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Del Mar: Two Owners Per Horse Will Now Be Able To Attend Races

Starting this Friday July 31, 2020, licensed owners with a horse entered can attend the races at Del Mar. Due to COVID-19, currently space is limited to two licensed owners per horse. No guests are permitted.

Up until now, licensed owners have been on track in the morning to watch workouts. The first come, first serve seating in the afternoons will be located in the same area in the spacious clubhouse box seating. Owners will be required to email Mary Forney, Executive Director of TOC (mforney@toconline.com) to secure access, and reservations can be made up until 24 hours before race day. If a horse has more than two owners wishing to attend the races, TOC will do its best to accommodate if space is available.

On race day, owners must show their license when entering the Del Mar Race Track and park in the designated area just outside the clubhouse. Owners will enter through the same area they have been using in the morning, adjacent to the clubhouse entrance. Owners will be required to be on the owner reservation list, provide their CHRB owners license, and undergo a full Covid-19 health screening including a temperature check. Masks will be required to be worn at all times, and owners must respect social distancing guidelines.

Owners will be required to remain in the clubhouse seating area the entire time and may not enter the paddock or the winners circle. Owners are still not permitted to access the backstretch. Any violation of this strict policy will result in a forfeiture of racetrack privileges.

“We appreciate that owners have been practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and creating a safe environment for all horsemen in the morning,” said TOC Chairman Nick Alexander. “Because that has been successful, we are now able to watch our horses in the afternoon. We recognize owners have been attending races in Northern California, Kentucky, and New York, and for some it has been frustrating having limited access to watch our thoroughbreds race in Southern California. Please continue to respect the new rules and guidelines so we can hopefully safely allow more members to attend the races.”

If you have any questions, feel free to contact TOC Executive Director Mary Forney at (626) 826-3782

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2020 Whitney Stakes Cheat Sheet

Saturday’s $750,000, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes is an annual highlight of Saratoga Race Course’s summer meet and a race that has major importance on the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the fall.

Pletcher Holds Strong Hand In First Leg Of Florida Sire Stakes Series

The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, the annual centerpiece of the Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park, will get underway Saturday, Aug. 1, bringing together the brightest 2-year-old prospects sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

The $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, both to be contested at six furlongs, will co-headline Saturday's first leg of the series that will continue Aug. 29 with the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies, both slated for seven furlongs, and Sept. 26 with the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

The Sept 26 Sire Stakes will also include the $150,000 Wildcat Heir for 3-year-olds and up.

The Florida Sire Stakes has a rich history dating back to 1982, when it was created by Ocala Breeder and owner Dan Lasater. The six-race series has produced six Eclipse Award champions: Awesome Feather (2010 Juvenile Filly), Big Drama (2010 Sprint), Holy Bull (1994 Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Male), Smile (1986 Sprint), Brave Raj (1986 Juvenile Filly) and Not Surprising (1995 Sprint Champion).

“The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association is excited to once again present our summer Florida Sire Stakes in conjunction with our partners Gulfstream Park and the Florida HBPA,” said Lonny Powell, CEO and Executive Vice President of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA).

“The series will continue to offer $1.4 million over six 2-year-old-stakes, an additional $100k in 2-year-old prep race bonuses as well as the $150k Wildcat Heir for FSS eligible Florida-breds, 3-years-old and older,” he added. “The series continues to be one of the most lucrative and respected state-bred race programs in the country. Our two September finals at $400,000 each represent some of the biggest purses anywhere in 2020 which we feel is even more significant and important to Florida breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and the track during these challenging times faced throughout our world and industry,”

The Dr. Fager and the Desert Vixen are both expected to attract deep fields with likely starters trained by several high-profile trainers, including Todd Pletcher, Ralph Nicks, Eddie Plesa Jr., and Kathleen O'Connell.

