Wandering Eyes

Chad Brown, Javier Castellano, and Michael Dubb took top honors in the 2018 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Championship for best overall performance by a trainer, jockey and owner, respectively, during the three-day event at Belmont Park. View the full article

With emergency regulations to govern sports betting put in place by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and license approval granted by the New Jersey Racing Commission Wednesday, Monmouth Park will open its doors to accept its long-anticipated first sports wagers Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. The Oceanport racetrack, which was at the forefront of a push to legalize sports betting outside of Nevada, will become the first location in New Jersey to accept sports wagers after the Supreme Court struck down a federal law barring wagering on team sports May 14. Wagers at casinos in Atlantic City are expected to begin shortly thereafter. Although Delaware beat New Jersey to the punch in becoming the first state to begin accepting sports bets under the new law after legislation became entangled in a web of politics in the Garden State, Dennis Drazin said Thursday still marks a monumental occasion for Monmouth Park. The track, which has struggled to maintain its viability in recent years as competing racetracks in surrounding states have channeled into alternative gaming revenue, is seemingly positioned to parlay profits from sports wagering into higher purses and more dates for horsemen. “We are thankful to all those who will make this Thursday a day long remembered,” Drazin said. “Even more so, [we are] looking forward to sports fans from all over converging on Monmouth Park to partake in sports betting, which was overwhelming approved by Garden State voters nearly seven years ago.” The stage was finally set Monday after New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy ended a prolonged delay and signed a bill authorizing licensed racetracks and casinos to begin conducting sports betting. In the intervening time, an additional step was taken when the Division of Gaming Enforcement issued a series of regulations Tuesday. In an interesting twist, the regulations stipulated that sports betting pools could be operated at the sites of “former racetracks” in addition to licensed racetracks and casinos. The term “former racetrack” was defined as any place where a horse racing meet was held within 15 years prior, meaning the shuttered Atlantic City Race Course would be eligible for a license. Atlantic City hosted live racing for 68 consecutive years from 1946 to 2014 before being permanently closed by its owners, Greenwood Racing. While there had been speculation that the shopping plaza situated on the site of the former Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill–which closed in 2001–would be eligible, the language of this week’s regulations would apparently exclude it from consideration. Regulations were also put in place for online sports wagering, although no platform will be approved prior to mid-July. View the full article

Javier Castellano, Chad Brown and Michael Dubb landed top honors for performances by a jockey, trainer and owner, respectively, during last week’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Championship. The competition began with the first race last Thursday, June 7 continued through the Belmont Day finale and awarded points on a 5-3-2-1 basis. Castellano registered five wins from 26 mounts over the three days and his mounts amassed $1.2 million in purses to earn him the Eddie Arcaro award. Castellano road The Queen’s Call To Mind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to victory in Friday’s GII Belmont Gold Cup, was also aboard Lewis Bay (Bernardini) in winning the GIII Bed O’Roses S. and finished second atop Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) in the GI Belmont S. Brown earned the ‘Sunny Jim’ Fitzsimmons Award for outstanding trainer, also going five-for-26, with six runner-up efforts and a pair of thirds. The weekend was highlighted by the victory of A Raving Beauty (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the GI Just A Game S. He also saddled Gronkowski in the Belmont. Dubb won with four of his nine runners accumulated double the points of his nearest competitor. View the full article

