September, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

House Version of Integrity Act Amended and Advanced

Several hours after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) got introduced in the United States Senate on Wednesday, the co-sponsor of the existing Horseracing Integrity Act (HRIA) proposed striking all of the language of his existing bill and replacing it with the exact wording from the new Senate bill to create companion legislation that now reads the same in both branches of Congress.

In a videoconference mark-up session of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this newly amended version of the federal bill was then reported to the full House of Representatives by a 46-5 vote.

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), who has co-sponsored three different versions of the Integrity Act since 2015 (including the current version) said that the chief differences between his original bill and the one that will now mirror the HISA backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are the inclusion of racetrack safety standards and a 3-year phase-out period for race-day Lasix usage instead of prohibiting it outright.

“While no legislation is usually deemed perfect, the agreement represented in [the amended version] has the support of the overwhelming majority of not only the horse racing industry…but also major animal welfare groups,” Tonko said.

But House members who spoke out against and voted against advancing the amended version of HB 1754 cited concerns over a lack of veterinary oversight on the new authority panel that would be created by the legislation. And several others chafed at the provision that race-day Lasix would be phased out over the objections of some horse owners and trainers.

“The intent of this legislation, to achieve uniform standards across the country, I think we all agree is a great one. We need this expertise and this help,” said Rep. Kurt Shrader (D-OR), a veterinarian. “But we can’t do it without the veterinary or medical advice being at the table on an ongoing basis. So while well-intended, this bill falls way short of its goals…. I don’t think the bill is right for prime time at this point.”

Tonko rebutted that to achieve the new compromise legislation, “significant concessions” have already been made, particularly with regard to allowing Lasix to be phased out instead of banned immediately. He added that not advancing the compromise version of the legislation “would undermine public confidence in the sport.”

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), who chairs the committee, urged fellow lawmakers just before the vote to consider that the compromise version of the HISA is the result of years of work that represents a “solution that could actually become law this session.” He also reminded dissenters that they would still have opportunities to tweak the final version when it comes up for debate in front of the full House.

“The beauty part of [achieving Congressional consensus] is this could pass the House, and then pass the Senate and be signed into law,” Pallone said. “So that’s why I do want to move it today, because of the work that Paul [Tonko] and Mitch McConnell did together on this…. But I do want [Congresspeople who spoke against the bill] to know that as we move forward to the floor, we’re certainly going to keep working on this.”

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Sequel New York Carries Banner For Home Team At Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase

The cancellation of the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale due to COVID-19 made the state's commercial breeders more nomadic than usual for the 2020 yearling sale season, with Fasig-Tipton offering sections focused on New York-breds in several of its upcoming sales to make up for the lost venue.

The first stop on that tour was Wednesday's opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase Sale, which had yearlings bred in the Empire State lead off the proceedings. Looking down the list of offerings, though, the sire ranks represented in the New York portion were almost entirely Kentucky-based.

The biggest exception to that trend came from the stallion roster of Sequel New York, which accounted for every spot among the top five most expensive New York-sired offerings during the New York-bred portion of the Yearling Showcase.

Becky Thomas of Sequel New York described it as a tough marketplace for the handful of horses that were both bred and sired in New York, owing to a variety of factors that were largely out of anyone's control, but became a daunting condition under which to sell horses when stacked on top of each other.

Thomas said the change in venue, well away from New York, affected the types of buyers that were available for horses with full-blooded New York backgrounds, with most instead leaning on the names they recognized more readily. The positioning of the state-bred session on the front end of a marathon few weeks of yearling sales – especially surrounded by national-level offerings on the sales grounds – might have made it harder to stand out, versus how the same offerings might have fared selling in Saratoga Springs with their own kind.

“We're in COVID territory, and unfortunately there's a lot of uncertainty, so the New York-bred, New York-sired horses suffered dramatically,” Thomas said. “New York is under a strong quarantine situation, so we have a fraction of the trainers that are here from New York that would be going to Saratoga to buy these. It was pretty brutal for those sires…It's no one's fault, we were just a victim of circumstances.”

There was a two-way tie amongst the New York-sired offerings for the highest sale price, each bringing $75,000.

Consistent with his position as a perennial leader on the New York sire list, Freud was responsible for one-half of the top duo when Calumet Farm bought Hip 141, a colt named Elusive Freud, for $75,000.

The dark bay or brown colt is out of the winning Elusive Quality mare Follow My Luck, whose first foal to race is a winner by Cross Traffic. Follow My Luck was purchased by breeder Allen Hallett for $24,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, with Grade 1-winning third dam Strategic Maneuver being the pivot point for runners including Grade/Group 3 winners Ishiguru, Jennifer Lynnette, and Shumoos.

Elusive Freud also has a healthy bit of local flavor on his page in Good Luck Gus, a four-time stakes winner against New York-bred stakes competition.

Vinery Sales consigned Elusive Freud as agent for Hallett.

Freud, a 22-year-old son of Storm Cat, stood the 2020 breeding season for an advertised fee of $6,500.

Completing the exacta was Hip 12, a colt from the second crop of Laoban who sold to Northshore Bloodstock, agent.

The second foal out of the winning Street Cry mare Lapinski is notable for his third dam, the 2006 Broodmare of the Year Cara Rafaela – the dam of champion Bernardini and Grade 1-placed Ile de France. The colt was bred by Milfer Farm Inc., and consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent.

