The Sundance Film Festival award-winning film “Jockey,” acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, will premiere in New York City and Los Angeles on Dec. 29, 2021, according to trade industry publications. Sony acquired the film after it was shown at the Sundance Festival in Colorado earlier this year. Clifton Collins Jr., won the Dramatic Special Jury Award at the festival for his performance in the lead role of an aging jockey who gets a potential championship horse to ride and resurrect his career.
Month: August 2021
First-Crop Redesdale Colt Leads Active State-Sired Offerings At Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale
The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale is a showcase event for the Empire State's breeding program, but it can still be hard for a New York-sired horse to shine through in a catalog full of Kentucky-sired offerings. When one does, especially from a stallion's first crop, it's worth taking notice.
That honor belonged to McMahon of Saratoga's Redesdale at this year's renewal. The son of Speightstown was responsible for the highest-priced yearling by an active New York stallion, with Hip 379 selling to Reeves Thoroughbred Racing for $140,000 during Sunday's opening session.
Bred by Ron Bowden, the colt is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid, herself a half-sister to Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone. The colt was born at The New Hill Farm in Hoosick Falls, N.Y., and the operation raised raised him and consigned him on Sunday.
“He's always been pretty, from the day he was born,” said The New Hill's Lili Kobielski. “He's correct. What I think really stands out about him is there are some horses that get to the sale and just fall apart, since it's such a crazy environment, but he actually improved. He looked great, he kind of puffed himself up, he was walking like a demon. He seemed to get better as the sale went on and people were looking at him. He kind of thrived on the busyness.
“I was not going to be surprised if he brought six figures, just by how pretty he is,” Kobielski continued. “He was very popular, but he way, way exceeded the reserve we had on him.”
The colt was part of a 48-horse first crop for Redesdale, who stood his first season at Hidden Lake Farm at Questroyal North in Stillwater, N.Y., then was relocated to McMahon of Saratoga in 2020 after the farm bought into the stallion's partnership.
Redesdale raced four times during his on-track career, winning his first three starts, then coming out of his first graded stakes try with a career-ending injury.
Syndicate manager Chris Bernhard said investing in a stallion with a light race record was a risk – a risk he took with partners Schumer Bloodstock and 3C Stable – but the horse's physical, his page, and the potential he showed in his brief career made it one worth taking.
A product of the Juddmonte Farms breeding program, Redesdale is out of a half-sister to the top international sire Danehill, and his fourth dam is the great broodmare Natalma, who produced breed-shaper Northern Dancer.
“You come up with a horse that didn't win a stakes race, but was a fast horse that looked like he had genuine talent,” Berhhard said. “He was a pedigree play for us. We figured if we could get enough quality mares to him, we'd have a shot. For Fasig-Tipton to take a couple of them and give us a shot up here was very rewarding. I'm excited for my friends over at The New Hill for having the horse sell so well.”
Redesdale figures to have a solid pipeline of foals to get him started. In addition to the 48 foals in his first crop, he covered over 100 combined mares in each of his next two seasons at stud.
In the immediate future, Bernhard said the stallion will have a busy month in October, with plans to send some first-crop Redesdale yearlings to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale in Maryland on Oct. 4-5, and Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Fall Sale on Oct. 18. The stallion's partnership also has several Redesdale foals that it will take directly to the races.
“Most of the babies I've seen by him have all been big hipped, fast-looking horses that the pinhookers really liked,” he said.
To learn more about Redesdale, read his recent Stallion Spotlight feature in the PR Back Ring.
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Brothers: Time To Face What’s Right And What’s Wrong With Racing
It's time for racing to stop apologizing for who we are. Dating back to the rash of breakdowns that occurred in Southern California during the winter/spring of 2018 -19 that sent a ripple effect throughout the industry, we have all worn a cloak of contrite sheepishness adorned with remorse.
Santa Anita and the Stronach Group led the way on major industry reforms and the industry as a whole has come a long way in a short period of time. We are still far from perfect.
