North American Trainer, Spring 2020 - issue 55

ISSUE 55 – Spring 2020 $6.95 www.trainermagazine.com

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED

KARL BROBERG “It doesn’t seem like work.

It feels like a dream”

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE

FACTORS FOR RACING ABILITY

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD VENTILATION

FAST OR SLOW – EXAMINING DIFFERENT TRAINING METHODS

|OPINION |

GI LE S A N DE R S ON PUBLISHER’S OPINION

2019 marks the sixth time that our “cover profile” trainer, Karl Broberg, has led the North American trainer rankings by the number of wins. In the past year he added no less than 547 to his career tally. What’s remarkable about Broberg is his rise through the training ranks. His career as a racehorse trainer had only started 10 years before, and it would be fair to say that his route into the world of racing wasn’t exactly conventional.

But as Bill Heller found out during his conversations with Broberg, here is a man who is driven by a will to do his best and to continue to improve his lot. He’ll put in the work to achieve—often working an eighty hour week. “My entire life, I wanted to be able to make a living in the horse racing industry. As an outsider, if you’re not born into it, it usually doesn’t happen. To me, it doesn’t seem like work. It feels like a dream,” recounts Broberg.

Much has been written about him over the years, with many in the industry questioning how he has gotten to where he has today. As his friend and co-owner, Mike Franklin put it, ”Lots of people don’t like him because he’s such a winner, but he’s the nicest guy in the world. He’s just a good guy. He’s not full of himself at all. He just does what he does and he’s good at it. It’s amazing to me.”

In this issue of the magazine, Bill Heller also examines the different training methods used by two of North America’s leading “graded stakes” trainers: Bob Baffert and Jason Servis. Whether to put in fast workouts or slower workouts is something that will resonate with those who study different training patterns, and as Heller summarizes, slow works versus fast. Two schools of thought: Horses don’t need fast works in the morning to run fast in the afternoon, or, horses must run fast in the morning to run fast in the afternoon.

We also cover the interesting topic of stable ventilation.

Many have been of the opinion for some time that the environment which horses are stabled in has a direct correlation with the overall health of the horse. Alan Creighton of the Irish Equine Centre is the font of all knowledge on this subject and in this issue, we are republishing an article from our European version of Trainer magazine as I believe that the important work that he has done will resonate with many across North America.

Just as there is a drive at the moment to reduce the application of “race day” medications such as Lasix, I do believe that the environment that the horse is stabled in must also come under similar scrutiny.

Perhaps if we can improve the airflow through barns, we are going to reduce the amount of dust particles in the air which will in turn reduce the instances of horses bleeding.

Wherever your racing takes you this spring - good luck!

ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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Editorial Director/Publisher Giles Anderson (1 888 218 4430) Sub-Editor Jana Cavalier Advert Production Charlotte Fossey Circulation/Website Charlotte Fossey (1 888 659 2935) Advertising Sales Giles Anderson, Anna Alcock 1 888 218 4430 Photo Credits: Alamy, Kerstin Coward, Eclipse Sportswire, Annie Lambert, Shutterstock, Judy Wardrope Cover Photograph Eclipse Sportswire Design ATG Media

Trainer Magazine is published by Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd. Contact details Tel: 1 888 659 2935 Fax: 1 888 218 4206 info@trainermagazine.com www.trainermagazine.com North America PO Box 13248, Lexington, KY 40583-3248 United Kingdom 14 Berwick Courtyard, Berwick St Leonard, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 5UA

Alan F. Balch was hired as the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers in April 2010. His professional career in racing began at Santa Anita in 1971, where he advanced to the position of senior vice president of marketing and assistant general manager, and was in charge of the Olympic Games Equestrian Events in Los Angeles in 1984. He retired in the early 90s to become volunteer president of the National Equestrian Federation of the USA, as well as of the National Horse Show of Madison Square Garden. He remains president of USA Equestrian Trust, Inc. Alan Creighton specializes in biosecurity and the diagnosis and eradication of disease in equine premises. He advises on ventilation, layout, design and environmental aspects of equine premises. He has consulted on numerous new and rebuilds of racing yards throughout Europe. He is widely experienced in UK, Ireland, Europe and the USA and is a respected lecturer and speaker on performance, biosecurity and environmental pathogens in the equine industry.

Ed Golden is the author of Santa Anita’s widely acclaimed “Stable Notes,” hailed by peers as “the best in racing”. A native of Philadelphia, he earned Eclipse Award honorable mention while with the Philadelphia Daily News and has written for the The Blood-Horse and USA Today.

Bill Heller is an Eclipse Awardwinning author of 26 books, including biographies of Hall of Fame jockeys Ron Turcotte, Randy Romero and Jose Santos. Bill and his wife Marianne live near Gulfstream Park in Florida. Bill’s son Benjamin is an accomplished marathon runner in Troy, N.Y.

Trainer Magazine is the official magazine of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.

It is distributed to all ‘Trainer’ members of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and all members of the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, the Alberta Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.

Education Ed cati tii ! Integrity I t it Service

Dr. Zofia Lisowski qualified from the University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Sciences in 2008. She worked as a veterinary surgeon in equine clinical practice in the UK for 6 years before being awarded a Horserace Betting Levy Board Veterinary Research Training Scholarship to undertake a PhD at the Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh investigating Equine Post-operative ileus. After completing her PhD in 2018, Zofia was appointed as a lecturer in Veterinary Biomedicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies where she divides her time between teaching veterinary undergraduates and research. Her research focuses on the immune system with a particular focus on inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

PIC: NORMAN RUSSELL UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH Charlie McCarthy has been a sports journalist for nearly 35 years. A graduate of New York University, he has worked and written for United Press International, the New York Post, Gannett’s Bridgewater Courier-News (N.J.), CBS Sports.com and Fox Sports Florida. He has freelanced for the Associated Press and The Blood-Horse. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Charlie lives in South Florida and enjoys covering Gulfstream Park, especially during its winter championship meet.

Judy Wardrope mechanically inclined by nature, Wardrope has applied her curiosity regarding how things work in several directions, including a 17-year stint as a locomotive engineer. Combined with an avid interest in horses, she started looking beyond straight legs and subjective descriptors to explain what she was seeing in individual horses.

Annie Lambert is a photojournalist based in Temecula, California. She grew up enjoying many facets of the equine industry with her veterinarian father, Dr. D. Ommert, and mother, Pat North Ommert, who is an inductee of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Anne has been involved in many aspects of the thoroughbred racing industry, rode hunters and jumpers as well as reined cow horses.

Trainer Magazine (ISSN 17580293) is published 4 times a year, February, April, July and October by Anderson & Co Publishing and distributed in the USA

by UKP Worldwide, 3390 Rand Road, South Plainfield, NJ 07080.

Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Trainer Magazine, Anderson & Co Publishing C/O 3390 Rand Road, South Plainfield NJ 07080

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A DV E R T I S E M E N T

EIPH AND BLEEDING Best Solution When LASIX Are Banned

By Mark Hansen

W

hile bleeding from the nose in racehorses is uncommon, it is accepted that most every horse will experience some level of bleeding in their lungs. Even though this may only cause slight discomfort for the equine athlete, it is a trainer’s worst nightmare because it can lead to poor performance, lost training days, costly treatments, or worse — a very sick horse that’s banned from racing for life.

For one trainer, this is exactly the nightmare that happened to him. Suddenly not just one, but two of his best horses were bleeding from EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage). They were in danger of being banned from racing, even though they were still in their prime. Lasix (Salix) was not an option.

The trainer was at a loss. What can be done?

Facing these concerns for two of his horses, the trainer (who asked us to withhold his name for competitive reasons) was willing to try anything. So, he searched for another option.

He gave his horses an alternative to bleeder drugs and treatments; something he had read about called BleederShield. This natural respiratory horse supplement helps control bleeding. It is just as effective in improving the health and performance of bleeders but without any of those “drug issues” that come with most race-day bleeder medications.

“I used BleederShield paste on two horses that had been bleeding. Now, neither horse has bled. This is a great product; it saved the careers of two very good horses.”

The Science Behind BleederShield To understand how BleederShield works, we looked at a controlled study run by veterinarians at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

They investigated the effects of the active ingredient in BleederShield, yunnan baiyao, which has been shown to help reduce bleeding in people and animals.

The veterinary team wanted to see how this active ingredient specifically affected bleeding in horses. They measured template bleeding times in horses before and after receiving a supplement with the active ingredient.

The researchers reported that the supplement significantly reduced bleeding time. They concluded that the active ingredient in BleederShield was effective at minimizing blood loss in horses.1 What surprised us the most about BleederShield is its effectiveness without the use of drugs. Having a drug-free option is critical in countries that ban most raceday EIPH medications. And even though Lasix/Salix isn’t banned in the USA yet, its day may be coming. There’s a serious need NOW for a natural solution that can help

control bleeding in performance horses.

Trainers and owners alike are impressed with the results they are seeing from BleederShield. One winning trainer told us: “I have horses that bleed and when I use this product I have no problems. I’m sure there are a lot of products on the market but I stand behind this one all the way.”

Now you can improve the health of your horses while protecting the investment in their racing careers.

With the results from the scientific studies, you can expect BleederShield to reduce bleeding events in horses during intense exercise… repair damaged blood vessels … and provide support for normal lung function and normal blood flow.2 Best of all, BleederShield is easy AND affordable. It could be the smartest investment you make to avoid pricey problems related to EIPH. It’s well worth the small price to avoid a banning risk or losing a great horse.

A company spokesperson confirmed an exclusive offer for Trainer Magazine readers: if you order BleederShield this month, you’ll receive 10% off your first order by using promo code TM10 at checkout.

You can order BleederShield today at www.BleederShield.com.

1.

2.

Graham L. et al. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 12:4 (2002) 279-282.

Graham L. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2006.

|CONTENTS |

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ISS SUE

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60

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70

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CONTENTS F E AT U R E S

38 Colic – effects of inflammation

REGULARS

Hudson identify common inflammatory issues

06

Dr. Zofia Lisowski, Prof. Scott Pirie & Dr. Neil

08 Karl Broberg – profile

Bill Heller portrays how Karl Broberg’s career went from the advertising world to becoming the nation’s leading trainer in victories for the sixth straight year.

that can occur following a colic operation and how to manage them.

46 Taylor Cambra – CTT profile

Annie Lambert finds out about Exercise rider

18 Factors for racing ability

Judy Wardrope examines which factors might increase the chances to pick a future star on the track. Many buyers and agents look at the pedigree of a horse and the abilities displayed by its relatives. But is that always an accurate predictor of future success?

Taylor Cambra’s sights on training horses and how Rodeo life has influenced his journey.

60 Grade 1 winning owners

Bill Heller talks to Jason Servis and Bob Baffert about fast versus slow training methods and why both work for different reasons.

First published in European Trainer, Alan

30 Kevin Attard – Canadian trainer

racehorse stable environment.

Charlie McCarthy talks to a man who as a boy growing up in Ontario yearned to make his own mark in the family business and about the journey to become the second-leading trainer in earnings at Woodbine Racetrack in 2019.

@ train e r_ mag

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66 The importance of good ventilation Creighton (from the Irish Equine Center) explains the ideal design and control of the

70 Odds Makers – Odds require an even hand

Ed Golden talks to morning line odds makers Jon White and Russell Hudak about the art of working out the morning line betting odds.

/ t rai ner magaz i n e

TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 55

This quarter, Bill Heller asks: Is turf racing safer for horses than dirt?

headlines winning Breeders’ Cup races at Santa

24 Fast or Slow – examining

profile

72 #soundbites

Bill Heller profiles owners of horses that made Anita last November.

different training methods

Alan F. Balch column

/ t r ai n e rmag az i n e

Visit trainermagazine.com to download our current digital editions and access back issues of both European and North American Trainer

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| CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS |

TRAINERS’ RIGHTS? J

ustice—and injustice—are as old as humanity. Our contemporary ideas and standards of fairness trace all the way back to the very beginnings of recorded history, whether in Egypt, Greece or Rome.

“Lady Justice” appears at courthouses and law schools almost everywhere, although few of us take the time to see what she symbolizes. The scales of justice connote impartiality, the weighing and balancing of the sides to any issue. The sword, usually unsheathed, commands respect, and means there’s no justice without enforcement of a decision. A double-edged blade protects the innocent as well. The blindfold—a relatively contemporary addition—stands for objectivity and is a barrier to connections, politics, fame or wealth influencing an outcome.

The evolution and role of justice in racing are more ambiguous. Even though King Henry VIII (or possibly Lord George Bentinck) famously declared that “all men are equal on the turf, and under it,” such an opinion has rarely if ever applied to the discipline or behavior within our sport’s community. It’s probable, in fact, that the description of the lowly being “called on the carpet” originated in racing: when the grand poohbahs or stewards of the Jockey Club in England confronted an offender to the regular order of behavior who deserved a scolding. Or worse.

In my own time, dating back only 50 years, I’m ashamed to say we in track management used to laugh that the Constitution of the United States applied everywhere except within a race track enclosure. For better or worse (and in the earliest years of modern racing during the Great Depression, it may well have been for the better), to speak of “rights” for anyone other than the track ownership and stewards was anathema. But in those early days, as the only organized sport or activity with state-sanctioned and legal betting on the outcomes, amidst a sea of economic deprivation, hardship and blossoming organized crime, preserving racing’s integrity seemed to demand draconian rule.

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In California, one steward was appointed by management—one by the State of California—and those two selected a third. Needless to say, the track had the upper hand in all decisions and discipline.

It was the mid-1970s before things started to change, gradually at first. Still, when the major tracks had multiple applications from horsemen for every available stall, and many major owners still had private trainers, we weren’t living in a “civil rights” paradise for anyone—whether customers, horsemen, or backstretch denizens.

By its nature, with enormous sums of money involved, in betting, purses, real property and bloodstock values—not to mention public economic impacts and multipliers far beyond any individual track or farm—racing required (and still requires) meticulous statutory and regulatory oversight. The law is there, and the rules are there to protect and enhance the public interest, including the economy. In California, that means the Horse Racing Board (CHRB) is empowered to supervise all of it. Politics may enter, of course, because the governor appoints its commissioners. But until the 1970s, CHRB had only three members . . . increasing politicization came during years of expansion and labor strife as it grew from the original nal three to five to the current seven appointees. ppointees.

Nowadays, trainers rs everywhere, not just in California, a, are justifiably concerned with methods thods of rule enforcement and their eir legal protections (or lack thereof ) as they prepare and race horses under greaterr public scrutiny than ever before. Are they entitled to meaningful aningful fair procedures when n their conduct is questioned ed or criticized, not just in n the rule enforcement process, rocess, but generally? Can they be protected from scapegoating pegoating in a sport that is fundamentally amentally reliant on risk, and inherently hazardous, involving g precious animals?

In California, both h its racing law and official ruless call for

formal contracts to be negotiated and agreed between tracks and the horsemen’s organizations . . . where we have separate entities representing owners and trainers.

These “Race Meet Agreements” describe the agreed conditions for the conduct of racing, as well as the “welfare, benefits, and prerogatives” of both tracks and trainers.

