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Eclipse Award Finalists Announced

Knicks Go (Paynter) was one of a dozen winners at the 2021 Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November to be named Eclipse Award finalists, as the candidates in 11 equine and five human categories were announced Saturday morning on TVG.

While the finalists for 2021 were not revealed–they will be announced at the conclusion of the Eclipse Award ceremony at Santa Anita Feb. 10–it is a fait accompli that Knicks Go will take home the evening's most coveted award. The grey, winner of the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, capped his 5-year-old season in style with a powerhouse victory in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, easily accounting for 3-year-old Eclipse Award finalists Medina Spirit (Protonico) and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit). He was undefeated at two turns in 2021, which also included a pillar-to-post tally in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, where he had older male finalist Maxfield (Street Sense) 4 1/4 lengths behind him.

The sophomore male division will prove one of the biggest cliffhangers at this year's awards ceremony, as voters will have been forced to choose between the season-long consistency of Essential Quality and Medina Spirit, whose Kentucky Derby 'win' remains an open question and whom many will have opposed on non racing-related grounds, but whose resume features a defeat of elders in the GI Awesome Again S. and a superior finish in the Classic. The brilliant 'Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) earned a spot on the ballot courtesy of his towering score in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Knicks Go and Life Is Good are headed towards a highly anticipated clash in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in two weeks' time.

The Sprint divisions should prove for more interesting theater. In the male sprint category, Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was routinely the fastest horse over the course of the season, but stubbed his toe on championship day, finishing well behind Aloha West (Hard Spun). There may also be a smattering of support for 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), smashing winner of the GI Runhappy Malibu S. in his graded stakes debut in December.

The same cloud hanging over Medina Spirit looms a factor in whether 'Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) earns a second consecutive female sprint statuette. Not nearly as dominating as she was in 2020, she nevertheless was the only member of the divisional heavies to score multiple times at Grade I level, though she was beaten on the square by Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) on Breeders' Cup Saturday. Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) is a decided outsider.

'Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) will be heavily favored–despite some opposition–to give his sire another juvenile champion, and 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) looms one of the night's unanimous picks in the fillies' division.

Other Breeders' Cup winners to garner spots on the ballot include GI Juvenile Turf hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of three BC-winning finalists for his remarkable sire; Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), GI Juvenile Fillies Turf; Space Blues (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}, Mile; Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Turf; and Japan's first Eclipse finalists Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Noteworthy in the human categories are Godolphin, who are finalists in both the champion owner and breeder categories, and trainer Brad Cox, who conditioned Knicks Go and Essential Quality in a season in which his stable earned record prize money. The same can be said for Joel Rosario, who will be favored to pick up the Eclipse for champion jockey.

2yo Male

Corniche (Quality Road)

Jack Christopher (Munnings)

Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

2yo Filly

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner)

Juju's Map (Liam's Map)

Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus})

3yo Male

Essential Quality (Tapit)

Life Is Good (Into Mischief)

Medina Spirit (Protonico)

3yo Filly

Clairiere (Curlin)

Malathaat (Curlin)

Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})

Older Dirt Male

Knicks Go (Paynter)

Maxfield (Street Sense)

Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper)

Older Dirt Female

Letruska (Super Saver)

Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn})

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil)

Male Sprinter

Aloha West (Hard Spun)

Flightline (Tapit)

Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music)

Female Sprinter

Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot)

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality)

Gamine (Into Mischief)

Male Turf Horse

Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB})

Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})

Female Turf Horse

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})

Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})

War Like Goddess (English Channel)

Steeplechase

Baltimore Bucko (GB) (Sholokhov {Ire})

Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

The Mean Queen (Ire) (Doyen {Ire})

Owner

Godolphin LLC

Juddmonte Farms Inc.

Klaravich Stables Inc.

Breeder

Calumet Farm

Godolphin LLC

Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC

Jockey

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Flavien Prat

Joel Rosario

Apprentice Jockey

John Hiraldo

Charlie Marquez

Jessica Pyfer

Trainer

Steve Asmussen

Chad Brown

Brad Cox

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Champion Sprinter Gamine Retired From Racing

Owner Michael Lund Petersen announced today that champion sprinter Gamine, the leading distaff earner of champion sire Into Mischief, has been retired.

One of the fastest horses of her generation, Gamine flirted with two of the most iconic records in the history of the sport set by the legendary Dr. Fager, believed by many to be the fastest horse of all time.

In her 18 3/4-length romp in the Acorn Stakes she blazed the mile in 1:32 2/5, which was one-fifth of a second off Dr. Fager's world record set 54 years ago, which remains unbroken on dirt. In her 6 1/4-length domination of the fastest fillies in the country in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, her track-record seven-furlong time of 1:20 1/5 equaled Dr. Fager's time in the Vosburgh Handicap that stood for 31 years. Finishing a distant second was Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.

When she romped by seven lengths in the Test Stakes at Saratoga, her blazing time of 1:20 4/5 for the seven furlongs was only two-fifths of a second off the track record set 44 years ago, while not being asked in the stretch. The Equibase comment reads she won “at will.”

Now five years old, her connections felt she has nothing left to prove.

Trainer Bob Baffert said, “Gamine is the best filly sprinter I have ever trained. She defines greatness. She's a big, beautiful, elegant filly. She was all class. We knew we had something very special right from the start.”

Gamine's other Grade 1 victories include the seven-furlong Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs, run in a sprightly 1:21 2/5, and the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga. She also cruised to a 10-length victory in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos and won the Grade 3 six-furlong Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita by five lengths.

