North American Trainer ISSUE 33 (SUMMER 2014)
ISSUE 33 – SUMMER 2014 $5.95
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Backstretch conditions An inside look
Publishing Ltd
Christophe Clement “France wasn’t big enough for the both of us”
A VET’S OPINION
“Lack of global uniformity in medication rules remains a problem”
PLUS
Grade 1winning owner’s profiles THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE
T
GILES ANDERSON A summer celebration of Classic success
HE summer season of racing is now well and truly upon us. This time of year is when reputations are made or burst, and when we can bask in the simple glory of great racing. Christophe Clement, our cover trainer profile, has done both already this summer. We had always planned to interview him for this issue and Frances J. Karon was simply fortunate to spend time with him immediately after his famous first Belmont Stakes victory, with Tonalist. Winning a Classic has long been an ambition of this affable Frenchman, who can now go some way to loosen the pigeonhole of being “just a turf trainer.” Frances’s interview really captures the spirit of what makes Christophe click. In his column, Alan Balch discusses the simple concept of supply and demand in the racing calendar and with a profusion of racing opportunity in this mid-season, he makes a very valid point. I can see that perhaps in years to come we are going to see a gradual shift to more of a circuit-based season for the highest-grade racers – which is well and good for them, but is racing likely to become a two-tier affair as a result. This August, the Jockey Club Round Table at Saratoga will be graced by a speech from NFL Network guru Brian Rolapp, who I’m sure will have plenty of opinion on such a subject. I wonder if Rolapp will have had time to speak with the Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, not only about racing matters but also on the subject of medication, which is covered in a number of ways in this issue.
Firstly, our columnist Sid Fernando makes some fascinating observations about how well U.S.-trained horses have performed in Europe this summer without having to rely on Lasix, and then vet Thomas O’Keeffe gives us his own opinion as to how the vet and trainer should work together in 2014 and beyond. One very interesting nugget that I found in this article was the table of permitted medication and the differences in withdrawal times between North America and Europe. This issue also features an in-depth look at backstretch conditions for racetrack staff across North America and highlights what is being done and what could be done to improve the workers’ lot. As we all know, there are huge differences from track-to-track and state-to-state, but if racing ever gets behind the concept that being united is better than being divisive, we might one day see a set of minimum basic conditions or standards drawn up. This will help ensure that all tracks are playing their part to look after the welfare of those who work in what are often unsavory conditions. In our next issue, we’re going to be shifting focus to equine conditions and indeed the results of the survey we’re conducting via our website www.trainermagazine.com make interesting reading. But until then, good luck wherever racing takes you this summer! n
HAVE YOUR SAY ON RACETRACK CONDITIONS! Take part in our survey online at www.trainermagazine.com. The results will be published in our next issue this November.
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Issue 33
CONTENTS 14
Cristophe Clement
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Backstretch workers
Classic-winning trainer Christophe Clement in profile, by Frances J. Karon.
Bill Heller takes an in-depth look at conditions for backstretch employees at America’s racetracks.
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Veterinary research
What racing can learn from the eventing community about funding research, by Thomas O’Keeffe.
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Winning owners
Profiles on owners of recent Grade 1 winners, by Bill Heller.
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Influenza
Flu vaccines and how we can help minimize spread, by Celia Marr.
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Contributors
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California Thoroughbred Trainers
12
Succulents and treats
TRM Trainer of the Quarter
50
Product Focus
An opinion piece from Thomas O’Keeffe on how trainers and veterinarians could work in tandem for the greater good.
Suppliers Guide
56
Stakes Schedules
Apples and carrots, or Guinness and eggs? by Catherine Dunnett.
Is there a place for medication?
Tendon and ligament research Celia Marr on important research funded by British bookmakers.
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The Sid Fernando column
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher & Editorial Director Giles Anderson Editor Frances Karon Circulation/Editorial Executive Suzy Crossman, Louise Crampton Design/Production Neil Randon Advertising Sales Giles Anderson, Harriet Scott Photo Credits
Alan F. Balch was hired as Executive Director of California Thoroughbred Trainers in April 2010. His professional career in racing began at Santa Anita in 1971, where he advanced to the position of Sr. Vice President-Marketing and Assistant General Manager, and was in charge of the Olympic Games Equestrian Events for Los Angeles in 1984. He retired in the early 90s to become volunteer president of the national equestrian federation of the USA, as well as of the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. He remains volunteer president of USA Equestrian Trust, Inc.
Cover Photograph
Dr Catherine Dunnett BSc, PhD, R.Nutr. is an independent nutritionist registered with the British Nutrition Society. She has a background in equine research, in the field of nutrition and exercise physiology, with many years spent at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. Prior to setting up her own consultancy business, she worked in the equine feed industry on product development and technical marketing.
Joanne K. Adams, Frances J Karon, Horsephotos, Anne-Armelle Langlois, Professor Celia Marr, Frank Nolting, Caroline Norris, Thomas O'Keeffe, Nancy Rokos, George Selwyn, Shutterstock, Leslie Threadkeld/USEA. Nancy Rokos
North American
An Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd publication Contact details Tel: 1 888 218 4430 Fax:1 888 218 4206 info@trainermagazine.com www.trainermagazine.com United Kingdom 14 Berwick Courtyard, Berwick St Leonard, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 5UA North America PO Box 13248, Lexington, KY 40583-3248 North American Trainer is the official magazine of the California Thoroughbred Trainers. It is distributed to all ‘Trainer’ members of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and all members of the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association
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Sid Fernando (@sidfernando) is president of eMatings LLC and Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc. He is the former bloodstock editor of Daily Racing Form and also blogs about racing and breeding. Bill Heller, Eclipse Award winner and author of 25 books including biographies of Hall of Fame jockeys Ron Turcotte, Randy Romero, and Jose Santos, is a member of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame Communications Corner. He and his wife Anna live just 30 miles south of Saratoga Race Course in Albany, where their 24-year-old son Benjamin also resides.
Frances J. Karon is from Puerto Rico and graduate of Maine’s Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She operates Rough Shod LLC based in Lexington, Kentucky and specializes in sales, pedigree research and recommendations. Celia Marr is an equine clinician at Rossdales, Newmarket. She is a RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Medicine and Honorary Professor at the Glasgow University Veterinary School. She has previously worked at veterinary schools in Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Cambridge and London and in racehorse practice in Lambourn. She is Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Thoroughbred Research & Consultation Group and Editor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal. Thomas O’Keeffe is an equine clinician with the racing veterinary team at Rossdales in Newmarket. Prior to this, he has worked with Florida Equine Veterinary Associates, in Ocala, focusing primarily on the health of the juvenile Thoroughbred. He has worked at Rossdales Equine Hospital facility in Newmarket, worked as an associate for Scone Equine Hospital in Australia and has worked for Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland and in Lexington, Kentucky with Dr. Ruel Cowles DVM. Steve Schuelein is a freelance writer based in Playa del Rey, California. A native of upstate New York, Steve was introduced to racing as a sports writer for the Syracuse Herald-Journal and Buffalo News before moving to California in 1982.
CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
Insoluble problems?
W
E are continually faced by great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. Or so goes the old saying. Those of us who have survived the ongoing decline of racing in California, with the recent closure of major tracks in both the north and the south (Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park), and the imminent abandoning of racing and training at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds at Pomona by year’s end, will soon be finding out if the opportunities really do outdistance the problems. On June 29, Santa Anita reached the end of its first six-month season in history, racing without significant interruption from Christmas onward. Its ownership reaped enormous gains – a veritable windfall – from on-track attendance and total handle when compared with Hollywood Park’s previous numbers for ten incremental weeks this spring, including the Triple Crown dates. With Los Alamitos racing the final two of Hollywood’s former summer weeks bridging into the traditional Del Mar seven-week season, the net impact for the industry’s financial health, especially purse generation, is yet to be seen. The sport’s perennial lack of strategic planning, on both a regional as well as national scale, has brought us to this point. After all, it’s not as though tracks around America haven’t been closing continually over the last halfcentury. In fact, since 1950, more than 25 significant tracks have closed in all regions of North America, even as our Thoroughbred foal crops were growing toward the all-time 1986 peak, and the more recent (though significantly lower) 2005 peak, from which the numbers have now plunged to 1968 levels. This consolidation of venues can’t be considered surprising: real estate values have consistently risen over the decades, leading to lower and lower return on investment for track operators when considering alternative uses for each of
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By Alan F. Balch CTT Executive Director
“Simply put, the supply of North American racing opportunities has far outstripped the supply of quality horses” their hundreds of acres in metropolitan areas. At the same time, the proliferation of simulcasting and all forms of electronic gaming have exploded. What some might consider surprising is the industry’s failure to respond to the evolving situation (with a very few notable exceptions) through innovation, realistic thinking, and fierce marketing. The fundamental appeal of racing as sport and entertainment remains as strong as ever. One need only look at this year’s Triple Crown saga of California Chrome for confirmation of its popular appeal, or the record-setting attendance at Royal Ascot. Anyone who attended those races had to be struck not just by the upbeat mood, but by the youthful demographics. The same is true of racing at Keeneland, Del Mar, Saratoga, and many of Santa Anita’s promoted days, not to mention the Opening Day of the new season at Los Alamitos. So, what’s the problem? Simply put, the supply of North American racing opportunities has far outstripped the supply of quality horses. More important, it has overwhelmed the public’s appetite, given the day-to-day mediocrity of the sport, especially since the supply of horses has regressed to levels of nearly 50 years ago. In 1968, Santa Anita raced 11 weeks a year, for 55 days of sport; Hollywood Park raced like
numbers. The gaps were filled in by first-class racing in Northern California. Top horses ventured East in the fall, and good stables from there came to California in the winter. The tremendous success of that kind of schedule spawned relentless expansion, everywhere, which “worked” in the sense that the supply of horses grew apace until 1986. In California, the calendar expanded to nearly 52 weeks of racing in both ends of the state. Can you imagine what would have happened to the Olympic Games if its leadership had said, “well, we did record business in 1984. So let’s starting having the Olympics every year.” Or even every month! Nationwide, the problems of unbalanced demand and supply are at least as bad if not worse than in California. And these problems are simply exacerbated by day and night simulcasting throughout the year of seemingly infinite opportunities to bet on horse racing. The available supply of pari-mutuel wagering opportunities has – to put it bluntly – expanded infinitely and beyond all reason. There’s no going back, however, since any lull in activity in one location is instantly filled by electronic opportunities from other locations, somewhere in the world. If you’re having a hard time seeing the great opportunities presented by these seemingly insoluble problems, you’re not alone. I’m reminded of Sir Winston Churchill’s wife Clementine telling him when his party was defeated immediately after Britain’s winning World War II that it might be a blessing in disguise. “My dear,” he said, “if it’s a blessing, it is indeed very well disguised.” The last thing we need is defeatism, although it’s never been more tempting. What we do need is aggressive leadership – our sport’s structural vacuum is worse than ever, and a prime reason we’ve had little if any strategic planning. We see a great deal of meeting and posturing on important medication and safety issues, but very little if any on strategy, management, marketing, and structure of the sport. Without those, how does anyone seriously think we’ll make progress on the subsidiary issues, however important they are? Although the federal government’s possible involvement in the sport is seen as a panacea by some, I find that “solution” less than alluring. Uncle Sam’s past performances are not of stakes caliber, to say the least. Perhaps, however, that very prospect could be the catalyst for a serious and wide-ranging brainstorming of what it would take to address and resolve the strategic and structural dilemmas we face, from which all real blessings would flow. n
CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
WORDS: Steve Schuelein PhOtOS: BenOit PhOtOS
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“
IKE fine wine…” flowed the words from emcee Ted Bassett at the annual Eclipse Awards Dinner to announce that John Henry had been named 1984 Horse of the Year at the advanced age of nine. The same words today could describe octogenarian Ron McAnally, John Henry’s Hall of Fame trainer and poster boy for the geriatric set. McAnally, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on July 11, ages gracefully while continuing to pump out Grade 1 stakes winners. Seated at a Clocker’s Corner table one morning in June near the end of the extended Santa Anita Park meet and looking forward to Del Mar, McAnally made only a few minor concessions to Father Time while continuing his lifelong love affair with his job. “As long as I’m alive, that’s all I know how to do,” said the soft-spoken trainer of the regimen that keeps him young: showing up at the track early every morning seven days a week. “I don’t play golf, tennis, or cards.” McAnally admitted that he does not move as smoothly as he did when he was 41, largely the result of partial knee replacement surgery in 2012, but the anticipation of his next stakes win keeps a bounce in his step and a glint in his eye. “Dan Landers, my assistant since 1995, has been my right arm, especially since the knee surgery,” said McAnally, who conditions 15 horses at Santa Anita and another four at Pomona with Jose Miranda, an employee for 42 years. Landers walked by and alerted McAnally to the arrival of Miss Serendipity on the track. The six-year-old Argentine-bred mare had given McAnally his most recent Grade 1 score with a 13-to-1 upset in the $300,000 Gamely Stakes on the Santa Anita turf on May 26. McAnally has not lost his touch with South American imports, who gave him a series of earlier career highlights and have provided most of his success the past two years. In addition to Miss Serendipity, the McAnally stable also boasts Quick Casablanca, a six-yearold Chilean-bred horse which two days before the Gamely missed winning the Grade 1
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John Henry’s trainer and Hall of Famer Ron McAnally has just turned 82 years old
Ron McAnally: still pumping out Grade 1 winners Charles Whittingham Stakes on grass by two necks in a three-way photo. In 2013, McAnally won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile with Suggestive Boy, a six-year-old Argentine-bred who remains in training, and the Grade II San Juan Capistrano Stakes with Interaction, another Argentine-bred who was retired to stud in his native land.
McAnally said the secret to Miss Serendipity was the same as most of the two dozen other South American imports he has turned into graded stakes winners: patience. “Miss Serendipity took longer than most,” explained McAnally of the mare who arrived last summer at Del Mar but did not make her U.S. debut until January at Santa Anita. “She
CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
Six-year-old Argentine-bred mare Miss Serendipity (left) scored McAnally his most recent Grade 1 win in the $300,000 Gamely Stakes had a skin rash that we used medicated shampoo on to clear up.” The two most prominent McAnally female stars were two-time Eclipse Award-winning mares Bayakoa and Paseana, both Argentine imports who were given several months to acclimatize before their United States debuts. “They were very different: Bayakoa was strictly speed; Paseana you could rate off the pace,” said McAnally of the 1989-90 and 1992-93 distaff champions, respectively. McAnally said the pipeline of South American stars that followed was formed by the name their success made for him and the hopes and desires of other South American horsemen that others would follow in their footsteps. Fortifying the McAnally stable with South American imports was more a case of history than serendipity. McAnally’s name in Argentina became almost as popular as the tango and parilladas. So lofty was his reputation that Argentine thoroughbreds were willing to swim the Amazon and scale the Andes to join his stable if necessary. For creating the South American link, McAnally thanked Ignacio Pavlovsky, an Argentine veterinarian who he has known for 35 years; and Fernando Fantini, a Chilean bloodstock agent he has known for 40, and more recently Fantini’s son, Fernando Jr.
Pavlosky was the contact who recommended McAnally to the connections of Miss Serendipity, the latest in the vet’s long list that includes Bayakoa, Paseana, and 2003 Pacific Classic winner Candy Ride.
“Of all the things he (John Henry) accomplished, to be a Horse of the Year at age nine, I don’t think they’ll ever match that” Fantini, Jr., a top polo player, gave McAnally the thumbs up for Suggestive Boy and Interaction last year and Quick Casablanca – Chilean Horse of the Year in 2012 – this year. “The owner was going to send him back to Chile after he raced in the East last year (winless in five New York starts), but Fantini said he should try here first,” said McAnally. Quick Casablanca won the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes at Santa Anita in April in his debut for McAnally. McAnally has three other South American imports in his barn: Di Giorgio, Safety Belt, and Briscat.
The McAnally barn also includes Jessica’s Storm, a three-year-old filly who is a half-sister to Sugarinthemorning, a stakes-winning California-bred daughter of Candy Ride, who was retired last year after earning $560,554. McAnally was anxious for another season at Del Mar. “I love it down there,” said the trainer. “We have had a nice big house in Rancho Santa Fe for about 17 years with orange groves and avocados.” McAnally will return for his 55th season at the coastal San Diego County track. He ranks second in both wins and stakes wins and is the only trainer to have won stakes there for each of the past six decades. A special friendship started at Del Mar also attracted McAnally to the meet. “I’m looking forward to having dinner with Doc (Jack) Robbins, who just turned 93,” said McAnally of the veterinarian retired in Rancho Santa Fe. “I met Doc Robbins at Del Mar in 1948, when I was starting out as a groom for my uncle, Reggie Cornell,” recalled McAnally of the relationship that has lasted for 66 years. “He took me to dinner that year. That was like Doc. He was always for the groom. “He became my vet for 40 years,” continued McAnally. “He was not only my vet, but also became a dear friend.” Robbins played a key role in extending the career of John Henry, who never raced at Del
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Candy Ride wins the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2003 Mar but trained there before three visits to the Arlington Million that resulted in two victories that catapulted him to Horse of the Year honors in 1981 and 1984. McAnally considered the Del Mar training essential and the action of Robbins critical in John Henry’s first victory. “He had a key work at Del Mar a week before Arlington,” said McAnally. “Before the work, Doc found a problem with his shin and cleared it up. “I told Jack that if I was lucky enough to win, I was going to thank him on national television,” said McAnally, who kept his promise after John Henry won by a nose. “When I was being interviewed, I said, ‘Jack, thank you for this.’” Before John Henry won the Arlington Million for a second time, McAnally was forced to change the time of his works at Del Mar. “We had to work him between races to keep him fit,” said McAnally of the nine-year-old gelding. “He was getting older and smarter. In the mornings, he knew it was just a workout.” McAnally’s only regret about the Arlington Million was that John Henry did not win it three times. “The other horse sneaked through on the rail,” said McAnally of a neck setback to Tolomeo in 1983. John Henry won 39 of 83 starts and earned $6,597,947 for owner Sam Rubin. McAnally visited him regularly at the Kentucky Horse Park until his death at 32 in 2007. “Of all the things he accomplished, to be a Horse of the Year at age nine, I don’t think they’ll ever match that,” said McAnally. McAnally, who has won every major stake at Del Mar – some several times – reviewed several other highlights. His first Del Mar stakes winner was Donut King in the 1961 CTBA. “I picked him out of a yearling sale for Verne Winchell,” said McAnally. “He was my first real chance and best chance to win the Kentucky Derby, but he came out of his last work before the race with
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a bruised foot behind (and was not entered). He had beaten Decidedly (who won the 1962 Kentucky Derby) by five lengths.” McAnally first demonstrated his penchant with Argentine-breds by winning the 1975 Del Mar Handicap with Cruiser II, a horse who won six straight races after he claimed him for $12,500. McAnally was involved in one of the most unusual rulings in the careers of both himself and Del Mar after the 1990 Del Mar Derby with Tight Spot.
“I drove down to Del Mar to Sid Craig’s office, showed him a tape of Candy Ride winning a race in Argentina, and said, ‘If you’re ever going to win the Pacific Classic, this is the horse’” The colt was disqualified from first to tenth by track stewards for alleged interference. Tight Spot’s owners, a partnership headed by Winchell, appealed the ruling to the California Horse Racing Board, which appointed a referee who overruled the stewards and reinstated the victory to Tight Spot. An ensuing appeal by the owners of the runner-up was later turned down. “It took more than a year to settle it,” recalled McAnally of the process that involved three meetings. “Laffit (Pincay, Jr.) was on the outside on our horse and was wrongly held responsible for causing a chain-reaction incident,” said McAnally. “He just followed the horse to his inside. (Former jockey) Bill
Harmatz was very helpful at the hearings and said he would have ridden Tight Spot the same way.” Tight Spot went on to become turf champion in 1991. McAnally’s biggest and most memorable Del Mar victory came with Candy Ride in the $1 million Pacific Classic in 2003. “I drove down to Del Mar that January to Sid Craig’s office, showed him a tape of Candy Ride winning a race in Argentina, and said, ‘If you’re ever going to win the Pacific Classic, this is the horse.’ “I put myself out on a limb,” said the usually conservative McAnally of the $900,000 private purchase for his new owner. Luckily, Candy Ride came around faster than most South American imports. “He started out winning an allowance race at one mile, then a turf race at a mile and an eighth at Hollywood Park (the American Handicap),” said McAnally. “Then came the mile-and-a-quarter race here (the Pacific Classic). It was like clockwork. It doesn’t always work that way.” Candy Ride came through with a 3¼-length victory under Julie Krone in track-record time of 1:59.11. “Sid’s wife, Jenny, and all their family and business friends were there,” said McAnally, with a nostalgic smile. “It was one of the biggest days I’ve had in racing.” McAnally said all his accomplishments would have been impossible without the support of his wife, Debbie. “My wife has been behind me all the way,” said a beaming McAnally. “All it takes is a good woman to let a man do his work, and that’s what she did.” The couple lives in Tarzana most of the year. Four of the horses in McAnally’s stable are owned by his wife. “She said if I didn’t start winning, she was going to give ’em to (Bob) Baffert,” said McAnally, trying to keep a straight face. McAnally, a three-time Eclipse Award winner, was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1990. “Max Gluck got me in,” said McAnally in gratitude to the Elmendorf Farm owner who died in 1984. “John Henry was just icing on the cake. “Elmendorf would send me 20 good horses each year, mostly stakes and allowance horses,” said McAnally of the strong resume he was able to build. “The horse is everything. I’m still in touch with Jim Brady, the Elmendorf farm manager who was instrumental in that operation and well respected in Kentucky.” The Elmendorf presence was apparent at Del Mar, where McAnally won 10 stakes for Gluck between 1975 and 1982. The victories included the 1975 Del Mar Debutante with Queen To Be, the 1978 Ramona Handicap (since renamed the John Mabee) with Drama Critic, and the Bing Crosby Handicap in both 1979 and 1981 with Syncopate. McAnally also conditioned Elmendorf millionaire handicap star Super Moment during that time. “I never dreamed I would get into the Hall of Fame, but if you keep working, that’s the way it is,” concluded a fulfillled McAnally. n
www.trmirelandinc.com
Ben's Cat, with Julian Pimentel up, in the post parade for the Grade III Jaipur Invitational at Belmont Parkf
TRM Trainer of the Quarter
KING LEATHERBURY The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by King Leatherbury. Leatherbury and his team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimed range of TRM supplements, as well as a bottle of fine Irish whiskey. WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: HORSEPHOTOS
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I
F ever a single horse epitomized a trainer, it is Ben’s Cat, conditioned by the legendary, 81-year-old King Leatherbury, whose 6,432 victories are the fourth most in racing history. On July 12th, when Ben’s Cat won a threehorse photo in the Grade 3 $200,000 Parx
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Dash, the eight-year-old not only three-peated in the Philadelphia stakes – after finishing second by a head in his first appearance in 2011 – he pushed his career earnings to more than $2 million. “He is remarkable,” Leatherbury said, whose K.T. Leatherbury Assoc. Inc. bred The Jim Stable-owned gelding in Maryland. So is his trainer, who has won more than 50 training titles and led the country in victories twice. Neither Ben’s Cat nor Leatherbury have received much national attention for their accomplishments. Ben’s Cat suffered a broken pelvis when he was two years old. Rather than discard him, Leatherbury gave him enough time to recover, which is why Ben’s Cat didn’t make his debut until he was four in a maiden $20,000 claimer at Pimlico on May 8th, 2010. Leatherbury said he wasn’t worried another horseman would claim his first-time starter. “He did nothing to raise eyebrows,” Leatherbury said. After Ben’s Cat won by a length and threequarters, Leatherbury entered him in a $25,000 claimer. “That was a little foolish,” Leatherbury said. “A first-time starter who won
his debut. I could have lost him, but I got away with it.” That’s because Leatherbury is one of the most astute claiming trainers to grace the backside. Not many trainers think they can claim a horse from him and improve the horse. Still, Ben’s Cat never ran for a tag again. Ben’s Cat stayed in Leatherbury’s barn and tacked on six more victories, including three stakes, to begin his career eight-for-eight. “He just kept rolling,” Leatherbury said. “We said, ‘Boy, what do we have here?’” They have a horse now who has won four of his last five starts and is 27-for-41 lifetime with four seconds, three thirds, and just over $2.1 million in earnings. Maybe Ben’s Cat will get Leatherbury into the Hall of Fame. “If it happens, so be it,” Leatherbury said. “I’ve got more awards than a man could get in a lifetime.” He could have had a much different life. Born on a farm where his father raised horses, Leatherbury – whose first name is the maiden name of his mom – graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in business administration. Yet he happily dove into horseracing. “I knew what I was getting
into,” he said. “I was single. No responsibilities.” He won his first race at Florida’s Sunshine Park in 1959 with Mister L and hasn’t stopped, finishing as the leading trainer at Delaware Park four times before shifting his attention to Maryland, where he has been the leading trainer at Pimlico 26 times and at Laurel 24 times. He led the nation in victories in 1976 and 1977 and became known as one of the Big Four of Mid-Atlantic racing with Buddy Delp, Dick Dutrow, and John Tammaro. That doesn’t mean he never struggled. “At one point, I was down to about 12 horses and I owned a lot of them myself,” he said. “What happened was my people died off, all my owners. Now I have 18, 19 [horses]. At one point, I had 60.” He has no intention of retiring. “It’ll be a sad day when I have to give it up,” Leatherbury said. “I got in it because I loved it, never thinking I’d be that successful. I used to say, ‘As long as I have a Cadillac convertible and $100 in my pocket, I’d be happy.’” He’s yet to buy that Cadillac. Maybe Ben’s Cat will get that for him, too. “I’m still having fun.” n
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PROFILE
CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT
“What am I going to do with this?” Standing with his back to Tonalist’s stall, Christophe Clement ponders the Belmont Stakes winner’s garland of white carnations, draped over the shedrow wall. The removal of keepsake souvenir flowers has laid bare in spots the dark green velvet cloth foundation. One day after the Belmont, the heat has seen the flowers begin to shrivel into what look like a child’s craft project of wads of white, crinkled tissue paper. Preserve them? “They look too old already,” he says. WORDS: FRANCES J KARON PHOTOS: FRANCES J KARON, NANCY ROKOS
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CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT
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PROFILE
Graded stakes winner Za Approval, Lee Vickers up, trots by Clement on the way to the track
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F the rosebushes outside his barn at Belmont Park are anything to go by, Clement knows a thing or two about landscaping, even though he admits that he often has someone else tend to it. But the imported Colombian Dianthus caryphyllus hand-sewn on this 40-pound blanket that represents Clement’s first Classic success are another matter altogether. A Classic win is a Classic win, yet there’s probably nowhere that he would rather have had this momentous first than in New York. Christophe Clement was born in France, the youngest, and second to train, of three Clement brothers. Brother Nicolas has been based out of what was once their father Miguel’s yard in Chantilly, France, since acquiring his license in 1988. “Which is pretty cool, right?” asks Clement. Grandfather Marc – after whom the eldest brother is named – was a cavalry officer in the French army, where one of his best friends was legendary racehorse trainer Francois Mathet. Marc Clement died four days before France signed an armistice with Germany in June of 1940, but 18 years later, in 1958, his son Miguel went to work for Mathet. As assistant to the reclusive Mathet, Miguel Clement deputized when Match II shipped overseas and won the 1962 Washington D.C .
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International at Laurel Park in Maryland against a great field that included reigning Horse of the Year Kelso, Carry Back, and Beau Purple. Miguel’s biggest victory as a trainer in his own right came in the 1966 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) with Nelcius. Single for most of his adult life – the Clements divorced when their boys were young – Miguel was part of a glorious era in racing history, cut from a similar cloth as Northern Dancer’s trainer Horatio Luro, who was
“Life has been much easier for me because I’m a lucky guy, because of my father and my connections. So the start was easy. The problem is you have to carry it on, so you have to produce. If you don’t produce, you have nothing”
affectionately known as “El Señor.” Luro often visited France and stayed in Clement’s guesthouse. “They found out they came from the same Basque village, that’s why they loved each other. Horatio found out that the name of one of his ancestors was the same name as one of my grandmother’s cousins or whatever – I can’t remember,” says Christophe Clement. In those days and those circles, “Racing was all about winning but also having a good time on the town.” Clement says, “Once in a while, I would come across my father on the stairs of the house. He would be coming back in black tie and I would be going to the stable. Or sometimes I’d meet him at the barn and he’d have a jacket and be all dressed up. That was his life. He very much enjoyed life and throughout my life, and my brother the same, we’ve met a lot of people in racing he touched. A lot of people have been very kind to me because of my father.” Clement was 12 when his father was killed in an automobile accident in 1978. Another of his father’s great friends, horseman Alec Head, stepped in to help with the estate and leasing out the stable yard. “I was not involved,” says Clement. “I went back to Paris; I was not involved in racing.” The Clement boys we re raised primarily in the big city but kept in touch with their
CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT
paternal grandmother’s Basque heritage. “I consider myself Basque because I grew up in that way, but I grew up in Paris,” he says. “But all my vacations were in Bayonne, which is 30 minutes away from Spain and the Basque country. My first job on a farm, my mother sent me to a guy called Mr. Valerio [at Haras d’Ainhoa]. It was my first real job in racing, I was 15 or 16. I used to go there on a moped. In Basque country, there are hills everywhere. I was always okay on the way down but the way up was a nightmare! They’re not small hills, they’re really steep hills, just next to the Pyrenees.” The Head family was to become a big part of the boys’ lives. Clement says, “I would spend my vacations and my weekends in racing. And then as soon as I could, I would work my summers at the stable yard. Since I was 14 yea rs old I spent all my summer vacations with [Alec’s daughter, leading trainer] Criquette [Head-Maarek], until I was like 19 or 20. For me it was not work; it was vacation.” Alec Head was one of the first people Clement spoke to on Saturday night after Tonalist had won the Belmont Stakes. Early the next morning, Clement is relaxed. Celebrations were minimal and he had a good night’s sleep. “I went to bed at 10:15, 10:30. I was tired,” he says. “The last time I went out, I
“You see? I’m a New York guy. This means a lot to me, all the New York guys congratulating me. It’s very meaningful. This is my little world” don’t know – it was like 15 years ago the last time I went out.” It’s a disparate lifestyle from that led by his father. “He was a different kind of guy,” he says. “You could not be successful in today’s world of racing, either here or back in Europe, if you don’t work every single day. It doesn’t work.” His binoculars slung casually over his shoulder as he leans forward against the chainlink fence separating the apron from the main track at Belmont, Clement says: “I’m the first one to recognize it: Life has been much easier for me because I’m a lucky guy, because of my father and my connections. So the start was easy. The problem is you have to carry it on, so you have to produce. If you don’t produce, you have nothing.” He notices that the gazebo, traditionally
repainted each year to honor the Belmont Stakes winner, has yet to be changed from Palace Malice’s Dogwood colors to the blueand-red silks of Robert S. Evans, the owner of Tonalist. “I guess they’ll paint it at some stage this weekend.” It could be just another Sunday, if not for the constant interruptions of endless text messages and people stopping Clement to congratulate him. New York Racing Associati on (NYRA) employees, security guards, exercise riders, complete strangers, fellow trainers – Bill Mott bows down to him; “That’s my French brother,” says Gary Sciacca, to which Clement says: “That’s my Sicilian brother.” – they all join in. Clement politely replies with a variation of, “Thank you, sir. Thank you very much,” to everyone. “You see? I’m a New York guy,” and he puffs up a little. “This means a lot to me, all the New York guys congratulating me. It’s very meaningful. This is my little world.” When Mott’s Empire Maker repelled the Triple Crown bid of New York’s hero Funny Cide, the crowd at Belmont booed the winner. Not so when jockey Joel Rosario guided Tonalist to quash California Chrome’s Triple Crown assault. Clement says of the crowd, “Maybe they thought that Tonalist was a New York horse.”