It’s true that tracks are often private property, which confers benefits on their operators. However, owners of tracks operating within a highly regulated industry voluntarily diminish their customary private property rights, by virtue of that regulation and its requirements. And the horses, remember, are also private property, of their owners, who in more cases than ever before are also their trainers. The trainers themselves are also licensed, operating their own private businesses, from which the tracks are benefiting. So, it’s clear that formal agreements, approved by the regulator, are necessary to define the extent of private property and other rights of both the licensed tracks and the participants, and to balance them in the public interest.

Yes, tracks have rights. Trainers do, too.

All thi this calls to mind Ed Bowe Bowen reminding us, in h his October 1991 column in The B Blood-Horse, of ou our ongoing nee need to “grasp the int interdependence” am among all segments of our game.

Every segment needs n the others, and every segment needs nee to respect the rights and preroga prerogatives of the others. The legislature has invested the racing commission with the authority to do the bal balancing.

Our sport has never been at a point where we need the reg regulator’s wisdom and our respect for each ea other’s prerogatives mor more than we do now. Individual livelihoods and the very via viability of our sport are at stake stake.

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K AR L BR OB ER G

Leading trainer – by number of wins – for a sixth consecutive year Bill Heller Eclipse Sportswire

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PROFILE

O

n his way to becoming the nation’s leading trainer in victories for the third straight year, Karl Broberg was living his dream—one begun when his dad pried him out of elementary school to go to the track—until he received a phone call the night of May 13, 2016. Then a second call.

And the third—the worst one, telling him his wife had fallen overboard on a cruise she was on...a Mother’s Day gift with some of her gal pals...and was never seen again.

She had drowned.

“I was at Prairie Meadows,” Broberg said. “I got a call from one of her friends on the trip. `We can’t find Samantha.’ Your mind goes crazy. You say, `She’s on a cruise ship. She’s fine.’ And then I got another call a couple hours later. They still can’t find her. Later that night, they gave me a call that they reviewed a video that showed her falling off. She was never seen again.”

How did he go on? “You don’t have a choice,” he said.

“The first thing you have to do is hold the family together.

It was the toughest thing in my life. I came home and had to share what happened. My girls were seven, eight and 11. You grieve. Life is short. You never know. You have to enjoy every day.”

Two days later at Lone Star Park, less than seven miles from his home in Arlington, Texas, Broberg took his three daughters with him to saddle one of his horses. “There were some people who were critical to me—that I took my daughters to the track two days after it happened,” he said. “I wasn’t going to sit home with them and cry. We won with the very first horse that night. The girls were in the winner’s circle. They’re crying. The jockey, C.J. McMahon, was crying. Everybody was crying. Me, too.”

Asked if work was a welcome diversion from his tragedy, he said, “One hundred percent.”

But suddenly, the number of calls he’d get from owners wanting to claim horses diminished. “It’s understandable,” Broberg said. “Everybody knew I had primary custody of all my girls. After my wife passed, I could immediately tell the client personnel was shrinking. There’s natural trepidation that he’s not going to be able to keep this going.”

He kept it going. In 2019, he led trainers for the sixth consecutive year with the unworldly total of 547 victories from 2,130 starts, 79 less than Hall of Famer

Steve Asmussen needed to finish second with 433 victories. Broberg’s win percentage, 25.7, is outstanding by any measure.

Broberg also cracked the Top Ten in earnings for the second consecutive year, finishing 10th with a career-best $9.2 million, evidence that he’s improving the quality of his stable while he races primarily at tracks in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“He works harder than anybody I’ve ever met in my life, and I’m a hard worker,” his friend and occasional horse partner Mike Franklin, said. “His mind never shuts off. He never stops handicapping. It’s phenomenal.

He sees things in the Racing Form others don’t see.

I don’t know how he does it. He never sleeps. He’s a workaholic. He loves it.”

Franklin, who owns a car dealership in Houston, Texas, was a trainer for 10 years before giving it up five years ago. He met Broberg when Broberg claimed one of his horses. “That’s the first time we met, at Delta Downs in 2010,” Franklin said. “Then one day, we both had horses in a $5,000 claimer two stalls apart. I think mine ran third; his horse was second. Neither got claimed.”

After the race, Broberg said to Franklin, “I’ll sell you mine for $3,000.” Franklin said, “Okay.” Anxious to see his new horse, Franklin immediately went to Broberg’s barn, where Broberg’s assistant, Christie, unaware of their deal, “ran me out of the barn,” Franklin said. He called Broberg, and they laughed. Franklin took the horse anyway, and later they owned several horses together.

“They did well,” Franklin said.

Broberg’s stable has grown to 180. He owns roughly half of them, racing in the name of End Zone Athletics, the same name as the advertising firm he started in 2003, as he continues to claim hundreds of horses a year. “When you have a stable this size, you always have your phone on,” Broberg said.

His ambition has grown, too. “The goal was to be king of the cheap stuff,” he said, but he added, “New York is a dream. I don’t know how realistic it is. Kentucky is the next viable option. I’d like to get a small foothold there.

Florida has year-round racing. It’s on the radar as well.

I’m going to go wherever the clients want me.”

He’s happy sharing his life now with Breezy, the woman he’s been living with the past two years.

THE GOAL WAS TO BE KING OF THE CHEAP STUFF.

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PROFILE

| KARL BROBERG |

MY LOVE FOR HORSES WAS ALWAYS THERE. MY ENTIRE YOUTH WAS SPENT WONDERING HOW AN OUTSIDER CAN GET INTO THE SPORT. Here’s the fun part. At the age of 49, he’s only been training since 2009, when he won with two of his first three starts.

The following year, he won 197 races from 916 starts, earning just under $2.5 million. Not bad for a guy who worked at a factory manufacturing grocery carts, as a gas retailer running convenience stores and as a district manager of a dozen ice cream stores. “I had a bunch of bad jobs,” he said.

There’s only one job he ever wanted—the one he has now. He’s been in love with horses his entire life.

He was born just outside Chicago, where his dad, Lloyd, worked a multitude of jobs, including one at a water treatment plant, and remains an avid horse racing fan. Broberg’s mom, Jean, was a skilled artisan, making jewelry. They’re both retired and living in Springfield, Mo., where his lone brother, Kirk, is a detective. “He did everything right,” Karl said. “Went into the military.

Graduated college. Somehow, we’re like polar opposites.”

Broberg didn’t graduate from high school. He preferred the track. “I’d go along with my dad to Arlington,” Broberg said. “We’d go there fairly regularly. I remember him taking me out of school a multitude of times. I was young—five or six. I’d get a double dip: skip classes and

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go to the track. Everything about it I loved: the pageantry of it, the horses. We would just go up there and sit on the rail. You could hear the thundering hooves coming down the stretch. The call from Phil Georgeff.”

Georgeff was a broadcasting legend, with his signature call, “Here they come spinning out of the turn.”

When Broberg was 14, he won a contest by draw to call a race at Remington Park. “I used, `Here they come spinning out of the turn’, that was the only thing I got right. I enjoyed it immensely.”

He continued, “My love for horses was always there. My entire youth was spent wondering how an outsider can get into the sport. I loved handicapping. I thought I was better than anyone at it.”

When his family moved to Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa, Okla., he was a freshman in high school. Broberg went to Blue Ribbon Downs’ mixed meets of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, and took a bus to get to Remington Park in Tulsa. “It was great taking the bus it gave me time to handicap. That’s all I wanted to do. For a couple of years, all I’d do is bet the horses. I never missed an opportunity to bet horses. Never.”

PROFILE

| KARL BROBERG |

He worked the graveyard shift at a factory in Wagner, Okla., so he could go to the races in the afternoon. “They made grocery carts, it was a horrible job.”

A painful one, too. “I lost my finger, my ring finger on my left hand, it was amputated. It happened so quickly. I was probably 22, 23.”

He landed a better job with Quick Trip, a gas retailer. “I was there for eight years, I was running their convenience stores. That wound up to be a good learning center. They are customer focused. You learn how to deal with people and how to lead people.”

When Quick Trip opened its first store in Texas, he moved to Arlington, Texas, and changed jobs again, becoming a district manager for Braum’s Ice Cream and running their dozen stores in Texas. “I did not enjoy it, but it paid the bills I was still playing the horses. I never stopped. Never. That’s something I’ve enjoyed my whole life.”

On a whim in 2002, Broberg took a stint as a groom at Oaklawn Park. “With no experience whatsoever, I’d never been around a horse. He worked for trainer Greg Frye, who is now one of his owners. “I worked long hours as a groom,” he said. “I just wanted the experience more than

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a decent paycheck. I learned a lot. I only did that for a few months. I came to the realization: how can you support a family with that lifestyle? I found it virtually impossible.

I had a wife and my first daughter. I decided that it’s not for me.”

Not then.

A year later, he started End Zone Athletics, an advertising business doing special promotions with schools. He ran the business out of his house. “It started to do well, I said, `You know what, it’s time to play around with horse ownership.’”

He bought a couple pieces of horses in partnerships.

“I quickly realized that partnership was not the way to go, I had questions why some of the horses were being managed the way they were. How can the vet bill be $1,000 a month?”

In 2006, Broberg decided to own horses himself. He’d already met trainer John Locke, and they teamed up to make a couple of claims at Lone Star. “I was the worst owner possible, because I was always at the barn,” he said. “I loved it so much. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was volunteering around the barn. I was trying to learn as much as I can. I remember a couple of looks from some of

PROFILE

MY ENTIRE LIFE, I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING IN THE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY.

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| KARL BROBERG |

the other help, but the more I helped out, the more they liked it. They tolerated me.”

When Locke began talking about retiring, Broberg saw a path to reach his lifelong goal as a trainer. “We worked out something mutually beneficial with my buying him out, I knew most of the owners,” Karl said. “It was important for us to have immediate success if I was going to retain these owners. Winning immediately was imperative. Because, who am I? There would be no reason they would keep me. I just knew we had to win.”

And he thought he would. “I was taking over a sizable barn from John Locke, he had about 80 horses in training. There was no reason to think we wouldn’t win.”

It took Broberg all of two starters to win his first race with Only Man in Town on November 7, 2009, at Retama Park in Texas. “He was the second horse I started, it was amazing.”

For good measure, he won with his third starter, too.

It’s 10 years later and he hasn’t stopped winning, putting up incredible numbers. “Lots of people don’t like him because he’s such a winner,” Franklin said. “But he’s the nicest guy in the world. He’s just a good guy. He’s not full of himself at all. He just does what he does and he’s good at it. It’s amazing to me.”

In 2018, Karl joined Steve Asmussen and Scott Lake as the only trainers to record 500 victories in a single season. On the way, he notched his 3,000th winner at Sam Houston Race Park on Feb. 22, 2018, with Sarge’s Daughter, a horse he claimed for $25,000 at Belterra Park. She was his fifth winner that day.

He wasn’t as excited hitting 500 again in 2019. “Been there, done it,” he said.

In 2019, he had 547 victories on the way to leading the nation for a sixth consecutive year. “In leading in wins, I passed all the trainers I idolized,” he said. You don’t give it a thought. Maybe when I’m done training, I’ll reflect. It’s not about me, it’s about my staff. I’m blessed with amazing help.”

He needs the help, claiming hundreds of horses at as many as six different racetracks. “You’re always claiming with a spot in mind, a horse that hasn’t knocked out that first level allowance,” he said. “I’ve won hundreds of firstlevel allowances with big purses, $18,000 to $38,000, with $5,000 claimers. Then, when we win the condition, many people can’t wrap their mind around us putting them back in at $5,000. I can. If someone wants him, they can take him. I’ve had horses I’ve claimed four of five times. There are many races at Delta Downs where I’ve had seven, eight horses in the race that I once trained.

You get to know the circuits very well.”

What of other circuits? What of big time? What of a Kentucky Derby or a Breeders’ Cup? “I don’t allow myself to dream about any of that stuff, you hope the big horse comes your way.”

Until then, he’s doing pretty well with the horses that do come his way. He works very hard to do so. “Well over 80 hours a week,” he said.

He couldn’t be happier working 80 hours a week.

“Before I got into racing, I always worked 70-80 hours a week, so the time I spend doing this is not an issue. My entire life, I wanted to be able to make a living in the horse racing industry. As an outsider, if you’re not born into it, it usually doesn’t happen. To me, it doesn’t seem like work. It feels like a dream.”

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| TRAINING |

FAC TO RS FOR RACING ABILI TY AND SUS TA I NAB ILI T Y Judy Wardrope

E

Eclipse Sportswire, Judy Wardrope

veryone wants to be able to pick a future star on the track, ideally, one that can compete at the stakes level for several seasons. In order to increase the probability of finding such a gem, many buyers and agents look at the pedigree of a horse and the abilities displayed by its relatives, but that is not always an accurate predictor of future success. When looking at a potential racehorse, the mechanical aspects of its conformation usually override the lineage, unless of course, the conformation actually matches the pedigree.

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For our purposes, we will examine three horses at the end of their three-year-old campaigns and one at the end of her fourth year. In order to provide the best educational value, these four horses were chosen because they offer a reasonable measure of success or failure on the track, have attractive pedigrees and were all offered for sale as racing prospects in a November mixed sale. The fillies were also offered as broodmare prospects.

Is it possible to tell which ones were the better racehorses and predict the best distances for those who were successful? Do their race records match their pedigrees? Let’s see.

| CONFORMATION |

HORSE 1 Horse #1

This gelding (photographed as a three-year-old) is by Horse of the Year Mineshaft and out of a daughter of Giants Causeway, a pedigree that would suggest ability at classic distances. He brought a final bid of $275k as a yearling and $45k as a maiden racing-prospect at the end of his threeyear-old year after earning $19,150. His story did not end there, however. He went back to racing, changed trainers a few times, was claimed and then won a minor stakes at a mile while adding over $77k to his total earnings. All but one of his 18 races (3-3-3) were on the dirt, and he was still in training at the time of writing.

Structurally, he has some good points, but he is not built to be a superior athlete nor a consistent racehorse. His LS gap (just in front of the high point of croup) is considerably rearward from a line drawn from the top point of one hip to the top of the other. In other words, he was not particularly strong in the transmission and would likely show inconsistency because his back would likely spasm from his best efforts.

His stifle placement, based on the visible protrusion, is just below sheath level, which is in keeping with a horse preferring distances around eight or nine furlongs.

However, his femur side (from point of buttock to stifle protrusion) of the rear triangle is shorter than the ilium side (point of hip to point of buttock), which not only adds

stress to the hind legs, but it changes the ellipse of the rear stride and shortens the distance preference indicated by stifle placement. Horses with a shorter femur travel with their hocks behind them do not reach as far under their torsos as horses that are even on the ilium and femur sides.

While the difference is not pronounced on this horse, it is discernable and would have an effect.

He exhibits three factors for lightness of the forehand: a distinct rise to the humerus (from elbow to point of shoulder), a high base of neck and a pillar of support (as indicated by a line extended through the naturally occurring groove in the forearm) that emerges well in front of the withers. The bottom of his pillar also emerges just into the rear quarter of his hoof, which, along with his lightness of the forehand, would aid with soundness for his forequarters.

