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Joseph: `Churchill Trying To Save Face’

Churchill Downs has suspended Saffie Joseph, Jr. indefinitely and until further notice, the track announced Thursday. The announcement came on the heels of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)'s order to scratch all horses trained by Joseph from racing at the track, including Lord Miles (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby.

The news came at the end of a day of announcements from Joseph and others, after two of Joseph's horses died at Churchill this week, regarding whether or not he would seek to run his horses over the weekend.

Parents Pride (Maclean's Music) and Chasing Artie (We Miss Artie)–both owned by Ken Ramsey and trained by Joseph–suffered sudden-death events, the former after being eased mid-race Saturday, and the latter on his way back to the unsaddling enclosure Tuesday.

The statement from Churchill reads, “Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) announced today the indefinite suspension of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. until further notice. The suspension prohibits Joseph, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Joseph, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all CDI-owned racetracks. CDI's decision follows the highly unusual sudden deaths of two horses trained by Joseph at Churchill Downs Racetrack: Parents Pride on Saturday and Chasing Artie on Tuesday. Lord Miles, trained by Joseph, has been scratched from Saturday's 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.”

“Given the unexplained sudden deaths, we have reasonable concerns about the condition of his horses, and decided to suspend him indefinitely until details are analyzed and understood,” said Bill Mudd, President and Chief Operating Officer of CDI. “The safety of our equine and human athletes and integrity of our sport is our highest priority. We feel these measures are our duty and responsibility.”

The announcement followed one issued by the KHRC Board of Stewards about an hour earlier on Thursday. “For the betterment of racing, the health and welfare of our equine athletes, and the safety of our jockeys, all horses trained by trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. are scratched effective immediately and until further notice,” the announcement read. “This action is taken after consultation with Mr. Joseph, and includes Lord Miles, who was entered into the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.”

The KHRC also released a joint statement from Ray Perry, Secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet, and Jonathan Rabinowitz, Chairman of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which reads, “Kentucky is committed to being the global leader in safety and integrity of horse racing. We fully support the stewards' actions today to ensure the safety of our equine and human athletes while an investigation is ongoing into the unusual circumstances surrounding these tragic fatalities.”

Joseph had originally sought to have some horses scratched while racing others, advancing a theory that because the two who died had come from his Keeneland barn earlier in the spring, that there may be a connection there. But blood tests on all of those horses revealed no abnormalities whatsoever.

Joseph was not pleased with Churchill's decision.

“What happened this week earlier, no one wants that to happen to anyone,” he said. “I've run almost 3,800 horses and never before had horses die like that for an unknown cause. I've had injuries before but nothing like this. We've done every test and everything in our power to find out what happened. It happened at a bad time. The Kentucky Racing Commission told me there was no wrongdoing on my part. They looked at my barn and said you did nothing wrong. Churchill asked me to scratch all the horses and I did. Then for Churchill to come out and suspend me indefinitely, they're trying to save their face. My horses are two of many that they've had die on the track. They want someone to take the blame for them. I take responsibility for my horses, but we are talking about other horses, also. It's sad. I worked hard and I try to do everything the right way and the correct way and then they jump the gun after everything that has been proven shows that I did no wrongdoing. They jumped the gun and are trying to tarnish my reputation and that's not right at all. They are doing it to save their face. In the last week, they've had five deaths, but they aren't talking about the other three horses. Ask them how many deaths they've had here over the last five years. They're not talking about that either.”

Lord Miles did not go to the track Thursday morning, but walked the shedrow, according to the Churchill Downs press notes.

Earlier Thursday, the KHRC said that an investigation would be carried out after the two sudden-death events from the same barn.

“The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is actively investigating the recent and tragic racing and training fatalities in Kentucky,” said Kristin Voskuhl, a spokesperson for the Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the KHRC. “The KHRC is committed to the health and safety of every horse and rider and will follow the robust investigative procedures in place for issues of safety and racing integrity.”

After Churchill Downs issued a statement Wednesday following five equine fatalities at the facility on the eve of the track's biggest annual weekend of racing, representatives for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and the KHRC issued their own respective statements in response to questions by the TDN.

The KHRC failed to answer questions about how long the post-mortem examinations will take, and if the findings will be made public–which is typically not the case.

The musculoskeletal and sudden-death necropsies are being performed at the University of Kentucky. “Both types of necropsy are complete post-mortem examinations. Musculoskeletal necropsies focus on a known injury, while sudden-death necropsies are broader in scope,” Voskuhl wrote.

While HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program won't begin until May 22, the federal law's racetrack safety program went into effect on July 1 last year.

