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North American Trainer ISSUE 26 (WINTER 2012)
North American
ISSUE 26 – WINTER 2012 $5.95
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THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE THOROUGHBRED THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE
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DONNIE K. VON HEMEL
Building his reputation
GARY WEST: THE PASSIONATE BILLIONAIRE LAMINITIS Using cold therapy as a treatment
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GILES ANDERSON Von Hemel continues to build his reputation
REMEMBER first taking notice of trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel when Clever Trevor shot to prominence in the summer of 1989. What got my attention about the gelding was the song “Clever Trevor” from the legendary Ian Dury’s first album back in the late 1970s, which I remembered from my teenage years in the mid-80s. I followed the careers of Donnie Von Hemel and Clever Trevor with interest. Since the days of Clever Trevor – his first Grade 1 winner – Donnie Von Hemel has been quietly going about his business, building a stable and a reputation as a fine horseman. Breeders’ Cup success came last year with Caleb’s Posse in the Dirt Mile and this year Alternation has, like his trainer, been going quietly about his business winning five out of seven races. Our editor, Frances J. Karon, travelled to Chicago to interview Donnie at Hawthorne Park before the Hawthorne Gold Cup and has produced a fascinating interview with Donnie about his history and his horses. In this issue you’ll also be able to read an interesting interview with leading owner Gary West, who together with his
wife Mary has a pair of useful Breeders’ Cup contenders in Casino Host and Power Broker. Gary and Mary have enjoyed an esteemed career in the corporate world and since selling their business have been able to devote more time to their stable, which currently has a roster of over 80 horses on active duty, and to their foundation which works to better the lives of people of all ages. Gary has clear views about the state of racing and on the medication debate that continues to ignite torch papers in our industry. Our nutrition feature in this issue examines the role the common beetroot is now playing in the racehorse’s diet. While there has yet to be specific research carried out on its effects on the horse, there are grounds for believing that its introduction into the diet could certainly be of benefit. Over the coming pages you’ll also learn about preventing laminitis with cryotherapy, high altitude training in South Africa, and the latest research in equine fracture repair. This is our last issue of year and so until you read us again next spring, good luck wherever your racing takes you this winter! n
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WILL’S WAY The views of William Koester The Killing Fields I am honored to have the opportunity to speak on a subject that is important to me as a life-long enthusiast of Thoroughbreds and racing. I previously chaired the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI), but the opinions and ideas expressed in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily represent either the RCI or the members themselves.
W
E DON’T take horseracing fatalities seriously. Recall the tragedy immediately after the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, to which thousands of casual fans had tuned in to participate in the most exciting two minutes of sports, only to find themselves witnessing a euthanasia. Reactions to the fatality from the racing community were knee-jerk and erratic, including banning steroids and removing a sixteenth of an inch from horseshoes. Just three months later, The Jockey Club launched the Equine Injury Database (EID). The mission statement of the EID is satisfying: to identify the frequency, types, and outcome of racing injuries using a standardized format that will generate valid statistics, identify markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serve as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries. Their success in this mission is less than satisfying. The meagerness of the data is disheartening and just a quick look informs us that this isn’t a genuine attempt to affect an outcome. The Equine Injury Database is hidden. In this age of search engine optimization, it feels like genuine work to unearth it. When you finally find the data on fatalities, the landing page offers the stats in an easy-to-swallow little pill: a couple of tables with cumulative, aggregate stats showing little variation over three years. Really, we must overcome our agency dilemma. Year Rate
2009 1.98
2010 1.88
2011 1.88
Yes, there are just three years of data. But it’s a start, you say. Yes, a start . . . sigh. If only we had 02 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
more than just started. And if only that start had been with purpose and intention. It is disheartening, because a start has not yet undergone trial and revision and challenge and development. We’ve only just started. The fatality rates, though presented as cumulative, only include fatalities at tracks that voluntarily report the data. Tracks are invited, much like inviting a teenager to publish each pimple on her blog, and astonishingly, 29 of 91 tracks do in fact publish this data. This represents 32 per cent of tracks voluntarily exposing themselves to attack, one of the requirements to be a Safety and Integrity Alliance-accredited facility. Aqueduct, mired in scandal due to a spike in deaths during their last fall/winter meet, was such an accredited facility, and in fact, the recipient of the “Best Practice” award for pre-race exams. Like in a horror film where the most unsettling fear is what happens off-screen, I fear the worst in the two-thirds of racetracks that don’t even publish their fatality rates. As often is the case with statistics, the story is not in the data, it’s in the absent data. The recent report by the New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety investigates the contributing factors that led to each and every fatality at that recent Aqueduct meet. It is quite an eye-opener and notable as a step toward reducing horse fatalities. The population under scrutiny is horses that were fatally injured. The statistics in the EID, in contrast, are shown as functions of “starts” and of “races.” This reflects what we know to be evidence of the racetracks’ interest in races, which is reasonable. But we must at least acknowledge that statistics about the horse fatality rate must have a statistical population of fatal horse data, informative data per horse that dies. For example, of the population of horses that die, how many starts did they make compared to
the control sample? How many of that population had the same trainer? How many of that population had the same jockey? How many of that population had drugs in their system? Did they all have the same trainer? What if all of them had the same owner? What if all of them had the same jockey? This may seem ridiculous, but I hope that you understand my point: as of what we know now, any and all of those scenarios could be true. Any proof to the contrary is hearsay. I’m no statistician. But let’s at least get some grist for smart folks to chew on. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Let’s just look beyond our nose for solutions to our problems. Astonishingly, before 1982 and the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), there was no data collected for alcoholrelated road fatalities. But through the efforts of MADD, congressional legislation provided incentive grants for states that adopted proven enforcement strategies and measures that strengthened laws designed to deter impaired driving. Federal highway construction funds have been withheld to encourage certain states to adopt model legislation on levels of alcohol. And so incentives were put into place to ensure that the reward was worth the effort and expense of collecting and reporting the data. Once the data was collected, we could look at it, talk about it, think about it, test hypotheses, and improve. The number of drunk driving deaths in the United States has been cut in half since the statistics were first reported. We all know that fatalities in horseracing will never be totally avoided, but on the other hand, we all know that everything to prevent fatalities is not being done. Statistics don’t solve problems. But statistics show that a problem has our attention. And we don’t take horseracing fatalities seriously. n
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Issue 26
CONTENTS... 2 Will’s Way The views of William Koester.
8 California Thoroughbred Trainers Alan Balch on the Breeders’ Cup; Former trainer Bill Currin.
14 TRM trainer of the quarter
Cam Gambolati, trainer of Buffalo Trace Franklin County winner Madame Giry
16 Donnie K. Von Hemel
24 Beetroot Is beetroot a good addition to the equine athlete’s diet?, by Catherine Dunnett.
30 Gary West Steve Schuelein profiles leading owners Gary and Mary West, who are hoping to win at the Breeders’ Cup with Power Broker and Casino Host.
36 Laminitis and cryotherapy Using cryotherapy as a means to ward off laminitis, by Stacey Oke.
Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel in profile, by Frances J. Karon.
40 Rosemary Homeister Jr. Bill Heller continues our series on relative values with the Homeisters.
46 High altitude training David Thiselton looks into the influence of altitude training in South Africa and how it could be useful in other countries.
52 Structural integration Structural Integration as a method of getting quicker recovery time from racehorses, by Monica McKenzie.
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56 Breeders’ Cup behind the scenes K.T. Donovan takes us behind the scenes with some key staff at the Breeders’ Cup offices.
61 Standing fracture repair Polly Compston and Celia Marr on the new procedure to repair fractures with the patients standing and under local anesthetic.
65 Product Focus 66 Stakes Schedules Forthcoming stakes races from North America and around the world.
72 Sid Fernando column Lasix and breakdowns.
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CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & Editorial Director Giles Anderson Editor Frances J. Karon Executive Assistant Alice Jefford Design/Production Neil Randon Advertising Sales Giles Anderson, Scott Rion Photo Credits
Benoit Photo, Coady Photography/Keeneland, K.T. Donovan, Foor Footed Fotos, Horsephotos.com, Frances J. Karon, Gold Circle, Barbara D. Livingston, Monica McKenzie, Rossdales and Partners, Leon Setaro, Shutterstock.com
Cover Photograph Barbara D. Livingston
North American
An Anderson & Co Publishing Ltd publication Main Address – United Kingdom 3 Stibb Hill, West Lavington SN10 4LQ Representative Address – North America PO Box 13248, Lexington, KY 40583-3248 Contact details Tel: 1 888 218 4430 Fax: 1 888 218 4206 info@trainermagazine.com www.trainermagazine.com North American Trainer 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
Alan F. Balch was hired as Executive Director of California Thoroughbred Trainers in April 2010. His professional career in racing began at Santa Anita in 1971, where he advanced to the position of Sr. Vice PresidentMarketing and Assistant General Manager, and was in charge there of the Olympic Games Equestrian Events for 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 at Madison Square Garden. He remains volunteer president of USA Equestrian Trust, Inc. K. T. Donovan travels domestically and internationally to cover racing through writing, television, and video, and markets farms, stallions, and events, while regularly working sales to make sure she can still put her hands on the horse, the center of it all. As a freelancer, she has written for most of the major racing publications around the world, and contributed in various capacities to live shows and documentaries on several American television networks, as well as for Sky, and RTE (Irish television). She is based in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr Catherine Dunnett BSc, PhD, R.Nutr. is an independent nutritionist registered with the British Nutrition Society. She has a background in equine research, in the field of nutrition and exercise physiology, with many years spent at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. Prior to setting up her own consultancy business, she worked in the equine feed industry on product development and technical marketing. Sid Fernando (@sidfernando) is president of eMatings LLC and Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc. He is the former bloodstock editor of Daily Racing Form and also blogs about racing and breeding. Bill Heller, Eclipse-Award winner Bill Heller's 22nd book, "Above It All; The Turbulent Life of Jose Santos," was published in March, 2011. Heller, a member of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame Communicators Corner, is 58 and lives in Albany, New York, just 30 miles south of Saratoga Race Course, with his wife Anna and their 22-year-old son Benjamin, a senior honor student at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Frances J. Karon is from Puerto Rico and graduate of Maine’s Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She operates Rough Shod LLC based in Lexington, Kentucky and specializes in sales, pedigree research and recommendations. Professor Celia Marr is an equine clinician at Rossdales, Newmarket. She is a RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Medicine and Honorary Professor at the Glasgow University Veterinary School. She has previously worked at veterinary schools in Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Cambridge and London and in racehorse practice in Lambourn. She is Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Thoroughbred Research & Consultation Group and Editor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal. Monica McKenzie has been an Intensive Care Nurse since 1985. For the past 22 years her main focus has been holistic health care for horses. She is an Equine Structural Integration Practitioner working with thoroughbred racehorses. She is currently practicing in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Stacey Oke is a licensed veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. In addition to writing for various horse publications, she also contributes to scientific journals, is an editor of an internationallyrecognized, peer-reviewed journal, creates continuing education materials for both human and veterinary medicine, and conducts biomedical research studies. Steve Schuelein is the Southern California correspondent for Thoroughbred Times. A native of upstate New York, Steve was introduced to racing as a sports writer for the Syracuse HeraldJournal and Buffalo News before moving to California in 1982.
eight broadsheets.
David Thiselton is the chief racing writer for Gold Circle Publishing, who are contracted to produce all of the racing pages for the Independent Newspaper Group in South Africa including
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North American
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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
Whither the Breeders’ Cup?
A
YEAR ago in this issue, I undertook to describe the state of North American racing in the years leading up to the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984, as well as its true genesis. But what about its evolution since then, and its future? Although it’s hard to imagine racing now without it, to a great extent the Breeders’ Cup as we know it today mirrors and embellishes both its flaws and its sporting greatness. First, the early years. Santa Anita was the site in 1984 of equestrian sport for the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad in Los Angeles. Those Games have stood the test of time very well indeed – and, I believe, were only lately surpassed in excellence in every respect by the London Games just concluded. On an “excellence per dollar spent” basis, Los Angeles probably will never be matched, but London – however expensive, but still under-funded compared to China four years earlier – proved again that it’s not only how much money you have, but how you spend it that makes the difference in sport. At a very young age, I had the opportunity to work with Oak Tree Racing Association’s Santa Anita team to try to secure the Breeders’ Cup for its first running. We thought it would be a great parlay, Olympics to Breeders’ Cup in the same year, for Breeders’ Cup as well as ourselves. I wouldn’t say we were overconfident in the bidding process, but Santa Anita’s dominating attendance and handle in those days, along with our suitability for an event ostensibly “made for televising racing,” seemed to make us a logical choice. Breeders’ Cup, however, was fascinated with Hollywood Park, “Hollywood” in general –
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By Alan F. Balch CTT Executive Director
“Over the decades, there is no question that the host track’s priorities, perspectives, experience, and horsemen have been swept aside almost totally.” there’s no denying the star power of Elizabeth Taylor in those days – and track president Marjorie L. Everett’s philanthropic donation of $200,000 to Breeders’ Cup didn’t hurt very much, either. I remember consoling myself on an absolutely beautiful inaugural Saturday in Los Angeles that at least we didn’t have to manage the inevitable and monumental first-year problems of such a big event. So, gritting its teeth, Oak Tree swallowed hard and applied again, for 1986. Breeders’ Cup had chosen just about the least telegenic of American tracks for its television extravaganza the first two years, Aqueduct following Hollywood in 1985. It had so happened that Santa Anita set its all-time attendance record for a single day in March 1985, when the Santa Anita Handicap drew 85,527, and believe me the Breeders’ Cup saw all those pictures! On December 1, the “correct” site selection finally was announced amidst racing’s own stars gathered at famed Chasen’s restaurant in Beverly Hills. Given that the third year of the event, and first at Santa Anita, demolished every record for
attendance and handle, but much more important gave that television audience the most picturesque view of racing possible, 1986 set the standard for everything to come. But such a blockbuster success also set the Breeders’ Cup on the path to the policies we see today, lamentable though some of them are. In its early years, I personally can attest to the profound struggles between the management of the host track seeking to preserve its marketing prerogatives and protect the opportunities of its own horsemen and fan base vs. the Breeders’ Cup attempting to assert its supremacy in those matters as well as every other detail attendant to its own races. Over the decades, there is no question that the host track’s priorities, perspectives, experience, and horsemen have been swept aside almost totally. In the early years, Breeders’ Cup administration was absorbed into the host track’s offices, not without some discomfort, but for one day of racing, it seemed an easy accommodation on both sides. Now, an entire separate complex of offices and ancillary facilities are constructed at the host track by Breeders’ Cup, weeks ahead of time, consuming most of the available parking space within easy walking distance of the track’s quarters! I mention this not because of the obvious (and trivial) inconvenience this causes for track staff, horsemen, and fans, but because of its symbolism: for what is now two days of racing, Breeders’ Cup and its allied organizations are a veritable behemoth. Over the years, Breeders’ Cup also has proven yet again that demand doesn’t increase as supply increases, and that neither bankroll nor size of staff equate to intellectual superiority. One major attendance day has been replaced by a mediocre day followed by a good day. We see marked dilution in media focus and general interest, despite the enormous growth in gross worldwide handle, as on-track attendance falls. Television viewership – which necessarily means ratings – has always been problematic, and Breeders’ Cup has never addressed this problem intensively, or if it has, unsuccessfully. Its marketing approach, described as “a premium event needs premium pricing,” has left much to be desired, as well as large swaths of major grandstands and facilities largely empty, no matter the announced attendance figures. In short, Breeders’ Cup has made race track pricing a barrier rather than an inducement to attendance by the masses, including day-to-day
Continued on page 12 u
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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
WORDS: Steve Schuelein PhOtOS: BenOit PhOtO, hORSePhOtOS.cOM
B
ILL Currin is feeling a lot of brotherly love these days. Currin, a veteran owner and breeder and former trainer, is still tingling with emotion over a victory by My Best Brother in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (G2) in September. “He’s actually named after two best brothers,” explained Currin of the double entendre. “It’s a sad story. My brother, Charles, died a couple years ago of inoperable brain cancer, and shortly thereafter my Stormello died of colic. “We had this unnamed colt, a full brother to Stormello,” continued Currin. “I asked my wife Betty for a name to honor both. She suggested My Best Brother.” Memories of both brothers lie close to Currin’s heart. Stormello, a homebred he trained, co-owned and co-bred, gave him his first Grade 1 victory in the 2006 Hollywood Futurity (G1) and was in the early stages of a stud career at Vinery in Kentucky when he died at seven of colic in April, 2011, devastating Currin. Stormello earned $700,100 during an abbreviated career that also included a victory in the Norfolk Stakes (G2). “Charles was the biggest fan of Stormello,” said Currin. “He lived in Florida and went to see Stormello run at Gulfstream (second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes-G2) and in the Kentucky Derby (G1, in which he finished 19th in 2007). We were very close.” My Best Brother, a Kentucky-bred colt by Stormy Atlantic out of the Carson City mare Wilshewed, is carrying on in the best tradition for equine and human families. My Best Brother scored his fourth victory in his last five starts and first in graded stakes company at Del Mar, leading all the way under Martin Garcia and holding off favored Howe Great by three-quarters of a length in 1:46.83 for 11/8 miles on firm turf. Currin saw similarities between Stormello and My Best Brother. “Stormello was a chestnut, and My Best Brother is a bay, like Stormy Atlantic,” said Currin. “But he acts and reacts to me and his riders the same way. “He is a gentleman, no stall vices, no
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My Best Brother continues the Currin tradition of success problems. Like Stormello, he likes to get in front and do things solo. My instructions to Garcia were ‘gate to wire. Just get out in front and stay out of trouble.’” Currin and trainer Julio Canani, who scored a record fifth victory in the Del Mar Derby, are weighing a return at Santa Anita Park in either the Twilight Derby (G2) November 2 or Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)
November 3 as leading options for the talented colt. Currin, 76, celebrated in the winner’s circle with co-owner and co-breeder Al Eisman of San Diego, long-time partner in many of his horses. Both have dealt with major health issues. Currin stopped training three years ago and reduced his stable following a minor stroke.
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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
My Best Brother in the winners’ enclosure after winning the Der Mar Derby, Bill Currin’s fifth victory in the race
Eisman, 84, required a walker to make his way to the ceremony. Currin and Eisman go back a half century when they sold swimming pools together in Los Angeles before Currin shifted into a successful career in land development and custom-house building. “We’re like Lum and Abner,” said Currin of the characters in an old radio show. The pair could also be called the contemporary version of The Sunshine Boys, the senior citizens played by George Burns and Walter Matthau in the film of that name. Their personalities are so diametrically opposed – Currin perennially upbeat and Eisman the chronic doom-and-gloomer – that Currin named their first Del Mar stakes winner, Griefnaggrevation in a division of the 1988 Osunitas Handicap, after his partner’s outlook on life. “She was named because Al is a grieving businessman,” explained Currin after the Osunitas. “Everything is ‘Oh, my God, everything is grief and aggravation.’ I told him one day I was going to name a horse after him.” From the Del Mar winner’s circle, Currin could see his condominium in Solana Beach on a hill across the street a few hundred yards away. Currin had spent many years in an
“They’re trying to get another 25 years out of me. I have the same doctor as Al, who they call Lazarus. When I see Bob Baffert here in the morning, I tell him I lead him in stents, four to two” estate in West Hollywood where Clark Gable once lived, but after the health crisis moved permanently to his one-time summer home with his wife. “I was going to Hollywood Park to train one morning and couldn’t get my boots on,” recalled Currin of the 2009 scare. “I was taken to Cedars Sinai and found I had two small strokes. They didn’t do any damage. I had no heart attack but had a weakening of the heart, and three months later had four stents put in. “That’s why I moved here, to be closer to Scripps (Clinic in nearby La Jolla),” said Currin. “They’re trying to get another 25 years
out of me. I have the same doctor as Al, who they call Lazarus. When I see Bob Baffert here in the morning, I tell him I lead him in stents, four to two.” Baffert underwent heart surgery in Dubai in March. Currin, who trained a barn of about 25 horses he owned or co-owned at Hollywood Park, is happy with a smaller stable and his reduced role in it. “I don’t have that many and don’t want that many,” he said. “I just want a select few.” Currin visited three horses he has in training with Canani at 7 a.m. daily during the Del Mar meet and sees another three babies he owns regularly at nearby Rancho Paseana under Cliff Sise. “I have known Julio for many years and know he’s a good horse trainer,” said Currin of the decision to send his horses to the Peruvian-born veteran. “That’s one of the good things about working in the stable area on this circuit for so many years. I have good backside knowledge.” Currin joked that between him and the 73-year-old Canani, they have a “150-year-old trainer” in the barn. But he quickly pointed out that his presence is solely as a spectator and all the credit for My Best Brother belongs to Canani and his crew. In addition to My Best Brother, Currin also
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Stormello defeats Liquidity to win the 2006 Hollywood Futurity at Hollywood Park to give Bill Currin his first Grade 1 success
has two Stormello two-year-olds nearing their debuts with Canani: the colt Rose In Gold and the filly Foxy Forever, the latter a half-sister to graded stakes winner Memorette. Ten days after the Del Mar Derby, Currin enjoyed another rich payday with a valuable half-brother to Stormello and My Best Brother that he bred and owned. Currin sent the handsome Bernardini colt to the Keeneland yearling sale where he sold for the highest price of the day on September 12. Hip
number 469, he went under the gavel for a whopping $1.55-million to the Coolmore Stud trio of John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor. Currin also lodges three broodmares at Valkyre Stud in Georgetown, Ky., including Wilshewed. “She had a Giant’s Causeway weanling filly and has a Giant’s Causeway colt in the oven,” said Currin of the productive mare. “I go back more than 30 years at Valkyre
with Cathie Parke,” said Currin. “She had Fondre, the first stakes winner that I owned in partnership with W.R. Hawn during the 1970’s.” Currin grew up in North Carolina and was introduced to horses at a young age via the show-horse route. The erstwhile acting student moved to California and spent time in Pleasanton in his budding development business that covered the Golden State from San Francisco to San Diego and included the building of Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs. His meeting with Hawn and partnership in Fondre enabled him “to get a seat on the board of directors at Golden Gate Fields” and a broader understanding and closer look at the sport. Currin, who took out his trainer’s license in 1972, maintained a low profile in his early years when he also began Oak Tree Farm in Pleasanton. “I’m involved in $200-million worth of real estate on 500 acres there,” said Currin in 1988 of an upscale area on the East Bay that occupied most of his time. “And here I am training horses. It’s my golf game.” Currin and wife Betty, the parents of two grown children, later moved to Los Angeles, where he upgraded his Oak Tree Farm stable during the 1990s. In addition to Stormello and My Best Brother, he and Eisman also campaigned Outta Here, who won the 2002 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes, finished seventh in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and took him to Japan and Dubai. In addition, Currin and Eisman won the 2007 Vernon Underwood Stakes (G3) at Hollywood Park with Bushwacker. Currin also campaigned Memorette, a grand-daughter of Fondre and a Christmas present for Betty, who highlighted her career with a victory in the 2006 Beverly Hills Handicap (G2) on the Hollywood Park turf. He also bred Haimish Hy, winner of the 2010 Hollywood Derby (G1). “It’s been a good ride,” concluded Currin. “I’m happy and anxious for the next race.” n
Whither the Breeders’ Cup? tContinued from page 8 horsemen, and the regular horseplayers on whom every existing track and the entire sport depend. Confusing themselves with the National Football League or Major League Baseball, their sports and events with ours, are serious mistakes. This is what happens with unquestioned power and authority. And it’s too bad, because ever since King Henry’s “all men are equal on the turf and under it,” racing has been th e sport with necessarily massive facilities where there’s room for everyone from king to lowliest commoner. Correct pricing will welcome and satisfy everyone.
