Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association | Horse Racing Free Tips

Caravel Named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Horse Of The Year

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's 42nd Annual Iroquois Awards was held virtually on May 21 to celebrate the champions of 2020.

Leading the way was Caravel, who was named 2020 Horse of the Year.

The daughter of Mizzen Mast won four of five starts last year, going from last to first to win on debut at Penn National, then taking an allowance race at the same track with a front-running trip. Caravel then shipped to Presque Isle Downs to win the Lady Erie Stakes in her black type debut.

She took her only trip out of the state to race when she shipped to Pimlico Race Course for the Hilltop Stakes, where she finished third. Her season wrapped up back at Presque Isle, where she drew off to win the Malvern Rose Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths.

Caravel is owned, trained, and bred in Pennsylvania by Elizabeth Merryman. She is out of the winning Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom

Following is the complete list of 2020 Iroquois Award winners.

2-Year-Old Filly: Plane Drunk
Bred by Triple Threat Stables LLC

Dazzling in a Parx maiden special weight when winning by nearly a dozen lengths, Triple Threat Stables' homebred Plane Drunk captured Penn National's Shamrock Rose Stakes by more than three lengths after a second-place finish in Delaware Park's Small Wonder Stakes.

2-Year-Old Male: Fire's Finale
Bred by Kenwood Racing LLC

A last-to-first run in the Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx capped a busy season in which Jump Start's son Fire's Finale hit the board in three of five starts outside Pennsylvania before heading to Parx and getting back-to-back wins.

3-Year-Old Filly: Caravel
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman

A winner of four of her five starts at three, all by daylight margins, Caravel, a gray filly owned, bred and trained by Lizzie Merryman, accounted for the Lady Erie in her stakes debut and the Malvern Rose, both at Presque Isle Downs, and was stakes-placed on the turf in Pimlico's Hilltop Stakes.

3-Year-Old Male: Dreams Untold
Bred by Patricia L. Chapman

In a sophomore campaign that started with a 14 1/4-length romp in January at Parx, Pat Chapman's Dreams Untold, a homebred son of Smarty Jones, sprinted home in front of four of his eight starts during the year while earning $146,400, the most of any 3-year-old male in 2020.

Older Female: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

The richest PA-Bred runner of the year, Jakarta traveled the country, recording stakes wins at Gulfstream Park in the Powder Break and Claiming Crown Distaff Dash, winning at Kentucky Downs going gate-to-wire, and placing in the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland and Caress Stakes at Saratoga. She earned nearly $250,000 with four wins in nine starts.

Older Male: Wait for It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable

At age five, Wait for It had his best season yet when winning four times and placing twice in eight starts while earning nearly $210,000. The son of Uptowncharlybrown drew off to easy scores in the Storm Cat Stakes at Parx and Hard Spun Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.

Turf Female: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

The PA-Bred champion older female adds the turf title after winning or placing in five of her six turf starts, three of them stakes. The richest PA-Bred runner of the year, Jakarta capped her season with a devastating stretch run to win the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash at Gulfstream. Earlier in the year she set the fractions until caught late when second in Saratoga's Caress Stakes, and blazed through the early running of the G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland before finishing third.

Turf Male: The Critical Way
Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC

In a COVID-19 shortened year The Critical Way went from claimer in January to stakes winner in late summer in six starts. His biggest score came in dominating gate-to-wire fashion in the Marshall Jenney Handicap at Parx. Less than a month later he just missed by a head after setting the early fractions against open company in Monmouth Park's Virgil Buddy Raines Stakes.

Female Sprinter: Jakarta
Bred by Arrowwood Farm Inc.

Jakarta is also female sprinter after a season in which she won or placed in stakes from five furlongs to one mile. Her daylight win in the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash came at five furlongs, and she just missed in the 5 1/2-furlong Caress Stakes at Saratoga. She was only beaten a length by multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy in the 5 1/2-furlong G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland after blazing through opening fractions of :21 and change and :44 and change.

Male Sprinter: The Critical Way
Bred by Blackstone Farm LLC

Six races, all at five or 5 1/2 furlongs, and The Critical Way was either first or second in five of them. The 5-furlong Marshall Jenney Handicap at Parx was his richest race, but he also won going 5 furlongs in allowance company at Tampa Bay and got caught late when second in Monmouth Park's 5 1/2-furlong Virgil Buddy Raines Stakes.

