In addition to his four wins on the day, Rodriguez claims 46 through the meet, 18 more than runner-up Jeiron Barbosa, and helped conditioner Jamie Ness move ahead of Brittany Russell in the race for leading trainer. All four of Sunday's wins were on Ness runners and the combo hit at a lofty 29 per cent for the meeting. Rodriguez also leads in purse earnings at more than $1.6-million.

Since starting his 2024 season, he's recorded 12 multi-win days, six of which he visited the winner's enclosure on three or more occasions. Rodriguez is the three-time defending champion at Delaware Park as well.

“I have to thank all the owners and trainers that help me,” Rodriguez said. “All the hard rides I give to Jamie Ness I'm going to give all my horses, whoever puts me on. We're going to keep working.”

The post Jamie Rodriguez Notches Four-Win Sunday, Clinches Meet Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Additionally, the Weber City Miss S. offers 3-year-old fillies the chance to nab a paid spot in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 17. Laurel's current Heritage Meet continues through March 30.

The post Federico Tesio, Weber City Miss Top Laurel Spring Meet Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Among this week's rulings, trainer Carlos Mancilla has been suspended for 15 days for a post-race Gabapentin positive from Sept. 10, and fined $1,000. Gabapentin, a Class B controlled medication, is an anti-seizure medicine for humans that is also used to treat complications from shingles.

According to the final ruling by an internal adjudication panel, Mancilla said that the positive probably came about because of the horse, Cara in the City, ingesting straw contaminated with Gabapentin through urine. “Mr. Mancilla however did not provide any concrete evidence to support this assertion,” the final ruling states.

The internal adjudication panel issued Mancilla the maximum possible sanction for a first Class B controlled medication violation under HISA.

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Resolution Date: 02/23/2024
Licensee: Jeffrey Englehart, trainer
Penalty: No penalty. Equine Anti-Doping charge withdrawn.
Explainer: For the presence of Clenbuterol—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Fast Heart. This was a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.
More on the story here.

Resolution Date: 02/22/2024
Licensee: Reynaldo Yanez, trainer
Penalty: No penalty. Equine Controlled Medication charge withdrawn.
Explainer: A possible violation of Rule 3314—Use or Attempted Use of a Controlled
Medication Substance or a Controlled Medication Method—on the horse, That Magic Moment. This was also a possible violation of Rule 4222—Intra-Articular Injections Within Seven (7) Days of Timed and Reported Workout.

Date: 02/22/2024
Licensee: Carlos Mancilla, trainer
Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on February 23, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points.
Explainer: For the presence of Gabapentin—Controlled Medications (Class B)—in a sample taken from Cara in the City, who finished second at Pimlico on 9/10/23. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Pending ADMC Violations
Date: 02/06/2024
Licensee: Lacy Pierce, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Vets' list medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Mamba Forever on 2/6/24. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 02/03/2024
Licensee: Howard Love, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Vets' list medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Slender Slipper on 2/3/24. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/30/2023
Licensee: Bruce Levine, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Fortune's Nephew, who finished third at Aqueduct on 12/30/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/15/2023
Licensee: Brittany Russell, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Battling Time, who won at Laurel Park on 12/15/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/03/2024
Licensee: Jorge Diaz, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Xylazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Celtic Treasure, who did not finish a race at Parx Racing on 1/3/24 (according to Equibase, Celtic Treasure was “injured in the early stages, pulled up and vanned off”). This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 11/13/2023
Licensee: Juan Guerrero, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Crypt, who won at Parx Racing on 11/13/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/26/2024
Licensee: Frank Santillana, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Flunixin—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Mi Gusto Es, who finished tenth at Tampa Bay on 1/26/24. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 12/09/2023
Licensee: Jeffrey Englehart, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Vets' list medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Storm the Empire on 12/9/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/19/2024
Licensee: Flint Stites, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the potential breach of Rule 4221—Alkalinization or use/administration of an Alkalinizing Agent (TCO2)—on Rock Anna Roll, who finished fifth at Penn National on 1/19/2024. This is also a possible violation of Rule 3313—Use of a Controlled Method During the Race Period.

