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Commission Approves Monmouth’s Request To Pay Purses Before Post-Race Results Come Back

Purses at Monmouth Park haven't been paid out for nearly the entire meet, which began on July 3, due to logjams at the Truesdail laboratory in California which have delayed the analysis of post-race tests. On Monday, Darby Development chairman and CEO Dennis Drazin told drf.com that the New Jersey Racing Commission had approved a request for Monmouth to pay out purses on races at least 11 days old, even without the post-race test results.

New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy still needs to sign the commission's order for the policy to go into effect, but Drazin said he expects the governor to do so within the next 48 hours.

“We're hopeful this will all get expedited, and we think we'll be able to issue those payments starting Wednesday or Thursday,” Drazin told drf.com.

Thoroughbred Owners And Breeders Association To Host Virtual Awards Ceremony On Sept. 26

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced today that the 35th annual TOBA National Awards will be held virtually from Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Hosted by Gabby Gaudet, the awards are open to the public to watch online at TOBA's Facebook page and at TOBA.org/2020Awards.

The TOBA National Awards honor breeders from 20 states and Canada. Also recognized are the National Owner of the Year and National Owner Finalists, National Breeder of the Year, Small Breeder of the Year, National Broodmare of the Year, Racing Partnership of the Year, Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year, Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, Industry Service Award and recipient of the Robert N. Clay Award.

“The TOBA National Awards presentation is a very important event to our industry, as it recognizes outstanding achievements by owners and breeders in 2019,” said Dan Metzger, president of TOBA. “With the health pandemic upsetting our everyday lives, we are committed to honoring the best in our sport with a virtual broadcast of the TOBA National Awards. We are very grateful to John Sikura for his support and welcoming us to historic Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. The support of our sponsors and advertisers has been overwhelming and we look forward to a unique and special evening on September 26.”

The TOBA National Awards are sponsored by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Angeon Group, Limestone Bank, Stonestreet Farm, National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, The Jockey Club Information Systems, John Deere and National Thoroughbred Racing Association. For sponsorship opportunities email Meredith Downey at mdowney@toba.org.

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NYRA Will Allow Potts To Continue Racing, Pending Regulatory Investigation

The New York Racing Association issued the following statement on Saturday afternoon concerning trainer Wayne Potts, who earlier this week was told by the Maryland Jockey Club to vacate his stalls at Laurel Park over allegations that he had started horses in his name that were being conditioned by Marcus Vitali at a private training center in New Jersey. Vitali's one-year suspension from Delaware Park stewards for interfering and impeding with an investigation recently ended.

Maryland Jockey Club president Sal Sinatra said the racing office at Laurel would not take entries from Potts and that his name was on a list at Charles Town, Parx Racing and Delaware Park and was not permitted to run horses at those facilities. The allegations by the Maryland Jockey Club were presented in a Paulick Report article published Aug. 20.

The NYRA statement reads:

Wayne Potts is a licensed trainer in the state of New York with full rights to participate in thoroughbred racing at tracks in the state. No regulatory body in any state or jurisdiction has acted against Potts in a way that would trigger a reciprocal suspension in New York. As such, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is presently accepting entries from Potts at NYRA tracks, including Saratoga Race Course.

“NYRA is aware of the allegations publicly leveled against Wayne Potts earlier this week,” said Martin Panza, NYRA SVP of Racing Operations. “These allegations must be thoroughly investigated and adjudicated by the relevant regulatory agencies in order to provide due process to this trainer or any trainer in question. NYRA will take additional actions only as warranted by the facts developed and presented by regulators.”

Prior to accepting any entry from Potts, NYRA reviews the individual circumstances and movements of the horse with heightened scrutiny to ensure that each horse is only under the direct care of Potts.

“Transparency and accountability for owners and trainers is critical for our sport,” said Joe Appelbaum, President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “When the hard questions on integrity arise, it's imperative that we have full investigations and open hearings. This is how we develop confidence in the system.”

Potts is the trainer of three starters at the 2020 Saratoga summer meet including American Sailor, who was elevated to first in the Grade 3 Troy on August 8; Hoffenheim, who ran on August 19; and Our Destiny, who won a maiden special weight on Friday, August 21. Potts' lone additional NYRA starter in 2020 is Runabout, who finished second in a February 14 claiming race at Aqueduct Racetrack.

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CHRB: Medical Director Issues Heat-Stress Memo, Santa Anita Approved To Delay Meet Start

The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting by teleconference on Thursday, August 20. The public participated by dialing into the teleconference and/or listening through the audio webcast link on the CHRB website. Vice Chairman Oscar Gonzales chaired the meeting, joined by Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, 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:

Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director, helped open the meeting with a discussion of the current heat wave in California and its effect on racehorses. Dr. Arthur explained that temperatures alone do not determine whether it is safe for horses to compete. He described the Heat Stress Index (HSI) as a more accurate method. He sent a memo this week to horsemen, track management, stewards, and veterinarians reminding them of how to use HSI and when to undertake heat-stress mitigation steps. That memo is posted on the CHRB website under Racing Safety.
The Board approved the license application for the Los Angeles Turf Club (LATC) to conduct a race meet at Santa Anita Park, with racing commencing Saturday, September 19, through Sunday, October 25. Aiden Butler, director of racing at Santa Anita, said although racing concludes September 7 at Del Mar, Santa Anita will be delaying the start of its meet by more than a week to give horses a rest and to ensure that all COVID-19 protocols are in place.
Concerning that meet at Santa Anita, the Board approved an agreement between LATC and the Thoroughbred Owners of California authorizing the racing secretary to set conditions on races, which will include limitations on Lasix and intra-articular medications.
Vice Chair Gonzales and Commissioner Mitchell reported on their Wednesday teleconference meeting of the Race Dates Committee. They indicated there is general agreement among stakeholders for 2021 date allocations, aside from a week here and there. If there is no agreement on those weeks, the committee will make a recommendation in the best interests of the racing industry at the September 24 meeting.
The Board authorized an exemption for fire clearance approval at Los Alamitos and an extension for such approval at San Luis Rey Downs training center based on evidence that both had clearances from local fire authorities, so the allowances only pertained to additional regulatory requirements.
The Board approved for 45-day public notice a proposed regulation establishing rules for public participation at meetings, which largely reflect the procedures that currently are in place, including limiting unsolicited speakers to two minutes each on agenda items.
The Board approved a requirement for practicing veterinarians to use an electronic on-line form prescribed by the Board when submitting their required veterinarian reports to the Official Veterinarian.
The Board approved an emergency amendment to better align CHRB drug classifications with those of the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
The Board approved the re-election of three directors to the board of the California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Foundation: Angie Carmona, Dr. Victor Levine, and Eric Sindler.
The Board authorized Fasig-Tipton Co. to conduct a horse auction sale at Fairplex Park on October 19.

Public comments made during the meeting can be accessed through the meeting audio archive on the CHRB website.

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