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USTA Announces Formation Of Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund

As part of the initiative that commenced with Hanover Shoe Farms' Executive Vice President Bridgette Jablonsky's announcement in April of a $250,000 matching fund grant to promote integrity in harness racing, on Monday (July 6), U.S. Trotting Association President Russell Williams announced the establishment of the Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund.

The SRIF will exist as a division of the USTA but with independent, third-party oversight.

“After announcing the $250,000 challenge grant, we heard from several industry stakeholders who were concerned about industry participants having the ability to exert influence on or make decisions regarding investigations into possible regulatory or criminal abuses,” said Williams, who is president and CEO of Hanover Shoe Farms.

“These concerns are valid, so we have worked diligently with a leading Pennsylvania law firm to design a structure that would remove funding and investigative decision-making from the USTA and allow for total confidentiality. This difficult task has taken time, but it is almost complete,” added Williams.

The plan for the SRIF will be presented at an upcoming USTA Board of Directors Executive Committee meeting to be held within the next few weeks in order to gain Board approval.

If approved, complete details including who will serve on the SRIF Oversight Board, the way that money from donations will be allocated, how investigations will be conducted, and details of the plan for cooperative efforts with state racing commissions and local, state and federal authorities will be announced.

Read more about Williams' initial challenge to the Pennsylvania racing industry here.

The post USTA Announces Formation Of Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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I Am Horse Racing’s ‘Vet’s Corner’ Video Focuses On Trapped Epiglottis

“Vet's Corner,” I am Horse Racing's newest endeavor, focuses on delving into the most common ailments and issues that horses, sport horses and racehorses often experience. This week, we welcome back Dr. Emma Adam to explain what an entrapped epiglottis is and how it is most often treated. This condition became particularly newsworthy just last year when top 3-year-old Omaha Beach was scratched days before the Kentucky Derby having been diagnosed with it. Learn exactly what a entrapped epiglottis is and how many horses can safely return to racing once treatment is complete, just like Omaha Beach!

Shedaresthedevil Indiana Oaks Headliner

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), heroine of Oaklawn’s GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 7, is the clear-cut horse to beat in Wednesday evening’s GIII Indiana Oaks.

The bay followed a well-beaten third behind division heavyweights Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in the GIII Fantasy S. May 1 with a powerful optional claiming tally at Churchill Downs last time June 5.

“She ran a huge one,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We were looking just to get a race in her between the Fantasy and wherever we ended up, which ended up being the Indiana Oaks. She worked well all winter when we picked her up, and she’s just continued to improve all winter, all spring and into the summer. If she shows up, she’ll be tough.”

Bayerness (Bayern), two-for-two during her juvenile season, enters this first two-turn test following a well-beaten third in the seven-furlong GIII Dogwood S. June 6.

Alandra (Blame), third after trouble at the start in last term’s GI Darley Alcibiades S., ships in for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey off a facile allowance win in the Belmont mud June 11.

The Indiana Oaks carries 20-8-4-2 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks.

The post Shedaresthedevil Indiana Oaks Headliner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Evenly-Matched Group Contests Indiana Derby

It’s rare to see a GI Kentucky Derby prep on a weekday, much rarer to find it on a July weekday, but an evenly-matched field of 10 horses will contest the GIII Indiana Derby Wednesday at Indiana Grand with 34 qualifying points for the Run for the Roses up for grabs.

Lloyd Madison Farms’ Major Fed (Ghostzapper) looks for some racing luck after several wide trips along the Derby trail. A sharp maiden winner on New Year’s Day at Fair Grounds, the homebred was second in a division of the GII Risen Star S. and fourth after a wide journey while closing into a slow pace in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Hung out in the widest draw in the GIII Matt Winn S. last out May 23 at Churchill, he chased the pace before fading to finish last of 10.

Taishan (Twirling Candy) also looks to rebound while shipping in from the west coast for Richard Baltas. Fourth in the GII Sham S. and fifth in the GIII Southwest S. over the winter, the $150,000 OBS March buy scored in a sloppy Oaklawn optional claimer Mar. 14 with a field-best 92 Beyer before running a good third after moving early into a fast pace in the Oaklawn S. Apr. 11 in Hot Springs. He failed to build on those two efforts, however, when last in a division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2.

Godolphin’s progressive Shared Sense (Street Sense) goes out for trainer Brad Cox. Sixth in the Smarty Jones S. and War Chant S. in his previous two stakes tries, he nevertheless earned the highest last-out Beyer when earning an 89 as runner-up to the promising Art Collector (Bernardini) last out in a Churchill optional claimer June 13.

The post Evenly-Matched Group Contests Indiana Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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