Tag: People

Hallie Hardy has been named executive director of Horse Country, Inc., replacing Anne Sabatino Hardy who has led the nonprofit since its founding in 2015.

“Horse Country is proud to announce Hallie as its new executive director,” explained Gathan Borden, president of the Horse Country board of directors. “She brings not only a necessary skill set and diverse experience, but also sincere enthusiasm for the organization's mission and the desire to continue the growth of this critical fan development initiative. We are grateful to Anne and the foundation of success she leaves behind for Horse Country. The Board looks forward to working with Hallie and our members to build upon that foundation as the organization steps into this next phase.”

Departing executive director, Sabatino Hardy agreed.

“I have appreciated the opportunity to be a part of this effort and am grateful for the relationships and shared accomplishments – I can't wait to see what's next,” said Hardy. “Hallie brings a unique set of skills and experiences that make her ideal to lead the organization. Having worked for Horse Country member locations she's seen firsthand the impact experiences have on fan development. Her relationships, vision and passion for the mission will inspire the next phase.”

Hallie Hardy, a native of Frankfort, Kentucky and who is unrelated to the former executive director, brings to Horse Country a wealth of experience ranging from tour intern, to client relations and marketing, to nomination sales. Throughout her career, she has focused on broadening her overall knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry and sharpening her long-term desire to market and promote it.

As an undergraduate in the University of Kentucky's Equine Program, she held an internship at WinStar Farm, leading its public and private tours. Following graduation, she joined America's Best Racing (ABR) as one of six brand ambassadors who traveled the country to promote the sport's biggest race days. After ABR, Hardy was accepted to the Irish National Stud Breeding Course and then Godolphin Flying Start.

Since completing Flying Start, Hardy has worked for trainer Graham Motion and again at WinStar Farm. She most recently worked for Godolphin as part of the nomination sales and marketing teams, as well as assisting with several charitable initiatives and Godolphin's tour experience.

“I don't think I can properly convey my excitement for this opportunity,” Hardy said. “It has been a lifelong goal of mine to promote this industry in a significant way—not just as one farm or one racetrack but as a unified industry. I am particularly happy to be promoting one of my home state's signature industries as well. I have been incredibly fortunate on my journey in this industry and am so grateful to those whom I have had the privilege of working with along the way. I look forward to this new responsibility and to working with Horse Country's members as we continue to grow the mission—connecting guests to the horse, land, and its people with experiences that inspire the love of the animal and Kentucky.”

The post Hallie Hardy Named Horse Country’s New Executive Director appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Each week until opening day of the 2022 Woodbine Thoroughbred meet, a familiar name in the sport will be in the spotlight, answering some fun, offbeat questions, giving readers a unique perspective into their personality.

David Moran hails from Templemore, Ireland and started his career in 1999 with trainer Frank Ennis before becoming an apprentice rider for Jim Bolger in 2001. Moran became a full-time jockey in the spring of 2009 and over the next two years made six trips to Woodbine with Carolyn Costigan trainees, garnering wins with Roan Inish in the 2009 Princess Elizabeth Stakes and 2010 Woodbine Oaks. In 2011 Moran and his family moved to Canada and he scored his first win as a Woodbine regular with War Ridge. His first stakes win after the move came on Sept. 8, 2012 in the La Prevoyante Stakes with Nikkis Bold Gelato. Since then, Moran has guided horses to multiple stakes wins, including 12 graded victories.

You can have any racetrack job for a day. Which one do you choose and why?

“That's a tough one. I suppose I'd go with doing the TV commentary. That would be pretty cool. I think that would be a lot of fun. You could set up the races, talk about the horses, who has the best chance, and then make your selections. I don't know if I could keep up with the broadcast crew, but it would be fun to give it a try.”

You get to invite three people over for dinner. Who gets the invites and why?

“The first person I'd go with is Shaquille O'Neal. I think he'd be a lot of fun to hang out with. I've really got into the basketball with my kids, and we're always watching documentaries on either horse racing, basketball or hockey. I love Michael Jordan, but the most fun guy I love watching is Shaq. He makes me laugh all the time, but I love his generosity to the game and to people. He just seems like a fun person. I think if you combined him with [Woodbine trainer] Mike Doyle, that could be a lot of fun. Those two would be great. Who else would I put there to make it a fun night? I'm going to go with Kevin Hart.”

You can play host to a group of racing fans at any racetrack in Ireland. Which one do you choose and why?

