North American Trainer - Spring 2024 - issue 71

ISSUE 71 – Spring 2024 $8.95 www.trainermagazine.com

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE

WHIT BECKMAN

“KEEP THEM HAPPY, KEEP THEM HEALTHY, GET THEM FIT TO RUN!” THE MOORE, THE MERRIER

Three generations of track supers in one family

STATE BREEDING INCENTIVES

The best options available to breeders for 2024

MICHAEL & JULES IAVARONE

Owners who make sure they enjoy their racing

| OPINION |

GILES ANDERSON PUBLISHER’S OPINION

As always this issue of the magazine includes the ever popular State Incentive tables which provide breeders the facts about what incentives are available across North America. For owners and trainers they also provide details on the purse supplements available under the different state schemes.

We all know that the foal crop has been in decline for some time. The ever useful Jockey Club website details numbers from 1990—when the North American registered crop was at 44,143 to the estimated returns for 2022 see the number dropping 18,700.

Delving into the numbers on a 10 year basis and the decline between 1992 and 2002 was approximately 7%.

From 2002 to 2012 the decline rose to 35% and from 2012 to 2022 the decline was just shy of 20%.

In the last ten years, the crop has declined on average by approximately 483 foals per annum.

For the previous ten years the annual average decline was approximately 1143 foals per annum.

In the last ten years, the value of different State Incentive programs have increased and it could be argued that they have played a significant role in stemming the rate of the declining foal population.

But where do we go from here? This is a subject which Ken Snyder asked to a cross section of industry professionals as part of his article on the importance of State Incentives.

A consensus of opinions centered around racing increasing its fan base to ultimately drive the next generation of breeders. But for the here and now, Clark Shepherd believes that the declining foal crop is down to “‘mom-and-pop’ breeders leaving the business unable to afford stud fees for what he called ‘ultra-stallions’. “They don’t have the mares good enough to get into first-year stallions.”

Shepherd also feels that; “there’s a lot of mares, even stallions, that don’t need to be in production. If it’s a resulting decline in foal crop because of that realization, I’m okay with it. We’re striving to breed better horses and there’s less of them, and that creates more demand. It could be a good thing.”

Our cover profile for this quarter is on the up-and-coming trainer, Whit Beckman. It’s hard to believe that 2024 will be just his third full year as a trainer in the United States, but as Bill Heller discovers, Beckman has quite a back story to tell about his route into a career as a racehorse trainer.

He learned his trade working for the likes of Eoin Harty, Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox as well as a stint in Saudi Arabia before going out on his own in the summer of 2021 with just one horse under his care.

Now he’s got a barn of twenty six under his tutelage.

One of those is the exciting young colt, Honor Marie, who will start his 2024 campaign at The Fairgrounds later in February on the back of his win in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last November.

Wherever your racing takes you this spring - good luck!

ISSUE 71 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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CONTRIBUTORS Alan F. Balch was hired as the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers in April 2010.

His professional career in racing began at Santa Anita in 1971, where he advanced to the position of senior vice president of marketing and assistant general manager, and was in charge of the Olympic Games Equestrian Events in 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 of Madison Square Garden. He remains president of USA Equestrian Trust, Inc.

Editorial Director/Publisher & Advertising Sales Giles Anderson (859) 242-5025 Sub-Editors Lauren Godfray & Nico Jeeves Advert Production, Circulation/Website Lauren Godfray (1 888-218-4430) Cover Photograph Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire Trainer Magazine is published by Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd. Tel: 1 888-218-4430 Fax: 1 888-218-4206 info@trainermagazine.com www.trainermagazine.com North America PO Box 13248, Lexington, KY 40583-3248 United Kingdom Ground Floor Office, 72 Medstead Road, Beech, Hampshire, GU34 4AE

Trainer Magazine 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, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, the Alberta Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.

Jackie Bellamy-Zions has been Equine Guelph’s communications manager for the past 10 years and has over 30 years experience in the horse industry in the capacity of coach, trainer, stable manager, competitor, judge and journalist.

Ed Golden retired in December 2023 from Santa Anita’s Publicity Department after three decades during which he authored the track’s Stable Notes which were acclaimed as “the best in racing” by his peers. A native Philadelphian, he earned Eclipse Award honorable mention while with the Philadelphia Daily News and has written for The Blood-Horse and USA Today. As Director of Public Relations for the defunct Spectrum, he conceived the Philadelphia Flyers’ Carnival which to date has raised more than $30 million for cancer research and children’s charities.

Bill Heller is an Eclipse Award-winning author who published his 27th book, Fred Hooper – The Extraordinary Life of a Thoroughbred Legend. His other biographies include Hall of Fame jockeys Ron Turcotte, Randy Romero and José Santos. Bill and his wife Marianne live near Gulfstream Park.

Adam Jackson, MRCVS was born in Canada but is now based in the UK where he is a partner at Dunsford & Jackson, a modern independent vet practice. Initially, he started work in a mixed practice but because of his strong affinity towards horses, he began to focus on Equine veterinary medicine and surgery. In 2004, he became an equine ambulatory veterinary surgeon and later completed his Master’s Degree at the Royal Dick studying the epidemiology of notifiable equine infectious diseases.

He was soon involved with care and treatment of horses that attended both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Andy Richardson graduated from Bristol Veterinary School (UK) in 2006, prior to working in equine clinics in Dubai, New Zealand and the UK. His main interest is in Thoroughbred practice, particularly in the field of breeding and nutrition. He is the Veterinary Director at a major European nutrition / supplement company, which he combines with part time work in clinical practice. Andy regularly attends bloodstock sales on behalf of clients and is a member of the Goffs UK veterinary team. Bloodstock is a hobby as well as work and he is currently involved in the ownership of three thoroughbred mares.

Jordin Rosser is the current IT Coordinator at Ocala Breeders’ Sales. With a newfound love of racehorses, she is ready to mix her passions of IT with the horse racing world and share all of the findings.

Ken Snyder is a current turf writer for Gallop magazine, and a turf/travel-culture writer for Kentucky Monthly magazine. His work has appeared, as well, in other publications, including The Blood-Horse.

He and his wife, Cassie, reside in Kuttawa, Kentucky.

Trainer Magazine (ISSN 17580293) is published 4 times a year: February, April, July and October by Anderson & Co Publishing and distributed in the USA by Modern Litho | Brown Printing, 6009 Stertzer Road, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Periodicals postage paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Trainer Magazine, Anderson & Co Publishing, PO Box 13248, Lexington, KY 40583-3248.

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D I N I N G

| CONTENTS |

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ISSUE

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CONTENTS FEATURES

R EGUL A R S

08 Whit Beckman – cover profile

Bill Heller profiles how the Louisville native has found his purpose and has much to look forward to in 2024 with Honor Marie.

18 Track superintendents

Ed Golden explores the three generations of the Moore family and how track management has changed over the last fifty years.

26 Train, race, recover, repeat!

Andy Richardson tells us how we can support the recovery process with good nutrition and management in order to improve overall performance.

36 The importance of state incentives This is a subject which Ken Snyder asked to a cross section of industry professionals whilst evaluating the importance of state incentives.

43 State incentive tables 2024

Featuring the state-by-state incentives available across North America ahead of the 2024 breeding season.

@ t ra i n e r _ m a g

58 The value of good hoof balance Adam Jackson tells us why good hoof balance is so important and how you can work with your farrier to achieve this.

66 Graded Stakes winning owners

Bill Heller features the winning owners of Nobals - Vince Foglia (Patricias Hope LLC), Master Piece & O’Connor - Michael & Jules Iavarone and Closing Remarks - John Harris (Harris Farms).

Alan Balch – What, me worry?

82 #Soundbites

Bill Heller asks “How can trainers improve racing’s public perception / image?”

74 NEW for 2024

Bloodstock Briefing!

Jordin Rosser looks at breeze-up sales and asks consignors if the shift in the 2yo sales season to later dates has influenced the type of horses they consign for sale.

78 Gut issue biomarkers

Jackie Zions looks at how a huge biobank of samples could identify potential markers of intestinal dysbiosis with the goal of developing simple and reliable testing on the road.

/ t ra i n e r m a g a z i n e

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06 View from the CTT

/ t ra i n e r m a g a z i n e

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| CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS |

ALAN F. BALCH

WHAT, ME WORRY?

Junior Balch

I

f you’re of a certain age, you can’t help but remember Alfred E. Neuman, the perennial cover creature of MAD magazine. I sure do, and not mainly because of the magazine’s content … I was a dead ringer for him. Skinny, gap-toothed, freckle-faced, red-haired, with crazy big ears. So my laughing “friends” said, anyway.

Kids can be so mean to each other.

Obviously, the teasing stuck with me.

For a lifetime. But back then, I shared another trait with him: nothing worried me. Everything seemed like a joke. Like everyone else, I just yearned to grow up so I could be free. Free of school, free to live all day, every day, with horses in a stable, if I wanted. Which I did.

By college, though, I was an inveterate worrier, and still am. My best friend once said, “Alan, if you didn’t have anything to worry about, you’d be worried about that!”

We in racing, and in California particularly, have an overabundance of worries these days. How the hell did it all happen? From leading the world in attendance and handle a few short decades back, not to mention great weather, we have (not suddenly) come to … this.

In an interdependent sport, business, industry, such as ours, everything one part does affects all the others. No part can succeed without the others; if one fails, all fail. Unfortunately, there have been many failures to observe amongst all of us.

Ironically – but not entirely unexpectedly – I believe California racing’s historical prowess started to unravel in the best of

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times: the early 1980s. Our California Horse Racing Board regulators no doubt believed the industry was so strong that it could easily withstand disobeying a statutory command, which “disobedience” some of us believed could lead to disaster.

Hollywood Park sought to purchase and operate Los Alamitos, despite a clear prohibition in the law forbidding one such entity to own another in the state, “unless the Board finds the purpose of [the law] will be better served thereby.” Santa Anita’s management at the time objected strenuously, including in unsuccessful litigation, providing a “list of horrors” that might ensue if the delicate balance among track ownerships in the state were disturbed.

Among those horrors was the prediction that a precedent was being set for the future, where one enterprise might not only become significantly more influential than others, it could even become more authoritative and powerful than the regulator itself.

We at Santa Anita, whose management I was in at the time, were deeply concerned about our own influence and competitive position … and our reservations and predictions were largely ignored, undoubtedly for that very reason. At everyone else’s peril, as it has ultimately turned out.

That Hollywood Park acquisition move turned out to be ruinous. For Hollywood Park! And the cascade of repercussions that followed, including changes of control at that track, led to another fateful regulatory change in the early 1990s: the splitting of the backstretch community’s representation into separate and sometimes rival organizations of owners and trainers, which in every other state in the Union are joined as one.

Before his death, the author of that idea (Hollywood’s R.D. Hubbard) said, “That was the worst mistake I ever made.”

Consider that in the first half-century of California racing, interests of the various track owners, as well as owners and trainers in one organization, were carefully balanced. No one track interest ruled, because the numbers of racing weeks were carefully allotted in the law by region.

Unilateral demands of horsemen went nowhere. Practically speaking, the Racing Law couldn’t be changed in any important way without all the track ownerships agreeing, with the (single) horsemen’s organization. In turn, that meant there were regular meetings of all the tracks together, often with the horsemen, or at

their request, to address the multitude of compelling issues that constantly arose.

But when that balance was disrupted, even destroyed, is it any surprise that for the last three decades the full industrywide discussions that were commonplace through the 1980s are now so rare that track operators can’t remember when the last meaningful one even took place?

Thoroughbred owners have meetings of their Board not even open to their own members, and never with the trainers’ organization. The Federation of California Racing Associations (the tracks) apparently still exists, but hasn’t even met since 2015. The Racing Board meets publicly, airing our laundry worldwide on the Internet, showcasing our common dysfunction and lack of internal coherence to anyone who might be tempted to race on the West Coast.

Not to mention those extremists who cry out constantly to “Kill Racing.” And one private company, which also owns the totalizator and has vast ADW and other gaming holdings, not to mention all the racing in Maryland and much of it in Florida, answerable to nobody, controls most of the Thoroughbred racing weeks in both northern and southern California.

Our current regulators didn’t make the long-ago decisions that set all this in motion, and may not even be aware of them. In addition, the original, elaborate regulatory and legal framework that was intended in 1932 to provide fairness and balance in a growing industry is unlikely to be effective in the opposite environment.

And the State Legislature? All the stakeholders originally and for decades after believed nothing was more important than keeping the government persuasively informed, in detail, of the economic and agricultural importance of racing to the State. Tragically, that hasn’t been a priority for anyone in recent history.

Just to top it off: as an old marketer of racing and tracks myself, I believe in strong, expensive advertising and promotion as vital investments. For the present and future. I once proved they succeed when properly funded and managed; but I’m a voice in the wilderness now, to be certain, when betting on the races doesn’t even seem to be on the public’s menu.

What? Me worry?!

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WHIT BECKMAN KEEP THEM HAPPY , KEEP THEM HEALTHY , GET THEM FIT TO RUN! 08 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN BRELAND, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE

Whit and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner Honor Marie.

ISSUE 71 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| WHIT BECKMAN |

T

rainer D. Whitworth Beckman grew up around horses but had never made the connection his parents did. His father, David, is a vet. His mother, Diane, rides and shows horses. “I was around them, but I wasn’t really interested, horses weren’t even on my radar.”

He spent two semesters at the College of Charleston. “I partied a lot,” he said. “I didn’t have any purpose. I was aimlessly floating around on alcohol. After two semesters, I figured I was wasting my time and wasting my parents’ money.”

His life got worse after dropping out from college.

“I got pretty heavily involved with drinking. I hung out with a crew. A little wild. There was nothing that gave me purpose. I was a selfish kid.”

Eventually, he began helping his mom take care of polo horses and old show horses. And then he met his mom’s most difficult horse, a cantankerous Thoroughbred named Black Pearl. “I still have him,” his mother said. “We call him Blackie. He was a kook. He couldn’t be trained. He took off with his rider every morning, constantly switching leads.

Whit taught himself how to ride on that horse.”

She still can’t believe it.

Beckman had found his purpose. “What I found with this horse was a new connection,“ he said. “He taught me a lot. You can lie and cheat with people.

With a horse, it’s 100 percent honest. They do all the crap we ask them to do. They don’t lie or cheat. I think that’s refreshing. We should learn from them.”

He still is, and he doesn’t preclude learning from people, too. He worked for Todd Pletcher, Eoin Harty and Chad Brown. Sandwiched in between, he trained in Saudi Arabia.

In 2023, only Beckman’s second full year on his own in the United States, he posted 13 victories, 13 seconds and four thirds in 102 starts with $1,468,695 in earnings, more than double what he earned the previous year. He recorded his first stakes victory and, soon afterwards, his first graded stakes. His stable grew from one horse to 26.

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undefe at 3 –aPtioedneg2 winner at 2, mu erof the Nile l le derby ’s bestt-ip bred son prep winner

ABOVE: Deshawn Parker backing up Honor Marie to breeze.

He had help, especially from his best friend Kristian Villante, a bloodstock agent who trades under the name of Legion Bloodstock. They became friends when they both worked for Todd Pletcher. “We have very similar personalities,” Villante said. “We became friends and it kind of grew.”

Villante helped Beckman grow his stable. “We said we’d give him the push,” Villante said. “You can open the door for someone, but then, it’s up to him what to do with it. You can provide the opportunity. A lot of credit to Whit.”

It’s been a journey. His mother said, “He doesn’t give up and he always shows up.”

“He didn’t get lucky,” Harty said. “He conducts himself in an exemplary fashion. He’s a good communicator.

He’s a very good person. He inherited it from his family.

I got to meet them a couple times. You can tell where he got it from.”

But his family didn’t see it coming.

“If you would have told me when he was in high school that he’d get up at 4:30 in the morning to take care of horses, I’d say you’re crazy,” recounted his father, David.

“He’d go to a variety of farms with me and he didn’t seem to like it at all.”

His parents sure did. David and Diane Beckman met in a barn. “I was just out of college and I ran a barn in Goshen,” Diane said. “David came to the barn one day.

He’s like Whit, very quiet. I thought he was very goodlooking.”

David, who had just graduated from veterinary school in 1979, asked her to a University of Kentucky football game. They both went there.

Diane was smitten: “After a couple of months I said, ‘I want to marry him.’ His character…we’ve been married 42 years and I’ve never known anyone I respect more.

He’s been a great father. He works every day. He’s kind.

He was on call 24/7.”

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Beckman was fortunate to meet trainer Eoin Harty, who reached out to Todd Pletcher for him. Later, Harty would hire Beckman to be his assistant.

Beckman began working for Pletcher at the 2007 Saratoga meeting. “Towards the end of the meet,” Beckman said. “You go to Kentucky. You see the routine. At that time, I could just wake up every morning and say, ‘How cool is this? I’m working for the top trainer in the country.’”

Pletcher was glad to have him: “He was always a very top-level assistant. Good horseman. Good demeanor around the barn. I’m not surprised to see him doing well.”

After working for Pletcher, Beckman journeyed to Saudi Arabia, an experience with mixed blessings. “At that point, I had just turned 30,” Beckman said. “It was an opportunity to go on my own. I thought it would be a cool thing to go to the Middle East. A rich tradition of horses. We won some races, but it was an extremely different environment. They bring you over, but they don’t listen. They say, ‘God’s will.’ Religion and their faith take precedence. It was sticky.”

In 2014, Beckman learned his girlfriend was pregnant. He returned to the U.S. and took a job with Harty. “He was already a qualified trainer by the time he got to me,” Harty said. “He was looking for a job and I was looking for an assistant. It worked out immediately. I showed him the way I like things to be done. He was a huge asset. He deserves nothing but the best.”

ABOVE: Jareth Loveberry getting ready to breeze Drip.

RIGHT: Marianne Scherer and Might as Well after a gallop.

The Beckman’s have four children. Whit is the oldest. “When the two boys would get in trouble and David wasn’t there, I’d say, ‘You’re going to go with your dad and work on weekends.’ I think that’s what turned Whit off on horses – for a while.”

Beckman explained, “She’d say you’re going to work with him.

I associated being bad with horses.”

Whit seemed isolated growing up. “He struggled,” his mother said. “He was so shy. He was a kid who lived in his imagination.

We sent him to college when he wasn’t ready for it. The College of Charleston put him in a hotel because the dorms were full. It wasn’t a good fit. He came home, and at that point he was really lost. He didn’t have the straight path in life. He met his struggles and has worked through them. Whit was a late bloomer.

“I have always been proud of the person Whit is. He’s trustworthy, and he’s always going to do the right thing, like his father. He’s never going to say anything unless he means it. He’s going to be honest. I’ve always been proud of him because he had the roughest road. He willed himself to where he is today.”

It took a decade and a half and many, many miles. After working with his mother’s horses, Beckman began working with Walter Binder at Churchill Downs and Louisiana Downs.

Beckman returned to Kentucky in March, 2006, and his father helped him get a job with Alex Rankin at Up and Down Farm. “It was a great place to learn,” Beckman said. “It gave me a lot of experience. I developed horsemanship.”

He continued to develop that working with Dave Scanlon and Danny Montada getting Darley two-year-olds ready for sale at Keeneland.

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ISSUE 71 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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Whit and Kyle Zorn watching videos of morning workers.

Agoo investigating the camera.

With a daughter on the way, Beckman returned to Saudi Arabia.

He then returned to America to be there for her daughter Violette’s birth on December 23rd, 2015, three days after his 34th birthday.

“When she was born, it was the best thing in my life,” he said.

Yet he was ready to return to Saudi Arabia a few days later. “I got to the jetway,” Beckman said. “I was standing there. I couldn’t do it. I was thinking of myself. I wanted to be home with my daughter. I turned around. I felt great about it.”

He felt even better when Charlie Boden, then with Darley, told him Chad Brown was looking for an assistant, as if Beckman was being rewarded for staying with his daughter.

