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Terranova: ‘A Lot More Voices Have Been Heard’ Regarding Equine Safety

Just one live day – the New Year's Eve card at Aqueduct Racetrack – remains in 2020 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on the memorable year.

John Terranova took out his trainer's license in 1992 and conditioned his first winner in April of the following year. A native and resident of Syosset, Terranova was introduced to racing by his father, who owned Thoroughbreds.

He got his big break in 2000 when becoming the trainer of Gatsas Thoroughbreds' Gander, who went on to be a multiple New York-bred champion and made over $2 million in lifetime earnings. Additionally, he has conditioned Grade 1 winners Negligee, Franny Freud, Laragh and Lilacs and Lace. Terranova's 2020 highlights include winning three stakes races with New York-bred Funny Guy and capturing Saratoga's Tale of the Cat with Stan the Man.

In terms of training horses, what was the most challenging part of this year given the COVID-19 pandemic?

Terranova: For a while, it was just dealing with the uncertainty of when racing would come back. In this game, as things go, we're only as good as our last group of horses that have run. We just had to keep going and waiting for the next meet to happen and hope we do well and keep moving forward. Also, there was uncertainty as far as the owners not knowing what to do with their horses; should we give them a break? Turn them out? Rest them? How long is it going to be? It was hard to train horses with no races, targets to point for or any races in mind. That was challenging – not knowing when or if racing was going to start back. Thankfully, looking back, it was only a short period of time, but it felt like an eternity. Two days felt like two weeks, two weeks is like two months in this game. A lot can happen in a short amount of time.

It was a lot of wanting everyone to stay healthy, too. That was really the most important thing. The uncertainty of whether or not your family, workers, or yourself would get sick and how bad it would be. Even now, it continues to be something that's on our minds. When it comes down to it, that's [staying healthy] the most important thing.

What was your favorite on-track moment this year?

Terranova: Funny Guy winning the Commentator [June 12 at Belmont Park]. We had just started back racing after being shut down because of the pandemic and he had been ready for quite a while. We didn't know where to go, what to do or what would be the right spot to get him back. We hoped for an allowance type race to start, but we knew we had a solid New York-bred that was a barn favorite. Everybody loves him. After all that time off, we were just trying to do right by him and make the right call for him and the owners. He was doing really well and he really exceeded our expectations that day. It's not like he was the favorite. He went off at double-digit [11-1] odds. We were beyond thrilled with the way he ran, and it was a nice way to kick off the resumption of racing in New York for us and our team.

What was the best ride on a horse of yours?

Terranova: Joel Rosario on Funny Guy in the Commentator was a hell of a ride. He had never breezed him, never rode him in a race or anything [prior]. He's obviously a world-class rider, so guys like him are able to adapt to all types of horses in all types of situations. He went in with a lot of confidence riding him that day. He had a bit of trouble in the race where he had to check a couple times. Rosario certainly gave a beautiful ride on him and I'm grateful he had the horse to do it with. That would certainly stick out. All around, it was the biggest thrill of this unprecedented season.

Who would you say has been your most improved horse?

Terranova: Stan the Man rebounded very well for us this year. He started off early in the winter with a couple of disappointing efforts and it had us scratching our heads. We knew he had done well at Aqueduct previously and he didn't give us any real indication of what was going on. The shutdown gave us even more time to get him back going. We changed some things up with him and it sort of did a turnaround from the way he started off. Certain horses needed the time, but obviously at the time, we didn't know. It changed things up for him. What was interesting with him was that generally, his time off was over the summer. He was a horse we used strong and hard through the winter and into the spring and the summer would be his downtime and he'd come back in the late fall. This year, with all that went on, we had to switch things up with him and we had to space his races out. He got to run at Saratoga and that was something different for him.

What was the best improvement at a NYRA track in 2020?

Terranova: The new track at Saratoga is right up there. I know they're remodeling and expanding the Oklahoma [training] track which is a necessity given how many horses train up there during the offseason and how many horses train on that one track during the meet. The barns also have been a big improvement, but that's gone on for several years.

I know there was much more focus and a whole lot more attention to the overall safety of the horses and that's always an important move forward. You can't get anywhere without trying. Obviously, there are steps being made in the right directions. The main track at Saratoga is one of them. Anywhere a horse steps needs to be maintained to the best it can possibly be on a regular basis. Whether it's the surface, the horse paths, anything. Obviously, weather plays a part in it. I know there are a lot of efforts made and they listen to people. A lot more voices have been heard.

