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A Year Removed from a Horse of a Lifetime, Sadler Three Deep at Breeders’ Cup

ARCADIA, CA – With a trio of longshot chances entered in this weekend's Breeders' Cup, trainer John Sadler found a quiet spot on the apron to watch his 9:00 a.m. set train at Santa Anita on Wednesday morning.

It was a very different scene ahead of last year's Championships as the 67-year-old put the finishing touches on the once-in-a-lifetime Flightline (Tapit), who concluded his brilliant career unbeaten from six starts with a performance for the ages in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland.

How's life after Flightline treating you these days John Sadler?

“He's one of the greatest horses to ever run, so it's a little different,” he replied. “I've been doing this a long time, so I know the ebb and flow of it. Even though you may not have another one like that, you're gonna sure be looking for one. Everybody goes, well, is it easier this year?”

“I'll take last year any day,” Sadler said with a big laugh.

Located directly below Santa Anita's signature facade in the grandstand breezeway, a spectacular mural depicting Flightline's jaw-dropping 11 1/2-length victory in the 2021 GI Runhappy Malibu S. was unveiled on opening day at the Great Race Place last winter.

Sherackatthetrack photo

There are plenty of reminders of the big horse scattered around the facility.

“It's great to see,” Sadler said while seated just a few feet away from a cardboard cutout of the 2022 Horse of the Year, who covered 152 mares during his first season at stud at Lane's End this year.

“What's gonna be fun is that he's gonna set the market next week at Keeneland (and Fasig-Tipton)–some of those mares will sell in foal to him and next year he'll have foals on the ground. His saga is still being written.”

The fun will begin for Sadler this weekend with $240,000 OBS April graduate Slider (Jimmy Creed) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday. The Hall Racing, Pearl Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds colorbearer, listed at 8-1 on the morning-line, captured the local Speakeasy S. in his first try on turf Oct. 7.

The stretch-running Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute) figures to get a nice set up in Saturday's speed-laden GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The Keith Abrahams homebred, given a 10-1 shot on the morning-line, was a come-from-behind, last out winner of the local prep GIII Chillingworth S. Sept. 29.

Missed the Cut (Quality Road), meanwhile, will be one of the longest shots on the board as Sadler goes for a third win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The dominating 1 1/2-mile GIII Tokyo City Cup S. Oct. 1 winner, a $400,000 KEENOV weanling and 40,000gns TATFEB graduate, is campaigned in partnership by Bee Zee, Lanes End Racing, St. Elias Stables, Edward P. Babington, Edward J. Hudson, Jr. and Lynne Hudson.

“It's one of the things that I'm proudest of that we end up in the Breeders' Cup a lot of these years,” Sadler said. “We're going over there with horses that may not be the favorite, but they all have chances. When you get at this level, you have to realize that everybody you're running against is top class. They're good, tough races, but that's the way it should be.”

The post A Year Removed from a Horse of a Lifetime, Sadler Three Deep at Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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George Krikorian Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Breeders’ Cup Preview Show

George Krikorian has been around the game of racing for a long time and has owned a lot of good horses. But a win in the Breeders' Cup has eluded him. He's 0-for-11. But he has two strong candidates this year in Just FYI (Justify) in the GI Juvenile Fillies and War Like Goddess (English Channel) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, where she will tackle males for the second straight year.

Will this be Krikorian's year? Those were among the questions our team asked Krikorian on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of the Week.

“I'm pretty excited to be here and to have this opportunity and with two horses,” he said. “This is the first time that's happened for me. So it's going to be a pretty special weekend.”

In War Like Goddess, Krikorian owns one of the biggest over achievers in the sport. She sold for $1,200 as a weanling before RNA'ing for $1,000 at Keeneland September 2018. She showed up next at the 2019 OBS June Sale, where bloodstock agent Donato Lanni convinced Krikorian to take a shot on the filly. He bought her for $30,000. All she's done since is earn $2,495,184 and win eight stakes, including three Grade I's.

“You have to give kudos to Donato Lanni because he called me one day and said, 'I've seen this horse and she should not be in this sale and she's going to be overlooked,'” Krikorian said. 'He said, I see in the future that she could be a very special horse.' I told him that I knew that he didn't mind taking the time it takes for a horse to develop. And so that's exactly what we did. We took our time. Just as he predicted, she turned out to be an incredible horse.”

George Krikorian Joins the TDN Writers' Room from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.

Just FYI is 2-for-2 and coming off a win in the GI Frizette. Despite her strong credentials, this might be a tough spot for her and only because she'll have to take on Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), considered by many to be the most likely winner of any Breeders' Cup race.

“I know that Tamara is going to be a tough, tough horse,” Krikorian said. “The bottom line is you're challenged by any horse that's in a race like this. I think that Just FYI has shown to be a incredibly talented horse and I think that she's going to be a very tough competitor in that race.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, XBTV.com and 1/ST Racing, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss went through all the Breeders' Cup races, offering their insights and handicapping opinions. Both Moss and Finley loved longshot Roses for Debra (Liam's Map) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Moss had a less positive take on the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, calling this one of the weakest Classic fields ever assembled. Yet, everyone agreed that this might be the best field ever assembled for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Moss also made a compelling case why Elite Power (Curlin) should turn the tables on Gunite (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

To watch the podcast as a video, click here. For the audio version, click here.

The post George Krikorian Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Breeders’ Cup Preview Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Geaux Rocket Ride Succumbs to Injuries

GI Haskell S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo), who was pulled up with an open condylar fracture earlier this week in routine morning work at Santa Anita, has been euthanized, his connections announced Wednesday afternoon. He had undergone successful surgery Sunday evening, but did not recover as well as hoped, owner Pin Oak Stud had originally said in a Monday update.