“My favorite racetrack in Ireland has always been Leopardstown, but I also like The Curragh. But the Galway Races Summer Festival, it's really something to see. It's probably the most fun racing in Ireland for a week.”

What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?

“Wolf Creek or The Hills Have Eyes. The original one, The Hills Have Eyes, that really got to me. I saw it a long time ago. I watched it that one time and that was it for me. I watched it with my wife [Maria] back before we had kids. I think I was probably more scared than she was.”

You get a backstage pass to any concert. Who do you choose and why?

“That's a tough one. I think I'd go with either Eminem or Garth Brooks. They could be fun. I'd have to really think hard about which one I'd pick. I like all kinds of different music, but those would be the two I'd narrow it down to. It would be cool to talk to them, to hear about how it all started for them and how they became so successful. But I wouldn't sing backup if they offered. It wouldn't turn out well.”

The post Woodbine: Five Furlongs With David Moran appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Apprentice rider Jose Gomez has made a strong impression at the Aqueduct winter meet in his first full year riding. Heading into Sunday's card, the 21-year-old Gomez is seventh in the winter meet jockey standings with 18 victories from 110 mounts, finishing in the money at a 41 percent clip.

Gomez said having Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero, Jr. as his agent gave him confidence to compete with a jockey colony that boasts many of the nation's top riders.

“I've always wanted to ride, but I thought I would just start out at a smaller track. I never imagined I would be in New York right away,” Gomez said. “It was a little nerve racking, but if Angel had enough confidence to take me in and he believed in me, I must be doing pretty well.”

Gomez, born in Michigan, grew up around the racetrack with his father working as an exercise rider and his mother as a groom. He spent much of his childhood moving around from Florida to Kentucky on the racing circuit, but spent most of his time at Penn National. As he got older, he moved to Ocala, Fla., to work for De Meric Stables.

“My parents worked for a lot of different trainers, but I was always around the horses,” Gomez said. “After I graduated school, I went to Ocala to break babies, just learning from the ground up. You're teaching them and they're teaching you.”

Before riding professionally, Gomez also was getting on horses for trainer Kelly Breen at Monmouth Park and Palm Meadows in the winter. A broken arm in January 2021 put Gomez's riding debut on hold, but Breen assisted Gomez in getting back into a routine upon his return.

The Breen-conditioned Top Gun Tommy provided Gomez with his first winner on Oct. 28 at Belmont Park.

“He was putting me on one or two horses every month just so I could get some experience,” Gomez said. “After that, he told me, 'Let's go to New York'. He put me on a horse, won easy.”

But it wasn't until Jan. 6 that Gomez would find the winner's circle once more, piloting Guns Blazing to victory at the Big A for Oscar Barrera, III. So far this year, Gomez has registered 20 total victories.

Gomez said Breen and Cordero, Jr. have both been highly instrumental to his recent success.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Kelly, he's the one that brought me over here. I've just been learning day-by-day,” Gomez said. “Angel has been teaching me a lot. He's putting me on the Equicizer, giving me tips and helping me out. Little by little, we've been picking things up. He's a Hall of Fame rider, and he's won over 7,000 races. He's real smart and sees things in a race that you normally wouldn't see. The rail is a big thing that Angel tells me. He says to save ground, stick to the rail, and it's worked out for us so far.”

Gomez visited the winner's circle twice on Saturday, including a triumph aboard Uno for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, defeating waiver claiming company by 11 1/4 lengths. He also piloted Dark Money to a ground-saving victory for trainer Rudy Rodriguez later on the program.

“That was a great blessing,” Gomez said of winning for the Hall of Fame trainer. “He normally doesn't ride apprentices, but he gave me a chance. I was just surprised he put me on such a nice horse who won so easily. I work horses for Rudy in the morning and I'm grateful to be riding for them.”

Cordero, Jr., who took Gomez's book on the advice of Breen, said he is relishing the opportunity to groom a young rider with plenty of potential.

“A lot of the good jockeys come from the riding school in Puerto Rico, but this kid learned it all in the stable area,” Cordero, Jr. said. “I told him I want to be your agent and your coach, but I also want to be your friend. He's been doing very, very well.

“Kelly Breen came to Belmont last year at the end of the year and asked me to watch him work a horse,” Cordero, Jr. added. “So, I took him and we won a race for Kelly. We talked strategy and got him on the Equicizer. Kelly has been like a father to him. He's very supportive and he's very proud of him.”

Cordero, Jr. said he is particularly impressed with the young rider's ability to hustle a horse out of the gate.

