The entire state has been trying to come to grips with the looming June 9 closure of Golden Gate Fields, the lone commercial track in the region, and the Mar. 21 vote by the CHRB was viewed as a NorCal racing lifeline by the estimated 250 supporters in attendance.

Those very vocal and at times emotional NorCal racing advocates greatly outnumbered proponents of a plan that would have instead consolidated all commercial-track racing in the state in Southern California.

The NorCal supporters consisted of horsemen who have called the circuit home for decades, plus a contingent of statewide breeding interests.

Those individuals had the group backing of the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF), which will operate the expanded Oct. 16-Dec. 25 Pleasanton meet under the auspices of a new management entity called Golden State Racing.

The California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT), whose board of directors had unanimously voted to back the initiative that also calls for three other fairs venues to pick up other dates that will be abandoned by Golden Gate's closure, was also behind the Pleasanton idea.

1/ST Racing and Gaming–which owns both the closing Golden Gate and the financially struggling Santa Anita Park–had teamed with Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) to try an convince the CHRB that its alternate plan would be in the best long-term interests of the state as a whole.

That SoCal concept instead focused on redirecting simulcast revenue from the northern circuit to the southern tracks. It was further based on a premise that would have attempted to accommodate displaced Golden Gate outfits by creating more opportunities for lower-level horses to race at Los Alamitos Race Course, dropping the “claiming floors” at both Santa Anita and Del Mar, and establishing “relocation allowances” for stables that had to pack up and move while only short summer fairs meets were conducted in NorCal.

In the middle were the CHRB commissioners, who repeatedly expressed frustrations during the Mar. 21 meeting that because the NorCal and SoCal factions couldn't cooperate to come up with a joint plan, they had been placed in the unenviable position of having to choose one option over the other while knowing that they'd be making some constituents unhappy no matter how they voted on the measure.

Yet while the CHRB did ask pointed questions about CARF's plans for Pleasanton and how the new operation would be funded, commissioners saved their most barbed criticisms for 1/ST Racing's executive vice-chairman Craig Fravel, who only 48 hours before the meeting had penned an open letter that warned of potential consequences that might occur if the CHRB voted against the SoCal plan.

In his Mar. 19 letter–which backers of the Pleasanton plan clearly took as an ultimatum–Fravel had written that “should the Board allocate dates in the north per the CARF proposal Santa Anita will immediately meet with the TOC to implement purse cuts for the balance of 2024.”

Fravel also wrote that “Further planned investments in capital projects at Santa Anita will be reevaluated [and] further operation of Santa Anita and San Luis Rey [Downs] as training and stabling facilities may be in jeopardy.”

In response, CHRB commissioner Damascus Castellanos openly called out 1/ST Racing during Thursday's meeting for being too coercively demanding and for making an already complicated situation more difficult. Castellanos said over the past two days since Fravel's letter was made public, the CHRB has been inundated with calls from concerned constituents.

“I'm not upset because of the calls,” Castellanos told Fravel. “I'm upset because I don't do well with bullies. That's the problem. I'm upset that you [put this burden on] the CHRB. And that's not right. But, if that's the way you felt [you needed to] play the game, then that's what you're going to do…. You want to be the bully? You want to take your ball and run? Then that's up to you. I'm not advocating that. But what I'm saying is don't put that burden on us…. Everybody in this room has a responsibility to take care of themselves and each other. And I believe that that hasn't been done.”

CHRB commissioner Wendy Mitchell told Fravel that she was bothered by 1/ST Racing announcing Golden Gate's closure, not working constructively with NorCal interests to present a workable alternative, then responding with threats of closure when 1/ST Racing didn't like the concept that CARF came up with.

“That's not fair and that's not right,” Mitchell said. “And that's not a good business strategy…. You can't just throw out all these threats to us and say the industry is going to collapse in California [if you don't get your way].”

Mitchell continued: “We're expected, as regulators, to pick sides. To pick north against south. To pick fairs, versus, you know, the Southern California tracks. I don't like the way this was handled. I don't appreciate it. I think we need to have a different attitude and strategy for how to save horse racing in the state of California versus what we have seen so far.”

Fravel then attempted to explain what he meant in the letter using a more moderate tone while underscoring that 1/ST Racing's chairwoman and chief executive officer, Belinda Stronach, remains fully committed to making sure Santa Anita doesn't suffer the same going-out-of-business fate as Golden Gate.

