Wandering Eyes

Nonna Madeline (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}–Cool Storm, by Storm Cat) ran to the money in her Monmouth unveiling, stamping herself as a ‘TDN Rising Star.’ Off as the heavy 1-2 favorite, the bay was away a tick slow from her rail draw and was shuffled back to fifth in the early going. Racing under a snug hold, jockey Joe Bravo guided her to the four path entering the turn and she rocketed past her rivals with a flashy move to gain command. Under a hand ride at the top of the stretch, Nonna Madeline was geared down late to win by a much-the-best four lengths. Fellow firster Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) was second. The winner is a half-sister to Nonna Mela (Arch), GSW, $286,670. The final time for five furlongs was :59.25. Sales history: $130,000 yrl ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-St Elias Stable & MeB Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. View the full article

3rd-BEL, $75K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 2:37 p.m. ET Southern Equine Stable went to $550,000 at Keeneland September to acquire MYTHAJACUL (Candy Ride {Arg}), who debuts in this spot for trainer Eric Guillot. The dark bay is out SP Kayce Ace (Tiznow), who is a full-sister to MGISW sire Colonel John and GISP Mr. Hot Stuff. This is also the family of MGSW Imperialism (Langfuhr). Dominant Strategy (Bernardini), a $520,000 KEESEP buy, makes his second start here after a runner-up finish behind ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rugbyman (Tapit), who won by an impressive 14 lengths in the mud here May 13. The Chad Brown pupil is out of GSW & GISP Zardana (Brz) (Crimson Tide {Ire}) and is a half-brother to Curlin S. winner Smart Transition (Smart Strike). TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

Royal Ascot is never short in supply of drama, but the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. ensured it will be the most talked-about race of the meeting as Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) reverted to his former stalls panic and threw away his chance at the start before the ex-Australian and now Irish-trained Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) denied the French raider City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and US rep Bound For Nowhere (The Factor) in a thrilling finale. With the 5-2 favourite Harry Angel trying to break out of the stalls before missing the start by several lengths only to finish 10th, this renewal was thrown open and it was Bound For Nowhere who set out to make all up the centre with Spirit of Valor (War Front) leading up Merchant Navy in his group. As the Wesley Ward runner began to lug left and into Ballydoyle’s 4-1 second favourite as he ground his way ahead passing the furlong pole, City Light got motoring the other side under Christophe Soumillon. City Light may was in front before and after the line, but Merchant Navy’s was for the photo and the bobbing finish resulted in a short-head verdict for Ryan Moore, with 3/4 of a length back to a gallant Bound For Nowhere in third. “He’s a remarkable horse,” the winning jockey said. “He hasn’t been up here long and is only a young horse, but he’s come and beat a high-class field. I thought I’d win easier, but the American horse leaned into me and he lost his rhythm for a second. If I’d got beaten I’d have been unlucky.” It later transpired that Harry Angel’s near-hind leg was stuck on the running board when the stalls opened, having kicked out with both hind legs in the gate. This was a repeat of his antics in the early days, which the Clive Cox stable had worked so hard to overcome and which had not been a problem for many outings. He is now 0-5 at this track, so the curse continues. MERCHANT NAVY (AUS), 129, c, 4, by Fastnet Rock (Aus) 1st Dam: Legally Bay (Aus) (GSW & MG1SP-Aus, $430,193), by Snippets (Aus) 2nd Dam: Decidity (Aus), by Last Tycoon (Ire) 3rd Dam: Class (Aus), by Twig Moss (Fr) (A$350,000 Ylg ’16 INGEAY). O-Merchant Navy Syndicate; B-C Barham (AUS); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £340,260. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Aus & GSW-Ire, 10-7-0-2, £950,949. *Full to Jolie Bay (Aus), GSW & G1SP-Aus, $242,860. View the full article

