Wandering Eyes

Midwest Thoroughbreds' 2015 Arlington Million (G1T) winner The Pizza Man and 2014 champion sprinter Work All Week returned to the barn of Roger Brueggemann on the Arlington International Racecourse backstretch last week for careers as stable ponies. View the full article

Le Grange and Juglall back to Winning ways View the full article

Lightning winning return for Curatolo in IRT Juvenile Stakes View the full article

Munro and Kellady suspended View the full article

Horses' body weights June 15 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings June 15 View the full article

Early scratchings June 15 View the full article

Northern California horsemen met with executives from The Stronach Group June 14 and many left with concerns about their future in the region. View the full article

4th-CD,$51K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, post time: 2:13 p.m. ET Trainer Mark Casse unveils H. Allen Poindexter’s CALL TO SERVICE (To Honor and Serve) in this field of 10 maidens, seven of which are making their debuts. The $150K FTSAUG yearling is a half-sister to MGSW Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus})and Gio Game (Gio Ponti), third behind Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Acorn S. June 9. TJCIS PPs 5th-BEL, $75K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, post time: 4:42 p.m. ET Don Alberto Stable’s KUNA (Scat Daddy) has landed the rail draw for this career debut. Conditioned by juvenile maestro Wesley Ward, the gray filly cost $300K at last year’s FTSAUG sale and is out of a winning Unbridled’s Song daughter of Batalossa (Arg) (Southern Halo), a dual Group 1 winner and champion of her generation in her native land in 2007. TJCIS PPs View the full article

Santa Anita will have a special early post time of 12pm June 23 to accommodate an on-track appearance of undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), who is scheduled to return to Arcadia Sunday. Trainer Bob Baffert and regular rider Mike Smith will join the chestnut in the winner’s circle and will be available for media interviews. View the full article

Emerald Downs will card a unique race June 17. There will not only be age restrictions on the horses, but on the trainers, too. View the full article

A special David Cassidy Tribute Concert will be held Aug. 14 at the Horseshoe Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY from 8-10pm and will benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. A horse owner, breeder and fan, Cassidy was a big supporter of TRF. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact TRF at (518) 226-0028 or click here. View the full article

By Emily Shields Horsemen at Golden Gate Fields were surprised June 13 with notice of a meeting to address growing concerns that the Berkeley, California, track will close over a complex simulcasting dispute. The Stronach Group, which owns and operates Golden Gate, gave a 90-day warning in March that they planned to withdraw their simulcast signal from Northern California Off-Track Wagering Inc., which runs 10 satellite betting facilities. Golden Gate has been subsidizing the network, which “handled a total of $108.4 million or 41% of total wagering in Northern California,” in 2010, according to a released statement by Greg Avioli, the President and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Because of the withdrawal, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) may not renew Golden Gate’s license for racing later this year, covering the dates from Aug. 22 – Oct. 2. If the application is not approved, The Stronach Group’s Tim Ritvo has noted that the Bay Area track could shut down. Ritvo did not attend the June 14 meeting, which was hosted by Golden Gate’s General Manager David Duggan and P.J. Campo, the Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. They spoke with local owners and trainers about Golden Gate’s future, urging them to attend the CHRB meeting June 21 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. “At the meeting we simply reiterated our position with regard to the model that exists in California,” Duggan said. “We told the horsemen that we wish to change the model, that it is broken and has been broken and documented since 2010. That is the message we delivered to the horsemen; they took it reasonably well.” But at least one horseman feels uneasy. “I don’t want us to be forced into the middle,” said trainer Blaine Wright, who is based out of Golden Gate. “This is between two companies, and we as horsemen shouldn’t have to stand up for one or the other. I would love to see year-round racing at Golden Gate, because I believe in racing where you are training, so I’m for The Stronach Group and support them. But it puts the horsemen in a bad bind to tell us to go to the meeting next week and speak up about this.” Dates for the Northern California circuit have already been a contentious subject as The Stronach Group continues to seek year-round racing at Golden Gate, which could come at the expense of the fair circuit. The long-standing summer tradition sees racing bounce between Pleasanton, Cal Expo, Santa Rosa, Ferndale, Los Alamitos, and Fresno, which Wright notes can be logistically difficult for trainers and their staff. “The fair circuit is fun, but it’s problematic because you’re limited in the racing,” Wright said. “But the fairs do offer a stakes schedule that Golden Gate can’t compete with.” The Stronach Group has contended they would like to race concurrently with the fair circuit, but questions remain over the California horse population’s ability to support simultaneous racing in the area. “I’m sure that the CHRB meeting next week will be interesting,” Duggan said. “They know what our stance is.” Avioli’s statement continued, “Until such time as Golden Gate Fields presents a viable plan to replace the purse revenue and commissions generated by the existing offtrack network, the TOC strongly urges Golden Gate Fields to amend their application with the CHRB to include participation in the Northern California simulcast network. The TOC pledges to continue to work with The Stronach Group, the CHRB and other parties on underlying economic and structural issues to improve the economics for both the track and horsemen for racing at Golden Gate Fields.” The purpose of the meeting was simply to deliver information to the horsemen, but still carried a frustrating element. “We certainly got surprised by the news,” Wright said. “Why weren’t we talking about this six months ago?” He referred to a stabling issue resolved earlier this year, where executives from Golden Gate Fields originally stated the barns would be closed down during the fair circuit. In March, Golden Gate reversed their stance and reached an agreement to remain open. “Once again, we are in panic mode all of the sudden, which is what we don’t appreciate about it,” Wright said. “But for me personally, I want to run where I’m stabled.” View the full article

