and breeder, and owner of Toronto-based accounting firm Clancy CPA & Co, said of the Mare Purchase Program. “Some of my better mares are getting a bit older now, so I was looking to upscale my mares a bit with some younger stock, so that's why I decided to [make use of the program] this year.”

Clancy purchased three mares in two Kentucky sales, with help from the Mare Purchase Program.

He acquired Carta de Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) for $170,000 and Marge Takes Charge (Empire Maker) for $92,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, and Daddy Issues (Scat Daddy) for $48,000 at last week's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale.

Owners from across North America shipped mares to Ontario to foal as part of the Mare Recruitment Program, taking advantage of the “Ontario Bred” status foaling in the province confers.

“Ontario, I think, is a good place to breed,” said Clancy. “And, ultimately, the horse will run at Woodbine, and Woodbine has pretty good purses overall, I think.”

The post Ontario Mare Purchase Program 2024 Funds Fully Dispersed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Oaklawn Adding Two Race Days

Sat, 2024-02-10 14:11

Oaklawn Park is adding two race days to their calendar–Sunday, Apr. 7 and Sunday, May 5–to make up for recent cancellations due to inclement weather.

“We are excited to announce the two additional dates of Apr. 7 and May 5 to Oaklawn's 2023-2024 racing calendar,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “Thoroughbred racing is the heart and soul of Oaklawn, and adding these days provides even more opportunities for faithful fans to cheer on their favorite horses and for our horsemen to compete for additional purses.”

Oaklawn will race four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, for a period of three weeks beginning Mar. 7. The Apr. 7 addition will conclude four days of live racing that week. Oaklawn was originally set to close on Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 4.

The post Oaklawn Adding Two Race Days appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Straight No Chaser, Off Since Breakthrough Performance on Preakness Undercard, Back Galloping at Santa Anita

Sat, 2024-02-10 12:23

Straight No Chaser (h, 5, Speightster–Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg), unraced since posting a powerhouse, front-running victory in the GIII Maryland Sprint S. on last spring's GI Preakness S. undercard, is on the comeback trail for trainer Dan Blacker.

After stopping the clock for six furlongs in a razor sharp 1:08.27 and earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure in that 7 1/2-length decision at Pimlico, an undisclosed party agreed to purchase a minority interest in the MyRacehorse colorbearer. The deal, however, was called off after a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a pre-purchase exam in June revealed “some abnormalities in a sesamoid,” per Blacker.

“Even though the horse was sound, it was the early stages of something that would've likely developed into an issue,” Blacker said. “And when you're dealing with sesamoids, it's significant. As a trainer, that's why the PET scan has been such a game changer for us at Santa Anita. It could show the initial stages of a training injury like this.”

He continued, “For me, it was an easy decision giving him time off. We had hoped to give him 90 days initially, but when we rescanned him (after 90 days), there was still activity in that same spot. So, we just gave him more time. The unfortunate thing with sesamoids is that they take time.”

In Straight No Chaser's case, six months' time, to be exact. Given the green light to resume training following a clean PET scan, the bay is now nearing his first workout back at Santa Anita, Blacker reports.

“He's been training as good as ever,” Blacker said. “He looks super out there on the track. Obviously, we've lost a bit of time training wise just because all of the wet weather recently, but he's getting close to being ready to breeze. He certainly looks as good if not better than ever. We'll let the workouts be the real judge of where he's at though.”

Hailing from the second crop of Speightster, Straight No Chaser is one of two graded winners for the late son of Speightstown, who was euthanized following a stall accident at Northern Dawn Farm in Ontario in 2022.

Bred in Kentucky by John Eaton and Steve Laymon, he was produced by the winning Johannesburg mare Margarita Friday. She is also responsible for the stakes winner Hangover Saturday (Pomeroy). This is the extended female family of two-time champion sprinter Housebuster.

Straight No Chaser brought $110,000 from MyRacehorse as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old following a :10 2/5 breeze for consignor Paul Sharp.

He currently sports a career record of 7-4-0-1 and earnings of $245,800. His resume also includes a debut maiden win over the Del Mar lawn, a pair of optional claiming wins at Santa Anita and Oaklawn and a third-place finish as the favorite in last year's GIII Palos Verdes S.

