Month: October 2021

‘Consummate Professional’ Bob Neumeier Passes; Played Key Role On Major Racing Telecasts

Popular Boston sportscaster Bob Neumeier, a reporter and analyst on horse racing telecasts on NBC and ESPN for more than a quarter century, died Oct. 23 at the age of 70. Neumeier's wife, Michele Ucci, told the Boston Globe that her husband suffered from congestive heart failure and heart disease and had been in hospice care for the last two months.

Known as “Neumy” to friends and fans, Neumeier – a graduate of Syracuse University – had been doing play-by-play for the World Hockey League's Hartford Whalers when he became a reporter and sports anchor for Boston's Channel 4 in 1981, a position he held for 20 years.

In the 1980s, Neumeier – an avid horse racing fan and sharp handicapper – began working for Breeders' Cup on a newsfeed that distributed news and personality features nationally to local TV channels.

In 1990. Neumeier joined the NBC Sports broadcast team for the Breeders' Cup, and his reporting and interview skills went into play almost immediately on a tragic day at Belmont Park when three horses died on track, Shaker Knit and Mr. Nickerson in the Sprint and champion filly Go For Wand in the Distaff. He played a similar role during the challenging post-race coverage of Barbaro's ultimately fatal injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

“It was very similar in terms of the raw emotion that was palpable from the patrons and the people on the track and surrounding the track,” Neumeier told Houston Chronicle columnist David Barron after the 2006 Preakness. “Professionally, we've been there before, and unfortunately, it's not a pleasant experience. But we're trained to handle it.”

Neumeier continued his reporting during racing telecasts (while also doing hockey play by play on Boston radio), but it was his handicapping and on-camera bantering with others, from the late eccentric horseplayer from England, John McCririck, to Mike Battaglia, Eddie Olczyk and others. Neumeier took his handicapping seriously and backed up his opinions at the windows.

He had two publicized health setbacks, the first coming in 2009 when he was taken to a Louisville hospital after collapsing at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week. Five years later, he suffered a stroke just days before the 2014 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. He recovered from both incidents, most notably coming back from the stroke to win an NTRA sponsored media handicapping tournament held in conjunction with the National Horseplayers Championship in January 2015. Neumeier was back on the air for the 2015 Triple Crown.

Breeders' Cup issued the following statement about Neumeier's passing: “We were very saddened to learn today of the passing of Bob Neumeier. Bob was a big part of the NBC Breeders' Cup World Championships broadcasts for many years as a handicapper, reporter and analyst. Bob brought his expertise of Thoroughbred racing and a great sense of humor to every show.  We extend our sincere condolences to Bob's wife Michele and to his extended family.”

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Essential Quality, Maxfield to Stand at Jonabell in 2022

Darley America will have two major new additions to its stallion roster for 2022 as GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Belmont S. winner Essential Quality (Tapit–Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) and fellow Grade I winner Maxfield (Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini) are set to retire to Jonabell after their final starts.

“To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful,” said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. “They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”

Out of a Grade III-placed half-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore (Tiznow), Essential Quality has won eight of nine career starts–four at Grade I level–and was named Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Male of 2020. In 2021, his victories include the Belmont in which he recorded a 109 Beyer, becoming the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga, joining Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}) as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “Midsummer Derby.” The gray is one of the favorites for Horse of the Year and his fee will be set following the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday, Nov. 6.

Maxfield has never been off the board in 10 career starts and was a dominant winner of Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, like his future barnmate Essential Quality. Maxfield's six other career victories include the GII Stephen Foster S. and GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs. He also placed in the GI Whitney S. and GI Woodward S. this year. A son of Darley stallion Street Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half-sister to Grade I winner and successful sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit). Like Essential Quality, Maxfield's fee will be set following his final race, the GI Clark H. at Churchill Downs Friday, Nov. 26.

