Wandering Eyes

DUBAI, UAE—The Dubai World Cup may be the richest race run on Saturday but it will be overshadowed in terms of international interest by the Dubai Turf. A quick sweep of the crowd gathered for trackwork at Meydan on Wednesday left little doubt as to the identity of the horse people are most excited about seeing in action at the weekend. The name Almond Eye (JPN) is emblazoned on a multitude of jackets and caps and her fans had to be up early to catch the queen of Japanese racing as she stepped out onto the turf track just before 5am on Wednesday in company with Christophe Lemaire. The unbeaten daughter of Lord Kanaloa (JPN) has carried all before her in her home country, where last year she won the Triple Tiara, and her first outing since November’s record-breaking romp in the G1 Japan Cup is hotly anticipated as she makes her overseas debut and drops back in trip to nine furlongs for the G1 Dubai Turf. Once the most important business of the day has been concluded and Almond Eye has been safely returned to her stable, Lemaire, who has three rides on World Cup night but is asked repeatedly about just one of them, returned to the work-watchers’ corner to engage in a succession of media interviews in his native French tongue, as well as English and Japanese. “She worked very well as usual. She was very relaxed and focused on her job. The track in Dubai looks like the Japanese tracks and the cushion today was good, not too firm, and I was happy with her work,” reported Lemaire, whose one previous victory on Dubai’s biggest raceday came aboard another Japanese raider, Heart’s Cry (JPN), in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic of 2006. That particular race had been the original intention for Almond Eye but trainer Sakae Kunieda changed his focus to the Dubai Turf after consultation with the jockey who last year rode 215 winners in Japan, breaking the record previously held by Yutaka Take. “Christophe suggested that the Dubai Turf would be better than the Sheema Classic. She has had a long rest and I wanted to start her off at a shorter distance and then build up through the year,” said Kunieda, who confirmed that his long-term hope is for his filly to face Enable (GB) in the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October. “In Japan she is a bit nervous but she has been relaxed in Dubai and her body weight is good,” he added. “It’s very exciting. Almond Eye has a huge talent. When I saw her first gallop I felt she was special. My dream is to win international races. This race may make my dream come true.” Lemaire does not disagree with this assertion. “Very few times have I sat on a horse who gives me the feel of Almond Eye,” he said. “She’s a horse with great potential and ability. She has a big stride, covers a lot of ground and is very powerful. Mentally she is also very strong. She understands very well what she has to do, she understands very well where she is and what for, and that’s what makes her so good: the combination of her attitude and her physical ability.” He continued. “It is very important for a jockey to have such a relaxed horse and an easy ride in a race. I’ve never had any problems so far and hopefully that will be the same on Saturday. She’s already shown a lot of class but we don’t yet know her limits. In the Japan Cup she won very easily, beating the world record for a mile and a half, and after the winning post she was not exhausted. Of course I feel the pressure. I have a great responsibility and I can sense everyone’s expectations.” On Saturday, Almond Eye, who has drawn stall seven, s will be red-hot favourite in a field of 13 which will include fellow Japanese-trained contender Vivlos (JPN)(Deep Impact {JPN}), the winner of the Dubai Turf in 2017 and runner-up last year to Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Lemaire added, “I think she can become the horse of a lifetime, like Winx (Aus) is for Hugh Bowman, or like Sea The Stars (Ire) was for Mick Kinane, or like Zenyatta for Mike Smith. I feel blessed to be able to ride such a good one.” Lemaire’s compatriot Freddy Head has already taken a step back in trip with his G2 Dubai Gold Cup contender Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who posted an impressive performance on his seasonal resumption at Chantilly on March 5 when second to Trais Fluors (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the Prix Darshaan. The 5-year-old, who only began racing last year and had to overcome an aversion to the stalls, has run eight times in his life and only once in group company when winning the G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend for owner-breeder George Strawbridge. Call The Wind will bid to extend France’s winning sequence in the Gold Cup to four after the hat-trick posted by the similarly quirky Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). “I’m very happy,” said Head, whose last success at Meydan came with Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) in the 2015 Dubai Turf. “He seems well and is adapting well, so for the moment all the lights are green. I was pleased with his comeback race over a shorter distance but there are some very good horses in the race—the horse that just won the Melbourne Cup winner [Cross Counter (Ire)]—it will be a tough race but I think my horse is still improving. He didn’t run as a 3-year-old and last year he started off in low races and kept improving all year through. He showed that he has plenty of stamina and at the end [of the season] he won the Cadran but he’s not the kind of plodding horse who just stays and stays.” Godolphin will field four of the ten runners in the Gold Cup, with both Cross Counter and Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) representing Charlie Appleby’s powerful stable. “We are looking forward to getting Cross Counter’s campaign underway following his Melbourne Cup success,” said the trainer. “His preparation has gone well and we’re hoping that this can be a step for some of the major staying prizes throughout 2019. Ispolini is a progressive stayer and we have seen marked improvement since stepping him up in distance. He has the course experience and racing over two miles could see him progress again.” View the full article

