Month: October 2022

Work It, Baby: Study To Examine Correlation Between Foal Exercise, Future Fractures

Drs. Annette McCoy and Mariana Kersh, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), are investigating whether putting foals through a controlled exercise protocol could prevent limb fractures later in life. The study is funded by Morris Animal Foundation.

Though mild exercise early in life is known to be beneficial for horses, exactly how it stimulates bone growth – specifically in areas that are susceptible to fracture – is unknown. It is thought that exercise can prepare equine bones for the mechanical forces they experience during adolescence and adulthood.

This study uses information gleaned from human medicine which indicates that children who exercise are less prone to injury as adolescents and adults, and that the bone change they experience is sustained over time. 

Previous studies have shown that foals raised on pasture are inactive about 85 percent of the time, but too much exercise can be detrimental to foals. The study will attempt to identify whether there is a specific amount of exercise that can protect bones but not harm the foals. The 24-month study will be completed at the University of Illinois Horse farm.

Twelve Standardbreds are being used for the study; six were enrolled in 2021 and six in 2022. Each foal had a CT exam at 8 weeks old to create a three-dimensional picture of his forelimbs. Bone density and volume were recorded. 

Three of the foals then participated in an 8-week exercise plan that involved fast trotting over 1,500 yards in a field once a day, five days a week. The other three foals served as non-exercised controls. 

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A second CT scan was and will be done when the foals reach 16 weeks old. A final CT scan will be completed when the horses are a year old to see if any changes remain. All data will be combined to help predict if exercise intervention has an effect on bone properties.

The scientists are hopeful that study results will allow foals of all breeds to be better managed to prevent front leg fractures later in life. All data should be analyzed by summer of 2023. 

Read more at Equine Science Update. 

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Top Arapahoe Trainer Summarily Suspended After Syringes Found In Barn Rafters; Mitchell Suspects Foul Play

Stetson Mitchell, who had been on track to collect his fourth consecutive meet title at Arapahoe Park, was summarily suspended by Colorado officials on Oct. 4, the final day of the 2022 race meet.

Personnel from the Colorado Department of Racing arrived at Mitchell's barn at Arapahoe Park on the morning of closing day but refused to tell him whether he had any pending drug positives.

Investigators found multiple syringes, some with needles attached, and bottles of injectable medication in a vehicle belonging to Mitchell and in the rafters of his barn and a hay shed. Mitchell said those items were covered in dust.

The Department of Racing could not provide comment on the search, since it is connected to an ongoing investigation. A spokeswoman did confirm that since Colorado stewards have disbanded for the season, a hearing will be conducted by a hearing officer with the Colorado Department of Revenue's Hearings Division.

Mitchell said he is not using the vehicle in which the medications were found and had lent the truck to an employee of his, who admitted the drugs were for the treatment of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in a pony.

He also said he firmly believes the needles and syringes were planted in his barn, and that the person responsible for them tipped the state about where to look.

“It's been a very odd meet where I've had a lot of things planted in my barn that I've reported to the commission and they pick the last day of the meet to come down here; it's very strange,” he said. “I actually turned in a needle and syringe that was found in my shedrow to the commission and asked them to test it. That was more than a month ago and it's still out. They say they have no answers for it.

“I think the person who dropped the syringe planted the other stuff and accidentally dropped that at the time.”

This season hasn't been an easy one for Mitchell, who earlier this summer was part of the first void claim case by the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority after Pow Pow tested positive for albuterol. Mitchell said he's still appealing that case.

He also told the Paulick Report he believes his horses have been targeted for post-race drug testing more frequently than usual. Normally, he said post-race testing is done on the winner and a random horse. He said his horses have been pulled for random tests more frequently than usual, even when they finish last.

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“I honestly believe it is the Colorado commission's goal to kill racing,” he said. “This lady [Director of Racing Events Donia Amick] has made it known she hates horse racing.”

Mitchell has been the leading trainer at Arapahoe by wins since the 2019 season, and starts considerably more horses than most other horsemen there. This year, he had 223 starts, while the next most prolific trainer had 146. His win rate is 16 percent. He was poised to take the Arapahoe training title with 35 victories ahead of O.A. Martinez Jr.'s 31, but the track chose not to hold a ceremony awarding the title on closing day, telling him they wanted to wait until final drug tests had come back. His entries for the day were stewards' scratches.

Mitchell said he plans to turn his horses out at the conclusion of the meet as he awaits the outcome of the case.

