A granddaughter of La Noire, the mare who was famously gifted to McGrath by his late father in the nineties, Jetara will take on the boys in the G1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle on Saturday and will arrive at Leopardstown in the form of her life after posting three wins on the trot. 

It was in 2020 when McGrath, 72, decided to offer the majority of his breeding and racing stock as part of a dispersal at Tattersalls Ireland. All bar the first foals out of each broodmare he owned were offered under the hammer and, once again, lady luck was on the breeder's side with the now Grade 1 aspirant Jetara one of the fillies he decided to retain. 

McGrath joked, “It's hard to get out of this game! It was a couple of years ago when Michael O'Leary said he was getting out but he still has plenty of horses. Basically, Jetara is the start of a new legacy, isn't she? If she stays safe, she is going to continue on the line.”

There is a common theme with McGrath's horses. They all begin with the letter J and, for the most part, they have been trained by Jessica Harrington. 

McGrath may well have felt that the final chapters of his famous association with the La Noire family had been written after the dispersal of less than four years ago which makes Jetara's emergence as a top-notch prospect all the sweeter.

“I hope that the best may still be to come with Jetara,” he explained. “She was superb in a Grade 3 at Leopardstown the last day and Jessica says that she will be even better on a nicer surface. We will see how Saturday goes but we will probably skip Cheltenham and target Fairyhouse and Punchestown, although that will be Jessica's decision.”

He added on his association with Harrington, “She is fantastic. Jessica is straight-talking and you know exactly where you stand with her. She always does the best she can by you and, what she has gone through last year, she is as strong as an ox. Nothing keeps her down.”

What makes McGrath's achievements even more mind-boggling is the fact that, prior to being gifted the amazing foundation mare La Noire, he had no knowledge about breeding or racing horses. Nobody could accuse him for being asleep at the wheel with Jezki's memorable Champion Hurdle performance in the colours of JP McManus last decade put forward as an obvious highlight.

He said, “Jezki winning the Champion Hurdle was an amazing day. And it's funny, you know, everybody knows the horse but they don't know his name. They call him jet ski. He was named after my daughters Kim and Zoe. So, as usual, we start off with the J, and added in the Z for Zoe and the K for Kim.”

It may be common practice in some jurisdictions for a horse's name to begin with a certain letter depending on when they were born. However, in this case, the naming of the steeds is once again down to nothing but pure superstition. 

McGrath explained, “Well, the mother was La Noire, which translates to black, and I just thought when you think of black, you think jet black. The first one beginning with the letter J was successful and, given we are a very superstitious crowd, we kept it going.”

He added, “I wasn't born into horses. My Dad was big into the breeding but he used to give away the fillies and race the boys. I was out helping him in the yard one day and he told me he was about to give La Noire away but asked me if I wanted her first. It was purely timing, otherwise somebody else would have owned La Noire. I hadn't a clue about breeding but learned as I went along. I knew what I had and I knew what I hoped to produce. One and one doesn't always make two and, even when you think you have the perfect formula, it doesn't work that way with breeding. But luck has been on our side. La Noire was so prolific. I must also say that Coolmore have been a great help to me.”

Having carried McGrath's colours for the early stages of his career, Jezki was sold to JP McManus, for whom he sported the famous green and gold hoops of the legendary owner when out-battling My Tent Or Yours (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}) in the 2014 Champion Hurdle. Similarly to Jezki, two more siblings, Jenari and Jered, were sold mid-career to McManus, and McGrath revealed that Jetara will probably change hands at some point in the near future such is the need to keep the wheels turning. 

He said, “Jetara reminds me so much of Jezki. The way she jumps and travels is similar to him and, you know, she's probably a roomier mare to La Noire so she should make a very good broodmare down the line. I don't have an interest in breeding anymore so, if somebody does come in for this filly, there is a likelihood that she will be sold. It has to make some business sense.”

He added, “When we had the dispersal, I decided to keep the first foal out of each of the mares. I kept Jetara in the hope that she'd be good and thank God that luck has been on my side again. We also have Jekiki (Ire) (Soldier Of Fortune {Ire}) in training. She is out of Jeree (Ire) (Flemensfirth), who hasn't produced anything of note yet, but she has a lovely four-year-old by Order Of St George (Ire) who is in Jessica's and is apparently showing the right signs. Do you want to know what he is going to be called? Jerrari. Like Ferrari, only with a J in front of it. Now, he's not red, but hopefully he's as fast as one!”

It's not just the naming of McGrath's horses that have captured the imagination down through the years. His bright orange colours, which can be seen from outer space, are just as synonymous as the names. 

“I am a bit of an artist so I drew up some blank colours and started colouring them in to see what worked. Orange and black works nicely so, when it came to getting the colours made up, I had two types of orange to choose from. I went with the bright fluorescent orange. You can see the colours through the fog. 

