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Former Jockey Bourque Dies Of Cancer At 67

Former jockey Kenneth “Chopper” Bourque passed away in Taylorsville, Ky. on Tuesday at the age of 67, according to Daily Racing Form. The cause of his death was cancer, according to Bourque's son.

Bourque was born in Erath, La. and got his start as a jockey by riding bush races around south central Louisiana. He went on to win his first official race in 1969 at Evangeline Downs. He eventually moved to the East Coast in further pursuit of his career at Charles Town, where he only remained for a short while before returning to Louisiana.

The jockey retired in 1999 with 2,467 wins and $20.4 million purse earnings, according to Jockey Club statistics. He retired to spend more time with his wife and six children.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Paulick Report contributor Liane Crossley caught up with Bourque in late 2019, at which time he was still working as an assistant clerk of scales in the jockeys' quarters as a way to stay close to the sport he loved. You can find that profile here.

How We Brought You The Most Important Stories Of This Most Strange Year Of Racing

As we all prepare to close the book on 2020 (slam it shut enthusiastically in most cases), it's time for our traditional look back at the stories we brought to you this year. This year has been a busy one for us at the Paulick Report, as we've covered major stories within racing and news from the broader world spilling over into the sport.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic was a central focus of our reporting this year, from the initial series of racetrack closures to the rescheduling of major events like the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. As it became clear the disruptions to daily life were not going away, we reported on the uncertainty and stress of horsemen across the country, and have continued our follow-up on from Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New Mexico, where the loss of wagering revenue has hobbled already-fragile circuits. In the face of the stress and fear that was common in the early days of the pandemic, we also brought you tales of kindness – horsemen helping each other feed their animals, helping to feed their communities, and an entire series on the dogged perseverance of the men and women who rise early each day to care for the horses we love. The economic disruption of the virus will not vanish when the calendars flip to 2021, and international racing experts have expressed concern about long-term impacts of the virus on public interest in wagering and ownership.

Activity in the national legislature became more impactful on racing this year than it has been before, as the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was introduced, passed, and finally signed into law in December when it was attached to a broader government spending bill. We've endeavored to answer your questions about the basics of the new authority that will be created by the bill. We've also published responses from key industry figures and organizations – some of whom enthusiastically support the bill, some of whom oppose it, and others who have advised caution in the face of scant details about the funding of the new group.

It's been a big year for news within racing, too. Several of our most-read stories of the year dealt with the indictment earlier this year of more than two dozen trainers, assistants, veterinarians, and others in connection with what the FBI says was an illegal racehorse doping ring. High profile horsemen Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis were among those arrested on charges of drug adulteration and misbranding, with horses in their stables extensively tested and transferred to other trainers. They have entered pleas of not guilty to the federal charges against them in the case. Other racing connections, both from the harness and flat racing worlds, would be indicted later, with authorities all the while hinting throughout 2020 since that more arrests could be coming. We sought to better understand what the health and welfare risks to the horses who had allegedly received the drugs described in the federal indictments, and to learn more about the history of SGF-1000, the drug Servis is accused of giving to the majority of horses in his barn. All indicted licensees saw their racing licenses suspended in March, but a Paulick Report investigation into the business of paper training questioned how easy it really is for a bad actor to be kept out of the sport.

Of course, Servis's arrest dredged up debate about the record of Maximum Security, the colt who crossed the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was later disqualified for interference. Owner Gary West had not finished his legal fight to have his horse declared the race's winner at the time of the indictments. West continued pursuing his civil case until three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a lower court's ruling dismissing the suit in August. Meanwhile, West sent Maximum Security for a series of tests and a thorough medical examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage before resting the colt and sending him on to trainer Bob Baffert for a 4-year-old campaign. Though earlier in the year, Maximum Security had won the world's richest race at the inaugural Saudi Cup, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia later withheld the winner's share of the purse pending an independent investigation into whether the colt ran the race under the influence of performance-enhancing drugs. As the colt's legacy continued to be a subject of debate, Maximum Security was retired to Coolmore, and a subsequent stallion ad touting the purity of his performances prompted some critical analysis from our publisher.

