Tag: The Biz

Del Mar's Bing Crosby Season, which offers the premier late fall racing in America, will present the richest stakes schedule in its nine-year history featuring 13 major stakes races – nine of them Graded – and two overnight events worth a total of $2,450,000. The season kicks off on Friday, Nov. 11, and goes through Sunday, Dec. 4.

Topping the roster for the 13-day Crosby session are a pair of Grade 1 offerings on closing weekend, each carrying enhanced purses of $400,000 – the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at a mile and one-eighth on turf Dec. 3 and the Matriarch Stakes for older fillies and mares at a mile on turf on Dec. 4.

Also of note on the stakes agenda are $50,000 purse boosts to a pair of tests, one on grass for fillies and mares, the other on the dirt open to all. The former is the Grade 3, $150,000 Red Carpet Stakes at a mile and three eights on the lawn slated for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24. The latter is the Grade 3, $150,000 Native Diver Stakes at nine furlongs on the main track on Sunday, Nov. 27.

Del Mar additionally will present on Dec. 3 the first running of the $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes at five furlongs on the turf for 3-year-olds and up. Stormy Liberal, of course, was the former claimer that trainer Peter Miller and owners Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen turned into a two-time Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner (including the one in 2017 at Del Mar) and an earner of more than $2.2 million. The Stormy Liberal is one of 10 grass stakes offered during the stand.

The meet presents racing three days a week – Fridays through Sundays – with the one exception of Thanksgiving when racing is held Thursday through Sunday. First post daily will be 12:30 p.m. with the special case of an 11 a.m. start for the Thanksgiving card.

A pair of overnight stakes – each carrying $75,000 purses — get the season rolling with the Let It Ride Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on the green on Nov. 11, followed by the Kathryn Crosby Stakes for older fillies and mares, also at a mile on the turf, right behind it on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Other major offerings include the Grade 2, $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one-half on the lawn on Nov. 25, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap, also for 3-year-olds and up, at a mile and one-sixteenth on turf on Nov. 26.

The track's sizeable turf offerings during the stand have proven to be magnates for stakes horses from around the country in the past and that is not expected to change this year.  The last two weeks of the season provide eight graded stakes on grass worth more than $1.4 million.

Here's the full list of the Bing Crosby stakes:

The post Del Mar Releases Record Stakes Schedule For Bing Crosby Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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From Sept. 10-18, 2022, in an experience like no other, over 180 venues across the country, including training yards, studs and retraining centers, will open their doors to the public to show what life as a racehorse is really like.

As part of the initiative that invites 12,000 members of the public to meet a racehorse, 34 community events will take place, that will include engaging with 1,000 school pupils as well as racehorses visiting care homes.

Throughout the week, the industry aims to bring racing closer to people of all ages and backgrounds, giving those, particularly in city locations, the chance to get up close with a horse, sometimes for the very first time. The community visits will give those who may not have the chance to visit a venue the opportunity to meet a racehorse, to learn about the racing industry and the wonderful lives current and retired racehorses lead.

The 34 community events include:

• 14 school visits – these include 11 schools visiting racing yards in person, organized by Racing to School and National Racehorse Week, and three schools who will receive a special in-school visit from a local racehorse
• Six charity visits – three racing yards will host visits from local autism support groups via Autism in Racing, while Emma Lavelle, along with James Fanshawe and the British Racing School, will also host visits from seriously ill children as part of the brilliant Barrie Wells Trust's initiative, Box4Kids
• Five care home visits – former and current racehorses will visit care home residents in Wiltshire, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire
• One NHS/emergency workers visit via Blue Light Tickets – 12-time Champion Trainer, Paul Nicholls, will host an open morning for NHS and emergency service workers
• Seven urban equestrian centers and community groups – these include Ebony Horse Club, Urban Equestrian Academy, Park Lane Stables and more
• One village visit – Paul Webber will take a racehorse to meet village residents in Cropredy, near Banbury

Research commissioned by Great British Racing to support the launch of National Racehorse Week has revealed a disconnect with animals and the countryside among the UK's city dwellers, including the startling finding that 26% of 12-40 year olds have never seen, or can't remember seeing, a horse in real life. 18-24 year olds are the least likely age group to have seen a horse 'in person', with 44% having never had an equine encounter.

Coming into close contact with a horse is also something that many of those surveyed have never experienced. 36% could not recall ever being physically close to a horse (within two metres) and over a third (34%) have never touched one. Almost one in three (30%) of 12-17 year olds surveyed have gone through life without ever coming into physical contact with a horse.

This may be explained by the fact that people in cities aren't venturing into the countryside frequently. Almost half (46%) of people surveyed had not visited the countryside in the last year, while almost one in ten (9%) have either never visited, or can't remember ever visiting, despite 59% saying they would like to visit more often.

There is clearly an appetite among people to remedy the situation: 48% of those surveyed said they would like to have contact with animals more regularly (rising to 55% of 12-17 year olds) and 41% of those who haven't seen, or can't remember seeing, horses in person would like the opportunity to change this.

If people living in cities can spend more time with our four-legged friends, it is likely to have a positive impact on their wellbeing, with 84% saying they feel happy when they do get a chance to be close to animals.

Recent research commissioned through a partnership between the charity Mind and GoRacingGreen found 100% of Mind participants reported an uplift in their mood following a yard visit.

