Month: December 2022

Inaugural Big Data Derby Winner Announced

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) announced that a team led by Brendan Kumagai has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Big Data Derby competition, beating out 105 other submissions for first prize. Kumagai, together with Gurashish Bagga, Kimberly Kroetch, Tyrel Stokes, and Liam Welsh, took the $20,000 first prize with the submission, “Bayesian Velocity Models for Horse Race Simulation.”

Kumagai's team created a dynamic model that focused on horses' forward versus lateral speed and examined the results of sustained momentum and velocity within races. The team also studied jockey performance and how that would impact a horse's running style in addition to biometric data, leading to the possibility of calculating a horse's welfare and injury probability.

“We're honored to be named the winners of the inaugural Big Data Derby competition,” Kumagai said. “Our team primarily works in financial analytics and hockey statistics, so working with horse racing data has been a unique challenge which allowed us to apply our skills to a relatively new and unexplored domain.”

The Big Data Derby was launched with the goal of analyzing the vast amounts of data available to racing organizations, and to understand how the results of those studies could impact traditional methods of racing and training. The competition was sponsored NYRA and the NYTHA in partnership with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Equibase, The Jockey Club, Breeders' Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

Other models in the competition shed light on injury prevention, jockey decision making metrics, race tactics, track bias and more. Kumagai, a Data Science intern at Zelus Analytics, was previously part of a team that won the 2022 Big Data Bowl offered by the National Football League. The competition was judged by data analyst Rob Bingel, Rhodes College Economics Professor, horseplayer and thoroughbred owner Marshall Gramm, and Craig Milkowski of TimeformUS.

An open notebook of user-created content and data can be viewed at: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/big-data-derby-2022/code.

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Gregson Foundation Awards Five Scholarships at Annual Meeting

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation awarded 25 students–including five for the current 2022/23 school year–academic scholarships during the organization's annual board meeting held Dec. 2. The five new students, who attend a variety of schools including the University of California at Davis, were awarded a total of $23,000.

The new scholarship recipients join the 20 students already in the program and who were given continuing grants for the current year. Those students, who are studying at such universities as Cornell, Iowa State, the University of Oklahoma, Stanford, Tulane, and UCLA, were given a total of $164,000.

During the meeting, the foundation also added longtime owner Bill Strauss to its board of directors. Strauss is probably best known for his ownership interests in Grade I winners Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Turbulent Descent (Congrats) and Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast). Professionally, Strauss has been involved with Shari's Berries and Pro Flowers, and he and his brother, Jeffrey, own the Pamplemousse Grille in Solana Beach, across the street from Del Mar racetrack.

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, named in memory of the late trainer Edwin J. Gregson, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to develop programs to benefit and enhance the quality of life of California thoroughbred horse racing's backstretch workers and their family members.

For more information please visit: www.gregsonfoundation.com.

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Frankel Filly Tops Final Day Of Record-Breaking Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale

Indices remained above average, as a record-breaking Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale concluded in Deauville on Tuesday. Despite more horses on offer, demand remained strong at 80% with 740 head sold of 926 offered. The gross breached the €50-million mark for the first time, totaling €56,800,500. The overall average of €76,757 was up 27%, and the median increased 15% to €17,250.

Tuesday's session posted a clearance rate of 83.5%, as 127 sold from 152 for an aggregate of €714,500. The median was unchanged at €3,500, and the average improved 23% to €5,626.

Lot 866, the 3-year-old Save The World (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), was knocked down for €52,000 to BBA Ireland. Part of the Haras d'Ombreville draft, the bay is unraced and out of the G3 Fred Darling S. second Jellicle Ball (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Her dam is a half-sister to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac bridesmaid Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who sold for 1 million gns during the Sceptre Sessions of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale also to BBA Ireland.

Jeremy Brummitt shelled out €50,000 for Theoricienne (Fr) (Kendor {Fr}) (lot 951) in foal to Intello (Ger). A dual winner, the 16-year-old from the Haras du Quesnay dispersal has foaled two stakes winners–G2 Prix du Gros-Chene hero Tour To Paris (Fr) (Fuisse {Fr}) and three-time black-type earner She's My Type (Fr) (Dunkerque {Fr}).

Just three lots later, Brummitt also signed the ticket on Theoricienne's draftmate Treasure (Fr) (Anabaa) (lot 954) at €32,000. A trio of stakes horses claim the French listed winner and G3 Prix d'Arenberg third as their dam, including Listed Prix Urban Sea heroine Tresorerie (Fr) (Intello {Ger}).

Forty-seven of the 48-lot Quesnay dispersal changed hands for a gross of €2,185,500. Lot 166, a Quesnay-consigned Le Havre (Ire) half-sister to dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), topped all foals offered during the four-day stand at €675,000 to Juddmonte. She was also well clear of Quesnay's most expensive mare, the €350,000 Perle d'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (lot 31), who sold to Jill Lamb Bloodstock and is from the same family as this year's G1 Matron S. heroine Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

Ecurie des Monceaux sold 30 lots for €9,959,000 to take leading consignor honours, while the BBA Ireland buying spree continued with 46 head purchased for €9,211,000, making them the leading buyers.

Eric Hoyeau, President of Arqana and Freddy Powell, Executive Director, said, “The sales season is coming to a close on an excellent note after four incredible days. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the vendors who have entrusted us with mares, fillies and foals of exceptional quality. Deauville was particularly cosmopolitan, welcoming buyers from all over Europe but also from the United States, Australia, Japan, India and Turkey, the result of the prospecting work of our bloodstock team and our representatives abroad.

“A big congratulations also to the stud staff and our team in the yards, who gave their best despite the cold and the intense days, throughout this great marathon that is the Vente d'Elevage. These record results are the result of a real team effort, both among our sales staff and in our offices. We will now focus on the last sale of the year, which will take place online next Thursday, and we wish everyone a happy holiday season.”

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