Archive for February, 2009
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
The Pamplemousse turned in a dominating performance over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface Saturday, winning the Sham Stakes easily by six lengths in a wire-to-wire victory that stamped him as a serious contender for the upcoming Santa Anita Derby and perhaps the Kentucky Derby. Florida shipper Take the Points finished second after chasing the winner throughout, with Mr. Hot Stuff third and Bourbon Bay fourth in the nine-furlong event that attracted a field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings.
The Pamplemousse, owned by a partnership that includes Alex Solis Jr., son of the winning rider, is trained by Julio Canani. The colt’s name, which means grapefruit in French, comes from a Del Mar, Calif., restaurant whose owners Jeffrey and Bill Strauss are also part of the colt’s ownership team, along with Carol Bienstock and Ann Winner.
The Pamplemousse covered the distance in 1:47.86 after setting fractions of :23.08, :46.51, 1:10.29, and 1:35.09. The son of the Cherokee Run stallion Kafwain out of Comfort Zone, by Rubiano, was bred in Kentucky by Fred and Nancy Mitchell’s Clarkland Farm, which sold him for $80,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale to a pinhooking outfit, Vision Sales. The latter sold him at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training to Alex Solis II Bloodstock for $150,000.
The Sham was The Pamplemousse’s second graded stakes victory following his wire to wire win in the San Rafael Stakes Jan. 17. It was his third win overall from five starts. He began his career with a fourth place effort in a maiden sprint Oct. 4 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, then improved to third in another maiden sprint at Hollywood Park Nov. 8. The colt broke his maiden going 1 1/16 miles Dec. 14 at Hollywood, then came back one month later to win the San Rafael. Off that impressive victory he was sent off the 1-2 favorite in the Sham and paid $3 for the win.
"The way he’s been training I expected something like this, some kind of performance like he put out today," said winning rider Solis, who was recently named on the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame ballot with retired jockeys Randy Romero and Eddie Maple. "It was amazing. I told Julio I’ve never been on a horse like this, never and I’ve rode some really nice horses.
"He has such a good mind and he was real relaxed the whole way. If you want to get an idea of how he’ll do going a mile and a quarter, I switched to my left stick and hit him one time at the eighth pole and he just took off. He’s unbelievable."
Asked by HRTV whether this was his Derby horse, Solis replied: "This is what we all dream about, no?"
The flamboyant Canani, aged 70, a Peruvian by birth who has been training on the Southern California circuit for more than 40 years, said he hasn’t caught Derby fever quite yet. When asked if he thinks The Pamplemousse will be able to settle behind horses in future races, he quickly responded: "Who cares?"
Equibase chart.
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Tags: alex solis, alex solis jr., cherokee run, clarkland farm, comfort zone, julio canani, kafwain, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, ribiano, sham stakes, the mamplemousse
Posted in Derby Prep, Triple Crown preps | 5 Comments »
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Edward P. Evans’ homebred Quality Road ran away from the field under jockey John Velazquez to take Saturday’s Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. after sitting just off the pace of This Ones for Phil and seizing command at the top of the stretch to win going away by 4 1/4 lengths. It was just the third career start and stakes debut for the Virginia-bred son of Elusive Quality out of the Strawberry Road mare, Kobla. Quality Road was not among the early nominees to the Triple Crown races. He is trained by Jimmy Jerkens
Quality Road covered the one-turn mile in 1:35.01 on a fast track after fractions of :23.83, :45.55, 1:09.40 and 1:22.03. Theregoesjojo finished well to get second, with Beethoven another four lengths back in third and 7-2 favorite Capt. Candyman Can fourth in the field of 10 3-year-old colts and geldings. This Ones for Phil faded to fifth after setting the pace to the top of the stretch, and he was followed by Bee Cee Cee, Notonthesamepage, Jack Spratt, Taqarub and Break Water Edison. Quality Road carried just 114 pounds under the conditions of the race, eight pounds fewer than Capt. Candyman Can, Beethoven and Break Water Edison, the 122-pound high weights.
Quality Road broke his maiden at Aqueduct Nov. 29 in his first career start, a 6 1/2-furlong event, going wire to wire to win by 2 3/4 lengths. He came back at Gulfstream Park when favored at 3-10 in a Jan. 10 allowance race but had to settle for second behind Theregoesjojo, beaten 2 3/4 lengths. Alan Garcia rode the colt in his first two starts.
“He rushed up after breaking slow and that might have taken something out of him,” Jerkens said of the allowance race. “Plus a lot of my horses didn’t do too well when they first got down here.”
Stabled at Palm Meadows, Quality Road had been training sensationally, highlighted by a :58 2/5 five-furlong breeze on Feb. 23, the best of 48 workouts at the distance that morning. Jerkens said the size of Quality Road is one reason he has been raced so lightly. "He’s at least 17 hands and didn’t get to me until late July,” said Jerkens. “I didn’t even take him to Saratoga with me, but since then there’s been no problems.”
Quality Road, who was racing on the anti-bleeding medication furosemide for the first time in the Fountain of Youth, paid $13 for the win. The colt was entered as part of the Lane’s End consignment at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, but was bought back by his consignor for $110,000.
Jerkens said immediately after the race that it was too soon to say whether or not Quality Road would be pointed for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby at Gulfstream on March 28.
