Wandering Eyes

“Proven Strategies” is a new regular series in the TDN, presented by Keeneland. It is written by Len Green of The Green Group and DJ Stables, who won the 2018 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). Although most of the readers understand the term pinhooking, let’s spend a moment defining how to approach it in a fiscally responsible way. The majority of horses who are pinhooked are yearlings, purchased at public auction. They are then trained and eventually resold as “race-ready” two-year olds in training. The same practice can be done with weanlings to re-sell as yearlings or two-year olds. The attraction that comes with investing in weanlings and yearlings is their ability to provide an opportunity for portfolio diversification in an area that historically and currently provides high returns. Buying horses at reasonable costs and selling with high returns is the traditional strategy in pinhooking. The first step includes acquiring top prospects based on conformation, pedigree or family/sire popularity. Of course, there are inherent risks involved in this sector of the market. Pinhooking is a risky venture due to the fact that not every young horse can handle the strict timetable of the breaking and training process. There are multiple factors that can put an investor in an unfavorable situation, such as their horse suffering an injury, not developing into a physically strong stature, not making the cut for a prospective sale or not performing well at the breeze show. While you may not have full control in all areas of this business, you do have the opportunity to grow your knowledge in other profitable ways, including tax savings. Big Tax Changes Before the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act, the tax advantages of buying weanlings or yearlings were limited. Many buyers did not take any tax deductions and treated the purchase as inventory. Now the buyer has some flexibility. Bonus Depreciation Significant changes to the bonus depreciation rules were made to the Tax Code at the end of 2017. Businesses may now take 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property both acquired and placed in service after Sept. 27, 2017 and before Jan. 1, 2023. Yearlings are now eligible for bonus depreciation. Expensing Under IRC §179 IRC §179 provides another avenue for taxpayers to accelerate the deduction of capital purchases that may be more beneficial than bonus depreciation. This allows taxpayers to deduct the entire purchase price of the property, up to a certain amount, that would otherwise be depreciable. Limits have also been increased to $1,000,000 for property placed in service in 2018. How are Pinhooking Profits Taxed? For most capital assets, the seller receives long term favorable tax rates if they hold the asset for more than a year. For pinhooking it is more complicated. You should consult with your tax advisor to see if it qualifies for the lower capital gains tax. If not, then you need to speak to an advisor who understand the nuances of the horse business. Examining the Steps that Could Enhance your Pinhooking Profitability We have studied a number of successful pinhookers and found numerous similarities in their approach. For example, when smart pinhookers go to buy yearlings at a sale, they follow a strategic plan of attack, including: 1. Physically examining almost every horse at the yearling sale. This is no easy task, especially at the larger yearling sales. The Keeneland September Sale has cataloged almost 4,000 yearlings over a 16-day sale. 2. The examination process entails: Physically examining the horse’s conformation. Since there are over 50 barns at the Keeneland sale, there is a lot of walking in addition to examining the horses. Talking to the consignors about any reserves, vet issues, personality traits, etc. Creating a “short list” of horses to have vetted or to look at a second time. Contacting a vet to review the x-rays and reports in the repository. Checking for “updates” on the horse’s family history, which could affect the price. And of course, confirming your credit line with the sales company. After you follow these steps above, you should then meet with your advisors and develop a strategy, as well as a budget. It is important you also allocate this budget to ensure for the greatest potential in profit. If you have any questions on how to approach the pinhooking business in a more financially responsible way, please reach out to one of our knowledgeable accountants specializing in the horse industry. Don’t forget the first tax consultation is free for those who read this column! Happy Tax Season! View the full article

Barry Johnson, the former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and past Chairman of World Horse Welfare, has been appointed as the independent chair of a new Horse Welfare Board on behalf of the British Racing industry, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Monday. Johnson was appointed by an industry panel that included the BHA, the Racecourse Association and The Horsemen’s Group. “I’m very pleased to have been asked by racing to take on this role and by the sport’s commitment to continuous improvement in the welfare of racehorses,” said Johnson. “I look forward to working with all those who want to play their part in enhancing the lives of racehorses and in making the sport as safe as possible. I want to start by listening widely to those who work directly with horses in our industry as their experience and skills will be vital in shaping a new horse welfare strategy.” Johnson’s fist task, with the help of the Welfare Board, is to develop a new welfare strategy covering the whole racing industry in Britain and look across the whole lifetime of racehorses, before, during, and after they leave the sport. The Horsemen’s Group and the Racecourse Association will both be represented on the Board, while BHA Director of Equine Health and Welfare Dr. David Sykes will also sit on the board. The first meeting of the Horse Welfare Board will be in a few weeks. “The public has seen recently during the influenza outbreak how racing acts with great care and professionalism to manage the risk to racehorses,” said BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust. “I expect the strategy to set out our ambition for bringing the same level of focus at all stages of the racehorse’s life and explaining this collectively and confidently to outside audiences.” View the full article

