Tag: People

It was supposed to be the week that leading jockey Juan Hernandez was to put a wrap on this year's riding title at the Del Mar summer meet. He went into the week with a four-victory lead over his closest rival, Umberto Rispoli, who was out of town all last week representing the U.S. in a World All-Star Jockey event in Japan.

But instead of running up the score and building an insurmountable lead, another talented rider had a strong week and kept Hernandez from riding off and hiding in this year's jockeys race.

Antonio Fresu won 10 races last week, sandwiching back-to-back riding doubles with a pair of riding triples. While Hernandez was winning four races to raise his total to 28, Fresu vaulted into second place and sits just five back of the pacesetter with 23.

“It was an amazing week,” Fresu says. “I wasn't expecting that. I knew I had some live horses last week but not that live. The horses were running really well for me and I am super happy about what I achieved last week.”

Fresu is a veteran jockey with years of racing overseas under his belt. So a run like this one is special, but not new to him.

“Everywhere is different,” Fresu says. “Something like this at another place wouldn't be the same. But with Del Mar, it's a big meet and it's so important to get winners. When you get 10 altogether in four days or 13, if you consider six days, it's an amazing number. For a jockey, especially for me being in the U.S. for only four months and first time at Del Mar, it means a lot.

“Obviously it's because of all of the people around me,” Fresu continues. “They've given me opportunities and a chance and now everything is happening. My agent (Tom Knust) is doing a great job.”

Fresu has taken quite a liking to Del Mar.

“I love it,” Fresu says. “It's a beautiful place and a beautiful course. The lifestyle, apart from racing, is gorgeous. It's very easy and relaxed and I'm really enjoying it. It's a shame it's only a couple of months.”

Fresu plans on staying in Southern California and riding at Santa Anita this fall.

Meanwhile, Rispoli is back in town and will ride this week at Del Mar. He now sits in third place in the jockey standings with 20 wins followed by Hector Berrios at 19 and Ramon Vasquez with 16. Rounding out the Top 10 are Edwin Maldonado (14); Tiago Pereira (11); Kent Desormeaux and Geovanni Franco with eight each and Mike Smith with seven.

The trainer standings have a new name in the top spot. Doug O'Neill has displaced Phil D'Amato atop the leaderboard after compiling seven wins last week, five of them with Fresu in the saddle. O'Neill has 16 wins to D'Amato's 15 and Bob Baffert's 14. Peter Miller's next with 12 followed by Peter Eurton with 11. Rounding out the Top 10 are Richard Mandella, Mark Glatt and Steve Knapp with seven wins apiece and Leonard Powell and Michael McCarthy with six each.

Reddam Racing continues to lead the owners standings with five wins, their lone win last week coming in the G2 Pat O'Brien with Anarchist. Red Baron Barn and Rancho Temescal are tied with the partnership of Michael Bello and Charles Bartlett with four wins each.

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Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) announced Thursday the appointment of Morgan Richardson, Liam O'Rourke, Dan Metzger, and Jesse Ullery to its Board of Directors.

“Many thanks to Lesley Campion, who did a great job of chairing the TCA nominations committee,” said Mike McMahon president of TCA. “We have four great new board members to add to our power packed group of industry professionals. I love this board. These people give horses and the people who care for them so much time and effort. They are all-stars and with talent like this, we will likely reach our goal of distributing $30 million in grants sooner than expected.”

Morgan Richardson is the current Horsemen Relations Manager at Keeneland. A native of Illinois and Michigan, Morgan graduated from the University of Kentucky, with a degree in Equine Management and Science and Hospitality Management and Tourism. Morgan has worked for several equine-focused organizations including Spruce Meadows, Equestrian Events, and New Vocations. In her free time Morgan can be found riding her off track Thoroughbred, Alfayiz.

