Elizabeth Merryman knew she had the horse of a lifetime after she bred Caravel and trained her to six victories in her first eight starts. She also knew she was in for the fight of a lifetime after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in early July 2021.
Month: November 2023
Breeders’ Cup Outlines Comprehensive Safety and Integrity Measures in Place for 2023 World Championships
Edited Press Release
The Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park will be conducted according to industry-leading safety and integrity protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all human and equine athletes. As previously announced, Breeders' Cup introduced an enhanced pre-screening protocol in the lead-up to this year's World Championships, upholding its ongoing commitment to putting safety first.
This year also marks the first time the Breeders' Cup World Championships will run under the full jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), including the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which took effect in May.
Breeders' Cup runners are subject to strict anti-doping and medication control requirements, including out-of-competition, pre-race, and post-race testing administered by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). Additional safety and integrity protocols include equine security and surveillance measures, enhanced veterinary exam procedures, injury management protocols and racing surface maintenance and testing in the leadup to the event.
Early Preparations: Out-of-Competition Testing, Veterinary Coordination & Racing Surface Oversight
Beginning in July 2023, a list of potential Breeders' Cup contenders was developed. The list included a combination of graded stakes winners, Challenge Series winners, and other horses on the possible starter list. HIWU then performed out-of-competition (OOC) testing for banned substances on those potential contenders. Blood samples were taken by HIWU-trained collection personnel and sent for testing to HIWU-accredited labs. Breeders' Cup OOC testing administered by HIWU concluded Oct. 30 and resulted in the collection of 226 samples.
The Breeders Cup Veterinary Team also began holding coordination meetings with counterparts from 1/ST Racing, HISA, HIWU and the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) in July. Through a regular cadence of meetings in the ensuing months, the group outlined veterinary exam schedules, OOC testing, safety and medication regulations, injury management and diagnostic tool implementation.
Dr. Mick Peterson, Program Director of the University of Kentucky Racetrack Safety Program, has worked in collaboration with 1/ST Racing Track Consultant Dennis Moore throughout the year. Both surface experts have also consulted with HISA's new Track Surfaces Advisory Group throughout their evaluation and maintenance operations of the racing surfaces at Santa Anita Park.
Safety & Integrity Protocols: October through World Championships Week
The five-member Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team completed its initial phase of enhanced pre-screening protocols on Oct. 23. This included:
- The assessment of veterinary and treatment records as well as training and racing patterns associated with more than 200 potential contenders;
- Physical examinations conducted by veterinarians in relevant racing jurisdictions around the world; and
- The use of advanced diagnostic tools in the event additional scrutiny was required.
Attending veterinarians for all potential Breeders' Cup runners were required to submit 30-day treatment records–a nationwide requirement under HISA that will inform the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team's second review–upon pre-entry. 24-hour surveillance began following the mandatory equine security check-in at 10:00 pm PT on Sunday, Oct. 29 for international runners and 11:00 am PT on Tuesday, Oct. 31 for domestic runners. All horses entered in a Breeders' Cup race underwent an additional round of HIWU-administered pre-race blood testing for banned substances on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with results set to be returned by race day.
Additionally, every Breeders' Cup runner is subject to:
- Comprehensive onsite veterinary exams, including jog exams and the use of diagnostic technology as needed, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 25;
- Random physical examination at the determination of the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Team;
- In-stall and on-track veterinary oversight during training and schooling;
- Mandatory jog-up veterinary exams before exiting any racing or training surface at Santa Anita Park starting Friday, Oct. 27;
- Pre-race veterinary examinations in the barn and veterinary monitoring of horses in the paddock and during warm-up on race day;
- Extensive post-race testing of the first four finishers as well as any runner that does not perform as expected and other runners as designated by the stewards; and
- Observation of all other finishers cooling out as they exit the racetrack to determine if any need aid.
Throughout the week leading up to the World Championships, Dr. Mick Peterson's team has been conducting various checks to evaluate all track surfaces. Additionally, TurfTrax software has been employed to measure the condition of the turf track. These results are posted daily for horsemen and the media.
Additional resources detailing Breeders' Cup's health and safety protocols for the 2023 World Championships can be found here and downloaded here.
