Tag: The Biz

Two highly respected entities in Thoroughbred training and racing have announced they are joining forces: Pike Racing will be relocating its base of operation to Highlander Training Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas, effective July 1.

Owned by Al and Salley Pike, Pike Racing has become a fixture at the nation's most prominent sales of 2-year-olds in training, and their graduates have experienced conspicuous success in the sales ring and at the racetrack. In 2016, they sold their first million-dollar 2-year-old, an Uncle Mo filly later named Modest Maven. She's the dam of the stakes-winning Arctic Arrogance and the stakes-placed Overstep. In 2020, Pike Racing sold Shaaz for $1.1 million. At the most recent OBS March sale, the Pikes sold a Constitution colt for $625,000, and at the recent Texas auction of 2-year-olds, they had the sale-topper, a Tapwrit filly that brought $300,000.

Over the most recent four years, Pike Racing has sold more than $10.6 million in 2-year-olds, focusing on such auctions as OBS March, Fasig-Tipton Midlantic, and the Texas 2-year-old in-training sale.

Among Pike Racing's graduates have been three Kentucky Derby (G1) starters — Vyjack, who won the Gotham (G2), Jerome (G3), and Kelso (G2) while earning $1.4 million in his career; Vicar's In Trouble, who won the Louisiana Derby (G2( and Super Derby (G2) while earning more than $1.2 million; and Frammento, who earned more than $420,000. Mimi Kakushi, winner of the most recent UAE Oaks (G3), also received her earliest training with Pike Racing before selling for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale.

“I'm very excited about this,” Al Pike said, referring to the agreement to relocate his operation to the facilities at Highlander. A native Texan from Palestine, which is literally just down the road (Hwy. 19) from Highlander. Pike said he has been eager “to come back to Texas” for years. “Salley and I are both Texans, and it's great to be able to come home. I think this is going to work perfectly, for both Highlander and for us.”

Just as Pike Racing has risen dramatically in prominence in recent years, so too has the Highlander Training Center. Established in 2017 by owner Larry Hirsch, Highlander offers state-of-the-art facilities and a top team of horsemen, including resident trainers Shannon Ritter and Jon Newbold. Ritter leads Highlander's training of horses returning to the track after layoffs as well as HTC's Fitness & Therapy Center. Newbold heads up the breaking-to-race division of young horses at Highlander.

Last year also saw Highlander bring a major consignment to the Texas Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park, having the highest sales average of any consignor, and selling the sales topper. This year Highlander will return to the Texas Yearling Sale (August 28) at Lone Star Park with a major consignment.

“We see having Al and Salley base their 2-year-old in-training operation at Highlander as an exceptional opportunity for everyone involved,” said Jeff Hooper, chairman and CEO of Highlander. “We have fielded numerous requests from clients to add preparing horses for 2-year-old in-training sales to our operations. There is a market demand for premium service in this sector, and the opportunity to align with Al and Salley for them to base their operations here at Highlander was a perfect fit.

“This truly makes Highlander a full-service operation for horse owners and trainers seeking the highest level of horsemanship and customer service,” Hooper continued.

“Shannon (Ritter) is respected by her fellow trainers nationwide for her horsemanship skills and attention to detail. She has been a professional jockey, worked with top horses as a trainer at the track, and headed up the Therapy Center at WinStar Farm prior to coming to HTC. Jon Newbold has over 30 years of experiencing with the breaking and pre-training of young horses preparing them for a successful career at the track. Now with our relationship with Pike Racing, we can offer clients similar premium service when they participate in the country's top 2-year-old in-training sales,” said Hooper.

Describing Highlander as a first-class facility, Pike said, “We look forward to continuing our relationship with our existing clients, as well as getting to know new clients who would like to participate in the 2-year-old in-training sales with us. This represents a great opportunity for everyone.”

Highlander Training Center rests on 190 acres near Sulphur Springs, Texas, 80 miles east of Dallas. The facilities feature a newly remodeled five-furlong training track; a 1 3/8-mile turf gallop, a full fitness and therapy center, three state-of-the-art barns, 11 pastures and 16 paddocks and turn out pens.

The post Pike Racing To Relocate Operations To Highlander Training Center appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) community will Meet Up in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Thursday, Aug. 3. The gathering at Saratoga Race Course will feature New York horsewomen and provide attendees with an opportunity to network during morning training hours and at the races.

In addition to our Meet Up, the HRWS is partnering with the New York Race Track Chaplaincy and The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation to host a gathering for the women of Saratoga's backstretch community under the Marylou Whitney Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The HRWS will proudly match individual, tax-deductible contributions towards this Saratoga backstretch event to $1,500.

