Wandering Eyes

Expat New Zealand trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will be hoping third time’s a charm for their talented three-year-old Savvy Oak when he lines up in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The son of Savabeel has contested two previous Derbys this season, finishing seventh in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in November, and runner-up in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) last month. They were happy with his run in the South Australian Derby and believe he h... View the full article

Star Australian jockey Blake Shinn and South African young gun Lyle Hewitson are joining the Hong Kong riding ranks.The Jockey Club licensing committee made the announcement on Thursday as it confirmed the roster for next season – headlined by Zac Purton and the full-time return of Joao Moreira.Shinn, 31, has collected almost 1,600 winners in Australia – including the 2008 Melbourne Cup on Viewed – and gets his opportunity after making a successful comeback from a broken neck he suffered in… View the full article

Expat New Zealand trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will be hoping third time’s a charm for their talented three-year-old Savvy Oak when he lines up in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The son of Savabeel has contested two previous Derbys this season, finishing seventh in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in November, and runner-up in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) last month. They were happy with his run in the South Australian Derby and believe he h... View the full article

Trainer Gary Hennessy has his sights set on another stakes winner in his Matamata team. With the retirement of triple Group Two winner Ocean Emperor, Hennessy’s focus is now on promising young horses, though it is one of the older stagers, Temple Tiger, whom he hopes will give him his next black-type success. The seven-year-old Temple Tiger is being set for the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth next month after recovering from a setback since his fourth at Rotorua last month. ‘’He... View the full article

The Ian Adams-trained Tarabeebee was sent out a $2.40 favourite in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m) at New Plymouth on Thursday, and proved too strong for her opposition. Ridden by local apprentice Hazel Schofer, Tarabeebee was eased back to sit off the pace after jumping from barrier six, before she was sent forward at the 700m mark. Turning for home Schofer elected to navigate Tarabeebee towards the rail from her wide position, which proved to be the winning of the race for the thre... View the full article

