Gaffalione Agent Responds to McPeek Criticism

The finger pointing over Tyler Gaffalione’s decision not to ride Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GI Preakness S. continued Thursday when Gaffalione’s agent Matt Muzikar said trainer Ken McPeek’s version of the events was “nowhere near the truth.”

On this week’s edition of the TDN Writers’ Room podcast, McPeek sharply criticized both Muzikar and Gaffalione, claiming that the two reneged on an agreement to ride the filly in the Preakness.

“I announced that we’re going to run in the Preakness and Tyler was on board,” McPeek said on the podcast. “By maybe 6:00 that night, his agent tells us that he can’t ride. And I’m like, ‘Look, you’ve given us a two-race commitment [GI Kentucky Oaks and Preakness].’ He said, ‘Oh well, sorry, I’ve got to ride for Chad Brown at Keeneland.’ I said, ‘You can’t do this. It’s dishonorable.’ I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I’ve never had something like that happen. I still find it dishonorable. Shame on Tyler Gaffalione and his agent.”

When Muzikar told McPeek his rider would not be accepting the mount in the Preakness, McPeek was left to scramble before lining up Robby Albarado.

About the only thing that Muzikar and McPeek agree upon is that Gaffalione did agree to a two-race commitment. But Muzikar said that after the Oaks McPeek told him Swiss Skydiver would be making her next start in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., which was run the day after the Preakness.

“Maybe two days after the Kentucky Oaks he called me and said he didn’t know what the second race was going to be, that it was between the Spinster, the Preakness and the [GI] Queen Elizabeth,” Muzikar said. “I told him that I needed to know as soon as possible. We talked again Saturday, nine days before the draw for the Preakness, and he told me she was going in the Spinster.”

Muzikar said that after he was told that Swiss Skydiver was going to run in the Spinster, he started lining up mounts for Gaffalione. He turned down all mounts on the Preakness card and accepted mounts for the weekend races at Keeneland. Gaffalione did not win a race on the Oct. 3 card at Keeneland but had several live horses, including GI First Lady S. favorite Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. favorite Analyze It (Point of Entry).

Muzikar said that McPeek did not tell him he was going to run in the Preakness until the Saturday before the race, by which time he had already made commitments to Chad Brown, Brendan Walsh and others to ride for them the same day at Keeneland.

“I called him and said, ‘What are you doing?'” Muzikar said. “He said, ‘Matt, we are running in he Preakness. Handle it.’ Then he hung up the phone.”

Muzikar said that it was too late to get out of his commitments at Keeneland.

“What did he expect us to do? Not take business for the Preakness card or at Keeneland and sit there and wait for Kenny McPeek because the world revolves around him?” Muzikar said. “Knocking me and the jockey, he crossed a line.”

On the podcast, McPeek said that after Gaffalione worked Swiss Skydiver at Churchill Downs the Saturday before the Preakness he told the trainer how eager he was to ride her in the Triple Crown event.

“Tyler worked her and then Tyler and I came into my office and he said, ‘Oh my God, that’s the best she’s felt all year. Let’s go. Let’s do it.’ I announced we were going to run in the Preakness and Tyler was on board,” he said.

Muzikar said that McPeek reached out to Gaffalione.

“He said that he was going to go on Twitter, that he was going to knock me, that he was going to knock the jockey,” Muzikar said. “He told Tyler he should fire me and force me to take the mount in the Preakness.”

The agent said he was particularly upset that McPeek chose to criticize Gaffalione.

“Tyler had nothing to do with this whole situation, so I don’t like him knocking the jockey,” he said. “Tyler is the greatest kid and the greatest jock I have had in the 26 years I have been doing this. He did nothing to him.”

The post Gaffalione Agent Responds to McPeek Criticism appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

New Twist In Arizona Racing Saga Tabled As Commission Requests Hearing On Monarch Contracts

Those following the ongoing saga of racing and simulcasting in Arizona walked away from the latest meeting of the Arizona Racing Commission on Oct. 8 with limited clairity. Negotiations are ongoing between Turf Paradise and the horsemen regarding a live meet at the Phoenix track in 2021, which under current terms is likely to take place Jan. 2-May 1. While commission staff have seen a proposal to race those dates, the group held off voting on it until a final agreement is reached between the two parties.

