While he did not argue the fact that the horse tested positive, he has said that it is grossly unfair that the HISA/HIWU continues to suspended trainers for minute amounts of drugs that aren't considered performance-enhancing.

Advocating for a major change in how these infractions are dealt with, Arnold was this week's guest on the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of the week.

“I can't deny that the horse raced on Tramadol,” Arnold said. “I took my positive and I didn't argue it. I didn't say anything. But after taking it, I wanted to point out that I don't think it's fair. I don't think the system is right on these trace limits. I'm trying to create some positive movement to change the rules and bring about some positive changes.”

Arnold said the only way the drug could have gotten into the horse's system is through environmental contamination and that HIWU's zero tolerance stand on drug positives is unrealistic.

Rusty Arnold Joins the TDN Writers' Room from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.

“I have no doubt that it came from contamination,” he said. “But my major objection is that in today's society, there is no such thing as zero tolerance. There needs to be a level and if the medication is under that level it won't be a drug positive. I'm trying to move forward and trying to make a positive change. Too many people are getting involved in similar situations right now. It's one every day or one every few days. And I disagree with it.”

Arnold said he heard from over 300 people since his ordeal became public and said the overwhelming sentiment was that he was being treated unfairly.

“The response has been very good, a little bit overwhelming actually,” he said. “I answered over 300 emails and texts over the next 48 hours. I would say 99.9% were positive and that included support I received from several Jockey Club members, which very much surprised me. The one thing that was the theme that echoed between every one of them was, 'this isn't what we signed up for with HISA. This isn't what we thought it was going to be. We thought we were going to catch guys that were clearly cheating. We didn't know that the everyday guy that's out there trying to do his job was going to be snared by the gotcha mentality.'”

In our breeding spotlight section we looked at the Coolmore stallion Tiz the Law and the WinStar stallion Audible.

Domestic Product | SV Photography

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Coolmore, 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar https://www.winstarfarm.com/and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman reviewed the major races from last week, which included the one nobody could bet on–the GIII Tampa Bay Derby–won by Domestic Product (Practical Joke). Cadman said she was impressed by the performance of the Chad Brown-trainee, while Finley said he was underwhelmed because of the weak field.

There was also talk of the win by Kinza (Carpe Diem) in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Kinza is arguably the best 3-year-old filly in training but because she is trained by Bob Baffert she cannot run in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Cadman was in Ocala for the March OBS 2-Year-Old Sale and gave a scouting report on which freshman sires she thinks will stand out during the sale.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

The post Rusty Arnold Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Awards are on the way to Kentucky's Thoroughbred breeders participating in the commonwealth's Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Fund (KTBIF) program. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) announces the release of $16.2 million through the KTBIF.

“Our horse farm families are the backbone of our racing industry, and I'm proud to support the Incentive Fund that keeps mares and foals in Kentucky,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

According to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the Kentucky Equine industry generates $6.5 billion and supports more than 60,000 jobs.

In fact, 2023 was a good year for business. Highlights include:

• Kentucky-bred horses won 63% of all graded stakes races in the U.S.
• Kentucky-bred horses won 298 graded stakes races with 68 of them held at one of Kentucky's five Thoroughbred racetracks.
• Kentucky-bred horses have won the last nine Kentucky Derbies and last seven Kentucky Oaks.
• Kentucky-bred horses took home the hardware in all three legs of the Triple Crown: Mage (Good Magic) won the Kentucky Derby; National Treasure (Quality Road) won the Preakness and Arcangelo (Arrogate) won the Belmont S.
• Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) won the Kentucky Oaks.
• Kentucky-bred Cody's Wish (Curlin) won the 2023 Horse of the Year Eclipse Award Winner.
• Mage and Pretty Mischievous both will receive a $50,000 KTBIF bonus.

The KTBIF was implemented in 2005 to ensure the strength of Kentucky's equine industry by awarding funds to individuals who choose to breed a Thoroughbred mare in Kentucky. To qualify, the mare must be bred to a Kentucky registered stallion, remain in the state during her full gestation and foal in Kentucky.  Final award amounts are then based on the foal's eventual earnings at the racetrack.

The KTBIF is funded through a percentage of the sales tax paid when a stallion is bred to a mare in Kentucky. Since the fund's inception, more than $234 million has been distributed to Kentucky breeders for winning eligible races worldwide.

A list of the 2023 award winners, along with the amount awarded and other interesting statistics, can be found on the KHRC website by clicking here.

The post KTBIF Awards Over $16 Million to Kentucky Breeders for 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The mount fee schedule calls for a minimum fee of $125 at all Kentucky racetracks, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs and Turfway Park. This agreement also provides for $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more.

“On behalf of our members who ride in Kentucky, I would like to thank the Kentucky HBPA and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association for working with the Guild to reach this agreement,” said Terry Meyocks, President and CEO of Jockeys' Guild. “Special thanks to Senator Damon Thayer, for his assistance in reaching this agreement. Without his support, it would not have been accomplished.”

