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Drafted Owners Appeal HISA Ruling

The owners of Drafted (Field Commission) have appealed a ruling handed down by the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) that could cost them $26,000 in purse money because their jockey Luis Castro violated HISA rules regarding the use of the whip. The incident occurred in the GI Forego S., where Drafted finished fifth.

NYRA stewards determined that Castro hit the gelding 10 times during the race. Under HISA regulations that have been in place since July 1, a rider cannot whip a horse more than six times.

According to the Daily Racing Form, under HISA rules, if a jockey strikes a horse seven to nine times during a race, there is no loss of purse. Instead, the rider is fined and suspended for one day. And when a jockey hits a horse 10 to 13 times, the jockey receives a three-day suspension and the horse is disqualified when it comes to purse earnings.

The owners are Thomas O'Keefe, Truls Engebretsen and Kevin Hilbert and they are seeking a reinstatement of the purse. The trainer is David Duggan. The group is being represented by attorney Andrew Mollica. Mollica contends that the owners' rights to due process have been violated because there was no hearing and no appeal process.

“My clients are making a serious appeal here,” Mollica said. “The loss of purse money by owners for alleged crop violations is not only unconstitutional it is flat our wrong. My clients are fighting this not only for themselves but all owners who race in New York. It is a cause that frankly all NYTHA should join because all of its members will one day or another be adversely effected.”

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Ascot To Offer Record Prize Money In 2022

Ascot Racecourse today announces record prize money of £15.64 million (about US$17.64 million) in 2022 with increases across the Flat and Jumps programs.

This represents an increase of nearly £2 million (US$2.26 million) on 2019 values (from £13.67m, US$15.42m), or 14.4 percent, being the last year when planned prize money was distributed before the pandemic impacted 2020. These figures exclude the industry partnership QIPCO British Champions Day.

Royal Ascot (June 14 – 18, 2022) will be worth £8,652,500 (US$9.76m), an increase of £1,322,500 (US$1.49m) (18 percent) on 2019 values which totaled £7,330,000 (US$8.27m).

Highlights include:

– The Royal Ascot Tuesday card, featuring three Group One races, becomes Royal Ascot's first £2 million (US$2.26m) day.

– The Prince of Wales's Stakes and the Platinum (formerly Diamond) Jubilee Stakes will become the first races at Royal Ascot to be run with a total prize fund of £1 million (US$1.13m).

– No race at Royal Ascot will be run for less than £100,000 (US$112,800).

Outside Royal Ascot:

– The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes returns to its pre-pandemic value of £1.25 million (US$1.41m).

– A record £550,000 (US$620,380) will be offered at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup. The program will increase to eight races (from six) with 12 runners in each race (from 10). Details of the team format will follow in 2022.

– All Flat races will be worth at least £15,000 (US$16,920) and all Jumps races will be worth at least £10,000 (US$11,280) (excluding three National Hunt Flat races and one Hunters' Chase at £5,000, US$5,640).

– There will be additional £25,000 (US$28,200) stable prizes offered on both QIPCO King George Diamond Day (July 23, 2022) and Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Day (Aug. 6, 2022). These will be awarded £20,000 (US$22,560) to the trainers and £5,000 (US$5,640) to stable staff across the top three performing yards based on points achieved for first to fifth placings.

– All plans remain subject to change depending on the COVID-19 landscape.

Guy Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at Ascot Racecourse, said:

“We are pleased to be able to announce a return to our pre-pandemic prize money plans as we re-build. Whilst these plans have been unavoidably delayed, today is about looking forward. It is vital we maintain the quality of the British Pattern and the top end program generally. For obvious reasons, a large proportion of the increases announced today are focused on our 35 races at the Royal Meeting.

“Prize money is racing's equivalent of remunerating the players on the pitch. We need to offer the best we can in order to attract the best and help maintain international investment in British racing. Our next ambition, as we build Ascot as a global brand wrapped around world class racing, is to be able to offer at least £1m for each of our nine Group One races in the coming years.

“Field sizes for races of both codes are under pressure. With this in mind, we have applied a number of targeted increases across our program and raised our minimum prize money levels for both codes. Specifically, we have made some changes to QIPCO King George Diamond Weekend and expanded the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup to eight races with fields of 12; the established races increase from £60,000 to £75,000 and we have added two new £50,000 races.

“Our aim is for the stable prizes to incentivize owners and trainers to target these two fixtures and build on the successful trial at this year's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.