“I was glad to see him break sharp and then settle in," said Jerkens. "He came out of his last race with a little cough, but has trained great since then. We’ve thought a lot of him from his first start. He’s got the pedigree to go on, but a one-turn mile is still basically a sprint and a lot different than going two turns. We’ll talk it over before making a decision on what’s next. I’m a New York guy so the Wood (Memorial on Apr. 4 at Aqueduct) might be one option. On the other hand, he’s trained great over the track down here (Palm Meadows) and weather isn’t likely to interrupt his schedule, so the Florida Derby is naturally a possibility. We missed the first deadline (for Triple Crown) nominations, but we’ll put it up in March. It will just cost a little more.”
Ken McPeek, trainer of Theregoesjojo, was not discouraged by the effort of his Brahms colt. “We are really happy," McPeek said. "We didn’t lay it all down for this race. He wasn’t 100% cranked and we’re excited about going forward from here. I thought he ran a great race and lost to a very good horse. And believe me, the horse that won is one very impressive horse.”
Equibase chart.
Tags: beethoven, edward evans, elusive quality, fasig-tipton fountain of youth, fountain of youth stakes, gulfstream park, jimmy jerkens, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, Theregoesjojo, Triple Crown
Posted in Derby Prep, Triple Crown preps, gulfstream park | Comments Off
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
The National Turf Writers Association has released its list of how individual members of the organization voted in 2008 Eclipse Award balloting, helping solve such mysteries as who voted against 2-year-old filly champion Stardom Bound or 3-year-old male champion Big Brown. The NTWA is the only one of the three voting organizations that discloses how its members vote, the other groups being editorial and handicapping staff members of Daily Racing Form and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Racing secretaries at member tracks and Equibase chartcallers make up the NTRA vote.
Three individuals voted against Stardom Bound: Bill Doolittle voted for Rachel Alexandra, Paula Rodenas chose Sky Diva, and Rick Snider voted for Springside. In the 3-year-old male category, there were eight votes against Big Brown.
Click here to see the list of NTWA voters.
Steven Crist, publisher of Daily Racing Form, said in an email to the Paulick Report he doesn’t see any benefit to disclosing how individuals vote. “I think all of our people take the process seriously,” he said, “and publishing their votes would not serve any particular purpose, though our writers are free to (and often do, as do I) choose to do so in columns and notebooks.
“As for publication making people accountable,” Crist added, “that hardly seems to work, given the incomprehensible published votes of NTWA members who voted for Sky Diva or Tale of Ekati as Eclipse champs.”
Crist said when he was part of the group that bought the Form about 10 years ago, there were over 100 voters at the publication, including secretaries and advertising sales people. “We immediately cut the number of our voters in half and now only give ballots to people actively engaged in writing, editing and handicapping,” he said.
“Personally, I think the NTWA has way too many voting members, some of them admitted with very skimpy credentials,” Crist said. “When I suggested this to the organization more than a decade ago, I was denounced as an elitist if not a eugenecist.”
Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of NTRA, said he intends to poll NTRA voters to “gain an understanding of their views on making their votes public.”
“Generally, I am in favor of transparency and we do expect racing secretaries to take their vote seriously,” he said. “We will not disclose the votes from this past year due to the fact that we did not inform voters in advance that their ballots would be made public.”
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: keith chamblin, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, NTRA, steven crist
Posted in National Thoroughbred Racing Association, daily racing form, eclipse awards | 16 Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
For those racing fans who come to Florida during the winter months and are unhappy with the sterile environment of Calder Race Course or the schizophrenic nature of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, I have three words for you: Tampa Bay Downs.
The little racetrack near Tampa that first opened its doors in 1926 is absolute heaven for fans of Thoroughbred racing. If you like good value, sitting outdoors in the Florida sun, or getting a close-up look at the horses, Tampa Bay is the place to go in the Sunshine State. After coming to Florida for the better part of 40 years, I made my first visit to Tampa Bay Downs last weekend, and the only question I had was, “What took so long?”
Though the track offers a card room, a modern simulcast center and other indoor comforts, the main attraction at Tampa Bay Downs is old-fashioned live horse racing. Good-sized fields and competitive takeouts make Tampa an interesting track for horseplayers, too, and the fact that handle for the current winter season is on par with the 2007-08 meeting is a sign that track management, led by GM Peter Berube, is doing something right, especially in the face of a very difficult economy.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a nearly full parking lot and a bustling clubhouse and grandstand when I arrived for the Saturday program, when attendance reached almost 5,000. Free parking and only $3 for clubhouse admission makes Tampa Bay Downs an entertainment bargain for people in the area, and the competitive takeouts (win, place, show 17.5%; daily double 18%; pick 3s, pick 4s, etc, 20%; exactas, 21.5%; trifectas, superfectas, 25.9%) helped the track rank 11th in the recent survey by the Horseplayers Association of North America.
High takeouts at Tampa were a sore spot among some gamblers in recent years. “We’ve been very aggressive the last four years in reducing and tweaking our takeout,” said Berube.
