Many of the trainers and owners running horses in Saturday's eight Claiming Crown races already won a critical competition before the starting gate even opens at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: They got the horse at the claim box.

With shrinking foal crops and enhanced purses in areas such as Kentucky, New York and Arkansas, there has never been more demand for a competitive claiming horse, the backbone of American racing. The Claiming Crown was created 25 years ago by the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (NHBPA) and the Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders of America (TOBA) to spotlight those horses with their own big-money day.

The 25th Claiming Crown–this year worth a total of $1 million and staged with support from the Louisiana HBPA–clearly has encouraged some owners to seek out horses with this day in mind.

“A lot of guys gear up for this day,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro, whose seven Claiming Crown entrants include three contenders for the $200,000 Jewel in Flying P Stable's Saqeel and Frosted Grace and Ken Ramsey's King's Ovation. “Two of my bigger guys, Flying P and Ken Ramsey, have had success at the Claiming Crown and just love it. Jason Provenzano has mentioned it to me at least once a week for four months about having Frosted Grace for the Claiming Crown. Flying P last winter would say, 'How about this horse (to claim)? He'd be eligible for the Claiming Crown next year.' It was nine or 11 months away, but it shows you how excited some of the owners are and how much pride they take in running in it.

“It's a big day and very important to a lot of owners. The blue-collar horses get to be the spotlight of the day and run for good money. You have to have blue-collar horses in this game, for sure, for spectators, owners and trainers. They're a big part of our game.”

Claiming a horse is one of the quickest and most effective ways to get new owners into the game–or to bring lapsed owners back. Claim a horse, and you could see it run back in your silks in a matter of weeks.

For example, owner Paul Parker and trainer/co-owner Jeff Hiles needed to win a 13-way shake to get Time for Trouble, the favorite in Saturday's $75,000 Ready's Rocket Express, for $8,000 on June 18, 2021 at Churchill Downs. He was one of five horses claimed out of the race. Time for Trouble has not run in another race since where he could be claimed, that includes winning last year's Ready's Rocket Express at Churchill Downs.

Starter-allowance races such as the Claiming Crown are restricted to horses that have started for a certain claiming price or cheaper in a specified time frame. But there is no claiming involved, making starter races attractive to those who don't want to risk losing their horse.

The complexities of the claiming game increase when horses' eligibility for starter races expires. If they're put in another claiming race to make them re-eligible for starter competition, there's a good chance they'll be claimed. On the other hand, horsemen need to run in spots where they can make money to stay in business. Running a horse over its head repeatedly just to hang on to it doesn't do the owner, trainer or the horse any good.

So it's one thing to claim a horse with the Claiming Crown in mind and another to still have it come Claiming Crown day.

Mike Maker, the all-time leading Claiming Crown trainer with 21 victories, and his fellow horsemen Diodoro, Chris Hartman and Joe Sharp are all over Saturday's Claiming Crown entries. Maker and Diodoro entered seven apiece, Sharp six and Hartman four.

Then there are all the horses racing Saturday that those guys used to train. Take Invaluable–and a lot of people did just that.

Now six, Invaluable won last year's Claiming Crown Glass Slipper for Maker but will start this year for Sharp, who claimed her two races ago. The Claiming Crown was only Invaluable's second start for Maker, who took the mare off Diodoro for $32,000 at Saratoga in a race where all four horses were claimed. The prior winter, Diodoro had taken Invaluable off Hartman for $30,000 at Oaklawn, a race in which five of eight starters changed hands.

“That one hurts,” Diodoro said of losing Invaluable, the 2022 National HBPA Claiming Horse of the Year. “I loved that mare. I didn't want to lose her. She's as honest as they come. We could have tried to hold her out for the Claiming Crown. But you get to Saratoga, the owners want to win, the purses are big. You can't just 'protect' these horses. You've got to run them where they can win–and there's a pretty good chance you're going to lose them at the claim box.”

The home run is getting a horse that improves to where it can run well in allowance and stakes races. That's the case with Frosted Grace, a $32,000 claim a year ago who has made $382,860 for Flying P in 2023, including winning Lone Star Park's GIII Steve Sexton Mile S.

Three other Diodoro-trained horses will make their first start for the barn Saturday, having been claimed specifically for the Claiming Crown. One, Pens Street in the Glass Slipper, has been claimed in three of her last four races.

The $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial will be the second start for Diodoro with $40,000 claim On a Spree, who changed hands six times in his prior seven starts, including spending one race apiece for Hartman and Sharp.

“The claiming game gives everyone a chance,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “There's often not a lot that separates blue blood from blue collar. Horses every day outrun their pedigrees. High price tags bring high expectations, but sometimes those horses simply aren't good enough for top-level company. That doesn't mean they aren't still good, productive horses. And sometimes horses' form goes off to where they're put in a claiming race to get them back on track. Like Emerald favorite Therapist.”

