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Frankie Dettori: Country Grammer Has ‘Rock-Solid Saudi Cup Credentials’

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA–Country Grammer (Tonalist) brings rock-solid credentials to the G1 Saudi Cup at Riyadh, according to his legendary rider Frankie Dettori, who says the Bob Baffert-trained 6-year-old can go one better than last year in Saturday's showpiece.

Dettori also described Baffert's other runner in the race, the unexposed Taiba (Gun Runner), as a force to be reckoned with as the 52-year-old spoke alongside fellow luminary in the saddle, Joao Moreira, in the build-up to the world's richest race.

“Country Grammer is very solid and never runs a bad race–touch wood he doesn't start now,” Dettori joked at a media event at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh Thursday morning.

“He was second last year, is tough and has travelled before, which is a plus. I would be foolish to say that I am confident but I am very pleased to ride him and he will give his best.”

Baffert has had the Saudi Cup on Country Grammer's agenda for a while now and elected to sidestep taking on the unbeaten champion Flightline (Tapit) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in November, a decision Dettori hopes will be vindicated on Saturday.

He explained, “Bob and the Zedan Racing Stables, they skipped the [Breeders' Cup] Classic because they thought it would be tough to beat the good horse [Flightline]. He has been aimed at these two races, the Saudi Cup and then on to Dubai, so this was always the plan. We have 48 hours to go so fingers crossed we can get there and everything goes to plan.”

On Baffert's other runner Taiba, Dettori added, “He is also very solid. He has very little mileage on the clock and is a horse who I feel is still improving. He will be thereabouts as well.”

Moreira will partner the Noriyuki Hori-trained Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah), a general 14-1 chance for the Saudi Cup, and said that the 6-year-old has been filling him with confidence in track work this week.

“Being realistic, this is probably one of the strongest dirt races in the world,” Moreira said. “However, this horse has impressed me in track work and is taking me into the race with a bit of confidence. I know we are challenging good horses but I am faithful that this horse can give his best.”

The Saudi Cup meeting will be the biggest event that Dettori has ridden at since announcing his farewell tour over Christmas. Like Dettori, Moreira is planning on exiting the stage, but said that he is hopeful of riding for another two seasons before calling time on his career.

He said, “I don't know if many people know but I have developed some health issue, which is pretty much a hip joint. People think I can just go there and get a hip replacement but it's been recommended by the doctors not to do it right now. I am in a great deal of pain and, what's best for me psychologically is to decide to do it [retire] on my terms. I'm not doing it right now and will continue to ride for another year and a half, maybe two years.”

Dettori, who was described as being an “idol” by Moreira, is more definitive on his retirement and explained that the Breeders' Cup remains the most likely curtain call.

He said, “I gave myself a year to do my last farewell. I am in Saudi Arabia just because I was asked to be here, I'd usually be in Dubai, and after that I will do the European programme. Royal Ascot should be my last meeting in England and then possibly the Breeders' Cup will be my last, or if something in the Melbourne Cup or other things materialise. But this year is my last. I will be 53 in December and I will finish on the top. It's hard to choose the right moment and my heart wants to carry on but I want to have another life after racing.”

Asked if he thinks that he will change his mind about retiring this year, Dettori responded, “At the moment, the plan is to stop at the end of the season. I am sure I am going to be asked that question a million times before then.”

On the next chapter, he added, “I have my eye on working in the media. That is the route that I am thinking of taking. There are other things, like buying a few horses and becoming a bloodstock agent, things like that, but I will have a couple of months to sit back and look at the whole picture. Not training, no, I wouldn't have the patience.”

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Elite to Enter Yearling Consignment Business

Elite Sales, the Thoroughbred consignment business of Liz Crow and Bradley Weisbord, will begin selling yearlings in 2023, adding to their existing business of breeding and racing stock, according to the pair.

