Wandering Eyes

Millions of dollars worth of high-class bloodstock remains stranded in New Zealand after a deadly strangles outbreak halted the movement of horses bound for Hong Kong. Owners who have bought racehorses out of New Zealand have been left waiting for as long as seven months as authorities seek to contain the outbreak which saw a peak of four horses from the 30-strong batch test positive to the respiratory infection. Strangles is a highly contagious infection which causes a horse’s lymph... View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost. A dozen Hong Kong horses entered for Dubai World Cup meeting – @Lucky8RacingHK Given the same number of horses were nominated for last year’s event and none ran, the scepticism about anyone showing up this time around is fair, but at this early stage it looks like there will be a Hong Kong presence at Meydan on March 30. A dozen Hong Kong horses entered... View the full article

The last month or so hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Chad Schofield, with a dearth of winners, a suspension and then a bout of dehydration on Saturday, but the jockey says he is ready to turn things around this week. He took the opportunity to travel to Australia during his recent suspension to surprise his mother for her 50th birthday and says he’s refreshed and eager to attack the new year. “I flew over while I was suspended to spend time with the family and had a little... View the full article

13:30 Ffos Las Cottonvale was in the process of a big run at Hereford earlier in the month, in the lead and responding well under his riders’ urgings, before clipping the final flight and coming down. The winner was stablemate Uno Mas who has come out and won since and the trainer continues in fantastic […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 14th January appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Horses' test results January 14 View the full article

Aslam suspended two days View the full article

Lake Time began to fade in the turn, and Selcourt cruised up on the outside to take the lead, but Pam and Martin Wygod's Spring Lily was not done. View the full article

For much of her career, Escape Clause (Going Commando) has spent her time at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, beating up on the outclassed rivals that dared to face her in small stakes on the Western Canadian circuit. Then, after her eighth straight win, one of which was in a two-horse field, trainer Don Schnell had a thought: why not see what she can do against stakes-quality mares in the U.S.? Schnell sensed his mare had progressed so much last year that she was ready for a new challenge. He ought to know. He is her owner, trainer, groom, hotwalker, farrier and van driver. “You’re right, you won’t see Bob Baffert driving the van when he ships a horse, but Bob Baffert has a lot more money than me,” Schnell said. The first time Schnell tried her in a stakes race in Southern California, the betting public didn’t take her too seriously. They sent her off at 18-1 in the restricted Kathryn Crosby S. at Del Mar and she won via disqualification after crossing the wire second, a half-length behind Excellent Sunset (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Schnell had his answer: Escape Clause belonged. His mare next ran third, beaten a length, in the GIII Red Carpet H. and then fourth in the Dec. 29 GIII Robert J Frankel S. All three starts were on turf. After running in a stakes race, most trainers on the Southern California circuit would probably look to give their horses five or six weeks off. But that’s not how they do things at the places Schnell competes at–Assiniboia, Northlands Park and Century Downs. Cheaper horses need to run to have any chance of making a profit for their owners, and Schnell is not used to babying his stock. Escape Clause ran 13 times in 2018 and once ran three times in a span of 20 days. As such, he had no reservations about running his mare back Saturday at Santa Anita on the dirt in the GIII La Canada S. on two weeks of rest, and his intuition was right. Not only was she ready–she ran the best race of her life, winning by 5 ½ lengths under Tyler Baze. The win raised her career record to 19-for-28. “I never dreamed I’d ever run in a graded stakes race, let alone win one,” said the 66-year-old trainer, who splits his time between Assiniboia and Turf Paradise in the winter. “Every time she runs, she never lets us down. She just keeps getting better. I am really proud of her–she’s quite a star.” At Assiniboia, she is such a star that, Schnell said, after her victory Sunday they lowered drinks to happy hour prices and offered chicken wings at half price for those who were there to watch the La Canada simulcast. When you’ve been toiling at cheap tracks in Western Canada since the early seventies, you have no expectations that a horse like this will ever come your way. Before Escape Clause came around, Schnell’s claim to fame was that he was a two-time winner of the $100,000 Alberta Derby. Schnell discovered Escape Clause at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s 2015 Manitoba Yearling Sale and paid $3,500 (Canadian) for the Manitoba-bred. “At the sale, she kind of looked out of place,” Schnell said. “She wasn’t a super good-looking, mature horse. She was–I wouldn’t say an ugly duckling–but she wasn’t filled out because she was young. When you look at those kind of horses as a trainer, you like to look ahead and imagine what they’re going to look like in a year or so. She looked like she was going to put on weight, muscle and mature. Of course, I had no idea she was going to be this good. She’s just special. She has extreme heart; she tries every time.” Schnell won 50 races in 2018 and has plenty of help. He doesn’t need to be the jack-of-all-trades that he is with Escape Clause, but she’s so important to him that he won’t trust her care to anyone else. “I do what I do with her because she is special,” he said. “She is a little bit different to handle. She won’t let anybody else put a bridle on her. I have to do that. She knows me and trusts me. Like a lot of good horses, she has quirks and I know her inside out, and she respects me. I would not feel comfortable having someone else do all those things.” Schnell was speaking from the van while driving back to Turf Paradise. Turf Paradise to Santa Anita isn’t that bad a trip, but there’s also been the drive from Assiniboia to Del Mar. Schnell estimates that was about 2,000 miles. He better keep the van in tip-top condition. Schnell says there’s no longer any point running in the races in Canada and will stick to U.S. graded stakes. He wants to stay on the dirt for now, and Escape Clause has run some of her best races around one turn, so the Feb. 16 GII Santa Monica S. at seven furlongs could be an option. At this point, Schnell isn’t afraid to run against anybody. “Tyler said yesterday after the race that this filly will win a Grade I, that it was remarkable how much horse he had left,” Schnell said. “When he got the lead halfway down the lane, she stopped running, was just galloping and looking around. He said if he had to do it again, he would have waited and made his move later because once she blows by them she almost thinks the race is over and just gallops along.” Maybe Escape Clause has reached the limits of what she can accomplish, maybe she hasn’t. Just take her lightly at your own risk. View the full article