(Read more about the dispute between Turf Paradise and the horsemen in this Sept. 23 column from Ray Paulick.)

Commissioners did ask track officials about rumors the facility has sold off certain equipment and let the track and barn area slide into disrepair. Representatives from Turf Paradise assured the commission that if racing dates were granted, the track would be safe for horses and humans in time for the meet to begin. Turf Paradise general manager Vincent Francia said “none of the essential equipment” like ambulances, water trucks and other maintenance vehicles had been sold.

Turf Paradise representatives also hoped the commission would grant a reduction in the minimum number of live racing dates required to operate OTBs in the state, given the current Arizona and federal-level state of emergency declarations. The commission delayed action on this question and requested more information about the language of existing rules allowing a reduction in minimum live racing dates as it may apply specifically to a pandemic.

For many, the most critical item on Thursday's agenda was consideration by the commission of simulcast agreements between Monarch Content Management and Arizona Downs in Prescott Valley, and Monarch with Turf Paradise. Monarch, owned by The Stronach Group, brokers simulcast contracts on behalf of Stronach tracks Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Pimlico, plus Del Mar, Monmouth Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Attorney Kory Langhofer, representing Arizona Downs, revealed that the most recent draft of the agreement Monarch sent the track would require money wagered at Arizona Downs OTBs to be held in a separate pool and not commingled into the host track's pools.

“It's going to have a profound effect on the commercial viability of those sites,” Langhofer said.

Langhofer also suggested he understood the copy of the contract offered to Turf Paradise by Monarch did not have this restriction, instead allowing money wagered at those facilities to go into the host track's pools as is customary.

“It hasn't been approved and my client won't approve it because it's unreasonable,” said Langhofer, who urged the commission not to approve the contract between Monarch and Turf Paradise either. He was unsure whether Monarch imposed similar restrictions on operators in other states.

Arizona has a law on the books, similar to one in California, requiring that if a company sells simulcast signals to one track in the state, it must sell to all. Attorneys for Turf Paradise, which is apparently in favor of Arizona Downs OTBs being restricted this way, pointed out that the law doesn't say anything about what the pool arrangements should be. Language in the rule that contracts can't be “anti-competitive and deceptive” refer to the rates charged for signals, not to the specific constructs of a deal. Scot Claus, an attorney for Monarch, accused Arizona Downs of repeatedly defaulting on its contracts with Monarch and said that out-of-state tracks sending their signal into Arizona cannot be forced to take wagers into their pools.

Ultimately, the commission voted unanimously to hold a special hearing to consider the Monarch contracts, with instructions that attorneys for each party should file briefs of no longer than 25 pages before the next racing commission meeting. The next regularly scheduled commission meeting is Nov. 12, 2020.

The post New Twist In Arizona Racing Saga Tabled As Commission Requests Hearing On Monarch Contracts appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Galileo Fillies Set Records At Tattersalls October Book 1

A pair of Galileo yearlings set the sale ring alight on the third day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale as they became the two highest priced yearling fillies to be sold in the World in 2020. A strong final session saw a further four lots sell for 1 million guineas or more, taking the number of seven figure lots to nine for the sale.

Leading the way was the much-anticipated Galileo filly out of Shastye who lived up to expectations when selling for 3.4 million guineas (US$4,616,489) to the bid of MV Magnier, the highest priced yearling sold in Europe or North America this year.

Bidding on the beautifully bred filly mostly took place outside the sale ring with David Redvers, Oliver St Lawrence and MV Magnier all placing bids via the bid-spotters. In the end it was the Coolmore team, stood alongside Georg Von Opel, who were successful.

“It is a great result for everybody involved, she has been bought in partnership with Westerberg,” said MV Magnier. “She is a very nice filly, she is a very nice mover, like Japan and Mogul. The mare produces great-looking stock and great racehorses, let's hope she does it one more time.”