That New York-bred gelding, an eight-time stakes-winner at the time, was claimed for $25,000 and then for $50,000 in his next start by Maker in January. Therapist now has won three races for new owner Michael Dubb, including the GI United Nations S.

Hamelback noted that Glass Slipper favorite Samarita was a $1,000 yearling who has won her past six races and that Claiming Crown Jewel favorite Money Supply cost $400,000 as a yearling but clearly didn't fit into his original owner's program geared toward the classic races.

“The same mare, Tokyo Time, produced $3-million earner Olympiad a year after she foaled Iron Horse contender Mau Mau,” Hamelback said. “He lost his first six starts, was put in a $30,000 claiming race, won that day and was claimed and has since raced successfully at his level for several different trainers. There are a lot more Mau Maus than Olympiads. They are good racehorses at their level and bring a lot of joy to their owners and barns. We celebrate them all with the Claiming Crown.”

The post Claiming Crown: Just Getting a Horse There Can Be a Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Also City of Light's first-born foal, Roja Ligera is out of a half-sister to GSW Wishful Tomcat (Tactical Cat) and to the dam of MGSW Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy). The winner has a yearling half-sister by Mastery.

City of Light, winner of both the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at four and the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at five, stood alongside his sire at Lane's End this year for $60,000 after seeing frenzied bidding for his first crop of yearlings last term. A City of Light colt topped Keeneland September at $1.7 million and 15 of his yearlings fetched $500,000 or more in 2021.

5th-Ellis, $60,000, Msw, 7-31, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:05.31, my, 1 1/4 lengths.
ROJA LIGERA (f, 2, City of Light-Redbud, by Union Rags) Sales History: $155,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $37,139. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-Three Diamonds Farm & Jospeh Besecker; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Joe Sharp.

The post City of Light Off The Blocks With First Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, marking its 10th edition, confirmed its importance on the calendar with a strong renewal at Newtown Paddocks Monday.

“It was a tremendous sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “It was even stronger than we anticipated. We saw an unbelievable depth of bidding activity tonight. We had activity from the East Coast, West Coast, international participation. It was very encouraging. It was a very strong marketplace overall.”

A total of 129 offerings sold Monday for a gross of $10,814,000. The average was $83,829 and the median was $58,000. With 30 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.9%.

Last year's sale, which offered bloodstock under a separate catalogue, saw 79 horses sell for $5,905,500. The average was $74,753 and the median was $50,000.

As expected with boutique summer meets at Del Mar and Saratoga upcoming, horses with current form proved popular in the sales ring Monday. Bloodstock agent Steve Young purchased the day's top-priced offering Kuchar (Uncle Mo) for $500,000. The 3-year-old, consigned by WinStar Racing, was coming off a runner-up effort in the July 2 American Derby.

“I think it is like any other horses of racing age sale,” said Young, who purchased two of the day's three top lots. “You look at them after the fact and some of them appear to be a lot more than what you would foresee. But, with the purses the way they are in places like Kentucky and New York, horses that are running are worth a lot of money.”

Browning agreed horses who could go on and race at summer meets at Saratoga and Del Mar were in demand.

“There is a lot of demand for a horse that can ship to Saratoga and run next week,” Browning said. “Several horses will ship to Del Mar. A lot of horses will be re-strategized to regional racetracks.”

WinStar Racing also sold the day's second-highest priced offering when First Constitution (Chi) (Constitution) brought a final bid of $430,000 from RRR Racing.

Young Strikes Again for Kuchar

Bloodstock agent Steve Young, active throughout Monday's auction, made the day's highest bid when going to $500,000 to acquire recent American Derby runner-up Kuchar (Uncle Mo) (hip 547) on behalf of an undisclosed client. Agent Jacob West was underbidder on the colt.

“He is a proven and improving 3-year-old,” said Young, who purchased the colt for the same client for whom he had purchased the 3-year-old filly Diamond Hands (Frosted) earlier in the sale. “If he improves in the next three months as much as he improved in the last three months, he will be a nice horse.”

Of the colt's final price tag, Young said, “That's what horses of his nature cost. If you try to buy them on the private market, that's what they are going to want for them.”

Young signed the ticket on four offerings Monday, going to $375,000 for Diamond Hands and $325,000 for multiple stakes-placed Montebello (Curlin). He also purchased Relate (Connect) (hip 403) for $65,000.

Racing for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm and trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Kuchar was a maiden winner at Oaklawn in March. He was second in the Apr. 23 Oaklawn S. before winning a Churchill allowance May 22. He was most recently second behind Rattle N Roll (Connect) in the July 2 American Derby.

Bred by WinStar Farm and consigned by WinStar Racing, the bay colt is out of multiple Grade I-placed Street Girl (Street Hero).