Racing at Santa Anita | Benoit

“The letter didn't say we're shutting down,” Fravel said. “The letter said we have to sit down and figure out what we're going to be able to invest with the prospect of continuing to lose money. I can say one thing: I was on the phone with Belinda yesterday. She does not want to close Santa Anita. We've had offers over and over again from people wanting to [buy it], but [upper management's response has consistently been] 'not for sale.' So the commitment is to continue racing. To make racing thrive at Santa Anita, and to try and reinvest our efforts in this product.”

According to plans for the Pleasanton proposal submitted by CARF that were included in the CHRB meeting packet, “In order to provide for the additional horses expected to run at this meet, more than 300 portable stalls will be moved to [Pleasanton's] Alameda County Fairgrounds. No other improvements to the facilities are needed at this time. However, future investments could include additional permanent stalls, improvements to the grandstand and the installation of a turf course.”

Larry Swartzlander, the executive director for CARF, later put an approximate $7-million projected price tag on the turf course, noting that it wouldn't be undertaken until at least year two of the Pleasanton phase-in.

CARF's plan further called for other dates formerly run at Golden Gate to be reallocated this year between Sonoma County Fair (July 31-Aug. 20), Humboldt County Fair (Aug. 21-Sept. 17) and the Big Fresno Fair (Sept. 18-Oct. 15).

CARF and Alameda County Fair have drafted a licensing agreement that will cover five years, the written materials stated.

Back in January, the TOC had previously articulated in front of the CHRB that even though it was in support of any “feasible and viable” plan to keep year-round racing afloat in NorCal, a danger existed in the form of that move increasing economic pressures in the south that the TOC believes would erode the overall California product.

On Thursday, Bill Nader, the TOC's president and chief executive officer, said that while agreement among its board members wasn't unanimous about not backing the Pleasanton plan, “in terms viability, there just wasn't enough assurance that this was a viable plan.”

Nader said the TOC had difficulty with the extended Pleasanton meet using the higher California takeout structure that applies to fairs (instead of the lower commercial takeout scheme that Golden Gate would have been required to use), because, he explained, that form of bet pricing would be burdensome to horseplayers.

Nader also said that he wasn't sure CARF's proposed daily purses (which are still a work in progress) reflected an accurate projection, because Pleasanton would basically have to match what the better-established, lower-takeout Golden Gate meet generated in betting handle to achieve it. The TOC, he said, has come up with slightly different and lower figures.

Nader made it clear that he wasn't arguing which projection was right and which was wrong. But he did state concerns that within a few months, the CHRB will have to make decisions on 2025 dates allocations, and that even then, the Pleasanton meet won't yet be completed, so no one will have “the real truth” on whether the numbers make sense or not.

“The TOC does represent the north. It does represent the south,” Nader said, which elicited catcalls and boos from many in attendance who have accused the TOC of not being representative of the NorCal interests. “What we want is just reliable, accurate information to understand what puts California in the best position going forward.”

Nader continued: “No matter what we do, no matter what decisions are made, there's going to be some pain, and there's going to be some who are going to walk away disappointed. And unfortunately, that's inevitable. I don't care what decision is made–no matter what we do, it's going to have impact to the detriment of some. Frankly, I just think it's unavoidable.”

Alan Balch, the executive director of the CTT, explained prior to the CHRB's vote why his organization backed the NorCal plan.

“Our board, nine people south and north, are unanimous in supporting the effort to keep Northern California racing going,” Balch said. “We believe that racing is California is not going to survive in any meaningful, important way without California breeding, [and] we just need to have a chance to keep breeders interested and motivated to breed, and to provide hope for the future.

“We can all disagree about the viability of any particular northern plan,” Balch said. “But with no plan and no racing in the north, there is very little incentive for California breeders to continue.”

Balch said that his constituents have heard too much rhetoric from the TOC and 1/ST Racing along the lines of, “If this northern money doesn't come to the south, we'll have to cut purses in the south.”

But, Balch postulated, “Do these people realize that if there is no Northern California racing, the Northern California purses will be cut to zero? Does that make sense? Not if we're all in the same state. We have to work together.”

Prior to the CHRB's unanimous vote in favor of the NorCal plan, CHRB chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, pointed out that, “This is a serious fiduciary responsibility that the board is taking on here, [and] it's increasingly clear to me that if racing is going to survive in California at all, we can't make two circuits. We have to make one circuit [in which tracks] are not conflicting with each other, where you're benefitting each other.”

