Tag: California Horse Racing Board

CHRB: 2022 Race Dates Approved, Claiming Limitations Introduced

The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting by teleconference on Wednesday, September 15. The public participated by dialing into the teleconference and/or listening through the audio webcast link on the CHRB website. Chairman Gregory Ferraro chaired the meeting, joined by Vice Chair Oscar Gonzales and Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Brenda Washington Davis, and Wendy Mitchell.

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

  • The Board allocated dates for all of California racing in 2022. The allocations reflect the recent and historical dates run by racing associations and fairs with two notable exceptions. Santa Anita will close for as many as two weeks in the middle of its winter-spring meet. Del Mar will shift its traditional schedule by one week with later opening and closing dates. Date allocations permit the tracks to operate on the dates they choose within their timeframes. The actual dates of planned operation will be announced and considered by the Board when each track submits its license application.
    As allocated, the dates for the Southern California thoroughbred circuit will begin at Santa Anita on December 15, 2021 (with opening day expected to be December 26 as usual). Santa Anita will take one week off (three racing days) for certain during the meet – the week of April 15-17 – and has the option for a second “flex week” that could immediately follow – April 22-24 – or be taken off at some other time depending on weather and circumstances. Their allocated dates conclude June 21.
    The racing calendar continues to Los Alamitos for daytime thoroughbred racing from June 22 to July 12, and then to Del Mar with allocations from July 13 to September 13. Del Mar is expected to go dark for the first week of that allocation and open its meet on July 22. Del Mar anticipates running beyond Labor Day and closing September 11.
    The circuit will then shift back to Los Alamitos (September 14-27), then Santa Anita (September 28-November 8), Del Mar again (November 9-December 6), then finally back to Los Alamitos (December 7-20).
    The Thoroughbred/fair circuit in Northern California will begin at Golden Gate Fields with allocated dates of December 22 through June 7, followed by Pleasanton (June 8-July 5), Cal Expo (July 6-26), Santa Rosa (July 27-August 9), Ferndale (August 10-23), Golden Gate (August 17-October 4, overlapped one week with Ferndale), Fresno (October 5-18), and concluding at Golden Gate (October 19-December 20).
    The Board allocated an entire year to Los Alamitos for night quarter-horse racing (December 22-December 20). Los Alamitos will race both day and night during those weeks when thoroughbred racing is conducted in the day.
    Harness racing at Cal Expo will be conducted within two blocks of dates: December 22 through May 10 and October 26 through December 20.
  • The Board approved the license application for the Los Angeles Turf Club (LATC)  to conduct a Thoroughbred meet at Santa Anita with racing scheduled to begin October 1 and conclude October 31. The Board authorized the meet even though LATC could not finalize the horsemen's agreement with the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT). The Board authorized the meet to proceed using the previous year's agreement. Racing commissioners will be meeting with the CTT and racing executives in an effort to resolve their differences.
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  • The Board approved the license application for the Pacific Racing Association (PRA) to conduct a thoroughbred meet at Golden Gate with racing scheduled to begin October 21 and conclude December 12. PRA faces the same issue as LATC concerning the horsemen's agreement, so the Board authorized that meet to proceed with the previous year's agreement. In conjunction with this license approval, the Board approved an agreement between PRA and the Thoroughbred Owners of California authorizing the racing secretary to establish conditions on races limiting the administrations of certain medications and certain procedures.
  • The Board approved the license application for Big Fresno Fair  to conduct a fair meet in Fresno with racing scheduled October 8-17.
  • The Board approved the license application for Watch and Wager LLC  to conduct a harness meet at Cal Expo with racing scheduled November 19-December 19.
  • CHRB Executive Director reported on the tracking of racing related injuries that has been a topic at recent Board meetings.
    “The CHRB takes all such allegations very seriously,” he explained. “The CHRB assigns a fourth steward to racetracks. In addition to the three-member panel that oversees operations at each track, the CHRB assigns a safety steward to more specifically ensure the protections of horses and licensees. One of the safety steward's responsibilities is to follow up on all horses that are vanned off or injured on the track. If those horses leave the track shortly after the injuries, CHRB investigators follow up along with the safety steward. There have been a few cases where the CHRB suspected that connections were trying to avoid the count, so our team followed up with either ranch visits or by requiring live pictures of the horses. The suspicions thus far have proven to be unfounded. Should we uncover evidence that injured horses are removed from racing or training facilities, the CHRB would prosecute such behavior to the fullest extent possible. If stakeholders or member of the public have actual evidence that any injured horse has been removed from regulated facilities to escape scrutiny, please contact the CHRB directly or through our tip line.”
  • Concerning the panel responsible for reviewing entries to make sure the horses are fit to compete, Vice Chair Gonzales suggested expanding the panel to provide increased scrutiny for the Breeders' Cup (November 5 and 6 at Del Mar). Dr. Jeff Blea, equine medical director, said this will be accomplished.
  • The Board authorized Fasig-Tipton Co. to conduct a horse sale at Fairplex in Pomona on September 28.
  • The Board began the regulatory process to process to prohibit any licensee from depositing more than one claim (commitment to purchase) for any horse in a race. Chairman Ferraro said this will ensure that trainers with smaller stables wishing to claim (purchase) horses will have an equal chance with larger stables that sometimes submit multiple claiming slips for different owners in their barns.
  • The Board approved the amended license application by Xpressbet LLC to reflect a change in officers for its Advance Deposit Wagering operation.