Beckman began working with Brown on April 4th, 2016, and stayed until the summer of 2021 when he ventured on his own with the full support of his sister, Lindley Turner, who had been doing their fathers’ bookkeeping since 2008. Now she does both.

“When Whit decided to train on his own, I offered to handle all the financial and the bookwork,” she said. “Not fun stuff, but necessary to keep the business going. Whit was away for 20 years. I wanted to see what he spent 20 years doing. It’s really cool to watch.”

She really liked what she saw from her brother: “He did all aspects of the job. He put a lot of time in everywhere. He had a very clear vision of what he wanted his stable to look like. As a money person, I said, ‘I believe in your vision.’ We put in basically everything a top barn would. He knew how he wanted to take care of his horses. How his shed row would look. He did the digging. He raked it out himself. From the very start, he put in

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ABOVE: Honor Marie ridden by Rafael Bejarano wins the 2023 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (Gr.2) at Churchill Downs.

the system he knew. He told me if you do this now, it will pay off.

He was exactly right. It’s come to life, even though we started with one horse.”

She vividly remembers when that first horse, Truly Mischief, an unraced two-year-old owned and bred by Newtown Anner Stud, arrived, September 11th, 2021: “I remember the horse coming to me, and feeling bad for him because he was the only horse in the barn. I said, ‘We’re going to get you some buddies.’ It was really exciting, just watching Whit train his own horse. He’s very handson. It’s not a number thing with him. It’s about the individual.”

It always will be. “There are 20,000 Thoroughbreds bred every year,” Beckman said. “We have to do everything we can to make them reach their potential, no matter what level they’re at. Keep them happy; keep them healthy, get them fit to run. It’s funny, you constantly learn things. You show up every day. Get there early. Make the adjustments that have to happen for the individual. You’ve got to be passionate about it.”

His buddy Kristian Villante knew that he was: “I think he genuinely has a passion for it. It’s more than just a job. It’s a craft.

There’s an art form that goes into racing. It’s not just the x’s and the o’s. There’s not really a playbook. What makes great trainers great trainers is they can make adjustments.”

| WHIT BECKMAN |

Harlan Estate, sent off at 37-1 with Declan Cannon up wins the 2023 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

Truly Mischief needed them. He was sixth in his debut, December 1st, 2021, then raced five more times before finally breaking his maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis on September 28th, 2022, a year and 17 days after he arrived at Beckman’s barn. On February 26th, 2023, at Tampa Bay Downs, Truly Mischief finished fourth and was claimed for $25,000.

Beckman’s neighbor and friend at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Chip Montgomery, sent Beckman his second horse, a two-year-old filly named Think Twice. She didn’t do much, finishing fifth in her debut, then seventh when claimed for $30,000.

Legion Racing’s four-year-old filly Sabalenka, Graham Grace Stable’s five-year-old gelding Harlan Estate and Ribble Farms’ threeyear-old colt Honor Marie have been Beckman’s first three stars.

Sabalenka has two wins, two seconds and two thirds from nine starts with earnings of $427,498. She finished third in the 2023 Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park, July 15th, and second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs, September 3rd. She is the most talented horse Villante helped him land. “They always had my back,” Beckman said. “She was the first one, as far as a nice horse, that gave me a little exposure. She was just a nice filly.”

In between those stakes placings, Harlan Estate, sent off at 37-1 in the $500,000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs, delivered Beckman’s first stakes victory – after surviving an inquiry. Far back in the field of 11 early, Harlan Estate won by a length and three-quarters under Declan Cannon. “The horse came from Canada, Beckman said.

“We were looking for a turf horse who could compete in open company.

She filled all the criteria. Everything blossomed. I knew we were on the right track. It was an awesome day.”

Also rallying from last in the field of eight, Honor Marie captured the $400,000 Gr.2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes by two lengths under Rafael Bejarano, earning 10 qualifying points for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Honor Marie, a $40,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, has two wins and a second in three career starts. “From the time he came in, he was a quality horse,” Beckman said. “He needed to mature on a physical level, but I knew I had a good horse in my hands. We knew two turns would help him. I wasn’t surprised, but it was awesome. We got to see what he did in the morning, materialize in the afternoon.”

Of course, he’s on the Kentucky Derby trail. His next start will be in the Gr.2 Risen Star Stakes at The Fair Grounds.

Beckman’s stable has grown to 26. His momentum is considerable. “I’m really proud of him,” Beckman’s father said. “He is my oldest child of four. He got a little lost. He’s overcome a lot. Horses saved his life.”

Villante’s father, Joe, who sells trainer products, is a big fan of Whit: “Whit is fantastic. He’s really good at communication and he doesn’t think he’s splitting the atom or inventing the game. I really appreciate that.”

He shared this: “About a year ago, we were at Tampa Bay and training horses were coming off the track. Whit had a low-level horse. He asked the rider what he saw the whole way back to the barn. He wrote all these notes. That’s attention to detail. It’s a moment that stuck in my head. I have friends for 20, 25 years. They don’t ask questions.

They think they know everything. I was very impressed.

This kid is going places.”

He already has. And he’s only just begun.

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| INDUSTRY |

TRACK MAINTENANCE & SAFETY:

THE MOORE, THE MERRIER 18 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: ED GOLDEN PHOTOGRAPHY: BENOIT PHOTOS, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE, HOLLYWOOD PARK ARCHIVE, SANTA ANITA ARCHIVE

B

ob Moore, who passed away in 1987, was the patriarch of a family devoted to track maintenance and the safety of horses. In 1946, he went to work at Hollywood Park where he was a long-time track superintendent at the Inglewood, California track which closed in 2013. Bob’s sons, Ron and Dennis, followed in his footsteps.

They have been track superintendents at Santa Anita, and now his grandson, Rob, Dennis’ son, is taking over at the historic Arcadia, California track. In addition, they lend their services to Los Alamitos in Cypress, while Dennis also consults and plies his trade at tracks throughout the United States and across the globe.

“I’ve done work overseas at probably over 150 different race tracks,” said Dennis, a native Californian who celebrated his 74th birthday this past Dec. 7. “I don’t count the tracks anymore.

I didn’t want to leave California as a kid and now I’ve been to Germany, France, Dubai, all over the world. This is a great job, but you’ve got to have thick skin.

“You listen to the trainers, but not those who make it personal and yell and scream and cuss. I won’t tolerate that, although sometimes their complaints are legitimate and you investigate, so all the scientific testing we do right now is a big help.

“My dad came out here in ’38. He hopped a freight train and lived in hobo camps. He’d talk about the Dust Bowl and how they’d soak cloths in water and put them over their face so they could sleep at night.

“His father told him he could go to California as long as he’d come back and finish high school. He did that, but as soon as he finished high school he returned to California and never left.

“He got into construction as a mechanic in ’38, left Santa Anita in 1948, opened a garage in LA, then shut that down, went back to work at the track in 1953 and was there until he retired in 1979.

“I was born in 1949; my brother was born in ’46. We’d go back and forth from Hollywood Park to Santa Anita. That was the circuit at that time, because Del Mar’s work was all done by Teamsters which had its separate crew.

“That’s how my brother and I got involved with the race tracks.

When I was about six years old, in the summer, we’d go to work with my dad sometimes. We’d ride on the harrows after the races and hang out in the garage, stuff like that. They’d race Tuesday through Saturday.

Dennis Moore’s career as the world’s foremost race track superintendent drew its first breath back in the 1930s, when his father, Bob, began a move akin to the Joad family’s forced escape to California from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl, captured so poignantly in John Steinback’s 1939 classic, The Grapes of Wrath.

Bob Moore

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Dennis & Rob Moore

“Ron worked for a while at Hollywood Park before taking over as track superintendent at Santa Anita in 1978. In 1972, I started working at Los Alamitos before working the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita. In ’77, I became the track superintendent at Los Alamitos.”

Ron, 77 and retired, says his history at the race track began by gambling, starting with Swaps and (Bill) Shoemaker in the 50s.

“When I was 14, I got a job as a footman on the carriages that took the judges around the track, way before there was closed-circuit TV and everything,” Ron recalled.

“We didn’t race Sundays then, only Saturdays and holidays, allowing me to work while still going to school, and the money I made went to betting.

I didn’t do much good at it, but my interest started earlier, going to work with my dad and hanging out on the backside at Hollywood Park.

Ron Moore

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“That’s where all the stable employees would go to gamble. During the races, I always wanted to get close to the rail and wait for Shoemaker to ride by so I could wave at him.

“My first bet was made there, and I think I won $11. I did eventually work on race track surfaces at Santa Anita from 1969 to ’87. I worked as a construction laborer at Hollywood on the track crew and a little while at Los Al before I went into the Army. Later I operated racing equipment on the track.

“But give credit where credit’s due; my brother (Dennis) has been at the forefront in making racing safer.

He’s never been afraid to try something new, and most times it’s not just an improvement, but a huge improvement.

“His decisions aren’t made lightly, only after much deliberation, investigation and discussion with experts on soil conservation. That’s the whole game, safety of the jockeys and the horses.

“Not because he’s my brother, but over the long haul in this country, I would say he’s done more for safety than anybody.”

Dennis has extensive experience with a multitude of surfaces—dirt, turf, and synthetics as well as related maintenance equipment, perhaps more than any living being. Dennis and Rob currently are directing a gargantuan project, installing a Tapeta training track at Santa Anita.

Track supers are burdened with a 24/7 task, shuteye a valued commodity attained at infrequent and welcome intervals. They are at the mercy of hourly weather forecasts, ringing cell phones and texts, with safety of horse and rider ever paramount.

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| INDUSTRY |

| TRACK SUPERINTENDENTS |

Dennis Moore testing the Santa Anita track.

Moores who wouldn’t have it any other way. To use a football analogy, sometimes it seems like it’s always third and long.

“It’s not a nine to five job,” Dennis readily admits. “I get to the track every morning at 5:30 and don’t leave until about 6:30 (p.m.) or later.

When the track is sealed, we come in about midnight, if we can open the track. There’s a lot more to it as far as maintaining, grading, the material composition and everything that goes with it.

“I have horsemen call me 4:30, 5 o’clock, 6:30 in the morning, especially when we’ve got rain, when the track is sealed or even if they want a local (weather) forecast,” Dennis said. “That’s just part of the job.

“We have a professional weather service that we use, but I have several other sites that I go on to try and make sense out of the forecast. The problem we have now is, everybody’s got a cell phone and they look at that and think it’s the accurate weather.

“But the guys we use (Universal Weather) have been professional meteorologists for 40 years and are probably right about 85 percent of the time. I’ve been using it since 1977 and my brother and dad used it before. Universal gets timely updated forecasts whereas your phone may not be updated for 12 hours.

“You consider all that information and decide if you’re going to open the track, leave it closed or what have you, and sometimes you’re the pigeon and sometimes you’re the pole, because when you’re wrong, you’re wrong, not the meteorologist.

“You learn to deal with that, because all trainers consider themselves trackmen, but trackmen aren’t trainers. Every horse isn’t going to like your track. People talk about how safe synthetic tracks are, but, since 2020, I’ll put our (safety) numbers at Santa Anita and Del Mar against any synthetic tracks in the United States.

“I think Santa Anita and Del Mar are two of the best tracks in the country of the 50-some that have been tested.

Dennis Moore alongside CHRB & track officials readying the Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester, a device that mimics the impact of a horse running at full speed.

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Santa Anita

“I believe we can make dirt tracks just as safe as synthetics, but there’s a lot of work involved. All the protocols the Stronach Group started in 2019 and are in place now have helped a lot, as well.

“But it doesn’t matter if a horse gets loose in the barn area and runs into a post and kills itself. It becomes national news. Some of these horses haven’t run in a year or missed 10 months of works, so you know they’ve got issues and we review them very carefully, but you’re not going to catch every one of them; things happen.

“Most dirt tracks are comprised of sandy loam with silt clay particles,” Dennis added. “Synthetics can vary but Tapeta is the one right now that has been the most successful and that’s what is being put in the training track at Santa Anita. Along with the protocols, we have new rules and regulations we’ll follow,

Dennis & Rob Moore

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including a weather policy that dictates what we’ll do when we seal the track. It’s changed quite a bit from what it was in the old days.

“We’ll be able to train on Tapeta in rain, snow, sleet or whatever.”

Rob, who turned 54 the day after Christmas, has been working hand in hand with Dennis in an effort to have Santa Anita’s Tapeta training track operational during the current meet.

“So far, so good,” Rob said. “We were under time constraints trying to complete it by the first week of January. Knock on wood, everything has been going well.”

Following in the footsteps of family members was a natural transition for Rob. “That’s all guys in my family did and talked about,” Rob said.

“For me, as a little kid going to the track with all that big equipment was like playing with soccer toys. Plus meeting all the race track characters and people from different walks of life made an indelible impression. It was attractive, in that sense.

“But this job is kind of like a doctor’s in that you’re on call 24/7. I don’t think I’ve turned my (cell) phone off since I got the job. Sometimes meteorologists will forecast good weather, but then something unexpected happens like rain and wind. It seems there’s always something going on.

“The fortunate thing for me is, I grew up around it and I thought I would be prepared for everything that would come along. But I wasn’t prepared at all, because there are so many minute details to consider in addition to the track and the horses.

“When the pandemic hit, people were all talking about the horses, the horses, the horses, not about those who were on their backs. It was somebody’s father, somebody’s son, brother or sister, and that’s my biggest concern.

“At every meet, I tell our crew we don’t want to be the reason something (negative) happens. I’m real fortunate with the crew I have because the majority of them grew up in the business,

| TRACK SUPERINTENDENTS |

Dennis Moore performs test to ensure track consistency and uniformity for both training and racing.

Dennis Moore – the gold standard for Track Superintendents.

they’re third-generation like I am, they have a passion for the game and they care about it.

“They pay attention to details, and that makes your job a lot easier when you have a reliable, dedicated crew. You’re only as good as your crew, plus my dad is a consultant, and he pops in every now and then pointing out potential problems.

“You’re not only responsible for the track itself, but everything that goes on around it. This is not a job you have just to make a paycheck “If you’re a trackman and you think you know it all, then you’re screwed and you’re screwing everybody around you. My dad’s been doing this 52 years and he’s still learning. I think that’s what separates him from everybody else. He’s always trying to make things better.

“He’s a perfectionist, and it rubs off on you when you’re around it your whole life.”

John Sadler is among the vast majority of trainers who concurs.

“Dennis Moore is the gold standard for Track Superintendents,” said Sadler, 67, a Hall of Fame member-in-waiting.

“I can’t heap enough praise on him. He’s the kind of guy you can call to discuss any issue. You can see that reflecting in our numbers favorably shifting dramatically on improved horse safety, and Dennis is a big reason for it, not to mention he’s been doing it for a hundred years.

“The good thing about Dennis is, he can’t be pushed. He’s an experienced guy who believes in what he’s doing, and you have to allow him to do his job.”

There are many special memories of Moore’s unselfish contributions to Sadler’s successes, one of which is foremost in his mind.

“It was a week before Santa Anita’s big winter meet began in 2010 and Hollywood Park still had a synthetic track at the time, and it had rained for days and days,” Sadler recalled. “I asked Dennis how Santa Anita was doing because it was closed for training due to the rain, although horses could jog the wrong way.

“I had horses pointing to the Malibu, the La Brea and the Mathis Mile, and Dennis said he might be able to open. So I vanned my horses

over there and got to work on them, and we won all three stakes on the opening day card. Sidney’s Candy won the Mathis, Twirling Candy won the Malibu and Switch won the La Brea.

“Dennis, communicated well and I got my works in. He wasn’t doing me a special favor, just telling me what was going on … a great guy.”

Another tried and true member of the Dennis Moore fan club is Richard Mandella, who offered the following unsolicited praise.

“Track maintenance has everything to do with safety, and the Moore family is as good as it gets,” said Mandella.

“It’s not an exact science, and everybody has to understand that,” Mandella added. “It’s something you have to have a feel for, and the Moores have always been excellent. Variables in track surfaces can work both ways for everybody, and even on a normal race track, that comes into play.

“Some horses like deep tracks, some like them hard and fast. I don’t know if that’s important as far as safety is concerned, but the most important thing is uniformity and having a nice, even bottom with some bounce in the track so that horses are stable with it. It’s a combination that requires flexibility.”

While Dennis is primarily focused on safety and fulfilling random requests for trainers, it’s unreasonable to expect him to comply with all of them.

“I’m sure he tries,” Mandella said, “but in my experience being on the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) track committee for so many years is that if you have 10 trainers talking about track conditions, the ones who are winning like it, and the ones who aren’t, don’t.

“It’s not easy to maintain a neutral position, but if anybody does it, Dennis Moore does.”

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| NUTRITION |

TRAIN

RACE

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WORDS: DR ANDY RICHARDSON BVSC CERTAVP(ESM) MRCVS

PHOTOGRAPHY: ADOBE STOCK, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE, GALOPPFOTO.DE, LAURA PALAZZOLO, KEENELAND, PAM MACKENZIE PHOTOS

RECOVER

REPEAT HOW TARGETED NUTRITION CAN SUPPORT THE RECOVERY PROCESS TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE ISSUE 71 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| T R A I N , R AC E , R E C OV E R , R E P E AT |

Cereal grains are rich in starch, which is an energy-dense form of nutrition.

H

orses evolved as herd-living herbivores with a digestive tract designed to cope with a near continuous dietary input of forage in the form of a wide range of plant species. A large hindgut acts as a fermentation vessel where gut microbiota (predominantly a mix of bacteria, protozoa and fungi) exist in harmony with the horse in order to digest the fiber rich plant material.

Fiber is important to the horse for several reasons. The digestion of fiber releases energy and other key nutrients to the horse. Fiber also acts to provide bulk in the digestive tract, thus helping maintain the passage of fecal material through the system. Fiber also acts like a sponge to absorb water in the gut for release when required.

As horses became domesticated and used for work or sporting purposes, more energy-dense feeds in the form of cereal grains were introduced to their diet, as simple forage did not provide for all the caloric requirements. Cereal grains are rich in starch, which is an energy-dense form of nutrition.

However, too much starch can cause problems to a digestive tract that remains designed for a pasture-based diet. The issues that can be caused by the trend away from a solely pasture-based diet can be digestive, behavioral or clinical.

Nonetheless, the combination of forage and cereal-based concentrates remains the mainstay approach for the majority of horses in training today, in order to maximize performance.

A great deal of research and expertise are utilized by the major feed companies to ensure that modern racehorse concentrate feeds provide adequate provision of the major nutrients required and minimize unwanted effects of starch in the diet.

This article aims to discuss some scenarios where targeted or supplemented nutrition can act to help overcome some of the nutritional challenges faced by the modern horse in training, as they “Train, Race, Recover and Repeat.”

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Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (EGUS) EGUS occurrence in racehorses is well documented, with prevalence shown to be over 80% in horses in training (Vatistas 1999). With a volume of approximately 2–4 gallons (7.53–15 liters), the stomach in horses is relatively small compared to their overall size due to its functional role in accommodating trickle feeding that occurs during their natural grazing behavior.

As a horse chews, it produces saliva, which is a natural buffer for stomach acid. When the horse goes for a period of time without chewing, the production of saliva ceases, and stomach acid is not as effectively neutralized. The lower half of the stomach is better protected from acid due to its more resistant glandular surface. The upper, or squamous, region does not have such good protection, however, and this can be a problem during exercise when acid will physically splash upwards, potentially leading to gastric ulceration.

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| NUTRITION |

| T R A I N , R AC E , R E C OV E R , R E P E AT |

There is some evidence to suggest that the provision of hay in advance of exercise may act like a sponge for stoamch acid.

In practice, this can present a challenge for horses in training.

