Letter to the Editor: A Tribute to Avery Whisman

by Justin Stygles

The racetrack can be a special place.

In the last year alone, I've been fortunate enough to see some wonderful things, from talking with Barbara Livingston and Sarah Andrew at morning workouts, to watching William Buick win races at Newmarket's July Festival and again at Saratoga. I would argue that one of my most memorable days of racing was a reggae-filled afternoon during the Joe Hirsch Turf Invitational card last October at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

Until Saturday.

The Winter Festival at Laurel Park was set up to be a festive race day, complete with activities for kids, Mardi Gras, and $900,000 in stakes races. That was enough to perk my interest.  Just a few days before the Winter Festival, 1/ST racing announced a tribute to Avery Whisman. I felt a need to attend. Fighting mental health struggles is incomprehensibly difficult. Attending would be an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself, as they say. Enough so, that I left work, in Maine and traveled overnight to make the 12:25 post time.

To be honest, I didn't expect much. I just wanted to be in attendance. I knew there would be black armbands and a moment of silence. Perhaps a few jockeys would stand in the winner's circle during the moment of silence.

Unassumingly, I ventured on to the apron for the post-parade for the fifth race. I made my way over to the winner's circle in anticipation of the events that would follow.

Turns out I wasn't the only one. Either a lot of people also gathered around to show their respect, or this was going to be a much bigger event.

Before the race began, standing near the winner's circle, I noticed a woman crying and holding a child. I asked her if by chance she was related to Avery. Indeed, she was. I asked her if I could tell her a small story when the race was over. Surprisingly, after the race, she turned to me. I said to her, with tears welling, “Avery saved a life today.” The rest of the conversation will forever remain unspoken, but she needed to know that he made a difference today.

The event was huge! Throngs of people flooded the main track. It seemed like the entire crowd filtered down the winner's circle steps. A few near me started talking about the difficulties of our own mental health recoveries. A grace perhaps, since that was one of the reasons people showed up. If a community of horse people and racetrack employees could constitute a family, then Avery had a very large family–one in which everyone at the track wanted, or was, a part of, if even for a few moments.

It was almost too perfect, then, when Eastern Bay held his position to win easily in this year's edition of the GIII General George. The 13-time winner looked as clean as a wire-to-wire derby winner as he crossed the line. Again, floods of people swarmed the winner's circle. Tears flowed, mixed with smiles as Avery Whisman's highest earner came back for the photo. Some were visibly overwhelmed. And why not?  Some things are just meant to be. Especially at 7-1.

How fitting. Poetic, perhaps. Nonetheless, how perfect?

I'd never been to a race day where a celebration of life was so apparent. All those connected to Avery were surrounded by love, not just from family, but from the patrons who surrounded them, eager to share their love too.

There are no words that can explain to what extent a person will struggle to do what they love most. For Avery, it was horses and riding. For some of us, it's teaching. For others, it's simply trying to be someone important in the eyes of another. Most of that pain is never spoken of for fear of upsetting or losing the ones we love. People find it hard to understand thus, keeping things quiet is even more necessary.

Racing can be a beautiful game. Like our own lives, as much as there is joy, there is also darkness. Avery knew the darkness. Yet, today, on a gorgeous winter afternoon, his light lit up the hearts of every race fan in attendance.

Today was an event that many will hold in their hearts forever.

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Teofilo’s Nations Pride Too Strong In The Dubai Millennium

Reappearing for the first time since his fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational and GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational winner Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) got his 2023 campaign off to a flyer with a comfortable success in Friday's G3 Dubai Millennium S. at Meydan. The pick of William Buick of the Charlie Appleby duo and marginally the second favourite at 11-8 behind stablemate Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the homebred travelled notably strongly behind the leading pair throughout the early stages. Rolling to the front 300 metres from the finish, he was pushed out to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) as Ottoman Fleet faded late to be a further half length away in third.

Nations Pride has not raced in his native England since finishing eighth in the Derby, his sole blip having come after earning a supplementary for the Blue Riband when beating Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) by seven lengths in the Listed Newmarket S. in April. Highly effective at or around this 10-furlong trip on a conventional track, he is now the winner of this venue's inaugural Jumeirah Derby, the aforementioned Saratoga Derby Invitational and Jockey Club Derby Invitational as well as being a possibly unfortunate runner-up in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational.
Appleby, who was winning this race for the sixth consecutive year, is considering the G1 Jebel Hatta and G1 Dubai Turf. “Immediately, you'd say have a crack at the Dubai Turf, as they'll go a good gallop over the 1800 metres there, but we'll see how the cards fall,” he said.

Pedigree Notes

The dam Important Time (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was a listed winner in Germany, is a daughter of the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) who is herself kin to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Spadoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}). Satwa Queen is also the second dam of the G1 Phoenix S. hero and G1 2000 Guineas, G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Middle Park S.-placed Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Also related to the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Marieta (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), she has a 2-year-old filly by Dark Angel (Ire) and a yearling full-sister to the winner to come.

