December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bouquetot Sires Shine at Arqana’s Final Session

Al Shaqab Racing’s Haras de Bouquetot featured heavily among the top lots on the fourth and final day of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville. Both the topper and next dearest lot were mares in foal to Bouquetot residents, and the co-highest-priced foal of the day was also by one of their growing roster of stallions

Lot 784, the Frankel (GB) mare Bursa (GB) in foal to G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero Al Wukair (Fr) from the Bouquetot draft proper, commanded a session-topping €38,000 from Haras du Quesnay.

Out of a winning full-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud heroine Plumania (GB) (Anabaa), Bursa is also closely related to fellow Group 1 winner Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). She already has fillies on the ground by Bouquetot resident and MG1SW Ectot (GB) last year and Al Wukair this spring.

“I really like the mare, and the pedigree,” said Criquette Head of Bursa. “It’s a lovely Wertheimer family and it’s great to get into it. The mare corresponds to several of our stallions, but the choice doesn’t stop there.”

Windfield Bloodstock was in action for lot 711, Al Hamla (Medaglia d’Oro), who was also offered by Bouquetot. Knocked down for €27,000, the 8-year-old is carrying to G1 Prix Jean Prat victor Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). The resulting progeny would be her fifth foal. A daughter of GIII Locust Grove H. heroine Genuine Devotion (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), Al Hamla’s dam is a half-sister to Classic winner and Group 1 sire Mastercraftsman (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and G1 Moyglare Stud S. bridesmaid Famous (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

“She a beautiful mare by Medaglia d’Oro with a page–her dam is by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) and a sister to Mastercraftsman (Ire),” said Jean Biraben. “It’s a young pedigree that could turn something up.”

A pair of mares brought €22,000–Haras de la Louviere’s Perfect Day (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) (lot 643), herself a daughter of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), went to Morten Buskop Bloodstock; while Agence BHB shelled out the same amount for lot 722, Haigoa (Fr) (Diktat {GB}). The former is in foal to Group 1 sire Galiway (GB) on a May 17 cover. Ectot is the covering sire of record for Haras du Berlais consignee Haigoa, a half-sister to G2 Premio Ribot scorer King Air (Fr) (Kingsalsa).

Al Wukair, Ectot and Zelzal all have their first juveniles running in 2021.

It was a two-way tie for most expensive foal of the day, with Meridian International striking first at €22,000 for a filly by Birchwood (Ire) (lot 676) out of Bourgeauville (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}). Hailing from the Ecurie d’Auge draft, the bay’s second dam won at listed level in France.

“She’s a pretty filly [by] Birchwood, out of a Le Havre dam,” said Ghislain Bozo. “I think that Birchwood is a promising sire. His offspring are already pleasing their trainers, with good minds and look early types. I’m a fan.”

Equaling that price later in the session was a grey son of the aforementioned Al Wukair out of Green Media (Fr) (Green Tune) from La Motteraye Consignment. Lot 716 attracted the attention of Haras du Saubouas and is from the extended family of G1 French 2000 Guineas hero Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa).

From a statistical standpoint, Tuesday’s session sported a 78.44% clearance rate (up over 12% compared to 2019), with 131 sold of 167 for a gross of €839,500. The average was €6,408 (-66.13%) and the median also dropped to €4,500 (-55%). In 2019, Arqana’s final session was a mix of Flat and National Hunt horses. This year, due to COVID-19, the sessions contained fewer lots in order to meet pandemic restrictions, with all of the National Hunt breeding stock moved to the Nov. 19 Arqana National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale instead.

Overall, the clearance rate remained a bright spot throughout the sale, and moved up two points to 79.12% for 557 sold from 704 offered. The gross was €25,0284,500, while the median and average were €17,000 (-10.52%) and €45,394 (-7.85%), respectively.

Topping the buyers’ sheets was Meridian International, which bought 14 head for €1,448,000. Shadai Farm was next with €930,000 for a pair of lots, while Blandford Bloodstock bought nine for a gross of €902,000. Wertheimer et Frere were in front on the consignors’ table, selling 24 horses for a gross of €3,353,000, closely followed by Ecurie des Monceaux for €3,141,000 for 29 lots. Third on the vendors list was Haras d’Etreham which sold 26 lots for €1,748,000.

At the end of the four-day sale, Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “The Breeding Stock Sale is a perfect reflection of the overall results for this year. The figures display a decrease of around 20% in sales volume, with the average falling by 15% but still remaining solid given the particular global context. We are relieved that all the efforts that we have made to mitigate the constraints imposed by Covid–from the development of Arqana Online to the more general aspects including inspection videos and chartering flights for our foreign clients–have borne fruit.

“However, these efforts would have been in vain without the help of the local authorities, with whom we have worked very closely to ensure that the sales could take place, as well as all of the players involved: all the consignors and buyers, who showed remarkable adaptability and complied with the protocols imposed by the health crisis, all the Arqana teams, the ground staff who worked to make the establishment as welcoming as possible despite the restrictions, Henri Morel and his teams who succeeded in completely rethinking their catering to continue satisfying the clientele, as well as all the European sales agencies that we worked with to arrange the sale dates in order to meet the needs of the sector.

“We would like to thank them all for their efforts and their contribution to the functioning of the market. It has been difficult in many ways, and this year has been marked by a great spirit of solidarity and resilience.”