Assistant Trainer Leandro Moro talks about Pavel during morning training on Wednesday, March 27th at Meydan for Dubai World Cub 2019 Courtesy Dubai Racing Club View the full article

The Mid-Atlantic region’s Thoroughbred racing industry–including track operators, horsemen’s organizations, breeders, racing commissions and regulatory and racetrack veterinarians–has voted unanimously to formally adopt and fully implement a long-term Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities, according to a press release issued by the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. The aforementioned stakeholders all participated in the creation of the plan, which is available for download here. Many phases of the plan had already been put into practice stemming from the 2012 New York Task Force Report on Race Horse Health and Safety, which initially served as the model for regional and national industry reform. Since regional implementation of the Task Force’s recommendations, and many others since that time, the incidence of equine racing fatalities in the Mid-Atlantic region has declined 29%. In New York alone, the incidence of equine racing fatalities in 2018 was 1.29/1000 starts, the lowest fatality rate in the State in decades and well below the national average of 1.68/1000 starts. The plan, drafted by New York State Gaming Commission Equine Medical Director and New York Task Force Chairman Dr. Scott Palmer, former AAEP Presidents and regional veterinarians Dr. Kathy Anderson and Dr. Reynolds Cowles, and THA Chairman and New York Task Force member Alan Foreman, incorporates five key goals, including the establishment of regional safety best practices, improved methods to identify horses at increased risk of injury, the implementation of protective factors to reduce the risk of injury, information sharing and communication, and improvement of the general health and welfare of the horse. According to the release, the participants will use evidence-based decision making to ensure the integrity of the process at every level. The plan is intended to be a living document, with new strategies and practices implemented throughout the region as they become available. “Our Plan is, and has to be, the number one priority for the racing industry,” said Dr. Palmer. “The decrease in equine fatalities in the Mid-Atlantic region over the last four years is due in no small part to the introduction of a number of safety initiatives. That’s a good piece of news. It is important to recognize the progress we have made and encourage other jurisdictions to follow. Now we have to get behind this Plan in an aggressive fashion going forward.” The introduction to the Strategic Plan explains, “The conscientious use of risk management techniques, including the introduction of protective factors, have been proven to be successful in reducing the risk of injury to racehorses. However, the use of risk management programs is not uniformly practiced across all racing jurisdictions. The development of a strategic plan to reduce equine fatalities in the Mid-Atlantic region is an effort to develop and share regional best practices and communication tools that can be used to minimize equine fatalities on a broad scale.” “We’ve been a leader on racehorse safety in the Mid-Atlantic and nationally, the numbers show it, but we cannot rest on our laurels,” said Joe Appelbaum, President of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (THA) and the New York THA. “We need to focus on protecting our horses, and there’s only one way to do it – collaboratively, collectively and comprehensively. We all have to contribute.” Foreman, who initially proposed the concept of a regional Strategic Plan, praised the Mid-Atlantic stakeholders and regulators for their ongoing commitment to racehorse health and safety, but acknowledged that there is much work to be done. “We have got to do better. The fatality rate is still too high. We have to continue to learn from our experiences and make the changes and adopt reforms that we know will make things better for our horses and our industry.” The Mid-Atlantic region comprises the largest concentration of Thoroughbred racing on a daily basis in the United States. Last year, the were approximately 90,000 starts at 14 racetracks spread throughout the region from New York to Virginia. View the full article

