Wandering Eyes

The California Thoroughbred Business League (CTBL), responsible for overseeing funds utilized for providing workers’ compensation insurance relief to horsemen, has seen steadily increasing workers’ compensation rates in the state of California. The cost of the 2019 program is expected to increase by 3% over 2018, or by more than $13.7 million for Thoroughbreds. Per-start fees will be increased from $100 to $106 to cover the owners’ portion of funding. As before, the per-start fee will be automatically deducted from the owner’s paymaster account every time that owner starts a horse, effective Jan. 1. The Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) board voted unanimously to increase Guaranteed Participation Purses by $6 per start to offset the costs. In addition, starting Jan. 1, owners of horses who finish fifth or beyond–whenever their share of purse money is less than the Guaranteed Participation Purse–will be paid $300 per start at Golden Gate Fields and $351 per start at Southern California tracks to include increased costs for third party Lasix administration and jockey fees. View the full article

As part of continued restructuring at Santa Anita Park, two long-time employees, Andy LaRocco and Jason Spetnagel, have been promoted to the positions of Track Superintendent and Vice President of Operations, respectively. LaRocco, who has been part of Santa Anita’s track maintenance crew for 37 years, replaces Dennis Moore, who is resigning effective Dec. 31. LaRocco has been Moore’s chief assistant for the past five years. “It’s really an honor to be following Dennis in this position,” said LaRocco. “I believe Santa Anita is the top track in the country and I know I speak for my entire crew when I say we’re ready and that we will continue to have the same track maintenance program that we’ve had the past five years. We intend to provide the jockeys, horsemen, and the betting public with the safest and most consistent surface we possibly can every day.” Spetnagel first worked as part of Santa Anita’s turf course crew in 1994 and eventually held several positions at Golden Gate Fields. He returned to Santa Anita in 2007 as Director of Facilities and Grounds. “I am grateful for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to being part of Santa Anita’s continuing success,” said Spetnagel. “Santa Anita is obviously a very special place and we intend to keep it that way. I think our employees take a special pride in working here and I’m blessed to have such a talented team. We’re all excited for the future.” View the full article

Santa Anita Park has announced that a pair of longtime employees, Andy LaRocco and Jason Spetnagel, have been promoted to respective positions as track superintendent and vice president of operations. View the full article

French-born jockey Christophe-Patrice Lemaire rode four winners on Friday’s year-ending program at Nakayama Racecourse to finish on 215 victories, breaking the previous record of 212 winners in a season set in 2005 by the legendary Yutaka Take. Lemaire, who will turn 40 next May, had eight mounts on the card, each of which was well-backed, and he equaled Take’s mark with a victory aboard favoured Schwarzwald (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) in the day’s fourth race, a 2-year-old maiden over 1800m. After just missing in the next on the program, Lemaire partnered with the white 2-year-old colt Maillot Blanc (Jpn) (Johannesburg) to post a 1 3/4-length success in a 1200-metre newcomers’ test on the dirt to secure the record. For good measure, he added wins aboard even-money Red Anela (Jpn) (Casino Drive) in race eight and astride 32-5 shot Andes Queen (Jpn) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) in the 10th. He guided Admire Justa (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) to a runner-up effort in the G1 Hopeful S. Lemaire rode at a 27.8% clip in 2018 and easily outdistanced Mirco Demuro to win the premiership. His mounts finished in the top three 58% of the time and also allowed Lemaire to post a single-season earnings mark of ¥4.66 billion (£33.3m/€36.9m/A$59.9m/US$42.2m). Lemaire’s marquee mount was the 3-year-old filly Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who provided the rider with a second G1 Japan Cup success in addition to a sweep of the Japanese Filly Triple Crown. He also piloted 2017 G1 Japanese Derby hero Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) to win the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn). WATCH: Maillot Blanc gives Christophe Lemaire his record-breaking 213th win of 2018 View the full article

