Jenine Sahadi | Horse Racing Free Tips

From Blazing Trails to Changing Lives

Long before Shannon Arvin made headlines as the first female president and CEO of Keeneland and Jessica Paquette was named the first female full-time announcer at a major racetrack, Jenine Sahadi was breaking barriers as the first female trainer to win the Breeders' Cup. However, unlike the others, Sahadi made her mark and stepped away at the peak of her career. She now devotes herself to making a difference on the backstretch as the president of the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.

More than two decades into her time with the organization, Sahadi and the Foundation are so intertwined it's impossible to separate the two.

“It's been so long since I've trained a horse and my focus is now the Foundation,” said Sahadi. “This has been 22 years of my life. We started it with nothing and now we're getting to the place where we are flush enough to be able to jump in and help the second we need to.”

Sahadi is modest about her part, but the Foundation literally changes the lives of backside workers in California. Best known for granting scholarships–more on that in a moment–the Foundation does everything from help with childcare, assist with taxes, take backside kids on fishing trips and to Dodger games, organize soccer tournaments, provide Christmas presents for children, and more. A pilot program this past year involved summer daycare assistance at Del Mar for workers whose extended families had to stay behind at Santa Anita. The Foundation steps in wherever needed, whether it's the fostering of community or arranging babysitting so parents can do their jobs caring for the horses.

“It's the little things that no one knows about that I love,” said Sahadi. “You know, every year we have people sit at the track and do tax preparation. It's the kind of program that encourages everybody to get their taxes done and I think it encourages responsible behavior. It's a win-win for everybody. But it's things like that, the nitty-gritty boots-on-the-ground work, that you wouldn't normally think of that are the types of programs we're super proud of.”

Education is the Foundation's main focus and the most visible one. Since 2001, Sahadi and her cohorts have raised over $6.5 million and have provided scholarships to 281 individual children.

“There have been 742 grants provided,” explained Sahadi. “The kids do an application very similar to many college applications; their parents must work on the backside.

“I think everybody deserves an education. It's invaluable. It's very important for kids to be able to learn and walk away with something, some sense of pride. I think a degree is probably the biggest sense of pride that you can find.”

While there are plenty of wildly successful stories among the Foundation's graduates and plenty who knew what they wanted to accomplish from the start, it might be the ones who need a little extra guidance who are closest to Sahadi's heart and harken back to her training days the most.

“Some take longer to find their way than others,” said Sahadi. “I always say horses are just like people: you've got to treat each one individually and they'll get there in the end when they can explore what they're capable of. Sometimes they have no idea. It's just remarkable.”

Lit de Justice won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Sprint | Horsephotos

Sahadi and the Foundation team treat every backside kid on a case-by-base basis according to their needs and work with them to attain their educational goals. Some have gone on to vet school or pursued higher education; one became a dental hygienist, one is an architect, another works at Ford as a mechanic, yet another is currently at Tulane in medical school.

“They run the gamut,” said Sahadi, “and they seem to be making really wise decisions, following their hearts. Once we identify what their need is, the goal is to try to eliminate the burden of debt as much as we can for them. We try to be very helpful in applying for federal and state grants. We have situations where maybe the kids are not sure what they want to do yet, so we'll help them go to a community college for a year or two and then transfer into a university once they have a better idea. We'll offset book costs, laptop costs, whatever else is needed. We are willing to make some fast decisions and do what is needed. Who wants a kid to lose an experience or struggle?”

The Foundation got its start as an idea under the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT), but blossomed after the death of trainer Edwin J. “Eddie” Gregson in 2000 as his colleagues sought a way to honor him. Gregson is best known publicly for winning the 1982 GI Kentucky Derby with Gato Del Sol, but was better known among his friends and family members as being willing to give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. His wife, Gail, is still on the board.

“It really came to fruition after Eddie passed away and as time went on, we morphed as we figured out a way to honor Eddie's legacy,” explained Sahadi. “He was very philanthropic and big on education. He was just a very generous guy. If somebody walked up to him and said, 'Can I borrow 20 bucks?' he'd give you 40. That's just the kind of guy he was.”

