November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘So Proud Of Him’: Welder Continues Assault On Remington Park Record Books

In 2016, Welder ran second in the Oklahoma Classics Sprint to Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame runner Okie Ride.

Four years later, if Welder wins the $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes on Friday, Nov. 13, he will pass Okie Ride for most stakes wins in the history of Remington Park with 11. Welder, a 7-year-old gelding owned by Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Okla., would also pass Okie Ride for most wins in the Silver Goblin Stakes with a fourth career score in the event.

The son of The Visualiser, out of the Tiznow mare Dance Softly Now, is trained by Teri Luneack and ridden by Remington Park leading rider David Cabrera. Another score in the Silver Goblin Stakes would also give Welder his 11th stakes win in a row, extending that Remington Park record he already holds at 10 consecutive.

Welder holds the main track record for six furlongs 1:08.13, set in the David Vance Stakes on Sept. 29, 2019. He was voted Oklahoma's Horse of the Year for the second year in a row in 2019 and is the only horse ever voted Remington Park's Horse of the Meet in two consecutive years. A win Friday would move him to within one of the all-time victories total at Remington Park. He would have 14, one behind Highland Ice and Elegant Exxactsy.

Welder is the most recent Oklahoma-bred to become a millionaire. He became the eighth Oklahoma-bred to achieve the mark when he won the TRAO Classic Sprint in April this year at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore. It was his fifth consecutive win in that stakes event.

Asked what record or accolade Welder holds or is chasing that has meant the most to her, Luneack said, “the most significant thing for us was when he passed the $1 million mark. It was the one goal that Clayton and I talked about and had set.”

As far as her favorite stakes win for Welder, Luneack said it had to be the David M. Vance Stakes in 2019.

“I was so proud of him for beating all those shippers that came in from around the country,” said Luneack. “The funniest story I heard was that the shippers were over in the test barn and they were all asking (the veterinarian), 'What is this Okie-bred doing in this race?' And he said, 'because he is one fast SOB.' Winning that race was my proudest moment with him.”

An indication of just how fast this gray streak of lightning is came in the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas on March 9, 2019. He came up against a legendary sprinter, Whitmore, in that race. That 7-year-old gelding just won the Breeders' Cup Sprint this past weekend by 3-1/4 lengths at Keeneland. In the Hot Springs Stakes, he beat Welder by two lengths.

“Whitmore is a war horse,” Luneack said. “I was screaming so much for him to win (the BC Sprint). “I respect him so much. No one is more deserving of that win. If they do bring him back (at 8 years old, just like Welder) for Oaklawn, I imagine we could run into him again. We have every intention to run Welder in Hot Springs. It all depends on the Oklahoma weather that time of year.

“We run into a problem, since we don't have stalls (at Oaklawn), of vanning him over there and finding a track to work him on leading up to the race,” Luneack noted. Will Rogers Downs, Welder's local track, is not open early in the year for workouts, when Oaklawn begins racing.

The first major sprint race on Oaklawn's calendar is the King Cotton Stakes on Feb. 6 at six furlongs.

Okie Ride was inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2017. He won four Oklahoma Classics Sprints, three Silver Goblin Stakes and three Remington Park Turf Sprints. He was owned by the Richter Family Trust of Perkins, Okla. and conditioned by Kenny Nolen.

“I do remember running second to him with Welder,” said Luneack. “You don't like to lose, but he was such a cool horse and meant so much to Kenny. I was genuinely happy for Kenny. I was sad we lost, but it's okay to lose to a horse like that.”

Welder has been made the 2-5 morning-line favorite to break and extend another set of Remington Park records Friday night in a field of six horses.

Here's a look at this year's edition of the Silver Goblin Stakes, 6-1/2 furlongs for Oklahoma-breds, three and older, with post positions, horse, jockey, trainer and morning line odds:

1) Fly to the Bank: Lindey Wade, James Helzer, 12-1

2) Welder: David Cabrera, Teri Luneack, 2-5 (morning-line favorite)

3) Rockport Kat: Richard Eramia, Teri Luneack, 15-1

4) Dominante: Obed Sanchez, Shon Dunlap, 20-1

5) No Lak of Speed: Luis Quinonez, Jesse Oberlander, 8-1

6) Quality Rocket: Garrett Steinberg, Boyd Caster, 3-1

The Silver Goblin Stakes is the eighth race of nine on Friday night. The first race is set for 7:07pm, with the Silver Goblin Stakes scheduled for 10:23pm.

