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J.T. Lundy Passes at 82

J.T. Lundy, the controversial former president of Calumet Farm, passed away Tuesday. He was 82.

The news was reported on Facebook by his sister, Kathy Lundy Jones, and his son, Robert. According to Robert's post, Lundy fell in November, suffered from a head injury and never fully recovered.

According to the BloodHorse, Lundy was a native of Georgetown, Ky. and grew up on a farm working primarily around show cattle. He told the magazine in 1990 that he eventually steered into the horse business because it appeared to be more lucrative than cattle and “it was more fun.”

After operating his own farm, Lundy got his foot in the door at Calumet when he married Lucille “Cindy” Wright, the granddaughter of Calumet founder Warren Wright, Sr. Lucille Wright died in 1982, which paved the way for Lundy to take over the day-to-day operations of the farm.

With Lundy at the helm, Calumet enjoyed success on the racetrack and in the breeding business. In Alydar, Calumet was home to one of the top sires in the sport. Calumet's best horse at the time turned out to be homebred Criminal Type, who was named Horse of the Year in 1990. Another star was GI Shuvee H. winner Tis Juliet. Calumet Farm won the 1990 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder.

Things took a turn in the wrong direction starting in November of 1990 when the then 15-year-old Alydar kicked his stall door and fractured his leg. He was euthanized two days later. Alydar was insured for $36 million, which raised suspicions about his death that persist today.

Though it might have seemed that Calumet was in sound shape financially, that turned out to be untrue. Under Lundy, Calumet was deep in debt due to his fraud and mismanagement. Calumet filed for bankruptcy protection in 1991 and was losing $1 million a month. Lundy resigned as the farm's president in April of 1991. Then under former trainer John Ward, Jr., Calumet was forced to sell off property and reduce its holdings.

In 2000, Lundy, along with Gary Matthews, Calumet's former attorney and chief financial officer, was convicted of fraud and bribery and sent to prison. Along with a 4 1/2-year prison sentence, Lundy was ordered to pay $20.4 million in restitution. A jury found that Lundy and Matthews had committed fraud when acquiring $65 million in loans made to Calumet by the First City National Bank of Houston through bribery and deceit.

According to the BloodHorse, federal prosecutors argued Lundy deserved a stiffer penalty because he was responsible for the death of Alydar, which was the main asset securing the loans. On that latter allegation, United States District Court Judge Sim Lake would conclude: “There is some physical evidence, and circumstances surrounding the event are suspicious, but I cannot conclude he is responsible.”

Lundy was released from prison in 2005.

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Non-Contact Thermometers Not Reliable For Equine Readings

Though non-contact, infrared thermometers became popular during Covid as they limited the proximity to other people, the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University has found that these tools may not be a reliable alternative to rectal thermometers for detecting fevers in horses.

The ability to accurately determine a horse's temperature is vital to assessing horse health and implementing biosecurity measures in groups of horses. Though ideal, taking rectal temperatures can place the temperature taker in danger if the horse opposes having it taken.

Non-contact thermometers provide convenient and quick readings, but they assess only the surface temperature and may not accurately reflect the horse's core body temperature. A horse's thick coat and environmental conditions may affect the thermometer's accuracy.

Drs. Leslie Easterwood and Noah Cohen compared the rectal temperatures with readings by non-contact thermometers in 142 Quarter Horses and 34 Quarter Horse foals. The non-contact thermometer collected readings from the forehead or neck of each horse.

Their study showed that the temperatures taken by the non-contact infrared thermometer were able to be repeated well, but the readings did not align with rectal temperatures. They found a substantial negative bias, with the adult horses showing readings nearly 2 degrees F lower on the non-contact thermometers than with the rectal thermometers. In foals, the difference was even higher, with the average difference being 3 degrees F difference between the two thermometers.

The researchers conclude that non-contact infrared thermometers may not be suitable to obtain valid estimates of equine core body temperature.

Fingal’s Cave Scores Off 432-Day Layoff In Thursday’s Bay Ridge

Alifyfe Racing's graded stakes-placed Fingal's Cave made a successful return to the races after a 432-day layoff to post a strong victory in Thursday's $100,000 Bay Ridge, a one-mile test for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by David Donk, the 4-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem had not raced since posting a deep-closing runner-up effort after a troubled start in the Grade 2 Raven Run last October at Keeneland, but showed not signs of rust when coasting to a frontrunning victory over multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine.

“432 [days]? I heard someone say the number and I tried not to dwell on it. As a trainer, boy could I have worked her a couple more times,” Donk said, with a laugh. “She's got a lot of class, so I think the class prevails.”

