Michael Hore | Horse Racing Free Tips

Taylor Made Stallions' Instagrand sired his first reported foals when a filly out of Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose was born on Jan. 10, and a colt out of the Tiznow mare Siesta was born on Jan. 8.

Concrete Rose, a daughter of Twirling Candy out of the winning Powerscourt (GB) mare Solerina, was a $1.95-million Keeneland November acquisition in 2020 by OXO Equine LLC, which also bred the filly. Concrete Rose enjoyed a stellar racing career in which she annexed the $750,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, the G3 Edgewood Stakes, G3 Florida Oaks, and the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga at three in 2019. At two, she won the G2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland. All told, Concrete Rose captured six of seven lifetime starts—five of them stakes—and banked $1,218,650.

Siesta, a daughter of Tiznow out of the Harlan's Holiday Miz Kella, is a half-sister to recent Zia Park Distaff Stakes winner Canoodling and hails from the immediate family of champion 2-year-old Shanghai Bobby, winner of the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and that year's G1 Champagne Stakes. Siesta was a $240,000 graduate of the 2018 OBS Spring Sale where she was purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Siesta's colt was bred by Jay Goodwin, Michael Hore, DVM, and Doc Atty Stables.

Instagrand, a dominating son of Into Mischief, led gate to wire to win the 2018 G2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar by 10 1/4 lengths in just his second career start. Undefeated at two, Instagrand was named a TDN Rising Star after debuting a 10-length maiden special weight winner, running five furlongs in :56 flat and stopping the clock just .32 of a second off the Los Alamitos track record.

A $1.2-million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale topper after breezing in :10 flat, Instagrand followed up his sensational juvenile season by placing in a pair of key Kentucky Derby preps at three. He placed in the G3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and set the pace in the G1 Santa Anita Derby in his two-turn debut, finishing just behind Roadster and champion 2-year-old and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner.

By perennial leading sire Into Mischief, Instagrand is produced from the winning Lawyer Ron mare Assets of War and is from the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Irish Smoke and Book Review. He bred 190 mares in his initial season at stud and he will stand the upcoming breeding season for $7,500 S&N.

The post First Foals Reported For Taylor Made Stallions’ Instagrand appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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by Bill Finley and Dan Ross

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has amended its Statement of Charges issued against trainer Bob Baffert to include a pair of positive tests for phenylbutazone that occurred in 2019 in California and a subsequent inspection of the trainer's barn in which it alleges that 25 improperly labeled medications were found.

NYRA's Statement of Charges now contains allegations that, over a 16-month period prior to the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby, six horses under Baffert's care violated rules and regulations in six separate races.

Having charged Baffert with engaging in conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing, NYRA has sought to temporarily ban the trainer from its tracks. A hearing on the matter is scheduled to begin Jan. 24.

Baffert has had numerous drug positives in recent years, including the finding that Medina Spirit (Protonico) had the substance betamethasone in his system when winning the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby.

After a July 27, 2019 race at Del Mar the gelding Cruel Intention (Smiling Tiger) tested positive for a bute overage and Baffert was fined $500. One week later, the Baffert-trained Eclair (Bernardini) also tested positive for bute and Baffert was fined $2,500.

While the two bute overages were not new news, the details of the barn inspection had not previously been made public. According to the Statement of Charges, Baffert's barn was inspected by the CHRB on or about Aug. 16, 2019 and the inspection “revealed that 25 medications were not properly labeled and there was no lock on the medication cabinet.” NYRA also claims that Baffert told the CHRB that he did not know how the bute got into the horses' systems and said that he would be offering a reward to solve the case.

Rick Arthur, who was the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director at the time of the violations, told the TDN that, while he couldn't remember specifics of the case, such barn inspections are “routine” after a post-race medication positive to “try to identify potential sources of the violation and advise trainers how to better manage their stables.”

Arthur added that there is no regulatory requirement for drug cabinets to be locked, even though the board strongly encourages medications to be securely stored.

Furthermore, the proper labeling of medications is primarily the veterinarian's responsibility, Arthur said, and that a crucial question is: What were the mislabeled drugs?

“If it's Gastrogard tubes out of the box,” said Arthur, pointing to a commonly used ulcer medication, “it's a technical violation, and not a serious one at all. If it was serious, an official warning or complaint would have been filed against either the trainer or the dispensing veterinarian.”

The amended charges also cite a rule change implemented by Churchill Downs in which no horses trained by Baffert are eligible to earn points for the Derby or the GI Kentucky Oaks and Baffert's claims that he would hire a veterinarian to ensure against future rule violations. The veterinarian, Dr. Michael Hore, was never hired.

In addition to conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing, NYRA is charging Baffert with conduct detrimental to the health and safety of horses and jockeys and conduct detrimental to NYRA business operations.

Peter Sherwood, a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice, will serve as hearing officer in the Baffert matter.

By deadline for this story, Baffert's attorney Craig Robertson had not returned a phone call seeking comment.

The post NYRA Amends Charges Against Baffert to Include Bute Overages appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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