December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Arpista Moves To Beau Valley Stable In Alberta For 2021

The Quality Road son, Arpista, will stand at Beau Valley Stable in Didsbury, Alberta for the 2021 season.

Quality Road has 11 Grade 1 winners from six crops of racing age and stands for a $150,000 stud fee at Lane's End in Kentucky. Quality Road is rated as one of the top three sires in North America and his progeny include the Grade 1 winners, City of Light ($5,662,670) and Roadster ($852,700).

The dam of Arpista, Harpia, is a graded stakes winner and black type producer. The Danzig mare won the Grade 3 Shirley Jones Handicap and finished second in four Grade 2 stakes, completing her race career with a record of winning or placing in ten of her thirteen starts. Harpia is the dam of stakes placed winner First Word ($281,000).

Arpista is the only son of Quality Road standing at stud in Canada.

He will stand for a $1,500 (Canadian) stud fee with a $250 booking fee.

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Canterbury’s 2021 Race Dates Approved; Purses Projected To Increase 35 Percent

Canterbury Park's request for a 65-day 2021 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing season, May 18 through Sept. 16, was unanimously approved on Thursday by the Minnesota Racing Commission.

The Shakopee, Minn. track will conduct a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday race schedule with racing also held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. as well as Saturday, July 3.

Purses are anticipated to be approximately $14 million, $220,000 per day, a projected increase of more than 35 percent in total and 12 percent per day as compared to 2020. A 2012 cooperative marketing and purse enhancement agreement reached with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, owners and operators of nearby Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, will supplement purses by $7.28 million. The agreement extends through 2022 with more than $80 million going toward purse supplements and joint marketing of the two properties.

Post time on Sundays and holidays will be 1:00 p.m. while weekday racing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday racing will begin at 5:00 p.m. On July 3, racing will begin at 4:00 p.m. The 2021 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes schedules are expected to be announced in January with stall applications and the first condition book available shortly thereafter.

Canterbury Park's 24/7 card casino and simulcast racebook remain temporarily closed due to Executive Order 20-103 issued by Gov. Tim Walz to slow the spread of COVID-19. Visit www.canterburypark.com for more information.

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One Year Later: Survivors Of Eastern Kentucky Horse Shooting Thriving In 2020

It's been nearly a year since the Kentucky Humane Society responded to an urgent call to help survivors of a horse shooting in Eastern Kentucky. Last December, 20 members of a herd of free-roaming horses were hunted down and killed in Floyd County, Ky., in an act of unimaginable cruelty and violence. The culprit was never caught.

Miraculously, three horses survived.

Our Willow Hope Farm welcomed Hope, a pregnant mare, and her weanling colt, Knox. They were underweight, fearful and stressed. Several days later, our farm brought in Diamond, Hope's daughter, who was caught on the mountaintop after she searched helplessly for any remaining members of her herd.

With time and patience, the horses began their recovery and rehabilitation at Willow Hope Farm. Knox began to show his spunky attitude and was adopted by Vicki in April. Vicki tells us that he is a sweet and curious colt.

The underweight and pregnant Hope enjoyed the abundance of hay, grass and feed at our farm. In May, she delivered a healthy colt, Lucius. He was adopted in December. Today, Lucius lives with an older pony gelding on a quaint farm in Shelby County. Lucius, meaning “light,” brings us hope for the hundreds of horses still on the mountain.

Since Lucius's weaning, Hope began her riding evaluation at the farm. It seems that Hope was likely owned before becoming a free-roaming horse. Hope can be tacked up, ground worked, and has been ridden by our team. We consider Hope “green broke,” meaning she will require an adopter who can help her brush up on her skills as she is rusty under saddle.

Diamond, who showed the most signs of trauma from the horrors on the mountain, continues to make progress at our farm. Though loud noises and fast movements scare her, she is forgiving and kind. Diamond is looking for an adopter who has advanced training working with feral horses. She enjoys spending time with other horses in the pasture and eating peppermints.

There are still many more free-roaming horses in Eastern Kentucky who need help. The Kentucky Humane Society is committed to working with partner rescues to monitor the population and rescue horses that need the most care.

Donations to continue the work of the Kentucky Humane Society can be made here. Gifts made before Dec. 31 qualify for a matching gift from the Frazier-Joy Family Foundation.

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HRI Releases 2021 Budget

Horse Racing Ireland’s 2021 budget has been approved, with measures to combat the threats of COVID-19 and Brexit key among the priorities.

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said, “The HRI budget for 2021 is set in the context of two lifetime challenges hitting the sector simultaneously and the priority is to shield the industry from the impacts of both Covid-19 and Brexit, while being cognisant of the welfare of our horses and the people that work with them. Thanks to the effort of many, the finances of Horse Racing Ireland are stable as we come to the end of one of the most challenging years any of us will ever face. The Board wishes to acknowledge the effort and sacrifices made within the industry this year and is pleased to announce a progressive budget for 2021 which is aimed at giving some clarity in an uncertain environment.

“In framing its budget, HRI is following the key objectives set out in our Strategic Plan for the industry 2020-2024 which was launched earlier this year. The quality of the Irish racing and breeding product remains strong and, working within our plan, I am confident that we can put 2020 behind us and look forward with some optimism.”

Budgeted prizemoney for 2021 is €60.7-million, with the return of minimum prizemoney levels to €10,000 a priority. Fourteen extra fixtures have already been announced, taking the overall total to 384.

The budget also includes government funding toward the redevelopment of the Irish Equine Centre in Johnstown, Co. Kildare. This project will ensure the highest possible standards of disease prevention and surveillance within the industry. The budget also makes provisions for an all-weather track at Tipperary and a new racecourse grant scheme to enhance stable yard capacities. HRI noted it will work with racecourses in 2021 on a case-by-case basis to assist them with mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Budget provision has also been made for a national awareness campaign for the safe return to race-going when appropriate.

The board has approved €14-million for integrity and racecourse services, and €1.3-million to support breeders and the sale of Irish-bred horses in light of the double threats of COVID and Brexit.

Kavanagh continued, “2020 was a year when prudence with the industry’s finances was an absolute necessity and the resilience of our sector enabled many to get through the year. That said, 2020 was anything but normal and the spectacle of high quality racing in front of empty stands was a depressingly familiar sight. Regrettably this new normal will continue to be the theme as we head into 2021, although recent developments regarding vaccines and travel do allow some cause for optimism regarding a safe return to more normal activity.

“The allocations in Budget 2021 have been guided by the HRI Strategic Plan for the industry with growth in fixtures and prize money targeting increased participation in the sector. HRI will ensure that our prize money remains internationally competitive and we will announce a new scheme in early 2021 to provide financial support to the breeding industry and assist Irish vendors in the post Brexit environment. The Irish Tote alliance with the UK Tote Group will commence from 1st January 2021 following the issue of a new seven-year Tote licence by the Government in October, while the latest phase of redevelopment of Leopardstown has just been completed, although unfortunately we will not be able to showcase it to the public at the forthcoming Christmas Festival.”

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