Wandering Eyes

Almost a month after Justify's Triple Crown-clinching victory in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), trainer Bob Baffert is still taking it relatively easy on his undefeated superstar. View the full article

In the aftermath of the US Supreme Court ruling which clears the way for states to authorize and regulate wagering on sports other than horseracing, the ARCI will consider expanding its portfolio beyond wagering on pari-mutuel horse and greyhound contests to those involving human athletes and teams. When it meets next Tuesday and Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska, the ARCI Model Rules Committee will consider taking the first step in this direction by working on a set of model regulations based upon the existing sports betting rules currently in place in Nevada. “Up until recently, except for Nevada, the only legal sports wagering authorized has been on horse or greyhound racing. The regulatory structure in place for these sports and the processing of wagers can easily be adopted to accommodate wagering on other sports,” ARCI President Ed Martin said. View the full article

The Stronach Group has announced that after monitoring, compiling and televising the weights of horses the past several months at its facilities in California, Florida and Maryland, the information is scheduled to be available in past performances by the end of summer. Prior to be being saddled before a race, each horse steps on a scale in or near the paddock, where their weights are recorded by a racing official. The weights have been posted on in-house simulcast shows before each race. By the end of the summer, weights will also be available on-line and in racing programs with a plus/minus from the previous start, according to The Jockey Club. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has been weighing and recording the weight of horses for several years. “This is something we’ve been working on for quite a while,” Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer of The Stronach Group, said. “We believe this is another tool for bettors to determine when a horse could be at his ideal weight. We also believe horsemen will look at weight to decide how training, feeding and environment affect a horse’s weight and performance. Ritvo continued, “I think this information benefits everyone, from horsemen to bettors to track veterinarians, and it allows further transparency. We hope the added element is beneficial to our customers since we have always considered them the economic engine of the sport.” View the full article

Small fields are among racing’s most serious problems. Too many five-horse races, too many heavy favorites and too many bettors keeping their money in their pockets every time such a race comes up. With the foal crop at its lowest levels since 1965, the problem is only going to get worse. You also have the proliferation of partnerships, where one person might own 20% of one horse in a race and 25% of another in the same race. That means more examples of common ownership of horses in the same race and, yes, more entries. Like most things that are wrong with racing, there is no magic bullet when it comes to small fields. There is, however, an obvious, no-brainer solution that would make things better. Get rid of coupled entries, in all races, in all states, in every situation. Every entry takes away a betting interest. Every time a betting interest is taken away the race becomes less appealing and the handle on it goes down. At least most tracks no longer couple horses trained by the same person, but with different owners and most tracks also no longer have entries in stakes races. That has made the situation better and you’ll usually find no more than one or two entries on any card. The point is there shouldn’t be any. Entries were created with the aim of protecting the betting public. The idea being that the trainer or owner could try to cash a bet by stiffing the stronger half of the entry and making sure the lesser half is ready to fire on all cylinders. They bet the longshot. Perhaps, once upon a time, that may have happened, but it’s a rule more fitting for the movie “The Sting” than the modern racetrack. No one in 2018 is sitting in a smoke-filled room with dodgy characters in the back of a candy store deciding to pull Glow Worm so they can cash a bet on Rocket Boy. It’s a rule that might have made sense in 1968, but is now doing a lot more harm than good. On June 1 at Belmont, J S Bach (Tale of the Cat) and Splashtastic (Tiz Wonderful) were coupled in the wagering in an allowance. The pair was sent off at even-money and both finished off the board. J S Bach is wholly owned by Michael Dubb and trained by Jason Servis. Splashtastic is trained by Rudy Rodriguez and is owned by Dubb, Bethlehem Stable LLC and the Elkstone Group LLC. That makes Dubb the only connection between the two. According to the realdeal.com, Dubb’s Beechwood Organization, the largest developer of residential housing on Long Island, had $205 million in revenue in 2015. So Dubb’s horses needed to be coupled so that a multi-millionaire wasn’t tempted to cash a bet on a horse that might have paid $8 to win and if he bet enough he could have pocketed, oh, maybe $10,000? Please. It happened again Sunday at Belmont in the seventh race. Owned by Chester and Mary Broman, Heavy Meddle (Medaglia d’Oro), who iss trained by Bill Mott, was coupled with the Broman’s Mr. Buff (Friend Or Foe), who is trained by John Kimmel. Because of the entry, there were seven betting interests instead of eight and the Broman pair was sent off as the even-money favorite. Had they been separate betting interests Mr. Buff probably would have been about 9-5 and Heavy Meddle 6-1. What’s a better betting race, an eight-horse field with a 9-5 favorite or a seven-horse field with an even-money favorite? The answer is obvious. (For those betting on the entry, it didn’t matter. Neither finished in the money). We often talk of how European racing does just fine without Lasix. The same is true when it comes to entries. With the exception of France, there are no entries in any major racing countries in Europe and France only couples horses for win wagering. If an entry runs one-two, you only collect on an exacta if you bet the individual horses in the entry to finish first and second. Fortunately, the situation is getting better. Racing secretaries, desperate to have as many betting interests as possible, keep telling state racing commissions that these antiquated rules have to go. Many have listened. New Jersey is the latest state to have done away with entries, a policy that began at the beginning of the Monmouth Park meet. Oddly, there are still entries in harness racing in New Jersey. There are no longer entries in Florida, California, Ontario, Illinois or Maryland. But some important states remain behind the times. There are still entries in New York, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. It’s not uncommon at Parx to see entries in three or four races on a card. Common sense doesn’t always come into play when you’re talking horse racing, but this is just that–common sense. Entries are something out of the past, no longer needed, certainly not helpful. View the full article