A native of Canada, Liam O'Rourke was introduced to horse racing at an early age by his grandfather. After earning a degree in finance from Bishop's University in Quebec, Liam went on to complete the world renowned Irish National Stud Course. Upon returning to North America, Liam worked in the racing office at Woodbine before moving into bloodstock work at Adena Springs Canada. In 2016, Liam joined the team at WinStar Farm and in 2020 moved into his current role as Director of Bloodstock.

Dan Metzger is the president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and started his career at Cawood Ledford Productions and later worked at Breeders' Cup Limited for over 10 years. Dan is also a board member of the BloodHorse LLC and president of TOBA Media Properties. Dan and his wife Julie live in Nicholasville, Ky. and are the parents of three children.

Born in Montana and raised in Phoenix, Jesse Ullery was introduced to the sport by his grandfather Burton Farley, a trainer in the Northwest and at Turf Paradise, and by his aunt, longtime racing official Coralee Farley. At 19, he became the Track Announcer at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007 and was named Track Announcer at Will Rogers Downs and Blue Ribbon Downs the following year. He also served as Director of Racing at Fair Meadows and Will Rogers Downs in 2013 – 2016. Since 2018, Jesse has served as Sales Announcer at Fasig-Tipton in addition to his role as Account Executive. Jesse also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Blue Grass Farms Charities.

The four newly elected board members join current board members Lesley Campion (vice president), Marette Farrell, Casi Gaffalione, Torie Gladwell, Marshall Gramm, Lesley Howard (treasurer), Davant Latham (secretary), Brant Laue, Jason Loutsch, Ryan Mahan, Mike McMahon (president), Leah O'Meara and Cathy Shircliff. Gretchen Jackson, Ellen Moelis and Dan Rosenberg are directors emeriti.

Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) was formed in 1990 to raise and distribute funds to charities in the Thoroughbred industry that fund and facilitate the support of Thoroughbreds and the people who care for them. In 2022, TCA granted over $783,000 to 74 charities working within Thoroughbred retraining, rehoming and retirement; backstretch and farm worker services, research and equine-assisted therapy. Over the last 33 years, TCA has granted more than $26 million to more than 200 charities that successfully meet the criteria set forth in its annual grant application. TCA also administers the Horses First Fund, founded by LNJ Foxwoods in 2016, to assist Thoroughbreds in need of emergency aid. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owner and Breeders Association (TOBA). More information can be found at tca.org.

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Ben Perkins, Sr., a fixture as a trainer on the New Jersey Thoroughbred racing circuit since 1958 whose 854 career winners included 1981 Haskell Invitational winner Five Star Flight, has passed away at the age of 89, his family announced Thursday.

Funeral services are pending.

Perkins, Sr. took out his trainer's license in 1958 and trained at Garden State Park, Atlantic City Race Course, the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park before his retirement in 1999. He trained 11 graded stakes winners, with Five Star Flight winning the 1981 Haskell by five lengths over heavily-favored Lord Avie. Conveyor was his other Grade 1 winner, capturing the 1995 Meadowlands Cup.

His horses earned more than $13 million overall.

Monmouth Park honored Perkins, Sr., with the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award, the track's most prestigious honor, in 2007.

He won his first race at Monmouth Park in 1958.

Following his retirement from training he set up and managed several racing partnerships and stables well into his 80s.

Perkins, Sr., is survived by his wife, Geraldine; son Ben Perkins, Jr.; daughter Pinky, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

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The Jockey Club has announced the election of seven new members: Gary Fenton, Eric Gustavson, Bret Jones, Jane Lyon, Michael Mulvihill, David O'Rourke, and Mandy Pope.

Fenton has been the managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing, a racing syndicate based in California, since 2005, and he is on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California and has been chairman since 2021. He began his career as an entertainment attorney for the William Morris Agency and media companies including ATG, Carsey-Werner, and AMC. Fenton grew up in Beverly Hills, California, where he attended races from an early age at Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Santa Anita, including the first Breeders' Cup in 1984.