The muscling at the top of his forearm extends over the elbow, which is a good indication that he is tight in the elbow on that side. He developed that muscle in that particular fashion because he has been using it as a brake to prevent the elbow from contacting the ribcage. (Note that the tightness of the elbow can vary from side to side on any horse.)

He ran according to his build, not his pedigree, and may well continue to run in that manner. He is more likely to have hind leg and back issues than foreleg issues.

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| TRAINING |

HORSE 2 Horse #2

This filly (photographed as a three-year-old) is by champion sprinter Speightstown and out of a gradedstakes-placed daughter of Hard Spun that was best at about a mile. The filly raced at two and three years of age, earning $26,075 with a lifetime record of 6 starts, one win, one second and one third—all at sprinting distances on the dirt. She did not meet her reserve price at the sale when she was three.

Unlike Horse #1, her LS gap is much nearer the line from hip to hip and well within athletic limits. But, like Horse #1, she is shorter on the femur side of her rear triangle, which means that although her stifle protrusion is well below sheath level, the resultant rear stride would be restricted, and she would be at risk for injury to the hind legs, particularly from hock down.

She only has two of three factors for lightness of the forehand: the top of the pillar emerges well in front of the withers, and she has a high point of neck. Unlike the rest of the horses, she does not have much rise from elbow to point of shoulder, which equates with more horse in front of the pillar as well as a slower, lower stride on the forehand. In addition, the muscling at the top of her forearm is placed directly over her elbow… even more so than on Horse #1. She would not want to use her full

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range of motion of the foreleg and would apply the brake/ muscle she developed in order to lift the foreleg off the ground before the body had fully rotated over it to avoid the elbow/rib collision. This often results in a choppy stride. However, it should be noted that the bottom of her pillar emerges into the rear quarter of her hoof, which is a factor for soundness of the forelegs.

Her lower point of shoulder combined with her tight elbow would not make for an efficient stride of the forehand, and her shorter femur would not make for an efficient stride of the hindquarters.

Her construction explains why she performed better as a two-year-old than she did as a three-year-old.

It is likely that the more she trained and ran, the more uncomfortable she became, and that she would favor either the hindquarters or the forequarters, or alternate between them.

She did not race nearly as well as her lineage would suggest.

Horse #3

This filly (photographed as a three-year-old) is by champion two-year-old, Midshipman, and out of a multiple stakes-producing daughter of Unbridled’s Song.

She raced at two and three years of age and became a

| CONFORMATION |

HORSE 3

stakes-winner (Gr3) as a three-year-old, tallying over $425k in lifetime earnings from 12 starts. Although she did win one of her two starts on turf, she was best at 8 to 8.5 furlongs on the main track. She brought a bid of $775k at the sale and was headed to life as a broodmare.

Her LS gap is just slightly rearward of a line drawn from hip to hip and is therefore well within the athletic range.

Her rear triangle is of equal distance on the ilium and femur sides, plus her stifle protrusion would be just below sheath level if she were male. She has the engine of an 8- to 9-furlong horse and the transmission to utilize that engine.

Aside from all three factors for lightness of the forehand (pillar emerging well in front of the withers, good rise of the humerus from elbow to point of shoulder and a high base of neck), the bottom of her pillar emerges into the rear quarter of her hoof to aid in soundness.

Although she shows muscle development at the top of her forearm, the muscling does not extend over her elbow the way it does on the previous two horses. Her near side does not exhibit the tell-tale muscle of a horse with a tight elbow, and thus, she would be comfortable using a full range of motion of the forehand.

Proportionately, she has the shortest neck of the sample horses, which may be one of the reasons she has developed the muscle at the top of her forearm. Since

horses use their necks to aid in lifting the forehand and extending the stride, she may compensate by using the muscle over her humerus to assist in those purposes.

Of the sample horses, she is the closest to matching heritage and ability.

Horse #4

This filly (photographed as a four-year-old) is by Belmont winner, Union Rags, and out of a multiple stakesproducing daughter of Smart Strike, making her a halfsister to a millionaire. Her $375k price tag as a two-yearold-in-training was the highest for a filly from her sire’s first crop. She won stakes races at two (Gr1), three (Gr2 placed) and four (G2); and pocketed a tidy $537,625. Her 11 starts were all at the stakes level, and her wins were at 6.5 and 7 furlongs despite her lineage. She did not reach her reserve at the auction at which she was photographed; instead, plans were made to send her to the court of none other than Frankel.

Although she is a year older than the other horses, she was included as a model for comparison in certain areas.

One of the first things to note about this filly is that she does not have the muscling most people associate with a sprinter of her caliber. Lack of conditioning is likely not the reason as the catalog listed her last work was only a ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| TRAINING |

| CONFORMATION |

HORSE 4 month before the photo was taken. Horse #3 last worked two months before being photographed, Horse #2 last worked five months previously and Horse #1 last worked 1.5 months prior.

She does not have a pedigree one would normally associate with sprinting, yet her conformation favored distances under a mile. Her LS is within athletic limits; her ilium and femur sides are essentially equal, her stifle protrusion would be just at the bottom of the sheath on a male, she is light on the forehand, and her pillar emerges into the rear quarter of her hoof.

It is also worth noting that her elbow appears to be well away from her ribcage, allowing her the freedom for a full range of motion of her forequarters. Consequently, she does not show a well-defined muscle at the top of the forearm.

This contrasts with the other horses. Remember, Horse #1 shows muscle development over the forearm and a bit over the elbow, indicating he may be shortening his full range of motion to avoid a collision between elbow and ribs. Horse #2 definitely shows the classic sign of tight elbows—obvious muscling over the elbow. Horse #3 shows muscling over the center of the forearm, but not over the elbow.

She may have inherited the athleticism of her immediate ancestors, but she did not inherit their classic distance preferences.

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Lessons Learned

A lot of things go into the making of a successful racehorse: conformation, training, desire, etc. Naturally, the competitive nature of a horse or its level of pain tolerance cannot be known until the horse is tested; however, it is reasonable to assume that the horse that is built to comfortably do the job and stay sound while doing that job is likely to run better than the horse that is competitive by nature or has a high pain threshold but is built to have little ability and/or little sustainability.

No single factor determines ability, but a single factor can limit ability. Superior LS placement is not that prevalent in horses and is certainly a determining factor in athleticism and the ability to compensate for some minor deficiencies, but it does not make a racehorse.

Although Horse #2 has the strongest LS placement of our sample horses, she has the poorest race record due to other deficiencies.

It is natural for our eye to be caught by the shiny horse with well-defined muscles and a strong pedigree, but our eye can be fooled without further analysis, as Horse #4 proves.

The bottom line is that picking a future star at the track takes more than a marketable catalog page and straight legs. Athletes have to be built to be athletic‌and sound.

| TRAINING |

FA S T O R S L O W? EXAMINING DIFFERENT TRAINING METHODS Bill Heller talks to Jason Servis and Bob Baffert about fast versus slow training methods Bill Heller

J

ust hours apart, trainers Jason Servis and Bob Baffert saddled Gr1 winners on Saturday, December 7.

Servis’ outstanding three-year-old colt Maximum Security captured the Gr1 Cigar Mile easily at Aqueduct off three extremely slow workouts.

Twenty-eight hundred miles away at Los Alamitos, where he also won the Gr2 Los Alamitos Futurity for two-year-olds with

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Alamy, Eclipse Sportswire

Thousand Words, Baffert’s Bast won the Gr1 Starlet for two-year-old fillies. Both two-year-olds had fast works, as most of Baffert’s horses do.

These two trainers couldn’t be more different regarding published workouts, yet their success in 2019 was eerily similar.

Through late December, Servis ranked eighth nationally in earnings ($10.9 million from 563 starts). Baffert was ninth with $10.0 million from just 317 starts.

“Jason and Bob—they’re completely different,” Servis’ brother John, who trained 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness

winner Smarty Jones, said. “Jason has a whole different way.”

Even with the same client. Baffert and Servis each trained Kentucky Derby threeyear-olds for Gary and Mary West, who own Maximum Security and Baffert-trained Game Winner, last year’s Two-Year-Old Champion.

Each three-year-old’s works for the Derby reflected their trainers’ different approaches.

Slow works versus fast. Two schools of thought: Horses don’t need fast works in the morning to run fast in the afternoon, or, horses must run fast in the morning to run fast in the afternoon.

| FAST OR SLOW |

MY DAD MADE ME. I LEARNED THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW. WORK HARD. KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN. JASON SERVIS

The great majority of trainers fall somewhere between those two extremes.

But to Servis and Baffert, they aren’t extremes; rather, it is what they have come to believe is the best way to prepare Thoroughbreds for a race. They didn’t reach that opinion overnight but rather through decades of watching and training Thoroughbreds.

Jason said, “There are so many people that train for speed.” He does not. He prefers timed two-minute gallops. “That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong,” he said. “That’s how I do it.”

Baffert said, “In California, it’s different.

You go fast. Your horses have to be sharper.

If I trained on the East Coast, I wouldn’t train the way I do. The tracks there are sandier and deeper.”

Given their ongoing huge success, why would either trainer want to change the way they’ve been prepping their horses?

Servis and Baffert have vastly different backgrounds and experiences. Servis, 62, didn’t begin training until he was 43, sending out a single horse for one start. The following year in 2002, he won 14 races from 71 starts.

Baffert, who turned 67 on Jan. 13, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009— years before he trained Triple Crown Champions American Pharoah (2015) and undefeated Justify (2018).

Servis was born into the business in Charles Town, W. Va., where his father, Joe, rode for 11 years and won more than 500 races before becoming the manager of the Jockey Guild and a steward at Charles Town. He was inducted into the Charles Town Hall of Fame in 2010.

Growing up, Jason and John would play in a nearby farmer’s field, trying to rope Shetland ponies and ride them.

“Charles Town—that’s where I cut my teeth,” Jason said. “No money. But they were the good old days. My dad made me. I

Maximum Security, ridden

by Luis Saez, wins the Haskell Invitational.

learned the straight and narrow. Work hard.

Keep your nose clean.”

At the age of 15, Jason became a jockey, riding at Shenandoah Downs, just outside Charles Town. He didn’t last long, conceding to his increasing weight and height and switching to exercise riding. “I did it for a lot of years before I started training,” he said.

“I galloped horses for a lot of people: Gene Jacobs at Gulfstream Park in the early ‘70s, Cy Butler, Stan Hough, Alan Goldberg—a lot of good people. I had seen a lot. It was a very good education for me.”

Servis eventually settled at Monmouth Park, where he worked as an exercise rider in the mornings and a jockey’s valet in the afternoon. Eventually, he worked as an exercise rider and assistant trainer to Peter Fortay. “I was with him for 10 years,” Servis said. “When I finally made my transition, it wasn’t by design. He passed away. Before, when he was sick, I was basically doing it on my own. The last five years, I was open-galloping. I started two-minute clips.

I just got into that groove, especially after claiming horses. Get the weight on them.

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| TRAINING |

Keep your horses happy. Once they’re fit, stay out of their way.”

When Fortay passed, one of his owners, Dennis Drazin, asked Servis a fateful question. “He said, `Why not go to New York with a couple horses I own and train them?’”

Servis said. “I was taking care of my two kids, Garrett and Evan. They were 10 and 12. I was galloping horses, $10 a head. Colts Neck (New Jersey) in February in the cold. So I did it. We claimed a couple horses. Did some good. Dennis helped me with the payroll.”

Servis quickly got a call from Jimmy Croll.

He asked Servis, “Are you training?” When Servis said he was, Croll asked, “Why’d it take so long? I’m sending you two horses.”

They won. Soon Servis was receiving plenty of phone calls. He was claiming horses and winning at a high percentage.

“I’ll claim horses, and I’ll gallop them a mile in 2:05.” He said. “Get them down to 1:57 or 1:58, depending on the horse. If it’s a filly, I’ll go 2:07 or 2:08 at first. My riders are good.

They wear watches. Guys who have been with me for 15 years.”

In 2017, Servis finished 23rd in the country in earnings—his highest rank ever.

The next year he jumped up to 12th, and in 2019, he cracked the Top Ten with more than $10 million in earnings for the first time.

Maximum Security, his horse of a lifetime, debuted on Dec. 21, 2018, at Gulfstream Park in a maiden $16,000 claimer, winning

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| FAST OR SLOW |

by 5 ¾ lengths at 5-2. “I can’t believe he ran the horse for $16,000,” Baffert said.

No harm, no foul. Maximum Security wasn’t claimed and proceeded to win a pair of allowance races by 6 ¼ and 18 ¼ lengths.

That led to his step up to the Gr1 Florida Derby. Servis gave him one published workout at Palm Meadows Training Center, four furlongs in :52 4/5, the slowest of 64 horses who worked the morning of March 22, eight days before the Florida Derby. He won the Florida Derby by 3 ½ lengths.

For the Kentucky Derby, Maximum Security had three published workouts at Palm Meadows, four furlongs in :54 4/5, slowest of 51 works; three furlongs in :42, slowest of 15 works and four furlongs in :53 4/5, slowest of six.

Servis was more concerned with the open gallops Maximum Security had heading into the Derby. “I wanted him to gallop a 1:57 or 1:58 mile every nine, 10 days,” he said. “Before the Derby, my rider screwed up. He went 2:02, then 2:01. I was really upset. That rider is no longer with me. So, on Derby Day, I blew him out in :23. It was the 12th race that day (post time 6:50 p.m.).

He worked at a quarter to six. He cooled off, laid down and took a nap. The clockers had it. Blowouts aren’t for every horse.”

Unless you’ve been on Mars, you know that Maximum Security won the Derby by a length and three-quarters but was

disqualified and placed 17th. Regardless, there’s little debate who were by far the best horses on that memorable afternoon, which resulted in the first disqualification of the Derby’s long history.

Maximum Security returned to finish second by a length in the ungraded Pegasus stakes before sweeping the Gr1 Haskell by a length and a quarter, the Gr3 Bold Ruler Stakes against older horses by a length and three-quarters, and again against older horses, the Gr1 Cigar Mile by 3 ¼ lengths, cementing his three-year-old championship.

For the Bold Ruler, his first start in three months, Maximum Security worked four furlongs in :54 4/5, slowest of 74, and four furlongs in :52 4/5, second slowest of 50.

For the Cigar Mile, he worked three furlongs in :40 4/5, slowest of six; four furlongs in :52, 26th fastest of 31, and three furlongs in :42 1/5, slowest of 14.

“Would Maximum Security have won those races with fast works?” Servis mused.

“He probably would have. He’s a great horse.”

His trainer didn’t hurt his chances. Servis’ win percentage in 2019 was 29. For his career, it’s 25 percent. He just may know what he’s doing.

While 2019 was a breakthrough year for Servis, for Baffert, finishing 10th in earnings was only the second time since 2009 he hadn’t finished in the top three—he was

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| TRAINING |

fourth in 2016. He probably couldn’t care less, nor should he.

Baffert, who was closing in on 3,000 victories in January, won 24 percent of his races in 2019 and has a career winning percentage of 25.

