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CHRB: Several Fair Dates Moved To Golden Gate, Serious Concerns Aired About National Bill

The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting by teleconference on Thursday, September 24. The public participated by dialing into the teleconference and/or listening through the audio webcast link on the CHRB website. Chairman Gregory Ferraro chaired the meeting, joined by Vice Chairman Oscar Gonzales and Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Brenda Washington Davis, and Wendy Mitchell.

The audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcast link. In brief:

Chairman Ferraro and others welcomed Commissioner Davis to her first meeting since her August 26 appointment to the Board by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Board approved license applications for four race meets, all of which are scheduled to be run without fans in attendance due to COVID-19 and under strict protocols established by local health officials designed to protect all racing participants. As approved:
- The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will run its fall meet beginning October 31 through November 29 with mostly three-day racing weeks, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
- Watchandwager.com will run a harness meet at Cal Expo beginning November 21 through December 19 with mostly two-day racing weeks, Fridays and Saturdays.
- Pacific Racing Association II will run an extended thoroughbred meet at Golden Gate Fields (GGF) due to the reallocation of race dates that have been relinquished by the Big Fresno Fair. The additional two weeks extend the current race meet to October 18.
- After the conclusion of the current meet, including the additional dates relinquished by the Big Fresno Fair, Pacific Racing Association will run a separate thoroughbred meet at GGF beginning October 22 through December 13, all four-day race weeks, Thursday through Sunday.
The Board approved agreements between the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the racing secretaries at GGF and Del Mar regarding entry conditions limiting specific drug substances for entered horses.
Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director, advised he was in constant contact with management at Los Alamitos, GGF, and Del Mar and with safety personnel at those locations pertaining to heat conditions and also air quality issues created by widespread fires.
There were no heat-related problems with horses during the recent heat wave throughout California, but air quality conditions caused a major reduction in training and also prompted GGF to cancel one weekend of racing. Santa Anita postponed the start of its fall meet by one week to September 25.
Dr. Arthur stressed the relationship between racehorse injury and rider safety, an issue he raised due to the serious injuries sustained by jockey Vinnie Bednar. He reminded the Board that research at the University of California, Davis, confirmed the relationship between horse injury and jockey injury and noted that a video on Racing Injury Prevention can be viewed on the CHRB website. He also advised that a GoFundMe account has been established for Bednar ( https://gf.me/u/yvswsm ).
Executive Director Scott Chaney reported serious concerns with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act that is moving swiftly through Congress. These concerns were echoed by some commissioners. Chaney said safety rules and protocols in California are the strictest in the nation. Therefore, national standards, as called for in HISA, may actually be less strict.
Chaney reminded everyone that a revised rule governing use of the riding crop will go into effect October 1. The CHRB issued a news release earlier on this subject. He also noted improvements to the CHRB website pertaining to the listing of equine fatalities and a list of reforms that are either completed or in process for the protection of horses and riders.
For continuity purposes, the Board temporarily suspended through December 25 the new rule prohibiting Lasix in 2-year-olds, which will only impact quarter horses.
In compliance with a procedural matter raised by the Office of Administrative Law, the Board re-approved a rule strictly limiting the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on racehorses.
The Board suspended Rule 1845(h), which required syringes used to administer Lasix on race day be retained. An amendment permanently eliminating the requirement will be heard in October.
In two separate but related actions, the Board authorized Los Alamitos to distribute a total of $26,580 in race day charity proceeds to four beneficiaries.
The Board authorized Los Alamitos Equine Horse Sale, LLC, to conduct horse sales at Los Alamitos on October 3 and 4.

Public comments made during the meeting can be accessed through the meeting audio archive on the CHRB website

The post CHRB: Several Fair Dates Moved To Golden Gate, Serious Concerns Aired About National Bill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jockeys Pledge Support to Injured Rider Vinnie Bednar

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have pledged a percentage of their earnings from the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider 28-year-old rider Vinnie Bednar, who suffered a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack Aug. 22. Bednar is currently experiencing lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when his mount, Peek It Up, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country’s top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn’t believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie’s mother.

