Dennis Drazin | Horse Racing Free Tips

New Jersey Horseman John Forbes ‘Embodied Everything Good About This Business,’ Passes At Age 73

John Forbes, a longtime trainer and president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, passed away on Sunday at age 73.

Born in Maryland, Forbes spent his entire career in the racing industry, following both of his parents into the training game. He moved his operations to New Jersey in the late 1970s and has been a Garden State mainstay ever since.

“John was New Jersey racing,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack. “He was a tireless advocate for the industry, for the horsemen and for Monmouth Park.

“With a boundless capacity for kindness, John embodied everything good about this business – honor, integrity, compassion and selflessness. More than that, John had an infectious energy for racing. I will forever cherish our many years working together and appreciate not just our friendship but our collective effort on behalf of the horsemen to better this industry and the lives of those who work in it.”

From more than 14,000 starters, Forbes won over 2,100 races as a trainer. Among his long list of accomplished runners were graded stakes winners Peanut Butter Onit, Pukka Princess, Jess C's Whirl, Boyce, Amarillo, Get Serious and Tale of the Cat, who went on to be a leading sire.

Forbes gave up training on a daily basis in 2012, but was certainly no stranger to the Monmouth Park grounds. That year he embarked on a new project, Bluegrass Mini Golf, which he oversaw the construction and operation and was instrumental in delivering the US Mini Golf Open in 2014 and again in 2017. His work earned him a spot in the US ProMiniGolf Hall of Fame.

Upon giving up his trainer's license in 2012, Forbes turned the operation over to his longtime assistant Pat McBurney.

“John and I spent decades together experiencing all the highs and lows that this business has to offer,” McBurney said. “It was always a team effort with John. Even after he stopped training on a day-to-day basis he was equally involved as an owner, advisor and most importantly a friend. It's hard to imagine Monmouth Park without John, but Monmouth Park will forever be better because of John.”

Forbes leaves behind his wife Vicki, son John T. Forbes (Director of Operations at Monmouth Park), two daughters, Anne and Carrie, and two grandchildren.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no services will be held.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Forbes's name to the Backstretch Community Assistance Program (BCAP), whose address is 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport, NJ 07757. BCAP assists New Jersey horse racing stable employees in the areas of counseling, health, education, recreation and benevolence.

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Stakes Warriors Mr. Buff, Sunny Ridge Gearing Up For Kimmel At Big A

Trainer John Kimmel said Chester and Mary Broman's popular New York-homebred Mr. Buff could make his next start in the open nine-furlong Jazil on January 23.

Mr. Buff finished second to Bankit last out in the nine-furlong Alex M. Robb on December 12 at the Big A.

The 7-year-old Friend Or Foe gelding posted a record of 8-3-2-0 in 2020, including scores in the Jazil and Haynesfield at Aqueduct and the Empire Classic at Belmont. He entered the Alex M. Robb, a race he won by 7 ½-lengths in 2019, off of one week's rest from a fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

Kimmel said he may have been ambitious in the quick turnaround to the Alex M. Robb with the Queens Country, won by Backsideofthemoon on December 19, also an option for the sizable chestnut.

“He was tired after that last race,” said Kimmel. “I walked him for a week and jogged him for a week since. I probably would have been better off waiting for the Queens County. But he's doing fine.”

Kimmel said Dennis Drazin's 8-year-old New Jersey-homebred Sunny Ridge, a $1.4 million earning son of Holy Bull, is close to a return.

The multiple graded stakes winner last raced in January 2020 when third in the Grade 3 Toboggan at the Big A. He returned to the work tab in November and has breezed five times on the Belmont dirt training track, including a half-mile in 50.04 on December 28.

“He's probably three weeks away from running,” said Kimmel. “He's doing OK. I'd like to find an allowance race for him in the next book.”

Sunny Ridge won the 2016 Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct and a year later took the Jazil and Stymie on the Ozone Park oval. He became a multiple graded-stakes winner in 2019 with a score in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park.

Tobey L. Morton's Mandatory, a 4-year-old American Pharoah chestnut purchased for $400,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-year-olds in Training Sale, stretches out to nine furlongs in Sunday's third race for maidens 4-years-old and up at Aqueduct when returning from more than a year layoff.

“I couldn't get a sprint race to go. It would have been preferable to run him in a shorter race off a year layoff,” said Kimmel.

