Tag: People

Two months ago after trainer Phil Bauer helped Rigney Racing win the Churchill Downs Spring Meet owners' title, he packed up his belongings from his Louisville home and drove to Saratoga with a small string of horses to compete at the marquee summer meeting. In those short two months, Bauer, who privately trains for Richard and Tammy Rigney, reeled off six victories including a dominating 8 ½-length allowance score from Saturday's $275,000 Bourbon Trail Stakes contender Warrior Johny.

“It's been an awesome couple of months,” Bauer said. “The credit first goes to our team and the Rigneys for putting these talented horses in our barn. They deserve it the most.”

Warrior Johny was one of only 13 starters for Bauer and Rigney at Saratoga but the duo made the most of their time over the summer. Rigney Racing netted $341,003 with his starters at Saratoga on top of $614,845 in the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, where he had seven victories from 35 starts.

Prior to Warrior Johny's impressive allowance victory at Saratoga, the gelding stormed home to a 12 ¾-length maiden special weight victory at Churchill Downs.

Warrior Johny is tabbed as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line odds in Saturday's Bourbon Trail Stakes.

“He ran great,” Bauer said of Warrior Johny's allowance victory. “I thought we were sitting a trip and down the backside we were getting pressure so I got worried for a few strides. This is a horse that will get better with age. It shows in his past performances that when he was a 2-year-old we couldn't get him to work (a half-mile) in :50. He just started getting better and better over the winter and is as honest as they come as far as numbers are concerned. We're excited about him moving forward from that effort. You really don't expect efforts like those but we'd take them every time if we could.

“The race two starts ago (when he finished sixth in a first-level allowance contest at Churchill Downs) was my fault. We wheeled him back too quickly from his maiden win. It was a huge credit to the horse to get beat two lengths for it all. He showed a lot of heart coming back on short rest but we gave him the time he needed after that and rewarded us.”

Bauer returned to Churchill Downs in early September to begin his barn's preparation for the September and Fall Meet.

“You've got to hand it to Phil. He's been doing so well – from us going 6-for-13 at Saratoga and the owner's title at Churchill Downs – our team is so great,” Richard Rigney said. “I can't tell you how many times I've been knocked down but I keep getting up. That's what's great to have a partner like Phil. We do this together and we're going to keep doing it together for a long time.”

Jockey Joe Talamo will be aboard Warrior Johny for the first time in the Bourbon Trail. The duo will break from post No. 4.

The Bourbon Trail, won last year by King Fury, is carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 10:42 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 1 3/16-mile event is one of four stakes races on the Downs After Dark card. The race will share the Saturday night spotlight with the $275,000 Dogwood (GIII), $275,000 Harrods Creek and $160,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes. First post is 6 p.m.

Here's the field for the Bourbon Trail from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Maximum Impact (Rafael Bejarano, Lynn Cash, 30-1); Home Brew (Ricardo Santana Jr., Brad Cox, 5-2); Saint Tapit (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher, 9-2); Warrior Johny (Talamo, Bauer, 3-1); War Campaign (Corey Lanerie, Phil Sims, 15-1); Ethereal Road (Mitchell Murrill, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1); Gilded Age (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 7-2); Creative Minister (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 9-2); and Big Blue Line (Martin Garcia, Paul McGee, 20-1).

The Bourbon Trail is one of only four open-company 3-year-old route stakes left in the nation this year. The others are Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (GI), Sunday's $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (GIII), the $250,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 22 and the $150,000 Discovery Stakes on Nov. 27.

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Inc. and the Kentucky Derby.

The post ‘Our Team Is So Great’: Rigney Racing, Phil Bauer On A Roll In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

When an instant saliva test produced a positive result for amphetamines, jockey Sean Levey was immediately suspended by the British Horseracing Authority and not allowed to ride. According to racingpost.com, that test has now been revealed to have been a false positive.

The suspension will have been in effect for nine days total, causing Levey to miss the finale of the Racing League contest in which he was the leading rider and poised to win a £20,000 first prize. Instead, jockey Saffie Osborne was able to make up ground on Levey and take home the bonus.

“Although I am happy to be back riding later this week, it's hard not to feel aggrieved at what has happened to me the last few days,” Levey told racingpost.com.

“Some might say I've been unlucky with the false positive happening just before the Racing League final, but I sincerely hope that there are lessons to be learned from this and that similar things don't happen to jockeys in the future.”

Read more at racingpost.com.

The post ‘It’s Hard Not To Feel Aggrieved’: False Positive On Instant Saliva Test Led To Jockey Suspension appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Reigning Eclipse Award winner Joel Rosario travelled from Kentucky Downs to Churchill Downs winning three stakes races including two graded stakes to earn the title of Jockey of the Week for September 12 through September 18. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Tuesday, Rosario was at Kentucky Downs to ride their make-up card from Sunday when races were cancelled after the first two because of inclement weather. Riding for Eclipse Award trainer Brad Cox, Rosario was aboard Adventuring in the Grade 3 AGS Ladies Marathon. Off as the second choice in the nine horse field, Adventuring took command out of the gate and held on gamely to out finish the favorite, Family Way and win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:08.28 for 1 5/16 miles.

“Perfect trip,” said Rosario. “The filly did all the work. You can see the way she runs that if someone challenges her, she keeps moving forward.”

