Thoroughbred Daily News

While several Kentucky Derby 150 contenders had regular training sessions Sunday morning, Japan's undefeated hope MGSW Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs main track since arriving early Saturday morning.

Conditioned by Yoshito Yahagi and under rider Yusaku Oka, the colt jogged in the one-mile chute for about 20 minutes before taking a 1 1/8-mile gallop in the early hours.

Shortly after at 7:30am, GSW Honor Marie (Honor Code) worked in company with stablemate Anthem King (Bolt d'Oro), the pair breezing a half-mile in :48.80 with the former claiming a slight edge passing the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

“He did it the right way, easily,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “We didn't want to do a ton this week and he seemed to do it well. He's the type of horse that will always do what you ask of him. I always thought it was good to have a workmate next to him, to just give him a little encouragement.”

Other contenders who went through their paces on track Sunday morning include GSW Track Phantom (Quality Road), MGSW Dornoch (Good Magic), and GSP Society Man (Good Magic) while D. Wayne Lukas's SW & GISP Just Steel (Justify) is expected to have his first training session over the Churchill Downs surface, since winning the local Ed Brown S. last November, Monday morning.

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Kentucky Derby hopeful GSW No More Time (Not This Time) returned from a breeze Sunday morning with an injury which will knock him out of the GI Kentucky Derby, announced the colt's owner Rich Mendez, the founder of Morplay Racing, on X.

The account stated in a release that there are still plans to head to Churchill Downs later in the week as well as provided a positive prognosis for a future return to the track.

“Less than 24 hours after officially qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, No More Time unfortunately suffered an injury Sunday morning during his final controlled breeze and plans to head to Churchill Downs later this week,” Mendez wrote in the release. “Our team at Morplay Racing is clearly devastated by the news, but we are thankful No More Time should be able to make a full recovery and be back on the track soon.”

He continued, “We want to thank trainer Jose D'Angelo and our entire team that gave us this incredible ride over the last year, and we're now turning our attention and focus to getting No More Time healthy and better than ever.”

“His breeze was beautiful,” said D'Angelo. “But when he came back to the barn, he was off.”

In a release from Gulfstream Park, it was noted that No More Time sustained a condylar fracture in his left front leg and will undergo surgery to repair it Monday.

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Florida House of Representatives Stan McClain will receive the inaugural Matt Bryan Distinguished Advocacy Award from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association at their annual Gala Monday. In a press release Friday, the FTBOA acknowledged McClain as helping to extend House Bill 7063, an incentives package for Florida breeding and racing interests.

“We were excited to be able to expand Florida's investment supporting the Florida Thoroughbred industry on a long-term basis,” said McClain. “I'm looking forward to watching how this investment helps the industry thrive in upcoming years.”

Rep. McClain is the first honoree of the Matt Bryan Distinguished Advocacy Award named in honor of Matt Bryan, FTBOA's 30-year veteran lobbyist. Bryan, who will retire at year's end, will also be honored for his career with the FTBOA at the Gala.

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On April 22-23 Light Up Racing will launch its Media & Content Cohort Training Program in Lexington, Kentucky, which aims to improve the narrative of horse racing and empower changemakers by teaching skills to better promote the sport, the organization said in a release Friday.

Light Up Racing is assembling approximately 20 individuals from every aspect of the horse racing industry, across all demographics, united by their passion for positive change over two days of training.

“Our goal is to empower each participant with the confidence to share their stories and perspectives in horse racing,” said Vicky Leonard of Kick Collective. “We believe that by building these skills and generating confidence, we can collectively start shifting how the sport is perceived and talked about.”

The days are planned to equip a diverse group of participants with the tools they need to make an impact. While the first focuses on personal branding, leveraging social media and confidence in media interview techniques, day two advances into content creation and strategies for maximizing engagement.

“By the end of this program, participants will not just have skills; they'll have the confidence to use their voices and showcase the industry from their perspective,” Leonard said. “They'll also have a community supporting their journey.”

This training marks the beginning of a larger movement towards a more open and forward-thinking horse racing community, sharing the positive elements to the wider public.

“When an industry isn't talking, people assume it has something to hide,” added Leonard. “The antidote to fixing the perception and trust issues is by opening the door and inviting people in–both in person and online. Your voice matters, and together, we have the power to redefine the narrative,” said Leonard.