OCALA, Fl – A filly by The Factor brought top price of $180,000 during a workmanlike second session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Thursday. For the session, 152 juveniles grossed $4,598,500 for an average of $30,253 and a median of $14,500. Through two of three sessions, 328 horses have sold for $11,206,500. The cumulative average of $34,166 is almost on par with last year’s two-session sale average of $34,562. The two-day median of $16,500 is down 10.8% from last year’s sale figure of $18,500. Bill Heiligbrodt’s East Hickman Bloodstock took home hip 426, a daughter of The Factor for the day’s top price. The juvenile was one of 13 to bring six figures during the session. The gray was consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, which also consigned the day’s second-highest priced offering, a colt by Macho Uno (hip 486), who sold for $155,000 to Good Friends Stable. Wavertree was the session’s leading consignor with seven sold for $551,000. “I think everybody has been pleasantly surprised how strong the market has been, how solid it’s been,” Dunne said. “I think the fact that there are people there for the bottom-end horses and those horses are selling, rather than coming up here and RNA’ing or being scratched, it gives it a bit of a buzz. It gives it the feel of a live auction. It gets everybody a little bit more upbeat. We’ve sold all but one to this point. We took our lumps where we needed to take them, but we’ve also had some bright spots. So I’ve been really happy with the market.” The OBS June sale concludes with a final session, which includes a section of horses of racing age, Friday beginning at 10 a.m. Heiligbrodt Strikes for The Factor Filly Bill Heiligbrodt went to $180,000 to acquire a filly by The Factor during Thursday’s second session of the OBS June sale. The gray (hip 426) is out of America’s Friend (Unusual Heat), a full-sister to Grade I placed Bel Air Sizzle. She worked a quarter-mile last week in :20 4/5. “The best thing I liked about her is that she’s fast,” Heiligbrodt said with a laugh when asked about the filly’s appeal. “She’s a very good physical. All of these horses are a gamble, as you know, but she looks like she might be able to do something. She probably can run short, long, maybe on the grass.” Bred by Madeline Auerbach and Catherine Parke, hip 426 sold for $85,000 as a Keeneland November weanling and was purchased by Ciaran Dunne’s Redwings for $92,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. She was consigned by Dunne’s Wavertree Stables. Heiligbrodt, who signed for the filly in the name of his East Hickman Bloodstock, admitted it’s been challenging buying at OBS this week. “We’ve shopped a lot, but we’ve not been able to buy anything until today,” he said. “It’s competitive for the good horses.” As the juvenile sales season concludes with the June sale, Heiligbrodt said he attended each auction on the calendar. “It’s all been competitive for the top horses,” he confirmed. “Especially this year, it’s been very competitive.” Macho Uno Colt to Lynch Brian Lynch, who trained Private Zone (Macho Uno) for Good Friends Stable, will now train a Macho Uno colt out of a half-sister to that multiple Grade I winner for those same owners after bloodstock agent Nick Esler signed the ticket at $155,000 on hip 486. “He had a good outlook, a very good temperament, and he’s correct,” Esler said. “He did everything right and ticked all the boxes. Obviously Brian trained Private Zone, so that is what drew his attention to him. And he’s an overall, good-looking colt.” The gray colt, who worked a furlong in :10 1/5 last week, is out of the unraced Black Lace (Afleet Alex). The $175,000 Keeneland September yearling, was bred by Adena Springs and was consigned by Wavertree Stables. Esler, who has been training in New York since 2012, has joined forces with California-based bloodstock agent David Meah and was signing his first ticket for the partnership. “I took a step back from training in November,” the Englishman said. “I’m working with David, trying to get his business up and running on the East Coast. He’s got the West Coast covered, so I’m to get some clients buying for Christophe Clement at the sales. Brian was good enough to let us buy this horse for him.” Of the market this week in Ocala, Esler said, “There haven’t been a lot of good ones, but we have found a few. We bought an Old Fashioned colt (hip 226) [Wednesday] for cheap that we thought we got value for [at $35,000]. And I thought this horse was well bought at $155,000 today. He has a little bit of quality and we’re happy to have gotten him.” Of his transition from trainer to bloodstock agent, Esler said, “It’s a different way of life, away from home a lot, but I’m enjoying it.” View the full article