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PROFILE
Top: Checking Lubash's hooves in his stall. Above: Clement tends to business with assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul and assistant/exercise rider Harry Eustace
Christophe Clement firmly views himself as a New Yorker. “Maybe I can stand in front of that sign and you take a picture of me: ‘I love New York,’” he says, indicating the “I ♥ NY” sign in the Belmont paddock, where his horses always school in the mornings. Clement took an unconventional route to training racehorses, earning a two-year degree in economics from Pantheon-Assas University in Paris. “My mother fo rced me,” he says. “The shortest university degree in France was two years, so that’s what I did. And then I left, and life started.” The simplicity of his statement overlooks the most important result of Clement’s university experience: meeting future wife Valerie, who was on her way to a five-year degree in economics. “That’s not where trainers meet their wives, usually! We married very young and life has been good. It’s nice when it works out,” he says. Clement came to the U.S. in 1986 and interned for six months at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky, then spent just over a year in New
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York working for Shug McGaughey, who had that season’s Woodward Stakes winner Polish Navy and eventual champion Personal Ensign in the barn. “Shug was great, because I knew nothing about American racing. I was very young. His assistant Buzzy [Tenney] was very good to me.” But there was much learning left to do, and
“He’s a very good teacher, Luca. He’s very good because he’s a very disciplined man, a very rational man. If you’re a genius at training but you’re not rational, it’s very different to learn from that kind of person”
for that Clement returned to Europe, joining the Luca Cumani yard in Newmarket, England. “I would say Luca was the most influential man in my career,” Clement says. “The Heads, also. It’s been a very important relationship with the Head family, but with Luca I spent four amazing years. He’s a very good teacher, Luca. He’s very good because he’s a very disciplined man, a very rational man. If you’re a genius at training but you’re not rational, it’s very different to learn from that kind of person. “My conclusion is: I’m a very lucky guy because I’ve been surrounded by great quality people.” Cumani is well known in Europe for his former assistants and apprentices who go on to become good trainers and jockeys. Among the trainers, after James Toller with Bachelor Duke and Marco Botti with Excelebration, Clement is the third Cumani protégé to win a Classic race. “It was a good school,” says Clement. The horses weren’t bad, either: One of Cumani’s charges during Clement’s term there was the Aga Khan’s Kahyasi, who won both the Epsom and Irish Derbies.
CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT
When the time felt right to try his own hand at training, Clement decided that it would be difficult to set up shop in France; his brother Nicolas was securely installed in their father’s former yard and had already sent out Saumarez to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1990. “I didn’t think France was big enough for two brothers,” Clement says, one of his go-to lines to draw a smile from his audience. “And I could not afford a yard in Newmarket, so New York was a great choice for me. I love New York.” But New York didn’t immediately have much affection for Christophe Clement, who moved there with Valerie and their son Miguel in 1991. “The first place I came to was Belmont Park. I was 25 years old and I did not realize how difficult it was. I got six horses, six stalls, and struggled a bit to get the st alls. Mr. McGaughey helped me out a little bit.” He shrugs at the question of why he chose the competitive New York racing circuit as a novice. “If you do something, you might as well do it well.” And do it well he did, despite his limited resources. He says, “Listen, in my lifetime I am
very, very lucky. The first year I trained three horses for Sheikh Mohammed because I was very friendly with his manager Anthony Stroud. And then I had Sardaniya for the Aga Khan who became a very good filly. I think the Aga Khan, that came because of my father’s connection, it was because of my father.” Miguel Clement hadn’t trained for the Aga Khan but knew him through Francois Mathet, who had conditioned that owner’s Blushing
“Gio Ponti was very popular, and I think he was very popular because he lasted so long. That’s one thing you have to give credit to hane Ryan for, because he saw that before any of us”
Groom and Akiyda, among others. “And then I had one good filly called Passagere du Soir, for Mr. Paul de Moussac. So I did not have many horses but I had some good horses, and that helped me tremendously.” Clement’s first winner, Spectaculaire, won a maiden special weight on the turf at Belmont on October 20, 1991. Anthony Speelman’s filly had previously been trained in France by Nicolas Clement. In 1992, Sardaniya won the Grade 2 La Prevoyante Invitational Handicap at Calder Race Course and Passagere du Soir won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap over colts. It was not long before Clement’s first Grade 1 win was in the books, with Harry McCalmont’s Danish in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in 1994. Two decades after Danish, Tonalist became Clement’s individual sixteent h Grade 1 winner when he won the Belmont. Tonalist is three-for-four in 2014. The son of Tapit broke his maiden in January at Gulfstream; ran second to Commissioner in a February allowance optional claimer, also at
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PROFILE Gulfstream; and in May won the Grade 2 Peter Pan by four lengths in the mud over Commissioner. He came out of the Peter Pan with shed frogs, after which Clement’s trademark patience and blacksmith Bruce McCuan’s handiwork saw the colt come to hand for the Belmont. Even were he to be voted the Eclipse Award in the three-year-old male division, Tonalist would still have some way to go before he displaces Gio Ponti as Clement’s highest profile horse. The winner of seven Grade 1 races earned Eclipses in two divisions (older male and male turf) in 2009 and repeated in the male turf category in 2010. Gio Ponti was second to Zenyatta on the synthetic in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and on his preferred surface, won back-to-back Man o’ War Stakes in 2009 and 2010 and Shadwell Turf Miles in 2010 and 2011, the last as a sixyear-old. “Let me show you something,” says Clement. “When you walk into Belmont Park, you see the first thing you see?” He looks left to an oversized photo of Gio Ponti winning a Grade 1 at Belmont, hanging on a brick wall by the escalator at the clubhouse entrance. “It’s pretty good, no? I’m very proud.” Bred by Dr. Tony Ryan’s Kilboy Estate and racing under the name of Kilboy’s entity Castleton Lyons, Gio Ponti was offered twice at auction and was
bought back on both occasions, for $95,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and $45,000 as a Fasig-Tipton February two-year-old. Ryan passed away in October of 2007, four days before two-year-old Gio Ponti won his stakes debut, a Listed race at Keeneland. The colt subsequently won or placed in 23 of 29 starts and earned over $6 million. If not Clement’s favorite – he won’t admit to having a favorite among his horses – Gio Ponti certainly is close to his heart. “He was around for many years at a top level. He was a great horse to be around. Gio Ponti,” he says, “is a wonderful story. There’s so much positive, and it’s rare to have a story that is positive, positive.” Clement adds: “Gio Ponti was very popular, and I think he was very popular because he
Tonalist an hour after winning the Belmont Stakes
lasted so long. That’s one thing you have to give credit to [Castleton Lyons President] Shane Ryan for, because he saw that before any of us. I thought he’d made a mistake when he decided to run the horse as a six-year old and in fact, by running him another year, it was very smart, because there’s no doubt that the horse was obviously a very sound horse. I did not grasp it at the time. I just thought we might be hurting his stallion career, and I was wrong. Soundness is becoming such an important issue now in American racing.” The first foals sired by Gio Ponti, who stands at Castleton Lyons in Kentucky, are yearlings, and Clement is excited at the prospect of getting some of the stallion’s progeny to train. In the meantime, he keeps his attention on the 70-80 horses split between his divisions at Belmont and Saratoga – he drives up and spends a night or two a week there when his main stable is at Belmont – or at Payson Park in Florida during the winter racing season. The majority of Clement’s 101 graded stakes winners have been turf – and by default synthetic – specialists, chief among them Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone’s Winchester, a three-time Grade 1 winner, and dual Grade 1winner Voodoo Dancer, owned by Green Hills Farm. The stable’s first Grade 1 winner on the dirt was Mrs. C. Wilson McNeely III’s Coaching Club American Oaks winner Funny Moon in 2009. Tonalist is the second. The branding of Clement as strictly a turf trainer is in large part due to his European connections, who send many foreign- or turfbred horses his way. He has sons and daughters of Galileo, War Front, Dynaformer, Kitten’s Joy, Arch, Lemon Drop Kid, Invincible Spirit, Mizzen Mast, Lawman, New York-breds by Freud, etc. – sires whose progeny have a natural inclination to turf. One of the security guards catches Clement on his way to school a set and comments on Tonalist’s win. “Anyone who really needs it is you. You know why?” the man asks. “It shows that you can not only train turf – I mean, you’re the best turf trainer but it also shows that you are very flexible.” “Thank you very much,” replies Clement. “That you can win on dirt,” continues the guard. Clement smiles. “Thank you, sir,” and he tries to deflect some of the attention onto the guard. “Without this man this place would have been a mess. He took care of all the security in the morning. Have a good day,” Clement says and scurries away to find his team in the paddock. “And you’re modest. The modesty…” The guard’s voice trails after the trainer, reverberating in the vast emptiness of Belmont Park in early morning hours. Clement’s neatly dressed figure casts a shadow behind him as he stands in the middle of the paddock with John Skeaping’s iconic Secretariat statue, still draped in a blanket of carnations, in the background. He looks briefly
CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT at the statue then silently watches his set of horses going around the circle before following them through the tunnel to the track. On the clubhouse side apron, he takes a deep breath and gestures at the sweeping majesty of the racetrack. “I love this. The day after, not before. I love this!” With the massive cleanup process in the aftermath of more than 102,000 on-track patrons underway, a display table near the Belmont Café still has some oversized bottles of champagne. Clement picks one up for a closer look. “They’re fake! I should bring one of these as a gift to my barn, but they might take it and smash it on my head!” Processing the scope of the Belmont’s phenomenal undercard with five Grade 1s leading up to the feature, Clement says, “I think what [the NYRA’s Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin] Panza tried to create on Belmont Day was extraordinary. I think betting-wise, we’re talking about $150 million. If that’s the case, that’s better than ever
“I’ve tried to take on an intern every year for the last few years. I’m a big fan of that, I think it’s great. It’s wonderful to bring in somebody new with new ideas.” before in New York, even more than the Breeders’ Cup [when it was in New York]. It’s an extraordinary number. It’s a scary number for the Breeders’ Cup, which might not be a bad thing. I don’t know. I don’t have the knowledge, I’m just a horse trainer. That’s all I do. But I think it’s great.” He had seven horses to saddle, five of them in stakes races, and says, “I did not get to enjoy the races because I was working, but I thought it was a great racing day, the same way I feel when I go to the Breeders’ Cup. Sometimes you say, ‘Wow, this is a great thing.’ “Panza has a bigger vision of things than most people, which in racing is not popular because as you know, we don’t like change. We don’t do well with change. We’re like our horses – we like our routines, all of us, which is a mistake. Change is a constant in life.” Change, says Clement, is what he would like to see in the industry: “I would have people in charge who are not worried, who are not scared of change. It’s okay to bring new ideas. Failure is okay. You can build from failure. If change brings you failure then you’ll be twice as strong next time.” If it seems against the grain for a horse trainer to preach against routine, Clement says that “in [his] way of thinking in training,” he’s always looking forward. “I don’t mind to try
A jubilant Joel Rosario on Tonalist
things,” he says. “I don’t mind to learn. It’s okay to try different things in racing. If it doesn’t work, you know what? It doesn’t work. It just means you go and try something else. To reinvent yourself – I believe in that. There’s always something better than what you’re doing.” To that end, the stable has improved communication with clients, sending emails and photos on a regular basis, and he hopes to expand to video soon. “I’ve tried to take on an intern every year for the last few years. I’m a big fan of that, I think it’s great. It’s wonderful to bring in somebody new with new ideas. We’ve had some from the [Darley] Flying Start,” including Laura Vanska, who was in a placement with the Clement stable during the early part of the summer. “At the end of the day, I learn as well, so if you don’t do this – well, I think you have to. You have to try to form people, it’s a good thing. A lot of people came out of my barn in the last 20 years. It’s great. It’s even more rewarding
now because my kids are the same age as the interns. There are a lot of young people around, that’s pretty great.” The Clements have two children. At 23, Miguel is the oldest. He is in his first year of the Flying Start program, and spent his summer at West Point Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs. A graduate of Duke University, Miguel has a degree in economics. “His dad helped him get in,” says Clement. “No, I’m kidding completely!” Miguel’s sister, Charlotte, 19, is studying economics at Vanderbilt University. She interned at the NYRA marketing department on her summer break. “Their mother is very academic.” Charlotte and Miguel are in charge of the stable’s social media accounts. “And I try to train,” Clement says. “It’s a great luxury to share your passion with your children. Very much so. All credit to my wife because she spent a lot of time with our kids, and it’s paying off.”
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PROFILE
Valerie, also, “is very involved with me,” he says, “so she’s very involved with the stable. She helps me with my life.” He reiterates, “I don’t do anything other than train. When you are passionate, no it’s not hard, because you love what you are doing. But I’ve never been away more than a week in 20 years.” In Europe, trainers often take long holidays during the off-season; in the U.S., there is no off-season. “I’m very jealous of my brother’s lifestyle,” he says of Nicolas’ more relaxed seasons. “I’m not sure I will be training forever. I’m 48 years old. I’m a very lucky guy – it’s true, you have to be lucky. I just think there’s a lot more that I can do without training, a lot of other things with racing that I like that I don’t have the time to do, like to be more involved in breeding or buying or doing partnerships, so we’ll see. Maybe I’ll see which way my son wants to go, then I can decide after that. I don’t see myself being in my barn when I’m 85 years old. I hope not, because that would be disappointing from a human point of view,” referring to the personal sacrifices a trainer makes. “Trainers, our lifestyle puts an enormous amount of stress on our private lives. I’m very grateful to my wife. You need somebody to keep the house together because you are not there much.” Clement gives his exercise riders, including Jerry Fogarty who rode Gio Ponti and Tonalist’s morning partner Lee Vickers, instructions that are very detailed while leaving room for them to use their own judgment. “The quality of the rider, I think it’s
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“When you are passionate, no it’s not hard, because you love what you are doing. But I’ve never been away more than a week in 20 years” very important,” he says. “There’s only one way to win. Many ways to lose.” During her “Breakfast At Belmont” banter, Mary Ryan points the trainer out to the fans gathered at the rail. “We also have Thoroughbreds practicing for trainer Christophe Clement,” she says into her microphone. “Christophe himself in the apron at the west end near the paddock fence. Christophe Clement, of course, won the Belmont Stakes yesterday. Upsetting the Triple Crown contender California Chrome. So we have some stablemates of Tonalist on the track.” Several people splinter from the group and approach Clement. “Congratulations on your win yesterday. Could I get a picture with you?” “Of course,” Clement says. Drew Mollica, an equine attorney and former jockey agent, laughs and says, “Christophe’s never been so photogenic!”
Reporters, local and national, print and television, find Clement as well. Yes, he would be happy to give them his time if only they don’t mind waiting until training hours are over. Several suggest that they would like to get his reaction on the negative and very public comments made by California Chrome’s connections against running a fresh horse like Tonalist in the Belmont. “No comment,” he says, and schedules what he hopes will be interviews with a positive focus for later. Privately, he says, “‘No comment’ is always a good answer.” Back at Barn 21 between sets, Clement learns that Joel Rosario’s agent has brought over huge boxes filled with donuts. Clement picks up one of the boxes and carries it around to some of his help who are holding horses, then he goes back to the business of making his rounds between Barns 21 and 22, where he has some overflow horses, until the next group is ready to train. The Clement barns are abuzz with multiple languages coming from the shedrow, stalls, and tack rooms. “It’s like the United Nations, my barn,” he says. “French, English, Irish, Mexican, North American...” When he’s not speaking French – his assistants Christophe Lorieul and Thomas Brandebourger are from France, as are a number of his exercise riders – Clement often breaks into a hybrid English, mixing Spanish words into sentences – something like, “Mangera this morning?” – his English and Spanish marked by a distinctively French pronunciation.
CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT Lorieul, his main assistant, is a 20-year veteran of the stable. Other assistants have struck out on their own: Nicholas Bachalard is training for King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in Saudi Arabia, where one of his horses is the U.S. Grade 1 winner Wattani, formerly known as Ron the Greek; Arnaud Delacour, who trains 2014 multiple stakes winner Ageless; and Ben Colebrook, with ten wins from 85 starts early in his career. Cian McEntee, the son of Clement’s first assistant Mark, is now with the Clement stable. The Sunday after the Belmont was a perfect summer day; the Monday is pouring. Gone on Monday are all of the people looking for photos, interviews, or just to give their regards. Clement smiles and says, “I hope that my colleagues aren’t going to disturb you as much this morning.” The majority of the Thoroughbreds whose hooves are thumping over the sloppy main track are from Clement, McGaughey, Mott, and Barclay Tagg’s barns. “A lot of trainers don’t train in the rain,” he says. “In Mother Nature, whenever it’s raining, the lion could just go up and eat as many horses as he can.” Does that make Clement the lion? “That I don’t know,” he says.
Throughout the morning, he makes several coffee runs to the little track kitchen close to the far end of his barns, coming back with a cup of coffee for himself and one for the crossing guard stationed at his gap. “She’s at my barn every day so we take care of her,” he says. Later, on his way to school horses at the gate, Clement slows down his SUV next to another crossing guard and cracks his window open. “Are you cold? Do I need to bring you a coffee? I’ll bring you one,” he says. The weather reminds Clement that he is disappointed that Keeneland elected to remove its all-weather surface in a return to dirt. “I’m not sure that’s a horseman’s decision. The Friday before the Preakness, there was a beautiful card [at Pimlico] and a large number of scratches” due to the rain and off-the-turf races, though the two turf stakes stayed on. “The problem in the States is everybody has to choose between full dirt and full [all-weather], instead of having the option of three courses [including turf]. That’s the way it should be. The main thing is you would have an off-theturf track.” He believes in dust-free bedding – good straw if he can get it, or large shavings otherwise – and natural air. “Luca was
convinced that the more you can keep your horses in a dust-free environment, the better. I agree with him. You will see in all my barns, my windows are always open. I prefer them to be covered up at night and to have plenty of fresh air.” Clement has never been fined for a medication violation. The lone smudge on his record is a warning for a omeprazole sulfide overage in Florida from February, 2010. “The rule is that you can use GastroGard up to 24 hours before the race, and we stopped 48 hours before the race,” he says. “The filly came back positive so they called me and I told them it’s impossible because we don’t give it the day before a race. I did not fight it. They called me back and said just forget about it, the test was wrong, but it’s still on my record, which upset me a little bit but it’s not a big deal.” He shrugs. His pride is at stake; it might sting, but his conscience is clear. Clement has other things on his permanent record: three Eclipse Awards; one Classic win; 25 Grade 1 races; and 194 graded stakes wins and counting. And a blanket of carnations that he doesn’t quite know what to do with. n
GRADE 1 STAKES WINNERS Horse
Owner
Horse
Owner
Danish
Harry McCalmont
Relaxed Gesture
Moyglare Stud
*Discreet Marq
Patricia A. Generazio
Rutherienne
Virginia Kraft Payson LLC
England’s Legend
Edouard de Rothschild
Tonalist
Robert S. Evans
Forbidden Apple
Arthur I. Appleton
Voodoo Dancer
Green Hills Farm Inc.
Funny Moon
Mrs. C. Wilson McNeely III
Winchester
Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone
**Gio Ponti
Castleton Lyons
*New York-bred champion
**Eclipse champion
Honor Glide
Robert G. Schaedle III & Bonnie Heath Farm
Career wins: 1488
In Summation
Waterford Stable
Grade 1 stakes wins: 25
Mauralakana
Robert Scarborough
Grade 2 stakes wins: 62
Miss World
Waratah Thoroughbreds
Grade 3 stakes wins: 107
Royal Highness
Monceaux Stable
Statistics current through July 22, 2014
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Career earnings: $95,821,865
VETERINARY
VETERINARY RESEARCH The funding conundrum
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EQUINE VETERINARY RESEARCH
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 29
VETERINARY
The Thoroughbred racing industry is experiencing greater scrutiny than ever in its long and distinguished history, with the amplitude of debate and criticism from opponents of the sport on the basis of ethics and welfare reaching an unparalleled decibel. In these testing times an area that is often overlooked is the significant work horsemen and veterinarians do together in the field of veterinary research. The ultimate quest of veterinary research is to gain further knowledge and expertise about, and most importantly for, the horse.
E
WORDS: THOMAS O’KEEFFE PHOTOS: THOMAS O'KEEFFE, LESLiE THRELKELD/USEA, SHUTTERSTOcK
QUINE veterinary research is being carried out throughout the world. Over the past 30 years, the scope of our knowledge has increased exponentially. However, while there has been much accomplished, there is still much more we can learn and put into practice. One of the main stumbling blocks that arises in many bids to get research projects off the ground is adequate funding. In a bid to overcome this obstacle the U.S. Eventing committee initiated a strategy in 2013 in a bid to raise funds for veterinary research. Mike Van Noy, DVM, is encouraging other equine sporting disciplines to follow suit.
Eventing supports veterinary research Late one evening at the annual U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) meeting in December of 2010, Van Noy approached his friend Kevin Baumgardner, who was on the last day of his job as the USEA’s president, with a grand idea.
Van Noy wanted to raise the starter fee – paid by every rider to start a horse in every competition – by one dollar, in order to raise funds for equine research. “We should be the ones who are funding equine medical research – it’s our own horses that benefit,” Van Noy told Baumgardner. The USEA group approved the starter fee increase just last December, and funds are already rolling in as the 2014 season hits full steam. “I really think it’s potentially a game changer, something that down the road all the disciplines could be doing, and something we could point to with a lot of pride in the future,” said Baumgardner. In 2014, the USEA starter fees will net about $40,000 from more than 42,000 starters. Baumgardner continued: “There is a shocking gap in basic equine medical research, and this would not only be a great way to help close it, but it would also be a way to further inoculate our sport against attack from well-meaning but uninformed people and organizations who do not understand our deep concern for our horses’ welfare, particularly at times when accidents happen and we get bad press. And if we challenged all the other disciplines to do the same thing, we could potentially raise hundreds of thousands a year, for the benefit of our horses.”
Veterinary research and the Thoroughbred racing industry
Michael Van Noy had the idea to raise starter fees by one dollar to help fund research
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Few equine disciplines have gained as much as the Thoroughbred racing industry from veterinary research. Common practices have been put in place due to the diligence and passion of veterinary practitioners who have come before. In the United Kingdom the Horse Racing Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has put numerous projects together in a bid to educate horsemen and veterinarians. One example of this is extensive research, funded by the HBLB, that has taught veterinarians how to interpret the significance of heart murmurs, audible when listening to a horse’s chest. This is now a practice carried out in most training barns in the world on a daily
basis. Funded veterinary research has revolutionized the interpretation of tracheal washes, including the significance of tracheal mucus, performed on our racehorses. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a unique athlete in that it is capable of sustaining speeds of 30-40 miles per hour and is asked to race over distances of up to four-and-a-half miles in some parts of the world. Accordingly, much of the veterinary research over the past decade has focused on the racehorse’s musculoskeletal system due to the unique stress placed upon it. Funded research has allowed extensive data to be compiled which includes an accurate appraisal of the types of injuries racehorses receive, the structures commonly involved, and their impact on the horse’s career, all of which has been published by the Equine Veterinary Journal and made available to horse industry. This information allows veterinarians to better advise their client regarding best training practices, treatment protocols to manage injuries, and offer an accurate prognosis regarding the horse’s athletic future. In a bid to reduce catastrophic injuries, funded research has allowed veterinarians to identify predictive markers using modern imaging modalities such as CT and MRI for condylar fractures. The benefit of research performed previously is unquestionable; however, there is without doubt more we need to know.
Funding for veterinary research for equines in comparison to other animals The United States is home to roughly 50 million dogs and 65 million cats, compared to nine million horses, owned by about 1.5 million people. When many of those millions of dogs and cats die each year, thousands of bereaved owners donate money in their memories to groups like the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF), especially if their pets died of cancer. Van Noy says that the abundance of donations means that the Morris Animal Foundation can’t use it all for medical research on dogs and cats, and so these memorial
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EQUINE VETERINARY RESEARCH
Kevin Baumgardner in action (left) and receiving the Master Amateur Rider of the Year award and the Governors' Cup in 2013 (right)
contributions have been the primary source of their funding for equine medical research. Scott Koskoski, the director of major gifts and planned giving at MAF, said that the foundation commits to a minimum of $1 million per year for equine research. He said that the funding for canine medical research consistently averages $30 million per year from a variety of sources, while equine medical researchers are vying for a maximum of about $2 million per year. In addition to the MAF, The Grayson Jockey Club Foundation usually funds $500,000 to $1 million (mostly focused on Thoroughbred racing), and the American Association of Equine Practitioners adds about $100,000. These three organizations are the primary funding sources of equine medical research, aside from the fundraising and research done by the major equine veterinary schools, especially Penn; Cornell; Univerity of California, Davis; and Colorado State University. Their research can amount to several millions of dollars a year, but that money comes from carefully targeted fundraising programs and is often the result of the researcher’s or surgeon’s relationship with a wealthy individual or corporation. Plus, the American Quarter Horse Association has its own medical research foundation that provides funds worth several hundred thousand to equine medial research annually. The U.S. government sometimes kicks in funding too, but, says Koskoski, it is minimal “unless horses are used as vectors for human disease (like West Nile virus) or as a model for human disease (usually inflammation).” Even then, he estimates the federal funding won’t exceed $3 million in a year. While many companies that make drugs and medications for companion animals provide millions each year to their research, they spend next to nothing on equine research. Why? The market isn’t big enough, in comparison to companion animals or food
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animals, to make it financially viable. “Given that Morris Animal Foundation commits to a minimum funding floor of $1 million for equine research annually, the money raised by the eventers has spoken for nearly five percent of that funding, which is quite significant. What’s more, thanks to this partnership, the Foundation can potentially say yes to one more study proposal that might have been scientifically meritorious but is without available funds,” said Koskoski. “Even more important is the message that the eventing community sends by this partnership. The message is that veterinary medical research for the horse truly matters, and that horses aren’t just seen as disposable pieces of a portfolio. For eventing, and the sport-horse community, to collectively make this statement about the health of the horse is truly powerful.”
What are other equine disciplines doing? Van Noy believes that “the neat thing is that now that the USEA has done this, the people at other organizations can say, ‘Okay, someone has already done this. We can, too.’” He added, “The concept is that this becomes a perpetualmotion machine, with all of us contributing,
“Our horses are being shortchanged in the medical research world, and we need to do something about it. To me, spending $1 per entry is the very least I can do to help my horse stay healthy” Catherine Cooper
automatically.” The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) – the largest English-riding organization – has 44,000 members. Bill Moroney, its committee president, said that he had not previously heard about the USEA’s starter fee plan. “I believe in equine research and that we need more of it,” he said. He put the program in front of the USHJA Executive Committee at their February meeting. The committee members, Moroney said, decided, “Since we are beginning our next strategic planning initiative, we are not ready to consider a program commitment of this type at this time.” Van Noy is currently lobbying the U.S. Dressage Federation and the American Endurance Ride Conference to follow the USEA’s lead. “We want to issue a friendly challenge to every equine organization, and it seems like the endurance folks are going to likely be the first to follow our lead,” he said. Baumgardner and Van Noy’s ultimate aim is for challenge to be taken up by the entire horse industry.
Where the funding is going? Van Noy, Baumgardner, and their fellow committee member Katherine Cooper didn’t want to create a new layer of bureaucracy to administer this program. They reasoned that they couldn’t possibly choose grant recipients better than the Morris Animal Foundation, which has a team of veterinarians who spend hundreds of thousands of man-hours each year analyzing dozens of grant applications. So they eagerly teamed up with the MAF, which sends the USEA ten-to-twelve proposals they’ve selected as worthy. The six members of the USEA committee then choose which projects to fund. The four studies that have been approved for 2014 due to funding from the eventing group include research topics ranging from cell based therapy for articular cartilage defects, to improving
VETERINARY immunotherapy for allergy treatment in horses. Collecting the funds is simple. Event organizers were already collecting $20 in starter fees, which they forward to the USEA office after their events. They’ll do the same with the $1 research fee, and the USEA will hold the money in its endowment fund until it’s sent to the MAF for distribution, minus an eight percent administration fee. Baumgardner said he would expect other organizations to use a similar model. Baumgardner and Van Noy give Cooper the credit for convincing the USEA Board of Governors to endorse the $1 fee, because she’s the only one of them who’s a current board member. She sees it as a matter of her fellow eventers supporting their horses’ welfare needs. “The basic issue is this: Our horses are being shortchanged in the medical research world, and we need to do something
about it,” she said. “To me, spending $1 per entry is the very least I can do to help my horse stay healthy.” Said Koskoski of the MAF, “We’re excited for this partnership to succeed, and we hope it will inspire the USEA’s adjacent organizations to begin similar relationships with Morris Animal Foundation. Together, we can truly move the needle for, and change the face of, equine medical research.”