ARCADIA, CA – Despite uncertainty in the state’s racing industry, Fasig-Tipton proved Wednesday if you build an auction at Santa Anita, the buyers will come. The inaugural Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, held in the track’s paddock under a brilliantly sunny Southern California sky, produced 10 six-figure lots led by a $420,000 daughter of Bernardini. “I thought it was a successful initial effort for a 2-year-old sale at Santa Anita,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business in Arcadia Wednesday. “I thought overall the horses sold fairly and reasonably well. I thought there was a wide group of buyers at various price ranges and I think hopefully we established a foundation that will provide some confidence for participants in the California marketplace, be it breeders, agents, trainers, etc., that there is a viable sales market in California in 2019. Moving forward, I think it’s going to continue to require a lot of hard work and cooperation among the stakeholders. We are going to need the support and participation of the men and women who race here, the men and women who train here, and the men and women who breed here. We don’t have any magic potion or recipe to improve the market or make the market, but I think we clearly demonstrated with this sale, under very trying circumstances, the professional capabilities of Fasig-Tipton and our team under pretty adverse conditions.” Donato Lanni, standing alongside trainer Bob Baffert and longtime owner Jon Kelly, made the day’s highest bid, going to $420,000 to acquire a filly by Bernardini (hip 45) on behalf of Sarah Kelly. The youngster was consigned by Raul Reyes’s Kings Equine. Reyes purchased the filly for $11,500 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. In all, 69 juveniles sold Wednesday for $3,769,500. The average was $54,630 and the median was $30,000. “There were a lot of bright spots and there are some things that we learned as well,” Browning said. “We were able to sell several horses for six figures, with a sales topper of $420,000 who was purchased as a yearling for $11,500–that makes for a fairly successful pinhook in my book. I thought there was considerable interest in the Cal-breds that performed on the racetrack and had reasonable videos. I think some people from Florida who brought quality horses out here were rewarded and I think some of the traditional California-based consignors hopefully gained some confidence and realized this thing will work and will continue to work going forward.” From a catalogue of 169 head, 108 juveniles went through the sales ring Wednesday. The buy-back rate was 36.1%. “Strong state-bred programs result in higher RNA rates because the owners of those horses have options to go racing,” Browning said. “We will see some horses who were RNAs here running at Del Mar. If you get a fair price, fine sell, if you don’t get what you perceive to be a fair price, ‘Let’s roll. Let’s see if we can go win a race.’ The quality of the state-bred program will always result in a slightly higher RNA rate because the owners and breeders have options.” Lanni was impressed with Fasig-Tipton’s first sale at Santa Anita. “There were a lot of people at the breeze show,” he said. “It was nice to see that many people support the sale. I think consignors will bring even nicer horses next year because there are a lot of people here and people in California want to buy horses. It’s a beautiful venue and it’s a nice place to have a horse sale.” Bernardini Filly to Kelly A filly by Bernardini, purchased by Raul Reyes for just $11,500 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton October Sale, turned in the fastest furlong work of Monday’s under-tack show and did not disappoint in the sales ring paddock Wednesday, bringing a sale-topping final bid of $420,000 from bloodstock agent Donato Lanni on behalf of Sarah Kelly. Lanni did his bidding while standing alongside Kelly’s husband Jon and trainer Bob Baffert. “I thought she had an exceptional work,” said Lanni. “Obviously, I’m not the only one who saw that. She brought a lot of money, but her work was exceptional and she looks like a very classy filly. Bob really liked her. I think she’s pretty straightforward and a pretty cool filly.” Hip 45 is out of Elbe (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and from the family of Group 1 winner Mutual Trust (GB) (Cacique {Ire}). She worked a furlong Monday in :10 1/5. Asked if he had seen the filly when she sold at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky last October, Lanni said ruefully, “I wish I had.” Reyes, whose Kings Equine consigned the juvenile, had an easy answer for what he liked about the filly last year. “She looked fast–that’s it,” Reyes said. “That’s the only thing you’re looking for. I was willing to pay maybe $30,000 or $40,000 for her last year. But she’s grown quite a bit over the winter.” Asked why he had targeted the Santa Anita sale with the filly, Reyes said, “She needed time to grow up and that was the best thing to do with her.” Tapiture Colt Joins Phoenix Team A colt from the first crop of multiple graded stakes winner Tapiture will be joining the Phoenix Thoroughbreds team after the operation’s Tom Ludt made a final bid of $350,000 on the youngster early in Wednesday’s Fasig Santa Anita sale. The juvenile will be trained by Bob Baffert. Hip 12 is out of Awesomekaylee (Awesome Again) and is a half-brother to stakes winner The Money Monster (Majestic Warrior). He turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of Monday’s under-tack preview, covering the distance in :21 1/5. “He worked a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 and he did it well,” Ludt said after signing the ticket on the chestnut. “It’s a small sale and he stood out, so I knew he’d be expensive. But I thought he was the best-looking horse in the sale and he had the best breeze. Let’s hope he carries it further than a quarter-mile.” Of the youngster’s final price tag, Ludt said, “I told the boss [Amer Abdulaziz] $350,000 would get him and I’m never right. So I’m 1 for 100.” Of the inaugural auction, Ludt said, “It’s the first year here–they will work through some of the kinks. I hope it goes well. They’ll build on it every year.” Hip 12 was consigned by Tom McCrocklin on behalf of the Solana Beach Sales pinhooking partnership, which purchased him for $100,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. “He has been one of our favorites for a long time,” said the partnership’s Gary Fenton. Of the decision to offer the colt at the Santa Anita sale, Fenton explained, “We are California through and through and we wanted to support [Fasig-Tipton President] Boyd [Browning]. We spoke to him a year ago when he was coming out here. We know how important it is for Fasig-Tipton to be here for all of us and it was important for us to support them. But even more importantly, we have partners and we have a fiduciary responsibility to them. We’re based here [in California] and if we can’t sell one of our good horses out here, maybe we shouldn’t be in business.” Guillot Busy at Santa Anita Trainer Eric Guillot said he had been shut out in bidding at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale last month, but he was able to add to his Saratoga-based stable Wednesday in Arcadia, purchasing a pair of juveniles in the name of Sand Ridge Stable. Guillot purchased a colt by Curlin (hip 41) for $250,000 and a colt by Bodemeister (hip 98) for $120,000. “He’s by Curlin, for one,” Guillot said of hip 41’s appeal. “He’s a half to a Grade I horse. He was one of the stand-outs here and with one of the better works. He is good-looking; I loved the length of him and his long neck and how he drops his head when he walks. He’s a little on the fine-boned side, but not bad.” “I went to Baltimore,” Guillot continued. “I got shut out, I bid eight times, and spent six days there for nothing. So I figured I’d come in and try to buy one here. I’m looking to buy a couple because I only have two horses. I’m looking to get back in action. It’s been a while since we bought anything. We’ve been selling a lot of horses.” Consigned by Kings Equine, hip 41 is out of Drift to the Lead (Yonaguska) and is a half to two-time Grade I-placed Catch My Drift (Pioneerof the Nile). A $330,000 Keeneland September purchase, he worked a furlong Monday in :10 3/5. The post Bernardini Filly Tops Inaugural Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Tony discusses how he became a trainer and his influences along the way and goes over his team currently in Queensland.... View the full article

