June, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fashionable Fillies Luncheon Benefitting TJC Safety Net Foundation Set For Aug. 7 In Saratoga

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation will host its annual Fashionable Fillies Luncheon in Saratoga at Saratoga National Golf Club on Monday, Aug. 7.

The luncheon will honor Libby Imperio, a longtime supporter of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, horse owner, and president of the Belmont Child Care Association. Outside of racing, Imperio has been a member of CME-Nymex for more than 20 years, trading for herself in world energy markets and specializing in precious metals.

This year's Fashionable Fillies Luncheon has an exciting new theme, “A Day at the Spa!” Guests will celebrate and explore the beauty and wellness realm with special guest Heather Thomson, CEO, inventor, health and wellness expert, and reality TV star. Heather will lead a discussion with Denise Dubois, founder of Complexions Spa & Dubois Beauty & Wellness. The event will also feature teasers of spa and salon services, including skin consultations, and pop-up shopping featuring skincare and relaxation products, loungewear brands from Violet's of Saratoga, and Beyond Fresh, Thomson's premium line of whole food powder supplements.

The luncheon will offer an infused water and herbal tea bar, Jackson Family wines, and a fresh and colorful food menu.

“We are so excited to have a new theme for Fashionable Fillies Saratoga, a city known for being a wellness escape. We have partnered with Denise and Complexions Spa over the years, and they have always been an amazing resource. We're especially excited to join forces with Heather and learn more about her experience in the health and wellness sphere. Heather is a native of the Capital Region, and we're excited to welcome her back,” said Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. “Having Libby as our honoree is a great fit, as her dedication to and care for the backstretch community in New York is apparent in her role at Belmont Childcare Association. Libby has supported Fashionable Fillies for many years and always comes dressed to impress!”

A donation to Belmont Childcare Association's Saratoga center, Faith's House, will be made in Imperio's honor.

Fashionable Fillies Saratoga has traditionally been Safety Net's premier fundraiser.

Tickets ($150) and sponsorship opportunities are available at tinyurl.com/SaraFF23.

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. Recipients of the Safety Net Foundation's support represent virtually every facet of the Thoroughbred industry, from jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, and grooms to office personnel and other employees of racetracks, racing organizations, and breeding farms. Assistance can come in any number of forms, including financial aid for basic living expenses such as rent and household bills, and for medication, surgical, and hospital costs. Since 1985, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has provided more than $16 million in assistance.

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Canterbury Triple Nets Jockey Of The Week Title For Florent Geroux

Florent Geroux only occasionally travels from his Kentucky base during the summer to ride at Canterbury Park, but it usually proves to be worthwhile. This trip was no exception: with three stakes wins, the panel of racing experts voted Geroux Jockey of the Week for June 19 through June 25.

The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Wednesday evening, Canterbury Park presented the Northern Stars Turf Festival featuring five turf stakes races. Geroux and trainer Jonathan Thomas, who was sending horses to Canterbury for the first time, teamed up for three stakes wins.

The pair won the first stakes of the evening with Fuerteventura in the Brooks Fields Stakes. Off as the favorite in the field of six and breaking from post position four, Fuerteventura settled in the middle as the field raced up the backstretch. Taking his cue from Geroux, Fuerteventura began to make up ground at the top of the stretch and dueled with Stagecoach Boys to the wire to get up just in time to win in 1:33.21 for a mile.

Next, the duo of Geroux and Thomas took the Lady Canterbury with Regal Realm. Off as the favorite but pinched back at the start, Regal Realm raced in the middle of the pack on the outside. Regal Realm came four wide into the stretch and rolled home to win by a length in 1:34.35 for the one mile race.

“I was very pleased with her,” Geroux said of Regal Realm. “She gave me a very nice kick.”

Geroux and Thomas struck for the third time in the Dark Star Turf Sprint with race favorite, High Front. Trailing early after a slow break, High Front started to pick off rivals on the turn and kicked clear in the final furlong to win the five furlong contest in :54.80.

Also that evening, Geroux finished second in the Curtis Sampson Oaks for trainer Brad Cox and third in the Canterbury Derby for trainer Mike Maker. Geroux also traveled to Thistledown on Saturday for the Grade Ohio Derby where he finished second aboard Bishops Bay.

