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Authentic Just Lasts In Desperate Haskell Finish; Baffert Wins For Ninth Time

Trainer Bob Baffert won for a record ninth time, but Authentic's victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $1-million TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., wasn't as easy as his 3-5 odds might have suggested.

Breaking quickly from the No. 2 post under Mike Smith, the 3-year-old colt by Into Mischief controlled the pace throughout the 1 1/8 miles, opened up what appeared to be an insurmountable lead inside the eighth pole, then barely lasted as Ny Traffic came charging in the final desperate strides. Dr Post, the second wagering choice at 9-5, was never a factor and finished a distant third. Jesus' Team was fourth in the field of seven.

Time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.45.

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The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: COVID-19 And Positive Drug Tests

It's been a busy news week in horse racing. COVID-19 continues to disrupt the racing business, most recently with the cancellation of this weekend's racing at Del Mar. How might a second wave of coronavirus cases impact the racing business as a whole?

Also this week, Arkansas officials announced the disqualification of Bob Baffert trainees Charlatan from the G1 Arkansas Derby and Gamine from an allowance race at Oaklawn Park due to lidocaine overages. Baffert has also been handed a 15-day suspension. Baffert asserts those tests were the result of the horses' exposure to a Salonpas patch used by an employee. That raises the question — should the means of exposure to a substance factor in to a commission or steward's decision when disqualifying a horse?

Ray Paulick and Natalie Voss sit down to discuss these questions in this week's edition of The Friday Show. Watch below and share your thoughts.

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Del Mar Cancels July 17-19 Racing After 15 More Jockeys Test Positive For COVID-19

With caution its primary concern, Del Mar has preemptively canceled its next three days of racing, July 17-18-19, after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar's jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested on Tuesday by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff as requested by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“Assuming these individuals continue to show no symptoms, they will be isolated for a total of 10 days and should be able to resume their usual activities, including riding after that time,” said Dr. Eric McDonald, Medical Director, Epidemiology & Immunizations Services, County of San Diego.

“Racing will return on July 24,” said Joe Harper, Del Mar's CEO. “Canceling this weekend's races will give us additional time to monitor the situation and give the individuals who tested positive additional time to recover.”

On Tuesday, based on DMTC protocols, as well as direction from medical advisers and county public health officials, the testing was administered by county medical staff. Fifteen of the jockeys tested positive and all were believed to be asymptomatic. Contact tracing procedures are underway in conjunction with the San Diego Health & Human Services Agency. However, a common factor among all but one of the riders that tested positive is that they rode at the recently concluded Los Alamitos meet.

Del Mar officials ordered the testing of all the jockeys and jockeys' room personnel after two riders, Flavien Prat and Victor Espinoza, tested positive for COVID-19.

“Even though our jockey colony did not exhibit symptoms when they arrived at Del Mar, we made the decision to test everyone as part of protocols we have developed in conjunction with local medical experts and the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency,” said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred President and COO. “We put these measures in place to help ensure the safety of all workers at Del Mar and our surrounding community.”

Because of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA), Del Mar is not allowed to release the names of the affected riders.

In a further safety measure, only jockeys based in California will be permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting. Jockeys from jurisdictions outside of California will not be allowed to ride at Del Mar. The measure to restrict the riding colony follows a similar announcement Tuesday by the New York Racing Association concerning jockeys at Saratoga Race Course. Under Del Mar's new policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting.

Additionally, Del Mar officials are re-configuring and expanding the track's jockeys' quarters, including moving some of the functions that normally take place in the jockeys' room to an adjacent area.

Del Mar has been providing health screening, monitoring and testing resources for barn area workers and essential personnel during its summer meet, which is being held for the first time in the track's 81-year history without spectators. The meet began Friday July 10th and will conclude on Labor Day, September 7.

Del Mar's health and safety protocols have been formulated with direct input from medical experts in the community.

“We have worked with Del Mar to apply practical health protocols for its essential personnel and we applaud the track's continued vigilance to help provide a safe environment for its work force,” said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, MD, Corporate Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at San Diego's Scripps Health. “We can reasonably expect that there will be some additional positive tests. The key is to provide strategies and protocols for testing, quarantining, containment and management, all of which Del Mar is doing in cooperation with local public health experts and officials.”

Del Mar's racing officials have said that many of the races that had been scheduled for the upcoming weekend will be shifted to the following weekend. That includes the Grade 2, $150,000 San Diego Handicap and the Grade 2 $200,000 Eddie Read Stakes.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California said they are in agreement with Del Mar's measures. “TOC strongly supports the actions taken today by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in conjunction with the San Diego County Department of Health. The health of our riders is our top priority now.”

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‘Profoundly Disappointing’: Dutrow Withdraws Kentucky License Application After Committee Deliberation

Rick Dutrow's long-running quest to return to horse racing hit another roadblock Tuesday afternoon after a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission committee unanimously asked him to withdraw an application for a trainer's license.

The KHRC's license review committee has the ability to grant a license unconditionally, grant a license with specific conditions, deny an application, or grant an applicant the opportunity to withdraw their application. Committee chair Kenneth Jackson explained that the last outcome is provided to the committee as an option because a denial from one commission can negatively impact someone's application in another jurisdiction.

Karen Murphy, attorney for Dutrow, agreed to withdraw the application on his behalf but expressed frustration that the committee provided no overview of its discussion, which was held in closed executive session.

“I don't know what you want,” said Murphy. “I don't know what you considered. I don't know what you sound so unpersuasive that you take this action, which I find to be profoundly disappointing. I'd like an answer.”

Jackson declined to provide any further comment on the matter to Murphy or other meeting participants.

In 2011, Dutrow was handed a 30-day suspension by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board for possession of hypodermic needles and a 60-day suspension for a butorphanol overage around the same time. The Board later revoked his license for 10 years and issued a $50,000 fine for the two offenses. The KHRC denied a renewal of his license the same year. Dutrow did not actually begin serving his ten-year sentence in New York until he had exhausted his appeals process in 2013 and as such, will be suspended there until January 2023.

Dutrow has tried repeatedly to have his sentence in New York shortened, but has been unsuccessful thus far.

“The racetrack means everything to me, my family. It's really been a hard time with this,” said an emotional Dutrow via video conference. “Since I've been away, I've had a chance to reflect on things and look at myself and I know that I'm part of the problem. There's no question about that. But I've done a lot of time for this. I just need an opportunity to train horses. That's all I want to do, it's all I've ever wanted to do. I'm sorry to take up your time and cause all this stuff, I just need to train horses. Please.”

Trainer Dale Romans, surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage, and former steward Steven Lewandowski also testified on Dutrow's behalf.

“The more I would look into it, I thought, 'I cannot sit on the sidelines and let this happen to one of my colleagues,' because what would ever stop it from happening to me?” said Romans. “What this case, I think, boils down to is a vendetta in New York and with all the evidence that has come out, it's obvious.”

Bramlage, who treated a number of horses in Dutrow's care in his time on the track, said he believed the trainer's management of horses was excellent.

“The legal question is yours, but my experience with Rick is in how he treats his horses, and his approach to training is impeccable,” said Bramlage. “He never takes shortcuts…he always goes with the best alternative for the horse, he never sacrifices the horse's welfare to win a purse before something becomes clinical. He's always done it the right way.”

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