In the Derby, Castellano will be aboard Money Moves; Franco will ride the heavy favorite Tiz the Law and Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on South Bend. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018, will be aboard Honor A.P., while Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America’s all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Vinnie Bednar, a former motocross rider, began riding Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses in 2011. As of his latest race, he ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

To assist with Bednar’s continued medical support, visit the GoFundMe page at https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

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Five Derby Riders Pledge Percentage Of Earnings To Help Injured Jock Bednar

Hall of Fame jockeys Javier Castellano, Mike Smith, John Velazquez, and the sport's rising stars Manuel Franco and Tyler Gaffalione have joined in solidarity to pledge a percentage of their earnings from the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby race cards to help rider Vinnie Bednar with continued expenses resulting from a catastrophic fall at Los Alamitos Racetrack on August 22nd.

Bednar, 28, is experiencing what his family hopes is a temporary lower-limb paralysis following initial surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He remains hospitalized while awaiting transfer to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, a world-renowned, premier center for spinal and brain injury. The accident occurred in the seventh race when Peek It Up, the horse Bednar was riding, broke down 100 yards from the finish line in the 300-yard race.

“Vinnie was overcome with emotion when I told him that some of the country's top jockeys had reached out and wanted to help. He couldn't believe that they were thinking about him while they are amid their big race weekend at Churchill Downs,” said Karen Bednar, Vinnie's mother.

“The support our family has received is unbelievable and it's been so inspiring to Vinnie. He wants to use the attention and the generosity to help other paralyzed jockeys who don't have the exposure and need help,” Bednar continued.

Castellano who is third on the all-time North American earnings leaderboard will be aboard Money Moves for seven-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher in the 146th running of the Derby today. Franco will ride the heavy favorite and sole Triple Crown contender Tiz the Law who won the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes for trainer Barclay Tagg. Tyler Gaffalione who is third in earnings on the North American Leaderboard will have the mount on South Bend for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Mike Smith, who piloted Justify to a Triple Crown title in 2018 will be in the irons for trainer John Sherriffs on Honor A.P. who is the morning line second favorite in the race. Velazquez will ride Authentic for two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert who is the third favorite in the year's 146^th edition of the Run for the Roses.

“This could have been any one of us,” said North America's all-time leading money earner Velazquez. “The injuries Vinnie sustained are going to require a tremendous amount of financial support for his medical bills and rehabilitation. We will be riding with Vinnie and his family in our thoughts and prayers today.”

Fellow Hall of Famer Mike Smith echoed the sentiment, adding, “I know Vinnie well. He's a great young rider and an even better person. He has a wonderful family and we will all help him get through this.”

Vinnie Bednar is a former motocross rider who began riding thoroughbred and quarter horses in 2011. He has enjoyed a successful career and at the time of his last race ranked second in the jockey standings at Los Alamitos. Since mid-December, Bednar has won four major stakes – the Champion of Champions last December with 2019 World Champion He Looks Hot, the Vessels Maturity on Chocolatito on July 5, the Governor's Cup Derby with Nomadic on July 26, and the Golden State Derby on Aug. 16 aboard Circle City. This season Bednar had 41 Quarter Horse victories from 201 starts with earnings of $635,959 and is ranked 23^rd in the country. He also rode Thoroughbreds this year, garnering 18 wins from 94 mounts.

Close friends of the Bednar family have created a GoFundMe campaign for continued medical support: https://gf.me/u/yvsusr

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Jockey Bednar Left Paralyzed After Spill At Los Al

Rider Vinnie Bednar is suffering from lower-limb paralysis after a spill at Los Alamitos on Aug. 22, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form Wednesday. Bednar was aboard 3-year-old Quarter Horse Peek It Up when the filly suffered a catastrophic injury near the end of the 300-yard contest.

Bednar, 28, underwent surgery at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles after the spill and is expected to be transported to a Colorado facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries.

Bednar has ridden both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses during his career, which launched in 2011. He had his best season last year with 115 wins across all breeds and was second in the Quarter Horse standings at the time of his fall.

Friends of the Bednar family have launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to help defray projected costs of Bednar's recovery.