Date: 01/02/2024
Licensee: Carla Morgan, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Xylazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from River City Rocker on 1/2/24. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Date: 01/28/2024
Licensee: Michael Simone, trainer
Penalty: Pending
Alleged violation: Medication violation
Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Another Duke, who won at Tampa Bay on 1/28/24. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List).

Violations of Crop Rule
One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Santa Anita
Drayden Van Dyke – violation date Feb 23; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 9 strikes
Kazushi Kimura – violation date Feb 23; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

OTHER KEY RULINGS
The TDN also publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

California
Track: Santa Anita
Date: 02/25/2024
Licensee: Rolando Quinonez, trainer
Penalty: $1,000 fine
Violation: Non-compliance with pre-workout veterinarian examinations
Explainer: Trainer Rolando Quinonez is fined $1,000.00 for violations of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1878 (Workouts – No 72-hour pre-workout Veterinarian examinations [Non-compliance for 28 out of 238 workouts]) between January 1, 2022, through August 20, 2023.

New York
Track: Aqueduct
Date: 02/20/2024
Licensee: Nancy Vutz, racing official
Penalty: $1,500
Violation: Lasix administration error
Explainer: Racing Official Dr. Nancy Vutz is hereby fined the sum of $1,500 for failing to conduct business in a proper manner necessitating a scratch in Race #3 at Aqueduct Racetrack on February 19, 2024.

The post Weekly Stewards And Commissions Rulings, Feb. 20-26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The 4-year-old gelding covered six furlongs on the main track in 1:12.25 in the claiming event for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old maidens and comes one day after Forest Boyce marked 1000 wins in the saddle at Laurel.

“I'm delighted for everybody that's helped get to this point. It's all about the team,” he said. “A thousand winners, a lot of people helped get there. A lot of owners and horses in 30-odd years of doing this. It's my name on there but it's because everybody did their part. We're delighted.”

Lynch, 49, came to the U.S. in 1996 from Northern Ireland at the age of 19 after gaining experience training off his father's farm. His younger brother, former English apprentice champion Feargal, rides on the Maryland circuit.

According to Equibase statistics, Lynch's first training win came with Aneissa Chocolate Apr. 11, 1997, at old Garden State Park in New Jersey, winning his first stakes with Holiest Punch in the 2001 Bold Josh Handicap at The Meadowlands. He spent 12 years based at Parx before relocating to Maryland in 2016.

Lynch has won the first of his three graded-stakes with Javerre (Outflanker) in the 2013 GIII General George S. at Laurel. The other two came in the 2017 GIII Jerome S. and GIII Withers S. with El Areeb, who missed the Triple Crown series after suffering a knee fracture after running third in the Gotham.

“We're not done yet,” Lynch added. “I'll [look back] that when we're sitting on a beach in Florida in like 20 more years. Right now, we'll enjoy today. I just got back from the barn doing the feed. We'll be back out there tomorrow morning and the day I don't want to do that, that's the day I'll start looking back. We have a lot of really nice young horses coming in and a good barn full of horses here. I'm very, very lucky to be able to do this every day.”

The post Lynch Earns 1000th Training Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Abdala, who has owned Thoroughbreds for 10 years after getting started in horse ownership with Standardbreds, told TDN in a Feb. 8 phone interview that he still doesn't understand why Turfway officials accepted his entry for the 0-for-9 Magnolia Wind (Central Banker) in a $30,000 maiden-claiming race Jan. 4 if the stewards later deemed the 4-year-old filly to be ineligible.

The eligibility issue arose after the Jan. 4 race when Magnolia Wind was going to be entered again, and Turfway stewards Barbara Borden, Ron Herbstreit, and Brooks Becraft III learned that Abdala had an appeal pending with the Maryland Racing Commission over Magnolia Wind's race-interference disqualification from first to second in a $30,000 maiden-claimer at Laurel Park Nov. 9.

