January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

OBS Winter Mixed Sale’s Under Tack Show Pushed Back To 10:00 AM On Monday

The start of the Under Tack Show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale's Horses of Racing Age Section has been moved back one hour to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 24 due to a forecast of unseasonably cold temperatures early in the day.

There are 115 horses cataloged in the Racing Age section, with Hip No.'s 251- 329 in the original printed Winter Mixed Sale catalog. A printed supplemental catalog, including Racing Age supplements Hip No's 330 – 362, is now available at the sales grounds and may be viewed on the OBS website at: http://obssales.com. Additional Racing Age supplements Hip No.'s 363 – 365 have been added. Their catalog pages can also be viewed on the website and are available in printed form at the sales office.

Highlighting the supplemental catalog is Hip No. 349, Fifth Anniversary, a 3-year-old daughter of Runhappy out of My Lady Lauren, by Hard Spun, second in the Woodbine Cares Stakes and winner of a Gulfstream Park allowance race this past Wednesday in track record time. race video

The Under Tack Show will be streamed live via the OBS website at obssales.com and via the Blood-Horse, Daily Racing Form, TDN and Past The Wire websites. The Under Tack Show will be recorded and can be viewed on the website, in its entirety or by individual hip number. Videos will also be available in the Video Room as well as several kiosks in the breezeway and covered walking ring. Visitors to Ocala will find the videos available for in-room viewing at The Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Residence Inn and the Ocala Hilton, plus lounge viewing is available at the Hilton. Under Tack Show results are posted on the OBS website.

The Winter Mixed Sale catalog can be viewed via the OBS website at http://obssales.com. The website's searchable and sortable master index provides links to under tack videos, pedigree and consignor information as well as pedigree updates occurring since the catalog was printed. It has also been updated to allow shortlist creation. A link to instructions for using the new features can be found in the index header and a step by step tutorial is available in the index as well.

The iPad version of the entire catalog is available via the equineline Sales Catalog app. The app allows users to download and view the catalog, record notes and also provides innovative search, sort and rating capability. For information and downloads visit: http://www.equineline.com/SalesCatalogApp/.

OBS again offers Online Bidding during the Winter Mixed Sale. Buyers may go to go to the OBS website and register to gain bidding approval, then access the OBS Bidding Screen with their credentials. For complete information on registration and online bidding please go to the OBS website: obs-online-bidding

The sale begins on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. with Hip No.'s 1 – 206 cataloged in the Consignor Preferred Session. The Horses of Racing Session, cataloged as Hip No.'s 251 – 365, begins immediately following the conclusion of the Preferred Session. The Open Session, with Hip No.'s 451 – 649 cataloged, is set for Wednesday, Jan. 26 and will also begin at 11 a.m.

Current information about OBS sales, consignors and graduates is now also available via social media sites Facebook and Twitter. A link on the homepage directs users to either site.

Sales results will be available on the OBS website, updated hourly during each session of the Winter Mixed Sale. In addition, the latest news regarding OBS graduates, sales schedules, nominations, credit requests, travel information and other news relevant to OBS consignors and customers is also available. E-mail should be addressed to obs@obssales.com.

For more information regarding the Winter Mixed Sale or OBS website, please call (352) 237-2154.

The post OBS Winter Mixed Sale’s Under Tack Show Pushed Back To 10:00 AM On Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘I’ve Seen The Old Ricardo Start To Emerge Again’: Santana In Familiar Place Atop Oaklawn Standings

After the first 18 days of racing at Oaklawn, a familiar name had climbed to the top of the rider standings.

A victory Jan. 16 pulled eight-time local champion Ricardo Santana Jr. into a first-place tie with Francisco Arrieta. Each had 20 victories. Santana topped all riders in purse earnings at the meet ($1,207,239), won at a 21 percent clip, which equaled the best among jockeys in the top 10, and reached a career milestone when he surpassed $100 million in worldwide purse earnings earlier this month, according to the statistical service Equineline.

Interpreting Santana's numbers during the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting that began Dec. 3 is more complex since he is no longer the go-to rider for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after losing that coveted spot last fall.

Santana's 20 victories had come for 10 trainers – Asmussen (6), John Ortiz (2), Ron Moquett (2), Brad Cox (2), Rene Amescua (2), Mike Maker (2), Tom Amoss (1), Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer (1), Melton Wilson (1) and Bret Calhoun (1). Santana's numbers were straightforward to open the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, with 19 of his first 20 winners for Asmussen. Santana's other victory came for Moquett.

An early conclusion? Different landscape, same ruler.

“I thank all the trainers for the opportunity,” Santana said Jan. 14. “Thank you to Moquett. He was the one that brought me here to Arkansas when I was 17 years old. Thank you to Mr. Steve, that's the main barn. He's given me a lot of great moments. He's given me a lot of great opportunities. I'm really blessed to be a part of the Oaklawn team. Everywhere I go, everybody knows me because of Oaklawn. I'm really blessed with all the success I've had at 29 years old. I pray to God to keep me safe, and we're going to keep fighting to make our dreams come true.”

