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Racing Welfare Emergency Appeal Hits Target

Racing Welfare’s Emergency Appeal, which was launched when the COVID-19 pandemic hit to make up for the income deficit the charity faced due to the cancellation of its fundraising events, has hit its £500,000 target.

Racing Welfare Chief Executive Dawn Goodfellow said, “I can honestly say that we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the racing community. The news that we have hit our target is a great boost as we head towards the end of 2020 and is a wonderful reflection of the unwavering support we have received this year. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has donated during what has been a tough time for so many. I very much hope everyone in the industry is able to enjoy the festive period and remind anyone who needs support that Racing Welfare remains available 24/7 throughout this time.”

Racing Welfare this week has sent out nearly 600 Christmas boxes to retired racing staff who in normal times would be joining together for Christmas lunches. The charity has also continued its check-in calls and Facebook group, Racing Conversation, to try to combat loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.

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Two Unbeaten Sons Of Speightstown Head Entries For Malibu Stakes

A pair of unbeatens, Bob Baffert's Charlatan and Steve Asmussen's Nashville head a powerful group of probable starters in Santa Anita's Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on opening day, Saturday, Dec. 26. Santa Anita's traditional opening day headliner, the Malibu, the final Grade 1 of the year for 3-year-olds, will be run for the 74th time. (The race was run in divisions in 1972, 1975, 1977 & 1984).

Idle since taking a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths on May 2, Charlatan was subsequently disqualified from purse money due to a medication violation, so he thus officially has two wins from three starts. Including the Arkansas Derby, Charlatan, who broke his maiden and took a first condition allowance here this past winter, has won his three starts by a combined 22 lengths.

In a performance that had the racing world abuzz on Breeders' Cup Classic Day at Keeneland Nov. 7, Nashville powered to a 3 ½ length victory in a six furlong ungraded stakes, stopping the clock at 1:07.80 and thus earning a solid 102 Beyer Speed figure—two points less than Whitmore's 104 Beyer in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint over the same surface. Heavily favored in three starts, all sprints, Nashville, like Charlatan, is a son of champion sprinter Speightstown. A first-out maiden winner Sept. 2 at Saratoga, he has won all three of his races in gate to wire fashion by a combined 24 ¾ lengths.

Baffert will also be represented in the Malibu by three-time stakes winner Thousand Words, who has been idle since well beaten in the G1 Preakness Stakes Oct. 3.

Mark Glatt's Grade 1 stakes winning sprinter Collusion Illusion is also listed as probable and although he was well beaten by Whitmore when shuffled back early in the Breeder's Cup Sprint, he ran a much better-than-looked race and should give a good account of himself back on his home ground.

Nominations closed Dec. 10 and among those also listed as probable for the Malibu are the John Shirreffs-trained Express Train, Michael McCarthy's Independence Hall and Doug O'Neill's Strongconstitution.

Opening day entries for the Runhappy Malibu and five other stakes, the G1 La Brea, the G1 American Oaks, the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile, the G2 San Antonio and the Lady of Shamrock Stakes, will be taken at Santa Anita on Monday, Dec. 21.

Although there is still no public admittance due to continuing restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Anita's races can be viewed live at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager on these races via a number of ADW platforms, including 1st.com/Bet.

Special early first post time on opening day is at 11:00 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Two Unbeaten Sons Of Speightstown Head Entries For Malibu Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chronic Pain Can Be Detected In Equine EEGs

Chronic pain is difficult to assess as it involves subjective emotional and cognitive facets. There has been increasing interest in using electroencephalograms (EEGs), which measures brain waves, on resting horses to help determine if the horse is experiencing chronic pain. EEGs have been used as a tool in human medicine to help decipher chronic pain.

Riding horses are prone to chronic back pain; horses that experience this pain show lower levels of engagement and shorter attention spans. Drs. Mathilde Stomp, Serenella d'Ingeo, Séverine Henry, Clémence Lesimple, Hugo Cousillas and Martine Hausberger hypothesized that horses with chronic back pain would have resting-state EEGs that differed from horses that were pain-free.

The researchers fitted 18 horses with a headset and a telemetric recorder. The horses stood in a covered arena while they underwent back evaluations that noted the back's shape and muscular tension, as well as took precise spinal measurements. Thirteen of the horses had surface electromyography (sEMG) exams to measure muscle activity; each horse was monitored for 60 minutes to see if they had any stereotypic behavior.

The scientists found that the horses had consistent EEG profiles over time. Horses that were assessed as having back pain had resting-state EEGs that had more fast waves and fewer slow waves. The study team also linked back tension to the frequency of stereotypic behaviors. They scientists concluded that resting-state EEGs are a promising tool to assess chronic back pain in horses.

Read the full study here.

Felicita Brings $250,000 To Top Keeneland December Digital Sale

Felicita, a half-sister to recent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice, sold for $250,000 to Alpha Delta Stables to headline Keeneland's December Digital Sale, held today as part of Keeneland's Digital Sales Ring platform.

The one-day sale grossed $508,000 for 15 lots, for an average of $33,867 and a median of $11,000. Summary results of the sale are available by clicking here.

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, Felicita is a 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready out of the Indian Charlie mare Gottahaveadream. She was offered in foal to Not This Time.

Four Bridges paid $55,000 for Warm Water, in foal to City of Light. The 5-year-old mare by English Channel is from the family of Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall. She was consigned by Machmer Hall Sales, agent.

Song of Melody, a winning 5-year-old mare by Flat Out, in foal to Not This Time, brought a final bid of $50,000 from Rose Hill Farm, agent. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, Song of Melody is from the family of Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Raven's Pass and multiple graded stakes winner E Dubai.

The post Felicita Brings $250,000 To Top Keeneland December Digital Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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