“But it's funny, they say racing is the sport of kings. Well what town in Ireland do you associate kings with? Tara. Say no more!”

The post ‘Start Of A New Legacy’ – Jetara Bids To Do Outstanding Family Proud At DRF appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Imagine my surprise to find out that I cannot place bets at Churchill Downs, Turfway, Fairgrounds and any other track that Churchill owns. And I cannot watch online live video either.

Now, I don't know what the squabble is between DRF and Churchill, but it's unfair to the horse player. Another example of how the “big boys” really don't care much about the small bettors like myself and tens of thousands of others. So, what is the problem, DRF and Churchill? I'm sure we would like to hear why this is.

So, DRF and Churchill, fix this ASAP. Give us horse players big and small a break.  There are a lot of online betting sites now, easy to change if you are unwilling to make the fix.

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Bertino Jr.
Guilderland, NY

The post Letter to the Editor: Joseph S. Bertino Jr. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“Echo Zulu sustained a biaxial sesamoid bone fracture of the left-front fetlock during training this morning at Santa Anita,” Fiske texted the TDN. “She has been stabilized in a kimzey splint and will undergo surgery for a fetlock arthrodesis tomorrow.”

According to the Kimzey Welding website, which sells the device, a kimzey splint is comprised of aluminum with a neo-foam lining. Three nylon and velcro straps secure the splint to the injured leg while a fourth strap at the base of the splint holds the hoof firmly in place.

In a 2020 story on the procedure, Dan Ross explained, “There are two primary candidates for fetlock arthrodesis, experts say: horses crippled with degenerative arthritis, and in racehorses, those that suffer a closed biaxial proximal sesamoid fracture (when both sesamoid bones break in the same leg).”

The story continues, “The initial portion of the surgery concerns the removal of cartilage between the bones, to make the fusion as tight and stable as possible.”

“That's the most important part of the procedure that's often not done correctly,' warned California veterinarian Ryan Carpenter, who has performed numerous procedures, at the time. “You need that bone-on-bone interface so that it can heal properly.”

A plate is placed across the front of the fetlock, which holds the whole joint in place, wrote Ross. This plate is secured with screws that can be inserted into the fetlock, pastern, cannon bone and, when necessary, the sesamoids. A tension band, a wire that goes behind the fetlock joint, provides another layer of joint stabilization.

“When the sesamoid bones break, you have nothing that supports it back there, and the fetlock drops,” said Carpenter, of the need for this mechanism.

The post Echo Zulu Fractures Sesamoids in Santa Anita Workout; Surgery Scheduled appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Peb explained how it all began for him, back when he was a young boy in France.

“I always tried to copy from the newspapers,” he said. “When I was a kid I was copying cartoons and it was my ambition to draw. I made albums of a caricature of politicians. I have albums full of those things. I had a great passion for that.”

Because his father was a head lad for a French stable, Bellocq was also interested in racing and capturing the sport through his cartoons. In 1954, John D. Schapiro became aware of Peb's work and brought him in from France to do the art work for the inaugural running of the Washington D.C. International, which would lead to a job with the Morning Telegraph. His accommodations on that first trip over weren't necessarily first class.

“They invited me to come to America, but they were wondering how they could bring me here,” he said. “I found that a friend of mine was putting together a plane in Chicago with four horses that were coming for the Washington, DC International. So, they said, if you want, you can take advantage of that. So I went on as cargo. I was sitting on the hay in cargo with the horses. This is how I came to America. It was absolutely wonderful. And as you know, I ended up here for good.”

At one point in his career, Peb was also doing political cartoons for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Walter Annenberg owned both the Inquirer and the Form. But he sold the Inquirer and the new owners told Peb he had to make a choice, racing cartoons or political cartoons. He chose racing.

“The paper soon got sold from Annenberg to Knight Ridder,” Remi Bellocq said. “He had to make a decision to go for one or the other. I want to point out that had my father decided to stay with the Philadelphia Inquirer, with Knight Ridder, he'd probably have a wall full of Pulitzers at this point. A lot of other cartoonists have said so. That might have been the loss of the political world, but our gain certainly in horse racing.”

The segment also included a contest between the two Bellocqs. Each was asked to draw a cartoon about the 50th anniversary of Secretariat winning the Triple Crown. The two cartoons are shown during the podcast and viewers were invited to vote for their favorite. A random drawing will be held among those voting for the winning cartoon and that person will win the original cartoon. To do so, friend Remi Bellocq on Twitter at @BellocqRemi. On his Twitter page, you can then cast your vote.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore,https://lanesend.com/  the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders,  1/ST Racing, WinStar Farm, XBTV, Lane's End, Three Chimneys and West Point Thoroughbreds, podcast regulars Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss and Bill Finley took a look at the GI Preakness S. The consensus was that Mage (Good Magic) will be tough to beat but that he's no lock. With Mage being the only Derby starter to return for the Preakness, the subject of changing the spacing of the Triple Crown races produced a lively debate, with all three arguing that the time has come to make some necessary adjustments and improvements. The reports that Forte (Violence) tested positive following his win in last year's GI Hopeful S. brought about strong condemnation of the New York Times for sensationalizing  the story and using the word “doping” in the headline. And everybody was left scratching their heads over the fact that it took more than eight months before the matter was made public.

