People | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘You Have To Be Ready When You Get Here’: Jane Cibelli Off To A Fast Start At Monmouth Park

Jane Cibelli knows exactly what it takes to win a training title at Monmouth Park, having accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2012. But that knowledge, says the veteran conditioner, isn't much of an advantage if the racing fates don't send a little good fortune your way over the course of the meet.

Cibelli, who has a full barn of 50 horses stabled on the Monmouth Park backstretch, has already given a hint she will be a factor in the trainers' race, sending out three winners on the opening weekend of racing to top the standings. Nine different trainers won two races over the three-day opening weekend.

So that begs the question: Can she win another title?

Possibly, she said.

Will she? That's a complicated question that depends on a variety of factors.

“Everything has to go your way,” said Cibelli, who has horses entered in three of the six races when Monmouth Park resumes racing with a Friday twilight card that starts at 5 p.m. “Races you are pointing to have to go when your horses are ready. That's probably the hardest part of the business right now because it's difficult keeping horses at their peak and ready. We were very fortunate both years we won the title that the races we pointed for went. We also claimed a lot more horses those two years.

“I think you'll find at most racetracks – with the exception of guys like Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, who just have so many horses – that the leading trainer does a lot of claiming. It's a different game. I'm looking to develop more horses for the long term now. I enjoy that more.”

After clicking with 14 winners from 66 starts at Monmouth Park a year ago, Cibelli followed that with a solid winter in Florida, winning 24 races from 109 starters at Gulfstream.

So she returned to New Jersey with momentum, which was reflected in the first weekend, with two of her three Monmouth winners so far coming in maiden races. She also has a dozen 2-year-olds and expects to add to that total during the summer. That's generally not conducive to a training title campaign.

“I don't ever go into a meet thinking about being the leading trainer,” said Cibelli, who went out on her own in 1987, when female trainers were still a rarity. “I'm not going to jam in a horse for $10,000 that is worth $30,000 just to win a race to help me be the leading trainer, because you don't get any extra money for being leading trainer.

“It's an honor, obviously, and a notable achievement but at the end of the day you're trying to run a business and trying to get the best you can out of your horses. So if it happens, it happens.”

Monmouth Park's condensed meet, and the later start to it due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have also changed the dynamics of the summer for trainers.

“You can't use this meet to get ready,” said Cibelli. “You have to be ready when you get here.”

In a typical year, few if any of Cibelli's 2-year-olds would come into the Monmouth meet with a start. But by staying in Florida until the Monmouth Park backstretch opened on June 1 she was able to unveil some of her “babies.”

“I've had three 2-year-olds out already, which is unheard of for me,” she said. “Normally I don't get 2-year-olds out until the middle or end of summer. That's huge. I'm very happy with that.”

One in particular, a filly named Flight to Shanghai, showed plenty of promise in her debut, finishing second in a Maiden Special Weight race at Gulfstream Park on June 19.

“I very rarely win with first-time starters. It's by design. I don't turn the screws on them too early,” she said. “But she ran second and she ran huge. She looks like she will be a good one.

“My approach with 2-year-olds is `if they're ready, they're ready.' They don't have to set the world on fire at 2 for me. I like to keep them around at three and four and beyond. It's just how I do things. I'm old school.”

It's a formula that has served her well. Whether it results in another title this summer remains to be seen.

“Both years I won the title I didn't set out to win it,” she said. “It just happened. So you never know.”

The post ‘You Have To Be Ready When You Get Here’: Jane Cibelli Off To A Fast Start At Monmouth Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Marsha Hudgins Appointed To Virginia Racing Commission

Marsha Hudgins, owner and CEO of Hudgins Contracting Corporation, has been appointed newest Commissioner of the five person Virginia Racing Commission (VRC), joining Chairman D.G. Van Clief Jr., Vice-Chairman Stuart Siegel, J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr., and Stephanie Nixon.

The VRC's mission is to promote, sustain, grow and control a native horse racing industry with pari-mutuel wagering by prescribing regulations and conditions that command and promote excellence and complete honesty and integrity in racing and wagering.

Hudgins originally questioned whether she had the qualifications necessary to serve on the Commission board. She has been a longtime owner and breeder of sport horses like hunters and jumpers but had not been involved in horse racing per se.

“I didn't feel I was qualified and didn't think I could be of any benefit to the industry,” she said. “I thought there were plenty of others who had longer and stronger backgrounds in the sport who could bring lots more to the table.”

After initially declining consideration, she began having conversations with people in the industry.

“I still had doubts but knew upcoming years would be pivotal for racing in Virginia with historical racing, OTBs, the return of Colonial Downs and casinos. I started thinking that someone who is behind the industry, has business experience elsewhere and understands how business can impact the state should have their voice heard.”

Hudgins ended up throwing her hat in the ring, was appointed by the Governor on May 19 and attended her first VRC meeting as a Commissioner on June 25.

