Wandering Eyes

With heavy rain expected in the Northern Kentucky area, Turfway Park has canceled live racing for Thursday, Feb. 7. View the full article

The Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association have signaled their intent to become the single license holder in Iowa for sports wagering with a bill, recently released by the state government committees in both the Iowa House as HSB 124 and Senate as SSB 1100, attempting to demonstrate the horsemen’s unique ability to implement sports wagering in Iowa. “We believe this is the simplest option for everyone involved,” said Jon Moss, Executive Director of the Iowa HBPA. “Having one contract to oversee and manage is much easier to execute than 10 or 20. We can effectively bring one simple, unified wagering platform to everyone. And we’ve proven we can successfully implement wagering in Iowa.” The Iowa HBPA has been successfully conducting Advanced Deposit Wagering in Iowa since 2012. The Iowa HBPA bill uses existing language that proposes sports wagering only be offered by ADW and in Iowa’s casinos. “We also believe one of the most persuasive pieces of our bill is the opportunity to keep all proceeds right here in Iowa,” said Moss. “After all, if Iowans spend their money here, it should benefit our state economy.” View the full article

Over the last four or five years, The Jockey Club and its allies, fed up with the lack of uniform medication policies among States, decided to take matters into their own hands and lead the charge to craft and push some regulatory bills on “anti-doping and medication control” in Congress. They were looking to turn chaos into order but instead, the issue has polarized the industry. There were fine people on both sides of the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017 (H.R. 2651), a divisive piece of legislation that was introduced in the House of Representatives in May 2017 by Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY). The bill died in the legislative session that ended this past January, but Barr had accumulated 131 co-sponsors (81 Democrats and 50 Republicans), wrangled a subcommittee hearing for it in June 2018, and has plans to introduce another version in the current session of Congress, as reported recently in TDN. Representative Barr needs to tread carefully, however, because there were some constitutional issues in the bill that could be problematic if they are not addressed in the new version. H.R. 2651, by the way, was a revision of the unsuccessful Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015, introduced in July 2015 by Barr and Tonko. The newer version was expanded upon to include Quarter Horse and Standardbred racing. The latest bill would have created a private nonprofit called the Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority (HADA), whose mandate was to establish and regulate a national, uniform medication policy. On face value, it was a good idea, but beneath the surface H.R. 2651 was an instrument meant to end the legal use of race-day Lasix in States, a partisan hot-button issue in the sport. Disallowing race-day medication was the single reason the bill was uniformly opposed by horsemen at the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA), the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), and the United States Trotting Association (USTA), who as a group are not averse to a national medication policy and would probably have signed off on a bill that allowed only race-day Lasix and nothing else. They overwhelmingly have said they believe that the therapeutic use of race-day Lasix for treating exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is both humane and necessary. The Jockey Club coalition disagrees, seeking “harmony” with international jurisdictions that do not permit race-day medication–which is pretty much the rest of the world. The coalition says it believes that there are real and perceived blights on racing related to drug usage. It also is concerned about protecting its bloodstock investments (see from bill: “…will improve the marketplace for domestic and international sales of United States horses.”). This chasm, bluntly, appears to be between a small cadre of wealthy owners and breeders with financially and politically influential heft on one side, and rank-and-file horsemen with strength of numbers on the other. One group at the upper echelon of the game is interested in international harmony and international competition and bloodstock sales; the other is busy making a living at racetracks across the country. It’s “pure class warfare,” a trainer recently told me. Bettors were courted by both sides and were more likely to favor legislation that would have “cleaned up” the game, provided they didn’t have to pay for it, and H.R. 2651 specifically addressed this issue with this line in the section of the bill on funding: “No State racing commission may increase the takeout of any racetrack to collect fees to fund [HADA].” It was a nice piece of PR to get the bettors on their side. Funding Schemes One of the least understood parts of H.R. 2651 was its funding schemes. First off, HADA is not a federal agency with federal funding. Funding to regulate, therefore, was to come from one of two options: either by taxing individual participants or by taxing States. The establishment of HADA was written as “a private, independent, self-regulatory, non-profit corporation” charged with “administering an anti-doping and medication control program for covered horses, covered persons, and covered horseraces.” “Covered persons” referred to anyone licensed by a State racing commission, and to participate in racing nationwide, the bill required licensees to consent to HADA’s authority to regulate and tax them. The preferred funding option, however, was to tax States. This was written as a “voluntary” program so as to avoid charges of congressional overreach (see “Any State racing commission that elects to remit fees…”). In this scheme, States, if they agreed to participate, would pay taxes (an amount calculated from a formula) directly to HADA, so long as States didn’t increase takeout to raise the monies, as noted earlier. It’s obvious why this scheme was the first choice for HADA. There’d be “cooperation” with States, and HADA wouldn’t have to establish another layer of bureaucracy to collect taxes from individuals–plus the optics were better. Imagine the fury from horsemen having to pay a HADA tax on top of losing the right to use race-day Lasix? Such a scenario is possible if a State or States elected not to remit taxes, and it’s not hyperbolic to say that horsemen would revolt under such circumstances. Supreme Court Ruling The May 2018 Supreme Court decision in Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, et al v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn. et al held as unconstitutional the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which has paved the way for legalized sports betting in New Jersey. A central tenet to this decision was something called the “anticommandeering principle” of the 10th Amendment, which was previously established in the Supreme Court decisions of New York v. United States and Printz v. United States, both of which were invoked in Murphy. In Murphy, the Court wrote: “…conspicuously absent from the list of powers given to Congress is the power to issue direct orders to the governments of the States. The anticommandeering doctrine simply represents the recognition of this limit on congressional authority.” This could apply to parts of H.R. 2651. Prohibiting States from increasing takeout to fund HADA, for example, can be read as a direct order from Congress to State legislatures and could run afoul of the anticommandeering principle. (But if the architects of the bill were to take this clause out in a new bill, States would be allowed to raise takeout to fund HADA, and the bill would quickly lose the support of bettors.) And even if a State did voluntarily participate in the funding for HADA, it’s plausible that horsemen could successfully file suit on the premise that “the anticommandeering principle prevents Congress from shifting the costs of regulation to the States,” as the Court said in Murphy. There’s also the issue of the accountability for regulations, which could be a blurred line to horsemen when the State is voluntarily funding a regulatory agency in which it plays no role. The Court in Murphy addressed some of this here: “…the anticommandeering rule promotes political accountability. When Congress itself regulates, the responsibility for the benefits and burdens of the regulation is apparent. Voters who like or dislike the effects of the regulation know who to credit or blame. By contrast, if a State imposes regulations only because it has been commanded to do so by Congress, responsibility is blurred.” It doesn’t take a constitutional scholar to understand some of the issues at play here, and Representatives Barr and Tonko and their staffs were aware of the potential for some congressional overreach in the bill. One funding scheme, for example, was written in a way to skirt the premise of “mandatory” State participation and phrased as an elective for States. But even when allowing HADA the option to fund itself by taxing participants directly, the bill still appears to veer into the crosshairs of the anticommandeering principle with this “command” to the States: “A State racing commission that does not elect to remit fees pursuant to subsection (d) or that withdraws its election under such subsection shall not impose or collect from any person a fee or tax relating to anti-doping and medication control matters for covered horseraces.” The Jockey Club and its allies that supported this bill and the one before it have spent considerable money in lobbying efforts to get them passed, and it’s conceivable that a new bill will go farther than H.R. 2651 did with a Democrat-controlled House. But it will likely face a tougher time in the Republican-controlled Senate, should it get there, and the chances that a famously anti-regulatory president would sign the bill would be even bleaker. But if it did somehow become law, the constitutional challenges to it in court–certainly in the way it’s now written–could set off another round of battles, and in the end, the industry would probably find itself exactly where it is now: battling itself. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

