Wandering Eyes

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

It’s great to be back on the turf and we had a very informative first day of the season in Ireland, even though the ground was very testing. The horses needed to be fit to win, but what we learned is that Jim Bolger has hit the ground running and has his horses in tremendous form. They have been running well throughout the winter, too, so it was no surprise to see that continue on the grass, with Kevin Manning riding exceptionally well. The 2-year-old race was interesting with Red Epaulette (Ire) winning impressively for Michael O’Callaghan. Michael started at the breeze-ups and he’s capable of training anything but he’s exceptionally good at getting the 2-year-olds ready, as we’ve seen over a number of seasons. The ground was holding on Sunday so they needed to be physically strong to get through it and his Epaulette (Aus) colt was powerful looking. Ger Lyons has done awfully well once again to get a horse like Karawaan (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was bought pretty reasonably at the sales. This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this with a horse he’s taken on from elsewhere. To me, he won the Lincolnshire like a stakes horse, travelling like the best horse through the race and quickening up nicely. Ger is very informative through his blog and tells it like it is. I think we could do with more of that. There’s been a bit of a merry-go-round of jockeys in Ireland over the winter and it was great to see Leigh Roche get off the mark in the 2-year-old race as he’s just been appointed as stable jockey to Michael O’Callaghan. The same goes for Shane Foley with Still Standing (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in his new role for Jessica Harrington. Appreciating a Champion With the turf season about to start in England, it’s been great to see champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa riding so well in Hong Kong. The best way to describe Silvestre is to say he’s like a little machine—that’s what he is. It goes without saying that he’s a very talented rider but he’s blessed with his physique and stature, he’s just the perfect size for a jockey. He doesn’t have to think about anything other than riding. He’s a little barrel, full of strength and energy, and that’s what you need to succeed in Hong Kong. The workload is quite intense and he’s able to deal with that well. Silvestre has just improved year on year and he’s a very nice fella with it. When he came to Ireland first from Brazil he was riding at Dermot Weld’s, so I’ve known him for a long time, and I’m thrilled that things have gone so well for him. What he’s achieved in his time in Hong Kong, riding over 40 winners, is quite remarkable. He’ll come back to England now with a good job for King Power Racing, an operation with a lot of horses, and he’ll be very difficult to beat in the championship again. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s not some pressure on him in the near future to take up a more permanent role in Hong Kong. Winx a Credit to Waller Full marks to Chris Waller and his team for what they’ve achieved with Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). Personally I don’t think it will ever be achieved again. To win 24 Group 1 races straight is actually quite hard to get your mind around. She’s an exceptional racehorse—I’ve got up early in the mornings to watch her run and to my eye she’s an unbelievable athlete. All you can do in any career is beat what’s put in front of you. She does everything effortlessly, she gives horses ground out of the gate—that’s just her style of racing—but she picks them up easily and wins. Her owners took the decision not to travel her to Europe, and of course we would have loved to see her at Royal Ascot, but it’s important to understand that the prize-money is so good in Australia that it would be hard to give up million-dollar races to come to the other side of the world to compete. I think Hugh Bowman has built up a huge rapport with the mare and rides her so well. I’m fortunate enough to be friendly with Hugh. He met his wife Christine in Australia while she was there looking after Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}) when Dermot Weld took him down for the Melbourne Cup. I’ve spoken to him on numerous occasions about Winx and I think some of the criticism of the mare on this side of the world is just a typical example of when you’re at the top everyone wants to knock you. For the Love of the Horse With all the current talk about welfare, you only need to look at a horse like Winx and her longevity to see how well our equine athletes are taken care of. In my opinion, we’re in a very fragile time as regards how our industry is portrayed on the welfare issue. I’ve worked with horses all my life and I know how well they are looked after, but I think there’s an onus on the trainers, the studs, all of us, to get that message out there. A great example is a horse like Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who had seven or eight unbelievable seasons. He won 21 of his 38 races but he was a horse who needed a lot of minding and a lot of physiotherapy. The work that went into that horse was just amazing and I think that’s an important thing to get across. They are taken care of better than most human beings. It’s very important that we don’t allow the general public to start thinking the wrong thing. When you say welfare, people can misinterpret that as cruelty, and I think we are at a sticky stage. We have to get a hold of things and reassure the public that if they make an investment in a racehorse they are looked after as well as many humans. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt—human or equine—and unfortunately it does happen from time to time, but we are putting out a negative vibe about our industry to the general public and that could be very damaging. I’d like to see the BHA come back to the grassroots and realise that the trainers are very capable, caring and thorough in how they go about their work. I just think that shouldn’t be lost in the middle of everything that’s going on at the moment. My wife Frances and I live on a small stud and there’s a huge amount of work that’s put into it with very little reward—all breeders know how hard it is—but we do it for the love of it. That must not be forgotten. For us, breeding is a hobby, it’s our enjoyment. All of us in racing got into working with horses because we love horses. I’d like to appeal to the studs and the trainers to use the power of social media to get clips out there showing all the little things that are done for horses every day, even starting from the deep beds they have in their stables and the really good nutrition. I want the public to realise that the people who are working with the horses genuinely have great affinity and love for them. View the full article