Additional training will soon be announced across the country, reflecting Light Up Racing's commitment to fostering a nationwide community of empowered racing advocates.

“These two days will empower the Kentucky cohort to go out into the community, both in person and online, to engage in fact-based, transparent dialogue about horse racing during a crucial time on our calendar,” said board member Christina Blacker. “We need to share the good stories and we must stop uninformed opinions from driving the narrative of our sport. I look forward to participating in the training myself when it comes to California.”

Click here for more information about the training or email hello@lightupracing.com.

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Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland, the final stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offers a path to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew).

Currently on the outside looking in, Hades sits in 24th place on the leaderboard with 30 points. The GI Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. The Lexington offers 42 points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

With a victory, Hades would be in the top 20. A runner-up finish would put him on the bubble.

Hades upset potential Kentucky Derby favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) (third) and next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product (Practical Joke) (second) with a game victory in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3. Hades suffered his first career defeat finishing a well-beaten fifth behind Fierceness after getting bumped at the start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30.

“We need the points. I'm not going to go there to be number 21 (on the also-eligible list),” trainer Joe Orseno said. “He didn't get a chance to run in the Florida Derby.”

Hades will race with first-time blinkers in the Lexington and will also receive a rider change to Jose Ortiz. Paco Lopez was aboard Hades in his first four career starts.

“I always thought he would be better with blinkers, but he kept winning and I couldn't make the change,” Orseno said. “He'll have blinkers here; little ones.”

Two other Lexington entrants could be on the Derby bubble with a victory: Encino (Nyquist) (20 points) and Liberal Arts (Arrogate) (19 points).

John Battaglia Memorial S. winner Encino, scratched from last weekend's GI Blue Grass S. in favor of this spot, tries dirt for the first time for trainer Brad Cox. Last year's GIII Street Sense S. winner Liberal Arts was an eventful sixth (disqualified and placed eighth for interference after getting rank on the first turn) in the GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 30.

The Lexington field of 10 also includes 5-2 morning-line favorite The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), who makes his first start since finishing a very game second in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 7.

Saturday's 11-race card at Keeneland also prominently features the GI Jenny Wiley S. Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), a two-time Grade I winner over the lawn in Lexington, held her own against the boys finishing a respectable fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile last time Nov. 4. The 3-1 morning-line favorite is one of four entered for Chad Brown, who has won five of the past six runnings of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares and has six Jenny Wiley victories overall.

Brown will also saddle last term's GI Matriarch S. heroine Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), MGSW Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and longshot Beaute Cachee (Fr) (Literato {Fr}). “With a lot of my good grass fillies, I like to target this and I like the mile and a sixteenth to start,” Brown said.

The field of 10 also includes: Didia (Arg) (Orpen), a game winner of the GII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. at Gulfstream Jan. 27; and the Charlie Appleby-trained English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who captured the G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan last time Feb. 23.

Wet Paint (Blame), three-for-three against stakes company at Oaklawn last season, will face off against California invader Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in the GI Apple Blossom H. in Hot Springs. Wet Paint, just up in time in last summer's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, makes her first start since finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 4. Adare Manor, winner of last summer's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar, crossed the line one spot better in seventh at the Championships and kicked off her 5-year-old campaign for Bob Baffert with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 9.

Saturday's graded action is rounded out by the GIII Count Fleet H. at Oaklawn and GIII Giant's Causeway S. at Keeneland.

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High-profile trainer Robertino Diodoro, who is serving a provisional suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after the banned substance levothyroxine was found in his barn at Oaklawn Park, has entered a horse for the April 18 card at Lone Star Park. On opening night, he has entered Master of Disguise (Mastery) in a maiden special weight race with a purse of $33,000.

Diodoro is eligible to race in Texas because the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) does not have jurisdiction in that state.

Diodoro did not return a phone call from the TDN, but it appears that he will be busy at the Lone Star meet, which concludes on July 14. Diodoro has been allotted 50 stalls, which appears to be the maximum amount allowed by the track's racing department. He has not started a horse since April 3 at Turf Paradise. He was able to run in Arizona after his suspension was announced because the horses had been entered before Diodoro was notified of the violation

Diodoro was provisionally suspended by HIWU on March 29. Though he has been summarily suspended the case must still be reviewed by HIWU's Internal Adjunction Panel. Diodoro also has the option of trying to contest the suspension in court.