In this article I will acknowledge the ways in which horse racing has improved by the things we're doing right. I'll then look at a couple of things we could simply be doing much better: what's wrong.
In a subsequent commentary I'll dive into the abysmal—things we have a long history of doing wrong. And, hopefully, impress upon readers the importance of cooperation. Let's begin with what's right.
What's Right with Racing
Fatality Rates
Catastrophic breakdowns are down—way down. A quick look at the Equine Injury Database (EID) reveals that the risk of fatal injury declined 7.8% from 2019 to 2020 and that it has declined 29.5% overall since 2009. The 2020 rate of fatal injury is the lowest number since the EID started collecting data in 2009. That's a pretty big deal.
Statistical Summary from 2009 to 2020 (Thoroughbred Flat Racing Only)
These stats indicate that in 2020, 99.86% of racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality. In other words, a catastrophic breakdown happened 0.14% of the time—less than a quarter of 1%. That they are truly a rare occurrence, is one of the things that makes them so difficult to completely eliminate.
When something happens frequently the events surrounding each occurrence can be studied and measured in great detail. But because catastrophic breakdowns are actually rare events, it makes it more difficult to study them in great numbers and form reliable conclusions about their causality. And even so, horse racing has managed to reduce these occurrences by nearly 30% in 11 years. The veterinarians, researchers, horse trainers, track maintenance crews, and anyone else who had a hand in this massive reduction deserve congratulations.
We are not done and zero is our goal. While no equine discipline has yet to be able to achieve zero, we are aiming high to hit our mark. Ten years of data show that not only are we aware, not only are we trying, but we are actually finding success and doing a really, really good job at it.
The formation of the Horse Racing and Safety Authority (HISA) is another step in this positive direction. There are pros and cons, supporters and detractors, and there are sure to be ups and downs. But horse racing obviously needed a hand in getting its act together and the HISA has the potential to offer much more good than bad.
Aftercare
This is the only topic that will appear in both the “what's right” and “what's wrong” sections. (Full disclosure, I'm on the board of directors for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) and have been on the advisory board since its inception in 2012, so I have witnessed their exponential growth and impact over the past nine years.)
- The development of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) in 2012. Before the TAA there was no accreditation for aftercare facilities and there was little or no sharing of information and resources between these aftercare organizations. Transparency was hit or miss for potential buyers and adopters, and there was no required standard of care for individual organizations to maintain. Thanks to the work of the TAA, Thoroughbred racing now has a group of accredited aftercare organizations working together to support retired Thoroughbreds. The TAA now facilitates a monthly meeting where TAA accredited organizations get together on a largely attended Zoom call to share ideas and help each other, offering a constructive forum for each organization and for aftercare development.
- The evolution of a first exit from racing. Thanks to placement programs in California, New York, South Florida, and Maryland, there is a direct path for horses leaving the track to enter into a TAA accredited aftercare organization, and due to the success of this program, it continues to expand and influence. For example, while Pennsylvania has a program that does not work directly with the TAA, there are 1,200 Pennsylvania horses that have to date, gone to TAA accredited organizations.
- The New York Racing Association (NYRA) 1.5% Aftercare Assessment in claiming races that is due at the time of the claim, with 40% going to the TAA and 60% going to the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association (NYTHA) OTTB program Take the Lead.
- Inventory and tracking. Historically, where a horse ended up was anyone's guess. With an active post-racing sales scene (this is where show and pleasure trainers put a little training into an OTTB and then move it on – otherwise known as “flipping”) a horse may have changed ownership several times over the course of a couple years. As a part of the TAA program, the reporting of Thoroughbred Inventory to the TAA has allowed the TAA to trace more than 13,000 Thoroughbreds so far. These horses are given more oversight and future security than any horse ever offered in private sale.
- The visibility and development of new careers for Thoroughbreds. We have long known Thoroughbreds could be good sport horses in disciplines such as eventing and show jumping but it turns out that, owing to their versatility and huge hearts, they can excel in everything from trail riding to various English disciplines such as dressage, western disciplines such as barrel racing, equine assisted therapy programs, and everything in between.
