July, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bob Baffert Suspension Extended Through 2024 At Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs Incorporated is extending the suspension of Bob Baffert through calendar year 2024 based on what Churchill Downs called “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks.” Churchill released the following statement:

“Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147^th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations. Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs which stated that he was responsible for understanding the rules of racing in Kentucky and that he would abide by them. The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and his ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities. A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct. Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status.”

Baffert told the TDN, “I am at a loss to understand Churchill Downs's latest action to suspend me. From the moment I learned of Medina Spirit's post-race positive–now more than two years ago–I committed to find out how it could have occurred, given that we had never injected Medina Spirit's joints with betamethasone, which the veterinary records confirm. A review of our treatment records showed we used a topical ointment called Otomax for a skin infection, and post-race testing of the sample confirmed the positive test came from a topical application.

I have been open, honest and forthcoming about these events. I have acknowledged that our treatment led to the positive and I informed the Kentucky Racing Commission that we had treated Medina Spirit this way.

I have been advised by my attorneys that the use of Otomax is permitted under the rules, and this issue is presently being adjudicated by the Racing Commission in a case presently before them. In no way does this involve a “disregard for the rules”.

In the interests of the sport we all love, I have made no public comments on this unfortunate episode for an extended period of time so the suggestion that I `continue to peddle a false narrative' is patently false..”

Clark Brewster, who represented Bob Baffert in the Medina Spirit case, added: “This has nothing to do with anything that Bob has done or said. Bob simply has come forward and said he used this particular topical and that the rules permitted it. He felt that the rules dealing with betamethasone involved with injecting a horse within 14 days of the race. He's been open and transparent and hasn't been in any way accusatory. The words in this release are shocking and don't deal with the reality in any way.”

The post Bob Baffert Suspension Extended Through 2024 At Churchill Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Owner John Harris Honored By Edwin J. Gregson Foundation

Thoroughbred owner and breeder John C. Harris will be honored at a charity fundraising dinner hosted by the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. The event will take place Thursday, August 17, 2023, at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, located just a few miles east of Del Mar Racetrack.

“We're delighted to honor John, not only for the accomplishments of his Harris Farms Horse Division, one of the country's leading racing stables and utmost influential owner/breeder operations, for which he has been inducted into the California Racing Hall of Fame,” says Jenine Sahadi, Foundation President. “We also acknowledge him for his many years of distinguished service to this industry as a California Horse Racing Board commissioner, board member of the Breeders' Cup, Jockey Club, and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.”

Proceeds of the event will be used for continued sponsorship of various educational and recreational programs to benefit California's backstretch workers and family members. These programs include provision of scholarship grants, English as a Second Language courses, community-focused family social events, sports and recreation activities and outings.

The post Owner John Harris Honored By Edwin J. Gregson Foundation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Manila Favorite Major Dude ‘Seems To Have More Punch’ At Mile Distance

Highly consistent graded stakes winners Major Dude and Nagirroc will go head-to-head against six other sophomores in Friday's ninth running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Manila Belmont Park.

The one-mile Widener turf test boast graded status for the first time after previously being used as a springboard to subsequent Grade 1 triumphs by past winners Bricks and Mortar [2017], Win Win Win [2019] and Annapolis [2022].

Three-time graded stakes winner Major Dude, a Spendthrift Farm-owned son of second crop sire Bolt d'Oro, boasts field-best earnings of $714,895 through a 10-4-2-2 record. The bay colt was a last-out winner the Grade 2 Penn Mile on June 2 at Penn National, where he stalked the pace from third and lost ground around the far turn, but made a sweeping three-wide move to win by three-quarters of a length.

A 10-1 winner of his turf debut in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Pilgrim in October at Belmont at the Big A, Major Dude was a close ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf the following month at Keeneland. He has finished no worse than third in five starts this season, which include a triumph in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy going 1 1/16 miles on February 4 at Gulfstream Park en route to a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks in March over Turfway Park's all weather surface.