Levothyroxine is a thyroid medication. According to the National Library of Medicine the use of thyroid hormones for doping to enhance performance in human sports has long been controversial. There have been claims of abuse of these drugs, but they have not been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Texas Racing Commission interpreted its state racing rules and concluded that only the racing commission can legally oversee racing in the state and therefore would not allow HISA to come into Texas. Because they are not under HISA's jurisdiction, Lone Star Park and Sam Houston cannot send their simulcast signal out of state.

Diodoro was the leading trainer in 2023 at Oaklawn Park and is currently still in second place in this year's Oaklawn standings. Training since 1995, Diodoro has 3,184 career wins and a winning rate of 21 percent.

A similar scenario is playing out in Louisiana, where trainer Jonathan Wong has begun racing. Wong received a two-year suspension from HIWU after he had a horse test positive for Metformin, a drug that is commonly used by humans to combat type 2 diabetes. Like Texas, Louisiana racing is not under HISA's control. Wong has started eight horses in Louisiana with no winners. He has four horses entered at Evangeline Downs next week and another Saturday night.

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Wynonna Judd will perform the National Anthem at this year's Kentucky Derby, while Martha Stewart will handle the 'Riders Up' announcing duties, Churchill Downs said via a press release early Friday morning.

Judd, a Kentucky native, will take the mic just after 5 p.m. ET and her performance will be broadcast as part of NBC's Derby coverage.

“I am so proud to represent my home state, taking part in one of the most storied and iconic traditions,” Wynonna Judd said. “The Kentucky Derby is something I look forward to every year and being able to perform this year makes the momentous event even more special.”

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War Chant (Danzig), the winner of the 2000 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, passed away on Thursday, Apr. 11. Housed at Yarradale Stud in Western Australia, the 27-year-old stallion succumbed to old age at the Gidgegannup nursery that he had called home for over a decade, the breeder said in a Thursday release.

War Chant was bred and raced by Marge and Irving Cowan, and trained by Neil Drysdale. Out of MGISW Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S.), the homebred finished ninth in the GI Kentucky Derby and ended his racing career with a win later that year in the Breeders' Cup Mile. In seven starts he amassed earnings of $1,130,600.

Beginning his stud duties at Robert Clay's Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky in 2001, War Chant performed shuttle duty on occasion to Chile and Western Australia. In 2011, after prolonged negotiations, the late Ron Sayers managed to secure the Southern-hemisphere breeding rights for War Chant for the next three years.

Three years later, the sire relocated permanently to Western Australia following the breeding season. He was responsible for 46 stakes winners world-wide with 12 of those based down under.

The stallion was regularly used to educate young staff in the breeding barn. His professional manner while covering mares meant that he was the perfect teacher for the younger staff who were keen to perfect their handling skills.

“He had the three Ps–Performance, Pedigree and Physique,” said Davy Hanratty, Yarradale's Stud Manager. “His movie star good looks hit you first. He was a quirky devil at times but taught me to be a better horseman. We are very lucky he has built a terrific reputation as a broodmare sire, and rest assured, we haven't seen the last of his name in the record books.”

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Amr Zedan's incorporated racing stable advanced its lawsuit to get Bob Baffert-trained horses un-banned from the GI Kentucky Derby by telling a Kentucky judge Thursday that the motion to dismiss filed by defendant Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) “confirms that the extension of its ban is based on pretext rather than genuine, fact-based concerns about health and safety.”

Zedan's Apr. 11 legal response in Jefferson Circuit Court underscored the time-pressing need for a swift judicial response to Zedan's request for an injunction before the Apr. 27 deadline for all entered Derby horses to be on the grounds prior to the May 4 race. The next hearing in the case is Apr. 15.

Zedan articulated concerns that CDI's legal invocation of an Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) statute was “not only meritless, but perverse.”

An Anti-SLAPP claims process might take months to legally unfold, and while it played out there would be a mandatory halting of all other legal proceedings, including Zedan's pending motion for the temporary injunction.

After Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone in the 2021 Derby, Baffert was banned from CDI's properties for two years. A federal judge in February 2023 denied Baffert a preliminary injunction that the Hall-of-Fame trainer had sought to be eligible to race in the Derby. Last July CDI extended the ban at least through 2024.

Zedan owns the GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth (Good Magic), who would be among the Derby favorites if allowed to race.

It is unclear if a ruling in favor of Zedan would allow other Baffert trainees owned by different entities to also participate in the Derby, or if any lifting of the ban would also permit Baffert's trainees to enter the GI Kentucky Oaks.

