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Turf Paradise, Arizona HBPA Agree To 84-Day Meet In 2021

Turf Paradise and the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA) have agreed to resume live racing at the Phoenix-based oval with an 84-day meeting running from Jan. 2 through May 1, 2021.

The meet will run on a five-day a week schedule, Saturday thru Wednesday. Horsemen can arrive Nov. 19 for stall preparations and then bring horses into the stable area Nov. 25. Training will begin Dec. 2.

Following months of negotiations between the AZHBPA and Turf Paradise management, following a March 14 cancellation of the live meet in progress due to the Coronavirus, the two sides were able to craft a 26-point agreement. The forum for on-going discussions between the two sides was provided by Rudy Casillas, the Director for the Division of Racing, the state's regulatory body for the sport.

In a letter penned by Casillas and addressed to Bob Hutton, President of the AZHBPA and Jerry Simms, the owner of Turf Paradise, he said: “Many thanks to both of you for finally reaching terms to allow for the racing industry to move forward. The Licensees and horseracing patrons will be pleased.”

“The AZHBPA is all about live racing,” said Hutton. “The AZHBPA is enthusiastic to help provide the opportunity for horsemen to race close to home and be with their families. Racing close to home will help eliminate unnecessary travel expenses and financial anxiety for our members.”

“We're happy for our horsemen that they're going to be racing,” said Simms. “Unfortunately we still have to deal with Covid-19, and we will. We thank Rudy Casillas for bringing us together and getting this done.”

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Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act: A Standardbred Supporter’s Practical View

There has been much publicity about the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 (HISA). As a United States Trotting Association (USTA) director and active participant in the racing side of the business as an owner and a driver, and also as an executive in a business that touches upon both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing, I have paid close attention to the long-term efforts by both breed organizations to get uniform rules and uniform enforcement along with the creation of disincentives for participants to cheat.

In sum, all of these efforts have failed. Focusing on harness racing, my true passion, anyone who does not believe that the industry is experiencing rampant cheating is living in a dream world. Cheating occurs at a variety of levels, but I will focus on cheating that involves medication, which affects all facets of the business.

HISA has been passed by the House of Representatives in a unanimous (voice) vote, and it is extremely likely it will have a similar outcome in the Senate. No matter where we as harness racing supporters stand on the legislation, it is time to accept it, look at its potential benefits, and work hard to get as much representation as possible and as loud a voice as possible for our Standardbreds. Recent letters by Russell Williams and Joe Faraldo, the USTA's president and chairman, respectively, were not very cordial with regard to their Thoroughbred counterparts. They threw some pretty sharp daggers, perhaps some deserved, but for sure not all. With regard to comments about coming to the table, I know first-hand that at least on one occasion, it was the USTA that put forth ultimatums in order to even sit down.

Nevertheless, all of that is water under the bridge at this point, as are the monies spent by the USTA to fight the bill. In business, we call these sunk costs and fretting whether or not it made sense to spend the money will bear no fruit. What makes sense is to look at life under the legislation and to extend an olive branch to its supporters and try to reap the benefits of the bill, even though it might fall short of a utopian situation for harness racing.

I personally know a number of the key figures involved. I have nothing but respect for the skills and intellect of Joe Faraldo and Russell Williams. I also know that Jim Gagliano (president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club) is a very reasonable man. And while I don't personally know Meadowlands racetrack owner Jeff Gural, I do believe that he is genuinely interested in bringing better integrity to our game. I also know with 100% certainty that all four of these men have this in common – so things start with much common ground. And while the USTA clearly lost the “war” over the legislation, I do not believe that the supporters have any inclination to stick it to the USTA. In fact, I believe quite the contrary; they would support different rules for breeds that have profound differences in how they race. But to get to that point, the USTA must make the proper overtures to work together now within the confines of the legislation.

Medication (and other abuse-related) reform is badly needed in our game. Cheating abounds in harness racing, a great deal of that falling within the spectrum of medication abuse. Most state racing commissions have done a terrible job in weeding out cheaters and horse abusers. I base that on what I have seen with my own eyes and countless written accounts of cheaters being allowed to continue to participate. And the failure is not just at the level of the commissions, but also at the track level, where known paper trainers or “beards” abound and other violations take place, where asserting private property rights, even with due process, could be exercised to exorcise the problems. But most tracks choose to look the other way. This goes on at nearly every harness track in the country.

