PET scanning - reduces catastrophic fractures - latest advance in equine imaging - designed to image horse legs

By Mathieu Spriet, Associate Professor, University of California, Davis

Santa Anita Park, the iconic Southern California racetrack, currently under public and political pressure due to a high number of horse fatalities during the 2019 season, announced in December 2019 the installation of a PET scanner specifically designed to image horse legs. It is hoped that this one-of-a-kind scanner will provide information about bone changes in racehorses to help prevent catastrophic breakdowns.

What is PET?

Figure 1: The first equine PET was performed in 2015 at the University of California Davis on a research horse laid down with anesthesia. The scanner used was a PET prototype designed for the human brain (piPET, Brain- Biosciences Inc., Rockville, MD).

PET stands for positron emission tomography. Although this advanced form of imaging only recently became available for horses, the principles behind PET imaging have been commonly used at racetracks for many years. PET is a nuclear medicine imaging technique, similar to scintigraphy, which is more commonly known as “bone scan”. For nuclear imaging techniques, a small dose of radioactive tracer is injected to the horse, and the location of the tracer is identified with a camera in order to create an image. The tracers used for racehorse imaging are molecules that will attach to sites on high bone turnover, which typically occurs in areas of bone subject to high stress. Both scintigraphic and PET scans detect “hot spots” that indicate—although a conventional X-ray might not show anything abnormal in a bone—there are microscopic changes that may develop into more severe injuries.

Development of PET in California

The big innovation with the PET scan is that it provides 3D information, whereas the traditional bone scan only acquires 2D images. The PET scan also has a higher spatial resolution, which means it is able to detect smaller changes and provide a better localisation of the abnormal sites. PET’s technological challenge is that to acquire the 3D data in horses, it is necessary to use a ring of detectors that fully encircles the leg. 

The first ever equine PET scan was performed at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California in 2015. At the time, a scanner designed to image the human brain was used (PiPET, Brain-Biosciences, Inc.). This scanner consists of a horizontal cylinder with an opening of 22cm in diameter. Although the dimensions are convenient to image the horse leg, the configuration required the horse be anesthetised in order to fit the equipment around the limb. 

The initial studies performed on anesthetised horses with the original scanner demonstrated the value of the technique. A first study, published in Equine Veterinary Journal, demonstrated that PET showed damage in the equine navicular bone when all other imaging techniques, including bone scan, MRI and CT did not recognise any abnormality.

A pilot study looking at the racehorse fetlock, also published in Equine Veterinary Journal,  showed that PET detects hot spots in areas known to be involved in catastrophic fractures.

Figure 2: These are images from the first horse image with PET. From left to right, PET, CT, MRI, and bone scan. The top row shows the left front foot that has a severe navicular bone injury. This is shown by the yellow area on the PET image and abnormalities are also seen with CT, MRI and bone scan. The bottom row is the right front foot from the same horse, the PET shows a small yellow area that indicates that the navicular bone is also abnormal. The other imaging techniques however did not recognize any abnormalities.

This confirmed the value of PET for racehorse imaging, but the requirement for anesthesia remained a major barrier to introducing the technology at the racetrack. To overcome this, LONGMILE Veterinary Imaging, a division of Brain-Biosciences Inc, in collaboration with the University of California Davis, designed a scanner which could image standing horses. To do this, the technology had to be adapted so that the ring of detectors could be opened and positioned around the limb. 

With the support from the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Southern California Equine Foundation and the Stronach Group, this unique scanner became a reality and, after the completion of an initial validation study in Davis, the scanner was installed at Santa Anita Park in December 2019.

Figure 3: The two images on the left are bone scan images from a 4-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse. The images on the right are 3D projection of PET images of the same fetlock. The bone scan revealed an abnormality at the bottom of the cannon bone. The PET scan confirmed this abnormality and helped better localize it. In addition, several other abnormalities were found on the PET scan in the sesamoid bones.

PET at the racetrack

The new PET scanner has been used to image the equine limb from the foot to the knee. The current main focus at the racetrack is fetlock imaging, as the majority of catastrophic breakdown in racehorses affects this area. The UC Davis pilot study highlighted the value of PET for detecting abnormalities in the proximal sesamoid bones—the two small bones at the back of the cannon bone—that are commonly involved in catastrophic fractures. Previous necropsy research on horses which suffered breakdowns has shown that changes can be present in the bones prior to the development of major injuries. The goal of the Californian PET project is to detect these warning signs in order to avoid training and racing horses at high risk for catastrophic breakdown.

Alternative imaging techniques

Other imaging techniques are available for examining equine bone. Scintigraphic bone scans are doing an excellent job at detecting stress fractures of the humerus or tibia, and this has helped markedly decrease catastrophic injuries in these areas. Bone scan is also used for fetlocks; but “hot fetlocks” are common on bone scan, and the lower resolution 2D images often do not allow to truly determine whether horses are at high risk of fractures or have normal bone adaptation to training.

Figure 4: The MILE-PET scanner (LONGMILE Veterinary imaging, Rockville, MD) is the first PET scanner specifically designed to image standing horses. An openable ring of detectors allows easy positioning and safe scanning.

MRI is used for fetlock imaging too, and MRI scanners designed for imaging standing horses have been available for over 15 years. Several large racing centers are equipped with such scanners, and MRI excels in particular at detecting changes in the cannon bone that precede condylar fractures. MRI can detect areas of bone densification, or even accumulation of fluid in the bone, typically indicative of microtrauma that can weaken the bone.

Computed tomography (CT) has also recently been used for standing imaging of the fetlock. At the moment, there are a few centers equipped with a CT scanner allowing standing fetlock imaging, but they are only available at, for example, New Bolton Center, Pennsylvania - USA, and the University of Melbourne, Australia. CT uses X-rays to create 3D images. Similar to MRI, CT can detect areas of bone densification or areas of bone loss. …

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George Bolton - Chris Mara - Jack Knowlton

By Bill Heller

George Bolton (Nadal)

George Bolton

Having campaigned such stars as two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Lady Aurelia, My Miss Aurelia and The Factor did absolutely nothing to diminish George Bolton’s excitement for his latest home-run hitter, the undefeated three-year-old colt Nadal, whom he owns in partnership with Barry Lipman, Mark Mathiesen and Arthur Hoyeau.

Unfortunately, on May 28, after working a half-mile at Santa Anita, Nadal suffered a colyndar fracture of his left front knee. Surgery was done with two screws were inserted, and Nadal will be able to start a new career as a stallion.

Bolton is thankful that he saw all of Nadal’s four victories. Bolton sneaked into Oaklawn Park May 5 to watch Nadal improve his record to four-for-four by taking the second division of the rescheduled Gr1 Arkansas Derby for trainer Bob Baffert.

“If they can really run, you get your ass there,” Bolton said. “I went to see every one of his races: his maiden, his San Vincente, Rebel and the Arkansas Derby. I was the only owner allowed in at Oaklawn. I snuck in. I had a mask on, but I wasn’t near anyone. I wanted to be with the horse. This is a special horse. I spent as much time at the barn after his race as before. I never missed Curlin, Lady Aurelia, The Factor and My Miss Aurelia. For me, you get the one that’s good, you go see him.”

He was perfectly happy sharing the experience with his partners. “Celebrating by yourself isn’t much fun,” Bolton said. “You spread the risk. At the level I play at, when you’re buying, you have to do it as a partnership.”

Bolton, who is the chief investment officer, portfolio manager and partner of WestEnd Capital Management in San Francisco, currently lives in Key Largo, Fla. He was born near Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. “I grew up on a farm that my great, great aunt owned,” he said. “It was left to my father. He had a lot of jumpers. I grew up around it.”

He graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He’s been an avid supporter of the Cavaliers, and rode the roller coaster of seeing Virginia become the first basketball No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed—the University of Maryland-Baltimore-County—in the NCAA Tournament, and winning the national championship the following season. “I’ve been swinging with the Cavaliers for a long time,” he said. “Virginia is a great place.”

In college, Bolton had the good fortune of becoming friends with Bill Farish, whose father, Will, a former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was building Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. 

“Bill asked me to get involved in the business in 1989,” Bolton said. “I just got off to a good start. I didn’t have anybody marking up horses for me.”

 By 1989, Bolton had moved to San Francisco after working for Alex Brown & Sons in Baltimore. He continued to work for them in San Francisco, becoming the firm’s youngest managing partner in 1991. While leading institutional equity sales on the West Coast, he also separately managed accounts for high net-worth individuals. In 2004, Bolton left Alex Brown to become a partner and chief investment officer at WestEnd Capital Management.

His ongoing success has allowed him to pursue his passion, where he’s become a major player. The Farishes brought Bolton in on a Miswaki filly named Exotic Moves. “We sold her after she won three races for a clean `double,’ and I was hooked,” he told the Paulick Report in a March 26, 2018 story.

Curlin—the 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year—took him to a whole new level, winning 11 of 16 starts and earning more than $10.5 million. No victory was more meaningful to him than Curlin’s come-again victory in the Preakness in Pimlico. “He got passed, and he came again,” Bolton said. “It was crazy. Most of the stretch, I thought he would lose.”

Bolton’s My Miss Aurelia, the 2011 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly won the first six starts of her career and never finished out of the money in 11 starts, earning more than $2.5 million. The Factor, who continues a marvelous stallion career at Lane’s End, won six of 13 starts and more than $900,000. And Lady Aurelia, who won five of 10 starts and more than $800,00, captured the 2017 Gp1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, defeating 17 colts and three fillies.

The international bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe hooked up with Bolton in 2018, buying yearlings for him in Australia, Europe and the United States. “George got in touch with me, and he said `I want you to buy for me,’” she said in a phone interview from Newmarket May 15.

She purchased Nadal—a massive, muscular colt by Blame out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel bred by Sierra Farm—for $700,000 at the 2019 Gulfstream Park Two-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale that March for Bolton and another investor. The second investor bailed, and Bolton reached out to Lipman, Mathiesen and Hoyeau. Trainer Randy Bradshaw had originally purchased Nadal for $65,000 as a yearling. “When I was looking at him, Randy told me, `Kerri, this is a special horse,’” Radcliffe said. “He breezed like a monster, and when you saw his breeze and saw how big he was, you couldn’t quite figure out how that horse did that.”

She named him for tennis star Rafael Nadal. Previously, she had named a colt Gronkowski for Ron Gronkowski, the All-Pro tight end of the New England Patriots. 

The equine Nadal had a rough time getting to the races. After beginning training at Los Alamitos, Baffert shipped Nadal to his barn at Santa Anita. On the van trip there, he kicked out of his stall and got his hind leg caught over the partition. “He flipped over,” Bolton said. “He cut himself on the back of his legs and had lacerations on his hocks. When we finally got him back, he wasn’t working well. We examined him again and gave him three months off. Sometimes, missing a two-year-old year helps as a three-year-old.”

Nadal, who weighs in at 1,325 pounds, hasn’t done a thing wrong since returning to Baffert. “He’s a monster,” said Bolton, who compared him to former New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and legendary Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills’ defensive end Bruce Smith. “It takes him a little while to get going, but his gait versus the other horses is exciting.”

So are the results. “I had 68 texts right after the Arkansas Derby,” Bolton said. “Twenty-eight were from racing people; 40 of them were from Virginia and business people. All of them watched the Derby. It was great for the sport because it’s great that people know him.”

And the tennis star he’s named for? “I’ve talked to his agent,” Bolton said. “He’s aware of the horse. I am a big fan of him as a person and as an athlete. I hope he’s enjoying the horse.”

Bolton sure did. So did Nadal’s other owners: Lipman, whose family runs Lipman Family Farms—North America’s largest tomato grower with headquarters in Florida; Mathiesen, who owns a medical service company and was introduced to racing by his daughter Hannah; and Hoyeau, a French-based bloodstock agent. “These guys are guys you want to work with,” Bolton said.

Chris Mara (Charlatan)

New York Giants Senior Vice President Chris Mara’s passion for Thoroughbred racing goes back a long way. After purchasing a football franchise—which ultimately became the New York Giants—for all of $500 in 1925, his grandfather, Tim Mara, was a legal bookmaker at Belmont Park in the 1930’s. Tim passed both his Giants’ legacy and his love of Thoroughbreds onto his son Wellington, who in turn passed it onto Chris and his brothers.

“He influenced my dad, and my dad influenced me,” Chris said in a phone interview. “The first Saturday in May, you couldn’t find my dad. He and my mom were at the Derby.”

His father took him to Belmont Park for the first time when he was 10. 

Chris’ first trip to the Kentucky Derby was in 1982 when he, his parents and their dear friends the Rooneys watched Gato del Sol take the first leg of the Triple Crown. Chris would marry Kathleen Rooney, NFL pioneer Art Rooney’s granddaughter. 

Chris spent one summer, while in college at Boston College after transferring from Springfield, parking cars at one of the Rooneys’ racetracks, Yonkers Raceway. “I loved it,” Chris said. “It was a very interesting job to say the least. The guys were teaching me how to park cars. I parked one, and when I returned the car, the guy gave me a $20 tip. That was like 1977 or 1978. It was a lot of money. I told the guys, `They gave me $20.’ They said, “You [bleep, bleep].’”

He came a long way from parking cars at that harness track. Some 35 years ago, he owned his first Thoroughbred, Itchy Hooves, with his mom. Fast forward a lot of years. After meeting Starlight Racing’s managing partner Jack Wolf in a Saratoga golf tournament hosted by basketball coach, Thoroughbred owner and long-time friend of the Mara family Rick Pitino in August 2012, Chris decided to make a serious commitment to Thoroughbred ownership by joining Starlight Racing.

“I had been looking into it,” Chris said. “I sought out a couple different people and asked them what they thought I should do. They suggested various syndicates. I looked at all of them. Then I sat down with Donna Brothers (who works for Starlight Racing) at the Saratoga Sale. Then I met Jack Wolf on the golf course at Saratoga National.”

That did it. Maybe Chris was feeling giddy—the after effect of a memorable year, which featured the New York Giants beating the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl; and his daughter, Rooney Mara, for being nominated for an Academy Award for her title role in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

In a May 3rd Newsday story, Chris told Ed McNamara, “I sat down with Jack, and he asked me what I was going to bring to the table; and I answered, `Luck! We just won a Super Bowl, and my daughter is up for an Academy Award!’”

That very afternoon, Chris and Starlight Racing’s two starters in the 2014 Kentucky Derby—General Rod and Intense Holiday—finished 11th and 12th, respectively, to California Chrome.

In 2018, two months before the Kentucky Derby, Chris, through Starlight Racing, became a partner on both Justify and Audible, who finished first and third in the Run for the Roses. Then Justify became racing’s 13th Triple Crown champion and retired as the only undefeated Triple Crown champion.

This summer, Chris and Starlight are back again as partners on undefeated Charlatan, who injured his ankle in early June and will be pointed to the Preakness Stakes, now the final leg of the Triple Crown this year. Charlatan’s ownership includes a bunch of other partners and partnership groups. “It’s a lot of people,” Wolf said May 14. “They’re really fine partners to have.”

Charlatan was scheduled to test his three-for-three record in the rescheduled Belmont Stakes on June 20 as the first leg of an entirely rescheduled Triple Crown, to be cut back from a mile-and-a-half to a mile-and-an-eighth in this chaotic year defined by the coronavirus pandemic plaguing the entire globe.

“Ever since I got involved with Starlight, the ultimate goal was to get a horse to the Derby,” Chris said. “With Charlatan, it’s just fun to have a horse like this.”

Hearing that would make his grandfather smile.

“I just love this sport,” Chris said. “I loved reading about my grandfather.”

It’s hard for Chris to not think of his grandfather. “I walked into Belmont Park one day and there was a picture of my grandfather taking bets on the second floor,” Chris said.

In the picture, Tim Mara is wearing a large, silver button stating he was a legal bookmaker. The button has been passed on to Chris. “I kept it in my pocket before the 2018 Kentucky Derby,” Chris said. “I didn’t wear it, but it worked. I will bring it with me for Charlatan.”

Asked what he thought as Justify crossed the finish line to win the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Chris said, “I hope I didn’t lose all the winning tickets. I had a lot of them. My grandfather would have been proud, but he wouldn’t have been happy because he was the bookie.”

Jack Knowlton (Tiz the Law)

Can it be 17 years since Sackatoga Stable partners rolled into Churchill Downs on a rented yellow school bus and left with all the roses when Funny Cide became the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby? …

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Remembering - Seattle Slew - 1977 Triple Crown winner

By Ed Golden

All photographs published by kind permission of Hollywood Park archive

Bob Baffert was a young pup of 24, fresh out of college about to make a name for himself training Quarter horses at outposts in Arizona like Sonoita and Rillito when Seattle Slew became the first undefeated Triple Crown winner in 1977.

Forty-one years later, in 2018, Baffert followed suit, deftly leading Justify successfully down racing’s Yellow Brick Road to become only the second undefeated Triple Crown winner in history.

Now 67, the most recognizable trainer on the planet is a two-time Triple Crown winner (American Pharoah in 2015), and had the fates allowed, could have been a four-time winner, save for Silver Charm losing the 1997 Belmont Stakes by a length and Real Quiet by an excruciating nose the very next year in a defeat that smarts to this day.

