Tag: People

A hero is a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.  There are heroes all around the horse racing industry and the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) recognizes some of these selfless servants through its White Horse Awards.  Established in 2003, the White Horse Awards recognizes individuals within the horse racing industry for their acts of selflessness and bravery. 

RTCA celebrated their honorees and the ministry's 50th anniversary at the RTCA's Night of Faith, Hope, & Love event on Tuesday evening (Nov. 1).  The first such event of it's kind was held at Keeneland in conjunction with the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The large audience was a blend of horsemen, horsewomen, backstretch workers, and members of the public. Along with a great meal and wonderful music, the keynote speaker Oscar Tshiebwe (National Collegiate Men's Basketball Player of the Year) shared his story of faith. 

The honorees are as follows:

2022 RTCA Community Service Award- Shannon Kelly from the Jockey Club Safety Net was named the Community Service Award winner.  In a video, Chaplains from race tracks across the country thanked Kelly for her dedication to the industry, specifically naming examples of how she was so instrumental in serving the backstretch community during the pandemic.  She was praised for always putting her whole heart and soul into caring for the backstretch community and the sport.  

2022 White Horse Award – The 2022 White Horse Award went to Nery Delcid for bravely preventing a fire from spreading at Churchill Downs. The fire in one of the stalls was maliciously set by someone in the barn during the night and Nery acted quickly by calling 911, dousing the flames and calling security. He alerted the workers who were sleeping in the barn and together they helped control the fire. Thanks to Nery's quick actions, there was no significant damage, and no human or horse was injured. 

More about the Race Track Chaplaincy of America – The overall mission of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA), through its Councils and Chaplains, is to minister to the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and educational needs of those persons involved in all aspects of the horse racing industry.  “Follow” us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Legendary horseman and American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Charles W. “Bubba” Cascio died November 2, 2022.

Cascio was born in Houston in 1932 and was practically raised in the sport of horse racing. His uncle managed Epsom Downs until pari-mutuel wagering became illegal in Texas. The track was kept open as a training track. When he was 10 years old, Bubba was walking horses for trainer Will McKown. By 12, he was galloping them. At 16, he became a jockey. Cascio rode at Fairmont Park in East St. Louis, as well as many other tracks, and even rode American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame mare Garrett's Miss Pawhuska.

“When I got too heavy to ride, I took up cutting horses with trainer Matlock Rose of Gainesville, Texas. We had a lot of success,” Cascio said.

He rode in the final go of the first National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in 1962 and won at more than a dozen major stock shows.

Cascio also judged AQHA shows in Texas, Kansas, Washington and Ohio, but he is most famous for his work on the racetrack.

For more than four decades, Cascio trained American Quarter Horse racing's top money earners, including the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame stallion Dash For Cash and Hall of Fame mare Dashingly.

He won the All American Futurity twice, with Three Oh's in 1968 and American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame stallion Rocket Wrangler in 1970. He trained Justanold Love, Indigo Illusion and sent out the talented filly Will Be Easy to hand the esteemed First Down Dash his only defeat as world champion in 1987.

Operating in an era where the purse money was miniscule compared to today, Cascio saddled horses that earned more than $13.8 million, leaving him in the top 30 all-time leading trainers, even before adjusting that value for inflation, which adjusted to his last full year of training, is equal to more than $22.3 million in today's money.

His achievements include being awarded leading trainer at 10 different racetracks, becoming the first trainer to reach $1 million in race earnings and training horses that won 15 world racing titles.

In 2001, he trained the Texas Thoroughbred Horse of the Year, Lights On Broadway, and went on to train Thoroughbreds that earned more than $4.4 million on the racetrack.

He and his wife, Judy, resided in Tolar, Texas, during his retirement.

Cascio was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2008. He is also in the Texas Cowboy, Texas Horse Racing, Ruidoso Racehorse and National Cutting Horse halls of fame.

“All I ever wanted to do was be with horses,” Bubba said. “I never wanted to be a doctor or lawyer or run a store somewhere. I wanted to be a jockey. When I was a kid, I'd get in the old starting gate with a stick horse and have somebody ring the bell, and I'd come racing outta there.”

Further information will be shared when it becomes available.

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Two jockeys, David Cabrera and Obed Sanchez, were involved in an accident when they were thrown from their horses in the fifth race at Remington Park on Wednesday night. Both horses, Dobbins G and Rockport Kat, respectively, crossed the finish line under their own power, without riders, and were uninjured.

The incident occurred in the turn for home when Dobbins G, Cabrera's mount, appeared to have clipped heels with a horse in front of him. Dobbins G fell, sending Cabrera sprawling to the track and Rockport Kat leaped over him, sending Sanchez high into the air before landing on the track. Rockport Kat managed to keep his feet after jumping a fallen Dobbins G.

Both jockeys were attended to by medical professionals as they lay on the track. Sanchez was transported to a local hospital, according to his agent Travis Church.

“We are at the hospital right now in the trauma center,” Church said of Sanchez around 11pm-Central. “He is awake and talking. Waiting for tests and X-rays.”

Cabrera's agent, Jose Santos, Jr., said his rider was examined in the ambulance and eventually walked back to the jockeys' quarters on his own. Santos added that Cabrera showered and headed to the hospital to get an X-ray “to make sure all is well.”

Santos later Tweeted that Cabrera's x-rays were clean, and that the rider was body sore and headed home to rest.

Live racing at Remington Park continues Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 3-5, with first post of 7:07 p.m. nightly.

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Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, LLC (SSR), a simulcast wagering facility and prospective applicant for a Massachusetts sports wagering license, has appointed Michael Buckley as its new chief operating officer, replacing outgoing COO Chip Tuttle, the company announced Wednesday.

Buckley is a principal at Belmont Capital, LLC, which is one of the three primary owners of SSR. He has been participating in the ownership and management of SSR for the past seven years. Buckley succeeds Tuttle, who resigned his position in October to resume full-time status at CTP, the Boston communications agency where he is a partner. He will continue to be available to consult to SSR for a transitional period.

“On behalf of the SSR ownership, we are pleased to have Mike take on this new role as we work toward implementing sports betting along with our simulcast wagering business,” said Richard Fields, one of Sterling Suffolk's principal owners.

“I'm excited about this opportunity to help lead Sterling Suffolk Racecourse into its next phase as a premier sports wagering company in Massachusetts,” said Buckley.

Tuttle has served as Sterling Suffolk's COO since 2007. Prior to that, he worked as the company's head of marketing and communications from 1992-1997.

“We're sorry to lose Chip after his many years of great service to the company,” said Joe O'Donnell, another of Sterling Suffolk's principal owners. “We're grateful for everything Chip has done to move Sterling Suffolk forward and help set the stage for our successes ahead.”

“I've been affiliated with Sterling Suffolk Racecourse and Suffolk Downs for more than 30 years. It has been a big part of my professional life and I'm very appreciative of the opportunity the ownership gave me and for my time with the company,” said Tuttle. “SSR is well positioned for future success and I look forward to helping Mike in his new role. It is the right time for me to focus more of my attention and resources on my other business interests.”

John Rizzo, SSR's longtime financial consultant and prior Chief Financial Officer who was worked for SSR since 1995, will continue in his role with the company.

In August, Massachusetts legalized sports betting, including both retail and mobile rights for the state's simulcasting facilities.

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