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O’Neill, Miller Combine For Trio Of 4C Drug Rulings Within Past Week

Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill got fined $2,000 for a pair of methocarbamol positives at Santa Anita Park in May and June, one in a race and the other in a workout.

According to a Sept. 6 ruling published within the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) weekly stewards' report for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the two cases were combined into one because “O'Neill was not aware of the first medication positive [May 30] when the second complaint [June 3] was served by CHRB enforcement.”

Methocarbamol is a Class 4 and Penalty Category C skeletal muscle relaxant. Its 4C categorization is on the least-severe side of the scale on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Split-sample testing confirmed the findings. The infraction will also cost O'Neill half a point on the CHRB's multiple medication violations (MMV) penalty list.

O'Neill's attorney, Darrell Vienna, told TDN no appeal is planned.

The violation was O'Neill's second within the last calendar year. In March he negotiated a CHRB settlement agreement that included a $7,500 fine and the serving of 10 days of a 30-day suspension over a 2B positive lidocaine test triggered by one of his trainees in October 2020.

As part of the agreement in that Mar. 6 ruling, the 20 days of that lidocaine suspension were stayed on the condition that O'Neill would not have any Class 1, 2 or 3 violations within a calendar year. So the Class 4 methocarbamol violation does not count against the terms of his agreed-upon probation.

The methocarbamol race violation occurred in Deise Delight (Ire) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), who ran second in a May 30 starter/optional claimer. No disqualification was issued in the ruling, customary to the CHRB's rule about only DQ'ing horses who test for Class 3 or more severe drugs.

The methocarbamol workout violation came on June 3, when O'Neill was attempting to get Team Merchants (Nyquist) cleared from the vet list. The colt won his next start at 18-1 odds on July 16 in a Del Mar optional claimer.

O'Neill is the second prominent trainer within the past week to be handed a penalty for a 4C drug violation in a post-workout test.

On Sept. 2, Peter Miller, the leading trainer at the now-concluded Del Mar meet, was fined $1,500 for a phenylbutazone positive incurred June 19 at San Luis Rey Downs in Mo Forza (Uncle Mo). The MGSW subsequently won his next start, the Aug. 21 GII Del Mar Mile S. as the 11-10 favorite.

Miller was also docked half an MMV point for his second offense within the past year. It was not known at deadline for this story if the ruling will be appealed.

In April, Miller absorbed a $500 fine for a 4C finding of isoflupredone that was confirmed via split-sample testing when his trainee, Hembree (Proud Citizen), won the GII Joe Hernandez S. at Santa Anita Jan. 1.

The post O’Neill, Miller Combine For Trio Of 4C Drug Rulings Within Past Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Record-Setting Del Mar Meet Hits on All Cylinders

Ask David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary, what he considers a key ingredient to the success of the coastal venue's latest summer season, which wrapped Monday, and his answer is a testament to the early bird.

“There was lots of enthusiasm–I could go way back to March, when my phone was ringing with questions regarding our 'Ship & Win' program,” said Jerkens, of a particular bait, now into its 11th year, used to hook out-of-state runners. “I just felt that buzz around Del Mar earlier than normal.”

All told, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club injected over $750,000 into purses through the program, which this year offered an “engagement” bonus of $4,000 on top of 50% and 40% purse supplements. These tweaks paid dividends.