The Newsells Park Stud consigned filly is a sister to the Group 1 winners Japan and Mogul and is set to join her full-brothers at Ballydoyle. Her foals have enjoyed a remarkable time in the Tattersalls sale ring, with Sir Isaac Newton, Mogul and this filly all realizing 3 million guineas (US$4,073,482) or more and all occupying a spot in the top ten prices at Tattersalls yearling sales.

“Those are the easy ones to sell,” said an emotional Julian Dollar of breeder and consignor Newsells Park Stud. “The team lead by Mark Grace, the yearling manager, has done a wonderful job. He loves that filly so he will be very sad, but he has done a great job.”

The seven yearlings out of Shastye to be sold at Tattersalls have realised just shy of a remarkable 14 million guineas.

Magnier Strikes Again for Daughter of Prize Exhibit

The Galileo filly out of the Grade 1-placed Prize Exhibit had held the accolade as the most valuable yearling filly to be sold in the world this year for a couple of hours when selling for 2.8 million guineas (US$3,802,898) before that price was eclipsed by the daughter of Shastye.

Prize Exhibit, who was also a dual Grade 2 winner in the U.S., is a full-sister to this year's Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner Mohaater as well as a half-sister to Roodle, dam of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent. She was purchased at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2017 by David and Diane Nagle's Barronstown Stud and this is her first foal.

She was knocked down to MV Magnier after he saw off underbidder David Redvers as well as Tammy O'Brien, sat alongside Demi O'Byrne. She is the fourth-highest priced filly sold at October Book 1.

“She's a very nice filly, Aidan and all the lads liked her,” said Magnier.

“Breeder David Nagle has been saying for a very long time how good a filly she is. We are very lucky to have been able to buy her with Michael, Derek, Georg Von Opel and everyone; we are lucky to have her now. She has a great page, she comes from a very good nursery.”

Reflecting on her pedigree, Magnier added: “These kind of fillies are collectors' items, with Galileo and how he is doing as a broodmare sire. She is just exceptional. Sheikh Hamdan's horse [Mohaather] was a very good horse, and it is a very active pedigree.”

Sister To Dream Of Dreams Set For America

A final highlight of the third day was a prolonged bidding battle for another regally bred daughter of Galileo offered by owner-breeder Ibrahim and Pinar Araci's first Old Mill Stud draft.

The filly was knocked down to U.S. agent Mike Ryan for 1.4 million guineas (US$1,901,729) who saw off the attentions of an online bidder to buy the half-sister to this year's Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Dream of Dreams, from the family of top-class fillies Airwave, Meow, and Jwala.

“I thought she was an exceptional filly, she is by an exceptional sire, from a terrific family – there is really nothing more to add, she was absolutely gorgeous and looks like a runner,” said Ryan. “I knew she was going to be expensive, you know what it takes to buy Galileos and she is a sister to a Group 1 winner. I am delighted we got her because I waited all day for her.

“How many more years are we going to be seeing Galileos? He is the greatest sire in my lifetime, probably in anybody's lifetime for that matter! She'll go back to the States. She'll get a bit of turnout, we'll break her in a month or so – hopefully you'll see her in Saratoga in the summer.

“And hopefully,” he added, pointing to the sale ring wall, “we'll see a picture like that one of Newspaperofrecord over there. The first time I saw her was in the rain on Saturday and she blew me away. I saw her two or three times since then – it was a no brainer, there is no real skill picking out a filly like that!”

Ryan has bought 14 horses at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and of his trip to Europe and the state of the market Ryan commented:

“I have been runner-up to Shadwell, Godolphin, Roger Varian, Henri Devin, we have run hard on some horses to 450,000 guineas, 550,000 guineas… but we have bought some very nice horses and I am pleased with what we've got. I am very happy to be here, and as I have said before, no disrespect to Japan or Australia or anywhere else for that matter, the best grass horses in the world are here and this is the best sale in the world for top-class grass horses. We've bought some good ones here and I hope the luck continues.”

Bloodstock manager Rob Speers of Old Mill Stud was delighted with the sale.

