Thoroughbred Today Fall 2019

mike smith “the journey is what matters”

ottb spotlight

breaking camp

also inside: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, code of honor’s travers victory, racing riderless, the story of david ingordo, omaha beach, and more!

NEW! one world the southern residents FALL 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Thoroughbred Today

Repeat after me: you have the power to make a difference, to make the world a better place. For the last several weeks, I’ve been caring for a horse who is not mine, who despite having an owner and being boarded at one of the nicest facilities in the area still managed to become a walking skeleton. Day after day I made comments about him to others at the barn, hoping it would trigger someone to act. It didn’t. Instead, in a barn full of “horse lovers” he became invisible.

Too often people turn a blind eye to situations just like this because their mind tricks them into believing that nothing they do will matter enough to change the outcome. Perhaps it won’t. But you won’t know that until you try. After weeks of trying to get others to act, of hearing excuses for why this senior horse looked the way that he did, I made the decision to take matters into my own hands. I reached out to the owner and offered to help knowing full well it was not my responsibility to care for his horse. But what kind of person would I be if I continued to walk past him, aware of his suffering but indifferent to it simply because he’s not my horse. I would have been as complicit in his death as everyone else who chose to look away and do nothing; and that is something I could not bear.

Junior is the second senior horse I’ve helped this year, but the first I’ve had the pleasure of working with hands-on. It hasn’t been easy—several hours have gone into and will continue to go into his recovery—but it’s been 100% worth it to watch his emaciated body fill out and his spirit return. Don’t wait for change. Be the change. A heart felt thank you to everyone who has supported me, both emotionally and financially, in my efforts to help horses in need this year.

Publisher

Everything Equestrian, LLC. visit us online

www.everythingeq.com FOR ADVERTISING RATES & INFO admin@everythingeq.com Editor-In-Chief

Claudia L. Ruiz Managing Editor

Lauren Lima Front Cover

Alex Evers Back Cover

Editor-In-Chief Thoroughbred Today

Contents 04 Jock Talk

16 OTTB Spotlight

Mike Smith answers questions regarding his incredible career

10 Highlights

Code of Honor (p10), Omaha Beach (p13), Repeat Repeat (p19), Elate (p27)

Meet Wild, an OTTB “breaking camp” in his second career

24 Bourbon Time

’Tis the season for scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Lattes

12 Oh, Hay There!

25 An Eye for Talent

Facts and a nutritional comparison between 4 different types of hay

The story of the man who singlehandedly discovered Zenyatta

15 Racing Riderless

28 Down Under

This horse won a race without his rider!

Edoma Photo Contributing Writers

Ciara Bowen Eliya Finkelstein Renee Neubauer Amanda Sutherland Barry Swanson Photographers

Karoline Cullen Alex Evers Mel Gillespie Kristin Lee Jamie Newell Ashley Nizolek Charles Pravata Lynette Sutton Elena Veselova Fred Vidiuk

The plight of the Barmah Brumby

New section: one world

This world is not exclusively ours... p.20 Thoroughbred Today

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Jock Talk

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Thoroughbred Today

BECOMING

MIKE SMITH

From an ordinary kid growing up on a ranch to a Triple Crown-winning jockey, Hall of Famer Mike Smith answers questions about his incredible career... story and interview by CLAUDIA L. RUIZ photography by KRISTIN LEE

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As

Jock Talk

one of the winningest jockeys in the sport of thoroughbred racing, Mike Smith has conquered just about every major race out there and has ridden atop the backs of some legendary equine athletes.

In 2018, he added his name to a short list of immortals when he won the Triple Crown aboard Justify. But Smith certainly did not become who he is today overnight. In fact, the journey has been a long one, complete with ups and downs and a major accident that almost ended it all. “Grit is that ‘extra something’ that separates the most successful people from the rest,” Dr. Travis Bradberry, an award-winning author and the cofounder of a consultancy that serves 75% of Fortune 500 companies, quotes. “It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.” On the phone, on the morning of his Triple Crown anniversary, Smith details his journey; from an ordinary kid on the ranch to the world-class jockey we know him as today.

Claudia Ruiz: Let’s start with the basics; where were you born and raised?

Mike Smith: I was Born in a town called Roswell, New Mexico, and raised in a little town outside of it called Dexter.

CR: What was life like growing up?

MS: I was raised on a ranch, which was great. We had cows and chickens and a lot of horses, so I learned to take care of all the animals, learned to harvest cotton and hay and all kinds of stuff.

CR: Did you help out around the ranch a lot?

MS: A whole lot. I would get up early before school to help my grandfather feed the animals and then in the afternoons or on days off, depending on what time of year it was, I would help out with the alfalfa or wheat or the corn. There was always something to do, but I enjoyed it.

CR: How old were you when you learned how to ride a horse?

MS: To be honest, I don’t remember not riding one. I was pretty much put on one when I was born.

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CR: Any memories from that time that stick out to you?

MS: My grandfather had a really nice Quarter Horse filly; her name was I’m a Saint, but we called her Daisy... I won my first match race on her. And then of course I remember riding my pony, Stormy, and a big Palomino named QE. Don’t ask me about his name, though. I didn’t name him.

CR: When did you know that you wanted to become a jockey?

MS: I would say around the age of 10. I was really young when I started practicing and galloping horses.

CR: Who in your family was involved in racing?