Berube said the economy presents a very real challenge to the track, which he said relies on retired snowbirds and tourists from the north. As a result, on-track attendance is down about 5% and on-track handle has declined 10% this year. Simulcast figures have helped make up for the on-track wagering shortfalls. “The weekends have been fine, but weekday programs have been very soft on-track,” Berube said. “The weekday customers are the ones who are mostly on fixed income.” Those are the folks who have seen their retirement savings hammered by the collapse in the stock market.
Berube said Tampa essentially has the same market as Gulfstream Park on Florida’s East Coast. “Just like them, we’re selling Florida sunshine and good entertainment value.”
The difference between the two winter tracks, especially since Gulfstream Park was rebuilt and is now as much a casino as it is a racetrack, is as clear as night and day: Gulfstream has few outdoor seats and puts a premium on its indoor dining rooms and slot machines, while Tampa has ample, free outdoor seating, both in the grandstand and on the apron, where picnic tables and benches are popular among the diverse fan base.
With a saddling paddock and walking ring at the top of the stretch, fans on the apron or in the grandstand can easily view the horses, when they are brought over from the stable area or while in the walking ring. It’s one of the most intimate and fan friendly racetracks around.
Since Stella Thayer bought the track in 1986, Tampa Bay Downs has embarked on a steady stream of capital improvements. Berube has been at the track for 15 years, and says that “racing will always take top priority here. That’s a tribute to the ownership. She’s a horsewoman,” he said.
Berube said an average of $1 million per year is invested in capital improvements, which include a turf course installed in 1997, an infield video board bought last year, a totally renovated clubhouse, and a modern simulcast room. The track also offers wireless internet access for its patrons.
Video billboards are sprinkled along freeways in the Tampa area, and Berube said they have been a great marketing tool for the track because of the ability to change the message during the day. “We’ll promote pick six carryovers as they occur, and we’ll even change the message from a racing promotion during the day to the card room at night,” he said.
Tampa Bay Downs was always a well-kept secret, at least for me. It’s not anymore.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: calder, florida racetracks, gulfstream park, Horse Racing, horseplayers association of north america, Paulick Report, peter berube, Ray Paulick, stella thayer, tampa bay downs
Posted in Florida, Race Tracks | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
The recent press release announcing Magna Developments (MIM) was scrapping its reorganization plan to help debt-ridden racetrack company Magna Entertainment (MEC) has prompted one of Magna Developments’ largest institutional investors to warn the real estate entity’s board of directors that it was prepared to “vigorously protect” its rights as a shareholder if the board “does not fulfill its fiduciary duties in the weeks ahead.”
Farallon Capital Management, which in October called Magna Entertainment a “financial sinkhole,” filed a letter with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday that called for the Magna Developments board to foreclose on loans made to the racetrack company if they are not repaid on the accelerated March 20 due date. Half of Magna Entertainment’s $600 million in debt is owed to Magna Developments, and the racetrack company has lost $500 million over the last five years, according to the Farallon letter. Farallon owns 5.5% of the company’s Class A shares. Click here for the Farallon letter to the Magna Developments board.
“Given the (MIM) board’s history of failing to defend MIM’s contractual rights against MEC, we are greatly troubled by the press release’s silence on whether MIM will enforce MEC’s debt obligations when they come due,” the letter states. “Bankruptcy would allow MIM to realize at least some value on its loans to MEC.”
The Farallon letter calls it “folly” that current market conditions justify providing additional financing to Magna Entertainment. “There is no realistic prospect that MEC will ever be financially viable,” it states. “That the (MIM) board has authorized over $300 million in loans in a failed attempt to prop up this equity only highlights the foolishness of the two companies entanglement. There is no possible justification for MIM to deepen that entanglement by lending more money to, or accepting equity in, MEC.”
Frank Stronach is chairman of both Magna Developments and Magna Entertainment.
“If MEC fails to repay the loans as scheduled, MIM should not waste a single day waiting to exercise its rights as a creditor,” the letter states. “Any other course of action would be a dereliction by the (MIM) board of its fiduciary duties. Farallon is watching the board closely. We are prepared to vigorously protect our rights as a shareholder if the board does not fulfill its fiduciary duties in the weeks ahead.”
The Farallon letter comes two weeks after another unhappy institutional shareholder, Greenlight Capital, wrote to the Magna Developments board saying they will be held responsible for any failure to live up to their fiduciary duties. Click here for that letter.
More bad news for Magna: just last week, Jerry Campbell, a former CEO of Magna Entertainment, resigned from the MEC board.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: farallon capital management, Frank Stronach, greenlight capital, jerry campbell, Magna, magna developments, Magna Entertainment, mec, mid, mim, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick
Posted in Magna Entertainment, Thoroughbred Business | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
It was a quiet weekend for 3-year-old racing and yet the Paulick Derby Index already had its first shake-up. In only our second week, potential superstar Dunkirk jumped toward the front of the line, even garnering a first place vote. After an impressive win in a Gulfstream allowance race last Thursday, He makes his first appearance on the PDI by jumping straight to fourth on the list of leading Kentucky Derby contenders. Other impressive risers were Desert Party who took over the fifth position and The Pamplemousse whose strong workouts have allowed him to make his debut in the 12 hole.
