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Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Accredits 29 Organizations

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance announced today that 29 Thoroughbred aftercare organizations have been awarded accreditation.

The 29 organizations include 25 previously accredited organizations and four that received accreditation for the first time. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in Thoroughbred aftercare, now has a network of 82 organizations with approximately 180 facilities in North America.

“Congratulations to the 29 organizations who earned their Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accreditation. Receiving that stamp of approval is a true testament to an organization's dedication to providing the best care possible for our Thoroughbreds,” Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance President Jimmy Bell said.

“A total of 82 accredited organizations across North America will represent the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during our tenth year,” Bell continued. “As we expand our roster of accredited organizations, we continue to encourage industry participants to support the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's mission to provide funding for the thousands of retired racehorses Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-accredited organizations have in their care.”

The 29 organizations earning accreditation this year are: ACTT Naturally, Inc.; After The Homestretch; Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue; Beyond The Roses Equine Rescue & Retirement; Blue Bloods Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, Inc.; Circle A Home for Horses; Florida Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care (Florida TRAC); Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds; Hope for Horses, Inc.; Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation; James River Horse Foundation; Life Horse; LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society; Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue; New Beginnings Thoroughbreds, Inc.; New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society; Racing For Home, Inc.; Redwings Horse Sanctuary; ReRun, Inc.; Second Wind Thoroughbred Project, Inc.; Secretariat Center; South Florida SPCA; Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue; Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga; Thoroughbred Placement Resources, Inc.; Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation; Thoroughbred Retirement of Tampa, Inc.; Virginia Thoroughbred Project; Win Place Home, Inc.

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organizations undergo a thorough application and inspection process prior to accreditation being awarded to ensure they meet Code of Standards, which covers five key areas: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Facility inspections are conducted at all facilities housing Thoroughbreds for each organization. Ongoing updates and re-inspections are required of all organizations as a condition of accreditation.

“As a member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Accreditation Committee, its eye opening to see first-hand how much goes into the lengthy process of reviewing and vetting every single organization,” said Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance board member Susie Hart. “Earning accreditation is no easy feat and I feel confident with the 82 amazing groups we will represent for 2022.”

All organizations that hold Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants to support the care of their Thoroughbreds. Grant applications are currently being reviewed and the total grant amount awarded by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be announced this month. Since 2012, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has awarded $20.7 million to accredited organizations.

The full list of 82 organizations, information about the accreditation process, and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's Code of Standards can be found on ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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Jimmy Bell To Retire From Godolphin USA; Michael Banahan Accepts Expanded Role

Godolphin announced today that president and racing manager Jimmy Bell will retire from his day-to-day involvement at its USA division by the end of the year.

Dan Pride, chief operating officer of Godolphin, USA, said, “Jimmy Bell is the bedrock that Godolphin USA is built upon. His history with Jonabell is well known and he has faithfully served 20 years molding us into what we are today. He is a friend to many of us and always an example of how to live your life and focus on what is important.”

When the Bell family's Jonabell Farm was acquired by HH Sheikh Mohammed in 2001, Bell was retained in his current role which guaranteed a smooth transition after the purchase. Bell commented, “My 20 years with Godolphin have been nothing short of a dream come true. More special have been the friendships and fellowships I've developed with so many folks here at Team Godolphin. It's been my privilege and pleasure to work alongside so many wonderful colleagues.”

Bell also indicated that while he's stepping back from his responsibilities at Godolphin's Jonabell location, he'll still be very active with the organization as its representative on several industry boards. He currently serves as president of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and is a member of the board of the Breeders' Cup and the Fayette Alliance, as well as the Keeneland Advisory Board.

Michael Banahan, currently the director of farm operations and the longest serving Darley/Godolphin USA employee, will transition to the role of director of bloodstock by the end of the year. This new role will encompass Bell's racing responsibilities as well as overseeing all aspects of managing the Godolphin USA horse population. Pride said, “Michael is an integral part of the success of the entire operation here in the US. His knowledge base covers everything from farm infrastructure needs, our stallion program, to planning the matings of such horses as Essential Quality and Maxfield. I know he's excited to assume this new and important responsibility.”