MS: My uncle, Thomas Viejos, broke a lot of babies and eventually went out on his own to train. My grandfather, on my mother’s and father’s side, owned horses and my father rode until he got too big.

CR: Who taught you to gallop?

MS: My uncle Thomas probably taught me more than anyone.

You start with the basics and then you kind of learn from different riders as you go, and you really never stop learning. It’s a dangerous job so you have to love it and enjoy it. For me, it’s always been my passion.

CR: Do you consider yourself a bit of an adrenaline junkie?

MS: Not necessarily. I mean, on a horse I guess so, but it’s not like I want to jump out of a plane or do anything crazy like that.

CR: Speaking of jumping, let’s jump back to the match races you mentioned earlier; how did those work?

MS: They weren’t official races at a track. One farmer would just bet his horse was faster than another farmer’s horse, they would put money up and race 350 – 440 yards. Most of them were Quarter Horse races.

CR: When and where did you become an apprentice, and what was that process like?

MS: Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico, it’s not open anymore but it was the track where my uncle trained. I think it was 1982. I believe when you started your apprenticeship you got 10 pounds and then 7 and then once you got to 5 you had to win 40 races or ride for a year to finish, whichever came first. I rode in New Mexico for about 4 or 5 months and then moved to Arkansas and then to Nebraska and that’s where my apprenticeship ended. From there I went to Chicago, Kentucky, and rode at every track in the Midwest you can think of until the winter of 1989 when I moved to New York.

CR: La crème de la crème. What was it like to ride on such an elite circuit?

MS: California and New York were the two biggest circuits. I get there and I’m riding next to Angel Cordero, Jorge Velasquez, Jerry Bailey and all these great riders; it was a dream come true. It took me a bit to establish myself, but after about a year, say 1990 or ’91, I started doing really well and from that point on I was one of the leading riders for quite a while.

CR: In the summer of ‘98, you fell off in a race at Saratoga and broke your back; tell me about the accident.

MS: I went down on the first turn; my horse got pushed into the hedge, did a somersault and flipped over. I landed on the turf course sitting down and she fell on top of me and shattered my back in several places. It was a lot worse than I initially thought.

I crushed T12 and L3, cracked my heels and broke a few other Photos (p.7): Alex Evers (b&w), Kristin Lee (studio)

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things. Several doctors wanted to put rods in my back, which meant I wouldn’t have been able to ride again. Thankfully, the doctor I chose offered something different. I was put in traction to stretch my spinal cord and then wrapped in a cast that started under my arms and went down to my hips so that the bones would fuse themselves—sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. In my case, it worked.

After being in a cast for several months, I moved into braces once my spine started to heal. Then came rehab, which consisted of a lot of core exercises and at times was very difficult and painful. So I was out, in total, for about 6-7 months.

CR: What was it like to ride your first race back?

MS: So the accident happened during Saratoga and I didn’t ride back until the winter meet in Florida the following year.

It was an allowance race and I believe I got beat by a head. I wouldn’t say I was nervous, I mean, I certainly didn’t want to get hurt again, but once you get back on, the love for the sport is stronger than any fear.

CR: Was it hard to reposition yourself as a jockey?

MS: You know, I rode for a lot of people, but when you’re off that long you have to work your way back, and it was a slow process. I had a new agent who had come in from California and was trying to get me to go out there, but I waited until I was doing really well to make the move.

CR: So you got back on your A-game and moved west; Los Angeles and New York are pretty much polar opposites…

MS: It was actually a fun move for me because I was in a wonderful place with some really great riders and I didn’t have a past out there, so it was a fresh start and it made me want to do well again.

CR: You have a really great relationship with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens; how did you two become friends?

MS: The first time I met Gary was in the mid-to-late 80’s; he had flown in to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to ride a horse for D. Wayne Lukas in the Arkansas Derby. I was good friends with his brother Scott, who also rode and was at the meet. Gary and I just hit it off, and before we knew it we were more like family.

CR: Name a horse you don’t get asked about much but consider one of your favorites: MS: Holy Bull. The younger generations don’t really know who he was. Also, a horse named Lure, who was a really good

Smith with his dog Bella in Sierra Madre, CA. | Kristin Lee

grass horse. Those two, during their time, were probably the best two horses in the US, one was grass and the other was dirt and they were just incredible. You have to go back and look at their records to see their accomplishments. Lure won the Breeders’ Cup Mile back-to-back and was the second to ever do it. Holy Bull ran 16 times and only got beat three times. Unbridled’s Song, I have to add him to this list as well. He was a very talented horse.

CR: Tell me something about yourself that people don’t know.

MS: I think I’ve been around long enough that everyone knows all there is to know about me.

CR: I don’t believe you, but ok.

MS: I just love god and horses, those are my things.

CR: Any favorite TV shows?

MS: Well, I love all sports and I like watching The Voice. I can’t sing, but I like watching people who can.

CR: Favorite movie?

MS: Grease was my favorite movie as a kid. I saw it 6 times when I was 11 or 12.

CR: If you wouldn’t have been a jockey, what would you have done instead?

MS: Maybe train horses, because I grew up around horses I would probably still have been in the industry, or just worked on the farm. If I had been big enough, I

would have tried to play football professionally. I tried in high school, but I was just way too small.

CR: In a nutshell, what all has gone into becoming who you are today?

MS: I was raised to always be humble and I’ve just always been the kind of person that tries to be better every day. No matter what happens, try to never lose yourself and keep being who you are, keep learning, keep watching. I learn more and more about horses every day. When you can figure a horse out, get along with them and communicate, to be able to pull off some things together when you ride, it’s just an incredible feeling. It’s what keeps all riders riding.

