Tag: Horse Care

For the fourth year, Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Ind., has hosted a unique fundraiser to benefit Grayson-Jockey Club Equine Research. The Grayson Grass Challenge focuses on turf racing throughout the month of August soliciting the assistance of eight nationally known handicappers to raise funds for the cause.

“We just completed our fourth year hosting this event and the handicappers involved raised a record amount for Grayson,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. “Grayson came to us a few years ago about partnering on a promotion and this special contest emerged as a result. We are elated to donate a total of $9,674.60 to Grayson this year and truly thank all the handicappers who donated their time for this promotion.”

Eight handicappers were given a $500 bankroll to spread out over five weeks of turf racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The individuals lent their expertise on various wagers and raised a total of $3,174.60, adding to the $6,500 donation from Horseshoe Indianapolis that included the bankrolls. Scott Ehlers, representing Daily Racing Form, earned the most money with a total of $785.20 followed by Rachel McLaughlin of Horseshoe Indianapolis with a tally of $646.80. Dan Tordjman of America's Best Racing was a close third with $633.20. Other handicappers who contributed to the cause included Ellis Starr (Equibase), Brian Arrigoni (Horseshoe Indianapolis), Jenna Otten (Caesars Entertainment Racing-Scioto Downs), and Nick Luck (NBC), who adds an international element from England.

“We recognize the health and well-being of horses is so important, and anything we can do to assist is vital to the racing industry,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation. “We currently have 40 projects at 16 universities working to better understand the health of horses and allow horses of all breeds to live healthier lives. We are very appreciative of this partnership with Horseshoe Indianapolis, and this would not be possible without the commitment from management to host this event annually.”

Grayson-Jockey Club Equine Research is the leading source of private funding for equine medical research, assisting all disciplines of equine performance and wellness since 1940. More than $40 million has been assigned so far through more than 426 projects at 45 universities internationally. To get more information on Grayson-Jockey Club Research, go to the website at grayson-jockeyclub.org.

The 21^st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Live racing is held Tuesday through Thursday. First post Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday and select Friday racing begins at 2:10 p.m. One more all-Quarter Horse date is set for Oct. 7 beginning at 10:45 a.m. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

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On October 4, 2023, a recently deceased horse was found in a remote section on what was Bowie Training Center. The horse was likely placed there via access roads from the adjoining park land. Bowie has been closed to training for several years.

The following is a statement from Aidan Butler, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST RACING & GAMING.

“Horses are the center of the racing community. They are curious, beautiful animals and that someone, anyone, would treat a horse in this way defies comprehension. Everyone at our organization is simply sickened by this discovery.

As we work together with animal control in its investigation, we have also referred this matter to the local police, as such a heinous act should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, we are working with the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Maryland Racing Commission so that any available sanctions are levied against the responsible party.

Through our own investigation, we have identified the horse — despite gruesome efforts made by these criminals to mask it – and are in the process of working with the other involved authorities to identify the current owner(s). Once they are identified, this individual or individuals will never step foot on a 1/ST RACING property, though hopefully that won't be possible as the owner(s) will be behind bars.”

The post 1/ST Issues Statement After Dead Horse Found On Bowie Property appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Dictionaries define “tenderfoot” as “an inexperienced beginner,” “a newcomer,” “a novice.” Strictly speaking, those descriptions are apt for this year's TAKE2 Jet Run Award winner in the Jumper category, but first-year competitor Tenderfoot acted like anything but a neophyte in the ring, earning enough points to finish in the top 10 in the year-end standings for the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League.

Tenderfoot transitioned from racetrack to show ring through ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption in East Greenbush, New York. The TAKE2 Jet Run Award, created to put the spotlight on the programs that pave the way for second careers, goes to the high-score TAKE2 League member that was retired through an accredited aftercare organization.

Six-year-old bay gelding Tenderfoot was bred in Kentucky by Marylou Whitney Stables and owned by her estate. Unsuccessful in his first three races, he was dropped into a maiden claiming race at Saratoga during the summer of 2020, where he was snatched up by trainer Charlton Baker and owner Francis Paolangeli.

In seven starts for his new connections, Tenderfoot notched four wins and two seconds, including a runner-up finish in the Jazil Stakes to millionaire Mr. Buff.

Tenderfoot's last race came on March 26, 2021. He won at Aqueduct Racetrack and was retired through the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's TAKE THE LEAD program, which is part of the TAKE2 network.

“I loved Tenderfoot from the moment he got here,” said Lisa Molloy, ReRun's program director. “He's got a lot of personality, and he's unflappable. He's beautiful. If I'd have been in the market for a horse, I'd have been quite happy to have him.”