Still young at heart four decades after he began his career, Baffert has fond memories of Seattle Slew, who became one of racing’s giants despite being purchased for the miniscule sum of $17,500.

“I was 24 and still in college I think, but I saw Seattle Slew win the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont on TV, even though I wasn’t into watching a lot of Thoroughbred races,” Baffert said. “I was still a Quarter horse guy.

“But when I saw him run, I knew the name, and it was a great name—one that stuck with you.

Seattle Slew in the stable area at Hollywood Park,1977.

“He was a most impressive horse, especially because in the paddock, he looked completely washed out but would run a hole in the wind.”

He would use up so much energy before a race and still destroy the opposition; and that’s a trait he throws (in his bloodlines).

“He ran as a four-year-old at Hollywood Park and got beat, and then I quit watching him because I lost interest after that. But to me, he was one of the greatest horses I ever saw run on YouTube.”

***

The following story is about Seattle Slew: part Seabiscuit, part Secretariat. It was published on May 14, 2002, but is appropriately resurrected here in advance of this year’s altered Triple Crown.

This is an exclusive firsthand interview the author obtained with the late Doug Peterson—a bear of a man who trained Seattle Slew in his four-year-old season and who provided a Runyonesque tale of the horse and those closest to him before his untimely death of an apparent accidental prescription drug overdose on Nov. 21, 2004 at age 53.

Seattle Slew being saddled in the paddock before the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, 1977.

 (Reprinted courtesy of Gaming Today)

Great race horses do not necessarily prove to be great stallions.

Citation and Secretariat were champions on the track, but each was a dud at stud. Cigar was a king on the track but fired blanks in the breeding shed. He was infertile.

But one Thoroughbred that succeeded on both fronts was Seattle Slew, who in 1977 became the only undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown.

One of racing’s all-time bargains as a $17,500 yearling purchase, Seattle Slew died last Tuesday in Lexington, Ky., exactly 25 years to the day of his Kentucky Derby triumph. He was 28 and still productive at stud, despite falling victim to the rigors of old age in recent years.

Seattle Slew in the stable area at Hollywood Park,1977.

His stud fee was $100,000 at the time of his death and $300,000 at its apex.

Here was a horse for the ages—the likes of which racing may never see again. Consider this: at two, he broke his maiden in his first attempt, and two races later won the Champagne Stakes; at three, he won the Derby, the Flamingo, the Wood Memorial, the Preakness and the Belmont.

 At four, he won the Marlboro Cup, the Woodward and the Stuyvesant. He won the Derby by 1¾ lengths as the 1-2 favorite in a 15-horse field. Overall, the dark bay son of Bold Reasoning won 14 of 17 starts and earned $1,208,726.

Doug Peterson was a naïve kid of 26 when he took over the training of Seattle Slew from Billy Turner, who conditioned him for owners Karen and Mickey Taylor through the Triple Crown.

Now 50, Peterson is a mainstay on the Southern California circuit where he operates a successful, if nondescript, stable. But his memories of the great ‘Slew are ever vivid.

“I got Seattle Slew late in his three-year-old year, after he got beat by J.O. Tobin at Hollywood Park (in the Swaps Stakes),” Peterson recalled. “Billy Turner brought him out here, but he didn’t want to run him. As the horse was getting off the van and they slid up the screen door that was on the top of his stall, it fell down and hit him on the head.

“The day of the race he had a temperature. That’s why he couldn’t make the lead. There was no horse ever going to be in front of this horse, but despite the temperature, they ran him anyway because of all the hype and all the money and all the fans who wanted to see him. That’s what started the disagreement between the Taylors and Turner.”

Peterson got his chance to train Seattle Slew through a stroke of good fortune.

“I was in Hot Springs, Arkansas, sitting on a bucket,” Peterson said. “I was cold and down and out, and this girl—an assistant for another trainer—came by and told me, ‘If you’re going to make it big, you’ve got to go to New York.’ I packed up with two bums and went to New York.

“I got stables at Belmont Park on the backside of Billy Turner, but that was just a coincidence. Turns out, I was in the right place at the right time because Dr. (Jim) Hill was the veterinarian for Billy, and he came to my barn and I asked him to work on a couple of my horses.

“Dr. Hill recognized my horsemanship, and he and Mickey Taylor were buying 15 yearlings. They were going to need two trainers, and this is how the whole thing started. They said Billy would have a string and I would have a string. Well, before the next year, they fired Billy. …

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#Soundbites - trainers - horses had the fewest number or average starts per year - smallest field size

By Bill Heller

The new Jockey Club Fact Book showed 2019’s average field size dropped again to 7.24, and 2019’s starts per runner dropped again to 5.96. Both numbers are the lowest since at least 1950. Does that concern you?

Todd Pletcher

It does concern me. There’s a concern that today’s horses aren’t as durable as they were in the past. We need increased field size to increase handle. That’s a worry. But we also want to try to lessen breakdowns, and trainers are spacing races out more to make sure their horses are ready to run an optimal performance. We found over the years that horses, especially after hard races, need more time. It’s a complicated issue. It’s a constant learning curve. Each horse is different. Certainly we see that when we approach Triple Crown races for three-year-olds.

Neil Drysdale

Neil Drysdale

It does, obviously. It keeps contracting. We know that from the foal crops. It leads to us to say we should have less racing to get better field size. I think it will happen. When I started, we didn’t have year-round racing. Racing has been proliferating, but the boutique meets have done so well: Keeneland, Del Mar, Saratoga, Hot Springs.

Tom Albertrani

Tom Albertrani

It’s interesting to hear statistics about it. Am I concerned? I don’t think so. I think we’re still a pretty strong industry. I know there’s been a lot of smaller fields the last couple of years.

Ron Moquett

Ron Moquett

Not where I’m at. I go to the track at Remington Park, Oaklawn Park and Keeneland. They offer some of the largest field sizes there are. If you look it up, I think Remington is No.1, and Oaklawn is No. 2. That’s where I race most of my horses. I like bigger fields for handicappers to bet on. It’s easier to win races when they’re less, but I like people to see big fields with good horses. 

Tony Dutrow

Yes. No. 1, I’m not surprised. It’s been alarming me for a number of years. Horses are not as sound. The reasons for the drop in starts, in my opinion, is that racing’s become enormously commercial. When I was so much younger, more breeders bred horses to race them much more than they do today. The people that have the funds fuel this game. The people who fuel the game need good broodmares. Then they breed them to a successful stallion. They spend a lot of money. And then they’re going to sell that horse at a sale. They’re not going to keep that horse running in the field with his buddies. That has a lot to do with why horses have less starts.

John Shirreffs

John Shirreffs

It does not really concern me. When I first was working on the racetrack as a hotwalker/ponyboy, Laffit Pincay was just beginning to ride. The rumor was that if you use him, you wouldn’t be able to run your horse again for 30 days because he got everything out of the horse. Now all the jockeys are like Laffit. Jockeys are now fitter, stronger and ride harder from gate to wire. I think the horses are asked to do more, so recovery takes a little longer. Horses are also carrying a lot more weight than they ever did. There used to be weight allowances. Look at the scale of weights. Much higher.

Wayne Catalano

Of course it concerns me. We’re running out of horses. We’re not breeding as many horses as we used to. I don’t know the numbers, but it’s finally catching up with us. Field size is handle, right? We get paid by the handle.

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#Coronavirus Soundbites

By Bill Heller

We asked trainers how they are handling the coronavirus pandemic and what advice they have for getting through this ordeal

Todd Pletcher

We had to close down our Belmont division. There were workers with symptoms. They went to the clinic and were quarantined. More than anything, it was making it difficult to have a safe workplace. At that time, we thought there wasn’t going to be racing in New York for a while. We had 20 horses at Belmont. That normally would be the time we’d be sending horses to Belmont. We had to put that on hold.

We left it up to owners to decide what to do with their horses. Some went to their farms; a couple went to Fair Hill; some went to Ocala and some went to Palm Beach Downs. We did not move any workers [but] have about 100 horses at Palm Beach, a small string at Gulfstream Park [and] four at Oaklawn scheduled to run. We’ve been fortunate with Gulfstream being able to run. We’ve been able to keep some schedules. It’s juggling a lot of schedules. It’s trying times for everyone. We want to make sure to keep our horses and our employees healthy.

Current practices at Palm Beach?

We’re just going by the recommendations as to what the government is saying. Masks are optional. Some are wearing them; most are not. At Gulfstream, we’re just trying to use common sense, keep people from congregating, keep six feet apart. The one thing we are learning is that social distancing is working. We try to keep that policy in mind.

Planning ahead?

That’s something I have to work around. I’m a target-oriented trainer. I like pointing to specific spots. At Aqueduct, the condition book is in the garbage—Keeneland, too. These are unique times. You have to adjust on a daily basis. Everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone’s facing several challenges.

Suggestions?

Use common sense. Take care of your horses and your staff. In time, we’ll return to normalcy. Try to remain positive.

                     *******************************************

Eoin Harty

It’s been no harder for me than everybody else. You worry about your family, in California and Europe. Every day you wake up, that’s the first thing on your mind. With horses, you have to take care of them every day. It would be a lot worse for me if we were home 24-7.

Eoin Harty

Precautions?

You can feel that tension in the air. I check every person in the barn; nobody’s coughing. Everyone is wearing gloves and masks—masks for sure around the barn. You don’t have to ask people twice.

Racing?

There’s been a lot of speculation about Santa Anita using Los Alamitos. I don’t know if it’s viable. I think we could be racing at Santa Anita again. The best case scenario is racing at the end of the month or in May. We haven’t had a single case on the racetrack. There hasn’t been a single one. That’s a good thing.

Personally?

I keep six feet away—don’t touch anything.

Suggestions?

Do what you have to do to protect yourself and your family. Right now, it’s common sense. Look out for your friends. Racing will take care of itself.

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Graham Motion

Graham Motion

My family is all home. My wife is trying to run the business from home. As far as the barn, we’re taking a lot of precautions. We have one person disinfecting everything first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. He takes everybody’s temperature when they come in the morning. We’re trying to have employees not group up in the tack room. After a week or two, you have to remind them.

Six feet away?

We try to. It’s not totally realistic. You have to give a leg up. Most of the time with gloves. We try to do the best we can.

We’re going to try to get everybody to wear masks. We tried to order some. We have 100 employees all told at all the locations: Fair Hill, Palm Meadows. Normally, we would have pulled out from Palm Meadows for Keeneland, but now we’re staying at Palm Meadows.

Normally I train down there while my son, Chappy, goes to spring break. We got from Fair Hill to North Carolina. We planned to overnight in North Carolina. Once we got there, things were getting bad. We spent two nights in North Carolina, and we decided we’d rather be in Maryland. We went back to Fair Hill. It kind of reminded me of 9-11.

Advice for horsemen?

I think in general, the horsemen are lucky. We get to keep on doing what we do. The horses have to get out of their stalls. I think the unsettling part is not knowing when we’ll race again. We worry about our owners who are paying training fees every day. I’m worried about them. We have 60 horses at Fair Hill and 20 at Palm Meadows. I just brought in a few two-year-olds.

When new people come in, they stay away for two weeks. We’re trying to follow the guidelines.

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Tom Proctor

 I’m in a little better shape than most. Other than Gulfstream and Tampa Bay, I have horses at Oaklawn, and the rest are at Glen Hill Farm south of Ocala. Most of my horses are gathered up at Ocala. We probably got 25 in Ocala and a dozen are at Tampa Bay. I’m spending most of my time in Ocala.

Precautions?

We did have horses at the Fair Grounds. We kept those people from Fair Grounds separate for two weeks. We did get out of New Orleans pretty early—about the middle of March. 

Tom Proctor

In Ocala, gloves and masks?

Most of our people don’t leave the farm. We’re not really wearing masks. We’re washing our hands. The zip code we’re in hasn’t had a single case.

When you go to the track, do you take precautions?

I’ve stayed away from people—social distancing when I can. For a trainer, it’s easier than most. I check on the horses when nobody else is around.

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Tom Amoss

(Tom Amoss was exposed to the virus by being with New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, who contracted the virus, at the Fair Grounds. Amoss self-quarantined for two weeks while continuing to work from home for TVG.)

Did you have the virus?

 I never really found out. When it happened, it wasn’t easy to test. I stayed at home for two weeks. Now I’m going to work every day. They really don’t want us up and around in New Orleans. I’m here at my barn every morning from 6-10. My routine is the same.

Protocols at Fair Grounds?

 That’s an evolving thing. Our temperature is taken when we come into the track. We’re not allowed in the buildings. Social distancing is a requirement. Fifty percent of the people on the backstretch are wearing masks. We’ve had zero issues in my barn, and none in other barns as well. There’s a reason for that. My help lives on the racetrack. They’re self-contained. There’s a grocery on the backstretch—Canseco’s. We’re the opposite of how New Orleans is doing. We have nothing bad in our barn. I haven’t heard of one case.

Suggestions for other horsemen?

It’s a tough question. Look, there’s a difference between our horses and the horses in California. Our horses are allowed to ship to Oaklawn. No people are shipped. I’ve got a barn up there. I’m blessed in the fact that I already have people there.

Stables?

Ever-changing. There are a lot of horses I have who race on grass. They have been sold or turned out. Other horses who don’t fit the condition and book at Oaklawn have been sold or turned out. We’ve down-sized about 20 percent.

                     ****************************************

Linda Rice

Linda RIce

Handling this?

We’re doing very well. We’re being very careful on Long Island. We know New York City has a lot of cases. We’ve been using masks, gloves and social distancing. We’ve been doing that for three weeks now. We have a regular training schedule at Belmont. It’s good to have a routine. We’re happy to go to work every day. A lot of people are stuck at home. They can’t work. We can.

Response so far?

The help is doing great. Everyone is concerned. We watch the news. It scares the hell out of you. But it’s the old adage: the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man, or a woman.

What’s going on with racing in New York?

Aqueduct, obviously, is being used as a hospital. I think everyone here is under the impression that we’ll be racing at Belmont. It’s just a matter of when. We’re looking at June 1st. If it’s sooner than that, great.

Outlook?

The entire world is dealing with this. If there is small business assistance, that’s great if it can get processed. Unemployment for those out of work will help. We’re making sure of helping everyone on the backstretch who needs it. We’re making sure our horses and our people are safe.

Last five standing - What measures have the five Thoroughbred-only tracks taken to continue racing during the coronavirus shutdown?

By Bill Heller

By Bill Heller

Thoroughbred racing hasn’t escaped the pandemic of the coronavirus that’s changing the world every day we wake up. Accordingly, during the first two weeks of April, there were only five racetracks offering spectator-less Thoroughbred racing in the county.

Those five tracks—Fonner Park in Nebraska, Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma, Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park—offer the horsemen lucky enough to be at those tracks the opportunity to keep working while millions of other Americans have become unemployed. Thousands of other Americans have died from the virus.

This is a new world, and these five racetracks are operating under guidelines—some mandatory and some not—aimed at keeping horsemen and anyone they come into contact with safe. Keeping the horses safe is a given.

Fonner Park

Fonner Park switched its daily schedule in late March, going from a Thursday, Friday and Saturday operation to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday—the same schedule Will Rogers Downs is operating to take advantage of simulcasting revenue.

“We started this schedule March 23rd,” Fonner Park Racing Secretary Doug Schoepf said. “There were a lot of racetracks shutting down. The horsemen are very thankful that we are able to continue to run. They’re able to run for some purse money. If we close down, they have nowhere to go. Tracks around us have delayed their meets.”

Schoepf said that every person working at the track wears a mask and gloves. “They also do social distancing—10 people or less,” he said. “There’s an empty stall between each stall with a racehorse. We limit it to two people in the stall: the trainer and the groom. Trainers and grooms must wear masks and gloves. Our valets wear masks and gloves.”

Asked about the effectiveness of the safety protocols, Schoepf said, “It’s working well.”

Fonner Park was approved for 12 extra dates of spectator-free racing from May 4th through May 31 on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule.

At Will Rogers Downs, the March 16 through May 19 meet has proceeded without interruptions. “We all wear masks, plexiglass and gloves,” Paddock Judge Scooter Rippy said. “We draw cards in open air. The governor has put restrictions on people coming in. It’s really kind of crazy, but it seems to be working.”

Will Rogers Downs

Will Rogers Downs Race Secretary John Lies said, “For out-of-state shippers, per the governor of Oklahoma two weeks ago, we are not allowing entries or jockeys from six states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Washington and Louisiana.

He said that all track employees must wear a protective mask while on the property. “We provide gloves for all,” he said.

Additionally, the clerk of scales in the jockey room takes all riders’ temperatures.

Asked if horsemen are following the protocols, he said, “They definitely are following it. They want to keep the track open.” 

Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs, has just extended its meet through until the end of May given that horsemen would have nowhere to go if the meet had finished at planned at the start of the month . “We’re not letting in any backside help or riders that haven’t been here already,” Racing Secretary Allison De Luca said. “We’re not letting in a horse who started in another state unless they have a workout in Florida. The main thing is we’re about the health of horses coming in. We’re trying to keep it down and use horses from here, Gulfstream Park, Palm Meadows or training centers in Ocala and Miami.”

