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Tapizar Dies

Tapizar (Tapit–Winning Call, by Deputy Minister), who was set to be shipped to Japan to stand stud at Yushun Stallion Station for the 2021 season, was euthanized after an accident in his stall at the Gainesway quarantine barn Tuesday night. The 12-year-old was scheduled to travel in mid-January.

“It is with great sadness that Gainesway confirms the sudden and tragic loss of Tapizar,” said Gainesway Farm’s General Manager Brian Graves in a statement. “Our hearts go out to all of those involved.”

Tapizar’s top produce is the seven-time Grade I winner and soon-to-be two-time champion Monomoy Girl, a $9.5 million FTKNOV purchase by Spendthrift following her second GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff win. He is the third-leading sire by cumulative earnings from his crop year, and is also third on this year’s year-to-date fifth-crop list. He is also the sire of GIII Delaware Oaks winner Project Whiskey, as well as four other graded stakes winners, 10 black-type winners and 24 black-type horses. In all his progeny have earned over $22 million.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred won six of his 14 races, topped by the 2012 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and GII San Fernando S. Tapizar had stood at Gainesway since his retirement in 2013.

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The Stronach Group Joins PETA in Urging Ban on Sale of Horses to South Korea

After viewing PETA’s video expose of the slaughter of racehorses in South Korea, including the stallion Private Vow, The Stronach Group is endorsing PETA’s efforts to ban the sale of North American Thoroughbreds to South Korean racing interests.

PETA can now show that Private Vow was sold to South Korea for stud duty in 2014 and ended up being slaughtered for meat in July. He sired 196 foals in the U.S. and South Korea.

Belinda Stronach, chair and president of The Stronach Group, said, “The Stronach Group is urging all North American auction companies, breeders, and owners to develop policies that prohibit the sale of Thoroughbred racehorses or brood mares to South Korea without the meaningful and binding assurances that these noble animals will be protected after their racing and breeding careers.”

Craig Fravel, CEO of 1/ST Racing, said, “As part of the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission we are committed to the care and safety of Thoroughbreds before, during and after their racing careers which is why we are endorsing PETA in this effort.”

PETA has asked the Korea Racing Authority to introduce a retirement system modeled on the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, allocate 2% of prize money to aftercare, end its support for horse slaughter, and ensure that imported North American horses will not be slaughtered.

“The over 400 American racehorses exported to South Korea every year deserve peaceful retirements, not terrifying deaths on a slaughterhouse floor,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA is calling on North America’s Thoroughbred horse racing industry to stop the horse racing industry to stop selling horses to South Korea until the slaughter ends.”

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Villafranco Suspended for Caffeine Positives at Oaklawn

Two winners and two second-place horses who subsequently tested positive for caffeine at Oaklawn Park back in February have been disqualified from their placings and purses, and the trainer of all four, Federico Villafranco, will be suspended for the first 30 days of the Oaklawn Park meet under the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC)’s “absolute insurer” rule.

Caffeine, a stimulant, is listed as a Class 2, Penalty Category B drug on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

For a first-offense Category B penalty, the ARCI recommends a 15-day suspension and minimum $500 fine, with mitigating circumstances raising the penalty to 60 days maximum and $1,000.

TDN emailed John “Smokey” Campbell, the ARC’s executive director, asking for details about the Dec. 14 rulings and an explanation of how the commission determined the 30-day, no-fine penalty. TDN also wanted to know if Villafranco has appealed. This story will be updated if a timely reply is received. The DQ’d winners were Millwood (Lemon Drop Kid) from the second race, an $8,000 claimer, on Feb. 1 and D’Rapper (Cherokee Rap), winner of the fifth race, a $50,000 claimer, on Feb. 8.

The DQ’d runners-up were Fayette Warrior (Exchange Rate) from the fourth race, a $16,000 NW3L claimer, Feb. 2 and Council Rules (Council Member), who was claimed for $8,000 out of the first race Feb. 8.

Danny Caldwell was the owner of all four horses at the time of the violations. He was not penalized by the ARC.

Villafranco’s suspension will run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

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Awesome Again Dead at 26

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and top sire Awesome Again (Deputy Minister–Primal Force, by Blushing Groom {Fr}) died suddenly Tuesday at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. He was 26.

(Click here for video feature ‘The House That Awesome Again Built’)

The exact cause of death is unknown. A full necropsy is pending and a full veterinary report will follow.

The Canadian-bred had an exemplary resume as both a racehorse and a stallion. He broke his maiden at Hollywood Park in just his second start as a 3-year-old in 1997. He returned a few weeks later to capture that year’s Queen’s Plate S. at Woodbine. Back in the U.S. that summer the Stronach Stables homebred went on to win the GII Jim Dandy S. and was third in the GI Travers S. at Saratoga.

At four, he completed an undefeated season that included five graded stakes victories, among them the GI Stephen Foster H., GI Whitney H., and one of the most memorable editions of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, where, looking defeated, he rallied in the stretch to defeat Coronado’s Quest and Swain and that year’s GI Kentucky Derby-Preakness hero, Silver Charm.

He retired from racing in 1998 with nine wins from 12 starts and earnings of $4,374,590.

As significant in the breeding shed as he was on the track, Awesome again sired three champions: Ghostzapper, 2004 Horse of the Year and champion older horse; Ginger Punch, 2007 champion older mare; and Nominee, a multiple champion in Trinidad and Tobago.

His other elite runners include Old Friends retirees Game on Dude–who captured 14 graded stakes and is the only three-time winner of the GI Santa Anita H. in history–and Awesome Gem, who captured the GI Hollywood Gold Cup at age seven; GI Breeder’s Cup Distaff winner Round Pond; GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Wilko; and 2019 GI Belmont S. winner Sir Winston.

He sired 13 millionaires and five multi-millionaires as well as four Breeders’ Cup winner. Awesome Again was also the first Breeders’ Cup Classic winner to sire a Classic winner (Ghostzapper).

Awesome Again had been retired from stud duty at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs in 2019 and was pensioned to Old Friends in October of this year.

“Anyone who ever saw Awesome Again on the racetrack or at Adena Springs knew he was aptly named,” Michael Blowen, founder and President of Old Friends, said. “I’m just sorry his time at Old Friends was so short because I know he would have made a searing, lasting impression on his many fans, and I’m so sorry that circumstances prevented him from displaying his greatness for a lot longer. Awesome, indeed.”

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