Out of the multiple stakes winning Lost Soldier mare Chit Chatter, Mandatory is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winner I'm a Chatterbox. The chestnut colt, with blinkers on, breezed a sharp half-mile from the gate in 47.64 on December 27 on the dirt training track. Mandatory will be first-time blinkers in Sunday's return with Dylan Davis at the helm.

“He's performed very well in the mornings with blinkers on and has been very sharp,” said Kimmel. “He's a very well-bred horse and I've always liked him, it's just taken awhile to get him to the point where I've been happy with him.

“He's had a chronic hind end issue,” continued Kimmel. “I gave him time off and started him back but it showed up again, so I gave him all of Saratoga off and knock wood he's not had any issues since then. He's been breezing right along and breezing well.”

Mandatory made his first two starts at Belmont in 2019, finishing third in his September 28 debut at six furlongs and fifth last out on October 26 when stretched out to 1 1/16-miles.

“I don't think he has distance limitations,” said Kimmel. “His first race was pretty impressive considering he got left and then made a good late run going six furlongs. He ran flat the first time I stretched him out to a mile, so I'd say something was starting to bug him at that point as he didn't come out of that race all that great. He never did have surgery, he just had time off.”

Kimmel said he is hopeful of a good showing from Mandatory.

“We think he's a damn nice horse and he's super well bred. He's a half-brother to a really good filly,” said Kimmel.

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The Week in Review: Before Feasting Upon Thanksgiving Fare, Chew On This

Last week’s headlines had little to do with on-track action. This coming week though, we awaken from the sport’s annual post-Breeders’ Cup snooze with an eye toward decent Thanksgiving weekend racing and on-the-horizon stakes that could add a touch of intrigue to the tail end of the 2020 season.

But before you feast upon the holiday fare, chew on these side dishes that anchored the last seven days of the news cycle (plus a few other tidbits that didn’t land on the front pages):

Last Tuesday we learned via federal prosecutors that more doping charges could be in the pipeline for existing and new defendants in the alleged years-long drugging conspiracy involving now-barred trainers Jason Servis, Jorge Navarro, and a wide-ranging cast of enablers that includes veterinarians.

A key takeaway from that Nov. 17 court hearing is that the lead prosecutor said he now believes that two of the alleged performance-enhancing drug (PED) suppliers were pushing at least some sham pharmaceuticals to Servis that didn’t really do anything to make a horse faster or stronger.

But, the prosecutor added, the government will still be treating those substances as if they were actual PEDs, because the true intent on the part of Servis was to allegedly pump horses full of illicit drugs.

The other main point gleaned from last Tuesday’s hearing is that this case isn’t likely to go to trial until the second half of 2021 because of the voluminous amount of evidence that is surfacing in the discovery process.

So it’s conceivable we could still be batting around this court case over next year’s Thanksgiving turkey.

Meanwhile, on the western front…

The day after the federal doping case hearings, TDN asked California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director Rick Arthur, DVM, to identify what under-the-radar substance might be likely to next surface as drug of abuse.

Arthur replied in the Nov. 18 Q&A that “It’s not really under the radar. We are concerned with SARMs [selective androgen receptor modulators]. Those are a class of drugs that have anabolic-like activity, but they are not really anabolic steroids. We’ve seen some of them in testing already [and] that is a group of drugs that I think that we have to pay attention to.”

The following day, during the CHRB’s monthly meeting, Arthur brought up a separate topic about an abused substance that hasn’t been in the headlines lately: Thyroxine.

In introducing a new rule proposal Nov. 19 to curb thyroxine “to the point that it really will not be used any longer within CHRB facilities,” Arthur revealed that since the start of this year, veterinarians on the Southern California circuit alone have reported 287 prescriptions for thyroxine. Incredibly, he added that “over half of the prescriptions” were written for just two trainers, and 80% of that thyroxine was “prescribed by just three veterinarians.”

This despite a CHRB advisory against thyroxine that has been in effect for more than six years warning against its use in horses that don’t legitimately need it because of the drug’s nasty reputation for producing cardiac arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. Arthur added that “while we cannot assert a cause-and-effect relationship, one sudden death already in 2020 occurred five days after the horse was prescribed thyroxine.”

The CHRB did not disclose the names of the trainers, veterinarians, or the horse that perished after receiving thyroxine. The motion to advance the rule passed, 7-0.

Fixed-odds experiment coming to NJ…maybe

Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park and its sports book, predicted to the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) last Wednesday that within five years, fixed-odds betting has the potential to comprise “a significant portion of the handle” in horse racing.