“We are selling horses like him and he was our best one coming in here after running second in the American Derby,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “He is a beautiful horse and he had the right people on him.”

Walden continued, “He had 19 vettings, he was very popular. I was hoping he was going to bring anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000, so he was at the top of what I thought he was going to bring. But he is a beautiful horse and people want racehorses. There are a lot of stakes that he can run in–he's a 3-year-old, he runs from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/4 miles. Those are valuable horses.”

WinStar had a profitable day in the sale ring Monday. The operation also sold the day's second-highest priced offering, Chilean Group 1 winner First Constitution (Chi) (Constitution) (hip 587) for $430,000. The 5-year-old, campaigned by Don Alberto Stable, WinStar and Twin Creeks Racing Stables, was a two-time stakes winner in New York this spring and he is coming off a fifth-place effort in the June 11 GII Brooklyn S. He was purchased via a phone bid from RRR Racing, which also campaigns this year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Switzerland (Speightstown). @JessMartiniTDN

Diamond Hands Popular at Fasig-Tipton

Diamond Hands (Frosted) (hip 495), runner-up behind Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the May 20 Hilltop S. for Rob Masiello and Steve Rocco and trainer Christophe Clement, will continue her racing career on the New York circuit after bloodstock agent Steve Young purchased the 3-year-old filly for $375,000 on behalf of an undisclosed client Monday at Fasig-Tipton.

“She is a wonderful filly,” Young said. “I tried to buy her as a 2-year-old in training. I got outbid there. She has picked some tough horses to run against. She is lightly raced and I think she has a lot of blue sky ahead of her if she is brave and lucky. She ran good against Haughty. She ran good against Pizza Bianca. We are very happy to get her.”

Diamond Hands broke her maiden over the Belmont lawn in November and opened her 3-year-old campaign with a runner-up effort behind GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca in the May 20 Hilltop S. She has hit the board in four of five lifetime starts and earned $103,180 to date.

Joe Migliore purchased Diamond Hands for $425,000 on behalf of Masiello and Rocco at last year's OBS April sale. The filly was one of the first Migliore signed for when he went out on his own last year and the bloodstock agent was on hand to watch her sell Monday in Lexington.

“She is a very nice filly,” Migliore said. “I absolutely loved her at the 2-year-old sale and she has done great for us. Sometimes in this game you have to trade. We just felt like it was a good time to put her through this sale. Obviously, Fasig does such a great job with this sale and getting good money for strong racing prospects and that's what she is. I certainly think she is a stakes winner down the line. It was great to get her black type in the Hilltop behind Pizza Bianca. I am sure we will see more from her for her new connections.”

Migliore continued, “She was one of the first tickets I signed last year when I went out on my own. I'm always going to be rooting for her. And I'm always going to be hoping she does well. I think the buyers have done very well. I think she'll be an outstanding broodmare prospect, as well, just based on her physical.”

Out of multiple stakes winner Love Cove (Not For Love), Diamond Hands is a half to stakes winner Bibby (Stormy Atlantic). Her dam is a half-sister to graded winner Sweet Vendetta (Stephen Got Even). She was consigned to Monday's sale by Denali Stud. @JessMartiniTDN

Song Parody Proves Popular at Fasig

Song Parody (Practical Joke) (Hip 609) was a late supplement to Monday's sale and it proved to be a wise move when she brought $360,000 from Runnymede's Romain Malhouitre.

“It is going to be a partnership between Runnymede, a New York owner and a group of Boston people,” Malhouitre said. “She will go to New York. I am looking for a New York trainer.”

As for the price, he said, “Today was a strong market. We wanted her for a little bit less, but I was full speed.”

A $25,000 OBS October acquisition, Song Parody went wire to wire in her debut against fellow New York-breds June 25 at Belmont, graduating by 5 1/2 lengths and earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure. Her SP dam Songofthecity (Songandaprayer) is a half-sister to MGISW Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute). This is also the family of Grade I winner Hookedonthefeelin, dam of MGISW Pussycat Doll and GISW sire Jimmy Creed.

“She is well put together,” Malhouitre said. “It is a good mix between the sire and Songandaprayer as well. I thought she had a lot of class. Obviously, she was very fast first time out. We are hoping she can carry her speed.”

When asked if the long-term plan for the filly was to join the Runnymeded broodmare band, Malhouitre said, “Runnymede is a breeding operation. She fits the box for us. We take a lot of pride in doing a little bit of everything. We have a good program for turf and we were looking for a fast, precocious filly on the dirt and she showed that.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

SF/Starlight/Madaket Partnership Reloads

The stallion-making partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket was among the leading buyers of yearlings last year and just as the calendar is about to turn to the yearling sales once again, the group was in action as sellers Monday at Fasig-Tipton. They sold multiple stakes-placed Montebello (Curlin) (hip 565) to bloodstock agent Steve Young and a few hips later multiple graded winner Newgrange (Violence) (hip 568) to Rockingham Ranch for matching $325,000 price tags.