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's Rules Committee passed Oct. 4 a unanimous motion recommending this scale to the full commission for consideration and anticipated approval. Once approved, the proposed amendment to the administrative regulation will be filed with the Legislative Research Commission to follow the rule making process and allow for written and public comment. The agreements with the Kentucky HBPA and the KTA will remain in effect until the regulation has been formally adopted, which will likely be next year.

“I was pleased to advocate for a pay increase for the jockeys,” said Sen. Damon Thayer, Majority Leader of the Kentucky Senate. “Those who risk their lives every day at our tracks should be paid a fee commensurate with Kentucky's position of having the top purses in North America. In particular, I would like to thank trainer Dale Romans as a leader in the KHBPA, for facilitating in reaching the agreement and to Commissioner Charlie O'Connor for his role at the Commission in moving forward with the adoption of the new regulation.”

The post Mount Fee Increase For All Kentucky Racetracks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Summer Wind Equine was awarded a bronze mare and foal as the breeder of Flightline (Tapit), who was crowned Champion Kentucky-Bred Horse of the Year and Champion Kentucky-Bred Older Dirt Male.

Godolphin received multiple bronzes as the recipient of the P.A.B. Widener Trophy, best known as the KTOB Breeder of the Year, as well as KTDF Owner & Breeder of the Year.

2022 KTOB Broodmare of the Year and her owner and 2022 Champion Kentucky-Breds and their breeders:
Broodmare of the Year: Dreaming of Julia (Owner: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC)
Horse of the Year, Older Dirt Male: Flightline (Summer Wind Equine)
Two-Year-Old Male: Forte (South Gate Farm)
Two-Year-Old Filly: Wonder Wheel (Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Clearsky Farms)
Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter (Westwind Farms)
Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest (Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables)
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat (Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC)
Male Turf Horse: Casa Creed (Silver Springs Stud, LLC)
Female Turf Horse: War like Goddess (Calumet Farm)
Male Sprinter: Jackie's Warrior (J & J Stables)
Female Sprinter: Goodnight Olive (Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC)
Racing Abroad: Country Grammer (Scott Pierce & Debbie Pierce)
Steeplechase Horse: Snap Decision (Phipps Stable)

Four merit awards will be presented to individuals for their contributions to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Industry.

2022 Merit awards will be presented at the KTOB Awards Dinner Presented by Anthem:
P.A.B. Widener Trophy for KTOB Breeder of the Year: Godolphin
Hardboot Breeders' Award pays tribute to distinctive but unsung breeders that help make up the backbone of our industry: John Williams
Charles W. Engelhard Award acknowledges a member of the media for outstanding coverage of the Thoroughbred Industry: Steve Byk
William T. Young Humanitarian Award distinguishes a person or organization in the thoroughbred industry “who recognizes and promotes the human endeavor: H. Greg Goodman

Also to receive awards are the top Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) money earners in 2022 in five separate categories.

2022 Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) Leaders:
KTDF Sire of the Year: into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm)
KTDF Earner of the Year: Kitodan (Foster Family Racing, Douglas E. Miller & William J. Wargel)
KTDF Owner of the Year: Godolphin
KTDF Trainer of the Year: Brad Cox
KTDF Breeder of the Year: Godolphin

Recipients of the 2022 KTOB Kentucky-Bred Champion awards were voted on by the full membership of KTA/KTOB while the KTDF category leaders were tabulated using purse money won at Kentucky racetracks in 2022. KTOB merit award recipients were voted on by the KTA/KTOB Board of Directors.

The post Dreaming Of Julia Takes Home Broodmare Of The Year Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kumagai's team created a dynamic model that focused on horses' forward versus lateral speed and examined the results of sustained momentum and velocity within races. The team also studied jockey performance and how that would impact a horse's running style in addition to biometric data, leading to the possibility of calculating a horse's welfare and injury probability.

“We're honored to be named the winners of the inaugural Big Data Derby competition,” Kumagai said. “Our team primarily works in financial analytics and hockey statistics, so working with horse racing data has been a unique challenge which allowed us to apply our skills to a relatively new and unexplored domain.”

The Big Data Derby was launched with the goal of analyzing the vast amounts of data available to racing organizations, and to understand how the results of those studies could impact traditional methods of racing and training. The competition was sponsored NYRA and the NYTHA in partnership with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Equibase, The Jockey Club, Breeders' Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

Other models in the competition shed light on injury prevention, jockey decision making metrics, race tactics, track bias and more. Kumagai, a Data Science intern at Zelus Analytics, was previously part of a team that won the 2022 Big Data Bowl offered by the National Football League. The competition was judged by data analyst Rob Bingel, Rhodes College Economics Professor, horseplayer and thoroughbred owner Marshall Gramm, and Craig Milkowski of TimeformUS.

An open notebook of user-created content and data can be viewed at: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/big-data-derby-2022/code.

The post Inaugural Big Data Derby Winner Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Dr. Stuart Brown, Price Bell, Anne Archer Hinkle, Dr. Natanya Nieman-McMahon, Craig Bandoroff, T. Wayne Sweezey, Jeff Thornbury & Paul McGee were re-elected to the Board of Directors.