Impressive when making all over this five-furlong trip at Haydock June 7, Clipper Logistics’ Soldier’s Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) dominated his stand’s-side group and eventually the entire field in the Listed Windsor Castle S. for a first Royal success for the Archie Watson stable. Allowed to roll by Danny Tudhope, the 12-1 shot was always too quick for his contemporaries on his side but it was not until the furlong pole that he got to those racing up the centre and far side. Tackled by Sabre (GB) (Mayson {GB}) from there, the bay held on to score by a half length, with Dom Carlos (Ire) (Gale Force Ten {GB}) 1 3/4 lengths away in third. “It was a great performance–he has so much speed,” his rider said. “I was a bit behind the far side, but I was able to do my own thing and wasn’t hassled.” Watson commented, “It’s only our second season training and I thought I might have to wait longer for this. Joe Foley, Steve Parkin, Clipper Logistics and Federico Barberini have put a lot of faith in me and sent me some proper kit, so I’m just delighted I can repay that.” SOLDIER’S CALL (GB), 129, c, 2, Showcasing {GB}–Dijarvo {GB} {SW-Fr & GSP-Aus}, by Iceman {GB}). (85,000gns Ylg ’17 TAOCT). O-Clipper Logistics; B-Llety Farms (GB); T-Archie Watson; J-Daniel Tudhope. £51,039. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, £59,394. View the full article

Sir Michael Stoute has enjoyed a stellar week and it was fitting that his 4-7 favourite Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) put the cherry on the cake as he bestowed his trainer an 11th success in the G2 Hardwicke S. Sir Evelyn De Rothschild’s TDN Rising Star, who was runner-up in a strong renewal of Doncaster’s G1 St Leger in September, came into this on the back of a win in the G3 Aston Park S. at Newbury May 19 and with Coolmore allowing Ryan Moore to ride for his old boss the writing was on the wall before the gates opened. Always content tracking Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the homebred bay was sent past that rival approaching the quarter pole and without being fully extended asserted for a 2 1/2-length verdict over Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid), with Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths away in third. “He’s continued to progress with his racing and has a lovely temperament–he is a joy to train,” this meeting’s winningmost trainer said. CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB), 127, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Crystal Star (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Mark of Esteem (Ire) 2nd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Be My Guest 3rd Dam: Krisalya (GB), by Kris (GB) O-Sir Evelyn de Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £127,689. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 9-5-2-2, £480,180. *1/2 to Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, GISW-Can, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, $1,221,978; Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Eng, $550,532; and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, in partnership with Ascot and Totepool, will launch a new pari-mutuel-based Ascot World Pool for Royal Ascot in 2019. The pool will be open to customers in Hong Kong and the UK. Under the agreement, pari-mutuel wagers placed either on track through AscotBet or off-course with Totepool will be commingled with Hong Kong’s pools on Royal Ascot. Hong Kong will simulcast all five days of Royal Ascot next year. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are honoured to provide a global tote offering for one of the world’s leading racing festival brands, Royal Ascot. This agreement solidifies Hong Kong’s position as the global hub of commingling. Our wagering operation is world-class and is recognised as a leader in integrity and management processes. We believe this is the beginning of a new era in international racing. We are already in active discussions with other racing bodies about future World Pool initiatives.” View the full article

Royal Ascot’s final day opened with one of the stories of the week, as Chasemore Farm’s Arthur Kitt (GB) (Camelot {GB}) emerged from a story of genuine adversity to prevail in the Listed Chesham S. Having almost died at birth when his dam, the 2012 G2 Queen Mary S. heroine Ceiling Kitty (GB) (Red Clubs {Ire}) had to be euthanized, the winner needed resuscitating several times and had a twisted leg but came through all that to be raised by a foster mare en route to his eventual debut at Haydock May 25. Successful by 2 1/2 lengths in that six-furlong contest, the bay traded at 13-2 here and after being in touch early on the outer of the group racing up the centre was ridden before halfway and given reminders three out. Staying on stoutly to gain the lead with a furlong to race, he veered left but held on from Nate the Great (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to score by a neck, with Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) 3 1/4 lengths behind in third. The red-hot 5-4 favourite Natalie’s Joy (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was only seventh. Owner Andrew Black said, “It’s the most special moment. I have more emotional attachment to him than I’ve ever had to a horse–the night he was born was such an incredibly difficult and painful time, so I always hoped he’d be special. We put her to Camelot to win this. He was always much more friendly than the other horses, which is often the case with foals raised by foster mares. I think Royal Applause was brought up by a foster mare.” ARTHUR KITT (GB), 129, c, 2, Camelot (GB)–Ceiling Kitty (GB) (GSW-Eng, $122,988), by Red Clubs (Ire). O/B-Chasemore Farm (GB); T-Tom Dascombe; J-Richard Kingscote. £51,039. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, £57,508. View the full article