Winning two Triple Crowns after being voted into the Hall of Fame? That’s rarified air—success he couldn’t possibly have dreamed of growing up on a ranch in Nogales, Ariz., where his family raised cattle and chickens. When he was 10, his father purchased a few Quarter Horses, leading Baffert to riding them. He won his first race at the age of 17 in 1970.

Baffert graduated from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He soon began training Quarter Horses before moving to Los Alamitos and eventually mirroring Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who was a force in Quarter Horse racing and became one of the greatest Thoroughbred trainers ever.

Trainers have fewer options with Quarter Horses than with Thoroughbreds. “At Los Alamitos (for Quarter Horses), you had to qualify running 350 yards from the gate, hand-timed,” Baffert said. “They had to be fit, ready and in good form.”

When he switched to Thoroughbreds, he became particularly adept at having his three-year-olds ready for the Triple Crown

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| FAST OR SLOW |

I’VE SEEN TRAINERS COME HERE AND THEY TRAIN THEIR HORSES EASY, AND THEY’RE NOT IN THE HUNT. YOUR HORSES HAVE TO BE SHARPER. BOB BAFFERT

races. Baffert nearly won three consecutive Kentucky Derbies when Cavonnier lost the 1996 Derby by a nose to Grindstone and then his Silver Charm and Real Quiet won the next two runnings, as well as the Preakness both years. The elusive Triple Crown was finally nailed by Baffert in 2015 when American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, and unbeaten Justify went from first-time starter to Triple Crown Champion in an astonishing 111 days before retiring.

“Once Justify got into the Belmont, he was in top, top shape,” Baffert said. “Before, he was a little heavy. He had some baby fat.

I think we ran him into shape. I’d rather run them than train them.”

When they need works, he usually works them quickly. “Your horses have to be sharper in California,” Baffert said. “You go fast. And I’ve seen trainers come here and they train their horses easy, and they’re not in the hunt. Your horses have to be sharper.”

Game Winner couldn’t have been any sharper than he was in 2018, when he went four-for-four, finishing his season by taking the Gr1 American Pharoah Stakes and the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, making him a no-brainer for the Two-Year-Old Male Championship.

He began 2019 by finishing second by a nose in the Gr2 Rebel Stakes and second by a half-length in the Gr1 Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert gave him two works at Santa Anita for the Kentucky Derby: five furlongs in 1:00 4/5, second fastest of 47, and seven furlongs in a sharp 1:27, when he was the lone horse to work that distance. In the Kentucky Derby, Game Winner rallied extremely wide to finish sixth. He was placed fifth following Maximum Security’s disqualification.

On December 7, Baffert saddled Thousand Words and Bast. Thousand Words—a $1 million yearling at Keeneland in September, 2018—came into the stakes off a half-length maiden victory. He worked four times for the Gr1 Los Alamitos: four furlongs in :49 1/5, 16th fastest of 55; six furlongs in 1:12 4/5, fastest of nine; five furlongs from the gate in :59 1/5, fastest of 42nd, and five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, seventh fastest of 63.

An hour and a half after Thousand Words won the Futurity, Bast entered the Gr1 Starlet off two victories in four starts—the last when she finished third by two lengths in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. For the Starlet, she worked four furlongs in :48 1/5, fourth fastest of 60; six furlongs in 1:13 4/5, fastest of two, and five furlongs in 1:00 1/5, fifth fastest of 46. She won, too.

“The good horses, you have to train them harder,” Baffert said. “I just want them in peak condition. Leading up to it, make sure they’re really fit. That’s why I’ve been so successful in the Preakness.”

Indeed, his horses are so fit heading into the Kentucky Derby, Baffert has to do little training for the Preakness—a race he’s won seven times. He’s won the Kentucky Derby five times and the Belmont Stakes three times.

“I think it works for very good horses,” he said. “Once you start running them, they don’t need a whole lot.”

What all horses need is a trainer who knows what he is doing. Slow works or fast works.

Jockeys wearing

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ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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PROFILE

KEVIN AT T A R D

As a boy growing up in Ontario, Kevin Attard yearned to make his own mark in the family business

njoyi ying a good meal yin didn’t stop Att ttard from tta carvi ving out his own vin wn place in Thoroughbred racing.

That’s eviid denced by the fact he was the secondleading trainer in earnings at Woodbine Racetrack in 2019 and enjoyed the best year in his nineteen seasons as a trainer.

When 2020 began, Attard owned a 475-485-380 record in 3,067 career

E

Charlie McCarthy Eclipse Sportswire

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starts and $20,687,570 (USD) in earnings according to Equibase.

“I’m happy. We’re headed in the right direction,” Attard said recently after arrivin ing in South Florida for Gulfstream Park’s wi winter meet. “I have a good crew win with a lot of guys who have been wi wit wi with wit me a long time, and I think that’s very important. I couldn’t do it wi without them.” wit In all likelihood, he wouldn’t be where he is wiitthout his forebearers, either.

| KEVIN AT TARD |

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PROFILE

Joseph Attard and wife Connie emigrated to Canada from Malta in the 1950s. They later were followed by Joe’s brothers Larry, Tino and Sid. Joe, Tino and Sid all became trainers.

Larry also began training after his tremendous riding career.

At 68, Joe died from cancer in 2001.

Tino, Kevin’s father, still has a few horses but also assists his son. Sid has compiled more than 2,000 career wins and remains a strong presence at Woodbine, where he often trains horses that compete against those of his nephew.

“It’s hard to walk around Woodbine without bumping into someone who’s an Attard or related to an Attard,” Kevin says with a smile.

Kevin began helping his father as a youngster on the family farm in Tottenham, Ont., about 35-40 minutes north of Woodbine. It was there Tino first took notice of his son’s ability with horses.

“When he was nine years old, he used to walk a tough horse named Fozzie Bear,” 72-year-old Tino recalled. “It showed me Kevin had a lot of heart and loved to work.”

It was while working for his father years later that Kevin, then 24, was injured seriously in the stall of a horse named Undue Influence. The bay gelding kicked the right side of Attard’s face, causing major facial damage and a concussion.

“He just spun around and doublebarreled me in the face,” said Attard, now 44. “I was lucky. A doctor told me, ‘If he kicked you a little more in the center of

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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 55

your face, you might not even be here.”

After recuperating for several months, Kevin Attard returned to the stable. While working as an assistant trainer for his father in 2001, Frank Stronach called to offer him the job of farm trainer for young horses at Adena Springs North in Ontario.

“My first year of training actually was just a barn full of two-year-olds for the Stronach Group,” he said. “...training off the farm, shipping into Woodbine, working and prepping them that way.”

Kevin Attard’s first career win came courtesy of a two-year-old bay named Jade Eyed in a $42,000 maiden claiming race

at Woodbine on July 12, 2001. Little more than two weeks later, the filly won the Nandi Stakes at the same track.

El Soprano, a two-year-old son of El Prado (IRE), gave Attard his first graded stakes win in the Gr2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine that September under Gary Stevens.

“The horse had a horrendous trip, and he still won the race,” Attard said. “If you watch the replay, you’re in awe. For a young horse to have that kind of trip and win… that’s a race I remember really well.”

Attard’s success in 2001 would prove to be hard to build on.

| KEVIN AT TARD |

IT WAS A STRONG YEAR, BUT MY HEART WASN’T AT FORT ERIE – I WANTED TO BE AT THE A CIRCUIT. “The next year, I went to Fort Erie for (Stronach), the B track,” he said. “I didn’t want to be labeled a ’B track trainer,’ but obviously it was a good outfit, so I decided to give it a crack. I was sent there, had a great year. As the year went on, we were kind of getting down in numbers; I took outside clients.

“It was a strong year, but my heart wasn’t at Fort Erie—I wanted to be at the A circuit.”

Fire Rock Stable’s Megan’s Appeal won the Shady Well Stakes for Attard at Woodbine in July 2003. Then things got really tough.

“It was hard to get horses,” he said. “In

Canada that year, there’s only a select pool of owners. It’s not like in the U.S. where you have horses coming from everywhere.”

Attard’s earnings surpassed $600,000 in 2001 but then decreased each year until 2005, when his runners earned just $55,757 and won just four races.

Clearly, being part of a Canadian horse racing dynasty didn’t make Kevin Attard immune to the struggles many trainers face.

As a husband with a wife, a toddler, a baby and a mortgage, Attard took steps to secure an income. He had a degree in accounting from Humber College— coincidentally located five minutes from Woodbine.

“I was ready to pack it in,” he said. “I actually had sent out resumes ... for anything.”

That’s when Larry called to offer his nephew a training lifeline saying that Knob Hill Farms owner and Toronto businessman Steve Stavro desired to get back into racing in a strong way and wanted a private trainer.

“He said, ‘Kev, are you interested?’ Kevin said, ‘For sure!’”

Attard met Stavro, and the two men talked.

“We discussed a few things, then boom— next thing you know, I’ve got the job and I’m heading to Payson Park for the winter,” said

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33

PROFILE

| KEVIN ATTARD |

Attard, who began his new gig with 10-12 Knob Hill horses at the Florida facility.

“It was a new beginning.”

That fresh start, though, was put in jeopardy of being short-lived when Stavro died of a heart attack at 78 in April 2006.

“Luckily for me, the family continued racing for a few years,” Attard said.

Knob Hill provided with talented horses, Leonnatus Anteas and Alezzandro, whom Attard developed into champions.

Leonnatus Anteas, chestnut son of Stormy Atlantic, was named 2006 Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male Horse after winning all three races he entered—and all were black type. He also won the Durham Cup Stakes (Gr3) in October 2007.

A winterbook favorite for the prestigious 2007 Queen’s Plate, Canada’s oldest Thoroughbred race, Leonnatus Anteas was scratched two days before the race due to an infection in his pastern.

Alezzandro, a dark bay son of High Yield, won the 2007 Sovereign Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Male Horse.

Leonnatus Anteas was runner-up.

“We started winning some races, winning some good races, and we started developing some young horses,” Attard said. “When [Knob Hill] decided they were going to downsize, I became public again.”

That allowed Attard to find new owners.

Some, such as Terra Racing Stable and Elizabeth Lickrish, remain with him to this day.

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“They kinda sent me some horses, homebreds, Ontario-sired,” Attard said. “Terra even bred to Kentucky studs, and then it slowly, over time, things got better and better.

Plus, we made some really good claims.

“You get a couple of good horses. People see you can train a good horse and develop a good horse.”

Sid credits Kevin with remaining persistent through the difficult times.

“Everybody goes through that,” said Sid, 69. “He hung on tight, came back to life and has done very, very good for himself.”

The last 12 years generally have seen a steady incline in earnings for Kevin, whose Thoroughbreds racked up a career-best $3.28 million and went 66-59-36 in 355 starts in 2019.

With support from wife Kristel, son Joshua 16 and daughter Taylor 14, Kevin Attard appreciates what he has accomplished so far.

He employs about 35 people at Woodbine for that track’s meet and a smaller crew at Gulfstream Park. He often leans on assistant trainer Denton Ebanks, who began as a groom for Attard.

“The bigger you get, the harder you have to work.” said Attard, whose training peers also include two cousins and two husbands of cousins.

Attard’s horses have competed in and won some of the most prestigious in North America.

Calgary Cat finished fourth in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Gr1) at Santa

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PROFILE

| KEVIN ATTARD |

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE ON THE BIG STAGE IN THE U.S., NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. Kevin Attard and Korina McLean

Anita. In August the following year, the seven-year-old chestnut gelding collapsed and died in his trainer’s arms at Woodbine after running seventh in the $175,000 Play The King Stakes.

“Probably one of my proudest moments even though he ran a good fourth,” Attard said of Calgary Cat’s effort at the Breeders’ Cup.” It still gives me goosebumps talking about it. He was such a great horse.”

Attard-trained Melmich, a gelded chestnut son of Wilko, ran on Breeders’ Cup Friday that same year, finishing fourth in the Gr2 Marathon Stakes.

Starship Jubilee, a bay daughter of Indy Wind owned by Blue Heaven Farm, won last year’s Gr1 E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in October as a six-year-old.

Attard has trained chestnut gelding Pumpkin Rumble, son of English Channel, to back-to-back wins in the Gr3 Valedictory Stakes in 2018 and 2019 for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling.

“We trust him—that’s a big thing if you own horses; you have to trust the trainer,” 43-year-old Al Ulwelling said. “He’s trustworthy. He’s very sharp. He does do everything the right way as far as caring for the horses, training the horses, picking his spots. And he’s very thorough; he keeps me well-informed. As long as I’m alive, I’ll have horses with Kevin.”

Ulwelling said he began researching Kevin about seven years ago before having Attard recommend to him by trainer Malcolm Pierce little more than three years ago.

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“I knew in 10 minutes we were going to have horses with him for a long time,” 43-year-old Al Ulwelling said. “I basically shipped a bunch at first. He probably thought we were nuts, but I knew just by talking to him I could trust him with a lot of nice horses.”

Terra Farm’s Frank Romeo, 63, also complimented Attard.

“As an owner, you’re probably a little more optimistic of your horses than what the reality is,” said Romeo, whose chestnut filly Amalfi Coast won the Gr2 Bessarabian Stakes as a three-year-old at Woodbine in November.

“Kevin, in a fashion that is respectful to you as an owner, gives you the honest picture of where he feels they should be running and so on and so forth.”

Attard takes pride in his approach in dealing with owners.

“I’m very up front and honest with my clients. [Sometimes, I] tell them what they don’t want to hear—it’s not all going to be rosy,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to take the good with the bad. I don’t hold back punches.

If a horse gets injured, they know right away.

If I think the horse is not much, they know how I feel about the horse right away.

“I’ve been proven wrong—but, for the most part, we assess them properly, we look after them well, and we place them well.”

Attard takes as much pride in his “tough campaigners“ as he does the higher profiled horses. He cited 11-year old gelding Occasional View, who was 4-1-1 in six 2019 starts.

“When they’re at that age and have that competitiveness still to them and they love doing what they do, it makes you proud,” he said.

Attard began 2020 with several quality three-year-olds. They included Stronach Stables’ Malibu Mambo, a dark bay or brown son of Point of Entry out of Polyantha Rose (Tiznow), and Canadian Oaks’ contender Merveilleux, bay daughter of Paynter out of the Holy Bull mare, Breech Inlet and owned by the Ulwellings.

Rightly or wrongly, Attard has earned the reputation of being at his best with route training.

“I don’t want to think that I’m one dimensional. We’ve had luck with juveniles and sprinting … Calgary Cat was a sprinter ... but at the end of the day, it’s fair to say most of our success has come with route racing,” Attard said. “To me, that’s not a bad thing. A lot of the big races are going to run routes. And those are the races I want to be in.”

Of all the big races, there’s one more than any he dreams of winning.

“My dream is to win the Queen’s Plate,” said Attard, whose Alezzandro finished second by a half-length after leading most of the way in the 2007 race.

“I want to be able to compete on the big stage in the U.S., no doubt about it.

Canada is home, but I want to have the horses that are able to leave Woodbine and be competitive at Saratoga, at Belmont, at Gulfstream.”