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In a sport desperate for visibility and success, Breeders’ Cup’s policies apparently are received now simply as “right,” even when they aren’t. No host track, no regulator, no entity at all, is in a position now to object or even to debate their merits. This is perhaps the most startling reflection of the true state of the sport worldwide, but particularly in America. With Great Britain and France finally waking up with their own spectacular alternatives to Breeders’ Cup, serious threats are appearing. Where this will all lead is anyone’s guess, but ultimately the top of the pyramid can only be as solid as its foundation. Given technological
advances in global electronic distribution, as well as inflation, there can be little doubt that, for now, total wagering on Breeders’ Cup races will continue to grow. How real this growth is should be subject to scrutiny, as should the marketing and pricing of the entire Breeders’ Cup experience, on television and especially at host tracks. Should competition among ideas in management and marketing disappear from American racing at its highest level, along with true innovation and realistic appraisals of public interest, can we have any doubt of the result? n
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Cam Gambolati (right) with jockey Eddie Castro and the winning connections after Madame Giry’s win in the Buffalo Trace Franklin County
TRM Trainer of the Quarter
CAM GAMBOLATi
The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Cam Gambolati. Gambolati and his team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimed range of TRM supplements, as well as a bottle of fine Irish whiskey. WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: COaDy PHOTOgRaPHy/KEEnELanD
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W E N T Y- S E V E N years removed from Spend a Buck’s wireto-wire romp in the 1985 Kentucky Derby, trainer Cam Gambolati had a much more modest goal for Nutmeg Stable’s three-year-old filly Madame Giry. He would have been happy to just win a race with this daughter of Castledale who cost $2,000 last year. She’s done more than that, winning five straight including stakes scores at Belmont and Keeneland. “It’s one of the flukiest things that happened,” the 63-year-old trainer said. “A friend of mine knew a guy who had a couple two-year-olds to sell. I took a ride from Monmouth to a farm in Maryland. We made a deal for $2,000 for her. She was a two-yearold filly out in the field. She had never been on the track. If you would have seen her then, you would have thought I overpaid for her.” Madame Giry had a lot of catching up to do. “I had to start from square one,” Gambolati said. “I didn’t break her until September 1st. I didn’t get her to Gulfstream Park until January 1 this year, and she still wasn’t ready to run.”
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She wasn’t, but she ran an improved second. She hasn’t come close to losing again, taking a maiden special weight at Belmont, back-to-back allowance races at Saratoga, the $80,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes at Belmont and the $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland on October 12. Gambolati had no Madame Giry wins the 16th running of the Buffalo Trace Franklin intention of running County at Keeneland Madame Giry in the Breeders’ Cup. “It’d be back too quick for a She was scheduled to debut on grass in a three-year-old filly,” he said. “She will ship to maiden race at Gulfstream Park April 7, but it rained off the turf. Gambolati raced her Gulfstream Park and get a little rest and anyway and she made the lead before tiring to absolutely race next year.” fourth on the sloppy track. She’s raced Spend a Buck finished a brave, frontexclusively on turf ever since, emerging as a running third in the first Breeders’ Cup race grass sprint star. ever contested, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at After she finished fourth and seventh in Hollywood Park in 1984. “That was ages ago,” maiden races at Belmont Park and Gambolati said. “A different era. He chipped Monmouth, she raced in a $65,000 maiden his knee in that race. He actually had one of claimer at Belmont. “To be truthful, I would the first arthroscopic surgeries.” Obviously, it was successful. Gambolati have been thrilled if she’d been claimed,” he said. peaked Spend a Buck to run his best race in
his most important race, the 1985 Run for the Roses. He not only won by 5¼ lengths, but ran the third fastest (now fourth) Derby ever, in 2:00 1/5. “It was an awesome performance in the spotlight,” Gambolati said. “He was as talented as a horse could be. It was a shame people couldn’t see his true talent because he didn’t race that long. He had 15 starts and he had 10 wins, three seconds, and two thirds.” Spend a Buck, who was purchased for $12,500 by Dennis Diaz, earned more than $4.2 million and was 1985 Horse of the Year. He brought Gambolati national credibility. Madame Giry gave him a boost at the best possible time. “It’s been a rough year,” he said. “We lost a bunch of horses, eight.” That included Soaring Empire, who was retired in June after winning five of 16 starts, including the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, and earning $386,393. “The other horses were a trainer change,” Gambolati said. “We only have four horses now, but we’re actively pursuing buying others.” He couldn’t be more thrilled with the filly he already has. “She’s always shown talent,” he said. “To what extent, I don’t know.” He’s going to have fun finding out next year. n
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PROFILE
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DONNIE K. VON HEMEL
The unmistakable profile of
DONNIE K. VON HEMEL With only four horses stabled at Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago, Illinois, trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel is having an easy morning. While Alternation gallops under regular rider David Contreras, the trainer observes over the top of the white picket fence bordering the racetrack from the backstretch; horseracing’s version of the American dream. A wandering barn cat rubs against his ankles, and Von Hemel shakes hands, accepts congratulations for a recent win, and answers one question over and again: “Donnie K.! How’s Don?” “He’s good, he’s good,” Von Hemel replies each time. WORDS: FRanceS j. kaROn PHOTOS: BaRBaRa D. LIVInGSTOn, HORSePHOTOS.cOM, FRanceS j. kaROn
“D
ON” is Nebraska Racing Hall of Famer Don E. Von Hemel, who remains at the age of 78 an active trainer, with 2,441 wins to date. The name “Donnie K.” distinguishes father from son. “I’m not a junior,” Von Hemel says, pointing out that his birth certificate identifies him as Donnie, not Donald. “Is that weird?” he asks, laughing. “It hasn’t been weird to me.” Their Dutch ancestors changed their surname from Van den Hemel around the turn of the 20th century. This branch of the family is also Native American, as they are members of the Miami (pronounced “My-am-uh”) tribe.
Don, whose mother was half Indian, was registered as a full-blooded Native American as a youngster because the roll was getting low, officially if not genetically making Donnie Von Hemel half Miami. “If you’re in Oklahoma,” he says, “it’s neat to be part of one of the tribes.” But Von Hemel is more cowboy than Indian, with a Stetson never too far out of reach and the sacred bald eagle feather given to him by a Miami chief tucked safely away in a box. “My grandfather, I never saw him outdoors without a hat on. Ninety-nine percent of the time it would be a cowboy hat,” he says, and it’s a tradition that he carries on. “I always wear it in the afternoons. Most people, they don’t recognize you without your hat. In the
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PROFILE morning it gets in the way too much; you have to wear a helmet, then getting in and out of stalls, you end up knocking it off more often than not.” He compromises during training hours by wearing a ball cap, which today is a maroon one stitched with the “VH” logo from his grandfather’s livestock brand. 51-year-old Von Hemel owns a small farm in Piedmont, Oklahoma, where he lives with wife Robin, fourteen-year-old daughter Tess, six horses (“pets,” he calls them), two dogs, and two cats. Donnie and Robin met when both worked for Don Von Hemel, and Tess, her dad says, has “got the bug [for horses], no doubt about it. It was almost hard not to in our family.” There’s a barn full of forty Thoroughbreds stabled at nearby Remington Park, Von Hemel’s home base – he is the all-time leading trainer in the state – with two assistant trainers, Efrain Chavez and Crystal Campbell. The size of his stable is his ideal. “You can still keep your finger on everything,” he says. “I’ve got a lot of clients that I’ve had for 20-plus years. As long as you have that core of clients that you can hang on to, you’re hopefully doing something right.” Von Hemel grew up in his father’s small hometown of Manter, Kansas (population then: about 150 or less; population now: not much more), with two siblings: sister Pam, a speech
“Slewacide’s been a great horse to me. He keeps giving! He just keeps giving” pathologist; and younger brother Kelly, also a successful trainer, with 1,250 wins including the most stakes victories in the history of Prairie Meadows, from where he trains. Kelly trained Miss Macy Sue, third in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, and Iowabred millionaire Sure Shot Biscuit. Don Von Hemel moved around with his stable while their mother Roylynn stayed in Kansas with the children. Roylynn “did a wonderful job, as far as I can see,” says Donnie Von Hemel, laughing again. “I often wonder what kept me out of trouble. At the time, I thought I was just scared to death of my mother. But looking back I think it was more that I didn’t want to disappoint her.” From an early age – “when you’re just too young and in the way” – Von Hemel enjoyed being in his father’s shedrow. When he was around twelve or thirteen, he began to make a “worthwhile” contribution in the barn by walking hots. His 8th Grade graduation gift was a visit to Lexington, Kentucky, with his father for the September yearling sale at Keeneland. Von Hemel was an athlete in school – football, baseball, track and field – and, he recalls,
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“trying to convince the coach that I could be gone for a week was really hard. I kept up with all my schoolwork, but of course I couldn’t keep up with football practice. So for two weeks, I think it was, after I got back, after practice was over I’d have to run. It was a lot of running and that was the price I had to pay to be able to be gone.” Was it worth it? “Yeah, Most definitely. It was something I always wanted to go do, and I learned a lot about conformation.” Von Hemel worked his way up to grooming, galloping, and learning other hands-on aspects of training during school vacations, but after graduation, he attended college, as his parents wanted him to do, and studied accounting. Degree in hand, he told his mom and dad, “Look, now I want to do the racetrack full time.” He became Don’s assistant until getting his own trainer’s license in 1984, saddling the first 21 of his current total of 1,900 winners that year. The father had given the son a good foundation. “I would call him the best horseman I’ve ever known,” Von Hemel says. “And I know that would be influenced by the fact that he’s my father, but when he was a
young trainer, he basically had to do everything. He broke the horses – he was even his own blacksmith.” When Donnie struck out on his own, many of Don’s owners supported him. The duo tagteamed on the training of a number of racehorses, such as Graded winners Evansville Slew and Mariah’s Storm, depending on where the horses were running at any given time. Von Hemel earned his first training title in Louisiana in 1988, breaking a three-way tie with Frankie Brothers and Jack Van Berg with a closing-day victory, a “pretty exciting” moment. In the early days, there was Explosive Girl, “the first good horse I had a chance to train.” Owned by Jim Wells, the daughter of Explodent won or placed in 30 of 40 starts and earned over $460,000 for both Don Von Hemel and Donnie Von Hemel. On the 1988 Cornhusker card – Ak-Sar-Ben’s biggest day of racing – she participated in what was billed by the media as “the first major match race in America since 1975.” The match came about, Von Hemel says, “because I opened my big mouth that I thought she should have been Ak-Sar-Ben’s Horse of the Meet over Who Doctor Who.” More than 21,000 fans showed
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DONNIE K. VON HEMEL
Left: Donnie K. Von Hemel leads Alternation to the paddock before the Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup at Hawthorne. Above: Caleb’s Posse wins Von Hemel’s biggest race to date – the Breeders’ Cup Mile Dirt at Churchill Downs last year
up to watch the popular runners, as four-yearold Explosive Girl jumped in the air at the start and lost to the five-year-old gelding. Much of the crowd, says Von Hemel, left after the match race, without staying for the Cornhusker, the track’s flagship race. Don McNeill’s homebred Oklahoma-bred gelding Clever Trevor catapulted Donnie K. Von Hemel into the national spotlight. As a three-year-old in 1989, Clever Trevor won the Saint Paul Derby-G2 – Von Hemel’s first Graded stakes win – and the Arlington ClassicG1 three weeks later, as well as running second in the Travers S.-G1 (to champion Easy Goer) and Arkansas Derby-G2. Clever Trevor raced through the age of six, winning nine stakes races and finishing second or third in another seven, with a record of 30-15-5-2 and a bankroll of nearly $1.4 million. “Trevor,” now 26 years old, “lives the life of luxury” on the Von Hemels’ farm. Mr Ross, winner of fourteen stakes races, was another millionaire for Von Hemel and owner/breeder McNeill, with four Grade 3 wins from 2000-2002: Fifth Season Breeders’ Cup S., Essex H., and back-to-back Razorback Handicaps. He also
placed second in the Grade 1 Oaklawn H. Both Clever Trevor and Mr Ross were sired by the unraced Seattle Slew stallion Slewacide, also the sire of Tess Von Hemel’s OTTB, on whom she has won “a lot” of blue ribbons. “Slewacide’s been a great horse to me. He keeps giving! He just keeps giving.” That “giving” has continued through the second generation, as Slewacide is the broodmare sire of McNeill’s and Cheyenne Stables’ Caleb’s Posse, winner of the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile-G1, Foxwoods King’s Bishop S.-G1, Amsterdam S.-G2, and Ohio Derby-G2 for Von Hemel, who also trained the colt’s first two dams for McNeill. Caleb’s Posse lost out, by a tally of 114 to 111, to Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom for end-ofseason three-year-old male championship honors. He chipped a bone in a knee while running second to Preakness winner Shackleford by a nose, three lengths in front of multiple Grade 1 winner To Honor and Serve, in this year’s Metropolitan Mile-G1 and was retired to Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky, for the 2013 breeding season.
“Strangely enough, when we decided Caleb was going to retire, it wasn’t a big letdown or anything. It was, ‘Man, it was so great to have a horse like that’”
“Strangely enough, when we decided Caleb was going to retire, it wasn’t a big letdown or anything. It was, ‘Man, it was so great to have a horse like that,’ so it really wasn’t as devastating as you might imagine,” Von Hemel says. “I think it was probably about a month later I was looking for something on the internet and one of his replays came up, and I did get a little choked up then, just watching him run, you know?” McNeill was inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame in September (preceded by Von Hemel’s induction in 2011). During the ceremony, “They were showing some replays of Clever Trevor and Mr Ross and Caleb’s Posse, and you know, you’re kind of wiping your eyes, trying not to get emotional,” Von Hemel admits. “I think with the passage of time it does become more special and more emotional, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s just I’m getting older. I’ve been amazed. Eleven months later, I still have people coming up and wanting to shake my hand for [Caleb’s Posse’s] Breeders’ Cup race, so it’s a pretty special deal.” Another horse to evoke strong emotion for Von Hemel is Thunderhead Farms’ Mariah’s Storm, who his father also trained at various points of her career. The Rahy filly sustained a condylar fracture in the October, 1993, Alcibiades S.-G1 at Keeneland. “She was the real thing,” Donnie says. “We didn’t know if she was going to make it or not, as far as that knee was in pieces.” Recuperating at Keeneland and then at Von Hemel’s farm in Oklahoma once she was well enough to travel, she was back in the starting gate by July of her three-year-old year, winning the Grade 3 Ak-Sar-Ben Oaks. “Horses with that kind of talent are just amazing.”