Geroux outpolled fellow riders Gerardo Corrales who won the G3 Ohio Derby with Two Phil's, Tyler Gaffalione who won the G3 Chicago at Ellis Park with Society, Trevor McCarthy who won the Dancin Rene at Belmont with Kant Hurry Love, and Jaime Rodriguez who finished the week with 12 wins to lead all jockeys.

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Cellulitis: A Serious Condition Necessitating Veterinary Intervention

Cellulitis can come on rapidly in horses and be quite startling in its appearance: a horse that was fine a few hours ago may now have a massively swollen limb that is hot to the touch, if it can be touched at all. Often affected horses are significantly lame as the swelling radiates up and down the leg.

A diffuse bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, cellulitis can bring on impressive swelling and pain. The infection can begin from any cut in the skin, even those that seem unimportant, like a scrape or minor cut. Some cases of cellulitis occur even with no sign of breached skin: blunt trauma that bruises deep tissue can also be prime areas for cellulitis.

A tell-tale sign that a horse is experiencing cellulitis and not some other malady comes from the pitting edema: When pressed, the limb briefly retains the indentation from the finger. This is from the fluid accumulation in the tissues.

Horses with cellulitis are often in such pain that they don't want to eat, are lethargic, and have a fever and elevated heart rate. Serum may also ooze from the affected leg.

Cellulitis can be life threatening, so a call to the vet is warranted. The vet will perform an exam and often do blood work or perform an ultrasound or bacterial culture to identify the best type of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to administer to keep the horse comfortable while the condition resolves.

The best way to prevent cellulitis is to care for wounds as soon as they are identified: cleaning them well, identifying how deep they are, and then applying antibiotic ointment and possibly a bandage will minimize the chance of cellulitis. Contact a veterinarian for guidance if unsure of how to best care for a wound.

Chronic cellulitis is a possibility if the condition is not treated aggressively and well. Life-threatening complications like opposing-limb laminitis or tissue necrosis can arise. Some infections can travel deeply enough to affect underlying structures and require long-term, intense care.

Letter to the Editor: Radiographs

As we approach the beginning of the Thoroughbred yearling sales season, it is worth reflecting on the process used by buyers to select their racing and sales prospects. Part of the process includes veterinary scrutiny of the radiographs of yearling's' joints. Veterinarians review the radiographs, note any abnormal findings, and then are called upon to assign a level of risk for racing and / or resale that the findings may represent. Another layer of due diligence in recent years has been ultrasound examination of horses' limbs for soft tissue abnormalities, in this case the suspensory branches relative to any sesamoid changes seen in the X-rays. The veterinary opinions are often based upon personal experience, because there is little research to help understand the findings. This has historically resulted in a wide range of opinions on radiographic findings, confusion in the marketplace, and often an unfair and overcritical evaluation of racing and sales prospects.

In an attempt to address the lack of important data and the resulting negative consequences to the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, several studies have recently been completed looking at stifle and sesamoid radiographs as well as suspensory branch ultrasound findings in sales horses. Initiated by clinician scientists at the Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State University, these studies started with evaluation of the radiographs of 2,508 yearlings and suspensory branch ultrasound exams of 593 yearlings at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale. The next step was to evaluate any horses from the initial group that went to the 2017 2-year-olds in training sales to study the progression or regression of the findings. The final portion of the research was to study racing outcomes through the end of the horses' 4-year-old racing season to see what effect the radiographic and ultrasonographic findings had on their performance as racehorses.

The results of the studies are encouraging, demonstrating that the presence of certain findings does not necessarily have a negative effect on suitability for racing. Another element of these studies that can benefit industry stakeholders is a recommendation to use consistent descriptions of the findings, creating uniformity in messaging of the findings and thereby helping veterinarians communicate accurate risk assessments to their clients.

The importance of this research to the Thoroughbred racing and breeding community cannot be underestimated, and there will be a significant effort to ensure that the information is accessible to everyone. One such offering will be a presentation of the research findings at the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds, the afternoon prior to the start of the July Sale on Sunday, July 9, at 4:30 p.m. Drs. Wayne McIlwraith and Chris Kawcak will present a summary of the sesamoid and stifle findings, followed by a moderated panel discussion with sales veterinarians and a Q&A session. All stakeholders in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry are encouraged to attend.

—Dr. Jeffrey Berk, Dr. Christopher Kawcak and Dr. Wayne McIlwraith

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