Godolphin’s G1 Investec Derby hero Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) is due to start cantering again this week as he continues building up towards a racecourse return. Charlie Appleby’s colt has been off the track since his Epsom success, with a leg injury bringing a premature end to his campaign last July. Masar has been training in Dubai since January, and Appleby reports plenty of positive progress–although the Godolphin team are in no hurry to map out any plans. The Newmarket trainer said, “He is in good shape and is stepping up each week out there [in Dubai]. He will start cantering at the end of this week. He has done everything right, what we’ve asked of him. He still remains very exciting, going forward. The aim would be that we are probably looking towards Ascot, but there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge and we are not really putting an aim on when he will be back. We would rather just get him back to the UK with a good level of exercise in him–then we will be able to make more firm decisions from there.” Appleby also offered an update on the sidelined G1 National S. hero Quorto (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas bid was derailed by a soft-tissue injury earlier this month while training in Dubai. Appleby is uncertain how long the ‘TDN Rising Star’ will be on the easy list, but still hopes to have him back at some point this summer with a potential shot at champion juvenile colt and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) a possibility. “He is off for a re-scan in Dubai this week, and we will then have a better indication of the time scale he will be on the sidelines for,” said the trainer. “I’m not saying the 2000 Guineas was going to be a two-horse race, but I was looking forward to Too Darn Hot and them having a crack at each other. Hopefully it can happen later in the season.” Their stablemate Line Of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is weighing his options, but a run in one of the Guineas is likely. Appleby added:,”He is wintering away well, is just tipping away under the radar at the moment. He is in the French and English 2000 Guineas, and nearer the time we will make a decision which is the preferred route. He will not have a prep run. He will head straight to one of those Guineas.” View the full article

Banning the use of the drug in horses younger than 4 has been adopted by 29 Thoroughbred racing organizations in seven states. View the full article

The 2019 Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series, featuring two additional qualifying races this term, was launched by the Irish European Breeders’ Fund and Foran Equine, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. Total prize-money for the series, now in its fifth year, has increased to €666,000 with 24 qualifying races, a €120,000 final and a new €30,000 nursery handicap, which will take place a week after the final. The two new races are targeted at horses bough for €30,000 or less and the €30,000 nursery handicap will offer a shorter race at Navan Racecourse. All 24 qualifying races, eligible to horses purchased for €72,000 or less at a yearling or 2-year-old and EBF eligible, will be worth a minimum of €20,000, as well as being Plus 10 registered, with qualified winners eligible for a €12,500 bonus, if they are also by an EBF registered sire. The first race is slated for Naas Racecourse Apr. 12 and the final will be held there on Oct. 20. For the full schedule go to www.hri-ras.ie/ or www.auctionseries.ie. “The series has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2015, with double the prize-money on offer this year and already double the number of runners taking part up to 2018,” said Irish EBF Manager Nessa Joyce. “In response to requests from the industry, the Irish EBF board with the commitment of our co-sponsors Foran Equine, are delighted to be in a position to add two more maiden races this year, to cater for horses purchased for €30,000 or less. In addition, the new nursery handicap will give qualified horses another option to aim for at the end of the series.” View the full article