The horse racing industry in and around the village of Lambourn has show it is worth over £22.6m per year and that racing is responsible for one third of the jobs in the area. Commissioned by Jockey Club Estates and West Berkshire District Council and conducted by SQW, the report titled ‘Horse Racing in Lambourn Valley’ acknowledged the role of Newbury Racecourse and the positive impact it has on Lambourn, the second biggest training centre in the country, as well as the challenged faced by the racing industry in the area. Based on 2017 data, horse racing is responsible for the equivalent of 754 full-time jobs, approximately 30% of an estimated total of 2,500 jobs in the parishes of Lambourn, East Garston and Great Shefford. According to the study, the racing industry in Lambourn is increasing, with the number of horses utilizing the public Lambourn Training Grounds rising by 16% in the last two years. For the full report, click here. “Lambourn’s natural attributes make it a wonderful location for training horses and since Jockey Club Estates took on the management of the public gallops we have invested heavily in the facilities,” said Nick Patton, Managing Director of Jockey Club Estates. “Our objective is to attract as many owners, trainers and horses to Lambourn as we can and to further build on the progress made in recent years. Our thanks to West Berks District Council for their support for this project which has demonstrated the value and importance of the racing industry to the village and the surrounding area.” “The report confirms the progress that Lambourn’s horse racing cluster has made during recent years and the potential for its contribution to increase further,” said SQW’s Bill Wicksteed. “However, it also highlights issues that need to be addressed to ensure that its potential is realised. Staff housing and traffic management are major issues which can only be tackled through a partnership effort by racing, the local community and public authorities. We look forward to working with the Jockey Club and others to build on the industry’s success and to deliver the infrastructure that will allow it to flourish in the years to come.” View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—Dubai may be a far cry from Ascot, but this weekend’s World Cup meeting at Meydan will include the first qualifying race for the newly expanded Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million, which is now in its second year. The G2 Dubai Gold Cup is the seasonal launchpad for Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who can be considered one of a number of potential challengers to the reigning champion stayer and inaugural £1 million bonus winner Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Bjorn Nielsen’s homebred demonstrated his wellbeing when asked to parade during the official launch of the 2019 series in Newmarket, looking full of zest as he reared several times for onlookers at John Gosden’s Clarehaven Stables. “He is in great order and has just started building up his preparation, and all being well we will go to the Yorkshire Cup,” said Gosden of the 5-year-old entire. “We’ve just been doing the usual canters on Warren Hill. He has had a great winter. He is not a big horse, but he has thickened out and strengthened.” Stradivarius looks likely to chart the same course in attempting to net the bonus for the second time but he could face stiffer competition this year with the number of qualifying races having been doubled to eight, and now taking place in Dubai, France, Germany and Ireland as well as England. “We dipped our toe in the water last year as regards qualifying races but we thought we would extend it to Europe and Dubai this year,” explained Charles Hamilton, CEO of Weatherbys Hamilton. He added, “From the moment that Stradivarius crossed the line in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York last year, it was always our intention to continue with the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million if we possibly could, given the phenomenally successful way it drew attention to the stayers. It is very gratifying to be closely associated with a group of horses whose survival is so vital to the health and diversity of the racing and breeding industries and to witness the effect that the Million has had in promoting them.” Hoppegarten’s G2 Comer Group International Oleander-Rennen, to be run this year on May 12, is another race to have been added to the list of qualifiers. Owner-breeder Gerhard Schoningh, who also owns Hoppegarten racecourse in Berlin, was in Newmarket for the launch and reported increased interest in the race from outside Germany for this season. “As well as a good number of German horses, we have 17 entries from Ireland and 11 from Willie Mullins alone,” said Schoningh. “Germany is a small breeding country but staying horses are really our strength so it is wonderful to be part of the series and to showcase what Germany is really good at.” Among the Mullins horses entered are the G1 Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}), Cheltenham Festival-winning mare Limini (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and G2 Doncaster Cup winner Thomas Hobson (GB) (Halling), who was second to Stradivarius on his seasonal swansong in the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup. Gosden, who will also be pointing Juddmonte’s Weekender (GB) (Frankel {GB}) towards the series despite a minor setback which has ruled him out of competing in the Dubai Gold Cup, added, “It is great that they have opened it right up. Obviously you have the Dubai Gold Cup this Saturday and a race in Germany, France and Ireland. With a bit of luck you will have seven or eight going to the Ascot Gold Cup, all eligible for the bonus. “Weekender might well go for it. He was going to Dubai, but he got a cut that wasn’t healing correctly on his leg so I didn’t want to travel him. A race like the Sagaro Stakes would be a very likely spot for him.” The eight qualifying races for the 2019 Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million are: Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (Dubai), March 30 Vintage Crop Stakes (Navan), April 28 Longines Sagaro Stakes (Ascot), May 1 Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes (Chester), May 9 Comer Group International Oleander-Rennen (Berlin-Hoppegarten), May 12 Matchbook Yorkshire Cup (York), May 17 Matchbook Henry II Stakes (Sandown Park), May 23 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (ParisLongchamp), May 26 The winner of any one of the qualifying races then has to win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot before going on to snare the G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup and G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York’s Ebor Meeting. View the full article

Buyers of horses younger than four years old at three major auction houses in the U.S. will be able to have those horses tested for bisphosphonates, according to a joint statement issued Monday morning by the Keeneland Association, Fasig-Tipton Company Inc. and Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Inc. (OBS). According to the release, the policy is undertaken to ban off-label use of these drugs. The revised Conditions of Sale for each of these sales companies takes effect July 1, 2019. The first sale held under this new policy will be the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, July 8 and 9 in Lexington, Kentucky. At each of the three sales companies, buyers of young horses may request testing for bisphosphonates to be performed at the time of purchase. If the sale horse tests positive, a buyer has the right, within 24 hours of notification, to rescind the sale. This measure by Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton and OBS-the three major U.S. Thoroughbred auction companies-mirrors the action they took in 2009 to ban the use of anabolic steroids in sales horses. Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason, Fasig-Tipton President Boyd T. Browning Jr. and OBS President Tom Ventura were quoted in the joint statement as saying, “This is an integrity issue. We all agree that this policy is critical to strengthen buyer confidence in the entire Thoroughbred auction process. As research continues, we will amend our Conditions of Sale to reflect the advancements in testing science.” In summary, the policy will be implemented as follows: The buyer has the right to request, at the time of purchase, that blood be drawn from a horse to test for the presence of bisphosphonates; The respective sales company will coordinate testing with a designated laboratory and report the results of those tests to the consignor and buyer in a timely manner; If the sale horse tests positive for bisphosphonates, the buyer has the right, within 24 hours of notification, to rescind the sale and return the horse to the consignor; and The buyer will bear the $500 cost of the test; however, if test results are positive, the cost will shift to the consignor. View the full article