De Luca said everybody is wearing gloves and masks “pretty much all the time.” That includes jockeys, officials, all the pony people. “Every time they come into the track, their temperature is taken at the stable gate,” De Luca said. “And then, when they go into the paddock, their temperature is taken again. Security workers are also taking temperatures on the backside and are reminding people not to gather [into] groups, even if it’s by accident. We’re just trying to keep people separated—trying to keep people apart. So far, it’s worked out pretty well.”

The response from horsemen has been very positive. “At first, I just don’t think we had everything in place,” she said. “Now people are responding very well to it, and they’re happy that we’re still racing.”

Gulfstream Park

She added that the racing office has been closed and that entries are being taken by phone. “We’re trying to be safe for everyone,” De Luca said. “The horses are here, and they have to be taken care of. Everybody that’s back there has to be.”

De Luca also said that the track has procedures for quarantines. “But they haven’t been needed yet,” he said.

Gulfstream Park seemed to be in danger of losing its signature race—the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29, but the track remained open, ran the race, and has continued to operate on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. 

“We’ve put in place many, many protocols for human safety and horse safety,” Racing Secretary Mike Lakow said. “I believe at this point, they (the officials making such decisions) are comfortable with what we’ve put in place.”

That doesn’t mean it’s business like usual. “It’s weird,” Lakow said. “After Tiz the Law won the Florida Derby, I went over to (jockey) Mike Franco and told him, `Manny, I’m really sorry. There should be high-fives and cheering.’ He said, `I get it,’ and nodded.”

 https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/horse-racing/article241189496.html

 Credit: MATIAS J. OCNER mocner@miamiherald.com

In South Florida, no horsemen, including jockeys, from out of state have been allowed at the Stronach properties; Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Park West (Calder). “If they come from out of state, they must quarantine for two weeks at a facility in Florida,” Lakow said. “Jockeys, if they haven’t been riding here, they’re not allowed here.”

Oaklawn Park

Among the many protocols at Gulfstream Park include keeping jockeys apart and ensuring all humans wear gloves and a mask or bandana. “Social distancing is key to us,” Lakow said. “We’re limiting it to two people or occasionally three in the paddock. Right now, it’s working great. The horsemen have been tremendous. They’re bending over backwards because they know we’re trying to keep racing going. They’re incredible.”

Asked if those protocols are keeping people safe, Lakow said, “Of course.”

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., is hopeful its current 57-day meet, which ends May 2, will be held in its entirety—racing on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“We only take horses shipping in for stakes,” Racing Secretary Patrick Pope said. “We’re basically allowing horses from everywhere, but no people, especially from New York and Louisiana. Vans drive in and drop the horses off. Trainers are calling friends here to saddle their horses.”

Among the precautions being taken include taking everybody’s temperature. “We’re asking for social distancing,” Pope said. “We keep minimum people in the paddock: two people and that’s it.”

Gloves and masks are recommended but not mandated. “We’ve seen some,” Pope said. “Some trainers do wear them, some don’t. But if the governor of Arkansas says wear them, we’ll wear them, or they won’t be allowed in.”

Asked if he’s happy with this routine, Pope said, “It seems to be working. We’re trying to do everything we can to let them run for purse money with so many other tracks not open. You’ve got to take care of the horses and feed them.

We’re fortunate to be working. We try to keep any negatives out of it—anything to keep the people and the horses safe.”

Against the odds - how two tracks kept racing and reaped handle rewards

By Jeff Lowe

Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs were the surprise beneficiaries of national attention on the racing landscape in late March and throughout the month of April. They were the only racetrack signals available early in the week with a somewhat captive audience as so many sports-starved handicappers were stuck at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Off-track handle exploded to record totals at both racetracks, but the bottom line effects were different with the backdrop of empty grandstands. 

Fonner Park in Grand Isle, Neb., has quietly built up an impressive on-track business model for its annual race meets, spanning from late February to Kentucky Derby weekend in early May. The meet has now been approved for 12 extra dates of spectator-free racing from May 4th through May 31 on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule.

The grandstand sells out most every Saturday for 11 straight weeks, and the revenue from tickets, on-track handle, food and beverage are a large piece of the track's financial puzzle. The usual all-source handle for a Saturday at Fonner might not surpass $600,000, CEO Chris Kotulak said. Even though off-track handle skyrocketed to as much as a state record of $7.2 million for a mandatory Pick 5 payout and otherwise averaged about $2.5 million with the altered schedule, the track's off-track take at a rate between 3 and 4 percent is not enough to completely make up for the missing revenue from on-track patrons, he said. 

Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak

"You see those sexy mutuel numbers and might think 'Wow, what a success!'" Kotulak said. "My response is 'Really, we're just surviving.' The horsemen, other than reducing the purse values for a couple stakes races, the purses have not changed one penny. For them, it's pretty much status quo. But people have asked me, 'Are we going to stick with this Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday schedule to be more visible nationally,' and I don't even let them finish the sentence. Absolutely not. Fonner Park is not making any revenue on food, beverage or seating on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays now, and going forward we wouldn't make anything comparable to what we do on the weekends. We need that revenue to put that into our coffers to keep up on maintenance and repairs for our facility, and on top of that, it's the experience that is so important here. 

"No one is going to get sold on horse racing by going to a racetrack on a Tuesday afternoon with a handful of people there. A lot of the nation doesn't realize we sell out every Saturday for 11 weeks of racing, our grandstand is jammed pack, and Sundays are big here too. That vibe is what brings people back.

We are very much alive and thriving on-track every racing weekend. We are a clean, tidy, efficient little racing facility, and if you haven't been to us before, you wouldn't have any reason to realize what we do well.

You'd think this is a dusty, five-eighths mile racetrack with a ratty old grandstand; and that is not us at all. We run a proper race meet, we keep up the facility, and we have more than 900 horses stabled here. So we are not just some carnival that comes to town; we've been operating since 1954 and it's a rich tradition here." 

Fonner Park during normal times.

Kotulak realistically does not expect Fonner's signal to become more popular or pervasive after this unique circumstance that thrust the track into the limelight. 

"We'll be yesterday's news once other racetracks come back online," he said. "I get it. I understand most people would rather bet on $200,000 stakes races with horses running on the turf, but with what we're offering, we're presenting full fields and competitive racing, so it makes sense that as the only show in town, we're benefiting with huge off-track handle totals compared to what we're used to; but I don't want to overstate what that means for our bottom line.

"One other piece of this equation is that there is never a race run at Fonner Park where the commission of the mutuel handle on that race pays for the purse of that race. We're offering $50,000 in purse money a day for our (original) 31-day race meet not for what they wager on a big Saturday or a big week or a season. It's the season plus the Triple Crown races, plus the Breeders' Cup and our big, mega handicapping challenge we offer in January each year that is either the third- or the second-best weekend we have annually. All that put together, we're able to scratch and claw together a condition book with roughly $5,000 a race in purse money." 

Trainer David Anderson has been racing at Fonner for 40 years and said the surreal circumstances are never far from his thoughts in this meet. 

"It's just a weird feeling every step of the way," Anderson said. "You're saddling horses with no people in the stands and with our masks on. There's no rah-rah and go-go, which is totally different for Fonner Park. It's always been a track with great crowds; the clubhouse sells out all the time. It's a big thing in Grand Island, Neb., and people come from all over the state. It's a real social gathering. Without all that, we're holding our own; but trust me, no one is liking this. There's the anxiety that if someone on the backside were to test positive for the virus, you got to think we'd be shut down right away. Then, there's no place to go. Every day we get to race; we've got to be thankful." 

The big difference at Will Rogers Downs compared to Fonner is the presence of an onsite casino. Will Rogers—about 30 miles outside Tulsa, Okla.—is owned and operated by the Cherokee Nation. On-track attendance for racing is not that important in the overall revenue model, but Will Rogers was already positioning its schedule for more exposure by racing early in the week when there is less competition from bigger tracks. In March and April, Will Rogers only races on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In May, Saturdays are added in. 

Will Rogers Downs handled $16.8-million during an entire 25-day Thoroughbred meet in 2019. This year, that total was surpassed by the eighth day of racing. 

"We have been the beneficiaries of this global pandemic that has shuttered racetracks—there is no question about it," said Jon Lies, who serves triple duty as the Will Rogers racing secretary, track announcer and oddsmaker. "Our racing product has really improved. Not only is field size up, but more importantly, the quality of the races has increased tremendously. The class levels of races that I'm able to offer have also increased; it results in much better cards, and the horseplayers have responded very positively. Purse levels have not changed and look to remain the same for the foreseeable future. The main catch right now is that the casino is closed, and the simulcast operations have also stopped at this point; and that's a lot of our purse money for the future. The additional handle that we're getting now is obviously much greater than before, so the percentage of that going back into purses has increased dramatically. So time will tell as far as what impact that will have for future race meets here." 

A sign of the strange times is the availability—or lack thereof—of wagering for horsemen to bet on their own horses at Fonner and Will Rogers while much of the racing world is watching. 

Fonner owners and trainers can bet online through an ADW. Owners can do so onsite at Fonner from the comfort of their vehicles. The track is allowing owners to drive up to the track apron and watch their horses run live, but without getting out of their cars. 

In Oklahoma, in-state owners and trainers with horses running at Will Rogers do not have a way to bet on the races; there is no wagering on-track or simulcast operations during the pandemic, and ADW wagering through an online provider was already not an option in the state. 

"It's a very unusual situation where this Oklahoma track is thriving as much as it is, but the horsemen that are here year after year can't bet on their own races," Lies said. 

"Going forward, I think it's opened up a lot of doors for us. We've gone international and had eyeballs on us that we never would have imagined. Our goal is to try to retain this new audience that we have gained to what we feel like is a very attractive wagering product." 

Will Rogers is the true home track for trainer Scott Young—he lives a few furlongs up the road and has led the trainer standings in recent years. This meet has been much more competitive, he said. 

"It's definitely tougher racing, but we're just happy to be racing," said Young, who had a division this winter at Sam Houston Race Park, which cut short its meet due to COVID-19. "You have a lot of people shipping in since so many other tracks are closed, but I'm all for it. We're able to take advantage of it and put out a product that the gamblers are liking and seeing since we're pretty much the only game in town. 

“It's nice to see full fields and the horses we enter are able to race, as opposed to races getting called off because of four or five entries. Before, we were life and death to draw enough horses for the ‘two other than’ allowances and upper-level claiming races, but now we're filling every race that's written, and horses are shipping in from Kentucky, New Mexico—you name it. You see horses shipping 12 or 13 hours to come run here at Will Rogers and it's kind of unbelievable."

Michael Hui

By Bill Heller

Stakes winning owners - spring 2020

By Bill Heller

Michael Hui – Zulu Alpha

When Michael Hui made his first trip to the racetrack (Oaklawn Park), he was 15 years old. He saved his first bet, christening his entrance into horse racing. “It’s the first wager I ever made—a $2 show ticket, an old Amtote ticket,” he said. “I definitely loved watching the horses.”

Forty-one years later, he’s saving much better souvenirs, thanks to his first Gr1 stakes winner, Zulu Alpha, a horse he claimed for $80,000 in September 2018. The seven-year-old gelding has emerged as one of the best turf horses in the country, thanks to consecutive victories in the Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Turf and the Gr.2 Mac Diarmida Stakes.

“He’s exceeded every expectation,” Hui said. “I’m going to enjoy this ride. It could be a real fun year.”

But Hui not only owns a Gr1 winner, he and his wife have also bred a Gr1 winner, Nickname—the daughter of Nina Fever, a horse they claimed for $40,000. Nina Fever suffered a fractured sesamoid in the race she was claimed, was retired, and then was bred to Scat Daddy, producing Nickname—the winner of the 2015 Grade 1 Frizette.

This is heady stuff for Hui, who has only been in the game since February 25, 2010, when he claimed Diablo’s Holiday for $30,000 when she finished second in a maiden claimer at Oaklawn Park. He’d fallen in love with horse racing much earlier.

Hui’s parents, Albert and Ellen, came to America for an education and wound up educating others as professors: Ellen in chemistry and Albert in math and physics at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, 100 miles southeast of Oaklawn Park. 

When he started going to Oaklawn Park as a teenager with his friends, Hui said, “We had a blast.  We continued going when we could through college.”

Hui graduated from the University of Arkansas with a double major in math and physics and tacked on a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Working in analysis and management, Hui spent nine years at a logistics company in Shreveport, La.

He co-founded Transportation Insight, a logistics cost management consulting firm in Hickory, N.C., in January 2000; and it did well enough for him to relocate to Arkansas, where he reconnected with his teenage passion, in 2004. “It pulled me back in,” he said. “I’d be at Oaklawn Park most weekends.”

He thought about getting in the game. “I thought about it for a half dozen years,” he said. “I decided to take a little shot. It was cool to own a horse.”

His first claim, Diablo’s Holiday, didn’t give him his first winner. Amelia, a $7,500 claimer, got the job done.

“I didn’t really experience my first win until 10 or 11 months after I got in,” Hui said. “It was fun, but we ran second a lot, third a lot. It was all a positive experience.”

Not even close to how he did with two subsequent claims he made after connecting with Mike Maker. Taghleeb, a $62,500 claim at Saratoga in July 2016, won the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park, the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park in January 2017. He then finished second in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park.

Another $62,500 claim, Greengrassofyoming at Churchill Downs in 2016, won the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

An $80,000 claim, Hogy, captured the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint and finished second in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland.

But the best claim was yet to come. That was Zulu Alpha, claimed for $80,000 by Hui on September 14, 2018, with another trainer Hui used, John Ortiz. Zulu Alpha won that race by 9 ½ lengths. “When I claimed the horse, I offered John a half-interest,” Hui said. “He said, `No, I have enough horses.’”

Zulu Alpha captured his first start for his new connections in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland.

Then Hui switched trainers to Maker, and Zulu Alpha won the Grade 3 McKnight, the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup after finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 United Nations. Zulu Alpha finished his six-year-old season by rallying from 12th to finish fourth by 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf to Bricks and Mortar, who would be named Horse of the Year.

With Mike Maker, Hui won his first Gr1 stakes with Zulu Alpha in the Pegasus World Cup.

In 2020, Zulu Alpha is two-for-two, and the sky’s the limit. Hui credits Maker: “He doesn’t say a lot, but when he talks about horses, he talks about balance and height. I have faith in Mike.”

“I never thought when I got in this, I would win a Gr1,” Hui said. “For someone who didn’t think he’d win a Gr1, it was like Christmas.” Even if it was a month late.

Coronavirus Update - state by state

By Bill Heller

As tracks continue to juggle their schedules regarding training and upcoming meets, we’ve put together a snapshot of what is happening across different racing jurisdictions as well as provide website links for horsemen who need support. Nationally, the Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation was set up to help backstretch workers. Working with the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, the Safety Net Foundation is focusing on the immediate need of stocking food pantries at racetracks around the country. Donations are tax deductible and can be made at tjcfoundation.org/donate. Because of the coronavirus, checks are not being accepted. On April 17, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) issued suggested guidelines for all tracks. “We’re not trying to tell government health officials and racing commissions what to do,” Eric Hamelback, CEO of the NHBPA, said in a release. “We hope it provides a path forward.” The NHBPA disclaims any liability for use of those guidelines, which can be found in its entirety on the NHBPA website: www.nationalhbpa.com. Among the guidelines:

• To limit exposure and prevent the spread of germs and disease, no visitors or guests will be allowed to access the backside, racetrack, track aprons, paddocks or jockeys’ room. Nonessential personnel are prohibited on the grounds.

• There must be multiple health check stations at every accessible gate/entry for the stable area. Health check stations will take temperatures of all people and note any symptoms of illness before granting access. A log will be kept of all people granted access. Before authorized personnel arrive, all must have had their temperatures taken.

• Trainers are responsible and accountable for ensuring all their employees have had their temperatures monitored and approved.

• Racetrack management is accountable for ensuring all their employees have had their temperatures taken and approved.

• All incoming van drivers not showing symptoms of illness must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and wear gloves to pick up or drop off horses. Drivers and attendants must have minimal contact with any stable personnel.

• All pony personnel must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and gloves when in contact with jockeys.

• Gate crew workers must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and wear gloves when loading horses in the starting gate. They will have no contact with any other personnel unless it’s in the best interest of safety.

• No owners, media or fans will be allowed. There will be no guests with no exceptions.

• All personnel should observe social distancing.

• All jockeys and essential personnel in the jockeys’ room, including valets and the clerk of scales, will have their temperatures monitored daily. Anyone showing any signs of illness must be denied access. All saunas and extraneous facilities must be closed. Showers can remain open but will be sanitized frequently throughout the day.

• All jockeys are required to wear riding gloves.

• The guidelines include several suggested cleaning and hygiene protocols.

Even the long trip to normalcy begins with slow steps. Additionally, the National Thoroughbred Racetrack Association has a wealth of information for horsemen at its website, www.NTRA.com.

HERE’S THE LATEST INFORMATION, STATE BY STATE:

ARIZONA Turf Paradise’s meet, which was scheduled to conclude on May 3, ended on March 14. The backstretch has remained open with over 700 horses on site. Horses are currently able to remain in situ until mid-May, but no training is permitted on the track.

ARKANSAS See “Last Five Standing” article about Oaklawn Park.