Straight No Chaser's aforementioned win in the Maryland Sprint was further flattered when the distant third-place finisher that day Nakatomi (Firing Line) subsequently placed a close third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.

“It's great as a trainer when you have patient owners and I'm really grateful to have owners like MyRacehorse,” Blacker concluded. “To me, he's always been a horse that is gonna keep improving with age. I'm excited to get him back to the races.”

Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3)
1.200 m – 100.000 USD – for 3yo and upward
Pimlico

Straight No Chaser (USA)
(4C Speightster – Margarita Friday , by Johannesburg)
J : @ljlmvel
T: Dan Blacker
O : My Racehorse
B :John Eaton & Steve Laymon pic.twitter.com/H5LRCJ51jm

— (@WorldRacing1) May 20, 2023

The post Straight No Chaser, Off Since Breakthrough Performance on Preakness Undercard, Back Galloping at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

First Foal for Sequel’s Fire At Will

Fri, 2024-02-09 17:56

The first foal by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner and Sequel Stallions sire Fire At Will (Declaration of War–Flirt, by Kitten's Joy) was born recently.

Bred in New York by Horse Haven Racing and born on Jan. 30, the colt is the first foal out of the unraced Marital Joy (Practical Joke). The mare is from the same extended family as Breeders' Cup winner Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) and her Breeders' Cup-winning daughter Sharing (Speightstown).

“The colt has a lot of scope to him,” said Sequel's Becky Thomas. “He has a good hind end, like his sire, and is overall very well balanced. This is exactly what we were hoping to see out of the first crop for Fire At Will.”

Fire At Will will stand the 2024 season at Sequel in New York for $5,000.

The post First Foal for Sequel’s Fire At Will appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Shadwell’s Tarneema Graduates Impressively At Fair Grounds

Fri, 2024-02-09 17:48

7th-Fair Grounds, $57,000, Msw, 2-9, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.97, fm, 3 1/2 lengths.
TARNEEMA (f, 3, Kitten's Joy–Mooghareadh, by Malibu Moon) rallied from the clouds after a poor beginning but came up 4 1/4 lengths short of a pair of next-out winners in her debut over course and distance Dec. 31, an effort for which she received a 70 Beyer Speed Figure. Favored at even-money under Florent Geroux, the Shadwell homebred had a mildly better start and found herself mid pack while able to save ground against the fence. Angled outside of rivals from fifth turning for home, Tarneema unleashed a drive into the final furlong, easily got past late leader Tempting Lady (Enticed) and opened up to the wire to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Tarneema's dam, Mooghareadh, is a full-sister to MGSW/GISP Malibu Pier, herself the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner up and $1.3m FTKNOV broodmare Coasted (Tizway) and MGSP Malibu Stacy (Tizway). Shadwell purchased Mooghareadh as a yearling for $675,000 out of the 2014 KEESEP sale and has bred three winners from her from four to race. She has a 2-year-old Medaglia d'Oro colt, a yearling Street Sense colt and was covered by Jack Christopher for this year. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $39,920. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Shadwell Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

 

An impressive Fair Grounds victory by Kitten's Joy filly #4 TARNEEMA ($4.00) with @flothejock in the irons for @bradcoxracing and owner @ShadwellRacing. pic.twitter.com/Vr9goOmV1Z

— TVG (@TVG) February 9, 2024

The post Shadwell’s Tarneema Graduates Impressively At Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

‘Succession’ Presented By Neuman Equine Insurance: De Meric Sales

Fri, 2024-02-09 17:30

“It's a really difficult thing, to let go of something that you've spent your whole life building,” acknowledges Nick de Meric. “I don't know if 'letting go' is quite the right way to put it. But to actually cut that umbilical cord, it's a leap of faith.”

The Ocala horseman, who reflected on a colorful past in yesterday's TDN, now turns his attention to the future. For the evolution of a successor program, parallel to his own, makes the de Meric family a particularly pertinent case study for our series on how horse people handle the challenges of dynastic transition.

And, really, Nick couldn't have used a more apposite analogy. The “umbilical cord” to which he refers, of course, is the one extending four decades to the foundation of the pinhooking and pre-training business he operates with his wife Jaqui. Albeit not by much, it even predates the advent of their son Tristan and daughter Ali. But while that literally umbilical connection between parents and their children is never truly severed, the handover of a family business requires long habits of filial duty and parental authority to be gently renounced. And that's a process that demands imagination, flexibility, generosity.