Flavien Prat, a leading rider on the Southern California circuit, will be aboard 2018 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the richest race in North America, Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

In the fifth installment of our value sires series, we look at the second and third-crop sires of 2019-at last, horses with runners on the board that we can draw concrete evidence from. This exercise still involves some speculation in the case of the second-season sires who have just one season behind them, but nonetheless we’ll examine their racetrack results, look at who is punching above their weight and also pick out a few who could jump up and surprise us this year. SECOND-CROP SIRES OF 2019 We know all about the leader of this sire crop, No Nay Never, who sees his fee quadrupled to €100,000 this year after leading all first-season sires last year by earnings, stakes winners and stakes horses, group winners and group horses, winners, and wins. The current chief heir to Scat Daddy was also one of just two first-season sires to provide a Group 1 winner last year. This year’s yearlings, like last year’s, were bred on his lowest-ever fee of €17,500, so he just has to keep his momentum going for the breeders of the 123 mares who supported him in 2017 to really cash in. In an article published in the TDN in late November, John Boyce calculated the leading sires of this crop based on the average Timeform ratings of their 10 top-rated runners. He states that, at this point in their careers, “any sire that can surpass the 100 mark is truly exceptional.” No Nay Never achieved that feat. So too did Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Juddmonte’s Kingman was ‘just’ fourth by earnings on the first-season sires’ table, but it was the sheer quality of his winners that saw his fee bumped up by £20,000 to £75,000 for 2019. Like No Nay Never he sired two group winners (and five total stakes winners), and his G2 Coventry S. winner Calyx (GB) would likely have been challenging for the major juvenile Group 1s in the autumn had he not been knocked out by injury. The volume of his eye-catching early runners is best described in these pages by the fact that he had five TDN Rising Stars last year-No Nay Never had one, his Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire). With so many of the top breeders having supported Kingman from the beginning-his five stakes winners were bred by Juddmonte (two), George Strawbridge, Lordship Stud and Dayton Investments-the verdict really looks to be in for him to develop into a top sire. Beneath the ‘elite’ two, there are a handful of young sires still worth betting on. Alongside No Nay Never at Coolmore are Galileo’s Derby winners Australia (GB) and Ruler of the World (GB). Australia, the son of the excellent mare Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), sired one stakes winner, the dual French group winner Beyond Reason (Ire), but most interesting is the fact that his three stakes-placed horses were all placed in Group 1s, making him the leader of this crop by Group 1 horses. That trio was Broome (Ire), second in the Jean-Luc Lagardere, Sydney Opera House (Ire), runner-up in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and Western Australia (Ire), third in the Vertem Futurity Trophy S. The Epsom and Irish Derby and Juddmonte International winner is available for €35,000 this year. Ruler of the World was dealt a serious blow very early in his career when, soon into his initial season in 2015, he was injured and knocked out the rest of the covering season. As a result his first crop yielded just 32 named foals, but those included the G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Iridessa (Ire) and the dual Italian stakes-placed The World Is Your (Ire). Ruler of the World’s two black-type horses from 19 starters resulted in a ratio of 10.5%. Unfortunately, support for the horse hasn’t increased greatly; his new crop of juveniles this year numbers 54 and he was visited by 54 and 47 mares the last two seasons; however, a young Group 1 sire, who is a Derby-winning half-brother to established sire Duke of Marmalade (Ire) and from the family of A.P. Indy, at €8,000 seems like a bet worth rolling the dice on. At that same fee at Coolmore this year is the G1 Dewhurst S. and G2 Coventry S. winner War Command (War Front). He sired 23 winners in his initial season including the Listed Pat Eddery S. winner Victory Command (Ire) and the French listed-placed Dancing Warrior (GB). Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) wound up second on the first-season sires’ table, his 27 winners one shy of No Nay Never’s tally. He provided the G3 Dick Poole S. winner Yourtimeisnow (GB), as well as the G2 July S. third Charming Kid (GB). The triple Group 1-winning miler has alternated his first five seasons between Tweenhills in Britain and Haras de Bonneval in France, and he returns to Tweenhills this year and gets a fee cut to £17,500-he was €20,000 last year in France and £20,000 last time he was in Britain. As John Boyce pointed out in the aforementioned story, Dubawi (Ire), Dark Angel (Ire) and Pivotal (GB) each managed two stakes winners in their initial crops, so by that measure Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa), Bungle Inthejungle (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), Sea The Moon (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Garswood (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) are ticking along just fine. For the latter two, both of their black-type winners are group winners. The G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sea The Moon, who stands for £15,000 at Lanwades Stud, provided the Group 3 winners Noble Moon (Ger) and Quest The Moon (Ger) in his own country of birth, and he also had the Group 3-placed Man On The Moon (Ger) and the British listed-placed Three Comets (Ger). While Sea The Moon himself won his only 2-year-old outing impressively enough to be named a TDN Rising Star, everything about his own progression and his Classic German family suggest his progeny should progress with age. Garswood (Dutch Art {GB}) did not have numbers on his side last year, his first crop numbering just 56, but the two group winners he returned actually resulted in a 5.6% group winners to starters (36) ratio that was best among this sire crop. Garswood was a listed winner at two and beaten a head by Bungle Inthejungle in the G3 Cornwallis S., and he trained on at three to win the G2 Lennox S. over seven furlongs and at four to win the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Garswood’s support has grown the last two seasons-he covered 81 mares in 2017 and 102 last year-and he has every right to progress as a sire. Best of all, he is available for £3,500 at Cheveley Park Stud. Anodin (Ire) (Anabaa) was France’s leading first-crop sire last year. He returned a total 21 winners, and his pair of stakes winners included the G3 Prix des Chenes victor and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third Anodor (Fr). He also had the listed winner Harmless (Fr) and the Chenes third Insandi (Fr). Bungle Inthejungle (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) shot out of the gates at the start of last year, leading the winners’ tally early, and he wound up with 24 winners including the G3 Molecomb S. winner and G1 Middle Park S. third Rumble Inthejungle (Ire), as well as the Italian stakes winner Sopran Artemide (Ire). His fee more than doubles this year, jumping from €5,000 to €12,000 at Rathasker Stud. This sire crop has another Group 1-winning sprinting son of Dutch Art who wasn’t at his best until later, and that is Darley Kildangan’s Slade Power (Ire), who won the G1 July Cup and G1 Diamond Jubilee at five. Nonetheless, he had 60 of his 83 first-crop foals make it to the races this year and they won at a 27% clip, with three black-type horses among them. He is down to €7,500 this year. Haras de Bouquetot’s Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) really started to light up during the second half of the season last year, and wound up with 23 winners. While he didn’t have a stakes winner he had five knocking on the door, including the G3 Acomb S. second Watan (GB) and the G3 Horris Hill S. third Almufti (GB). He was fifth in John Boyce’s aforementioned rankings and stands for €12,000 this year. He stands alongside the four-time Group 1-winning miler Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) (€8,000), who turned out 20 winners and three black-type horses. He is a horse with a real shot, having been consistently good among the top-class milers for two campaigns. Also without a stakes winner but with five stakes horses was the National Stud’s Gregorian (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), who was himself a winner at two but really progressed with age. He was placed in the G1 St James’s Palace S. and G1 Prix Jean Prat at three and won three group races at four and five. He stands for £8,000 this year. THIRD-CROP SIRES OF 2019 Like the class that followed, this group has a clear leader that stands at Coolmore and that is Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), who made a huge leap in 2018 after wrapping up 2017 fourth on the first-season sires’ table. It could have been completely expected that the dual Derby winner’s progeny would progress with age, and he delivered by adding 12 new stakes winners last year, headed by Group 1 winners Latrobe (Ire), Athena (Ire) and Wonderment (Ire). He also had the Royal Ascot winners Hunting Horn (GB) and Arthur Kitt (GB) among that group. Camelot led his sire crop last year by every measure: 12 stakes winners (double that of next-best Intello), 19 stakes horses, six group winners (again, double Intello), 14 group horses, three Group 1 winners and four Group 1 horses. Camelot is up to a career-high €40,000 this year, but for a horse that is tracking along like a potential breed-shaper that, in fact, looks like tremendous value. As Camelot’s leap up the ranks indicates, this is the time when we can truly start to separate the men-who are going to provide horses with class that train on-from the boys: those whose lights burn out after a handful of early winners. Intello (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) may have taken a bit of a beating in the prior paragraph, but being second to Camelot is nothing to be ashamed of, and he himself came on a ton last year. The G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner has split his time between Cheveley Park Stud and Haras du Quesnay thus far, and he is at Cheveley Park this year for £20,000. After wrapping up his initial season in eighth among first-season sires with a single stakes