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Kirkpatrick & Co Presents In Their Care: Smullen Is The Glue That Holds Tagg Operation Together

Robin Smullen was 17 years old when she was preparing Barnabas, her finest horse, for a show. He was as responsive as ever to her cues – until he could respond no longer.

Barnabas collapsed beneath Smullen due to an aneurysm. Nothing could be done except to comfort him. He died in the arms of a teenager with whom he had enjoyed such a wonderful connection, his head nestled in her lap.

Smullen was devastated. She remained in her bedroom at her family's Oxford, Pa., farm for three days. She sold her three or four remaining show horses. She did not know how she would go on.

“At that point, I was thinking I wanted to give up on horses completely,” she said.

She soon realized how strong a hold horses can have on someone who had been around them for as long as she could remember. There is a pull that is undeniable. And perhaps inescapable.

“I was born into horses. That is all I ever knew,” said Smullen. “A lot of people who get into horses and leave, they always come back.”

Come back she did, and Thoroughbred racing is so much better for that. As an assistant to Barclay Tagg and his life partner, Smullen has been instrumental in the development of a pair of outstanding New York-bred 3-year-olds for modest Sackatoga Stable.

The gelded Funny Cide swept the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2003. Tiz the Law looms as a prime contender in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland Race Course. He could emerge as Horse of the Year if he adds his first test against older horses to his authoritative Florida Derby, Belmont and Travers triumphs.

Smullen aboard Funny Cide. Photo courtesy Robin Smullen

“Robin is really the glue that holds Barclay Tagg Racing Stable together,” said Jack Knowlton, who has overseen Sackatoga since he established it with five high school friends in 1995.

Tagg and Smullen have shown they can accomplish a lot with relatively little. Funny Cide was purchased privately for the comparatively meager sum of $75,000 as a 2-year-old in training. Tagg made a winning bid of $110,000 to bring home Tiz the Law as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton's 2018 Saratoga Sale.

Smullen is proud of the keen eyes they bring to sales.

“We've picked out so many good horses and people don't realize,” she said. “A lot of people could have bought Funny Cide, but we did. You can't see that he's going to win the Derby, but you can see that a horse can run.”

Confrontation, a $35,000 purchase as a 2-year-old, and Realm, a $75,000 yearling, provide two more examples of diamonds in the rough that the tag team of Tagg and Smullen discovered. Each horse surpassed half a million dollars in earnings.

Smullen has been aboard tractable Tiz the Law throughout his development, just as she was the headstrong Funny Cide. When she talks, Knowlton and Tagg listen.

“That is invaluable to have somebody with her knowledge,” Knowlton said. “If there is one little thing that is maybe bothering him, she'll identify it. She may know what it is or, if not, she will work with the veterinarian or the blacksmith or the chiropractor or the masseuse.”

When Smullen detected upper body stiffness in Tiz the Law following his loss to Authentic in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, she showed her unwavering commitment to always putting the horse first by urging that the colt skip the $1 million Preakness, the final leg of this year's Triple Crown due to the pandemic. Knowlton abided by that advice. He also was on board when she and Tagg opposed shipping the colt across the country to Santa Anita for last year's Juvenile despite a fees-paid berth in the demanding $2 million race courtesy of a Champagne romp.

Smullen and Tagg have long enjoyed a relationship most couples would envy.

“We went to dinner,” Tagg likes to say, “and she never left.”

One of the keys to their staying power is their ability to leave work behind once long days at the barn and the track are done. They currently oversee approximately 20 horses.

“The good part about Barclay is he leaves the barn at the barn and then home is home,” Smullen said. “If you don't get along with the way you make a decision on a certain horse or a certain race, you leave that at the barn.”

Doswell, a quirky 5-year-old that is fairly new to their stable, represents a constant source of disagreement.

“He's a little bit of a head case, but I try to get along with him and compromise on things,” said Smullen. She gallops Doswell each morning; she is the one aboard for his antics once his training is done. Tagg would like to see the veteran walk back to the barn. The gelded son of Giant's Causeway, bred and owned by Joseph Allen, has other ideas.

“He doesn't like to walk off the track,” Smullen said. “He's jigging and carrying on the whole time, so I just jog him home.”

Although Tagg is routinely dismayed by that unusual sight, Smullen's willingness to live with that idiosyncrasy appears to be reaping rewards. After going winless through his first five career starts, Doswell is perfect in two turf starts for Tagg and Smullen. He led at every call when he finally broke his maiden on Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course. He displayed the same front-running command in capturing an allowance race on Oct. 2 at Belmont Park.

With each of those victories, Smullen is reminded of the rewards that working with horses can bring. And she is grateful she persevered long after the beloved Barnabas took his last breath.

