Now that guest writer Jeff Shapes has convinced Paulick Report readers that Zenyatta deserves not just Horse of the Year but Horse of the Decade honors, we thought we would interject another voice on the Horse of the Year debate. This one is from Aron Wellman, a 32-year-old California attorney who joined Barry Irwin’s crew at Team Valor International after enjoying success in forming his own racing partnerships. Wellman doesn’t take a position on the Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta debate, but agrees with the recent decision of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and National Turf Writers Association to disallow co-Horse of the Year votes, a move endorsed by Daily Racing Form publisher Steve Crist and many fans.
Take our poll in the left-hand column of the Paulick Report home page and let us know whether you think there should be one Horse of the Year or co-recipients for 2009.
Incidentally, Ray has returned from Japan, but the slacker insisted on taking part of today off to “recover” from the trip. My question: does Santa Claus need time off when he travels around the world on Christmas Eve? I don’t think so. Not that I’m comparing him with Mr. Claus.
Ray promises (threatens?) to write one more piece about his Japanese adventure when he wakes up from his slumber. - Bradford Cummings
By Aron Wellman
The Horse of the Year debate is in full force.
There are those who stand in Zenyatta’s corner and there are those who are in Rachel Alexandra’s corner.
And then, there are those who believe that the honor should be shared between Zenyatta and Rachel.
Who I think should be awarded the honor of distinction is irrelevant. That’s not what this letter is about.
What I do think is relevant is the debate itself and how it relates to the current state of our industry.
At a time when our industry is faced with unprecedented challenges and the very real threat of extinction hovers over us, the temptation to sell out is fierce. Staying true is hard to do. Man-made racetracks, kinder whips, slot machine bailouts; these are all ideas people have come up with and instituted in an effort to redefine horse racing and make it a more acceptable sport to a public that has virtually ignored us for decades.
We all want our industry to survive. But at what cost? Haven’t we taken this P.C. thing a little too far? Shouldn’t we be looking at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we’ve gone too soft?
My father told me a long time ago, "This is not a game made for men who wear short pants."
Yet, it seems like every day I open up the trades, our industry is resculpting its very being to cater to people who wear short pants.
Without getting into the validity of whether synthetic racetracks are safer, or newly designed whips are gentler on a horse, or whether slot machines at a racetrack will save the day, I ask you this:
How many people do you know bought a horse, wagered on a race or attended the racetrack because of a shift to a synthetic surface or because jockeys were using softer whips?
How many people do you know who went to a racetrack intending to play slot machines and ended up betting on a horse race?
How, you ask, does this have anything to do with the Zenyatta versus Rachel debate?
The Zenyatta versus Rachel debate epitomizes the very essence of what the sport of thoroughbred horse racing is all about. We are a different breed. The debate is what separates us from other sports and what attracts people to our racetracks, the betting windows and inspires people to breed and race thoroughbreds. Soft stances have not translated into progress. They have only contributed to the downward cycle we find ourselves in.
Horse racing is not a game of luck where you pull a handle and hope the slots align. It’s not black and white like a batting average, scoring average, passer rating or how fast a race is run or the height a person jumps. The debate is why people gamble on horses in our country through a parimutuel system. Everyone wants to be smarter than the next guy.
Awarding co-Horse of the Year to these two great fillies is a cop-out. Furthermore, it would just be another instance whereby our industry sells-out in an effort to appease a public wearing short pants and who we hope will come to our racetracks, bet on our races and buy our horses. Why else would we even consider awarding co-Horses of the Year?
Co-Horse of the Year? That’s like saying we should go back and alter the finish line for any great race that ever took place. Let’s extinguish great rivalries like Affirmed and Alydar, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, Ferdinand and Alysheba, Personal Ensign and Winning Colors and call all the tremendous battles those horses ever fought dead-heats because it would just be so much better if neither of those horses had to "lose."
The saying, "That horse ran too good to lose," echoes throughout grandstands and backstretches frequently. The saying would be applicable no matter what the result of the race for Horse of the Year. Despite its’ veracity, it remains a figure of speech and our sport accepts the notion. Those who can’t, wilt under the pressure that our sport’s participants are faced with every second of every day.
I cannot imagine anybody in the thoroughbred horse racing industry being keen on their child participating in a youth sports league that doesn’t keep score, a new phenomenon penetrating society in an effort to avoid hurting a young, impressionable child’s feelings. By awarding co-Horses of the Year, we are basically throwing away the scorecard and abandoning the very mystique that attracts people to our sport. We keep score, technically, on paper, and perhaps more importantly, in the hearts and minds of our faithful, which only contributes to the intrigue of a debate like the one our industry is experiencing now between Zenyatta and Rachel.
Softening up policy is causing us to lose more patrons, fans and owners, not attract them. This theory that there should be no loser contradicts the very principal upon which horse racing was founded. Those who succeed in our sport, love our sport and support our sport focus on winning, not the fear of losing. The type of person who is drawn to racing is not the type of person who would lobby for co-Horses of the Year. The type of person drawn to our sport has thick enough skin to accept the fact that one of these fillies will be crowned over the other and invite the debate to persist from now until eternity. That’s what our sport is all about.
Enough is enough with our sport conforming to the desires of individuals who do not possess the make-up to withstand the rigors of our tough game. The time has come for us to stick to our guns and stay true. Finding our backbone again will resuscitate supporters we have lost along the way and it will attract the kind of person we’re looking for.
So, I argue, take a side. Choose a corner. Let the best woman prevail. The sport will be the biggest winner.
By Ray Paulick Please click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
Saturday was supposed to be strictly a driving day for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, but Brad Cummings and I never met a racetrack we didn’t like, so when we saw that Will Rogers Downs was just a couple miles from the Claremore, Okla., exit on I-64, we felt compelled to stop.
The fundraising drive, done in partnership with Breeders’ Cup Charities, will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
The simulcast room was relatively full, and we talked with one of the regulars, a fellow who looked like a love child of Yosemite Sam and ZZ Top. He was a serious player, bringing a briefcase full of trip notes on tracks around the country, but said he was looking forward to the live meeting that begins at WRD in February. “The racing’s gotten pretty good here,” he said. “Some of the horses from the Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park will show up.”