Banahan, who was named Kentucky Farm Manager of the Year in 2019, began his tenure with Darley in 1993. Banahan said, “For 20 years I've had the honor to work alongside Jimmy, and while there's going to be quite a void with his departure, I am very glad for him as he enters a new phase of life. Godolphin USA has a strong team and I'm excited about taking on this new challenge.”

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Bell Set to Retire from Godolphin

Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager for Godolphin's U.S. division, will retire from his day-to-day involvement with the operation by the end of the year, according to a release from the operation.

“Jimmy Bell is the bedrock that Godolphin USA is built upon,” said Dan Pride, Chief Operating Officer of Godolphin, USA. “His history with Jonabell is well known and he has faithfully served 20 years molding us into what we are today. He is a friend to many of us and always an example of how to live your life and focus on what is important.”

The Bell family's Jonabell Farm was acquired by Sheikh Mohammed in 2001 and Jimmy Bell was retained in his current position.

“My 20 years with Godolphin have been nothing short of a dream come true,” Bell said. “More special have been the friendships and fellowships I've developed with so many folks here at Team Godolphin. It's been my privilege and pleasure to work alongside so many wonderful colleagues.”

Bell said he plans to remain active with Godolphin as a representative on several industry boards. He currently serves as President of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and is a member of the board of the Breeders' Cup and the Fayette Alliance, as well as the Keeneland Advisory Board.

Michael Banahan, currently the Director of Farm Operations and the longest-serving Darley/Godolphin USA employee, will transition to the role of Director of Bloodstock by the end of the year. This new role will encompass Bell's racing responsibilities as well as overseeing all aspects of managing the Godolphin USA horse population.

Pride said, “Michael is an integral part of the success of the entire operation here in the US. His knowledge base covers everything from farm infrastructure needs, our stallion program, to planning the matings of such horses as Essential Quality and Maxfield. I know he's excited to assume this new and important responsibility.”

Banahan, who was named Kentucky Farm Manager of the Year in 2019, began his tenure with Darley in 1993.

“For 20 years I've had the honor to work alongside Jimmy, and while there's going to be quite a void with his departure, I am very glad for him as he enters a new phase of life,” Banahan said. “Godolphin USA has a strong team and I'm excited about taking on this new challenge.”

The post Bell Set to Retire from Godolphin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Red-Hot Rosario Teams With Pixelate To Win Mint Million At Kentucky Downs

Monday was officially WinStar Day at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. To bettors across the country, it was Joel Rosario Day. The jockey won on five of his eight mounts, including the featured $1 million, Grade 3 WinStar Mint Million as Godolphin's late-running Pixelate blew past Somelikeithotbrown for a 2 1/2-length victory.

On Sunday's opening card, Rosario went 5-for-11, including winning the $500,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks aboard Godolphin's 3-year-old filly Adventuring. He would appear to have the Kentucky Downs riding title sewn up, with four days remaining (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).

Rafael Bejarano holds the record for victories on a single card at Kentucky Downs when he went 6-for-8 on Sept. 21, 2004, while en route to the riding title with 12 wins, still the most by a rider at a meet. While quite the feat back then, Rosario is competing against arguably the strongest jockey colony in the country as riders from all over migrate to the track in pursuit of some of the largest purses in the world.

No rider has dominated the meet for two days since Florent Geroux won five races twice in 2015 en route to taking the riding title with a record-tying 12 victories that he matched in 2016.

Rosario rode eight races on Labor Day, taking the second aboard Heaven Street ($7.20) for Steve Asmussen, the fourth on Super Divine ($11) for Wesley Ward, the seventh on Honor Hop ($5.80) for Brian Lynch, the eighth for Ward on Gypsy King ($5.60) and then the 10th on Pixelate. After Rosario's quintet Sunday, horseplayers were pounding his mounts. Pixelate was 10-1 in the morning line and bet down to about 9-2, paying $11.20. For the two days, Rosario has gone 10 for 19, with his horses earning $1,683,731.

