Tag: The Biz

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course announced Tuesday that the $400,000, Grade 2, Penn Mile will be contested on Friday, June 2, 2023.

Now in its tenth running, the one-mile event for 3-year-olds on the turf will headline an exceptional evening of racing which will also include the $150,000 Penn Oaks, $100,000 Danzig Stakes, $100,000 New Start Stakes, $100,000 Lyphard Stakes, and $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes.

Inaugurated in 2013, the Penn Mile was granted Grade 3 status in 2015 and upgraded to a Grade 2 in 2017. Previous Penn Mile winners include Kenneth L. Ramsey's homebred Bobby's Kitten, who lived up to his post-time favoritism in 2014 for Chad Brown and jockey Javier Castellano and went on to win that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. In 2016, the Canadian Champion filly Catch a Glimpse, trained by Mark Casse, won the Penn Mile prior to completing her career with earnings of $1.8 million. Last year's Penn Mile champion Wow What a Summer lit up the toteboard at odds of 83-1 for conditioner James Lawrence, II and runner-up Annapolis, trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher, went on to win three stakes in 2022, including the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf at Keeneland.

The $150,000 Penn Oaks (listed) has also showcased many exemplary turf distaffers, including 2019 champion Regal Glory. The daughter of Animal Kingdom added nine stakes wins following her Penn Oaks victory and was honored with the 2022 Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Female.

“We are looking forward to hosting the Penn Mile, Penn Oaks and four additional $100,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on June 2,” said Eric Johnston, Director of Racing Operation for Penn National. “The race continues to attract the nation's elite horses, trainers and jockeys to central Pennsylvania.”

Post time for the Penn Mile Day card will be 5:00 pm (ET). Nominations will close Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

PENN MILE DAY

Friday, June 2, 2023

$400,000 Penn Mile – Grade 2

Three Year Olds – One Mile (turf)

$150,000 Penn Oaks – Listed

Fillies, Three Years Old – One Mile (turf)

$100,000 Danzig Stakes

PA Bred, Three Year Olds – Six Furlongs

$100,000 New Start Stakes

PA Bred, Fillies, Three Years Old – Six Furlongs

$100,000 Lyphard Stakes

PA Bred, Fillies and Mares, Three Years Old & Upward – One Mile & One Sixteenth (turf)

$100,000 With Anticipation Stakes

PA Bred, Three Years Old & Upward – One Mile & One Sixteenth (turf)

The post Penn National Schedules 2023 Penn Mile For June 2 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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One of the most beloved and iconic races on the Woodbine Thoroughbred calendar has a date in the 2023 starting gate.

The news spread quickly on social media soon after Woodbine recently unveiled its lucrative stakes schedule for the upcoming season: the Grade 1 Canadian International has returned.

Not run in 2022 due to challenges from COVID-19, the International will take center stage at Canada's Showplace of Racing on Sunday, Oct. 8, at a new distance of a mile and a quarter on the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The purse for this year's 84th running of the Canadian International will be $750,000.

“We were certainly focused on bringing back this world-renowned race,” said Tim Lawson, Director of Thoroughbred Racing, Woodbine. “We believe the distance change fits the current demands of our industry and the North American stakes calendar well. Having a mile and a quarter turf race in the fall will stand out and continue the legacy of this great race.”

A race whose winner's list includes some of the sport's greatest equine athletes. Secretariat (1973), Dahlia (1974), Snow Knight (1975), Youth (1976), Mac Diarmida (1978), All Along (1983), Singspiel (1996) and Chief Bearhart (1997) have all laid claim to victory in the turf classic.

Other winners include three-time victor Joshua Tree (IRE) (2010, 2012-13), Desert Encounter (IRE) (2018-19), and Bunty Lawless (1941). In 2021, Walton Street (GB) strode to an impressive 5 ¾-length score as the 4-5 choice.

The Canadian International has undergone modifications several times since its inaugural running in 1938. Originally contested at a mile and sixteenth on dirt, the International moved to turf in 1958 and has been held at multiple distances. The International had been run at a mile and a half since 1987.

It has no doubt been an international affair over its 80-plus year history, attracting celebrated horse people from across the world.

Frankie Dettori has ridden the most winners at four (2000, 2004, 2012, 2021), while several trainers hold the record for most wins at three, including Sir Michael Stoute and Maurice Zilber.

The return of the Canadian International in 2023 will also mark the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's magical victory in the 1973 edition.

Making his final career start, Secretariat dazzled on a near-freezing October 28, 1973, by posting a stakes-record 6 ½-length victory in front of a thunderous crowd. The iconic Canadian sports memory is recognized by many to be the most memorable moment in Woodbine Racetrack's storied history.

“It's only fitting that we bring new life to the Canadian International during the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's victory,” said Lawson. “This race holds a special place in the heart of many at Woodbine and we're excited to see what the future has in store.”

The Canadian International will also be joined on Sunday, October 8, by the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf. The $600,000 race is recognized as one of the sport's premier turf events for fillies and mares.

The post Woodbine: Grade 1 Canadian International Returns At New Distance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Greg Tracy and his brother and assistant, James “Jim” Tracy, have been issued six-month suspensions after a routine search by Louisiana State Police at Delta Downs turned up the following in their tack room: 59 bottles of injectable medications, 352 hypodermic needles, 256 syringes, and 75 packs of Albuterol Sulfate inhalation solution. Nine syringes with clear liquid were sent to Louisiana State University for testing.