The Silver Goblin Stakes is named after another Oklahoma-bred millionaire who was adept at winning stakes races at both sprint distances and at more than one mile in the 1990s.

Remington Park will also conduct a Saturday card on Nov. 14, beginning at 7:07pm.

The post ‘So Proud Of Him’: Welder Continues Assault On Remington Park Record Books appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Retired Thoroughbreds at Home in Senior Living Community

As soon as Bev Passerello retired as a riding instructor, she and her husband John sold their home in California, bought an RV and traveled the country. At some point along the way, they ended up in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

“After I saw the Kentucky Derby for the first time, every trip back and forth across the United States went through Kentucky,” Bev said. “John finally said, ‘I give up, it looks like we’re going to move to Kentucky.'”

So they parked their motor home in the Bluegrass State for good, bought a broodmare and got in on a few racing partnerships, and fell in love with the people and Thoroughbreds of Central Kentucky.

Last year, they were looking for a senior living residence where they could receive some assistance but still live independently when they came across Ashton Grove Senior Living in Georgetown.

For Bev, horses were the only thing missing from the picturesque community. When she discovered that half of Ashton Grove’s 80 acres were unoccupied and on part of the old Hill ‘n’ Dale property, an idea began to form.

John and Bev reached out to Michael Blowen, the founder and president of Old Friends.

“We had been associated with Old Friends for quite a while,” John said. “I knew that every once in a while, people offer horses to Michael, and he doesn’t have the room. So we made a phone call to Michael, and he said, ‘Sounds great.'”

The partnership between Ashton Grove and Old Friends quickly formed, and the team got to work with the dream of creating a unique arrangement where retired Thoroughbreds could interact with the residents at the senior living community on 40 acres of land that features eight paddocks and a 12-stall barn.

“We’re so fortunate that we had this barn and all of this land,” said Ashton Grove’s Executive Director Davonna Saeir. “We went ahead and started to fix up some fences so we could get horses out here.”

The plans were brought to a halt this spring due to the pandemic.

“Just after we got started, the Coronavirus set in and the whole thing just sort of started falling apart,” Bev said. “But Davonna and Michael have never given up and have never failed to support us and what we were trying to do.”

Last month, the first seven retired Thoroughbreds finally stepped onto the grounds.

“We wanted to find horses that were really good together and had a gentle nature to them so that they could be around the residents,” said John Bradley, who will serve as manager of the new Old Friends facility, helping to acclimate the senior residents with their new equine neighbors and overseeing the daily care of the Thoroughbred retirees.

The new arrivals include dual Grade I winner Daytona (Ire) {Indian Ridge (Ire)}, 2002 Preakness S. runner-up Magic Weisner (Ameri Valay) and Chilean champion Porfido (Chi) {Mash One (Chi)}.

Blowen was effusive in his praise for the new program.

“It’s all worked out really well,” he said. “The residents all seem to be very supportive. They’re learning about the horses and we’re going to have lunches and parties here.”

Blowen said he plans to have celebrity guest jockeys, trainers, and other industry participants visit to educate residents about horse racing and the Thoroughbred industry in central Kentucky.

The Passerello’s have been involved in every step of the process as they live on-site in independent living. Bev said that this gives them the opportunity to introduce other residents to the new equine seniors in their community.

“How do I feed a horse? Can I come down in my wheelchair? Will they get to know us? The questions are ongoing,” she said. “But a lot of them have had to give up their animal companionship. A lot of them have lost loved ones. To have these creatures down here has been very rewarding for them. It’s been a spectacular personal achievement for us to be able to bring these residents down here. It’s just what we dreamed would happen.”

Tom Emerson has been a resident at Ashton Grove for five months and has quickly developed into one of the program’s biggest supporters as he stops by the paddocks daily to distribute carrots.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” he said. “I grew up in cities and had never been this close to a horse before. I had never fed a horse before and I’m glad he took the carrots and not my fingers. I hope these horses enjoy Ashton Grove as much as I do. When my wife passed away, I was looking for a great group of people for company and I found it. Now I’ve got a great bunch of horses to be with too.”

Ashton Grove’s Saeir said that visiting the horses at Ashton Grove has been rejuvenating for many of the senior residents.

“A lot of times when someone moves into assisted living, they’ve gone through a lot of loss,” she said. “They’ve lost their spouse. They’ve lost their vitality. Oftentimes they’ve lost their ability to drive and do things that really were meaningful to them. But these horses are part of their heritage. It’s just another aspect of true home and comfort that they are able to get by living here.”

