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‘Never Been On The Lead In His Life’: Proxy Makes All To Win Monmouth Cup

Godolphin's homebred Proxy make all the pace, determinedly shook off challenges from Whelan Springs and Calibrate, and powered to victory in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup (G3) Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The 5-year-old Tapit horse, the 1-5 favorite, was scoring for the sixth time in 18 career outings while rebounding from an unplaced finish in the Stephen Foster (G1) earlier this month at Ellis Park. The Monmouth Cup standout, he took the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs last November, was second in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March, then took Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 22 and before finishing eighth in the Stephen Foster July 1. He would not be denied Saturday, showing his class for Joel Rosario to get the victory after making all the pace in a race for the first time in his career..

Proxy returned $2.8o after covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.99. He set early fractions of :23.80, :48,13, 1:12.05 and 1:37.37 before cruising across the finish line 2 1/2 lengths in front of Whelen Springs. Calibrate finished third, another 4 3/4 lengths back.

Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy earned the $240,000 winner's share of the Monmouth Cup purse, boosting his lifetime bankroll to $2,024,970.

Kentucky-bred Proxy is out of Grade 1 winner Panty Raid, by Include.

Monmouth Cup Quotes:

WINNING TRAINER – Michael Stidham: “He really showed some guts. He's never been on the lead in his life. He's laid close early on in his career so we knew he could be close and still finish. But he was never on the lead so I didn't know what to think. I was hoping for the best, and then when they hooked him at the three-sixteenths pole, I thought, `Oh Boy. here we go.' Then he dug in and class came through in the end.

“That was very gratifying because his last race (in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Ellis Park), with Ellis being speed favoring and getting shuffled back around the first turn he had no chance. We just felt like we're not going to sit around and wait 60 days and plan to hopefully run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (Grade 1 at Saratoga) but that was another 60-day break. He had already had one of those. He ran big today.”

WINNING JOCKEY – Joel Rosario: “I think it was just a case of too much class. He was the best horse in the race. He broke well and I just kind of let him go and do his thing. He's a little tricky sometimes to ride. You have to let him do the work. I know he always tries. He never gives up. He just does what he does. I was on the best horse and I rode him that way. They put some pressure on us but I was never worried. He has so much class. I just let him show the way.”

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IFAR: Research Shows OTTBs Are Particularly Well-Suited To Therapy Work

There is mounting evidence to show that retired racehorses are particularly well-suited to providing equine-assisted services and equine-assisted therapy, delivering life changing support to people affected by physical and/or mental health conditions.

Programs related to equine assisted therapies from all across the globe are highlighted in the new video magazine, including BraveHearts, Equine Pathways, HorseBack UK, Racing Hearts, Racing to Relate, and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).

Research conducted by Racing to Relate at the University of Bristol, together with a range of case studies from around the world, has identified that Thoroughbreds, more than other breeds, possess the characteristics that make them well-equipped to perform in such valuable roles. The initial findings of the Racing to Relate research were recently unveiled at a symposium entitled the 'Universal Language of the Horse' in Deauville, France.

“The study we're carrying out at the University of Bristol for Racing to Relate started in 2021 and is about the selection, education, welfare of the Thoroughbred in equine assisted services programmes,” said Claire Neveux. “We had 125 respondents from all over the world. From which we gathered very detailed information on 427 horses, including 57 Thoroughbreds.

“Thoroughbreds have very specific characteristics that make them interesting for equine assisted services. The first one is reactivity. Practitioners like horses to be reactive because when the horse reacts, he interacts with the person, and this is very helpful in the work to benefit people. According to all respondents, experience is also very important, and they said that some of their clients relate to the past experience of Thoroughbreds. Another characteristic that was cited by correspondents is their sensitivity. We don't yet know what is behind this yet, and that's something we want to explore in phase two.”

Meanwhile, case studies in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have also found former racehorses to be an outstanding breed of horse in terms of equine assisted services.