Gustavson joined Spendthrift in 2006, where he served as marketing director before becoming president and owner. Over the last 17 years he has overseen Spendthrift's growth as it acquired, raced, and launched the stallion career of Into Mischief, North America's reigning four-time Champion General Sire, and the first sire to sire back-to-back Kentucky Derby winners. In recent years, Spendthrift has acquired top stallion prospects, including 2022 Champion Freshman sire Bolt d'Oro, 2023 Juvenile Sire Omaha Beach, Eclipse champions Mitole and Vino Rosso, and home-raced Kentucky Derby winner, Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic.

Jones is the President of Airdrie Stud in Midway, Kentucky. A 2004 graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) and an alumnus of the Irish National Stud Breeding Course, he has been an official member of the Airdrie Stud team since 2006. Jones has served on the Breeders' Cup board of directors since 2011 and was recently named to the board of directors of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. He also sits on the Keeneland Advisory Board as well as the board of trustees for the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Foundation. He formerly served as a commissioner on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from 2016 to 2020.

Lyon is the owner of Summer Wind Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. She and her late husband, Frank Lyon Jr., purchased the farm in 1995, and today Summer Wind encompasses more than 1,000 acres and is home to more than 40 broodmares. The broodmare band has featured the dams of four Horse of the Year honorees, including 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2022 champion Flightline, the son of Tapit and the Indian Charlie mare Feathered who was bred and co-owned by Lyon and crowned the Longines World's Best Racehorse. Lyon also bred 2018 champion juvenile male Game Winner and other Grade 1 winners, including McKinzie, Flagstaff, Moonshine Memories, Mozu Ascot, and Chasing Yesterday.

A longtime supporter of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Institute on Aging in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as wildlife causes, Lyon has nurtured animals all her life. Lyon has written two children's books about rescued racehorses – “Skipingo Home: A Thoroughbred's Second Chance” and “Primerica: A Home for the Brave” – the profits from which have benefited Thoroughbred rescue organizations. She continues to provide a lifelong home for many retired racehorses as well as pensioned broodmares at Summer Wind.

Mulvihill serves as president, Insights and Analytics, for FOX Corporation, and oversees the research, analytics and strategic planning teams across FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment and Tubi. He played a key role in the launch of The New York Racing Association's (NYRA) America's Day at the Races broadcasts on Fox Sports networks and in FOX's acquisition of TV rights to the Belmont Stakes. Mulvihill joined FOX Sports in 1995 as a research analyst. He was promoted to senior vice president in 2011, executive vice president in 2016, and to his current role earlier this year.

O'Rourke was named CEO and president of NYRA in 2019. He joined NYRA as director of Financial Planning in 2008 before becoming vice president for Corporate Development in 2010. In 2013, he was appointed chief revenue officer and senior vice president. O'Rourke has played a signature role in the development and growth of NYRA Bets, NYRA's national ADW platform, and he helped shepherd the expansion of NYRA's flagship television broadcasts, Belmont Park Live and Saratoga Live.

O'Rourke is a member of the NYRA board of directors. He is also a board member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of America, a member of the Saratoga Race Course Local Advisory Board, the Equibase Company management committee, and on the board of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.

Pope purchased a 55-acre farm in 1982 and named it Whisper Hill Farm after one of her favorite show horses, “Blue Whisper.” Over the years, Whisper Hill Farm has grown in size and number with an emphasis on quality as a commercial breeding and racing stable. Pope has acquired some of the top broodmare prospects in the industry, such as Havre De Grace and Songbird, and is realizing returns on that investment through their progeny at the racetrack and sales. Whisper Hill Farm has become one of the premier organizations in the industry with successes at breeding, buying, selling, and racing.

Pope is on the board of directors of Variety Wholesalers Inc., which is a family-owned business of discount stores, and on the board of directors of the John Williams Pope Foundation, which is based in North Carolina and provides grants supporting public policy, education, human services, and the arts including organizations such as the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. She is also on the board of trustees for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

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