Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Wednesday, April 13
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings at Newmarket, Beverley, Southwell, Kempton and Cheltenham.
Month: April 2022
Multiple Graded Stakes-Winning Quarter Horse Trainer Arrested, Summarily Suspended For Abusing Horse
Rodolfo Sanchez, multiple graded stakes-winning Quarter Horse trainer, has been summarily suspended in Texas after a video surfaced on social media appearing to show Sanchez repeatedly whipping a downed horse.
According to Don Ahrens, director of security and parking at Sam Houston Race Park, an investigation revealed the incident took place at a fair grounds in Texas. Ahrens said Sanchez claimed the horse in the video had an issue related to being saddled.
Two videos posted to Facebook capturing the incident, one of which was four minutes long. Both show the man purported to be Sanchez hitting a chestnut horse with an object while the horse is secured with a short tie to a tree. At various times during the beating, the horse is standing or flailing and at other times the horse is shown lying on the ground, having fallen with its head craned upwards due to the length of the tie. The video shows the horse breathing heavily throughout the incident. Other people are visible in the video, sometimes handing something to Sanchez and quickly backing away. Ahrens said the tool Sanchez used seems to have been a short whip with a bit of PVC pipe attached to it.
The full video is available here. (Viewer discretion is advised.)
“A lot of these guys use something like that when horses are on the walker and stop,” Ahrens said. “They'll reach out and tap them to get them going. If they go down, I've heard the same thing, that they'll just start wailing on them. It's not OK.”
Ahrens said the Texas Racing Commission issued a summary suspension to Sanchez on April 9 and gave him 72 hours to request an emergency hearing of alleged rule violations. After that, the summary suspension will remain in place until a formal hearing is scheduled. As of late April 12, Ahrens said he had not received information indicating Sanchez had requested an emergency hearing.
Ahrens also indicated Sanchez had been arrested related to the incident. Local outlet The 830 News reported Sanchez is facing a felony animal abuse charge from the case, which prompted cooperation between the Maverick County Sheriff's Office, Val Verde County Sheriff, and the U.S. Marshall's Office. The website also indicated the horse shown on the video is alive and was seized by county officials, who are caring for the animal at a Val Verde County barn.
Sanchez has just one start in 2022, having just finished a 60-day suspension for a testosterone overage at Delta Downs issued by the Louisiana State Racing Commission in February. His suspension ended on April 2.
According to Equibase, Sanchez began his training career in 1998. He is the winner of multiple graded stakes races, including the 2006 Grade 1 Retama Park Derby with Jesstified and more recently, the 2016 G3 TQHA Classic Stakes with Jess Toast Winner. His horses have earned over $4.8 million from 5,182, including 470 wins.
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Boughey has high hopes for Cachet in next month’s 1,000 Guineas after warm-up win at Newmarket
Trainer George Boughey is hoping Cachet's proven ability to produce her best at Newmarket gives her a chance in next month's 1,000 Guineas, after a decisive win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes.
Grants Pass Downs Cancels 2022 Commercial Race Meet
Grants Pass Downs announced today it will not hold the 2022 commercial race meet as planned. The race meet was originally announced in February.
“As a result of the Oregon Racing Commission's vote to deny an operating license to The Flying Lark, Grants Pass Downs has lost its economic engine,” said Travis Boersma, owner of Grants Pass Downs. “While we remained hopeful we would be able to host a viable race meet, the uncertainty here and across the industry has resulted in a drastic reduction of race horses at Grants Pass Downs. At this point, it's clear running the meet isn't feasible.”
Grants Pass Downs became privately funded by Boersma beginning in 2019. The track, race meet and purses were intended to be funded by profits from The Flying Lark entertainment venue. Despite going on record outlining its disagreement with the motion, the Oregon Racing Commission denied a license for The Flying Lark at the urging of Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Oregon's attorney general.
“This is the result of the state and its leadership's lack of understanding of, and appreciation for, the equine industry and the needs of rural Oregon. I believe this is just the beginning of a ripple effect that will be felt in communities throughout the state due to the actions of leadership.” said Boersma.
The cancellation of the race meet will lead to the elimination of approximately 50 jobs during the racing season. Employees were notified Tuesday, as were the horsemen and horsewomen on site. Those jobs are in addition to the more than 200 lost with the denial of The Flying Lark.
“Saving horse racing in Oregon has always been one of my top priorities,” Boersma said. “Moving forward, it's my sincere hope the horsemen's associations, private investors and the state can come together to find a path to continuing this sport.”
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