He has a boopable nose, big dark eyes, and a new home at the Kentucky Derby Museum, but he doesn't have a proper name! The Kentucky Derby Museum is calling on the public to submit names for its new ambassador – an adorable miniature horse.
The 2-year-old roan-colored miniature horse was taken in by Meaningful Menagerie Animal Assisted Therapy & Rescue when he was five months old. The organization felt the Kentucky Derby Museum would make a wonderful permanent home for him.
The public can submit name suggestions at this link. Museum Staff will select a winning name and announce it at the Stable's Grand Reopening on Friday, June 17. The Stable, which has been a part of the Museum experience since the Museum opened in 1985, has remained closed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A retired Thoroughbred racehorse named Rita's Partner will make the Museum his home for a limited time, joining the new mini horse in the Museum Stable next week.
Throughout the years, the miniature horse and Thoroughbred have been a special part of romantic engagement proposals, breathtaking wedding photos, thousands of field trips, and each guest's visit to the Museum.
As is the case with the Kentucky Derby Museum Store and Derby Cafe, visitors do not need a Museum ticket to see this live exhibit, it is free to visit during normal Museum business hours.
About Kentucky Derby Museum (DerbyMuseum.org):
Kentucky Derby Museum, a 501(C)(3) non-profit public charity organization in Louisville, Kentucky has a commitment to ENGAGE, EDUCATE and EXCITE everyone about the extraordinary experience that is the KENTUCKY DERBY.
Society's acceptance of equestrian sport and all its related activities – called a “Social License to Operate” (SLO)–has come under fire recently, most notably with the removal of the riding portion of the modern pentathlon from the Olympic Games.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the governing body of Olympic sport, has created a commission to help ensure riding remains socially accepted. The commission is tasked with creating a framework that will assist the organization in addressing current and future concerns related to using horses in sporting events, reports Horses and People.
The majority of discussion around SLO includes how horses are treated, though whether a sport is seen to adhere to moral and ethical norms, both formal and informal, is also considered.
The French National Assembly (FNA) requested 46 rule changes it felt would assist in the sustainability of riding as a sport. The FNA noted in its request that societal acceptance of how horses are treated is integral to the sport's continuity as the public becomes more concerned with animal welfare.
The FEI has followed suit, noting that while there are mechanisms in place to protect the horse, more must be done transparently and quickly. It have created a 10-person commission, of which five members are not directly associated with the FEI. The commission is chaired by Dr. Natalie Waran of New Zealand, an animal welfare expert and Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science. She is a Professor of One Welfare and Executive Dean at the Eastern Institute of Technology (Te Pūkenga).
The commission is expected to work over an 18-month period, with the first meeting taking place in June of 2022. That meeting will focus on identifying stakeholders and creating engagement plans.
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Other commission members include:
Dr. Kathalijne Visser-Riedstra, External Expert, Professor (UAS) Human-Animal Interactions at Aeres University of Applied Sciences – Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands
Dr. Camie Heleski, External Expert, Senior Lecturer College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky
Dr. Madeleine Campbell, External Expert, Senior Lecturer in Human-Animal Interactions & Ethics at the Royal Veterinary College University of London
Jessica Stark, External Expert, World Horse Welfare Communication and Public Affairs Director
Theo Ploegmakers, European Equestrian Federation President, FEI Board Member
Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, Spanish jumping rider – International Jumping Riders Club
Ken E. Lalo, CAS Arbiter, former Chair of the FEI Tribunal, President of the Israel Equestrian Federation
Sabrina Ibanez, FEI Secretary General, Association of Paralympic Sports Organizations President
Cesar Hirsch, FEI Judge and Steward Level 3 and President of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation
Australia's two leading sprinters, Nature Strip and Home Affairs, had their first experience of Ascot ahead of next week's Royal Meeting with a workout at the track this morning, Friday, June 10.
Nature Strip, the world's top-rated sprinter, is on course for a mouth-watering clash with American raider Golden Pal in the five-furlong G1 King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday, while Home Affairs runs over a furlong further in Saturday's G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
With trainer Chris Waller watching on, the duo worked individually over four furlongs of Ascot's straight course. They were followed by compatriot Artorius, with Anthony & Sam Freedman's runner set to join Home Affairs in the G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
Waller said afterwards: “Firstly, for myself, it is a great privilege to be here. I was hesitant to as how things would work out but I was pleased to see both of them breeze up the straight in good form.
“Nature Strip and Home Affairs are pretty chilled out characters. Home Affairs is a colt whereas Nature Strip is the older gentleman guiding the way. It was great to get them here and they both loved it.
“They had a perfect trip over. I think it was about 40 hours door to door with two stopovers, one in Singapore and one in Dubai. Collectively, they drunk 120 liters of water on the flight, and I think that is the key to anyone's travels, making sure they are well-hydrated. Nature Strip put on a bit of weight on the flight whereas Home Affairs lost a couple of kilos but they are back at their normal weights now. They are both about 575kg, so they are big boys.
