Author: News

Churchill’s War Rooms Powers To TDN Rising Stardom At Doncaster

Owen Burrows snagged the 2020 edition of Doncaster's Simon Piggott Memorial EBF Novice S. with subsequent G2 Champagne S. runner-up Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal) and he has another contender for the upper levels after Brook Farm Bloodstock's War Rooms (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}–Apticanti, by Aptitude) powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' with an impressive debut display in the seven-furlong test.

The 11-2 chance raced in mid division after a stuttering start. Easing closer to the front rank once past halfway, he surged to the front in taking fashion approaching the final furlong and was ridden clear in the closing stages to easily account for User Amistoso (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by an impressive 4 3/4 lengths. Subsequent G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up and G3 Goldene Peitsche victor Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status in the 2021 renewal of this contest. War Rooms becomes the second Rising Star for his sire, whose first was River Thames (Ire).

“He gave me a good feel on the way to post and they went a strong pace, I thought, on that [soft] ground,” said winning rider Jim Crowley. “He stayed very well and galloped out past the line really well. He's been doing things nicely at home and he'd have learnt plenty today. He's got a good mind on him and he'll be a lovely horse for next year. He's a rangy horse and he'll be quite smart over a mile-and-a-quarter next year.”

War Rooms, half-brother to a weanling filly by Australia (GB), is the seventh of eight live foals produced by a half-sister to G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire Distant Music (Distant View) and G3 Lancashire Oaks third New Orchid (Quest for Fame {GB}). Descendants of the May-foaled bay's second dam Musicanti (Nijinsky II), herself a half-sister to MGISW sire Vanlandingham (Cox's Ridge), also include three-time Group 1 winner Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), G1 Haydock Sprint Cup heroine African Rose (GB) (Observatory) and MGSW sire Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

3rd-Doncaster, £6,800, Nov, 7-27, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.21, sf.
WAR ROOMS (IRE), c, 2, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Apticanti, by Aptitude
2nd Dam: Musicanti, by Nijinsky II
3rd Dam: Populi, by Star Envoy
(200,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,752. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Brook Farm Bloodstock; B-Lynch Bages & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Owen Burrows; J-Jim Crowley.

 

 

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Churchill Fatalities: No ‘Apparent Cause’ But New Protocols in Pipeline

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly earnings conference call Thursday that nearly two months of internal investigation into the deaths of 12 Thoroughbreds during the shortened spring meet at the gaming corporation's flagship Louisville track has yielded “nothing that jumped out as the apparent cause.”

Carstanjen added that CDI will soon be announcing new safety protocols to be implemented for the scheduled September return of racing to Churchill Downs, but he did not disclose details about what to expect.

During the first week of June, CDI abandoned the final month if its spring racing season at Churchill and moved the remainder of the meet 170 miles west to Ellis Park, another Kentucky track in its corporate portfolio.

Stabling, training, and timed morning workouts continued at Churchill while only the races were moved to Ellis. At the start of July, Ellis segued into the start of its traditional summer meet.

As per his custom on the quarterly earnings conference calls, Carstanjen began by reading prepared remarks that he described as “high-level thoughts” about the gaming corporation's overall business. He spoke for 22 minutes without addressing the horse fatalities or the move to Ellis in detail. It was only when he was asked directly about the issue by an investment banking analyst during a Q & A session that is not open to journalists that he disclosed what has been going on.

Carstanjen said “the takeaway is the track is very safe. And what we needed to do was spend some of this time in the interim while we ran the rest of the race meet at Ellis, to just go soup to nuts through every single thing that we do at the racetrack. There was nothing that jumped out as the apparent cause of the injuries, of the breakdowns.

“And as we went through and rebuilt our processes from the ground up to check everything that we do to make extra sure, we didn't find anything material. So the way to think about news like that is, hey, you have to do the best that you can; you have to take the steps that you can to make it as safe as possible, and you constantly have to challenge yourself and review everything you do.

Carstanjen continued, “But this was a series of unfortunate circumstances that happened during the early portion of our meet. And to the extent that there can be good that comes out of it, everything we'll do going forward in September we'll do a little bit better and be a little bit more thorough, and we'll learn what we can.

“But there aren't any material changes that have been made to the structure of the track or the surface of the track, [and after expert outside evaluation] we didn't find anything fundamentally wrong or different about our track from previous years.

“So that, in a sense, can sometimes be unsatisfying. But that's business and that's sport. We just have to commit to continually doing everything we can, constant incremental improvement, to be as safe as we can, and we've done that,” Carstanjen said.

Outside of the CDI corporate structure, the 12 fatalities have also been investigated by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

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Grayson Grass Challenge: Charity Handicapping Contest Returns To Horseshoe Indianapolis

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and Horseshoe Indianapolis announced Thursday that they will be partnering for the fourth consecutive year for the “Grayson Grass Challenge” to raise money for the foundation.

The Grayson Grass Challenge is a five-week handicapping contest starting Tuesday, August 1, whereby participants in the challenge submit selections on two specified races held each week at Horseshoe Indianapolis through Thursday, August 31. Each contestant will be given a $500 bankroll provided by Horseshoe Indianapolis from which participants can make win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers. At the end of the five weeks, all remaining bankrolls plus winnings from the contestants will go to Grayson.

“Since its inception three years ago, the Grayson Grass Challenge has been a highlight for Horseshoe Indianapolis by attracting engagement in our races and drawing attention to the crucial work Grayson does,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of Racing for Horseshoe Indianapolis. “We are proud to sponsor this contest again and raise money for research that helps all horses.”

“The Grayson Grass Challenge continues to be a popular and entertaining competition, and the funds raised go directly to equine research,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “We are appreciative of Horseshoe Indianapolis for working with us again and recognizing the importance of equine research.”

The field for the Grayson Grass Challenge will consist of the following handicappers: Brian Arrigoni, paddock analyst, Horseshoe Indianapolis (@MrBAnalyst); Ed DeRosa, vice president, Content & Product Development, Horse Racing Nation (@EJXD2); Scott Ehlers, handicapper, Daily Racing Form; Nick Luck, international racing broadcaster (@NickLuck); Rachel McLaughlin, racing analyst and production manager, Horseshoe Indianapolis (@RacingRachelM); Ellis Starr, national racing analyst for Equibase (@Ubercapper); Jenna Otten, Caesars Entertainment Racing analyst (@JennaBAOtten); and Daniel Tordjman, manager, Partnerships & Sponsorships, America's Best Racing (@DanonymousMan).

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation's leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. Since 1940, the foundation has provided more than $40 million to fund more than 426 projects at 45 universities in North America and overseas. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.

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Mandatory Payout for Del Mar’s ‘Pick Six Weekend’

Del Mar will feature a “Pick Six Weekend” this Saturday and Sunday with a $1-million single ticket guarantee on Saturday's 11-race program and a “mandatory” payout in place for Sunday's planned 11-race card.

Saturday's “guarantee” means anyone correctly selecting the bet as a single-ticket winner would get the complete amount in the pot, then earn an additional check from Del Mar to raise the total earnings to $1 million. If there is no single ticket winner, all “jackpot” (single ticket) carryover money will go forward to Sunday.

Those with the most winners Sunday will be paid the amount in the pot divided by the total number of winners. There will be no carryovers.

No one was able to hit the popular exotic bet as a single ticket through the first three days of racing at the seaside track's summer meet, resulting in a $195,122 “jackpot” carryover into Thursday's fourth day of the meet.

The largest win prize in the history of the bet at Del Mar took place Aug. 1, 2004, when one bettor collected a reward of $2,100,017.

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