David O’Rourke, who has been serving as interim CEO of the New York Racing Association since the departure of Christopher Kay a little more than two months ago, has been unanimously appointed by the NYRA Board of Directors as CEO and president of the organization, effective immediately. “I am honored to have been selected by the Board of Directors to lead NYRA during this exciting time in its storied history,” said O’Rourke. “We have made tremendous progress as an organization over the past several years, but there is still much work to be done to continue to grow our racing product during an era of unprecedented competition and change within the sports and entertainment industry. I thank the NYRA Board for this opportunity and will continue to rely upon the outstanding talent within our organization as we work closely with industry partners and stakeholders to build upon our successes.” O’Rourke, 45, became NYRA’s director of financial planning in 2008 before taking on the role of vice president for corporate development in 2010. Three years later, he was appointed NYRA chief revenue officer and senior vice president, where he was responsible for NYRA’s business development strategies across a range of disciplines including industry relations, simulcast markets and contracts, television strategy, advance deposit wagering (ADW) operations, and capital projects. During his tenure at NYRA, O’Rourke has played a key role in fostering the development and growth of NYRA Bets, the company’s national advance deposit wagering platform that is currently available in 30 states. He has also helped promote the growth of NYRA’s television broadcasts Belmont Park Live and Saratoga Live, which in 2019 will televise nearly every raceday in 2019 from Belmont and Saratoga. View the full article

Champions Monomoy Girl and Shamrock Rose are among the four 2018 Breeders' Cup winners - joining Bulletin and Newspaperofrecord (IRE) - who are nominated to the nine stakes being run at Keeneland April 4-7 to kick off the 2019 spring meet. View the full article

Horses preparing for 2019 Dubai World Cup Day including Stormy Liberal, Gold Mount, Wishful Thinker, Gunnevera, Audible, Yoshida, Jabath, Desert Encounter, X Y Jet, and Dolkong. Courtesy of Dubai Racing Club. View the full article

An “immediate and strict prohibition” on the use of bisphosphonates on all horses under the age of four has been adopted by horsemens’ organizations, gaming commissions and racetracks up and down the Eastern seaboard in the Mid-Atlantic region. The decision was made at the annual Mid-Atlantic Regulatory and Stakeholders meeting held at Delaware Park Mar. 21, 2019. The action follows a recommendation from the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Board of Directors on Mar. 7, 2019, urging a regional and national ban. The mandate reads: “The entire Mid-Atlantic region will impose, and strongly urges all Thoroughbred industry stakeholders and regulators to support, the enactment of an immediate prohibition on the use of bisphosphonates in all horses under the age of four, unless and until the scientific and veterinary community determines that the use of such drugs does not compromise the health and welfare of the horse. The use of bisphosphonates in horses four years old and older should be limited to only those horses who have been diagnosed with navicular disease by a veterinarian and for whom the use of such drugs is warranted.” The National HBPA participated in the Mid-Atlantic meeting and voted to support the directive. It has issued its formal support and will advise its affiliates to join with their Mid-Atlantic counterparts in a nationwide prohibition. “The National HBPA and its affiliates are, and have always been, committed to the highest standards of equine health and welfare,” said NHBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “Together, we join with other major industry stakeholders and regulators in supporting an immediate prohibition on the off-label use of bisphosphonates, which we believe is in the best interest of our equine athletes and our industry.” Alan Foreman, the chairman and CEO of the THA and long-time coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic meetings, commented: “There is absolutely no reason for these drugs to be administered to a horse, except under the very limited circumstance for which they were approved by the FDA. While we recognize that there are scientific and testing challenges, it is indisputable that there is no legitimate extra-label use for these drugs in racing and breeding and we must act to stop it now if we are to fulfill our commitment to the health and welfare of the horse.” “The regulatory community strongly supports this action and will take the necessary steps to see that it is enforced. I thank our Mid-Atlantic regulators and stakeholders for joining together quickly and unanimously to implement this prohibition and will seek the full support of the ARCI at our meeting in California”, said J. Michael Hopkins, Executive Director of the Maryland Racing Commission and Chairman of the Association of Racing Commissioners International. On Mar. 25, America’s three leading auction houses, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton and OBS, issued a joint declaration that buyers of horses less than four years old will retain the right to have those horses tested for bisphosphonates and should a positive test result occur, the buyer may rescind the sale. View the full article