A few additional voters have come on-board in this, our second week, in what is now the most comprehensive Derby poll available anywhere. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Richard Eng, Andy Serling, Lisa Grimm, Jessica Chapel, Valerie Grash and Todd Schrupp to the roster of voters. You can see their ballots along with all the other participants at the bottom of this page. And most importantly, we have also allowed the racing public, including industry professionals, owners and breeders, and racing fans, to have their say through our Paulick Derby Index poll on our front page. The ballot is finalized by 10 pm EST Monday so if you were too late to have your vote counted, remember to make sure you don’t miss out the following weeks.
A special thanks to ESPN.com for making the Paulick Derby Index part of their ongoing horse racing coverage, starting this week.
RAY’S PICKS AND ANALYSIS
1. Pioneerof The Nile. Five-furlong workout in 1:00 3/5 at Santa Anita on Feb. 22 indicates Bob Baffert-trained son of Empire Maker is on his game. Here’s what clocker Toby Turrell of Horseplayerpro.com had to say about the Zayat Stables runner: “Pioneerof The Nile…worked in company with stakes-sort stablemate Ten Churros. The keys to the work were the fractions set by the big, gangly colt, and the manner in which he disposed of his workmate — once again on cue inside the sixteenth pole. First, the splits from my watch were :13 4/5, :26, :38 2/5, :50 2/5, 1:13 4/5 and a gallop-out time of 1:26-2/5. Those splits make this a huge move on the watch alone. But what also stands out and stamps this colt as the real deal was the ease of the final quarter-mile, not to mention the responsiveness of the colt to the signals being given by regular pilot Garrett Gomez, who was in the saddle. Off of this work alone, Pioneerof The Nile could easily be moved up any Kentucky Derby top ten list! He was visually striking this morning over a very kind and cushioned Pro Ride surface.”
Thanks, Toby, but I can’t move this guy up any farther!
2. Old Fashioned. Quiet week after President’s Day win at Oaklawn Park in the Southwest Stakes for unbeaten Unbridled’s Song colt. My biggest concern remains the relative lack of depth in competition he will have faced at Oaklawn Park this spring, and there is a very good chance he’ll arrive at Churchill Downs unbeaten.for trainer Larry Jones and owner Rick Porter.
3. Stardom Bound. IEAH’s Tapit filly worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Feb. 22 in what Horseplayerpro.com clocker Toby Turrell called a “maintenance drill.” Here are Turrell’s comments:”The final three-eighths clicked off my watch in :35 3/5, with the last furlong in :11 4/5. Her athleticism came shining through, hitting the ground with total efficiency through the stretch.I would call this a healthy and productive maintenance drill, and add that she is dead-fit, continuing to gallop with nice energy.” March 7 Santa Anita Oaks is next and then she may try colts for first time.
4. Friesan Fire. A.P. Indy colt keeps firing away for Larry Jones and Vinery Stable. I don’t know that there’s a lot of improvement left in this one, but he rates highly off his existing form. March 14 Louisiana Derby is next.
5. Desert Party. Currently the strongest of the Godolphin group, Street Cry colt has picked up some additional admirers off that recent UAE Two Thousand Guineas win over Vineyard Haven and others. I would continue to follow jockey Frankie Dettori’s lead on which of the Dubai-based 3-year-olds has the best chance.
6. Patena. Seeking the Gold colt working well as new trainer Rick Dutrow gets him ready for first start under IEAH colors. Will know a whole more about this one after March 14 Louisiana Derby.
7. Midshipman. Champion 2-year-old of 2008 being readied for first start in Dubai on March 5 for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. As with a number of past juvenile champs, I have to wonder if this son of Unbridled’s Song will continue to progress or merely was a more precocious colt than his contemporaries early in his career.
8. Vineyard Haven. Will have to wait to see how this talented son of Lido Palace does in his second start in Dubai. My biggest concern is whether he has the pedigree to get the mile and a quarter of the Derby.
9. Beethoven. Will need to put in a strong showing in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes this weekend for trainer John Ward. Workout pattern hasn’t built a great deal of confidence in the Sky Mesa colt, but Ward has never been a believer in firing bullet work after bullet work.
10. Giant Oak. Could this be the sucker horse of the Top 10? Son of Giant’s Causeway seems to find traffic trouble in his starts, and there’s no guarantee that with a clean trip he’s ever going to put things together for a win.
This week’s talking horse was Dunkirk, who did look good beating an allowance field at Gulfstream Park, but I’m just not quite ready to anoint him as the second coming off that victory. The Derby Trail is historically littered with late bloomers that didn’t live up to the hype. Are the rules of engagement changing for the Derby, meaning a horse that didn’t race as a 2-year-old can win America’s most famous horse race?We know that hasn’t happened since long before the Cubs won their last World Series in 1908. Curlin came close, but didn’t win, and I’m going to let it happen a couple of times before I’m ready to discard the importance of good 2-year-old form.