Her horse farm is in Suffolk and she has attended many equine shows and competitions over the years in Middleburg, Charlottesville and The Plains among others. In addition to the Hampton based business she runs — her late husband Lester started the contracting company 40 years ago — Hudgins went to college for Physical Therapy and has more than a passive understanding of injuries, treatments and more in-depth knowledge of medications and breakdowns. She has practiced for 35 years.

She also earned a Masters of Business Administration from Old Dominion University. She has spent almost thirty years consulting with small business start-ups as well as large corporate entities across the region in targeting and managing growth opportunities. The degrees and experience came in handy, especially when her husband passed away somewhat unexpectedly in 2011 from cancer at the age of 69.

“He ran a general contracting business when I met him in the early '80's and he pretty much built buildings,” she said. “I love business though. I'd give him occasional advice on the business and he'd usually just give me a look or roll his eyes. Then one day, he said some of the things I suggested were actually right,” she chuckled. “The joke in our family was that he was the businessman, but I had the MBA.”

Hudgins said her husband did not make any plans for later in life and thought he would keep the business going until he died. When he was sick, he told her she would have to take over the company.

“I said, 'excuse me, say that again'. He said it was important for him, but especially for all the employees that had been with him for 15, even 20 years,” she said. “At that time, the local economy was still depressed and it was a struggle. He was concerned about the older employees that were in their 50's. It was recession time still and companies weren't hiring. He was fearful that if the company didn't continue, they would struggle finding a job elsewhere due to their age and as he said, 'be put out to pasture'.”

“It hit home hard and it happened so fast,” she continued. “I was responsible for the financial health of the business, the ups and downs, and for all the people.” Initially, she thought about selling. “The employee that was running the business on an interim basis was interested in buying it but he and I had a different viewpoint on what the company culture should be and how people should be treated. He ended up resigning and at that point, I made up my mind to take over.”

Hudgins wasn't an engineer and admitted she was never going to know what her work force knew, but made up her mind to learn about the construction field and all the projects her firm was involved in.

“I knew the key was to get the best employees I could find based on my vision of teamwork, and not the top down management structure. I found people in the industry that I knew would be a good fit. I had to almost become a cheerleader to get good people to come on board and take chance with us. We slowly and steadily evolved with these new folks, and employees that had been there for a while, though a lot of hard work. It was a journey but it was very rewarding. I was able to treat my older employees as if nothing had even disturbed the flow of their work. I got to see them retire when they planned to retire and attend their going away parties. And I've seen young people in their 30's come in and seen their enthusiasm take the company to where it is today.”

Last summer, Hudgins had her first experience as a thoroughbred race horse owner, in a sense. She was part of the Virginia Racing Club, a collaboration of 30-40 fans from all over the state, who each invested a modest fee to own a share of two horses that raced at Colonial Downs last summer. Ferris Allen trained them both — Speed App and Fly E Dubai.

On opening day's card — the first one held at New Kent since 2013 — Speed App raced, and won. “There's a saying in sport horses that if your foal is a winner and you strike gold with it, get out while you can,” joked Hudgins. “You can't understand how rare that is and how hard it is to replicate. The experience wasn't about the money so much as it was a chance to go to the races with like minded people and cheer for your horse. The cost was reasonable to get in and it was a wonderful opportunity. And shock of all shocks is that we made a little money in addition to the entertainment.”

At her first Racing Commission meeting last month, Hudgins witnessed firsthand how industry stake holders can band together. She came away impressed. “In my business, problem solving is the biggest thing you can to do to have a view of the future. You need to work in a collaborative way with other groups to have a common goal in which we all share. That's what I saw at the meeting. Groups with different goals coming together to figure out a way how Virginia is going to move forward. I was amazed. It bodes well for the future of our industry.”

“I see horse racing as a driving economic force in Virginia because it is our heritage,” she continued. It goes back to the very beginning here. I don't think there's anything more beautiful than a thoroughbred horse. Anybody that has an interest and love for the sport can get involved. Racing is like my business. We have people in the field that work with heavy machinery and lay piping, are very good at what they do and earn a good living. It didn't take a college degree. It's the same in racing. You need education of a different sort. You need to love working outside and with animals. We have an entire industry that doesn't go into office buildings.”

The post Marsha Hudgins Appointed To Virginia Racing Commission appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Gallop And Graze’: Keeneland Leads Blue Grass Farms Charities’ Gift Matching Campaign

Beginning in July, Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) will launch its inaugural matching gift campaign, “Gallop and Graze,” to further the mission of the charity.

Founded in 2003, Blue Grass Farm Charities' purpose is to provide health and human services to those working in the Thoroughbred racing community. With a commitment to this mission, BGFC is proud to announce Gallop and Graze, a matching campaign to provide continued services and assistance to our vital backstretch and farm community.

We are thrilled to announce that Keeneland has kicked off this campaign with a $20,000 gift and that the Mary K. Oxley Foundation has stepped forward with a $10,000 gift. With a goal of $200,000 to be reached by the close of 2020, BGFC is requesting individuals and businesses who benefit from the horse industry to consider making a $10,000 contribution to help meet this goal.