John Blake, CEO of Racing to School and Racing Together said, “We are a proud partner of National Racehorse Week since its inception, and we know that being around horses has a positive impact on our beneficiaries. The week-long event has significant potential to connect people with racing's incredible equine athletes and this year will see school children, care home residents and community groups involved again.

“Racing to School, Racing Together and Autism in Racing are all programmes that aim to connect people with horses during National Racehorse Week and beyond. We would like to thank our many partners for their support to increase our contribution to National Racehorse Week this year.”

Rob Hezel, CEO of The Racing Foundation, primary funders of National Racehorse Week said, “National Racehorse Week is a great opportunity to connect with local communities to showcase racing as a force for good across the country and to demonstrate the outstanding level of care that racehorses receive.

“The Racing Foundation is proud to support such an important initiative. We hope our funding will allow the event to be a success and a catalyst for the sport to take a much more strategic approach to community engagement in the future.”

Jo Foster who is based near Bradford will take active racehorse, Sigurd, to visit two care homes, two schools and Lothersdale Young Farmers Club during the week. Sigurd regularly visits schools and care homes in between racing. See video here with Sigurd visiting a school and care home in June.

Foster said, “Sigurd is an incredible horse – he competes on the racecourse, but also regularly visits schools and residential homes, which has become second nature to him. I've never known a horse so able to relax and genuinely relate to people, from children with special needs, to older people in wheelchairs.

“For me, National Racehorse Week is about how we, as trainers, can help people and give back to the community. These wonderful horses offer us so much more than winning races: they put smiles on people's faces and can genuinely help people who are feeling sad, lonely, or isolated. It's also an opportunity for people to come and see how we, in turn, look after our racehorses.”

Other trainers hosting community visits include Dan Skelton, Richard Phillips, Rae Guest,

Richard Hannon, Daniel & Claire Kubler, Hugo Palmer, James Ewart, Jimmy Moffatt, Lucinda Russell and Rebecca Menzies.

Godolphin, who are a supporting partner of National Racehorse Week, will be taking a former racehorse to meet pupils at Newmarket Academy as part of the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project, and will also host young people from Leicester's Urban Equestrian Centre to tour both its Darley Stud and rehoming centre. The Jockey Club, who also support the initiative, will host visitors from the Rio Ferdinand Foundation at Pat Phelan Racing in Epsom.

National Racehorse Week is funded primarily by the Racing Foundation, with additional significant support from The Horserace Betting Levy Board and Great British Racing. For 2022, supporting partners include; The Jockey Club, Godolphin, ARC, Sir Peter O'Sullevan Trust and The Japan Racing Association. The event was the original idea of trainer Richard Phillips and forms a key part of the sports welfare strategy 'A Life Well Lived', overseen by the Horse Welfare Board.

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Jockeys Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Joel Rosario have each been handed a three-day suspension for careless riding at Saratoga, reports bloodhorse.com. Both waived their right to appeal.

Rosario's penalty deals with the third race on Aug. 18, in which he piloted Sassy Melissa to a third-place finish but was disqualified to fourth. According to the Equibase chart, Sassy Melissa came out at the sixteenth pole and bumped FontannaFredda “soundly.” Rosario's suspension is scheduled from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.

Rosario sat third in the Saratoga standings at the start of Wednesday's card with 29 winners.

Ortiz was penalized for his ride in the eighth race on Aug. 18, in which his mount Nabokov was disqualified from fifth and placed sixth. The Equibase chart notes state that Nabokov “tired through to the finish bumping Winit just inside the eighth pole before coming over again and getting a solid bump on that eased up rival a sixteenth out and headed him at the finish.” Ortiz's suspension is scheduled from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

Ortiz led the Saratoga standings with 42 winners at the start of Wednesday's card.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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During Wednesday's meeting of the Texas Racing Commission, Sam Houston Race Park vice president of facility operations Dwight Berube revealed that the track plans to apply for 43 Thoroughbred race dates in 2023.

A letter from an industry executive, distributed among horsemen, states that in order for Sam Houston to offer purses near 2022 levels, no open stakes races will be offered, including the Houston Racing Festival. The Houston Racing Festival includes the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic and the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup.

However, since Texas ATB stakes races are funded by the Texas Thoroughbred Association, those races will be held as usual, including Texas Champions Day.

Racing is expected to be held in the afternoon on Friday through Sunday.

The added money generally used to fund open stakes races will instead be put into the overnight races, the letter said, making up at least part of the deficit caused by Sam Houston's inability to export its signal.

By order of the TRC, Texas Thoroughbred tracks have been unable to export their simulcast signal out  of state since July 1, 2022, the implementation date of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's racetrack safety program.

Amy Cook, TRC executive director, said the action was taken to retain full compliance with the Texas Racing Act.

Elimination of out-of-state wagering on Texas tracks delivered a severe economic blow to Lone Star Park's business in July, including the purse fund. This is especially true in Texas, where advance deposit wagering is illegal and all legal bets must be made at a racetrack in-state. Upwards of 90 percent of handle comes via simulcasting, industry studies have shown. There is concern imported simulcasts could also be shut down.

Berube did request that Sam Houston be able to retain flexibility in race dates if the ability to export their racing signal changes.

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