CDI's Apr. 8 motion to dismiss stated that “The demand for a last-minute judicial takeover of the world's most storied horse race…is baseless, outrageous and should be immediately rejected.”
Zedan's responded in the Apr. 11 filing: “CDI has given away the game at the outset. In purporting to uphold the right 'to petition and speak freely on issues of public interest,' CDI has discredited its sole gripe against Baffert: far from acting on any substantive concerns about the health or safety of horses, CDI admits its extended ban is based only on its dissatisfaction with Baffert supposedly 'pedd[ling] a false narrative,' i.e., uttering words, in public interviews, that displease CDI.”

In a different section of the filing, Zedan stated, “Observers to this point might have thought that CDI stands behind its ban-and CDI's professed concerns about an actual threat to 'integrity' and 'safety'-as reflecting hard, objective facts that CDI has diligently verified. But observers now know better. CDI has admitted to this Court that its banning of an all-time-great horse trainer was and is just a matter of CDI's casual, subjective opinion!”

Zedan's filing later continued: “CDI argues that Zedan suffers no serious detriment and that CDI gains no unfair advantage from any inconsistency, but the facts amply refute that. CDI's bait-and-switch tactics have cost Zedan millions of dollars in sunk costs while enabling CDI successfully to defend a two-year ban against legal challenge, only thereafter to extend the ban indefinitely.”

Baffert is not a party to the lawsuit filed by Zedan.

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Keeneland kicks off the second weekend of the Spring Meet with the much-heralded return Friday of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner in the 36th running of the $600,000 GI Maker's Mark Mile S. Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), unseen in the starting gate since his nose win over Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) in the Mile last November, was most recently spotted with trainer Charlie Appleby's string in Dubai before shipping stateside to Keeneland. Now six, the Godolphin homebred has been here before, notching a second over this course last October in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. to eventual champion Up to the Mark (Not This Time). Although the gelding hasn't started in five months and rain was plentiful at Keeneland Thursday which may downgrade the turf, Appleby is confident Master of The Seas, who also won the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile S. last fall, will show his best.

“He is a worthy favorite,” said Appleby. “He broke his maiden on soft ground, and he's won a Group 2 on soft.”

Apply also brings Godolphin's Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), winner of six of seven lifetime, including his last two going a furlong further at Meydan. There were 13 months and a castration between those two wins, but his G2 Singspiel S. victory Feb. 23 earned him a ticket to the U.S. for a barn that has excelled in graded events in America.

“He has won on soft ground, and this will give him a chance to gain experience over here,” said Appleby.

The 2022 Maker's Mark Mile victor, Charles Fipke's 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), has not found the winner's circle since that signature win. He's faced Master of the Seas in two of his last three, getting closest with a runner-up finish in the Woodbine Mile. He clearly has an affinity for Keeneland, with a second in the 2022 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile to another Appleby trainee in Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“Hard to believe, but [Shirl's Speight] has been running in all of the big ones with a couple of seconds,” said trainer Roger Attfield. “He's been doing well since his last race, which was the [Jan. 27 GI] Pegasus [World Cup Turf Invitational].”

The Maker's Mark field is rounded out by uber-impressive two-back GII Hill Prince S. winner Integration (Quality Road); 'TDN Rising Star' and Mar. 2 GIII Canadian Turf S. winner Emmanuel (More Than Ready); and a Chad Brown-trained pair of recent Tampa allowance winners in Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Equitize (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Du Jour (Temple City), winner of the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. Mar. 3, reportedly didn't make the trip from Santa Anita and will be scratched.

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According to the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) a horse trained by New York-based conditioner George Weaver has tested positive for the banned substance metformin. Weaver has asked for a test on a split sample and will be allowed to continue to train pending the results of that test.

The horse in question is Anna's Wish (Dailed In) and the alleged violation occurred after she was tested following the March 16 Cicada S. at Aqueduct in which she finished third.  Metformin is listed as a banned substance by HIWU, which means Weaver faces a possible suspension of up to two years. The “banned” category is the most serious class of drug offences under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules.

Metformin is a drug used to treat diabetes in people. With more than 20 million patients taking it, metformin ranks as the nation's third-most-prescribed human medicine, according to the consumer healthcare website Healthgrades.