Forestiere (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}), a half-sister to French/US MGSW La Sardane (Fr) (Kingsalsa), is a wild card addition to the Arqana February Sale as lot 125. Consigned by Haras de l’Hotellerie as a horse out-of-training, she is one of 497 lots slated to sell in Deauville from Feb. 12-13. Forestiere is out of SP Foresta (Fr) (Forestier {Fr}), herself a half-sister to SW and G1SP Milanais (Fr) (Dyhim Diamond {Ire}). View the full article

Veteran runners Heart to Heart and Goodyearforroses are scheduled to make their first starts at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 9 in a pair of grade 3 turf stakes. View the full article

Grade 1 winner Mubtaahij has been retired from racing and will likely head to South America for stud duty, according to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. View the full article

New York regulators have approved a proposal by the New York Racing Association to extend this summer's Saratoga Race Course meet by eight days as well as to adjust Belmont Park's spring and early summer session. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses, including the stakes debut of an expensive War Front colt: Saturday, February 9, 2019 3rd-TOK, ¥9,550,000 ($87k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m Despite having finished off the board in his first two career starts, North Hills’s IT’S LIT (c, 3, Animal Kingdom–Why Katherine, by Whywhywhy) was not embarrassed, including a close seventh on turf in October before improving a couple of spots over track and trip the following month. Keita Tosaki takes the ride on It’s Lit, the first foal out of MGSP Why Katherine, who was a $120K Keeneland September yearling turned $310K OBS March juvenile. B-Betz, Burns, Magers, CoCo Equine & Terra Racing (KY) Sunday, February 10, 2019 3rd-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($125k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m WASHINGTON TESORO (c, 3, Curlin–War Tigress, by War Chant) opened his account by nine eased-down lengths at first asking at Fukushima in November (see below, gate 13) and most recently atoned for a pair of unplaced efforts with a solid second-place finish over track and trip Jan. 14. Bred on the same cross over Danzig responsible for champion Good Magic, the $550K KEESEP yearling is out of a stakes-winning dam whose daughter War Heroine (Lonhro {Aus}) won last year’s grassy GII San Clemente S. at Del Mar. B-Waymore LLC (KY) 11th-TOK, Kyodo News Hai-G3, ¥72m ($656k), 3yo, 1800mT FOSSAMAGNA (c, 3, War Front–River Belle {GB}, by Lahib) was hammered into 4-5 favoritism for his seven-furlong bow at Chukyo Dec. 2 and did not disappoint, edging home to score by 2 1/2 lengths despite a poor break and wide passage (see below, gate 15). River Belle, a Group 3 winner in England at two, was third in the 2004 GI QE II Challenge Cup and subsequently victorious in the GII Mrs. Revere S. in this country and has since become the dam of GSW & GISP Strathnaver (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Christophe Lemaire retains the ride on the colt, a $275K KEESEP RNA who ultimately realized $725K as an OBSAPR breezer. The task won’t be easy, as undefeated champion Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) makes his seasonal debut here. B-Lofts Hall Stud (KY) View the full article