winner, he posted six this year, including the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent (Fr) and the very promising G3 Chester Vase and G3 Legacy Cup winner Young Rascal (Fr). Intello comes from the same Galileo over Danehill cross that has produced excellent sires Frankel (GB) and Teofilo (Ire), and he has a very high-class Wertheimer page. Breeders may have been biting their nails at the end of 2017 when the 2-year-old champion Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) returned just 12 winners and zero stakes winners with his first crop of racing age, but those who showed patience were rewarded this year when the horse sired five stakes winners. One of those is the G2 Golden Fleece S. winner and 2019 Classic hopeful Madhmoon (Ire), but some of the others, like the G3 Prix de la Grotte winner and G1 Prix de Diane second Musis Amica (Ire), and the listed winner and G1 Irish Oaks third Mary Tudor (Ire), appear to be more in the mould of the Dawn Approach that won the Guineas and St James’s Palace S. at three. Dawn Approach jumped from 12th among first-crop sires to fourth among second-crop sires, and he is available for €15,000 at Darley’s Kildangan Stud. Darley has another promising member of this crop at Dalham Hall Stud in the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Champion S. winner Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Farhh was a seriously talented racehorse: he won his lone 2- and 3-year-old starts convincingly, and once he got a proper campaign underway at four he was Group 1-placed an agonizing five times behind Frankel, Nathaniel, So You Think and Moonlight Cloud. He got his redemption in those aforementioned Group 1s in his only two starts at five. Limited books have meant Farhh’s numbers aren’t as high as one would like, but there is no doubt he’s turning out classy horses: his three stakes winners include the G2 Prix Hocquart winner Nocturnal Fox (Ire) and the dual Grade 3 winner Wells Farhh Go (Ire)–who trainer Tim Easterby was touting last year as a “proper stayer”–and Dee Ex Bee (GB) was placed last year in three Group 1s, including a second in the Epsom Derby. Farhh is priced at £10,000 this year. The late Society Rock (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) was the leading first-crop sire of 2017 by both winners and earnings, and his Group 1-winning son Unfortunately (Ire) enters stud this year at Cheveley Park. Although he has slipped to third in his sire crop this year, he has continued to do well, adding a pair of listed winners as well as the G1 Cheveley Park S. and G2 Lowther S. second The Mackem Bullet (Ire). Society Rock’s final crop are two this year. Havana Gold (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) showed enough promise with his first 2-year-olds in 2017 to warrant a huge book jump from 81 to 182, and both of his first-crop stakes winners added new black-type wins this year, headed by the G1 Flying Five S. winner Havana Grey (GB), who enters stud this year. He added three new listed winners last year including Headway (GB), who was second in the 2017 G2 Coventry S. and was considered a Classic contender after winning the Listed Spring Cup in March. He has since been sold to Hong Kong. Havana Gold stands at Tweenhills Stud for £15,000. At the lower end of the fee scale, Overbury Stud’s Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk) continues to tick along well at £5,000. Fairly unheralded at the end of 2017 after siring eight winners in his initial season, Cityscape made a huge jump this spring when his Dan’s Dream (GB) won the G3 Fred Darling S. and Give And Take (GB) won the G3 Musidora S. He also had Irish listed winner The Broughie Man (GB). In France, Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa) and Pedro The Great (Henrythenavigator) have made good accounts of themselves. Bouquetot’s Style Vendome, who stands for €5,000 had zero stakes horses at the end of 2017, but the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner corrected that in a big way this year with the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Lily’s Candle (Fr). She wasn’t his only smart filly last year, though; he had the dual listed-placed Style Presa (Fr) and the G3 Prix Imprudence third Talbah (Fr). Pedro The Great (Henrythenavigator) turned heads last year with two first-crop stakes-winning fillies and one of those, Fatale Bere (Fr), went on to win last year’s GI Del Mar Oaks. He added two new stakes horses this year, the multiple French listed-placed Sens du Rythme (Fr) and the G2 Prix du Calvados second Lagrandecatherine (Fr). Pedro The Great stands at Haras de la Haie Neuve for €10,000. Also in France-with his fee halved to €15,000 after a big rise in 2018 at Haras de Grandcamp-is Dabirsim (Fr) (Hat Trick {Jpn}), who has slipped back in the rankings a bit after a very strong start with his first juveniles. Although he had just one stakes winner this year he had eight stakes horses, so perhaps there is more to come yet. Value Sires Podium Gold – Farhh (£10,000): a seriously good racehorse that has had some classy runners with limited opportunities. Silver – Ruler of the World (€8,000): 10.5% black-type horses/starters, and a Group 1 winner, in his small first crop. Bronze – Garswood (£3,500): a late bloomer himself who had two group winners in his first crop. View the full article

