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Emerald Downs Concludes 2020 Season With Record Average Daily Handle

Emerald Downs concluded its 38-day 2020 racing season with record average daily handle. The track's 25th season was conducted with strict COVID protocols and without spectators.

Daily wagering averaged $1,796,475, a 61 percent increase over last year's average. Most of the wagering came from internet and mobile site customers located throughout the United States and Canada.

Track president Phil Ziegler reported there were no positive COVID cases: “We want to thank all our stakeholders for working together safely. We had unprecedented challenges not only at the track but in all aspects of our lives. We were the first professional sport to return in the state of Washington and through everyone's efforts we were able to put on a healthy and successful meet.”

Good health was not limited to the human participants. Over the 391 races conducted there were zero catastrophic breakdowns from the 2,895 starters.

On the track accomplishments included trainer Blaine Wright winning his first Longacres Mile with Anothertwistafate, Frank Lucarelli winning his 7th training title with 42 wins and Alex Cruz taking the jockey title with 72 wins in his first season at Emerald Downs.

2020 Season Timeline

• Barn area and training begins February 1. Opening Day scheduled for April 18.

• Stay at Home order issued on March 16. Only essential workers permitted in stable area as training and horse care continued. Opening Day delayed indefinitely.

• Approvals to run live racing (and other professional sports) posted by Governor's office on June 5.

• Washington Horse Racing Commission approves revised dates. Opening Day set for June 24 with racing Wednesdays and Thursdays without fans.

• June 24 – Opening Day. Horse Racing becomes the first professional sport to return in Washington.

• Longacres Mile is run on Thursday September 10th marking the first weekday running and the first time run under the lights.

• The 38 Day Race Meet concludes on Thursday, October 29.

Emerald Downs is located right off Highway 167 in Auburn, WA.

The post Emerald Downs Concludes 2020 Season With Record Average Daily Handle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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2020 Monmouth Meet Ends on a High

Monmouth Park showed increases in both the daily transmission of its signal and in total average handle compared to 2019 during the combined 44-day meet that concluded Saturday. Monmouth Park’s average daily simulcast handle increased 27.09% to $3,604,413 daily compared to $2,836,148 last year. The overall average handle was up 20.81% to $3,807,082 daily compared to $3,151,201 last year.

“We are so grateful to everyone for supporting this extraordinary meet and, more specifically, the Governor’s Office and the New Jersey Racing Commission for allowing us the ability not only to race, but to do so with fans,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of the racetrack. “And once we were green lit for racing, the entire Monmouth Park staff worked tirelessly to ensure not just great racing, but a safe environment for everyone. We couldn’t be more proud to report zero cases of COVID-19 over the course of our entire meet, and the credit goes to the horsemen and fans who not only followed the necessary guidelines, but collectively cooperated to ensure each person’s safety.

Drazin continued, “[Track Medical Director] Dr. Angelo Chinnici and his entire team deserve special recognition for their efforts and, literally, around the clock work. Our success this season is rooted in their dedication and Monmouth Park is better off because of Angelo.”

The Monmouth Park meet that ran from July 3 to Sept. 27 consisted of 36 racing days after one live card was lost due to weather. The Meadowlands-at-Monmouth in the month of October provided an additional eight days of racing after one was canceled to weather as well. Last year’s racing season was 68 days.

The track operated with attendance restrictions throughout the 2020 season under COVID-19 guidelines. Opening day was delayed from its original starting date of May 2 to July 3 due to the coronavirus, with racing calendar reduced from 56 days to 37 as a result.

During the abbreviated Meadowlands-at-Monmouth Park meet jockey Jose Ferrer was the leading rider with 11 winners over the eight live racing cards. Wayne Potts topped the trainer standings with seven winners.

Trainer Kelly Breen, who captured his third Monmouth Park training title during the summer meet, ended the New Jersey racing season with a flourish by winning three races on Saturday’s 11-race card, including two of the three Jersey-bred stake races.

The post 2020 Monmouth Meet Ends on a High appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Delaware Park Shows Increases In Average Handle, Starters During 2020 Meet

Despite a reduction in live race dates and significant safety protocols for live on-track patrons, horsemen and employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 live race meet at Delaware Park concluded on positive notes on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The 83rd season of live racing was originally scheduled to have 85-days beginning on May 27 and ending on Oct. 31, but because of the pandemic the meet was reduced by 20-days with opening day on June 17.

The 65-day season had increases in average handle per race and average starters per race. In 2020, the average handle per race was $167,192 with average starters per race of 7.52 and in 2019, the average handle per race was $157,640 with average starters per race of 6.56. There were 556 races compared to 661 in 2019. Total handle was $92,958,696 compared to the $104,200,290 from last year's 81-day meet.