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| VETERINARY |

COLIC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; E FFE CTS OF INFLAMMATION Dr. Zofia Lisowski, BVSc, PhD, AFHEA, MRCVS

Prof. Scott Pirie, BVM&S, CertEP, CertEM(IntMed), DipECEIM, MRCVS Dr. Neil Hudson, MA, VetMB, PhD, DEIM, DipVetClinStud, PFHEA, FRCVS

Overview of colic

Colic is a term used to describe the display of abdominal pain in a horse. It is the most common emergency in horses with four to ten out of every 100 horses likely to experience at least one episode of colic each year. It is also the single most common cause of equine mortality. In the U.S., one study showed that Thoroughbreds were more likely to develop colic1 than other breeds. It is of great welfare concern to horse owners, and with the estimated costs associated with colic in the U.S. exceeding $115 million per year2 and the average cost of a horse undergoing colic surgery requiring a resection being approximately $8,3703, it is also a significant economic issue for horse owners.

Horses with abdominal pain show a wide range of clinical signs, ranging from flank watching and pawing the ground in mild cases, to rolling and being unable to remain standing for any significant period of time in more severe cases. There are numerous (over 50) specific causes

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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 55

Alamy, Kerstin Coward

of colic. In general, colic occurs as a result of disruption to the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract. This may be attributable to mechanical causes such as an obstruction (constipation), distension (excess gas) or a volvulus (twisted gut). It may also have a functional cause, whereby the intestine doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work as normal in the absence of an associated mechanical problem; for example, equine grass sickness is associated with a functional derangement of intestinal motility due to loss of nerves within the intestine.

Management of colic depends on the cause and can necessitate either a medical or surgical approach. Most horses with colic will either improve spontaneously or with simple medical treatment alone; however, a significant proportion may need more intensive medical treatment or surgery. Fortunately, due to improvements in surgical techniques and post-operative management, outcomes of colic surgery have improved over the past few decades with up to 85% of horses surviving to discharge.

| DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE MANAGEMENT |

Crucially for the equine Thoroughbred racehorse population, several studies focused on racehorses that had undergone colic surgery and survived to discharge, reporting that 63-73% returned to racing. Furthermore, surgical treatment did not appear to negatively impact athletic performance. A similar finding was also seen in the general sport horse population.

Despite significant advancement in colic surgery per se, complications following surgery can have a significant impact on post-operative survival and return to athletic function. Common post-operative complications include:

at the site of the incision 1.Complications (surgical wound)

Infection: Infections at the surgical incision site are relatively common. Antibiotics are usually administered before surgery and after surgery. Infections are not normally severe but can increase treatment costs. Horses that develop infections are at greater risk of developing an incisional hernia.

Hernia: Incisional hernias occur when the abdominal wall muscles fail to heal, leaving a “gap.” Hernia size can vary from just a few centimeters, up to the full length of the incision. Most hernias will not require further treatment; but in more severe cases, further surgery may be required to repair the hernia.

2.Complications within the abdomen

Hemoperitoneum: A rare complication where there is blood within the abdomen from bleeding at the surgical site.

Anastomosis complications: The anastomosis site is where two opposing ends of intestine that have been

opened are sutured back together again. It is important that at this site no leakage of intestinal contents occurs.

Leakage or breakdown at this site can lead to peritonitis, which is inflammation or infection within the abdominal cavity and is a potentially life-threatening complication.

Adhesions: Scar tissue can form within the abdomen following abdominal surgery. Occasionally this may cause further colic episodes.

Further colic episodes

Further colic episodes can occur following surgery. These can occur days to months following discharge.

Endotoxemia

In some rare cases, horses may develop sepsis in response to toxins released by damaged intestines.

Diarrhea

This is a rare complication. It can develop as a result of infections with C. difficile or Salmonella. As a consequence, some horses may need to be treated in isolation to ensure infection doesn’t spread to other horses or humans.

Post-operative ileus

Post-operative ileus is one of the potential post-operative complications that can lead to a significant increase in hospital stay duration, increased treatment costs and is also associated with reduced survival rates. Post-operative ileus is a condition that affects the muscle function in the intestinal wall. The intestine is a long tube-like structure that has a muscular wall throughout its entire length from the esophagus to the anus. The function of this muscle is to contract in waves to mix and move food along the length of the intestinal tract, within which digestion occurs and nutrients are absorbed, terminating in the excretion of waste material as feces. In post-operative ileus these contractions stop and thus intestinal contents are not moved throughout the intestinal tract. In most cases, it is transient and lasts for up to 48 hours following surgery; however, in some cases it can last longer. A build-up of fluid develops within the intestine as a result of the lack of propulsion. This stretches the intestines and stomach, resulting in pain and the horse’s inability to eat. Unlike humans, the horse is unable to vomit; consequently, this excess fluid must be removed from the stomach by other means, otherwise there is a risk of the stomach rupturing with fatal consequences. Post-operative ileus may occur in up to 60% of horses undergoing abdominal surgery and mortality rates as high as 86% have been reported. Horses in which the small intestine manipulated is extensively manipulated during surgery and those that require removal of segments of intestine are at higher risk. Despite the significant risk of post-operative ileus following colic surgery in horses, there is a lack of studies investigating the mechanisms underpinning this condition in horses; consequently, the precise cause of this condition in horses is not fully known.

What causes the intestine to stop functioning?

For many years it was thought that post-operative ileus occurred as a result of a dysfunction of the nerves that stimulate contraction of the muscles in the intestinal

ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

39

| VETERINARY |

wall. This theory has now mostly been superseded by the concept that it primarily results from inflammation in the intestinal wall. Based on human and rodent studies, it has been shown that immune cells in the intestine (macrophages) play a key role in development of this condition. Macrophages are important cells found everywhere in the body, with the largest population being in the intestine. These cells become activated by the inevitable manipulation of the horsesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; intestines during colic surgery, with subsequent initiation of a sequence of events which ultimately results in dysfunction of the muscle in the intestinal wall. We know macrophages are present within the wall of the horsesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; intestine and that at the time of colic surgery there is an inflammatory response at this site. Although the significance of these findings in relation to post-operative ileus in the horse remains unknown, they provide sufficient justification for ongoing research focused on the inflammatory response in the intestine of horses

| DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE MANAGEMENT |

during and immediately following colic surgery. Figure 1 summarizes what is known about post-operative ileus based on data from human and rodent studies.

Diagnosis of post-operative ileus

Historically, the parameters used by both researchers and clinicians to diagnose post-operative ileus have varied quite considerably, thus making it difficult to compare studies with respect to disease incidence and response to different treatments. A key challenge in the diagnostic approach to potential cases is making the distinction between post-operative ileus (a functional problem) and physical obstructions of the intestine (mechanical problems), both of which present with very similar clinical signs. In an attempt to standardize and facilitate the diagnosis amongst clinicians and researchers, certain criteria have been suggested to ensure a consistent diagnostic approach.

FIG 1

manipulation

Monocyytes

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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 55

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| DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE MANAGEMENT |

intestine and restore normal contractions. Whilst different clinicians may vary slightly in their relative treatment approaches, the main treatment methods are as follows:

Anti-inflammatory drug administration

As inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development of post-operative ileus, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are generally administered before, during and after colic surgery. They are also used to control pain.

Maintenance and replacement fluid therapy

Diagnostic criteria for post-operative ileus

• The presence of four or more liters of nasogastric reflux (contents of stomach removed via a nasogastric tube) at any one time or more than two liters on repeated intubations • High heart rate (consistently over 40 beats per minute) • Evidence on rectal examination or on ultrasound examination of distended intestine • Mild to severe signs of colic • Absent or reduced production of feces When considered together, this combination of clinical findings may be attributable to both functional and mechanical causes. However, it is generally accepted that a functional problem (post-operative ileus) is more likely if the heart rate lowers and the signs of abdominal pain improve following passage of a tube into the stomach and removal of the excessive accumulation of fluid. Conversely, failure of this procedure to reduce the heart rate and level of pain may be more consistent with a mechanical cause, which is likely to require a second surgery to fully evaluate and potentially correct the underlying problem.

Treatment and management of post-operative ileus

Most of the risk factors associated with the development of post-operative ileus relate to the surgical procedure itself; these include handling of the intestine by the surgeon, the duration of surgery and exposure of the intestines to air.

Unfortunately, all these factors are inherently associated with colic surgery per se; however, the surgeon does endeavor to reduce their potential impact by minimizing the duration of surgery without compromising the quality of thoroughness of the surgical procedure and ensuring the intestine is kept moist throughout the duration of the surgery. Attempts are also made to minimize the handling of the intestine and ensuring that any intestine is handled as delicately as the surgical procedure permits. Excessively harsh handling of the intestine results in an increased inflammatory response within the intestinal muscle and is associated with a greater severity of post-operative ileus.

The main aim of post-operative management and treatment is to reduce the inflammation within the

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Many colic cases which require surgery have a significantly reduced capacity to provide an appropriate blood supply to vital organs and tissues. Furthermore, horses that subsequently develop post-operative ileus can have excessive fluid losses associated with the necessary decompression of the stomach. Consequently, intravenous fluids are generally administered both during and after colic surgery and routinely administered in cases of postoperative ileus to correct any fluid deficits.

Electrolytes

The blood concentration of certain electrolytes, in particular calcium and potassium, is often monitored in horses with, or at risk of developing post-operative ileus, with appropriate replacement if required.

Nasogastric decompression

As post-operative ileus is associated with the accumulation of fluid within the stomach, it is almost invariably necessary to regularly remove this fluid by passage of a tube into the stomach. This intervention both relieves pain associated with stomach distension and reduces the risk of stomach rupture. Some clinicians may leave the tube in place to facilitate regular decompression; however, in humans, this practice is considered to increase the risk of post-operative ileus.

Early feeding and mobilization

Human patients who have undergone abdominal surgery are encouraged to eat as soon as possible following surgery; furthermore, early gentle mobilization is also promoted to stimulate intestinal motility. In those patients that cannot tolerate early feed intake, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is initiated, which involves the provision of nutrients intravenously. Following colic surgery, feeding small amounts of good quality roughage/ grass is recommended.

Repeat surgery

If, following colic surgery, horses fail to improve with regard to intestinal motility or continue to exhibit abdominal pain despite the administration of painrelieving medication and regular (and possibly prolonged) removal of stomach fluid, a second surgery may be necessary to determine whether a mechanical obstruction is present within the intestine. Although early intervention (i.e., second surgery) in such cases might improve the outcome if a mechanical cause is identified and corrected in a timely manner, this must be weighed against the additional inherent risks associated with abdominal surgery per se as well as the greater risk of

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ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| VETERINARY |

such cases developing post-operative ileus. Furthermore, such cases generally have reduced survival rates and are at greater risk of post-operative complications.

Prokinetics

Prokinetic drugs are historically administered with a view to directly simulating contractions within the intestinal muscle. Despite regular use, their therapeutic value in cases of post-operative ileus in horses is currently unknown. This may be attributable to the increasingly evident role of inflammation in the development of postoperative ileus in other species, which may be applicable also to the horse.

As post-operative ileus is almost invariably associated with colic surgery, efforts to minimise the risk of colic per se is likely to be the most appropriate strategy aimed at reducing post-operative ileus risk. Many management factors have been associated with an increased risk of colic; these include the following: Poor nutritional management • Feeding moldy food • Overload of grain • Too much hard fiber (straw) • Absence of routine dentistry • Inadequate time out at pasture • Sudden dietary changes Change in routine • Box rest • Sudden turnout to lots of grass

Poor worming management

Unfortunately, there are many causes of colic that occur despite every effort to adhere to optimal management practices; these include, among others, intestinal strangulations and post-foaling colic in mares. In such situations, the prompt identification of cases that require surgery is crucial. Consequently, veterinary

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| DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE MANAGEMENT |

attention should be sought in cases which fail to improve spontaneously within a short period of time, thus facilitating the prompt identification of cases that require referral, either for further diagnostic work up and/or surgical intervention. Delayed referrals can have a detrimental impact on the clinical status of the horse, which may in turn increase the risk of post-operative ileus. Consequently, prompt referral of potential surgical cases is invariably recommended as it has a real potential to favorably impact the post-surgical outcome.

References 1 Incidence of colic in U.S. horses, 2001. United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

2 Traub-Dargatz JL, Kopral CA, Seitzinger AH, et al. Estimate of the national incidence of and operation-level risk factors for colic among horses in the United States, spring 1998 to spring 1999. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;219:67–71.

3 Barker, I., Freeman, SL. (2019) Assessment of costs and insurance policies for referral treatment of equine colic. Veterinary Record 185, 508.

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PROFILE

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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 55

| TAY L O R C A M B R A |

TA L L I N THE S A DDLE Annie Lambert Annie Lambert, Eclipse Sportswire

E

xercise rider Taylor Cambra has set his sights on training horses; natural talent, professionalism and a quirky personality will likely help him attain that goal.

When he was very young, exercise rider Taylor Cambra wanted to be a jockey.

Growing up around the racing industry and riding horses, Cambra soon changed his career goal to training racehorses. That was due, in part, because he just kept growing and growing. The well-spoken, 22-year-old now towers at 6’2” and realized early on that a training career better suited his physique.

Cambra has galloped horses since he was a teenager and hopes to keep his weight down a bit longer. Along the way, he aspires to get more experience as an assistant trainer before establishing his own training business. He has worked for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella since the fall of 2018 and has the honor of galloping Omaha Beach (War Front x Charming by Seeking The Gold, LTE $1,651,800), winner of the Rebel Stakes (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1), Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) and Malibu Stakes (G1).

“I’m very happy to gallop horses right now,” Cambra said. “I know it won’t last too much longer, with me filling out and stuff, but I’m enjoying it while I can.”

LEFT: Galloping and traveling with the extremely talented Omaha Beach has given Cambra lasting memories.

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PROFILE

| TAY L O R C A M B R A |

Breezing Track Ponies

Cambra’s father, Billy Cambra, was an outrider in Northern California for 35 years. Being a rambunctious kid, with a lot of nervous energy in school, made it hard for Taylor to sit still in class. Billy’s solution was to take him to the track before school and let him ride off his excess spunk.

“When Taylor was about seven years old he was riding all my outriding horses,” Billy recalled. “One day he asked to ride ‘Snoozer’ in the Pavilion. About 45 minutes later the track man called me and said Taylor was breezing that pony.”

“He was breezing him, getting down low, switching sticks and everything,” he added with a laugh. “He was still young and small and always could ride a horse. He had real good balance.”

Taylor started riding the ponies of Billy’s good friend, trainer Michael Larson, when he was just three. It was also Larson that gave him his first job, where he worked until he was about 17 and began to participate in high school rodeo events. “[Larson] was the guy who taught me a lot of patience, taught me to give and take,” Cambra noted. “You can’t learn everything overnight, and you can’t teach everything overnight. Mike was a big influence on me, not only with the horses, but in life too. He and my dad together made a huge impact on my life. I’m very grateful for both of them.”

Helping around the Mandella barn in every capacity is part of Cambra’s work ethic.