If there was one subject that ignited readers more than Maximum Security or the federal indictments, it was trainer Bob Baffert. Although he won this year's Kentucky Derby (and Breeders' Cup Classic) with Authentic, Baffert stumbled on the Derby trail when Charlatan tested positive for lidocaine after his win in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Subsequently, Baffert runner Gamine would come up positive for betamethasone in initial post-race testing after the Kentucky Oaks and Merneith would test positive for dextromethorphan after a run at Del Mar in July. Baffert released statements explaining each result and is in the process of appealing the ruling in Arkansas. We took a look at whether having multiple medication violations in so short a time would be likely to compound penalties for the Hall of Fame trainer, and why test results for the split sample from Arkansas seemed to come so slowly.

At the start of 2020, Triple Crown-winning owner Ahmed Zayat became embroiled in an ever-more complicated legal battle stemming from a multi-million-dollar loan he failed to repay to New York firm MGG Investments. A judge appointed a receiver to manage and liquidate the Zayat Stable roster over the course of the 2020 racing season, and MGG eventually received a summary judgment against Zayat Stables in the amount of $24 million. As news spread of the civil case, trainers and other creditors came forward to say the stable owed them money, too. Zayat himself would later declare bankruptcy. The case made lots of documents publicly available that most people never get to see, including contracts for the sales of breeding rights, high-end bloodstock, and appraisals for horses in the Zayat program. We took a look at those documents to better understand how stud deals are made, how horses are appraised, and to sort out the legal process for Zayat's trainers and other industry creditors awaiting payment.

It hasn't all been court documents and COVID-19, though. As always, we aimed to bring you warm and fuzzy stories, too. Our weekly Connections series, authored by Chelsea Hackbarth, tells the story behind a recent winner – often a stakes winner, but sometimes the winner of a bread-and-butter race that meant so much more to a horse's connections. We've brought you monthly perspective from announcer and eventer Jonathan Horowitz in our Thoroughbred Makeover Diaries series as he navigates the highs and lows of retraining an off-track horse while still a novice rider himself.

In an effort to better serve our readers, we've also overhauled the section of our website we call The Paddock to bring you opinion and editorial content from a variety of voices. Mostly, it's dedicated to written commentary but expect to see a return of The Friday Show appearing there soon.

Our goal at the Paulick Report has always been to present you with the most important stories from the racing and equine industries and to shine light on their challenges and their triumphs. We could not do this work without our readers. Thanks to all of you for your support, and best wishes for the new year.

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TVG’s Year In Review Special To Focus On Impact Of COVID-19 On Horse Industry

TVG will premiere a special feature on Saturday afternoon which will focus on the impact COVID-19 had on the global horse racing industry and the united efforts by TVG and the entire industry to continue to bring horse racing to fans. The award-winning network's coverage this weekend will also include two Kentucky Derby prep races – the $150,000 Jerome Stakes from Aqueduct on Friday and the $100,000 Sham Stakes (Grade 3) from Santa Anita on Saturday alongside stakes races from Gulfstream Park.

The 2020 retrospective will air at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. To watch a one-minute preview, click here.

The first Kentucky Derby prep race of the year will be held at Aqueduct on New Year's Day with the $150,000 Jerome Stakes for 3-year-old hopefuls going one mile. Swill, tabbed as the 7-5 morning favorite for trainer Brad Cox, will take on four rivals with jockey Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. The bay son of Munnings was last seen finishing fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. The Jerome Stakes offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby points to the top four finishers.

On Saturday, Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live on site at Santa Anita for a nine-race card featuring two graded stakes races – the $200,000 San Gabriel (G2) and the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3). The Sham Stakes will feature a field of five newly minted 3-year-olds who will be competing for points towards a spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1) including two for trainer Bob Baffert – Medina Spirit and Life is Good. Baffert won this race in 2020 with Authentic who went on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The Sham Stakes (G3) offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby points to the top four finishers.