“Elite Sales launched in 2017 with the goal of being the number-one consignor of horses of racing age and broodmares/broodmare prospects,” said Weisbord. “With six years under our belts, we have experienced a wide range of success including selling 21 off-the-track broodmare or racing prospects for $1 million or more.”

The addition of yearlings to their lineup is the latest news from Elite, who sold their first two weanlings at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, including a Gun Runner filly for $675,000. They also were represented with a consignment at Tattersalls December for the first time in 2022.

“Since launching Elite, our team has enjoyed building relationships with the most prominent buyers and sellers of bloodstock around the world. We believe that these relationships along with our boutique model, top client support, and ambitious marketing have led to our success,” Weisbord said, “The move into yearlings has been long-planned. Liz and I have some of our own homebreds we will sell, we will sell for our existing clients, and we hope to add some large breeding farms into the mix.”

Elite has hired Beth Bayer, the former director of sales for Woodford Thoroughbreds, who has 20 years of experience in the industry, to run the day-to-day consignment, leaving Liz Crow free to continue her scrutiny of yearlings on the sales grounds.

“Liz is one of the leading agents purchasing yearlings each year and we feel her knowledge of the market along with her great eye will be a huge asset to our clients. She will be available for farm inspections as we lead into yearling prep and sales time. We also feel that since our team sees every single horse on the sales grounds at every single yearling sale, she will have a great understanding of where yearlings most appropriately fit in each catalogue and sale.”

Fasig-Tipton July would be the first sale the company will target, followed by Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, Keeneland September, and Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings.

Weisbord said he would continue to handle client and buyer relationships on and off the sales grounds. Katelyn Jackson, Samantha Bussanich and Jake Memolo will remain with Elite as well, and that the company would continue to be run as a boutique consignment operation.

In its six-year history, Elite has sold over $135 million in horses, averaging over $295,000 per horse. Those sales include Monomoy Girl for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables, who brought $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November 2020; and Paris Lights for WinStar Farm, who topped the 2021 Keeneland November Sale at $3.1 million.

“Elite Sales has done an outstanding job in the mixed sale and horses-of-racing-age marketplace and I'm sure that they will do an excellent job as they enter the yearling sales marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning. “They have an excellent group of people on their team and Beth Bayer has great knowledge and will be a valuable addition.”

“It's always good to welcome consignors that have great connections like they do,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales, Tony Lacy. “They've done a wonderful job over the past few years with their mixed sales business, and it's a natural evolution for them to move into the yearling market.”

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Gray Machines Pose Major Threat to Kentucky’s HHR, Horse Racing

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak

Many of the nearly 250 people attending the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club's (KTFMC) monthly meeting, held Tuesday evening at the Keeneland sales pavilion, were unfamiliar with the unregulated and untaxed gaming machines known as “gray machines.”

The risk these gray machines pose to historical horse racing (HHR) gaming and the state's horse racing industry as a whole were the main topic of the meeting that included a discussion and Q and A session of Central Kentucky legislators. In a panel moderated by the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP)'s executive director Will Glasscock, Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe (Republican, Lexington), Representative Matt Koch (Republican, Paris), Senator Damon Thayer (Republican, Georgetown) and Senator Reginald Thomas (Democrat, Lexington, minority caucus chair) shared their opposition toward the expansion of gray machines in Kentucky.

“We have not forgotten what the legislature did for us in 2021,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin recalled of the passing of SB 120, which continued the operation of HHR gaming, in her opening comments for the meeting. “We have to pay attention to what goes on in Frankfort. We can't just live in our own little world.”

The lawmakers on the panel introduced the growing issue of gray machines, which resemble slot machines but do not qualify as a legalized form of gaming in Kentucky as there is no oversight to their use. These machines, which are marketed as games of skill, are typically located in establishments such as gas stations, convenience stores and bars.

