The Horsemen's Journal - Winter 2016

WINTER FALL 1016

201 6 - 201 7

RACIN G

CALENDA R

CHAMPIONSHIP MEET FEBRUARY

DECEMBER DATE

STAKES

CONDITIONS

DIST/TURF

PURSE

DATE

STAKES

CONDITIONS

DIST/TURF

PURSE

12.3.16

Jewel (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

1 1/8 M

$200K

2.4.17

Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2)

3yo

1 1/16 M

$350K

12.10.16

12.17.16

12.26.16 12.31.16

Tiara (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up (F&M)

1 1/16 M (T)

$125K

Forward Gal (G2)

3yo F

7F

$200K

Emerald (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

1 1/16 M (T)

$125K

Swale (G2)

3yo

7F

$200K

Iron Horse (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

1 1/16 M

$110K

Sweetest Chant (G3)

3yo F

1 M (T)

$100K

Express (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

6F

$110K

Kitten’s Joy

3yo

1 M (T)

$100K

Glass Slipper (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up (F&M)

1M

$110K

Rapid Transit (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

7F

$110K

Canterbury (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up

5 F (T)

$110K

Distaff Dash (Claiming Crown)

3yo & up (F&M)

5 F (T)

$110K

Buffalo Man

2yo

6F

$75K

House Party

2yo F

6F

$75K

Smooth Air

2yo

1M

$75K

Hut Hut

2yo F

1M

$75K

Pulpit

2yo

1 M (T)

$75K

2.11.17

2.18.17 2.20.17

Wait a While

2yo F

1 M (T)

$75K

Rampart (G3)

3yo & up (F&M)

1M

$100K

Harlan’s Holiday (G3)

3yo & up

1 1/16 M

$100K

Sugar Swirl (G3)

3yo & up (F&M)

6F

$100K

El Prado

3yo & up

7 1/2 F (T)

$100K

South Beach

3yo & up (F&M)

7 1/2 F (T)

$100K

Mr Prospector (G3)

3yo & up

6F

$100K

H Allen Jerkens

3yo & up

2 M (T)

$100K

Via Borghese

3yo & up (F&M)

1 3/16 M (T)

$75K

Tropical Park Derby

3yo

1 1/16 M (T)

$75K

Tropical Park Oaks

3yo F

1 1/16 M (T)

$75K

2.25.17

DATE

STAKES

CONDITIONS

DIST/TURF

PURSE

1.7.17

Hutcheson (G3)

3yo

6F

$100K

Old Hat (G3)

3yo F

6F

$100K $100K

1.21.17

1.28.17

4yo & up

1 1/8 M (T)

$350K

4yo & up

1M

$350K

Suwannee River (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/8 M (T)

$150K

Royal Delta (G2)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/16 M

$200K

Old Hickory*

4yo & up

1 1/16 M

$60K

Rail Splitter*

4yo & up

6 1/2 F

$60K

Old Man Eloquent*

4yo & up

1 1/16 M (T)

$60K

Queen Mother*

4yo & up (F&M)

7F

$60K

Mary Todd*

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/16 M (T)

$60K

American Fabius*

3yo

7F

$60K

Sage of Monticello*

3yo

7 1/2 F (T)

$60K

Mrs Presidentress*

3yo F

7 1/2 F (T)

$60K

Rough and Ready*

4yo & up

1 1/16 M

$50K

Trust Buster*

4yo & up

7F

$50K

Little Magician*

4yo & up

1 M (T)

$50K

Lady Bird*

4yo & up (F&M)

7F

$50K

Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3)

4yo & up

6 1/2 F

$100K

Texas Glitter

3yo

5 F (T)

$75K

Melody of Colors

3yo F

5 F (T)

$75K

MARCH

JANUARY

1.14.17

Gulfstream Park Turf Hdcp (G1) The Hardacre Mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2)

Dania Beach (G3)

3yo

7 1/2 F (T)

Ginger Brew

3yo F

7 1/2 F (T)

$100K

Mucho Macho Man

3yo

1M

$100K

Fort Lauderdale (G2)

4yo & up

1 1/16 M (T)

$200K

Marshua's River (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/16 M (T)

$150K

Hal's Hope (G3)

4yo & up

1M

$150K

Sunshine Millions Classic

4yo & up

1 1/8 M

$250K

Sunshine Millions Distaff

4yo & up (F&M)

6F

$200K

Sunshine Millions Turf

4yo & up

1 1/16 M (T)

$150K

Sunshine Millions F&M Turf

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/16 M (T)

$150K

Sunshine Millions Sprint

4yo & up

6F

$150K

Pegasus World Cup (G1)

4yo & up

1 1/8 M

$12M

WL McKnight Hdcp (G3)

4yo & up

1 1/2 M (T)

$200K

DATE

STAKES

CONDITIONS

DIST/TURF

PURSE

3.4.17

Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2)

3yo

1 1/16 M

$400K

3.11.17

Davona Dale (G2)

3yo F

1M

$200K

Mac Diarmida (G2)

4yo & up

1 3/8 M (T)

$200K

Very One (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 3/16 M (T)

$150K

Canadian Turf (G3)

4yo & up

1 M (T)

$150K

Palm Beach (G3)

3yo

1 1/16 M (T)

$100K

Herecomesthebride (G3)

3yo F

1 1/16 M (T)

$100K

Fred Hooper (G3)

4yo & up

1M

$100K

Sand Springs

4yo & up (F&M)

1 M (T)

$100K

Captiva Island

4yo & up (F&M)

5 F (T)

$75K

Silks Run

4yo & up

5 F (T)

$75K

3.18.17

Inside Information (G2)

4yo & up (F&M)

7F

$200K

3.25.17

Skip Away (G3)

4yo & up

1 1/8 M

$100K

Any Limit

3yo F

6F

$75K

Spectacular Bid

3yo

6 1/2 F

$75K

La Prevoyante Hdcp (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 1/2 M (T)

$200K

APRIL

Hurricane Bertie (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

7F

$100K

DATE

STAKES

CONDITIONS

DIST/TURF

PURSE

Poseidon

4yo & up

1 1/8 M

$400K

4.1.17

Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1)

3yo

1 1/8 M

$1M

Ladies’ Turf Sprint

4yo & up (F&M)

5 F (T)

$125K

Honey Fox (G2)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 M (T)

$300K

Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint

4yo & up

5 F (T)

$125K

Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2)

3yo F

1 1/16 M

$250K

Pan American (G2)

4yo & up

1 1/2 M (T)

$200K

Appleton (G3)

4yo & up

1 M (T)

$200K

Orchid (G3)

4yo & up (F&M)

1 3/8 M (T)

$200K

Sir Shackleton

4yo & up

7F

$100K

Cutler Bay

3yo

1 M (T)

$100K

Sanibel Island

3yo F

1 M (T)

$100K

*Starter Stakes Highlighted dates denote Premium Stakes days. Racing dates are subject to change. For nomination closing dates please contact the Gulfstream Park Racing Office at 954.457.6260

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2 LIVE RACING DAY SIMULCASTING DAY CLOSED

volume 63/ # 4

winter 20 16

DEPARTMENTS

2 MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL HBPA

7 INDUSTRY NEWS

12 HBPA NEWS 16

RESEARCH & MEDICATION UPDATE

18

22

ALL GROWN UP

MEDICATION COMMITTEE CORNER

20 2017 RACING SCHEDULE FOR NORTH AMERICA 50 AFFILIATE NEWS

The 18th running of the Claiming Crown proves how far the event has come

FEATURES

34

39

43

THE (HORSE) POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

HONORING THE UNHERALDED HORSEMEN

THE LOWDOWN ON OUT-OF-COMPETITION TESTING

The first Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards in America gets off to a great start

What the RMTC isn’t telling us about its proposed regulations

Marketing and promotion do not have to be dirty words to horsemen

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

1

hj IN EVERY ISSUE

NATIONAL HBPA 870 Corporate Drive Suite 300 Lexington, KY 40503 P(859) 259-0451 F(859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.nationalhbpa.com

PRESIDENT/ CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Leroy Gessmann SECRETARY/ TREASURER Lynne Schuller CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric J. Hamelback VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Robin Richards VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION J. Lloyd Yother

MESSAGE FROM

THE CEO

AS 2016 COMES TO A CLOSE AND WE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS, IT’S A TIME FOR MOST OF US TO SIT BACK, REFLECT AND GIVE THANKS. As with most everyone, I feel my time of reflection uncovers that I just did not get everything done I wished to do, nor did I have the time to accomplish all that I feel should have been accomplished. Thank goodness for next year!

I have a lot to be thankful for in my life—not just in my

foundation and other donors that allowed Old Friends to build a state-of-the-art replacement barn.

Reaching back in time, we all remember the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Louisiana racing and breeding industries, and both existing and donated funds were

family life but in my professional life as well. The National HBPA

channeled through the foundation to assist Louisiana horsemen

has given me the opportunity to help in guiding and directing this

via the Louisiana HBPA.

great industry while being steered by every one of you connected to an affiliate throughout the United States and Canada.

Looking back, however, sheds a different light, which I

Certainly these examples are high-profile cases, but the foundation and the National HBPA Assistance Committee— which manages the foundation and reviews assistance

find concerning. I often find myself looking at my running list

requests—continue to work behind the scenes to ensure the

of plans and goals and feeling as if I do not have the time or

foundation helps when able.

an action plan in place to move forward in order to achieve my

Additionally, when several horsemen stabled at Turfway Park

stated professional goals. Finding the time to help create a

in Kentucky endured a month-long quarantine due to equine

labor force initiative, finding resources to investigate concerns

herpesvirus (EHV-1) in 2005, they faced the same daily costs

of ADW percentages allotted to purse accounts, investigating

of running a racing stable without the possibility of earning

the protection of intellectual property rights for our national

back revenue through purses. The foundation stepped in and

owners, having a mechanism to initiate medication uniformity for

was able to help by subsidizing daily expenses. The foundation

improved public perception and finding funding to aid in creating

also helped with expenses for horsemen after outbreaks in

a platform for positive public relations regarding our industry are

Pennsylvania, Iowa and Nebraska, along with assistance to

all goals I feel are achievable. I just need guidance and help from

horsemen after flooding in Arizona.

each affiliate to put action plans and resources in place.

With that said, the one item on my plans and goals list

I hope we all remember when things happen that are beyond our control that the foundation is here to help, especially

that most certainly can be boosted and achieved in 2017 is that

with financial assistance. I hope each of you remembers and

of the work done though our National HBPA Foundation. I hope

understands just how important our foundation is to the racing

the coming year doesn’t bring us issues such as dealing with

industry and its participants. I would ask you to strongly

a tornado hitting a barn area, a fire that burns down a barn,

consider making a contribution to the National HBPA Foundation

quarantines that cause trainers downtime in training or any

in 2017 to help keep us strong and allow us to heed our motto of

other situations that create undue stress on our horsemen.

“Horsemen Helping Horsemen.”

The reality is that anything can happen. For that, I am

As always, I am here to support the members and affiliates

happy to say, we have a plan. The foundation was developed as

and to be guided by the executive committee. Please continue

a safety net for horsemen when other forms of assistance are

to reach out to me with your needs, and I will continue to work

unavailable or have been exhausted after disaster strikes.

on behalf of horsemen and horsewomen throughout our great

The foundation provided financial assistance to Old

industry.

Friends Thoroughbred retirement facility in Kentucky after its founder and president Michael Blowen saw a fire destroy one of the facility’s barns in January 2016. It was money from the

2

HJWINTER 16

SINCERELY,

Eric J. Hamelback

CONTRIBUTORS Tanya Boulmetis Dr. Kim Brewer Dr. Clara Fenger Jennie Rees Dr. Thomas Tobin

THE

NATIONAL HBPA

WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS CORPORATE

sponsors AFFILIATES Board of Directors - Affiliates Dr. David Harrington, Alabama J. Lloyd Yother, Arizona Linda Gaston, Arkansas David Milburn, Canada Randy Funkhouser, Charles Town Kent Bamford, Colorado Dave Brown, Finger Lakes William White, Florida Marta Loveland, Idaho Eddie Essenprice, Illinois Joe Davis, Indiana Leroy Gessmann, Iowa Rick Hiles, Kentucky Benard Chatters, Louisiana George Kutlenios, Michigan Jack Walsh, Minnesota R.C. Forster, Montana Jami Poole, Mountaineer Park Barry Lake, Nebraska Anthony Spadea, New England Joe Poole, Ohio David Faulkner, Oklahoma Sue Leslie, Ontario Ron Sutton, Oregon Sandee Martin, Pennsylvania Robert Jeffries, Tampa Bay Downs Dr. Tommy Hays, Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, LLP David Ross, Virginia Pat LePley, Washington Glade VanTassel, Wyoming

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 63 #4.

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 2016 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 trainers. HBPA is

PHOTOGRAPHERS Denis Blake Coady Photography Coglianese Photos/

Lauren King, Leslie Martin, Kenny Martin Jennie Rees Jana Tetrault STAFF Denis Blake Editor 512-695-4541 E-mail: hj@hbpa.org Jennifer Vanier Allen Advertising Director 716-650-4011 509-272-1640 fax E-mail: advertising@hbpa.org Limb Design www.limbdesign.com Graphic Design THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL 870 Corporate Drive, Suite 300 Lexington, KY 40503-5419 Phone: 512-695-4541 Fax: 859-259-0452 E-mail: hj@hbpa.org HBPA Website: www.nationalhbpa.com

Cover Photo: Royal Posse wins the Claiming Crown Jewel for the second time Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin

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 $14.

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 (866) 245-1711.

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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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Horsemen’s Journal, P.O. Box 911188, Lexington, KY 40591-1188.

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OFFICIAL SPONSOR of the National HBPA OFFICIAL SPONSOR of the National HBPA

4

HJWINTER 16

OFFICIAL SPONSOR of the National HBPA OFFICIAL SPONSOR of the National HBPA

h

2016 BROUGHT MORE RESTRICTED RACES AND MORE STAKE RACES

> Massachusetts bred foals can now earn their awards when racing outside of Massachusetts. > The awards in open races are: 30% to owners, 25% to breeders, 15% to stallion owners and in restricted races 25% to breeders and 15% to stallion owners. > The Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association sponsored 10 - $75,000 stakes races in 2016. > Sponsor a robust restricted race program in 2017.

Breed in Mass. Think about it!

121 Pine Street, Rehoboth, MA 02769 • www.massbreds.com • MTBA@comcast.net • 508-252-3690

ON THE

MOVE Please send all address changes either by e-mail to: hj@hbpa.org Or by mail to: The Horsemen’s Journal, P.O. Box 911188, Lexington, KY 40591-1188

6

HJWINTER 16

INDUSTRY NEWS

hj

OWNER CONFERENCE CONCLUDES WITH ENTHUSIASTIC REVIEWS FROM ATTENDEES, SPONSORS

Courtesy OwnerView/Daniel Sigal

The third Thoroughbred Owner Conference, co-hosted by OwnerView and Blood-Horse and sponsored by Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Keeneland Hollywood Goes to the Races session with Nick Association and Clooney, Laura Hillenbrand and Chris McCarron The Stronach Group, concluded in early November with presentations on ownership, veterinary issues, equine retirement programs and a keynote address delivered by Thoroughbred owner and NBC racing analyst Eddie Olczyk.

Approximately 250 people attended the three-day event, including both longtime horse owners and new or prospective owners. Future editions of the conference are planned for the week leading up to the Breeders’ Cup Championships with the event to be held at Del Mar in California.

Like its predecessors, this edition of the owner conference featured panel discussions with prominent owners, trainers, jockeys and other personalities from the racing industry who shared insights and experiences about their involvement with the sport.

In the keynote address, Olczyk described his passion for Thoroughbred racing.

“I love horse racing and I love being an owner,” he said. “If you’re a new owner, you’re getting into a great game.”

Olczyk emphasized that his interest in the sport revolves around the people on the backstretch.

“The hotwalkers, trainers, grooms, vets, exercise riders and jockeys are the people that make this sport go,” he said.

Former NYRA announcer Tom Durkin once again served as the master of ceremonies, and television journalist Nick Clooney hosted a “Hollywood Goes to the Races” segment featuring author Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend.

Peter R. Bradley III, a longtime Lexington, Kentucky-based Thoroughbred owner, adviser and syndicate manager, said the Thoroughbred owner conference “is the best vehicle to educate new owners that we’ve ever had. The panelists don’t sugarcoat anything. They talk about the cost, the excitement you feel as an owner and all the highs and the lows. The conference gives people with an interest in the sport a good underpinning of what they are getting into.”

Paul Piergross, a self-described “newbie” owner from Delran, New Jersey, who participates in the West Point Thoroughbreds partnerships, attended the Thoroughbred Owner Conference for the first time and said it was educational.

“I found it to be very informative, and I was impressed by how honest many of the panelists were about the investment opportunities,” he said. “None of them made this out to be a get-rich-quick scheme. I thought the variety of panelists and perspectives were interesting, and it’s hard to beat a location like Santa Anita.”

During the conference, the Long Island-based LNJ Foxwoods stable owned

by Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth was recognized as the 2016 New Owner of the Year, which honors a new Thoroughbred owner who has been successful in the sport and has had a positive impact on the industry.

The Roths campaigned stakes winners Constellation, Dreamologist, Golden Valentine, Nickname, Stays in Vegas and With Honors during 2016. They also established the “Horses First Fund” with Thoroughbred Charities of America to benefit a group of abandoned horses in Mercer County, Kentucky.

“My parents and I are truly humbled and very excited about the award,” said Jaime Roth. “We have really put so much heart and love into our stable and the horses, so to receive this award means more than you know.”

A video replay of all panels at the conference is available at ownerview.com.

THE JOCKEY CLUB RELEASES 2016 REPORT OF MARES BRED STATISTICS The Jockey Club has released Report of Mares Bred (RMB) statistics for the 2016 breeding season. Based on RMBs received through October 15, 2016, The Jockey Club reports that 1,423 stallions covered 33,746 mares in North America during 2016.

Based upon historical reporting trends, The Jockey Club estimates an additional 2,000 to 3,000 mares will be reported as bred during the 2016 breeding season.

The number of stallions declined 1.8 percent from the 1,449 reported at this time in 2015, and the number of mares bred decreased 2.5 percent from the 34,627 reported last year.

The number of stallions covering 100 or more mares decreased from 105 in 2015 to 100 in 2016. These stallions accounted for 40.6 percent of the total

mares reported bred this year versus 41.8 percent of all mares bred in 2015.

RMB statistics for all reported stallions in 2016 are available through the Fact Book section of The Jockey Club’s website at jockeyclub.com.

The stallion Uncle Mo led all stallions with 253 mares bred in 2016.

Rounding out the top five by number of RMBs were Into Mischief, 218; American Pharoah, 208; Kitten’s Joy, 201; and, tied for fifth, Goldencents, Verrazano and Wicked Strong, 190.

During 2016, Kentucky’s 227 reported stallions covered 17,750 mares, or 52.6 percent of all mares reported bred in North America. The number of mares bred to Kentucky stallions increased 1.73 percent over the 17,448 reported at this time last year.

Of the top 10 states and provinces by number of mares reported bred in 2016, Kentucky and Maryland stallions covered more mares in 2016 than in 2015, as reported at this time last year.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

7

NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

DAILY RACING FORM ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE MAGAZINE Daily Racing Form, in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), published a second annual edition of the TAA Magazine in October.

The magazine’s goal is to increase awareness of the TAA’s mission and its ongoing efforts to support Thoroughbred aftercare in the United States and Canada. The magazine’s second edition was distributed in advance of the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park, at key racing events and sales and through the 56 TAA-accredited organizations. All costs were underwritten by sponsor support, ensuring the TAA did not have to divert any money to the project.

“The TAA Magazine is a powerful marketing tool, both for creating public awareness of the TAA’s support for aftercare and as a stimulus for accredited aftercare organizations to showcase their facilities,” said Stacie Clark Rogers, TAA Operations Consultant. “We are most grateful to Daily Racing Form for publishing this annual magazine and for all the support from the industry through their advertising, which allows us to receive and distribute thousands of copies of the magazine at no cost to the TAA. It is truly an industry-wide effort, and the retired Thoroughbreds are the sole beneficiaries.”

RACE TRACK CHAPLAINCY OF AMERICA HONORS RECIPIENTS OF WHITE HORSE AWARDS The Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) recognized the recipients of the 2016 White Horse Awards during Breeders’ Cup weekend. The selection committee had a difficult decision to make, as this was a record year for nominations of deserving individuals.

The Community Service Award was presented to William Gotwals of Brook Ledge Horse Transportation. The work ethic and focus on providing excellent service that have brought Brook Ledge to the forefront of the industry are the same attributes that guide Gotwals personally. He has been a faithful supporter of RTCA and other charitable organizations over the years.

The Tribute to Excellence Award was presented in memory of E.W. “Buddy” Johnston of Old English Rancho in Sanger, California. In addition to serving 21 years as director and president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA), Johnston was inducted into the CTBA Hall of Fame and also presented with Hollywood Park’s Laffit Pincay Jr. Award, bestowed upon an individual “who has served the sport with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination and distinction.”

Finally, the White Horse Award for heroism on behalf of human or horse was presented to two companies whose teams banded together to save the lives of more than 200 horses in California. Bob Hubbard Horse Transportation of Colton and KC Horse Transport of Atascadero are typically

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HJWINTER 16

This year’s edition consisted of approximately 92 color pages and highlighted each of the TAA-accredited organizations. The magazine included an overview of the TAA, its mission and how it is funded by multiple sources. It recognized the many industry contributors that are sharing the responsibility of providing safe landing spots for these retired equines. It also showcased offthe-track Thoroughbreds competing at the highest levels, including Blackfoot Mystery, who graced the cover after competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics with rider Boyd Martin. Blackfoot Mystery came from a TAA-accredited organization in California.

“We are delighted to publish another edition of the TAA Magazine,” said John J. Hartig, CEO of Daily Racing Form. “The TAA is tackling an important issue to all of us, and as a multimedia company, we are proud to play our part as publishers. We encourage all industry stakeholders to place a digital flipbook version of this magazine on their websites so that fans across the country can see the great opportunities available to safely retire or adopt a Thoroughbred at the conclusion of their racing careers.”

The National HBPA supported the magazine as an advertiser, and CEO Eric Hamelback voiced his support for the concept.

rivals, but in light of news that areas of the San Gabriel Valley were in the direct path of this summer’s wildfires, that rivalry was cast aside. The new team used seven trucks, each holding 15 horses, and drove the refugees away from the fires to waiting farms and tracks with barns ready to receive them.

Two drivers came back early from vacation and several others slept in their trucks at Santa Anita Park awaiting their calls to action.

ATTENDANCE AND HANDLE INCREASE AT 2016 BREEDERS’ CUP of 6.25 percent over the $150,574,656 total in 2015. Saturday’s on-track handle was $13,515,269, an increase of 3.5 percent over last year’s on-track handle at Keeneland. The on-track handle at Santa Anita for the two days was $20,694,235.

Viewership of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on NBC during primetime Saturday night plummeted compared with the same race last year, which featured Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in his career finale. Viewership peaked at 2.6 million viewers at 8:45 p.m. Eastern on Saturday night, just prior to the Classic being run. Last year, viewership peaked at 4.6 million viewers at 6 p.m.

Eastern, when American Pharoah entered the gate for the Classic en route to a dominating win.

The sharp decline in the ratings demonstrates the popularity of American Pharoah among the general public. This year’s Classic featured California Chrome, who won two-thirds of the Triple Crown in 2014 but had perhaps fallen off the radar of the general sports fan since his 3-year-old campaign despite a stellar 2016 campaign.

Denis Blake

A crowd of 72,811, the highest single-day attendance for a Breeders’ Cup since the event switched to a two-day format, cheered on as blossoming 3-year-old star Arrogate bested hometown favorite California Chrome, North America’s richest racehorse, at the wire to win the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park on November 5.

Attendance that Saturday at Santa Anita was the highest for any Breeders’ Cup day since 72,730 were on hand at Churchill Downs in 2010 to see legendary racemare Zenyatta in the final race of her career. The two-day attendance for 2016 was 118,484, the highest in Breeders’ Cup history.

Common-pool wagering on Saturday’s 12-race Breeders’ Cup card was $109,055,897, a 3.2 percent increase over the $105,625,491 wagered in 2015.

Common-pool wagering for the two days was $159,991,803, an increase

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NEWS

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HBPA NEWS

NATIONAL HBPA SETS DATES FOR 2017 CONVENTION

The National HBPA’s 2017 convention will begin on March 8 and continue through March 10 at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. The convention will conclude on March 11 with a full board meeting of the members of the NHBPA. This will be the only convention in 2017, as it was decided at the 2016 Summer Convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that a single convention will be held rather than a winter and summer convention.

Corey Johnsen, president and part owner of Kentucky Downs, will be the keynote speaker and also will be part of a convention panel composed of racetrack operators discussing how strong working relationships with their owners and trainers is good for business.

“When I was grooming horses the summer before my senior year in college, to even dream that I would have the honor to address the National HBPA

conference was beyond comprehension,” said Johnsen, who also is a breeder.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to remember that this is about the horse and all the participants involved in the sport. That’s been my guiding light. So it’s really gratifying to have this opportunity.”

At the convention, HBPA horsemen from across the country will, through committee meetings, panels and presentations, discuss issues and challenges the industry is facing. The NHBPA is the largest Thoroughbred horsemen’s association in North America, and it represents approximately 30,000 owners and trainers throughout the United States and Canada. The NHBPA’s goal is to provide leadership and help shape the future of the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Discussions at the convention will revolve around topics such as equine nutrition, exchange wagering, veterinary medicine, equine research and legal updates, member benefits, matters regarding equine aftercare and media relations.

Agenda details, as well as registration and hotel arrangements, will be posted on the NHBPA website at nationalhbpa.com when available.

The NHBPA convention will be open to anyone involved in the racing industry as an owner, trainer, veterinarian, rider, racetrack official or operator, fan or in any other capacity.

“This convention is an excellent opportunity for individuals and our state affiliates to network, share concerns and become educated on topics affecting our national horsemen,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the organization. “The NHBPA represents the important perspective of its owners and trainers in addressing and helping shape the future of the Thoroughbred racing industry.”

RESULTS OF NHBPA MEMBER SURVEY ANNOUNCED The National HBPA has announced the results of a member survey from earlier this year that was available in The Horsemen’s Journal and on nationalhbpa.com. This marked the first comprehensive member survey since 2006, and once again the NHBPA worked with the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program in designing and tallying the results. The NHBPA thanks RTIP student Joe Longo for his work on this project.

Two prizes were offered to respondents with Grant Williamson of Kentucky randomly selected as the winner of a pair of tickets to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita and Jeff Jackson of Pennsylvania winning a $100 Visa gift card.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and helped us in our continuation of reaching out to our membership and understanding your thoughts on issues affecting horse racing,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. Following is a recap of the important topics covered in the survey: • Owners represented the largest segment of respondents at 79 percent.

Breeders represented 37 percent, with “other” and trainer coming in at 25 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Some respondents classified themselves in multiple categories.

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• The respondents are a seasoned group with 59 percent having at least 16 years in the industry. There was also strong representation from relative newcomers, with 16 percent of respondents having zero to five years of experience.

• The majority of respondents race in multiple states or provinces, with the most common category being those who race in one to three states/provinces at 73 percent.

• Regarding horse ownership, 36 percent own between one and five horses, 21 percent have partial or syndicated ownership and 16 percent said they did not own any racehorses. The percentages are negatively correlated with the number of horses owned. The more horses, the lower the percentage of ownership. Results showed 5 percent owned 26 to 50 horses and just 1 percent owned 50 or more.

• The gender of respondents was split 58 percent male, 42 percent female. In 2006, the gender was split 69 percent male and 31 percent female.

• The age demographic is an older one. Fifty-two percent of the respondents are in the 50-65 age range and 25 percent are age 66 or

•

•

•

•

older. Under 18 is the smallest group at less than 1 percent, with the 18-34 range coming in at 5 percent.

Our group is an educated one with 59 percent having a college or advanced degree. Results showed 22 percent attended some college but did not graduate. The demographic has become more educated over the years. In 2006, 40 percent had a college or advanced degree.

Our group is also financially successful. The largest segment at 30 percent fell into the annual income range of $100,000 to $250,000, followed closely by the income range of $50,001 and $100,000 at 29 percent. The category of $250,000 to $1 million was 12 percent, and 14 percent preferred not to answer. It is an even fifty-fifty split on respondents owning their own business.

In the technology category, the survey found that 51 percent use the Internet primarily on their phone or tablet while 49 percent used a desktop or laptop. Facebook is the most used social media channel of the group at 60 percent, followed by 27 percent for Twitter, 20 percent for LinkedIn, 13 percent for Instagram and 33 percent for other social media.

Half of the respondents said they have an ADW account, with 42 percent saying they seldom or never use an ADW. Among those with an ADW account, TwinSpires was the most popular at 19 percent, with TVG a nose back in second at 18 percent and Xpressbet in the show spot at 10 percent.

In order to better understand the level of knowledge that members have on some of the current problems facing our industry, there were several questions about regulation: • With regard to the Interstate Horseracing Act, 44 percent said they understand it and its application while 38 percent said they are not familiar with it and 18 percent said they have heard of it but do not understand its application.

• An overwhelming majority of 88 percent are in favor of uniform medication rules and testing. and an even greater majority, 93 percent, are in favor of severe penalties applied equally for habitual offenders.

• Several questions related to the use of Lasix/Salix. Seventy-nine percent believe Lasix is effective in preventing or controlling bleeding and just 4 percent said they do not believe it is effective. When asked about having the option to administer Lasix on race day, 73 percent are in favor. A majority of respondents, 79 percent, said they have horses that regularly race on Lasix, while 21 percent said their horses do not regularly race on the medication.

NATIONAL HBPA MISSION STATEMENT Founded in 1940, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) and its affiliates operate on behalf of Thoroughbred racehorse owners, trainers and backstretch personnel throughout the United States and Canada. Our mission is to improve and preserve Thoroughbred horse racing by: 1. Providing a representative voice for all Thoroughbred horsemen on matters integral to the advancement of Thoroughbred racing in the United States, Canada and at the state level.

2. Encouraging the highest standards of horsemanship to continuously improve the care, health and safety of the horse.

3. Facilitating guidelines to ensure the safety of the jockeys, trainers, grooms, exercise riders, hot walkers, farriers, veterinarians and all others who regularly come in contact with the racehorse.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Supporting the development, adoption, implementation and enforcement of nationwide uniform rules which promote safety and integrity in racing.

Disseminating information on critical issues facing our industry to HBPA affiliates and to the general public as appropriate.

Supporting and promoting programs and entities which provide general benevolence and other beneficial programs for affiliates and members.

Assisting in the development of programs at affiliated tracks providing for the aftercare of our horses when their racing careers are over.

Promoting the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.

NATIONAL HBPA’S POSITION REGARDING THE REGULATION OF RACING MEDICATION 1.

2.

3.

The National HBPA’s focus has always been, and remains, the health and safety of the horse, the safety of the jockey, and the safety of all individuals coming into contact with the horse including grooms, hot walkers, trainers and veterinarians.

The National HBPA believes a truly independent and transparent Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) composed of industry stakeholders (including the NHBPA, The Jockey Club, the United States Trotting Association and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, among others) not dominated by any individual organization, with input from appropriate medical and veterinary professional bodies such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners, must be the final evaluator of medical and veterinary science.

The National HBPA believes that RMTC approved medication rules should be reviewed by the Association of Racing Commissioners

4.

5.

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International on behalf of state racing commissions, and following an evaluation based on science and medical research with all industry stakeholders being heard, the rules should be adopted or rejected by a majority vote.

The National HBPA contends that uniform medication rules must be based solely on published scientifically determined regulatory thresholds, with published scientifically determined withdrawal time guidelines, all based on and supported by data published in the scientific literature.

The National HBPA believes that RMTC and ISO-17025 accredited laboratories should perform all medication testing.

The National HBPA does not tolerate cheating in this sport. The NHBPA supports rules wherein repeat offenders of medication rules, after due process, should be severely penalized, including permanent expulsion from the industry.

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EQUINE PET SCANNER SHOWING SUCCESS AT UC DAVIS VETERINARY HOSPITAL It has been a busy past few months for the equine positron emission tomography (PET) program at the University of California (UC), Davis veterinary hospital. The newly acquired PET scanner was delivered as planned in early August, enabling UC Davis to become the first equine hospital to offer PET scans.

Through August and September, six horses were scanned to test the device and validate a clinical protocol, all with flawless results. For all six horses, both PET scans and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed under the same anesthetic procedure, instead of two separate anesthesias as with the initial cases last year tested on a scanner prototype. The anesthesia time remained under three hours with approximately 90 minutes for the PET scan and 30 minutes for the CT scan.

During this time, up to six different areas were able to be imaged—for example, both front feet, both front fetlocks and both carpi.

The six horses enrolled were all racehorses recently retired from the track or currently training on a treadmill at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory. The horses were imaged not only with PET and CT but also with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and scintigraphy. Stress remodeling lesions were documented, in particular in the fetlock and the carpus. Several of these lesions were not apparent

on scintigraphy, CT or MRI, confirming the advantages of PET imaging. The pattern of uptake observed on the PET images matches areas of known occurrence of lesions. PET appears to be the most sensitive technique to detect these lesions. Further research is planned on the Thoroughbred fetlock, as UC Davis veterinarians believe that PET has the potential to help prevent catastrophic injuries in racehorses.

In early October, a clinical trial was started in client-owned animals funded by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and UC Davis’ Center for Equine Health. The trial enrolls horses with lameness already imaged with either scintigraphy or MRI but requiring additional information for diagnosis or treatment planning. Currently, four Warmblood horses have been imaged.

The lesions identified included subchondral bone remodeling in the fetlock and in the tarsus, remodeling of the navicular bone, focal active resorption of the coffin bone, osseous remodeling at the insertion of the suspensory ligament and remodeling of the cannon bone.

Officials at the school hope that the technology will help in preventing injuries and prolong horses’ racing careers.

UK GLUCK CENTER DEVELOPS NEW EQUINE VIRAL ARTERITIS TEST The University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center has developed a novel test to ascertain the likelihood of a long-term equine viral arteritis (EVA) carrier state in stallions.

Gluck faculty members Dr. Udeni Balasuriya, Dr. Ernie Bailey and Dr. Peter Timoney developed the test to determine the genetic basis of a specific haplotype, a group of genes inherited from one parent. The test indicates which horses have the susceptible haplotype that could put them at higher risk for becoming carriers if infected by EVA. In these cases, the risk of infection and becoming a carrier can be prevented through vaccination and management.

Outbreaks of EVA lead to pregnancy loss in mares, death in

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young foals and establishment of the carrier state in stallions, which could result in significant negative economic impact.

“It is gratifying to see how Drs. Balasuriya and Bailey’s work has led not only to a better understanding of the nature of persistence of this important disease but also to a test that can help identify those animals at risk for persistent infection,” said David Horohov, chair of the Department of Veterinary Science and director of the Gluck Center.

The test, which costs $100, can be done from a mane or tail sample. More information, including a submission form, is available at www2.ca.uky.edu/gluck/AGTRL.asp.

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MEDICATION COMMITTEE CORNER

TRAINER GRAHAM MOTION’S LETTER ON A RECENT KENTUCKY HORSE RACING COMMISSION RULING

Denis Blake

Following a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission meeting on October 4, which upheld a decision by the stewards to disqualify Kitten’s Point from a victory in the 2015 Bewitch Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course, her trainer, H. Graham Motion, forwarded a letter to the editors of multiple industry publications.

Motion had appealed a suspension for an overage of the muscle relaxant methocarbamol (Robaxin), which was his first medication violation in a 23-year career. Kitten’s Point was disqualified from the win and forfeited the $90,000 winner’s share of the purse. In Kentucky, there is a limit of 1.0 nanograms per milliliter for Robaxin with a recommended 48-hour withdrawal time; Kitten’s Point’s sample tested at 2.9 ng/ml.

Following is the letter by Motion reprinted with his permission: After over 11,000 starters and more than 2,000 winners over the course of more than 20 years, today I was fined by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for the first positive in my career and Kitten’s Point was disqualified from her win in the 2015 Bewitch at Keeneland. This hearing took place in a meeting where I was denied the opportunity to address the commission. Of course I wanted to defend myself, but moreover I wanted to address some of my concerns with this medication and how it was handled.

The entire process has been extremely disappointing and troubling to me.

I always felt that if the day ever came where, by some unforeseen circumstance, I was charged with a drug violation I would not lawyer up to defend myself but rather take my punishment and move on. It would upset me to see trainers go to such great lengths to defend themselves. But when I found myself in that position, I felt differently. I felt that my staff and I had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect myself and my clients.

When I was made aware of a withdrawal time I would add plenty of cushion, as was the case with Kitten’s Point. The last time she was

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treated with Robaxin was seven days before the race, more than double a recommended withdrawal guideline published by the KHRC. After all, if we as trainers cannot rely on the guidelines that are given to us, how on earth can we be expected to operate within the rules?

Moreover, I was troubled to learn that the current threshold for Robaxin as set by the [Racing Medication and Testing Consortium] and adopted by the KHRC was not supported by good science, including going completely against the recommendation set by the head of the KHRC’s testing lab, Dr. [Rick] Sams. Unfortunately, in my case I was not allowed to defend myself based on the science, including a recently approved paper published by Heather Knych, which clearly states that the RMTC guidelines for Robaxin are misguided.

In my opinion, this is information that should be turned over to horsemen as quickly as possible. Surely the KHRC is not looking to trip up horsemen with unsupported thresholds and guidelines? In a time of ever-changing restrictions on certain medications, it should be imperative that horsemen are kept informed.

Equally as important to me is the way in which our samples are handled.

I strongly believe that it is a good thing that post-race testing has become increasingly more sensitive, but shouldn’t there be a responsibility with the commission that our samples are handled with the utmost of care? We are now being tested for nanograms—that is a billionth of a gram. It is disturbing to me that the samples are frequently collected and handled in unsecure environments. Very little has changed with regard to this process over the years considering the technology and sensitivity of the testing process.

So there, I have said it.

All I was asking for was two minutes. It didn’t seem like an unreasonable demand. By all means, we need to keep our game honest, but at what cost to the guys that are trying to play by the rules?

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Dec. 26, 2016 – Jun. 18

Jul. 6 – Jul. 16 Sep. 7 – Sep. 24 Nov. 30 – Dec. 17

Dec. 26, 2016 – Jul. 4 Sep. 29 – Oct. 29

Golden Gate Fields

Los Alamitos Race Course

Santa Anita

Kentucky

Illinois

Florida

Jul. 19 – Sep. 4 Nov. 1 – Nov. 26

Del Mar

California

Apr. 29 – Jun. 30 Sep. 15 – Oct. 3 Oct. 29 – Nov. 26

Jul. 1 – Sep. 4

Apr. 7 – Apr. 28 Oct. 6 – Oct. 28

Sep. 7, 9, 10, 14

Jan. 1 – Apr. 6 Nov. 29 – Dec. 31

Ellis Park

Keeneland Race Course

Kentucky Downs

Turfway Park

Mar. 3 – Apr. 29 Oct. 1 – Dec. 31

Hawthorne Race Course

Churchill Downs

May 2 – Sep. 23

Fairmount Park

Nov. 26, 2016 – May 7

Tampa Bay Downs

Apr. 30 – Sep. 30

Jan. 24

Ocala Training Center

Arlington Park

Dec. 3, 2016 – Apr. 2 Apr. 5 – Jun. 30

Gulfstream Park

Jan. 13 – Apr. 15

Oaklawn Park

Arkansas

Oct. 15, 2016 – May 7

Turf Paradise

Arizona

Schedule is based on available information at the time each issue goes to press. All racing jurisdictions have differing schedules and policies regarding the granting of future race dates that impact availability.

DATES>>

20 racing 17 Nov. 19, 2016 – Apr. 2

Fair Grounds

Feb. 24 – May 6 Jul. 7 – Jul. 29 Sep. 8 – Sep. 15

Fonner Park Horsemen’s Park Lincoln

New York

New Mexico

Sep. 16

Atokad Downs

Nebraska

Dec. 16, 2016 – Apr. 18 Apr. 21 – Jun. 19 Sep. 9 – Dec. 12

Sunland Park SunRay Park Zia Park

Apr. 28 – Jul. 16 Sep. 8 – Oct. 29 Jul. 21 – Sep. 4

Belmont Park Saratoga Race Course

Jan. 1 – Mar. 26 Mar. 31 – Apr. 23 Nov. 3 – Dec. 31

May 26 – Sep. 4

Ruidoso Downs

Aqueduct

Jun. 24 – Sep. 24

The Downs at Albuquerque

May 5 – Sep. 16

Canterbury Park

May 5 – Sep. 2

Hazel Park

Jul. 8 – Jul. 9 Aug. 5 – Aug. 6 Sep. 2 – Sep. 3

Minnesota

Suffolk Downs

Massachusetts

Jan. 1 – May 7

Michigan

Laurel Park

Jan. 7 – Mar. 22 May 6 – Sep. 27

Apr. 12 – Sep. 2

Evangeline Downs

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Oct. 19, 2016 – Mar. 11 Apr. 21 – Jul. 8

Delta Downs

Maryland

Louisiana

Charles Town

West Virginia

Mountaineer Park

Emerald Downs

Apr. 15 – Nov. 26

Jan. 7 – Dec. 29

Jan. 11 – Dec. 23

Jan. 20 – Mar. 14 Mar. 31 – May 22

Jun. 9 – Aug. 12 Sep. 1 – Nov. 25

Retama Park Sam Houston Race Park

Apr. 20 – Jul. 30 Sep. 15 – Nov. 11

Lone Star Park

Jul. 1 – 2 Jul. 15 – 16 Aug. 12 – 13 Aug. 26 – 27

May 21 – Oct. 5

Presque Isle Downs Gillespie County Fair

Jan. 4 – Dec. 30

Penn National

Mar. 13 – May 20 Sep. 9 – Nov. 11

Will Rogers Downs

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31

Mar. 10 – Jun. 3 Aug. 11 – Dec. 10

Remington Park

Parx Racing

Jun. 8 – Jul. 29

May 1 – Oct. 23

Jan. 2 – Apr 22 Oct. 28 – Dec. 30

May 4 – Oct. 8

Jul. 15 – Jul. 30

Fair Meadows

Thistledown

Mahoning Valley Race Course

Belterra Park

North Dakota Horse Park

Washington

Texas

Pennsylvania

Oklahoma

Ohio

North Dakota

DATES

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FEATURE

THE 18TH RUNNING OF THE CLAIMING CROWN

PROVES HOW FAR THE EVENT HAS COME THE CLAIMING CROWN CELEBRATED

its 18th renewal on December 3 at Gulfstream Park, and just like a young adult, the event for the sport’s blue-collar horses seems to have reached maturity after debuting in 1999 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. Hosted for the fifth time at the South Florida track, the $1.1 million event set an all-time handle record of $11,115,864 with perfect weather conditions, continuing the trend of increased wagering every year at Gulfstream while becoming an increasingly important fixture on the national racing schedule.

A joint venture between the National HBPA and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Claiming Crown has reached new heights over the past five years thanks in large part to the efforts of the Florida HBPA and Gulfstream Park in making it the signature event to kick off the Championship Meet at the Hallandale Beach oval. Earlier this year, it was announced that Gulfstream will host the Claiming Crown through at least 2018.

This marked the first Claiming Crown since the passing of NHBPA First Vice President Tom Metzen Sr., one of the founding fathers of the event. The richest race on the card, the $190,000 Claiming Crown Jewel won by Royal Posse for the second consecutive year, was presented as the Tom Metzen Sr. Memorial in the track program.

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By Denis Blake Photos by Coglianese Photos/Lauren King, Leslie Martin, Kenny Martin

“The success of the Claiming Crown is a testament to the vision of Tom and all the others who helped launch this event at Canterbury Park,” said NHBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “It wasn’t easy to establish a new program like this from scratch, but it has proven to be a very important day of racing to recognize the horses and horsemen who are so vital to our industry.”

One of the constants in recent years has been the participation—and winning—of owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker. The all-time leading Claiming Crown owners and trainer added another victory to their tally, as they teamed to win the final race on the card, the Emerald, with Keystoneforvictory to run their total to 15 wins apiece.

This year also marked an expansion of the races leading up to the Claiming Crown as three tracks—Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park and Gulfstream Park West (formerly Calder Race Course)—held preview races with the winners earning free entry and transportation expenses to the main event.

The Claiming Crown races were run under starter allowance conditions for horses who had started for a specified claiming price since January 1, 2015, save for the Express and Iron Horse, which were open to horses who started at the $8,000 level or below anytime in their careers. With nine races on dirt and turf at a variety of distances and for both sexes, there was an option for virtually any kind of racehorse.

“We’re extremely pleased with the opening of what promises to be an historic Championship Meet,” said P.J. Campo, vice president of The Stronach Group and general manager of Gulfstream Park. “The support from horsemen throughout North America for the Claiming Crown was extraordinary. We had full, competitive fields and some spectacular performances by horses and riders.”

DISTAFF DASH | SPECTACULAR ME

The first of the Claiming Crown races, the $106,700 Distaff Dash for fillies and mares who had started for $25,000 or less, featured a Claiming Crown Preview Day winner putting on an encore performance for the big money as Spectacular Me followed her Laurel Park victory with another at Gulfstream.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz for trainer Steve Klesaris and owner Winning Move Stable, the 6-year-old daughter of Catienus came from off the pace to win by 1 ¾ lengths in a time of :56.91 for five furlongs on the turf.

“I really had no instructions,” said New York-based Ortiz, the leading North American rider in 2016 by wins with 335 after the Claiming Crown card.

“I talked to Steve last Tuesday at Parx when I saw him there. He told me that I know the filly well and to ride her with confidence and that she is ready.”

Ortiz had ridden the mare to victory twice last summer at Saratoga Race

Course in turf sprints, but this marked his first trip aboard her in more than a year.

Bred by the University of Kentucky in the Bluegrass State, the 9-5 favorite easily towered over the field in terms of starts, wins and earnings, and she extended that margin by picking up her 15th career victory from 47 starts. Her bankroll now stands at $471,234. Not bad for a horse who originally sold for just $1,600 as a yearling.

Steven Bertrando and Paul Trapani’s My Sister Caro, a West Virginia-bred daughter of Bop trained by Clyde Martin, had the lead in the stretch and held on to finish a game second. Lady Coventry, running for Zoom and Fish Stable Inc. and trainer Ralph Nicks, rallied late to take third.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

23

FEATURE

RAPID TRANSIT | SHAFT OF LIGHT

Monster Racing Stables’ Shaft of Light came into the $105,600 Rapid Transit with a history of winning races by open lengths, and the 5-year-old gelding continued that tradition with an impressive 6 ¾-length score in the seven-furlong contest for horses who had started for $16,000 or less.

Jockey Emisael Jaramillo hustled the Ontario-bred to the lead right out of the gate, and the Jorge Navarro-trained runner cruised home with a final clocking of 1:21.84 as the 7-5 betting choice.

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“My horse had a hard campaign for the summer, and we backed off running him because of this race,” Navarro said. “He had some issues and we worked on him, and he came around. He was training really good in the morning.”

The gelding was bred by Sam-Son Farm, the storied Canadian operation that has bred and raced notable horses like Dance Smartly, Sky Classic and Smart Strike, the sire of the Rapid Transit winner.

Shaft of Light began his career in his native country but really didn’t flourish until this spring in South Florida, where he won a conditioned $12,500 claimer by 9 ¼ lengths and a $16,000 optional claimer by 11 ½ at Gulfstream. This win improved his record to 15-6-2-2 with earnings of $211,280.

“The main focus was to break well, and we had to be on the lead,” Jaramillo said. “That’s the way I wanted to ride him and the way the trainer told me to ride. The fractions were fast but he was going very easy and was very comfortable on the lead, and when I called on him at the eighth pole, he exploded. The faster the better.”

Flashy Jewel, who was claimed out of his last start for $25,000 by owner/trainer Eddie Kenneally, nearly earned back that purchase price with a second-place effort. Patrick Maguire’s Day of Fury, a Street Sense gelding conditioned by David Fawkes who was claimed in five consecutive starts this year, crossed the wire third.

GLASS SLIPPER | TORMENTA DE ORO

The biggest upset on the Claiming Crown card came in the $110,000 Glass Slipper for fillies and mares who had started for $12,500 or less when Tormenta de Oro prevailed by a neck at odds of 44-1. Owner/trainer Patrick Marcondes claimed the Benny the Bull filly for just $6,250 in August at Gulfstream and earned a return of $60,500—nearly 10 times her claiming price—for the victory at one-mile timed in 1:38.53 under jockey Luca Panici.

This was easily the biggest career win for Marcondes, who moved to the United States with his family from Brazil in 1995 and interrupted his racing career to study for a civil engineering degree at Barry University near Miami. He always wanted to train Thoroughbreds, but in his first year as a trainer in 2015, he failed to find the winner’s circle in 15 starts. His record improved in 2016, but he entered the Claiming Crown with just five career wins from 65 starts.

“I worked for a few guys here and then stopped for college,” he said. “I came back and quit everything. I said, ‘This is going to be my profession.’ ”

Bred in the Sunshine State by the University of Florida Foundation, Tormenta de Oro has won seven of 33 starts with earnings of $145,345.

“I had a perfect trip; I could save ground, and this filly, the last time, ran huge against Esken Lady and Arella Princess, and they were both favorites in this race,” said Panici about the November 6 starter allowance at Gulfstream Park West that produced four starters in the Glass Slipper. “I was pretty confident. I was able to save ground and when she got between horses, she had more heart. She ran huge.”

Esken Lady, who was also taken for $6,250 over the summer at Gulfstream, just missed out on the victory for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owner Drawing Away Stable. Roger Moore’s Amaluna, trained by Aubrey Maragh, came from far back to take third.

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FEATURE

EXPRESS | DEFER HEAVEN

Trainer Jorge Navarro, jockey Emisael Jaramillo and owner Monster Racing Stables scored a Claiming Crown double as Defer Heaven captured the $108,900 Express exactly one hour after those connections teamed to win the Rapid Transit with Shaft of Light. This was another decisive win with a favorite, as Defer Heaven defeated by 1 ¾ lengths a field of horses who had started for $8,000 or less in their lifetimes. The Defer gelding covered six furlongs in 1:09.77.

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“I tried to make the lead, but when I saw those other two horses hook up, I decided to just lay right behind them and try to come get them at the head of lane,” Jaramillo said. “He ran a great race.”

“[Emisael] knows him better than me, and he made the right move,” Navarro said. “I told him, ‘Send, send, send.’ I guess he couldn’t make the lead. He did make the right choice. Also, the horse loves this track. This is a cool horse all around; he’s got 19 wins now.”

Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, the 6-year-old gelding won for the eighth time in 11 starts on the year while racing at Gulfstream, Monmouth Park, Delaware Park and Parx Racing. Defer Heaven was claimed for $16,000 at Keeneland Race Course in his last start of 2015, and he banked $195,690 in 2016 alone. While the gelding seems to win everywhere he goes, Gulfstream might be his favorite after picking up his sixth win there in seven trips to the post. All told, he has won 19 of 35 starts with earnings of $324,678.

Proper Freud, who came in off consecutive victories at Parx Racing and Laurel Park, grabbed second for trainer and owner David Jacobson. Bersalu Farm Inc.’s Express Jet, who was a maiden until this past July and had won two of his last three starts, rallied to finish third for trainer Bernardo Campos.

IRON HORSE | CHEPSTOW

The $110,000 Iron Horse lived up to its name as the two favorites, Chepstow and Goodtimehadbyall, with a combined 20 career wins, battled almost right from the start of the 1 1/16-mile contest for horses who had started for $8,000 or less at any time. At the wire, Chepstow and rider Edgard Zayas prevailed by a half-length in a time of 1:43.90.

“I hoped he would be on the lead,” said winning trainer Ralph Ziadie, who saddled the 6-year-old Harlington gelding for GLAB Racing Stable LLC. “When he was being pressed, I thought he was going to be beat. I was worried my horse was going to be tired when he straightened up for home, but he had a big heart and he ran super.”

Chepstow, who was bred by Eugene Melnyk and became the second Ontario-bred winner in this year’s Claiming Crown, improved his lifetime bankroll to $205,284 with his eighth career win from 34 starts. He started his

career at Woodbine in Canada but has raced exclusively in South Florida since the end of 2013. The gelding raced well mostly in sprints through the end of last year, but running exclusively in two-turn events this year he has had even greater success with four wins, a second and two thirds from nine starts.

“My horse, he loves to fight,” Zayas said. “Whenever he gets the lead, he’s just a different horse. You have to ride him and ride him. He looks like he’s always beat, but he always keeps trying. Whenever they get close to him, he’s a grinder. He just keeps going.”

Goodtimehadbyall, an earner of nearly $600,000 trained by Jorge Navarro and owned by Ten Strike Racing, finished a clear second after coming in off a victory at Monmouth Park. GTG Racing LLC and Intuition Racing’s Chiseled, trained by Fernando Abreu, got third.

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FEATURE

CANTERBURY | SUPER SPENDER

Six years after his sire Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby (G1), Super Spender rallied to win a race that could not be any different than the 1 ¼-mile classic on the Churchill Downs dirt. The $107,800 Canterbury for horses that had run for a tag of $25,000 or less was over in just :56.54 when Super Spender and jockey Nik Juarez hit the wire a neck in front after running five furlongs on the turf at odds of 5-1.

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“He’s kind of a funny horse because he runs like he’d like 5 ½ or 6 furlongs, but every time you stretch him out, he doesn’t run well,” said Jane Cibelli, who conditions the 4-year-old gelding for Goodwood Racing V. “So I think I’ll stop trying to reinvent the wheel and keep him at five-eighths. That’s what he wants to do.”

Super Spender, a $30,000 Keeneland September yearling bred by Three Lyons Racing LLC, has won six of 11 starts at five furlongs on the turf but is just one-for-nine in other situations. That still adds up to a solid record of 20-7-3-1 with earnings of $218,320. His most recent victory before the Canterbury came on Claiming Crown Preview Day at Gulfstream Park West, making him one of three horses to win a preview race and come back to win the big money.

“He responded so well coming out of his last race,” Juarez said. “We know he is a come-from-behind sprinter. Jane told me to let him do his thing and settle and make one run. Luckily, everything opened up in the lane. Jane told me to be patient until we turned for home and then to pop to that lead. I was waiting for the opportunity, and he just shot right through there.”

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Partly Mocha, from the Mike Maker barn, rallied from the back of the pack to run second as the 5-2 favorite. Divine Warrior, owned by Carl Hurst and trainer William “Buff” Bradley, took the show position.

TIARA | MARABEA (GB)

The $125,000 Tiara at 1 1/16 miles on the grass for fillies and mares who had started for $25,000 or less had a distinct international flavor as a horse bred in Great Britain that broke her maiden in Italy ended up in the winner’s circle. Farfellow Farm Ltd.’s Marabea, trained by Maryland-based Lacey Gaudet, closed with a rush to win by a neck at odds of 6-1 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

“I was nervous,” said Gaudet after winning her first-ever race at Gulfstream. “She broke fine, but then they kind of came over on her. I thought she was going to be in trouble, but you’ve got to be confident with a rider like Lezcano. He put her in the spot where he knew she needed to be, and he figured out the right moment and got there in time. He did a great job.”

Gaudet’s first Gulfstream victory was even sweeter as she shared it with her sister Gabby, the on-air host for the Maryland Jockey Club who was also making her Gulfstream debut as an on-air host for the Championship Meet.

Although Marabea, who was bred by Charley Knoll Partnership, showed promise as a 2-year-old with two easy wins and a Group 3 placing in Italy, she went out of form in the United States and dropped to the $25,000 claiming level this summer at Saratoga. But the 4-year-old found her form again at Laurel Park, where on November 6 she won a Claiming Crown Preview race for her first win in more than a year.

“I’m not sure what kind of filly she is,” said her trainer. “She’s a very, very nice filly. She clearly ran a race back to what she did last time. She could be any kind of filly.”

William Cubbedge’s Lobelia, conditioned by Carlo Vaccarezza, hit the board for the eighth time in 10 starts with a runner-up finish. Seeking Treasure, owned

by Steven Frum and trained by Doug Matthews, finished third.

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FEATURE

EMERALD | KEYSTONEFORVICTORY

Trainer Mike Maker and owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey have made no secret of the fact that they are constantly on the lookout for potential Claiming Crown horses, and 14 times prior to the $125,000 Emerald they ended up in the winner’s circle with a Claiming Crown winner. But Keystoneforvictory was a little different in that he wasn’t a horse that the powerful connections claimed or one that was bred by the Ramseys, who are

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Eclipse Award winners as Outstanding Breeders and Owners. Instead, their 15th Claiming Crown win came via a $25,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase who subsequently ran for that same price in a Gulfstream maiden claiming race in January.

The 3-year-old colt by Shakespeare, who was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm LLC, quickly developed into a stakes horse after that maiden win and took the $75,000 Forty Niner Stakes at Gulfstream in June. The Emerald, run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf for horses who had started for $25,000 or less, included the added challenge for Keystoneforvictory of facing older horses for the first time, but the colt passed the test with a neck victory as the tepid 3-1 favorite under Jose Ortiz.

“Every race we win is important, obviously, but we love the Claiming Crown,” Maker said. “We love coming to it and love being part of it. I’m glad we didn’t get shut out again this year. I thought I had won a couple earlier today and it didn’t work out so I was due, I guess.”

The Ramseys and Maker have won at least one Claiming Crown race every year since 2008, except for 2011 and last year.

Bruce McCrea’s Flashy Chelsey, a Churchill Downs invader trained by Robert O’Connor II, surged to take second at odds of 23-1. Another horse coming from Churchill, Market Outlook, finished third for owner Hot Scot Stable and trainer Gary Contessa.

JEWEL | ROYAL POSSE

The words “claiming horse” and “millionaire” normally do not go together, unless you are talking about Royal Posse, who won the $190,000 Jewel for the second consecutive year and pushed his bankroll into seven-figure territory.

Of course, it could be argued that the New York-bred son of Posse is not the same horse taken for $20,000 out of a May 2015 race at Belmont Park, and he’s unlikely to see the claiming ranks again anytime soon.

Since being claimed, the gelding has turned into a bonafide star with a total of six stakes wins, including three straight coming into this renewal of the Claiming Crown. He benefited from his status as a New York-bred, with four of those six stakes wins coming against state-bred foes, headlined by the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap at Belmont. After the Rudy Rodriguez trainee crossed the finish line a half-length in front at Gulfstream as the 7-10 favorite in the Jewel, his earnings stood at $1,011,245 with a record of 34-11-10-0. He covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.84 under Luis Saez. Racing’s newest millionaire was bred by Richard Troncone and Richard Troncone Jr.

“We claimed him at the right time,” said Rodriguez, who trains the 5-yearold for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Gary Aisquith. “When we got

him, he was a pretty sound horse. He’s like an ATM. You put him in [a race], and he gives it to you. You don’t have to put much back, just keep him happy.”

The outcome of the Jewel, however, looked far from certain on the far turn as the favorite still had plenty of work to do from fifth place.

“I wasn’t worried,” Rodriguez said. “I know when he’s outside, he’s a grinder. Luis said as soon as he took him outside, he started grinding and grinding. That’s what he does most of the time.”

A three-peat in the Jewel is highly improbable for Royal Posse, as he would have to be entered again for a tag of $35,000 or less to become eligible to defend his title.

Diamond Bachelor, a two-time stakes winner on the Gulfstream turf for Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, Robert Trussell and co-owner/trainer Patrick Biancone, put in a valiant effort but came up just short of pulling off a 38-1 upset. John Jones, a winner of four straight races including a Claiming Crown Preview race at Laurel Park, took third for owner Matthew Schera and trainer Lacey Gaudet.

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FEATURE

THE

(HORSE)

POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND PROMOTION

DO NOT

HAVE TO BE DIRTY WORDS TO HORSEMEN

By Jennie Rees 34

HJWINTER 16

LET’S FACE REALITY: IN THIS DIGITAL AGE, TRAINERS MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TOOLS OFFERED BY SOCIAL MEDIA. IF NOT, THE GUY OR GAL IN THE NEXT BARN WILL. AND THAT MIGHT BE WHO YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT SEES IN CYBERSPACE AND PERHAPS SUBSEQUENTLY SENDS HORSES. THE SAME CONCEPT APPLIES TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE HORSE INDUSTRY AS WELL, WHETHER YOU ARE STANDING STALLIONS, PROVIDING SALE PREP OR SELLING HAY. “You have to realize that it’s part of what the future is, part of life whether you like it or not,” said trainer Eddie Kenneally, who recently redesigned his website and started utilizing Twitter. “If you’re going to run a successful business, you have to be involved in it and evolve with it. There was a point that I didn’t think it was necessary.

Now I think it’s a must.”

The concept of horsemen and the racing industry using social media to reach the public directly, rather than relying on the sometimes biased or uninformed general media, was one of the topics discussed at the National HBPA’s winter convention earlier this year, and it appears many are heeding that advice.

Coady Photography

Young fans at Ellis Park get an up-close experience with a horse at an event designed to give the public a behind-thescenes look at racing.

GIVING THE PUBLIC AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT RACING Doing basic things to get your name out to the public is not mutually exclusive with horsemanship. What it does is let people know about you and your operation while sending the message that you are accessible and on the cutting edge.

Trainer Murat Sancal credits 99 percent of the business he has today to the powers of social media: Twitter and Facebook. He’s also in the process of developing a website.

The Kentucky-based conditioner has a growing racing stable in addition to a breeding and sales operation for which he leases Elmendorf Farm in Lexington.

“We have so many horses at the farm, so many horses at the track,” he said. “They are quality horses, but nobody knows who we are and who they are.

Last year we sold a $2 million horse at Keeneland, but nobody knows it. All the good you are doing, you have to share with people. What if you turn a horse out in the field and he’s happy and you’re sharing with the people how happy this horse is? [That is] on our Facebook page, and almost 4,000 people watched that video and commented on it.

“They ask, ‘Is that a show horse?’ ‘No, he’s a racehorse and a very nice horse and he’s just resting there for 20 days.’ ‘Oh, I want to see the farm.’ When they go there, they see those [famous Elmendorf] columns, the history, and then their mind just changes. I think social media is very good right now for our business. You can reach everybody.”

One of the benefits of social media and websites is a global reach, and Sancal’s clientele currently is all overseas, primarily connected to his native Turkey. He started his racing stable four years ago with one horse, $160,000-earner Stoptalkingmaria, owned by assistant trainer Maria Sol Aller,

Courtesy Maria Sol Aller

Trainer Murat Sancal (right) said the social media effort managed by assistant trainer Maria Sol Aller (left) is vital to the success of his stable.

who also handles much of the social media for which he credits with his full barn today.

Sancal told racing digital media consultant Gwen Davis that he views the commitment and cost for the website she’s designing for him as having another horse.

“And I need to pay attention to this horse and do what I need to do to get it ready to go,” he said. “Except this horse is going to pay off much more, because this horse will bring in owners. This is an investment, and it will pay off.”

Trainer Tom Amoss got on Twitter at the insistence of his two daughters, who both work in social media in New Orleans.

“Look, I’m late to the party,” he said. “And my only real excuse is that I’m old-fashioned, No. 1, and No. 2, I didn’t perceive Twitter correctly. My perception was it was ego-driven and a platform where you had the opportunity to say, ‘Look at me.’ My opinion of Twitter has changed 180 degrees since then. Surprisingly, what convinced me was the number of people who started following me. It led me to believe that people have a real interest in that stuff.

And the second thing I liked, particularly as it pertains to video clips or pictures, is that people have an interest in what we do. I don’t mean me. I mean what the horse industry does.”

Trainer Michelle Lovell puts pictures of her horses, including win photos, on Facebook in part because her owners are on Facebook, and they like to share the posts with their friends. Lovell can’t say that she’s picked up owners because of social media, “but it gives them a chance to vet you out. They see your face, what you do, catch a few glimpses of your morning.”

With websites, budget definitely comes into play, though there are some good free templates, such as WordPress. For the do-it-yourselfers, or those with technologically inclined children or grandchildren to do the legwork, a basic website can be had for less than $100 a year. Of course, a professionally designed website can cost many times that amount. Keep in mind that a website is the first impression a lot of people will have of you, so it needs to be well done and kept updated.

An excellent free resource is OwnerView.com’s profile pages for trainers and owners. The information website was developed by The Jockey Club and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association for new, prospective and current Thoroughbred owners and has a wealth of information. You (or your emissary) can create your profile page or ask for assistance from Suzie Oldham, who administers the program.

OwnerView has categories not just for trainers, but also for stallion farms, owners (including syndicates) and advisors. For trainers, the online directory will list pertinent statistics, plus a bio, contact information and client references can be added.

Beaten up in some media outlets, two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill has very effectively used his Davis-designed website and social media to go directly to the public to show his philosophy and how he cares for his horses.

“It’s all just trying to add value and to try and bring what’s going on behind the scenes to more people,” O’Neill told the Los Angeles Times’ John Cherwa. “When they get to see the care that racehorses get and get to see the personalities of the people involved, it’s something that we’re proud of.”

Davis, whose company Davis Innovation specializes in marketing, website design and social media for the horse racing industry, enlisted and paid a nominal fee to University of Louisville equine industry students to help with O’Neill’s Nyquist social media coverage during the colt’s run-up to a Kentucky Derby victory.

“That’s a great way to get these kids experience and also to bring younger people into the industry and get them engaged behind the scenes,” Davis said. “There are so many young people with such great talent, especially where technology is concerned. We have to do something to appeal to young people where they are, and they’re on their phones.”

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FEATURE

huge difference. There’s no limitation beyond our own imaginations in terms of what we can try to do. … We need to try to be involved in co-promoting with our track partners.”

The Indiana HBPA had an event at the State Fair and put on a “Back to School” night, having drawings for backpacks stuffed with school supplies and iPads. Another educational program after the Friday races was less successful, with Brown saying they’ll probably look to tweak it for 2017. But he says it’s important to try things to get the successes.

The Indiana HBPA recently started using Facebook but is not yet on Twitter.

Brown cheerfully attributes the delay to the “intellectual limitations of the person who is supposed to implement it—me.

“I do see Facebook as a really good way to reach people,” the former newspaper reporter added. “This is a 20th century sport or business that happens to be happening in the 21st, so it’s a challenge to use social media and have it be worthwhile. … It’s a brave new world out there, and among the many duties the staff of an affiliate has, certainly marketing is going to be one of them.”

Kentucky HBPA board member John Hancock, a third-generation trainer based at Ellis Park, long thought his hometown track should take advantage of having morning gate schooling in the mile chute next to the parking lot, giving fans rare public access. When Ellis hired me to do racing publicity, Hancock shared his concept, and the Saturday morning fan experience called “Making of a Racehorse” was held July 30 with the HBPA partnering with the track.

Such ventures cost little more than sweat equity and passion. And social media is a powerful way to help promote them.

The Kentucky HBPA, for whom I created a Twitter account, loved my idea to have the sons and daughters of the Kentucky Derby trainers tweet on @KyHBPA about the experience. We had more than a dozen kids participate and more

Courtesy Indiana Grand

Trainer Marvin Johnson demonstrates the role of a pony rider during one of the “Grand Mornings at the Track” sessions at Indiana Grand.

Kentucky HBPA Vice President Dale Romans still doesn’t know a lot about the mechanics of social media, but he quickly understood it was something horsemen and the sport needed to embrace. He began with his bookkeeper, horsewoman Laura Hernan, doing a Facebook page and a rudimentary website that Davis subsequently redesigned. Then he went all in.

Calling it Raceday Live, Romans teamed with Davis, Hernan and photographer Lawrence Van Garrett to give fans backside access in real time to Keen Ice’s pre-Travers Stakes and race-day preparation on Periscope (a live video app), along with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It paid off in spades when Keen Ice pulled off the upset of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and social media users got to experience that in a way not possible years ago.

Bailey Romans (daughter of trainer Dale Romans) at left and Tess Von Hemel (daughter of trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel) are interviewed on Louisville TV during Kentucky Oaks morning about the Kentucky HBPA’s #KyDerbyKids Twitter program.

Everyone who makes a living in racing or cares about the future of the sport should be an ambassador. Traditional media have cut back on horse racing coverage and many tracks have eliminated or reduced their publicity presence. It’s in the entire horse industry’s best interest to take steps to help fill the void.

That can be as simple as taking phone pictures and posting them to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Many HBPA affiliates and state owner/breeder associations have Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. But the key, as with websites, is a stream of current, engaging content. Davis emphasizes that it doesn’t have to be the actual trainer or a horsemen’s organization staffer doing the posts. You can enlist tech-savvy employees and family, as many trainers do.

Horsemen’s organizations could consider interns from the area.

The Indiana and Kentucky HBPA affiliates have taken marketing involvement to heart.

Taking a page from Oaklawn Park’s highly successful program, the Indiana horsemen in conjunction with Indiana Grand stage “Grand Mornings at the Track” one Saturday morning a month during training hours, with a free continental breakfast and each session featuring a different aspect of the sport.

“It’s not a huge turnout at this stage; we consistently have 20-25,” said Indiana HBPA Executive Director Mike Brown. “But we think they’ll tell their friends and we see a lot of people coming back, so we think there’s some value in what we’re doing.”

Brown said the Indiana HBPA is lucky because the slots legislation includes a percentage to horsemen for equine promotion.

“We recognize we have a responsibility to get some fannies in the stands, too,” he said. “Not everybody has access to a funding stream, which makes a

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Jennie Rees

HORSEMEN MARKETING HORSE RACING

than tripled the number of Twitter followers for the Kentucky HBPA. The venture received extensive exposure in print and on radio and television that week.

The program now has its own Twitter handle, @KyDerbyKids, and has been expanded for horsemen’s children to tweet about the 2-year-olds with which they are connected, as well as any aspect of horse racing. Others can participate by tagging #KyDerbyKids or @KyDerbyKids.

Kentucky HBPA Executive Director Marty Maline said racetracks should embrace horsemen’s marketing ideas.

“Some of our horsemen are very creative thinkers, just a wealth of knowledge and experience on the backside and people from all walks of life who come into this,” he said. “If people are willing to listen, there are ideas back there.”

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Photo by Suzie Picou-Oldham

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FEATURE

HONORING THE

UNHERALDED HORSEMEN THE FIRST THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS IN AMERICA GETS OFF TO A GREAT START

By Jennie Rees

IT WASN’T JUST THE HONOREES DABBING THEIR EYES AT THE GODOLPHIN-SPONSORED THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS IN AN OCTOBER 7 LUNCHEON AT KEENELAND RACE COURSE.

“I

was a groom at a layup facility, a vet tech, a divisional manager; I was on every level,” said Eric Hamelback, the National HBPA’s CEO, who was closely involved in launching the awards for the first time in the United States. “To see how hard people actually work and for them to now have a mechanism for being recognized, I think, is tremendous. I mean, I cried on two separate occasions during the awards ceremony. It’s just a very heartfelt thing to be recognized.”

Godolphin, the international racing and breeding operation headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, who is vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, already had programs to recognize outstanding workers behind the scenes at farms and racetracks in Australia,

England, Ireland and France. He was keen to add America, and with Dan Pride, CEO of Godolphin in America, reached out to Hamelback to start the planning process. In addition to the National HBPA, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and The Jockey Club were added as sponsoring entities with Godolphin.

Hamelback said the awards should stand as a reminder “for everyone in the industry to remember who gets these horses to the point that they are … I would hope this awards ceremony just becomes a microcosm of what begins to occur throughout the industry and the recognition of those who work so hard, tirelessly, many times seven days a week, because of and for their love of the horse.”

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FEATURE

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Jose “Vinny” Castaneda, the Dedication to Racing winner, has been a groom for prominent California trainer Farrell Jones, his Hall of Fame son Gary and now grandson Marty—a tenure spanning 46 years.

“He really is the elder statesman in the barn and a special guy,” Marty Jones said. “Vinny is the first one here and the last one to leave. He has more knowledge and experience than anyone else I know as far as the horses go. I wouldn’t say he’s the most popular guy here at the barn, though he is the most respected. He’s not afraid to tell another employee that they’re doing something wrong. For him, the horses always come first. I don’t know where the barn—or our family—would be without what he’s done for the last 46 years.”

James Sebastian, part of the crew handling mares and foals for Claiborne Farm, his employer for 52 years, won the Dedication to Breeding award. At 75, Sebastian is Claiborne’s oldest employee, with the farm estimating he has delivered around 10,000 foals.

“If there’s a problem, James can usually get it solved,” said Claiborne President Walker Hancock, who nominated Sebastian. “It’s very rare the vet is called in. James has a world of knowledge when it comes to foaling mares. …

These guys don’t get recognized as much as they should. People like James are the backbone of this farm.”

A familiar name won the Leadership–Farm category. This Victor Espinoza is not the California Chrome and American Pharoah jockey but Brookdale Farm’s farm manager and employee of 31 years.

Espinoza, 53, came from Mexico when he was 19 with a one-way ticket into America and enough money to buy two cheap meals. He landed at Brookdale, working his way up to stud groom and ultimately farm manager.

“He’s definitely who we think of as Victor Espinoza, for sure,” said Brookdale patriarch Fred Seitz Sr. “He’s not quite as well known, but I’m just delighted he won. It’s the best of America—testament to people with initiative and nerve and talent who come here and succeed. He’s been a wonderful asset for us. He’s like the dean of Hispanic workers.

He’s supplied a lot of farms with good help.”

Espinoza, who was nominated by veterinarian Jeffrey Berk, called being selected “overwhelming.”

“It’s emotional,” he said. “Thanks to Brookdale Farm— 31 wonderful years working for them. They’re the Jose “Vinny” Castaneda, the Dedication to Racing winner, greatest farm in has worked as a groom for nearly 50 years covering the world. Mr. Fred three generations of the Jones training family.

Seitz is not just my boss but like a brother to me. He gave me every chance in the world. He didn’t have to do it. I just want to make him proud. … This is a great program. I never in my wildest dreams was thinking I belonged to the elite group.”

Espinoza’s scheduled day off tends to be merely sleeping in a couple of hours before finding something to do on the farm. “I try to stay in bed until maybe 6, 6:30,” he said. “I’m in the habit of every morning waking up at Courtesy Marty Jones

Coady Photography

Coady Photography

There were a total of 117 nominees for the four core awards—two apiece for the racetrack and breeding industries. The nominees were whittled down to 12 by a short-list judging panel, with the winners chosen by another panel.

The winners of the four categories each received $10,000, with another $5,000 going to their racing stable or farm. The other two finalists for each award received Israel “Izzy” Vega, a founding member of the Race Track Chaplaincy of California, accepts the Community Award $2,500 apiece, from emcee Jill Byrne. with $2,500 going to their racing stable or farm.

Jill Byrne, director of programming and senior racing analyst for Churchill Downs, emceed the event with Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas serving as presenter.

In addition, the Community Award was given to Israel “Izzy” Vega, a founding member of the Race Track Chaplaincy of California in 1974, for his outstanding contribution to the Thoroughbred industry.

Melissa Cohen, assistant trainer to New York-based Rick Violette, was presented with the award for Leadership–Racing Vega received Stable by Jill Byrne and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. $10,000, with another $5,000 going to the charity of his choice. The Community Award was the only one announced in advance.

“Ultimately, horse racing and breeding is about people,” said John Ferguson, Godolphin’s chief executive and racing manager who spoke to the luncheon via video address from England. “You can be the best trainer in the world, the best stud manager in the world, but if you don’t have the right people, you won’t have the right horses. It’s the ultimate team game. Those who are nominated should be incredibly proud.”

Melissa Cohen, assistant trainer to New York-based Rick Violette, was clearly emotional after being honored with the Leadership–Racing Stable award.

“There were definitely tears. It’s absolutely thrilling,” Cohen said. “It’s a huge honor, because there are so many hard-working people in this industry, lots of people who deserve this.

“These [awards] are amazing, definitely something to strive for, for all of us under the radar.”

Violette said his other employees “would take a bullet” for Cohen. “She’s a very special person, everything from her personality to her work ethic, her energy, her tireless dedication to the horses,” he added.

along with Diana Cooper, Godolphin’s strategic advisor for charities internationally.

“The National HBPA was very honored to be approached by the team at Godolphin about being a part of and helping to initiate this event,” Victor Espinoza, winner of the Leadership–Farm award, Hamelback said. “In worked his way up from stud groom to farm manager at Brookdale Farm. the planning stages, it was evident that we all saw this as something that could grow and progress as it has in other countries.

“This is a tremendous program for our industry, and I really encourage all horsemen to support this in the future and to submit even more nominations for the second renewal,” he added. “The people who work behind the scenes are the lifeblood of racing, and they truly deserve to have an awards program such as this.”

Courtesy Brookdale Farm

Courtesy Claiborne Farm

3 or 4 o’clock, so that’s like a day off. It’s very hard to get away.”

Asked what he’d do with his $10,000, Edith Espinoza, Victor’s wife of 32 years, interjected, “Take a vacation.”

“He will not leave the farm,” she said. “We’re working on that. I’m pretty much speechless, but he does deserve this award. He’s given it his whole life.”

The other finalists included the following: Dedication to Racing: Danny Ramsey, exercise rider for Kenny McPeek Racing; Raul Rodriguez, groom for Art Sherman (including California Chrome).

Dedication to Breeding: Everett “Powell County” Charles, James Sebastian, winner of the Dedication to Breeding with Stone Farm since award, has delivered an estimated 10,000 foals in his 1980; Leon Hamilton, more than five decades of working at Claiborne Farm. with Ashview Farm for more than 35 years.

Leadership–Farm: John Hall, Taylor Made yearling manager; Matt Koch, owner/manager of Shawhan Place.

Leadership–Racing: Jimmy Barnes, assistant trainer to Bob Baffert; Laz Guerra, Mike Maker’s long-time assistant trainer.

Hamelback said that a lot of credit for the awards’ first-year success goes to Godolphin’s Katie LaMonica for being the U.S. point person for the awards,

Jennie Rees, a five-time Eclipse Award-winning writer, spent 34 years with the Louisville Courier-Journal and now is a racing communications specialist.

Follow her on Twitter at @TracksideJennie.

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FEATURE

THE LOWDOWN ON

OUT-OF-COMPETITION TESTING

WHAT THE RMTC ISN’T TELLING US ABOUT ITS PROPOSED REGULATIONS

By Clara Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Tanya Boulmetis, JD; Kim Brewer, DVM; and Thomas Tobin, MRCVS, Phd, DABT; Photos by Denis Blake

T

he corner office has a beautiful view, with filtered sunlight shining through full plate glass. Grand old oak trees provide shade for much of the year to the building that houses the registry of the American Thoroughbred. Professionals. Many years of experience populate the offices, far from the distinctive scent and dust of the racetrack. Among those distinguished leaders are men who began their careers working up from the mailroom of a racetrack or from the stables of an Arabian horse farm.

Many years and miles removed from the actual day-to-day work of sending out a Thoroughbred for a morning workout, mucking stalls or rubbing down

the athlete at the end of the morning, these executives propose to reform medication rules. Their latest initiative to this end is support of an out-ofcompetition testing regulation promulgated by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), an organization housed under the same roof, shaded by the same oak trees.

Horse racing is both the Sport of Kings and an economic engine for people across all spectra of socioeconomic status. The reliance on wagering to sustain the sport leads many to suspect that anyone who wins at a high percentage must be using “something” to gain an unfair advantage over his or her WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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FEATURE

competitors. The perceived potential for such activities has led to a unique and early history of drug testing advances in horse racing, with methods that long predate drug testing in any human sport. This attention to the integrity of the sport has paid off for modern-day horse racing, with fewer than 0.5 percent of all post-race tests returning a positive, and most of those are trace overages of therapeutic medications that would be legal, indeed at times not even tested for, in any human sport. This low violation rate is less than half of the number of violations reported in human sports, and it does not include the widespread practice of approved therapeutic use exemptions in human drug testing, in which otherwise prohibited drugs are permitted during competition for therapeutic use. The only area in which human testing has surpassed equine testing is in its common use of out-of-competition testing.

ERYTHROPOIETIN

Out-of-competition testing is important because some substances can exert an effect on an athlete long after the substance can no longer be detected in the typical post-race drug-testing sample. The poster-child drug for which out-of-competition testing is required is erythropoietin (EPO) and its analogues. EPO is a hormone produced by the kidneys in response to a reduced oxygen environment; it travels from the kidneys to the bone marrow, where it stimulates the production of red blood cells. This hormone is naturally present all the time in all horses, and the balance of EPO, iron and key vitamins folate and B12 combine to maintain a steady level of red blood cell production by the bone marrow.

This balance is important in maintaining the delivery of oxygen to exercising muscles—a key determinant of optimal racing performance. Horses are unique among athletes in that their blood moves with such great speed throughout their bodies and across their lungs during maximal effort that the blood cannot be fully saturated with oxygen as it traverses the pulmonary circulation. This exercise-associated hypoxemia is not observed in other species and likely contributes to the possibility of improvement in performance following EPO administration in horses. If you can increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, you can deliver more oxygen to the muscles.

The Jockey Club-supported RMTC regulation would ban some theraputic medications at any time during the competition life of the horse—on the backside of a racetrack, on farms, even at layup facilities in states in which no racing is held.

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HJWINTER 16

What makes EPO a hormone of great threat to the integrity of any sport is that small doses administered at regular intervals will stimulate the production of red blood cells, cells that persist in the bloodstream for months and far outlast the two- to three-day presence of detectable amounts of the EPO hormone in blood. In this way, any performance-enhancing effect of EPO would long outlive the ability of any testing laboratory to actually detect the offending EPO.

OUT-OF-COMPETITION TESTING

In 2007 the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) adopted an out-of-competition testing regulation, which, for the first time, instituted a policy for the collection of blood samples for the detection of EPO outside of the post-race testing situation. This regulation represented a significant advance in the ability of racing commissions to address the problem of EPO misuse in horse racing. Since that time, out-of-competition testing has steadily increased, with a high of 3,805 such tests in 2015, of which 45 returned a laboratory finding (a 1.2 percent positive rate). None of those positives actually represented an illegal finding. Cobalt was responsible for 44 of those findings, which did not even represent an illegal finding at the time of the testing and could have resulted from the sampling of a horse shortly after an innocent administration of vitamin B12. The remaining finding was for the dewormer levamisole, a substance of invaluable use in horses as an immune modulator for such diseases as equine protozoal myelitis or Lyme disease. So the 1.2 percent positive rate from 2015 represented not a single real violation. Either racing is doing a great job in controlling illicit substance administrations or we are not testing a sufficient number of horses.

In a recent statement published in Thoroughbred Daily News, The Jockey Club President and COO Jim Gagliano challenged the racing industry to adopt the RMTC’s far-reaching out-of-competition testing proposal to ensure “the integrity of competition.”

Surely, if out-of-competition testing could be expanded, we as an industry could confidently proclaim that all is being done to ensure the integrity of horse

racing. As outlined above, EPO poses a substantial threat to the integrity of horse racing, and every stakeholder in the industry should stand firmly behind the expansion of out-of-competition testing. Or should they? First, let’s look carefully at the actual RMTC proposal.

THE RMTC PROPOSAL

The RMTC’s proposal would expand out-of-competition testing well beyond EPO and related agents and directly into routine practice of veterinary medicine. First, it bans all non-FDA-approved substances, an apparently noble goal on its surface; after all, drug companies have expended millions to demonstrate that their FDA-approved drugs are safe and effective, and our industry should be in support of making sure that our athletes receive only the highest-quality medicines. The first exception is that our federal and state governments have made numerous provisions for the use of medications that were in widespread use at the time that the current system of FDA approval was introduced, as well as for the use of compounded medications, which are legal when there is no FDA-approved alternative available. Strict restrictions are already in place for the control of such substances in post-race testing, but The Jockey Club-supported RMTC regulation would ban them at any time during the competition life of the horse—on the backside of a racetrack, on farms, even at layup facilities in states in which no racing is held. Aside from the negative impact on the athlete itself, when treatment options for any number of conditions would be limited, trainers and owners could be held liable for the actions of any manager or veterinarian, unlicensed by any commission, acting innocently and in good faith in the best interests of the health and welfare of the horse.

The list of prohibited substances appears to have been slightly modified from the list that appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency website (wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/prohibited-list) and includes cytokines and growth factors, which are specifically used in regenerative medicine, such as Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein and platelet-rich plasma, for which, incidentally, no detection technology, out-of-competition testing or otherwise, currently exists. In human sports, such methods of promoting better and faster healing from sports injuries are considered illegal, taking an unfair advantage over competitors. This concept of “cheating” is inappropriate in equine sports, where failing to allow a horse to recuperate to its fullest extent could both predispose the horse and its rider to catastrophic injury and prevent the equine athlete from having a successful second career after racing. The use of such growth factors as targeted therapies for joints, tendons and ligaments should be encouraged in our athletes rather than added to a long list of prohibited substances.

Thyroxine, adrenocorticotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin, substances in common use for the purpose of treating specific conditions in horses, are included on the RMTC’s proposed rule. The RMTC provides no evidence that the use of any of these substances poses a risk to the integrity of racing. These substances are currently prescribed pursuant to a specific diagnosis in horses both on and off the track on a daily basis. This regulation seeks to permit the use of thyroxine only after permission is given by the regulatory authority. So if your vet pulls a blood test and determines that the horse has a low level of thyroxine, you cannot supplement the horse until permission is received by the regulatory authority. The RMTC’s regulation would put bureaucrats in the place of your own veterinarian in making health and welfare decisions for your horse.

There are many issues with this scenario of regulatory permission being required to use a legal medication during training or recuperation. For example, say the state that you requested permission from refuses to allow the medication. After the refusal, you ship to another state, again request

permission, have it granted and medicate your horse. Then the state that refused permission tests your horse out of competition. Obviously, it would be positive. Who is liable? State budgets are constrained enough without looking for lawsuits. Another issue would be the timeframe between requesting permission and receiving it. It would put the commission in the untenable position of being able to refuse or delay approval in order to tacitly punish a horseman who, without any proof, they “felt” was cheating.

Anabolic steroids would be further restricted in this out-of-competition testing regulation well beyond their current restrictions within proximity to racing. Horses are unique among athletes in that we geld our athletes, for which there is no corollary in human sports. Anabolic steroids may be required for normal recovery from injury and disease, and like growth factors, any intervention we can provide to horses that may lead to a fuller and more rapid recovery should be encouraged. Any human bodybuilder or weight lifter can attest that using cycles of anabolic steroids will enhance performance, but the existing minimum withdrawal of 60 days from racing prevents such abuse. This regulation would require placing the horse on the vet’s list for six months, which is lightyears in horse racing, and would effectively ban the use of these substances at any time in a racing horse. Further, stanozolol, the only FDA-approved anabolic steroid that provides the benefits of anabolic steroids without the disadvantage of causing studdish behavior, would be banned at all times. This regulation would prevent the beneficial use of anabolic steroids based solely on the premise that it looks good to the public.

THERAPEUTIC SUBSTANCES

In addition to the restrictions on specific widely used therapeutic substances, an even more sinister provision is hidden within this proposed regulation. A provision calls for out-of-competition testing to be used to police other racing regulations not contained within the language of the out-ofcompetition testing regulation. On the surface, this sounds innocuous enough, but a careful review reveals the following possible intent in the regulation. If a horse tests positive for a therapeutic substance—for example, methocarbamol or dexamethasone—and there is no vet record or prescription for that substance for that horse, a violation has occurred. In the current environment of picogram identifications at the laboratory, where most methocarbamol and dexamethasone identifications are the result of inadvertent environmental contamination, trainers will be penalized for trace medication levels over which they have no control.

A further issue with this scenario would be for a medication of which trace levels may be found for an extended period of time after the last administration. For example, horses in training can be purchased at auction, leading to the question of who is liable when a horse that recently has been purchased tests positive and only has been in its new barn for a few weeks.

New York takes this into account and has a provision through which the new owner may void the purchase within 10 days of notification. However, what if the sale was months ago? The conditions of sale for both Keeneland and FasigTipton do not take a position through which a horse may be returned months later. Again, this could be an expensive litigation scenario for both states and horsemen. There is even a provision in the proposed RMTC regulation for hair testing, in which substances could be found for up to a year later, and other biologic samples as yet undefined.

EXISTING REGULATIONS

A racing commission that is considering adopting the RMTC’s recommendation should carefully evaluate the validity of the out-of-competition testing rules; they need to consider whether it falls within the scope of the WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

45

FEATURE

jurisdiction conferred by their legislature. Each state has its own enabling statute concerning horse racing. In general, the proposed rule must have a rational and reasonable basis and be based on objective science. It must safeguard the constitutional rights and ensure fairness to all horsemen. In 2006 Ontario was the first jurisdiction to launch an out-of-competition testing program, and many jurisdictions followed suit. These adopted rules range from the very narrow, in which there are defined parameters of which horses are eligible and what is tested for, to extremely broad, in which a state could make a case to test the majority of the horse population in the United States—even if that horse had never been in that specific state.

Some states test only for the blood doping substances and limit the eligible horses to jurisdiction grounds or to horses that are racing in the state. Some test only blood, and others allow urine and hair testing. Other states, however, are testing for a very broad range of substances, some of which include drugs that can be a result of inadvertent environmental contaminations, such as zilpaterol and ractopamine.

Delaware falls into the narrow out-of-competition testing rule category.

The state tests for blood doping on any entered horse, any horse that raced there within the past 60 days, any horse that showed the presence of blood doping antibodies at some point, a horse with a trainer who has ever had a horse test positive for EPO and any horse that dies or is euthanized on association grounds for any reason.

Kentucky falls into the latter category; “any horse eligible to race in Kentucky” is its guideline. Kentucky defines this as a horse being eligible if the owner or trainer is licensed in that state, if it is nominated to a race in that state or if it raced in Kentucky within the past 12 months, if it is stabled at a racetrack or licensed training facility or if it is nominated to the Kentucky

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HJWINTER 16

Thoroughbred Development Fund. Kentucky testing is supposed to be limited to natural or synthetic types of blood doping substances, venoms and growth hormones.

New Mexico is broader in what it tests for but slightly limited more to horses in its area. The state may test horses on the grounds, horses with papers that are on file, horses nominated to stakes or horses with an owner or trainer licensed in the state. New Mexico also tests for clenbuterol and anabolic steroids in addition to the Kentucky list. It also may test urine and hair, in addition to blood. Illinois tests for blood and gene doping but specifically added the following wording: “This Section does not apply to therapeutic medications approved by the FDA for use in the horse.”

Gagliano, in his statement to the Thoroughbred Daily News, bemoaned the fact that only 19 out of 38 states have out-of-competition testing. Perhaps the states that are not currently doing this testing are waiting for a good rule to follow. Racing commissions are woefully underfunded. Adopting a specific rule just because it has the RMTC’s blessing does not mean it will stand up in a court challenge. New York had an expensive, protracted legal fight on this issue, the outcome being that the lawsuit was dropped when New York amended its rule. The states that wait may be better off; they can create a fair and legally validated rule, one that targets the cheaters and only the cheaters, and a rule that will stand up when challenged in court.

All these states have a noble idea—get rid of the cheaters in the industry and make it an even playing field for all horsemen. However, in the RMTC’s quest to make the public think they are getting “tough on racing,” they actually may be diluting the effectiveness of out-of-competition testing.

As it stands, California has the highest percentage of out-of-competition testing, at 10 percent of all drug testing. Contrast this to Kentucky, where

What happens if trace levels of a substance administered before a 2-year-old or horses of racing age sale are found months later after the horse has changed hands?

a generous estimate is 2 percent of all drug testing. The RMTC regulation heralded by Gagliano expands out-of-competition testing to routine therapeutic medications, rather than expanding the number of horses tested for EPO analogues or providing funding to develop testing for designer drugs. In support of its regulation, the RCI recently sent out a survey that asked whether respondents were in favor of expanded testing. What RCI failed to define was “expanded.” Rather than expanding testing for substances that might actually damage the integrity of horse racing, the proposed regulation seeks to expand out-of-competition testing to legitimate therapeutic medications. By expanding this testing to legitimate therapeutic medications, the proposed rule gives chemists something to report in their out-of-competition testing reports and thereby justifies the out-of-competition testing process and the entire regulatory process itself and as such points to the claimed efficacy of the rule. Financially, this approach has only one result. There will be fewer horses tested.

During the 2013 University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing and Gaming, Alan Foreman, chair of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said out-of-competition testing is designed to detect the use of substances like blood-doping agents and “emerging drugs” like peptide venoms that can have pain-killing effects. Testing for these illicit substances is “more important than testing for 24 therapeutic drugs. Those aren’t the drugs compromising racing.”

CONCLUSION

As Gagliano suggests, the expansion of out-of-competition testing is a goal worthy of widespread industry support. However, the details of the current RMTC proposal, supported by The Jockey Club, fall short of actually improving the integrity of horse racing. There are currently more than 80 EPO analogues, and technology is only capable of identifying a handful. Designer anabolic steroids and peptides can only be detected in limited numbers, because the technology for finding anything is only now being developed. There is a need for expanded out-of-competition testing and more widespread adoption of the current regulations by racing jurisdictions but not for expanding this testing into the administration of legitimate therapeutic medications. The proposed regulation only criminalizes legal activity without providing even the tiniest of steps toward addressing the true threats to the integrity of horse racing. In the meantime, horsemen and vets have to waste precious resources and time fighting the implementation of overly broadly drafted rules when our efforts, one and all, would be better spent focusing as a united industry on ways to identify true cheating. The mission of The Jockey Club would be better served if its executives would emerge from their offices in the shade of the oak trees and walk the backsides of our racetracks talking to the actual people who keep them in their jobs.

UPDATE: NATIONAL HBPA WORKING HARD FOR POSITIVE CHANGE Immediately following the Global Symposium on Racing and Gaming in Tucson, Arizona, the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) scheduled meetings on December 8 and 9 at the Omni Resort, also in Tucson. The National HBPA was present and represented by Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio HBPA, along with National HBPA President and Chair Leroy Gessmann and CEO Eric Hamelback. The RCI Model Rules Committee met first, followed by the RCI Board of Directors.

The RCI Model Rules Committee convened to discuss several topics.

One of those was the proposed changes submitted by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) to the current Multiple Medication Violation (MMV) phase of the National Uniform Medication Program (NUMP).

Significant work went into reevaluating the current MMV phase by a subcommittee of the RMTC, which was composed of a wide array of industry stakeholders. Following the subcommittee’s changes and recommendations, the RMTC board approved the amendments, which were then proposed in writing to the RCI with the intention to amend the current model rule.

The changes that were amended to the MMV allowed for decreases in the amount of time that points remain on a trainer’s record as well as a decrease in the number of points assigned for medications that are not performance-enhancing. More importantly, the changes would allow stewards to have discretion in how many—if any—points are awarded in cases where a positive test is the result of contamination and proven through mitigating circumstances.

The significant progress made to improve the MMV component of the NUMP now allows for support given to this phase by the NHBPA. The changes were supported by a wide range of industry participants, including the NHBPA and RMTC. The only opponent of the changes was The Jockey Club.

“With the sensitivity of today’s testing, trainers are at a constant risk of having a positive test from a miniscule amount of a substance a horse

might have ingested through contaminated feed, hay or other environmental factors or through human contact,” said Hamelback. “Furthermore, these positives are sometimes called at levels and for medications that could not possibly affect performance on the track, so this is certainly a step in the right direction. We thank the RCI, RMTC and all the other industry groups who came together to improve the MMV and make it a fair system for all.”

Another topic discussed by the RCI Model Rules committee was the proposed model rule discussed in this article to allow for out-of-competition testing. While the NHBPA has been on the record supporting out-ofcompetition testing, it was important to note horsemen’s concerns related to the drafted proposed model rule. The intention of the NHBPA’s presence at the meeting was to state the organization’s opposition to the current content and to express apprehension regarding the overreaching intent, which would cause concern for horsemen’s rights.

Working together with Alan Foreman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the NHBPA was successful in presenting opposition to the original proposed model rule and thus initiating significant changes. While concerns can still be voiced, the changes initiated by the Model Rules Committee were very much in the favor of horsemen’s rights. Of particular importance was the change made to the new out-of-competition testing draft going before the RCI full board that involved the exclusion of results found regarding therapeutic medications as non-relevant findings.

The NHBPA believes the progress made in the past few months has been very encouraging. While it is important to say that we are working together with many other stakeholders to initiate uniformity, it is also very important to note that the voices and concerns identified for many years by the NHBPA are finally getting proper recognition and orchestrating positive change for our industry.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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ALABAMA HBPA

ARIZONA HBPA

BOARD ELECTIONS By a majority vote of the current board, the Alabama HBPA will hold elections in February 2017 and every three years thereafter. We will be submitting requests from the general membership to participate as a nominating committee and hope that when called upon you are willing to be involved.

TURF PARADISE UPDATE The racing season at Turf Paradise is off and running. About 1,450 horses are on the backstretch, and horsemen are back in their barns and training as usual. We also welcomed a few new trainers to Turf Paradise for the meet. The Arizona Department of Gaming took over the regulation of racing last year, and with this, changes are taking place. The department is reviewing the rules and regulations that are presently on the books and stepping up enforcement. They are also reviewing and looking to make necessary changes to update the rules.

The department has a larger presence at Turf Paradise than ever before.

We have good news for Arizona-bred owners. Again this year, a bonus incentive will be given to Arizona-breds running in open company. The program was initiated last year and was well received.

The Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association discontinued the Spring Sales Stakes for 2017, and in its place will be the Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity at five furlongs on the dirt. This race will be run on May 7. It is a paid-in race with bonus incentives. For further information, contact the ATBA at (602) 942-1310.

With the passing of our executive director, Tom Metzen Sr., in August, there is a big void in our office. However, the void is not only in this office but the industry as a whole. Tom gave a lot of time and himself to this industry, and he will truly be missed. We still have our cheerful, entertaining, coffee-drinking trainers every morning. This is a tradition Tom started in his time with us. Tom may be gone, but he will never be forgotten for his contribution to the racing industry.

President Lloyd Yother continues to actively work with the racing department, Turf Paradise management and the Arizona HBPA lobbyist.

The Arizona HBPA and Turf Paradise once again held their annual Thanksgiving dinner for backstretch workers on November 23 with a traditional meal served by chef and staff.

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

RACING NEWS Year to date, we have distributed $13,800 in supplemental funds to owners of Alabama-bred horses running in open company throughout the country. The top supplemental earner is Menewa, a dark bay gelding by Royal Empire, who stands at the farm of owner/breeder Bobby G. Pruitt of Hope Hull, Alabama.

Second is Guyana Star, a 6-year-old mare by A.P. Warrior, bred by Gus King and owned by South Fork Creek Stables of Kentucky. Next is Uncle Drossel, a 3-yearold colt by Drosselmeyer, bred by Carl and Daryl Tuttle and owned by Thomas L. Holyfield. Others included Excelisberg, a 6-year-old gelding by Teuflesberg owned and bred by Tom Denham, and Branchwater, a 3-year-old filly by Indy who stands at owner/breeder Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Murphy’s Longview Farm in Vandiver, Alabama.

The Magic City Classic nominations closed on November 9 with 13 entries: Horse Owner/Trainer Alabama Brass Carol Howell/David Lowery Jr. Baba Light Melanie Hackett Jenkins/Randy Nunley Ballado Ballet Laurie Sanderson and Nanette Sevier/ Kathleen Mordenti Bubbassecondchance Kent Gremmels/Ronny Ward Buggin Out Dennis Murphy/Ronny Ward Busted Account Kevin Williams/Kevin Williams Carolina Express Ray A. Tromatora/Nate Williams Excelisberg Thomas A Denham/Miles Henien Guyana Star South Fork Creek Stables/Scott Nicks Ira Jerry Hackett/Randy Nunley Lily So Lovely Diane M. Harrington/H.B. Johnson Sir Charles Charles Rhett Harrelson/Kathleen Mordenti Uncle Drossel Thomas Holyfield/Keith Boussegio The race was to be run after press time on December 9 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. We are expecting another exciting renewal of the race with Buggin Out, the winner in 2014 and 2015, taking on two prior winners in Busted Account and Ira. With the Magic City Classic sponsored by the Birmingham Racing Commission, the Alabama HBPA is once again reimbursing travel expenses up to $500 for horses that run fourth and below. A valid bill or gas receipt should be sent to Nancy Delony, AL HBPA Executive Director, 3221 Ridgely Drive, Birmingham, AL 35243 or nancy.m.delony@ms.com.

Without live racing, we continue to help support the Alabama owners and trainers through purse supplements and reimbursement for travel expenses.

Live racing does not look to be on the near horizon, but with a change in discussions within the legislature regarding gaming/lottery/bingo, we stay optimistic that live racing may come back to Birmingham Race Course one day.

Nancy Delony, Executive Director

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ARKANSAS HBPA OAKLAWN PURSES ON THE RISE AGAIN Oaklawn Park will open for the 2017 live meet with record purses that include maiden special weights at $72,000 and open allowance races as high as $80,000.

This will mark the ninth consecutive season that the Hot Springs track has opened with purses higher than the previous year. Maiden special weight purses, which have doubled since 2011, are $4,000 higher than 2016; allowance purses are up by as much as $5,000; and the bottom purse of $23,000 is $2,000 higher than last year and has increased more than 50 percent since 2011.

Condition books are available online at oaklawn.com. Horsemen wanting a condition book by mail or more information about racing at Oaklawn can call the racing office at (800) OAKLAWN or (501) 701-5570 or send an email to conditionbook@oaklawn.com.

“Oaklawn continues to benefit from ownership that is 100 percent dedicated to racing, a thriving gaming operation and steadily growing handle thanks to better and better racing quality,” Director of Racing David Longinotti said. “It’s exciting that year after year we continue to attract horses the caliber of American Pharoah and Creator, and obviously our fans have responded in a big way.”

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CHARLES TOWN HBPA LEGISLATIVE NEWS On November 8, West Virginia elected a new governor, Jim Justice, who has indicated his support to strengthen Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the state. With members of the legislature changing every two years, anticipate significant changes in the leadership of both the West Virginia House and Senate. We are focused on continuing to educate our representatives as to the economic impact of our industry. Our 2017 legislative session objectives include proposed legislation that focuses on the following issues: · West Virginia racing and breeding needs revenue stability to ensure industry participants continue to invest in the state. The uncertainty caused by variable and decreasing legislative allocations has chilled investment and has caused owners, trainers and breeders to increasingly migrate to neighboring Maryland. · The percentages from racetrack video lottery and table games that were the premise of the voter referenda in Jefferson and Hancock counties must be reinstated. · The contraction of the industry is already being felt not only in a decimated foal crop but also at the entry box. We want to increase our foal crop to become a leading producer in the nation. · West Virginia must embrace its own ADW as well as the expansion of other revenue generators that will increase opportunities to spend discretionary wagering dollars.

WEST VIRGINIA RACING COMMISSION The West Virginia Racing Commission unanimously voted that both Thoroughbred tracks in the state must apply for NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance accreditation by January 4, 2017. Charles Town hosts the Grade 2

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“Oaklawn has become the Saratoga of the Midwest,” said seven-time Oaklawn leading trainer and recent Hall of Fame inductee Steve Asmussen, who used Oaklawn’s 3-year-old program for both two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and Belmont Stakes winner Creator. “There is no place that the better races go for better purses at that time of the year.”

“Our industry should view Oaklawn as a model of what is working,” National HBPA CEO Eric J. Hamelback said. “Oaklawn and the Arkansas HBPA are a testament to racetracks and horsemen working together to overcome tough times, the result being world-class racing year after year.”

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, fresh off his victory in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff aboard Beholder, has announced plans to ride at Oaklawn during the 2017 live meet.

“The quality of the races and the quality of the purses are why I’m coming to Oaklawn,” Stevens said. “I’m excited.”

Stevens, 53, has ridden 5,079 winners during his career that began in 1979. He holds 11 total Breeders’ Cup victories and has won nine Triple Crown races, including three Kentucky Derbies. His most recent Triple Crown race win came in 2013, when he picked up the mount on Rebel Stakes (G2) runner-up Oxbow and guided him to an upset victory in the Preakness Stakes (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer and Oaklawn regular D. Wayne Lukas. His most prominent Oaklawn wins have been in the 1990 Arkansas Derby (G2) aboard Silver Ending and 1985 Arkansas Derby (G1) aboard Tank’s Prospect.

Oaklawn, which earlier this year announced a historic $8.25-million stakes schedule, opens January 13, 2017.

Charles Town Classic in April and the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks in September.

Mountaineer Park hosts the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby in August. When these two tracks are accredited, they will join the list of 24 other accredited tracks around the nation.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING The Charles Town HBPA general membership meeting was scheduled for noon on December 17.

FLORIDA HBPA GULFSTREAM PARK WEST (CALDER) UPDATE The mandatory 40-day race meet at Gulfstream Park West (formerly known as Calder Race Course), necessary for Calder to maintain its slots facility license, proceeded in October and November despite Calder management’s best efforts to create a decoupled appearance while it continues its attempts to get decoupling passed into law. One of the legal requirements of slots facilities at Florida tracks is that the slot machine gaming building must be contiguous and connected to the live gaming facility. Calder’s live gaming facility, its grandstand, was unceremoniously torn down earlier this year. A tent with wagering terminals is now separated from the slots facility by rubble and construction fences.

The Florida HBPA has made a written request to the Florida Division of PariMutuel Wagering to hold Calder accountable and find it in violation of the law.

As of November 9, the division has advised that it is investigating the matter.

MEDICATION RULES UPDATE The FHBPA initiative to have Florida adopt the Association of Racing Commissioners International Model Medication Violation penalty schedules has gotten past the first workshop proceeding. President Bill White and Executive Director Glen Berman testified before the Division of Pari-Mutuel Racing in Tallahassee in October, and so far, there has been no resistance to this effort. The only other testimony came from a Stronach Group attorney who voiced support for the FHBPA’s positions. We are looking forward to the second workshop to be scheduled in South Florida so that more of our local horsemen have an opportunity to attend or participate in the process.

ODDS AND ENDS By the publication date of this issue, the Claiming Crown will have occurred at Gulfstream Park on opening weekend of the Championship Season, which runs until April 2017. Claiming Crown Preview Days were held at both Gulfstream Park West and at Laurel Park on November 6, wherein each track had starter allowance races comparable to the Claiming Crown races with total purses of $300,000 and $400,000, respectively.

The FHBPA and Gulfstream Park jointly had additional lights installed this fall at the Palm Meadows Training Center at the request of the horsemen stabled there. Palm Meadows is located in Boynton Beach, about 47 miles north of Gulfstream Park, and stables up to 1,400 horses that race at our tracks.

Gulfstream stables a similar number, and Calder stables around 400 horses in the barns that survived the wrecking ball there.

The FHBPA held its Nominating Meeting/Awards Dinner on December 8 in the Sport of Kings Room at Gulfstream. Nominations were taken for the board of directors election of 2017, which includes three open trainer positions and two WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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open owner positions on the 15-member board. Ballots will go out in February, and for the first time, online voting will be available.

INDIANA HBPA SUCCESSFUL 2016 INDIANA GRAND MEET ENDS OCTOBER 29 Indiana Grand Racing & Casino closed out its 13th season of Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing on October 29 with four stakes and more than $500,000 in purses over 10 races. The night’s stakes races capped an exciting season, solid gains in overall handle and the promise of a great future to come.

Lady Fog Horn, 2015 Indiana Horse of the Year, duplicated her title in the 20th running of the $150,000-added Frances Slocum Stakes. The 4-year-old daughter of Zavata had won three of her five starts in 2016 and gained her sixth career stakes win. Trained by Tony Granitz and owned by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, Lady Fog Horn was ridden by Albin Jiminez.

Two-year-old Defining Hope won the $100,000 Miss Indiana Stakes under jockey Malcolm Franklin. Trained by Barbara McBride and owned by Collette Marie Vanmatre, Defining Hope drew away inside the eighth pole for the win.

Reverend John ran away with the $100,000 Indiana Futurity Stakes. Trained

by Christopher Melton and owned by John Shelley III and Larry Rodgers, the 2-year-old was ridden by Rodney Prescott.

In the 19th running of the $150,000-added To Much Coffee Stakes, Bucchero, with jockey Fernando De La Cruz aboard, won from post one as the favorite. It was the second straight victory in the race for the son of Kantharos and his third stakes win at Indiana Grand. The 4-year-old is trained by Tim Glyshaw and owned by Ironhorse Racing LLC. YEAR-END AWARDS Tom Amoss pulled in his fifth leading trainer title in six years, and his primary owner, Maggi Moss, also recorded her second leading owner title for the 120-day meet. Amoss completed the 2016 season with 41 wins and purses in excess of $850,000. Horses owned by Moss won 33 races, accumulating earnings of more than $600,000.

“Having raced at tracks throughout the U.S., Indiana Grand is one of my favorites,” Moss said. “Its management and personnel there truly care. It’s a gem of a racetrack, and after a sabbatical in 2015, it was so great to be back and be leading owner.”

Peru native Fernando De La Cruz led the standings for nearly the entire meet and eventually pulled away from the field with 48 more wins than his next closest opponent en route to his second leading jockey title at Indiana Grand.

De La Cruz won the title at Indiana Grand in 2014 with 130 wins. This year, he reached that tally on October 28 as part of a four-win afternoon and closed the season with 132 wins.

Eduardo Gallardo had a very successful 2016 season to earn honors as the track’s top apprentice rider. Despite several weeks off due to an injury, Gallardo, a native of Mexico, retained the top spot among all apprentice riders to be named the second recipient of the Juan Saez Leading Apprentice Jockey Award.

Gallardo began his career at Indiana Grand in 2015 after serving as an exercise rider for Steve Asmussen. He completed the 2016 meet with 23 wins and has earned 47 career wins to date.

“This award has a lot of meaning for us here at Indiana Grand because it’s named after Juan Saez,” said Jon Schuster, vice president and general manager of racing. “We congratulate [Eduardo] on a great year.”

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Three-year-old Carmalley Chrome was named 2016 Indiana Horse of the Year for trainer Mike Nance and owner Tom Roche. The chestnut filly completed the 2016 racing season with five wins in 10 starts and earnings in excess of $255,000.

Nance and Roche were presented with a blanket courtesy of the Indiana HBPA following Carmalley Chrome’s start in the Frances Slocum Stakes, where she once again tackled older fillies and mares.

The 15th season of racing at Indiana Grand saw an increase in all-sources handle of 16 percent compared with 2015, which was up 22 percent over the year before that.

Under the leadership of President Joe Davis, the Indiana HBPA participated in a wide variety of co-promotions with our track partner. We reached many new racing fans this year.

“The HBPA has been an outstanding and willing partner in trying to better Indiana racing,” said Schuster. “Their efforts have been second-tonone in partnering with us financially, physically and every way imaginable.

These kinds of trend-bucking handle numbers would not be possible without the unbelievable support and partnership we get from our horsemen—they participate strongly, they’re flexible, they’re forward thinking and eager to try and promote our industry at every turn.”

All in all, we have plenty of reason to look forward to 2017. See you then.

TENTATIVE 2017 DATES With the 2016 racing season over, we can start planning for the 2017 Indiana Grand Thoroughbred meet. Dates are not official until they are approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, which is scheduled to take up the question at its December 20 business meeting. Centaur, the owner of both Indiana tracks, has indicated what its race dates request will be.

Centaur has proposed racing four days a week from mid-April through June.

In July and August, we would race five days a week, followed by four days a week to the end of the meet on October 28.

By contract, the backside of the track should be open at least 35 days before opening day, barring weather delays. Please check the Indiana HBPA website at inhbpa.org for more information.

IOWA HBPA WHAT’S NEW WITH THE IOWA HBPA We have a new secretary/treasurer, Jamie Thompson! Here is a personal message from Jamie: “Hello, everyone! I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to work for the Iowa HBPA. I have an associate’s degree in business and worked as an office manager for an attorney for several years, then took some time to raise our family. Now that all our children are in school, I found myself eager to get back to work myself. I have been with the Iowa HBPA since the middle of September and couldn’t be more excited. I look forward to working with you and serving you for years to come.”

Welcome to the HBPA, Jamie. We look forward to you being the secretary/ treasurer. Members, if you need anything, please feel free to contact Jamie, and she will do her best to help you. She can be reached at the office during regular winter hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., by phone at (515) 967-4804 or email at jthompson@iowahbpa.org.

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BACKSIDE UPKEEP As is typically the case during the off-season here at Prairie Meadows, there are improvements being made to the backside for the betterment of the horses and horsemen. Currently, Prairie Meadows is doing the following work: · After testing the track, additional clay and silt were added to the surface mixture. · The barn area roads had some surface cracks that are now being sealed, and in addition, the road from the stable gate to along the horse path has been paved with asphalt. · Dirt is being added to stalls, and broken boards are being repaired or replaced. · A new inner safety rail is being installed on the main track. · The pond located on the main track has be drained and dredged to help with drainage of the main track.

As always, please visit the Iowa HBPA Facebook page to stay current on Iowa HBPA matters.

KENTUCKY HBPA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE As 2016 winds down, it is a great time to reflect on racing in Kentucky.

Several years ago, Corey Johnsen, president of Kentucky Downs, came to the Kentucky HBPA with his vision of the track with historical racing machines.

We embraced the idea and agreed to concessions in our agreement to assure that the proposal became a reality. The success of the project is well beyond our expectations. In 2016, Kentucky Downs once again recorded another record handle from historical racing of $40 million. This is an increase of $6 million from the $34 million handled in 2015. Ellis Park’s historical racing is up 34 percent from 2015. Since its inception, the Keeneland/Red Mile historical racing facility has shown steady growth. In all, $1.8 billion has been wagered on historical racing thus far. This amounted to $4,984,891 in additional association purses for Thoroughbred horses in Kentucky. In addition, $4,186,622 was added to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, and $415,748 was provided to the breeder’s incentive fund.

The KHBPA also agreed to move $1.3 million in purse money from Kentucky Downs to Ellis Park to supplement their purses. This provided horsemen with a viable option to remain in Kentucky and run, as opposed to shipping to another racetrack outside of Kentucky.

The delay in the installation of historical racing machines at Turfway Park has been disappointing, but we have been assured that construction will begin soon.

Hiring Jennie Rees at the beginning of 2016 as our communications specialist continues to raise awareness of the KHBPA and Kentucky racing.

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OFFICE MOVE It’s that time of year again! We have officially moved to the fourth floor of the casino as of the end of October. Usually we remain on the front side until the end of February, and then we move back to our backside office to begin the racing season. Although we have changed location, our address and phone numbers remain the same.

Also, our office will remain busy planning for the opening of the 2017 race meet at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. It is undecided whether we will be planning for a 99 Basic Grooming Class or a 101 Groom Elite class, but we will be moving forward with our annual awards dinner and the Adventureland outing.

Jennie’s “Derby Kids” project during Kentucky Derby week and “Making of a Racehorse: Let’s Get Started!” at Ellis Park, along with her extended Breeders’ Cup coverage sent to major news outlets, has generated tremendous coverage of Kentucky’s racing industry to the public at large.

KHBPA’s immigration liaison Julio Rubio continues to help our member trainers find ways to facilitate cultural understanding and maintain legal immigration compliance in the workplace. Following a successful visit with immigration officials in Washington, D.C., Julio and immigration attorney Will Velie were successful in obtaining H-2B visas for the workers of several Kentucky horsemen.

On one final note, the KHBPA has followed the case of Graham Motion.

Graham is a respected trainer who had a positive test for one of his horses.

He pleaded his case to both the stewards and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that he had followed the withdrawal guidelines and threshold levels of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), yet he still was penalized due to a minute quantity of a prohibited substance that appeared in one of his horses.

You may recall in an earlier KHBPA article titled “Guilty Until Proven Innocent” that an attorney representing another horseman who suffered a medication violation based on an RMTC threshold was successful in having the case dismissed. The attorney advised that any state considering adopting the uniform medication regulations developed by the RMTC should hit the pause button. She elaborated, “You cannot defend a regulation without peer-reviewed research.”

It is imperative to horsemen that, if a regulatory body in any jurisdiction decides to utilize the RMTC threshold recommendations, they require assurances that the science be peer-reviewed and that the research be provided for inspection.

Good luck in your racing endeavors.

Rick Hiles, KHBPA President LAPTOP GIVEAWAY

Pictured is Michael Bruder (left), longtime KHBPA Director, and Marty Maline, executive director of the KHBPA, presenting one of 10 computers to Makenzie Dishon, a pre-vet student at Western Kentucky University, at Kentucky Downs. The KHBPA laptop giveaway has become an annual event for the past several years at the record-setting racetrack.

“We do the same thing at Ellis Park,” Bruder explained. “It is a great opportunity to attract younger people to racing.”

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BREEDERS’ CUP PUBLICITY In this era of shrinking horse racing coverage in the mainstream media, the Kentucky HBPA collaborated to send communications specialist Jennie Rees to the Breeders’ Cup to write about and produce video interviews on the Kentucky horses and horsemen competing at Santa Anita.

Horsemen teamed with Kentucky Downs, Ellis Park and the website JockeyTalk360.com on a venture to publicize Kentucky horses and horsemen in the Breeders’ Cup as part of the HBPA’s efforts to work with its partner industry stakeholders to promote the sport. The result was more than a week of daily coverage disseminated free to more than 350 media outlets and journalists. The service became even more important with neither the (Louisville) Courier-Journal nor Lexington Herald-Leader staffing the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in history.

Jennie Rees’ feature stories were picked up extensively by popular websites including Paulick Report, Horse Racing Nation, TwinSpires.com and KyForward. com, with the Evansville Courier & Press, Henderson Gleaner and HeraldLeader running stories online and in print among regional outlets. TV stations in Louisville and Lexington ran excerpts from her iPhone video interviews, with multiple radio stations using their audio as part of their sports segments. The National HBPA website and social media channels also featured Rees’ releases.

Rees also pitched and sent select stories and videos to out-of-state media markets with connections to Kentucky horses. Newspapers and other media sites in Delaware, Louisiana and Iowa were among those running at least one of her stories in print or online.

Many of the outlets ran some form of the coverage’s attached tagline explaining that it was provided as a service by the Kentucky HBPA, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs and JockeyTalk360.com. Rees also passed out a brochure promoting the four sponsoring entities and Kentucky racing, with a calendar of the summer racing dates billed as “the ultimate summer Pick 3” in Ellis Park’s, Kentucky Downs’ and Churchill Downs’ September meet.

A big payoff came when Churchill Downs-based and Kentucky-campaigned horses finished in three of the top four spots in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) won by Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Classic Empire over Not This Time. Rees’ recap centered on the Kentucky connections, including Not This Time's and fourth-place Lookin At Lee’s strong ties to Ellis Park. That enabled the Evansville newspaper to have a locally focused article, as opposed to the wire story, with the sports editor emailing Rees a big thanks.

Social media, including pushing out links to stories and video posted by media outlets, was another component.

Rees’ most popular tweet, with more than 11,000 impressions, came Breeders’ Cup Saturday with a picture of Kentucky HBPA Vice President Dale Romans wearing the colorful Mongolian jacket given to him by Mongolian Saturday’s trainer, with Rees conducting a poll whether Trainer Dale Romans sporting a Romans should wear it to saddle Not Mongolian jacket given to him by the This Time in the Juvenile. connections of Mongolian Saturday.

The result was 57 percent to 43 percent to wear the coat out of the 101 respondents. But Romans wasn’t aware of the poll until in the paddock for the Juvenile and wound up wearing a sports coat. He said had he known about the poll, he’d have worn the Mongolian jacket.

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“It brings the world together, especially in such a contentious political environment,” Romans, a product of Louisville’s South End, said of horse racing at the top level. “People are people all over the world, that’s what it boils down to. Horse racing is the great equalizer. It’s where billionaires and grooms hang out together, Mongolians and hillbillies. We all come together.”

GLENN THOMPSON APPRECIATION RACE On behalf of the KHBPA and its 6,000 members, we would like to honor Glenn Thompson with this gift for all the services you have done for horsemen over the last 50 years. You have spent endless hours working on the track to ensure a safe surface for horses and jockeys.

We thank you, Glenn, for all that you have done for all horsemen.

KENTUCKY TRACKS STRING TOGETHER STRONG MEETS

By Frank Angst, Blood-Horse, October 14 If you haven’t noticed, Kentucky racing has been on a roll.

In recent years, Kentucky tracks expressed concern that with other states supplementing purses with money from added gaming, it would be difficult to compete. Tracks feared nearby states like Indiana and West Virginia would pull horsemen and horses from the Blue Grass, while Kentucky’s graded stakes could be threatened by New York’s ballooning purses.

But to date in 2016, the Kentucky tracks are doing well. After a flat Turfway Park winter meet, each of the five meets has registered improved numbers.

Keeneland’s fall meet is off to a strong start as well; the Lexington track reported record single-day handle for a fall meet on its opening Saturday.

While the Keeneland fall meet continues, the seven completed meetings in Kentucky this year have registered a 7.9 percent increase in all-sources handle.

That represents more than $50 million in additional handle compared with the same meets of 2015. It’s an especially strong trend when you consider total U.S. handle this year is up only 1.1 percent.

Historical racing games have helped Kentucky compete. While historical racing doesn’t supply as much added purse money as slot machine-type gaming, Kentucky has effectively used the money it is receiving from the games that look like slot machines but base payouts on a pari-mutuel formula and determine winning combinations from previously run races.

Perhaps the most notable move of using that money to help the entire circuit is the $1.35 million contribution Kentucky Downs made this year to the Ellis Park purse fund. That contribution from money generated by historical racing at Kentucky Downs along with improved performance of the machines at Ellis Park resulted in a 25 percent increase in Ellis purses to $197,000 a day.

Those purses are keeping horsemen in the state, maintaining or improving quality and field size and attracting bettors.

A schedule change and continued success with historical racing helped Kentucky Downs to another record meet, with handle up 33.5 percent to $22.5 million. Churchill Downs’ September meeting also enjoyed double-digit

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LOUISIANA HBPA DELTA DOWNS The 2016–17 Thoroughbred meet at Delta Downs began on October 19 and ends on March 11. The new hotel tower, with 167 rooms and modern amenities, recently opened. Louisiana Premier Night is February 11 with more than $1 million for Louisiana-breds. For additional information, contact the Delta Downs racing office at (888) 589-7223.

percentage gains.

Churchill racetrack President Kevin Flanery said the Louisville track has made a lot of progress with the September dates, which it took over from Turfway Park four years ago.

“September racing was a completely new product for us when the meet was introduced in 2013, and we continue to learn and adjust, but we are pleased with the results and by the reaction from fans who are now making Churchill Downs racing a regular part of their plans for a busy time of the year,” Flanery said.

THE HBPA IS YOU The HBPA, established in 1940, is an organization of owners and trainers numbering approximately 30,000 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 is present in negotiating sessions with each racetrack regarding purse structure, equitable share of simulcast revenues, overall track safety, sanitation and security. · 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 and claiming coverage. 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 in regard to interstate simulcasting, proprietary rights, casino gambling, therapeutic medication, sports betting and many other areas of concern to horsemen.

How can I join? You are invited to drop by 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, 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, please visit our website at kyhbpa.org and click on “How to Join.”

EVANGELINE DOWNS The 2017 Thoroughbred Meet is scheduled to begin on April 12 and conclude on September 2. Stall applications should be available in late February. For additional information, contact the Evangeline Downs racing office at (866) 349-0687.

FAIR GROUNDS The Fair Grounds 2016–17 Thoroughbred meet began November 19 and features the 104th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) on April 1.

Starlight cards will be held on January 13, February 10 and March 10 with the first post at 5 p.m. This meet introduces the new twilight cards on November 19 and January 28 with first post at 3 p.m. For more information, contact the racing office at (504) 948-1288.

LOUISIANA DOWNS The 2017 Louisiana Downs American Quarter Horse meet begins January 7 and concludes March 22. The marquee race of the meet is the Mardi Gras Futurity, which is a restricted Grade 2 race for 2-year-old accredited Louisianabreds going 300 yards. Trials will be conducted in late February with the final conducted in mid-March. For more information regarding the futurity, contact the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association at (318) 487-9506 or visit lqhba.com.

MICHIGAN HBPA HAZEL PARK RACE DATES Hazel Park will offer 36 days of racing in 2017 from May 5 to September 2 with first post at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Post time on July 1 will be at 6:30 p.m. with fireworks.

We are advocating for additional days of racing to be added to the schedule based on horse supply and purse pool funding. An approval of a Michigan ADW program will be a major factor in determining additional days.

The additional days of racing would be centered around adding additional weekends or adding Sundays to the back end of the existing meet.

OTHER 2017 RACING INITIATIVES There will be strict enforcement for wearing and displaying licenses on the outside of clothing while on the Hazel Park premises next year, and there will be tougher vetting for occupational licenses, especially for non-residents.

The Michigan Gaming and Control Board (MGCB) will be working with the Michigan HBPA and Hazel Park to make sure there is access to full-time veterinary services at the track every day.

There may be additional restrictions on licensing and racing on the same day. The MGCB may implement a requirement for a license seven days prior to WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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NEWS

Fair Grounds Race Course 2016-2017 Race Meets

Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino 2016-2017 Race Meets

1751 Gentilly Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70119 504-944-5515 * www.fairgroundsracecourse.com

2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton, LA 70668 * 337-589-7441 * www.deltadowns.com Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

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2235 Creswell Lane Extension, Opelousas, LA 70570 Toll Free: 866-4-Racing * www.evangelinedowns.com Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

8000 Hwy 80 East, PO Box 5519, Bossier City, LA 71171 318-742-5555 * www.ladowns.com Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

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NEWS

CANTERBURY WRAP-UP Another great season came to an end at Canterbury Park on September 17 as the doors closed for the live racing season; however, the card room remains open, along with simulcasting and year-round special events. Novogratz Racing Stable was the leading owner at the meet, while Mac Robertson was the leading trainer. The leading rider title went down to the wire in the last race, with Dean Butler winning the title. Congratulations to these connections, and we look forward to their return to Canterbury Park for next season.

We have Minnesota HBPA election results to announce as Pete Mattson and Jack Walsh were elected for three-year terms as owner-directors and David VanWinkle was re-elected as a trainer-director.

At the September Minnesota HBPA board meeting, Jack Walsh was elected president. Bob Lindgren, alternate owner-director, was presented as owner-director to fill Tom Metzen Sr.’s unexpired term. The Minnesota HBPA contract committee is busy working with management on a contract for the upcoming season. We are excited to be working with management on incentives that could be offered at Canterbury Park. As plans come together, we will keep you informed.

Minnesota racing participants would like to thank the National HBPA for the awesome tribute to Minnesota HBPA President Tom Metzen Sr., who passed away in August.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Send resume and references to Jack Walsh, P.O. Box 142, Stillwater, MN 55082, or email mnhbpa@yahoo.com.

MOUNTAINEER PARK HBPA MOUNTAINEER WEARS PINK The pony people proudly wore their pink during the month of October in memory of Sarah Rowe and to raise awareness for those battling cancer. Rowe, a trainer and pony person, recently lost her battle to cancer. Some of the pony riders approached the Mountaineer Park HBPA and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort because they wanted to do something to show their support for Rowe in her battle against cancer. Unfortunately, she passed away before the event. Her family and friends continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

JOHN BAIRD WINS 2,000TH RACE Trainer John Baird secured the 2,000th career victory October 24 at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort when Monba Number Five posted a frontrunning win in the first race.

Jana Tetrault

MINNESOTA HBPA

MINNESOTA HBPA SEEKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Applications are now being accepted for the position of year-round executive director of the Minnesota HBPA. Qualifications and requirements include the following: · Thorough understanding of and broad exposure to the racing industry · Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents, routine reports and other correspondence · Good public relations skills; contract negotiation and lobbying skills preferred · Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks · Basic understanding of Internet communications · Should be familiar with rules and regulations of betting networks including ADW, phone and Internet wagering · General knowledge of accounting and mathematical principles · High school graduate with college background preferred · Must qualify for licensure with the Minnesota Department of Racing · Salary and benefits commensurate with qualifications and experience

Coady Photography

HAZEL PARK GM KEN MARSHALL DIES AT 78 The general manager of Hazel Park Raceway, Kenneth E. Marshall, died November 5. He was 78.

He had in excess of 50 years’ experience as a harness racing official and track manager, serving primarily in Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Michigan. At the time of his death, Marshall was the director of racetrack operations at Hazel Park Racing Inc. Marshall grew up in Hazel Park, Michigan, where after high school he earned degrees in French and English at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a teaching certificate from the University of Detroit.

Marshall worked at Hazel Park, Northville Downs, Pompano Park, Wolverine Raceway, The Meadows, Louisville Downs, Tropical Park (Miami), Gator Downs (Bayard) and Jackson at Northville Downs. After traveling from 1964 through 1996, he came back to where it all began—Hazel Park—as director of racing in 1997 and took over his current title of director of racetrack operations in 2008.

He was inducted into the Michigan Harness Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Florida Harness Hall of Fame in 2015.

Marshall was more than just a dedicated, lifelong member of the harness racing industry. He embraced the return of Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing to Hazel Park in 2014, and he enthusiastically endorsed the conversion to flat track racing at the track. Aside from being a respected track manager and racing secretary, he was also intelligent, funny, a true gentleman and a dear friend to many. He will be sorely missed.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Patricia, three children and three grandchildren.

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the race date for 2017. We expressed our concerns and will continue to work with them regarding this.

New national standards for testing will be implemented in the test barn next year.

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AFFILIATE Jana Tetrault

SECOND CAREER SHOW AND SALE Mountaineer Park HBPA and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort joined forces with CANTER Ohio to host the first annual Second Career Show and Sale on November 6 at Mountaineer.

On the day of the sale, more than 13 horses found new homes and will begin their second careers. Since then, many others also have moved on to new careers. Ten percent of all sales were donated to CANTER Ohio, totaling more than $2,000.

Pictured is the sale topper, Undaunted Courage, a 17.1-hand chestnut gelding who sold for more than $2,200.

END OF THE RACING MEET DINNER DANCE The Mountaineer Park HBPA hosted an End of the Racing Meet Dinner Dance on November 18 at the Grande Ballroom at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort. Awards were presented to Trainer of the Year Eddie Clouston, Owner of the Year Michelle Helms, Jockey of the Year Deshawn Parker and Horse of the Year in a tie to Dragon Attack and Buddy Be Good.

NEBRASKA HBPA HORSEMEN’S PARK NEWS Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, a racetrack owned by the Nebraska HBPA, has announced that it has applied to build an additional barn on its property for use starting in the summer of 2017.

Craig Wulf, president of Omaha Exposition and Racing, stated that they have submitted plans with the Nebraska State Racing Commission to add approximately 45 new stalls along with storage for track equipment. Wulf said they are hoping to have construction completed by the next live race meet in May 2017.

Wulf stated, “The main obstacle to more racing in Omaha is the lack of stalls on the property. More stalls will enable us to have more races and more race days in the largest city in the state.”

NEW ENGLAND HBPA LONG-RANGE SOLUTION SOUGHT FOR NEW ENGLAND RACING

By Lynne Snierson Live racing in New England lives to fight another day, but that continues to be only in the short-term while finding a long-range solution remains the goal.

After coming to terms on an agreement with the horsemen, the management of Suffolk Downs applied to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) for a 2017 license to host six live dates, and the commissioners were expected to green light the request at a November 10 meeting.

Six live racing days would equal the number of dates in 2016, when the track hosted a trio of two-day summer racing festivals with daily purses 58

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averaging $500,000. But Suffolk may come back to the MGC and ask for additional 2017 dates, contingent upon the track’s ability to fund the additional purses and operating costs and expenses from the state’s Race Horse Development Fund.

The Race Horse Development Fund is fueled by a percentage of the revenue from Massachusetts’ burgeoning casino industry, and the state’s 2011 expanded gambling law decreed that it be split by the MGC’s Horse Racing Committee between the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries, with 80 percent designated for purses, 16 percent for purses and 4 percent for backstretch welfare.

The Thoroughbred horsemen absorbed a blow in June when the Horse Racing Committee revised the splits from 75-25 Thoroughbred-Standardbred to favor the harness industry 55-45, retroactive to January 1, 2016. When the ratio is factored in, the loss to Thoroughbred horsemen is 40 percent.

The committee, which decided that the revision was equitable due to the limited number of live Thoroughbred racing days, was slated to reconvene October 18 to revisit the matter. But the meeting was postponed and had not been rescheduled as of press time.

Meanwhile, the NEHBPA is preparing for the six-day meet on three weekends (July 8-9, August 5-6 and September 2-3) and is pressing on with innovative plans for controlling its destiny, as the management of Suffolk Downs has issued fair warning that the property will be redeveloped and there are “no guarantees” for racing beyond 2017.

The horsemen’s plans call for the replacement of Suffolk Downs with the creation of a world-class, year-round horse park that could host 75 Thoroughbred racing days per year, elite national equestrian and dressage events year-round in an Olympic-sized indoor facility, and a retraining and retirement facility for up to 40 noble equine athletes.

To make the dream a reality, the assistance and cooperation of state legislators and the MGC are needed.

“We are currently in the process of targeting and finalizing three sites [in other areas of the state] to present to the legislature and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission by the end of the year,” said Paul Umbrello, executive director of the NEHBPA. “While Plan A is the nonprofit horse park backed by revenue bonds, if necessary, we will look into other options. They include private funding to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind horse park to New England, which is home to some of the best professional sports teams, universities and medical centers in the country. Why not have the best horse park? We are doing everything we possibly can to keep the Thoroughbred industry alive and thriving in New England.”

The visionary project advanced closer to reality with the release July 8 of a favorable independent feasibility study, which was authored by the Center for Economic Development and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

The study concluded that the project would provide a “significant” annual economic boon for the state, revive the local Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry and enhance the statewide agricultural and equine network. It was backed and funded by the NEHBPA. In related news, a measure to allow a second slots machine parlor in Massachusetts was resoundingly rejected at the statewide ballot box on November 8 by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent.

The question was written to require the slots parlor, which was proposed by out-of-state developers, to be located within 1,500 feet of an existing racetrack, either Suffolk Downs or Plainridge Park Casino, which includes a harness track and is owned by Penn National Gaming Inc., or a dormant track that had previously hosted live racing.

NEWS

OHIO HBPA BEST OF OHIO Mahoning Valley Race Course hosted the Best of Ohio, a series of five $150,000 stakes races for Ohio-breds, for the first time on October 29.

The stakes action kicked off with the $150,000 Best of Ohio Sprint Stakes.

Rivers Run Deep overcame a wide trip and scored a nose victory over filly Justalittlesmoke. Rivers Run Deep, a 5-year-old son of Ready’s Image, upped his career earnings to over $860,000 in capturing the Sprint for the third straight year.

Chris Hartman trains Rivers Run Deep for owners James and Ywachetta Driver.

Justalittlesmoke lost nothing in defeat in the Sprint, battling gamely to the wire and running her career earnings to more than $600,000 for trainer Robert Gorham. Justalittlesmoke has finished on the board in all 20 of her career starts.

Tough It Up rallied from far back to score a 1 ½-length victory over Mister Peppers in the $150,000 Juvenile Stakes for trainer Thomas Drury Jr. and ownerbreeder Maccabee Farm. The victory was the first stakes score and second win in just three career starts for Tough It Up. Someday Soon drew off to an easy five-length victory in the $150,000 John W. Galbreath Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. William Van Meter trains Someday Soon for owner-breeder Tommy Ligon.

The 3-year-old filly Ohio Gold upset her elders in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Distaff, scoring a neck victory over pacesetter Star Mabee. The victory was the fifth in 16 career starts for Ohio Gold. Christian Pilares rode the winner for trainer Sandy Adkins and owner Charlie Williams.

Odds-on favorite Mo Dont No overcame a stretch-long battle with Bucket Beat to score a game head victory over that rival in the $150,000 Best of Ohio Endurance. Luis Colon rode Mo Dont No for trainer Jeff Radosevich. Mo Dont No, a 3-year-old gelded son of Uncle Mo, won for the seventh time in 11 career starts for owner Looch Racing Stables.

THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S HEALTH FUND NEWS With funding from the Ohio HBPA, the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Health Fund (THHF) established a retirement assistance program for eligible trainers and their full-time employees. Below is a summary of the program.

Eligible participants must fill out an application form between January 1 and May 31, 2017. Applications will be available at the field offices of the Ohio HBPA at each Ohio track during the live meets and online at ohio-hbpa.com.

THHF Retirement Assistance Plan Summary Eligible Participants: 1. Trainers who have 40 starts at Ohio Thoroughbred tracks during a calendar year, with a minimum of 51 percent of the trainer’s total starts during the year occurring at Ohio Thoroughbred tracks or at least 100 starts at Ohio Thoroughbred tracks during the year.

2. Stable employees who are full-time employees of an eligible trainer for a minimum of nine months during the year as verified via a

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The proposal was not backed by Suffolk Downs and, on October 18, was also overwhelming shot down by a 2-1 margin in a non-binding local referendum.

Even if the measure had passed at the statewide polls, it was doubtful the MGC would have issued the developers a gaming license, particularly in light of its rejection by the citizens of the community where it was to be located.

Although the 2011 expanded gambling law authorizes the MGC to issue three full destination resort casino licenses, it has granted only two and earlier this year turned down the application from a third casino developer.

form signed by the trainer as well as holding an OSRC license and providing a W-2 or 1099 verifying a minimum of $7,500 for the year.

Fund Contributions: 1. Eligible trainers: $3,500 for each year trainer meets the start requirements beginning in 2015.

2. Stable Employees: $2,000 for each year employee meets the plan requirements beginning in 2015.

Vesting Requirements: Five years to be vested. Trainers who have met the program start requirements during any calendar year from 2000 to 2014 shall receive credit for one year toward vesting for each year they met the start requirements during this time period.

Investment Options: Plan participants will be able to choose from a number of investment funds available through Fifth Third Bank and will also have access, without charge, to speak with Fifth Third investment advisors. Plan participants will be able to change investment funds at their discretion. Plan participants will have online as well as in-person access to their account balance, performance, etc. Plan participants will be eligible to begin receiving payouts during the year they reach normal retirement age of 65 years old under the plan.

Payout Five years—20 percent per year This is a summary of the THHF Retirement Assistance Plan benefits. Actual plan benefits are determined by the official THHF Retirement Assistance Plan document.

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA HBPA) TRAO BOARD ELECTION REMINDER Ballots were mailed out on November 14 for the 2017 Trainer or Owner/ Trainer TRAO Board of Directors election.

All ballots need to be postmarked by December 31 and mailed to the TRAO office. If you are a TRAO member and did not receive a ballot, please contact the TRAO office at (405) 427-8753 or Election Director H. Ric Hedges to receive a duplicate ballot. Please note that to receive a duplicate ballot, you will be required to sign a receipt acknowledging the ballot was not previously received and that you otherwise have not voted in the election.

TWO STEWARDS WITH TIES TO OKLAHOMA EARN ROAP HONOR The Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) announced five winners of the 2016 Pete Pedersen Award, which is presented to stewards who have made important contributions to the American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing industries. Among the winners were two racing officials with ties to Oklahoma, Michael Corey and Jerry Burgess.

Pete Pedersen, for whom the award is named, worked as a steward in California for 50 years before retiring at the age of 85 in 2005. The Seattle native became the second steward to receive the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2002, and he was also the recipient of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award in 2008 for serving the racing industry with integrity, dedication, determination and distinction.

Pedersen worked at nearly every track on the West Coast, and his reputation for objectivity and kindness was widely known.

The recipients were to be recognized December 6 at the annual awards luncheon at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program’s Global WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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Symposium on Racing and Gaming in Tucson, Arizona.

For the past 25 years, Michael Corey has served as chief state steward at Oklahoma tracks including Remington Park, Fair Meadows and Will Rogers Downs. He began his career as a tattoo technician for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau in 1978. He also spent time as an identifier, placing judge, paddock judge, assistant racing secretary and ultimately a steward. Corey is known among his colleagues to be “clearly guided by a great passion for the sport of horse racing and an innate sense of fairness.” Corey still works as chief state steward for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

Jerry Burgess began his career as a jockey in 1963 and was licensed in Colorado, New Mexico, California and Oklahoma until 1987. He was the leading rider at Le Mesa Park, Raton and Centennial Race Track. Burgess has worked as a steward for the Texas Racing Commission since 1992 with experience as a steward at Ruidoso Downs and Hialeah Park. Burgess has been a member of the Jockeys’ Guild for 45 years. In 2010, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and in 2011, he was inducted into the New Mexico Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Burgess is regarded by his colleagues as honest and diplomatic, with a reputation for upholding integrity within the sport.

The other winners were Peter Kosiba Jr., who served at Arlington Park, Fair Grounds and Penn National among other tracks; the late Calvin Rainey, a racing official, steward and executive director for The Jockey Club; and Dennis Nevin, who has spent 50 years involved with California racing.

“I would like to thank our special selection committee for volunteering their time for our annual awards process,” said ROAP Chairman Hugh Gallagher.

“Again, their time-consuming efforts have produced five outstanding awardwinning stewards.”

HERITAGE PLACE THOROUGHBRED SALE RECORDS INCREASE IN YEARLING AVERAGE Heritage Place held its fifth annual Thoroughbred Yearling and Mixed Sale in Oklahoma City on October 9. The yearling session saw a 22 percent increase in average compared to last year, and gross sales were almost even with the prior year’s numbers.

In the yearling and mixed sale session, 73 of 96 offered sold for a total of $226,850 and an average of $3,108. That represents a slight increase from last year’s average of $3,025 when 84 of 107 head sold for $254,100.

As usual, the highest prices came during the yearling session, topped by an Oklahoma-bred colt by young Kentucky stallion Astrology. Al and Bill Ulwelling purchased the colt for $18,000 from the consignment of Rusty Roberts, agent.

The March foal is out of the Vanlandingham mare Diamond Ruth, who has produced two stakes winners.

The highest-priced filly, a daughter of former Oklahoma stallion Omega Code, sold for $16,000 to David Foster from Brewster Ranch, agent for Clark Brewster. The Oklahoma-bred is out of the stakes-winning and graded stakesplaced Wild Again mare Tuff Chick.

The average for the yearling session was $5,075, up 22.7 percent from last year’s yearling average of $4,137.

Heritage Place would like to thank the consignors and buyers for their participation in the fifth annual sale and wishes everyone success with their purchases. The sale company will begin planning for next year’s sale and explore all ideas to help grow this event.

For complete results, visit heritageplace.com.

SWEET POSSE GIVES TRAINER DONNIE VON HEMEL HIS 1,000TH VICTORY AT REMINGTON PARK Donnie Von Hemel, Remington Park’s all-time leading trainer, earned his 1,000th career win in Oklahoma City on October 13 when Sweet Posse battled to win a maiden special weight race by a nose.

Von Hemel came into the Remington Park season with 986 local wins, needing 14 to reach the milestone. He picked up No. 999 on October 7 and had to wait three more racing days to gain No. 1,000. Owned by The Elkstone Group, Sweet Posse was ridden by Jareth Loveberry.

Von Hemel was not in attendance for the milestone but acknowledged it via the Von Hemel Racing account on Twitter after the win: “Thanks to all of the staff at the barn, the great owners, wonderful horses, the many fine jockeys, Remington Park and the horse community in Oklahoma.”

Bred in Oklahoma by Tracy Strachan, Sweet Posse is by Caleb’s Posse from the Blushing John mare Plenty Sweet. Von Hemel also trained Caleb’s Posse, who won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2011, a year after winning the Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park when he was a 2-year-old.

In addition to Caleb’s Posse, Von Hemel’s top charges at Remington Park include Clever Trevor, Mr. Ross, Going Ballistic, Alternation, She’s All In, Peach Brew, Marq French and Suddenbreakingnews, among a long list of stakes winners. Von Hemel has won the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby three times—the most of any trainer—with Clever Trevor (1989), Queen’s Gray Bee (1991) and Going Ballistic (2007).

Von Hemel has won the Remington Park training title 12 times, more than any other trainer. A member of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park, he trains his horses primarily at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs prior to Remington Park’s Thoroughbred season opening in August.

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PORTLAND MEADOWS NEWS The Portland Meadows meet started September 24 with two days of racing each week. Beginning November 6, we started racing three days a week. The Portland Meadows race meet concludes January 3. We are delighted to see so many familiar horsemen and horsewomen returning to the races here in Portland, and we are also excited to greet many new faces and horses. The meet is off to a very good start, and we look forward to a successful December of racing!

The holidays are here, and once again, the Oregon HBPA hosted Thanksgiving dinner in Cindie’s Café. This is always a great time for our horsemen and horsewomen to come together over a great meal and celebrate the sport we all love.

A general membership meeting and Christmas dinner were also in the planning stages at press time and should be great events.

Good luck to everyone at the races.

PENNSYLVANIA HBPA WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA The Pennsylvania HBPA is encouraging all members and individuals interested in Pennsylvania racing to go to our website at pahbpa.com and enter your email address to facilitate easier dissemination of timely news and information. In addition, follow us on Facebook @pahbpa and on Twitter @ PA_HBPA.

NEWS

PA HBPA HOLIDAY EVENTS The PA HBPA Adult Christmas Party was to be held December 12 at the Holiday Inn Grantville.

NEW EMPLOYEE The PA HBPA is happy to announce the hiring of Lisa McKillop in the Penn National office. Lisa will assist in everyday office activities as well as numerous social activities. Stop in and introduce yourself to Lisa during the morning training hours.

VIRGINIA HBPA OFF-TRACK BETTING RETURNS TO VIRGINIA The Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), a nonprofit corporation organized by the Virginia HBPA, opened its first off-track betting shop in Richmond just in time for this year’s Breeders’ Cup. VEA has four members: the Virginia HBPA; the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, representing the state’s breeders; the Virginia Harness Horse Association, representing Standardbred owners and trainers; and the Virginia Gold Cup, representing steeplechasers. The alliance was set up two years ago when the ownership of Colonial Downs closed the racetrack and its eight OTBs in a dispute with the Virginia HBPA. Shortly thereafter, the state legislature amended the Virginia Racing Act to give VEA the exclusive right to open and operate up to 10 OTB facilities. The Richmond site is in an established sports bar, Breakers Sports Grille, on the affluent west side of the city. VEA improved Breakers by redecorating it with a racing theme and adding 40 flat-screen televisions, two live teller stations and seven self-service machines. Electronic switching equipment allows the reception of up to 20 simulcast signals that can be mixed with other satellite sporting events including football, basketball, baseball and NASCAR racing.

The owners of Breakers provide food and beverage service while VEA manages the wagering operation. The facility is open seven days a week from noon to 11 p.m.

In December, VEA plans to open a second site in downtown Richmond, to be called Ponies ’n Pints, in a sports bar about twice the size of Breakers. The business model is the same. Ponies ’n Pints will be outfitted with flat-screen televisions and teller machines managed by VEA. The bar will furnish food and beverage service.

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BREEDERS LEGISLATIVE SNAFU FIXED Governor Wolf signed into law House Bill 2303 on October 28. The signing ended a prolonged legislative battle that had held up payment of breeders awards since February 2016.

According to H.B. 2303, non-Pennsylvania-sired horses will again be eligible for all PA-bred program awards and benefits. Additionally, as of January 1, 2017, PA-sired breeder awards will increase from 30 percent to 40 percent.

Further, if at any time the Breeding Fund should receive additional funds over a certain threshold, 50 percent of those funds will be used for PA-sired horses.

And the best part is that all awards will be paid retroactively, according to the traditional program, from February 23.

Hundreds of breeders will finally be getting their paydays, with about $8 million being released to owners and breeders. The paychecks will surely serve as a great relief to breeders who have been operating their businesses on credit with accumulating overdue bills.

Pennsylvania, along with its members of the horse racing industry, is looking forward to its bright future in racing and breeding.

All revenue generated by off-track betting will be shared by VEA, horsemen and breeders. All three groups continue to receive a statutory share of source market fees paid by the three national ADW companies licensed to accept Internet wagers in Virginia: TVG, TwinSpires and Xpressbet.

In addition to opening OTBs, the alliance has used its online wagering revenue to develop new racing venues in Virginia.

This summer, expansion of a county fair harness track in Woodstock was completed in time for VEA to run five weeks of Standardbred racing in the fall. VEA is currently working on development of a turf course for Thoroughbred racing that will be part of a thousand-acre equestrian park in Leesburg, just outside Washington, D.C. Racing there will not start until next fall at the earliest.

In the meantime, sporadic discussions continue between VEA and Colonial Downs about leasing or buying the dormant track in New Kent.

WASHINGTON HBPA BITTERSWEET YEAR FOR CONNECTIONS OF EMERALD DOWNS HORSE OF THE YEAR One Horse Will Do Corporation’s O B Harbor was voted Horse of the Meeting, Top Sprinter and Top Handicap Horse as Emerald Downs announced its 2016 season honors September 11, closing day of the track’s 21st season. But on October 26, joy turned to tragedy when owner Jody Peetz reported the powerful frontrunner died suddenly while turned out at his offseason home in Yakima, Washington. A necropsy revealed a twisted intestine.

Trained by Chris Stenslie, O B Harbor enjoyed a remarkable season at Emerald Downs, reeling off four spectacular victories including triumphs in the Governor’s Stakes, Budweiser Stakes and Mt. Rainier Stakes. His only loss was a third-place finish in the Longacres Mile, a race in which he set some of the fastest fractions in race history of :22.66, :44.70 and 1:08.76, which helped set the stage for Point Piper’s win, a track and state record for the Grade 3, $200,000 event in 1:32.90.

A 4-year-old Oregon-bred ridden by Jose Zunino, O B Harbor ran meetfastest times at 5 ½ furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs and 1 1/16 miles. Moreover, his 1:00.97 clocking in a 5 ½-furlong allowance victory was only one-tenth of a second shy of Hollywood Harbor’s world record. Hollywood Harbor shared the same sire, Harbor the Gold, and owner/trainer connections.

“He had all the talent in the world and tons of heart,” Peetz said of O B Harbor. “He was the complete package, and we loved him. It’s a terrible loss.”

Jockey Rocco Bowen dominated the riders’ standings with 110 wins (21.1 percent) and easily led in earnings with $1,155,544. It was the first riding title for the 27-year-old native of Barbados.

Also capturing his first title was trainer Blaine Wright. In his 10th season of training at Emerald Downs, he posted 39 wins (28.6 percent) from 136 starts, edging out Frank Lucarelli, who won the title in 2011 and 2012, and three-time defending champion Jeff Metz (2013–15). Wright also conditioned the meet’s top claimer He’s Cagey, a 7-year-old Idaho-bred that topped the meeting with six wins.

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NEWS

AFFILIATE Courtesy Emerald Downs

Trainer Howard Belvoir finished first in stakes wins with seven, including three apiece

by Barkley and So Lucky.

Barkley, a Kentucky-bred

by Munnings, was named top 3-year-old of the meet. His only defeat came in the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity, Horse of the Year O B Harbor when he finished second to Blazinbeauty, a Kentucky-bred who captured the juvenile filly honor.

So Lucky, a Washington-bred by Coast Guard, was voted top 2-year-old male and top Washington-bred.

Following is a complete list of award winners: Winner–Owner/Trainer Horse of the Meeting, Top Older Horse, Top Sprinter: O B Harbor (OR)—One Horse Will Do Corp/C. Stenslie Top Washington-bred, Top Juvenile Male: So Lucky (WA)—Pegasus Too & Rising Star Stable/H. Belvoir Top Older Filly or Mare: Guinevere’s Finale (KY)—Oak Crest Farm LLC/D. Martinez Top 3-Year-Old Male: Barkley (KY)—Rising Star Stable III & Belvoir/H. Belvoir Top 3-Year-Old Filly: Princess Kennedy (KY)—David Thorner/T. Wenzel Top Juvenile Filly: Blazinbeauty (KY)—Darrin Paul/F. Lucarelli Top Claimer: He’s Cagey (ID)—Seamist Racing, Wright and Abel Pulver/B. Wright Race of the Meeting: Longacres Mile Leading Jockey: Rocco Bowen (110) Leading Jockey Stakes Wins: Javier Matias (6) Leading Trainer: Blaine Wright (39) Leading Trainer Stakes Wins: Howard Belvoir (7) Leading Owner (tie): Muddy Waters Stables LLC (10) and John E. Parker (10) Top Riding Achievement: Rocco Bowen Top Training Achievement: Blaine Wright Durkan Award: Roddina Barrett Lindy Award: Erick Lopez Top Quarter Horse: Sorelli (OK) Leading Quarter Horse Trainer: Roddina Barrett (8) Leading Quarter Horse Jockey: Osvaldo Gonzalez (6) Leading trainer Blaine Wright

20TH ANNIVERSARY AND A NEW ADDRESS FOR EMERALD DOWNS AND WASHINGTON HBPA No, the Auburn oval is not moving anywhere soon, but there is a new address for Emerald Downs and the Washington HBPA. In honor of the Emerald Downs founder and his contribution to the Washington horse racing industry, Emerald Downs Drive was renamed Ron Crockett Drive. New street signs were posted by the City of Auburn as part of the track’s 20th anniversary celebration.

“Ron Crockett and his partners built this beautiful track 20 years ago and 62

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made a commitment to live horse racing,” said Phil Ziegler, Emerald Downs president. “Ron continues to play an integral role at Emerald Downs. The Muckleshoot Tribe, who now own the facility, have continued the commitment and have invested approximately $15 million in purses since 2004.”

Since the purchase by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the track has experienced a second straight year of warmer weather, larger fields and a higher daily average handle. This year’s 70-day meet yielded an average field size of 7.43, up from 6.86 in 2015 and 6.27 in 2014. Average total daily handle was up 16.8 percent over last year’s average. Director of Media Relations Vince Bruun reported sunshine on 51 of 70 days for the meet and a fast track on all but one day the entire meeting. One has to know Seattle to appreciate those statistics.

Opinions are divided on the cause of the sunnier skies, but sources credit the better field sizes and lower minimum wagers for the increase in handle.

Of note is the continued financial downturn for the Washington HBPA. The 2016 live meet marked a new low for generated revenue for the association, which represents all licensed owners and trainers at Emerald Downs and provides benevolent aid to workers in the barn area. Washington HBPA President Pat LePley and the board of directors continue to explore new sources of revenue for the association.

2016 WASHINGTON RACING HALL OF FAME WINNERS ANNOUNCED Article courtesy of Washington Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

The training team of Larry and Sharon Ross, jockey Jack Leonard, breeder Robert L. Edwards and equines Flamme and Loto Canada will be inducted into the 2016 Washington Racing Hall of Fame, with the ceremony to be held in conjunction with the August 28 Washington Cup. Larry and Sharon Ross, who originally hail from the East Coast, have trained many state and local champions during a training career that began in the 1970s at Longacres. Among their best have been fellow Hall of Famers Chum Salmon and Military Hawk and two-time Longacres Mile winner Stryker Phd. Chum Salmon also had a Mile win on his résumé. Between the two dedicated conditioners, they have made more than 1,460 trips to the winner’s circle, and their trainees have returned nearly $20.8 million to their owners.

Renton native Jack Leonard plied his trade with great success all over North America, taking rider titles at Longacres, Aqueduct and in the Bay Area. Regular partner of two-time Washington Horse of the Year and 2009 state Hall of Fame inductee Sparrow Castle, Leonard became only the fourth rider in Longacres history to win 100 races during a meet (1969) at the Renton oval. He guided both Sparrow Castle and Praise Jay to victory in the Longacres Mile.

Robert L. Edwards bred or co-bred three Washington champions and led the state breeder ranks for nine consecutive seasons (1974–82). Before moving his operation to the East Coast, Edwards stood leading Washington sire Balance of Power at his Flying E Ranch in Moses Lake. Among the best-known runners of the longtime horseman—who died in 2001 at age 89—were Grade 2 New York stakes winner Sprink, Bal de Lune, Maxwell’s Power, Eyes Six and the brothers Balanced Reigh and Power Reigh, who were both out of Edwards’ 1976 Washington Broodmare of the Year Quina Reigh. All but Sprink were progeny of Balance of Power.

Flamme, a 1975 daughter of Drum Fire bred and raced by Lawrence Brulotte Ranches, holds the distinction as the number two runner in Washington with regards to number of in-state stakes victories. Her 13 stakes wins were divided among all three of the top racetracks of the day in Washington, with seven stakes scores at Longacres, five at Yakima Meadows and a win in the Spokane Futurity at Playfair. Trained throughout her six years at the track by Bob

NEWS

RON MAUS RESIGNS FROM WHBPA Ron Maus, past president and director of the Washington HBPA, announced his resignation from the WHBPA board on October 22. In an email addressed to President Pat LePley and Executive Director MaryAnn O’Connell, Maus cited his intention to not participate in racing in 2017 and focus on other business ventures as his reason for giving up his board position.

In his 10 years of service, Maus led with

Ron Maus

AFFILIATE

McMeans, Flamme was Washington’s champion juvenile filly and repeated four years later as the state’s best older filly or mare.

Loto Canada, a 1977 gelding by Saltville out of T. V. Actress, by T. V. Lark, won or placed in 26 of his 33 lifetime starts over five seasons of racing. He had six stakes wins and another 10 stakes placings, including a third in the 1981 Longacres Mile while racing for Lee and Patti Brauer, for whom he earned $311,993. Voted Washington’s champion 2- and 3-year-old male runner, the bay runner was bred by Jerre Paxton’s Kwik Lok Corporation (later renamed Northwest Farms). His race career, which included starts at Longacres, Exhibition Park, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita, was split between the barns of Len Kasmerski, Gary Vickery and Robert Meeking.

The other 2016 finalists were trainers Doris Harwood, Frank Lucarelli and Ruth Parton; jockeys Juan Gutierrez and Chris Loseth; breeders C.F. Flower, Maurice McGrath and Penney Farms; female horses Dark Damsel and Whang Bang; and male horses Fast Parade and Red Wind.

transparency and never hesitated to get involved and voice his opinion. After he was elected WHBPA president, his efficiency and organizational skills, especially when holding meetings, were quickly recognized by the National HBPA. There, Maus served and led various committees and was regional vice president and treasurer for the national association.

On behalf of horsemen at Emerald Downs, we thank Ron Maus for his extraordinary dedication to his position with the Washington HBPA. His leadership will truly be missed both locally and nationally. Although we wish Maus and his wife, Debbie, the best going forward, we hope they return to the sport he so passionately defended and are back in an Emerald Downs shed row soon.

EMERALD DOWNS PROPOSES 70-DAY MEET FOR 2017 The Washington Horse Racing Commission at its November meeting approved a 70-day meet for live racing at Emerald Downs in 2017. New for the meet will be an opening day evening card on Saturday, April 8, and a post-racing fireworks show. Closing day is Sunday, September 17, a one-week extension from 2016. A four-day consecutive race date is scheduled during the week that includes Memorial Day. Other than the first two weeks with Saturday and Sunday racing only, the remainder of the meet primarily is Friday, Saturday and Sunday race cards. During July, the track plans to once again conduct Saturday night racing, which in 2016 proved not only a hit with fans but also presented cooler conditions for the horses. Also new for Emerald Downs in 2017 is a completely renovated fifth floor featuring a new sports bar, Vegas-style simulcast area and card room.

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