January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Velazquez Latest Hall Of Famer To Make Agent Anderson’s Job ‘Easy’

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez turned 50 on Nov. 24, but his talent on horseback and dealing with horsemen and the media hasn't diminished one iota due to his age.

Riding regularly now at Santa Anita after being based mainly in New York since 1990, the native of Puerto Rico is well atop the jockey standings after three racing days, with nine wins from 17 mounts, leading in purse earnings as well with $653,900.

It's no surprise to those in the know, particularly his agent, Ron Anderson, whose savvy extends well beyond horse racing.

“He's without a doubt one of the greatest riders we've seen in a very, very long time,” said the 67-year-old Anderson, who became a world-class agent soon after he started in 1973, and also represents future Hall of Famer Joel Rosario.

Anderson's admiration of “Johnny V.,” as Velazquez is known to friends and fans alike, is understandable and deserved.

“John devotes considerable time as president of the Jockeys' Guild, which involves much more than meets the eye,” Anderson said. “Overall, he's in a league by himself, a great rider and a complete professional in every facet of his life.”

Anderson is reticent when it comes to beating the drums on his own behalf, but his record speaks for itself.

“I've won 38 Breeders' Cup races,” Anderson noted sans fanfare. “Nobody's even close.

“I've been doing this long enough that we've got it figured out,” he said, “but the bottom line is these guys make it easy for me, because I get opportunities to put them on good horses.”

He has represented a Who's Who of Hall of Fame jockeys in his nearly 49 years as an agent, namely Velazquez, Jerry Bailey, Garrett Gomez, Gary Stevens, Chris Antley and Kent Desormeaux, with Rosario waiting in the wings.

Ron Anderson may not own up to it, but you could say this: he's been Colonel Parker to all of those jocks.

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Sunday’s Insights: Expensive, Purple Pedigrees Debut in the New Year

1st-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 12:30 p.m. ET
As two of the most expensive auction purchases on the entire card, newly turned 3-year-old fillies SIEMPRE ELEGANTE (American Pharoah) and AMERICAN HEROINE (War Front) will be turning heads for more reasons than one. The former clicked through her paces at the 2021 OBS March sale (:21 1/5) well, impressing owner Sean Flanagan enough to put down a healthy $550,000 for her; one of a six-way tie for fourth most expensive of the sale. While the first dam is devoid of black-type for now, it's the second dam which catches the eye: MGSW Woodlander (Forestry), SW Admiral Alex (Afleet Alex), MGSW Azar (Scat Daddy), and MGSW Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) lead a top cast in the female line. She'll go to post for Flanagan Racing and trainer John Kimmel.

The hammer dropped at $1.05 million for American Heroine at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, one of five big tickets for her dam Chatham (Maria's Mon), including the South Korean-bound full-brother and European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue. This is also the family of champion 2-year-old filly Flanders (Seeking the Gold), and her Seattle Slew champion 3-year-old Surfside. Breeder Stone Farm and Augustin Stable partner up with Christophe Clement at the helm. TJCIS PPs

10th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 5:14 p.m. ET
Phipps Stable sends out a smartly bred colt to debut here in GRAND CAY (Uncle Mo), a son of MGSW Abaco (Giant's Causeway), earner of over $780,000 and second in the GI Flower Bowl S. at Belmont. She's a fourth-generation graded stakes winner in a line starting with champion Relaxing, the dam of Easy Goer (Alydar). On the far outside of the field will break Field Marshal (War Front), another with a purple catalog page. This is the second foal out of MGSW Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro), the first being half-brother and GISP Santin (Distorted Humor). This Godolphin homebred son of War Front has been working steadily and will be unveiled under the tutelage of Bill Mott. TCJIS PPs

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LFT Requirement For Weighing Room Deferred

Edited Press Release

Recognising the difficulty some participants and officials have had in ordering Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs), the racing industry COVID-19 Group has temporarily deferred the requirement, announced earlier this week, to show a negative lateral flow test to gain entry to the Weighing Room, which was due to take effect at all fixtures from 5 January.

Existing requirements will remain in place, including the need for COVID status certification for all Weighing Room attendees at all fixtures. Anyone unable to provide evidence of vaccination status will continue to require proof of a negative PCR or LFT test.

This pause is to allow participants to secure a supply of tests and we encourage you to continue your efforts to do so. A new implementation date will be announced once LFT supply issues improve.

If you have been able to obtain tests, we recommend you start testing on a regular basis to protect your colleagues should you contract COVID-19. You should not attend a race meeting if you feel unwell in any way and should get a PCR test as soon as possible. Please be aware that the symptoms of Omicron can be very mild to start with. While vaccination with booster remains a key defence against severe illness and death, you may still contract and pass on the virus, hence the value in combining vaccination with regular testing.

On the racecourse, please wear masks and maintain social distancing where possible and as directed, and minimise the time you spend in indoor spaces.

The post LFT Requirement For Weighing Room Deferred appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Study: Surgical Intervention For Specific Poll Injuries Is Often Successful

Horses suffering from poll injures involving the cranial nuchal bursa often behave in very specific ways, reports EQUUS magazine. They often stretch down their neck and carry their heads low, and they are often reluctant to flex through their poll and avoid being on the bit.

Bursa are fluid-filled sacs found between bones. The soft tissue is designed to ease friction between the two structures. The cranial nuchal bursa is located between the nuchal ligament and the atlas vertebra.
Inflammation in this bursa, called cranial nuchal bursitis, can cause pain, limited flexion and decreased athletic performance. A study has shown that surgical intervention is often successful in treating this injury.

Dr. José M. García-López, of Tufts University, led a research team in reviewing the records of 35 horses diagnosed with cranial nuchal bursitis over the past 25 years.

The horses were between 5 and 22 years old, with a median age of 13. The majority of the horses were sport horses, primarily competing in dressage, which García-López noted may support the idea that specific ways of going could encourage the development of cranial nuchal bursitis.

Records showed that 14 of the horses were treated with anti-inflammatories, while the rest underwent a minimally invasive surgery to correct the problem. The surgery, called a bursoscopy, allows a surgeon to flush and remove debris from the bursa.

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The researchers found that 78.6 percent of the horses which underwent surgery returned to their previous level of work, while 66.7 percent of horses which received only medication were able to return to work. The horses that responded well to non-medical management generally presented with solely fluid accumulation, with minimal debris in the bursa or synovial thickening.

García-López and his team concluded that horses with bursa inflammation alone could be treated with anti-inflammatory medication; however, if debris is present in the bursa, surgery is recommended. The sooner the surgery is performed, the more likely the horse will return to an athletic career.