The connections of Prompt Response (Aus) (Beneteau {Aus}) are Everest dreaming after the 4-year-old mare backed up a pair of seconds on Saturday with a breakthrough first win in Group 1 company in the Tattersalls Tiara at Doomben. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott pupil has been consistent in black-type company throughout her career, and indeed had already picked up a pair of Group 2 wins this season: the G2 Breeders’ Classic going 1200 metres at Warwick Farm on Feb. 10 and the G2 Emancipation S. over 1550 metres at Rosehill on Mar. 31. Upped to a mile for the G1 Queen of the Turf S. at The Championships, Prompt Response had to settle for second, and she filled the same position in the June 9 G2 Dane Ripper S. over this 1350 metre track and trip. Taking full advantage of a rail berth on Saturday, Prompt Response stalked the pace and cut the corner into the straight under Blake Shinn. After opening up an advantage of about three lengths once they straightened, she stayed on to win by 1 1/4 lengths from a fast-finishing Shillelagh (Aus) (Savabeel {Aus}), with Super Cash (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) staying on for third. Co-trainer Adrian Bott said connections would be interested in fielding offers from Everest slotholders. “We would now like to train her as a purely speed horse and look at a place in the The Everest. I think she would be up to that race,” he told Racenet.com.au. “The phone won’t be turned off, don’t worry.” Pedigree Notes… Prompt Response is the second Group 1 winner for the late champion first-season sire Beneteau, joining the marathoner Lasqueti Spirit. The dam, Prompt (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), had set a precedent with the sire when producing the Group 3-winning gelding Prompt Return (Aus) by him the year before Prompt Response, and her first foal was the listed-placed Diamond Glow (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}). She has a yearling colt by Dissident and a colt foal by Medaglia d’Oro to come. Prompt Response is inbred 3 x 3 to Danehill, that former multiple champion sire having sired Beneteau’s sire Redoute’s Choice and Prompt’s sire Exceed and Excel, both of those champion sires in turn. Saturday, Doomben, Australia TATTERSALLS TIARA-G1, A$500,000, Doomben, 6-23, f/m, Open, 1350mT, 1:18.51, Good. 1–PROMPT RESPONSE, 57.0, m, 4, by Beneteau 1st Dam: Prompt, by Exceed and Excel 2nd Dam: Amnesia (NZ), by Desert Sun (GB) 3rd Dam: Please Remember (NZ), by Don’t Forget Me (Ire) 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-R K Hamer & M S Sowerby; B-Mr R Hamer QLD; T-G Waterhouse & A Bott; J-B Shinn; A$305,000. Lifetime Record: 27-6-10-1, A$1,481,350. *Full to Prompt Return, GSW-Aus, A$362,990; 1/2 to Diamond Glow (Bel Esprit), SP-Aus, A$161,935. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Shillelagh (NZ), 57.0, m, 6, Savabeel–Trocair, by Flying Spur. O-C R Grace & Mrs S Grace; B-C R Grace, Central, NZ; T-C J Waller; J-M J Walker; A$102,500. 3–Super Cash, 57.0, m, 5, Written Tycoon–Super Bucks, by Dash for Cash. O-S B Millar, P J Robinson & M S Millar; B-Millar Racing and Breeding SA; T-Andrew Noblet; J-Jamie Kah; A$52,500. Margins: 1.3 len, 1.4 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 3.20, 13.00, 9.00. Also Ran: Savanna Amour, Daysee Doom, Invincibella, Invincible Gem, Siren’s Fury, Moss Trip, Volpe Veloce, Champagne Cuddles, Just Dreaming, French Emotion, Missrock, Pedrena, Miss Wilson. Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

Winner’s Way was runner-up in the Group Three Premier Cup 12 months ago but the Tony Cruz-trained sprinter can go one better and cap a consistent season with another black-type win in the race on Sunday at Sha Tin. Part of a stellar four-year-old crop that included Rapper Dragon, Pakistan Star and Beauty Generation, Winner’s Way hasn’t hit the heights of his classmates yet, but recent performances indicate he could become a big race player. Winner’s Way (Zac Purton) gets... View the full article

Winner’s Way was runner-up in the Group Three Premier Cup 12 months ago but the Tony Cruz-trained sprinter can go one better and cap a consistent season with another black-type win in the race on Sunday at Sha Tin. Part of a stellar four-year-old crop that included Rapper Dragon, Pakistan Star and Beauty Generation, Winner’s Way hasn’t hit the heights of his classmates yet, but recent performances indicate he could become a big race player. Winner’s Way (Zac Purton) gets... View the full article

