July, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Senator Feinstein Pens Letter to Stronach Group About Golden Gate Closure

California Senator Dianne Feinstein issued a letter Wednesday to The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns Golden Gate Fields, requesting answers to the reasons behind the planned closure of the track at the end of the year, and the impacts from the company's decision on other industry sectors.

Since TSG announced on July 15 with a short statement light on detail the closure of Golden Gate Fields–a momentous decision that figures to upend a way of life for many in California–the company has remained publicly mum when pressed about the decision.

“I appreciate the steps The Stronach Group has taken in recent years to address equine safety and welfare concerns at your tracks and for your ongoing operation of Santa Anita Park. Nevertheless, your decision to close Golden Gate Fields will affect many California residents and merits further explanation,” wrote Feinstein, in a letter posted on the senator's website. The Los Angeles Times first reported the missive.

In the letter, Feinstein details the following questions that she enjoins the company to answer:

What is your rationale for closing Golden Gate Fields and why did you choose December 2023 as the closure date?
Will you help employees of Golden Gate Fields find other work in the horseracing industry or elsewhere? If so, which employees and how? Will you offer them positions at the other racetracks you operate?
What are the plans for the land?
How will the closure impact the other track you operate at Santa Anita Park?

“Golden Gate Fields has hosted horse racing since 1941 and is the last remaining full-time horse racing track in Northern California. As you have noted, your decision will have profound impacts on the livelihoods of the permanent and race-day employees at Golden Gate Fields as well as regional horse owners, trainers, jockeys, and stable personnel that consider it their home track,” Feinstein wrote.

Feinstein's letter follows TDN's own efforts to elicit answers from TSG about the closure of Golden Gate.

Between July 16 and July 24, TDN submitted each day to TSG a series of questions covering a variety of issues. TSG responded only once. “For now, the [Sunday] statement is going to be our comment around the story. We look forward to being in touch in the future about our plans,” wrote Stefan Friedman, a TSG spokesperson.

In light of the ongoing information blackout, the TDN published those questions on Monday in an open letter to the company, asking when stakeholders can expect the details they need to make tough long-term business decisions.

Feinstein has inserted herself before in this manner into California racing industry matters.

In late 2021 after the sudden death of GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico), Feinstein called on the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to conduct a “thorough, transparent and independent investigation.”

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Good Magic Filly Takes King to ‘Top End of the Game’ at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

Last fall, his homebred filly Slammed (Marking) took Brad King to the Breeders' Cup, and in just over a week, another filly will bring the Texan to Saratoga for the first time when he offers a yearling daughter of red-hot sire Good Magic as hip 32 with the Legacy Bloodstock consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“We've pinhooked off and on for probably 10-15 years,” King said. “But this is our first one that we are taking up there. When we bought her, that was the plan the whole time, we were trying to look for a young stallion that would be on the upper end and we just got really lucky with Good Magic. She has the pedigree to get in up there, for sure.”

The filly is out of graded stakes winner Devious Intent (Dixie Union), who is a half-sister to millionaire Pioneer Spirit (Malibu Moon). King purchased the bay for $150,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“We like to pick horses that are really powerful and there is a lot of substance to them,” King said of the weanling's appeal. “The horses that we keep and run are the same way. That's just kind of what we do. When we saw her as a foal, we were like that's the kind that we want right there.”

Of the filly's six-figure price tag, King admitted, “We did stretch a little bit last year. We had had a good year at the races and we had a good sale year last year.”

Since purchasing the filly last November, her sire has been hitting on all cylinders on the racetrack. In addition to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Good Magic has also been represented recently by stakes winners Scotland, How Did He Do That, Reincarnate, and Miss New York, as well as 'TDN Rising Star' and $2-million OBS March graduate Muth.

“That part couldn't have worked out any better,” King said of the sire's hot streak. “Every weekend there are three new wins. They just keep coming. And that's just dumb luck there. That's what a lot of this game is, you've just got to get lucky every now and then.”