Gulfstream Park has an eleven-race card featuring five stakes races scheduled for Saturday. The featured tenth event, the $100,000 Mucho Macho Stakes, has drawn a field of ten 3-year-olds including graded stake winner Mutasaabeq for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Luis Saez. Owned by Shadwell Stable, the son of Into Mischief will switch back to dirt after a tenth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

In addition to opening weekend from Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park, TVG will be featuring racing from Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay Downs and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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NTRA Moment Of The Year Voting Now Open

Eleven of the most memorable, significant and reflective events from the last 12 months of Thoroughbred racing are up for the 2020 FanDuel Racing NTRA Moment of the Year, a distinction determined by fan voting and recognized at the Eclipse Awards. Voting is now open on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) website, NTRA.com, and via Twitter, where every retweet or use of the official hashtag for the moments as presented on the @NTRA account will be counted as one vote.

To vote on the NTRA website, go to: https://www.ntra.com/2020-moment-of-the-year/. Votes for the poll must be submitted by Jan. 12 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

The FanDuel Racing-NTRA Moment of the Year will be revealed during a virtual ceremony for the 50th Annual Eclipse Awards on Jan. 28, 2021 hosted from historic Spendthrift Farm in Lexington that will be streamed on multiple platforms and televised on TVG.

The eligible 2020 moments were selected to illustrate the wide range of human emotions and achievements, as well as outstanding displays of athleticism. Events that fans can choose from are listed chronologically as follows, along with the designated hashtag that can be used to vote:

#FonnerWillRogers – Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs shatter respective handle records as they were among the few tracks to continue to operate during the pandemic. With much of racing paused during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fonner Park and Will Rogers had the stage largely to themselves as all of their races were shown on TVG and the two tracks posted record numbers for their meets. (March/April)

#BelmontStrong – The Belmont Stakes is the first major sporting event to come back in the state of New York since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and is captured by New York-bred Tiz the Law. With New York Governor Andrew Cuomo giving the call for Riders Up, Tiz the Law was able to give owners Sackatoga Stable their first win in the Belmont Stakes when he prevailed by 3 ¾ lengths. (June 20)

#AuthenticDerby – With no fans in attendance at Churchill Downs, Authentic defeats favored Tiz the Law in the Kentucky Derby to give Spendthrift Farm its first win in the race under the helm of B. Wayne Hughes. The Kentucky Derby triumph also gave Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez his 200th career Grade 1 victory and trainer Bob Baffert a record-tying sixth win in the classic, and was framed by a celebration from the more than 5,000 owners of My RaceHorse, one of several partners in the ownership of the Derby winner. (Sept. 5)

#RepresentationMatters – Against the backdrop of a nationwide reckoning on racial injustice and ongoing protests in Louisville in the wake of the death of Breonna Taylor, Greg Harbut and Ray Daniels become the first Black owners in 13 years to have a Kentucky Derby starter when Necker Island finishes ninth in the Run for the Roses. Harbut and Daniels were featured on both the NBC broadcast and in major outlets such as CNN and they used their platform to champion for greater diversity throughout Thoroughbred racing. (Sept. 5)

#SwissMiss – Swiss Skydiver becomes just the sixth filly to win the Preakness Stakes when she outduels Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver had previously taken on males in the Blue Grass Stakes, where she finished second, and her Preakness triumph marked her fifth triumph and second G1 victory of 2020. (Oct. 3)

#BreedersCupBrad – Trainer Brad Cox puts a stamp on his outstanding season by winning four Breeders' Cup races during the two-day World Championships at Keeneland, tying the single-event record set by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. Cox saddled Aunt Pearl to victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Essential Quality to the win in the Juvenile, Knicks Go in the Dirt Mile, and champion Monomoy Girl to her second win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. (Nov. 6-7)

