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CHRB Allocates 2021 Race Dates For Southern California, First Six Months Of Northern California Season

The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting by teleconference on Thursday, October 22. The public participated by dialing into the teleconference and/or listening through the audio webcast link on the CHRB website. Chairman Gregory Ferraro chaired the meeting, joined by Vice Chairman Oscar Gonzales and Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Brenda Washington Davis, Wendy Mitchell, and Alex Solis.

The audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcast link. In brief:

The Board allocated 2021 racing dates for Southern California thoroughbreds (and one fair meet), harness racing, and quarter horse racing, The Board also allocated dates for Northern California thoroughbred racing for the first six months of the year. Due to uncertainties created by COVID-19, the Board delayed consideration of dates for the latter half of 2021 for Northern California thoroughbred meets and fairs. At this time, all meets are expected to run without the public in attendance, but that also could change depending on circumstances. Allocated dates include dates for simulcasting without racing. The actual dates a meet will offer racing will be approved when the meet's license application is considered. As allocated:
The Southern California thoroughbred racing circuit will begin December 23, 2020, at Santa Anita, through June 22, 2021, then proceed to Los Alamitos (day racing, June 23 through July 6), and then to Del Mar (July 7 through September 7). The Los Angeles County Fair meet will run daytime at Los Alamitos from September 8 through September 28. The thoroughbred circuit will continue at Santa Anita (September 29 through November 2), Del Mar (November 3 through November 30), Los Alamitos (day racing, December 1 through December 14), and then back to Santa Anita for simulcasting only from December 15 through December 21.
Golden Gate Fields received allocated dates for thoroughbred racing from December 23, 2020, through June 15, 2021.
Los Alamitos received allocated dates for quarter horse racing from December 23, 2020, through December 21, 2021. Commissioner Mitchell made a point to advise Los Alamitos management that the CHRB will be looking for further improvement in quarter horse safety relative to the racing dates. This message was echoed by others during discussions of daytime thoroughbred and fair allocations given to Los Alamitos.
Watch & Wager received allocated harness racing dates at Cal Expo from December 23, 2020, through May 11, followed by a second meet from October 27 through December 21.
The Board approved the license application for the Los Angeles County Fair to run a race meet at Los Alamitos operating from December 4 through December 20. This day meet will run concurrently with night quarter horse racing at Los Alamitos. In conjunction with this license, the Board approved an agreement between the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the racing secretary at Los Alamitos regarding entry conditions limiting specific drug substances for entered horses.
The Board approved two regulatory amendments to limit the practice of some owners and trainers conditioning their horses at non-CHRB locations and then shipping them to operating meets shortly before their races into the care of trainers who have not been involved in the care of those horses, a practice known as program training. In addition to expressly forbidding program training, the Board voted to require all horses to be within a CHRB-licensed facility and in the care of a licensed trainer for at least seven days before a race.
Executive Director Scott Chaney reported that the CHRB's concerns about the proposed federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) have been communicated to legislators. A principal concern is that national standards, as called for in HISA, may actually be less strict than California's safety rules and protocols, which are the strictest in the nation.
Chairman Ferraro reported on the previous day's meeting of the Medication, Safety, and Welfare Committee. Dr. Francisco Uzal presented the annual CHRB/University of California, Davis, Postmortem Report, which is available on the CHRB website. Chairman Ferraro pointed out that 90 percent of the horses that have been examined in the Postmortem Program had pre-existing lesions. When he then reported on the next agenda item discussed by the committee – a proposal to clarify that official veterinarians may require diagnostic imaging before removing some horses from the Veterinarian's List – he said this should help identify those pre-existing lesions that contribute to equine fatalities. He said the committee also discussed the need to eliminate the use of thyroxine in horse racing, given that thyroid problems in young horses “are practically nil.” He reported that the committee supports a proposed elimination of a requirement for each track to receive a fire clearance just prior to each meet, as local fire authorities seldom visit racetracks that often. He said a one-year clearance from fire authorities should be sufficient. Dr. Arthur, the CHRB's equine medical director, reported at the committee meeting that California horse racing experienced 20 Class 1, 2, and 3 violations last year from more than 30,000 samples.
In a separate report, Dr. Arthur described the Postmortem Program and methods of tracking and reporting equine fatalities at facilities under the jurisdiction of the CHRB as consistent, complete, and transparent for over 30 years.
The Board approved for 45-day public notice a proposed regulatory amendment to eliminate the requirement for retention of syringes used to administer furosemide, or Lasix, to racehorses. Chairman Ferraro stated that because Lasix must be administered by regulatory personnel, never by private veterinarians, there is no chance of the syringes containing anything but the authorized bleeder medication.
The Board approved a regulatory amendment stipulating that the racing veterinarian is under the supervision of the official veterinarian.
Because the pandemic forced the cancelation of the Big Fresno Fair meet this year, the mandatory payout of carryover money in Pick 5 and Pick 6 pools at the fairs did not take place as scheduled. The Board authorized the fairs to distribute those carryovers on the final day of the 2021 Big Fresno Fair meet if there are no winning tickets beforehand.
Public comments made during the meeting can be accessed through the meeting audio archive on the CHRB website

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Pegasus Series Races To Offer Guaranteed Spots In Saudi Cup Day Events

The winners of four Graded races in the USA and Japan will be guaranteed spots in three Saudi Cup Day races, following an announcement made Friday by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA).