A New York horsemen's group is urging regulators to bolster plans for establishing new standards for living conditions at backstretch working housing facilities owned by the New York Racing Association. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.Conghua race day unveils a new era for China horse racing – @ThoroughWizIt was cold, wet and there was next to no atmosphere – the absence of betting will do that – but there was enough customary Jockey Club efficiency and positivity from the key players to label Saturday’s trailblazing Conghua meeting a success.While the novelty of the occasion no doubt played a… View the full article

Me Tsui Yu-sak believes his gun sprinter Music Addition felt the effects of a blazing hot pace earlier this month when he put in a career-worst performance at Happy Valley.The four-year-old raced on the speed, attempting to match engines with known front-runner Handsome Bo Bo after drawing wide, but tailed off to be beaten comfortably as a $5.9 second favourite.The Australian import was also without his usual jockey Silvestre de Sousa after he was forced to withdraw mid-meeting due to a back… View the full article

Starlight Racing's Cutting Humor put himself on the map March 24 with a win over favorite Mucho Gusto in the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby (G3) at Sunland Park. View the full article

Showing the class of her pedigree, Chasing Yesterday once again proved the betting public correct as she broke slow in the March 24 Sunland Park Oaks but was able to make up ground, take over the lead, and pull away to a 1 1/4-length victory. View the full article

Starlight Racing’s CUTTING HUMOR (c, 3, First Samurai–Pun, by Pulpit) bounced back from a seventh-place finish as the favorite in the GIII Southwest S. to annex this lucrative GI Kentucky Derby prep in track record time. Well supported at the windows again–especially late–the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga was off at 2-1 and was parked out in the clear early by Hall of Famer John Velazquez as favored Bob Baffert trainee Mucho Gusto (Much Macho Man) showed the way with local hope Hustle Up (Abstraction) applying pressure with El Camino Real Derby hero Anothertwistafate (Scat Daddy) in the pocket spot. Cutting Humor looked to have Mucho Gusto’s number as he ranged up ominously heading for home, and while the chalk briefly fought back, Cutting Humor had too much in the tank. Anothertwistafate finally got going in midstretch, and cut the margin of victory to just a neck at the line. Cutting Humor stopped the clock in 1:46.94, lowering the previous record time of 1:47 1/5. Cutting Humor was second in his sprint debut in the Belmont slop Sept. 9, and settled for third in a salty Keeneland route Oct. 7. behind subsequent GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. runner-up Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) and eventual GII Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull S. upsetter Harvey Wallbanger (Congrats). He broke through at a mile at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 17, and resurfaced to be second behind GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Bourbon War (Tapit) in a Gulfstream optional claimer Jan. 18. He missed the break before making a middle move in the GIII Southwest, and was looking to become the third also-ran from that heat to come back to score. Third finisher Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy) took a division of the GII Rebel S. last weekend, while pacesetter Gray Attempt (Graydar) cut back to annex Oaklawn’s Gazebo S. Saturday. Runner-up Sueno (Atreides) was third in Saturday’s GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Sales history: $135,000 yrl KEEJAN ’17; $400,000 yrl ’17 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1. O-Starlight Racing. B-Dell Hancock & Bernie Sams (Ky). T-Todd A Pletcher. View the full article

Horses' test result March 25 View the full article

CS Chin fined $200 View the full article

A new initiative called “I Am Horse Racing” was announced Sunday. According to a release, “It was created with a simple goal in mind. A group of like-minded individuals all from within the industry coming together to share the stories of those who dedicate their lives to racing.” Click for an introduction video featuring Christina Blacker; or for the group’s first release, a profile of exercise rider Kelsey Faucon. View the full article