After missing by a neck to future G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in this race in 2018, North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) scored a convincing 2 1/4-length win in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 on Thursday. Recent handicap winner New Trails (Medaglia d’Oro) filled the place spot in the 1900-metre $450,000 feature. Away to an easy lead past the grandstand, the bay was allowed to do his own thing under a motionless Richard Mullen, and covered the first half-mile in :50.54. He put some daylight on his rivals on the far turn and gave every indication of strolling home a double-digit winner. However, New Trails made a late move to cut into that margin inside the final 200 metres and Mullen only used hands and heels on the Satish Seemar trainee on the way to the line. Cosmo Charlie (Stay Thirsty) was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third. “He is a bit like his jockey, improving with age,” said Mullen of the 7-year-old gelding. “A lot was made out of his [dominant] first run and it is hard for a horse to replicate what he did. Yes, he was visibly impressive and I always had it in the back of my mind that I thought he would win this race, but I didn’t think he would do it in the manner in which he did. It is very hard for a horse to back that up. A lot of it was freshness and a lot of it was obviously adrenaline.” Added Seemar, “The thing is, he did it his style and that’s what is important for this horse, the way he just jumped out and went on his way. Richie didn’t even touch him and he was doing it on his own. Richie, even though he knew horses were coming, he and the horse knew they could take another stride and [hold them off]. It was exactly what we wanted. We have time now and we may or may not go for the [$600,000 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3] on Super Saturday.” A winner of the 2017 G3 Firebreak S. locally, the 7-year-old gelding ran 10th in the G2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night later that year. Filling the frame with a third in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 last January, he was just a neck behind subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 and earned his first Group 1 tally in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on Mar. 10. Unplaced in the Dubai World Cup after a slow beginning at the end of the month, he drubbed his rivals by nine lengths in the Jan. 10 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 last time. Pedigree Notes… Darley veteran Dubawi has sired 38 Group 1 winners of which North America is one, while his total stakes winners sits at 163, 105 of them at the group level. The latest produce of GI Hollywood Starlet third Northern Mischief, a half-sister to champion older mare and three-time Grade I winner Gourmet Girl (Cee’s Tizzy), has a yearling colt by Dandy Man (Ire) and was bred back to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Thursday, Meydan, Middle East AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE R2 (SPONSORED BY AL NABOODAH ALLIED PRODUCTS DIVISION)-G2, $450,000, Meydan, 2-7, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1900m, 1:58.65, ft. 1–NORTH AMERICA (GB), 126, g, 7, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Northern Mischief (GISP, $123,918), by Yankee Victor 2nd Dam: Rhondaling (GB), by Welsh Pageant (Fr) 3rd Dam: Touch of Class (Fr), by Luthier (Fr) (100,000gns Wlg ’12 TATNOV). O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Satish Seemar; J-Richard Mullen. $270,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 17-7-3-2, $1,047,017. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A. 2–New Trails, 126, g, 5, Medaglia d’Oro–Issaqueena, by Mr. Prospector. O-Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi; B-Darley (KY); T-Ahmad bin Harmash. $90,000. 3–Cosmo Charlie, 126, g, 5, Stay Thirsty–Lake Como, by Salt Lake. ($85,000 Ylg ’15 FTKJUL). O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Roger S Braugh Jr (KY); T-Doug Watson. $45,000. Margins: 2 1/4, 4 3/4, 1 1/4. Also Ran: Senior Investment, Etijaah, Second Summer. Scratched: Leshlaa. Click for the DRC video. View the full article

