New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program raised over $72,000 for racehorse aftercare on 'Giving Tuesday'. Breeders' Cup winning owners of Wonder Wheel, DJ Stable, LLC, generously pledged to match the first $30,000 raised by New Vocations in honor of the organization's 30th anniversary.
Courtesy of over 100 supporters in the equestrian and racing communities, funds were raised late into Nov. 29, and pushed over the goal thanks to a $10,000 donation made by Oak Grove Racing Gaming and Hotel, a Churchill Downs property.
“We were blown away by the tremendous response to this year's Giving Tuesday Campaign,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “Due to rising costs in horse care, our funds have been stretched thin this year. Surpassing our fundraising goal will help us serve the hundreds of retired racehorses that go through our program.”
Since 1958, the Head family has been raising champion Thoroughbreds at Haras du Quesnay, just a few kilometers from the Arqana sales ring. But now, with the passing of the family patriarch, Alec Head, and the sale of the historic nursery, the family's colors will fly for the last time at the December Breeding Stock sale, with the complete dispersal of the Heads' bloodstock interests.
Le Quesnay will offer 48 broodmares, fillies and foals during the sale.
“It's a big bunch of horses, and it's sad to see them going,” said Vincent Rimaud, Quesnay's Stud Manager. “On the other hand, it's nice to look after them. A decision was taken to sell them in Arqana because we're here, we're in France. We're 10 miles away from the site, and we've always sold there. And while a lot of these horses will stay in France, a few of these mares will attract international clients.”
In fact, the first through the ring, lot 31, Perle d'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), figures to be one of the stars of the dispersal. She is a half-sister to the 2022 G3 Prix Minerve winner Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Her third dam Pearly Shells (GB) was the G1 Prix Vermeille winner, who produced the dam of G1 Matron S. Winner Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Her 2022 filly by Intello (Ger) is also being offered as lot 329.
“Three years ago, we bought Perle d'Auge as a maiden in Arqana and we got her in foal to Intello (Ger) and she gave us a beautiful filly that we would sell. And the pedigree has moved a lot since we bought this mare with Eternal Pearl and with Pearls Galore.”
An emotional sale figures to come with the last foal from Trevise (Fr), the dam of two-time G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr), who died during this foaling. The filly by the late Le Havre sells as lot 166 on Saturday.
“Of course, we have Treve's family,” said Rimaud. “We have the sister to Treve by Le Havre and she's a very nice filly. She's a good mix of Le Havre and her dam. The mare died this year, giving birth to this filly, so she was raised under a nurse mare, and of course, Le Havre died also. So, it's a bit of a sad story, but there's also very beautiful potential there as a broodmare and hopefully a nice race mare before that.”
Treve's half-sister Toride (Fr), who has already produced the black-type runners Lady Day (Fr) and Maximus (Fr), is offered on Saturday as lot 197 in foal to Zarak (Fr), Europe's leading second-crop sire, who stood this year at Haras de Bonneval for €60,000.
“We have Toride, which is a sister that has already produced two black-type horses and she's in foal to Zarak, and it is the right time to be in foal to that stallion to go to the sales. She's a nice mare. And we are also taking down her fifth foal, which is a Persian King (Ire) colt, a very nice colt, and we've been very fortunate with this family.”
The exact future of Quesnay remains unclear; part of the land has been sold off to create the new Haras de Beaumont across the road from the main section of Quesnay, and Rimaud says that there will still be Thoroughbreds raised on the remaining land. But after 20 years of working for the Head family, he admits there will be more than a bit of sadness when the hammer falls on the final lot through the ring on Tuesday.
“There are plenty of people working here and some of them have been working here for a very long time,” he said. “And I think that we will have two different feelings. If they sell well, if they go with nice breeders into good hands, we will be happy about the job done. And I guess at the end of Tuesday night, when we sell the last number, we will feel a bit sad, of course. That will happen. All of these horses that are going to the sales, they were born here in those foaling stables over there,” he says, waving his hand across the iconic Quesnay yard. “And I was there for most of them.”