Horse of the Year: Caravel
Bred by Elizabeth M. Merryman

Caravel was exciting in each and every one of her five starts, with her four wins coming by daylight margins. The gray filly owned, bred and trained by Lizzie Merryman won Presque Isle Downs' Lady Erie in her stakes debut and added the Malvern Rose, winning by a combined eight lengths. In her second start she just missed the 18-year-old Penn National course record for five furlongs as she cruised home by more than five lengths.

PA-Preferred Female: Its a Journey
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Szeyller
2020 earnings: $187,260
Won Mrs. Penny Stakes at Parx Racing

PA-Preferred Male: Wait for It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable
2020 earnings: $208,610
Won Storm Cat Stakes at Parx Racing and Hard Spun Stakes at Presque Isle Downs
3rd DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park

Broodmare of the Year: Avani Force
Owned by Vicky Schowe & Beatrice Patterson
Dam of 2020 stakes winner Pink Caddy

Her first five foals of racing age are all winners, including multiple graded stakes winner Call Paul, the El Padrino filly Pink Caddy, a stakes winner at two and three, and 2020 juvenile stakes-placed Maythehorsebwithu, by Bullsbay.

Leading Breeder Award Recipients:

Blackstone Farm LLC
Award Earnings: $171,522

Glenn E. Brok LLC
Award Earnings: $149,268

Leading Breeding Fund Recipient (horse): Wait For It
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable
Award Earnings: $191,540

Leading Total Breeding Fund Recipient: Northview Stallion Station Inc.
Award Earning: $306,970

Leading Stallion: Jump Start
Owned by Northview Stallion Station Inc.
Earnings: $172,796

Leading Overall Breeder of Pennsylvania-Breds: Blackstone Farm LLC
Earnings: $1,676,119

Lifetime Achievement Award: Patricia L. Chapman

Award of Merit: Pastures of Point Lookout

The post Caravel Named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Make Moves To Address Slaughter Pipeline Issues

Continuing to demonstrate its commitment to the health and welfare of thoroughbreds, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) today announced its endorsement of the John Stringer Rainey Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act.

The SAFE Act, named for the late South Carolina philanthropist and former director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, is legislation that would permanently end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in the United States and abroad.

It also amends Title 18 of the U. S. Code by making it illegal to “possess, ship, transport, purchase, sell, deliver, or receive … any horse with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption,” with penalties that include fines and imprisonment.

Introduced in 2019 by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the SAFE Act has also garnered the endorsement of several prominent animal welfare groups. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States are among those supporting its passage.

Other prominent groups that have endorsed the SAFE Act include the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the United States Trotting Association, and the Maryland Horse Council.

“Our bipartisan legislation will help put an end to the cruel and inhumane slaughter of horses while protecting families from toxic horse meat and safeguarding the reputation of the U.S. food industry worldwide,” said Sen. Menendez when the bill was introduced.

In addition to its commitment to the health and safety of Thoroughbreds, aftercare is also a top priority of the PHBA, according to president Greg Newell.

“We are doing everything we can to help place horses who reach the end of their first or second career, whether they have finished racing or breeding,” said Newell. “Our Anti-Slaughter Committee, chaired by Kate Goldenberg, has done a wonderful job addressing what can be done to help our equine athletes.”

PHBA Board member Hank Nothhaft, also a member of the Anti-Slaughter Committee, said that endorsement of the SAFE Act was something the organization wanted to do to be a positive force towards improving the industry. The fact that many unwanted thoroughbred broodmares are found in slaughter pens proved to be a call to action.

“There was unanimous support from the PHBA Board to mitigate the slaughter of broodmares,” said Nothhaft. “Older broodmares, especially, are not attractive candidates for equestrian activities, and thus they are not as easy to rehome as younger horses. This has really pushed us from sitting on the bench towards getting into the fray.”

“The Anti-Slaughter Committee was formed in order to protect our broodmares, stallions, and Pennsylvania-bred racehorses that end up in the slaughter pipeline, or in bad situations,” explained Jennifer Poorman of the PHBA. “What is coming from it is so much more.”

