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Ohio State Faculty Clinician Chosen As AAEP’s First My Vet Rocks Honoree

Jonathan Yardley, DVM, associate professor-clinical in Equine Community Practice at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been selected as the June honoree of the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) My Vet Rocks Contest, which celebrates the important relationship between veterinarian, owner and horse.

Dr. Yardley was among 75 veterinarians nominated by horse owners for the award during June. Also honored for their exemplary care were runners-up Dr. Kate Hodson, owner of Hodson Veterinary Services LLC in Hebron, Ind., and Dr. Bob Meyer, co-owner of Neuse River Equine Hospital in Wendell, N.C.

Patience, stall-side manner and commitment to client education were common themes among the 17 nomination letters received in support of Dr. Yardley. According to nominator Mindy Ridgeway, “Not only is he a compassionate and talented veterinarian, he is also a brilliant educator. … As an owner, it is such a valuable learning experience and he never misses an opportunity to educate as he rounds in the hospital and in the field. He is realistic, yet optimistic as he helps me achieve optimal health and long-term soundness for my horse.”

Aubrey Burwell added, “His teaching skills are just as great as his veterinary knowledge. His communication is top notch and … he keeps in mind owners' financial ability without compromising patient care.”

Dr. Yardley manages the university's general equine veterinary practice, where he provides a broad range of clinical care while also educating fourth-year veterinary students and interns.

“Sometimes, veterinary medicine can be a thankless job but it's a great feeling to know that what you're doing for clients and their animals is being received positively,” said Dr. Yardley, who received his veterinary degree in 2006 from Tufts University. “It gives me motivation to keep doing what I'm doing and to continue to practice the way I'm practicing. It's pretty cool.”

Dr. Yardley received a prize package from the AAEP and contest sponsor American Regent Animal Health, manufacturer of Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan). In addition, he is now eligible to win the contest's grand prize, which will be announced later this year in conjunction with the AAEP's 66th Annual Convention. The grand-prize winner will be selected from each month's winning entries.

The AAEP continues to encourage horse owners to submit a My Vet Rocks nomination on behalf of an AAEP-member veterinarian who is exceptional in his or her care of the horse. Nominations can be submitted through Aug. 31 here.

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Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Pool At Gulfstream Park Guaranteed For $650,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $650,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the ninth consecutive racing day Friday, when multiple tickets with six winners were each worth $3,034.14.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 7-12, including the $60,000 Sea of Tranquility in Race 11.

Kenny McPeek-trained Harvey Wallbanger, who pulled off a 29-1 upset victory in the 2019 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream, is scheduled to return off a 10-week layoff in the 1 1/16-mile overnight stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Kukulkan, the 2018 Mexican Triple Crown winner who captured the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe by six lengths during the Championship Meet, is set to come off a six-month layoff Saturday in search of his third stakes victory over the Gulfstream track.

Multiple-stakes winner Noble Drama, Hal's Hope (G3) 60-1 upset winner Identifier, Coaltown Handicap victor Eye of a Jedi, Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview winner Red Crescent, and Rough and Ready winner Quenane round out the field.

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Spa Notes: Country Grammer Possible for Runhappy Travers

Paul Pompa, Jr.’s GIII Peter Pan S. hero Country Grammer (Tonalist) could make his next appearance in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 8, the owner told the NYRA notes team Friday.

“If he comes back well, the Travers would be the logical spot. It’s coming back a little soon but so far, so good,” Pompa, Jr. said. “We always have liked this horse, but the COVID-19 situation has created gaps, just due to lack of racing.”

A $60,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $450,000 OBS April breezer, Country Grammer broke his maiden going nine furlongs over the Aqueduct last November and resumed with an even fifth to Ete Indien (Summer Front) in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 29. He was a wide-trip third in Belmont allowance company June 4, but enjoyed a smoother run in transit in Thursday’s Peter Pan, sneaking through at the rail turning for home before outlasting ‘TDN Rising Star’ Carocaro (Uncle Mo).

Country Grammer became the second graded winner for his second-crop sire in the Peter Pan. The other, Tonalist’s Shape, is the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s GI CCA Oaks at Saratoga.

Dayoutoftheoffice Likely to Reappear During Meet…

Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief), who gave trainer Tim Hamm his first Saratoga stakes winner when upsetting Thursday’s GIII Schuylerville S. at odds of 19-1, is likely to contest one or both of the graded races for juvenile fillies at the Spa over the course of the next six weeks.

