Jockey Andres Calleja Relishing Dream Job As He Gets His First Win

Andres Calleja felt like a winner after guiding Bryan Waldridge's War Eagle's Love to a fourth-place finish for trainer Anthony Stephen in Friday's second race at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. The experience fulfilled the 22-year-old's dream of being a jockey and set him on a career course.

“It is indescribable,” Calleja said about the experience while he accepted well wishes from colleagues in the crowd. “There is just so much happening (in the race) with so many moving parts. Trying to focus is definitely something I have to keep practicing. I got as fit and as prepared as I possibly could.”

A graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Calleja is planning a second career while he concentrates on riding racehorses. He has been taking classes at the University of Kentucky with a long-range plan of earning an engineering degree. For now, winning races is his first priority.

“I definitely will be taking some more classes,” he said. “I really like the mathematics. I am not in any rush. That is a future goal. That is something to lean back on, but being a jockey is my dream.”

Calleja learned about racing from his father, Gustavo, who has held various positions in the industry including riding horses at unofficial tracks in Mexico. The younger Calleja had no previous experience in the saddle until he climbed aboard an inexperienced Thoroughbred filly owned by his father. He eventually started riding other people's racehorses while doing barn chores. He met Anthony Stephen at The Thoroughbred Center in north Lexington.

Stephen, a former jockey, recognized Calleja's enthusiasm and dedication and decided to give the youngster his first afternoon mount. Calleja is scheduled to ride again for Stephen in Sunday's fourth race where he is named aboard Americain Joey.

“He works really hard seven days a week,” Stephen said. “He always wants to do more. He knows (War Eagle's Love) really well. He rides her every morning. He gets along with her and that is the main thing – not every jockey fits every horse. He deserved the chance. He did great.”

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Averly Jane Dominates Indian Summer, Punches Ticket To BC Juvenile Turf Sprint

A perfect 3 for 3 in her short career, Averly Jane entered the gate for the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland a heavy favorite and her front-running turn demonstrated why. From the break to the wire, the filly was dominant under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, earning a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

At the Lexington, Ky., track, Averly Jane exited post seven quickly, finding the front in the opening strides of the 5 1/2-furlong sprint. Roman Poet and Diamond City traded second and third as Averly Jane held onto a safe lead, Gaffalione gave the filly a short breather on the far turn. Into the stretch, though, the field had no chance to challenge the favorite as she stretched her advantage with ease, hitting the wire three lengths in front. Kaufymaker was second and Circle Back Jack was third.

The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:02.65. Find this race's chart here.

Averly Jane paid $3.80, $2.40, and $2.20. Kaufymaker paid $3.40 and $2.80. Circle Back Jack paid $7.00.

The Indian Summer Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners of Challenge Series races earn a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding event at the Breeders' Cup World Championship Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in Kentucky by the University of Kentucky, Averly Jane is by Midshipman out of the Richter Scale mare Sh Sh Shakin'. Owned by Hat Creek Racing, the 2-year-old filly is trained by Wesley Ward. Consigned by Maine Chance Farm, Averly Jane was sold to Newt Dobbs for $35,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. With her win in the Indian Summer, she maintains her perfect record, 4 for 4, with career earnings of $313,140.

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New Pathogen Discovery Diagnostic Laboratory Under Construction At UKVDL

The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is excited to announce the opening of a New Pathogens Discovery Diagnostic Laboratory this fall.  The laboratory will serve as an extension to the existing UKVDL Molecular Biology, Virology and Bacteriology laboratories to help identify potential pathogens, both endemic and emerging, that may can cause morbidity and mortality in animals.

Pathogen detection will be done using cutting-edge Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology, metagenomics and bioinformatics methods. The Gluck Equine Research Center has plans for a similar laboratory, primarily for infectious disease discovery research.

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Traditionally, the identification of infectious disease agents in specimens/animals submitted to the UKVDL has been done through microscopic observation (morphology and Gram stain), bacterial media culture, viral cell culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other traditional diagnostic methods.

Reliable cultivation of bacteria was first done by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch in the late 19th century, and both were named the Fathers of Microbiology for their contributions.

The first virus (vaccinia) was grown in cell culture in 1913. The PCR method was discovered in 1985 by Kary Mullis, an industrial chemist. Unfortunately, conventional bacterial and viral cultures can take days, weeks and even months to lead to pathogen identification and sometimes grow nothing at all. Unlike culture, PCR can only identify specific agents that might be suspected.