As you look ahead to a 2021 campaign what are you looking most forward to?

Terranova: We're going to take and do the best with what we have, and we're hopeful that we have one or a few of them rise to that occasion where we can have some fun and compete to the graded stakes level. Maybe a horse or two can take us to a place we've never been. We're just grateful to be racing and that we have fantastic owners and great people that are supporting us. We're hoping we can do that best we can with each one of them and that good fortune comes our way.

The 2020-21 winter meet at Aqueduct returns to action on Thursday, December 31 and continues through Sunday, March 28.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For additional information, and the complete winter meet stakes schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule.

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Holiday Reflections On The Year That Was

While 2020 has been a year of hardships for everyone in our industry, many people have said the sport has come together in ways it never has before. As we enter into the holiday season, we spoke with several people who helped make this year a little better. We asked them to reflect on the things that have been particularly difficult to deal with this year; what they have learned because of these struggles and what they hope our industry will take away from this year as we look to 2021.

PRICE BELL, General Manager of Mill Ridge Farm

“I think the balance has been difficult. You go into anything and you’re used to performing at a certain level, whether that’s being a parent, a husband or a professional. This year you couldn’t. So you find ways to compromise and be patient with yourself and with others.

In the beginning, it was really frustrating. I felt like I was a below-average parent, a below-average husband and a below-average professional. So you end up having to work together to find a balance between it all, which in that process, I guess, is humbling, but you become a lot richer. I think I’ve tried to be more patient and more appreciative of what we have. To just take a second to slow down and really appreciate all that we have and how blessed we are to have it.

If we take a step back to 2019 or 2018 or even before the pandemic, it often has felt like we’re a sinking ship. We can’t get everyone together. But I feel like the tenor has changed a little bit.

I think in general we have been very appreciative of being able to have racing. It was really sad when we couldn’t go to Saratoga, but we were still captured by Tiz the Law (Constitution). We were still blown away by Authentic (Into Mischief) and his rise. Just to be able to have those racing memories kept us going and was a wonderful component of 2020.

I think, also, that I feel more of a community. Obviously we’re competitors, but it feels like more of a community than as cut-throat as it may have been in the past. We’ll see, long may it last. But I do think we’re all in this together. I think that attitude has bubbled up more to the surface than maybe it had previously. Maybe we all feel a sense of responsibility to continue to share and continue to promote. I think we have a greater appreciation for the sport we’re able to play and the animals we’re able to associate with.

BOYD BROWNING, President and CEO of Fasig-Tipton

I think we all have to keep in mind the love and passion that people have for the horse and for racing. At the end of the day, when we’re trying to make decisions, both in the short term and long term, we’ve got to do what’s right for the horse and what’s right for racing. We’ve got to have a little broader perspective.

We all tend to get caught up in our own organizations and our own marketplaces. I think we learned this year that there is a significant interrelationship amongst both companies and markets. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that the mutual cooperation of trying to grow our business and take advantage of opportunities should be heightened.

At the end of the day, the bigger-picture message for all of us should be that we saw the real love that people have for the horse. We had an opportunity to reach some new participants and we got to take advantage of that and promote our sport and our industry–for the emotional thrill of winning a race, for the excitement of being around a good horse, and for the love of the horse and the opportunity to be involved in this majestic sport.

It was a very trying year for virtually everybody, for basically the entire world, and we did see the strength and unity of our industry. I think that we should all look forward to 2021 and beyond with great hope and great enthusiasm, but also recognize that we’ve got to do better. And if we do, then the industry can continue to grow and it can be an even better world that we live in as members of the Thoroughbred community.

AIDAN BUTLER, COO of The Stronach Group

It’s really sad that we lost a bit of a legend, trainer Bob Hess, Sr., and that just kind of brings it home. People are getting sick and people are talking about being asymptomatic, but when you lose one of your own, it doesn’t get any worse than that. It really, really brings it home. Hopefully this makes us all a little stronger by all the pulling together we’ve had to do not just in 2020, but in 2019.

One thing, I think, that has become apparent to me is how interconnected we are with the horsemen. If we are doing well, hopefully they’re doing better. If they are doing bad, we certainly are doing bad. But I think that is something I will carry with me for as long as I’ve got a job in the industry. If you understand how delicate the ecosystem is and how important the horsemen are, you have a better shot of doing okay.

