CHRB Completes Medina Spirit Postmortem Review

Edited Press Release

Pursuant to California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Rule 1846.6, a Postmortem Examination Review (PER) was completed on the sudden death of Medina Spirit. This process takes place for every fatality occurring at a CHRB regulated facility and is performed by a team consisting of an Official Veterinarian, a safety steward, and a member of the Board of Stewards–in this case, Dr. Alina Vale, David Neusch (safety steward), and Kim Sawyer (steward).

In all cases, the PER panel strives to learn the circumstances surrounding the fatality, which involves reviewing the necropsy report, medical records, and training records in an effort to identify any at-risk factors in preparation for interviews with the trainers, attending veterinarians, and any other licensees deemed appropriate. A more detailed description is provided in Rule 1846.6.

Based on the forensic examination and the postmortem review on Medina Spirit, the CHRB did not identify any potential CHRB violations that require further investigation.

Click here to view the complete Postmortem Examination Review.

 

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Pyledriver ‘Bouncing And Kicking’ In Saudi

Last year's G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) is reported to be in fine fettle by his co-trainer William Muir ahead of Saturday's G3 Neom Turf Cup, and though a positive Covid test has ruled Muir out of traveling to Saudi Arabia, he has been keeping close tabs on his stable star via video feed and through communication with his team on the ground, which includes his son-in-law and jockey Martin Dwyer.

The 5-year-old Pyledriver won the Listed Churchill S. at Lingfield on Nov. 13 in his first outing since the Coronation Cup, and he was second in the G1 Hong Kong Vase when last seen on Dec. 12.

“The horse is in great order, he travelled well to Hong Kong and that was the first time he's ever done it,” Muir said. “Since he's been in Saudi he's bouncing and kicking. He's done a breeze [Thursday] morning on grass, I've seen it on video and we were all very happy with it.

“Martin was delighted with him. He did the same thing in Hong Kong–we were walking back off the track together and I said 'what do you think?' and he said, 'whatever beats this will win,' and he was right, the one horse that beat us won. I asked him this morning how he was and he said he feels better than Hong Kong, he said he feels fresh, he's alert, he's just in a very good place. We are in a good place. The horse has had everything happen perfectly. We're happy, we've just got to exercise on Friday and then see what happens on the day.”

Muir, who trains in partnership with Chris Grassick, said it was “frustrating” to be self-isolating while Pyledriver goes on his travels.

“I would have been there myself, but I've tested positive for Covid so I couldn't go,” Muir said. “Martin was fine, he had a negative test so he's gone out and is there now. It's just frustrating, I've got to keep myself away from the staff so they don't catch it as well. I've just got a little bit of a cold. A few years ago I wouldn't have missed any work at all, if I was working for somebody else I'd be feeling guilty that I wasn't working.”

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From Minor Leagues To The Saudi Cup, Neil Poznansky Enjoying ‘Rewarding’ Journey With Art Collector

Neil Poznansky is explaining about one particular moment at the racetrack that changed his career.

“My eyes were swollen shut, I looked like a little marshmallow,” he recalls. “I was struggling with my weight. I won my last race for David Carroll, who's now assistant to Mark Casse, at Ellis Park. Ellis Park can be the hottest place on earth, it must have been 110 degrees with humidity. Everything was hotter than heck. I won by the smallest of margins and I rode and rode and rode and I didn't have a drop of sweat on me; I was bone dry. I had nothing left in me water-wise.”

He continues: “I was driving back to Louisville, Kentucky and on the way home I called my dad up and said, 'I am done'. I got a sports drink from Seven Eleven and drank the whole thing. I showed up the next morning with my eyes all squinting because your body puffs up, retaining the fluid.

“I said I quit.”

By that point Poznansky had ridden 761 official winners, become only the second Canadian jockey to win the USA Eclipse award for apprentice rider in 1996 as well as receiving Canadian honors, but his career had started to descend gradually.

“I wanted to get going in the States. I felt like I had exhausted my options in Canada and the USA had so many more tracks. Usually, you can find your spot somewhere,” said the Edmonton, Alberta native rider who started his career competing on the local 'bush' tracks. He ended up finding an avenue with Bill Mott, one of the most respected trainers in the world, and is his work rider and assistant.

“I got hooked up with Bill [Mott] and it ended up staying that way. I never got real far from him. It's got to be 14 or 15 years I've worked for him now.”

The need for speed remained but Poznansky found a different way of quenching his thirst for adrenaline. Being intimately involved with a Thoroughbred's preparation and development raises the stakes significantly come race day.

