Horse Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

California Stallion Tizbud, Full-Brother To Tiznow, Dies At 21

Harris Farms resident stallion Tizbud, a Grade 1 sire and full-brother to Hall of Famer Tiznow, was euthanized on July 20 due to an overall decline in health. He was 21.

Tizbud was pensioned at the farm, in 2018, where he was foaled, raised, and stood at stud.

Tizbud, was bred by Cecilia Straub Rubens and is a son of Cee's Tizzy out of Cee's Song. He was the younger stakes-winning full-brother to Tiznow. Tizbud raced for Cee's Stable LLC when he won the 2003 California Cup Classic by three lengths and placed in that year's Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes. He was trained by John Sadler.

Owner Pamela C. Ziebarth stood Tizbud at Harris Farms and for her, as breeder, Tizbud sired Grade 1 winner Tiz Flirtatious, Grade 3 winner Ambitious Brew, and stakes winner Kitty Boom Boom. For other breeders, he sired stakes winners Soi Phet, Italian Boy, Catch Lorraine, and Chao Chom, among others.

David McGlothlin, retired farm manager of Harris Farms, said: “As different as they were, Tiznow and Tizbud both had that aura of 'I am tops and I can prove it and don't test me.' With my daily rounds at the farm, Tizbud was always my first stop and as always, he was eager for his carrot snacks. With his passing, this marks the end of a significant era in California breeding/racing. Tizbud will always have a special place in my heart and at the farm.”

Tizbud lived out his final few months in the same paddock where his famous brother was raised. He will be buried adjacent to his sire Cee's Tizzy near the Harris Farms Stallion complex.

The post California Stallion Tizbud, Full-Brother To Tiznow, Dies At 21 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Road To The Top For Kitten’s Joy Could Have Had Several Off-Ramps

Any stallion requires a series of fortunate – and downright lucky – bounces to become a major player, but the ones that led Kitten's Joy to the top of the North American sire list were the kind that could have derailed his entire stud career as we know it.

In a piece for Thoroughbred Owner Breeder, Nancy Sexton detailed some of those crucial decisions, some of which spanned back to before the stallion was born.

The first of those crossroads came during the racing career of his dam, Kitten's First, whom owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey purchased as a yearling. She raced just twice, having broken her hip in the Junior Champion Stakes at Monmouth Park as a 2-year-old. Ramsey told Sexton that the veterinarian wanted to euthanize the filly once she got back to the barn, but Tom Albertrani, then an assistant to Kitten's First's trainer Bill Mott, was able to get her to stand, and she cooperated with recovery efforts from there, eventually joining Ramsey's broodmare band.

The next turning point came prior to Kitten's Joy's retirement, when the Ramseys were being heavily courted by Japanese buyers to sell turf champion Kitten's Joy and Dubai World Cup winner Roses in May. Ken Ramsey wanted to sell just one of the two, ultimately deciding on Roses in May and altering the North American stud book for decades to come.

One more potential off-ramp came recently when Ken Ramsey became dissatisfied with the stallion's commercial reception by North American buyers and shopped him out to stand at European farms. Ramsey said a deal was made to send Kitten's Joy to stand in England, but a last-minute intervention from his family led him to keep the stallion stateside.

Kitten's Joy moved from Ramsey Farm to Hill 'n' Dale Farms in 2018, and he stood the most recent breeding season for $75,000.

Read more at Thoroughbred Owner Breeder.

The post Road To The Top For Kitten’s Joy Could Have Had Several Off-Ramps appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ireland: Statistics For First Half Of 2020 Illustrate ‘Devastating’ Financial Impact Of COVID-19

Six-month statistics for horse racing and breeding in Ireland, released last week by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), illustrate the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.

A total of 87 fixtures were lost in Ireland from March to June during the Covid-19 lockdown. Racing resumed behind closed doors on June 8 with strict protocols designed to ensure race fixtures could be run in a safe and controlled manner. Only key personnel who have completed medical screening and thermal checks are permitted on track.

Those lost race meetings – allied with the current scenario of no public attendance at all fixtures held behind closed doors – have decimated attendance figures for the first six months of the year, down almost 80 percent.

The bloodstock sales in the first half of 2020 experienced severe interruption, with sales either deferred or moved out of Ireland. Sales of Thoroughbreds at auction in Ireland for the first six months is down 87.3 percent year-on-year.

The number of active owners during the first six months (i.e. those making an entry) was down by 13.9 percent. Since the resumption of racing, there has been an upturn in the number of horses returned in training.

The number returned at any point during the first six months was down 1.6 percent compared with 2019, having been up by 9.1 percent on March 24 when racing ceased, while the number of horses-in-training at the end of June was up 6.8 percent year-on-year, reflecting the resumption of a full race program under both codes.

With no racing attendances since early March, betting with on-course bookmakers and the Tote was down 73.9 percent. In April, Horse Racing Ireland announced a strategic alliance between Tote Ireland and the UK Tote Group which from early next month will provide bigger pools and a single online betting pool for Irish and UK Tote customers.