The post Top Arapahoe Trainer Summarily Suspended After Syringes Found In Barn Rafters; Mitchell Suspects Foul Play appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Juvenile Nagirroc Wheels Back Off Short Rest For ‘Win And You’re In’ Futurity

Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and William Strauss' Nagirroc will make his stakes debut off two weeks' rest in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juveniles, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Futurity, which offers the winner a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 4 at Keeneland as part of the “Win And You're In” series, is one of three graded events on Sunday's card, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame in Race 3 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker in Race 8.

Nagirroc, a bay son of Lea, made his first outing for trainer Graham Motion at second asking in a six-furlong maiden special weight going the Futurity distance on September 24 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. Sent to the lead by Manny Franco, Nagirroc improved his margins at every point of call to post the 3 1/2-length victory in a sharp final time of 1:08.58 over the firm going. The effort garnered a field-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He's been pretty classy in the morning since I've got him,” said Motion. “I haven't had him for that long and I was impressed with what he had done, but I certainly would not have expected him to run the way he did. I thought it was a very good effort. He won very comfortably.”

The victory came on the heels of a runner-up debut for his former trainer Jim Corrigan in August at Horseshoe Indianapolis where he rallied from sixth-of-9 to fall just 1 3/4 lengths shy of the victorious Bal a Kazoo.

Out of the winning Zamindar mare Emma Spencer, Nagirroc's fourth dam, Inchmurrin, produced multiple Group 3-winner and sire Inchinor, who went on to sire multiple Group 1-winners Cape of Good Hope and Notnowcato.

Franco retains the mount from post 2.

Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael Dubb's Inflation Nation will look to build upon a last-out maiden victory at second asking for trainer Christophe Clement. An Irish-bred son of Speightstown, Inflation Nation was defeated by a head on debut in a July 22 maiden sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Race Course. The winner of that race, Appraise, went on to post a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine two starts later.

Inflation Nation returned to the same distance and course to claim victory on September 1, tracking in fourth position two lengths off the pace under Dylan Davis before unleashing his bid approaching the turn. The chestnut colt took command at the stretch call and ran on gamely down the lane to eke out a half-length score in 1:05.45 over a course listed as good.

Clement said he was pleased with the first two efforts from Inflation Nation, who breezed a half-mile in 51.64 seconds over Saratoga's Oklahoma dirt training track on Friday.

“He's done everything right. He's a nice horse,” said Clement. “We'll see if he's able to handle the jump up. He's training forwardly and he looks sound.”

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 3.

NBS Stable's Dunedin arrives at the Futurity as the only entrant with a victory against winners on his resume. Trained by Kelsey Danner, Dunedin was last seen graduating with a half-length victory over stakes-placed Roman Giant in a restricted allowance traveling 6 1/2 furlongs on September 8 at Kentucky Downs. The son of Munnings rallied strongly from 8 1/2 lengths back to earn his first victory in his third start.

A $140,000 purchase from the Brookdale Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Dunedin finished on the board in his first two starts sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Colonial Downs, finishing third on debut in July and a close second in August.

Regular rider Joseph Rocco, Jr. retains the mount from post 1.

Conditioner Mike Maker will be represented by two contenders in Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Skychai Racing and Angelo Carlesimo's Gaslight Dancer [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Three Diamonds Farm's Bourbon Therapy [post 6, Eric Cancel].

Gaslight Dancer, a bay son of City of Light, was soundly defeated on debut when sprinting six furlongs over the Churchill Downs main track, but made a strong improvement when switching to turf for his second outing on September 3 at Keeneland. Gaslight Dancer earned a wire-to-wire score under Gerardo Corrales in the seven-furlong maiden sprint, romping to a five-length victory and earning a 75 Beyer. He was a $260,000 purchase from the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Bourbon Therapy, a dark bay Free Drop Billy colt, will make his second outing for Maker after finishing an even fourth last out in the Juvenile Sprint on September 8 at Kentucky Downs. The $40,000 Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase was a winner at third asking for previous trainer John Ennis when sprinting five furlongs over the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf in June.

Completing the field are Tee-N-Jay Farm and trainer Kent Sweezey's stakes-placed Power Attack [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche]; Sleeping Giant Stables, America's Pastime Stables and KimDon Racing's debut maiden winner Vacation Dance [post 4, Javier Castellano] for trainer John Kimmel; and D Hatman Thoroughbreds' stakes-winning filly Determined Jester [post 8, Forest Boyce], who is cross-entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Matron at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet for trainer Phil Schoenthal.

The Futurity is slated as Race 6 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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