Click for the video of the latest podcast or the audio-only version.

The post Remi And Pierre (Peb) Bellocq Join The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 52nd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, Keeneland, and The Jockey Club,  on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2022 Horse of the Year.

Of the 258 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, 246 (95.3%) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.

The 2022 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, (in alphabetical order) are:

Two-Year-Old Male: Cave Rock (Arrogate), Forte (Violence), Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn})

Two-Year-Old Filly: Leave No Trace (Outwork), Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief)

Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter (Not This Time), Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Taiba (Gun Runner)

Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest (Curlin), Secret Oath (Arrogate), Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

Older Dirt Male: Flightline (Tapit), Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Olympiad (Speightstown)

Older Dirt Female: Clairiere (Curlin), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), Malathaat (Curlin)

Male Sprinter: Cody's Wish (Curlin), Elite Power (Curlin), Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music)

Female Sprinter: Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper)

Male Turf Horse: Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

Female Turf Horse: In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), War Like Goddess (English Channel)

Steeplechase Horse: Down Royal (Alphabet Soup), Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}), Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

Owner: Peter Brant, Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables Inc.

Breeder: Godolphin LLC, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC

Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr., Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario

Apprentice Jockey: Jeiron Barbosa, Vicente Del-Cid, Jose Antonio Gomez

In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, David Harrison will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2022 Horseplayer of the Year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.

Eclipse Awards voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards ceremony is produced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire, Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.

The post 2022 Eclipse Awards Finalists Named appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Eurton, a fixture on FanDuel TV and NBC Sports and the daughter of California trainer Peter Eurton, returns to the Eclipse Awards in 2023, having co-hosted each of the last three years. Hazelton, whose late father Richard trained some 4,700 winners in a 60-year career, got his start with HRTV before moving over to TVG and is one of the network's go-to reporters for international racing, having covered several runnings of the Dubai World Cup and Royal Ascot. Also the paddock analyst for racing at Keeneland, Hazelton serves as an announcer for the company's auctions. Wolfendale has served as paddock host and analyst for the New York Racing Association for the past dozen years and is a mainstay on the NYRA-produced 'America's Day at the Races' and 'Saratoga Live.' Wolfendale also serves as an exercise rider to her husband, trainer Tom Morley, and has retired and retrained several of his former runners.

A VIP pre-sale of tickets will begin Monday, Nov. 7, and general ticket sales start a week later. To stay up to date on the Eclipse Awards and for additional information, click here.

The post Eurton, Wolfendale, Hazelton To Host Eclipse Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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This marks the first time that Formulator will be available at no cost. Formulator is the most powerful handicapping tool in the sport, allowing horseplayers to access the most advanced interactive features when analyzing horse races. Access to free Formulator data will be exclusively available to customers playing the races on DRF Bets, Daily Racing Form's betting website and app. Players receive a free Formulator card for each $50 wagered on DRF Bets.

“We are thrilled to offer our most powerful data product for free for the first time ever,” said Itay Fisher, DRF's chief executive officer. “We ultimately want to help our customers win more playing the races and believe that providing access to the authoritative handicapping product can do just that. Industry leaders and professional horseplayers consider Formulator to be an invaluable tool in their handicapping arsenal, and we are elated to offer this to our DRF Bets members.”

Formulator past performances, launched in 2000, are interactive, allowing horseplayers to customize and sort data fields. Filters can be applied to display lifetime past performances, workouts, trainer patterns, and more. In addition, race replays, full race charts, and pedigree statistics – including lifetime past performances for sires, dams, and siblings – are available via a single click. Formulator users also can enter notes on horses, races, and cards. Formulator was redesigned in 2020 to make it mobile optimized.

For those players who were already using DRF Bets, earned credits are now redeemable for either Formulator or Classic past performances.

For more information and further offers, click here.

The post DRF Bets Customers Now Eligible For Free Formulator Data From Daily Racing Form appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Eclipse Awards, honoring excellence in Thoroughbred racing, are voted upon by the NTRA, represented by member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, NTWAB and Daily Racing Form, and are produced by the NTRA.

TVG also will televise live the 51st Eclipse Awards ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 10 beginning with a “Green Carpet” Preview Show Presented by Keeneland at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Eclipse Awards broadcast at 8 p.m. ET. The ceremony also will be streamed on additional outlets. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2021 Horse of the Year. Finalists in the Horse of the Year category also will be announced earlier that evening.