CHRB vice-chair Oscar Gonzales added that even if the NorCal interests get what they want out of the vote, they, too, must realize that SoCal does need some form of cooperation and financial help.

“I believe that this [vote] should be an opportunity to reset, [and] the start of mending fences,” Gonzales said. “And [then] let's get on with making California racing the best in the nation.”

Castellanos concurred.

“We need to work together. We need to figure out how to keep racing in California. Not just northern, not just southern–in California. Because if we keep on going at this rate, we're going to implode. There's no reason for us to cannibalize each other,” Castellanos said.

The post CHRB Unanimously Approves Plan to Make Pleasanton New Center of NorCal Circuit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Bay Area racetrack is scheduled to race from Dec. 26 through June 9, 2024, after which the facility is set to close permanently.

The proposed ordinance–which makes the claim that confining a horse to its stall for the majority of the day is akin to animal abuse–would make it illegal to keep a horse stabled for more than 10 hours a day and requires every horse access to a minimum of one-half acre of pasture turnout.

There are currently around 1200 horses stabled at Golden Gate, with nearly 290 grooms, hotwalkers and other stable employees living there, according to Dave Duggan, Golden Gate vice president and general manager.

Though tweaked in places, the revised language closely resembles the original ordinance introduced earlier this year by Berkeley City councilmember Kate Harrison, who is currently running to be Berkeley Mayor.

On Nov. 12, the city council's Health, Life Enrichment, Equity, and Community Committee unanimously voted to send the item to the nine-member Berkeley City Council for a formal vote.

According to Harrison, the ordinance will be heard by the City Council in January and would need a majority vote to pass. The first Berkeley City Council meeting after winter recess is on Jan. 16.

It's currently unclear if the ordinance, if passed, would go into effect immediately or after a period of time.

California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) president Eoin Harty wrote in a statement that as proposed, the ordinance would seriously impinge upon the ability of the horsemen and women of Golden Gate to properly care for their horses.

“If enacted, this measure would not protect the welfare of horses but, in fact, be detrimental to them as horses in enclosures outside of stables may suffer greater risks to their health and safety,” wrote Harty.

“Stables have been honed over thousands of years to allow horses to remain social while protecting them from injury caused from other horses as well as self-inflicted harm. This ordinance would also negatively impact the large numbers of people whose own livelihoods depend on racing,” Harty added.

“It's not something to be taken lightly,” said California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) executive director Scott Chaney.

According to Chaney, the proposed ordinance has some “serious legal problems” in terms of Berkeley's legal jurisdiction to impose such a mandate.

The nine-page proposed ordinance states that the legislation is designed to govern “only those areas not already directly covered by State and Federal laws. It specifically focuses on a limited set of conditions to supplement the existing regulatory framework.”

It also claims that, as a charter city, Berkeley has the authority to “establish regulations and the jurisdiction to protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare by establishing safeguards for horses as long as they do not conflict with or duplicate state and federal law.”

But horse racing in California is regulated by the CHRB and by the federal government through the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), explained Chaney.

“That area's been pre-empted by state and federal government, and so, I don't believe, at least preliminarily, that it would survive a legal challenge,” said Chaney.

The proposed ordinance–which is specifically focused on horses “Held, Owned, Used, Exhibited, or Otherwise Kept for Racing or Other Sport, Entertainment or Profit”–makes several glaring misrepresentations of the Thoroughbred racing industry.

The ordinance appears to make the erroneous suggestion that Thoroughbred racehorses, on average, live to only three to five years of age.

“Many fatalities in horseracing are euthanizations after horses suffer catastrophic injuries, cutting their lives unnaturally short,” the ordinance states. “When CBS Bay Area reported on the most recent horse death at GGF in May of this year it cited the fact that 'live into their 30s, but the average age of is [only] three to five years old.'”

The ordinance also states that “horse deaths continue to rise at the horse racing tracks within City limits.”

According to the Jockey Club Equine Injury Database, race-day equine fatalities are declining nationwide. Last year saw the lowest statistical equine fatality rate since 2009, when record keeping began–1.29 fatalities per 1000 starts.

When it comes to Golden Gate Fields, the track's equine fatality rate has been consistently below the national average since 2017. Last year, the rate was 0.56 fatalities per 1000 starts–a number less than half the national average.

The proposed ordinance marks just the latest turbulence faced by the horsemen and women of Golden Gate Fields–which opened in 1941–as it lurches towards its official end.

The Stronach Group (TSG) announced in July that it was closing Golden Gate Fields at the end of December with the goal of increasing field size and adding another day of racing a week at Santa Anita.

After pushback from industry stakeholders who argued that such an abrupt closure would pose an existential threat to the future of racing in Northern California, TSG officials left the door open to delaying the track's closure another six months. But they appeared to make such a deal incumbent upon a reshaping of the way simulcasting proceeds are allocated in the state.

The rule of thumb is that proceeds from wagers made in the “northern zone” stay in Northern California to pay for purses and operational expenses, while the proceeds from wagers made in the “southern zone” stay in Southern California for the same purposes.

Initially, various stakeholders in Northern California–including representatives of the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF)–voiced resistance to TSG's idea of moving these proceeds south.

In September, however, California lawmakers sought enough buy-in to pass legislation that meant if Golden Gate Fields is not licensed to operate beyond July 1 next year, proceeds from simulcast wagering in the north are funneled south when there is no live racing in the northern half of the state after that date.

In recent years, Golden Gate Fields has found itself the target of animal rights activists.

In March of 2021, protestors disrupted racing by running onto the track before lying in a circle with interlocking pipes.

The protestors belonged to animal rights organization, Direct Action Everywhere, which had sought to shut Golden Gate Fields down for good.

Alan Balch, CTT Executive Director, wrote in a statement that CTT is concerned about the negative impact the Berkeley ordinance will have on horse welfare, mirroring Harty's comments.

“We are working with all segments of equestrian sports to educate legislators about horse safety, and we look forward to meeting with Berkeley's elected leaders to discuss this ordinance,” wrote Balch.

Balch added: “Relying on the good faith of the Berkeley City Council and leadership, CTT believes this is a matter requiring the facts about good horsemanship and horse care–not just for horse racing but all horses–to be brought to their attention.”

The post Berkeley City Council Ordinance Could Close Golden Gate Early appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

A native of New Orleans, Goldstein had an early introduction to the racetrack through her father, a writer and reporter with the Times-Picayune newspaper. She attended the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University. Following graduation, she was hired to work in the publicity department at the Fair Grounds. She later worked in the publicity departments at Laurel, Pimlico, Monmouth Park, Hialeah, and Keeneland racetracks, as well as serving on the special Kentucky Derby “notes team” at Churchill Downs from 1970 to 1976. She also wrote freelance articles for various racing publications.

In 1972, Goldstein met Alan Balch, who was then director of public relations at Santa Anita Park. In 1975, Balch hired her as assistant news director at Santa Anita, promoting her to director of publicity in 1976. The first woman in the country to head a track publicity department, she continued to run the publicity and communications arm of Santa Anita until her retirement in 1998.

“Since Jane first joined Santa Anita, what has stood out most to me is her commitment to excellence in all things, both journalistically and in the sport,” said Balch. “Her unceasingly high standards serve as an exemplar for all of us.”

In 1984, Goldstein was named the venue press chief for the equestrian sports of the Olympics Games at Santa Anita and Fairbanks Ranch. She was also the first woman to serve on the selection committee of the Thoroughbred Racing Association's Grantland Rice Memorial Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, granted to a young man or woman interested in sports journalism. In 1985 she was inducted into the Fair Grounds press box hall of fame. Goldstein currently serves as a trustee of the California Thoroughbred Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of equine research and education.

The post Goldstein Honored by HRWS appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The following table is an analysis of the average field sizes during the first 15 weeks of the Santa Anita Winter meet–a timeframe excluding Santa Anita Derby weekend–over the past five years.

In tandem with the above numbers, total handle for the meet thus far–including last weekend–decreased by 1% between last year and this, a number that comes out to nearly $8 million. That's with one extra race-day compared to last year.

On the plus side, the gross purse generation increased by 3%–for a total of $766,728–during that same period, though again with one extra race-day this year.

Arguably the biggest takeaway from the above field size table is that since 2018–that now seemingly carefree yesteryear before a welfare crisis and global pandemic wrought pandemonium–average field numbers have been on a general downward trend.

And despite average turf field sizes routinely outpacing their cousins on the dirt, even this more robust prong of the racing product is showing diminished returns when compared to just five years before.

The tale of field sizes is hardly a novel headache this year. After just six weeks into the track's current six-month sojourn, attenuated numbers prompted track management to ply a slightly different course with adjustments to what claiming races are offered, the conditions of certain maiden races, and to the length of the condition book itself.

In fairness, March's returns show improvement over the two prior months. Indeed, the overall March field size–combining dirt and turf–was marginally higher than that posted for the same month last year.

Still, when it comes to the overall health and competitiveness of Santa Anita's racing product–at least within this 15-week window–there's no escaping an imperious white-haired presence: The Bob Baffert factor on the dirt.

Over the past five years on the dirt, that trainer's percentage of overall starts, percentage of accrued purse money, and percentage of overall wins has been an upward curve.

To put the above table into perspective, during the first 15 weeks of the current season one out of every five dollars available in dirt race purse monies has funnelled into the Baffert barn.

His stable alone–one of 127 separate barns with at least one start on the dirt this season–was responsible for nearly 15% of wins on the dirt.

The concentration of firepower towards the head of the table–something the TDN has discussed before–isn't peculiar to that lone stable, however.

Here are some of the key findings from an analysis of the relative impact of the numerically larger barns during the first 15 weeks of the Santa Anita Winter meet, comparing the current season's numbers to 2018:

• In 2018, 10 trainers won 40% of all available dirt races during the first 15 weeks. This year, ten trainers have won nearly 55% of dirt races.
• Five years ago, the top ten money earning trainers made 28% of all dirt starts. This year, the top ten conditioners made 31.4% of all dirt starts—not an especially notable increase.

In terms of starts, however, this trend is more pronounced when both surfaces are examined together.

• In 2018 during the first 15 weeks, the top ten trainers in terms of prize money earned made 27.4% of all starts (dirt and turf). This year, the top 10 barns made nearly 35% of all starts.
• Five years ago, the top five trainers in terms of prize money made 16% of all starts during the first 15 weeks. This year, the top five barns made nearly 23.4% of all starts—close to a quarter of that sum.

With all this in mind, the TDN posed the following question to three key industry players, including Santa Anita general manager, Nate Newby, who responded with the following statement:

“Santa Anita is very aware of the importance of improving our field size. It's a top priority right now, second only to safety, and we plan to make a significant investment. Discussions are currently taking place both within our company and with our industry partners and stakeholders. I expect several initiatives to be finalized soon.”

Question: Given carte blanche, what three key modifications would you make to improve field sizes at Santa Anita and why?

Gary Fenton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), and managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing

1: “What's really interesting this year is our horse population in Southern California is relatively flat versus 2021,” said Fenton, pointing out how “field size reduction and a drop in population are generally related.”

The TOC, he said, has opened a dialogue with the trainers as to why entries are down, especially as the number of workers in the morning is similarly comparable to recent years. “Hopefully these are identifiable issues we can correct,” he said.

“One key stat” concerns the operations of Peter Miller, Fenton said. The numerically powerful Miller embarked last November on a temporary hiatus from training, handing over the reins of his barn to assistant, Ruben Alvarado.

Alvarado, Fenton added, is making “far fewer starts” than his former employer. “This fact alone is, I suspect, 25% of the field size reduction.”

Note: The TDN examined Fenton's observation about the number of starters that Alvarado has made thus far at Santa Anita compared to his former employer.

    In 2021, Miller made 157 starts during the first 15-weeks of the Santa Anita meet. This year, Alvarado has made 80–almost half of Miller's 2021 total.

2: “Another is our turf population and [turf] field sizes remain strong,” said Fenton, advocating for more turf racing, “even if that means expanding the turf course.”

Could an expanded grass menu arrive hand-in-hand with a new all-weather track, a natural cousin of the turf?

That depends, said Fenton. Many of his constituents at the TOC might baulk at such a proposition.

“If it's turf-Tapeta-dirt, I think I'm okay. If it means taking out the dirt, replacing it with all-weather, I think that's a larger conversation, especially in my position with a lot of different members,” he said.

3: “Lastly, we need to find a way to keep incentivizing ownership of [Cal]-breds,” said Fenton. “It's still 40% of our field size and a big reason our handle remains secure.”

What kind of incentives could that include? “You could do a lot of things,” he said, pointing to plans already in the works to expand Cal-bred opportunities in certain condition races, and his support for the Golden State Series.

“I think the Maiden Special Weight bonus is really important to Cal-breds,” said. “Without it, we'd be in some trouble. Anything we can do to help, really.”

Alan Balch, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers

1: “If this was an uncomplicated situation, we wouldn't have this problem,” said Balch. “But it is a very complicated situation, this field size issue, particularly in California, which is an island unto itself.”

The first port of call, therefore, should be “urgent, strategic planning and brainstorming with all parties at the table, in the same place, at the same time,” he said.

“Everyone brings a different perspective,” Balch added. “We believe California needs to be looked at as a whole, particularly given the fact that The Stronach Group owns Santa Anita and Golden Gate. This is not the kind of serious problem that is going to be resolved in any kind of piecemeal basis.”

2: “Clearly,” said Balch, “there is an imbalance, which we believe is of historic proportion, between the so-called major trainers—that is trainers with very large stables—and the smaller trainers.”

The data needs to be analyzed to determine whether the number of “middle-sized trainers” has shrunk completely “or is a lot smaller” than it used to be, he said.

As for a fix, “we believe no subject should be off the table for strategic brainstorming,” Balch said. “This includes purse redistribution, trainer bonuses for running, incentives for smaller to mid-sized trainers and owners.”

This subject, he said, “is the type of thing where the owners and trainers' organizations need to collaborate and get to a unified position. California is the only state that the owners and trainers are in separate organizations, which is potentially part of the problem, as it inhibits free communication. We think that needs to be overcome.”

3: “The decisions must be made on basis of objective data,” said Balch. “For a sport that generates so much data, it seems so often decisions are made without reliance on the objective data.”

Not only must the data be gathered in the first place, “it must be interpreted by all of us together,” he added.

The post Santa Anita Field Size: 5 Years of Numbers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The meeting, however, did signal a potential brewing storm in the shape of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's scheduled implementation of its racetrack safety rules July 1.

CHRB executive director, Scott Chaney, pointed out that HISA's crop rules–which allow for overhand use of the whip–are more permissive than those currently in place in California, which prohibits use of the whip above the shoulder.

Furthermore, HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control program, which is set to go into effect early next year, currently restricts the administration of pre-race mediations to 24 hours, in contrast to the CHRB's 48-hour cut-off.

These two areas give Chaney cause for “concern,” he said, adding that he is in frequent communication with the new CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority–the broad non-profit umbrella established by HISA and commonly referred to as just the “Authority”–to find a solution to these issues “which are frankly non-starters for California.”

“I am hopeful that we can reach a resolution in which there will not be any loosening of the rules already in place here,” said Chaney.

Chaney also broached the prickly issue of HISA's cost, saying that “the current reg's require that they provide the amount of California's contribution by Apr. 1.” Before then, he added, the CHRB will begin negotiations with the Authority to conduct as many of the functions under the new federal rules as the law permits.

Needless to say, Chaney said, “this implementation is very fluid, and will require both the Authority and the CHRB to be flexible as we both seek to promote human and animal welfare.”

Earlier in the meeting, California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) executive director, Alan Balch, provided a status update on the accident prevention taskforce created late last year to systematically study the myriad factors behind fatal equine injury.

The key component of Balch's presentation concerned shoulder fractures–a common cause of catastrophic injury in racehorses.

These types of injuries have long bedeviled veterinarians and trainers due to their subtlety of visible symptoms, and the sheer difficulty of diagnosing them prior to a catastrophic breakdown occurring.

“As you know, if we could eliminate shoulder fractures, our safety record would improve even more significantly,” said Balch.

One especially high-risk group of horses said Balch–floating the findings of a nationwide statistical survey performed by The Stronach Group chief veterinarian, Dionne Benson–are those returning to training from lay-offs.

“Generally, the factors are lay-offs of 90-days or more,” said Balch, “and possibly a premature return to serious training once they've returned to the track or an auxiliary facility.”

In short, explained Balch, the general understanding in the equine medical world is that in horses returning to training after a break, the musculature develops faster than the bone can remodel, and that horses can appear outwardly fit enough to handle a degree of exercise greater than the bone is able to withstand.

And so, what's to be done?

California trainers are required to routinely complete continuing education courses, covering a variety of topics from track surfaces to pre-race examinations, as well as those on shoulder fractures.

Most California trainers have completed the shoulder-related module, but not all, admitted Balch. In response, the CHRB discussed a variety of amendments to the rules to potentially mandate completion of the module, including making it a prerequisite for re-licensing.

In the meantime, the CTT will contact over the next 30 days all trainers who have skipped the online course to encourage them to complete it, said Balch.

More broadly, the aim of the accident taskforce “is to provide a statistically sound guide, perhaps even by way of a rule based on verified evidence, of steps which must be taken before a horse returning from a lay-off of a specified period can gallop or work at speed,” Balch explained.

During a report about the prior day's pari-mutuel and wagering committee meeting, commissioner Dennis Alfieri explained how the Xpressbet wagering platform has developed a technology allowing gamblers to select an alternative primary selection in multi-race wagers–such as a pick four, pick five, or pick six–in the event their primary pick is a late scratch.

The new feature was launched to online customers in mid-February, said Alfieri.

The technology was developed in response to the Modern Games debacle at last November's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, when a veterinarian prematurely scratched the horse, only for the Godolphin runner to be reinstated into the race for purse-money only.

Modern Games ultimately won the race, with winning returns going to the second-place finisher, Tiz the Bomb. And while many multi-race gamblers who selected Modern Games automatically received the eventual favorite, Dakota Gold, instead, that horse eventually finished out of the frame in fifth.

Alfieri explained that Chaney had suggested at the pari-mutuel and wagering committee meeting that the CHRB make this wagering option a condition of licensure for other betting platforms when their licenses are up for renewal.

The post CHRB Meeting: HISA, Accident Taskforce, Betting Option Menu appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The full audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcast link.

In brief:

· Alan Balch, the executive with California Thoroughbred Trainers who is spearheading the formation of a broadly based industry committee designed to develop regulations and procedures to further decrease equine injuries, reported there is widespread interest among all elements of California horse racing. He said the full committee and the smaller steering committee are in the process of being formed. Balch promised to give the Board reports every one or two months.

“I hope to have something very concrete by February,” he added.

· The Board approved two license applications for racing at Los Alamitos. The traditional night Quarter Horse meet conducted by the Los Alamitos Quarter Horse Racing Association will open Dec. 26, 2021, and run through Dec. 18, 2022. More immediately, a short, daytime Thoroughbred meet conducted by the Los Alamitos Horse Racing Association will run from Dec. 3 through Dec. 12.

· Pertaining to those two meets at Los Alamitos, the Board approved agreements between the meet operators and the horsemen's groups for those two breeds allowing the racing secretaries to set entry conditions limiting certain medications and procedures.

· The Board approved the license application for Watch and Wager LLC to conduct a harness meet at Cal Expo that will open Dec. 26, 2021, and run through May 1, 2022. General Manager Chris Schick said they will offer an expanded stakes schedule for this meet.

· The Board approved an amended license for NYRAbets, LLC, to provide Advance Deposit Wagering services, necessary because of a partial ownership change. NYRAbets President Tony Allevato reported that Fox Sports has acquired a minority interest of 25 percent in the company.

· CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney reported on the Breeders' Cup that was run at Del Mar on Friday, Nov. 5, and Saturday, Nov. 6.

“Much of the press has centered on a premature scratch in the Juvenile Turf race, which was the last race on Friday's card,” said Chaney. “The CHRB is conducting an investigation, which will determine whether any regulations were violated and will offer suggestions with respect to how such mistakes can be avoided in the future. I also expect to convene a meeting of the Parimutuel Committee to determine if our rules relating to wagering can be improved or updated.

“On a more positive note, the Breeders' Cup achieved another record handle, which seems to be the case when it comes to California, but more importantly all races on both days, including undercard races, were conducted without Lasix or any other medication, and were completed without significant injury. Our restrictive crop rule was also in effect for the event, as it is on every racing day in California.”

· Public comments made during the meeting can be accessed through the meeting audio archive on the CHRB website.

The post CHRB: Balch Building Accident Prevention Task Force, Breeders’ Cup Investigation Ongoing appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“Since our tracks and regulator now conduct reviews of the most serious accidents with those professionals and connections involved, what may be missing is a way to systemize these findings,” CTT executive director Alan Balch said in the committee meeting. “To evaluate them all together, and take definitive action where indicated, including not only the possibility of referrals or penalties for any licensees who might be found to be responsible, but more important, recommendations for improved conditions, safety, or regulation that may arise.”

CHRB commissioner Wendy Mitchell expressed her gratitude for the CTT's proposal.

“I just want to say that I'm really appreciative that the trainers came forward with constructive ideas and suggestions instead of bringing lawyers and trying to counter the work that we're doing,” Mitchell said. “So I'm really impressed and excited about that and other folks should take a lesson from that.”

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

The post California Horse Racing Board Accepts Trainers’ Plan For Accident Prevention Task Force appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Son of a Southern California racing official, Jim Tunney Sr., Tunney's first job was as a parking lot attendant at Hollywood Park while attending Occidental College in Los Angeles. Upon graduation he started working at the track full-time, first as an official and then in the racing office, including a three-year stint as Del Mar's racing secretary in the 1970s. He worked in numerous capacities at Santa Anita and Hollywood, and Tunney eventually settled in at Golden Gate Fields, serving as general manager for 30 years.

Tunney ran track and was a running back for the Occidental College football team, according to Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen, who noted that Tunney was a 13th-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 1960. He played on the same college team as eventual NFL star quarterback Jack Kemp, who would later go on to a career in public service. Tunney sustained a non-football leg injury that cut short his athletic career and caused him to walk with a limp for the rest of his life, his wife, Anian, told DRF.

Tunney's brother, Jim, is known as the “dean of NFL referees,” working in that capacity from 1967-'90.

Trainer Bob Hess recalls when his late father, Bob Hess Sr., headed the Northern California horsemen's group and had ongoing interaction with Tunney. “Peter was always a gentleman, an intelligent and great man who always put horses and horse racing first.” said Hess.

Alan Balch, a former longtime track executive and now executive director of California Thoroughbred Trainers, worked alongside Tunney at both Southern and Northern California tracks. 

“One of racing's good guys, Peter Tunney was at home anywhere on the track — whether in the garage at Hollywood Park, to the overflow parking lot at Santa Anita, to a Paris restaurant during Arc week, any Stewards' stand, Racing Office, or the executive suite at Golden Gate Fields,” said Balch. “He was a gifted raconteur and bon vivant whose droll sense of humor is unforgettable, and was a big part of his success as a management leader.”

Santa Anita, which like Golden Gate Fields is owned by The Stronach Group, issued the following statement: “Peter Tunney has been a constant, calming and classy tiller for California racing for over 40 years. His heart was as big as his smile and his handshake, which always was as good as his word. For most of the last 30 years, he has been synonymous with Golden Gate Fields and we will miss his guidance. Everyone involved in California racing, whether they personally knew Peter or not, has lost a dear and decent friend who was a champion for our sport, as his touch reached all aspects of the business. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family during this difficult time.”

Services were not known at time of writing.

The post Longtime California Racing Executive Peter Tunney, 83, Passes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

On Wednesday, Bradvica agreed to become the agent for jockey Brice Blanc, beginning at Del Mar.

“I contacted 47 trainers by phone today and I start making the rounds in the backstretch tomorrow,” Bradvica said. “I think Brice is a hell of a rider. He's got a reputation for being better on the turf than dirt which I think is unfounded and I don't believe.

“I think he's very good on either surface and I'm going to promote him, and that idea, and give him representation like he hasn't had before. I know I'm not going to change people's minds on the spot, but I hope to provide some opportunities and then the proof will be in the winning.”

Veterinary school at UC Davis didn't work out, but he earned a degree in economics and was hired by Alan Balch to work at Santa Anita in the early 1980s. As an assistant to Balch he was instrumental in innovations like a nightly TV replay show, park and ride arrangements for fans when the track drew upwards of 80,000 on Big 'Cap Days and assisting in operations as the track served as the main equestrian venue -along with Fairbanks Ranch Country Club near Del Mar – for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

England's Prince Phillip, husband to Queen Elizabeth, was the president of the Federation Equestrian Internationale at the time.

“I met him three times,” Bradvica said. “He said it (1984 Olympics) was the best Equestrian event ever. And I'm pretty sure it was the only one ever to make money.”

Bradvica was the general manager for the race meetings at Pomona, which followed the Del Mar summer session, for 20 years and for the last 13 has been in a similar position for the Surfside Race Place satellite facility on the Del Mar Fairgrounds. During the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meetings he has worked in the racing office and as a placing judge.

“I've never been a jockey agent, but I've gotten to know a lot of them, as well as trainers from working in the racing office,” Bradvica said. “I think this is a natural fit for me and I'm looking forward to it.”

The post ‘Hope To Provide Some Opportunities’: George Bradvica Taking On New Role As Agent For Brice Blanc appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post