Month: December 2020

NYTB Appoints Thompson to NYRA, NYTBDF Boards

New York Thoroughbred Breeders has announced Executive Director Najja Thompson will be appointed, as the NYTB’s representative, to the New York Racing Association Board of Directors and the New York Breeding and Development Fund Board of Directors, made effective at a Dec. 18 meeting of the Board. Thompson’s appointment fills the vacancies created with the resignation of former Executive Director Jeffrey Cannizzo, who will join NYRA on Jan. 1 as Senior Director of Government Affairs.

“I feel very fortunate to represent the interests of breeders in New York with this opportunity,” said Thompson. “The state of New York plays an integral part as a leader in our industry, and I’m honored to play a direct role in continuing to better our sport as a member of both the NYRA and the New York Breeding and Development Fund Board of Directors.”

Thompson, a graduate of Florida State University and Vice President of the Turf Publicists of America, worked in various roles in the marketing department, communications office, and most recently in the human resources department at NYRA prior to joining the NYTB Dec. 14.

“The NYTB Board of Directors is pleased to have Najja represent us on both the NYRA and New York State Development and Breeding Fund Boards,” said Thomas Gallo, President of the NYTB. “With his background, experience, and expertise he will be able to be an innovative force in synergizing the accomplished members of all boards to forward the interests of breeding and racing in New York. I am confident he will usher us into a new era of strength through unity in building a bigger and better Thoroughbred Horse industry in New York.”

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HISA Signed into Law

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act officially became law when President Donald J. Trump signed the COVID-19 relief and government funding legislation Sunday night. The legislation will establish national standards to promote fairness and increase safety in Thoroughbred racing nationwide. The HISA legislation will go into effect no later than July 1, 2022, but could be effective earlier following the formation of an independent national racing authority and approval of an anti-doping and medication control program and racetrack safety program by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC will review the programs developed by the authority, allow for public comment, and once approved by the FTC, the programs will go into effect.

In response to the bill’s passage, Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, released the following statement, “The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act passed the US Congress last week and was signed by the President Sunday night. This passage signifies the beginning of a new era in the storied history of the horse racing industry. The landmark legislation will establish a uniform approach to better protect horses and jockeys, and to bolster the strength and fairness of the sport.

“USADA is honored and grateful to be tasked with the anti-doping duties outlined in the Act. We are excited to spend the near future contributing to the design of a robust set of rules and customizing our gold-standard athlete service and testing model to ensure clean competition for equine athletes.

“Thank you to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for his leadership in getting this bill through Congress, and to Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY), and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) the original cosponsors of the Horseracing Integrity Act.

“USADA welcomes the opportunity to partner with horse racing stakeholders to develop uniform rules and to implement robust independent testing and enforcement that will contribute to the longevity and legacy of the sport of horseracing.”

The government spending legislation also provides an extension of the three-year tax depreciation for all racehorses through 2021, allowing taxpayers the option to depreciate, on a three-year schedule, racehorses less than 24 months of age when purchased and placed into service.

The massive $900-billion COVID-19 relief package also means eligible racetracks and farms will be allowed to participate in a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). It also includes provisions for an increased number and extension of H-2B visas.

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Moment of 2020: In Swoop

In Moment of 2020, the staff of TDN Europe reflect on their favourite moments in racing for the year.

In 2019, both Gestut Schlenderhan and the Deutsches Derby celebrated 150th anniversaries. Schlenderhan, Germany’s oldest Thoroughbred stud farm, has enjoyed much success throughout the world and is the leading owner when it comes to its home Derby. That record was extended this year when In Swoop (Ger) became the 19th winner of the race to be owned and bred by the Von Ullmann family, a result made all the sweeter by the fact that the colt is by Schlenderhan’s 2007 Deutsches Derby winner Adlerflug (Ger), a stallion who remains seriously underrated outside Germany. Furthermore, In Swoop’s Classic credentials were completed by his homebred dam Iota (Ger), who won the G1 Preis der Diana and was one of the early stars for her sire Tiger Hill (Ire). The Danehill stallion moved from Schlenderhan to Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud the year after his first-crop daughter claimed the German Oaks.

While being very much a product of the widely respected German breeding programme, In Swoop is trained in Chantilly by Francis Graffard, and he thus became the first French-trained winner of the historic race. Baron Georg Von Ullmann has long been a supporter of French racing, with some of his major stars in the heyday of the late Schlenderhan stallion Monsun (Ger) including Manduro (Ger), Getaway (Ger) and Shirocco (Ger), all of whom were trained by Andre Fabre.

A compact and striking colt far more reminiscent of his grandsire In The Wings (GB) than his leggier, chestnut father Adlerflug, In Swoop only made his debut in May, winning readily at Lyon-Parilly before returning there to take third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe, his prep for his Classic engagement. His scything run from near last to win the 151st Deutsches Derby on only his third start was clearly the high point of his season, but subsequent runner-up finishes behind Mogul (GB) in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and Sottsass (Fr) in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe entitle him to be considered one of the best of his generation in Europe.

Graffard has already more than proved himself adapt at handling top-class thoroughbreds and he has brought In Swoop along in the gentle manner which allows both the trainer and the team at Gestut Schlenderhan to dream of further international glory in 2021.

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