Ronan McNally: Armagh trainer given 12-year ban over breaches of integrity rules
County Armagh trainer Ronan McNally is banned for 12 years and fined by Irish horse racing's governing body over breaches of integrity rules.
Month: January 2023
‘Invasor Became The Best In The World, Let’s See How Far Es-Unico Goes’: Uruguayan Colt Headed For Saudi Derby
Es-Unico, the winner of last year's Uruguayan Gran Criterium (domestic Group 2), is ready to follow in the footsteps of Aero Trem, fifth in last year's Group 1 Saudi Cup, with the 3-year-old being targeted at the Group 3 Saudi Derby on Feb. 25.
Antonio Cintra's assistant trainer Julio Olascoaga is overseeing Es-Unico's preparation in Dubai and said: “He won the most important race for 2-year-olds in Uruguay. Then he had a problem that did not allow him to compete in the Uruguayan Triple Crown and after that we thought of aiming for the Dubai Carnival and The Saudi Cup meeting.”
Although only four of their horses – Aero Trem, Perfect Love, El Patriota and Ajuste Fiscal – have run previously at The Saudi Cup, Cintra's team has been focused on the meeting since it started in 2020.
“The planning to run at The Saudi Cup is something that comes from a long time ago,” said Olascoaga. “In the first edition, we already had it in our minds that we wanted to compete there. Our plan is to select the best horses from Uruguay and test them against some of the world's top performers.”
Unbeaten as a 2-year-old in Uruguay, Es-Unico finished second on his first start in Dubai, the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over 1400m (seven furlongs).
Olascoaga said: “He ran a very good race and ran very hard at the end. It always seemed that a little more distance would help him. The mile of the Saudi Derby will suit him perfectly. His form is at a very high level and he will enjoy the long straight at King Abdulaziz.”
The only question is if he will run in the UAE 2000 Guineas first or go straight to Saudi.
“He recovered very well after the race – better than we expected because it was a tough one,” said Olascoaga. “I think that if he does the same in the 2000 Guineas, he could easily go to the Saudi Derby afterwards. It's not ideal, maybe an extra week would have been better, but if the horse is fine, it's very possible that he will run in both.”
No decision has been made on who will ride him in the Saudi Derby yet, but José Da Silva has always been on board and connections don't see a reason to change things.
Olascoaga said: “South America has always been an exporter of great jockeys. There are outstanding examples like Silvestre de Sousa and Joao Moreira. Anywhere in the world you will find South American jockeys. We like jockeys who really feel the silks – not only wearing the colors of an owner but those of a country, an industry, and a continent.”
When anyone mentions a Uruguayan great in the horse ranks, it is inevitable that the name Invasor comes up. Although born in Argentina, he is the best horse trained in Uruguay to date.
“When Invasor ran, I was still very young, but of course I watched all his races. I don't know if you could say they are similar as they are horses of different physiques. Invasor was a little taller and slimmer, while Es-Unico is a medium-sized horse and a little more compact which makes him more agile,” said Olascoaga.
“When he gallops he reaches top speed very quickly and I think his turn of foot will make the difference in Saudi. But there is something they both have in common – a huge heart and the fact they both carry the Uruguayan flag. Invasor became the best in the world, let's see how far Es-Unico goes.”
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Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championships Return To Stable View, Kentucky Horse Park
The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) announced Tuesday that it has approved more than 6,700 awards and classes at more than 1,400 shows in 43 states and six Canadian provinces for 2023.
Awards are available for multiple disciplines, including eventing, dressage, Western and English pleasure, ranch riding, hunter/jumper, endurance, barrel racing, polo, and polocrosse. A full calendar of shows offering awards is available at tjctip.com/CalendarOfEvents and will be updated as show dates are confirmed.
In addition, T.I.P. will offer two T.I.P. Championship horse shows again in 2023.
T.I.P. Championships in hunters, jumpers, combined test, dressage, English pleasure, and English in-hand will return this year to Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina. The show will commence the evening of Thursday, October 5, and will continue through Sunday, October 8. In addition, T.I.P. will be offering a Thoroughbred bonus to Thoroughbreds competing in the Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* Horse Trial the weekend before the T.I.P. Championships, extending the celebration of the Thoroughbred at Stable View into an additional weekend.
“Stable View is very pleased, for the third year, to welcome back T.I.P. Championship riders,” said Barry and Cyndy Olliff, owners of Stable View. “We wish all participants a successful year and look forward to great competition in October.”
T.I.P. Western & Central Dressage Championships will once again be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington during the Retired Racehorse Project's (RRP) Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The show will kick off Wednesday, October 11, and will run through Saturday, October 14. The Western Championships will include divisions in barrel racing, Western pleasure, Western halter, ranch riding, Western dressage, and competitive trail. Dressage Championships will be offered in levels from Introductory through FEI Test of Choice.
Qualifying information for the championships is available on the T.I.P. website at tjctip.com/About/CSI. Prize lists will be made available for both events in the spring.
“The RRP is pleased to welcome the T.I.P. Championships back to the Thoroughbred Makeover,” said Kirsten Green, executive director of the RRP. “Our programs naturally complement each other, and we're proud to support T.I.P.'s effort to expand recognition of Thoroughbreds' competing in all disciplines at all levels.”
In addition, T.I.P. will be offering year-end or championship awards in association with the American Endurance Ride Conference, Equine Trail Sports, Interscholastic Equestrian Association, United States Eventing Association, United States Pony Club, and United States Dressage Federation.
“The Jockey Club is proud of the expansive number of T.I.P.-approved awards, classes, and championships that showcase the diversity Thoroughbreds have in their second careers,” said Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and coordinator of T.I.P. “Our partnership with organizations like Stable View and the Retired Racehorse Project further expand opportunities for Thoroughbreds to excel in multiple disciplines beyond the track, and we are proud to see the continued growth and success of T.I.P in 2023.”