Typically, they will be fed a concentrate-based feed in the early morning that stimulates a large influx of acid in order to help digest the starch. This may be followed by a period without ad-lib access to hay, thus reducing the amount of saliva subsequently produced to act as a buffer. When the horse is subsequently worked, there is a risk of acid damaging the upper squamous region of the stomach.

There is some evidence to suggest that the provision of hay in advance of exercise may act like a sponge for the acid, as well as helping form a fibrous matt to minimize upward splash.

Gastric ulceration can go undetected in horses in training and may not lead to any obvious clinical signs. In other horses, it can lead to colic, poor appetite, dull coat and behavioral changes.

In both scenarios, it is likely that the ulceration will have an impact on their performance, with decreased stride length, reduced stamina and inability to relax at speed all being possible consequences (Nieto 2009). Gastric ulceration can therefore have a significant impact on the ability of a horse to perform optimally day in day out in a training environment. This is exacerbated when ulceration leads to a reduction in appetite, with the obvious downside of a reduction in calorie intake leading to condition loss and further drop in performance.

This is an area where targeted nutrition has been clinically proven to play an important role. Ingredients such as pectin,

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lecithin, magnesium hydroxide, live yeast, calcium carbonate, zinc and liquorice have all been studied as having beneficial effects on gastric ulceration (Berger 2002, Loftin 2012, Sykes 2013). It is likely that a combination of the active ingredients will be most efficacious, with benefits noted when the supplement is added to the feed ration to help neutralize acid and form a gellike protective coating on the stomach surface.

The daily administration of a targeted gastric supplement can be an important part of daily nutrition of the horse in training, alongside the use of pharmaceuticals such as omeprazole or esomeprazole when required.

Sweat loss Horses have one of the highest rates of sweat loss of any animal, with sweat being comprised of both water and electrolyte ions such as sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium.

Therefore, it is not surprising that horses in training are at risk of unwanted issues should sweat loss not be replaced.

It is also worth noting that transportation can also lead to excessive sweat loss, with studies showing sweat rates of 5 liters per hour of travel on a warm day (van den berg 1998).

If the electrolytes lost in sweat are not adequately replaced, a drop in performance can result, as well as clinical issues such as thumps, dehydration and colic.

| NUTRITION |

| T R A I N , R AC E , R E C OV E R , R E P E AT | Horses without adequate electrolyte levels are at risk of early onset fatigue that may result in reduced stamina.

Electrolytes play key roles in the contraction of muscle fibers and transmission of nerve impulses. Horses without adequate electrolyte levels are at risk of early onset fatigue that may result in reduced stamina. It is also worth noting that horses that train on furosemide will have higher levels of key electrolyte losses, so will require targeted support to help maintain performance levels (Pagan 2014).

There is also evidence to suggest that pre-loading of electrolytes may be beneficial (Waller 2022). For horses in daily work, the addition of electrolytes to the evening feed will not only replace losses but also help optimize levels for the following day’s travel or race.

The benefit of providing electrolytes with feed is that it will minimize the risk of the electrolyte salts irritating the stomach lining, which can occur if given immediately after exercise on an empty stomach.

Feeding electrolytes when the horse is relaxed back in the stable will also allow them to drink freely, with the added benefit that electrolytes will stimulate the thirst reflex when they are relaxed, ensuring they are adequately hydrated for the following day.

Products should be chosen on the basis of adequate key electrolyte provision as not all products will provide meaningful levels of all the key electrolyte ions.

Muscle soreness The process of muscle breakdown and repair is a normal adaptive response to training. This process can lead to inflammation and soreness or stiffness after exercise. In humans, there is a wellrecognized condition called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

Further research is required to fully understand the impact of DOMS in horses. DOMS is the muscular pain that develops 24–72 hours after a period of intense exercise. There is no pain felt by the muscles at the time of exercise, in contrast to a ‘torn muscle’ or ‘tying-up’ for example.

In humans, DOMS is thought to be the result of tiny microscopic fractures in muscle cells. This happens when doing an activity that the muscles are not used to doing or have done it in a more strenuous way than they are used to.

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Muscles quickly adapt to being able to handle new activities, thus avoiding further damage in the future.

The muscles quickly adapt to being able to handle new activities, thus avoiding further damage in the future; this is known as the “repeated-bout effect”. When this happens, the micro-fractures will not typically develop unless the activity has changed in some substantial way. As a general rule, as long as the change to the exercise is under what is normally done, DOMS are not experienced as a result of the activity.

In practice, avoiding any post-exercise muscle soreness in a training programme may be unavoidable, as exercise intensity and duration increases. Horses are far from being machines, so there is a fine balance between a programme that gets a horse fit for purpose without some post-exercise muscle discomfort. Physiotherapy, swimming and turnout will all likely benefit horses experiencing muscle discomfort. Whilst non-steroidal anti-inflammatories will always have their place for horses in training, one area of advancement is the use of plant-based phytochemicals to support the antiinflammatory response (Pekacar 2021).

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something that trainers and their staff often have in-depth knowledge of—remains an incredibly important aspect. Targeted nutritional supplements undoubtedly have their place, as discussed in, but not limited to, the scenarios above.

Veterinarians, physiotherapists, other paraprofessionals and nutritionists all play a role in minimizing health issues and maximizing performance. In the quest for optimal performance on the track, nutritional support is one of the cornerstones of the ‘marginal gains’ theory that has long been adopted in elite human athletes. There is no doubt that racehorses themselves are supreme athletes that live by the mantra of Train, Race, Recover, and Repeat.

References: • Berger, S. et al (2002). The effect of acid protection in therapy of peptic ulcer in trotting horses in active training. Pferdeheilkunde 27 (1), 26-30, • Loftin, P. et al (2012). Evaluating replacement of supplemental inorganic minerals with Zinpro Performance Minerals on prevention of gastric ulcers in horses. J.Vet. Int. Med. 26, 737-738

These may have the benefit of not leading to unwanted gastrointestinal side effects and not having prolonged withdrawal times, although this should always be checked with any supplement particularly with the recent update regarding MSM. Exercise will also lead to a process of muscle cell damage caused by oxidative stress. This is an inflammatory process and recovery from oxidative stress is key to allow for muscle cell repair and growth. Antioxidants are compounds that help recovery and repair of muscle cells following periods of intense exercise. The process of oxidative stress in muscle cells can lead to muscle fatigue and inflammation if left unsupported.

Antioxidant supplementation in the form of Vitamin E or plant-based compounds can help protect against excessive oxidative stress and support muscle repair after exercise (Siciliano 1997).

Conclusion Nutritional management of horses in training is a complex topic, not least as every horse is an individual and so often needs feeding accordingly. Whilst there is a lot of science available on the subject, the ‘art of feeding’ a racehorse—

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34 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

• McCutcheon, L.J. and geor R.J. (1996). Sweat fluid and ion losses in horses during training and competition in cool vs. hot ambient conditions: implications for ion supplementation. Equine Veterinary Journal 28, Issue S22.

• Nieto, J.E. et al (2009). Effect of gastric ulceration on physiologic responses to exercise in horses. Am. J. Vet. Res.70, 787-795.

• Pagan, J.D. et al (2014). Furosemide administration affects mineral excretion in exercised Thoroughbreds. In: Proc. International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology S46:4.

• Pekacar, S. et al (2021). Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Rosehip in Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Disorders and Its Active Molecules. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 14(5), 731-745.

• Rivero, J.-L.L. et al (2007). ‘Effects of intensity and duration of exercise on muscular responses to training of thoroughbred racehorses’. Journal of Applied Physiology 102(5), 1871–1882.

• Siciliano, P.D. et al (1997). Effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on the integrity of skeletal muscle in exercised horses. J Anim Sci.75(6), 1553-60.

• Sykes, B. et al (2013). Efficacy of a combination of a unique, pectin-lecithin complex, live yeast, and magnesium hydroxide in the prevention of EGUS and faecal acidosis in thoroughbred racehorses: A randomised, blinded, placebocontrolled clinical trial. Equine Veterinary Journal, 45, 16.

• van den Berg, J. et al (1998). Water and electrolyte intake and output in conditioned Thoroughbred horses transported by road. Equine Vet J. 30(4), 316-23.

• Vatistas, N.J. et al (1999) Cross-sectional study of gastric ulcers of the squamous mucosa in thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Vet J Suppl. 29, 34–39.

• Waller, A.P., and M.I. Lindinger. (2022). Tracing acid-base variables in exercising horses: Effects of pre-loading oral electrolytes. Animals (Basel) 13(1), 73.

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36 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: KEN SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY: JOE CANTIN, SHUTTERSTOCK, TAYLOR MADE FARM

| INCENTIVES TO BREED |

N

ineteenth century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli gets credit for coining the phrase “there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

Jockey club statistics showing the 2022 foal crop to be 18,200 in the U.S.—down from 19,200 in 2021--might come under the heading of “damned lie.” (Numbers for 2023 aren’t in yet.)

The phrase is a caveat or admonition to not jump to conclusions with questionable deductions and pronouncements to what, in truth, are damned lies. First, the industry isn’t going over a cliff with foal counts. It operates in a free-market economy. There are gains and losses, “bubbles” when artificially high prices exceed real value, and “corrections” when prices drop to what they should be.

With foal count, horse population, and racing in general, there are positive, remarkable achievements. In Pennsylvania, the state has experienced increases in foal count and anticipates more. Okay, it’s one state, but it belies that belief that the sky is falling.

Here are the numbers for PA in registered foals: 2017-549; 2018-606; 2019-623; 691 in 2020. Yes, there was a dip in numbers when a former governor attempted to raid the Racehorse Development Trust Fund (2021-593; 413-2022).

But, said Brian Sanfrantello, executive secretary of the PA Horse Breeding Association, the foal count has bottomed out and the breeding industry should return to increasing foal numbers with a new governor. Further, five new stallions have come to the state for breeding in 2024.

A Stallion Series is a crown jewel of a breeding program that makes Pennsylvania breeding and racing literally worthwhile. Launched in 2022 it offered $600,000 in purses for stakes races for PA-bred two-year-old colts and fillies over two days of racing. On the first race day, colts and fillies raced for $100,000 purses each. On the second day, they ran for $200,000. The Series attacked one problem for PA breeders and appealed to those out of state.

“It’s costing forty thousand to fifty thousand dollars from the time you breed the mare to the time the horse races,” said Sanfrantello. “We’re trying to get the money back to the breeder as fast as possible.”

The means this year, in addition to this Series, are eight two-year-old stakes races, four of which are for PA-breds. For non-Series and other races, Breeder Awards are 40% for PAsired horses (compared to 20% for non-PA-breds). “If it’s a fifty-thousand-dollar race, the winner would get sixty percent of the purse or thirty-thousand dollars. Plus, if it’s an open race not restricted, there is a forty percent owner bonus added to the purse or twelve-thousand dollars for total earnings of forty-two-thousand dollars for owners. A breeder-owner would get an additional sixteen-thousand eight-hundred dollars.

The total? Fifty-eight thousand, eight hundred dollars.

The stunner is what Breeder Awards have totaled. The most striking example? Uptowncharlybrown won two of thirteen starts and $125,000 in his career but he has earned in breeder and stallion awards $869,080.

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Virginia, with twenty-seven race dates in 2023 at the Commonwealth’s lone racetrack, Colonial Downs, is obviously at the other end of the spectrum from year-round racing in Pennsylvania and other states. However, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, of which Debbie Easter is executive director, is outdistancing any other state in how fast they are growing their racing industry.

We said, ‘What the heck, we may not be the biggest breeding state any longer, but what we can do and what we do have are farms and the training centers to raise horses.”

Starting basically from scratch when Colonial Downs re-opened in 2019 after closing in 2013, the foal crops had gotten down to a rock bottom, one hundred. This year Easter projects the crop will be 160, a 60% increase. Small potatoes in the general scheme of things but not the only means of building racing.

“Starting this year, we’re paying for first, second and third anywhere in North America if you’re a breeder and bred a horse in Virginia,” said Easter. “By us paying win, place and show in North America all year long, that makes our program year-round. That’s a big advantage, we think, over other breeding programs. You don’t have to race in our state to get our money.” The award is 34% of the earnings added to the purse. Historical Horse Racing (HHR) generates the award money, which has increased the breeding fund from $500,000 to $2 million dollars in five years.

Virginia has also initiated a “Certified Program” which covers a horse registered by The Jockey Club and conceived and foaled outside of Virginia, but residing in the state for at least a six-month consecutive period prior to December 31st of its two-year-old year.

“Our Certified guys are averaging about eight months or so a year here. We’re bringing in almost nine hundred horses in a year.

We’ve grown the population of Thoroughbred horses in the last five years faster than we could ever have done it breeding horses.

It absolutely saved our farms and training centers and the infrastructure that supports those farms.,” said Easter.

The big development with New York is state-bred, 2024 foals will run for the same purse amounts as open-company races. This year at Saratoga, maiden races restricted to two-year-old New York breds ran for $88,000 compared to $105,000 for two-yearolds in open company maiden races. ”It’s something that breeders in NY and horsemen who compete with NY breds have been advocating for a long time,” said Najja Thompson, executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders.

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Thompson added that this year there are also increases for New York breds whether sired by state sires or sired outside the state. For 2024, Breeder Awards are 40% for first place, 20% for second place, and 10% for third place, with a $40,000 cap award. Last year’s awards were 30% for first place and 15% for place and show finishes. A cap per award remains at $40,000.

Maryland’s biggest innovation this year is a two-tiered system, one tier for Maryland-sired and Maryland bred horses, and a second tier for Maryland-breds only. The system will begin with 2025 foals. “We are going to have a two-tiered system to try and reward MD sires as they do in Pennsylvania and other states,” said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

Maryland’s best days will be when the $385 million Pimlico project is completed to rebuild the track from the ground up and also add a training center, according to Goodall.

“I think that you have to have a look to the future to be competitive,” said Goodall. She compares the project, which is projected for completion In what Goodall projects as “four to five years” to New York’s investment in Belmont Park. “Maryland is looking to be one of the states that is investing in racing and breeding.

Meanwhile, Goodall said Maryland is one of the states where stallion books have gone up this year.

Kentucky, of course, is the kingpin of American Thoroughbred breeding. While foal crops nationally have declined, Kentucky, from 2012 to 2021 increased in registered foals by just under 10%. Of the five top states for registered foals—Kentucky, Florida, California, New York, and Louisiana—Kentucky was the only one without a decrease in those years.

Strangely, the number of yearlings sold in North America in 2023—8,303, increased from 8,061 in 2013. That doesn’t correspond to decreasing foal crops.

| INCENTIVES TO BREED |

Duncan Taylor believes the principal reason for the overall decline in foals is increasing expenses.

The principal reason for the overall decline in foals is increasing expenses, according to Duncan Taylor, senior Thoroughbred consultant and co-owner with three brothers of Taylor Made Farm just outside Lexington, Kentucky. “Costs just keep increasing, and they increase for all horses the same. I’m talking about daily board rate in Kentucky. The last eight years, probably, it has gone from thirty-five thousand to forty-five thousand dollars.”

Vet care has gone up as well. “I had a mare that had to have a C-section. My bill was twenty-two thousand dollars,” he added.

“People can’t stomach these expenses on a less expensive horse.

You got a million-dollar horse, you think ‘I’ve got a shot at getting it back because I could sell a five-hundred thousand, six-hundredthousand-dollar yearling out of that horse.’”

The upshot is competition for the better horses offered in sales—what Taylor calls “more supply of a higher quality.” But what that also means, he said, is “It pushes the people in the lower part of the market out.” Hence, fewer breeders and foals.

Kentucky is awash in cash, which Taylor believes could stem the trend toward continuing foal crop decreases nationally. “All the purse money that is available to race for now, if it stays as good as it is, I don’t think we’ll continue to decline.”

Societal and cultural issues—challenges beyond, perhaps, the reach of horse racing as a sport and industry—are also factors in foal crops. Times have changed.

“At one time in this country, most of the large racing stables were owned by the kings of industry, with the horses coming from their own farms,” said Kent Barnes, former stallion manager at Shadwell’s Nashwan Farm in Lexington who currently directs the stallion division of Spy Coast Farm also in Lexington.

“Unfortunately, in many cases, successive generations have either not shared in the passion, or had the wealth to carry on with these large operations, and most of these stables have been either dismantled or severely diminished.“

Duncan Taylor echoes Barnes’ observation. “The underlying condition is not enough, people are in love that much with horses to where they want to have a big farm and raise them and then sell them. The condition is less breeders and that goes along with the declining foal crop.”

Ideas abound, some feasible, some not, some fantasy for getting foal crops back up.

Evan Ferraro, director of marketing for Fasig-Tipton, sees a breeding counterpart to racing syndicates as a potential answer.

Racing syndicates both large entities and small, are popular. If there’s a way to encourage breeding syndicates that spread risk, they could be appealing.

Breeding to sell rather than race could be incentivized, according to Barnes. “I believe financial obligations are the primary barrier preventing more breeders from racing their own product. A few years ago, several stallion owners came up with novel approaches to help the breeder decrease their risk going into the sales. Perhaps this same approach could be extended to allow breeders who choose not to sell to mitigate some of their risk going into racing. Stud fees could be deducted from race earnings. To make it more attractive to the stallion owners, there could be a sliding scale where they earn a higher percentage based on the horse’s performance.”

No matter the challenges, there are obviously bright, experienced, and energetic people at the controls of parts of the racing industry—people like Evan Ferraro, Debbie Easter, Brian Sanfrantello, Kent Barnes, Duncan Taylor and many more.

There is another phrase that may have application from someone who quoted Disraeli‘s phrase about statistics: Mark Twain. He said famously, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

Racing is not dying. It is changing. And in everything, change is inevitable.

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? T

he strange, but positive thing encountered in examining the declining foal crop and reasons for it, is that everyone interviewed had a different response to this question: What is the first thing you would do if put in charge of the industry? There were no limits put on the responses; the answers ranged from the completely improbable to things right under the industry’s nose. Even better, they span most aspects of racing from fan development to breeding.

First things first: fans. Empty grandstands on race days are par for the course and maddeningly accepted. To drive on-track attendance, Evan Ferraro, offered a simple, but great idea for weekends. “Open up the infields. Let people come in there. Let them bring their own stuff.” Add musical entertainment and things like face-painting for children or pony rides, and …voila, a family event for Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Stack that up against a $15 beer, $10-dollar hot dog, and $10 parking for a major league baseball game. Throw in a premium—cap, cups, etc.--and a free afternoon picnicking at the racetrack looks like a great day out. For racetrack management resting on laurels and reluctant to loosen purse strings fattened by off-track wagering and purses funded from casinos or Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines, they could find a sponsor to add their logo to the racetrack’s giveaways.

Ferraro added a familiar lament to his idea: “I don’t think we market our sport well anymore.

“I don’t think you can promote ‘our safety numbers are better.’

You gotta sell the races. That’s what has to drive everything to me.

Create some familiarity and give customers a good experience.”

Add to all these things a focus on the “stars.” As recently as the 1970s and 1980s National Basketball Association playoff games were tape delayed. The sport, quite simply, was “meh”… until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson came along. This past year Cody’s Wish provided the public a truly moving story both on the track and more important, off the track in the horse’s relationship with the late Cody Dorman. “There was never a story by the major networks about Cody’s Wish,” said Ferraro. Thoroughbred racing has been silent since “Go Baby Go” was seen and heard on televisions more than twenty years ago. “Public relations,” anyone?

Kent Barnes, sees a connection between attracting fans and foal crops: “The only way we could ever consider increasing our foal crop is if we can somehow get more end-users involved in the racing game. There is more and more competition out there every year for the public’s entertainment dollar and somehow, we have to attract back the fans, which increases the handle, thereby increasing purses and attracting owners.”

