May, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Adayar To Miss Coronation Cup; Heads To Ascot

Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will not return to the scene of his greatest triumph for the G1 Coronation Cup after a bout of coughing held up his preparation for his intended comeback at Epsom on June 3. Last year's Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner will head instead to Royal Ascot.

“Adayar was an intended runner some months ago but he just met with a minor setback in that he was coughing so I eased off him for a week,” said Charlie Appleby via a video release on the Godolphin website. “He has done very well in that week but I think we are going to be giving the Coronation a miss, as just fitness-wise I won't quite have him ready in time.”

The trainer plans instead to run Manobo (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who has been beaten just once in six starts when a close second in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup.

He continued, “We had always mooted that we wanted to drop [Manobo] back to a mile and a half. His preparation has gone very well towards the Coronation, he worked this morning and I am very pleased with him. He's definitely an intended runner for the Coronation. Adayar will most likely be heading towards the Prince of Wales's Stakes for the first start of his 4-year-old career.”

Appleby also issued an update on Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who on Saturday will bid to give his trainer an unprecedented hat-trick of wins in the 2000 Guineas, Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Irish 2000 Guineas with three different horses when he lines up for the latter at the Curragh.

“He had his last piece of work this morning and William [Buick] sat on him. He looked great. It's all systems got for the Curragh on Saturday,” said the trainer.

Appleby also has two potential chances to win the Derby for the third time, having left in Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Blue Riband Trial winner Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at the most recent forfeit stage.

He said, “Walk Of Stars has most definitely come forward mentally for that run at Lingfield. He's a big playboy still but we're most definitely pleased with what we've seen since his run.

“Nahanni hasn't been seen [on the racecourse] since his 'win and you're in' at Epsom in the Blue Riband Trial. Physically, I couldn't be any happier than with how he's done. He's just picking up the gears now and we're looking forward to them both going to Epsom.”

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Greek Geek Named Alberta’s 2021 Horse Of The Year

The achievements of the Alberta Thoroughbred industry were celebrated in person at the Night of Champions held on Friday, May 6 at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Nisku, Alberta.

After an absence of two years, over 100 people filled the Paddock Room representing breeders, owners, trainers and backstretch to enjoy the dinner, awards and dancing entertainment.

Master of ceremonies, Ken Gee, got the evening underway with greetings from chief executive officer of Horse Racing Alberta, Kent Verlik, who discussed the best path forward for horse racing in Alberta with the new stakeholder engagement and appeals process. Verlik thanked the industry “for your dedication and passion for the sport of horse racing in Alberta.”

The dinner and entertainment were followed by the award presentations with Greek Geek winning all four of the categories he was eligible for including Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter, Champion Older Horse and Champion Alberta bred.

The Misremembered gelding earned $174,400 last season with seven wins from nine starts including four stakes; the Alberta Breeders' Handicap, the CTHS Sales Stake, the Century Mile Handicap and the Don Getty Handicap. Greek Geek established a new track record on Aug. 15, 2021 over 1 1/16 miles with a time of 1:42.36. Greek Geek is a 2018 CTHS Alberta sale graduate bred by Moonshine Meadow Ranch and owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.

Highfield Investment Group Inc. was named leading breeder for the second consecutive year with Highfield-bred runners earning $420,276 from 15 wins last season.

The 2021 Alberta Thoroughbred horse category award winners are listed below:

Champion Claimer – The H.B.P.A. Trophy – Dune d'Oro

Champion Sprinter – The Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Trophy – Greek Geek

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly – The Dwight McLellan Memorial Trophy – Oneofthemgirls

Champion 2-Year-Old Colt – The Rocky Mountain Turf Club Trophy – Asyoubelieve

Champion 3-Year-Old Filly – The Dave Kapchinsky Memorial Trophy, Sponsored by Paddockhurst Stables Inc. – Sheltered Bay

Champion 3-Year-Old Colt – Sponsored by Bar None Ranches Ltd. – Tony's Tapit

Champion Older Mare – The Moore Equine Veterinary Centre Ltd. Trophy – Infinite Patience

Champion Older Horse – The Century Mile Racetrack and Casino Trophy – Greek Geek

Champion Alberta Bred – The Ted Connor Memorial Trophy – Greek Geek

Horse of the Year – The Horse Racing Alberta Trophy – Greek Geek

The post Greek Geek Named Alberta’s 2021 Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Anxiety Issues: Sugar And The ‘Gut-Brain’ Axis

Horses that receive their energy from fat in their diet are often less anxious than those that get their energy from starches, reports The Horse. Additionally, horses and ponies fed high-starch diets often have a more-elevated heart rate, are more alert and nervous, and present with more intestinal discomfort and negative behaviors than those that are fed a low-starch diet.

Horses fed diets higher in digestible carbohydrates are prone to both ulcers and hindgut acidosis. Signs of this condition include mild colic as well as poor attitude and performance. Diets high in starch can also affect the hindgut's microbial population, leading to decreased function and performance.