CR: Is what you have accomplished and who you are today everything you envisioned as a kid?

MS: When I started out, I just wanted to ride and be the best. I wasn’t dreaming all of these big dreams back then. Of course I wanted to ride in the Derby and races like that, but whether I was riding in Minnesota or Arkansas or Nebraska, wherever I was, I thought it was the greatest place on earth and was happy to be doing what I loved. For me, the journey is what matters most. And this journey has certainly taken me to some amazing places.

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code honor of

by Amanda sutherland

In a year where horse racing has drawn so much negative press due to equine welfare issues, Code of Honor’s win in the 150th running of the Gr.1 Travers Stakes was a huge breath of fresh air. Here’s why: On August 21-23, the New York Gaming Commission released veterinary records of all horses running in the Travers. Conditions diagnosed by veterinarians in those three days included: inflammation, osteoarthritis, mild synovitis, ulcers, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), weak immune system, and dehydration. 11 horses received one or more of the following medications/treatments in the same three days: Phenylbutazone, Adequan, Legend, Estrone, GastroGard, DMSO, Ketoprofen, Protazil, electrolytes, vitamins. *Note: none of the aforementioned are performance enhancing.

That Saturday, August 24, at approximately 5:50pm, 12 horses broke from the gate before a packed grandstand at Saratoga Race Course in the hopes of winning the mid-summer derby. 1 horse received no treatments in the lead up to the race. The horse to cross the finish line 3 lengths in front of all others: Code of Honor.

Owned by Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm, Code of Honor is a son of Noble Mission (GB) and Reunited (by Dixie Union) and a multiple graded stakes winner with a record that includes victory in the Gr.1 Travers and a runner-up effort in the most controversial Kentucky Derby of all time. He is trained by Claude McGaughey III and ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velasquez. photo by ALEX EVERS | eclipse sportswire

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oh...

Hay There!

Not all hays are created equal.

Here’s a quick look at the nutritional contents of four types, along with their characteristics and some interesting facts.

by Claudia l. ruiz

ORCHARD

TIMOTHY

ALFALFA

PERENNIAL PEANUT

This tall-growing, perennial, cool-season, grass is commonly found in shaded areas like orchards—hence the name— throughout the US and Europe, as well as parts of northern Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It’s higher in protein (10-12%) and calories with better fiber digestibility than Timothy, but has the same balanced calcium to phosphorus levels. Color varies from green to bluish-green depending on maturity, but its texture is consistently soft and because it’s not leafy, it makes less of a mess than the others on this list.

Introduced to North America by early settlers, Timothy now grows throughout most of the US and Canada. Named after Timothy Hanson, who began promoting its cultivation as a hay in 1720, this cool-season, perennial grass is low in protein (8%), high in fiber (32%), promotes good digestion and bowel regularity, and is a good source of copper and zinc. The most nutrient rich Timothy is harvested early in the flowering stage, which runs June-August.

It is coarse, green-to-tan in color, with bushy, cylindrical flower heads that horses love.

Native to warmer temperate climates, Alfalfa—or Lucerne, as it is known outside of the US—is a legume packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It is high in protein (15-21%), contains easily digestible fiber (20-28%), and fewer simple starches may make it a good choice for horses with certain conditions. However, not all horses can handle a hay this nutrient-dense, and with a calcium:phosphorus ratio as high as 8:1, it’s best to consult with a veterinarian beforehand.

It is aromatic, green, leafy, and contains small purple flowers.

Perhaps the least common of the four, perennial peanut hay is a high-quality warm weather legume harvested in the southeastern United States—typically in Florida, south Georgia and southern portions of the Gulf States—and is a substitute for Alfalfa. Nutrient rich and highly palatable, it packs on pounds fast and is the only hay that does not require the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers, making it not only healthy, but also environmentally sustainable.

It consists of small green-tobrown leafs and orange and yellow flowers. And is super messy!

Best for: horses in light work, that are retired, stall-bound, easy keepers, overweight, or may benefit from a grass and legume mix such as O&A

Best for: racehorses, horses prone to colic, that are overweight, protein-sensitive, stall-bound, or can’t eat alfalfa alone (T&A is a great mix!)

Best for: performance horses, hard keepers, lactating mares, growing foals, seniors, malnourished rescues, horses kept out at pasture during the winter.

Best for: hard keepers, seniors, rescues, performance horses, horses needing to add nutrient content to their diet, horses kept out at pasture during winter.

*Please consult with your veterinarian before introducing new hay into your horse’s diet. Nutritional percentages/values given are approximate.

Samples provided by Horstmeyers Farm & Garden, Sanford, FL.

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RESTING Beach Face!

Nothing to see here... Just Omaha Beach and the face he makes when the paparazzi show up during his bath. A lesser known fact about him: In 2017, The Richard Mandella-trained colt by War Front and out of Charming (by Seeking the Gold) attracted a bid of $625,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale but did not sell due to problems revealed in an x-ray. Those problems were later discarded by top equine vet Larry Bramlage and Omaha Beach was privately purchased by Fox Hill Farms—the same connections that raced champion filly Songbird. The 2019 Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite, who was scratched from the race due to a breathing issue known as “Entrapped Epiglottis,” is named after the deadly D-Day invasion that took place in Normandy, France, during WWII. Photo: Alex Evers

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Most horses who lose their jockey at the start of a race don’t typically go on to cross the finish line first. But what happens when they do?