Created and announced in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high-point awards at sanctioned horse shows, performance awards, and non-competition awards. In addition to the complete schedule of T.I.P.-sponsored shows, other information about the program is available on the T.I.P. website, tjctip.com. Those interested in T.I.P. can follow the program at facebook.com/tjctip.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
About Stable View: Stable View is a top-notch equestrian facility located in Aiken, South Carolina. Established in 2010, Stable View has now developed and diversified its equestrian program to meet the needs of both the discerning amateur and the elite professional across a variety of equestrian disciplines. For more information, visit www.svfequestrian.com/.
About the Retired Racehorse Project: The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.
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From Riders Up To Bear Down: Going, Going…GONE! The Auctioning Of Arlington Park, Pt. 1
(First of a three-part series.)
They sold the trees. And even the nacho cheese.
In its divestiture of Arlington Park's assets, parent company Churchill Downs, Inc. left no stone unsold. Twenty auctions held over six months saw nearly everything sell, from Richard (“Dick”) Duchossois' opulent penthouse furnishings to commercial kitchen equipment to furlong poles. It had the vibe of a fire sale, but unlike 1989, Arlington will not rise from the ashes.
You probably know the sad story. Illinois racing fans lived it. On July 31, 1985, Arlington Park, then 58 years old and already rich in racing history, burned to the ground. In the early-morning hours, a fire that reportedly started in the ceiling of the horsemen's lounge jumped over to the grandstand, spectacularly engulfing it. The inferno raged out of control for 14 hours.
Arson was ruled out, but the actual cause of the blaze was never determined. Most onlookers thought the 1985 Arlington Million, scheduled for Aug. 25, would be canceled, but they should have known better to never bet against Dick Duchossois, the track's managing partner.
Affectionately nicknamed “Mr. D.,” the affable but hard-charging Duchossois cracked the whip on both the demolition crew and Arlington staff and out of the (literal) ashes rose what came to be known as “The Miracle Million.” Temporary tents and bleachers created a fair-like atmosphere, and over 35,000 fans saw Teleprompter narrowly defeat Greinton. Arlington was given a Special Eclipse Award for pulling off a miracle, the first racetrack to be so honored.
In 1986, Duchossois bought out his partners so he could build the racetrack of his dreams, grander, larger, and inspired by the European racing he loved. Using his personal wealth and sparing no expense, he built – at an estimated cost of $175 million – what many have called “the most beautiful track in the world.” After only 19 months of construction, the track, newly christened “Arlington International Racecourse,” opened on June 28, 1989.
“Mr. D.” was notoriously demanding and frequently irascible, but he developed a team known for world-class customer service in a world-class facility.
You could often spot him strolling through the grandstand, alternately quizzing patrons on what he might do better and stooping to pick trash off the marble floors. Not an inch went unpainted or unkempt; even on dark days the place shone.
And talk about racing history. Many of the sport's greatest stars – equine and human – won at Arlington. Buckpasser, Citation, Dr. Fager, Nashua, and Round Table (to name a few) all won stakes there. Secretariat's next start after winning the Triple Crown came at Arlington. In 1996, Cigar tied Citation's record of 16 consecutive victories in the Arlington Citation Challenge, a race created just for the occasion. Hall Of Fame jockeys Earlie Fires and Pat Day are Arlington's first and second leading riders by number of races won…and always will be. Large Midwestern stables opted to base at Arlington for the summer, eschewing Saratoga or Del Mar. But all that changed as the 1990s wore on.
When the Illinois legislature refused his demands for a share of riverboat casino revenue, Duchossois shuttered the track in 1998 and 1999. In September 2000 Arlington Park merged with Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI). Even hosting the 2002 Breeders' Cup could not revive the track; competition for the local gambling dollar increased throughout the decade and purses invariably slid, hitting a 10-year low in 2008. Marquee jockeys, trainers, and owners left for greener pastures…more money. Illinois horsemen butted heads with management, management sparred with the state racing board, and everyone fought with the state legislature.
Dick Duchossois resigned from CDI's board of directors in 2017 and, at 97 years old, became chairman emeritus of the track and a minority shareholder in CDI. When a long-promised casino license finally became available – revenue to fuel purses – CDI reneged. (It had, after all, become a majority owner in a casino just 10 miles away.)
Racing at Arlington was nearing the finish line.
In February 2021, CDI hung a For Sale sign on Arlington's 326-acre parcel. Several bidders emerged, including a partnership that wanted to keep racing (and likely offer casino gambling) despite CDI's stated position that it would not sell to anyone who liked horses. Mere days after the last race on Sept. 25, 2021 – the final crowd filed out as “Closing Time” blared over the PA system – the Chicago Bears NFL franchise announced it was the winning bidder at $197.2 million and planned to build a new stadium on the property.
The deal is expected to close early this year, though the neighbors are up in arms about using public money for some of the redevelopment and the City of Chicago has offered incentives for the team to stay downtown. The Bears organization estimates it will take 10 years to transform the property.
Before he died last January at age 100, Richard Duchossois was told CDI had sold the grand racing palace he'd built. “It's almost like a statue,” he was quoted as saying. “Even statues get knocked down, too.” His son, Craig Duchossois, was less forgiving about Arlington's demise. He blamed politicians for “killing it.” Another historic racetrack was gone.
Now, it was time to move out.
Tomorrow: In Pt. 2 of this three-part series, author Patti Davis looks at the range of auction items on which the public bid, from the ridiculous to the sublime.
A lifelong racing fan, Patti Davis helped catalog Arlington Park's assets. She is a writer and editor based in Chicago.
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