Saeir added that as many of the normal community activities have been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic, the ability to be outside and interact with the horses and other residents has been a bright spot for many of Ashton’s Groves members.

“It’s fun to see, because I’m already starting to see some unique friendships start between some of the staff and the residents with some of the horses,” said Bradley. “This is just the beginning. Over time, we figure to have about 30 horses in this facility.”

Already in the first few weeks of operation, Old Friends at Ashton Grove has received inquiries from other senior living communities in Kentucky and beyond.

“There’s been a lot of interest in the concept,” said Bev. “We’re getting a lot of people talking to us now. I think it will become a model, I truly do, because there’s been so much interest.”

John added, “More Thoroughbreds need to be saved, so if this can happen in other places it would be great for the horses and for the senior citizens.”

The post Retired Thoroughbreds at Home in Senior Living Community appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Confirmed: Specific Patterns Of Fat Associated With Laminitis, Similar To Human Obesity Issues

Though horse owners and equine veterinarians have long believed a cresty neck to be associated with equine metabolic syndrome and associated laminitis, there has never been scientific proof of the link—until now: New research out of Australia has confirmed the correlation, reports EQUUS magazine.

Fat tissue stores energy and plays an important role in the synthesis and release of hormones that assist with metabolism and insulin function. Abnormal insulin function is a key risk factor for horses that develop hormone-related laminitis.

Drs. Danielle Fitzgerald, Stephen Anderson, Martin Sillence and Melody de Laat used 26 ponies for a study to determine if there is a correlation between cresty necks and the incidence of horses developing equine metabolic syndrome. Each of the ponies was given a body condition score (BCS) and a cresty neck score (CNS), which objectively measures the accumulation of fat on the neck. The scale goes from 0 to 5, with 5 indicating that the crest is so large it had dropped permanently to one side.

The ponies were then divided into three groups: those with a CNS of 3 or greater, but moderate body condition; those with a CNS of 3 or greater that were obese; and those that had moderate body condition and no cresty neck. The researchers used an oral glucose test to determine how each pony regulated insulin.

From the results, the scientists concluded that crestiness was a primary indicator of insulin dysregulation. Ponies that were not overweight, but that had a cresty neck score of greater than 3, were five times more likely than non-cresty neck ponies to have insulin dysfunction, and therefore be at risk of laminitis. Obese horse without a cresty neck were less likely to have an increased risk of insulin dysregulation and related problems.

These finding confirm what horse owners and veterinarians have suspected, that a cresty neck is a key indicator that a horse or pony has an insulin regulation issue. The results are also consistent with human obesity studies that link specific fat accumulation patterns to health complications.

Tips on How to Gamble Responsibly

Aside from becoming one financial roadblock, when one gets addicted to gambling, the preoccupation may just cause him his family and his whole social life. Who wants to be entangled into such problems like those, right?

Gambling is supposed to be fun, not something that will ruin your life. Here are some tips on responsible gambling:

1. Plan to Lose.

This is not being pessimistic. Keep tabs on your losses and give yourself a loss limit. And stick to it strictly. Aside from the loss limit, setting a time limit will also make you one smart gambler.

2. Don’t ask for help.

This easily translates to never asking for some borrowed money to continue gambling. If you have determined a quite manageable loss limit, you will never have to borrow money to gamble.

3. Have a break.

Frequent breaks while playing online will not only make you relax, it will also give you time to just rethink how much you have been losing then subsequently quit it.

4. Don’t just gamble, mingle.

Incorporate other less wallet pinching activities such as chatting with a new acquaintance or some old friend who also happen to visit the casino. Don’t feel guilty when you don’t get to gamble the whole night through. Practicing your social graces is also one good way to spend the night. Who knows you might just have let one investment deal pass just because you were too hooked up rolling the dice.

5. Don’t play when depressed and stressed.

Just like shopping and eating, it’s never a good way to make use of gambling as an outlet to belch out your woes or any trouble. Gambling when you are feeling low will not solve you problem. It might even blow it up to some mammoth proportion you never intended it to be.

6. Say no to ruining your budget just because of gambling.

Stay only with the budget you allocated for entertainment. Money for everyday expenses should never be touched if it’s only your craving to roll the dice that you are trying to quench.

7. Don’t go chasing your losses.

Acceptance is one mature way to deal with any problem. This does not exclude losing when gambling. It won’t be smart to chase your losses since it might make you lose even more.

If all else fails to remind you that gambling should not be taken lightly, remember that casinos are not built as charity houses to give out money. They are making a business out of the gamblers’ losses.