As the resumption of live racing at Santa Anita looms nearer, the picture is becoming steadily clearer over the potential rules of engagement, following an announcement earlier this month of a sweeping set of new medication and safety protocols to be implemented at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. Nevertheless, question marks linger over a number of important details. Entries were made Sunday morning for next Friday, Mar. 29, marking the return of live racing at Santa Anita after a hiatus of more than a month in the wake of 22 equine fatalities at the facility since the start of the winter-spring meet. Santa Anita racing secretary Steve Lym also announced on Sunday a new system at entry time, which adds an additional layer of scrutiny on “at-risk” horses. Lym explained that after entries are taken, the horses’ respective past performances will be scrutinized for certain patterns. The racing office will then contact trainers of horses identified as being at higher risk of catastrophic injury and, if necessary, a commission veterinarian will conduct a physical examination of the horse. This system will begin when entries are taken at Santa Anita for next Saturday and Sunday, said Lym. This system mirrors the one in place for morning workouts. Currently, trainers must notify the racing office 24 hours before breezing. Lym said that on Monday, the notification time on workers will be extended to 48 hours. “Part of the reason for that was to give the staff enough time to examine the horses that need examining,” said Lym. There will be no requirement for private attending veterinarians to sign off on a horse’s soundness prior it breezing, which had been raised as a possible new policy, he said. Many of the proposed new rules are pending approval by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) at its hotly anticipated scheduled meeting on Thursday, Mar. 28 at Santa Anita. Santa Anita could release a statement over the next few days for the horsemen, “just so they know what they’re entering for,” said Lym. He warned, however, that while the CHRB is expected to approve the proposed rules, the horsemen should be prepared for the possibility of further changes at the meeting. On the agenda at Thursday’s CHRB meeting are a variety of items, including discussion and action on proposed medication changes at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. CHRB equine medical director Rick Arthur explained to the TDN some of the specifics to the new medication rules, “if the board moves forward as currently expected.” There will be “no authorized threshold” for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and corticosteroids, and no “stacking” of these drugs, either; by house rule, the stand-down for intra-articular corticosteroids will be extended to 14 days–double the current recommended withdrawal period based on thresholds. The stand-down times for permitted NSAIDS have also been altered, with the withdrawal time for Phenylbutazone extended to 48-hours, for example. The stand-down for shockwave therapy will remain the same–10 days. The medication rules are “pretty back and white,” said Jeff Blea, a Santa Anita-based private veterinarian. “The one thing that’s a little bit of a grey area is corticosteroid injections,” he said. “It’s very clear it’s a 14-day stand-down time. It’s not clear, as far as levels of medications… They say at 14 days we should be safe, so I think we’re going to have to go on that premise for the time being.” Blea said that, besides the expected changes to use of NSAIDS and corticosteroids, “there’s not much difference” to the rules currently in place. But he added that the ambiguity over some of the specifics has been a cause for concern. “There are two things trainers and veterinarians don’t want. One is a positive test. And two is a dead horse,” he said. On Thursday’s meeting agenda is an item giving the board the option of making any possible changes to authorized therapeutic medications applicable state-wide for 12 months. Josh Rubenstein, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, wrote in an email that “while Del Mar is in communication with the TOC, CHRB and others on our upcoming meet, we don’t believe it’s productive, at this time, to comment on specific changes that may be in place this summer.” Del Mar’s license application for its 2019 summer race meet is scheduled to be heard by the CHRB’s meeting in May, and so, “in the next 30 to 60 days we’ll be in a position to address the implementation of enhanced procedures to maintain the highest standards for both equine and rider welfare, safety and care programs,” Rubenstein wrote. “What we can say now is Del Mar is proud of the progress we’ve made over the last several years and our team is committed to the continuation of the industry’s most progressive safety and welfare protocols.” A participatory teleconference Saturday at Santa Anita involving trainers, and official and private veterinarians was “very productive” and “informative,” said California Thoroughbred Trainers executive director, Alan Balch, after the meeting concluded. “The trainers are going to have to take into account all that they learned today in making entries,” Balch said, adding that the tone of the meeting was “very serious.” “We believe this is an interdependent sport and industry, and we strongly believe that when decisions are made, they should be made on a cooperative basis with everyone involved in the same room, at the same time, at the same place,” said Balch. “And we sure would like to see that going forward because that type of cooperative approach to rule changing really is the best way to avoid any misunderstand or misinformation.” Among a number of other topics discussed at Saturday’s teleconference, Balch said, was the proposed changes to use of the riding crop. The changes still allow jockeys to carry a whip, but they will not be permitted to use it in anyway except what is necessary for the safety of the horse or the rider. According to Balch. “The trainers will be very pleased to go with whatever the riding crop rule is, however it’s modified.” There are two separate parts to these proposed changes. The first concerns an “in house” rule change applicable only to Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. The second is a proposed regulatory amendment that would restrict the use of riding crops at all racetracks in California. “We have no way of knowing whether a majority of commissioners would vote to make this a regulatory matter,” wrote the CHRB’s public information officer, Mike Marten, in an email. “If the Board does decide to move forward with an amendment, that process could easily take as long as seven months and would require a 45-day public notice and comment period followed by a public hearing, leaving plenty of time for a thorough discussion of all aspects of the proposal.” Jockeys’ Guild national manager Terry Meyocks said that the Guild is currently “still in discussion” with The Stronach Group, and that there could be greater clarity on the situation by the start of the week. Another agenda item concerns the proposed change to the use of Lasix at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, cutting in half the permitted level from 10cc to 5cc. An agreement on this issue was reached on Mar. 16 between the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) and TSG. Not mentioned in the package for Thursday’s meeting is the other part of the proposed change concerning Lasix–that 2-year-olds starting in 2020 will race entirely Lasix free. Because the horses in question aren’t yet of racing age, and therefore not competing at the current Santa Anita meet, “I don’t know if the CHRB will address it at this meet,” said TOC’s director of racing and Northern California operations, Elizabeth Morey. “I don’t know if it gets heard at the CHRB meeting this year, or if it gets heard at a CHRB meeting when we actually go through the license application process for the Santa Anita winter-spring meet.” According to trainer Leonard Powell, it’s the question of enforcement of these proposed rule changes about which he has the greatest concerns. “Everybody knows that they don’t have the man-power to enforce all these rules,” he said. “The main thing with rules, people will accept most of them if they are fair and everybody has to follow them, but if they’re not fair, then that’s what they raise questions.” Powell also said that he has doubts about the specifics concerning proposed changes to use of the riding crop. “Let’s say a jockey whips his horse and wins a race, do you fine the jockey? Do you DQ him? And if you DQ him, where do you DQ him? Behind the second horse? Behind the third horse? Let’s say you have a five-horse field and all five jockeys whip their horses, do they all get disqualified?” he said. “Many of these rules are good, but they’re all a little utopic. They didn’t seem to have thought about how they’re going to work in the real world.” Earlier on Sunday, Daily Racing Form reported that Gunmetal Gray, winner of the GIII Sham S., suffered a condylar fracture after a workout at Santa Anita on Sunday morning, and was to undergo surgery later in the day. Terry Finley, president and chief executive of West Point Thoroughbreds, which co-owns the colt, said the injury “doesn’t appear to be career-threatening.” Santa Anita also announced Sunday its for when racing is expected to resume. The $600,000 GI Santa Anita H. will be run on GI Santa Anita Derby Day, Saturday, Apr. 6. View the full article

Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Hveger {Aus}, Danehill), a MGSW and dual Classic-placed full-brother to champion Highland Reel (Ire), has been retired and will stand at Beeches Stud under the Coolmore National Hunt banner, Coolmore announced on Sunday. Knocked down for 750,000gns during the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to M.V. Magnier, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ raced for a Coolmore partnership of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier. “Idaho was a very solid, consistent racehorse–sound, clear-winded with a good mind,” said his trainer Aidan O’Brien of the son of G2 South Australian Oaks heroine Hveger. “I think he would have been an impressive winner of the St Leger but for getting brought down in the straight and he showed that when winning the Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot.” Third in the 2016 G1 Investec Derby and second later that year in the Irish equivalent back at The Curragh, the 6-year-old earned his first group victory in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York. After unseating his rider in the G1 St Leger, he returned at four to win the G2 Hardwicke S. and placed in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. Last year Idaho added the G3 Diamond Ormonde S. to his win column and also ran third in the G1 Goodwood Cup. He retires with a mark of 23-4-2-5 and earned $1,634,798. The bay is a full-brother to multiple highweight and MG1SW Highland Reel (Ire), English MGSP Cape of Good Hope (Ire), and a half to Australian MG1SP Valdemoro (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}). Added Beeches Manager Robert McCarthy, “Idaho is an outstanding individual with plenty of size and scope and a great walk. He was a very genuine and talented racehorse who performed at the highest level from two to five years and is a full-brother to a superstar in Highland Reel.” View the full article

By My Standards (Goldencents) and War of Will (War Front), the upset winner and beaten favorite, respectively, in Saturday’s GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, were both doing well Sunday according to their trainers. By My Standards will ship from Fair Grounds to Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning to prepare for the May 4 GI Kentucky Derby. “Hopefully we’ll get an easy breeze in 12, 13, 14 days,” said conditioner Bret Calhoun, who has never had a starter in the Kentucky Derby before. “He worked a little quicker up to this race than he had previously, so hopefully we can take it easy first work back then give him another easy one after that. Then we’ll do a little bit more after that in the middle there. He’s ready. We have to maintain what we’ve got. The Derby is a whole different deal. It’s not just the race, it’s everything that goes into going up there. We’ll do a lot of stuff preparing him for that. He’s got a great mind, we’re lucky in that sense that he’ll handle everything.” Things did not go nearly as smoothly on Saturday for impressive GIII Lecomte S. and GII Risen Star S. War of Will, who took some awkward steps shortly after the start and was “significantly off” after finishing ninth, according to trainer Mark Casse. Casse issued a more upbeat report Sunday morning, and said a start on the first Saturday in May was still a possibility for the Gary Barber colorbearer. “It’s amazing how much better he was today,” Casse said. “I just feel fortunate that he’s okay first and foremost. We’re fairly certain that he probably caught his patella a little bit right at the start. So what we’ll do is we’ll do some exercising and probably laser treatment to strengthen the patella muscle. But we feel optimistic that we can still make the Derby.” War of Will will ship to Keeneland on Tuesday and remain under the supervision of Casse’s assistant trainer David Carroll. “We’re going to change his exercise a bit for a while, just try to strengthen his patella ligaments,” Casse said. “It’s something that as a trainer for 40 years, I’ve been dealing with patella ligaments since the beginning of my career, but I’ve never seen one catch like that one did. But the good news is he was happy this morning.” GII Fair Grounds Oaks heroine Street Band (Istan) was also reportedly in fine fettle Sunday, while beaten favorite Serengeti Empress (Alternation) was fine after bleeding and being vanned off. Trainer Tom Amoss told the Fair Grounds press department that “no time table and no racing plans” had yet been made for the latter. View the full article

Chester Thomas is headed to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) after his 3-year-old colt By My Standards captured the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) by three-quarters of a length over Spinoff. View the full article