This is one of those racetracks that probably wouldn’t be in business were it not for slot machines, or in this case Indian gaming. Will Rogers Downs is owned by the Cherokee Nation, one of three Indian tribes that own racetracks in Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation owns Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw. That’s the track where jockey Mark Pace died earlier this month. Since that tragedy, the Choctaws announced they will be closing the track because of economic reasons related to the track’s location.
Tomorrow, we’ll be visiting Remington Park, which recently was purchased by Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation. No track has taken ahold of the bit on raising funds for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST drive like Remington Park has, and I think we’ve got an exciting and gratifying day ahead of us tomorrow. Scott Wells and his staff have gone above and beyond any of our wildest expectations, and we owe a special thanks to Joy Rose Murphy, the track’s promotions coordinator.
I’m not sure I’ll feel the same way after tomorrow’s “Hippity Hop” race, when Brad and I mount giant rubber balls and bounce our way down the track against members of the local jockey colony. But if you’re going to be humiliated, you might as well do it for a good cause.
On a serious note: If our experiences with Remington Park under its new ownership are any indication, horse racing is going to benefit from the Chickasaws’ involvement in the industry. It appears they understand the value of good corporate citizenship.
The visit with Michael Straight and his family at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will be with us for a long time. Sadly, just in the last 24 hours we’ve learned of more spills and mishaps involving jockeys, beginning with an accident at Keeneland involving Julia Brimo, a Sovereign Award winner as leading apprentice in Canada. She was listed in critical condition at a Lexington hospital. Apprentice Amanda Casey, who earlier on Friday at Aqueduct celebrated her first win of the meeting, ended up at a New York hospital with a bruised liver after getting kicked in a paddock mishap. Earlier today, we learned that Omar Moreno was involved in a spill at Woodbine in Canada.
The beat goes on, and so does the industry’s need to help provide for jockeys who are permanently disabled from riding accidents. If you haven’t made a donation to Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research, please do so by clicking here.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area.
Our Saturday began with a tasty breakfast at a Waffle House in Springfield, Mo., in the Ozarks. I thought I’d walked into a bizarre rehearsal for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but Brad reminded me that it was Halloween morning, and the crew was just having a little fun. Too bad. I think the Rocky Horror Waffle House could be the next big thing in the franchise world.
Sponsors for the Chicago to Oklahoma City portion of this fundraising drive are: Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbreds partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; and Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm.
Sponsors for our previous segments were
TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; the William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm.
A special thanks to our media partner TVG and the TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive and raising awareness and money for these charities. All sponsorship dollars go directly to Breeders’ Cup Charities, to be divided evenly between the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
By Ray Paulick
When a jockey goes down in a race, there’s no one that shows more concern than a fellow rider, even if it’s been 45 years since that fellow rider has been on a horse’s back. I witnessed that concern Thursday afternoon at Hawthorne, when a horse named Loose Lips got cut off a few strides out of the gate in the seventh race and jockey Angel Stanley tumbled to the ground.
Brad Cummings and I were sitting with former jockey Dennis Keehan in the box area when the incident occurred, and the look in his eyes when Stanley went down was a picture I’ll remember for some time. Fortunately, Stanley jumped up and apparently was uninjured.
Keehan wasn’t so lucky the last time he fell onto a racetrack. It was 45 years ago at Sportsman’s Park when a horse he was riding was shut off, stumbled and went down in a four-horse spill. A trailing horse tripped and fell right on top of his chest, paralyzing him from the waist down. Keehan was 21 years old, and needless to say, he’s been through a lot since then. Claire Novak tells his story in a poignant ESPN.com article here.
Today, Keehan is a witty and engaging man who now and then enjoys coming out to the track, handicapping the races and betting a couple of bucks. Life isn’t easy when you’re in a wheelchair and on your own, but the monthly check he gets from the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund helps Keehan get out from under the medical bills that can pile up when you have special needs.
To see the Dennis Keehan interview, click below.
We were at Hawthorne on day two of the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive from Kentucky to California, and as I said in our sendoff from Keeneland yesterday, where we were blanked at the betting windows, Chicago is our kind of town.
We’d like to thank TVG, Bill Casner and WinStar Farm, Barry Irwin of Team Valor International, and Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud for sponsoring this segment of the trip. Their sponsorship dollars go directly through Breeders’ Cup Charities and will be divided equally between the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Lane’s End, Darley, Airdrie Stud and Overbrook Farm sponsored the first segment.
Hawthorne’s management and staff provided the same great hospitality we were treated to at Keeneland, but the horses here were much more accommodating. The wagering bankroll provided to us by Breeders’ Cup more than doubled (thanks largely to a 7-1 winner, Watch Pat, in the fifth race) making up for a tough start in Kentucky. Our guest handicapper from the TVG online community, Steve Hunsberger, also had a good day at Hawthorne, hitting an exacta in the sixth along with a sizable place bet on the second-place finisher, Napoleon’s Retreat, whose Waterloo came in the final sixteenth of a mile. Had Napoleon’s Retreat held on for the win, Steve would have cashed an even bigger ticket. on behalf of the charities. Thanks to TVG for their partnership on this fundraising effort and to all the members of the TVG community who participated.
Hawthorne got into the spirit, too, bankrolling Katie Mikolay, the track’s personable simulcast hostess and handicapper, and assistant general manager Jim Miller. If they went bust (like I did at Keeneland on Wednesday), Hawthorne was going to make a generous donation to Breeders’ Cup charities. A special thanks to Hawthorne president and general manager Tim Carey.
All proceeds from the winnings go to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Whether you are an owner, breeder, trainer, racing fan/horseplayer or someone like me who has had the good fortune to make his living in this industry, I hope you’ll consider making a donation to support these two worthy organizations.
Please click here to go to the Breeders’ Cup Charities page and make a donation.
Hawthorne was where I became a racing fan and horseplayer when I lived in Chicago in the mid-1970s, and it’s always fun coming back to the track where I “cut my teeth” in racing. Like any racetrack in Illinois that has to compete with casinos in the Chicago suburbs or in neighboring Indiana, there have been some struggles, but the Carey family that’s owned Hawthorne for 100 years is committed to racing, and it shows.