CALIFORNIA Racing at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields ended abruptly on March 17 and April 9, respectively by their respective county mandates. Santa Anita has now issued a conditions book (click here). Racing resumed at Santa Anita on May 15 under strict protocols, including the exclusion of spectators.

Del Mar’s meet is scheduled from July 18 through September 7. The San Diego County Fair, which was supposed to run from June 5 through July 5, was canceled. Los Alamitos, which is currently conducting Quarter Horse racing, will race Thoroughbreds from June 26 through July 5.

Golden Gate Fields is set to resume racing (without spectators) on May 14. A revised conditions book and stakes schedule will be released over the coming days with the signature $250,00 San Francisco Mile (Gr.3 turf), moved to the closing day - June 14.

Sanitising according to the guidelines at Santa Anita.

DELAWARE Delaware Park’s meet was scheduled to run from May 27 through October 31.

The first day of the meet has been delayed by three weeks to Wednesday, June 17, and the meet will finish on Saturday, Oct. 17.

FLORIDA See “Last Five Standing” article about Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Tampa Bay Downs has subsequently applied for dates in June, looking to race on a Monday / Wednesday schedule: June 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24. Tampa would then race again on June 30 and July 1 with the June 30 date being the first day of the track's normal two-day summer festival of racing.

ILLINOIS On April 23, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order through the end of May. Arlington Park, which was supposed to open on May 1, is now hoping to run a 30 day meet during August and September.

INDIANA Racetracks have a reopening plan that includes additional protocols and procedures that all participants will be asked to abide by to ensure everyone’s health and safety as these stages are rolled out. Both racetracks will be posting those protocols on their website.

May 11 – Essential travel restrictions were lifted (local non-essential travel allowed). Horses currently located in Indiana were allowed to begin moving onto the backside of both racetracks. This applies only to those trainers with horses currently located in-state. Please contact Harrah’s Hoosier Park or Indiana Grand’s racing office to schedule your arrival date.

May 24 – No travel restrictions; horses originating from out-of-state are allowed. Horses currently located outside of Indiana will be allowed to begin moving onto the backside of both racetracks. This applies to those trainers with horses originating from out of state. Please contact Harrah’s Hoosier Park or Indiana Grand’s racing office to schedule your arrival date.

June 14 - Pari-mutuel racing allowed to commence – spectator free. 

July 4 – Pari-mutuel racing and County and State fair racing anticipated to begin (with spectators) should there be no change in the ‘Back on Track Indiana’ roadmap.

Governor Holcomb’s ‘Back on Track Indiana’ roadmap includes four guiding principles the state of Indiana will utilize to determine if the stages outlined continue to move forward. Participants should be aware that if these principles are not met, the stages may be paused, or we may need to return to an earlier stage. Details regarding the principles can be found at www.backontrack.in.gov

“Our industry leaders, from racetrack management, horsemen associations and IHRC staff have been working diligently to advocate for our racing industry to get us to this point. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding as we move forward and navigate through this reopening process,” stated Deena Pitman, Indiana Horse Racing Commission Executive Director.

Indiana Grand are planning to run a 86 day thoroughbred meet - from June 15 through November 18. Racing will take place from Monday to Thursday.

Indiana Grand has issued a revised condition book and stakes schedule for the 2020 season.

IOWA Prairie Meadows, which had a Thoroughbred only meet from May 1 to June 8 and a mixed Thoroughbred/ Quarter Horse meet from June 12 through September 26, has temporarily ceased operations. But is now looking to open again at some point between June 15 and July 1 and to reopen its backside some three weeks before racing begins.

KENTUCKY Keeneland dealt with the pandemic early and efficiently. Training has continued under specific protocols. Checkpoints have been set up at all gates. Individuals with a temperature higher than 100.5 degrees are not admitted. They also must be showing no symptoms of the coronavirus. The track kitchen has extended its hours to 6 p.m.

On May 22, Keeneland submitted a request to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s Race Dates Committee for a five-day Summer Meet, to be held Wednesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 12. Under the current safety protocols, the Summer Meet would be held without spectators.

Churchill Downs’ owned Turfway Park closed its winter meet early on March 28, losing three race dates.

Churchill Downs has postponed the running of the 146th Kentucky Derby from the first Saturday in May (May 2) to the first Saturday in September (September 5).

On May 12, Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races that could be used for the extension of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve,” pending agreeable race placement by the host tracks.

Additionally, the first race in the extended series, the $150,000 Matt Winn (Grade III) on May 23 at Churchill Downs, will have Top 4 points raised from the previously announced 10-4-2-1 to 50-20-10-5.

Mike Ziegler

“Based on measured interest from horsemen and limited racing opportunities for 3-year-olds across the country, the Matt Winn at the home of the Kentucky Derby appears to be the lone race in May on the national calendar for horsemen to use as a prep to possible important stakes engagements in mid-to-late June,” said Mike Ziegler, Churchill Downs Incorporated’s Executive Director of Racing. “For that reason, we’re pleased to be able to fill the void and raise the significance of the Matt Winn.” 

The other two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown – the Preakness (GI) and Belmont (GI) – have yet to be rescheduled. Should those races be scheduled in advance of the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, points to the Top 4 finishers will be worth 150-60-30-15.

          “We’re in the midst of an unprecedented year, and this year’s Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown will be one of the most memorable of our lifetimes,”

Ziegler said. “There are a lot of moving parts and there are still a lot of unanswered questions, including who will be running and when. We’ve had great conversations with our partner racetracks and believe we’ve identified the best extension to a most unique Road to the Kentucky Derby. This will continue to evolve, including date placement, as host tracks firm up their plans.”

          The following races, separated by region, have been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Once the New York Racing Association finalizes their stakes schedules, eligible races could be added to the series:

·      East: Haskell (100-40-20-10) and Pegasus (20-8-4-2) at Monmouth Park.

·      Midwest: Matt Winn (50-20-10-5); Indiana Derby (20-8-4-2); Blue Grass (100-40-20-10); and Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5).

·      West: Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10); Los Alamitos Derby (20-8-4-2); and Del Mar’s Shared Belief (50-20-10-5).

Because this is an unprecedented and fluid situation, all races are subject to change and events could be added or removed. Additionally, the point values for each race will be subject to readjustment based on their proximity to all Triple Crown races.

Additionally, the following races, separated by region, have been added to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Once the New York Racing Association finalizes their stakes schedules, eligible races could be added to the series:

- East: Delaware Oaks (50-20-10-5) and Monmouth Oaks (50-20-10-5).

- Midwest: Dogwood (20-8-4-2); Indiana Oaks (20-8-4-2); Ashland (100-40-20-10); and Beaumont (20-8-4-2).

- West: Santa Anita Oaks (100-40-20-10).

A phased, systematic and controlled return of horses and their personnel to the stable areas at Churchill Downs, started on Monday, May 11.

A revised stakes schedule and condition book for the schedule of races is now available - click here to access.

Ellis Park is still scheduled to open on June 28 and concludes September 6. To help horsemen, the Kentucky Equine Economic Advocate (KEEP) has a link to information about services at https://horseswork.com/covid-19-resources.

Information is available regarding contacts, resources, unemployment insurance, latest news and pending legislation. There is also a link to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce about who’s hiring, resources for employers and advice for small businesses concerning the Disaster Loan Program.

As far as breeding goes, Gray Lyster, president of the Consignors Breeders Association (CBA) in Lexington, said, “We actually had a board meeting online. We’re wondering about farms and sales. What are public sales going to look like in the future? Up to $200 million in two-year-old sales need to happen. That’s at the top of the list.” Lyster said he advised CBA membership “to get familiar with video cameras. Nobody knows where we’re going to be. Things seem to be changing by the day, or by the minute.” Lyster said at farms, vets are wearing masks 100 percent of the time, social distancing is practiced, and contact is being limited whenever possible. “We’ve stopped nonessential work, be it tree trimming or adding a barn,” he said. “Elective surgeries are not being done. But the breeding season has gone on.”

Gray Lyster, president of the Consignors Breeders Association (CBA).

LOUISIANA As of April 14, all four tracks: Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs are currently closed for racing. Fair Grounds, which began its traditional winter meet on Thanksgiving Day, lost six racing days before its scheduled closing March 29 because of the pandemic. The track remains open for training.

On May 5, Louisiana Downs was given clearance by the Louisiana State Racing Commission during a May Thoroughbred meet June 6 and continue until Sept. 23. The sole graded race to be run at the meet (Super Derby Gr. 3) has been cancelled with the purse money being redistributed to overnight races.

Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs were closed but then ordered to reopen for training on April 10 by Judge Sharon Wilson in-accordance with an emergency order issued by the Louisiana State Racing Commission. Boyd Gaming, which owns Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs, filed a temporary restraining order against the LSRC order citing the pandemic.

Boyd argued that opening their facilities posed “a significant risk that by calling back their employees back to work, they may be exposed to the coronavirus and could become sick or die.” Boyd was not allowing training on its two tracks. According to Keith Smith—president and CEO of Boyd Gaming Corporation—Boyd closed all of its 29 properties in 10 states over the course of six days because of the pandemic.

On May 15 the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and

Protective Association issued a statement to say that Boyd Gaming were looking at June 5 as the new opening day, with fifty racing days applied for. Racing would be held on a Wednesday to Saturday schedule.

MARYLAND On the order of the Maryland governor, Laurel Park’s meet, which began February 15, ended on March 15.

On May 16 it was confirmed by Belinda Stronach that this years Preakness Stakes would run at Pimlico on October 3.

“All of us are hopeful that racing can resume, even without fans if necessary,” Cricket Goodall of the Maryland Thoroughbred Breeders Association said. “Laurel was racing for two weeks without fans when the governor really closed everything.” Legislation, which would greatly enhance racing at both Laurel Park and Pimlico, passed earlier this year. “It still needs to be signed by the governor,” Goodall said. “It would be huge. You’re going to have essentially brand-new facilities. I think it will be a huge boon for racing and breeding.”

On May 8 Laurel Park released a Conditions Book for the first 15 days of the meet but have yet to announce when the first day back will be. The Conditions Book can be viewed by following this link

MINNESOTA Canterbury Park opened its stable area May 8. A revised racing schedule will be announced shortly. Those wishing to ship to Canterbury must be pre-approved for entry and schedule arrival times for their horses. On May 13 Canterbury Park submitted a revised racing plan to the Minnesota Racing Commission, seeking a 52-day meet to begin June 10 and finishing on Sept. 9. The plan shows for racing to be held on a Monday to Thursday schedule.

NEBRASKA See “Last Five Standing” article about Fonner Park.

Fonner Park

NEW JERSEY Monmouth Park’s 56 day meet has been trimmed to 36 dates, and opening day has been delayed from May 2 to July 3. The barn area will open June 1. The Monmouth-at-Meadowlands this fall has been cut from 19 days to 15. “The few tracks that are open are doing good business, and I wish we were open. But the bottom line is that this is a very scary pandemic, and it could cause a lot of people to not only get sick, but die; so we have to be serious about it,” Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Monmouth Park, told The Blood-Horse April 21.

NEW MEXICO Sunland Park closed on March 16 and postponed the Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks. Albuquerque Downs is temporarily closed. Its Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet is scheduled to run from July 17 through September 2. Meanwhile, Ruidoso Downs is still scheduled to open on May 22, with the first horses allowed to ship in from the first week in May. Racing will be conducted on a mainly Saturday and Sunday schedule, through September 7.

NEW YORK On May 16 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that all racetracks in the state can resume racing June 1. Belmont Park will reopen on June 3 and will race for 25 days. Racing will be held on a Thursday to Sunday schedule with closing day on July 12.

The 2020 running of the Belmont Stakes will be on June 20 over a revised distance of one mile and one eighth. A revised stakes schedule has now been published.

Specifically, NYRA will clean all high-touch areas and facilities; post coronavirus updates in English and Spanish; allow entry through Gate 6 only with health testing including temperature taking; not allow shippers except those with extenuating circumstances approved by NYRA; allow the Morning Line cafe and the track kitchen to continue to offer grab-and-go options, and the clockers’ stand will be limited to only essentially safety personnel. Martin Zapata, a 63-year-old groom for trainer Tom Morley, died of the coronavirus on April 7. “Martin was a beloved member of our team for the past two years who always greeted you at the door with a huge smile,” Morley said. “He’ll be sorely missed by all those in the New York racing community.” Morley started a Gofundme project in Zapata’s memory.

New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack is serving as a temporary hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NYRA still plans to begin the Saratoga meet July 14, but it has delayed the opening of the Oklahoma Training Track and Saratoga stabling area, which were scheduled to open April 15, due to the coronavirus. NYRA is working with the New York State Gaming Commission and public health agencies to determine an appropriate date to safely open the Oklahoma for training and stabling.

The delay does not impact the start of the Saratoga racing season, which is scheduled to begin July 16 and run through September 7. “While we are monitoring the current conditions and consulting with the New York State Department of Health, we are planning for Saratoga to open as scheduled and run in its entirety across the 40-day meet,” NYRA Spokesperson Pat McKenna said. “We are working in earnest each and every day to prepare for the 2020 Saratoga season.”

In the interim, with no live racing in New York, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America has launched a gift drive for its food pantry that will benefit backstretch workers. Donations through June 6 will be matched up to $25,000 by a member of the NYRA Board of Directors. The Chaplaincy is accepting both monetary and food donations. For more information about what to donate and the drop-off location, contact info@rtcany.org or text 516-428-5267. On April 15, the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (BEST) is seeking additional donations. BEST operates the BEST Health Center on the Belmont Park backstretch. BEST has a staff of 15 and numerous volunteers. They provide backstretch workers free health care, life insurance, drug and mental health counseling, as well as food and clothing. Donations can be made via www.bestbackstretch.org/ donate.

On April 21, NYRA and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association announced they will match the per-start aftercare contribution by New York owners to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) through the end of the canceled Aqueduct spring meet. New York owners donate $10 per start to the TAA, and NYRA matches that donation. That will amount to a $24,000 donation to the TAA.

Meanwhile, Finger Lakes in Farmington, N.Y., have announced that they are planning to open for training on June 1 and to resume live racing July 13. The meet is scheduled to end November 25.

Finger Lakes HBPA Executive Director Austin Reed said he’s hopeful the track can still run a meet of 85 to 90 days. In the absence of live racing, the Finger Lakes HBPA, in conjunction with racetrack management, will send out checks of $25 to trainers for every start they made during the 2019 Finger Lakes meet and checks of $100 to owners for every start they made during the 2019 meet. The estimated cost of $827,000 will be funded through the canceled race days this year and a reduced stakes program. “It’s designed to be a shot in the arm for our trainers and owners,” Finger Lakes HBPA President Chris Vaccaro told Horse Racing Nation April 21. “Our horsemen continue to feed and take care of their horses with no way to earn income to defray the cost, adding to their financial hardship.”

OHIO Belterra Park suspended its April 24th opener until June 4. Horses that are based in Kentucky and Ohio can begin shipping in the from May 30. The first day of training on track will be June 1, from then, horses from other states can also begin shipping into the stable area. 

JACK Thistledown has slated its first day or racing for June 4. The meet will last through October 22 with racing conducted on on Monday to Thursday schedule.

Mahoning Valley closed on March 20 but the backstretch has remained open. With the reopening of both Belterra Park and Thistledown, remaining horses at Mahoning Valley must vacate the track by May 31.

OKLAHOMA See “Last Five Standing” article about Will Rogers Downs.

PENNSYLVANIA On April 18, a Twitter message from Toss Mostoller (executive director of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association) said that Churchill Downs-owned Presque Isle Downs, whose meet was scheduled to run from May 11 to October 22, will open its backstretch on May 15 and open its season on June 8. If new information arises to change that schedule, the meet will open on June 22. Parx, which operates year round, closed until further notice. Penn National, which operates year round, is temporarily closed.

TEXAS Lone Star Park, which was supposed to open April 16, planned to reopen the backstretch in the first week of May. Training on track will be permitted, yet there is no date set for racing to start up again. On May 18 Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, issued an executive order which will permit the reopening of the state's racing from May 22. 

On March 20, Sam Houston Race Park canceled the final four days of its Thoroughbred meet. It also canceled its Quarter Horse meet that had been slated to begin April 10.

VIRGINIA The governor has ordered a lockdown through June 10. Colonial Downs meet is scheduled from July 23 through August 29. “As of now, we’re going forward with that plan,” Jill Byrne, Vice President of Racing at Colonial Downs, said. “The stable area is scheduled to open July 9. We’ll be following all state and federal guidelines and protocols. We’ll be putting stall applications on our website: www.colonialdowns.com. Everything will be on there. It’s a long way off. Fingers crossed for everything.” Debbie Easter, executive director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and president of the Virginia Equine Alliance, said, “For us, just like everyone else, I worry about the fund for our breeders and owner awards that are distributed in the Mid-Atlantic. Hopefully, we’re going to run.”

WASHINGTON Emerald Downs will reopen on June 22, initially running on Monday and Tuesday schedule and when spectators are allowed, it will revert to a more traditional Friday to Sunday schedule. Closing day will be October 4. The 85th running of the Longacres Mile is to be run on September 13,

WEST VIRGINIA Both Charles Town and Mountaineer Park have been cleared to resume racing. On May 14, Charles Town Races restarted their meet and was also able to establish a new track record for the largest non-Charles Town Classic day handle in track history with $4,330,203 being wagered over the course of the nine race program.                                                       

The all-sources total for Charles Town’s first day back represents the fifth largest handle in the track’s near 87-year history trailing only the Charles Town Classic events held in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. 