The post Breeders’ Cup Outlines Comprehensive Safety and Integrity Measures in Place for 2023 World Championships appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
‘Blue Collar’ Clapton Brings Plenty Of Experience To Breeders’ Cup Classic
Before the horses head into the starting gate for Saturday's $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Clapton is already ahead of everyone else.
The 4-year-old son of Brethren will be making his 25th career start in the 1 ¼-mile Classic. The 5-year-old Proxy is second in the start department with 19.
“He is a throwback horse, he is a dude,” trainer Chad Summers said. “Some of these horses run four times in their lives. He just wants to keep on going.”
And yes, before anyone asks, the colt was named for the famed English guitarist and singer-songwriter, Eric Clapton. The horse got the moniker from Brian Cohen, President of Arindel Farm in Ocala, which bred Clapton.
“I like one-word names,” Cohen said. “I'm a fan of (Eric) Clapton.”
And a fan of the horse, too.
Summers said he has not piped in Clapton's famous song “Layla” into Clapton the horse's stall. At least not yet.
“He's a pretty cool horse, laid back,” Summers said.
Clapton the horse has six career wins, four seconds and six thirds on his lengthy resume.
He has only been in Summers care for the last two starts, a win in the Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs on Sept. 30 and a fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga on Sept. 2.
Clapton was purchased privately by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Alnuami's RRR Racing of Dubai from Arindel this past summer. The goal for Clapton at the time of the sale were races next year in Dubai – the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1) on Jan. 26 and the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 30.
That changed after Clapton showed up in the Lukas Classic and won it by a head at odds of 8-1.
Before the Lukas Classic, RRR Racing was lukewarm about the Breeders' Cup.
After his performance in Kentucky, a trip to California, indeed, was in order.
In seven starts this year, Clapton has two wins, a second and three thirds. Five of his starts have been in graded stakes races.
Nineteen of his first 20 starts came at Florida's Gulfstream.
Summers said that RRR Racing got interested in purchasing the horse after his consistent showings.
“We saw a horse that was on the improve,” Summers said. “It is very difficult to buy horses after they win races.”
In the first start for the new ownership, Clapton was a nose away from third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and then powered through to win the Lukas.
Now, here he is on the game's biggest stage. This will be the second horse Summers has brought to the Breeders' Cup. He trained Mind Your Biscuits to a third-place finish in the 2017 Twin Spires Breeders' Cup Sprint; they were 11th in the 2018 Classic.
Now he is here again and hoping for big things.
“He just tries, he always shows up,” Summers said.. “He is one of those blue collar horses; he always brings his lunch pail and always gives an honest effort.”
The post ‘Blue Collar’ Clapton Brings Plenty Of Experience To Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Rookies Step Into Grade 3 Spotlight In Woodbine’s Grey, Mazarine
Ten hopefuls, including Barb Minshall trainees Tunechi and Two Ghosts, will go postward in the $150,000 Grey Stakes (G3), part of a Saturday Woodbine card that also features the $150,000 Mazarine Stakes (G3).
A bay son of Outwork-Stasha Minasha, Tunechi, 1-0-2 from four starts, arrives at the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race for 2-year-olds off a game fourth-place effort in the Summer Stakes on (G1T) on September 16.
“He missed the Display Stakes (October 15),” said Minshall. “He had the runny nose and cough – which a lot of them have had – so he wasn't able to run. Knock on wood, he's doing well, and we've got him ready for this race.”
Owned by Hoolie Racing Stable, LLC, Legion Racing, Conover Stable and Ribble Farms LLC, Tunechi debuted in May and finished third in the 4 ½-furlong race over the Tapeta. After a third (elevated from fourth) in his next start, at six furlongs on the Tapeta, he broke his maiden in style, a 3 ¾-length score at 6 ½ panels over the E.P. Taylor turf.
Originally sold for $20,000 (U.S.) at the 2021 Keeneland Association November Breeding Stock Sale, Tunechi was purchased by the current connections for $40,000 (U.S.) at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearling Sale.
“I think two turns is right up his alley,” said Minshall of the horse bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding. “He definitely acted like a two-turn horse from the day I got him. He's not mean, but you just have to watch yourself around him because he's a big, good-feeling colt.”
Minshall's other entrant, Two Ghosts, brings a record of 1-2-0 from five starts into the Grey.