Why can’t racing follow their lead? As discussed, much valuable research has been undertaken in a bid to improve the welfare of our racehorses, and the scope of our education has been immeasurable. Time does not stand still and it is our duty to continually offer the best quality of care to the undisputed star of our sport, the equine athlete. Adding one dollar to the entry fee of every race would not impact the racehorse owner financially, while
the potential money available to be raised for scientific research could make a significant impact upon the lives of our animals. There are many challenges facing our industry and it has many detractors, but this would be a glorious opportunity to be a positive headline and generate good will on behalf of the horseracing community. Highly publicized criticism ignores the majority who give their life’s blood for the good of the horse and whose passion and love for both horse and sport is unequalled. Fellow equine organizations have led the way by pioneering this unique and simple way of raising funds, and a message of solidarity and support for our industry could be achieved by following suit. A loud and bold statement could be made that every horse starting a race was, through competing, raising money for the benefit of racehorses throughout the world now and into the future.n
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RACING
WINNING OWNERS Profiles on Grade 1-winning owners between April and June, 2014
North American Trainer’s special feature on our top Grade 1 winners for the past quarter. Visit trainermagazine.com/winners to view the profiles of all Grade 1-winning owners from April 2013 through June 2014. WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: HORSEPHOTOS.COM
CALIFORNIA CHROME
Won the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita, April 5th, 2014 Owned by Steve Coburn and Perry Martin Trained by Art Sherman Sire Lucky Pulpit Dam Love the Chase by Not For Love
LONGTIME racing fans Perry Martin and Steve Coburn each owned a five percent share of an $8,000 mare named Love the Chase in a syndicate. When the syndicate dissolved, each
wanted to buy the mare himself. Instead, they became partners. Someone suggested a name for their new stable. A groom walked by and said, ‘Anybody who buys this horse is a dumb ass,’ Martin told Debbie Arrington in her April 4th, 2014, story in the Sacramento Bee. Steve and I shook hands; we’re the Dumb Ass Partners. Indeed, their California Chrome races in purple and green silks featuring a caricature of a jackass. How dumb are Martin and Coburn? California Chrome was Love the Chase’s first foal. His dominating victories in the Grade 2 San Felipe and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby extended his all-stakes winning streak to four heading into the Kentucky Derby for 77-yearold trainer Art Sherman, who was the exercise rider for 1955 Santa Anita and Kentucky Derby winner Swaps. Like Swaps, California Chrome is a California-bred. Unlike their trainer, Martin and Coburn don’t have historical ties to racing. Martin and his wife Denise own and operate Martin Testing Laboratories at the former McClellan Air Force
Base in Sacramento. Martin Testing Laboratories is a commercial full-service independent lab offering contract research and development, product assurance testing and material assurance testing services. Coburn works at a factory that makes magnetic strips for credit cards. His wife, Carolyn, recently retired. We’re just everyday people, Coburn told Arrington. I’m up at 4:30 every morning and in bed by 10. Martin said, We’ve got two businesses to run; the horse is our third business. But we’re really happy and excited. And that was before the Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins, even. California Chrome was born at Harris Farms in California. He weighed 137 pounds when he was born, Coburn said. That’s big. We nicknamed him Junior. I told my wife when we saw this horse on the day after he was born, ‘We better hang on for this ride because it’s going to be a good one.’ He had no idea.
DADS CAPS Won the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, April 5th, 2014 Owned by Vincent Scuderi Trained by Rudy Rodriguez Sire Discreet Cat Dam Seeking the Silver by Grindstone
Dads Caps wins the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct
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BORN in Glen Cove on Long Island, New York, 57-year-old Vincent Scuderi is a thirdgeneration president of his family’s Brooklyn business, Van Blarcom Company, now
known as VBC. The company’s five buildings occupy an entire city block, manufacturing child resistant closures and specialty products
WINNING OWNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014
ROSALIND Won the Ashland in a dead heat with Room Service at Keeneland, April 5th, 2014 Owned by Landaluce Educe Stables Trained by Kenny McPeek Sire Broken Vow Dam Critics Acclaim by Theatrical
RAY STRUDER is living proof of the powerful, emotional attachment a fan can have to a Thoroughbred. The 51-year-old native of Tennessee named his all-filly stable Landaluce Educe, which is Latin for Landaluce remembered. Following a football injury in high school, Struder moved cross country to attend San Diego State University. Every day in the summer he rode the city bus to Del Mar. On September 5, 1982, he saw trainer D. Wayne Lukas’s unbeaten two-year-old filly Landaluce capture the Grade 2 Del Mar Debutante by 6½ lengths at odds of 3-10. Struder was so impressed that he traveled to Santa Anita to see her next start in the Grade 3 Anoakia Stakes, a race she captured by ten lengths at 1-10. In her following start, Landaluce won the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita by two lengths at odds of 1-20. But the filly who
for the pharmaceutical and health-care industries. Incorporated in 1947, VBC manufactures more than one billion closures and fitments annually and employs 300 people. I have a good business that allows me to pay my horse bills, Scuderi said on April 22. It’s a very hard game. It’s a game he loves to play. His father and uncle helped introduce him to horseracing, and he began catching harness races at nearby Roosevelt Raceway. I started going for a few late races after work, Scuderi said. I was 18 or 19 back then with no money. Two of my friends and I, we used to go there and go party afterwards. Scuderi bought his first horse, a
Rosalind (right) dead-heats with Room service in the Ashland at Keeneland
would be named an Eclipse Award winner contracted a bacterial infection in November. She died in Lukas’s arms a month later. Few things get to me emotionally, but I was surprised how heartbroken I was by her death, and especially for a horse I never met, Struder said. I would think about her and the two races I saw all the time. Struder never forgot the champion filly. I wanted to be a Thoroughbred owner since I was 19 years old, he said. It took me close to 30 years. He knew what he wanted to name his stable the whole time. Struder’s business success with his engineering firm in Tennessee freed him to buy
his first horse in 2010 with trainer Kenny McPeek. They would team up to buy ten more. Four of the 11 have raced in graded stakes. Struder entered the game with a plan: buy quality fillies and develop a broodmare band. Rosalind, whom he purchased for $70,000 as a yearling, may be the leader of the band. She nearly gave Struder a victory in the Breeders’ Cup last year, when she was a fastfinishing third by a half-length in the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies. Now she’s given Struder his first Grade 1, conjuring memories of another Grade 1 filly Struder fell in love with and still honors so many years later.
Thoroughbred, some 30 years back. The horse never made it to the races. Instead of giving up on racing, he claimed another. Baby Chris was her name, he said. She won three or four races. I was hooked. Though he bred Dads Caps and still owns his the colt’s dam Seeking the Silver, Scuderi describes himself as a most predominantly a claiming owner. He hit a huge home run with Endless Circle, a horse he claimed for $14,000 who subsequently won two stakes with trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Scuderi also had considerable success with Uncle T Seven, a top New York-bred. He now has six or seven horses with Rodriguez and trainer Michelle Nevin, three
babies, and one accomplished broodmare who has now produced a Grade 1 stakes winner. When Scuderi entered speedy Dads Caps in the Carter, he told Rodriguez he’d be okay with scratching him if there was a ton of other early speed in the race. I honestly thought I could finish in the top four, Scuderi said. I was getting weight. It was my home track. And there wasn’t a lot of other early speed. I thought we had a chance. He did have a chance, giving Rodriguez, jockey Luis Contreras, and Scuderi and his family – wife Deborah, son Vincent and daughter Liza – their first Grade 1. It was a surprise, Scuderi said. I just get such a thrill out of winning. I really do.
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RACING
WICKED STRONG Won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, April 5th, 2014 Owned by Centennial Farms Trained by Jimmy Jerkens Sire Hard Spun Dam Moyne Abbey by Charismatic
WICKED Strong’s victory in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct came 21 years after Donald Little Jr.’s Centennial Farms, then under the helm of Don Little Sr., enjoyed a seminal New York moment at nearby Belmont Park when Colonial Affair won the 1993 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, making jockey Julie Krone the first female rider to win a Triple Crown race. I was so nervous for that race that when they loaded the horses in the gate I left the owners in the box seats and hid behind a pole, now-53year-old Little Jr. said. By the time they were at the eighth pole, I was back in the middle of the group yelling and cheering. Colonial Affair wasn’t done giving the Littles reasons to cheer, adding the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup the following year. Two years earlier, Centennial Farms’ Rubiano won the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, Grade 1 Vosburgh, Grade 2 Forego, Grade 2 Tom Fool, and the Grade 3 Westchester on the way to being named 1992 Eclipse champion sprinter. Rubiano and Colonial Affair put us on the map, Little Jr. said.
Corinthian kept Centennial Farms in the headlines when he won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile and the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2007. Little Sr. was an investment banker in Boston and the chairman of Centennial Farms. He was the youngest aircraft commander in the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command. A past president of the United States Polo Association and master of the Myopia Hunt Club, Little Sr. passed away in 2012. Little Jr. is the Centennial Farms president and was at one time a world-class polo player. Founded in 1982, Centennial Farms creates racing partnerships and has consistently bought and managed horses capable of competing at the top level. Paula Parsons breaks and trains Centennial’s yearlings at its 60-acre farm in Middleburg, Virginia, and Dr. Stephen Carr, a veterinarian, advises on
acquisitions and stallion management. Centennial has horses with three trainers: Jimmy Jerkens, Michael Matz, and Rodney Jenkins. When Centennial’s Grade 3 winner Chelokee was injured and retired, Centennial donated him to the University of Arizona to stand at stud. He died earlier this year. Wicked Strong’s original name was Moyne Spun when he was purchased by Centennial for $375,000 at the 2012 Keeneland Yearling Sale. Two weeks after the 2013 bombings at the Boston Marathon, Little Jr. wanted to rename him Boston Strong, but that name had already been taken by Sovereign Stable. After conferring with his friend and Boston Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs and Jacob’s wife, Kim, Little settled on Wicked Strong. Then he announced that one percent of the colt’s earnings would be donated to the One Fund, which was set up to support victims of the bombings. Already, $7,000 has been donated to the One Fund. After the Wood, Little announced the percentage would be five for the Triple Crown races. A lot of times, it takes tragedy to pull people together, and it’s very obvious that did that for the people of Boston, Little told Anthony Gulizia of the Boston Globe in an April 20th, 2014, story. The first reaction is anger, which I had myself. But then after that you think about the victims and their families and how we’re going to grow from this and support each other from this, and it happened. It only happens when people decide to make a difference.
Won the Blue Grass at Keeneland, April 12th, 2014 Owned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing LLC Trained by Peter Eurton Sire Two Step Salsa Dam Flirting With Fate by Saint Ballado
Dance With Fate wins the Blue Grass at Keeneland
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SHARON Alesia, who was first married to musician and recording industry executive Herb Alpert, was introduced to horseracing by her late second husband, Frank Alesia, an
WINNING OWNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014
HARD NOT TO LIKE
Won the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, April 12th, 2014 Owned by Hillsbrook Farms Trained by Michael Matz
Hard Not To Like wins the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland
Sire Hard Spun Dam Like a Gem by Tactical Cat
SKEPTICS say you have to be nuts to be a Thoroughbred owner. Garland Williamson is a Thoroughbred owner because he sold nuts. Lots of them. Williamson, a native of Georgia, moved to Canada in 1967. I started a nut business, all types of nuts, he said. His company, Trophy Foods, became the most successful food producers and distributors in his adopted country, specializing in edible nuts, dried fruits, confectionary, and bulk foods. The company’s continuing success allowed him to retire four years ago, well after he reconnected with his Georgia roots and
became a Thoroughbred owner and breeder, racing from his Hillsbrook Farm in Erin, Ontario. Hard Not to Like is a home-bred. I’ve always liked horses, Williamson said. I grew up in Georgia as a kid many years ago and we never had horses, but we always had animals. We had mules to plow the garden with. His gray mare Hard Not to Like, like her dam Like a Gem, whom Williamson also bred and raced, is a lot faster than a mule. Like a Gem won the final three races of her career including the mile-and-a-quarter Maple Leaf Stakes. Her first win was at five furlongs and
she won up to a mile and a quarter, he said. We didn’t think there was any limitation on her distance. She finished her career with more than a half million dollars in earnings. Hard Not to Like, who was originally trained by Gail Cox and is now handled by Michael Matz, became just the second filly in 74 years to beat males in the Cup and Saucer Stakes for two-year-olds at Woodbine in 2011. She was second by three-quarters of a length in the 2012 Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. In her first start for Matz, then won the 2013 Grade 3 Marshua River Stakes before finishing ninth in last year’s Jenny Wiley Stakes.
DANCE WITH FATE actor and television director from Chicago whose dad raced Thoroughbreds with trainer Steve Ippolito. Ippolito’s stepson, Peter Eurton, would become the Alesias trainer after Sharon bought a Thoroughbred for Frank in celebration of their first wedding anniversary in June, 1984. That horse never raced, but Sharon and Frank have been in racing ever since. Frank, who moved to Los Angeles in 1964, appeared in the beach party films Pajama Party, Bikini Beach, and Beach Blanket Bingo and in television shows including The Flying Nun, The Odd Couple, Gomer Pyle, That Girl, Room 222, and Laverne & Shirley. Turning to directing, he received a daytime Emmy nomination for Captain Kangaroo. After Frank passed away in February of 2011, Sharon and her partners – Ciaglia Racing (Joe Ciaglia), Bran Jam Stable (Mike Mellen), Rob Dyrdek, and Nick Cosato – named a two-year-old filly they purchased for $175,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Two-YearOlds in Training Sale Weemissfrankie to honor Sharon’s husband. Weemissfrankie then won
the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. After she suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture while finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes, she was sold privately and is now a broodmare in Japan. Joe Ciaglia Jr., now 50, worked at Ralph’s Grocery in Arcadia, California, as a teenager, and he and a buddy there, Brad Free, went to Santa Anita to catch races after their shifts were done. Free became a columnist for the Daily Racing Form, and Ciaglia became one of the top designers of action sports facilities in the world, several of which have been featured in the X Games, which includes skateboarding, motocross, and snowboarding. Ciaglia has three companies: California Skateparks, California Landscape & Design, and California Rampworks, which manages events. California Skateparks has built nearly 200 projects in 40 states, including ones for world champion skateboarder Tony Hawk and two-time snowboarder and skateboarder Olympic gold medalist Shaun White.
Ciaglia’s wife Stephanie, who was good friends with trainer Peter Eurton’s wife, Julie, introduced Ciaglia to Frank Alesia, and Ciaglia became an owner in 1999 when he and Alesia claimed Ask Crafty for $25,000. The horse was claimed in from Ciaglia in his next start. Then Ciaglia went partners with Frank and Sharon Alesia and Mike Mellen’s Bran Jam Stable and claimed Cee Dreams, who went on to take the $150,000 California Cup Matron Handicap and retired with 11 victories from 40 starts and earnings of $433,318. Mike Mellen, the patriarch of Bran Jam Stables, has had an incredible impact in Thoroughbred racing through his daughter Dawn, who founded and is the president of After the Finish Line, a 501 (c)(3) charity that has been helping fund Thoroughbred rescue operations around the country for 6½ years. She said, There’s a purpose for every horse out there. The greatest victory for a Thoroughbred is not winning a race, but winning the race to live long past their days on the racetrack.
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RACING
JUDY THE BEAUTY Won the Madison at Keeneland, April 12th, 2014 Owned and trained by Wesley Ward Sire Ghostzapper Dam Holy Blitz by Holy Bull
SUCCESS at the top level of a racing as a jockey or trainer or owner is difficult enough. Wesley Ward has done all three in his remarkable, ongoing career. And he’s only 46 years old. The son of Washington trainer Dennis Ward and the grandson of New York outrider Jim Daley, Ward won the Eclipse Award for apprentice jockey in 1984 after winning 335 races, more than $5 million in earnings, and riding titles at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Meadowlands. Weight problems impacted his riding career in North America, so he rode in Italy, Singapore, and Malaysia before retiring in 1989 to begin his second career as a trainer. After working as his dad’s assistant, he went on his own in 1991. His first stakes and graded
stakes winner was Unfinished Symph, who captured the 1994 Grade 3 Will Rogers Handicap at Hollywood Park. Unfinished Symph subsequently finished third that year in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Three other horses Ward trained – Cannonball in both the 2007 Juvenile Turf and 2009 Turf Sprint, Holdin Bullets in the 2011 Juvenile Sprint, and Sweet Shirley Mae in the 2012 Juvenile Sprint – also finished third. Judy the Beauty, whom he owns, almost got the job done last year,
finishing second by a half-length to Groupie Doll in the Filly & Mare Sprint. By then, Ward had made history. Twice. In 2009, on his first trip to England, he became the first American trainer to win at Royal Ascot. He did that twice, with Strike the Tiger in the Windsor Castle Stakes and with Group 2 Queens Mary Stakes winner Jealous Again. Ward, who bred Strike the Tiger, owned both horses in partnership. Two years later, Ward became the first American trainer to win at Longchamp when Tiz Terrific broke her maiden there. Ward saddled three more winners in France, another one at Longchamp with Italo, and two at Chantilly with Judy the Beauty and Everyday Dave. Still sensitive to the difficulties a young jockey can face, Ward has given mounts to many inexperienced riders including Ariel Smith in 1999 and Christian Santiago Reyes in 2009, helping each win the Eclipse Award for apprentice rider. Ward, who owns a broodmare farm in Ocala, Florida, and his wife Kimberly have three children: Riley, Jack, and Denae.
ON FIRE BABY
Won the La Troienne at Churchill Downs, May 2nd, 2014 Owned by Anita Cauley Trained by Gary Hartlage Sire Smoke Glacken Dam Ornate by Gilded Time
IT’S only fitting that Anita Cauley, who routinely gives so much to others, has been given so much by her foundation mare, Ornate, the dam of On Fire Baby and two other stakes winners. Fortunately, Cauley held on to Ornate after she failed to reach a reserve bid, a wonderful turn of events, she said. A native of Indiana who moved to Lexington, Kentucky, Cauley is a member of
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the First Lady of Kentucky Jane Beshear’s Pink Stable, a committee of women in the racing industry that assists Beshear’s Horses and Hope Organization, which works to increase breast cancer awareness, education, and treatment referral in the Kentucky racing industry. Cauley, who grew up outside Indianapolis, loved horses but didn’t learn to ride until she was 22, taking a class with school-aged children. I was completely embarrassed by that, but was told I needed to learn how to ride properly, she said in a 2012 story by Evan Hammonds in The Blood-Horse. I got through that and eventually showed Arabians. Cauley and her late husband, Barry Ebert, who owned an investment counseling firm, got into racing more than 25 years ago. Searching for a trainer, they met and were impressed with Gary Red Dog Hartlage’s demeanor and family-oriented operation, noting that most of Hartlage’s family lived within a mile of each other in the Louisville neighborhood of Shively. “That was the atmosphere I wanted,” Cauley said. This is such a tough business that it makes it that much more enjoyable when all these other people get it and they know how hard it is. Hartlage is still thankful for meeting Cauley. I’m still training horses because of her, he said. If you want to rate somebody on a scale
of 1 to 10, she’s a 10. She’s got total faith in me, and I have total faith in her. Success can do that for you. Cauley and Ebert purchased Ornate for $80,000 as a yearling in 1998, and Ornate won the 2002 Pleasant Temper Stakes at Kentucky Downs. They entered Ornate, who was in foal to E Dubai, in the 2003 Keeneland November sale at Keeneland, then decided to keep the mare when she failed to meet her reserve. Ornate produced 2007 Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes winner High Heels, who finished third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and earned nearly half a million dollars, and French Kiss, who won the 2009 Pippin Stakes and was third in the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes. Cauley takes her involvement in racing seriously. I really look at the spreadsheets and stallion numbers, she said. I look at stallions that have good race records at four and five, a horse that was out there and was sound and racing at that age. On Fire Baby may be Cauley’s best horse. The gray mare won the Grade 3 Honeybee as a three-year-old, the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at four, and now, after running second in the Apple Blossom to Close Hatches, the Grade 1 La Troienne this year at five. She has already earned more than $1.08 million from six victories, two seconds, and one third in just 16 starts.
RACING
UNTAPABLE
Won the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, May 2nd, 2014 Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds Trained by Steve Asmussen Sire Tapit Dam Fun House by Prized
WINCHELL Thoroughbreds is a partnership of Joan Winchell and her son, Ron, who are
continuing the operation of Joan’s husband and Ron’s dad Vernon, who died at the age of 87 in 2002. Vernon Winchell found the donut company, Winchell’s, in 1948 and subsequently was CEO and chairman of Denny’s restaurants. His success in business allowed Winchell to continue his passion with Thoroughbreds which began more than a half-century ago. He bred and raced $300,000-earner Mira Femme, and, in partnership, 1991 turf champion Tight Spot. His other top horses included Donut King; Olympio; Sea Cadet; Fleet Renee; Valiant Nature; On Target, who finished fourth in the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and Exetera, who was seventh in the Juvenile the very next year. The Winchells bought Oakwind Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, and renamed it Corinthia Farm after a house that was built on the property in 1854. Racing manager and farm manager David Fiske has been with the Winchell family for more than 30 years. Steve
Untapable takes the Kentucky Oaks
Asmussen has been the family’s trainer for more than 25 years. Ron Winchell, who is 42, is involved in gaming bars/restaurants, construction, and real estate development. Among the Winchell Thoroughbreds’s long list of outstanding horses is Summerly, a $410,000 Keeneland September yearling who won the 2005 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She was sold as a broodmare for $3.3 million at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton November Mixed Sale, the second highest price of the sale. Cuvee was a Grade 1 winner who was bred by Vernon. Tapizar gave the Winchells their first Breeders’ Cup victory when he captured the 2012 Grade 1 Dirt Mile. Pyro, who was bred and initially raced by the Winchells, won the Grade 1 Forego Stakes for Godolphin, which purchased the colt privately from the Winchells during his three-year-old season. Another star bred by the Winchells was Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, who won the 2010 Grade 1 Secretariat, the Grade 2 Virginia Derby and Colonial Turf Cup, and the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes on grass and was third on dirt in the 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The Winchells’ current star is their spectacular homebred three-year-old filly Untapable, whose victories in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in May and Grade 1 Mother Goose in June, made her six-for-eight lifetime with more than $1.3 million in earnings. The Winchells campaigned Tapit, who won the 2004 Grade 1 Wood Memorial and has emerged as one of the dominant stallions in North America, currently ranking first in North America progeny earnings for 2014 standing at Gainesway Farm and the sire not only of the leading filly in Untapable, but one of the top three-year-old colts in Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist.
MISS SERENDIPITY
Won the Gamely at Santa Anita, May 26th, 2014 Owned by Anselmo Emilio Cavalieri Trained by Ron McAnally Sire Not For Sale Dam Marca Registrada by Candy Stripes
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MATIAS Cavalieri, 40, is the son of 74-yearold Anselmo Emilio Cavalieri, who bred Miss Serendipity and lives in Argentina. Though he’s semi-retired, Anselmo still has 25 to 30 horses. He’s had horses the last 30 to 35 years, Matias said of his dad. Matias is an investment advisory representative for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Miami, Florida. Previously, he worked for Prudential Securities in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Citigroup, Global Markets in Miami. He was named one of the best 1,000 financial officers in America in 2010 by Wealthvest Marketing. He is married with five children, but still finds the time to be an active runner and rugby player. Miss Serendipity’s success in her fifth North American start continues her Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally’s great run with imported horses from South America, including U.S. champions Paseana and
Bayakoa. I met the Cavalieris through Dr. Ignacio Pavlovsky, McAnally said. Pavlovsky is a well-regarded veterinarian and racing commissioner in Argentina. Miss Serendipity’s debut in North America came in the $80,000 Paseana Stakes on dirt, when she finished fourth. Matias had attended Miss Serendipity’s two prior starts to the Gamely at Santa Anita, when she finished third in the Grade 2 Santa Ana and second by a neck in the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Handicap, but he stayed home in Florida on the day of the Gamely to watch one of his children’s soccer games with his family and his mom, who was visiting from Argentina. They watched Miss Serendipity win on his computer. Matias’s dad, and Miss Serendipity’s owner, Anselmo was at Santa Anita to watch the Gamely. Dad was there, and he called, Matias said. He was happy. He was really proud.
WINNING OWNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014 Tonalist (center) wins the Belmont
Won the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, June 7, 2014 Owned by Robert S. Evans Trained by Christophe Clement Sire Tapit Dam Settling Mist by Pleasant Colony
THIRTY-THREE years after watching Pleasant Colony, who was bred and raced by his father Thomas Mellon Evans’ Buckland Farm, be denied the Triple Crown by losing to Summing in the 1981 Belmont Stakes, Robert Shel Evans’s lightly-raced Tonalist denied California Chrome the Triple Crown by beating him in the Belmont. Tonalist’s broodmare sire is Pleasant Colony. In the press conference following Tonalist’s victory, Evans told reporters, Yesterday I went to my father’s grave and thanked him for putting me in the position to be doing this. We had high hopes for Pleasant Colony [in the Belmont Stakes] and it was very quiet after he didn’t win. Family is an important fabric in Evans’s life. His dad was a cousin of Paul Mellon, the incredibly popular owner, breeder, and
TONALIST philanthropist. Evans, now 70, owned 1992 Champion Older Male Pleasant Tap with his brothers Edward (Ned), who bred Horse of the Year Saint Liam and bred and raced Grade 1 winner Quality Road, and Thomas Jr. Shel Evans graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and received a master’s degree from the Columbia Business School in 1969. He is the chairman of Crane Co., an industrial manufacturing company based in Stamford, Conn., and of Huttig Building Products in St. Louis. Evans, who bought his first horse in 1965, has owned Courtland Farm in Easton, Maryland, for more than two decades. Among his top horses were Sewickley, who won the Grade 1 Vosburgh in 1989 and 1990 and the 1989 Grade 2 Tom Fool and Fall Highweight Handicap; and Shared Interest, who took the 1992 Grade 2 First Flight and the 1993 Grade
1 Ruffian. He bred Shared Interest and her daughter Cash Run, who won the 1999 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. He also bred Cash Run’s half-brother, multiple stakes winner Forestry. Evans sold Cash Run for $1.2 million. She was later sold as a broodmare for $7.1 million. Always willing to give back to the industry, Evans served on The Jockey Club for 15 years and was a member of the New York Racing Association Board of Trustees for 12. Shel and Susan Evans have three children – Michael, Ashley, and Jonathan – and two grandchildren. Asked after the Belmont if he ever is confused with the chairman of Churchill Downs Incorporated with the same name, he said, My middle name is Sheldon and in Canada they call me Shel. Here, I’m Robert, which is his name. He prefers Shel.
IOTAPA
Won the Vanity at Santa Anita, June 14, 2014 Owned by Hronis Racing Trained by John Sadler Sire Afleet Alex Dam Concinnous by El Corredor
BROTHERS Kosta and Pete Hronis, who were born and now live in Delano, California, have had an incredible amount of success in Thoroughbred racing less than four years after they bought their first horse. Their interest in racing began when they were kids and journeyed to Pasadena to visit their grandparents, who took them to nearby Santa Anita. My brother and I were always the first ones in the car when we went to Santa Anita, Kosta said. Before they were born, their parents began Hronis Inc., which specializes in growing, packing, and shipping premium San Joaquin Valley table grapes and citrus. Kosta, 55, is the CEO and president. Pete, who is 4½ years younger than his brother, is the vice-president of sales and marketing. Kosta’s son, Demetri, is the vice-president of operations. They began investing in Thoroughbreds after Kosta told Pete one day at the track that he wanted to buy one. They reached out to John
Sadler, who has been training their horses ever since. The timing seemed to be just right for me, being a rookie and all, to find some room in the Sadler barn, Kosta said. Hronis Racing, which claimed two horses to get started, now owns 38 horses including Caities Secret, the stable’s first winner who is now a broodmare. Iotapa is not their first graded stakes winner. Lady of Shamrock and Vagabond Shoes each won Grade 2 stakes. Their success helped Hronis Racing become the leading owners in victories at Santa Anita for two consecutive winters, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Hronis Racing was also the leading owner at the 2013 Del Mar meet in both wins and earnings. Kosta’s wife, Stephanie, and their children, Demetri, Halley, and Nia, all enjoy watching their horses. Kosta has named several of his horses for family members, including Brother Pete, Scooter Bird (his daughter’s nickname), and Sophie’s Secret for his mother.
