July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Miles Ahead Named 2021 Claiming Crown Horse Of The Year

The now 5-year-old gelding Miles Ahead lost his first start back in 2019 by 43 lengths but went on to prove trainer Eddie Plesa's belief that he was a good horse. It just took some time.

That patience was paid back in spades as the gelding won four races last year, including Gulfstream Park's Grade 3 Smile Stakes and the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit three races later to earn honors as the 2021 Claiming Crown Horse of the Year. The honor is voted on by the National HBPA's Industry Awards Committee chaired by Todd Mostoller from the Pennsylvania HBPA.

Miles Ahead will be recognized at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) annual awards dinner on Sept. 10. The Claiming Crown — designed to give the blue-collar workhorses that dominate American race cards their own championship day on the lines of the Breeders' Cup — is sponsored by the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, TOBA and the host track.

“Any time you get national attention, it's an honor,” Plesa said. “We're all tickled to death about it. Listen, this is a tough industry. When you're recognized by your peers and you're given an award, it kind of makes you puff out your chest a little bit. In the game of horse racing, if you're batting 20 percent that's supposed to be great. This sport has something to it that supersedes success as far as making it to the winner's circle. That's what makes this sport of ours so great.”

Miles Ahead was purchased in 2019 for $175,000 at the OBS March 2-year-old in training sale by the Florida-based Plesa and the ownership partnership of David Melin, Leon Ellman and the trainer's wife, Laurie. After winning 11 of 21 starts and $323,525, they accepted an offer to sell the gelding, who now races for Jay Em Ess Stable and is trained by Kentucky-based Paul McGee. Miles Ahead most recently finished second by a neck to Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West in Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Aristides.

But it was an inauspicious start – more like miles behind as Miles Ahead lost contact with the field early while finishing last by 43 lengths in the $50,000 maiden-claiming sprint on turf.

“During the course of getting him prepared to run as a 2-year-old, he never showed anything,” Plesa said. “So I put him on the turf with the idea that 'if this horse is going to make it, it's going to be on the turf because he sure doesn't show anything on the dirt.' Needless to say, he ran horrible.”

Off that, Plesa felt secure putting Miles Ahead in a $12,500 maiden-claiming race on dirt — the bottom at Gulfstream Park. He won by 12 1/4 lengths.

“He kind of woke up,” Plesa said. “I wasn't scared of anybody claiming him. And to be honest, I wasn't sure he was worth $12,500 at that time. The rest is what you see on paper.”

Miles Ahead stamped himself as a solid $25,000 claimer and starter-allowance horse and kept advancing last year: winning an allowance race, narrowly losing a $60,000 handicap to the accomplished Diamond Oops, then defeating that $1.4 million-earner while capturing the Smile Stakes. A trip to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Vanderbilt didn't work out, but Miles Ahead came back and won the Dec. 4 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit under Paco Lopez by 1 1/4 lengths over Legal Deal. The Kentucky-bred son of Competitive Edge started his 5-year-old season with two more victories, capped by the $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint before his sale.

“Some horses are just later developers,” Plesa said. “Was it a case of him getting confidence in himself? Probably somewhat. He's always been a sound horse. He just kind of likes to be left alone and do his thing, which we allowed him to do. It just got to the point where he'd done as much as he could do in the starter races and we needed to find out 'Is he a high-priced claiming horse? Or could he be something better.' Each time we took him out there, he did his job, ran hard to the point of where he's at today.

“We were approached about selling him, and we talked about it as a partnership. He made a lot of money for us, and it was an opportunity to kind of cash in on him and wish the other people well, which we have. He certainly ran a bang-up race in his last start. He gave us a lot of thrills, a lot of joy. We weren't actively looking to sell him. It was just one of those offers we felt we needed to take advantage of.”

Ellman said he was especially pleased to win the award as Miles Ahead is named after his grandson Miles, now 14. There was considerable pressure to name a good horse for Miles after Ellman had named Mr. Jordan after grandson Jordan, now 23. Mr. Jordan's 10 career wins included seven stakes, headed by Monmouth Park's Grade 3 Pegasus. He's currently in residence at Old Friends retired racehorse aftercare facility.