John Moore thinks a wet track will help the chances of Hong Kong raider in Sunday’s Takarazuka Kinen, but star jockey Christophe Lemaire is hoping for the opposite to get the best out of favourite Satono Diamond. The Group One is one of two “all-star” races in Japan each year, alongside December’s Arima Kinen, with fans voting for their favourite horses and the top 10 who hold entries getting selected. The rest of the 16-horse field is made up of from foreign contestants... View the full article

John Moore thinks a wet track will help the chances of Hong Kong raider in Sunday’s Takarazuka Kinen, but star jockey Christophe Lemaire is hoping for the opposite to get the best out of favourite Satono Diamond. The Group One is one of two “all-star” races in Japan each year, alongside December’s Arima Kinen, with fans voting for their favourite horses and the top 10 who hold entries getting selected. The rest of the 16-horse field is made up of from foreign contestants... View the full article

The final race of the day at Sha Tin provides a tantalising clash between four of Hong Kong racing’s brightest young stars but could also decide a Jockey Challenge that seems set for a grandstand finish. The Class Two Ma On Shan Handicap (1,400m) sees the return of unbeaten four-year-old Conte (Joao Moreira) but the rising star has ample opposition in the form of a trio of talented three-year-olds. Solar Patch (Zac Purton), Harmony Hero (Alberto Sanna) and Win Beauty Win (Chad Schofield)... View the full article

The final race of the day at Sha Tin provides a tantalising clash between four of Hong Kong racing’s brightest young stars but could also decide a Jockey Challenge that seems set for a grandstand finish. The Class Two Ma On Shan Handicap (1,400m) sees the return of unbeaten four-year-old Conte (Joao Moreira) but the rising star has ample opposition in the form of a trio of talented three-year-olds. Solar Patch (Zac Purton), Harmony Hero (Alberto Sanna) and Win Beauty Win (Chad Schofield)... View the full article

Twelve months ago voters showed they had a heart when Rapper Dragon was made Horse of the Year and they now face a similar scenario deciding between “peoples’ horse” Pakistan Star and the perhaps better credentialed – on paper at least – Beauty Generation. Of course, the decision to anoint Rapper Dragon 2016-17 Horse of the Year had the added pathos of the horse’s tragic racetrack death but Pakistan Star’s unprecedented popularity, especially with the... View the full article

Twelve months ago voters showed they had a heart when Rapper Dragon was made Horse of the Year and they now face a similar scenario deciding between “peoples’ horse” Pakistan Star and the perhaps better credentialed – on paper at least – Beauty Generation. Of course, the decision to anoint Rapper Dragon 2016-17 Horse of the Year had the added pathos of the horse’s tragic racetrack death but Pakistan Star’s unprecedented popularity, especially with the... View the full article

The $75,000 Santa Lucia Stakes featured a pair of horses who are going in different directions, and at the quarter pole, they were alongside each other. View the full article

With champion Good Magic and Rushing Fall already well positioned for the second half of the year, New Money Honey rejoined the fray June 21 and signaled that she too was ready to get back to business. View the full article

The wildly popular National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Foal Patrol has surpassed one million views across various media platforms. The project put live cameras in foaling stalls at multiple farms in Kentucky, New York, and Florida, allowing fans to follow specific mares throughout the end of their pregnancies, through foaling, and in the early weeks of bonding with their foals. It launched in Dec., 2017 and has been viewed in 37 countries. Following the initial success of Foal Patrol, it will be revived for a second season. Participating farms and mares will be announced later this year. The project can be viewed at www.foalpatrol.com. View the full article

Churchill Downs announced Friday a $100,000 donation toward the Kentucky Derby Museum expansion project. Ground was broken on the $6.5-million renovation and expansion of the Derby Museum in March. In addition to over 11,000 square feet of new space, another 5,000 existing square feet is currently being renovated. The expansion is slated to be completed in late October, prior to the Breeders’ Cup, which will be hosted at Churchill Downs this year. The Derby Museum will remain open throughout the project. Although located adjacent to the historic track, the Derby Museum is an independent 501(C)3 nonprofit entity. The two organizations work closely together to preserve the history of the sport’s flagship race. View the full article