Coal Front and True Timber are the American invaders who will take on Heavy Metal and Muntazah, the 1-2 finishers in the 2018 edition of the Godolphin Mile. View the full article

Dual Oaks winner Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), not seen since finishing a close second to Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, could return in the G2 Middleton S. at York’s Dante meeting, according to trainer William Haggas. “I’m very happy with her at the moment,” Haggas said. “It’s a bit too early to be making any definite plans. There is so much talk about Enable and Almond Eye, I think we’ll just keep things quiet. “We could start off in May in the Middleton S., but we’ll see.” Should she take in the Middleton, Sea Of Class could meet another high-class filly in John Gosden’s Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). View the full article

After hitting the board last year, two-time TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Roy H will look for his first international win March 30 in the $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan. View the full article

Brian Trump, Racing Manager for Rockingham Ranch, talks about World Cup Day entrants X Y Jet, Roy H, and Stormy Liberal. Courtesy Dubai Racing Club View the full article

DUBAI, UAE—A new system was in place for the Dubai World Cup post-position draw on Wednesday, with the runners’ connections being able to opt for their preferred gate once their horse’s name had been selected at random. Naturally, this meant that being picked late was a huge disadvantage, as Saeed Bin Suroor found when Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) was the 12th of 13 runners to be drawn. With only stalls 12 and 13 remaining at that stage, last year’s winner will have to jump from number 12 in a bid to retain his crown in Meydan’s closing race on Saturday. However, it was from the widest stall (10) that the now 5-year-old delivered his trainer an eighth World Cup victory last year. One man hoping for better luck during the 24th running of the $12 million Dubai showpiece is Satish Seemar, who will saddle local favourite North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for his third appearance at the meeting and second in the World Cup itself. Last year, the 7-year-old missed the start from stall two and was then squeezed up on the rail before trailing home last. Since then, he has been faultless in his two appearances at Meydan in partnership with Richard Mullen and on Saturday he will jump from his trainer’s preferred stall three after being the first horse selected. “We were hoping to be drawn in gates three to six. He’s coming to the race fresh—he likes to be fresh,” said Seemar of the Ramzan Kadyrov-owned gelding who has won seven of his 11 starts since switching to Zabeel Stables. “I watched him do his normal hack canter over a mile this morning. We worked five days out, which was Monday, and he came out of that well and is eating well. Now we just have to wait for the next few hours. I’m anxious and hoping that everything goes well. He deserves it, and my team deserves it, and the Dubai public deserves it because he is a Dubai horse. This is a special race, and after winning such a race you can actually think about a big step outside Dubai and that’s what every trainer is hoping and striving for.” He added, “I want to keep a lid on expectations because last year it didn’t work out and we had been very excited. This time I want to be calm and collected.” The Antonio Sano-trained Gunnevera (Dialed In), who is making his second start in the World Cup after finishing eighth last year, has been drawn in stall one, with wide-margin conqueror of Thunder Snow on Super Saturday, Capezzano (Bernardini), drawn next to him in two. China Horse Club and WinStar Farm have two chances in the race with Audible (Into Mischief) and Yoshida (JPN) (Heart’s Cry {JPN}), who will start from gates four and 10 respectively, while Phoenix Thoroughbreds will also be doubly represented by GI Belmont S. runner-up Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}), in gate seven, and Axelrod (Warrior’s Reward) next to him in eight. South Korea’s first World Cup starter Dolkong (Afleet Alex), who will be ridden by Olivier Doleuze, drew widest of all in 13. View the full article

Veteran jockey Eddy Lai Wai-ming faces the prospect of a prolonged suspension after being charged with failing to give Winning Controller “a full opportunity to win” on Hong Kong Derby day on March 17.Lai, a jockey with more than 7,500 starts over 26 seasons, has come under notice for putting unnecessary speed into the Class Four Collection Handicap (1,600m) at Sha Tin on March 17 when he took on the Benno Yung Tin-pang’s Coolceleb while aboard the Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained galloper.While… View the full article

