Tag: The Biz

With Santa Anita Park set to host the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record 11th time on Nov. 3 & 4, Santa Anita's 19-day Autumn Meet will open on Friday, Sept. 29 and will provide fans and horsemen with a comprehensive stakes schedule that will include a total of 42 stakes, including 31 graded events, highlighted by 15 Grade 1's, with four stakes restricted to California-bred or sired horses.

Santa Anita will honor the late Sherwood Chillingworth, a longtime director with Santa Anita-based Oak Tree Racing Association, with the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs, on opening day, Sept. 29.

Legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye will again be honored with the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Along with the Eddie D, three other stakes, the Grade 1 Awesome Again, a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4; the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile, will all provide world class racing as horsemen prepare for the 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

World class racing will again be the order of the day on Sunday, Oct. 1, as a total of four stakes, the Grade 2 Zenyatta; the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship; the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup and the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes highlight day three of the 2023 Autumn Meet.

A total of three Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifiers will be run on Saturday, Oct. 7, headed by the Grade 1 American Pharoah; the Grade 2 Chandelier; the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive and the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes.

On Sunday, Oct. 8, Santa Anita will draw upon Southern California's surf culture, as a pair of one mile turf stakes will be offered for 2-year-olds, the Grade 3 Surfer Girl and the Grade 3 Zuma Beach.

In addition to five Breeders' Cup stakes on Friday, Nov. 3, California-bred or sired horses will share the big stage as both the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile and the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Filles will be run. Additionally on Nov. 3, Santa Anita will again honor the memory of California State Senator Ken Maddy as fillies and mares will go about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf in the $150,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes.

The Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter, will anchor the biggest day of racing in 2023 on Saturday, Nov. 3. Including the Classic, a total of 11 stakes will be run as Santa Anita Park will be the focus of the racing world.

On closing day, Sunday, Nov. 5, a pair of one mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, the Grade 2 Goldikova and the $100,000 Autumn Miss help to ensure a fitting close to what promises to be a tremendous 19-day Autumn Meet run.

The post Santa Anita To Honor Late Sherwood Chillingworth With Grade 3 During Autumn Stakes Schedule appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky Downs' Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup will be worth $1.7 million in 2023, with the winner earning more than $1 million if bred in Kentucky. Even horses that aren't registered Kentucky-breds will compete for $1.3 million, the winner of the 1 1/2-mile stakes making about $800,000.

In addition, four other stakes are being raised to $1 million to bring the total of seven-figure races to 11 at the all-turf FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. The most lucrative meet in North America — including the biggest maiden purses in the world at $150,000 for Kentucky-breds — runs Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13.

The Kentucky Turf Cup's $1.7 million purse includes $400,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF), which provides purse supplements to registered Kentucky-breds. The Turf Cup also is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, meaning its winner gets a fees-paid spot in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Santa Anita.

Outside the Breeders' Cup, the only turf race in America that could be worth more money also is at Kentucky Downs: the $2 million Mint Millions. As announced earlier, that Grade 3 mile stakes has a base purse of $1 million and another $1 million from the KTDF.

The four new $1 million stakes, each for 3-year-olds over Labor Day weekend, will see their purses boosted from $750,000 to $1 million. Of that, $600,000 will be the base purse for which every horse runs and the remaining $400,000 in KTDF supplements.

Getting those raises are the Grade 3 Music City Stakes for fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs and the Gun Runner at a mile on Saturday Sept. 2 and the Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby and the Dueling Grounds Oaks for fillies, both at 1 5/16 miles on Sunday Sept. 3. The hikes give the Sept. 2 card three races worth at least $1 million, highlighted by the Mint Millions.

Also offering $1 million purses are the Turf Sprint (G2), a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series' “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; Franklin-Simpson (G2), Ladies Sprint (G2), Ladies Turf (G3) and Ladies Marathon (G3). Those stakes join the Kentucky Turf Cup on the showcase Sept. 9 card.

“We want to provide horse owners a shot to where winning and even hitting the board goes a long way on the balance sheet in a challenging industry where the payoff more often is thrills than profit,” said Ron Winchell, co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs and The Mint Gaming Hall properties with Marc Falcone. “Getting these races up to $1 million — and more in a couple of cases — further stamps Kentucky as America's premiere racing circuit. And we know the vast majority of this purse money will be reinvested in the racing and breeding industries in Kentucky.

