November, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sconsin Scratches From Dream Supreme, Will Return In 2022

Lloyd Madison Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Sconsin, the 9-5 second choice in Saturday's $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., has been scratched from the race and will get time off before her 5-year-old campaign.

“This race was going to be her last start of the year before a little winter vacation,” trainer Greg Foley said. “She wasn't acting like herself the last couple mornings so we didn't want to chance anything. She'll get a break and get ready for a 2022 campaign.”

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One is expected to be the heavy favorite in the six-furlong affair. The Dream Supreme is Race 10 on Saturday with a post time of 5:36 p.m.

The post Sconsin Scratches From Dream Supreme, Will Return In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Op/Ed: Corniche Connections Should Consider Dennis Diaz Wisdom

In 1985, owner Dennis Diaz had a decision to make after his runner, Spend a Buck, won the GI Kentucky Derby.

Under ordinary circumstances it would be on to the GI Preakness S. two weeks later.

But, as Lee Corso would say: “Not so fast.”

In this particular year, before the Triple Crown prep season had begun, Garden State Park owner Robert Brennan offered a $2-million bonus to any horse who won the track's two preps plus the Kentucky Derby and GIII Jersey Derby.

Diaz and trainer Cam Gambolati sent Spend a Buck to the New Jersey racetrack, where he won the Apr. 6 Cherry Hill Mile S. and Apr. 20 Garden State S. prior to his run in the Kentucky Derby.

So, after Spend a Buck, under jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., beat Stephan's Odyssey by 5 3/4 lengths in a sharp 2:00 1/5, Diaz had a decision to make.

It didn't take him long to make it.

Though Pimlico, home of the Preakness, had upped its purse from $250,000 to $350,000-added, Diaz opted for Brennan's offer. The Preakness was won by Tank's Prospect, who earned $423,200 for his owner, Gene Klein.

Spend a Buck won the May 27 Jersey Derby with Laffit Pincay, Jr. aboard, Cordero having a previous engagement. With the purse and bonus, Diaz pocketed $2.6 million, at the time the largest purse in the world.

(Who did Spend a Buck defeat in the Jersey Derby by a neck but Creme Fraiche, who would go on to take the GI Belmont S.)

Because of the bonus Brennan had offered, and the fact Diaz had spurned a run at the Triple Crown to chase the money instead, Triple Crown Productions was formed and the three tracks (Churchill Downs, Pimilco and the New York Racing Association's Belmont Park) began offering a $5-million bonus to any horse that swept the series.

Now, with the purses of the Triple Crown races larger and the long-dropped bonus sponsorship (first by Chrysler, later by VISA), the bonus, which was never paid, has been dropped.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Corniche | Breeders' Cup/Eclipse Sportswire

What does all of this have to do with today?

Well, today Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner have a decision to make. The men, who race as Speedway Stables, own Corniche (Quality Road), winner over the weekend of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

With his decisive victory, and a perfect three-for-three season, Corniche will be named champion juvenile colt. And with that, the expectation of being the winter-book favorite for the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Where is Corso when you need him, because again, “not so fast.”

Corniche is trained by Bob Baffert, who trained this year's Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico). However, after Medina Spirit tested positive for the presence of betamethasone, Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert from saddling horses at its tracks for two years.

Yes, a different set of circumstances altogether than what faced Diaz, who owned a modestly bred horse bought inexpensively and trained by someone few had previously heard of.

Corniche was an expensive purchase ($1.5-million OBS April sale topper) with a nice pedigree, bred and racing in an age where there are a multitude of farms and partnerships desperately competing to make future stallions.

If they are hell-bent on taking a run down the Triple Crown trail, Fluor and Weiner have two options. They can transfer their colt to a new trainer or they can pursue litigation against Churchill to allow Baffert-trained runners to earn points in prep races and compete in the Derby.

Or, they could take a page from Diaz and instead of being hell-bent, they could say to hell with tradition, the Derby, and Churchill.

There are, after all, many other racetracks and many other races with big purses. And, surely, some clever racetrack promotion team could put together a bonus as cleverly as Brennan did.

