January 2016

$7.99 January 2016

Volume 28, Number 1

2 0 1 6

© HOOFPRINTSINC.COM

Delaware Park Top Meet of 2015

NF Proof+/ 1985 - 2013 4/22(14-5-1)D+8 Bay • 15.1 Hands

2016 Stud Fee: $2,500. Frozen semen only.

NF Proof+/ foals are eligible for the HARC Incentive Program.

Arabian Racing Hall of Fame Stallion Once again ranked in the Top 10 Broodmare Sires for 2015. Broodmare sire of 2015 stakes winners EASTER MAN and BURNING FLEET (G1).

Anne Seymour P.O. Box 646 (County Road 192) De Funiak Springs, Florida 32435 850.859.2808, seyvilla@embarqmail.com 2 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

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Fee: $2,000

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Editor's Notes

By Stephanie J. Corum

As I write this, 2015 is winding to a close. Arabian racing is done for the year and we are all looking ahead to 2016.

Thus, I thought it would be good to make this a "Year in Review" type of issue. Inside the pages of this issue you will find the statistics for all the tracks that held an Arabian race in 2015. You will also see the overall numbers for the year. There is no way to sugarcoat it. They are disappointing. I think we all hoped that 2014 was rock bottom, but it appears that was not the case since 2015's numbers showed another decline.

If you just look at the numbers you may think we are done.

Toast. Finished. But, if you look beyond the numbers that may not be the case. Arabian racing continues to gain popularity in other parts of the world and U.S.-bred horses hold their own against them all. We have seen an increase in race sponsorships through the Sheikh Mansoor Festival and the DIAR Stakes, both of which will return for 2016.

There is the possibility of two new venues next year for one-day racing - Fair Hill, Maryland and Van Wert, Ohio (see Joe Nevill's column for more on Van Wert).

This magazine has seen an increase in subscription numbers of the printed copy and a huge influx of readership through the free digital copy. We now have readers from all over the world. What better place to get your word out but through advertising in Finish Line - one of the most reasonably priced venues around. Our prices remain the same for 2016, but be warned...they will likely go up in 2017.

The HARC program is generating interest and discussion, which is great. The Arabian Racing Cup is back in business premiering a new breeders' incentive program in 2016 (see their press release in this issue for more information). The number of stallions in the 2015 Stallion Guide were higher than 2014, and the number for 2016 is higher than 2015.

Speaking of the Stallion Guide, it is being put together at the same time as this issue with publication in early January. Once again it will be found digitally on the Finish Line website as well as horsereporter.com. Our cover boy will be Burning Sand, who is celebrating ten years as the U.S.'s leading sire by earnings. He has been incredibly dominant and he will be profiled in next month's issue.

couldn't do this without the help of others, mainly Corliss Hazard, supreme graphics gal who does the beautiful covers among other things, all the columnists and free-lance writers who bring their knowledge and talent to the pages of this magazine every month, to the loyal advertisers (without whom this magazine wouldn't exist) to you, the loyal readers. There are many out there that say print is dead, but the readership of this magazine says otherwise.

I hear over and over about how you can't wait to receive your magazine in the mail. Thank you for your loyalty. I look forward to bringing you an even better magazine in 2016.

Happy New Year. May 2016 bring us all peace and prosperity. And a great year of Arabian racing.

Help us celebrate Burning Sand's ten years atop the leading sire list.

Coming in the Feburary issue - an overview of Burning Sand and the next generation as his sons and daughters produce their own runners. Do you stand a Burning Sand son? Selling a Burning Sand daughter in foal? Have a Burning Sand runner for 2016?

Considering advertising them in this special issue!

Finally, to wrap up my last "Editor's Notes" for 2015, I want to personally thank each and everyone one of you for your business, support and contributions over the past year. I 5 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Around the Ovals Track statistics for 2015 Ferndale Races Starters Owners

California

Overnight Races Purses Handle

4 21 11

3 $19,070 ($6,357 avg.) $172,499 ($57,500 avg.)

Stakes Races Purses Handle

1 $7,610 $22,255

Sacramento Races Starters Owners

Overnight Races Purses Handle

3 $15,127 ($5,042 avg.) $110,246 ($36,749 avg.)

Stakes Races Purses Handle

2 $34,970 ($17,485 avg.) $138,410 ($69,205 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

4 $26,433 ($6,608 avg.) $204,115 ($51,029 avg.)

Fresno Races Starters Owners

6 27 15

6 32 15

Stakes Races Purses Handle

1 $9,470 $48,396

Santa Rosa Races Starters Owners

Overnight Races Purses Handle

5 $37,729 ($7,546 avg.) $295,175 ($59,035 avg.)

