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California Bill For Improved Racing Safety Passes State Legislature

The California legislature approved a bill late Sunday from Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) to improve horse racing safety across California and build on reforms adopted last year.

“We must do everything possible to make horse racing safer for animals and jockeys, and this bill takes another step in that direction,” Dodd said. “I thank the legislature for approving my plan, which will help ensure track conditions are right and horses are fit before they hit the starting gate.”

Last year, 37 horses died at Santa Anita Park, prompting calls for immediate action. Sen. Dodd wrote Senate Bill 469, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allowing the California Horse Racing Board to suspend racing at tracks where dangerous conditions exist.

Sen. Dodd's new bill, Senate Bill 800, is expected to incorporate reforms recommended by the California Horse Racing Board, including improved veterinary medical review prior to races and increased transparency in drug testing.

It passed the Senate and Assembly Sunday night, and heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.

Sen. Dodd chairs the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, which sets policy for the horse racing industry, among other things.

To view the bill's language, click here.

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Scar Tissue Issues In Horses May Be Resolved With Standing Surgery

A horse that has experienced a hind-end injury such as a kick, fall or other trauma can develop a mechanical restriction from scar tissue that does not allow him to take normal strides, called a fibrotic myopathy, which can affect his athletic ability. The condition, which is not usually painful, is diagnosed by palpation and ultrasound around the horse's thigh.

The veterinary hospital at the University of California, Davis, did a retrospective study that used 22 horses with the condition that had a standing fibrotic myotomy performed. Drs. Charlene Noll, Isabelle Kilcoyne, Betsy Vaughan and Larry Galuppo reviewed the horse's long-term comfort and return to athletic endeavors.

Tenotomy is a more-standard treatment for this type of issue, but a standing myotomy is less expensive and less invasive. The horse can also be moved about during the procedure to assess the response to the incision into the fibrotic tissue.

Only two of the horses in the study developed complications during the surgery. There were additional complications in 18 percent of the horses, which included issues with drainage or infection that caused sutures to reopen.

After the surgery, the horses were on stall rest for two weeks and hand walked for 10 minutes three times a day. Once sutures were removed, the horses began trotting for five minutes each day and work was increased incrementally from there.

Four weeks after the surgery, canter work was added to the rehabilitation program. Passive range of motion exercises were also recommended twice daily throughout the rehabilitation time. Two months after the surgery, the horses could go back to regular work and could get turned out.

Follow up calls and questionnaires were sent to the horse owners between 6 months and 11 years after the surgery was performed. Ten of the 16 owners said they were satisfied with the long-term outcome of the surgery. Eight of the horses had a recurrence of issues, and eight of the 12 athletic horses returned to their previous level of use. The other four athletic horses needed repeat surgery.

The research team concluded that standing myotomy for fibrotic myopathy leads to fair outcomes with minimal complications, but proper rehabilitation was imperative to the surgery's success.

Read the full article here.

Meet the 2020 Kentucky Derby Jockeys

Whenever a horse crosses the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the first person you’ll see and hear a reaction from is the person on that horse’s back. The jockey usually gets much of the credit – and sometimes the blame – for a horse’s finish on the track. They’re also the ones who decide where to position their horses in a race, when to make their move for the lead and what path to take in doing it.

Midshipman Filly Tops Minnesota Yearling Sale

The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association's 2020 yearling sale took place Sunday, led by a $42,000 Midshipman filly.

A total of 34 Minnesota-bred yearlings changed hands during the auction for revenues of $359,800, down 34 percent from last year's auction when 44 horses brought $549,000. The average sale price fell 22 percent to $9,724 from $12,477.

Sunday's auction was topped by Hip 43, Harlow's Harmony, a Midshipman filly who sold to Barry and Joni Butzow for $42,000.

The bay filly is out of the stakes-winning Sahm filly Sahm Sweetheart, who is the dam of two winners from three runners, including stakes winner Dazzlingsweetheart and stakes-placed Blumin Sweetheart. Harlow's Harmony hails from the family of Grade 3 winner He's Vivacious and stakes winners including Plana Dance, Heliskier, and Gypsy Melody.

The sale-topper was bred in Minnesota and consigned by Mary and Eric Von Seggern. They finished the sale as the leading consignor by gross, with four horses sold for a combined $91,800.

Novogratz Racing Stable and trainer Mac Robertson secured the auction's second-most expensive horse, Hip 30, a Fed Biz filly, for $35,000.

A dark bay or brown filly out of the winning Sky Mesa mare Mesa Mirage, she is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Mister Banjoman and a full-sister to the winner Dreaming Biz. Her page features Grade 1 winner Cool and English Group 2 winner Mountain Kingdom.

Almar Farm partners bred the filly in Minnesota and consigned her at the sale.

To view the auction's full results, click here.

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