Business update from HRI Chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh:

“2020 has been a devastating year for the country and like many other sectors, the horse racing and breeding industry has suffered greatly having effectively come to a standstill on March 24. Against that background, any comparison with previous years is futile. Nevertheless, a few key points are worth highlighting.

“The absence of attendances is having a devastating impact on racecourses and the businesses that depend on them such as on-course bookmakers, Tote, caterers and so on. Horse Racing Ireland and the racecourses are working to develop methods by which attendance can return once deemed appropriate by the Government. This is challenging and the contribution to the industry by the racecourses in continuing to race behind closed doors since June 8 is commendable.

“While traditionally the quieter part of the year, bloodstock sales figures for the first half of 2020 were decimated. The sales companies have shown flexibility with regard to their dates and HRI is working with them and Government to ensure that sales can safely resume in Ireland in August. The equivalent sales of those scheduled to be held between now and the end of the year generated €150m in turnover for Irish breeders in 2019, much of it to overseas buyers.

“With the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, horse breeding and training were able to continue safely during the period of restrictions and owners have shown great loyalty with just a small drop in the number of horses in training. HRI is committed to restoring as many of the lost opportunities as possible and has previously announced revised fixtures and race programmes for the rest of the year which will provide opportunities for horses at all levels. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of owners, both domestic and international, in retaining their horses in training which has protected employment and economic activity in rural Ireland.

“Horse Racing Ireland welcomes the strong commitment to develop the industry over the coming years contained in the recently published Programme for Government, particularly in the context of the challenges provided by Covid-19 and Brexit. The racing and breeding industry is one which will contribute to the economic recovery, generating employment and a significant level of international investment into the Irish rural economy. Horse Racing Ireland is working with all elements of the industry to mitigate the impact of the current crisis, however, the challenges facing many participants are significant.”

SUMMARY OF KEY FIGURES:
Attendances down 79.1%
Bloodstock sales down 87.3%
Horses-in-Training down 1.6%
Current Horses-in-Training up 6.8%
Active Owners down 13.9%
Field sizes up 3.4%
On-Course Betting down 73.9%

A full summary of figures can be viewed HERE

The post Ireland: Statistics For First Half Of 2020 Illustrate ‘Devastating’ Financial Impact Of COVID-19 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Worth Sacrificing’: Ireland-Based Jockey Colin Keane Faces Quarantine By Partnering Siskin At Goodwood

Ireland-based jockey Colin Keane will face 14 days of quarantine after reuniting with Siskin at Glorious Goodwood – but the red-hot rider says that's a sacrifice he was willing to make in a heartbeat.

Dual Classic winner Keane piloted Ger Lyons' cracking colt to a brilliant victory in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas last month, toppling Vatican City at the Curragh to extend Siskin's flawless record to five wins from five.

Lyons confirmed that Goodwood's Qatar Sussex Stakes will be next for the 3-year-old, as the trainer targets another Group One glory following Even So's triumph in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks this weekend.

The coronavirus restrictions mean Keane will face two weeks of quarantine upon returning to Ireland after Goodwood, however, severely jeopardizing his chances of usurping Shane Foley's lead at the summit of the Leading Jockeys table.

Keane has partnered Siskin in all five of his trips so far and while this time may all but end his chances of regaining his Champion Jockey crown of 2017, he says he simply couldn't pass the opportunity to team up with the speedster once more.

“It's definitely worth sacrificing the two weeks,” Keane told Nick Luck's Daily Podcast. “There are not too many like Siskin that I've got to sit on before, so when a horse like that comes around you want to be on him everyday – especially on the big days.

“Hopefully there'll be other championships in the future, but there might not be another Siskin for a very long time, so I want to take every opportunity.

“He's been great since the Guineas, he looks a million dollars and we couldn't be happier with him. We'll keep him wrapped up and it's about getting him there in one piece.”

The Keane-Lyons axis banged in their second Classic winner of the season on Saturday as Even So followed in Siskin's glittering footsteps in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

The fabulous filly reeled in Jessica Harrington's Cayenne Pepper – with Foley on board – as Keane delivered a red-hot performance of his own to make things spicy in the Leading Jockeys table.

The 25-year-old has now ridden 28 winners this season, one behind Wayne Lordan but still 11 triumphs adrift of Foley's table-topping 39 efforts.

Foley and Harrington remain without a Classic victory this campaign, however, with Aidan O'Brien landing the other two races with wins for Peaceful and Santiago in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Keane, the 2014 Champion Apprentice, is a man for the big occasion and while both his Classic triumphs have come behind closed doors, it's done little to diminish his joy.

“It was a brilliant weekend – it's still surreal, and one we'll remember for a while I think,” he added.

“Anytime I've ridden a Group One winner there's been nobody there, so it's strange but we're not going to complain.

“There was a lot of pressure for Siskin, but not so much on the filly, so we were just hoping for black type. To go and do what she did was surreal, she was very good.”

The post ‘Worth Sacrificing’: Ireland-Based Jockey Colin Keane Faces Quarantine By Partnering Siskin At Goodwood appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post