While here, we had the opportunity to meet several members of the jockey colony, including Jerry LaSala, a board member and treasurer of the Jockeys’ Guild, and the unique father and son riding duo of Randy and Brandon Meier. Randy Meier’s broken 50 bones during his career, and he wasn’t crazy about his son following in his footsteps, but racing has a way of getting into your blood. In talking with him about 21-year-old Brandon, though, you can sense the pride he has in him and can tell how much fun he’s having riding with and against his son.
See interviews with Jerry LaSala and the Meiers by clicking below.
We’re meeting PDJF executive director Nancy LaSala Friday and hope to have a chance to talk with Michael Straight, who suffered a devastating injury this summer as a young apprentice rider at Arlington Park and is undergoing rehabilitation. Then it will be back on the road for the drive to Remington Park in Oklahoma City for some fun and fundraising activities on Sunday.
We’ve got a long road ahead of us between here and California for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders’ Cup, but it’s nothing compared to what these disabled riders face when their passion and their world comes crashing down on them.
If I haven’t asked you already, and I know I have, I’ll ask you again: please give.
Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, took exception to horse owner Barry Irwin’s guest commentary published here last week (Hey, states…take a hike!) that suggested racing would be better off if it managed to get states out of the regulatory business and allow the industry to police itself. The former executive director of the New York Racing and Wagering Board believes regulators are not part of racing’s problems but of its solutions. He also said regulators are working on an interstate compact that could bring states much closer to uniformity in rules and regulations governing the sport.By Ed Martin
Every now and then someone pops off out of frustration, raising the prospect of trying to figure out how racing can self-police its gambling enterprises. Such was the case with last week’s commentary by Team Valor president Barry Irwin suggesting the possibility that the independent state racing commissions can somehow be eliminated and the industry will just foot the bill and take care of everything, bringing all sorts of fans, new and old, back to the sport.
Yes, it is true state governments are facing hard economic times. So are the American people, including most racing participants and fans. The elimination of the government regulation of this form of gambling will destroy this sport in ways that I am sure Mr. Irwin does not intend or envision. Perhaps if there were no gambling, then his idea might make sense. So, unless he seeks a private club with no gambling everyone’s time is wasted contemplating the insane idea that elected officials are going to allow gambling enterprises to self police themselves. It’s a bad idea that will not pass the smell test.
To bolster his case, Irwin cites how the New York Racing Association in New York was victimized by the state. Excuse me, but NYRA did have to march in front of a federal judge and admit to a conspiracy to defraud the government. The “we have great racing and we know what we’re doing†defense wasn’t going to work given the magnitude of the felony that cheated the public regardless of whether they were racing fans or not. This was a terrible black eye on racing by an entity governed by some of the most prominent individuals in American Thoroughbred racing and it would not be in racing’s future interest for people to minimize the seriousness of that situation.
As one who worked on that case, it was amazing that NYRA refused to do a daily cash count and reconciliation in the mutuel department. They do that at the corner grocery store, but somehow this was something to be resisted when suggested by the state. I will never forget the day when NYRA sent in a team of some of the most politically connected trustees to argue against a daily cash count. One of those present was the president of my bank. I stopped using that man’s bank.
Sure, let’s open some champagne and make those nasty state regulators go away. After all they were the ones who investigated and cracked the case that exposed how a tote company’s computer programmer could access a live wagering file and turn a losing Breeders’ Cup Pick 6 wager into a winning one. The New York Racing and Wagering Board partnering with the New York State Police cracked that case within 48 hours of Valponi’s Classic win. What was amazing in doing the investigation was that this activity had gone on undetected for some time and no internal controls, self auditing or self policing program had safeguarded the industry’s interests. We unearthed a problem plaguing the industry and regulators alike.
Mr. Irwin seems to like the Stewards, who for the most part are employees of the state commissions. Well, we must be doing something right. But he does not appear to tolerate due process. Commissions are as frustrated with this as anyone, but perhaps if Mr. Irwin had been around in the days of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, things might be different. In a system of due process, allegations must be proven based on solid evidence. People have a right to appeal and we are always open to solid suggestions as to how to minimize the ability of some to “play the systemâ€. The concept of a Monarch was rejected in the revolution and we have no choice but to accept the constitutional guarantees that we all enjoy, including the scoundrels.
At no point in the almost five years I have been at RCI or the preceding nine at the New York Racing and Wagering Board did Mr. Irwin ever make a suggestion directly to either entity as to how to more effectively tackle racing’s integrity challenge. Things can always be done better but racing should never forget that when it comes to drugs, we test for more substances at deeper levels than any other professional sport. There is a lot that is done right, but you’d never know it as some explain their loss by leveling undocumented charges against winners. Perhaps if racing stopped casting aspersions on those who are successful on the track or at the betting windows we might be able to generate some excitement and attract new fans. But no, if you hit a lucky streak you must be cheating.
The only entities that sort out what is real and what is not are the state racing commissions. Those who cheat will do it for the money and the initiatives of RCI and the state regulators to track the money through independent real-time wagering monitoring have met with nothing but unexplained resistance or foot dragging from key industry entities. Some of those barriers are coming down, but oh so slowly. I agree with Mr. Irwin that cheaters can kill this sport, but why do we devote all our attention to following the drugs and virtually none to following the money? The money path will help identify the real drug problem or fraud by collusion. It is unexplainable to me that people resist when the regulators want to chase the money in addition to chasing the drugs.
The state regulators have been calling for reforms and could really use some help from the industry in terms of either money, commitment, or support in state capitals to protect commission budgets that pay for drug testing, pre-race exams, backstretch investigators, the officials, the background checks, name it. In these tough times racing regulatory commissions are vulnerable targets for state budget offices looking to fill potholes rather than test more horses for drugs or monitor betting activity. We’re not perfect, no institution or person is. But every regulator that I know is committed to trying to do the job as best as possible, despite the lack of budgetary or industry support.
There are those who want to create a federal regulator which would just create another layer that would have to be paid for. An alternative is to explore the concept of creating a national regulatory body through a new interstate compact, a mechanism for state regulators to act as one in certain instances. Just this week, 15 state regulatory commissions held a joint discussion on how a proposal working its way through the New York legislature might work in their states. There is progress being made and the impetus is coming from the RCI member staffs, vets, labs and vendors who form the backbone of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium’s drug initiative.