On late Wednesday night, I learned reading the TDN that Dan Kenny passed away. In November 2002, both Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton committed to a 3-year promotional strategy, coordinated through KTOB, that sought to broaden our buying bench with overseas buyers from Mexico, South Korea and Western Canada. There was universal support for involving Dan to be involved in activities in Alberta, and I first got to know him on a July 2003 trip to Alberta. His most memorable lines from a seminar at Northlands was a story he attributed to Woody Stephens about the importance of checking a yearling’s tail before purchasing. We had an abundance of Canadian horsemen and women from Alberta and BC by the fall sales (some lifting tails in September), which led to Dan accompanying Tom Thornbury and me to Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil in March 2004. In the Andean highlands well south of Santiago, Dan told us the story about his trip to Russia to attempt repatriating Leo Castelli; apparently Gracioso’s paddock and surroundings at Haras Paso Nevado was like what he’d seen at Vozkhod Stud. It occurred to me on Wednesday evening that having Dan along on those first attempts of a fledgling initiative were vital to its eventual success, and that his qualities as a horseman, along with being sincerely affable and confident, are the same regional traits that attracted strong business investment from those areas, not only bloodstock, but now some of our most important farms. Canada is a vast country and not uncomplicated business culture, and Dan earned respect of horsemen, oilmen, miners, biotech and brewing moguls from coast to coast. I shall miss him. Chauncey Morris Kentucky Thoroughbred Association Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders, Inc. View the full article

If Christophe Lemaire was the human star of the final day of racing on the JRA circuit, Carrot Farm’s Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) was his equine counterpart, as the impeccably bred colt ran his record to a perfect three-from-three and quite probably locked up the juvenile championship with a soft victory in the G1 Hopeful S. First to break the line beneath second-leading rider Mirco Demuro, the odds-on pop led by the stands for the first time, but was overtaken by 40-1 Cosmo Calendula (Jpn) (Novellist {Ire}) at the first corner and was only too happy to take the sit from just off the leader into the back straight. Into the box seat when the Lemaire-ridden second favorite Admire Justa (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) rolled up approaching the entrance to the far turn, Saturnalia still traveled comfortably on the back of the pacesetter, but there were some nervous moments entering the final 350m when short of racing room. But Demuro never panicked aboard the favourite and the duo finally bulled their way between Admire Juste and Breaking Dawn (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}) at the furlong grounds before going on to a relatively easy success. Nishino Daisy (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) closed well for third. “I knew I was riding the strongest 2-year-old of the season, but it was his first time over 2000 metres, so I was a little worried,” Demuro admitted. “He really showed his strength though, squeezing his way through the narrow opening. I am really looking forward to his 3-year-old season.” Pedigree Notes: Saturnalia is one of a remarkable 140 winners from the first two crops of his impressive young sire and joins Mile Championship hero Stelvio (Jpn) and Japan Cup victrix Almond Eye (Jpn) as top-level winners in just the last month. He becomes the sixth GSW for Lord Kanaloa. Saturnalia’s champion dam was a star in her own right, winning five of six in the Carrot Farm green and white, including the 2005 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) before annexing that year’s GI American Oaks at Hollywood Park by a resounding four lengths in stakes-record time (video). Cesario has been equally important at stud, her seven winners from eight to race include G1 Japan Cup and G1 Kikuka Sho hero Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S.), champion 2-year-old colt Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and the latter’s full-brother Globe Theatre (Jpn), third to future G1 Japanese Derby hero Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in this event in 2016 when still contested as a Group 2 race. Epiphaneia’s full-sister Rosalind (Jpn) is the dam of Arden Forest (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), a maiden winner at second asking at Hanshin Dec. 2. Cesario is the dam of a yearling filly by King Kamehameha (Jpn) and a weanling colt from the first crop of Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Friday, Nakayama, Japan HOPEFUL S.-G1, ¥135,380,000, Nakayama, 12-28, 2yo, 2000mT, 2:01.60, fm. 1–SATURNALIA (JPN), 121, c, 2, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Cesario (Jpn) (Ch. 3yo Filly & MSW-Jpn, GISW-US, $2,578,568), by Special Week (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Kirov Premiere (GB), by Sadler’s Wells 3rd Dam: Querida (Ire), by Habitat *1ST GROUP 1 WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; T-Kazuya Nakatake; J-Mirco Demuro; ¥70,966,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥94,141,000. *1/2 to Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S.), MG1SW-Jpn, $6,693,376; Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), Ch. 2yo Colt & G1SW-Jpn, $1,112,892; and Globe Theatre (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $858,734. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Admire Justa (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Just a Way (Jpn)–Admire Teresa (Jpn), by Helissio (Fr). (¥140,000,000 Wlg ’16 JRHAJUL). O-Riichi Kondo; B-Northern Farm; ¥28,276,000. 3–Nishino Daisy (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Harbinger (GB)–Nishino Hinagiku (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn). O-Shigeyuki Nishiyama; B-Tanikawa Farm; ¥18,138,000. Margins : 1HF, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.80, 5.20, 5.60. Also Ran: Cosmo Calendula (Jpn), Breaking Dawn (Jpn), Vin de Garde (Jpn), Hiruno Dakar (Jpn), King Listeia (Jpn), Mikki Black (Jpn), Madre Voice (Jpn), Just a Gigolo (Jpn), Hakusan Taiyo (Jpn), Tanino Drama (Jpn). WATCH: Saturnalia far too classy in the Hopeful S. View the full article