Stakes Races Purses Handle

1 $8,895 $52,818

Overnight Races Purses Handle

6 $40,207 ($6,701 avg.) $413,218 ($68,870 avg.)

Los Alamitos Race Course Races 3 Starters 19 Owners 11 Stakes Races Purses Handle

2 $70,148 ($35,074 avg.) $183,341 ($91,671 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

1 $7,000 $53,471

Oak Tree at Pleasanton Races 6 Starters 28 Owners 16 Stakes Races Purses Handle

Stockton Races Starters Owners

7 32 15

3 19 13

Stakes Races

0

Overnight Races Purses Handle

3 $24,848 ($8,282 avg.) $120,896 ($40,299 avg.)

3 $109,424 ($36,475 avg.) $280,052 ($93,351 avg.)

6 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Arapahoe Park Races 25 Starters 54 Owners 28

Colorado

Retama Park Races Starters Owners

Stakes Races Purses Handle

5 $108,100 ($21,620 avg.) $99,481 ($19,896 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

20 $167,920 ($8,396 avg.) $224,003 ($11,200 avg.)

Delaware Park Races 33 Starters 61 Owners 27

Delaware

Stakes Races Purses Handle

6 $170,400 ($34,080 avg.) $415,672 ($83,134 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

28 $356,125 ($12,719 avg.) $2,094,330 ($74,798 avg.)

Hazel Park Races Starters Owners

9 32 23

Stakes Races Purses Handle

2 $40,000 ($20,000 avg.) $29,582 ($14,791 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

7 $46,335 ($6,619 avg.) $122,518 ($17,503 avg.)

Sam Houston Race Park Races 16 Starters 57 Owners 31 Stakes Races Purses Handle

4 $143,600 ($35,900 avg.) $522,904 ($130,726 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

12 $69,600 ($5,800 avg.) $676,068 ($56,339 avg.)

Michigan 8 18 17

Equine Writing and Editing Consulting Services

Stakes Races

0

Overnight Races Purses Handle

8 $60,302 ($7,538 avg.) $87,827 ($10,978 avg.)

Lone Star Park Races 12 Starters 50 Owners 30

Brochures Articles

Texas

Books Sales Catalogs

Stakes Races Purses Handle

6 $147,800 ($24,633 avg.) $221,991 ($36,999 avg.)

Overnight Races Purses Handle

6 $53,400 ($8,900 avg.) $164,659 ($27,443 avg.)

Tobi Lopez Taylor tobi@tobitaylor.com Author of the books Orzel: Scottsdale’s Legendary Arabian Stallion and The Polish and Russian Arabians of Ed Tweed’s Brusally Ranch, as well as articles in Arabian Finish Line, Arabian Horse Express, Arabian Visions, Blood-Horse, and Dressage Today.

7 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Announcing a New, Updated Breeders' Incentive Program from the Arabian Racing Cup The Arabian Racing Cup has spent the last year developing a new breeders' incentive program to reward the breeders of Arabian racehorses. It goes into effect in 2016 with the initial nomination of stallions. The details of the program are described below. For more information, visit their website at www.arabianracingcup.com.

BREEDERS INCENTIVE PROGRAM The Arabian Racing Cup is excited to institute an incentive program that will reward the breeder of purebred Arabian racehorses. In order to be eligible to receive these funds, people must join (by paying into) the Cup programs. They must breed to a Cup-nominated stallion and then subsequently nominate the resulting foal by the Cup-nominated stallion.

Nomination requirements of each program are listed below.

STALLION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS • The stallion will be nominated by the Owner, Agent, or Lessee.

• A stallion must be paid into the Cup program every year in order for foals born the following year to be eligible

for the Foal Program.

• A stallion must be nominated and paid in full the year the mare is bred to that stallion in order for resulting foal

to be eligible for the Foal Program. The fee will be $150.00 every year for each stallion.

• Stallions from all over the world will be eligible as long as they are recognized by the Arabian Horse Association.

In return for fees paid, every year Nominated Stallions will receive: • Advertising through all Cup Stallion ads.

• Special recognition in the Arabian Finish Line Stallion Guide.

• Because foals by Nominated Stallions would be eligible to earn additional money, this will encourage breeders to

breed to a Cup Nominated Stallion.

FOAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS • In order to receive incentive funds, eligible foals must be fully nominated into the Incentive Program. Once nomi

nated they will be eligible for their lifetime.

• Foals will be nominated and paid for by the breeder. The breeder could be an owner, agent, or lessee, but the

foal’s registration papers must have this person listed as the breeder.

• Incentives will be paid to the breeder, no matter who owns the foal at time of running.