In response to Bill Finley’s series regarding “Super Trainers” (Part I and Part II). In response to Bill Finley’s article and Maggie Sweet’s rebuttal, Ms. Sweet presented a few “facts,” but provided no context that invalidate Mr. Finley’s point that “these trainers rarely participate in the claiming races that make up the bread and butter of our sport.” He said “rarely,” not “never,” so providing some counter-examples doesn’t mean he “failed to adhere to the facts.” These are the facts: from 1/1/2016 thru 7/31/17, there were 488,830 total starters. Of these, 216,522 were in claiming races (non-maidens) with a purse under $25,000. This is 44.3%. During this time, Pletcher, Baffert, Brown and Mott collectively had 4,588 starters. Only 39 of them were in those low-level claiming races. That is 0.85%. For Baffert, it was two out of 563. For Brown, only two out of 1,150. An examination of all their starters, not just a handful of entries, completely validates Mr. Finley’s assertion that these trainers “rarely participate” in the types of races that constitute the bulk of the races that are run. Sincerely, Steve Gazis I read with heightened interest Bill Finley’s two-part article about the so-called super trainers. At last someone has the guts to at least ‘talk about’ a situation (in an open forum) that has been eroding our game for the last 20 years or so. I would like to relate (what I consider) an interesting and profound conversation I had many years ago with three Hall of Famers at Siro’s in Saratoga: John Nerud, Allen ‘The Chief’ Jerkens and Woody Stephens. By shear happenstance, I was in Siro’s that night and the three Hall of Famers were in the front room at the next table. I finally entered into their conversation and guess what? They were talking about this very issue. They unanimously agreed that limits could/should be placed on the number of horses in training for ANY trainer. Woody proffered that “no trainer can legitimately train more than 40-50 with any diligence.” Even then the subject was at the forefront of these legendary trainers conversations. I believe it was Allen Jerkens who said that The Jockey Club should administer the rules that would curtail ‘monopoly trainers,’ even mentioning appointing a national commissioner, such as Pete Rozelle, who at that time was NFL boss. While I agree with Pletcher that capitalism is the way America works, and that no one should be denied the right to hire any trainer, Thoroughbred horse racing has always been considered a sport first, and a business second. And sports, for the most part, guarantee fair play and competitive equanimity (drafts, etc.). Chad is right that the mega trainers should supplement the little guys (i.e. workers’ compensation). Reducing the mid- to lower-level trainers’ expenses would promote more competition. And in another way, as Finley notes, Ritvo is doing it in California via race conditions. More trainers, more starters is a must in horse racing. Larger fields equal larger handle equals more revenue to owners, trainers, racing commissions and the respective state coffers. More opportunity for smaller outfits is the only way racing maintains its rather precarious position in America’s gambling hierarchy. Thomas Mina Saratoga Springs, NY View the full article

4th-Santa Anita, $60,035, Msw, 6-22, 2yo, 5f, :59.79, ft. CAROTARI (c, 2, Artie Schiller–Soother, by Rahy), sent off at 8-1 in this career bow, broke sharply from the outside post in this eight-horse affair and tussled with Hartel (City Zip) on the front end through a sharp first quarter in :21.99. Gliding clear entering the far turn, the bay had daylight on the field in the lane. Favored $400,000 OBSMAR grad Parsimony (Dominus) rallied late to close the gap to 1 1/4 lengths at the line. Hartel faded to finish last. Carotari is a half to Fuerza Naval (Midshipman) SW-Pan; and a 2018 colt by Lookin at Lucky. Sales history: $6,000 Ylg ’17 FTKOCT; $130,000 RNA 2yo ’18 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $35,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-William Branch; B-Tom Evans & Pam Clark (KY); T-Luis Mendez. View the full article