King has been happy with what he has seen from the filly over the winter.

“Luckily, she has basically kept the same great shape and just grown up,” he said. “For a Good Magic, she is big enough. They are not the biggest horses, but she is definitely big enough.”

King traditionally has plenty of company when his horses make it to the winner's circle, owning most of his runners in partnerships.

“I love it when they come in and have instant success because then they are in the business forever,” he said.

But hip 32 is a rare one that King owns all on his own.

“Usually, I have partners on all of my horses,” he explained. “I just didn't have anybody who was really asking to get in, so we just bought that one ourselves. The only reason she is going to the sale is because we do own her by ourselves. If we had owned her as a group, we probably would have just kept her and run her. But I definitely don't need to own her by myself.”

King, who is the owner of Clear Vu Auto Glass in Lubbock, Texas, followed his father into the racing game.

“When Texas got pari-mutuel racing in the mid-80s, my dad got in it here in Texas,” King recalled. “We bought a few mares at that time. We had never owned a horse before that. I was probably 14 or 15 at that time. And I got immersed into it quickly from that point.”

From a limited stable, King has enjoyed plenty of success recently on the racetrack. In addition to Slammed, who earned her way into the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint with a win in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. last fall at Keeneland, he is also co-owner of Flying Connection (Nyquist), who took her owners to the GI Kentucky Oaks this year thanks to a win in the Sunland Oaks; and Olivia Twist (Mshawish), who was third in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn in April.

“We have probably eight to 10 in training,” King said. “We are a small stable for sure. And I've got about 15 mares between Kentucky and New Mexico.”

The broodmare band includes Hennesey Smash (Roll Hennessy Roll), dam of Slammed, as well as stakes winner and graded placed Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) and multiple stakes winner Roll on Diabolical (Diabolical). The 14-year-old mare produced a colt by City of Light this year and was bred back to superstar Flightline.

Smash Ticket joined the band this year and was bred to Jackie's Warrior.

The recently retired Slammed, meanwhile, will be offered at auction this November.

“At the end of the day, you have to treat it like a business,” King said of the decision to sell the graded stakes winner. “And that's probably the smart thing to do. I don't have any mares who are worth what she is. And it's not just her–then you have to breed her the way she needs to be bred and it's just a three-year process of that much more [in] stud fees and all of that. And some of the partners that are in her are not into the breeding that much. I have a sister to her and we still have her dam.”

Asked if the trip Slammed took him and his partners on last year made him eager to increase his stable's numbers, King said, “It gives you a taste for the top end of the game, that's for sure. And you definitely strive to stay at that. With Slammed, it was extra special just because she was a homebred and New Mexico-bred and I had had her her whole life. I had her dam and her granddam. So it was extra special because we had had the family for so long.”

Bringing a yearling to Fasig-Tipton's boutique Saratoga sale can offer King that same racetrack experience in the sales ring.

“You know you are playing at the top end of the game when you make it to Saratoga, that's for sure,” King said.

He added, “Going up there to the sale will be the first time I've ever been to Saratoga. I've been to nearly all of the other tracks, but not to that one, so that will be fun. We were in Del Mar for a week last week. And I thought, you can get used to going to Del Mar for a week and Saratoga for a week. That's the life.”

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale will be held Aug. 7 and 8 with bidding beginning each day at 6:30 p.m.

The post Good Magic Filly Takes King to ‘Top End of the Game’ at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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AHC Board Elects New Officers, Approves Standing Committee Chairs

At the recent American Horse Council (AHC) Annual Meeting, the Board of Trustees elected new officers and filled standing committee chair positions, the organization said in a release Thursday.