With record high temperatures expected throughout Southern California July 6, Los Alamitos and the California Horse Racing Board are preparing to deal with the potential impact on racing. View the full article

Owners of horses of racing age currently not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program can nominate their runners at discounted rates on or before Sunday, July 15 for competition in this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs. All horses must be nominated in order to compete in any of the 14 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races. The nomination discounts are as follows: • 2-year-olds by a nominated Breeders’ Cup stallion can join the program for US$12,000. This one-time nomination fee makes the racehorse Breeders’ Cup-eligible for its entire racing career. • Runners which are 3-year-olds and up that were foaled in the Northern Hemisphere and sired by a nominated stallion will receive a 50% discount off normal racehorse nomination fees. Three-year-olds and older which were born in the Southern Hemisphere can be nominated for 25% of their regular nomination fee. • All nominated racehorses are eligible for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will have purses and awards totaling $30 million this year, and for any other racing program of the Breeders’ Cup for their entire racing careers. Following the July 15 deadline, the price for all non-nominated runners reverts back to the standard racehorse nomination fee of US$100,000 or more until Oct. 22, when all runners must be pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. Owners may nominate their horses of racing age online at https://members.breederscup.com/nominations/hora/horanomterms1.aspx or by calling the Breeders’ Cup Racing department at 859-514-9422. Owners of horses or racing age by non-nominated stallions can also take advantage of discounted prices before July 15. Two-year-olds by non-nominated stallions can join the program for US$18,000; Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds and older for US$100,000 and Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds and older for US$50,000. View the full article

Eight sophomores will race to establish themselves at the top of the 3-year-old turf division in the $100,000 American Derby Stakes (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse July 7. View the full article

Retired jockey and popular racing analyst Richard Migliore has been named as the recipient of the 2018 ThoroFan Award. “The combination of his riding career and his media presence makes Rich a true ambassador for all racing fans,” said Michael Amo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThoroFan. Previous recipients of the ThoroFan Award, created to recognize individuals who have contributed to the expansion of the fan base, include Louis and Patrice Wolfson (2013), Cot Campbell (2014), Michael Blowen (2015), Tom Durkin (2016) and Bob Giordano (2017). The Award will be presented to Migliore at the Saratoga Chamber’s “Call to the Post” signature event to be held at the Embassy Suites Diamond Club July 19. View the full article

