Tag: People

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation announces that it will host a charity fundraising dinner honoring Thoroughbred owner and breeder John C. Harris.  The event will take place on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, in Rancho Santa Fe, Calilf., located just a few miles east of Del Mar racetrack.

“We're delighted to honor John, not only for the accomplishments of his Harris Farms horse division, one of the country's leading racing stables and utmost influential owner/breeder operations, for which he has been inducted into the California Racing Hall of Fame,” said Jenine Sahadi, Foundation president. “We also acknowledge him for his many years of distinguished service to this industry as a California Horse Racing Board commissioner, board member of the Breeders' Cup, Jockey Club, and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.”

This dinner will mark 23 years of fundraising events for the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. Among the Gregson Foundation's past dinner honorees are trainers Richard Mandella, John Gosden, Bob Baffert, Jerry Hollendorfer and Art Sherman, in addition to such industry leaders as Ann and Jerry Moss, Mace and Samantha Siegel, and Joe and Barbara Harper. The Foundation has also saluted legendary jockeys Eddie Delahoussaye and Laffit Pincay Jr., Mike Smith and Gary Stevens, and Victor Espinoza.

Proceeds of the event will be used for continued sponsorship of various educational and recreational programs to benefit California's worthy backstretch workers and family members.  These programs include provision of scholarship grants, English as a Second Language courses, community-focused family social events, sports and recreation activities and outings, and much more, for the workers in both Northern and Southern California.

The post Gregson Foundation To Honor John Harris At Annual Dinner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After initially saying he was uninjured following a spill he was involved in on Sunday at Monmouth Park – and even riding two races later – jockey Jorge Luis Gonzalez revealed today that he suffered a stable fracture of his L3 vertebrae from the incident that could sideline him four to six weeks.

Gonzalez went for tests at Monmouth Medical Center late Sunday night after feeling discomfort.

“I'm in a lot of pain now,” he said.

In addition, jockey Samy Camacho, also involved in the spill, will undergo further evaluation today in Florida to learn the extent of a right shoulder injury he suffered during the mishap, according to his agent Mike Moran.

Camacho, second in the rider standings at Monmouth Park with 29 wins, flew to Tampa Sunday night. Camacho lives in the Tampa area.

“His shoulder is sore, but the X-rays (taken Sunday at Monmouth Medical Center) did not show anything broken,” said Moran. “It could be dislocated, we're not sure. But the initial X-rays did not show a break.”

Camacho hit the turf in the fourth race when his mount, Bingo's Girl, could not avoid a fallen Momma's Kim and jockey Jorge Gonzalez. Momma's Kim went down after clipping heels with Gold Alliance, who drifted out at the three-eighths mark of the five-furlong grass event for 2-year-old fillies.

Because of the uncertainty over the extent of the injury, Moran did not yet have a timetable for Camacho's return. The 35-year-old from Caracas, Venezuela, has been riding first call for Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown at Monmouth Park, having won with eight of 14 starters for those connections at the meet.

“He will be off at least a week, maybe a couple of weeks,” said Moran. “We should know more after he sees the doctor today. He wants to be 100 percent when he does come back.”

Gonzalez, who has five wins from 42 starts at the Monmouth meet, said he has scheduled a follow-up with an orthopedist.

He said he initially did not think he had suffered any injuries in the spill and even rode Bayou Shack to a second-place finish two races later.

The post Further Testing Reveals Jorge Gonzalez Suffered Vertebral Fracture In Monmouth Spill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It took a few moments for trainer Jason Cook to fully believe he had just won his first graded stakes Saturday when Three Technique shipped to Belmont Park to capture John A. Nerud (G2) by 3 3/4 lengths, but by Sunday morning the veteran horseman said it all became reality.

Owned by David Miller, Eric Grindley, and John Werner, Three Technique rated off the pace and saved ground around the far turn under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano before tipping out in the clear past the quarter pole to draw off to a commanding victory and make the grade while earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I had 87 texts within 5-to-8 minutes, but it probably took a few hours for it to really soak in,” said Cook, who turns 50 on July 6. “I appreciate it more because it's well-earned and it's a satisfying feeling. It means more to me for the people that I'm with than actually doing it. I had some people that were with me yesterday that were at work last week and then in the winner's circle for a Grade 2 at Belmont. It means a lot to me for the people that I bring with me and the people I train for.”

Three Technique entered the seven-furlong John A. Nerud from a one-turn mile triumph in a Churchill Downs allowance optional claimer on May 27, where he defeated highly regarded Kupuna by a head.

Cook won a 27-way shake when he claimed Three Technique in November 2021 for $40,000. The 6-year-old Mr Speaker dark bay has proven to be an astute acquisition, winning last year's restricted Knicks Go on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs at 36-1 odds. He also finished a close second to Cody's Wish in the Hanshin last July at Churchill Downs before a third place finish in the Grade 3 Ack Ack in September at Churchill.

