Tag: People

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) presented the Racetrack Maintenance Innovation Awards to its first class of award winners at the Racecourse Managers' Conference and Workshop in Las Vegas. The award was created to celebrate the work of racetrack professionals who have day-to-day responsibilities for the maintenance, protection, and safety of horses and riders at tracks across the US.

The 2022 winners distinguished themselves as some of the most innovative racetrack professionals in thoroughbred racing today.

“It's so important to highlight the work of racetrack managers and operators because their work is critical to the success of thoroughbred racing,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “I congratulate this first class of winners and thank each of them for their dedication to the safety and wellbeing of horses and riders.”

The 2022 winners are:

Leif Dickenson – Turf and Landscape Superintendent at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Nominated for his introduction of fibers in turf profiles at Santa Anita Park to improve the sheer strength of sand without the use of alternative fine materials that would impede drainage.

Joe King – posthumously awarded, former New York Racing Association (NYRA) Track Superintendent

Nominated for being the first person in racing to systematically include testing of the racing surfaces on a regular basis and for being a critical asset in designing racetrack surfaces.

Dennis Moore – Superintendent at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Santa Anita Racetrack, and Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Racing

Nominated for his innovative work that led to maintenance and operational innovations for the synthetic racetrack surfaces at Remington Park and Hollywood Park, and for his work to consistently evaluate new technologies including fiber and new maintenance equipment for dirt and synthetic surfaces.

Nominations for the 2023 Racetrack Maintenance Innovation Awards will be open beginning Oct. 1, 2022. For more information, visit NTRA.com.

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Harness racing owner/trainer Adrienne Hall told Harness Racing Update this week that she has voluntarily relinquished her racing license in the state of New Jersey. Hall said she did so after she was unable to come to an agreement with the racing commission about a hearing date.

Hall testified on Jan. 28 in the federal trial of Dr. Seth Fishman (who was later found guilty), admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs on her horses, and subsequently had her membership in the United States Trotting Association revoked.

However, New Jersey's Meadowlands Racetrack owner Jeff Gural issued a press release on Feb. 3 stating that Hall's horses would continue to be allowed to race at his track. Though that is no longer possible now that Hall has turned in her license, Gural hailed Hall's whistleblower status as a positive for the industry as a whole.

“We disagree with the USTA decision, and we applaud Ms. Hall for coming forward,” Gural said. “To penalize those who testify for the prosecution will only serve to further the already existing notion that 'saying something will only lead to problems for yourself.'”

The Department of Justice still plans to bring Hall in to testify during an additional trial, that of Fishman's former assistant, Lisa Gianelli. Gianelli's trial began prior to Fishman's in January, but was declared a mistrial after the defendant's lawyer tested positive for COVID-19.

A new trial date will be set for Gianelli, but Hall said the Department of Justice asked her not to testify before the racing commission prior to the completion of Gianelli's trial.

“With an additional case still open and possibly headed to trial I was asked to refrain from participating in any open hearings that could compromise my future testimony,” Hall told HRU. “This request was relayed to the state racing commissions. Unfortunately, the NJRC have been unwilling to postpone open hearings, despite my assurances I'm not racing or entering horses at the moment. Because of that, I have voluntarily relinquished my license to ensure the integrity of the open federal cases and the wishes of the Southern District of New York. It is a shame that certain state agencies, including those currently failing to abide by their own state requirements, would choose to undermine larger criminal cases.”

Read more at Harness Racing Update.

The post Whistleblower Adrienne Hall Turns In Racing License ‘To Ensure The Integrity Of The Open Federal Cases’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Oshane, 16, from South East London has become the first student from the Riding A Dream Academy to graduate from the British Racing School's Foundation course.

Oshane first learned to ride at Ebony Horse Club in Brixton. Prior to joining the Foundation Course in December last year, Oshane was one of the first students on the Academy's Khadijah Mellah Scholarship program, which seeks to support talented young riders from underrepresented communities.

Oshane, whose dream is to become a jockey, said: “I loved the Scholarship and really enjoyed the Foundation Course but it was a lot of hard work. You get up at 6am to look after the horses and are busy all day. I loved riding all the different horses, particularly the challenging ones and I really liked a horse called The Gay Cavalier – I just liked his way and his intelligence. I went back to London for a few days before starting on my yard placement and London is boring by comparison – usually you would be busy the whole time in Newmarket so I am looking forward to getting started.”

ITV Racing's Oli Bell, who co-founded the Riding A Dream Academy alongside GBR's Naomi Lawson, said: “We are all so proud of what Oshane has achieved and can't wait to follow his career. I first saw him at Ebony Horse Club a few years ago and for him to have grown into the stylish rider he is today and be riding racehorses is so exciting. Oshane is the perfect example of how the Riding A Dream Academy can support young riders into the racing industry and our hope is that he is the first of many young people from the Academy who go onto pursue a career in the sport.”

The Riding A Dream Academy is funded by the Racing Foundation and currently runs two riding-based program – the Khadijah Mellah Scholarship, named after the first Muslim woman to win a British horse race, and a Residential Week which acts as an introduction to the sport. Based at the British Racing School in Newmarket, its aims are to help racing become more diverse and inclusive and to support young people from underrepresented communities, disadvantaged backgrounds and diverse ethnic backgrounds get into racing.

To date, demand for the Academy's program has seen nearly four times as many applications as available spaces, with 60 percent of applicants and 72 percent of the current cohort from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The post First Riding A Dream Academy Student Graduates From British Racing School appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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John Shirreffs scratched a major to-do item from his diminishing bucket list when Express Train won the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

“I just let Victor (Espinoza) ride the race,” the trainer said. “He's ridden him enough and worked him enough; he knows the horse, has a lot of experience and makes good decisions.

“I was surprised (runner-up) Warrant was so tough (losing by a head), but was overjoyed and pleased with the grit Express Train showed.

“It reminded me of Trevor Denman's words, 'The more they asked, the more he gave' when Express Train won [the 2021 San Diego Handicap (G2) last July] at Del Mar.

“The horse is all heart,” he said of the 5-year-old son of Union Rags.

Sunday morning, the 76-year-old Shirreffs was still basking in the victory, not pondering a future race.

“I don't have anything in mind,” he said, understandably flushed with relief, pride and happiness, all relevant emotions. “The race is over, we'll watch him for a few days and then decide.

“There's a lot of pressure going into the race, the high expectations, you're hoping for the best results, but it's a horse race and a lot of things happen, so that always factors into it.

“But after the victory, it's just elation, really, just such a thrill to win the Santa Anita Handicap, one of the most prestigious races in the country.”

Still remaining on his bucket list is election to the Racing Hall of Fame, as Shirreffs is among those eligible for induction this year. Winners will be announced on May 11.

Shirreffs didn't mince words about possibly being honored.

“Oh, my goodness,” he exclaimed. “That's a crowning achievement in a trainer's career. Just to be considered is great.”

But winning, as Shirreffs did in the Big 'Cap, is everything.

The post Shirreffs Savors Express Train’s Big ‘Cap Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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