The new officers are:

Dr Rick Mitchell, Chair; representing United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)
Marilyn Bertera, Vice Chair; representing United States Trotting Association
Matt Iuliano, Treasurer; representing The Jockey Club
Kristin Werner, Secretary; representing The Jockey Club

At the same event, the following standing committee chairs were approved:

Kathy Alm, of PATH International as chair of Equine Welfare
Katie Flynn, DVM, of USEF as chair of Health & Regulatory
Joe Wilson of TRA as chair of Racing Advisory
Randy Rasmussen of Back Country Horsemen's Association as chair of Recreation/Trails/Land Use
Billy Smith, PhD, of National Reining Horse Association as chair of Shows/Competitions

“The American Horse Council thrives on the variety of viewpoints and passions of our Board of Trustees and our committee chairs,” said President Julie Broadway. “With these new additions, we're comfortable moving into the next few years of providing a voice for the horse and the industry in Washington.”

Other business included the naming of Keith Chamblin, COO at National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), who will join the AHC Board of Trustees as the NTRA representative. Prior Chamblin served as V.P. of Marketing at Hollywood Park Racetrack from 1988-1994 and in various capacities at Remington Park before joining the NTRA in 1999.

“We look forward to Keith's contributions on the AHC Board,” said Dr. Mitchell. “He brings to the Board a wealth of experience and contacts within the Thoroughbred racing industry. His knowledge of the NTRA's legislative activities and grassroots organizing will be invaluable.”

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Reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Winner Rebel’s Romance Back In America For Sunday’s Bowling Green

Godolphin's reigning Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance will take his world tour back to North America in Sunday's 65th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green going 1 3/8 miles over the Saratoga Race Course inner turf.

Rebel's Romance captured last year's Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland, providing international racing and breeding powerhouse Godolphin with their fifth victory in the prestigious race. A winner in four different countries, the Charlie Appleby-trained 5-year-old Dubawi gelding captured Germany's Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten and Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne en route to his Breeders' Cup conquest, where he came from 10th-of-13 to secure a 2 1/4-length victory over fellow European invader Stone Age.

En route to his German endeavor, Rebel's Romance won England's Group 3 Glorious at Goodwood and Fred Archer at Newmarket in his turf debut. During his sophomore season, he captured the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby over the main track at Meydan Racecourse and had won his first two lifetime starts over all-weather surfaces in England. He enters from an uncharacteristic seventh in his lone defeat on turf in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March at Meydan, where he finished 11 lengths in arears of highly-regarded Japanese-based Equinox.

“He's a well-travelled horse; Germany, Keeneland, England and Dubai,” said Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett. “He's traveled this trip pretty well and he's settled in good shape. He's a typical Dubawi, he's got better with age. He's a big horse that's really grown into his frame. Hopefully, we'll get to see him at his best on Sunday.”

Rebel's Romance has won over a variety of different turf conditions, including firm, good and good-fast.

“He's pretty versatile,” Connett said. “The ground in Germany was on the softer side, Keeneland was definitely on the quicker side of things. I'd say ground wise it doesn't really matter that much.”

Rebel's Romance arrived at his Breeders' Cup Turf endeavor in the shadows of his accomplished stablemate Nations Pride, who captured last year's Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational after finishing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on the NYRA circuit.

“The team always has held the horse in high regard,” Connett said of Rebel's Romance. “As a 3-year-old, he won the UAE Derby on the dirt. Up until this year in Dubai, he was unbeaten on the turf. He's a classy animal. Nations Pride had the form and was quite impressive in his runs out here. He had been here and done it before whereas Rebel's Romance hadn't been around the tighter turned tracks. The way he's training out here at the moment, I think he'll perform nicely on Sunday.”

Rebel's Romance will leave from post 9 in rein to Richard Mullen.

Trainer Graham Motion will saddle Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto's The Grey Wizard [post 7, John Velazquez], who arrives from a runner-up effort behind the Appleby-trained Siskany in the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 9.