• The Nomination Fee is $500.00 to be paid in over a three year period.

o Weanling year - $50.00 due by December 31 of foaling year

o Yearling year - $200.00 due by December 31 of yearling year

o 2-year-old year - $250.00 due by December 31 of 2-year-old year.

o This system will allow the breeder to evaluate the foal before making a complete commitment. It will

also protect the breeder in situations where the foal is sold and will not run in the United States, sustains

an injury and cannot race, etc.

NOTE: The broodmare must be bred to an Cup-nominated stallion in order for the breeder to be eligible to receive incentive rewards.

8 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

KAO MALOAN SWA

by KAOLINO

Call us today about prospects & breedings!

KAO MALOAN SWA, BY KAOLINO AHR*661061, 04-March-2013.

Bay Colt, Out of Molli Maloan (3 time winner and stakes placed mare by FMR Grand Jete) dam 4 time winner & stakes placed Cholly Roger

OZARK KAOLENA SWA

OZARK KAOLENA SWA, by KAOLINO AHR*656668, 02-March-2012.

by KAOLINO

Chestnut Filly, Out of FMR Ozark Eklipse (by Cassels Roszlem+) 6 time winning mare, dam of winners including Sir James MHF by KAOLINO. Currently racing

CHNDAKAS EKLIPSE SWA, by CHNDAKA AHR*661060, 14-March-2013.

Grey Filly, Out of FMR Ozark Eklipse (by Cassels Roszlem+) 6 time winning mare with 2 stakes wins, 3 stakes places

KOUNT CZESTER SWA, by KAN YOU RUN AHR*653297, 13 Mar 2011.

Grey Stallion, out of FMR Ozark Eklipse, by Cassels Roszlem+. A purebred American-bred with no french blood. Currently racing.

Sold!

MADAME CHRISSTY SWA, by CHNDAKA

AHR*656539, 21 Jan 2012. out of Triss, by Wiking. Full sister to CHRISS SWA. In training.

CHNDAKAS EKLIPSE SWA

by CHNDAKA

Spirit Winds Arabians Stallions at stud for Purebred Racing Heritage Breeding

Racing photo, CHRISS SWA Š RASMI HUNT, COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

KD Kalhoun 1994 Black Stallion KD Kalibor x Belvedere Hartyna, by Baharr 7 wins, 8 placings. 6/35(7-4-4). Sire of limited offspring, 3 to race, 2 winners including STF Point Two Kalhoun, exported

Kan You Run

1995 Bay Stallion Wikking x Kenia, by *El Paso 15 wins, 16 places. 55(15-7-9)2-2.

Outstanding durability. From just a few foals he has sired 4 winners

KOUNT CZESTER SWA

by KAN YOU RUN

Sold!

Dr. James L. Wetzel Jr. Over 20 years of success in breeding and racing Arabians.

Spirit Winds Arabians

11265 W Goose Egg Road, Casper, Wyoming 82604 307-237-8419 days 307-234-1622 evenings www.spiritwindshorses.com email: spiritwinds3@hotmail.com

By Michael Economopoulos

Photos, Thomas Kohler & Dave Wild

As we begin a new year, I looked back into the past to remind me where we have come from and how much things have changed. I wrote the following column over 20 years ago. Back then, there was no internet, simulcast on cable and satellite TV, or even good cell phones.

Things sure have changed. And it's not just the technology. Race horse owners have become so much more knowledgeable and sophisticated. Like the sport itself, we have all evolved. We have.... haven't we?

July 1993 It's Saturday afternoon, almost 3 o' clock. I pick up the phone for the third time to make sure it's still working.

The race should have gone off at 3:10 Delaware time, 2:10 here in Arkansas. My horse should be cooled down by now and back in his stall. My trainer ought to be calling any minute. Maybe we won the race, and they got held up in the spit barn. That must be it.

My trainer said we had a pretty good shot, but we were in with some tough company. Perhaps we shouldn't have run him in a non-winners of three, but instead waited for an easier race. I told my trainer to use his judgment. Then again, he did sound a bit annoyed when I called him for the third time last week and asked him when we were going to run. After all, he's got to understand that with all the money I've got in training we just can't wait around for the perfect race.

Maybe we should have waited for a maiden race like he suggested.

I guess I could call his wife at home to see if she's heard something. I better not. If he called her before he called me it could only mean bad news. It might be one of those, "Well we beat two horses but were making up ground" kind of races. I never have figured out why trainers think you should feel good about beating two horses. Unless of course it's feeling good compared to those other two owners who have even less to feel good about.

Another thing I haven't figured out is whether "beating two horses but making up ground" is better or worse than "leading at the quarter pole but coming up short in the stretch". Either way you still finish seventh and move one step further away from a Darley Award.