#HeresWhitmore – Fan-favorite Whitmore showed his 7-year-old legs were as good as ever when he closed to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint in his fourth try, giving trainer Ron Moquett his first career Breeders' Cup win. Whitmore, who competed in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, first raced in the Breeders' Cup in 2017 and had finished second in the Sprint in 2018. (Nov. 7)

#MileSweep – Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien saddles the top three finishers in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile after previously going 0-for-22 in the race with 73-1 shot Order of Australia delivering the victory. That Mile victory gave O'Brien his 13th career Breeders' Cup win triumph and first victory in the event since 2017. (Nov. 7)

#ReturnOfTheQueen – Monomoy Girl, who missed all of 2019 due to injury and illness, becomes just the fourth horse to win the Breeders' Cup Distaff twice and first since Beholder to win the race in non-consecutive years when she prevailed in 2020. The daughter of Tapizar defeated a field that included Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver in the Distaff to cap off a 4-for-4 comeback campaign in her 5-year-old season. (Nov. 7)

#AuthenticClassic – Authentic wins the Breeders' Cup Classic in track record time to become the leading contender for multiple seasonal championship honors. After giving trainer Bob Baffert his record-tying sixth win in the Kentucky Derby, Authentic provided his Hall of Fame conditioner his fourth Breeders' Cup Classic victory. (Nov. 7)

#GlamourGirl – One day after winning her second Breeders' Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl sells to Spendthrift Farm for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale where it is announced she will remain in training for 2021. Monomoy Girl's final price tied her for second all-time among racing or broodmare prospects sold at public auction in North America. (Nov. 8)

Fans are permitted to vote for multiple moments but there is a limit of one vote per moment for each Twitter account. Subsequent votes from an account will be disqualified. Votes for the poll must be submitted by Jan. 12 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

Past Moments of the Year:
The first-ever “NTRA Moment of the Year” was the touching scene between Charismatic and jockey Chris Antley following the 1999 Belmont Stakes. The next year's winner was the stretch run of the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic, which saw Tiznow hold on for a dramatic victory against Giant's Causeway. Tiznow won again the following year as fans selected his stirring repeat victory in the Classic over Sakhee. In 2002, fans cited the passing of the last living Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. In 2003, the popular Kentucky Derby win by Funny Cide was selected. Birdstone's upset win in the Belmont Stakes over Smarty Jones took down top honors for 2004. In 2005, fans selected Afleet Alex's spectacular victory in the 2005 Preakness Stakes.

Voters in 2006 chose Barbaro's gallant struggle to recover from his Preakness injury while at the New Bolton Center. The 2007 Moment of the Year was a historic victory by the filly Rags to Riches over Curlin in the Belmont Stakes. In 2008, it was Zenyatta's win in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. Zenyatta “repeated” in 2009 as fans selected her triumph in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In 2010, fans selected Blame's narrow Breeders' Cup Classic victory over Zenyatta. Drosselmeyer's hard-fought win over Game on Dude in the Breeders' Cup Classic was the public's choice for 2011. For 2012, the recovery of Paynter from near-deadly battles with laminitis and colitis captured the hearts of voters like no other story. In 2013, fans recognized Mucho Macho Man's nose victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic for his popular connections. The 2014 award went to California Chrome's dominant win in Kentucky Derby 140. In 2015 there was a landslide vote in favor of American Pharoah's historic Triple Crown-clinching Belmont Stakes win. In 2016, California Chrome was again part of the winning moment – a dramatic Dubai World Cup victory that came as Victor Espinoza's saddle slipped out from underneath him.

In 2017, the tragic fire at San Luis Rey and the industry's response led the way among the votes cast while Justify's sweep of the Classics to become just the 13th Triple Crown winner was the clear pick the following year. In 2019, Maximum Security's historic disqualification in the 145th Kentucky Derby – the first winner in Derby history to be demoted for a racing infraction— earned the distinction.

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