Weaver joins Mike Lauer, Jonathan Wong and four other trainers who have had horses test positive for metformin. The metformin positives have been controversial because of the number of people who take it for diabetes, which raises the possibility of environmental contamination.

“This is a clear case of external contamination,” said Weaver's attorney, Drew Mollica. “The facts will show that Mr. Weaver had no hand in this and bears no fault for the alleged violation. We will seek a split sample and once those results are in we believe we will be able to offer clear and convincing evidence that Mr. Weaver bears no fault. At some point, HISA slash HIWU must accept the fact that these universally prescribed medications exist in the environment. The attempt to destroy a man's career predicated on a prevalent substance and in a case where he bears no fault should not only shock the conscience, but it should also shock the entire racing community.”

According to Mollica, Anna's Wish's groom takes metformin.

“The groom who cares for the horse is on the medication,” he said. “This is a clear case of contamination. The consequences that HIWU seeks to impose are career killers with no basis in reality.”

A former assistant to Todd Pletcher, Weaver has been on his own since 2002. According to The Jockey Club's online rulings database, Weaver has had just two prior positives, one for acepromazine and the other for promazine sulfoxide. In both instances, he was not suspended but was fined $300.

For his career, Weaver has had 6,467 starters and has won 983 races. His career earnings are $50,753,128.

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The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has partnered with Sports Medicine Concepts, Inc. (SMC), a provider of sports emergency care training and emergency action planning services, to develop emergency action plans across Thoroughbred racetracks operating under HISA's rules.

The program is set to commence in the second quarter of 2024 and will continue with a series of strategic implementations throughout 2024 and 2025.

“Medical emergency preparedness planning has become essential to any sport,” said SMC CEO and Director of Operations Michael Cendoma. “An effective response plan reflects a multifaceted approach that combines training and education, technological innovation, science and evidence-based practices, and collaboration. We look forward to working alongside HISA and its racetracks across the U.S. to implement best practices that will ensure swift and effective responses to medical emergencies.”

Through the partnership with SMC, HISA will help improve each racetrack's emergency preparedness by supporting the development of an emergency action plan (EAP) template, identifying weaknesses in any existing EAPs and providing an opportunity for tracks and first responders to collaborate further on how to prepare and train for, and respond efficiently to, emergencies.

The partnership with SMC is the latest in a series of steps undertaken by HISA toward promoting health and safety initiatives in U.S. Thoroughbred racing. This initiative aims to bring all tracks up to a best-practice standard through structured policy implementation.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with SMC in what represents a significant step forward in our commitment to the wellbeing of all racing participants,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “By adopting a holistic and elevated approach to emergency preparedness, we aim to ensure all stakeholders are equipped to handle emergencies with skill and coordination. Together, we are working towards a safer sport for everyone involved.”

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4th-Keeneland, $95,050, Msw, 4-11, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.65, sy, 9 lengths.
JEFFERSON STREET (c, 3, Street Sense–Apiary, by Bernardini) proved the third time was the charm, breaking his maiden in his Keeneland debut Thursday. Unveiled at Saratoga last summer, we finished third but notably ten lengths behind the winner, next-out GI Champagne S. runner up General Partner (Speightstown). On the bench for the rest of the year, the homebred returned at Gulfstream to again be third but showed an improved effort, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in defeat as the favorite behind GISP Be You (Curlin). Trying his shortest distance to date and facing a sloppy track for the first time against older horses, the 1-5 chalk sat just off the speed of Rock N Roll Bolt (Bolt d'Oro) and easily took over command from that rival as the top pair swung off the turn. Under a hand ride from regular rider Junior Alvarado, Jefferson Street cruised home in the mud to graduate by 9 lengths over 18-1 shot Accident (Tale of Verve). A homebred for Godolphin, Jefferson Street is out of a half-sister to MGISW and sire Frosted (Tapit) and a full-sister to GSW Indulgent. Another one of his dam's half-sisters produced MGSW/GISP Caramel Swirl (Union Rags). This is also the family of champion 2-year-old colt Midshipman (Unbridled's Song) and MGISP Solomini (Curlin). Apiary has a 2-year-old Nyquist colt and a yearling Maclean's Music colt but was not reported bred for this year. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-2, $81,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott.