“Without a doubt, this was one of the most challenging meets I can remember, but in many ways, it was also one of the most rewarding,” said Kevin DeLucia, Senior Vice President of Racing/Finance, who has been at Delaware Park for 24 years. “We were one of the first tracks and sporting venues to allow fans and we did so from the beginning of the meet until the end without incident. While we successfully negotiated all of the safety protocols and restrictions, we experienced increases in average handle and starters per race. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the fans, employees, Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen Association and the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.”

For the sixth time in seven years, Carol Cedeno was the leading jockey with 84 victories. The native of Puerto Rico, who lives in Delaware, has been the leading rider at Delaware Park every year since 2014, with the exception of 2017. She equaled the record for most titles by a jockey set by Michael McCarthy, who won six from 1996 through 2000 and 2002. Cedeno, concluded the meet 11 wins away from her 1,000th career victory (through October 21). Nearly 500 of those wins have been at Delaware Park.

“It really is overwhelming,” said jockey Carol Cedeno, who set the record for most wins in a day at Delaware Park in 2018 when she rode seven on a single card. “I am honored to be included in the group of the all-time great jockeys in Delaware Park history. There are some big names on that list and for my name to be among them at my hometown track is very humbling. We all work very hard at what we do and I am lucky that my hard work and sacrifices have resulted in these achievements.”

Jamie Ness recorded his sixth consecutive leading trainer championship by saddling 52 winners. The native of Heron, South Dakota, is one title shy of equaling the record for most consecutive trainer titles set by Delaware Park legends Grover 'Buddy' Delp from 1963 through 1969 and Scott Lake from 2002 through 2008. This is the eighth overall title for Ness. He has also been leading trainer in 2012 and 2013 and from 2015 through 2019. The record for most titles by a trainer is eleven also set by Grover “Buddy” Delp.

Jagger Inc. won the leading owner title by recording 25 wins.

The brilliant filly Dunbar Road won the Delaware Handicap with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard on July 11th. Owned by Peter M. Brant, the daughter of Quality Road posted a 3-length victory in the filly and mare summer classic. The Kentucky-bred is conditioned by Chad Brown. Otter Bend Stables' Gufo won the Kent Stakes with Trevor McCarthy aboard on July 4. The son of Declaration of War trained by Christophe Clement notched a half-length win and followed with a second in the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15 and a victory in the Belmont Derby on Oct. 3.

“The racing at the meet was exciting and competitive from the beginning to the end,” said John Mooney, the Executive Director of Racing. “I could not be happier. Between our big race days and the race for leading jockey, trainer and owner, every live race day had something special. We are very much looking forward to seeing how horses like Dunbar Road and Gufo do in the race for national divisional championships. We could not be happier for Carol Cedeno and Jamie Ness as they are continuing the rich tradition of top and first class jockeys and trainers at Delaware Park.”

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Horse-Handling Skills Helps Keep Equine Vets Safe

Being a large-animal veterinarian is fraught with danger—vets are often placed in precarious positions where they can be kicked, bitten or worse by the patients they're trying to help. It's estimated that about 80 percent of equine vets have suffered injuries from a difficult horse and 37 percent of those injured have had ongoing pain or a disability from the injury.

It's difficult enough to entice vet students to consider large animal practices; the risk of injury is just another strike against the profession. Gemma Pearson, Melanie Connor, John Keen, Richard Reardon, and Natalie Waran, all students at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, are working to create a program to teach vet students horse-handling methods that are based on equine learning theory. It's hoped that this program will reduce the number of vets who don't consider large-animal work or who leave the profession early.

The research team tested the effects of a single lecture that focused on practical learning theory tips for equine vets on pre-final-year vet students. The 45-minute lecture focused on how horses learned; videos were shown that demonstrated how to apply that theory to equine patients.

Examples shown included overshadowing, where the horse is asked to do a task it knows (like stepping backward) to draw attention away from the action the vet is performing, like administering a shot. Using negative reinforcement to get a horse to enter stocks by lightly tapping him with a whip, and stopping as soon as he took a step forward was also included in the lecture .

Students watched videos of “difficult” horses both before and after the lecture; they were also asked questions. After the lecture, the students were more likely to suggest learning theory-based solutions on how to hand the horse. The vet students also indicated that they had greater confidence in their horse-handling skills after the lecture.

The study group concluded that just one lecture had the potential to positively alter students' perception of how to handle “difficult” horses; it may also influence how they deal with difficult horses, thus creating a safer work environment.

The researchers went on to note that horse owners play a key role in keeping vets safe; by teaching their horses to stand still unless asked to move, and to respond to leadrope cues to go forward or backward, they can help veterinarians remain safe on the job.