This program requires tracks to adhere to a baseline set of racetrack welfare and safety rules, including the retention of a core group of safety and welfare personnel and racetrack surface maintenance protocols.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus issued a statement Wednesday evening writing that there is “nothing more important” to HISA than the welfare of both horse and rider.

“When horses die unexpectedly, we all suffer, but we take comfort in the tools and practices we have collectively developed to investigate contributing factors and deploy those learnings to minimize future risk,” Lazarus wrote.

Lazarus added: “HISA's Racetrack Safety Program mandates that we work alongside state regulators and racetrack operators to protect our equine and human athletes. We are in contact with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Churchill Downs to support their processes. HISA also intends to conduct its own in-depth analysis of the fatalities and will share those findings once the full investigation is complete.”

Bill Finley and Dan Ross also contributed to this story.

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Churchill Expresses Concern After Deaths of Two Saffie Joseph Horses

After four equine fatalities suffered over five days at Churchill Downs, the track issued a statement Wednesday saying that they share the concern fans had expressed over the past week, and would continue to “press for answers.”

Kentucky Derby hopeful Wild On Ice (Tapizar) suffered a fatal hind-end injury on April 27 after a work at Churchill and was later euthanized. Take Charge Briana (Curlin) broke down in the fifth race over the Churchill turf course Tuesday. While there would appear to be no connection between those two, it is the deaths of Parents Pride (Maclean's Music) and Chasing Artie (We Miss Artie), both owned by Ken Ramsey and trained by Saffie Joseph, that have drawn attention.

Parents Pride was the 2-1 second choice in the eighth race on opening day, April 29, when, according to the Equibase chart, he “went wrong between horses at the five sixteenths pole, was pulled up in upper stretch, and got vanned off.” Chasie Artie collapsed and died after finishing last as the 9-2 third choice in Tuesday's eighth race.

“Transparency is an important component of our commitment to safety and accountability in horse racing,” reads the statement. “We share the concern of our fans who have questions about the recent equine fatalities at Churchill Downs Racetrack and we extend our sincere condolences to those who love and cared for these horses.

“Since Opening Night of Kentucky Derby Week, two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. have died suddenly of cause yet to be identified: Parents Pride on Saturday and Chasing Artie on Tuesday. Two other horses sustained musculoskeletal injuries from which they could not recover: Wild on Ice last Thursday while training on dirt and Take Charge Briana during a turf race on Tuesday. Wild on Ice was transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for care, but both were ultimately euthanized for humane reasons.

“While a series of events like this is highly unusual, it is completely unacceptable. We take this very seriously and acknowledge that these troubling incidents are alarming and must be addressed. We feel a tremendous responsibility to our fans, the participants in our sport and the entire industry to be a leader in safety and continue to make significant investments to eliminate risk to our athletes. We have full confidence in our racing surfaces and have been assured by our riders and horsemen that they do as well.”

Joseph had entered Accomplished Girl (Street Boss) in Wednesday's Mamzelle Overnight Stakes at Churchilll, but she was scratched from the race.

The trainer, who is scheduled to saddle Lord Miles (Curlin) in Saturday's Derby, along with six other horses on the card. He told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde on Wednesday that he was considering scratching them as well while he waited for necropsy reports from the two who died.

“I don't know what we're going to do,” Joseph told SI. “I have to decide whether we're going to scratch them or not. I'm very uneasy right now.”

The Churchill statement continued, “Each horse was transported to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for complete necropsies. We continue to press for answers and are working with regulators to conduct swift and thorough investigations. The safety and well-being of horses is a critical issue for which everyone in the industry shares responsibility; however, we will continue to take every measure to ensure that we are providing the safest possible environment for horses on our property.”

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Southlawn in Good Company with Stable Pony John Jones

A lithe, dappled bay daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, whose striking features and poetic stride make her easy to pick out on the main track at Churchill Downs, GI Kentucky Oaks contender Southlawn has certainly caught the attention of many leading up to her Run for the Lilies this Friday.

But what many may not know is that trainer Norm Casse's stable pony, who escorts the filly to and from the track each morning, is also a star in his own right, as he is none other than multiple stakes winner John Jones (Smarty Jones).

Bred in Maryland by Nancy Lee Farms, John Jones debuted as a 3-year-old at Pimlico for his breeder and trainer Ferris Allen. He continued on for those connections throughout his first 14 starts, picking up three wins along the way, until he was claimed for $25,000 by trainer Lacey Gaudet and owner Matt Schera at Laurel Park in July of 2016.