Junior Alvarado gears down on #8 JEFFERSON STREET ($2.54) as he breaks his maiden in Race 4 at @KeenelandRacing for trainer Bill Mott and owner @godolphin.
Another winner by Street Sense, who stands at @DarleyAmerica. pic.twitter.com/Aeszqn9Lp9

— TVG (@TVG) April 11, 2024

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2nd-Keeneland, $79,675, Msw, 4-11, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.86, sy, 4 3/4 lengths.
PERFECT SHANCES (f, 2, Shancelot–American Baby, by Bayern)
became her freshman sire's first to get her picture taken. The bay took most of the action at the windows as she went off as the 1-2 favorite after drilling regularly at three furlongs over the course of March and into this month. As she battled sheets of rain, the filly made the front and moved to the rail around the far turn. The homebred straightened in control for the drive down the lane and splashed home by 4 3/4 lengths over Citizen Judy (American Freedom). The first winner sired by GSW/MGISP Shancelot (by Shanghai Bobby), Perfect Shances is her unraced dam's first and only registered foal. American Baby, who counts as a full-sister SW Sweet Harmony, is out of GSP Sweet Marini (Marino Marini), herself a half-sister to SW Excessivespending (Shackleford). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,360. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Crawford Farms (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

(9) Perfect Shances a convincing winner in race 2. (2) Citizen Judy and (3) Her Holy Name follow. pic.twitter.com/TJpnvq0JZE

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 11, 2024

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Trainer Ralph Nicks will call it a career Sunday after saddling a horse for the final time at Gulfstream Park.

“It's time,” Nicks said. “I've been here a long time. It's just the way the business is going, with clients passing away. I've had a lot of years invested. I want to get away and do some things before I get too old and can't.”

The 57-year-old has saddled 722 winners, including Caledonia Road, the winner of the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar who was subsequently honored with the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly, and Aubby K, a multiple graded-stakes winner who captured the 2013 GI Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.

“I've had a pretty good career. I don't know what the numbers are, but I've trained a champion and nine [Florida Sire S.] winners, as well as several other stakes winners,” he said. “I've had a good run, and maybe it's time for a new chapter.”

The Avery, Texas native is looking forward to expanding his horizons.

“I'm going to take some time and do some traveling around the U.S.,” said Nicks, who has one entry on Saturday's program and three on Sunday's card at Gulfstream.

Nicks learned the training craft from his father Morris Nicks before eventually becoming an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. During his tenure, Cigar was the king of the Mott barn while winning 16 straight races, including victories in the 1995 GI Donn H. and the 1996 GI Gulfstream Park H., as well as back-to-back Horse of the Year titles.

“That's one of those things that you have to pinch yourself and say, 'Am I living in a dream world,'” Nicks said. “You'd have to rate him as one of the greatest horses of all time, but there were other very special horses there during that run, like Paradise Creek, Ajina, Escena, Boundary–I could go down a huge list of horses that we've gotten our hands on or got to throw a leg across.”

Nicks, who trained in Kentucky and New York before settling in South Florida 10 years ago, hasn't ruled out a future return to the racing industry in some capacity.

“If I had to make an immediate decision, I might want to get into some consulting, buying yearlings and things like that at some point, but as of right now, I'm going to clear the head and enjoy life a little bit before I can't,” Nicks said. “I'm going to reboot the mind and see where it takes me.”

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The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) announced today the release of its 2023 Annual Report. The full report is available here.

The Annual Report details HIWU's organization-wide activities as the independent enforcement agency of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. Among the highlights are statistics on testing, results management, the adjudication of cases, investigations, and educational efforts.

“We are pleased to present this comprehensive look at HIWU's work on behalf of the Thoroughbred industry,” said Ben Mosier, executive director for HIWU. “The Report illustrates the tremendous team effort that was required to bring the ADMC Program to life and administer it nationwide, as well as the support and collaboration of industry groups and horsemen who have worked with us to help make the Program successful.”

All Annual Reports will be archived in the About Us section of the HIWU website at hiwu.org for viewing.

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Hall of Fame Jockey, Edgar Prado, Chicago attorney Danny Teinowitz and Kentucky breeder Craig Bandoroff have been added to Jockeys and Jeans. Prado, who was named the committee's Hall of Fame Jockey Coordinator, replaces fellow Hall of Fame member, Sandy Hawley, who stepped down but remains an Ambassador. Teinowitz becomes Special Consultant to Interim President, Dr. Eddie Donnally. Bandoroff becomes the group's latest Ambassador.

