January, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Quarter Horse Racing Authorities Voice Concern About ‘Alarming Increase’ In Ephedrine Use, Continuing Hair Testing Program

The following press release was distributed Jan. 24 by the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association:

It remains the goal of Remington Park and the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association to provide a race meet of the highest quality and free of any horse racing practices that are corrupt, dishonest, or unprincipled.

Requiring every horse to provide a negative hair test prior to entry not only gives confidence to every owner and fan that the track and horsemen are making every effort to ensure horses are not competing unfairly with an advantage from prohibited substances, but it also protects the welfare of the equine athletes.

The program has proven to be successful. In the previous four years, over 11,000 tests have been collected as a pre-entry requirement. Excluding horses that have been administered a prohibited substance from racing at Remington Park means they are not competing with an unfair advantage; they are not putting the lives of riders at risk, and they are not winning purse money unfairly.

The post-race positives in blood and urine have fallen from thirty-three (33) Class 1 violations at Remington Park in 2017 to only one (1) Class 1 violation in 2021. While hair testing is a great tool, it works best in conjunction with a robust post-race and out of competition testing program. We believe that Oklahoma remains a leader in racing integrity.

Remington Park, OQHRA and participating horsemen have been at the forefront of integrity efforts investing over $3 million in hair testing and out of competition testing to ensure the safety of the horse and fairness for bettors in Oklahoma. Nearly $60 million in purse money has been paid during this time. Stopping horses with an unfair advantage prior to racing means that purse money is awarded to rightful recipients without delays and possible lengthy litigation.

As we move forward, we realize that we must continue to identify substances that are being abused as well as continue to evolve the testing mechanism so that we can better detect prohibited substances. In working with industry leaders in Oklahoma and other states we are very encouraged that Industrial Laboratories can now identify additional prohibited substances in hair. These drugs are and have been prohibited substances for several years.

One substance that has emerged as an abused prohibited substance is ephedrine. We have seen an alarming increase in horses with heart issues and began studying heart rates in horses' pre-race and post-race, which revealed a major welfare issue. Ephedrine is a prohibited substance that has no therapeutic value, is not FDA-approved and should not be used.
In 2022, we will be enforcing positive hair samples on any drug that is prohibited and detected in hair.

Industrial has been instrumental in testing and researching new and existing prohibited substances and we appreciate their cooperation to continue to find ways to protect the integrity of the industry and the welfare of the horse. Remington Park and OQHRA will continue to work with the horsemen, industry leaders and testing laboratories to raise the standard and that “what we already know” is not good enough. The people that continue to find new ways to cheat the system must also know that the resolve for the fairness and safety of our sport will not rest.

For more information on the hair testing requirements or to schedule your horse for testing please visit
https://www.oqhra.com/…/2022-remington-park-hair-testing/ or call (405) 881-5120.

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Dubai Carnival: Pair Of Unbeaten Fillies Top Friday’s UAE 1,000 Guineas

Godolphin's Real World is just one of several stars on the third evening of the Dubai World Cup Carnival on Friday, Jan. 28. The card features Group 2 and four Listed races.

Saeed Bin Suroor's 5-year-old heads a strong field for the Group 2 Zabeel Mile over a mile on turf. Beaten in four starts on dirt here last season, the son of Dark Angel was a revelation when returning to Europe, winning four races on the bounce, culminating in the Gr2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Paris Longchamp in October.

“He's a different horse to the one we saw finishing placed three times last Carnival,” said Bin Suroor, who won the Zabeel Mile in 2008 with Third Set and 2012 with Do It All. “He really strengthened up and matured over the summer, progressing from handicaps to Group company. He's been off the track since October, but we always planned to start him here, before looking at the Neom Turf Cup or the Saudi Cup. The G1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday could also be an option.”

Real World, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is joined in the race by two other Godolphin trainees; Path Of Thunder and One Ruler, both trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won this race five times.

They finished first and sixth in the Zabeel Trophy three weeks ago and Appleby is confident of another big run from Path Of Thunder, saying: “He kicked off his Carnival by winning a Conditions race over a mile, so now he's forced himself into Group company. He should be competitive in the Zabeel Mile.”

Of One Ruler, whose classy European form saw him finish sixth in the Derby at Epsom, Appleby said: “He had an interrupted run when finishing sixth [behind Path Of Thunder], but he's come out of the race well.”

First Classic of season

The card also features the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, in which the unbeaten Shahama has scared off much of the opposition. Trained by Fawzi Nass for owner KHK Racing, the daughter of Munnings overcame a muddy track in the Guineas Trial on New Year's Day to win by 2 1/2 lengths and looks hard to catch here.

However, Swedish-based Irish trainer Kahlil De Burca sends out his highly-regarded Uchcaihshravas, winner of her only start to date at Bro Park in Stockholm, Sweden.

“Fawzi's filly will be hard to beat, but we think our filly is special,” said De Burca, who will be saddling just his second runner in Dubai. “There isn't much between them on the times of the races they've won.”

Race eight, the Listed Dubai Sprint over six furlongs on the straight track, looks like one of the toughest races of the night for Pick Six players.

