January, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

NYSGC Passes One year on Whip Reform Talk, No Action

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) Jan. 26 once again elected not to propose or vote upon any changes to whip use that would be more humane to Thoroughbreds, making it now more than a year since that agency first began discussing how it might address one of the sport's hot-button equine welfare issues the way regulators in other racing states have long since done.

“We have a report that just arrived to us in the last 24 hours on the use of the crop. And staff will be spending time with that report–and the commissioners will be spending time with that report–and hope to address the issues at our next meeting,” NYSGC chairman Barry Sample said at the tail end of Tuesday's teleconference, which included only two other rule-making items: The licensure of veterinary technicians and regulating home-delivery sales of lottery tickets.

Back in December 2019, NYSGC staffers were first directed to discuss crop use among industry stakeholders and report back at a future commission meeting.

Despite that directive, whip use did not get brought up the next time the NYSGC met Feb. 10, 2020, for a meeting that lasted only six minutes (By contrast, most state racing and gaming commission meetings last an hour or more, and it is not uncommon for some to stretch to four or five hours).

At NYSGC's May 19 meeting, commissioner Peter Moschetti cited “the length of today's agenda” (32 minutes) as the reason the topic of whip rule reform had to be pushed off until the summer.

When the board next met July 27 for a meeting that lasted 14 minutes, Moschetti cited the need for the board to review a “lengthy memorandum” that commissioners had just received from its staff on whip use before the NYSGC could deliberate any proposed changes.

When the NYSGC again met for another 14-minute meeting Sept. 21, Sample said, “I think we all agree that [whip reform] is a matter that needs to be brought to closure sooner rather than later. Some of us contend that it's been out there too long.”

Moschetti agreed, adding, “I think the time has come. We want to do this. We've talked about doing this. Staff has done their work.”

By that time, paradigm-shifting whip reform changes had either already been implemented or were in the process of being codified in California, Kentucky, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Ontario. With the exception of California, whose racing commission had started its reform process several years ago, all of the other jurisdictions had taken up the topic around the same time New York first proposed doing so late in 2019.

While New Jersey eventually banned whipping outright starting in 2021, the other jurisdictions generally carved out new rules based on strike limits, and/or the manner (underhanded or overhanded) in which a jockey can whip.

During the Oct. 19 NYSGC meeting, the board heard 2 1/4 hours of pro and con testimony from industry stakeholders about whip reform. But no new regulations were proposed at that time, nor were any measures floated when the board next met Nov. 30 and proposed or passed more than a dozen other racing-related rules.

If the NYSGC decides to advance whip-related rule proposals at its next (yet-to-be-scheduled) meeting, any proposed measures would (assuming passage) have to published in the New York State Register and get sent out for a general public comment period. Then commissioners would then have to come back for a final vote, pushing the effective date for any whip-related reforms in New York into mid-2021 at the earliest.

The post NYSGC Passes One year on Whip Reform Talk, No Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tiznow Colt Tops OBS Winter Mixed Opener

Three-year-old Bear Brian (Tiznow), a winner in his only trip to the post so far, topped Tuesday's opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale when bringing a final bid of $150,000 from Canadian-born trainer Kerri Raven during the day's racehorses in training section. A colt by Practical Joke was the session's top-priced short yearling when selling to Clark Shepherd of Shepherd Equine Advisors for $130,000. Both were consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield.

“The only thing that limits you here is the quality of the horse,” Francis Vanlangendonck said of the strength of the market in Ocala Tuesday. “I think there was plenty of money to buy anything that was here. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to sell almost everything–all but one horse–today, and there were multiple bidders on each one. So I was thrilled, actually, with the action we had. I don't think anybody is going into a sale at any time in the last eight months not worried, but it is holding up.”

During Tuesday's consignor preferred session, 98 head grossed $1,893,300 for an average of $19,319 and a median of $10,050. The buy-back rate was 31.0%. The 2021 figures were down slightly from last year's session, which saw 85 horses sell for $1,912,300 for an average of $22,498 and a median of $13,000.

A total of 73 head sold during Tuesday's horses of racing age section for a gross of $1,676,500. The average was $22,966 and the median was $13,000. A year ago, 70 racehorses grossed $1,366,900. The average was $19,527 and the median was $11,000.

“The racehorses sold really well,” Vanlangendonck said. “I mean, really well. Again, there were multiple people on almost every one of them.”

Bear Brian (hip 368), purchased for $300,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, rallied late to get his head in front on the wire in his six-furlong unveiling at Sam Houston Race Park Jan. 9 for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen.

“There were five or six people on him,” Vanlangendonck said after watching the newly turned sophomore top Tuesday's session when selling for $150,000. “He is a beautiful colt and showed some form. This horse vetted really well, looked good, he's a beautiful horse and he looked good on the track when we galloped. I think everybody was looking at him and saying, 'He won first time out and that's hard to do no matter where you do it.' The fact that he is sound and pretty helped a lot.”

Bear Brian is out of stakes-winner Lil Super Bear (Super Saver).

Raven purchased three horses during the horses of racing age section Tuesday, going to $90,000 to acquire an unraced 3-year-old colt by Distorted Humor (hip 315) and to $60,000 to purchase the 5-year-old Jungle Fighter (Animal Kingdom) (hip 257).

