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Michael Costanzo Appointed Racing Secretary At Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park announced Thursday the appointment of Michael Costanzo to racing secretary.

Costanzo, the assistant racing secretary the past year, replaces outgoing secretary Dave Bailey.

“We're delighted with the work Mike has done for more than 10 years at Gulfstream. He's excelled at all positions and he has a great understanding of the industry,” said Mike Lakow, Vice President of Racing at Gulfstream. “His hard work and dedication has earned him this promotion, which is well deserved. We are confident Mike will build on our year-round program.”

Costanzo, a native of Chicago who has worked in the racing office since 2009, had served as stakes coordinator at Gulfstream for five years before becoming assistant racing secretary last year. He served as the editor of the Breeders' Cup Notes Team for five years and also is the former public relations manager at Calder Race Course.

A product of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, Costanzo's first job in the industry was in 2000 as an admission office intern at Arlington Park. He was also the former public address announcer during spring training for the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Abel Cedillo Ready To Defend Bing Crosby Title; ‘Cup Will Keep Flavien Prat Away

Abel Cedillo relocated from the Northern to Southern California racing circuit for the Del Mar summer meeting of 2019 and proved he belonged by winning 25 races and finishing third in the rider standings behind Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke.

Cedillo, a 31-year-old native of Guatemala, then polished his credentials by winning the Bing Crosby Season meeting, edging Van Dyke, 13-12. Cedillo's back, represented by veteran agent Tom Knust, and booked to ride all but one of the 18 races on the opening weekend cards when the meeting commences on Saturday.

“I feel great and I'm happy to be back (for the meeting),” Cedillo said Thursday by telephone. “I came down (to Southern California) to ride good horses and big races and that's what I've been doing, so I'm very happy about everything.”

Cedillo won 30 races at the 2020 summer meeting as Prat edged newcomer Umberto Rispoli, 50-49, for the riding title. But Cedillo had the honor of being chosen by trainer Bob Baffert to ride one of the world's best horses, Maximum Security, when Luis Saez tested positive for COVID-19. And Cedillo came through with victories in the San Diego Handicap and TVG Pacific Classic.

Saez returned as Maximum Security finished second to stablemate Improbable in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on September 26 and will be aboard for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic a week from Saturday. Cedillo will be here, working on that title defense.

Cedillo and Van Dyke were tied going into the final day of the 2019 Bing Crosby meeting. Cedillo won the first race, aboard Wound Tight for trainer Bob Hess, Jr., and the best Van Dyke could do on the day was two close runner-up finishes.

“I didn't come (south) thinking about winning meets, so it was great that it happened,” Cedillo said.

Prat has won the last two summer meet riding championships and three of the last four. But the 28-year-old Frenchman's only fall crown here came in 2017 which was, possibly not coincidentally, when Del Mar hosted the Breeders' Cup.

His chances of prevailing this year look severely compromised from the outset because of conflicts with the Breeders' Cup which starts its two-day run a week from today at Keeneland.

Prat was in Lexington, Ky., this morning planning to work two horses for trainer Simon Callaghan that he'll ride in Cup events: Harvest Moon in the $2 million Distaff and Madone in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf. Harvest Moon won the Torrey Pines Stakes here last summer and Madone the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. Heavy rain in Kentucky resulted in postponement of those works until tomorrow, at which time Prat also will work 2019 TVG Pacific Classic winner Higher Power for trainer John Sadler.

Even if today's works had gone as scheduled, COVID protocols precluded Prat from returning to ride the opening weekend of the Bing Crosby meeting. So he will be replaced on eight scheduled mounts Saturday and remain in Kentucky through the Breeders' Cup the following weekend.

Thus, Prat will miss the first third of the 15-day Crosby season.

Agent Derek Lawson has Prat scheduled to ride seven of the 14 Breeders' Cup races and is working on one more possibility. Prat's best chance would appear to be Eddie Read Stakes winner United for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf.

Rispoli and Juan Hernandez are the other Del Mar-based jockeys with Breeders' Cup calls. They'll ride here over the weekend – Rispoli has 16 scheduled mounts in 18 races and Hernandez 15 – before heading to the Bluegrass State.

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Kentucky Horse Council To Award $3,000 In Scholarships For Spring 2021

Each year, the Kentucky Horse Council offers $3,000 in scholarship funds to students attending a Kentucky college, university or trade school in the pursuit of an equine-associated career. Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2021 semester. Qualified applicants must demonstrate academic success, Kentucky equine industry involvement and community service during the past year. Applicants must be student members of the Kentucky Horse Council.

Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who are currently enrolled or who will be enrolled for the Spring 2021 semester. Applicants must be participating in equine-oriented classes or equine programs that focus on preparing students for careers in the equine industry. If no major or minor is offered, students must be able to demonstrate how they plan to use their area of study within the equine industry.

Some Kentucky schools that offer equine-focused programs include: Asbury University, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College, the Kentucky Equine Management Internship program, Kentucky Horseshoeing School, Midway University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, the North American Racing Academy (part of the Bluegrass Community & Technical College), Northern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University, among others. Examples of courses of studies for which the scholarships are intended include equine science, equine management, equine business, equine-assisted therapy, pre-veterinarian, national farrier training program, equine industry workforce certificate and others.

“The Kentucky Horse Council is grateful for the ability to once again offer scholarships to deserving students attending schools in our state,” said Kentucky Horse Council Executive Director Sarah Coleman. “Education is a key tenet of our mission and we look forward to assisting multiple students as they explore careers in the equine industry.”

Applications for the scholarship will be accepted until Dec. 11, 2021. Scholarship recipients will be announced on Jan. 4, 2021.

To become a student member of the Kentucky Horse Council, visit kentuckyhorse.org/join-us. To download the scholarship application, visit kentuckyhorse.org/KHC-Scholarship

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Hollie Doyle To Get First Breeders’ Cup Mount With Mighty Gurkha In Juvenile Turf Sprint

Hollie Doyle will cap a season of personal landmarks and record-breaking feats with her first ride at the Breeders' Cup.

Doyle is set to partner G3 winner Mighty Gurkha, trained by Archie Watson, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

It will be her first ride in a race in the United States and her first ride outside Europe.

“Arrangements are being made for Hollie to go out to Keeneland,” said Bruce Raymond, who manages Mighty Gurkha for owner Mohammed Rashid. “She knows the horse better than anyone and she has done nothing wrong on him.”

Mighty Gurkha won the Sirenia Stakes in September having previously finished fifth of six when hot favorite for a G3 at Deauville.

“There was a bit of a cock-up in France when the blind didn't come off quickly enough,” Raymond said. “He used to be a bit dodgy in the gate but he won't be at Keeneland where he will have two stall handlers holding him and the gates are a bit larger.

“We know he is quick but whether he is quick by American standards we don't know. We can only be hopeful.”

Doyle, who claimed her first Royal Ascot win this season, rode her first G1 winner on Glen Shiel in the British Champions Sprint before breaking her own record for the most wins in a year by a female jockey in Britain. She has ridden 126 winners.

Former jockey Raymond said: “Hollie is a good jockey and probably the equal of Tom [Marquand], her boyfriend. She doesn't go anything wrong, she is in a good position all the time, she always gets them out of the gates smartly and I don't know why.

“She deserves everything. I don't think of her now as a lady jockey, I just think of her as a good jockey.”

This story was originally published on Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at HorseRacingPlanet.com.

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