Her average margin of victory was seven lengths.

“Gamine is leaving the track happy and healthy. She gave me and my family the thrill of a lifetime,” said Lund Petersen. “We look forward to her next chapter.”

Gamine will reside at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa Farm in Paris, Ky.

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Gamine Retired

Michael Lund Petersen's champion Gamine (Into Mischief–Peggy Jane, by Kafwain), has been retired from racing and will reside at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa Farm in Paris, Ky., it was announced Tuesday. Breeding plans for the 5-year-old are still being discussed.

Bred by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings, Gamine topped the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale when hammering to Petersen for $1.8 million and was named a 'TDN Rising Star' for her dominant 6 1/4-length debut romp last March at Santa Anita. The bay went on to dominate the GI Acorn S. by a breathtaking 18 3/4 lengths and added Grade I triumphs in the Test S. and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint as a sophomore en route to being named champion female sprinter at the Eclipse Awards.

Her clocking of 1:32 2/5 in the Acorn was one-fifth of a second off of Dr. Fager's one-mile world record on dirt, set 54 years ago. She set a track record at Keeneland when stopping the timer in 1:20 1/5 for seven furlongs in the Breeders' Cup. Her 1:20 4/5 in the Test was two-fifths of a second off the record Saratoga seven-furlong mark.

“Gamine is the best filly sprinter I have ever trained,” said trainer Bob Baffert. She defines greatness. “She's a big, beautiful, elegant filly. She was all class. We knew we had something very special right from the start.”

As a 4-year-old in 2021, Gamine added Grade I scores in the Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill Downs and Ballerina S. at Saratoga. She was third when defending her title in the Breeders' Cup in her career finale and retires with a record of 11-9-0-1 and earnings of $1,771,500.

“Gamine is leaving the track happy and healthy. She gave me and my family the thrill of a lifetime,” said Lund Petersen. “We look forward to her next chapter.”

The post Gamine Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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NYRA Adds To Baffert Files: Trainer Said ‘Someone’ Gave Bute To His Horses, Would Offer Reward To Solve Case

The New York Racing Association, which will present its case to exclude trainer Bob Baffert at a Jan. 24 disciplinary hearing, added to its “statement of charges” against the Hall of Fame horseman, referencing two additional medication violations in California in 2019, along with an investigator's report citing “25 different kinds of medications not properly labeled and expired” found in an unlocked medicine cabinet during an August 2019 search of Baffert's barn at Del Mar by the California Horse Racing Board.

NYRA, quoting from a CHRB Report of Investigation, said Baffert reacted to the two 2019 violations – both for overages of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone – by saying “he thinks someone is intentionally giving Bute to his horses and mentioned that he would be offering a reward to help solve the case.”

It isn't known if anyone ever received a reward.

The two overages for Bute in California in 2019 are in addition to five medication violations for Baffert runners in three states between May 2, 2020, and May 1, 2021. Those violations included lidocaine positives for Charlatan and Gamine at Oaklawn in Arkansas on May 2, 2020, Charlatan in the G1 Arkansas Derby and Gamine in an allowance race. Both horses were disqualified, according to a stewards rulings, but the Arkansas Racing Commission reinstated their victories and merely fined Baffert. On July 25, 2021, Merneith tested positive at Del Mar for dextrorphan, and Baffert was fined $2,500. Gamine tested positive for a second time in 2020, this time for the corticosteroid betamethasone, after finishing third in the G1 Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4. She was disqualified and Baffert fined $1,500.

The fifth failed drug test came on May 1, 2021, when Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after finishing first in the G1 Kentucky Derby. The case has yet to be heard by Kentucky stewards, though Baffert's attorneys have said the positive test resulted from an ointment used to treat a skin rash and not from an injection of the drug.

The two Bute overages in 2019 were found days apart at Del Mar in Cruel Intention, who finished third on July 27, and Eclair, who finished fourth on Aug. 3.

A statement from NYRA said: “NYRA has amended its Statement of Charges issued against Bob Baffert to reflect additional facts, conclusions and details based on NYRA's ongoing investigation of Mr. Baffert's conduct. The NYRA Hearing Rules and Procedures provide a formalized mechanism for a respondent to reply to charges and to participate in a hearing in accordance with due process rights. The hearing for Mr. Baffert is scheduled to begin on January 24, 2022.

“A designated hearing officer will ensure the proceedings are fairly and impartially conducted in accordance with NYRA's Hearing Rules and Procedures. Following the proceeding, the hearing officer will issue a report containing findings of fact, conclusions of law, and a recommended disposition.”

The amended Statement of Charges also cites “public statements made by Mr. Baffert and others regarding Mr. Baffert's claimed retention of a veterinarian (which did not occur) to ensure against future violations, and the implementation of rule changes by Churchill Downs with respect to the qualifying point structure for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.”

Churchill Downs Inc. has excluded Baffert from stabling or racing at any of its facilities, including Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The exclusion runs through the end of the 2023 spring meet at Churchill Downs. In addition, Baffert-trained horses are not eligible to win qualifying points in designated Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.

NYRA attempted to ban Baffert shortly after he was excluded by Churchill Downs, but Baffert sued in federal court, saying he was denied due process. A judge ruled in his favor and NYRA established rules for the subsequent disciplinary hearing.

O. Peter Sherwood, a retired New York State Supreme Court justice, will serve as hearing officer in the Baffert matter.

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