If you don’t think blood is thicker than water, you should have been in the paddock at Royal Ascot on Friday afternoon. Aidan O’Brien trained three of the nine-horse field in the G2 King Edward VII S. They were Delano Roosevelt (Ire) (Gallieo {Ire}), who many thought was the best of the three, along with Giuseppe Garibaldi (Ire) (Gallieo {Ire}) and Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {Ire}. Delano Roosevelt was ridden by Ryan Moore. Giuseppe Garibaldi had Seamie Heffernan booked to ride. Rostropovich was to be ridden by Aidan’s son, 20-year-old, Donnacha O’Brien. But, something was wrong. Donnacha was getting taller and heavier than he has been in the past. He had yet to win a race at the Royal Meeting. Aidan was intent on giving his son the bulk of his attention and instruction and concern as they prepared to leave the walking ring. Could this be the first and only winner at Royal Ascot for Donnacha before he grew out of those white pants and Tabor, Smith and Magnier colors? That was the buzz in the walking ring, that was the hubbub at the betting widows, that was why Donnacha’s horse, who had finished ninth in the recent G1 French Derby, was only 7-1 now. To realize Aidan’s affection for his sons, consider the fact that O’Brien and his elder son Joseph took the G1 English Derby with Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) in 2012, becoming the first father and son combination to ever win the race. And it was Joseph who was aboard GI Breeders’ Cup Turf winner St. Nicholas Abbey (Montjeu {Ire}) one year earlier before he tipped the scales to “tilt” and became the another O’Brien trainer. The so called “smart money” started to show on Rostropovich. Could we get a winner before son Donnacha retired from the saddle? We were almost right. Donnacha mounted a furious drive in the home straight, but fell a length and three quarters short of Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at the finish. So, will the father and son combination get a winner at the Royal Meeting before the weight problem catches up with them? Only one day to go! Melania Trump’s jacket said it all, “I really don’t care. Do you?” View the full article