In 2015, the UKVDL acquired a MALDI-TOF instrument (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight) for identification of culturable bacteria and fungi by using mass spectrometry and laser technology. The instrument can identify most agents within minutes, improving the turn-around time by about 24 hours. However, the organism must first be cultured, which still requires about 24 hours or more depending on the microorganism.

The implementation of NGS and leading-edge bioinformatics systems in the new UKVDL laboratory will assist UKVDL pathologists and microbiologists and Gluck scientists in the discovery of new pathogens and identify known pathogens more precisely than traditional methods. It will also enable innovative disease surveillance methods for endemic and emerging animal diseases.

Metagenomics is a method to study organisms that are difficult or impossible to culture, some of which may be potential pathogens. We are happy to announce that Litty Paul, PhD, an experienced investigational biologist, has been recruited to the UKVDL to design and launch the new NGS laboratory.

Tissue samples from sick or deceased animals are sent to a diagnostic laboratory by a veterinarian or an owner curious about the cause (etiology) of an illness or death loss. Once this new method is validated, the laboratory will extract and sequence the genetic material from the samples and store them in databases. The databases will then be analyzed by state-of-the-art bioinformatics software that can identify and classify the community of microorganisms present in the samples, which can aid in disease diagnosis. Even more powerful is the ability to compare analyses from sick and healthy animals to help identify and characterize new and emerging pathogens.

Several of the 60-member veterinary diagnostics laboratories (VDLs) of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) are already utilizing this technology.

This past spring, many Bluegrass horse farms were experiencing outbreaks of severe diarrhea in very young foals, and traditional diagnostic tests were not useful in providing the answers. Samples were gathered systematically from many local Thoroughbred farms by Emma Adam, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVS, assistant professor, research and industry liaison at the Gluck Equine Research Center, and brought to the UKVDL for testing in the microbiology laboratory of Erdal Erol, DVM, MSc, PhD, head of diagnostic microbiology and professor at the UKVDL.

He then forwarded select samples to the Texas A&M VDL and the University of Missouri for electron microscopy (EM) for testing. Both labs identified rotavirus on EM. Oddly, all PCR tests for rotavirus group A run at UKVDL had been negative.  Feng Li, DVM, PhD, professor and William Robert Mills Chair in Equine Infectious Disease at the Gluck Center, sent fecal specimens to the South Dakota State University VDL for NGS and metagenomics analysis. This collaborative effort identified a novel group B rotavirus in the foal specimens. Until this time, only group A rotavirus was targeted by the UKVDL PCR test.

This is a prime example of the outstanding collaborative diagnostic effort among the UKVDL, Gluck Center and other institutions, and demonstrates how these new methods can rapidly identify a new, emerging pathogen.

This data enabled Erol and Li to swiftly develop and validate a new PCR that can now identify the new group B rotavirus in about four hours. This test is now offered by UKVDL. The good news is the UKVDL is now prepared to detect the new virus in upcoming foaling seasons.

Once NGS technology is in place at the UKVDL and the Gluck Center, new and emerging pathogens in horses and other animals will be detected faster and easier than ever before.

Erdal Erol, DVM, MSc, PhD, head of diagnostic microbiology and professor, and Litty Paul, PhD, both from the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, provided this information.

Read more here.

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Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation Grants One-Time Award To Shelby DeVita

The board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation is pleased to announce some exciting new developments to further expand opportunities for young people in the thoroughbred industry. Due to ongoing Covid travel restrictions, the 2021 Springhouse Farm recipients, Rachel Doran and Ciara Russell, were unfortunately unable to travel from Ireland to Kentucky. However, they will proceed with their placements at Springhouse next year, when hopefully world travel restrictions will have eased.

The board decided to grant an extra scholarship this year for a fourth-year student in the University of Kentucky Equine program. This one time only grant is for a semester's tuition for a student selected by the Foundation in the Equine Science program. The recipient of this grant will be California native Shelby DeVita, a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky. Shelby has worked for Calumet Farm and is currently working as a tech at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. She is Vice President of the UK rodeo team and participates in roping and barrel racing competitions.

In addition, the board will grant another one time only scholarship for the Irish National Stud. Full tuition will be paid for an Irish citizen to attend the world renowned Irish National Stud program in 2022. Gerry Dilger graduated from this program in 1977 and it continues to provide a great educational opportunity for young people. The board will announce the recipient of this scholarship over the coming weeks.

Erin Dilger commented: “We are delighted to offer additional scholarships in memory of Gerry who supported and promoted so many equine industry participants over the years. Thank you to all our donors who make this possible.” The foundation also awards an annual Irish National Stud scholarship in partnership with KEMI. Full details of all scholarship opportunities are available at www.gerrydilgerequine.com”

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