As challenging as 2020 has been due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hard work of many allowed horse racing to persevere, albeit with a shuffled calendar, and provide a welcome respite from life’s cares. Tom Pedulla recalls some of the year’s memorable moments:
Tag: Horse racing news
New Sire Power For Yeomanstown
Shaman (Ire) represents the first of his sire line to stand at Yeomanstown Stud, being a son of the late Shamardal. The Group 2 winner and Classic-placed 3-year-old was raced by his owner/breeders Wertheimer et Frere, and Robert O’Callaghan of Yeomanstown tells TDN why he is an exciting acquisition for the Irish stud.
TDN: Robert, Shaman is the first son of Shamardal to stand at Yeomanstown Stud. Why was it important for you to have a son of his join the roster?
ROC: Shamardal has been such a sensational sire for a number of years and obviously has some very good sire sons like Lope de Vega (Ire). We have been trying hard for a number of years to acquire a son of Shamardal, but it hasn’t been easy. That’s why we are extremely excited to get Shaman. The sire line is just so prolific.
TDN: He was a sound, tough racehorse. What were some of his best races?
ROC: He was a top-class performer at two, three and four. He won his debut at two and was third in a Group 3 before running a credible race in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. As a 3-year-old he won two Guineas trials, including the G3 Prix la Force. That was when he really caught our attention. He went on to finish second in the [Poule d’Essai des Poulains]–which is a real stallion-making race–behind Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). It was a huge turning point and really made us try hard to acquire the horse.
At four, he got even better again, with a win in the G2 Prix d’Harcourt, beating future Arc winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). He was a very consistent racehorse, running at the highest level and running with credit in every race.
TDN: How has he settled in at Yeomanstown and what can you tell us about his conformation?
ROC: He is settling in great and he is so easy to deal with. He hasn’t put a foot wrong since he came, nothing fazes him. He’s getting to know his new stablemates, Dark Angel (Ire), Camacho (GB), El Kabeir and Invincible Army (Ire). He walks like a pure champion and he is a beautiful-looking horse. He’s just shy of 16.2hh. He is very correct, has a great shape and great hindquarter to him. If he breeds them like himself, it will make life very easy for us.
TDN: How do you think he fits into the Irish stallion ranks?
ROC: I think he fits in very well to the Irish stallion ranks. He is well priced at €6,000 which gives all breeders a chance to use him. Everyone loves Shamardal and wants to use a son of his and add to that Shaman’s exceptional pedigree and I think he is probably Shamardal’s best value son out there.
TDN: What support have you had from breeders so far?
ROC: He has been going down really well. There are a lot of breeders across Europe keen to use him, with a lot of French breeders booking nominations to him already. A number of high-profile Irish breeders have bought breeding rights in the horse and they’re all very excited to use him. We have a strong broodmare band here too and we will support him strongly with some good mares. We have acquired a few more mares from the sales in the last couple of weeks which will visit him also. Wertheimer et Frere have kept a percentage in the horse and will support him. They’ve got some of the best broodmares in the world and it is a huge advantage for a young stallion going to stud to have their support. Naturally, we are very excited for the season ahead.
The post New Sire Power For Yeomanstown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act Signed Into Law
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is now law.
The legislation passed by the Senate on Dec. 21 that will put anti-doping/medication control and safety programs under the umbrella of one independent, non-governmental Authority, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was part of a 5,500-plus page, $2.3 trillion bipartisan government funding bill that included $900 billion in coronavirus relief extending unemployment benefits and providing up to $600 in cash payments to individuals. President Donald Trump, whose Treasury Department officials helped negotiate the package, had threatened to veto the bill, in part demanding that the $600 individual benefits be increased to $2,000.
On Sunday night, Trump signed the bill into law.
A previously formed nominating committee can now move forward in naming the nine members who will comprise the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (five independent members from outside of the horse industry, four from within the industry but without current investments or conflicts of interest). The Authority has been charged with contracting with the United States Anti-Doping Agency to oversee the anti-doping/medication control program on a national basis.