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racing

riderless by lauren Lima

Photo: Jamie Newell

W

hen the #7 stumbled at the start of the 2019 G3 Indiana Derby, jockey Julien Leparoux was left in the dirt as he watched his mount continue on without him. Eskenforit, a son of Eskendereya and La Pequena Gigi (by Sky Mesa), was making his sixth start of the year for trainer Steve Margolis. The gelding took a few steps to recover before getting back into stride and creeping up outside of the field around the first turn. Picking off foes, he inched closer to the front runners. “Once again, #7-Eskenforit, is out of the race,” the announcer called, his words meaningless to the riderless horse on track who was determined to catch the pace. Fully extended, he galloped on, and before they turned for home, he was in front. Long Range Toddy faded as Mr. Money and Gray Magician put their best foot forward to battle him on the stretch, and for a moment it appeared Eskenforit had run out of gas. But that moment was fleeting. After a few strides, he shot forward with a sudden, late rally, relinquishing the lead from Mr. Money. Eskenforit hit the wire first that evening by approximately three-quarters of a length.

Typically, when a horse loses a jockey at the start of a race, outriders will gallop out on their ponies to catch the horse quickly and efficiently. But it’s not always possible, especially when a horse stays close to or within the field and carries on with the race. At that point, trying to catch the horse can cause it to spook and veer, putting horses and jockeys around it in greater danger. Luckily, no one was hurt and Eskenforit put on a grand performance.

But as is the case in the majority of equestrian sports, regardless of how good a horse’s performance is, a rider must be aboard for it to count. So, while Eskenforit did hit the wire first and his effort was impressive, he was ultimately taken out of contention and deemed ineligible to collect purse money the second his jockey hit the dirt. Also important to note is the significant advantage he had in terms of weight, carrying at least 115 lbs less than each of his opponents. And, in a sport where great attention is placed on the difference of a few pounds carried between horses—115 lbs is downright astronomical.

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OTTB Spotlight

Breaking Camp He was the type of thoroughbred they typically avoided, but something within Katrina Berry and Cory Risdale told them to load him up and give him a chance. story by ciara bowen featured photo by fred vidiuk

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IN OTTB Spotlight

the fall of 2013, Katrina Berry and Cody Risdale were on their way back home to Edmonton, Alberta, with horses in tow after finishing up their racing season. As they do each year, they stopped in at the farm of a good friend midway through the trip, breaking up the 20-hour-long journey to stretch their legs and relax. On their way out, while loading up their horses, a bay gelding with a star on his forehead and three white socks approached them to say hello. He was lanky and opposite of the bulky type thoroughbred toward which they typically gravitate. But there was a look in his eye they couldn’t resist, and something that told them to take a chance and load him up. Their friend, perhaps noticing the connection between them, gave them her blessing to load him into the trailer and take him home. So they did. And the rest is history.

Kiridashi Wild, better known as Wild, made his flat racing debut at Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada, in July of 2013. It was his one and only start and he earned less than $100, finishing fifth in a field of eight. He was a runaway in the mornings, so strong and eager to go that his riders could not control him. One morning he worked himself so hard that he injured his suspensory ligament in his left foreleg.

Unable to race, he was taken to the farm and turned out in a pasture until his owner could find him a suitable home.

Wild is not the sort of horse most people want when looking for a retired racehorse. He is high strung, fervent for work, and in need of more than light hacks or trail rides. “He is a handful to lead around most days; I couldn’t imagine trying to

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CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE take him on a long, slow trail ride,” Berry says. “This is where the horse whisperers are going to come at me and say he just has to go through the ‘steps’ and any horse can be tamed. They just don’t get it.”

Due to his injury, it was unlikely that Wild’s leg would hold up with a rider on his back—but that was of no importance to Berry and Risdale, who are seasoned professionals in the world of Chuckwagon racing; and most of their horses do not get ridden.

The first winter they had Wild, Berry and Risdale began hooking him up to their wagon to teach him the ropes alongside one of their draft horses. It didn’t take long for them to realize how much he enjoyed it. Every day, he would meet them at the gate and would drag Berry to the wagon to get hooked up. “We knew he was going to be good once we could convince him to somewhat control the runway he wanted to be on.”

Wild isn’t really the cute and cuddly, ‘in your pocket’ type of horse, according to Berry, but is all business and takes his job very seriously. “When we first got him, he wasn’t friendly [and was] a little wild, but now he walks up for pets every day.

And he tries so hard and gives his best every single race. We can always count on him; he never makes a mistake,” Berry adds.

Since 2014, Wild has been the main left leader for his 1 and 2 barrel outfit. He has changed a little over the years with his family, but still puts his head into the collar and drags Berry to the wagon at night.

He can hardly wait for the horn that signifies the start of the race and he throws his heart into it as he goes around the track.

“Cody’s arms may be short, but they are mighty; just watch him try to pull Wild up after the race. It’s not easy,” Berry, who describes herself as the barn wife, adds. “I’ve literally been standing on the backside of the track and heard Cody yell, ‘Okay Wild, we’re done buddy, that’s enough!’”

The chuckwagon racing season is only three months long, during which Wild typically runs two or three times a week.

He’s then given the entire winter off and is turned out to pasture with the rest of the horses until training begins again on the first of April.