Halters worn by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, his paternal grandsire Empire Maker, California Chrome and Tiznow are among the racing-related items in an online auction set to raise money for Central Kentucky Ridin g for Hope, a program based at the Kentucky Horse Park that offers equine-assisted activities and therapies to people of all ages. The online auction is part of the ‘Night of the Stars’ to be held Saturday, June 23, at the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center at Keeneland. To bid online, click here. “As CKRH’s annual gala fundraiser, Night of the Stars gives us the opportunity to showcase our program and the healing power of horses,” CKRH Executive Director Pat Kline said. “The online auction enables people who aren’t able to attend Night of the Stars to obtain unique items and support CKRH. We thank members of the Thoroughbred industry in Central Kentucky for their year-round support of CKRH and their special contributions to our auction.” Farms that donated halters include Adena Springs, Claiborne Farm, Coolmore, Gainesway Farm, Godolphin, Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, Juddmonte Farms, Taylor Made Farm, Three Chimneys Farm and WinStar Farm. Other silent auction items include a one-way Tex Sutton flight, a visit to Stonestreet Farm to see Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, a box for six at Keeneland and a tour of Darley; and two first-floor clubhouse box seats to this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Nov. 2 and 3. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, fresh off his victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), will return to his home base at Santa Anita Park June 17, with an estimated time of arrival at 1 p.m. PDT. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday’s Insights features a daugther of the MGSW Best Terms (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). 1.20 Newbury, Cond, £7,400, 2yo, 6 1/2fT DAAFR (IRE) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is one of a clutch of fascinating newcomers in this race won 12 months ago by Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum’s €350,000 Goffs Orby purchase is out of a half-sister to the brilliant stayer Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and other stakes performers including Asperity (War Chant), who captured the 2007 G3 Prix Paul de Moussac for the John Gosden stable responsible for this colt. There are several interesting types in the line-up including John Connolly and Odile Griffith’s Azets (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), an Amanda Perrett-trained 300,000gns TATOCT son of the MSW Nashmiah (Ire) (Elusive City), Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited’s Neverland Rock (GB) (No Nay Never), a Richard Hannon-trained €480,000 ARAUG graduate whose dam is a half to the G1SW sire Havana Gold (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and another from that stable in the filly Star Terms (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a daughter of the G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Lowther S. winner Best Terms (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) who carries the historic Barnett silks. 2.30 Yarmouth, Mdn, £5,900, 2yo, f, 6f 3yT ASSEMBLY OF TRUTH (IRE) (Shamardal) debuts in the Godolphin silks for Charlie Appleby and is a daughter of the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Flame of Gibraltar (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) who was herself a €900,000 Goffs Million graduate from Pat O’Kelly’s Kilcarn Stud dynasty of Salsabil (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). In another intriguing affair, she meets a homebred of significance from Trevor Harris’s Lordship Stud in Swiss Air (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a William Haggas-trained half-sister to four classy sprinters including the young sire Swiss Spirit (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). View the full article

There have been many storylines associated with Justify’s recent Triple Crown accomplishment. What a job John Gunther and his daughter and partner Tanya have done in recent years with a broodmare band of modest size. And what a stallion Scat Daddy has shown us to be, and what a loss his premature death represents to all of us. And there’s Bob Baffert, being Bob Baffert, compressing a maiden to Triple Crown campaign into five or six months time. And what a inspiration Mike Smith has been to all of us balding and silver-haired 50 plus-year-old folks, in the manner he has maintained his health and his fitness to compete at the highest level as an athlete, as good as the most talented of young riders. And even Justify’s dam “showed off” a little more by following him with another major stakes winner during the course of the Triple Crown. And i have to call out my precious Ghostzapper, as not just Justify’s broodmare sire, but a budding sensation as a young broodmare sire, his numbers are really good. It was interesting to me to see Pimlico and Churchill Downs put on such a great show, with “bursting at the seams” crowds, while under such horrible weather conditions. It was as if the people there on both days were oblivious to the rain. Another incredible aspect of this Triple Crown is that I don’t remember observing a top racehorse in my lifetime that has showed such calm, having not one reason to do so, based on his void of experience. Do you ever remember Justify turning a hair? And another Triple Crown storyline for me in this 2018, was men at the forefront of the drama, living out their “larger than life” personas on national television; Kenny Troutt and Mike Smith bold as lions and gentle as lambs, declaring their genuine gratitude to the God they serve, and believe in, Jesus The Christ. But I have another storyline to share. It is one of a little bespectacled 10 year old boy growing up on a small horse farm in Midway, Kentucky with a Racing Form in his hand. I was five years his older brother, and I don’t think I could read the Form nearly as well. I was the brother that loved the farm, and this boy had his mind and his heart set on the racetrack from my earliest memory of discussing potential vocations or lifestyle. How he grew so fond of it at such a young age, I just don’t know. Our father would take us to Ellis, Latonia, Keeneland, Churchill, and River Downs when we had a filly run. So I guess this young boy was a quick study, and didn’t take long to know what he wanted to do. And as the Lord would have it, coupled with an insatiable work ethic, this kid would grow up and become a very fine horse trainer. Brereton Jones told me one day after Elliott won the Belmont with Victory Gallop that he would be in the Racing Hall of Fame one day, that he was that good a horse trainer–and I had no doubt. Let’s fast forward to 2018. You have probably figured out by now that I am the older brother who is so very proud of his younger brother. May I share with you why? Behind the scenes of the previously discussed Triple Crown won by this great horse Justify, ridden by that great aforementioned rider, owned by that powerhouse owner group, trained by the man with the most famous silver hair of all time, and bred by the remarkable father/daughter Gunther team, lies that little bespectacled boy who loved the racetrack at that young age. On the more prominent national TV shots of the Triple Crown races, and their winner’s circle footage, one would not see Elliott. You could maybe find him if you were trying, on the back row of the winner’s circle. But I looked. Many times. And it was hard. I had surgery on Oaks day, and consequently was unable to attend any of the Triple Crown races. But when I did pick him up, and observe him, he most often was looking at Kenny, his boss, smiling at the good pleasure and excitement that he was enjoying. He was so happy for him. Yess Elliott gets his share of interviews, being such a key player in such a key operation internationally, but I was so proud to observe him this spring, through this epic journey of Justify, comfortable on the back row, modest, and understated. One wouldn’t know that he and his wonderfully talented bloodstock man, David Hanley had not only picked out Justify (along with China Horse Club’s Michael Wallace and SF Bloodstock’s Tom Ryan), but also purchased arguably 2018’s second best 3-year-old in Audible. And then there is the overall success of WinStar. Yes, they are led, at least on the ground, by my little brother, along with the obvious astute oversight of Kenny, his boss. There have been times when I have had a difficult time wrapping my mind around the scope of WinStar, much less the success of WinStar. I think most of us in the industry admire Elliott. But i just had to articulate my feelings of pride for the job he has done, and the man that little boy has become. A man who relies not on his own strength to get through each day’s challenges, but that of the same God, the same Savior, the same Christ, that Kenny Troutt and Mike Smith called out in gratitude throughout this remarkable Triple Crown journey of 2018, and that horse, not with just bottomless talent, but with the impeccably unusual mind and maturity: Justify. No doubt, my mother and father would have been proud too. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, fresh off his victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), will return to his home base at Santa Anita Park June 17, with an estimated time of arrival at 1 p.m. PT. View the full article