Bred in Kentucky by Ghostzapper Syndicate and Brushy Hill Enterprises LLC, the son of Ghostzapper-Celia's Song finished second in his most recent engagement, the Display Stakes, contested at seven furlongs on the main track.
“I thought he was a winner until that filly [Tripolina] came running by us,” said Minshall. “He ran a good second and I think the distance should help him. He's a very durable horse, very strong. He's not a big horse, but he is very strong, physically. The distance, especially with his pedigree, should just help him.”
After a pair of fifth-place results to launch his career, Two Ghosts broke his maiden this August courtesy of a head victory in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight race. In his next race, he was second, at the same distance and over the same surface.
Owned by Hoolie Racing Stable LLC, Two Ghosts was an $85,000 (U.S.) purchase at the 2022 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.
“He is kind of funny in the sense that he is very quiet in the stall, but if you don't know him, he can be very cheeky,” said Minshall. “He is just that kind of horse. He can be a little impatient, you have to keep him moving with the pony. He'll stop, stamp his feet, and carry on. But he's always been a real pro once he leaves the gate.”
Other starters include Victoria Stakes-winning filly Pipit, trained by Kevin Attard (who also sends out King Rosso) and Mark Casse trio Jayhawk, Midnight Mascot and Sherif Ali.
The Mazarine has attracted six starters, including Uphill Dance.
Trained by Rachel Halden for Uphill Stable, the daughter of Tonalist-Stormy Below sports a record of 2-0-0 from three starts.
Uphill Dance started her career in winning fashion courtesy of a 1 ¼-length score at six furlongs over the Woodbine Tapeta on August 5.
After a bump at the break, the dark bay settled into stride and came home in impressive fashion to notch the milestone victory.
“She came to me in the late spring,” said Halden. “She actually hadn't shown a whole lot when she was in the States, where she had been training. When she came to Woodbine, her first work was mediocre, I worked her back with some blinkers on after that and they really seemed to change her around. We did run her for $40,000 in that first start, but that was more on what she had shown up until that point. She won that first start very nicely.”
In her next start, a 6 ½-furlong Tapeta race on September 22, Uphill Dance drew off for a four-length win.
“She did that very well too,” said Halden. “She just hasn't done much wrong to date.”
Last time out, in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes, Uphill Dance circled five-to-six wide on the turn and finished fourth, beaten just 2 ½ lengths.
“She got very unlucky with a wide trip. With a better trip, I think she could have been second in that race.”
Halden's praise for her rookie pupil extends beyond her racing lines.
The multiple graded stakes winning trainer has been impressed by the maturity the filly has shown since her first start.
“She's a very straightforward, uncomplicated filly. She's actually a very physically mature filly to look at. She's quite big, but she's also mentally mature as well, which makes my job a lot easier.”
Halden doesn't expect any issue with Uphill Dance tackling two turns for the first time in her career.
“This is our first opportunity to do it [go two turns]. It just seems logical, considering she's doing so well. She deserves a chance here and we're looking forward to it. The owners are great people and it's exciting for them too. This horse, when she came, there weren't any big expectations originally. So, it's nice when they show that they are something more than what everyone had first thought.”
Other starters include Display Stakes winner Tripolina and Glorious Song Stakes runner-up Mystic Lake.
First post for the 10-race card is 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.
Field for the Grey (G3)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Sherif Ali (S) – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
2 – Two Ghosts – Justin Stein – Barb Minshall
3 – Jayhawk – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
4 – Simply in Front – Ryan Munger – Patrick Dixon
5 – Piper's Factor – Christopher Husbands – Katerina Vassilieva
6 – King Rosso – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
7 – Break the Spell – Skye Chernetz – David Cotey
8 – Midnight Mascot – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
9 – Tunechi – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Barb Minshall
10 – Pipit – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
Field for the Mazarine (G3)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Witwatersand – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
2 – Uphill Dance – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Rachel Halden
3 – That Girl Artemus – Desean Bynoe – Nathan Squires
4 – Mystic Lake – Tyler Conner – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
5 – Tripolina – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
6 – Simply in Front – Ryan Munger – Patrick Dixon
The post Rookies Step Into Grade 3 Spotlight In Woodbine’s Grey, Mazarine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