Prior to joining Cook's stable, he raced for New York-based conditioner Jeremiah Englehart and retired NFL Head Coach Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm. He finished third in the 2021 John A. Nerud behind millionaires Mind Control and Firenze Fire for his previous connections.

Cook mentioned this year's one-turn mile Ack Ack as a long-term objective for Three Technique and did not rule out a start at Saratoga Race Course before then. Three Technique broke his maiden at the Spa during his juvenile season.

“I know he loves this racetrack [Belmont Park] so I knew this would be a good spot,” Cook said. “I don't think he likes Saratoga as much as he does Belmont, but I wouldn't rule anything out. He's running really well and how he does after this race and how he comes back from this will determine where we run him. I need a race in between this and the Ack Ack.”

A lifelong horseman, Cook is the son of the late jockey Lois “L.C.” Cook, who captured the 1957 Kentucky Oaks with Lori-El. He said Saturday's victory was a sentimental one.

“I've trained horses for David for about 25 years and my father galloped horses for [John] Werner's grandfather, who used to train horses,” Cook said. “It is absolutely wonderful for me to have pictures at my house of David's kids when they're five, six years old and then to have pictures of David's grandkids there. It's as cool as it can be.”

Cook recalled Three Technique's Knicks Go win on Derby Day last year, saying it was a special moment for everyone involved.

“This horse has given us thrills a couple of times. To win on Derby Day with all our families there was so cool. It was almost surreal,” Cook said. “Looking back, I think, 'Could it really get any better than that?' It got so wild that day when the horse won. All the families were up in the Gold Room out on the balcony. It got so wild when he won that the TV fell off. Nobody knocked it down, it was just from the vibrations of people jumping up and down.”

Cook, who learned the game from the ground up, said he appreciates all the horsemen that helped him along the way.

“I learned a lot from a lot of different people,” Cook said. “I always had a summer job from the time I was 15 and during spring break I would rub horses. I can remember a time when I was about 15, I helped out [trainer] Steve Penrod during spring break. Coming back from break everyone was talking about what they did and I said, 'Steve gave me a check for $325. I'm rich, y'all are broke!'”

The post Trainer Cook Savoring First Career Graded Stakes Victory With Nerud Winner Three Technique appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Richard J. Meyer, a Thoroughbred owner and advocate for horsemen and backstretch workers in Maryland, passed away at Anne Arundel Medical Center June 20 after a brief illness. He was 81.

Meyer, who was raised in St. Louis, Mo., where he played soccer, basketball and football as a student, graduated from St. Louis University in 1963 and then moved to Maryland to work for the federal National Security Agency as a mathematician. His technical and management skills led him to the top echelons of the NSA.

Meyer, who accepted a leadership role, received the NSA Exceptional Civilian Service Award. After 30 years of service, he retired from the agency to work for Raytheon, a defense contractor. Five years later, he returned to the NSA for a few more years before going to work for Federal Data Systems, a position he held until his death.

A fan of Thoroughbred racing, Meyer in 1984 partnered with his first group of associates to purchase three racehorses. He discovered a new passion in researching bloodlines to aid in the purchase of horses at auction. He created a partnership called M. O. M. Stables, with Josephine Owens and then Timothy Keefe as his trainers.

“Richard was not only a friend I trained for, but a business partner,” Keefe said. “We owned horses together for many years, and he was a wonderful friend and a father figure. As far as the racing business, he let me know I could do what I needed to do. It was always about being in the best interest of the horse, be it racing them or deciding when to retire a horse.

“He loved pedigrees and nicks. We would go to sales and he would let me select horses but would always want me to look for a certain pedigree. He was also a breeder but on a small scale; we had two 3-year-olds that we bred (in partnership) and a couple of other horses. He enjoyed it.”

Meyer was a member of the MTHA Board of Directors and served as President before Keefe was elected in 2014. He was a force in establishing the MTHA Backstretch Pension Plan, which currently contributes $1 million a year to support those who work with horses on a daily basis, and facilitated on-site health fairs for the backstretch community.

Meyer also served as President of the Maryland Horsemen's Assistance Foundation, which provides financial assistance to those in need.

“Richard did most of his work on the benevolence side,” Keefe said. “He was very much involved in that. Not many people know about his influence in that regard. He would serve meals at the backstretch kitchen on Thanksgiving, and he would regularly watch his horses race from the backstretch. He loved that part of the business.”

Meyer is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Meyer; son Douglas Meyer; daughter Karen Schemmel; son-in-law Michael Schemmel; grandchildren Gregory Meyer, Abigail Schemmel, and William Schemmel; and sister Rosemary Sampson.

A celebration of life will be held Friday, July 7, from 4-7 p.m. at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 495 Ritchie Hwy in Severna Park, Md. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, July 8, at 10 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 689 Ritchie Hwy. in Severna Park. In lieu of flowers, consider a memorial contribution to Feeding America or the ASPCA.

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