Tom Pedulla wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

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Whip Rule Debate Reaches New York As Commissioners Question Whether Change Is Needed

Whip rules have become a popular topic at racing commission meetings in recent months, with new restrictions in California and New Jersey drawing ire from jockeys there and changes coming soon in Kentucky. Now, gaming officials in New York are considering whether they need to take additional steps to restrict whip use in the state.

At a commission of the New York State Gaming Commission held Oct. 19, officials invited several groups representing the interests of racing officials, jockeys, racetrack management, and The Jockey Club to present their views on whip regulation for informational purposes. Commissioners did not call the meeting with the intent of taking any action, but rather allowing a question and answer forum for commission members to better understand the issue before proceeding with any rule changes or choosing not to pursue changes.

Currently, state statutes in New York do not place a limit on the total number of strikes a jockey may make during a race, but stewards do impose a restriction that a horse may be hit no more than five times in a row before being given a chance to respond. Racing officials also say they can and do pull riders in for disciplinary action if they feel the whip has been misused, irrespective of the number of consecutive hits made. Riders are required to sign an acknowledgement of the waiver, which is available in both English and Spanish, before the start of each meet.

Erinn Higgins, state steward at Finger Lakes, said so far this year the track has seen four total violations related to the whip – two riders with one violation each and one rider with two. Braulio Baeza, state steward at NYRA racetracks, estimates there are no more than ten whip violations on that circuit annually, though both agree there were more when the five hit restriction was first put into place.

The stewards agreed that New York was somewhat ahead of its time in imposing some restrictions on whip use ahead of other jurisdictions. From the perspective of Carmine Donofrio, state steward emeritus for NYRA tracks, there's no reason to fix the current system if it's working. Donofrio made clear his viewpoint that further restrictions on the whip would be challenging for racing officials to enforce. Although there were no suggestions from the commission that its members were considering banning the whip except for safety or correction (as has been implemented in New Jersey), Donofrio warned that would be problematic.

“Are the stewards supposed to adjudicate that?” he asked. “What if the jockey says the horse was about to prop and I had to hit him. Are you going to call him a liar?”

Current riders and stewards agreed the number of times a rider uses a whip for safety or correction, as opposed to encouragement, is probably low, around five times or so per year. Still, when it is necessary to keep a horse's attention or correct their path of travel, riders agreed it's an option they want to have.

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith appeared at the meeting via teleconference, as did John Velazquez and Javier Castellano. In addition to their concerns about the necessity of the whip for safety, the jockeys raised questions about the integrity of a wagering contest in which horses could not be encouraged by their riders, which might handicap some more than others. Smith recalled his come-from-behind Kentucky Derby win aboard Giacomo in 2005, an effort in which he's sure he used the whip more than the six-strike limit that now may be imposed in Kentucky.

“He was a horse you really had to ride, but he would respond,” said Smith. “As long as you encouraged him, he would go. He was like a bike — as soon as you'd stop pedaling, he'd stop running. There's no way in heck I'dve ever won the Kentucky Derby on that horse if you'd put a limit on it or if you'd made me use it in an improper way.”

Smith has been vocal in his opposition to California's new requirement that riders can only use the whip if it's turned downward in an underhanded motion, which he says jeopardizes riders' balance, is ineffective, and can easily result in the horse's sensitive flank taking the hit because the jockey can't aim well.

Similarly, Smith said Zenyatta was a horse who tended to coast after passing several horses, and often required him to use the whip to create her thrilling, narrow-margin victories.

Representatives from The Jockey Club say their research has shown riding crop use is one of the primary concerns of the public — both of non-racing fans and racing fans. A 2011 McKinsey and Company analysis showed that along with race day medication and aftercare, it was one of the top three drivers that contributed to a negative public perception of the sport. Jim Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, said he anticipates the public tolerance for whip use is going to decrease, not increase, as time goes on.

“To me and The Jockey Club, we see a future where hitting an animal with a stick isn't going to be acceptable anymore,” Gagliano said.

Gagliano believes that while current horseplayers may not be happy with potential changes to whip rules, there are potential customers on the sidelines who may be, and they are the target audience for changes like this.

Representatives of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, including NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza, expressed a desire for whatever rulemaking made in the future to be uniform across the country. Of course, whip rules in California and Kentucky, two key jurisdictions in the Coalition, are already different, meaning either action or inaction in New York would still result in different rules between racing's three biggest states. Craig Fravel, chief executive officer of racing operations for The Stronach Group, downplayed the potential impact of any rule changes to horseplayers. After all, he pointed out, the number of hits a horse receives in a race isn't currently printed in past performance records, so it doesn't seem all that important to bettors.

Panza pushed a bit harder for reform, warning the commission that if something doesn't change soon, he worries racing in the state will face more public scrutiny. Ever since last year's headlines about breakdown rates at Santa Anita Park, Panza said NYRA social media managers have encountered more feedback and concern from users questioning the use of the whip on horses — and he doesn't want to see it become a topic for mainstream news.