Friday, Meydan, Dubai
DUBAI MILLENNIUM S.-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-17, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:01.16, gd.
1–NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), 136, c, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Important Time (Ire) (SW-Ger), by Oasis Dream (GB)
     2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
     3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $90,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, SW-Eng, 11-7-2-0, $1,644,216. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zagrey (Fr), 129, c, 3, Zarak (Fr)–Grey Anatomy (GB), by Slickly (Fr). (€32,000 RNA Ylg '20 ARQSEP). O-Ecurie Altima & Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Ecurie Euroling (FR); T-Yann Barberot. $30,000.
3–Ottoman Fleet (GB), 129, g, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Innevera (Fr), by Motivator (GB). (€290,000 Wlg '19 ARQDE; 425,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Marmion Vauville & Alain Jathiere (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. $15,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 4HF.
Also Ran: Daramethos (Ire), Annerville (Ire), Aeonian (Ire), Good Fortune (Den), Freescape (GB), Midlife Crisis (Fr), Desert Fire (Ire), Withering (GB), Ursa Minor (Ire).

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Champion Buick Reaches 200-Winner Mark

William Buick, who has already been crowned champion jockey in Britain for 2022, rounded off a sensational campaign in style by riding 200 British winners in a year for the first time. His 200th victory came at Southwell aboard the odds-on favourite Zealot (GB), trained by Michael Appleby. 

Speaking on the Sky Sports Racing channel after the race, Buick said, “I said to Tony [Hind], my agent, six weeks ago when we had 31 winners to go that it was within reach.

“Things didn't quite go to plan until today, but it's great and I've had lots of support. Thank you to everyone.”

Buick missed out on victory in the first British Classic of the season when beaten on Native Trail (GB) into second by stable-mate Coroebus (Ire), ridden by his great friend James Doyle, in the 2,000 Guineas. He later won both the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Native Trail and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains on Modern Games (Ire), the colt who would go on to score his second Breeders' Cup victory at the end of the season at Keeneland.

America has been a happy hunting ground for Buick this year, and he has also enjoyed top-level success in the Saratoga Derby with Nations Pride (GB) and the Saratoga Oaks on With The Moonlight (GB). He was also aboard winner Mischief Magic (GB) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. In Britain, his Group 1 victories have included the St James's Palace S. with Coroebus, who was later fatally injured in the Prix du Moulin, and the Cheveley Park S. On Lezoo (GB), while Rebel's Romance (Ire) won the Preis von Europa with Buick up. Modern Games also landed Canada's Ricoh Woodbine Mile, while Mysterious Night (Ire) won the Pattison Summer S. on the same card.

“It's been a great year,” said the jockey. “I've had wonderful support from everybody. Charlie Appleby and Godolphin have had an amazing year with Charlie also being champion (trainer) as well.”

He added, “I would love to go for it again next year, beyond that you never know.”

Former champion Oisin Murphy was the most recent jockey to pass the 200-winner mark in Britain, having ridden 220 winners in 2019, while another former champion, Silvestre de Sousa, notched 206 in 2017. Buick's previous best was 170 winners last year when the jockeys' championship went right to the wire on British Champions Day and he finished a close second to Murphy. He could yet add to his tally as he is booked for five rides at Lingfield on New Year's Eve.

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Appleby Wins Second Consecutive Flat Trainers’ Championship

For the second straight year, Newmarket-based trainer Charlie Appleby was honored with the Derby Award as 2022's champion flat trainer by the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA).

The 47-year-old Appleby so far this year has been represented by 150 winners and 225 seconds from 478 starters-a 31 percent win rate-and his runners have earned £6,225,397. Among those victories were 18 European Group winners-three Group 1s-including a one-two finish in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas with Coroebus (Dubawi [Ire]) and Native Trail (Oasis Dream {GB}), a first victory for the conditioner in the prestigious Classic.

The HWPA award completes a clean sweep of the 2022 jockeys', trainers' and owners' championships for Godolphin, who in addition to Appleby also employs jockey William Buick.

“I'm hugely proud of what myself and the team have achieved in backing the Trainers' Championship up for a second consecutive year,” Appleby said. “I'm very lucky to have the team at Moulton Paddocks and Godolphin and I'm extremely appreciative of their dedication.

“Winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas was the highlight. It's something that personally I hadn't done before and had finished close on a few occasions. It's one of those races that I was very keen to get on the board. That was a very proud day.”

Appleby-trained runners collected three victories at Royal Ascot in the shape of Coroebus (G1 St James's Palace S.), Naval Crown (Dubawi {Ire}) (G1 Platinum Jubilee S.) and Noble Truth (Kingman {GB}) (G3 Jersey S.). He also took the leading trainer title at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and tightened the girth on three winners in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland-Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf), Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf).

“On behalf of all of us at Godolphin, I want to offer huge congratulations to Charlie Appleby on winning the trainers' championship for the second year in a row,” Hugh Anderson, managing director of Godolphin (UK & Dubai), said. “It's a great achievement and testament to his own skill as a trainer – the high points of this season are almost too many to mention but I would point to the three 2000 Guineas with 3 different colts and the Breeders' Cup hat-trick as being particular standouts.”

Appleby received his award on Monday night at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London.

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