When I started with RCI in 2005, we called for a new public private partnership and a restructuring of our collective “integrity effortsâ€. I reiterated that at this year’s Racing Congress. No takers. Rather than partner with the regulators, pool resources and improve the status quo, new entities are formed, funded and promoted by hired guns. Dump on us all you want but state racing commissions are a given and we will not stop in trying to raise the bar.
Please join with us Mr. Irwin. Perhaps together we can break the negative energy that is sinking this sport.
In the spirit of providing equal time to an opposing point of view, following is Ed Martin’s rebuttal to Barry Irwin. – Ray Paulick
The burden of state regulators on horse racing is something many people merely shrug their shoulders over as if it’s a necessary evil. But imagine a sport without those onerous racing boards and commissions playing “big brother” in just about area of the business. Barry Irwin, the head of Team Valor racing partnerships and a longtime commentator on the sport, says getting rid of state regulators should, and can, be done. Following is his guest commentary on the issue. — Ray Paulick
By Barry Irwin The sport of horse racing, like a lot of enterprises in the current harsh economic climate, is facing historically difficult times and its very existence is being threatened by a myriad of internal and external factors.
But with bad times there are windows of opportunity. I have identified the single biggest threat to the well being of our sport and propose that we take advantage of the depressed global financial situation by making a correction that could very well put racing back on the road to recovery.
When everything is taken into consideration, I think the involvement of States in the sport and business of horse racing may be our biggest detriment in a recovery. Very little done by States can be classified as positive and a lot of what States do drags down the image and finances of our game.
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It would take considerably more space than is allotted herein to list the transgressions perpetrated by States on racing, but I will cite a few, just so you get my point, as follows:
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New York – The Empire State’s officials have used racing as a political football more than any locale in North America. Former Gov. Elliott Spitzer dragged the New York Racing Association through the mud and into bankruptcy in an attempt to further his own political aspirations.
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California – The former administrative head of the racing board, by cutting deals with crooked trainers behind closed doors, created a climate for the proliferation of cheating that permeated the entire nation.
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Florida – The State played games for so many years with dates they wound up destroying the fabric of racing, causing a loss of fan interest from which it has never recovered.
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Right now, there is a very real opportunity to lessen or even rid racing jurisdictions of States involvement in our sport.
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Right now, States are facing large budget deficits. Some are in very dire straits.
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Right now, if racing associations, owners and horsemen got together and approached States, they might be able to cut deals that would positively change the face of racing, by offering to relieve States of their burdensome budgets for racing operations. Racing’s stakeholders could propose to continue to give the States their normal tax cut in exchange for the States getting out of the business of regulating the sport and industry.
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In some States, most notably in New York, this is impossible, because the State was able to glom onto the actual land on which the three major racing venues are situated.
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But in a State like California, that is so broke it is issuing IOUs to “pay†its bills, this could be a real possibility. I could envision a situation in which who ever wound up buying Santa Anita Park told the State that they want to lease Del Mar and get the racing dates from a soon-to-be-defunct Hollywood Park in exchange for the State getting out of racing regulation and control. The State of California might even welcome it.
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This notion of mine is not fanciful thinking. The State of Illinois, faced with a big budget shortfall, actually brought up this matter last week and is looking into this right now.
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Looking at some of recent headlines, we read that Rick Dutrow is going to court for relief from a suspension handed down for a drug violation in the State of Kentucky. Some legislators in the State of Pennsylvania are trying to grab millions of dollars earmarked for horsemen to fill in budgetary gaps. And mutuel handle is down more than 15 percent nationwide.
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I humbly submit to you that all three of these situations would not have occurred were it not for the involvement of States.
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If States were not involved in racing, Dutrow would be out of luck, because due process would be eliminated if private clubs conducted racing and made and enforced the rules.
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No State would be able to raid the private coffers of any fund earmarked for horsemen because they have no involvement.
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And racing handle would be much healthier without State involvement. Why?
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The biggest problem racing faces with its past, current and future horseplayers is the perception of drug use on horses. Even the misguided leaders of the Horsemen’s Protective and Benevolent Association recognize that racing has an image problem with drugs.
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Racing has lost many of its biggest gamblers because they stopped playing the races when it became obvious that cheating with drugs had become rampant. Drugs are a problem in many sports. The Tour de France, which for years was the most popular sport in France and one of the most watched throughout Europe and the world, has been reduced to a side show because of image problems with drug cheats.
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If the States got out of racing and left the enforcement in the hands of the stewards and due process was no longer involved, racing could deal properly with drug cheats, rid the game of them, and move forward with renewed integrity and increased revenues from handle when racing’s customers felt good about betting on horses again.
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Once again, this is not new ground. Hong Kong has the toughest drug standards anywhere and they succeed as the top gambling mecca on horse races because they have the tightest controls in the world. These guys are so serious, they make all of the jockeys live in a the same complex and monitor trainers as well.
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So instead of racing looking for answers and solutions outside of the sport, I propose that we look inward, get our act together and approach the States with a plan to take back our sport from the politicians.
By Ray Paulick
“I have to say ‘no’ to 500 families each year, and it breaks my heart,” says Elisabeth Jensen, president and executive director of the Race for Education scholarship program. “I hate saying ‘no.’”
Jensen is hoping she can say “yes” to an increasing number of deserving and needy students in years to come as the college scholarship program created in 2002 continues to grow and gain support from individuals and businesses from within the equine industry. So far, the Race for Education has provided $2.5 million in scholarship funds to more than 200 students in 40 states across the U.S. Its selection committee recently approved 70 new students as recipients.
Race for Education scholarships are available to sons and daughters of equine industry employees or students seeking careers in the horse business. Eligibility is limited to children of parents whose combined annual income is $50,000 or less. Jensen said over a five-year period the average combined annual income of parents of a scholarship recipient was about $27,000.
The program offers more than just scholarship funds. It also provides advice and training to help students minimize their education debt load, mentoring services and references or referrals for permanent jobs upon graduation.