1st-BEL, MSW, $90k, 3yo/up, 7f, 12:50 p.m. ET Chad Brown boasts two intriguing prospects in Friday’s Belmont opener. Gainesway bred and owns, in partnership with Peter Brant, first-time starter Per Capita (Tapit). The chestnut colt is out of the Grade III-winning mare Successful Outlook (Orientate) and is a half-brother to Grade I winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sweet Lulu (Mr. Greeley) and a full-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Anchor Down and millionaire Iron First. Ahead of Plan (Big Drama), the even-money chalk on David Aragona’s morning line, returns off a 10-month layoff that last saw the Klavarich Stables color-bearer lose a neck decision after setting all the pace in his Aug. 18 Saratoga debut. He earned a strong 88 Beyer Speed Figure for that outing and was flattered when the third and fourth-place finishers came back to score. The $475,000 OBS April purchase (:10 flat) is a son of the stakes-winning mare Daisy Dukes (Ghazi) and a half-brother to Japanese stakes winner Surplus Singer (Songandaprayer). Christophe Clement trainee Just for One Day (Will Take Charge) was hammered for $210,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Sale in 2017 after selling for $420,000 in utero at the previous year’s Keeneland January sale to current co-owner Highland Yard. The son of MSW Mother Ruth (Speightstown) is a half-brother to last year’s GIII Rancho Bernardo H. winner Yuvetsi (Bodemeister). TJCIS PPs The post June 7 Insights: Chad Brown Duo Looks Tough in First at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Brown rues Mister Yeoh's horror gate View the full article

Not Geste a roughie, says Thompson View the full article

Kenny Rae describes Kaharau, the seven-year-old gelding he co-owns with Mike Harris and Guy Matches, as his family pet. “He’s named after a Maori warrior but he’s not a warrior, he’s a big softy and I’ve probably turned him that way,” Rae, who trains in partnership with his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, said. “I’ve had him since he was a two-year-old colt and we’ve been to Aussie together and we all but got to the Derby with him. “He’s a tough bugger, he ran third over... View the full article

The Team Rogerson-trained Comeback will attempt to extend his winning streak to six on Saturday when he lines-up in the Platinum Homes Taranaki 1200 at Trentham. Graeme Rogerson, who trains the gelding in partnership with wife Debbie and granddaughter Bailey, said they have been able to get on top of soundness issues that have plagued Comeback his entire career. “He’s getting better all the time,” he said. “He’s not the soundest horse in the world, but he’s been placed right and he d... View the full article

A trio of Todd Pletcher trainees headline a competitive nine-horse field for the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) June 8 at Belmont Park. You're to Blame, Marconi, and Biblical are entered for the 1 1/2-mile event. View the full article

The June 8 blockbuster $1.2 million Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) is a race so overflowing in talent that a two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) is listed as the 5-1 fourth-choice. View the full article

