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Cafe Pharoah Looking To Stay Perfect in Japan Dirt Derby

Having already sewn up the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and a berth in the starting gate at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of September if connections so choose, Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) will stretch out to 2000 meters for the first time in his career as he tries to make it four wins from as many starts in Wednesday’s $711,743 Japan Dirt Derby at Ohi Racecourse.

The $475,000 OBS March graduate won his debut going nine furlongs in December, then cut back to Toyko’s one-turn mile for the Listed Hyacinth S. Feb. 23, where he overcame a very slow start to pick up 30 Kentucky Derby points. The son of the very talented turf mare Mary’s Follies (More Than Ready) took the next four months off, returning to add 40 additional points and clinch the Derby spot with an easy five-length tally in stakes-record time in the June 21 G3 Unicorn S., the first of two Japanese races added to the Road to the Derby in light of the coronavirus-related postponement. Damian Lane returns in the saddle.

Barnard Loop (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) was beaten 10 lengths into second by Cafe Pharoah on their respective debuts, but the dark bay has not lost since, with a pair of victories at Nakayama ahead of a neck defeat of Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) in the Listed Hyogo Championship at Sonoda May 6. Leading jockey Christophe Lemaire has the call.

A son of GI Santa Anita Oaks victrix Crisp (El Corredor), Danon Pharaoh fetched the equivalent of $1.63 million at the JRHA Select Yearling Sale two summers ago and has two wins from his seven trips to the post.

Daimei Corrida (Jpn) (Eskendereya) could manage only a ninth-place effort to Cafe Pharoah in the Hyacinth, but has improved with a stretch-out in trip and exits a close second in the Listed Hosu S. over Wednesday’s trip at Hanshin June 21.

Full Flat (Speightstown), a $250,000 Keeneland September acquisition, defeated Sunday’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the $800,000 Saudi Derby Cup in February, but was no match for the favorite when sixth in the Unicorn S. last time out.

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Hudgins Named to Virginia Racing Commission

Marsha Hudgins, owner and CEO of Hudgins Contracting Corporation, has been appointed the newest commissioner of the five-person Virginia Racing Commission, joining Chairman D.G. Van Clief Jr., Vice-Chairman Stuart Siegel, J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr., and Stephanie Nixon.

A longtime owner and breeder of hunters and jumpers, but not involved in horse racing, Hudgins initially declined to be considered for the commission.

“I didn’t feel I was qualified and didn’t think I could be of any benefit to the industry,” she explained. “I thought there were plenty of others who had longer and stronger backgrounds in the sport who could bring lots more to the table.”

But conversations with industry insiders changed her mind.

“I still had doubts but knew upcoming years would be pivotal for racing in Virginia with historical racing, OTBs, the return of Colonial Downs and casinos. I started thinking that someone who is behind the industry, has business experience elsewhere and understands how business can impact the state should have their voice heard.”

Hudgins was appointed by the Governor May 19 and attended her first VRC meeting as a Commissioner June 25. She said she was impressed by what she saw.

“In my business, problem solving is the biggest thing you can to do to have a view of the future,” Hudgins said. “You need to work in a collaborative way with other groups to have a common goal in which we all share. That’s what I saw at the meeting. Groups with different goals coming together to figure out a way how Virginia is going to move forward. I was amazed. It bodes well for the future of our industry.”

She continued, “I see horse racing as a driving economic force in Virginia because it is our heritage. It goes back to the very beginning here. I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than a Thoroughbred horse. Anybody that has an interest and love for the sport can get involved. Racing is like my business. We have people in the field that work with heavy machinery and lay piping, are very good at what they do and earn a good living. It didn’t take a college degree. It’s the same in racing. You need education of a different sort. You need to love working outside and with animals. We have an entire industry that doesn’t go into office buildings.”

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New York Times Report: Split Sample Positive for Baffert Runners

Split samples taken from Charlatan (Speightstown) and Gamine (Into Mischief) after wins on the Arkansas Derby Day card at Oaklawn Park May 2 confirmed positive results for the local numbing agent Lidocaine, according to a report in New York Times Monday evening. Both horses are trained by Bob Baffert. Charlatan was a six-length victor in a division of the GI Arkansas Derby, while Gamine won an allowance race on the card and has since gone on to a romping victory in the GI Acorn S.

A statement released by attorney Craig Robertson on behalf of Baffert Monday, said it was believed an employee had inadvertently exposed the two horses to Lidocaine while wearing a pain-relieving Salon Pas patch. The statement also noted the trace amounts of the drug would have had no impact on the performances of the two horses.

The Arkansas Racing Commission confirmed in late May that two horses from the Baffert barn had tested positive for an illegal substance and that the trainer had requested a split sample from each be tested.

Robertson’s complete statement released Monday follows.

Even though Lidocaine is a lawful, widely available therapeutic medication, it was never intentionally administered to either Gamine or Charlatan. When test results indicated that trace amounts of Lidocaine were found in both horses after their respective races on May 2, Bob Baffert and his team were shocked. Leading up to May 2, both horses were healthy and

worked hard to earn their victories that day.