Of course if he won, which is possible, we might still have a Darley horse. After all, my trainer did say we worked 3/8 in :38 last week, which would have been the fastest work on the track that day. With that kind of time we could win the Derby. So what if the Racing Form shows him going in :42. Those clockers never pay much attention to the Arabians anyway.

Maybe he bled. I heard that all the horses at Delaware were bleeding. Something about the humidity or bird droppings or something like that. I hope my trainer has been using that supplement I sent him. A friend of mine recommended it to me. It's supposed to be a secret herbal formula used by D. Wayne Lucas. My trainer assures me that he knows what he's doing, which is probably why he doesn't get very enthused about many of my suggestions. I'm not one of those owners that thinks he knows more than his trainer, but I wish he would pay more attention to some of my great ideas. I realize he's been doing this a long time, but it's obvious to me he hasn't read all of Tom Ivers' books and doesn't understand the benefits of interval training. Maybe I should get a trainer's license.

If my horse wins this race, I'll probably get a lot of calls from the Sheikhs wanting to buy him. I figure a potential Derby winner and Darley nominee ought to be worth at least $100,000 or more. I think maybe I'll ask for $150,000. That's a fair price and besides, they can afford it. With all that money I can start my own stable. Then I can interval train and show them all how it's done.

I hope we won. I hope we won. I hope we won.

9 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

I hope my colt didn't blow up in the gate. l hope he didn't. I hope he didn't.

My trainer has worked with thoroughbreds all his life and doesn't realize how sensitive Arabians are. Especially my colt. My trainer says he doesn't have any manners. I think he just doesn't know how to talk to him. A hand full of sugar cubes always worked for me.

When he left the farm I almost had him leading properly and I know he was only playing when he pawed at me. I hope the jockey didn't whip him.

It's three o' clock and still no phone call. Doesn't my trainer know that I'm waiting for him to call? What else could be more important than keeping an owner informed and up-to-date about his horse? Is it too much to ask that he call four or five times a week to give me a progress report? Is it too much to expect a phone call fifty minutes after a race? Doesn't he know how much stress there is on an owner?

"I guess that supplement I sent you did the trick!"

"Oh, by the way, I've been looking at the condition book. There's an open allowance race in five days. Do you think you can have him ready?"

"Hello?.....Hello?...You still there?" * * * * * * * I am sorry to report the passing of another great Arabian, SGR Vayu. This handsome bay Pure Polish *Orzel son was a multiple stakes winner and won against the top horses of his time including Charlie Valentine, Flaming Tron Ku and Vladin. My condolences to his owners, Van and Marsha Adamson.

Then - Ring... Ring... Ring...

"Hello. How did we do?"

"We did? Great! Great!"

"By how much? What was the time?"

10 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

- tech

By Dr. Deb Powell, PhD © COADY PHOTO

www.hoofandpawtherapeutics.com

The Aerodynamics of Horse Racing You may recognize some of the names of the most famous race horses in the history of the sport: Secretariat, Affirmed, American Pharoah, DA Adios, So Big Is Better, Dan Patch, and Foiled Again. Now can you name the jockeys and drivers that rode or drove them to victory?

That may not be as easy. Horse racing has changed quite dramatically since the early 19th century. Jockeys used to assume a pose on the horse much like the dressage rider with the back straight, head up, and seat firmly planted in the saddle. Drivers sat on race bikes that had straight lengthy shafts and were heavy in design. When you think about that…horses competing during those times had to truly exert that energy to possess speed, strength, and duration. Now hold on a minute, I am in no way implying that the great race horses of today do not possess those same attributes, but we live in an age of technological advances that truly work towards the horse’s advantage.

By the end of the 19th century, jockeys realized that if they assumed more of the workload by standing up in the stirrups, bending a little forward and moving with the motion of the galloping horse, wow, they went faster! One of the keys to speed is how lightly the horse can carry the weight of his rider. Now if you can visualize, as the horse runs, throughout his stride his back moves up and down about 150 mm (6 inches) and forward and backward about 100 mm (4 inches). The jockey also moves up and down about 60 mm and forward and backward about 20 mm. This small motion of the jockey makes a big difference because if the jockey can absorb the ‘jiggles’ of the horse, the jockey can actually prevent the horse from having to make him (the jockey) go up and down with each stride. Thus the horse’s workload goes down and the jockey’s goes up. In addition, the

crouched position of the jockey minimizes wind resistance which again will assist in decreasing the workload placed on the horse. You may also notice that those race bikes used in harness racing are now more aerodynamically designed. Disc wheels have replaced the spoke wheels and produce less wind drag and turbulence when they spin. The race bikes themselves have become lighter with an almost seamless round design, again reducing wind resistance.