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PROFILE
Mariah’s Storm topped the 1996 Keeneland November sale at $2.6 million while carrying her first foal, by Storm Cat. “There’s a horse – Mariah’s Storm – that’s probably had as strong an impact on the breed as any horse we ever had,” Von Hemel points out. That foal turned out to be Giant’s Causeway, the 2000 Horse of the Year in Europe and a successful Kentuckybased sire. Among other stakes horses out of Mariah’s Storm is Freud, a leading sire in New York. The movie Dreamer is based on Mariah’s Storm’s story. Well…loosely. “They both were Clever Trevor won the Saint Paul Derby – Von Hemel’s first Graded stakes win – and the Arlington Classic
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“Most of my owners are breeders and they want to develop nice horses and prove their mares, so that’s what I enjoy. Developing young horses, that’s what I enjoy the most”
injured and they both ran in the Breeders’ Cup, those are about the only things, but they said ‘inspired by a true story,’ so we’ll go with that.” More importantly, Von Hemel continues, is that “Dreamer and Secretariat put racing in a good light and you could take the whole family to see them.” Pin Oak Stable’s Alternation is the stable’s leading runner this year, with a season record of 7-5-0-0 and wins in the Oaklawn H.-G2, Pimlico Special-G2, Razorback H.-G3, and two Listed events. Von Hemel had his eye on the Distorted Humor colt from when he saw him as a yearling at Pin Oak and again in his early training in South Carolina. “He was just so big and good looking, he was one you wanted,” he says. Alternation was being pointed towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic until a baffling last place finish in the Hawthorne Gold Cup-G2 on October 6th, an effort that will have made Von Hemel second-guess himself – the bane of a horse trainer’s existence – and question his preparation for the Hawthorne race. A disappointing loss “will affect how quick you can fall asleep,” he concedes. Von Hemel has been on the Pin Oak training roster for over 20 years, and it shows in his ability to recite their families off the top of his head. He trained Grade 1 winner See How She Runs and Bedanken, winner of four Grade 3 races, for Josephine Abercrombie’s nursery. “Two gray fillies came in at the same time at Lone Star that summer [of 2001], and both acted like they had talent right away. See How She Runs came up with a little chip in an ankle and we had to stop, so we sent her home and
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DONNIE K. VON HEMEL Bedanken did real well till about the time See How She Runs came back. They were just kind of like a team, the two of them, back and forth, and they were very successful.” Each earned over $500,000. Stay in Dixie, a two-year-old Dixie Union colt out of See How She Runs, broke his maiden at Remington in his third start, scooting home 14¾ lengths clear of the runner-up for Pin Oak and Von Hemel in September. Another Pin Oak juvenile is Gold Medal Dancer, winner on closing day at Arlington Park in her debut and the subject of many of the compliments coming Von Hemel’s way this morning. He looks in on the attractive, scopey bay daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who already looks like a three-year-old. “You’d buy her at the yearling sale, wouldn’t you? I’m excited about what she can do next year, with two turns. And that’s one of the great things about training for Mrs. Abercrombie, is that there’s not that pressure to perform right away or push one more than you need to. I’m good with having a nice three-year-old and so are they.” Abercrombie is one of the owners who have pledged to race their current crop of two-yearolds without race-day furosemide and adjunct bleeder medications, meaning that Gold Medal Dancer and Stay in Dixie have raced drug-free. “I’m probably good with whatever the rules are,” Von Hemel says, “just that those are the
Graded stakes winners trained by donnie k. Von Hemel Grade 1 winners *Caleb’s Posse
McNeill Stables LLC & Cheyenne Stables LLC *Clever Trevor Don C. McNeill See How She Runs Pin Oak Stable Grade 2 winners *Alternation Pin Oak Stable *Bien Nicole Kristine and John Richter Evansville Slew R.L. Sanford *Going Ballistic Kindred Thoroughbreds LLC Mariah’s Storm Thunderhead Farms Grade 3 winners Bedanken Pin Oak Stable Brownie Points Pin Oak Stable Euphony Pin Oak Stable *Mr Ross Don C. McNeill Peach Brew Robert H. Zoellner She’s All In Robert H. Zoellner Slew o Mink Bad Boy Racing LLC Zeeruler J. & J. Racing Stable Inc. * millionaire
rules and that everybody has to follow them.” Donnie K. Von Hemel is more of a realistic goal-setter than he is a dreamer, contrary to the title of the Mariah’s Storm film. “Of course, dreams are the Kentucky Derby and things of that sort. I think my goals are: I’ve always wanted to train a champion and a Breeders’ Cup winner, so we were able to do that last year, and were really close to getting a champion. “I think those are goals you can set and have a chance of achieving. And then with the Derby, it’s just so many variables; if you do it it’s great but it’s not going to be a problem if it never happens. We’ve had good fortune that wherever we’ve raced, we’ve been able to race at the top level. Most of my owners are breeders and they want to develop nice horses and prove their mares, so that’s what I enjoy. Developing young horses, that’s what I enjoy the most.” In the stakes barn at Hawthorne after training hours, Von Hemel watches a neighboring trainer’s kittens playfully scramble around, attacking invisible targets. “We’re pretty low key. We just try and let our horses do the talking.” A few feet away, Alternation silently pokes his muzzle out of a front window, while Gold Medal Dancer is trying to master the art of eating a peppermint. They save their talking for the racetrack. n
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RACING
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NUTRITION
TO BEET OR NOT TO BEET? Will beetroot become part of the racehorse’s diet? 24 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
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BEETROOT
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NUTRITION
B
ROWSING the supermarket shelves today you may have noticed that beetroot can now be found in the juice section – it has become very popular in this form. A resurgence of interest in beetroot is largely due to new information available on its health benefits and some scientific research reporting a potential benefit for exercise performance. In the last two years, I have come across two trainers that have incorporated beetroot juice into their horses’ diets. In this article, I will outline the reputed beneficial effects of beetroot for human athletes and discuss its relevance for horses in training. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is a root vegetable from the same family as sugar beet, the latter of which is commonly used in equine diets. Beetroot is commonly grown in North and South America and grows well in the United Kingdom. The nutritional profile of beetroot is
TABLE 1: NuTriTioNAL chArAcTErisTics of BEETrooT Nutritional Analysis
‘As fed’
Dry matter
Dry Matter
12.4%
100%
2.1
17%
0.19%
1.5%
Crude Fiber
1.1%
8.9%
Ash
1.4%
11.6%
<0.4%
~3%
1.5MJ/kg
12MJ/kg
Protein Oil
Sugars Estimated Energy (DE)
*Source of analysis Independent Equine Nutrition, Newmarket, UK
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Beetroot is regarded by many as an acquired taste, but despite this it has featured in our own diet for centuries in many different forms. We eat beetroot in salads, chutney and of course as the cold soup, borscht. In the Middle Ages, beetroot was recommended for the treatment of a variety of conditions, especially relating to the digestive tract and the blood. WORDS: CatheRine Dunnett BSC, PhD, R.nutR PhOtOS: ShutteRStOCK.COM
good and includes a relatively high protein and fiber content, coupled with low oil; starch and sugar (see Table 1). Characterized by an intense red color, beetroot contains a number of antioxidant pigments including polyphenols, such as resveretrol and quercetin. The main red pigment in beetroot is known to be betanin, a
glucoside that is used as a natural food coloring agent. Betanin is also recognized as a natural antioxidant, which may in itself bring health benefits. However, when beetroot is eaten in significant amounts, this red pigment can lead to a pink coloring of both urine and feces in people, although whether this phenomenon (known as beeturia) occurs in horses is currently unknown. By far the most interesting and potentially exciting effect of beetroot lies in its naturally high nitrate content. Nitrates (NO3) belongs to a family of compounds that contain nitrogen and oxygen. They are found in varying amounts in plants and vegetables and certain vegetables such as beetroot are regarded as being a very rich source, while others such as carrots only have a moderate to low level (Table 2). Researchers have suggested that the health benefits attributed to a high vegetablecontaining diet in people may actually be largely due to a parallel increase in nitrate intake. Specific research on beetroot has reported a beneficial effect on blood pressure and also on exercise tolerance. In people, the nitrate from beetroot is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine into the blood. A proportion of this circulating nitrate is then concentrated in the salivary glands. Once in saliva, the nitrate is broken down by bacteria in the mouth to form nitrite. Nitrite is then absorbed, or broken down further to nitric oxide once in contact with stomach acids. Absorbed nitrite then can also be broken down to nitric oxide in the circulation following the consumption of beetroot. Nitric oxide has a wide range of physiological effects within the body, but specifically is believed to bring about a reduction in blood pressure, as nitric oxide opens up or dilates blood vessels allowing blood to flow more easily. Consuming beetroot immediately before exercise or supplementing chronically for 3-15 days in humans has also been reported to improve the economy of sub-maximal exercise by allowing energy to be generated more efficiently with less oxygen used (~10% less). Run time to fatigue during
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NUTRITION TABLE 2: LEVEL of NiTrATE from A VAriETy of VEgETABLE sourcEs Nitrate
content ( per kg fresh vegetable)
2500 mg/kg
Beetroot and beetroot juice, celery, lettuce, rocket, spinach
feed Nitrate Level (No3)
1000-2500 mg/kg
Chinese cabbage, celeriac, endive, leek, parsley, kohlrabi,
Alfalfa Dehydrated Chop
2040
Alfalfa hay
1496
Very High High Moderate Low
common Vegetables
TABLE 3: TypicAL NiTrATE coNcENTrATioNs iN commoN fEEDs & forAgEs for horsEs
500-1000 mg/kg
Cabbage, dill, turnips, carrot juice
200-500 mg/kg
Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, pumpkin
Very low
<200 mg/kg
Asparagus, artichoke, broad beans, green beans, peas, capsicum, tomato, watermelon, sweet potato, potato, garlic, onion, eggplants, mushroom
*Data from Australian Institute for Sport publication
maximal exercise has also been improved in humans by 15-20% following beetroot supplementation. There has not been any research on the effects of beetroot in horses, but clearly if these findings were repeated, beetroot may well be a beneficial addition to horses’ diets. However, the story is not so straightforward and simple, as there are major differences in both the diet between humans and horses and also in the structure and function of their respective digestive tracts, which will influence the outcome. Firstly, as herbivores, a horse’s intake of nitrate from its diet is potentially much higher than that of a human. Typically an average diet in people will deliver 60-120mg of nitrate per day. The published improvement in exercise capacity was delivered following an acute intake of a concentrated beetroot shot of 70120mls providing about 300mg of nitrate about 2-2.5 hours before exercise. The nitrate content of typical ingredients that feature in the diet of a horse in training is shown in Table 3. It can immediately be seen that some components such as alfalfa have comparably high nitrate content. Given that
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horses in training may be consuming 5-8kg of forage per day, their nitrate intake compared to people may be much higher. However, at this stage we have no idea what the optimum intake of nitrate is for a horse given its greater bodyweight, blood volume, etc., and some species specific research would certainly be needed before any conclusions are drawn.
Nitrate overload Some serious words of caution are also needed to dampen our enthusiasm for nitrates, as this is a classic case of more is not always better. Excessive intake of nitrate can lead to a very high circulating level of nitrite, which can induce toxic effects such as methemoglobinemia. In this toxic state, the high nitrite oxidizes the iron that forms part of the hemoglobin molecule in blood to form methemoglobin, which is unable to carry oxygen. This is a clear disadvantage to horses in training. It is the bacteria that reside within the digestive tract that mediate the conversion of dietary nitrate to nitrite. In humans, babies are more susceptible to methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) and adults are not normally at risk except
Approx. No3 mg/kg As fed
Soaked sugar beet (x 6 with water)
540
Oats
40
Maize
20
Soybean oil meal
4
Adapted from Guyer and Flowerday
where nitrate intake is exceptionally high. In contrast, ruminants and horses have a well developed fermentation chamber with bacteria capable of converting nitrate to nitrite. Horses, however, have a lower risk of nitrate intoxication than ruminants, as the conversion of nitrate to nitrite is reportedly lower (25%) and the hindgut is anatomically located after the main site of nitrate absorption (stomach and small intestine). Care should be taken to avoid cereals or forage that has been very heavily dressed with nitrogenous fertilizers. Some weeds such as Johnson grass, pigweeds, Jimson weed, Fireweed, and lamb’s quarter can accumulate nitrates and the level is also affected by environment including weather. Despite these potential negative issues, establishing the optimal nitrate intake for horses in training is an exciting challenge but one that requires a significant level of fundamental research. Beetroot may yet offer a new and exciting feed ingredient for horses in training and I will certainly be looking out for the beetroot story in humans to unfold in order to assess its potential application for horses. n
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PROFILE
Gary and Mary West with jockey Patrick Valenzuela
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GARY WEST
GARY WEST
The self-made billionaire bitten by the racing bug Gary West’s first job as a teenager was as a pinsetter at an old bowling alley in Iowa. He has been rolling strikes ever since. West, a Thoroughbred owner for 32 years, has settled into a life of philanthropy in posh Rancho Santa Fe, California, with his wife Mary, after becoming a self-made billionaire in telecommunications, but he has not forgotten his humble roots. WORDS: Steve Schuelein PhOtOS: hORSePhOtOS.cOM, BenOit PhOtO
“D
AD owned a four-lane bowling alley above a Chevrolet dealership before there were automatic pinsetters,” recalled West recently of growing up in Harlan, Iowa, a farming community of 4,000 people. “I sent the ball back and had to have the pins set up again and get back up on my perch before the bowler threw the next ball,” said West, now 66. “I thought, ‘There has got to be a better way to make money than this.’” During that time, West’s father also introduced his son to Thoroughbred racing at Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, Nebraska, about 50 miles away. West was smitten with the sport since he was 15. A few years later West was swept off his feet at a dance in Omaha by Mary, his wife of 44
years and partner in business and racing ownership. The pair rose to the status of telecommunications giants in Omaha. “We opened a business together and have worked professionally as a team since 1979 until we sold a controlling interest in 2006,” said West of a journey that began with the opening of WATS Telemarketing and later West Corporation in 1986. West Corporation became one of the largest customer relationship management providers in the world and pioneered the concept of audio-video conferencing. “We do all the connections on the line and I’m also proud that we handle about 90 per cent of 911 emergency calls to the entire country,” said West. “The business changed from people intensive to more computeroriented transaction processing.” In 2006, the couple sold the company for
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PROFILE
Casino Host (above) books his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with victory in the Del Mar Handicap. Mongoose (left) was West’s first Grade 1 winner in the Donn Handicap. Ben Glass (below) was West’s first trainer and is now racing manager and bloodstock advisor
$1.6 billion while retaining a 20 percent ownership. “The company has 35,000 employees and does $2.8 billion a year in revenue,” said West, who hit the Forbes 400 list the year of the sale. The couple’s skyrocketing wealth worked out nicely with building a strong stable that also began modestly. “My wife
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and I claimed our first horse in 1980 and had a lot of beginner’s luck,” said West. “We claimed Joe Blow for $13,500. “He won about 20 races – [mostly] in Nebraska – started around 120 times, raced until he was 9 or so, earned $150,000, and nobody ever claimed him,” said West of the gelding.
“If somebody gave me $10 million, I don’t think I could do it again,” said West of his stroke of good luck. He joked about thinking how easy this game was, only to learn differently over the next three decades. The Wests’ first trainer was Ben Glass, who to this day plays a vital role in the stable. After he retired from training, Glass was retained as
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GARY WEST racing manager and bloodstock advisor from his home in Fremont, Nebraska. “The bug bit us, and as our income increased, we bought more and better horses,” explained West. “Mary doesn’t get involved in buying or day-to-day operations, but she loves the sport and enjoys the high-profile races.” The couple hit the big time with one of the biggest upsets in a major stakes in modern times: Rockamundo winning the 1993 Arkansas Derby-G2 at odds of 108-to-1 for Glass and jockey Calvin Borel. “Biggest price ever in the Arkansas Derby,” said West. “I had a real adrenalin rush. That probably hooked me for life.” The Wests were on the Triple Crown trail again in 2001 with Dollar Bill, who ran in all three legs, was stakes-placed nine times in Grade 1 and 2 races and earned $1,225,546. “He was a hard-trying hard-luck horse,” said West of the colt so popular that he warranted his own website. “He was a deep closer and had traffic problems, including in the Kentucky Derby (finishing 15th).” The couple’s luck improved in 2002 with their first Grade 1 winners: Mongoose in the Donn Handicap-G1 and Buddha in the Wood Memorial Stakes-G1. Another pair of major stakes winners followed in 2005: High Limit in the Louisiana Derby-G2 and Mass Media in the Forego StakesG1. Casino Host emerged as one of the stars of the stable this year with a victory on August 25 in the Del Mar HandicapG2, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup TurfG1 at Santa Anita Park on November 3. The four-yearold colt was transferred to the Southern California barn of Ron Ellis this summer after competing in the East in several major turf stakes, including a victory in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap-G2 at Fair Grounds in April. “I live on the West Coast and wanted to see him run but I also thought the competition was easier here,” said West of the switch. “The West Coast long-distance turf horses looked a bit easier than those on the East Coast. It turned out to be a good decision.”
“The West Coast long-distance turf horses looked a bit easier than those on the East Coast. It turned out to be a good decision”
Mass Media: winner of the Forego Stakes for West in 2005
West plans to accept his Breeders’ Cup invitation but expects tough competition. “If the horse is healthy on race day, it’s a free opportunity to race for $3 million,” said West. “I’m realistic and pragmatic. The Europeans have historically been better (on turf). But it’s certainly worth taking a shot.” Casino Host was joined as a Breeders’ Cup invitee for the Wests by Power Broker, who powered into prominence nationally in the two-year-old division with a 6½-length victory in the FrontRunner S.-G1 at Santa Anita on September 29. The FrontRunner was a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-G1. The colt vindicated trainer Bob Baffert, who predicted he would improve dramatically on the dirt surface at Santa Anita after losses in his first three starts at Del Mar on the synthetic. The Wests own 82 horses in training, scattered across the continent with trainers Ellis, Baffert, Chad Brown, Wayne Catalano, Bret Calhoun, and Mark Casse. In addition, the couple stands Mass Media at Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida, and boards 17 broodmares at Dell Ridge Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. They also own 14 weanlings and regularly attend the Keeneland September sale, at which they generally buy 25 to 35 yearlings. The Wests had spent part of the year in Rancho Santa Fe since 1992 and moved full-time
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RACING West leads back Buddha, with Pat Day in the saddle, after victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes
in 2006. “There were two criteria,” explained West of the decision. “The weather is pretty nice and we wanted to be close to first-class racing. Del Mar is four miles away.” In 2006 the Wests also established the Gary and Mary West Foundation in Carlsbad, California, which West said has three main purposes: (1) to help elderly poor people; (2) to help disadvantaged youth not going to college; and (3) workforce development. “I went from a hardcore capitalist concerned about making money to becoming a good philanthropist trying to give money away in the best way to help the country,” quipped West. The main thrust in that philosophy was the creation of the West Health Institute in La Jolla, California. “The Foundation is the mothership of financing other philanthropic endeavors,” said West of the health institute. “The institute is a medical research organization whose sole purpose is to lower the cost of healthcare,” said West. “I hired more than 100 people to think of new innovative ways to lower the cost of healthcare without reducing the quality of care that patients are receiving. “We’re philanthropic investors,” said West. The project requires long hours and frequent trips to Washington, D.C., where he opened the West Health Policy Center in January to further scrutinize issues and bring together industry, legislative, and regulatory leaders. “I’ve always been a workaholic and have got
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“People making these decisions are going to destroy racing as we know it today. I believe not allowing use of Lasix on race day is animal cruelty.”
a really full plate,” said West, ever guided by independent thought, clear vision, and firm convictions. “I still work 100 hours a week.” West nevertheless finds time to follow racing passionately and harbors strong feelings in defense of the use of Salix (also known as Lasix). “People making these decisions are going to destroy racing as we know it today,” said West of the movement to ban the anti-bleeder medication. “I believe not allowing use of Lasix on race day is animal cruelty. “People should think of it as intentionally waterboarding horses in their own blood,” continued West, who contended that every instance of bleeding causes pulmonary damage. “If you’re an animal lover, why would you allow that done to a racehorse? “There is no book of evidence that Lasix is performance-enhancing,” continued West in his argument. “If this new rule is put in, the number of starts per horse will go down markedly,” predicted West. “It’s hard to make money now as an owner, and this will make it almost impossible and drive a lot of owners out of the game. Anybody who doesn’t believe that’s true is delusional in their thinking. “There is a real chance that if the banningLasix-on-raceday movement goes ahead, I’ll sell every horse I have and literally walk away from the game,” cautioned West. “And I love the game.” n
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VETERINARY
Preventing Laminitis with cryotherapy
How cold will you go?
R
UMOUR has it that healthy, fit Thoroughbred racehorses never develop laminitis… Apparently, someone forgot to tell this to the horses. “No horse, no matter how valuable or well cared for, is immune to laminitis. Standardbred stallion Artsplace and his sire Abercrombie, along with Thoroughbred champion Sunday Silence and American Quarter Horse stallion This Snow Royal, are just a few legendary horses whose lives were cut short by laminitis. Although these are some of the more well known horses, many more horses ranging from athletes to breeding stock to pets and companions have been afflicted by and lost the battle with this dreaded disease.” Rustin Moore, a veterinary surgeon and chair of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, shared the above in an article he authored for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in 2009 called, “Vision 20/20 – Conquer Laminitis by 2020.” Moore, together with a multitude of veterinarians and horse people, is dedicated to raising awareness of laminitis and finding a cure for the disease. Multiple other famous racehorses, like Secretariat, have also been victims of laminitis; however, one racehorse really stands out in the list. “Barbaro opened the publ ic’s eyes about the importance of laminitis in horses and exemplified how devastating, and sometimes untreatable, this disease can be,” adds James Orsini, Associate Professor of Surgery, Director
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Racing Thoroughbreds can and do develop severe laminitis. Preventative cold therapy (cryotherapy) can help minimize the pain, suffering, and loss of such horses. WORDS: STACEY OKE, DVM, Msc PHOTOS: MOLLY HIGGINS, HORSEPHOTOS.COM
of the International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot and the Laminitis Institute at Penn Vet. Although Barbaro developed laminitis while recovering from a severe injury in one of his hindlimbs (called a support or contralimb laminitis), Orsini says, “Laminitis of the same severity can and does occur in racing Thoroughbreds more commonly than realized by the general public. On average 10-13% of horses are affected with laminitis and, annually, another 2% of new cases are added to the total.” In one study, Orisini and colleagues found that almost half (42%) of the 591 horses treated for laminitis at the New Bolton Center in Maryland between 2000 and 2009 were Thoroughbreds and 31.3% of the 591 horses were racehorses.
“Many more horses ranging from athletes, to breeding stock, to pets and companions have been afflicted by and lost the battle with this dreaded disease”
“One notable finding of that study for Thoroughbred owners and trainers was that racehorses – Thoroughbred racehorses in particular – had a higher risk of either dying or being euthanized than any of the other horses,” explains Orsini. Carol Clark, an internal medicine clinician at Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida, adds: “Perhaps one reason that people think Thoroughbred racehorses don’t develop laminitis is because sick or lame horses [which can develop laminitis] are shipped off the track before severe laminitis develops.” Treating laminitis, regardless of the drugs, shoeing, and supportive therapy, has proven again and again to be fraught with misery. As an alternative, researchers began looking at ways to prevent the disease. And to do this, they ignored all the fancy fads and went back to the basics: cold therapy (also known as therapeutic hypothermia or cryotherapy).
Cryotherapy for preventing laminitis There are a multitude of factors that can predispose horses to laminitis. Knowing these risk factors, according to Clark, is an important step in prevention. Cryotherapy – which is different than the “cryoing” used to treat splints or curbs – is one method that, when applied properly, appears to effectively limit the development of laminitis.
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LAMINITIS AND CRYOTHERAPY
Applying cold to the lower aspect of the leg where there is little muscle or soft tissues will, in theory, cool the blood flowing to the foot, causing the metabolism in the lamellae in the hoof to be reduced, therefore decreasing inflammation and the amount of blood reaching the lamellae. Right and below right: diagram showing acute laminitis and laminitis rotation (below)
“Cryotherapy should be considered for any horse that is ill or has a fever, before any signs of laminitis begin to develop,” recommends Clark. Orsini concurs and adds, “Continuous cryotherapy is an evidence-based treatment that when instituted early and until resolution of the primary disease, is an effective preventative for laminitis. This technique is used all the time in horses identified as at-risk for laminitis.” What exactly does cryotherapy entail? Two or three full days of constant cold applied to the lower aspect of the horse’s limbs. The theory is that applying cold to the lower aspect of the leg where Thoroughbreds have little muscle or soft tissues will cool the blood flowing to the foot. In turn, the metabolism in the lamellae in the hoof (the sensitive tissue of the foot that essentially hold the coffin bone to the hoof wall) will be reduced, inflammation and pain is decreased, and the blood vessels will constrict, thereby decreasing the amount of blood reaching the lamellae. What’s the catch? The current statistics show that for cryotherapy to be effective in horses at
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VETERINARY
James Orsini: Associate Professor of Surgery at PennVet
risk for laminitis, the horse needs to have continuous cryotherapy applied to the entire distal limb (from the mid-cannon bone down) for approximately 48-72 hours and the water needs to be maintained at 34°F throughout that period to reduce the internal hoof temperature sufficiently. Clearly, this poses an issue for managing horses at the track. Luckily, according to Clark, there are options that make cryotherapy a viable option.