On another subject, the failure of a 140-mare cap for stallions in the U.S. frustrated Barnes, a respected and published researcher

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| INCENTIVES TO BREED |

on the demise of sire lines and resultant inbreeding. He said, “I was disappointed in their reversal of the cap decision because I feel that if we limit the number of mares bred to each stallion, this ensures that the top stallions are getting the very best mares and also allows second-tier stallions to prove themselves by getting an increased number of mares.

“There is no doubt stallions that failed to make their mark could have done so with enough mares of quality to prove themselves.”

Bloodstock agent Clark Shepherd pointed out the obvious without a 140-cap limit: “We’re limiting the gene pool. I get handed these mares that are fantastic on the racetrack, and they [clients] want me to do a mating for them. But when I sit down and do a mating, the mare’s bred like a stallion. So now what? It limits my choices.”

Here’s where foal crop numbers really might be, as British Prime Minister Disraeli said about numbers and statistics, “damned lies,” at least according to Shepherd. “I don’t know that a declining foal supply is a bad thing just because of supply and demand,” he said. “For the last three years, I’ve been waiting on the shoe to drop, and we keep going on this upward trend.

“To me, it’s supply and demand.”

One factor in decline in foal numbers is, Shepherd said, “momand-pop” breeders leaving the business unable to afford stud fees for what he called “ultra-stallions.” “They don’t have the mares good enough to get into first-year stallions.”

Whether good or bad, Shepherd points to what he believes is an issue and factor in foal declines. “There’s a lot of mares, even stallions, that don’t need to be in production. If it’s a resulting decline in foal crop because of that realization, I’m okay with it.

We’re striving to breed better horses and there’s less of them, and that creates more demand. It could be a good thing.”

On the issue of racehorse ownership Debbie Easter identified what she said is both the problem and a solution: “The problem is the owners don’t own the racetracks. Owners own the talent, but we don’t own the most important part of it: the HHR or the things that fuel the whole game.”

The solution, in her opinion, is the Japanese model: “Owners are able to pay for their daily expenses with bigger purses earned over there.

“You have the cost of the horse and then there’s the daily cost of racing. I’ve always said, I think the guys would forgive the cost of the horse if they could just pay the daily cost…if they didn’t have to take it out of their pocket. I think we could grow ownership.”

She wonders if there is too much racing. Contraction of the racing industry could possibly be the ultimate answer.

“Everywhere where racing is successful in this country— Saratoga, Del Mar, Keeneland—what do they all have in common?

They don’t run year-round. And they’re in destinations where people want to come.” They also have capacity crowds.

Duncan Taylor, added a novel and, in truth, a not-to-be idea for horse owners. If he were commissioner and it was feasible “I would start purely an owners’ organization and it would be only owners with racehorses while they were running.

“I think they have the most to lose and the most to gain in an entrepreneurial way for improving the sport and not the mediocre management of the racetracks. I would try to get that group of people [owners] to actually buy the tracks.”

Answers? Solutions? Some are immediately viable from this story. Some are unlikely. And some are in a “perfect world” that won’t exist. There is, however, one thing on which everyone can agree: racing needs ideas.

BREEDING & RACING INCENTIVES - STATE BY STATE ALBERTA

*PLEASE NOTE: Alberta’s Breeder/Owner/Stallion incentives were not available prior to going to press, shown here are inentives for 2023.

BREEDERS AWARDS*: Total Breeders’ Support - C$613,110.

Breeders of horses of all ages foaled in Alberta placing win, place and show in all sanctioned races in Alberta having a minimum C$9,000 purse and where entered at or above a minimum C$6,250 Claiming price. The bonus will be paid after the conclusion of the Alberta racing season (to be invoiced

by CTHS). Bonuses will not be paid for eligible races that have 4 or less starters unless it is an Open Stakes Race, the CTHS Sales Stake, or Stakes Races restricted to Alberta-breds.

FOAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM*: Breeders who breed a maiden mare or a mare who was not bred in 2022, to a stallion standing in Alberta for the 2023 breeding season with the intention of producing an Alberta-bred in 2024 will receive C$2,500; C$1,000 will be payable with confirmation of a 42 day or greater pregnancy by a registered vet and a declaration from the stallion owner. Breeders will receive the remaining C$1,500 within 30 days of a live foal report filed with The Jockey Club resulting in an Alberta bred foal in 2024.

Breeders with in-foal mares that have not foaled in Alberta in 2021 and 2022 will be eligible for C$5,000. A payment of C$3,000 will be paid upon delivering a live 2023 foal in Alberta with the submission of a Jockey Club Live Foal Report and a Breeder Declaration. Should that same mare produce an Alberta-bred and sired live foal in 2024, the breeder will be eligible for a further C$2,000 in 2024 with the submission of a Jockey Club Live Foal Report and a Breeder Declaration.

Note: Claimed mares that are eligible for the H.B.P.A. 2023 Mare Incentive Purchase Program will not be eligible.

It is a requirement that recipients of the Breed Improvement Program - Thoroughbred Breeders Bonus be members in good standing of the C.T.H.S. (Full or Associate Member designation) in order to receive the Breeders Bonus.

OWNERS AWARDS*: Total Owner’s Breeding Support - C$1,105,000.

Owners of horses of all ages foaled in Alberta placing win, place and show in all sanctioned races in Alberta having a minimum C$9,000 purse and where entered at or above a minimum C$6,250 Claiming price (to be invoiced by HBPA). The bonus will be paid after the conclusion of the Alberta racing season.

Bonuses will not be paid for eligible races that have 4 or less starters, the CTHS Sales Stakes, or Alberta Sires Stakes Races or races restricted to Alberta-breds. Community Stakes Races which will be paid out of item 7. Fund = C$450,000 To fund the purses of Alberta-bred Restricted Races and to be invoiced by the HBPA. Any funding not utilized during 2023 will be added to Owner’s bonus in Item 5 (above). Fund = C$100,000 Owners of horses of all ages foaled in Alberta placing win, place and show in Community Stakes Races excluding Alberta-bred Restricted Races will be paid a bonus amount after the conclusion of the Alberta Racing Season. However, the payout timing and amount will be at the discretion of ACTRA. Fund = C$20,000

Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic purses. (The races will carry a minimum purse of C$50,000 with the BIP funding shortfall being contributed through the race nominations and the purse pool.) Fund = C$300,000 Community Racing Alberta-bred Stakes purses. Fund = C$75,000 Alberta Yearling Sales Stake Races for 2 year olds and 3 & 4 year olds (to be invoiced by racetracks). Fund = C$160,000 STALLION OWNERS AWARDS*: Total Stallion Owner’s Breeding Awards - C$75,000. Stallion bonus will be paid proportionately to stallion owners whose stallions have eligible Alberta Thoroughbred progeny with earnings of C$10,000 or greater during the calendar year. Stallions must have stood in the province of Alberta for the entire calendar year of conception for each year’s crop to be eligible.

It is a requirement that recipients of the Breed Improvement Program - Thoroughbred Breeders Bonus be members in good standing of the C.T.H.S. (Full or Associate Member designation) in order to receive the Breeders Bonus.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 2024 Mare Purchase Program: This program is open to an Alberta resident who have purchased in the sales ring at a recognized public auction or claimed at an active racetrack outside of the Province of Alberta, a Thoroughbred mare in foal to a Thoroughbred stallion that will foal in 2024 or will be bred to an Alberta Stallion in 2024.

For more information visit www.cthsalta.com/programs/ marepurchaseprogram.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

e: cthsweb@cthsalta.com

w: cthsalta.com

ARIZONA BREEDERS AWARDS: Breeders of certified Arizona-breds receive 10% of the winner’s share of the purse from Arizona race tracks – for each win in an open or restricted race of any class. 1st, 2nd and 3rd are paid from the Arizona Breeders Fund to certified AZ Breds and is paid from the ATBA office by monthly.

OWNERS AWARDS: Owners of a certified Arizona-bred receive 15 – 25% of the winner’s share of the purse from Arizona race tracks. 1st, 2nd and 3rd are paid from the Arizona Breeders Fund to certified AZ Breds and is paid from the ATBA office by monthly.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Stallion Awards are paid from ATBA every July 1. It comes from our Arizona Breeders Fund.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: On a daily basis the commercial race meets in Arizona offer restricted races with higher purses for certified Arizona-breds. During each racing season multiple restricted stakes races are offered for certified Arizona-breds.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 98 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 137 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: t: (602) 942-1310 w: atba.net

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| S TATE B R E E D I N G A N D R AC I N G I N C E N T I V E S |

ARKANSAS BREEDERS AWARDS: Breeder Awards are paid annually to the breeder of each properly registered Arkansas-bred Thoroughbred foal calculated on the earnings of 1st through 4th place finishes in North America the previous calendar year.

OWNERS BONUS: Owners receive a bonus if their registered Arkansas-bred finishes in the top three of a non-restricted race at Oaklawn Park, excluding stakes and handicaps. $3,000 for 1st, $2,000 for 2nd and $1,000 for 3rd place finishes.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Stallion Awards are paid annually to the owner of each properly registered Arkansas stallion calculated on the earnings of 1st through 4th place finishes in North America of his registered Arkansas-bred progeny the previous calendar year.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Restricted races and restricted stakes races are held during Oaklawn’s live meet. There are five stakes races with a purse of $150,000 and 1 stakes race at $200,000.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: Breeder and Stallion Awards are paid on total earnings in North America.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 288 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 314 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Deana Echols t: (501) 624-6328 e: atbha@att.net w: atbha.com

BRITISH COLUMBIA BREEDERS AWARDS: 15% projected.

OWNERS AWARDS: 35% projected.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 10% projected.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes. OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 107 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 113 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: B-J Davidson t: (604) 534-0145 ext 301 e: cthsbc@cthsbc.org w: cthsbc.org

CALIFORNIA BREEDERS AWARDS: A monetary award that is paid to the

breeder of a registered California-bred Thoroughbred finishing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any race run in California and any graded stakes races conducted within the US. Breeders will receive 75% of the remainder of the total incentive award monies after Owner Awards are paid, with an individual breeder receiving a prorated share of this Breeders Fund. The maximum purse considered earned in any qualifying race within this state shall be $330,000 for a win, $120,000 for a second, and $90,000 for a third-place finish. Breeder Awards are always paid exclusive of nomination, entry and starting fees.

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OWNERS AWARDS: A monetary award that is paid to the owner of a registered California-bred Thoroughbred horse that runs in qualifying races in California. Owners can receive at least a 20% bonus for finishing 1st in an open starter allowance above $15,000 and open non-maiden claiming races with a claiming price of $40,000 or greater in Southern California and $20,000 or greater in Northern California. These levels are purposely set high to encourage the ownership of highquality runners and to restrict the number of qualifiers so that the awards will function as a major incentive. Owner Awards always are paid exclusive of nomination, entry, and starting fees. They are listed in the racing program and will be distributed at the same time as the purse by the paymaster.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Monetary awards are paid annually to the owners of registered California stallions whose California-conceived or California-bred have won a qualifying race or have finished, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in a stakes race in the state or any graded stakes race within the US during the year.

Qualifying races are any non-claiming races, including maiden allowance and starter allowance races, with a purse of at least $15,000, and open non-maiden claiming races with a claiming price of $40,000 or greater in Southern California and $20,000 or greater in Northern California also qualify. Stallion Awards are exclusive of nomination, entry, and starting fees.

Stallions must be registered by Feb. 15 each year to be eligible for Stallion Awards.

Stallion owners will receive 25% of the remainder of the total incentive award monies after Owner Awards are paid, with an individual owner of a registered California stallion (as of Dec. 31) receiving a prorated share of the stallion fund based on the total qualifying earnings of the get during the year.

The maximum purse considered earned in any qualifying race within this state shall be $330,000 for a win, $120,000 for a second, and $90,000 for a third-place finish. The stallion must be continuously present in California from Feb. 1 to July 15, inclusive, of the year or any subsequent calendar year in which he stood at stud and fathered the participant in the race. If a sire dies in this state in the year or any subsequent year and stood his last season at stud in this state, or was standing at stud in this state on the date of his death or any subsequent year, he shall thereafter continue to be considered an eligible Thoroughbred stallion regarding a race participant fathered by him in that season.

The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA) will help compile data, but it is the ultimate responsibility of the stallion owner to advise that official registering agency, on or before Feb. 15 of any year, of any and all purses earned during the preceding year that shall be considered in determining the amount of the Stallion Award to which the owner is entitled.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1,314 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1,877 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: w: ctba.com

DELAWARE BREEDERS AWARDS: 25% Bonus - Certifier Award.

OWNERS AWARDS: 25% Bonus - Owner Award.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes - 10 restricted stake races.

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2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 0 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 0 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Vincent Moscarelli t: (302) 993-8986 e: dctp@dtha.com w: DTHA.com

FLORIDA BREEDERS AWARDS: 20% of the gross purse for FTBOAregistered Florida-breds finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Win – 12.5% of total purse, up to $12,500. Place – 5% of total purse, up to $5,000. Show – 2.5% of total purse, up to $2,500.

OWNERS AWARDS:

Gulfstream Park – $20,000 to Florida-breds in open stakes or $20,000 for Florida Sire Stakes eligibles (FSS) in restricted stakes. $10,000 win bonus for 2yo open MSW winners, plus $5,000 FSS. $5,000 win bonus for MSW, allowance, handicaps (Florida-bred in open, FSS in restricted).

Summer Meet: Up to $6,000 added in many overnight conditions.

Tampa Bay Downs – $18,000 added in all MSW and allowance races $600,000 open stakes incentives Florida Owners’ Awards (FOA) – added purse money in most overnight races at Tampa Bay and Gulfstream Park, managed by TBHBPA or FTHA. STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 20% of gross purse (up to $20,000) for progeny wins in black-type stakes at Florida racetracks, paid to owners of stallions registered with FTBOA. RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024:

Gulfstream Park – Florida Sire Stakes 2yo series with total purses of $1.2 million includes three legs in two divisions (colts/geldings, fillies) in September, October and December.

Florida-bred restricted conditions offered year-round in selected overnight and stakes.

Tampa Bay Downs – The Florida Cup offers six $100,000 Florida-bred stakes in March. Plus, two $100,000 FSS 3-years-old & up stakes in December.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1,342 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1,532 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Steve Koch t: (352) 629-2160 e: info@FTBOA.com w: FTBOA.com

ILLINOIS BREEDERS AWARDS: A Breeders Award is earned when an IL Registered Thoroughbred wins any race in the state of Illinois. The owner’s share of the Breeders Award is 11.5% of the winner’s share of the base purse. The winner’s share of any race in Illinois is normally 60% of the purse. The base purse is the amount put up by the purse account and does not include any funds added by the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund, horsemen, Breeders’ Cup, etc.

Open Races - In an open race, the entire Breeders Award (11.5% of the winner’s share of the base purse) goes to the breeder of the winning horse (the winner’s share in an open race may also include part of an owners award, if earned, paid from the purse account).

As an example, we will say that the base purse of an open allowance race is $22,000. The base purse times 60% equals the winner’s share. The winner’s share times 11.5% equals the Breeders Award. Base purse $22,000, X winner’s share (60%) = $13,200 X 11.5% = Award $1,518 Illinois.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Contact: Carrie Tisckos e: carrie.tisckos@illinois.gov.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: In a race restricted to Illinois registered horses, the Breeders Award (11.5% of the winner’s share of the base purse) is divided among the first 4 place finishers, The winner gets 60% of the Award: 2nd, 20%: 3rd, 15% and 4th, 5%. Again, as an example, we will use an allowance race, this time restricted to Illinois registered horses. The base purse of this race is $20,000. The base purse times 60% equals the winner’s share. The winner’s share times 11.5% equals the Breeders Award. Base purse $20,000 X Winner’s share (60%)=$12,000 X 11.5%=Award $1,380 The Breeders Award in a restricted race is divided among the first 4 place finishers using the percentages as follows: Breeders Award $1,380 X 60% To the Winner=$828 X 20% To 2nd=$276 X 15% To 3rd=$207 X5% to 4th=$69.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 139 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 96 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: w: itbof.net

INDIANA BREEDERS AWARDS: The breeder of a registered Indiana-bred which wins any race at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino earns 20% of the gross purse for all stake, allowance and claiming races, except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000.

The breeder of a registered Indiana-bred which wins a race in another state, Puerto Rico or Canada earns 10% of the winners share of the purse for any race, except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000. Each out-of-state award is capped at $10,000. You are eligible for an out-ofstate award when there is no live Thoroughbred race meet in progress in Indiana (except for stakes races), and for 2-yearolds winning out of state prior to July 1 of race meet.

OWNERS AWARDS: ITOBA Stallion Season Auction stakes races. Owner’s Awards payable to the owner of an Indianasired Horse (IHRC registered IN Sire). Finishing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the ITOBA stakes races for fillies and for colts / geldings. 1st place bonus $3,000, 2nd place bonus $1,500, 3rd place bonus $500. Total added bonus money for 2 races $10K. STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: The owner or lessee of a registered Indiana Sire who’s registered progeny have won any races at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino earns 10% of the gross purse for all stake, allowance and claiming races, except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000.

All Breeder and Stallion Awards will be paid directly to the winning breeder or stallion owner from the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program. Awards will not be paid through the purse account at the track.

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RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes - The Governor’s Handicap and Unreachable Star will be contested at $250,000, and the First Lady and Lady Foghorn will be contested at $200,000.

Two signature handicap at $150,000 purses and Twenty Handicaps to be contested at $100,000 each.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 431 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 558 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Jessica Barnes t: (317) 233-3120 e: jbarnes@hrc.in.gov w: in.gov/hrc/tb

IOWA BREEDERS AWARDS: 12% 1st, 6% 2nd-4th.

OWNERS AWARDS: 32% supplement for Iowa-bred races.

37% supplement for open races.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Yes - based on the number of Iowa-bred winners by Iowa stallions.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 156 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 103 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Brandi Jo Fett t: (515) 957-3002 e: itboa@msn.com w: iowathoroughbred.com

KENTUCKY BREEDERS AWARDS: $16,000,000.

OWNERS AWARDS: $48,000,000.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: $12.5M (included in $16M

Breeders Awards).

25% Breeders Awards paid to accredited Louisiana-breds sired by a Louisiana based stallion finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any stakes race outside of Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000).

18% Breeders Awards paid to accredited Louisiana-breds sired by out of state stallions finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any stakes race outside of Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000).

10% Breeder’ Awards paid to foals out of non-resident mares sired by a Louisiana based stallion finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race in Louisiana.

9% Breeders Awards paid to foals out of non-resident mares sired by out of state stallions finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race in Louisiana.

9% Breeders Awards paid to foals out of Resident Mares that are sired by out of state stallions and the mare is bred back to an out of state stallion.

OWNERS AWARDS: Louisiana-breds run for higher purses than open horses in Louisiana.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Stallion Awards are paid based on a stallion’s progeny finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in an allowance, handicap or stakes race in Louisiana or in a stakes race outside of Louisiana. Stallion Awards are paid once a year, usually in the 1st week of August.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: World Wide Breeders Awards paid to accredited Louisiana-breds finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race outside of Louisiana on a prorated portion of the $400,000 annual fund set aside for this purpose.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 815 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 934 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Multiple State Bred Days - Louisiana is the only state with more than one State Bred Day. We now have one at each track for a total of four. Louisiana Premier Night in February at Delta Downs, Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs in conjunction with the 4th of July weekend, Louisiana Cup Day at Louisiana Downs in August and Louisiana Champions Day in December at Fair Grounds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

t: (504) 947-4676 w: louisianabred.com

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK:

7,900 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK:

16,833 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Contact: Drew Conners (KBIF) or Jenny McGaughey (KTDF) t: (859) 246-2040 (KBIF); (859) 259-1643 (KTDF) e: Drew.Conners@ky.gov; JMcGaughey@kta-ktob.com w: KHRC.ky.gov / Kentuckybred.org

LOUISIANA BREEDERS AWARDS: 25% Breeders Awards paid to accredited Louisiana-breds sired by a Louisiana based stallion finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race in Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000).