Coolmore’s Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) seeks redemption in Belmont’s GIII Dwyer S. Saturday after finishing last in the GI Kentucky Derby May 5. Victorious in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last term, the $3 million KEESEP topper captured the Patton S. on the Dundalk synthetic Mar. 9 and made a mockery of the G2 UAE Derby, romping by 18 1/2 lengths in his first try on dirt Mar. 31 to stamp his ticket to Louisville. The Aidan O’Brien pupil failed to fire on the First Saturday in May, but his conditioner is confident he can return to his Meydan form and is pointing the half-brother to fourt-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) to the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic back beneath the Twin Spires in November. O’Brien also saddles Group 2 winner Seahenge (Scat Daddy), last seen finishing seventh in the GIII Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard. Rugbyman (Tapit) earned the ‘TDN Rising Star’ moniker after his 14-length tour de force in a track-and-trip maiden special weight May 13. The gray missed by a neck last time in the Easy Goer S. here June 9 and adds blinkers for this step up to graded company. “It’s not changing too much and I think it makes sense to keep him there and run him back at a similar distance around one turn,” trainer Graham Motion told the NYRA notes team. “I worry about it a little because he’s taken on a lot quickly, but we obviously like him a lot.” Fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy) should appreciate this cut back in trip after finishing last of 10 in the GI Belmont S. June 9. A two-time winner at Gulfstream this winter, he was third in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 17 and scored a gritty victory in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 24 prior to finishing 17th in the Run for the Roses. Another runner should relish the cut back to a one-turn mile is Firenze Fire (Posiedon’s Warrior), winner of the track-and-trip GI Champagne S. last year and the one-mile Jerome S. in January. Runner-up in the GIII Withers S. in February, the bay was fourth in both the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 10 and the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 7. He was last seen fading to 11th in the Kentucky Derby. View the full article

An impressive group that includes seven graded stakes winners will vie for an upper hand in the division when the 40th running of the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) helps anchor a card that will feature five graded stakes. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy–Devine Actress, by Theatrical {Ire}), the three-time Grade I winner who recently kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a course-record setting performance in Belmont’s GIII Poker S., will retire at the end of the year to stand at Mill Ridge Farm in 2019. The Amerman homebred’s resume includes wins in the 2016 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and 2017 GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. and GI Secretariat S. The full-brother to millionaire Oscar Nominated boasts a record of 12-7-0-1 and earnings of $1,967,632. “Oscar Performance identified himself early that he was a stand out individual and validated that with authority in his two, three and 4-year-old campaigns,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “He is a trainer’s dream, Lasix free, speed, stamina and soundness. Certainly one of the best.” Mill Ridge Farm managing partner Headley Bell added, “We at Mill Ridge are so appreciative to Jerry and John Amerman for the opportunity to stand a stallion with the potential to contribute to the breed like Oscar Performance. Since Diesis and Gone West, we have been waiting for the special horse to carry on from their legacies and believe Oscar Performance has all the qualities to do so. We commend Brian Lynch and his team for managing his career and look forward to him competing the remainder of the year and returning to his birth place, Mill Ridge, to stand stud in 2019.” View the full article

With record high temperatures expected throughout Southern California July 6, Los Alamitos and the California Horse Racing Board are preparing to deal with the potential impact on racing. View the full article

Ellis Park canceled six of its eight scheduled races July 5 because of concern for the safety of horses and riders in the extreme heat and humidity. The call to cancel the rest of the racing program was made after the second race Thursday. View the full article

2.25 Sandown, Cond, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT LINE OF DUTY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the first auction purchase by the sire to race for Godolphin in some time, with 400,000gns being paid for the son of Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) at Tattersalls October. Charlie Appleby saddles the chestnut, whose dam was controversially disqualified from first place in the 2010 G1 1000 Guineas, and he meets another valuable newcomer in King Power Racing’s Fox Tal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), an Andrew Balding-trained 475,000gns TATOCT half-brother to the MGSW Laaheb (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). 3.00 Sandown, Cond, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT KING OF COMEDY (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) debuts for owner-breeder Lady Bamford and John Gosden, who combined to capture the 2015 G1 Prix de Diane with his half-sister Star of Seville (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). Also in the line-up for this second division of a maiden to note is another high-profile King Power purchase Fox Premier (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a 700,000gns TATOCT relative of the Hollywood Turf H.-winning sire Storm Trooper (Diesis {GB}) also representing the Andrew Balding stable. View the full article