When the 115th United States Congress ended Jan. 3, the federal bill that would have established an authority to create and implement a national uniform medication program for the sport expired along with the legislative session. The Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017 never advanced past the Congressional subcommittee level. But at least that was a step further than the similar Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015 ever made it. In the end–like 21,806 other pieces of legislation that were introduced but never came up for a vote in the last two Congressional sessions–both racing bills met the same fate: legislative death. With Capitol Hill even more gridlocked and partisan than usual considering the ongoing partial governmental shutdown, you’d think that Thoroughbred reform legislation would be a low priority right now. However, staffers from the offices of the co-sponsors of the previous versions of the two racing bills–Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY)–confirmed to TDN last week that a retooled 2019 bill is in the works and likely to be introduced early this year. When queried as to what might be different in the 2019 version of the integrity act or what the legislators learned from previous go-rounds to improve the bill’s chances of passage, both Congressional camps were light on details other than to say they are currently working through the text, deciding who will be the primary sponsor of the bill, and figuring out the best time to launch it. “As the representative of the horse capital of the world, this legislation has been and will continue to be a priority for me,” Barr said in an emailed statement. “I continue to believe the future prosperity of Kentucky’s signature horse racing industry depends on national uniform medication standards and testing procedures. My colleague, Congressman Paul Tonko, and I plan to re-introduce this legislation early in the 116th Congress with the objective of holding another hearing and mark-up in the committee of jurisdiction. Last Congress, we secured over 100 cosponsors and I look forward to continue to build upon this bipartisan work to ensure the safety and integrity of this great American sport.” Action louder than words in Arizona? “Integrity” has been a big buzz word in the sport for the last decade or so. But how often do you see a regulator taking a strong stand in the name of safety the way the vice chairman of the Arizona Racing Commission did last Thursday when he abruptly stormed out of a meeting just as the vote came up for the three-year license renewal for Turf Paradise? According to a story first reported by AZCentral.com, commissioner Rory Goree toured the backstretch of the Phoenix track earlier this month after a fire burned through two tack rooms. At the Jan. 10 meeting, he said he was appalled at finding “glaring safety problems” that included missing, outdated, and non-functional fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. He added that Turf Paradise has a history of safety issues, and that there’s a lack of accountability in resolving them. “If we’re not as a collective group giving a s**t about security, how are we giving a s**t about racing?” Goree asked his fellow commissioners, punctuating his impassioned points with profanity. “We have people’s lives–and horses’ lives–at risk.” Despite Goree’s concerns, state racing division director Rudy Casillas later urged commissioners to grant the three-year license renewal for the track. Commissioner Tom Lawless moved for approval. According to AZCentral, Goree then stunned his colleagues by standing to announce, “At this time, I am leaving, and there will be no quorum” before marching out of the room. Jerry Simms, the majority owner of Turf Paradise, denied the commissioner’s assertion that the track has chronic problems with safety. “Safety is the most important thing to us,” he told AZCentral. According to the article, the Arizona commission is supposed to consist of five members, but has been operating with just three because of unfilled vacancies that were caused by resignations, one of which dates back over a year. AZCentral also reported that alleged fraternization among the track’s owner, commissioner Lawless, and commission chairman Jay McClintock has contributed to perceptions of insider dealings. The story said, “Critics contend Jerry Simms has undue influence with the Racing Commission through personal friendships with Lawless and McClintock, who regularly socialize with the Turf Paradise boss.” Reached outside after leaving the meeting, Goree told AZCentral that, “I just couldn’t let a vote go forward without [safety] assurances….There have been times I’ve been ready to quit. I just feel there are things going on behind the scenes–directions coming from somewhere.” Heating Up in Hot Springs With light rain, fog, and chilly temperatures that barely cracked 40F degrees in Hot Springs over the weekend, Oaklawn Park already looks like it made a winning move by pushing back its traditional opening date two weeks to Jan. 25. On the back end, the boutique meet at Oaklawn will extend through May 4 for the first time this season, running a full three weeks beyond the track’s traditional mid-April closing date. Over the past decade, Oaklawn has lost 14 January race dates to weather cancellations, and it was a no-brainer last spring when the track announced that its 2019 schedule switch would essentially trade January dates for far better weather forecasts in April and May, when Hot Springs is blooming in a riot of spring color. It will be interesting to see how the schedule switch affects the national balance of power, especially with respect to what the new overlap will mean for horse populations at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. The impact will probably be minimal in 2019. But keep in mind that Oaklawn announced this schedule switch more than six months before Arkansas voters in November approved both full casino gaming and sports betting at the Hot Springs track. As those additional forms of gaming come online (and presumably bolster purses even further), speculation will naturally turn to whether or not Oaklawn wants to continue slicing early winter race dates in favor of expanding its footprint deeper into the better weather of the spring. For years Oaklawn management has held firm in not adding a turf course, the cost of which couldn’t be justified under a January-to-April racing schedule. But Hot Springs “greens up” significantly by mid March, and what if the racing season started even later and got extended deeper into the spring? As it stands right now, Oaklawn is the highest-profile track in the country without a turf course. Might that change in the future? And what about 2-year-old racing? Would top outfits be incentivized to stick around a little later at Oaklawn for a longer spring meet if a few juvenile races popped up in the April/May condition book? (MSW races for older horses in 2019 will be carded for $77,000, escalating up to $87,000 on the track’s three premier race days). In the meantime, as the track readies for its 2019 opening, it seems as if every week the Oaklawn press office is announcing new faces that will be “following the money” to Hot Springs for the upcoming meet. Trainer Nick Zito will have a division at Oaklawn for the first time this winter/spring. And just last week, jockeys Joe Bravo and Stewart Elliott declared they’ll be based at Oaklawn. “You put up the money and everybody shows up, right?” Bravo said in advance of riding his first full meet in Arkansas. “Looks like you guys [Oaklawn] are putting it up pretty juicy this year.” Elliott rocketed to stardom at Oaklawn in 2004 by sweeping Oaklawn’s Triple Crown prep race series about eventual dual-Classic winner Smarty Jones. He last rode regularly at Oaklawn in 2007. “It’s always been a fun meet, a good meet,” Elliott said. “The people are so into it and everything. Like the first night I pulled in here, I went into the restaurant and the lady, I guess with my size, she figured I was a jockey. People are just so into the racing. It’s kind of like a different place, really.” View the full article