California’s proposed phasing-out of both Lasix and whip usage have dominated the sport over the past week, and the discussion won’t end even after the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) votes on both of those issues at its Thursday meeting. Not only is there contentious disagreement within the industry over whether there should be any change at all to race-day medication policies and the whipping of horses, but there has been open speculation about the timing and true reasons for these drastic proposals, which were first floated on Mar. 14 by The Stronach Group (TSG) and require official approval by the CHRB before they can be enacted. TSG is in a “damned if it does, damned if it doesn’t” position regarding its ambitious slate of safety and welfare protocols. There is no shortage of critics labeling the Lasix rollback and anti-whipping proposals as public-relations ploys designed to distract attention from the 22 equine deaths at TSG’s current Santa Anita Park meet. Even if you assume there are some spin-doctor threads within the overall fabric, at least TSG is taking assertive steps to address areas of grave fundamental concern that the industry’s alphabet-soup collective of conferences, study groups, round tables and coalitions has been unable or unwilling to meet head-on. Sure, it would have been more altruistic if TSG had announced all of these changes proactively at an earlier point in time instead of when the company was under siege for a gruesome rash of fatalities. But still, a time frame of two weeks from the announcement of those policies to their potential voting in by one of the more respected racing commissions in the country is a huge deal and a potentially historic feat in an industry where meaningful change creeps along at a glacial pace. It’s quite possible that in a few decades, historians of our sport will point to something called the “Lasix era” that might span 1974-2024. When New York became the last holdout state to allow race-day Lasix in 1995, the United States foal crop was 31,884. California is making its move to curtail it on the heels of a 2018 crop estimated at 21,500. The number of horses has plummeted, but the basic economic factor that drives the use of Lasix in our sport remains largely unchanged over those 23 years. In May of 1995, when New York’s Racing and Wagering Board voted unanimously to permit race-day Lasix, New York Racing Association president Kenny Noe bluntly told the New York Times, “We’re living in a different era in horse racing. We used to race from April 1 to November, running seven races a day. Now, we race around the calendar, nine or 10 or more races a day. There’s no point in sticking your head in the sand. Tracks want bigger fields of horses, and every state wants racing to produce more money.” California’s proposed barring of the whip (sorry, but I refuse to call it the “cushion crop” like TSG does in a recent press release) except for safety-related control will likely end up being an easier transition than the Lasix rollback. Jockeys in general are pretty resourceful and adaptable, and most will be athletically gifted enough to gravitate away from stick work as a primary motivator. The most interesting development will arrive several years from now, when the next generation of riders might eventually decide that carrying a whip essentially for emergency use only isn’t worth the bother of not having two hands entirely free at all times. CHRB executive director Rick Baedeker told TDN colleague Bill Finley last week that if the new rule passes, not only will jockeys be fined and/or suspended should they whip a horse, but the horse they are riding could be disqualified. You can bet on the inevitability of some initial letter-of-the-law, tone-setting, controversial disqualifications that get winners taken down under circumstances that would never warrant an inquiry under the current system. But that’s fine. Nobody ever said meaningful change comes easy. Trademark Trouble (Part One) I spoke to two trademark attorneys last week in the wake of the city of Baltimore’s lawsuit against TSG that is attempting to keep the GI Preakness S. in Baltimore by (among other legal threats) seizing the trademark “and other intangible and intellectual property” associated with the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Both experts were in agreement on three points: 1) Yes, the city could theoretically seize the Preakness trademark by eminent domain because it’s considered property, just like a piece of land; 2) The burden of proof would be quite high, and Baltimore would have to demonstrate an overwhelming public interest in order to do so, and 3) The city likely only filed the lawsuit as an attempt to force TSG to negotiate over keeping the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. But one of the attorneys, Michael Kondoudis, brought up the interesting legal subplot of jurisdiction, which caught his eye because TSG is not listed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the owner of record for the “Preakness Stakes” trademark. Instead, the registered owner is “Maryland Jockey Club of Baltimore City,” which he said is important because it establishes that the trademark is something that can be litigated in a Baltimore court. Kondoudis said if TSG had wanted to at any previous point in time, the company could have amended the USPTO records to reflect that the trademark is owned by the parent company, which has its principal place of business in Canada. The cost for that change, he added, would have been $40. “But for whatever reason, [TSG] got caught, and that trademark looks like it’s in the jurisdiction,” Kondoudis said. “So technically, [the plaintiffs] have jurisdiction right now.” Kondoudis added that TSG could still try to reassign ownership of the trademark. “It could be enough, but it might not be enough to get out of jurisdictional reach. Those are facts and circumstances that will be litigated during the course of the trial.” This is not the first time that Baltimore has used the threat of eminent domain to try and keep the Preakness at Pimlico. A similar scenario played out in 2009, when another Stronach-related firm, the bankrupt Magna, was part-owner of the Maryland Jockey Club tracks. Pimlico and Laurel Park were set to be auctioned, and the Maryland governor signed legislation giving the state eminent domain rights over the Preakness. The auction ended up getting postponed four times, and in 2010 Magna sold the tracks to its parent company, MI Developments. In 2011, those racing and gaming assets were acquired by TSG. Trademark Trouble (Part Two) The story that topped TDN‘s most-read list for a while last week involved announcer Dave Johnson suing the moviemakers of the 2014 film “St. Vincent” for the actor Bill Murray’s unauthorized use of Johnson’s famous (and trademarked) phrase “And down the stretch they come!” Federal lawsuits don’t generally conjure up images of generosity. But as Johnson’s attorney, Andrew Mollica, told TDN, Johnson’s vigilant defense of his trademark hardly equates to a “money grab.” That’s because with very little fanfare or notice, for years now, Johnson has donated any money the courts have awarded him as compensation for unauthorized infringement to charitable causes. “Every penny,” Johnson said when reached via phone on Friday. Johnson didn’t want to get into specifics, but he noted “retired racehorses, disabled jockeys, and two scholarships” among causes that have benefitted from other people uttering those six specific words with Johnson’s iconic emphasis on the word “Down!” “I’m just trying to pay it forward,” he explained Johnson said he first started using the phrase at Santa Anita in the 1970s in an attempt to punctuate his stretch calls so they could be heard by huge live crowds over a “Marx Brothers”-era sound system. The big gray horse Vigors was then a fan favorite, and Johnson noticed that TV stations often picked up his race calls right when he uttered “And down the stretch they come!” The rest, he said with a chuckle, is history. View the full article

Now that Gray Attempt's hind-end problems appear behind him, trainer Jinks Fires reported March 24 that he's looking ahead to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 13 at Oaklawn Park. View the full article