In that Laurel race, the 12-1 Magnolia Wind led all the way in a 5 1/2-furlong grass sprint. According to the Equibase chart, she “drifted out near the sixteenth pole, dug in and prevailed.”

“She won the race,” Abdala said. “But the stewards said we were 'herding,' which I thought was ridiculous because both riders were riding to the wire, nobody checked, and we held on. I appealed it, but the hearing wasn't going to be until Feb. 6.”

In the interim, after Magnolia Wind had gone nearly two months without a start, Abdala said he told Dunham, who has been a licensed trainer for 33 years, “She's good right now, we've got to race her.”

Although Magnolia Wind trains at Fair Hill in Maryland, Abdala did not want to run her on the dirt somewhere closer to home, because that's not her best surface, he explained.

“That's why I went out to Turfway, because she needs the Tapeta or the turf,” Abdala said.

Because Magnolia Wind's record on Equibase clearly showed the she had zero lifetime wins, “I assumed that the horse was eligible as a maiden,” Abdala said.

“I told my trainer to put her in, and he put her in. He entered her [electronically via] the computer. And we never said anything to anybody [about the Maryland appeal], because I didn't know we had to. They accepted the entry. Then we drove that filly nine hours to get to Turfway.”

The long journey appeared to pay off. Magnolia Wind ran second at 5-1 odds.

“And now they come after me saying that we knew she wasn't eligible, and that we're unlawful,” Abdala said.

Abdala said that after being notified of the ineligibility, he didn't come away from a conversation with Borden, Herbstreit, and Becraft with a clear understanding of why the Turfway's racing office officials or the stewards didn't bear some responsibility for allowing the entry in the first place.

TDN emailed Borden, the chief state steward, plus Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) executive director Jamie Eads, asking for some context behind the ruling and for clarification about why the Jan. 4 entry was approved by Turfway officials.

A different KHRC spokesperson replied with an email that outlined some of the sequence of events on “background only.” Because what was disclosed in that email could not be attributed to a specific KHRC official, the entire explanation has not been provided here. A follow-up request by TDN asking if the KHRC wanted to provide any response for the record did not yield a reply prior to deadline for this story.

The Turfway stewards' report for that date that is signed by all three stewards and posted on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission website makes no mention of the ineligibility.

But the subsequent Feb. 2 stewards' ruling disqualified Magnolia Wind from second place and ordered her $5,331 in purse earnings redistributed.

“I'm an accountant, a CPA, and I have an accounting firm,” Abdala said. “We have a lot of horse racing people as clients. I've asked everybody, and they all told me, 'Abby, your horse was eligible.'”

Abdala said he is no longer pursuing any appeals in Maryland or Kentucky regarding his twice-DQ'd filly.

“I didn't want to cause trouble or anything, and I want the filly to be able to race,” Abdala said. “So I just dropped everything–I dropped the hearing in Maryland, and I dropped the [potential appeal] at Turfway. I just want her to run. It's detrimental to her. After I dropped everything, they said they'll accept our entry now.”

The post When is a Maiden Not a Maiden? It Cost this Owner $5,331 to Find Out appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Live racing is scheduled to return Saturday with a special 11:40 a.m. post time. The 11-race program is co-headlined by the $100,000 Spectacular Bid S. for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Xtra Heat S. for 3-year-old fillies.

The post Friday Racing Canceled At Laurel Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The next scheduled program is Friday, Jan. 26, which is set to featuer the $100,000 What a Summer S. and the $100,000 Fire Plug S., each of which was originally programmed for the Jan. 20 card.

The season's first 3-year-old stakes will take place next Saturday, Jan. 27, with the running of the $100,000 Xtra Heat S. for fillies and the Spectacular Bid S. for males.

The Jennings S. and Geisha S., each restricted to Maryland-breds and offering prize money of $75,000, will be brought back for Sunday, Jan. 28.

Laurel, Pimlico Race Course, Rosecroft Raceway and the MJC OTB network will remain open for simulcasting Sunday.