I think that this industry needs to understand to always put themselves in the position of the other people in the industry. If you change your role, who does it affect? I think all the way from the track side to the horse with the trainers, the jockeys, the grooms, the backside, everybody’s affected by the littlest moves. We just need to be thoughtful. In this industry, everything we do impacts more than ourselves.

In the past, there’s been a lot of battling with sort of every man and woman for themselves. But I don’t think that’s the future of the game. We’ve got to pull together and be a little more mindful of the stuff we do. Everything I’m going to try and do in my little part of the world with what responsibilities I have, is to make our tracks be as good as they can possibly be and hopefully people appreciate that. What is it? From little acorns, great oaks are made.

KAREN CHAVEZ, General Manager of the New York Racing Track Chaplaincy

I think the most difficult part of the year was seeing the people in need. It really affected us to see the families suffering. It seemed like the end of the world, you know?

Our mission is to serve the backstretch community, but how can we say no when we see a mom with a stroller who lives across the street from the track and she asks if we can help her? So we kind of expanded our mission a bit and included our neighbors in the community and around the track.

At the end of the day, we are now feeling a sense of accomplishment. We feel like we’re being rewarded every day when we hear stories of people who are feeling better or who are getting what they need and now they have peace. That’s the best payback we can get to hear the news that everybody’s doing so much better because of what we’re doing here at the track.

I’m so grateful of the awareness that’s been raised through this season. Through social media, people are spreading the word of what’s happening here and it’s great what we’re seeing.

I’m happy to report that all of the horse racing industry has really united during this time. There is better communication than ever before with everything that is being done far as the way we’re serving the backstretch community, the workers and their families.

I think it’s important that we don’t forget the things we go through that make us stronger, make us wiser, and that we utilize every opportunity not for our personal gain, but to be able to gain resources that will help other people. I am a firm believer that when we invest in the community, more blessings will come and more resources will come. So then we can continue to serve as much as we can with what we have, knowing that people will hear of what we’re doing and more people would want to help.

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Irish-Trained Horses/Jockeys Will Not Compete in UK Due to Travel Ban

Following the news that the Irish Government has banned UK travel, no Irish-trained horses or Irish jockeys will compete in the UK through Dec. 31, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. The travel ban will expire on New Year’s Eve. In addition, declarations for UK-trained horses to race in Ireland will not be accepted during that time frame.

“The concern from Government is very clear: these are exceptional times and a travel ban with the UK is a once-in-a-generation occurrence,” said Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh. “Irish racing has followed Government advice at all times during COVID-19 and will continue to do so. In that regard, we are advising that no Irish-trained horses or jockeys should travel to the UK for competition between now and Dec. 31, and no UK horses or jockeys should travel in the opposite direction.”

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Solid Mare Trade at Goffs

KILDARE, Ireland–The final instalment of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale was devoted to breeding stock and again some high end withdrawals robbed the sale of some potential headline makers. Despite this, trade for mares that were deemed commercially desirable was strong with no shortage of suitors for the right types and it was the proven producer Zain Art (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) who held sway when selling for €390,000 to Timmy Hyde’s Camas Park Stud.

One feature from Monday’s sale was the healthy 87% clearance rate and this coupled with 11 six figure lots saw the aggregate reach €5,479,600. The sale posted an average of €31,674 and a median price of €14,000.

Taking stock of both this week’s sale and indeed a turbulent sales year, Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said, “2020 has truly been a year like no other and for all the wrong reasons. Indeed, more than anything our overwhelming feeling is one of relief that we have managed to get to the year-end having held our sales, albeit with several on revised dates and, of course, some in different locations. Whilst we recognise that we are better off than so many it has seemed that Irish sales have had to deal with some issues and barriers to trade that others have not had to face. However, with the help of many people and entities we made it.

“Our Foal Sale ended up with a smaller than usual catalogue as understandably some vendors made other plans as, at the time of entry, there was so much uncertainty. Then we were hit with more withdrawals than would normally be the case when the sale had to be delayed. Make no mistake we absolutely respect the decisions people have had to make this year but it meant a contraction in the results we have been able to return especially as several of the absentees had huge sales potential.

“That said trade was remarkably strong for those [foals] that caught the eye culminating in an especially vibrant final day that saw a trio of Frankels sharing top billing at €440,000 when selling to buyers from UK, Japan and Ireland. Not surprisingly last year’s record breaking results were out of reach but it is worth remembering that the 2019 sale outperformed the market and grew by 25% so we have really gone back to 2018 which is not a bad result given the times we are in. In fact the average price is 9% ahead of two years ago and the median static.”