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-OP, $77K, Msw, 3yo, 6f Cowboy Diplomacy (Tapizar), the full-brother to newly crowned champion Monomoy Girl, makes his career bow for his sister’s conditioner Brad Cox in this Hot Springs test. The $175,000 FTKOCT buy is out of the Henny Hughes mare Drumette, who summoned $1.85 million from Bridlewood, while carrying a foal by Mastery, at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale held just one day after Monomoy Girl’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff victory. In addition to besting her elders in the Distaff, Monomoy Girl captured last term’s GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn S., GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Making his second attempt in this spot for D. Wayne Lukas is Robert Baker and William Mack’s $650,000 FTSAUG buy Strong Union (Union Rags). Off the board in his Saratoga debut Aug. 25, the bay is out of a full-sister to DMSW & MGSP Distorted Passion (Distorted Humor), who is the dam of MGSW & GISP Mrs McDougal (Medaglia d’Oro). TJCIS PPs SEVEN-FIGURE TAPIT FILLY MAKES CAREER BOW IN NOLA 7th-FG, $43K, Msw, 3yo/uo, f, 1 1/16m Mandy Pope went to $1.1 million for Temperit (Tapit) at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale and the filly makes her racetrack debut in NOLA Friday. The daughter of MGSW Quiet Temper (Quiet American) hails from the family of champion Heavenly Prize; MGISWs Dancing Spree and Finder’s Free; and GISWs Furlough, Fantastic Find and Oh What a Windfall. TJCIS PPs View the full article

Confirming a story reported in TDN last week, the New York Racing Association is adjusting its 2019 Belmont Park spring/summer meet and Saratoga schedules to adapt to planned construction on a new arena for the New York Islanders set to begin this summer. The changes have cleared the final hurdle of getting approval from the New York State Gaming Commission. As a result, the Belmont spring/summer meet will feature a revised 48-day calendar to commence Friday, Apr. 26 and run through Sunday, July 7. Saratoga’s meet will begin eight days earlier than normal, opening Thursday, July 11 while running through its usual closing day of Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2. There will be no change to the number of live racing dates at Saratoga, which has been comprised of 40 days since 2010. The traditional six-day racing week at the Spa, however, has been scrapped in favor of a five-day week, with dark days coming on Monday and Tuesday as they do at Belmont. “Given the initial and proposed timelines for the potential construction of a new arena at Belmont Park, we believe it is the responsible action to move our racing operations to Saratoga Race Course slightly earlier than usual this summer,” said NYRA Interim CEO David O’Rourke. “We appreciate the patience of our horsemen, fans and the community in awaiting this announcement. We are working diligently with our stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to this new calendar.” “The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and New York’s horsemen understand that the possible construction on the Belmont property will require flexibility and accommodation from the state’s entire thoroughbred community,” added NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum. “We will work with NYRA to ensure the safety of our horses and riders and to do all we can to protect the thousands of jobs in our backstretch community as we navigate this challenging time. NYTHA supports the interim solution NYRA has worked out for summer racing dates. While it presents certain complications, we all get to spend five extra days a year in Saratoga–which is always good for the soul.” View the full article

BHA's vet team will continue assessing the influenza risk over the next three days. A horse exposed to the virus can take up to three days to show symptoms. View the full article

Headlined by the $1-million GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational, Monmouth Park is set to offer $7.1 million in stakes races over 61 days of racing at its 2019 meet, it was announced Thursday. The track kicks off its 74th year of racing Saturday, May 4. The Haskell will shift from its traditional Sunday spot on the calendar to a Saturday this year, July 20. In total, Monmouth will race nine more days in 2019, compared to its 52-day schedule in 2018, while the $7.1-million stakes program represents a significant increase over last year’s $4.3-million docket. In addition to funds generated by Monmouth’s sports betting operation which opened in June 2018, the track is poised to receive a $10-million influx in purse money thanks to a bill that recently passed through state legislature. “This year will be a game-changer for Monmouth Park and for racing in the State of New Jersey,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park. “For too long we have seen our neighbors enjoy casino-fueled purses placing New Jersey at a competitive disadvantage. With a $100-million purse subsidy over the next five years, half of which is dedicated to Monmouth, awaiting the signature of Governor Murphy, we can now start to close that gap and move Monmouth Park to a more even playing field. “This is a terrific opportunity and we will shepherd these monies in a manner that creates a superior betting product with fuller, more competitive fields. To that end, beginning in 2019, we will offer an enhanced stakes schedule, substantial increases to our purse structure and more race dates, all the while keeping intact the owner and trainer guarantees we offered last year and expanding those into the state-bred program. In addition, we will continue to offer free worker’s compensation for trainers stabled at Monmouth Park and will pay a 40% bonus to New Jersey-bred horses who compete in open company.” Drazin added that Monmouth would offer “approximately $500,000” in purses per day during the 2019 meet. In an effort to showcase top events, Monmouth will once again offer bundled stakes cards on May 25, June 22, July 20, Sept. 1 and Sept. 28, with the latter serving as a championship day for the MATCH Series, which is back after a successful return last year. The 17th annual New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival, with three stakes events, will be renewed on Aug. 25. Stall applications, which are due by March 15, are now available online at monmouthpark.com or in hard copy format in the Monmouth Park racing office. View the full article

