April, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

A Closer Look At: Monitoring Equine Health With EquiTrace

In this series, we ask some of the equine health questions you've wondered about but were too afraid to ask. Today, Dr. Marta LaColla, who specializes in companion animal and equine identification for Merck Animal Health, and Dr. Kevin Corley, EquiTrace founder, tell us more about EquiTrace, which is an app that works with equine microchips to assist with health and location monitoring.

– What is EquiTrace and how does it work with the Merck Animal Health Bio-Thermo microchip? Can one be used without the other?

Dr. LaColla: EquiTrace® is a complete monitoring and recording system for a veterinary practice or farm through a horse health app on iOS or Android mobile devices. It works with the Bio-Thermo® microchips by connecting with the Global Pocket Reader Plus and storing the temperature data in the horse's record. The horse's temperature is automatically sent to the EquiTrace app through a Bluetooth connection. It also graphs the microchip temperatures and creates averages for the morning and evening from all of the data, making it easy to identify variations for that horse. Information is shared instantaneously with all members of the team that were given access to the farm's data in the app.

EquiTrace can be used with other 15-digit ISO microchips but will not have the temperature-data functionality. Bio-Thermo microchips can be used without the EquiTrace app since temperature is displayed directly on the reader. The advantage of using them together is that temperatures from each horse will be displayed and shown in a graph. Average temperatures will also be calculated for each horse, making it easier to identify variations.

– Lots of people don't realize that microchips themselves don't allow for GPS data collection. Can you explain how the EquiTrace app allows for this function?

Dr. LaColla: When using the EquiTrace app connected to the scanner, the app will record where the horse was last scanned (works with all the ISO microchips). This function can easily be turned off within the EquiTrace app if recording of the horse's GPS location is not needed or desired.

– Can temperature be read from the microchip remotely, or does the microchip reader have to be used to record this?

Dr. LaColla: A manual scan of the microchip is required to read the Bio-Thermo microchip temperature. If the reader is connected to the EquiTrace app, the temperature is automatically uploaded to the app. That temperature information will then be visible to all authorized team members with access to the farm's data.

– How does temperature read from the microchip compare to the temperature taken rectally — are we looking at the same range of 'normal'?

Dr. LaColla: The Bio-Thermo microchip temperatures present values related to the implantation site in the nuchal ligament on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and withers. The temperature measured in this region will depend on blood flow, tissue conduction, local metabolism and the thermal exchanges between core and surrounding environment. Generally, due to these factors, microchip temperatures will be lower than rectal temperatures and tend to follow a similar pattern. That is why EquiTrace is such a powerful tool. It allows caretakers to easily monitor temperature from each horse and compare it to that individual's temperature trend. This allows early identification of atypical values, alerting caretakers to evaluate that horse more closely.

– Obviously, the location function available through the EquiTrace app has a lot of applications for equine welfare; was there a particular problem or challenge that you wanted to solve by including this?

Dr. Corley: This feature can be used in a number of ways. Anonymized data can be used together with the temperature feature to warn of an unusual cluster of temperatures in a particular locale. This can be used as an early warning sign for diseases such as EHV-1, without identifying individual premises or horses involved.

A rescue charity in Ireland is using the feature in two ways – firstly to keep a record of where horses are on their extensive property. Simply scanning the horse's microchip as they turn them out to each field or paddock provides a record of their location. Secondly, they have had an issue with a small number of rehomed horses being sold or loaned without their permission. Asking clients to regularly scan rehomed horses (which remain on the charity's property) removes the need for regular inspections to ensure the horses are where they are supposed to be. This function can be turned off within the EquiTrace app if recording of the horse's GPS location is not needed or desired.

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Far Hills Sweetens 2022 Grand National Purse To $250,000

In yet another sign that the sport is rebounding from the pandemic, the Far Hills Race Meeting Association announced that the purse of the American Grand National will increase from $150,000 last year to $250,000, when the 101st Running takes place on Oct. 15. The increase will make the race the richest on the 2022 National Steeplechase Association calendar.