Applying cryotherapy in the racetrack setting Clark routinely uses cryotherapy on her patients, including racing Thoroughbreds, and has used it for at least the past five to seven years. She says, “The use of cryotherapy is not new, and it has been the standard of care for us for a while now.”
“Orisini and colleagues found that almost half (42%) of the 591 horses treated for laminitis at the New Bolton Center between 2000 and 2009 were Thoroughbreds and 31.3% of the 591 horses were racehorses” In Clark’s hands, all horses with any risk factor indicative of impending laminitis are immediately administered cryotherapy. “We poke holes in the bottom of 5-liter fluid bags, have the horses step into the bags, fill the bags with ice, and duct tape the bags to the horse’s legs,” explains Clark. “The holes allow the water from the melted ice to drain, and the ice can be refreshed as needed.” There are actually several other ways currently available to induce hypothermia in an attempt to prevent laminitis. Commercial cold gel wraps, cold cuffs, cold water baths, and products that are like a wading boot for horses can all be used to cool a horse’s limb, but which is the best option? The research team of Jonathan Cheetham, VetMB, PhD, Dipl. ACVS at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine published a study in June 2012 that compared three
CAUSES OF LAMINITIS IN THOROUGHBREDS Exactly how the sensitive tissues of the foot ultimately become inflamed and what factors contribute to the severity of the disease aren’t known, which makes preventing and treating laminitis challenging and, in some cases, impossible. Veterinarians do know that there is a long and varied list of situations or diseases that put horses at risk for laminitis. Due to the fact that many racehorses are primped, preened, babied, and basically have every step they make monitored at all times, many of the items on the “laminitis list” are not applicable (e.g., contact with black walnut shavings, metritis [inflammation/infection of the uterus], obesity). But again, that does not mean that racehorses are immune to laminitis. There are still several events on the list of laminitis risk factors (indicated by *) that even the most well-managed Thoroughbred cannot completely avoid. Colic, for example, is one condition that is totally unpredictable and no horse is ever completely safe from. Laminitis – the risk factors Events that contribute to the development of
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laminitis can be broken up into three main categories: 1.Inflammatory/gastrointestinal events Colic* l Excessive grazing on lush pasture l Grain overload l Pleuropneumonia (shipping fever)* l Colitis (diarrhea)* l Metritis (infection/inflammation of the uterus – often postpartum) l Contact with black walnut shavings l
2.Metabolic/endocrine alterations Insulin resistance l Metabolic syndrome l Equine Cushing’s syndrome l Obesity l Glucocorticoid (steroid) administration* l
3.Traumatic events l Excessive weight bearing on one limb* l Excessive concussion (impact with the ground)*
different cooling techniques for the equine distal limb: commercial gel packs; simple 5-liter fluid bags that were filled with an ice slurry; and a vinyl wader boot that was filled with an ice slurry. The gel boot did not result in any substantial cooling of digits whereas both the ice bag and wader boot cooled the horses’ feet. Both techniques reduced the temperature in the feet to approximately 57°F. The researchers concluded that, like Clark recommends, “Cryotherapy by use of 5L fluid bags with ice slurry may be a readily available, practical, and efficient method for prevention of laminitis in horses.” It should be noted, however, that both the 5liter fluid bags and wader boots were replenished every hour during the study period. Nonetheless, Clark is adamant that “any ice is better than no ice,” and suggests that any form of cryotherapy would be advantageous on the track and can be achieved to some extent with minimal effort.
How low can you go? If someone slapped us in a 34ºF cold water bath – even under the guise of some sort of “therapy” – we simply could not handle that low of a temperature for even a few minutes, never mind 48-72 hours straight. In the studies conducted in horses so far, all of the tested horses proved themselves the superior species and tolerated cold therapy well, including those confined to the “box in the stocks” for three entire days. Exactly how cold can a horse’s foot get and a “target temperature” remain undetermined, but according to Orsini, some studies indicate that “horses’ feet can tolerate temperatures as low as 2-3°C, equaling 36-37°F without injury to the foot.” According to Andrew van Eps, BVSc, PhD, “The equine distal limb seems resilient to the effects of extreme continuous hypothermia. There are no reports in the literature of complications directly related to the clinical application of distal limb cryotherapy in horses,” and, “Cold-induced pain, observed in human patients when cryotherapy is applied at 41°F or less has not been noted in horse studies.”
The science supporting cryotherapy Much of the published research on cryotherapy for preventing laminitis has been conducted by a single pair of researchers from the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit in Queensland. Those researchers – van Eps and Chris Pollitt, BVSc, PhD – have actually conducted several studies over the past decade to evaluate the impact of cryotherapy on preventing laminitis in horses. Van Eps and Pollitt recently used a “laminitis model” that is known to reliably and consistently cause laminitis in horses to better study the impact of cryotherapy on laminitis. After establishing the model, which essentially gives the horses a grain overload, the
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LAMINITIS AND CRYOTHERAPY horses were divided into two groups: one group of horses underwent continuous cryotherapy while the second group was left untreated. The horses in the continuous cryotherapy group were placed standing in stocks in a wooden bath that submerged the horses’ distal (lower) limbs. The cold water was circulated constantly for 72 hours at a chilly 34°F. After the 72-hour confinement, horses that received cryotherapy were significantly less lame than the horses in the control group. Significantly more microscopic changes in the tissues of the feet (the lamellae) that occur during laminitis were found in the control group than the cryotherapy group. The results of that study, together with a numerous other studies in horses and other species, clearly support the use of cryotherapy when it is applied throughout the development period. “Prevention is clearly the best alternative in any horse at risk of laminitis due to either a life threatening illness or injury,” concedes Orsini.
Future directions in cryotherapy for racehorses The verdict is in, and veterinarians and researchers alike agree that cryotherapy is an invaluable tool in the prevention of laminitis. But, as pointed out by van Eps and Pollitt during a presentation at the 2006 AAEP annual convention, confining a horse to stocks and ensuring it remains standing for the entire treatment period would be “difficult to achieve in clinical cases.”
“BARBARO’S DISEASE”: SUPPORT LIMB LAMINITIS
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro developed support limb laminitis when recuperating from surgery for his fractured hind leg
As such, van Eps and Pollitt have been seeking alternatives to the water bath and stocks approach to cryotherapy that provide better temperature regulation than the currently available systems (e.g., ice packs, gel packs, etc.). Even Clark admits that her method, the “5-liter fluid bag technique,” does not reach the middle of the cannon bone and likely does not keep the feet at a consistently low temperature, but given the circumstances, is a reasonable and apparently important step in treating her patients until better options are available. Van Eps and Pollitt are currently striving to develop a system that permits horses to walk and lie down while providing continuous cryotherapy. In the meantime, it seems prudent to heed Clark’s advice and stick with the ice. n
Another time to let the powers that be whisper the word “laminitis” in your ear is when a racehorse is undergoing a surgical procedure, which is exactly what happened with Barbaro. “Any horse undergoing a surgical procedure of the limbs, such as repairing a fracture or treating an infection or other severe lameness problem, places these horses in the at-risk category for support (contralateral) limb laminitis,” says Orsini. Typically, support limb laminitis usually develops in horses that have some sort of cast to treat a severe injury/lameness resulting in more weight-bearing most of their weight on the opposite fore- or hindlimb. For example, Laurie Goodrich, a veterinary surgeon at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, reported that 14 of 113 (12%) horses that had casts following surgery developed supporting limb laminitis. Goodrich, who presented this data at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, added, “Support limb laminitis is a relatively common complication…” and that “Greater duration of casting and higher body weights increase the likelihood of developing this complication.” “Unilateral weight bearing increases the time that a single limb sustains constant weight, which places the foot at increased risk for support limb laminitis,” explains Orsini.
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PROFILE Rosie Homeister Jr. with her daughter Victoria Rose
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THE HOMEISTERS
RELATIVE VALUES
The Homeisters In the third week of January, 2011, trainer Rosemary Homeister’s 38-year-old daughter, jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr., was having a devil of time handling the positive result of a pregnancy test. She thought she couldn’t have children, and, at the time, her career couldn’t have been going any better. She’d won on five of her six mounts the week before at Tampa Bay Downs. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was having a great meet at the time.”
S
WORDS: BILL HELLER PHOTOS: HORSEPHOTOS.COM, LaRRy DEHaRT, FOUR FOOTED FOTOS
HE called trainer Eric Reed, a close friend and her biggest supporter. “She called me crying,” Reed said. “Her world was falling apart.” But unlike Mia Farrow, who whelped the spawn of Satan in Roman Polanski’s 1968 cult classic “Rosemary’s Baby,” Rosemary Jr. gave birth to an angel, Victoria Rose, on August 21, 2011. Victoria Rose just might become a third generation Homeister horsewoman. “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Reed said. “I bought her a little toy rocking horse for her birthday, and she’s already been on that horse.” She certainly has the pedigree. Her mom, who successfully returned to racing a little more than two months after Victoria’s birth, was the first female jockey to win an Eclipse Award and is racing’s second alltime leading female rider, behind Hall of Famer Julie Krone. Riding at Arlington Park for the first time this summer, she finished third in the jockey standings.
Victoria Rose’s father, Irwin Rosendo, who is no longer with Rosemary Jr., is also a jockey. Both of Rosemary Jr.’s parents were jockeys before turning to training. Her late dad won more than 500 races in the late ‘40s and ‘50s, but how Rosemary Sr. fell in love with horseracing remains a bit of a mystery. Her mom, Phyllis, was a registered nurse in Lyndhurst, a small town in northern New Jersey. Her dad, Frank Sangi, was a chemical engineer who worked in a pharmaceutical company. Rosemary Sr.’s lone sibling, an older brother named Frank, Jr., made a career in advertising. Yet Rosemary Sr. was riding horses by the time she was five years old. Then she began showing them. “To me, it’s just fate,” she said. “It’s just my destiny because there wasn’t one person I ever talked to at home who had anything to do with horses. My parents were the most wonderful people in the whole world, but where I come from, you don’t raise your children to go to the racetrack. You raise them to go to college.”
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PROFILE Rosemary Sr. complied, attending nearby Alphonsus College, where she got a degree in elementary education. “My mind wasn’t really on that, but I did it to please my parents,” she said. “Looking back, I’m glad I went. It taught me how to run my life, how to be organized in my business, and how to communicate with people.” But she still wanted to communicate with horses. The day after she graduated college, she and her dad drove to her Uncle Sam’s home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Uncle Sam was a racing fan. “He told me about Gulfstream,” Rosemary Sr. said. “My father and I, the next morning, we went to Gulfstream Park. We asked at the stable gate if anybody needed a hotwalker. Fortunately for me, Jimmy Croll’s assistant, Ovie Scurlock hired me.” Thus did she get to work with Mr. Prospector. “I still have his first win picture on my desk.” She said, “I’m in the picture as his hotwalker. Fortunately, working for Jimmy Croll, I got to work with very good horses and very good people.” Her plan for success? Observe and absorb everything she could, a trait her daughter picked up naturally. The following spring, she married Jimmy Homeister, a former jockey from Chicago who was 15 years older than her. “By the time I met him, he had quit riding because he came out of the Army too heavy,” Rosemary Sr. said. “I got him to start riding
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“My mom had a lot of patience. My father had patience, too. By watching them, it taught me to have patience. They’re babies when we’re riding them. We expect them to know everything and they don’t” Rosie Homeister Jr. again and he galloped horses for Jimmy Croll.” Rosemary Homeister Jr. was born July 5th, 1972. “That kind of stalled my career as a jockey,” Rosemary Sr. said. “We moved to a farm in Davie, Florida, and lived on that farm two years, then bought our own farm outside Fort Lauderdale. That’s where Rosie grew up. She learned how to walk and she learned how to ride. Of course, I put her on a horse as soon as
she could sit up. We bought her a little pony. We were immersed in horses, chickens, dogs, and cats. It was a great life.” Rosie’s mom and dad rode Quarter Horses at Pompano Park at night and Thoroughbreds at Calder Race Course during the day. Rosie saw it all. “She was with us all the time,” her mom said. “I gave riding lessons and she’d watch and watch. Just like me, how I learned. When it was time for her to start riding, she knew what to do. The first time I put her on a racehorse, she knew what to do.” So did her mom. She won her first race at Calder in the late ‘80s after surviving a foul claim by Don MacBeth. “He said I intimidated his horse at the top of the stretch,” she said. “They disallowed it. My horse paid $58. That was the highlight of my life. That was probably the biggest thrill of my life.” After only two years as a jockey she became a trainer. She had six horses racing at Calder this fall. Rosie Jr. has taken her place on the racetrack and continues piling up outstanding numbers, even as she develops a second career, one she will continue after she stops riding, as an independent consultant for Arbonne International, a health and wellness company. She has fond memories of growing up. “I remember a wonderful childhood,” she said. “Most kids wanted stuffed animals. We had the real thing. We were about two miles east of the Everglades, about 30 minutes from a grocery store. We were pretty far out there.” Her mom has told her that she was first put on a horse when she was six months old. She remembers getting on a 17-hand buckskin horse named Bucky and an Appaloosa pony named Hopalong Cassidy. She called them Yucky Buck and Hoppy. She began showing horses at the advanced age of four and was soon winning ribbons on a pony named Whisper. “I just loved the animals,” she said. “A horse is the most prestigious creature that God put on Earth. They have their own personalities. If you can learn how to read their body language, they speak to us through their ears, their body movement, their eyes. You can tell if they’re happy, if they’re scared, if they’re pissed off. I try to feel them underneath me. My mom always told me to love horses.” Rosie learned by observing her parents day after day. “I learned a lot just by watching them. My mom had a lot of patience. My father had patience, too. He was never rough with the horses’ mouths. By watching them, it taught me to have patience. They’re babies when we’re riding them. We expect them to know everything and they don’t.” Rosie may have inherited her mom’s work ethic. “To this day, she eats, sleeps and dreams horses and she keeps working,” Rosie said. “Work, work, work. She brought me up to be tough and independent.” But she never told Rosie to become a jockey. “In the back of my mind, I wanted her to be a
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THE HOMEISTERS
“I gave riding lessons and she’d watch and watch. Just like me, how I learned. When it was time for her to start riding, she knew what to do. The first time I put her on a racehorse, she knew what to do” Rosemary Homeister Sr. on Rosie jockey, but I never told her,” her mom said. “I told her to go to college, which she did.” Rosie began studying computer programming at Broward Community College. “I didn’t like it,” she said. “I couldn’t see myself sitting in an office all day. I quickly changed my career path. I was actually breaking yearlings at the same time I was going to college.” Rosie remembers the day she told her mom that she wanted to be a jockey: “She never pushed me, but the day I told her I wanted to be a jockey was probably the happiest day of her life.” Rosie’s success was instantaneous. She rode her first winner at Calder when she was 19 in 1972 and finished second in the balloting for the Eclipse Award for apprentice jockeys. When the winner, Venezuelan Jesus Bracho, was discovered to have falsified his papers, Rosie became the first female rider to win at Eclipse Award. Racing officials were going to mail her the award, but Rose’s mom would have not that, insisting she be presented the award at the
Rosemary Homeister Sr.’s daughter Rosie became the first female to win an Eclipse Award
1994 Eclipse Awards dinner. “My mother fought very hard for that,” Rosie said. More awards followed. In 2003, she became the first jockey to receive the Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award, presented to an athlete who “demonstrates courageous action in overcoming adversity to excel in sport.” She remains the only woman to win a riding title at Hialeah Park and also won a riding title at Calder. In 2004, she walked away from the game she
loved, intent on starting a family with her husband, jockey Jose Ferrer. “I had been married to Jose for 7½ years and we’d been together for 12 years,” she said. “I wanted to have a family. I got my real estate license. I was ready to settle down. I tried to get pregnant for a year and it didn’t happen.” She thought that meant it would never happen. She returned to racing, and eventually divorced Jose, though they continue to be friends.
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PROFILE
Since returning to the saddle after the birth of Victoria Rose, Rosie Homeister Jr. celebrated her 2,500th win, scored at Arlington
Rosie resumed winning races – lots of races, especially at Tampa Bay, where she connected with Eric Reed and his wife, Kay. “When I went to Tampa, four or five years ago, we started working together,” Reed said. “We started winning at a very high rate immediately, and it’s never really stopped. I think she’s as smart as anybody on the back of a horse. And she has great preparation. It’s second to none. She cares more about her horse. She keeps notes of every horse she rides. She keeps notes on every horse she works. She puts a lot more into it than anybody I’ve ever dealt with.” Rosie, though, was having a difficult time dealing with that positive pregnancy test. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I was very upset. I felt I was letting my agent down. I was letting racing down. I thought my career was over. I was crying every day. Men will never understand what the hormones will do to you, the roller coaster you go through.” She kept her pregnancy secret for 2½ weeks. “Finally, I decided I couldn’t ride anymore because I was nauseous all the time,” she said. “I finally told my agent, Steve Elzey.”
