August, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Research Update: Water Depths Of Horse Water Treadmills

Rehabilitation and athletic programs for horses often include water treadmill exercise. However, little research has evaluated the effect of water depth on limb and back kinematics. Therefore, researchers in the United Kingdom sought to determine the effect of walking in different water depths at a constant speed on limb and back kinematics of horses.

Six mature, adult horses were equipped with ten waterproof light markers and reflective spheres attached along the limbs and back. Additionally, inertial-measuring units were attached to the poll, withers, left and right tubera coxae, and sacrum to measure range of motion (ROM). Prior to water treadmill exercise, the horses were walked in-hand over a firm surface for 5 minutes to warm up. On the treadmill, horses walked at 5.25 feet/second for 3 minutes at each water depth: 0, 2.95, 8.27, 13.39, and 18.50 inches. Videography was used to quantify back and limb kinematics during water treadmill exercise.

Flexion in the limb joints (carpal and tarsal) increased at maximum flexion angles during swing as water depths increased. Thoracic spine flexion-extension ROM and dorsoventral and mediolateral ROM of the pelvis increased with increases in water depth. The horses' response to increases in water depth leveled off after reaching a threshold, where water depth was either above or below the carpus depending on the individual horse.

The researchers concluded that changes in limb kinematics brought about by relatively modest increases in water depth at walking speed of 5.25 feet/second are sufficient to induce significant changes in back and pelvic movement.

For more information on this research, view the abstract published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Sciences.

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Champion Juvenile Corniche Retired to Coolmore America

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt, OBS April sale topper and 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud for 2023.

Bred by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings out of six-time GSW and GISP Wasted Tears, Corniche was purchased for $1.5 million by agent Marette Farrell on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables LLC following a powerful :10 flat OBSAPR '21 breeze.

He was then turned over to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and took his Del Mar debut handily last September before stretching out successfully in the GI American Pharoah S. The bay completed a perfect juvenile campaign back in San Diego in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Transferred to the Todd Pletcher barn for the 2022 season, he reportedly suffered a hind joint injury on his seasonal debut in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. July 31, prompting his retirement. It was his only defeat.

“It's unfortunate that Corniche has been forced to retire at this point in his career, but he will be revered for his remarkable juvenile season,” said Ashford Stud Manager Dermot Ryan. “He's a most impressive-looking individual and I can see him proving extremely popular amongst breeders.”

Corniche retires with earnings of $1,263,500. A stud fee will be announced at a later date.

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‘Ride Him To Win’: Laurel River Powers To First Graded Win In Pat O’Brien, Earns Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Berth

Juddmonte's Laurel River, a lightly raced 4-year-old Into Mischief colt making his second stakes appearance, powered between horses at the quarter pole and pulled clear to score by 3 ¾ lengths in the $252,500 Pat O'Brien (G2) Saturday at Del Mar.

The homebred out of the Empire Maker mare Calm Water was ridden by Del Mar's top jockey, Juan Hernandez, and gave trainer Bob Baffert his eighth tally in the seven-furlong O'Brien and his 150th stakes victory at the seaside oval, far and away the most by any trainer in the track's 83-year history. Baffert also forged into leadership as the current meet's top conditioner with his 14th victory on Day 22 of the meet.

Finishing second in the Pat O'Brien was Kretz Racing's American Theorem, who had three-quarters of a length on Joe Peacock Jr.'s third-place finisher, Senor Buscador.

Laurel River covered seven furlongs in 1:21.37 on a fast track.

“This is a nice horse,” Hernandez said. “He broke real sharp, but then he relaxed. I just tried to stay with them early. When we got to the three-eighths (pole) I asked him and he responded. It is great when that happen; when you ask and they give it to you. He went between horses without a problem. Bob (Baffert) said 'Ride him to win,' and I did. And he responded. Could he run a mile? He can go the mile. I think so for sure.”

Baffert was also impressed with Laurel River's performance.

“He just sat there and then he made that split,” he said. “He has a lot of speed, but he's going to be much more effective around two turns.”

Godolphin's Speaker's Corner, who had shipped in from the East Coast for the race and was favored at just over even money, flashed early speed, but fell back under pressure and finished fourth nearly six lengths behind the winner.