A New York Senate public hearing on the welfare of racehorses elicited four hours of diverse pro-and-con testimony in Albany on Wednesday, with legislators probing regulators, racing industry participants, veterinarians, aftercare personnel, and advocates for responsible animal care for their views on how the state should move forward with legislation and funding to address the issue. Invited speakers were limited to 10 minutes of time at the microphone, although senators established early in the meeting that New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) equine medical director Scott Palmer, VMD, would be given the courtesy of an expanded time slot by members of both the Senate’s Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering and the Standing Committee on Domestic Animal Welfare because of his role in overseeing the state’s racehorse health protocols. “The existential threat to Thoroughbred racing worldwide is the death of racehorses,” Palmer told the committee members after detailing nearly a decade’s worth of safety interventions the NYSGC has implemented to lower New York’s catastrophic injury rate to 1.29 per thousand starts in 2018 versus the national average of 1.68. “This is an effort to control that and mitigate it, and it worked,” Palmer said. “[New York has] basically been below the national average for quite a long time.” Palmer said the perils of high-speed exercise and a racing industry facing a drastic reduction in its Thoroughbred population are among the chief risks to racehorse health. “Let’s be honest: Risk is a part our daily lives,” Palmer said. “Horse racing is a hazardous business. There’s no question about it. And why is that? It’s not because we don’t understand it. It’s not because we don’t think it’s dangerous. It’s not because we’ve got our head in the sand. It’s just dangerous [because of] the nature of the animal. They’re big and they’re fast. It’s about force times mass [equals] acceleration. It’s a very simple equation. The bigger they are, the faster they go, the more likely they are to get hurt.” With regard to economics, Palmer said, “It’s very simple: Horse racing is in the business of running races…. The racing organizations want to hold more races. The more races they can hold, the more money they can earn…. So right off the bat, there’s a business model challenge for horse racing…. It’s not often talked about, but it’s very significant.” Palmer urged senators to understand that his priority is to provide positive equine welfare results backed by data rather than to craft a public-relations campaign to gloss over the issue. “Part of [my job] is managing the media, and managing concerns of the people in the public and animal rights organizations,” Palmer said. “How do we do that? Well my approach to this is you don’t manage the media. You don’t manage animal rights organizations. You manage your business. If you take care of your business internally, that takes care of everything else.” Asked to name the most important factor in risk reduction, Palmer prefaced his statement by saying that horse health at racetracks in multi-factorial, but he did point to one “huge” difference in recent years at the New York Racing Association, where veterinarians are no longer overseen by the racing department. “This is painful to even say this, but the veterinary department was under the direct supervision of the racing office,” Palmer said. “That’s an enormous conflict of interest. The job of the racing office is to fill races. The job of the veterinary department is to make sure horses that race in those races are safe.” Modifying the purse-to-claiming price structure and cutting back dosage withdrawal times for corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs has also had “enormous implications” in a positive sense, Palmer said. But not everybody agreed with Palmer on whether enough is being done. “What goes on at these racetracks…is that the veterinarians have completely abdicated their authority as medical professionals and their duty according to the statutes of the Veterinary Practice Act,” said Sheila Lyons, DVM, the founder and director of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Homecoming Farm, Inc. “What they do, is they simply deliver drugs at trainers’ requests.” Lyons said this results in racehorses having “the kitchen sink of drugs dumped into them within days of arriving at a racetrack in New York.” Lyons said she often checks the pre-stakes veterinary logs that the NYSGC posts online prior to big races like the GI Belmont S., where she sees “pre-race” listed as the diagnostic reason for pharmaceutical treatments. “‘Racing’ is not a medical condition. So right there they have violated the Veterinary Practice Act,” Lyons said. John Scheib, the director of Responsible Animal Care, Inc., testified that he took umbrage with the way Palmer and other regulators cite on-track equine deaths as a per-start function, because it paints a “misleadingly low” assessment of the situation. “We kill an average of three racehorses every single day competing and training on tracks in America,” Scheib said. “The welfare of racehorses is directly related to the need to win, to make money…. Equine welfare on the track will always fail, because it’s 100% about a business, and there will always be enough bad actors to ruin it for the rest of us.” Scheib also testified that the litany of protocols and safety programs that the sport has thought up to police itself strains credulity. “No one I know who owns equines outside of racing has to make policies to keep their horses safe from their own barn staffs,” Scheib said, citing concerns over outfits drugging their own horses. “That’s unique to racing.” The fiercely competitive economic nature of the industry also surfaced in discussions about equine slaughter. John Holland, the president of Equine Welfare Alliance, said the amount of horses that get exported from the United States for slaughter “can’t be cured with our present racing structure. You can’t just put a band-aid on and give a little money here and there to rescues. You can do PR that way, but you can’t cure the problem.” Holland added that “when horses and money meet, horses lose. It’s just been that way for a long, long time. I’d love to see it changed, but I’m not sure it can be changed.” The issue of which is better for horses–life at a sanctuary or going through a rehab program–came up, and Anna Ford, the Thoroughbred program director for New Vocations, told the politicians that in order to provide the most bang for the welfare buck, retraining programs were the way to go. “At New Vocations, we have room for 150 horses. If those were sanctuary horses, they’d be [maxxed out at stabling capacity],” Ford said. “We can help over 350 horses a year for the same amount of money. Not that we don’t need sanctuaries–we need them. But we need to put a heavy focus on rehab and retraining” to cycle horses into permanent outside homes. Richard Schosberg, the chairman of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association aftercare committee, advocated for the support of programs that are accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), the non-profit nationwide organization that inspects and awards grants to approved organizations to retire, retrain, and re-home racehorses using industry-wide funding. “We feel that any funding mechanism created by the legislature must support the TAA-accredited organizations,” Schosberg said. “We can be assured that way that the funds are being used prudently and as intended to support New York’s retired racehorses.” The post NY Senate Hears Diverse Views on Racehorse Welfare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If this is only the foundation of a special season, Bricks and Mortar will try to add another memorable win June 8 when he starts in the Manhattan Stakes (G1T) on the inner turf course at Belmont. View the full article