Wanakamaker's, in conjunction with the Pennyslvania Horse Breeders Association, has released the catalogue for its second annual Pennsylvania-bred Sale. A total of 37 horses, ranging from weanlings to in-foal broodmares, have been catalogued for the online auction. Bidding will open Dec. 4 at 8 a.m. ET and close Dec. 8 beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
“We have been thrilled with the interest for this year's PA-Bred Sale,” said Wanamaker's co-founder Liza Hendriks. “It offers a great opportunity for regional owners and breeders to offer their horses in a state with a strong program, especially with the upcoming 2-year-old PA-Sired PA-Bred Stallion Series.”
More information on the catalogue can be found at wanamakers.com where prospective buyers can view pedigrees, pictures, and videos of each hip offered. In-person inspections may be scheduled by contacting sellers with the information provided in the catalog.
(TDN is re-running this letter to the editor, which originally appeared in Wednesday's newsletter, due to editing errors).
There were many empty seats at the table when HISA was invented, that being “Middle America Racing”, comprised of almost every jurisdiction between “the moon (California) and New York City (NYJC).” Now, being “blue collar horse folks,” we all know it takes three (3) legs for a stool and in this “fixed race” it was Kentucky. Throw kerosene on the flames, when certain trainers were indicted by the Feds and…as Fred Capossela and Costy Caras echoed, “It's now POST TIME!”
For years, horse racing was sometimes called the “sport of kings” but more appropriately resembles the “king of sports.” Few have billions of dollars to purchase a professional franchise, but actually every Thoroughbred owner has their own professional sports team. An athlete (horse), coach (trainer), quarterback (jockey), athletic trainer (veterinarian), and other similarities including a team name (Seabiscuit), uniform (colors) plus you can legally wager on your own team, (Pete Rose), now that's Americana.
Reading the Small Business Administration Act (1953), an act of congress, one could conclude that every owner/trainer in this country is a small business. The SBA was created as an independent agency of the federal government “to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns; preserves free competitive enterprise; and maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. Small businesses fuel economic growth by insuring job opportunities and raising employment rates.”
The U.S. government often favors small businesses with incentives, tax cuts, grants, and good access to help to keep them competitive. Now that's more Americana.
But, “Whoa, Nellie!” Does HISA interfere with the SBA Act (1953) causing potential ending, hardships, unemployment, etc., to the racing industry? Is this government overreach, personified only to be overturned by the courts (Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court) as unconstitutional? Where in the U.S. Constitution does it allow to be formed an ill-conceived, forced mandate with little input by the industry, especially the hard-working horse caring and loving persons, numbering tens of thousands of people and thousands of horses potentially, in “Middle America Racing?” Folks up at 4-5 a.m., 6-7 days a week, calloused hands, stiff backs, and “boots on the ground,” who never had a say. That's not Americana!
The elimination of Middle America Racing will occur with the prohibition of Lasix, an approved medication for humans and equine. If you ever witnessed a horse bleed, you would condone the use of the diuretic. Humans take Lasix in tablet form. Reduce the public perception of treating horses with a “syringe?” and conclude, “there is no medical evidence that Lasix is harmful or a masking agent for horses” and Middle America Racing will continue….otherwise, it's the Golden Rule: “He with the gold makes the rules and that is anything but American!”
All across the United States, this wonderful Constitutional Republic, founded on a capitalist economic system, the end of racing by eliminating Lasix with an unfounded mandate, threatens all but the high echelon of the industry and we deserve better. Remember this quote from “Seabiscuit” the movie: “They say my horse is too small, my jockey's too big, my trainer's too old, and I'm too dumb to know it!” Well, the “racing heart of America” does know it and HISA should be on an indefinite hold until all the voices have a chance to be heard, the true facts known, and we all get along together, with the care and safety of horses and humans finishing first in every race. Now that's the Americana we all hope for!
Ken Lowe spent his earliest years around horses, began working in the mutuels at Charles Town in his teens until he graduated from Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV. He “scratched” the idea of attending law school and attended the New York Jockey Club School for Racing Officials, where twice Mr. Kenny Noe asked him to stay and work with the NYRA as a racing official. After years as a successful businessman, he became an owner and breeder within the Mid-Atlantic region. He served as President of the CTHBPA and is now serving as Chairman, WV Racing Commission, and RCI Board of Directors