Poorman said that the Committee has a goal to create a broodmare retirement program to address the need of unwanted mares.

“Our hope is to form a non-profit within our organization, to assist our breeders when the time comes when their broodmare can no longer breed,” said Poorman. “We'll be looking to build a network of partner farms willing to assist with retirement from breeding, whether it's a second career or permanent retirement due to physical limitations.

“We're also creating a campaign to educate our breeders about responsible aftercare, along with providing a network of resources for our breeders to turn to at any point they find themselves in need of assistance,” she said.

“No one has been looking out for the broodmares,” said Nothhaft. “There's lots of enthusiasm for this project moving forward.”

Nothhaft said one reason why the SAFE Act hasn't gained traction towards passage since 2019 in Congress is because large agricultural interests fear that anti-slaughter legislation would bring undue attention to their industries, which involve large-scale slaughter of animals for food.

“The SAFE Act is one of three items we are working on,” said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the PHBA. “The others are Pennsylvania-specific anti-slaughter legislation, similar to the SAFE Act, that would make it a misdemeanor for anyone who causes or transports a horse into the slaughter pipeline, as well as a PHBA code of ethics, with sanctions for anyone who is a member or registers horses with our organization and is found to be in violation of the Pennsylvania anti-slaughter measures.”

The PHBA's relationship with legislators in Harrisburg could have a positive impact towards the introduction and passage of a Pennsylvania anti-slaughter bill, said Nothhaft.

The post Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Make Moves To Address Slaughter Pipeline Issues appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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PHBA Focuses on SAFE Act, Aftercare

Edited press release

Continuing to demonstrate its commitment to the health and welfare of Thoroughbreds, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) announced its endorsement of the John Stringer Rainey Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act.

The SAFE Act, named for the late South Carolina philanthropist and former director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), is legislation that would permanently end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in the United States and abroad.

It also amends Title 18 of the U.S. Code by making it illegal to “possess, ship, transport, purchase, sell, deliver, or receive…any horse with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption,” with penalties that include fines and imprisonment.

Introduced in 2019 by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the SAFE Act has also garnered the endorsement of several prominent animal welfare groups. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the United States Trotting Association (USTA), and the Maryland Horse Council (MHC) are among those supporting its passage.

Aftercare is also a top priority of the PHBA, according to president Greg Newell.

PHBA Board member Hank Nothhaft, also a member of the Anti-Slaughter Committee, said that endorsement of the SAFE Act was something the organization wanted to do to be a positive force toward improving the industry. The fact that many unwanted Thoroughbred broodmares are found in slaughter pens proved to be a call to action.

“Our hope is to form a non-profit within our organization, to assist our breeders when the time comes,” said Jennifer Poorman of the PHBA. “We'll be looking to build a network of partner farms willing to assist with retirement from breeding, whether it's a second career or permanent retirement due to physical limitations.

Nothhaft said one reason why the SAFE Act hasn't gained traction toward passage since 2019 in Congress is because large agricultural interests fear that anti-slaughter legislation would bring undue attention to their industries, which involve large-scale slaughter of animals for food.

For additional information, contact Brian Sanfratello at 610-444-1050 or brians@pabred.com.

The post PHBA Focuses on SAFE Act, Aftercare appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Friday Show Presented By PHBA Stallion Seasons Auction: The Optimists Club

For the last three years as the calendar pages turned from December to January, the Paulick Report took the pulse of its readers, asking how they felt about the future health of the Thoroughbred industry: Were they optimistic or pessimistic?

In January 2019, 43% expressed optimism. In January 2020, that number fell to 30%. Currently, 54% of our readers said they are optimistic heading into 2021 – a significant shift in just 12 months.

While this online poll is not a scientific survey, its results are revealing, if not head scratching, considering all that society has been through the last 10 months since the World Health Organization declared that the coronavirus was a pandemic.

In this week's episode of the Friday Show, presented by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's stallion season auction, Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills search for reasons why the “optimists club” may have so many new members. What is there to be optimistic or pessimistic about when it comes to the Thoroughbred industry?

They also discuss the long comeback road by this week's “star of the week,” Grade 3 Tropical Turf winner Ride a Comet.

Watch the Friday Show below.

The post The Friday Show Presented By PHBA Stallion Seasons Auction: The Optimists Club appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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