In conjunction with the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation and Platinum Performance, the “Winner’s Circle Scholarship Program” supports one veterinary student at each of the 30 vet schools across the country to help offset the burdensome costs associated with obtaining a degree leading to a career as an equine practitioner. There are other scholarships designated for students in specific states or with defined career interests.
Click here for information on those scholarship programs.
All administrative and staffing costs are paid for through a private donor, meaning that 100% of the money contributed to the Race for Education goes toward scholarships.
Sixty-seven Race for Education students will graduate from college this spring, adding to the 89 graduates from previous years. Among them is Joseph Miller, one of four students to receive Race for Education Funds the first year they were awarded in 2003. The University of Louisville equine business school graduate works for Lincoln Collins’ Kern Thoroughbreds in Midway, Ky., and he recently was named to the Race for Education’s board of directors.
The board is chaired by Team Valor International’s Barry Irwin, who was instrumental in the organization’s first major fund-raiser in 2003 when he secured the rights from Gary Barber, a Team Valor partner and movie producer, for the world premiere of the “Seabiscuit” movie. The premiere, at Louisville’s Palace Theater, helped raise nearly $100,000 for the Race for Education.
Irwin also is one about 35 Thoroughbred owners participating in the Racehorse Nomination Program, which donates a minimum of 1% of a racehorse’s purse earnings to the program. Team Valor donates 1%, and Irwin matches that from personal funds.
(Click here to see how you can be part of the Racehorse Nomination Program.)
Irwin was among the volunteers and students who brought their paintbrushes to help redecorate the Race for Education offices in December when they were relocated to 1818 Versailles Road in Lexington, in a historic building purchased by Bill and Susan Casner. Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt sponsored the office’s conference room, and donations from Carl and Wanda Nafzger, David Ingordo and Chris Young helped furnish the offices.
The program began when Jensen was working at Kentucky’s WinStar Farm and co-owners Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, who have provided financial backing to many other charitable causes, challenged her to create something meaningful and lasting to benefit people in the industry. A horse-loving native of Indiana who graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and later worked in Burbank, Calif., as a brand manager for Disney, Jensen took the idea of creating the Race for Education to several organizations and received a positive response.
The program was launched in 2002. It took on even greater significance for co-founders Bill and Susan Casner when their daughter, Karri, died in a terrorist attack in Bali later that year. A 5K/10K run held in Karri’s memory each autumn has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Race for Education. WinStar is also one of the owners participating in the Racehorse Nomination Program, so the scholarship fund got a big boost last month when Well Armed won the $6-million Dubai World Cup. Two percent of the winnings were donated to the program.
However, as Jensen said, for every deserving student that receives scholarship money from the Race for Education, there are many more who have to be turned down because of a lack of funds. Matching dollars from the federal government have helped, but the program can only grow through greater participation of the many charitable people in our industry.
It is a great investment in our future. Click here to see how you can help.
By Ray Paulick
An industry that saw a $1-billion drop in wagering and a nearly $250 million decline in bloodstock sales in 2008 could use a little economic stimulus. Unfortunately, no such outside plan exists for the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry in the United States – no federal bailout or earmarks in the massive stimulus plan just approved by Congress.
When I first moved to Kentucky in 1988, the breeding industry was in the midst of a serious economic slump, one that began in 1985 and didn’t end until 1992. The seven-year downturn was caused by a combination of overproduction (the number of North American foals born topped out at over 50,000 in the mid-1980s), overconfidence in the market, and federal tax reform that took away many of the incentives to own Thoroughbred breeding stock.
The big question at Thoroughbred auctions for several years in the late 1980s and early ‘90s was whether or not the market had hit bottom. It’s a question that really couldn’t be answered until the industry saw an uptick in business, and that didn’t happen until 1992. Then, as now, the first part of a down market was the toughest, because breeders were carrying production costs from a bull market into a sales environment that was anything but bullish.
If 2008 was a tough time for breeders, they’d better strap in for an even rougher ride in 2009. Yearlings were produced from 2007 stud fees, a breeding season that came on the heels of an all-time record year for the average price of weanlings, yearlings and 2-year-olds. In fact, the 2006 bloodstock market hit an all-time high for gross revenue, with more than $1.23 billion in North American sales.
Last year’s economic crisis didn’t really hit until September, though Wall Street had been jittery for months beforehand. Prices for 2-year-olds of 2008 were actually up slightly, and yearling average declined by just 6.9% (though median dipped more sharply, by 16.7%). The weanling and broodmare markets were hit harder, falling by 15.7% and 17.2%, respectively. Most breeders I’ve spoken with are bracing for declines in the yearling market of at least 20%, and some feel it could drop by as much as 40%.
With such dire predictions in the marketplace, it may sound foolish to suggest that 2009 could prove to be a very good year for people to breed their mares. Stud fees are down significantly, and terms for those fees have seldom been as flexible as they are today.
To quote Warren Buffett, the oracle of Omaha: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” I think it’s fair to say that many Thoroughbred breeders are fearful right now.
To that end, the best economic stimulus the breeding industry could have in 2009 is confidence among mare owners that the yearling market of 2011 will have rebounded from the anticipated slump of the upcoming year and, perhaps, 2010. The wild card, of course, is the overall state of the American economy, which even the most optimistic among us does not feel will turn around in the next 12 months.
Not breeding mares that have commercial value is not going to improve anyone’s economic standing, and will not help stimulate the industry to get out of this slump. Stallion farms have reduced fees and are working with breeders to get mares bred and stallion books filled. The breeding sheds are now open: sending your mares to be bred supports the industry in so many ways, from the vanning companies, feed companies, veterinary community, boarding farms and stallion farms, among others.
Curlin passed Cigar to become North America’s all-time earnings leader and first $10-million horse with his second consecutive victory in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on a sloppy Belmont Park track on Saturday afternoon.
Ridden by Robbie Albarado, Curlin raced in midpack early as Wanderin Boy set the pace under Alan Garcia — his fractions in :24.67, :48.79, 1:13.08, and 1:36.70. Curlin ommenced his rally on the turn, swung out wide at the top of the stretch and wore down Wanderin Boy late to win by three-quarters of a length. Merchant Marine was third, 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Mambo in Seattle was fourth, followed by Ravel, Stones River, A.P. Arrow and Angliana. Time of the race on a sloppy track was 2:01.93.