The post Laurel Cancels Sunday Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Dangerous driving conditions has also caused simulcast wagering to be cancelled at both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course.

The Saturday card with a 10-race program, including four stakes highlighted by the $100,000 What A Summer and $100,000 Fire Plug, will start at noon ET.

Several tracks, including Oaklawn Park and Turfway Park, were forced to cancel their weekend programs due to inclement weather.

The post Laurel Cancels Friday’s Program, Back Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The latest recommendation in a years-long attempt by multiple stakeholders to consolidate Maryland racing at a single, reimagined racetrack now calls for a project dubbed “Pimlico Plus,” with racing centered in Baltimore and supported by the construction of a new training facility elsewhere in the state, according to a report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) Jan. 5.

The ambitious remake of the sport's infrastructure in Maryland hinges upon legislative approval, although the report did come with the endorsement of Maryland's governor, Wes Moore.

Another key to the deal would require 1/ST Racing and Gaming, which owns Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, to transfer ownership of Pimlico to the state, and for 1/ST Racing to cede control of its day-to-day Thoroughbred operations to a to-be-created, non-profit entity as of Jan. 1, 2025.

The report stated that 1/ST Racing is amenable to “a framework for an agreement in principle” for those transfers to happen.

In addition, the state would negotiate a licensing agreement with 1/ST Racing to operate and promote the GI Preakness S. and the GI Black-Eyed Susan S., Maryland's two signature races.

Laurel Park would be maintained as “a transitional facility for live racing and training during the expected four-year construction and transition period,” the report stated.

The Washington Post reported that if all went according to plan, Pimlico would be shut down after this year's Preakness on May 18, with the 2025 and 2026 editions of the race temporarily shifting to Laurel.

After that, the MTROA report stated, Laurel will likely be redeveloped.

Complementing the rebuilt Pimlico's projected 700-horse stabling capacity would be the construction of a new training facility at a to-be-determined location that can house 650 horses “in reasonable proximity to Pimlico that would also be acquired and developed under a non-private ownership structure,” the report stated.

The report stated that the cost for the entire project would be “significantly below” previous concepts proposed in recent years that involved keeping both Pimlico and Laurel running “and within the range of General Assembly allocations.”

A story in the Baltimore Banner gave a more specific breakdown: “The new Pimlico comes with a price tag of $274 million to $284 million, while the training facility would cost about $113 million–in line with $400 million in state subsidies previously set aside for the renovation of Pimlico and Laurel.”

The concept of consolidation in Maryland has been openly discussed for the better part of a decade. 1/ST Racing (known as The Stronach Group when it took over in Maryland in 2002) has been on the record for years as acknowledging the sub-optimal conditions at outmoded Pimlico, which as recently as 2018 raced only 12 dates for an abbreviated meet surrounding the Preakness.

Initially, The Stronach Group invested tens of millions of dollars in upgrades at Laurel while publicly stating that the company did not foresee putting any of its own funds into an overhaul of Pimlico.

Civic and state officials, fearful of Baltimore losing the Preakness to Laurel, helped to push for the years-long commissioning of several years of studies for a publicly funded solution led by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA). In 2019, Baltimore's mayor even tried to sue Pimlico's ownership in an attempt to force a city takeover.

As the MTROA report explained, “After many iterations, an agreed-upon program was finalized in late 2021 and estimates were generated. The estimates were significantly over the available bonding capacity for the project.”

The Maryland General Assembly then called for additional input and yet more studies in 2022, and that year, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA), the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and others proposed an alternative scenario that would maintain year-round training and racing at both facilities.

“In total, six scenarios have been analyzed by the MSA [and] all of them significantly exceeded available project funding,” the MTROA report stated. It also concluded that “given the level of State investment required to rehabilitate and sustain the industry, a public ownership structure for the tracks and subsequent lease of them to a nonprofit entity led by Maryland industry professionals is the best path forward.”

The report stated at least one significant reason why 1/ST Racing would agree to give up Pimlico: The company would be on the hook for huge taxes if the state provided any funding for the rehab of a privately owned track.