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Track Records: Was Keeneland’s Dirt Course Faster Than Average On Breeders’ Cup Weekend?

Four track records were set on Keeneland's dirt course during the Breeders' Cup this year, leading concerned fans as well as several horseplayers and turf writers to publicly question the the surface. Those questions led Jim Mulvihill to seek out answers, which he compiled in a feature for the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

The facts, Mulvihill said, are that three of the four records were set by heavy favorites, and the dominant nature of those wins led credence to the idea that the winners had run exceptionally fast. Mulvihill also explained that there is a relatively limited sample size of relevant races, since Keeneland reinstalled and reconfigured the dirt course in 2014, rendering previous dirt records non-comparable.

A few racing professionals' answers included:

Champion horseplayer Paul Matties, who makes his own figures for Keeneland races, said: “It was definitely the fastest Keeneland that I've seen in a long time. Even compared to the end of the meet, which was a little fast for them, it was still probably a second faster than those days. It was definitely different, so there was some truth to what the people speaking up were saying.”
Timeform and DRF Chief Speed Figure Maker Craig Milkowski noted that the track condition rating, a measure of final average times, was 9 on Breeders' Cup Saturday. “That was higher than average for Keeneland,” he said. “During the spring, they're usually 6-7 and for the summer meet they were more like 7-8. So it wasn't just the horses; the track was definitely fast.”

Meanwhile, the official response from the Breeders' Cup was that the track surface was no faster than normal on Breeders' Cup weekend.

“Breeders' Cup, Keeneland and third-party experts, including Dr. Mick Peterson and the University of Kentucky, worked together for many months to have a safe and consistent racing surface and there were never any discussions on producing fast race times,” a statement from Breeders' Cup read. “On event days, Dr. Mick Peterson was in constant communication with both Keeneland and Breeders' Cup racing teams to keep us apprised of all conditions. The racing surface and moisture levels were consistent throughout both race days. The fast times are reflective of the best horses in the world competing.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

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Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Approves More Regulations On Clenbuterol

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved modified race dates for Turfway Park, a request from Churchill Downs to convert their noncontiguous track extension facility into a simulcast facility, and new withdrawal requirements for administration of clenbuterol in their bi-monthly meeting on Dec. 8, 2020.

Turfway Park was originally granted 39 days for their 2021 Winter Spring meet. They did not request to change the number of days already allowed for their meet, just the specific dates and times during which the meet would take place as well as ship in dates.

“Turfway Park has already been awarded 39 days of racing for January, February, and March of 2021,” KHRC deputy general counsel Chad Thompson said.”The shift of dates will fall within the same months as the dates that were recorded. In addition, the shift in dates will not conflict with those of another thoroughbred track.”

The reason for the shift is a delay in the construction schedule at Turfway, which is undergoing a complete renovation by owner Churchill Downs Inc.

There was a series of amendments made to pre-existing regulations on clenbuterol use. The first amendment was made to make a new section within a drug regulation rule to include clenbuterol and specify that it is prohibited unless certain conditions are met. The first condition is that a clenbuterol prescription must be made for a specific horse based upon a specific diagnosis. The second condition is that the vet is required to provide a copy of the horse's treatment sheet to the equine medical director for review within 24 hours of administration. The third condition is that the horse must be placed on the vet's list for 21 days post-administration and must pass a blood and urine test at the end of the 21 days to be removed from the list.

The second amendment on clenbuterol regulations was made to a regulation on the acceptable threshold of clenbuterol. This new amendment states that the acceptable threshold is the level of detection in urine serum and plasma. The last amendment made states that clenbuterol may be administered if the treatment is pursuant to a prescription and reported to the commission.

Although the amendments were ultimately approved, there were some points made in regards to how the amendments are affecting the Standardbred community since those horses race more frequently than Thoroughbreds do.

“This, I think, is a case of punishing harness racing for the sins of the Quarter Horse people and Thoroughbred people,” Said commissioner Alan Leavitt in response to the proposal of the clenbuterol amendments. “There have been, as far as I know, no instances reported of a Standardbred being overly treated with clenbuterol in order to get a steroidal effect.”

The commission unanimously approved the conversion of the Louisville Thoroughbred Society to become a simulcast facility.

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Report: MGG Brings New Motion In Bankruptcy Case Alleging Zayat Committed Fraud

The lengthy legal battle between New York firm MGG Investment Group and Triple Crown-winning trainer Ahmed Zayat continued with a new move last week, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.

Zayat declared bankruptcy earlier this year, seeking Chapter 7 protection. Now, MGG is asking a federal judge to order that Zayat can't get his debts to the investment group forgiven because the company says the $24 million in loans Zayat still owes were acquired fraudulently.

“[I]t is a debt…that was obtained by use of a series of statements in writing that were materially false, respecting an insider's (Zayat Stables) financial condition, on which MGG reasonably relied, and that Ahmed Zayat caused to be made or published with the intent to deceive MGG,” read a complaint filed by MGG. “[I]t is a debt for willful and malicious injury caused by Ahmed Zayat to the property of MGG within the meaning of [the] Bankruptcy Code.”

MGG's suggestion that Zayat was dishonest in his representations to the company isn't new; the basis for its much-publicized suit against Zayat in Fayette Circuit Court in Kentucky is based partly on allegations that Zayat failed to disclose the sale of nine breeding rights to American Pharoah or turn over the proceeds to the lender.