An elevated pulse might be another of the side effects when Woodward Stakes victor Art Collector (USA) gets ready to go for The Saudi Cup, while Grade 1 winner Casa Creed (USA) is set to jump for the 1351 Turf Sprint presented by stc. Team Mott is ready to fire.

“I am a good armchair jockey,” Poznanksy grins.

“I'm telling you I get more nervous seeing them go into the gate. All that you do to get them there. As a jock I was always like, 'we'll get them next time'. But now I know there might not be a next time. You don't know what it took to get these horses here, in this kind of shape. It's pretty nerve-wracking but very, very rewarding.”

Art Collector has drawn gate nine for the Saudi Cup on Saturday.

“Gate nine is close to the middle and Art Collector has got some good speed,” Poznansky said. “This was the plan all along, he's been training excellent and that's not a bad draw.”

Top jockey Luis Saez takes the mount on both Mott runners, and has been able to deliver on Art Collector's potential with a G1 Woodward triumph.

“Luis knows Art Collector well. He gets him out of the gate and secures a good position on him which an older horse obviously likes. The horse seems to respond to him very well,” the assistant continued.

“Tomorrow we will just gallop. We won't be doing too much the day before the race. I will be trying to get Art Collector around there, I don't want to fight him or anything like that but I don't want to go too fast either.”

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Organization Of Racing Investigators Conference Set For March 27-30 At Aqueduct

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will welcome members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) to Aqueduct Racetrack for its annual conference, which begins on March 27 and continues through March 30. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this will mark the first ORI conference since 2020.

U.S. Rep. Paul D. Tonko, a co-sponsor of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, will be the keynote speaker of this year's event. Congressman Tonko will be joined by a number of experts and racing executives, who will address ORI membership on a variety of issues.

Registration for ORI members is available at: https://horseracinginvestigators.com/.

NYRA is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 ORI conference, with additional sponsorship from the Breeders' Cup, 1/ST Racing, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF), Penn National Gaming, The Jockey Club, and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.

“The work of the members of the Organization of Racing Investigators is critical to ensuring safety and integrity in the sport of horse racing, and we thank NYRA for hosting us,” said ORI Chairman Jean Claude Jaramillo, an Equine Investigator Specialist at NYRA. “This is an important opportunity to share best practices and hear directly from nationally recognized experts.”

In addition to Rep. Tonko's address, presentations will include:

· NYRA Security Operations – John Clyne, Senior Director, Security, NYRA;
· Stewarding in New York State – Braulio Baeza, Jr., State Steward, New York State Gaming Commission;
· Jockey Club Industry Initiatives – Kristin Werner, Senior Counsel, The Jockey Club;
· Joint Treatments in the Competition Horse – Dr. Scott Palmer, DVM, Equine Medical Director, New York State Gaming Commission;
· From the Finish Line to FedEx: Testing Sample Integrity – Leasa Johnson, Chief Investigator, New Mexico Racing Commission;
· Examples of Pool Manipulation and Grey/Illegal Market Betting – Patrick Cummings, Executive Director – Thoroughbred Idea Foundation;
· Corporate Protocols – Dr. Dionne Benson, DVM, JD, Chief Veterinary Officer, 1/ST Racing;
· Media Training** – Patrick McKenna, Vice President, Communications, NYRA;
· Understanding Microchips and Digital Certificates** – Teena Appleby, Technician Operations & Investigations, Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau;
· Racehorse Aftercare Awareness** – Richard E. Schosberg, Trainer & President of the Take2/Take The Lead Thoroughbred Retirement Program;
· Interference Rules and Protocols: Consistency in Decisions** – Braulio Baeza, Jr., State Steward (NYSGC), Brook Hawkins (NYRA Steward), Dr. Jennifer Durenberger (Jockey Club Steward);
· Concussion Protocols and Return to Ride** – Patricia Morrison, Premise Health; and,
· ORI Membership Business Meeting.

** Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) Points of Emphasis agenda item.

Speakers are subject to change.

About the Organization of Racing Investigators
The Organization of Racing Investigators, Inc. (ORI) was established in 1991 to address the problems of the pari-mutuel racing industry related to the integrity and general health of the sport. It is composed of the professionals responsible for investigations associated with professional horse racing. ORI members are employed by government agencies, regulatory entities, and racetracks; they have successfully investigated race-fixing, horse doping, animal abuse, money laundering, and a host of other infractions of the laws and rules that govern professional horse racing.

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