The handicap ranks still have some sorting to do. To that end, the June 16 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) can bring a leading adversary to the forefront as a field of nine will try their collective hand in the 1 1/8-mile test. View the full article

Pat Cummings has been named the executive director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, a non-profit orgnization recently founded to “create an active forum for the exchange and curation of ideas designed to improve the prospects of the Thoroughbred industry and its stakeholders.” “It is great to welcome Pat as the Executive Director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation,” said Craig Bernick, TIF founder and board member. “Pat brings a wealth of both domestic and international experience to the table. He is a great communicator, curious by nature and an optimist at heart. He has been a lifelong fan of horse racing, a longtime gambler, and an owner through various syndicates.” Cummings, 37, joins the TIF after three years as the Executive Manager, Public Affairs (Racing) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, during which time he helped introduce an increasingly worldwide audience to the Hong Kong racing product while overseeing the strategy and delivery of racing communications, media management and new media development. Prior to that, Cummings was for four years the director of racing information for Trakus and seven years with the investment firm Vanguard before that. “Pat is clearly passionate about horse racing, understands its many international aspects, what has and has not worked both here and abroad,” Bernick added. “We see Pat as an ideal person to spearhead TIF’s goal of improving horse racing for owners, gamblers and fans. We are fortunate that he will lead the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation from the start.” Cummings will be based in Lexington, Kentucky, when he takes up his position late this summer. “It is incredibly exciting to be returning home to launch the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation,” said Cummings. “Horse owners and gamblers are the foundation of racing and our focus will be on issues that can improve the economics of the sport for these two primary constituencies. The trickle-down impact thereafter is obvious. TIF will curate new, and surely some old ideas, and we will advocate for change to benefit those making the most significant financial investments in the sport while working with racing’s existing decision-makers. I am looking forward to working with our accomplished board and to begin tackling the many challenges ahead. He continued, “I enjoyed three wonderful years in Hong Kong working in a world-class environment. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is an all-encompassing organization with a great team, a shining example of what is possible in this industry, and to have been a part of that was a priceless experience.” View the full article

Woodbine has been forced to cancel its evening live Thoroughbred racing program June 13 because of a power outage. View the full article

Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, fresh off victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), will return to his home base at Santa Anita Park June 17, with an estimated time of arrival at 1 p.m. PT. View the full article