As so often in these situations, Nick and Jaqui first had to establish whether, through nature or nurture, they had passed on a sense of vocation around horses-not to mention the accompanying skills.

“The guys I grew up with in the business, they're mostly around my age,” Nick remarks. “Some have kids who are looking like they're ready to assume the mantle; others don't. And when you've devoted your whole career to building a business, it's gratifying to have someone who can carry the torch forward for you, rather than just having to end it.”

Brandon and Ali Rice | Photos by Z

Ali married another who was born to the game, in Brandon Rice, and in 2009 they started their own program very much in the same manner as Nick and Jaqui around 25 years previously. They scraped together enough for a couple of cheap yearlings, notably a $7,000 colt who made $200,000 at OBS the following April before going on to become a graded stakes winner. Building on that remarkable start, Ricehorse Stables has proceeded to become a respected presence on the national sales scene.

Tristan and his wife Val, meanwhile, have become integral to the home operation, while maintaining a degree of independence that has evidently worked well on both sides. That they, too, know what they are about is evident from the fact that they and prepared subsequent champion juvenile Corniche (Quality Road) to make $1.5 million at OBS.

But perhaps an even bigger turning point, for Tristan and Val, had come when Gabriel Dixon put back on the market a 60-acre tract he had previously bought from Nick and Jaqui, with access to their Eclipse Training Center complex.

“Tris and Val were looking for something to invest in, so they jumped at that chance,” Nick explains. “And since then two more barns have been built, which they're able to lease out and so make the real estate itself turn into a good investment.”

(Again, this has strong echoes of Nick and Jaqui's own story: we saw yesterday how they once paid off their own mortgage in much the same way.)

“So their business runs adjacent and parallel to mine,” Nick explains. “They use our racetrack. We pinhook together, but they also do plenty independently and so do I. And I hope that eventually this way of doing things will make for a fairly seamless transition.”

So was this incremental model a deliberate strategy, or did it just evolve organically?

“I would say a little bit of both,” says Nick. “In life generally, but particularly in our business, we all know that the best-laid plans can go sideways in a heartbeat. So I would not so much say that it was my plan, but that it was my hope. Because while you can't project anything in cast-iron, at the same time you at least need some drift and direction.”

With both their children, Nick and Jaqui imparted their horse lore more by osmosis than by formal instruction.

“Ali was always obsessed,” Nick recalls. “If I left for the barn in the morning without taking her, and I'm talking like 5:30, she would have a meltdown. She used to come with me to the Keeneland 2-Year-Old Sale, I'd let her out of school for a few days. And later she worked sales in Korea, Europe, all over the States.

“Tris was always more of a homebody, and not so much engaged in the horses as a kid: it was baseball, dirt bikes, boy stuff. So when he did decide that this really was his thing, it surprised us how much he had absorbed, just from being around us, from conversations at the dinner table and that kind of thing.

“Certainly he didn't come round to it through any pressure from us. This business is tough on a good day, and I would never press anybody to enter it unless they're passionate. But ever since then, he's taken it and run with it.”

Evidence of Tristan's inherited flair emerged during what are perhaps the two most critical weeks for all these programs, in scouting the September Sale at Keeneland.

Tristan de Meric | Photos by Z

“We all know how that's as much an exercise in logistics and stamina as in horsemanship,” Nick says. “You've just got to keep plugging on, and Tris was right there doing a very good job. And from early on I found, more and more, that I could absolutely rely on his eye. I could send him ahead to do this or that barn, and we could compare notes later. I was always super impressed with how analytical and critical an eye he had for horses, at such a young age. Some things you can teach, some you can't, and he just had that knack.”

And that trust has become the foundation of their teamwork ever since.

“It's a totally subjective thing,” Nick stresses. “It's about judgment, intuition, instinct. So you don't always agree on everything. But he not only could pick athletes, but also had a very good fix on the economics of what we do. Picking the right horse is not always the hardest part. Actually, getting them brought at a price you can make sense of, that's a big part of the equation too. And knowing what you can and can't live with, in terms of vetting and conformation. He's done incredibly well with all of that, way beyond anything I can take credit for.”