Several commissioners expressed fears about fixed-odds betting cannibalizing the existing pari-mutuel system. Yet despite their repeated lamenting about “last rites” to a model that “will lose out in the end if it has to compete” with fixed odds, no one on the NJRC inquired about what a realistic pricing structure might look like for the new model so it could benefit bet-makers, bet-takers and the horsemen.

Fixed-odds bookmaking, which allows a customer to lock in pricing at the time of the wager, does indeed have theoretical promise to revolutionize, reenergize, and even replace traditional straight wagering in this country (while leaving exotics to be better handled by pari-mutuels).

But when the NJRC voted 4-0 Nov. 18 to approve a fixed-odds pilot program for 2021 that would be limited to bets on out-of-state Grade I races, it didn’t even raise the issue of how the bets would be priced in terms of takeout so that the tracks that fund those races get paid for their product.

Granted, the pilot program wasn’t even the NJRC’s idea. It was handed down by the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which has the authority to regulate fixed-odds wagers. The NJRC was only involved because a provision in the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 requires approval from the receiving state’s racing commission before wagers can be taken on imported signals.

What’s in a name?

It’s great that a smaller track laden with no-frills charm like Fairmount Park will have its lifespan extended thanks to 2019 legislation in Illinois that granted it the privilege to host slot machines, table games and sports betting.

Not so enthusing was last week’s announcement that Fairmount’s corporate gaming partner is “rebranding” (read: obliterating) the name of the storied oval 12 miles east of St. Louis so it will now be known as “FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing.”

Apparently, 95 years of history are getting tossed into the nearby Mississippi River. Sure, the corporate backer is putting up millions of dollars. But FanDuel wouldn’t be there in the first place if it wasn’t for Fairmount hanging in there long beyond most expectations for it to survive.

In the Nov. 16 press release that heralded the erasure of the Fairmount name, the partners also announced that the company will “fund the renewal and running of the $250,000 St. Louis Derby, the track’s signature event, which has not been conducted since 2006 due to financial constraints.”

Actually, the 2006 St. Louis Derby was the only edition of the race ever conducted. It was the legacy of the old Fairmount Derby, which was run inconsistently between 1926 and 1996, with decades-long gaps between some runnings.

But that one and only St. Louis Derby did produce a good trivia question. Can you name the winner of that 2006 stakes? He was a colt who won six straight races leading up to the GI Kentucky Derby. He ran 12th behind Barbaro, and it was discovered post-race that he had been hindered by an ankle chip. After surgery to repair it, this chestnut was pounded to 4-5 favoritism when returning to his winning ways at Fairmount on a muggy Saturday night in August.

Need another hint? A year later, that colt flourished as a Grade I force, sweeping both the Whitney H. and Woodward S. at Saratoga.

Lawyer Ron is the answer. I’ll be rooting for Fairmount to lure another high-profile horse to the St. Louis Derby in 2021.

I just won’t be referring to that appealing old track by its unimaginative new name.

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New Jersey Fixed-Odds Pilot Program Cleared for 2021

Even as a separate bill to allow fixed-odds wagering on in-state horse races is making its way through the New Jersey Legislature, the state’s racing commission voted 4-0 Nov. 18 to give consent for licensees to try a fixed-odds pilot program during 2021 that would be limited to bets on out-of-state Grade I races.

The vote was unanimous but not without misgivings, as several commissioners voiced concerns prior to the vote that fixed-odds betting would cannibalize the existing pari-mutuel system and eventually erode New Jersey’s racing industry.

And one New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) member had to be corrected just prior to the vote because he thought the board had been discussing exchange wagering and not fixed-odds betting (It was unclear who, because commissioners often cross-talked and did not identify themselves when speaking during Wednesday’s teleconference meeting).

But the fact that the current bill, introduced Oct. 31, seems to have considerable political heft behind it appeared to be an overriding factor in the unanimous vote, as the presumed wishes of elected and appointed officials surfaced several times during the discussion.

“The pilot program would be regulated by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE),” explained Judith Nason, the NJRC’s executive director. “DGE has the authority to regulate fixed-odds wagers, which [are] also known as sports wagers.

“So, the question before you today is whether the commission wants to grant its consent to fixed-odds wagers [on] Grade I stakes races of national interest that are being conducted in another state through Dec. 31, 2021, which would allow the pilot program to move forward,” Nason continued. “It would allow the attempt to gauge interest [in] fixed-odds wagers on horse racing. At the same time, there is proposed legislation that is moving forward that would broadly allow fixed-odds wagers on horse races.”