Thunder Snow will try to become the first two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup (G1) but North America and five top U.S.-trained runners await in the expected field of 13. View the full article

With experience on the straight course at Meydan now under his belt, two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Stormy Liberal will take a second shot at the top spot in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) March 30. View the full article

An equine herpesvirus positive at Golden Gate Fields has the California Department of Food and Agriculture setting biosecurity measures at the Northern California track, while a 3-year-old on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is among those impacted. View the full article

Matthew Pumpa appointed as jockey coach View the full article

Updates on stewards' follow-ups to Friday and Sunday meetings View the full article

New York State Gaming Commission officials say they want to examine the protocols and procedures recently announced by The Stronach Group, owners of Santa Anita. View the full article

Kentucky Downs will stage its first $1 million race in track history with the Grade 3 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup getting a $250,000 purse increase. View the full article

Kentucky Downs will stage its first $1-million race in track history with the 2019 GIII Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup getting a $250,000 purse increase. It is one of five stakes slated for Sept. 7. The all-grass track’s 14 stakes will offer a record total of $7.4 million in purses and KTDF supplements. Opening on the last day of August, Kentucky Downs will run Aug. 31 and Sept. 5, 7, 8 and 12. Kentucky Downs’ average daily purses topping $2 million a race card are the highest in North America and Europe. “Having our first $1-million race is just the next logical step in Kentucky Downs’ ascent as a national leader,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ senior vice president and general manager. “The Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup is our oldest stakes, having a different name but starting back in 1990 when the track opened. So it’s fitting this is our race that first reaches the seven-digit landmark, especially teaming with one of the most iconic names in horse racing in Calumet Farm.” Eight stakes received purse hikes for the 2019 meet, including the GIII Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint from $500,000 to $700,000. The six-furlong stakes is the track’s first to be selected for the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. View the full article

Dual champion sire Catcher In The Rye (Ire) (Danehill-Truly a Dream {Ire}, by Darshaan {GB}) died early Monday of an apparent heart attack at Haras La Leyenda in Argentina. The bay finished atop Argentina’s sire list in 2016 and 2017 and currently was ranked fifth. Catcher In The Rye, second in the 2003 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French Two Thousand Guineas, arrived to Argentina in 2006 to stand at Estacion de Montas La Mission. He produced a total of 13 Group 1 winners in Argentina, Uruguay and Germany. Catcher In The Rye also stood at Haras de La Pomme, and was relocated to La Leyenda in 2018. In 2011, he set a new record of mares covered in Argentina (215). View the full article