After each delivered solid efforts in different graded stakes on the June 9 Belmont Stakes Day card, Limousine Liberal and Whitmore will stay at Belmont Park July 7 to try the $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (G2). View the full article

Noah From Goa (SAf) (Tiger Ridge), winner of the 2015 G1 Cape Guineas in the colors of Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift (Pty) Ltd., has been relocated to Singapore and is set to make his local debut in a S$125,000 Kranji Stakes ‘A’ over 1200 metres Friday evening. Previously trained by Mike de Kock, the 5-year-old gelding followed his Guineas success with a strong third-place effort behind South African Horses of the Year Legal Eagle (SAf) (Greys Inn) and Legislate (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) in the 2016 G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Multiple Group 2-placed in Dubai in 2017 when part-owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, the chestnut returned to this year’s World Cup Carnival and exits a latest third in the G2 Zabeel Mile Feb. 22 (see below). Noah From Goa, who adds blinkers Friday, will race in Singapore for Mary Slack and is now being conditioned by Ricardo Le Grange, who admits that it is a belated start for the chestnut. WATCH: Noah From Goa finishing third in this year’s G2 Zabeel Mile “He was meant to run in the [May 26] Kranji Mile, but the race came too soon and he wasn’t ready for the race,” said Le Grange. “An 1200m race is a bit sharp for him, but it’s also a nice race to start with. I noticed in his trackwork he likes looking at everything, and that’s why we are trying blinkers on him. He had a trial with them [June 26] and he did really well (video), but usually he doesn’t show much in his work. That is not to say I will leave the blinkers on all the time. It’s a learning curve for all of us.” An Rxx graduate of the 2014 Emperor’s Palace National 2-Year-Old Sale, Noah From Goa has won five of his 12 career starts for earnings of US$205,730. Nooresh Juglall has the call from gate four in the sixth of Friday’s eight races at Kranji. View the full article