On behalf of Blue Grass Farm Charities, Keeneland and the other partners who have joined this campaign, we are grateful for your support of the racing industry and the mission of BGFC.

“Our partnership with Keeneland has strengthened considerably during the Nourish the Backstretch program,” said Julie Berry, BGFC Executive Director. “Both entities see a great need for assistance to support the horsemen and their families. Besides food insecurity, other benevolent services such as housing and medical assistance, are needed. The Nourish the Backstretch program has ended, but we are still dealing with a pandemic and the financial burden brought on by it.”

Blue Grass Farms Charities has been selected as Keeneland's industry charity during its Summer Meet scheduled July 8-12. Please consider making a monetary contribution by clicking the Donate button at www.bgfcky.org.

“Keeneland is proud of our partnership with Blue Grass Farms Charities and the needs we are able to address, first through Nourish the Backstretch and now Gallop and Graze,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “Backstretch and farm employees are racing's front-line heroes and we are grateful for their commitment to show up every day to care for the horses. In appreciation for their hard work and dedication, the horse industry must do all we can to support and provide for this community.”

We hope we can count on you to support this community when it is needed most. Building this strong foundation will bring more security and assistance to the essential worker who is caring for the Thoroughbred during this time and will be for years to come.

The post ‘Gallop And Graze’: Keeneland Leads Blue Grass Farms Charities’ Gift Matching Campaign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Legacy Equine Academy’s Ronald Mack Working To Increase Diversity, Inclusion In Thoroughbred Racing

Earlier this year in an effort to take meaningful strides toward increasing diversity and inclusion in Thoroughbred racing, the NTRA began working with the Legacy Equine Academy to create a scholarship through the University of Kentucky that would support students of color who show an interest in a career within the equine industry.

The Legacy Equine Academy, which encourages students in grades 6 – 12 to attend college and pursue equine, agriculture, natural resources, and environmental science degrees, is the brainchild of Ronald Mack. Mack recently shared with the NTRA his inspiration behind the Legacy Equine Academy and some of the long-term hopes he has for the program.

Q: What was the impetus behind your decision to found the Legacy Equine Academy?

A: “As a kid, I literally grew up on the grounds of the old Kentucky Association in the Eastend of Lexington, KY. The street I lived on (Aspendale Drive) was an oval. We were aware that our street was an old horse racing track. However, we had no idea that when we played in the field out back, we were playing on the infield of a historically famous racecourse.

“A few years ago, I read a book titled Perfect Timing to my son Stoney. The book is about the life of Isaac Murphy. Many consider Murphy, a Black horseman, the greatest jockey of all time. Inspired by Murphy's story, I began to research Thoroughbred racing in the late 1800s and early 1900s era. The names, stories and accomplishments of hundreds of Black horsemen in and around Lexington, KY may be lost but there is little doubt of their significance to Thoroughbred racing. Through my research, it was obvious to me that the Thoroughbred industry, and indeed, the wealth and success found today would not exist without the Black horsemen's hard work and expertise! These Trailblazers overcame adversity and found great success, which quickly vanished from memory in the early 20th century.

“Much of that history happened where I played as a kid. I wanted to establish a grand event (The Legacy Ball) to pay homage to those Thoroughbred legends. I also founded The Legacy Equine Academy, Inc. to connect African American and other racially diverse youth to their heritage of the Black horseman.”

Q: A major objective of the Legacy program is to encourage and expose students in grades 6-12 to the equine and agricultural industries. What can the Thoroughbred industry do specifically to help advance that objective?

A: “We encourage the Thoroughbred industry to support our efforts! Both financially and by providing resources and industry related activities, such as apprenticeships, job shadowing, tours, etc., to help potential future industry leaders. We welcome opportunities for our LEA students to discover firsthand how equine and agriculture technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development, and teamwork. In turn, LEA provides a 'pipeline' of qualified and certified student leaders for career employment opportunities in the Thoroughbred and Agriculture industries.”

Q: So much of the Thoroughbred industry is rooted in the contributions of the African-American community and people of color. How can the racing community better amplify those voices?

A: “Reaching out and supporting an organization like LEA is an example of how the industry can solidify their commitment of exposing two of the world's most prominent industries to a new audience and a new generation. As an industry partner, LEA fosters a commitment to young people that promotes the Equine and Agriculture industries and career related opportunities it offers. These industries take a special kind of skill, passion and patience. As a community partner, the racing establishment could begin to set a standard throughout the world by exemplifying the importance of greater professional workforce racial diversity.”

Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work with the students in the Legacy program?

A: “To experience the moment when a young person has a 'discovery' of new ideas and opportunities as a result of our program makes it worth the hard work, commitment and dedication to the LEA mission. As I mentioned before, bridging the rich heritage of the Black Horsemen to today's standards in the industries they help build, has been a mission that, hopefully, will become my 'Legacy'.”

The post Legacy Equine Academy’s Ronald Mack Working To Increase Diversity, Inclusion In Thoroughbred Racing appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post