D J Stable and Cash is King's Jaywalk, the frontrunner to earn an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2018, returned to the work tab Jan. 11 to begin preparations for her sophomore campaign. View the full article

Long-time Thoroughbred owner/breeder Lady Rothschild died in a London hospital on Sunday, a spokeswoman for her family said. The owner of MG1SW Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was 83. Lady Rothschild, born Serena Mary Dunn on Apr. 28, 1935, “fought a recent illness most valiantly,” the spokeswoman added. Lady Rothschild, who was known to shy away from the public eye, was married to investment banker Lord Jacob Rothschild and ran Waddesdon Stud in Buckinghamshire. The granddaughter of Canadian financier Sir James Dunn, Lady Rothschild leaves four children and eight grandchildren. The aforementioned Nathaniel–named after her son–gave Lady Rothschild a landmark success on the racecourse in 2011, when he saluted in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot for trainer John Gosden. Having previously claimed the G2 King Edward VII S. at the Royal meeting, Nathaniel stepped up to beat 2010 Derby winner Workforce (GB) (King’s Best) before winning the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown the following season for Lady Rothschild and Newsells Park Stud, who had bought into the horse prior to his 4-year-old year. Prior to going to stud at Newsells Park, Nathaniel ran third to Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in his swansong, the 2012 G1 Champion S. He has already sired Classic victress Enable (GB), a two-time G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, who was also successful in the 2018 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf and 2018 G1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner God Given (GB). “This is very sad news and we offer our deepest condolences to Lady Rothschild’s family and friends,” Newsells Park Stud Racing Manager Gary Coffey told Racing Post. “We enjoyed some great days together on the racecourse with Nathaniel. Lady Rothschild was a passionate horsewoman and breeder who cared deeply about our industry. She will be greatly missed. The continued success of her homebreds will leave a lasting legacy.” Other successes in the blue and yellow colours included 2012 G1 Irish Oaks winner Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-sister to Nathaniel, as well as Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk)’s victory in the 2014 G1 Pretty Polly S. Lady Rothschild was also represented Stateside at the Breeders’ Cup when Pounced (Rahy) won the GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2009. Active at the bloodstock sales, Lady Rothschild paid a then record 4.6 million guineas for a broodmare when purchasing G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Magical Romance (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) carrying to Pivotal (GB) at Tattersalls in 2006. Later in her breeding career she later foaled Australian SW & GSP Tall Ship (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). G1 Investec Derby nominee Great Bear (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a son of Great Heavens, was the final winner for Lady Rothschild, winning a 1700-metre all-weather feature at Wolverhampton for trainer Roger Charlton on Nov. 16. View the full article