Racing Hearts is an equine assisted psychology and counseling practice based in Melbourne, and it also runs programmes in other Australian states. Its mental health practitioners see anywhere between 200-300 clients per week, mainly people in the local communities who are struggling with the challenges of mental health and stress.

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“Probably about 99% of our therapy team are retired racehorses, and we find that the retired racehorses in comparison to the two small ponies we have are absolutely the best breed for equine assisted therapy,” said Lisa Coffey, founder of Racing Hearts and an equine assisted services practitioner. “Our youngest clients are between six and seven years of age, and our eldest clients are in their 70s. So, we see people with a whole range of challenges. Thoroughbreds are so sensitive and they're so in-tune with humans because they've seen so much in their racing career.”

Jock Hutchison founded the Aberdeen-based HorseBack UK in 2009 with the aim of helping wounded military veterans by introducing them to horses.

“When we started HorseBack, we were going to use American western horses because we were very focussed on the physically injured and on giving people mobility with dignity,” said Hutchison. “However, we very quickly understood that what was really making a difference was the forming of a bond with the horses. We saw that the sensitivity and intelligence of former racehorses made them fantastic horses for groundwork. The level of interaction you get from a Thoroughbred is way higher than any other horse.

“Furthermore, many of these horses share the same journey as the individuals that we are helping. The horses were in a yard, part of a team, with a routine and every so often they had to go and do something really intense, which they loved. And that was very similar to the life of the military people, which is the first group that we engaged with.”

Another example of the benefits of working with former racehorses has come from projects involving prisoners, and there have been encouraging results in Ireland and the USA. The Wallkill Correctional Facility in New York is a medium security prison from which the TRF delivers a program bringing together racehorses and prisoners.

“I feel like they actually relate to me,” said inmate Joel Kuck. “And the same second chance that they're given, I feel like I'm getting.”

The following video is part of IFAR's video magazine:

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Daughter Of Clemmie Debuts At The Curragh

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations features a daughter of a juvenile Group 1 winner.

14.00 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
MAYFAIR (IRE) (Justify) debuts for Ballydoyle in the maiden won two years ago by the stable's star Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and carries obvious gravitas as the second foal out of the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That full-sister to Churchill (lre) already has a black-type performer after Mayfair's full-sister Unless finished runner-up in this week's Listed Cairn Rouge S. and it is significant that Ryan Moore has opted for her over the stable's fellow newcomer Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). A daughter of the ground-breaking six-times top-level heroine Tepin (Bernstein), who was an $8-million purchase by M V Magnier at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale, she provides a formidable back-up for Rosegreen in this intriguing card opener.

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NYRA To Host Fundraiser On PDJF Awareness Day

On Saturday, July 29, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will pay tribute to the jockey colony at Saratoga Race Course while also raising funds for their cause with the launch and sale of jockey trading cards on Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund (PDJF) Awareness Day, the organization said in a release Saturday.

In recognition of the non-profit organization's fundraising awareness day, which is observed annually at race tracks across the U.S., fans will be given the opportunity to purchase a pack of five jockey trading cards for $5, with a limit of three packs per person. Similar in design to baseball trading cards, the limited-edition cards will feature 20 of Saratoga's active and most popular jockeys.

Many of the jockeys represented on the trading cards will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. ET for an autograph signing on the Jockey Silks Porch. Suggested donations are encouraged to support the PDJF.

“Saturday, July 29 is Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund Day across America and a day we also recognize The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a critical piece of legislation for all Americans with disabilities,” said PDJF Board President Nancy LaSala. “On this day, the PDJF invites all race tracks conducting horse racing contests to coordinate with their local jockey colony to hold fundraisers and create awareness about how important this day is. We are grateful to NYRA for creating this collector series of trading cards and making them available to fans for a modest donation to the PDJF.”

There are 4,500 total packs available for purchase with all proceeds to be donated to the PDJF. Representatives from PDJF will be on site collecting donations and selling the jockey trading card sets inside Gate A near the Taste NY Pavilion beginning at 11 a.m. until supplies last.

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