“We're very happy to get this award, because I've treated them (his grandsons) both equally,” Ellman said with a laugh. “I think my grandson is very happy. Eddie picked out the horse; all I had to do was pick the name. We were very lucky with the horse. I saw that Miles did well in his last race. I hope the new owners have a lot of good fortune with him, just as we did.”

Eric Hamelback, NHBPA CEO, said Miles Ahead epitomizes what the Claiming Crown and the Claiming Crown Horse of the Year were created to recognize.

“The committee zeroed in on Miles Ahead and felt as if the horse and the connections were indeed the horse to be recognized for their accomplishments,” Hamelback said. “We are pleased that we can recognize and award a trophy to Miles Ahead at this year's TOBA awards ceremony.”

“The competition for Claiming Crown Horse of the Year has gotten fierce as we've seen some incredible performances at the Claiming Crown in recent years,” Mostoller said. “Miles Ahead exemplifies what we want in our champion: a hard-knocking horse that paid his dues moving up the ranks to becoming a graded-stakes winner. This also serves as an award for horsemanship. We applaud Eddie Plesa and the ownership team for the patience they showed in letting Miles Ahead develop into a top horse.”

The 2022 Claiming Crown will be held for the first time at Churchill Downs, its Nov. 12 date falling one week after the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

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‘A Cherry On Top’: Change Of Control Sprints To Colonial Stakes Triumph

Perry Harrison's Change of Control captured her tenth lifetime win and pushed her career earnings over the $900,000 mark in Monday's co-featured $150,000 Andy Guest Stakes at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va.

The 6-year-old Fed Biz mare went three wide at the top of the stretch and drew clear in the 5-1/2 furlong turf test, crossing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of CJ Thoroughbreds' Jeanie B in 1:03.72. The Michelle Lovell trainee had been stakes placed three times this year — without a win — but broke through Monday with regular rider Colby Hernandez up top. Change of Control's consistent career has resulted in 26 in-the-money finishes from 37 starts.

“She's like a cherry on top all the time,” said a happy Lovell in the winners circle. “She loves Colby. They have a great connection. She put him right into the race initially, probably a bit more than he even thought. With the long stretch here, he bided his time and ran game to the finish. If our regular Kentucky riders want to come and ride here, we are happy to have them if they'll make the drive or take a flight,” she added. “I know it's not easy on them but I think Colby would go anywhere to ride her.”

George Sharp's Front Run the Fed returned to action for the first time since last October and prevailed by a head in the $150,000 Van Clief Stakes after a thrilling finish.

Also a son of Fed Biz, the 6-year-old horse went five-wide amongst a tight group midway down the stretch and battled with Gordon Keys' Grateful Bred to the wire in the 5 1/2-furlong grass race. Multiple Eclipse award winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. led the winning effort for trainer Caio Caramori.

Front Run the Fed was purchased by Sharp for $440,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age sale last July.

“I loved that horse for a long time and when he came up for sale, I went beyond the price I was going to pay. The horse has a lot of class. Chad Brown brought him along nicely. He had three heart breaking preps for the Breeders' Cup last year so I kept him out of it. He needed time off,” added Sharp. “He had some wear and tear on him. We gave him nine months off and he paid me back today.”

Sharp plans to head to Saratoga and possibly enter Front Run the Fed in the Fourstardave.

Even money betting choice Just Might finished fourth for trainer Lovell.

“He missed the break and just had a rough trip,” she said. “He still picked up a check. I'm very proud of that horse.”

The summer racing season at Colonial Downs continues Tuesday with a 9-race card at 1:45 PM. The current meet runs thru September 7.

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Debunking Some Commonly Held Myths About HISA

by Thomas J. Rooney, President & CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association

Edited Press Release

Change is never easy, especially change being brought about by the federal government imposing national uniform reforms in an industry long regulated at the state level. I served in the House of Representatives for 10 years, representing 750,000 people from South Florida. I heard day in and day out from my constituents on how we in the government could do things better. This feedback drove the work I did in Congress. Since I started at NTRA, I've been meeting with my new Thoroughbred racing constituency to hear about the major issues they face and how the NTRA can help. One of the most common concerns revolves around a bipartisan bill signed into law by President Trump in 2020 known as the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA).