Laoban, New York's leading freshman sire, also sent through Hip 98, a colt out of the unraced Bodemeister mare Anna's Angel, who sold to Steven Young, agent, for $35,000. The dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Spun Sugar and Daaher. Bluewater Sales also handled this colt at the sale.

A 7-year-old son of Uncle Mo, Laoban stood the past season for $5,000.

The Yearling Showcase also marked a coming out party for Union Jackson, who sends his first yearlings through the ring this season.

Leading the way for the 8-year-old son of Curlin was Hip 25, a dark bay or brown filly out of the winning Wildcat Heir mare Mochima who sold to Autrey Bloodstock for $37,000. Bred by Larry Botting, the colt hails from the family of Grade 3 winners Feline Story and Notacatbutallama. Gainesway consigned him, as agent.

Union Jackson was also represented by Hip 152, a colt out of the unraced War Pass mare Hey Wheresmydinner who hammered to Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock, agent for David McCarty, for $30,000.

The colt was bred in partnership by Sequel Stallions NY and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, the two entities that stand Union Jackson. Sequel New York also consigned the colt on Wednesday.

“People really liked them, and got to appreciate them,” Thomas said about the Union Jackson yearlings. “I think people will go away with a good feeling with what they look like.”

The next opportunity for buyers to shop for New York-breds en masse will come a bit closer to home at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale on Oct. 5-6 in Timonium, Md. About three-quarters of the auction's opening session will be dedicated to New York-breds.

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Santa Anita To Provide Home For Non-Profit ‘Free Animal Doctor’

With an estimated 25 percent of America's pet owners unable to afford necessary veterinary care for approximately 24 million dogs and cats, Santa Anita Park will now provide a home for the non-profit Free Animal Doctor, which provides free veterinary surgeries for at-risk animals. Santa Anita management will also be working with Free Animal Doctor to extend its services to the track's backside community and other community groups in need, at no or low cost.

“There is a need for this type of small animal veterinary assistance locally and nationwide,” said Santa Anita's Aidan Butler, Acting Executive Director, CA Racing Operations for The Stronach Group. “We are well positioned to provide the assistance needed for the Free Animal Doctor clinic to administer necessary care for these precious animals, and we're honored to do so. We've let them know we are here to help in any way that we can.”

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides detailed itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“This serves to self-authenticate the cost of each surgery,” said FAD co-founder Sam Bernardo, who hopes to have FAD's veterinary “bus” fully operational in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7 by Sept. 15. “Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted.”

Although a wide variety of surgeries will be performed, spaying and neutering will comprise the majority of the procedures taking place at Santa Anita. This important work also helps to assist community shelters from being overwhelmed by dogs and cats that do not have homes.

Bernardo, who is a practicing attorney, founded FAD four years ago with Ryan Boyd, who works in the local real estate industry.

“Our 'bus' is actually a 43-foot long mobile surgical hospital on a bus frame,” said Bernardo. “The facility was originally designed and used by the Spay, Neuter Action Program of San Diego. They donated it to us and we are so thankful that Santa Anita is providing us a home with independent sources of electricity and water, which are vital for surgical procedures.

“We've been operating for four years now and 80 percent of the animals that we've displayed on our website have gotten the required funding. With average costs ranging from $800 to $3,000, thirty percent of families that own these pets cannot afford the surgeries.”

Those interested are encouraged to visit FAD's website at www.freeanimaldoctor.org, where a photo and detailed description of each at-risk pet is provided.

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Trainer Jack Carava Announces Career Shift, To Serve As Agent To Jockey Tyler Baze

Popular trainer Jack Carava, who notched an upset win with his penultimate starter on Monday at Del Mar, has announced he'll hang up his morning stopwatch and embrace Santa Anita's Autumn Meet Condition Book One as he'll now serve as agent for jockey Tyler Baze, who is returning to ride full time at The Great Race Place after an eight month absence.

“The time is right,” said Carava, 54, who has operated both a public and private stable in Southern California for the past 33 years. “I've had a lot of success with Tyler over the years and he's probably the hardest working jock I've ever known. I love training, but my stable has contracted over the past couple years and when Tyler called me, I realized this is a great opportunity.

“He rode at Oaklawn this winter and he's been in Kentucky all summer. He's excited to be back home with his family and he's got a lot customers here that are anxious to get him back on their horses. It'll take a little time to let everyone know that we're working together, but with Tyler's work ethic, I know we're gonna be in good shape. The book is out, so I've already taken some calls and we'll just approach everything day by day.”

The son of a trainer, Carava worked under trainers Jerry Fanning and Joe Griffin prior to setting out on his own in 1987. With his win in Monday's fifth race at Del Mar with Harper's Gallop ($15.80), Carava, who was Hollywood Park's Spring Summer leader in 2001 and was leading trainer at Santa Anita's 2002 Oak Tree Meet, leaves his shed row with 1,107 career wins, which contributed to stable earnings of $32.4 million and also included five graded stakes victories.

Baze, 37, who was America's Eclipse Award winning apprentice jockey in 2000, won the $500,000 More Than Ready Stakes with longshot Barrister Tom ($90.00) for trainer Michael Ewing at Kentucky Downs on Labor Day, giving him 2,718 career wins. He and his wife Christina reside in nearby Monrovia with their two daughters, Emilia, six, and Isla, four, along with one son, Luca, three.

Santa Anita's 18-day Autumn Meeting will open on Saturday, Sept. 19 and run through Sunday, Oct. 25.

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