When the three-time grade 1 winner makes his 2018 debut June 17 at Belmont Park, a tough group of seven rivals is expected to challenge Oscar Performance in the $300,000 Poker Stakes (G3T) on the Widener Turf. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify returned to training June 14 at Churchill Downs for the first time following his victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). View the full article

With his spark reportedly showing back up in the a.m. hours, Live Oak Plantation's homebred World Approval aims to get back to showcasing his top form June 16 when he heads a field of eight entered for the $200,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T). View the full article

Kentucky Downs is transferring $500,000 apiece to the purse accounts at Ellis Park, Churchill Downs and Keeneland in an unprecedented agreement with the Kentucky HBPA. “This is jaw-dropping and unparalleled in horse racing, to have one track boosting purses paid to horsemen at other tracks, especially when each track has different ownership,” said Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky HBPA. “We are proud to be working with Kentucky Downs’ visionary ownership and management to work to further strengthen racing in the commonwealth.” “Churchill Downs sincerely appreciates the work and leadership of the Kentucky horsemen on this transfer of purse money,” said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Our partnership with our horsemen is key to the success of Churchill Downs and all Kentucky racetracks, and we look forward to strengthening Kentucky racing.” The purse money is available because of Kentucky Downs’ lucrative Historical Horse Racing terminals, which provide another betting product with electronic games based on the results of previously run races while remaining pari-mutuel in design. “The tracks receiving this money for their horsemen either have, or in the case of Churchill Downs is well into the process of installing, Historical Horse Racing operations that have proven so beneficial to Kentucky Downs,” Maline said. “We already have $130,000 maiden races and $145,000 allowance races at Kentucky Downs, so it’s appropriate that some of the revenue generated for purses at Kentucky Downs beef up a need at sister tracks that are investing in a successful mechanism to increase purses as well as generating considerable tax money for the state.” A total of $2.4 million in purse money and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) supplements already was in place for Ellis Park’s meet that runs July 1 through Labor Day. That includes funding for four $100,000 grass stakes Aug. 5 that comprise Kentucky Downs Preview Day. The additional $500,000 will be used to enhance non-stakes races across the board, with maiden races now going for $42,000, the highest ever at Ellis Park. “While Keeneland already has very nice purses, we felt that their claiming races could use a boost, especially with the competition for those horses from other tracks in the region,” Maline said. “The money going to Churchill Downs will be used to enhance purses at its September and fall meets. Summer racing had been a weak link, but Ellis Park now is a vibrant, economical option for owners and trainers, and that’s keeping horses and jobs in the state, which only helps our race meets in the fall.” The Kentucky HBPA has worked with Kentucky Downs the prior two years to augment Ellis Park purses by a total of $3 million for the 2016 and 2017 meets. There is precedent for Kentucky Downs transferring funds to tracks besides Ellis Park. The $1.5 million total going to Ellis, Keeneland and Churchill Downs does not involve any KTDF money and therefore has no regulatory restrictions on how it can be used for purses. “When current ownership purchased the track in 2007 from Brad Kelley, one of Mr. Kelley’s stipulations was that Kentucky Downs would be a positive force for the betterment of horse racing in the commonwealth,” said Ted Nicholson, KY Downs senior VP. “We’re happy that we’re in a position to lend an assist to the other racetracks. No one knows better of the needs of horsemen at each track than the Kentucky HBPA. So it’s appropriate–in addition to being their contractual right–that the HBPA leadership work with the other tracks’ managers to decide how the extra purse money is used.” View the full article