A daughter of Bernardini out of Elbe (GB) (Dansili) reeled in a $420,000 final bid from agent Donato Lanni, who signed the ticket on behalf of Sarah Kelly. The filly, a $11,500 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase, was consigned by Kings Equine. Hip 45, who breezed an eighth in :10.1 Monday, was bred by Don Alberto Corp. The post Daughter of Bernardini Realizes $420K at F-T Santa Anita Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control will look to pick up the second top-level score of his career when he takes on a field of 11 in the $400,000 Woody Stephens Presented by Mohegan Sun (G1) over seven furlongs June 8 at Belmont Park. View the full article

The $700,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) June 8 at Belmont Park marks a rematch between Midnight Bisou and Escape Clause, who were only a nose apart at the wire of the April 14 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park. View the full article

A 2-year-old colt by Tapiture got things rolling early at Wednesday’s Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Two-year-olds in Training Sale when realizing a $350,000 final bid from Tom Ludt, acting on behalf of Phoenix Thoroughbred Ltd. Produced by Awesomekaylee (Awesome Again), the chestnut was bred by Ginny McKinlay et al. Hip 12, who worked a quarter in :21.1 during Monday’s Breeze Show, was consigned by agent Tom McCrocklin, who purchased the colt for $100,000 at Keeneland last September. The post Tapiture Colt Brings $350K at F-T Santa Anita Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

ELMONT, NY – With a field of 10 now in place for Saturday’s 151st renewal of the GI Belmont S., there was plenty to see on an overcast Wednesday morning at beautiful Belmont Park. Bourbon War (Tapit) was the first sophomore entered for the final leg of the Triple Crown to catch the eye, sporting a white bridle during his gallop just after 6 a.m. After experimenting with first-time blinkers in the GI Preakness S., trainer Mark Hennig takes the shades off following a punchless eighth at a well-backed 5-1 in Baltimore. Morning-line favorite Tacitus (Tapit) briefly took in his surroundings by the clubhouse turn–which included a small group of media and photographers assembled–while getting some love from longtime Bill Mott assistant trainer Leana Willaford aboard a stable pony at approximately 7 a.m. The striking gray Juddmonte homebred glided over the track beautifully with his ears up during his gallop under the watchful eye of his GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer. He certainly couldn’t be looking any better in the flesh since his strong showing while rallying from far back in Louisville on the First Saturday in May. The action picked up considerably after the renovation break as the sun briefly tried to make an appearance while temperatures remained in the mid 60s. Does Everfast (Take Charge Indy) have another big run coming at boxcar odds? Second at 29-1 in the Preakness and also runner-up at a massive 128-1 in the GII Holy Bull, the Calumet Farm homebred bounded on the freshly manicured track with his head cocked high beneath exercise rider Tammy Fox. Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), elevated to sixth via disqualification in the Derby, was impossible to miss with his bright pink-and-red blinkers and ear muffs as he cruised down the lane on his left lead beneath jockey Julien Leparoux–minus the bell boots this time–completing his five-furlong breeze in 1:01.28. Master Fencer’s morning routine also included a trip to the nearby training track and some gate schooling. Trainer Mark Casse watched by the gap as his Belmont S. duo of Preakness winner War of Will (War Front) and GIII Peter Pan S. runner-up Sir Winston (Awesome Again) galloped in close proximity. War of Will, hard held throughout by Kim Carroll after plenty eager early, displayed extremely good energy just as he did leading up to the Derby. The blaze-faced bay appears to be sitting on go as the lone runner to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown this spring. Other high-profile runners in action stretching their legs for this weekend’s three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival included: GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. winner Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) (GI Manhattan S.); the GI Met Mile H. trio of two-time G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), MGISW ‘TDN Rising Star’ McKinzie (Street Sense) and G2 Godolphin Mile winner ‘Rising Star’ Coal Front (Stay Thirsty); and the comebacking strapping chestnut Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags) (GII True North S.), off since suffering his first career defeat in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The post Wednesday’s Trackside Belmont Stakes 151 Report appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Not only does Rushing Fall have the talent to tower over the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) field, her speed elevates her chances in a largely paceless lineup in the one-mile turf test. View the full article

Already a grade 1 winner on dirt, World of Trouble hopes to conquer his first top-level turf event in the Jaipur Invitational (G1T) after falling a neck short in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). View the full article

