Month: September 2021

Reader Mail Bag: Continued Outrage In The Wake Of Cobb Suspension Reduction

We received a flood of emails, social media messages, and calls from readers in reaction to the Amber Cobb case in Delaware, which we covered here and analyzed further here. Though our readership usually takes a range of viewpoints on many of the regulatory issues in racing, the mail we received almost uniformly expressed shock and outrage at the decision by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission to reduce Cobb's suspension from the two years to two months after stewards determined she exhibited cruelty to a horse.

For the sake of brevity, we opted to run one of these letters (below), which we felt was most representative of the bulk of correspondence we received. 

In addition to these notes, we were also made aware that at least one owner reached out to the commission to announce the stable's decision to no longer enter horses in Delaware as a result of the commission's decision. Many other readers likewise expressed that they had or planned to send feedback to the commission. 

 

I, like everyone else who has seen it, was utterly disgusted with not only the video depicting the actions of trainer Amber Cobb against one of her horses, but also the almost complete ignorance of the Delaware Racing Commission in reducing her suspension for those actions. How this industry continues to manage to shoot itself in the foot repeatedly is just mind boggling to me. Actions that are as heinous as those displayed by Ms. Cobb require only one reaction, and that is immediate revocation of her license to train horses anywhere in this industry (or any other equine industry for that matter).  Why it seems so hard for commissions to do the right thing in banning these bad actors for life is something I will never understand.

I am a veterinarian licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If a video surfaced of me committing those acts, I would not have my license suspended for two months or even two years. It would be gone permanently in a heartbeat, and I likely would not have the ability to obtain one in any other state in this country.

What occurred in that video is blatant animal cruelty (something I have been involved in assisting the prosecution of for the last 15 years). It can be looked upon as nothing less and should be dealt with accordingly by both law enforcement and the racing commissions. Sadly, that did not happen in the case of the decision of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, if and when it is finally in full effect, will hopefully put an end to this concern once and for all.  In the meantime, just because an issue like this occurred in one state does not mean other states that she is licensed in cannot act on their own. Every state in which Ms. Cobb is licensed needs to start the process of immediate revocation of that license.

I am fully aware of a person's due process rights and what can happen when racetracks or commissions take away those rights via their actions in some suspensions (the NYRA Bob Baffert case for example). I am also aware that anyone who is accused of or charged with a violation of any kind is entitled to their full due process. I urge the Commissions to do their proper investigation and due diligence on this case, and then render their decision quickly.  To me, the only decision that it can be is immediate and permanent revocation of the license.

Another thing I have learned over the years is the true power that we as the public can have in matters before a racing commission. I learned this after the intense pressure put on the PA Racing Commission by so many to get the license of the trainer of a horse named Silent Ruler permanently revoked after the horse was found in a state of severe pain and neglect from a non-attended to sesamoid fracture.

Therefore, I urge everyone who sees this letter to please write into or contact your state racing commission and politely but firmly urge them to not allow this cruelty to continue by revoking Ms. Cobb's license to train horses in that state if she holds one and to not consider granting her one if she does not.

We hear all the time how commissions and those in the industry want to bring back integrity to the sport. The Delaware racing commission has failed miserably at this. It doesn't mean that others must follow that lead.

–Dr. Bryan Langlois
Past President, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association
Board Member, ThoroFan

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor on this or other topics, please reach out using the Ask Ray page. We may contact you for further information or clarification prior to publication.

The post Reader Mail Bag: Continued Outrage In The Wake Of Cobb Suspension Reduction appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Inspiral Set For May Hill Examination

Doncaster's four-day St Leger Festival gears up for instalment two on Thursday, with the G2 Cazoo May Hill S. and G2 Hippo Pro3 Park Hill Fillies' S. vying for headline billing at the Town Moor venue. Cheveley Park Stud's hitherto undefeated Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who impressed for the Gosdens and Dettori triumvirate when snagging Sandown's Listed Star S. in July, is set to be the shortest-priced favourite on the seven-race card and will go off at prohibitive odds for the one-mile May Hill. Inspiral is the fourth and best winner from as many runners for G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. runner-up Starscope (GB) (Selkirk) and the stud's Chris Richardson is looking forward to this test acting as a staging post to next month's G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket.