And it was there he'd stay for the rest of his racing career, quickly evolving from the stable's newest addition to a staple of the Gaudet barn, known well enough in Maryland as he was across the rest of the Mid-Atlantic circuit.

“His first race in the barn, when he won the [2016] Mister Diz S. [going three-quarters on the turf] and beat Ben's Cat, I remember Stan Stalter interviewing me and saying, 'What do you think you're going to do next?' And I said, 'A mile on the dirt,'” said Gaudet. “He never really ran back to that race on the turf, but he was an amazing dirt horse for us, we had so much fun with him.”

Though the dark bay gelding wasn't the easiest of horses to deal with in the barn, he made up for it with his dedication and consistency on the track, in the mornings and during the afternoon, and most notably with his unique personality.

Gaudet recalls a morning that a tour group, with children whose ages ranged from 10 to 18, walked through the barn. John Jones, in one of the first few stalls by the office, watched with rapt attention.

“Most of our stable is kind and they're used to peppermints and treats, but the way John Jones just brought himself to the front and made himself such a presence to these kids, they just gravitated to him. He engaged so much with these children and everybody seemed to have to touch him and he just had to put his nose on everybody. It was just kind of a 'stand back and watch moment,'” said Gaudet. “He was always a tough horse, he was kind of aggravating and always wiggling, stuff like that, but when it came time for his attitude and personality to shine, people of all backgrounds just really gravitated to this horse. He knew he was something special and could give them something special too.”

In his 33 starts across five seasons for Team Gaudet, he picked up two more stakes victories–taking the Jennings S. two years in a row–and hit the board in five others, including a trip down to Gulfstream Park where he finished third in the 2016 Claiming Crown Jewel S.

“I think it was in the week or two before Laurel Park shut down [due to COVID-19 in early 2020], he won a three-other-than and beat one of our other horses. He was set for such a big comeback, we thought he was going to have such a stellar year. When COVID-19 hit, we gave some of the horses time off and he came back and trained fine, but he never really raced quite as well. I don't know if he just thought it must have been his time to retire because he'd gotten time off, but it was kind of a confusing moment for him, as for all of us,” said Gaudet. “His owner Matt Schera was so great about it. He was like, 'Look, we're at a crossroads. It's either run him for $25,000 and watch him get claimed and probably go through the claiming ranks or we can retire him and find him a new job.'

“I jumped at the opportunity. I can't thank Matt enough for allowing us to be able to retire him and give him a happy home.”

John Jones made his final start Nov. 20, 2020 at Laurel Park, retiring with a record of 12-4-6 from 47 career starts with a total of $600,364 in earnings. Though Gaudet had hoped to find him a home where he could be a show horse or point towards the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover, those plans never panned out, so instead John Jones spent some time with Gaudet's string at Delaware Park before coming home to her family's farm in Upper Marlboro, Md.

The gelding spent nearly two years enjoying a life of leisure on the farm, sharing a field with fellow Smarty Jones gelding Concealed Identity, Gaudet's late father Eddie's first GI Preakness S. starter (2011). But earlier this year, Gaudet noticed a change in John Jones demeanor, as if he was trying to make it clear he had had enough of 'just hanging out.'

It was around that time, in mid-February, when Gaudet got the news that Blimey (Limehouse), her veteran trainee turned seasoned pony that she had sent to join Casse's team as the stable pony just a couple of years prior, had passed away in his stall at Fair Grounds. He was 16 years old.

“[Blimey] ran until he was 9 and he was just a fun racehorse to have. He was the first pony we sent to Norm and his assistant Will [Cano] loved Blimey. Norm was always very happy to have him in the barn and he did credit him with helping a lot of the fillies and the babies. I think it really gave Will, who rode him, the opportunity to watch more and be more hands-on in the development of Norm's younger horses,” said Gaudet. “I loved him. Will had that connection with him and he was absolutely crushed [when he died]. I just kept saying, 'We need to get Will another pony.'”

Gaudet pulled John Jones out of the field in March, rode him for a couple of weeks, and called her brother-in-law.

“He's very green but he's good. He's doing everything right and he just needs to be ridden, all morning long. I know Will wants a pony, so just let me send him out to you. If he doesn't work out, you can send him back,” she said.

Though everyone was excited for him to embark on this new chapter, it was still a bit emotional for the team who had spent all of those years with him at the track in Maryland, particularly Gaudet's groom, Abel Sanchez. Though Sanchez no longer works full-time in racing, he still comes to help Gaudet on the weekends, and he was there Sunday, Apr. 16, the day they loaded John Jones onto a van bound for Churchill Downs.