So much for the innate skills. In terms of structuring their professional responsibilities, however, the together-but- separate model appeals as one that other families might usefully emulate.

“On a normal training day at home, when we're just doing our thing in the winter, we're right next to each other,” Nick explains. “I'm usually on a pony, and Tris is right there, either on a pony himself or in the viewing stand with Valerie. So we're actually talking all the time. We're watching each other's horses.

We help each other out, whenever we can, or need to. But those over there are his horses, his riders; and these over here are my horses, my riders.

Tristan, Nick and Jaqui | Christie DeBernardis

“We have clients in common, a lot of friends in common. But they have a following all of their own, which to their credit they have acquired quite independently of Jaqui and me. Conversely, most of my clients are now very familiar with them, and understand that we overlap a lot in our businesses. During a sale, they know they can talk to any of us and get all the information they may need.”

Nick is absolutely not going to pretend that it has been plain sailing all the way. At the best of times, it's never easy for one generation to know when and how much rein should be permitted to the next; and that's harder yet when the decision-making doesn't just affect personal development but the prosperity (or otherwise) of the whole family.

“I don't know if 'baggage' is quite the right word, but there's all the history that led you to this point,” Nick agrees. “As they say, the child is father of the man. So for someone in my position, who with his wife and partner has been making all the decisions, for better or worse-financial decisions, training decisions, client decisions-there comes a point when I have to say, 'Okay, you're in charge, it's your baby; I'm taking a sabbatical, I'm stepping back.' So far I've been easing back, but not pulling back.

“Sometimes you will see things a little differently. And that's where you have to learn to bite your lip and say, 'Okay, I might have done it this way instead-but I understand where he's coming from, let it go.' But most of us in this business, almost by definition, are control freaks to some extent. Because we have to be on top of everything. So that's a transition, too.”

That, however, is a price he considers well worth paying in order to see a life's work taken forward by his own flesh and blood. He cites friends whose children have no interest in doing that, and who will just have to call in a realtor someday.

“Neither Jacqui or I have any interest whatsoever in cashing in our chips and moving to a gated community,” Nick admits. “We are farm people. We have more dogs, cats, peacocks, goats, chickens, cows than you could count. Same for all the pets buried in the woods behind the house. We'd never move off the farm unless we absolutely had to. Behind every rock and tree, there's some little memory. And we're always going to ride, as long as we're physically capable.

“But that doesn't mean we have to keep going hammer and tongs. We've had so little time to really enjoy the farm for what it is. Just to get up in the morning, take a stretch, tack up our horse and just go wandering around. We've always been pedaling the bike.

“And we can see Tris and Val are doing a great job. It's great what they have done, working independently of me and alongside me. I can see the buyers are completely comfortable interacting with them. And that's allowing me to take a little step back. Maybe not quite as fast as Jaqui wants me to, but I'm working on that! I do worry, for both our kids and their families, about the collective legacy we're handing them in this sport. But I couldn't be prouder of what they have accomplished.”

The post ‘Succession’ Presented By Neuman Equine Insurance: De Meric Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Agate Road Back To The Dirt For Sam F. Davis

Fri, 2024-02-09 16:09

The Tampa Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up Saturday afternoon, as a full field of 12 sophomore males is set to face the starter for the $250,000 GIII Sam F. Davis S., with 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2) up for grabs.

When Litigate (Blame) took out the 2023 renewal, he was giving trainer Todd Pletcher a seventh victory in the Davis, having won the race for the first time in 2006 with Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat). 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) will be the more-fancied of Pletcher's two runners as he returns to the dirt for the first time since missing by a nose in a rained-off maiden at Saratoga last August. A had-to-see-it-to-believe-it winner of his turf debut at the Spa the following month, the $650,000 Keeneland September purchase found his best stride late to take out the GIII Pilgrim S., but he was done no favors by the one-mile trip of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, running on belatedly to finish fifth. Agate Road's seasonal debut is best taken with a grain of salt, as Tocayo (Always Dreaming) set a leisurely tempo in the Jan. 6 Dania Beach S. and was never threatened, with Agate Road chipping away late to be second. He certainly fits on class and figs, but he would be dodgy at a skinny number with Jose Ortiz in the irons. Pletcher also sends out Tireless (Not This Time), a local maiden winner over an extended mile Jan. 14.

