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Trainer Mullins Suspended, Fined for Clenbuterol Positive in Del Mar Winner

Trainer Jeff Mullins has been suspended 30 days and fined $1,500 as the result of a “settlement agreement and mutual release” with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to adjudicate a clenbuterol positive triggered by one of his winning trainees at Del Mar last summer.

The conditions of the agreement call for Mullins to serve 15 days of the suspension, with the remaining 15 days conditionally stayed.

The stewards' ruling, dated Jan. 7, stated that Mullins is “placed on probation for ONE YEAR from the date of this ruling and may not have any violation of CHRB Rules and Regulations…regarding Class I, II or III drug substances. The term of suspension shall be from Jan. 9, 2023, through Jan. 23, 2023. If JEFF MULLINS violates a condition of the probation, FIFTEEN DAYS of stayed suspension shall be imposed following a notice and hearing.”

The positive for clenbuterol (a bronchodilator), which under CHRB rules is a Class 3, Penalty Category B violation, occurred in the gelding Inch (Violence), who won a $50,000/NW3L starter-allowance grass sprint Aug. 25.

Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen reported that during the suspension, Mullins's son, Jeff Jr., will be the official trainer.

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Late Bid to Keep Bears in Chicago Despite Looming Arlington Sale

The developer advising Chicago's mayor is proposing a $2.2-billion renovation proposal that includes a glass stadium dome to keep the city's National Football League team, the Bears, at its longtime downtown location, Soldier Field.

The website Front Office Sports published details Jan. 8. The news is of peripheral interest to horse racing enthusiasts, because the Bears have otherwise entered into a purchase agreement to instead build a $5-billion stadium on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse.

Although the specifics of the proposal are new, city officials have been on record for well over a year saying that they would like to work out a plan to keep the Bears within Chicago and not see the team move to the suburb of Arlington Heights.

The topic has percolated in recent months because the Bears disclosed in September that public funding would be necessary to build the new stadium. Team officials had not previously acknowledged that taxpayers might be on the hook for the $5-billion stadium build, which is separate from the land transaction.

The $197-million sale of the 326-acre Arlington property has been in a due-diligence process since September 2021, which is when Arlington last hosted Thoroughbred racing. The deadline for closing on the deal is March 2023, although the gaming corporation that is selling Arlington, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), could always extend the deadline by negotiating further with the Bears.

In an open letter published on the football team's website, the Bears stated, “We remain under contract to purchase the property, but there are conditions that must be met in order to be in a position to close. If we do close on the property, it does not guarantee we will develop it. While under contract with the seller of Arlington Park, we will not be discussing or exploring any other alternative stadium sites or opportunities, including renovations of Soldier Field.”

During the summer and fall of 2022, CDI auctioned off the contents of Arlington, selling everything from office and kitchen items to the racetrack's marker poles, finish lines, starting gates, signage and artwork.

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First Foal for Spendthrift’s Known Agenda

GI Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin) was represented by his first foal Jan. 7. The filly was born at Glendalough Farm in Lexington and was bred by Phillips Farm LLC out of Sunandsea (Henny Hughes).

“We are just overjoyed with this filly,” said Phillips Farm's Joshua Phillips. “She's exceptionally well-muscled, has a nice hip and a lot of leg underneath her. Just a physically strong individual like the good Curlins. We looked at a lot of different stallions for this mare and Known Agenda stamped this filly beautifully.”

Known Agenda stands at Spendthrift Farm, where he enters his second season in 2023 for $10,000.

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TAKE2 10TH Anniversary Raises Over $117K

Just shy of its goal of raising $100,000 in celebration of the Program's 10th Anniversary, TAKE2 received a holiday gift of $25,000 from the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYSTBDF), pushing the campaign across the finish line. A total of $117,744 was raised during the 10 months of the drive.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made a contribution, and blown away by the generosity of the Fund,” said TAKE2 Executive Director Andy Belfiore. “Our Program is a labor of love, and it means the world to know that so many people share our commitment to retired racehorses. This funding will help us continue the work started by Rick Violette 10 years ago, putting the spotlight on the Thoroughbred in the show ring and creating second career opportunities to ensure happy and healthy lives beyond the racetrack.”

The NYSTBF long has been a staunch advocate for TAKE2, which offers Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper divisions at more than 400 horse shows. TAKE2's sister program, TAKE THE LEAD, works with New York's owners and trainers to find homes for the horses retiring from NYRA tracks. The promotion of responsible Thoroughbred retirement is at the top of the agenda for NYSTBDF, a mission that has grown in the last 10 years.

“I've been with the Fund since about 2010, and the commitment to aftercare has changed a great deal in that time,” explained NYSTBDF Executive Director Tracy Egan. “I've always believed we need to create the reality that we are taking care of our horses even after they leave the racetrack. Their racing careers are so brief, and they have long and productive lives after the track.”

The NYSTBDF will host a ceremonial check presentation and a reception with aftercare organizations and state legislators at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.

“We have a new Board Chairman, Brian O'Dwyer, and it was his idea to have the check ceremony, to bring together the aftercare community and the lawmakers from Albany,” Egan said. “We want our lawmakers to learn about and understand our commitment to aftercare.”

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