“I have so many videos of [Abel]'s son, who would just have to come in and see John Jones. The boy didn't know one thing about horses, didn't know one from another, but he knew John Jones and he would come in and just feed him peppermints. And John Jones would just stand there and eat a hundred if he could. He was so gentle with that little boy,” said Gaudet. “Abel walked him to the van and he started crying.”

John Jones has settled right into life as a pony in the Casse barn, serving an important role in the lead-up to the first Friday in May while also helping to ease the pain of losing Blimey as he follows in his hoofprints as Will's new partner.

“I really loved Blimey. He would follow me and he'd wait for me. He was my favorite. He'd know when I was coming and I'd give him peppermints. I'm trying to do the same with Mr. John,” said Cano. “The more time I work with him and he gets to know me more, he'll be a nice pony. The first few days he was a little fresh, but that's normal because it was his first time at Churchill Downs, but now he's doing great. I'm happy with him.

“We're excited with Southlawn and it's nice to have a pony to walk up with her and wait for her. I really appreciate Lacey Gaudet helping us out. It's nice to have a pony in the barn, especially this kind of horse.”

If the company Southlawn keeps in the Casse barn is any indication of her potential for success on Friday and the rest of her career, there is no doubt her future is bright.

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One Year Later, Rich Strike Looks to Get Back to the Top

After it had finally sunk in that he had won the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby with an 80-1 shot named Rich Strike (Keen Ice) that no one gave a chance, trainer Eric Reed started looking forward to when he would have his next taste of glory. Five races and 364 days later, he's still waiting. The year following the Derby has not been particularly kind to Rich Strike. He ran second in the GII Lukas Classic, but was out of the money in his four other starts. His 3-year-old campaign ended with a dull sixth-place finish in the GI Clark S. Nov. 25.

But a new year and a new race bring new opportunities and a clean slate. Rich Strike will make his 4-year-old debut Friday in the GII Alysheba S., a day shy of a year and at the same track where he stunned the racing world with his 3/4-length win in the Derby. There's a lot of karma there, but karma isn't going to get him into the winner's circle. Reed knows this, but remains optimistic that Rich Strike will be competitive throughout the year in top-class races.

“He's smarter and he's stronger and he's more mature,” Reed said. “He knows what's going on. He's turned out to be what we expected at four, stronger and smarter. He's ready. Last year, he was running on adrenaline and raw talent. This year, he's had the chance to mature out. He's a better horse this year. I think he'll run well in all his races and if he doesn't, we will be disappointed.”

It's not that he was terrible last year after the Derby. He just wasn't good enough.

“Since the Derby, he ran well in every race except for the Belmont and I still say that was my fault,” Reed said. “In the Clark, he was sick and we had no knowledge of that beforehand. He always showed up. He was a head away from beating Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas Classic and had he won, that would have ended a lot of the talk.”

Reed said the main problem Rich Strike will face this year is the same problem he faced last year. He has no early speed and can find himself in a hopeless position if the pace up front isn't fast. His Derby win came after there was a pace meltdown in which they flew through early fractions of :21.78, :45.36 and 1:10.34.

“He's not going to win a lot of races because of his running style,” Reed said. “Even when everything goes right, it's hard for him to win because of the way he wants to run. We want him to do good and I think he will. I don't know how many races he will win this year, but he'll have to find a way to put himself into the races a little earlier to win.”

The Alysheba is run at a mile-and-a-sixteenth and Rich Strike probably needs more distance. He'll also be facing a tough group of rivals. Art Collector (Bernardini) won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) has won a pair of graded stakes this year and West Will Power (Bernardini) is coming off a win in the GII New Orleans Classic. This may be the deepest group of older dirt males assembled so far this year. Rich Strike is 7-2 in the morning line, but that seems like an underlay.

“It's his first start back,” Reed said. “I don't have high expectations for a win, but it would be great if he did. We just need to get in the first start and get ready for his next start, the Stephen Foster. I think that's where our season will really start to take off.”

In the meantime, Reed said he plans to enjoy the week and treasure the memories. He said he has the same crew back from last year and they are going to gather for a barbecue on Thursday. Despite Rich Strike's losing streak, Reed is still focused on how great that accomplishment was one year ago.

“I do tend to relive it, probably a couple of times a week,” he said. “It's one of those things that will never go away. You have days when you get frustrated and then you take a step back and think about the Derby and everything is good.”

Everything would be even better if Rich Strike were to win another race, preferably a big one. Reed will give him his chances this year. No excuses. Now he just needs to show that he's good enough.

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