Month: March 2022

Former CHRB Chairman Chuck Winner Dies At Age 81

Chuck Winner, an internationally recognized expert in public affairs, crisis communications, and campaign management, who served on the California Horse Racing Board from 2012 to 2019, five of those years as chairman, passed away Thursday morning, March 24, from natural causes at the age of 81.

Mr. Winner guided the CHRB through difficult times, most notably during the winter of 2019 when a rash of equine fatalities at Santa Anita Park attracted worldwide scrutiny.

He led the push for improved safety measures to protect horses and riders, which resulted in greater equine health and welfare throughout California.

After advising Governor Gavin Newsom's office that he would not be seeking reappointment after he completed his second term as a racing commissioner on July 26, 2019, Mr. Winner said: “It's been a challenging yet fulfilling seven years. My colleagues and I have faced some challenging and critical issues. I hope that we have made a positive difference.”

Mr. Winner is survived by his wife, Annie, and four children: Justyn, Ethan, Nicole, and Zach.

Private funeral arrangements are pending.

The post Former CHRB Chairman Chuck Winner Dies At Age 81 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 1 Winner Mucho Unusual Retired, Mating Plans To Be Determined

Mucho Unusual, a Grade 1 winner and California's 2020 Horse of the Year, has been retired from racing, with her mating plans to be determined at a later time.

The 6-year-old Mucho Macho Man mare's retirement was announced Thursday via trainer Tim Yakteen's Twitter account.

“We are sad to see her leave the barn, she has been so special to and for all of us,” Yakteen wrote in the post announcing the mare's retirement. “She returns to Starwood Farm [in Kentucky] where she was born and we await the news of who she'll be bred to.”

A California-born homebred for George Kirkorian, Mucho Unusual won eight of 24 starts for earnings of $957,415.

A multiple stakes-placed runner at two, Mucho Unusual picked up her first black type in the California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita Park the following season. Two starts later, she earned her first graded stakes score in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes.

Mucho Unusual raced almost exclusively in graded stakes competition from that point on. She earned the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's Horse of the Year title in 2020 with a campaign that featured victories in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes and G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes. Her 2021 season started on a high note with a win in the G3 Megahertz Stakes, and she finished no worse than second in four starts that year.

The mare made two starts in 2022, both at Santa Anita, running third in the G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Jan. 1 and finishing fourth in the G2 Buena Vista Stakes on March 5.

The post Grade 1 Winner Mucho Unusual Retired, Mating Plans To Be Determined appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Laoban Co-Owner Sues Mortality Insurers Over Alleged ‘Wrongful Denial’

A co-owner of the deceased stallion Laoban (Uncle Mo) is suing a collective of insurance providers in an alleged wrongful denial of coverage case for failing to pay out on mortality policies in the aftermath of the 8-year-old's sudden death 10 months ago.

The civil complaint was filed Mar. 22 in Kentucky's Fayette Circuit Court. Paulick Report first broke the story.

According to the court filing, Cypress Creek Equine, LLC, wants the defendants–North American Specialty Insurance Company, XL Specialty Insurance Company and Underwriters at Lloyd's, London and Lloyd's Kentucky, Inc.–to pay an undisclosed sum that includes mortality coverage, compensatory damages, court costs and attorney fees.

According to the lawsuit, “On May 24, 2021, the healthy stallion Laoban, partially owned by Cypress, died unexpectedly in Fayette County, Kentucky, after being given vitamin and mineral supplements.”I

Laoban, whose only win from nine starts came in the 2016 GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga, retired after that season with earnings of $526,250 and stood at Sequel Stallions in New York. As TDN's Sid Fernando recently reported, Laoban “initially stood for $7,500, but he was a hit with his first 2-year-olds–ending up second on the 2020 first-crop list behind Uncle Mo's Nyquist–and was moved to WinStar in Kentucky for the 2021 season at a $25,000 fee.”

The sire of 10 black-type winners, Laoban's first crop included Grade l winner Simply Ravishing and Grade II winner and multiple Grade l-placed Keepmeinmind.

