Blacker Handed Three-Month Suspension, $15,000 Fine

The Santa Anita stewards on Sunday issued trainer Dan Blacker a 90-day suspension and a $15,000 fine for 527 separate incidents of failing to undertake the necessary pre-workout veterinary examination reporting process for horses in his care.

The three-month suspension is scheduled to run from Feb. 26, 2024, to May 25, 2024. During that time, Blacker will be denied access to all licensed premises in California.

Last October, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) charged Blacker with failing to comply with regulations requiring that a horse undergoes a veterinary exam within 72 hours of a workout and that the work is entered into a CHRB database. The 527 incidents occurred over a period of a year and a half.

In a statement last October, Blacker took “full responsibility” for the rules violations.

The issue came to light when an unraced Blacker-trainee named Animae (Speightstown) suffered a fatal injury after a July 1 workout at Santa Anita.

The CHRB investigated and found that no pre-workout report on Animae had been filed within three days of the work and that veterinary reports were also not filed for two of three of the filly's workouts prior to the July 1 work.

“During a horse-fatality investigation for the horse Animae, it was found the horse did not have an examination by his attending veterinarian entered into EquiTAPS database during the 72 hours immediately preceding an official workout,” the CHRB complaint read. “Three out of the four official workouts listed for Animae did not have a veterinarian exam listed, including the official workout when the horse suffered the fatality.”

As part of a subsequent broader investigation, the CHRB discovered that from Jan. 1, 2022–when the rule requiring horses to undergo a vet's inspection prior to a workout went into effect–to July 1, 2023, Blacker-trained horses worked 789 times, but veterinary reports were not filed for 527 of those workouts.

In his October statement posted on social media, Blacker wrote that he had always been careful to make sure his horses were properly examined before working.

“I want to make it clear that I am in contact with my veterinary team daily,” Blacker wrote. “We jog up every horse, every day before they go to the track. The horses in training are thoroughly evaluated by myself, my team and my veterinarian on a daily basis.”

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CHRB Teams Up with The Jockey Club’s InCompass Solutions to Solve California Workout Issue

The California Horse Racing Board is working with The Jockey Club's InCompass Solutions to create an automated system that will correlate official workouts at California racetracks and training facilities with confidential veterinary submissions for the purpose of verifying compliance with CHRB Rule 1878.

Rule 1878 states in part that “a horse shall not be permitted to workout (unless) the horse has been examined by the trainer's attending veterinarian during the 72 hours immediately preceding the workout for the express purpose of evaluating the horse's fitness to work out.” Furthermore, “The evaluation shall be recorded in the Veterinarian Report in accordance with section 1842.”

Daily workout reports and veterinary confidentials are located in two separate databases. Currently, CHRB personnel must go through those databases manually to determine whether a horse had been examined prior to exercising. An integrated system via InCompass will streamline that process and ensure greater compliance with Rule 1878.

“The CHRB is fully committed to constantly improving animal welfare, which is the point of Rule 1878,” said CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney. “Like many of our regulations, this particular one is trailblazing. As we endeavor to perfect the process, we encourage other regulatory bodies to consider adopting similar protections.”

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Tuesday’s Kentucky Derby Report: Trio of Breezers Bring the Morning ‘Thunder’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A trio of GI Kentucky Derby workers enjoyed the spotlight during training hours on a brisk Tuesday morning beneath the Twin Spires.

Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) was hard held beneath Masatoshi Segawa and ready to do much more as he hit the top of the stretch. He finished up strongly once let loose down the lane and completed his four-furlong breeze in :49.60 (13/20). The G2 UAE Derby winner will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Christophe Lemaire.

His countrymate Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby), a fantastic second beaten just a nose in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in his U.S. debut and currently on the outside looking in on the Kentucky Derby also-eligible list, worked five furlongs in a leisurely 1:05.60 (15/15). He will target the second leg of the Triple Crown if unable to secure a spot in the Derby.

The blinkered Sun Thunder (Into Mischief) also breezed during the 15-minute training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses as temperatures hovered in the mid-40s just after 7:30 a.m. The GI Blue Grass S. fourth-place finisher worked a “maintenance half-mile” beneath jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. in :47.80 (3/20). Trainer Ken McPeek's best result from eight previous Kentucky Derby starters was a second-place finish with Tejano Run in 1995.

As for Tuesday's Derby gallopers, a pair of grays made their presence felt on the sunsplashed backstretch.

'TDN Rising Star' and $1.3-million KEEESEP yearling purchase Tapit Trice (Tapit) immediately caught the eye as trainer Todd Pletcher watched his three Derby runners train near the chute.

Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) also made a very favorable impression for trainer Brad Cox galloping powerfully with his neck arched.

The Pletcher barn was the place to be afterwards as champion 2-year-old colt and 'Rising Star' Forte (Violence), the unbeaten Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and the aforementioned Tapit Trice got cleaned up following their routine 1 3/8-mile gallops.

Forte co-owner Mike Repole, sporting an Uncle Mo jacket, of course, was among a very large group of admirers lined up to get a closer look at the Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite as training hours began to wind down.

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Derby Winner Rick Strike Works, Possible for Ben Ali

RED TR-Racing's 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) worked five furlongs at Keeneland Wednesday morning in preparation for a possible start in the Lexington oval's GIII Ben Ali S. Apr. 22. With Carlos Enriquez aboard, the chestnut covered the distance over a fast track in 1:01.20.

“I thought he worked good and finished strong,” trainer Eric Reed said. “We are looking here [1 3/16 Ben Ali] or Oaklawn [$1-million GII Oaklawn H. going 1 1/8 miles the same day]. We want to get the first one out of the way and then the [$1-million GI) Stephen Foster [S. on July 1]. We'll see how they come up.”

Runner-up in the GII Lukas Classic last October, Rich Strike was fourth behind Flightline in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic before coming home sixth in the GI Clark S. Nov. 25. Following a two-month break, he returned to the work tab at Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington Jan. 21. Rich Strike has been working predominantly at Turfway earlier this winter.

Reed explained that he had initially looked at the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Mar. 25 for Rich Strike's seasonal return, however, “he nicked a quarter [hoof area], and we didn't want to take chance that he might hit himself coming out of the gate.”

According to Reed, the ultimate goal for Rich Strike this season is the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 4.

“After the Foster, we are looking at either the Whitney or the Pacific Classic then back to Churchill for the Lukas Classic then the Breeders' Cup,” said Reed.

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