Pletcher, who has maintained a stable at Gulfstream during the Spring/Summer Meet, is expected to be represented by J A G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbred Corp.'s Son of a Beast in the Dr. Fager and A I A Racing's Tamiami in the Desert Vixen. Son of a Beast, a son of The Big Beast, withstood race-long pressure to capture his June 24 debut in front-running fashion. Tamiami, a daughter of Rattlesnake Bridge, overcame a horrific start to capture her June 21 debut with a furious late run, completing six-furlongs in 1:09.1.

Son of a Beast will again be sternly tested in the Dr. Fager, which is the goal for Stonehedge LLC's Big Daddy Dave and Arindel's Gatsby. The Nicks-trained Big Daddy Dave, a son of Khozan, is coming off a 2 ¾-length romp in his May 30 debut, completing five furlongs in 58.88 seconds. Juan Alvarado's Gatsby, a homebred son of Brethren, captured his May 17 debut, upsetting Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal, who went on to finish second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot.

Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's Famous Gent, a son of Big Dude who broke his maiden June 5 with a 58.87 five-furlong clocking, enters Florida Sire Stakes competition off a troubled third-place finish behind undefeated Papetu in the first juvenile allowance of the Spring/Summer Meet.

Pletcher-trained Tamiami is also expected to have some tough competition in the Desert Vixen, including trainer/owner Dan Pita's Princess Secret and Joseph Imbesi's Social Exclusion. Princess Secret romped to a four-length victory in her May 7 debut. The daughter of Khozan came back to finish second against the boys, closing to within 1 ½ lengths of Papetu after being bumped hard at the start. Steve Klesaris-trained Social Exclusion, a daughter of Gulfstream Park track-record holder Social Inclusion, turned in a dazzling debut performance while scoring a 4 ¾-length front-running victory.

Shooting Star Thoroughbreds LLC's Chance It captured last year's Dr. Fager by 3 ½ lengths. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Currency Swap was upset by Stonehedge LLC's Liam's Lucky Charm in the Affirmed before impressively capturing the In Reality. Chance It went on to capture the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream in his 3-year-old debut.

Stonehedge LLC's Lenzi's Lucky Lady captured last year's Desert Vixen. Amalio Ruiz-Lozano's Ceci Valentina won the Susan's Girl, before Gary Barber's Two Sixty romped to victory in the My Dear Girl.

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‘Sunlight Was My Best Friend’: Long-Time Groom, Rider Says Emotional Goodbye At Magic Millions Sale

Emotions are always running high when the hammer falls at a Thoroughbred auction, especially when the final price is as high as AUS$4.2 million (about US$3 million). On Monday at Australia's Magic Millions sale, some of those emotions overflowed when three-time Group 1 winner Sunlight walked out of the auction ring.

It wasn't the mare's owners or trainers, however, whose intense emotions were captured by the lens of racing photographer Michael McInally. Instead, he focused his camera on Sunlight's long-time groom, exercise rider, and traveling companion Sarah Rutten.

McInally captured Rutten in an unguarded moment with tears streaming down her fans and an empty halter slung over her left arm. Magic Millions later Tweeted his image with the caption: “The photo says it all.”

“She has had such an incredible bond with that horse,” McInally told racenews.com.au on Tuesday. “I just knew I had to be here after the horse went through the ring.”

Rutten had been alongside Sunlight for nearly three years, experiencing racing's ups and downs firsthand as the mare went from winning a trio of Group 1's sprinting to finishing poorly in the 2019 Everest. Rutten's favorite memory is the race right after that performance, when Sunlight finished a second as a longshot in the Golden Eagle.

Sunlight was sold to Coolmore, and the new owners promised Rutten she could visit anytime.

“I do wish more people would understand how strappers and stable staff absolutely love horses – Sunlight was my best friend,” Rutten said. “I did say goodbye to her – I just went in and sat with her while she was eating and I think she knows how much she meant to me and how upset I was. I've had a few moments like those with her, obviously life has challenges sometimes, but whenever something has happened I have always gone and sat with her and life has suddenly felt better.”