Bandoroff recently retired as president of the 800-acre Denali Stud, which has consigned over 500 stakes horses. In December 1974, he lost the use of his right arm when his mount at the former Garden State Park bolted into the inside rail after the start. He has aided the group's fundraising efforts and is a vocal advocate.

“No one has to remind me how dangerous it is being a jockey,” said Bandoroff. “I have always felt fortunate and grateful that I recovered with my legs and brain intact. We all know a jockey's life is one instant away from a perilous event and result. I've always felt it was my obligation and responsibility to help these brave athletes who were less fortunate than I. It is my hope that everyone who benefits from being in our industry will help those jockeys who have been seriously injured. They deserve our support.”

Prado, 56, retired in June of 2023 as the eighth all-time leading jockey in wins with 7,119. His mounts earned over $272 Million, and he won 11 riding titles at NYRA affiliated tracks. Prado joins Quarter Horse Hall of Fame jockey, G.R. Carter, as a committee member.

Teinowitz won a Sovereign Award as the breeder of Fantasy Lake, Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of Canada in 1998, and has attended seven of the 10 Jockeys and Jeans annual events.

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With an inaugural bottle honoring Man o'War to be released in October, Keeneland Race Course and Maker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon will launch a 10-year commemorative bottle series, “Greats of the Gate.” The series will celebrate Thoroughbred racing's most iconic horses, featuring a different horse each year.

“Keeneland and Maker's Mark have a rich history of working hand-in-hand to support organizations making an impact in Kentucky,” said Rob Samuels, Managing Director of Maker's Mark. “We're honored to partner each year in such a meaningful way, dating back to when Keeneland was our first customer serving Maker's Mark in the 1950s and setting the stage for decades of collaboration to follow.”

Proceeds from each year's “Greats of the Gate” bottle will benefit non-profits that support Kentucky culture, including the horse racing industry, hospitality and the arts. Over the course of the 10 years, Keeneland and Maker's Mark are committed to raising $4 million for various Kentucky non-profit organizations through this bottle series.

“Keeneland is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Maker's Mark to benefit both the Thoroughbred industry and our local communities,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland and Maker's Mark share a mission of service and philanthropy, and the commemorative bottles have been a fun way to engage our fans and support deserving organizations through the years.”

For the first three years of the 10-year series, the “Greats of the Gate” bottle will support Kentucky Harvest, Arts Center of the Bluegrass and Blue Grass Farms Charities.

The Art Center of the Bluegrass connects people to art, culture, and creativity through exhibits, hands on art making, arts appreciation, and cultural experiences, while the mission of Kentucky Harvest is to end local hunger by connecting with food donors and engaging volunteers to rescue excess food and move it from those who have it to those in need.

Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) provides health and human services to those who work in the Central Kentucky Thoroughbred Industry, including a much-needed food assistance program. Proceeds from the Man o' War bottle will support construction of a new food pantry located at The Thoroughbred Center (TTC) on Paris Pike.

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Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be on site at Churchill Downs for a variety of events during Kentucky Derby week. The organization will be recognized with a named race on the undercard of Champions Day on Wednesday of Derby week.

A representative from TAA will be present to host the winners of the “Off to the Races” VIP Experience online benefit auction, which was donated by Churchill Downs Incorporated and Second Stride. The winners will enjoy all-inclusive box seats, tickets to the Winner's Party at the Kentucky Derby Museum and a tour of Second Stride, a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization.

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Following his dominant victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Laurel River (Into Mischief) is at the top of the second edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2024 with a rating of 128. The 6-year-old was never threatened in the World Cup, romping home by 8 1/2 lengths over Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre) (120 on the Longine rankings), with Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) (121) a neck back in third. Laurel River came into the race having won the G3 Burj Nahaar by 6 3/4 lengths earlier in March.

With his victory in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has improved his rating to 123 from 120 and is now the second-highest rated horse in the world. The 6-year-old gelding, who defeated Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (120) by two lengths in the Sheema Classic, came into the race having won the G3 H H The Amir Trophy by three lengths in February.

Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) (120) joins the rankings in the co-fifth position following his win in the G1 Dubai Turf, while Tuz (Oxbow) (119) is now ranked after winning the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen by 6 1/2 lengths.

In the U.S., Fierceness (City of Light) (120) joined the Top 5 on the rankings following his explosive victory in the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee and published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).

For the complete rankings, click here.

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