“In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year,” added Fox. “It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”

Perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro will stand at a fee of $100,000 for the new year. He was the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median in 2020, and no stallion can match his 20 million-dollar yearlings since 2016. With over 80 worldwide Group or Graded winners–26 at the highest level–Medaglia d'Oro's top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty (Aus), Hong Kong Horse of the Year, who has won 17 of 18 career starts and over $10 million. Medaglia d'Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of Grade I winners at Del Mar.

Street Sense's fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense's 2021 top performers also include GII San Vicente S. winner Concert Tour and GII Mother Goose S. heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time Grade I-winning son McKinzie.

Nyquist, 2020's leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse Champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist and GI Summer S. winner Gretzky the Great. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, Grade I winners, Grade I horses, and graded stakes horses. In the sales ring, he sits third behind only Quality Road and Uncle Mo by 2-year-old average. His $2.6-million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton in March is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.

Hard Spun's fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by Silver State, winner of this year's GI Metropolitan H. and GII Oaklawn H. Frosted, the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted's top performers this year include Grade II winner Travel Column, who is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire, a total only Into Mischief and Curlin can top. Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each. Midshipman has two Breeders' Cup prospects in Grade II winner Special Reserve, headed to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane, who is pointing towards the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He is represented by a career-high 11 stakes winners in America this year. Astern, who shuttles from Australia, has eight first-crop winners this year and his daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following a score in the GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont.

The post Essential Quality, Maxfield to Stand at Jonabell in 2022 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season

Darley in America will have two sensational new additions to its stallion roster for 2022 as Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and fellow Grade 1 winner Maxfield are set to retire to Jonabell after their final starts.

Darley Sales Manager, Darren Fox, said, “To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful.

“They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”

Essential Quality is a son of Tapit out of a G3-placed half-sister to champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore. He has won eight of nine career starts – four at Grade1 level – and was named 2-year-old Eclipse Champion of 2020 following Grade 1 victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Futurity. While winning the Juvenile, he recorded the highest Beyer of any two-year-old beyond a mile last year.

In 2021, his victories include the Belmont Stakes in which he recorded a 109 Beyer, becoming the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the G1 Travers at Saratoga, joining Street Sense as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “midsummer Derby.” A Grade 1 winner at 8 1/2 furlongs, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs, Essential Quality also lists three other graded victories to his credit. He was also beaten only a length when fourth in this year's Kentucky Derby. His fee will be set following the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Maxfield has never been off the board in 10 career starts and was an outstanding winner of Keeneland's G1 Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, like his future barn mate Essential Quality.

Maxfield's six other career victories include the G2 Stephen Foster and G2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Two additional 2021 G1 placings include runner-up finishes in Saratoga's G1 Whitney and the G1 Woodward at Belmont.

A son of Darley stallion Street Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half-sister to G1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa.

Like Essential Quality, Maxfield's fee will be set following his final race, the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 26.

Fox continued, “In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year. It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”

Perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro will stand at a fee of $100,000 for the new year. He was the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median in 2020, and no stallion can match his 20 million-dollar yearlings since 2016.

With over 80 worldwide group or graded winners – 26 at the highest level – Medaglia d'Oro's top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty, Hong Kong Horse of the Year, who has won 17 of 18 career starts and over $10 million. Medaglia d'Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of Grade 1 winners at Del Mar.

Street Sense's fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense's 2021 top performers also include G2 San Vicente winner Concert Tour and G2 Mother Goose Stakes heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time Grade 1 winning son McKinzie.

2021 has also been a strong year for Street Sense in the sales ring. His yearlings averaged over $200,000 and he is only one of 11 North American sires this year to be represented by a million-dollar yearling.

Nyquist, 2020's leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist and G1 Summer Stakes winner Gretzky the Great. Not since Danzig in the 1980s has a stallion had two Grade 1 winners so early in his career.

In 2021, his 2-year-old daughter Sequist looks to give her sire his second consecutive Juvenile Fillies win as she is headed to this year's renewal following a third in the G1 Darley Alcibiades in her last start. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, Grade 1 winners, Grade 1 horses, and graded stakes horses.