“She genuinely is a beautiful filly, she was born and raised with us and she has done everything very easily,” he commented. “Prep was straightforward for her and she oozes class. We own the mare and have daughters of hers in the paddock, and the mare is just 16 so hopefully there will be more daughters to come.

“It was with a slightly heavy heart when I see a filly like her leave, but she is in great hands with Mike Ryan and his team in America, and I wish them every success and I am sure she will be a star.”

Chairman's Statement

At the conclusion of Book 1 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented:

“First and foremost we would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has participated at Book 1 of this year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, in whatever capacity. Since the early part of this year every walk of life has been thrown into turmoil and the global bloodstock industry is no exception. The scale of the disruption which everyone has faced is best illustrated by the fact that this week's sale has been the first 2020 British, Irish or French yearling sale to have taken place at both its originally intended location and date. Nevertheless, since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic we have worked collaboratively alongside Goffs and Arqana to explore every possible means by which to stage sales and to ensure that trade continues to take place as normally as possible. Everyone must take enormous credit for the way they have reacted to the difficult circumstances and responded to all the rules and regulations under which we have had to operate in order to provide the safest possible working environment for all concerned.

“In terms of the market, none of us can pretend that all is plain sailing and a slightly lower clearance rate reflects prevailing commercial realities from which none of us are immune, but we can also reflect on a resilience and sustained demand for quality yearlings in spite of the wider challenges. Book 1 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has yet again produced the highest price for a yearling sold in Europe and North America, as well as the highest priced yearling filly in the world and three of the ten highest prices ever at this fixture. Inevitably the market is down, in broad terms to around the levels of 2015 after a sustained period of growth, but the global appetite for our sport remains intact and buyers from throughout the world, albeit in reduced numbers, have made a huge contribution to Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, as have the British and Irish buyers who continue to recognize this particular yearling sale as the key fixture in the European yearling sales calendar. Success – fueled demand from American and Australian buyers has been very evident from start to finish and the support and commitment from throughout the Gulf region, in particular Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, continues to be hugely influential and massively appreciated by the whole industry.

“The significance of the lucrative October Book 1 Bonus, arguably greater than ever, has also been a feature of the sale and having distributed almost £5.5 million (US$7,110,276) in bonus prize money to date, it has been rewarding to see so many owners, trainers and syndicates actively pursuing future bonus winners. Opportunities to win significant prize money have never been more crucial and the importance of incentives such as the £20,000 (US$25,855) Book 1 Bonus, as well as the Great British Bonus, should not be underestimated in the current climate.

“Equally significant has been the outstanding quality of the yearlings on offer this week. This was without doubt the cream of the European yearling crop; a true showcase for so many of the best yearlings to be found anywhere in the world and we must pay tribute to the breeders and consignors. The market may not fully reflect the quality of the horses at Park Paddocks this week, but everybody should be applauded for what they have achieved in the face of extraordinary challenges and we will now turn our attention to Books 2, 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale which are catalogues with all the ingredients to appeal to buyers at all levels of the market.”

The post Galileo Fillies Set Records At Tattersalls October Book 1 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Daughter of Madame Chiang Debuts at HQ

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. Friday’s Insights features a daughter of G1SW Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko).

12.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
Kirsten Rausing’s homebred RANI OF JHANSI (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is a daughter of G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares winner Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko) and, like her dam, represents the David Simcock stable in this debut. The half-sister to stablemate and this term’s G2 Prix de Malleret runner-up Oriental Mystique (GB) (Kingman {GB}) faces 10 rivals featuring Shadwell debutante Bawaady (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is a Sir Michael Stoute-conditioned half-sister to MGSW G1 Irish 2000 Guineas third Mustajeeb (GB) (Nayef).

1.15 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
Ed Walker trainee SKY BRIGHT (GB) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), a daughter of GI Beverly D S. and GI Diana H. heroine Angara (GB) (Alzao), is opposed by nine in this unveiling. Opposition includes Khalid Abdullah’s once-raced Brunnera (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is a daughter of G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Romantica (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and represents Hugo Palmer’s local yard.

The post Daughter of Madame Chiang Debuts at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights