The Horsemen's Journal - Summer 2022

HORSEMEN’S THE

JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

FROM CLAIM TO FAME! Don't miss the Claiming Crown with full fields, big purses and great betting opportunities!

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Presented by a partnership of the National HBPA and TOBA

For more information, go to www.claimingcrown.com

The National HBPA Inc. Eric Hamelback, CEO Phone: 859-259-0451 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, Kentucky 40511

Website: www.hbpa.org Email: ehamelback@hbpa.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/NationalHBPA Twitter: @nationalhbpa

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL CONTENTS | SUMMER 2022 | VOLUME 69/#2

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

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Message from the National HBPA

Solid Ground WinStar Farm’s training center in Versailles, Kentucky, which underwent a $5-million renovation last year, continues to churn out leading runners led by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and a quintet of Grade 1 winners that used the facility to prep for late-2022 campaigns

08 Industry News

40 Stories and Storytellers Upstate New York barbers Rasi Harper and Maurice Davis took it on themselves to create, launch and fund The Real Players Inside the Backstretch project that recognizes the hard-working men and women of the Thoroughbred industry

12 HBPA News

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16 Research and Medication Update

44 Affiliate News

Ready or Not What the July 1 start date for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act regulations means for owners, trainers, racetracks and others in the racing industry

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

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MESSAGE FROM

THE CEO

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NATIONAL HBPA 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 P (859) 259-0451 F (859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.hbpa.org

PRESIDENT/ CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Dr. Doug Daniels SECRETARY/ TREASURER Lynne Schuller CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric J. Hamelback VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT CENTRAL REGION Joe Davis VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION J. Lloyd Yother VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Sandee Martin

t this writing, we as an industry are n the midst of the racetrack safety component of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) going into effect. We also are waiting on the appeals process for two separate lawsuits that continue to challenge HISA’s legal and operational future.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about moving forward and the best course to take while we wait. During times like these, I often draw on memories from my papaw, who was very influential in my upbringing and taught me many life lessons. Many of those I cannot necessarily share in writing, but I still use many to navigate decisions made today as a professional and even as a father.

My papaw was from Gonzales, Louisiana, which is in Ascension Parish, and he had no problem telling me and my cousins his opinions about how life should be handled. One lesson he often preached is not very original, and I am assuming many, if not all, grandfathers have tried to teach it to their grandchildren. The lessons of “stay the course” or “stand your ground” are often taught from elders, but most don’t receive that lesson from a Louisiana Cajun who was one of 11 children. His version of “stay the course” was mixed with “you are right until someone is man enough to prove you wrong.”

With that mindset, I would like each of you reading this to understand why I feel confident we at the National HBPA should stay the course with our opposition to HISA and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. In March, U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix dismissed our lawsuit, finding that while HISA pushes boundaries of public-private collaboration, in his opinion, the law as constructed stayed within the current constitutional limitation. However, what has happened since then gives us cause to stay the course in challenging HISA’s constitutionality until someone proves us wrong. A few weeks after the ruling was made on our case, a ruling was made in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concerning the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This new ruling has essentially caused the Authority and HISA to be checked hard.

In a quick summary from what I have read, the Fifth Circuit judges ruled that Congress’ delegation of legislative power to the SEC was unconstitutional as it failed to “provide an intelligible principle by which the SEC would exercise the delegated power.”

Why do I know this is important? As HISA was unveiled and even in the hearing held for our case, the attorneys for the Authority have compared their certainty of constitutionality to the very model that was overturned in the Fifth Circuit—the same court where our appeal currently sits. I am not an attorney, but even a boy from a small cattle town in Louisiana can see if you think about substituting the SEC with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the professed oversight over HISA, the ruling has positive implications for our case as we await adjudication of our appeal before the same court.

We can easily say the court in Texas sided with us on many key issues, which may help focus the Fifth Circuit appeal on the real issues. I am not going to say we should expect a victory in the Fifth Circuit; however, what happens with the newly configured U.S. Supreme Court is a very different issue. With that said, I do believe affiliates and jurisdictions should expect to deal with HISA for several years, even if we ultimately win in the court system. This is the immediate reality and not what many of us want to hear. However, stay the course and wait until the final decision says we are wrong in our belief that HISA is unconstitutional.

Now, here’s why it’s important to believe we are in the right. Thanks to recent communications with some of our friends, I can explain my reason for being confident in the long game with some easy-to-understand history.

I learned early on from the Liberty Justice Center team that the line of decisions that caused the rulings in the lower court cases is based on opinions involved in the constitutionality of the Maloney Act. What is that? The Maloney Act was created in 1938 to encourage public-private partnerships between the federal government and the financial industry. The original private industry group was named the National Association of Securities Dealers, but the group’s name has since been changed to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The original name is certainly more telltale in its description.

The group now known as FINRA is purportedly subject to being overseen by the SEC. Sound familiar? HISA is subject to being overseen by the FTC. The development of this oversight by the federal government has remained a controversial decision. We also know the Maloney Act has been challenged multiple times for violation of the nondelegation protections of the U.S. Constitution.

To date, every court has upheld the act, but now the Fifth Circuit has found that Congress unconstitutionally delegated legislative power to the SEC by failing to provide an intelligible principle under which the SEC could utilize this power. These powers have traditionally been regarded as constitutional.

Why is that important for us? Because we know HISA was structured after the Maloney Act. Here, we have the delegation to HISA in what everyone can see is a non-government private agency. The delegation in this case is even broader compared to the delegation to the SEC. Now we can begin to believe that in the Fifth Circuit, which is considered to be very conservative, HISA’s constitutionality will be in for an extremely difficult fight. With the current ruling, the delegation standard will now be very, very difficult for HISA’s supporters to maintain.

This means HISA will have an uphill fight in the Fifth Circuit, and we also see doubt in whether the current makeup on the U.S. Supreme Court would even uphold the long-lasting Maloney Act. Therefore, we must continue to focus on our understanding and stay the course until the nondelegation doctrine is decided in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals or even revisited by the Supreme Court.

Collectively, we need to be prepared for the long haul and continue to fight for horsemen’s and horsewomen’s rights all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. We can expect HISA to be a problem for some time, even if someday we prevail, but rest assured, it will take some fight to prove our beliefs are not right.

SINCERELY, ERIC J. HAMELBACK 2

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

THE

NATIONAL HBPA WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS CORPORATE

AFFILIATES

SPONSORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - AFFILIATES Dr. David Harrington, Alabama Robert Hutton, Arizona Bill Walmsley, Arkansas James Miller, Charles Town Kim Oliver, Colorado Chris Vaccaro, Finger Lakes Jim Watkins, Illinois Joe Davis, Indiana David McShane, Iowa Rick Hiles, Kentucky Benard Chatters, Louisiana Jason Uelmen, Michigan Pete Mattson, Minnesota Jami Poole, Mountaineer Park Garald “Wally” Wollsen, Nebraska Anthony Spadea, New England Roy Manfredi, New Mexico Joe Poole, Ohio Joe Offolter, Oklahoma Ron Sutton, Oregon Sandee Martin, Pennsylvania Mike Dini, Tampa Bay Downs David Ross, Virginia Pat LePley, Washington

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Kimberly Brewer Dr. Clara Fenger Jacob Machin Jennie Rees Peter J. Sacopulos Dr. Thomas Tobin PHOTOGRAPHERS Coady Photography Ellis Park Photo Gulfstream Park Eric Kalet Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo Tom Law Linzay Marks Bob Mayberger NYRA Photo Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo STAFF Tom Law Editor P (859) 396-9407 hj@hbpa.org Michelle McShane Advertising Director P (515) 508-1811 info@hbpa.org Limb Design www.limbdesign.com Graphic Design THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 P (859) 259-0451 F (859) 259-0452 hj@hbpa.org HBPA WEBSITE: www.hbpa.org COVER PHOTO: Gwen Davis/Davis Innovation

The opinions, representations and viewpoints expressed by the authors in the articles contained in The Horsemen’s Journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions, representations and viewpoints or the official policies or positions of The Horsemen’s Journal, National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation or National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association Inc. and its affiliates (collectively “HJ”). HJ is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on any information contained within this issue. Information in this issue may become outdated due to the rapidly changing nature of the horse industry. The publication of any advertisements or articles should not be construed as an endorsement of any product, service or position unless specifically stated.

The Horsemen’s Journal, Volume 69 #2.

Postal Information: The Horsemen’s Journal (ISSN 0018-5256) is published quarterly by the National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation, with publishing offices at P.O. Box 8645, Round Rock, TX 78683. Copyright 2022 all rights reserved.

The Horsemen’s Journal is the official publication for members of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, a representative association of Thoroughbred owners and

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

trainers. HBPA is a non-profit 501(c)6 Kentucky corporation. Members receive The Horsemen’s Journal as a benefit of membership paid by the national office from affiliate dues. Annual non-member subscriptions are $25. Single-copy back issues, if available, are $7. Canadian subscribers add $6. All other subscriptions outside the U.S. add $20 payable in U.S. funds. To order reprints or subscriptions, call (859) 259-0451.

The HBPA National Board of Directors has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required of the association.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and/or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the publisher or HBPA board or staff. Query the editor prior to sending any manuscripts.

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OFFICIALSPONSOR SPONSOR OFFICIAL of the the National NationalHBPA HBPA of

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

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COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

LEADING OFF

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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RICH STRIKE (FAR OUTSIDE, RED-AND-WHITE SILKS) LANDED IN POST 20 AFTER DRAWING IN OFF THE ALSO-ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THE 2022 KENTUCKY DERBY. THE KENTUCKY-BASED AND -TRAINED SON OF KEEN ICE NAVIGATED HIS WAY THROUGH THE FIELD UNDER JOCKEY SONNY LEON TO REGISTER THE SECOND-BIGGEST UPSET IN THE HISTORY OF THE RUN FOR THE ROSES, WINNING AT NEARLY 81-1 FOR TRAINER ERIC REED AND OWNER RICK DAWSON.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

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NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Claiming Crown to Churchill Downs for 2022

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

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he Claiming Crown heads to its sixth location for the 24th renewal in 2022, with Churchill Downs set to host the event for the first time.

CHURCHILL DOWNS WILL HOST ITS FIRST CLAIMING CROWN IN NOVEMBER 2022.

The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) partner to put on the Claiming Crown, which is open to all claiming horses. Originally designed to be the claiming horse owners’ version of the Breeders’ Cup, the special racing event highlights the sometimes-forgotten “average owner” and features some of the most competitive horses in the country.

The 2022 Claiming Crown will be run Saturday, November 12, in Louisville, Kentucky, just a week after the 39th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

“The National HBPA Board of Directors with President Doug Daniels and our regional vice presidents are extremely pleased to announce—along with our partners TOBA and the Kentucky HBPA—that the 2022 Claiming Crown will be moving to Churchill Downs,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “The Claiming Crown has continued to grow in popularity with owners, trainers and especially horseplayers. We truly believe these races epitomize the backbone of the horse racing industry.

“The Claiming Crown has always recognized the excellence of Thoroughbred racing’s heroes,” Hamelback added. “It’s a priority for the HBPA and our partners to provide this day showcasing the blue-collar horses, their owners and trainers who make racing programs across America possible and generate handle for racetracks’ marquee days.”

Churchill comes on board to host the Claiming Crown after a successful 10year run in South Florida at Gulfstream Park. Total handle for the 2020 renewal was a record $14,611,560, and the 10 highest Claiming Crown handle days all came at the Hallandale Beach venue.

Churchill set a handle record for this year’s Kentucky Derby—$179 million, up 17 percent from a year ago. The Churchill fall meeting runs from October 30 to November 27 on a Wednesday to Sunday schedule, with the exception of the two-day window November 4-5 when Keeneland hosts the Breeders’ Cup. “There’s no better place to stage a racing event than at Churchill Downs,” said Mike Ziegler, senior vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs.

“From annually hosting Kentucky Derby Week to hosting the Breeders’ Cup on 8

nine occasions, Churchill Downs is synonymous with championship racing. We’re thrilled to partner with the HBPA and TOBA and welcome our sport’s blue-collar star athletes, as well as their owners, trainers and jockeys, to Louisville for the Claiming Crown during our fall meet this November.”

The first Claiming Crown featured six races worth $560,000, run at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Canterbury hosted the first three editions and during two other stretches from 2003 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010.

The Claiming Crown expanded over the years, and the 2021 edition featured nine races worth $810,000, including the $125,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, $95,000 Claiming Crown Tiara and $95,000 Claiming Crown Emerald.

“We all feel it is important to see this amazing day of races take place as it has been for more than 20 years,” said National HBPA President Dr. Doug Daniels. “We are pleased to work together with TOBA in creating an event that has become a highlight of each year’s racing calendar. Our goals, along with the Kentucky HBPA and Churchill Downs, will include raising the profile of the Claiming Crown and highlighting to horsemen and horsewomen throughout the country that this event takes place because of and for them. We could not be more pleased to bring the event to Churchill.”

The National HBPA and TOBA also announced in May that details are in the works to return the 2023 Claiming Crown to Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Fair Grounds hosted the 2011 event.

–Tom Law

Claiming Crown Through the Years Years 1999–2001 2002 2003–2006 2007

Location Canterbury Park Philadelphia Park Canterbury Park Ellis Park

Claiming Crown Handle

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Host Track Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Philadelphia Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Ellis Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Canterbury Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park

Years 2008–2010 2011 2012–2021 2022

Location Canterbury Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Churchill Downs

Total Handle $2,229,815 $2,460,775 $3,159,868 $2,404,023 $3,241,926 $3,632,968 $2,321,941 $2,708,902 $4,906,096 $2,771,947 $2,872,459 $2,180,222* $1,663,801* $12,216,450 $8,831,568 $10,060,845 $10,118,474 $11,115,864 $11,925,852 $13,612,212 $13,846,395 $14,611,560 $11,448,519 *Claiming Crown races only

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

Nominations Open for Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards COURTESY OF GODOLPHIN

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ominations for the 2022 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEAs) opened May 10 and close Friday, July 15. The TIEAs were held in America for the first time in 2016.

Godolphin, the global racing stable founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the principal sponsor of the awards in association with the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, The Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup Ltd. Godolphin also sponsors the equivalent Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Ireland, Australia, Great Britain and France.

Cash prizes totaling $122,000 will be awarded to the winners and runners-up in seven categories: Dr. J. David “Doc” Richardson Community Award, Katherine McKee Administration Award, Dedication to Breeding Award, Dedication to Racing Award, Newcomer Award, Support Services Award and Leadership Award. The Newcomer Award also includes an educational trip to Dubai.

The TIEA announced that category sponsors, which lent support last year, will be returning for 2022. They are Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Hallway Feeds, New York Racing Association, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, National Thoroughbred Racing Association and I Am Horse Racing.

Keeneland again will host the awards ceremony Friday, October 14, in the sales pavilion.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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THE TIEA CEREMONY RETURNED AS AN IN-PERSON EVENT IN 2021, AND THE WINNERS WERE HONORED AT KEENELAND RACE COURSE.

2021 Winners Leadership Award, sponsored by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Robert Turner, Yearling Manager, Stonestreet Farms Dedication to Breeding Award, sponsored by Hallway Feeds Calvin Smith, Assistant Broodmare Manager, Runnymede Farm (Pennsylvania) Dedication to Racing Award, sponsored by the NTRA Lorita Lindemann, Assistant Trainer, Joe Sharp Racing Dr. J. David “Doc” Richardson Community Award, sponsored by Churchill Downs Nicholas Caras, Program Director, New York Race Track Chaplaincy Newcomer Award, sponsored by NYRA Olivia Desch, Stallion Season Sales, WinStar Farm Katherine McKee Administration Award, sponsored by Keeneland Kelsey Marshall, Vice President of Partner Relations, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners Support Services Award, sponsored by I Am Horse Racing Brenda Wilhelm, Operator, Charles Town Race Track Kitchen

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NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Beholder, Tepin Headline 2022 Hall of Fame Class

BOB MAYBERGER/NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME

CHAMPION BEHOLDER WON THREE BREEDERS’ CUP RACES, INCLUDING A MEMORABLE RENEWAL OF THE DISTAFF IN 2016 UNDER GARY STEVENS.

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Maturity, Los Angeles Handicap, Californian Stakes, Argonaut Handicap, American Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup, Sation Handicap and Aqueduct Handicap.

Royal Heroine was bred in Ireland by Larry Ryan and raced for Robert Sangster from 1982 through 1984 in England, France and the U.S. Voted the Eclipse Award for champion female turf horse in 1984, Royal Heroine concluded her career with a record of 10-4-2 from 21 starts and earnings of $1,229,449.

She was trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Europe and John Gosden in the U.S. Royal Heroine won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Mile at Hollywood Park in 1984, defeating nine males in setting a North American record for a mile on turf (1:32.60). Two weeks after the Breeders’ Cup, Royal Heroine won the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes to conclude her career.

Oscar White, a native of Pittsville, Maryland, won 706 races, including 104 stakes, with purse earnings of $5.5 million in a career that spanned from 1940 through 1978. Training exclusively for Walter Jeffords Sr. and later other members of the Jeffords family, White won the Belmont Stakes in 1945 with Pavot and in 1952 with Horse of the Year One Count. He also trained 1951 champion 3-year-old filly Kiss Me Kate, one of his 35 stakes-winning horses.

James Cox Brady, a native of West End, New Jersey, served as chairman of the New York Racing Association for eight years during the 1960s, a period in which NYRA opened a revitalized Belmont Park and significantly refurbished Saratoga Race Course. He served in leadership roles with The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred Racing Associations and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and was a founding director of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club. When the Greater New York Racing Association was formed in 1954, Brady was one of the original directors. In 1961, when the organization became known simply as NYRA, Brady was elected chairman.

Marshall Cassidy was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up exercising both flat runners and steeplechasers. He went on to ride in amateur races in New York, Maryland and Mexico. Son of Mars Cassidy, a starter in New York for a quarter century, Cassidy is credited with a number of innovations that benefited racing, including devising the modern stall-style starting gate and perfecting the photo finish camera system. He later became director of racing for NYRA from 1963 through 1968 and served as executive secretary of The Jockey Club.

James Ben Ali Haggin was born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and made a fortune in California in the aftermath of the gold rush. In 1873, Haggin established a Thoroughbred breeding center on Rancho del Paso near Sacramento. By the 1880s, the ranch was known as the world’s largest Thoroughbred nursery, and Haggin was campaigning several prominent racers, including future Hall of Fame members Firenze and Salvator. Both horses surpassed $100,000 in career earnings, an extraordinary sum for the time. He later established a stable in New York and won the 1885 Belmont Stakes with Tyrant and 1886 Kentucky Derby with Ben Ali. TEPIN COUNTED THE 2015 BREEDERS’ CUP MILE AMONG HER 11 STAKES VICTORIES THAT ALSO INCLUDED A SCORE IN THE 2016 QUEEN ANNE AT ROYAL ASCOT.

BOB MAYBERGER/NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME

I

n 2022, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will welcome a class of eight led by champions Beholder and Tepin.

Beholder and Tepin were the lone inductees in the contemporary categories, and both were chosen in their first year of eligibility. Racehorses Hillsdale and Royal Heroine and trainer Oscar White will be inducted via the Historic Review Committee, along with Pillars of the Turf selections James Cox Brady, Marshall Cassidy and James Ben Ali Haggin.

The class of 2022 will be enshrined at 10:30 a.m. ET Friday, August 5, at Fasig-Tipton’s Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ceremony will be broadcast live online at racingmuseum.org. The event is open to the public and free to attend.

Beholder compiled a record of 18-6-0 from 26 starts and earnings of $6,156,600 while racing from 2012 through 2016. A winner of four Eclipse Awards and three Breeders’ Cup races, Beholder was bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm.

Purchased by Spendthrift Farm at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, Beholder was trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella.

She was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2012, champion 3-year-old filly in 2013 and champion older dirt female in 2015 and 2016. Beholder won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012 and two editions of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 2013 and 2016, the latter a sensational victory over champion Songbird by a nose at Santa Anita in her final start.

Tepin posted a record of 13-5-1 from 23 starts with earnings of $4,437,918 from 2013 through 2016. The Eclipse Award winner for champion turf female in 2015 and 2016, Tepin was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and purchased by Robert E. Masterson at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings.

She was trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse.

During her 2015 championship season, Tepin won four graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile against a predominantly male field.

She repeated as champion turf female the following year on the strength of a campaign that included Grade 1 wins in the Jenny Wiley Stakes and Woodbine Mile and a memorable score in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in England. Tepin defeated males in both the Woodbine Mile and Queen Anne. She won a total of 11 graded/group stakes and won at eight tracks.

Hillsdale is the first horse bred in Indiana to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Foaled at Helen Kellogg’s Murlogg Farm near Evansville, Hillsdale raced from 1957 through 1959, finishing his career with a record of 23-6-4 from 41 starts and earnings of $646,935. Hillsdale’s best season came at 4 in 1959, as he won 10 of 13 starts and earned $502,090, which topped the older horse division. He won 10 stakes that year, including seven in a row, and finished second in the other three. Hillsdale won the San Carlos Handicap, San Fernando Stakes, Santa Anita

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

Registration Underway for Racing and Gaming Conference

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egistration has opened for the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga to be held August 15-17 in downtown Saratoga Springs, New York, with experts discussing the racing and gaming industries from various perspectives.

Featuring an intensive agenda, the conference will bring together gaming and racing industry leaders, academics, elected officials, lawyers, regulators and racing patrons to examine the trends, challenges and critical issues facing the racing and gaming industries.

Topics for discussion this year include: • Downstate Casino Expansion: What’s Next?

• Responsible Gaming: Are Programs and Funding Keeping Pace With Industry Growth?

• State Lotteries: Finding Avenues for Growth • The Rise (or Scourge) of Unregulated Gaming Machines • Gaming Regulation in the Digital Age: Are “Analog” Regulations and Regulators Sufficient to Police the Digital Gaming Market?

• Online Casinos: How Will Online Gaming Legalization Across the Nation Play Out in the Next Five Years?

• The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and the Future of Racing • Horse Racing, NFTs and the Metaverse

• Aftercare for Race Horses: Who Pays?

• Fixed Odds and the Future of Horse Betting This year’s conference also will host two networking events—a welcome cocktail party on Monday night, August 15, and a charity event at historic Canfield Casino the evening of Tuesday, August 16. Also, a day at the races at Saratoga Race Course is planned for Wednesday, August 17.

Patrick Brown, co-founder of the Brown & Weinraub law firm in Albany, New York, and a member of the Albany Law School’s Government Law Center Advisory Board, serves as conference director. Spectrum Gaming Group, which in 2021 authored a comprehensive gaming market study for the New York State Gaming Commission, is organizing the event, to be held at the Hilton located in Saratoga Springs’ historic downtown district.

“In 2021, the inaugural Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga was a resounding success,” Brown said. “As we enter our second year, we hope to build on that success and offer even more value to our participants. l am looking forward to lively discussion among experts in the racing and gaming industry, to meeting new people at our networking events and enjoying a day at the races with friends, old and new.”

The Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga began as the Saratoga Institute on Equine, Racing and Gaming Law and for 19 years was produced by the Albany Law School’s Government Law Center. In February 2020, the law school turned over the reins to Brown.

To register and view the complete agenda, call (609) 926-5100 or go to racingandgamingsaratoga.com. HJ

Photo by Grace Clark

Worlds Richest Maidens - $150,000

Over 18 Million in purse money Race dates - Sep. 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 14 THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

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NEWS

HBPA NEWS EXMARK ZERO-TURN MOWER EXCEPTIONAL VALUE FOR HBPA MEMBERS

K

If you already own an Exmark mower, chances are you had a hand in nown for the rugged durability and exceptional value of its

building your machine. Whether you know it or not, Exmark customers are the

zero-turn mowers, Exmark offers discounts to HBPA members

reason the deck is deeper, the controls are smoother and the parts are fewer.

through Equine Equipment’s role as a member benefit provider

of the National HBPA.

“Before we build machines, we go into the field and ride alongside our customers,” said Lenny Mangnall, a product manager for Exmark. “We get sweaty. We get tired. We get the best feedback. Then we gather our findings and get busy putting everything we learned into each nut and bolt. That’s the Exmark advantage.”

“We know horsemen and horsewomen are busy people, so we make getting these savings as fast and easy as possible,” added Steve Andersen, founder of Equine Equipment. “It just takes one quick phone call to get the ball rolling, and then we coordinate all the details and the discount with your local Exmark

“Our nearly 30,000 members will enjoy special pricing with Equine Equipment and Exmark,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA.

dealer. Exmark has a long history of supporting the horse racing industry, and we are glad to take that to the next level.”

“This program gives our members significant discounts on a wide range of products. I know from experience that Exmark is the real deal, and we truly

To save on Exmark mowers, call Equine Equipment, an official National HBPA member benefit provider, toll-free at (877) 905-0004.

appreciate their support.”

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

EXMARK, THE OFFICIAL ZERO-TURN MOWER OF THE NATIONAL HBPA Huge savings for HBPA members.

Another great benefit provided to horsemen.

MANUFACTURER’S DISCOUNTS FOR THE HORSE WORLD 1 ( 877 ) 905-0004 / www.EquineEquipment.com Serving USA and Canada OFFICIAL SPONSOR

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NEWS

HBPA NEWS RACING MOURNS LOSS OF ELLIS PARK’S JEFF HALL

By Jennie Rees

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ELLIS PARK PHOTO

eff Hall, Ellis Park’s popular director of racing operations who began his more than 50 years at the track by parking cars as a teenager, passed away June 4 at the age of 75.

A lifelong resident of Henderson, Kentucky, Hall was known for his strong local connections in the tri-state region, his deep love of racing and his knowledge of how the different components of a track worked and were interrelated.

THE LATE JEFF HALL AND COUNTRY MUSIC STAR TOBY KEITH AT ELLIS PARK IN 2019

“When we lost Jeff Hall, we lost on both sides of the river,” said Ellisbased trainer John Hancock, who had a particularly close association with Hall, including with his work as a Kentucky HBPA board member. “Jeff Hall was a horsemen’s track manager. His door was open at all times. He would listen at all times, and he would do his best to get done what needed to get done. He always had a smile. He was always there when we needed him.”

“I started nearly every day at Ellis by getting myself a cup of coffee and spending my first 10 to 20 minutes with Jeff, just because his optimism and energy gave me a boost to start the day off,” said Ellis Entertainment General Manager Jeff Inman. “He loved this place, and he loved the sport, but most of all, he loved the people here. I appreciated his knowledge, but it is his friendship that will always stay with me.”

Hall loved to handicap the races and relished driving his golf cart around the backstretch interacting with trainers. His preferred attire was jeans,

14

boots, ball cap and a T-shirt or golf shirt (particularly of the University of Kentucky persuasion). If the occasion demanded, he’d put on a dress shirt and sometimes even a sports coat.

Hall’s wardrobe reflected his down-home personality, which was among the reasons he was so popular among those with whom he worked.

“Jeff was Ellis Park’s rudder for racing and an institution,” said Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky HBPA. “He knew everybody, knew how everything needed to work. He also viewed the horsemen and the Kentucky HBPA as partners, with everyone having the goal of putting on the best racing possible at Ellis Park. Jeff got such a thrill every time an Ellis Park-raced horse went on to win a big stakes. He took so much pride that [Horse of the Year] Knicks Go and [Kentucky Oaks winner] Shedaresthedevil trained there last summer.”

Marc Guilfoil, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, said he and Hall first met when Guilfoil was working for the commission and Hall was mutuels manager at the long-since-shuttered Riverside Downs harness track in Henderson in the mid-1980s.

“Personally and professionally, there wasn’t a better person out there,” Guilfoil said. “Above everything else, he was a good friend. He truly cared. He cared about horsemen, and he cared about the community. You know at each racetrack the person you can call to get things done, and Jeff was our guy. He was our guy at Ellis Park, and for a long time he’s been that guy. Jeff got things done, or he’d tell you that it can’t be done. A lie was not in him. It might not be what you wanted to hear, but he would tell you 100 percent the truth, ‘I can do that’ or ‘I can’t do that.’

“If you needed a purple left-handed monkey wrench, you’d call Jeff, and he knew exactly where one was at,” Guilfoil added. “He’d done a favor for somebody in 1987, trading Bobcats or something, and the guy owed him that plus a water pump. And he would get it.”

Hall graduated from Henderson (City) High School and Western Kentucky University. He worked for years at Black Equipment selling heavy equipment and at one stage worked in the oil business. Through most of that time, Hall also worked summers at Ellis Park, starting out as a mutuel clerk and advancing to full-time work as mutuels director to general manager to concentrating on the racing component as director of racing operations.

Hall’s career in racing spanned six ownership groups at Ellis Park, dating back to when Lester Yeager ran the track for the heirs of James C. Ellis.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Raini Smith Hall; daughters Kristie Hall Watson and her husband, Mark, of Lexington, Kentucky, and Ashley Harper Smith of Nashville, Tennessee; brother Tim Hall and his wife, Susan, of Sturgis, Kentucky; and granddaughters Charlie Watson and Margot Watson. HJ

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NEWS

RESEARCH AND MEDICATION UPDATE

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

Key Industry Players Back mRNA Biomarker Research

A 12- TO 16-MONTH STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY’S GLUCK EQUINE RESEARCH CENTER WILL LOOK TO VALIDATE PRIOR RESEARCH SHOWING IT IS POSSIBLE TO DETECT MARKERS THAT INDICATE POTENTIAL INJURIES IN RACEHORSES.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center recently began a large study to validate previous research suggesting it is possible to detect specific markers that indicate an injury before it becomes career- or life-ending for Thoroughbred racehorses.

According to project lead Allen Page, staff scientist and veterinarian at the Gluck Center, and project collaborator Emma Adam, assistant professor and industry liaison at the Gluck Center and UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the end goal is to be able to conduct an inexpensive and straightforward pre-race blood test identifying horses at risk of catastrophic injury, possibly allowing for intervention before those injuries happen. Previous research has shown that a majority of catastrophic injuries occur in horses with underlying or preexisting musculoskeletal pathology, leading to the theory that catastrophic racing and training injuries are due to the accumulation of damage over time at a rate that exceeds the healing capacity of affected tissues.

Based on prior work in both human and equine athletes, Page and his colleagues have developed an approach for identifying this underlying damage using mRNA expression analysis of blood samples. The team has shown that horses with catastrophic injuries have a significantly altered expression of the markers IGF-1, IL1RN and MMP2 when compared to noninjured control horses.

The researchers also recently found three new mRNA biomarkers that show further promise to predict injury.

To validate these findings, the researchers started a new study in February to utilize 15,000 blood samples taken pre-race at three Southern California tracks. The study is expected to run 12 to 16 months. Samples are being drawn in tandem with standard pre-race testing, helping to make collection for the large research study more efficient. Initially, all samples will be stored before those from injured and select noninjured horses are analyzed and differences compared between the two groups.

16

Based on previous data and the planned collection of the samples, the research team anticipates they will test 10 to 15 catastrophically injured horses during the study.

According to Page, the blood test looking at the significant mRNA markers is correct 75 percent to 80 percent of the time when trying to identify a horse that will have an injury. The end goal for the team is the development of an easy-to-use and affordable blood test to help owners, trainers, veterinarians and others make informed decisions benefiting the welfare of the horse.

“We appreciate our partners who have helped us do this large and complex project for the benefit of safety on the racetrack and to protect our human and equine athletes,” said Nancy Cox, vice president for land grant engagement at UK and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

“The collaborative support from the racing industry for this groundbreaking research resulting from this project is evidence of its significant contribution toward protecting our equine racing athletes,” said Stuart Brown, veterinarian, vice president for equine safety with the Keeneland Association and board chair of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation. “Dr. Page and the team of the Gluck Center have endeavored to provide those of us entrusted with the safety of the racehorse with a tool that can be utilized to objectively assess the individual horse for biomarkers contributing to our understanding of an individual risk profile for that specific horse. The commitment from this team over the course of several studies while collecting samples across multiple jurisdictions represents a remarkable alignment of interests around the need to further our understanding of musculoskeletal injury in the racehorse.”

Funding for the current phase of the research has been provided by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s Equine Drug Research Council, Keeneland Association, The Stronach Group, New York Racing Association, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Additionally, the California Horse Racing Board, the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers were acknowledged for support of the project and for helping to enable the project’s undertaking.

“Not surprisingly, a study of this size is both logistically challenging and expensive,” Page said. “That we have such outstanding financial and logistical support from leaders in the racing industry speaks not only to the wide-reaching impact of catastrophic injuries but also to the industry’s hope that this project will provide a real-world solution to preventing injuries.”

“Multiyear support is essential to sustaining our research productivity,” said Dan Howe, interim director of the Gluck Center and interim chair for the UK Department of Veterinary Science. “As such, the Gluck Center is grateful for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s investment in the first two phases of this project and to the broader consortium within the equine industry that has committed resources to complete the final phase of this important study aimed at safeguarding the health of racehorses. We are very enthusiastic about this specific project and the positive impact it will have for the horse racing community.” HJ

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FEATURE

Ready or Not

What awaits racing come July 1 thanks to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020

By Clara Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Peter J. Sacopulos, JD; Kimberly Brewer, DVM, MSc; Jacob Machin, MS; and Thomas Tobin, MRCVS, PhD, DABT

FIREWORKS OF A DIFFERENT KIND MIGHT RESULT FROM FEDERAL REGULATIONS OF THE HORSERACING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY ACT OF 2020 SCHEDULED TO BEGIN JULY 1.

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E

fforts to exert federal jurisdiction over horse racing date back to 2011, when the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act was introduced by former U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM). The bill in its various iterations stood a less than 10 percent chance of passing for years. Then, in December 2020, Senator Mitch McConnell (RKY) carried the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) of 2020 through the Senate as part of a larger omnibus spending bill, and the legislation was signed into law by President Donald Trump, largely unread by Trump or most members of Congress. This act of Congress adds a layer of bureaucracy to racing and comes with a high price tag.

In part because of its high price tag, takeover of the regulation of horse racing from the states and other arguments, several lawsuits have been initiated to fight HISA’s implementation.

While the ultimate result of these lawsuits remains pending, a section of the HISA regulations, the 2000 series titled “Racetrack Safety Program,” was unquestionably set to become law July 1.

The remaining sections appear to be a work in progress with the draft everchanging but destined to be in place January 1, 2023.

Our industry is about to change, and this article will explore and analyze accreditation and enforcement under HISA’s racetrack safety regulations, which were already adopted by the Federal Trade Commission. More importantly, while we cannot predict all of the consequences of the implementation of section 2000 of HISA, we will cover some of the responsibilities and changes that horsemen and women and veterinarians will have to incorporate into their daily lives effective July 1.

Racetrack Safety Standing Committee

GULFSTREAM PARK PHOTO

The racetrack safety program has been developed by the Racetrack Safety Standing Committee. That committee consists of four independent members and three industry members along with one member of the Horseracing Integrity and Racing Authority’s board of directors. All members have been appointed by

HISA’s Nominating Committee. These are its seven members: 1. Susan Stover is the chair and an industry director. Stover is a professor of surgical and radiological science at the University of California, Davis and an expert in clinical equine surgery and lameness.

2. Lisa Fortier is an independent member from New York. Fortier is the James Law professor of surgery, Equine Park faculty director and associate chair for graduate education and research at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her primary clinical and translational research interests are in equine orthopedic surgery, tendonitis, arthritis and regenerative medicine.

3. Peter Hester is an independent member from Kentucky. Hester is an orthopedic surgeon.

4. Noah Cohen is an independent member from Texas. Cohen is a distinguished professor and the Patsy Link chair in equine research at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

5. Carl Mattacola is an independent member from North Carolina.

Mattacola is dean of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro School of Health and Human Sciences.

6. Glen Kozak is an industry member from New York. Kozak is senior vice president of operations and capital projects for the New York Racing Association’s facility and track operations, which include Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

7. John Velazquez is an industry member from New York. Velazquez is an accomplished and respected jockey. He is North America’s all-time leading money-earning jockey and a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame.

This committee prepared recommended regulations that govern racetrack safety. Those regulations were then published and provided to industry members for comment. Despite extensive industry comment and recommendations, the FTC rubber-stamped the committee’s recommended regulations. The Racetrack Safety Standing Committee and the HISA Authority have assured industry participants of future modifications and the opportunity for input, but that seems unlikely based on the lack of incorporation of any of the proposed comments into the regulations.

FACILITIES SUCH AS GULFSTREAM PARK IN SOUTH FLORIDA ARE AMONG THOSE CONSIDERED “COVERED RACETRACKS” UNDER NEW HISA REGULATIONS AND ARE THUS REQUIRED TO MEET SEVERAL STANDARDS.

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NYRA PHOTO

NYRA PHOTO

FEATURE

RACETRACK SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER GLEN KOZAK

RACETRACK SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER AND HALL OF FAME JOCKEY JOHN VELAZQUEZ

Covered Racetrack

NYRA PHOTO

Racetracks subject to the new racetrack safety program regulations are defined as “Covered Racetracks” and include those tracks exporting a simulcast signal.

Tracks that do not export a simulcast signal, such as those in Idaho, Montana and South Dakota, are not considered covered tracks. Tracks that receive an incoming simulcast signal but do not export a signal are not covered by or subject to the new HISA regulations. As such, some jurisdictions, such as Nebraska, will have both covered racetracks, which are subject to HISA’s new racetrack safety regulations, and uncovered tracks, which will continue to operate pursuant to state rules and regulations.

All covered racetracks are required, pursuant to section 2100, to meet certain standards for accreditation: (1) F ormation of a Racetrack Safety and Welfare Committee to review the circumstances surrounding fatalities, injuries or other racetrack safety issues for the purpose of identifying mitigable factors.

(2) P lacing personnel in a number of new safety positions with requisite staff whose salaries will be paid for by the racetrack but answer to HISA:

a. Safety director, who may be a regulatory veterinarian or safety officer and responsible for maintaining and implementing policies and procedures for equine health and safety under the oversight of HISA’s Racetrack Safety Committee. b. Safety officer who is responsible for enforcing safety standards and regulatory guidelines. c. Steward(s) to enforce the racetrack safety program. d. Regulatory veterinarian(s) to determine the soundness and fitness to race of all starters, observe the horses from the paddock to the starting gate in case of injury requiring a scratch, maintain a list of horses euthanized or expiring during the race meeting and maintain a veterinarians’ list as well as other responsibilities typically associated with regulatory veterinarians. e. Medical director, who may be a medical doctor or board-certified athletic trainer and responsible for maintaining and implementing policies and procedures for jockey safety. Based on public presentations by HISA representatives, this position may be a single person (with staff) hired

by HISA to oversee the responsibilities of the position for all covered racetracks.

In addition to the requirement for funding the new safety personnel positions, covered racetracks are required to have written standard operating procedures and personnel in place for racetrack design, surface material testing and daily data collection.

All of this information must be compiled and transmitted to the authority.

In the case of tracks that are currently accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the HISA accreditation process likely will not be onerous. For covered tracks that are not NTRA-accredited, the costs for HISA accreditation may well be substantial. For example, additional personnel and corresponding salary lines will be required in certain jurisdictions for compliance and accreditation.

The new racetrack safety program regulations define a grace period for compliance based on a covered track’s NTRA accreditation status. Those covered tracks not NTRA-accredited as of July 1 are required, pursuant to section 2214, to achieve HISA accreditation within one year. Those covered tracks that are NTRA-accredited as of July 1 are given interim accreditation and may be given additional time to complete and/or comply with an accreditation assessment if necessary and allowed by the authority. While the regulations governing accreditation of covered tracks are specific, less specific are the disciplinary actions that may be taken by the Racetrack Safety Standing Committee/HISA against those tracks that either refuse or fail to achieve accreditation.

The general lack of specific disciplinary action has one enormous exception. That exception is the ultimate penalty—pulling the track’s export signal as a disciplinary measure for noncompliance. HISA appears to have the authority to do so pursuant to section 2116.

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSMITTING INFORMATION, INCLUDING A NEGATIVE COGGINS TEST AND REQUIRED VACCINATIONS, TO HISA FOR HORSES ENTERING A COVERED TRACK’S GROUNDS LIES WITH THE COVERED TRACK, BUT ALL HORSES SHIPPING IN LIKELY WILL NEED TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE TRAINER UPON ENTRY.

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The responsibility for transmitting this information to the authority lies with the covered racetrack, but all horses shipping into a covered racetrack facility most likely will need to have this information provided by the trainer upon entry.

The covered racetrack also must supply the intended destination, reason for departure, date of exit, vehicle license number and name of person transporting the horse when horses leave the covered racetrack.

If the horse has not been stabled at a facility under the authority’s jurisdiction for a full 30 days before a race or workout for the purposes of removal from the veterinarians’ list, the trainer must obtain and maintain a list of all treatments, surgeries, non-surgical therapies and procedures for the preceding 30 days. If the horse has not been stabled at a facility under the authority’s jurisdiction for 60 days before a race or workout for the purpose of removal from the veterinarians’ list, the trainer also must obtain and maintain a list of the last 30 days of exercise activity.

RIDERS MAY STRIKE THEIR MOUNT ONLY SIX TIMES DURING A RACE. OWNERS COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED, INCLUDING BY LOSS OF CONDITIONS OR LOSS OF PURSE MONEY, IF RULES APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ARE BROKEN.

Racehorse Monitoring The enforcement of HISA’s vaccination requirements was delayed until January 1, 2023, to “allow horses to be vaccinated with previously unrequired vaccines at times that do not interfere with training and racing schedules.”

All horses entering a covered racetrack’s grounds must have a proof of health certificate within five days, a negative Coggins test and required vaccinations, which are annual vaccinations for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), Western equine encephalitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), tetanus and rabies as well as influenza and rhinopneumonitis (equine herpes) within 180 days (and more frequently in some instances).

Whip Rule In addition to accreditation, enforcement is the second category of the new rules. One example of the change in enforcement is the use of the riding crop.

Under section 2280, the rider may strike the horse only six times during a race.

Enforcement for violations is structured on a class/point system. This is similar to a point system used by the department of motor vehicles in many states for driving privileges. For example, a rider who strikes their mount 10 times over the six-strike limit commits a Class 1 violation and is subject to the following: (1) $750 fine or 30 percent of the jockey’s portion of the purse, whichever is greater; (2) the horse is disqualified from purse earnings; and (3) a minimum five-day suspension for the jockey.

Not written in the text of the section 2000 regulations already approved by the FTC but reported by HISA representatives is the further penalty to the horse owner for excessive whipping of the loss of the condition of the horse in addition to the loss of the purse.

Continuing Education

TABLE 1

R AC I NG ROL E

AN N UAL HOU RS OF C E

Regulatory Veterinarian

8 (specific to racetrack regulatory medicine)

Attending Veterinarian

8 (specific to racetrack practice)

Trainers

4

Assistant Trainers

4

Owners

2

Grooms

2

Jockeys/Exercise Riders

2 (safety and rider protocols, in advance of each race meet)

24

Section 2182 addresses the requirement for continuing education, which is required for veterinarians, stewards, trainers, assistant trainers, owners, grooms, outriders, jockeys, exercise riders, starters, assistant starters and equipment operators.

Specifics, such as whether the continuing education will be in person or virtual, whether the continuing education credit will be provided only upon successful completion of an exam and the criteria of the entity or individuals providing the continuing education, are currently undefined. Who bears the cost for this continuing education also is not addressed in the new racetrack safety regulations.

The requirements for continuing education are listed in Table 1.

In addition to the continuing education requirement, trainers will be required to pass a uniform national trainers test (section 2181). The new national proficiency test will include both a written component and practical interviews with examiners, requiring the trainer to demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in basic horsemanship skills, knowledge of racing protocols and equine health and state-specific information.

In states where the state racing commission elects to enter into an agreement with the authority, the state commission will require the use of a uniform national trainers test in addition to state licensing requirements. The new regulation does not spell out who will administer the written and practical portions of the test or the cost for the more than 3,000 trainers subject to the regulation. ...continued THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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FEATURE

NYRA PHOTO

Specific Rules and Regulations of the Racetrack Safety Program

TRAINERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PASS A UNIFORM NATIONAL TRAINERS TEST, WHICH INCLUDES A WRITTEN COMPONENT AND PRACTICAL INTERVIEWS, TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND PROFICIENCY IN BASIC HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF RACING PROTOCOLS AND EQUINE HEALTH.

Also absent from section 2181 are specifics as to how one signs up to take the test before July 2, if there will be a grace period for review and test-taking and the ramifications for an unsuccessful test or portion of a test. In addition, it is unclear what will happen if a trainer is in compliance with all state requirements for their training license but fails to receive a passing mark on the uniform national trainers test.

TABLE 2

Section 2200 lays out specific safety rules and regulations that govern the attending veterinarians, trainers and jockeys.

Drugs cannot be prescribed, dispensed or administered by a veterinarian without a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), which consists of an examination, diagnosis and treatment plan by a licensed veterinarian specifically hired by the owner (or trainer as agent for the owner). This concept is not new and is required by every veterinary practice act in the country for companion animals. For that matter, the VCPR is already defined in federal law —(21 CFR 530.3(i))—with further clarification in state veterinary practice acts.

However, the HISA VCPR definition deviates from the previous federal definition in that it adds “performed an examination of the horse.”

It would appear that this provision redefines horses from a member of the livestock group of animals to companion animals. For example, a prescription for dewormer for an entire barn of horses without a specific examination, diagnosis and treatment plan for each individual is currently legal and appropriate under a livestock VCPR. Under the HISA VCPR, each horse would require an examination prior to the prescription of a dewormer.

The same principle would apply to other medications. Further, the details of all examinations must be transmitted electronically to the authority.

Section 2230(b) requires that covered horses, regardless of their location, only be treated by an attending veterinarian that is both licensed by the state and the racing commission. This excludes many veterinarians who routinely work on farms and would otherwise medicate covered horses while they are on layup. This also precludes veterinarians who work in referral settings as well as every veterinarian working on horses on layup or in training in states where no racing commission exists.

Thoroughbred Owner Responsibilities (EFFECTIVE JULY 1)

I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS I N

I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS O UT

COVE R E D HO R SES

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

COVE R E D PER SO N

All owners of covered horses

All owners of covered horses

Owner of covered horses while out of training

Owner of covered horses while out of training

By July 1

By July 1

H ORSE S R E C E IVI NG TR EATMENT FROM A VE TE R I NA R IAN

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

P R E SC R I PTIO N S

All prescriptions for a covered horse that will be administered by a responsible person must be made by a racing commission-licensed veterinarian

All prescriptions for a covered horse that will be administered by a responsible person must be made by a racing commission-licensed veterinarian

2 hours

No requirement

ME D ICAL R ECO R DS

All medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be recorded by the owner when the horse in not in training

All medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be recorded by the owner when the horse in not in training

VOI D C L AIM R U LE

If a horse dies, is euthanized or vanned off, is placed on the veterinarians’ list by the regulatory veterinarian, or has a positive drug test, the claim shall be voided

If a horse dies, is euthanized or vanned off, is placed on the veterinarians’ list by the regulatory veterinarian, or has a positive drug test, the claim shall be voided

Prohibited

Prohibited

R E SP ONSI B L E PER SO N

R E G ISTR ATION WITH TH E AUTHO R ITY

CONTI N U I NG EDUCATIO N

B L ISTE R I NG / PI N - F I R I N G

...continued 26

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FEATURE States such as South Carolina, with its busy Thoroughbred training centers in Aiken and Camden, come immediately to mind, but even Florida, with some of the country’s premier racing, does not have a racing commission.

Section 2230(b) seems to contradict section 2252(b)(2), where it is indicated that the responsible person must maintain a record of all “medications prescribed or administered by a Veterinarian not licensed by the State Racing Commission.” How the authority will reconcile this contradiction is anyone’s guess.

Section 2240 covers the veterinarians’ list, with which most horsemen and women are familiar. However, there are a few features of the HISA regulations that differ from veterinarians’ lists administered by racing commissions.

The HISA regulations require that all examinations and treatments by the attending veterinarians be reported to the authority. Section 2240(b)(1) indicates that “horses affected by any illness, physical distress, medical compromise, unsoundness, injury, infirmity, heat exhaustion” be placed on the veterinarians’ list.

The attending veterinarian is forced to report all of these conditions to the authority. The first time a horse is diagnosed with “unsoundness,” it is placed on the veterinarians’ list for 14 days. The second time in a 365-day period, it remains on the list for 45 days. The third time in a 365-day period, it remains on the list for 75 days, and the fourth time, it is banned from racing. So, if the horse sustains four hoof abscesses in a 365-day period, it is banned for life from racing. There is no provision for the actual diagnosis, treatment plan or response to treatment to modify this requirement; it is now federal law.

Section 2250 outlines the requirement of treatment reporting to the authority. It liberally references section 3000, which has not yet been finalized or adopted. Previously, many jurisdictions have required treatment records for horses stabled on a licensed racetrack or training facility to be submitted on a daily basis, but HISA expands the required records to include the entire medical

record. Every veterinarian who examines a covered horse must, within 24 hours, report the following electronically to the authority: 1. The identity of the treated horse 2. The name of the trainer of the horse 3. The name of the veterinarian of the horse 4. Contact information for the veterinarian 5. Any information concerning the presence of unsoundness and responses to diagnostic testing 6. Diagnosis 7. Condition treated 8. Any medication, drug, substance or procedure administered or prescribed including date and time of administration, dose, route of administration (including structure if local administration), frequency and duration of treatment 9. Any nonsurgical procedure performed (including but not limited to diagnostic tests, imaging, shockwave treatment) including the structures examined/treated and the date and time of the procedure 10. Any surgical procedure performed including date and time of the procedure 11. Any other information to maintain and improve the health and welfare of the horse The burden of the excessive recording and reporting of complete medical records to the authority is not limited to the veterinarian. The responsible person (defined as the trainer or owner if the horse is not in training) must maintain a record of medical, therapeutic and surgical treatments and procedures for every covered horse in their control. So, when a horse is laid up at a farm, the owner must maintain entire medical records. While there does not appear to be a reporting requirement for these records to the authority, section 2252(c) suggests that these records are accessible to the regulatory veterinarians.

TABLE 3

Thoroughbred Veterinarian Responsibilities (EFFECTIVE JULY 1) I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS I N

I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS O UT

COVE R E D HO R SES

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

COVE R E D PER SO N

All veterinarians of covered horses

All veterinarians of covered horses

By July 1

By July 1

8 hours of racetrack practice-specific CE

No requirement

H ORSE S R E C E IVI NG TR EATMENT FROM A VE TE R I NA R IAN

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

P R E SC R I PTIO N S

All prescriptions for a covered horse that will be administered by a responsible person must be made by a racing commission-licensed veterinarian

All prescriptions for a covered horse that will be administered by a responsible person must be made by a racing commission-licensed veterinarian

ME D ICAL R ECO R DS

All diagnoses and medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be reported to the authority within 24 hours

All diagnoses and medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be reported to the authority within 24 hours

The previous trainer must authorize transfer of medical records to new trainer within 3 days

The previous trainer must authorize transfer of medical records to new trainer within 3 days

Prohibited

Prohibited

Prohibited within 48 hours of a race

Prohibited within 48 hours of a race

Must be reported to regulatory veterinarian 48 hours or more before procedure and performed at a location approved by the racing commission. The horse cannot breeze or race for 30 days

Must be reported to regulatory veterinarian 48 hours or more before procedure and performed at a location approved by the racing commission. The horse cannot breeze or race for 30 days

R E G ISTR ATION WITH TH E AUTHO R ITY

CONTI N U I NG EDUCATIO N

R E COR D S TR ANSFE R AFTER C L AIM

B L ISTE R I NG / PI N - F I R I N G E L E CTR ICAL ME D ICAL TH ER APEUTIC DEVIC ES ( M AGNAWAVE , L ASE R, M AGN ETIC B L AN KETS, ETC.)

SH OC KWAVE

...continued 28

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

FEATURE TABLE 4

Thoroughbred Trainer Responsibilities (EFFECTIVE JULY 1) I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS I N

I F R AC I N G COM M ISSIO N O PTS O UT

COVE R E D HO R SES

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

All Thoroughbred horses after their first timed work

COVE R E D PER SO N

All trainers of covered horses

All trainers of covered horses

Trainer for covered horses while in training

Trainer for covered horses while in training

Provide health certificate dated within five days

Provide health certificate dated within five days

Provide verification of EEE, WEE, WNV, rabies and tetanus vaccinations

Provide verification of EEE, WEE, WNV, rabies and tetanus vaccinations

Provide verification of EHV-1 and EIV vaccinations within 180 days

Provide verification of EHV-1 and EIV vaccinations within 180 days

Provide proof of a negative EIA test (Coggins)

Provide proof of a negative EIA test (Coggins)

Provide destination

Provide destination

Reason for departure

Reason for departure

Vehicle license plate number

Vehicle license plate number

Test required, administered by racing commission

No requirement

4 hours

No requirement

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

All horses must receive an examination by a veterinarian before any drug can be administered or dispensed by the veterinarian

ME D ICAL R ECO R DS

All medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be recorded

All medical, therapeutic and surgical procedures (including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy) on all covered horses must be recorded

M E D ICAL R E COR D S (WH E N TH E HO R SE HAS N OT B E E N STAB L E D ON A R AC ETR AC K)

All medical records must be obtained and maintained for the preceding 30 days

All medical records must be obtained and maintained for the preceding 30 days

AD D ITIONAL R E COR D S (WH EN A HO R SE HAS N OT B E E N STAB L E D ON A R AC ETR AC K FO R 60 DAYS)

Exercise activity for the last 30 days must be obtained and maintained

Exercise activity for the last 30 days must be obtained and maintained

R E COR D S TR ANSFE R AF TER C L AIM

The previous trainer must transfer trainer records and authorize transfer of medical records to new trainer within 3 days

The previous trainer must transfer trainer records and authorize transfer of medical records to new trainer within 3 days

Prohibited

Prohibited

Prohibited within 48 hours of a race

Prohibited within 48 hours of a race

TOE G R ABS

Prohibited on both front and hind shoes, with implementation delayed until Aug. 1

Prohibited on both front and hind shoes, with implementation delayed until Aug. 1

WH I P R U LE

Four to nine strikes over the six-strike limit result in disqualification of the horse

Four to nine strikes over the six-strike limit result in disqualification of the horse

R E SP ONSI B L E PER SO N

U P ON E NTRY TO R AC ETR AC K

U P ON D E PARTU R E O F R AC ETR AC K

U N I FORM NATIONAL TR AI N ER S TEST

CONTI N U I NG EDUCATIO N

H ORSE S R E C E IVI NG TR EATMENT F ROM A VE TE R I NA R IAN

B L ISTE R I NG / PI N - FI R I N G E L E CTR ICAL ME D ICAL TH ER APEUTIC DEVIC ES ( M AGNAWAVE , L ASE R, M AGN ETIC B L AN KETS, ETC.)

Shockwave Therapy

Horseshoes

The assault on the use of shockwave therapy is extended well beyond the already severe restrictions of this valuable therapeutic modality. Rather than reporting to the authority within 24 hours of use, shockwave therapy, effective July 1, must be reported 48 hours before the therapy and performed at a previously disclosed location approved by the racing commission. Its use places the horse on the veterinarians’ list for 30 days, during which the horse cannot work out or race.

Section 2276 bans the use of toe grabs on both front and hind shoes. The implementation of this section for hind shoes has been postponed to August 1. This reprieve is not because the authority has realized there is no scientific evidence tying hind shoe toe grabs to injury but rather to allow horseshoe manufacturers time to sell current inventory and manufacture shoes that conform to the new mandate.

30

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

THE COSTS OF HISA REGULATIONS REMAIN UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH SOME IN THE INDUSTRY BELIEVE THE EXPENSE OF MEDICATION AND ANTI-DOPING PROGRAMS COULD BE TWO TO THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THOSE FOR RACETRACK SAFETY PROGRAMS.

Cost of the Racetrack Safety Program Costs relative to each state for the racetrack safety portion of HISA have been released, as outlined by Table 5. The cost for the medication and antidoping portion is anticipated to be more—potentially much more. Some in the industry believe the cost of the medication and anti-doping program may well be two to three times as much as the cost for the racetrack safety program.

The cost of HISA to those in the Thoroughbred industry remains unclear.

What is clear is that several states have determined that these fees will not be collected by the state racing commission. The reason and rationale for commissions not doing so includes a lack of budget and/or personnel to collect, account for and provide the funds to HISA. If the state regulators elect not to collect and submit the funds, that task becomes the obligation of track ownership. Should track ownership be tasked with collecting, accounting for and submitting the fees, one thing is certain: Someone will be paying for those services, and that cost will probably be borne by those in the industry.

The issue of cost and payment is greater than simply who collects and submits the state’s portion of the HISA fee.

Each state has been presented with a voluntary implementation agreement.

If the state commission does not enter into this agreement or the governor of

the state says, “Thanks but no thanks,” there are more challenges and costs.

For example, if the state refuses or declines to enter into the agreement, the covered racetrack will be required to have two sets of stewards. One set of stewards will be HISA stewards who will govern all matters set forth under the HISA regulations. A corresponding set of state stewards will continue to regulate and enforce all non-HISA rules and regulations. The same is true of regulatory veterinarians.

Possible Fireworks The HISA section 2000 regulations that have already been approved were slated to go into effect July 1, complete with contradictory sections and requirements lacking clarity. HISA representatives have presented some of these rules publicly, although some of their presentations include information not actually written in the approved regulations, such as the loss of a condition for a horse with a jockey whip violation. We have tried to summarize what owners, trainers and veterinarians will need to know to be in compliance in the accompanying tables based on what is actually written in the regulations.

Accreditation and enforcement of HISA’s racetrack safety program present those in the Thoroughbred racing industry with uncertainty.

...continued THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

31

TABLE 5

Costs for racetrack safety portion of HISA for states with HBPA affiliate

STATE Arkansas Arizona

TRACK

PURSES (PAID)

STARTS

% OF STARTS

% OF PURSES

PURSES PER START

HISA FEE PER START

HISA ANNUAL COST

Oaklawn Park

$40,776,630

5,011

2.1

3.7

$8,137

$82.87

Arizona Downs

1,989,700

1,455

0.6

0.2

1,367

31.50

$415,245 45,831

Turf Paradise

13,424,509

7,154

2.9

1.2

1,877

43.22

309,222

Colorado

Arapahoe Park

2,074446

1,070

0.4

0.2

1,939

42.21

45,169

Florida

Tampa Bay Downs

16,975,798

6,805

2.8

1.6

2,495

34.41

234,165

Fanduel Sportsbook and Horse Racing

4,900,130

2,397

1.0

0.4

2,044

42.08

100,872

Hawthorne

9,959,800

4,669

1.9

0.9

2,133

43.91

205,028

Indiana

Horseshoe Indianapolis

31,246,055

7,043

2.9

2.9

4,436

58.60

412,685

Iowa

Prairie Meadows

15,493,407

3,849

1.6

1.4

4,025

55.90

215,153

Churchill Downs

67,690,823

5,546

2.3

6.2

12,2054

120.76

669,743

Ellis Park

10,125,838

1,710

0.7

0.9

5,922

58.59

100,187

Keeneland

26,045,824

2,488

1.0

2.4

10,469

103.58

257,701

Kentucky Downs

15,043,863

654

0.3

1.4

23,003

227.59

148,846

Turfway Park

10,908,490

4,282

1.8

1.0

2,548

25.21

107.930

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Minnesota Nebraska

New Mexico

Delta Downs

23,481,180

7,938

3.3

2.1

2,958

25.21

107,930

Evangeline Downs

12,589,265

5,052

2.1

1.2

2,492

38.83

196,194

Fair Grounds

29,591,929

5,751

2.4

2.7

5,146

80.19

461,167

Louisiana Downs

8,364,890

3,909

1.6

0.8

2,140

33.35

130,360

Canterbury Park

13,455,802

3,926

1.6

1.2

3,427

51.98

204,062

417,401

388

0.2

0.0

1,076

41.67

16,167

Fonner Park

1,878,376

2,116

0.9

0.2

888

34.38

72,756

Albuquerque

3,790,351

973

0.4

0.3

3,896

61.41

59,759

Ruidoso Downs

36,606

Columbus

2,322,195

1,071

0.4

0.2

2,168

34.18

Sunland Park

982,692

32

0.0

0.0

2,897

45.66

1,461

Sunray Park

2,234,163

690

0.3

0.2

3,238

51.04

35,218

Zia Park

5,757,445

1,664

0.7

0.5

3,460

40.60

90,757

New York

Finger Lakes

15,259,823

4,962

2.0

1.4

3,075

30.08

149,260

Belterra Park

11,171,698

4,857

2.0

1.0

2,300

39.87

193,630

Ohio

Mahoning Valley

16,487,020

6,495

2.7

1.5

2,538

44.00

285,757

Thistledown

18,313,120

5,438

2.2

1.7

3,368

58.37

317,407

Fair Meadows

1,841,844

1,010

0.4

0.2

1,824

29.64

29,938

Oklahoma

Oregon Pennsylvania Virginia Washington West Virginia

Other major racing states/jurisdictions

STATE

California Florida Maryland

Remington Park

17,836,365

4,992

2.1

1.6

3,573

58.08

289,919

Will Rogers Downs

4,080,014

1,807

0.7

0.4

2,258

36.70

66,318

Grants Pass

1,683,603

1,416

0.6

0.2

1,189

37.30

52,813

Penn National

21,305,152

7,371

3.0

1.9

2,890

42.72

314,874

Presque Isle Downs

10,469,625

3,458

1.4

1.0

3,028

44.75

154,733

Colonial Downs

9,927,650

1,618

0.7

0.9

6,136

69.74

112,838

Emerald Downs

5,609,225

2,672

1.1

0.5

2,099

43.27

115,610

Charles Town Races

31,252,350

10,142

4.2

2.9

3,081

55.87

566,631

Mountaineer

13,305,901

7,338

3.0

1.2

1,813

32.88

241,247

TRACK

PURSES (PAID)

STARTS

% OF STARTS

% OF PURSES

HISA FEE PER START

HISA ANNUAL COST

PURSES PER START

Del Mar

29,540,730

3,564

1.5

2.7

8,289

97.69

Santa Anita Park

54,022,815

6,188

2.5

4.9

8,730

102.90

348,178 636,732

Gulfstream Park

78,676,410

16,657

6.9

7.2

4,723

65.15

1,085,265

Laurel Park

34,257,495

6,806

2.8

3.1

5,033

60.97

414,934

Overall

Pimlico

29,938,314

3,582

1.5

1.9

5,845

70.80

253,609

Monmouth

25,863,475

4,113

1.7

2.4

6.288

71.83

295,417

Aqueduct

46,968,360

5,505

2.3

4.3

8,532

83.45

459,410

Belmont

70,275,740

5,906

2.4

6.4

11,899

116.39

687,386

Saratoga

46,797,310

3,217

1.3

4.3

14,547

142.29

457,737

Pennsylvania

Parx

47,850,090

11,361

4.7

4.4

4,212

62.25

707,188

STATE

TRACK

PURSES (PAID)

STARTS

% OF STARTS

% OF PURSES

PURSES PER START

$1,092,675,229

242,916

100.0

100.0

$14,331,949

New Jersey

New York

HISA FEE PER START

HISA ANNUAL COST

HJ 32

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

$4 MILLION REASONS

BREED RACE $

$

WIN

Over $4 Million will be paid to Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders in Oklahoma this year

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA ONE REMINGTON PLACE 405.427.8753

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

OKLAHOMA CITY 73111

WWW.TRAORACING.COM

33

LINZAY MARKS PHOTO

FEATURE

RECENTLY RENOVAT E D W INSTAR FAR M TRAI NI NG CENTER CO NTI NUES S UCCES S FU L R U N

By Tom Law 34

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

F

WINSTAR FARM’S TRAINING CENTER, BUILT IN A BOWL SURROUNDED BY A NATURAL LIMESTONE WALL, FEATURES A LIST OF STAR-STUDDED GRADUATES THAT INCLUDE JUSTIFY, LIFE IS GOOD, UNCLE MO AND SCORES OF OTHER TOP-CLASS RUNNERS.

The group—Life Is Good, Country Grammer, Colonel Liam, Americanrevolution and Corniche— are just five of nearly 150 horses who call WinStar home during their rehab, layoff or prep.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

ive Grade 1 winners poked their heads out of airy stalls on a late morning in mid-April in Central Kentucky, done with their work for the day and waiting for what comes next. The scene could have been off Versailles Road in Lexington, at Keeneland Race Course or an hour west off South Fourth Street in Louisville at Churchill Downs.

Springtime brings the best to Kentucky for the star-studded cards of the Derby and Oaks, but on this day, the Grade 1 quintet bedded down at WinStar Farm’s training center are readying to head back to the track with summer and fall targets in the minds of their connections.

The group—Life Is Good, Country Grammer, Colonel Liam, Americanrevolution and Corniche—are just five of nearly 150 horses who call WinStar home during their rehab, layoff or prep. And they’re the latest on a list of graduates that includes a Triple Crown winner and a handful of champions to use the training facility nestled in a limestone bowl on Pisgah Pike in Woodford County.

“We’ve got five Grade 1 winners here now,” Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president, chief executive officer and racing manager, said that day. “That’s saying something, and there aren’t a lot of places that can say that.”

Three of the five—2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and 2022 Pegasus World Cup winner Life Is Good, 2022 Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer and 2021 Cigar Mile winner and probable New York-bred Horse of the Year Americanrevolution—are owned solely or in partnership by Lisa and Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm. Corniche, the 2021 champion 2-year-old male and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, is owned by Speedway Stables, and Colonel Liam, winner of the last two editions of the Pegasus World Cup Turf, is owned by Robert and Lawana Low. They all took up residence at WinStar this past winter and spring—a few on repeat visits after being broken and/or receiving early conditioning there—to take advantage of a facility WinStar hopes has become an industry leader in its short history.

“We had no training center,” Walden said of the early 2000s, when the Troutts and former partner Bill Casner bought the 450-acre Prestonwood Farm and renamed it WinStar.

The farm has since expanded to more than 2,400 acres, occupying huge swaths of land on either side of Pisgah Pike and featuring a stallion complex housing 17 stallions led by More Than Ready, Speightstown and Constitution in 2022.

The training center came along in 2009, or at least the idea of it, not long after WinStar got its first taste of classic success from an ownership standpoint.

“In 2009, we made the decision, and we got it open in 2010,” said Walden, a former trainer who took on his management role at the farm in 2005.

“All of 2009 was spent working on it, building another barn.”

The operation’s main training barn features 110 stalls, and an additional 45 stalls are just up the road on WinStar property that was once Hopewell Farm.

“We started in 2010 with the training center and right away saw that at that time there was a great need for it,” Walden said. “Now you’re seeing more people copy that model, with training centers on the other farms in Central Kentucky. We had horses in Kentucky in the wintertime from 2005 on. We kept Bluegrass Cat here and trained him in Kentucky. So we knew we could do it in Kentucky. That gave us great confidence to go ahead and build a training center.

“We had horses back then at Highpoint,” Walden continued. “We broke them here, moved them to Highpoint in December and got them ready to run. We felt confident that it could be done, that we didn’t have to go to Ocala or South Carolina. That’s when we decided to go ahead and build the training center.”

Bred and raced by WinStar Farm, Bluegrass Cat made his first start for Walden in early June 2005 after getting started in Kentucky in late 2004.

35

LINZAY MARKS PHOTO

FEATURE

WINSTAR FARM’S NEWLY RENOVATED TRAINING CENTER FEATURES A 1-MILE UPHILL GALLOP THAT GIVES HORSES A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

He later transitioned to Todd Pletcher in New York, where he won three in a row including back-to-back graded stakes to put his name in the mix for the 2006 spring classics.

To start his 3-year-old season, Bluegrass Cat won the Sam F. Davis Stakes, finished second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and then finished fourth in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland to land a spot in the Kentucky Derby. He finished second to Barbaro in the Derby and then followed that up with another second in the Belmont Stakes, a win in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.

“He made his first start with Elliott, then came to us in late summer, and we got him started at Belmont in the fall,” Pletcher said. “He ran great in the Derby; unfortunately, that fell in Barbaro’s year. Then he ran into Bernardini in the Travers.”

Mo Success Pletcher, who won a Kentucky Derby four years later for WinStar with Super Saver, continues his association with the operation. He recently welcomed Life Is Good, Colonel Liam and Americanrevolution back to his New York stable from the WinStar facility that he first benefited from in 2011.

Uncle Mo, champion 2-year-old male and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for Mike Repole in 2010, was scratched out of the following year’s Kentucky Derby while battling a rare disease affecting the liver known as

36

cholangiohepatitis. The condition affects the production, secretion and distribution of bile from the liver, and Uncle Mo “didn’t look well” and “didn’t have an appetite” heading into the Derby.

After the colt was scratched and diagnosed, Repole and Pletcher sent Uncle Mo to WinStar to convalesce and work toward a possible comeback.

“After putting it all together, the conclusion was that really in order to get well he needed to go somewhere where he could get turnout, green grass to eat,” Pletcher said. “That was exactly what turned out to be the case. When he got to WinStar, they were able to turn him out in round pens on grass, move it around, make sure he always had fresh grass. That was really what turned him around.

“Obviously, with a horse like that, you’re only going to send him to a facility and to people you fully trust,” Pletcher added. “As you would expect, they took it seriously and did a great job with him.”

Uncle Mo put on about 100 pounds in his first six weeks at WinStar and resumed training. Sent back to Pletcher’s New York string in July, he trained forwardly again and just missed winning his comeback when second by a nose to Caleb’s Posse in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes on Travers Day at Saratoga. He followed that with a victory in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap going 1 mile at Belmont Park.

“Mike sent him here; we took care of him and helped him get over his issues,” Walden said. “He’d gotten real light before the Derby. We worked him through that; he came back and won the Kelso in the fall. He was probably the first poster child for the training center, other than our horses.”

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

SUSIE RAISHER/NYRA PHOTO

LINZAY MARKS PHOTO

FEATURE

WATER PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN SOME OF THE DIFFERENT TRAINING AIDS AT WINSTAR, INCLUDING THE OPERATION’S AQUATRED AND SWIMMING POOL.

Facility Upgrades

JOE LABOZZETTA/NYRA PHOTO

LINZAY MARKS PHOTO

TRIPLE CROWN WINNER JUSTIFY LEADS THE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHED GRADUATES WHO GOT THEIR START AT WINSTAR FARM’S TRAINING CENTER IN KENTUCKY.

EMMANUEL CARRIES THE WINSTAR COLORS AND JOCKEY IRAD ORTIZ JR. TO VICTORY IN THE 2022 PENNINE RIDGE STAKES AT BELMONT, NOT LONG AFTER A BRIEF STAY AT HIS OWNER’S TRAINING CENTER IN VERSAILLES, KENTUCKY.

Horses like Uncle Mo and more recently that quintet of Grade 1 winners and the others at WinStar through the spring and summer have more amenities than round pens and spacious barns.

WinStar underwent a $5 million renovation last year, focusing mainly on the 7-furlong training track and construction of an uphill gallop.

The training track’s Polytrack surface was replaced with traditional dirt, a project that included removing the blacktop base and changing the drainage system. The track also was widened on one turn, necessitating blasting of the surrounding limestone. The Kentucky-based Allen Company handled the project, which required significant work on the foundation.

“We widened basically one turn,” Walden said. “We also had to cut into the rock because the track is built into a bowl. It was a huge project, from May 1 to September 1. It was hard to do, hard to navigate, but those guys did a great job keeping it moving. Now I think we have the best racetrack in America.”

WinStar’s 1-mile uphill gallop features a fiber and sand surface, and the facility also includes controlled turnout areas, a swimming pool, European Equicisers and 24-hour on-site staff. Among the therapeutic tools on hand are a hyperbaric chamber, an Aquatred, a cold salt-water spa, TheraPlates and an RLT class IV rehabilitation laser to help increase circulation and reduce pain and inflammation.

“We take horse welfare very seriously,” Walden said. “If we can keep horses from getting injured, we feel like we’ve added something to the equation.

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Our goal is to have the best racetrack in America, to have every horse have good ground to train on. That’s caused by the limitation of how many horses we have here and the ability to harrow it, maintain it when we need to. We’re not bound by other parameters. We’re able to set our own rules. You’ve seen it go very well in Europe, with Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, places like that.

“It’s a positive to be able to take horses off the racetrack, even if it’s a period of time,” he continued. “For example, we’ve had Emmanuel here since the Blue Grass. He worked a half this morning. He’s not missing a beat. He’s able to go out in a paddock in the afternoon and be a little bit more of a horse than the traditional way you train horses in America where they’re confined to a stall at the racetrack. We all need to be freshened up from time to time, and horses are no different.”

Emmanuel, fourth in the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth in March and third in the Toyota Blue Grass in April, breezed once at WinStar before going back to Pletcher at Belmont in early May. The son of More Than Ready breezed twice on the grass at Belmont before winning the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes on the turf during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

“With him we were trying to find that middle ground of freshening him up a little bit while still keeping him in training while we were deciding what we were going to do with him,” Pletcher said. “WinStar worked out for that. It’s a great facility, especially when you’re at Churchill or Keeneland, to be able to send one there and do stuff like that. We have used it in the past for that, and sometimes it can be beneficial depending on the horse.” HJ

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One. Helping Many.

“TCA’s support of the Thoroughbred Makeover has helped thousands of horses get a solid foundation of retraining after racing.”

“TCA’s grants provide financial assistance to our food pantry that serves all the backstretch workers.”

“TCA’s grants have allowed us to rehome thousands of Thoroughbreds throughout the years.”

Jen Roytz, Retired Racehorse Project

Chaplain Humberto Chavez, New York Racetrack Chaplaincy of America

Bev Strauss, Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue

Thoroughbred Charities of America provides grants to approved organizations working to help Thoroughbreds, backstretch, and farm workers.

Please consider a donation today.

P.O. Box 910668, Lexington, Kentucky 40591 | TCA.org | (859) 276-4989

I

n the early years, the sport of horse racing seemed simple. There was no simulcasting, discussion of appropriate marketing strategies, super testing or betting via direct computer links. There was no NTRA, THA, TOC, TOBA, UTTA, AQHA or other organizations representing horsemen’s interests.

Horsemen have a habit of taking care of their own. If someone was sick or down on his luck, they “passed the hat,” taking up collections, which is a time-honored tradition among racetrackers.

It was in 1940 in New England that a group of committed horsemen brought into existence what is now known as the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. From this meager beginning the National HBPA has developed into an organization representing the horsemen’s interests on a myriad of issues.

Today, there are nearly 30,000 owner and trainer members throughout the United States and Canada focused on a common goal—the betterment of racing on all levels.

With this purpose in mind, we welcome and encourage all horsemen to join the National HBPA, and we urge our members to take an active role in the direction and policies of our organization. It is our members who make a difference.

We horsemen are the National HBPA.

We are Leading into the Future and we are…… Horsemen Helping Horsemen

The National HBPA Inc. Eric Hamelback, CEO Phone: 859-259-0451 • Toll Free: 866-245-1711 • Email: ehamelback@hbpa.org 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 Website: www.hbpa.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/NationalHBPA • Twitter: @nationalhbpa

FEATURE FEATURE

STORIES

AND

STORYTELLERS

Upstate New York duo recognize racing’s heart and soul through Real Players series

NYRA PHOTO

By Tom Law

THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE UP BEFORE SUNRISE AND OFTEN WORKING WELL INTO THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE REAL PLAYERS INSIDE THE BACKSTRETCH, THE BRAINCHILD OF UPSTATE NEW YORK BARBERS RASI HARPER AND MAURICE DAVIS.

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R

I’m in love with the stories and not the racing...

The people are what make the game great.

–Rasi Harper

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asi Harper freely admits what he likes most about horse racing.

“I’m in love with the stories and not the racing,” he said, standing just outside the winner’s circle at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day. “I don’t even watch the races really. I don’t bet, nothing. It’s the people for me. The people are what make the game great.”

Harper—who teams with Maurice Davis on the startup, underground, renegade, grassroots, bootstrap, whatever-you-call-it marketing campaign the Real Players Inside the Backstretch, which has gained popularity across online platforms over the past year—didn’t need to prove that point but wound up doing it anyway as the field for the Grade 1 Hill ’n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap approached the starting gate.

The stars were out for the Met Mile—Flightline, unbeaten in three starts and making his first trip to the East Coast; Speaker’s Corner, winner of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct; Aloha West, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar; and Happy Saver, winner of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup as a 3-year-old in 2020 and multiple Grade 1-placed at 4 in 2021. Many considered it the race of the day, overshadowing the Triple Crown’s final jewel, and by the time Flightline dusted his four opponents, even more said it was the performance of the day.

Harper, a barber by trade and self-proclaimed fan of the hustle, watched the Met Mile but was way more interested in the behind-the-scenes of one of racing’s biggest days.

“How about Flightline here?” someone asked Harper and anyone within earshot as Flavien Prat let the big colt open up at the top of the stretch. “He’s going to be tough to beat from here.”

“He’s a freak man,” Harper said.

Harper knew Flightline and his people before the Met Mile, having made a trip to Southern California to see the 4-year-old Tapit colt run only to be denied that chance when trainer John Sadler held him out of the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes March 5 at Santa Anita Park. Now, thanks to the Real Players project, everyone can get the chance to know the Flightline barn crew/team as well as plenty of others who do most of the work at racetracks around the country to little or no fanfare.

“Horsemen tell the best stories,” Harper said.

Harper and Davis are telling the stories of these storytellers through the Real Players project, which can be found on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The idea was born after the two, working in their former barbershop in Saratoga Springs, New York, envisioned a podcast in which racing’s players could tell their tales. Most of the themes would focus on how they got started in the game, favorite memories, horses and races and, of course, emphasizing how important backstretch workers are to the game.

“The original goal, it was cool because all these trainers and jockeys came to the shop,” Harper said. “We just said, ‘Let’s do a podcast in the shop.’

Saratoga is a horse town. So now if you’re in the shop getting a haircut as a client, and Chad Brown is in the chair, you can ask Chad Brown about his favorite race. That was the original idea, just conversations in the shop.

“Imagine you have a trainer, a horseman, a handicapper, a fan and a trainer like Chad Brown or Todd Pletcher; we just shoot the shot, real time,” he continued. “It didn’t really work because I didn’t want to bother them and set everything up. I’d have to have a camera guy on call; I didn’t have a camera then.”

The concept changed a bit from there. Harper bought a video camera, not knowing a thing about how to use it, much less how to edit what he shot into something to put out for public consumption. He and Davis learned about video editing the same way anyone might learn how to fix their television or convection oven in a pinch—from YouTube.

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FEATURE anything that can be done to highlight guys like us helps. It’s changed so much.

The Lowe’s and the Home Depots are killing the mom-and-pops, but that’s where some of the best stories are.”

The project has since expanded beyond Saratoga, and they’ve traveled to tracks and training centers in California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, Maryland and other states, all at the expense of Maurice Davis and Harper. They’ve interviewed well-known horsemen—John Shirreffs, Richard Mandella and John Sadler—and continued to highlight the men and women who put in the long, unrecognized hours. Interviews with Saudia Burton, Roy Seales, Marvin Richards, Cleveland Johnson, Relondia Huspon, Jovolon Kinley, “Mr. Tomaine,” Edmund Pringle, Lolita Shivmangal and “Mr. Leroy from Aiken, South Carolina” are among the most viewed on the Real Players’ YouTube channel and on Facebook.

Other interviews are sprinkled in and pushed out via the Real Players social media channels, including those with longtime former New York radio personality Mike Francesa, celebrity chef Bobby Flay, Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy and U.S. Secretary of Transportation “Mayor” Pete Buttigieg.

Harper, credentialed to cover the Belmont Stakes as a member of the press, estimates that he’d have more than enough content to push out at his current rate if he didn’t tape any additional interviews for two years.

“I have so much footage I could post something every day,” he said.

“That’s how much we have. Hours and hours of stuff.”

The most-viewed Real Players piece is the simply named “Groom Jerry Dixon Jr. Won The 148 Kentucky Derby With The Biggest Longshot (Rich Strike),” which had more than 449,000 views on YouTube and another almost 70,000 from Facebook by mid-June. The approximately six-minute video gives a behind-

ERIC KALET PHOTO

They stayed close to home early and shot interviews at Saratoga with household-name horsemen like Chad Brown, Brad Cox, Shug McGaughey, Bill Mott and Christophe Clement as well as relative unknowns like Joe Parker, Kerry Metivier, Erma Scott, Paul Barone, Benji Perez, “Flaco” and “Donna from Aqueduct.”

Trainer Robbie Davis (no relation), a retired jockey who won 3,382 races and is the father of jockeys Dylan, Katie and Jackie Davis, became a frequent and popular interview subject. He has appeared in more than a half-dozen videos, telling stories ranging from winning his first race at Belmont to drag racing his El Camino in Idaho to working for legendary Hall of Fame conditioner H. Allen Jerkens.

Davis and his wife, Marguerite, work with a small string of horses out of a barn on the Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga. They’re the quintessential “little guys” in racing, doing most of the work mornings, afternoons and evenings when they’re not at their 70-acre farm just on the edge of Saratoga County. Harper said the interviews with Davis are among his favorites.

“When you’ve been around the game for 40 years and a guy comes up, you have some stories to tell,” Davis said. “The first time I talked to them, I saw he had a camera, but I didn’t realize it was a video camera. It wasn’t like a TV camera, just a small one, and he’s hanging onto it. I started talking, like we are, and the next thing I know, I’m telling stories outside the box a little bit.

“I think it’s great what they’re doing,” Davis added. “I really like it because there are so many individuals, so many characters, and that’s what keeps this track going around. We’re getting less and less of them. We’re starting to have a group of five or six guys that win 90 percent of the races, so there are less and less of us, the little stables. I’m seeing it deteriorate, so

NYRA SAFETY STEWARD TIM KELLY, A MEMBER OF A MULTIGENERATIONAL RACING FAMILY WITH DEEP TIES IN NEW YORK, TOLD TOLD RASI HARPER OF THE REAL PLAYERS HE LIKED THEIR CONTENT AFTER BEING INTERVIEWED ON BELMONT STAKES DAY IN JUNE.

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GET SOCIAL WITH THE REAL PLAYERS @InsideTheBackstretch @RealBackstretch The Real Players Inside The Backstretch

THE REAL PLAYERS INSIDE THE BACKSTRETCH

the-scenes look at Rich Strike back at the barn after his 80-1 upset of the Kentucky Derby, with interviews from the father-son team of Jerry Dixon Sr. and Jerry Dixon Jr., exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes and Lindsy Reed, assistant to and daughter of trainer Eric Reed.

Nearly every interview includes comments about the importance of the men and women on the backstretch, and occasionally a subject will turn things around to point out the importance of the men behind the Real Players Inside the Backstretch.

“I’ve seen you, I’ve seen you, I’ve seen you,” said Tim Kelly, New York Racing Association safety steward, during his 53-second episode. “It’s a good pod.”

Others in the industry are taking note too.

Fresh from celebrating in the winner’s circle with the partners of West Point Thoroughbreds following Flightline’s victory in the Met Mile, Jason Blewitt stopped Harper near the tunnel to the paddock at Belmont to thank him for his work.

“I love it, love what they’re doing,” said Blewitt, partner account representative with West Point, which co-owns Flightline with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine and Woodford Racing. “I’ve given them some love on Twitter, retweeting and sharing their stuff. It’s awesome.

“I get so energized from their videos,” he added. “A lot of us are cut from the same cloth. We’ve been around the game now for a long time, and I’m proud of the fact that I never became jaded or sour. Seeing the passion, the love from those guys and gals that they’ve interviewed, it’s awesome. It fires me up every time I see one and gets me energized.” HJ

NYRA PHOTO

TOM LAW PHOTO

"RICH STRIKE KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER AT THE BARN TAKING PICTURES POST RACE" FROM THE REAL PLAYERS INSIDE THE BACKSTRETCH CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE

RASI HARPER CATCHES JOCKEY KENDRICK CARMOUCHE FOR A SHORT INTERVIEW AFTER THE 2022 BELMONT STAKES.

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RETIRED JOCKEY TURNED TRAINER ROBBIE DAVIS, A FREQUENT GUEST ON THE REAL PLAYERS INSIDE THE BACKSTRETCH SERIES, LIKES THE CONTENT “BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS, SO MANY CHARACTERS, AND THAT’S WHAT KEEPS THIS TRACK GOING AROUND.”

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AFFILIATE NEWS ALABAMA HBPA Alabama-Bred Race Update Winalot Racing LLC’s Foolish Steve, a 6-year-old gelding by Mosquito trained by Ron Faucheux, was a 6-length winner of the $25,000 Kenneth Cotton Classic for Alabama-breds May 14 at Evangeline Downs. Foolish Steve won the 6-furlong event for 3-year-olds and up in 1:10.91.

The 3-year-old filly Fired Up Tiger, owned and bred by Diane Harrington and trained by Patrick Devereux Jr., finished second after a dueling start. Rounding out the field of five were Two Mikes N Doc G, owned by Jason Grudzien and trained by Rylee Grudzien, in third, followed by Kellys the Boss and Liken It, both owned by Kent Gremells and trained by Ronnie Ward.

The Birmingham Racing Commission in October 2021 announced the return of the $25,000 Kudzu Juvenile to be run that December at Fair Grounds along with the $50,000 Magic City Classic for 3-year-olds and up. With the late notice of the Kudzu, we were unable to have enough 2-year-olds ready to run. We are waiting to hear back from the commission to confirm it will run the race this year so we can get these horses prepped and ready for December 2022. We will pass on more information when available.

Don’t forget to inform us of your Alabama-breds running in open company to claim funds from supplemental purse monies—$800 for first, $600 for second, $400 for third and $200 for fourth. This is in addition to the added monies you receive for finishing on the board at any of the four Louisiana tracks.

As always, good luck with racing.

Nancy Delony, Executive Director Alabama HBPA

ARKANSAS HBPA HISA Regulations Take Time Away From Horses Lifelong horseman, trainer and Arkansas HBPA board member William “Jinks” Fires penned a letter June 24 to Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority CEO Lisa Lazarus that accurately sums up the feelings of the vast majority of U.S. Thoroughbred industry participants. Fires’ letter is below.

To Lisa Lazarus, I came into the horse racing industry in 1959—right out of high school, first as a hot walker, then a groom, then galloped and rode as a jockey.

Eventually I became a trainer and an owner. As a trainer for more than 50 years, I’ve started horses in more than 11,000 races, winning the Arkansas Derby and nearly 1,500 other races across the country. I’ve seen a lot, but I’ve never seen anything as potentially bad for our business as the forceful implementation of HISA. In my opinion, every “covered” person should have been contacted by mail with detailed information about every detail regarding what we are expected to sign up for.

We were not. As a matter of fact, if you’ve watched any of the town hall meetings across the country, there are a number of things they still can’t answer or won’t commit to.

They’ve placed more and more responsibility on the trainers, while also making it hard on the owners to be involved. This will surely cause both to become frustrated, find other ways to spend their money and time and leave us with an already shrinking pool of both. The trickle-down also will hit the breeders if nobody is buying the horses they raise to sell.

This is the United States of America, but we’re being told to sign something before knowing what we’re signing for. The impact of excessive and repetitive 44

fines, forms and information sheets expected will add financial hardship to many of us forced to hire a bookkeeper just to stay compliant. I work seven days a week, 365 days a year and mostly 12 hours a day. I love my horses and the job of training and developing them. However, your newest regulations are threatening to take more time from the horses in my care.

Respectfully, William “Jinks” Fires

ARIZONA HBPA Turf Paradise On the day that Rich Strike shocked the world in the Kentucky Derby, Arizona concluded its winter and spring meeting at Turf Paradise in Phoenix.

Arizona horsemen experienced their highest purse levels in history, competing for an average daily purse of $156,000. The purses were supplemented this year—and will be for the next two years as well—by a program put together by Senator David Gowan in last year’s legislative session.

The Arizona horsemen want to give a big thanks to Senator Gowan.

Due to the high purses, a record 736 horses were claimed during the meet.

Year-end awards were given out to the following on the final weekend of racing: Leading Jockey: Harry Hernandez Leading Apprentice Jockey: Hannah Leahey Leading Trainer: Justin Evans Leading Owner: Stable HMA (Mark Dyer) Horse of the Meet (Tie): M y Indy, owned by C and R Racing and trained by David Van Winkle; and Tiger Dad, owned by Rob Rosette’s Rosette Racing and trained by Robertino Diodoro Leading Quarter Horse Jockey: Luis Valenzuela Leading Quarter Horse Owner: Jose Aquilar Mendoza Leading Quarter Horse Trainer: Ralph Fales Quarter Horse of the Meet: Freighttrain Slew, owned by Justin Lewis and trained by Ralph Fales

Rillito Park After being shut down for the past two years due to the pandemic, Rillito Park in Tucson had a 14-day meet running Saturdays and Sundays during February and March. The meeting was organized by General Manager Mike Weiss, who again brought in several students from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program to give them on-the-job training in all the positions at the racetrack. Mike also took several of the students over to Del Mar to help with last year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships. A big shoutout to Mike, who donates a lot of time and energy helping the students in the university’s program.

Arizona Downs In early June, Arizona horsemen were in the process of moving to Arizona Downs for the running of the summer meeting in Prescott Valley.

The Arizona Downs summer meet began June 25 and runs through Labor Day, September 5, for a total of 27 days of racing. General Manager Mike Weiss has returned for the season and again will bring in some of the students from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program. Mike has a lot of fun events planned for the summer, so plan to visit Arizona Downs.

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135 QUEEN’S PLATE DR. 135 QUEEN’S PLATE DR. SUITE 420 SUITE 420 TORONTO, ONTARIO TORONTO, ONTARIO M9W 6V1 M9W 6V1 (416) 747-5252·1-866-779-3067 (416) 747-5252·1-866-779-3067 WEBSITE: HBPA.ON.CA WEBSITE: HBPA.ON.CA

AFFILIATE NEWS No Monarch Signals Shown in Arizona

IOWA HBPA

When Arizona Downs opened for business in July 2018, Monarch Content Management LLC initially refused to give its signal to the racetrack. Later, Monarch conceded to give the signal to the racetrack but not to any off-track betting outlets. Finally, the signal was given to Arizona Downs, but at a higher rate than Turf Paradise’s.

Monarch has given several reasons for banning any Monarch signals coming into the state. First, it had a grudge against one of the Arizona Downs partners, so that partner withdrew from the partnership. Then it said two OTB systems would cannibalize the industry. Would Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, not enjoy being able to ban all Burger Kings and other fast-food restaurants from being built? The only thing cannibalizing the industry is Monarch for not giving the Monarch signals to Arizona. Then Monarch wanted a deposit from Arizona Downs, and Arizona Downs agreed to the deposit, but that still did not work for Monarch.

After several attempts to have the Monarch signal sent to Arizona Downs OTBs by the Arizona HBPA and the owners of Arizona Downs, we asked the racing commission to intervene. Their response was to instruct the owners of Arizona Downs to go to the Legislature and pass a new law.

In February 2019, lobbying started for the new law. The law passed in late May that year and was signed June 7, 2019, by Governor Doug Ducey. The law went into effect August 31, 2019. However, the commission refused to enforce the new law, so it continued to be Turf Paradise only receiving the signal, and Monarch shut off the signal to Arizona Downs even at the racetrack.

Monarch filed for an injunction on August 13, 2019, and again that December 19. Judge John Tuchi denied the injunction. Turf Paradise still had the Monarch signal until January 24, 2020, when the commission finally enforced the law and stopped the signal from coming into the state.

Monarch immediately filed an appeal in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Monarch’s appeal was denied by the 9th Circuit August 20, 2020, and Judge Tuchi’s decision was upheld.

Monarch then tried offering a commingled signal to Turf Paradise and the signal with its own mutuels pool to Arizona Downs. The commission approved the contracts but denied the signal coming in because the contracts did not follow the law. Turf Paradise appealed the commission’s decision to Administrative Law Judge Thomas Shedden on March 14, 2022. Judge Shedden ruled April 6 to uphold the commission’s decision. The decision became final May 12, when the commission chose to take no action at its meeting.

In Judge Tuchi’s December 2019 decision, he also said that it was up to the state commission to decide whether to enforce the 60-mile law that is included in the Interstate Horseracing Act. Turf Paradise has since asked the Arizona commission on four separate occasions to enforce the 60-mile rule, and all four times the commission has denied Turf Paradise’s request.

In 2020 and 2021, Monarch allowed the Preakness Stakes signal to come into Arizona to allow Arizona horseplayers the opportunity to play the second jewel of the Triple Crown. However, in 2022 Monarch refused to lift the ban for the Preakness, so Arizona horseplayers missed out on playing the Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Day cards. This year, Horseshoe Indianapolis (formerly known as Indiana Grand and Indiana Downs) decided to come under the Monarch umbrella, so now racing from that track is no longer being shown in Arizona. The ones being hurt here are the Arizona horseplayers as well as the players that fund our industry and our purses both at Arizona and Monarch tracks. Without horseplayers, the industry would not survive. At the time of this writing, it has been two years and five months with no Monarch signal in Arizona. Enough is enough.

Leroy Gessmann, Executive Director Arizona HBPA

2021 Race Meet Award Winners

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IOWA HBPA PRESIDENT STEVE RENFTLE (RIGHT) AND IOWA HBPA VICE PRESIDENT JOE KELLY (LEFT) PRESENT THE 2021 OWNER OF THE YEAR TITLE TO ALLEN POINDEXTER.

The annual Iowa HBPA Awards for the 2021 race meeting were held May 14.

To no one’s surprise, the 2021 racing season at Prairie Meadows turned out to be another highly successful one for the Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC of owner and breeder Allen Poindexter as he won 2021 Iowa HBPA Owner of the Year. His horses accounted for $936,379 in earnings last season, topped by the $123,661 garnered by three-time meet winner Bossy Moment with her biggest score coming in the Iowa Breeders’ Oaks on Iowa Classic Night.

The 2020 Iowa HBPA Claimer of the Year, Dark Silence, started the season in the barn of trainer Dick Clark for owner/breeder Carroll Rumbaugh. Haltered by owner Danny Caldwell May 29, 2021, the mare first scored off the claim June 13.

Claimed two weeks later by trainer Karl Broberg’s End Zone Athletics, Dark Silence won again August 2. She ended her season with two wins and two seconds from 10 starts and was honored as the 2021 Iowa HBPA Claimer of the Year.

LYNN CHLEBORAD (RIGHT) RECEIVES THE 2021 TRAINER OF THE YEAR TROPHY FROM IOWA HBPA VICE PRESIDENT JOE KELLY.

The loquacious Lynn Chleborad, always a contender in the standings, emerged as the leading trainer of the 2021 Thoroughbred season at Prairie Meadows and earned recognition as the Iowa HPBA Trainer of the Year. Chleborad was the trainer of record for 59 winners last season, garnering more than $1.6 million in earnings off a 23 percent win rate. She sent out a pair of winners on Iowa Classic Night—Bossy Moment in the Iowa Breeders’ Oaks and Topless in the Donna Reed Stakes. Chleborad and her longtime client, Allen Poindexter, also sent out three-time meet winner Drills’ Lil Man. The Shackleford gelding Stilleto Boy only raced twice at Prairie Meadows in 2021 but definitely turned some heads with his lone victory of the meet, a strong score in the Iowa Derby under Jose Ortiz for trainer Doug Anderson who raced the gelding in partnership with John Kerber, Iveta Kerber, Michael Coleman and Aaron Kennedy. Shortly after the Iowa Derby, Stilleto Boy was sold to the California connections of owner Steve Moger and trainer Ed Moger Jr. He earned more than $500,000 last year, with a big chunk of that coming from his Iowa Derby score. For his accomplishments last year, Stilleto Boy was named the Iowa HBPA Horse of the Year for 2021.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Are You Covered?

OWNERS’ & TRAINERS’ LIABILITY PROGRAM

What is it?

A program to protect your assets in case of an injury or damage to property arising from your equine activities (breeding, racing, sales, training).

This is not a substitute for workers’ compensation coverage.

What Does It Cover?

• Liability claims arising from injuries to participants (non-employee jockeys and exercise riders) • Contractual liability (i.e. hold harmless in Race Track Stall Agreements) • Premises and Operations liability coverage for all equine operations including breeding, boarding, training, and racing.

How Much Does It Cover?

Each member additional insured has their own $1,000,000 coverage for each occurrence or offense and $2,000,000 general aggregate.

Damage to premises rented to you or occupied by you with the permission of the owner is provided with a limit of $50,000. Medical payments coverage applies as well in the amount of $5,000 per person.

Formerly

Cost: $50 Per Horse / $100 Minimum Premium (Beginning May 1st)

Stone Lane, LLC 3006 Eastpoint Parkway • Louisville, KY 40223 Phone: 502.228.1600 • Fax: 502.638.5060

Endorsed by The National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, Inc.

Sterlingthompsonequine.com

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS HART Silent Auction Set for Festival of Racing Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds (HART), the local horse rehabilitation/ retraining program, will hold a silent auction in the fourth-floor clubhouse Saturday, July 2, during Prairie Meadows Fireworks Day. All proceeds will benefit HART by aiding in the placing or retraining of Thoroughbreds when their racing careers are over at Prairie Meadows.

If you would like to donate an item(s) to the silent auction or want to make a monetary donation to HART, please contact the Iowa HBPA office at 515-967-4804.

Iowa HBPA News To keep up to date on news and issues occurring in Iowa, you can find us on our Facebook page at Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Inc., follow us on Twitter @IowaHBPA and sign up to receive our emails at info@iowahbpa.org. Again, you also can check out our redesigned website at iowahbpa.org.

ITBOA Fall Sale

September 1, 2022

Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA CLOSING: June 22nd Late consignments accepted until August 1st Consignment contracts available at www.iowathoroughbred.com itboa@msn.com or 800-577-1097 for more information

KENTUCKY HBPA President’s Message For the past several years, the National HBPA and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association have held the Claiming Crown at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The decision was made to move the event to another location. This year, it appears the Claiming Crown will be held at Churchill Downs during the November race meeting. Churchill Downs management knows how to stage a first-class event, and I am confident this will be a Claiming Crown for the ages.

I appeared before the Licensing and Occupational Committee in Frankfort this year to encourage allowing the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) purse supplement to be added to claiming races. I explained to the committee that, due to the historical horse racing revenue flowing to the KTDF, adding Kentucky claiming races will not dilute the revenue flowing to maiden allowance and allowance races. The committee enthusiastically supported the suggestion. In fact, Senator Damon Thayer, majority floor leader of the Senate, wholeheartedly supported the idea. KTDF Chairman Bill Landes scheduled a June meeting to develop the parameters to facilitate this happening. Hopefully, this may take place by the Ellis Park meeting, which begins July 8.

Recently, I read with interest a column in Thoroughbred Daily News by Dan Ross discussing the views of Bennett Liebman. Bennett is a government lawyer in residence at the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. He previously served as the deputy secretary for gaming and racing for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and was a member of the state’s Racing and Wagering Board. He indicated that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) constitutionality is going to face a very, very difficult battle due to a recent ruling in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He stated in the article, “By this, I 48

mean their delegation standard would be very, very difficult for the supporters of HISA to maintain. HISA’s going to have an uphill fight in the Fifth Circuit.”

In the meantime, owners and trainers are reminded that they must register themselves and their horses with HISA prior to July 1. Visit HISA’s website at hisaus.org/registration for further information.

Good luck in your racing endeavors, Rick Hiles, President Kentucky HBPA

H2B Visa Lottery for Returning Workers and Triangle Countries

By Julio Rubio, Kentucky HBPA Backstretch Services Coordinator and Hispanic Liaison The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) published a joint temporary final rule January 28 increasing the numerical limit (or cap) on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 20,000 for positions with start dates in the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2022 (from October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stopped accepting petitions under this increase April 1.

The DHS and DOL jointly published a temporary final rule May 16 increasing the numerical limit (or cap) on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 35,000 for positions with start dates in the second half of FY 2022 (from April 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022). These supplemental visas are available only to U.S. businesses that are suffering or will suffer impending irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition as attested by the employer on a new attestation form.

Of the 35,000 additional visas, 23,500 are available only for returning workers (workers who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status in one of the last three fiscal years). The remaining 11,500 visas are set aside for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras (collectively called the Northern Triangle of Central America) and Haiti, who are exempt from the returning worker requirement. To qualify for the additional visas, petitions must be received by September 15.

This increase will allow our trainers to bring back their much-needed experienced workforce. A visa lottery was scheduled for May 24 for returning workers and nationals from the triangle countries.

An H-2B visa fly-in was held in Washington, D.C., June 6-7 for business owners from different industries and their representatives who rely on seasonal visas to voice their concerns to their congressional representatives.

On our most recent D.C. trip, we met with USCIS to discuss policy related to H-2B visas for trainers who move their operations to various states throughout the year and to extend to their workers without leaving the country for up to three years. At the moment, this issue has been so far successful; however, with new changes coming, we want to ensure that the changes won’t affect our member trainers.

The HBPA Is You The National HBPA, established in 1940, is an organization of owners and trainers, approximately 40,000 nationally in 23 states and Canada, and more than 6,000 in Kentucky. The association is governed by a board of directors consisting of owners and trainers volunteering their time and elected by the membership every three years. The HBPA is committed to working for the betterment of racing on all levels.

The HBPA represents owners and trainers on several fronts: • The HBPA negotiates in sessions with each racetrack regarding purse structure, equitable share of simulcast revenues, overall track safety, sanitation and security.

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SUMMER 2022

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OFFICIALSPONSOR SPONSOR OFFICIAL of the the National NationalHBPA HBPA of

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AFFILIATE NEWS

HOW CAN I JOIN? You are invited to drop into the HBPA office to meet the staff and learn more about current projects and how you can get involved in helping to improve the industry. There are no membership fees. Remember that this is your organization. Become an active participant and one of the horsemen helping horsemen. To join, all you need to do is fill out our membership card and fax, mail or email it back to us. For more information, visit our website at kyhbpa.org and click on “Become a Member.”

Beware of Environmental Substance Contamination

By Richard Riedel, Executive Director of Kentucky Racing Health & Welfare Fund The implementation of uniform and enhanced testing of racehorses is just around the corner. Horsemen and horsewomen should be more concerned than ever that one of the horses in their care will test positive for an everyday overthe-counter human medication or a prescription medication.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was passed by Congress in September 2020, creating the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. The passage of this legislation could impact every facet of horse racing.

Caught in the crosshairs of the anti-doping and medication control programs are the innocent owners, trainers and daily caregivers who become the victims of environmental substance contamination (ESC).

Trainers and daily caregivers are subject to fines, suspensions and the loss of livelihood. Owners are subject to lose any purse money earned by contaminated horses. The horses also may be prohibited from racing again for an undetermined length of time.

ESC in a racehorse is the presence of trace levels of substances commonly used by humans, including commonly prescribed medications. Due to extremely sensitive drug testing, these substances may show up frequently, creating more positive tests.

A few examples of ESC: • Any medications that are prescribed for human use (including painkillers, muscle relaxants, antidepressants and sexual dysfunction medications) • Substances widely consumed by humans as food, such as caffeine (found in coffee, poppy seeds and chocolate) • Illegal street medications such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and any number of synthetic drugs such as bath salts and club drugs • Over-the-counter medications, such as Aleve, cough syrup and sleep aids • Supplements and compounds sold by less-reputable pharmacies that contain unidentified drugs These substances enter a horse’s system by the horse eating compromised materials, such as straw, dirt, dust and cobwebs. A horse also may ingest 50

environmental substances when being handled by a person who has been using such substances, including prescription medications that are banned in Thoroughbred racehorses.

The primary source of ESC positives in racehorses is exposure to humans who have handled or who are taking prescription medications or illegal substances. Individuals who handle horses should: • Never urinate in stalls, on bedding or on feed.

• Never carry pills or medication on their person. Instead, store them in a secure location away from stalls.

• Never carry tongue ties in pockets where they may be commingled with drug residue.

• Wash hands thoroughly after using the restroom.

• Wash hands thoroughly after taking medications.

• Use only new tongue ties.

• Be aware of contamination beyond your control when using a ship-in barn.

• Strip and disinfect a stall that was previously occupied by a horse receiving medication before putting a new horse in it.

• Know what is in compounded additives prior to using them.

Kentucky-Based Connections Upend Derby at 80-1 There couldn’t have been a better endorsement for Kentucky racing than 80-1 longshot Rich Strike capturing the Kentucky Derby for arguably the most implausible outcome in the 148-year history of the storied classic.

After all, Rich Strike came into the Derby having raced at four of Kentucky’s five tracks, missing only Kentucky Downs’ all-grass meeting. He ran in Turfway Park’s three-stakes series for 3-year-olds, becoming the third Derby winner to come out of its signature prep, now known as the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.

“I’m so proud of this horse and all of my guys, my jockey; it was a team effort from a long time ago,” said trainer Eric Reed, whose large stable of largely blue-collar horses is based at his Mercury Training Center in Lexington, the day after the Derby. “We were just trying to get here. It just went a step farther than we could ever dream. Don’t know what I can say other than it’s just an absolute miracle. But he trained good enough to win that race all week long.”

Owner Rick Dawson’s first comments at the winner’s interview echoed his trainer.

“What planet is this?” he asked. “I feel like I have been propelled somewhere. I’m not sure. This is unbelievable. I asked my trainer up on the [winner’s circle] stage, I said, ‘Are you sure this is not a dream? Because it can’t be true.’ ” COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

• The HBPA provides benevolence to horsemen in need, education and recreation programs to the backstretch and various insurance packages that include—free of charge to members—fire and disaster insurance. Visit one of the fully staffed HBPA offices at the currently running racetrack in Kentucky for details.

• The HBPA works in conjunction with the chaplaincy program and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund to provide support and benefits for horsemen.

• The HBPA supports scientific research and marketing initiatives on a regional and national level to help promote interest in Thoroughbred racing.

• The HBPA is at the forefront in litigation and legislation on issues involving horsemen’s rights with regards to interstate simulcasting, proprietary rights, casino gambling, therapeutic medication, sports betting and many other areas of concern to horsemen.

RICH STRIKE AND JOCKEY SONNY LEON SLIP THROUGH THE INSIDE TO UPSET THE KENTUCKY DERBY AT 80-1, THE SECOND LONGEST WINNING ODDS IN THE HISTORY OF THE RACE. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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NEWS

ABOUT EXERCISE INDUCED PULMONARY HEMORRHAGE (EIPH) WITH DR. HOWARD ERICKSON*

Q: WHAT IS EIPH AND WHAT HORSES DOES IT AFFECT? A: EIPH is defined as the presence of blood in the airways

of the lung or trachea during or following athletic exertion.

Essentially all horses have been shown to experience EIPH to some degree during intensive exercise.

Q: WHERE DOES THE BLOOD COME FROM? A: Blood seen in EIPH comes from the pulmonary blood

vessels in the lungs. Deep in the lungs these vessels are separated from the airways by the pulmonary capillary membrane (PCM). At only 1/100th the thickness of a human hair, the PCM provides efficient transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood vessels and airways, but it is also very fragile. If the PCM ruptures, blood will leak from the blood vessels into the airways.

Q: WHAT CAUSES EIPH? A: EIPH occurs due to rapid pressure changes in the lungs

Q: HOW DO PRESSURE CHANGES IN THE LUNGS CAUSE EIPH? A: In a nutshell, during intensive exercise, increased blood

volume (needed to power exercise) increases the blood pressure pushing on the PCM from inside the blood vessels and high suction forces (needed to inhale large amounts of air) pull on the PCM on the the airway side. The combination of these pushing and pulling forces exert significant stress on the PCM. This causes the PCM to rupture, releasing blood into the airways resulting in EIPH. Artist rendering of RBCs spilling from pulmonary blood vessel into the airways. PCM not shown in this illustration.

during inhalation and exhalation that causes rupture of the PCM allowing red blood cells to leak from the blood vessels into the airways.1

PULMONARY BLOOD VESSEL High blood pressure inside pushing outward on PCM.

High vacuum pressure in airways pulling on PCM.

Electron microscope view of a red blood cell spilling out of ruptured PCM resulting from EIPH.

Q: DO OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO EIPH? A: Yes. Exercise intensity, distance, age, sex, upper airway

obstructions, airway disease and inflammation, and other factors have been shown to impact the severity of EIPH. Blood clotting abnormalities have not been shown to be a factor in EIPH.

Q: WHAT ARE PROVEN WAYS TO PREVENT EIPH? A: Nothing completely stops EIPH. Only two options have been repeatedly shown to reduce EIPH. Both work by reducing the stress on the PCM:

• FLAIR® Nasal Strips – support the nasal passages to reduce airway resistance and decrease the suction forces pulling on the outside of the PCM.

• Furosemide (Salix™, formerly Lasix™) – is a potent diuretic that reduces blood pressure that is pushing from inside the pulmonary capillaries on the PCM.

Q: HOW DO FLAIR STRIPS WORK? A: FLAIR Strips make breathing easier. When horses breathe hard, the soft tissues

overlying the nasal passages are sucked in, reducing the airway diameter. This reduction in diameter increases resistance to airflow into the lungs. By supporting the soft tissues overlying the nasal passages, resistance to airflow into Developed by veterinarians, the lungs is decreased. This decreases FLAIR Strips are clinically proven to: the vacuum pressures pulling on the outside of the PCM to reduce EIPH. REDUCE EIPH

REDUCE FATIGUE

CONSERVE ENERGY

QUICKEN RECOVERY

Clinical studies PROVE that FLAIR Strips reduce EIPH: Poole, David C., PhD et al. J.Eq.Vet.Sci., 20: 9, 578-585, 2000. / Kindig, Casey A. PhD et al. J. Appl. Physio., 91: 1396-

1400, 2001. / Geor, Ray J. PhD et al. Eq.Vet. J., 33:6, 577-584, 2001. / Holcombe, Susan J. VMD, PhD et al. Am. J. Vet.Res., 63:8, 1101-1105, 2002. / Valdez, Sandra C., MVZ et al. J. Am.Vet.Med.Assoc., 224: 4, 558-561, 2004. / McDonough, P. et al. Eq. Comp. Ex.Physiol., 1:3, 177-184, 2004. / Erickson, Howard H. DVM, PhD, et al. Proc. of the 53rd Ann. Conven. of the AAEP, 53, 68-71, 2007.

1 See West et. al, Stress Failure of Pulmonary Capillaries in Racehorses with Exercise -Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, J. Appl. Physiol., 75:3, 1993 (1097-1109). *Dr. Howard Erickson is Professor Emeritus at Kansa State University. He was a pioneer in the research of EIPH in horses.

He and his team at KSU conducted numerous scientific research studies and published extensively on the topic of EIPH.

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BRILAND FARM’S SECRET OATH STARTED A 1-2 PUNCH FOR KENTUCKY-BASED HORSEMEN ON AMERICA’S BIGGEST RACING WEEKEND OF THE YEAR WITH A VICTORY IN THE KENTUCKY OAKS FOR HALL OF FAME TRAINER D. WAYNE LUKAS.

Rich Strike started his career at Ellis Park with trainer Joe Sharp, finishing last of 10 in a 1-mile maiden special weight on grass. Dropped into a maidenclaiming race on dirt at Churchill, he was haltered by Reed for Dawson, who had won only a handful of races previously and none in a stakes. Rich Strike won by 17 1/4 lengths that day, but that proved his only victory until the Derby.

The Keen Ice colt subsequently finished third in a Keeneland allowance and then went through Turfway’s road to the classics, with a third in the Leonatus Stakes, a fourth in the John Battaglia Memorial and a third in the $600,000 Jeff Ruby over the track’s Tapeta surface.

The Jeff Ruby offered 100 points to the winner for the second year by Turfway owner Churchill Downs Inc. Rich Strike earned enough qualifying points with his third-place finish (20 points, plus another point for his Battaglia fourth) that he was able to squeak into the Derby off the also-eligible list when Lukas scratched Ethereal Road on Oaks morning.

Rich Strike joined Animal Kingdom in 2011 and Lil E. Tee in 1992 as Kentucky Derby winners launched by Turfway’s signature race. He also was the first Derby winner to have raced in the John Battaglia. Perfect Drift, third in 2002, was the last horse to hit the board in the Derby after going through Turfway’s winter series.

“You can’t get more Kentucky than Rich Strike, who before the Derby had raced only once out of state,” said Kentucky HBPA Executive Director Marty Maline. “It just shows that you never know what will come out of an Ellis Park 2-year-old race. It also shows that Turfway Park’s renaissance is real and that Turfway is again becoming a viable path to the Derby.”

No one could be surprised that a Kentucky-based horse or trainer won the Kentucky Derby. Those horses included the winners of the Louisiana Derby (favored Epicenter, the eventual runner-up), Arkansas Derby (Cyberknife), Jeff Ruby (Tiz the Bomb), Stonestreet Lexington (Tawny Port) and Tampa Bay Derby (Classic Causeway), along with the runners-up in the Blue Grass (Smile Happy) and Louisiana Derby (Zozos).

But Ohio-based jockey Sonny Leon, who had never won a graded stakes, put Rich Strike in position to win by avoiding trouble and shooting up the rail, which jockeys had avoided all afternoon. He also benefited from the fastest first 52

quarter-mile (:21.78) in Derby history to rally from last. Rich Strike held on in the final strides after powering by Epicenter, who ran huge to keep the late-running Blue Grass winner Zandon at bay only to lose by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought he was home free,” said Steve Asmussen, Epicenter’s trainer and North America’s all-time winningest horseman who now is 0-for-24 in the Derby. “Disney couldn’t have written that story. … When they were loading into the gates, I was thinking just how much goes into this exact moment, and all of the buildup and all of the scenarios that my rambling mind can imagine. That wasn’t one of them. I’m so proud of Epicenter. That’s the Derby. It doesn’t go as expected.”

Asmussen concluded of the outcome, “What a beautiful story. One day I’ll know how happy they were. Because I won’t give up.”

While other Derby winners had competed in claiming races earlier in their careers (see Mine That Bird, Charismatic, Dust Commander), Rich Strike became the first actually acquired via the claim box. He also was the first winner to draw in off the also-eligible list—so unexpected that the popular T-shirts printed with the field on the back listed only the 20 horses in the body of the Derby field at entry time, leaving off the ultimately victorious No. 21.

Before Rich Strike, the last Derby winner trained by a Kentucky resident was Carl Nafzger with Street Sense in 2007. The previous Lexington-based trainer to win was the late John Ward Jr. in 2001 with Monarchos.

The feel-good story also was rooted in tragedy, with Reed and his wife, Kay, having to build back from a devastating barn fire six years earlier, in which two dozen racehorses perished at Mercury.

Another Derby Day victory served as a precursor to the Rich Strike drama.

Trainer Jason Cook and owner David E. Miller won the new $160,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes with Three Technique, a $40,000 claim last November who went off at 36-1 under Rafael Bejarano as the longest shot on the board.

Cook is a single dad whose wife, Tracey, died when their daughter, Peyton, was two and a half. Cook dramatically cut back his training operation, relying more on his vanning business for fellow trainer Dale Romans, to raise Peyton, who at age 12 attended her first Derby this year. Three Technique, one of seven COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

Taken out of a $30,000 maiden-claiming race and getting into the Derby field off the also-eligible list at the last minute, Rich Strike was about the only result that could top the prior day’s drama. That’s when Briland Farm’s Secret Oath gave 86-year-old D. Wayne Lukas a record-tying fifth Kentucky Oaks, coming 32 years after his fourth victory and 40 years after his first in America’s most important 3-year-old filly stakes.

“When you’re 86, going to be 87 in a few months, you know that there are not a lot of them in front of you,” Lukas said. “And I’m still getting up the same as I did when I was 40 and still on that pony every morning. And we got good 2-year-olds. So I just want to get up and have a Secret Oath or something to look forward to when I get to the barn every day. But the real joy of doing this is to let these owners have the opportunity to enjoy this and get that thrill.”

THREE TECHNIQUE, A $40,000 CLAIM LAST NOVEMBER, GIVES JASON COOK A VICTORY TO REMEMBER WITH AN UPSET IN THE INAUGURAL $160,000 KNICKS GO OVERNIGHT STAKES ON KENTUCKY DERBY DAY.

horses Cook trains at Churchill Downs’ Trackside Training Center, is the trainer’s first stakes winner in more than 20 years.

“It just means so much,” Cook said, his arm around his joyful daughter in the boisterous and jam-packed winner’s circle.

Three Technique is the first stakes winner for Miller, who played football at Louisville’s Trinity High School and the University of Louisville. His dad, the late Paulie Miller, was a legendary high school football coach at long-ago shuttered Flaget. His players included Howard Schnellenberger and Paul Hornung, both longtime friends of David Miller who died in the past year and a half.

“When that horse came around the turn, I had a lot of angels behind me, telling him to keep going,” Miller said. “It was such an amazing thing. It was like he had wings. It was like a Hail Mary touchdown.”

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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NEWS

Fair Grounds Race Course 2022-2023 Race Meets

Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino 2022-2023 Race Meets

1751 Gentilly Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70119

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AFFILIATE NEWS LOUISIANA HBPA Evangeline Downs The Racing Employees Assistance Program (REAP) is an organization that supports the good work of our chaplain, Dwight Brown, and provides financial assistance to horsemen in need. REAP held its annual fundraiser June 11 in Mojo’s at Evangeline Downs. We would like to thank everyone who supports the event each year.

The 2022 Thoroughbred meeting at Evangeline Downs began April 6 and ends August 27. The D.S. Shine Young Futurity’s filly and colts and geldings divisions will be conducted on the weekend of August 26-27.

For additional information, contact the Evangeline Downs racing office at (866) 349-0687.

Delta Downs The 2022 Quarter Horse meeting at Delta began April 29 and ends July 16.

The $200,000-added (last year’s purse was more than $800,000) Lee Berwick Futurity for 2-year-olds will be contested on the final day of the meet. The Lee Berwick trials will be contested June 24-25.

The 2022 Fair Grounds Quarter Horse meeting is scheduled to run at Delta Downs beginning July 28 and concluding September 3. The meet will feature the Sales Futurity September 3 with trials run August 12-13.

For additional information, contact the Delta Downs racing office at (888) 589-7223.

to make great strides. There are multiple residential options, from luxury apartment living to townhomes to an over-55 community. The most exciting news is that there will be an amphitheater built adjacent to the stable area. The amphitheater will accommodate approximately 20,000 people and will be a oneof-a-kind venue for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Plans are in the works to make the amphitheater the focal point of a new entertainment district that would feature restaurants, pubs, shops and horse racing via simulcasts.

Minnesota racing fans were proud of Kentucky Derby appearances by Zandon and Zozos, both owned by Minnesotans who have raced at Canterbury for years. Both horses ran good races and are expected to be racing again soon.

Barry and Joni Butzow own and bred Zozos. The Butzows have been pillars of Minnesota racing since Canterbury Park was Canterbury Downs (more than 30 years ago), always giving back to the racing community. Meanwhile, Zandon owner Jeff Drown also has been racing at Canterbury for more than a decade after his move from the West Coast.

Finally, we’re all looking forward to hosting the National HBPA summer meeting in early August. If you have not been to the Twin Cities and Canterbury, you’re in for a treat. St. Paul and Minneapolis are singular cities, with vibrant downtowns and the characteristic abundance of lakes and the Mississippi River.

Likewise, Canterbury Park is one of those racetracks that attracts big crowds day in and day out. If attending the summer meeting, you’ll be able to take in the races with dinner and drinks at the Cabana, a private and comfortable trackside venue with a great view of the races.

MOUNTAINEER PARK HPBA

Louisiana Downs

2022 Racing Meet

The Backside Benevolence Fund (BBF) will conduct its annual Chaplain’s Banquet Friday, August 26, and golf tournament Wednesday, August 31. Items will be available for live and silent auction at the banquet. Proceeds will help the BBF continue to support the Louisiana Downs Chaplaincy, thrift store and backside workers. If you would like to help the BBF, please contact Chaplain Jimmy Sistrunk at (318) 560-7466.

The 2022 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred meeting began May 7 and concludes September 27. Louisiana Downs will host Louisiana Cup Day featuring $300,000 in purses for Louisiana-breds August 6. The Super Derby will be run September 10 for a $300,000 purse.

For additional information, contact the Louisiana Downs racing office at (318) 741-2519.

Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort began its 2022 meeting April 18.

Live racing action is featured Sundays through Wednesdays with a 7 p.m. post through December 14. The 52nd running of the $500,000, Grade 3 West Virginia Derby and the $200,000, Grade 3 Governor’s Stakes are featured Saturday, August 6, with a special 2 p.m. post.

West Virginia Racing Commission Retirement Plan for Backstretch Workers The enrollment period for the West Virginia Racing Commission Retirement Plan for Backstretch Workers ended May 31. The administrative committee is in the process of confirming eligibility. The plan will be converted to a participantdirected plan in the near future.

MINNESOTA HBPA

Mountaineer Park Chaplaincy

Canterbury Park Development

The Mountaineer Park Chaplaincy kicked off the beginning of the race meeting with an Easter celebration. More than 50 members of the Mountaineer community attended the event, which featured an Easter egg hunt on the turn, a special Easter message from Chaplain Rick Anderson, crafts and food.

The Chaplaincy also celebrated Mother’s Day with Muffins for Mom. All were invited to the chapel for coffee, drinks, muffins and donuts. A similar event celebrating fathers was held in June. The Chaplaincy has a full calendar of events planned for the rest of the year, including the Monday Mid-Day Ministry in the track kitchen, the annual picnic at Tomlinson Run August 4, a one-day summer Bible school for children and a fundraising golf tournament.

Please stop by the chapel or the HBPA office for more information.

The 2022 Canterbury Park meeting kicked off strongly with big crowds back at the popular, fan-friendly Minnesota racetrack.

Furlong Learning, which provides education for children and adults including ESL courses, returns to Canterbury for its second year. Furlong Learning also provides distance learning during Canterbury’s offseason.

Also coming back for its second year is Abijah’s on the Backside, a psychotherapy program that is equine-based and has shown to be well suited to address PTSD. It was highly praised by both sides of the aisle at the Capitol in St. Paul during the legislative session.

In other news, the major development project at Canterbury Park continues 54

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

NEWS

Mountaineer Park HBPA Trust Please remember to register for the Mountaineer Park HBPA Trust.

Applications are available outside of the office and can be submitted to Laurie Mehaffey or placed in the box outside of the office. Trust benefits are available for trainers and backstretch workers, but applications must be received in order to be eligible.

The Mountaineer Park HBPA Trust recently obtained a new life insurance option for participants. If you are interested in participating in this life insurance plan, please visit the Trust office.

NEW ENGLAND HBPA Affiliate Banks on Mobile Sports Betting CHAPLAIN RICK ANDERSON GIVES A SPECIAL MESSAGE DURING MOUNTAINEER’S ANNUAL EASTER CELEBRATION.

AND THEY’RE OFF! CHILDREN AND PARENTS HEAD OUT ON MOUNTAINEER’S EASTER EGG HUNT ON THE FAR TURN DURING THE TRACK’S ANNUAL EASTER CELEBRATION.

Mountaineer Park HBPA To Operate Horse Exerciser The Mountaineer Park HBPA recently installed a horse exerciser to help trainers with the exercise rider shortage. This machine is available for trainers to use to exercise their horses from 6:30 a.m. to noon. Tickets must be purchased and times scheduled in advance in the HBPA office. The board is hopeful that this addition will ensure that our horses can obtain the required exercise to maintain fitness.

The West Virginia Horse Coalition The West Virginia Horse Coalition is now accepting membership applications. The organization will represent, support and enhance the entire equine industry in the state. The success of the organization depends on the participation of all those involved in the equine industry in West Virginia. Please look for us on Facebook and visit our website at westvirginiahorsecoalition.org.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

By Lynne Snierson For New England horsemen and horsewomen, whether Massachusetts will legalize sports betting in a favorable bill during the current legislative session is more than an idle question.

The answer holds the key to the possible construction of a new Thoroughbred racetrack in the state and the potential return of live Thoroughbred racing.

The stakes could not be higher.

Almost one year ago, the House of Representatives passed its sports betting bill, which permits mobile sports betting, by an overwhelming 156-3 margin. Late this spring, the Senate passed its own bill, which is markedly different from that of the lower chamber and does not include that option. It is now up to a conference committee consisting of members of the two bodies to work up a compromise bill to send to the desk of Governor Charlie Baker, who is sure to sign it as he has been a proponent of legalized sports betting in the state for several years.

To help the horsemen, the final bill delivered to the governor must include language from the House version permitting mobile sports betting. Without that critical component, the state is risking the permanent loss of the New England Thoroughbred industry, so the New England HBPA continues to directly communicate with legislative leaders to urge them to act.

“The sports betting bill would incentivize a racetrack developer to come into Massachusetts to restore racing in a state that loves horse racing and the equine industry,” said Paul Umbrello, the New England HBPA executive director.

“Live racing is also an important part of our rural culture.”

Massachusetts has been losing tens of millions of dollars annually to neighboring states that have enacted sports betting. Moreover, since the nowshuttered Suffolk Downs ended live racing in 2019, there has been a significant negative economic impact with the loss of revenue, on-track jobs and ancillary jobs across the state.

A fully active live racing industry in Massachusetts is estimated to bring as much as $100 million in annual economic benefit and create more than 500 jobs.

“My own gut tells me they will get this done,” said Umbrello. “But I’m not sure I would bet the house.”