Founded in 1996 in Kentucky as an extension of the Kentucky Humane Society, ReRun is one of the oldest Thoroughbred retraining and adoption programs in the country. Molloy, a native of England who grew up riding horses and also worked in the racing industry in both Britain and the U.S., joined ReRun in 2012. The organization was accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance the following year, and relocated to a 21-acre facility in upstate New York in 2015.

ReRun has found homes for 2,000 Thoroughbreds since it started, 1,000 in the last decade alone. The organization relies on a network of adopters who have been thoroughly screened to ensure they can provide all that a retired racehorse will need. One of their most reliable partners is Ashley Stump. Molloy thought Tenderfoot and Stump would be a perfect fit.

“Ashley and her daughter have adopted several horses from us,” said Molloy, “so I have an idea of what works for her and her program.”

Added Stump, “I get most of my horses from ReRun. Lisa handpicked Tenderfoot for me.”

A nurse at an addiction campus near her home in eastern Massachusetts and a mother of four, Stump is also an advocate for Thoroughbreds in second careers and a veteran in the OTTB world. She's competed at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover, and she has twice participated in Aftercare Day at Saratoga Race Course, once with Tenderfoot, demonstrating his post-racing skills over jumps. She couldn't make it to Aftercare Day this year because she and Tenderfoot were at a horse show.

She learned about the TAKE2 program from other riders at her barn, Winslow Farm in Valatie, NY, which is owned by Leann Kelly.

“Leann has been by my side through this whole process, and she really made all of this possible for us,” said Stump.

“I'm partial to Thoroughbreds and I enjoy working with them,” said Kelly. “Tenderfoot is very, very brave and very willing, which is pretty typical of Thoroughbreds. That's why I like them.”

Before turning to jumping, Kelly initially thought that Tenderfoot might make a good hunter.

“But he's definitely got a jumper's mentality,” she said. “Hunting wasn't quite quiet enough for him.”

Though Stump rarely goes to the races, she's been riding Thoroughbreds for decades.

“I'm a Thoroughbred girl all the way,” she said. “I love working with them as they start a new career, and the ones I've gotten from Lisa have been amazing. ReRun gives them the down time they need, and when they leave the farm, they have pretty much all the foundation they need.”

After a successful summer in the ring, Tenderfoot is getting a bit of a vacation. Though the duo qualified for the TAKE2 Finals in Kentucky in September, Stump elected to sit the big show out.

“He's worked so hard and gotten so far, and his last competition was so good that I decided that we'd end with that and take a break,” she said. “He can get a little cranky when he's not working, but he's really a lovebug, a good boy with a mellow attitude.”

“It's exciting,” she reflected. “This is his first year doing TAKE2, and it's so exciting to see what he's accomplished.”

Repeating as the Jet Run Award winner in the TAKE2 Hunter category was Cinthia Ane McGreevy's Tavish, who was retired through Second Stride in Crestwood, Kentucky. Second Stride founder and executive director Kim Smith and her team have placed more than 1,500 retired racehorses since starting out in 2005. Tavish, the overall TAKE2 High-Score Hunter for the 2021-22 season, finished ninth in the TAKE2 Hunter standings for 2022-23.

McGreevy, a successful real estate agent in south Florida, also serves as Vice President of TAKE2.

“These aftercare organizations play a vital role in ensuring that our retired racehorses go on to happy and healthy lives beyond the racetrack,” McGreevy said. “TAKE2 would not be able to fulfill our mission without their contributions. We are proud to honor programs like Second Stride and ReRun.”

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A study completed by Drs. Savannah Gregg, Madison Barshick and Sally Johnson, all in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, sought to determine whether weekly sodium hyaluronate injections suppressed inflammation in the skeletal muscles of horses. 

Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the matrix of most body tissue and helps to maintain proper joint movement and lubrication, but hyaluronic acid dissipates with age. Horses can receive hyaluronic acid supplementation, either through injections or orally, to suppress inflammation. 

The researchers used 12 healthy and sound Thoroughbred geldings that were unfit for their study. Half received sodium hyaluronate injections via jugular for three weeks per manufacturer's instruction. The other six horses served as controls.

Muscle biopsies were taken from the gluteus medius, the largest muscle on the horse, before the study began, before an exercise test, and one hour after the test was completed. 

Two weeks after the final injection and two hours after eating, each horse was fitted with a heart-rate monitor and completed an exercise test, which the team hypothesized would initiate an acute inflammatory state in skeletal muscles. They theorized that the inflammatory response would show neutrophil and macrophage release as the horse's body attempted to begin removing the damaged and necrotic cell material. 

The study found that the sodium hyaluronate injections suppressed baseline inflammatory gene expression, but the genes were not irreversibly downregulated; they increased expression after the horse's body was stressed from exercise. 

They note that hyaluronic acid supplementation can be an anti-inflammatory, but that it fails in suppressing inflammation in the long term once inflammation occurs. Neutrophils and macrophages were found to be greater after exercise in all horses. 

Read more at HorseTalk. 

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