The Grade 1 $3m Pegasus World Cup, set to be run on dirt at Florida's Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, 2021, once again offers its winner a confirmed place in the $20m Saudi Cup starting gate.

In 2020 the Pegasus top spot was taken by Saudi owner HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khalid Al Saud's Mucho Gusto, trained by US Hall of Famer, Bob Baffert. A popular competitor among the home crowds at King Abdulaziz Racecourse during Saudi Cup week a month later, Mucho Gusto finished fourth in the big race under US-based jockey, Irad Ortiz, earning $1.5m for connections.

Taking the Saudi Cup's association with Gulfstream Park and the prestigious Pegasus Series one step further in 2021 is the addition of the Grade 1 $1m Pegasus World Cup Turf as a qualifying race for the $1m Middle Distance Turf Handicap on Saudi Cup Day.

In 2020 this became the first turf race to be staged in Saudi history and took place on the purpose-built grass track. The win went to Port Lions trained in Bahrain by Fawzi Nass and ridden by Dutchman, Adrie de Vries.

Tom Ryan, the JCSA's Director of Strategy and International Racing said: “The Pegasus races have consistently attracted the best horses in the USA since they were established in 2017 and this is exactly the caliber of runner we want to continue to welcome to Riyadh for Saudi Cup on both the dirt and turf tracks.

“Nurturing an ongoing alliance between the Saudi Cup and established races with global followings such as the Pegasus World Cup and Pegasus World Cup Turf is key to our continued growth and development on the international racing stage.”

Craig Fravel, CEO of Racing Operations, The Stronach Group, the company behind the Pegasus World Cup said: “The Stronach Group is delighted that the winners of the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series races will be invited to participate in Saudi Cup Day.

“In four short years, the Pegasus World Cup has become one of sport's most exciting experiences and one of Thoroughbred racing's most pivotal events, bringing together the world's best racehorses. Races like the Pegasus World Cup and Saudi Cup encourage international competition and promote our sport to fans across the globe.”

The JCSA has also worked with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to establish the Grade 1 $1.96m Champions Cup held over 1800m on dirt at Chukyo Racecourse on December 6, as a second qualifying race for the Saudi Cup.

In addition, the 1200m Grade 3 Capella Stakes, on December 13 at Nakayama Racecourse, which carries a purse of $703,000, has been announced as a qualifying race for the $1.5m Riyadh Dirt Sprint over the same distance on Saudi Cup Day.

Chrysoberyl_Trackwork_Saudi_Cup.jpg

Prominent Japanese trainer, Hideyuki Mori, who campaigned Full Flat to victory in the 2020 Saudi Derby on Saudi Cup Day welcomed the news: “It is exciting news to hear that Champions Cup and Capella Stakes are appointed as qualifying races for the Saudi Cup and the Riyadh Sprint,” he said. “It is the tendency that the rating of Japanese dirt horses are lower than turf horses and therefore we need these kind of races in Japan.

“I have just decided to withdraw Matera Sky from Breeders Cup to save him for the Riyadh Dirt Sprint and look forward to visiting Saudi again in February.”

Ryan said: “We are very excited to be able to announce these two high quality Japanese races as providing a guaranteed place to the Saudi Cup starting gate and the Riyadh Dirt Sprint respectively.

“The first two finishers in the 2019 Champions Cup, Chrysoberyl and Gold Dream came to Saudi Cup in 2020 proving an already established route for top class runners between the two races and the two jurisdictions.

“We are keen to encourage more international runners across all our races, not just the marquee Saudi Cup event, and so feel our association with this strong sprint in Japan is an important step for us as we build on the successes of year one.”

Adding to the international flavour across Saudi Cup weekend is the introduction of the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap, a race for horses from Part II and Part III racing countries as designated by the IFHA's Blue Book.

The Handicap will be held on Friday February 19, 2021, the day before Saudi Cup for horses rated 85-110.