Group 1 winner Lancaster Bomber (War Front) will miss an intended engagement in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot next week due to injury. The bay ran third behind stablemate Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Lockinge S. earlier this spring, but won his first top-flight race last time in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on May 27. Trainer Aidan O’Brien was contemplating supplementing his charge for the Prince of Wales’s S. at the Royal meeting, but speaking on www.attheraces.com during a stable tour said, “I don’t think he’ll make it to Royal Ascot. 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.” O’Brien also confirmed high-class 3-year-old fillies Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will not be in action at the summer showpiece fixture in Berkshire next week. View the full article

A colt from the final crop of Scat Daddy sold for $650,000 to Carlo Vaccarezza during Wednesday’s first session of the OBS June sale.The juvenile, who worked a furlong last week in a co-fastest :9 4/5, was consigned by Top Line Sales on behalf of breeder Don Ming. He is out of Satulah (Gone West), a daughter of graded stakes winner War Thief (Lord at War {Arg}) and a half to graded stakes winner Boss Lafitte (Dynaformer). He RNA’d for $385,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. View the full article

So, it’s time to retire your racehorse… What comes next? You are likely aware of a variety of options and services available to you as a horse owner, but which path ensures that your horse will be equipped with the proper safeguards to ensure he ends up with the best chance at a happy life over the next 20+ years? You dread the prospect of receiving a phone call or Facebook message saying that the horse you once owned is at risk in a kill pen, and you want to take every measure to avoid that situation. A good place to start is the local HBPA or owner’s organization to see what programs may exist and are funded through the track and horsemen’s group (Take the Lead, Turning for Home for example). Alternatively, go directly to one of the non-profit organizations dedicated to Thoroughbred racehorse aftercare. Most are accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), giving you assurance that the facilities are inspected regularly and the governance and management have been vetted by the TAA. Most likely, you will be asked to make a donation. See the list of accredited organizations here. But such placement is not always available. Many horses need time off before retraining or are not sound enough to be re-trained for a second career as a riding horse. The placement spots for pasture-sound only horses are limited at least until the demand for Thoroughbreds in equine-assisted therapeutic placements increases. So, what options exist for horses that need time off, rehabilitation or are only ever going to be pasture-sound? First, it is worth a try to retire your horse in a TAA-accredited or otherwise reliable non-profit. You will most likely be required to make a larger donation than if the horse was sound for retraining. But, you can be confident that the horse is enjoying retirement and you can check on him regularly and continue to support him. “When trying to retire a horse that needs a sanctuary or non-riding home, the TAA recommends reaching out to a TAA-accredited organization in your area that is a noted sanctuary or rehab. Placing a horse in a sanctuary home may take some time,” said Erin Shea of the TAA. “Many equine sanctuaries have large, aging herds, so patience and clear communication of your horse’s needs are key to re-homing your horse if this is your situation. Also, just because a horse cannot be a competitive athlete does not mean that they cannot have a new career and are bound for sanctuary life. For example, TAA-accredited organizations Saratoga War Horse, Equine Rescue of Aiken, Life Horse at Breezy Hill, and Square Peg, among others, all focus on equine-human therapy along with sanctuary for horses.” The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Second Chances Program which maintains pasture-sound horses at prison-based farms where the horses have a meaningful second career rehabilitating incarcerated men and women is a great option. A second alternative is retirement boarding. The cost will be between approximately $200 and $500 per month, not including trimming (which averages $40 every 8 weeks) and vet care (vaccinations and teeth floating run an average of $350 per year). Retirement boarding farms now exist all over the U.S. Once again, you have control over the horse’s well being. One good example is Historic Long Branch in Virginia. As a third option, you could choose–as a number of owners do–to sell or give away your horse. No one wants their horse to end up in the kill pan, and most tracks have a policy which states that any horse owner or trainer found to have directly or indirectly sold a horse that ends up in the kill pen will have their stalls permanently revoked. This could happen unknowingly if you are not careful about vetting out the buyer or recipient. Here are some tips to help ensure your horse’s safety: 1) Use a signed agreement like this one provided by CANTER USA to the trainers who chose to list horses for sale on its website. 2) Consider a ‘first right of refusal’ requiring the buyer to agree that they will not give away or sell the horse without first asking if you want it back. 3) Consider a clause that allows for you to check on the horse. 4) Obtain a copy of the buyer’s driver’s license. 5) Include language that they will never put the horse in a livestock auction or sell it to slaughter buyers. 6) Have the agreement notarized. 7) Require a professional reference from a veterinarian. Ask of the vet when they last visited the farm or saw the animals of the person. Obtain the veterinarian’s license number. 8) Sell the horse as “Retired from Racing” and execute the forms provided by The Jockey Club. “Thoroughbreds are more in demand as riding horses and than ever in the past 30 or so years, thanks in large part to incentive programs like TIP and TAKE2, as well as the work of Retired Racehorse Project,” says Nancy Koch, Executive Director of CANTER, USA. “But owners and trainers must use due diligence in their transactions. It is extremely important to get references and check on the horse, or have someone check on the horse a week or so after it leaves to be sure it is adjusting and the people are who they represented themselves to be.” Being part of a syndicate adds a few issues for owners seeking to secure a second career or retirement for a racehorse. Regina Schneller, whose partnership has horses with Eddie Coletti has her name and address attached to all of the partnership horses’ papers in the event that the horse gets claimed and is owned by someone else at the time of retirement. “To find homes, the first thing that our partnership does is ask if any partners are interested in giving the horse a home, next is to contact Turning For Home. If the horse has problems, then I make take the horse or board it at a retirement farm. I then ask the other partners to chip in on the board/donation, explained Schneller. “One horse recently needed a period of time for to be turned out before training so he went to CANTER and I paid for his care until he was ready to be adopted.” An expert on aftercare, Diana Pikulski is the former National Director of Major Gifts, Planned Giving and Endowment Development at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and served with the TRF for its first 35 years since inception. View the full article

