Social distancing was done away with and masks optional as fans returned to Royal Ascot
JONATHAN MCEVOY: Let's start by blasting the hoary myth that acceptance at Royal Ascot requires military pedigree, an ancient baronetcy or heiress wealth.
Month: June 2021
Denise Martin, Co-Owner Of California Chrome, Dies At Age 61
It is with great sadness that Martin Racing announces the passing of Denise Martin, the co-founder, and heart, of Martin Racing, a Thoroughbred and Standardbred breeding and racing organization based in Alpine, Wyo., with global equine holdings. The accomplished chemist, business leader, horse owner and mother to two died on June 14 at age 61.
With her husband and co-founder Perry serving as the public voice and operations manager for Martin Racing, Denise took on the critical role of managing all communications and behind-the-scenes business needs for the small, family-owned organization, which was founded in 2016.
The Martins were thrust into worldwide fame in 2014, when their wildly popular and charismatic colt California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby and the first of his two Eclipse Award titles as North America's Horse of the Year. The California-bred superstar, whom the Martins co-bred and initially raced in partnership with Steve and Carolyn Coburn under the stable name Dumb Ass Partners, also won the 2016 Dubai World Cup and eight additional graded stakes races before he retired in 2017 with earnings of $14,752,650 — a North American record at the time.
California Chrome's storybook success enabled Martin Racing to expand internationally. In addition to supporting their first homebred via stallion syndicate participation, originally in Kentucky and now in Japan, the Martins currently stand Thoroughbred stallions in California, Louisiana and Wyoming, and the Hambletonian-winning Standardbred sire Trixton in Canada.
Their homebred colt Mo Mosa won Lone Star Park's Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes on May 31.
“Denise greatly enjoyed interacting with racing fans, whether she communicated with them in person or through California Chrome's official social media channels,” said Perry Martin. “She also was solely responsible for all of Martin Racing's charitable giving endeavors.”
A trained chemist and California State University graduate, Denise was CEO of Martin Testing Labs in Sacramento, Calif., from its creation in 2000 to its sale in June 2020. She previously worked for the United States Air Force as a civilian employee at McClellan Air Force Base.
In semi-retirement, the Chicago native served her adopted Wyoming community on the North Alpine Water District Board of Directors. She also recently began taking online university courses on Astronomy, and was building a telescope to view the clear Wyoming night sky.
Denise is survived by her loving husband of 35 years, Perry, her daughter Kelly Martin, her son Perry Martin Jr., her brothers Andrew Brudniak and Richard Brudniak, her Golden Retriever Tizzy, 76 Thoroughbred horses and seven Standardbred horses.
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Returning Worker Exception Act Aims for H-2B Relief
New federal legislation has been introduced that, if passed, could prove a fillip for trainers struggling to find and hold on to immigrant grooms, hotwalkers and exercise riders in a labor market already squeezed thin.
The H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021, introduced Tuesday, is designed to “develop a long-term solution to permanently address” the annual H-2B visa cap.
According to the bill as currently written, it amends the definition of “returning worker” to include anyone who has entered the U.S. on an H-2B visa in any one of the three previous years.
Among other changes, the bill seeks to streamline the application process, requiring the Department of Labor to maintain a public online job registry. It would also implement new integrity measures and anti-fraud provisions.
It was co-authored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), David Joyce (R-OH), Bill Keating (D-MA) Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Steve Chabot (R-OH), and Andy Harris (R-MD).
The H-2B is arguably the most commonly requested visa for backstretch workers, and is awarded to seasonal “non-agricultural” workers like those in landscaping, hospitality sectors, the seafood industry and in some construction jobs.
The number of H-2Bs is capped at 66,000 annually, with an even split of 33,000 available for each half of the federal government's fiscal year. And while additional visas are frequently made available, they're not always enough to meet demand.
To help release a bit of steam from the system, congress has periodically enacted a returning worker provision, which permits those who had previously been in the U.S. on an H-2B visa–granted during a particular period–to be exempt from that cap.
For example, the last time this program went into effect–towards the end of Dec. 2015–the returning worker exemption permitted those who had previously held an H-2B visa issued between Oct. 2012 and Sept. 2015 to be cap-exempt for fiscal year 2016.
That exemption expired at the end of 2016 and has not been re-enacted since.
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Report: Stronach Group Fielding Interest In Several Assets
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the racing and media company the Stronach Group is “exploring options for parts of its portfolio after fielding interest from special purpose acquisition companies and other suitors,” according to unnamed sources.
No specific assets were listed to be under consideration.
The company's portfolio, estimated to be worth $1.5 billion, includes six racetracks in the U.S. (Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Pimlico, Laurel, Golden Gate, and Rosecroft Raceway), multiple training centers, wagering platform Xpressbet, tote company AmTote, a racetrack in Austria, and other real estate holdings. It also co-owns TrackNet Media, a horse racing content provider, with Churchill Downs.
Founded by Canadian Frank Stronach, the Stronach Group's racing and gaming businesses are now operated by his daughter Belinda Stronach following a public court battle, which ended last year.
Read more at Bloomberg.
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