There will be no racing in Britain for six days following three confirmed cases of Equine Influenza (EI) in horses in training. Following an initial one-day shutdown on Thursday, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced that it is suspending all race meetings in the country until Wednesday, 13 Feb. while ongoing testing is completed. On Wednesday evening it was confirmed by the Animal Health Trust that three Thoroughbreds had tested positive for EI despite being vaccinated against the virus. The affected yard was later confirmed as Donald McCain’s Bankhouse Stables in Cheshire. McCain had on Wednesday been represented by runners at jump meetings at Ayr and Ludlow as well as at a Flat meeting at Wolverhampton on Monday. Robin Mounsey, Head of Media for the BHA, told the TDN on Thursday morning, “Coughing and nasal discharge are commonly seen symptoms in equines and we don’t stop movement of horses in this situation until there is a confirmed case of Equine Influenza.” Precautionary measures put in place by the BHA have led to all racing stables in Britain which had runners at any of those three meetings being put on temporary lockdown while horses on the premises are tested for EI. These yards, which include the major National Hunt operations of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, as well as Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin stable at Moulton Paddocks, will not be able to have any runners until negative test results are returned. A decision will be made by the BHA on Monday, Feb. 11 as to whether racing can resume two days later. A statement released on Thursday afternoon read, “The BHA’s veterinary team has today been in contact with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to allow it to make an informed assessment of the risk of equine influenza spreading. Whilst no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before it will be possible to make a decision about whether it is safe to resume racing. “The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will take until Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required. This approach will allow samples to be collected and assessed by the Animal Health Trust in order that a fully informed decision can be made on Monday. This may then allow declarations to take place on Tuesday in time for racing on Wednesday, with 24-hour declarations for all fixtures on this day, should racing be able to resume. Declarations for Thursday would revert to the usual procedures.” Following a number of outbreaks in northern Europe, the BHA had previously issued an equine influenza alert to trainers on Jan. 25. It warned to isolate new arrivals in a yard for 14 days and to investigate with a vet any spread of nasal discharge or dry coughing. It was also advised that horses which had not been vaccinated within the last six months should receive a booster vaccination. EI can be transmitted either by air or through contact, including indirect contact via people. Prior to the three cases confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 6, there had been 19 incidents of EI across Europe in Thoroughbreds and non-Thoroughbreds since early December—ten in France, four in the UK, three in Germany, two in Ireland and two in Belgium. Eleven of these occurred in vaccinated horses. All British racehorses are vaccinated against equine influenza, but it is believed that a different strain of the virus in the recent cases has been affecting vaccinated horses. EI vaccinations are not compulsory for the wider horse population of the UK and the BHA estimates that up to 70% of equines in Britain may be unvaccinated. In a statement issued through the National Trainers’ Federation, Donald McCain said, “I have been aware of the recent news about Equine Influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland and, over the last couple of days, I have been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard. Their welfare is at the front of our minds, so at my request, our veterinary surgeon has examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing and treatment. It was by following this protocol that the positive results for equine flu came to light yesterday evening. The BHA was contacted immediately and we are liaising closely with them about biosecurity and management of all the horses at Bankhouse. “Bankhouse follows all the available advice on disease control and all our horses are fully inoculated. We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them. It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. Over the last two months, all potential runners have been scoped and their blood checked within 36 hours of their races to ensure that only healthy horses compete for the yard. “When new horses arrive at our yard we, as much as possible, try to keep them separate but at this stage cannot know if the infection came from recent arrivals or from horses returning from racing. We have three confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing.” While racing is suspended in Britain, it is continuing in Ireland. Gordon Elliott, whose stable is based in County Meath, sent five horses to race at Ayr in Scotland on Wednesday but, advised of the situation while his horses were still in transit on the way home, he was able to send the Ayr runners to an isolation yard 15 miles away from his main stable. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) confirmed on Thursday that racing will continue in the country but that British-trained horses cannot be entered for Irish races until further notice. A joint-statement from IHRB and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) read, “The BHA’s rapid communication last night enabled the IHRB to contact and advise those trainers who had runners at Ayr and Ludlow yesterday to take appropriate steps to isolate the horses before they returned into their yards and so minimize the potential risk of further spread of the disease in Ireland. We have been aware of a small number of isolated cases of equine influenza in Ireland over the last couple of weeks as per our advice issued on 19 January. As an interim precaution, the IHRB and HRI have decided that runners from Britain will not be permitted to run in Ireland in an effort to reduce the risk of further spread of the disease via horse movement. Horses will continue to be able to race across the north and south of the island of Ireland.” Fergal O’Brien, who saddled three horses at Ludlow on Wednesday, is taking extra precautions at his stables in Naunton, Gloucestershire. He said, “I normally don’t take the horses’ temperatures unless I am worried about one of them but at the moment we are taking temperatures morning and night and will do so for the next week. All our horses will be required to have nasal swabs tomorrow so that we comply with the BHA rules. I share the gallops with Nigel Twiston-Davies and we have been advised to keep our horses 100 metres apart for now, or to use the gallops at different times.” With the covering season set to start from the end of next week, the breeding industry will naturally be hoping that a more widespread outbreak can be averted. Tweenhills was among a number of studs to announce on Thursday that it will only accept mares to its stallions who have been vaccinated against EI within the last six months. An advisory note on the stud’s website read, “On veterinary advice we are now insisting that all mares visiting Tweenhills have received an Equine Influenza booster vaccine within six months of proposed arrival at the stud. This includes walk-in mares as well as those boarding at the farm and passports will be checked before mares are allowed to disembark.” The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association also issued advice to its members which read, “There are no reports of Equine Influenza on breeding premises to date, however, with multiple reports of EI infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses in our European neighbours and in the UK, it is clear that there is now a risk of a significant UK EI epidemic developing, involving all types of horses and ponies. “Whilst infection is being seen in EI-vaccinated horses, veterinary advice is clear that vaccination remains essential for disease mitigation as vaccination reduces the severity of clinical signs and decreases the time to recovery, thereby reducing viral shedding and reducing the risk for spread of infection. Young foals are most at risk from this disease.” In 2007, the Australian racing industry suffered major disruption through the temporary shutdown of thousands of equine properties, including a two-month quarantine of Randwick racecourse, following an EI outbreak which was traced to four Japanese stallions at a quarantine station in New South Wales. Racing and all horse movement was cancelled nationwide for three days. For a number of British owners and trainers, as well as their counterparts in Ireland, an immediate concern will be whether racing will resume in time to allow as little disruption as possible to runners destined for the Cheltenham Festival, which begins on March 12. The abandonment of Newbury’s fixture on Saturday has already dealt a blow to the connections of a number of horses entered for key lead-up races at the meeting. View the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens will join FOX Sports/NYRA Live television programming as a racing analyst, making his debut on FOX Sports Saturday At The Races this spring, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and FOX Sports announced Thursday. Inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1997, Stevens registered 5,187 wins and totaled purse earnings of more than $258 million in a career that started in 1979 and concluded with his retirement in 2018. The 55-year-old won nine Triple Crown races and 11 Breeders’ Cup races in his career. Outside of the irons, Stevens enjoyed success as an actor and television analyst, portraying Hall of Fame jockey George Woolf in the film “Seabiscuit,” starring in the HBO series “Luck” and providing racing analysis for various TV networks, including NBC. “I’m lucky to be able to transition to the next phase of my career with the powerhouse team that FOX Sports and NYRA have assembled,” said Stevens. “There are few things more important to the future of our sport than bringing the best quality TV coverage to America’s biggest races, and that is just what we will be doing with these shows. I’d like to thank FOX Sports for their commitment to the sport of horse racing, and to NYRA for doing the most in-depth, innovative coverage available today.” In addition to Stevens, FOX Sports and NYRA announced that veteran host Laffit Pincay III and handicapper Jonathon Kinchen will join a broadcast team that includes host Greg Wolf, handicapper and racing analyst Andy Serling, paddock analyst Maggie Wolfendale, trainer Tom Amoss, and handicapper and former Major League Baseball all-star Paul LoDuca. Larry Collmus, NYRA announcer and voice of the Triple Crown, will provide live race calls throughout the year. The new broadcast team will also be featured on FOX Sports Saturday At The Races, which was launched in 2018 and expanded in 2019 to a 12-show schedule over February, March and April, providing nationwide coverage and analysis of major stakes races and key Triple Crown preps. In 2019, FOX Sports is scheduled to televise 500 hours of NYRA racing, including coverage of nearly every race day at Belmont and Saratoga. The broadcast schedule will then expand to over 600 hours annually in 2020. This agreement builds upon the prior deal between NYRA and FOX Sports that resulted in more than 100 hours of NYRA coverage on FS2 in 2018. “FOX Sports has assembled a broadcast team without equal in horse racing,” said Tony Allevato, President of NYRA Bets & Executive Producer for NYRA TV. “Collectively, their knowledge of all aspects of the sport will provide our national audience with the best handicapping, analysis and insights available anywhere. We welcome Gary, Laffit and Jonathon, and look forward to breaking new ground in 2019.” The 2019 NYRA shows on FOX Sports will be presented by America’s Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm. View the full article