Therefore, I urge Russell Williams and Joe Faraldo to reconsider their position and lead the membership in a pivoted direction given likely enactment of this legislation. There is still time to sit down with the key supporters of the bill, before or after its passage and influence its direction with regard to Standardbred racing. I further ask that they put aside any personal issues with others that may be on the opposite side of this debate and view this with the great practicality and professionalism that I know both are capable of, no matter how they might perceive various supporters to behave – in other words, take the highest road. I encourage them to rethink the cost-benefit of any further spending in opposition to the bill before or after its inevitable passage and embrace the possible positive outcomes the bill could mean for harness racing. Furthermore, I encourage them to do their best to exert whatever influence they might have so that our Standardbreds can get the most favorable treatment possible if our breed ever becomes subject to this legislation.

David Siegel is a USTA board member from District 3. He is a Standardbred horse owner and a professional harness driver with over 500 wins. He is also the president of TrackMaster. TrackMaster is a longstanding partner of the USTA for the development and distribution of electronic harness racing handicapping information, automated morning lines, and horse ratings used for race classification. TrackMaster is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equibase Company. Equibase Company is a partnership of The Jockey Club and the TRA (Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America), whose diverse membership includes ownership entities of both thoroughbred and harness tracks. The views he expressed here are his own.

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Justify, Hoppertunity Disqualification Hearings Should Be Held, California Judge Rules

The connections of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and Grade 1 winner Hoppertunity on Thursday were thwarted in their attempt to stave off an Oct. 29 hearing before California Horse Racing Board stewards concerning possible disqualification from April 2018 victories by the two horses at Santa Anita Park because of failed drug tests.

Both horses tested positive for the banned substance scopolamine: Justify, after his win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby; and Hoppertunity in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant denied an application for a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, and Starlight Racing, the owners of Justify, and Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the owners of Hoppertunity. Trainer Bob Baffert and jockeys Mike Smith and Flavien Prat were also named as petitioners in the case.

Earlier this year, the CHRB settled a lawsuit filed by Mick Ruis, owner of Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro, conditional on the stewards conducting a hearing into Justify's positive drug test. The case was not pursued in 2018 after CHRB members voted unanimously in closed-door executive session – upon the recommendation of equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur and then-CHRB executive director Rick Baedekr – not to file complaints. Arthur and Baedeker had investigated the cases and concluded the positive tests were a result of hay contaminated with jimson weed.

Ruis filed suit after learning of the CHRB's actions from a 2019 report in the New York Times.

Attorneys for the connections of the two horses argued that the CHRB was violating government code by reopening a case more than two years after the fact. Attorneys for the state said the petitioners were premature in seeking judicial review because the cases had not yet gone through the administrative process (i.e., a stewards hearing).

“At this hearing, the parties will have the opportunity to present evidence and make argument,” the state said in its opposition to the restraining order. “After the hearing, the Board of Stewards will render a decision. The decision by the Board of Stewards could be in favor of Petitioners or could be against Petitioners. If Petitioners take issue with the decision by the Board of Stewards following the Oct. 29, 2020, hearing, they can file a petition for writ of mandate. … Instead of following the procedures set forth by California law, Petitioners want this court to prematurely intervene and short-circuit the administrative processes of the CHRB.”

Darrell Vienna, an attorney for Ruis, issued a statement after the ruling that stated: “We are pleased that Judge Chalfant saw through this flimsy attempt to delay or avoid a long overdue and proper treatment of the positive tests involving these two horses.”

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NYRA Releases 2020-2021 Aqueduct Winter, Spring Meet Stakes Schedules

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the race dates and stakes schedule for the 2020-21 winter and spring meets at Aqueduct Racetrack.

In addition, NYRA announces that the purse increases now in effect across a number of categories at the Belmont Park fall meet will be extended to the fall, winter and spring meets at Aqueduct.

Purses for open claiming and maiden claiming races at NYRA are the highest in the country, providing opportunities for horsemen at all levels. The open $25,000 claiming category will see a $4,000 increase to $50,000, while the $40,000 maiden-claiming condition will now offer a purse of $43,000.

