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Epsom Downs And Leicester To Play A Part In New COVID-19 Vaccine In The UK

According to an article from The Blood-Horse, Epsom Downs and Leicester Racecourse are about to make a transition from horse racing to COVID-19 vaccine administration site. The UK became the first country to approve a vaccine for the virus on Dec. 2 and a mass vaccine program is currently being prepared by the government.

This is not the first time in the UK that racecourses have been utilized in the fight against the virus that has taken its toll on the thoroughbred industry since it surfaced. Many racecourses have been used as drive-through testing sites over the course of this wildly unpredictable year.

“Help is on its way,” said Health secretary Matt Hancock while speaking on “BBC Breakfast”. “From next week we can start rolling this out, and we can start with those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. I'm confident now with the news today that from spring, from Easter onwards, things are going to be better, and we're going to have a summer next year that everybody can enjoy.”

The vaccine is reported to be 95% effective and is set to arrive next week. The UK has pre-ordered 40 million doses, but only 800,000 of those will be arriving next week. On Wednesday racecourses in the UK reopened to spectators for the first time since March.

Can An App Tell You A Horse’s Optimal Running Style? Study Suggests It’s Possible

A recent study has left researchers with data that could change the way racehorses are trained all around the world. According to Science Magazine, authors of a new study believe that their approach could be used to identify customized pacing plans that could optimize individual horses' chances of winning.

Dr. Amandine Aftalion, a mathematician at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris, has been analyzing the performance of world champion runners since 2013. Together with colleague Quentin Mercier she recently decided to try to apply her research methods to racehorses through the use of a new GPS tracking tool embedded in French racing saddles. These GPS trackers are typically used for fans, but ended up giving Aftalion and Mercier access to valuable speed and position data during races at the Chantilly racetracks north of Paris.

Aftalion and Mercier were able to use the GPS tracking technology to quantify the success of running styles from dozens of races at Chantilly to see if one racing style was more effective than others. Afterwards the two researchers were able to develop a model for different winning strategies for three specific race distances – 1,300 meters, 1,900 meters, and 2,100 meters. Aftalion and Mercier came to the conclusion that the most success came from a quick start followed by a more relaxed speed until the closing kick. Different cruising or closing speeds have different aerobic requirements of a horse, which could explain why one style is easier for one individual going a particular distance. In theory, this model could allow trainers to plug in certain information about their horses to get custom racing strategies that best fit that horse's aerobic capabilities.

At first glance, this seems like a great expansion of technology into a very traditional part of the sport. However, Dr. Peter Knight, a veterinarian at the University of Sydney, pointed out that trainers may be slow to adopt such a statistical model, as these models can not account for every horse's unique behavior. At the end of the day, horses are still living animals with a mind of their own that can be rather unpredictable sometimes. These results could also vary amongst different countries the same way typical racing styles do.

“We can't truly model performance,” Knight said to Science Magazine's Christa Lesté-Lasserre. “But perhaps the fundamental question is: Do we really want to? For people who love horse racing, the uncertainty provides the excitement, and the actual running of the horses provides the spectacle and the beauty.”

Champion Midnight Bisou Arrives At Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm; Will Be Bred To Curlin

Eclipse champion Midnight Bisou, the richest North American distaffer of all time with earnings of $7,471,520, arrived at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa today and will be bred to two-time Horse of the Year and champion sire Curlin.

Never out of the money in any of her 22 career starts for co-owners Bloom Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Allen Racing LLC., the well-traveled mare raced at 10 tracks and was awarded an Eclipse Award in 2019 as champion older dirt female.

Her Grade 1 victories came in the Santa Anita Oaks, the Cotillion Stakes, the Apple Blossom Handicap, the Ogden Phipps Stakes, and the Personal Ensign Stakes.

Her sire, two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute, currently ranks eighth on the Blood-Horse general sire list with earnings of over $7.5 million, according to the TDN.

“Midnight Bisou was a mare with extraordinary ability,” said Hill 'n' Dale president John G. Sikura. “We are honored that the owner has entrusted us with her care.”

Champion Midinght Bisou arrived today to begin her broodmare career and will visit Champion Curlin! Honored @BloomRacing @JRBloom3 @cmiller_allen @LoriAllenTX have entrusted us with her care! Xalapa home to champions! pic.twitter.com/XbE0JAILCd

— Hill 'n' Dale Farms (@HillnDaleFarm) December 3, 2020

The post Champion Midnight Bisou Arrives At Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm; Will Be Bred To Curlin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Live Racing At Sunland Park Remains A Question During The Pandemic

In normal years Sunland Park in New Mexico would be gearing up for its annual meet which usually runs from December to March. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic however, its 2020-21 season is still a question mark. According to an article from the El Paso Times, Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino had a 42-day meet scheduled for Dec. 26 through March 30.

Sunland Park was forced to end its season early in March of this year due to health concerns. This was a big decision for Sunland Park because it meant that many of its big spring and summer races would not take place, including their Kentucky Derby prep race, the Sunland Derby. The track attempted a comeback in June, but it only lasted a few days before being forced to shut down again.

The unknown future of live racing at Sunland Park has forced some of its prominent trainers to look elsewhere for their winter seasons. Todd Fincher and Justin Evans have both run horses at Sunland Park for several years and are now relocating to Turf Paradise in Arizona and Sam Houston Park in Texas.

“We'll spend a good portion of the winter in Arizona,” Evans said to El Paso Times' Felix Chavez. “I'll look at Sam Houston as well for some stakes races. I'll keep my New Mexico bred horses ready in New Mexico if Sunland Park does open. It's been tough on everyone. Some jockeys are headed to Arizona as well. My wife Vanessa is going to be agent for a few jockeys such as Frank Reyes, Luis Negron and Jimmy Coates.”

“It's been a difficult time for so many in this industry,” Fincher added. “I'm fortunate to have been granted 24 stalls at Sam Houston and will have some run at Remington Park in Oklahoma as well. But I really believe we could have run in New Mexico and done it the right way. People are getting out of the business and it's tough to see that happen to good people.”

Sunland Park is not the only racetrack in New Mexico having issues staying open during the pandemic. Zia Park Racetrack recently took a couple weeks off due to health safety concerns, but is set to resume racing and finish their meet this December.