December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kentucky Equine Industry Joins Forces To Assist Horse Owners Affected By Deadly Tornadoes

Multiple equine organizations in the Commonwealth have joined forces to assist horse owners who have been affected by last week's tornado outbreak. Equine and ag-specific donations will be accepted at the Kentucky Horse Park Dec. 18-20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Signage will point donors to the exact location behind the Alltech Arena.

Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) employees and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment extension agents have been working diligently to create county-specific lists of items that are needed immediately. Though cleanup efforts will be ongoing, the most-needed equine items requested include buckets, winter blankets, halters, lead ropes, wheelbarrows, plastic totes, grooming supplies, water hoses, hay bags, wheelbarrows, muck tubs, pitchforks, shovels and first-aid supplies. A complete list of needs can be found here.

“We are honored to be a part of this relief effort,” said Nicole Rivera, Interim Deputy Executive Director. “Our location right off I-75 will hopefully make drop off of materials and items easy. As a park designed to celebrate the human-horse bond, we are thankful to be able to assist horse owners – and their horses – in their time of need.”

“The KDA has created an incredible system to identify needs by county,” said Sarah Coleman, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council. “The Horse Council is thankful for the opportunity to partner with our brothers and sisters in ag to coordinate deliveries of supplies from Central Kentucky to those hardest hit by the storms.”

Delivery of all donated goods will be provided by Brook Ledge Horse Transportation.

“The ability to give back to the horse industry that is so good to us is very important to the entire staff of Brook Ledge Inc.,” said Ashley VanMeter of Brook Ledge Inc. “We are humbled by the outpouring of support for the equine community and look forward to being able to assist them in any way we can.”

Donations will be accepted in the North Exhibit Hall of the Alltech Arena: Kentucky Horse Park 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Follow signs for Kentucky Horse Council. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Donations will begin being delivered to specific counties on Tuesday.

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C Z Rocket Back On Lasix, Returns To Hot Springs In Saturday Allowance

C Z Rocket was Oaklawn's top older male sprinter during the 2021 meeting that ended in May, but the millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner returns to Hot Springs for the 2021-2022 season trying to snap a five-race losing streak. The first chance comes in a high-end allowance sprint Saturday that his connections are using as a prep for the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes Jan. 29.

Co-owned by Southern California-based Tom Kagele, C Z Rocket was 2 for 2 last season at Oaklawn, toppling reigning male sprint champion Whitmore in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes and $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3). C Z Rocket is winless since, exiting a seventh in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar. But the late runner gets Lasix for the first time since last May's $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) in the 6-furlong eighth race.

“He needs it,” Kagele said Tuesday afternoon. “I don't think there's any secret he was falling off in races that he hasn't had Lasix, but he still ran pretty well. We tried him in the Breeders' Cup and didn't run that great there. Coming out of that race, his blood was a little off, so he had a little bit of an excuse there. He bounced out of it really well, so this race was like perfect timing and so we decided to run here instead of waiting for the Jan. 29 race.”

C Z Rocket, prior to leaving Southern California, recorded three workouts at San Luis Rey Downs for Saturday's race, which will mark his first for trainer Rene Amescua. On behalf of Kagele, trainer Peter Miller claimed C Z Rocket for $40,000 out of a fifth-place finish April 30, 2020, at Oaklawn. C Z Rocket then ripped off five consecutive victories, including the $150,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar and $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) at Santa Anita, before finishing second to Whitmore in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in November 2020 at Keeneland.

Miller announced last month that he was taking a sabbatical from training to spend more time with his family and focus on his health, but would “continue to act as an advisor/racing manager to my owners and my assistants as well as staying involved as an owner myself.”

Amescua has raced extensively in California and won more than 900 races in his career, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization.