“NYRA is pleased to be able extend these significant purse increases to our upcoming Aqueduct meets as part of NYRA's commitment to year-round racing,” said Martin Panza, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “Aqueduct plays a vital role within the overall ecosystem of New York racing, and we look forward to our return to the Big A.”

New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) President Joe Appelbaum expressed his support for the upcoming Aqueduct schedule and attendant purse increases.

“Over the last several months, the NYTHA Board and management team has been working with NYRA to ensure year-round racing has a solid foundation, both in terms of racing opportunities and the purses that fuel our thoroughbred economy”, said Appelbaum. “This plan is a big step in that direction. Aqueduct is going to be a great spot for horsemen to race.”

With 42 stakes races on offer worth $4.57 million in purses, the 56-day winter meet begins Thursday, Dec. 10, and runs through Sunday, March 28. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday through Sunday until the end of February with a holiday break set for Dec. 24 – 27 and the addition of special Monday cards on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Feb. 15 for Presidents' Day.

Live racing in March will be offered Friday through Sunday through the conclusion of the winter meet on March 28.

The December winter meet calendar will feature a trio of $100,000 stakes races at nine furlongs on the main track, including the Alex M. Robb on December 12 for New York-breds 3-years-old and up; the Bay Ridge on December 13 for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Queens County on December 19 for 3-years-old and up.

January racing will open on New Year's Day with the one-mile $150,000 Jerome, the first of three Kentucky Derby prep races at the Big A winter meet. The Jerome will offer 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday card, marking the birthday of the late civil rights leader, is slated for Monday, Jan. 18 and features the $100,000 Interborough for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. There will be no live racing on Thursday, Jan. 14 to accommodate the special holiday card.

The nine-furlong $100,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies on Jan. 24 will provide 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top four finishers. The winter meet graded stakes calendar will open with the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on Jan. 30.

New York's road to the Kentucky Derby continues at the Big A winter meet with the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 6, offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers. The Monday, Feb. 15 President's Day Card will be highlighted by the $100,000 Hollie Hughes, a six-furlong sprint for New York-breds 4-years-old and up. There will be no live racing on Thursday, Feb. 11 to accommodate the Presidents' Day card.

A total of 12 racing cards are set for March, featuring eight stakes, including two graded events. The centerpiece of the March racing calendar is the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 6, which provides 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers. The Gotham day card includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs; the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; and the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up.

On its final weekend, the 56-day winter meet will showcase a 10-stakes card on New York Claiming Championship Day, Saturday, March 27 and the $100,000 East View on Sunday, March 28.

Throughout the 2020-21 Aqueduct winter meet, the trainer of any horse who finishes fourth through last in a race will receive a $300 credit towards an insurance escrow account in the trainer's name with the horseman's bookkeeper. The horse must be an official starter and finish the race. This money can only be used to make New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund [NYJICF] payments. These funds cannot be withdrawn by trainers. Monies not used by the end of 2021 will refund to the purse account.

The 11-day 2021 Big A spring meet will run Thursday, April 1 through Sunday, April 18 with live racing returning to a Thursday to Sunday schedule. The 2020 spring meet will include 13 stakes worth $2.7 million in purses highlighted by the 96th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on Saturday, April 3.

Opening Weekend of the spring meet will offer six graded races in total beginning on Friday, April 2 with the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff at seven furlongs for older fillies and mares.

Wood Memorial day on Saturday, April 3 features the first Grade 1 of 2021 on the NYRA circuit in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The stakes-laden day is headlined by the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Bolstering the lucrative Wood Memorial day card are a trio of Grade 3 races, including the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Excelsior at nine furlongs for older horses.

Closing weekend of the Big A spring meet offers the $200,000 NYSSS Times Square at 6 ½-furlongs for sophomore state-breds and the $100,000 Woodhaven for sophomore turf routers on April 18. The 11-day spring meet will conclude on Sunday, April 19 with the $200,000 NYSSS Park Avenue at 6 ½-furlongs for sophomore filly New York-breds and the $100,000 Memories of Silver for sophomore filly turf routers.

As previously announced, the 18-day Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet, offering 29 stakes, including 11 graded events worth $3.41 million in purses, will begin off on Friday, November 6 and run through Sunday, Dec. 6.

The Aqueduct fall meet is highlighted by the 32nd renewal of the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday, Dec. 5.

For additional information, visit NYRA.com.

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