“A lot of bug boys aren't as good about coming of the gate, but he is very good out of the gate,” Cordero, Jr. said. “He's good when he comes from behind and saves ground. Riding horses is like life – if you save money, you'll have money; if you save ground, you'll have horse. This young man is very smart, when he does something wrong, he knows.”

Cordero, Jr. said he would like to take Gomez to Saratoga for the summer meet.

“I took Eric Cancel to Saratoga as a bug boy one year and he did really well,” Cordero, Jr. recalled. “That will open the door for him if he goes to Saratoga. People will ride him when they come back. Wherever he goes, he's going to be a top rider.”

The post With Hall Of Famer Cordero As Mentor, Apprentice Jose Gomez Making Splash At Big A appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Plainsman beat one horse in his first career start. He beat every horse in his last, a gritty neck decision over Thomas Shelby in the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Feb. 12.

The victory in the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses made Plainsman a millionaire and came almost exactly 50 years after his owner, John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, won his first race at Oaklawn. Now among the most celebrated owners in Oaklawn history, Anthony's Shortleaf Stable, boosted by runners like Plainsman, topped the 2021-2022 meet standings in victories (eight) and purse earnings ($919,116) through Saturday.

“Just proud we could get a graded stake for him here,” said two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, who trains Plainsman. “It was big. And this horse, he's a cool horse. We had him before, he left us for a while and he came back. He really, really seems like a horse that's gotten better with age.”

Anthony purchased Plainsman, 7-year-old son of Flatter, for $350,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Plainsman began his racing career with now-retired trainer Will VanMeter and finished ninth in his October 2017 debut at Keeneland.

After breaking his maiden for VanMeter in 2018 at Oaklawn – Plainsman earned a Lasix-free bonus, 10 percent of the first-place share, for winning without the anti-bleeder medication – he ran sixth in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) later in the meeting and captured the $200,000 Discovery Stakes (G3) for Cox in November 2018 at Aqueduct. Plainsman made all three 2019 starts in New York for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and finished seventh in his 2020 debut, a February allowance route at Oaklawn, for McGaughey's son, Reeve, who had just gone out on his own. Plainsman returned to Cox later in 2020.

A physical issue (hind feet) has limited Plainsman to just 28 lifetime starts. Now healthy, he's in the best form of his career with nine consecutive 90-plus Beyer Speed Figure ratings, including a preliminary 99 for his Razorback victory. He paid $5.80 as the 9-5 favorite. Plainsman earned a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory in the $300,000 Ack Ack Handicap (G3) Oct. 2 at Churchill Downs under Joel Rosario, who also rode him in the Razorback. Plainsman entered the Razorback off a troubled third-place finish in the $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) Dec. 4 at Aqueduct. He also received a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Cigar Mile.

John Gasper, Anthony's racing manager, called Plainsman's 7-year-old debut “amazing” because it wasn't certain the nine-time career winner could remain in training roughly a year ago because of feet issues. The Razorback was his fifth career stakes victory and third in a Grade 3 event. He's bankrolled $1,203,207.

“It's like Brad and I were talking after he ran in the Cigar Mile,” Gasper said. “That was the best race, probably, of his life and he got beat. Then the other day, Joel told me after the race, he said: 'This horse wanted to win today.' He just has that kind of fighting instinct in him, I guess.”

Cox said Plainsman, first, second or third in 20 of 28 lifetime starts, could “very well” make his next start in the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles March 19. The Essex is a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 23.

Anthony's first Oaklawn winner (P. F. Mayboy) came Feb. 16, 1972, in a $15,000 claiming event for older horses at 1 mile and 70 yards. The purse for $7,500. Anthony has since campaigned Eclipse Award winners Temperence Hill, Vanlandingham and Prairie Bayou. Temperence Hill and Vanlandingham also are Oaklawn stakes winners.

Born on the Bayou
Major stakes winner Wells Bayou is scheduled to launch his second comeback in Monday's featured eighth race, a stakes-level $101,000 allowance for older horses at 1 mile. Probable post time is 4:39 p.m. (Central).

Trained by Brad Cox, Wells Bayou appeared headed for the 2020 Kentucky Derby following a front-running victory in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) that March at Fair Grounds. Then COVID-19 hit hard, the Kentucky Derby was moved to September, Wells Bayou finished a disappointing fifth in the second division of the rescheduled $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) that May and bone bruising sidelined the son of champion Lookin At Lucky for the remainder of 2020.