The win, worth $450,000, was Curlin’s 11th in 15 lifetime starts (all as a 3- and 4-year-old in 2007-08), and moved his earnings to $10,246,800, surpassing Cigar’s previous record of $9,999,815.
Curlin, a 4-year-old son of Smart Strike out of Sherriff’s Deputy, by Deputy Minister was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm. He is owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and the Midnight Cry Stable of Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion, is trained by Steve Asmussen. Curlin began his career racing for Midnight Cry and was trained by Helen Pitts. An 80% interest in Curlin was purchased following his maiden win by Jackson, Satish Sanan and George Bolton, but Jackson eventually bought out those partners and now owns 80%.
There is great speculation about whether Curlin will face Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but Jackson would not commit to the race during a teleconference earlier this week. He indicated Curlin could race two more times this year, leaving the door open for the Breeders’ Cup and a possible subsequent appearance in either the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in late November of the Japan Cup Dirt at Hanshin race course in Japan in early December.
"As to going out to Santa Anita, we’ll probably load him up, but first we’ll have to get him adjusted," Jackson said. "But it is up to him whether he likes the track and the surface. So those are concerns we still have. But we’ll consider it now that we’re past this hurdle. That’s the next prospect for us, and we’ll give it every bit of attention."
Albarado never appeared to use the whip on Curlin, who seemed to lose ground down the backstretch, but quickly moved into contention when asked by his rider. "Robby was really comfortable down the backside," Asmussen said. "I think he knows who he is on, and he let it sort out in front of him. He lost a little bit of position on the backside when Robby decided he didn’t want to be that wide. He immediately moved up in the bridle and came into the stretch the way you wanted him to be. He looked fabulous through the stretch."
"I can’t say how proud I am to be part of what’s just happened," Asmussen said. "To make history — the all-time money-winning horse in North America — it’s very special. The job that (assistant) Scott Blasi and (exercise rider) Carmen Rosas have done with him on a day-to-day basis enabled him to maintain the consistency. For him to be able to carry the weight of expectation, I’m very proud."
The 3-year-old Kingmambo colt Mambo in Seattle, a narrowly beaten second in the Travers Stakes to Colonel John, was never a factor in the Gold Cup.
Results from Saturday’s other major Breeders’ Cup prep races from Belmont Park, Turfway Park, Oak Tree at Santa Anita and Hawthorne. Updates from each race as they are run.
KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE FILLIES (Turfway Park): Sugar Mom made a late run in the two-turn mile race to make it three straight wins on synthetic tracks for the owner-trainer combination of Frank Calabrese and Wayne Catalano. First stakes win for daughter of Monarchos out of Plenty of Sugar, by Ascot Knight. Winless in first three starts at Churchill Downs, including her last for a maiden claiming tag of $30,000. Complicity finished second, a length back, with Saxxy Rose Lee third and favored Bold Union tiring to be fourth. Time for the mile was 1:37.86.
KENTUCKY CUP SPRINT (Turfway Park): Fatal Bullet completely dominated his rivals as the 6-5 favorite, setting fast fractions and pulling away in the stretch for an impressive7 3/4-length victory in track-record time 1:08.03 for six furlongs on Polytrack. This was the seventh win in 10 starts for 3-year-old Red Bullet gelding out of Sararegal, by Regal Classic. Owned by Bear Stables and trained by Canadian Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet was coming off stakes victories on Polytrack at Woodbine and Tapeta track at Presque Isle Downs. Silver Sword and No Advantage finished second and third, respectively. Baker said it’s on to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Fatal Bullet.
KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE (Turfway Park): West Side Bernie rallied into the stretch and pulled away by three lengths under Stewart Elliott. The 2-year-old by Bernstein out of Time Honored, by Gilded Time, is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Kelly Breen and owners Lori and George Hall, having broken his maiden by 1 ½ lengths at Monmouth Park Aug. 28. He covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.22 as the 9-5 favorite, with Retap and Gresham finishing second and third.
KENTUCKY CUP DISTAFF (Turfway): Getting their second stakes win of the day, Bear Stable, trainer Reade Baker and jockey Eurico Da Silva teamed up for a four-length victory with Bear Now (Tiznow–Controlled, by In Excess), who sat just off the pace of Devil House, moved to the lead at the head of the stretch and drew off by daylight. Unforgotten rallied late for second, with Devil House holding third. Bear Now, eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, has won three of six starts this year, her two previous wins coming on Woodbine’s Polytrack. She covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.37. Baker said he would give Bear Now another chance in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (formerly the Distaff).
KENTUCKY CUP CLASSIC (Turfway): Well-traveled Zanjero pulled away in the final furlong to win the Kentucky Cup Classic by 1 1/2 lengths under Shaun Bridgmohan. Trained by Steve Asmussen and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Zanjero was winning for the sixth time in 18 starts. He is a 4-year-old by Cherokee Run out of Checkered Flag, by A.P. Indy. Extreme Supreme finished second, followed by Canela and 8-5 favorite, Honest Man. Time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.27. Owner Ron Winchell said Zanjero will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Oct. 25.
BELDAME (Belmont Park): Godolphin’s Cocoa Beach wore down odds-on favorite Ginger Punch, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning older filly and mare to make it two straight in the U.S., following an easy win in the ungraded Love Sign Stakes at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Chilean-bred daughter of Doneraile Court out of Visionera, by Edgy Diplomat, raced four times in Dubai over the winter, including a third-place showing in UAE Derby, after beginning career unbeaten in four starts in native Chile. She is trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Ginger Punch was second, beaten a half length, after setting fractions of :24.61, :48.18, :1:12.26; and 1:36.76. Final time was 1:49.50 on a sloppy track.