“This morning was their first piece of fast work since they landed 10 days ago. They have been doing steady canters until now. We are five days out from Nature Strip's run and eight from Home Affairs', so it was good timing. The main purpose of the exercise was to stimulate them without doing too much, just to help switch them on.
“Everything has gone to plan thus far and they have not put a foot wrong, but we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. They are horses and we need to respect that. They have been staying with Charlie Hills and his facility is just amazing. They have vast open spaces [in Lambourn] and the horses come first. It has been a great insight for me into how the English trainers do things.
“I have been very happy with both horses' preparations since we started back in March. They had a little bit of downtime after their last race before gradually building them up, which isn't easy when you are coming into the Australian winter. Their coats turn and you have to make sure they have done enough work without doing too much. They had three trials in Australia, so lots of simulation without too much work, and then the piece this morning clears their lungs and makes sure their blood levels stay reasonably high. Home Affairs will do one more piece next week, with him running later in the week.
“Golden Pal is very good and very quick. I am only really focusing on our horses while also respecting the fact that it is going to be a full field. I am sure the English, French and Irish will have a few hidden cards as well. Royal Ascot is something unique and it will all be about which horse copes with the occasion and the pressure of the race. I doubt Golden Pal will have been under the pressure he is about to be under, with the same applying to our horses as well. These races make champions and talking points – and let's hope all three Aussie horses run well.
“What Nature Strip and Home Affairs have to their advantage is that they are both good straight track horses. They only need to replicate their Australian form to be capable of fighting out the finish with the best in the world. That is what we are concentrating on. If there are horses who want to go quick, then we will let them and run our own race because that is what works.
“I walked the straight course here earlier in the week with my team and it had us blowing. This is a tough 1000m [5f] and it probably rides more like a 1200m [6f] race in Australia. Nature Strip is equally as effective over 1000m to 1200m and, given the King's Stand will ride more like a 1200m race, we are in our comfort zone with him.
“I feel with Home Affairs, after his dominant win the Coolmore Stud Stakes, that he is very good over 1200m provided he settles, and we have done a lot of work with him on that. I loved his jump out at Flemington before getting on the plane – he relaxed very quickly which is what he will have to do to win.
“Nature Strip has really matured into a foolproof horse. Earlier in his career, he used to be a bit hit and miss because he would charge and race very fiercely. Now he is more relaxed and tractable. As it has worked out with him missing the last couple of Royal Ascot meetings due to Covid, we are now bringing a horse who is winning more often than not. I do not see his age as an issue at all. I don't see him as a rising 8-year-old, I just see him as a mature racehorse.”
Waller's only previous runner at the Royal Meeting, Brazen Beau, finished second in the 2015 G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes.
The trainer reflected: “I learnt that it would be achievable to win a race here one day. Brazen Beau was a good Australian sprinter, a young horse with a similar profile to Home Affairs. You have to have a horse with a good temperament and one who can cope with good tracks or perhaps a bit of rain on the day as well. We almost got it right with Brazen Beau and we will try to get it right this time.”
The 2-year-old stakes at Belmont Park on Thursday were captured by Devious Dame (Astoria) and Two Of A Kind (Tremont).
Devious Dame won her stakes debut with ease for trainer Norm Casse in Thursday's $150,000 Astoria for juvenile fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park.
Campaigned by John Oxley, Devious Dame arrived at the Astoria from a debut victory on May 5 sprinting five furlongs over Churchill Down's main track under Joe Talamo where she dueled for the lead before taking command and opened up to a 5 1/2 length advantage.
Joel Rosario picked up the mount in the Astoria and settled the filly in fourth from the outermost post 5 as Trevor McCarthy asked Alexis's Storm from the inside post to lead the field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds over the fast main track. The running order remained unchanged down the backstretch with Alexis's Storm continuing to roll under McCarthy.
Rosario remained patient aboard Devious Dame as Alexis's Storm held her advantage by a half-length at the top of the stretch and came under a ride from McCarthy. Devious Dame, once asked, was full of run down the center of the racetrack and collared Alexis's Dream just past the eighth pole under a hand ride from Rosario, who did not have to do much more than shake the reins to get his filly into gear. Devious Dame was wrapped up at the wire a 5 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:04.75.
The late-running Girl Bye stayed on for third with Magic Beauty and Shaymyname, who was unsettled before the race, rounding out the order of finish. Born Dapper was scratched.
Casse said he was pleased to see Devious Dame rate from further off the pace than her debut effort.
“We came up here with the intention of winning but got to thinking that we'd rather let her settle a bit more than being adamant about just rushing her off her feet,” said Casse. “I do think she's a two-turn filly and we need to teach her some of that patience now. Thankfully, it paid off.
“She's got a very potent combination,” Casse continued. “She's fast enough to sprint, but I really do think once we get her into two-turn races and be forwardly-placed, but in her own rhythm, she's going to be much more effective.”