The wagering public can now use breeze show analysis as a handicapping tool on www.betbestbreeze.com, a product of Mike Mulligan’s Emerald Bloodstock. A soft launch began Saturday, June 9. “I have been offering this service to horsemen since 2016 as a tool to assist buyers in their selection process for buying winners at all levels of racing,” said Mulligan. “Now we are offering that same information as a handicapping tool. The juvenile racing season is now gearing up for 2018, so along with our partners from throughout the Thoroughbred Industry, we are offering a unique tool to identify runners that should win within their first three starts.” For more information, visit www.betbestbreeze.com or contact Mike Mulligan at (352) 895-8861. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify returned to training June 14 at Churchill Downs for the first time following his victory in June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). View the full article

Niki McCardell was tense as Justify (Scat Daddy) rolled into the Belmont stretch, and with each stride the big chestnut took to secure his place in history, McCardell’s pent-up excitement became noticeably palpable. She started clenching her fists and raising her arms at the sixteenth pole and finally emptied her emotional tank when the colt hit the wire. Shortly afterward, I heard McCardell almost sheepishly tell her companion Chuck Fipke that witnessing Justify’s GI Belmont S. was as exciting–if not more–as seeing Fipke’s homebred Bee Jersey (Jersey Town)’s win the GI Metropolitan H. two races earlier on the card. “No, I agree with you,” Fipke replied. “It was more exciting to see this. He just won the Triple Crown, eh.” Mind you, Bee Jersey’s race had been a nailbiter with the son of Jersey Town’s margin of victory only a nose at the wire, but Fipke had meant what he’d said because he breeds mostly for the Classics and had appreciated–envied, even–what had transpired. “He’s a beautiful horse,” Fipke uttered to no one as he watched Mike Smith parade the colt before fans after the win. The big and handsome Justify is owned by a partnership that numbers hundreds of individuals. This type of ownership structure–popular overseas–is becoming more evident here. The colt was initially purchased by the partnership of Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm; China Horse Club; and SF Bloodstock, a global entity that includes Newgate Farm in Australia; and it was later enlarged to include the Jack Wolf-led syndicate of Starlight Racing and Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners LLC. The latter two entities had purchased SF Bloodstock’s racing interests in the son of Scat Daddy for one year, with SF holding on to its share of the colt’s breeding rights. It’s a fairly complex ownership situation between the racing and breeding rights, but it certainly amplifies the number of individuals that can say they owned a Triple Crown winner. Fipke, in contrast, is at the other end of the spectrum in the deep end of the game. He’s an owner who races almost exclusively only those horses that he bred, and he races them by himself, in his name, and in his own colors. He doesn’t buy yearlings or 2-year-olds, he doesn’t claim horses, and he doesn’t have partners. In many ways, he’s a throwback to the owner-breeders of the last century, and his model of operation is very much in the minority these days. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that there’s no one else in North America that operates quite like Fipke does, because not only does he race homebreds, he breeds the majority of his mares to his own homebred stallions, even if those stallions are not fashionable or supremely accomplished at stud. Bee Jersey is an example of this. He’s a first-crop son of Fipke’s homebred GI Cigar Mile winner Jersey Town (Speightstown), who entered stud at Darby Dan but was moved to Road’s End Farm in British Columbia for 2018 after demand in Kentucky waned. As an owner-breeder, Fipke is not motivated by commercial concerns, and that makes him unique, too. He plans his own matings meticulously–I know this firsthand as an advisor to him through Werk Throroughbred Consultants–and will oftentimes breed even his most valuable mares to his own sires if he deems the matings sound. For example, after purchasing GI Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid) for $2.5 million as a maiden mare, he bred her to his homebred Grade I winner and champion Perfect Soul (Ire), a son of Sadler’s Wells that he bred and raced. He breeds for a purpose, too, and that mostly is to breed future stallions or broodmares that he can then mate with his other homebreds or with stallions that fit his breeding theories. In other words, he envisions matings two or three generations downstream, and that also marks him as unique nowadays where patience is no longer a virtue, or at least not kind to a bottom line that screams for immediate ROI. He’s also found remarkable success doing things his own way. When he later bred Lemons Forever to Unbridled’s Song and got the dual Grade I winners Unbridled Forever and Forever Unbridled, he also got an Eclipse Award winner with the latter and earned a Broodmare of the Year award for the producer. Another example of Fipke’s unique way of thinking is evident in the $1.7 million purchase of Title Seeker (Monarchos–Personal Ensign), bought in foal to Seeking the Gold in 2006. A mare of this caliber would usually go to a top commercial sire in anyone else’s hands. Fipke bred her to Perfect Soul, and later he bred the filly she was carrying at purchase, Grade III winner Seeking the Title, to Perfect Soul, too. The latter mating was responsible for his 2017 Grade I winner Seeking the Soul, a future stallion for Fipke. Classic Quest A Canadian, Fipke has had success in the Canadian Classics with Not Bourbon (Not Impossible {Ire}), Perfect Shower (Perfect Soul) and Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer). Not Bourbon won the Queen’s Plate in 2008 and was sired by the unraced Sadler’s Wells stallion Not Impossible, a homebred brother to Perfect Soul that Fipke put to stud and almost singlehandedly supported himself. With Not Bourbon’s Queen’s Plate success, Not Impossible also became the first Sadler’s Wells stallion to get a North American Classic winner. Not Bourbon’s dam, by the way, was the millionaire and multiple Grade III winner Bourbon Belle, a $600,000 purchase that Fipke had no qualms about sending to an unraced stallion. There probably isn’t another breeder in North America that would do that. Perfect Shower won the Breeders’ S., the third leg of Canada’s Triple Crown, in August of 2009. His sire became the third Sadler’s Wells-line stallion to get a North American Classic winner after Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado {Ire}, by Sadler’s Wells) became the second with Rachel Alexandra in the GI Preakness S. that