France-Galop, the governing body of French horse racing, announced amendments to its whip regulations on Wednesday.
“Beginning on Sept. 1, 2023, any horse that is struck more than nine times with the whip will be disqualified prior to wagers being paid out,” the announcement reads.
“This new adjustment is part of the amendments to the racing code that were adopted by the Comité de France Galop in June and subsequently approved by the Minister of Agriculture.”
The use of the whip in French horse racing has been declining since 2017. The maximum number of strikes allowed has decreased in the following pattern:
March 2017: reduction from 8 to 6 strikes
March 2019: reduction from 6 to 5 strikes
May 2023: reduction from 5 to 4 strikes
The only whip approved for use in horse racing in France measures 68 cm (2'2.77″) and ends in a foam rectangle intended to produce stimulation with noise.
According to Twitter reports from New York Racing Association vice president of communications Pat McKenna, a power loss forced the cancelation of Wednesday's fifth race at Saratoga Race Course.
The horses for the fifth race were in the paddock when the power went out at 3:19 p.m., and were sent back to the stable area. Power began to be restored just prior to 4:00 p.m., and the sixth race went off at 4:31 p.m., approximately 90 minutes after its originally-scheduled post time.
Per the Daily Racing Form's David Grening, Wednesday's Pick 6 wager will be refunded. There were consolation double and pick-3 payouts that ended in race 5.
The first race on Wednesday's card, a steeplechase contest, was canceled earlier this week due to heavy rainfall in the Saratoga area.
Christian Hellmers, a Del Mar native, was the winner of the 20th annual Del Mar Summer Challenge, claiming the victory over 128 total entries with two massive exacta wagers in the two-day handicapping contest July 29-30. His $32,000 score on day one and another $23,000 exacta on day two sealed the victory. Second-place finisher Frank Mustari, of Des Plaines, Ill., briefly passed Hellmers on day two but it was short lived. The winner turned the $4,000 starting bankroll into $49,241.
Hellmers wins $89,500 cash, a $10,000 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) 2023 entry and a $4,000 entry to the Sept. 2 Pacific Classic Betting Challenge (PCBC) at Del Mar or online through TVG.com. All in all, he netted $152,741 in cash and prizes.
Mustari, participating with two entries, finished second and sixth for $37,400 in cash plus two BCBC entries and a PCBC spot.
Participants started with a $4,000 live money bankroll in the two-day Challenge offering more than $250,000 in total prizes. The top 12 finishers receive a combination of prizes including cash, six $10,000 Breeders Cup Betting Challenge entries, National Horseplayers Championship spots and entries to the Pacific Classic Betting Challenge.
Del Mar's signature handicapping contest is presented by Yammava' Resort and Casino at San Manuel.
Fans who have tuned into FOX Sports this summer or who have been on-site at Saratoga Race Course may have noticed a horse of a different color out on the racetrack.
Maggie Wolfendale works as a paddock analyst for the New York Racing Association and does horseback interviews with winning jockeys during FOX broadcasts. This year, her equine partner for her on-track work is a striking cremello Quarter Horse gelding named Norman who, as Wolfendale's husband, trainer Tom Morley says, is missing only a horn to cement his identity as an actual unicorn. (Wolfendale has joked that she'd like to outfit him with glitter or colored hair extensions, but so far he has been decorated only with a flower in his tail for Whitney Day.)
Cremello horses are genetically chestnuts with two additional genes that dilute their coat color to their trademark cream. They have white manes and tails and pink skin around their noses, mouths, and eyes and often have striking pale blue eyes. Cremellos can be found in a few different breeds, including Quarter Horses, gaited breeds, and miniatures.
Norman is on loan to the couple for the summer, courtesy of his owner Sarah O'Brien.
O'Brien bought Norman sight unseen from a Facebook ad when he was a foal.
Norman as a foal
“I was working for Tom and Maggie at the time and traveling a lot so when he was weaned I sent him to my friend Sabrina Moore in Maryland until I settled in one spot,” said O'Brien. “He actually grew up with Knicks Go funny enough.”
Knicks Go, the 2021 Horse of the Year, was bred in Maryland by Angie Moore, Sabrina's mother.
O'Brien ran a business in Kentucky that included starting and pre-training young Thoroughbreds and after Norman grew up and grew used to carrying a rider, she introduced him to the life of ponying. He served as the steady companion to racehorses at a training center before coming home to O'Brien's farm and switching to help prepare yearlings for sale.
Norman growing up with Thoroughbreds. A young Knicks Go is standing immediately to his left
“He's probably the best pony I've ever worked off of – and I've broke a lot of ponies for track work,” said O'Brien. “He's taken to [afternoon work] like a duck to water, which we knew he would.
“We call him a real-life unicorn!”
Wolfendale, who normally uses one of her retired racehorses for broadcast days, said Norman has been a change of pace, but she's impressed with how he's come along.
A behind-the-ears view of Norman at work ponying a horse for O'Brien
“Using him in the afternoon has been a little bit challenging for him; it's a noise/crowd situation he isn't used to,” said Wolfendale.
On his non-television days, Norman serves as a stable pony for Morley's barn, where John Attfield pilots him most mornings. Wolfendale has noticed that each time she swings a leg over during afternoon broadcasts, Norman is moving a little more freely as his fitness increases.
“He's actually got a very comfortable lope,” said Attfield. “He's getting fitter. Doesn't really look like it, but he is.”
Norman has his daily bath at the end of training at Saratoga
In between his morning and afternoon work, Norman patiently receives long baths to keep his trademark coat glowing and can also be found taking selfies or giving pony rides to Wolfendale and Morley's two daughters.
Saratoga fans can spot Norman on Saturday afternoons or during morning works flashing his cream-colored coat and pink eyes. When he's not hard at work, O'Brien says his favorite things are naps and peppermints, but he's happiest when he can have mints delivered to him while he's lying down.
“He's my baby; I love him,” O'Brien said. “He's such a sweet soul.”