“The timing was right to sell them,” SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said of the decision to send the two 3-year-olds through the sales ring. “Montebello and Newgrange are two lightly-raced colts that have lots of racing in front of them. We felt it's the time of the year where we are working on replenishing our budget to go to work again in Saratoga and on into the fall.”

Ryan continued, “Fasig-Tipton is a fantastic facility to show these horses. The show rings here are just fabulous. And it's a welcoming, wonderful team over here. Boyd [Browning] put this sale on the calendar 10 years ago and it's become a good place to bring these horses.”

The SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership was the second leading buyer at last year's Keeneland September sale, purchasing 24 yearlings for $10,590,000.

Asked if he expected the partnership to be as active this year, Ryan said, “We have a wonderful group assembled and we expect to be active for sure. We will be out there working in force and doing what we can.”

Both colts were consigned Monday by Elite Sales.

“I want to give the team at Elite Sales a lot of credit,” Ryan said. “Liz [Crow], Katelyn [Jackson] and Brad [Weisbord] do a great job and they have a great network of clients. People enjoy buying from them. With their passports, Elite make it so easy for the buyers. They do all the work for the buyers.”

Montebello, purchased for $400,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, was a first-out winner at Del Mar last August and was second in the 2021 Funny Cide S. and Capote S. He most recently captured a June 30 Belmont allowance.

“He's a nice horse,” said Young. “I liked him as a 2-year-old. He was good enough to win at Del Mar against open horses. He was dead game the other day to win in New York. With the purses for New York-breds [being high], he still has all of his conditions.”

Newgrange, a $125,000 yearling purchase, won the GIII Sham S. Jan. 1 and added the Jan. 29 GIII Southwest S. He has been off since finishing sixth in the Feb. 26 GII Rebel S.

“We are going to send him to Del Mar and we are going to try him on the turf,” said bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd, who signed the ticket on the colt on behalf of Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch. “The Violences like turf. He is just a great-looking horse. He's game and a very impressive colt. He's had time off. He's fresh. He's sound as new money.” @JessMartiniTDN

Buttons Headed to Sharp Barn

The 2-year-old filly Buttons (Twirling Candy) (Hip 474) is headed to the barn of trainer Joe Sharp after being purchased by Clark Shepherd, acting on behalf of owner Larry Hirsch, for $275,000 Monday.

The bay is a half-sister to GIII Forward Gal S. winner Girl With A Dream (Practical Joke) and her dam is a half to GSW & MGISP Mr. Commons (Artie Schiller). She won her debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis June 28 for trainer Rusty Arnold.

“She is just a great filly,” said Shepherd. “She is just two years old and she's only had one race, so she hasn't been chewed up too badly yet. She's a brand name and is a half to a graded stakes winner. She has a ready-made page, so anything she adds to that from this point forward is going to be icing on the cake. I like Twirling Candy, but physically they are not my favorite. But, she is one of the best Twirling Candys I've ever laid eyes on.”

“She's a really nice athletic filly,” Sharp added. “She has a lot of upside. We might go to Kentucky Downs with her. They have nice 2-year-old opportunities for the fillies. She has her whole future ahead of her.”

Buttons was a $110,000 KEESEP yearling buy for the Dew Sweepers, a new pinhooking partnership that focused on buying yearlings to go to Royal Ascot as 2-year-olds. The plan for the group was always to disperse of all their stock at Fasig July and their seven-horse draft was handled by Grovendale Sales.

“I think that was pretty fair,” said Grovendale's Chance Timm. “It was a bit more than we expected. But she is an active runner that showed good form, so she probably deserved to bring more than expected.”

The other members of the Dew Sweepers dispersal were:

• Tituba (Good Magic) (Hip 437), $47,000, Three Diamonds Farm
• Alcazaba (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) (Hip 455), $90,000, Jack Goldthorpe for Jim Thares
• Castle Rising (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) (Hip 480), $10,000, Ciaran Dunne, Agent
• Grand Oak (Ire) (Speightstown) (Hip 521), $210,000, Herringswell Racing Club II
• Just a Care (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (Hip 542), $150,000, Bo Bromagen, Agent
• Late September (Munnings) (Hip 550), $60,000, Kevin Stedman

—@CDeBernardisTDN

The post Racing Prospects in Demand at Fasig-Tipton July appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The family of Callie Witt, the exercise rider who died following an accident on Keeneland's training track Friday morning, would like to thank the racing community for the outpouring of support they have received since Callie's passing.