“She's done well physically since Sandown, but it is nerve-wracking stepping into this company,” he revealed. “She's done nothing wrong and it will be interesting to see if she can step up to Group 2 level. She's a character, but she's very professional and certainly powered home in impressive style at Sandown. We'll just go a race at a time and, if it all goes well, I'd imagine Mrs. Thompson might want to run in the [G1] Fillies' Mile which will then give us a guide to next year. Her mother was second in the Guineas and Coronation so you put the best to the best and hope you get something like this.”

Inspiral's rivals number six and include George Strawbridge's homebred Speak (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who accounted for subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' Natasha (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when comfortably on top of an Aug. 2 one-mile maiden at Kempton in her only start to date. Andrew Balding will have one eye on the skies and hoping the forecast rain arrives in time to take some sting out of ground conditions for this turf bow. “We wouldn't want the ground too quick for her and, hopefully, they get some of the forecast rain,” the trainer said. “She always looked like a nice filly at home and I'm very happy with her. The [debut] form is probably quite strong, the second has gone on and won since, but it's a step up in class. She's a nice filly and I'm looking forward to seeing her run.”

“I'm hoping for a bit of rain and if the ground is too quick we'll have to scratch,” said trainer Ed Walker of Kirsten Rausing's homebred Haydock maiden winner Kawida (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}). “She didn't love the quick ground at Newmarket so we'll get a good feel of how the ground is and see,” he added. “She's a nice filly and progressive and we were disappointed when she got beaten at Newmarket. She won well next time and they pulled a long way clear of the third. She's a well-bred filly and deserves to take her chance in a race like this. I'm hoping she'll run a big race.”

Ralph Beckett trainee Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), a Oct. 8 G1 Fillies' Mile entry, already boasts pattern-race form and is another with claims based on a close-up third to Mise En Scene (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in Goodwood's G3 Prestige S. last month.

Free Wind Heads Park Hill Contenders

Affectionately known as the “Fillies' St Leger” and staged over the full Classic trip, the Park Hill follows immediately after the May Hill and will see four sophomore fillies take receipt of a 10-pound weight-for-age allowance from their five elders. George Strawbridge's 325,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be a warm order for success, having won last month's G3 Prix Minerve in stylish fashion, and bids to benefit from that sizeable concession.

Juddmonte's work-in-progress Yesyes (GB) (Camelot {GB}) secured a first black-type success in last month's Listed Chester S. over much this trip and takes a logical step up in class here. Conditioner Ralph Beckett won consecutive editions of this marathon with G1 St Leger heroine Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in 2016 and Alyssa (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) in 2017.

Bill and Tim Gredley's G1 Epsom Oaks fourth Save A Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) had Yesyes back in fourth when garnering Newmarket's Listed Chalice S. at the end of July and is another beneficiary of the weight allowance. “She seems versatile ground-wise and, if we had our choice, we'd prefer a bit more ease in the ground, but it is what it is,” explained trainer Roger Varian. “It looks like her [held-up] running style will suit the step up in trip and we'll have to see how it plays out on the day. I think it was a relatively straightforward decision [to come here], once we saw what was left in the Leger. She'd have been a big outsider in the Leger, whereas she looks to have a genuine chance in the Park Hill. It's the right race for her and hopefully she'll run very well.”

The older brigade is headed by last term's G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) fourth Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}),who returns to action off a fourth for Jessica Harrington in Deauville's Aug. 22 G2 Prix de Pomone, and Dr. Ali Ridha's G3 Geoffrey Freer S. eighth-of-eight Golden Pass (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who had Free Wind 3/4-of-a-length back in second when garnering July's Listed Aphrodite Fillies' S. at Newmarket. “Golden Pass ran so badly in the Geoffrey Freer and her blood picture was wrong after that,” revealed trainer Hugo Palmer. “We're happy to put a line through that performance and her work at home was good on Saturday. I had been looking forward to stepping her up to a mile-and-six as it has always looked like it would suit her. Just because we had one go and it went wrong at Newbury, I'm not prepared to change my mind on that. The favourite is Free Wind, who she beat fairly well one start ago, and they've both had one start since. We finished last and Free Wind has won. She has an obvious chance, but you'd have to excuse her last run.”