Iowa-bred No More Time (Not This Time) broke his maiden impressively going a mile at Gulfstream in October, but was off slowly from the inside gate in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man and loomed a wide threat at the head of the lane before fading into fifth. The dark bay tries the two-turn game for the first time, with Paco Lopez taking over from Ortiz for trainer Jose D'Angelo.

Courtlandt Farms' Change of Command (Into Mischief) blew the doors off a field of Gulfstream maidens going seven furlongs Dec. 17 and gutted out a neck victory trying a route of ground for the first time in Hallandale Jan. 5. Shug McGaughey elects to puts blinkers on the $1.05-million KEESEP acqusition.

Elysian Meadows (City of Light) is perfect in two starts to date, both over three-quarters of a mile at Aqueduct, and the form of his first-level state-bred allowance victory Dec. 15 was franked when the runner-up Mischief Joke (Practical Joke) returned to win the Rego Park S. It'll be up to Junior Alvarado to work out a trip from the 12 hole for trainer Bill Mott. That combination teamed to win the 2021 Davis with Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Small, But Select Field For Rescheduled Las Virgenes

Saturday's GIII Las Virgenes S., postponed due to impending rains last Sunday, has lured a field of five, but what the race may lack in numbers, it appears to make up for in terms of quality.

Michael Lund Petersen's 'TDN Rising Star' Kinza (Not This Time) steps up in class and up in trip for this second go after earning a towering 96 Beyer Speed Figure in annexing her racecourse debut by 7 1/2 lengths going six furlongs Dec. 29. The $17,000 FTNOCT weanling, $30,000 OBSOCT yearling and $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer will try to give trainer Bob Baffert an eighth Las Virgenes and third straight for Petersen following Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in 2022 and Faiza (Girvin) last year.

Kopion (Omaha Beach) holds an experience edge over Kinza and exits a front-running, 5 3/4-length success in the seven-furlong GIII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 7. The $270,000 KEESEP graduate had previously defeated She's a Tempest (Connect) into second to open her account at first asking at Del Mar in late November, and She's a Tempest did her part to validate the effort with a tenacious victory over next-out maiden winner Ultimate Authority (Practical Joke) over this track and distance Jan. 5.

The post Agate Road Back To The Dirt For Sam F. Davis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Race Track Chaplaincy Of America Hosts Annual Golf Tournament Apr. 16

Fri, 2024-02-09 15:45

The Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) will host its 9th Annual Golf Scramble Tuesday, Apr. 16 at University Club of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky with all proceeds going to support the network of chaplaincies, the non-profit said in a Friday release.

The tournament will begin with lunch at 11:30 a.m. ET. before a 12:30 p.m. start. Included in the registration fee are green fees, lunch, team photo, food after the round, a special gift and more. A host of prizes will be given out for longest drive, closest-to-the-pin, door prizes and other games. Each par 3 will have hole-in-one prizes and an award ceremony will follow.

To register a team or request sponsorship information, contact the National Service Center of Race Track Chaplaincy of America at (859) 410-7822 or click here.

The post Race Track Chaplaincy Of America Hosts Annual Golf Tournament Apr. 16 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Nebraska Grant Funds Celebration Of Derby History With Authors’ Tour

Fri, 2024-02-09 12:54

Through a major grant awarded by Humanities Nebraska and a partnership with author Jennifer S. Kelly, Born To Rein documentary film co-producers, Jody L. Lamp and Melody Dobson, have organized a statewide authors' tour celebrating the 150th Kentucky Derby, the pair said in a release Friday.

The programs slated for Apr. 18-24 will launch in eastern Nebraska the evening of Thursday, Apr. 18 in historic downtown Ashland, Nebraska at the Willow Point Gallery; and conclude in western Nebraska with an afternoon authors' book signing event Thursday, Apr. 25 at the Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford.

“While the Kentucky Derby is not historically associated with Nebraska and the state's Thoroughbred horse racing industry, our desired outcome for the authors' tour is to give the audience an awareness, knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the individuals who credit their Nebraska upbringing to overcome the insurmountable odds they mastered in America's oldest sport,” the producers said in the release.

Click here for more information about the tour.