Sahadi serves at one of the Foundation's annual Christmas parties for backside workers | Courtesy Gregson Foundation

Sahadi was named president of the then-fledgling Foundation in 2001, a full decade before she would leave the training ranks and devote herself to the organization. No one could have imagined how it would grow in the more than 20 years since that time and how many lives would be impacted for the better. It started with the broad vision of enhancing “the quality of life of California Thoroughbred horse racing's backstretch workers and their families” and has developed into a vital part of California racing.

“It's a game changer and I just love it,” said Sahadi. “Every year as we've gotten a little bit more of a cushion, we've been upping the amounts of help [we can give]. It's been almost $1.9 million in scholarships alone since we started. It took a long time before we got rolling, but we're very proud of all these kids who have gone through the program.”

Sahadi practically grew up at the racetrack herself. Her parents, Fred and Helen Sahadi, began claiming horses in the 1960s and built Cardiff Stud Farm, which they would eventually sell to the late Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy” fame. Her father founded Barretts Equine Ltd., the auction company so prominent in California for so many years. And Sahadi herself was mentored by the late Charlie Whittingham, as well as Ron McAnally, with whom she is still close. Out of college, she worked first for seven years on the frontside at Hollywood Park.

She began training in 1993 and quickly broke through on a major stage, becoming the first female trainer to hoist a Breeders' Cup trophy when Lit de Justice won the Sprint in 1996. The next year, she did it again, with Elmhurst giving her back-to-back Sprint wins.

A handful of other women trainers have followed her in the Breeders' Cup's winner's circle, including Laura De Seroux with Azeri's Distaff in 2002 and Kathy Ritvo with Mucho Macho Man's Classic in 2013, yet not only was Sahadi the first female trainer to win the Breeders' Cup, she remains the only one to win more than once.

During her 18 years as a trainer, Sahadi's 441 wins included 86 black-type victories and 45 graded wins. Among the additional Grade I winners she developed were Grand Flotilla, Fastness, Rainbow Dancer (Fr), The Deputy (Ire), and Golden Ballet. And then, at the height of her career, she stepped away.

The Deputy's 2000 Santa Anita Derby win, making Sahadi the only female trainer to win the race | Horsephotos

“I loved it, but it's a lot and the game is different now,” said Sahadi. “I was always very vocal, very political, president of the CTT for many years. I didn't really love the direction that racing was going. Regardless of what the achievements were or whatever, for me it was always just about taking care of the horse and being bluntly honest, sometimes to my own detriment. I always just tried to be a purist and never had a drug positive ever.

“Now we're in this sort of new realm where even a therapeutic medication is maybe not legal,' continued Sahadi. “If we as an industry are going to keep conflating legal therapeutic overages with PEDs and dopers, I think it's really dangerous and bad for the overall health of the industry. I hate it because I feel like we all need to be loyal to the game and to take care of it.”

The loss of Sahadi to the training ranks is the backside workers' gain. The Foundation has changed and grown since she took the helm more than two decades ago, but the legacy is secure. Not only have hundreds of lives already been impacted for the better, but the Foundation is poised to continue evolving with the needs of the backside.

Foundation secretary Angie Carmona and Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza with Sahadi | Courtesy Gregson Foundation

“We want to keep doing what we're doing, try to pivot and jump in and help. Since we're the bricks and mortar, boots-on-the-ground kind of people, the Foundation jumps in the second that we need to if there's a problem that arises that we weren't expecting. We will hopefully keep improving and reinventing programs. Our board is just phenomenal. Everybody sort of has their role.

“We are just trying our best to make a big difference and not make a big deal about it,” said Sahadi. “I don't think anyone on the board is looking for a pat on the back. That's not really what our motivation is, even though I personally am so grateful to so many of them. If somebody needs something, we're going to try our best to figure out how to get it done as much as we can.”

