thoroughbred | Horse Racing Free Tips

Retama Park Training Center To Open Dec. 1

Retama Park, located near San Antonio in Selma, TX, will open in training center mode on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 and continue through Thursday, April 15, 2021.

Stalls are available at $8 per stall per day, with the opportunity for a 10 percent discount for payments made on time. Walkers and dorm rooms are available for an additional fee. The main dirt track will be open five days week, Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. The starting gate will be set on those days from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Official workouts are available at no additional charge to horses stabled on the grounds. Ship-ins will pay a $20 daily fee for use of the track for workouts or any other purpose. Quarter Horse schooling races will be scheduled in February and early March 2021.

Retama Park is approximately a three-hour drive to Sam Houston Race Park for horsemen interested in participating at that track's 2021 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meets.

The Stall Application and Track Utilization Terms and Conditions are available in the horsemen section of the Retama Park website, at https://www.retamapark.com/racing/horsemen. For more information, see the Stall Application or call the race office at 210-651-7043.

Retama Park's 2021 live QH meet begins on Thursday, June 24 and goes through Saturday, Aug. 7 for a total of 20 days.

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Cry Wolf: Are Domesticated Horses Less Fearful Of Predators?

A study out of Poland sought to determine if domesticated horses responded to predators they have never encountered the same way their wild ancestors did: by fleeing. The research team hypothesized that horses would express anxiety when exposed to vocalizations of predators and that horses with Thoroughbred breeding would be more responsive to the cues as they are known for their sensitive nature.

Drs. Iwona Janczarek, Anna Stachurska, Witold Kędzierski, Anna Wiśniewska, Magdalena Ryżak and Agata Kozioł used 19 Polish horses in the study and concluded that the horses reacted more strongly to the growl of a leopard than the howl of a wolf, though they were unfamiliar with either predator. The scientists report that this may indicate that the horse is more afraid of a sound from an unknown predator that one known to their ancestors. The behavioral responses of the horses were less distinct then the physiological changes, the team noted.

The horses used in the study were between 6 and 10 years old; they were divided into three groups based on the amount of Thoroughbred in their pedigree: Six horses were 75 percent Thoroughbred; seven were half-Thoroughbred; and six were 25 percent Thoroughbred.

Individually, the horses listened to recordings of the gray wolf howling and a leopard growling for five minutes. The study team monitored salivary cortisol levels of the horses 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the conclusion of the vocalizations. Each horse's heart rate was continually monitored through the test.

The study team hypothesized that the horses with more Thoroughbred in their breeding would react more strongly to the vocalizations since Thoroughbreds are known for their sensitivity. They were correct: the horses with more Thoroughbreds in their pedigree had stronger internal reaction to the predator's vocalizations. This suggests that the response is partially genetically coded and that the horses were more interested in the sounds rather than frightened by them.

This may also indicate that horses that are handled and trained by humans may be able to manage their emotions. Domesticated animals may not be able to coexist with predators like wolves being reintroduced into their environment and care should be taken to protect them.

Read the article here.

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Accredits 34 Organizations

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance announced Tuesday that 34 Thoroughbred aftercare organizations have been awarded accreditation.

The 34 organizations include 26 previously accredited organizations and eight that received accreditation for the first time. The TAA, the only accrediting body in Thoroughbred aftercare, now has a network of 81 organizations with approximately 170 facilities in North America.

“We congratulate the aftercare organizations that earned TAA accreditation this year, including the new organizations joining the TAA roster,” TAA President John Phillips said.

“We are proud to have a total of 81 accredited organizations across North America representing the gold standard in Thoroughbred aftercare. As our list of organizations receiving TAA funding increases, we ask industry participants to continue to support the TAA
as we in turn fund these amazing accredited aftercare organizations and their 170 facilities.”

The 34 organizations earning accreditation this year are: After the Races; Bright Futures Farm; CANTER Kentucky; Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare; Center for Racehorse Retraining; Central Kentucky Riding for Hope; Down the Stretch Ranch; Equine Advocates; Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation; Final Furlong; Friends of Ferdinand; Galloping Out; Harmony and Hope Horse Haven; Healing Arenas; Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue; Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds; Hope's Legacy Equine Rescue; Illinois Equine Humane Center; L.A. Pet Rescue; Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester; Mitchell Farm Equine Retirement; NEER North; Out Side In; R.A.C.E Fund; Remember Me Rescue; RVR Horse Rescue; Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement; Second Chance Thoroughbreds; The Foxie G. Foundation; The Susan S. Donaldson Foundation, Mereworth Farm; This Old Horse; Thoroughbred Retirement Network of Louisiana; Thoroughbred Retirement, Rehabilitation, and Careers (TRRAC); and War Horses at Rose Bower.

TAA-accredited organizations undergo a thorough application and inspection process prior to accreditation being awarded to ensure they meet the TAA's Code of Standards, which covers five key areas: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Facility inspections are conducted at all facilities housing Thoroughbreds for each organization. Ongoing updates and re-inspections are required of all organizations as a condition of TAA accreditation.

All organizations that hold TAA accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants to support the care of their Thoroughbreds. Grant applications are currently being reviewed and the total grant amount awarded by the TAA will be announced this month. Since 2012, the TAA has awarded $17.2 million to accredited organizations.

The full list of 81 organizations, information about the accreditation process, and TAA's Code of Standards can be found on
ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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Oisin Murphy Crowned Britain’s Champion Jockey For Second Straight Year

Oisin Murphy signed off his British racing campaign with a double at Southwell Racecourse on Tuesday, Nov. 3 and it has proved enough to win him a second jockey's title.

The 25-year-old Irishman finishes the season on 142 winners, maintaining a healthy lead over his closest challenger William Buick until the very end.

On winning a second successive Champion Flat Jockey title, Murphy said: “I'm incredibly proud to have won a second Champion Jockey title and I'm extremely thankful for the team around me that have enabled me to do so – my agent, manager, driver, form-man, and family.

“It's huge to win two jockeys' championships in two years and beyond my wildest dreams. I tried my absolute best to do so and thank you to everyone who has helped along the way.

“I'm particularly proud of my strike rate for Andrew Balding. Sheikh Fahad allowed me to go wherever I wanted to and for that I must thank him and all the team at Qatar Racing too.”

Amongst his 142 wins, Oisin Murphy claimed his maiden Classic success when securing the QIPCO 2000 Guineas with Kameko in a scintillating performance.

In total, Murphy claimed seven UK Group wins this season and earned over £2.2 million in prize money. His top performing racecourse has been Kempton Park where he has enjoyed 16 wins.

Amongst the personal milestones achieved by jockeys this season, Murphy claimed his 1000th British winner Perfect Sign at Southwell Racecourse.

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