Now that the Supremes have decided you can basically bet on anything, we thought we’d approach what may be the most contentious bunch of young stallions we have seen in quite some time as a handicapping event. We are talking, of course, of the freshmen sires of 2018 whose first offspring have just completed their midterms with the conclusion of the OBS June Sale June 15. Our task is to lay the odds on how the sires of these youngsters are likely to compete over the long term. We have eschewed the pedigree-only approach, but rather have granted that each of these stallions qualify in some respects on that score. Instead, we have brought to bear some biomechanical and digital data to assist us in our prognostications–and then have split them into three “races” with what we would deem an unbiased Future Book. There are three criteria we used for this bunch: 1) There are 17 stallions in this bunch, 14 of which stand in Kentucky and three in Florida. The Florida sires were included because they scored as well or better than most of the stallions from the Bluegrass. All 17 had a minimum of 15 offspring which breezed (not just entered) in the six major 2-year-old sales: Fasig-Tipton in Florida and Maryland, OBS March, April, and June, and Barretts April. 2) The major data set used detailed how their offspring compared as individuals to all the other 2-year-olds which breezed. The components of this data are included in DataTrack’s BreezeFigs service which is based on breeze time, stride length, and efficiency of angulation. Since 2006, this product has been utilized at sales by buyers and sellers, as well as being offered every day as a handicapping tool at Daily Racing Form‘s website. 3) We also took into consideration the results of our stallion projection tests, which were compiled in 2015 when these horses went to stud. These profiles are based on biomechanical measurements and the probabilities of these stallions siring race efficient foals from books of biomechanically balanced mares. We also took into consideration the biomechanical profiles of more than 150 of their offspring taken at the 2018 sales and the 2017 yearling sales. The 17 stallions are separated into three groups, two based on current stud fees in Kentucky ($10,000 is the dividing line), and the third for the Florida stallions. They are listed below in Future Book order with a comment or two along the way. Group 1 (Stud fee = $10,000 and above, Kentucky) 5-to-2 Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) 5-to-2 Strong Mandate (Tiznow) 6-to-1 Will Take Charge (Unbridled’s Song) 6-to-1 Verrazano (More Than Ready) 8-to-1 Fed Biz (Giant’s Causeway) 10-to-1 Goldencents (Into Mischief) 10-to-1 Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) 10-to-1 Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo-Ire) Comment: Cairo Prince and Strong Mandate are virtually tied in all biomechanical data sets, and their offspring were strong on breeze and stride data. Neither is likely to get a lot of precocity, but by autumn they should have strong and versatile records. Verrazano and Will Take Charge are also virtually tied on breeze and stride length data, but Verrazano may be able to come closer to his sire’s versatility than Will Take Charge versus his sire. Fed Biz’s offspring are likely to come out early, emulate his record as a miler–and they resembled him more closely than those by all other sires in this crop–a good thing. Goldencents may get a lot of early runners, Mucho Macho Man’s not likely to hit stride until late autumn, and the Noble Mission bunch are probably going to need the turf to show their best. Group 2 (Stud fee = below $10,000, Kentucky) 9-to-5 Flashback (Tapit) 4-to-1 Shakin It Up (Midnight Lute) 6-to-1 Cross Traffic (Unbridled’s Song) 10-to-1 Can the Man (Into Mischief) 10-to-1 Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) 12-to-1 Revolutionary (War Pass) Comment: Flashback’s sire profile is strong-however, they didn’t excite as yearlings. They woke up this year with breeze and stride data that would have placed him tied at the top of Group I. Shakin It Up was another who came out of the woodwork with consistent performers and most looked like him, which is good. Can the Man and Itsmyluckyday have strong sire profiles, and their 2-year-olds were basically even across the board but may need some time. Revolutionary had only 15 that breezed at the sales and they did fairly well, but they may take some time to come around. Group 3 (Florida) 6-to-5 Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy) 5-to-2 He’s Had Enough (Tapit) 6-to-1 Drill (Lawyer Ron) Comment: Handsome Mike has a very good sire profile and his 2-year-olds were fast and had solid breeze and stride stats-he isn’t his sire, but he looks mighty tempting. He’s Had Enough impressed enough to give this sire a chance for a couple of decent performers at two. Drill was a major surprise and, as one of two sons of Lawyer Ron in our computations, could continue the startling success of his sire in the Sunshine State, and perhaps beyond. Place your bets! Bob Fierro is a partner with Jay Kilgore and Frank Mitchell in DataTrack International, biomechanical consultants and developers of BreezeFigs. He can be reached at bbfq@earthlink.net. View the full article