Speaking of wind resistance…this brings up another interesting point. Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique long used in high speed motor car racing, bike cycle racing and speedskating. In general, as the horse moves through the air, a turbulent wake is produced behind him. This makes vortices (whirling air masses).

The vortices create a low pressure area behind the front running horse and an area of wind that moves along with the front running horse. If you are a following horse, you can just move into the wind behind the horse in front of you. The low pressure will help move you forward and the eddy (reverse current created by the vortices) will push you forward. Now don’t think that the front runner is at a total disadvantage. He will gain an advantage by filling in the eddy thus improving his performance. However, this horse still needs to expend more energy than the horses following him. Two horses drafting will put out less energy than two not drafting. In order for this to be called effective drafting, the horses need to be as close as possible to the horse in front of them. The shorter the distance between horses, the larger the decrease in wind resistance. The practice of drafting or slipstreaming will work with either mounted or driven race horse sports.

11 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Although this experiment did not take into account track conditions, weather, and various jockeys' positions on their mounts, it does provide strong evidence of the energy conserving effects of drafting or slipstreaming.

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne, Australia conducted a first-time study investigating simulations of horse racing position with the hope of understanding the principles of reduction of drag on a race horse during a race. The simulations were conducted in RMIT’s Bundoora wind tunnel using toy models that were exact miniature replicas of a racing horse and jockey. The main variables that were measured were the different distances between horses and the configuration of the horse packs. The wind tunnel was capable of producing wind at specified speeds up to 149 kph (87 mph). The wind produced the aerodynamic drag force on the object and that drag force depended on the air density, the shape of the model, the frontal area, and the wind speed. Because drag is a horizontal force, the weight (a vertical force) of the horse and jockey was not a factor.

The model horses in the tunnel were mounted on two force transducers, which record the drag force data.

Based on the measured variables, the research showed differences in the degree of drag depending, on average, where one horse was in relation to the other. In general: • When two horses are in front of one horse, the trailing horse meets 66% less drag.

• When four horses are racing in a row, one behind the other, the drag of the last horse is reduced by 54%.

• When two horses are racing with one closely behind the other, the drag of the lead horse is reduced by 6.5% and the drag of the trailing horse is reduced by almost 40%.

• In a situation where five horses are side by side, the center horse has to work a bit harder because drag is increased by 25%.

Professional cyclists have long used ‘skinsuits’ to help reduce direct friction (surface friction when wind comes in contact with the outer surface of the body). Reducing drag can also apply to the silks the jockey wears. Jockeys wear silks to represent the ownership or trainer of the horse. The lose fitting silks allows for increased surface friction by giving the ‘parachute’ or ‘kite’ effect on the jockey as the horse is running. Aerodynamically engineered fabric surrounding the jockey that can help reduce drag may make an impact in helping reduce race times by reducing drag. Speed Silks®, a registered trademark of Darby Racing Technology, LLC, has come up with just that type of fabric. The fabric is made with Aero Dimplex® material that is uniquely dimpled to reduce drag caused by wind resistance. These silks are colored by dye sublimation rather than the traditional sewn-on patchwork, which further reduces drag caused by seams.

There are countless factors that influence the way a horse may place in a race. Employing the concepts of aerodynamics, whether it is in horse placement, jockey position, or jockey gear, all add up to the hopes of reaching the winner's circle.

12 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Follow Joe on Twitter at @DRFNevills

Through all the recent changes in the racing landscape of Ohio, and the Midwest as a whole, the one venue that’s largely stayed true to its roots is the Van Wert County Fair.

The single-day meet, held each Labor Day in Van Wert, Ohio just east of the Indiana border, has been a staple of the rural community for nearly a century and a quarter, a throwback to a time in racing long since replaced by casino lights, jumbotrons, and expensive clothing of questionable taste.

The fair offers a day of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing in front of a massive wooden grandstand, which on that day is often too full of fans to leave any room for pretense or pessimism. The inside rail is replaced with harness pylons, needed for the Standardbred races held over the same oval. Purses are modest, but horses and connections ship in from myriad out-of-state circuits to compete.

Patrons are able to partake in pari-mutuel wagering, but the races are not recognized by the sport’s official record keepers, meaning the races and earnings do not show up in a horse’s, rider’s or trainer’s past performances. To watch a race at Van Wert is to truly capture a moment in time that cannot be recalled unless you were there to

record it with your memory, your pen and paper, or your camera.

In other words, the Van Wert County Fair race meet is my happy place.

While the event is very much rooted in its tradition, the Van Wert County Fair board has taken steps to upgrade the experience for fans and horsemen. The 2015 meet featured additional purse funds from the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, and introduced The Paddock Club, a premium seating area.

