Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Welfare and Safety Summit To Return To Keeneland

The 10th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will take place June 22, 2022, in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced Feb. 28. The previous summit, held in June 2020, was a virtual webinar due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The event will be free and open to the public as well as being streamed online. The agenda will include a review of the Thoroughbred industry's implementation of safety recommendations developed at the first summit in 2006 as well as a presentation by Dr. Tim Parkin on the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database. The full program and list of speakers will be announced at a later date.

“This year marks 16 years since the first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, and our 10th edition of this event will showcase the progress our industry has made during that time as well as areas of safety and welfare that continue to require our attention,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “Keeneland has been a committed partner with us from the beginning, and we are thankful for their hospitality as well as their recognition of the importance of the summit to the Thoroughbred industry.”

Added Keeneland President and Chief Executive Officer Shannon Arvin: “Keeneland is a firm believer in promoting the safety and welfare of our human and equine athletes. The accomplishments of the previous summits are a testament to the value of this gathering, and Keeneland is proud to support it.”

Among the major accomplishments that have evolved from the previous nine summits are the Equine Injury Database; the Jockey Injury Database; the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; a uniform trainer test and study guide; the racing surfaces white paper and publication of educational bulletins for track maintenance; the publication of stallion durability statistics; the Hoof: Inside and Out DVD, available in English and Spanish; protocols for horses working off of the veterinarian's list; recommended regulations that void the claim of horses suffering injuries during a race; and inclement weather protocols.

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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: Feb. 27, 2022

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. US-bred Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) is one of many raiders that will fly the flag for Japan at this weekend's Saudi Cup meeting when he goes in defense of his title in the $1.5-million [now G3] Riyadh Cup Sprint:

Sunday, February 28, 2022
2nd-HSN, ¥9,900,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
HE SAID SHE SAID (f, 3, Blame–Divine Escapade, by Madcap Escapade) was acquired by Sun Valley Farm for $52K in utero at Keeneland November in 2018 and was hammered down to Paca Paca Farm on behalf of Godolphin for $55K at KEENOV 12 months later. A half-sister to SW King Of the Court (Speightstown), the January foal is out of a daughter of GI Ashland S. heroine Madcap Escapade (Hennessy), whose own GI Darley Debutante S.-winning daughter Mi Sueno (Pulpit) is the dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Mi Suerte (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}). Madcap Escapade is a half-sister to Dubai Escapade (Awesome Again), a $2-million Barretts March juvenile who carried the Darley maroon-and-white to a romping victory in the 2006 GI Ballerina Breeders' Cup S. B-Sun Valley Farm (KY)

4th-NKY, ¥9,900,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
BEAT EMOTION (c, 3, Quality Road–J. Quirk, by Unbridled's Song) was hammered into 3-5 favoritism for his seven-furlong debut at Tokyo Feb. 12, but could not quite overcome the widest post and settled for a close runner-up effort (see below, SC 16). A half-brother to last year's GIII Remington Park Oaks winner Lady Mystify (Bernardini), the gray made $190K at KEESEP in 2020 and improved into a $600K Fasig-Tipton Florida breezer. Beat Emotion's now-yearling half-brother by Gun Runner was purchased by Breeze Easy for $375K at KEENOV last fall. B-Scott & Evan Dilworth (KY)

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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: Feb. 12, 2022

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin, Kokura and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's group-level action at Tokyo includes the G3 Kyodo News Hai featuring 3-year-old colts out Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf runner-up Coasted (Tizway), each sourced for seven-figure pricetags at U.S. breeding stock sales:

Saturday, February 12, 2022
2nd-KOK, ¥9,900,000 ($85k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200mT
ANGELSILICA (f, 3, Dark Angel {Ire}–Brave Anna, by War Front) hit the board in a pair of appearances over this distance at Fukushima to begin her career, but was ninth when stretched to seven furlongs when last seen at Chukyo Dec. 19. A $150K Keeneland September purchase by the Maeda family's North Hills, the bay–who celebrates her calendar birthday Saturday–is out of the 2016 G1 Cheveley Park Stud S. heroine Brave Anna, one of two $3-million purchases by Masahiro Miki at Fasig-Tipton November last fall when offered in foal to Quality Road. Brave Anna is a full-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero and Spendthrift stallion Hit It a Bomb, GSP Border Town and SP Threeandfourpence. B-Mrs E Stockwell (KY)