“I think this suits him more than those longer distance turf races. He seems to have more punch at the end of that distance,” said Spendthrift Farm's general manager Ned Toffey. “It wasn't a superstar field [in the Penn Mile] but he did what he was supposed to do and I like how he did it. He encountered a little adversity there and really responded to that well, got aggressive and finished up really strong. It was really nice to see. It was a race he should have won, and he did.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will retain the mount aboard Major Dude from post 5.

Trainer Graham Motion will saddle Nagirroc, who has never finished off the board in seven lifetime starts and was a last-out winner of the one-mile James W. Murphy on May 20 at Pimlico, where he sported blinkers for the first time.

The bay son of Lea entered his prior engagement off a second-place finish in a strong edition of the Grade 3 Transylvania on April 7 at Keeneland, which featured next-out stakes winners Webslinger [third] and Mi Hermano Ramon [fourth].

“We backed up a little bit by going in the Pimlico race, which obviously was an easier spot than some of the other races that we could have gone in, but I really wanted to try blinkers,” Motion said. “When you make changes like that you don't want to make things too complicated for them. It really worked out that day and I've been really impressed with him.”

Nagirroc made his debut in Indiana with trainer Jim Corrigan and was acquired privately by owners Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables and William Strauss following a second place finish on debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Transferred to Motion, Nagirroc graduated in September going six furlongs at Belmont at the Big A before winning the Grade 3 Futurity in October over the same surface and, subsequently, finishing third at 39-1 odds in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

Motion expressed interest in targeting more ambitious spots later in the year.

“We made the decision to wait for this race which I think is the good move and I'm hoping this sets us up for some other races later this summer,” Motion said.

Flavien Prat will ride Nagirroc from post 4.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux will saddle Victory Partners' More Than Looks [post 3, Joel Rosario] as he makes his stakes debut.

The More Than Ready dark bay broke his maiden over Gulfstream Park's synthetic in March before finishing second to eventual graded stakes winner Turf King in a Keeneland allowance the following month. He enters from a narrow victory against winners on June 17 going 1 1/16 miles over the Ellis Park turf.

“He broke his maiden at a mile and seventy and he ran really well at Keeneland to just get beat by Turf King and that horse came back to flatter his form,” DeVaux said. “He came back and ran really well to win at Ellis, closing into a paceless race to just get up. He has a lot of talent, but he's just taken a while to come around and he still acts a bit green in his races. He's getting better each start and as he matures.”

Joseph Allen and CHC Inc.'s Talk of the Nation [post 2, Jose Ortiz] has done little wrong since switching to the turf three starts back for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

The Quality Road dark bay defeated winners in his turf debut in a Tampa Bay Downs allowance optional claimer before capturing the Columbia on March 4 over the same surface. He enters off a runner-up one-length defeat as the heavy favorite in the June 3 Jersey Derby at Monmouth.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber, and William Rucker's Belouni [post 6, Joel Rosario] will try to make amends after finishing last-of-7 in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Pennine Ridge for trainer Chad Brown. The Fast Company French-bred previously captured the Woodhaven in April at Aqueduct going the Manila distance.

Brown also entered Klaravich Stables' Activist Investing [post 7, Dylan Davis] who has not raced since breaking his maiden at third asking in October at Belmont at the Big A. The son of Kingman will cut back to a flat mile after making all three of his previous efforts at the 1 1/16-mile distance.

Completing the field are Jose D'Angelo-trained Amstrong [post 1, Javier Castellano], and Dreaming of Kona [post 8, Scott Spieth] for trainer Aldana Spieth, who both are last-out stakes winners over synthetic.

The Manila honors the five-time Grade 1 winner, who was named 1986 Champion Turf Horse for fellow Hall of Famer LeRoy Jolley. The son of Lyphard won 12-of-18 starts, including a thrilling victory in the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf over the following year's Champion Turf Horse Theatrical.

The Manila is slated as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Manila Favorite Major Dude ‘Seems To Have More Punch’ At Mile Distance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: Learning New Disciplines and a Special Trip with Bronn

Coming off a slow May, June was jam-packed for me and Bronn. This is about the time I usually feel the pressure of the Makeover, but having competed a few times, I try to keep things in perspective and remember why we do this: for the good of the Thoroughbred and to have a blast along the way.