Wells Bayou resurfaced with a third-place finish in the $125,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) for older horses in January 2021 at Fair Grounds before illness and a foot issue put his racing schedule on hold. Wells Bayou returned to run a good third in last April's $400,000 Oaklawn Mile but came out of the race with a leg injury that required surgery. Monday's race marks a return to the allowance ranks for the first time since a powerful first-level score at 1 mile in his January 2020 3-year-old debut at Oaklawn.

“We're just hope he runs his race,” co-owner Lance Gasaway said Saturday morning. “More than likely, it's going to take a race to get him back. He's been working good. Look forward to it.”

Before returning to Cox late last year, Gasaway said Wells Bayou was in light training at LaCroix Equine, a rehabilitation breaking/early training facility in Kentucky, following the surgery. Wells Bayou has three published works this year at Oaklawn, including a half-mile move in :47.80 Feb. 15, in advance of his 5-year-old debut.

Despite just eight career starts, Wells Bayou has earned $912,793. He also finished second in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds in February 2020 at Oaklawn.

“Obviously, we want to get him back into graded company, graded stakes races,” Gasaway said. “Hoping to try and make him a millionaire. That's kind of the goal.”

Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older horses includes the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) March 19, $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) April 2 and the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 23.

Wells Bayou is 9-2 on the morning line for Monday's race, which also drew, among others, Grade 3 winner Mo Mosa, millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner C Z Rocket, Grade 2 winner and stablemate Concert Tour and the speedy Mucho, runner-up in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 15 in his last start. Mucho is the 5-2 program favorite. Concert Tour adds blinkers.

On the advice of bloodstock agent Liz Crow (BSW/Crow Bloodstock), Gasaway and his father, Clint, both lifelong southeast Arkansas residents, purchased Wells Bayou for $105,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-year-old in training sale. Crow brokered a deal before the Louisiana Derby to bring in BSW/Crow clients Sol Kumin (Madaket Stables) and Marc Lore (Wonder Stables) as partners.

Clint Gasaway named Wells Bayou after a small community about 70 miles southeast of Little Rock, Ark.

The Gasaways also are scheduled to send out first-time starter Coach Happy, a 3-year-old son of champion Runhappy, in Monday's seventh race, a maiden special weights sprint. Lance Gasaway named Coach Happy after the late Star City (Ark.) High School football coach Happy Grayson. Gasaway graduated from Star City and worked an assistant coach there in the late 1990s under Grayson. Cox trains Coach Happy, a $165,000 OBS April 2-year-old in training purchase.

Finish Lines
David Cabrera rode four winners Saturday, taking the third race aboard Lord M ($7) for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, fourth race aboard River Echo ($9.80) for trainer Karl Broberg, seventh race aboard Novel Squall ($14.20) for trainer John Ortiz and the eighth race aboard Trident Hit ($9.40) for Moquett. … Trident Hit represented the 13^th victory at the meeting and 290^th overall at Oaklawn for Moquett. … Francisco Arrieta rode two winners Saturday. Arrieta won the fifth race aboard favored Royal Daaher ($6.80) for trainer Jimmy DiVito and the sixth race aboard favored Eastside Cool ($5.20) for trainer Scott Becker. Royal Daaher ran the fastest 6 furlongs of the 2021-2022 meeting (1:09.23) in the 1 ¼-length allowance victory. … Heavily favored Happy Soul ($4) became the first Oaklawn stakes winner sired by sprint champion Runhappy with a three-length victory in Saturday's $150,000 Dixie Belle for 3-year-old filly sprinters. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, Happy Soul's regular rider, was aboard for trainer Wesley Ward, who said in a telephone interview following the race that she will return Tuesday to her Keeneland base. Ward said he was using the Dixie Belle, Happy Soul's first start since June, as a prep for Keeneland's $600,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) April 8 or its $400,000 Beaumont Stakes (G3) April 10. The Ashland, a major Kentucky Oaks prep, is 1 1/16 miles. The Beaumont is about 7 furlongs on the main track. Happy Soul has never raced around two turns. The Dixie Belle gave Ward an Oaklawn stakes victory for the third consecutive year after Kimari captured the $100,000 Purple Martin for 3-year-old filly sprinters in 2020 and the $200,000 Spring Fever for older female sprinters last February. Happy Soul's winning time in the Dixie Belle was 1:10.44. The track was fast.

The post 50 Years After First Oaklawn Winner, John Ed Anthony Sitting Atop Owner Standings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post