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RACING
MOONSHINE MULLIN
Won the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, June 14, 2014 Owned by Randy Patterson Trained by Randy Morse Sire Albert the Great Dam Mullen Road by Distant View
RANDY Patterson was one week old when his mom first took him to Anthony Downs not far from their home in Anthony, Kansas, in 1953. I never missed a meet from 1953 to 2009, Patterson said proudly. The track, which opened in 1904, held an annual five or six-day meet alternating Thoroughbred/harness races with greyhound racing on a small track inside
the bullring for horses. They’d start the card with a horse race, then a dog race, Patterson said. Despite the support of Patterson, a successful cattleman, and other sponsors, the track closed in 2009. It was demolished three years later to create space for a housing development. Patterson didn’t buy his first horse until a chance meeting in 1985 in a parking lot with a fellow he had done cattle business. He said, ‘Me and a lawyer are going to claim a horse at AkSar-Ben. Do you want in?’ Patterson said, Yes, and the horse they claimed for $11,500, quickly made $20,000. I thought, ‘Where’s this game been all my life?’ Patterson laughed. Since then, it’s had its ups and downs. Claiming Moonshine Mullin, a six-year-old gelding, for $40,000 last November has taken Patterson to heights he never imagined. Moonshine Mullin had considerable back class. He’d finished second in the 2011 Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and sixth in the Grade 1 Travers to Stay Thirsty, who won both. Randy Morse, one of the three trainers Patterson uses for his ten-horse stable, urged Patterson to claim Moonshine Mullin for $25,000 earlier in a race at Remington Park. Patterson declined, and the horse was claimed by Maggi Moss. Then on November 30th, Morse called Patterson again, asking him to claim Moonshine Mullin, this time for $40,000.
Despite having a great reason to say no – he would close a deal to purchase a 40-acre farm southwest of Hot Springs, Arkansas, the very next day – Patterson said yes. After Moonshine Mullin finished fourth and third in his first two starts for his new connections, Morse, who had studied all of Moonshine Mullin’s previous 25 races, decided to tell his jockey, Cliff Berry, to race Moonshine Mullin on the lead. The horse hasn’t lost since. His fourth straight victory was in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes. He followed that with his win in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. They were Patterson’s first Grade 2 and first Grade 1 victories. Coming down the stretch, I was just like, ‘This is not supposed to happen with a claiming horse,’ Patterson said after the Stephen Foster. By purchasing his new farm, which he has named Cedar Run, Patterson took a leap of faith with his only child, his 28-year-old daughter Sara. She’d say, ‘Why don’t you buy a horse farm and let me run it?’ Patterson said. At the time, she was working as the head of operations for a landfill. She got a job offer in California, but she didn’t want to go there, Patterson continued. I didn’t want her to go. So he purchased the farm, which will be operated by Sara with the help of Randy Morse’s brother Robbie. It was the day after the claim, Patterson said. Looks like a good decision, doesn’t it?
Moonshine Mullin, with Calvin Borel up, wins the Grade I Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs
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WINNING OWNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014
MAJESTIC HARBOR
Won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, June 28th, 2014 Owned by Gallant Stable Trained by Sean McCarthy Sire Rockport Harbor Dam Champagne Royale by French Deputy
MAJESTIC Harbor’s dominating victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, which was previously the Hollywood Gold Cup, gave Ron Beegle, who races in the name of Gallant Stable LLC, and his partners David Osborne and wife Loren Hebel-Osborne their first Grade 1 victory. It was also trainer Sean McCarthy’s first Grade 1. Beegle, 51, is the co-founder and operating partner of Goode Partners LLC, a private equity
firm established in 2005 that focuses on investments in small- to middle-market consumer product, retail, and restaurant companies, and he has been on the board of directors of Aeropostale, a mall-based, specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories with 914 stores worldwide, since 2003. He is also on the board of directors of Neiman Marcus Inc., an American luxury specialty department store. Beegle graduated from Allegheny College in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He earned an MBA in finance at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University in 1991. The following year, he founded and was president of Norray Management Company. He joined Broadway Stores, Inc., in 1994 as the senior vice president of corporate finance and administration. In 1996, he began working for Gap Inc. as senior vice president of finance (CFO) for Banana Republic. Under his leadership, Banana Republic was established as one of America’s leading fashion apparel brands; Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy began a successful on-line business; and the Gap division executed a well-regarded business turnaround. Beegle is a founding director of the USA Swimming Foundation, the national governing
body of swimming with 400,000 members, and is a trustee at his alma mater. He hooked up with the Osbornes through a chance meeting. My wife used to run the Visa Triple Crown promotion, David Osborne said. When Ron was at the Gap, he came in, and we struck up a friendship. That led to a lasting partnership. I’ve been in horses my whole life, Osborne, who is 50, said. I showed Saddlebreds. Loren showed event horses. The Osbornes have 30 horses, some in partnership with Beegle, at their Deerfield Farm in Prospect, Kentucky. Their most successful horse before Majestic Harbor was Laura’s Pistolette, who won the 1995 Humana Distaff when it was a Grade 2 stakes. The Osbornes have a strong reputation for taking care of their horses after their racing careers are over. It’s something we feel strongly about, David said. If you make the decision to bring them into this world, you should take care of them. They were at Santa Anita to watch Majestic Harbor win the Gold Cup in a powerful performance. An hour before the Gold Cup, the Osbornes watched another horse they own finish next-to-last in a $5,000 claimer at Indiana Downs on a simulcast. He beat one horse, Osborne laughed. Majestic Harbor beat all of them.
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WINNING OWNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014
DECLASSIFY
Won the Triple Bend at Santa Anita, June 28th, 2014 Owned by Kaleem Shah Trained by Bob Baffert Sire Orientate Dam Mir Cat by Tale of the Cat
THE son of one of India’s top trainers, Kaleem Shah was instructed by his father, Majeed, not to follow him into racing despite the fact that Kaleem loved going to the track. My dad kept us out of the racetrack life, Kaleem Shah told Jay Hovdey of the Daily Racing Form in a January 5, 2012, story. He wanted me to concentrate on my studies, and he made it absolutely clear to us that he never wanted us in the sport as a trainer.
His dad won the India Triple Crown twice with Bright Hanovar and Our Select. And Shah’s uncle, Saeed Shah – also a trainer – won the India Derby twice. Shah, who was born on July 6, 1962 in Bellary, India, earned a degree in electrical engineering at Bangalore University and then moved to the United States, getting a Master’s Degree in computer engineering at Clemson University and an MBA from George Washington University. He first worked as a software programmer at Telenet, then founded his own communications company, CalNet, in 1989, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, near where Shah lives with his wife, Lubi, and their daughter and son, Sophie and Arman. CalNet offers intelligence analysis, information technology, and language services. One of CalNet’s biggest clients is the U.S. government, which mandates that he keep much of his work confidential. He has no restrictions on revealing his feelings about America. He became an American citizen in the early ’90s, and when he followed through on his delayed childhood dreams and became a Thoroughbred owner, he designed his silks in red, white, and blue.
Shah began racing in Maryland with trainers Jim Murphy and Dale Capuano; then, after his company opened a division in California, with Doug O’Neill before hiring Bob Baffert. He has 30 horses with Baffert in California and 10 broodmares at Hill ’n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky, where his first top horse, Concord Point, stands. Shah bought Concord Point after he won his maiden in 2009, and the son of Tapit went on to win the $250,000 Grade 3 Iowa Derby by 8½ lengths in track-record time and the $750,000 Grade 2 West Virginia Derby by a length in 2010. Eden’s Moon, the highest-priced filly ($390,000) at the 2011 Mid-Atlantic Two-YearOld Sale, gave Shah his first Grade 1 victory when she captured the 2012 Las Virgenes. She also won the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap and finished second in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks and third in both the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 2 Indiana Oaks. When Declassify won the Triple Bend in his first stakes attempt, Khaleem Shah had another Grade 1 victory. Two years earlier, he told Hovdey, “If winning comes as a result of racing, all the better. What I truly enjoy is my red, white, and blue silks out there running.”
GRADE ONE WINNERS – APRIL-JUNE 2014 Racecourse
Race
Date
Horse
Sire
Owner
Trainer
Aqueduct Aqueduct Keeneland Keeneland Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Keeneland Keeneland Keeneland Keeneland Oaklawn Park Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Belmont Park Pimlico Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Churchill Downs Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Belmont Park
Carter H Wood Memorial S Central Bank Ashland S Central Bank Ashland S Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita Oaks Jenny Wiley S Maker’s 46 Mile S Madison S Blue Grass S Arkansas Derby Kentucky Oaks La Troienne S Humana Distaff S Kentucky Derby Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S Man o’ War S Preakness S Gamely S American Oaks Belmont S Knob Creek Manhattan S Metropolitan H Just a Game S Ogden Phipps S Acorn S Shoemaker Mile Vanity S Stephen Foster H Triple Bend H Gold Cup Mother Goose S
04/05/2014 04/05//2014 04/05/2014 04/05/2014 04/05/2014 04/05/2014 04/12/2014 04/11/2014 04/12/2014 04/12/2014 04/12/2014 05/02/2014 05/02/2014 05/03/2014 05/03/2014 05/032014 05/11/2014 05/17/2014 05/26/2014 05/31/2014 06/07/2014 06/07/2014 06/07/2014 06/07/2014 06/07/2014 06/07/2014 06/14/2014 06/14/2014 06/14/2014 06/28/2014 06/28/2014 06/28/2014
Dads Caps Wicked Strong Rosalind (DH) Room Service (DH) California Chrome Fashion Plate Hard Not To Like Wise Dan Judy the Beauty Dance With Fate Danza Untapable On Fire Baby Midnight Lucky California Chrome Wise Dan Imagining California Chrome Miss Serendipity Room Service Tonalist Real Solution Palace Malice Coffee Clique Close Hatches Sweet Reason Obviously (IRE) Iotapa Moonshine Mullin Declassify Majestic Harbor Untapable
Discreet Cat Hard Spun Broken Vow More Than Ready Lucky Pulpit Old Fashioned Hard Spun Wiseman’s Ferry Ghostzapper Two Step Salsa Street Boss Tapit Smoke Glacken Midnight Lute Lucky Pulpit Wiseman’s Ferry Giant’s Causeway Lucky Pulpit Not for Sale More Than Ready Tapit Kitten’s Joy Curlin Medaglia d’Oro First Defence Street Sense Choisir Afleet Alex Albert the Great Orientate Rockport Harbor Tapit
Vincent Scuderi Centennial Farms Landaluce Educe Stables Gary & Mary West Steve Coburn and Perry Martin Arnold Zetcher LLC and Michael B. Tabor Hillsbrook Farms Morton Fink Wesley A. Ward Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, & Ciaglia Racing LLC Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC Anita Cauley Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, & Paul Weitman Steve Coburn, Perry Martin Morton Fink Phipps Stable Steve Coburn and Perry Martin Anselmo E. Cavalieri Gary & Mary West Robert S. Evans Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey Dogwood Stable Amerman Racing LLC Juddmonte Farms Treadway Racing Stable Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino Hronis Racing LLC Randy Patterson “Kaleem Shah, Inc.” Gallant Stable Ron Winchell
Rudy R. Rodriguez James A. Jerkens Kenny McPeek Wayne Catalano Art Sherman Simon Callaghan Michael Matz Charles LoPresti Wesley A. Ward Peter Eurton Todd A. Pletcher Steven M. Asmussen Gary G. Hartlage Bob Baffert Art Sherman Charles LoPresti Claude R. McGaughey III Art Sherman Ronald L. McAnally Wayne M. Catalano Christophe Clement Chad C. Brown Todd A. Pletcher Brian A. Lynch William I. Mott Leah Gyarmati Philip D’Amato John W. Sadler Randy L. Morse Bob Baffert Sean McCarthy Steven M. Asmussen
Web only/ print P P P W P W P W P P W W P W P W W P P W P W W W W W W P P P P P
Races highlighted in yellow represent winning owners profiled in the previous issue of North American Trainer, and can be accessed online at trainermagazine.com/winners 44 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
NUTRITION
SUCCULENTS AND TREATS Secret weapon or simply folklore?
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SUCCULENTS AND TREATS
Training racehorses could be described as being the epitome of art and science coming together. While the latest research and recommendations are important, there has always been a strong belief in tradition and folklore in the racing community where feeding is concerned. WORDS: CatheRine Dunnett BSC, PhD, R.nutR PhOtOS: ShutteRStOCK
H
ORSES in full training can experience reduced appetite or can become increasingly finicky feeders the fitter and the nearer to a race they get. In addition, immune function may be suppressed and psychological stress can become significant. Trainers over the years have often expressed their individualism through nutrition offering those special intangible additions to the normal daily ration. In this article, I will explore some of the most commonly used and also the more peculiar additions I have experienced in racing diets, and discuss their potential benefits or disadvantages.
Succulents: are they simply a daily treat? The addition of succulents to the diet are often simply viewed as a daily treat, a way of adding some variety to the ration but are not relied upon for any specific nutritional benefit. Carrots and apples are perhaps the best illustration of a widely used succulent in a racing context. Horses generally love them and they can certainly help to maintain interest in feed. As long as they are cut up appropriately and don’t present a choking hazard, they are a great addition to the diet. Both carrots and apples tend to be very high in sugars when examined on a dry matter basis, but they also offer digestible fiber including pectin, as well as natural antioxidants and vitamins. Their nutritional contribution is fairly limited, however, given the amount fed and their very high water content. In short, carrots or apples are a benign addition to the racing ration, with the main benefit largely being to improve feed intake, as well as psychological wellbeing. Other succulents of note include fresh forages such as alfalfa, or indeed the revered ‘pick of grass.’ Alfalfa cut freshly in the morning was a time-honored tradition for many years in Newmarket in England. Many
horses were offered an armful of this fresh forage each morning. Generally it was well received, although I remember hearing a few reports of hives or ‘protein bumps,’ which were attributed rightly or wrongly to this fresh material. Alfalfa is a true king of forages, having a superior digestibility compared to hay or haylage. It is also a good source of bioavailable calcium, but does not have a high sugar content. When fresh alfalfa is offered, it is essential that it is fed soon after cutting, because it will eventually start to deteriorate and could contribute to digestive problems. Fresh grass and alfalfa both have a very high water content and so the level of nutrition provided per day when fed as a succulent is likely to be quite low. However, the intangible psychological benefit of ‘Dr. Green’ is huge. Some succulents such as hydroponic grass offer a more significant nutritional addition to the diet and are way beyond simply being a treat. Hydroponic grass has not taken off significantly in the U.S. or Europe but is popular for many equestrian disciplines in Australia. Those trainers that have tried it really value it as part of their racing ration, as it offers an alternative and significant source of ‘Dr. Green.’ Hydroponic grass is delivered via a mat of sprouted grains (usually barley) and the horses eat both the green shoots and the mat of roots. A single mat per day makes a significant nutritional contribution to the diet and can replace about 4-6 lbs of concentrate feed, therefore reducing the starch load of a traditional racing diet. These mats of ‘grass’ are very good for horses psychologically, as they prolong eating time and so encourage a more natural grazing behavior. In addition, the sprouting process itself mobilizes natural starch digesting enzymes from the grain, which may also help improve the digestion of starch from the remainder of the racing diet. Hydroponic grass offers a real tangible benefit for horses in training, but the units required to produce it are relatively expensive and have to be kept scrupulously clean to
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 47
NUTRITION avoid microbiological spoilage. Hordenine, a Class B prohibited substance, can also be produced during the sprouting process and so the risk and consequences of its presence from feed in post-race samples needs to be clarified.
Health benefits Moving away from succulents, trainers have always been interested in additions to the diet that may help to keep horses healthy and strong or support their recovery following injury during training. Comfrey is an herb or plant that was cultivated and used in at least one successful training yard historically. The colloquial name for comfrey is knitbone, which perhaps provides a clue to its reputed benefits. A scan of the literature however suggests that any positive effects on bone may have been limited to its topical use. Feeding comfrey may actually be hazardous due to the level of liver toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids present, which are similar to those found in ragwort. A very traditional but perhaps rather bizarre addition to the diet of hunters and horses in training is Guinness. Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout made from water, barley, roast malt extract, hops, and brewer’s yeast. Guinness, I suspect, may have been given to horses in the belief that it is a rich source of iron to diminish anemia, and it used to be advised for pregnant mothers and blood donors alike. However this practice has been ceased and the ‘iron effect’ is a bit of an urban myth, with many other feeds being a much more relevant source of iron. Equally it is very unusual for iron deficiency to be the root cause of an anemic blood profile in horses. The brewers of Guinness have never made any overt health claims, but scientists have independently supported moderate consumption in humans. Antioxidant compounds, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, in Guinness may be responsible for its reputed health benefits, which include reduced blood clotting. Beers in general have also been cited as being a good source of bioavailable silicon shown to be beneficial for bone density. High-sugar containing syrups have also been added to in-training feeds for many years, and honey is probably one of the most popular additions. Largely honey is fed for its positive effect on palatability and is used to tempt fussy horses. The benefit of standard honey probably doesn’t go beyond this, but manuka honey has reputed health benefits and so is regarded as a type of ‘super honey.’ Manuka honey, which has a premium price, is derived from Australia and New Zealand and is produced by bees collecting pollen from the manuka tree. It reputedly has antibacterial
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effects and has been used in wound healing, although the scientific evidence for this is rather sparse. Finally, there are some additions that trainers believe provide nutrition beyond that found within the basic racing diet. Muscle building protein is a huge commercial opportunity within the human sports sector. Human power athletes routinely consume protein shakes, which combine high quality protein sources such as whey. There is no doubt that the addition of quality protein is beneficial, as it provides many key amino acids needed to drive muscle protein synthesis, support immune function, and even to stimulate
“Alfalfa is a true king of forages, having a superior digestibility compared to hay or haylage. It is also a good source of bioavailable calcium, but does not have a high sugar content”
better glycogen synthesis in conjunction with appropriate carbohydrate. In my travels, I have come across eggs being used as a high-quality protein source for horses. Eggs are routinely added to the training diet of horses in India, although this practice is no longer popular in the U.S. or Europe. While eggs are indeed a very high quality source of protein, their addition to a racing diet is risky. Horses are naturally herbivores and so the addition of ‘animal protein’ is rather an alien concept. In addition, there is always the risk of salmonella infection with raw eggs, which is usually how they are fed. A more appropriate source of of high quality protein for horses perhaps would be full fat soya, whey, or spirulina, which is an algae that has recently emerged onto the equine market. I am always conscious when writing articles on new and perhaps unproven aspects of nutrition that trainers enthusiastic to gain an edge may embrace these ideas. Beetroot has been the subject of a previous article in North American Trainer (issue 26 page 24) and has achieved some welldeserved notoriety in the human health and sports nutrition sector. Beetroot juice, cooked beetroot, and even uncooked beetroot have been offered to horses in training. The benefit of beetroot in humans is fairly well established but much more clarity is required in horses. The flesh of the beetroot is no doubt a useful source of digestible fiber; however, the attraction in human nutrition is in harnessing the vasodilating effects of its high nitrate content. The major difference with horses is that as herbivores, the nitrate intake from other components in the diet is likely to be much higher than that of a human athlete and the addition of beetroot to the diet may be inconsequential in this respect. Some speciesspecific research in horses would be welcome to establish any benefits beyond its normal nutritional content. In summary, I am in no doubt that succulents and some high sugar-containing syrups have a worthwhile role within the daily racing ration to help maintain feed intake. In addition when given by hand, succulents such as carrots and apples help to maintain social contact and psychological wellbeing. Hydroponic grass could have real tangible benefits to nutrition and racehorse welfare, but the value of many of the other daily additions mentioned is steeped in tradition or hearsay rather than robust science. n
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OPINION
Is there a place for medication in racing? A VET’S OPINION A constant debate in the Thoroughbred racing world is the issue of medication, often characterized by the media and various industry professionals as a one-sided argument framed in terms; anything added is considered permissive medication. Not only a sensationalist statement, it also lacks understanding of the role of medication and, more importantly, the role of the racing veterinarian. Here, practicing veterinarian Thomas O’Keeffe explores the place of medication in horseracing and offers his opinion on how medication in this multimillion dollar sport is perceived, and how he believes trainers, owners, and veterinarians could work together to improve the welfare of the Thoroughbred racehorse. WORDS: THOMAS O’KEEFFE PHOTOS: SHuTTERSTOcK
M
EDICINE has changed beyond recognition over the past 30 years in both human and veterinary fields, along with virtually all industry sectors influencing our daily lives. Sports science has expanded rapidly due to the development of a greater understanding of the physical requirements of the elite athlete and the invention and evolution of better technology to aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and career management of professional athletes. Thoroughbred horseracing is a global industry, a huge multi-million dollar enterprise; however, it is first and foremost a sport where the “star” of the show is the athlete, the
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Thoroughbred racehorse. It is important to acknowledge our horses as elite sporting athletes performing at maximal exertion and to treat them with the same standard of care our human athletes receive. Medication is the blanket term used to describe every pharmaceutical option available for use by veterinary professionals and lay people, and it fails to distinguish between the various categories of drugs commercially available. Originally, the veterinarian was used in a firefighting role, in situations when there was an illness or injury suffered by one of the horses and medical intervention was deemed necessary. This role remains and will remain in existence in order to provide emergency health care for our animals, and the use of medication as deemed appropriate by the veterinarian is
very much justified in this scenario and needs no validation. The evolution of the veterinarian’s undertaking from reactive emergency health professional to proactive aid in racehorse performance is appropriate due to the progress in the field of equine sports medicine but it is this contribution that is controversial, and in some cases with justification, heavily criticized. The racing veterinarian has two roles in 2014: First and foremost to protect the health and welfare of the horse, and secondly to ensure that the horse is in top medical condition. It is important to understand that these two roles are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are often one and the same; however, as doctors of veterinary medicine, veterinarians are obliged to always put the health and welfare
MEDICATION
“Medication in racing evokes thoughts of performance enhancing, cheating, exploitation, animal cruelty, and death, which, while sensationalist, thought-provoking, and emotive, are ultimately inaccurate and unfair on the vast majority of proponents of the sport”
of the horse first should these two obligations come into conflict. Medication in racing evokes thoughts of performance enhancing, cheating, exploitation, animal cruelty, and death, which, while sensationalist, thought-provoking, and emotive, are ultimately inaccurate and unfair on the vast majority of proponents of the sport. Human sports medicine while not without fault or controversy legally permits the use of certain medication in many sports. Athletes performing the triple jump regularly have their ankles medicated with local anesthetic prior to competition and in April of 2011, Andy Murray, the British tennis player, had local anesthetic and cortisone (corticosteroid)
injected into his elbow 30 minutes prior to playing Rafael Nadal. The primary rational argument against the liberal use of medication in horseracing is the horse has no choice in participation whereas human athletes can choose to risk further injury by masking pain. In the racehorse we are dealing with the same class of athlete as our elite human sportspeople. Horses are without question working at or very near the physical limitation of their bone and joints, and medication needs to be used with great care. The question is how we sort the “safe” from the “unsafe” and appropriately select which horses require
medical help. This requires dedicated and trained veterinary expertise, an excellent transparent relationship between trainer and veterinarian, and a mutual understanding of the current state of the horse’s physiological and musculoskeletal limits. The appropriate use of medication is the crux of the issue. Clearly not all medications are the same and not all syndromes and conditions of the racehorse call for the same treatment. Lack of uniformity in medication rules remains a problem and if horseracing is to remain a credible global sport, a horse running in Kentucky and a horse running in Australia must be running under the same regulations. It would not be possible for Usain Bolt to run under different governing rules in the U.S.A. than in the U.K. so why should our equine athletes be any different? While the uniformity of medication regulation is a pressing issue for the sport’s public perception, in regards to the welfare of our animals, the use of medication and the role of the veterinarian in the armory of the trainer are the fundamental issues. As mentioned previously there have been huge advances made in the field of equine veterinary medicine in the past thirty years. The plethora of diagnostic imaging tools available – including digital radiography, ultrasound, nuclear scintigraphy, and MRI – to the modern veterinarian have revolutionized our understanding of orthopedic conditions of the horse. Numerous epidemiological studies dating from the mid-80s to the current day have examined the incidence of injuries in the racehorse, the most common sites of injury occurrence, the best prognostic indictors for these conditions, and the most successful treatment options available. Advances in endoscopy have clarified many previously misunderstood conceptions particularly regarding laryngeal function, and with the advent of dynamic endoscopy it is now commonplace to accurately assess how a racehorse’s throat is functioning at maximal exertion. The advancement in equine veterinary science is clear and this has positive implications for our racehorses, both in terms of welfare and improved athletic potential. However, it is important that all members of the racing industry, in particular veterinarians and trainers, apply the new knowledge and modern therapies available to them. The age old mantra of “That’s what we always do,” or, “It works so why change,” must end if Thoroughbred racing is to progress and remain relevant, and anecdotal practices must be replaced by evidence-based alternatives. Most medication at the disposal of veterinarians
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OPINION
SELECTIon of CommonLy USED mEDICATIonS AnD THE PRoPoSED WITHDRAWAL TImES by THE RELEvAnT AUTHoRITIES ARCI: Association of Racing Commissioners International EHSLC: European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (comprises the racing authorities of France, Ireland, UK, Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia) Drug
Class of Drug
Proposed ARCI Withdrawal Time U.S.A
Withdrawal time EHSLC
Acepromazine
Sedative, vasodilator
48 hours
72 hours
Bethamethasone
Corticosteroid, used in joint medication
7 days
14 days
Butorphanol
Opioid sedative
48 hours
72 hours
Dantrolene
Muscle relaxant (tying up)
48 hours
96 hours
Detomidine
Sedative
72 hours
48 hours
Firocoxib
NSAID, pain relief, anti- inflammatory
14 days
15 days
Furosemide
Diuretic, used to reduce bleeding
4 hours
48 hours
Lidocaine
Local anesthetic, administered subcutaneously
72 hours
72 hours
Mepivicaine
Local anesthetic. Used in diagnostic analgesia
72 hours
72 hours
Omeprazole
Anti-ulcer medication, administered orally
24 hours
72 hours
Prednisolone
Corticosteroid
48 hours
48 hours
Procaine penicillin
Antibiotic
Within entry to race
6 weeks
Triamcinolone acetonide
Corticosteroid commonly used in joint medication
7 days
14 days
Xyylazine
Sedative
48 hours
60 hours
Flunixin
NSAID, used as anti-inflammatory and for pain relief
32 hours
144 hours
Ketoprofen
NSAID, used as anti-inflammatory and for pain relief
24 hours
96 hours
Phenylbutazone
NSAID, used as anti-inflammatory and for pain relief
24 hours
168 hours
• Statement from Victorian Racing Authority, Australia: A list of withdrawal times for drugs will not be provided. (This is because a drug detection time cannot be the same as a recommended withdrawal period because only the person administering the therapeutic substance can be aware of all the circumstances of the administration and of the risk tolerance of the trainer.)
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has a therapeutic benefit for a specific condition or syndrome. The policy of routine medical maintenance (joint medication or systemic) without diagnosis, blanket treatment of horses in any form without any diagnostics or often without veterinary examination, and the use of medication in inappropriately selected cases where there is no scientific basis for its use must be abolished. These practices are hurting the perception of the industry, placing an additional economic burden on the owner in an already expensive business model, and provide no therapeutic benefit to the racehorse. Jurisdictions around the world apply different variations on regulations controlling the medication of racehorses. However, the actual therapeutic agents used are almost identical with a few notable exceptions, with different withdrawal times being the primary difference in their use. There is huge commercial pressure felt by many in the racing industry, and it would be naïve to suggest that all decisions regarding medication in horseracing are made without assessing their economic significance. The dynamics of the owner/trainer/veterinarian relationship is crucial to successfully address the issue of medication. The principal concerns of these groups in the U.S.A. were addressed at round table discussions held by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). Trainers outlined their concerns that they are not attracting new owners to the game, that owners will move their horses to another trainer if they don’t use medication to be competitive, and they feel that they must “manage” both sides of the relationship of owner and veterinarian. Owners feel that veterinary costs are out of control and communication with their veterinarian(s) is poor. Veterinarians believe that accounts receivable are out of control and that they will be fired if they don’t do whatever the trainer wants; they also feel frustrated that trainers don’t want them to communicate with owners and that their service is viewed as a commodity. Equine racing veterinarians spend years in training firstly at university and more pertinently every day of their careers developing experience and knowledge of the physiological and orthopedic requirements of the racehorse. Organizations such as the Horseracing Betting Levy Board (HBLB) in the U.K. and the Grayson Jockey Club research foundation in the U.S.A. have made huge financial investments, ensuring the racehorse is the subject of the most cutting edge research and our veterinarians are armed with the latest knowledge. This academic research coupled with the advances in the veterinary medical equipment ensures that the standard of veterinary care available to the racehorse in 2014 is higher than ever before. The crucial question is how we use this specialty, which is in the best interest of all parties involved, owners, trainers, and most importantly the racehorse, and in
MEDICATION Kevin Baumgardner
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OPINION
doing so how do we stabilize and improve horseracing. Veterinary sports medicine should not be seen as a technical service with practitioners performing the role of pharmacists and technicians medicating joints at the request of the trainer. Racing veterinarians must resist the temptation of taking the easy money on offer by acting as latent robotic technicians; rather, they should use the knowledge at their disposal to provide a better standard of care to both the horse and their client. The veterinarian should be incorporated into the training process, lending his expertise and when required using medication appropriately to assist our athlete performing at maximal exertion. This approach would be in the best interest of all concerned. The veterinarian would be paid for his or her expertise rather than for and a signature veterinary license. The trainer would benefit from an additional sounding board and medical expertise in the field of sports medicine, training, and rehabilitation. The owner would be assured that the gold standard in veterinary care is being offered to his or her horse, with the dual aim of protecting the animal’s welfare and providing the optimal environment for sporting success. It is in all parties’ interests to work together; the business model of the veterinarian-trainer relationship has to change to facilitate this improvement in the service provided. A premium must be placed on professional veterinary advice, with fees for consulting and medication more in line with encouraging this process. The owner/trainer and horse would
receive an improved service without reducing the earning power of the veterinarian. The racetrack veterinarian’s main source of income must change from dispensing medication and injecting joints to providing a trained and professional source of scientific advice to the trainer with both aiming towards a common target. Trainers must use the information at their disposal and integrate the veterinarian into their training regime as an ally while in turn the veterinarian must recognize the requirements and stresses placed on both the Thoroughbred and its trainer and positively influence the careers of both. We have the information, we have the tools, and we must use them. A prospective purchaser of a personal computer in 2014 does not buy the Apple 2, which was revolutionary in the 1980s, as it has been superseded exponentially over the past 30 years. Likewise why are we using training and medication practices that have been shown to be outdated and ineffective when evidence-based alternatives are available. The breeding, selection and training of young Thoroughbreds is and will remain an art but this inherent expertise must be combined with up-to-date knowledge and training if racing is to prosper. Let’s stop looking for someone to blame and burying our heads in the sand; rather, let’s look for solutions to problems and work together in order to give the star of the show, the Thoroughbred racehorse, a safe and prosperous environment to achieve the best chance of success, and allow us all to revel in the sport of horseracing. n
“Veterinary sports medicine should not be seen as a technical service with practitioners performing the role of pharmacists and technicians medicating joints at the request of the trainer”
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VETERINARY
Latest tendon and ligament research Equine injury prevention and management WORDS: PROFESSOR CElia M MaRR, EDitOR, EquinE VEtERinaRy JOuRnal, nEWMaRkEt, SuFFOlk, uk Main PHOtO: GEORGE SElWyn
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TENDON AND LIGAMENT RESEARCH
A
ROUND 35% of the veterinary research and education budget is spent on projects to understand musculoskeletal disorders, improve their treatment, and prevent and minimize injury to racehorses. A slightly larger proportion of the budget is aimed at control and prevention of infectious disease. The Horserace Betting Levy Board-funded research is targeted at racehorses but the new developments in treatment and prevention of injuries are often directly applicable to horses and ponies of all types. Throughout the last 50 years, researchers have amassed a huge body of work aimed at understanding why tendons lose function, how injuries can be prevented, and the best way to treat and rehabilitate horses that suffer from tendon and ligament injuries.