18% Breeders Awards paid to accredited Louisiana-breds sired by out of state stallions finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race in Louisiana (purse capped at $200,000).

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MANITOBA BREEDERS AWARDS: 2024 Breeder Awards - Class 1 - 3 points / Class 2 - 6 points / Class 3 - 9 points (win) 3 points (place) 1.5 points to (show) / Class 4 - 12 points (win) 4 points (place) 2 points (show) / Class 5 open stakes - 15 points (win) 5 (place) 2 points (show).

OWNERS AWARDS: Purse supplements are paid out on class levels to Manitoba/Saskatchewan-breds for their racing lifetime, must be foal in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, have Canadian papers and meet class level criteria.

Class 1 - C$600.00 (win) C$200.00 (place) C$100.00 (show) Class 2 - C$1200.00 (win) C$400.00 (place) C$200.00 (show) Class 3 - C$1800.00 (win) C$600.00 (place) C$300.00 (show) Class 4 - C$2400.00 (win) C$800.00 (place) C$400.00 (show) Purse supplements are not paid on: Stake races, Manitoba Restricted claiming races and Manitoba Restricted allowance races.

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STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 2024 Stallion Awards - Class 1 - 1 point / Class 2 - 2 points / Class 3 - 3 points (win) 1 point (place) .5 point (show)/ Class 4 - 4 points (win) 2 points (place) 1 point (show) / Class 5 open stakes - 5 points (win) 2 (place) 1 point (show).

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 50

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 696 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 744 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Maryland Million program for eligible Maryland-sired horses.

2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 59

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: MB/SK Registered Foal Program – This program will be offered in 2024 and 2025.

t: (410) 252-2100 e: Info@marylandthoroughbred.com w: MarylandThoroughbred.com / MarylandMillion.com

MB/SK breeders with in-foal mares that have not foaled in MB/SK in 2022 and 2023 will be eligible for up to C$4,000.

The breeder of the resulting foal will be paid C$3,000 upon registration of the MB/SK foal with The Jockey Club and CTHS National office. Should that same mare produce an MB/SK-bred foal by a stallion registered in the MB/SK program in 2025, the breeder will be eligible for a further C$1,000 when the resulting foal is also registered. An extension to the bred back program can be requested by applying to the MB CTHS office by July 1st.

All foals from this program will have their registration certificates assigned to the MB CTHS until the yearlings are either sold through a MB/SK sale or raced at ASD. Horses not entered or sold in a MB/SK sale will have their registration certificates held by the ASD race office until the end of the horses two-year-old’s race meet at ASD. Two-year-olds may ship to other tracks prior to completion of the ASD meet for a stakes race with approval from the race office and ASD. Registration papers must be returned to ASD after the stakes race if the ASD meet is ongoing. Repayment of program funds will release the registration certificates at any time.

Mares must be registered, and application approved by the MB CTHS office prior to foaling. The deadline for approval to this program for 2024 is June 1st, 2024. Each mare is only eligible once for this program. A maximum of 30 mares will be accepted into the program. Members may submit more than 1 mare application to the program, but each individual CTHS member will have priority over any member’s second mare application. Application priority will be based on the date received by the MB CTHS office. If the program is oversubscribed the CTHS and MJC will allow the extra applications to be first in line, the following year waiving the no foal in MB/SK in 2022-2023 stipulation if they qualify at time of application.

All applicants must be CTHS full members in good standing to be approved into the program. This program cannot be combined with the CTHS Shipping Incentive Program. The CTHS reserves the right to deny any application it deems not in the best interest of CTHS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

e: cthsmb@mymts.net w: cthsmb.ca

MARYLAND BREEDERS AWARDS: 22.5% top 3 in all races; additional 7.5% if MD-bred and MD-sired winner of a maiden race.

OWNERS AWARDS: 15% top 3 in overnight races.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 7.5% top 3 in all races if the horse

is by Maryland stallion.

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MASSACHUSETTS BREEDERS AWARDS: The breeder of a registered Massbred that finishes 1st, 2nd or 3rd in at any licensed pari-mutuel race meetings in any state will receive 25% Breeder Award.

OWNERS AWARDS: The owner of a registered Massbred that finishes 1st, 2nd or 3rd in at any licensed pari-mutuel race meetings in any state will receive 30% Owner Award.

Owner Awards of 10% will be granted on the racetrack purse only for horses that finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

Developer Awards (Developer – The owner listed on the racing program for the horse’s first lifetime start) of 20%, Breeder Awards of 25% and Stallion Awards of 15% will be granted on the supplemental purse awards and racetrack purses for horses that finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: If the horse is by a registered MA stallion, the stallion owner receives a 15% award.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: There are no scheduled restricted races for Massbreds at present.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: $10,000 supplemental purse added to whatever race in which a Massbred runs anywhere in US. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 7 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: A supplemental incentive of $10,000 will be in addition to the purse of any unrestricted race in which a Massbred horse is entered at a licensed pari-mutuel race meeting authorized by the state racing commission.

This supplemental incentive will be distributed as follows: 60%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 3% and 2% to the first 6 place finishers.

Funds will not be redistributed if more or fewer horses are entered.

To become a Massbred, the foal must be born in Massachusetts and to a mare that has been a resident since Oct 15th the previous year, or be bred back to a resident Massachusetts stallion - Incentive Program (T.I.P.).

To encourage the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding, T.I.P. offers sponsorship for Thoroughbred-only classes and divisions, high point Thoroughbred awards at open horse shows and competitions, a Thoroughbred of the Year Award and a Young Rider of the Year Award.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

e: MTBA@comcast.net w: massbreds.com

Get with the breeding program with benefits!

Foal your mare in 2024, in Massachusetts, to make these benefits work for you: • Benefit from a supplemental incentive of $10,000 – in addition to the purse of any unrestricted race in which a Massbred horse is entered at a licensed pari-mutuel race meeting authorized by the state racing commission.

Supplemental incentive will be distributed as follows: 60%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 3% and 2% to the first 6 place finishers.* • Benefit from Developer Awards of 20%.** • Benefit from Breeder Awards of 25% and Stallion Awards of 15% – on the supplemental purse awards and racetrack purses.** • Benefit from Owner Awards of 10% will be granted on the racetrack purse only.**

To learn more about the benefits of breeding in Massachusetts, please visit massbreds.com or call us on 508-252-3690 * Funds will not be redistributed if more or fewer horses are entered. ** First 3 place finishers only.

24 trainers based in Britain won 47 Gr.1 races across eight countries in 2023, including: Dubai Turf Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2000 Guineas Stakes Prince Of Wales’s Stakes Prix Morny International Stakes Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Champion Stakes Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Discover how GBRI can guide you on your journey to owning in Britain.

Great British Racing International is British horseracing’s dedicated service provider, commiied to helping international parties to navigate the esteemed networks that make up this world-leading industry.

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MICHIGAN BREEDERS AWARDS: N/A OWNERS AWARDS: N/A STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: N/A RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: N/A 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 12 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The purpose of the Minnesota Breeders’ Fund is to encourage the breeding and racing of quality horses. Stallion Awards promote the introduction of high quality studs standing for the breeding season in Minnesota. The breeders fund also provides money for in state, postsecondary equine research and related education in the form of grants, contracts or other expenditures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Nicole Boentgen t: (952) 496-7950 Ext. 4 e: nicole.boentgen@state.mn.us w: mrc.state.mn.us

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

e: horseracing@michigan.gov w: michigan.gov

MINNESOTA BREEDERS AWARDS: The money available from the Breeders Fund for the Thoroughbred breed category shall be divided as follows:

A. 80% shall be set aside and paid to breeders of Minnesotabred horses as Breeders Awards.

B. 2 0% shall be set aside and paid as Stallion Awards to the owners of the Minnesota-sire at the time of breeding.

The money available from the Thoroughbred Breeders Fund, other than purse supplements earned pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 240.135, shall be distributed as follows: “Breeders Awards” shall be paid to the breeder or lessee of a Minnesota-bred horse, as reflected on the Jockey Club physical or digital certificate, that earns purse earnings in any North American pari-mutuel race.

The amount of award shall be a percentage of the total amount available for all awards. Purse earnings earned in any North American race that is conducted outside of Minnesota during the Minnesota Thoroughbred racing meeting shall not count toward qualified earnings. A horse’s earnings in any single race must not be worth more than the winner’s share of the largest purse offered during the Minnesota Thoroughbred racing meeting.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Shall be paid to the owners or

lessees of the Minnesota-sire of a Minnesota-bred horse that earns purse earnings in any pari-mutuel race. The amount of award shall be a percentage of the total amount available for all awards. Purse earnings earned in any North American race outside of Minnesota during the Minnesota Thoroughbred racing meeting shall not count toward qualified earnings. A horse’s earnings in any single race must not be worth more than the winner’s share of the largest purse offered during the Minnesota Thoroughbred racing meeting.

Purse supplements earned shall not count toward qualified earnings in determining Breeders or Stallion Awards.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: Minnesota-bred horses may earn

awards from purses won in any North American pari-mutuel race.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 131 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 16

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NEW JERSEY BREEDERS AWARDS: Awards are paid to registered New Jerseybreds finishing 1st through 4th in any race run within New Jersey. 35%* of the purse earnings will be paid if the foal is sired by a registered New Jersey stallion. 25%* of purse earnings will be paid if the foal is sired by an out-of-state stallion or an unregistered New Jersey stallion.

OWNERS AWARDS: A 10%* award will be distributed by the TBANJ to the owners of registered New Jersey-bred horses who finish first through fourth in an open company race run within the State. In addition, an owner will receive a 40% bonus for any New Jersey-bred horse that finishes 1st through 3rd in any open company race run within New Jersey. The 40% bonus has a maximum award of $15,000 per race and is paid by the horsemen’s bookkeeper.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: The owner of the stallion must register said stallion each year with the TBANJ. Stallion owners will receive an award equal to 10%* of the amount that the foals of the registered stallion earn while finishing 1st through 4th in races run within New Jersey.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: There were 78 restricted races run in 2023 over 56 racing days.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 114 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 21 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: *The maximum award for each finish will be determined annually. In 2023, the maximum 1st place award is $10,000 and the maximum award for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishes is $5,000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Contact: Michael Campbell, Executive Director t: (732) 542-8880 e: njbreds@gmail.com w: njbreds.com

NEW MEXICO BREEDERS AWARDS: $2,043,844.47 OWNERS AWARDS: $1,589,650.42 STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: $4,178,518.64 RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: 3-4 restricted New Mexico Bred races per day and add additional funds to the purses.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL 518.388.0174

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OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 334 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 441 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In addition to the awards, purses are

enhanced for New Mexico Bred Horses running in New Mexico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Contact: New Mexico Horse Breeders Association t: (505) 262-0224 e: nmhba@nmhorsebreeders.com w: nmhorsebreeders.com

NEW YORK BREEDERS AWARDS:

New York-Sired* Award (Percent of Purse Money Earned) 1st Place: 40% / 2nd Place: 20% / 3rd Place: 10% Cap per Award: $40,000.

Non-New York-Sired*Award (Percent of Purse Money Earned) 1st Place: 20% / 2nd Place: 10% / 3rd Place: 5% Cap per Award: $20,000.

OWNERS AWARDS: For all open-company races in New York

OWNERS AWARDS: 2024 budgeted $558,360.00 for supplements, $4,626,400.00 for overnights and $1,435,000.00 for stake races. These are reflected in the purses.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 2024 budget $980,000.00 - paid to registered Ohio stallions of Ohio Accredited foals, 10% of winners share of purse, 10% of 2nd place share of purse, and 10% of 3rd place share of purse.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes. OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 396 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 369 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In 2024 approximately $11,700,000 is budgeted for Breeder Awards, Stallion Awards, the stakes program and supplemented / overnight purse money.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Holly Chandler t: (614) 779-0268 e: holly.chandler@racing.ohio.gov w: racingohio.net

OKLAHOMA

State with a minimum claiming price of $30,000, there are 2 tiers of Owner Awards:

BREEDERS AWARDS: 34% to breeders of accredited Oklahomabred racing stock horses.

New York-Sired* Award (Percent of Purse Money Earned) 1st through 3rd Place: 20% Cap per Award: $20,000

OWNERS AWARDS: 50% to owners of accredited Oklahomabred racing stock horses.

Non-New York-Sired* Award (Percent of Purse Money Earned) 1st through 3rd Place: 10% Cap per Award: $20,000.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 16% to owners of accredited Oklahoma stallions plus at the end of the year the top ten accredited Thoroughbred stallions will be determined and ranked by the amount of the Oklahoma-bred money earned and those stallions will receive a stallion bonus award.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: These awards are paid to owners of registered New York-based (at the time of conception) covering stallions. Please note that only New York-bred progeny of New York-based stallions are eligible to earn Stallion Owner Awards. Stallion Owner Awards have been increased to 10% of purses earned from finishes in 1st through 3rd place. All Stallion Owner Awards are capped at $10,000 per horse, per race.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes. OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 353 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 504 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: TRAOracing.com

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 1,263

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 991

Contact: Danielle Barber, Executive Director t: (405) 427-8753 e: Dbarber@traoracing.com w: ohrc.ok.gov

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: *A New York-sired New York-bred is sired by a registered New York stallion. A non-New Yorksired New York-bred is sired by an out-of-state stallion or an unregistered New York stallion.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Tracy Egan t: (518) 388-0174 e: tegan@nybreds.com w: NYBreds.com

OHIO BREEDERS AWARDS: 2024 budget $3,870,000.00 - paid

to registered broodmare owners of Ohio registered and accredited foals, 15% of winners share of purse, 15% of 2nd place share of purse, and 15% of 3rd place share of purse.

52 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

ONTARIO BREEDERS AWARDS: More than C$5 million is available in Breeders Awards in 2024, with a cap of C$200,000 per individual breeder of record. The breeder of record eligible to receive Breeders Awards is the individual, partnership, syndicate, or corporation who is the owner of the dam, properly enrolled as an Ontario Resident Broodmare, at the time of foaling.

OWNERS AWARDS: The Ontario-bred Purse Bonus is paid to the owner of registered Ontario-bred horses earning purse money in open races in Ontario. A registered Ontario-bred is eligible for the Bonus in any open race in Ontario until it has

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been claimed. Once a horse has been claimed, it is excluded from the Ontario-bred Purse Bonus program for the rest of its racing career. Owners of registered Ontario-bred winners will also receive Sales Credits toward the purchase of a yearling at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s (CTHS) Premier Yearling Sale or Mixed Sale, with complete details for 2024 available at tip.ontarioracing.com. A variety of Ontario Sired bonuses are paid to the owners of registered Ontario Sired horses, complete details for 2024 are available at tip. ontarioracing.com.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Stallion Awards are paid to the owner (or lessee) of a registered Ontario Sired in two categories, Stallion Year End Points Awards and Year End Top Stallion Awards. Complete details for 2024 are available at tip.ontarioracing.com.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes. OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: Yes. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 676 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 587 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: CTHS Ontario Members – 2024

Live Foal Incentive Program for CTHS members - Under this program, the CTHS Ontario will pay a fee of C$1,500 per live Ontario-bred foal of 2024 and a C$2,250 (a 50% bonus) for Ontario-bred foals by Ontario sires. Payment will be made on July 31, 2024, based on Live Foal Reports. This $1 million program is designed to incentivize immediate increases in the size and quality of the Thoroughbred breeding industry in Ontario. This incentive program will not be available for 2024 foals produced from mares purchased in the Fall 2023/ Spring 2024 Mare Purchase or Recruitment programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

t: (416) 675-3993 Ext. 2633 e: tbprogram@ontarioracing.com w: tip.ontarioracing.com

PENNSYLVANIA BREEDERS AWARDS: 40% PA-Sired PA-Breds, 20% Non-PA-Sired

PA-Breds.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 10%.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: 200+.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 639 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 448 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

PA Day at the Races - PARX $1,000,000 in PA-Bred Purses $2,500,000 in PA-Bred Stakes, PA-Sired, PA-Bred Stallion Series

TEXAS BREEDERS AWARDS: Percentage of purse money earned for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas races; plus breeder bonus for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas open company races. Breeder Awards for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in out-of-state races when there are no live Thoroughbred races in Texas, unless the outof-state race (when there are no Thoroughbred races in Texas) is a stake worth $50k or more.

OWNERS AWARDS: Percentage of purse money earned for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas races; plus owner bonus for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas open company races, plus bonus for Texas-sired Texas-breds placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas open company races.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Percentage of purse money earned for placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Texas races.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: Yes. OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: Yes. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 352 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 368 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Mary Ruyle t: (512) 458-6133 e: maryr@texasthoroughbred.com w: texasthoroughbred.com

VIRGINIA BREEDERS AWARDS: Virginia breeders earn awards when their mares’ offspring place 1st through 3rd in races anywhere in North America. Breeders Awards were 34% of the 1st through 3rd place purse in 2023.

OWNERS AWARDS: Owners of Virginia-bred horses, 2020 and older, earn an up to 25% bonus for wins at Mid-Atlantic tracks including NSA sanctioned meets (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV). For Virginia-bred foals of 2021 and after, the developer will earn the up to 25% bonus for wins at MidAtlantic tracks.

Owners of Virginia-bred horses earn a 50% bonus for 1st4th in open races at Colonial Downs.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: Stallion owners earn an award when their stallion’s offspring win any race in North America.

2023 Stallion Awards were over 80% of the winning purse.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: There are Virginia-bred and Virginia-restricted (includes VA-bred/sired/certified) stakes and overnight races at Colonial Downs. Plans are to grow the Virginia-restricted program at the meet.

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: Virginia Certified Developers earn bonuses race wins at Mid-Atlantic tracks. During the Colonial Downs meet, Certified Developer bonuses are only paid for wins at Colonial Downs.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 118

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Brian Sanfratello

2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 16

t: (610) 444-1050 e: info@pabred.com w: pabred.com

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In 2023 Developers of Virginia

54 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

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Certified horses earned a 25% bonus for open race wins at Mid-Atlantic tracks, including NSA sanctioned meets (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV, VA). Developers of Virginia Certified horses earned a 10% bonus for state-bred-restricted wins at Mid-Atlantic tracks. Virginia restricted races are excluded as are all wins in West Virginia beginning with the 2023 foal crop.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Debbie Easter t: (434) 977-3716 e: Debbie.easter@easterassociates.com w: vabred.org

WASHINGTON BREEDERS AWARDS: Breeders Awards allocated to recipients.

Total Breeders Awards for 2023 $197,905, paid to 1st through 3rd place.

OWNERS AWARDS: Washington-bred 1% Owners’ Bonus Awards.

Total Owners’ Bonus Awards $404,490, paid to 1st through 4th place.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: A series of Championship races is offered for Washington-bred and/or sired runners at Emerald Downs in two categories, two for juveniles and two for three-year-olds and up.

Stakes for 3-year-olds and up; and the West Virginia Futurity for 2-year-olds.

The WV Breeders Classics held annually on the 2nd Saturday in October pays out almost $1M in purses for WVbred and/or sired horses.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races currently offers 3 races per day that are restricted to accredited WV-bred and/ or sired horses.

Mountaineer offers 1 race per day that is restricted to accredited WV-bred and/or sired horses.

A minimum of 14 WV Stake races per year including the WV Futurity are offered for Accredited WV-foaled and/or sired horses.

Our Breeders Awards programs give lucrative financial incentives for breeding and racing West Virginia-bred and/or sired horses.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: In 2023 the WVTDF distributed over 4 million dollars to participants.

