Month: January 2021

Beloved Santa Anita Paddock Captain Shear Looking Forward To Celebrating 100th Birthday But Misses The Horses

Although his preferred venue is off the agenda for the time being, Santa Anita's beloved Paddock Captain John Shear will nonetheless celebrate his 100th birthday with family this Sunday, Jan. 17.  Furloughed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Shear, who has been employed by the track since 1961, would dearly love to return to his beloved Santa Anita.

Santa Anita will name a race in honor of Shear's 100th birthday on Sunday, and although they'll be unable to attend, Shear and his wife Diane and son Michael, will spend his 100th birthday at John and Diane's Sierra Madre home watching the races and wading through dozens of birthday greetings from jockeys, trainers and track employees via a virtual birthday card presented by Santa Anita.

I enjoy watching on television, but nothing compares to being at Santa Anita,” said Shear.  “We just hope this pandemic will end soon and we can get back to normal.  My wife and I are trying to stay busy with exercise classes and we spend as much time outdoors as we can.  We're being careful, staying out of stores and ordering things to go, but I miss working and being around the horses so much.”

A native of England who was raised from age four to 14 in an orphanage, Shear, at four feet, 11 inches, originally aspired to be a jockey and following World War II, emigrated to Vancouver, B.C. from where he came to Santa Anita as an exercise boy in 1954.

“I was exercising horses for a guy in Vancouver and he asked me if I'd like to go with him to Santa Anita that fall,” said Shear when interviewed a year ago.  “I said 'Sure,' and as soon as I stepped off that van in the Stable Area here, I said 'Lord, this is where I want to be.'  The place was so incredibly beautiful and I've never gotten tired of it.”

And The Great Race Place will never tire of John Shear, a man who gained national attention nine years ago when at the age of 91, he heroically threw himself between an on-rushing loose horse and a 5-year-old girl who was standing with her father outside of Santa Anita's Seabiscuit Walking Ring.

On the cusp of his 100th birthday, Shear no doubt speaks for thousands of race goers when he says, “I just hope I can get back to the track soon.”

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First Foal Is A Colt For Grade 1 Winner Yoshida

WinStar Farm's Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf, sired his first reported foal when a colt was born at WinStar on Saturday night, Jan. 9. Bred by Anastasie Astrid Christiansen-Croy, the bay colt, who arrived at 10:58 p.m., is out of the Monsun mare Gravata and hails from a family replete with black type.

“We're thrilled to welcome the first Yoshida foal here at WinStar Farm on behalf of our client Ms. Christiansen-Croy,” said Liam O'Rourke, WinStar's director of bloodstock services. “Yoshida has repatriated the Sunday Silence line to America and these foals represent the next generation of that world-class sire. Yoshida was an elite and versatile racehorse and will be strongly supported again in his second year at stud in 2021.”

A son of Heart's Cry, one of the leading sires in Japan by dual classic winner and influential sire Sunday Silence, Yoshida earned $2,505,770 in a sensational racing career for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and Head of Plains Partners. Trained by Bill Mott, Yoshida was a versatile four-time stakes winner on dirt and turf. He competed on three different continents and recorded five triple-digit Beyers over both surfaces—108, 106, 105, 103, and 102.

Yoshida won the $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga in his first career start on dirt, defeating five Grade 1 winners. That same year at four in 2018, he defeated eight graded stakes winners, including three Grade 1 winners, in the $500,000 G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. He also won the 2017 G3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont and was named a TDN Rising Star in a stylish maiden-breaking win at Keeneland in his 3-year-old bow.

Bred in Japan by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm, Yoshida is the second foal produced from Hilda's Passion, who captured the 2011 G1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga before selling for $1.2 million at that year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Yoshida bred 148 mares in his first book in 2020 and he will stand the upcoming breeding season for $15,000 S&N.

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Tuesday Talks: Virginia Tech Offers Webinar Series For Horse Owners

During the winter months from January to April, the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, hosts “Tuesday Talks” on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. This year, due to COVID-19, we are unable to host guests on-site, but will offer the program as a series of complimentary webinars.

Click here to register.

January 12: 7 p.m. My Horse has a fever: Now What?

A fever is often the first sign of a problem in the horse. We will discuss what causes fevers, the approach to diagnosis and treatment, and when referral to the hospital may be recommended. At the end of the presentation, Dr. Elizabeth MacDonald, Clinical Instructor of Equine Medicine,  will be happy to answer your questions during a Q&A session.

February 9: 7 p.m. Staying Sound: The Importance of Foot Balance in the Horse

Balance in the foot of the horse is achieved when weight is equally distributed over the foot of each leg, protecting each limb from undue weight-bearing stress. Abnormal weight distribution can result in the overload of a ligament, tendon, or bone, resulting in lameness.

This presentation will explain the importance of foot balance to the soundness and athletic ability of your horse and will provide insights into necessary hoof care to achieve and sustain balance with the goal of protecting your horse from injury. At the end of the presentation, Dr. Maureen Kelleher, Clinical Assistant Professor, Sports Medicine and Surgery, will be happy to answer your questions during a Q&A session.

March 9: 7 p.m. Equine Insurance

At the end of the presentation, Dr. Norris Adams, Clinical Assistant Professor, Equine Lameness and Surgery will be happy to answer your questions during a Q&A session.

April 13: 7 p.m. Toxic Plants in Your Pasture: What You Need to Know!

Summer is coming and, along with it, many ambitious plants that may or may not be welcome in your pasture. While intoxication is rare, recognizing these plants can make you feel more at ease about your horse's environment. Dr. Emily Schaefer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Equine Medicine, will describe the appearances of many of the mid-Atlantic's plants that are potentially toxic to horses, as well as clinical signs associated with intoxication. At the end of the presentation, Dr. Schaefer will be happy to answer your questions during a Q&A session.

Learn more and register here.

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