A colt by Practical Joke (hip 182) was the top-priced offering during the consignor preferred section of the Winter Mixed Sale when selling for $130,000 to Shepherd's on-line bid. Shepherd was acting on behalf of Highlander Training Center owner Larry Hirsch who plans on racing the short yearling.

“He fit the mold of most of the good Practical Jokes that I've seen,” Shepherd said of the colt. “They all have a great walk and this colt was no different. He has a great body on him. And from a pedigree standpoint, I think Practical Joke works with a lot of mares. Every time that I see that happen in the very beginning, when they work with a broad base of mares, that dictates a racehorse sire. And they sure look the part.”

A three-time Grade I winner, Practical Joke's first foals are 2-year-olds this year. His 74 yearlings sold in 2020 averaged $120,243 with a high price of $575,000.

Asked if he had been impressed by Practical Joke's progeny, Shepherd said, “From day one. Even his first year standing, I recommended him to a lot of people for a lot of mares. When you go to the sales and start seeing his weanlings, you just have to like the package you see and then they start developing into quality yearlings. And word on the street is that the pinhookers are loving theirs.”

Consigned by Summerfield, the short yearling is the first foal out of Mobeautiful (Uncle Mo). He was bred by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds.

“Practical Joke has been pretty popular,” Vanlangendonck said when asked about the yearling's appeal. “He is kind of the buzz stallion down here with the training guys. A lot of them are talking about the ones they have are training on. So that helped. And he's out of an Uncle Mo mare and he has an Uncle Mo look to him with some leg. So between the combination of the two, there were seven or eight of the better eyes here on the grounds that were on him. He was that kind of horse.”

Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo purchased Mobeautiful's dam Switchboard (Bernardini) for $160,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling Sale with the intention of pinhooking her the following spring. An injury ended those plans and the Ocala horsemen added her to their broodmare band. Her first foal was Mobeautiful, who likewise missed the sales. Mobeautiful won two of four starts for Hartley in 2018. The 6-year-old mare was bred to Bolt d'Oro last year.

The Winter Mixed sale marks the fourth OBS auction to offer buyers the option to bid online. Shepherd took advantage of that opportunity Tuesday and was pleased with the result.

“This was kind of a last minute deal, so I wasn't even there,” Shepherd said. “I had people doing some things for me, sending back videos and pictures, and I had the vets doing some work for me. And I bid online. I didn't have the warm fuzzy feeling about it as being there myself, but we put a good team together.”

Of the experience of bidding online, Shepherd said, “I had no idea what to expect. Of course, I got on there yesterday and I was like a kid just trying to surf it and make sure I knew my way around. I was saying to myself, 'Well, surely it's not this simple.' But it was.”

Asked if he planned on doing more bidding online, Shepherd admitted, “Only if I have to. I would rather have my feet on the ground and see what I see. You can buy with more confidence that way. But we adapted on this one and obviously landed on a good horse and had to fight for him.”

The Winter Mixed sale continues with an open session beginning at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The post Tiznow Colt Tops OBS Winter Mixed Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Grade 2 Winner Sharp Samurai Retired To Old Friends

Multiple Grade 2 winner Sharp Samurai has been retired from racing, and he will take up residence at Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., BloodHorse reports.

The 7-year-old First Samurai gelding finished his on-track career with earnings of $1,111,270, winning eight of 23 starts. A west-coast mainstay, his most notable triumphs came in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, Twilight Derby, and City of Hope Mile Stakes, as well as the G3 La Jolla Handicap.

Sharp Samurai finished in the money in nine additional graded stakes races, including all five of his starts in 2020. Among them was a runner-up effort in last year's G1 Pacific Classic and a third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, his first race away from California.

Sharp Samurai was trained and co-owned by Mark Glatt for the partnership of Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal. The gelding was bred in Kentucky by Cudney Stables.

Welder Oklahoma All-Breeds HOTY–Again

For the third year in a row, Welder (Visualiser–Dance Softly, by Tiznow), a millionaire Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbred, earned Oklahoma's 2020 All-Breeds Horse of the Year, presented by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission. The 8-year-old, owned by Ra-Max Farms (Clayton Rash) of Claremore, Oklahoma, trained by Teri Luneack and ridden by three-time Remington Park champion David Cabrera, is the only Thoroughbred to have ever won the award more than once. His $40,795 in Oklahoma-bred earnings were about $6,000 more than runner-up Eagles Fly Higher, a Quarter Horse, who had $34,800. Welder also became the only Thoroughbred horse in Remington Park history to win Horse of the Meet honors three years in a row.

The Oklahoma All-Breeds Horse of the Year award encompasses Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas and is based on annual Oklahoma-bred money earned by any horse on the racetrack among any of those breeds for the year.

In 2020, Welder won the Remington Park Turf Sprint, Oklahoma Classics Sprint and Silver Goblin S. at Remington Park. He also was the easy winner in the TRAO Classics Sprint at Will Rogers Downs for the fifth consecutive year. Welder has won 26-of-38 starts for $1,204,042.

The post Welder Oklahoma All-Breeds HOTY–Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post