| Ray Paulick |
Fan Vote |
Paul Moran |
Billy Reed |
John Conte |
Bill Finley |
| Paulick Report |
Paulick Report |
At The Races |
Billy Reed Says |
Conte’s Picks |
ESPN, NYT |
| Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
| Old Fashioned |
Dunkirk |
Stardom Bound |
Midshipman |
Dunkirk |
Pioneerof the NIle |
| Stardom Bound |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Chocolate Candy |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Friesan Fire |
| Friesan Fire |
Friesan Fire |
Midshipman |
Evita Argentina |
Midshipman |
Stardom Bound |
| Desert Party |
Chocolate Candy |
Hello Broadway |
Silver City |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Capt. Candyman Can |
| Patena |
Desert Party |
Taquarub |
Pioneerof the Nile |
West Side Bernie |
Desert Party |
| Midshipman |
Stardom Bound |
Notonthesamepage |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Haynesfield |
Silver City |
| Vineyard Haven |
Midshipman |
Friesan Fire |
Friesan Fire |
Chocolate Candy |
Haynesfield |
| Beethoven |
Patena |
Desert Party |
Beethoven |
The Pamplemousse |
Midshipman |
| Giant Oak |
Hello Broadway |
Evita Argentina |
Imperial Council |
Friesan Fire |
Dunkirk |
| Randy Moss |
Bill Nack |
Valerie Grash |
Gary West |
Michael Nikolic |
Jeremy Plonk |
| ESPN |
ESPN |
Foolish Pleasure |
FW Star-Telegram |
Gathering The Wind |
Horseplayer Pro, ESPN |
| Old Fashioned |
Dunkirk |
Friesan Fire |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
| Dunkirk |
Firesan Fire |
Old Fashioned |
Dunkirk |
Friesan Fire |
Patena |
| Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Taqarub |
Hello Broadway |
Patena |
Mr. Fantasy |
| Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
Stardom Bound |
Friesan Fire |
Flying Pegasus |
Pioneerof the Nile |
| Capt. Candyman Can |
The Pamplemousse |
Rachel Alexandra |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Desert Party |
Friesan Fire |
| Desert Party |
Giant Oak |
Desert Party |
Giant Oak |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Imperial Council |
| Hello Broadway |
Stardom Bound |
Dunkirk |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Chocolate Candy |
Hello Broadway |
| Midshipman |
Desert Party |
Chocolate Candy |
Imperial Council |
Papa Clem |
Capt. Candyman Can |
| Flying Pegasus |
Patena |
Papa Clem |
Patena |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Dunkirk |
| The Pamplemousse |
I Want Revenge |
Mr. Hot Stuff |
Flying Pegasus |
Dunkirk |
Silver City |
| Bill Christine |
John Pricci |
Vic Zast |
Jon White |
Richard Eng |
Alan Mann |
| Horserace Insider |
Horserace Insider |
Horserace Insider |
HRTV, Santa Anita TV |
Las Vegas R-J |
Left At The Gate |
| Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
Pioneerof the Nile |
| Midshipman |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
Friesan Fire |
Friesan Fire |
| Desert Party |
Stardom Bound |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Stardom Bound |
Patena |
Capt. Candyman Can |
| Pioneerof the Nile |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Stardom Bound |
Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
| Friesan Fire |
Midshipman |
Friesan Fire |
Patena |
Dunkirk |
Dunkirk |
| Stardom Bound |
Hello Broadway |
Dunkirk |
Capt. Candyman Can |
The Pamplemousse |
Papa Clem |
| Beethoven |
Mr. Fantasy |
Desert Party |
Papa Clem |
Haynesfield |
Big Drama |
| Haynesfield |
West Side Bernie |
Chocolate Candy |
I Want Revenge |
Danger To Society |
Stardom Bound |
| Capt. Candyman Can |
Friesan Fire |
Flying Pegasus |
Dunkirk |
Mr. Fantasy |
Mr. Fantasy |
| Vineyard Haven |
Quality Road |
Giant Oak |
Chocolate Candy |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Flying Pegasus |
| Alicia Wincze |
Joe Drape |
Andy Serling |
Brendan O’Meara |
Jeff Scott |
Jessica Chapel |
| Lexington H-L |
New York Times |
NYRA |
The Saratogian |
The Saratogian |
Railbird |
| Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Desert Party |
Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Old Fashioned |
| Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Giant Oak |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Desert Party |
| Pioneerof the Nile |
Evita Argentina |
Imperial Council |
Desert Party |
Desert Party |
Friesan Fire |
| Capt. Candyman Can |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Rachel Alexandra |
Dunkirk |
Friesan Fire |
Capt. Candyman Can |
| Desert Party |
Leedstheway |
The Pamplemousse |
Flat Out |
Flat Out |
Pioneerof the Nile |
| Midshipman |
Hello Broadway |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Take The Points |
Dunkirk |
Imperial Council |
| Stardom Bound |
Chocolate Candy |
Danger To Society |
Nowhere To Hide |
Beethoven |
Flying Pegasus |
| Beethoven |
Haynesfield |
Old Fashioned |
Imperial Council |
General Quarters |
Dunkirk |
| Hello Broadway |
Friesan Fire |
Dunkirk |
Danger To Society |
Mr. Hot Stuff |
Regal Ransom |
| Haynesfield |
Sumo |
Hello Broadway |
Midshipman |
Stardom Bound |
Papa Clem |
| Lisa Grimm |
Patrick Patten |
Peter Denk |
Nick Kling |
Todd Schrupp |
| SuperfectaBlog |
Tbred Bloggers Alliance |
Thoroughbred Times |
The Troy Record |
TVG
|
| Pioneerof the Nile |
Friesan Fire |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
Old Fashioned |
| Old Fashioned |
General Quarters |
Dunkirk |
Capt. Candyman Can |
Stardom Bound |
| The Pamplemousse |
Chocolate Candy |
Desert Party |
Patena |
Desert Party |
| Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Pioneerof the Nile |
Dunkirk |
The Pamplemousse |
| Stardom Bound |
Patena |
Midshipman |
Imperial Council |