What's Wrong
Wagering Insecurity
Pat Cummings from the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (RacingThinkTank.com) did such a masterful job of writing about what's wrong with racing—and, importantly, how to fix it—that, rather than opine with my own thoughts, I will refer you to his “Wagering Insecurity” series here.
Cummings covers everything from the problems surrounding illicit drug use, wagering insecurity, an eroding fan base, grey and illegal betting markets, and more.
In addition to identifying the challenges, Cummings also makes recommendations of how the industry can improve. Two of my favorites:
Recommendation #1: The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority may be our only hope—if they are willing to take up the challenge. Of course, we're already tasking them with the formation of uniform medication rules, uniform riding crop rules and infallible drug testing.
Recommendation #2: Reporting all test results—as in all test results. As things are now, aside from the general assumption that the winner will report to the detention barn for a post race test, we have no idea which horses have been tested—pre or post race. Here's the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation's recommendation:
“Every pre-race, post-race or out-of-competition sample should be reported publicly, soon after it is processed. The results should be reported regardless of the finding – most will be negative.”
I like it.
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I also love the recommendation for steward transparency and face-to-face discussions with jockeys and trainers. One of the stewards' reports used in the article showed that a horse racing at Lingfield Park in Great Britain had visibly bled and lost a shoe. U.S. bettors never get that type of information.
Another stewards' report from Hong Kong — on a horse named Golden Mission who turned in a very disappointing effort as the favorite — shows how much information is being given to the public elsewhere, and shows us, sadly, how little we're getting in America. The Hong Kong stewards' report was 135 words long. A US version, which really only comes from the Equibase chart callers, would simply say, “pulled up and walked off”.
Aftercare
I have long believed that the Jockey Club should charge $1,000 to register a foal with something like $800 of it going directly into aftercare. No, this will not solve the problem of funding aftercare but it may discourage people from breeding and registering Thoroughbreds who are unlikely, at best, to be productive at the racetrack. Right now the Jockey Club charges $225 to register a foal with $25 of this going to aftercare, and while I applaud their participation, I believe they can do more.
The Jockey Club seems to be concerned that if they charge a higher fee for aftercare at the point of registration, then the breeder/owner will believe they've paid into aftercare and they no longer need to contribute. This is a valid point. The latest research from the TAA indicates that, on average, it costs about $644/month to care for an off track Thoroughbred so the $800 in their bank account will not even cover two months room and board. Which is why everyone who participates in Thoroughbred horse racing must understand that funding aftercare is not a donation, it's our obligation.
Referring back to the NYRA 1.5% Aftercare Assessment fee that is charged for each horse purchased through the claim box, why is NYRA the only group of tracks doing this? Every racetrack in the United States and Canada should be doing the same thing. Buyers and sellers are assessed at auction. Breeders are assessed through the mare fee they pay to the Jockey Club (that goes to the TAA). But the people who are playing the game predominantly through claiming are paying nothing. Meanwhile it is the claiming horses who most often end up in need of an aftercare solution.
Aftercare also has a public relations problem. Many people think the problem is solved. It is not.
We talk about this a lot at the TAA. In the words of Stacie Clark, TAA Operations Consultant: “I now believe no amount of advertising or article writing seems to push the awareness button. In order for aftercare to succeed (and in turn help our industry and the image of our sport) we need commitment to awareness. In short, the discussion of aftercare has to matter more to the industry at large. It has to matter to everyone and it does not. There is a willful misconception that, because some aftercare is going on, it is enough. People are generally happy to want to believe that the horses leaving racing are going to be ok: out of sight out of mind.”
Again, the good news is that if the industry works together, we can solve these problems. In the next installment I'll get into the need for industry-wide cooperation.
Donna Barton Brothers is a retired jockey, award-winning sports analyst, author, and chief operating officer for Starlight and StarLadies Racing. She serves on the executive board of the TAA and TIF, and is on the advisory boards of Boys & Girls Haven and the University of Kentucky Research Department's Jockey and Equestrian Initiative.
