January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Harper Named New Executive Director Of KEEP Foundation

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation has hired Alexandra Harper as the organization's new executive director.

Reflecting on the impactful work of the KEEP Foundation in its Equine Workforce Initiative and an investment in broader education about the industry to more young Kentuckians, the KEEP Foundation Board of Directors have hired Alexandra Harper to build on these successes and further elevate the work of the organization across the Commonwealth.

Prior to joining the KEEP Foundation, Harper was the practice manager at Park Equine Hospital. She previously worked for the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) as the special programs manager, where she produced the 2019 ASHA Youth Conference which brought record-breaking attendance from the United States, and developed a continuing education program for members. In addition, she worked as the operations and communications coordinator for the University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs, where she was involved with a number of education initiatives in the Thoroughbred, sport horse, and other equine disciplines. Harper originally hails from Charleston, WVa. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors of Arts in Corporate Communications and attained a Master of Business Administration from Midway University.

“I'm excited about taking the reins as executive director,” said Harper. “I look forward to taking the KEEP Foundation to the next level through enhanced fundraising efforts and educational events, continued workforce development initiative, and expanding the efforts toward making the industry more accessible. I've spent my entire professional and personal life in this industry and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish as we work together toward the common goal of a thriving and ever evolving Kentucky horse industry.”

“Since 2018, when the KEEP Foundation began working across the industry and in partnership with the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center on the Equine Workforce Initiative, the Foundation has been at the center of the conversation in planning for the future of the horse industry in Kentucky and ensuring that that future is led by a homegrown workforce that provides economic impact in all 120 counties,” said Elisabeth Jensen, newly-elected chair of the KEEP Foundation board of directors. “The hiring of Alexandra Harper brings invaluable passion and experience that will allow the Foundation to meet the moment and excel beyond what we've been able to do before.”

In addition to hiring Harper, the KEEP Foundation added Price Bell and Reese Koffler-Stanfield to its Board of Directors. Bell is the General Manager of Mill Ridge Farm and Koffler-Stanfield is an international dressage rider, trainer, clinician, and owner of Maplecrest Farm.

The Board of Directors also elected officers for 2022. Elisabeth Jensen will serve as chair while continuing to manage the policy and legislative affairs of the KEEP Alliance. Katie LaMonica will serve as vice chair and Shannon Cobb will serve as treasurer.

Established in 2014, the KEEP Foundation is the charitable arm of the Kentucky Equine Education Project. Funded by horse industry participants and through the sale of the Seattle Slew specialty license plate, the KEEP Foundation seeks to support the continued economic success of the Kentucky horse industry by increasing access to the industry for more Kentuckians and educating Kentuckians about the industry and its career opportunities. In the coming year, the Foundation will continue to focus on its Equine Workforce Initiative, industry education events and outreach, and opportunities to spotlight and grow Kentucky's horse industry across the state.

The mission of the KEEP Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), established in 2014, is to support the economic success of Kentucky's signature industry by ensuring its continued economic viability, making the industry accessible for all who want to participate, introducing more young people to the industry and its opportunities, and educating the people of the Commonwealth about the importance of horses to the state, its economy, its heritage, and its people.

To learn more about the KEEP Foundation, visit www.thekeepfoundation.org

The post Harper Named New Executive Director Of KEEP Foundation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Independence Hall: A Son of Constitution at WinStar

As Tapit's list of Grade I winners quickly approaches 30 constituents, his sons are now proving their worth in the stud barn. Constitution leads the charge of Tapit sons at stud with an $85,000 fee. The WinStar sire concluded 2021 with a fifth worldwide Group 1/Grade I winner in Cigar Mile H. victor Americanrevolution and his 20th black-type winner in GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile S. winner Law Professor.

While WinStar Farm hopes that Constitution, whose first crop was foaled in 2017, could one day become a foundation sire at WinStar, this year they checked off the next goal for their promising stallion by adding one of his sons to their stallion roster.

Independence Hall, a graded stakes-winning member of Constitution's first crop along with MGISW Tiz the Law, will stand alongside his sire this year for a fee of $10,000.

“We're super excited to have Independence Hall came home to WinStar and begin his stud career,” said WinStar's director of bloodstock Liam O'Rourke. “We've had a great history at WinStar over the past 21 years and Constitution really represents the next generation of what WinStar is going to be. He's had such an electric start and with what he has coming down the pipeline, we're very excited and very bullish on his future. [Reaching] the next step of having one of his sons retire to WinStar is very rewarding.”

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Independence Hall was an easy debut winner for Robert and Kathleen Verratti and trainer Mike Trombetta. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables joined in the ownership before his next start, a stunning 12 1/4-length score in the 2019 GIII Nashua S. in record time.

“He came on our radar very early,” O'Rourke said. “After his first start, when he came back in the Nashua to run a 101 Beyer speed figure–the fastest 2-year-old performance of the year–we started to realize that he was going to be a very special horse.”

The dark bay colt remained undefeated in his sophomore debut in the Jerome S. and was then runner-up in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. After an unplaced finish in his next start, he was given time off and returned to the starting gate at the end of his 3-year-old season under the care of trainer Michael McCarthy.

At four, Independence Hall was competitive against top company with WinStar joining his partnership at the beginning of the season. He ran third to future GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., placed second to the same rival later in the GIII Lukas Classic S. and then earned a final career victory in his next start in the GII Hagyard Fayette S.

“He held form with [Knicks Go] through most of the year and the season was culminated by what was I think one of the talking performances of the Keeneland meet when he came out and won the Fayette S.,” O'Rourke recalled. “He beat some outstanding horses in that race and really showed what a brilliant horse he was.”