Dale Romans is among the sport’s top trainers. His wins include the G1 Dubai World Cup, the GI Preakness, the GI Travers, three Breeders’ Cup races, and in 2012 an Eclipse Award as the sport’s top trainer. But there’s a lot more to the person than what you see on the racetrack. In this edition of “The Last Word,” we touch all the bases with Dale Romans. TDN: You once said your most prized possession is a watch that came from Bill Clinton. What’s the story behind that? DR: When we won the (GI) Travers, we got a Longines watch. I decided to give it to my assistant. One of the owners of Keen Ice was a very close friend of Clinton’s and he was really impressed by that gesture I made giving the watch to my assistant. Clinton had had 10 Shinola watches made up and my owner and his friend had one of them. They have the presidential seal on the back and the Bill Clinton presidential seal on the front. He took it off his wrist and gave it to me and said he’d have no problem getting another one for himself from the president. TDN: You’re a big guy. You have the perfect body to be, say, an offensive lineman. Did you play any sports in high school and were you any good? DR: I played high school football and I had an opportunity to play at Morehead State, but my grades weren’t very good. So I didn’t make that, so I went into training horses instead. My struggles in high school have been well documented. TDN: You struggled academically because you have dyslexia. To this day, how does that affect your life? DR: I have never sent an email and I’ve only read one book in my life. But I’ve found a perfect career for someone like myself. Dyslexia is a very broad term. There are a lot of different versions. My mother, she worked around the clock with me to make sure I got all the best treatments, all the best help. To me, the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen a person do is sit down in front of a computer or a typewriter and write a letter. For me, that would never be possible. TDN: School must have been a nightmare for you? DR: School was a nightmare, but I had a lot of good support. We didn’t have much money, but my mother was never going to let me slip through the cracks. She did everything she could to make sure I survived. She made a deal with me when I got to high school. She said, “I’ll never talk about your grades. Just get straight A’s in context and do whatever you have to do to graduate high school.” And I did. TDN: If I gave you a shot of truth serum, would you still tell us you really thought you were going to beat American Pharoah in the Travers with Keen Ice? DR: I thought we had a very good chance to beat American Pharoah and not because we were a better horse than him. He was obviously a great, great horse. But we had a great horse and we had a great horse that was going in the right direction and we just thought Pharoah had to be getting a little bit tired. If we were ever going to beat him, it was going to be that day. TDN: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment in the sport to be? DR: My biggest accomplishment has been being able to do it with my family and the crew of people working with me. It’s not an individual race because we’ve had so many great moments in individual races. One of the great things about the game is it’s a family game. My family is always together and my team is also my family. My assistant and I have been together for 30 years and his wife has been with us the same amount of time. I have grooms that have been with us for 20 years. I’m proud of the fact we are all one big family and one team. TDN: You are a second-generation trainer, following in the footsteps of your father, Jerry. Will there be a third generation from the Romans family to go into training? DR: Probably not. I have two children, Bailey, 25, and Jacob, 22. He’s now an agent. Jacob is in the industry and doing very well and I’m very proud of him. Bailey, as soon as she got out of college, went to work on the political scene. She worked for Hillary Clinton for two years, then she ran a campaign for someone trying to win a house seat in New Jersey. Now she lives in Chicago raising money for Democratic candidates. TDN: Few trainers interact with the fans as much as you do. You have a podcast where fans can send in questions and you answer them and you never turn down an interview. Why are those things important to you? DR: There are two people who put money into this game and that’s the owner and the bettor. The forum the fans have to get inside the industry is through the media or with social media. To me, it’s just logical. This is such a great game from all aspects. It’s not just about betting $2. The more we can expose them to the greatness of the game, the more we can develop fans and the bigger and stronger the game is. Click here to read the rest of this story in the December TDN Weekend. View the full article

Fred Lipkin, director of marketing at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, plans to retire at the end of the year after a 44-year run at the Grantville, Pa., track. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Owners of California informed members Dec. 28 it has voted to increase guaranteed participation purses by $6 a start to offset a matching increase in per-start workers' compensation fees in 2019. View the full article