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Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale Improves Across The Board In 2021
The Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearlings sale resumed Monday afternoon at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with a vibrant session which flattered the strength and resilience of the New York bred marketplace.
The two-day sale concluded with across-the-board increases over the sale's most recent renewal in 2019, and top-three historical marks in number sold, gross, average, median, and RNA rate.
The session's top seller came in the form of Hip 419, a filly by Munnings, which sold for $350,000 to GMP Stables, Vekoma Racing, West Paces, Oracle Bloodstock, agent (video).
The chestnut filly was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Hip 419 is the second foal out of multiple New York stakes winner Freudie Anne, who made 16 of her 25 starts on the NYRA circuit and earned nearly $400,000.
The top-priced filly over the two-day sale came during the Sunday session, when Hip 341, a filly by Uncle Mo, sold for $495,000 (read more).
“We hit the sales superfecta,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “Average was up, median was up, gross was up, and RNA rate was down. “We're obviously very, very pleased.”
A pair tied for the session's top-priced colt. First through the ring was Hip 528, a son of successful young sire Constitution, sold for $300,000 to DJ Stable (video).
Offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the dark bay or brown colt was bred in New York by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding. Hip 528 is the second foal out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Rare Medal, and hails from the immediate family of two-time Sovereign Award winner Northernette and international champions Storm Bird and Green Tune.
Also sold for $300,000 was Hip 591, a colt from the first crop of Eclipse Champion Accelerate, who was purchased by David Stack (video).
Paramount Sales consigned the chestnut colt, which was bred in New York by SF Bloodstock. Hip 591 is out of the stakes placed winning Marquetry mare Ten Halos, making him a half-brother to graded stakes winner and multiple stakes winner Cinco Charlie (Indian Charlie), who earned more than $600,000. In addition, Ten Halos is a half-sister to Grade 2 winners My Pal Charlie and Bwana Charlie, and graded stakes winner Bwana Bull.
Three shared the top price for a colt over the course of the two-day sale, which includes the above two colts and Hip 330, a son of leading sire Into Mischief which sold for $300,000 during Sunday's session (read more).
“We're fortunate enough that the consignors once again gave us really outstanding horses,” said Browning, adding that there was also “significant bidding from a diverse buying group.”
Rounding out the session's top five were:
- Hip 425, a filly from the first crop of Mendelssohn out of the Smart Strike mare Good Omen, sold for $250,000 to Bay Hill Stables from the consignment of Paramount Sales, agent. The filly hails from the immediate family of two-time Horse of the Year and successful sire Curlin.
- Hip 508, a filly from the second crop of Practical Joke out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Orient Moon, sold for $250,000 to Klaravich Stable from the consignment of Indian Creek, agent. The filly was bred in New York by John Lauriello out of a daughter of Grade 2 placed multiple stakes winner Career Oriented.
“We've always been committed to this sale and this marketplace,” Browning concluded. “There was no segment of the marketplace more adversely affected by the COVID (pandemic) than the New York-bred yearling marketplace… It's nice to restore the marketplace for (the breeders), so they can have confidence going forward.”
Overall, 203 yearlings changed hands for a total of $18,566,500, a New York Bred Yearlings sale record, just beating the previous highwater mark set in 2018 when 172 yearlings sold for $18,492,00. The gross rose 14.6 percent from $16.2 million paid for 186 yearlings in 2019. This year also marks the first time more than 200 horses sold at New York Bred Yearlings.
The sale average was $91,461, a 5 percent increase from the 2019 average of $87,097, and ranked second all-time to the $107,512 record set in 2018. The median rose 16.7 percent to $70,000 from $60,000 during the 2019 renewal, and also ranks second historically only to the record of $76,000 set in 2018.
The RNA rate fell to 21.3 percent, the lowest at this sale – which RNA rate generally reflects the strength of the New York bred program and the added value of retaining a New York Bred yearling – since 1995. The RNA rated was the third-lowest in sale history.
Full results are available online.
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