From the gene to the jockey HBLB research on musculoskeletal disease and injury prevention extends all the way from the gene to the jockey, looking at every level between. It also encompasses cuttingedge laboratory work through to studies conducted on the racecourse and training grounds.
Tendon and ligament injuries
In the United Kingdom, Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) collects a statutory levy from the horseracing business of bookmakers, which it then distributes for the improvement of horseracing and breeds of horses and for the advancement of veterinary science and education. HBLB makes a substantial contribution to the U.K.’s total prize money and supports racecourse integrity service. Did you know that the HBLB’s contribution to equine research is substantial, amounting to over £25 million in the last decade?
Trainers can probably all agree that tendon and ligament injuries are extremely common. With HBLB funding, Dr. Kristien Verheyen from the Royal Veterinary College in Great Britain set out to establish how frequently these injuries occur and set a benchmark against which future developments and interventions can be judged. Tendon and ligament injuries represent the most common injury to U.K. National Hunt racehorses: they account for 46% of racecourse limb injuries, and by studying over 1200 U.K. National Hunt horses and in total monitoring around 9,500 months of training records, Dr. Verheyen found that on average, two of every 100 National Hunt racehorses sustain tendon or ligament injuries per month.
Which structure is most injury-prone? There are two structures of particular interest; 11% of these National Hunt horses injured their suspenory ligaments but 89% sustained injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). This important weight-bearing structure runs down the back of the leg from a muscle above the knee to the pastern. It is composed of collagen fibers arranged in organized bundles rather like a rope. These
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VETERINARY increasing race distance, and specific training facility, but cumulative gallop distance and number of days spent in jump schooling did not affect the odds of injury. Interestingly there was no difference in incidence of tendon and ligament injury in horses that entered National Hunt racing after a career on the flat, compared to those that had been produced specifically for National Hunt. Looking at exercise diaries for the 30 days prior to injury, Verheyen concluded that increasing accumulated race distance is associated with higher odds of winning a race but also increases odds of tendon and ligament injury. Galloping during training did not affect the odds of sustaining a tendon or ligament injury but did increase the odds of winning prize money.
Good and bad genes?
A fascicle, or bundle of fibers, from a superficial digital flexor tendon; the scanning electron microscope shows that there is a helical structure which acts as a recoiling spring. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Clegg, University of Liverpool
fibers are embedded in tendon matrix, a complex of molecules that supports the strength and elasticity of the tendon. The matrix also surrounds tenocytes, the cells critical to maintaining the health of the tendon. To function effectively, the tendon must not only be stretchy and strong thus able to sustain the massive load generated when the hoof hits the ground at full gallop, but it must also be elastic and able to recoil effectively to flex the limb. All three elements – the fibers, the matrix, and the tendon cells – have been studied to better understand how they work together and what happens at the molecular, cellular, and fiber levels that leads to tendon injury.
Why are tendons prone to injury and how can this be prevented? Tendon injury is most likely influenced by both nature (in the form of the horse’s genetic makeup) and nurture (in the form of specific factors that it is exposed to during training such as speed, distance, and surface). If we can understand these factors, strategies to reduce the risk may follow and this has been an important underlying principle behind much of HBLB-funded research over the past five decades. Dr. Verheyen found that risk factors for tendon and ligament injury are increasing age,
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The classic bowed tendon, which extends the full length of the cannon region when it is severe. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Kirstein Verheyen, Royal Veterinary College
A very recent study, performed by Dr. Lucinda Tully, also from the Royal Veterinary College, has shown that genetic makeup can contribute to the risk of superficial digital flexor tendon injury. Two specific genes were linked to tendon injury: one lowered the odds and the other increased the odds of a horse sustaining a SDFT injury. Much more research is needed to understand the role of these genes and the work also needs to be repeated in a much larger group of horses to confirm the results. Nevertheless this is a first step towards understanding how genetic factors interlinked with environmental factors can affect the likelihood of injury in individual horses.
Repeated microtrauma damages cells, matrix, and fibers
Short axis (a) and long axis (b) ultrasound images. Ultrasound produces a slice type of image that can look into the internal structure of the tendon. The tendon injury creates a black area in the core of the tendon that is roughly circulated in short axis and can be seen disrupting the fibers of the tendon in long axis. Images courtesy of Professor Roger Smith, Royal Veterinary College
Although the tendon injury may become detectable on one specific occasion – often during a races – tendon and ligament injuries are the result of cumulative degeneration with repeated cycles of loading and ongoing micro-trauma affecting the fiber structure, the tendon cells, and the tendon matrix. Professor Janet Patterson-Kane at the University of Glasgow in Scotland focuses on looking at how stiffness of the tendon matrix signals to the tendon cells to produce healthy fibers. The incidence of SDFT injury increases with age. Professor Peter Clegg of the University of Liverpool has been researching the mechanisms that allow the tendon to extend and recoil rapidly and repeatedly during gallop to determine where within the tendon structure microdamage occurs, to establish how fatigue loading alters cell function, and look at age-related effects. The tendon fibers are organized into bundles called fascicles. Sliding of these fascicles allows the tendon to extend, and the fascicles’ helical structure allows rotation and provides a recoiling spring action. Clegg has shown that as the tendon ages, the amount of rotation and recoil decreases.
TENDON AND LIGAMENT RESEARCH Repetitive loading damages cells within the tendon and causes matrix proteins to degenerate. Damage occurring between the collagen fibers increases sliding and weakens the tendon fibers, contributing to a more injury-prone structure.
Early diagnosis Injury to the SDFT is not necessarily associated with lameness except when it is very severe. The key clinical sign is swelling of the back of the forelimb, midway down the cannon bone. More severe injuries will cause swelling all down this area. The old name for tendon injury, the bowed tendon, relates to this classic appearance recognized by horsemen down the centuries. Ultrasound is used to confirm injury, document its severity, and monitor healing. On an ultrasound image, the normal SDFT is a uniform bright white oval shape in short axis (cross section) and is composed of densely packed linear echoes in long axis, reflecting bundles of fibers. With acute injury, black holes appear within the tendon, as fibers are torn and the defect fills with blood clots and early inflammatory cells. As the tendon heals, it gradually fills in with brighter, denser tissue, and linear echoes reform. But if microtrauma precedes full-blown injury, can we identify it and prevent the horse from developing career-limiting injury? Answering that question was the focus of a project conducted by Dr. Charlotte Avella, with guidance from a group of senior tendon researchers based at the University of Cambridge and the Royal Veterinary College. Dr. Avella selected 148 horses from ten National Hunt yards and examined them at three-month intervals over two seasons. The overall prevalence of injury was 24%, and a third of these horses had injury in both forelimbs. But Dr. Avella was not able to predict which horses would develop injury based on the ultrasound findings. Better ways of predicting injury are needed.
Developing novel and effective treatments for tendon injury SDFT injury is a recurrent problem. Once a tendon has been injured, it is much more likely to happen again because scar tissue forms within the injury site. This scar tissue is weaker than healthy tendon and tends to be damaged again when training resumes. Regenerative medicine is the "process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function." Stem cell therapy is an important component of regenerative medicine; stem cells currently in use are undifferentiated or multipurpose cells that have the capacity to change into many of the tissues that make up the mammalian body. They can be found in embryos but also in various adult tissues, such as bone marrow.
Stem cells can be collected by inserting a specialized needle into the sternum and withdrawing a small sample of bone marrow. Photograph courtesy of Professor Roger Smith, Royal Veterinary College
In horses, stem cells can be collected from bone marrow, processed in the laboratory, and injected into tendons to allow healthy tissue to regenerate where scar tissue might have otherwise formed. Professor Roger Smith of the Royal Veterinary College has shown that in National Hunt racehorses with SDFT injury, stem cell therapy reduced the re-injury rate to around 26% whereas in previous studies of similar horses treated in more conventional ways, it was 50-55%.
“A very recent study has shown that genetic makeup can contribute to the risk of superficial digital flexor tendon injury” An important limitation in this approach is that very small numbers of stem cells are harvested in this way. Stem cells can also be collected from the umbilical cord at the time of birth, with no harm to the foal. These cells are known as “embryonic” cells. HBLB funding has enabled Dr. Debbie Guest of the Animal Health Trust to study embryonic stem cells as an alternative treatment. The benefit is that this would avoid the need to collect the stem cells from the affected horse after the injury, which delays the onset of treatment. Embryonic stem cells
could be prepared ready for use as an “off-theshelf” product. Dr. Guest showed that the embryonic cells were able to migrate to other injury sites in the tendon whereas adult stem cells stayed near to the injection site. Embryonic cells were not rejected when injected into horses unrelated to the foal from which they were derived, an important feature if products designed for use in any horse are to be developed.
Pluripotent stem cells – a scientific breakthrough If multipotent cells are useful, pluripotent might be even better. The term pluripotent defines stem cells that are able to self-renew indefinitely and give risk to virtually all cell types in the body. Best of all would be if pluripotent cells could be generated from easily obtainable adult cells like skin cells. Although researchers have been trying for almost 20 years, until recently this amazing biological feat had only been achieved in human and mouse cells. In March 2014, Dr. Xavier Donadeu at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh reported that he had generated equine plurIpotent stem cells from adult horse skin cells. This represents a major scientific breakthrough that not only offers a route to new treatments for tendon injury but also may lead to cures for previously untreatable conditions like motor neuron disease or grass sickness.
Don’t forget the jockey! While much of HBLB’s musculoskeletal
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VETERINARY research focuses on horse molecules, genes, cells, and tissues, the impact of the jockey deserves some attention. The additional mass of a rider increases energetic cost of locomotion, and jockeys potentially improve stability during galloping and reduce the risk of injury. In collaboration with the British Racing School, Dr. Thomas Witte from the Royal Veterinary College is comparing riding styles between experienced and inexperienced jockeys, using force transducers in the stirrups and combined inertial and GPS technology on the jockey. Dr. Witte’s preliminary work has confirmed that deviations in “horse-rider harmony,” or synchronicity of jockey movement relative to the horse, can have a significant impact on performance. While the underlying concept may not seem novel to
“In horses, stem cells can be collected from bone marrow, processed in the laboratory, and injected into tendons to allow healthy tissue to regenerate where scar tissue might have otherwise formed” trainers, this is the first serious attempt to introduce science to the training of riders. It is only by quantifying jockey-racehorse
biomechanical interactions that the effects of interventions can be documented and refined.
The future? Tendon and ligament injury remains a major challenge for racehorse trainers and vets, but collectively the wide range in research in this area has identified factors that lead to injury; provided an in-depth understanding of the molecular, cellular, and biomechanical events in the tendon; and produced novel approaches to treatment available now and with huge future potential. The work is not finished – who knows what the next decade of research will take us? Because of HBLB support, scientists in veterinary institutes and universities across the UK lead the field internationally in this important area of research. n
Research in action: a jockey is instrumented to study the effects of riding technique on horse biomechanics. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Witte, Royal Veterinary College
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RACING
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BACKSTRETCH WORKERS
Does racing do enough to help its backstretch workers? America’s backstretch workers have struggled quietly for decades. Working without contracts with the trainers who employ them, in a country lacking national racing regulations and standards, they are at the mercy of the racetracks, horsemen’s associations, and the generic federal and state legislation applying to all workers. Minimum wage is a great concept only when it’s enforced.
C
WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: HORSEPHOTOS.COM, JOannE K. aDaMS, ExECuTIvE DIRECTOR Of BELMOnT CHILD CaRE aSSOCIaTIOn
ARING people have rushed in to fill the vacuum on the backstretch, and there are heroes everywhere: racing chaplains around the country; a legendary trainer in California; philanthropic, dedicated owners in New York; a visionary Boy Scout in Chicago; and hundreds, if not thousands, of other sympathetic horsemen and volunteers. They do whatever needs to be done to give these workers and their families a decent life. It’s a complicated mission. “Overall, is it better than 25 years ago? Yes,” said Philip Hanrahan, Executive Director of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (HBPA). “Is it light years better? No. It’s a hard life. I have the utmost respect for the men and women there every day taking care of horses.” Respect doesn’t buy a loaf of bread. In 2008, an investigation at Saratoga Race Course by the New York State Department of
Labor found that more than 1,275 workers had been underpaid by trainers. The department collected $600,000 in underpayments from 110 trainers and $60,000 in penalties. Two years later, the day after the 2010 season concluded on Labor Day, the New York Daily News ran a story with the headline: “The Hidden shame of Saratoga: Back-stretch (sic) workers live in terrible conditions.” The story said workers “make little more than minimum wage and often get cheated out of overtime, as Labor Department enforcers have repeatedly found,” and that “workers literally sleep a few yards from the animals they spend their days with – not to mention the manure piles. Worst of all, the cramped quarters can and do become ovens – with nighttime temperatures inside their rooms hovering well over 100 degrees during a heat wave earlier this summer.” Workers being mistreated at meets as prestigious as Saratoga doesn’t bode well for their contemporaries at smaller venues. Yet Saratoga offers the most comprehensive
backstretch cultural program in the nation, and Saratoga’s sister New York Racing Association (NYRA) track, Belmont Park on Long Island, has an outstanding day care center for children of workers, Anna House, which also serves Aqueduct. All three NYRA tracks have a comprehensive support system – the Backstretch Employee Service Team – as well as a caring, giving partner, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA). At Saratoga, NYRA has rehabilitated two new dormitories for backstretch workers, and four more were expected to be ready by opening day of the 40-day meet on July 18. NYRA has preliminary plans to do the same at Belmont Park, but little progress has been made. This is a complex issue. But it doesn’t have to be. In the United Kingdom, an agreement between the National Trainers Federation and the National Association of Stable Staff spells out racing industry minimum wages on a scale
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RACING based on age and experience, hours of work, overtime, comp time, subsistence allowances, pensions, holidays, part-time workers, bereavement leave, sickness, accidents, and the procedure in the case of disputes. Horsemen in the United Kingdom can do this because a single national body, the British Horseracing Authority, operates racing. In the United States, the absence of a national racing authority and national regulations leave backstretch workers vulnerable. The prominence of legal and illegal immigrants on the backstretch complicates the issue considerably. These workers pay no rent and are not indentured. They choose to be here. Does that entitle them to a certain quality of life? Is whatever they have here better than the conditions in their own country? Does that matter? If they don’t speak English, shouldn’t they learn?
The Problems Heide Castaneda, an associate anthropology teacher/researcher at the University of South Florida, with the help of Nolan Kline and Nathaniel Dickey, authored one of the few published scientific studies of life on the backstretch in the 2010 Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved titled “Health Concerns of Migrant Backstretch Workers at Horse Racetracks.” Castaneda, who has no ties to horseracing, explained her motivation for doing the study: “My expertise is migrant health and medical anthropology. There’s been a lot of work on farm workers and construction workers. I haven’t seen anything about the backstretch. There have been sociological studies about backstretch culture, but I’d never seen anybody put together a study on occupational circumstances with health concerns. In the United States, we have a different idea of how racing should be. There are no regulations. There are no written contracts. Other countries have them. It’s a healthier industry when everyone is taken care of, the horses and the humans.” A couple responses to Castaneda’s survey: “I’m broke and have no money. Write that down.” “These horses get treated better than we do.” The study, which was based on interviews of 84 backstretch workers at a Florida racetrack, stated, “Since the 1970s, this workforce has increasingly been composed of migrants, especially from Mexico and Guatemala. No studies have focused on systematic attention on health concerns of this population and how illness is influenced by unique working and living conditions.” Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens put it this way: “Being around racehorses is a little different. You have to be willing to work on off days and off hours. It’s not like other jobs. We used to give extra if we raced at The Meadowlands at night or if they’re stabled an hour away. You have to give them a little more.
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Noble Threewitt was a major influence in helping backstretch workers’ families
Anybody who’s been in the game a long time realizes they have to take care of their men.” Many trainers do. Others don’t. In the study, thirty percent said they had suffered major injuries within the past five years. Many were head injuries. Twenty-one percent said they had never been to a dentist. A 58-year-old groom who has been working on the backstretch for 35 years said a horse “cracked his head” and that he had bleeding in his nose and ears. He was taken to a local emergency room and treated as an indigent patient. A 48-year-old female exercise rider who had suffered a fractured eye socket said, “Anyone who gallops horses or rides at all, we all break bones. We have to keep working, you know? If a horse gets hurt, they say, `It’s off to the farm with him.’ With us riders, we have to keep working. There’s no `Take a week off.’ If we even take a weekend off, we lose our jobs.” The study disclosed that workers misuse drugs intended for animal use, especially antiinflammatory medications. “Not for drug abuse,” Castaneda said. “But because they were in pain.”
“In the United States, we have a different idea of how racing should be. There are no regulations. There are no written contracts. Other countries have them” Heide Castaneda
A common concern among workers was a lack of basic, living standards; low wages; and long work hours. “People aren’t working 40 hours a week,” Castaneda said. “This is seven days a week.” Castaneda said free rent is a dubious plus. “The living quarters, they’re not particularly worth much anyway,” she said. “Most of the people we talked to were living in tack rooms. I don’t think that translates into adequate living conditions.” Castaneda said she received little feedback after the study. Asked if she believed conditions have improved since the study was published, she replied, “Overall, I don’t see much change. I have not seen any new laws or regulations that would affect people.” Craig Wiley, the executive director of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA), which serves 48 racetracks in 19 states, is an Army chaplain who retired as a major in 2012 to take his present position. He estimates he’s visited 20 to 25 backstretches the past two years. “I’ve touched all four corners of the United States,” he said. “It’s very obvious that our backstretch workers lack many things,” he said. “Number one is they lack adequate quarters to live in. There is a feeling that the backstretch is given little attention by those with means.” Asked what workers’ number one concern is, he said, “Pay. Wages as well as getting paid for what they do.” Wiley brings a different perspective to racing because he has a different background. “I come from an organization, the U.S. military, that has regulations across the board,” he said. “Whether you’re in California or Korea, it’s the same regulations. When you interview for a job, the first thing you think of is wages and benefits. You have a family to support. These are important to you. I think a more concerted effort needs to be made to promote fairness across the board. In the Army, we always talked about `Taking care of your own.’ The racing industry needs to do that.”
California’s Response In 1977, 30 years after the California HPBA was formed and 37 years after the National HPBA was created, California HBPA bookkeeper Joe McAnally, the late older brother of Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, and the late trainer Dale Landers decided more action was needed to help backstretch workers with dental problems. “Joe was trying to help those guys,” McAnally said. “They used to get nothing.” Landers, who won the second race in Santa Anita history as a jockey on Let Her Play on Christmas Day, 1934, and trained War Heim, the winner of the 1971 Strub Stakes at 49-1, and McAnally worked with the California HBPA to have a local dentist treat patients in a small trailer which was hauled back and forth between Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. That crucial first step ultimately led to dental
BACKSTRETCH WORKERS and medical clinics for backstretch workers and the creation in 1983 of the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation (CTHF), a self-administered charity to assist financially needy backstretch workers, including trainers, assistant trainers, foremen, exercise riders, pony riders, hotwalkers, and grooms at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, Del Mar, Pleasanton, and Los Alamitos. The CTHF works with the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT), the Winners Foundation, and the Chaplaincy program. The remarkable trainer Noble Threewitt, who passed away on Sept. 17, 2010, at the age of 99, and Dr. Russell Maatz started the first medical clinic. Threewit, a native of Benton, Illinois, who learned about racing at county fairs, saddled his first winner at Agua Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1932, making him, at 21, the youngest licensed American trainer at that time to win a race. On April 22, 2006, at the age of 95, he became the oldest trainer in North America to win a race when Threeatonce, who was owned by his grandson Chris Chinnici, won a maiden claimer at Santa Anita. Threewit retired on his 96th birthday, February 24, 2007, with more than 2,000 victories including
the Florida Derby and Wood Memorial with Correlation, who finished sixth as the favorite in the roughly run 1954 Kentucky Derby. His accomplishments with Thoroughbreds pale to his impact with the people who raced them. Trainer Warren Stute once said, “Noble has done more for the grooms and the backstretch workers than all of us put together.” The separation of his parents when he was a young boy might be one of the reasons Threewit did so much to help families. He served six terms as president of the California HBPA. In 2004, Santa Anita renamed its backstretch medical facility the Noble Threewit Health Center. The next year, he was the recipient of Hollywood Park’s Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, given for serving Thoroughbred racing with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination, and distinction. His wife of 77 years, Beryl, died two months before he did. Thirty-seven years after that first dental clinic opened, the CTHF continues to serve some 5,000 Thoroughbred backstretch workers. “We deal with the backstretch workers and their families,” Executive Director Kevin Bolling said. “We do everything we can to make sure their health, dental, and vision needs are met. We
have clinics in southern and northern California. We provide services through referrals and clinics. “Like with anyone, backstretch workers are looking for cost-efficient and affordable and convenient health care. If we weren’t here, there would be a significant portion of the population that would not have health care.” Workers have small co-pays at the clinic. “We consider ourselves partners in their care,” Bolling said. “Their costs are very nominal: $5 to come in for an office visit. An EKG is $5. Removing sutures is $1. We have contracts with a lot of services. Parts of our funds are through legislation and track donations.” The impact of the CTHF medical clinics can be measured in human lives. In 2000, Diane Contreras, the wife of exercise rider Martin Contreras, went to have a mole removed and a tumor was discovered. She had skin cancer. Within two weeks, she was admitted to Arcadia Methodist Hospital for surgery and treatment. “God and the CTHF saved my life,” she said. In April, 2011, Tanya Garcia Leyva, a hotwalker for trainer John Shirreffs whose husband, Jorge, works as a groom for Hall of
BCCA and Anna House at Belmont
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RACING Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, visited the Threewitt Clinic for an eye exam. She was advised to get a physical exam, which disclosed she had breast cancer. The CTHF arranged for the chemotherapy and radiation that saved her life. California’s backstretch workers have another valuable resource, the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. Established in 1998 as a non-profit foundation by the CTT, it was renamed in 2000 in memory of Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Eddie Gregson, a past CTT president who was the driving force in creating the foundation. Gregson’s Gato del Sol won the 1982 Run for the Roses. Former trainer Jenine Sahadi, who won back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Sprints in 1996-97 with Lit de Justice and Elmhurst and the 2000 Santa Anita Derby with The Deputy, is a former two-term CTT president who has been the president of the Gregson Foundation since 2001, a decade before she retired from training with 441 victories and more than $26.6 million in earnings. When she left the backside in October, 2011, she told Esther Marr of The Blood-Horse, “My main preoccupation was taking care of my help that has been with me 16 to 18 years. They are all placed in jobs, which is wonderful.” Asked now why she cared so much about her workers, she said, “Because I was nothing without those people. You can’t do this by Joanne K. Adams (center) Executive Director of Belmont Child Care Association
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yourself. I still keep in touch with my employees. These guys take such pride in the job they do. We should give the credit where credit is due. They’re really the unsung heroes.” She knows they’re not treated that way. “A lot of the workforce is just happy to have a job,” she said. “The living conditions, let’s be honest, is below mediocre at best. I think it’s going to be an ongoing problem. A lot of the organizations do the best they can, but it’s hard.” The Gregson Foundation’s mission is “to develop programs to benefit and enhance the quality of life of California Thoroughbred horse racing’s backstretch workers and their families.” The programs include a college scholarship fund started in 2000; the Groom Elite Program, modeled on a program begun by the Texas Horsemen’s Association; and recreation programs including softball and soccer. Since 2000, more than 450 college scholarships have been given to more than 200 individuals. “I feel really good about what the Foundation has done,” Sahadi said.
New York’s Response Working with the NYTHA, the NYRA, various governmental agencies including the Economic Opportunity Council, and hundreds of donors and volunteers, the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), the Belmont Child Care Association, and the Backstretch Education Foundation have been improving
the lives of backstretch workers at Belmont Park, Aqueduct, and Saratoga for many years. B.E.S.T., a 501 (c)(3), not-for-profit agency, was founded in 1989 to help backstretch workers suffering from substance abuse problems. In 2005, B.E.S.T. was expanded to offer workers health care services and financial assistance. Now bilingual, it offers crisis intervention, assessment, evaluation, referral, treatment, and after-care counseling. Eightyfour percent of revenue comes from contributions; 12 percent from fund-raising; and four percent from New York State. Onehundred-twenty-five of B.E.S.T.’s 129 employees are volunteers. The remaining four are full and part-time employees. “New York probably has the most and best services,” B.E.S.T. Executive Director Paul Ruchanes said. “We’ve expanded it greatly. We have acupuncture, chiropractors, podiatrists, and drug/alcohol treatment. In Saratoga we give away clothing.” The most important service is access to health care insurance. “Workers come from poor countries generally,” Ruchanes said. “They have little or no medical or dental care. If you haven’t been to a doctor or a dentist in years, there are going to be problems. We can pretty much get everyone health care.” B.E.S.T., which has facilities at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, offers up to $150 in monthly subsidies for backstretch workers’
BACKSTRETCH WORKERS health premiums who haven’t qualified for Medicaid or Medicare. “This is besides the federal subsidy,” Ruchanes said. “We help get them involved. Now they have health coverage.” To arrange low co-payments for backstretch workers, B.E.S.T. contracts with a local network of service providers including Dr. Frederic Cogan at Belmont Park and Dr. Frederick Dreher, a dentist in Saratoga Springs. Outgoing NYRA announcer Tom Durkin has been supporting B.E.S.T. for the past ten years, allowing visitors to be in his booth when he calls a race at Saratoga for a fee of $100 per person. “We’ve raised $200,000,” Durkin said. Asked why he has helped B.E.S.T., Durkin said, “I think that anybody who has achieved a minimum of success in horseracing has an obligation to help people who are less fortunate.” The NYTHA has been a willing partner with B.E.S.T. while also offering additional programs. These include the Backstretch Education Fund’s Groom Development Program and English as a second language and literacy classes. Since its inception five years
Vance and Laddie Dance’s 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid. Anna House is open from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day of the year for infants and children up to the age of five. There is a bilingual graduation ceremony when they complete their final year. “The focus here is on early child school development,” said Executive Director Joanne Adams, who was hired in June to replace Donna Chenkin, who retired after 12 years of service. “We tutor them in math and English, which is free for them. They know their numbers. They are capable to go on to kindergarten.” Dubb, who now has three grown children, was asked why he cared so much about the lives of backstretch workers. “I was so moved by the people in the backstretch and the hard work they do, and the responsible way they are trying to raise their children,” he said. “They toil in anonymity. They deserve all the help they can get. They strongly deserve to have their children get a firm foundation for when they go out in the real world. This is the least a racetrack can do. It’s just the right thing to do. I want to be able to say I made a difference.”