Participation grew from 104 horses in 2020 to 181 this year, with the majority owned and trained by Southern Californians.

“It's usually over 70% of the total number of horses who stay in California,” Jerkens said, of the program retention rate.

Beyond Ship & Win, Jerkens applauded local participation at the entry box, which helped bolster another useful barometer of success–field size. This year's per-race average of 8.45 horses saw a slight uptick over last year's commendable average of 8.36.

“That's amongst the highest in the country,” said Jerkens. “And so, we're thrilled on this end.”

The track set a daily average wagering record of $18.38 million–an increase over last year's former record of $17.32 million, according to a press release Monday.

The handle for the meet totaled $569.98 million for 31 days of racing. The 2020 total handle of $467.60 million constituted 27 days of racing.

“The racing product was strong and extremely competitive throughout the season,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president, who explained that the numbers were still being crunched as to breakdown between on-track and ADW wagering.

As for attendance, COVID restrictions–especially at the start of the meet–make any comparison with prior years one of “apples and oranges,” said Rubinstein.

“We knew attendance was not going to be at previous levels,” said Rubinstein. “But we wanted to open things responsibly and really focus on our core racing customers. And the feedback that we got on big days–opening day, Pacific Classic day–our core customers were really happy.”

The facility also cemented its reputation as one of the safest tracks in the country. According to California Horse Racing Board data, there were three training-related equine fatalities, and one racing, during the meet.

“For the last three years, Del Mar has ranked as the safest major racetrack in North America, and our record in 2021 is in line with those previous results,” said Rubinstein.

Of the slew of showy performances at Del Mar this summer, Flightline (Tapit)'s demolition job Sunday ranks a top award contender.

“He's just so exciting–I want to talk about how wonderful he is,” said trainer John Sadler, of the twice-raced colt. “I've had a lot of top horses and this one looks like the top of the top. I'm going to be measured by how we go about it, but he's unbelievable.”

Morning training has been largely geared around “getting him to relax,” said the trainer.

“He's so brilliant, has so much ability, it's just getting him to save energy,” Sadler said. “I was reading the clockers' reports before his first race, they said, 'well, we wish he would relax a little bit more.' And I thought, 'well, we've never let him run in the morning.'”

It's “tempting” though, Sadler added. “When you have a Porsche, you want to step on the gas, but we want to save the gas.”

Sadler said he won't be “baited” into pinpointing a next race just yet for the colt, owned by a partnership that includes the Hronis brothers, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm and Woodford Racing.

“He's so brilliant and so fast, you have to protect him from getting ahead of our scheme,” said Sadler. “We'll get him back on the track on Thursday at Santa Anita and see where we are.”

Flightline wasn't the only headline-making Sadler runner this summer. Tripoli (Kitten's Joy)'s win in the GI TVG Pacific Classic made it a third win in four years for the Sadler-Hronis Racing trainer-owner combination.

“He worked yesterday before I left [Del Mar]. Went a nice half in 48:4,” Sadler said of Tripoli. “We'll get him up to Santa Anita and see if he'll run in the [GI] Awesome Again or train him up to the Breeders' Cup.”

Because the Pacific Classic was a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup, held this year at Del Mar Nov. 5-6, Tripoli's connections have breathing space in the run-up.

“We're in a good spot,” Sadler said. “He's got a really nice pattern. He's running better all the time.”

Del Mar will return to action Wednesday, Nov. 3 to kick-start the track's 15-day Bing Crosby Season. This offers a brief racing aperitif before the two-day Breeders' Cup championship begins.

Rubinstein explained that construction has already started on the quarantine barn for the international runners, and in early October, the track will begin work on the corporate hospitality furniture of the two-day festival.

“Come October, the place will start to have the Breeders' Cup purple feel to it,” Rubinstein said. “We're very excited.”

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Alfieri Reappointed To California Horse Racing Board

Dennis Alfieri, 62, of Pasadena, has been reappointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the California Horse Racing Board, where he has served since 2018.

Alfieri has been managing member of Mission Real Estate Group since 2005. He was chief executive officer of the Sheriff's Youth Foundation from 2017 to 2020. He was principal and a founding partner at Bantry Property Services LLC from 2005 to 2010 and general partner and founder of Twin Palms Restaurants from 1991 to 2005.

Alfieri is a 40-year member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association and a member of the Pasadena Optimist Club. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Alfieri is a Republican.

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