Maryland racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Details Emerge On Maryland Study Tracking EIPH In Lasix-Free 2-Year-Old Runners

A survey study of all 2-year-olds that race in Maryland this year to determine the extent of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage is set to begin Friday, Aug. 7, at Laurel Park.

The Maryland Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, which falls under the Maryland Racing Commission, on July 31 approved the plan for post-race video endoscopies of all starters in all 2-year-old races. The first 2-year-old races of the year in the state have been carded as extras for the Friday, Aug. 7 program.

Under an emergency regulation approved Aug. 2, all 2-year-old races through Dec. 31 will be run Lasix-free with a 48-hour cut-off of the therapeutic medication. The survey study is part of a broader agreement between the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and The Stronach Group for the Lasix-free pilot program that runs through 2023 for 2-year-old races and graded stakes only. Graded stakes in 2020 are not part of the pilot program.

Private veterinarians who practice at Laurel will conduct the video endoscopies and complete information forms for each horse that will include the horse's name, its EIPH score, any related comments, and whether the horse trains on Lasix. Additional useful data from each race and race day will be added to the information forms, which will be transferred to an online database.

The MRC will maintain all records from the survey study, and only a horse's owner and trainer will be given the results of a scope to maintain anonymity. Horses will be scored using a range from 0 to 3—none, mild, moderate or severe bleeding—for the purpose of simplification.

Dr. John Sivick, a Laurel-based veterinarian who is a member of the Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, said endoscopies are usually performed 30 minutes to 90 minutes after a race, but the goal will be a window of 40 minutes to 70 minutes post-race to keep the scores as consistent as possible.

All horsemen who enter 2-year-olds in Maryland for the rest of this year can expect the horses to be scoped. The Maryland Jockey Club Racing office will notify horsemen when entries are made and also the morning of the race. Grooms must wait with a horse until it is scoped.

Owners and trainers do not have to pay for the video endoscopies however, they will be entitled to the results.

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Maryland Purse Structure to Remain Unchanged

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, after conferring with the Maryland Jockey Club, announced operations will resume at a similar purse structure for overnight races through the rest of the summer, while staging live racing two days a week. Moving forward, as revenues increase, plans call for the addition of days to the calendar. With Casinos scheduled to re-open June 19, the MJC is expected to begin relaxing restrictions of owner’s access to the backstretch as well as allowing all licensed personal access to the backstretch beginning June 20.

The post Maryland Purse Structure to Remain Unchanged appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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MJC Announces Lasix-Free 2yo Races

The Maryland Jockey Club has informed the Maryland Racing Commission of its plans to restrict races for 2-year-olds to connections who opt not to administer Lasix on race day.
“The time has come to phase out Lasix beginning with 2-year-old horses,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairman and President, The Stronach Group and 1/ST. “We are following through on 1/ST Racing’s commitment to put horse and rider safety and welfare at the forefront. We believe in the principle that horses should only be racing free of medication. By taking this important step together, the Maryland racing community will become stronger and provide the right foundation for our sport to progress into the future.”

In April 2019, the phasing out of Lasix in 2-year-old horses was announced by a coalition of the country’s major Thoroughbred racing associations and organizations, which include:
• The Stronach Group’s Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields (California) and Gulfstream Park (Florida)
• Del Mar and Los Alamitos (California)
• Churchill Downs Inc. and Keeneland (Kentucky)
• New York Racing Association (New York)
• Lone Star Park (Texas)
• Oaklawn Park (Oklahoma)
• Breeders’ Cup Limited
• Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ Association (TOBA)
• American Graded Stakes Committee of TOBA
• Kentucky Thoroughbred Association

Under this program, which began Jan. 1, 2-year-old horses are not permitted to be treated with Lasix within 24 hours of a race. Beginning in 2021, the same prohibition will extend to all horses participating in any stakes race at coalition tracks listed above. In addition, The State of Maryland, in the context of the “Racing and Community Redevelopment Act of 2020,” recognized the important issue of horse safety and established an Equine Health, Safety and Welfare Advisory Committee to ensure that equine safety becomes paramount to the industry.