The Supplemental Purse Award program also pays breeders, sire owners, and WV resident owners up to 10% of a winning horse’s earnings for that particular race. Claims must be submitted to the WV Racing Commission within 15 days of the purse being awarded. (WV Code 19-23-13) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: w: wvtba.com

OUT OF STATE RACE AWARDS: No. 2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 151 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 103 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

t: (253) 288-7878 e: maindesk@wtboa.com w: washingtonthoroughbred.com

WEST VIRGINIA BREEDERS AWARDS: 60% to breeders/raisers.

Breeder requirements: 1. The breeder of the West Virginia-bred foal is a West Virginia resident; 2. The breeder of the West Virginia-bred foal is not a West Virginia resident, but keeps his or her breeding stock in West Virginia year round; or 3. The breeder of the West Virginia-bred foal is not a West Virginia resident and does not qualify under subdivision (2) of this subsection, but either the sire of the West Virginiabred foal is a West Virginia stallion, or the mare is covered only by a West Virginia accredited stallion or stallions before December 31 of the calendar year following the birth of that West Virginia-bred foal.

OWNERS AWARDS: 25% to owners.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 15% to sire owners.

RESTRICTED RACES FOR 2024: $800,000 in purse monies are

allocated for more than a dozen WV accredited stakes races during the year, including the Robert G. Leavitt Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds; the Sadie Hawkins Stakes for fil­lies and mares, 3-year-olds and up; the Frank Gall Memorial

56 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WYOMING BREEDERS AWARDS: 40% to breeders of accredited Wyomingbred racing stock horses.

OWNERS AWARDS: 40% to owners of accredited Wyomingbred racing stock horses.

STALLION OWNERS AWARDS: 20% to owners of accredited Wyoming stallions standing in the state of Wyoming at time of service to mares producing Wyoming-bred racing stock horses.

2021 FOAL CROP AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 34 2022 MARES BRED AS PER THE JOCKEY CLUB STATE FACT BOOK: 50 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Wyoming Gaming Commission granted 52 live race dates in 2023 to three permittees that host the races throughout the state. Live meet purses are attracting horsemen from all across the country to come race in Wyoming.

The breeders program has seen dramatic growth with over 700 broodmares and 75 stallions to date, who must permanently reside in the state, and are producing racing offspring to participate in the lucrative state bred program. In 2022, over $5.1 million was awarded to owners, breeders and stallion owners who participated in the Wyoming Breeders Awards Program with 2023 reaching a record over $6.7 Million.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: w: gaming.wyo.gov

The information published has been compiled from either breeder organization websites or directly from breeder organizations in good faith. While every effort has been taken to publish accurate information, we strongly recommend that you check with the individual state / province on the eligibility of your stock for racing or breeding purposes. No responsibility is assumed for errors, omissions or any consequences arising from them.

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57

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EQUINE

FOOT BALANCE 58 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: ADAM JACKSON, MRCVS PHOTOGRAPHY: ADOBE STOCK, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE, GALOPPFOTO.DE, PAM MACKENZIE PHOTOS,

The equine foot is a unique structure and a remarkable feat of natural engineering that follows the laws of biomechanics in order to efficiently and effectively disperse concussional forces that occur during the locomotion of the horse.

H

oof balance has been a term used by veterinarians and farriers to describe the ideal conformation, size and shape of the hoof relative to the limb.

Before horses were domesticated, they evolved and adapted to survive without any human intervention. With respect to their hoof maintenance, excess hoof growth was worn away due to the varied terrain in their habitat. No trimming and shoeing were required as the hoof was kept at a healthy length.

With the domestication of the horse and our continued breeding to achieve satisfactory performance and temperament, the need to manage the horse’s hoof became essential in order to ensure soundness and performance. The horse’s foot has evolved to ensure the health and soundness of the horse; therefore, every structure of the foot has an essential role and purpose.

A strong working knowledge of the biology and biomechanics of the horse’s foot is essential for the veterinarian and farrier to implement appropriate farriery. It was soon concluded that a well-balanced foot, which entails symmetry in shape and size, is essential to achieve a sound and healthy horse.

Anatomy and function of the foot The equine foot is extremely complex and consists of many parts that work simultaneously allowing the horse to be sound and cope with the various terrains and disciplines. Considering the size and weight of the horse relative to the size of the hoof, it is remarkable what nature has engineered. Being a small structure,

the hooves can support so much weight and endure a great deal of force. At walk, the horse places ½ of its body weight through its limbs and 2 ½ its weight when galloping. The structure of the equine foot provides protection, weight bearing, traction, and concussional absorption. Well-balanced feet efficiently and effectively use all of the structures of the foot to disperse the forces of locomotion. In order to keep those feet healthy for a sound horse, understanding the anatomy is paramount.

The foot consists of the distal end of the second phalanx (short pastern), the distal phalanx (pedal bone, coffin bone) and the navicular bone. The distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint) is found between the pedal and short pastern bone and includes the navicular bone with the deep digital flexor tendon supporting this joint. This coffin joint is the center of articulation over which the entire limb rotates. The navicular bone and bursa sits behind the coffin bone and is stabilized by multiple small ligaments. The navicular bone allows the deep digital flexor tendon to run smoothly and change direction in order to insert into the coffin bone. The navicular bursa is a fluid-filled sac that sits between the navicular bone and the deep digital flexor tendon.

The hoof complex can be divided into the epidermal weightbearing structures that include the sole, frog, heel, bulbs, bars, and hoof wall and the anti-concussive structures that include the digital cushion, lamina, deep digital flexor tendons, and ungual (lateral) cartilage. The hoof wall encloses the dermal structures with its thickest part at the toe that decreases in thickness as it approaches the heel.

Central sulcus of the frog

Pastern

Bulb of the heel

Coronet

Collateral sulcus of the frog

Angle of the wall Horny laminae

Bar Heel

Toe

Apex of the frog

Frog Wall

White line

Sole

Stratum medium (hoof wall)

White line

Sole

EQUINE HOOF ANATOMY

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When the foot lands on the ground, the elastic, blood-filled frog helps disperse some of the force away from the bones and joints, thus, acting as a shock absorber. The venous plexus above the frog is involved in pumping blood from the foot back to the heart when the foot is loaded. In addition, there is shielding of the deep digital flexor tendon and the sensitive digital cushion (soft tissue beneath the sole that separates the frog and the heel bulb from the underlying tendons and bones). Like the heel bulbs, the frog has many sensory nerve endings allowing the horse to be aware of where his body and feet are and allows the horse to alter landing according to the condition of the ground (proprioception and coordination).

The soft tissue structures comprise and form the palmar/ plantar aspect of the foot. The digital cushion lies between the lateral cartilages and above the frog and bars of the horse’s hoof.

This structure is composed of collagen, fibrocartilage, adipose tissue and elastic fiber bundles. The digital cushion plays a role in shock absorption when the foot is loaded as well as a blood pumping mechanism. Interestingly, it has been found that the digital cushion composition varies across and within breeds. It is thought the variation of the composition of the digital cushion is partially dictated by a genetic predisposition. In addition, the composition of the digital cushion changes with age. As the horse ages the composition alters from elastic, fat and isolated collagen bundles to a stronger fibrocartilage. Finally, the digital cushion and connective tissue within the foot have the ability to adapt to various external stimuli such as ground contact or body weight.

The hoof wall is composed of viscoelastic material that allows it to deform and return its shape in order to absorb concussional forces of movement. There is enough deformation to diminish the force from the impact and load of the foot while preventing any damage to the internal structures of the foot and limb. As load is placed on the foot, there is deformation that consists of:

• Expansion of the heels • Sinking of the heels • Inward movement of the dorsal wall • Biaxial compression of the dorsal wall • Depression of the coronary band • Flattening of the sole The hoof wall, bars and their association with the sole form the heel base with the purposes of providing traction, bearing the horse’s weight while allowing the stability and flexibility for the expansion of the hoof capsule that dissipates concussional forces on foot fall. The sole is a highly keratinized structure like the hoof wall but made up of nearly 33% water so it is softer than the hoof wall and should be concave to allow the flattening of the sole on load application. The frog and heel bulbs serve a variety of special functions ranging from traction, protection, coordination, proprioception, shock absorption and the circulation of blood.

60 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

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The lateral cartilage is a flexible sheet of fibrocartilage that suspends the pedal bone as well as acting as a spring to store and release energy. The lamina is a highly critical structure for hoof health. The lamina lies between the hoof wall and the coffin bone.

There are two types of lamina known as the sensitive (dermal) lamina and insensitive (epidermal) lamina. The insensitive lamina coming in from the hoof wall connects to the sensitive lamina layer that is attached to the coffin bone and these two types of lamina interdigitate with each other to form a bond.

Hoof and Musculoskeletal System The hoof and the musculoskeletal system are closely linked and this is particularly observed in the posture of the horse when resting or moving. Hoof shape and size and whether they are balanced directly affects the posture of the horse. Ultimately, this posture will also affect the loads placed on the skeletal system, which affects bone remodeling. With an imbalance, bone pathologies of the limbs, spine and pelvis may occur such as osteoarthritis. In addition, foot imbalances result in postural changes that lead to stress to the soft tissue structures that may lead to muscle injuries and/or tendon/ligament injuries.

Conformation and hoof balance The terms balance and conformation are used frequently and used to describe the shape and size of the limb as a whole as well as the individual components of the limb and the spatial relations between them. Balance is the term often used to describe the foot and can be viewed as a subset of conformation.

Conformation should be considered when describing the static relations within the limb and excludes the foot. Balance should be considered when describing the dynamic and static relationship between the horse’s foot and the ground and limb as well as within the hoof itself.

These distinctions between conformation and balance are important to assess lameness and performance of the horse. Additionally, this allows the veterinarian and farrier to find optimal balance for any given conformation.

The term hoof balance does lack an intrinsic definition. The use of certain principles in order to define hoof balance, which in turn can be extended to have consistent evaluation of hoof balance as well as guide the trimming and shoeing regimens for each individual horse. In addition, these principles can be used to improve hoof capsule distortion, modify hoof conformation and alter landing patterns of the foot. These principles are:

• Evaluate hoof-pastern axis • Evaluate center of articulation • The need for the heels to extend to the base of the frog Assessing the horse’s foot balance by observing both static (geometric) balance and dynamic balance is vital. Static balance is the balance of the foot as it sits on a level, clean, hard surface.

Dynamic balance is assessing the foot balance as the foot is in motion. However, horses normally do not resemble the textbook examples of perfect conformation, which creates challenges for the farriers and veterinary surgeons. The veterinarian should instigate further evaluation of the foot balance and any other ailments, in order to provide information that can be used by the farrier and veterinarian in formulating a strategy to help with the horse’s foot balance. With the farrier and veterinarian working cooperatively, the assessment of the hoof balance and shoeing of the foot should deliver a harmonious relationship between the horse’s limb, the hoof and the shoe.

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Dynamic Balance The horse should be assessed in motion as one can observe the foot landing and placement. A balanced foot when in motion should land symmetrically and flat when moving on a flat surface.

When viewed from the side, the heels and toe should land concurrently (flat foot landing) or even a slight heel first landing.

It is undesirable to have the toe landing first and often suggests pain localized to the heel region of the foot. When observing the horse from the front and behind, both heel bulbs should land at the same time. Sometimes, horses will land first slightly on the outside or lateral heel bulb of the foot but rarely will a horse land normally on the medial (inside) of the foot. If the horse has no conformational abnormalities or pathologies the static balance will achieve the dynamic balance.

Static Balance

• Hoof–pastern axis (HPA) The hoof pastern axis (HPA) is a helpful guideline in assessing foot balance. With the horse standing square on a hard, level surface, a line drawn through the pastern and hoof should be parallel to the dorsal hoof wall and should be straight (unbroken).

The heel and toe angle should be within 5° of each other. An underrun heel has been defined as the angle of the heel being 5° less than the toe angle. The heel wall length should be roughly 1/3 of the dorsal wall. In addition, the cannon (metacarpus/ metatarsus) bone is perpendicular to the ground and when observed from the lateral side, the HPA should be a straight line.

When assessing the foot from the side, the dorsal hoof wall should be aligned with the pastern. The optimal angle of the dorsal hoof wall is often cited as being 50-54°. The length of the dorsal hoof wall is variable but guidelines have been suggested according to the weight of the horse.

WEIGHT

LENGTH OF DORSAL WALL

350-400kg

3 inches

430-480kg

3.25 inches

520-570kg

3.5 inches

It is not uncommon that the hind feet are more upright compared to the fore feet at approximately 5°. A broken hoof-pastern axis is the most common hoof imbalance. There are two presentations of a broken HPA known as a broken-back HPA and a brokenforward HPA. These changes in HPA are often associated with two common hoof capsule distortions that include low or underrun heels and the upright or clubfoot, respectively.

A broken-back hoof-pastern axis occurs when the angle of the dorsal hoof wall is lower than the angle of the dorsal pastern. This presentation is commonly caused by low or underrun heel foot conformation accompanied with a long toe. This foot imbalance is common and often thought to be normal with one study finding it present in 52% of the horse population. With a low hoof angle, there is an extension of the coffin and pastern joints resulting in a delayed breakover and the heels bearing more of the horse’s weight, which ultimately leads to excess stress in the deep digital flexor tendon as well as the structures around the navicular region including the bone itself.

This leads to caudal foot pain so the horse lands toe first causing subsolar bruising. In addition, this foot imbalance can contribute to chronic heel pain (bruising), quarter and heel cracks, coffin joint inflammation and caudal foot pain (navicular

62 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

syndrome). The cause of underrun heels is multifactorial with a possibility of a genetic predisposition where they may have or may acquire the same foot conformation as the parents. There are also environmental factors such as excessive dryness or moisture that may lead to the imbalance.

A broken-forward hoof-pastern axis occurs at a high hoof angle with the angle of the dorsal hoof wall being higher than the dorsal pastern angle. One can distinguish between a broken-forward HPA and a clubfoot with the use of radiographs. With this foot imbalance, the heels grow long, which causes the bypassing of the soft tissue structures in the palmar/plantar area of the foot and leads to greater concussional forces on the bone. This foot imbalance promotes the landing of the toe first and leads to coffin joint flexion as well as increases heel pressure. The resulting pathologies that may occur are solar bruising, increased strain of the suspensory ligaments near the navicular bone and coffin joint inflammation.

• Center of articulation When the limb is viewed laterally, the center of articulation is determined with a vertical line drawn from the center of the lateral condyle of the short pastern to the ground. This line should bisect the middle of the foot at the widest part of the foot and demonstrates the center of articulation of the coffin joint. The widest part of the foot (colloquially known as “Ducketts Bridge”) is the one point on the sole that remains constant despite the shape and size of the foot. The distance and force on either side of the line drawn through the widest part of the foot should be equal, which provides biomechanical efficiency.

| EQUINE FOOT BALANCE |

The less concavity means the bone is nearer to the ground, thus, bearing greater concussional force. Finally, assess the lateral and medial heel length. Look down at the heel to determine the balance in the length of both heel bulbs. Each heel bulb should be the same size and height. If there are any irregularities with the heel bulbs then sheared heels may result, which is a painful condition. Mediolateral foot imbalance results in the uneven loading of the foot that leads to an accumulation of damage to the structures of the foot ultimately causing inflammation, pain, injury and lameness. Soles vary in thickness but a uniform sole depth of 15mm is believed to be the minimum necessary for protection.

• Dorso-palmar/plantar (front to back – DP) balance

• Heels extending to the base of the frog With respect to hoof balance, another component of the foot to assess is that the heels of the hoof capsule extend to the base of the frog. The hoof capsule consists of the pedal bone occupying two-thirds of the space and one-third of the space is soft tissue structures. This area is involved in dissipating the concussional and loading forces and in order to ensure biomechanical efficiency both the bone and soft-tissue structures need to be enclosed in the hoof capsule in the same plane.

To achieve this goal the hoof wall at the heels must extend to the base of the frog. If the heels are allowed to migrate toward the center of the foot or left too long then the function of the soft tissue structures have been transferred to the bones, which is undesirable. If there is a limited amount to trim in the heels or a small amount of soft tissue mass is present in the palmar foot then some form of farriery is needed to extend the base of the frog (such as an extension of the branch of a shoe).

Refers to the overall hoof angle and the alignment of the hoof angle with the pastern angle when the cannon bone is perpendicular to the ground surface. When assessing the foot from the side, the dorsal hoof wall should be aligned with the pastern. The optimal angle of the dorsal hoof wall is often cited as being 50-54°.

The heel and toe angle should be within 5° of each other. An underrun heel has been defined as the angle of the heel being 5° less than the toe angle. The heel wall length should be roughly 1/3 of the dorsal wall.

A line dropped from the first third of the coronet should bisect the base. A vertical line that bisects the 3rd metacarpal bone should intersect the ground at the palmar aspect of the heels.

Radiographs A useful way to assess trimming and foot balance is by having foot x-rays performed. Radiography is the only thorough and conclusive method that allows one to determine if the foot is not balanced and the bony column (HPA) is aligned.

Shoes should be removed and the foot cleaned before radiographs are executed. The horse is often placed on foot blocks to elevate the feet off the ground so that the foot can be centerd in the cassette and x-ray beam.

• Medio-lateral or latero-medial balance The medio-lateral balance is assessed by viewing the foot from the front and behind as well as from above with the foot raised. To determine if the foot has medio-lateral balance, the hoof should be bisected or a line is drawn down the middle of the pastern down to the point of the toe.

You should be able to visualize the same amount of hoof on both the left and right of that midline. In addition, one should observe the same angle to the side of the hoof wall. It is important to pick up the foot and look at the bottom. Draw a line from the middle quarter (widest part of foot) on one side to the other then draw a line from the middle of the toe to the middle sulcus of the frog.

This provides four quadrants with all quadrants being relatively the same in size (Proportions between 40/60 to 60/40 have been described as acceptable for the barefoot and are dependent on the hoof slope). The frog width should be 50-60% of its length with a wide and shallow central sulcus. The frog should be thick enough to be a part of the bearing surface of the foot. The bars should be straight and not fold to the mid frog. The sole should be concave and the intersection point of both lines should be the area of optimal biomechanical efficiency.

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Latero-medial view – The side view of the foot allows one to assess the dorsal and palmar aspects of the pedal bone as well as the navicular bone. The horse should be standing squarely on a flat, level surface. This projection is useful in determining the point of breakover and the hoof pastern axis should be parallel with the hoof wall. The lateral view will demonstrate the length of the toe and the alignment of the dorsal surface of the pedal bone with the hoof wall, which should be parallel. This view also allows one to determine the depth of the sole and inadequate solar depth is usually accompanied with excessive toe length (broken-back HPA). One may observe a clubfoot, broken forward.

One can distinguish between a clubfoot and a broken-forward HPA with radiographs. The broken-forward HPA the hoof angle of the heel is greater than the angle of the dorsal hoof wall. The clubfoot also demonstrates these steep/high hoof angles but additionally the alignment of the coffin, short and long pastern bones are broken forward.

Dorsopalmar/plantar views - this “front to back” view is also performed with the horse standing squarely on 2 positioning blocks. This projection allows the evaluation of medial to lateral balance and conformation of the foot with observation and measurement of the medial and lateral wall length and angle.

Horses with satisfactory conformation present with a parallel joint surface of the pedal bone to the ground. The coffin joint should be even across its width. In addition, the lateral and medial coronet and the lateral and medial walls are of equal thickness and the distance from the lateral and medial solar margins to the ground are similar.

With foot imbalance, this author has observed that fore feet may have a higher lateral hoof wall, whereas, the hind feet may have a higher medial hoof wall. It is worth noting that the pelvis, stifle and hocks are adapted to move laterally allowing a slight rotating action as it moves. This action may cause uneven wear or poor trimming and shoeing may cause this limb movement to be out of line.

Trimming Often, trimming and shoeing are based on empirical experience that includes theoretical assumptions and aesthetic decisions.

The goals of trimming and shoeing are to facilitate breakover, ensure solar protection and provide heel support.

Trimming is the most important aspect of farriery because it creates the base to which a shoe is fitted.