Wednesday was Closing Day at Kentucky Downs with a 12-race card and Rosario was aboard Reckoning Force in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile. Coming from the back of the pack in the eight-horse field, Reckoning Force swept past most of the field from the outside to win by a neck over Deer District in 1:34.03 for the mile. The win was the first at Kentucky Downs for trainer Joseph O'Brien, the son of legendary Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.

“I was in a good spot the whole time and not too far from the leader and he kept coming with a strong finish,” said Rosario. “He seemed really professional. I took him out and he decided to go and he kept moving forward.”

Moving on to Churchill Downs, Rosario was in the irons for trainer Philip Bauer on Played Hard in the G3 Locust Grove. Rosario and Played Hard sat just off the leader, Crazy Beautiful through comfortable early fractions. Leaving the turn, Rosario asked Played Hard and she responded, kicking away from the field to post a 5 3/4 length win in 1:43.50 for the 1 1/16 miles.

“I just let her settle out of the gate,” said Rosario. “I was confident in her most of the way around there with how well she was traveling. When I asked her to go, she just really responded like I thought she would. This was the first time I've been on her but I saw her form and looked at her previous races. It looked like she was coming into this race in really good form and she showed it.”

Rosario's weekly statistics included seven wins and $1,355,611 in total purses to lead all jockeys in stakes and total purses.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Julien Leparoux who won the G3 Pocahontas, Jose Lezcano with two stakes wins, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and posted 11 wins to lead all riders for the week, and Jaime Rodriguez who won 10 races.

The post Reigning Champion Joel Rosario Voted Jockey Of The Week After Three Stakes Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Thirteen children of full-time horse farm workers are pursuing higher education this year with assistance from the Horse Farm Workers' Educational Assistance Fund. To date, 735 annual scholarships totaling $1,631,623 have been awarded since the Fund's inception in 1996. Scholarships are awarded for education or skill training after high school and are based upon financial need, merit, biographical essays and personal interviews. Grants are also available for full-time horse farm workers in Central Kentucky for equine related courses or training to help them become more knowledgeable and effective while working with Thoroughbred horses.

One current recipient, Jesus Perez, has also distinguished himself as a Pollard Scholar at the University of Kentucky.

SCHOLARS AND SCHOOLS:

Olivia Bryant – U. of Kentucky
Jacob Compton – U. of Kentucky
Tania Godina – BCTC*
Jayden Hamilton – Midway U.
Alexis Laytart – BCTC*
Anna Martinez – Transylvania U.
Flora Martinez – Northern Kentucky U
Karina Meza – U. of Kentucky
Richard Osborn – Bellarmine U.
Jesus Perez – U. of Kentucky
Kathryn Reams – Eastern Kentucky U
Katie Thurman – Bellarmine U.
Reagan Toothaker – Thomas More U.

*Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Farms represented by scholars:

Qualifying parents of scholars are employed full-time by one of the following central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms: Ashview Farm, Betz Thoroughbreds, Godolphin (5), Hermitage, Rose Hill Farm, Spendthrift Farm (2), and Westbrook Stables.

The Fund was founded in 1996 by Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm, Tom Evans of Trackside Farm, and Fred Seitz of Brookdale Farm.

Message from Tom Evans, president: “In pursuit of their dreams, many of our scholars work 20 or more hours per week at one or two jobs while carrying a full course load. Our main goal is to award enough money so that they can focus on their studies and make school their number one priority without incurring a
huge burden of long-term student loan debt. Investing in these young people is also an investment in the industry. Many of our scholars after successfully completing their studies have returned to pursue careers in the Thoroughbred industry. Several have already distinguished themselves (including a director of racing at a major North American track). Many who have chosen careers outside the industry have made their mark as professionals in nursing, education, social work, theology, and business.

“The Fund is run on a volunteer basis and over 95 percent of donor monies flow through to scholarship recipients,” Evans continued. “We are grateful for all contributors who have so generously supported and valued this remarkable group of young scholars. Over the years, we have received significant contributions from the Carl Pollard Foundation, Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Hilary Boone Foundation, KTA, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, Darley and Godolphin, Thoroughbred Charities of America, W.T. Young, William Marquard, Race for Education, Hill 'n' Dale Farm, the Crafty Prospector syndicate, donors in memory of Gus Koch, and many other individual donors.”

According to co-founder, Whiteley: “These scholars and parents are an industry treasure. Farm workers are the backbone of the breeding industry and therefore the foundation of the entire Thoroughbred industry. The parents of these scholars have instilled an incredible work ethic in their children. Year after year, these outstanding young people impress the Board with their ability, motivation, energy, enthusiasm, and accomplishments. In many instances, our scholars are the first in their families to pursue secondary education; and some could not pursue education without our financial assistance.”

Board members include: president Tom Evans of Trackside Farm; vice-president Dan Pride of Godolphin; secretary Judge Wilson of Berea College; treasurer Mary Ryan, educator and horsewoman; Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm; Stu Pollard, educator and filmmaker; and Chet Blackey, DVM. Carl Pollard serves as advisor to the Board. Muffy Stuart coordinates the Fund and provides personal communication, guidance, and support to our scholars throughout the year.

DONATIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

The Fund is a 501(c)3 organization. Tax deductible contributions may be made through the
website www.horsefarmworkerseducationfund.com.
Checks made be sent to:
HFWEAF
2938 Four Pines Drive, Lexington, KY 40502.

Applications are available in March with a July 1 deadline, followed by personal interviews with
the board. Inquiries may be made to 859 269-1719. Additional information and a brief video are
available on the website.

The post Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance Fund Awards 13 Scholarships For 2022-’23 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post