FLOWER BOWL INVITATIONAL STAKES (Belmont): Alan Garcia coaxed Dynaforce to a four-length wire-to-wire victory over heavily favored Mauralakana, who was gunning for her fifth straight win. The 5-year-old daughter of Dynaformer was winning on U.S. soil for the first time in four starts after racing in France for owner-breeder John Chandler.Mauralakana made a bold early run going into the far turn under Kent Desormeaux, but the Bill Mott-trained Dynaforce had too much in reserve, winning by daylight after setting fractions of :26.23, :52.87, 1:19.22 and 1:43.45. Comminque was third in the four-horse field. Time for 1 ¼ miles was 2:07.59 on a yielding track.
VOSBURGH (Belmont): Black Seventeen shipped in from California for trainer Brian Koriner to score a major upset over defending champion Fabulous Strike. The 4-year-old son of Is It True out of Fuzzy Navel, by Strike the Anvil, won the Carry Back Stakes at Calder in July for his only previous stakes win. Black Seventeen raced just behind a three horse duel (Fabulous Strike, J Be K, First Defence), moved to the lead in the stretch, and overtook Fabulous Strike late. Kokiak Kowboy rallied late to get third.
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC INVITATIONAL (Belmont): Alan Garcia guided Grand Couturier to a 10 1/4-length victory, his second Grade 1 turf triumph in a row for trainer Robert Ribaudo and owner Marc Keller. The 5-year-old son of Grand Lodge out of Lady Eigar, by Sadler’s Wells, comes off a victory in the Sword Dancer over Better Talk Now Aug. 16 at Saratoga. Grand Couturier won last year’s Sword Dancer and then finished sixth behind English Channel in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Interpation edged Summer Patriot for second. Kent Desormeaux, aboard Interpation, filed a complaint against the winner alleging interference on the turn, but it was not allowed. Precious Passion set the pace in the Hirsch, with slow fractions of :24.97, :50.52, 1:16.84, and 1:42.35 for the opening mile of the 1 1/2-mile event. Strike a Deal took a brief lead with a quarter mile to go, the 1 1/4 miles clocked in 2:09.07, but Grand Couturier charged past to win in hand, getting the distance on yielding turf in 2:34.84.
CLEMENT L. HIRSCH MEMORIAL TURF INVITATIONAL STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Making just his second start of the year, Peachtree Stable’s Red Giant (by Giant’s Causeway) set a new track and world record of 1:57.16 for 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita turf while edging Out of Control by a head. Transduction Gold was third. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Red Giant was winning for the sixth time in 12 starts. Last year he won the Virginia Derby and was second in the Secretariat Stakes. In his 2008 debut at Saratoga, Red Giant took the Fourstardave by a neck Aug. 3.
LADY’S SECRET (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Zenyatta tracked from last in the four-horse field under Mike Baze, swung wide into the stretch and pulled away down the stretch under a hand ride to win by 3 1/2 lengths — her eighth straight without a defeat. Pacesetter Hystericalady was second, with Santa Teresita third. The daughter of Street Cry out of Vertigineux out of Kris S, is trained by John Shirreffs and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss. She was odds-on to win her sixth consecutive graded stakes and eighth overall and will be a solid choice in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic Oct. 24 at Santa Anita. Time for the 1 1/16 miles on the new Pro-Ride synthetic track was 1:40.30.
ANCIENT TITLE STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Cost of Freedom made the first run under Tyler Baze, getting the lead at the top of the stretch, and then holding off the late charge of 9-10 favorite, Street Boss, to win by a half-length in 1:07.53 for six furlongs (fractions were :21.27, :43.57, :55.50) . In Summation was third. Cost of Freedom was a $50,000 claim by Gary and Cecil Barber in late July at Del Mar. Formerly owned by Harris Farms and trained by Carla Gaines, he is now under the care of John Sadler. A 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Cee’s Tizzy out of Freedom Dance, by Moscow Ballet, Cost of Freedom has now won six of 10 starts, but the Ancient Title was his first stakes victory.
OAK LEAF STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Making her 4-5 odds look generous, Stardom Bound overwhelmed her 11 2-year-old filly rivals, rallying from far off the pace to win by 3 1/2 lengths over pacesetter Palacio de Amor. The gray daughter of first-crop sire Tapit (out of My White Corvette, by Tarr Road) broke behind the field and was allowed to settle near the back of the pack by Mike Smith as Palacio de Amor set fractions of :23.32, :46.37, 1:10.61 and 1:35.90 for the opening mile. Stardom Bound swung widest of all into the stretch and easily moved to the lead under a hand ride, completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.44. Oro Blanco was third. The winner, owned by Charles Cono and trained by Christopher Paasch, broke her maiden in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante after running second in a maiden race and second in the Sorrento Stakes — all at Del Mar. The Oak Leaf was her first race around two turns.
YELLOW RIBBON STAKES (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): John Velazquez registered career win No. 3,999 aboard Wait a While for Arindel Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher, racing from just off the pace, taking command in mid-stretch and holding Vacare at sway to win by about three-quarters of a length. Black Mamba was a fast-closing third. Final time for the 1 1/4 miles on firm turf was 1:59.16 after fractions of :24.53, :47.83, 1:12.31, and 1:35.63. Longshot Live Life showed the way for the first six furlongs, then gave way to Solva, Velazquez used Wait a While’s good tactical speed to overcome the No. 10 post position, and raced just off the lead before moving to the front. This was the 12th win in 23 starts and pushed Wait a While (a 5-year-old by Maria’s Mon, out of Flirtatious, by A.P. Indy) over the $2-million mark in career earnings. It Wait a While’s first Grade 1 victory since taking the Yellow Ribbon in 2006.
GOODWOOD (Oak Tree at Santa Anita): Using new off-the-pace tactics, Aaron Gryder guided7-10 favorite Well Armed to a one-length victory over Tiago. Rating in third position most of the way as Mast Track and Informed volleyed for the lead, Well Armed swung to the outside at the head of the stretch, drifted out with a furlong to run, but switched leads and kept to his task to get the win for trainer Eoin Harty. Final time was 1:47.11 for the 1 1/8 miles. Albertus Maximus finished third.It was the sixth victory in 19 starts for Well Armed, and his first in a Grade 1 race. He won the San Antonio and San Diego Handicaps (both Grade 2) going wire to wire earlier this year. Well Armed is a 5-year-old gelded son of Tiznow out of Well Dressed, by Notebook. Harty said Well Armed would be pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, along with another WinStar runner in his barn, Santa Anita Derby and Travers Stakes winner Colonel John.