Midshipman |
| Capt. Candyman Can |
Hello Broadway |
Stardom Bound |
Friesan Fire |
Pioneerof the Nile |
| Papa Clem |
Old Fashioned |
Patena |
Hello Broadway |
Friesan Fire |
| Chocolate Candy |
The Pamplemousse |
Friesan Fire |
Flying Pegasus |
I Want Revenge |
| Patena |
Flying Pegasus |
Mr. Fantasy |
Giant Oak |
Dunkirk |
| Hello Broadway |
Notonthesamepage |
Imperial Council |
West Side Bernie |
This One’s For Phil |
Tags: beethoven, desert party, dunkirk, Friesan Fire, giant oak, Godolphin, Horse Racing, Horsesplayerpro.com, kentucky derby, midshipman, Old Fashioned, patena, Paulick Derby Index, Paulick Report, PDI, Pioneerof The Nile, Ray Paulick, stardom bound, Toby Turrell, vineyard haven
Posted in PDI, Triple Crown preps, kentucky derby | 7 Comments »
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
I didn’t expect to be roundly applauded by the leadership at the American Association of Equine Practitioners when I suggested last week that their white paper, entitled “Putting the Horse First: Veterinary Recommendations for the Safety and Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse,” while well-intentioned was a bit naïve in its call for uniformity in an industry that has a track record of staking out uncommon ground.
Among those who took exception to what I wrote about the “AAEP’s Kumbaya Paper” was Dr. Rick Arthur, a former AAEP president and currently medical director for the California Horse Racing Board. Arthur was one of 35 veterinarians who developed the white paper over a period of months.
Arthur gave up a well-established private practice at Southern California racetracks to take the CHRB position in 2006, and he has been a prominent and outspoken advocate for horse health issues in his role as medical director.
The views he presents are his own personal opinions and do necessarily represent those of the AAEP. – Ray Paulick
By Rick M. Arthur, DVM
Sure, there is some Kumbaya in the AAEP’s white paper, just like the recommendations from every other group that has looked at the issues. But to say the AAEP’s white paper doesn’t address what we know best shows an astounding lack of understanding of how horse care at the race track works. Horse racing’s veterinarians are the people who clean up the messes horse racing leaves behind. Just as physicians see parts of the human experience that are not pretty and so do veterinarians in horse racing.
How do the AAEP White paper recommendations relate to what we know best, “ the care of horses?” Let’s look at a few examples:
* A period of rest for all horses to provide an opportunity to refresh and diminish the volume of persistent cyclic loading that occurs in the absence of rest.
* No horse shall be permitted to race within 10 days of its last start.
These are really the same issue. Over 90% of all racing fatalities show evidence of pre-existing pathology at the site of their catastrophic injury. These are repetitive stress injuries. Veterinarians are saying give the body time to heal. Where is this outside of what veterinarians know best?
* Every horse entered to race shall be on association grounds in sufficient time to have a pre-race veterinary inspection for racing soundness by the regulatory veterinarian.
*Standardization and enhancement of pre-race and post-race veterinary examinations with mandatory cross-jurisdictional sharing of information.
These are the same issue. Horses should have proper pre-race veterinary inspections; not all do. Is it possible veterinarians see horses racing that shouldn’t be on the track?
* In those jurisdictions that practice it, racetrack management must discontinue the coercion of trainers to enter horses according to stall allotment.
Could it be veterinarians are seeing unfit and sore horses entered to simply fill racing cards? If you think this is out of our area of expertise, you are mistaken.
* Uniform participation by all jurisdictions in injury reporting for both racing and training injuries.
Veterinarians have been driving this issue for years. The numbers are worse than horse racing wants to face. To solve a problem, you have to understand the scope of the problem. Is there a question whether this is a veterinarian issue?
* Development of continuing education and accreditation programs for owners, trainers, stewards, jockeys, grooms, starters, farriers, veterinarians and security personnel.
There is no entity in horse racing which understands or does CE better than the AAEP. In fact there are few professional organizations anywhere that do.
* Claiming (all of it)
Is there a veterinarian at the track who hasn’t seen first-hand how claiming negatively impacts horse welfare? If you have any doubt, spend any entry day with any race track veterinarian.
* Medication
The AAEP white paper endorses a number of fundamental changes in horse racing medication. Encouraging collaboration between the RMTC and IHFA is an enormous step as are many of the other medication recommendations.
As for joint injections: this issue was discussed. What is the right answer without adequate research? Just Say No would have been Kumbaya. The RMTC has announced a major research effort towards glucocorticoid drug testing research which should lead to profound changes on how intra-articular injections are regulated.The AAEP supports the RMTC. The veterinarians on the Racing Task Force know this issue well; well enough to know it is complicated and complex.
* The key to successful implementation of these medication recommendations is increased racetrack security to promote enforcement and achieve uniform compliance.