“This should grab people's attention, and we hope it pushes our four Grade 2 stakes over the finish line to be awarded Grade 1 status for 2024. This is important to us, and we thank our partners with the Kentucky HBPA and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for making it possible, along with the wisdom of the General Assembly, whose members understand that investing in such a labor-intensive industry is a huge investment in the state that pays dividends in jobs and economic development.”

Outside serving as a Breeders' Cup host, no track comes close to matching Kentucky Downs' lineup of million-dollar races.

“Think of that: the capability to run nine races worth a million dollars, one that's $1.7 million and another that's $2 million spread over a week and a half,” said Kentucky Downs' Vice President for Racing Ted Nicholson. “All of our nine graded stakes and two others are the most lucrative turf stakes for their respective divisions in the country and among the richest on the planet.

“We also want to attract horses like Aspen Grove, the Belmont Oaks winner, to Kentucky Downs. Irish-bred, such as she is, and all horses outside Kentucky-breds still race for $600,000 in the Dueling Grounds Oaks and the Grade 3 Ladies Marathon, as well as in all of our $1 million races. That by itself is the most any turf filly can race for in America before the Breeders' Cup.”

The post Kentucky Downs To Host 11 Stakes Worth $1 Million Or More In 2023 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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 The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)'s Racetrack Safety Program took effect on July 1, 2022, and in its first year of implementation has, for the first time in Thoroughbred racing's history, consistently enforced national equine safety and racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury.

“There is no doubt there is much work ahead of us, and our mandate has never been more critical, but we've seen important progress in the year since HISA first went into effect and I'm proud of the foundation we have laid for Thoroughbred racing's future across our country,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “We started from a blank piece of paper and the collaboration, patience and goodwill of the vast majority of racing participants have allowed us to undertake this monumental task and to continuously improve throughout our first year. I am confident that HISA will continue to usher in a fairer, safer, and more modern framework that seeks to ensure that all racing participants prioritize horse and jockey health and welfare above all else.”

In the year since HISA was first implemented:

• HISA launched and began successfully implementing both its Racetrack Safety Program (July 1, 2022) and its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program (May 22, 2023), establishing, for the first time, a national, uniform set of integrity and safety rules in the sport.
• Every Thoroughbred that races in the U.S. is required to be registered in a centralized database. More than 32,000 Covered Persons and 48,000 Covered Horses have been registered with HISA.
• In accordance with HISA's rules, every Thoroughbred is required to have a pre-race veterinary inspection every time it races, at any track. Veterinarians across the country have conducted more than 33,400 pre-race inspections since July 1, 2022.
• More than 1,000 veterinarians actively involved in the daily and specialized care of equine athletes are registered with HISA. On average, HISA receives close to 3,000 veterinary treatment reports each day.
• More than one million veterinary treatment records have been uploaded to HISA's portal. This kind of transformational data will be used to help identify horses at increased risk for injury and to inform future rulemaking.
• HISA has created a national vets list that places all horses unfit to compete on a comprehensive list that monitors Thoroughbreds throughout their careers and across the country.
• HISA has enacted a voided claims rule to allow a steward to cancel a claim if a horse is not completely sound after running a race, which deters entering a horse with any preexisting injuries.
• HISA has provided the industry with its first ever National Medical Director and dedicated Jockey Safety and Welfare Manager, both of whom work exclusively to enhance and expand safety programs for the sport's professional human athletes.
• HISA and the Jockeys' Guild have begun working together to explore the mental wellness challenges jockeys face and the resources that would be most helpful to address them.
• HISA has created a national Horsemen's Advisory Group which it regularly consults for feedback on the rules and their implementation across the country.
• Use of the crop in racing has fallen dramatically while stewards anecdotally have noted less rider interference in the stretch. From July to December 2022, crop rule violations occurred in 4 of every 1,000 starts, but that fell to 2.8 of every 1,000 starts in January to June 2023, indicating increasing compliance with the new crop rules.
• The HISA Portal has been integrated with four leading software platforms used by horsemen, with more coming soon, in order to help racing participants stay in compliance with the rules and simplify the records-keeping process.
• HISA has developed national data- and science-informed protocols previously absent in U.S. Thoroughbred racing, including a jockey concussion protocol.
• HISA has undertaken a comprehensive education initiative to keep racing participants informed of the rules, and has provided additional information via updates to hisaus.org, infographics, handbooks and instructional videos in English and Spanish available online and at racetracks.
• HISA and HIWU personnel have met with horsemen at all racetracks operating under HISA's jurisdiction to make formal presentations and directly answer questions.
• HISA's 24/7 help desk phone number (1-877-513-2919) and support@hisaus.org email address have fielded more than 51,000 calls and emails from industry participants since its launch last year, assisting racing participants in their efforts to learn and comply with HISA's new systems and rules.
• HISA's accreditation team will have completed ten official accreditation visits to racetracks by the end of this week to ensure their compliance with the Racetrack Safety rules. The on-site visits include best practice assessments and educational training regarding reporting requirements.
• 46 racetracks completed the initial Racetrack Safety Accreditation Audit as required by the Racetrack Safety Program.
• HISA and HIWU have launched an anonymous tip line to assist in the enforcement of both HISA's Racetrack Safety and ADMC Programs.
• As of July 2, HIWU has tested nearly 9,900 horses including post-race tests, out-of-competition tests, vets list tests and claimed horses since launching on May 22.
• HISA began compiling data from racetracks on a national scale which will be analyzed extensively with the goal of eventually predicting and preventing equine injury.

