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Former WTBOA GM Ralph Vacca Passes Away

Former Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association General Manager Ralph Vacca passed away in his home in Auburn, WA, July 20. He was 84. Among those surviving Vacca are children Darrell (Linda) Vacca, Melanie (Tom) Bidman, Dionne Stein, Kyle Vacca and Rachel (Rich) Pring; grandchildren, Rafe, Josh, Kevin, Garrett, Teddy and Julian; great-grandchild, Caelin; brother, Richard (Linda) Vacca. A memorial scholarship in Ralph Vacca’s name is currently being established. Remembrances may be sent: c/o Washington Thoroughbred Foundation, 3220 Ron Crockett Dr NW, Auburn, WA 98001.

Born in Seattle, the first of two sons born to Ralph A. and Rose Vacca grew up in the Rainier Valley and received some of his earliest equine experience at Stoner Creek Farm in Paris, Kentucky, giving him opportunity to learn the various phases of the horse business. In April 1959 Vacca returned to Washington, joining the then WHBA (later the WTBOA) staff as field secretary. Vacca returned to Kentucky in 1961 to take a position in the advertising department of the Thoroughbred Record and later joined the Daily Racing Form. He returned to the WHBA in 1964, as advertising manager for association’s magazine and subsequently was promoted to editor and in 1973, he was appointed “interim” WHBA general manager and by the following November he was awarded the position outright. Vacca retired from WTBOA in 2007, after 47 years with the association.

In May 2020, then Governor Gary Locke appointed Vacca to the Washington Horse Racing Commission.

Throughout the years, Vacca served on the Washington Thoroughbred Foundation and THRUST boards, the Equine Art committee, and was actively involved in the Backstretch Chapel, Emerald Backstretch Daycare Center and WTBOA Youth programs. He also was on the WSU Equine Advisory Board and King County Agricultural Commission. Among his awards were induction into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame (2013) and the S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award (1990).

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OwnerView Conference Moved to Ky, Breeders’ Cup Week

OwnerView’s seventh Thoroughbred Owner Conference, originally scheduled to be held July 19-22 in Saratoga Springs, NY, has been rescheduled and will be held in Lexington, Ky., from Nov. 2-5, to coincide with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The Breeders’ Cup will be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.

“While we were disappointed that we were unable to host this year’s Thoroughbred Owner Conference in Saratoga Springs, we are delighted to be able to bring the owner conference back to Lexington, the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ during the week of the Breeders’ Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView.” We are thankful for the support and flexibility of the New York Racing Association and the Breeders’ Cup.”

The rescheduled owner conference will be held at the Embassy Suites on Newtown Pike in Lexington. The conference agenda includes nine panels on topics, including the economics of racehorse ownership, syndicates, safety reforms, aftercare, and diversity. The conference will open Monday, Nov. 2, with an evening reception at The Kentucky Castle. Other social events include a conference dinner at the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds and tours of the region’s stallion farms.

This year’s owner conference will offer a new registration option for virtual attendance, which will allow registrants access to all panels and the ability to participate in question and answer sessions for those panels.

For guests who attend the owner conference in person, social-distancing protocols will be in place, including limiting the number of guests seated at tables and increased spacing of tables. OwnerView will continually monitor the status of COVID-19 and if an in-person conference is deemed unsafe, in-person registrations will be refunded or converted to a virtual registration.

For more information about the owner conference, including the full schedule of events and registration, please visit www.ownerview.com/event/conference.

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WTBOA Sale to be Held As Scheduled Aug. 18; Online Bidding Available

The Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s 53rd annual summer sale will take place as scheduled on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion at Emerald Downs. The catalog features 123 yearlings, 17 broodmares and one broodmare prospect. COVID-19 protocols will be in place and published at washingtonthoroughbred.com. Online bidding will also be available (click for more).

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Moscato Scores Hard-Fought Smithwick Win

Even Saratoga Race Course bettors, usually a decisive lot, could not come to a firm commitment in Thursday’s GI A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase H. Would it be Moscato (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) or Optimus Prime (Fr) (Deportivo {GB})? They were that close. Rosbrian Farm’s highweighted Optimus Prime was the betting favorite until a few flashes before post time, when Bruton Street-US’s Moscato benefited from some late money to become the 1.70-to-1 favorite. Optimus Prime went off at 1.95-to-1. They were together through the first 1 1/2 miles of the 2 1/16-mile race on Saratoga’s inner turf course, and they provided the Smithwick’s drama through the final furlong. In deep stretch, the Smithwick came down to the two of them, with Optimus Prime beginning to tire in his first start in more than 14 months and Moscato surging to a hard-fought victory by three-quarters of a length. Possessing excellent speed for hurdlers, the duo saved their assaults for the end game as first Surprising Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) and then Redicean (GB) (Medicean {GB}) laid down the preliminary pace.

Ridden by Michael Mitchell, Moscato did not begin to move forward until the final run through Saratoga’s backstretch, and Darren Nagle did not flinch aboard Optimus Prime until the last fence, located at the end of the backstretch. Thomas Garner, aboard Redicean, tried a breakaway move on Saratoga’s final turn, but Optimus Prime was eating up ground with surprising ease.

“I thought we were on trouble on the turn,” said Moscato’s trainer Jack Fisher.

Mitchell was making headway with Moscato, but he was having to work for it. They weaved through tiring horses, but in midstretch they were still two lengths behind Optimus Prime, who had hit the front shortly before the furlong pole. Moscato, responding to Mitchell’s entreaties, gradually pared Optimus Prime’s advantage and took the lead inside the final 70 yards. With Optimus Prime showing some signs of fatigue, Moscato was beginning to pull away at the line.

“Coming out of the turn, he got trapped for a little bit of room, but his stamina kicked in and he really went well to the line and got his head in front at the right time,” Mitchell said.

Winner of the GIII Temple Gwathmey H. at Virginia’s Middleburg Spring Races June 13, Moscato completed the Smithwick distance in 3:47.51 on firm turf. Trained by Ricky Hendriks, Optimus Prime finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Riverdee Stable’s Gibralfaro (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who also is trained by Fisher. Redicean finished fourth in a field of eight.

The Smithwick completed a spring hurdle stakes sweep for Bruton Street-US and Fisher. In addition to Moscato’s two wins, Snap Decision (Hard Spun) won the Virginia Gold Cup’s David Semmes Memorial June 27 and Saratoga’s Jonathan Kiser Novice S. Wednesday. Fisher said Moscato and Snap Decision would be pointed toward Saratoga’s GI New York Turf Writers Cup H. Aug. 20.

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