WinStar Farm homebred Colonel John won Saturday’s Grade 1 Travers Stakes by a nose in a head-bobbing finish with William S. Farish and Mrs. William Kilroy’s Mambo in Seattle. Pyro, the 7-2 favorite, finished third, 5 1/4 lengths back, with Harlem Rocker fourth in the 139th running of the $1-million "midsummer classic" for 3-year-olds.. Time of the race on a fast track was 2:03.20 for the mile and a quarter on a fast track.
Colonel John, breaking from the two post, saved ground as Belmont Stakes winner Da’ Tara set all the fractions under Alan Garcia, the opening quarter-mile in :23.91, the half-mile in :48.06 and six furlongs in 1:12.12. When the field turned for home, Gomez had to alter course sharply behind Da’ Tara, then went to his outside, taking the lead inside the furlong pole. Mambo in Seattle, under Robbie Albarado, was forced to take the overland route, rallying from well off the pace but avoiding a scrum to his inside at the head of the stretch that may have compromised the chances of Harlem Rocker and Pyro. The Kinbmambo colt ranged up alongside Colonel John nearing the sixteenth pole, and the two raced to the wire together. Colonel John appeared to be edging ahead, but Mambo in Seattle made one final, valiant run, losing the victory in a head-bob. The official margin was a nose, but the photo finish showed it to be no more than an inch.
The victory was Colonel John’s first on a traditional dirt track. He had previously won four of eight starts, all on synthetic tracks, including three stakes. He came into the Kentucky Derby off a half-length victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, and was the 9-2 second choice behind Big Brown at Churchill Downs. The son of Tiznow out of the Turkoman mare Sweet Damsel was never a factor that day, finishing sixth, 14 1/4 lengths behind Big Brown. He skipped the rest of the Triple Crown, then returned to action with a third-place finish behind Tres Borrachos July 12 in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Colonel John did all of his serious preparation work before the Travers on Polytrack at Del Mar for his trainer, Eoin Harty. The win could set up a rematch between Colonel John and Big Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park, which will be contested on that track’s new Pro-Ride synthetic surface.
The winner paid $10.40 and earned $600,000 to increase his earnings to $1,468,830.
IN THE GRADE 1 NETJETS KING’S BISHOP, a race for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs that immediately preceded the Travers, Team Valor International and Vision Racing’s Visionaire, benefited from a hot pace and rallied from last to first to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths under Alan Garcia.
Gentleman James, Golden Spikes and 8-5 favorite J Be K threw down fractions of :22.39 and :44.73 for the opening half mile, with J Be K taking a narrow advantage when the 10-horse field turned for home, and it looked like anyone’s race. Desert Key, had to await room on the inside, then found an opening to gain the lead in the final furlong, but Garcia had Visionaire picking ‘em and mowing ‘em down on in the middle of the track after rallying widest into the stretch.
The son of Grand Slam hit the front in the final 70 yards and drew off, with Desert Key holding second by a nose from I’m So Lucky. The winner, bred in Kentucky by Eaton Sales co-owner Reiley McDonald and trained by Michael Matz, paid $15.60 for the win after covering seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.94.
The win was Visionaire’s fifth from 10 starts and second starts victory, following a win in the Gotham at Aqueduct in March. Visionaire ran fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes and 12th behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby.
SHADWELL STAALE’S IRISH-BRED SHAKIS won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch by three parts of a length over War Monger, with Operation Red Dawn finishing third. The 8-year-old by Machiavellian was ridden by Alan Garcia and is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. He covered nine furlongs on firm turf in 1:46.78.
John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to Sheikh Mohammed and responsible for putting the deal together for Dubai-based Synergy Investments to purchase Fasig-Tipton earlier this year, led the way among buyers — signing five tickets for a total of $3,100,000 — at Monday night’s opening session of the company’s two day-select yearling sale at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The final numbers sent a mixed message to the market, as the gross receipts declined by 9.8% but average rose 16.2% and median price increased by 10.8% from last year’s opening session. Most troublesome was the steep buyback rate of 30.6%, a sharp rise from last year’s 21.9% not sold on the first night.
Though Ferguson was the night’s leading buyer, the highest priced offering Monday, a Storm Cat filly from the Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency consignment, was purchased by Team Valor International for $1,500,000. The Vanlandingham mare Totemic, a graded stakes winner and dam of three stakes winners, including Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Lil’s Lad, produced the filly.
The only other $1-million yearling on the night was an A.P. Indy colt out of the Broad Brush mare Pyramid Lake, purchased for $1,200,000 by William Farish of Lane’s End Farm, where A.P. Indy stands at stud. The colt is out of a half-sister to European Horse of the Year Peintre Celebre and was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
Following Ferguson as the first session’s top buyer was Team Valor, the partnership run by Barry Irwin that has been very active at this sale in recent years. Team Valor bought three yearlings for $2,120,000. Third-leading buyer was Legends Racing, a newly formed partnership that is teaming with trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito and Bob Baffert to pick out and train its horses, which bought three for $1,205,000, including a $700,000 colt by first-year sire Rock Hard Ten out of Tapstress, a Desert Wine mare. The colt was consigned by Gainesway, agent. The only other yearling by Rock Hard Ten offered Monday night was a colt out of Serena’s Sister, by Rahy, that Maverick Racing bought for $450,000 from Bridlewood Farm, with Denali Stud as agent.
Missing from the list of buyers on the first night was Demi O’Byrne, agent for the Coolmore operation of John Magnier.
Totals for Monday were 59 head sold from 85 offered (with 30.6% not sold) for $17,915,000, an average price of $303,644 and median of $230,000. Last year’s numbers from the first night were 76 sold from 96 offered (21.9% RNA) for $19,867,000, an average of $261,408 and median of $207,500.
(Note: The statistics reported above were amended by Fasig-Tipton to reflect an additional sale of Hip 93, originally listed as RNA but changed to sold for $245,000 to BTA Stable. The adjusted final figures are 60 sold for $18,160,000; $302,667 average and $235,000 median.)
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area.