As with flat racing, there is an abundance of criticism surrounding chuckwag-

on racing, fueled by people questioning its frequency, safety, and overall style. An equestrian rodeo sport, Chuckwagon racing got its start at the 1923 Calgary Stampede and featured 6 competing outfits. It grew in popularity and is, essentially, the equivalent of NASCAR in Canada, most popular in the Prairie Provinces.

Teams consist of thoroughbred horses, a driver commanding the wagon, and two or four riders on horseback, known as outriders, following the wagon. Each race consists of three to four teams and begins by ‘breaking camp’, where outriders throw two tent poles and a barrel representing a stove into the back of their wagons. The teams complete an eight pattern around two barrels and then proceed to the track to race.

“There is absolutely no way Cody could get these horses to pull a wagon and run if they didn’t want to,” Berry says.

“And we have had ones that didn’t want to, and I have made sure I found them new careers.”

Like a professional athlete, Wild gets the best care possible to maintain optimum health for body and mind. He wears a magnetic blanket that aids in oxygenating muscles, a nebulizer to clear and open up his lungs, and enjoys frequent sessions on the TheraPlate, a patented therapeutic vibrating device horses stand on that is scientifically proven to counter the effects of chronic inflammation conditions, speed healing, reduce pain, and aid in the prevention of injury. Additionally, before each race, Wild jogs for the track vet, just as thoroughbreds do in flat racing.

“If one day Wild decides he doesn’t want to be a wagon horse anymore, we would respect that 100 percent. He doesn’t owe us a thing. He can retire in the pasture and live out his days eating grass with the broodmares.”

Kiridashi Wild was bred in Alberta, Canada,

by Al and Bunny Noren and raced by Triple K Stables under the guidance of trainer Riley Rycroft and jockey Corrine Andros. He is the son of Ontario-bred sire Kiridashi (by Bold Ruckus), who won the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie in 1995, the Gr.3 Connaught Cup in 1997 and ’98, as well as several other stakes races at Woodbine Racetrack spanning a four-year career.

In Fred Vidiuk’s photo, Wild is the bay (brown) in front with a star on his forehead.

Hurdle Time!

Some thoroughbreds stick to racing on the flat. Others prefer the added challenge of jumps along the way.

And then there is Repeat Repeat, a Kentucky-bred son of Arch and Dattt Echo (by Stormy Atlantic), who has done and won both types of races since making his flat racing debut in June of 2016 for trainer Michael Matz. Nearly three years and several trainers later, Julie Gomena took over and sent him out over Camden’s hurdle course in a 2 1/8 mile Maiden Special Weight. He won by a neck after an impressive gate-to-wire effort.

Pictured: Repeat Repeat and Kieran Norris clearing a fence at Percy Warner Park in his third start over national fences. They finished an admirable third that day after stumbling over this same fence the second time around, diving to the ground. But neither horse nor jockey fell. Instead, they kept their balance and carried on to finish the race.

Photo: Jamie Newell

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One World

GO MOBILE

southern residents New to Thoroughbred Today, One World spotlights the effects of human interference on the many different species with whom we share the world, building awareness so that each of us can help make a difference and ensure their future. Author of the novel “Lost Frequency,� Barry Swanson kicks off the series with a story on the critically endangered Southern Residents; a family of orcas who call the Salish Sea home. story by barry swanson with photography by karoline cullen

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If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other.

If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys. - chief dan george, tsleil-waututh nation

I

t was late summer, 2018, and my partner Rachelle, a self-taught orca aficionado, assured me they were coming. “They will be rounding that point to the left soon,” she stated confidently as we stood on a sandstone outcrop overlooking an area of the Salish Sea known to be frequented by the Southern Resident Killer Whales. “No talking once we see them. There will be about 20 whales so we should get a chance at some great shots.”

I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. Emotions were running high as we had recently seen female orca J35 carrying her dead calf; she swam with her lifeless newborn on her rostrum for seventeen days and covered over 1,000 miles in the process. Her vigil captured the hearts of many and made front page news as far away as the United Kingdom. When asked, scientists resisted referencing J35’s actions as expressing grief. That would be anthropomorphizing and science tends to stay clear of attaching human characteristics to our mammalian relatives.

“Here they come,” Rachelle said with a hint of anxiety in her tone. Yes, I could see them. The blows, the dorsals. At least 20 whales swimming straight for us. I instantly recognized that if they continued on their current path they would be mere feet away from us as they swam past. A wave of love and contentment blanketed me as the world seemed to slow down.

The matrilineal J17 was leading the group, swimming right at the surface as she approached us. Her magnificent black and white body gliding through the clear, clean water as her family and pod mates followed close. Some of the orcas swam inverted and slapped their tales on the water, another spyhopped to make a visual inspection of the environment above the waterline. They were playing and socializing together, the same way a human family might on a Sunday afternoon.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my right eye, I caught a glimpse of a black mass coming up at me. As I turned to look, J35 was in full breach and turning in the air so she would land on her side.

Splash! She landed with full impact and kicked her tail flukes with emphasis as she swam inverted and looked up at me, the human on the rock, about 15 feet away. Did she see me? Does it matter? I saw her and she seemed happy.