Rome Bidding To Conquer Paris

Continental action takes the form of a ParisLongchamp soiree, which features two juvenile pattern-race contests and the Listed Prix Joubert for 3-year-old stayers. Coolmore and Westerberg's Ancient Rome (War Front) appears the one to beat in the card's opening G3 Prix des Chenes and bids to extend trainer Andre Fabre's record haul of nine in the one-mile heat. He comes back off an easy two-length defeat of the reopposing Green Fly (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in a 7 1/2-furlong conditions heat at Deauville last month. His four rivals also include Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage fourth Scherzo (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and the Roger Varian-trained Chelmsford novice scorer Claim The Crown (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).

Fabre, whose tally of five is one shy of Francois Boutin's record six in the G3 Prix d'Aumale, has nominated G2 Prix du Calvados second Fleur d'Iris (GB) (Shamardal) and G3 Prix Six Perfections runner-up Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), both G1 Prix Marcel Boussac entries, for the one-mile distaffers' test. An open edition also features Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Listed Empress S. and Listed Winkfield S. third Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire})–who hails from the in-form George Boughey stable–and the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Clairefontaine maiden winner Silver Lining (Fr) (Caravaggio). The domestic defence is bolstered by the presence of Antoine Griezmann's Deauville conditions winner Txope (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who has already encountered Fleur d'Iris and finished 3/4-of-a-length behind the Godolphin filly at Deauville in July.

Mouthwatering Stradivarius & Trueshan Bout In Store

Friday's £110,000 G2 Doncaster Cup has attracted a final field of seven, headed by Bjorn Nielsen's talisman Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). The veteran chestnut will depart from stall five for the 18-furlong marathon, alongside G1 Goodwood Cup hero Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in gate four.

Click here for the group fields.

The post Inspiral Set For May Hill Examination appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Belterra Park Stewards DQ Horse From Win, Alleging ‘Invalid/Fraudulent’ Eligibility Documentation

First-time starter Easily Influenced has been disqualified from an Aug. 17 victory at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, after the board of stewards ruled that the horse's owner had “submitted invalid/fraudulent documentation determining eligibility for entry.”

Easily Influenced recorded a series of breezes for his owner, Marc Ricker, at the Ashwood Training Center in Paris, Ky., a facility Ricker operates and is recognized by Equibase as an official training center for recording workouts. Testimony at an Aug. 27 stewards hearing from Bud Bundy, who had served as the starter at Ashwood, indicated that he did not issue the approved pre-race starting gate card dated Aug. 4 used by trainer Sherman Mitchell for Easily Influenced's eligibility to enter the Aug. 17 race.

“In mitigation,” the stewards ruling states, “trainer Sherman Mitchell obtained the gate card from the owner of record for Easily Influenced. Further, this owner Marc Ricker, dba/Ashwood Training Center submitted invalid/fraudulent documentation determining eligibility for entry.”

Stewards ordered the $9,300 purse for the $7,500 maiden claiming race to be redistributed. Easily Influenced was disqualified and declared unplaced.

That same day, Aug. 17, stewards at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind., scratched first-time starter Delta Nine from a race after determining his gate card had not been issued by Ashwood's starter. Delta Nine was also trained by Mitchell and based at Ashwood. The Indiana Horse Racing Commission has not issued a ruling on the matter.

Ricker said he's done nothing wrong and is appealing the Ohio disqualification.

“It wasn't a fraudulent card,” Ricker said. “It's since been cleared up, as far as I'm concerned. The starter works for me. I own the training center. I've got signed affidavits from six people. The starter said (Easily Influenced) was OK, but he was out of gate cards to fill out. I printed more for him, but he wasn't going to be back in time.”

Ricker said he wasn't happy with Bundy's testimony before the Belterra Park stewards.

“He's since been fired,” Ricker said of Bundy. “I'm filing a complaint against him (with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission).”

Bundy could not be reached for comment.

Ricker said Ashwood's new starter is Barry Wilson.

The post Belterra Park Stewards DQ Horse From Win, Alleging ‘Invalid/Fraudulent’ Eligibility Documentation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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