6th-BEL, $62K, Msw, (S), 3yo/up, f, 6f, 4:14 p.m. ET Chester and Mary Broman homebred IN DENILE (Pioneerof the Nile) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer John Kimmel. Out of SW & MGSP Indy Glory (A.P. Indy), a full-sister to GISW millionaire and sire Stephen Got Even, the sophomore is a half-sister to the Broman’s two-time Grade I-winning sprinter Artemis Agrotera (Roman Ruler). Drawn on the rail for this debut, In Denile is part of a coupled entry for the Bromans with the Phil Serpe-trained Out of Orbit (Malibu Moon), who is making her sixth start. TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}-Sichilla {Ire}, by Danehill), will be available on Southern Hemisphere time at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval in France for €50,000 (A$76,700), the stud announced on Wednesday. His progeny are led by Ervedya (Fr), a triple Group 1 winner from his first crop, while the bay has been enjoying a banner year, with juvenile Group 1 winner Lauren (Fr)’s scooping the May 27 G1 Prix Saint-Alary after finishing runner-up in the G1 English 1000 Guineas. The 2017 French champion sire’s lone Australian runner, Aylmerton (Aus), struck in the G2 Todman S. Down Under in March. Siyouni has also been represented by additional 2018 group winners Finsbury Square (Ire), La Signare (Fr), City Light (Fr), and Barkaa (Fr) so far. “Siyouni’s continuous success in Europe and his first group winner in Australia have sparked significant interest in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Georges Rimaud, manager of The Aga Khan Studs in France. “The number of mares he has covered this year and his increased value mean we will not be able to shuttle him, however, we wished to make him available to breeders interest in using him Southern Hemisphere time. I believe he is now a very attractive stallion for the Australian market, as he produces strong, well developed, fast horses that are precocious and can ran on at the highest level.” Out of the winning Sichilla, Siyouni won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium for his owner/breed H.H. the Aga Khan in 2009 and was also second in the G1 Prix Jean Prat and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, both in 2010.He is a half-brother to English/French highweight and G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. victress Siyouma (Ire) (Medicean {GB}), and SWs & MGSPs Siyenica (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) and Sayana (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}). View the full article

