September, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship News

The board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation announced the recipient of a one-time scholarship, with Shelby DeVita, a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky, receiving a grant of a semester's tuition. DeVita has worked for Calumet Farm and is currently working as a tech at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. She is Vice President of the UK rodeo team and participates in roping and barrel racing competitions.

In addition, the board announced a one-time scholarship to the Irish National Stud. Full tuition will be paid for an Irish citizen to attend the world renowned Irish National Stud program in 2022. The board will announce the recipient of this scholarship over the coming weeks.

Due to ongoing Covid travel restrictions, the 2021 Springhouse Farm recipients, Rachel Doran and Ciara Russell, were unable to travel from Ireland to Kentucky. However, they are expected to proceed with their placements at Springhouse next year.

“We are delighted to offer additional scholarships in memory of Gerry, who supported and promoted so many equine industry participants over the years,” said Erin Dilger. “Thank you to all our donors who make this possible.”

The foundation also awards an annual Irish National Stud scholarship in partnership with KEMI. Full details of all scholarship opportunities are available at www.gerrydilgerequine.com.

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A Novel Way To Correct Wry Nose

Wry nose in horses does more than just look odd — it can affect the way a foal breathes and may lead to weaning and performance issues. It's unknown if the defect, where the upper jaw and nose are shifted to one side, is genetic or caused by an issue in utero.

Dr. Cassandra Sapper and colleagues at the University of Zurich tried a new, surgical approach to correcting the issue on two foals: the team cut the incisive and maxillary bones, then inserted a locking compression plate with screws to stabilize the gap. The front part of the septum was resected and a plate used to fixate the nasal bone deviation.

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After surgery, the team reported that the foals' respiratory issues and facial malformation were markedly reduced, though the underbite and deviation could not be completely eliminated. The new technique did not cut the skin and muscle on the side of the head, so there was less soft tissue trauma than with traditional means of correcting wry nose.

Though previously it had been suggested that wry nose corrective surgery be done at two to three months of age, the study team used foals that were three and seven and a half weeks old. This was deemed advantageous because of their ability to heal rapidly at a younger age. The study team concluded that wry nose corrective surgery can be accomplished using this new method in young foals.

Read the case report here.

Two-Day Breeders’ Cup Challenge Pick 6 Launches This Weekend

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a two-day Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 beginning Saturday, Oct. 2 and concluding on Sunday, Oct. 3 featuring select races from the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series presented by America's Best Racing from Belmont Park and Santa Anita Park.

The two-day Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Pick 6 will then return on Saturday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 10 with races to be determined from Belmont Park and Keeneland's Fall Stars weekend.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series consists of the best races from around the world and awards each winner an automatic and free entry into the Breeders' Cup World Championships slated for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

“Breeders' Cup is always looking for new ways to engage with our fans across the country and the 'Challenge Pick 6' is a great way to provide them an opportunity to win big surrounding some of the final Challenge Series races of the year,” said Justin McDonald, SVP Marketing at Breeders' Cup. “Thanks to NYRA, Keeneland and Santa Anita for coming together to create these fun wagering opportunities.”

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is $1 and will feature a low 15 percent takeout and mandatory payout of the net pool. Wagering on the Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 is available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country.

Free Equibase past performances for the Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 sequence will be available for download.

“The two-day Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 will present horseplayers with new and interesting sequences to wager into across two weekends of world class thoroughbred racing,” said Joe Longo, General Manager, NYRA Content Management Solutions. “We thank our partners at Breeders' Cup, Santa Anita and Keeneland for their support of this concept.”

The inaugural Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 will kick off on Saturday, October 2 at Belmont Park with the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for 2-year-olds offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5.

The Pick 6 will also feature a trio of events from Santa Anita on October 2 led by the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again [Classic], a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up; the Grade 1, $300,000 Rodeo Drive [Filly and Mare Turf] at 10-furlongs on turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship [Sprint], a six-furlong event for 3-year-olds and up.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Pick 6 sequence will conclude on Sunday with the 74th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies], a one-turn mile for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta [Distaff], a 1 1/16-mile test on the main track for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up from Santa Anita.

For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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‘Beat Byk Challenge’ Returns Offering Berth In 2022 NHC

Steve Byk, host of the Thoroughbred radio news magazine “At the Races” on Sirius XM, is once again partnering with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to send one NHC Tour member to Las Vegas to compete in the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in January 2022.

The “Beat Byk NHC Challenge” will be conducted over three weeks from Oct. 1-Oct. 13. Byk will pick a horse in each of the remaining 26 'Win and You're In' races held during the time span and leading to the Breeders' Cup World Championships on Nov. 5-6. Listeners will be encouraged to log in to https://www.ntra.com/beatbyk/ where they will either use Byk's selection to win the featured race or try to 'beat Byk' by selecting another horse.

All who correctly select the winning horse in each round will advance to a Nov. 13 NHC online qualifier limited to winning participants from the promotion. Participants may qualify only once during the promotional period. The winner of the “Beat Byk” Online Qualifier in November will represent “At the Races” at the 2022 NHC Jan. 28-30 at Bally's Las Vegas.

NHC Tour membership is required to compete in the November NHC online qualifier. Any participant who “Beats Byk” in any of the weekly contests and is not already a Tour member will be able to join the NHC Tour for a special offer of only $10.00 for the remainder of the 2021 NHC Tour. Those who “Bet with Byk” and win a spot in the NHC online qualifier by picking the winner also will be required to join the Tour ($50 annual membership) to be eligible to win the NHC berth. Tour Membership is good for the remainder of the 2021 calendar year and any 2022 qualifiers for the 2022 NHC. Complete rules for the Beat Byk Challenge can be found at https://www.ntra.com/beatbyk/.

“At the Races with Steve Byk” is Thoroughbred racing's only national daily news and talk show. The show also streams live on www.stevebyk.com.

About the NHC
The National Horseplayers Championship, presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment and Bally's Las Vegas, is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national final. There are no bye-ins to the NHC. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. For more information on the NHC, visit NTRA.com/nhc.

About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).

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