‘TDN Rising Star’ Analyze It (Point of Entry) looks to return to winning ways in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Belmont Derby after losing his perfect record by a neck to Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) last time in Belmont’s GIII Pennine Ridge S. June 2. A dazzling debut winner in Elmont in October, Analyze It followed suit with decisive victories in the GIII Cecil B. Demille S. at Del Mar Nov. 26 and the GIII Translyvania S. at Keeneland Apr. 6. Stalking Catholic Boy throughout the early stages of the Pennine Ridge, the bay overtook his rival in the stretch and attempted to shake loose, but Catholic Boy determinedly re-rallied to post a narrow upset. “I thought he ran into a really good horse in Catholic Boy in the Pennine Ridge,” Chad Brown told the NYRA notes team. “He ran very well. Our horse had no excuse. He might’ve had a little time between races where I could’ve had him a little better. It’s not an excuse, he had every chance to win, but I believe this horse can move forward now that he has some recent fitness in him.” Winner of the grassy GIII With Anticipation S. last term, Catholic Boy spent the first half of his sophomore season on the dirt after closing out 2017 with a dominant score in the GII Remsen S. on the Aqueduct main track in December. Runner-up in the GIII Sam F. Davis S., the Jonathan Thomas pupil finished a lackluster fourth in the GI Florida Derby Mar. 31, after which he was successfully switched back to the turf in the Pennine Ridge. “We were really proud of his effort,” said Thomas. “Javier [Castellano] was able to execute a plan we had put together in the paddock at the last minute, and we were thrilled with the result. Analyze It is a nice horse. Obviously, it was an oddly run race, and the verdict is still out on where [Catholic Boy] will be positioned [in the Belmont Derby]. He’s a mentally relaxed horse and everything we see from him in the mornings and afternoons makes me think he’ll appreciate the distance.” Hawkish (Artie Schiller) was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ after making an eye-catching late run to graduate in his career bow at Gulfstream Jan. 6. Fourth next out to the re-oppposing Maraud (Blame) in the GIII Palm Beach S. Mar. 3, the gelding returned to winning ways in an Apr. 15 Aqueduct optional claimer and charged home a three-length victor in last time in the June 2 GII Penn Mile, which has produced three Grade I winners in its six years in existence, including Belmont Derby hero Force the Pass (Speightstown) and GI Belmont Oaks heroine Catch a Glimpse (City Zip). “We know he’s a top miler and that’s the unknown factor here, if he can get the mile and a quarter, but we’ll find out,” trainer Jimmy Toner said. “He gallops a mile and a half every day. I think the key is being rateable. If he isn’t too aggressive early and settles in, I think you’re okay. So far, he’s shown that he’s okay with everything.” International superstar Aidan O’Brien saddles a strong contender in Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Third in both the G3 Classic Trial Apr. 27 and the G3 Vase S. May 9, the Coolmore colorbearer checked in sixth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club June 3 and returned to winning ways with a 4 1/2-length success in the G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot June 21. The Pia Brandt-trained Kingstar (Fr) (Evasive {GB}) also makes his Stateside debut in this test. A first-out winner at Chantilly in September, the chestnut was second in the G3 Prix de Conde S. there Oct. 7 and won a Longchamp test last time June 2. Another runner of interest is GIII Southwest S. and GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner My Boy Jack (Creative Cause), who gets back on turf for the first time since finishing seventh in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The dark bay broke his maiden on the lawn last year and won the grassy Zuma Beach S. at Santa Anita in October. View the full article

Two-time graded winner Eye of the Tiger (American Chance-Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick) has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Ky. The 2003 GI Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher was retired from racing in 2006 with five wins from 19 starts and earnings of $535,679 for breeder/owner John D. Gunther. He was pensioned from stud duty at the Gunther’s Glennwood Farm in 2016. The now 18-year-old arrived at Old Friends on June 27. “Eye of the Tiger he has been a long-time member of our horse family,” said Glennwood’s Tanya Gunther. “He deserves the serenity that this home will provide him, which was a challenge to do at our small farm with the constant hustle and bustle of mares, foals, and yearlings. “To know he will join the company of Classic horses such as War Emblem, Silver Charm, and Touch Gold makes me very pleased. Imagine the stories they will share? A big thank you to Old Friends, and we look forward to visiting him very soon.” View the full article

The Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has donated $50,000 to support the New Vocations Program’s aftercare efforts at their Ohio facilities. In 2017, New Vocations took in over 450 retired racehorses, 64 of which came directly from an Ohio racetrack or farm. “It is important to the Ohio HBPA that our retired Thoroughbreds be given a chance to thrive in a second career,” said Dave Basler, Ohio HBPA executive director. “We are proud to continue our partnership with New Vocations, an organization that began 26 years ago right here in Ohio to give our horses that chance New Vocations’ adoption process is very thorough–it ensures that the horses will go to good homes. We know from the training they received that the horses leave the program well-prepared to begin their second careers.” View the full article

Donnacha O'Brien will be reunited with Saxon Warrior, on whom he won the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1), in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown, when the Ballydoyle colt will clash with Epsom hero Masar for the third time. View the full article