The catalogue for the Tattersalls July Sale, which features six yearling fillies by top sire Galileo (Ire), is now available. Slated for July 11-13, the sale is comprised of 918 lots divided between 775 horses and fillies in/out of training, 137 broodmares-11 with foals at foot, and the six yearlings by the nine-time champion Coolmore sire. Leading all consignors by number of lots is The Castlebridge Consignment with 86 offerings, among them the Galileo yearling fillies, as well as champion and Group 1 winner Cloth of Cloud (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf) (lot 222) in foal to Galileo. Also set to go under the hammer is lot 220, Czabo (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) carrying to Lope de Vega (Ire), who won the G3 Park Express S.; and Novel Concept (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 144), who is a half-sister to G1SW Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}). The latter is in foal to Footstepsinthesand (GB). A versatile collection of horses in training have also been entered. Group 2 winner Arod (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 245) will be offered by Jamie Railton; Kyllang Rock (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) (lot 828), rated 117 by James Tate; and East Everleigh Stables’ lot 458, Group 2 victor Across The Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are all catalogued, as well as stakes-placed sophomores Lethal Steps (GB) (Lethal Force {Ire}) (lot 823) and Haddaf (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) (lot 829), another from the yard of James Tate. Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell Estates all bring large consignments to the July Sale, with 133 lots split between them, while during the broodmare portion of the sale, mares are available in foal to veteran sires Acclamation (GB), Champs Elysees (GB), Galileo, Lope de Vega (Ire), Mastercraftsman (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Oasis Dream (GB), Pivotal (GB), and Showcasing (GB) among others. Sires with their first in foal mares also abound, including Group 1 winners Almanzor (Fr), Caravaggio, Galileo Gold (GB), Muhaarar (GB), Postponed (Ire), Pride of Dubai (Aus), Ribchester (Ire), and Zarak (Fr). “To have catalogued six beautifully bred yearling fillies by the great Galileo adds a rare and exciting dimension to this year’s Tattersalls July Sale and also to have a young Group 1 winner in foal to Galileo further enhances the reputation of the July Sale as Europe’s premier midsummer sale,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “Year after year the July Sale is the source of Group 1 producers and performers on the global stage and the combination of fillies and mares from outstanding international families and an abundance of progressive horses in training is a formula which annually attracts buyers from all corners of the world.” View the full article

Another Happy Valley masterclass from Zac Purton kicked the in-form Australian five clear in the jockeys’ championship with eight meetings to go, but he refused to say a second title is his. “I’m not going to call it. Of course there’s a long way to go,” Purton said after rival Joao Moreira returned from a two-meeting suspension down by one win but went home zero from eight on the night. “Joao isn’t done yet, he is also capable of big meetings and... View the full article

Another Happy Valley masterclass from Zac Purton kicked the in-form Australian five clear in the jockeys’ championship with eight meetings to go, but he refused to say a second title is his. “I’m not going to call it. Of course there’s a long way to go,” Purton said after rival Joao Moreira returned from a two-meeting suspension down by one win but went home zero from eight on the night. “Joao isn’t done yet, he is also capable of big meetings and... View the full article

Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}), who won two editions of the G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington Down Under after starting his career in Britain, will contest the 1200-metre G1 Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot on June 23, reported Racing.com. Trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, the 2018 G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. hero was also under consideration for the June 19 G1 King’s Stand S. over 1000 metres earlier in the five-day stand. “Thrilled to meet up with this boy this morning, looks in fantastic condition,” Ben Hayes tweeted. “With weather appearing to be dry, the decision has been made to run in the Diamond Jubilee, not the King[‘s] S.” View the full article

3rd-Yarmouth, £7,400, Cond, 6-13, 2yo, 5f 42yT, 1:04.13, g/f. PHOENIX STAR (IRE) (c, 2, Alhebayeb {Ire}–Volcanic Lady {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was last of seven behind TDN Rising Star Legends of War (Scat Daddy) over six furlongs here on debut May 23, was keen under restraint early behind the leaders. Switched stand’s side when still at the back of the main group with two furlongs remaining, the 10-1 shot delivered a surge to lead 150 yards out and draw away for a convincing 1 3/4-length success from Street Parade (GB) (Swiss Spirit {GB}). In doing, so he becomes the first winner for Tara Stud’s G2 July S.-winning first-season sire (by Dark Angel {Ire}). The dam, who also has a yearling filly by Raven’s Pass, is a half to the dams of the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Prix de l’Opera heroine Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third Miss You Too (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Sales history: €17,000 Ylg ’17 TIRSEP; 24,000gns RNA 2yo ’18 TATBRE. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $6,400. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Flying High Syndicate; B-Caroline, Mark & Stephanie Hanly (IRE); T-C Dwyer. View the full article

It was quite an unusual day for trainer Danny Pish June 12 at Harrah's Louisiana Downs. With four starters on the card, Pish's runners won two races in not one, but two dead heats. View the full article