Sahadi is quick to point out the Foundation is not just her.

“I'm just kind of the mouthpiece. I'm so grateful for everyone who has been loyal to this Foundation. They've made the difference; it really has nothing to do with me. It's the board. [Foundation secretary] Angie Carmona is a saint. She is invaluable. None of this would be possible without Angie. She knows all the backstretch workers by name. I can help raise money, but she is the one that really does the day to day.”

As the Foundation's board quietly goes about serving backstretch workers, Sahadi says she doesn't mind that other non-profits in racing are far more visible.

“I love any philanthropy that goes on in horse racing,” said Sahadi. “With all the aftercare and everything, it's almost overwhelming. There's so many to pick and choose from.”

For the backstretch workers in California though, likely nothing beats the Gregson Foundation. Sahadi agrees.

“You get a little weepy when you watch these kids and they just excel. When one graduates or gets a job, the parents are so proud of their children when you see them at the racetrack. They're genuinely grateful and it's the best feeling in the world.”

For more information on the Foundation, visit gregsonfoundation.com.

The post From Blazing Trails to Changing Lives appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Letter to the Editor: Jenine Sahadi

Since the FBI announced in 2020 that their years-long federal investigation into cheating allegations in horse racing had caught admitted “doper” Jorge Navarro, suspected “doper” Jason Servis and a host of other co-conspirators, the lines separating these criminals and most of the rest of the industry's participants with largely minor legal drug positives have been significantly blurred.

Fast forward to the 2021 Kentucky Derby, a full 14 months after Navarro and Servis were arrested and charged with federal conspiracy charges related to drugging of their horses, social media erupted with rumors that Medina Spirit had tested positive for a “banned substance.” The information leaked just days after his victory and seemingly before the colt's trainer, Bob Baffert, had been notified there was a post-race positive.

From that time until now, much of the information that has trickled out has come mostly from speculation or been based on half truths and information twisted to suit a negative agenda. Rarely have details involving Medina Spirit been based on fact. Factor in the press tour Bob Baffert went on defending himself and his position that nothing nefarious was in play–for better or worse–and the perfect storm had developed.

Baffert's record as a trainer–which by industry standards has been cleaner, safer and better than most–was attacked, twisted and manipulated. His personal life–especially his wife and children–came under an all-out assault and was subject to a sea of the most horrific hate imaginable. None of which had anything to do with a post-race positive of a legal therapeutic medication in the Kentucky Derby.

My history with Bob Baffert is well-documented and I haven't always been his biggest fan. However, I knew, in all likelihood, the people saying those things had never met the man. Strangers unconcerned by what it actually means to be a “doper” or “cheater” hurled those epithets as if they actually knew him not only as a person, but also as a trainer.

That said, my disdain for the behavior of his harshest critics is clear and I continue to have the same questions. What is the definition of a cheater? What does it mean?

In what has been one of the most bizarre scenes I've ever witnessed, racing media, political actors, paid social media trolls, disgruntled bettors, along with powerful horsemen's groups and others have perpetuated or fostered a false “Lance Armstrong” narrative about Baffert. They compare Medina Spirit's overage of a legal therapeutic medication to actual blood doping and cheating. I don't really understand why, though I have my suspicions, and for the life of me I cannot fathom how he became the worst thing about horse racing.

Perhaps if we define what a “cheater” or “doper” is, reckless and uninformed attacks on trainers would stop. Educating the media and public on what constitutes cheating versus what is an unintentional overage of a therapeutic medication might actually be a positive development for horse racing. Instead, the industry sits idly by as shows like Saturday Night Live call betamethasone, a medication the industry allows and regulates, to be portrayed as a performance enhancing anabolic steroid. There is never any industry pushback on false narratives.

We have heard from racing's leadership organizations and also from the federal government that untestable drugs may be in use daily. This may be true, although we have yet to see any proof of it up to this point. In the meantime, we have allowed anti-horse racing activists and those who want to end horse racing altogether to spew damaging lies and perpetuate false narratives. These extremists don't hold everyone to the same standards. In fact, some trainers with multiple significant violations seem to get a pass, while others are vilified.

