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Ethical Assessment Of Wild Horse Welfare

Some people believe wild horses left to their own devices would live happy, healthy lives. While this might sound plausible, scientists and equine advocates have never had the ability to accurately assess the welfare of these free-roaming horses—until now.

Researchers in Australia and New Zealand have developed a protocol to assess the quality of life of wild horses and other free-roaming animals. Assessing a horse's welfare is not easy: Accurate welfare assessment requires objectivity, scientific validity and repeatability, says Dr. Andrea Harvey, a member of the research team who invented the protocol. She, along with colleagues Drs. Ngaio Beausoleil, Daniel Ramp and David Mellor created a process that will allow different people to reach the same assessment of an animal's welfare.

The team created a 10-step approach that will evaluate the physical and emotional status of free-roaming animals. The protocol uses the Five Domains Model with conservation in mind; the system details information that should be considered with different species, as well as how to observe and measure them.

The protocol then delves into specifics that are relatable to both scientists and lay people. They encompass measuring and validating welfare indicators and confidence levels, as well as creating “grades” for levels of welfare.

The scientists note that many well-meaning people project their own emotions and feelings onto the animal while trying to assess their welfare—this could lead the person to a very different conclusion than what the animal is actually feeling and is not an objective way to assess animal welfare.

The protocol has already been used to assess the welfare of brumbies in Australia, which, like Mustangs in the United States, has become politicized. The research team hopes that the creation of this protocol will assist in clear and ethical decision making regarding free-roaming horses.

Read more at Horses and People magazine.

Read the full article here.

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Jockey Martin Garcia Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Remains Asymptomatic

The Daily Racing Form reported Wednesday that jockey Martin Garcia has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to his agent.

Garcia, who has experienced no symptoms of COVID-19, learned of the results from a routine test administered in preparation for him to ride at Keeneland while he was en route to Indiana Grand to ride a stakes race on the Wednesday evening card.

Agent Jay Fedor told writer Matt Hegarty that Garcia turned around and will return to Kentucky for a state mandated 14-day quarantine period. Fedor said a previous routine test at Churchill Downs was negative.

Over the past month, Garcia has ridden at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Indiana Grand, Los Alamitos, and Prairie Meadows.

Shared Sense Completes Trainer Brad Cox’s Indiana Derby, Oaks Double

Godolphin homebred Shared Sense went four wide and survived an objection to win Wednesday evening's Grade 3 Indiana Derby, giving trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux the graded stakes double on the card after winning the G3 Indiana Oaks with Shedaresthedevil. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, Shared Sense defeated Major Fed by about three lengths at the finish.

The 3-year-old son of Street Sense completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.46 over the fast main track at Indiana Grand, earning his first 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The updated points standings are available here: Derby Oaks Leaderboard

Second-last heading into the clubhouse turn, Geroux made his way to the rail to save ground with Shared Sense. The pair moved up the rail down the backstretch, then found themselves behind a three-wide wall of horses mid-way through the far turn.

Major Fed was on the outside of Shared Sense, and Geroux rode aggressively to make room four-wide and force that rival five-wide as the field turned for home. Major Fed's rider James Graham lodged an objection after the race, but stewards disallowed the claim and let the result stand as Shared Sense skipped home to an easy three-length win.

Graham and Major Fed had to settle for second, while Necker Island and Extraordinary filled out the superfecta.

Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Shared Sense is the first foal out of the Bernardini mare Collective, herself out of the two-time Grade 1 winner Composure (Touch Gold). Collective is an unraced half-sister to multiple Grade 1-placed runners Centring and Penwith.

It took Shared Sense three starts to officially break his maiden; in fact, he was second that day in late November, but the winner Blackberry Wine was later disqualified for a medication positive. In January, Shared Sense finished sixth in the listed Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, but he came back to win an allowance race at the end of February.

Given a few months off and switched to the turf, Shared Sense was sixth in the listed War Chant Stakes on May 23 at Churchill, then went back to the dirt to run second to the undefeated Art Collector in an allowance race at Churchill on June 13.

(Art Collector is entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.)

Overall, Shared Sense has won three of his eight starts for earnings of over $320,000.

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Shedaresthedevil Runs Away With Indiana Oaks

Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited, and Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil pulled off a convincing win in Wednesday evening's Grade 3 Indiana Oaks, dominating her rivals by five lengths as the 3-5 post time favorite. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Shedaresthedevil ran 1 1/16 miles over Indiana Grand's fast main track in 1:43.50.

The 3-year-old daughter of Daredevil earned 20 more points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, bringing her total points to 90, good for third on the leaderboard.

“She's a real sound filly,” said Cox. “We've had her since last November. She's just been spot on ever sense. She gives you a solid work every week, whatever you're looking for. She's a race horse. Very, very proud of her. i think she's only going to get better with more distance and maybe even when she gets older. She ran early as a 2-year-old. She's just a good filly. She really is.”

Miss T Too set the early fractions while Florent Geroux kept Shedaresthedevil in a clear second, about a length behind the leader. Shedaresthedevil drew even around the far turn and had a two-length advantage at the head of the lane. Geroux had to give the filly a couple of reminders down the lane when she appeared to be waiting on rivals, but Shedaresthedevil pulled away to win by five lengths on the wire.

“We expected her to run well,” Cox said. “She'd been training the part out of her last race at Churchill, where she ran a big race. It was a good trip, she responded well. I thought she looked great at the quarter pole. Florent had to kind of reach around and keep her alert the last sixteenth of a mile. He said she kind of got a little lost late. But when he asked her the last sixteenth, she really kicked on. Overall it was a big effort, exactly what we were looking for. I was real pleased with her.”

The pace-stalking Impeccable Style checked in second, while Bayerness was third. Fire Coral finished fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Shedaresthedevil is out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed. Graded stakes-placed as a juvenile, the filly brought $280,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. For her new connections, Shedaresthedevil has now won two Grade 3 races, improving her overall record to 4-2-2 from nine starts for earnings of over $500,000.

“She's got enough points to get in (to the Kentucky Oaks),” Cox said when asked about the filly's next start. “I won't say we'll make it easy on her, but as easy on her as we can to try to get her into the Oaks the best way and get her there with some confidence.”

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