The Rodeo Life

WHEN I TURNED 18, I WENT AHEAD AND GOT MY [PROFESSIONAL RODEO COWBOY ASSOCIATION] CARD, WHICH WAS PRETTY NEAT. TAYLOR CAMBRA

Diana Cambra, Taylor’s mother, was never thrilled with his rodeo aspirations, but like her husband, was ever supporting. Her son was a good enough cowboy to be offered a rodeo scholarship to Colorado State University.

Taylor chose to turn it down as he wasn’t sure about which major to pursue and knew deep down a racetrack career was his ultimate destination.

“When I turned 18 I went ahead and got my [Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association] card, which was pretty neat,” explained Cambra. “I rode saddle broncs and got to go and travel with some of those big guys. I mostly rode on the West Coast—all over in California, Arizona and Utah.”

The rodeo road was not pain free for Cambra, but his wrecks could have been worse. Diana recalled his first injury and one of the worst at the Clovis Rodeo in California.

“He had his head cracked open,” Diana said with a grimace. “The ambulance offered to take him to the hospital, and he didn’t want to pay a lot of money. I told him he had insurance and to go to the hospital. I still worry when he does [rodeo]; it is just so hard for me to watch.”

Cambra remembers that bronc ride well.

“I got bucked off over the front of the horse, landed on my hands and knees, then the horse jumped over in front of me,” he said. “When he double barrel kicked, he got a hold of me pretty good. I think I got 13 staples in the top of my head.”

Back on Track

As much as he loves the rodeo world, Cambra was drawn back to where his future career loomed. He had been working for trainer Ari Herbertson at Golden Gate Fields on and off. After he was injured he began working for him as a full-time assistant and exercise rider. It was the first time Cambra was more than just an employee; Herbertson gave the then 19-year-old more responsibilities and the ability to make decisions on his own.

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; M V ERY HAPPY TO GALLOP HORSES RIGHT N OW. TAYLOR CAMBRA

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“One of the biggest things I took away from working from Ari was his giving me the opportunity to kind of help run the barn and run my own organization,” Cambra noted. “That helped me realize where I needed to get stronger and make improvements.

“You can watch it every day, but when the reins are actually handed over to you it is kind of different. You have more responsibilities, not just the work you’re assigned to, but making sure all the employees are good, making sure all the horses are getting the right medication and making sure that everything goes smoothly every day.”

Herbertson remembers Cambra as a “very good worker” who is responsible and “a very good hand on a horse.

Taylor can handle a barn by himself, and I was grateful to have him working for me,” Herbertson said. “He takes a lot of pride in what he does.”

The Big Stage

When Herbertson sent Cambra to Del Mar with a string of horses in 2018, the “bigger stage” of Southern California racing definitely caught the young man’s attention. When Herbertson’s horses shipped north, Cambra stayed south.

“A variety of things enticed me to stay,” said Cambra.

“The difference in the caliber of horses, the number of people that come to the races—just the different atmosphere about it. For me, wanting to train someday, I’d like to train horses at the top level. I want to eventually move out on my own, and staying down here just seemed like the better decision for me.”

Herbertson hated to see Cambra move on but felt he had been fortunate to have him on his team.

“I was lucky to have him and sad to see him go,” Herbertson confirmed. “But it’s good to see him pursuing

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| TAY L O R C A M B R A |

WHEN TAYLOR WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OLD, HE WAS RIDING ALL MY OUTRIDING HORSES. BILLY CAMBRA

what he wants to do in life. All good things come to an end, and everybody is replaceable.” Adding with a laugh, “including the infamous Taylor Cambra.”

After being turned down for a job by what seemed half the trainers on the backside, Cambra approached Richard Mandella. He had been turned away for being too tall, too heavy for a gallop boy, told to check back and actually laughed at and dismissed. His confidence was waning.

Then he spoke to Mandella.

“He was sitting down in his office,” Cambra recalled of his first conversation with Mandella. “I told him I was willing to do anything and that I could ride anything he had. It was perfect timing because they had one colt that was pretty bad. I ended up getting on him and got him going good.

The boss liked the way I ride, and it all fell into place.”

When Cambra approached Mandella, the trainer said he figured that as big as he is, he must be pretty good, or he’d probably not be asking for a job galloping horses.

“I was a little heavier than the usual guy when I galloped,” Mandella conceded. “Not as heavy as I am now, but I was a little bigger than the normal. And I always felt if a guy had a horse under control, he was better off than someone that doesn’t have one under control.”

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PROFILE

However, it is more than Cambra’s riding ability that has impressed Mandella. His overall horsemanship around the barn has indicated he probably has a future training.

“He is,” Mandella added with a grin, “one cheeseburger away from losing his exercise job.” “He will grow out of his job, I’m sure. But he works very hard at staying thin.

I think if you read about old Ben Jones, he liked heavy exercise riders. Then when you put a little jockey on [horses], they think they’re having a good time. I’m a little bit of a believer in that.”

Cambra laughed about Mandella’s cheeseburger threat but takes his boss’ warning seriously. He passionately controls his weight with diet and exercise.

“I eat a lot of vegetables,” he explained. “I do anything I can to keep my weight down. If I gain, I get out the sweat suit and go jogging. I run a lot, which helps me burn a lot of calories and eat a little more and still keep lighter. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

| TAY L O R C A M B R A |

Cambra is not sure how he happened to get on Omaha Beach but feels the stars must have all aligned. He is most certainly grateful for the opportunity.

“Richard let me get on him and was gracious enough to keep me on him,” said Cambra. “He’s got so many great hands that work for him; it was a huge honor for him to let me take that on.”

Omaha Beach was the 2019 Kentucky Derby favorite, and Cambra traveled with the three-year-old. Just days before that race Omaha Beach was diagnosed with an entrapped epiglottis and scratched. One can only imagine the disappointment felt throughout the entire Mandella barn.

“It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve gone through,” Cambra admitted. “He was going great coming into the Derby and everything was lined up for him to run a good race. I felt like there was a lesson to be learned there. God has a plan for us and that’s just life; there’s going to be ups and downs.”

The son of War Front, owned by Fox Hill Farms, had a successful surgery and after some time off was returned to Mandella. According to Cambra, the colt just keeps improving.

“Honestly,” he laughed, “I think he’s better now than ever, which gives me goose bumps to say.” “I think he definitely is getting better. I really wish we could keep him for another year, but I understand the amount of money invested in him, and that’s just the way it is. It would be cool to see him run in his 4-year-old old season.”

Cambra will accompany Omaha Beach to his final race—the 2020 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January. Win, lose or draw, he will then retire to stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky. “He’s so smooth,” Cambra exclaimed of Omaha Beach.

“It is such a powerful smooth that it is hard to describe to people who haven’t been on him before. He’s the full package—the disposition, so sweet and kind, people love him and he loves the people.”

Cambra’s mentors turned friends can appreciate his good fortune; Herbertson seemed to think he is headed in the right direction.

“He was a pleasure to have in the barn,” the conditioner said. “Everybody loved him and respected him; that’s just the way he is—a good guy who should have a bright future.”

Mandella noted that Cambra is very serious about his job and his goals. Taylor remarked that one of the most important things learned from his current boss is being unhurried and methodical about most things.

“Taking one step at a time is a big thing Richard has taught me,” Cambra confirmed. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself.”

Working and Learning

Working for and learning from a trainer of Mandella’s status is his primary mission. The trainer has an amazingly observant eye for what is going on, according to Cambra, and can scrutinize him galloping a horse and suggest a small change that is usually an improvement.

“He is always trying to teach me in every aspect of the business,” Cambra said of his boss. “Around the barn he really teaches me how to be a leader and to lead by example.

He’s not just always going around barking at everybody; he’ll get in there and show you how he wants it done and how it should get done and why. I respect him a lot.”

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| STABLE M AN AGEMENT |

T HE IM PORTAN CE OF STABL E VENT IL AT ION Alan Creighton

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Kerstin Coward, Shutterstock

| VENTILATION – IDEAL AIR EXCHANGE AND AIR DISTRIBUTION |

First published in European Trainer this article examines how stable ventilation can affect a horse’s performance.

O

ver the past 20 years the Irish Equine Centre has become a world leader in the design and control of the racehorse stable environment. At present we monitor the stable environment of approximately 180 racing yards across Europe.

The basis of our work is to improve biosecurity and the general environment in relation to stable and exercise areas within racing establishments. This is achieved by improving ventilation, yard layout, exercise areas and disinfection routines, in addition to testing of feed, fodder and bedding for quality and reviewing how and where they are stored.

Racehorses can spend up to 23 hours per day standing in their stable. The equine respiratory system is built for transferring large volumes of air in and out of the lungs during exercise. Racehorses are elite athletes, and best performance can only be achieved with optimal health. Given the demanding life of the

equine athlete, a high number of racehorses are at risk of several different respiratory concerns. The importance of respiratory health greatly increases in line with the racehorse’s stamina. Therefore, as the distance a racehorse is asked to race increases, so does the importance of ventilation and fresh clean air.

Pathogenic fungi and bacteria, when present in large numbers, can greatly affect the respiratory system of a horse and therefore performance. Airborne dust and pathogens, which can be present in any harvested food, bedding, damp storage areas and stables, are two of the main causes of RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction), EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, also known as bleeding), IAD (irritable airway disease) and immune suppression—all of which can greatly affect the performance of the racehorse.

Yards, which are contaminated with a pathogen of this kind, will suffer from the direct respiratory effect but will also suffer from recurring bouts of secondary bacterial and viral infections due to the immune suppression. Until the ISSUE 55 TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM

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| STABLE M AN AGEMENT |

FIG 2

pathogen is found and removed, achieving consistency of performance is very difficult. Stable ventilation plays a huge part in the removal of these airborne pathogens.

What is ventilation?

The objective of ventilation is to provide a constant supply of fresh air to the horse. Ventilation is achieved by simply providing sufficient openings in the stable/building so that fresh air can enter and stale air will exit.

Ventilation involves two simple processes: Air exchange where stale air is replaced with fresh air.

Air distribution where fresh air is available throughout the stable.

1 2

Good stable ventilation provides both of these processes.

One without the other does not provide adequate ventilation. For example, it is not good enough to let fresh air into the stable through an open door at one end of the building if that fresh air is not distributed throughout the stable and not allowed to exit again. With stable ventilation, we want cold air to enter the stable, be tempered by the hot air present, and then replace that hot air by thermal buoyancy. As the hot air leaves the stable, we want it to take moisture, dust, heat, pathogens and ammonia out as shown in Figure 1.

FIG 1

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It is important not to confuse ventilation with draft. We do not want cold air blowing directly at the horse who now has nowhere to shelter. Proper ventilation is a combination of permanent and controllable ventilation. Permanent ventilation apart from the stable door should always be above the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head. It is really important to have a ridge vent or cowl vent at the very highest point of the roof.

Permanent ventilation should be a combination of air inlets above the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head, which allows for intake of air no matter which direction the wind is coming from, coupled with an outlet in the highest point of the roof (shown in Figure 2). The ridge vent or cowl vent is an opening that allows warm and moist air, which accumulates near the roof peak to escape. The ridge opening is also a very effective mechanism for wind-driven air exchange since wind moves faster higher off the ground. The controllable ventilation such as the door, windows and louvers are at the horse height. With controllable ventilation, you can open it up during hot spells or close it down during cold weather. The controllable ventilation should be practical and easy to operate as racing yards are very busy places with limited time.

Where did the design go wrong?

The yards we work in are a mixture of historic older yards, yards built in the mid to late 20th century and yards built in the early 21st century. The level of ventilation present was extremely varied in a lot of these yards prior to working with the Irish Equine Centre. Interestingly the majority of the yards built before World War I displayed extremely efficient ventilation systems. Some of the oldest yards in the Curragh and Newmarket are still, to this day, considered well ventilated.

In parts of mainland Europe, including France, the picture is very different. In general, the older yards in France are very poorly ventilated. The emphasis in the design of yards in parts of France appears to be more focused on keeping animals warm in the winter and cool during the summer. This is understandable as they do get colder winters and warmer summers in the Paris area, for example, when compared to the more temperate climate in Ireland and the UK. When these yards were built, they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the quality of rugs available that we do now.

Most of the yards in France are built in courtyard style with lofts above for storage and accommodation. When

| VENTILATION – IDEAL AIR EXCHANGE AND AIR DISTRIBUTION |

courty tyard y stables are poorly ventilatted w wiiith no back or sidewall air vents, you wi wiilll allways have the siituattion thatt the only boxes that get air exchange are the ones facing into the prevailing w wiind i d at that time. In this scenario, up to 60% of the yard may have no air exchange at all. i In the mid to late 20th century efffffiicient ventilation design appears to have been overlooked completely. There appeears to be no deffinitive i reason for this phenom menon w wiith i planning restrictions, site restrictio ons in towns like Newmarket and Chantilly, cheaper builds, or builders building to residential speciffications i all contributing to inadequate venttilation.

Barn and stable designers did nott—and in a lot of cases still don’t—realize how mucch air exchange is needed for racehorses. Many horsee own wners n and architects of barns tend to follow ressidential housing patt tterns, t placing more importance on aesthetics insteaad of what’s practical and healthy for the horse.

Maany horses are being kept in suburban sett ttings t because their own wners n are unfamiliar wi with i the beneffits i of ventilation on performance.

Manyy of these horses spend long periods of time in their stalls, rather than in an open fresh-air envi vironment i that is conducive to maximum horse health. We measure stable ventilation in air changes per hour (ACH). This is calculated using the following simple equation: Air changes per hour AC/H N = 60 Q Vol N = ACH (Air change/hour) Where: Q = Velocity flow rate (wind x opening areas in cfm) Vol = Length x Width x Average roof height.

Minimum air change per hour in a well-ventilated box is 6AC/H. We often measure the ACH in poorly ventilated stables and barns with results as low as 1AC/H; an example of such a stable environment is shown in Figure 3. When this measurement is as low as 1AC/H, we know that the ventilation is not adequate. There will be dust and grime buildup, in addition to moisture buildup resulting in increased growth of mold and bacteria; and there will also be ammonia buildup. The horse, who can be stabled for up to 23 hours of the day, now has no choice but to breathe in poor quality air. Some horses such as sprinters may tolerate this, but in general it will lead to multiple respiratory issues.

Simply put, the objective in any well-designed barn and stable is to get fresh air to the horse and eliminate stale air before it accumulates. Good ventilation is, ideally,

FIG 3

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| STABLE M AN AGEMENT |

FIG 4A

FIG 4B

designed into the original barn plans or stable and takes advantage of natural wind, air currents and thermal buoyancy. Often, people experiment with mechanical ventilation using fans instead of using good ventilation design, which takes advantage of free wind ventilation.

Natural ventilation uses openings located along the sidewalls and the ridge and takes into consideration the topography and how the barn is situated in relationship to its surroundings.