“I've known him for years,” Kagele said. “He was a trainer up at Golden Gate for years and just through the covid and other things, he kind of took a turn for the worse and lost some horses and some owners. Then, he recently said he was going to go out there to Oaklawn and I recommended him to Pete. I'm comfortable with it and Pete was, too. Pete owns part of C Z, also.”

After being claimed for $40,000 at Oaklawn, C Z Rocket began his winning streak against $50,000 claimers about a month later at Churchill Downs. The fifth-place finisher in that race, Hollis, was claimed for $50,000 and returned to set a 5 ½-furlong track record (1:02.17) in allowance company Dec. 10 at Oaklawn.

C Z Rocket, after escaping the claim box, won an allowance/optional claimer in June 2020 at Churchill Downs (he was in for a $62,500 tag) and set a 6 ½-furlong track record (1:15.00) three weeks later in a Keeneland allowance race. C Z Rocket has subsequently raced strictly in listed or graded stakes, spanning 10 races and roughly 15 ½ months.

“He'll be out there the whole meet,” Kagele said. “Hopefully, he does as well as he did last year.”

Regular rider Florent Geroux is named to ride C Z Rocket, the 5-2 program favorite, from post 8 for Saturday's eighth race, which has a $120,000 purse. Probable post time is 3:46 p.m. (Central). Also entered are millionaire Grade 2 winner Long Range Toddy and Mucho, a stablemate of Hollis who exits a runner-up finish, beaten a head, in the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine Stakes Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs.

C Z Rocket, a 7-year-old gelded son of City Zip, has an 11-4-4 record from 30 career starts and earnings of $1,511,641.

The King Cotton is Oaklawn's first of three major races for older sprinters. The series continues with the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (formerly the Hot Springs) March 19 and the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 16.

Moysey Records First Win of Meet

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Marc Holiday Elected Chairman Of NYRA Board Of Directors

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Board of Directors has unanimously elected Marc Holliday as chairman following today's regularly scheduled meeting of the board. Mr. Holliday replaces Michael Del Giudice, who retired from the NYRA Board in November.

Appointed to the NYRA Board in 2014, Mr. Holliday has chaired the NYRA Equine Safety Committee since 2015. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE: SLG), which is New York City's largest owner of office properties. Mr. Holliday has served as the SLG CEO since 2004 and became Chairman of the Board in 2019. A graduate of Lehigh University, Mr. Holliday earned a master's in real estate development from Columbia University.

“I am honored to succeed Michael Del Giudice and grateful for his work returning NYRA to a period of sustained excellence and financial stability,” said Mr. Holliday. “Michael skillfully guided the association through a time of uncertainty, and NYRA today is as strong as any point in its history. Horse racing is an engine for the New York economy and deeply intertwined in the cultural fabric of the state. It is a privilege to play a role in the future of the sport I care so deeply about.”

A prominent horse owner and breeder, Mr. Holliday founded Blue Devil Racing Stable in 2006. Most notable among a number of Blue Devil stakes winners is the homebred Come Dancing, who won the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, Grade 2 Ruffian, Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap and Grade 3 Distaff Handicap in 2019 on the NYRA circuit. The popular mare added the Grade 2 Honorable Miss to her ledger last year and is now retired as a broodmare in-foal to Into Mischief.

“NYRA is in a strong position for continued success thanks to the commitment and leadership of the board of directors,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “On behalf of the entire organization, I thank Michael Del Giudice for his dedicated service and congratulate Marc Holliday on his new role.”

Mr. Del Giudice joined the NYRA Board in 2003 and was appointed Chairman in 2017. From 2015 to 2017, he acted as Chairman of the NYRA Reorganization Board of Directors. During his tenure, NYRA returned to sound financial footing and enhanced the quality, safety, and integrity of its racing operations.

Under the leadership of Mr. Del Giudice, NYRA completed a series of significant capital improvement projects to improve the fan experience and modernize racing, training and backstretch facilities at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

The organizational structure of the NYRA Board of Directors was established in 2017 according to legislation enacted through the FY 2018 New York State budget, which returned majority control of NYRA back to the not-for-profit organization and dissolved the temporary NYRA Reorganization Board established by the New York State Legislature in 2012.

