canada | Horse Racing Free Tips

Every Appaloosa over the age of 12 should have an eye exam to ensure the horse isn't suffering from equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) or moon blindness, a disease that disproportionately affects the breed. As the disease progresses, it can lead to blindness.

A study by Drs. Sandmeyer, Nicole Kingsley, Cheryl Walder, Sheila Archer, Marina Leis, Rebecca Bellone and Bianca Bauer completed a retrospective study using horses that were referred to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Canada.The research team found that ERU occurred 13 percent more often in Apps than in other breeds; of all horses at the hospital who had ERU, Appaloosas made up 62.5 percent of the ERU cases.

The study team then had board-certified ophthalmologists examine 145 Appaloosas on 11 farms in Western Canada to determine what risk factors Appaloosas have that may be relevant to ERU development. They sought to study if coat pattern correlated at all with ERU risk: Specifically, if Appaloosas that had extensive white were more at risk to develop ERU.

Horses were categorized as having no signs or mild, moderate or severe signs of ERU. Of the 145 horses examined, 20 (14%) were confirmed with ERU. The research team determined that:

ERU occurred 11 percent of the time in horses with few spots; 29 percent of the time in Apps with white blankets and no spots (called snowcap); 15 percent in leopard apps, which are white with spots all over; 11 percent on Apps with a white rump that has spots and 13 percent of the time in Apps with no patterning over the topline
There was no association between gender or base coat color and ERU
Age is a significant risk factor; 12.3 years old being the mean age of affected horses. For each year older, the odds of ERU increased 1.15 times
The study did not find ERU in horses that had white-flecked coats, lace blankets or solid coloration that does not roan with age
Apps with leopard spotting are at increased risk for ERU
A common ancestor was identified in 83 percent of affected horses within eight generations, and five were inbred to that ancestor

The scientists determined that many horses have chronic, low-grade clinical signs of ERU that go undetected until the condition worsens. Because of this, it's imperative that owners of Appaloosas have their eyes checked yearly, specifically after 12 years old.

Read more at EquiManagement.

The post Equine Recurrent Uveitis And Appaloosas: What’s The Correlation? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The 2019-20 NHL season hasn't resumed yet, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is already part of an impressive win streak.

Although he won't be on hand at Woodbine Racetrack on July 5 to watch the 65th edition of the $125,000 Fury Stakes, a key prep on the road to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (slated for August 15), Nugent-Hopkins will be well represented on the racetrack.

Infinite Patience, a daughter of Sungold, co-owned by the Edmonton Oilers forward, puts her perfect five-for-five record and champion status on the line in the seven-furlong main track race for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies.

Nugent-Hopkins will be glued to his laptop when the action gets out of the gates.

“I'm excited and I'm nervous, to be honest,” the 27-year-old told Woodbine. “I've sent a mare to Seattle and then Edmonton. I've never sent any to Toronto before. The Tapeta [at Woodbine], it's a little different [than the dirt track at Hastings], so that's the only real hesitation I have. We don't have that many options anymore. There aren't a whole lot of stakes races in Vancouver or even in Edmonton, and they don't start until the end of July. She's been training so long and she's ready to go. We'll take a shot out there and see what happens.”

William DeCoursey, who bred the filly, sold a share in the filly to Nugent-Hopkins, who races under the R. N. H. Stable banner.

DeCoursey also campaigned Infinite Patience's dam Montero, a stakes winner with 11 victories and more than $205,000. Montero is the dam of multiple stakes winner Raider (Stephanotis).

After breaking her maiden last July courtesy of a 9 ¼-length romp at Hastings Racecourse, Infinite Patience won the British Columbia Cup Debutante Stakes, a CTHS Sales Stakes, the Sadie Diamond Futurity, and most recently, the Fantasy Stakes (October 13, 2019).

The bay filly, who won the five races by a total of 35 ½ lengths, was named B.C. Horse of the Year and B.C.-Bred Horse of the Year in 2019, collecting five (Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in both the Open and B.C.-Bred categories and Champion Sprinter) awards in all.

Nugent-Hopkins, who hails from Burnaby, B.C., is thrilled to be along for the ride.

“She's very impressive and last year was so great. I'm pretty lucky to have partnered with her breeder. It's really been fun.”

What race has impressed him the most so far?

It's not a particularly easy question for the centerman to answer.

“Her second race, the Debutante Stakes, it was a tremendous effort. After her maiden race, that's when I approached her owner and breeder, and we partnered together. So, for that first stakes race, that was my first race with her. She won by 11 ¼ lengths in a pretty quick time. That was very impressive. So was her effort in the [1 1/16-mile] Fantasy. She broke the stakes record [1:44.16] in that one, so that would probably be the one that stands out the most.”

The first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft comes by his love for racing naturally. His grandfather was a breeder in British Columbia, and the forward's parents, Roger and Deb, have a long association with Thoroughbreds.

Nugent-Hopkins bought his first racehorse about seven years ago. His first win as an owner, on June 13, 2015, was delivered courtesy of Zenya, a British Columbia-bred daughter of Salute the Sarge. Crossing the line second, the chestnut was elevated to first after the winner was taken down after interference in deep stretch.

Aside from Infinite Patience, other top horses Nugent-Hopkins has owned include Yukon Belle and Sanawar. In 76 starts, his starters have won nine races and earned 23 seconds and 17 thirds.

His first start at Woodbine will come in the Fury.

“I've been to Woodbine once with my parents when I was young,” said the alternate captain.

In less than two weeks time, he'll be there again, so to speak.

Only this time, he'll be represented by a starter in a key race leading up to the Woodbine Oaks.

Nugent-Hopkins is looking forward to seeing how his stable star, trained by Barbara Heads, stacks up against other talented three-year-old fillies.

“She can relax if she needs to, which she showed in the Fantasy. It will be really fun. I'll definitely be watching online. I'm pretty reserved… my dad is the one who is a little more vocal and gets into it. But I'm still pretty nervous about it. I just want everything to go okay for her, and make sure that she's comfortable out there. If it doesn't work out, then we can always bring her back here.”

As for what's in a name, Nugent-Hopkins has a great story to share about how his top-shelf filly came to be known as Infinite Patience.

“It's funny. My partner, he named her after his wife, he told me. He said for them to have been together for so long, she needs to have infinite patience. Actually, the horse's nickname is 'Irony,' because she's not patient. She's not super high-strung, but she wants to go, she wants to do it, and she doesn't want to wait around too much.”

Nugent-Hopkins would love to see that for the sixth time.

The post NHL’s Nugent-Hopkins ‘Excited,’ ‘Nervous’ To Watch Undefeated Filly Infinite Patience In Fury Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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