Training on his own since Nov. 1 of last year, Riley Mott received the best education possible to prepare him for that moment, working alongside his Hall of Fame father, Bill Mott, for a decade as one of his assistants.
Author: News
Fozzy Stack: ‘Aspen Grove Has Nothing To Lose In Belmont Oaks’
Fozzy Stack says that Aspen Grove (Ire) is something of a forgotten horse heading into the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and revealed that there were genuine excuses for her below-par effort in the Irish 1,000 Guineas when the Justify filly was found to be in season.Â
Aspen Grove carried Craig Bernick's distinctive silks to victory in a Group 3 contest at the Curragh last term and, with that valuable black-type success already secured, Stack felt connections could afford to be brave in travelling her over for Saturday's Grade I assignment.Â
Stack said of the filly who is co-owned by Mrs. John Magnier, “She was in season when she ran in the Irish 1,000 Guineas so there was very much a plausible excuse for that effort. There's only one Guineas, she couldn't run in it next year, so that's why we took our chance.Â
“Listen, she's travelled over well and she seems to have settled in nicely. Mark Enright is over here with her and he is happy with her so we'll see what happens.”
He added, “She has good form. She ran very well on her reappearance at Leopardstown when third in a Group 3 despite being caught wide the whole way round.Â
Aspen Grove looking good ahead of Saturday's #Belmontoaks @Stack_Racing @craigb1818 @Deburghequine @oismurphy pic.twitter.com/kb3n7pT00q
— Mark Enright (@Markfishenright) July 3, 2023
“You could run around in Group 3s at home in Ireland for forty grand or you can come over here for a lot of money. She's already a Group 3 winner so she's nothing to lose and it all to gain.”
Aspen Grove is a general 8-1 chance with most firms for the Belmont Oaks and will have the assistance of Oisin Murphy in the saddle.Â
Murphy's primary reason for jetting out Stateside is to ride Andrew Balding's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the Belmont Derby and Stack said that it would have been “silly” not to snap up a rider of his quality for Aspen Grove.Â
He said, “It made a lot of sense to get Oisin to ride the filly. He's coming over to ride The Foxes for Andrew Balding anyway so it would have been silly not to use him while he's here.”
Stack has enjoyed a good start to his domestic campaign in Ireland and is operating at a 17 per cent strike-rate with 11 winners under his belt.Â
Indeed, he has already tasted big-race success on American soil when Yesterdayoncemore (Ire) (No Nay Never) won a Grade II at Del Mar in 2019.
Like Yesterdayoncemore, Stack says that Aspen Grove could well continue her career in America for Bernick, who he describes as an important supporter of his famous County Tipperary stable.
Stack said, “We'll get this over with first, but we will probably run her at Saratoga or at Del Mar after this. I'm very lucky to have Craig as an owner. He's a very nice guy and has a great interest in the game. He actually bred Aspen Grove.”
On the race itself, he added, “Graham Motion's filly [Mission Of Joy (Kitten's Joy)] sets a good standard and Chad Brown has a couple of nice fillies [Aspray (Quality Road) and Prerequisite (Upstart)] in there as well.Â
“There are no easy Group 1 races wherever you go but they are usually not as difficult to win on the grass in America than they are in Europe so hopefully she can go close.”
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Study Confirms Hair Use For Long-Term Detection Of Bisphosphonates
A new study, called for in 2019 by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, was published on the use of hair as a matrix for the long-term detection of bisphosphonates in horses, the organization said in a release Thursday.
“Over the past few years, bisphosphonate use has become a concern with regard to the welfare of Thoroughbred racehorses,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “We are very thankful for the generous support by Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stables and their ability to recognize the importance of this research in promoting equine safety and welfare.”
The new study found that hair testing can be used to consistently detect bisphosphonates for up to six months after administration.
“Bisphosphonates are labeled for horses 4 years and older to manage navicular symptoms,” said Dr. Johnny Smith, A. Gary Lavin Research Chair of Grayson. “Unfortunately, people were using them in young horses, which is detrimental because bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption, can stay in a horse's system for years, and can have long-term effects on bone.”
Previously published studies, including one conducted by the same group and funded under the same special call, demonstrated that in some cases bisphosphonates can be detected in blood and urine for extended periods of time, but detection using these matrices can be unpredictable and less consistent.
“Our study from 2020 showed that clodronate and tiludronate reside in the bone for extended periods,” said the study's principal investigator, Dr. Heather K. Knych, who is with the K.L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab's Pharmacology section and the Department of Molecular Biosciences, at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. “This can lead to lasting pharmacologic effects and increase the risks of injury to racehorses. Being able to detect bisphosphonates long term in hair benefits the athletes and increases the integrity of the sport.”
Bisphosphonates are considered a banned substance for covered horses under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control program. A covered horse that tests positive is subject to lifetime ineligibility.
Click here to read the study.
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Gun Runner To Stand For $65K On Southern Hemisphere Time; Golden Slipper Bonus Offer
Three Chimneys Farm's multiple-leading sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) will stand to Southern Hemisphere time and they are offering a AU$500,000 bonus to any progeny that wins the G1 Golden Slipper S., Doug Cauthen, the vice chairman of Three Chimneys Farm, told TTR AusNZ.
The farm's stud fee of $65,000 (AU$98,000) is slightly less than the $75,000 (AU$110,000) he commanded last year on Southern Hemisphere covers. They are hoping to attract anywhere between 20 and 40 Southern Hemisphere mares this spring.
“The goal is to make him appealing,” Cauthen said. “He's consistently bred to Southern Hemisphere time, but last year and this year, we've really tried to open him up more. He's bred a solid book in the past without it being a big book, because we're not looking for a big book. We're looking for quality.”
The American Horse of the Year produced six individual Grade I winners from his first book of 127 foals en route to Champion Northern American first-crop sire honors. He was also the leading sire of 3-year-olds in 2022, which included Echo Zulu, Gunite, Cyberknife and Early Voting.
“He's been spectacular, and everyone here is feeling blessed to have him at Three Chimneys,” Cauthen said. “But we think the potential to continue this, and build on it, is right there in front of him. Who he's as good as, we'll find out in five or 10 years' time, but he's certainly been exceptional so far.”
The AU$500,000 bonus to any progeny of Gun Runner that wins the Golden Slipper S. is also on the table.
“Like the Kentucky Derby or any of these great races, just getting runners in the field is the hardest part,” Cauthen said. “Time will tell but we think it's a legitimate possibility for Gun Runner to get horses into the Slipper, therefore we should offer a legitimate bonus.”
Emirates Park bred its Golden Slipper winner Estijaab (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) to Gun Runner on SH time last year. She's currently heading back Down Under safely in foal to the stallion.
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