Godolphin’s G1 Investec Derby winner Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) will bypass the G1 Irish Derby on June 30 in favour of the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. a week later. “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and I discussed Masar’s programme at length and have reached the conclusion that the Eclipse will suit him best,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. “We will leave him in the Irish Derby, just to keep all options open. But the intention is to run in the Eclipse.” Masar would be dropping back to 10 furlongs for the Eclipse, but returning to a track that he has won over, having taken the G3 Solario S. there last year. “Masar has won at Sandown, showing that he acts well on the track and dropping back in trip will be no problem–he won the Craven S. and finished third in the 2000 Guineas,” Appleby said. “He’s got plenty of speed.” View the full article

After 11 years in the position of senior medical officer with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Dr. Adrian McGoldrick will retire at the end of this year, and as he enters the final six months of his role he can be proud of the impact and improvements he has bestowed on the sport in just over a decade. “I turned 65 years of age in April so having agreed to retire in my 65th year, I will be finishing up on Dec. 31,” he told the TDN. “The job will be advertised within the next month and then whoever is appointed will have several months lead in time until I finish up.” Before Irish racing’s participants, jockeys in particular, start to despair about the sport losing one of its most cherished assets, the news that McGoldrick will still maintain an active role within the sport will allow many to breathe a sigh of relief. “It is almost a sideways step as I currently am, and will continue to be, involved in a number of research projects that will hopefully benefit racing in the long term,” he said. One of these projects involves assessing and monitoring the bone density of jockeys in an effort to combat later life bone afflictions such as osteoporosis, as well as fractures as a result of in-competition falls. Bone thinning is mainly down to jockeys wasting and dieting to make weights well below their natural state and while major improvements have been made in the last decade as regards educating riders over the benefits of nutrition and exercise as a viable alternative to saunas and starvation, at the end of the day flat jockeys, in particular, are expected to maintain weights that are just not natural for the vast majority. “The Injured Jockeys Fund bought a DEXA Scanner earlier this year. It measures bone density and identifies bone thinning,” McGoldrick explained. “In initial studies we conducted on jockeys about 15 years ago about half of them had bone thinning, and this study included both apprentices and senior jockeys. The scanner is based in RACE [Racing Academy and Centre of Education] and we plan to DEXA scan all of our riders, professionals this year and hopefully the amateurs also by next year. We will collate the results and can then advise if anyone needs Vitamin D or further supplementation if there is significant bone thinning. It’s something that can be reversed to a certain extent so it is important that if it is an issue that it is identified early in a jockey’s life. The potential of fractures is also greatly reduced when peak density is achieved.” Acquiring the scanner came about through a fundraising event staged in Limerick a couple of years ago primarily to raise funds for Robbie McNamara. The idea was that a portion of the funds raised would be ring-fenced for use on a project of Dr. McGoldrick’s choosing and this particular area was one he thought would yield significant long term benefits. “Having our own scanner means we can also carry out meaningful research on the benefits of vitamin supplements, for example, and we can also track their benefits over six month periods. It’s a massive step forward,” he said. Specialised hardware such as this scanner, in conjunction with an increased support structure of professional personnel, means jockeys now have the necessary resources at their disposal to maximize their potential and thus their careers, something that did not exist at the turn of this century. “Gillian O’Loughlin is a dietician based in RACE and she does excellent work. As a result of this combined effort we are getting the message out to riders that there is a better way to make the weight than using a sauna,” McGoldrick said. “Ronan Whelan is a prime example, he is probably half a stone lighter now than he was three years ago. He eats three meals a day and drinks three litres of water each day. He has taken the advice of the dietician, follows a regime and its working for him. He is strong and fit and it shows in his riding.” He continued, “Compared to 10 years ago jockeys are definitely healthier and other stakeholders are also playing a part. The racecourses are improving all the time, although they still have a bit to do to match their counterparts in the UK. The place most jockeys tend to eat is at the track. They generally don’t eat much in the mornings before going racing so it is important that there is a choice of healthy, nutritious food available at race meetings. The last thing we want is jockeys leaving the racecourse hungry and stopping off on the way home for a can of coke and a burger.” McGoldrick is also involved in research with sports psychologist Ciara Losty in the Waterford Institute of Technology with mental health of jockeys very much at the forefront of that research. “We do know there are major problems with mental health issues in racing with twice the level of depressive