April, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Anderson: Dettori Might Rethink Retirement, Velazquez To Head To Kentucky

European riding sensation Frankie Dettori and American Racing Hall of Famer John Velazquez are headed east as planned following the conclusion of Santa Anita's Classic Meet on Sunday, with Dettori's schedule for the remainder of the year tentative, while Velazquez will head to Kentucky through Derby Day May 6 and then head to New York for the remainder of the spring and summer.

“As everyone has seen, both of these guys are elite riders, complete professionals,” said agent Ron Anderson by phone Saturday morning. “In Frankie's case, he brings an enthusiasm to the game that we've never even seen. He's excited about winning, he's excited for the owners, and he gets the crowd going…I still call him a kid because when I first met him he was 15 and I used to sneak him on the backside at Hollywood Park because he wasn't old enough to be licensed and the rest is history.”

Dettori, who announced in November that 2023 would be his final year in the saddle and that he would call it a career following the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Nov. 3-4, got off to a terrific start on opening day, Dec. 26, winning three races, including the San Antonio Stakes (G2) with Bob Baffert's Country Grammer and he steamed into the Classic Meet finale on Sunday third in the standings with 24 wins and third by stakes-won with six added money tallies while exhibiting a youthful enthusiasm that has many fans and horsemen hoping he'll reconsider retirement at the end of the year.

“That's up to him,” said Anderson. “I'm just a good listener at this point. I have to think, if things keep going well, he might reconsider. He is going to be back and forth over to England with some obligations. In an immediate sense, he'll ride at Keeneland at least through April 17 and then he'll head over to Newmarket. We're going to have a 20-horse field in the Derby here on May 6 and I have to think something is going to come loose, so he might have an option to come back on Derby Day. It's kind of all up in the air, so we'll see.”

Velazquez, racing's all-time leading money winning jockey and a winner of three Kentucky Derbys, enters closing day with 17 wins, eighth in the standings along with two stakes wins.

“As for Johnny, he's heading to Keeneland this week and then Churchill. He'll be back at Belmont Park the day after the Derby like he's done for so many years. As far as a mount for the Derby, we'll check with Tim Yakteen about Reincarnate (third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 1) and we'll just have to wait and see.”

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‘She Ran A Good Race’: Santa Anita Oaks Runner-Up And Tell Me Nolies Kentucky Oaks Bound

Trainer Peter Miller said it's on to the May 5 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs for And Tell Me Nolies, who finished second in Saturday's Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

“I thought she ran a good race and she came out of it well. We'll head to Churchill Downs for the Oaks,” Miller said Sunday morning.

With Ramon Vazquez in the irons for the Santa Anita Oaks, And Tell Me Nolies settled near the rear of the eight-horse field before launching a bid to get up for second by a half length over Window Shopping. She was beaten 6½ lengths by winner Faiza, who improved to 5-for-5 for trainer Bob Baffert. Faiza is not eligible to run in the Kentucky Oaks due to Baffert being currently under suspension by Churchill Downs.

The Santa Anita Oaks was And Tell Me Nolies second start following a four-month layoff. She returned March 5 in the Santa Ysabel (G3) in which she was also second to Faiza.

By Arrogate, And Tell Me Nolies has a record of 3-2-0 in seven starts and earnings of $472,800 for owner Peter Redekop. Last year, she won the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita before an eighth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

Miller said And Tell Me Nolies would ship to Churchill Downs the week of the Kentucky Oaks.

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Adding Oil To Horse Feed: More About Omegas Than Calories

Topdressing a horse's feed with oil has long been an affordable horse-health hack to add calories to to an equine's diet. What hasn't been clear is exactly what type of oil is best. Dr. Carey Williams of Rutgers University told EQUUS magazine that no oil is “bad,” but some types are better for horses than others.

Horses must ingest both omega-3s and omega-6s as their bodies cannot synthesize them, but it's important to have the proper balance between the two, said Williams.

The ratio of omega-3s and omega-6s can differ depending on the oil source. Corn and some vegetable oils contain higher amounts of omega-6s, which can contribute to inflammation. Fish oil, flaxseed and linseed oils are all rich in omega-3s, which have multiple health benefits.

Studies conducted at the University of Florida showed that two or three cups of flaxseed oil has the same amount of omega-3s as 22 pounds of cool-season, grass hay like orchardgrass or timothy. This would mean that horses on an all-hay diet would have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 0.3:1; horses on all pasture would have a ratio of 0.6:1.

Adding corn oil to these diets would increase the ratio to about 8:1. While this is significantly higher, there is no recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in horses since there have been conflicting study results on the effects of omega-3 supplementation and its ability to reduce inflammation.

Williams suggests that horses fed lower-quality hay and pasture may benefit from the addition of flaxseed or fish oil to their diet as these oils are rich in omega-3s. A horse ingesting good pasture or cool-season grass hay harvested early may already have a good ratio of omegas, so feeding rice bran (19:1) or soybean oil (7:1) instead of corn oil (53:1) may give the horse the added boost he needs without disrupting the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

Observations: Laurel Returns in the Snowdrop

14.55 Kempton, Cond, £25,000, 3yo, f, 8f (AWT)
RAINBOW SKY (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a 1.5million gns Book 1 purchase by Godolphin, is a daughter of the Barnetts' G2 Lowther S. and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Best Terms (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) who dazzled on her winning debut over this course and distance in November. An Oaks entry for the Charlie Appleby stable, the January-foaled chestnut is joined in this race that used to hold listed status and be known as the Masaka S. by stablemate Dancing Goddess (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a seven-furlong debut winner here in November hailing from the family of Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) and Dubawi's 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus (Ire).

15.30 Kempton, Cond, £25,000, 3yo, c/g, 8f (AWT)
SLIPOFTHEPEN (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is an intriguing Royal runner in this contest which also used to be listed and run as the Easter S. Still in the 2000 Guineas, the John and Thady Gosden-trained relative of the Oaks runner-up Flight Of Fancy (GB) (Sadler's Wells) made a big impression on his sole start over this course and distance in November.

16.10 Kempton, Listed, £50,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 8fT
LAUREL (GB) (Kingman {GB}) makes her eagerly-awaited seasonal return as one of Juddmonte and John and Thady Gosden's more exciting prospects for the season. Earning TDN Rising Star status over this course and distance days before finishing runner-up in the G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket, the daughter of the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Promising Lead (GB) (Danehill) from the dynasty of Hasili (Ire) takes in this Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S., won three years ago by the stable's subsequent dual group 1 winner Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

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