Whether its International racing or Uk and Irish action you are after we cover it all and have Daily Horse Racing offers available for you to get involved in. Check out today’s Horse Racing Offers below. UK Horse Racing Offer – Money Back All Losers if the Favourite Wins! On one race every day we […] The post Daily Horse Racing Offers – Tuesday 26th March appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

His name suggests he is not much fun to train but Frankie Lor Fu-chuen says his classy three-year-old Frustrated is quite the opposite.The Australian-bred import is a last-start winner and comes back to a happy hunting ground in Happy Valley on Wednesday night in the Class Four Indian Recreation Club Challenge Cup (1,000m) as he looks to score back-to-back wins.The young galloper had been a stand-out trial horse before his debut last month, but struggled on race day in his first two… View the full article

New trainer Paul O’Sullivan is going back to square one with Pakistan Star, hoping his original jockey Matthew Chadwick can restore the magic.After a merry-go-round of jockeys and even a stable transfer, Pakistan Star stepped out for a barrier trial for the first time since finishing 10th in the Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup last month.The early indications were promising with the six-year-old steaming home to comfortably win the 1,200m trial on the all-weather surface with plenty in hand… View the full article

Top jockey Zac Purton has pulled off a coup, securing the ride on top-rated sprinter Mr Stunning for the upcoming feature races, unseating Karis Teetan in the process.The Australian will ride the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained six-year-old in the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) next week and the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) three weeks later after the horse’s owner requested a change of rider.With Purton picking up the ride, it means he now has a live chance to win all three of the… View the full article

Redoute’s Choice (Aus) (Danehill-Shantha’s Choice {Aus}, by Canny Lad {Aus}) was euthanised at Arrowfield Stud on Tuesday morning, the stud announced. The three-time leading Australian sire was 22. The bay sustained a loss of mobility that could not be restored despite the best efforts of Arrowfield’s veterinary and stallion teams and was humanely put down. “Redoute’s Choice is such a big part of all our lives, and right now it’s hard to imagine Arrowfield without him,” said Arrowfield’s John Messara. “He has given us so much, Arrowfield has been built on his back and he’s allowed all of us and many, many other people to fulfill our dreams and ambitions. I thank Muzaffar Yaseen for allowing us to buy into Redoute’s Choice almost two decades ago. Our partnership has always been amicable and it has achieved all that we could hope for, and more. I’m grateful to all my team, past and present, who are part of his story, especially those who have cared for and worked with Redoute’s Choice every day, and have ensured that he’s had the long and wonderful life he deserved. There are many tears being shed at Arrowfield today. I also thank everyone who helped us launch his stud career, his shareholders, and those who bred to him, and bought, raced, trained and rode his progeny. He has blessed us all.” A winner of the G1 Blue Diamond S. at two and the G1 Manikato S., G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 C. F. Orr S. at three, the Rick Hore-Lacy trainee was named the Australian highweight from 7-9 1/2 furlongs during the 1999/2000 season, before going off to stud at Arrowfield in the fall of 2000. His first champion sire title was earned in 2005/2006, with another following in 2009/10 and the third 2013/14. A remarkable sire of sires and broodmare sire, he is currently credited with 163 black-type winners, 106 group winners and 34 Group 1 winners. The Autumn Sun (Aus) is his current standout performer this season and Redoute’s choice has also sired three A$1-million colts at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale alone. Added Messara, “It is a great consolation to me that Redoute’s Choice leaves us at the top of his game, having sustained his greatness as a sire from start to finish, across the full span of his career. His legacy to Australian breeding and racing is immense, through his sire sons, his broodmare daughters, his final crops still to come and all the people he touched over the past two decades. Thank you Redoute’s, for everything.” More to follow… View the full article

Baertschiger's rising star ready to be Thrust into 3YO limelight View the full article

Strong Blizzard alert at Tuesday barrier trials View the full article

Two colts by the late Pioneerof the Nile are entered in The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected 2-year-olds in training sale held March 27. View the full article

An upset result in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) allowed By My Standards to crash the top 10, while Game Winner strengthened his position atop the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 3-Year-Old Poll this week. View the full article

A full rundown of horse racing television and radio for Florida Derby and Dubai World Cup Weekend. View the full article

By My Standards earned a spot in the May 4 Run for the Roses, collecting 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby for owner Chester Thomas and trainer Bret Calhoun in the March 23 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds. View the full article