“After the hard work of so many at the track, within the HBPA and at the state level, we’re incredibly proud to be able to re-establish racing for our community and our horseplayers”, said Charles Town’s Vice President of Racing & Sports Operations, Erich Zimny. “There was unquestionably a heightened morale at our property tonight, which is a very welcomed sight during such a difficult time.”

CANADA

ONTARIO Woodbine’s opener on April 18 was canceled and will now be held on either June 6.

The 161st Queen’s Plate will now run on September 12 and the The Woodbine Oaks and The Plate Trial are pencilled in to be run on August 15.

There is limited training for the 1,100 Thoroughbreds stabled at Woodbine and horses have been able to breeze since May 1. Timed workouts are expected to available from the middle of the month. Horsemen can get relief to get through this period of non-racing through the Ontario Racing Commission’s agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which provides $1,500 per month for Ontario Thoroughbreds in training. Two-year-olds are included as of June 1. Hastings Race Course in Vancouver, British Columbia, re-opened May 1 for stabling and training.

Jim Lawson – Woodbine https://www.ustream.tv/embed/recorded/126367763

WINNIPEG Assiniboia Downs will open its live racing season May 25. Racing without will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. CDT. The meet is scheduled to finish on September 15.

The Team That Owns Hard Not to Love

The ownership team of Hard Not to Love stretches from West Point Thoroughbreds in New York to Dottie Ingordo Shirreffs, the wife of trainer John Shirreffs, in California. This one-eyed wonder captured the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes December 28 by 2 ¼ lengths and the Grade 2 Santa Monica February 15 by 3 ½ lengths with a magnificent three-wide sweep past horses she couldn’t even see with her lone right eye. On her latest start, she ran a gallant second behind Ce Ce in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita. 

The ownership team also includes Shirreffs’ son David—an accomplished pinhooker in Kentucky, F. Steve Mooney—an owner of a mine company in Denver, Ed Moody—a video gaming designer in Las Vegas, and Scott Dilworth—a pinhooker in Texas.

They are united by the accomplishments of their amazing four-year-old filly, a half-sister to 2018 Queen’s Plate winner Wonder Gadot, whose only loss in six starts was a third in a stakes as a two-year-old in May 2019. Hard Not to Love may not have the immense talent of the Sherriffs’ massive 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta—the horse of a lifetime who won 19 of 20 starts—but she may be getting just as much love with plenty of racing left despite losing her left eye in a training accident after the ownership group purchased her for $400,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September 2017. She was one of six purchases the group bought at that sale. Two of the other five are Carressa, who won the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes, and Blue Norther Stakes victor Giza Goddess in her turf debut.

     David Ingordo

Asked if he’s getting tired of people asking him about Hard Not to Love, David Ingordo laughed, “If I get tired of talking about her, I should be out of the business. To have a horse like her is an honor. It’s what everybody in the business works for.”

Now 43, he began working at the racetrack on his 14th birthday as a hotwalker for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel through a special license his parents procured. His late father, Jerry Ingordo, was a jockey agent for Laffit Pincay Jr., Sandy Hawley and Patrick Valenzuela. “He passed away when I was 21,” David said. “We were very close.”

David is also close to his stepfather. “I introduced my mother to John Shirreffs,” he said. “I chaperoned her first date with him. We’re all very close.”

David became the youngest assistant trainer in the country when he was 18, then attended the University of Kentucky while working mornings at Juddmonte Farms. He worked for Walmac International for five years, quickly becoming the head of their bloodstock development before opening his own management and acquisition agency, Ingordo Bloodstock Services.

Among the horses he has purchased are Zenyatta for Jerry and Ann Moss, Stellar Wind, Honor Code, Ball Dancing, Gormley, Wicked Style, Majesticperfection, Personal Rush, Crisp, Switch, Mona de Momma and Uncle Mo.

He patched the Hard Not to Love group together. “We were looking to put a group together,” he said. “A few people said, `Give us a chance.’ People want to have horses for John Shirreffs. It’s a rare thing for people like us to put in their own money to support John. There is no better horseman in the country, in the world, than John Shirreffs. Bobby Frankel said to me, that John is the best trainer in the world. He’s patient. He doesn’t have the super stable, but he’s a tremendous horseman. The horse is first. If he can’t do it, nobody can. He’s that gifted. I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. He’s involved with the horse at a different level, but he’s very humble about it. Zenyatta was too big to stay in training. She had too many problems. John is a brilliant guy.”

He also admires his mother: “She was one of the first female racing managers. She’s a brilliant woman. We’re all individuals. There’s no nepotism in our family. If you don’t cut it, you can go work for Starbucks.”

Scott Dilworth

Born in San Antonio and raised on a ranch, Scott Dilworth made his name in livestock insurance before turning to pinhooking in 2005. “I’m a trader, and I love to trade,” he said.

He ran into David at Saratoga. “We talked about creating a partnership together and buying some fillies, with hopefully getting stakes horses, then reselling them,” Scott said. “I really wasn’t that interested in racing them. I was interested in selling them.”

That changed. Hard Not to Love became his first Gr1 stakes winner. “When you win a Gr1, you’re going to like racing,” Scott said. “She was a handful at the sale. She’s always been pretty fractious. The McKathan brothers did a heck of a job getting her ready. She would freeze on the track. They finally got her off to John Shirreffs. John is the only person in the world who could get her to where she is today. John had a ton of patience with her. It was quite an experience.”

It still is. “Three of the six horses we purchased are stakes winners,” Scott said. “All credit to David and John.”

Steve Mooney

Mining has been F. Steve Mooney’s livelihood; horses have been his passion. “My wife Gayle and I have been involved in horses for a long time,” he said. “My daughter showed horses.”

After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in geological engineering, Steve worked for the Utah Mining Company, the U.S. Borax Corporation in New Mexico and then with the Gulf Oil Corporation for 18 years, becoming an executive vice president. After Gulf merged with Chevron, he joined Cyprus Minerals Company, becoming president. He formed the Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. and is currently the CEO, living in Denver. Among many honors, he was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Medal by the Colorado School of Mines and won the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) William Lawrence Saunders Gold Medal.

His business success has allowed him to own Thoroughbreds. “Through a mutual friend, we got to know Will Farish,” he said. “We’ve had some mares at Lanes End, gone through selling yearlings and kept a couple.”

One of his keepers was one of David’s major sales, Ball Dancing. She gave Steve his first Gr1 victory by taking the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 11, 2015. The horse who finished third in the race was Hard Not to Like.

Steve went from beating Hard Not to Like to owning Hard Not to Love. “We’ve got involved with the Shirreffs and David four or five years ago through our contact with the Farishes,” Steve said. “It’s a great story. I think John Shirreffs ought to get Trainer of the Year for bringing her along the way he did. I give all credit to John for that. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know John and Dottie.”

          Ernie Moody

Born in Elizabeth, N.J., and now living in Las Vegas, Ernie Moody is a video game designer. “I designed video poker and invented Triple Play Poker,” he said. ”I got a patent on that, and I was making so much money, I needed a way to get rid of excess cash.”

Hello horse racing. “I did a great job of getting rid of that excess cash,” he laughed.

Ernie races in the name of Mercedes Stable, named for his girlfriend, Mercedes. They’ve been involved in some major partnerships, including Madeleine Paulson on Rock Hard Ten and former New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre on Game On Dude. “He won the Santa Anita Handicap three times,” he said. “Unfortunately, he was a gelding.”

Hard Not to Love is a filly. “We just got involved with John,” Ernie said. “She is an amazing horse.”

      Dottie Ingordo

How did Dottie go from teaching third and fourth grades to becoming a racing manager? “I’ve been around the business my entire life,“ she said. “David’s father was a jockey agent, so that was our whole life. We used to have handicapping contests at our house. I’d get the Form and start handicapping.”

Dottie and Jerry Ingordo became close friends with Bobby Frankel, who told Harry Silbert—Bill Shoemaker’s longtime agent—that he needed help with his stable. So Harry asked Dottie, who told him she had a career in teaching. But she and her friend Allison developed a job-sharing program and suddenly, her workload wasn’t the same. 

“After about two or three years of asking, I became Bobby’s racing manager,” Dottie said. Then, on a Saturday morning at Del Mar, Dottie got a call from owner Jerry Moss. Moss needed help with his stable, and as Dottie put it, “One thing led to another.” She became Moss’ racing manager, “It was a little intertwined,” she said.

She had no idea how intertwined her life would become. Jerry wanted to hire a new trainer. John Shirreffs’ biggest client, John Mabee, had died. David called up his mom and suggested interviewing John. “Jerry and I interviewed John in 2000,” she said. 

That must have been one hell of an interview. Dottie not only hired John but wound up marrying him in 2003. “We laughed at how many times we were in the paddock without knowing each other,” she said.

Dottie had a wonderful time watching Zenyatta become one of the greatest horses in racing history. “Zenny—she was a blessing,” Dottie said. “She came at a time when the sport needed her. John was the right one for her. He’s incredibly patient.”

He had to be with his huge filly: 17.2 hands and 1,217 pounds named for the album Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police, who were signed to A&M Records by Jerry Moss. She was 19-for-19 before losing her final start of her career by a short head to Blame in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, a year after she became the lone filly to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Zenyatta’s nuances were nothing compared to the impairment of Hard Not to Love. “We love her—are you kidding?” Dottie said. “She’s very special. She had a little glitch at the training center. These people tried everything to save her eye. It caused her to make adjustments of course. She’s handled it with such grace. You have to be patient with her.”

And inventive. “John has a mirror in her stall,” Dottie said. “She thinks she’s with another horse. John came up with it. It’s a very clever idea. She travels with it. It’s comforting. You have to do a lot of things.”

Her groom, Martin, walked her all the way out on the track for her last start. “He started crying,” Dottie said. “He loves her. I think she’s symbolic for racing. It shows that in life, things can happen. It’s how you handle it.”

How does Dottie handle being partners with her son? “He’s a great partner,” she laughed. “Fabulous. It’s cute. It’s a lot of fun. We have a lot in common. It’s great when your child becomes your friend. We never run out of things to talk about. We have a lot of fun.”

        John Shirreffs

Asked about this ownership group, John said, “It’s a very diverse group. We’re having a lot of fun with Hard Not to Love. Everybody has been pretty patient. You never know what the boundaries are with Thoroughbreds because they’re such athletes. They can do so many things.”

Alan F. Balch - Just a few questions, please?

One of the few upsides of having months to worry and reflect about where we all are in our lives and our sport, is that we have time to reflect.

And ponder the fundamentals.

So here are some impertinent questions we should consider, and should have considered seriously and resolved long before now, not just rhetorically, if horsemanship and our sport are really to have a prosperous future.  Or any future.

Are breeders who breed unsoundness to unsoundness, or unproven to unsound, or unproven to unproven, likely to be breeding a better, sounder, more durable race horse?  Which will, in turn, further improve the breed?

Does it really make sense to “surgically correct” conformation defects in weanlings?  For racing soundness?  For future breeding soundness?  For soundness, period?  Is a surgically corrected yearling actually “sound,” in the sense of correct horsemanship?  Are conformation defects that have been corrected surgically likely to disappear magically when a corrected horse enters the breeding shed?  Is it possible that “corrected” conformation defects are actually genetically compounded and multiplied during future generations of breeding?

Should surgical corrections to weanlings and yearlings be disclosed to potential buyers?  To the breed registry?  If not, why not?  Is there any way to become aware of such procedures other than through “the honor system”?

Should The Jockey Club, as the breed registry, take responsibility for the proper phenotype (conformation) of the Thoroughbred, as well as for the genotype (genetic composition as determined through DNA testing)?  If so, how, and if not, why not?

Given the economic Regression that is undoubtedly upon us now – note the use of that word instead of “recession” or “depression” – can or should or will this economic disaster present us some unavoidable opportunities to address these questions sensibly?  The foal crop is already at 1965 levels.  Given the delays that have been evident following previous economic calamities, will it be a year or probably two or more years from now that the foal crop numbers decline even more precipitously?

At some point, is it inevitable that the number of races conducted annually will finally begin to coincide once again with the supply of horses?

Will demand for durable, sound, substantial race horses ever reappear and return us to observing the maxim that racing is the proof of breeding?  Where, when, and at what surviving tracks?

And just how can a track survive in the years to come?   A breeder? A trainer?  An owner?  Where do any of them find the will to survive?  On what basis?

Haven't common sense, as well as recent events, finally confirmed that our historic approach to testing for drugs and medications is desperately in need of thorough re-examination and restructuring?  With unfathomable millions being spent on routine testing concentrated on therapeutic medications as it always has been, shouldn't we consider other approaches?  Can correct, careful random testing of races going forward release necessary resources for concentrating on research, development, and sophisticated, expensive surveillance to discover and test for contemporary methods of cheating and abuse?

Is it likely that the ongoing collision of the profit-motive with the superior motives of enhanced horsemanship and respect for the breed itself – and the real reasons for breeding – will finally result in an heretofore unfathomable contraction of the sport in the aftermath of which those superior motives might again be asserted and respected?  Weren’t those superior motives once the foundation of the sport, that enabled its growth and elaboration and the public support some of us can still remember, however dimly? 

Isn’t it time, or is it already too late, to distinguish publicly between animal welfare and animal rights?  Clearly to separate the two, which are very different?  To understand that believing in animal “rights,” a fantasy requiring that any animal provide its “informed consent” to participating in any activity, is actually contradictory to our long-held beliefs in the importance of animal husbandry, animal welfare, the humane treatment of animals, and even owning pets?  Isn’t it true that all those worthwhile practices contradict the “rights” doctrine that every species of animal – whether poultry, fish, livestock, equine, canine, feline, or human – is literally equal to any other in the natural order?

Will it fall to the leaders of our sport to organize any and all humane activities involving animals – whether the infinite variety of equestrian sport, pet ownership, zoos and aquaria, wildlife conservation practices, nurturing of livestock, poultry, and fish for human consumption – and tell the public how threatened these activities are by vegan extremists who seek to impose their lifestyles and beliefs on everyone else?  Who use their freedom of speech and comment in the public square to advocate against the freedom of others to choose their own lifestyles?  And who condemn racing’s behaviors relentlessly while countenancing the wholesale and heartless, intentional kills of countless rescued pets and other animals?  Isn’t that extremist behavior not only unethical, but hypocritical?  Shouldn’t we be saying so?

I’m not sure whether these questions are actually impertinent – rude, insolent, and impolite – but I’m confident they’re necessary to answer clearly and intelligently.  Forcefully.  And seriously.

Karl Broberg - Profile

By Bill Heller

On his way to becoming the nation’s leading trainer in victories for the third straight year, Karl Broberg was living his dream—one begun when his dad pried him out of elementary school to go to the track—until he received a phone call the night of May 13, 2016. Then a second call. And the third—the worst one, telling him his wife had fallen overboard on a cruise she was on...a Mother’s Day gift with some of her gal pals...and was never seen again. She had drowned.

“I was at Prairie Meadows,” Broberg said. “I got a call from one of her friends on the trip. `We can’t find Samantha.’ Your mind goes crazy. You say, `She’s on a cruise ship. She’s fine.’ And then I got another call a couple hours later. They still can’t find her. Later that night, they gave me a call that they reviewed a video that showed her falling off. She was never seen again.”

How did he go on?

“You don’t have a choice,” he said. “The first thing you have to do is hold the family together. It was the toughest thing in my life. I came home and had to share what happened. My girls were seven, eight and 11. You grieve. Life is short. You never know. You have to enjoy every day.”

Two days later at Lone Star Park, less than seven miles from his home in Arlington, Texas, Broberg took his three daughters with him to saddle one of his horses. “There were some people who were critical to me—that I took my daughters to the track two days after it happened,” he said. “I wasn’t going to sit home with them and cry. We won with the very first horse that night. The girls were in the winner’s circle. They’re crying. The jockey, C.J. McMahon, was crying. Everybody was crying. Me, too.”

Asked if work was a welcome diversion from his tragedy, he said, “One hundred percent.”

But suddenly, the number of calls he’d get from owners wanting to claim horses diminished. “It’s understandable,” Broberg said. “Everybody knew I had primary custody of all my girls. After my wife passed, I could immediately tell the client personnel was shrinking. There’s natural trepidation that he’s not going to be able to keep this going.”

He kept it going. In 2019, he led trainers for the sixth consecutive year with the unworldly total of 547 victories from 2,130 starts, 79 less than Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen needed to finish second with 433 victories. Broberg’s win percentage, 25.7, is outstanding by any measure.

Broberg also cracked the Top Ten in earnings for the second consecutive year, finishing 10th with a career-best $9.2 million, evidence that he’s improving the quality of his stable while he races primarily at tracks in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“He works harder than anybody I’ve ever met in my life, and I’m a hard worker,” his friend and occasional horse partner Mike Franklin, said. “His mind never shuts off. He never stops handicapping. It’s phenomenal. He sees things in the Racing Form others don’t see. I don’t know how he does it. He never sleeps. He’s a workaholic. He loves it.”