What a time to be alive! I’ve seen it said on Twitter and elsewhere that the Triple Crown races are nothing more than a series of “restricted” races for 3-year-olds, and, therefore, not as important as the “unrestricted” Grade I races for older horses. To diminish the accomplishments of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) in this way is either ignorance or a line of historical revisionism used by some to make a case for Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) as Horse of the Year. Racing is a microcosm of society, and just as some longstanding institutions of the social order are under threat these days, perhaps it’s not that surprising to see the Triple Crown, one of racing’s greatest institutions, spoken of so cavalierly. We are living through a period where the significance of the past is being conveniently ignored for the construction of newer narratives within a historical void. But this conceit won’t hold water in the long run because it is on precedence that historical significance is measured. And historical significance should be at the heart of the debate of Accelerate versus Justify for Horse of the Year. In the modern era of the last 50 years or so, there have been five Triple Crown winners in the U.S.: Secretariat (’73), Seattle Slew (’77), Affirmed (’78), American Pharoah (’15), and Justify (’18). Each of these colts had to win the 10-furlong GI Kentucky Derby, the 9.5-furlong GI Preakness, and the 12-furlong GI Belmont S. within a period of five weeks, which is a debilitating task and an exceptional achievement, and it’s why there have been so few to accomplish the feat. In fact, as the 37 years between Affirmed and American Pharoah dragged along, there was talk from many quarters about changing the format of the Classics, either by reducing race distances or extending time between them, as a method for manufacturing the possibility of another Triple Crown winner. That’s how hopeless things seemed, and breeders specifically were blamed during this span for producing softer and speedier horses lacking toughness and the requisite stamina. But in the end, the institution stood as it had, despite repeated efforts for change, and American Pharoah and Justify arrived as examples of excellence that linked them by achievement to America’s past Golden Age. Some have forgotten this. Others, including Andy Beyer, who recently said that Accelerate should be Horse of the Year over Justify, have changed their minds. But what Beyer compellingly wrote in the Washington Post in ’93 is still the case today: “The Triple Crown is exceptionally demanding and difficult–but that’s what it’s supposed to be. There are no tests in horse racing, and few in any sport, that are so reliable as a measurement of excellence. One might think that in a weak year a moderately talented animal might be able to get lucky and dominate his rivals over a five-week period. But this never happens. The four horses who have swept the series in the last 45 years–Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed–ran among the very best of all time.” The Classics are for 3-year-olds–as they are in Europe, from where they were modeled–and the best of each crop is aimed for them. They are the races that make reputations, garner the most prestige for owners and breeders, and have the greatest fan interest, particularly when a Triple Crown is on the line. And as Beyer wrote, to sweep all three has never been easy. There have been only 13 Triple Crown winners dating back almost 100 years. And every Triple Crown winner since the ’70s, except for Justify–who was retired after the Belmont because of an injury–has also gone on to defeat older horses. More tellingly, however, each was voted Horse of the Year at three, because those voters at the time knew the enormity of their accomplishments. Some Case Histories Justify was undefeated and the winner of four Grade l races in six starts. He didn’t race at two. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby without a start at two was Apollo in 1882, which is quite something when you think about it. Justify’s rise to Triple Crown winner, then, was as historic as it was meteoric and improbable, but the fairytale ended when a bothersome ankle forced his premature retirement. Out of action for the second half of the year, Justify’s brief campaign became fodder for the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately crowd, especially on Twitter. With a big syndication price around his neck and the notion that his record was being protected; a trainer, Bob Baffert, who’s not popular on social media; an ownership group of multiple partnerships, including the ubiquitous Sol Kumin, that was ridiculed on social media; and the stigma of not having beaten older horses, Justify’s popularity started to wane as the year wore on and Accelerate’s wins accumulated. Accelerate had an excellent year and won six of seven starts, including five Grade l races and the important year-end target of the last quarter-century, the Gl Breeders’ Cup Classic. He became a natural “populist” opponent to Justify for Horse of the Year, a disruptor to the establishment. I won’t address the “social furor” surrounding Justify and his connections, but I can address the issue of the colt not defeating older horses with this: Neither did Seattle Slew or Affirmed as 3-year-olds. Seattle Slew lost to J.O. Tobin, the English champion 2-year-old of ’76, in his only start after the Triple Crown and never faced older horses at three, while Affirmed, who did, lost to Seattle Slew and Exceller the only two times he faced his seniors. That didn’t stop either from being named Horse of the Year during their Triple Crown seasons, because of the weight of those three elusive wins. I don’t necessarily believe that winning the Triple Crown should guarantee automatic Horse of the Year selection–and for the record, I don’t vote–but as I said on Twitter recently, a Triple Crown winner’s “competition must be of such lofty status as to deny him the honor. In ’77, Forego wasn’t enough to deny Slew, and in ’78 Slew wasn’t enough to deny Affirmed.” In fact, the vote for Horse of the Year in ’77 was close. Forego, an all-time great and the reigning three-time Horse of the Year, had won four of seven starts and was weighted at 136 pounds for the Grade I Marlboro Cup after winning the Grade I Woodward under 133 pounds to end a three-race losing streak. Unfortunately, the popular weight carrier’s famously fragile ankles didn’t hold up and he was forced to miss the Marlboro Cup and was put away for the year. Had he won that race, he’d have been the first to pass the $2 million earnings mark and would likely and deservedly been voted his fourth consecutive Horse of the Year title over a Triple Crown winner. The next year, Exceller defeated both Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup to finish the season with a sparkling record of seven wins from 10 starts, including six Grade I races on turf and dirt, but he won no awards, with Affirmed voted Horse of the Year and Seattle Slew best older horse. That was a tough break for a thoroughly top-class horse. In this context, Accelerate doesn’t stack up next to such greats as Forego or Seattle Slew and maybe not even Exceller, and if those three couldn’t turn the tables on Triple Crown winners, it beggars belief that Accelerate could topple Justify. But we’re living through some strange times where norms have been discarded, and the ultimate decision on which horse is voted Horse of the Year will probably say more about us than him. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