Mike Poling would like to keep adding to the meet by introducing the racing Arabian breed to the fold.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as sending out an invitation.

Poling is the vice president of the Van Wert County Fair board, and has been the director of the fair’s Speed Department (Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and Standardbred racing) for three years, following in the footsteps of his father, who held the same position for most of his 35 years on the board.

Following one of the most active meets in recent memory, Poling discussed what makes the Van Wert County Fair one of racing’s hidden treasures, and the details behind why he’d like to bring in Arabians, how it might look, and what currently stands in the idea’s path.

Joe Nevills: For people unfamiliar with the Van Wert County Fair races, please give readers a brief overview.

Mike Poling: Well, the Van Wert County Fair is always over Labor Day weekend. Beside the two sessions of Standardbred racing, we have the Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse racing which has always been on Labor Day. We just completed our 122nd year of offering running races at the fair.

Mike Poling, vice-president of the Van Wert County Fair Board.

JN: Describe the atmosphere of the Van Wert races.

MP: It’s a big family reunion. We have folks who come back to see family and friends and enjoy the races on

13 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Labor Day. There’ll be campers and tents, awnings, flatbed wagons, an old school bus or two parked around the outside of the track tailgating as it were, and catching up with their friends. A lot of the folks in the grandstand are there to visit with family and enjoy the races.

Even the majority of the owners and trainers tell us they come here because they enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and catching up with some of their peers they don’t get to see very often. It’s what horse racing used to be, it’s how it started. A friendly rivalry.

JN: Can you explain how the races are able to be held, and pari-mutuel, without being recognized by Equibase?

MP: No, not entirely. We have offered pari-mutuel wagering for as long as I can remember on the harness racing.

As for the Thoroughbreds & Quarter Horses, my dad had to go before the Ohio Racing Commission to get approval to offer pari-mutuel wagering for the runners.

That happened sometime in the late 70’s.

We have to be permitted by the Ohio Racing Commission to offer Thoroughbred/ Quarter Horse racing and are bound by their rules and regulations governing horse racing in the state of Ohio. While we are not recognized by Equibase, we have been working with them for the last five or six years.

JN: With county fair-level racing for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses all but gone east of the Mississippi River, what has kept Van Wert going when others have fallen by the wayside?

MP: It’s tradition. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s about sharing an afternoon with your family, your friends, and making new ones. It is an event that only comes around once a year in this part of the state. It’s different. If we were to stop having Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse racing, we would have a lot of people upset with us.

It has probably become a niche for us, which helps it to survive here. It hasn’t been easy by any means. We incur a financial loss every year that we put it on. We have, just this past year, started to look at ways we can, at a minimum, make it break even. The Ohio HBPA this past year made a nice donation toward our Thoroughbred purses, which helped us bring in more horses for the races. We will need to continue to find ways to help offset the cost associated with the event and hopefully continue to grow it back to what it was 15 to 20 years ago.

JN: Why would you like to host Arabian races at Van Wert?

MP: It would be something our patrons have probably not had a chance to experience - something new and different for us to offer. Again, it allows us a niche in the market, so to speak, that we can take advantage of through advertising and marketing our fair and our running races.

JN: Why would it be beneficial for the Arabian horsemen to have races at Van Wert?

MP: I think it would help them promote their races, their breed.

It would give people in this part of the state a chance to see and experience Arabian horse racing. It would be one more event where they can showcase their product, and we can help them do that.

JN: What obstacles are keeping it from happening?

MP: Currently, we cannot host an Arabian horse race unless one of the commercial tracks in the state has written a set of conditions to hold such an event. If and when that happens, my understanding is that we would then be allowed to add them to our card if we so choose. The other obstacle would be finding purse money.

JN: What can Arabian horsemen do to help bring the breed to Ohio and Van Wert?

MP: From my limited knowledge, they need to get one of the commercial tracks to lobby the Ohio Racing Commission to allow them to write a set of conditions to put on an

14 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Arabian horse race.

JN: If Arabian racing is approved at Van Wert, where would you expect the purse levels to be for their races?

MP: My understanding is we would need to be in the $6,000 range for purse money to get some interest going.

Currently, that is more than we offer in our Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse purses. We would need to find some additional dollars to pull this all together. Not an easy task, but not an impossible one either.

It all goes back to offering our patrons something unique and exciting and when we can do that our revenues start to rise. We have to figure out how to get to that point how to bring fans, new and old, back to the track.

JN: When did the idea to run Arabians at Van Wert first come to mind?