Horse racing veterinarians are calling for increased security. Hey, you’re right, what do veterinarians know about the need for better backside security? When did they go to the police academy? Or maybe everyone should sit up and ask what are horse racing veterinarians seeing as they spend all day on the backside to cause them to recommend more backside security?
One last point: Sorry, banning the dying practice of pin-firing will never save one horse. I can’t remember if it was ever discussed.
Thirty-five veterinarians worked on the AAEP White paper and all contributed. This is a pretty good first step even with the Kumbaya.
The AAEP understands the issues facing horse racing and is ready, willing and able to work with the industry to help move equine welfare and racing integrity forward.
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Tags: aaep, AAEP white paper, american association of equine practitioners, California Horse Racing Board, CHRB, chrb medical director, Horse Health, Horse Welfare, kumbaya, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rick arthur
Posted in Horse Health, Horse Welfare, Regulatory Issues | 27 Comments »
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Few readers of the Paulick Report have probably ever heard of and fewer still have probably ever met Japanese photographer Hisae Imai, and that’s too bad. She was an international ambassador for Thoroughbred racing and breeding who helped racing fans in Japan and elsewhere see the magic and mystique of horses through her art.
 Amazingly Miss Imai was, to my understanding, legally blind. It’s something I’ve never quite understood, how someone with such poor vision could have such an exquisite eye for her subjects and create some of the most beautiful images of horses ever produced.
I first met her at the 1993 Japan Cup, when introduced by the American-based photographer of Japanese descent, Shigeki Kikkawa. She spoke about as much English as I spoke Japanese, so our conversation was extremely limited. But she handed me a packet of post cards as a small gift, and they were the most stunning and unique equine images I had ever seen – before or since.
The photographs of Thoroughbreds racing across the plush green paddocks or the deep snowy fields in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido were absolutely beautiful, and her racing shots were always sharp. But it was her artistic images that were unforgettable: the horses running through clouds were my favorites. She had a seemingly never-ending well of creativity that connected with people who love horses.
 Miss Imai has been widely honored in Japan for her art, but I don’t think she was in it for the glory or the money (her commercial web site can be found here). She had a passion for the animals,
spending hours upon hours with them to get one special shot. She traveled the world, covering major international races on several continents. In the few extended conversations we had, she always spoke of her subjects with reverence and a heartfelt emotion.
I wish I could say I knew her life story, for I’m sure it was fascinating, but the language barrier always limited us to a greeting, a deep bow from Miss Imai, and a poorly executed bow in return from me. She was ever gracious; 15 years after our first meeting she continued to thank me for a small article I had written about her art in a series in Bloodhorse magazine on the hugely popular Japanese racing industry.
 She was a short woman who almost always sported a hat from what appeared to be an unusual collection, and she had a wonderful laugh. The enormous lenses she lugged around on her shoulder almost touched the ground as she moved about, always looking to find the right place to get the perfect shot. She was never in a hurry, yet never seemed to miss anything, either. She was a perfect fit for the Japanese racing industry, whose fans have an intense interest in their Thoroughbred stars, and not just in cashing a winning ticket on them. They bought souvenirs featuring their favorite horses; photos like Miss Imai’s that looked into their soul and captured their personalities.
Miss Imai was well into her 70s when her heart failed her last Tuesday. Fortunately, her work will live on through the art she created over more than 40 years of a life dedicated to horses.
It’s sometimes easy to forget what’s at the heart of this business. In all the talk of medication, integrity, takeout, and the myriad of issues that are dealt with on a daily basis, we cannot lose sight of the fact without that beautiful Thoroughbred, we have nothing.
Hisae Imai knew that as well as anyone I’ve ever met.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: equine photographer, hisae imai, horse photographer, Horse Racing, japanese horse racing, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, shigeki kikkawa
Posted in International Racing, People | 12 Comments »
Friday, February 20th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, the racing partnership that finished second by one vote behind Frank Stronach in Eclipse Award voting for outstanding owner of 2008, has altered the primary responsibilities of its two top executives, Michael Iavarone and Richard Schiavo, who had served as co-presidents of the company.
Iavarone is now president of the racing stable, with Schiavo listed as secretary and a director of IEAH. Schiavo will be in charge of the Ruffian Equine Medical Center, which had a planned opening for last spring and is now nine months behind schedule. An opening date is expected to be announced soon for the equine hospital located next door to Belmont Park.
“Richard will be president of IEAH Corporation, which is building the hospital,” Iavarone told the Paulick Report. “The workload on the hospital is overwhelming. There is so much involved there: insurance, hiring of staff, and it’s taking up a great deal of time.
“As far as the holding company is concerned, you shouldn’t have two presidents anyway,” Iavarone continued. “But there has been no major structural change, and no additional management has been brought in.”
Iavarone will continue to serve as chairman of the board of IEAH, which he founded.
IEAH is “feeling pressure from the economy,” Iavarone added. “We were getting tons of people calling us, but the investment environment is really tough. This is another reason Rich is working on the hospital. It was an impossible task to get a bank to help us with construction. The cost is about $18 million, and we are finally finished.”
Tags: IEAH, international equine acquisitions holdings, Michael Iavarone, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, richard schiavo, ruffian equine medical center
Posted in IEAH, People | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Whenever I think about horse racing’s crazy-quilt regulatory system that has ruling bodies in 38 different states, I recall the time an official at some racetrack asked Hall of Famer Bill Mott to show his trainer’s license before entering a restricted area. Mott reached into his Wrangler’s and pulled out what appeared to be a full deck of laminated playing cards, held together by a rubber band wrapped around the outside.
