Churchill Downs today released the 2024 “Official Art of the Kentucky Derby” by Kentucky artist, Wylie Caudill. Originally from Cynthiana, Ky., Wylie Caudill is renowned for his exceptional talent in murals and large-scale art. Caudill got his start doing chalk art on the streets of his college campus. After falling in love with public art, Wylie expanded his street art to murals that can be seen across Kentucky, many of which include his signature roses.
Month: September 2023
Irish Trainer Suspended Three Years, Fined Nearly $900,000 Over 12 Anabolic Steroid Positives
Irish trainer Luke Comer has been issued a three-year suspension over a 2021 scandal which saw a dozen of his charges test positive for anabolic steroids, reports the Racing Post. Comer has also been ordered to pay €755,754 in costs plus fines of €85,000, a total just shy of US$900,000.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board released a lengthy report Thursday morning, detailing the trace findings of methandienone (MD) and methylestosterone (MT) via hair testing. Comer denied that he or any of his staff were involved in doping the dozen horses; the report also detailed that Comer repeatedly challenged the use of hair samples as a suitable matrix for sampling, thus adding significantly to the expense and length of the inquiry.
Among those horses to positive for the anabolic steroids was He Knows No Fear, which racingpost.com reported is the longest-priced winner in the history of the sport in Ireland or Britain at 300-1 when winning a maiden race at Leopardstown in 2020. The horse tested positive after a stakes race at Leopardstown in October of 2021; this was the test that led to the out-of-competition testing at Comer's yard a month later.
The breakdown of the fines is as follows: Comer was fined €5,000 for each of the 12 positive tests, a further €20,000 for acting “in a manner which is prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good regulation of horseracing,” and an additional €5,000 for supplying “misleading evidence” during his hearing.
The IHRB also directed that Comer be required to pay 80 percent of the costs incurred in prosecuting this matter.
According to the report, “Mr. Comer is a wealthy man and the effect of a fine on him must be considered and the Committee must take into account his personal circumstances.” Comer is a billionaire businessman and owns Comer Group International alongside his brother; Comer Group is one of the United Kingdom's largest and most successful property companies, per the company website.
Read more at the Racing Post. The full IHRB report is available here.
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Too Darn Hot’s Darnation Powers To May Hill Triumph
Trainer Karl Burke's banner season continued apace on the opening day of Doncaster's St Leger Festival after G3 Prestige S. victrix Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}–Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) added lustre to her palmares with a clear-cut triumph in Thursday's G2 Betfred May Hill S. over a straight mile at the Town Moor track.
Newtown Anner Stud's homebred, who registered a 10-length tally at Thirsk in her penultimate start, bounded along behind a steady tempo and raced third through the initial fractions. Taking closer order once past halfway, the 11-10 favourite quickened to the fore passing the quarter-mile marker and, despite drifting right inside the final furlong, drew off late under urging to post an ultimately impressive three-length success from See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Mark McKay's G3 Sweet Solera S. third and G2 Prix du Calvados fourth Les Bleus (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) was four lengths adrift in third as the field came home at wide-margin intervals.
“They didn't go quick and, when I asked her, she quickened up really well for a few strides and then galloped on towards the line,” said winning rider Clifford Lee. “She's very good and I'd like to see her next year when she's physically and mentally stronger. She handles that soft ground, she does stay very well and she does have a bit of boot about her as well, so we'll see next year how we get on.”
Burke added, “She's a classy filly and, on that ground, she's very good. We'll have to see how she is on quicker ground, but she's tough and she stays. She's not in the [G1] Fillies' Mile, but she is in the [G1] Prix Marcel Boussac. I haven't spoken to the owners, but she'd be more likely to get her ground in France. She's not the biggest in the world, but she should strengthen up even if she doesn't grow much. If she bumps into soft ground she could be anything.” Explaining his absence from the track, the trainer continued, “I was all set to come today, but I had a busy morning and decided not to. They don't run any faster for me being there.”
Pedigree Notes
Darnation, half-sister to a yearling filly by Fastnet Rock (Aus), is the first of two foals produced by an unraced full-sister to dual Group-placed G2 Beresford S. third Exemplar (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The April-foaled homebred bay's dam is also a half-sister to G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Blue Bunting (Dynaformer). Descendants of her second dam Miarixa (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), herself out of stakes-winning G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Mrs Arkada (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}), include dual stakes-winning GIII Intercontinental S. and GIII Franklin S. placegetter Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and G3 Earl of Sefton S. runner-up Poker Face (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
BETFRED MAY HILL S.-G2, £120,000, Doncaster, 9-14, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:41.38, sf.
1–DARNATION (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Monday Monday (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Miarixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Mrs Arkada (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm (IRE); T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. £68,052. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $149,904. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–See The Fire (GB), 128, f, 2, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Arabian Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £25,800.
3–Les Bleus (GB), 128, f, 2, Blue Point (Ire)–Huma Bird (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€52,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY; £60,000 2yo '23 GOUKB). O-Mark McKay; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Richard Hughes. £12,912.
Margins: 3, 4, NK. Odds: 1.10, 4.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Hard To Resist (Ire), Francophone (GB), Hala Abrar (Ire), Romanova (GB). Scratched: Meribella (GB), Zenjabeela (GB).
Gr.2 winner for TOO DARN HOT (GB)
DARNATION takes the Gr.2 May Hill Stakes for @karl_burke at @DoncasterRaces, continuing the @DarleyEurope stallion's fine form.
He is the leading first-season sire in terms of Group winners.
pic.twitter.com/7z6IoHpM4O
— GBRI (@GBRI_UK) September 14, 2023
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Betting an International Invader in Woodbine’s Natalma Stakes
When trainer Charlie Appleby ships a horse from Europe to compete at Woodbine in Canada, bettors are wise to sit up and take notice. Why? Because Appleby trainees at Woodbine are about as close to unbeatable as you can get in horse racing.