A happy group of school-aged children in a program at Anna House
ago, 600 young workers have graduated from the Groom Development Fund, and more than 1,000 workers have participated in the English classes. A college scholarship fund is also available to workers. Additionally, NYTHA offers dental care, eyeglasses, vaccinations and medical screening, meal subsidies, rent assistance, burial services, recreational programs, and transportation assistance when racing moves from Belmont Park to Saratoga in July and back to Belmont after Labor Day in September. “If we weren’t doing this, there would be holes in the system,” Jim Gallagher, the executive director of the NYTHA, said. “That’s our charge: provide benevolence service.” A practical service, daycare for the children of backstretch workers, was first tackled in New York in December, 1998, when the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) was created with the express intent of building a child care center at Belmont, which has the biggest backstretch worker population of NYRA’s three racetracks. The man who made it happen was Thoroughbred owner and breeder Michael Dubb, a successful residential real estate developer in Long Island who became the chairman of the BCCA board and, ultimately, a member of the NYRA Board of Trustees. The idea came while Dubb was watching a football game with Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey. “I was watching a Monday night football game with him, and he said kids were sleeping in their cars unattended on the backstretch because their parents were going to work,” Dubb said. “He said a lot of people thought a place for kids would be a good idea.” With owners Richard and Diane Bomze and
trainer Dennis Brida, Dubb went to work. He built the child care center and donated it to the BCCA to serve backstretch families. Anna House was named in appreciation of the twoyear-old daughter of a major donor and opened its doors at Belmont on January 1, 2003. In 2006, Gretchen and Roy Jackson of Barbaro fame created the Lael Scholarship Fund to ensure that Anna House will always have funding. Additionally, they donate every year to Anna House. Anna House got another boost from Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke’s champion racehorse Curlin for Kids Charity in 2008: a donation of $100,000. Dubb donated two expansions to Anna House in 2010, increasing the 7,500-foot facility for 50 children to 9,000 feet for up to 70 kids, and adding a vegetable garden and the Lemon Drop Kid Playground, named for donors Jeanne
“It’s very obvious that our backstretch workers lack many things. Number one is they lack adequate quarters to live in. There is a feeling that the backstretch is given little attention by those with means” Craig Wiley
Currently, there are 60 children at Anna House, which added an after-school program four days a week and is about to launch a summer program for kids aged 6-12. Dubb’s favorite day is Graduation Day at Anna House. “If you saw these kids, there are no words to describe it,” he said. “They’re awesome. They’re happy. At graduation they say what they want to be when they grow up. They’re absolutely incredible.” Asked how big the need is for Anna House, Adams said, “It’s huge. It’s really huge. You’re working these unusual hours. Where would you find daycare? I think it’s really important from an industry standpoint to give back. We’re creating little memories for them. They have music lessons. Art. Chess. Yoga programs. They go on trips. They went to the Botanical Gardens and an aquarium. They have a weekly guest.” Do they have decent home to return to? In a recent page one story in the June 2 Albany Times Union, the newspaper reported that a review of NYRA’s operations by the Franchise Oversight Board, a division of the New York State Division of the Budget, failed to create and implement a plan to “substantially” improve the condition of the housing and working environment for backstretch workers after the Resorts World New York City, the highly-successful racino at Aqueduct, opened in October, 2011. NYRA provides housing to some 1,500 backstretch workers at Saratoga, which has 35 men’s dormitories, three for women, and a handful of smaller men’s cottages. Each dorm has 12 rooms with one to three occupants. NYRA does not allow male and female workers to share quarters at any of its tracks, effectively
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RACING dividing families. In the past year and a half, NYRA has renovated two dorms on the Oklahoma Training Track, which is open from April through November across Union Avenue from Saratoga Race Course. These 12-room buildings have air conditioning, baseboard heating, new siding and roofs, and commonarea bathrooms with locker room-style showers. Four more dorms were expected to be ready for Opening Day. “Then we’ll have another two done by this fall,” said Dubb, who has also been a catalyst in this effort. “My goal is to rehab ten more by next year.” He is an incredible asset for New York’s backstretch workers. “The work on the backstretch is being done by first-generation Latino workers,” he said. “It’s no different than what other generations did in the 19th century, the Italians, the Irish people. They come to this country for a better life and a better life for their kids. Being in the construction business, it’s the Latino people doing a lot of the heavy work. Their children will become teachers and doctors.” Plans to build new dorms at Belmont Park have proceeded extremely slowly. NYRA’s frequently contentious relationship with New York State government has done nothing to hasten the progress of these vital capital improvements. At this rate, they might be complete by the time the children in Anna’s house are grandparents. Regardless, the backstretch workers at Saratoga must feel they are in heaven every single night of the 40-day meet stretched over 6½ weeks. Now in its seventh year, the
Backstretch Appreciation Program provides an incredible service, offering events every day thanks, principally, to Marylou Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson. Every Sunday night, there are festive dinners: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Caribbean, Southern, Thanksgiving, and Saratoga Gives Back, sponsored, respectively, by Marylou and John, Gainesway Farm, Neil and Jane Golub, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Riggio, Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. John Oxley, Live Oak Plantation, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lewi, and by local restaurants. Mondays offer four movie nights with hot dogs, chips, candy, and popcorn; a Learn English night with prizes including a TV, a bike, and $100; and a free evening at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. There are five Learn English nights with prizes and one movie with snacks on Tuesdays. Wednesdays are Bingo nights with Tom Durkin calling and prizes and gift certificates. Thursdays are six Learn English nights. Fridays offer two movies with snacks, a casino night with prizes, barn vs. barn relay races, a free bowling night, a wrestling exhibition, and Tie Dye Night. Saturdays feature four Karaoke
“I think that anybody who has achieved a minimum of success in horseracing has an obligation to help people who are less fortunate” Tom Durkin
singing contests and pizza and three Make Your Own Sundae nights courtesy of Stewarts Shops. Other sponsors include NYRA, B.E.S.T., the Race Track Chaplaincy, The Saratoga Economic Development Council, Betty Morrow, Adirondack Trust Co., Gwen Hendrickson, John Nigro, Jane Wait, Stephen Stempler, Paul Post, Ed Swyer, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Toohey, Panza’s Restaurant, and Fine Affairs. Here’s how it started. “Seven years ago, Marylou said, ‘I’d like Saratoga to be the summer place to be for everyone,’” John Hendrickson said. And that was it. Hendrickson said 200 volunteers participate in the program, and though it costs $200,000 annually, “not one cent is spent on administration or staff. We are incredibly proud of this program,” he continued. “It’s not a financial obligation. It’s a moral obligation.” But you don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference.
Chicago’s Super Scout Now 19 and looking forward to his sophomore year studying equine science management at the University of Kentucky, Chicago native Tom Kudla fell in love with racing when he was six years old thanks to his dad, who runs a microbiology lab. “My dad grew up five miles
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BACKSTRETCH WORKERS
from Arlington Park, and he’s an avid handicapper and a small-time horse owner with claimers,” Kudla said. “My dad taught me how to handicap. I fell in love with it.” When he was six, his dad gave him $6 to play around with when they went to the track. “Then I started using my own money from raking yards when I was eight or nine,” Kudla said. “I was hooked. For sure.” He began working for trainer Wayne Catalano when he was 16. “I was a hotwalker,” he said. “He gave me a chance. I didn’t know what a halter was. I didn’t know anything.” He’s being modest. Walking around the Arlington backstretch, home to some 2,000 backstretch workers and their families, he knew something was wrong. “The dorm apartments … it was rough living conditions,” he said. “I’d see kids playing in a draining ditch. It was nasty. It was gross. It didn’t seem like they had a lot.” Kudla, who also worked for trainer Mark Casse, saw an abandoned old building on the backstretch formerly used by the track superintendent. “It had been abandoned for a few years,” he said. “There was mold in the carpets. It was pretty bad. There were broken windows. Kids threw rocks at the building because they had nothing else to do.” He saw something he could do. “I knew the
Churchill Downs backstretch had a learning center there when I went to the Kentucky Derby one time. I just went after it.” Kudla made the renovation of the building into a learning center in his Eagle Scout project. He discovered an ally in the D214 Kids on Track Program, which has since lost its funding. His family helped, his dad and mom and especially his younger brother Ben. So did dozens of volunteers. But the biggest assist came from Terry Finley’s West Point Stable. Kudla’s parents had been members of a West Point partnership with four or five horses. Kudla approached Finley. “Good kid,” Finley said. “He really had a great attitude. He was a young man with a vision. He swept us off our feet.” West Point was in. “That was really fantastic,” Kudla said. “I got a lot of my funding through West Point. I was allowed to send out information about the project to every member of West Point. I got 15 computers and $12,000. We bought five more computers from that.” The project took a year. The Kids on Track Learning Center opened in early July, 2011. Now operated by the Race Track Chaplaincy, it serves 500 children. “It felt fantastic,” Kudla said. He not only earned his Eagle Scout rank, he received the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scout program. Kudla is a pretty amazing young man.
Besides the learning center project, he started his own equine shampoo company, Polygone Synthetic Surface Soap. “The Polytrack was sticking to horses’ pasterns and legs,” he said. “My dad knew a person at a chemical company. I developed a shampoo specifically to remove Polytrack. I’ve pretty much broken even with it.” This summer, he’s working as a groom at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington. “I’m enjoying every minute of it,” he said. “I know for sure I want to be in horseracing, maybe as a bloodstock agent. I want to try as many things as I can.” He won’t have to try to make a difference. He already has. Ask any child in the learning center at Arlington. Yet Kudla considers himself the lucky one. He said, “I’ve never had a more rewarding experience in my life.”
Kentucky’s Response Kentucky’s racing industry has been trying to improve backstretch conditions for its workers for more than three and a half decades. The Kentucky Racing Health & Welfare Fund, Inc., started in 1978, is just one of many organizations reaching out to them, working closely with the Kentucky HPBA. Bluegrass Charities has been helping workers and their families in central Kentucky for 11 years, and, last September launched a new program with
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RACING Keeneland, the Comprehensive Outreach and Enrichment Program (CORE). Churchill Downs offers educational programs at its Backside Learning Center. “It’s a pretty good combination of programs,” Marty Maline, the executive director of the Kentucky HPBA, said. For the last 11 years, the Kentucky HPBA has had the services of a Hispanic Coordinator, Julio Rubio, who has also been assisting the National HBPA as a liaison between workers, racetracks, and federal agencies, especially involving immigration issues, since the fall of 2011. Both Maline and Richard Riedel of the Welfare Fund are long-tenured executive directors who have worked as hotwalkers and grooms, giving them unique perspectives on backstretch issues. “I’ve lived it,” Riedel, who has been the head of the Welfare Fund for 28 years, said. “I was a stable employee myself, and I also trained horses.” Maline, who has been leading the Kentucky HPBA for more than 30 years, said of his experience on the backside, “I think it’s helped me to be able to explain to the racetracks what they (backstretch workers) are going through.” The Kentucky Racing Health & Welfare Fund is a charitable, non-profit organization providing benevolent assistance for medical, hospital, vision, and funeral expenses. State legislation mandates that revenue from uncashed pari-mutuel tickets be directed to the Welfare Fund. The amount of the revenue has declined slightly annually since the advent of advanced deposit wagering. “ADWs don’t have uncashed tickets,” Riedel said. The improvement in health benefits for
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“They deserve all the help they can get. They strongly deserve to have their children get a firm foundation for when they go out in the real world. This is the least a racetrack can do” Michael Dubb backstretch workers who qualify for the Welfare Fund can be documented. Recipients, who must document their employment with payroll stubs or checks, receive staggered benefits depending on the number of years they have been licensed in Kentucky, from a minimum of one year up to six years or more. “We’re not health insurance, but we cover up to $20,000 a year in benefits, including $1,000 for dental, for people who have been licensed for six years in Kentucky,” Riedel said. “When I started this job, the maximum benefit was $4,000 a year. Underneath that, we would pay 50 percent of medical bills. Now we pay up to 90 percent. We now pay for acupuncture, chiropractors, mental health, and substance abuse counseling.” The Welfare Fund, which also offers housing
for older, low-income backstretch workers, has paid more than $39 million in health benefits since its inception. But there are backstretch workers who don’t qualify for the Welfare Fund. “We cannot help every person,” Riedel said. “We can’t help a person who is unlicensed or is working for cash. We try to get them to free clinics. We have a resource book in Spanish and in English.” The Welfare Fund, in a joint initiative with Northern Kentucky University, operates the Horsemen’s Wellness Center at Turfway Park, and, partnering with the University of Louisville School of Nursing, the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center. Additionally, the Fund also operates the Kentucky Race Track Retirement Plan. The Fund had the legislation for uncashed tickets amended to allow up to 25 percent of the money from the uncashed tickets to go to the Kentucky Race Track Retirement Plan. It started more than a decade ago, and requires no funds from the people who enroll. “That’s a nice parting gift for those folks when they’re ready to hang up their pitchforks,” Riedel said. The Kentucky HBPA’s Maline said, “They (the Welfare Fund) do a tremendous job. We work in conjunction with the Welfare Fund. We can be a little more flexible and help workers who hadn’t qualified or had maxed out benefits with the Fund. For instance, we had a young lady who had delivered a baby through a midwife. The midwife was licensed in Kentucky, but insurance didn’t recognize that. Welfare doesn’t recognize that. We were able to help with that.” The Kentucky HBPA has helped workers by
BACKSTRETCH WORKERS having Rubio as Hispanic Coordinator. “He’s been a godsend for the Spanish community,” Maline said. “He gives them a voice.” Rubio said, “They trust me. They come to me for everything, social security, food stamps.” Rubio, an American citizen who was born in Mexico, said, “Overall, things are good. I walk the barns every day. Honestly, I travel the country. I don’t hear people complaining. They do work six days a week. Some work seven. Trainers then give them another day off. The rooms have beds, a microwave. The big issue is immigration.” In central Kentucky, backstretch workers have another resource in Blue Grass Charities. “We try to make sure that people have the necessities of life,” Blue Grass Charities President Mary Lee-Butte said. “We don’t want anyone going without basic needs. If they are facing a legitimate hardship or if their children have needs, that’s what we’re here for. When people don’t qualify for the Fund, that’s when we step in. There was no organized safety net until we came around.”
She said she would like to see the racing industry offer more health clinics. “Particularly dental clinics,” she said. “Dental services are severely lacking, not just at the tracks but at the farms as well. There are people who have never been to a dentist. We see that all the time.” At Churchill Downs, where an estimated 75 to 80 percent of the backstretch population is Hispanic, the Backside Learning Center, which opened on June 30, 2004, offers classes in English, Spanish, computers, and citizenship, as well as tutoring. Originally known as the Klein Family Learning Center, it was initially funded by the Klein Family Foundation and WinStar Farm.
A Model in Florida If there is an American model of backstretch living conditions to emulate, it is the Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, 49 miles north of Gulfstream Park. Owned and operated by Frank Stronach’s Magna Entertainment Corp., the 304-acre facility just off the Florida Turnpike opened in 2003 with
living quarters for exercise riders, hotwalkers, and grooms which resemble a college dormitory more than a tack room. Four three-storey buildings consist of 52 rooms, each 12-by-20 feet with two beds, a shower, a toilet, a microwave, refrigerator, heat/air conditioner, and storage locker. Each building has a laundry room equipped with three washers and three dryers. In the courtyard, there are two sand volleyball courts and a patio with benches and barbecue grills. “That’s Mr. Stronach,” Palm Meadows General Manager Gary Van den Broek said. “He wanted to provide better living facilities for the people who work here. There’s nothing fancy about them, but they’re better than other facilities.” Other facilities can get better. They need to get better. “We should do more,” Saratoga’s John Hendrickson said. “We will do more.” They need to. For as long as there are no national regulations or written contracts with trainers, America’s backstretch workers will forever remain at risk. n
IN BLACK AND WHITE It sounds so simple, the current agreement between the National Trainers Federation and the National Association of Stable Staff in the United Kingdom explained in the agreement’s Preamble: “The Agreement provides for a Racing Industry Minimum Rates of Pay Structure and certain standard conditions of employment for stable Staff employed by trainers in the racing industry.” The agreement went into effect January 1, 2014, and extends until September 30, 2014. All wages are given in pounds. For purposes of comparison, the current exchange rate as of July 2, 2014, was $1.72 U.S. Dollar = $1 British Pound. Among the agreement’s contents:
Wages Minimum rates for a 40-hour basic week are determined on a sliding scale from 1 through 6. They vary by age in Scales 1-3. Scale 1 for a trainee – Ages 16-17 – £150.14, upwards; Ages 18-20 - 203.18, upwards; Ages 21 and over – £252.40, upwards. Scale 2 for an improver – Ages 16-17 – £179.51, upwards; Ages 18-20 – £203.18, upwards; Ages 21 and over – £252.40, upwards. Scale 3 for a rider/groom/yard person – Ages 16-20 – £203.18, upwards; Ages 21 and over – £252.40, upwards. Scales 4 for a senior rider/groom/yard person; 5 for a skilled rider/specialist/yard person; and 6 for a supe rvisor of staff/senior manager all pay the same – £282.52, upwards. There is a consolidated wage covering
overtime worked on weekends with a sliding scale for the six different scales.
including eight public holidays.
Work Week
Stable staff receive a maximum five days to attend the funeral and deal with family and legal matters. An employer may, at his discretion, negotiate a period of unpaid leave for employees requiring a leave greater than five days.
The normal work week is 40 hours excluding meal breaks. Stable staff returning from racing after midnight shall not be required to start work until 9:30 a.m. If they are asked to start earlier, they will be paid at a rate of time-anda-half.
Overtime Overtime will be paid at time-and-a-half for working Monday through Saturday and at double time for working Sundays. Traveling time while working is treated as working time. Stable staff are paid for time outside the yard at £6.70 per hour.
Subsistence Allowance Staff going racing Mondays through Saturdays get a daily subsistence allowance of £10 up to eight hours and £13.5 for more than eight hours. Staff who race on Sundays in Great Britain receive a Sunday Racing Payment of £30. There is an overnight allowance of £15, which is tax free.
Pensions The employer contributes an annual payment of £440 toward a pension for each full-time employee who is aged 18 to 65.
Holidays A sliding scale covers employees. For the first year of employment – 30 days including eight public holidays. For up to five years of employment – 32 days including eight public holidays. For five years and more – 34 days
Bereavement Leave
Sickness/Accident Absence Stable staff with more than six months of employment receive up to one month annually in paid sick/accident leave except if the accident has been caused by an employee who was involved in fighting, drunken behavior, or drug abuse. It does not include racing accidents. Employees pay £2.37 weekly to the Racing Industry Accident Benefit Scheme. Injury benefits are paid for a period of up to two years from the established date of the accident.
Disability/Death Payment In the event of death, partial disability, or permanent disability, benefits will be paid up to £103,000.
Clothing Trainers are recommended to assist stable staff in purchasing work clothes such as jodhpurs and jodhpurs boots. Skull caps and safety vests should be provided free of charge by the employer.
Disputes Disputes are covered in a separate section of the agreement.
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 71
VETERINARY
INFLUENZA Are we protecting our horses effectively?
The devastating flu outbreak that rampaged through the Australian horse population in 2007 was an important wakeup call reminding us that equine influenza virus is an everpresent threat. In Europe and America, the economic losses and welfare impact of flu are minimized by vaccination, but still occasional outbreaks continue to occur. WORDS: PROFESSOR CElia M MaRR, EDitOR, EquinE VEtERinaRy JOuRnal, nEWMaRkEt, SuFFOlk, uk PHOtOS: SHuttERStOCk, CaROlinE nORRiS, PROFESSOR CElia M MaRR
How do the flu vaccines work? Vaccination stimulates the horse’s immune system to produce antibodies. These equine proteins recognize antigens, specific proteins on the surface of the virus. The antibody and antigen fit together, rather like a lock and key,
to prevent the virus from entering the cells in the horse’s respiratory tract. Not only do these antibodies persist in the horse but the vaccine also stimulates an immunological memory. When the vaccinated horse meets the flu virus again, the immune system recognizes the
Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) (EVJ) recently published a series of articles focusing on equine influenza offering views from virologists, drug regulators, sporting authorities and the animal health industry. In addition, flu researchers from the Irish Equine Centre in Kildare have shared important insights from their work on flu control in two recent research articles published in EVJ.
antigens as similar to the vaccine and quickly mounts a protective response to attack the invading virus.
Virus strains Flu virus strains are named after two antigens on their surface, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase. HA is responsible for entry into equine cells lining the respiratory tract while the neuraminidase is involved in virus replication. The equine flu viruses all belong to the H3N8 family. Humans are affected by flu viruses of other strains, but equine influenza poses no threat. Groups of viruses of closely related strains are called Clades and currently there are two Clades of equine influenza viruses circulating globally.
Constant evasive action by the flu virus
The flu vaccine stimulates the horse to produce antibodies that recognize the hemagglutinin proteins on the virus surface, represented here in green. These proteins are important for the process by which the virus gains entry to the horse’s cells. Antibodies against HA prevent the virus attaching to the respiratory tract and protect against infection. As the HA proteins mutate, they are less easily recognized by antibodies produced in response to outdated vaccines and vaccines containing old virus strains becomes less effective. (Diagram from Professor Paul Digard, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, EVJ DOI: 10.1111/evj.12148). 72 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
Equine flu vaccines are all targeted at the HA protein. But the flu virus is smart, and through a process called antigenic drift, it is continuously mutating and changing the genes that code for the HA antigenic site. As these changes occur, the vaccine becomes ever less effective.
What’s the point in vaccination?
Flu causes nasal discharge, coughing, and fever. Vaccination can reduce the prevalence, severity and duration of these signs. (Photo courtesey of Richard Payne, Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket)
When an unvaccinated horse is infected with flu, first the virus invades the nasal passages and at this early stage, the horse begins to shed large amounts of virus and is highly contagious to other horses. Then, the horse develops clinical signs such as coughing, nasal discharge, and fever. An EVJ study from French researcher Dr.
INFLUENZA
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 73
VETERINARY LoĂŻc J. Legrand showed that horses that had been vaccinated had lower incidences of fever and coughing when they did become infected by flu compared to unvaccinated horses in the same outbreak. This highlights a very important point: It is not realistic to expect vaccination to protect every single horse from ever becoming infected. Rather, the goal is that by vaccinating groups of horses, individual and herd immunity is boosted so that when horses do encounter the flu virus, they shed less virus (and thus are less contagious to others), clinical signs are less severe, and equestrian events are not at risk of cancellation due to influenza.
Management and environmental factors involved in flu outbreaks
Teasers come into direct contact with many mares and can easily spread the flu virus
The pattern of clinical signs seen in one Irish training stable affected by flu. The coloured boxes show where the horses developed clinical signs. In white boxes, the horses remained healthy although some either shed virus (denoted by suprascript 1 and 3) or mounted an antibody response to the virus (denoted by suprascript 2 and 3). Although the virus spread throughout the stable, there were clusters. Overall, the vaccination status of this group was high, with over 89% of horses having up to date vaccination records. The first case, which had not been vaccinated for 15 months, is indicated by the turquoise box. Horses that developed signs on Day 3 are indicated by purple boxes, Day 7 red, Day 8 yellow, Day 9 orange, Day 10 pink, Day 11 blue, and Day 19 green. The number in brackets indicates months since previous vaccination; U indicates those with unknown vaccination records. Recent vaccination helped minimize the effects of the virus: two of three horses that had not been vaccinated for more than 12 months showed clinical signs compared to 13 of 49 of those vaccinated within the last seven months. Of the four horses with unknown vaccination history, one showed signs, and two more mounted an immune response. E indicates empty boxes. (Diagram from Gildea et al, EVJ, DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00333.x).
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As part of a PhD project, Sarah Gildea from the Irish Equine Centre performed a major review of flu outbreaks on 28 premises across Ireland from 2007 to 2010 with the aim of identifying risk factors and improving control strategies. Detailed investigations were conducted on 16 of these premises, and on 15 premises, flu came after the movement of horses. The only farm that did not have recent horse movement was immediately adjacent to another infected property. The key risk factors for spread within premises were: l Housing type: the proportion of horses affected on a property ranged from 50% in horses at pasture, 54% in groups kept in individual stables, and 94% in groups kept in barns. l Teaser stallions: on stud farms, these are individuals that have close nose-to-nose contact with the largest numbers of mares, and therefore, if they do develop flu they are particularly likely to spread it. l Fomites and personnel: Dr. Gildea was able to show that on two premises horses that had no direct contact with others became infected. This suggests that fomites such as stable equipment or even stable staff might play a role in spreading infection. None of these premises had fully-up-to-date vaccination status in 100% of their horses, but in the most well-vaccinated yard 89% of the horses had had recent boosters. Vaccination status, number of years of vaccination, time since last vaccination, and age influenced the clinical signs, with younger horses being more likely to be clinically affected. Gildea’s recommendations aimed at stopping spread on a premises are: l Isolation and clinical monitoring of new arrivals and horses returning from equestrian events; l Serological testing of new arrivals and vaccination as appropriate; l Vaccination of horses at six monthly intervals, especially young horses and teasers; l Maintenance of effective boundaries between equine premises;
INFLUENZA l
Avoidance of stabling in single air spaces.
Recommendations aimed at controlling flu once it is occurs on a premises are: l prompt isolation of suspected cases; l Rapid confirmatory diagnosis by RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction); l Booster vaccination following early diagnosis; l Implementation of strict biosecurity measures to avoid transmission by fomites, personnel, and contaminated vehicles.
How often should horses be vaccinated? The racing authorities in France, the UK, and Ireland introduced mandatory vaccination in the early 1980s. These regulations appear to have been roughly modeled on experience with human vaccines rather than being evidence based. Crucially, these recommendations do not correspond with those of the vaccine manufacturers. Dr. Ann Cullinane, Head of Virology at the Irish Equine Centre, looked at antibody levels in three groups of young horses. Group 1 received their first two doses of their primary course three weeks apart followed by their third dose five months later, i.e. with the minimal intervals permitted by the racing authorities. Group 2 were vaccinated in accordance with the vaccine manufacturer’s data sheet and received two doses six weeks apart followed by a third five months later. Group 3 received the first two 13 weeks apart followed by a third seven months later, corresponding with the maximum intervals by the racing authorities. Overall, the horses vaccinated with the maximum vaccination intervals permitted by the racing authorities were less well protected than the horses vaccinated with the minimum vaccination intervals permitted and those vaccinated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. However, the racing authorities’ recommendations do have the benefit that they allow some flexibility to target vaccination at times of anticipated increased risk (for example before sales or introduction to a training facility). But when such factors are not present, trainers should aim to use the shortest intervals rather than risk pushing out to the maximum allowed limit.
Poor responders Thoroughbred weanlings may not produce an adequate antibody level in response to the first dose of vaccine. In a previous study by the same research group, 79% of weanlings responded poorly to their first dose while in this study 50% of weanlings were poor responders. In the past, poor vaccine response has often been attributed to the effects of antibody the weanling acquires in its mother’s colostrum
Antibody levels in horses assigned to three different vaccination regimes were monitored for 45 weeks after the first dose. The response to vaccination was similar irrespective of the regime but periods when antibody levels were low were longer when horses were given their second and third boosters at the maximum interval allowed by the racing authorities (13 weeks and seven months, green line). Horses that were vaccinated at the minimum intervals (three weeks and five months, blue line) and those that were vaccinated in line with manufacturer’s recommendations (six weeks and five months, red line) were better protected. (Graph from Cullinane et al, EVJ, DOI: 10.1111/evj.12214)
blocking the effect of the vaccine. But in this study the highest incidence (76%) of poor responders was actually observed amongst yearlings and a few of the two- and three-yearolds also responded poorly to the first vaccine dose, indicating that the problem was not due to colostral antibody. All the horses responded to the second and third vaccination but the failure to respond to the first dose is of concern particularly for trainers opting for the longer interval between the first and second vaccinations. In the 1989 flu epidemic in the UK poor responders were 15 times more likely to be the index case on a premises than horses with good vaccination responses. Poor responders were also identified as highly susceptible to flu during outbreaks in Irish training stables in 2010 and 2012. The cause of poor responders is unclear, but this result is further evidence against prolonging the interval between vaccine doses
Could vaccines be more up-to-date and effective? The flu virus’s ability to undergo antigenic drift means strains in flu vaccines go out of date. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is responsible for recommending suitable vaccine strains for inclusion in commercial vaccines, and its decision-making is informed by ongoing surveillance data provided by numerous centers across the globe. Viruses currently circulating are of the American lineage, Florida Clade 1 and 2. There is one vaccine available within the United States that contains both these strains as recommended by the OIE in 2010. There
are currently no equine vaccines available in Europe that contain both Clade 1 and Clade 2 equine influenza strains. Vaccine strain is not the only factor that influences the effectiveness of any specific product. Vaccines with slightly older strain profiles do give some protection as antibodies can cross-react with newer strains and protection is not an ‘all or nothing’ phenomenon. Compliance with sport regulators’ requirements is a powerful motivator to ensure vaccination takes place, but trainers should ensure they question their vets about whether the vaccine used in their horses is of the latest available strain profile. Commercial pressure will help encourage vaccine manufacturers to ensure that they are using the latest strains in their product if they see potential for return on the investment required to update vaccine strains. Human flu vaccines are updated every year, however, in defense of animal health industry, the regulations surrounding introduction of new animal vaccines in European are very arduous and time consuming, so this is not a simple matter. There is a need to streamline the process to enable pharmaceutical companies to bring new equine flu vaccines with updated strains to market more efficiently. An ongoing and collective effort from horse owners, trainers, vets, and the racing authorities to create demand for the best possible vaccines, together with action from the animal health industry and regulators, will ensure that the evidence gleaned from recent research is translated into even more effective protection for our horses. n
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 75
ADVERTORIAL
Horse Health Products About Central launches two new Red Cell® Garden & Pet performance supplements Regardless of the type of event, high performance horses require nutrients that are help improve stamina and performance to achieve peak results every ride. Now equestrians can keep their horses performing their best with the introduction of two new Horse Health™ Products: Red Cell® Competition supplement and Red Cell® Recovery paste. Horse Health Products is a trusted equine brand of Central Garden & Pet Company. Red Cell® Competition supplement allows horses to perform longer* during training and key events by promoting and supporting stamina and peak performance. It contains two antioxidants that scavenge and reduce free radicals, which cause damage to cells and tissues. An overproduction of free radicals results in oxidative stress, causing a reduction in available energy and leads to fatigue. Supported by university research, this daily pre-performance supplement also decreases oxidative stress associated with strenuous exercise. Red Cell® Recovery paste helps horses recover faster* after competitions, so they can resume their training regimen with the same intensity. It combines an antioxidant with branched chain amino acids and electrolytes to address the needs of the performance horse. Red Cell® Recovery paste, also backed by university research, supplies antioxidants that decrease oxidative stress associated with strenuous exercise. The branched chain amino acids aid in proper muscle function and repair, and maintain and minimize post-exercise muscle breakdown that occurs after intense training/competition. It also contains electrolytes to help replace fluid and minerals lost through sweat from training, performance and summer heat. “Competitors and trainers who want their performance horses consistently training and competing at their top level will love the results of the new Red Cell® Competition and Recovery products,” said Alyssa Barngrover, brand manager, Horse Health™ Products.” “These two new performance
76 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
supplements were scientifically formulated to support the horse before, during and after the event.” Red Cell® Competition supplement is available in a 10.6-ounce jar, for a 30-day supply. Red Cell® Recovery paste is available in a convenient single serving syringe that is easy to use post-exercise without waiting until feeding time.
