Month: March 2022

Washington Racing Crowns Blazingbellablu 2021 Horse of the Year

The last time a sophomore filly was awarded Washington horse of the year was 22 years ago, and in fact since 1950, Blazingbellablu is only the sixth 3-year-old distaffer to achieve that high honor.

Her accomplishments and those of many other outstanding horses and worthy people were celebrated on Saturday, March 19, 2022,  at the Washington Thoroughbred Champions Annual Awards and dinner held at Emerald Downs racetrack in Auburn, Wash.

Racing as a homebred for Petra Lewin's Rainbow Meadows Farm and trainer Charlie Essex, Blazingbellablu began her championship season with a respectful showing at Santa Anita Park before traveling north for a summer campaign at Emerald Downs where she recorded three straight victories, including a tally in the Kent Stakes. After finishing fourth in both the Washington Oaks and WA Cup Fillies and Mares Stakes, Blazingbellablu made her winter home at Turf Paradise where Essex saddled her to defeat older fillies and mares in the Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. and City of Phoenix stakes. She finished her 3-year-old campaign with a second place finish in the Bell of the Ball Overnight Stakes on Dec. 29. The daughter of Grazen –Bellomesa was both the leading Washington-bred earner of the year ($152,848) and the only state-bred to emerge with three stakes victories during 2021.

Retiring Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (WTBOA) General Manager M. Anne Sweet became the 23rd recipient of the prestigious S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award for her nearly 44 years of service to the WTBOA and the Washington Thoroughbred industry beginning with her appointment as Art Director, which grew with her job as editor of the Washington Thoroughbred. Since 2012 Anne has provided steadfast leadership and integrity as the association's General Manager while still maintaining her other two positions.

Trainer Marshall Allen's efforts to help save longtime horse owner Jim Foulkes last year on the Emerald Downs' backside were acknowledged with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America White Horse Award.

Other horse awards included: champion sprinter and older horse Papa's Golden Boy; champion turf horse Harbored Memories; champion older filly or mare Itsallinthenotes; champion 3-year-old colt or gelding Coastal Kid; champion 2-year-old colt or gelding Cobra Jet; champion 2-year-old filly Koron; plater of the year Avalon King; and most improved plater of the year Ms Lynn.

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst, breeders of Koron, were named 2021 Washington breeders of the year and their stallion Conveyance topped the state sire list. Both titles are awarded by earnings.

Pontiff, who moved to California last fall, was the state's top freshman sire and two-time stakes producer Brookie Girl was selected as broodmare of the year.

For the second year in a row, Khilia Giacobone's now Virginia-based Winter Knight (shown as Maei Platinum Star) was honored as top Washington-bred Off Track Thoroughbred (OTTB).

Others honored during the festive Longacres Mile-themed event were: Washington leading owners Todd and Shawn Hansen; Mark Kaufman Media Award winners Vince Bruun and Ray Paulick; and WHBPA Willing Hearts recipient Jill Hallin.

Racetrack special achievement awards were given to trainer Kay Penney Cooper and rider Alex Cruz, who both had exceptional 2021 seasons at Emerald Downs.

Washington champions and award winners of 2021:

2021 Richard Wright Memorial Horse of the Year, Blue Ribbon Farm Champion 3-year-old & Pegasus Training & Rehabilitation Champion 3-year-old Filly: BLAZINGBELLABLU

(Grazen—Bellomesa, by Sky Mesa)

Owners and Breeders: Rainbow Meadows Farm (Petra Lewin) & Charles D. Essex

Trainer: Charles D. Essex

2021 Race Record: 11-5-3-0; $152,848

Stakes: Kent S. (EmD), Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. S. (TuP). City of Phoenix S. (TuP);

2nd Bell of the Ball Overnight S. (TuP)

2021 Clay Ward Agency LLC Champion 3-year-old Colt or Gelding: COASTAL KID

(G., Coast Guard—Crème [Chi], by Somersham)

Owners: Steve & Letha Haahr

Breeders: Nina & Ron Hagen (El Dorado Farms LLC)

Trainer: Jeffry Metz

2021 Race Record: 12-1-5-2; $78,661

Stakes: Muckleshoot Tribal Classic S,-R (EmD);

2nd Muckleshoot Derby (EmD)

WTBOA Sale Graduate

 2021 Freight NW Champion 2-year-old & Champion 2YO Colt or Gelding: COBRA JET

(G, Curlin to Mischief—Atta Gal Val, by Atta Boy Roy)

