December, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Can I Exercise My Horse In The Winter?

Question: What are your recommendations for exercising horses during the winter months? Do you have any tips for cooling them off?

Response: Continuing to exercise your horse throughout the winter months can help keep them in shape and healthy if you have a safe space to do so. Reduced activity in the winter can lead to stocking up, loss of muscle condition, and weight gain.

Bitter cold, snow depth, and ice are just a few challenges we face in Minnesota when it comes to exercising horses outside during winter.

Before working your horse, check for and remove compacted snow and ice (snow balls) from their hooves.

When riding in the snow, be mindful of snow depth and your horse's fitness. Deep, heavy, or wet snow can stress tendons and lead to injury. Additionally, riding in these conditions is hard work and may not be appropriate for an unfit horse.

Never ride or work your horse on ice.

What if you have poor footing for exercise and no access to an indoor arena? Most horses handle having the winter off very well. If you want to encourage your horse to move during turnout, try placing hay in multiple spots around their lot. Hand walking is also a good option for horses that tend to stand by the hay feeder all day or are stocked up.

If you are fortunate enough to have a safe space to work your horse over winter, make sure you take time to properly cool them off following exercise. Thick winter hair coats can leave horses wet and steamy after a ride. Turning out a wet horse or leaving them stand in a cold barn can lead to illness. Use a cooler to help wick away moisture from your horse and allow their coat to dry. Alternatively, if you regularly work your horse, consider trace clipping them. Trace clipping will allow your horse to stay cooler during exercise and shorten the time it takes them to cool after exercise. Clipped horses will require a blanket during turnout to help keep them warm.

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Underappreciated Horse Racing Stars of the 1990s: Hansel, Lonesome Glory, and Thunder Gulch

As the world counted down to a new millennium, America’s oldest sport remained timeless in the face of the changing culture around it. The sport continued to celebrate its traditions, welcoming new names to the pantheon of champions that the 20th century had produced.

Jockey Cindy Murphy Retires, Rode More Than 2,000 Winners

Cindy Murphy, one of the racing's most successful female jockeys, has hung up her tack, Daily Racing Form reports.

Murphy, who has previously ridden as Cindy Noll and Cindy Springman, won more than 2,000 races during a career began in 1987 at La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her first United States win came Dec. 8, 1987 aboard Ocala Spender at Tampa Bay Downs, according to Equibase statistics.

Murphy reached her milestone of 2,000th career win on July 7, 2023, at Prairie Meadows, when guiding Crypto Mo, trained and co-owned by her husband, Travis Murphy, to victory in the Iowa Oaks (G3).

Overall, Murphy won 2,005 Thoroughbred races from 18,160 mounts who account for purse earnings of more than $23.3 million.

Murphy, 61, is a resident of Oklahoma, where she and her husband have a training facility. She told the Form she plans to continue working with the horses at the stable operation.

“People are still going to see me out there in the mornings,” Murphy said. “I'll still help gallop and work horses.”

For ready the full story at drf.com, click here.

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Wolfie’s Dynaghost Seeks Fifth Win Of Year In Prairie Bayou At Turfway

Woodslane Farms recent Grade 2 winner Wolfie's Dynaghost will face a stellar field of 12 plus two also-eligibles that were entered for Saturday's 28th running of the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park.

The Prairie Bayou Stakes will be contested in Race 7 of nine. Post time for the 1 1/16-mile event is 8:55 p.m. (ET), first post is 5:55 p.m.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the accomplished Wolfie's Dynaghost has won nine starts from his 24-race career, including the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed) March 25 on the undercard of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at the Northern Kentucky track. Following his win in that race, Thomas campaigned the 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper across North America, including at Woodbine, where he was victorious in the Autumn Stakes (G2) Nov. 2 in his most recent outing. Jockey Tyler Conner will ride Wolfie's Dynaghost from post No. 7.

Also entered in the Prairie Bayou are the 2022 and 2021 winners of the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb and Like the King.

Tiz the Bomb, trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Brookdale Racing, has a perfect record from two starts at Turfway. Prior to his 2¼-length victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tiz the Bomb held off a late charge of Stolen Base to win the John Battaglia Memorial. Tiz the Bomb will be in search of his first victory since the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He will start out of post 4 with Joe Talamo in the irons.

M Racing Group's Like the King will attempt to win his fifth-lifetime race in the Prairie Bayou. Like the King scored a 7-1 upset victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks and for the majority of his 4-year-old and 5-year-old seasons has been competing at Woodbine. The Mark Casse trainee will be ridden by Fernando De La Cruz from the rail.

Another accomplished runner in the field is Robert Hunt's recent Bryan Station Stakes (G3) winner Runaway Storm. Trained by Ethan West, the ultra-consistent Runaway Storm is a three-time winner from just five starts. The 3-year-old son of Midnight Storm has been based on the backstretch of Turfway Park for the majority of his career with now year-round training at the facility.

Five weeks ago, Runaway Storm rallied from just off the pace to defeat seven foes in the Bryan Station at Keeneland. Prior to that start, West shipped Midnight Storm to Colonial Downs where he finished third by 3 ½ length to Integration and Program Trading in the highly productive Virginia Derby (G3). Four of nine runners in the Virginia Derby returned to win stakes events – Integration (Grade 2 Hill Prince), Program Trading (Grade 1 Hollywood Derby), Runaway Storm (Bryan Station) and sixth-place finisher Gigante (the off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf). Runaway Storm will be ridden in the Prairie Bayou by Colby Hernandez out of post No. 6.

Following is the complete field for the Prairie Bayou Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Like the King (De La Cruz, Casse); Ocean Atlantique (Luan Machado Mike Maker); Temple (Axel Concepcion, Mike Maker); Tiz the Bomb (Joe Talamo, Kenny McPeek); Hush of a Storm (Gerardo Corrales, Billy Morey); Runaway Storm (Hernandez, West); Wolfie's Dynaghost (Conner, Thomas); Kitodan (Alex Achard, Eric Foster); Cellist (Martin Garcia, Rusty Arnold); War Bomber (IRE) (Orlando Mojica, Norm McKnight); Packs a Wahlop (Abel Cedillo, Billy Morey); Leave It to Kitten (Joe Ramos, Kathy Jarvis). Also-eligibles: Fair Dinkum (Axel Concepcion, Joe Sharp); Vintage Print (Gerardo Corrales, Paulo Lobo).

The Prairie Bayou Stakes is named in honor of the 1993 winner of the Jeff Ruby Stakes (formerly Jim Beam Stakes). Prairie Bayou, who was owned by Loblolly Stable and trained by Tom Bohannan, was the 4-1 favorite in that year's Kentucky Derby (G1) but finished second to Sea Hero. He would go on to win the Preakness Stakes (GI) two weeks later en route to earning the Eclipse Award a champion 3-year-old.

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