Despite only having run one time, all eyes–and the bulk of betting dollars–were on Juddmonte Farms’ ‘TDN Rising Star’ Hidden Scroll (Hard Spun) heading into the GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S., allowing W.S. Farish’s Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) to spring a 9-1 upset. The favorite faded to finish fourth after battling on a fast pace, but Juddmonte manager Garrett O’Rourke thinks his inexperienced colt is ready to rebound, while Code of Honor’s trainer Shug McGaughey sees no reason for a fortune reversal when the two clash in this Saturday’s $1-million GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby. O’Rourke talked at length on an NTRA teleconference Tuesday about Hidden Scroll getting caught up in the Fountain of Youth’s speed duel, and said he expects the Bill Mott pupil to be more tractable Saturday, that is, if he needs to. “Having been around the horse his whole life, he’s actually a real character and not a hard-pulling type, but he does have natural speed,” he said. “The works he has had since then, Bill has been working on trying to teach him to sit behind horses. From what I’ve seen from them on XBTV, the horse has no problem whatsoever sitting behind horses. Now he doesn’t necessarily have to do that, I think he’s got speed to go up front, but it just shows he definitely won’t be a one-dimensional type horse.” Hidden Scroll’s Fountain of Youth effort was flattered when the horse he dueled into a last-place finish, Gladiator King (Curlin), returned to pull off a 12-1 upset in Saturday’s GIII Hutcheson S. at Gulfstream. “I think Joel [Rosario] just having ridden him the first time probably thought nothing can live with this horse, but we found out last weekend after the Hutcheson what caliber of horse he was trying to outrun early,” O’Rourke said. Hidden Scroll will have a new pilot Saturday, with Rosario being replaced by Javier Castellano. O’Rourke explained the decision by noting that Rosario is committed to 2-year-old champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}), and Juddmonte would prefer to have a jockey who knows Hidden Scroll should he run in the GI Kentucky Derby. That may be the rub, however, as Hidden Scroll has just five Derby qualifying points, and will need to run first or second Saturday to secure a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate. But O’Rourke said that with such a lightly-raced horse, nothing will be forced to get the colt there should he fail to crack the Florida Derby exacta. “It [would be] a concern if we were putting all of our chips on the Derby alone, but given that the horse is inexperienced, we’ve said and Bill has said that if this doesn’t work this weekend, we can regroup with this horse,” he said. “He’s such a talent that I think there will be big races, maybe we could skip to the Preakness or start thinking about races later in the year, but there’s no point trying to push. We wouldn’t run on Saturday and come back in another prep to try to squeeze something to get to the Derby. It wouldn’t be the right thing to do and the hope is that he shows his talent on Saturday. If that doesn’t happen, outside of really, really bad luck, it’s probably a sign that the horse isn’t ready for a step forward like that and we’ll listen to that sign should it present [itself].” If Hidden Scroll does get the job done at Gulfstream, he will likely draw comparisons to last year’s Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) heading into the first Saturday in May due to the two’s similar precocity, inexperience and speedy tendencies. “Supreme talent can always overcome, especially if you’re a frontrunner and can stay out of trouble,” O’Rourke said. “I think that’s the beauty of Hidden Scroll hopefully, is that he’s got the natural speed to be closer to the front than the back by the time they hit the first turn, similar to what Justify had, and I think that’s the kind of horse that can overcome the inexperience.” For his part, McGaughey is brimming with confidence in his three-quarter length Fountain of Youth upsetter, who completed preparations for the Florida Derby with a half-mile bullet in :48 2/5 (1/12) Monday at Payson Park. “I was very impressed with his race in the Fountain of Youth and I thought that he was kind of an easy winner,” McGaughey said. “He made the lead and started waiting on horses. He’s come out of it very well, he’s trained well at Payson Park since then, I was there [Monday] and liked his work, liked the way he looked and acted.” McGaughey called the result of the Fountain of Youth a fair one, and noted that the additional half-furlong Saturday could tilt affairs further in Code of Honor’s direction, despite Hidden Scroll being likely to go favored once again. “He was pretty overlooked in the Fountain of Youth too,” McGaughey said. “I think that if that’s the way it is this coming Saturday, he’ll make some people feel funny. I wouldn’t trade places with any of the horses who are in there. Hidden Scroll’s obviously a talented horse, but he couldn’t carry his speed going a mile and a sixteenth. I know they went fast over a fast racetrack, but speed carries over this track, so I thought we caught him pretty easy and I think the mile and an eighth is going to help us even more.” View the full article