The latest salvo of litigation fired by Frank Stronach in the fight for control of the family empire he created alleges that $500 million in six-year revenue increases reported in a court filing by The Stronach Group (TSG) chief executive Alon Ossip was “overstated and misleading” because that figure did not factor in the “significant impact” of rebating high-volume bettors who wagered on races through TSG’s online wagering platform. Additionally, the 86-year-old family patriarch is now leveling allegations that his daughter, the 53-year-old TSG chairman and president Belinda Stronach, improperly allocated as company expenses “millions of dollars” related to her own daughter’s show-jumping activities with sport horses, even though “this blatant self-dealing” had nothing to do with the running of the firm, whose portfolio includes six United States racetracks. Frank Stronach is further alleging that it was only when he filed a $540 million (CDN) lawsuit against Belinda Stronach and Ossip last year in a Toronto court that the defendants began to take action “in direct response to the escalating family dispute” to “whitewash years of misconduct and mismanagement of TSG.” These new allegations are part of a 49-page series of “replies to statements of defense” that Frank Stronach’s attorneys filed May 14 in Ontario Superior Court of Justice. TDN obtained the documents this week via a court records request. Last October, Frank Stronach and his wife, Elfriede, jointly filed suit demanding a court trial to remove Belinda Stronach and Ossip from all corporate officer and trustee positions related to the Stronach empire. That litigation also sought financial redress related to an alleged “series of covert and unlawful actions…that have been contrary to the best interests of, and to the overwhelming detriment of, other members of the Stronach family.” Two of Frank Stronach’s grandchildren, Nicole Walker and Frank Walker, were also named as co-defendants. Separately, Andrew Stronach, who is Belinda’s brother, filed his own lawsuit in November alleging similar TSG malfeasance as a result of his sister’s “serious misconduct.” In January, Belinda Stronach fired back in court with a statement of defense that denied the initial charges and included counterclaims of financial mismanagement by her dad that she alleged cost the family some $850 million (CDN), “with hundreds of millions of this amount likely being irretrievably lost.” She chalked up the purported losses to her father’s ill-advised “passion projects.” Around the same time, Ossip filed his own defense statement that denied the lawsuit’s charges and questioned Frank Stronach’s fitness to be involved in running TSG. “Over the past number of years, Frank’s behavior became increasingly erratic, as reflected in part in his increasingly disruptive interventions in TSG’s racing and gaming business,” his filing stated. Now, this latest court reply filed by Frank Stronach implies that years of alleged malfeasance by his daughter and Ossip have played a role in the current equine fatality crisis at Santa Anita Park. Despite the gravity of that assertion, the filing did not state any evidence to directly link their behavior to the recent spate of racehorse deaths. “Belinda and Alon’s actions in shutting Frank out of TSG and their mismanagement of TSG’s business and affairs have placed at serious risk the ongoing viability of TSG’s racing and gaming operations,” Frank Stronach’s court reply states. “Indeed, in the period since December 2018, more than 20 Thoroughbred horses have died at TSG’s Santa Anita Park racetrack in California. “The unprecedented number of horse deaths at Santa Anita has sparked public outrage, has forced repeated closures of the racetrack, and has placed the continued operations of the racetrack in serious jeopardy,” the filing continues. “This state of affairs has had and will continue to have a significant and detrimental impact on the business and reputation of TSG [and Stronach family members].” Asked to comment on her father’s latest allegations, Belinda Stronach responded with an emailed statement, which read, in part, “The Stronach Group, under my leadership, recently led the horse racing industry in progressive reforms to modernize the sport for the betterment of horse and rider welfare…. It appears my father is seeking to negatively capitalize on the tragedy of horse racing deaths versus backing the leading reforms we have initiated for the betterment of the industry. We continue to provide responsible, transparent management of TSG assets and the family trusts. Allegations to the contrary are untrue.” With regard to TSG’s financial health, Frank Stronach’s court filing claims that back in January, Ossip’s defense statement gave an inaccurate revenues estimate that made the firm’s financials appear rosier than they actually were. “The alleged revenue increase by TSG of over $500 million over a six-year period is overstated and misleading and does not account for the significant impact that TSG’s practice of ‘rebating’…has on the company’s overall profitability, including in particular rebates provided through TSG’s high-volume XB Select online wagering platform,” the filing states. “When the impact of rebating is taken into account, the increase in TSG’s revenue is drastically reduced.” Although Frank Stronach’s filing challenges Ossip’s revenue estimate, it does not cite an alternate amount that he believes to be the correct figure. A spokesperson for Ossip, Paul Deegan, emailed a statement in response to a request for comment about the revenues that read, “Alon has worked tirelessly to create value for the Stronach family, and he has always conducted himself with the utmost probity. Under Alon’s leadership, the racing and gaming business saw a stellar improvement, both financially and operationally. All revenues and expenses were booked in strict accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. To suggest otherwise is false. The net effect was that key financial indicators that indicate the actual performance of the business, such as EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization], which increased by roughly $70 million in six years, improved significantly.” Belinda Stronach’s January statement of defense had stated that TSG’s breeding, training and racing (BTR) business segment was “unprofitable under Frank’s direction.” But Frank Stronach’s latest court filing denies that claim, explaining that “To the extent that the BTR business was unprofitable…it was as a direct result of losses incurred in connection with Nicole’s show-jumping activities, which were allocated improperly to the BTR business as TSG company expenses.” The claim continues: “Notwithstanding the fact that Nicole’s show-jumping has no connection to TSG’s business activities, TSG has spent millions of dollars in funding her show-jumping expenses…for Nicole’s personal benefit. The plaintiffs have learned that in belated and partial recognition of this blatant self-dealing, TSG (at Belinda’s direction) proposed to ‘gift’ $2.5 million in show-jumping assets to Belinda and her family in 2019.” Other parts of Frank Stronach’s latest court filing deal with the complex tangle of he-said/she-said accusations that father and daughter have traded in court documents since the suit was initiated. The family spat centers on issues of power and money. For example, one bone of contention has been whether Frank Stronach’s role in the running of TSG is now actual or ceremonial, and/or if his daughter and Ossip have forced him out of making business decisions and having control over and access to company resources. “Contrary to the assertion…Frank was and is entitled to make contact with and speak to TSG employees and external stakeholders, and has no obligation to inform or consult with TSG management before doing so,” his court filing asserts. “Frank is directly responsible for the entire business of TSG….He also remains the company’s Founder and Honourary Chairman.” Frank Stronach also takes umbrage with an “allowance” that has allegedly been allotted to family members by his daughter. “In essence, Belinda has determined unilaterally that each Stronach family member will be paid the equivalent of an allowance in an amount to be determined by Belinda, Alon, Frank Jr., and Nicole,” Frank Stronach’s filing states. “Unsurprisingly, the ‘allowance’ to be paid to Belinda and her children far exceeds the amounts to be paid to other members of the Stronach family.” The post New Stronach Salvo: ‘Blatant Self-Dealing’ Skews TSG Financials appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