The Grand National is one of five Grade 1 fixtures on the NSA schedule this year. The Iroquois, in Nashville, is scheduled for May 14, followed by the A.P. Smithwick July 20 and Jonathan Sheppard on Aug. 17, both at Saratoga, and the Lonesome Glory, either at Belmont Park or Aqueduct, on Sept. 15. The purse for each of those races is $150,000.

“This will really put an exclamation point on steeplechasing's biggest day and the overall season,” said Far Hills Race Meeting chairman Guy Torsilieri. “On Oct. 15, all eyes will be on Far Hills, and we want to do everything possible to attract the biggest and best field that includes not only the outstanding American jumpers, but stars from abroad. The larger purse has the potential to achieve that goal and grow the sport, which is our top priority.”

Prior to the pandemic, the Grand National boasted a purse of as large as $450,000, making it a lucrative target for some of Europe's top trainers, including Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins, and Nicky Henderson, and riders like Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Nico De Boinville, Danny Mullins, Jack Kennedy, and Robbie Power. In fact, European jumpers won back-to-back runnings of the Grand National in 2018 and 2019, with Jury Duty and Brain Power, respectively.

Steeplechase racing is enjoying widespread publicity thanks to the spirited rivalry between The Mean Queen, the 2021 Eclipse Award-winning mare, and Snap Decision, who tied the Thrice Worthy's record of nine consecutive wins. The Mean Queen's thrilling triumph in the Lonesome Glory caught the eye of the New York Racing Association and Fox Sports, producers of America's Day at the Races, leading to national television coverage of their highly anticipated rematch at Far Hills in October, which resulted in an even tighter decision between the two titans.

Based on the response that NYRA and Fox received, they have committed to expanding coverage of steeplechase racing in 2022 and are planning to televise this year's Far Hills Races, which will offer pari-mutuel wagering on all six races in partnership with Monmouth Park. The Mean Queen and Snap Decision are on target to clash for the first time this season at The Iroquois Steeplechase on May 14, 2022.

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First Leg Of 2022 Match Series Continues At Laurel April 23; Two Turf Races Highlight Saturday Card

The first leg of the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH Series) concludes April 23 at Laurel Park with some of the best filly and mare sprinters in the region and the return of turf racing in two divisions.

$100,000 Primonetta Stakes

The $100,000 Primonetta Stakes (Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division), $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes (3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Turf division) and $100,000 Dahlia Stakes (Filly and Mare Long—Turf division) are among five stakes on the Saturday card at Laurel. The first turf races of the year at Laurel were held April 16.

The Primonetta, at six furlongs, attracted the 6-year-old Munnings mare Kaylasaurus, who has delivered on a claim for $25,000 in late November 2021 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, where she is based with trainer Tim Kreiser. Though she entered the 2021 MATCH Series too late to pick up bonus money, Kaylasaurus won the Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel in late December in her first start off the claim.

In three 2022 starts—all at Laurel—Kaylasaurus, owned by Bush Racing Stable, Liberty House Racing, BlackRidge Stables and George Saufley, finished second in the What A Summer Stakes, was a close fourth in the Grade III Barbara Fritchie Stakes and finished second in an open allowance sprint. Horacio Karamanos, who was aboard for the Willa On the Move and the most recent allowance race, has the call in the seven-horse field.

Kaylasaurus, a winner of seven of 22 starts with earnings in excess of $264,000, also has wins at Penn National and Parx Racing, both of which will offer stakes in her MATCH Series division this year.

Trainer John Robb has entered two in the Primonetta: Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, a two-time Maryland-bred champion who will make her 2022 debut, and Eric Rizer's Princess Kokachin, who has 10 wins in 16 starts and defeated Kaylasaurus by three-quarters of a length in their last meeting March 13. Xavier Perez, who has exclusively ridden both fillies for Robb, was named on both fillies at time of entry.

$100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes

The one-mile Henry S. Clark drew a field of seven including the undefeated Chez Pierre, who won his first three races in France in 2020-21 and was victories in his United States debut March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs for owner Lael Stables and trainer Arnaud Delacour. The 4-year-old Mehmas gelding, who has won on soft, heavy and firm grass courses, will be ridden by Daniel Centeno, who was aboard at Tampa.