Owners: R. E. V. Racing (Roy & Ellie Schaefer), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

(Aron Wellman) and Lucarelli Racing Corporation (Frank Lucarelli)

Breeders: Mr. & Mrs. William T. Griffin (Griffin Place LLC)

Trainer: Frank Lucarelli

2021 Race Record: 4-3-1-0; $76,496

Stakes: King County Express (EmD), WA Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings S.-R (EmD);  2nd WTBOA Lads S. (EmD)

WTBOA Sale Graduate

 2021 Freight NW Champion Two-Year-Old Filly: KORON

(Nationhood—Muchas Coronas, by Macho Uno)

Owner: Blue Ribbon Racing Ladies

(Elaine Parks, Linda Metz, Carol Stenberg, Grace Stenberg & Debbie Pabst)

Breeders: Mr. & Mrs. Frederick L. Pabst (Blue Ribbon Farm)

Trainer: Kay Penney Cooper

2021 Record: 3-3-0-0; $66,196

Stakes: Barbara Shinpoch S. (EmD), WA Cup Juvenile Filly S.-R (EmD)

WTBOA Sale Graduate

 2021 Left Coast Thoroughbreds Champion Older Horse or Gelding & Duane Weber Insurance Champion Sprinter: PAPA'S GOLDEN BOY

(5YO G., Harbor the Gold—Brookie Girl, by Proud Citizen)

Owners: Gary, Deborah, Jeff & Peyton Lusk

Breeder: Bar C Racing Stables Inc. (Pam & Neal Christopherson)

Trainers: Vince Gibson & Jack Steiner

2021 Race Record: 7- 3-0-0; $80,571

Stakes: Budweiser S. (EmD), Governor's S. (EmD)

WTBOA Sale Graduate

 2021 Castlegate Farm Champion Older Filly or Mare: ITSALLINTHENOTES

(4YO, Ministers Wild Cat—For Real Too, by E Dubai)

Owners: RMFR Stables (Dennis Bailey); Let It Ride Equine Holdings IV LLC;

Mark Dedomenico LLC

Breeder: Dunn Bar Ranch LLC (Charlie Dunn)

Trainers: Corey Deatherage; Chris A. Hartman; Michael Puhich

2021 Race Record: 9- 3-1-2  $103,771

WTBOA Sale Graduate

2021 Rainbow Meadows Farm & VanDorm Realty Inc. Champion Turf Horse: HARBORED MEMORIES

(3YO, C., Harbor the Gold—Fresia, by El Prado [Ire])

Owners: Bar C Racing Stables Inc. & Slugo Racing (Steve Gasparelli )

Breeder: Bar C Racing Stables Inc. (Pam & Neal Christopherson)

Trainer: Mike Puype

2021 Turf Race Record: 5-2-2-0; $102,300

2021 Mahlum Thoroughbreds Plater of the Year – AVALON KING (6YO G., Heatseeker [Ire]—Oneknightledo, by Slewdledo). Owner: Larry O'Brien. Breeders: Sylvia Kenney & Regan Bray. Trainer: Debbie O'Brien. 2021 Race Record: 15 starts, 5-4-1, $58,833.

2021 K-V Racing Stables Most Improved Plater – MS LYNN (3YO, F., Linchpin—Point Da Harbor, by Harbor the Gold). Owner and breeder: Ronald L. Bohlman. Trainer: Roy Lumm. 2021 Record: 7 starts. 2-1-3, $55,488, Won Seattle S., 3rd Kent S., Washington Oaks, WA Cup Filly and Mare S.-R.

2021 El Dorado Farms Leading Sire Award – CONVEYANCE (2007, Indian Charlie—Emptythetill, by Holy Bull). Property of and standing at Blue Ribbon Farm. 2021 Earnings of $1,124,831.

2021 John and Joyce Loftus Leading Freshman Sire Award – PONTIFF (2010, Giant's Causeway—Preach, by Mr. Prospector). Stands property of Warlock Stables, Daehling Ranch & Perry Martin at Daehling Ranch, CA. 2021 Earnings of $30,053.

2021 Griffin Place Broodmare of the Year – BROOKIE GIRL (2005, Proud Citizen—Skatesheba (Fr), by Green Tune. Owned by Bar C Racing Stables Inc. (Neal & Pam Christopherson). 6 foals, 5 starters, 4 winners, 2 SWs, 1 Washington champion. 2021 Washington champion older horse and sprinter PAPA'S GOLDEN BOY (by Harbor the Gold, $127,896), 2020 SW GOLD CRUSHER (by Harbor the Gold, $74.068) and winners Brooks Harbor (by Harbor the Gold, $17,975) and George W (by Harbor the Gold, $15,377).

