December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

34 Catalogued for Wanamaker’s December

Wanamaker's has catalogued 34 hips for their December Sale. The sale is comprised of broodmares, horses of racing age, yearlings and weanlings. For the first time, live bidding will open as the catalogue is released on Dec. 1. The sale opened at 8 a.m. Dec. 1, and the first listing will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 10. Subsequent listings will end in three-minute increments.

The post 34 Catalogued for Wanamaker’s December appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Breakthrough Laminitis Research Opens Potential New Avenues For Treatment

Horse owners usually dread hearing the diagnosis of “Laminitis.” The disease plagues horses of many backgrounds, ages and disciplines. Using genetics, UF/IFAS and University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine scientists have made a breakthrough in the disease thanks to funding from The Foundation for the Horse.

A horse's hoof has a tough job. It must support a heavy animal which can move faster than 40 mph. Laminitis occurs when inflammation and damage of the tissue takes place between the hoof and coffin bone. It causes lameness, a diminished quality of life and often results in euthanasia.

“Laminitis is a tough problem for the horse and its owner,” said Dr. Samantha Brooks, UF/IFAS associate professor of equine physiology. “We have very few tools in our arsenal to manage the disease itself. We treat symptoms, pain and mechanical instability but do not have anything to target the cause just yet.”

Laminitis studies have previously been hindered by the scarcity of genetic information specific to hoof tissues. Scientists tapped into the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center Laminitis Discovery Database, an archive of data and sample sets from naturally occurring laminitis cases collected since 2008. Using that database, researchers examined 36 archived tissues of 20 Thoroughbred horses treated for laminitis.

There are three types of laminitis, and all impair the structure and function of the horse's foot. This research provided a snapshot of the active pathways and functions of the hoof, with a focus on supporting limb laminitis – the laminitis to which famous racehorse Barbaro succumbed.

“We understand the situations that trigger an episode of laminitis, but we do not have a good understanding of what is happening in the hoof,” said Brooks. “This study took a very comprehensive view of the processes early in the development of laminitis.”

Using gene expression analysis, researchers catalogued the changes in gene transcription across the 20 horses. Some had healthy feet, some were early in the disease process and others were more severe. Researchers identified trends in the disease process.

“By tapping into my lab's database and incorporating Dr. Brooks' unparalleled expertise in equine genetics and transcriptome analysis, we have identified new and promising pathways in cell stress and inflammatory response that significantly enhance our understanding of supporting limb laminitis and its disease processes,” said Hannah Galantino-Homer, VMD, PhD, DACT, senior investigator in Laminitis Research at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center.

The research resulted in three key findings.

The first related to keratin, an important structural protein that helps maintain the structural integrity of materials like hair, nails and horse hooves. This study was one of the first to examine the changes in the keratin family through the laminitis disease process. Some of the keratin-related genes and regulation of the cell's manufacturing process started to diminish as the disease began. This could be compared to when a car gets a flat tire; it may still be running but it loses appropriate function and slows down.

Another type of cell machinery often studied in laminitis are a class of enzymes called metalloproteinases; enzymes that help maintain the cytoskeleton. These enzymes must maintain a careful balance. Hooves must be able to grow and not break down under the weight of the horse, which requires a balance of remodeling and building tissues within the hoof. When the metalloproteinases become too active, the hoof begins to lose structural strength. One previous theory for treating this process was to stop these enzymes from becoming too active. But treatment targeted these enzymes might also stop hoof growth, which would likely lead to further issues.

When keratin degrades, inflammation in the hoof leads to laminitis. Scientists found a collection of genes responsible for triggering that inflammation which could pave the way for future medications to treat the inflammation. The genes led researchers to believe that some human inflammatory medications for autoimmune disorders may help horses with laminitis.

Changes in gene expression in diseased tissue are often reflected in changes in the proteins that can be detected in the blood as the disease progresses. For example, specific proteins, or biomarkers, that increase in the blood in humans following traumatic brain injury had increased expression in the samples from the horses with laminitis in this study. Medical doctors have used these compounds to understand the severity of these injuries in humans without using imaging or more invasive testing. Brooks hopes this could be used as a tool to monitor the progression of laminitis in the horse.

“We don't always recognize that a horse has severe laminitis until things have gotten quite bad,” said Brooks. “Early monitoring tools and ways to combat the disease were exciting findings, but we need further research before these new tools will be ready for use in the field.”

Brooks hopes that this research can lead to a blood test to detect these new laminitis-related biomarkers, and medications that are economical and effective for horses suffering from the disease.

“Ultimately, these new findings point us towards a more targeted approach for future exploration that we hope will help uncover novel solutions for preventing and treating this debilitating disease,” said Galantino-Homer.

“This is a big step in improving our understanding of laminitis,” said Brooks. “Something that could be completely untreatable ten years ago; in another ten years we may be able to intervene and make a significant difference in the disease early on.”

The post Breakthrough Laminitis Research Opens Potential New Avenues For Treatment appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Century Mile: Two Additional Race Dates Cancelled Due To Equine Influenza Outbreak

Horse Racing Alberta, Alberta Standardbred Horse Association and the Century Mile Race Office are continuing to monitor the equine influenza outbreak at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. Our equine and human athletes' safety is our top priority, and it is the recommendation of the Official Veterinarian that live racing be cancelled on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.

Official qualifiers are currently scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, 2021.

In response to the cancelled race days, Horse Racing Alberta and Alberta Standardbred Horse Association will distribute purse funds to support horsemen who have been impacted by the cancellations.