William S. Farish's homebred Direct Dial has been named the 2018 Texas Horse of the Year, the Texas Thoroughbred Association announced today. View the full article

The Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association (CBA) installed its new board at its most recent meeting with Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm assuming the role of President, the trade organization announced Thursday. Allaire Ryan of Lane’s End Farm has been named Vice President, and Matt Koch of Shawhan Place will serve as Treasurer. Outgoing president Joe Seitz will maintain a newly established advisory role to the organization as former president. “The CBA owes Joe Seitz and the outgoing board members a big thanks for leaving us with a really strong organization who is the collective voice of the selling community,” Lyster said. “We look forward to continuing to help facilitate a vibrant commercial market within our industry.” In total, the CBA board consists of 15 members: eight from the top 20 consignors and seven from other consignors and commercial breeders. Each year a portion of the board rotates off and new members are appointed to fill the vacant positions. The newly appointed board members are Andrew Cary, Select Sales; Renee Daily, VanMeterGentry Sales; Tom Hamm, Three Chimneys; Derek McKenzie, Vinery; and Mark Toothaker, Spendthrift Farm. The remaining board members include the following representatives of top 20 consignors: Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud; Liz Crow, ELiTE; Brian Graves, Gainesway Farm; Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm; and Adrian Regan, Hunter Valley Farm. Directors who are other consignors and commercial breeders are: Ben Henley, Airdrie Stud; and Sean Tugel, WinStar Farm. More information can be found by visiting the CBA website. View the full article

