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Covid Testing Available at Belmont This Weekend

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Friday that it is collaborating with Quest Diagnostics to provide COVID-19 testing this Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park, where a limited number of spectators will return to the track for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Quest Diagnostics Mobile Testing Unit will offer COVID-19 antigen tests, which return a result within 30 minutes. On both Saturday and Sunday, tests will be offered to spectators for $30. The Quest Diagnostics Mobile Testing Unit will be located near the Orange Parking Lot.

“COVID-19 testing is a powerful tool for providing insights that can foster safer environments. We commend the New York Racing Association for implementing this innovative program, which will benefit New Yorkers while providing a model other states can emulate to re-ignite their local economies,” said Cathy Doherty, Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Clinical Franchise Solutions and Marketing, Quest Diagnostics.

In accordance with New York State requirements, spectators must purchase track admission in advance and adhere to strict health and safety protocols designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

In order to enter Belmont Park, in accordance with New York State requirements, all ticketed spectators must submit proof of a completed vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.

Ticketed spectators may submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result by presenting a physical copy of the test result or digitally through the New York State Excelsior Pass.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Churchill Employees Union Threatening Derby Day Strike

Local 541, the racetrack employees union that includes Churchill Downs valets, has threatened this week to strike over a wage and contract dispute.

A press release sent on behalf of the group Friday said that, “With less than 24 hours until the 147th Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Incorporated failed to attend a meeting early this morning to, once and for all, finalize a contract with its valets and avoid major disruptions at the Derby. The governor and mediator were notified of the meeting last night; even still, the valets were once [again] met with radio silence by their employer.”

The Greater Louisville Central Labor Council was expected to take part in a leafleting action Friday afternoon to “preview a potential Derby with valets and parimutuels on strike.”

A statement attributed to valet Ron Shelton was issued later in the day Friday: “Churchill Downs' offer to meet next week is unacceptable and insulting, especially when they canceled our last meeting abruptly and refused to acknowledge our offer to finalize a deal. The biggest day of the year is tomorrow, and Churchill Downs is suggesting we work under a substandard contract so they can drive up their profits.

Churchill Downs made over a billion dollars last year and paid its CEO over $10 million–it is the poster child for corporate greed. Since November, we have been waiting patiently for Churchill Downs to meet our request for a fair contract that allows us to take care of ourselves and our families. Our patience for excuses is wearing thin because we know Churchill Downs could pay us fairly in a second without feeling even the slightest pinch.

There is no need to delay or threaten the Derby, and it's on Churchill Downs to stop the insulting delay tactics and agree to a fair contract.”

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Bisphosphonate Complaint Issued Against Metz By CHRB

A complaint involving a banned bisphosphonate has been lodged by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) against trainer Jeffrey Metz, summoning him to a stewards' hearing.

According to a CHRB complaint dated Apr. 29, a positive for tiludronic acid was confirmed via split-sample testing from Camino de Estrella (Mineshaft), who finished sixth in the third race Sept. 27, 2020, at Santa Anita.

The now-7-year-old gelding was claimed that day for $20,000, and has finished no better than sixth in four subsequent starts for a four-way partnership that includes trainer Bill Spawr.

The complaint states that, “Tiludronic Acid is considered a prohibited drug substance Class 1 Penalty Category A,” which is the most severe classification.

However, tiludronic acid is not specifically listed as an individual substance on the CHRB's “Classification of Foreign Substances” list, which is modeled after the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

But a separate CHRB rule states that, “Any drug or its metabolite or analogue thereof found to be present in an official test sample that is not classified in Rule 1843.2 of this division shall be classified as a Class 1 substance and a Category 'A' penalty until classified by the Board.”

On July 1, 2020, the CHRB enacted Rule 1867.1, which broadly prohibits the administration of bisphosphonates to any horse within a facility regulated by the CHRB and also prohibits any horse from entering the grounds if it has been administered a bisphosphonate within the prior six months (effectively making the rule retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020).

According to the ARCI's ruling database, Metz has two medication violations within the past five years, one each for Class 3 (xylazine in 2018, fined $250) and Class 4 (triamcinolone acetonide in 2016, fined $300). Both occurred at Emerald Downs, where he has won four training titles, and on both occasions the stewards there cited Metz's lack of a history of medication violations in issuing penalties for those two offenses.

In California, the recommended penalties for first-time Class 1 violations by a trainer call for a minimum one-year suspension and a minimum fine of $10,000, although mitigating circumstances can be taken into consideration.

The complaint states that “the horse shall be disqualified and any purse money forfeited.” The complaint lists the owners of Camino de Estrella at the time of the positive test as Jeffrey West (Saratoga West), Scott Gruender (Horseplayers Racing Club) and Jeremy Hodges.

No date for a stewards' hearing was listed on the complaint.

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Spendthrift To Stand Rock Your World

Hronis Racing LLC & Talla Racing LLC's Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}–Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker), the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and morning-line second favorite for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, will stand at B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm at the conclusion of his racing career.

Bred by trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah, Rock Your World was a $650,000 purchase by Sapphire Stable at the 2019 Keeneland September sale before joining the Southern California barn of trainer John Sadler. A debut winner sprinting six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on New Year's Day, the dark bay rallied to a 2 1/4-length success in the Feb. 27 Pasadena S. Possessed of an each-way pedigree, Rock Your World was given a chance to show what he could do on the dirt in the GI Santa Anita Derby, and he set a strong pace en route to a 4 1/4-length defeat of Medina Spirit (Protonico) before galloping out strongly.

“We are really excited about Rock Your World and thankful to the Hronis family, Michael Talla, and John Sadler for allowing us to be a part of the horse's promising future,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Rock Your World has a wonderful combination of sheer talent, pedigree and sire power, and he's an imposing physical specimen which you would expect from a $650,000 yearling. We were especially taken by the brilliance he displayed in the Santa Anita Derby in his first start on the dirt, and think he has a great shot to show that again in the Kentucky Derby and beyond.”

A full-brother to GSP She's Our Charm, Rock Your World is out of Charm the Maker, a two-time black-type winner who was second in the GI Hollywood Starlet S. and third in the GI Oak Leaf S. as a juvenile. Rock Your World's Grade III-winning second dam Charm the Giant (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) is herself the dam of GSW Liam the Charmer (Smart Strike) and is a daughter of MGSW & GISP Olympic Charmer (Olympio). The last-mentioned is also the dam of MGSP and stakes-producing Charming Legacy (Ire) (Danehill).

“We are excited about of our relationship with Spendthrift Farm on such a special horse like Rock Your World,” said Kosta Hronis of Hronis Racing. “It is hard to argue with the success they've had when it comes to standing premier stallions, and we are hopeful we can accomplish a lot with this colt before we retire him to stud.”

Added Michael Talla: “We are thrilled to have a horse like this. Hopefully, Rock Your World will be the son to carry on the Candy Ride sire line, and I can't think of a better place than Spendthrift for him to get the opportunity to do that.”

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