This, in turn, can affect the “gut-brain axis.” A horse's GI tract releases about 20 different hormones, including neurotransmitters. Disruptions in the release of these hormones can bring about irritability and hyperexcitability.

Glucose easily crosses the blood-brain barrier; elevated glucose levels increase dopamine production, which can lead to hyperexcitability and elevated awareness. Horses fed diets higher in fiber and/or fat show more consistent blood glucose levels and are less excitable.

Though diet alone will not “fix” an anxious horse, it is one piece of the puzzle, which also involves management and training. It's beneficial to discuss any changes to a horse's diet with an equine nutritionist or a vet.

It's also important to meet and not exceed a horse's caloric requirements; adding fat to the diet will require a decrease in soluble carbohydrates. Fats have two times the amount of calories as carbohydrates, so cannot be replaced on a pound-for-pound basis.

Bloodlines: Secret Oath Aims To Join Century-Old Sorority Of Preakness-Winning Fillies

With the entry of Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in the 2022 Preakness, the daughter of the late champion Arrogate (by Unbridled's Song) bids to become the seventh filly to win the classic.

Most recently, Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in 2009 and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in 2020 defeated colts to claim the classic at Pimlico racecourse, but four earlier fillies had also won the race: Flocarline (St. Florian) had been the first filly to win a Preakness in 1903, then Whimsical (Orlando) won the race in 1906, Rhine Maiden (Watercress) won in 1915 (the same year that Regret won the Kentucky Derby), and Nellie Morse (Luke McLuke) won in 1924.

In 1924, the order of the races was different, and Nellie Morse first won the Pimlico Oaks, then four days later the Preakness itself on May 12. In the classic at Pimlico, Nellie Morse took the lead from the start, repelled challenges from subsequent Travers winner Sun Flag (Sun Briar) and Belmont Stakes winner Mad Play (Fair Play), and finished first by 1 ½ lengths over Harry Payne Whitney's Transmute (Broomstick).

Owned by the famed cartoonist H.C. “Bud” Fisher, Nellie Morse then ventured from Maryland to Kentucky for the Oaks. In the race at Churchill Downs, the filly ran well but was interfered with by first-place finisher Glide (Manager Waite), who was disqualified and placed third behind Nellie Morse, but that left Hall of Fame racer Princess Doreen (Spanish Prince) to scoop the prize after finishing second without interference.

Nellie Morse was generally ranked alongside Princess Doreen as the best three-year-old fillies of 1924, and Fisher sold Nellie Morse, who became an important producer for Calumet Farm after retirement, with Count Morse (Reigh Count), winner of the Clark Handicap, and the top filly Nellie Flag (American Flag) as her most successful offspring.

Bred and raced by Calumet Farm, Nellie Flag was ranked as the best juvenile filly of 1934 and started favorite for the 1935 Kentucky Derby but finished fourth in that race and seventh in the Preakness.

In producing a filly of championship caliber, Nellie Morse succeeded in “reproducing herself,” getting a racer of equal or nearly equal consequence. This is not as easy as it may sound, even for a top performer.

In a filly like Secret Oath, Arrogate sired a racer capable of something he had not done in his storied career on the racetrack: becoming a top-class performer in the first half of the season. A good-sized, though not enormous, son of the very large stallion Unbridled's Song (Unbridled), Arrogate had still taken considerable time to come to full strength and fill out his frame for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Juddmonte Stables.

The gray did not start at two, then dawdled through the spring of second season of potential racing. When he came to race, however, Arrogate put the dawdling aside and impressed from the start. His second and third starts brought victories in a maiden and allowance in June, and then the gray colt went to Saratoga, testing Grade 1 competition in the historic Travers Stakes.

Taking command of the race early, Arrogate led at every call, extended his lead through fractions in :23.23, :46.84, 1:10.85, 1:35.52, and won by 13 ½ lengths in record time of 1:59.36.

From that point until after the 2017 Dubai World Cup, Arrogate was the best horse in training in North America. Maybe anywhere. With large gaps between starts, the galloping gray won the Breeders' Cup Classic in late 2016 and inaugural Pegasus in early 2017 over California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), who was nonetheless named Horse of the Year, then ventured for Dubai for his final breathtaking victory in the World Cup over Gun Runner (Candy Ride).

For whatever reason, Arrogate trained off his championship form after the trip to Dubai and was many lengths and several seconds behind his best thereafter.

Retired to stud at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky, Arrogate had winners from his initial crop of racing age in 2021, but like their sire, they were quite slow to come to hand, and he did not have his first stakes winner until New Year's Day of 2022. Since then, the picture has become clearer with regard to the quality of the stallion's offspring. Some have already proven they are quite good, with Secret Oath having risen to the top of the crop at this point.

A victory against colts in the Preakness would give her an immense boost in prestige and make her the odds-on choice to take the Eclipse Award as the best 3-year-old filly of the year. A loss would count little, if any, against her.

To the bold goes the glory.

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