“It’s in here somewhere,” Mott said, fumbling through individual licenses for Florida, New York, Kentucky, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois, Delaware, Virginia, Louisiana, and maybe even his home state of South Dakota, among others.
Uniform licensing is a concept the industry has been working on for, oh, 50 years or so. They still haven’t got it figured out. In this regard, owners, trainers and other licensees are subjected to some of the most ridiculous regulatory inefficiencies any industry has ever seen. Why?
I thought about this absurdity as I read the racing industry’s latest “white paper,” this one authored by a well-intentioned group of equine veterinarians at the American Association of Equine Practitioners that suggests we all follow their recommendations, pull together, and work in concert for the overall good of the industry.
The average meaningful life of a Thoroughbred industry white paper is about 10 to 14 days – or at least it used to be. That’s about how long it took for the weekly trade magazines to dutifully detail the highlights, and then mail the magazine to their subscribers. The typical reader reaction was a collective yawn. They know how the industry works … or doesn’t. The lifespan of an industry white paper might be shorter today, given the access to the information on various Web sites.
For those who haven’t seen the AAEP treatise, it’s called “Putting the Horse First: Veterinary Recommendations for the Safety and Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse.” Click here to read the entire nine-page report.
For those who want the abbreviated version, here it is: 1) the AAEP believes it is “imperative that the industry urgently demonstrate an ability to affect sweeping change without government intervention”; 2) we need to hold hands and sit around a campfire singing songs until we can reach agreement on issues related to the welfare of the horse 3) horses should not be permitted to race without at least 10 days between starts; 4) some racing secretaries are evil and racetrack management is increasingly clueless about horses; 5) more study is needed in the areas of racing, training and selling 2-year-olds; 6) adopt new whip rules; 7) keep holding hands and singing campfire songs; 8) it’s no longer acceptable for owners to heartlessly discard ex-racehorses, and it’s imperative that all jurisdictions establish and support rehabilitation, retraining and adoption agencies 9) claiming races need reform, with purses no more than 50% higher than the claiming price, drug testing of all claimed horses, and claims for horses that fail to finish a race being voided; 10) develop and adopt uniform rules, penalties, drug testing protocols, violation reporting procedures (stop me if you’ve heard this one before); and 11) keep singing and holding hands, and will someone please throw some more logs on the fire?
This industry is amazing, if for no other reason than for its ability to clear its throat and harrumph when the situation is dire. Since Eight Belles died on the track at Churchill Downs and we celebrated the highs and lows of Big Brown, an anabolic steroid-pumped Kentucky Derby winner (surely not the only one), we have had more task forces, committees, blue-ribbon panels, and alliances than we’ve mustered up before in this short a time. We’ve had the Jockey Club, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and now the American Association of Equine Practitioners sounding off (and I know I’m forgetting some of the other alphabet soup orgs).
And still, Bill Mott has a pocketful of racing licenses. If we can’t do the simple things, what makes the AAEP or any other group think we are going to convince 38 state racing commissions that a $12,500 purse is too high for $8,000 claimers, or that a horse needs 10 days off before racing again?
Let’s look at the first premise of the AAEP’s white paper, that we need to “urgently demonstrate an ability” to make change without government intervention. Haven’t we had enough chances to demonstrate our ability to do so? (I enter Bill Mott’s expired trainer’s licenses into evidence.)
Why and how has the AAEP, a group of veterinarians, taken it upon themselves to state that we must do this without government assistance? I suppose if they were involved in the cattle or poultry or peanut business, they’d suggest we would be better off producing meat and other foodstuffs without interference from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The point is, we need government to help us overcome the dysfunctional regulatory structure that has led us to this mess we are in. We just need to be able to be part of the process, and not be in the adversarial role many in this industry are setting us up to be in. If we repeat the mantra that “government is enemy, government is enemy,” how do you think government is going to respond?
So with all due respect to the AAEP and its veterinarians, please stick to what you know best. In fact, this white paper completely ignores what vets know best, which is the care of horses. Nowhere in the white paper are there recommendations on such procedures as pin firing of shins of young horses, or permitting horses to race just days after receiving joint injections. To be fair, AAEP executive director David Foley said further recommendations will be forthcoming, but should those recommendations have come first, so that their own house is in order?
Tell us what you think about the chances the AAEP’s white paper recommendations will ever be implemented. Read the full report. Take our poll on the left-hand column of the Paulick Report home page, and leave your comments in the space provided below.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: aaep, AAEP white paper, american association of equine practitioners, anabolic steroids, Big Brown, bill mott, claiming races, david foley, drug testing, drugs in horse racing, eight belles, Horse Racing, Jockey Club, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, NTRA, Paulick Report, putting the horse first: veterinary recommendations for the safety and welfare of the thoroughbred racehorse, racing regulations, racing secretaries, Ray Paulick, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, TOBA, uniform licensing, uniform rules
Posted in Horse Health, Horse Welfare, Industry Organizations, Industry Reform, Medication, Regulatory Issues | 54 Comments »
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