symptoms compared to the ordinary population in the 20-35-year-old age bracket,” he said. “We have strong belief those symptoms often arise as a result of constant wasting and that’s the whole idea of this project, to look at it in greater detail, get to the root of the problem and then put the structures in place to deal with it, whether that is through counselling or even approaching the powers that be to revisit the issue of the current weight structures.” The third project that has come on stream looks at the physiological demands of a jockey. According to McGoldrick there was little information on how much energy a jockey expends on horseback. Initial indications are that it may not be as much as previously thought and he was also keen to learn how much stimulation for bone growth is received by being in the saddle. Medical experts propose that up to an hour of weight bearing exercise a day plays a major role in bone development and while riders are in the saddle, seemingly exercising, what they are benefitting from a bone formation point of view is apparently quite negligible. Speaking to McGoldrick it is clear he is very much in favour of seeing a rise in the minimum weights carried by jockeys. “Absolutely, it is inevitable,” he said. “The rule of thumb is that the average weight of the population is rising by a pound every three years. In fact last year two prominent Irish trainers made submissions to the IHRB and HRI requesting an increase in the minimum weights. This resulted in the Trainers’ Association coming together to request the same. Weight structures just have to go up, a lot of jockeys are riding two stone below their natural weight and that is not sustainable. There are fewer and fewer young riders coming through who can ride off the minimum weight.” He continued, “In fairness to HRI anytime we have approached them to discuss the possibility of raising the weight they have been receptive and the authorities in the UK have followed suit but in France they are holding back as they feel at least half their riders can make the minimum weight. I have actually spoken to Aidan O’Brien at length about it and he sees no reason why the Classics, for example, couldn’t be run carrying nine and a half stone. I appreciate it’s a heritage issue but I genuinely see no logic in jockeys having to ride off some of the lower weights they must carry.” McGoldrick exudes energy and it’s impossible to imagine him taking life at a slower pace than he currently does, regardless of his age and he has successfully juggled his IHRB role with a busy GP surgery in Newbridge, within a mile of The Curragh Racecourse. “This job takes up about a third of my time, I do 70 days racing every year and I spend a few hours at the IHRB offices every week meeting various staff members there and it is quite cohesive,” he said. “I envisage going racing just as frequently when I retire as I’ve been asked to stay involved at Naas and The Curragh and hopefully I can do a few days at Punchestown and other places. I’d like to keep racing as I enjoy it.” McGoldrick had no early involvement in racing but like so many people who have been exposed to it through their locality, the sport got under his skin eventually. “I had no major interest in racing when I was young, bar cycling to the Irish Derby as a child but when I got established as a GP in Kildare a lot of jockeys became patients of mine and I grew fascinated with the sport as a result. I could see a lot of jockeys were struggling and the first piece of research I undertook was with Kevin Manning and a few others. About 15 years ago they allowed me to take their bloods before and after racing to test for dehydration. The late Ned Gowing of Anglesey Lodge Veterinary Clinic had a lab converted to test human blood so we took the bloods before racing, brought them across to the lab and repeated the process later that day. The results showed they were severely dehydrated, their blood sugars and potassium levels were falling during racing and that they were in fact competing while chronically dehydrated. No other athlete in sport would dream of competing like that.” Since that initial research McGoldrick has been a tireless campaigner for improving the health, safety and well-being of jockeys and there are several things on his wish list for the next five years. “I would love to see RACE being developed into a full rehab centre similar to Oaksey House in Lambourn. I was there a number of years ago and was so impressed that I met with both Brian Kavanagh and Denis Egan when I returned to propose the development of something similar here. The response was that the renovation of the Curragh Racecourse was the priority for that period but when that was finished it could be revisited. So that could hopefully be something that could be looked at next year.” He continued, “While there is some streamlining currently taking place I would also like to see the various charitable organisations like the Irish Jockey’s Trust, the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Drogheda Memorial Fund come together under the one umbrella. It is a bit confusing for people and I think both fundraising efforts and the work they do to assist people would be more successful if they all came under the one banner. Finally, I would also love to see the day when jockeys didn’t have to use saunas.” Finding someone to take over the mantle of Adrian McGoldrick will not be an easy process, as those with his level of compassion and drive for improving the lot of other people are rare. His contribution to Irish racing over the past decade has been immense and luckily enough for the sport it seems that it will take more than retirement to put a stop to that. View the full article