As part of a continuing effort to attract new horses and thus help to ensure better field size, Santa Anita Park will again be offering significant bonuses to horsemen bringing out of state horses to run at Santa Anita's upcoming Winter/Spring Meet which opens on Dec. 26.
Eligible horses will receive a $5,000 bonus as well as purse money 35 percent above their allotted purse percentage for one start. Horses who become eligible at the 2021 Del Mar Fall Meet will also be eligible for Ship & Win bonuses for their first start at Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet.
The $5,000 bonus will also apply to any stakes horse that meets Ship & Win eligibility guidelines, but those horses will not be eligible for the 35 percent purse increase.
“All of us have been gratified at the success of the Ship & Win program this year, at both Del Mar and here at Santa Anita,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We're certainly hoping to continue to attract more out of state horses this winter and spring and given the significant amount of money available, this has certainly incentivized our horsemen to go out and procure additional racing prospects.”
Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet Condition Book One will be available online at santaanita.com on Nov. 29. For additional information regarding Santa Anita's 2021-22 Ship & Win Program, please visit our website or call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-RACE.
As owners of the French luxury brand, Chanel, brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer are among the world's most fashionable Thoroughbred owners and breeders. According to the latest World's Billionaires List published by Forbes, they are also the richest.
According to Forbes, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer each have a net worth of $34.5 billion putting them at No. 41 on the list of 2,755 billionaires worldwide.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is atop the list with an estimated net worth of $177 billion.
Racing primarily with homebreds in Europe and the U.S. under the stable name Wertheimer et Frere, the brothers are best known for campaigning Goldikova, three-time winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile. Their current stable star is Todd Pletcher-trained Happy Saver.
At least a dozen others from the Forbes Billionaires List have been identified as Thoroughbred owners or breeders. (Note: The list does not include members of Arab country ruling families, including the Maktoums of Dubai.)
Next on the list among individuals affiliated with Thoroughbred racing and breeder is financier George Soros, whose Soros Fund Management in 2008 launched SF Racing and SF Bloodstock, now operated by Gavin Murphy and Tom Ryan. Forbes estimates a net worth of $8.6 billion for the Soros, putting him at No. 288.
Cable television magnate John Malone is ranked 316th on the Forbes list with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion. One of America's biggest landowners, Malone owns Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Ballylinch Stud in Ireland.
Tamara Gustavson, daughter of the late B. Wayne Hughes, is ranked 496th on the list with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion. With husband Eric, Tamara Gustavson now operates Spendthrift, which Forbes estimated has a $400 million value. A Forbes-produced video explains how they arrived at that estimate, based on leading stallion Into Mischief, other bloodstock holdings and the farm's property and buildings.
Wayne Hughes, who died in August, remained on the Forbes list, ranked 925th with an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion. A self-made billionaire, Hughes created Public Storage, the largest self-storage company in the U.S.
Vincent Viola is ranked 807th on the list with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion acquired in part from his electronic trading startup, Virtu Financial. Owner of the NHL's Florida Panthers, Viola co-owned Vino Rosso, winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic in 2019.
Another owner of sports teams, Gayle Benson, ranks 891st on the Forbes lislt with an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion. Benson, widow of Tom Benson, owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints and NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Her GMB Racing campaigned Tom's d'Etat, winner of the G1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2019.
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Brad Kelley, owner of Calumet Farm, has an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion, putting him 1,205th on the list of the world's richest people. Kelley, who lives in Tennessee, made his fortune in the tobacco industry.
Gerald Ford, who races as Diamond A Racing Corporation, is 1,249th on the list with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. Ford built his wealth through acquisition of distressed banks.
Kevin Plank, who created the Under Armour sportswear brand and owns Sagamore Farm in Maryland, has an estimated net worth of $2 billion putting him at No. 1,580.
Charlotte Weber, an heir to the Campbell Soup Co., is listed as No. 1,833 with an estimated net worth of $1.7 million. Owner of Live Oak Plantation, Weber's homebreds have won a host of Grade 1 races, and she's won two editions of the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile with World Approval and Miesque's Approval.
Kenny Troutt, owner of WinStar Farm, founded long-distance company Excel Communications more than 30 years ago. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion, putting him at No. 2,035 on their list.