“We want to thank each and every person that has reached out, said prayers, took the time to think of our daughter. We are in complete shock and overwhelmed not only with the loss of our baby girl, but by the tremendous outpouring of support we have received,” said parents Tim and Jennifer in a joint statement. “We always knew Callie was special and destined for greatness from the time she was born, but we had no idea she would touch so many people.

“We will never really know why this happened or why she has left us so soon. What we do know is that she was born to ride. It ran so deep and thick in her veins. We preached to her from the time she was 18 months old to the day we lost her about the dangers of this sport and we always got the same reply: 'if I am going to die, I want to be doing what I love.' Our baby girl did just that. She was making those dreams a reality. We are so proud of her – who she was, what she was and where she was going. She will forever be in our hearts.”

Witt, 20, was an exercise rider for trainer Joe Sharp. A native of Rogers, Nebraska, she realized her passion for horses at an early age and quickly grew into an accomplished rider. She competed in barrel racing and other Western and English events since the age of three and rode Thoroughbreds since the age of 14. She was also a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H and won numerous awards during her time with the organizations.

In addition to her equestrian activities, Witt was a talented wrestler for North Bend Central High School, earning a bronze medal at the 2019 AAU Scholastic Duals Girls' Nationals and winning the Girls' State Wrestling Championship in Nebraska for the 113-pound weight class in 2020.

After graduating from high school with high distinction, Witt was a student of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College, where she was enrolled in the North American Racing Academy.

“Callie had such an incredible, caring heart,” said her mother, Jennifer Witt. “She always acted so tough, but had such compassion for people and animals. If she felt someone – a horse or human, or any animal – was being mistreated, she dedicated herself to being their advocate, showing courage and compassion well beyond her years.”

Known for her incredible work ethic and dedication to honing her craft, Witt rode at local Thoroughbred training farms, including WinStar Farm and Margaux Farm once morning track training concluded at Keeneland.

“Everything she did was bar none. Every time Joe [Sharp] or anyone else set the bar, she cleared it and strived to do even better,” said Tim. “Like all great athletes and equestrians, her biggest critic was herself. No matter how well she did at something, she always thought she could do it better.”

Before coming to Kentucky, she worked at Fonner Park in Nebraska, where she exercised horses in the mornings and ponied for the races in the afternoons aboard her beloved horse, Miles.

“Miles was a horse one of her teachers asked her to start under saddle. He was big, and for them he was tough, but Callie had such a way with horses and made him into a dream to ride,” said Tim. “She ended up buying him from her teacher, teaching him to pony, and within four months of ponying at the track, she had him paid off, and he's proven her intuition about him right again and again over the years. I'll admit I'm not typically fond of paint horses, but Miles is a Cadillac of a ride, and that's a testament to her training abilities.”

Keeneland remembered Witt throughout the race day, flying their flags at half-staff and holding a moment of silence to honor her memory. Sharp's racing stable won the 7^th race on the card and the stable staff brought Miles into the winner's circle for the photo.

TVG's Christina Blacker and Caleb Keller discussed Witt's life and accomplishments with their audience prior to the beginning of racing that day. TVG analyst Joaquin Jamie interviewed Sharp after the race, discussing Witt's love for horses, kindness, work ethic and passion for the sport.

Several other tracks throughout the country also remembered Witt throughout the weekend with winner's circle gatherings and moments of silence.

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness and compassion we've received,” said Jennifer. “There are so many we want to thank; we don't know where to start. Some of them we don't even know the names of, but we felt their love. The Alpha Event Medical Team who rushed to her aid when she fell, and those who stayed in communication with us until we could travel to Kentucky. The staff of the University of Kentucky emergency room who did all they could to try to save her. So many who have helped us through our grief and the unbearable logistics that come with laying your child to rest. Joe Sharp and his team, the staff at Keeneland, her friends, colleagues, classmates, stables she rode for…the list is so long and we are so profoundly grateful for each and every gesture of support.”

In addition to parents Tim and Jennifer, Witt's family included two older siblings, Sivana and Mason, as well as her boyfriend, Trey Miller.

Private funeral services for Witt are being scheduled in Nebraska. The Witt family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Callie Witt's name to the Callie Witt Memorial Fund at BCTC Equine, home of the North American Racing Academy; The Jockey Club's Safety Net Foundation; and/or the Blue Grass Farms Charities.

The post Callie Witt’s Parents Thank the Racing Community appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public and where.

California

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/14/2022
Licensee: Kent Desormeaux, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Excessive use of the riding crop
Explainer: Jockey Kent Desormeaux is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–first offense within the past 60 days) during the eighth race at Santa Anita Park on January 9, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/15/2022
Licensee: Peter Eurton, trainer
Penalty: $400
Violation: Late registration of Lasix
Explainer: Trainer Peter Eurton is fined $400.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1845 (Authorized Bleeder Medication–late registration) of Memes in the eighth race on January 14, 2022, at Santa Anita Park.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/15/2022
Licensee: John Velazquez, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey John Velazquez, who rode Con on the Run in the first race at Santa Anita Park on January 14, 2022, is suspended for three (3) racing days (January 22, 23 and 28, 2022) for failure to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch, causing interference which resulted in the disqualification of his mount from first to second. This constitutes a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules–Careless Riding).

