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Santa Anita Re-Opens Hillside Turf Course For Autumn Meet

Santa Anita Park's 16-day Autumn Meet will get off to a fast start on Friday, Oct. 1, as a total of four stakes will be offered on a tremendous nine-race card. The Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes, one of three Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifiers, will headline the day's racing. Named for the 2015 Triple Crown Champion, the American Pharoah is a Breeders' Cup Win & You're In qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 5.

With first post time at 1 p.m., walk-up admission is welcomed, with free admission and General Parking on opening day. In addition to the American Pharoah, the Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up, will be contested at 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita's hillside turf course. Named for the legendary retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, the Eddie D provides a platform for those horses considering the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6.

“Our fans, horsemen and Eddie Delahoussaye himself have told us they'd love to see a return to racing down this European-style course which has been unique to Santa Anita for more than six decades,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Operating Officer, Racing Operations for 1/ST Racing. “The Eddie D will be one of four turf sprint stakes to be run on the Camino Real hillside turf course throughout our Autumn Meet.”

Two-year-old fillies will go postward opening day in the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Win & You're in qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 and 2-year-olds will also be competing at five furlongs on turf in the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, a Win & You're In qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5.

With the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships set for Nov. 5 & 6 at Del Mar, Santa Anita will be offering a total of 14 stakes over the course of its opening weekend, Oct. 1 through Oct. 3.

With special early first post time at 12:30 p.m., a total of five stakes will be offered on Saturday, Oct. 2; the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again, a Breeders' Cup Win & You're In qualifier to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one eighth, the Grade 1, $300,000 Rodeo Drive, a Breeders' Cup Win & You're In qualifier for fillies and mares at a mile and one quarter on turf, the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, Win & You're In qualifier for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs, the Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship, named for the legendary two-time Horse of the Year, is for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter on turf and the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile (turf), for 3-year-olds and up.

On Sunday, Oct. 3, the legendary multiple Eclipse Award winning mare Zenyatta will be feted, with the Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes, a Win & You're In qualifier for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles who are pointing to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Fillies and mares will also be center stage in the Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs, a race which honors the memory of longtime Oak Tree Racing Association board member and prominent owner/breeder, Sherwood Chillingworth.

A pair of one mile turf stakes will also be offered on Oct. 3 for 2-year-olds—the Surfer Girl and the Zuma Beach, as well as the $75,000 Unzip Me, for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf.

In addition to the Eddie D and Unzip Me Stakes, a pair of Cal-bred stakes, the $100,000 California Distaff Handicap on Oct. 16 and the $100,000 California Flag Handicap on Oct. 17 will also be contested at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf. Additionally, selected allowance races will be run down the hillside throughout the course of the 16-day meet.

Santa Anita's spacious Infield area will be open each Saturday and Sunday, through closing day, Oct. 31. For complete details on Santa Anita's opening weekend, including pricing and dining and seating reservations, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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15 Riders Suspended By West Virginia Racing Commission For False Medical Documents

Fifteen jockeys have received suspensions from the West Virginia Racing Commission after stewards determined they “presented false and altered” documentation of required medical examinations.

Eric Barbaran, Ricardo Mejias, Luan Silva Machado, Fernando Salazar Becerra, Juan Leon Velez, Brandon Tapara, Eder Luis Martinez, Luis Hernandez, Sonny Leon, Logan Holbrook, Angel Serpa, Jose Leon, Odhair Mayta, and Jose Davila were all suspended 15 days for the offense. Their suspension dates differ slightly, beginning between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10 and finishing between Sept. 21 and Sept. 24.

Rider Eddie Jurado was suspended 210 days and fined $2,500 because stewards said he “also admitted to producing and/or delivering fictitious documents (copies of physical examinations to 14 other jockeys to perform their work duties at Mountaineer Park. Jurado's suspension runs through April 4, 2022.

All riders are denied access to commission-sanctioned grounds for the duration of their suspension.

According to commission executive director Joe Moore, the commission has not been notified that any of the riders are appealing the rulings.

Herbie Rivera, the Jockeys' Guild representative for Mountaineer riders, said the track, like many others, requires proof of a standard physical at the start of the meet. Most riders can have them done through the appropriate channels for $50 to $70. The rules of racing in West Virginia mandate that riders submit proof they have passed a physical exam within 12 months in order to participate as jockeys, and a baseline concussion test. There are no specific COVID-19 requirements related to the physical, according to the state's rulebook.