year. Perfect Shower’s dam, Showering, was a $75,000 purchase. Danish Dynaformer was second in the Queen’s Plate in 2015, but, like Perfect Shower, won the Breeders’ S., a mile-and-a-half race on turf. Fipke had targeted the stamina sire Dynaformer for his Danehill mare Danish Wildcat, whom he had purchased privately from her breeder, Irv Cowan, and Danish Dynaformer’s pedigree is marked by two cases of close and unusual inbreeding to Darby Dan sires Roberto (2×4) and His Majesty (3×4), something that didn’t dissuade Fipke from executing a somewhat daring mating. Fipke has a penchant for particularly inbreeding to females in a family and understands full well that sometimes the more closely inbred filly foals may end up better broodmares down the road than racehorses. That’s the hope for his Galileo (Ire) mare Galileo Always, who is inbred 3×3 to Allegretta (GB), the dam of Urban Sea–Galileo’s dam. She wasn’t much on the racecourse but she’s currently in Japan and has a promising Deep Impact (Jpn) foal by her side, who is bred on the same cross as this year’s G1 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact). Because the G1 Epsom Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), a grandson of Galileo, is inbred 3×4 to Urban Sea, Fipke’s mating now looks doubly inspired. Though Fipke’s profile harks back to the staid owner-breeders of the past, he’s obviously more daring than they were and very much in tune with the internationalism of today. He was actually ahead of the curve as one of the first breeders in North America to send mares to Sadler’s Wells, an outstanding sire of Classic horses. Through the years he’s also sent mares to other Classic sires abroad, horses like Galileo in Ireland, Fort Wood in South Africa, Redoute’s Choice in France and Australia, and Deep Impact in Japan, and he’s raced in Europe, Australia, UAE, and Japan, where he’s one of a handful of western owners licensed to race. Currently Fipke stands at Darby Dan Grade I winner Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), whom he also bred and raced, along with the aging Perfect Soul. The latter got him the runner-up spot in the 2013 GI Kentucky Derby with Golden Soul, and the former, who was fourth in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, got him a placing in the 2015 Preakness with Tale of Verve’s distant second to American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). In addition to Jersey Town in Canada, Fipke also stands Not Bourbon, Grade I winner Java’s War (War Pass), and Grade I-placed Perfect Timber (Perfect Soul) in Ontario at Colebrook Farm, and he supports all of his stallions. One of Fipke’s goals is to win the Kentucky Derby–and the Preakness and Belmont, for that matter. He’s won Breeders’ Cup races with Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul) and Forever Unbridled, and he’s always hunting for Grade I races like the Metropolitan, which guaranteed Bee Jersey a spot on the Fipke stallion roster. But Fipke’s face after the Belmont S. told a story. He wants to get there, however, with a homebred, preferably one by a sire and dam that he also bred. That would be his signature mark on the game, and it’s why he’s inspired to spend time on his matings almost every day of the year. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) has donated $300,000 to Penn Vet New Bolton Center’s Equine Pharmacology Laboratory to fund revolutionary research to detect gene doping in equine athletes. Gene doping involves the transfer or modification of genes or genetically modified cells of healthy human athletes, as well as equine athletes, for non-therapeutic purpose to enhance athletic performance. The $300,000 donation from the PHBA will provide funding for Penn Vet’s multi-tiered, multi-year project. Elements of the project include continued research into potential protein and RNA-based biomarkers that have been identified as showing promise for detecting gene doping. The project will also include continued expansion of a BioBank that will be utilized to evaluate baseline levels of these blood-based bio-markers in active and injured race horses, as well as physiological changes in their musculoskeletal structure using New Bolton Center’s robotics controlled imaging system. “Our members, all of whom are Pennsylvania thoroughbred horse breeders, have consistently stated that maintaining integrity in the sport of racing is one of their top priorities,” said Brian Sanfratello, Executive Secretary of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association. “We are pleased to partner with New Bolton Center, an internationally renowned equine hospital and research institution, to fund this ground-breaking research and help combat gene doping.” “We are proud of our record at New Bolton Center for remaining on the cutting edge of detecting and preventing the use of performance enhancing and illicit pharmaceuticals in equine athletes,” said Dr. Mary Robinson, Director of the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at New Bolton Center. “With this grant, we can continue to be a leader in protecting the integrity of horse racing. While gene therapy represents an important breakthrough for patients with disease-causing genes and rare genetic diseases, we need to be sure that we are taking steps to stay ahead of those who would seek to use these advances for illicit means.” The $300,000 donation represents a significant investment for the PHBA and was championed by PHBA Board President Roger Legg and Board Member/Chair of the PHBA’s Medication Committee Deanna Manfredi. Manfredi’s committee conducted extensive research on the issue and established it as a priority for the organization. Because the money is being allocated from the association’s share of the State Racing Fund, which is typically used for enhanced breeder awards and incentives, the PHBA had to seek approval of Pennsylvania’s State Horse Racing Commission. The Commission approved the PHBA’s request to provide the funding by unanimous vote at its monthly meeting on May 31. “My fellow commissioners and I applaud the PHBA and the New Bolton Center for funding and undertaking this revolutionary research project to combat efforts to subvert fairness and integrity in the sport of horse racing,” said Russell Jones, a Commissioner of the State Horse Racing Commission in Pennsylvania. “The State Horse Racing Commission is committed to maintaining a fair and level, playing field, both for our fans and the vast majority of owners and trainers who play by the rules.” In addition to the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center is also seeking additional funding for this research program. Individuals or organizations who would like to support the program through a financial donation are encouraged to contact Margaret Leardi, Director of Development for New Bolton Center, at mleardi@vet.upenn.edu. View the full article

