March, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Juvenile Sales Season Kicks Off at OBS

The 2-year-old sales season gets underway Tuesday with the start of the two-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale. Hips 1-316 sell Tuesday and Hips 317-635 go under the hammer Wednesday.

“I have been very pleased with the horses we have seen on the grounds,” said Tod Wojciechowski, OBS director of sales. “The interest from buyers has been very good.”

He added, “We have been able to add another level of horse that maybe doesn't fit the upper-echelon price range, but are very good horses. March is a key sale in the 2-year-old market.”

The industry enters the juvenile sales season on the back of an exceptionally strong season of yearling sales and a healthy breeding stock sales market.

Horsemen are optimistic that momentum will carry into the 2-year-old sales.

“The horse business traditionally goes along with the stock market,” said consignor Niall Brennan. “Obviously there are a lot of ups and downs right now because of the war in the Ukraine. I don't know that it will affect too much right now. I think the markets were prepared for it, knowing it was likely to happen. There was no big shock change for people in the market place. There might be some people that don't know what to do right now and might wait for the April sale, but I don't get that vibe. There has been a lot of interest and a lot of people that came into town early. It is a different vehicle than the yearling sales. They have to jump through a lot of hoops, but the ones that do, I think it will be a strong sale for them.”

Pick View's Joe Pickerell said he felt high demand would keep the strong market alive in the juvenile sales season.

“You would expect the momentum to continue,” Pickerell said. “Supply is down. Every trainer you speak to needs horses. We went pretty strong this year and invested heavily. We are looking forward to getting rewarded on some these.”

The OBS March sale will offer first 2-year-olds for many exciting stallions, such as Triple Crown winner Justify, regally bred Grade I winner Mendelssohn, MGISWs Bolt d'Oro and City of Light, champion Accelerate, GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming, GI Preakness S. victor Cloud Computing and more.

Last year's OBS March sale was topped by a $750,000 filly from the first crop of Practical Joke. Purchased by Hideyuki Mori from the draft of Top Line Sales, she is now named Clos de Mesnil and is a winner in Japan.

At the 2021 renewal of this auction, 325 horses summoned $37,970,000 with an average of $116,831 and a median of $60,000. These numbers include post-sale figures.

The start of Tuesday's session was delayed from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to allow buyers more time for inspections after the last of three breeze shows scheduled for Saturday was pushed back to Sunday due to storms hitting the Ocala area. Those storms brought a tornado with them, affecting much of the Ocala area, but the OBS sales grounds, as well as most major Thoroughbred farms in the area, were left unharmed. Wednesday's session will begin as scheduled at 10:30 a.m.

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‘We’re Bringing Our Checkbook’: Expansion The Theme Of Churchill’s Plans For Colonial Downs

Churchill Downs, Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the company's plans for Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., include expanding the track's race dates, hosting a Kentucky Derby qualifying race, and adding to the number of Rosie's historical horse racing facilities.

“We're bringing our checkbook,” Carstanjen said.

CDI announced the purchase of Colonial Downs on Feb. 22. The $2.5 billion deal includes six historical horse racing facilities in Virginia, the del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, New York, the operations of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa, and the rights to Peninsula Pacific Entertainment's ongoing effort in partnership with Urban One to develop a destination casino in Richmond, Va.

Colonial Downs completed a record-setting meet in 2021, featuring 21 race days and an average daily betting handle of $2,240,000. A total of $10.4 million in purse monies were distributed and average field size was a healthy 8.36 starters per race.

The Virginia Racing Commission approved Colonial Downs to expand from 21 days to 27 race days in 2022, with dates from July 11 through Sept. 7.

Carstanjen hopes to increase the number of race dates, possibly up to 50, at Colonial Downs.

Immediately, CDI's plans involve expanding the number of Rosie's facilities from the six currently in operation to the maximum number allowed, ten across the state.

“We have a lot of confidence in our product,” Carstanjen told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “We have a lot of confidence in our business model, which is very similar to Rosie's business model. So we think there's a niche for us that we've demonstrated in Kentucky, and think we will demonstrate in Virginia, even though there'll be more competition than there is currently.”

Read more at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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Maryland Horse Breeders Association Launches Aftercare Account For Maryland-Breds

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) is proud to announce the formation of an aftercare account that will direct aftercare fund requests to support Maryland-bred racehorses as they are retired and transitioned to new careers. The aftercare account, called BackStop, serves the purpose of aiding or supporting an immediate need in the transition of Maryland-bred horses once their racing careers are over.

“We are committed to working with people who are dedicated to giving these Maryland-breds a new start and a safe landing,” said Cricket Goodall, MHBA executive director. “We know that breeders and owners want the best for their horses. This fund will be available for a specific use that benefits the Maryland-bred horse that needs the help.”

BackStop funds will not relieve or replace the responsibility of the owner, breeder or trainer to make aftercare plans for their horses. The aftercare account is funded with $25 from each Maryland-bred registration fee submitted.

BackStop requests will be fulfilled based on funds available and considered for a one-time application for an individual horse, offering up to $2,000 in funding. The requested funds are to be used as adjunct support for a specific use or aid to an individual or a group that takes in, retrains or rehomes registered Maryland-bred Thoroughbreds.

“It makes it possible for people to get into this or take a horse that maybe they wouldn't have been able to take, so I think it's great. I usually take a loss on horses I have to rehab, and it's fine because this is what I like to do, but I understand that not all people can do that,” said Alice Peirce, manager of Mantua Farm in Reisterstown, Md., and member of the MHBA Aftercare Committee. “I know a lot of other people in my shoes would be able to consider more horses this way.

“A lot of people can't afford to pay board on something while it kind of just hangs out, so I feel like it would do a lot of good for the horses coming off the track who need a little extra TLC. Maybe people would take a second look at them if they had an opportunity like this.”

BackStop funds are not to be used for capital improvements or expenses that do not apply specifically to the horse that is named in the application. BackStop, the MHBA aftercare account, will not take the place of other funds or assistance received from TAA, TRF, TCA, Beyond the Wire or any other aftercare programs already in place.

For more information visit: MarylandThoroughbred.com

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Cohen Named To HISA Racetrack Safety Standing Committee

Edited Press Release

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)'s Board of Directors has elected Dr. Noah Cohen, VMD, MPH, PhD, DACVIM-LA, to fulfill the remainder of Dr. Paul Lunn's term on the Racetrack Safety Standing Committee following Dr. Lunn's return to England. Dr. Cohen is a University Distinguished Professor and the Patsy Link Chair in Equine Research at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and has dedicated his entire career to equine health and safety, serving as an equine veterinary practitioner before entering academia. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Cohen served on five editorial boards, mentored numerous trainees, and contributed to several hundred scholarly research publications. He has received numerous national and international awards for his contributions to equine health.

“We are honored to have someone with as distinguished a career in equine health and safety as Dr. Cohen join HISA's Racetrack Safety Committee,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “His deep expertise and decades of experience will be critical to HISA's efforts to make racing safer with data- and research-

backed solutions. As we turn our sights toward implementing the program in just a few short months, Dr. Cohen's depth of knowledge will be instrumental in HISA's success and ongoing efforts to evolve rules and regulations.”

“We thank Dr. Lunn for his time and significant contributions to the committee, including the vital role he played in the process of drafting the rules and national accreditation standards that make up the Racetrack Safety Program which were approved by the Federal Trade Commission just last week,” said Dr. Sue Stover, HISA Racetrack Safety Committee Chair. “I look forward to working with Dr. Cohen and know our program will benefit from his insights gleaned from decades in the field.”

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