A group of 10 talented sophomore fillies are scheduled to line up Saturday for a salty renewal of the $1,000,000 GI Belmont Oaks. La Signare (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Significant Form (Creative Cause) and Mighty Scarlett (Scat Daddy) finished one-two-three in the GIII Wonder Again S. June 7, which is considered the local prep for this event. Breaking her maiden in France, La Signare was privately purchased and transferred to Brian Lynch, finishing second to the reopposing Toinette (Scat Daddy) in her debut for that barn at Keeneland Apr. 11 prior to her front-running upset score in the Wonder Again. “We’ll see what the pace scenario is,” Lynch said. “If there’s no pace, I don’t think we’ll try and get too creative. We’ll let her do her thing again. I don’t know if they’ll let her get away with pedestrian fractions like she got away with in the first half [in the Wonder Again]. But if there’s a bit more pace, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can sit off of them a little bit anyway.” Victress of last term’s GIII Ms Grillo S., Significant Form captured the Memories of Silver S. Apr. 22 and was second every step of the way as the favorite in the Wonder Again. Stablemate Mighty Scarlett broke her maiden at second asking at Keeneland Apr. 27 prior to her third-place effort last out. Both fillies are conditioned by two-time Eclipse winner Chad Brown, who won three of the last four renewals of this event since the name was changed from the Garden City to the Belmont Oaks in 2014. He also won the last two editions of this test under its previous name in 2012 and 2013. “They both ran well [in the Wonder Again],” Brown said. “It was a bit disappointing for Significant Form as the favorite. She had every chance to win turning for home and it just wasn’t her day. I’m confident given the way she’s training that she can rebound off that effort.” Winner of three of her four races, the Neil Drysdale-trained Toinette came flying late to take down Brown’s previously undefeated GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) last time in Churchill Downs’ GIII Edgewood S. May 4. The always dangerous Aidan O-Brien ships in Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) for a shot at Grade I glory. Breaking her maiden two back at Fairyhouse May 31, the Coolmore runner was fourth in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot June 21 and returned on short rest to complete the trifecta in the Curragh’s G1 Pretty Polly S. just six days ago. Fellow European invader Caple Temptress (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) already has a top-level win in North American on her resume, having captured the GI Natalma S. at Woodbine Sept. 17. Seventh to Rushing Fall in the Breeders’ Cup, the Marco Botti pupil was fourth last time in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches May 13. Thewayiam (Fr) (Thewayyouare) has been quite successful since coming to America last year, winning the Ginger Brew S. Jan. 6, GIII Sweetest Chant S. Feb. 3 and GIII Herecomesthebride S. Mar. 3. Runner-up to Rushing Fall in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, the Graham Motion trainee missed by a neck last time in the Penn Oaks June 2. “She’s a filly who gives you confidence because it always seems like she runs her race,” Motion said. “Her form has been pretty good. I think she’ll lay a little closer going a mile and a quarter. She’s going to put herself in the race.” Also entered are GII Honeymoon S. winner Paved (Quality Road), GIII Providencia S. upsetter Fatale Bere (Fr) (Pedro the Great) and Chipolata (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), a two-time winner in France who is making her Stateside debut here for Christophe Clement. View the full article