The post Nebraska Grant Funds Celebration Of Derby History With Authors’ Tour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

2023 New York-Bred Divisional Championship Nominees Released By NYTB

Fri, 2024-02-09 11:35

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) named their nominees for the Empire State's divisional champions of 2023, the organization said in a Friday morning release.

A panel of New York turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on each division and for the New York-bred Horse of the Year. The winners will be announced at the NYTB Awards Dinner sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund on Monday, May 13 from 6-9 p.m. ET. at Sacred Saratoga on the property of GMP Farm in Schuylerville. Former jockey and NYRA TV personality Richard Migliore will again serve as host.

“Our organization is excited to celebrate this year's nominees. All are deserving and represent the best in New York breeding and racing. This year's awards will be a special night at an exciting new location,” said NYTB President Dr. Scott Ahlschwede, D.V.M.

Tickets are available–$150 for NYTB Members and $175 for non-members–for purchase by clicking here or by calling the NYTB Office at (518) 587-0777.

“The New York-bred Divisional Championship Awards is a special night because it recognizes the very best in Thoroughbred breeding and racing in New York,” said Brian O'Dwyer, Chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission and New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund. “On behalf of the New York State Gaming Commission and Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund we are proud to work with NYTB and look forward to celebrating the connections of New York-breds who achieved success representing the New York-bred program last year.”

Also to be honored at the Awards Dinner with 2023 awards will be Broodmare of the Year, Champion Steeplechaser, Trainer, Champion Jockey and Outstanding Breeder.

“NYTB's annual awards is our marquee event. This year's nominees are no exception reflecting the quality and strength of the New York-bred program,” said NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson.

A list of the 2023 New York-bred divisional championship nominees by category follows:

Champion 2-Year-Old Male: Antonio of Venice (Laoban), El Grande O (Take Charge Indy), The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), Wynstock (Solomini).

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Brocknardini (Palace Malice), Caldwell Luvs Gold (Goldencents), Cara's Time (Not This Time), My Mane Squeeze (Audible).

Champion 3-Year-Old Male: Allure of Money (Central Banker), Eye Witness (City of Light), Hejazi (Bernardini), Maker's Candy (Twirling Candy).

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Downtown Mischief (Into Mischief), Gambling Girl (Dialed In), Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), Stonewall Star (Flatter).

Champion Older Dirt Male: Bankit (Central Banker), Dr Ardito (Liam's Map), Sherriff Bianco (Speightster), Straight Arrow (Arrogate).

Champion Older Dirt Female: Classy Edition (Classic Empire), Know It All Audrey (Shackleford), Timeless Journey (Verrazano), Venti Valentine (Firing Line).

Champion Turf Male: City Man (Mucho Macho Man), Red Knight (Pure Prize), Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro), Therapist (Freud).

Champion Turf Female: New Ginya (Tonalist), Runaway Rumour (Flintshire {GB}), Silver Skillet (Liam's Map), Whatlovelookslike (English Channel).

Champion Male Sprinter: Bold Journey (Hard Spun), Today's Flavor (Laoban), Rotknee (Runhappy), Thin White Duke (Dominus).

Champion Female Sprinter: Funny How (Overanalyze), Maple Leaf Mel, Rossa Veloce (Girolamo), Sterling Silver (Cupid).

The post 2023 New York-Bred Divisional Championship Nominees Released By NYTB appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When is a Maiden Not a Maiden? It Cost this Owner $5,331 to Find Out

Thu, 2024-02-08 18:42

When is a maiden not considered a maiden for entry purposes? Pennsylvania-based owner Albert “Abby” Abdala III lost $5,331 in second-place purse money trying to find out after an “ineligible entry” ruling was imposed upon him and his trainer, Bernard Dunham, on Feb. 2 by the Turfway Park stewards.

Abdala, who has owned Thoroughbreds for 10 years after getting started in horse ownership with Standardbreds, told TDN in a Feb. 8 phone interview that he still doesn't understand why Turfway officials accepted his entry for the 0-for-9 Magnolia Wind (Central Banker) in a $30,000 maiden-claiming race Jan. 4 if the stewards later deemed the 4-year-old filly to be ineligible.