Franklin, who owns a car dealership in Houston, Texas, was a trainer for 10 years before giving it up five years ago. He met Broberg when Broberg claimed one of his horses. “That’s the first time we met, at Delta Downs in 2010,” Franklin said. “Then one day, we both had horses in a $5,000 claimer two stalls apart. I think mine ran third; his horse was second. Neither got claimed.”

After the race, Broberg said to Franklin, “I’ll sell you mine for $3,000.” Franklin said, “Okay.” Anxious to see his new horse, Franklin immediately went to Broberg’s barn, where Broberg’s assistant, Christie, unaware of their deal, “ran me out of the barn,” Franklin said. He called Broberg, and they laughed. Franklin took the horse anyway, and later they owned several horses together. “They did well,” Franklin said.

Broberg’s stable has grown to 180. He owns roughly half of them, racing in the name of End Zone Athletics, the same name as the advertising firm he started in 2003, as he continues to claim hundreds of horses a year. “When you have a stable this size, you always have your phone on,” Karl said.

His ambition has grown, too.

“The goal was to be king of the cheap stuff,” he said, but he added, “New York is a dream. I don’t know how realistic it is. Kentucky is the next viable option. I’d like to get a small foothold there. Florida has year-round racing. It’s on the radar as well. I’m going to go wherever the clients want me.”

He’s happy sharing his life now with Breezy, the woman he’s been living with the past two years.

Here’s the fun part. At the age of 49, he’s only been training since 2009, when he won with two of his first three starts. The following year, he won 197 races from 916 starts, earning just under $2.5 million. Not bad for a guy who worked at a factory manufacturing grocery carts, as a gas retailer running convenience stores and as a district manager of a dozen ice cream stores. “I had a bunch of bad jobs,” he said.

There’s only one job he ever wanted—the one he has now. He’s been in love with horses his entire life. He was born just outside Chicago, where his dad, Lloyd, worked a multitude of jobs, including one at a water treatment plant, and remains an avid horse racing fan. Broberg’s mom, Jean, was a skilled artisan, making jewelry. They’re both retired and living in Springfield, Mo., where his lone brother, Kirk, is a detective. “He did everything right,” Karl said. “Went into the military. Graduated college. Somehow, we’re like polar opposites.”

Karl didn’t graduate from high school. He preferred the track. “I’d go along with my dad to Arlington,” Karl said. “We’d go there fairly regularly. I remember him taking me out of school a multitude of times. I was young—five or six. I’d get a double dip: skip classes and go to the track. Everything about it I loved: the pageantry of it, the horses. We would just go up there and sit on the rail. You could hear the thundering hooves coming down the stretch. The call from Phil Georgeff.”

Georgeff was a broadcasting legend, with his signature call, “Here they come spinning out of the turn.” 

When Karl was 14, he won a contest by draw to call a race at Remington Park. “I used, `Here they come spinning out of the turn,’” Karl said. “That was the only thing I got right. I enjoyed it immensely.”

He continued, “My love for horses was always there. My entire youth was spent wondering how an outsider can get into the sport. I loved handicapping. I thought I was better than anyone at it.”…

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Factors for racing ability and sustainability

By Judy Wardrope

Everyone wants to be able to pick a future star on the track, ideally, one that can compete at the stakes level for several seasons. In order to increase the probability of finding such a gem, many buyers and agents look at the pedigree of a horse and the abilities displayed by its relatives, but that is not always an accurate predictor of future success. When looking at a potential racehorse, the mechanical aspects of its conformation usually override the lineage, unless of course, the conformation actually matches the pedigree.

For our purposes, we will examine three horses at the end of their three-year-old campaigns and one at the end of her fourth year. In order to provide the best educational value, these four horses were chosen because they offer a reasonable measure of success or failure on the track, have attractive pedigrees and were all offered for sale as racing prospects in a November mixed sale. The fillies were also offered as broodmare prospects.

Is it possible to tell which ones were the better racehorses and predict the best distances for those who were successful? Do their race records match their pedigrees? Let’s see.

Horse #1

This gelding (photographed as a three-year-old) is by Horse of the Year Mineshaft and out of a daughter of Giants Causeway, a pedigree that would suggest ability at classic distances. He brought a final bid of $275k as a yearling and $45k as a maiden racing-prospect at the end of his three-year-old year after earning $19,150. His story did not end there, however. He went back to racing, changed trainers a few times, was claimed and then won a minor stakes at a mile while adding over $77k to his total earnings. All but one of his 18 races (3-3-3) were on the dirt, and he was still in training at the time of writing.

Structurally, he has some good points, but he is not built to be a superior athlete nor a consistent racehorse. His LS gap (just in front of the high point of croup) is considerably rearward from a line drawn from the top point of one hip to the top of the other. In other words, he was not particularly strong in the transmission and would likely show inconsistency because his back would likely spasm from his best efforts.

Horse #1

His stifle placement, based on the visible protrusion, is just below sheath level, which is in keeping with a horse preferring distances around eight or nine furlongs. However, his femur side (from point of buttock to stifle protrusion) of the rear triangle is shorter than the ilium side (point of hip to point of buttock), which not only adds stress to the hind legs, but it changes the ellipse of the rear stride and shortens the distance preference indicated by stifle placement. Horses with a shorter femur travel with their hocks behind them do not reach as far under their torsos as horses that are even on the ilium and femur sides. While the difference is not pronounced on this horse, it is discernable and would have an effect.

He exhibits three factors for lightness of the forehand: a distinct rise to the humerus (from elbow to point of shoulder), a high base of neck and a pillar of support (as indicated by a line extended through the naturally occurring groove in the forearm) that emerges well in front of the withers. The bottom of his pillar also emerges just into the rear quarter of his hoof, which, along with his lightness of the forehand, would aid with soundness for his forequarters.

The muscling at the top of his forearm extends over the elbow, which is a good indication that he is tight in the elbow on that side. He developed that muscle in that particular fashion because he has been using it as a brake to prevent the elbow from contacting the ribcage. (Note that the tightness of the elbow can vary from side to side on any horse.)

He ran according to his build, not his pedigree, and may well continue to run in that manner. He is more likely to have hind leg and back issues than foreleg issues.

Horse #2

This filly (photographed as a three-year-old) is by champion sprinter Speightstown and out of a graded-stakes-placed daughter of Hard Spun that was best at about a mile. The filly raced at two and three years of age, earning $26,075 with a lifetime record of 6 starts, one win, one second and one third—all at sprinting distances on the dirt. She did not meet her reserve price at the sale when she was three.

Horse #2

Unlike Horse #1, her LS gap is much nearer the line from hip to hip and well within athletic limits. But, like Horse #1, she is shorter on the femur side of her rear triangle, which means that although her stifle protrusion is well below sheath level, the resultant rear stride would be restricted, and she would be at risk for injury to the hind legs, particularly from hock down.

She only has two of three factors for lightness of the forehand: the top of the pillar emerges well in front of the withers, and she has a high point of neck. Unlike the rest of the horses, she does not have much rise from elbow to point of shoulder, which equates with more horse in front of the pillar as well as a slower, lower stride on the forehand. In addition, the muscling at the top of her forearm is placed directly over her elbow… even more so than on Horse #1. She would not want to use her full range of motion of the foreleg and would apply the brake/muscle she developed in order to lift the foreleg off the ground before the body had fully rotated over it to avoid the elbow/rib collision. This often results in a choppy stride. However, it should be noted that the bottom of her pillar emerges into the rear quarter of her hoof, which is a factor for soundness of the forelegs.

Her lower point of shoulder combined with her tight elbow would not make for an efficient stride of the forehand, and her shorter femur would not make for an efficient stride of the hindquarters.

Her construction explains why she performed better as a two-year-old than she did as a three-year-old. It is likely that the more she trained and ran, the more uncomfortable she became, and that she would favor either the hindquarters or the forequarters, or alternate between them.

She did not race nearly as well as her lineage would suggest.

Horse #3

This filly (photographed as a three-year-old) is by champion two-year-old, Midshipman, and out of a multiple stakes-producing daughter of Unbridled’s Song. She raced at two and three years of age and became a stakes-winner (Gr3) as a three-year-old, tallying over $425k in lifetime earnings from 12 starts. Although she did win one of her two starts on turf, she was best at 8 to 8.5 furlongs on the main track. She brought a bid of $775k at the sale and was headed to life as a broodmare.

Horse #3

Her LS gap is just slightly rearward of a line drawn from hip to hip and is therefore well within the athletic range. Her rear triangle is of equal distance on the ilium and femur sides, plus her stifle protrusion would be just below sheath level if she were male. She has the engine of an 8- to 9-furlong horse and the transmission to utilize that engine.

Aside from all three factors for lightness of the forehand (pillar emerging well in front of the withers, good rise of the humerus from elbow to point of shoulder and a high base of neck), the bottom of her pillar emerges into the rear quarter of her hoof to aid in soundness.

Although she shows muscle development at the top of her forearm, the muscling does not extend over her elbow the way it does on the previous two horses. Her near side does not exhibit the tell-tale muscle of a horse with a tight elbow, and thus, she would be comfortable using a full range of motion of the forehand.

Proportionately, she has the shortest neck of the sample horses, which may be one of the reasons she has developed the muscle at the top of her forearm. Since horses use their necks to aid in lifting the forehand and extending the stride, she may compensate by using the muscle over her humerus to assist in those purposes.

Of the sample horses, she is the closest to matching heritage and ability.

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Fast or Slow - examining different training methods

By Bill Heller

Bill Heller talks to Jason Servis and Bob Baffert about fast versus slow training methods. 

Just hours apart, trainers Jason Servis and Bob Baffert saddled Gr1 winners on Saturday, December 7. 

Jason Servis

Servis’ outstanding three-year-old colt Maximum Security captured the Gr1 Cigar Mile easily at Aqueduct off three extremely slow workouts.

Twenty-eight hundred miles away at Los Alamitos, where he also won the Gr2 Los Alamitos Futurity for two-year-olds with Thousand Words, Baffert’s Bast won the Gr1 Starlet for two-year-old fillies. Both two-year-olds had fast works, as most of Baffert’s horses do.

These two trainers couldn’t be more different regarding published workouts, yet their success in 2019 was eerily similar. Through late December, Servis ranked eighth nationally in earnings ($10.9 million from 563 starts). Baffert was ninth with $10.0 million from just 317 starts.

“Jason and Bob—they’re completely different,” Servis’ brother John, who trained 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones, said. “Jason has a whole different way.”

Even with the same client. Baffert and Servis each trained Kentucky Derby three-year-olds for Gary and Mary West, who own Maximum Security and Baffert-trained Game Winner, last year’s Two-Year-Old Champion. Each three-year-old’s works for the Derby reflected their trainers’ different approaches. 

Slow works versus fast. Two schools of thought: Horses don’t need fast works in the morning to run fast in the afternoon, or, horses must run fast in the morning to run fast in the afternoon.

The great majority of trainers fall somewhere between those two extremes. But to Servis and Baffert, they aren’t extremes; rather, it is what they have come to believe is the best way to prepare Thoroughbreds for a race. They didn’t reach that opinion overnight but rather through decades of watching and training Thoroughbreds.

Jason said, “There are so many people that train for speed.” He does not. He prefers timed two-minute gallops. “That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong,” he said. “That’s how I do it.”

Baffert said, “In California, it’s different. You go fast. Your horses have to be sharper. If I trained on the East Coast, I wouldn’t train the way I do. The tracks there are sandier and deeper.”  

Given their ongoing huge success, why would either trainer want to change the way they’ve been prepping their horses? 

Servis and Baffert have vastly different backgrounds and experiences. Servis, 62, didn’t begin training until he was 43, sending out a single horse for one start. The following year in 2002, he won 14 races from 71 starts.

Baffert, who turned 67 on Jan. 13, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009—years before he trained Triple Crown Champions American Pharoah (2015) and undefeated Justify (2018).

Servis was born into the business in Charles Town, W. Va., where his father, Joe, rode for 11 years and won more than 500 races before becoming the manager of the Jockey Guild and a steward at Charles Town. He was inducted into the Charles Town Hall of Fame in 2010.

Growing up, Jason and John would play in a nearby farmer’s field, trying to rope Shetland ponies and ride them.

 “Charles Town—that’s where I cut my teeth,” Jason said. “No money. But they were the good old days. My dad made me. I learned the straight and narrow. Work hard. Keep your nose clean.”

At the age of 15, Jason became a jockey, riding at Shenandoah Downs, just outside Charles Town. He didn’t last long, conceding to his increasing weight and height and switching to exercise riding. “I did it for a lot of years before I started training,” he said. “I galloped horses for a lot of people: Gene Jacobs at Gulfstream Park in the early ‘70s, Cy Butler, Stan Hough, Alan Goldberg—a lot of good people. I had seen a lot. It was a very good education for me.”

Servis eventually settled at Monmouth Park, where he worked as an exercise rider in the mornings and a jockey’s valet in the afternoon. Eventually, he worked as an exercise rider and assistant trainer to Peter Fortay. “I was with him for 10 years,” Servis said. “When I finally made my transition, it wasn’t by design. He passed away. Before, when he was sick, I was basically doing it on my own. The last five years, I was open-galloping. I started two-minute clips. I just got into that groove, especially after claiming horses. Get the weight on them. Keep your horses happy. Once they’re fit, stay out of their way.”

When Fortay passed, one of his owners, Dennis Drazin, asked Servis a fateful question. “He said, `Why not go to New York with a couple horses I own and train them?’” Servis said. “I was taking care of my two kids, Garrett and Evan. They were 10 and 12. I was galloping horses, $10 a head. Colts Neck (New Jersey) in February in the cold. So I did it. We claimed a couple horses. Did some good. Dennis helped me with the payroll.”

Servis quickly got a call from Jimmy Croll. He asked Servis, “Are you training?” When Servis said he was, Croll asked, “Why’d it take so long? I’m sending you two horses.”

They won. Soon Servis was receiving plenty of phone calls. He was claiming horses and winning at a high percentage. “I’ll claim horses, and I’ll gallop them a mile in 2:05.” He said. “Get them down to 1:57 or 1:58, depending on the horse. If it’s a filly, I’ll go 2:07 or 2:08 at first. My riders are good. They wear watches. Guys who have been with me for 15 years.”

In 2017, Servis finished 23rd in the country in earnings—his highest rank ever. The next year he jumped up to 12th, and in 2019, he cracked the Top Ten with more than $10 million in earnings for the first time.

Maximum Security

Maximum Security, his horse of a lifetime, debuted on Dec. 21, 2018, at Gulfstream Park in a maiden $16,000 claimer, winning by 5 ¾ lengths at 5-2. “I can’t believe he ran the horse for $16,000,” Baffert said.

No harm, no foul. Maximum Security wasn’t claimed and proceeded to win a pair of allowance races by 6 ¼ and 18 ¼ lengths. That led to his step up to the Gr1 Florida Derby. Servis gave him one published workout at Palm Meadows Training Center, four furlongs in :52 4/5, the slowest of 64 horses who worked the morning of March 22, eight days before the Florida Derby. He won the Florida Derby by 3 ½ lengths.

For the Kentucky Derby, Maximum Security had three published workouts at Palm Meadows, four furlongs in :54 4/5, slowest of 51 works; three furlongs in :42, slowest of 15 works and four furlongs in :53 4/5, slowest of six.

Servis was more concerned with the open gallops Maximum Security had heading into the Derby. “I wanted him to gallop a 1:57 or 1:58 mile every nine, 10 days,” he said. “Before the Derby, my rider screwed up. He went 2:02, then 2:01. I was really upset. That rider is no longer with me. So, on Derby Day, I blew him out in :23. It was the 12th race that day (post time 6:50 p.m.). He worked at a quarter to six. He cooled off, laid down and took a nap. The clockers had it. Blowouts aren’t for every horse.”

Unless you’ve been on Mars, you know that Maximum Security won the Derby by a length and three-quarters but was disqualified and placed 17th. Regardless, there’s little debate who were by far the best horses on that memorable afternoon, which resulted in the first disqualification of the Derby’s long history.

Maximum Security returned to finish second by a length in the ungraded Pegasus stakes before sweeping the Gr1 Haskell by a length and a quarter, the Gr3 Bold Ruler Stakes against older horses by a length and three-quarters, and again against older horses, the Gr1 Cigar Mile by 3 ¼ lengths, cementing his three-year-old championship.

For the Bold Ruler, his first start in three months, Maximum Security worked four furlongs in :54 4/5, slowest of 74, and four furlongs in :52 4/5, second slowest of 50. For the Cigar Mile, he worked three furlongs in :40 4/5, slowest of six; four furlongs in :52, 26th fastest of 31, and three furlongs in :42 1/5, slowest of 14.  

“Would Maximum Security have won those races with fast works?” Servis mused. “He probably would have. He’s a great horse.”

His trainer didn’t hurt his chances. Servis’ win percentage in 2019 was 29. For his career, it’s 25 percent. He just may know what he’s doing.

While 2019 was a breakthrough year for Servis, for Baffert, finishing 10th in earnings was only the second time since 2009 he hadn’t finished in the top three—he was fourth in 2016. He probably couldn’t care less, nor should he.

Baffert, who was closing in on 3,000 victories in January, won 24 percent of his races in 2019 and has a career winning percentage of 25.