Two working committees also will be named. For more information on what comes next, read answers to frequently asked questions, as supplied by Marc Summers, vice president and general counsel for The Jockey Club, which helped steer the legislation through Congress.
Passage of the legislation, originally supported by the grassroots Water Hay Oats Alliance and sponsored in the House of Representatives by Democrat Paul Tonko of New York and Repubolcian Andy Barr of Kentucky, was years in the making. It got fast-tracked earlier this year when Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell threw his support behind it after Churchill Downs came on board and joined with other major racing organizations. It passed the House in September on a voice vote and was part of the omnibus bill passed overwhelmingly by the Senate Dec. 21.
The omnibus legislation that is now law includes other measures beneficial to the horse industry, including continuation of H-2B visa programs for foreign workers and extension of three-year tax depreciation for purchase of racehorses and COVID relief for small businesses in the horse business.
The post Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act Signed Into Law appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Wildman Jack Has 10 New Year’s Day Foes In Joe Hernandez Stakes At Santa Anita
W.C. Racing's homebred Wildman Jack, a graded stakes winning 5-year-old gelding by 2013 Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, heads a wide-open field of 11 older horses in Friday's New Year's Day feature, the Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs over the Santa Anita turf in Arcadia, Calif.
Most recently seventh, beaten three lengths after taking the lead turning for home in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, Wildman Jack, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, was a big second, beaten one length two starts back in the 5 ½ furlong turf Eddie D Stakes here on Sept. 25.
A nose winner of the G3 Daytona Stakes five starts back on May 23, 2020, Wildman Jack has a win and two seconds from three tries over the Santa Anita turf and like the rest of the field, he'll be running out of Santa Anita's newly christened turf chute for the first time on Friday.
Out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, Wildman Jack is 12-4-3-1 overall with earnings of $439,005.
Other prominent contenders include trainer Graham Motion's venerable Irish-bred True Valour, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and will be will be making his 30th career start at age seven. No stranger to Santa Anita, True Valour, who was based in Southern California with Simon Callaghan for parts of three racing seasons beginning in 2018, he's a two time graded stakes winner going one mile over the local lawn from nine tries.
Although primarily a router throughout his career, True Valour transitioned to sprinting two starts back, taking a 6 ½-furlong classified allowance over Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta on Nov. 14 and he comes off a solid third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 28.
Owned by R.L. Johnson, True Valour is 29-6-2-8 overall with earnings of $462,237.
In addition to Wildman Jack, Doug O'Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, a winner of the G3 American Stakes here five starts back who will be shortening up out of three consecutive turf routes. Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg has four wins from 11 tries over the Santa Anita turf and he has earnings of $411,457 from an overall mark of 25-6-1-1.
Hronis Racing's classy Encoder, idle since February 1 for John Sadler, rates a huge chance with Tyler Baze engaged to ride. A first-out five-furlong turf maiden winner at Del Mar in August 2019, he followed that up with a game head victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 1, 2019.
A well beaten fifth on dirt in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1, he pressed the early pace en route to a half-length score in the one-mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes two starts back on Dec. 29, 2019. Back on his preferred surface on Friday, Encoder should plenty tough while attentive to the pace.
The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original voice of Santa Anita, who called more than 15,000 consecutive races from Dec. 25, 1934 until he collapsed while calling his final race on January 27, 1972.
JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Texas Wedge—Flavien Prat—120
- P R Radio Star—Juan Hernandez—120
- Encoder—Tyler Baze—120
- Hembree—Joel Rosario—120
- True Valour—Drayden Van Dyke—120
- Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
- Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
- Chaos Theory—Umberto Rispoli—122
- Oiseau de Guerre—Ruben Fuentes—120
- Mesut—Mike Smith—120
- Ohio—Ricky Gonzalez—120
The post Wildman Jack Has 10 New Year’s Day Foes In Joe Hernandez Stakes At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