About Horse Health™ Products For more than 35 years, horse owners all over the world have relied on Horse Health™ Products. The Horse Health™ brand began with Red Cell® supplement, the world’s leading liquid feed supplement for decades. Since then, Horse Health™ Products have been providing horse owners with quality products that get results at an honest price. Horse Health™ Products serve both the pleasure horse and performance horse markets with products for fly control, deworming, hoof and leg care, grooming, wound care, leather care and nutritional supplements. For information about Horse Health™ Products in the U.S. call toll free at (800) 234-2269 or visit www.HorseHealthProducts.com. Be sure to join us on Facebook for tips and contests at www.facebook.com/ HorseHealthProducts and Twitter at www.twitter.com/HorseHealthProd When horses are your life, Horse Health™ Products is your brand.
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PRODUCT FOCUS
ProPad – the flexible frog support ProPad was designed with a flexible frog support to fill the void between frog and ground when the horse is shod. The flexible frog supports extends the frog and works as a shock absorber. It unloads the hoof wall and improves circulation in the hoof. ProPads unique accordion-like design allows the frog support to follow all movements of the frog without causing pressure at rest. ProPads gives the horse a barefoot feeling when shod. When the horse is shod the bottom of the hoof is too high off the ground and will not get the proper ground contact, all weight will be on the hoof wall. The ProPad Support Soft and Xtra-Soft have a softer material imbedded in the frog support and heel. This will effectively reduce shock and vibrations. Commonly pads are used on front feet, since most weight is on the front. But all hoofs work the same way, so it’s equally important to compensate for the suspended frogs behind. ProPad works on all breeds of horses. Don’t wait for injuries! Compensate for the lack of length and function of the frog with ProPad on your horse before an injury occurs. The ProPad comes in 3 density’s; Propad S (Basic Support), Propad SS (Support Soft) and Propad SXS (XtraSoft). They come in Small (fits 000 thru 0) & Medium (fits 0 thru 00) and the Support Soft and Xtra-Soft also come in a Large (fits 2 thru 3.5). They can be used with any open-heeled shoe. For more information visit www.Razerhorse.com
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 77
SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY
ISSUE 33 – SUMMER 2014 $5.95
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NEXT ISSUE ADVERT BOOKING DEADLINE OCTOBER 10TH Call 1-888-218-4430 or visit anderson-co.com/nat for further details INSURANCE
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STABLE & TRACK EQUIPMENT
SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY
EQUINE PRODUCTS
TRAINING CENTERS
Niall Brennan Stables
FL 34482
Website: www.niallbrennan.com Telephone: Office 352 732-7459 or Training Center 352 629 3994 Email: nbstables@aol.com Facilities: 3/4 mile dirt track 3/4 mile rolling turf course Aquaciser 4 stall starting gate European Walkers
Services offered: Breaking, Sales Prep R & R, Layups, etc..
Address: Training Center: 7505 W. Hwy 326 Ocala, FL 34482 ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 79
STAKES SCHEDULES
STAKES SCHEDULES Sponsored by Omega Alpha RegenerEQ™ has been scientifically formulated to quickly promote appetite and weight gain while it maintains a healthy gastro-intestinal environment. RegenerEQ™ is recommended for horses that are stressed from racing, travel, new surroundings or new feed. For more information tel: 1-800-651-3172 www.omegaalphaequine.com RACES
Races are divided by distance and the relevant surface is indicated as follows: AWT - All Weather Track D - Dirt T - Turf The indexes cover all graded races in North America over $50,000 in value, where information was available at the time of publication. Races highlighted in purple indicate the race is a Breeders’ Cup win and you’re in race. Stakes Schedules are now updated monthly – visit trainermagazine.com/stakes
COPYRIGHT
Under Copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means. This includes but is not limited to: photocopying for commercial redistribution and or facsimile recording without the prior permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the publisher.
DISCLAIMER
Whilst every effort has been made to publish correct information, the publishers will not be held liable for any omission, mistake or change to the races listed in all published indexes.
RegenerEQ™ – promoting appetite, weight gain and a healthy gastro-intestinal environment Country USA USA USA USA
Track Mountaineer Charles Town Charles Town Charles Town
Race Name & (Sponsor) West Virginia Legislature Chairman’s Cup Henry Mercer Memorial Rachel’s Turn St Its Only Money S
JPN USA USA USA USA GB USA USA FR
Niigata Monmouth Park Del Mar Monmouth Park Del Mar York Delaware Park Delaware Park Longchamp
Ibis Summer Dash Tyro St Daisycutter H’cap Colleen St Green Flash H’cap Nunthorpe St (Coolmore) First State Dash Small Wonder Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (Qatar)
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Saratoga Monmouth Park Arapahoe Park Arapahoe Park Belterra Park Belterra Park Monmouth Park Saratoga Arapahoe Park Saratoga Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Keeneland Keeneland Santa Anita Santa Anita Zia Park Los Alamitos Los Alamitos
USA USA USA USA USA
Saratoga Suffolk Downs Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs
Breeders’ Cup
Class S S
Race Date 2 Aug 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014
Value $100,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
Age 3+ 2 2F 3+
$371,748 $60,000 $90,000 $60,000 $90,000 £250,000 $75,000 $75,000 €350,000
3+ 2 3+ F&M 2F 3+ 2+ 2 2 F&M 2+
4.5f (870m)
Surface Metres Furlongs Closing D 900 4.5 21 Jul 2014 D 900 4.5 D 900 4.5 D 900 4.5
AntiFlam™ – supports sound feet and joints! Gr 3
Turf Sprint
Gp 1 R R Gp 1
3 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014 8 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 13 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 5 Oct 2014
5f (1000m) T D T T T T D D T
1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Hemex™ – maintains a normal red blood cell count and supports better oxygen utilization Caress My Frenchman St Silver Cup Futurity Colts and Geldings Division Silver Cup Futurity Filly Division Horizon St Vivacious H’cap Fort Monmouth St Troy St Spicy S Smart N Fancy CTHS Sales CTHS Sales Woodford Buffalo Trace Franklin County Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Breeders Cup Juvenile Lea County Sprint Starlet Los Alamitos Futurity
S S Gr 3 L Gr1 Gr Gr 1 Gr 1
1 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 13 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 25 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 1 Sep 2014 4 Oct 2014 10 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 11 Nov 2014 13 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014
$100,000 $60,000 $35,000 $35,000 $50,000 $50,000 $60,000 $100,000 $40,000 $100,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 $150,000 $100,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $55,000 $350,000 $500,000
3 + FM 3+ 2 C&G 2F 3 3 + FM 3+FM 3+ 3 + FM 3 + FM 3F 3 CG 3+ 3+ F&M 2F 2 3+ 2F 2
T T T T T T T T T T D D T T D D D D D
80 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
Gr 1 S S S S
2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014
$350,000 $25,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
3+ 3F 3+ F&M (LA Bred) 3+ ( LA Bred) 2 (LA Bred)
D D D D D
24 Jun 2014 25 Jul 2014 31 Jul 2014 1 Aug 2014 7 Aug 2014 24 Jun 2014 1 Sep 2014 1 Sep 2014 27 Aug 2014
5.5f (1100m) 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100
Healthy Horse™ – Hemex, Immune Plus, Lung Flush & Liver Flush in one convenient format! Alfred G Vanderbilt H’cap Louise Kimball St Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Louisiana Cup Sprint Louisiana Cup Juvenile
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5
25 Jul 2014
31 Jul 2014 31 Jul 2014 1 Aug 2014
15 Apr 2014 15 Apr 2014
28 Oct 2014 28 Oct 2014 15 May 2014 15 May 2014
6f (1200m) 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200
6 6 6 6 6
19 Jul 2014 19 Jul 2014 19 Jul 2014
STAKES SCHEDULES Testos Boost™ – a natural way to increase a horse’s production of testosterone Country USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA FR JPN CAN USA USA USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN GB USA USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA CAN GB USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN CAN USA USA USA GB CAN CAN USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA JPN
Track Louisiana Downs Mountaineer Mountaineer Mountaineer Mountaineer Woodbine Woodbine Thistledown Suffolk Downs Finger Lakes Ruidoso Downs Hastings Racecourse Woodbine Finger Lakes Monmouth Park Thistledown Arapahoe Park Saratoga Saratoga Deauville Kokura Woodbine Del Mar Saratoga Suffolk Downs Evangeline Downs Sapporo Monmouth Park Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Belterra Park Del Mar Del Mar Del Mar Assiniboia Downs Haydock Park Finger Lakes Finger Lakes Monmouth Park Kokura Presque Isle Downs Zia Park Delaware Park Delaware Park Belterra Park Canterbury Hanshin Thistledown Woodbine Newmarket Belmont Park Monmouth Park Emerald Downs Keeneland Santa Anita Keeneland Finger Lakes Finger Lakes Finger Lakes Niigata Woodbine Belterra Park Zia Park Zia Park Newmarket Woodbine Woodbine Thistledown Woodbine Zia Park Zia Park Zia Park Zia Park Zia Park Finger Lakes Finger Lakes Thistledown Santa Anita Thistledown Mountaineer Woodbine Zia Park Penn National Penn National Mahoning Valley Mahoning Valley Kyoto
Race Name & (Sponsor) Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies The Senator Robert C Byrd Memorial St Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies St Mountaineer Juvenile St West Virginia Secretary of State St Nandi S Ontario Debutante S Cleveland Kindergarten St African Prince Niagara St Aspen Cup New Westminster (AlwS) Vandal S Ontario County St Jersey Shore St Honey Jay St Gold Rush Futurity Union Avenue St Tale of the Cat Prix Morny (Darley) Kitakyushu Kinen Kenora S Generous Portion St Prioress St Norman Hall Evangeline Downs Starlet Keeneland Cup Sorority St MN Distaff Sprint Championship MN Sprint Championship Northern Lights Debutante St Northern Lights Futurity St Tah Dah St I’m Smokin St C.E.R.F. St Pirate’s Bounty S Winnipeg Futurity Sprint Cup (Betfred) Aspirant St Lady Fingers St Eleven North H’cap Kokura Nisai St The Mark Mcdermott St Premiere Cup H’cap Tax Free Distaff The New Castle Loyalty St Shakopee Juvenile Stakes Centaur St Scarlet & Gray H’cap Bull Page S Cheveley Park St Vosburgh Invitational Jersey Juvenile NWSS Cahill Road Stakes Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix The Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Ancient Title S) (Prov race date) Thoroughbred Club of America S Arctic Queen H’cap Leon Reed Memorial H’cap New York Breeders’ Futurity Sprinters St Victorian Queen S Best of Ohio Sprint Permian Basin S Governor’s Cup Middle Park St (Vision.ae) Nearctic S Ontario Fashion S Diana St Fanfreluche S New Mexico Classic Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Championship New Mexico Classic Cup Juvenile For Fillies New Mexico Classic Cup Juvenile For Colts and Geldings New Mexico Classic Cup Sprint Championship New Mexico Classic Cup Championship for Fillies Tin Cup Chalice S Shesastonecoldfox S Emerald Necklace St Breeders Cup Xpressbet Sprint Cardinal H Sophomore Sprint Championship St Kennedy Road S Zia Park Distaff S Blue Mountain S Fabulous Strike H First Lady St Glacial Princess St Keihan Hai
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Breeders’ Cup
Class S
R S S S S S S Gr 3 S S Gp 1 Gr 3 R S Gr 2 S R Gr 3 L S S S S S R R Gp 1 S S Gr 3 S R R
Sprint
Sprint Sprint F&M Sprint
Turf Sprint
Gr 2 S R Gp 1 Gr 1 S Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 2 S S S Gr 1 R
Gp 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 S S S S S S S S Gr 1
Gr 2 R
Gr 3
Race Date 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 15 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 21 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 3 Sep 2014 3 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 3 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 14 Oct 2014 14 Oct 2014 17 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 25 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 11 Nov 2014 23 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014
Value $50,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 CAN125,000 CAN125,000 $50,000 $25,000 $50,000 $50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN150,000 $50,000 $100,000 $50,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 €350,000 $371,868 CAN125,000 $150,000 $300,000 $25,000 $100,000 $391,646 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $75,000 $75,000 $50,000 $150,000 $90,000 $90,000 CAN 50,000 £250,000 $100,000 $100,000 $60,000 $293,713 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $50,000 $75,000 $558,347 $50,000 CAN125,000 £170,000 $400,000 $60,000 $50,000 $200,000 $250,000 $200,000 $50,000 $50,000 $200,000 $930,269 CAN125,000 $150,000 $55,000 $55,000 £170,000 CAN300,000+ CAN150,000+ $50,000 CAN150,000 $130,000 $140,000 $140,000 $170,000 $140,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $1,500,000 $50,000 $85,000 CAN200,000+ $75,000 $75,000 $200,000 $50,000 $50,000 $371,285
6f (1200m)
Age Surface Metres Furlongs Closing 2 F (LA Bred) D 1200 6 19 Jul 2014 3+ D 1200 6 21 Jul 2014 2F D 1200 6 21 Jul 2014 2 D 1200 6 21 Jul 2014 3+ FM D 1200 6 21 Jul 2014 2F AWT 1200 6 16 Jul 2014 2F AWT 1200 6 23 Jul 2014 2 (OH Bred) D 1200 6 30 Jul 2014 3 1200 6 3F D 1200 6 3F D 1200 6 2 D 1200 6 6 Aug 2014 2 AWT 1200 6 30 Jul 2014 3 D 1200 6 3 D 1200 6 2 Aug 2014 3+ (OH Bred) D 1200 6 7 Aug 2014 2 T 1200 6 3+ FM (NY bred) D 1200 6 3+ D 1200 6 2 CF T 1200 6 30 Jul 2014 3+ T 1200 6 8 Jul 2014 3+ AWT 1200 6 6 Aug 2014 2F AWT 1200 6 21 Aug 2014 3F D 1200 6 2 D 1200 6 2 T 1200 6 9 Aug 2014 3+ T 1200 6 22 Jul 2014 2F D 1200 6 22 Aug 2014 3 FM D 1200 6 21 Aug 2014 3 D 1200 6 21 Aug 2014 2F D 1200 6 1 Apr 2014 2 D 1200 6 1 Apr 2014 2F T 1200 6 21 Aug 2014 2 AWT 1200 6 21 Aug 2014 3+ F&M AWT 1200 6 28 Aug 2014 3+ AWT 1200 6 28 Aug 2014 2 D 1200 6 3+ T 1200 6 8 Jul 2014 2 C&G D 1200 6 2F D 1200 6 3+ FM D 1200 6 29 Sep 2014 2 T 1200 6 22 Jul 2014 2 AWT 1200 6 27 Aug 2014 3+ D 1200 6 3+ F&M D 1200 6 1 Sep 2014 3+ D 1200 6 1 Sep 2014 2 T 1200 6 3 Sep 2014 2 D 1200 6 4 Sep 2014 3+ T 1200 6 5 Aug 2014 3+ FM (OH Reg) D 1200 6 11 Sep 2014 2 C&G AWT 1200 6 10 Sep 2014 2F T 1200 6 22 Jul 2014 3+ D 1200 6 2 (NJ bred) D 1200 6 19 Sep 2014 2 WA D 1200 6 3+ AWT 1200 6 3+ D 1200 6 3+ F&M AWT 1200 6 3+ FM D 1200 6 3+ D 1200 6 2 D 1200 6 3+ T 1200 6 19 Aug 2014 2F AWT 1200 6 24 Sep 2014 3+ T 1200 6 2 Oct 2014 2F D 1200 6 2 D 1200 6 2C T 1200 6 29 Jul 2014 3+ T 1200 6 1 Oct 2014 3+ F&M AWT 1200 6 1 Oct 2014 3 + FM (Ohio bred) T 1200 6 2F AWT 1200 6 8 Oct 2014 3+ F&M D 1200 6 2F D 1200 6 2 C&G D 1200 6 3+ D 1200 6 3+ F&M D 1200 6 2 C&G D 1200 6 2F D 1200 6 2F (Ohio bred) T 1200 6 3+ D 1200 6 28 Oct 2014 3 + (Ohio bred) T 1200 6 3 D 1200 6 28 Oct 2014 3+ AWT 1200 6 5 Nov 2014 3+ F&M D 1200 6 2 F (PA bred) D 1200 6 15 Nov 2014 3+ D 1200 6 14 Nov 2014 3F T 1200 6 2F T 1200 6 3+ T 1200 6 14 Oct 2014
STAKES SCHEDULES EnduraForce™ for pre-race stamina & Equisel-BCAA for post-race recovery. Use together! Country Track USA Mahoning Valley JPN Nakayama
Race Name & (Sponsor) Joshua Radosevich Memorial St Capella St
Breeders’ Cup
Class Gr 3
Race Date 13 Dec 2014 14 Dec 2014
Value $50,000 $342,015
Age 2 3+
Biotic 8™ – the easy and efficient way to maintain a healthy digestive tract USA CAN CAN CAN CAN USA FR USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN USA USA CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN USA USA USA USA
Del Mar Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Woodbine Northlands Park Del Mar Deauville Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Emerald Downs Del Mar Emerald Downs Saratoga Saratoga Woodbine Woodbine Hastings Racecourse Northlands Park Northlands Park Emerald Downs Presque Isle Downs Woodbine Northlands Park Northlands Park Northlands Park Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Presque Isle Downs Belmont Park Belmont Park Santa Anita
Best Pal St British Columbia Cup Debutante (AlwS) British Columbia Cup Nursery (AlwS) Shepperton S Sun Sprint St Sorrento St Prix Maurice de Gheest Adirondack St Saratoga Special John Morrissey St WTBOA Lads St Rancho Bernardo H’cap Barbara Shinpoch St Funny Cide Seeking the Ante Simcoe S Muskoka S CTHS Sales (AlwS) Bird of Pay St Birdcatcher St Dennis Dodge St Presque Isle Downs Masters S Bold Venture S Red Diamond St Premier’s Futurity Sturgeon River St Jack Diamond Sadie Diamond Fitz Dixon Mem S Hudson H’cap Iroquois Breeders Cup Turf Sprint
Gr 2 S S R Gr 2 Gp 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 S Gr 3
R R S
S Gr 2 Gr 3 S S S S S S S Gr 1
3 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 6 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 15 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 5 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 8 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 25 Sep 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014
$200,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN125,000 CAN 50,000 $200,000 €250,000 $200,000 $200,000 $100,000 $50,000 0 $50,000 $200,000 $200,000 CAN 200,000 CAN 200,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 $50,000 $400,000 CAN150,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 100,000 CAN 100,000 $100,000 $150,000 $150,000 $1,000,000
2 2F 2 CG (BC Bred) 3+ 3+ 2F 3+ 2F 2 3+ (NY bred) 2 CG 3+ F&M 2F 2 2F 2 C&G 2F 2F 2F 2 C&G 2 CG WA bred 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 2 2F 2 CG 2F 2 3+ (NY bred) 3+ F&M (NY bred) 3+
6f (1200m)
Surface Metres Furlongs Closing T 1200 6 D 1200 6 28 Oct 2014
6.5f (1300m) AWT D D AWT D AWT T D D D D AWT D D D AWT AWT D D D D AWT AWT D D D D D AWT D D T
1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300
HA-140™ to ensure higher bioavailability; use daily to aid joint health or post surgery recovery USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN IRE IRE CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA FR FR GB USA USA JPN CAN CAN JPN JPN USA CAN CAN USA USA USA JPN
Del Mar Saratoga Charles Town Woodbine Charles Town Saratoga Saratoga Charles Town Woodbine Del Mar Del Mar Saratoga Charles Town Saratoga Saratoga Del Mar Arlington Park Arlington Park Woodbine Curragh Curragh Woodbine Charles Town Charles Town Charles Town Charles Town Belmont Park Belmont Park Longchamp Longchamp Newmarket Keeneland Santa Anita Kyoto Woodbine Woodbine Kyoto Tokyo Charles Town Woodbine Woodbine Delta Downs Charles Town Charles Town Hanshin
Real Good Deal St Test Robert G Leavitt St Play the King S Sadie Hawkins St King’s Bishop St Ballerina St Frank Gall Memorial Seaway S Pat O’Brien H’cap Del Mar Debutante Forego Sylvia Bishop Memorial Spinaway St Hopeful St Del Mar Futurity Arlington-Washington Lassie Arlington-Washington Futurity Swynford S Moyglare Stud St National St (Goffs Vincent O’Brien) Overskate S Pink Ribbon St Charles Town Oaks Wild and Wonderful St Researcher S Bertram F Bongard St Joseph A Gimma St Prix de la Foret (Qatar) Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium Dewhurst St Lexus Raven Run Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Swan St Frost King S Jammed Lovely S Fantasy St Keio Hai Nisai St Tri-State Futurity Bessarabian S Glorious Song S Sam’s Town West Virginia Futurity (WV) Eleanor Casey Memorial Hanshin Cup
USA USA USA FR
Saratoga Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Deauville
De La Rose St A L Red Erwin S Elge Rasberry S Prix de Rothschild
F&M Sprint
Dirt Mile Sprint
S Gr 1 S Gr 2 S Gr 1 Gr 1 S Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 1 S Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 3
Juv F Turf
Gp 1 Gp 1 R
Mile Juv Turf
Gp 1 Gp 1 Gp 1 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 R S Gr 3 Gr 2 R Gr 2 R S Gr 2
1 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 3 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 5 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 17 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 16 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 20 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014
$200,000 $500,000 $50,000 CAN200,000+ $50,000 $500,000 $500,000 $50,000 CAN150,000 $250,000 $300,000 $500,000 $50,000 $350,000 $350,000 $300,000 $100,000 $150,000 CAN125,000 €300,000 €200,000 CAN125,000 $100,000 $500,000 $100,000 $100,000 $150,000 $150,000 €300,000 €350,000 £350,000 $250,000 $1,000,000 $558,092 CAN125,000 CAN150,000 $274,148 $352,473 $100,000 CAN150,000+ CAN125,000 $75,000 $50,000 $50,000 $635,085
R/S R/S Gp 1
$100,000 $150,000 $150,000 €300,000
24 Jul 2014 15 Apr 2014 15 Apr 2014 16 Jul 2014 31 Jul 2014 16 Jul 2014
7 Aug 2014
6 Aug 2014 6 Aug 2014 15 Apr 2014
27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014
15 Apr 2014 15 Apr 2014 15 Sep 2014
28 Oct 2014
7f (1400m)
3 3F 3 3+ 3+ F&M 3 3+ FM 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 2F 3+ 3F 2F 2 2 2F 2 2 2F 2 CF 3+ 3+ FM 3F 3+ 3 2 2F 3+ 2 CF 2 C&F 3F 3 + FM 3+ 2 3F 2F 2 2 3+ F&M 2F 3 2 2F 3+
AWT D D T D D D D AWT AWT AWT D D D D AWT AWT AWT AWT T T AWT D D D D D D T T T AWT D T AWT AWT T T D AWT AWT D D D T
1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400
4 + FM 3 (LA Bred) 3 F (LA Bred) 3+ F
T T T T
1600 1600 1600 1600
Stasis™ – maintaining normal capillary integrity in the lungs 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014
6.5 6.5 6.5 6 .5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6 .5 6 .5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
24 Jul 2014
23 Jul 2014
6 Aug 2014 14 Aug 2014 6 Jun 2014
6 Jun 2014 23 Aug 2013 23 Aug 2014 20 Aug 2014 28 May 2014 28 May 2014 3 Sep 2014
27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 29 Jul 2014 28 Oct 2014 16 Sep 2014 22 Oct 2014 22 Oct 2014 30 Sep 2014 30 Sep 2014 29 Oct 2014 5 Nov 2014
11 Nov 2014
8f (1600m) 8 8 8 8
CLOSED CLOSED 9 Jul 2014
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 83
STAKES SCHEDULES Chill Ultra™ – reduces anxiety, focuses the mind and relaxes muscles to perform better Country CAN USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN FR JPN USA USA CAN USA USA USA CAN USA USA CAN USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN IRE USA USA CAN FR JPN CAN CAN CAN ITY USA GB USA USA USA USA FR CAN GB GB USA USA CAN CAN GB JPN FR USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA JPN JPN USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA JPN JPN USA
Track Assiniboia Downs Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Del Mar Assiniboia Downs Assiniboia Downs Deauville Niigata Del Mar Saratoga Woodbine Suffolk Downs Del Mar Emerald Downs Woodbine Saratoga Del Mar Woodbine Del Mar Niigata Del Mar Del Mar Del Mar Del Mar Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Presque Isle Downs Emerald Downs Emerald Downs Woodbine Woodbine Leopardstown Delaware Park Canterbury Woodbine Longchamp Niigata Northlands Park Assiniboia Downs Woodbine Milan Zia Park Newmarket Belmont Park Belmont Park Keeneland Keeneland Longchamp Woodbine Newmarket Ascot Belmont Park Belmont Park Northlands Park Northlands Park Doncaster Tokyo Saint-Cloud Zia Park Zia Park Santa Anita Santa Anita Santa Anita Santa Anita Tokyo Mountaineer Kyoto Tokyo Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Kyoto Zia Park Hanshin Hanshin Arlington Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) Breeders’ Cup Assiniboia Oaks New York Stallion Series - Cab Calloway Division New York Stallion Series - Statue of Liberty Division Fourstardave H’cap Tenski Sandy Blue H’cap Agassiz St Distaff St Prix Jacques le Marois (Haras de Fresnay-Le-Buffard) Mile Sekiya Kinen Solana Beach H’cap Better Talk Now Ontario Colleen S John Kirby Del Mar Mile Longacres Mile H’cap Halton S Riskaverse El Cajon St Vice Regent S Harry F. Brubaker H’cap Niigata Nisai St Torrey Pines St Yellow Ribbon Handicap Oak Tree Juvenile Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Happy Ticket Sunday Silence Presque Isle BC Mile Jim Beam St Comcast Sports New St Summer S Juv Turf Natalma S Juv F Turf Matron St (Coolmore Fastnet Rock) F & M Turf DTHA Governors Day St Mystic Lake Derby Ricoh Woodbine Mile Mile Prix du Moulin de Longchamp Keisei Hai Autumn H’cap Alberta Oaks Buffalo St La Prevoyante S Premio Vittorio di Capua Chaves County S Sun Chariot St (Kingdom of Bahrain) Champagne St Juv Frizette St Juv F First Lady S Shadwell Turf Mile Mile Prix Marcel Boussac Juv F Turf Bunty Lawless S Fillies’ Mile (Dubai) Queen Elizabeth II St (Quipco) Maid of the Mist St Sleepy Hollow St Freedom of the City St Canadian Juvenile St Trophy (Racing Post) Saudi Arabia Royal Cup Fuji St Criterium International New Mexico Classic Cup Rocky Gulch Championship Peppers Pride New Mexico Classic Championship for Fillies & Mares Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Breeders Cup Mile Breeders Cup Dirt Mile Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Artemis S Mountaineer Mile S Daily Hai Nisai St Musashino St Louisiana Jewel Louisiana Legacy Boyd Gaming’s Delta Princess Treasure Chest Delta Mile Mile Championship New Mexico Eddy County S Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Asahi Hai Futurity St Springfield St
USA USA
Mountaineer Mountaineer
West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup West Virginia Senate President’s Breeders’ Cup St
USA
Presque Isle Downs
HBPA S
Class R R Gr 2
S R Gp 1 Gr 3 S Gr 3 S Gr 2 Gr 3 R
R R Gr 3 Gr II S S
S S Gr 2 Gr 2 Gp 1 R Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 3 S R R Gp 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 R Gp 1 Gp 1 S S
Gp 1 Gr 3 Gp 1 S S Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 3 S S Gr 3
Gr 1 S Gr 1 Gr 1 S
Race Date 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 11 Aug 2014 15 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 20 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 29 Aug 2014 29 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 1 Sep 2014 3 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 29 Sep 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 12 Oct 2014 17 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 24 Oct 2014 25 Oct 2014 25 Oct 2014 25 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 31 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 23 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 14 Dec 2014 21 Dec 2014 31-Jun-2014
Value CAN 50,000 $100,000 $100,000 $500,000 $100,000 $90,000 CAN 30,000 CAN 30,000 €600,000 $371,868 $150,000 $100,000 CAN150,000+ $25,000 $250,000 $200,000 CAN125,000 $100,000 $100,000 CAN125,000 $90,000 $293,667 $100,000 $200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $75,000 $75,000 $200,000 $50,000 $35,000 CAN200,000+ CAN200,000+ €300,000 $75,000 $200,000 CAN1,000,000+ €450,000 $372,198 CAN 50,000 CAN 30,000 CAN125,000 €209,000 $55,000 £160,000 $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 $750,000 €300,000 CAN125,000 £170,000 £1,000,000 $250,000 $250,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 £200,000 $391,680 €250,000 $180,000 $170,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $274,148 $130,000 $351,753 $362,311 $150,000 $150,000 $400,000 $200,000 $250,000 $976,929 $140,000 $635,154 $683,899 $100,000
Age 3F 3 3F 3+ 3F 3F 3+ C&G 3+ FM 3+ CF 3+ 3+ F&M 3 3F 3 3+ 3+ 3+ 3F 3 3 3+ 2 3F 3+ FM 2F 2 2F 2 3+ 3 CG WA bred 3 F WA bred 2 2F 3+ F 3+ 3 3+ 3 + CF 3+ 3F 2 3F 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ F 2 2F 3+ F&M 3+ 2F 3+ 2F 3+ 2 F (NY bred) 2 (NY bred) 2F 2 2 C&F 3+ 2 CF 3+ 3+ F&M 2C 3+ 3 2 2F 3+ 2 3+ 2F 2 C&G 2F 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 2 2F 2 No G 3
Liver Flush & Kidney Flush™ – to detoxify vital organs and improve performance 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014
$100,000 $100,000
3+ 3+ FM
8.12f (1625m) T T
1625 1625
AWT
1650
Respi-Free™ – opens airways, loosens mucus, reduces coughs from irritation 25 Sep 2014
$100,000
3+ F&M
Prairie Meadows
Donna Reed
84 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
S
2 Aug 2014
$85,000
4+ F&M (IA Bred)
8.12 8.12
21 Jul 2014 21 Jul 2014
8.25f (1650m)
RegenerEQ™ – promoting appetite, weight gain and a healthy gastro-intestinal environment USA
8f (1600m)