A year ago to the date since he broke his shoulder four days out from last year’s Royal meeting, jockey Frankie Dettori said he is covering himself in bubble wrap to ensure he can participate at Royal Ascot next week. “It was a year ago today that I broke my shoulder and it was awful,” the rider said. “To me, Ascot is everything, and to injure myself four days before last year’s Royal Ascot was very hard to take. At the moment, I am covering myself up in bubble wrap and hope I can get there on Tuesday. I have three rides before then–two on Saturday and one on Sunday.” Dettori’s rides next week will include a clutch of hopefuls for trainer John Gosden, such as Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S., Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Gold Cup, Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 St James’s Palace S. and possibly ‘TDN Rising Star’ Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Coventry S. He will also pilot Australian sprinter Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S., and will continue his regular association with American trainer Wesley Ward. “John Gosden will have a big team,” Dettori said. “We are all thinking we have a great book of rides, but it is very hard to win at Ascot and you can’t take anything for granted. I am very excited and am going to enjoy it.” View the full article

Recent G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Lancaster Bomber (War Front) will miss Royal Ascot due to a foot problem, trainer Aidan O’Brien told At The Races. The 4-year-old colt was under consideration to be supplemented to the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. “I don’t think he’ll make it to Royal Ascot,” O’Brien said. “He is going through a niggly problem with a foot at the moment, so it’s likely to he won’t be ready enough to run there.” View the full article

On the same night Justify will parade in front of the crowd at Churchill Downs, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith will team with another on-the-rise 3-year-old in the $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3). View the full article