Laoban is also the sire of Un Ojo, who upset the GII Rebel S. last month at 75-1 odds. That one-eyed gelding is currently listed as an “on the bubble” horse in the most recent TDN Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby, but he is third on the official qualifying points list. Cypress Creek Equine owns Un Ojo.

“At the time of the death, Cypress was insured for the death by mortality insurance policies issued and/or adjusted by the Insurers,” the filing stated.

“In a letter dated August 4, 2021, the Insurers wrongfully denied Cypress mortality coverage and therefore an actual controversy exists pursuant to [Kentucky state law],” the filing stated.

“The denial was alternatively based on provision(s) in the policies which are ambiguous and/or must be construed to afford coverage to Cypress pursuant to its reasonable expectations of coverage,” the filing stated.

The defendants could not be reached for comment prior to deadline for this story. They have 21 days from the filing of the suit to respond in court.

The post Laoban Co-Owner Sues Mortality Insurers Over Alleged ‘Wrongful Denial’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Luis Saez Giving Wondrwherecraigis Team ‘Confidence’ Ahead Of Dubai Golden Shaheen

Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Laurel Park-based multiple stakes winner Wondrwherecraigis has settled in at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ahead of his biggest assignment to date in Saturday's $2 million Golden Shaheen (G1).

Winner of the six-furlong Fire Plug Jan. 29 at Laurel in his most recent start off a three-month layoff, Wondrwhereraigis left for Dubai March 13 in the care of assistant trainer Amanda Olds. Traveling without their two young children, trainer Brittany Russell and her husband, champion Maryland jockey Sheldon Russell, arrived in Dubai Wednesday.

“It's amazing. It's really nice. So far it's been wonderful,” Brittany Russell said. “I used to be a very good traveling assistant, but since I stopped doing that maybe not so much. Leaving the kids was hard, but Dubai is amazing and this is the experience of a lifetime so we're going to enjoy it.”

Russell, 32, has been impressed with how well Wondrwherecraigis has adjusted to his new surroundings.

“There's so much that goes into how they travel and all those things. I think sometimes we want to talk ourselves into saying they're doing well because they kind of need to be doing well, but I genuinely believe he is doing well,” she added. “He seems very happy. He hasn't missed an oat, he's drinking well, the heat doesn't seem to bother him – all those little things I think go a long way. I guess we won't know until race day.”

Wondrwherecraigis drew Post 11 in a field of 14 and is co-fourth choice on the morning line at 8-1 with Red le Zele from Japan. The 3-1 program favorite is Dr. Schivel, with fellow Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock next at 5-1 and Meydan-based Group 3 winner Meraas at 7-1.

Jockey Luis Saez, who won the 2021 Dubai World Cup (G1) aboard Mystic Guide, will ride Wondrwherecragis in the six-furlong Golden Shaheen. Saez was aboard for the 5-year-old gelding's front-running triumph in the 2021 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga.

“It's huge. It's one of the biggest positive-type things we have on our side,” Russell said of Saez. “He's been high on this horse for a long time. He's excited to ride this horse. He's 8-1 but I believe he's live, just with the confidence that Luis gives us. That goes a long way.”

Wondrwherecraigis has finished first in five consecutive races, a streak that began last July at historic Pimlico Race Course, but was disqualified to second for interference in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel. He earned the first graded win for himself and his trainer next out in the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont Park.

“Craig's fantastic. Everything about Craig is good. Knock on wood, he's well. He enjoys traveling. He seems to enjoy a change of scenery and he's doing well. Amanda has done a great job with him. He's galloping and she's been holding him together. He's been on the bridle, so that's sort of all you can ask,” Russell said. “Hopefully all the pieces kind of lay right by Saturday.”

Laurel will open its doors at 8:45 a.m. Saturday to allow fans to watch and wager on the Dubai World Cup Day program starting with Race 3, the Dubai Gold Cup (G2), which has a post time of 8:55 a.m. EST. Coverage includes the Golden Shaheen in Race 6 (10:45 a.m.) and ends with the Dubai World Cup in Race 9 (12:30 p.m.).

The post Luis Saez Giving Wondrwherecraigis Team ‘Confidence’ Ahead Of Dubai Golden Shaheen appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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