Bob Baffert

Winning two Triple Crowns after being voted into the Hall of Fame? That’s rarified air—success he couldn’t possibly have dreamed of growing up on a ranch in Nogales, Ariz., where his family raised cattle and chickens. When he was 10, his father purchased a few Quarter Horses, leading Baffert to riding them. He won his first race at the age of 17 in 1970.

Baffert graduated from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He soon began training Quarter Horses before moving to Los Alamitos and eventually mirroring Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who was a force in Quarter Horse racing and became one of the greatest Thoroughbred trainers ever.

Trainers have fewer options with Quarter Horses than with Thoroughbreds. “At Los Alamitos (for Quarter Horses), you had to qualify running 350 yards from the gate, hand-timed,” Baffert said. “They had to be fit, ready and in good form.”

Bast

When he switched to Thoroughbreds, he became particularly adept at having his three-year-olds ready for the Triple Crown races. Baffert nearly won three consecutive Kentucky Derbies when Cavonnier lost the 1996 Derby by a nose to Grindstone and then his Silver Charm and Real Quiet won the next two runnings, as well as the Preakness both years. The elusive Triple Crown was finally nailed by Baffert in 2015 when American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, and unbeaten Justify went from first-time starter to Triple Crown Champion in an astonishing 111 days before retiring.

“Once Justify got into the Belmont, he was in top, top shape,” Baffert said. “Before, he was a little heavy. He had some baby fat. I think we ran him into shape. I’d rather run them than train them.”…

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Kevin Attard - Profile

By Charlie McCarthy

As a boy growing up in Ontario, Kevin Attard yearned to make his own mark in the family business. The son and nephew of trainers hoped to follow another uncle’s path. “My initial dream was to be a jockey,” said Kevin, whose uncle Larry became a Canadian Hall of Fame jockey. “But I quickly ate my way out of that.” Enjoying a good meal didn’t stop Attard from carving out his own place in Thoroughbred racing.

That’s evidenced by the fact he was the second-leading trainer in earnings at Woodbine Racetrack in 2019 and enjoyed the best year in his nineteen seasons as a trainer. When 2020 began, Attard owned a 475-485-380 record in 3,067 career starts and $20,687,570 (USD) in earnings according to Equibase.

“I’m happy. We’re headed in the right direction,” Attard said recently after arriving in South Florida for Gulfstream Park’s winter meet. “I have a good crew with a lot of guys who have been with me a long time, and I think that’s very important. I couldn’t do it without them.”

In all likelihood, he wouldn’t be where he is without his forebearers, either. Joseph Attard and wife Connie emigrated to Canada from Malta in the 1950s. They later were followed by Joe’s brothers Larry, Tino and Sid. Joe, Tino and Sid all became trainers. Larry also began training after his tremendous riding career. At 68, Joe died from cancer in 2001. Tino, Kevin’s father, still has a few horses but also assists his son. Sid has compiled more than 2,000 career wins and remains a strong presence at Woodbine, where he often trains horses that compete against those of his nephew. “It’s hard to walk around Woodbine without bumping into someone who’s an Attard or related to an Attard,” Kevin says with a smile. Kevin began helping his father as a youngster on the family farm in Tottenham, Ont., about 35-40 minutes north of Woodbine. It was there Tino first took notice of his son’s ability with horses. “When he was nine years old, he used to walk a tough horse named Fozzie Bear,” 72-year-old Tino recalled. “It showed me Kevin had a lot of heart and loved to work. ”It was while working for his father years later that Kevin, then 24, was injured seriously in the stall of a horse named Undue Influence. The bay gelding kicked the right side of Attard’s face, causing major facial damage and a concussion. “He just spun around and double-barreled me in the face,” said Attard, now 44. “I was lucky. A doctor told me, ‘If he kicked you a little more in the center of your face, you might not even be here.”

After recuperating for several months, Kevin Attard returned to the stable. While working as an assistant trainer for his father in 2001, Frank Stronach called to offer him the job of farm trainer for young horses at Adena Springs North in Ontario. “My first year of training actually was just a barn full of two-year-olds for the Stronach Group,” he said. “...training off the farm, shipping into Woodbine, working and prepping them that way. ”Kevin Attard’s first career win came courtesy of a two-year-old bay named Jade Eyed in a $42,000 maiden claiming race at Woodbine on July 12, 2001. Little more than two weeks later, the filly won the Nandi Stakes at the same track. El Soprano, a two-year-old son of El Prado (IRE), gave Attard his first graded stakes win in the Gr2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine that September under Gary Stevens.

“The horse had a horrendous trip, and he still won the race,” Attard said. “If you watch the replay, you’re in awe. For a young horse to have that kind of trip and win… that’s a race I remember really well.”

Attard’s success in 2001 would prove to be hard to build on. “The next year, I went to Fort Erie for (Stronach), the B track,” he said. “I didn’t want to be labeled a ’B track trainer,’ but obviously it was a good outfit, so I decided to give it a crack. I was sent there, had a great year. As the year went on, we were kind of getting down in numbers; I took outside clients.“It was a strong year, but my heart wasn’t at Fort Erie—I wanted to be at the A circuit.” Fire Rock Stable’s Megan's Appeal won the Shady Well Stakes for Attard at Woodbine in July 2003.

Then things got really tough. “It was hard to get horses,” he said. “In Canada that year, there’s only a select pool of owners. It’s not like in the U.S. where you have horses coming from everywhere. ”Attard’s earnings surpassed $600,000 in 2001 but then decreased each year until 2005, when his runners earned just $55,757 and won just four races. Clearly, being part of a Canadian horse racing dynasty didn’t make Kevin Attard immune to the struggles many trainers face. As a husband with a wife, a toddler, a baby and a mortgage, Attard took steps to secure an income. He had a degree in accounting from Humber College— coincidentally located five minutes from Woodbine.

“I was ready to pack it in,” he said. “I actually had sent out resumes ... for anything.”

That’s when Larry called to offer his nephew a training lifeline saying that Knob Hill Farms owner and Toronto businessman Steve Stavro desired to get back into racing in a strong way and wanted a private trainer. “He said, ‘Kev, are you interested?’ Kevin said, ‘For sure!’”…

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Colic – effects of inflammation

By Dr. Zofia Lisowski

Overview of colic

Colic is a term used to describe the display of abdominal pain in a horse. It is the most common emergency in horses with four to ten out of every 100 horses likely to experience at least one episode of colic each year. It is also the single most common cause of equine mortality. In the U.S., one study showed that Thoroughbreds were more likely to develop colic1 than other breeds. It is of great welfare concern to horse owners, and with the estimated costs associated with colic in the U.S. exceeding $115 million per year2 and the average cost of a horse undergoing colic surgery requiring a resection being approximately $8,3703, it is also a significant economic issue for horse owners. 

Horses with abdominal pain show a wide range of clinical signs, ranging from flank watching and pawing the ground in mild cases, to rolling and being unable to remain standing for any significant period of time in more severe cases. There are numerous (over 50) specific causes of colic. In general, colic occurs as a result of disruption to the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract. This may be attributable to mechanical causes such as an obstruction (constipation), distension (excess gas) or a volvulus (twisted gut). It may also have a functional cause, whereby the intestine doesn’t work as normal in the absence of an associated mechanical problem; for example, equine grass sickness is associated with a functional derangement of intestinal motility due to loss of nerves within the intestine. 

Management of colic depends on the cause and can necessitate either a medical or surgical approach. Most horses with colic will either improve spontaneously or with simple medical treatment alone; however, a significant proportion may need more intensive medical treatment or surgery. Fortunately, due to improvements in surgical techniques and post-operative management, outcomes of colic surgery have improved over the past few decades with up to 85% of horses surviving to discharge. Crucially for the equine Thoroughbred racehorse population, several studies focused on racehorses that had undergone colic surgery and survived to discharge, reporting that 63-73% returned to racing. Furthermore, surgical treatment did not appear to negatively impact athletic performance. A similar finding was also seen in the general sport horse population.

Despite significant advancement in colic surgery per se, complications following surgery can have a significant impact on post-operative survival and return to athletic function. Common post-operative complications include:

1. Complications at the site of the incision (surgical wound)

Infection: Infections at the surgical incision site are relatively common. Antibiotics are usually administered before surgery and after surgery. Infections are not normally severe but can increase treatment costs. Horses that develop infections are at greater risk of developing an incisional hernia.  

Hernia: Incisional hernias occur when the abdominal wall muscles fail to heal, leaving a “gap.” Hernia size can vary from just a few centimeters, up to the full length of the incision. Most hernias will not require further treatment; but in more severe cases, further surgery may be required to repair the hernia.

1. Complications within the abdomen

Hemoperitoneum: A rare complication where there is blood within the abdomen from bleeding at the surgical site.

Anastomosis complications: The anastomosis site is where two opposing ends of intestine that have been opened are sutured back together again. It is important that at this site no leakage of intestinal contents occurs. Leakage or breakdown at this site can lead to peritonitis, which is inflammation or infection within the abdominal cavity and is a potentially life-threatening complication. 

Adhesions: Scar tissue can form within the abdomen following abdominal surgery. Occasionally this may cause further colic episodes.

Further colic episodes

Further colic episodes can occur following surgery. These can occur days to months following discharge.

Endotoxemia

In some rare cases, horses may develop sepsis in response to toxins released by damaged intestines.

Diarrhea 

This is a rare complication. It can develop as a result of infections with C. difficile or Salmonella. As a consequence, some horses may need to be treated in isolation to ensure infection doesn’t spread to other horses or humans.

Post-operative ileus 

Post-operative ileus is one of the potential post-operative complications that can lead to a significant increase in hospital stay duration, increased treatment costs and is also associated with reduced survival rates. Post-operative ileus is a condition that affects the muscle function in the intestinal wall. The intestine is a long tube-like structure that has a muscular wall throughout its entire length from the esophagus to the anus. The function of this muscle is to contract in waves to mix and move food along the length of the intestinal tract, within which digestion occurs and nutrients are absorbed, terminating in the excretion of waste material as feces. In post-operative ileus these contractions stop and thus intestinal contents are not moved throughout the intestinal tract. In most cases, it is transient and lasts for up to 48 hours following surgery; however, in some cases it can last longer. A build-up of fluid develops within the intestine as a result of the lack of propulsion. This stretches the intestines and stomach, resulting in pain and the horse’s inability to eat. Unlike humans, the horse is unable to vomit; consequently, this excess fluid must be removed from the stomach by other means, otherwise there is a risk of the stomach rupturing with fatal consequences. Post-operative ileus may occur in up to 60% of horses undergoing abdominal surgery and mortality rates as high as 86% have been reported. Horses in which the small intestine manipulated is extensively manipulated during surgery and those that require removal of segments of intestine are at higher risk. Despite the significant risk of post-operative ileus following colic surgery in horses, there is a lack of studies investigating the mechanisms underpinning this condition in horses; consequently, the precise cause of this condition in horses is not fully known. 

What causes the intestine to stop functioning? …

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Taylor Cambra - Tall in the Saddle

By Annie Lambert

Exercise rider Taylor Cambra has set his sights on training horses; natural talent, professionalism and a quirky personality will likely help him attain that goal.

When he was very young, exercise rider Taylor Cambra wanted to be a jockey. Growing up around the racing industry and riding horses, Cambra soon changed his career goal to training racehorses. That was due, in part, because he just kept growing and growing. The well-spoken, 22-year-old now towers at 6’2” and realized early on that a training career better suited his physique. 

Cambra has galloped horses since he was a teenager and hopes to keep his weight down a bit longer. Along the way, he aspires to get more experience as an assistant trainer before establishing his own training business. He has worked for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella since the fall of 2018 and has the honor of galloping Omaha Beach (War Front x Charming by Seeking The Gold, LTE $1,651,800), winner of the Rebel Stakes (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1), Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) and Malibu Stakes (G1).

 “I’m very happy to gallop horses right now,” Cambra said. “I know it won’t last too much longer, with me filling out and stuff, but I’m enjoying it while I can.”

Breezing Track Ponies

Cambra’s father, Billy Cambra, was an outrider in Northern California for 35 years. Being a rambunctious kid, with a lot of nervous energy in school, made it hard for Taylor to sit still in class. Billy’s solution was to take him to the track before school and let him ride off his excess spunk.

“When Taylor was about seven years old he was riding all my outriding horses,” Billy recalled. “One day he asked to ride ‘Snoozer’ in the Pavilion. About 45 minutes later the track man called me and said Taylor was breezing that pony.”

“He was breezing him, getting down low, switching sticks and everything,” he added with a laugh. “He was still young and small and always could ride a horse. He had real good balance and everything.”

Taylor started riding the ponies of Billy’s good friend, trainer Michael Larson, when he was just three. It was also Larson that gave him his first job, where he worked until he was about 17 and began to participate in high school rodeo events. 

“[Larson] was the guy who taught me a lot of patience, taught me to give and take,” Cambra noted. “You can’t learn everything overnight, and you can’t teach everything overnight. Mike was a big influence on me, not only with the horses, but in life too. He and my dad together made a huge impact on my life. I’m very grateful for both of them.”

The Rodeo Life

Diana Cambra, Taylor’s mother, was never thrilled with his rodeo aspirations, but like her husband, was ever supporting. Her son was a good enough cowboy to be offered a rodeo scholarship to Colorado State University. Taylor chose to turn it down as he wasn’t sure about which major to pursue and knew deep down a racetrack career was his ultimate destination.

“When I turned 18 I went ahead and got my [Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association] card, which was pretty neat,” explained Cambra. “I rode saddle broncs and got to go and travel with some of those big guys. I mostly rode on the West Coast—all over in California, Arizona and Utah.”

The rodeo road was not pain free for Cambra, but his wrecks could have been worse. Diana recalled his first injury and one of the worst at the Clovis Rodeo in California.

“He had his head cracked open,” Diana said with a grimace. “The ambulance offered to take him to the hospital, and he didn’t want to pay a lot of money. I told him he had insurance and to go to the hospital. I still worry when he does [rodeo]; it is just so hard for me to watch.”

Cambra remembers that bronc ride well.

“I got bucked off over the front of the horse, landed on my hands and knees, then the horse jumped over in front of me,” he said. “When he double barrel kicked, he got a hold of me pretty good. I think I got 13 staples in the top of my head.”

Back on Track

As much as he loves the rodeo world, Cambra was drawn back to where his future career loomed. He had been working for trainer Ari Herbertson at Golden Gate Fields on and off. After he was injured he began working for him as a full-time assistant and exercise rider. It was the first time Cambra was more than just an employee; Herbertson gave the then 19-year-old more responsibilities and the ability to make decisions on his own.

“One of the biggest things I took away from working from Ari was his giving me the opportunity to kind of help run the barn and run my own organization,” Cambra noted. “That helped me realize where I needed to get stronger and make improvements.

“You can watch it every day, but when the reins are actually handed over to you it is kind of different. You have more responsibilities, not just the work you’re assigned to, but making sure all the employees are good, making sure all the horses are getting the right medication and making sure that everything goes smoothly every day.”

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Ryan Exline and Justin Border AND Robert Donaldson

By Bill Heller

Ryan Exline and Justin Border (Storm the Court)

Ryan Exline will never forget the feeling after he bought his first horse at the 2013 Ocala March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale for himself, his dad and three friends who had decided to take a shot and buy their first Thoroughbred. “I remember sweating profusely in an Uber heading to the airport,” he said. There was a good reason. The group had agreed to budget $50,000. On the advice of bloodstock agent Marette Farrell, Exline spent $100,000 to purchase Sheza Smoke Show, who had worked a furlong in :10 flat.

“I called the others and said, `Congratulations, we bought a horse. We spent a little more than we wanted,’” Exline said. “We gave them the option of going in or not. Every single person went in.” 

Justin Border was one of the friends he called. “I’m following along the sales online. Obviously, it was a shock. I was fine, once I got up from falling down on the floor,” he laughed. “We were just two guys getting into this crazy game.” 

Ryan Exline and Justin Border

They’re two guys who are 50-50 partners in Exline Border Racing, which did just fine with Sheza Smoke Show. “Thankfully, she went on to win a Gr1 at Santa Anita,” Exline said. “She earned $150,000 racing. And we sold her for over $200,000 at a broodmare sale. We had to retire her a little early because of injuries.”

Exline, 38, is a senior living management administrator who was born in Oklahoma, moved to Indianapolis with his family when he was three, and ultimately moved to San Diego in 2006. He’d watched the Kentucky Derby on TV but never attended a racetrack.

That changed when some high school friends who had moved from Indiana to San Diego decided to go to the track—Del Mar—near Exline’s condo. “I’d never been before,” he said. “We all went. It seemed like we couldn’t lose a race. I said, `Wow, it’s an easy way to make money.’”

He quickly learned that bettors can lose too, but his fascination with the sport had taken root. “I started researching it and studying it,” he said. “One day, I decided I wanted to own a horse. How do you do that? I needed to surround myself with people who are smarter than me. I got referred by a friend to Marette.”

Border, a 45-year-old occupational therapist from Northern California, had been raised around horses in Brentwood, a small town near San Francisco. He learned to ride at the age of five on a Quarter Horse named Red Bert Bailey. Unfortunately, the horse died when Border was seven. “It was a life lesson for a little kid, but it certainly didn’t put me off loving horses and wanting to take care of them,” he said.