Green Fields’ Mr Melody (Scat Daddy) was testing Group 1 waters for only the second time in Chukyo’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen, and came through with a half-length victory over Seiun Kosei (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) in the 1200-metre feature. The dark bay raced in between horses just behind the first flight in fourth and saved ground entering the lone turn. In tight quarters, the 6-1 third choice shifted out a path and edged toward the front inside the final 300 metres, before grinding past a stubborn Seiun Kosei to his outside and holding off the belated rally of Shonan Anthem (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) up the inside. Seiun Kosei was a head to the good of the latter, with favoured Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) another half-length away in fourth. “He was in good form and I was able to race him as planned,” said reinsman Yuichi Fukunaga. “I tried to position him toward the front and was able to find an open space in the lane at the right time. He’s a capable horse, behing able to handle his first Group 1 1200-metre race on turf with a win. There are many options for him going forward as he can also cover 1400 metres, as well as a dirt surface.” Mr Melody donned cap and gown at first asking going 1300 metres at Tokyo in November of 2017 and won the G3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon S. just four starts later trying turf for the first time in March of 2018. Fourth in the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo last May, he dropped to fifth in the Listed Oro Cup, but ran second in the G2 Hanshin Cup on Dec. 22. The half-brother to the GIII Chicago H. bridesmaid Trendy Lady (Unbridled’s Song) was last seen running seventh in the G3 Hankyu Hai sprinting 1400 metres at Hanshin on Feb. 24. Pedigree Notes One of 27 top-flight winners for his much-lamented late sire Scat Daddy, Mr Melody’s second dam is the GII El Encino S. and GIII Monrovia H. heroine Klassy Kim (Silent Screen), while his third dam, Kool Arrival (Relaunch), scored her biggest win in the GI Las Virgenes S. and also ran third in the GI Santa Anita Oaks. The March foal was originally a $75,000 RNA from the 2015 Keeneland November Sale, but caught the eye of bloodstock agent David Meah, who purchased the bay for $100,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland September Sale on behalf of George Yeager’s B G Thoroughbreds. Meah later sold the colt for $400,000 to Emmanuel de Seroux’s Narvick International out of the 2017 OBSAPR sale. (Click here for a feature by Alan Carasso on David Meah). Sunday, Chukyo, Japan TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥215,400,000 (US$1,959,540/£1,483,306/€1,733,577), Chukyo, 3-24, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.30, fm. 1–MR MELODY, 126, c, 4, Scat Daddy 1st Dam: Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister 2nd Dam: Klassy Kim, by Silent Screen 3rd Dam: Kool Arrival, by Relaunch 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($75,000 RNA Wlg ’15 KEENOV; $100,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo ’17 OBSAPR). O-Green Fields; B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Hideaki Fujiwara; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥113,780,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-3-0. *1/2 to Trendy Lady (Unbridled’s Song), GSP-US, $199,299. **27th G1SW for his sire (by Johannesburg). Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Seiun Kosei (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Admire Moon (Jpn)— Observant, by Capote. (¥13,000,000 Ylg ’14 JRHAJUL). O-Shigeyuki Nishiyama; B-Sakurai Farm (Jpn). ¥45,080,000. 3–Shonan Anthem (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Jungle Pocket (Jpn)– Voladores (Jpn), by Kurofune. O-Shonan Inc.; B-Morinaga Bokujo (Jpn). ¥28,540,000. Margins: HF, HD, HF. Odds: 6.80, 107.00, 357.90. Also Ran: Danon Smash (Jpn), Teehaff (Jon), Let’s Go Donki (Jpn), Dea Regalo (Jpn), Logi Cry (Jpn), Ares Barows (Jpn), Rhein Spirit (Jpn), Daimei Fuji (Jpn), Peisha Felicita (Jpn), Hiruno Devaro (Jpn), Nac Venus (Jpn), Mozu Superflare, Daimei Princess (Jpn), Snow Dragon (Jpn), Love Kampf (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video. View the full article

The Arena Racing Company, who agreed to commit to unlocking levy contributions for all eligible races for the month of March, has extended its agreement for another week until Apr. 8, Racing Post reported on Sunday. The extension applies to all ARC-owned fixtures from Apr. 1-8 and all Class 4-6 races on the flat and Class 3-5 races over jumps during that time period. “Constructive discussions between horsemen, racecourses, and BHA have been ongoing in recent weeks,” said an ARC spokesman to Racing Post on Saturday. “To allow further time for an agreement to be reached, we have taken the step to unlock eligible races for the first week of April.” View the full article

MG1SW Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who races for John Dance and trainer Karl Burke, is eyeing a return in the May 18 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury, Racing Post reported on Sunday. Successful in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary, G1 Prix de Diane, G1 Matron S. and G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. as a sophomore, the bay tired to eighth when last seen in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot in October. “She’s all good at the moment, we’ve started stepping her up into more serious work and she seems to be in great shape,” Dance told Racing Post. “Everyone seems to be happy with her and PJ [McDonald] had his first sit on her last week and said she dragged him to the top of the gallops. As always, you keep your fingers crossed things go smoothly, but if they do then we should make a reappearance in the Lockinge. It’s a fairly warm race to come back in, but there aren’t too many races we can go for.” View the full article