MP: I was approached this past January by an owner in the Cincinnati area. We pursued the idea with the Ohio Racing Commission, but we’ll have to wait to see if the commission or one of the commercial tracks will move forward with the idea. I think it would go over well for us, but we’ll have to wait and see.

JN: With the racing surface being used for several different events in a short amount of time and the lack of an inside rail, there could be some concerns from horsemen about safety. What would you say to someone who is on the fence about sending a horse to run at Van Wert due to safety concerns?

MP: We do our best to provide them with a track surface that is suitable for them to race on. We do have those who come here for the first time and have concerns about the surface. We do our best to address those concerns and most of the owners/trainers have been very satisfied with the track.

who work our starting gate to the folks who work the mutual windows. The fans who book their camping/tailgating lots a year in advance to the ones who make the trip for a day to come and sit in our grand old grandstand.

It takes them all to make an event like this a success, to the owners and trainers who have stuck with us and are offering ideas and spreading the word to other horsemen, we couldn’t do it without you. To the jockeys who could probably stay at home or ride somewhere closer to home, we appreciate you being a part of what makes the Van Wert County Fair Labor Day races special.

JN: Is there anything else you’d like to add that might be useful for readers to know?

MP: To me, we offer a glimpse of how the sport used to be.

Smaller venue, a county fair track, people enjoying each other and horse racing. If we don’t have the fans who want to come out, watch some good racing, bet a few dollars and have an enjoyable day they can relate to someone later in the week, we have a long road ahead of us.

This is what will carry horse racing into the future. Our goal is to provide a venue for both the fans and the horseman to come and have an enjoyable day, something they’ll want to do again next year. It has gotten us this far, with some slight modifications it will carry us forward. If you’ve never had the opportunity, come see us at the 123rd Van Wert County Fair Labor Day races Sept. 5, 2016. We would love to show you around.

As for the lack of a hub rail, while we do have the occasional horse throw its jock we have been fortunate not to have any serious injuries to either the horse or jockey. We do limit the people traffic in the infield and try to keep the minimum amount of equipment in the infield. Is it perfect?

Probably not, but we do our best to keep everyone as safe as possible.

JN: What is your favorite thing about the Van Wert County Fair races?

MP: The people. Getting to see old friends or make new ones, it’s all about the people. Most folks don’t realize the hours it takes to plan, promote and pull off a one-day event like this and you can’t do it without everybody’s support: To the folks who help me on the track or in the paddock, to the timers and judges. From the guys and ladies

Horses race every year at the Van Wert County Fair on Labor Day.

15 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

INTRODUCING

Multi Group 1 winner in UAE Akbar At 3 and 4 years : 13 races, 4 wins and 7 places in France 1st Prix Gosse du Bearn, 1200 meters, Agen 1st Prix BA Toustem, 2000 meters, Toulouse 1st Prix Djerba Oua, 2200 meters, La Teste 1st Prix Dormane, 1900 meters, La Teste 2nd Prix Mohammed Oukili, 1850 meters, Agen 2nd The President of the UAE Cup-Coupe de France des Chevaux Arabes (Gr.1PA), 1 600 m, Chantilly 2nd Prix Kriss II, 1 900 m, Bordeaux 2nd Prix Manganate – Shadwell (Gr.1PA), 2000 m, Deauville From 5 to 8 years : 15 races, 5 wins and 10 places in UAE 1st Al Maktoum Challenge R3 (Gr.1PA), 2000 m, Meydan (3 times) 1st The President of the UAE Cup (Gr.1PA), 2200 m, Abu Dhabi 1st National Day Cup (Gr.1PA), 1600 m, Abu Dhabi 2nd Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr.1PA), 2000 m, Meydan 2nd National Day Cup (Gr.1PA), 1600 m, Abu Dhabi 2nd HH the President Cup (Gr.1PA), 2200 m, Abu Dhabi

Manganate

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His sire AKBAR (by Djelfor), 15 time winner in UAE, sire of SERAPHIN DU PAON winner of the 2011 The Presidents Cup, Abu Dhabi and 2011 Kahayla Classic. NIESHAN is out of the race winning mare Jade des Pins, dam of Nashmee (f. by Akbar) 2 wins and 3 places in UAE. His second dam D'Jadie de Teoul was also dam of 5 winners including a group 3 winner at Casablanca.

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The Year That Was - 2015 I think many of us hoped that 2014 was the year Arabian racing hit rock bottom. Unfortunately, that was not the case as 2015's numbers showed a decline even over the previous year. Those numbers, such as they are, can be found in the table below. The one bright spot is average overnight purses, which are up over the previous years, bolstered mainly by the higher overnight purses at Delaware Park. And while the numbers don't lie, there's more to it than just the numbers.