“They are illegal casino games,” explained Sen. Thayer, the Senate Majority Floor Leader. “The proprietors have a business model where they come into a state where there's a gray area in the law, they pay a lawyer to get a friendly opinion that says, 'Yeah, they're really legal.' And then they come in and try to get integrated in local communities.”

The meeting's legislators noted how there is currently no exact count of how many machines are in Kentucky because the machines are not required to be registered or tracked, but it is believed that there are already thousands in use and that their numbers are growing in every county across the Commonwealth.

Rep. Koch explained how the expansion of gray machines poses a major threat to the horse racing industry. While the majority of the revenue from these machines go to out-of-state gaming companies, revenue from HHR goes to support the state's signature industry: horse racing. He said that if gray machines remain, they could cripple the industry and decimate the jobs within it.

“It's going to end HHR. I don't think that's the type of gambling that Kentucky wants to see,” said Rep. Koch.

The panelists explained how these gray machines could also affect the communities they reside in, particularly when it comes to their impact on youth. Since the machines are unregulated, the lack of supervision creates the opportunity for minors to participate.

“You don't want to introduce [teenagers] to gaming at that age. That invites other sorts of bad actions. Keep them away from gaming and illegal activities, because one illegal activity begets another,” said Sen. Thomas.

Thayer said that other states are also working to confront the issues of gray machines. In Virginia, they have been the focus of 150 lawsuits, and in Pennsylvania, they were initially legalized but are now facing issues concerning a legal and regulatory gray area.

During the Q and A, attendees asked for further details regarding where gray machines come from and the entities behind them.

Legislators described how Pace-O-Matic and Prominent Technologies first brought the machines to Kentucky in 2021. The issue of their existence in the state was brought to the floor last year, where the legislature nearly outlawed them, but the House and Senate ultimately could not agree on the bill, so the effort fell short.

Representative Killian Timoney, the sponsor of last year's bill, was present at Tuesday's meeting and said that he will be filing similar legislation this week. Once submitted, it could take up to two to three weeks for a decision to be made as it moves through the legislative system.

The panel emphasized that now is the time for industry participants to reach out to their senators and representatives to help sway votes towards banning the use of gray machines in Kentucky.

“If you want to preserve this industry and see it continue to grow, you need to be ready to reach out,” said Rep. Thayer. “If it doesn't happen now, it will be harder next year as [gray machines] continue to expand like a bad virus.”

Glasscock shared details about the upcoming KEEP Day at the Capitol, set for this Thursday, Feb. 23, which provides members of Kentucky's equine industry and community an opportunity to share with legislators in Frankfort the importance of horses to their districts and to the state's economy. (Click here for more).

“We are on the ropes with this one,” said Rep. Timoney. “I don't know if you all can afford to not send someone to KEEP Day. The horse industry needs to be well-represented on Thursday. It's a signature industry and we need to protect it.

Koch further encouraged industry members to keep the conversation going with their representatives and senators–not only in their districts but across the entire state–concerning the importance of HHR, its impact on racing, breeding and sales and its overall significance to the state's economy.

“We need to spread a positive message of HHR. We're two years into this and it's doing great things for Kentucky. [We need to] reinforce to legislators not to strip that away.”

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Weekend Racing Cancelled at Santa Anita Due to Weather

Due to unprecedented winter conditions forecast for Southern California through the upcoming weekend, Santa Anita Park has cancelled Saturday and Sunday's racing programs prior to entries being taken for either day. The track had previously postponed the Friday racing card, which was a makeup day not originally on the calendar.

Blizzard warnings have been issued for the San Gabriel Mountains behind the historic track, with snowfall expected at the 1,000 foot level. It is the first blizzard warning ever issued in Los Angeles County. The storm, which is expected to begin late morning on Thursday, is forecast to drop six inches of rain through Saturday.

The decision to cancel both days out of an abundance of caution was made in consultation with industry stakeholders, including the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Trainers Association, and the California Horse Racing Board.

The main track and training track training schedule will be announced on a daily basis and will be open for training as the weather permits.

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