The search, conducted on Feb. 4, 2023, led to a hearing conducted with three stewards on March 1, according to rulings posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website. Jim Tracy and Sgt. Dallas Brasseaux attended in person, while Greg Tracy and an attorney only referred to in the ruling as “Moak” attended via phone. Moak advised the Tracy brothers not to answer any questions; stewards introduced the state police report into evidence and suspended both Greg and Jim Tracy for six months, from March 5, 2023, through Sept. 4, 2023.

Each was granted an appeal on March 9, and Greg Tracy started two horses at the Fair Grounds on Sunday, March 12, finishing third and fourth in the first and fifth races, respectively.

Tracy is a veteran Thoroughbred trainer with over 1,700 wins, having begun his career in 1982. He was a finalist for Canada's Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in 2014 (won by Mark Casse), and his best runner was Taiaslew, winner of the Grade 3 Alberta Derby in 2003.

Louisiana Racing Commission executive director Charles Gardiner III told the Paulick Report that six months is the maximum sentence that can be given by stewards before cases are referred to the entire commission. In this instance, the case has been referred to the commission for further review.

The commission contracts with the Louisiana State Police for security and for backstretch searches; it does not have its own investigative force.

Gardiner also said the appeals were granted to the Tracy brothers because if they were denied, the commission would have to host a hearing with all the commissioners within 10 days, which is rarely feasible.

According to Horse Racing Alberta, three Tracy brothers (Greg, Jim, and Ray Jr.) were raised on the racing circuit with Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds on the fair circuit in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. They transitioned to Thoroughbreds, chasing larger purses, and the Tracys moved to the nearest Thoroughbred track in Calgary. When the horses moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Greg Tracy followed, while Jim went to Pennsylvania and Ray, Jr. went to Washington and later Iowa. Jim Tracy's last start as a trainer was at Canterbury Park in 2021, while Ray Tracy Jr.'s most recent start was in 2020 at Fair Grounds.

The post Tracy Brothers Granted Appeals After Delta Downs Search Turns Up Injectable Medications, Albuterol Solution, Hundreds Of Needles, Syringes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stakeholders in Pennsylvania's horse breeding and racing industry expressed their appreciation to Gov. Josh Shapiro, who presented his new administration's first proposed budget to the legislature last week. The proposed budget, unlike those presented by the prior administration, does not recommend any additional transfers of funding from the Race Horse Development Trust Fund (RHDTF), which serves as the major source of funding for breeding incentives and racing purses in the Commonwealth.

“Gov. Shapiro's budget proposal signals his recognition of the importance of the racing and breeding sector to the overall state economy, and we thank him for his support,” said Russell Williams, who serves as president of the Standardbred Breeders Association of Pennsylvania (SBAP).  “The equine sector is the second largest segment of Pennsylvania's overall agriculture industry, and we believe we are in an excellent position for continued growth. We look forward to working with Gov. Shapiro and the legislature on initiatives that will strengthen Pennsylvania's breeding and racing sector and, in the process, benefit the broader agricultural industry.”

“The support of the Governor and legislature is very instrumental to the success of the breeding and racing industry in Pennsylvania,” said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, which represents the state's Thoroughbred breeders. “Pennsylvania's breeding and racing industry is made up of many diverse small businesses that contribute to jobs and the preservation of hundreds of thousands of acres of open space. Breeders, owners, and trainers in the racing industry are also significant drivers of other sectors of the agriculture industry, including hay, straw, grain, and mushroom farmers; feed mills and tack shops; and veterinarians. A strong, viable breeding and racing sector is an important part of ensuring the overall stability of the broader agricultural industry in Pennsylvania.”

In addition to serving as president of the SBAP, Williams also serves as president of Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc., the largest Standardbred horse breeding farm in the world. Situated on 3,000 acres in Adams and York Counties, the operations of the 97-year-old breeding farm underscore the important contributions of horse breeders throughout Pennsylvania to the overall state economy. At peak, over 1,000 horses reside at the farm, which are cared for by approximately 80 employees, which includes 40 families who live on the farm. Each year, Hanover alone is responsible for the purchase of 1,500 tons of hay and 1,500 tons of straw, much of which is sourced from local farmers. The farm contributes millions of dollars each year to the state's economy through the purchase of feed, farm machinery, fence boards, supplies, and equipment, as well as numerous contractors.

Collectively, the breeding and racing sector supports hundreds of small businesses and 23,000 family-sustaining jobs, delivers a $1.6 billion economic impact, generates $69 million in annual tax revenue, and protects hundreds of thousands of acres of open space. The impact of the racing and breeding sector extends well beyond those who work at a racetrack or breed horses. Purse money earned by a horse enables the owner to buy hay and straw from farmers, feed from local feed mills, as well as pay the horse's jockey, trainer, blacksmith, groom, veterinarian, and equine dentist. In addition, countless small businesses in the manufacturing, retail and construction industries count horsemen and breeders among their major customers for horse trailers and vehicles, feed equipment, riding tack and other supplies, the construction or repair of barns and fencing, and more.

The post Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Proposal Leaves Race Horse Development Trust Fund Untouched appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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