Lightly raced 5-year-old Tom's d'Etat continues to impress trainer Al Stall Jr., and after a 3 1/2-length triumph in the Tenacious Stakes Dec. 22, the conditioner is considering the son of Smart Strike for the Pegasus World Cup (G1). View the full article

Members of the TDN staff reveal what TDN Rising Star they’re most excited to see race in 2019. When a trainer as patient as Hall of Famer Bill Mott unleashes a win-early, blowout maiden winner on the dirt–standouts like Royal Delta, Close Hatches, Elate, To Honor and Serve and Speightster all come to mind–there’s a very good chance that you may have just witnessed something special. The lightly raced Mucho (Blame) obviously has a long way to go to join that illustrious honor roll, but he certainly hinted that he could be any kind after airing by 9 3/4 lengths at the Spa and earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure at second asking this past summer. The Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred’s subsequent runner-up finish a month later with a wide trip as the even-money favorite in the prestigious GI Hopeful S. may look even better in hindsight now as well after Walker Hancock revealed in TDN APBs last week that the bay exited that performance with an ankle issue. After getting plenty of time to recuperate-no surgery was required–Mucho is back in training at Mott’s Payson Park base and could launch his highly anticipated sophomore campaign in an allowance race in late February. –Steve Sherack, Senior Editor View the full article

An intriguing cast of locally based runners and East Coast invaders will square off in Saturday’s GI American Oaks at Santa Anita. Alice Bamford homebred Californiagoldrush (Cape Blanco {Ire}) took the first two starts of her career locally before checking in third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 18. She made the reverse journey to Belmont to annex the GII Sands Point S. over yielding sod Sept. 15 and will be looking to provide Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale with a first American Oaks trophy. Paved (Quality Road) also merits consideration among California contingent mostly due to the strength of her second-place finish over this course and 10-furlong distance when facing her elders in the GI Rodeo Drive S. Sept. 29. The winner was Vasilika (Skipshot), who was taking her seventh of eight straight that day. Paved also boasts a convincing victory in the GII Honeymoon S. here in June, but is looking to bounce back from a 12th-place run in the much-tougher GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf Nov. 3. Amandine (GB) (Shamardal) is now two-for-two in the States after an impressive score in the Lady of Shamrock S. here Wednesday. Trainer Jeff Mullins told TDN‘s Bill Finley Friday that a decision about wheeling back on short rest likely wouldn’t be made until raceday. Colonia (Fr) (Champs Elysees {GB}) was extremely impressive going last to first in her Stateside debut in Arlington’s Hatoof S. in July, but she settled for fifth and third, respectively, behind Californiagoldrush in the Del Mark Oaks and Sands Point. She returned to winning ways in Keeneland’s Oct. 19 GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. after weaving her way through horses and then avoiding a foe who crashed into the rail. Ken McPeek shipped in Daddy’s Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) to score here 12 months ago, and he’ll look to double up the Nov. 23 GII Mrs Revere S. upsetter Princess Warrior (Midshipman). Chad Brown will look to check another Grade I off his ever-shrinking career checklist with Competitionofideas (Speightstown). A $325,000 KEESEP yearling, the relatively under-the-radar runner paired up maiden and first-level allowance wins at Belmont before finishing a late-on-the-scene third in the rained-off Winter Memories S. going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Nov. 22. Brown teamed up with pilot Joel Rosario earlier this month at Del Mar to annex both the GI Hollywood Derby and GI Matriarch S., and he sent out fellow Klaravich Stables colorbearer Identity Politics (Into Mischief) to a runner-up finish in the GI Malibu S. here on opening day Wednesday. View the full article