Independence Hall retired with earnings of almost $900,000, running in the money in six graded starts with three stakes wins to his credit.

Independence Hall's breakout performance in the GIII Nashua S. | Chelsea Durand

“I think he was a really great racehorse because of that high cruising speed,” O'Rourke explained. “We love that 2-year-old form, that brilliance, and when they can come back and be an elite older horse and knock heads with the best of the best in the country, that's something that we find really strong.”

O'Rourke said that the new stallion's physical helps explain the high cruising speed he was able to display on the track.

“Physically, he's a very impressive horse. He's a big, beautiful, smooth walker. He's balanced, but he's masculine. He has that size, scope and frame that I think Constitution has been able to produce and he put it all together in the way he could get over the ground.”

A son of the winning Cape Town mare Kalahari Cat, Independence Hall is a half-brother to Grade III winner Black Onyx (Rock Hard Ten) and two more graded stakes-placed siblings in SW Francois (Smarty Jones) and Quality Council (Elusive Quality). His family also includes Desert Stormer (Storm Cat), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and the granddam of MGISW Better Lucky (Ghostzapper).

O'Rourke explained that while Independence Hall has been popular with breeders since arriving at WinStar, he already has a solid support system built in with a large syndicate group that includes Woodford Thoroughbreds, Twin Creeks, Kathleen and Robert Verratti, Eclipse Thoroughbreds, China Horse Club and Machmer Hall.

“It's really a 'who's who' of syndicate members,” O'Rourke said. “Along with that, we offered Independence Hall in our Dream Big program, which virtually sold out overnight, so we have some really good folks supporting the horse and he will have some really nice mares in those first couple of years.”

WinStar's Dream Big program allows breeders the opportunity to acquire a lifetime breeding right to the stallion.

“Independence Hall proved that he was a special horse as a 2-year-old and he proved it again as an older horse,” O'Rourke said. “He has the pedigree and the looks and I think we priced him to where he's very attractive to breeders. We've had a huge response to him so far and it's so rewarding to have a son of one of our sires come home and join our stallion roster.”

The post Independence Hall: A Son of Constitution at WinStar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Anapurna to Visit Kingman

Classic heroine Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will be covered by Juddmonte's Kingman (GB) in 2022, Meon Valley Stud confirmed to the TDN.

Bred by Meon Valley Stud and raced by Helena Springfield Ltd., the bay captured the G1 Investec Oaks in only her fourth start. She added the G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu later in 2019 and was top of her division in France that year. The daughter of listed winner, G1 Yorkshire Oaks second and G1 Meon Valley Stud Mile third Dash To The Top (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) is currently in foal to Darley's Dubawi (Ire) on a Mar. 18 cover. A half-sister to the group-placed Dynasty (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Very Dashing (GB) (Dansili {GB}), her first foal is a yearling filly by Lope de Vega (Ire).

This is the expended family of champion and two-time Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal), while Milligram (GB) (Mill Reef), herself a Group 1 winner and dual Classic-placed, is Anapurna's third dam.

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Roger and Harry Charlton To Train In Partnership

A new training partnership comes into force this week in Britain between Roger Charlton and his eldest son Harry.

Charlton Sr has trained from the historic Beckhampton estate in Wiltshire since 1990, having taken over the stable from Jeremy Tree. His tenure was instantly successful when sending out Derby winner Quest For Fame (GB) and Prix du Jockey Club winner Sanglamore that same season, both for Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms.

“I came to Beckhampton in 1978 and served as assistant to Jeremy Tree before taking over in 1990 and have enjoyed training at Beckhampton immensely,” said Chalrton. “In that period I have witnessed some of the great horses, future stallions and mares that have changed the world of horseracing. I am incredibly proud of what myself and the team have achieved in the last 30 years. I have had a wonderful bunch of owners throughout, many of whom are still supporting me, as well as a tremendous team at Beckhampton, a lot of whom joined when I did.”

He continued, “I felt it was time to appreciate the hard work that Harry puts in to the operation, [with him] having been working in the yard since 2014. Within that period there has been great successes including Thistle Bird, Al Kazeem, Decorated Knight and Quadrilateral. He is an integral member of the team and at the age of 36 he deserves to be recognised in an industry that values youth. Beckhampton shall carry on as usual, it is a family business and Harry has been a great help to Clare and I.”

As well as the aforementioned equine luminaries to have been trained at Beckhampton over the last three decades, other notable names include top sprinter and now successful stallion Bated Breath (GB), emerging young sire Time Test (GB), and Group 1 winners Avonbridge (GB), Patavellian (GB), Cityscape (GB), Aspetar (Fr), Tamarisk (Ire) and Quest For More (Ire). Charlton also trained Frankel's first stakes winner Fair Eva (GB).

Harry Charlton said, “It's a great honour to be joining my father on the licence at such a prestigious place as Beckhampton, where I have grown up. It is a big community with a lot of history. Having been a member of the team for so long, the day-to-day running of the yard will stay much the same but I understand the privilege that comes with the new title.

“The many successes of my predecessors set a standard to strive for and, as always, Dad and I endeavour to do the very best for our owners. My father has had a wonderful career as a sole trainer and I know we are both looking forward to training lots of winners as we move forward. Quality over quantity will continue to be the mantra and I can't wait to get going.”

Training partnerships have only been allowed in Britain since May 2020. Simon Crisford, who is also Harry Charlton's father-in-law, was among the first to take advantage of the new rule when going into partnership with his son Ed shortly after the changes were put in place. Other father-and-son teams include John and Thady Gosden, Paul and Oliver Cole, and Mark and Charlie Johnston. Daniel and Clare Kubler become the first husband-and-wife training partnership in July 2020.

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