Maryland-bred turf champion Field Pass, a multiple graded-stakes winner based at the Churchill Downs Training Center with trainer Mike Maker, hasn't raced since a 10th-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29. Victor Carrasco, who piloted Field Pass to victory in the Grade 3 Baltimore Washington Turf Course last year at Pimlico Race Course, is named to ride the 5-year-old Lemon Drop Kid horse. Field Pass is owned by Three Diamonds Farm.

$100,000 Dahlia Stakes

A field of 12 has been entered for the one-mile Dahlia. Though Deciding Vote, a 5-year-old Mr. Speaker mare, has not competed in a stakes, she has run very well on the Laurel turf course in all of her outings and has been prepping at Fair Hill Training Center for her 2022 debut. Angel Suarez, back in the Mid-Atlantic region after riding in Louisiana this past winter, has the call for owner-breeder William Pape and trainer Edward Graham.

Trainer Brittany Russell has entered a pair of fillies owned by Respect the Valleys LLC. Adelaide Miss and Out of Sorts (Jevian Toledo named on both fillies at time of entry) spent the winter in Louisiana competing in stakes. Both of them have posted strong efforts on the turf at Pimlico but have not competed on the grass at Laurel.

With one race in books for the 2022 MATCH Series, the leader is Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and Blue Lion Thoroughbreds' Disco Pharoah, who won the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division) at Laurel April 16. After a break in May, the second leg of the MATCH Series will be held in Pennsylvania June 14 at Parx (turf races) and June 17 at Penn National (dirt races).

The MATCH Series originally debuted in 1997 and ran for five years. It returned with great success in 2018 and was held in 2019 and 2021. The innovative regional racing series—the only one of its kind in horse racing—combines rich stakes and bonuses for participating owners and trainers who compete over a five- to seven-month span. Horses competing in MATCH earn points based on participation and order of finish in each series race, and the leading point-earners in each of the series divisions, as well as the owner and trainer of the overall points leader, win lucrative bonuses.

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Poker And Getting Rid Of Your First Time Nerves

I really have sympathy for you if you’ve decided to play poker for the first time and you’ve decided that you’re brave enough to try playing against live players. I wish you all the luck and offer our condolences in advance…

I am kidding!

Of course, we’re not here to grieve for your losses in poker in advance. If you’re a first time player and you want to play against live players, then good for you. And we’re here to help by providing you with useful tips that just may be the keys you need to survive round after round of poker.

Now, first time players are what most poker veterans refer to as “calling stations”. If you’re wondering about the logic behind the term, it’s basically because most first time poker players have the tendency to call almost all bets without even sparing a moment’s thought on their decisions.

Obviously, if you don’t want to be viewed as a “calling station” (egad!), gain the respect of your fellow poker players and maybe a share of their chips also, think before you act. Poker is not just any card game. It’s a mental game, a strategic competition between several players.

If you feel that your nerves are getting the better of you, here are some tips to get rid of cold feet.

Don’t pressure yourself by comparing your skills to other players’. That’s a futile exercise. Naturally, you can’t compare. You’re playing for the first time and they’re, what, celebrating their one millionth game? If you accept that, there’s nothing to lose yet there’s no harm in trying, you’ll feel much better later on and be able to concentrate more on the game.

Don’t turn your fellow players into gods. Okay, so you’ve heard about your opponents’ reputations. Say, one is called The Crocodile because of his ability to snatch you out of the game in seconds and the other one’s called The Rampaging Elephant because he’s always aggressive when it comes to bets. Remind yourself that before they got their monickers, they were also, once in their lives, christened as “calling stations”…just like you. If it helps, mentally replace their faces with funny looking ones to lessen your feelings of inferiority.

And lastly…relax. I know, it’s easier said than done, but you truly have to relax. Block out everything except for the cards you’re holding and mentally hum a happy song to yourself. If you let external factors get the better of you, you’re dead meat. But if you succeed in relaxing and focusing completely on your game, you may just have gotten rid of your nerves for the final time.