2021 One Horse Will Do Corporation Top Washington-bred OTTB – WINTER KNIGHT (shown as Maei Platinum Star), Dk.B./Brn. g., 2015, Harbor the Gold—Silver City Lilly, by Tiffany Ice. Owner and Rider: Khilia T. Giacobone. Breeder: Bar C Racing Stables Inc. With 1,547 points recorded through The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) Performance Awards. WTBOA Sale Graduate

2021 S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award: M. ANNE SWEET– For 44 years of commitment to excellence in the Thoroughbred industry. Beginning as art director for the Washington Horse, her achievements significantly grew as Washington Thoroughbred editor. When promoted to WTBOA General Manager, her grace, fortitude and steadfast leadership was fully recognized.

2021 Race Track Chaplaincy of America White Horse Award: MARSHALL ALLEN – The RTCA defines a hero “as a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities.”

2021 Mark Kaufman Media Awards: 1) VINCE BRUUN – For continued outstanding work as Emerald Downs Director of Media Relations & stewardship of the Emerald Racing Club; 2) RAY PAULICK – For the support & coverage given the Washington Thoroughbred industry through the many state-related articles published in The Paulick Report.

2021 WHBPA Willing Hearts Award: JILL HALLIN –  “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” Thank you for your dedication & consistent willingness to go above  & beyond helping the horsemen & horses at Emerald Downs.

2021 Daily Racing Form Leading Breeder – MR. & MRS. FREDERICK L. PABST (Blue Ribbon Farm). Awarded on the Basis of 2021 Washington-bred Earnings of $395,855.

2021 NTRA Leading Owner –TODD & SHAWN HANSEN (Scatter Creek Training Center). Awarded on the Basis of 2021 Washington-bred Earnings of $258,615.

2021 Scatter Creek Training Center Special Training Achievement Award – KAY PENNEY COOPER – For continuing the family tradition of racing excellence and leading all 2021 Emerald Downs trainers with five stakes victories.

2021 Clemans View Farm Special Riding Achievement Award – ALEX CRUZ – For his second consecutive Emerald Downs riding title and new track record of 46 consecutive winning days

2021 WTBOA Sales Accomplishments

Highest Priced WTBOA-sold Yearling Colt/Gelding in 2021: LIAM'S MAP—ONE FOXY GREY, by Big Brown

Consigned by Dr. & Mrs. Duane Hopp, Castlegate Farm

Purchased by Sandy Gann, Agent for Glen Todd $47,000 

Highest Priced WTBOA-sold Yearling Filly in 2021: ATTA BOY ROY—ROS'S GIRL, by Rosberg

Consigned by Griffin Place LLC, Agent

Purchased by Andy Mathias for $42,000

Best WTBOA-sold 2-year-old Performer in 2021: COBRA JET

(G, Curlin to Mischief—Atta Gal Val, by Atta Boy Roy)

Owners: R. E. V. Racing (Roy & Ellie Schaefer), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

(Aron Wellman) and Lucarelli Racing Corporation (Frank Lucarelli)

Breeders: Mr. & Mrs. William T. Griffin (Griffin Place LLC)

Trainer: Frank Lucarelli

2021 Race Record  4 3-1-0 $76,496

Stakes: King County Express (EmD), WA Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings S.-R (EmD);  2nd WTBOA Lads S. (EmD)

Best WTBOA-sold Three-year-old Performer in 2021: COASTAL KID

(G., Coast Guard—Crème [Chi], by Somersham)

Owners: Steve & Letha Haahr

Breeders: Nina & Ron Hagen (El Dorado Farms LLC)

Trainer: Jeffry Metz

2021 Race Record: 12-1-5-2 $78,661

Stakes: Muckleshoot Tribal Classic S,-R (EmD); 2nd Muckleshoot Derby (EmD)

Best WTBOA-sold Older Performer in 2021: PAPA'S GOLDEN BOY

(5YO G., Harbor the Gold—Brookie Girl, by Proud Citizen)

Owners: Gary, Deborah, Jeff & Peyton Lusk

Breeder: Bar C Racing Stables Inc. (Pam & Neal Christopherson)

Trainers: Vince Gibson & Jack Steiner

2021 Race Record: 7-3-0-0; $80,571

Stakes: Budweiser S. (EmD), Governor's S. (EmD)

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Taylor Made Pilot Program a Meaningful Answer to Labor Crisis?