It features a raider from Australia, with Adelaide-based Will Clarken sending runners to the UAE for the first time. He saddles Parsifal here, who will be ridden by Caitlin Jones, seven races after she partners He's A Balter for the same trainer in the opening six-furlong Emaar Dubai Sprint Consolation race.

Among Parsifal's rivals is Man Of Promise, winner of this race a year ago for Appleby, who also runs G3 scorer Lazuli.

“He missed his intended start a couple of weeks ago after spiking a temperature”, said Appleby of Man Of Promise. “I didn't want to run him at less than 100 percent as he's a horse we think can be competitive at the Carnival. He's back on song now.”

On Lazuli, last seen finishing seventh in the G3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga in New York, he added: “Lazuli has a proper sprint profile. We're starting him over six on Friday to see whether he can book himself a slot in Saudi or go for one of the later sprints in Dubai.”

Competitive renewal of Zabeel Turf

The 1 1/4-mile Listed Zabeel Turf, race five, looks very competitive and features G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes winner Star Safari for Appleby. The 6-year-old warmed up for this assignment with a good second over 1 1/2 miles to Dubai Future in the Listed DRC Classic two weeks ago and will be happier back in distance.

The card is completed by two more dirt races. The seven-furlong Downtown Dubai Cup looks like a good opportunity for Doug Watson's Mubakker to follow up his six-furlong win here last month, while recent course winner Law Of Peace looks to have strong claims in the Graduate Stakes.

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Bell and Moore Join Forces With Ace Rothstein in Bahrain

Ace Rothstein (More Than Ready) is one of 12 horses signed on in Friday's Listed HRH The Crown Prince's Cup, sponsored by Howden. The Michael Bell runner has won three times, including over the Sakhir turf course in a 1800-metre local Group 2, the Al Adiyat Racing Cup, on Jan. 7. With that effort, he defeated the reopposing duo of Medal Winner (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and Macaque (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}).

Ridden by Charlie Bishop in that effort, Bell has engaged the services of 2021 Longines World's Best Jockey Ryan Moore. Moore last rode in Bahrain in 2020, when his mount Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran third in the Bahrain International Trophy.

“Ace Rothstein won a couple of races back in England having had a late start to his 3-year-old career,” said Bell from Bahrain. “He came out to Bahrain just before Christmas and was a bit unlucky in one of the Turf Series races when he got a bit squeezed on the rail. He then won a nice trial race for the Crown Prince's Cup 10 days ago.”

Bell continued, “In theory, he'll have to step up again. He was getting 6 1/2 pounds from Medal Winner who is one of the best horses trained in Bahrain, but he beat him pretty emphatically and it was over a trip short of our best. We're stepping up to 10 furlongs this week which should suit so even though we're worse off at the weights, the extra furlong should stand him in good stead.”

Regarding the jockey switch, Bell added, “We've got a very experienced jockey and the horse is definitely training well over here. He looks great and he's eating well. With the locals, it's always the same when you go overseas. When you go to Ireland you take on Aidan O'Brien, and when you come to Bahrain you take on Shaikh Isa and Fawzi Nass.”

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Canterbury Park’s 2022 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule Offers Over $2 Million In Purses

Canterbury Park's 2022 Thoroughbred stakes schedule will feature 27 stakes, 15 on the main track and 12 on the turf, which will offer $2,060,000 in purses. Building on a successful strategy employed over the past two seasons, the stakes races will again be clustered on specific dates during the 65-day meet that begins May 18 and runs through Sept. 19.

Stakes for horses bred in Minnesota will be run primarily on Saturday evenings while open-company stakes will occur on Wednesday nights. Post time on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is 5:00 p.m. CDT and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival is set for Wednesday, June 22 and features the richest race of the season, the Mystic Lake Derby, a one-mile turf race with a $150,000 purse, along with four $100,000 races: the Lady Canterbury, the Curtis Sampson Oaks, the Mystic Lake Mile and the Dark Star Turf Sprint. Also included is the $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, bringing the stakes purse total for that night to $610,000. Last season the Northern Stars Festival, with the same races grouped on a June Wednesday, attracted a record handle of $3,795,180.

“The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival has proven popular with connections throughout the Midwest as evidenced by last year's strong fields,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We plan to continually improve this event and believe that keeping it on a Wednesday evening will allow it to be uniquely featured across the country.”

The 29th Minnesota Festival of Champions, a program of races dedicated to horses bred in the state, will be Saturday, Sept. 10. The six Thoroughbred stakes will each offer a $100,000 purse.

Hall of Fame Night, with four $50,000 Minnesota-bred stakes, is Saturday, July 16. The $100,000 Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks co-headline Made in Minnesota Night on Aug. 13 which also includes the $50,000 Wally's Choice Stakes and Glitter Star Stakes.

“Regarding the state-bred program, we felt it was important to move our featured Minnesota races to Saturday evenings for the benefit of the owners,” Offerman said. “We acknowledge that watching your horse in person and bringing family and friends to the races is a significant part of the experience. Running these events on Saturday evenings will accommodate that goal while also providing enhanced visibility to the wagering audience on nights when we will have large crowds.”

The first condition book and stall application, due April 4, are available at www.canterburypark.com/horsemen. A shipping and participation incentive program will be announced next week with the objective of attracting new stables to Canterbury Park and encouraging participation in the first weeks of the season.

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