Most of the stakes action on the final Saturday of 2018 takes place at Stronach Group tracks and Santa Anita Park has top billing with the $300,000 American Oaks (G1T) and the $150,000 Robert J. Frankel (G3T) View the full article

Lightly raced 5-year-old Tom's d'Etat continues to impress trainer Al Stall Jr. and after a 3 1/2-length triumph in the Tenacious Stakes Dec. 22, the conditioner is considering the son of Smart Strike for the Pegasus World Cup (G1). View the full article

Fred Lipkin, director of marketing at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, plans to retire at the end of the year after a 44-year run at the Grantville, Pa. track. View the full article

TDN: What was your favourite racing moment of the year? HW: Probably Roaring Lion beating Saxon Warrior in the QIPCO Irish Champion S. TDN: Name a horse that stood out for you in 2018 HW: Roaring Lion. TDN: And an outstanding achievement by a breeder, owner or trainer? HW: Amy Murphy’s handling of Kalashnikov. Brilliantly produced all last season, ran an almighty race at the Festival losing nothing in defeat and she looks to have him bang on track this season as well. TDN: What is your big hope for 2019? HW: Hot Streak’s first 2-year-olds on the track–a really exciting bunch that look precocious. TDN: What is your New Year’s resolution? HW: To take a few more days off! View the full article

