October, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Groom Elite Program Returns To Gulfstream Park In January Of 2023

C. Reid McLellan, aka Dr. Mac, will be back at Gulfstream Park this winter to teach the Groom Elite 101 program to backstretch workers and individuals interested in working with racehorses. The five-week program offers an overview of a variety of topics, including Horse Behavior, Health, Conformation (including bones of front and rear leg), Digestive System and Feeding (with an emphasis on colic), and Bandaging and Tacking.

The classes are designed to help grooms improve their horsemanship skills, to assist hotwalkers in taking the next step to becoming grooms, and to provide the groundwork for newcomers looking to get into horseracing. At the end of the course, the students are tested and, if they pass the requirements, are awarded certification at one of five levels (Entry, Basic, Qualified, Experienced, and Elite).

“Certified grooms increase their value as an asset to the team,” McLellan said. “Trainers report that certified grooms, even those with many years of experience, pay closer attention to their horses and provide information that helps trainers act before a small problem becomes a serious injury.”

Classes start the week of Jan. 9, 2023, and will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays through the week of Feb. 13, 2023. Groom Elite 101 is sponsored jointly by FTHA and 1S/T RACING. There is no cost to the students, and they will receive lunch on class days, as well as a jacket upon completion of the program.

“The Groom Elite Program was a staple of backstretch education sponsored by the horsemen's group and the track for many years, but had to be suspended when the pandemic hit,” FTHA Executive Director Andy Belfiore said. “We're thrilled to be able to bring this great program back to Gulfstream Park. We believe it will be a benefit to the workers, the trainers, and the horses.”

Trainers are encouraged to enroll workers in the program. For more information, contact Herb Oster at hoster@floridahorsemen.org.

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Edison Hatter Named Meadowlands’ Morning-Line Oddsmaker, Program Analyst

When The Meadowlands resumes with live harness racing on Friday, Nov. 4, there will be a new morning-line oddsmaker and program analyst on staff.

Edison Hatter, 23, a harness racing jack-of-all-trades who has been working at The Big M as the handicapper on TVG telecasts as well as doing occasional winner's circle and back paddock interviews, will now add the morning-line and program comments to his already full to-do list.

“Edison Hatter is one of the brightest young minds in all of harness racing,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “His tremendous passion for the game – not to mention all of the things he has accomplished already at a remarkably young age – I believe make him the perfect choice to take on such a big responsibility.”

In addition to his four-pronged Meadowlands gig, Hatter intends to continue to serve as the track announcer at Freehold Raceway and will keep his position as an aerospace engineer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as well. He also hosts a weekly podcast – called “First Over” – about Woodbine Mohawk Park for the In The Money media network which will also incorporate Meadowlands happenings through the remainder of the year.

“It's obviously never the way you want to come into a job,” said Hatter, referring to the recent passing of longtime lead Big M TV host Dave Brower, who did the line and the comments. “It's an opportunity I look forward to and I will do the absolute best I can, but it'll never be the same at the Meadowlands without Dave Brower. He was the best.”

Maybe Brower said it best in a harnessracingupdate.com September 2021 feature on Hatter: “I know how young he is, but he acts like a polished professional.”

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Letruska Out Of Breeders’ Cup, To Get 60 Days Off

Champion Letruska will not contest the Breeders' Cup this year, trainer Fausto Gutierrez told FanDuel TV's Joaquin Jaime on Oct. 31. Gutierrez told Jaime the 6-year-old mare is sound but will get a 60-day break and that a decision on retirement will be made at the conclusion of her lay-off.

Letruska had been pointing to the Filly and Mare Sprint, seeking Breeders' Cup redemption after a disappointing finish in last year's Distaff at Del Mar.

The St. George Stable homebred started off her 2022 campaign with flashes of her old brilliance, picking up wins in the Grade 3 Royal Delta and G1 Apple Blossom, but encountered speed duels in her last three starts, losing out to Clariere in the G1 Ogden Phipps, then Malathaat in the G1 Personal Ensign and G1 Spinster.

Letruska was the 2021 Eclipse Award winner in the Champion Older Dirt Female category after a season that saw her collect six graded wins in eight starts. She started her career in Mexico, where she won two Group 1s.

Letruska is by Super Saver out of Successful Appeal daughter Magic Appeal.

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MGISW Forte Made Early Favorite for 2023 Kentucky Derby

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner, GI Hopeful S. winner, and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), who is set to contest the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Friday for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, has been made the 15-1 individual favorite in the first pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, while the option of “all other colts and geldings” not among the 38 individual betting interests has been given 3-5 odds. The new three-day pool, which was previously announced, will run from Tuesday to Thursday and feature $2 win and exacta wagering.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will feature up to 40 betting interests. The first pool will have 38 individual horses, as well as a betting interest for “All Fillies from the 2020 Foal Crop,” and a separate betting interest for “All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2020 Foal Crop.”

Six Future Wager pools are scheduled in advance of the 2023 Kentucky Derby: Nov. 1-3 (Pool 1); Nov. 24-27 (Pool 2); Jan. 20-22 (Pool 3); Feb. 10-12 (Pool 4); Mar. 10-12 (Pool 5); and Mar. 30-Apr. 1 (Pool 6). The Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager will be held concurrently with Pool 2, while the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Pool 5.

A record total of $2,060,691 was bet on future wagers for the 2022 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. For more information, visit kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.

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