One year ago, Taylor Made Farm launched the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship-a program created to work with people recovering from substance abuse and teach them a new vocation in the Thoroughbred business. The pilot year was such a grand success that plans are now in the works for how the program can grow from here.

The School of Horsemanship was designed by the farm's Vice President Frank Taylor, who now oversees the project along with the program's coordinator Josh Bryan.

“Frank started this because he wanted to help people and there is also a labor shortage in the horse industry, so we thought those kind of went hand in hand,” Bryan explained. “It's really about giving people a second opportunity at life. What we've figured out is that people who are battling alcohol and drug addiction have a great work ethic and they're grateful for the opportunities that they're given. They're very humble, determined and disciplined.”

Bryan said Taylor first got the idea for the project from DV8 Kitchen, a local restaurant in Lexington that created a highly-successful vocational training program for those in the early stages of substance abuse recovery.

The School of Horsemanship, which is paid for by the Kentucky Career Center, was initially created in partnership with the Shepherd's House, a transitional residential drug addiction treatment center in Lexington. During the three-month program, participants return to the Shepherd's House every evening after their work on the farm. In addition to food and housing, they also receive counseling services at the Shepherd's House.

Upon graduation of the program, participants can start a full-time position at Taylor Made or seek work elsewhere if they so choose.

“We've had 20 people go through so far,” Bryan said. “We have nine guys who stayed on at the farm and then we have other guys who have ventured out to other places still working with horses. We've had a few who didn't graduate just because they didn't like it, which is fine. It's not for everybody and you have to have a passion for it, but I've found that people in recovery really like it out here because you can get away from the outside world and horses can be very therapeutic for the soul and the mind. Most people have come to really like it once they get over their timidness of the horse.”

As the program coordinator, Bryan is tasked with instructing all of the trainees–most of whom have never touched a horse before they stepped onto the farm.

“It's a good environment for them to stay relaxed because we usually have them working with maiden and barren mares,” he said. “I'm teaching from the ground up, from picking feet to showing a horse and everything in between. It's about getting them into the routine of working on a farm because it's a lot of hard work. It's very tiring and demanding, and they also have things they've got to do at their sober living house. I'm always making sure everybody's in a good place mentally and physically where they can handle the house and the farm.”

Bryan, who first started working at Taylor Made when he was 18, said he too has battled alcoholism and once lived at the Shepherd's House himself, but he has been clean for almost two years. One year ago Frank Taylor called him to share his idea for the School of Horsemanship and ask if he would be interested in helping get the program off its feet.

“I was a little nervous, but it's been great so far,” Bryan said. “I like that I have the opportunity to help other people who are in the same situation I was once in. It keeps me going on the right path and shows me that from where I started to where I am now, I've come a long way. I'm able to help someone else that is struggling when they can see that I came from that situation and know that you can get over it and you can have a life without drugs and alcohol.”

As the program now looks to expand, Bryan said they have been networking with other local treatment facilities and rehabilitation programs to bring in more participants.

One of many successful School of Horsemanship graduation ceremonies | photo courtesy Taylor Made

“We want it to get big enough to where we can start sending groups of guys to other farms and I'll go out and check on them,” he explained. “We've talked to other big farms and they're on board. We really want to have our own housing out here for everybody, but that's way in the future. Our short-term goal right now is to still work with the Shepherd's House, but also start to branch out a little more.”

While the School of Horsemanship is a definite 'win' for Taylor Made, the program has been a life-changing opportunity for many of its participants.

After completing the three-month program, several participants were asked the following questions: How would you describe yourself and your situation when you were at your worst? How has recovery changed your plans and hopes for the future? What do you feel Taylor Made has done for your recovery? The following is a small excerpt of their written responses.

Will Walden:

“To surmise the week leading up to the Shepherd's House I'll say this: [the words] hopeless and defeated don't begin to explain the state of mind and body that I was in. My daily life was a collage of overdoses…All I wanted to do at that point was overdose and not wake up.

Recovery has actually given me the ability to even consider hope for the future. For the longest time, a drug-induced groundhog day was the only future that seemed possible. Due to this new way of life, which consists of a program of action and an irreplaceable relationship with God, plans and hopes for a future are a series of endless possibilities.

This opportunity with Taylor Made has given me a purpose, which is all I've ever wanted in this life. I am eternally grateful.”

