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Keeneland Track Announcer Becker Positive For COVID-19

Keeneland track announcer Kurt Becker has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the final day of the track’s fall meet Saturday, according to a statement from the track. Churchill Downs’s Travis Stone will replace Becker in the booth Saturday.

According to the Keeneland release, Becker is experiencing only mild symptoms and is resting at home.

“We look forward to his speedy recovery and to welcoming him back for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 6-7,” the release says.

Becker became the first (and only) announcer in the history of Keeneland in 1997 and is also an integral part of Keeneland’s sales team, having worked for several years as a sales announcer.

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2021 Fees for Lane’s End; Quality Road Down to $150,000

On the heels of the announcement Friday that top three leading second-crop sire Daredevil will return to the U.S. from Turkey to stand at Lane’s End Farm, the Versailles nursery and stallion station released its full roster and stud fees for 2021. A total of 21 stallions will make up the roster, led again by stalwart Quality Road, who gets a fee cut from $200,000 to $150,000. A majority of key breeding sheds are cutting 2021 stud fees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Candy Ride (Arg) will also see his fee slashed from $100,000 to $75,000. A number of the other stallions on the roster are also getting breaks on fees. A few will stay at the same level as in 2020, including the popular City of Light, whose first foals are weanlings this year, and Twirling Candy. Both will continue to stand for $40,000.

Lane’s End has three young horses retiring to its stallion barn this year: champion and Breeders’ Cup winner Game Winner, who will stand for $30,000; this year’s GI Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P., who will stand for $15,000; and GI Santa Anita H. winner Gift Box, who will bring $10,000. All three of the new retirees will stand alongside their sires at Lane’s End: Candy Ride, Honor Code, and Twiring Candy, respectively.

In addition, Liam’s Map’s fee of $30,000, a cut from $35,000 for 2020, is only locked in until Nov. 5, with changes possible after that date due to Breeders’ Cup results. Among his runners who may contest the Breeders’ Cup Nov. 6-7 are Runhappy Debutante S. winner and GI Darley Alcibiades S. runner-up Crazy Beautiful and GIII Miss Preakness S. winner Wicked Whisper.

The full Lane’s End roster is as follows:

Stallion (2021 fee)

Accelerate ($17,500)

Candy Ride (Arg) ($75,000)

Catalina Cruiser ($15,000)

City of Light ($40,000)

Connect ($15,000)

Daredevil ($25,000)

Game Winner ($30,000)

Gift Box ($10,000)

Honor A. P. ($15,000)

Honor Code ($20,000)

Lemon Drop Kid ($15,000)

Liam’s Map ($30,000)

Mineshaft ($15,000)

Mr Speaker ($5,000)

Quality Road ($150,000)

The Factor ($17,500)

Tonalist ($12,500)

Twirling Candy ($40,000)

Unified ($10,000)

Union Rags ($30,000)

West Coast ($20,000)

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Munnings Rising Star Wins Untouched at Laurel

7th-Laurel, $50,442, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 10-23, 2yo, 6f, 1:08.75, ft, 4 lengths.
JAXON TRAVELER (c, 2, Munnings–Listen Boy {SP}, by After Market) was off at 2-5 to remain unblemished in his brief career and made light work of a first-level allowance Friday at Laurel, winning as he pleased by four lengths. Having graduated by 10 lengths at first asking Sept. 25, the $80,000 KEESEP yearling turned $140,000 OBS Spring breezer flew the gates and was soon in front, skipping along easily through an opening quarter in :22.19 (60-foot run-up). He sprinted farther clear approaching the stretch after a half in a strong :44.65, widened into the final eighth of a mile and stopped the clock in slick time. Jaxon Traveler was entered for and would have been favored in Saturday’s Maryland Million Nursery S., but drew two-deep on the also-eligible list. Listen Boy is the dam of a yearling filly by Street Boss and most recently visited Cross Traffic. Sales history: $80,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo ’20 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $60,762. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-West Point Thoroughbreds &Marvin Delfiner; B-Dr & Mrs A Leonard Pineau (MD); T-Steven M Asmussen.

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Brei, Kosanovich Return to FTBOA Board, Matthews Named President

Fred Brei and Milan Kosanovich will return to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association board of directors while Bobby Jones, Francis Vanlangendonck and Dr. Fred Yutani all remain on the board for second terms. Each will serve a three-year term that will run until October 2023.

Leaving the board because of term limits as outlined in the FTBOA by-laws were Barry Berkelhammer and Greg Wheeler. Wheeler will, however, remain on the board ex officio as a past president of the Association.

Phil Matthews, DVM, was elected as the president of the Association at the board meeting that followed the Oct. 23 annual member meeting.

“I am pleased that the board has entrusted me once again with the office of president of the FTBOA,” Matthews said. “We are in the midst of challenging times with the closure of [Gulfstream West] and obviously the uncertainty created for sales and racing by the pandemic. To take on these challenges we have an engaged board, a very capable executive committee, a terrific CEO in Lonny Powell and a wonderful staff at our FTBOA offices.”

The board also named the executive committee for 2020-21 with Matthews as president while Valerie Dailey was named first vice president. Brent Fernung was named second vice president and George Russell will serve as treasurer. Joseph O’Farrell III has been elected as secretary.

Also an FTBOA board past president, Matthews came to Ocala in 1981 as an associate veterinarian at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital. He became a partner in that practice in 1984 and his veterinary affiliations include the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

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