In the year ahead, HISA will:

• Complete open investigations into recent clusters of equine fatalities, inform the public of the results of those investigations and take forward any actionable learnings as operational priorities moving forward.
• Complete an ongoing review and revision process of the Racetrack Safety rules to amend and improve upon them, taking into effect constructive feedback from racing participants.

• Launch a national initiative to support jockey mental wellness, a first in the sport.

• Move forward with an in-depth study of furosemide as required by the HISA Act.
• Continue to integrate with racing software platforms to help racing participants remain in compliance with the rules and simplify the records-keeping process.
• Appoint a Continuing Education Manager to lead a new nationwide program to help racing participants better understand and comply with HISA regulations.
• Introduce a new national trainer's exam to help ensure trainers' understanding of and ability to comply with the rules.
• Visit at least 18 more tracks for accreditation purposes throughout the remainder of 2023.

HISA's programs are overseen by a dedicated team with more than 350 years of collective racing experience at racetracks, farms, state racing commissions and industry organizations. HISA's Board of Directors and Racetrack and ADMC Standing Committees are comprised of members from both inside and outside the racing industry. The nine industry members boast a combined 367 years of experience in Thoroughbred racing.

“HISA was given a clear mandate when Congress required that an independent regulatory body oversee safety and integrity in American Thoroughbred racing, and we've seen the considerable progress made in year one,” said HISA Board of Directors Chair Charles Scheeler. “HISA will continue to work diligently to fulfil that mandate, to protect horses and jockeys and to ensure a fair, clean sport.”

The post HISA’s Lazarus: ‘I’m Proud Of The Foundation We Have Laid For Thoroughbred Racing’s Future’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today joined Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, philanthropist John Hendrickson and representatives from Saratoga Hospital, the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) and the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association (NYTHA) for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Saratoga Backstretch Clinic at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Saratoga Backstretch Clinic will allow Saratoga Hospital and BEST to expand on the existing healthcare services offered to members of NYRA's backstretch community. Located just inside Gate 16, the backstretch clinic was constructed over the past year to replace a doublewide trailer that previously housed on-site healthcare services at Saratoga Race Course.

“The good that comes of projects like this one is incalculable, serving as a benchmark in our industry on how we take care of and provide amenities and access for the backstretch community,” said NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke. “This clinic is going to be indispensable in what it does for the well-being of the community. This will allow Saratoga Hospital and BEST to take this (clinic) to a world-class level and it's incredible.”

Mr. Hendrickson funded the construction of the backstretch healthcare clinic as a tribute to his late wife, Marylou Whitney. The opening of the building continues Mrs. Whitney and Mr. Hendrickson's long-running commitment to the backstretch community. Since Mrs. Whitney's death in 2019, Mr. Hendrickson has continued to lend his support to a variety of initiatives, including backstretch appreciation dinners, educational programs and other events.

Mr. Hendrickson said of the ground-breaking that “this is a really great day and I know Marylou is looking down and is extremely happy.”

“They say health care is the foundation of every community,” Mr. Hendrickson added. “This fantastic new facility will improve lives and save lives. The backstretch now has a state-of-the-art medical facility that they truly deserve. Marylou thought that Saratoga should be the summer place for everyone, especially for those who take care of our beloved thoroughbreds.”

The post NYRA Dedicates New Backstretch Healthcare Clinic At Saratoga Race Course appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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