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/16/2022
Licensee: Drayden Van Dyke, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Excessive use of the riding crop
Explainer: Jockey Drayden Van Dyke is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–first offense within the past sixty days) during the third race at Santa Anita Park on January 15, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/16/2022
Licensee: Reid France, trainer
Penalty: $200
Violation: Failure to saddle
Explainer: Trainer Reid France, who failed to saddle Big Papa Steve in the first race at Santa Anita Park on January 15, 2022, is fined $200.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1894 (Duties of Trainer–failure to appear to saddle–second offense).

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/17/2022
Licensee: Daisuke Fukumoto, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Excessive use of the riding crop
Explainer: Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–first offense within the past sixty days) during the sixth race at Santa Anita Park on January 16, 2022.

New York

Track: Aqueduct
Date: 01/16/2022
Licensee: Steven Fret, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Horse Charlotte Webley # (4) ridden by Steven Fret was disqualified from second position and placed last this for careless riding during the running of the fourth race at Aqueduct racetrack on January 9, 2022. For having waived his right to appeal jockey Steven Fret is hereby suspended three NYRA racing days January 21-23 2022, inclusive.

Kentucky

Track: Turfway Park
Date: 01/14/2022
Licensee: Joe Sharp, trainer
Penalty: Vacation of penalties
Violation: N/A
Explainer: Due to the de-classification of levamisole in August 2015 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, all penalties previously assessed to Owner/Trainer Joe Sharp in Stewards' Rulings #21-0006, #21-0008, #21-0010, #21-0011 and #21-0012 are hereby vacated. Read more from the TDN on the ruling here.

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Sharp was suspended 30 days and fined $2,500 by the KHRC last January for the levamisole positives. The trainer also had eight horses test positive for the drug at Fair Grounds and was issued $1,000 fine for each horse, but not suspended for the Louisiana violations. He blamed the levamisole positives on an over-the-counter dewormer he had purchased and used to treat his horses.

While announcing his client was appealing the KHRC decision last January, attorney Clark Brewster told TDN, “The stewards sent out this notice saying [levamisole] is a class B drug. Not only is it not a class B, it's not listed at all. They held a hearing where I strongly urged them to dismiss this and they got real quiet. Then they returned a suspension of 30 days and fines. It was truly astonishing. We expect public servants to apply the law based on what is set forth.”

Brewster said that levamisole is only prohibited when it metabolizes into the drug aminorex, which he said did not happen in the case of Sharp's horses. He also pointed to a 2015 case in which the KHRC suspended trainer Daniel Werre for a full year after a levamisole positive. The suspension was reversed by the Franklin Circuit Court, which cited its finding that the KHRC had improperly classified the drug at the time. Werre was eventually given a seven-day suspension.

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“We're going to make a decision as it gets a little closer, but it's definitely under strong consideration,” Sharp said. “From what I'm gathering, it looks like her (handicapping) numbers will be pretty competitive in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf. As long as we're both comfortable taking a shot, that might be what we do.”

Summer in Saratoga was fresh off a victory for then-owner Highlander Training Center in Keeneland's Grade 3 Dowager Stakes when the mare was sold for $630,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November sale. Sharp figured that probably was the last time he'd see the daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun. However, Anderson Farms owner David Anderson sent her back to Sharp. In her first and so far only start for her new owners, Summer in Saratoga won the $75,000 Blushing KD Stakes at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

“Obviously you hope it would work out the way it did,” Sharp said of being able to keep Summer in Saratoga in his barn. “At that price range where she was expected to sell, most people would be purchasing her as a broodmare prospect. There was no guarantee you were going to get somebody who would want to continue to race her, let alone trust us to have her again. It really all came together nicely.”

Sharp had never before met David Anderson, who campaigns the now 6-year-old mare in the name of his farm in Ontario, Canada, and with Narola LLC. Success would come quickly, but not before facing a speed bump.

“We actually sent her up to New York,” Sharp said. “She got scratched in the paddock; she kind of sat down behind. So we brought her down to the Fair Grounds. She got herself back together and ran huge the other day. Corey (Lanerie, her regular jockey) happened to be in town. He knows her so well. It all worked out, basically first start for the new connections to get a win.”

Whether Summer in Saratoga races a full season or races a time or two before being bred would appear up to the 6-year-old mare.

“It's on a start-by-start basis, Sharp said. “From what I understood from Dave, as long as she's performing at a level that can add to her resume, then I think he's content to move forward with racing.”

