Tag: Horse racing news

Mojica Handed 30-Day Suspension By Indiana Stewards For Careless Riding

Jockey Orlando Mojica has been suspended 30 days by stewards in Indiana for careless riding after a July 22 race where his mount suffered a fatal injury.

According to the ruling issued July 23, stewards reviewed video of he third race at Indiana Grand and found that Mojica twice “carelessly and recklessly steered his mount, Miss Mercken, into unacceptably tight quarters, needlessly endangering his mount, himself, and the other race participants.”

On video replay, Mojica and Miss Mercken can be seen at the back of the five-horse field sitting in the two path coming into the stretch. The pair appear to approach closely alongside behind eventual winner Strollin the Bayou when Miss Mercken clips heels with Strollin the Bayou and suffers a rotational fall.

According to the official Equibase chart, Miss Mercken was vanned off and according to the ruling was later euthanized. Mojica was unseated but returned to the jockeys' room under his own power and later completed riding engagements in the fifth and sixth races.

Mojica, who has been riding since 2000, has appealed the ruling. Officials with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission told the Paulick Report he requested a stay of suspension, which has been denied. The suspension began July 29 and according to the ruling is set to run through Aug. 27.

Last month, Indiana stewards suspended rider Gabriel Saez for 30 days for an incident that resulted in three riders falling, two with injuries. He was later granted an exemption to allow him to ride in out-of-state stakes races, provided he add one day of in-state suspension for each stakes.

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Classic Winner War of Will to Claiborne Upon Retirement

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in Classic winner War of Will (War Front–Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadlers Wells), who will stand at the Paris, Kentucky farm upon the conclusion of his racing career. The winner of a trio of a trio of graded events at three, including the GI Preakness S., the Gary Barber-campaigned colt most recently scored in the GI Maker’s Mark Mile over the Keeneland turf July 10. War of Will’s 2021 stud fee will be announced following the Breeders’ Cup.

“War of Will has an outstanding pedigree, and combined with his race record, he should be very appealing to breeders,” said Claiborne’s Walker Hancock. “He’s a Classic winner on dirt at three and a Grade I winner on turf at four, which places him in rare company. War Front is one of the most successful sires of his generation and there is no doubt he is becoming a sire of sires. We believe War of Will has the capability to follow his father’s success.”

To date, 4-year-old War of Will has earnings of over $1,796,000 and four graded stakes wins for trainer Mark Casse.

“I am very proud to be standing War of Will at Claiborne alongside his famous father,” said Barber. “War of Will has a special place in my heart having brought so much joy to me and my family. He is a once in a lifetime horse.”

Runner up in the GI Summer S. at Woodbine at two, the bay kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins in the GIII LeComte S. followed by the GII Risen Star S. Seventh in a roughly-run edition of the GI Kentucky Derby, he took the Preakness by 1 1/4 lengths and added a third-place effort in the GI Pennsylvania Derby later in the season.

“I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to be around a lot of good horses, but I have to put War of Will right there at the top. He has a special place in my heart,” said Casse. “He’s a class act. There’s a reason we call him WOW. It’s not just because of his initials. Everything he does is a WOW. The way he looks. The way he trains, and his pedigree. I’m excited to see him go to Claiborne and follow in his father’s footsteps.”

Looking ahead, Casse added, “Our plan is to point towards the Woodbine Mile next, and then, hopefully, the Breeders’ Cup.”

Bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings, War of Will is out of Visions of Clarity, a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Spinning World. Visions of Clarity is also responsible for Group 1 winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor) and multiple stakes winner Tacticus (A.P. Indy). War of Will is one of sire War Front’s 21 Grade I/Group 1 winners.

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Preakness Winner War Of Will To Stand At Claiborne Farm Upon Retirement

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in War of Will, a dual surface Grade 1 winner and American classic champion.

The son of Claiborne's emerging sire of sires War Front scored his most recent victory in the July 10 Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, going a mile on the grass. War of Will will stand at the Paris, Ky., farm upon his retirement from racing, Claiborne announced July 30.

“War of Will has an outstanding pedigree, and combined with his race record, he should be very appealing to breeders. He's a classic winner on dirt at three and a Grade 1 winner on turf at four, which places him in rare company,” said Claiborne's Walker Hancock.  “War Front is one of the most successful sires of his generation and there is no doubt he is becoming a sire of sires.  We believe War of Will has the capability to follow his father's success.”

To date, 4-year-old War of Will has earnings of over $1,796,000 and four graded stakes wins for trainer Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber.

“I am very proud to be standing War of Will at Claiborne alongside his famous father,” said Gary Barber. “War of Will has a special place in my heart having brought so much joy to me and my family. He is a once in a lifetime horse.”

In just his second career start, War of Will was introduced to Grade 1 level company, running a determined second in the Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine.

Coming off a maiden victory to end his 2-year-old campaign, War of Will kicked off his 3-year-old campaign brilliantly, with decisive back-to-back graded stakes victories going over a mile on dirt. With Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, the son of War Front easily bested subsequent Grade 1 winner Hog Creek Hustle and Group 2 winner Plus Que Parfait to take the G3 LeComte Stakes by open lengths. One month later, eventual Kentucky Derby winner Country House, and multiple graded stakes winners Owendale and Mr. Money proved to be no match for War of Will in the G2 Risen Star Stakes.

Following a contentious Kentucky Derby, War of Will became trainer Mark Casse's first classic winner with a triumphant victory in the Preakness Stakes.

In this year's Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on July 10, War of Will moved into the prestigious group of dual surface Grade 1 winners. Going one mile on the firm turf, the now 4-year-old War of Will fended off Group 1 winner Without Parole and two-time Grade 1 winner Raging Bull.

“I've been fortunate enough in my career to be around a lot of good horses, but I have to put War of Will right there at the top. He has a special place in my heart,” said trainer Mark Casse. “He's a class act. There's a reason we call him 'WOW.' It's not just because of his initials. Everything he does is a 'WOW.' The way he looks. The way he trains, and his pedigree. I'm excited to see him go to Claiborne and follow in his father's footsteps. Our plan is to point towards the Woodbine Mile next, and then hopefully the Breeders' Cup.”

Bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings, War of Will is out of the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and Breeders' Cup Mile winner Spinning World. Visions of Clarity also produced Grade 1 winner Pathfork and multiple stakes winner Tacticus.

War of Will is just one of sire War Front's 21 Grade 1 winners. An international super sire on all fronts, War Front (Danzig – Starry Dreamer) has seven million-dollar earners and is quickly emerging as a sire of sires.

His sons include Grade 1 winner Declaration of War, who sired two-time graded stakes winner Silver Prospector and three-time graded stakes winner Decorated Invader; five-time graded stakes winner The Factor, the number-one fifth-crop sire of multiple Grade 1 winners, plus recent Grade 2 winner Factor This; Summer Front, a four-time graded stakes winner himself, sired recent Grade 2 winner Speaktomeofsummer and Grade 2-winning Kentucky Derby hopeful Ete Indien; and three-time Grade 1-winning champion Air Force Blue, who's first crop are now 2-year-olds, sired recent debut winner Beauty Queen.

War of Will's 2021 stud fee will be announced following the Breeders' Cup.

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