Santana was barreling toward a career year in 2021 after breaking his single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings ($5,642,523) en route to an eighth local riding title (all since uniting with Asmussen in 2013). Santana then had a breakout Saratoga meeting last summer, setting personal bests for victories (35), purse earnings ($4,122,471) and stakes victories (5). All five stakes victories were in Grade 1 events. Four were for Asmussen, including Echo Zulu in the $300,000 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies Sept. 5. Santana was also aboard for Stellar Tap's Aug. 7 victory at Saratoga, which made Asmussen the all-time winningest North America trainer (United States and Canada), according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization.

But momentum stopped, literally, after Santana rode Echo Zulu to victory in the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (G1) Oct. 3 at Belmont Park. The jockey went into a mystifying slump and didn't win a race for more than a month. Santana was 0 for 81 at Keeneland's fall meeting (Asmussen was 1 for 57) and lost the mount on Echo Zulu for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Coupled with another personal body blow, the Oct. 31 death of his close friend, jockey Miguel Mena, Santana had only 42 mounts at the Churchill Downs fall meeting. He won two races as Asmussen went in other directions and finished with a meet-high 20 victories.

Joel Rosario picked up the mount on Echo Zulu for the Breeders' Cup and guided the unbeaten filly to victory, securing an Eclipse Award. Rosario, the favorite to land an Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding jockey of 2021, rode for Asmussen at the Churchill Downs fall meeting and joined Oaklawn's riding colony Jan. 14. He has already ridden extensively for Asmussen in Hot Springs, booting home two winners for the 11-time Oaklawn training champion.

“I thought that his confidence would be shaken a little bit,” Moquett said, referring to Santana. “I think at first, for sure, it was. I think the thing that got him was the Breeders' Cup a little bit. But that's how it goes. That's how this business is. I've seen since he got back here, I've seen the old Ricardo start to emerge again.”

Santana's 2021-2022 Oaklawn highlights include guiding Hollis to a 5 ½-furlong track record (1:02.17) in a $102,000 allowance race Dec. 10 for Ortiz; winning two races aboard the Cox-trained Coach, including the $150,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares Jan. 8; and surpassing $100 million in career purse earnings the following day, according to Equineline.

The Equineline figure is based on worldwide mounts, including purse money Santana generated in Canada, his native Panama, Puerto Rico and Turkey.

Santana reached $100 million in career North American purse earnings last weekend at Oaklawn, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Equibase's total ($100,129,502) is based on mounts in the United States and Canada and ranked 64th in North American history entering Saturday. Santana had 1,661 career North American victories entering Saturday, according to Equibase.

Santana said he continues to ride for Mena, who was killed after reportedly being struck by a vehicle while walking across Interstate Highway 64 in Louisville, Ky. He was 34. Santana uses Mena's helmet covers (“MM” is stitched across the back below a peace symbol) as a tribute to the popular Churchill Downs-based jockey, who won more than 2,000 races in his career.

“A lot of people don't know, but that affected me a lot when one of my best friends, Miguel, passed away,” Santana said. “I even talked to my agent (Ruben Munoz) and said I didn't want to ride many at Churchill. I was with him 24/7. I even ate dinner with him every time we came from Keeneland. I always loved him like my brother. That hit me really hard. Like he was my company, 24/7. When I did something wrong, he was the first one to call me. I was pretty heartbroken. (Jockey) Florent Geroux, that's my other best friend. He's always on my side. That's the people that motivate me to keep going. Thank God, now I feel I'm back. I feel my confidence is back.”

Santana recorded one winner opening day at Oaklawn. The following day, Santana won the $150,000 Clasico Confraternidad Stakes (G1) in Puerto Rico. His late-season bounce back produced a career-high $16,976,612 in purse earnings, according to Equibase. Santana's previous high was $16,713,988 in 2019.

Santana rode his first career winner in the United States Sept. 21, 2009, at Delaware Park. Santana began riding at Oaklawn in 2011 and was its leading jockey in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Santana is Oaklawn's career leader in purse earnings ($33,321,365) and ranks No. 8 all time in victories (633). Coach represented his 45th career Oaklawn stakes victory.

Among Santana's earliest supporters was Moquett, who rode the jockey as an apprentice and helped steer him to Oaklawn.

“I thought that he needed somebody to look after him and stuff,” Moquett said. “I thought when he got to Oaklawn, the whole community would take him in. And he's got all kinds of natural ability. If he could get focused, he could be anything. Luckily, he came here one year and showed up the next year (2013), he was here with Asmussen, and the rest is history.”