What do I mean by not holding everyone to the same standards? For example, are multiple class 4C positives (e.g. betamethasone) as harmful as one Class 2 (e.g. metformin) positive? Is it a recency equation? If so, are multiple class 4C positives more harmful to both the horse and the image of racing in the public eye than one Class 2 positive? Are we certain that class 4C positives are

“masking” more powerful drugs like EPO, as some allege, and if that's the case, where is the science to support that? Where did this narrative originate? Even more confusing to me is why we even have classifications if we are going to lump all positives into the “doping” narrative? What purpose do the classifications serve, if not to protect the horse and integrity of the game in general?

For years, many of the industry's participants, including myself, have been begging the decision makers for uniform rules and penalties in all racing jurisdictions. This would certainly solve the double-standard issue. It is a daunting task for sure, but certainly one worth the effort from industry leaders–those actually in a position to be heard and effect change in the best interests of the industry. So why hasn't it happened? We have literally had decades to get our ducks in a row and those with the most strength, power, and influence have continued to bury their heads in the sand, or alternatively, added fuel to the fire that is swiftly burning down our industry.

That's not to say all leaders have ignored the issues.

In California, for example, horses are now routinely subject to the most exhaustive pre-race medication and soundness exams in the country. Out-of-competition and thorough testing has become standard and, in rare cases, trainers are being cited for drug overages in workout tests. Is there any other jurisdiction in the country that demands the same strict level of oversight and protocols that California does? If there is, I certainly don't know about it.

California doesn't get sufficient credit from the industry in this area. Critics appearing more concerned with field size than the safety of horses bang the loudest drum to drown out the state's accomplishments. We know equine safety can only help to grow field sizes, as well as, positive public perception. Again, racing industry leadership–or a lack thereof–has played a major role in getting us to this point.

Social media, mainstream and horse racing media, and “experts”, who harbor their own animosity for individuals and the industry, have taken us to a very dark place. Anonymous accounts on social media aim to destroy who and what they don't like. Anyone who presents a rational argument supported with facts is labeled an apologist or far worse. I personally know people who have received death threats. Others have been told they've had background checks run on them. Many have had profane slurs hurled at them. Some of these folks shouting the same vitriol every day are provided cover and support by leadership groups and members of the media who claim to be impartial and to want what's best for the industry. Attacks on owners, who have for decades lost their money with a smile on their face, have ramped up, as well. I will never be convinced this is a good strategy in the short or long run, yet here we are, with many passionate and well intentioned owners accused of being complicit criminals. Interesting to note that the attackers usually have their own set of immoral behaviors that fly under the radar, but hypocrisy is in full view in 2022.

I don't know where this all ends, but I believe if we can't answer the simplest of questions, like what defines a cheater, or work to achieve uniform rules and regulations throughout the industry, then we are doomed. Change is needed, but we can't allow uninformed critics and activists, who would love nothing more than the collapse of racing to win.

The same standards need to be applied equally for all, in every jurisdiction, from coast to coast. In California, the lessons learned over the past few years have been plentiful. To the racing associations' credit they actually did something–many things–to help the horses and the industry as a whole. Meanwhile, virtually every other jurisdiction continues the status quo while hoping that the frenzy surrounding Bob Baffert will distract from their own breakdown rates and medication violations. Oddly enough, some states have almost no medication violations. Other states should learn from California's mistakes and implement the changes they made to move the industry in a positive direction for a change.

Bob Baffert isn't horse racing's problem, no matter how many times anonymous trolls armed with hatred and half-truths say so on Twitter. Cue the mob.

Sincerely,

Jenine Sahadi

Retired Trainer

The post Letter to the Editor: Jenine Sahadi appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

At 24, The Deputy Pulled From Bail Pen By Racetrack Connections

Irish-bred The Deputy, trained by Jenine Sahadi for Team Valor and Gary Barber to win the $1-million Santa Anita Derby in 2000 and second choice in the Kentucky Derby, is now safely ensconced in Texas after some maneuvering to rescue him from a “kill pen” on a feedlot about an hour north of Dallas week before last.

When intrepid horse lovers used their Internet monitoring skills to learn that the now 24-year-old stallion had been bought cheaply at a sale in Iowa and transported to the feedlot in Texas, word spread fast and Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin quickly managed to buy him on behalf of his longtime partner Barber and ex-trainer Sahadi.

Utilizing networking through the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the old connections contacted TAA activist Donna Keen, who was able to rapidly pick up and move The Deputy to her TAA-approved Remember Me Rescue.

“When the tests all came back negative today and the vet- check proved unremarkable, we decided it was time to tell the story, not to portray ourselves as heroes, but to put an end to the salacious, untrue and unfounded tales that had been circulating online. We want to thank those horse lovers who helped us in our endeavors.”

Donna Keen (left) said “We are thrilled to have been able to help the original connections and to be able to take care of the horse and share him with visitors to our rescue. He is, as could be expected, a bit underweight at this time, but when he fills back up and once again looks the part we look forward to showing him off here in Texas. We are very honored and proud to have been selected as his forever home.”

The Deputy, bought by Team Valor and Barber after he won a maiden race in England at two, enjoyed a brief but meteoric rise to stardom in the winter of his 3-year-old season at Santa Anita, where the dark-coated colt rattled off victories in the listed Hill Rise Stakes, Grade 2 Santa Catalina Stakes (defeating subsequent Breeders' Cup Turf Mile hero War Chant) and the G1 Santa Anita Derby, while running second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes to the Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.

As the first starter for a female trainer in the 2000 Kentucky Derby, he was second choice, but bowed a tendon in the race and never ran again.

Barber, who won the Preakness with War of Will, said “I have always had a soft spot in my heart for The Deputy. He was my first Grade 1 winner.”

“He was the easiest horse to be around. All class. He meant a lot to me and my barn,” said Sahadi.

The son of Petardia was originally syndicated to stand at Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., after which he did stints at farms in Michigan and Iowa.

The post At 24, The Deputy Pulled From Bail Pen By Racetrack Connections appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Deputy Rescued from TX Kill Pen

The Deputy (Ire) (Petardia {GB}), winner of the 2000 GI Santa Anita Derby and second choice in that year's GI Kentucky Derby, was rescued from a kill pen in Texas earlier this month by his old connections, Barry Irwin's Team Valor, Gary Barber and trainer Jenine Sahadi. The 24-year-old, who had stood stud in several states, was reportedly bought cheaply in Iowa and sent to a feedlot north of Dallas, at which point word quickly spread on the internet and made its way to The Deputy's past connections. By utilizing the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance network, Irwin, Barber and Sahadi enlisted Donna Keen to pick up and transfer The Deputy to her TAA-approved Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, TX, where he will live out his days.

“We decided to have Donna quarantine The Deputy for a while, do some diagnostic work including bloods and a fecal and not reveal anything about the rescue until we were certain that he was healthy, as Donna warned us that horses from feedlots can contract diseases quite readily,” Irwin said. “When the tests all came back negative [Wednesday] and the vet-check proved unremarkable, we decided it was time to tell the story, not to portray ourselves as heroes, but to put an end to the salacious, untrue and unfounded tales that had been circulating online. We want to thank those horse lovers who helped us in our endeavors.”

“We are thrilled to have been able to help the original connections and to be able to take care of the horse and share him with visitors to our rescue,” Keen said, “He is, as could be expected, a bit underweight at this time, but when he fills back up and once again looks the part we look forward to showing him off here in Texas. We are very honored and proud to have been selected as his forever home.”

Barber said, “I have always had a soft spot in my heart for The Deputy. He was my first Grade I winner.”

Sahadi added, “He was the easiest horse to be around. All class. He meant a lot to me and my barn.”

The post The Deputy Rescued from TX Kill Pen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post