Surface Metres Furlongs Closing D 1600 8 24 Jul 2013 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 7 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 23 Jul 2014 T 1600 8 8 Jul 2014 T 1600 8 7 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 6 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 14 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 6 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 AWT 1600 8 21 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 13 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 21 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 22 Jul 2014 AWT 1600 8 21 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 21 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 21 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 22 Aug 2013 T 1600 8 23 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 23 Aug 2014 AWT 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 2 Jul 2014 D 1600 8 1 Sep 2014 T 1600 8 4 Sep 2014 T 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 5 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 10 Sep 2014 T 1600 8 28 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 22 Jul 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 T 1600 8 27 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 24 Sep 2014 T 1600 8 22 Jul 2014 T 1600 8 5 Aug 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 12 Aug 2014 T 1600 8 16 Sep 2014 T 1600 8 8 Oct 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 28 Oct 2014 T 1600 8 28 Oct 2014 D 1600 8 28 Oct 2014 D 1600 8 28 Oct 2014 T 1600 8 16 Sep 2014 D 1600 8 20 Oct 2014 T 1600 8 30 Sep 2014 D 1600 8 30 Sep 2014 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 30 Sep 2014 D 1600 8 T 1600 8 28 Oct 2014 T 1600 8 11 Nov 2014 AWT 1600 8 17 May 2014
D
8.25
15-Sept-14
8.32f (1664m) 1664
8.32
25 Jul 2014
STAKES SCHEDULES AntiFlam™ – supports sound feet and joints! Country USA USA USA
Track Prairie Meadows Canterbury Canterbury
CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA CAN USA USA USA CAN CAN CAN USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN CAN CAN USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA CAN USA CAN CAN USA USA CAN CAN CAN CAN USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN CAN
Woodbine Del Mar Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Prairie Meadows Prairie Meadows Mountaineer Saratoga Woodbine Saratoga Hastings Racecourse Del Mar Monmouth Park Presque Isle Downs Northlands Park Northlands Park Northlands Park Arlington Park Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Saratoga Monmouth Park Saratoga Saratoga Monmouth Park Woodbine Woodbine Saratoga Saratoga Monmouth Park Ruidoso Downs Canterbury Canterbury Monmouth Park Ruidoso Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Emerald Downs Emerald Downs Delaware Park Northlands Park Northlands Park Northlands Park Woodbine Santa Anita Santa Anita Santa Anita Woodbine Emerald Downs Thistledown Keeneland Northlands Park Keeneland Woodbine Woodbine Keeneland Keeneland Woodbine Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Northlands Park Keeneland Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park Woodbine Woodbine Zia Park Woodbine Woodbine Thistledown Delta Downs Zia Park Zia Park Penn National Woodbine Woodbine Woodbine
Race Name & (Sponsor) Iowa Breeders’ Oaks Minnesota Derby Minnesota Oaks
Breeders’ Cup
Class S S S
Race Date 2 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014
8.32f (1664m) Value $80,000 $75,000 $75,000
Age 3 F (IA bred) 3 CG 3F
Surface Metres Furlongs Closing D 1664 8.32 D 1664 8.32 1 Apr 2014 D 1664 8.32 1 Apr 2014
Hemex™ – maintains a normal red blood cell count and supports better oxygen utilization Eternal Search S Clement L. Hirsch S Super Derby Prelude Louisiana Cup Distaff Louisiana Cup Turf Classic Iowa Breeders’ Derby Ralph Hayes West Virginia Governor’s St Lure Seagram Cup S Waya St British Columbia Cup Stellar’s Jay St La Jolla H’cap Monmouth Oaks Malvern Rose S City of Edmonton Distaff St Sonoma St Westerner St Hatoof Richmond Derby Trial Hong Kong Jockey Club H’cap Ballston Spa The Violet St West Point H’cap Yaddo H’cap Cliff Hanger St Algoma S Elgin S P.G. Johnson S With Anticipation St Boling Springs St Ruidoso Downs Thoroughbred Derby MN Classic Championship MN Distaff Classic Championship Lady’s Secret St Ruidoso Downs Championship Iroquois St Pocahontas St River Cities Unbridled Hcap Jersey Girl H’cap Charles Hesse H’cap Pegasus Training Center St Muckleshoot Tribal Classic George Rosenberger St Breeders’ H’cap Fall Classic Distaff Beaufort St La Lorgnette S The Frontrunner Stakes (Norfolk Stakes) (Prov race date) The Zenyatta St (Lady’s Secret) (Prov race date) The Chandelier St (Oak Leaf S) (Prov race date) Classy ‘n Smart S Gottstein Futurity Catlaunch Stakes Darley Alcibiades S Duchess of York St Claibourne Breeders’ Futurity Mazarine BC S Grey BC S Dixiana Bourbon S JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S Cup and Saucer S Ascot Graduation St Fantasy St Harvest Gold Plate Pin Oak Valley View Empire Distaff Mohawk St Ticonderoga H’cap Display S Princess Elizabeth S Veterans S Autumn S South Ocean S Ohio Debutante H $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot Zia Park Oaks Zia Park Derby The Swatara Sir Barton S Ontario Lassie S Kingarvie S
F&M Classic
R Gr 1 S S S S
Gr 3 S Gr 3 Gr 3 S
Gr 2 Gr 3 S S Gr 3 R R Gr 2 Gr 3 S S S
Juv Juv F
Gr 3 Gr 2
S S R S S S Juv F&M Classic Juv F
Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 R R
Juv F
Gr 1
Juv
Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 R
Juv Turf Juv F Turf
Gr 3 S S R Gr 2 S Gr 3
S S S
2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 15 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 28 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 1 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 3 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 9 Oct 2014 12 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 17 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 2 Nov 2014 3 Nov 2014 9 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014 6 Dec 2014
CAN125,000 $300,000 $100,000 $75,000 $75,000 $80,000 $85,000 $200,000 $100,000 CAN150,000+ $100,000 CAN 50,000 $150,000 $100,000 $75,000 CAN 75,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 $75,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 $250,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $100,000 CAN125,000 CAN125,000 $100,000 $200,000 $100,000 $50,000 $60,000 $60,000 $750,000 $60,000 $150,000 $150,000 $75,000 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $50,000 $50,000 $75,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 50,000 CAN125,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 CAN125,000 $65,000 $50,000 $400,000 CAN 50,000 $500,000 CAN150,000 CAN150,000 $250,000 $150,000 CAN250,000 CAN 75,000 CAN 75,000 CAN 50,000 $150,000 $250,000 $200,000 $200,000 CAN125,000 CAN250,000 $55,000 CAN150,000+ CAN125,000 $50,000 $1,000,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 CAN125,000 CAN150,000 CAN125,000
3F 3+ F&M 3 3+ F&M (LA Bred) 3+ (LA Bred) 3 4+ C&G (IA Bred) 3+ 4+ 3+ 3+ FM 3 CG 3 3F 3F 3+ F&M 3F 3+ 3F 3 3F 3+ FM 3+ F&M 3+ (NY bred) 3+ FM (NY bred) 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ C&G 2F 2 3F 3 3+ 3+ FM 3+ FM 3+ 2 2F 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3+ FM WA bred 3+ WA Bred 3+ FM 3+ 3+ F&M 3 3F 2 3+ F&M 2F 3+ F&M 2 WA 3 + (Ohio bred) 2F 3+ F&M 2 2F 2 2 2F 2 2 2F 3+ 3F 3+ (NY bred) 3+ (NY bred) 3+ F&M (NY bred) 2 2F 3+ 3+ 2F 3 + (Ohio bred) 2 3F 3 3+ 3+ 2F 2
AWT AWT T T T D D D T AWT T D T D AWT D D D T D D T T T T T AWT AWT T T T D D D D D D D T T D D D D T D D D AWT D D D AWT D T AWT D AWT AWT AWT T T T D D D T D T T AWT AWT D AWT AWT T D D D D AWT AWT AWT
8.5f (1700m) 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700
8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5
16 Jul 2014 24 Jul 2014 19 Jul 2014 19 Jul 2014 19 Jul 2014 25 Jul 2014 21 Jul 2014 16 Jul 2014 24 Jul 2014 31 Jul 2014 25 Jul 2014 30 Jul 2014
2 Aug 2014 13 Aug 2014 13 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014
9 Aug 2014 6 Aug 2014 6 Aug 2014
16 Aug 2014 21 Aug 2014 21 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 TBA TBA 23 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 29 Aug 2014 29 Sep 2014
1 Sep 2014
3 Sep 2014
10 Sep 2014 18 Sep 2014
17 Sep 2014 17 Sep 2014
24 Sep 2014 15 Apr 2014 15 Apr 2014
15 Oct 2014 15 Oct 2014 22 Oct 2014 29 Oct 2014
14 Nov 2014 12 Nov 2014 12 Nov 2014 19 Nov 2014
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 85
STAKES SCHEDULES Healthy Horse™ – Hemex, Immune Plus, Lung Flush & Liver Flush in one convenient format! Country USA USA JPN CAN CAN CAN USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA CAN CAN CAN USA CAN CAN CAN CAN CAN USA USA USA CAN JPN USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA JPN CAN CAN JPN USA USA USA JPN USA USA JPN USA CAN USA JPN USA USA USA
Track Saratoga Mountaineer Sapporo Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Assiniboia Downs Saratoga Emerald Downs Niigata Del Mar Emerald Downs Saratoga Del Mar Saratoga Arapahoe Park Monmouth Park Emerald Downs Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Saratoga Arlington Park Thistledown Del Mar Saratoga Sapporo Louisiana Downs Assiniboia Downs Assiniboia Downs Assiniboia Downs Arlington Park Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse Woodbine Belmont Park Belmont Park Delaware Park Woodbine Hanshin Santa Anita Woodbine Keeneland Keeneland Belterra Park Belterra Park Belterra Park Tokyo Woodbine Hastings Racecourse Tokyo Belmont Park Keeneland Santa Anita Kyoto Charles Town Charles Town Tokyo Zia Park Woodbine Mahoning Valley Hanshin Mahoning Valley Remington Park Delaware Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) Whitney H’cap West Virginia Derby Queen St British Columbia Cup Classic H’cap British Columbia Cup Distaff H’cap Manitoba Derby National Museum Racing Hall of Fame St Washington Oaks Leopard St John C. Mabee H’cap Emerald Downs Derby Saratoga Dew St Del Mar Oaks Lake Placid Arapahoe Park Classic Philip H. Iselin St Emerald Distaff Alydar Summer Colony Personal Ensign Inv St Albany St Fleet Indian Bernard Baruch H’cap The Woodward Washington Park H’cap Rose DeBartolo Memorial St Del Mar Derby Saranac St Sapporo Nisai St Super Derby Matron Breeders’ Cup St J.W. Sifton St Gold Cup Pucker Up St British Columbia Derby Delta Colleen H’cap British Columbia Breeders’ Cup Oaks SW Randall Plate H’cap Canadian S Ashley T Cole H’cap John Hettinger Kent BC St Ontario Derby Rose St The Awesome Again St (Goodwood St) (Prov race date) Durham Cup S Juddmonte Spinster S Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S (by invitation only) Best of Ohio Distaff Juvenile St John W. Galbreath Memorial St Mainichi Okan Carotene S Ballerina Breeders’ Cup St Fuchu Himba St Empire Classic H’cap Fayette S Breeders Cup Distaff Miyako St My Sister Pearl A Huevo St Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai St Zia Park Distance Championship Coronation Futurity Ruff/Kirchberg Memotial H’cap Challenge Cup Bobbie Bricker Memorial H’cap Oklahoma Derby Obeah St
USA
Arlington Park
Beverly D. St
Breeders’ Cup Classic
Class Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 S S Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 2 S Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3
F&M Classic
Gr 1 S Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 3 S Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 2 R R Gr 3 Gr 3
F&M Turf
Classic Distaff
Gr 2 S Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 1
Gr 2 S Gr 3 Gr 2 S Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 3 S S Gr 3 R Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3
Race Date 2 Aug 2014 2 Aug 2014 3 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 4 Aug 2014 8 Aug 2014 9 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 14 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 18 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 30 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 12 Sep 2014 12 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 12 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 25 Oct 2014 31 Oct 2014 9 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 24 Nov 2014 26 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 6 Dec 2014 13 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Sep 2103 14 Jun 2104
Value $1,500,000 $750,000 $342,443 CAN 75,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 75,000 $200,000 $65,000 $391,332 $250,000 $65,000 $100,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $150,000 $65,000 $100,000 $100,000 $500,000 $250,000 $200,000 $250,000 $600,000 $150,000 $50,000 $300,000 $300,000 $293,715 $400,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 30,000 CAN 50,000 $175,000 CAN 150,000 CAN 50,000 CAN 100,000 CAN 50,000 CAN300,000+ $125,000 $125,000 $150,000 CAN150,000+ $489,672 $250,000 CAN150,000+ $500,000 $400,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $607,118 CAN150,000 CAN 100,000 $519,023 $300,000 $150,000 $2,000,000 $362,311 $50,000 $50,000 $312,578 $150,000 CAN250,000 $50,000 $390,663 $50,000 $400,000 $150,000
Testos Boost™ – a natural way to increase a horse’s production of testosterone F&M Turf
Gr 1
16 Aug 2014
$750,000
3+ FM
9.5f (1900m) T
EnduraForce™ for pre-race stamina & Equisel-BCAA for post-race recovery. Use together! GB
Goodwood
Nassau
Gp 1
2 Aug 2014
£200,000
9f (1800m)
Age Surface Metres Furlongs Closing 3+ D 1800 9 3 D 1800 9 21 Jul 2014 3+ FM T 1800 9 24 Jun 2014 3+ D 1800 9 24 Jul 2014 3+FM D 1800 9 24 Jul 2014 3 D 1800 9 23 Jul 2014 3 T 1800 9 3F D 1800 9 3 D 1800 9 24 Jun 2014 3+ F&M T 1800 9 31 Jul 2014 3 D 1800 9 3+ FM (NY bred) D 1800 9 3F T 1800 9 7 Aug 2014 3F T 1800 9 3+ T 1800 9 3+ D 1800 9 2 Aug 2014 3+ FM D 1800 9 4+F D 1800 9 3 + FM D 1800 9 3+ FM D 1800 9 3 (NY bred) D 1800 9 3F D 1800 9 3+ T 1800 9 3+ D 1800 9 3+ AWT 1800 9 16 Aug 2014 3+ FM (OH Bred) D 1800 9 21 Aug 2014 3 T 1800 9 21 Aug 2014 3 T 1800 9 2 T 1800 9 22 Jul 2014 3 D 1800 9 11 Aug 2014 3+ FM D 1800 9 3 C&G D 1800 9 3+ D 1800 9 3F T 1800 9 30 Aug 2014 3 D 1800 9 10 Jul 2014 FM D 1800 9 4 Sep 2014 3F D 1800 9 10 Jul 2014 3+ D 1800 9 4 Sep 2014 3+ F&M T 1800 9 27 Aug 2014 3+ (NY bred) T 1800 9 3+ F&M T 1800 9 3 T 1800 9 8 Sep 2014 3 AWT 1800 9 3 Sep 2014 3F T 1800 9 21 Sep 2014 3+ D 1800 9 3+ AWT 1800 9 17 Sep 2014 3+ F&M AWT 1800 9 3F T 1800 9 3+FM T 1800 9 2 Oct 2014 2 T 1800 9 2 Oct 2014 2F T 1800 9 2 Oct 2014 3+ T 1800 9 2 Sep 2014 3F T 1800 9 24 Sep 2014 3+FM D 1800 9 2 Oct 2014 3+ FM T 1800 9 2 Sep 2014 3+ (NY bred) D 1800 9 3+ AWT 1800 9 3+ D 1800 9 28 Oct 2014 3+ D 1800 9 30 Sep 2014 3+ F&M D 1800 9 3+ D 1800 9 2 T 1800 9 14 Oct 2014 3+ D 1800 9 2 AWT 1800 9 12 Nov 2014 3+ T 1800 9 3+ T 1800 9 28 Oct 2014 3 + FM T 1800 9 3 D 1800 9 20 Sep 2013 3+ FM D 1800 9
3+ F
T
1900
1970
Biotic 8™ – the easy and efficient way to maintain a healthy digestive tract CAN JPN USA USA USA USA USA FR JPN USA JPN USA
Woodbine Kokura Saratoga Arlington Park Arlington Park Arlington Park Saratoga Deauville Sapporo Del Mar Niigata Thistledown
Wonder Where S Kokura Kinen Alabama Arlington Million XXXI American St Leger St Secretariat Stakes Travers Prix Jean Romanet (Darley) Sapporo Kinen TGV Pacific Classic Niigata Kinen Governor’s Buckeye Cup
86 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
Turf
Classic
R Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 1 L Gr 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 3 S
10 Aug 2014 10 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 24 Aug 2014 7 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014
CAN250,000 $391,332 $600,000 $1,000,000 $400,000 $500,000 $1,250,000 €250,000 $636,233 $1,000,000 $391,666 $50,000
3F 3+ 3F 3+ 3+ 3yo 3 4+ F 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ (OH Bred)
9.5
25 Apr 2014
9.85f (1970m) 9.85
8 Jul 2014
10f (2000m) T T D T T T D T T AWT T D
2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
23 Jul 2014 24 Jun 2014 25 Apr 2014 25 Apr 2014 25 Apr 2014 30 Jul 2014 8 Jul 2014 14 Aug 2014 22 Jul 2014 28 Aug 2014
STAKES SCHEDULES HA-140™ to ensure higher bioavailability; use daily to aid joint health or post surgery recovery Country IRE USA USA USA JPN FR USA GB CAN JPN ITY USA USA CAN ITY JPN FR JPN JPN JPN JPN
Track Leopardstown Belmont Park Belmont Park Santa Anita Hanshin Longchamp Belterra Park Ascot Woodbine Kyoto Rome Santa Anita Santa Anita Woodbine Rome Tokyo Saint-Cloud Fukushima Kyoto Chukyo Chukyo
Race Name & (Sponsor) Irish Champion St Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational St Flower Bowl Invitational St Rodeo Drive St Sirius St Prix de l’Opera (Longines) Best of Ohio Endurance Champion (Quipco) E P Taylor S Shuka Sho Premio Lydia Tesio Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf Breeders Cup Classic Maple Leaf S Premio Roma Tenno Sho (Autumn) Criterium de Saint-Cloud Fukushima Kinen Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai St Kinko Sho Aichi Hai
GB
York
International St (Juddmonte)
Breeders’ Cup Turf Classic F&M Turf F&M Turf F&M Turf
Class Gp 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gp 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 3
Race Date 13 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 18 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 26 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 2 Nov 2014 2 Nov 2014 8 Nov 2014 16 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 6 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014
Value €1,000,000 $1,000,000 $600,000 $342,758 €400,000 $150,000 £1,300,000 CAN500,000 $871,592 €209,000 $2,000,000.00 $5,000,000.00 CAN150,000 €209,000 $1,292,420 €250,000 $390,800 $312,578 $585,958 $341,958
Age 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ FM 3+ 3+ F 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3F 3+ F 3 + FM 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 2 CF 3+ 2 3+ 3+ FM
Stasis™ – maintaining normal capillary integrity in the lungs Turf
Gp 1
20 Aug 2014
£750,000
10f (2000m)
Surface Metres Furlongs Closing T 2000 10 21 May 2014 D 2000 10 T 2000 10 T 2000 10 D 2000 10 19 Aug 2014 T 2000 10 27 Aug 2014 T 2000 10 2 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 5 Aug 2014 T 2000 10 1 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 2 Sep 2014 T 2000 10 25 Sep 2014 T 2000 10 28 Oct 2014 D 2000 10 28 Oct AWT 2000 10 15 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 2 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 16 Sep 2014 T 2000 10 22 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 30 Sep 2014 T 2000 10 14 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 28 Oct 2014 T 2000 10 11 Nov 2014
10.4f (2080m) 3+
T
2080
Chill Ultra™ – reduces anxiety, focuses the mind and relaxes muscles to perform better GER CAN CAN USA USA USA CAN JPN JPN CAN JPN
Dusseldorf Northlands Park Woodbine Del Mar Del Mar Saratoga Northlands Park Niigata Niigata Hastings Racecourse Kyoto
Henkel Preis der Diana German Oaks Canadian Derby Sky Classic S CTT & Thoroughbred Owners of California H’cap Del Mar H’cap Glens Falls H’cap Speed to Spare St St Lite Kinen All Comers BC Premier’s H’cap Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup
GER USA GB USA GER CAN FR USA GER JPN FR JPN USA CAN ITY USA GER USA JPN
Hoppegarten Saratoga York Saratoga Baden-Baden Woodbine Longchamp Belmont Park Cologne Hanshin Longchamp Kyoto Keeneland Woodbine Milan Keeneland Munich Santa Anita Tokyo
Grosser Preis Von Berlin Sword Dancer Invitational St Yorkshire Oaks (Darley) New York Turf Writers Cup Longines Grosser Preis von Baden Northern Dancer BC Turf Prix Vermeille (Qatar) Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational St Preis von Europa Kobe Shimbun Hai Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Qatar) Kyoto Daishoten Sycamore Pattison Canadian International Gran Premio del Jockey Club e Coppa d’Oro Rood & Riddle Dowager Grosser Pries Von Bayern Breeders Cup Turf Japan Cup
JPN
Tokyo
Copa Republica Argentina
Gp 1 Gr 3 Gr 2 Turf
Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 1
3 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 16 Aug 2014 22 Aug 2014 23 Aug 2014 31 Aug 2014 1 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 13 Oct 2014 16 Nov 2014
€400,000 CAN 200,000 CAN200,000 $90,000 $200,000 $150,000 CAN 100,000 $509,279 $607,290 CAN 100,000 $879,240
3F 3 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3 3+ 3+ 3+ FM
T D T T T T D T T D T
2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200
T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400
T
2500
Liver Flush & Kidney Flush™ – to detoxify vital organs and improve performance F&M Turf Turf
Turf
Gp 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 1 Gp 1 Gr 2 Gp 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gp 1 L Gp 1 Gr 1 Gr 1
10 Aug 2014 17 Aug 2014 20 Aug 2014 21 Aug 2014 7 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 5 Oct 2014 13 Oct 2014 16 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 19 Oct 2014 1 Nov 2014 1 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014
€175,000 $500,000 £325,000 $150,000 €250,000 CAN300,000+ €350,000 $600,000 €155,000 $509,273 €4,000,000 $607,118 $100,000 CAN1,000,000 €209,000 $125,000 €155,000 $3,000,000 $2,442,708
3+ 3+ 3+ F 4+ 3+ 3+ 3+ F 3+ 3+ 3 No G 3+ CF 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 3+
9 Nov 2014
$538,502
3+
Saratoga
John’s Call St
USA IRE CAN
Saratoga Curragh Woodbine
Birdstone St Leger (Irish) Valedictory S
6 Aug 2014
Gp 1 Gr 3
$100,000
3+
T
2600
$100,000 €300,000 CAN150,000+
3+ 3+ 3+
D T AWT
2800 2800 2800
Doncaster
St Leger (Ladbrokes)
Gp 1
13 Sep 2014
Kyoto
Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger)
Gr 1
26 Oct 2014
£600,000
3 C&F
T
$1,091,954
3 No G
T
Testos Boost™ – a natural way to increase a horse’s production of testosterone FR
Saint-Cloud
Prix Royal-Oak
Gp 1
26 Oct 2014
2920
Nakayama
Stayers St
Gr 2
6 Dec 2014
€250,000
3+
3000
Longchamp
Prix du Cadran (Qatar)
Gp 1
5 Oct 2014
20 May 2014 24 Jun 2014 17 Jun 2014 27 Aug 2014 27 Aug 2014 1 Jul 2014 19 Aug 2014 14 May 2014 2 Sep 2014 1 Oct 2014 18 Sep 2014 12 Aug 2014 28 Oct 2014 14 Oct 2014
12.5
30 Sep 2014
13
$585,958
3+
€300,000
4+
14 14 14
21 May 2014 19 Nov 2014
14.6
22 Jul 2014
15
CLOSED
15.5f (3100m) T
3100
T
15.5
8 Oct 2014
18f (3600m) 3600
Biotic 8™ – the easy and efficient way to maintain a healthy digestive tract FR
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
15f (3000m)
EnduraForce™ for pre-race stamina & Equisel-BCAA for post-race recovery. Use together! JPN
8 Aug 2014 19 Aug 2014 2 Oct 2014 30 Sep 2014
14.6f (2920m)
Healthy Horse™ – Hemex, Immune Plus, Lung Flush & Liver Flush in one convenient format! JPN
30 Jul 2014 14 Aug 2014 14 Aug 2014
14f (2800m)
Hemex™ – maintains a normal red blood cell count and supports better oxygen utilization GB
2 Dec 2014
13f (2600m)
AntiFlam™ – supports sound feet and joints! 7 Aug 2014 14 Sep 2014 7 Dec 2014
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
12.5f (2500m)
RegenerEQ™ – promoting appetite, weight gain and a healthy gastro-intestinal environment USA
24 Jul 2014
12f (2400m)
Respi-Free™ – opens airways, loosens mucus, reduces coughs from irritation Gr 2
10.4
11f (2200m)
18
28 Oct 2014
20f (4000m) T
4000
20
27 Aug 2014
ISSUE 33 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 87
SID FERNANDO
T
HROUGH the years he’s streamlined the mid-June assault on Ascot through a May stay at Chantilly in France, where he’s won several races as well; Ward’s specialty is fast horses, mostly precocious twoyear-olds, but also older sprinters. Many are offbred types, too, and this adds even more color to the improbable but cliched storyline of the “ugly American” dueling with European aristocrats. But Ward’s runners have looked plenty good as they’ve taken on Europe’s best on Europe’s terms: turf instead of dirt; undulating, straight tracks rather than fast left-handed bends; and no race-day Lasix. Racing successfully without Lasix is the significant byproduct of Ward’s European program. And it should have reverberations within the Lasix debate here. After all, isn’t Lasix the “performance enhancer,” as stated by The Jockey Club and other owner groups, supposed to make a horse morph into an animal that’s 15 to 20 lengths better than he would otherwise be? Or, to put it the opposite way: Isn’t Ward supposed to be at a competitive disadvantage by going off the ubiquitous diuretic that many here claim they are unable to train and race without? Which is it? Performance enhancer as Lasix’s detractors claim, or a therapeutic medication for exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), as its supporters say? Ward’s most recent European foray came on July 12 at Newmarket in the Group 1 Darley July Cup with Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker’s eponymously named Undrafted, a decent enough four-year-old gelding by Purim who’d won four of 14 starts Stateside. Not top class by any means, Undrafted had never raced without Lasix and was shipped to Newmarket for the Group 1 race with a Grade 3 turf sprint win to his credit. At long odds, he wasn’t given much chance yet closed strongly to finish fourth of 13 behind pro-tem champion European sprinter Slade Power, beaten only a length and a half, a short head, and a neck for everything. And all this first-time off Lasix, on a demanding good-to-soft course that tested stamina – the winner got six furlongs in 1:12.40 on a straight
88 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 33
The Lasix anomaly Ex-jockey and current trainer Wesley Ward, a cowboy, has established a niche program in North America that's as unique as it is unprecedented: He ships runners to Europe, targets mainly the prestigious five-day Royal Ascot meet, and consistently runs well. course – while under 132 pounds, 18 more than he’d carried to victory in his last start over a rock-hard Belmont turf in 1:07.24. By all indicators, therefore, it was the best performance of Undrafted’s career, yet it came without the aid of “performance-enhancing” Lasix. It’s hard to imagine he’d have run any better on Lasix, no? Ward’s European streak began in 2009 at Royal Ascot with a similar runner to Undrafted named Cannonball, a homebred for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. A four-year-old gelding by Catienus, Cannonball had made 15 lifetime starts on Lasix in North America before heading to Europe as a Grade 3-placed minor stakes winner. With even less form than Undrafted, he was sixth of 15 in the five-furlong Group 1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on June 16; wheeled back four days later in the Group 1 six-furlong Golden Jubilee, he was an improbable neck second of 14. Like Undrafted, the plebian-bred Cannonball had run the best two races of his career in Europe without the benefit of the “performance enhancer.” So exactly how powerful of an enhancer is Lasix?
“Like Undrafted, the plebian-bred Cannonball had run the best two races of his career in Europe without the benefit of the ‘performance enhancer’”
From 2009 to 2014, Ward won several stakes races in Europe with “off-Lasix” two-year-olds. In 2009, he won the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes opening day at Royal Ascot with 33-1 Strike the Tiger, a Tiger Ridge gelding who’d won his Churchill debut on Lasix. A day later, Ward struck with the Trippi filly Jealous Again in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. She’d won her debut and placed second in a Grade 3 on Lasix before Royal Ascot. Ward won his third race at Royal Ascot with No Nay Never, who in 2013 took the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes in juvenile course record time of 58.80. A son of Scat Daddy, No Nay Never won his debut and lone start at Keeneland with Lasix. He would go on after the Norfolk to win the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny in Deauville in August, the first European Group 1 win for a North American-trained runner since Fourstars Allstar’s Irish 2000 Guineas in 1991. This year, Ward won again at Royal Ascot with Hootenanny, a Quality Road colt. The winner of his Keeneland debut and stakesplaced at Pimlico on Lasix, Hootenanny won the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes off the drug. For these Ward runners, going off Lasix didn’t hinder their performances at all. Perhaps his two-year-olds were too young to be affected by EIPH and were significantly more precocious than their European counterparts? Easy enough to explain, especially as Ward is an early twoyear-old specialist. But what of the older horses like Undrafted and Cannonball? If they were bleeders, Ward did an expert job of managing them, no doubt, just as many other trainers have been able to finesse a race or two without Lasix when needed. But none of this suggests that Lasix is the “performance enhancer” that many call it, does it? n
North American Trainer ISSUE 33 (SUMMER 2014)
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