Alberta Standardbred Horse Association has recommended the following changes to the racing schedule:

Dec. 17, 2021: Eliminations for Western Canada Pacing Derby and Century Casinos Filly Pace
Dec. 18, 2021: Additional race day added to schedule
Dec. 31, 2021: Western Canada Pacing Derby and Century Casinos Filly Pace

Horse Racing Alberta would like to thank all the trainers, veterinarians, staff at Century Mile and the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association for their collaboration and cooperation.

The post Century Mile: Two Additional Race Dates Cancelled Due To Equine Influenza Outbreak appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Loves Only You: History Made And In The Making

No matter where she finishes in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, or 1 1/4 miles), those watching will be witnessing both history in the making and a history maker, Japan's champion mare with an endearingly fetching name – Loves Only You.

The LONGINES Hong Kong Cup will be the final race for Loves Only You, capping a short, star-studded, and decidedly international career, which has seen the now 5-year-old daughter of Deep Impact land one of the most elusive overseas wins for Japan – its first Breeders' Cup victory, while her FWD QEII Cup (2000m, 1 1/4 miles) triumph at Sha Tin earlier this year came at her first Hong Kong sortie.

Debuting in late 2018, Loves Only You pocketed her first G1 the next year in the fourth start of her career, with a win of the classic Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, 2400m, 1 1/2 miles).

And she did it unbeaten.

She'd been the race favorite from her career second start through her run in Japan's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m, 1 3/8 miles) in the autumn, when Loves Only You failed for the first time to meet expectations. It was still a far-from-shabby third behind older females, as she finished 0.2 seconds off winner Lucky Lilac who, the following month, finished second in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, 1 1/2 miles).

Six months passed without a race, after which Loves Only You was given five starts for 2020, none of them wins and three out of the frame. They ran the gamut from understandable to forgivable to downright inexcusable.

On paper alone, it looked like the filly's career was on the rocks. But, key to her inability to show her form, incredible spring and a nimbleness that assistant trainer Kazunari Yoshida likens to a cat, was to be found in those six months at the beginning of 2020. That key was the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, or more specifically, the wrench it threw into racing.

When it was announced in late March 2020 that the Dubai World Cup meeting would be cancelled after all, 20 horses from Japan – its biggest team yet and Loves Only You among them – were already on site and had to return to Japan without racing.

The stress of quarantine, travel, and strange surroundings apparently took its toll on Loves Only You. It wasn't until Japan's Queen Elizabeth II Cup that year that the then 4-year-old started to look like her old self, finishing in third place for the second year in a row, this time only 0.1 seconds behind repeat winner Lucky Lilac.

But at year-end, her 10th-place finish nearly a full second behind the winner in the G1 Arima Kinen seemed to bode poorly for the future. The distance of 2500m was her longest assignment yet and barrier four had seemed advantageous. But Mirco Demuro blamed her loss on the trip.

“The inside ground was torn up and I'd wanted to travel about 4 widths off the rail, but there was too much pressure on the outside and I couldn't find a way out,” he said.

[Story Continues Below]

The start of 2021 brought a new rider and new hope. Most importantly, it brought fantastic results. Loves Only You has yet to figure out of the top three in her five starts this year, all graded stakes, three of them top level. And, despite the continuing pandemic, Loves Only You has done more flying than most humans.

She started with a win of the G2 Kyoto Kinen (2200m, 1 3/8 miles) at Hanshin in February under Yuga Kawada, and the next month flew off to Dubai, this time finishing third G1 in the Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m, about 1 1/2 miles) under Oisin Murphy. In April, she debuted in Hong Kong and, with Vincent Ho up, led a Japanese 1-2-3-4 over the finish line of the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m, 1 1/4 miles).

“In one word, 'strong', is what she was,” said 60-year-old Yoshito Yahagi, currently only two wins from the top of Japan's trainers' championship. “She lost a shoe going into the first turn and, yet, was able to show the kind of speed she did in the stretch.

“Having kept her condition while training alone in Dubai before going to Hong Kong was quite an achievement. I think it shows how tough she is mentally.”

Ho agreed she was top notch.

“She was extremely calm and professional. She held on very strongly and won impressively,” he said.

Back home, after four months off, Loves Only You was given her first start for the campaign in the G2 Sapporo Kinen (2000m, 1 1/4 miles). She finished second, less than a length behind dual G1 winner Sodashi and, more importantly, was able to show her prowess over the specific grass unique to the Hokkaido tracks. And that was part of the plan.

The venue for this year's Breeders' Cup venue was of special interest to Yahagi.

“It is at Del Mar on the west coast, close to Japan. And, the turf at Sapporo is similar to the turf at Del Mar and I believe California turf will suit Japan horses,” he predicted leaving for the Breeders' Cup.

On Oct. 22, when Loves Only You departed Japan with stablemate Marche Lorrainel, Yahagi noted: “I think with two horses, it will make conditions very favorable. I think we have the best chances of success of any so far.”

The rest is history. Both horses won their respective races, Loves Only You with a gutsy, spine-tingling finish in the G1 Filly & Mare Turf (2200m, 1 3/8 miles) and Marche Lorraine in the Distaff, giving Japan not only its first long-coveted Breeders' Cup victory after 25 years of trying, but two wins for good measure.

“There's no words for how overjoyed I am,” Yahagi said post-race. “There were some difficult places, and I must admit I thought she wasn't going to make it.

“It was a very exciting race. There's nothing better than to be able to send that exciting news back home to Japan.

“I have nothing but gratitude for Loves Only You and wish to say to her, 'Thank you for bringing me here.' She is to me like a most-beloved daughter.”

The post Loves Only You: History Made And In The Making appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post