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His reaction stunned her. She thought he’d be angry. “His first word was, `Congratulations!’” Rosie said. “He has a son, Michael, he’s very close to. He said, `Don’t worry about it. This is the best thing you that will ever happen to you. You can come back to racing. Don’t worry.’” Obviously, she was concerned about her weight, which jumped from 112 to 162 when she gave birth. “And it was three weeks early,” she said. “Everything came together when I delivered. It was the most amazing thing when she was born and they put her on my belly. I understood the love between a mother and a child. It’s just incredible. It’s such a blessing of life.” But she didn’t want her life with horses to end. After Rosie and Victoria Rose got home from the hospital, the Reeds took them from Tampa to their Mercury Training Center in Lexington, Kentucky, so Rosie could get herself back into riding shape. Rosie named Eric as Victoria Rose’s godfather, then went to work. “We worked her hard,” Eric said. “She had a diet regime and exercise. Getting her back on the horses was the biggest factor. Once she got
back in the saddle, everything clicked. She hasn’t lost a thing. I told her that I’d see her back in the winner’s circle. I had no clue it was going to be in six weeks.” Rosie lost 50 pounds in a little more than two months. She returned to the races on November 9th, 2011, at Churchill Downs and finished fifth on Huxley Winner for Reed. The following day, she won on another Reed horse, Eden Star. This past summer, she moved her tack to Arlington Park. One of the reasons was that Arlington raced only four days a week, giving her more time to spend with her daughter. At Arlington, she recorded her 2,500th win and finished third in the jockey standings behind only Francisco Torres (100 wins) and James Graham (90). Rosie’s 67 winners were 10 more than Seth Martinez in fourth. She then began riding the current meeting at Hawthorne Race Course, and, following a three-week break to spend time with her daughter in December, plans to ride at Oaklawn Park. Winning races is just one reason for her mom to beam. “It’s been a thrill watching her ride and seeing her achieve everything she was able to achieve,” she said. “She’s a wonderful person. Everybody loves her and respects her. Now she has a beautiful daughter. She’s made me proud.” Maybe Victoria Rose will make Rosie just as proud. Maybe it will be on a racetrack. Maybe not. But Victoria Rose will never have to worry about having the love and support of her mother. “My most important thing in life is to support my daughter every moment of my life, to spend as much time as possible,” Rosie said. “Nothing to me is more important than her.” n
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RACING Seal is led in after winning the Mango Gold Vase at Greyville
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HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING
FLYING HIGH
Training horses at altitude
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HE consistency of Straight Set, one of Spies’ top two-year-olds, did his theory no harm. She raided the province of Kwazulu-Natal four times over a period of under three months. Two runs at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg, at an altitude of about 2,200 feet above sea level, brought a Grade 2 win and a Grade 1 second, both over 1200 meters, and two runs at Greyville in the coastal city of Durban brought seconds in Grade 1s over 1400m and 1600m. His other good two-year-old, War Horse, raided Greyville twice, three weeks apart, winning a Grade 1 over 1400m and sixth in a 1600m Grade 1. Spies is based at The Vaal training center, about an hour from Johannesburg, which lies at 5,750 feet above sea level. He said, “Traveling the other way (from the coast to high altitude) is a problem. But going from altitude to sea level is advantageous due to the increased oxygen content of the air. If the horses stay at the coast after their runs they tend to go flat. It would take about six weeks or two months for them to acclimatize and they would then begin to thrive. But taking them in and out is not a problem, so I ship them up and down to keep the positive effect of high altitude training.” A scientific study has never been done, so the impact of altitude on Thoroughbred performance remains a grey area. Methods used to take advantage of or adapt to altitude are largely theoretical and have been During a three-month period Straight Set won a Grade 2 and was placed second in a Grade 1 at 2,200 feet above sea level at Scottsville before finishing second twice in Grade 1s at the coastal track in Durban
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RACING
Corné Spies, a much-traveled racehorse trainer in South Africa, had a fine run with his best two-year-olds this past season. His methods in raiding sea level venues from his high altitude base brought theories behind altitude training and acclimatization to the fore, in the only major racing country where altitude is an issue. WORDS: DaviD ThiSELTOn PhOTOS: GOLDEn CiRCLE, LEOn SETaRO
discovered by trial and error over decades of practice. While a lot of common ground is found, there is also a degree of argument on virtually all aspects. Athletic performance in horses is, as in humans, interlinked with oxygen supply. Hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein within the red blood cell, carries oxygen to the body. The more hemoglobin present, the more oxygen can be carried. However, when the number of red blood cells is too large there is a traffic jam effect and blood flow is restricted. This is termed hemoconcentrating, and it’s chiefly associated with intact males. Gelding can help solve hemoconcentration, and long, slow work is apparently another relieving influence. Additives can provide raw material to create hemoglobin but the only thing that causes it to rise is exercise. Training
stresses the system, so bone marrow makes more hemoglobin. Scientific studies conducted on the impact of altitude in human athletes are unlikely to be of much use in horses due to their different makeups. For one, the spleen of a Thoroughbred holds approximately one-third of its total red blood cells, held in reserve until mobilized through exercise, stress, and excitement, so horses are physically more capable of adapting to high altitude than humans. There is a debate in literature as to which component of splenic blood is more important in the development of VO2 max (the volume of oxygen that can be consumed at maximum capacity of an athlete’s body during incremental exercise), reflecting physical fitness. Some evidence suggests that the overall increase in circulating blood volume is important in determining the elevation of aerobic performance, while other evidence suggests that the increase in circulating red cells and hematocrit (the volume percentage of red blood cells in blood), independent of volume, is more important. Horses have two types of red blood cells: rigid, and balloon-like. Horses with more
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HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING
balloon-like cells move blood into the muscles and the lungs more easily. On average, horses have 40% rigid and 60% fluid cells, so one with only 5% rigid cells would have a tremendous advantage. Geoff Woodruff, a five-time champion South African trainer, is well qualified to speak about the impact of altitude, having trained out of the coastal city of Cape Town as well as Johannesburg, having also campaigned extensively in Kwazulu-Natal. Looking at the production of hemoglobin from a practical point of view, Woodruff said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You tend to have to work them harder at altitude, in order to get a horse fitter it has to reach a stage where it is in oxygen debt. Incrementally, you will work the horse to reach this stage until it is fit enough to race, and at altitude horses need to be fitter to race because the oxygen content of the air is less.â&#x20AC;? It stands to reason that a horse trained at
Bambina Stripes won the SA Filles Classic for trainer Dennis Drier
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“I was told by a top trainer that the flat spot starts at the 19-day mark. Personally I have found that the horses will be flat between the 19th and 21st day” Gavin Van Zyl
Ex-jockey Gavin Van Zyl trains out of Summerveld
high altitude that will start going into oxygen debt at the two-furlong mark in Johannesburg might still be debt free by the furlong mark at sea level. Woodruff recalled that a champion he trained, Argentinian import El Picha, had a naturally low “blood count” (hemoglobin measurement). He had won seven races in Cape Town, including a Grade 3, by the time Woodruff moved to Johannesburg. Woodruff reckoned that in El Picha’s first three months in Johannesburg, his blood count improved “out of sight.” El Picha subsequently campaigned in Durban and finished a close third in the Grade 2 Greyville 1900 before winning South Africa’s most prestigious race, the Durban July, over 2200m. Unlike Spies’ method, Woodruff kept him in Durban, with a five-week gap between races. El Picha won Johannesburg’s most prestigious race, the Summer Cup, and ran second in the J&B Met at Cape Town before becoming the second horse in history to retain his Durban July crown. South African trainers have no doubt that horses raiding the coast from the Highveld (the portion of South Africa’s inland plateau
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that is between 4,000 and 6,000 feet) are at an advantage. Rhys van Wyk, a former top jockey, recalled a period when he was riding for Johannesburg trainer Dianne Stenger. “We raided Durban 21 times and won 19 times,” he said. It is generally accepted that horses campaigning at altitude need more long, slow work and less sharp, fast work. However, Dennis Drier, a many-times Kwazulu-Natal
“Some horses handle altitude and others don’t. I had a horse called Saintly Lady that won a Grade 1 in Johannesburg, but couldn’t win a B division race in Durban” Alistair Gordon
champion trainer, campaigned in Johannesburg with great success in the 2006/2007 season and hardly changed his training methods. “I never sprinted them further than 500 meters,” he said. “The only thing I did change was I cantered them further.” Drier had 12 winners during this two-month campaign. Another point of agreement is that coastal horses campaigning on the Highveld hit a flat spot roundabout three weeks after arriving. Drier said, “For the first three weeks of my campaign all of them ran to the form I expected. But they hit a slight dip at the threeweek mark. Some of them weren’t finishing their work and were a bit off their feed. But two weeks later they were back to normal again.” Gavin Van Zyl, a ex-jockey who has had tremendous success in his first few years as a trainer, is based at Summerveld in KwazuluNatal – about 22 miles from Durban – and runs a satellite yard out of Turffontein in Johannesburg. He said, “I was told by a top trainer that the flat spot starts at the 19-day mark. Personally I have found that the horses will be flat between the 19th and 21st day.” Woodruff is adamant that it takes three to six months for a horse to acclimatize in Johannesburg, unless the horse is a sprinter or sprint-miler. He cited a horse called Parade Prince, who had run eight times in Cape Town as a three-year-old in the 2008/2009 season without a win before arriving at his Johannesburg barn. He promptly won a 1450m maiden by four lengths, then took six months to find his feet before winning five races, all over a mile, in the next seven months. Sean Tarry, second on the South African National trainer’s log last season behind Mike de Kock, is based in Johannesburg with a satellite stable in Durban. He said, “When going up to the Highveld I’ve had some disappointments after 14 days up to three weeks, so I try and run them in the first week.”
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HIGH ALTITUDE TRAINING Tarry doesn’t alter his training methods between centers. He said, “I train them according to what they need and try and work to the horse’s weight.” Tarry said, regarding horses going from altitude to sea level, “I’ve found the horse will have an advantage up until at least five days of the travel, provided it traveled well.” Van Zyl also has his theories of going from the Highveld to the coast. This year he raided Durban with his former SA Derby winner, Seal, and won the Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville. Seal went back to the Highveld immediately after the race, returning three weeks later and running third in the country’s most prestigious staying race, the 3200m Ladbrokes Gold Cup. Summerveld-based Alistair Gordon, one of the longest standing trainers in South Africa, said, “Sprinters are better off and up to a mile you’ve got a chance. But there are no rules. Some horses handle altitude and others don’t. I had a horse called Saintly Lady that won a Grade 1 in Johannesburg, but couldn’t win a B division race in Durban. “I’ve also won races up to two miles on the Highveld. I remember the November Handicap (a Grade 1 over a mile) once being postponed for a week due to rain. The Durban horses had to stay up there and should have had no chance according to the theories, but still filled five of the first six places.” Woodruff pointed out that Summerveld, the biggest training center in South Africa, is at an altitude of over 2,250 feet. “It is already more than a third of the altitude of Johannesburg and from there a horse can get away with a run over any distance,” he said. “I remember David Payne finishing first, second, and third in the IGN Gold Bowl over 3200m at Turffontein in the 1980s. He took his most fancied couple, White Tie Affair and Sweet Secret, up for a preparation run over 1800m and left them up there. He raided with the outsider of the party, Golden Peak, from Summerveld. Golden Peak won (at odds of 25-1) beating White Tie Affair (evens) and Sweet Secret (20-1) into second and third.” That result might also have proved Woodruff’s theories on acclimatization in Johannesburg, which, as mentioned earlier, he figured took three to six months. Woodruff reckoned horses could need five to six weeks to recover merely from raiding the Scottsville course in Pietermaritzburg from Durban, even though the altitude in Pietermaritzburg is 2,200 feet. “Horses take quite a chemical shunt at altitude when raiding from the coast and need time to normalize.” This, coupled with the arduous journey of close to 930 miles and the time horses need to acclimatize, is one of the reasons that Cape
“Going from altitude to sea level is advantageous due to the increased oxygen content of the air. If the horses stay at the coast after their runs they tend to go flat” Corné Spies Town horses seldom campaign in Johannesburg. Hypoxic training, developed by Don Carmody and Dina Alborano, uses simulated high altitude conditions. An athletic trainer for 20 years with a background in mechanical engineering, Carmody built a gym for human athletes, with a chamber that replicated the oxygen level of Mount Everest’s base camp. Alborano – his wife and a five-kilometer Masters runner – subsequently improved from 23rd to second in the world, cutting a minute off her time in six months. The couple reckoned it should bring similar results for racehorses, considering the easy 1971 Kentucky Derby win of Canonero II, an outsider who had prepared for the race at relatively high altitude in Venezuela. They built climate-controlled horse stalls, with floor-to-ceiling kickboard, rubberized walls, a pure-air monitor, a power-failure ventilation system, and generator limiters that simulate high-altitude training. Australian Noel Daley, one of the top trainers in North American harness racing, bought the first one and began using hypoxic training for Broad Bahn’s preparation six weeks before the $1.7 million trotting classic, the Hambletonian, in 2011. The horse duly won the race. n
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RACING Working the fascia of the deep pectoral area, the horse enters a state of bliss and cooperation, lifting and holding her leg up for release
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STRUCTURAL INTERGRATION
FAST RECOVERY Three tips to get your horse back to racing with Structural Integration Three ways to improve recovery time Specialized equine bodywork called Structural Integration addresses these issues by reducing the cumulative physical and mental stress of intense training. The method brings about improved and efficient use of energy and drastically reduces the incidence of costly training and racing injuries. Even experienced trainers may not be aware of the important role gravity has in balancing the horse's body and how training stress and physical injuries can pull the horse's body out of gravitational alignment. When a horse starts becoming even a little unbalanced, slower, or weaker, it may be wise to look at that horse's body from a structural perspective. Fascia, the body's connective tissue, is the medium that surrounds each muscle, bone, and organ, holding everything in its correct position in the body. When a horse strains a muscle, the fascia tightens around the injured area like a splint to aid in healing. Over time the fascia may gradually shorten, tightening and adjusting to protect and accommodate the misalignments. A body out of alignment creates inefficiency and imbalances resulting in stiffness, discomfort and loss of energy. These translate to slower race times. When the horse's body is in less than optimal condition, fatigue and small injury imbalances compromise recovery time. Slower race times may often be traced to these physical inefficiencies that, over time, become locked in place.
Structural integration Structural Integration is scientifically validated
Racehorses are elite athletes who experience the same aches, pains, mental and physical fatigue, and stress-related injuries as human athletes. Though strong, racehorses are also delicate. It's challenging to keep them on uninterrupted training and racing schedules, free from injury, stress, and strain. WORDS AND PHOTOS: MONICA MCKENZIE
bodywork that reorganizes the horse's integral structure. Unlike massage which focuses on muscles, or chiropractic which works with nerves and bones, Structural Integration works on the protective layers of fascia to align and balance the body by lengthening and repositioning the fascia, which allows muscles to move more efficiently. A Structural Integration practitioner applies pressure and strokes to the body in a defined and specific manner, working the entire fascial system systematically from
“When a horse starts becoming even a little unbalanced, slower, or weaker, it may be wise to look at that horse's body from a structural perspective”
superficial tissue layers to deeper, intrinsic tissue.
Fascia’s role A curious part of anatomy, fascia is the fabric that holds the body together, gives shape and structure, and supports the body working within the bounds of gravity (as opposed to the popular belief that bones provide the body with structure). Fascia is so important that without it we would all collapse on the ground into a big pile of bones and tissue. Fascia weaves together the various parts and pieces of the anatomy and connects them into a continuous whole that surrounds and protects the muscles and literally every cell in the body. When connective tissue is healthy, it: l is pliable and elastic l allows muscles, tendons, and ligaments to shorten and lengthen with flexibility l lets muscles, tendons, and ligaments glide unimpeded by adhesion. When imbalances exist within the body, the health of the connective tissue is affected. Unhealthy connective tissue is thicker, harder, and much less resilient. It becomes dehydrated
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Above: Monica McKenzie, Structural Integration practitioner, working with Scarlet, a four-year-old Thoroughbred mare in California. Horses have a natural wisdom about what is good for them. They tend to be cooperative when what is involved is in their best interests. This horse is leaning her body weight into me, to assist with lengthening the fascia around the withers and scapula restoring freedom to the shoulder. Left: Horses often participate in re-patterning their nervous systems and reconnecting distant parts of their bodies. This mare shows how work with her shoulder helps open her neck, head and jaw.
and shortens, significantly affecting how the muscles and joints function. When restricted fascia is released and lengthened, the horse's body returns to optimal performance.
Equine athletes benefit Now that you have a basic understanding of fascia's role, function, and behavior, here's how
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Structural Integration delivers results in three primary areas.
Reducing Stress To fully understand how Structural Integration changes stress responses, we need to delve a little into the horse psyche. In the wild, physically compromised horses are at risk of
losing their lives to predators. Their bodies will compensate any way they can to avoid appearing vulnerable. This instinct is hardwired into their brains to keep mountain lions from singling them out as weak and eating them. When fascial restrictions and sore muscles produce pain and limitations in movement, everything in the horse's environment becomes threatening. As any experienced trainer knows, horses work hard to hide physical issues, making it hard to know how to help them get better. When they are brought back to balance and optimal functioning, horses experience a sense
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STRUCTURAL INTERGRATION of ease in their physical body that translates to a renewed confidence in the ability to deal with adverse situations. Such horses become more focused in their work, less distractible, and less likely to overreact to external stimuli; In other words, energy is not wasted.
Efficient Use of Energy Reducing stress automatically affects energy in a positive way. When restrictions in the fascia are resolved, muscles glide more easily and are able to work in sync for optimal locomotion. Less energy is used up in the exhausting effort to compensate for inefficiencies of movement. The burden of restriction is lifted and the body is supported by gravity rather than fighting against it. With freedom of movement and efficient use of energy, horses are less stressed from training and racing and recover faster from their physical exertion. Mucho Grande, a Thoroughbred, struggled to get his hind end underneath him and had a roached back. His hind legs tracked outside his front feet (a great feature in a racehorse) but didn't reach very far forward. After two sessions, the roached back was gone and he had gained four inches in his stride. After rebalancing his rib cage and barrel, he gained a couple more inches in his stride and movement became effortless. Before, minimal effort made him sweat. Now, harder work doesn't. Another way Structural Integration contributes to increased energy and faster recovery is by resolving restrictions in the rib cage. With this issue addressed, vital capacity is increased, more oxygen is made available to the tissues, and less lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Heart and respiratory rates return to normal quicker and the soreness and stiffness that comes from extreme exertion is significantly decreased.
Preventing Injuries
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Structural Integration can help resolve old injuries that could otherwise contribute to further compensations, injuries, and prolonged healing timeâ&#x20AC;?
"Injuries, unlike accidents, do not happen by chance. The science of injury prevention has demonstrated that injuries and the events leading up to injuries are not random. Injuries lead to death, disability, and financial loss." (Equine Injury Database Statistics and Resources, 2010) Although the contributing factors to injuries are vast and complicated, many can be prevented. Recovery time is limited to the normal course of athletic endeavor and not to the extended time required to heal from avoidable injury. A healthy fascial system is durable and elastic. Its prime function, supporting the body's internal structures, cannot be compromised if future injury is to be avoided. A horse working in balance with his innate potential is at much less risk. Structural Integration can help resolve old injuries that could otherwise contribute to further compensations, injuries, and prolonged healing time. Individual potential aside, improved performance and greater success in the racing industry is the result of influencing structure in an enduring way. Structural Integration can have a profound and long-lasting effect that precludes time lost to training and racing related injuries. What is every racehorse trainer's goal? To win races. More power, more speed and an effortless gallop are all things that Structural Integration works to achieve. With balance, flexibility, focus, and healthy fascia, horses can reach their innate potential, use available energy constructively, suffer less from stiffness, aches and pains, prevent avoidable injury, and recover quickly from the exertions of training and racing. All this adds up to healthy horses and a financially rewarding career. n
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BEHIND THE SCENES at the Breeders’ Cup 56 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
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BREEDERS’ CUP
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Those who have never seen how a racetrack turns purple with the presence of the Breeders’ Cup might wonder how a two-day race meeting can require a year-round staff. WORDS: K.t. DONOVAN PHOtOS: HORSEPHOtOS.COM, K.t. DONOVAN
HE Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships is a huge annual event, comparable to a combination of a boutique meeting needing all the same staffing and hustling of entries foreign and domestic, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, complete with security, television, and unpredictable weather. “This is not a two-day event. It starts with the Challenge races and ends with the Championships,” clarifies Senior Vice President of Entertainment and Media Peter Rotondo. Formerly with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Rotondo has worked on the Breeders’ Cup Championships since 2000, through the NTRA’s merger with Breeders’ Cup in 2003 and then exclusive to the Breeders’ Cup in 2006, overseeing its mainstream growth. Fewer than 20 full-time people plan and execute this international event. Here, some of them describe their roles. Dora Delgado has been with the Breeders’ Cup since 1983. She is the hub of the wheel, as Senior Vice President for Racing, Nominations, and On-site Operations. Horsemen’s relations, nominations, security, media, printed materials, ticketing, and logowear all are spokes emanating from Dora, who has three people on her staff. Dora: I’ve taken on more of a delegator role than I used to. I’ve worked every job in the racing department and nominations from bottom up. We have such a small staff that we’re lucky we have an extraordinarily good group of people who take pride in what they do and are task-oriented. The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series provides more opportunities for Breeders’ Cup-nominated runners. Dora: We’ve funded more than $500 million in purses and awards since 1984. Funding for the 2012 racing year has had nearly $3 million available in Challenge Stakes around the world and will have $26 million over the two-day World Championships. Dora is so involved with operations in Lexington the first part of the year that now Director of Racing Josh Christian, working for Dora since 2003, gives the horsemen most of the attention. Dora: Planning for the event, Josh goes out early in the year as I’m busy with nominations, and internationally that is supplemented by [President and CEO] Craig [Fravel] and [Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer] Bob [Elliston]. Josh makes sure that the contracts are in place,
signage, program ads – everything is in order for Challenge races, and we have 73 of them a year, 22 overseas. We track which Challenge race winners come to the Breeders’ Cup, we try to see what worked, which races were productive. Getting the first 8-10 horses is easy. It’s those that could finish 10-14 that is a lot harder, and Josh is very good at that. He lives and breathes it, knows pedigrees, visits sales. Josh: From March to May, I’m working on nominations, and going to two-year-old sales. Most of my traveling is from July to November. Between August and November I might be home 14 days! Last month I put a total of 52 miles on my truck. It’s all about relationships, and it’s important to be there for the horsemen. Dora: People don’t read the emails, tweets, letters, ads – we really need to talk to them and give that personal one-on-one focus. There has to be an exchange. Setting the 2013 Challenge schedule begins at the beginning of the year. We call tracks, and let them know what we can afford as far as funding and marketing, and this takes about three months. By Kentucky Derby we have the approvals, as we concentrate on post-Triple Crown, but internationally it overlaps.
“This is not a two-day event. It starts with the Challenge races and ends with the Championships” Peter Rotondo The Breeders’ Cup handles everything from licensing and insurance to seating and hotels. Gretchen Feld started as an intern in 1999 and worked in merchandise until 2007. She is now Horsemen’s Relations Manager and OnSite Operations. Gretchen: I organize participants’ hotels, and guarantee rooms for owner, trainer, jockey, and breeder of every horse entered. For Santa Anita, this is in five hotels, and the number of rooms per individual is per reasonable request. It’s a balancing act. I start taking reservations in June, and it picks up in July and is crazy by September [when NTRA’s Michelle Ravencraft assists]. Working closely with Gretchen is Senior Communications Consultant and Media Relations Jim Gluckson, who has worked every Breeders’ Cup except the first two. Jim: I oversee the publicity and media
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The engine room behind the Breeders’ Cup: Top left: Brandi Stoeckinger, Director of Ticketing and Horsemen’s Relations. Top: Fred Vickers, Director of Production. Far left: Josh Christian, Director of Racing. Left: Peter Rotondo, Senior Vice President of Entertainment and Media. Above: Barbara Webster, Nominations Manager. Below left: Gretchen Feld, Horsemen’s Relations Manager and On-Site Operations. Below: Peggy Gdova, Director of Corporate Partnerships
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BREEDERS’ CUP relations surrounding the event throughout the year, and at the event itself. Credentialing, getting media interested in attending and covering the event, and working with the host track for coverage by the media on site. Director of Corporate Partnerships Peggy Gdovka, who worked with Jim originally in marketing and communications out of the Lexington office, began while a student at University of Kentucky. Peggy: I started December 28, 1987! My role has changed a lot over the years. Dora and I have the history, being here so long, so now we oversee a lot of different components that we used to do ourselves. I work with Peter and Jim on film and photo archives, and on the souvenir magazine with one of our contracted partners, the Blood-Horse. Director of Production Fred Vickers runs the art department for both NTRA and the Breeders’ Cup, managing around 1,000 jobs a year. If Dora is the hub, Fred is the tire around the wheel, producing the tangible results of the work of almost every other department. Fred: As soon as the logo comes out in March, work begins on the track program, the Horseman’s Info Guide, stats book, and Bio Book. The New York office handles the branding program and then we can get started putting that into the printed materials. Jim: “The Best is Yet To Come,” this year’s theme, came from Conover Tuttle Pace and is on all printed materials. Peter arranged for NBC to broadcast Tony Bennett singing the song. Peter: Our branding program is a throwback to the old days of glamour. It’s minimalist, not cluttered on the printed materials. We want people to slow down from their busy lives, and take a day to stop and enjoy racing at a beautiful venue, and experience what the sport is all about. Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Heather Higgins brings in sponsors from the New York office. Heather: We’re trying to reach people who have the same upscale clientele, the same goals. I look for partnerships that can work across the board, with the tracks involved, and build beyond the Championships. Someone might be interested in expanding to another track, sponsoring a Challenge race, or supporting the Breeders’ Cup in other ways. Peggy: I handle the industry partners, like Keeneland, Equibase, Fasig-Tipton, where their focus is served by the Breeders’ Cup. Also our farm partners – Three Chimneys, Lane’s End, Coolmore/Ashford, WinStar. Heather: It depends on what the client wants to achieve, whether their key demographic is among the fans, the participants, the TV audience, or entertaining their own clients in a big way. We offer what standard sponsorships offer – signage, corporate hospitality programs, announcements – depending on their emphasis, and then we build packages.