Born in 1998, J35, also known as Tahlequah, has birthed two offspring—a male in 2010 and the lifeless female calf she was seen carrying in 2018. On August 6, 2019, the Center for Whale Research made an announcement: after months of poor health and more than 60 days after having gone missing, a member of J-pod had died. J17, Princess Angeline, was 42 years old. She was last seen in early June 2019, displaying what marine biologists refer to as “peanut head,” a condition where orcas lose fat in and around their heads due to starvation. She left behind two daughters: J53

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(Kiki, 2015) and J35 (Tahlequah).

Killer whales, or orcas, are part of the dolphin family and the top predators and cultural icons of the Salish Sea—an intricate network of coastal waterways inclusive of the southwestern portion of British Columbia, Canada, and the northwestern portion of Washington, USA. During the spring, summer and fall months, the Southern Resident Killer Whales—a large extended family comprised of three pods: J, K, and L pods—can be seen regularly in the area and have recently been spotted as far south as the coast of central California and as far north as Haida Gwaii; however, little is known about where they go during the winter. Within each pod, families form into sub-pods centered around older females, usually grandmothers or great-grandmothers, and both male and female offspring remain in close association with their mothers for life.

In 2005, the Southern Residents were officially listed as endangered species in both the U.S. and Canada. Down from their peak of 98 individuals in 1995, 73 remain as of August 2019, putting their numbers at a 30-year low. Their population is closely tied to the overall health of the ecosystem, but a decrease in their preferred diet of Chinook salmon, high levels of man-made contaminants and chemicals in the water, and an increase in underwater noise from vessels, have conspired to push the Southern Residents towards extinction.

Many agencies are now working to address threats by focusing on projects that address food sources, pollution, disturbance from boat traffic, and oil spills. Below are ways you can help make a difference: 1.

Use your voice to share the story of the Southern Residents with family and friends to spread awareness.

2.

Contact your elected officials and ask them to oppose harmful changes to the Endangered Species Act.

3.

The Southern Residents’ diet almost exclusively consists of Chinook salmon. When choosing your next meal, opt for sustainably-harvested wild salmon like pink or chum and go with products labeled “Salmon-Safe.”

4.

Going whale watching? Choose a responsibly-managed whale watching vessel that adheres to federally mandated laws and viewing guidelines to keep orcas safe.

5.

Use less plastic and dispose of garbage, unused medicine and chemicals properly. Never dump them into household toilets/ sinks or outside where they can get into ditches or storm drains.

See if your community has a household hazardous waste collection facility that will take your old or unused chemicals.

Visit whales.org or whaleresearch.com to learn more about the situation facing the Southern Residents and get involved today.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients 8 oz 5 cups 1/4 cup 4 cups 1 cup 3/4 cup 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 stick

Bourbon (optional) Freshly brewed coffee Pumpkin purĂŠe Almond Milk Heavy whipping cream Sugar Vanilla extract Pumpkin pie spice Cinnamon

Instructions Add the bourbon, coffee, pumpkin puree, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon stick and 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream into a slow cooker and heat on high for at least 90 minutes. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of cream until thick. Serve the slow-cooker mixture in a mug, top with whipped cream, garnish with grated cinnamon or nutmeg, and enjoy! *recipe tried by the thoroughbred today team. full credit goes to norma beekman / liquor.com |

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please drink responsibly.

an eye for talent Meet the man who single-handedly picked out Zenyatta; one of the most remarkable champion female runners in thoroughbred racing history. story by eliya finkelstein featured photo by Charles pravata

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hen the hammer dropped on hip number 703 for a mere $60,000, the buyer responsible for signing the ticket jumped from his seat and took off across the Keeneland Sales pavilion. Fresh on his mind was the mistake a well-known trainer had recently made, purchasing the wrong horse. He weaved his way across the room, heart in his throat, hoping he hadn’t fallen victim to the same error. The filly he intended to buy, he thought, was worth far more than what the hammer had fallen for. Had he bought the wrong horse? Finally laying his eyes on her, he breathed a sigh of relief, signed the ticket, and retreated back into the pavilion, heart quelled.

“What were you doing?” John Shirreffs asked David Ingordo of his strange be-

havior. The trainer had tasked David with finding some new prospects for his barn, and hip 703 was one of David’s picks.

“I got really excited,” David sheepishly replied, sparing himself the embarrassment. Little did John and David know, hip 703 was indeed something to be excited about... she would grow to become the great Zenyatta.

When David first laid eyes on Zenyatta, she wasn’t the most breathtaking filly he had ever seen; there wasn’t anything about her that screamed “champion!” There was no mark of greatness or definitive look that gave away her future, and she hadn’t developed that famous knee-high walk just yet. In fact, she was kind of the opposite, covered nose to tail in a skin fungus that made her somewhat unsightly—easy to overlook. “She was just a little in the raw,” David recalls. “She had enough to pick

apart that other people left her off their shortlist and she kind of fell through the cracks.” But David saw more. “The way it panned out... it was kind of fate that we ended up with her.”

Or maybe it was fate and a little something else. Maybe it was a lifetime of dedicated study and passion that brought David to that moment.

It all began with Sunday Silence and a single afternoon, when a boy immersed in the world of horse racing by proxy became a boy who embraced and loved the sport on his own. It was early May, and David had been left at home with his grandmother while his mother and father escorted jockey Patrick Valenzuela to Kentucky for the Derby of 1989. Valenzuela, Sunday Silence’s jockey, was under contract with David’s father—his agent—who wanted to

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CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE ensure the jockey arrived safe and sound on race day. That afternoon, David holed up in his bedroom and turned on the T.V. As the big box sat glowing with the faded colors of a wet and rainy Kentucky day, something in David was set ablaze. He was hooked.