Asked by a commissioner what the benefit of the pilot program would be to New Jersey’s horse racing, Nason replied, “It would bring benefits to the sports wagering operators, and to a certain extent to, you know, that the revenue can be shared and some of it can be directed for purse money.”

Dennis Drazin, the chairman and chief executive of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park and its sports book, weighed in with a different perspective.

“I think it’s commendable that we start with a pilot program until such time as the legislature has an opportunity [to vote on it] and the governor signs off, assuming we get to that point,” Drazin said.

“We’ve been hung up for six months on whether or not a wager on a horse race is s sports bet or a horse racing bet, because they’re handled differently. The proposed legislation says it’s a horse racing bet,” Drazin said.

“I gather that the attorney general, if I read Judy [Nason] correctly, has weighed in and feels that we should start with the pilot program for Grade I races only,” Drazin said.

Commissioner Michael Arnone expressed doubts about the long-term repercussions of fixed-odds betting prior to casting a “yes” vote in line with the other commissioners.

“I get the feeling like we’re the good monsignor getting called up to give last rites to the pari-mutuel system. I mean, I think the pari-mutuel system will lose out in the end if it has to compete,” Arnone said. “We’ll see what happens, but unfortunately, I’ve got a very negative view of it.”

Drazin said his support for trying the system is based partially on repeated complaints he hears from pari-mutuel customers about fluctuations in odds after a race goes off.

“The Australian [fixed odds] model has proven to grow their industry. And with a significantly less population in Australia than we have here, they out-handle us,” Drazin said. “I think it’s important that we look at this. Nobody knows what the future is going to be…In the early days, it will have a minimal impact [on pari-mutuels]. But five years down the road, a significant portion of the handle will be fixed odds.”

Prior to the unanimous vote, Drazin had asked the NJRC to widen to scope of the pilot program to include all graded North American stakes races, graded international races, and Monmouth’s two in-state Grade Is, the Haskell S. and United Nations S.

But Nason wouldn’t allow those modifications to the template for the pilot program, which had been handed down by the DGE. That leaves New Jersey’s bet-taking licensees with about 90 to 95 Thoroughbred races on which to offer fixed-odds wagering in 2021.

Based on Drazin’s comments, Monmouth appears set to embrace the pilot system. When asked by the commission, a Meadowlands official declined the opportunity to comment on the program.

“Lastly, I would ask you to just consider what you’re going to do if one track–and I’ll just give you an example, let’s say Churchill Downs–decides they’re going to authorize fixed odds on the [GI] Kentucky Derby, but they’re not going to give it to anybody else except to [the] Churchill [advance-deposit wagering system that] operates online in New Jersey. Do you think that that would have a negative impact on the rest of us?”

Thoroughbred Dates Approved for 2021

Also on Wednesday, the NJRC unanimously approved 2021 Thoroughbred dates at Monmouth (53 days, May 28-Sept. 26) and for a turf-only meet at the Meadowlands (nine days, Oct. 1-30).

John Heims, Monmouth’s racing secretary and director of racing, said that the track is going back to “more of a traditional” Memorial Day weekend opening like in past seasons. That calendar, he added, allows Monmouth to better dovetail with the closing meets at Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs, “so I think it actually bolsters out ability to offer a better racing product.”

In 2020, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association had approval to run 56 days at Monmouth and 19 at the Meadowlands. But the pandemic lopped off the start of the Monmouth meet and caused the cancellation of what was supposed to be the first dual-surface Thoroughbred meet at the Meadowlands since 2009. Those dates were transferred to Monmouth instead, where a total of 60 programs were run this year.

The topic of running both dirt and turf races at the Meadowlands in 2021 did not come up at Wednesday’s meeting.

Monmouth Reports $2.5 Million-plus Racing Loss

A separate section of the agenda dealt with the distribution of monies from the Casino Simulcasting Special Fund, which requires New Jersey racetracks to show evidence that their financial well-being has been negatively affected by casino simulcasting and/or that the racetrack is “financially distressed” in order to receive those funds.

During that agenda item, Nason said all three state tracks (Monmouth, Meadowlands, Freehold Raceway) met those requirements. Although a specific time frame for the financials was not mentioned, Nason read into the record that “Monmouth Park reported losses in excess of $2.5 million from racing operations while also citing the [NJTHA’s] debt obligations to the [New Jersey] Sports and Exposition Authority, which exceed $9 million through 2024.”

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