Hoof conformation takes into account the function and shape of the foot in relation to the ground and lower limb both at rest and exercise. Each individual foot should have a conformation that provides protection and strength while maximizing biomechanical efficiency often viewed as foot balance.

An important question that initially needs to be addressed is whether the horse requires shoes or not. The answer does depend on what type of work the horse performs, what is the amount of workload, the conformation of the horse (especially the limbs and foot) and are there any previous or current injuries. It must be stressed that the most important aspect, whether the horse is shod or not, is that the trim ensures an appropriately balanced foot for the horse. If there is poor trimming then this may lead to uneven and increased workload on the limb leading to an increased strain of the hoof and soft tissues (i.e. ligaments, tendons) that increase the risk of injury and developing acute and chronic lameness.

The foot can be evaluated, trimmed and/or shod in a consistent, reproducible manner that considers:

• Hoof-pastern axis (HPA) • The center of articulation • Heels extending to the base of the frog Appropriate trimming and shoeing to ensure the base of the foot is under the lateral cartilage; therefore, maximizing the use of the digital cushion, can help in creating a highly effective haemodynamic mechanism. Shoeing must be done that allows full functionality of the foot so that load and concessional forces are dissipated effectively.

To implement appropriate farriery, initially observe the horse standing square on a hard service to confirm that the HPA is parallel. If the HPA is broken forward or backward then these balances should be part of the trimming plan. To determine the location of the center of rotation, palpate the dorsal and palmar aspect of the short pastern just above the coronary band and a line dropped vertically from the center of that line should correlate with the widest part of the foot.

Shoeing When the shoe is placed on the horse, the horse is no longer standing on its feet but on the shoe; therefore, shoeing is an extension of the trim. The shoe must complement the trim and must have the same biomechanical landmarks to ensure good foot balance. It is this author’s view that the shoe should be the lightest and simplest possible. The shoe must be placed central to the widest part of the foot and the distance from the breakover point to the widest part of the foot should be equal to the distance between the widest part of the foot and the heel.

64 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

| EQUINE FOOT BALANCE |

It has been shown that the use of shoes that lift the sole, frog and bars can reduce the efficient workings of the caudal foot and may lead to the prevalence of weak feet. A study by Roepstorff demonstrated there was a reduced expansion and contraction of the shod foot but improved functionality of solar and frog support. With this information, appropriate shoeing should allow increased functionality of the digital cushion, frog and bars of the foot, which improves the morphology and health of the hoof and reduces the risk of exceeding the hoof elasticity.

Disease associated with hoof imbalance Foot imbalance can lead to multiple ailments and pathologies in the horse. It must be noted that the pathologies that may result are not necessarily exclusive for the foot but may expand to other

components to the horse’s musculoskeletal system. In addition, not one but multiple pathologies may result. The table below shows the diseases that may result from hoof imbalance.

Conformation and hoof balance Foot balance is essential for your horse to lead a healthy and sound life and career. With a strong understanding of the horse anatomy and how foot imbalance can lead to lameness as well as other musculoskeletal ailments, one can work to assess and alter foot balance in order to ensure optimal performance and wellbeing of the horse. It is essential that there is a team approach involving all stakeholders as well as the veterinarian and farrier in order to achieve foot balance. With focus on foot balance, one can make a good horse into a great horse.

FOOT

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

Abscesses

Osteoarthritis

Thrush

Tendinitis (inflammation of tendon)

Sole puncture, bruise, corns

Synovitis (inflammation of joints of the limb)

White line disease &/or seedy toe

Tenosynovitis (inflammation of tendon and surrounding sheath)

Laminitis

Desmitis (inflammation of ligaments such as suspensory ligament)

Pedal osteitis

Disorders of the spine

Contracted heels or underrun heels

Disorders of the pelvis

Hoof wall cracks

Myopathies (muscle disorders)

Navicular syndrome

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O’Connor (left) ridden by jockey Tyler Gaffalione wins the 2023 Hagyard Fayette at Keeneland.

GRADED STAKES WINNING OWNERS 66 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

MICHAEL & JULES IAVARONE MASTER PIECE & O’CONNOR

I

s success more enjoyable the second time around?

Michael Iavarone is finding out, on the racetrack, where he has reunited with trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., and off. Dutrow is making his own return following a 10-year suspension for drug violations.

Off the track, Iavarone has rebuilt his own business after being nearly wiped out. “It took me a couple of years,” he said. “I built a bigger business than what I had.”

Iavarone’s love of horseracing traces back to growing up in Bethpage, Long Island, when he and his father fell in love with racing at Roosevelt, then the best harness track in the country with weekend crowds in the 20,000’s. “I loved it so much,” Iavarone said.

“I remember it vividly. We’d eat in the Cloud Casino.”

In 1985, Iavarone and his father attended the second Breeders’ Cup at Aqueduct Racetrack, where he saw flawless victories by two incredible turf starts, Pebbles in the Turf and Cozzene in the Mile. “I was 15, and that just hooked me. Pebbles and Cozzene. It was something that always resonated with me. It never left.”

While he built a career as an accomplished investment banker, he began to dabble with Thoroughbreds. On September 28th, 2002, at Belmont Park, Iavarone claimed the New York-bred gelding Toddler for $75,000. He finished fifth in that race.

WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOGRAPHY: KEENELAND PHOTO, COGLIANESE PHOTOS, COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

Iavarone entered him in the $250,000 Empire Classic for New York-breds. Sent off at 49-1, he finished last in the field of 12, beaten 43 ½ lengths. “It was my first race ever,” Iavarone said.

“He was dead last. Got beat nearly 50 lengths. I realized you really needed money to do it.”

So he formed International Equine Acquisitions Holding (IEAH) the following year. Based in Garden City, Long Island, the business operated as a hedge fund with horses as the major asset. Iavarone was the co-CEO with Richard Schiavo, who oversaw administration. Major funding was provided by James Tagliaferri, who ran an asset management company, TAG Virgin Islands. Iavarone was responsible for all equine affairs. Initially, IEAH used four trainers, Dutrow, Dominick Schettino, John Terranova and Donald Chatlos Jr. Although IEAH would campaign several top runners including Benny the Bull, the 2008 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter, and Gr.1 winners Kip Deville, I Want Revenge, Court Vision and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Stardom Bound, it will always be linked to Big Brown, a phenomenal horse who won seven of eight starts, including four Gr.1’s in 2008, the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Haskell Invitational. IEAH was part of a partnership ownership of the son of Boundary out of the Nureyev mare Mien.

Trained for his first start by Pat Reynolds, Big Brown won his maiden debut by 11 ¼ lengths at Saratoga on the grass at odds of 14-1 under Joe Bravo. He was switched to Dutrow’s barn to prepare for his three-year-old season. Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux would ride Big Brown in all of his seven subsequent starts.

Dutrow called Big Brown “nothing but fun.”

All of Big Brown’s connections had nothing but fun as he won the Florida Derby by 12 ¾ lengths, the Kentucky Derby by 4 ¾ lengths despite breaking from the extreme outside post in the field of 20 and the Preakness Stakes by 5 ¼.

He would go off at 3-10 in the field of nine in the Belmont Stakes and not even finish the final leg of the Triple Crown.

“Coming out of the Preakness, he was fine,” Iavarone said. “He always had problems with his feet. He had glue-on shoes. He developed a real sore spot at the edge of the corona. We decided not to work him. When you don’t do the work, everyone notices.

It turned into an abscess. It took away three days from training.

As probably the most famous horse, PETA was calling all day long to not race him in the Belmont.”

The morning of the Belmont Stakes turned very weird. “It’s nine o’clock, and I’m in the shower,” Iavarone said. “I got out and went to the door. There are two guys with badges saying they’re the FBI. They show me a letter that had been sent from an unidentified person saying Rick Dutrow and me would be shot in the head if anything goes wrong with Big Brown. I called Rick.

He didn’t care. I had two young kids with me. We had two FBI agents with us all day long, everywhere.”

The afternoon was worse than the morning. When Desormeaux walked Big Brown out of the horse tunnel at Belmont Park and onto the track for the post parade, he looked unbelievably upset.

Breaking from the rail, Desormeaux pulled him suddenly to the far outside, and, instead of rallying, he kept getting farther away from the leaders. Desormeaux pulled him up and they walked slowly back to be greeted by his connections, all of them wondering what had happened.

“When he pulled up, I went running,” Iavarone said. “The FBI was running behind me. We go back to the barn. He was fine.

Sound as a button. We don’t know why Kent pulled him up. He said, ‘I knew he was going to finish last. Why push him?’”

And the FBI presence? “To this day, we still don’t know about the threat,” Iavarone said.

Dutrow helped Iavarone place the Triple Crown in perspective.

“Rick said, ‘We still won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness,’” Iavarone said. “That day was more difficult for the horse than it was for us, because he didn’t get the recognition he deserved.”

Big Brown bounced back to win the Gr.1 Haskell Invitational by 1 ¾ lengths and the $500,000 Monmouth Turf Stakes by a neck.

Master Piece wins the 2023 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct.

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| G R A D E D S TA K E S W I N N I N G OW N E R S |

Iavarone has much more pleasant memories at Belmont Park thanks to the Cornell Ruffian Equine Hospital right across the street. IEAH built the facility, the only full-service equine hospital on Long Island. “It started with me having a horse needing to ship to New Bolton (in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) for colicking and we had trouble getting a van,” Iavarone said.

The hospital opened in 2009, closed in 2011 due to financial difficulties and was sold to Cornell University and renamed in 2014. “We built it and it became very complicated,” Iavarone said.

“We couldn’t own the facility. We had to lease the facility. It became very hard. So when Cornell came to us about buying it, I saw a chance. I sold it to them. I’m very proud of it.”

IEAH had bigger problems.

Tagliaferri had been investing money on behalf of its clients and receiving kickbacks disguised as consulting fees. In 2014, Tagliaferri was found guilty of investment advisor fraud, securities fraud and wire fraud causing his clients to lose $50 million. Iavarone was never charged with a crime, but felt the effects as IEAH folded.

“It just turned into a disaster,” Iavarone said. “He wiped out about 90 percent of my personal wealth. We liquidated horses and sold the hospital. It sent me in the wrong direction. I was living a great life. I had to go back to my roots.”

When he rebuilt his business, he felt comfortable to return to racing. He became a partner on Next Shares, a Gr.1 stakes winner who bankrolled nearly $1.9 million, and now owns 18 horses including his recent graded stakes winners Master Piece and O’Connor.

And he’s reunited with Dutrow, who scored one of the most meaningful victories in his career when White Abarrio won the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic. “Rick and I have been friends forever,” Iavarone said. “Taking 10 years from a guy’s life? At the end of the day, I hope he learned a lesson. He’s a completely changed person now. The suspension humbled him.”

Dutrow said, “I had a ball training for Mike. He’s got a great personality. I will like anybody in the world who sends me horses like he does. He’s got to send me more horses.”

Michael, Jules and friends at Royal Ascot 2022.

RIGHT: Michael and Jules lead in Next Shares and jockey Tyler Gaffalione after winning the $1,000,000 2018 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.

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© INSTAGRAM.COM/MICHAEL.IAVARONE

Breeders’ Cup 2023

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE

Nobals ridden by Gerrardo Corrales, wins 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park.

VINNIE FOGLIA – PATRICIA’S HOPE LLC NOBALS

N

obals’ victory in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint was the culmination of an incredible year for Vinnie Foglia, who races as Patricia’s Hope LLC, and his trainer/close friend Larry Rivelli. Patricia’s Hope LLC was also a partner on Two Phil’s, who sandwiched dominant Gr.3 stakes victories in the Jeff Ruby Stakes and Ohio Derby around his brave second by a length in the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby. “It was a hell of a year,” Foglia said.

Actually, it’s been a hell of a long friendship between Foglia and Rivelli. “I think it was the Italian thing,” Foglia said. “We hit it off immediately. It’s so cool that we’re that tight. We live in the same community. We golf together. We’re members of the same country club. We hang out together.”

They’re also native Chicagoans. “Someone told me he wanted to claim a horse,” Rivelli said. “The guy recommended me. I talked to Vinnie for five minutes. Same town. Both Italians. From then on, we were just buddies. It ended up a great friendship with him and his family. They’ve been successful. They’re the greatest people on the planet. Just great people.”

Both Vinnie, his father Vincent and his mother Patricia, have spent their lives helping people.

70 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

Vinnie’s father was the co-founder of Sage Products Inc, a medical supply company which developed and manufactured healthcare products for hospitals throughout the country in Cary, Illinois.

“My first position in health care almost 60 years ago was as a salesman for MacBick, which sold medical supplies to hospitals,” Vinnie’s father said in an online interview. “I wanted to be part of it. I am truly passionate about healthcare.

It’s been my life’s work and dedication for almost 50 years. I love this industry. I know right now that someone in a hospital is benefitting from one of our products. I’ve always wanted to be part of something that matters. And what could matter more than patient safety? After all, we’re all going to be patients some day!”

When his company prospered, he began a legacy of philanthropy, one his son is proud to continue. In 1995, his father founded the Foglia Family Foundation in Chicago. Its major areas of support are education and health care. “As part of our interest in health care, we’ve always supported high-quality behavioral health treatment,” his father said.

“We are aware that addiction and suicide rates are soaring and demand for treatment is growing. Much of this care is unfunded and relies on doctors. Yet even with charitable gifts, behavioral health organizations are still only able to scratch the surface of the need.”

Foglia is rightfully proud of his father: “He is a role model.

My father gets pleasure helping people who are less fortunate.

| G R A D E D S TA K E S W I N N I N G OW N E R S |

That’s what I do. We have over 100 charities that we support.”

One of them, Let It Be, places kids, including children with special needs, in foster homes. “I’m on the board,” Foglia said.

“I’m on a few boards, all not-for-profit.”

Foglia began working for Sage when he was 16. “I started out sweeping with a broom,” he said. “When we sold the business to Striker Home Care Medical in 2016, that allowed us to start buying thoroughbreds.” He honored his mother by calling his stable Patricia’s Hope LLC.

Horses were always in Foglia’s head, ever since he visited Arlington Park when he was 12. “I grew up in Arlington Heights,” he said. “My high school was right down the street. I knew jockey E.T. Baird. I knew grooms and hotwalkers.”

That end of the business never appealed to Foglia. Owning horses did: “It’s as exciting as you can have competitively without breaking a sweat.”

One of his first lessons was to avoid something that guarantees sweat: “I learned that, after five or six years, don’t do the bookkeeping. It takes away the fun. You can get sticker shock.”

Not with Nobals. The five-year-old gelding by Noble Mission out of Pearly Blue by Empire Maker sold for $3,500 at the FasigTipton October, 2020 Yearling Sale to owner/trainer LeLand Hayes. Nobals won his maiden debut at Presque Isle Downs by four lengths and was re-sold to Patricia’s Hope LLC and Rivelli.

“After he won, someone presented the horse,” Ravelli said. “A horse has to absolutely jump off the page for me to want to buy it.

It was the way he won his race.”

Nobals has been winning races all over North America ever since Foglia purchased him. In 18 career starts, he’s raced at 11 different tracks: Presque Isle Downs, Arlington Park, Churchill Downs, Delmar, Turfway Park, Woodbine, Saratoga, Keeneland, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Colonial Downs and Santa Anita. His 10 wins and three seconds helped him earn $1,453,274.”

Now Two Phils, who posted five wins, two seconds and one third in 10 starts, making $1,583,450, is standing stud at WinStar Farm for $12,500. Nobals is enjoying a well-earned rest.

Together, Two Phils and Nobals earned $3 million. Two Phils took Foglia to his first Kentucky Derby, and the thrill of finishing second in America’s race will last a lifetime. But at Santa Anita, Nobals gave Foglia his first Gr.1 stakes victory.

“That was very cool,” Foglia said. “The goal from the start was to win a Gr.1.”

Patricia’s Hope fulfilled.

Nobals and his connections celebrate his 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint win.

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JOHN C. HARRIS – HARRIS FARMS CLOSING REMARKS

T

he breadth of California Racing Hall of Famer John C. Harris’ accomplishments is so vast, it’s difficult to know where to begin. “He’s probably one of the most influential horsemen in California racing as an owner and breeder, and respected by both sectors,” Bill Nader, the CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, said. “He’s just an amazing man. What an impact he has had.”

His impact was celebrated last August when he was honored at the Edwin J. Gregson Charity/fundraising dinner at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, just a few miles east of Del Mar. He has served five terms as the President of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and is a member of the Jockey Club, the California Horse Racing Board and the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors.

His list of racing stars includes his home-bred Soviet Problem, the 1994 California-bred Horse of the Year who won 15 of her 20 career starts with three seconds, one of them by a head to Cherokee Run in the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. Harris was co-breeder and co-owner of the incredible filly with Don Valpredo, the co-founder of Country Sweet Produce in Bakersfield.

Harris called Soviet Problem “the best one I’ve ever had.”

72 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

PHOTOGRAPHY: BENOIT PHOTO

Harris’ stallions at Harris Farms have included Cee’s Tizzy, sire of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow. Harris Farms was also part of the success story of 2014 and 2016 Horse of the Year California Chrome. Both those superstars grew up on Harris Farm and began training there.

The Harris Farm story traces back to Harris’ father, Jack, and his decision to move his farm from Texas to California in 1916.

Twenty-seven years later, they established Harris Farm in California’s Central Valley, near Coalinga, a diversified company.

Thoroughbreds are just part of Harris’ story. His Harris Ranch Beef Company produces nearly 200 million pounds of beef and is California’s largest fed cattle processor. Harris Ranch Beef has been in California’s supermarkets for decades.

The Harris Ranch Restaurant alongside Interstate 5 has been a popular rest-stop for families traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco or the other direction. It is one of three dine-in restaurants on the vast property of more than several thousand acres. Harris Ranch Restaurant serves as many as half a million customers each year and has won several culinary awards.

Harris Farm produces onions, garlic, almonds, pistachios, olives, citrus fruit and asparagus and includes vineyards for producing wine.

But horses hold a sacred place in Harris’ soul, and he has bred and raced champions for several decades.

The Harris Farm Horse Division is split into two distinct ranches, 450 acres in Coalinga, from the main ranch and the remaining 140 acres located in Sanger specializing in the development of young horses and long-term lay-ups.

How has he been able to succeed in so many endeavors simultaneously?

| G R A D E D S TA K E S W I N N I N G OW N E R S |

LEFT: John Harris and jockey Umberto Rispoli after Closing Remarks wins the 2023 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar.

“I try to keep all the balls in the air and not screw up things in the process,” Harris said.

Those close to him know how remarkably well he’s accomplished that.

“We’re all amazed, too,” said Tom Wyrick, the Assistant Manager of the Harris Farm Horse Division. “He’s a very caring guy. He’s good to people.”

Harris went the extra mile naming his horses for his employees.

The first was Big Jess, Harris’ first home-bred stakes winner. He won 14 of 69 career starts with 12 seconds, seven thirds and earnings of $152,312. One of Big Jess’ sons, Juan Barrera, was also named for an employee. In 45 lifetime starts, he posted 10 victories, six seconds and seven thirds, making $245,705.

Harris cares deeply about racing in California, all racing in the state. On the California Horse Racing Board, Harris tried to ensure the future of California’s fair racing, trying to preserve historic venues such as Ferndale.

Harris received a Bachelor of Science Degree in animal science and agricultural business management from the University of California at Davis.

In 2008, he was inducted into the California Racing Hall of Fame. Harris said he was in favor of a recent proposed rule to limit the number of mares a stallion serves to 140: “I think it’s a good idea, but it’s kind of academic in California. We rarely have stallions in California who breed over 140 mares. Some are over 100, but none over 140. One-hundred-forty is quite a few. We breed horses here to race. The declining mares, that’s the tip of the iceberg. The problem in California is a lot of people aren’t making a lot of money racing here, and their interest starts to wane.”