“I think when you run a Triple Crown and you can hit a horse six times in the Kentucky Derby and six times in the Preakness, and you come to New York and you can hit them 30 times, I'm pretty sure NBC is going to bring that up,” said Panza. “Right now, New York has no restrictions on the number of times you can hit a horse.”

“Martin, they should be following us,” said Velazquez of the other jurisdictions. “We shouldn't be following them.”

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NYRA Instituting Purse Increases Beginning Oct. 18

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that purse increases will take effect across a number of conditions beginning Sunday, October 18 and continuing through the remainder of the Belmont Park fall meet.

Notable among the significant purse increases is the open maiden special weight category increasing from $63,000 to $80,000 and the New York-bred maiden special weight category increasing from $52,000 to $70,000.

Purses for open claiming and maiden claiming races at NYRA are the highest in the country, providing opportunities for horsemen at all levels. The open $25,000 claiming category will see a $4,000 increase to $50,000, while the $40,000 maiden-claiming condition will now offer a purse of $43,000.

“The myriad impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – including the suspension of live racing and the closure of casinos across New York – forced NYRA to make significant adjustments to the purse structure to ensure operational continuity throughout the spring, summer and early part of the fall,” said NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza.

“NYRA made those strategic decisions early in the crisis so that we could restore our purses to near pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible to support New York's horsemen and the 19,000 jobs connected to thoroughbred racing in New York,” Panza continued. “Thanks to the incredibly strong wagering seen at Saratoga and into Belmont fall, coupled with the resumption of VLT revenues in early September, we are at this point even faster than expected. NYRA would like to thank Joe Appelbaum and the membership of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association for their hard work and collaboration in securing these increases.”

In addition to the purse increases beginning October 18, a retroactive purse payment for the first 16 days of the 27-day Belmont fall meet will be issued for 50 percent of the proposed purse increase. For example, the owner of the winner of an open maiden special weight will be entitled to the 55 percent winner's share [$4,675] of the $17,000 purse increase for that condition. The retroactive adjustments are applicable to qualifying races starting on September 18.

New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association President Joe Appelbaum expressed strong support for the NYRA's enhanced purse structure.

“It's wonderful to see the purses at Belmont going up,” said Appelbaum. “It demonstrates the popularity and resilience of our racing product and our horsemen will appreciate the return to more normal purse levels. Fingers crossed, we are all learning to manage cash-flow through COVID-19 and this is a testament to the clear-eyed planning of the spring and summer.”

Pari-mutuel wagering funds the majority of the NYRA purse account, which is awarded to horsemen and, in turn, benefits hundreds of small businesses operating at NYRA tracks and others dependent on the thoroughbred racing industry.

Following the March 19 suspension of live racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Belmont Park re-opened without spectators in attendance on June 3 for an abbreviated 25-day spring/summer meet. Despite running 23 fewer days than in 2019, a 48% decrease, all sources handle during the spring/summer meet totaled $386,654,955.The spring/summer meet generated $15,466,198 in average daily handle from all sources, a 42% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet.

With significant COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place, including mandatory testing of all employees and on-track personnel, NYRA made the decision to conduct the 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course as originally intended, albeit without spectators in attendance.

All-sources handle for the 2020 summer meet totaled $702,535,468 compared to $705,343,949 wagered from all sources on Saratoga in 2019.

In addition to pari-mutuel wagering, the remainder of the NYRA purse account is funded through VLT revenues generated by casinos located in downstate New York, most notably at Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all casinos in New York were closed on March 16.
The phased re-opening of the New York state economy authorized casinos to re-open to the public at 25 percent capacity on September 9, 2020.

Live racing resumes at Belmont Park on Friday, October 16 with a 10-race card and first post of 12:20 p.m. For more additional information, please visit NYRA.com.

2020 Belmont Purse Schedule starting October 18, 2020

CL. ALW: $90,000
NW3X/80: $88,000
NW2X/62.5: $84,000
NW1X: $82,000

NW2X/40 (NY): $74,000
NW1X (NY): $72,000

CLM 50,000: $65,000
CLM 40,000: $60,000
CLM 32,000: $55,000
CLM 25,000: $50,000
CLM 20,000: $44,000
CLM 16,000: $39,000
CLM 12,500: $35,000
CLM 10,000: $28,000
CLM 8,000: $22,000

CLM 40,000 NW3: $47,000
CLM 25,000 NW3: $37,000
CLM 14,000 NW3: $28,000

SA 50,000 NW2: $55,000
CLM 40,000 NW2: $45,000
CLM 25,000 NW2: $36,000
CLM 16,000 NW2; $28,000

STR 25,000: $50,000
STR 20,000: $45,000
STR 16,000: $40,000

MSW: $80,000
MSW (NY): $70,000
MCL 75,000: $54,000
MCL 50,000: $48,000
MCL 40,000: $43,000
MCL 30,000: $38,000
MCL 20,000: $32,000
MCL 40,000 (NY): $43,000
MCL 25,000 (NY): $35,000

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Kirkpatrick & Co Presents In Their Care: Bond Shedrow Is A Family Business

Trainer H. James Bond, his wife Tina and their sons, Kevin and Ryan, have Song Hill Thoroughbreds, an idyllic 177-acre farm in Mechanicville, N.Y.