Alter Moon (Alternation-Sahara Moon, by Malibu Moon), a runaway winner of last weekend’s Azalea S. at Gulfstream, has been added to the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale July 9, Taylor Made Sales Agency announced. The 3-year-old filly, owned by JAL Racing and trained by Jose Velez, previously captured an optional claimer by 14 3/4 lengths in Hallandale June 3. The $55,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling and $22,000 OBS June Juvenile sports a record of 7-3-2-0 and earnings of $128,255. “Her upward trajectory is possibly unmatched in the catalog, having won her most recent two starts by a combined 19 1/2 lengths and posting impressive speed figures,” Mark Taylor said. “With any sort of progression from Alter Moon, she could be in with a real shot down the road at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.” Alter Moon will be consigned by Taylor Made as Hip 574. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hakodate Racecourses: Saturday, July 7, 2018 5th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($121k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT DURABLE (JPN) (f, 2, Curlin–Hurricane Flag, by Storm Cat) is the first Japanese produce for her dam, a half-sister to GSW Animal Spirits (Arch) and to the dam of GSW ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense), who was bought for $530K carrying this foal in utero at KEENOV in 2015. Second dam Pennant Champion (Mr. Prospector) was a daughter of undefeated Eclipse Award winner Personal Ensign (Private Account), whose distinguished progeny and grand-progeny include champions My Flag (Easy Goer) and her daughter Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat); GISWs Miner’s Mark (Mr. Prospector), Traditionally (Mr. Prospector) and Mr Speaker (Pulpit); and GSW Fire Away (War Front). B-K I Farm 6th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($121k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m MEINER ABE (c, 2, Into Mischief–Spring, by Stravinsky), a half-brother to MSW & MGSP Spring Included (Include) and to GISP Pulsion (Include), cost $85K as a KEENOV weanling in 2016 and fetched double that price when offered at last year’s KEESEP sale. A May foal, Meiner Abe is bred on the same cross responsible for the recently retired MGSW & MGISP Vyjack. The deeper female family includes dual-hemisphere star Gentlemen (Arg) (Robin des Bois). B-Robert B Trussell Jr (KY) 12th-CKO, ¥14,250,000 ($129k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200m PERPETUO (f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Ribbon Taffy, by Hard Spun) broke her maiden at second asking over this course and distance in January (gate 15) and most recently returned from a four-month breather to finish a competitive fifth from a high draw at Hanshin June 17. A$160K in utero purchase at KEENOV in 2014, the bay was a $170K FTSAUG acquisition turned $540K FTFMAR breezer. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (KY) Sunday, July 8, 2018 2nd-HAK, ¥9,550,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1000m RAMP FEVER (f, 3, Ghostzapper–Gold Vault, by Arch) failed to handle turf on debut in April, but improved by leaps and bounds to miss narrowly when tried over track and trip June 24 (gate 8). An $800K OBSMAR juvenile, the dark bay is the full-sister to MGISW Contested, a $2.3-million FTKNOV grad whose son Gibeon (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was runner-up in this year’s G1 NHK Mile Cup. Gold Vault, a half-sister to MGISW Pomeroy (Boundary), is also the dam of young sire Mosler (War Front) and the latter’s GSP full-brother Air Vice Marshal. B-Cherry Valley Farm LLC (KY) View the full article

The Delaware Lottery Commission is reporting that $7 million was wagered on sports at the state’s three racetracks from June 5 through June 24 and that the total revenue from the sports wagering was $1,000,247. June 5 is the day sports betting began and June 24 is the final day of the fiscal month. Sports betting is available at three Delaware tracks, Delaware Park and the harness tracks Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway. Delaware was the first state to offer sports betting after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Delaware bettors either had a particularly unlucky month or aren’t particularly savvy sports handicappers. They lost 14% of all money wagered. Traditionally, sports bettors in Nevada lose about 5 to 6% of their total handle. After the state and the companies operating the sports books took their share, $352,256 was left over. Delaware Park, which easily outhandled both harness tracks, took in $263,924 in revenue and $62,715 was added to the purse account. There were 50,934 individual wagers made during the 20-day period at Delaware. “Any time we can add any money to our purse account we are happy,” said Bessie Gruwell, the executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “I’m glad that this started when it did, at a time when there aren’t a lot of sports to bet on, because they have some kinks to work out. They shut down at 11 p.m., so they had to, on one occasion, turn everyone away in the middle of one of the NBA finals game. There’s also been long lines. But, hopefully, they should have everything working much better by the time the NFL and college football games start. If they do, and with the popularity of those sports, I would imagine that $62,000 figure would grow quite a bit.” Delaware is the only state that has legalized sports betting where the tracks are required to contribute a portion of the profits to purses. Prior to the Supreme Court decision, Delaware already had legal parlay style bets on NFL games, and the “win” on those bets is typically around 30%. Some worried that single game wagering would cut into the parlay bets and might actually cause the tracks to lose revenue. But the total revenue on the parlay bets in 2017 was $4.8 million. Based on the June results, the annual revenue for more traditional sports bets will be far greater than what the tracks were bringing in on the parlay wagers. Monmouth Park launched sports betting June 14. So far no handle figures have been made available by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Though the sample size is a small one, there is evidence that some sports bettors may also be playing the horses. Since sports betting began, there have been seven cards at Monmouth when racing was held on the same day the prior year. During those seven days, total on-track handle has been $3,742,569. In 2017, the number for the same seven days was $3,097,837. That’s an 11.3% increase. The next track to open a sports book will be the Meadowlands, which is set to launch July 14. The North Jersey track moved up the opening date by a day. The Meadowlands decided on July 14 because it is the night of the Meadowlands Pace, one of the track’s signature races. View the full article