In this new series we ask agents and others who book a lot of mares for their clients which sires might be flying slightly under the radar in this breeding season. Who might be getting overlooked in the rush for the new, hot thing? Read on. Phil Hager MUNNINGS, Ashford Stud, $20,000 My business is pretty diversified between racing clients and commercial clients, and I love stallions that can accomplish a lot of goals without breaking the bank. In my opinion, Munnings is a horse that you can use in a lot of different situations, whether you are breeding to him or buying one at the sales. He gets a large amount of black-type winners to starters, and they generally have some precocity and speed. From a breeding perspective, I love trying to start mares off with a horse that can get them a runner early, and I believe that Munnings is that type of stallion. A good Munnings will also sell well at auction, as evidenced by his yearling auction results this past year. When purchasing horses to race, you are always trying to increase your odds of getting a good horse. Munnings has proven that not only does he get good horses at a high rate, but that he’s shown some versatility in getting dirt/turf, sprinters/routers, and fillies/colts. Not to be too biased, but I would like to give an honorable mention to Get Stormy ($6,500) who is a horse I have worked really closely with at Crestwood. He was the co-second third crop sire in 2018 by both cumulative graded stakes winners (4) and year-to-date graded stakes winners (3). He has done it all the hard way and trainers, owners, breeders and agents are beginning to notice. View the full article