We’ve all had plenty to think about, and some of us have had plenty to say, after Galileo (Ire) measured his incredible Epsom hegemony in the field assembled for the Derby last Saturday: 12 out of 13 runners either by the great patriarch himself, or by his sons and a grandson; and the other one out of a daughter of his full-sister. Wherever you stand–whether you share the defeatist view that there’s no point trying to stem the tide; or suspect that the situation partly reflects a culpable neglect of stallions with Classic eligibility in favour of (ostensibly) commercial alternatives–everyone can surely acknowledge that the European gene pool would benefit from greater diversity. Arguably, it is now becoming as stagnant as when a dynasty founded by Galileo’s grandsire, a Kentucky Derby winner, exported the transformative properties of dirt horses bred to carry their speed two turns. True, Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) not only belongs to another branch of the Sadler’s Wells sire-line but also didn’t quite get home in the Derby last year, having been last off the bridle. But the subsequent Cartier Horse of the Year had been found by David Redvers for $160,000 as a Keeneland yearling. You would like to think that his example might encourage a little more of the cross-pollination that has historically, in energising cycles, caused mutual regeneration in transatlantic bloodlines. Looking at the Classic run for the 151st time in New York on Saturday, and over the same distance, it seems slightly incredible that Tapit–seeking a fourth Belmont S. in six years, and represented by three sons including the favourite–has not been given more opportunity on grass by those European powers who would like to make a more consistent stand against Ballydoyle at Epsom. From a tiny sample overall, last year Tapit came up with George Strawbridge’s Wissahickon, who outclassed 32 rivals under a big weight in the Cambridgeshire H. Though his continued progress on synthetics during the winter stalled on his latest start, there’s no doubt that he showed himself that day to have top-class potential for grass. Wissahickon’s dam, by Nureyev, was a Grade I winner on turf, and had previously produced a Group 1 winner in Europe in Rainbow View (Dynaformer) and GI Arlington Million runner-up Just As Well (A.P. Indy). But at least he showed that Tapit, who has sired a couple of Grade I winners on grass in the U.S. in Ring Weekend and Time And Motion, can work with a bit of chlorophyll. After all, his second dam Ruby Slippers was by Northern Dancer’s English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky and, if her son Rubiano had different strengths, he did go on to sire Starry Dreamer–who herself showed high-class form on turf before producing War Front. If War Of Will can add the Belmont to the Preakness, he will not only reiterate that War Front is perfectly competent to sire dirt champions; he will also correct a parallel misapprehension in Europe, where he has largely made his turf reputation, that he won’t get horses to stretch out. Exactly the same point as was made by Justify in the race last year, as a son of Scat Daddy. That tells us something, no doubt, about what it means to carry speed on dirt. But remember that the decisive kick at Epsom last Saturday belonged to a colt whose first four dams are by Danzig’s grandson Exceed And Excel, Gone West, Storm Cat and Alydar. Further wholesome evidence, then, of the transferability of American blood to different disciplines, surfaces and distances. So often, reputed specialisations are self-fulfilling. Turf is the premier racing environment in Japan, so the progeny of Deep Impact are presumed to be turf operators despite having Sunday Silence as grandsire. But all these international transfusions should be a two-way street, and that has opened up a new Silk Road between Hokkaido and New York for the Belmont. Now clearly NYRA didn’t offer a $1-million bonus for any Japanese winner of this cherished heirloom of the American Turf purely out of brotherly love. In return, they get access to the fabled goldfields of the Japanese pari-mutuel market–albeit only the most wide-awake wagers will be made from Tokyo before breakfast. (Maybe next year’s race will be staged under lights, after Saturday Night Live.) Mind you, if Master Fencer (Jpn) were actually to win on Saturday, he might wake plenty of people from rather too comfortable a slumber. Because by embracing external competition–or so an idealist would tell us, at any rate–we learn more not only about others, but also about ourselves. And the sight of Master Fencer finishing as strongly as he did in the Kentucky Derby, onto the heels of the principals having been tailed off, was a little unnerving in one who had brought few pretensions to representing the elite of his generation back home. He only got his invitation, in fact, because three superior scorers on the Japan Road to the Derby had all declined. But then we should be well familiar, by now, with the calibre of Thoroughbred the Japanese have been sending overseas in recent years. Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa) was their fourth winner in the last six editions of the G1 Dubai Turf, and it is only a matter of time before the Japanese satisfy their craving for a first Arc after serial near-misses. At the same time, moreover, restrictions on foreign competition for their vast domestic prizes have been steadily relaxed–partly, no doubt, because everyone now recognises the standards required to plunder them. Master Fencer’s sire-line is a good example of how the Japanese Thoroughbred has developed during that process. He is from the debut crop of one of those Dubai Turf winners, Just A Way, himself a graduate of only the second crop of Heart’s Cry. The latter had measured his international quality both in Dubai (won the G1 Sheema Classic) and England (beaten a length in the G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth S.). As a son of “The One That Got Away”, Heart’s Cry is among those whose stock is potentially equipped to repatriate the Sunday Silence line to the U.S. Another is Hat Trick (Sunday Silence), whose son Win Win Win contested the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but Heart’s Cry is ahead of the game through Yoshida, who opened up new horizons when switched to dirt for the GI Woodward S. last year. Heart’s Cry was a triumph of the Shadai breeding program, as a son of the transformative Sunday Silence out of Irish Dance, a homebred daughter of another imported stallion, Tony Bin (Ire), whose family tree was saturated with old English Classic influences. Irish Dance was out of a half-sister to My Juliet– whose achievements, as a champion sprinter, helped another sibling to become the first $10 million yearling at Keeneland in 1983: the notorious dud, Snaafi Dancer. What fun, to find their dam My Bupers propping up a pedigree that really is worth millions! The American influence is complemented in Master Fencer’s dam, a daughter of Deputy Minister, whose impact on the Belmont we celebrated on Wednesday, purchased as a yearling by owner-breeder Katsumi Yoshizawa at the 2005 September Sale for $110,000. She’s from a Virginia Kraft Payson family and the next three dams are by Broad Brush, Chief’s Crown and Northfields, so here’s another example of the healthy regeneration achieved by cyclical transfusions between continents. The Northfields mare, in fact, is Northern Sunset: dam of St Jovite, 12-length winner of the 1992 Irish Derby. So let’s hope that the adventures of Master Fencer, from what was once the most insular of all racing economies, can help spur an era of free trade in talent and, above all, blood. If he lands the Belmont, everyone’s a winner. He carries off an extra million bucks; but who can put a price on the potential dividends for the American industry, arising from curiosity back home? At a time when protectionism is back on the political agenda, Master Fencer can show us all why–and how–we have to dismantle barriers to diversity. The post Derby and Belmont Lessons On a Game Without Frontiers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article