The eligibility issue arose after the Jan. 4 race when Magnolia Wind was going to be entered again, and Turfway stewards Barbara Borden, Ron Herbstreit, and Brooks Becraft III learned that Abdala had an appeal pending with the Maryland Racing Commission over Magnolia Wind's race-interference disqualification from first to second in a $30,000 maiden-claimer at Laurel Park Nov. 9.

In that Laurel race, the 12-1 Magnolia Wind led all the way in a 5 1/2-furlong grass sprint. According to the Equibase chart, she “drifted out near the sixteenth pole, dug in and prevailed.”

“She won the race,” Abdala said. “But the stewards said we were 'herding,' which I thought was ridiculous because both riders were riding to the wire, nobody checked, and we held on. I appealed it, but the hearing wasn't going to be until Feb. 6.”

In the interim, after Magnolia Wind had gone nearly two months without a start, Abdala said he told Dunham, who has been a licensed trainer for 33 years, “She's good right now, we've got to race her.”

Although Magnolia Wind trains at Fair Hill in Maryland, Abdala did not want to run her on the dirt somewhere closer to home, because that's not her best surface, he explained.

“That's why I went out to Turfway, because she needs the Tapeta or the turf,” Abdala said.

Because Magnolia Wind's record on Equibase clearly showed the she had zero lifetime wins, “I assumed that the horse was eligible as a maiden,” Abdala said.

“I told my trainer to put her in, and he put her in. He entered her [electronically via] the computer. And we never said anything to anybody [about the Maryland appeal], because I didn't know we had to. They accepted the entry. Then we drove that filly nine hours to get to Turfway.”

The long journey appeared to pay off. Magnolia Wind ran second at 5-1 odds.

“And now they come after me saying that we knew she wasn't eligible, and that we're unlawful,” Abdala said.

Abdala said that after being notified of the ineligibility, he didn't come away from a conversation with Borden, Herbstreit, and Becraft with a clear understanding of why the Turfway's racing office officials or the stewards didn't bear some responsibility for allowing the entry in the first place.

TDN emailed Borden, the chief state steward, plus Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) executive director Jamie Eads, asking for some context behind the ruling and for clarification about why the Jan. 4 entry was approved by Turfway officials.

A different KHRC spokesperson replied with an email that outlined some of the sequence of events on “background only.” Because what was disclosed in that email could not be attributed to a specific KHRC official, the entire explanation has not been provided here. A follow-up request by TDN asking if the KHRC wanted to provide any response for the record did not yield a reply prior to deadline for this story.

The Turfway stewards' report for that date that is signed by all three stewards and posted on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission website makes no mention of the ineligibility.

But the subsequent Feb. 2 stewards' ruling disqualified Magnolia Wind from second place and ordered her $5,331 in purse earnings redistributed.

“I'm an accountant, a CPA, and I have an accounting firm,” Abdala said. “We have a lot of horse racing people as clients. I've asked everybody, and they all told me, 'Abby, your horse was eligible.'”

Abdala said he is no longer pursuing any appeals in Maryland or Kentucky regarding his twice-DQ'd filly.

“I didn't want to cause trouble or anything, and I want the filly to be able to race,” Abdala said. “So I just dropped everything–I dropped the hearing in Maryland, and I dropped the [potential appeal] at Turfway. I just want her to run. It's detrimental to her. After I dropped everything, they said they'll accept our entry now.”

The post When is a Maiden Not a Maiden? It Cost this Owner $5,331 to Find Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Trainer Sarah Delany Seriously Injured at Delta Downs

Thu, 2024-02-08 18:06

Sarah Delany, who trains along with her husband Benny Martinez, was injured Wednesday morning at Delta Downs when she was kicked by a horse in the back of her neck, according to family friend and client Brian Poppenberg. The local Lake Charles hospital sent her via CareFlight to Houston, where she underwent emergency surgery.

“She was kicked in the back of the neck, and had spinal surgery as well as fusion,” said Poppenberg, “and luckily enough she has feeling in all extremities but recovery will be lengthy.

“Let me express that her and her husband are a small barn outfit, and absolutely love the horses, and this will be a difficult time for her as the trainer and her husband.”

According to EquineLine's official statistics, Delany made her first start as a trainer in 2012. She has 280 wins from 1,941 career starts.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established for Delany and can be accessed here.

The post Trainer Sarah Delany Seriously Injured at Delta Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Pages