Guided to victory by Jose Lezcano, Fingal's Cave broke evenly from post 2 in the field of six and steadily inched to the front exiting the chute to establish command over the sharp-starting Bustin Bay through an opening quarter-mile in 23.30 over the muddy and sealed main track.

Venti Valentine tracked between Fingal's Cave and Bustin Bay down the backstretch before being asked to take up second position by jockey Manny Franco as Fingal's Cave maintained her advantage and quickened to mark the half-mile in 46.52. Approaching the turn, Fingal's Cave was met with the challenge from Venti Valentine as a patient Bustin Bay reengaged three-wide under Kendrick Carmouche and was asked for her best.

Venti Valentine came under a strong ride from Franco in the turn with Bustin Bay attempting to rally in the three-path, but Lezcano remained motionless aboard a loaded Fingal's Cave into the stretch after three-quarters in 1:11.46. Lezcano shook his reins at the eighth pole and Fingal's Cave responded with aplomb, drawing off strongly from Venti Valentine and pricking her ears just before crossing the wire 4 3/4 lengths in front in a final time of 1:37.45.

Venti Valentine preserved place honors by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-running Cairo Sugar, who bested Bustin Bay by a neck. Know It All Audrey and Sweetie completed the order of finish. Sweet Mystery was scratched.

Donk said he left race tactics in the capable hands of Lezcano.

“I thought there would be more pace. I was satisfied that horses could close today and that it wasn't a biased rail. Sometimes, when it gets wet and dries out, it changes throughout the day. But horses were closing,” Donk said. “I told him to ride her the way he thought was best. Jose is a really good rider and really kind. But she broke sharp and I thought being off the long layoff, she'd be a little fresh. I thought maybe one or two might be in front of her but when she was there, he did the right thing.”

Lezcano, who was aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said Fingal's Cave was highly professional.

“When we broke out of the gate, my filly did everything herself,” Lezcano said. “She's got a lot of class and broke pretty good and put herself there. I didn't ask her for nothing. When I asked her at the quarter [pole] she went on and won the race.

“When I got to the quarter, I still felt I had a lot left in the tank,” Lezcano continued. “When I asked her she went on well. I think she's very classy.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, the talented Fingal's Cave has now won 5-of-6 lifetime starts, including an additional state-bred stakes triumph in the Fleet Indian last August at Saratoga Race Course. She earned $55,000 for her Bay Ridge triumph, boosting her total purse earnings to $370,500 while returning $6.20 on a $2 win ticket.

Franco, aboard the Jorge Abreu-trained Venti Valentine, said the multiple stakes-winning daughter of Firing Line gave her best effort with a trip that went to plan.

“I didn't want to be too far [back] – the track was carrying the speed. I was where I wanted to be and I was second best,” said Franco. “She was doing it by her own. She was taking me there. I thought it was Lezcano and me and I wanted to put the pressure, but the filly [Fingal's Cave] was ready.”

Live racing resumes Friday at the Big A with an eight-race card, featuring the $100,000 Alex M. Robb in Race 2. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Pick 6 Carryover Of $25,427 Into Friday’s Card At Aqueduct

Friday's card at Aqueduct Racetrack will feature a Pick 6 carryover of $25,427 after the multi-race wager went unsolved on Thursday's eight-race program.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $273 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

Thursday's sequence kicked off in Race 3 with Divine Cross [No. 5, $13] taking a 6 1/2-furlong claiming tilt with Isaac Castillo up for trainer David Jacobson. Race 4 saw the Jose Jimenez-trained Just Katherine [No. 5, $3.70*] take a nine-furlong optional claimer with Eric Cancel in the irons, one race before Proven Hope [No. 7, $16.40] secured a one-mile claiming victory under Heman Harkie for trainer Edward Barker in Race 5.

Race 6 featured a training double for Rick Dutrow, Jr., who sent out the Manny Franco-piloted Capone [No. 4, $7.50] to win a seven-furlong claiming tilt. In Race 7, the featured $100,000 Bay Ridge, jockey Jose Lezcano notched his second win on the card as he guided the David Donk-trained Fingal's Cave [No. 2, $6.20*] to win the one-mile route for state-bred fillies and mares in the filly's first start off a 14-month layoff.

With five horses uncovered in the final leg, Dylan Davis piloted the Timothy Hills-trained Bornforgreatness [No. 8, $41.40] to a sixth-out graduation in Race 8, a one-mile maiden claimer, to trigger the carryover.

Friday's Pick 6 begins in Race 3 at 1:46 p.m. Eastern. First post on the eight-race card is 12:50 p.m.

The post Pick 6 Carryover Of $25,427 Into Friday’s Card At Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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