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Shoppers were out in force at the Fasig-Tipton sales barns Tuesday, a day ahead of the company’s Gulfstream Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, with all of the industry’s leading buyers battling for shade and showing space on a sun-baked day in South Florida. Larry Best, whose OXO Equine purchased future graded stakes winner Instagrand (Into Mischief) for a co-topping $1.2 million at the 2018 sale, was making the rounds at the barns alongside advisor John Dowd, as was the Stonestreet Stables team which struck for a $1.2-million daughter of Medaglia d’Oro from the Niall Brennan consignment a year ago, and the Coolmore contingent which purchased a $1-million son of the late Scat Daddy. Trainer Simon Callaghan, who picked out multiple Grade I winner Bellafina (Quality Road) for owner Kaleem Shah at the 2018 auction, took to the barns alongside bloodstock agent Ben McElroy. Tom Ludt of Phoenix Thoroughbreds–which acquired Grade I winner Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) in 2017–was also making the rounds, as was bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, who purchased GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo) at the Hallandale sale in 2015. “The traffic has been very good all morning,” confirmed Eddie Woods, who consigned Instagrand to the auction a year ago. “It’s been steady all week with the usual customers who come through and come through early to watch horses train. And this morning it has been pretty flat out since we started at 8 a.m. So that’s always good.” Of his 2019 consignment, which includes a colt from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (hip 142) and a filly by leading sire Tapit (hip 126), Woods said, “We don’t have a horse who had the fastest work of the day, but I still think we have some nice horses. Going by the way they are looking at them this morning and the people that are looking at them, they’ve gone pretty good and they’re pretty much liking what they see. It’s just a case of them going through whatever else is around here and comparing them to everything else. And hopefully we stay in there.” Woods said he is expecting demand at the boutique auction to be high on Wednesday, but also that many buyers will land on the same horses. “The demand is still high on the top end and it always has been because that’s where all the money is,” he said. “And those people, economy doesn’t effect them as much. We’ll see how it goes here because they’re probably going to start latching onto the same ones as we go through the motions.” Steve Venosa’s SGV Thoroughbreds offered one of three million-dollar juveniles at last year’s Gulfstream sale and the Ocala horseman returns with a five-horse consignment this year. “Every year we come down here, we go through our horses and we try to bring a little bit of something for everyone,” said Venosa. “The horses trained well all week, they previewed well and look like they came out of the works very nicely. And they have been well-received back at the barn.” Venosa, whose draft includes a colt by the sire of last year’s co-topper Into Mischief (hip 15), is looking for a strong sale on Wednesday. “There are a lot of people here,” he said. “The traffic has been non-stop. And I think it’s a great group of horses. Fasig-Tipton always does a fantastic job recruiting horses for this sale.” Consignor Tom McCrocklin sent out the co-fastest quarter-mile worker of Monday’s under-tack preview of the Gulfstream sale. A daughter of Into Mischief, hip 139 covered the distance in :20 3/5. “We had a very good breeze show and Mr. Vet was kind to us,” McCrocklin said. “So I think we’re going to have a good sale. And there seems to be no lacking in buyers and lack of money here.” McCrocklin admitted the Thoroughbred market remains polarized, but he said the boutique Gulfstream sale caters to the high-end buyers who are driving trade. “I don’t care what sale you go to, these buyers are going to gravitate to the same horses overall,” McCrocklin said. “And that’s just the world we live in. But this sale is designed for this market. So if you walk away, as a consignor, and you’re not happy here, then shame on you. Because the people are here and the money is here. You just have to present your product and get the job done. I think it should be a very strong sale.” Fasig-Tipton will be hosting its fifth juvenile sale at Gulfstream Park Wednesday and the auction has firmly found its footing at the Hallandale oval, according to Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “I think everyone has gotten comfortable here,” Browning said. “I think we’ve got a really good home. It’s hard to beat this set up and these conditions. From a weather standpoint and then you’ve got an unbelievable racecard here this weekend with the GI Florida Derby–there are four stakes Friday and seven on Saturday. It’s a really upbeat time of the year. The facilities are fantastic. The horses get a great opportunity to train over a racetrack where a lot of people are hoping that they are going to be running 12 months from now in races like the ones that are coming up this weekend. And I do believe that that is an important consideration, for both buyers and sellers alike, that they get the opportunity to train and work on a racetrack like this.” The Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale will be held in the track’s paddock with bidding scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. View the full article

Hawthorne Race Course is the first racetrack to make use of The Jockey Club’s High Definition (HD) Grant Fund and will begin broadcasting all of its races in HD for the 2019 spring racing season, which began Mar. 15. Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of The Jockey Club, announced the creation of the HD Grant Fund at the 2018 Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing in response to findings from McKinsey & Company’s 2018 analysis of the Thoroughbred industry that were presented at the conference. Through the HD Grant Fund, qualifying tracks may receive up to $150,000 to purchase or lease HD production equipment. “We are very excited about being able to showcase Illinois racing in HD and seeing the product up and running,” said Tim Carey, president and general manager of Hawthorne. “We are thankful for The Jockey Club’s generosity for enabling us to make much-needed upgrades to our equipment and make our races more attractive to watch for fans and bettors.” View the full article

Gulfstream Park's March 29 card is highlighted by the $100,000 Appleton Stakes (G3T) for older horses at a mile and the $100,000 Orchid Stakes (G3T) for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles. View the full article

Trainer Marcus Tregoning is thinking of giving Shadwell’s Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) his seasonal debut in the G3 Watership Down Stud Greenham S. at Newbury on Apr. 13. The son of Showcasing could clash with champion European 2-year-old Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Group 3 seven-furlong event, and is a course and a distance winner, having ended his juvenile campaign with victory in the G3 Horris Hill S. in October. Tregoning reports Mohaather to have wintered well and is keen to see if he can prove himself to be a realistic contender for the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, for which Too Darn Hot is hot favourite in the ante-post betting. “So far, so good. He’s had a good winter. The plan at this stage is to run in the Greenham, then we’ll see after that,” said the Whitsbury handler. “I’m not welded to it and if things change, then they change, but at the moment that is what we are most likely to do. Obviously, the Greenham will be a good trial because supposedly John Gosden’s horse goes there. We may not be good enough to go for the Guineas, who knows? That’s the plan at the moment. The thing about the horse is he’s an early type, I think, looking at the make and shape of him. I think he’ll come together pretty quickly now. Hopefully, everything goes right, we’ll be there and run a good race.” View the full article

TDN Publisher and CEO Sue Morris Finley caught up with National Thoroughbred Racing Association President and CEO Alex Waldrop to get his take on the hot-button issues being discussed by industry participants in the wake of a rash of breakdowns at Santa Anita. SF: Do you feel like we’re at a crucial crossroads right now, and the decisions we make will set the stage for our future? AW: This is a crucial time for our industry, but we have been at this crossroads before and have emerged in a better place. We live in a completely different world than our predecessors, especially in California, which has the most vocal animal rights lobby in the nation. However, we as an industry do have a history of taking action. When Aqueduct was going through a similar bad spate in 2012, an independent task force identified issues and put measures in place that created a safer racing environment that endures today. When Del Mar found itself at the epicenter of a crisis in 2016, they made meaningful changes and instituted protocols that significantly improved its safety record. Those examples drive home the effectiveness of owners, trainers, and track management making good decisions and implementing real change in the way we conduct our events. Those actions include thinking of the horse first and foremost in every decision. That has to be the goal of every man and woman in this business. SF: There have reportedly been protestors in front of Santa Anita every midday after training, even with the track being closed for racing. How big a concern should this be to the industry? AW: It is never good for your fans or your employees to be subjected to this kind of negativity but, if it were not clear before, it should be clear to all of us that horse injuries and fatalities are the number one threat to our future and we must not let anything deter us from searching out and mitigating every potential risk to the safety and welfare of our equine athletes. This is not simply a public relations challenge; it is a challenge to do everything we can to prevent horse injuries and fatalities both in the morning and the afternoon. That is why we formed the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance in 2009, to implement uniform and substantive standards that go to the heart of the problem. The Alliance Code of Standards is meaningful and thoughtfully based on real world experience. The Alliance standards evolve as our industry best practices evolve ensuring that our work is never done. We will keep working and evaluating and measuring to make sure we are doing all we can do to protect our equine and human athletes. Until we actually reduce the number of equine injuries and fatalities, even further, negative voices will be the loudest, irrespective of what we might say or promise to do. SF: PETA has said that no progress has been made since Eight Belles broke down in the 2008 Derby. Is that true? AW: To say that there has been no progress since 2008 just is not supported by the facts. The fact is that The Jockey Club’s excellent Equine Injury Database (EID) proves undeniably that we have improved the situation for all of our human and equine athletes. We have seen a 16% decline in fatalities nationwide since the inception of the EID and we are now in a position to mine the valuable data compiled by the EID over many years to identify risk factors. The Alliance has made huge strides over the past 10 years in implementing uniform safety and integrity protocols that have led to a safer racing environment. Dr. Mick Peterson has established the Racing Surfaces and Testing Laboratory that has become a vital resource for the industry. Dr. Dionne Benson has led the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium to become a true partner for industry research into the safe, judicious use of therapeutic medication and a more aggressive enforcement of the rules aimed at protecting the integrity of the industry. The list of reforms is extensive and it continues to grow as we identify and implement new and better answers. Whether it’s better education of the dangers of bisphosphonates