“Proven Strategies” is a new regular series in the TDN, presented by Keeneland. It is written by Len Green of The Green Group and DJ Stables, who won the 2018 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). by Len Green, John Wollenberg & Agnieszka Kagan It is not uncommon for pinhookers or trainers to employ seasonal workers at sales or around the racetrack. Some of these employees may be considered as independent contractors. The perception that employers are attempting to circumvent paying payroll taxes by classifying workers as independent contractors has caused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to step up its efforts in analyzing this controversial topic more closely. This article provides an overview of the factors examined by the IRS and offers insight into how to better secure independent contractor status. The Advantages of Employing an Independent Contractor Traditionally, many employers have classified workers as self-employed or as independent contractors. There are various benefits to this classification: 1) By positioning themselves as “self-employed” or independent contractors, no payroll or income taxes need to be withheld from paychecks. 2) Independent contractors do not have to be covered under pension plans and employers save on insurance and workmen’s compensation costs. The IRS Perspective To help determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, the IRS has developed a 20-factor control test based on common law principles. The 20-factor test is an analytical tool only, there is no “magic number” of relevant points. The factors are merely points for consideration in evaluating the extent to which the employer can “direct and control” the worker. Below are some of the more relevant factors to consider when evaluating whether an individual is an employee or self-employed/independent contractor. Employee Factors Instructions: A worker who is required to comply with another’s set of instructions is ordinarily considered an employee. Training: Formal or informal training at an employer’s expense is indicative of an employer relationship. Integration: Integrating the worker’s services into the business operations generally shows that the worker is subject to control. Services rendered personally: If the services have to be personally rendered, the employer probably controls the means as well as the results. Hiring, supervising and paying assistants: Unless workers hire, supervise and pay their own assistants, if any, they are likely an employee. Continuing relationship: The longer the liaison, the more likely an employee. Full-time required: A full-time position is indicative of an employer-employee relationship, whereas independent workers choose their own hours. Oral or written reports: Regular accountability of progress is usually a sign of control. Payment of expenses: Reimbursement tends to support an employer-employee relationship. Self-Employed or Independent Contractor Factors Hours of work: Independent contractors control their own time. Order of sequence set: Only a nonemployee is free to determine his/her own approach, pattern, priority and schedule. Multiple assignments: Workers who perform more than one job at a time for multiple different businesses are likely an independent contractor. Exercise riders at tracks tend to fall into this category especially if they rotate among barns or farms. Payment by hour, week or month: Independent contractors are typically paid by the job, not in regular pattern. Tools and materials: Independent contractors provide their own tools and materials. Economic loss: A worker who is subject to the risk of economic loss due to a liability for expenses is an independent contractor. Right to discharge: An independent contractor generally cannot be fired if the contractual specifications are met. Right to terminate: Employees have the right to terminate their job without incurring liability. Safeguards to Withstand IRS Scrutiny Since an IRS audit can result in an assessment of penalties and interest, in addition to the employer/employee payroll taxes that will be due, it becomes incumbent to take measures to preserve the intended working relationship. Suggestions from The Green Group 1) Apply for an advanced ruling, Form SS-8, entitled “Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding.” The advantage to this filing is to get clarity as to whether a worker is an employee. The form focuses on behavioral control, financial control and relationship of the worker. 2) Enter into a written consulting agreement with language coordinated to the 20-factor control test. The contract should specify the nature of the work to be performed, discuss the terms and conditions and state the responsibilities of the independent contractor. 3) Utilize practices that are consistent with recognized practices in the horse industry, specifically with farm owners, pinhookers and trainers. State Interpretations Please check as to your state’s specific regulations. Since some states apply their own standards, often stricter than the IRS rules in terms of reclassifying independent contractors into employees. Some use a three-prong “ABC” test with the employer having the burden to prove that the relationship is that of an independent contractor, rather than as an employee. In other states, an independent contractor is someone you hire to work on a task unrelated to the field of business you are associated in and whose work you have no control over. While still other states use a “level of control” test. Department of Labor Audits (DOL) As if a trainer’s life isn’t difficult enough, the DOL has started extensive audits at racetracks to make sure workers are being properly paid for their hours. Since many trainers do not traditionally use “time clocks” to keep track of hours worked, this becomes an expensive issue. Our team has had success in this area. Summary You must analyze whether a potential employer-employee relationship exists with people who work for you. Penalties can be imposed for failure to withhold income and employment taxes, and qualified retirement plans could be jeopardized if employees who should be covered are not due to misclassification as independent contractors. Bottom Line You should have an accountant who is familiar with the Thoroughbred Industry review your practices. You might need to change your procedures to satisfy the complicated IRS rules. If the IRS challenges you and wins, you may be subject to interest and penalties. If you have any specific questions, please call us for a free one-hour consultation. The Green Group Phone: (732) 634-5100 View the full article

Severe winter weather conditions forced the Maryland Jockey Club to cancel its live eight-race program Jan. 13 at Laurel Park. View the full article

The Manitoba-bred Going Commando mare blew by her rivals in the final turn of the $100,000 La Canada Stakes (G3) and cruised to a dominating, 5 1/2-length victory at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

The Manitoba-bred Escape Clause blew by her rivals in the final turn of the $100,000 La Canada Stakes (G3) and cruised to a dominating, 5 1/2-length victory at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Southern California invaders Michael McCarthy, Ruben Fuentes, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners swept the pair of stakes at Turf Paradise Jan. 12, highlighted by a dominant effort from Ohio in the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap. View the full article

Stunning Cat shows he can pounce View the full article

Baffert back in winner's circle one year later View the full article

Gingerella makes winning debut at Kranji View the full article

Boy Next Door finally puts it together View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings January 13 View the full article

Horses' body weights January 13 View the full article