He met Exline through work at a senior rehab facility in San Diego. “Immediately, I saw he had a lot of Indianapolis Colts paraphernalia, so I knew he was into sports,” Border said. “A big Colts fan, he had gone to the Super Bowl. We got talking about sports then about work. We became fast friends from there.”

Now they’re partners. And, after purchasing their first Thoroughbred, they needed a trainer. “We knew we needed a trainer who would have patience with us,” Border said. “Peter Eurton was highly recommended by another trainer. I said, `I think we have our guy.’ Ryan took the lead on reaching out to Peter. He called him and said, `Peter you don’t know us, but we have a horse, and we want to go into your barn.’ He saw the video from the sale, looked up the page in the catalog and said, `That’s a pretty nice filly.’”

Since then, Exline Border Racing has mostly hit home runs. After spending $100,000 to buy Bayonet—a Colonel John filly who didn’t make money on the track and became a broodmare—they campaigned the hard-hitter Giant Expectations, a winner of four of 23 starts including a pair of Gr2 stakes. He will race as a seven-year-old this year. “He’s been a special horse for us,” Exline said.

So was their brilliant 2016 Two-Year-Old Filly Champion Filly Champagne Room, who won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly at 33-1; and Storm the Court, a two-year-old they purchased at Ocala in April 2019, for $60,000 who gave them their second Breeders’ Cup victory in the 2019 Juvenile.

“It’s been the stuff of dreams,” Border said. “Then again, it’s the result of a lot of hard work and a lot of great people helping us—a trainer like Peter and an agent like Marette. It’s a reflection of their talent and their expertise, and that the horse always comes first. We’re very humbled by the success we’ve had in such a short time.”

Before Storm the Court became “the stuff of dreams,” Exline, Border and their other partners on the horse, Dan Hudock, Susie Wilson and David Bernsen, had to survive a frightful moment in the Gr1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2. Just a few steps out of the gate, Storm the Court was knocked sideways by Eight Rings when he ducked inside. Both horses lost their jockey, Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke.

“We had the rail,” Border said. “We were happy with the break. We felt fine. Then all of a sudden, here comes Eight Rings looking like he was turning to go into the infield. We see our jockey went down. Storm was running loose on the track. With a two-year-old, that’s just a nightmare. We were looking back to see if the jockey was okay. We were looking at our horse. An outrider finally caught him on the turn. We walked on the track—a really upsetting moment at least. Flavien got up. The horse came off the track okay, not hurt, not lame.”

In his first race back, Storm the Court finished third by 8 ¼ lengths to Eight Rings in the Gr1 American Pharoah Stakes Sept. 27. Then Storm the Court won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile wire-to-wire by a neck at odds of 45-1. “Maybe two steps before they hit the finish line, all the blood left my body,” Border said. “There was this rush, knowing he had done it. Everybody exploded. Couldn’t find enough people to hug.”

He knows which horse to hug. “We love our boy,” he said.

Asked how he can possibly not dream about the 2020 Kentucky Derby, Border said, “It’s impossible.”

***************************************

Robert Donaldson (Spun to Run)

From left to right: Spun to Run trainer Carlos Guerrero, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and owner Robert Donaldson.

Nearly 50 years after they jump-started their continuing love affair and marriage by jumping the fence at Garden State Park to watch the last race at the age of 14, Robert Donaldson and his wife, Sue, had an interesting afternoon on May 18, 2018. Previously, with the approval of Sue (a teacher), Donaldson (a 62-year-old retired pharmaceutical executive) had been racing claimers. 

That changed that afternoon when Donaldson called his former trainer, Carlos Guerrero, to inquire about a possible claim. Guerrero happened to be at the Timonium Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May. “I had spent time with that catalog,” Donaldson said. “I grabbed a sales book. I told him, ‘I want you to possibly buy a horse.’ I called to get a credit line for $100,000. They were on No. 43. I told him, `No. 50 is a Hard Spun.’ I said, `Carlos, have you seen him?’ He said, `He’s a good-looking colt. He texted me, `How much do you want to spend?’ I said, `$70,000.’ They were at $60,000, once, twice, three times; and Carlos bid $64,000.”…

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The importance of stable ventilation

By Alan Creighton

First published in European Trainer this article examines how stable ventilation can affect a horse’s performance.

Over the past 20 years the Irish Equine Centre has become a world leader in the design and control of the racehorse stable environment. At present we monitor the stable environment of approximately 180 racing yards across Europe.

The basis of our work is to improve biosecurity and the general environment in relation to stable and exercise areas within racing establishments. This is achieved by improving ventilation, yard layout, exercise areas and disinfection routines, in addition to testing of feed, fodder and bedding for quality and reviewing how and where they are stored.

Racehorses can spend up to 23 hours per day standing in their stable. The equine respiratory system is built for transferring large volumes of air in and out of the lungs during exercise. Racehorses are elite athletes, and best performance can only be achieved with optimal health. Given the demanding life of the equine athlete, a high number of racehorses are at risk of several different respiratory concerns. The importance of respiratory health greatly increases in line with the racehorse’s stamina. Therefore, as the distance a racehorse is asked to race increases, so does the importance of ventilation and fresh clean air.

Pathogenic fungi and bacteria, when present in large numbers, can greatly affect the respiratory system of a horse and therefore performance. Airborne dust and pathogens, which can be present in any harvested food, bedding, damp storage areas and stables, are two of the main causes of RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction), EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, also known as bleeding), IAD (irritable airway disease) and immune suppression—all of which can greatly affect the performance of the racehorse. Yards, which are contaminated with a pathogen of this kind, will suffer from the direct respiratory effect but will also suffer from recurring bouts of secondary bacterial and viral infections due to the immune suppression. Until the pathogen is found and removed, achieving consistency of performance is very difficult. Stable ventilation plays a huge part in the removal of these airborne pathogens.

What is ventilation?

The objective of ventilation is to provide a constant supply of fresh air to the horse. Ventilation is achieved by simply providing sufficient openings in the stable/building so that fresh air can enter and stale air will exit.

Ventilation involves two simple processes:

1. Air exchange where stale air is replaced with fresh air.

2. Air distribution where fresh air is available throughout the stable.

Good stable ventilation provides both of these processes. One without the other does not provide adequate ventilation. For example, it is not good enough to let fresh air into the stable through an open door at one end of the building if that fresh air is not distributed throughout the stable and not allowed to exit again. With stable ventilation, we want cold air to enter the stable, be tempered by the hot air present, and then replace that hot air by thermal buoyancy. As the hot air leaves the stable, we want it to take moisture, dust, heat, pathogens and ammonia out as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

It is important not to confuse ventilation with draft. We do not want cold air blowing directly at the horse who now has nowhere to shelter. Proper ventilation is a combination of permanent and controllable ventilation. Permanent ventilation apart from the stable door should always be above the horse’s head. It is really important to have a ridge vent or cowl vent at the very highest point of the roof. Permanent ventilation should be a combination of air inlets above the horse’s head, which allows for intake of air no matter which direction the wind is coming from, coupled with an outlet in the highest point of the roof (shown in Figure 2). The ridge vent or cowl vent is an opening that allows warm and moist air, which accumulates near the roof peak to escape. The ridge opening is also a very effective mechanism for wind-driven air exchange since wind moves faster higher off the ground. The controllable ventilation such as the door, windows and louvers are at the horse height. With controllable ventilation, you can open it up during hot spells or close it down during cold weather. The controllable ventilation should be practical and easy to operate as racing yards are very busy places with limited time. 

Where did the design go wrong?

Figure 2

The yards we work in are a mixture of historic older yards, yards built in the mid to late 20th century and yards built in the early 21st century. The level of ventilation present was extremely varied in a lot of these yards prior to working with the Irish Equine Centre. Interestingly the majority of the yards built before World War I displayed extremely efficient ventilation systems. Some of the oldest yards in the Curragh and Newmarket are still, to this day, considered well ventilated. 

In parts of mainland Europe, including France, the picture is very different. In general, the older yards in France are very poorly ventilated. The emphasis in the design of yards in parts of France appears to be more focused on keeping animals warm in the winter and cool during the summer. This is understandable as they do get colder winters and warmer summers in the Paris area, for example, when compared to the more temperate climate in Ireland and the UK. When these yards were built, they didn’t have the quality of rugs available that we do now. Most of the yards in France are built in courtyard style with lofts above for storage and accommodation. When courtyard stables are poorly ventilated with no back or sidewall air vents, you will always have the situation that the only boxes that get air exchange are the ones facing into the prevailing wind at that time. In this scenario, up to 60% of the yard may have no air exchange at all.

In the mid to late 20th century efficient ventilation design appears to have been overlooked completely. There appears to be no definitive reason for this phenomenon with planning restrictions, site restrictions in towns like Newmarket and Chantilly, cheaper builds, or builders building to residential specifications all contributing to inadequate ventilation.

Barn and stable designers did not—and in a lot of cases still don’t—realize how much air exchange is needed for racehorses. Many horse owners and architects of barns tend to follow residential housing patterns, placing more importance on aesthetics instead of what’s practical and healthy for the horse.

Many horses are being kept in suburban settings because their owners are unfamiliar with the benefits of ventilation on performance. Many of these horses spend long periods of time in their stalls, rather than in an open fresh-air environment that is conducive to maximum horse health. We measure stable ventilation in air changes per hour (ACH). This is calculated using the following simple equation:

Air changes per hour AC/H

N = 60 Q

         Vol

N = ACH (Air change/hour)

Where: Q = Velocity flow rate (wind x opening areas in cfm)

Vol = Length x Width x Average roof height

Figure 3

Minimum air change per hour in a well-ventilated box is 6AC/H. We often measure the ACH in poorly ventilated stables and barns with results as low as 1AC/H; an example of such a stable environment is shown in Figure 3. When this measurement is as low as 1AC/H, we know that the ventilation is not adequate. There will be dust and grime buildup, in addition to moisture buildup resulting in increased growth of mold and bacteria; and there will also be ammonia buildup. The horse, who can be stabled for up to 23 hours of the day, now has no choice but to breathe in poor quality air. Some horses such as sprinters may tolerate this, but in general it will lead to multiple respiratory issues.

Simply put, the objective in any well-designed barn and stable is to get fresh air to the horse and eliminate stale air before it accumulates. Good ventilation is, ideally, designed into the original barn plans or stable and takes advantage of natural wind, air currents and thermal buoyancy. Often, people experiment with mechanical ventilation using fans instead of using good ventilation design, which takes advantage of free wind ventilation…

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Odds Makers - Odds require an even hand

By Ed Golden

“Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes.”—Oscar Wilde.

When it comes to making morning line odds for a racing program, experience assuredly is beneficial, but with the main being a singularly subjective endeavor, it is rarely fully achieved.

The morning line has been described as “probable odds on each horse in a race, as determined by a mathematical formula used by the track handicapper who tries to gauge both the ability of the horse and the likely final odds as determined by the bettors.”

It is a system in which bettors do not compete against the track or a casino but among each other. It is known as pari-mutuel, a form of wagering originated in 1865 by Frenchman Pierre Oiler where all money bet is divided up among those who have winning tickets after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made.

(Oiler called his system “parier mutual” meaning “mutual stake” or “betting among ourselves.” As this betting method was adopted in England, it became known as “Paris mutuals,” and soon after “pari-mutuels).”

The “deductions,” better known as the “take” or “takeout,” is a commission deducted from mutuel pools, which are shared by the track, horsemen (in the form of purses) and local and state governing bodies in the form of tax.

The takeout generally falls between 22 and 26 percent, and each of the final odds posted on the tote board or television monitors upon completion of a race represents a mathematically established percentage of the total mutuel pool formulated by the bettors. Rounded off, it can range from 81 percent (1-5 odds) to 3 percent (30-1).

In other words, the morning line is not merely rendered randomly. For example, even money comprises 50 percent of the mutuel pool: 8-5 odds (38 percent); 9-2 odds (18 percent), 15-1 odds (6 percent) and so on.

In a hypothetical six-horse field, the odds could be 6-5 (45 percent), 5-2 (28 percent), 7-2 (22 percent), 8-1 (11 percent), 10-1 (9 percent) and 12-1 (7 percent) for a total of 122 percent—100 percent of the money wagered by bettors, plus 22 percent takeout. Prior to and upon completion of each race, the total percentage, based on the individual odds of each horse when added up, should fall between 122 and 126.

No one strives harder for accuracy in making morning line odds than Jon White. Fastidious, meticulous, conscientious, punctilious—pick any adjective—they apply to the Spokane, Wa. native whose 46-year racing career includes being one of the youngest stewards in history at age 24 when serving in that capacity for the Washington Horse Racing Commission at Yakima Meadows in 1979.

 He has been morning line maker at several tracks, and since 2009 at Santa Anita, where he has made the morning line odds for the Breeders’ Cup the last six times the championship event has been run there.

 “I had the correct favorite in 70 percent of the 2019 Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita,” White proudly points out, adding, “I also was pleased at how my morning line odds compared to the winner's final odds in all 14 of the Breeders' Cup races (noted below).”

 ML     Final  Winner (Race)

Jon White

  4-1     9-2    Vino Rosso (Classic)

  9-5     1-1    Bricks and Mortar (Turf)

  6-1     8-1    Blue Prize (Distaff)

  7-2     7-2    Uni (Mile)

  9-5     9-5    Mitole (Sprint)

  8-1   13-1    Iridessa (Filly & Mare Turf)

  6-1     9-1    Spun to Run (Dirt Mile)

12-1   14-1    Belvoir Bay (Turf Sprint)

  2-1     3-2    Covfefe (Filly & Mare Sprint)

20-1   45-1    Storm the Court (Juvenile)

12-1   13-1    Sharing (Juvenile Fillies Turf)

  7-2     5-2    British Idiom (Juvenile Fillies)

  5-1     5-1    Structor (Juvenile Turf)

  3-1     3-2    Four Wheel Drive (Juvenile Turf Sprint).

White continued: “In making the morning line, I am trying to predict what the betting public is going to do, not how I think the betting should be. 

“Back in the 1970s, the line was submitted early in the morning on race day. Hence its name, but nowadays the morning line has evolved into an advance line in that it’s submitted two or more days before race day.

“In the 70s, I almost always would have a race add up to anywhere from 123 percent to 125 percent. Currently, the morning line has to be submitted well in advance of race day in order to appear in the Daily Racing Form, so now I generally go with 127 or 128 percent, mainly because so many things can change prior to race day, such as late scratches, weather conditions, etc.

“The morning lines I made for the 2019 Breeders’ Cup were issued on Monday, well in advance of the races that would be run the following Friday and Saturday. Not only that, but for the first time in the many years I’ve been making morning lines, I had to submit my odds for all the Breeders’ Cup races BEFORE the draw for post positions.

“If I learn from the racing office or a reliable source that a horse almost certainly is going to be scratched on race day, I will treat that horse the same as an also-eligible. An also-eligible’s odds are not included in the race’s total when adding up the percentages.

“And if I know that ‘Horse A’ is almost certain to be scratched on race day, I do not include that horse when adding up the percentages in a race, which means I can have a race sometimes go very high, like 145 or thereabouts. But when Horse A ultimately is scratched on race day, the race then adds up to a normal 127 or 128.

“I handle probable race-day scratches that way when making the morning line because I think it’s in the public’s best interest. Whether I’m making a morning line or working in TV or as a steward, I do whatever I can to help the public. And if I know it’s a virtual certainty that Horse A is going to be scratched, it is better for those wagering to have more realistic odds submitted for the morning line even if the percentages add up something like 145.”

Suffice it to say, White eats, sleeps and breathes horse racing. He takes little or nothing for granted when producing the morning line, which these days is always subject to censure, as the world is rife with invidious social media junkies who bask in their own opinions.

“Making a morning line—especially a good one—is a real challenge,” White said. “I put a lot of hard work into every single horse in every single race on every single card, generally four to six hours including prep work, which includes going through the past performances with a fine-tooth comb . . . That’s why it does hurt when there is criticism. However, the reality is criticism does come with the territory. It’s sort of like being a referee or an umpire. It sure is easy for someone to knock a morning line when they haven’t even taken the time to add up the percentages in a race.

“The bottom line is it’s much easier for a person to criticize a morning line than to put their neck on the chopping block and actually have to do it.

Russell Hudak

“But it’s gratifying whenever I’ve made the right favorite, and the final odds end up being in the same ballpark as the morning-line odds. But even after a race has turned out okay from a morning line perspective, I am always—and I mean always—holding my breath in terms of the next race hoping that it will turn out well.”

Like White, Russell Hudak is a paragon of his pastime although perhaps somewhat less obtrusive in his philosophy.

 “The primary purpose behind the morning line is pointing out the direction wagering will take, providing bettors with an indication of which horses will be most heavily backed and which figure to be longer prices,” notes Hudak, the morning line maker and timer at Del Mar and the Thoroughbred morning line maker and timer at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Hudak, 67, was born in Jersey City, N.J., raised on the Jersey shore, and in 1985 became the morning line maker (and later head clocker) at Hollywood Park, which closed in December 2013.

He was introduced to racing while attending Rutgers University earning a BA in sociology and labor studies. “I attended the races at Monmouth Park with my dad on a break and took an immediate interest in the tote board activity,” Hudak said…

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