Sharp has had Summer in Saratoga for all but her first two races. That span encompasses her seven victories, four coming in stakes –  including in three of her last four starts.

“Honestly, this moment right now is probably my favorite version of Summer in Saratoga that I've been around,” he said. “There are probably a lot of different factors contributing to that, but mainly maturity. She has that being about her of a good horse that's very alpha and very confident. She makes my job easy.”

While Sharp's main winter base of the Fair Grounds has a series of turf stakes for fillies and mares, those purses don't come close to Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf's $500,000. 

“The Fair Grounds series has been good to us over the years,” Sharp said. “But we get spoiled in the spring, summer and fall with the purse structure in Kentucky. So it's nice to have some big purse money to run for in January if you can be competitive. So we're grateful to Gulfstream for putting that on.”

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The ruling read: “Due to the de-classification in August 2015 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, all penalties previously assessed to Owner/Trainer Joe Sharp in Stewards' Rulings #21-0006, #21-0008, #21-0010, #21-0011 and #21-0012 are hereby vacated. By Order of the Stewards.”

The decision was first reported by Bloodhorse.com.

Sharp was cited for five positive tests for levamisole in horses that raced at Churchill Downs in November 2019. The Jan. 21, 2021, rulings stated levamisole is a Class B drug, even though the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had voted in 2015 to declassify levamisole.

The Kentucky sanctions came after Sharp was fined $1,000 each but not suspended for eight positives in Louisiana for levamisole. Sharp said the positives resulted from use of an FDA-approved deworming product designed for cattle, sheep and goats that he used on his horses.

Clark Brewster, Sharp's attorney, told Paulick Report's Natalie Voss at the time the appeal was filed: “I found it to be extraordinarily unfair and damaging to Joe. It's just the intransigence of the stewards not having the courage to recognize the truth and say, 'OK, we're sorry about that. Let's get it right.”

Voss wrote at the time of the appeal: An important difference to Brewster is the history of changes of levamisole's classification. At one point, the drug was considered a Class A drug (the most serious category) and was later made a Class B. Then, in 2015, commissioners for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously agreed to remove levamisole from the drug classification scheme altogether after they detangled the association between levamisole and another drug called aminorex. Aminorex is a stimulant which has the potential for performance enhancement and was the primary substance of concern, they concluded. Initially it had been unclear whether one was a sign that the other had been administered, but Brewster said it's now generally accepted that levamisole can metabolize into aminorex, but not the other way around.

(Read more about the challenges of regulating levamisole and aminorex in this 2018 feature.

“This is truly beyond the pale of regulation,” Brewster told Voss when filing the appeal. “[The positives were] all over the news. Joe couldn't get stalls at Fair Grounds for a while. People pulled their horses, including one that ran in the Kentucky Derby (Art Collector). He was completely pilloried in the press, all on the basis that the stewards just didn't read the list.”

The five horses who tested positive for levamisole were disqualified and purse monies redistributed, according to 2020 rulings. They are: Zero Gravity (Nov. 14, 2019); Chitto (Nov. 19, 2019); Street Dazzle (Nov. 23, 2019); Blackberry Wine (Nov. 30, 2019); Art Collector (Nov. 30, 2019). The reversal of sanctions against Sharp does not affect those disqualifications.

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She finished her classes and hurried to Rockingham Park to say goodbye to Federal Sin. “Chestnut gelding. White blaze I will never forget,” said Lindemann, recalling her first horse.

She knew the veteran's racing days were over. The parting was made easier because she had been told that he would be adopted as a riding pony. And so she led trusting Federal Sin onto a van, content in knowing that a wonderful new home awaited a horse that meant everything to her.

She later learned the horrifying truth. That van ride ended at a slaughterhouse, where poor Federal Sin met a terrifying end. “You cried and you got over it,” Lindemann said. “But you never forget.”

Her anger, the anguish that accompanied such a betrayal, turned into a passion for keeping other former racehorses from such an awful end. Her dedication to that cause, combined with her skill as an assistant to Joe Sharp, led her to win the Dedication to Racing Award sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. The Dedication to Racing Award is part of the annual Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards created in 2016 by Godolphin USA.

Lindemann, 48, greatly appreciated joining honorees in other categories during mid-October ceremonies at Keeneland. She was selected from among more than 200 nominees. But she said, “That's not what I look for. From the beginning, it was just done from the bottom of my heart, not to get any recognition.”

The same can be said for Michael Blowen, founder of Old Friends, a sanctuary for retired Thoroughbreds that he established in 2003. Lindemann and Blowen are kindred spirits – and then some.

They met when they shared a barn at Rockingham, the Salem, N.H., track that ran its final live race in 2009. An 18-year-old Lindemann taught Blowen, then a Boston Globe writer, everything she had learned from Joseph Gilbert. Although Gilbert was illiterate, the native of Cajun country in Louisiana knew so much about a Thoroughbred's legs that he was referred to far and wide as “Shin Buck.”