Jacket stretched across his square, rugby flanker’s shoulders, he stands ramrod at the rostrum and extends those long hands, one clasping the head of the gavel as though a mere pipe, in a gesture that somehow combines scorn and supplication. “In fairness,” Alastair Pim says. “We’re not selling chickens.” A bid duly coaxed, he spins round to the rival protagonist. “Last of the big spenders,” he mutters. Then up goes the singsong exclamation: “Goodness gracious me lads, a ridiculous price…” In the moments of the highest theatre–when seven-figure bids strain across ever more agonised intervals, and the Tattersalls ring is both at its most crowded and most silent–Pim waves the gavel as Toscanini did his baton. But that flair, that sense of timing, that blend of authority and mischief: if anything, all these Pim flourishes are still more valuable at the other end of the market. And if that is true even for the bored bystander, then how much more so for the small breeder or pinhooker to whom every extra guinea is precious. “To be honest I get a bigger kick out of getting three grand for a horse that’s worth 300 [gns] than out of getting three million for a horse,” Pim admits. “The other one’s going to make three million anyway. Anybody can sell a good horse. And the guy who gets the three grand will be the more grateful. I remember when Ollie Fowlston first came over to sell in Fairyhouse, he couldn’t believe the farmers coming up after getting their two or three grand and saying: ‘Thanks very much, you did a great job.’ He was flabbergasted. But I think that’s where the work comes in–and the buzz, too, for me.” But then Pim knows just where those people are coming from. Now that another selling year at Tattersalls has drawn to a close, Pim has returned to Anngrove Stud–which he runs with wife Gillian–to resume his own daily battle with the challenges, exasperations and joys of the bloodstock business. The family farm at Mountmellick in Co Laois is home to four stallions, largely oriented to National Hunt but with plenty of dual-purpose eligibility, extending a history that extends from winners of the Queen Mary to the Cheltenham Festival Bumper. Nor is it just the traffic of mares through the farm, year in and year out, that makes Pim even better known and trusted among Irish horsemen than in his sporadic public turns as a Tattersalls auctioneer. Because here is a living, breathing validation of the horsebreeding community’s faith in heredity. Pim’s late father David was, of course, for many years an equally cherished performer at the Tattersalls rostrum. And, from the time Pim first appeared there himself, the voice and mannerisms were uncannily familiar. “He never coached me at all,” Pim says with a shrug, pouring a pot of tea in the charming old kitchen at Anngrove. “I stood up in Fairyhouse one afternoon with Edmond Mahony for an hour and that was it. It’s just in the genes, I suppose. I didn’t set out to be like him but people come round here and say: ‘Jeez you’re the image of your father, and you speak just like him too.’ “Dad did a lot of musicals in Portlaoise, so he was a man for the stage. He had a very good singing voice. He used to sit in the bath with the old cassette tape recorder, and a little microphone, practising his auctioneering.” Whereas his father had been a relatively late starter at the rostrum, young Pim was soon immersed in the environment at the old Ballsbridge sales–moving lots after selling, or twisting his tongue round the arcane conditions listed on vets’ certificates. Eventually he was given a chance selling the “end-of-days” at Fairyhouse: unsold horses brought back in, without reserve, meaning that there was no need to get vendors “on the right step.” After soaking in the Park Paddocks environment as a spotter for a couple of years, he made his debut there at the Horses-in-Training sale where, similarly, reserves were infrequent. If Pim is now himself, at a youthful 52, a timeless presence in one of the crucibles of the game, he is hardly going to get carried away any time soon. “Glorified bingo callers, a friend of Ollie called us,” he says. “But I must say I get a good kick out of it now. When you walk up the back of the rostrum there in Book 1, or December, and see every seat’s taken and the stairs too, you do get a few butterflies. You know what they’re there for. Or usually you do. Occasionally I’ve walked in and didn’t even know I had a good horse coming up, and thought: ‘What the hell are all these people doing here?’ But once you get going, you’re grand. You’re selling a horse for a few quid more, and that’s it.” And that’s because an auctioneer makes no pretence of sharing the wider neutrality of the sales company, which must serve as an impartial broker between purchaser and vendor. Once you are actually up there and inviting bids, your allegiance is unequivocal. “You have to be fair to everybody but my one and only job is to look after the vendor,” Pim emphasises. That said, some bidders can make themselves more equal than others. “I’d always look after the guy who’s looked after me,” he says. “The guy who’s been in from the start, who puts them on [the market] when you need someone to put them on. If he needs to make up his mind, or has someone on the phone, you’d be giving him a bit more time than a guy who has jumped in with one bid.” Pim’s other great genetic legacy was on the rugby field. He only made the bench for Leinster himself, but his father played for the province (albeit disgusted to be dropped the week before they played the All Blacks), as did his brother Chris–for two years as captain–while son Josh has played at senior level for Connacht. Josh is also a dual European eventing gold medallist, while daughters Hannah and Sophie competed nationally. But while Pim views himself as “born and reared to the game”, the fact is that his family had never made horses their business before his father trained a few point-to-pointers, and then brought Lucifer over from the U.S. in 1970. Before that Anngrove had a very long history as a centre of Quaker entrepreneurship, ranging from candles and textiles to brewing and malting. But the farm has since included Monksfield, Welsh Term and Alderbrook on a roster that now comprises Vendangeur (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Tobougg (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), Aiken (GB) (Selkirk) and Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (the latter hosted for the Irish National Stud). “Look, it’s a small, family-run operation,” Pim says. “It’s not easy, and probably getting more difficult, to compete with the big lads. These days in National Hunt we nearly need to stand a Group 1 horse. If I stood one that won a Group 3 over a mile and a quarter, you might get a couple of half-bred mares, but that’d be it. “I was having dinner with an English breeder recently and he was saying that his father would turn in his grave, to see the kind of horses people are breeding to now. All they want is speed, and early 2-year-olds. “There’s absolutely no reason why Famous Name, for instance, shouldn’t produce good Flat horses for an end-user. Commercially, it’s like flicking off a light switch once a Flat horse starts covering National Hunt mares; and, again, once a National Hunt horse starts covering half-breds. People have such tunnel vision.” Famous Name could certainly cope with bigger books, being the most efficient and fertile mating machine the family has ever had. “All he wants is 300 mares,” Pim grins. “That’s all! That wouldn’t be a bother to him. I think he covered 70 last year. He’s a tough, hardy little horse now. Remember he ran as a 2-year-old and finished at seven. He won 21 races. They used to call him ‘the cash machine’ at Dermot [Weld]’s because every time you took him out you brought back money. I’d say you just couldn’t get to the bottom of him. He was sound, his legs are absolutely unbelievable.” The horse’s first big advertisement was the listed success of juvenile hurdler Famous Milly (Ire), but she promptly disappeared after injury on her next start. Similarly Vendangeur had a Grade 1 jumps winner in his first crop, who dropped dead three weeks later. “He’s by Galileo out of an Alysheba mare, the Wildensteins bred him,” Pim says. “As a stamp of a National Hunt horse, he’s just what you want: size, substance, wonderful step to him, and we’re delighted with his foals. “But Cheltenham makes all the difference. It’s a bit like the Oscars. Just to have a runner is like getting a nomination, and a winner is like getting best actor. It can make the difference of 100-plus mares.” Persevere long enough, mind you, and your time will come. Rudimentary covered 310 in his first season here; and Robin Du Pres, 280. And, in a game of such patient cycles, you never know what a horse might yet achieve–as Pim well knows, having in his youth broken in a grey Henbit yearling who, as Kribensis (GB), eventually won fame as a champion hurdler. “Take Monksfield, he didn’t get a lot on the track but ended up being a very good broodmare sire,” Pim notes. “He was the most incredible horse. We had him up at the main yard, in the middle of the mares. You could tease mares outside his box and he’d never bat an eyelid. But when you threw the shank at the door he knew it was him.” Character has never been in short supply at Anngrove. The first thing you notice when you pull up is a sign that cautions: “Stay in the car and beep the horn.” But there is neither bark nor bite to one of the most engaging personalities on the Irish Turf, one whose whole nature follows the deep grain of honesty and empathy into which he was born. “My father always used to say that the less money was involved, the nicer the people,” he reflects. “But if you go from selling million-guinea yearlings in Newmarket to €100 ponies up in Cavan, you keep your feet on the ground. “You’re dealing with a very different man there. But it’s amazing how the blood still gets up. We’ve all been there. With some people, the agents on the phone, they shake their head and you know that’s the end of it. But the ordinary Joe Soap who’s coming up to buy a mare, the excitement takes over: ‘I’ll have another one, I might just get her.’ “But I always say the auctioneer makes very little difference. You might get an extra couple of bids but look, the one thing you’ll do is work hard for the vendor–whether they’re getting 300 or three million.” View the full article

