March, 2024 | Horse Racing Free Tips

All-Time Record High of €3 Million for Irish EBF Sponsorship

A total of €3 million will be added to the prize-money of Irish races in 2024 by the Irish European Breeders' Fund (Irish EBF), an all-time record high and bringing the Irish EBF's overall contribution since it was founded in 1983 to over €60 million.

Almost 500 races, both Flat and National Hunt, will carry EBF conditions in 2024. A new addition to the calendar this year is the €330,000 3YO Spring Series, with the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic as its showpiece.

The considerable spend of €3 million has also allowed the Irish EBF to underwrite all two-year-old EBF maiden races with €18,000 of minimum prize-money and all EBF maiden hurdles and beginners chases with a €15,000 minimum prize-fund. This compliments the 2023 announcement where all Listed races are worth a minimum of €40,000 and all fillies' Listed races are worth a minimum of €50,000.

The Irish EBF Auction Series and the Median Sires Series continue with €1.7 million of prize-money on offer to two-year-olds. The Irish EBF Ballyhane S. is worth €300,000 alone, while the Irish EBF Auction Series Final has a total prize-fund of €120,000.

National Hunt support continues with about 50% of the National Hunt allocation targeted at mares' chases, hurdle and bumper races. Irish EBF will also continue to back the Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series, worth nearly €400,000 with 16 qualifying races and a €75,000 final at the Punchestown Festival which is backed up by the Irish EBF Auction Bumper Series with six races worth €15,000 each over the season.

Joe Foley, Irish EBF chairman, said, “The Irish EBF governors are delighted to announce another record contribution to Irish prize-money for the 2024 racing year. This will allow us to continue our normal sponsorship programme spanning almost 500 races but also to add extra support in many areas.

“All Irish EBF two-year-olds maidens carrying a minimum €18,000 prize-money is a significant achievement but other areas such as Listed races, maiden hurdles, beginners chases and the exciting new 3YO Spring Series, which culminates in the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms Gowran Classic, will benefit from our increased spend.

“We look forward to seeing the 3YO Spring Series for middle distance horses grow and develop and hope that it becomes as successful and popular as our 2YO series; the Irish EBF Auction Series and the Irish EBF Median Sires Series. As ever, this record contribution would not be possible without the unanimous support and funding from Irish stallion owners, so immense thanks is due to them.”

Jonathan Mullin, director of racing at Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), added, “The Irish EBF has long been the largest sponsor of Irish racing and HRI is hugely appreciative of their long-standing investment, which is underpinned by voluntary contributions from stallion farms all over Ireland.

“The commitment of €3 million towards prize-money includes a key project in 2024: the first year of targeted support for later developing middle distance horses. This initiative is the latest in over forty years of dedicated support from the EBF and for that we thank them sincerely.”

The post All-Time Record High of €3 Million for Irish EBF Sponsorship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

2024 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles: Gotham Stakes Winner Deterministic

Welcome to 2024 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule that offers qualifying points for the first leg of the series. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs.

On the Rise: Stephanie Cooley

Growing up just outside of Chicago, where visits to Arlington Park were eagerly planned and attended, plus a love for horseback riding, motivated Stephanie Cooley to pursue a career in racing, despite having no family ties in the industry.

Investigators Tradecraft Displayed On Day One At Parx Conference

With a strong first day program which ran the gambit from the centrality of horse racing's societal license to the destructive use of xylazine to an update from the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, horse racing investigators at the annual Organization of Racing Investigators were immersed in some of the most pressing issues affecting the sport.

Hosted by Parx Racing and sponsored by everyone from Keeneland to the Breeders' Cup, over 100 specialists who protect racetracks in America and several other countries, listened, asked questions and made connections, all in the service of equine athletes.

As one investigator said about why he was in attendance, “We are here to protect those who cannot protect themselves and being in a room with like-minded individuals on our 24/7 mission is how we stay ahead.”

Each year conference participants swap tradecraft and those conversations lead to communication which crosses jurisdictions. It is a network behind the scenes, and that is why industry afficionados and the public do not necessarily have the opportunity to see the machinery at work.

“What we talk about here isn't secret, but our members need to have a degree of anonymity as they liaise with various groups of law enforcement, and that is one of the reasons why we don't open this conference to just anyone,” said this year's conference chairman Jason Klouser.

The morning sessions included several case studies about a variety of topics including horse welfare and how investigations have yielded important results. Members of the FBI's Philadelphia Office presented how xylazine used to sedate horses can enter the drug trade on the street illegally.

A highlight was the University of Kentucky's Dr. Camie Heleski, who spoke about the need for all horse sports to improve their optics by directly addressing its societal license to operate.

In other words, developing categorical areas to focus studies like recognizing physical and emotional stress in horses, what happens to them during the other 23 hours in a day when they are not performing and how tack and equipment can be used differently to improve the overall health of the sport.

HIWU's Shawn Loehr and Shaun Richards | J.N. Campbell

HIWU's Shawn Loehr and Shaun Richards gave an update concerning their investigative operations. The pair now have four investigators on staff, along with a pair of analysts, and they will be adding more soon. Concerning states that do not have a voluntary agreement with HIWU–like New York or Oklahoma–they explained how they have come to rely on independent contractors and that their developing relationship with ORI members continues to be significant to their operations.

“Our mission is to catch doping, protect the horses, serve the Thoroughbred industry, and for instance, our 150 plus barn searches and tip lines continue to yield results,” Loehr said. “ORI is such a valuable resource and being able to talk with them during this conference is essential to our mission.”

During the evening, which shifted venues from the Parx racetrack to the casino, an awards banquet included the TDN's CEO/Publisher Sue Finley, who delivered the keynote over the power of integrity and the precarious position news outlets find themselves in when it comes to coverage of horse racing.

“Some organizations and individuals accuse us of being pro-HISA,” said Finley, speaking about the importance of independent journalism in horse racing. “The only thing we're accused of more? Is being ANTI-HISA. Sometimes, we write an article which generates complaints from some that we are pro-HISA, while others write us and say we're showing an obvious anti-HISA bias. All from the same article.”

The first day activities ended with the awarding of the organization's most prestigious honor which is named for longtime investigator John F. Wayne. The lifetime membership award went to Tampa Bay Downs's Deanna Nicol.

ORI's 28th meeting continues on Tuesday, Mar. 5. Click here to access the schedule.

The post Investigators Tradecraft Displayed On Day One At Parx Conference appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post