Estihdaaf (Arch-Enriched, by Ghostzapper) rolled to a 5 1/2-length victory in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor. Heavily favoured Walking Thunder (Violence) finished second after taking an overland trip. When the gates flew, Estihdaaf was among the early pacesetters glued to the fence, with Sporting Chance (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) three deep and Walking Thunder out in the center of the course. The first quarter was run in :25.17, and the Saeed Bin Suroor runner continued to make the most of his rail position approaching the far turn. Estihdaaf seized command in earnest 500 metres out and drew off at will, although Walking Thunder rallied into a definite second, while covering considerably more ground. Red Cactus (Hard Spun) filled the place spot, beating out a tiring Sporting Chance. The final time for the 1600 metres was 1:39.87. Second on debut at York last September, Estihdaaf dropped to third tried at Newmarket later that month, and was off the mark at Leicester on Oct. 16. Only eighth in his Jan. 10 Meydan unveiling, he ran second in his first dirt try going 1900 metres on Jan. 24. Estihdaaf is a half-brother to Libreta (Girolamo), SW, $128,660; and his dam is a full-sister to two-time Grade I victress Better Lucky and a half to GIII Marine S. hero Sahara Heat (A.P. Indy). His third dam ins GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint heroine Desert Stormer (Storm Cat). Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1. O/B-Godolphin (KY). T-Saeed bin Suroor. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s recently opened training facility in mainland China displays all the aspects of an impressive top-of-the-class racecourse that has left nothing to chance. After a three-hour ride by car from Hong Kong, crossing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border and passing by the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport along the way, we finally arrived at the Conghua Training Centre, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)’s latest investment in Guangdong Province in Southern China. The lavish Conghua Training Centre is one of the most expensive investments the HKJC has undertaken since building Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong 40 years ago. The HK$3.7 billion training centre not only mimics Sha Tin, minus the grandstand, but the facilities it offers are way above and beyond what Hong Kong currently has – four racetracks together with an 1100-metre uphill gallop; 20 spelling paddocks; a world-class veterinary hospital equipped with an X-ray unit, an exam room, and operating suites; and a rehabilitation unit that includes salt-water spas and an aqua treadmill to treat injured horses. Louis Romanet, Chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, described the Conghua site as “truly exceptional” while Racing Australia Chief Executive Officer Barry O’Farrell summed it up as “world class and revolutionary.” “In the early stages, there was a bit of reluctance among owners and trainers about training horses at Conghua, primarily because of the distance from Hong Kong coupled with a fear of the unknown,” said Bill Nader, director of racing business and operations of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “But the early results have been so encouraging that our important stakeholders not only accept Conghua as a world-class training centre, they now embrace it.” The site was built with the vision to take Hong Kong racing to the next level and to create a more spacious and relaxed training environment for Hong Kong racehorses, while still maintaining the longstanding principle that Sha Tin is the home base. Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated areas and the city’s skyrocketing property prices mean that there is literally no place in Hong Kong to allow the Club to build additional training facilities. After searching for suitable land for 20 years without success, the Hong Kong Jockey Club finally solved the issue with the site in Conghua. There are currently nine trainers in Hong Kong who train horses out of both Conghua and Hong Kong, and horses are shipped to Sha Tin two days before running. To read the rest of this feature in the TDN Weekend, click here. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority produced this Q&A following an outbreak that forced all racing to be canceled Feb. 7. View the full article

If you put aside all the obligatory clichés—anything can happen in a horse race, you still have to run the race, etc.—Kaleem Shah's Bellafina is supposed to win the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) Feb. 9 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

The Jockey Club will back its processes against the threat of equine influenza (EI) after the British Horseracing Authority cancelled all racing on Thursday, with three cases of the deadly virus detected among vaccinated horses in an active yard. Despite the fact concerns have been raised that it could potentially be a new strain of EI which is yet to be vaccinated for, horses making the trip from Europe to Hong Kong are unlikely to be delayed at this stage. “There is no reason to expect... View the full article

The Year of the Pig is off to a “lucky start” after more than 100,000 Hongkongers decided to try their luck at the racetrack, betting an astonishing HK$1.755 billion on the territory’s favourite sport. The monster crowd of 105,716 – the third-highest ever, trailing only the 2013 (118,864) and 2000 (116,188) meetings – rolled through the Jockey Club turnstiles to enjoy an unseasonally warm day and all the associated festivities – with plenty of lai see, red... View the full article