His interest never has.

And he’s not slowing down. In 2023, Harris Farm horses won 27 of 194 starts and earned $1,628,186, its highest total of the 2000’s.

At the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation Dinner last August, Foundation President Jenine Sahadi said, “We’re delighted to honor John, not only for the accomplishments of his Harris Farm Horse Division, one of the country’s leading racing stables and utmost influential owner/breeder operations, for which he has been inducted to the California Racing Hall of Fame. We also acknowledge his many years of distinguished service to the industry as a California Horse Racing Board Commissioner, board member of the Breeders’ Cup, Jockey Club and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.”

Bill Nader, who was at that dinner, said, “It was a great night.”

And it couldn’t have meant more to Harris: “Eddie was a really good friend.”

Closing Remarks (left) battles Queen Goddess in the 2023 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

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| BREEDING |

NEW FOR 2024

g n i f Brie

IN THIS QUARTER WE CANVAS OPINION ON THE ART OF PINHOOKING

74 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: JORDIN ROSSER PHOTOGRAPHY: ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE, FASIG-TIPTON PHOTOS / PHOTOS BY Z, JON SIEGEL, MARGAUX FARM

Even though the term pinhooking came from the tobacco industry in Kentucky, it is widely used in the Thoroughbred racing industry as a concept where horses are bought at one stage of life and sold at another stage of development in the hopes of a profit based on the breaking, training and maturing process of these animals.

W

e have gathered a panel of pinhook sellers of both yearling to two-year-olds, weanling to yearlings, and breeders to discuss their thoughts on selection at sales and their view of the business. Our panelists include: Richard Budge, the general manager of Margaux Farm who oversees the breeding and training of yearlings and two-year-olds; Eddie Woods, a well-established two-year-old consignor and yearling pinhooker; Marshall Taylor, a thoroughbred advisor at Taylor Made – known for yearling consignments; Niall Brennan, a respected two-yearold consignor and yearling pinhooker.

Q.

When selecting yearlings for pinhooking to the two-year-old sales or weanlings for the yearling sales, which qualities do you look for?

contrast, Richard Budge starts with the pedigree then evaluates the conformation and analyzes the whole picture. For weanling to yearling pinhooks, the primary attributes to consider are pedigree, conformation, good movement, and early foaling dates.

Marshall Taylor further discussed wanting to find a good-sized body, longer neck, laid back shoulders and good strides when walking. At the end of the day, “quality is a perception” as stated

by Niall Brennan – these qualities are statistically likely to sell well in both the yearling sales and the two-year-old sales from the seller’s perspective.

Q.

iven the two-year-old sales have decreased in G number and have moved to later months, do you believe it has incentivized yearling selection and/or breeders to favor later maturing horses?

Many of the panelists concur on the primary qualities necessary for a prospective successful pinhook being conformation, pedigree, and clean vetting – but generally, wanting “quality”.

Such traits include an early maturing body, muscle, good conformation, and pedigree for yearling pinhooks to twoyear-olds. Some consignors weigh some of the main qualities with different weights, for example, Eddie Woods looks at the conformation of the prospect before the pedigree but will analyze sire lines and sire statistics to assist him in his selections. In

A resounding “no” came from the panelists. Looking back into the history of two-year-old sales gave a clearer picture as to why the sentiment has not changed. The main two-year-old sales currently are the OBS March, April and June sales in Ocala, Florida as well as the Fasig-Tipton May and June sales in Timonium, Maryland. However, there used to be OBS February, Calder and Adena Springs sales, Fasig-Tipton’s Gulfstream sale, and Barretts’ (a company whose final auction was in 2018) March and May sales in Pomona, California.

Eddie Woods

David Hanley & Marshall Taylor

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| BREEDING |

Niall Brennan

Q.

ypothetically, if the two-year-old sales changed H from breezing to galloping with technological devices to provide metrics to analyze, do you think the market or breeders would change their strategies?

Most of the panelists believed this hypothetical would not work well for the two-year-old sales model. Some of the panelists discussed how the sales model previously did not include the clock and how the Barretts’ sales model specifically had the horse breeze with times in the 100ths. Niall Brennan commented that the granularization of the breeze times “caused more speculation from the buyers” and changed their perspective on the individual horses based on fractions of a second. The juxtaposition of sales with only untimed gallops and sales with timed breezes caused many buyers to “compare apples to oranges” for a few years while sales companies were integrating the concept– leading to a perceived dismissal of the idea. In the current market and with the technology available today, this may not be possible, but Marshall Taylor believes “any information you have is good information” and “moving forward with technology is a positive”. In the future and with significant technological advancements, this hypothetical could be real. In the words of Niall Brennan, “the time will come when we aren’t worried about time [during breezing]”.

Eddie Woods Training Center

76 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

Q.

I n terms of breeding, what trends do you currently see and what trends do you want to see benefiting the pinhooking market?

The consensus from the panelists indicated breeding speed and quick maturing horses is the current trend in the pinhooking market. Richard Budge stated “precociousness is valued highly into the making of a stallion” in America. Marshall Taylor mentioned technology is used in making breeding decisions, particularly Nick reports. These use the daily updating percentage of stakes winner indexes to determine if sire and dam lines are compatible for the desired outcome culminating in a high performing racehorse.

© JON SIEGEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Niall Brennan commented that when the earlier sales were going on, the horses would “breeze within themselves easily” instead of breezing for the clock as is evident in today’s sales. Due to this emphasis, pinhookers noticed some horses needed more time to mature to run quicker times and with the horsemanship shown throughout the industry – all the panelists indicated that “the horse will tell you which sale it belongs in”. With the two-yearolds’ sales model having changed many variables, one variable that stayed the same is the horse attributes needed to be successful in these sales. Which leads to the conclusion being the same and sentiment remaining steady despite changes in the industry.

| BLOODSTOCK BRIEFING |

Based on many of the responses in what type of weanlings or yearlings are selected at the beginning of the pinhooking process, the need for precocious and well-bred horses is no surprise.

Richard Budge, believes that turf racing has become more popular and believes the growth of this segment in thoroughbred racing should encourage pinhooks to look for turf in their prospect’s pedigrees. However, the bloodlines will need to support this idea and the American breeders will need to include more English, French and South American bloodlines to adjust for these factors.

Q.

Richard Budge

here do you see the pinhooking market right W now at the start of the 2024 2yo sales season?

The panelists all agree on this point: the buyer market is focused on quality over quantity and concentration of the buyer market.

These trends encourage pinhookers to purchase weanlings or yearlings that tick all their boxes to produce quality prospects leading to increased prices as a function of competition. According to many panelists, the market is focused on what is perceived to be the “top end” – by pedigree, conformation, vetting, and/or under tack time. Based on the rising costs of ownership, Marshall Taylor mentioned “partnerships are becoming more popular” amongst the buyers, allowing owners to offset these increased costs.

Margaux Farm

Throughout these interviews, it is apparent pinhookers have a keen ability to read the horses and determine how to bring their best on “NFL combine” day in the case of the two-year-olds.

Niall Brennan and Richard Budge gave credit and appreciation to all the pinhookers who actively prepare these athletes and show their horsemanship through breaking, training, consigning, and breeding of these animals.

We see all the hard work that goes into preparing these athletes for race day through their accomplishments. To produce this feat on demand and to make money in the process is what pinhooking thoroughbreds is all about.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE – we'll be examining sire lines which are no longer popular and asking what has caused their demise.

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| VETERINARY |

A STABLE GUT: THE KEY TO A HEALTHY EQUINE 78 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

WORDS: JACKIE BELLAMY-ZIONS (INTERVIEWING: DR. ARROYO) PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID BETTS PHOTOGRAPHY, GALOPPFOTO.DE, SHUTTERSTOCK

Gastrointestinal issues (GI) are the number one cause of morbidity in horses other than old age. An unhealthy digestive system can cause poor performance, pain, discomfort, diarrhea, and a whole host of issues that can sideline your horse. It’s no wonder researchers are paying close attention to the ‘second brain’ and its billions of inhabitants.

O

ntario Veterinary College (OVC) researcher, Dr. Luis Arroyo has been studying the equine gastrointestinal systems for many years with several research projects receiving funding from Equine Guelph. Arroyo discusses what we know about equine gut health, causes of GI disorders and the extensive continuing research to understand what unstable and stable gut populations look like.

Starting with some basic anatomy Arroyo says, “The gastrointestinal tract of a horse is extremely large, and there are many things that can cause disturbances to the normal functioning or health of the gut.” A healthy gut microbiome is essential for the horse’s entire body to function optimally.

Signs of GI issues Common signs of disorders could include abdominal pain, bloating, changes in fecal consistency (including diarrhea or constipation), excessive drooling, decrease in water consumption, lack of or poor appetite, weight loss and low body condition score.

“Some cases are more obvious to owners,” says Arroyo, “like poor performance, or acute or chronic diarrhea.”

Changes of behaviour such as becoming cranky or moody can be tell-tale signs there is unrest in the GI system. Biting at the flanks can signal abdominal pain as well as reactivity to being saddled. When the horse stops wanting to perform and athletic abilities suddenly decline, if there is no obvious lameness, GI issues are high among the considerations.

“Horses are herbivores, designed to consume a diet of forage, and to break down complex sugars within that forage.” says Arroyo. “The gut microbiota does this job and is very important for healthy digestion.” Recent research is connecting the changes in diversity of microbial communities to conditions like colic, colitis, and gastric ulcers.

Table 1: Shows a percentage of how much hay should be mixed together from your old hay batch and new hay batch over a transition of 10 days.

Table 2: Shows how a change in forage over a period of time can multiply the risk of colic to the horse.

Causes of GI Issues Colic is the number one clinical condition occurring in horses. It is well-known that sudden dietary changes can be a major contributor as well as diets that are high in grain. This can create changes in the volatile fatty acids produced in the GI system, which in turn can lead to the development of gas colic. Arroyo provides the example of switching from dry hay fed in the winter, to rich, lush, spring grass as a big cause of rapid fermentation that can cause colic.

Any abrupt change, even if it’s a good quality feed to a different good quality feed, can be a source of colic. Then there is the more obvious consumption of moldy, poor, quality hay. So not only the quality but the transition/adaptation period needs to be considered when making feed changes and this goes for both changes to forage or concentrates. A table of feed transition periods on the Equine Guelph website (shown below) states an adaptation period of at least 10 – 14 days is recommended. Transition periods under seven days can increase colic risk over 22 times!

“Decrease in water consumption can be an issue, especially in countries with seasons,” says Arroyo. When water gets really cold, horses often drink less, and if it freezes, they don’t drink at all, which can lead to impaction colic. Parasite burden can also cause colic. If your horse lives in a sandy environment, like California, ingesting sand can cause impaction colic.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause colic or ulcers. NSAIDs can interfere with blood supply to the GI tract causing ulceration, for example in the mucosa of the stomach. Prolonged use can cause quite severe ulceration.

NSAIDs are not the only drugs that can contribute to GI issues.

“Antibiotics - as the name says - kill many kinds of bacteria,” says Arroyo. “They are designed for that! Invariably they deplete some bacterial populations including in the intestine, and that is a problem because that may allow some other bacteria, potentially pathogenic or harmful, to overgrow, and that can cause dysbiosis.”

DAY 1-3

DAY 4-6

DAY 7-10

Old Hay

75%

50%

25%

New Hay

25%

50%

75%

CHANGE IN FORAGE (change in pasture, new batch of hay)

COLIC RISK

No change in forage

1.0x

Change 1-7 days ago

22.03x

Change 8-14 days ago

4.88x

Change 15-28 days ago

2.0x

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| VETERINARY |

ABOVE: Make dietary changes slowly as abrupt changes disrupt the microbiota.

ABOVE: Utilizing PCR testing as a faster and more economical alternative to the complex DNA sequencing.

In a recent study, by fellow OVC researcher, Dr. Gomez and co-workers, it was determined that damage to the intestinal microbiota could occur after only 5 days of administering antibiotics to horses. Damage to the intestinal microbiota resembled dysbiosis that can potentially result in intestinal inflammation and colitis predisposing the horse to diarrhea.

Judicious use of antibiotics and antimicrobials are advised.

There are infectious and non-infectious causes of colitis.

Infectious examples include salmonella and then there is Neorickettsia risticii, which if ingested from contaminated sources, can cause Salmonellosis or Potomac horse fever, respectively.

“Any stress factors such as transportation, fasting or intense exercise like racing, can be a factor for developing stomach ulcers.” says Arroyo.

Current Diagnostics Putting together a picture of the horse’s health status includes gathering clinical history from the horse owner and performing a physical examination for motility and hydration status. A biochemistry profile and complete set count can be gathered from blood testing.

Gastric ultrasound allows veterinarians to view the wall of the intestine, noting if it has thickened or distended, which could occur in cases when there is colic. They can assess appearance and find out if the intestine is displaced or if there is a twist.

Gastroscopy is commonly used to find ulcers in the stomach and can reach as far as the first part of the duodenum.

80 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 71

GI Research “DNA sequencing has been a breakthrough in science in terms of understanding the communities of different microorganisms living in many different niches from the skin to the lungs to the upper airways to the intestine,” says Arroyo. It has allowed in-depth study of the population of microorganisms, providing a big picture of the different inhabitants in various areas of the GI tract, such as the lumen of the small intestine and the small and large colon. “The microorganisms vary, and they have different functions in each compartment,” says Arroyo.

DNA sequencing has allowed researchers to study microbial populations and gather information on what happens to bacterial communities when impacted by diseases like colitis. “We can see who is down, and who is up,” explains Arroyo, “and determine what populations have been depleted.” It has led to a better knowledge of which of the billions of factors are harmful to the system and which can compromise the health of the horse.

Robo-gut is one example of a fantastic system where bacterial communities are being replicated in the lab to mimic what would be found in a natural environment.

Researchers at the University of Guelph have measured metabolic profiles of the bacterial population after the addition of supplements like probiotics and prebiotics. They found they can dramatically change the metabolites that are being produced, according to what is being added to the system.

Exciting new research that could impact the future of diagnostics includes screening for biomarkers as indicators of

| A S TA B LE G UT |

intestinal health among equine microbiota. Dr. Arroyo is currently working with research partner, Dr. Marcio Costa, from the University of Montreal, looking for biomarkers that indicate changes in the inhabitants of the equine gut that take place during the early onset of illness. “A biomarker is a biological molecule that you can find in different places,” explains Arroyo. “For example, you might find them in tissue, blood, urine, or different body fluids. They can signal normal or abnormal processes or could reveal a marker of a disease. For example, a biomarker can be used to see how well the body might respond to a treatment or to a disease condition. The objective of a dysbiosis index is quantifying ‘X’ number of certain bacteria that are important to us,” says Arroyo. In this case, the dysbiosis derives from sequencing of the bacterial population in fecal samples.

Changes in the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) are present before and during the outset of diseases and after treatment with antibiotics. Arroyo cites the example of decreased Lachnospiraceae commonly observed when there is intestinal inflammation.

Bacterial biomarkers are currently being used in other species to

Turn out and exercise are extremely important to gut function.

accurately predict intestinal dysbiosis, for example in cats and dogs.

One canine study quantified the number of seven different taxa of importance of the total bacterial populations. This information is entered into a mathematical algorithm that comes up with results explaining which bacteria have increased or decreased. Based on those numbers, one can use a more specific taxa to identify dysbiosis.

In a feline study, it was discovered that six bacterial taxa could be accurately used to predict diarrhea in 83% of cases.

It is hoped the same results could be accomplished for horses.

Developing PCR testing to screen for biomarkers could be a game changer that could potentially provide speedy, economical early diagnostics and early treatment. So far, the most remarkable finding in the preliminary data reveals that in horses with colitis, the whole bacterial population is very depleted. “At this stage we are in the process of increasing our numbers to find significant differences in which bacterial taxa are more important,” says Arroyo. “Soon we hope to share which bacteria taxa are more promising for predicting dysbiosis in horses with gastrointestinal disease.” The researchers are delving into a huge biobank of samples to identify potential markers of intestinal dysbiosis in horses, utilizing PCR testing as a faster and more economical alternative to the complex DNA sequencing technologies that have been used to characterize changes in microbiota thus far.

The goal is to develop simple and reliable testing that veterinarians can take right to the barn that will result in early treatment and allow closer monitoring of horses at the first onset of GI disease.

Top Tips to Protect Digestive Health 1. H orses are hind gut fermenters who rely on adequate amounts of fiber in the diet to maintain healthy gut function.

2. M ake dietary changes slowly as abrupt changes disrupt the microbiota.

3. Avoid large grain meals as huge portions of highly fermentable diets can be quite harmful to the microbiota and can also be a source of risk for developing gastric ulcers. Opt to spread out concentrates into several smaller rations.

4. P revent long periods of fasting which can also lead to ulcers. Horses are continuous-grazers, and they need to have small amounts of feed working through their digestive system to keep it functioning optimally.

5. H ave a parasite prevention program.

6. P rovide fresh water 24/7 to maintain good hydration and keep contents moving smoothly through the GI tract.

7. K eep up to date on dental appointments.

8. M otion is lotion – turn out and exercise are extremely important to gut function.

In closing, Arroyo states, “These top tips will help keep the horse happy and the gastrointestinal tract functioning properly.”

Interested in learning more?

Visit Equine Guelph’s Free Colic Risk Rater healthcare tool and sign up for short online courses on Gut Health and Colic and Ulcer Prevention at TheHorsePortal.ca VISIT THEHORSEPORTAL.CA EQUINE NEWS & RESOURCES

COLIC RISK RATER

GUT HEALTH ONLINE COURSE

FEED TRANSITION PERIOD CHART

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| #SOUNDBITES |

WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOGRAPHY: COGLIANESE PHOTOS, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE, MICHAEL REAVES

#SOUNDBITES

How can trainers help improve racing’s public perception and/or image?

# D. Wayne Lukas I think that they should probably interact more with the general betting public and the fan base, and let the general betting public and fanbase know there are some real sound people training. Let them get to know personalities.

# Mark Hennig Do things the right way would be one thing. I think there’s a lot of negativity, especially in social media, but there are positives, too. Trainers can explain what goes on every day.

We have so much love and care and admiration that goes into these horses. I don’t know if we do a good job getting that message out.

# Tim Hills Be more accessible to the people at the races and the media. We’re always full disclosure. We’re not hiding anything. We love what we do and we want to share it with anyone who wants to know.

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ISSUE 71 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| #SOUNDBITES |

# Richard Mandella I would say that you have to deal with the public when you have a chance to, to explain what we do.

Be as open as possible so we don’t keep training a secret, so that the public can appreciate what we do. It’s a very important question because we need to do everything we can to gain respect for the sport that we seem to be losing.

# Mike Stidham I think the most important thing is every trainer taking responsibility for his job to do the very best they can to keep the horses safe and healthy. Always do the right thing. Keep the horse first. Make the horse the priority.

Because I think when you’re out in the public with people who don’t know racing, they worry about horses dying.

They see horses die. As trainers we don’t have total control over that, but we can make a difference by doing the right thing for the horses, giving them the benefit of the doubt. To me, that’s the most important thing.

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# Bruce Levine Can you ask an easier question? The only thing I can say is, if more people came out in the morning to see a horse train, you’d get a better handle and feel on how fragile the horses are.

When you run horses, injuries are going to happen. You watch football players, they don’t put them down, but they cart them off. Horses’ ankles are so much smaller. It’s a fact of life.

84 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE ISSUE 71 71

# Mike Trombetta You know, obviously that’s a good question. I think the answer to that is of all the things that happen in racing, the good majority are upbeat stories.

In our world, too much emphasis is on the negative. Just watch the news.

It’s horrible to watch. If something bad happens, you hear about it five minutes later. With racing, there’s a million good stories we never hear about. It’s not talked about quite enough. Perception is reality.

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