Another thing for Fluor and Weiner to consider: Corniche's sire, Quality Road, did not win the Derby. Neither did Tapit, Into Mischief, Ghostzapper, Curlin, Medaglia d'Oro, Uncle Mo …

Want to go back a bit further in history? Though Northern Dancer won the Derby and established a dominant sire line, Mr. Prospector, who also began a superior sire line, did not.

Yes, the Derby will always be the Derby. To this Kentucky-bred, there is no more wonderful race than the Derby. Never will be.

But winning the Derby should not be the ultimate goal for Fluor and Weiner. If they believe in their horse, and in their trainer, there are many other races in which to run.

And, make no mistake about it, breeding farms will still want to stand their horse and breeders will still want to send mares to him.

Another thing for the residents of Houston to think about. Spend a Buck was voted the 1985 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old colt.

Tradition is great. It provides us a way of linking the past to the present and perhaps one day, to the future.

But for Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner, there is also the wisdom of Dennis Diaz to consider.

The post Op/Ed: Corniche Connections Should Consider Dennis Diaz Wisdom appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

National Steeplechase Season Closes With Steeplechase of Charleston Sunday

After nearly eight months and 23 meets in 10 states, plus a dozen race dates at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., the 2021 National Steeplechase season comes to a close on Sunday with the Steeplechase of Charleston at Stono Ferry Race Course in Hollywood, S.C.

In a year that began under stormy skies — both literal and figurative — at the Cheshire point-to-point in March amid uncertainty due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it ends on an optimistic note, with fans back in attendance, tailgating parties in full swing, and family-friendly activities once more part of the experience that all contribute to the “thrill of the 'chase.”

Five races, four over jumps, are on tap for Sunday's card, which has a first-race post time of 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. They include a $15,000 maiden claimer; $25,000 maiden special weights event; $20,000 handicap for horses rated at 110 or less; $25,000 allowance; and a training-flat race for amateur riders. You can watch via live stream from the NSA website. The live stream is sponsored by Brown Advisory, the Temple Gwathmey Steeplechase Foundation, Charleston's Post & Courier, and the Virginia Equine Alliance.

What the meet lacks in stakes competition, it makes up for in high-stakes drama in the thrilling race to the wire for leading jockey and trainer, both nail-biters that will be determined by day's end.

Among conditioners, Leslie Young and Jack Fisher are knotted at 15 wins. Fisher, who was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs this summer, has won 13 training titles. Young, who began training in 2007 and recently recorded her 100th win, is seeking her first championship. Keri Brion, who trains the sport's leading contender for the Eclipse Award, Buttonwood Farm's The Mean Queen, is two behind with 13 victories. Brion has all but locked up the award for purse earnings. Neil Morris, who has had a remarkable year considering he's saddled only half the number of starters as the top two, has 12 victories. At Charleston, Brion and Young have entries in all four hurdle races; Fisher and Morris have entries in two.

In the duel for top jockey, Graham Watters and Tom Garner, each of whom is seeking his first NSA title, have 19 wins each. Both Garner and Watters have earned about triple the purse money of their nearest rival, Skylar McKenna. Going into Sunday, Garner has collected $619,800, about $30,000 more than Watters. Garner and Watters are scheduled to ride in three of the four hurdle races.

The NSA spoke with the leading title contenders in advance of the Charleston meet and here's what they had to say:

Graham Watters: “I have three rides this Sunday and the three have equal chances. Make a Stand for Mark Beecher is in good form coming off two flat runs, Gostisbehere has good form and should like the track and Ghostlighter is improving with every run and should also like the track. Winning the jockey's title would mean a lot to me but not the be all and end all. At the end of the year I had a fantastic season, winning my first Grade 1 at the Iroquois and a number of stakes races, and creating a strong partnership with the Fisher stable and his owners. Competing for the title with a close friend Tom Garner has been fun also, giving each other some stick all season.”

Tom Garner: “They've all got chances. They wouldn't be in it if they didn't. Don't Shout, in the ratings handicap, has been knocking on the door ; I think he's probably my best shot. If Duckett's Grove can get his jumping together he's going to be very tough. Twentyoneguns has got a chance. I'm grateful to be in the position I am. It's an honor. Growing up you dream of being champion jockey. I didn't think I'd be in this position in America, and I would take a lot of pride in it if it did work out.”

