October, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Older Horses At Higher Risk For Colic, Euthanasia

Colic is the No. 1 cause of death in horses and it disproportionately affects older horses. Surgery isn't always the best option for elderly equines because of the high cost and generally less-successful outcomes, so many older horses that colic are euthanized.

Colic, which is a catch-all term for abdominal pain, can be caused by a variety of things, including gas buildup, a blockage or twisting of the gut. Though minor colic can be handled with medical intervention and pain relievers, other episodes require surgery to resolve.

A study out of Germany looked at nearly 1,000 horses that were admitted to a veterinary clinic for symptoms of colic. The average age was 19.9 years old and the majority of the horses were treated medically; these horses had a better survival rate than those horses that underwent surgery.

The most-common type of colic for horses between 21 and 29 years old were strangulating lipomas. This occurs when a fatty tumor develops and becomes so heavy that it weighs down part of the horse's digestive tract, sometimes looping around areas and strangulating either the intestines or the blood flow to them. There is no way to prevent these types tumors.

However, there are some risk factors for colic that can be mitigated by feeding and management changes. A review of colic studies in 2019 reported that horses that crib have a higher risk of colic, specifically epiploic foramen entrapment, where part of the small intestine are strangulated. Horses that spend most of their time in a stall are at higher risk of colic episodes than those that live out or those that spend more time on pasture. Changes in stabling also increase colic risk.

Changes in hay or grain increase the risk of colic, as does feeing higher amounts of grain. The type of hay fed also increases colic risk; horses fed coastal hay and alfalfa are more likely to colic than horse fed other types of hay.

Dental issues, to which older horses are particularly susceptible, increase colic risk. It's imperative that horse owners work closely with an equine dentist and adjust the horse's diet as necessary to mitigate the risk of colic. This might include changing feed or hay options or soaking feed. The addition of a ration balancer or oil may be necessary if an older horse is struggling to maintain weight.

Colic will affect one in 10 horses during their lifetime; older horses tend to have less-favorable outcomes. Adjusting elderly horse management, feeding and care can help decrease colic risk.

PR Special Fasig-Tipton October: How Do They Set Those Stud Fees?

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The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale rolls on, and the Paulick Report has the reading material you need to go along with it in the latest PR Special.

In this edition, bloodstock editor Joe Nevills speaks to the decision-makers at some of Kentucky's top stallion operations about their processes for setting stud fees – a number that can have ramifications on a stallion's entire career.

Darley's Australian shuttle stallion Astern is the focus of this issue's Stallion Spotlight, with Darren Fox discussing what makes the son of Medaglia d'Oro an attractive prospect for breeders. In the Breeders' Cup Buzz, Nevills asks participants in the upcoming Breeders' Cup to recall their most vivid memories of the 2015 renewal, the last time the event was at Keeneland.

Dr. Maria Schnobrich of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital covers why some years are worse than others for placentitis in Ask Your Veterinarian, and finally, we dive through the Fasig-Tipton October catalog to spotlight some of its young stallions in Second-Crop Sire Watch.

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Thanks, as always, to the sponsors of the PR Special. Your continued support is crucial to the functioning of our publication.

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‘A Good Problem To Have’: Attard Debating Between Two Breeders’ Cup Races For Starship Jubilee

Winner of five of her six starts in 2020, Starship Jubilee is preparing to make the trip south from her Woodbine base to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 7-year-old daughter of Indy Wind won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile over males in her most recent start, and she won the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes over 1 1/4 miles in 2019, so there are several options for her on Nov. 7.

Her trainer, Kevin Attard, is still waiting to decide whether he'll enter Starship Jubilee in the Breeders' Cup Mile or the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, according to the Toronto Sun.

“Obviously we want to give her the best shot of performing her best and (the decision) is going to come down to trying to see who's running where,” Attard told the Sun. “We've got a decent enough idea, but when we watch the pre-entries come out it's going to be a little more clear in that sense. The good thing about my filly is, she's very versatile. She's obviously shown that she can run a mile, she's shown she can run a mile and a quarter and we're lucky enough that the Filly& Mile Turf is 1 3/16ths. And that's within her wheelhouse – a little shorter than the 1 1/4 distance, which I like. But at the same token, she ran such a big race in the Woodbine Ricoh Mile, then you have to consider running her against the boys again one more time. It's a good problem to have.”

Named the Canadian Horse of the Year in 2019, Starship Jubilee was a $16,000 claim three years ago. She has since won a dozen stakes races, including two Grade 1 races, and earned over $2 million. Her record ahead of the Breeders' Cup stands at 19-5-3 from 38 starts, and she's showing no signs of slowing down.

“You don't really expect them to be around at seven (years old),” Attard told the Sun. “It's not really the normal that we see here in racing. But the fact is, she's arguably at her best now. She enjoys what she's doing… Every time you think the chapter's done and the book might be ready to close, she's on to the next chapter. So I'm enjoying the ride and I'm going to keep going with it.”

‘Clearly Another Case Of Contamination’: CHRB Complaint Reveals Dextorphan Positive In Baffert Trainee

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has filed a complaint against Baffert after his trainee Merneith tested positive for dextorphan this summer. Merneith, who earlier this year was third in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, received the positive test post-race after she finished second in the fourth race on Del Mar's July 25 card. Baffert trains the daughter of American Pharoah for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud.

A split sample confirmed the original violation, according to the Sept. 17 CHRB complaint.

Baffert said the finding was a result of environmental contamination.

“A number of my staff were sick with COVID this summer, including Merneith's groom,” Baffert said via email. “I learned he had been taking over-the-counter cough syrups that contained Dextrorphan. This has been an issue in other states where contamination has lead to positive tests. That's what happened here. This is clearly another case of contamination. Ultimately, this is my responsibility. It's really embarrassing for the barn, but that's what happened. #2020 sucks.”

Dextorphan is a metabolite of dextromethorphan, which is a Class 4 drug according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International's classification system. Class 4 drugs are primarily therapeutic drugs which “may influence performance but generally have a more limited ability to do so” as compared to those in other classes. Dextromethorphan is a common ingredient in human cough syrups, though it can also be a drug of abuse, given its capacity to act as an anesthetic in high doses. It has no Food and Drug Administration-approved use in the horse, but regulators have been told it has been used experimentally to quiet nervous behaviors like cribbing.

The metabolism of dextorphan and dextromethorphan were the subject of a study several years ago in Kentucky. The research found that dextromethorphan breaks down quickly in a horse's body, turning it into dextorphan. But unlike some other substances, dextorphan briefly increases in the horse's system as the dextromethorphan breaks down, and then it tapers off more gradually than testing experts had previously realized. The research in Kentucky led to three dextorphan positives being dismissed — not because the commission agreed they were the result of environmental contamination, but rather because it was unclear when the horses had been exposed to dextromethorphan, given the study results about the drug metabolism.

Dextorphan carries a penalty category of B, which has variable suspension lengths depending upon the number of previous violations within a 365-day period.

News of the dextorphan positive comes hard on the heels of an acknowledgement by Baffert that Gamine tested positive for betamethasone following her third-place effort in the G1 Kentucky Oaks this year. Split sample testing in that case has not yet been completed, but Baffert's attorney maintains the drug was administered in the recommended timeframe outlined by Kentucky's rules. Gamine and Charlatan also tested positive for lidocaine following races at Oaklawn this spring, which Baffert attributed to environmental contamination from an employee's over-the-counter pain patch. He told media he planned to appeal those rulings by Arkansas stewards.

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