“I wish to conclude by thanking Ascot's staff, our customers and commercial partners for all their loyal support in 2021 which has so significantly contributed to the business being able to advance again in 2022.”

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Santa Anita, Thoroughbred Owners Of California Announce 10 Percent Purse Boost For Fall Meet

Santa Anita's 2021 Autumn Meeting, which opens Friday, Oct. 1, will now offer owners and horsemen a 10 percent increase in all overnight races as Santa Anita and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) have reached an agreement that will enable Santa Anita to provide a comprehensive purse increase for the third consecutive race meeting, dating back to the 2020 Autumn Meet.

“This is a very significant development and we want to thank everyone at TOC for helping to make this happen,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “To be able to offer a purse increase for the third meet in-a-row clearly demonstrates we are trending in the right direction and that's important when owners and horsemen are making plans not only for racing, but breeding as well.

“Our Autumn stall applications are very encouraging as is the success of the current meet at Del Mar. I think people around the country and here in California are realizing this is a tremendous place to race and train and we hope to keep the momentum going into the new year.”

With the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships scheduled for Nov. 5 & 6 at Del Mar, there will be added interest in a variety of Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifying races, the first of which will be contested on opening day, Oct. 1.

With four stakes planned, three of them, the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah, the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier and the $100,000 Speakeasy, are all Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” events and they'll be complemented by the Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

“This purse increase is significant not only to our owners and horsemen, but to all of us in the Thoroughbred industry here in California,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “There's no question we're moving in the right direction and we're hopeful this is going to help with field size which will provide better gambling opportunities for our fans.”

For additional information, including complete details on overnight purse increases for the 2021 Autumn Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-RACE.

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Pacific Classic Purse Returns To $1 Million; Del Mar Derby Boosted To $250,000

Building on its pre-meet enhancements and the sparkling success of its current racing season, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club today announced a pair of major increases to key stakes races on its 2021 schedule.

The Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic, the shore track's centerpiece since it was introduced in 1991, has been raised back to its original level of $1,000,000 for its Aug. 21 renewal. Additionally, the track's conclusion to its 3-year-old grass series – the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby slated for September 4 – has had its purse increased to $250,000 for its 77th edition.

The TVG Pacific Classic was scheduled to be presented this year for the 31st time with a purse of $750,000, which was an increase from its COVID-affected 2020 running when the mile and one quarter was dropped to $500,000. The Del Mar Derby ran with a $200,000 purse in 2020 and was designated to do so again this year prior to this current boost for the nine-furlong turf test.

Both raises put the races on equal footing with their 2019 levels. Prior to the meet, Del Mar had increased the values of virtually all of its other stakes from 2020 to equivalent – or in some cases higher – purse standards than the ones that existed in 2019.

“We had fairly aggressive projections going into the meet and I'm pleased to say our business has exceeded those numbers,” said Tom Robbins, a Del Mar executive vice president and its director of racing and industry relations. “We are thrilled to restore our signature race back to its $1 million level, where it had been and certainly belongs.”

Since 2010, Del Mar has joined with its broadcast partner TVG to augment the TVG Pacific Classic and keep it at the forefront of major races nationally.

“We have a spectacular partnership with Del Mar and the TOC and our team at TVG is very excited that our sponsorship of the Pacific Classic is one of the reasons for this purse increase,” said Kevin Grigsby, SVP and executive producer of TVG & FanDuel. “Over the last decade TVG has become one of the largest sponsors of horse racing in the U.S. Along with our investments in distribution and technology, it is part of our commitment to reinvest in the sport.”

The track always works in accord with the Thoroughbred Owners of California in setting and maintaining both its stakes schedule and its overall purse structure. Their chairman of the board, Gary Fenton, addressed the stakes purse increases:

“Thanks to our members, horsemen and horsewomen and the hard work from DMTC we're off to a tremendous start. With added purse account funds we felt returning all stakes, such as Del Mar's signature race, back to their pre-COVID purse levels was appropriate. The momentum of continued purse increases in 2021 with hopefully more to come in 2022 is a great sign of the health of Southern California racing.”

The TVG Pacific Classic is a “Win and You're In” race entitling its champion a guaranteed spot in this year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, a race that will be run at a mile and a quarter at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 6.

The Del Mar Derby follows the Oceanside Stakes and the Grade 3 La Jolla Stakes to make up the longstanding trio of turf test for soph runners at the seaside oval. The La Jolla will be run on Sunday, August 8.

Del Mar's 82nd season will continue to race on a Thursday-to-Sunday schedule through to its closing day, Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6.

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