The post KTA/KTOB Announces 2022 Elected Directors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The post KTDF Advisory Committee Meets Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Click here to read the full HISA release, which states, “The concerns are that reduced traction will result in horses either slipping, falling, or otherwise being unable to firmly grip the track surface, with resulting injury to horses and their riders. In response to these concerns, the [Racetrack Safety] Committee invited a representative group of horsepersons including trainers, owners, a veterinarian, and a blacksmith to present their concerns to the Committee.”

The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association was one of the organizations involved and they released a statement that included the following, “HISA is the law and it is in effect. Notwithstanding that there is ongoing litigation, we believe that it is our responsibility on behalf of our constituencies to engage with HISA as necessary to ensure that our horses are protected, our horsemen are treated fairly and responsibly, and that the integrity of racing is preserved.

The fact that horsemen are not represented on any HISA Committee is a missed opportunity that we believe needs to be corrected. In the meantime, we will continue to vigorously advocate for the best interests of the safety and welfare of the horse and the best interests of our horsemen. We continue to engage with HISA as the best way to serve our membership and the industry at large and this decision underscores their willingness to engage with us and make changes as necessary.

We thank the HISA Safety Committee for its willingness to consider and act on thoughtful input from those who can best provide it.”

The post HISA Changing Rule on Dirt Shoes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations, Inc, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Thoroughbred Owners of California, and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association collectively have established a diverse group of experienced horsemen, regulators, and veterinarians to review the extensive documents regarding HISA's proposed rules. Each reviewer provided written comments in an open letter to HISA and they are summarized below.

Racetrack vs Training Facilities–The inclusion of training facilities in the statute was designed to ensure that horsemen could not evade the requirements for racetracks by stabling at training facilities. HISA needs to provide clear guidance on what is permitted and prohibited at training facilities and how such facilities will be regulated.

Lasix Prohibition–The statute affords the opportunity to HISA to study whether such a prohibition should apply based upon solid scientific evidence which currently does not exist.
The Lists of Controlled Substances and Specified Substances-HISA needs to provide the industry with the list of Controlled Medications and guidance regarding their use. The same applies to the Specified Substances, as we know that there are Prohibited Substances that may be introduced into the horse via contamination that need to be identified, as well as Prohibited Substances for which a Therapeutic Use Exemption should be provided.

Arbitration–HISA's rules will have every violator seeking legal advice and incurring costs for mandatory briefs and legal filings that will be cost prohibitive. Although we understand the need for transparency, it cannot be at the expense of owners and trainers, who are entitled to have their reputations protected until due process is afforded.

Drug Testing of Claimed Horses–It is unclear whether HISA will require all claimed horses to be drug tested post-race. If it is HISA's intention to drug test all claimed horses, we think it is a costly mistake and untenable. Further, given that a claimed horse is transferred immediately and a drug test may take several weeks, voiding a claim could result in chaos involving the horse and unnecessary litigation.

Responsibilities of Veterinarians and Other Covered Persons–HISA needs to put more emphasis on the veterinary-owner-trainer relationship and hold veterinarians accountable for their role in doping and medication cases. Similarly, where racetracks can provide support and authority, particularly security, and fail to do so, there appears to be little accountability.

Multi-Owner Entities–The decision as to who is the Designated or Managing Owner of a multi-owner entity should rest with the entity and not HISA. There is no requirement that a Managing Owner has to own at least 50% of the entity. The only requirement should be that such individual must be licensed by a racing commission and registered with HISA.

Official Timed Works–The definition of “official timed works” is not consistent with current practice. Many training centers provide published works but not by an “official clocker,” which has repeatedly been referenced as the differentiating factor for “official timed works.”

The post Open Letter To HISA’s Proposed Regulations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The study will seek to identify horses at risk for catastrophic injury through the use of mRNA expression analysis of
blood samples. Drs. Allen Page, Emma Adam and David Horohov of the Gluck Center previously developed an approach for identifying horses at risk for catastrophic injury through the use of mRNA expression analysis of blood samples. It was recently demonstrated that horses with catastrophic injuries have significantly altered expression of IGF-1, IL1RN, and MMP2 when compared to non-injured control horses. Based on all the data and research to date, it is believed that Thoroughbreds which experience a catastrophic injury during racing will demonstrate multiple pre-race differences in mRNA expression when compared with non-injured, race-matched control horses.

“Allen's research should provide our Thoroughbred racehorse owners and their trainers and veterinarians a critical and valuable diagnostic tool in ensuring the health of their horses,” said Chauncey Morris, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. “Collective industry research on novel scientific methods looking for internal and external variables in order to reduce catastrophic injury is a step in the right direction.”

“TOBA and KTA are both committed to the health and safety of our Thoroughbred athletes, and we are encouraged by the progress being made by Dr. Page and his colleagues,” said Dan Metzger, president of TOBA. “If successful, the CI Study will have a lasting and far-reaching influence on our sport.”

The post KTA and TOBA Contribute $25,000 to Catastrophic Injury Study appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post