In what was described as a “precautionary measure”, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) suspended all racing in the country on Thursday following confirmation of three cases of Equine Influenza (EI) in racehorses believed to be in the Cheshire stable of Donald McCain. McCain was the only trainer to be represented by a runner at each of the jump meetings at Ludlow and Ayr on Wednesday. By early Wednesday evening, it had been confirmed by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) that three vaccinated horses in one racing yard had tested positive for EI. Confirmed cases among the British racehorse population must be reported to the BHA. Robin Mounsey, Head of Media for the BHA, told the TDN on Thursday morning, “Coughing and nasal discharge are commonly seen symptoms in equines and we don’t stop movement of horses in this situation until there is a confirmed case of Equine Influenza.” Once the presence of the disease had been identified on racing premises, the BHA issued a statement at 11:30pm on Wednesday to warn of an initial one-day shutdown for racing across Britain. The bulletin included confirmation that horses from the affected yard had raced at Ayr and Ludlow. “This is a standard contingency in the event of an infectious disease affecting our horses,” read a follow-up statement on Thursday. “It was essential that racing be stood down today and controls on movements of horses be put in place in order to attempt to control the spread of the disease, and the decision was taken swiftly last night that this course of action should be taken, once the extent of the issue was known. The BHA consulted with its veterinary committee before making this decision. “We will endeavour to issue regular information but we are still in the early stages of assessing the scale and severity of the outbreak. We are working quickly to identify the extent of the infection and will have more information when further test results are returned today. The results from those tests will not be known until this evening. Following these results being known a call will be convened to discuss the implications and a decision will then be made as to the impact on racing in the coming days. “We are aware that people want to know the situation as regards racing tomorrow and this weekend and we will seek to provide more clarity as soon as we are able. It is likely that any definitive decisions on whether racing can take place tomorrow will be taken later this evening.” While racing was suspended in Britain on Thursday, it continued at Thurles in Ireland. Gordon Elliott, whose stable is based in County Meath, had sent five horses to race at Ayr in Scotland on Wednesday but, advised of the situation while his horses were still in transit on the way home, he was able to send the Ayr runners to an isolation yard 15 miles away from his main stable. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board confirmed on Thursday that racing will continue in Ireland but that British-trained horses cannot be entered for Irish races until further notice “as an interim precaution”. In the meantime, all trainers who had a runner at either Ludlow or Ayr on Wednesday, or at Wolverhampton on Monday, have been notified by the BHA that they will be unable to send out runners until all horses in the respective yards have been tested and cleared for EI. Fergal O’Brien, who saddled three horses at Ludlow on Wednesday, is taking extra precautions at his stables in Naunton, Gloucesterhsire. He said, “I normally don’t take the horses’ temperatures unless I am worried about one of them but at the moment we are taking temperatures morning and night and will do so for the next week. All our horses will be required to have nasal swabs tomorrow so that we comply with the BHA rules. I share the gallops with Nigel Twiston-Davies and we have been advised to keep our horses 100 metres apart for now, or to use the gallops at different times.” He continued, “I have emailed the BHA to suggest that we don’t have any racing for the next three or four days to give themselves some breathing space. It would be no different to losing racing through a hard frost and it’s really important that we get a handle on this so we know exactly what we are dealing with.” Following a number of outbreaks in northern Europe since early December, the BHA had previously issued an equine influenza alert to trainers on Jan. 25. It warned to isolate new arrivals in a yard for 14 days and to investigate with a vet any spread of nasal discharge or dry coughing. It was also advised that horses which had not been vaccinated within the last six months should receive a booster vaccination. Prior to the three cases confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 6, there had been 19 incidents of EI across northern Europe in Thoroughbreds and non-Thoroughbreds since early December—ten in France, four in the UK, three in Germany, two in Ireland and two in Belgium. Eleven of these occurred in vaccinated horses. All British racehorses are vaccinated against equine influenza, but it is believed that a different strain of the virus in the recent cases has been affecting vaccinated horses. EI vaccinations are not compulsory for the wider horse population of the UK. With the covering season set to start from the end of next week, the breeding industry will naturally be hoping that a more widespread outbreak can be averted. Tweenhills Farm & Stud, which stands Roaring Lion, Zoustar (Aus), Charming Spirit (Ire), Havana Gold (Ire) and Lightning Spear (GB), issued the following bulletin to mare owners on Thursday morning: “On veterinary advice we are now insisting that all mares visiting Tweenhills have received an Equine Influenza booster vaccine within six months of proposed arrival at the stud. This includes walk-in mares as well as those boarding at the farm and passports will be checked before mares are allowed to disembark.” In 2007, the Australian racing industry suffered major disruption through the lockdown of a number of equine properties, including a two-month quarantine of Randwick racecourse, following a major EI outbreak which was traced to four Japanese stallions at a quarantine station in New South Wales. Racing and all horse movement was cancelled nationwide for three days. TDN will continue to update this story as the situation develops. View the full article

An out-of-luck Chad Schofield could not have picked a better day to turn his fortunes around. The talented jockey had endured a six-week drought in the saddle before he booted home $28 outsider Smart Rocket in front of a bumper crowd celebrating the Lunar New Year at Sha Tin. The win came from an unlikely ally in trainer John Moore, who Schofield had not ridden a winner for since October 2016, and could increase his stocks with trainers and owners, with the meeting often seen as a springboard... View the full article