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Journeyman Sheldon Russell Picking Up Where He Left Off At Laurel Park

Coming off his healthiest and most productive season in half a decade, journeyman Sheldon Russell came into 2020 with both confidence and momentum. Once the calendar flipped, he maintained his spot among Maryland's leading riders – until the world stopped.

The coronavirus pandemic put the state's live racing on pause from mid-March until returning in late May at Laurel Park, and the 32-year-old Russell hasn't wasted any time getting back in the groove.

Entering the fourth weekend of Laurel's summer meet Russell sits atop the rider standings with 12 wins, two ahead of Jevian Toledo – who, like Russell, is represented by agent Marty Leonard – and Trevor McCarthy.

Russell is named in eight of nine racing when live racing resumes Friday, June 19 and has calls in seven of nine races on the Saturday, June 20 program. Post time both days is 12:40 p.m.

“All I can really say is last year we got back up and rolling and things were good. I was getting on the right horses and then, unfortunately, we were forced to shut down,” Russell said. “If anything, it just makes me feel good that once we got back up and started again I sort of picked up where we left off.

“I'm getting the support from some good trainers and riding some really nice horses,” he added. “It's easy to say it makes my job easier, but the trainers I'm riding for are winning so it certainly helps.”

A winner on the May 30 re-opening program, Russell has won with 11 of his last 25 mounts (44 percent), including a stretch of six-for-11 (55 percent) June 6 and 8. He registered hat tricks on both days, and had two more on Laurel's most recent card June 13.

Married to trainer Brittany Russell, who is tied for third with four wins from just 10 starters, Russell is 12-for-41 (29 percent) overall and ranks second in purse earnings with $284,604, less than $40,000 behind McCarthy.

“We sat on the sidelines and, of course, you're anxious to get back, But, at the same time we're running two days a week, and to be able to win two or three races a day it puts you in a good spot,” Russell said. “I'm very fortunate. My agent is doing a great job. Our other rider, he's winning races, too, so he's definitely doing something right.

“We've got the support from really good outfits and luckily enough the horses coming off the shelf have all been running well. It helps that Brittany's barn is on fire right now, so that gives me a push, as well,” he added. “I'm very fortunate. I'm happy to be back and riding, I'm happy to be healthy, and I couldn't have asked for a better start.”

Maryland's leading rider in 2011 who owns seven individual meet titles, five coming at Laurel, Russell had the unique pleasure of winning aboard Russeldoingthings in a waiver maiden claimer June 8. In addition to sharing his name, the 3-year-old Golden Lad colt is trained by his wife.

“Everyone thinks there's a story behind it, but to tell you the truth he was actually named before he came into Brittany's barn. Brittany would love to be the one to say, 'Let's name this one, he's working good,' but he was already named,” Russell said. “It's just funny how it worked out and that he's in Brittany's barn. He ran great.”

Russeldoingthings also benefitted from a great ride by Russell, who saved ground early breaking from Post 3 in a bulky field of 13 before weaving through traffic to take the lead in the stretch, then pull clear and finish up in hand to capture his unveiling by 1 ½ lengths in the six-furlong sprint. It wasn't altogether surprising for the connections, whose 3-year-old stablemate Wondrwherecraigis also debuted with a victory March 13 then came back with an allowance triumph June 6.

“To be fair, he always works good in the morning. His workmate was Wondrwherecraigis and Craig won the maiden special weight and then wheeled back and won the a-other-than, so we were sort of waiting for [Russel's] time to shine,” Russell said. “It was nice to see him run like that because those stablemates were working heads up against each other, and to see how Craig ran we were very excited to run Russel. He's a cool horse and that was a special win for us.”

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