They have a 42-horse racing stable of such quality that they won 12 races from 40 starts during Saratoga's prestigious summer meet. Their runners hit the board 63 percent of the time on behalf of their clients.

They have 17 broodmares and a dozen retired Thoroughbreds, the latter a reflection of their commitment to make certain every horse they breed will always have a home.

For all that the Bonds worked to obtain, what they have, more than anything, is each other.

Kevin was struck by that during this strange fan-free summer at Saratoga. Picnic tables, occupied by the same families for generations, were empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When their horses entered the winner's circle, there was no applause from the grandstand.

In one sense, it hardly seemed to matter.

“You turn to your dad, you turn to your brother. You high-five each other or whatever,” Kevin said. “There is no greater gratification than that, just to know that everybody is on the same team and just proud of each other.”

Those heartwarming moments can be traced to the ailing heart of James' father, Harold, a trainer in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Due to his father's medical issues, James was forced to abandon his dream of becoming a veterinarian to obtain his trainer's license on his 16^th birthday.

James would arrive at the barn at 4 a.m. and begin his high school classes once that work was done. He is forever grateful to an understanding guidance counselor who would arrange his schedule to allow him to shower at school before he attended his first class.

Perhaps the early start helped James, who turns 63 in October, build on what came before him as a third-generation horseman. His operation has totaled more than $45 million in purses. He is a two-time winner of the Whitney Handicap, with Travers victor Will's Way in 1997 and with Tizway in 2011. He has been prominent on the international stage, with a third-place finish by L'Carriere in the 1996 Dubai World Cup and a runner-up effort by Behrens in that same event in 2000.

James is a pillar of the lucrative New York breeding program as a breeder and trainer. He estimates that 80 percent of his stock is comprised of New York-breds. He said of the opening of Song Hill in 2007: “We wouldn't have this farm without New York-breds. It was the basis of our decision to build this farm.”

While James had no choice but to take over his ailing father's business, Kevin and Ryan were initially encouraged to pursue other careers after completing their college educations.

James, Kevin and Ryan Bond

“It's a hard industry. It's hard on family life if you're not all in it together because you can't get away,” said Tina. “I did try to push them in another direction.”

Kevin studied business management at Lynn University. Ryan was a finance major at Florida Atlantic. It did not take either of them very long to make their way back to the track.

“I really didn't see myself in an office,” said Ryan.

Neither did Kevin. Both determined that nothing could match the adrenaline rush that goes with watching a horse they bred compete on the rugged New York circuit and elsewhere.

“There is always something to look forward to with one horse or another. There is a lot of action,” Ryan said. “It doesn't feel like work.”

Tina admits that her role as business manager very much feels like work. She takes pride in her sharp pencil.

“You have to run a smart business to keep everything afloat. It's an important part of the business, just not as much fun as what they do,” she said. “They work seven days a week. So do I.”

James treasures the time with his sons at the barn.

“I thought they both were going to go in different directions,” he said. “I always told them they both had jobs if they needed it, and they both came back. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

James makes decisions on various matters after seeking input from other family members. Some disagreements are inevitable.

“There are more pros than cons to it because we all know we are looking out for each other, we are looking out for the family's best interests,” Kevin said.

Their shared goal is to produce a Kentucky Derby winner. James thought he had one after Buddha won the Wood Memorial in 2002 – only to suffer a crushing disappointment. Buddha had to be scratched two days before the Derby with a foot injury.

“There was no doubt in my mind he would have been the Derby winner if we could have led him over that day,” James said. “You try to build that mountain and, all of a sudden, you just go tumbling down. It's hard, but I would have hated to hurt the horse.”

With the Bonds, the horse comes first from the moment of conception. They attach a postcard to the foaling papers of each horse they breed that contains their contact information in case that horse ever needs a home. That is typical of the way the family conducts business.

“It's all about integrity. Basically, you build your life up to have a name. That's what I hope to leave them, a good name to carry on and, hopefully, have the same good fortune or better than I had,” said James, looking ahead to the fourth generation.

Tom Pedulla wrote for USA Today from 1995-2012 and has been a contributor to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Blood-Horse, America's Best Racing and other publications.

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