HALLANDALE, FL – The last time Juvenal Diaz’s Omega Farms had a consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale was 2012 when the auction was held at Palm Meadows. The Ocala-based operation will be making its debut in Hallandale when the auction makes its fifth appearance at Gulfstream Park Wednesday. “I thought I had some horses who belonged here,” Diaz said of his decision to sell at the boutique auction. “I think they have pedigree and they have talent. We are going to give them the chance.” Diaz will offer three horses at the Gulfstream sale, led off by a colt by Hard Spun out of Grade I winner Malibu Mint (Malibu Moon) (hip 74). The juvenile, a $75,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale, is a full-brother to recent stakes-placed sophomore Malibu Party. “He is a little immature–he is just turning two,” Diaz said of the Mar. 22 foal. “He looks like his dad, he looks like a stallion. The sister is little, but this is a big colt.” Omega Farms will offer hip 136, a colt by Into Mischief, on behalf of a client. The bay, a Mar. 30 foal, is the first out of Sky Mirage (Sky Mesa), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Kinsale King (Yankee Victor) and graded stakes winner Victoria’s Wildcat (Bellamy Road). “This horse trains like a storm,” Diaz said of the $240,000 Keeneland September graduate. “Instead of trying to get him to go faster, I was trying to get him to slow down. He keeps himself fit. I just try to teach him how to run and that’s it. He is full of energy and smart, but he wants to go all the time.” The Omega trio is rounded out by hip 163, a colt from the first crop of GI Belmont S. winner Tonalist (Tapit) out of stakes winner and graded placed West Coast Swing (Gone West). The bay was a $35,000 Keeneland September purchase. West Coast Swing is out of an unraced full-sister to champion Dance Smartly (Danzig). “He is a beautiful horse,” Diaz said of hip 163. “He is a beautiful mover and very smart. People want a classy horse and he has a Classic pedigree to be any kind of horse. His mother is a stakes winner by Gone West–you don’t see those kind of mares anymore. And the second dam is a full-sister to Dance Smartly. He looks like one of those horses.” Diaz, who said he aims to pinhook only six to eight horses a year, has an impressive list of graduates come out of his operation, led by champion Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision), who he purchased for $11,000 as a Fasig-Tipton July yearling in 2008 before selling privately after she RNA’d for $10,000 at OBS April the following spring. Grade I winner Glitter Woman (Glitterman), an $8,000 July yearling, also failed to find a new buyer at OBS April in 1996. And Gentlemen’s Bet (Half Ours), bred by Diaz, was withdrawn from two juvenile sales in 2011. In the farm’s last Fasig Florida consignment in 2012, future graded stakes winner Baby J (J Be K) RNA’d for $65,000 after working a furlong in :10 2/5. “I don’t think I’ve ever had the fastest works–I just train them like they are going to go to the races.” Diaz said. Taking Gentlemen’s Bet, third in the 2013 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, as an example, Diaz said, “He was just a laid-back horse and I didn’t push him. So I had to scratch him because I wasn’t going to get anything for him. And this is a horse that can go :43 in change in the Breeders’ Cup. But he was a laid-back colt and I hate to push them. I don’t want to do that. I concentrate on bringing them to the sale with sound mind and body and if they look good doing it, they are not afraid to buy them from me. They don’t have to have the fastest work and a lot of people know that about me.” A day ahead of Monday’s under-tack preview of the Gulfstream auction, Diaz acknowledged the importance of the pre-sale workout. “It all depends on the work,” he said. “Everything has to be that day. Not earlier or later.” Still he cautioned buyers to beware of basing all their decisions on the fastest workout times. “I always try to tell the sales companies, ‘Why don’t you advertise what the horse worked in and then what he did after he worked that way. I know :10 is faster than :11. Anybody can see that. It makes sense. But in racehorses, it doesn’t work that way.” Diaz pointed out Saturday’s GII Louisiana Derby winner By My Standards (Goldencents). “If you look at the Louisiana Derby horse, he worked in :10 3/5 at OBS when everybody goes :9 4/5s and a hundred horses work in :10 flat. He went in :10 3/5 and he won the Louisiana Derby yesterday. If that gets publicized, maybe the owners won’t be afraid to buy a horse, so it’s not a horse that goes in :10 1/5 will bring $1 million and one that goes in :10 3/5 brings $30,000.” The under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale will begin at 9 a.m. Monday. The sale will be held Wednesday in the track’s paddock, with bidding scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. View the full article

HALLANDALE, FL – As David Scanlon prepares for his first consignment of the juvenile sales season at Wednesday’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, his program received some timely headlines when By My Standards (Goldencents) upset Saturday’s GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Scanlon sold the colt for $150,000 at last year’s OBS April Sale. “He was a beautiful horse,” Scanlon recalled. “He was a little young, but he was a big, beautiful-framed horse. He came into the sale nice, but he worked on a tough day last year. That was the day we had the 15 mph headwinds. So he worked :10 3/5, which wasn’t ideal, but still he was a good mover. He was just a horse who had all the right parts, but he hadn’t filled out yet.” Scanlon wasn’t surprised By My Standards became a graded stakes winner, but he did admit that the success had come sooner than anticipated. “I had heard he had been working well and I knew his maiden win was good,” Scanlon said. “I had kept up with Josh Stephens, who bought him, and he told me he was doing well. When I saw the entries, I said, ‘Man, he must really be doing good for him to come off the maiden and be entered here.’ It wouldn’t surprise me that he was a horse that, down the road, going two turns, was going to be a decent horse.” By My Standards’ exploits came at a perfect time for Scanlon, who will offer two juveniles at the Gulfstream sale, followed by 25 at the OBS April sale and an additional 17 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. “The timing couldn’t be better,” Scanlon said. “It’s perfect timing when you’re heading into the bulk of the sales to get an update like that. We were thrilled–it gives your consignment a little bit extra.” Scanlon’s Gulfstream team is made up of a colt by Shakin It Up (hip 83) and a filly by Liam’s Map (hip 138). Hip 83 is out of Mon Ange (Wolf Power {SAf}), a half-sister to Grade I placed Key Hunter (Jade Hunter)) and to the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Pants on Fire (Jump Start). He was an $80,000 purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale. “The Shakin It Up, maybe we didn’t pay as much as some of the horses in here, but he’s a really pretty, mature horse with a really good body,” Scanlon said. “We figured with him, I was looking for a really nice horse at a decent price and he fit the picture. Sometimes we go for the off-sire a little bit. I’m a big fan of doing that, just going for the athletic individual. When you are working with a budget a little bit, sometimes you have to give something up and sometimes I’ll say, ‘Hey, I’ll take the athlete,’ and maybe give up the well-known sire power.” That approach worked for Scanlon three years ago when he purchased a bay youngster by Friesan Fire for $35,000 as a yearling in 2015 and resold him the following May in Timonium for $825,000. That successful pinhook turned into subsequent Grade I winner Army Mule. Hip 138 is from the highly hyped first crop of multiple Grade I winner Liam’s Map. Out of graded stakes placed Sonja’s Angel (Smoke Glacken), she was purchased by Bruno DeBerdt on behalf of Khalid Mishref for $190,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. “The Liam’s Map has the pedigree and is by a hot first-year sire,” Scanlon said. “I knew she would work well here.” Scanlon said he expects to see a continued demand for high-end horses at the Gulfstream sale, but he is also hoping for a broadening of the middle market. “I think it’s going to be a good sale,” he said. “It’s kind of like everything else, good horses are going to sell well. And you just hope for a strong middle market to get a good clearance and a good horse sale.” View the full article