Rivera said about half the tracks in the country require a physical at the start of the meet, and that he believes there's no good reason not to comply with the rule. He was surprised the stewards handed down such long suspensions.

“They would tell them their name and then they'd show up with [the document],” he said. “I made sure I went to every rider who was going to have a hearing and sat down with them. I told them, 'It is what it is. You made a mistake.'

“I didn't think they'd be this harsh, but I have a lot of respect for the stewards. The only thing I can do is make suggestions.”

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Arlington: Former President’s Racing Preservation Bid Reported To Be One Of Three Finalists

Mike Campbell, president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, told the Chicago Daily-Herald that former Arlington president Roy Arnold's bid to purchase the iconic racetrack from Churchill Downs is one of three finalists under consideration. He added that the Chicago Bears and another group seeking to preserve racing are the other two finalists, but Churchill Downs has not confirmed the information.

Campbell helped organize the consortium led by Arnold, and revealed that there have been three rounds of bidding since Churchill's initial June 15 deadline. Arnold has increased his offer several times, Campbell said.

“They have the ability to close immediately, which nobody else does. And they have a plan for the future of racing in Illinois that I think is just remarkable,” Campbell said during the ITHA's annual general membership meeting, held virtually on Saturday. “We think it's nice now. Just wait. If we can get Churchill Downs to say yes, you will have a world-class venue for horse racing like no other.”

Read more at the Chicago Daily-Herald.

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TERF, Horsemen U Partner To Promote Continuing Education

The Thoroughbred Education & Research Foundation (TERF) announced today that it will partner with the new Horsemen U website to promote continuing education for Thoroughbred trainers and assistant trainers. TERF will provide a grant of $4,000 to the Horsemen U project, which will cover the cost of the website for a full year.

Horsemen U is a collaboration of the national Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the California Thoroughbred Trainers. The platform was launched in May to assist trainers and assistant trainers in complying with continuing education requirements, which have been adopted in California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. (Click the state to get regulation for that jurisdiction.) The website currently offers 16 CE seminars, covering topics from “Diagnostic Imaging” and “Biosecurity” to the “Musculoskeletal System of the Racehorse” and “Equine Welfare, Horseracing, and the Social License to Operate,” and also hosts live webinars.

TERF, an offshoot of Thoroughbred Charities of America, was established in 2012 to provide focused funding for equine education and research and supports education and research organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The objectives of TERF and Horsemen U dovetail seamlessly.

Dr. Jim Orsini, one of the founders and a Trustee of TERF, said: “Education is the best investment for improving the lives of trainers, assistant trainers, and others in the equine industry. High quality education of equine industry personnel results in improved health and welfare of the horse. Additionally, individuals that complete courses offered by Horsemen U can educate others by mentoring and serving as a role model to create a multiplier effect.”

Dr. Scott Palmer, Equine Medical Director for the New York State Gaming Commission and also a TERF Trustee, spearheaded the first-ever CE regulation for Thoroughbred racing in 2017.

“TERF's mission aligns with several of the primary goals of Horsemen U – education, Thoroughbred horses, safety, health and welfare,” Palmer said. “We couldn't be better connected in our mutual goal to support the Thoroughbred racing industry through education of individuals primarily responsible for the care of Thoroughbred horses.

“By supporting the education of current and future generations of horse care professionals, TERF not only directly enhances the ability of industry stakeholders to improve the health and welfare of the horses in their care, but also provides an opportunity for the Thoroughbred industry to demonstrate its commitment to equine welfare to the general public,” he added.

THA Chairman Alan Foreman applauded the partnership between Horsemen U and TERF.

“Horsemen U was born of the efforts of the Mid-Atlantic stakeholders involved in the Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities,” Foreman said. “We have state regulators, racetrack management and horsemen's groups working together to improve the safety of our sport, and continuing education is an important component of the Plan. Joining forces with TERF will strengthen our initiative and help to ensure that our horsemen have the tools they need to provide the best care possible for the horses.”

TERF has distributed more than $700,000 in grants since its inception. The organization relies on the support of generous donors to continue its mission of promoting Thoroughbred health and welfare by funding scholarships, educational programs, and equine research with a priority to make racing safer. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by mailing a check made payable to 'Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation' to: Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) c/o CCCF, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382, or by visiting the TERF donation page at www.terfusa.org/donate/.

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