Tyler Maxwell:

“I separated myself from my family, my friends, and most importantly myself. I didn't care about you, I didn't care about me, I didn't care about anything. I was content with wasting my life away.

My recovery has given me a new-found love for not only my life, but the lives of others. It has opened my eyes to a new world filled with joy and peace. I went from being content with living the way I was living to earning an opportunity to pursue a career that I live in the hopes that I can pave the way for others just like me to follow.

I will forever be grateful to Taylor Made. I owe a big part of me being sober for over a year to the farm and the Taylor family. That farm has God all over it and thankfully, I spent eight months of my early sobriety witnessing it on a daily basis. Through hard work and having a sense of accomplishment, at the end of the day Taylor Made paved the way into the man I am today. Those horses and the family environment led me to finding who I truly was. I'll never forget Frank Taylor telling me that Winston Churchill once said, 'There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.' Taylor Made will forever hold a place in my heart.”

Mike Lowery:

“Being homeless at Woodland Park last September until early November, I went through things that I never imagined I would ever go through. I came to the reality that if I kept living the way I was living, I would not be living very long.

Recovery has given me the chance to clear my mind and realize that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. For many years my drug addiction kept me from being the worker that I am today. I am blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the first class of the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship. Not gonna lie, I was really nervous about working with such a large and powerful animal. About two months into the program, I realized how much passion I had for not only these beautiful Thoroughbreds but the horse industry as well.

There is something so spiritual and peaceful about seeing the sunrise while bringing a horse up to the barn. I feel like a good day of hard work is great for people in recovery. For me personally, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. At the end of the day when the barn is all blown out, the stalls are all clean and the horses are looking the best they can look, I can say with pride that I did that.”

The post Taylor Made Pilot Program a Meaningful Answer to Labor Crisis? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Get Smokin Has Ironhorse, Partners On the Road Again

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — In the spring of 2018, Bucchero (Kantharos) took the Ironhorse Racing Stable on the ride of a lifetime. Having burst onto the scene with an upset victory in Keeneland's GII Woodford S. the previous fall, the popular Indiana-bred finished fourth, beaten just one length, in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Behind him that afternoon were the likes of Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and Marsha (Ire), both world-class turf sprinters, and it got IHR managing partner Harlan Malter's wheel's spinning. If Bucchero could mix it with those at home, why not try them on their home turf?

Malter and his IHR partners eagerly accepted an invitation to Royal Ascot for the 2018 G1 King's Stand S. over a straight and undulating five-furlong trip. Bucchero acquitted himself exceptionally well against some of the best European short-trackers in recent memory like Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal), Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), just missing fourth while beaten under five lengths.

The flames had been fanned and this weekend at Meydan Racecourse, a half a world away, Get Smokin (Get Stormy) faces a diverse bunch in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on the G1 Dubai World Cup undercard.

“I think once you're exposed to international racing and the enthusiasm and passion that the rest of the world has toward all of the racing, it makes you want to put your horse on that stage,” Malter said last week from his home in Southern California. “You have to have the right horse. And when we went with Bucchero, we were 50-1, but the horse ran as competitively on the world stage as you possibly could have hoped. And we feel the same way about Get Smokin.”

Malter and partners BlackRidge Stables LLC, T-N-T Equine Holdings LLC and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners acquired Get Smokin in a private transaction late last year.

“We've been working with [bloodstock agent] Phil Hager for about three years now, and he came to us with the horse,” Malter said when asked how they came to own the 5-year-old. “He had picked the horse out as a yearling [$11,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in 2018] and had stayed quite involved with his progress both through his friendship with [trainer] Tom Bush and with the [previous owners the] Sullivans.

He continued, “They were starting to disperse a little bit of some of their holdings, and they had kind of leaned on Phil to hopefully find a really good spot for the horse to end up in. And so he came to us with the possibility of purchasing the horse. We were able to put together a really, really good team of Ironhorse partners plus some outside partners who were super game and have been really great to own the horse with. There's some very obvious similarities to another horse that we campaigned internationally, a chestnut with four white socks, but the thing that really, really caught our eye about the horse is, you just don't see a horse that's more game than this horse. If you look at his past performances, it's littered with the top turf horses in the country the last two years.”