The inlet of fresh air is extremely important. Good design takes advantage of the prevailing winds, remembering that the air exchange should be maintained no matter which way the wind is blowing. The passageway of a barn should be pointing directly into the dominant prevailing wind so that we can use the permanent ventilation high in the roof and still control the ventilation down low using the gable end barn doors. Space boarding, which is also known as Yorkshire boarding, is a very useful design tool to maximize permanent ventilation. This type of ventilation can be used from the 3-meter point on the back and side walls, all the way to the eaves or at the gable end of a barn above the doors. This method slows down cold winds to acceptable levels and allows for permanent venting, shown in Figure 4(a) and (b).

A mistake, which is often made in design, is the placement of the manure pit in close proximity between the prevailing wind and the stable or stable barn. This can allow contaminated air to enter the stable. Other design flaws are placing hay stores or walkers in shared air space with stables under the same roof. Both of these scenarios

RACEHORSES WILL INHALE DEEPER AND FASTER WHEN AT EXERCISE. IF THE AIR IS NOT CLEAN, DUST AND MICROBES CAN PENETRATE DEEP INTO THE LUNGS. 58

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again contaminate the air space with moisture, dust and spores, rendering the fresh air unclean.

The ventilation provided in exercise areas such as indoor rides, lunge rings and walkers are also often overlooked. Racehorses will inhale deeper and faster when at exercise. If the air is not clean, dust and microbes can penetrate deep into the lungs.

Providing too much shelter can nullify the useful prevailing wind. This scenario often begins at the design stage when the layout of the stable yard is being planned.

Care should also be taken where hedging or trees are planted around stables. I have seen countless examples whereby hedging and trees were planted close to the stable or barn. When this foliage is fully grown, it can change a previously well-ventilated dry barn into a poorly ventilated damp barn. Building a stable yard in a dip or sheltered valley might seem sensible, but in fact it can often prevent the use of natural wind for ventilation purposes.

Many barns now employ the use of small all-weather paddocks, which are attached to the back of stables with no door or barrier between them. They allow the horse the freedom to stay inside or out, ensuring unlimited access to fresh air. This method of stabling is very useful for horses with known respiratory issues and is also very good for the mental wellbeing of the horse.

Horses tolerate cold very well and adapt to cold breezes when housed outside. During winter, horse barns should be kept no more than 35.6 °F to 39.2 °F (2 to 4° C) warmer than outside temperatures. Tightly closing the barn, by closing all windows, doors and fresh-air inlets, is a mistake when it comes to your horse’s health. If condensation can be seen on interior surfaces during cold weather, the barn does not have sufficient ventilation for good horse health. Moisture, which comes from horse respiration, sweating and washing, increases the risk of condensation, intensifies odor, increases ammonia, and most importantly increases pathogen growth—all of which contribute to respiratory infection. Mold growth is indicative of poor airflow, and it is a marker organism, which shows conditions are ideal for all pathogen growth including bacteria. Pathogenic mold can cause RAO, EIPH and immune suppression, resulting in inconsistency of performance and a marked increase in secondary viral and bacterial infection. Ventilation is the key to preventing mold growth and improving the general environment for a stabled racehorse.

| PROFILES |

BREED ERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CUP

WI NNING O WNE RS Bill Heller

Eclipse Sportswire

| GR1 WINNING OWNERS |

RYAN EXLINE AND JUSTIN BORDER (STORM THE COURT) Ryan Exline will never forget the feeling after he bought his first horse at the 2013 Ocala March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale for himself, his dad and three friends who had decided to take a shot and buy their first Thoroughbred. “I remember sweating profusely in an Uber heading to the airport,” he said. There was a good reason. The group had agreed to budget $50,000. On the advice of bloodstock agent Marette Farrell, Exline spent $100,000 to purchase Sheza Smoke Show, who had worked a furlong in :10 flat.

“I called the others and said, `Congratulations, we bought a horse.

We spent a little more than we wanted,’” Exline said. “We gave them the option of going in or not. Every single person went in.”

Justin Border was one of the friends he called. “I’m following along the sales online. Obviously, it was a shock. I was fine, once I got up from falling down on the floor,” he laughed. “We were just two guys getting into this crazy game.”

They’re two guys who are 50-50 partners in Exline Border Racing, which did just fine with Sheza Smoke Show.

“Thankfully, she went on to win a Gr1 at Santa Anita,” Exline said. “She earned $150,000 racing. And we sold her for over $200,000 at a broodmare sale. We had to retire her a little early because of injuries.”

Exline, 38, is a senior living management administrator who was born in Oklahoma, moved to Indianapolis with his family when he was three, and

ultimately moved to San Diego in 2006.

He’d watched the Kentucky Derby on TV but never attended a racetrack.

That changed when some high school friends who had moved from Indiana to San Diego decided to go to the track—Del Mar—near Exline’s condo. “I’d never been before,” he said. “We all went. It seemed like we couldn’t lose a race. I said, `Wow, it’s an easy way to make money.’”

He quickly learned that bettors can lose too, but his fascination with the sport had taken root. “I started researching it and studying it,” he said. “One day, I decided I wanted to own a horse. How do you do that? I needed to surround myself with people who are smarter than me. I got referred by a friend to Marette.”

Border, a 45-year-old occupational

therapist from Northern California, had been raised around horses in Brentwood, a small town near San Francisco. He learned to ride at the age of five on a Quarter Horse named Red Bert Bailey.

Unfortunately, the horse died when Border was seven. “It was a life lesson for a little kid, but it certainly didn’t put me off loving horses and wanting to take care of them,” he said.

He met Exline through work at a senior rehab facility in San Diego. “Immediately, I saw he had a lot of Indianapolis Colts paraphernalia, so I knew he was into sports,” Border said. “A big Colts fan, he had gone to the Super Bowl. We got talking about sports then about work. We became fast friends from there.”

Now they’re partners. And, after purchasing their first Thoroughbred, they needed a trainer. “We knew we needed a trainer who would have patience with us,” Border said. “Peter Eurton was highly recommended by another trainer. I said, `I think we have our guy.’ Ryan took the lead on reaching out to Peter. He called him and said, `Peter you don’t know us, but we have a horse, and we want to go into your barn.’ He saw the video from the sale, looked up the page in the catalog and said, `That’s a pretty nice filly.’”

Since then, Exline Border Racing has mostly hit home runs. After spending $100,000 to buy Bayonet—a Colonel John filly who didn’t make money on the track and became a broodmare— they campaigned the hard-hitter Giant

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Expectations, a winner of four of 23 starts including a pair of Gr2 stakes. He will race as a seven-year-old this year. “He’s been a special horse for us,” Exline said.

So was their brilliant 2016 Two-YearOld Filly Champion Filly Champagne Room, who won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly at 33-1; and Storm the Court, a two-year-old they purchased at Ocala in April 2019, for $60,000 who gave them their second Breeders’ Cup victory in the 2019 Juvenile.

“It’s been the stuff of dreams,” Border said. “Then again, it’s the result of a lot of hard work and a lot of great people helping us—a trainer like Peter and an agent like Marette. It’s a reflection of their talent and their expertise, and that the horse always comes first. We’re very humbled by the success we’ve had in such a short time.”

Before Storm the Court became “the stuff of dreams,” Exline, Border and their other partners on the horse, Dan Hudock, Susie Wilson and David Bernsen, had to survive a frightful moment in the Gr1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2. Just a few steps out of the gate, Storm the Court was knocked sideways by Eight Rings when he ducked inside. Both horses lost their jockey, Flavien Prat and Drayden Van Dyke.

“We had the rail,” Border said. “We were happy with the break. We felt fine.

Then all of a sudden, here comes Eight Rings looking like he was turning to go into the infield. We see our jockey went down. Storm was running loose on the track. With a two-year-old, that’s just a nightmare. We were looking back to see if the jockey was okay. We were looking at our horse. An outrider finally caught him on the turn. We walked on the track—a really upsetting moment at least. Flavien got up. The horse came off the track okay, not hurt, not lame.”

In his first race back, Storm the Court finished third by 8 ¼ lengths to Eight Rings in the Gr1 American Pharoah Stakes Sept. 27. Then Storm the Court won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile wire-towire by a neck at odds of 45-1. “Maybe two steps before they hit the finish line, all the blood left my body,” Border said. “There was this rush, knowing he had done it.

Everybody exploded. Couldn’t find enough people to hug.”

He knows which horse to hug. “We love our boy,” he said.

Asked how he can possibly not dream about the 2020 Kentucky Derby, Border said, “It’s impossible.”

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ROBERT DONALDSON (SPUN TO RUN) Nearly 50 years after they jump-started their continuing love affair and marriage by jumping the fence at Garden State Park to watch the last race at the age of 14, Robert Donaldson and his wife, Sue, had an interesting afternoon on May 18, 2018. Previously, with the approval of Sue (a teacher), Donaldson (a 62-yearold retired pharmaceutical executive) had been racing claimers.

That changed that afternoon when Donaldson called his former trainer, Carlos Guerrero, to inquire about a possible claim. Guerrero happened to be at the Timonium Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May. “I had spent time with that catalog,” Donaldson said. “I grabbed a sales book. I told him, ‘I want you to possibly buy a horse.’ I called to get a credit line for $100,000. They were on No. 43. I told him, `No. 50 is a Hard Spun.’ I said, `Carlos, have you seen him?’ He said, `He’s a good-looking colt.

He texted me, `How much do you want to spend?’ I said, `$70,000.’ They were at $60,000, once, twice, three times; and Carlos bid $64,000.”

They got the colt. “Every horse prior to that I had claimed,” Donaldson said.

“This is the first baby I bought.”

Now there was a personal matter to address. “I did this without speaking to my wife about it,” he said. “This went down. She was at school teaching threeto five-year-olds.”

The conversation when she got home

went something like this: “I bought a baby for $64,000.”

“What?”

“I bought this horse for $64,000.”

Donaldson continued, “She was cool with it. She’s a gamer like me. Not many people could tell their wife that, and it’s okay. Sue—I love her more today than I did then. I’m very lucky.”

They were 14 when they broke into Garden State to watch a race. “We were freshmen in high school,” Donaldson said. “She played field hockey. I played football. Her uncle dabbled with horses, and she always liked them. When we got together, we had a common interest.”

One afternoon, they bet $5 on a longshot at Garden State but couldn’t stay for the race. “We had to go home for dinner,” Donaldson said. “We listened to the results on the radio. He paid about $100. That was big-time action at my age. We were really smitten from then on.”

After Robert graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, Donaldson worked for Kellogg’s before he found his career in pharmaceuticals, working for three different companies, including Astra Pharmaceuticals (now Astra Zeneca), a Swedish start-up company in Westborough, Mass. Sue worked at the Romney School for the Deaf and Blind.

Donaldson made his first claim at Garden State, taking Pitch Out for

| GR1 WINNING OWNERS |

$7,500. “He turned into an overnight stakes horse,” Donaldson said. “I got offered $30,000 for him, and I took it.” That led him to claiming Groovy Feeling for $20,000. “She turned into a Gr2 stakes winner with John Servis and was the top handicap mare in New York,” he said. “She won the Gr2 Ladies Handicap and the Gr3 Rare Treat and Next Move. She was just a killer. She’d get on the front end and say, `See ya.’”

He also had a good run with Slick Horn, a $40,000 claim. “Talk about a nice horse,” Donaldson said. “He would give you everything he had. When he heard another horse coming, he’d pin his ears back. He was ultra-game—a good hardknocking horse.”

Donaldson took a break from Thoroughbreds for a good reason. “I had to educate my kids,” he said. “I put our priorities in place. The horses took a back seat. I got out of the game for a few years.

I still would go to Garden State. I missed it.”

Both his daughter Christine and son Steven prospered after college, Christine doing clinical trials in drugs, Steven becoming a tree surgeon. He also is an

HE WOULD GIVE YOU EVERYTHING HE HAD. WHEN HE HEARD ANOTHER HORSE COMING, HE’D PIN HIS EARS BACK. ROBERT DONALDSON

artist, climber and a charity worker.

Then Donaldson got back in the game, reconnecting with Guerrero and reinstating him as his trainer on Spun to Run. Spun to Run needed five starts to break his maiden; he won two in a row then finished third to Maximum Security in the Gr1 Haskell. He captured the Gr3 Smarty Jones, finished a close fifth by 1 ½ lengths to Math Wizard in the Gr1 Pennsylvania Derby and won the $100,000 M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile at Parx. That made Spun to Run two-for-two at one mile and convinced Guerrero and Donaldson to give their

rapidly improving three-year-old colt a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile to take on superstar Omaha Beach.

When Spun to Run won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile wire-to-wire by 2¾ lengths over Omaha Beach, the Donaldsons had their first Gr1 stakes victory. Spun to Run followed that effort with a strong second to Maximum Security in the Gr1 Cigar Mile. “It’s just indescribable,” Donaldson said. “This horse has brought so much enjoyment—I can’t tell you.”

It’s a journey he’s shared with the woman he loves. “She keeps me grounded,” Donaldson said. “Sue is so much a part of me.”

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| PROFILES |

SUSAN AND CHARLES CHU (BAST) Susan Chu fell in n lo ovee wit ith horrsees long beforee she saw her fiirrst horse raace. A native of Taiwan,, which sh he describees as a “beautiful but smaalll country,” she discovered horsess affter heer ch hildrren n decided they loved th hem and wan nted d to o ride them. “I took them to the moun ntain ns to see horses, but I nevver had a ch han nce to touch one,,” shee saaid. “My kids wan nted to ride, so I staartted sendin ng theem to camp p at horse farms to o riide little ponies. They so o enjoyed itt.””

She wou uld too o, afteer heer dau ughtter Vicky push hed her to learn how to ride.

Susan did drressag ge, hunter-jjump ping an nd show jumpin ng, evventu uallly acquirring and develloping Olympic-leevel show w jum mperrs wit ith heer husb band Charrliie. Thaat wass affter four-fif ifths of their fam mily emiigrated to o the United Statess.

Susaan and her th hree kid ds, Viccky and

sons Leo and d Jerry, emigrated to America in n 2000, landing in North Andover, Mass.,, just north of Boston. Charlie, 55, remained in Taiwan to run their business, Portman Electronics, which manufactures GPS navig igational systems and has grown substantially since its inception. Charlie supervis ised the manufacturrin ng while Susan, 52, traveled the world promoting th heir company, frequently being the lone woman in meetings and trade shows.

Susan and Charlie not only run their business 8,500 miles apart, but they raised their family as well, spending one week a month together. The arrangement has and continuees to work for Susan and Charlie, who has evolved into a worldclass design engineer, traaveling g the globe as a consultant, assistin ng otherr Asian teechnolog gy fi firms and hoping to break intto fir foreeign markets.

When her three kids were in college, Susan got a call from Vicky, an engineering major at Boston University who had been given an internship in Louisvil ille, Ky. “She called and tolld me about the Kentucky Derby,” Susan saaid. “I didn’t know anyth thing about it. What is the Kentucky Derby? My daughter advi vi ed me vise it was very exciting. We had no o idea what is horse racing.”

She and Charlie decided to fin ind out.

They went to the 2010 Kentucky Derby and watched Super Saver win in on a sloppy track. “ That was really the fir irst tim me we realized how many people went to o the Derb by,” she said.