Eclipse Awards ticket information is available at the NTRA website https://www.ntra.com/eclipse-awards/.

The Eclipse Awards are sponsored Roberts Communications, Four Roses Bourbon, Daily Racing Form, Breeders' Cup, FanDuel Group, The Stronach Group, Santa Anita Park, TVG, Dean Dorton, Stonestreet Farm, Keeneland, Racetrack Television Network, Jackson Family Wines, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Hallway Feeds and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies. The Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Eclipse Awards also are given to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing.

The post Eclipse Awards Finalists Will Be Announced Live On TVG This Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The scholarship was originally established at UK in 2005 but to keep in step with current industry needs, was recently modified to include a preference for diverse students to encourage inclusivity throughout the equine industry. It now resides in UK's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, which is home to the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program. The scholarship was made possible by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form and many other contributors and is coordinated in conjunction with the Legacy Equine Academy.

“I am extremely grateful for the Joe Hirsch Legacy Academy Scholarship Fund because it has provided me with additional funds to allow me to continue my studies at the University of Kentucky,” Churchill said. “I am very new to the equine program, as I formally applied to alter my major at the top my junior year. By transferring into the program, I look forward to pursuing my interests in the executive management of racetracks. I hope to do this by utilizing UK's curriculum to develop my knowledge on various direct and indirect economic contributions of wagering and necessary protocol required for a successful racing program in respective jurisdictions.”

Since becoming an equine major, Churchill said he has joined organizations that can assist him in becoming the professional he aspires to be. He is a member of the UK Horse Racing Club, the UK Collegiate Professional Horsemen's Association and a Wildcat Wrangler, the student ambassador team within the equine major.

“Not only have these clubs provided me with a network of young professionals that I can discuss industry topics with, but it has given others the opportunity to share their unique perspective and life experiences, allowing us to formulate genuine, lifelong friendships with other students in the College of Agriculture,” Churchill said. “By completing my college career at Kentucky, I am exposed to an extremely caring group of faculty members as well as a network of likeminded students who are capable of compassion and helping their fellow members of the agriculture community.”

Churchill completed an internship with the Keeneland track maintenance team during the summer of 2021.

“The racing industry would not exist and could not function without the contributions of the Black community and people of color. We at the NTRA are committed to supporting the communities we serve. Last year, we embarked on an initiative to create greater diversity and cultural awareness at all levels of the business, including positions of power, by collaborating with Legacy Equine Academy,” said Alex Waldrop, NTRA president and chief executive officer. “Through this venture, the NTRA will help fund scholarships for students in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Equine Programs with the intent of fostering a more inclusive Thoroughbred racing industry for generations to come. Change cannot wait, so we will work with all of our racing partners to further the goal of a more diverse, inclusive environment for all participants in our sport.”

James MacLeod, director of UK Ag Equine Programs, agreed. “There is no reason to delay efforts to address diversity and inclusivity challenges. Academic scholarships enable students to focus entirely on educational opportunities and reach their full potential. We are very grateful to the NTRA and partners for their support,” he said.

The Legacy Equine Academy, which encourages students in grades 6–12 to attend college and pursue equine, agriculture, natural resources and environmental science degrees, is the brainchild of Ronald Mack, the organization's founder and CEO.

“We are so proud and excited for Charles to receive the Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship,” Mack said. I've admired his passion for equine studies and his determination to leverage that passion by pursuing an array of professional opportunities in the horse racing industry. This scholarship contributes to accomplishing Legacy Equine Academy's goal of bridging the historical contributions of African American trailblazers in horse racing history to the modern standards and professional opportunities in the equine industry. Charles is a true 'Legacy Leader.'”

The scholarship had originally been placed into the UK College of Communication and Information because UK didn't at that time have an equine undergraduate program. The Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree was launched in 2007 and since then has become one of the fastest growing majors at the university and is now currently the largest major in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, making it a natural fit to administer the scholarship.

The post Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship Awarded to UK’s Charles Churchill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“This is a business of change,” Howard, 72, told DRF. The last year or two, I'd been thinking of doing something like this. Shug recently presented me with this opportunity and I took it. That's the long and short of it.”

Howard is best known for his conditioning of Horse of the Year Mineshaft, as well as Preakness winner and Derby runner-up Summer Squall. Over his 42-year training career, Howard saddled 1,256 winners from 6,934 starters, including 186 stakes races (85 graded). Howard was also the private trainer for Lane's End Farm from 1983 through the late 2000s, when Farish began employing multiple trainers, including McGaughey.

Howard plans to make the transition over the next several weeks.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

The post Trainer Neil Howard Plans Transition To Assistant For Shug McGaughey appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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