“The [GII] Adirondack S. [Aug. 12, 6 1/2 furlongs] is a possibility and the [GI] Spinaway [Sept. 6, seven furlongs] is possible. I don’t know if we would do both or [just] one of the two. But we’ll probably run her up back there at least once.”

Owned by Hamm in partnership with breeder Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice–who led home an Into Mischief exacta–posted a front-running, 4 3/4-length debut victory over 4 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream May 14. Hamm was confident that his filly would relish the extra real estate in the Schuylerville.

“It’s the kind of read we had on her training up to her first race. We thought the 4 1/2 [furlongs] might be too short for her,” he said. “But she got that down, and I was optimistic she wanted to run farther than that. I believe if she stretches out, she’ll be able to handle that as well. If you don’t look good there, it closes a lot of doors. But if you win, you have options open, and you just want to lay out a good schedule now and get her where she needs to be.”

Tap It To Win Aiming For Jerkens…

Live Oak Plantation’s Tap It To Win (Tapit), who defeated GIII Peter Pan S. hero Country Grammer in the aforementioned June 4 allowance ahead of a low-odds fifth to Tiz the Law (Constitution) in the GI Belmont S. 16 days later, breezed a half-mile in :48.09 Monday morning and will shorten back up for the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens S. presented by Runhappy at Saratoga Aug. 1.

“He’s looking good. We’re going to the Allen Jerkens with him and he should fit well in there,” said Jamie Begg, assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “I think the cutback to seven-eighths is good and we’ll be able to sit off the speed and make a run.”

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‘He Was My Idol’: Wesley Ward Saddles Saratoga Winner For Hall Of Famer Steve Cauthen

Winning any race at Saratoga is highly rewarding for trainer Wesley Ward, but a victory from Palace Avenger in a Thursday six-furlong allowance held sentimental value for the conditioner winning on behalf of co-owner and longtime friend, Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen.

Ward, who was a jockey for five years before transitioning to training in 1989, grew up idolizing Cauthen, who piloted Affirmed to victory in the 1978 Triple Crown at the age of 18 before moving to Europe due to weight restrictions in the United States.

“He was my idol,” Ward said.

Owned by Cauthen's Dreamfields in partnership with Don Brady, Mark O. Board and John Gaynor, Palace Avenger notched a second career win, arriving at the event off a runner-up finish at Churchill Downs at 29-1.

“It's always nice to win for a guy like Steve,” Ward said. “He's really a class act. Just a guy you really want to win for because he's such a great person.”

Ward began riding in 1984, just five years after Cauthen moved his tack to Europe, where he would go on to become a three-time champion jockey in Great Britain. During their careers as riders, both Cauthen and Ward were represented by agent Lenny Goodman.

Partnering in campaigning Thoroughbreds together is something that both Cauthen and Ward had always talked about doing.

“I always watched him from afar,” Cauthen said. “After I retired, I would see him at the sales and the track. We'd always stop and chat with each other and we would say 'We've got to get together' and we finally did.”

While Cauthen made his mark in Europe as a champion rider in the 1980s, Ward is currently making a name for himself as a trainer. Ward is known for having a knack with training young horses and sending some of his talented young horses to Europe, including Lady Aurelia who was named European Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2016.

“I'd say his job was harder,” Cauthen said. “It's a lot to take on going over there with a horse that's never run over a course like the ones in Europe, and he's figured it out. Not just at Royal Ascot, but at France and all over the place.”

Cauthen has some familiarity with the family of Palace Avenger, having piloted the daughter of Palace's grand dam Chimes of Freedom to victory in the 1989 Group 1 Moyglare Stud and 1990 Coronation Cup, both Group 1.

“It's a good family,” Cauthen said of the Private Account mare who also produced 2003 Champion Sprinter Aldebaran and multiple graded stakes winner Good Journey. “Chimes of Freedom was a chestnut with a white blaze so her and Palace Avenger are similar in that regard. They're about the same size, about 16 hands. The biggest similarity between the two is that they both try. That's the part you can't see when you buy them.”

A start against stakes company could be on the horizon at some point for Palace Avenger.

“I think that's what we're on the lookout for somewhere. We've talked about it a little bit,” Cauthen said.

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