The family returned to Louisvil ille to watch h 15-1 I’ ll Have Another win in the 2012 2 Run for the Rosess, a race which redirected their livess. They bet on I’lll Have Another.

“Charlie picked one horse, and he won!”

I RAN TO THE BARN TO TH A N K H E R, A ND SH E WA S S O H A PP Y. S H E CA ME TO M E .

SHE TRIED TO TELL ME SHE WON.

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| GR1 WINNING OWNERS |

Susan said. “We won a lot of money betting him. Charlie was very, very happy.

He said, kind of joking, `We should go into this business.’ I said, `No problem.’

We had so much fun watching the race because we love horses so much—such beautiful creatures.”

When Charlie returned to Taiwan, Susan went to work. “I started to study,” she said.

“I decided to create a company to run this business. If I want to do this business, I want to do good. I want to do it right. I realized how wonderful the industry is. I am Taiwanese. I am a woman. I needed to hire people who knew more than me— people who have a passion like me.”

They would race under the names of Baoma Corp and Tanma, which means “horse in the sky.” She made equine welfare a top priority.

Initially deciding to buy six horses, Susan needed a trainer. She traveled the country to interview seven trainers with Derby experience in New York, Maryland, Kentucky and California. The last trainer

she talked to was a man used to finishing first, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. “He was so very clear: `How many horses do you want to buy,’” Susan said. “He tells me the business is not easy.’”

Baffert remembers their first meeting: “I tried to talk her out of it. I said, `It’s a lot of ups and downs. You’ve got to be able to handle it. It’s a beautiful business, but there’s a lot of disappointment.’”

Susan appreciated his honesty. She knew she had her trainer. “I had great pleasure to talk to Bob,” she said. “I said this is the man I should be working with.

Everything went so well.”

It hasn’t stopped. “I feel so much joy.

I’m so grateful to Bob,” Susan said.

Baffert said, “She’s a lot of fun. She spends three hours feeding them carrots.

Her husband Charlie..he’ll fly in from Hong Kong just to watch his horse run in a maiden race. He loves it. He loves the action.”

He’s had lots of it. Their first horse, Super Ninety Nine, won the Gr3

Southwest Stakes by 11¼ lengths, then finished third in the Gr1 Santa Anita Derby. “We watched him win by 11 lengths,” Susan said. “It was amazing. To enjoy so much success so early.”

They subsequently campaigned 2016 Champion Sprinter and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Drefong, who also captured the Gr1 Allen Jerkens Memorial; Chitu, a Gr3 stakes winner, who finished ninth in the 2014 Kentucky Derby and is now a stallion for them; Gr2 winner Faypien, and Gr3 winner Lord Simba.

Their success led Charlie and Sue to receive the 2017 New Owner of the Year from OwnerView.

In 2019, their two-year-old filly Bast brought them back into the winner’s circle in a Gr1 stakes, the Starlet, after she finished third in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly. “When I went to see her after the Breeders’ Cup, she didn’t come to me like she normally does,” Susan said.

“She doesn’t want to eat carrots. She just stood in the back of the stall. She was angry. She lost.”

After the victory in the Starlet, Susan got a different reaction when she came to the barn. “I ran to the barn to thank her, and she was so happy. She came to me. She tried to tell me she won. She totally knows.”

Success hasn’t deterred Susan from her goal of taking care of horses. She has been a huge supporter of Michael Blowen’s Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Ky. “She came to the farm on a tour,” Blowen said.

“She loves the horses. She lights up when she sees them. She’s so nice. Any time we run a little short, I call her and she covers it. Fifty thousand dollars would be a conservative guess of how much she’s contributed.”

She feels she is giving back, saying, “The joys that our horses bring us today, we will have for life.”

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| INDUSTRY |

ODD S REQU IRE AN EVEN HAND Ed Golden

Eclipse Sportswire, Shutterstock

Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes. OSCAR WILDE 66

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| ODDS MAKERS |

W

hen it comes to making morning line odds for a racing program, experience assuredly is beneficial, but in the main being a singularly subjective endeavor, it is rarely fully achieved.

The morning line has been described as “probable odds on each horse in a race, as determined by a mathematical formula used by the track handicapper who tries to gauge both the ability of the horse and the likely final odds as determined by the bettors.”

It is a system in which bettors do not compete against the track or a casino but among each other. It is known as pari-mutuel, a form of wagering originated in 1865 by Frenchman Pierre Oiler where all money bet is divided up among those who have winning tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made.

(Oiler called his system “parier mutual” meaning “mutual stake” or “betting among ourselves.” As this betting method was adopted in England, it became known as “Paris mutuals,” and soon after “pari-mutuels).”

The “deductions,” better known as the “take” or “takeout,” is a commission deducted from mutuel pools, which are shared by the track, horsemen (in the form of purses) and local and state governing bodies in the form of tax.

The takeout generally falls between 22 and 26 percent, and each of the final odds posted on the tote board or television monitors upon completion of a race represents a mathematically established percentage of the total mutuel pool formulated by the bettors. Rounded off, it can range from 81 percent (1-5 odds) to three percent (30-1).

In other words, the morning line is not merely rendered randomly. For example, even money comprises 50 percent of the mutuel pool: 8-5 odds (38 percent); 9-2 odds (18 percent), 15-1 odds (6 percent) and so on.

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In a hypothetical six-horse field, the odds could be 6-5 (45 percent), 5-2 (28 percent), 7-2 (22 percent), 8-1 (11 percent), 10-1 (9 percent) and 12-1 (7 percent) for a total of 122 percent—100 percent of the money wagered by bettors, plus 22 percent takeout. Prior to and upon completion of each race, the total percentage, based on the individual odds of each horse when added up, should fall between 122 and 126.

No one strives harder for accuracy in making morning line odds than Jon White. Fastidious, meticulous, conscientious, punctilious—pick any adjective—they apply to the Spokane, Wa. native whose 46-year racing career includes being one of the youngest stewards in history at age 24 when serving in that capacity for the Washington Horse Racing Commission at Yakima Meadows in 1979.

He has been morning line maker at several tracks, and since 2009 at Santa Anita, where he has made the morning line odds for the Breeders’ Cup the last six times the championship event has been run there.

“I had the correct favorite in 70 percent of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita,” White proudly points out, adding, “I also was pleased at how my morning line odds compared to the winner’s final odds in all 14 of the Breeders’ Cup races (noted below).”

ML Final Winner (Race) 4-1 9-2 Vino Rosso (Classic) 9-5 1-1 Bricks and Mortar (Turf) 6-1 8-1 Blue Prize (Distaff) 7-2 7-2 Uni (Mile) 9-5 9-5 Mitole (Sprint) 8-1 13-1 Iridessa (Filly & Mare Turf) 6-1 9-1 Spun to Run (Dirt Mile)

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White continued: “In making the morning line, I am trying to predict what the betting public is going to do, not how I think the betting should be.

“Back in the 1970s, the line was submitted early in the morning on race day. Hence its name, but nowadays the morning line has evolved into an advance line in that it’s submitted two or more days before race day.

“In the 70s, I almost always would have a race add up to anywhere from 123 percent to 125 percent. Currently, the morning line has to be submitted well in advance of race day in order to appear in the Daily Racing Form, so now I generally go with 127 or 128 percent, mainly because so many things can change prior to race day, such as late scratches, weather conditions, etc.

“The morning lines I made for the 2019 Breeders’ Cup were issued on Monday, well in advance of the races that would be run the following Friday and Saturday. Not only that, but for the first time in the many years I’ve been making morning lines, I had to submit my odds for all the Breeders’ Cup races BEFORE the draw for post positions.

“If I learn from the racing office or a reliable source that a horse almost certainly is going to be scratched on race day, I will treat that horse the same as an also-

12-1 14-1 2-1 3-2 20-1 45-1 12-1 13-1 7-2 5-2 5-1 5-1 3-1 3-2

Belvoir Bay (Turf Sprint) Covfefe (Filly & Mare Sprint) Storm the Court (Juvenile) Sharing (Juvenile Fillies Turf) British Idiom (Juvenile Fillies) Structor (Juvenile Turf) Four Wheel Drive (Juvenile Turf Sprint)

| ODDS MAKERS |

eligible. An also-eligible’s odds are not included in the race’s total when adding up the percentages.

“And if I know that ‘horse A’ is almost certain to be scratched on race day, I do not include that horse when adding up the percentages in a race, which means I can have a race sometimes go very high, like 145 or thereabouts. But when horse A ultimately is scratched on race day, the race then adds up to a normal 127 or 128.

“I handle probable race-day scratches that way when making the morning line because I think it’s in the public’s best interest. Whether I’m making a morning line or working in TV or as a steward, I do whatever I can to help the public. And if I know it’s a virtual certainty that horse A is going to be scratched, it is better for those wagering to have more realistic odds submitted for the morning line even if the percentages add up something like 145.”

Suffice it to say, White eats, sleeps and breathes horse racing. He takes little or nothing for granted when producing the morning line, which these days is always subject to censure, as the world is rife with invidious social media junkies who bask in their own opinions.

“Making a morning line—especially a good one—is a real challenge,” White said. “I put a lot of hard work into every single horse in every single race on every single card, generally four to six hours including prep work, which includes going through the past performances with a fine-tooth comb . . .

That’s why it does hurt when there is criticism. However, the reality is criticism does come with the territory. It’s sort of like being a referee or an umpire. It sure is easy for someone to knock a morning line when they haven’t even taken the time to add up the percentages in a race.

“The bottom line is it’s much easier for a person to criticize a morning line than to put their neck on the chopping block and actually have to do it.

“But it’s gratifying whenever I’ve made the right favorite, and the final odds end up being in the same ballpark as the morning-line odds. But even after a race has turned out okay from a morning line perspective, I am always—and I mean always—holding my breath in terms of the next race hoping that it will turn out well.”

Like White, Russell Hudak is a paragon of his pastime although perhaps somewhat less obtrusive in his philosophy.

“The primary purpose behind the morning line is pointing out the direction wagering will take, providing bettors with an indication of which horses will be most heavily backed and which figure to be longer prices,” notes Hudak, the morning line maker and timer at Del Mar and the Thoroughbred morning line maker and timer at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Hudak, 67, was born in Jersey City, N.J., raised on the Jersey shore, and in 1985 became the morning line maker

ABOVE LEFT: Jon White ABOVE RIGHT: Russell Hudak

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| INDUSTRY |

(and later head clocker) at Hollywood Park, which closed in December 2013.

He was introduced to racing while attending Rutgers University earning a BA in sociology and labor studies. “I attended the races at Monmouth Park with my dad on a break and took an immediate interest in the tote board activity,” Hudak said.

“An important part in making the morning line is identifying the favorite from which all other horses can be measured. By adhering to the odds of the percentage table, the line maker sets prices which account for the total money bet plus the takeout.

“These odds are in no way intended to suggest which horse to bet. These are probable odds, not selections.

Sometimes top horses such as Zenyatta command very short prices even on the morning line in order to have the line come close to actuality.

“Zenyatta and others have been laid as low as 1-5, which is really about as low as I prefer to go.”

Several factors bordering on intangible are essential in creating a horse’s odds; among them in no particular order are class, post position, track condition, workouts, breeding, trouble lines, connections (jockey and trainer), weight, distance, fractional times and pace—the latter among the most important.

Some swear by so-called “figures,” including Beyers, but I have seen horses with zero Beyers win. Pace, however, is another story. Lone speed is always dangerous. A horse loose on the lead setting leisurely fractions can get very courageous and overcome a dearth of inequities.

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| ODDS MAKERS |

Case in point: A trainer gave me a tip on a speed horse that had been off form but was dropping in class to $20,000 at a mile on dirt. I bet on him. Gates opened, he broke from the rail and went straight to the front. A glance at the tote board showed he was 19-1.

The horse kept going with never a hint of stopping.

Happy and surprised that he won, I was shocked when I saw the closing odds—45-1!

Although odds will fluctuate with sizeable wagers or withdrawal of the same, especially in smaller betting pools, veteran race trackers could not recall such a dramatic change in odds in such a short period of time.

Striving for accuracy did not always sit well in days of yore.

As linemaker at Monmouth Park back in the day, I once made a horse 3-5 in the first race—the first half of the only daily double on the card in those days. There were not six or seven daily double wagers as there are on today’s excessively exotic menu.

It was a lowly claiming race, and the favorite boldly stood out in a field of six. I had all I could do to put him up at 3-5. He should have been lower.

As it was, the mutuel manager called me out, saying an oddson morning line favorite in the daily double could dissuade bettors. Be that as it may, the horse won and paid $3.20.

Thankfully, times have changed, and while oddsmakers may tweak a number here and there conducive to their own modus operandi, in mathematics, two and two always equals four.

As someone once said, “Arithmetic is a certain and infallible art.”

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| OPINION |

Bill Heller

#SO U ND B I T ES Christophe Clement

I don’t like the question. You can compete on a safe turf course or an unsafe turf, a safe dirt or an unsafe dirt. I don’t think one surface is safer than the other. With synthetics, they shouldn’t have dirt or synthetic tracks; they should have dirt and synthetic. And turf, too. Why not have all three?

With ongoing concerns about equine welfare and speculation in the industry about reintroducing synthetic tracks to replace dirt tracks, we asked trainers, “Is turf racing safer for horses than dirt?”

John Servis

Statistically yes, but there are a lot more dirt races. I don’t necessarily think turf is safer.

Brian Lynch

I would say for sure. It might be a lot more forgiving. You see a lot of eight and nine-year-olds running on turf and you don’t see that on dirt— those long-tenured horses running in big races. I’ve had a lot of luck keeping grass horses around longer and keeping them going. I’ve had a lot of experience on the poly, but what keeps horses around for a long time, I’d say, is turf.

Barclay Tagg

My answer would be definitely.

And I’m a firm believer that they don’t bleed as easily on turf. I do believe that. From our experience, Robin (Smullen) and I both believe that turf racing is easier on the horses.

Peter Miller

Yes. Synthetic and turf are safer; they mimic each other. Both are safer than dirt racing. Statistically, it’s safer. I would imagine the reason is that they stay on top of it, instead of going four to six inches into it. There is less pressure on the joints. And there’s more bounce to it, like running on grass instead of sand. It’s more forgiving.

Peter Eurton

That’s a hard question to answer. To be honest, I really don’t know. I haven’t had too many bad accidents on turf or dirt, knock on wood. I’ve had more on dirt obviously because I race more on dirt. I’ve had accidents on turf and dirt. I’ve had turf horses get hurt on dirt while training.

Michael Stidham

No question that turf is safer, especially on a firm course vs. a yielding or a soft turf. On firm turf, as long as it’s not too firm, they’re going over the top of the turf. On a soft or yielding course, they sink down into it. And I’m a big believer in synthetic tracks because I believe they are safer to train on it. And the numbers back it up. Some horses might not race well over it. They should have three surfaces: turf, dirt and synthetic.

Joe Sharp

I think absolutely that turf racing is safer than dirt. It’s more consistent.

Statistically, the numbers show they are much safer, and to me, personally, I think turf is much safer.

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