He continued, “Our Breeding Stock catalogue was also much reduced and, again, the reasons are clear. In fact you could ask why anyone would want to be selling a broodmare this year in Christmas week so we have been heartened by the level of interest from what has proved a global audience with the help of Goffs Online. Again last year was particularly good growing by 28% so perspective is needed when analysing the figures which makes the average and median being within 5% especially pleasing.

“So we bid farewell to 2020, a year that no one will look back on too fondly. However there have been some notable moments at Goffs sales on both sides of the Irish Sea, most especially at our NH sales. Within five weeks we recorded two record breaking Point-To-Point prices at hastily arranged sales at Yorton Farm in Wales and sold the legendary Apple’s Jade for an amazing €530,000 in between. Our Land Rover Sale was the first sale in Ireland since the outbreak of Covid, returning better than expected results and set the standard for store sales for the second year in succession. We also launched Goffs Online which has proved a huge asset at traditional sales as well as allowing us to continue to trade during lockdown with two successful purely online live auctions as well as a timed sale of a notable horse in training.

“These are the successes but I confess that our yearling sales proved a massive disappointment, most particularly our flagship Orby Sale which we had to move to the UK this year. I would be deluded if I tried to suggest that it was anything other than very challenging and recognise that we did not perform.

“We were faced with some difficult choices in the midst of the pandemic and got some of them right but undoubtedly made some mistakes. However we cannot change the past but can only state to all our vendors that we will redouble our efforts in 2021 when we all hope and pray that Covid-19, and its massive disruptions, prove to be in the past.

“In closing I want to thank everyone for their understanding and forbearance throughout this terrible time,” added Beeby. “Every vendor has taken a leap of faith with each entry whilst all our purchasers are more valued than ever. I especially want to thank HRI and ITM as they have been so supportive and helpful with endless advice and assistance as we navigated our way through what was allowed and, as importantly, responsible. We have also worked closely with Edmond Mahony and his teams at Tattersalls in UK and Ireland as well as Eric Hoyeau and all at Arqana to ensure we lessened the impact of the inevitable disruptions to the sale calendar.

On this occasion, I also want to pay particular tribute to the entire Goffs team as every one of them, in every department, has offered nothing but support, encouragement and help throughout the year without a hint of complaint as circumstances beyond anyone’s control conspired to make life far from straightforward.

“Indeed this is an amazing industry and I close by saluting every participant for showing an enduring resilience in the face of something that only seemed to get worse. Let’s hope next year sees an end to Covid related problems and a return to what we know. For now we send our best wishes for a safe Christmas that is as merry as possible for everyone.”

Monday’s session topper, lot 892, came to prominence earlier this summer when her 2-year-old daughter Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) won the G2 Balanchine S. at The Curragh and she proved that was no fluke when running third next time in the G1 Phoenix S. The Fozzy Stack-trained filly was bought soon after that by LNJ Foxwoods and it would be no surprise to see her emerge as a leading G1 Commonwealth Cup contender next year. Zain Art was consigned by Ciara Eglington’s Collegelands Stud on behalf of Cornagher House and is in foal to Highclere stallion Land Force (Ire).

The Aga Khan-bred Sindiyma (Ire) (Kalanisi {Ire}) was a €20,000 purchase in this ring seven years ago by Tony Ashley but having bred the likes of Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr Fong) and Marie’s Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the interim, the now 13-year-old mare was a very different commodity when returned to Goffs on Monday as lot 922.

Carrying an own sibling to G3 Anglesey S. winner Marie’s Diamond and offered by Airlie Stud, the mare will now swap Kildare for Kilkenny after Ballylinch Stud’s John O’Connor successfully bid €315,000 for her.

“She is a lovely proven mare with a high class pedigree,” O’Connor said afterwards. “She will come back to Ballylinch, we’ll foal her down and the plan is to cover her with Lope De Vega. I love the fact she was able to breed two stakes winners and one from a Giant’s Causeway-line stallion. Hopefully if we breed a few fillies out of her we can start to establish our own successful branch of the family.”

There were some real gems among the Godolphin draft and the second batch that went through the ring on Monday afternoon produced some excellent sales. Chief among these was lot 911, Varamini (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), offered with an Invincible Spirit (Ire) cover. The 4-year-old, who is a full-sister to G2 Prix Sandringham winner Volta (Fr), was bought by Margaret O’Toole for €280,000.

“She is a very good looking mare and she is in foal to a good stallion,” said O’Toole. “It is a current family with plenty going on and she will be staying in Ireland.”