After she sprung a significant upset at odds of 14-1 in the May 26 Gamely Stakes (G1T), D P Racing's Sophie P could play the role of favorite June 24 in the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Thoroughbred industry witnesses representing both pro and con sides of a federal bill requiring a uniform anti-doping and medication control program testified before a Congressional subcommittee on Friday, marking the first time that proponents and opponents of HR 2651 have been able to voice arguments while facing questioning from politicians who will decide if the measure advances. No clear-cut “winner” emerged from the June 22 proceedings before the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection subcommittee. The most salient points of the two-hour debate came near the end, when questioning drifted away from the cumbersome subplot of Lasix usage and drilled down to the more specific issue of whether Congress needs to step in and impose independent oversight based on the fact that the sport crosses state lines during the course of everyday wagering, breeding, sales and racing commerce. Testifying in support of HR 2651 were Stuart Janney III (chairman of The Jockey Club), Craig Fravel (chief executive of the Breeders’ Cup), and Kitty Block (acting president and chief executive of The Humane Society of the United States). That trio was opposed by Alan Foreman (chairman and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Inc.), Eric Hamelback (chief executive of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), and Ed Martin (president, Association of Racing Commissioners International). The issue of Lasix usage percolated to the top of the discussion very soon after the start of the hearing, with supporters of the bill expressing a common desire to end the race-day medicating of Thoroughbreds, while those against it explaining the therapeutic benefits of the anti-bleeding drug. While the Lasix topic is widely regarded as a familiar, hot-button issue to industry insiders, its emphasis might have been lost on some of the legislators who were hearing the term for the first time–and they heard it often over the course of nearly 2 1/2 hours of testimony. As a result, the 13 politicians who had requested five-minute allotments to verbally grill the witnesses spent a good chunk of that time asking questions like when is Lasix administered, what does it do to a horse’s lungs, and do horses feel pain from epistaxis. At one point, Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA), noted that it was an “unfortunate” missed opportunity that no veterinarians had been invited to the panel to more fully explain the role of Lasix in horses. Foreman though, hammered home a blunt economic point: “If there is a move to eliminate Lasix in racing in the U.S., it’s going to force owners out of the business.” Block and Janney countered with arguments advocating for the discontinuation of race-day Lasix because it creates a negative public-perception problem. Block said “a needle to the horse’s neck [is] not a perception that should be projected.” But Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said “I appreciate that, and I think, ‘Yeah, nobody wants to see that.’ But if it’s a medication that protects horses, then I think in some cases, optics maybe should take a second place to the actual protection of the horses.” Janney dug in and said the perception issue was global, not just domestic. “I think one of the things that you have to worry about is the perception of the industry in being out of step with the rest of the world,” Janney said. “We sell our horses in international markets. There’s a reason that Keeneland has written a letter supporting this bill. I think that reason is that every other national association talks about why U.S. horses are inferior. Whether that’s true or not, I’m not saying. [Another issue is] other international bodies saying ‘Why should we accredit your races in the U.S. when you run on race-day medication?'” Hamelback told the subcommittee he didn’t buy that line of reasoning. “What we do in the United States is the number one [horse racing] industry in the world–period,” Hamelback said. “I think the burden of proof goes to [those supporting HR 2651]. They need to tell us why [federal intervention] is necessary, because statistically it’s not, plain and simple. There’s no proof of what we are doing currently needs further oversight.” Foreman re-centered the issue back to domestic economics. He said eliminating Lasix usage would mean that Thoroughbreds sold at auction would have to carry some sort of disclaimer warning buyers that exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging could be a future issue. “Can you envision buying an automobile or a product where you’re told at the time of the sale, ‘This product may have a problem. It’s likely to have a problem. You’re not going to be able to fix it in a way that you can use it,’?” Foreman said. “Are you going to buy that product? That’s why you don’t see the breeders’ organizations throughout the country supporting this bill, because they know what’s going to happen. It’s going to chill sales.” Hamelback dovetailed that point by warning that imposing an entirely new regulatory structure upon the sport while cutting back on race-day medication would create unintended long-term economic consequences. “To me, I see that as a very logistically difficult hurdle to get over,” Hamelback said. “At this point, nothing has been done as far as an economic study to show us what this is going to cost with two new regulatory bureaucratic layers added on to us.” And with regard to letting the United States Anti-Doping Agency regulate the sport, Hamelback said, the agency’s lack of equine expertise would even further harm the industry. “It is our belief that while they do have that expertise in human [testing], crossing over to the equine world is not only different, it’s logistically different. Nothing in this piece of legislation actually puts them doing anything different than we already have in place now.” Fravel testified that continued exposure to risks from drug cheating would be more damaging than any of the system-change perils cited by the opponents.. “The concern here is we don’t have a concerted national effort to identify threats as they occur,” Fravel said. “It’s hard for those of us who are honest to come up with devious things that other people come up with, but we need to find a national organization to identify those threats and deal with them.” Martin said the existing regulatory bodies at the state level are already well equipped and capable of dealing with both known and emerging drug threats. “We may not be real good at touting our own horn, but there is a system in place, ” Martin said. “It may not be perfect. But there is a system in place, and we work every day to strengthen it and try to make it better.” Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was the first politician to attempt to steer the hearing squarely away from the Lasix issue. “We’re talking a lot about Lasix here–I get that,” Mullin said. “But the fact is that Congress does have a role on the commerce side of it when it crosses state lines, even when it comes to sports…. So when we’re starting to talk about the bill moving forward, it’s not about the industry. The industry can oversee itself…. I am not for over-regulating. I’m just asking the question: Does Congress have a role to play in this or not?” Mullin continued: “As much as I don’t like it, really that’s the end or the beginning of our conversation. When it crosses a state line, that is where our role comes into play…. I feel we’re a long ways from getting this fixed, but this is a conversation that needs to be had.” Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) made a point of noting that the witnesses in opposition to the bill brought more verbal fire to their arguments than the supporters did. “When people come before the panel, sometimes there’s a little bit of confusion over whether they’re with [or against] any particular bill.” McKinley said. “Not one this one. You two–Hamelback and Martin–I don’t know whether you didn’t get the memo, but your passion came out pretty strongly about where you stand on this. So I’m fascinated by that, but I want to hear the counter to it as we debate this.” McKinley then asked Fravel to point out where those in opposition to HR 2651 were wrong in their reasoning. “The gist of a lot of this [anti-intervention] testimony is things are going fine, we’re doing well, don’t mess with us; that we don’t need a national program, we can do it all ourselves,” Fravel said. But, he added, in terms of bringing about meaningful change, “the current system takes too long. It takes forever.” Near the end of the hearing, Janney was asked why he didn’t have confidence in allowing the feds to just step back and allow the various racing state regulators to come to a consensus on adopting the model rules that already exist. “I’m 69 years old,” Janney replied. “It’s my considered opinion that I would never be around to see that day. It will not happen. I’ve worked for the last 20 years being involved with other people to try to figure all this out. And the status quo, for a lot of people, is exactly what they want. What I’m here to do is to try to provide the things that are going to be necessary for this industry so that my children can enjoy it.” The next step in the legislative process will be for the subcommittee to report their findings from this hearing to the full Energy and Commerce committee. Watch the entire hearing (beginning at 13:50) below. View the full article