Sunday Silence, the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner trained by Bob Baffert, was involved in one of the greatest rivalries of horse racing history against Easy Goer. The exceptional battles that would ensue that Triple Crown season between the two—and Sunday Silence’s devastating defeat in the Belmont—stoked the fire even more.

From that moment on, David surrounded himself with some of the greatest horsemen—and horses—of his time, eager to soak up whatever knowledge they would impart.

His first trainer of choice was the great Laz Barrera, the man who won the Triple Crown with Affirmed in 1978. David, even at a very young age, was already dreaming of his own Triple Crown trophy, and had dreams of winning more than one. “Oh no, David, I’ll teach you to win the first one. The second one, you’re on your own,” Laz told the young boy. But sadly, before David ever got the chance to work with Laz, he passed away.

Insatiable for all things racing, David quickly found himself in the barn of legendary Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. At 15 years old, he was tasked with one extremely important job: “Pick a horse and feel its legs every day,” Frankel instructed. “Tell me how those legs are—are they different, same, better or worse?” That task served as the foundation that started David’s professional relationship with horses, literally, from the ground up. In just three short years, he worked his way from hot walker to Frankel’s assistant and witnessed some great horses come through the barn —horses that would eventually help define his career. But when the prospect of college approached, David left to pursue a higher education.

He enrolled at the University of Kentucky. But after just one semester, a bout of the Chickenpox took him out of the program and he left to go work at the famed Juddmonte Farms. “I had never seen a foal in my life; I thought horses were born out of the back of airplanes,” David jests. It was at Juddmonte that he learned about the early life of racehorses and the stallion portion of the business. He also toyed with the art of pinhooking—buying yearlings at the sale, sending them to train, and reselling them a year later to turn a profit. It was a skill he had learned in his younger days with the help of his mother, but this time set out on his own to test his ability. Often the youngest in the room, his methods weren’t necessarily based in the science of pedigree or conformation. His memory—a Rolodex-like recollection of all the great horses he had worked with since his days at Bobby Frankel’s barn—became his method.

Over the years, David’s pinhooking venture has brought him more than a modicum of success. Today, as one of the top bloodstock agents in the industry, he buys horses for select clients and is trusted by some of the biggest names in racing to pick out future stars form around the world. It’s a position in which great confidence is given to his opinion, a sizeable investment usually rests upon it, and that rolodex of horses from his past plays a huge role in the process.

For David, the names on the pedigree sheets are often more than just recognizable: Uncle Mo isn’t just a household name in horse racing; he’s the horse David and his family bought as a yearling. Medaglia d’Oro isn’t just a desired stallion; he’s the superhorse David remembers from Frankel’s barn, a horse with whom

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he spent a great deal of time. And Mr. Chester House isn’t just a millionaire stud; he’s the first foal David worked with at Juddmonte; and the list goes on. “I’ve stuck with things I know—stallions, bloodlines—and I try to pick prospects that remind me most of those horses,” he reveals. “As [my business] grows, I continue to be a great student of horse racing; I spend a lot of time just observing the good horses because I’m looking for traits in the bloodlines.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy, though. It’s a game where David is usually batting a 20% success rate: for every ten horses he purchases, two may actually amount to something great—and that’s pretty good. It doesn’t discourage him; instead, he views it as an opportunity to continue growing and learning to increase that average. The gravity of the decisions that often rest on his shoulders is not lost on him; it gives him a sense of pride. “I’m paid to have an opinion, and I don’t just have one because the wind blew a certain way and I flipped a coin...” he says. “If I make a statement, it’s thoughtful, and it comes from years of experience.”

Before hip number 703 was Zenyatta, she was just a filly at the sale that caught David’s eye; a pick made from years of study, of understanding his clients, and of seeing potential beyond a little fungus on her skin. Zenyatta’s journey—and David’s integral part in its beginning—put David on the map and turned him into one of the most respected bloodstock agents in thoroughbred racing.

But there’s still that one goal that looms on the horizon: to win the race that started it all on that one afternoon in 1989. “I’m the only one in my family that hasn’t won a Kentucky Derby in some shape or form,” he laughs. One thing is certain: David—a man who has been dreaming of winning the Kentucky Derby his whole life—will continue the search for his Derby winner.

Since Zenyatta, David has discovered other greats that include 2017 Eclipse Award-winning Champion Turf Female Lady Eli, 2015 Champion 3-Year-old Filly Stellar Wind, 2018 Champion Older Dirt Horse Accelerate, 2015 Champion Older Horse Honor Code and many more. photo: Ashley Nizolek

Midnight Bisou: The Ghost of Abel Tasman?

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or Elate, absolutely! The two fillies met earlier this year in the Gr.2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park and since then Midnight Bisou has won every race against her, as well as all of her other starts this year. A daughter of Midnight Lute and Diva Delite (by Repent), Midnight Bisou was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds and

MIDNIGHT BISOU

sold for $80,000 at the OBS Two-Year-Olds in training Sale in April of 2017. Since her debut in October of that year, she has won multiple Grade 1s, 2s and 3s.