“We have such a small staff that we’re lucky we have an extraordinarily good group of people who take pride in what they do and are task-oriented” Dora Delgado, Senior Vice President for Racing, Nominations, and On-site Operations Peter: We’ve been making deals locally with Westfield Malls to carry Breeders’ Cup promotions, which owns the mall next to Santa Anita, because there are about eight to ten of them in Southern California. We had Dodgers night with Chantal Sutherland throwing out the first pitch and they ran Breeders’ Cup ads on their big tote board. We have a partnership with L.A. Magazine, one of 45 partnerships that help promote the Breeders’ Cup. Heather: Some, like Mont Blanc, provide gifts for participating owners, while Lalique supplies the crystal trophies. John Deere welcomes the chance to educate potential customers who have gathered collectively in one spot about their product line by displaying equipment during the morning workout hours all week of the event. For them it’s about branding, and the Breeders’ Cup offers a great way to accomplish that in a very targeted way.
Fred: The best part is that I have great people to work with, from Gemma Parenti in Illinois as our graphic artist, to our contract printer in California Candie Chew and her assistant Darrin Munnerlyn, Peggy on the sponsor side, and ultimately Dora for racing and the layout. The hardest part is that on site there is a very quick turnaround of only two days. Brandi Stoeckinger is Director of Ticketing and Horsemen’s Relations. Brandi: We focus on art production for the first part of the year. Prices come out in April, so by May, we’re in sales mode. Nominations Manager Barbara Webster coordinates the receipt of payments as well as the administrative end. Barbara: It’s a lot of data entry, checking on payments, and phone calls from people asking questions. I send out letters to connections of newly retired horses for new nominations, and email international people. Dora: The Open Enrollment Program (an amnesty that allows non-nominated horses to enter at a serious discount) raised $1 million. We hit two-year-old sales hard! For nominations, I verify every catalog worldwide, send out stall cards, stickers, and check announcements in case a Breeders’ Cup-nominated horse wasn’t properly identified in the catalog. This is a year-round job because of when horses sell in each hemisphere. Josh: For two years I’ve been working on getting Southern Hemisphere nominations. Through [Gainesway’s] Antony Beck I met [South African bloodstock agent and stallion consultant] John Freeman, who got me to the right stallions. He came to the Breeders’ Cup with Gary Player and knew about the event and loves it, so that opened it up. The ball started rolling, and now we have 24-25 stallions from South Africa nominated. [Owner-breeder] Gaynor Rupert breeds globally and she’s very interested [in running in the Breeders’ Cup]. The quarantine has been an issue because of African Horse Sickness, and it’s a six month quarantine, but we’re working on that. Gretchen: From spring through fall, I work on hospitality for the Challenge races. I set up dining and the seats at the track for participants, so that keeps me busy for most of the year. For years, Dora has pushed for improvement on communication, particularly where it concerns the veterinary panel that she supervises. Dora: We are not a regulatory body. We can only advise and keep people aware of what we have observed all week and through pre-testing. But we all need to keep in communication. The communication and protocols we have pushed for and had in the past, and have used elsewhere since 2008, was absent in 2010, and following the Life At Ten episode, communication is much better between Churchill Downs track officials, Breeders’ Cup officials, and the Kentucky Racing Commission. Jim: One of the things the Breeders’ Cup does very well is to work all year long. There are many
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“I look for partnerships that can work across the board, with the tracks involved, and build beyond the Championships” Heather Higgins, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships things done early in the year so everything runs smoothly at the event, when so many have limited time with other projects and immediate issues. We begin projects early and see them come to fruition at the event. Fred: I work with Gretchen on foal and stallion nomination forms, and with Dora and Josh on stable and paddock passes. There are other printed materials that need to be set and printed out: post position draw invitations, entry forms, table topper cards for owners, party invitations. All the items that people don’t think about – Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge web banners, owner invitations and event brochures for “Win and You’re In” winners starting in May, charter flight e-cards for the horses, ticket folders – any print or art project with a logo. Peter: We have to wait for the Triple Crown to see where our marketing focus would be. Then we start to plan events. Some events are for horsemen, some for fans. There is a celebrity program, and starting in 2009 we have contracted with an entertainment agency to get celebs on the purple carpet, and then the coverage from E!, Access Hollywood, etc.
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Jim: My biggest challenge is to get more coverage than the previous year. During the event, Gretchen is in charge of on-site operations, although she reports to Dora. Gretchen: Basically, we move our Lexington and New York offices to the track and set up on location, so I have to make sure the mobile offices are up and running two weeks out. That includes everything from IT services to sanitation, furniture, and everything we need from our offices. I handle hospitality for the staff, set up the press center, make sure the notes team has everything it needs and the racing department is ready to go two weeks out. I handle all the needs and problems that come up during those two and a half weeks that I’m out there, and then I clean it all up afterward, which takes about four days. Dora: Another really key person in our organization is Todd Sparks. He is our VP of Information Technology and is basically a department of one that handles all of the BC infrastructure as far as network, phones, emails, custom software, etc. He handles all of our network setup at the event and basically makes sure that all things are working properly at all times. Jim: Working with Gretchen, I set up the postrace interview area after each of the races, handle the materials for the draw, and transportation to and from the hotels for the media. Sixteen countries will be represented in 2012 among the 800 credentialed media. The press box and auxiliary press box will accommodate 200 print reporters and photographers. Jim: To cover 165 horses, we have a notes team of 14 that puts out something on as many horses as possible all week. We also arrange for horsemen with several entries, or a high-profile horse, to have one time for media to ask them questions daily so they aren’t disturbed multiple times during their day. Jim oversees the Breeders’ Cup Bio Book and the Breeders’ Cup Statistics Book with Fred and Jennifer Hoyt. Fred: Dora and Jim update race info for the program and stats book, Josh updates the conditions pages, Gretchen makes changes for location and rules, Jen provides the bios with a writing team. I work with Jim Gluckson on coordinating it all, for the program and the stats and bio books, getting all the pieces put together for the right people to update. Dora: Brandi comes under Bob Elliston, but on-site she’s with me. It gives multiple people who can answer a question, and more of a team working together. We do site surveys and I approve camera locations, but I try to stay out of television’s way. Fred: Normally, it’s nine hours a day. In August and September, I’d say it’s about 11 hours a day. In October it’s 12-15 hours a day, weekends too. Then on site it’s 18-hour days for a week while I’m there. Gretchen: Set-up operations work on site
about 16 days straight through from 6:00am to 10:00pm. Jim: Peter does an outstanding job of pulling in all facets of the sport, promoting genuine interest in the Breeders’ Cup in a lot of ways. For example, working with Metro City Transportation, he has put a horse wrap on the side of a commuter train in Pasadena. The person from (the television show) Cake Wars will be doing a Breeders’ Cup cake, and Taste of L.A. will have an area at the Breeders’ Cup. There will be a performance by Cirque du Soleil. Peter: If the Breeders’ Cup is a better event, then racing overall is in better shape. There is an aspiration to be a part of it, on the part of owners and trainers as well as fans, so by elevating the experience, we are creating something to point toward. We are in competition with Dubai, Hong Kong – all these other destination racing events, so we need to step up. Peggy: I used to come three weeks out, but now we have contracted All-Pro Championships to do a lot of the merchandising under our direction and oversight so I come a week out. I love arriving at the event the first day and seeing all the horsemen. That’s the best part of the job. Peter: When other people are happy, I’m happy. When I’m looking around and everyone is smiling, then I know I’ve done my job. Jim: In the end it’s all about the horses and the performances on the track. That’s what sticks with you. My favorite memory is the 1988 Distaff when Personal Ensign was hopelessly beaten on a muddy track and just kept coming to beat Winning Colors and remain undefeated. Then it was repeated in 2009 when Zenyatta, coming from last, did the same thing to win the Classic and beat the boys. The attitude is never give up, never give in, and I think that personifies the Breeders’ Cup. n
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STAND AND DELIVER
An important step forwards in equine fracture repair In the past, surgical repair of equine limb fractures has always been performed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia in horses is an inherently risky procedure, and the surgeon’s careful work can be destroyed in a moment as the horse wakes and rises unsteady on his feet only to break the limb for a second time. A second break at this stage is usually beyond repair. A new study, published in Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), has shown that a new approach has excellent results. WORDS: Celia M MaRR, POlly COMPStOn PHOtOS: ROSSDaleS anD PaRtneRS
S
TANDING surgery in the horse is growing in popularity across soft tissue and orthopedic disciplines, as it is often quicker and avoids the inherent risks of general anesthesia. At Rossdales Equine Hospital in Newmarket, U.K., some racehorses with specific fracture configurations now have surgery ‘standing’ – that is, under standing sedation and local anesthetic. As increasing numbers of racehorses have had fractures repaired in this way, it has developed into a routine procedure for certain patients. General anesthesia is known to be of particularly high risk in the horse, and this is especially true for horses that are having a fracture repaired. Racehorses are extremely high performance athletes and therefore injuries that require surgery are inevitable. Two very common fracture sites in racehorses involve the fetlock joint: condylar fractures of
Polly Compston, clinical researcher at Rossdales
the cannon bone and midline ‘split pastern’ fractures. Both can be repaired with bone screws, which has been traditionally performed under a general anesthetic. However, in 2006 two scientific studies advocated a novel approach so that these fractures could be repaired using local anesthetic to desensitize the leg in a sedated patient. Shortly thereafter, Richard Payne at Rossdales started to perform this operation on standing horses. Horses are sedated heavily, in an area with padded floors and walls. The reasons for this are three-fold: firstly it is a clean and quiet environment; secondly it means that if the horse should need the procedure to be completed under a general anesthetic for some reason (it has not happened yet!) then everything is set up and the horse is in the right place for this; and thirdly, it is thought that the padded floor helps disperse the vibrations from the drill that is used to place the screws in the bone,
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VETERINARY making it less likely that the horse reacts. The operation itself is very similar to when it is performed under a general aesthetic except for the position the horse is in. Polly Compston, a clinical researcher at Rossdales, followed the progress of 34 racing Thoroughbreds and Arabs that had a fracture repaired standing between March 2004 and June 2011. All these horses tolerated the operation very well, although four had some post-operative gastrointestinal problems – a fairly common complication of any major surgical procedure, independently of any veterinary treatment they are given. Sadly one of these could not be saved despite intensive care. One horse developed minor skin sores, which again resolved without incident following appropriate treatment. Thirty-three horses left the hospital to return to race training. Three of these were operated on less than six months before the study was conducted and therefore subsequent performance information was not collected for them. Twenty-eight horses
Richard Payne (left) prepared to begin the procedure. The padded floor is extremely important as the drill vibrations are dispersed through this surface Split pastern repair (right): A midline incomplete fracture at the top of the pastern within the fetlock joint, or ‘split pastern’, fracture that has been repaired using two bone screws
Condylar fracture before (left): This X-ray shows how a condylar fracture spirals as it runs almost vertically up the cannon bone Condylar fracture after (right): The fracture has been repaired with 3 screws through the cannon bone
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“General anesthesia is known to be of particularly high risk in the horse, and this is especially true for horses that are having a fracture repaired” successfully returned to training. Two-thirds of the group raced and of these, twelve were placed or won at least one race. These fantastic results compare well to horses that have had similar fractures repaired under general anesthesia. For example, in the split pastern category, 71% of the horses that were operated on standing raced again, compared to 67% (according to a large study in the U.S.) of those under a general anesthetic. Standing fracture repair is not suitable in all fractures or for all horses. This is only possible in relatively simple lower limb fracture such as split pasterns and condylar fractures – both common racing injuries. It is very important that the fracture itself is not displaced – in other words, that bone has not moved along the fracture line. This has two important implications: The first is that many of the fractures in this study are relatively small and ‘incomplete’ – that is, they are a crack in the bone rather than a full fracture line that breaks the bone into two pieces. In the EVJ study, horses operated on standing return to racing more quickly than those that had been operated on under a general anesthesia. However, this is most likely because the initial fracture was smaller rather than a direct effect of standing surgery. Small, incomplete fractures are being
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“Only those with an amenable temperament should be selected for standing surgery, as they must stand totally still whilst the operation is taking place” increasingly diagnosed using the more sophisticated methods that are now available, such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography). This allows early recognition, for example of stress fractures, so developing solutions to these problems that may not have been recognized in the past becomes ever more critical. Condylar fractures, the second type of fracture in which standing repair is possible, are important. The term condylar fracture refers to a vertical break in the lower part of the cannon bone, often spiralling around the bone from the inside towards the outside as it travels up the bone. This “spiralling” process, although incomplete and non-displaced initially, can be
This X-ray shows how a condylar fracture spirals as it runs almost vertically up the cannon bone
progressive, ever weakening the bone. This has important consequences if the horse is going to be anesthetized, as it is at a higher risk of becoming a complete and catastrophic fracture following surgery as the horse gets up. If this happens then the fracture cannot be repaired and the horse must be euthanized. This has been a major motivator for developing standing fracture repair techniques. The procedure may not suit every horse: only those with an amenable temperament should be selected for standing surgery, as they must stand totally still while the operation is taking place. A highly skilled hospital team is needed, with wellchoreographed nursing, horse-handling, and x-ray support for the surgeon. Finally, the bone screws are placed through small ‘stab’ incisions in the skin. Fractures that are higher up the leg cannot be repaired in this way as there is too much muscle covering them. To summarize, the results of this Equine Veterinary Journal study have shown that fracture repair under standing sedation and local anesthesia appears to have comparable results with fracture repair under a general anesthetic. Standing fracture repair avoids the inherent risk of general anesthesia and offers a viable alternative to getting horses back to the racetrack. n
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Address: Custom Care Equine LLC P.O. Box 2254 Camden, SC 29020
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FL 34482
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Address: Training Center: 7505 W. Hwy 326 Ocala, FL 34482
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Races are divided by distance and the relevant surface is indicated as follows: AWT - All Weather Track D - Dirt T - Turf The indexes cover all graded races in North America over $50,000 in value, where information was available at the time of publication.