The fact of the matter is, Thoroughbred racing has needed change for quite some time. We all know that. The path we were going down was not sustainable, and after some challenging years we could not as an industry keep doing business as usual. Accordingly, since the passage and implementation of HISA, I'm optimistic that together we can work to preserve horse racing so that future generations can also enjoy it. The best way to do that is by creating fairness and safety across the nation for the people and horses that make up this sport we love.

HISA officials are doing all they can to educate and communicate with industry stakeholders covered by the law. I think it's important to separate facts from myths, so misinformation doesn't get in the way of the Authority's work. So let me try to set the record straight.

Myth: HISA has very broad powers of search and seizure under the law, which violates the Fourth Amendment.

Fact: HISA regulations are very similar to those long used by state horse racing authorities and courts usually affirm those powers.

State horse racing authorities have long exercised investigatory and enforcement powers over licensed entities that are similar to those provided in HISA. More broadly, courts have dismissed search-and-seizure objections critics have raised because participants in closely regulated industries have diminished expectations of privacy. While individuals have a Constitutional right to privacy, there is no Constitutional right to own, race, and train horses. Licensed individuals are only able to participate under the terms of their license and if rules are violated, that license can be revoked. However, HISA has made it clear their regulatory authority extends only to matters relating to racing. So, any argument claiming HISA extends beyond matters relating to racing is wrong.

Myth: Many states don't currently have a voided claim rule, and now HISA is regulating all claims to the detriment of owners and trainers.

Fact: HISA provides a long needed, nationwide voided claim rule which will standardize the process for all claims, eliminate confusion and protect owners and trainers.

For years, voided claim programs have been confusing and challenging, even for regulators. In many states, voided claim rules don't exist at all. HISA aims to standardize this process. It will require a claim be voided in five specific circumstances (death, euthanasia, bleeding, being vanned off the track or testing positive for prohibited substances) making the rules clearer and leveling the playing field. Primarily this rule is intended to protect the welfare and safety of horses. Additionally, this rule is intended to protect people who sell horses through the claiming business but also ensure those purchasing horses are getting a fair purchase.

Myth: HISA's Committees are not representative of the Industry.

Fact: The Advisory Committees are made up of veterinarians, chemists, a jockey, former track owners and operators, breeders, former heads of equine sales companies, and a wide array of highly regarded independent directors with expertise both within and outside of horse racing.

HISA has worked with stakeholders from every facet of the industry to make the Advisory Committees as representative and inclusive as possible. HISA has also sought and received public comment on every proposed rule and regulation, so that any parties not directly represented on the Committee could share their input. While it is impossible for everyone to have a seat at the table, the Authority has made every effort to have representation and input be as wide-ranging as possible.

Myth: HISA is going to cost too much and small tracks and small owners will no longer be able to participate in the industry.

Fact: While not all state racetracks and regulators have finalized funding mechanisms for HISA fees, the best way to drive down the cost per covered individual is by every segment of the industry participating.

The concern over cost is a very valid one that I don't want to minimize. The cost assessment model is based on 50% starts and 50% purses, which is intended to help the smaller tracks. HISA will also be looking for supplemental funding models as they move forward. The best way to drive down cost is for all industry participants to pay their share, which will bring down the cost for each covered individual. In the end, if it leads to a safer sport with a higher degree of transparency and integrity, then it will be money well spent. That, after all, is what we all want and what people expect.

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Gun Runner To Cover Limited Book Of Mares On Southern Hemisphere Time

Gun Runner, the record-setting leading freshman sire of 2021, will cover a limited book of mares on Southern Hemisphere time this summer at Three Chimneys Farm, Thoroughbred Daily News reports.

The 9-year-old son of Candy Ride will stand for an advertised fee of $75,000 for Southern Hemisphere season matings. He started the traditional 2022 Northern Hemisphere breeding season at $125,000 before later being taken to a private fee.

“The decision to make the stallion available to cover Southern Hemisphere time is two-fold; firstly, there have been a lot of inquiries about him and we have some matings booked already,” Three Chimneys vice president Doug Cauthen told TDN. “Secondly, on a limited basis, we want to try to introduce him into the market because we believe he has all the potential to be a successful Southern Hemisphere (sire) as well.”

Gun Runner set the North American record for freshman sire earnings last year, racking up $4,278,640, led by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and eventual champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu.

He has come back strong in 2022, with a group of runners including Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba, and G1 Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife.