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Breeders’ Cup’s Dora Delgado Named ‘Game Changer’

Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer Dora Delgado was today named to Sports Business Journal's prestigious 'Game Changers' list. 'Game Changers' recognizes women in senior leadership roles across sports business: “women with broad, deep, and varied responsibilities and oversight who contribute to the success of the industry in multiple ways.”

Delgado began her career at the Breeders' Cup nearly 40 years ago and is currently responsible for the development and administration of all Breeders' Cup racing programs around the world, including the “Win and You're In” Challenge Series and the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

“Dora's contributions to the success of the Breeders' Cup over the last 38 years truly cannot be overstated,” said Breeders' Cup President and CEO Drew Fleming. “Her hard work, passion, expertise and commitment to the horses and the sport are well-known in the racing industry. I'm thrilled to see her myriad achievements now being recognized and honored at the broader sports industry level.”

Delgado's responsibilities at the Breeders' Cup also include: managing all horse recruitment, equine event logistics and operational setup for the annual World Championships, including coordination with federal, state and international regulatory authorities and host state racing commissions; management of the event Equine Security Team, the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Panel, the Field Selection Panel and the Breeders' Cup Racing Team; collaborating with Breeders' Cup World Championships host tracks to create the safest environment possible for equine participants; and the promotion and expansion of foal and stallion nomination programs worldwide to maximize participation and generate program-sustaining revenue.

“I have been immensely blessed to have spent my career working towards the success and the longevity of the Breeders' Cup from its very start,” said Delgado. “Our team spends every day asking how we can be better and rising to the occasion to position our industry's Championships to be the ultimate event in Thoroughbred racing. I have such gratitude to the horsemen, breeders, industry officials and mentors who have lent their advice, wisdom and expertise to me along the way and can only hope to do the same for those who seek out opportunities in our incredible sport.”

As an unquestioned leader in the racing industry, Delgado is passionate about equine safety, racing integrity and increasing the industry's commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Throughout her career, she has continuously pushed the industry forward on these critical issues.

Delgado's leadership in the Thoroughbred racing world goes well beyond her role at the Breeders' Cup. She also serves on the Board of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and is a member of the American Horse Council's Health and Regulatory Committee, the Jockey's Guild Research and Development Committee, the Advisory Committee for The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, the Lexington Industry Group of the Welfare & Safety Committee and the Racing Officials Accreditation Program Board. She is also a Board member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, and serves on the Steering Committee and the Racing Committee of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition.

Sports Business Journal created 'Game Changers' in 2011 to tell the stories of female leaders in sports business from across the country. Like Delgado, the women honored in all 11 classes of 'Game Changers' have made the sports industry better through their passion, insight, innovation and creativity.

The post Breeders’ Cup’s Dora Delgado Named ‘Game Changer’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup’s Delgado Named ‘Game Changer’

Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer Dora Delgado has been named to the Sports Business Journal's prestigious 'Game Changers' list, which recognizes “women with broad, deep, and varied responsibilities and oversight who contribute to the success of the [sports] industry in multiple ways.”

Delgado is currently responsible for the development and administration of all Breeders' Cup programs around the world, including the “Win and You're In” Challenge Series and Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The post Breeders’ Cup’s Delgado Named ‘Game Changer’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Maracuja Brings Sakkos A Graded Stakes Winner With His Fourth Starter

John Sakkos can count on one hand the number of horses that have carried the colors of his Beach Haven Thoroughbreds stable into the starting gate. The answer is four — one for as many years as he's been in the industry.

If Thoroughbred racing has taught fans and participants anything, it's that the size of Sakkos' stable and the age of his operation should hardly warrant him a trip to the winner's circle at the highest level of play.

But that's exactly what has happened.

When 3-year-old Maracuja crossed the wire a head in front of the previously undefeated Malathaat during the July 24 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, the filly became the fourth winner from four to race for Sakkos and brought home his first, coveted G1 win.

“The reality hit the next morning when my wife (Tracy) and I woke up, looked at each other, and said, 'Did we really win a Grade 1?'” said Sakkos. “We were all crazy excited. My wife even lost her voice. It was a natural high and when you think of our short career in racing history, it was just great.”

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds was born out of the friendship of Sakkos and his partner, Ara Aprahamian, who named their still fledgling operation after the island of Beach Haven, a small hamlet in New Jersey and favorite vacation spot of the pair and their families. A longtime fan of racing who had dabbled in partnerships since the early 2000s, Aprahamian — who runs a pharmaceutical company — approached Sakkos about forming a small racing syndicate of their own. Sakkos, who also has a professional background in the medical field, said he more or less agreed to the proposition on a whim.

“The joke between us is that I got involved in horses purely by accident,” joked Sakkos.

While Sakkos traces his ancestral roots to Greece, where his family were traditionally farmers, his limited experience with horses came from the occasional encounter as a child while visiting his grandparents' farm. Horse racing, he admits, was outside of his educational purview.

With that in mind, the plan from the start was to keep Beach Haven small. Partners were pulled from a ring of close friends looking to share in the action without overcommitting to the often-exorbitant expenses that come with campaigning Thoroughbreds.

Tracy Sakkos and Maracuja. Photo courtesy the Sakkos family

Beach Haven's first runner was Uncle Benny, a Declaration of War colt purchased for $185,000. The colt — who was named for Aprahamian's late uncle — proved a competent turf runner, notching a stakes victory next in the six-furlong Futurity on the grass at Belmont Park in 2018 before running second in that year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Next on the roster came Sassy Agnes, a New York-bred daughter of Central Banker who earned three consecutive stakes wins in 2018 when she took the Lady Finger and Shesastonecoldfox Stakes followed by the Key Cent Stakes for trainer Linda Rice. Rice would also take over of Newly Minted, another daughter of Central Banker, who herself banked four stakes wins on the way to amassing a 6-3-1 record from 12 starts and $516,738 in purses.

It's a strike rate even the most experience horseman would envy.

While Newly Minted was burning up the tracks on the New York circuit, Sakkos and his partners went to $200,000 — more than they'd ever spent previously — to secure Maracuja, a daughter of Honor Code. Trained by Rob Atras, the filly impressed early, and plans were made to debut her talent in the summer of 2020 at Saratoga.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on the racing calendar upended, the decision was made to start the filly at three. The filly broke her maiden in February at Aqueduct before taking second in the G3 Gazelle next out. That race would be a springboard to the G1 Kentucky Oaks, where she finished off the board. Three months later she would redeem herself in the CCA Oaks, defeating the Oaks victress at odds of 14-1 and stamping herself one to watch for the G1 Alabama at the Spa.

“Rob didn't want to push her which I'm glad he didn't,” said Sakkos. “We're very proud but she's getting better and better with every race. Newly Minted did well, and 'Sassy' also did well, but she has done the best so far. She's it. It's all credit to Rob and his wife Brittney and his team. We were just lucky enough to buy her.”

With the pandemic still looming and with it, economic uncertainty, Sakkos said Maracuja will likely remain the only Beach Haven runner for the time being.

“With everything going on, we didn't mind keeping it all close. I still think we're not totally out of the woods yet unfortunately, so we're just enjoying the moment and focusing on Maracuja,” said Sakkos. “She loves the attention, she loves her carrots, and after the races I go back to the barn and give her a big hug and a kiss. She has a great personality and everyone at the barn loves her, but when it comes down to being on the track, she changes gears.

“Seeing the way Rob and his team, especially Mario, her groom, and Christian, the [exercise rider] and the love they give to their animals is just phenomenal. Mario, Maracuja's groom, has totally spoiled her. She's not happy when he's not there and he never left her side at the Oaks. They're attached at the hip.”

Win or lose, Sakkos said the most important thing now is that he's able to enjoy the ride with is partners and family.

“I still think there is a lot more for me to learn. I'm becoming more familiar with things, asking a lot of questions,” said Sakkos. “But I have a way to go to catch up with those folks that have so much more experience in this industry than I do. We enjoy it and our kids enjoy it. It's been a great hobby and so fun when the family can participate. It's all about the animals for us.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Maracuja Brings Sakkos A Graded Stakes Winner With His Fourth Starter appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Knicks Go Meets Maxfield in Star-Studded Whitney

For a race that offers just a five-horse field, Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga will nevertheless feature plenty of intrigue, as two of the handicap division's top stars will meet the one-two finishers from the GI Metropolitan H. and a certain champion filly whose trainer called an audible to enter her in the meet centerpiece for older horses, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Given the morning-line at 6-5 is the Korea Racing Authority's enigmatic star speedball Knicks Go (Paynter). A shocking winner of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at 70-1 for Ben Colebrook in 2018, the gray failed to find the mark in his next 10 tries before being reborn when switching to Brad Cox's barn. Winning a pair of allowance/optional claiming events by a combined 17 3/4 lengths, Knicks Go survived a sizzling pace and kicked clear to a 3 1/2-length conquest of the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last fall at Keeneland and followed that up with a frontrunning score in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.

It's been up-and-down in three starts since, however, as he retreated to a well-beaten fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup and filled the same slot with no visible excuse as a 4-5 chalk in the Met Mile. Shipping in to Iowa for the GIII Cornhusker H. July 2 at Prairie Meadows, however, he was back to the old Knicks Go, cruising to a devastating 10 1/4-length romp with a career-high 113 Beyer. In a short field with no definite other speed signed on, the 5-year-old figures to get the right setup in this nine-furlong test.

“He'll break running. We'll see how far he can take himself around there, hopefully the whole way,” Cox told the NYRA notes team. “He's set up for a big effort. He's been working really well at Ellis. [The Cornhusker] gave us the confidence to try the Whitney. It solidified that the horse needs two turns. We're excited about getting him back in the Grade I ranks going around two turns.”

Likely to be a close second choice is Godolphin's once-beaten sensation Maxfield (Street Sense), who tries for his first Grade I win since his juvenile season. He stamped himself as a potential championship contender when romping by 5 1/2 lengths from well back in the Breeders' Futurity, but a series of setbacks forced him to miss the Breeders' Cup and, after returning for a score in the GIII Matt Winn S. last May, eventually the Triple Crown. The imposing dark bay picked up where he left off with a 3 1/4-length success in the Tenacious S. last December at Fair Grounds, but suffered his first defeat when third at 11-10 in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 6. Since then, he notched open-length victories in the GIII Alysheba S. and GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill to run his impressive career record to 7-for-8.

“He's a horse that even still is lightly raced. We were always on the back foot with him,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He ran twice as a 2-year-old, and we've always been battling a little inexperience or a lack of seasoning. But ever since we ran him in California and his couple runs since, he's getting to where he's a more seasoned horse and I think that's going to [serve] him well from here on in because he's going to have to be at his best against the horses he's up against. It's a big test for him, so we'll see how he stacks up against them.”

The favorite of the fans–if not the bettors–will be Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), entered against the boys after a Saratoga barn quarantine forced trainer Ken McPeek to redirect her from a planned start in last Sunday's GIII Shuvee S. Reeling off a dazzling championship 3-year-old campaign that included 10 races at nine different tracks, five graded stakes triumphs and, of course, the chestnut's seismic defeat of eventual champion Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Preakness S. She flattened out to seventh in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, however, and, after bouncing back with a tally in the GI Beholder Mile S. Mar. 13 at Santa Anita, could not stay with Letruska (Super Saver) or Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) when third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17 at Oaklawn.

“She's had a bumpy first half of the year,” McPeek said. “No major issues, but just stuff that kept her from showing off. She had a little hind leg infection that was bothering her. It didn't appear to be a big deal going into Oaklawn, but it might have been why she ran a little flat that day. We're excited about [the Whitney]. The Shuvee would have been ideal, she's been ready to run. I've always thought if you're here, you run where you're at. It's a little bit out of the box, but she's ready.”

There's a realistic possibility that streaking Silver State (Hard Spun) could give trainer Steve Asmussen his record-breaking 9,446th win in Saratoga's second-most prestigious race. Scoring just once–in a dead heat–in his first five career outings, the $450,000 Keeneland September buy has been unstoppable since returning from a seven-month layoff last October, visiting the winner's circle six straight times, including in the Met last out June 5. The runner-up that day, By My Standards (Goldencents), who was also second to eventual champion older dirt male Improbable (City Zip) in last year's Whitney, rounds out the field.

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