April, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance Accreditation To Resume Following COVID-19 Pause

Following an eight-month hiatus from conducting on-track accreditation visits due to the impact of COVID-19, the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance (Alliance) has begun the process of re-accrediting racetracks, the NTRA announced today.

Accreditation by the Alliance has taken on additional meaning following the passage of The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) in December of 2020. The HISA federal regulations, which are set to be enacted in July 2022, note that the new Authority may extend provisional or interim accreditation to a racetrack accredited by the Alliance.

Applications for Alliance accreditation are available on the NTRA website at: https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-Application-for-Accreditation.pdf.

The current Alliance Code of Standards is available at:
https://mk0ntrauj6jy9vera.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-Code-of-Standards-Final.pdf.

“Racetracks across the nation are gradually beginning to welcome back customers and participants, so it is time to begin the process of re-accrediting many of the 21 racetracks currently accredited by the Alliance,” said Alex Waldrop, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NTRA. “The Alliance will also consider applications from other non-accredited racetracks that wish to be accredited before the expected launch of HISA in 2022.”

The Alliance accreditation process begins with the submission by the racing association of a comprehensive written application, which must be supported by extensive documentation. Once the application is complete, an audit is performed by an Alliance inspection team that carefully examines each applicant's operations and conducts interviews with track management and other key personnel including track superintendents, racing office officials, track veterinarians and safety officers, as well as jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards, regulatory veterinarians, wagering security officials, customers and others to confirm full compliance with the Alliance Code of Standards.

The 21 racetracks currently accredited by the Alliance are: Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, Canterbury Park, Churchill Downs, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Ellis Park, Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Indiana Grand, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Parx Racing, Pimlico Race Course, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga Race Course, Sunland Park, Turfway Park and Woodbine.

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Equibase Analysis: Keeper Ofthe Stars Able To Best Male Rivals In San Francisco Mile

This Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 San Francisco Mile Stakes is a regularly anticipated feature during the Golden Gate Fields spring meeting. Not only is it a graded stakes with a quarter million dollar purse, it's sandwiched between a great trio of races with the California Derby preceding and the California Oaks following this race.

Five of the eight entrants in this year's San Francisco Mile ship up from Santa Anita in anticipation of victory. Among that group, the mare Keeper Ofthe Stars has some of the best credentials, having won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes last May. She also sports a perfect three-for-three record on the Golden Gate turf course.

Ohio has won 11 races in his career for $639,298 in lifetime earnings, a good portion of that when winning the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March of 2019. Restrainedvengence has banked $642,182 to lead the field in earnings, his wins including the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap last September.

Kiwi's Dream missed by a head when second in last year's San Francisco Mile and is a horse which has led through the opening half-mile in each of his last seven races. Whisper Not finished third in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile last December and enters the race off a sharp win at Santa Anita. Border Town finished third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes in February. Brown Storm is winless in six races since coming to the U.S. from South America and like Kiwi's Dream appears to be a need-the-lead type, as does Diamond Blitz, who is stepping way up in class after facing claiming level horses for the past two years.

Keeper Ofthe Stars checks all the boxes when it comes to predicting which horse has the highest probability to win this year's San Francisco Mile Stakes. A winner of six of 13 career starts on turf, the mare beat some of the top fillies and mares in the U.S. last year twice in a row, first when winning the Buena Vista Stakes in February at this mile trip with a 112 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure and second when taking the Gamely Stakes last May with a career-best 115 figure. After a couple of disappointing efforts in June and August, Keeper Ofthe Stars was given time off, returning in top form following eight months off to win on the Golden Gate turf three weeks ago. Having put together back-to-back wins twice in the last 18 months and with a lot of improving to do physically in her second start back from a layoff, this mare (who gets a five pound weight break versus her male rivals) is the one to beat.

Ohio also enters this race off a sharp effort in victory, winning the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap at Turf Paradise for the third year in a row. With that win, Ohio brought his record at one mile on turf to seven for 20, including when victorious in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March, 2019, with a career best 119 figure. In the fall of that year, Ohio finished second in the Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate. His win in the Fitzsimmons Stakes came in his second start back following 10 months off so like Keeper Ofthe Stars, Ohio can be expected to improve off the 104 figure earned last time out and could give Keeper Ofthe Stars all she can handle in the stretch run.

Restrainedvengence is certainly no slouch, having earned more than any other horse in the field. His best effort may have been when beaten a head in the City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita in the fall of 2019 where he earned a 113 ™ figure, but he also ran just as well when capturing the All American Stakes last May at Golden Gate with a 112 figure. Like the other two top contenders, Restrainedvengence is likely to improve, having returned from five months off in March when sixth then running a much better race last month when second in the Santana Mile Stakes. Although he finished fourth in last year's San Francisco Mile, Restrainedvengence won his only other start on the Golden Gate turf course and must be respected as a contender to win in this year's race.

The rest of the field, with their best representative ™ Equibase® Speed Figures, is Border Town (109), Brown Storm (105), Diamond Blitz (96), Kiwi's Dream (112) and Whisper Not (109).

Win Contenders:
Keeper Ofthe Stars
Ohio (BRZ)
Restrainedvengence

San Francisco Mile Stakes – Grade 3
Race 9 at Golden Gate Fields
Saturday, April 24 – Post Time 7:45 PM E.T.
One Mile on Turf
Three Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $250,000

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Study: South African Swine Vaccine Can Limit Castration Complications

Surgical castration of intact male horses is common throughout the world, but the routine surgery isn't always complication-free. A South African study led by Dr. John Birrell investigated the use of a GnRH vaccine (sold under the name Improvac by Zoetis in South Africa) prior to castrating 19 colts. The study sought to determine if the vaccine could reduce testis size and therefore minimize the risk of surgical complications.

GnRH is an immunocontraception vaccination – it's a birth control that uses an animal's immune system to mount a response against the reproductive process.

The colts were divided into three groups. Two groups received the GnRH vaccine and were castrated 57 and 100 days after receiving the two-part vaccine while the third group acted as a control. The testis of each horse was measured for length, width and height on days 0, 28 and 57 or 100 depending on when the horse was gelded. The horses were also monitored for 10 days after the surgery for complications like swelling, surgical site discharge and depression. The horses also had both their testosterone concentrations and anti-GnRH titers measured.

The GnRH vaccinated colts had no fevers, swelling or lameness after vaccine administration. They also had a decline in testosterone levels after the first vaccination; testosterone was undetectable 28 days after the second dose. The vaccinated horses had a 50 percent reduction in testicular volume prior to castration and they also had no post-surgical complications.

The study team concluded that GnRH vaccine administration reduced testicular size and was helpful in controlling post-surgical complications. They noted that the GnRH vaccine could be used to control undesired behavior in stallions.

‘Road rage’ horsebox driver Nigel Wakefield given four-month ban from racecourses

Nigel Wakefield, travelling head lad for trainer Mick Appleby, is given a four-month ban from British racecourses after admitting knocking over a track official in a "road rage incident".

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