Shortly before this, Airlie Stud went to €160,000 to secure lot 907, Bitter Lake (Halling). The winning half-sister to G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry) is in foal to Blue Point (Ire) and has young fillies by Shamardal and Exceed And Excel (Aus) on the ground.

Another significant transaction saw the 16-year-old mare Criticism (GB) (Machiavellian) go the way of the Cantillon’s Tinnakill Bloodstock for €120,000. Lot 900, who was a five time graded stakes winner in America, has already produced the stakes winner Magical Touch (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and was sold in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire).

The first Godolphin draft wasn’t short of quality either and the first to break six figures was lot 814, Haughtily (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The half-sister to G1 Coronation S. winner Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was unraced, and has yet to breed a winner from two horses of racing age. However such is the depth of her pedigree that it took a bid of €105,000 from Hubie De Burgh to secure the close relative to the brilliant multiple champion Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The 9-year-old is carrying a Ribchester (Ire) foal and is due in the middle of March.

Shortly after this lot 819, the 6-year-old winning mare Light Spirit (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) was purchased by Old Carhue Stud for €70,000. Carrying to Exceed And Excel (Aus), the daughter of G1 Fillies’ Mile winner Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry) has a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel and a Shamardal filly foal working for her.

Hubie De Burgh teamed up with Norelands Stud not long after to purchase lot 844, L’Age D’Or (GB), (Iffraaj {GB}) for €90,000. The half-sister to two stakes winners is in foal to Lanwades Stud stallion Sea The Moon (Ger) who will stand at his highest fee so far in 2021.

Similarly the Aga Khan draft is a fertile source of success, last year’s €110,000 purchase Sonaiyla (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) increased eightfold in value when sold earlier this month and lot 934, a filly by the same sire, was the top priced lot this year from the draft when selling to Ballygallon Stud for €150,000. The 3-year-old Eshtiya (Ire) won a Dundalk maiden in August for Dermot Weld and is a half-sister to the promising Weld trained 2-year-old Erzindjan (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Meanwhile, lot 862, Opal Heart (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), held the distinction of being the only mare offered for sale in the world this year in foal to Sea The Stars (Ire). The Jockey Hall Stud-consigned 3-year-old daughter of G2 Prix du Royallieu winner Sea Of Heartbreak (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) cost the BBA’s Michael Donohoe €110,000, which isn’t bad value given the stallion enters 2021 with an advertised fee of €150,000.

The Grassicks of Newtown Stud enjoyed a rewarding sale with lot 846, Always Gold (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), when the 5-year-old was knocked down to Rabbah Bloodstock for €105,000. The mare was picked out by Cathy Grassick at Arqana two years ago for €22,000 but a plan to put her back into training had to be aborted when she picked up an injury. Sent to Juddmonte to be covered by Bated Breath (GB), the Grassicks were then fortunate that the mare’s half-brother Chachnak (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) made his mark in two Group 3 contests in the meantime.

“We’re delighted but a bit sad to see her go,” Newtown’s Sally-Anne Grassick said. “There are four of us involved in her and we’ve always loved her but it was a good price and credit to Cathy for buying her originally.”

Deflecting most of the praise back onto the mare herself Cathy Grassick chipped in, “She is a gorgeous mare and I’m delighted Rabbah have bought her as she will be well mated. I’ve always been a big fan of Bated Breath and I thought it was a cross that would suit the mare. As Sally said, we’re sad to see her go as she is such a queen but I look forward to following the progress of her progeny.”

Rabbah later added lot 949 to their broodmare band when paying €160,000 for Second Glance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a 3-year-old in foal to Calyx (GB) from The Castlebridge Consignment.

The first mare to make a decent ripple was lot 796 from Grenane House Stud. The 4-year-old Tracing (Ire), a daughter of Galileo (Ire) and the stakes winner and Classic placed Ishvana (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), landed a Dundalk maiden for Aidan O’Brien on her final run and was knocked down to Kevin Blake for €85,000. The mare was sold in foal to Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and is also a full-sister to the promising Never Forgotten (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was the impressive winner of a Gowran maiden for Joseph O’Brien in July but did not run subsequently.

Blake is building up a strong band of mares and said, “It’s hard enough to get your hands on a young Galileo mare like this, so I’m delighted. She is carrying a colt as well which is a plus and the full-sister Never Forgotten is back in training after a small setback, so hopefully she can give the pedigree a boost next season as she looks quite smart.”

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