Through last Sunday, Santana and Asmussen had teamed for 313 victories at Oaklawn, according to Equineline, with purse earnings of $20,657,057.

Racing resumed Saturday at Oaklawn after Friday's card was cancelled because of freezing temperatures.

The post ‘I’ve Seen The Old Ricardo Start To Emerge Again’: Santana In Familiar Place Atop Oaklawn Standings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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OBS Winter Mixed Under-Tack Show Pushed Back

Due to a forecast that calls for early-morning temperatures in the low 30s, officials at OBS have announced that the breeze show for their Winter Mixed Sale next Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 25 and 26, will begin Monday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. ET, one hour later than previously advertised.

A total of 115 horses are cataloged in the sale's racing age section, with hips 251-329 in the original catalog. A printed supplemental catalog for hips 330-362 is now available on the grounds at OBS and can also be viewed at www.obssales.com. An additional trio of horses of racing age have also been added as hips 363-365 and those pages are available in print in the OBS office.

The post OBS Winter Mixed Under-Tack Show Pushed Back appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Global Views: Challenges Of Southern Hemisphere Covering Practices

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Donncha McCarthy discusses the challenges of the shorter Southern Hemisphere covering season.

Godolphin Flying Start is an excellent way to learn and experience the Thoroughbred industry worldwide. As we are currently in the Australian phase, I have been looking into some differences between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere breeding schedules, and how the shorter Australian breeding season affects stud farms and stallions. I then offer solutions to the challenges Australian breeders, stud farms and stallions face.

Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds turn a year older on Jan. 1, with the covering season officially opening on Feb. 14; however, mares will sometimes be covered earlier, but their foals are not permitted to be registered as born the following year if they foal prior to Jan. 1. In the Southern Hemisphere, all Thoroughbreds have their birthday on Aug. 1, even if they are foaled in July, but no Thoroughbred can be bred before Sept. 1. Aug. 1 has been the official birthday of Thoroughbreds in the Southern Hemisphere since the inception of the Stud Book in 1860, but the strict date of covering only came into play in 2001. This rule was enforced by John Digby (keeper of the Stud Book) when he discovered an extraordinary number of foals were born on Aug. 1. He then decided the easiest way to regulate the birthday of foals was to set a start date to the covering season.

The season in Australia, as a result, is much shorter than in Europe. If you consider the commercial European season to take place between Feb. 1 and June 1, there is a total of 120 days when a mare can conceive. In a typical mare, this allows for 5.7 breeding cycles. In the Southern Hemisphere, a commercial breeding season usually runs from Sept. 1 until Dec. 1, a total of 90 days and 4.3 cycles for the mare to conceive. This shorter time frame puts significantly higher pressure on vets, stud farms and stallions to achieve pregnancies.

There are several reasons why Australian breeders are reluctant to breed into December. First, it's less profitable to have a November yearling versus an August yearling in the sales ring: over the last five years, November foals were 36% cheaper than August foals at all yearling sales.

Second, they are a lot less likely to be accepted at major sales unless they are exceptional types or have deep pedigrees; only 3.8% of the yearlings at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale were November foals. The whole Australian breeding model at present focuses on 2-year-old speed and it is widely accepted that November foals are at a disadvantage during their 2-year-old career.

I believe another reason for decreased breeding in December is due to lack of staff. By Dec. 1 most farms have begun on-farm inspections for Magic Millions, which means more staff will switch to yearling operations.

The European model of breeding for 3-year-old Classics allows breeders to cover into June and beyond as later foals have more time to catch up with their peers. The additional month is beneficial to the welfare of stallions and mares. There is less pressure on stallions to cover large books over a short period, which leads to a positive correlation with fertility and libido.

I do not believe the Australian breeding sector can sustain the model they are using; however, I believe there are a few possible solutions.

First, stallion farms could blanket discount any mares covered in December to incentivise breeders to cover later in the year and offset the discount they are likely to receive in the sales ring as yearlings. A possibility for a scheme to encourage the racing of November foals would also incentivise buyers, which would increase the number of mares bred in December.

Second, moving the date of birth of Southern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds to July 1 and setting the covering date to Aug. 14 in line with the Northern Hemisphere. This would give mares over five cycles to conceive, which would increase conception rates, decrease the pressure on stallions and decrease the pressure on vets and farms.

Conversely, this does raise the issue that a longer season may mean more mares covered by individual stallions, but I believe overall it is for the benefit of the Australian industry. Stallions are under far more pressure now than they were in 2001. There are half as many stallions covering–stallion numbers in Australia are down 53% in the last 18 years. The foal crop is also decreasing rapidly; it is down 29% since 2001 to just under 13,000.

This is a serious issue for the Australian industry. The extra time on either side of the season would increase pregnancies and thus increase the foal crop.

The post Global Views: Challenges Of Southern Hemisphere Covering Practices appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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