“When you got a rider who's won 10 races in two days on a track, he's the guy you want,” said Mint Million winning trainer Michael Stidham. “This has got to be some kind of record.”

Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager of owner-breeder Godolphin, said he felt “all the confidence in the world” with Rosario aboard.

“We were joking in the paddock, any one of your previous (nine) ways of winning would work here,” Bell said. “He just rides with confidence. In our case, he just said the horse fit the course very well. Pixelate continued to find more, find more and just that slow momentum he built up to the rising ground and the long stretch. He said (Pixelate) relished the going. So that was fantastic.

“What a great weekend it's been for Sheikh Mohammed and the breeding program, obviously with Adventuring winning and to come back today with another homebred today in Pixelate,” he added of Godolphin's owner and the Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum. “It's just been magical.”

Bizzee Channel set a sizzling pace of 21.83 seconds for the first quarter mile and 44.95 for the half, with Somelikeithotbrown in closest pursuit and taking command turning for home. But Flavius, last year's winner and the 7-5 favorite, kicked into gear to go after Somelikeithotbrown before giving way to fifth.

Meanwhile, Pixelate came seven-wide down the late, swooping to the lead in the final sixteenth-mile while covering the mile in 1:34.04. Somelikeithotbrown and jockey Jose Ortiz held off his Mike Maker-trained stablemate Monarchs Glen, who closed from last of 10 older horses to finish another two lengths back in third under 2020 meet-leader Tyler Gaffalione.

“With the speed in front of me, it looked like they were going good,” Rosario said. “The key for me was trying to find a way through the track. He kept building, building, building, and with the long stretch, that helped get him there.

“He was in a nice gallop, he kept going and getting better, and I could see it when we caught up to the horses on the lead. I started thinking that we're going to get it.”

“It was a fast pace, I was aware of it,” said Ortiz, Kentucky Downs' 2018 and 2019 riding champion. “I was trying to wait as long as I could. But at the eighth pole, the favorite came up outside of me, so I had to go with him. I was able to beat him, but I wasn't able to hold on. Pixelate got by me. I set up a good trip for him.”

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Pixelate won for the sixth time, with another six seconds and four thirds, in 20 starts, earning $1,098,850 with the $509,850 payday. It was his second graded-stakes victory, having won the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby exactly a year ago.

“He deserves it because he finally got his day in the sun and got to make up for some of those times when we reached out and ran in some of the big races and he was only beaten 2-3 lengths,” Stidham said. “And today was his day. It was a beautiful thing. I'm so proud of the horse and what he's accomplished.

“Certainly when I looked up at the time and saw 21-and-change and 44-and-change and we were sitting back about nine or 10 off of it, I thought, 'Well, that's the perfect spot to be in.' And I think that helped us. But this horse, if you look at his form, he goes out and runs his heart out every time we run him, no matter what type of spot we pick. He's always trying. Today things set up nicely for him. And he tried like he always does and it put him in the winner's circle.”

As a New York-bred, Somelikeithotbrown was racing for the base purse of $550,000 with the Mint Million's remaining $450,000 paid out only to Kentucky-bred horses. He still picked up $104,500 for second, enough to put him over $1 million in earnings.

“He ran his butt off, didn't he?” said Dr. Harvey Diamond, co-founder of the Skychai Racing partnership that is majority owner in Somelikeithotbrown. “It looked like in mid-stretch that he was going to make it, and I saw this horse moving on the outside. We ran a good race. I think the pace was a little too quick for us.”

Agreed Rosario: “It was a fast pace, I was aware of it. I was trying to wait as long as I could. But at the eighth pole, the favorite (2020 winner Flavius) came up outside of me, so I had to go with him. I was able to beat him, but I wasn't able to hold on. Pixelate got by me. I set up a good trip for him.”

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