For biographical information about the NYRA Board of Directors, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/about/board-of-directors.

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Grade 1 Winner No Parole Enters Stud At Whispering Oaks Farm In Louisiana

Coteau Grove Farms and Whispering Oaks Farm announced today the purchase of Coteau Grove's Grade 1-winning homebred No Parole (Violence). No Parole will stand at Whispering Oaks Farm in Carencro, La., for $3,500 live foal, stands and nurses. Coteau Grove's bloodstock advisor Andrew Cary (Cary Bloodstock) brokered the deal.

“No Parole was our first Grade 1 winner as a breeder and that is so exciting for us.” said Ginger Myers.

“We've been interested in where he would go next when his racing career was completed. To be to able bring him back to Louisiana and stand him close to home at Whispering Oaks is a dream come true for us,” said Keith Myers. “We look forward to supporting him with quality mares from our farm.”

Whispering Oaks Farm also stands the highly promising young sire Iron Fist (Tapit), who currently sits second on the freshman sire list in Louisiana, as well as the graded stakes-winning One Liner (Into Mischief).

“We are very excited to be standing Louisiana-bred Grade 1 winner No Parole at Whispering Oaks,” said Whispering Oaks owner Carrol Castille. “We are big supporters of the Louisiana breeding industry and it's great to be able to keep a homegrown Grade 1 winner like this here to stand at stud. He showed tremendous talent and fits in perfectly with the other stallions on our roster. We look forward to supporting him with our own mares and think he'll be very popular with Louisiana breeders as well.”

No Parole was purchased for $75,000 as a yearling by Maggi Moss from the consignment of Select Sales as agent for Coteau Grove Farms at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Greg Tramontin purchased an interest in the horse early during his racing career.

“I've said it before – he was the horse of a lifetime,” said Moss. “We had many generous offers on this horse, but it was my preference to see him go back to his breeders. I know they will take care of him, give him every opportunity at stud, and give him a great life.”

Trained by Tom Amoss, No Parole began his career in devastating fashion, winning his first three starts by a combined 34 lengths, including the Premier Night Prince Stakes at a mile. After an impressive allowance victory over open company at Oaklawn Park, No Parole's finest hour arrived when he dominated a strong field in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park, winning wire-to-wire by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:21.41 for the seven furlongs, defeating Grade 1 winners Echo Town and Mischevious Alex.

“No Parole was one of the most brilliant racehorses I've ever trained,” said Amoss. “I am very excited for him to go to stud and I will be supporting him as a stallion.”

No Parole kicked off 2021 with a facile victory in the Premier Sprint Stakes, running the fastest five furlongs of the meet at Delta Downs.

“No Parole was incredibly fast, and did it effortlessly,” said Cary. “That kind of speed is rare in a stallion prospect. His career debut at Fair Grounds, which he won by 14 1/4 lengths, was simply breathtaking. I encourage breeders to watch his first three races as well as his Grade 1 win in the Woody Stephens win, where he went 1:08 3/5 for six furlongs. This horse had immense natural ability, and has the potent combination of athleticism, pedigree and performance that should make him highly appealing to Louisiana breeders, especially with what we feel is a reasonable fee for a first-year horse with his credentials and name recognition.”

The 2020 Louisiana Horse of the Year, No Parole retires with six wins in 13 starts and earnings of $369,866.

He was produced by the stakes-winning mare Plus One (Bluegrass Cat), a mare acquired by Cary for Coteau Grove at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale for $67,000 (in-foal to Violence). She has also produced the multiple winner Violent Ways (Violent), who earned over $195,000. She is currently in-foal to leading sire Tapit and is booked to the current leading first crop and juvenile sire sensation Gun Runner for 2022.

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