that may negatively impact bone growth in young horses; more pre- and post-race drug testing and enforcement; more thorough post-mortem evaluations of horses; or better technology to diagnose illness or weakness before it leads to an injury or fatality, much is already being done. Many people are working on these and many other valuable initiatives on a daily basis. These are the people we need to heed, rather than the posturings of a self-serving organization seeking only to advance its agenda of eradicating our sport. SF: How does the NTRA impact these initiatives? AW: We affect all safety and integrity initiatives primarily through the Alliance. We also have a shared mission with the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, which is responsible for developing and promoting uniform rules, policies and testing standards at the national level as well as the coordination of research and educational programs that seek to ensure the health and welfare of racehorses and participants. There are numerous examples of how the Alliance has led to a safer racing environment at racetracks across the country through the implementation of best practices, which become model rules across the country. Racetracks cannot achieve accreditation without participating in The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database (EID). They must institute robust pre- and post-race veterinary examination protocols to monitor the horse. There are infectious disease programs that must be in place. We promote the full adoption across the country of the RMTC’s National Uniform Medication Program. Prior to the formation of the Alliance, starting gate crews were not required to wear safety helmets; now it is commonplace everywhere. The Alliance was at the forefront of the aftercare movement through the institution of programs at racetracks across the country. Through the Alliance, there are racing surfaces standards and training and continuing education programs for all racetrack employees having direct contact with the horse. Earlier this month, the Alliance and RMTC co-hosted a regulatory veterinarian CE program that drew more than 60 veterinarians representing over 50 North American racetracks and six countries. I could go on. There have been literally hundreds of safety protocols and industry best practices promoted by the Alliance and implemented by racetracks in the past decade. It is noteworthy that according to The Jockey Club’s most recent announcement concerning the 2018 EID statistics, Alliance accredited racetracks that disclose their fatality rates achieved the lowest average rate for equine fatalities per 1000 starts–1.45. Thus, Alliance accreditation is moving the needle in the right direction for our industry. Racetracks representing 75% of the North American pari-mutuel handle are Alliance accredited, but we need every racetrack to embrace the program. SF: What are your concerns about states implementing ballot propositions banning racing? What is the NTRA prepared to do to counter these initiatives? AW: We are always concerned about legislative initiatives that threaten our sport. The NTRA stands ready to assist in countering any state referendum but, as we have said already, the best defense is a good story to tell of bringing about real change in attitude and result. That is the best way to counter the opposition. SF: In times of crisis in racing, many lament that we don’t have a national office or spokesperson. Should we? Can we? AW: The logistics of a national office are daunting to say the least. The different commercial interests of the various entities in racing–racetrack operators, trainers, owners, breeders, jockeys and regulators–make it a very high hurdle that is very difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Also, horse racing is state regulated. This is why we formed the Alliance, to provide a non-governmental, self-regulatory structure for the improvement of the sport. The purpose is to work constructively with state regulators and stakeholders to ensure that the industry is regulated in an effective, aggressive manner. The Alliance is nimble, and where there is consensus, it can move quickly to push the adoption of many reform efforts that are already underway across the country. Every racing commission in the country should be working with the Alliance and the racetracks they regulate to promote the highest degree of safety and integrity. The NTRA speaks for its membership, which includes all facets of the industry. We have done so in past crises and we will do it again. The rise of social media has made it very difficult in certain circumstances to speak with one voice. However, because of social media, we are hearing from new voices and new perspectives and that can be a very good thing. SF: They say that there is an opportunity in every crisis. What is racing’s opportunity right now? AW: The safety and welfare of our equine and human athletes must be paramount. The overwhelming majority of individuals who derive their livelihood from horseracing agree with this statement. If we can come away from this crisis with our commitment to safety and welfare more firmly established and put into practice by all segments of the business, we will not only survive this crisis, but also emerge in a better place. View the full article

Assistant Trainer Alessandro Sano talks about Gunnevera during morning training on Tuesday, March 26 at Meydan for Dubai World Cup 2019. Courtesy Dubai Racing Club View the full article