“We are keen to provide as much interest and excitement across Saudi Cup weekend as possible for all our connections and also race fans,” said Ryan. “We had a good start in year one but we will continue looking at ways to evolve our race days and support worldwide horse racing. With the Saudi International Handicap we wanted to offer a global stage, to horses and connections that may not normally have this access, backed up by attractive prize money.”

The second renewal of Saudi Cup weekend will take place on Friday February 19 and Saturday February 20 2021 and the JCSA will announce any decisions regarding access to the event relating to Covid-19 restrictions at the earliest possible stage.

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Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Adds New Reforms To Platform

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition announced on Thursday the addition of eight medical and operational reforms to its platform in its latest move to ensure that equine and human athletes are racing under the safest and most transparent conditions possible. The Steering Committee, which is made up of executives from the Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Association, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Stronach Group, voted unanimously to adopt the reforms with the ultimate goal of uniform implementation across racing jurisdictions.

The Coalition also recently participated in the drafting of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and continues to fully support its passage, which would codify a standard set of rules and protocols to make racing safer and more transparent across state racing jurisdictions. In addition to the national legislation, the Coalition believes the work to advocate for these reforms at the state level must persist.

“As today's announcement and recent progress make clear, the Coalition's important work to ensure the wellbeing of our athletes has continued despite the challenging circumstances our industry and our nation have faced this year. The new reforms will go a long way toward increasing our collective ability to identify at-risk horses before they set foot on a track and protect the integrity of our sport,” said Coalition Strategic Advisor Donna Brothers.

The following reforms have been added to the Coalition's platform:

Strengthen race entry and eligibility requirements;
Work with state racing commissions to apply racing regulations surrounding prohibited substances and restrict selected therapeutic substances in proximity to high-speed works;
Prohibit the administration of external treatments, therapies and musculoskeletal manipulation within at least 24 hours of a race;
Work with state racing commissions to implement a clenbuterol prohibition in racing and training along with reporting/procedural requirements as outlined by the RMTC;
Strengthen requirements for removing horses from the Veterinarians' List;
Adopt a waiver claiming option for horses coming off an extended layoff;
Require implementation of an emergency track warning system; and
Modify racetrack on and off gaps to increase horse and rider safety.

“The industry must be wholly committed to horse safety and welfare in racing and training, and that includes the racing organizations,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at The Stronach Group. “These additional reforms codify the measures many tracks have already undertaken to best protect our horses.”

“The ability to work with my colleagues and counterparts at other Coalition tracks on a regular basis has enabled us to share best practices and build upon one another's experiences and findings related to Thoroughbred safety, which is evident in the reforms we announced today,” said Dr. Stuart Brown, Equine Safety Director at Keeneland. “This level of collaboration ensures that the uniform safety reforms that the Coalition is advocating for are proven and effective solutions.”

“The safety of our athletes must be everyone's top priority, and the adoption of uniform rules and standards reinforces our commitment to the wellbeing of our horses,” said Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director at Churchill Downs Incorporated. “As our respective organizations advocate for or, where applicable, use house rules to implement the Coalition reform platform, the collective culture of safety within our industry continues to grow.”

The Coalition's Advisory Committee members – the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), along with Industry Supporter members Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Stonestreet Farm and the University of Kentucky – supported the development of the reforms and will continue to be instrumental in the Coalition's efforts to advocate for their adoption at the regulatory level.

The Coalition Steering Committee continues to convene on a regular basis to discuss issues and ideas relating to equine safety and the integrity of the sport. These meetings bring together Thoroughbred racing's most prominent tracks and organizations in the U.S. in a manner that is unprecedented – but much needed – in the racing industry. The collaborative framework built by the Coalition has also enabled members to work together, in coordination with other stakeholders, to support the racing and local communities and to bring back live racing safely and responsibly amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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KHRC: Derby Day Samples Cleared, But One ‘Class C’ Positive Found In Oaks Day Sample

Post-race testing from the delayed Kentucky Oaks and Derby days at Churchill Downs (held on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, respectively) has been completed, according to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. A statement released by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet indicated that all samples from Derby day were cleared. However, the KHRC will be investigating a Class C medication which was found in one sample from Oaks day.

No specifics were given about the name of the horse, owner, or trainer involved in the positive, but a KHRC spokesperson told the Thoroughbred Daily News that results are expected in November.

“The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's official laboratory, Industrial Laboratories (Wheat Ridge, CO), has returned all post-race sample results from both the Kentucky Derby day and Kentucky Oaks day races,” the statement read. “The Derby day samples were 'cleared,' showing no irregularities. The Oaks day samples returned a finding for a class C medication in one (1) primary sample. The KHRC is following its regulatory process in conducting a follow-up investigation of this matter. Accordingly, the names involved will be released at the completion.”

Examples of Class C medications can be found here on the KHRC website.

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