Leslie Young: “I feel I have had some exciting things happen in my life. In high school, I was a field hockey and lacrosse all-star team member. In college, I was a lacrosse regional all-American and North\South all-stars member. I was pony racing champion back in the day for small and large ponies and even was nationally ranked in Pony Club Tetrathlon. I grew up working for Jonathan Sheppard and Jack Fisher, two of the greats whom I still look up to today. They were my heroes growing up. So I feel leading trainer would be my greatest accomplishment.”

Jack Fisher: “I feel the most important title, for the sport itself, is the leading trainer in races won. To be leading money earner takes one horse to get you there, which is a great accomplishment. But leading trainer in races run takes multiple good horses. I also feel for the sport it's great to have someone else win the leading trainer titles. To have Keri win the leading trainer in money earned is great; The Mean Queen is good for the sport. And if Leslie takes home the leading-trainer-by-wins title, that's great for the sport.”

The post National Steeplechase Season Closes With Steeplechase of Charleston Sunday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Equine Grazing Behavior Offers Clues For Forage Needs As Pastures Decline

As the growing season winds down or as drought sets in, horse owners must provide horses with an appropriate alternative forage to fulfill fiber requirements. In most cases, this involves the use of hay, though other products such as haylage or hay cubes are appropriate and sometimes fed.

The question that looms large for most owners is when to offer alternative forage. The pasture reveals a couple of important clues, namely growth rate and plant health.

[Story Continues Below]

Owners will know when pasture growth slows as there will be less need for routine mowing and maintenance. Depending on stocking rate—that is, the number of horses on any given acreage—pasture might withstand a slowdown in growth rate and continued grazing, so long as more land is allotted per horse. A large, seven-acre paddock that comfortably sustained five horses in peak growing season might support three as pasture growth declines.

“Observation of grazing behavior might be a tipoff, too. If horses spend more time grazing, they are likely finding less to eat. In periods of lush growth, you might catch horses resting more often, as it is easier for them to satisfy their appetites and their need to graze,” said Dr. Kathleen Crandell, a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Plant health is a more obvious indicator. As autumn segues into winter or as rainfall decreases, pasture grasses often turn brown and unpalatable, at which time growth is almost assuredly arrested. Horses will snack on these remnants, but more nutritious forage should be offered.

“Owners ought to offer hay as soon as they feel horses are not consuming sufficient pasture to meet daily forage requirement, which is about 1.5-2 percent of body weight daily,” advised Crandell.

For a 15.2-hand, 1,100-pound horse, that would be 16.5-22 pounds of hay each day. Keep in mind, though, that this amount will likely satisfy the horse's complete forage requirement.

“If the horse is still nibbling away at pasture much of the day, it might need only a portion of this. If the horse leaves hay in favor of pasture, then too much hay is probably being fed at the time. Gauge requirement through consumption,” recommended Crandell.

To maintain weight, many horses, in combination with their forage, will be consuming a well-fortified concentrate feed that supplies all of the protein, vitamins, and minerals required for their well-being. Those that do not should be fed a vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Micro-Max, developed by Kentucky Equine Research and available in the U.S. and other regions. Micro-Max supplies minerals that have been chelated or proteinated, which increases their digestibility and allows horses to derive maximum benefit from them.

One vitamin that is particularly deficient in diets composed of preserved forages such as hay is vitamin E, an important antioxidant in the horse's immune arsenal. The most effective source of supplemental vitamin E is d-alpha-tocopherol or natural vitamin E. Nano-E is a natural-source vitamin E supplement that possesses a unique delivery action, nanodispersion, which allows the vitamin to hit target tissues more quickly than other vitamin E supplements. Nano-E is available worldwide.

Don't know where to begin with supplementation? Complete a simple questionnaire and start the consultation process.

Article reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research (KER). Visit equinews.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to The Weekly Feed to receive these articles directly (equinews.com/newsletters).

The post Equine Grazing Behavior Offers Clues For Forage Needs As Pastures Decline appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post