Saturday Flemens Story Track: Kelso – 11:45 Jockey: Brian Hughes The ground may be just soft enough for him but two miles six furlongs should suit but he ran ok in a hands and hells event last time where he could have probably just done with a slight reminder. This race should be more to his liking […] The post Donald McCain – Weekend Runners appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Silver Vase Chase Rene’s Girl looked to have a Grade 1 at her mercy last season only for the ill-fated Finnian’s Oscar to chin her in the final strides at Aintree. Dan Skelton’s mare ran well on seasonal debut at Carlisle behind Mister Whitaker where she lost all chance at the last. She was slightly […] The post Weekend Preview – Henderson’s Charge Champing At The Bit In Challow Hurdle appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Neville Hotels Novice Chase Delta Work had a very fruitful campaign last season which ended on two high notes by landing the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and then running a fine race to finish runner-up in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Punchestown. He’s looked a natural over the larger obstacles this season and was […] The post Leopardstown Preview – 29th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Red-hot jockey Silvestre de Sousa is in the midst of his best stint in Hong Kong but the Brazilian says he would be happy with just one more winner in his time here. De Sousa has never ridden more than 16 winners in his previous stints in Hong Kong and currently sits on 15 after enjoying a dominant last month, which included winning the International Jockeys’ Championship and the Longines Hong Kong Cup on Glorious Forever. With his contract set to finish at the end of February so he can... View the full article

RACING POST NAP 15:00 Leopardstown The showpiece race of the day and a real market to be laid down for the Cheltenham Gold Cup by landing this valuable prize. Noel Meade’s Road to Respect looks primed to strike in this one. Fourth in the gold cup at last year’s festival but landed two grade 1s […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Friday 28th December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Jockey Zac Purton believes four-year-old series hopeful Superich has “lost some of his zip” but it may not a negative. The Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained galloper has finished no worse than third in his seven-start career and could easily be unbeaten this season after running into traffic in two of his three starts. While he has not raced further than 1,400m in his career, Purton believes he is beginning to show signs of a horse that would relish the extra ground that the four-year-... View the full article

Tony Cruz’s mercurial galloper Time Warp will return to the scene of his stunning track record when he lines up in next month’s January Cup at Happy Valley. The five-year-old was one of a host of Hong Kong’s top-liners that trialled for the first time on Friday since the Hong Kong International Races earlier this month. Cruz’s duo of Pakistan Star and Time Warp trialled together, with Pakistan Star getting the better of his stablemate in an impressive hit-out that saw... View the full article