Tickets to the Aug. 3 HRWS Meet Up at Saratoga are limited and are now available for purchase here. Donations to the backstretch women's event can also be made via the EventBrite page.

HRWS Meet Up At Saratoga Event Details

On Aug. 3, attendees will gather on the track apron to watch training and network with various horsewomen, talk about their roles in the industry, and answer questions. A breakfast buffet on The Clubhouse Porch is available, but must be purchased separately from the HRWS ticket.

During the afternoon, attendees will reconvene at the racetrack for an afternoon of racing in the climate controlled Paddock Suite (“The Treehouse”), which features balcony views of the historic paddock. Special guests, including horsewomen and NYRA representatives, will be present throughout the afternoon and network with the group. More details will be available at www.womeninracingsummit.com as they are confirmed.

Founded in 2022, the Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) has grown into a movement gathering national attention. The inaugural multi-day summit at Santa Anita Park and subsequent events brought together people from all facets of the horse racing industry with the mission of connecting and empowering women in horse racing. We look forward to continuing to inspire Summit members to be trailblazers, build networks, meet new friends, foster deep discussions, and ultimately “engage, innovate and invest!”

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The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Dombek, age 53, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 47, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Alfred Atsus, age 47, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage, and interstate transportation of stolen property.

All four men were also charged with substantive counts of theft of major artwork and the concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage. Dombek was further charged with a substantive count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Five other individuals were charged by felony informations for the same conspiracy. They are Thomas Trotta, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Frank Tassiello, age 50, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Daryl Rinker, age 50, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Dawn Trotta, age 51, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Ralph Parry, age 45, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment and informations charge the nine with conspiring over a period of 20 years to break into multiple museums and other institutions to steal priceless works of art, sports memorabilia, and other objects. Those objects include the following:

• A Christy Mathewson jersey and two contracts signed by Mathewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania;
• “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania;
• Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques awarded to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey;
• Six (6) championship belts, including four awarded to Carmen Basilio and two awarded to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Canastota, New York;
• The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy awarded to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum, Fargo, North Dakota;
• The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey;
• Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth over $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York;
• Five (5) trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy [won by Hampton Stable's Africander], stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, New York; [For more on the other trophies stolen, click here.]
• Eleven (11) trophies, including 4 awarded to Art Wall, Jr. stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania;
• Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000 stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;
• An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, Pennsylvania,
• “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, and two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor, Ringwood, New Jersey;
• $400,000 worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
• Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin, New Jersey;
• An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey;
• Various jewelry, and other items from multiple antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.

The indictment and informations further allege that after stealing the above-described items, the conspirators transported the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melted the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators sold the raw metal to other individuals in the New York City area for hundreds or thousands of dollars, but significantly less than the stolen items would be worth at fair market value.

The indictment and informations further allege that Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, valued at approximately $500,000, to avoid the recovery of the painting by investigators for use as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Wyoming Regional Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milford Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey), the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor's Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney's Office (New York), and the Madison County District Attorney's Office (New York). Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the conspiracy count is five years imprisonment, and for each of the other offenses is ten years' imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments and Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

The post Nine Charged With Conspiracy To Steal Major Artworks, Sports Memorabilia, Including 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Stewards at Gulfstream Park in Florida have dismissed an administrative complaint filed earlier this year against Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher after a split sample test failed to confirm the original finding of a medication violation.

Six Minus, an English Channel gelding racing for Repole Stable, Todd Pletcher, and J.J. Pletcher, was found by the state's official testing laboratory at the University of Florida to have elevated levels of two anti-inflammatories in his system, ketoprofen and phenylbutazone, following an allowance/optional claiming race win on the Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3.

It is a violation of Florida medication regulations to have more than one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication present above certain levels, a practice commonly known as “stacking.” According to the original complaint, Six Minus had a ketoprofen level of 2.49 nanograms per milliliter and a phenylbutazone level of 0.967 micrograms/milliliter. When more than one anti-inflammatory is used, Florida has cutoff levels of 1 ng/ml for ketoprofen and 0.3 micrograms/milliliter for phenylbutazone.

Pletcher requested a split sample be sent to Texas A&M University, which reported its results back to the Florida Gaming Control Commission on June 2. According to a stewards ruling dated June 3, “Ketoprofen was not detected in the sample by LC-MS (liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry). The phenylbutazone results are inconclusive.”

Under Florida statute, the ruling added, “If the division laboratory's findings are not confirmed by the independent laboratory, no further administrative or disciplinary action under this section may be pursued.”

Pletcher has stewards hearings pending on two other alleged violations in Florida, both from Dec. 10, 2022.

All three cases preceded the installation of national regulations under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. The two labs involved in this complaint at the University of Florida and Texas A&M are not among the labs contracted to do testing for HISA and its affiliate, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit.

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