In the sales ring, he sits third behind only Quality Road and Uncle Mo by 2-year-old average. His $2.6 million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton in March is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.

Hard Spun's fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by his son Silver State, winner of this year's G1 Met Mile and G2 Oaklawn Handicap. His other top 2021 runners include G1 Arkansas Derby runner-up Caddo River and G3 winner Antoinette among 15 black type horses in 2021.

Frosted, the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted's top performers this year include Travel Column, winner of the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire; only Into Mischief and Curlin can top it.

Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each. Midshipman is having his best year ever and has two Breeders' Cup prospects in Grade 2 winner Special Reserve, headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane who is pointing towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Midshipman is represented by 11 stakes winners in America this year – a career high and a list that also includes G2 Californian winner Royal Ship and G3 winner Naval Laughter.

Medaglia d'Oro's Group 1-winning son Astern, who shuttles from Australia, is off to a fast start with eight first-crop winners this year. His daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following an impressive win in the “Win and You're In” G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont.

See below for the complete roster:

Stallion Fee
NEW Essential Quality TBD
NEW Maxfield TBD
Medaglia d'Oro $100,000
Street Sense $75,000
Nyquist $55,000
Hard Spun $35,000
Frosted $20,000
Street Boss $15,000
Astern $10,000
Midshipman $10,000
Enticed $5,000

The post Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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US Equestrian Hopes To ‘Grow Access’ With Updated Membership Tiering Structure For 2022

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the launch of a newly designed membership tier structure to be implemented during the 2022 membership renewal season, offering more access, and expanded opportunity to grow equestrian sport through increased engagement. The new membership tiering will not impact the current pricing structure of membership categories but will adjust benefits and access allocated to each individual tier.

The move to restructure the membership tiering aligns with the next phase of the strategic plan announced in January 2020 and the million-member goal set by current President Tom O'Mara. The new member tiering will include three categories: 1) fans; 2) subscribers; and 3) competing memberships, offering an array of opportunities for enthusiasts and participants in equestrian sport.

“The goal behind this restructure is to create a model that is enticing for new members to join USEF so we can continue to grow access and interest in our sport from the grass roots level all the way up through our high-performance programs,” said Tom O'Mara, President of US Equestrian. “With the updated tiering, we believe we will encourage individuals passionate about equestrian sport to join our organization as a fan at no cost or upgrade their membership to a subscriber level for $25 to experience increased benefits, with the ultimate goal of expanding the pool of competing members participating at our licensed competitions. We know there are millions of people in the U.S. with a passion for horses and want everyone to have an opportunity to be a part of US Equestrian.”

The base fan experience is free and will allow individuals to learn about the benefits of USEF and sample offerings at no cost, encouraging interaction and connection with USEF on a free and ongoing basis. Fan members will have access to USEF Network livestreaming (not including On-Demand access), the Learning Center, the USEF Equestrian Weekly e-newsletter, and the Member Perks program. Fans will also automatically renew.

The subscriber tier of membership, available for $25 annually, will include exclusive on-demand and replay streaming on USEF Network, access to USEF Member Health Coverage options, and a mailed subscription of US Equestrian magazine while maintaining all exclusive benefits available to non-competing paying members, as well as access to the additional benefits offered at the fan membership level. Official Education Partners of USEF and their members will automatically be eligible for free Subscriber memberships.

The competing memberships will remain at an annual renewal fee of $80 and receive access to all US Equestrian benefits, including access to the membership health coverage options, as well as live and on-demand streaming via USEF Network, the Learning Center, Equestrian Weekly, Member Perks incentives, and the benefit of a working framework of to ensure fair and equal organized sport.

US Equestrian will launch the new tiers of membership at the beginning of the new competition year on December 1, 2021. To learn more about US Equestrian's member benefits and programs, please visit www.usef.org/join-usef.

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