2nd-TOK, ¥11,400,000 ($98k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
BEAT EMOTION (c, 3, Quality Road–J. Quirk, by Unbridled's Song), a half-brother to 2021 GIII Remington Park Oaks victress Lady Mystify (Bernardnini), fetched $190K at KEESEP in 2021 and was resold to prominent owner Yuji Hasegawa for $600K at FTFMAR last year after breezing a furlong in :10 2/5 (see below). The colt's third dam is Cee's Song (Seattle Song), whose produce include Horse of the Year/MGISW Tiznow, MGSW & MGISP Budroyale and GSW Tizdubai. J. Quirk was purchased for $725K by Breeze Easy in foal to Gun Runner at KEENOV last fall. B-Scott & Evan Dilworth (KY)

10th-HSN, ¥35,040,000 ($302k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 2000mT
AIR SAGE (c, 4, Point of Entry–Nokaze, by Empire Maker) won three of his first four starts at three, including a tough front-running score in a 13-furlong allowance at Sapporo in August (see below, SC 4) that led to a respectable eighth in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) in October. The half-brother to GSW Air Almas (Majestic Warrior) was produced by a half-sister to the dam of GSP Yuugiri (Shackleford), who is gearing up for her sophomore debut in the near future. Another half-brother to Air Sage, Air Fanditha (Hat Trick {Jpn}), is entered for the Listed Rakuyo S. (1600mT) in the race immediately following this event. B-Winchester Farm (KY)

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MSW Purses to Trend Upward at Keeneland, Churchill

Purses for maiden special weight (MSW) races are projected to trend upward this spring at both Keeneland Race Course and Churchill Downs.

Track executives disclosed the pre-condition book figures during Tuesday's Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory board meeting.

“The MSWs for older horses are going to be $100,000. And the [MSW races for] 2-year-olds are going to be $80,000,” said Keeneland's vice president of racing, Gatewood Bell.

At Keeneland's 2021 spring meet, the comparable MSW purse levels were $79,000 and $60,000.

Mike Ziegler, the senior vice president and general manager at Churchill, told KTDF board members that, “We have yet to finalize our purse structure for the upcoming meet. I expect them to be probably right in line with where they were in the fall, which was at $120,000 for [MSW races].”

In the spring of 2021, Churchill carded two levels of MSW money. For the lead-in to the GI Kentucky Derby, the purses were $115,000. After that, those races were written for $100,000.

Bell also outlined the allowance purse structure for Keeneland's April meet: Starting at the 1x condition, purses will be $110,000, with consecutive bumps upward of $10,000 for each the 2x, 3x, and open allowance levels, maxing out at $140,000.

Rick Hiles, the president of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said, “I think it's great. Just don't leave out the claiming races. Make sure the guys that are running their horses in the claiming races every day are well-compensated, too.”

Bell said he agreed, and that Keeneland's condition book–which will come out later this week or sometime next week–will reflect claiming purse increases “just to help bolster those races that [don't] qualify for the KTDF funds.”

When prodded by KTDF advisory committee chair Bill Landes, III to give a glimpse of what purse levels might look like in the fall when Keeneland hosts the Breeders' Cup, Bell said the “hope [is] that it'll carry from the spring right into the fall and look fairly similar.”

When Churchill follows Keeneland in the spring rotation, it will open this year with a new turf course in place. Construction and seeding of that surface prevented Churchill from carding grass races last fall.

Ziegler noted that Churchill will be adding three Wednesday programs in June, making for two five-date weeks of racing and one six-date week that concludes with a Monday, July 4, holiday card.

It was not discussed at the meeting how that outlying six-date final week might adversely affect the available horse population at Ellis Park, which has a scheduled July 8 opening.

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