Rosario shared Casse's sentiments about Devious Dame's ability to rate.
“He told me to just let her come out of there and let her find her stride. She felt relaxed,” said Rosario. “At some point I had to ask her a little bit to pick it up, and she did. It looked like the further we went, she got better. It all worked out well.”
Casse noted the maturity Devious Dame gained through a start on the Thursday card of Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs.
“She won on Thurby and there were 50,000 people there and she never turned a hair,” said Casse. “She has all the tools to be a good horse.”
Casse said Devious Dame may point to the Grade 3, $200,000 Adirondack on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course with her sights set on Grade 1 company later in the year at Keeneland.
“I'd like to run her in the Adirondack and then freshen her up for the Alcibiades,” said Casse. “Those are the two races I really want to point to. If we're fortunate enough that she is a Breeders' Cup type filly, I'd like to get a two-turn race into her before the Breeders' Cup.”
Chuck Lawrence, trainer of runner-up Alexis's Storm, was full of praise for his filly's valiant frontrunning effort.
“We broke this filly and did everything with her there at Fair Hill and she's just done everything right,” Lawrence said. “We think that she's really going to excel when we go a little farther, so that's the game plan. I told Trevor if there's speed outside, don't be afraid to sit, but she had enough speed and was comfortable. We got her stakes-placed and she's exciting.”
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O'Farrell III and David O'Farrell et al., Devious Dame returned $2.90 for a $2 win ticket as the 2-5 post time favorite and banked $82,500 for her victory. She was purchased for $240,000 out of the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where she worked a quarter-mile in 20 and 4/5 seconds.
Two of a Kind in the winner's circle after his Tremont victory
K and R Racing Stable and Town Branch Racing's Two of a Kind now boasts a pair of wins after a game front-running score in Thursday's $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Brian Lynch, the Overanalyze bay entered from a sharp gate-to-wire maiden score on May 4 at Churchill Downs under returning rider Luis Saez.
“He's always been a precocious sort of colt. He's physically very mature and mentally he's mature,” Lynch said. “We can't be anything but happy with these last couple performances, the one at Churchill and the one today.”
Two of a Kind exited post 6 and was hustled to the front by Saez to take command from the fast-starting Putthepastbehind through an opening quarter-mile in 22.40 seconds over the fast main track. The speedy bay led the field of seven down the backstretch with Zelenskyy Strong in close watch to his outside and No Nay Hudson advancing between rivals and into contention through a half-mile in 45.48.
No Nay Hudson loomed large as he angled outside for the stretch run with Putthepastbehind making a bid along the rail, but Two of a Kind continued to find more and powered home a two-length winner in a final time of 1:04.35.
Putthepastbehind stayed on strong to complete the exacta by 1 1/4-lengths over Valenzan Day, who rallied down the center of the track to best No Nay Hudson for show honors by a half-length. Zelenskyy Strong, Bisping and Little J P rounded out the order of finish. Stayhonor Goodside was scratched.
Saez said Two of a Kind was prepared for a battle down the lane.
“When we came to the top of the stretch, he was just waiting for somebody to fight,” Saez said. “When he saw the other horse come on the outside, he gave me another gear. He looks like he's a really nice horse.
“He relaxed and he's a very fast horse,” Saez continued. “Last time, he surprised us. He broke so fast and opened five or six lengths. Mr. Lynch was trying to show him how to come from behind, but in the races he just wants to go. So, we just let him be whatever he wants to be.”
Lynch said Two of a Kind will now point to the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford on July 16 at Saratoga Race Course.
Christopher Swann, co-breeder and racing manager for the winning owners, said the team knew early on the colt was a good one.
“We knew this horse was special,” Swann said. “You always hear that from the beginning, it's cliché so to speak, but this horse was special.
“In February we had him in Ocala and the guy who breaks my horses down there said, 'You got a good one, time to send the horse on to Brian. He's ready.' So we sent him to Brian early, and I think this might be the earliest Brian has ever run a 2-year-old, recently at least.”
Gerald Brooks and Carl Hess, Jr.'s Putthepastbehind, a maiden winner traveling 4 1/2-furlongs on May 1 at Laurel Park, posted a game runner-up effort under returning rider Jeiron Barbosa.
“My horse got a good trip,” Barbosa said. “We ran into a nice one and were second best.”
Bred in Kentucky by C. W. Swann and Wetherbee Holdings, Two of a Kind banked $82,500 in victory while remaining undefeated. He returned $6.50 for a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont Park with an 11-race card for Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival headlined by the Grade 1, $750,000 New York, a 10-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares in Race 10.
Also featured are the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o' Roses, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares in Race 3; the Grade 2, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at two-miles on turf for older horses in Race 8; the Grade 2, $300,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses in Race 9; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a six-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares in the Race 11 finale. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