“An additional issue complicates any public investment at either Pimlico or Laurel Park under the current ownership structure,” the report stated. “Under Section 118 of the Federal Tax Code, expenditures made by a government unit to construct improvements at a facility owned by a for-profit entity will constitute taxable income to that entity. Tax advisors have concluded that MSA expenditures at either racetrack may be treated as taxable income to any private owner.”

Belinda Stronach, the chairwoman, chief executive and president of The Stronach Group, stated in a press release that “The Stronach Group and [its subsidiary] the Maryland Jockey Club remain deeply committed to reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, and this framework agreement represents an important first step in that process.”

MTHA president Tim Keefe echoed those sentiments in a separate press release that stated “The Maryland racing industry is one of the most storied in the nation and [Friday's] announcement is an important step forward for a sustainable and bright future.”

TDN had follow-up questions for Keefe about the horsemen's perspective on the project, but a voicemail message left for him did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.

However, the MTHA press release did state that a “town hall” webinar for members to discuss and ask questions about the project would be scheduled for the near future.

So what might the reimagined Pimlico look like? The MTROA report outlined the following basic concepts for what would be one of the nation's few remaining tracks nestled within an urban neighborhood.

A new Pimlico would be a “best-in-class facility” featuring both a “right-sized” grandstand and clubhouse “with overlays that could be activated for the Preakness and other large events,” the report stated.

The report also envisioned the creation of a 1,000-seat event space, development parcels, a hotel built by a private partner, and “state-of-the-art equine diagnostic health facility with space for veterinary services.”

Housing for backstretch workers would not be in the stable area, but instead “constructed in the Park Heights community” near Pimlico.

Two parking facilities would be constructed. One would be part of the hotel. A second garage could be shared by both racetrack patrons and patients and staff at Sinai Hospital, which is adjacent to Pimlico.

As for the new training facility, the report stated that MTROA identified eight potential locations within a 50-mile radius of Pimlico to be examined for suitability.

Ranked on a scoring mechanism that evaluated nine criteria, the top three were Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, Mitchell Farm in Aberdeen, and the former Bowie Race Track in Bowie that last hosted racing in 1985 but had functioned as a training facility until 2015.

The report stated that “it is the recommendation and conclusion of the [MTROA] that those three locations move to a next stage for final consideration and subsequent acquisition. The [MTROA], however, will continue to evaluate and consider additional suitable properties if and when they become known.”

A footnote within the report disclosed that during the investigation of possible sites, “the [MTROA] learned through industry sources that Shamrock Farm, which is currently owned by the family of [MTROA] Authority member [and National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and chief executive] Tom Rooney, may be for sale. Those members leading the search reached out to Mr. Rooney about its availability, and he confirmed that a sale may be possible.”

With regard to the fundamental change of the state's operating model for racing, the report stated that it is seeking a system that “mirrors that in use by the New York Racing Association. Facilities would be owned by the State and leased to a professional not-for-profit operator. This structure will better align operations with the needs of the horse racing industry and the State's significant financial investments.”

The MTROA, the report stated, would be in charge of coming up with a recommended operator.

The MTROA has been meeting regularly since first convening in August 2023, while also conducting research and receiving testimony from a wide variety of stakeholders. It was created to meet twin objectives mandated by legislation: Reimagining the state's horse racing infrastructure to better align with budget realities, and conducting a review of Maryland horse racing operations in order to recommend the best path forward.

The MTROA is composed of appointees of the governor and legislative leaders and representatives of horse industry organizations, plus the MSA, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, and others who have a stake in the areas surrounding Pimlico, Laurel, and Bowie.

The report that came out Friday was required by the General Assembly to be issued by that date.

The post Latest Version of Maryland Remake: Pimlico Sole Track under Non-Profit Control, with 1/ST Racing out of Daily Ops appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“I think he's a long way from being done,” said trainer Horacio De Paz.