Get Smokin posted a front-running defeat of the classy Decorated Invader (Declaration of War) in the 2020 GIII Hill Prince S. going Belmont's one-turn mile and made the majority of the running in that year's GI Hollywood Derby over a stamina-stretching nine panels, only to be swarmed late to finish a close fourth to divisional leaders Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) and Gufo (Declaration of War). A four-race campaign in 2021 included a 3/4-length success in the GIII Tampa Bay S. from just off the pace and he also annexed a graded-stakes quality renewal of the Seek Again S. in May. He was sidelined off a fifth in the GIII Poker S. and resumed with a very useful runner-up effort in defense of his title in the Tampa Bay S. Feb. 5, going a good gallop before just running out of fitness late in his first run for his new owners.

“I think any time you give a horse some time off, you don't know exactly how tight they'll be when they come back. So we were thrilled,” Malter said. “[Trainer] Mark [Casse] said he was extremely happy with the way he was training. So we were excited about the way of coming into it. And he put in exactly the effort we had hoped off a break like that.”

 

 

 

Malter is well aware that the task ahead in the Al Quoz will not be an easy one, as Get Smokin is set to face a distance and configuration he is generally unaccustomed to. The competition in the race, contested over a straight six furlongs, figures extremely strong, including last-out G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint romper Man of Promise (Into Mischief), European Group 1 winners Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) and A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) and GI Jaipur S. hero and recent G3 1351 Turf Sprint runner-up Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) among what is expected to be a full field. Flavien Prat has accepted the mount in the race won last year by fellow Yankee Extravagant Kid (Kiss the Kid).

“In talking to people who have experience with Dubai and some of the past success, and some of the Americans going over, the cutback milers have fared quite well,” Malter said. “The near miss by Long on Value (Value Plus) comes to mind. It is one of those situations where you don't know that he can't do it, and you don't know that he can do it. And we tend to lean to the side that we don't know that he can't do it. So he's the type of horse that gives you a ton out of the gate going through turns, and immediately pretty much rates himself. And he gives you a kick toward the end.

He added, “It's really going to be a lot up to how he decides to handle early, faster fractions, because he's never really been exposed to them. And what we obviously hope is that we've put one of the best riders in America on him, who's run this type of race before. And we'll leave it to him and the horse to see how they're feeling when the gates open. But we do feel like, with the speed he has, he should be able to position himself quite handy. And you hope that a horse that is normally used to going a much longer distance should have plenty left for the last two furlongs.”

Win, lose or draw Saturday, the allure of traveling horses has led Malter, Ironhorse and his partners to the sprawling Meydan Racecourse. And he is relishing the opportunity.

“When you get a chance to have the world bring their horses to a single race and put your head in there and let your horse be seen on that stage, it really does become about the horse,” he offered. “And giving the horse the chance. This is a unique opportunity to give your horse a chance to show what he's got against the top horses in the world and really make a mark. And we would definitely not go unless we thought this horse was going to be very competitive.”

The post Get Smokin Has Ironhorse, Partners On the Road Again appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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TfRI Supports First French Racing Industry Recruitment and Retention Forum

Key French racing industry stakeholders under both codes, trotting and the Thoroughbred industry attended a forum at ParisLongchamp on Mar. 15. The goal of the forum, organised by the French racing school, the AFASEC, in association with the governing bodies, France Galop and LeTROT and supported by Together for Racing International, was to unite the key stakeholders to share a day rich in reflection, exchange, and solutions in response to the stud and stable staff crisis within the French racing industry. Nearly 70 participants took part including, industry professionals; trainers, owners, breeders, employees, associations and journalists. All committed to finding solutions to attract and retain the employees of tomorrow's racing teams.

“TfRI was delighted to support the second industry forum since its launch, following the Australian forum last April,” said Anna Powell, TfRI Development Director. “Uniting key stakeholders to identify common goals, creating ambassadors and to develop a clear plan is an important step in improving recruitment and retention. Workforce and careers was one of the common challenges identified at the global forum hosted under the auspices of Godolphin in November 2019, along with Education and Community Engagement, which led to the creation of Together for Racing International. TfRI is a central resource leveraging expertise and funding to support its member countries around the people agenda. This work is done using the global network to share progress, analyse and communicate the global impact of this work to support the sustainability of our sport.”

Guillaume Herrnberger, director of employment and training in charge of AFASEC declared, “It was an exciting and enriching day. We are all on the same page thanks to the IFCE, before being inspired by the experiences of Pierre, Antoine, Thibault and Alexis, and TfRI before finally acting. In one day the racing and breeding stakeholders found solutions together. It is now up to all of us to implement them, everyone at their level. We are now 70 ambassadors around employment, it is up to us to bring change around us to become 700, 7000…. From today we are all at the heart of change in support of our teams.”

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