Pin Oak gave a final update on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Wednesday, saying, “Our hearts are broken but Geaux Rocket Ride is at peace. We will miss you forever, Rocket.”

Pin Oak's official statement said: “It is with very heavy hearts that we report that, at the recommendation of the medical team, Geaux Rocket Ride has finally reached peace. His mind and his spirit never quit, but his body never recovered from surgery. He had a very rare response post-op and he wasn't able to stand up again. He fought hard and our team of vets tried everything they could.

“We are grateful for Dr. Bramlage, Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Slovis, Dr. Klohnen and all of the other doctors and medical staff who helped Rocket. We are appreciative of all of the support that we've received from everyone. We made sure he knew how loved he was. Geaux Rocket Ride was the first member of our Pin Oak family and he will never be forgotten. We will miss you forever, Rocket.”

Bred by OXO Equine LLC in Kentucky, Geaux Rocket Ride was a $350,000 purchase on behalf of the Pin Oak team at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale in 2021. Sent to Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, he burst onto the scene this January with a 5 3/4-length maiden special weight win at Santa Anita. After winning the Affirmed S. in June, he shipped across the country to Monmouth Park and won the TVG.com Haskell S. He also placed in both the GI Fanduel Racing Pacific Classic and the GII San Felipe S. His final record was 5-3-2-0 with earnings of $980,200.

The Breeders' Cup also released a statement late Wednesday, saying: “The immense effort that went into Geaux Rocket Ride's medical care following Saturday's injury is a testament to his team's deep commitment to his wellbeing. Our thoughts are with Pin Oak Stud LLC, Richard Mandella, and everyone affected by his loss.”

The post Geaux Rocket Ride Succumbs to Injuries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Breeders’ Cup Outlines Comprehensive Safety and Integrity Measures in Place for 2023 World Championships

Edited Press Release

The Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park will be conducted according to industry-leading safety and integrity protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all human and equine athletes. As previously announced, Breeders' Cup introduced an enhanced pre-screening protocol in the lead-up to this year's World Championships, upholding its ongoing commitment to putting safety first.

This year also marks the first time the Breeders' Cup World Championships will run under the full jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), including the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which took effect in May.

Breeders' Cup runners are subject to strict anti-doping and medication control requirements, including out-of-competition, pre-race, and post-race testing administered by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). Additional safety and integrity protocols include equine security and surveillance measures, enhanced veterinary exam procedures, injury management protocols and racing surface maintenance and testing in the leadup to the event.

Early Preparations: Out-of-Competition Testing, Veterinary Coordination & Racing Surface Oversight

Beginning in July 2023, a list of potential Breeders' Cup contenders was developed. The list included a combination of graded stakes winners, Challenge Series winners, and other horses on the possible starter list. HIWU then performed out-of-competition (OOC) testing for banned substances on those potential contenders. Blood samples were taken by HIWU-trained collection personnel and sent for testing to HIWU-accredited labs. Breeders' Cup OOC testing administered by HIWU concluded Oct. 30 and resulted in the collection of 226 samples.

The Breeders Cup Veterinary Team also began holding coordination meetings with counterparts from 1/ST Racing, HISA, HIWU and the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) in July. Through a regular cadence of meetings in the ensuing months, the group outlined veterinary exam schedules, OOC testing, safety and medication regulations, injury management and diagnostic tool implementation.

Dr. Mick Peterson, Program Director of the University of Kentucky Racetrack Safety Program, has worked in collaboration with 1/ST Racing Track Consultant Dennis Moore throughout the year. Both surface experts have also consulted with HISA's new Track Surfaces Advisory Group throughout their evaluation and maintenance operations of the racing surfaces at Santa Anita Park.

Safety & Integrity Protocols: October through World Championships Week

The five-member Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team completed its initial phase of enhanced pre-screening protocols on Oct. 23. This included:

  • The assessment of veterinary and treatment records as well as training and racing patterns associated with more than 200 potential contenders;
  • Physical examinations conducted by veterinarians in relevant racing jurisdictions around the world; and
  • The use of advanced diagnostic tools in the event additional scrutiny was required.

Attending veterinarians for all potential Breeders' Cup runners were required to submit 30-day treatment records–a nationwide requirement under HISA that will inform the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team's second review–upon pre-entry. 24-hour surveillance began following the mandatory equine security check-in at 10:00 pm PT on Sunday, Oct. 29 for international runners and 11:00 am PT on Tuesday, Oct. 31 for domestic runners. All horses entered in a Breeders' Cup race underwent an additional round of HIWU-administered pre-race blood testing for banned substances on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with results set to be returned by race day.

Additionally, every Breeders' Cup runner is subject to:

  • Comprehensive onsite veterinary exams, including jog exams and the use of diagnostic technology as needed, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 25;
  • Random physical examination at the determination of the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Team;
  • In-stall and on-track veterinary oversight during training and schooling;
  • Mandatory jog-up veterinary exams before exiting any racing or training surface at Santa Anita Park starting Friday, Oct. 27;
  • Pre-race veterinary examinations in the barn and veterinary monitoring of horses in the paddock and during warm-up on race day;
  • Extensive post-race testing of the first four finishers as well as any runner that does not perform as expected and other runners as designated by the stewards; and
  • Observation of all other finishers cooling out as they exit the racetrack to determine if any need aid.

Throughout the week leading up to the World Championships, Dr. Mick Peterson's team has been conducting various checks to evaluate all track surfaces. Additionally, TurfTrax software has been employed to measure the condition of the turf track. These results are posted daily for horsemen and the media.

Additional resources detailing Breeders' Cup's health and safety protocols for the 2023 World Championships can be found here and downloaded here.

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