The 4-year-old Caravaggio gelding was in 11th-place early and inched his way into contention down the final backstretch run and launched a wide bid in upper stretch. He finished two lengths behind the winner while staving off a late inside rally from 44-1 shot British Royalty. An allowance winner going 10 furlongs at Santa Anita and 12 furlongs at Keeneland, The Grey Wizard finished second to Nations Pride in last year's Jockey Club Derby.

“I'm very happy with him. We've kind of pointed for this race for a while,” Motion said. “He seems like he keeps improving every time I run him. I wish this was a mile and a half – the distance is what really helps him. He's not very quick from the gate and that's part of the problem; it puts him at a disadvantage. Johnny knows him so well, and that's a big help. We've taken some shots with this guy, but he's always kind of responded. He's a horse that has improved a lot since we got him, and I'm not saying that because of us, I'm saying that because he's gotten older and figured it out.”

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Soldier Rising [post 5, Jose Ortiz] and Tawny Port [post 10, Joel Rosario] in attempt of his fourth Bowling Green victory.

Solider Rising, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso, is five-time graded stakes-placed but is still in search of his first graded stakes triumph. The 5-year-old Frankel gelding finished second in Belmont's Grade 1 Man o' War and Grade 1 Manhattan this year while completing the trifecta behind former stablemate Gufo in last year's Grade 1 Sword Dancer.

Clement said the Bowling Green will likely propel the hard-luck Solider Rising into a return engagement in this year's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer going 12 furlongs on August 26.

“One day it will be his day,” Clement said. “He came out of the Manhattan in good shape and has trained well. The plan is to go Bowling Green to Sword Dancer.”

Peachtree Stable's Tawny Port is a new addition to Clement's stable but will make his grass debut following a distant seventh in the Grade 3 Ben Ali in April over the Keeneland main track for previous conditioner Brad Cox. The Pioneerof the Nile 4-year-old was fifth in both the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at Fair Grounds and Grade 3 Essex in March at Oaklawn.

A winner over Turfway Park's synthetic in his first pair of starts, Tawny Port won the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland and Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown during his sophomore campaign.

“He trains well on the grass. He looks like a nice stayer, so we're going to try him and see what happens,” said Clement, whose Bowling Green accolades include Flag Down [1996], Honor Glide [1999] and Grassy [2011].

Andrew Farm, For The People Racing Stable and Windmill Manor Farm's Verstappen [post 4, Declan Cannon] will seek to recapture the winning form that earned him a victory in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 22 going 12 furlongs at Keeneland.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old War Front gelding was seventh in the 11-furlong Man o' War on May 13 on short rest at Belmont before cutting back in distance to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile Jonathan Schuster on July 8 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“He ran very well the last day at Indiana. We knew that would be a little sharp for him, and he nearly won it. It was way too short for him, but we were looking at the big picture to come up here and have a go at the Bowling Green,” Walsh said. “I probably ran him back a little quick in the Man o' War off of his huge run at Keeneland, but the race was there and you take these shots. This time around, he's been here two weeks and we were able to work him on the turf here. He's fit and ready to go.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle 2020 Champion Turf Horse Channel Maker [post 8, Manny Franco], who seeks his first victory since besting Solider Rising in last year's Grand Couturier at Belmont. The evergreen 9-year-old English Channel gelding was a last out 10th in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup and will compete in his fifth Bowling Green. Channel Maker captured the 2018 edition of the Bowling Green, where he dead-heated for victory with Glorious Empire, before finishing fourth [2019], third [2020] and seventh [2021].

Completing the field are the Chad Brown-trained pair of Highest Honors [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Rockemperor [post 2, Flavien Prat]; Grade 3 Dinner Party winner Never Explain [post 3, Luis Saez] for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey; and three-time winner Strong Quality [post 6, Florent Geroux] for Hall of Famer Mark Casse. Marc Keller's stakes-placed Bobby Ribaudo-trained homebred Daunt [post 11, Javier Castellano] is also eligible.

The Bowling Green is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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