After investigation, it is our belief that both Gamine and Charlatan were unknowingly and innocently exposed to Lidocaine by one of Bob’s employees. The employee previously

broke his pelvis and had been suffering from back pain over the two days leading up to May 2.

As a result, he wore a Salon Pas patch on his back that he personally applied. That brand of patch contains small amounts of Lidocaine. It is believed that Lidocaine from that patch was

innocently transferred from the employee’s hands to the horses through the application of tongue ties by the employee that was handling both horses leading up to May 2.

What I want to make clear are the following three points:

This is a case of innocent exposure and not intentional administration.
The levels of Lidocaine found in both Gamine and Charlatan that day were extremely small–185 picograms for Gamine (in race 7), and 46 picograms for Charlatan (in race 11). A picogram is a trillionth of a gram.
It is our understanding that the trace amounts of Lidocaine found in both Gamine and Charlatan would not have had any effect on either horse–much less a performance-enhancing one. The extreme sensitivity of modern-day testing can now pick up trace levels of innocent contaminants that have no effect on a horse. This is an issue that regulators of horse racing need to account for and address.

Based on these facts, we intend on defending the cases involving Gamine and Charlatan before the Arkansas Racing Commission.

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Racially Charged VanMeter Posts Prompt Outrage

Dozens of angry industry members took to social media Monday morning after a racially charged social media post by a prominent Thoroughbred consignor surfaced on Twitter. By the end of the day, The Jockey Club, Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, the Stronach Group and the NTRA had issued statements denouncing the posts.

Tom VanMeter, who owns and operates VanMeter Sales, a leading consignor based in Lexington, Kentucky, posted two comments in response to a question posted on Facebook by farm manager Donnie Snellings, asking people to repost his post if they planned to boycott the NFL season. Some fans pledged to boycott the NFL in 2016 after Colin Kaepernick first sat down, and then kneeled on the sidelines during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

The question of the boycott was raised again when the NFL, after the nationwide protests and outrage in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, reversed its policy on allowing players to kneel before the game.

VanMeter’s first reply contained an abbreviation of the “N-word,” when he referred to the NFL as the “n-word football league,” and he later posted, “Put em back in their cage!!!”

Official industry reaction was swift. The Jockey Club posted the following statement on their Twitter feed. “OwnerView, jointly owned by The Jockey Club and TOBA, has suspended the account privileges of Tom VanMeter pending further review, based upon offensive content posted on social media under the same name. There is no place in racing or our society for racially hateful language.”

OwnerView is an owner platform which helps promote racehorse ownership along with industry providers. VanMeter’s profile has been taken down from the site.

Fasig-Tipton also denounced the comments in a statement.

“Fasig-Tipton does not generally comment on social media postings made by third parties, other than to make clear that this comment was not made by an employee or representative of Fasig-Tipton and does not reflect Fasig-Tipton’s values,” the statement read. “We do not condone or support any statements or actions that do not promote a more diverse and inclusive environment for industry participants.”

Keeneland issued similar sentiments.

“Keeneland condemns Tom VanMeter’s post,” the sales and racing company said in an emailed statement. “There is no place for racism in our sport or our society and his words are antithetical to Keeneland’s values of respect, community and equality. Our industry must deal honestly and directly with our lack of diversity and look hard at its underlying causes. It is not only the right thing to do, it is critical for the future of the sport we love.”

“At Keeneland, we have begun the process of reviewing our internal culture, structures and practices to try and build a better, more diverse and equitable Keeneland family. We do not believe there are easy answers to these complex and systemic challenges and everything is on the table as we move forward.”

The NTRA’s Alex Waldrop Tweeted, “The racist remarks and views posted on social media on an account belonging to Tom VanMeter have no place in society, let alone the horse racing industry. The NTRA no longer will accept financial contributions of any kind from him or others who share his views.”

The Stronach Group, which also owns and operates Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, the Maryland Jockey Club and Golden Gate Fields, Tweeted the following: “The Stronach Group and 1/ST are appalled by Tom VanMeter’s comments. This type of hateful speech does not belong in any civilized society. It is repugnant, divisive and just plain wrong. It will not be tolerated at our tracks as it’s contrary to our mission as we believe strongly in human equality. To be clear, we celebrate our diverse employees, horsemen, guests and community that together make our venues and the sport as a whole, truly special.”

People on social media called for others not to support his consignment. “If you buy a horse from Tom VanMeter in September, you are part of the problem. End of story,” Tweeted owner Robert Masiello.

Denali Stud, where Donnie Snellings serves as farm manager, issued a statement of their own on Twitter. “In light of recent events surrounding racist comments made by a third party on an employee’s private social media account, it should be known that Denali doesn’t condone these comments. They don’t reflect our core values and there is no place for them in our industry or society at large.”

In a letter this morning, the TDN informed VanMeter that it would no longer accept advertising from him out of respect to its staff, readers and fellow advertisers.

A phone call to VanMeter’s cell phone was not returned in time for publication of this story.

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