On the other hand, Elate, who is one year her senior and is by Medaglia d’Oro and out of Cheery (Distorted Humor), can’t seem to catch a break despite trying her best to run her down. photo: alex evers | eclipse sportswire

ELATE

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GO MOBILE

the barmah brumby their home was flooded. their food supply washed away. and those with the power to make things right simply sat back and watched as tragedy engulfed the forest. written by renee neubauer featured photo by lynette sutton

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No matter what your equine passion or discipline, listening to a mare as she screams out to her panicked foal because she’s weak and unable to get up is a sound you will never forget. Seeing her bloodied, emaciated and battered body —caused by attempts to get up—is an image you will never forget. This is the reality endured by the Brumbies who call the Barmah Forest along the Murray River in Victoria their home.

A long time ago, in the late 1700s, European settlers arrived in Australia with horses imported from England. Capers from South Africa, ponies from Great Britain and Indonesia, Arabians, Draft horses, and Thoroughbreds were among those that made the grueling voyage by boat; and they all played an integral role, allowing settlers to explore and work the land.

It is believed that when they were no longer needed, many were released by their owners, set free to conquer the Australian bush on their own. Thus, they became as wild as the land and made it their home.

Descendants of those horses are known as Brumbies and can be found throughout Australia, typically in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and in the country’s western and southern regions. They travel in mobs or bands and vary in height and colour with heavy heads, straight shoulders, short necks and backs.

Brumbies are wild horses like American Mustangs. They are heritage horses that helped colonize Australia and carried soldiers to war. Today, they keep communities alive financially by attracting tourist dollars to country towns that would otherwise struggle. But in a country where a horse race—the Melbourne Cup—stops the nation, Brumbies are viewed as “feral pests” by the government, which seeks to

Down Under

eradicate them from a landscape they have been a part of for hundreds of years.

For the most part, the Barmah Brumbies live out their lives unaffected by government or human interference and are known to self-regulate, keeping their population between 150-300. Though Parks Victoria struggled to count more than 100 on 77,000 acres of land, plans are now in place to eradicate them.

Neglect falls into three categories: unintentional neglect (due to ignorance), intentional neglect (knowledge of situation but unable to provide care due to lack of finances), and intentional cruelty (deliberately starving, withholding care etc.).

Water regulators MDBA (Murray Darling Basin Authority) are responsible for sending water down the Murray River through lochs and weirs to provide farmers with irrigation water, as well as provide ‘environmental water’ to offset the detrimental effects on the ecosystems along the lower reaches of the river. This ‘environmental flooding,’ however, is being done at incorrect times, durations and depths, which is having significant negative effects on the forest wetland, ecology and animals within the park.

In 2018, MDBA made unprecedented changes to the natural flooding patterns of the Barmah Forest, compromising approximately 90% of the habitat. The flooding forced Brumbies, kangaroos, emus, wallaby’s, and other wildlife onto land with limited resources. The toll was catastrophic.

With hundreds of animals competing for food, starvation set in and the forest quickly became a cemetery of decaying carcasses.

The worst affected were the brumbies, left to starve over many months. This raised an important question: if private individuals who leave horses to starve on their property are charged, why is the government not being held responsible for inflicting intentional cruelty on the Barmah Brumbies?

Marilyn Nuske, an animal rights lawyer, explains the complexity of legislation and why the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act could not or would not be used: “Management takes place within the context of the key state and commonwealth legislations and the powers bestowed upon Parks Victoria within a legislative regime Thoroughbred Today

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that has given to Parks Victoria the power to basically do whatever they believe to be necessary to ‘protect natural and cultural values’. The legislative power allows Parks Victoria to declare the brumbies, an introduced species, as “feral pests” to lobby for their removal and/or destruction as ‘feral pests’ regardless of any grounds that brumbies feature strongly in Australia’s history and development of culture.

“RSPCA Victoria is a non-government, community-based charity that ‘works to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection’ but does not engage proactively in the protection of the Barmah Brumbies. It is believed the RSPCA collaborated with Parks Victoria and even accompanied officers on their rounds in the Barmah Forest along with Parks Victoria vets. When the RSPCA declined to intervene, Parks Victoria knowingly allowed brumbies to be left without food, causing many to starve to death.”

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And that’s when volunteers stepped in to do what Parks Victoria said couldn’t be done —feed the Brumbies. Funds were raised to feed over $2,500 (AUS$) of hay each week as volunteers risked severe fines to keep approximately 120+ horses alive over a period of 6 months. During this time, the RSPCA stood by passively and advised Parks Victoria that any horse with a body score of 1.5 or below be euthanized, by gun shot. They later rescinded their recommendation as public pressure grew. They never advised that feeding should have been the alternative.

What transpired in the Barmah Forest was preventable, that’s what made it such a tragedy. Intentional human interference with the environment caused the Brumby—and many other wild animals—to suffer a slow, painful death while those in power sat back and did nothing to right the wrongs. Perhaps what occurred was the plan all along: a cull of ‘invasive species’ by means of excessive flooding. We will never know. What we do

know is that horse welfare standards, as they currently stand, lack the support and confidence of the equine community. It is time to fix that.

Many thanks to Gerry and Kaye Moor, who were the force behind the feeding regime, and the countless other volunteers that kept efforts going. To learn more about the Australian Brumby and how you can help, visit: hoofs2010incorporated.com or Barmah Brumby Hay Angels (on Facebook) Photos (top): Forest conditions due to flooding at Barmah National Park; Mel Gillespie | (bottom left and center): a foal and a mare stand in the warm Australian sun; Lynette Sutton | (bottom right): members of the Brumby community at Barmah National Park stand on green grass back in 2014, before unseasonable overflooding began; Lynette Sutton.

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