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Napravnik Returns to Fair Grounds for Fourth Annual New Vocations Day at The Races

Retired jockey and horse advocate Rosie Napravnik will be on site at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to spearhead the fourth annual “New Vocations Day at the Races” Saturday.

A four-time local riding champion who was instrumental in the opening of the New Vocations facility in Covington, Louisiana, Napravnik will join host Joe Kristufek on the live feed during the racing day to help build awareness, promote success stories, and inspire donations for Thoroughbred aftercare.

“I am thrilled to be part of our fourth annual New Vocation's Day at the Fair Grounds!” Napravnik said. “The event has been a huge help in spreading awareness to our local horseman as to how New Vocations is aiding the Louisiana racing community. We hope to continue to raise funds and awareness so that we can help more horsemen and more horses!”

Recognizing the need for expanded Thoroughbred aftercare in Louisiana, Napravnik reached out to New Vocations, the largest racehorse adoption program in the country, in the fall of 2019. Held for the first time at Fair Grounds in 2021, the “New Vocations Day at the Races” has raised over $12,500 in unique donations from fans and people within the industry, including horsemen, horse owners, and jockeys.

“Moving into our fifth year, our Louisiana facility continues to thrive, and our team has done a wonderful job with each horse that has entered the program,” New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford said. “The continued support from the Louisiana HBPA has played a huge role in the facility's success. We are also seeing more and more local owners, breeders and trainers reach out to utilize our services as well as support our efforts. We are grateful to have the Fair Grounds hosting another New Vocations Day at the Races. We hope the event will continue to raise awareness about our Louisiana facility and the services we provide to the racing community.”

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Brook Smith Joins TDN Writer’s Room Podcast

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about Sierra Leone, how he got involved with Coolmore and his philanthropy. He was the Green Group Guest of the Week.

“I have had some good fortune and had a lot of great, amazing people around me,” he said. “But, for me to really enjoy something it has to have some kind of social component to it. I mean, what's the point otherwise? I started learning more about the backside learning center and realized the backside is the backbone of the racing industry. Those are the workers that get up early and they have a tough job. It's a tough duty. They have the business and the industry in their blood. And the budget that the Backside Learning Center had was kind of anemic, especially when you consider all the money that flows through the industry. So, when I sat down with a few of the folks there, I said there's got to be a program where the owners can and should contribute a percentage of their purses to elevate the foundation. I was looking at what the backside learning center's programing is, and how they ran their, their nonprofit. I thought this deserves, a few more logs on the fire. So we came up with this Purses for a Purpose.”

His association with Coolmore started when he invested in a business partially owned by Charlie Pearson, who is John Magnier's son-in-law. From there, Smith connected with the Coolmore team and that led to him owning a piece of Sierra Leone and Hall of Fame (Gun Runner), who was seventh in the Risen Star.

“They're great folks, good friends and we started doing some business together and have had success,” Smith said. “One thing led to another, and I was introduced to the Coolmore ecosystem. Their breeding, farming operation in Ireland is second to none. And they are just amazing people that are wildly successful. Somewhere along the way, they asked if I would you be interested in maybe becoming one of their partners? I thought, 'Wow, that's a great opportunity? Coolmore, they play at the top.'”

Sierra Leone is the first legitimate Kentucky Derby contender Smith has owned. How has he kept his feet on the ground?

“I'm just trying to have fun with it and enjoy it,” he said. “And I can use the opportunity to be a voice for places like Purses for a Purpose and maybe a few other non-profits. It's not just coveting the moment, but reveling in it and reveling in it with everybody involved. These things can change in a step. I'm just hopeful that the horse stays sound and healthy. He seems the type.”

During the stallion spotlight segments of the podcast, the crew sang the praises of Coolmore stallion Jack Christopher , who stands for $40,000, and the WinStar stallion Audible, who stands for $15,000.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Coolmore, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman reviewed the major races run last week, which included Sierra Leone's win in the Risen Star and the victory by Tarifa (Bernardini) in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes. The team looked back at the career of Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who had to be euthanized after getting cast in her stall. Moss and Cadman explained why they voted for her for champion female sprinter over Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper).

To watch the Writers' Room podcast video, click here. To listen to an audio version, click here.

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Champion Filly Just F Y I Leads 104 Nominations to Kentucky Oaks

George Krikorian's champion homebred Just F Y I (Justify) leads a cast of 104 3-year-old fillies that were nominated to compete in the 150th running of the $1.5-million GI Longines Kentucky Oaks Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Just F Y I joins 23 other stakes winners based across North America that were nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, including recent GII Rachel Alexandra S. winner Tarifa (Bernardini); GI Alcibiades S. winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}); and GII Golden Rod S. winner Intricate (Gun Runner).

The 104 fillies became eligible to compete in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks with a $200 payment that was due Saturday, Feb. 17. Three-year-old fillies not made eligible during the early nomination phase can become eligible with a $1,500 late payment due Wednesday, Apr. 10.

Krikorian's undefeated Just F Y I sits atop the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 40 points that she earned by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Frizette S. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Just F Y I is based this winter at Payson Park Training Center in South Florida where she continues to train toward her 3-year-old debut.

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Millionaire C Z Rocket Retired

C Z Rocket (City Zip-Successful Rocket, by Successful Appeal) has been retired from racing, according to trainer Peter Miller. The 10-year-old was last seen finishing sixth at Oaklawn Monday.

An $800,000 OBS juvenile purchase by Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher, C Z Rocket had lost 11 consecutive starts when he moved to Miller's barn in April of 2020 after he was claimed on behalf of Tom Kagele for $40,000 at Oaklawn. For his new connections, which subsequently included Altamira Racing and Madaket Stables, the Florida bred won 13 races, finished second nine times and was third on seven occasions from 46 starts, before retiring with earnings of $2,144,691.

Highlighting his victories, he annexed the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., GII Pat O'Brien and GIII Count Fleet S. in addition to finishing runner-up in two renewals of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, held at Keeneland in 2020 and 2022.

“One of the all-time great claims,” the California-based Miller said by phone Monday afternoon. “Made over $2 million, second in the Breeders' Cup twice and retires sound and happy. If that's not a success, I don't know what is.”

Third in his seasonal debut in a Santa Anita allowance Jan. 19, the bay was sixth facing starter allowance company in Hot Springs Feb. 19.

“The last thing I want to see is him get hurt,” Miller said. “He's very sound, but he's lost a step or two and now's the time.”

Miller said C Z Rocket's post-racing life could begin in a Kentucky equine retirement facility.

“If we can get him into Old Friends or Kentucky Horse Park, we'd do that,” Miller said. “And if not, we'll bring him home.”

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