It's easy to see why De Paz doesn't think that age has caught up with Greeley and Ben and why he'll be bringing the horse back off of just one week's rest in the Gravesend. Greeley and Ben won last year's GIII Fall Highweight H. at the advanced age of eight and, after a layoff of nearly 12 months, has come back running this year. After finishing sixth in an allowance race at Laurel, he's won two straight, including the Dec. 23 Dave's Friend, also at Laurel.

Greeley and Ben began his career racing for trainer John Ortiz and won six times before being claimed for just $10,000 on March 7, 2021 by Karl Broberg. He won 13 of 17 starts for Broberg before he was claimed again and wound up in the barn of David Jacobson. He made three starts for Jacobson, his last in a 2022 $40,000 claimer at Saratoga. It was there that he caught the attention of his current owner, Darryl Abramowitz.

“His age didn't bother me,” Abramowitz said. “This game is about dreams and taking chances. I thought that for $40,000 the worst-case scenario was we'd have to drop him into a $20,000 claimer and we'd win and get our money back. You only live once.”

So Abramowitz spent the $40,000 to claim a horse who was eight at the time and, at least according to his Beyer numbers, was starting to slow down. Little did he know that the future for the gelding would include four wins in his next seven starts and two stakes wins, including his first graded stakes victory in the Fall Highweight.

“He's a combination of Mike Tyson and Cal Ripken,” Abramowitz said. “He's an iron horse and he's a fighter.”

Greeley and Ben | Coglianese

After winning the Fall Highweight, Greeley and Ben disappeared, but that would not prove to be the end of his career.

“He's an old war horse and as time has gone on he has come up with a few leg issues,” Abramowitz said. “Nothing serious. He just needed the time to heal up. Would other people spend 352 days on the shelf and spend all that money while he wasn't racing? I don't think so. I could have brought him back earlier, but if we did, we'd have to have dropped into a lower level of claimers. We coaxed him along and gave him the time that was necessary. He's sound and he's solid right now. With the way he's going he could keep running for another two years. This guy loves to run. He just thrives on it.”

Abramowitz initially had the horse with Jeffrey Englehart and then moved him into the barn of Faith Wilson for the Fall Highweight. The next move was to give him to De Paz, who has had him since September. Greeley and Ben could do no better than to finish sixth in his return race, but De Paz was not discouraged.

“When we got him he had to build back the foundation that he had lost,” the trainer said. “He carries good flesh, so we had to work past that. In his first race back, we figured we'd give him a race rather than just breezing him. We thought a race would do him more good than breezing him every week. That first run showed he still wanted to compete. He just got tired.”

Twenty-two days later, he won the allowance and followed that up with the win in the Dave's Friend, which upped his career earnings to $981,138. After that start, De Paz and Abramowitz started searching for a race. On whether they should enter him in the Gravesend, it came down to the question of, why not?

“That we're running here doesn't have anything to do with the rules in New York,” Abramowitz said. “We were watching nominations for this race and knew there would be a small field and I didn't think the race would be that difficult. At Laurel, he ran three solid furlongs. It was like having a spectacular workout. For the first three furlongs he was in the back just enjoying himself and having a good time. I knew he was going good and Horacio told me he's better than ever and is going extremely good. We looked at all the factors, like the $150,000 purse, and decided to give it a go.”

Abramowitz is so bullish on the gelding's future that he said if the horse runs well in the Gravesend he will consider sending him to the Middle East–Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

First though, they have to get past the Gravesend. On paper, Greeley and Ben is stepping up in class and could have a tough time in the six-furlong stakes. But Abramowitz doesn't think that will be the case.

“He fits in this race and I think he might surprise a lot of people,” the owner said.

Win or lose, Greeley and Ben's place in the sport has already been assured. Where else can you find an active 9-year-old who is still at the top of his game and has won more races than he has lost?

“It's a tremendous story,” De Paz said. “He's run at all these different racetracks and has run for different trainers and he's been honest for everyone who has had him. He's just a special horse.”

The post In His New York Swan Song, Golden Oldie Greeley And Ben Looks For 26th Career Win In Gravesend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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