If the bill isn’t signed by the end of July, it will die in conference and won’t emerge again until 2023 at the earliest.

55

AFFILIATE NEWS OHIO HBPA

OKLAHOMA HBPA

Congratulations to Derby-Winning Jockey Leon

REMINDER: REMINGTON PARK MEET RUNS AUGUST 19 TO DECEMBER 10

Fair Meadows Meet Runs June 3 to July 24 Key stakes dates: Monday, July 18—$45,000-guaranteed ($5,000 from OKB Program) Muscogee (Creek) Nation Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs Tuesday, July 19—$45,000-guaranteed ($5,000 from the OKB Program) FMT Route 66 Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 61/2 furlongs

2021 Oklahoma-Bred Thoroughbred Champions Male Racing Stock: Number One Dude (Owner: Terry Westemeir) Female Racing Stock: Run Slewpy Run (Owner: Walter “Mike” Jones) 2-Year-Old Filly: Hits Pricey Legacy (Owner: C.R. Trout) 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Rowdy Rascal (Owner: JT Stables LLC) BELTERRA PARK HONORS KENTUCKY DERBY-WINNING JOCKEY SONNY LEON AFTER HIS HISTORIC VICTORY ABOARD RICH STRIKE MAY 7.

The Ohio HBPA wishes to congratulate Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Eric Reed and jockey Sonny Leon. Reed currently has 20 stalls at Belterra Park, and Leon was in the top three in the rider standings there through June 1. Leon also was the leading rider at the Mahoning Valley Race Course winter-spring meeting that ended April 16.

The best Ohio-bred Thoroughbreds will compete Saturday, August 13, in the Best of Ohio at Thistledown. The annual Best of Ohio series features five stakes worth $100,000 each for various divisions at each of the state’s three Thoroughbred tracks. The 2022 Best of Ohio series kicked off June 3 at Belterra Park. Thistledown’s Best of Ohio will feature 6-furlong stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings and 2-year-old fillies and a 6-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds and up and a two-turn stakes.

As the Best of Ohio races at Belterra were to take place after the printing date for this edition, we will recap them and the Thistledown meet in the fall edition of The Horsemen’s Journal.

Tracy Carter has taken over as Ohio HBPA field office manager at both Thistledown and Mahoning Valley. Kathi Feebeck continues to serve as our field office manager at Belterra Park. If you are racing at those tracks and need a program or any information, stop by the office. We are here to help.

3-Year-Old Filly: Run Slewpy Run 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Number One Dude Female Sprinter: Sunday Flashback (Owner C.R. Trout) Male Sprinter: Shannon C (Owner: B&S Racing) Female Turf Runner: Run Slewpy Run Male Turf Runner: Pacific Typhoon (Owner: Carol Nelson) Aged Mare: She’s All Wolfe (Owner: Robert Zoellner) Aged Stallion/Gelding: Shannon C Thoroughbred Horse Mixed Meets: Quality Rocket (Owner: M. Gerald Ball) Owner of Thoroughbred Racing Stock: C.R. Trout Breeder of Thoroughbred Racing Stock: Center Hills Farm Leading Sire of Thoroughbred Racing Stock: P ollard’s Vision (Owner: Center Hills Farm) Leading Dam of Thoroughbred Racing Stock: Imadancingslew (Owner: Walter “Mike” Jones) TRAO Horse of the Year: Absaroka (Owner: Cowboy Stables LLC) Horse of the Year: Run Slewpy Run All Breeds Horse of the Year: Run Slewpy Run

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

2022 Colonial Downs NEWS

MORE DAYS MORE MONEY July 11 thru Sept 7 Monday–Wednesday 1:30 post

n $600,000 average daily purses, with $3.5 million in stakes races. MSW - $60,000

Virginia certified horses

n $1,000 minimum purse share for every horse that starts

n Groom Elite training programs for backstretch workers Continuing Education sessions for trainers and assistant trainers

n $300 trainer bonus for every starter

n Free Wi-Fi in the horsemen’s building

n Increased purses for Virginiabred, Virginia-sired and

n Free VRC licensing for owners, trainers, etc.

Stall applications and Stakes schedule available at ColonialDowns.com Condition Book coming soon

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

57

AFFILIATE NEWS WASHINGTON HBPA

Board Approves Director Eligibility Adjustment

Racing Resumes at Emerald Downs

SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER 26 BOARD ELECTION Before April 4 Election Committee appointed Before April 4 Nominating Committee appointed Before May 15 Written/emailed notice of general nominations meeting sent to membership via newsletter or postcard June 3 General nominating meeting held via Zoom June 10 Mail notification and affidavits to candidates June 25 Postmark date for affidavits from candidates June 25 Official statement postmark date July 8 Ballots and biographies sent to printer Not Before August 12 Update member list from WHRC Not Before August 12 Mail ballot and biographies to members Or After August 27 September 26 Election Day October 3 Last day for protests to be postmarked October 3 Candidates take office

In typical Pacific Northwest fashion, Emerald Downs kicked of its 27th season in rainy and enthusiastic record-setting style May 15. The day’s handle of $2,268,445 set a record for a nine-race card at the Auburn oval. The vast majority of handle was generated by “selling.” Emerald Downs’ decision to lower win-place-show takeout appears to be well received by handicappers.

Juan Gutierrez was the opening day riding star, visiting the winner’s circle three times, including for his 1,500th Emerald Downs victory on Linchtown in the day’s final race. A 52-year-old Mexico City native, Gutierrez is a member of the Washington Racing Hall of Fame and overtook Gallyn Mitchell as the track’s all-time leading rider in 2020.

In spite of the soggy conditions, there was a big crowd with long lines at the mutuel windows and concession stands, evidence that fans were glad to be maskless and enjoying the races again.

Emerald also welcomed Bill Downes to the booth as its track announcer for the 2022 racing season. He succeeds Tom Harris, who stepped down to spend more time with his family. A Chicago native, Downes brings an extensive announcing resume to Emerald Downs. He served as Indiana Grand track announcer from 2013 to 2021 and before that called races at Ellis Park, Beulah Park, Presque Isle Downs and River Downs. He also was the backup announcer at Churchill Downs.

“I’m thrilled to come to Emerald Downs,” Downes said. “Emerald is a track I’ve always held in high esteem. I was there once for a two-day handicapping tournament, and the thing I noticed was an excellent on-track experience.

Everyone was having a good time.”

Harris, who called four seasons at Emerald Downs, commuted from Spokane to Auburn weekly to call the races.

“I will certainly miss all of the great people, horsemen and horses at Emerald Downs,” Harris said. “It truly has been a wonderful adventure in my life, but my family is very important.”

Downes becomes just the fourth announcer in the track’s 27-year history.

Robert Geller was in the announcer’s booth from 1996 to 2015, followed by Matt Dinerman (2015–2017) and Harris (2018–2021).

WASHINGTON HBPA PRESIDENT PAT LEPLEY DISCUSSES HISA AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT RACING IN THE STATE WITH MEMBERS DURING A JUNE 10 MEETING AT EMERALD DOWNS.

58

Not Before October 26

Members may dispose of ballots

It’s that time again. The Washington HBPA election process began with the naming of nominating and election committees April 4. The election committee is responsible for the procedural aspects of the election, and the nominating committee is charged with soliciting qualified members eager to serve the membership as board members. Both committees require members who are not interested in candidacy themselves and do not have an immediate family member running for a position.

Customarily, the Washington HBPA holds the annual meeting and nominating meetings jointly, and for 2022 the meeting was held via Zoom in an effort to have more member participation. The joint meeting was held Friday, June 3.

After two years of not conducting a general meeting due to COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, choosing a date, time and venue was challenging.

“There were several hurdles to overcome when planning the meeting,” said Washington HBPA Executive Director MaryAnn O’Connell. “With Seattle-area traffic woes and Friday, Saturday and Sunday racing, finding a time that works for both trainers and owners is difficult. The breeders organization had better attendance via Zoom, so it seemed like a good idea to try.”

The main attraction for the meeting was a presentation by Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) Chair Robert Lopez and Executive Secretary Doug Moore titled, “How Will HISA Change Racing at Emerald Downs.”

During the days leading up to the meeting, the Washington HBPA and WHRC received a plethora of questions regarding the feasibility of HISA registration and costs that could be passed to participants already struggling to make ends meet.

Washington HBPA President Pat LePley gave a report on the recent legislative session and future strategies for presenting legislation that could aid the Washington horse industry. He reported on what we did well and where we could improve to better ensure success in Olympia.

O’Connell presented the current financial position, noting that the association has been able to sustain itself but had extensive budget cuts in all areas. She also reported that due to COVID-19 and lack of funds, the dental trailer’s temporary closure most likely will be permanent. She recognized the backstretch chapel for taking on many of the benevolent programs that THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

NEWS originated with the Washington HBPA Trust. Chaplain Gilbert Aguilar graciously has taken on many of the programs that serve horsemen in the stable area.

LePley opened the nominating meeting by thanking the current board of directors for their extended terms of service. He noted that all but one, David Israel, were willing to continue serving. It is a testament to the commitment to the horsemen and the industry, especially during the uncertainty brought by the HISA federal legislation.

The Washington HBPA Board of Directors consists of a president, five owner members and five trainer or owner/trainer members who meet the required start criteria for eligibility. Further, the president must have served on the board previously in some capacity. Normally the election is held every three years for all board positions. The pandemic disruption of racing extended the current board’s term.

The nominating meeting committee presented 11 nominees for the September election. There was one nominee for Washington HBPA president— incumbent Pat LePley. Owner-director nominees are Jack Fabulich, Bill Nicklos, Mike Pattison, Sue Spooner and Keith Swagerty. Trainer-director nominees are Robbie Baze, Greg Moore, Jose Navarro, Tom Wenzel and Blaine Wright.

Per bylaws, nominations were then taken from the floor. Owner Rick Pabst nominated his wife, Debbie, as an owner-director candidate. Debbie is known for her service on the breeders association board but did serve on the Washington HBPA board for one term and has been a member of the condition book committee.

Because there are six nominees for five owner-director positions and Washington HBPA bylaws do not allow for write-in candidates, the election will proceed only for the owner-director positions. All candidates will be required to submit the eligibility and no conflict of interest affidavits to finalize the

nominations. Barring the withdrawal or ineligibility of any owner candidates, election materials, including ballots and statements or biographies from the owner-director candidates, will be available to the membership the first week in September. Ballots must be received in the Washington HBPA office no later than September 26.

For questions regarding the annual meeting, nominating meeting and election, please contact the Washington HBPA office. All members are encouraged to provide their correct contact information including email to the WHRC and the Washington HBPA.

WHBPA, Emerald Agree on 2022 Purses and Stakes Emerald Downs’ 52-day season opened May 15 and will run through September 18. Racing will be conducted on weekends, and Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler said the emphasis on that schedule is for fans and horsemen alike.

“We’re excited to return to our more traditional schedule with Friday nights and Saturday afternoons,” Ziegler said. “This will be great for the fans.”

Emerald offered 15 consecutive Friday cards beginning June 3, marking the first time the track has conducted Friday racing since 2019. Opening week featured the lone card on Sunday, May 15, followed by Saturday and Sunday weekends, May 21-22 and May 28-29. Closing weekend also is a two-day race week, September 17-18.

In response to feedback from owners and trainers, 2022 incentives are not limited to those shipping from tracks other than Emerald Downs. For the first time, all claiming horses are eligible to receive a starter bonus whether they came from outside Washington or have run exclusively at Emerald Downs. In

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AFFILIATE NEWS the horse’s first start in any claiming race, which must occur prior to July 1, all 3-year-olds and older that ran in any claiming race at least once at any track since January 1, 2021, including Emerald Downs, will receive a $1,000 bonus, of which $750 is paid to the horse owner and $250 to the trainer. The new program is designed to reward those who have been faithful to Emerald Downs as well as to attract new trainers and horses to Washington’s premier racing venue.

The bonus is paid in the horse’s first claiming race start and is paid even if a claiming waiver is declared. If an eligible horse starts in an allowance or stakes race and then starts in a claiming race, the horse will still be eligible for the bonus. For example, the bonus is paid in the horse’s first claiming race, which may or may not be their first start of the meet.

The only caveats to the starter bonus are the eligible horse’s first claiming start must occur prior to July 1, and after electing to receive the bonus, the horse must remain at Emerald Downs for a period of 60 days or until claimed, whichever comes sooner. The horse would still be allowed to enter an outof-state stakes. Any owner not wishing to be bound by the 60-day restriction may opt out of the program and decline the bonus. The starter bonus is only available for the first 500 horses meeting the criteria, and horses cannot establish eligibility during the 2022 Emerald Downs or Sun Downs meetings.

In addition, Emerald Downs management is picking up some of the costs traditionally incurred by trainers by eliminating hot walker rental fees and providing initial stall bedding for all horses arriving prior to opening day.

Owners will see a 10 percent purse increase over 2021 purses (20 percent over 2019 purses), and participation money on any race that has eight or more starters will be increased from $200 to $300 for all horses finishing sixth through last.

Who benefits from the new incentives?

• Owners of local horses that are coming off a layoff will now receive $750 (previously $0).

• Owners of horses shipping from another state will receive $750 when previously they received $500 (this program now includes claiming horses that ran here last year).

• Trainers will receive $250 per horse.

For more information on stakes and stall availability, contact Bret Anderson at (253) 288-7751 or breta@emeralddowns.com.

Emerald Downs Announces 2022 Stakes Schedule Emerald Downs scheduled 21 stakes worth $1,245,000 in purses for its 2022 live racing season that opened May 15.

The track’s signature race, the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, has been boosted to $150,000 and anchors an August 14 stakes quadruple-header also featuring the $75,000 Emerald Distaff, $75,000 Muckleshoot Derby and $75,000 Washington Oaks. The purse for the Mile is $50,000 more than last year, while the Distaff, Derby and Oaks are all up $25,000 from 2021.

The older horse division opened with the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes June 26, followed by the $50,000 Governor’s Stakes on July 24 and the 87th running of the Longacres Mile.

The stakes schedule features six stakes twin bills, along with two quadruple-headers, and a closing day triple-header September 18, featuring the $70,000 Gottstein Futurity, the track’s top race for 2-year-olds.

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

NEWS

The Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund presents the

Best of Ohio at JACK Thistledown

Five $100,000 Stakes Saturday, August 13, 2022

Ohio-breds race for $8.5 million in 2022!

For information on our outstanding program, contact

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www.racingohio.net THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

61

AFFILIATE NEWS The $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings kicked off stakes action June 19.

Seven stakes are offered for 2-year-olds—three apiece for colts and geldings and fillies—climaxing with the Gottstein Futurity at 11/16 miles.

The Washington Cup features four stakes—the $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings and $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies August 28 and the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and $50,000 Washington Cup Filly and Mare Stakes September 18. Both 2-year-old races are restricted to Washington-breds, while the older horse events are open to Washington-breds and British Columbia-breds. HJ

advertising deadline

FALL 2022

ADVERTISING SPACE RESERVATIONS: FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

AD MATERIALS DUE:

2022 EMERALD DOWNS STAKES SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

Date

Stakes

Conditions

Distance

Purse

June 19

Seattle Stakes

(3YOF)

6F

$50,000

June 19

Auburn Stakes

(3YO)

6F

$50,000

June 26

Hastings Stakes

(3&UP F&M)

6F

$50,000

June 26

Budweiser Stakes

(3&UP)

6F

$50,000

July 10

Angie C. Stakes

(2YOF)

5½F

$50,000

July 10

King County Express

(2YO C&G)

5½F

$50,000

July 17

Kent Stakes

(3YOF)

6½F

$50,000

1/ST BET.............................................................................. BC

July 17

Irish Day Stakes

(3YO)

6½F

$50,000

Claiming Crown...................................................................IFC

July 24

Governor’s Stakes

(3&UP)

6½F

$50,000

Colonial Downs.....................................................................57

July 24

Washington State Legislators Stakes

(3&UP F&M)

6½F

$50,000

Aug. 7

Barbara Shinpoch Stakes

(2YOF)

6½F

$50,000

Aug. 7

WTBOA Lads Stakes

(2YO C&G)

6½F

$50,000

Aug. 14

Muckleshoot Derby

(3YO)

11/16M

$75,000

Aug. 14

Washington Oaks

(3YOF)

11/16M

$75,000

Aug. 14

Emerald Distaff

(3&UP F&M)

11/16M

$75,000

Aug. 14

Longacres Mile (G3)

(3&UP)

1M

$150,000

Aug. 28

B ank of America Emerald Downs Challenge**

(3&UP)

440Y

$40,000

Aug. 28

J ohn Deere Juvenile Challenge**

(2YO)

350Y

$30,000

Aug. 28

Washington Cup Juvenile Filly

(2YOF WA)

6½F

$50,000

Aug. 28

Washington Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings

(2YO WA)

6½F

$50,000

Muckleshoot Tribal Classic*

(3&UP)

Sept. 18

ashington Cup Filly W and Mare Stakes*

(3&UP F&M)

11/16M

$50,000

Sept. 18

Gottstein Futurity

(2YO)

11/16M

$70,000

Sept. 18

For more information or to reserve space, contact The Horsemen’s Journal advertising department at 716-650-4011 or advertising@hbpa.org

Advertisers’ Index

Dandy Products Inc...............................................................60 Daily Racing Form.................................................................27 Equine Equipment...........................................................13, 48 equineline.com......................................................................12 Finish Line Horse Products Inc............................................4, 5 Flair......................................................................................51 Godolphin, USA................................................................... IBC HBPA of Ontario.....................................................................45 Horseman Labor Solutions....................................................59 Kentucky Downs....................................................................11 Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund..............................................61 Secretariat Center.................................................................18 Soft Ride...............................................................................25 Sterling Thompson Equine....................................................46 Texas Thoroughbred Association...........................................29 Thoroughbred Charities of America.......................................38

11/16M

$50,000

Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma....................33 True Center Gate...................................................................56

*Washington-bred and British Columbia-bred **Quarter Horse 62

TVG | Fanduel........................................................................17 University of Arizona.............................................................19 Winstar Farm........................................................................15 Wyn Oaks Farm.....................................................................23

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SUMMER 2022

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