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Track Sunland Park Sunland Park Sunland Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) Mt. Cristo Rey H’cap Copper Top Futurity Copper Top Futurity
Class S S S
IRE FR USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Dundalk Longchamp Delta Downs Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Gulfstream Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Sunland Park Gulfstream Park
Mercury St Criterium de Vitesse L.A Premier Night Ragin Cajun Starter Turf Dash The Lightning City St Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint L.A Premier Night Bon Temps Starter L.A Premier Night Matron L.A Premier Night Sprint Budweiser H The Ladies Turf Sprint
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Laurel Park Laurel Park Sunland Park Fair Grounds Sunland Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Sunland Park Fair Grounds
The Laurel Futurity The Selima Stakes KLAQ H Bonapaw S Bold Ego H Pan Zareta St Pan Zareta St T.B.A Spring Fever Happy Ticket S Colonel Power St La Coneja St Bayou St. John St
GB USA USA USA USA USA USA ITY JPN USA GB USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA GB USA USA USA USA USA FR FR USA USA USA JPN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA ITY
Doncaster Beulah Park Hoosier Park Hoosier Park Delaware Park Laurel Park Laurel Park Rome Nakayama Delaware Park Newmarket Santa Anita Santa Anita Beulah Park Churchill Downs Woodbine Calder Hawthorne Racecourse Hawthorne Racecourse Golden Gate Fields Laurel Park Aqueduct Aqueduct Penn National Mountaineer Lingfield Park Beulah Park Parx Racing Penn National Penn National Aqueduct Fontainebleau Fontainebleau Fair Grounds Golden Gate Fields Churchill Downs Kyoto Woodbine Remington Park Remington Park Turfway Park Aqueduct Golden Gate Fields Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Hollywood Park Gulfstream Park Siracusa
Doncaster (Racing Post) Scarlet & Gray H’cap Indiana Futurity Miss Indiana S Stonewall Farm Ocala Xtra Heat Overnight The Laurel Dash Stakes The Frank J.De Frances Memorial Dash Pandolfi Ubaldo Sprinters St The Bellamy Road Overnight Bosra Sham St (EBF) Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint Breeders’ Cup Sprint Glacial Princess St The Bet On Sunshine Ontario Fashion S Jack Dudley Sprint H’cap Showtime Deb St Sun Power St Golden Nugget The James F.Lewis III Stakes New York Stallion Series - Fifth Avenue Division New York Stallion Series - Great White Way Division The Fabulous Strike H’Cap Sophomore Sprint Championship St Golden Rose St Ohio Freshman St Cornucopia Stakes Blue Mountain S The Daylily Fall Highweight H’cap Contessina Zeddaan Thanksgiving H All American The Dream Supreme Keihan Hai Kennedy Road S Oklahoma Stallion S Oklahoma Stallion S - Fillies Holiday Inaugural St Garland of Roses H’cap The Golden Gate Debutante The Express The Inaugural St The Sandpiper St Vernon O. Underwood St Sugar Swirl Criterium Aretuseo
Race Date 09-Mar-13 13-Apr-13 13-Apr-13
Value $100,000 $60,000 $60,000
Age 3+ 2 C&G 2F
Surface D D D
Metres 900 900 900
2+ 2 4+ 3+ 3+ F&M 4+ 4+ F&M 4+ F&M 4+ 3+ 4+ F&M
AWT T D T T T D D D D T
1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
2 2F 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 4+F&M 4+ FM 3 4+ F&M 4+ F&M LA Bred 4+ 4+ FM ( NM Bred) 4+ La Bred
T T D T D D T T D D T D D
1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100
2 3+ FM (OH Reg) 2 (IN Bred) 2 F (IN Bred) 2F 3+ 3+ 2F 3+ 2 2F 2 3+ 2 F (OH Acc) 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ (FL Breds) 2F 2 CG 2 2 2F 2 3+ 3 3+ 2 (OH Acc) 3+ FM 2F 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 2 3+ 2 3+ FM 3+ 3+ 2 2F 3+ F&M 3+ FM 2F 3+ 2 2F 3+ 4+ F&M 2F
T D D D D T D T T D T D D D D AWT D D D AWT D D D D D AWT D D D
1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com L L R
Gr 1 S S S
26-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 05-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 24-Feb-13
€ 40,000 € 55,000 $55,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $55,000 $100,000 $100,000 $50,000 $60,000
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L Gr 1 L Gr 1 R Gr III S S S
S S
L R R Gr 3 L L Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 S S S
Gr 3 Gr 3 L
27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 30-Oct-12 01-Nov-12 02-Nov-12 02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 12-Nov-12 13-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 20-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 25-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 02-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12
£23,000 $50,000 $70,000 $84,000 $60,000 $100,000 $350,000 € 41,800 $2,470,000 $50,000 £23,000 $500,000 $1,500,000 $50,000 $65,000 CAN150,000+ $125,000 $125,000 $125,000 $50,000 $100,000 $125,000 $125,000 $200,000 $85,000 £33,000 $50,000 $75,000 $75,000 $100,000 $150,000 € 52,000 € 55,000 $100,000 $100,000 $65,000 $985,000 CAN150,000+ $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $75,000 $50,000 $100,000 $75,000 $75,000 $100,000 $100,000 € 41,800
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
22-Oct-12 18-Jan-13 22-Dec-12 12-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 17-Jan-13 17-Jan-13 18-Jan-13 25-Jan-13 09-Feb-13
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Furlongs 4.5 4.5 4.5
5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5
18-Oct-12 18-Oct-12 28-Nov-12 08-Dec-12 14-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 12-Jan-13 02-Mar-13 02-Mar-13 15-Mar-13 16-Mar-13
6f (1200m)
D T T D AWT D T AWT D D AWT D AWT D D D D D T
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
22-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 15-Oct-12 18-Oct-12 18-Oct-12 14-Aug-12 22-Oct-12 29-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 24-Oct-12 26-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 01-Nov-12 01-Nov-12 CLOSED CLOSED 14-Nov-12 30-Oct-12 12-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 06-Nov-12 15-Nov-12 14-Nov-12 10-Nov-12
10-Nov-12 15-Nov-12 16-Nov-12 09-Oct-12 25-Nov-12
22-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 09-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 24-Nov-12
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STAKES SCHEDULES Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 Country USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Track Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Tampa Bay Downs Nakayama Sunland Park Aqueduct Golden Gate Fields Laurel Park Turfway Park Gulfstream Park Laurel Park Tampa Bay Downs Turfway Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Sunland Park Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Sunland Park Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Tampa Bay Downs Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Sunland Park Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Tampa Bay Downs
Race Name & (Sponsor) Juvenile S Ladies Sprint Lassie S Sprint The Pelican St Capella St New Mexico State Racing Commission H Gravesend H’cap The Oakland The Willa on the Move Stakes Gowell S Mr Prospector The Daves Friend Stakes The Minaret St Holiday Cheer St Louisiana Futurity Louisiana Futurity Old Hat St La Senora S Dixie Belle S Florida Sunshine Millions F&M Sprint Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint Pepsi Cola S American Beauty S F.W. Gaudin Memorial S King Cotton S Mardi Gras S Downthedustyroad Breeders Nodouble Breeders Gazebo Duncan F. Kenner St Wayward Lass St Hot Springs S Rainbow Miss S Rainbow S Czaria H Carousel H Instant Racing Count Fleet Sprint H Bachelor Hilton Garden Inn Sprint
Class S S S S Gr 3 S
S Gr 3
S S Gr 3 S S S S
S S L
S S
Gr 3
Race Date 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 31-Dec-12 31-Dec-12 01-Jan-13 12-Jan-13 12-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 20-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 12-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 24-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 23-Mar-13 29-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 06-Apr-13 11-Apr-13 12-Apr-13 13-Apr-13 06-May-13 06-May-13
Value $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $60,000 $911,000 $100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $100,000 $50,000 $100,000 $100,000 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $60,000 $150,000 $150,000 $100,000 $60,000 $75,000 $60,000 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $60,000 $150,000 $50,000 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $50,000 $100,000 $75,000 $250,000 $75,000 $75,000
6f (1200m) Age 2 C&G LA Bred 3+ F&M LA Bred 2 F LA Bred 3+LA Bred 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 2 F LA Bred 2 C&G LA Bred 3F 3 F (NM Bred) 3F 4+ F&M 4+ 3 (NM Bred) 4+ F&M 4+ 4+ 4 + FM 3+ F&M (Ark Bred) 3+ C&G (Ark Bred) 3 3+ 4+ FM 4+ 3 F (Ark Bred) 3 C&G (Ark Bred) 3+ F&M 4+ F&M 3F 4+ 3 4+
Surface D D D D D D D D AWT D AWT D D D AWT D D D D D D D D D D D T D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
Metres 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200 1200
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Remington Park Santa Anita Santa Anita Parx Racing Parx Racing Remington Park Sunland Park Sunland Park Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Sunland Park Gulfstream Park
E L Gaylord Memorial S The Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview St Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Donna Fryer SC Residence Race (F) Christopher Elser Mem SC Residence (C & G) Silver Goblin S Johnie L Jamison S El Paso Times H El Diario H Hurricane Bertie H Bill Thomas Memorial S Sir Shackleton
JPN GB USA GER IRE CAN USA JPN JPN USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA CAN USA FR CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Kyoto Newbury Santa Anita Hannover Leopardstown Woodbine Remington Park Tokyo Kyoto Charles Town Calder Aqueduct Aqueduct Woodbine Delta Downs Delta Downs Woodbine Hollywood Park Saint-Cloud Woodbine Laurel Park Charles Town Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Laurel Park Gulfstream Park Parx Racing Laurel Park Remington Park Hollywood Park Remington Park Charles Town Hollywood Park Hanshin Laurel Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs
Mainichi Broadcast Swan St Radley St Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Neue Bult Youngster Cup Knockaire St Frost King S Clever Trevor S Keio Hai Nisai St KBS Kyoto Sho Fantasy St Tri-State Futurity Joe O’Farrell Juvenile Fillies New York Stallion Series - Staten Island Division New York Stallion Series - Thunder Rumble Division Glorious Song S Orleans Sam’s Town Jammed Lovely S Hollywood Prevue St Ceres Bessarabian S The Gin Talking Stakes West Virginia Futurity (WV) The Glass Slipper The Rapid Transit The Marylander Stakes Sunshine State Pennsylvania Nursery St The City of Laurel Stakes Jim Thorpe S Soviet Problem St Useeit St Eleanor Casey Memorial King Glorious St Hanshin Cup The Maryland Juvenile Championship By the light Big Drama The Gasparilla St The Pasco St Forward Gal S Hutcheson St L.A Premier Night Prince L.A Premier Night Starlet Gulfstream Park Sprint The Manatee St Super St
Gr 2 R R S S
Gr 3
26-Oct-12 02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 08-Dec-12 26-Jan-13 09-Feb-13 10-Feb-13 24-Mar-13 30-Mar-13
$50,000 $100,000 $1,000,000 $75,000 $75,000 $50,000 $100,000 $50,000 $50,000 $150,000 $85,000 $75,000
Gr 2 Gr 3 R S S S R R S Gr 3 L Gr 3
S S
S Gr 2 S S
Gr 2 S S Gr 2
27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 09-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 02-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 16-Dec-12 24-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 04-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 12-Jan-13 21-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 23-Feb-13
$1,433,000 £23,000 $1,000,000 € 20,000 € 40,000 CAN125,000 $100,000 $931,000 $725,000 $100,000 $125,000 $100,000 $100,000 CAN150,000+ $70,000 $70,000 CAN150,000 $100,000 € 55,000 CAN150,000+ $100,000 50000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $60,000 $75,000 $100,000 $50,000 $200,000 $50,000 $50,000 $200,000 $1,687,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $200,000 $150,000 $125,000 $125,000 $150,000 $50,000 $75,000
Closing 01-Nov-12 01-Oct-12 01-Nov-12 01-Oct-12 24-Nov-12 23-Oct-12 29-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 06-Dec-12 06-Dec-12 13-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 20-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 20-Dec-12 CLOSED CLOSED 15-Dec-12 04-Jan-13 05-Jan-12 05-Jan-13 11-Jan-12 12-Jan-13 02-Feb-13
23-Feb-13 02-Mar-13
29-Mar-13
23-Mar-13
6.5f (1300m) 2F 2 3+ 2F 2 CG 3+ OK Bred 3+ 3F 3+ F&M 4+ F&M 3+ 4+
D T T D D D D D D D D D
1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300
3+ 2F 3+ FM 2 3+ 2 2 2 2F 2 2 F (Fl breds) 3+ FM 3+ 2F 3F 3 3F 2 3F 3+ F&M 2F 2 3F F&M 3+ 2 3+ (FL Bred) 2 C&G 3 3 2 F (Cal Bred) 3 F OK Bred 2F 2 (Cal Bred) 3+ 2 (ML Bred) 3F 3 3F 3 3F 3 3 3F 4+ 4+ F&M 4+
T T D T T AWT D T T D D D D AWT D D AWT D T AWT D D D D D D D D D D D D D T D D D D D D D D D D D D
1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400 1400
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 2 L Gr 1 L L R
Furlongs 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
17-Oct-12 25-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 12-Jun-12 12-Jun-12 14-Nov-12 29-Nov-12 18-Jan-13 01-Feb-13 26-Jan-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13
7f (1400m) 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
11-Sep-12 22-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 23-Oct-12 30-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 25-Sep-12 25-Sep-12 27-Oct-12 CLOSED CLOSED 24-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 15-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 15-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 09-Nov-12 09-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 01-Sep-12 22-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 29-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 05-Dec-12 06-Dec-12 06-Oct-12 20-Dec-12 21-Dec-12 21-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 12-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 18-Jan-13 17-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 09-Feb-13
ISSUE 26 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 67
STAKES SCHEDULES NA ISSUE 26_Jerkins feature.qxd 18/10/2012 01:01 Page 4
STAKES SCHEDULES North American Trainer delivered to your door! Country USA USA USA USA
Track Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs
Race Name & (Sponsor) Swale S Inside Information Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore St Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies St
USA
Gulfstream Park
The GP Aftercare Stallion Stakes
Class Gr 3 Gr 2
Race Date 02-Mar-13 17-Mar-13 06-May-13 06-May-13
Value $150,000 $150,000 $75,000 $75,000
7f (1400m) Age 3 4+ F&M 3 3F
Surface D D D D
Metres 1400 1400 1400 1400
Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 05-Apr-13
$60,000
Santa Anita Rome Hollywood Park Hollywood Park Pisa Gulfstream Park Deauville Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Delta Downs Delta Downs
The Juvenile Filly Sprint Preview St Criterium Femminile On Trust H’cap Cats Cradle H’cap Criterium di Pisa South Beach S Luthier Black Gold St Allen Lacombe Memorial H’cap Azalea Pelican
IRE CAN GB FR USA GB USA USA USA USA USA GER FR GB USA USA USA USA USA GB GB USA USA USA USA GER FR IRE JPN USA USA USA USA USA JPN FR FR GB USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA ITY USA USA JPN USA USA JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Naas Woodbine Pontefract Nantes Delta Downs Doncaster Santa Anita Delta Downs Golden Gate Fields Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Mulheim Saint-Cloud Lingfield Park Santa Anita Santa Anita Santa Anita Santa Anita Churchill Downs Newmarket Newmarket Mountaineer Belmont Park Santa Anita Belmont Park Hannover Toulouse Dundalk Tokyo Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Kyoto Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud Kempton Park Fair Grounds Laurel Park Aqueduct Fair Grounds Aqueduct Hollywood Park Hollywood Park Fair Grounds Hollywood Park Laurel Park Siracusa Fair Grounds Golden Gate Fields Hanshin Remington Park Gulfstream Park Nakayama Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Laurel Park Sunland Park Laurel Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Sunland Park Delta Downs Delta Downs Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park
Garnet EBF St Bunty Lawless S Silver Tankard St (totepool) Sablonnets Magnolia Trophy (Racing Post) The Autumn Miss Stakes (The Harold C Ramser Sr S) Gold Cup Pike Place Dancer Pocahontas St Iroquois St Berberis-Rennen Criterium International Fleur de Lys St (EBF) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Breeders’ Cup Mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Chilukki St Ben Marshall St (Novae Bloodstock) Montrose St (EBF) Mountaineer Mile H’cap Nashua St The Goldikova St (The Las Palmas S) Tempted St Neue Bult Stuten Meilen Cup Criterium du Languedoc Cooley EBF St Tokyo Chunichi Sports Hai Musashino St Delta Downs Princess Louisiana Jewel Louisiana Legacy Treasure Chest Delta Mile Mile Championship Tantieme Isonomy Hyde St Mr Sulu The Geisha Stakes Go For Wand Hcap Woodchopper S Cigar Mile H’cap Miesque St Generous St Pago Hop S The Matriarch The Jennings H’cap Criterium Mediterraneo (ex Ippodromi e Citta) Ladies S Gold Rush Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Remington Springboard Mile Dania Beach Asahi Hai Futurity St Enchantress S The El Prado The Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes Riley Allison Futurity The Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Lookout B-Connected Red Hedeman Mile Ocala Gulfstream Park Derby Dixie Poker Ace S Hal’s Hope H Lecomte S Smarty Jones S Sweetest Chant L.A Premier Night Ladies Starter L.A Premier Night Distaff Tiffany Lass S Martha Washington S Sarah Lane’s Oates S Southwest S Canadian Turf Island Fashion S Eldorado Fremont Gulfstream Park H Honey Fox H
L S S L L
S S
03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 14-Dec-12 02-Mar-13 02-Mar-13 07-Mar-13 09-Mar-13
$100,000 € 41,800 $75,000 $75,000 € 41,800 $100,000 € 52,000 $75,000 $75,000 $100,000 $100,000
1450
68 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
Gr 2 Gr 3 L Gp 1 L Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 L L Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 L L L Gr 3 Gr 3 S S
Gr 1 L L L S Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 1 L S Gr 1
Gr 1 S
R R S S S Gr 3 Gr 3
S S
S Gr 3 Gr 3 R R Gr 2 Gr 3
21-Oct-12 21-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 23-Oct-12 26-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 01-Nov-12 01-Nov-12 02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 08-Nov-12 09-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 20-Nov-12 20-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 25-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 16-Dec-12 16-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 23-Dec-12 26-Dec-12 28-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 29-Dec-12 30-Dec-12 01-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 13-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 21-Jan-13 27-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 18-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 24-Feb-13 28-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 16-Mar-13
€ 60,000 CAN125,000 £23,000 € 55,000 $100,000 £200,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $150,000 $100,000 € 20,000 € 250,000 £33,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $150,000 £33,000 £23,000 $130,000 $200,000 $150,000 $150,000 € 20,000 € 55,000 € 50,000 $911,000 $500,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $2,600,000 € 52,000 € 55,000 £33,000 $60,000 $100,000 $200,000 $75,000 $350,000 $100,000 $100,000 $75,000 $250,000 $100,000 € 41,800 $100,000 $75,000 $1,687,000 $300,000 $100,000 $1,832,000 $100,000 $75,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $70,000 $70,000 $100,000 $60,000 $100,000 $60,000 $100,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $70,000 $150,000 $100,000 $75,000 $60,000 $300,000 $150,000 $50,000 $60,000 $60,000 $300,000 $100,000
7.25
23-Mar-13
7.5f (1500m) 2F 2F 3+ Cal Breds 3+ F&M -Cal Breds 2 3+ F&M 3+ 3 3F 3F 3
D T D D T T AWT D T D D
1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
3+ F&M 3+ 2 2 3+ F&M 2 C&F 3F 3+ 2F 2F 2 3+ 2 CF 3+ F&M 2F 3+ 3+ 2 3+ FM 3+ 2F 3+ 2 3+ F&M 2F 3+ F 2 3+ F&M 3+ 2F 2F 2 C&G 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ 4+ 2 3+ 3+ LA Bred 3+ FM (ML Bred) 3+ FM 3 3+ 2F 2 3F 3+F&M 3+ (ML Bred) 2 3+F&M LA Bred 2 2F 2 2 2 No G 2F 3+ 3+ FM 2 2 F (ML Bred) 3+ F&M 3+ 2 4+ F&M (FL Bred) 3 4+ LA Bred 4+ 3 3 3F 4+ F & M 4+F&M 4 + F&M 3F 3 F LA Bred 3 4+ 3F 4+ F M 4+ 4+ 4+ F&M
T T T T D T T D T D D T T AWT T D T T D T T D D T D T T AWT D D D D D D T T T AWT T D D T D T T T T D T D AWT T D T T D T D D D D D D D T T D D D T D D D D T D T D D D D T
1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore L R L L S Gp 1 Gr 3 S
Closing 16-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 23-Mar-13 23-Mar-13
7.25f (1450m) 3+
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com USA ITY USA USA ITY USA FR USA USA USA USA
Furlongs 7 7 7 7
7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5
25-Oct-12 08-Nov-12 08-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 19-Feb-13 19-Feb-13 22-Feb-13 22-Feb-13
8f (1600m) 8 16-Oct-12 8 03-Oct-12 8 16-Oct-12 8 8 12-Oct-12 8 14-Aug-12 8 18-Oct-12 8 12-Oct-12 8 18-Oct-12 8 10-Oct-12 8 10-Oct-12 8 16-Oct-12 8 10-Oct-12 8 26-Oct-12 8 22-Oct-12 8 22-Oct-12 8 22-Oct-12 8 22-Oct-12 8 17-Oct-12 8 29-Oct-12 8 29-Oct-12 8 22-Oct-12 8 20-Oct-12 8 25-Oct-12 8 20-Oct-12 8 23-Oct-12 8 8 05-Nov-12 8 25-Sep-12 8 Nov 6 - SUPP ENTRY 8 02-Nov-12 8 02-Nov-12 8 31-Oct-12 8 31-Oct-12 8 02-Oct-12 8 8 8 15-Nov-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 13-Nov-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 15-Nov-12 8 15-Nov-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 15-Nov-12 8 22-Nov-12 8 8 01-Nov-12 8 29-Nov-12 8 23-Oct-12 8 30-Nov-12 8 01-Dec-12 8 06-Nov-12 8 08-Dec-12 8 08-Dec-12 8 13-Dec-12 8 15-Dec-12 8 18-Dec-12 8 14-Dec-12 8 14-Dec-12 8 21-Dec-12 8 15-Dec-12 8 15-Dec-12 8 10-Nov-12 8 29-Dec-12 8 05-Jan-13 8 8 12-Jan-13 8 17-Jan-13 8 17-Jan-13 8 19-Jan-13 8 8 02-Feb-13 8 8 09-Feb-13 8 16-Feb-13 8 15-Feb-13 8 15-Feb-13 8 23-Feb-13 8 02-Mar-13
STAKES SCHEDULES NA ISSUE 26_Jerkins feature.qxd 18/10/2012 01:01 Page 5
STAKES SCHEDULES Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 Country USA USA USA USA USA USA
Track Delta Downs Delta Downs Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) Gold Coast Borgata Harry W Henson H Appleton H Crescent City Oaks Northern Spur
USA
Sunland Park
Mine That Bird Derby
Class R R Gr 3 S
Race Date 22-Mar-13 23-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 13-Apr-13
Value $70,000 $70,000 $85,000 $100,000 $75,000 $100,000
8f (1600m) Age 4+ FM 4+ 3+ F&M 4+ 3 la. bred F 3
Surface D D D T D D
3
D
Metres 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600 1600
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com 23-Feb-13
$130,000
Aqueduct Aqueduct
East View St Damon Runyon St
USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA CAN CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Belmont Park Hawthorne Racecourse Hawthorne Racecourse Hoosier Park Hoosier Park Laurel Park Woodbine Santa Anita Churchill Downs Santa Anita Delaware Park Woodbine Calder Calder Calder Hollywood Park Hollywood Park Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Delta Downs Woodbine Penn National Hollywood Park Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Beulah Park Hawthorne Racecourse Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Woodbine Woodbine Hollywood Park Hollywood Park Hollywood Park Fair Grounds Hawthorne Racecourse Turfway Park Gulfstream Park Hollywood Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Aqueduct Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Delta Downs Delta Downs Oaklawn Park Tampa Bay Downs Gulfstream Park Sunland Park Tampa Bay Downs Oaklawn Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Fair Grounds Oaklawn Park Sunland Park Sunland Park Sunland Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds
Turnback the Alarm Buck’s Boy H’cap Illini Princess H’cap Francis Slocum S Too Much Coffee S The Lady Baltimore Stakes Princess Elizabeth S Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Ack Ack H’cap Breeders’ Cup Juvenile The Crowned Overnight Autumn S Arthur I Appleton Juvenile Turf Elmer Heubeck Distaff H’cap John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf Real Quiet St Sharp Cat St Mrs. Revere St Commonwealth Turf Delta Downs Jackpot South Ocean S The Swatara Citation H’cap Golden Rod St Kentucky Jockey Club St Bobbie Bricker Memorial H’cap Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante St The Iron Horse The Emerald The Jewel Display S Kingarvie S Hollywood Starlet Hollywood Starlet Bayakoa H’cap Turf S Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity My Charmer St The Tiara CashCall Futurity Tenacious H Harlan’s Holiday Blushing K.D. H Buddy Diliberto Memorial H Alex M. Robb H’cap Albert Dominguez Memorial H Ginger Brew Marshua’s River St Fifth Season S Fort Lauderdale St Col. E.R Bradley Hcp Silverbulletday S Marie G Krantz Memorial H Louisiana H Pippin S Kitten’s Joy Holy Bull S Endeavour St Sam F. Davis St L.A Premier Night Gentlemen Starter L.A Premier Night Championship Essex H Florida Oaks Donn H Curribot H The Tampa Bay St Bayakoa S Sabin Risen Star S Davona Dale St Rachel Alexandra St Mineshaft H’cap Gentilly S Bayou H’cap Challenger St Tampa Bay Derby Honeybee S Razorback H New Orleans Ladies St Rebel S Azeri S Red Camelia St Arkansas Breeders (Female Division) New Mexico Breeders’ Derby New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks Sunland Park Oaks Fair Grounds Oaks Costa Rising St Crescent City Derby
S S
09-Dec-12 09-Dec-12
$75,000 $75,000
R Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 2 S S S
Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 S Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 R S
S Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 S S S Gr 1
S S Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 L
Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 R S
Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 S
Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 L Gr 2 Gr 3 S S S S Gr 2 S S
27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 02-Nov-12 02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 01-Dec-12 02-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 10-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 16-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 26-Dec-12 30-Dec-12 01-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 11-Jan-13 12-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 20-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 02-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 10-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 17-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 23-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13
$150,000 $125,000 $125,000 $200,000 $200,000 $100,000 CAN250,000 $2,000,000 $100,000 $2,000,000 $50,000 CAN150,000+ $100,000 $150,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $175,000 $100,000 $1,000,000 CAN125,000 $75,000 $250,000 $150,000 $150,000 $50,000 $125,000 $100,000 $125,000 $200,000 CAN150,000+ CAN125,000 $500,000 $500,000 $200,000 $100,000 $125,000 $50,000 $125,000 $750,000 $75,000 $100,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $100,000 $75,000 $100,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $125,000 $75,000 $100,000 $75,000 $100,000 $400,000 $150,000 $250,000 $70,000 $200,000 $100,000 $150,000 $500,000 $50,000 $150,000 $100,000 $100,000 $400,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $60,000 $75,000 $60,000 $350,000 $150,000 $150,000 $150,000 $600,000 $150,000 $60,000 $60,000 $100,000 $100,000 $200,000 $500,000 $60,000 $75,000
8.25
15-Feb-13
8.32f (1664m) 2 F N.Y. Bred 2
D D
1664 1664
3+ F&M 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ F&M (IN Bred) 3+(IN Bred) 3+FM 2F 2F 3+ 2 CG 3+FM 3+ 2 (FL Bred) 3+ FM (FL Bred) 2 F (FL Bred) 2 2F 3F 3 2 2F 3+ 3+ 2F 2 3+ FM (OH Acc) 2F 3+ 3+ 3+ 2 2 2F 2F 3+ F&M 3+ LA Bred 2 C&G 3+ F&M 3+ F&M 2 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3+ (NY Bred) 4+ (NM Bred) 3F 4+ F&M 4+ 4+ 4+ 3F 4+F&M 4+ 4+ F&M 3 3 4+ FM 3 4+ 4+ 4+ 3F 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ F&M 4+ F&M 3 3F 3F 4+ 3 LA Bred 4+ FM 4+ 3 3F 4+ 4+ FM 3 4+ F&M 4+ FM La Bred 3+ F&M (Ark Bred) 3 3F 3F 3F 4+ La. Bred 3 La. Bred
D D T D D T AWT D D D D AWT T D T D D T T D AWT
1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700 1700
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 3 S S S S
Closing 08-Mar-13 08-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 02-Mar-13
8.25f (1650m) 1650
North American Trainer delivered to your door! USA USA
Furlongs 8 8 8 8 8 8
8.32 8.32
24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12
8.5f (1700m)
T D D D D D T D AWT AWT AWT D D T D AWT T D D D T T D D T T D T T D T D D T D T D D D D T D D T D D D D D D T T D D D D D D D T D D D D D D D
8.5 13-Oct-12 8.5 8.5 8.5 17-Oct-12 8.5 17-Oct-12 8.5 18-Oct-12 8.5 10-Oct-12 8.5 22-Oct-12 8.5 17-Oct-12 8.5 22-Oct-12 8.5 22-Oct-12 8.5 24-Oct-12 8.5 27-Oct-12 8.5 27-Oct-12 8.5 27-Oct-12 8.5 01-Nov-12 8.5 01-Nov-12 8.5 31-Oct-12 8.5 31-Oct-12 8.5 Nov 6 - SUPP ENTRY 8.5 31-Oct-12 8.5 14-Nov-12 8.5 15-Nov-12 8.5 07-Nov-12 8.5 07-Nov-12 8.5 14-Nov-12 8.5 8.5 09-Nov-12 8.5 09-Nov-12 8.5 09-Nov-12 8.5 07-Oct-12 8.5 14-Nov-12 8.5 8.5 CLOSED 8.5 29-Nov-12 8.5 01-Nov-12 8.5 8.5 29-Nov-12 8.5 09-Nov-12 8.5 CLOSED 8.5 01-Dec-12 8.5 01-Dec-12 8.5 08-Dec-12 8.5 08-Dec-12 8.5 15-Dec-12 8.5 22-Dec-12 8.5 15-Dec-12 8.5 22-Dec-12 8.5 8.5 29-Dec-12 8.5 05-Jan-13 8.5 05-Jan-13 8.5 05-Jan-13 8.5 05-Jan-13 8.5 8.5 05-Jan-13 8.5 12-Jan-13 8.5 19-Jan-13 8.5 19-Jan-13 8.5 18-Jan-13 8.5 18-Jan-13 8.5 8.5 19-Jan-13 8.5 26-Jan-13 8.5 02-Feb-13 8.5 02-Feb-13 8.5 8.5 02-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 09-Feb-13 8.5 16-Feb-13 8.5 23-Feb-13 8.5 8.5 8.5 23-Feb-13 8.5 8.5 8.5 09-Mar-13 8.5 8.5 16-Mar-13 8.5 16-Mar-13 8.5 09-Mar-13 8.5 16-Mar-13 8.5 16-Mar-13 8.5 16-Mar-13
ISSUE 26 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 69
STAKES SCHEDULES NA ISSUE 26_Jerkins feature.qxd 18/10/2012 01:01 Page 6
STAKES SCHEDULES North American Trainer delivered to your door! Country USA USA USA USA
Track Tampa Bay Downs Tampa Bay Downs Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) The First Dude Turf Distaff The Dayton Andrews Sophomore Turf Arkansas Breeders (Open) Fantasy S
FR USA USA USA ITY JPN IRE USA FR USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA JPN JPN USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
Longchamp Keeneland Santa Anita Santa Anita Milan Kyoto Leopardstown Churchill Downs Marseille Borely Beulah Park Woodbine Calder Calder Charles Town Aqueduct Charles Town Churchill Downs Calder Churchill Downs Aqueduct Aqueduct Aqueduct Calder Churchill Downs Calder Hollywood Park Hanshin Hanshin Fair Grounds Turfway Park Laurel Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Sunland Park Gulfstream Park Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Fair Grounds Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Tampa Bay Downs Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Park Sunland Park
Casimir Delamarre Fayette S Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic The Twilight Derby (Oak Tree Derby) Campobello Miyako St Eyrefield St Cardinal H’cap Delahante Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial St Coronation Futurity Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Carl G Rose Classic My Sister Pearl Discovery A Huevo St Falls City H’cap My Charmer H’cap Clark H’cap Gazelle St Demoiselle St Remsen St Fred W Hooper H’cap River City H’cap Tropical Turf H’cap Native Diver St Japan Cup Dirt Asahi Challenge Cup Classic S Prairie Bayou St The Broad Brush Stakes Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff Florida Sunshine Millions Turf Florida Sunshine Millions F&M Turf Florida Sunshine Millions Classic Gulfstream Park Turf H Suwannee River Fountain Of Youth St Fair Grounds H’cap The Herecomesthebride S The Palm Beach S Hillsborough St Sunland Derby Florida Derby Louisiana Derby Mervin H Muniz Jr Memorial New Orleans H The Gulfstream Oaks The Rampart S The Turf Classic Arkansas Derby Oaklawn H Sunland Park H
Class
S Gr 2
Race Date 06-Apr-13 06-Apr-13 07-Apr-13 10-Apr-13
Value $75,000 $75,000 $60,000 $400,000
8.5f (1700m) Age 4+ FM 3 3+ (Ark Bred) 3F
Surface T T D D
3F 3+ 3+ FM 3 2 3+ 2 3+ FM 2 3+ (OH Acc) 2 3+ (FL Bred) 3+ (FL Bred) 3+ F&M 3 3+ 3+ FM 3+ FM 3+ 3F 2F 2 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ LA Bred 3+ 3+ 4+ F&M 4+ 4+ F&M 4+ 4+ 4+ F&M 3 4+ 3F 3 4+ FM 3 3 3 4+ 4+ 3F 4+ F&M 4+ 3 4+ 3+
T AWT D T T D T T T D AWT T D D D D D T D D D D D T T D D T D AWT D D T T D T T D T T T T D D D T D D D T D D D
Metres 1700 1700 1700 1700
Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 L Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 L Gr 3 L Gr 3 L R R S S S Gr 3 S Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 3 S S S S S Gr 1 Gr 3 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 1 Gr 2
21-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 02-Nov-12 02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 23-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 25-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 02-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 31-Dec-12 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 19-Jan-13 09-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 02-Mar-13 03-Mar-13 09-Mar-13 24-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 30-Mar-13 06-Apr-13 13-Apr-13 13-Apr-13 14-Apr-13
€ 55,000 $150,000 $2,000,000 $150,000 € 41,800 $911,000 € 37,500 $100,000 € 55,000 $50,000 CAN250,000 $125,000 $150,000 $50,000 $150,000 $50,000 $150,000 $100,000 $400,000 $350,000 $250,000 $250,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $250,000 $3,392,000 $1,040,000 $150,000 $50,000 $100,000 $300,000 $150,000 $150,000 $400,000 $300,000 $150,000 $400,000 $150,000 $100,000 $150,000 $150,000 $800,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $400,000 $400,000 $300,000 $150,000 $75,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $85,000
Deauville Deauville Aqueduct Gulfstream Park
Lyphard Petite Etoile Queens County H’cap The Skip Away S
IRE ITY JPN GER ITY USA GB CAN ITY FR GB FR FR ITY IRE GB JPN USA JPN JPN JPN GB
Leopardstown Rome Tokyo Frankfurt Rome Santa Anita Newmarket Woodbine Rome Saint-Cloud Doncaster Marseille Borely Saint-Cloud Rome Dundalk Lingfield Park Fukushima Hollywood Park Chukyo Chukyo Hanshin Lingfield Park
Trigo St Premio Lydia Tesio Tenno Sho (Autumn) Herbstpreis Conte Felice Scheibler Breeders’ Cup Classic James Seymour Maple Leaf S Premio Roma Criterium de Saint-Cloud Gillies St (EBF) Grand Prix de Marseille Solitude G, Valiani (ex Buontalenta) Carlingford St Churchill St Fukushima Kinen Hollywood Derby Kinko Sho Aichi Hai Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai St Quebec St
FR
Le Croise-Laroche
Grand Prix du Nord
L L Gr 3 Gr 3
27-Nov-12 05-Dec-12 08-Dec-12 30-Mar-13
€ 52,000 € 55,000 $75,000 $100,000
Gp 1 Gp 1 L L L L L L Gr 2 Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 3 L
27-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 28-Oct-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 16-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 18-Nov-12 25-Nov-12 01-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 22-Dec-12 22-Dec-12
€ 40,000 € 209,000 $3,437,000 € 20,000 € 41,800 $5,000,000 £33,000 CAN175,000+ € 209,000 € 250,000 £33,000 € 60,000 € 55,000 € 41,800 € 40,000 £33,000 $1,040,000 $250,000 $60,000,000 $911,000 $834,000 £33,000
3+ 3F 3+ 4+
AWT AWT D D
1900 1900 1900 1900
3+ 3+ F 3+ 3+ 3 3+ 3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 2 CF 3+ F&M 3+ 3F 3+ F 3+ 3+ 3+ 3 3+ 3+ F&M 2 3+
T T T T T D T AWT T T T T T T AWT AWT T T T T T AWT
2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000
03-Nov-12
€ 55,000
3
T
2100
Santa Anita Aqueduct Hannover Kyoto Dresden Pisa Gulfstream Park
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Red Smith H’cap Neue Bult Stuten Steher Cup Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup Grosser Dresdner Herbstpreis Andred (ex Regione Toscana) Mac Diarmida
70 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
Gr 1 Gr 2 L Gr 1 L L Gr 2
02-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 04-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 21-Nov-12 09-Dec-12 16-Feb-13
$2,000,000 $200,000 € 20,000 $2,352,000 € 20,000 € 41,800 $150,000
25-Sep-12 30-Oct-12 24-Oct-12 31-Oct-11 24-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 31-Oct-12 03-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 08-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 22-Nov-12 09-Oct-12 23-Oct-12 01-Nov-12 05-Dec-12 20-Dec-12 05-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 05-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 26-Jan-13 09-Feb-13 09-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 16-Feb-13 23-Feb-13 01-Feb-13 12-Jan-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 16-Mar-13 23-Mar-13
06-Apr-13
9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5
24-Nov-12 16-Mar-13
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
22-Oct-12 27-Sep-12 11-Sep-12 16-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 29-Oct-12 17-Oct-12 04-Oct-12 24-Oct-12 05-Nov-12
12-Nov-12 12-Nov-12 09-Oct-12 15-Nov-12 23-Oct-12 06-Nov-12 06-Nov-12 17-Dec-12
10.5f (2100m)
Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 USA USA GER JPN GER ITY USA
17-Oct-12 22-Oct-12 25-Oct-12
10f (2000m)
North American Trainer delivered to your door! L
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
9.5f (1900m)
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore L Gp 1 Gr 1 L L Gr 1 L
Closing 23-Mar-13 23-Mar-13
9f (1800m) 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com FR FR USA USA
Furlongs 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5
10.5
11f (2200m) 3+ FM 3+ 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3+ F&M 4+
T T T T T T T
2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200 2200
11 11 11 11 11 11 11
22-Oct-12 20-Oct-12 23-Oct-12 02-Oct-12 13-Nov-12 02-Feb-13
STAKES SCHEDULES NA ISSUE 26_Jerkins feature.qxd 18/10/2012 01:01 Page 7
STAKES SCHEDULES Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com Country USA
Track Gulfstream Park
Race Name & (Sponsor) The Very One
ITY
Naples
Unire
Class Gr 3
Race Date 16-Feb-13
Value $100,000
11f (2200m) Age 4+ F&M
Surface T
3+
T
Metres 2200
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore L
23-Dec-12
€ 41,800
Siracusa
Francesco Faraci
L
01-Dec-12
€ 41,800
Milan Keeneland Nantes Laurel Park Santa Anita Milan Kempton Park Aqueduct Lyon-Parilly Calder Tokyo Kempton Park Calder Toulouse Hollywood Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park
Gran Premio del Jockey Club e Coppa d’Oro Rood & Riddle Dowager Grand Prix de la Ville de Nantes The Laurel Turf Cup Breeders’ Cup Turf Falck G. Floodlit St Long Island Grand Camp WL McKnight H’cap Japan Cup Wild Flower St La Prevoyante H’cap Max Sicard Hollywood Turf Cup Pan American Orchid St
FR JPN FR JPN
Deauville Tokyo Saint Cloud Nakayama
Vulcain Copa Republica Argentina Belle de Nuit Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix)
Gp 1 L L Gr 1 L L Gr 3 L Gr 2 Gr 1 L Gr 3 L Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3
21-Oct-12 21-Oct-12 23-Oct-12 27-Oct-12 03-Nov-12 03-Nov-12 07-Nov-12 10-Nov-12 16-Nov-12 24-Nov-12 25-Nov-12 28-Nov-12 30-Nov-12 09-Dec-12 15-Dec-12 23-Mar-13 30-Mar-13
€ 209,000 $125,000 € 60,000 $100,000 $3,000,000 € 41,800 £33,000 $150,000 € 52,000 $150,000 $6,512,000 £33,000 $100,000 € 60,000 $250,000 $150,000 $150,000
3+
T
2300
24-Oct-12 04-Nov-12 15-Nov-12 23-Dec-12
€ 55,000 $1,433,000 € 52,000 $5,200,000
3+ 3+ F&M 3+ 3 3+ 3+ F 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ FM 3+ 3+ 4+ 4+ F&M
T T T T T T AWT T T T T AWT T T T T T
2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400 2400
3 3+ 3+ F 3+
T T T T
2500 2500 2500 2500
Lingfield Park
River Eden St (EBF)
L
01-Nov-12
£33,000
Santa Anita Rome Woodbine
Breeders’ Cup Marathon Roma Vecchia Valedictory S
Gr 2 L Gr 3
02-Nov-12 11-Nov-12 16-Dec-12
$500,000 € 41,800 CAN150,000+
3+ F&M
AWT
2600
Kyoto
Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger)
Gr 1
21-Oct-12
$2,917,000
3+ 3+ 3+
D T AWT
2800 2800 2800
Longchamp Saint-Cloud
Prix Royal-Oak Denisy
JPN
Nakayama
Sports Nippon Sho Stayers St
Gp 1 L
28-Oct-12 15-Nov-12
€ 250,000 € 52,000
3 No G
T
3000
01-Dec-12
$1,560,000
10-Nov-12 08-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 17-Nov-12 06-Dec-12 09-Mar-13 16-Mar-13
12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5
25-Sep-12 06-Nov-12
13
26-Oct-12
14 14 14
22-Oct-12 28-Nov-12
15
CLOSED
15.5f (3100m) 3+ 3+
T T
3100 3100
3+
T
3600
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore Gr 2
01-Nov-12 27-Oct-12
15f (3000m)
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com FR FR
18-Oct-12 22-Oct-12
14f (2800m)
Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 JPN
20-Sep-12 10-Oct-12
13f (2600m)
North American Trainer delivered to your door! USA ITY CAN
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
12.5f (2500m)
Now available for iPhone/iPad via Appstore GB
11.5
12f (2400m)
Visit www.america.trainermagazine.com L Gr 2 L Gr 1
11.25
11.5f (2300m)
Call us on 1 888 218 4430 to subscribe from $5 ITY USA FR USA USA ITY GB USA FR USA JPN GB USA FR USA USA USA
Closing 02-Feb-13
11.25f (2250m) 2250
North American Trainer delivered to your door! ITY
Furlongs 11
15.5 15.5
10-Oct-12
18f (3600m) 18
23-Oct-12
ISSUE 26 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 71
FERNANDO NA ISSUE 26_Jerkins feature.qxd 18/10/2012 00:53 Page 1
SID FERNANDO
S
OME OF the recent penalties meted out for demorphin positives are a step in the right direction, as are movements in some racing jurisdictions to significantly increase withdrawal times for clenbuterol, a bronchodilator with steroidal-like properties. “I’d like to see them do away with clenbuterol before Lasix,” Bob Baffert once told me. Lasix, or Salix as it’s now sold, is furosemide, a legal drug in horseracing. But it’s under fire, too. Opponents, spearheaded by the Jockey Club and cheer-led by the New York Times, almost zealously trumpet furosemide as a performance-enhancing drug (PED) and attribute quite a bit of equine malaise to its use. But just as vehemently, trainers – from Baffert in California to Barclay Tagg in New York, to name two of many – insist that furosemide is a valuable therapeutic medication that helps to control exerciseinduced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding, and shouldn’t be phased out. Now, furosemide does appear to help reduce the severity of EIPH, and even a scientific study sponsored in part by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (Hinchcliff, Morley, and Guthrie) says that this is so. But it’s obvious that a drug that was once dispensed sparingly and with strict racing commission oversight to help bleeders when first introduced in the early 1970s is now prescribed like Viagra or Cialis on the internet, to anyone needing it or not. It’s a fuster cluck, for sure. Reform of furosemide usage is clearly needed, at minimum in the way it is prescribed willy-nilly. Despite its efficacy, it has side effects, primarily because it’s a loop diuretic that causes dehydration. And that leads to electrolyte imbalances, which have to be treated with other medications – a nasty drug loop. Furosemide’s side effects, however, are being exaggerated by those who’d like to see it banned, with many who know better staying silent while lies are propagated,
72 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com ISSUE 26
No lie, no link (yet) between Lasix and breakdowns If I were put before a senate committee and asked if I’m in favor of medication reform at racetracks, the answer would be “Yes.” No lie. And I’d add that I would favor stiffer sanctions for Class 1 drug violators, too. and others actively participating in the fudging. Reform minded as I am, I nearly fell off my chair when Dr. Sheila Lyons, an equine veterinarian, testified on July 12 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, under the topic of “Lasix Drug Use in Race Horses,” with one heck of a whopper. She said: “My own review of peerreviewed publications revealed over two hundred scientific papers that suggest a link between Lasix use and increased risk of fracture.” Dr. Lyons, who got a well-timed publicity boost with some “expert” quotes in a July 11 Times story about I’ll Have Another’s “History of Ailments,” flat out misled the senate committee, at best. You see, there are scientific papers that link Lasix to fractures, such as “Fracture Risk in Patients Treated with Loop Diuretics,” a 2006 paper by three researchers
“Dr. Lyons, in order to convince the lawmakers, left out of her testimony that the scientific papers she referenced didn’t involve equines at all”
at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. But they are mostly about elderly humans and Lasix. The Danish study, for example, found a link in patients aged 40 or more who’d used Lasix for at least five years. Dr. Lyons, in order to convince the lawmakers, left out of her testimony that the scientific papers she referenced didn’t involve equines at all. In fact, no scientific study exists at present that links furosemide use in equines to fractures. But this didn’t stop Times writer Joe Drape from tweeting on July 12 after Dr. Lyons had testified that “Lyons was (sic) star” of the proceedings. In their newspaper coverage of the event the next day, Drape and co-writer Walt Bogdanich gave Lyons more props, but they curiously left out her tie-in of Lasix to fractures. Perhaps the Times had fact checked Dr. Lyons’s assertions? Whatever the case, Dr. Lyons and her fan, Drape, took a hit on this supposed equine link between Lasix and breakdowns with the recent release of the “New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety,” which addressed the 21 equine fatalities at the Aqueduct fall/winter meet. In part, the report said, “The Task Force was specifically asked to look at whether the use of furosemide was a possible contributing factor in the fatalities that are the subject of this investigation...” It concluded: “All of the fatally injured horses were treated with furosemide on race day. One hundred fifty three of the 159 uninjured horses in those same races received furosemide. There was no statistically significant difference between the proportion of injured horses that received furosemide (21/21; 100%) and the proportion of the uninjured horses that received furosemide (148/153; 97%), using Fisher’s Exact Test (P=1.000).” Perhaps a link will be established in a future study between furosemide and fractures in equines. But for now, what’s obvious from these numbers is that too many horses are racing on furosemide. No lie. n
ISSUE 26 INSIDE COVERS_Layout 1 18/10/2012 00:57 Page 1
ISSUE 26 OUTSIDE COVERS_Layout 1 18/10/2012 00:58 Page 1
North American Trainer ISSUE 26 (WINTER 2012)
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DONNIE K. VON HEMEL
Building his reputation
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