Also having an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion is Seth Klarman, whose Klaravich Stables has developed into one of the industry's leading owners, winning Horse of the Year for Bricks and Mortar in 2019 and voted an outstanding owner Eclipse Award with William H. Lawrence, his partner on a number of runners. Klarman manages one of the financial market's largest hedge funds, Boston-based Baupost.
Thursday featured the launch of the 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). Held virtually for the second consecutive year, the 2021 Conference examines global racing's evolution and future challenges. The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is the official partner of this year's Conference.
Video of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities is available on the IFHA's website and social media platforms. Podcasts of the speakers are also available.
The keynote speech was given by incoming IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who was recently elected as the new head of the Federation following Louis Romanet's retirement. Following his speech, the Conference featured panels on digitalization and media; equine welfare; and climate change and sustainability. The Conference concluded with a tribute to Romanet, who is retiring after 27 years as Chairman and who was appointed to the honorary position of Chairman Emeritus effective Oct. 4, 2021.
“The 55th International Conference of the IFHA comes at a most significant time for our sport and the world,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We face major macro challenges arising from the pandemic and climate change. More than ever, we must work together and harness the wealth of talent and expertise within our membership to not only face these challenges, but ensure that our sport thrives in the short, medium, and long term.
“This Conference gives us the opportunity to look forward at some key parts of the IFHA's strategy for the future. We are fortunate to have world-class speakers sharing their insights regarding digitalization and media, equine welfare, climate change and sustainability.”
Guest speakers at this year's Conference included Michael Mulvihill, executive vice president, head of strategy and analytics at FOX Sports; Jamie Stier, chair of the IFHA Horse Welfare Committee and Racing Victoria's executive general manager, integrity services; Di Arbuthnot, the chief executive for Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR); and Allen Hershkowitz, a founding director and chairman of Sport and Sustainability International and environmental science advisor to the New York Yankees. Respected presenter Rishi Persad returned this year to serve as moderator.
The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organised and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organised by the IFHA at France Galop. In 2019, the Conference convened delegates from more than 50 different countries with a number of other racing executives and media members in attendance. Historically held the day after the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), the Conference transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 as the result of COVID-19.
About IFHA
The IFHA is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.
Major areas of the IFHA's activities include:
Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)
Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)
World Rankings
The fight against Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices
Harmonization of Racing Rules
Certification of IFHA Reference Labs
Promoting commercial development of the racing industry globally
The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Biomechanics experts joined the eighth session of the Thoroughbred Owner Conference series on Tuesday, Oct. 5, to talk about how the science of biomechanics can be used to identify top racehorses. The conference series is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Dean Dorton Equine, Stoll Keenon Ogden, and Stonestreet Farm.
Television analyst Caton Bredar moderated the panel that included Jeff Seder, president and chief executive officer of Equine Biomechanics & Exercise Physiology Inc. (EQB), and Suzanne Smallwood, president and chief analyst of EQUIX. The session was sponsored by Sackatoga Stable, Silver Springs Stud, and WinStar.
Smallwood and Seder talked about how biomechanics involves analysis of various physical aspects of a horse, from its organ function to stride balance at racing speeds, and that they all can affect its speed and soundness. They noted that they are looking to identify subsets of horses that come from groups that have already been selected by horsemen as having potential.
Seder shared a video of different horses that were breezing at a 2-year-old sale that pointed out the biomechanics deficiencies that can be spotted using slow-motion videos. He showed how data recorded from horses in motion can be displayed in graphical form and emphasized that EQB uses an enormous amount of historical data to effectively analyze the potential of a horse being evaluated in the present.
“We start with really good horsemen, and then we put an overlay of technology on that,” said Seder.
Smallwood's team at EQUIX takes physical measurements of yearlings based on proven data models to predict a horse's growth patterns, racing potential, and overall efficiency. She discussed the different physical measurements, how they can affect a horse's performance, and examples of top racehorses and stallions that fit EQUIX's metrics for success.
“You're still learning all of the time with the biomechanics,” she said.
The next session of the series, “Breeding to Win,” will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. ET. It is sponsored by Centennial Farms and Equilume Performance Lighting.
All sessions will be recorded and made available to registered guests. There is no registration fee for the live or recorded virtual conference series, but registration is required. Registration information and schedules are available at ownerview.com/event/conference or by contacting Gary Falter at gfalter@jockeyclub.com.
OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.
The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.