“I don't know what was going on with this horse,” jockey Mike Smith said. “He was acting up. He got real hot in the warm up. Then he was acting up again in the gate. He just wasn't a happy horse today.”

The Pat O'Brien is a Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” race – one of six this summer at Del Mar – that rewarded the Laurel River a guaranteed spot in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1) with all fees paid. The race will be run November 5 at Keeneland.

Laurel River picked up a first prize of $150,000 for his triumph and increased his earnings to $314,620 for his fourth win from his seventh career start. In his only previous stakes attempt, he finished second in the 2021 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.

The bay Kentucky-bred paid $15.80.

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Into Mischief’s Laurel River Impresses in Pat O’Brien

The GII Pat O'Brien S. was billed as a softer spot for GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) to land after facing leading older horses Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in his last two starts, but apparently the lightly raced Laurel River (Into Mischief–Calm Water, by Empire Maker) didn't get the memo as he stormed home to take the seven-furlong Del Mar sprint, a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Laurel River broke smoothly and immediately attended the pace before relinquishing his spot to track in a close fourth through a quarter in :22.41 and a half in :44.74. With American Theorem (American Pharoah)–winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. over this surface July 30–very wide and threatening with a big move on the outside, Laurel River found on dream seam on the turn, set sail for home and left them all behind, leaving no doubt as to the best horse on the day. American Theorem chased him home, 3 3/4 lengths in arrears, while Speaker's Corner reported home in fourth behind the hard-trying Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). C Z Rocket (City Zip), who won this race in 2020 and was second in the event last year, was eighth. The Pat O'Brien is named for one of Del Mar's founders.

“That feels great, really good, when you ask a horse to run like that,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “I asked him and he responded really well. He went between the horses and he showed he's a good horse. Bob [Baffert] told me to ride this horse to win, so that's what I did.”

A 4-year-old homebred for Juddmonte, Laurel River was winning his first black-type race in the O'Brien. He had one outing as a 2-year-old, finishing off the board at Santa Anita. Six months later, at three, he reappeared to break his maiden and finished 2021 with just three more starts, which included a second in the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. and an optional allowance win. Back to the sidelines for the next 10 1/2 months, he made his first start of 2022 July 31 over a mile on this track after two bullet breezes, taking another optional allowance by daylight and getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Pedigree Notes:

The 114th black-type winner and 52nd graded winner bred in the Northern Hemisphere for Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief, Laurel River is out of a full-sister to Juddmonte's four-time GISW Emollient (Empire Maker). Like so many of the mares in the Juddmonte broodmare band, Calm Water has a powerhouse family behind her. Her third dam is French champion Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to French champion and stellar sire Machiavellian. The family is positively littered with accomplishment, none more important than Coup de Genie's third dam, Natalma (Native Dancer), who produced the great Northern Dancer.

Calm Water is by another Juddmonte homebred in Empire Maker, the late stallion who spent part of his sire career in Japan. Laurel River is the 72nd black-type winner out of one of his daughters. Five of those are by Into Mischief, including MGISW Mandaloun, GSW Center Aisle, and Laurel River. Calm Water has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Laurel River named Castlewarden and produced fillies the last two years by Constitution. She was also bred back to Constitution for 2023.

Saturday, Del Mar
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-27, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.37, ft.
1–LAUREL RIVER, 121, c, 4, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Calm Water, by Empire Maker
               2nd Dam: Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold
               3rd Dam: Glia, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert;
J-Juan J. Hernandez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0,
$314,620. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–American Theorem, 125, r, 5, American Pharoah–Mighty
Renee, by Maria's Mon. ($190,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP).
O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-George
Papaprodromou. $50,000.
3–Senor Buscador, 121, c, 4, Mineshaft–Rose's Desert, by
Desert God. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Joe R. Peacock, Jr.;
B-Joe R Peacock Sr. & Joe R Peacock Jr. (KY); T-Todd W.
Fincher. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.90, 5.10, 21.00.
Also Ran: Speaker's Corner, The Chosen Vron, Defunded, Get Her Number, C Z Rocket, Principe Carlo, Restrainedvengence.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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