Lorita Lindemann with Michael Blowen, whom she met during her days at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire

Lindemann was raised by Annette Fantasia, a single mother. An uncle, Alfred Fantasia, worked in various capacities in the racing industry and provided a strong influence. She never knew her biological father.

For the last 30 years or so, Blowen has filled an aching need for Lindemann. “I was looking for a dad,” she said, “and he was looking for a daughter.”

The absence of adoption papers does not matter to either of them. “It doesn't have to be official,” Blowen said. “It just has to be sincere.”

Blowen also was duped while he was new to racing. “They used to say at Suffolk that some of these horses that were broken down were headed to retirement homes in Maine,” he recalled.

He eventually realized there were no retirement homes in Maine, at least not for Thoroughbreds. Blowen did what he could to help Lindemann cope with the loss of Federal Sin.

“I think that changed her whole life,” he said. “She's never gotten over it. I think that still motivates her.”

Lindemann used to feel as if she was a lone voice when it came to the need for aftercare. “You're a kid and you're a woman. You're 18. Nobody is listening,” she said.

She continues to be exasperated by those who do not concern themselves about the future of their horses once they have given their all and cannot race another step.

“These horses are why we have what we have today — houses, possessions. These horses have done this. Without these horses, we couldn't do this,” she said. “It saddens me that people lose that concept along the way.”

On the positive side, the cause has gained tremendous momentum and a level of financial backing that was once only a dream. When there is a horse in need, Lindemann has developed a reputation as one to call.

“I can't even put a number on the number of horses that she got off the track and put in proper places,” Blowen said.

Lindemann regularly places horses above her needs. She only recently scheduled knee surgery to treat an injury she neglected for the last three years.

“She's dogged. She knows who to call and how to ask for something,” Blowen said. “They all respect her on the backside because she knows what she's doing. She's got everybody's trust back there.”

Lindemann with some of her equine friends

Blowen emphasized that each rescue entails a great deal of hard work and some difficult conversations. “It's easy to feel bad for these horses. It's easy to get emotional,” he said. “But it's really, really hard to dig down and find out where they are, find out how to get them out of a situation and find a place for them. That's the hard part.”

When the going gets tough, Lindemann needs only to think of Federal Sin – and that unforgettable white blaze.

Tom Pedulla wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

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And New York-based trainer Chad Brown, who has shipped in nine winners from his deep bench of grass runners in the past, hasn't been heard from yet.

But several other prominent Midwest- and East Coast-based conditioners have, leading to expectations in the racing office of quality and quantity invaders for the main events on the Bing Crosby Season's final four days.

A sneak peek, with horse names being withheld until close of entries:

Hollywood Turf Cup, Friday, November 26th, Grade 2, $250,000, 1 ½ miles (turf), 3-year-olds and up: Trainer Mike Maker has placed five in nomination for a race Brad Cox won last year with Arklow.

Hollywood Derby, Saturday, November 27th, Grade 1, $400,000, 1 1/8 miles (turf), 3-year-olds: Wesley Ward, Dallas Stewart, Ken McPeek, Maker (2), Jack Sisterson (2), Graham Motion, and Gregory Sacco have nominees. Brown has won it three times, sending out Annals of Time (2016), Raging Bull (2018), and Domestic Spending last year.

Seabiscuit Handicap, Saturday, November 27th, Grade 2, $250,000, 1 1/16 miles (turf), 3-year-olds and up: One horse from Japan is listed while Maker has submitted two names and Motion one. Phil D'Amato has carried the locally-based trainer banner to wins with Midnight Storm (2015), Hunt (2017), and Count Again (2020). Add Richard Baltas' win with Next Shares in 2019 and this has been a good Festival race for the home team.

Jimmy Durante Stakes, Saturday, November 27, Grade 3, $100,000, 1 mile (turf), 2-year-old fillies: Maker and Motion (2) have nominees for an event dominated by shippers over the years. Brown-trained Fluffy Socks won last year. Mike Stidham won the two years before that and George Weaver, Motion, and Mark Casse have also scored in the seven editions at Del Mar.

Cecil B. DeMille Stakes, Sunday, November 28, Grade 3, $100,000, 1 mile (turf), 2-year-olds: Motion has an early nominee in an event that has been good for locals. Smooth Like Strait won for Mike McCarthy in 2019 and Beer Can Man for Mark Glatt last year. Both horses ran during the recent Breeders' Cup Week here.

Matriarch Stakes, Sunday, November 28, Grade 1, $400,000, 1 mile (turf), older fillies and mares: Trainer Joe Sharp has two nominated and Stidham one for the climactic stakes race of the meeting. Brown has shipped in three winners in seven meetings, among them Viadera in 2020.

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