We are still dealing with numbers that were the ramifications of the Great Recession. Through informal surveys, we know that over the last few years the number of horses being bred for racing has started to go back up, but it's years before we see those results on the racetrack.

Looking at the individual racetracks, Delaware Park showed the highest average overnight purses, the most races and the most starters, even though they struggled with their meet. Sam Houston claimed the highest average stakes purses just edging out Delaware Park's average.

Racing may still be struggling in the United States, but it is going strong in the Middle East and France especially. International stakes purses are at an all-time high and US-bred horses are able to compete with the best of the best. This is a double-edged sword. US breeders are selling their horses for good money to foreign interests, but that reduces the number of horses available to race in the U.S. The following pages gives a brief year-end review by the Arabian Jockey Club and the Arabian Racing Cup. Both organizations are volunteer run, incredibly busy and working extremely hard to improve racing in our country. The AJC has helped bring in additional sponsorship money for races and the Cup is instituting a new breeders' incentive program to start in 2016.

So as we close the door on what can only be thought of as a disappointing year numbers wise, I remain hopeful that we have indeed hit rock bottom and 2016 will turn us around. Finish Line will be there to cover what happens regardless.

-By Stephanie J. Corum

Table 1: Racing Statistics for the Last Three Years (Numbers provided by the Arabian Jockey Club.)

2015 2014 2013 Races 138 177 188 Starts 944 1270 1375 Unique Starters 193 238 274 Unique Owners 92 120 125 Stakes Races 32 32 36 Purses $850,417 $899,110 $1,004,495 (average) $26,575 $28,097 $27,903 Handle $2,014,902 $2,272,920 $4,104,349 (average) $62,966 $71,029 $114,010 Overnight Races 106 145 152 Purses $924,096 $1,067,169 $1,250,201 (average) $8,719 $7,360 $8,225 Handle $4,739,025 $9,329,264 $9,316,909 (average) $44,708 $64,340 $61,295 20 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Arabian Jockey Club Year-In-Review

by Sue Meyer

AJC Mission Statement: We are dedicated t o the promotion and education of the Arabian racing industry in the United States.

The year 2015 started off with race-bred Oration being named a Breyer horse statue. After a brief career as a race horse, Oration’s breeder Dianne Waldron contacted the Desiderio family and Oration started his remarkable career as a Sport horse. Oration is just one of many race-bred Arabians who have gone into and excelled in other disciplines.

Other examples are Spin Doctor, owned by Paul and Kathy Smoke who was named National Champion in Training Level dressage at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals, and Inn The Fast Lane, owned by James and Susan Meyer, who was named U.S. National Top Ten in the Reining Horse Futurity and the Junior Horse Reining at the U.S. Nationals.

Last year’s Tevis Cup winner was French Open, who raced for seven years with 89 starts before beginning his endurance career.

In 2015, the Arabian Jockey Club was instrumental in obtaining over a half a million dollars in sponsorships for purses. New this year was the Arabian Triple Jewel series sponsored by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Nayhan. Each of the three races in the series had a minimum purse of $47,000.

Horses would earn points for first through third places. At the end of the series the horse with the most points would earn a bonus of $150,000. Paddys Day won the most points bringing his 2015 earnings to over $247,000.

In February, AJC officials and the AHA Registrar were guests of Qatar at meetings and racing in Doha.

In March, US superstar Valiant Boy SBFAR was invited to Dubai to run in the $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr 1).

He ran a spectacular race coming in second and was ridden by US Hall Of Fame jockey Joel Rosario for owner Guy Neivens.

In April, the Darley Awards were again held in Hollywood, CA. Hosted by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nayhan Festival, it honors the best in Arabian racing. In 2016 the Darley Awards will again be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and has been extended to a three day affair with the addition of a $100,000 Arabian race to be held at Santa Anita Race Track.

Also in April, the Arabian Jockey Club announced their inductees into the Arabian Racing Hall Of Fame and the Arabian Racing Tent Of Honor. Two horses, Don Condare and Sueade, were inducted into the Hall Of Fame and three people, Ed Wilson, Bobbi Patscheider and Jerry Partin were inducted into the Tent Of Honor. All were recognized at social events throughout the country.

In May, the Arabian Jockey Club was well represented at the 2015 World Arabian Horse Racing Conference held in Warsaw, Poland. Panels of experts from around the world discussed every aspect of Arabian racing. The 2016 conference is scheduled to be held in Rome, Italy in May. In August, a Day At The Races was held at Delaware Park to introduce newcomers to racing with a behind the scenes look at how the races work along with the thrill of watching Arabians compete in two graded stakes races.

In October, the Arabian Jockey Club was represented at the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing held during the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend in Paris, France.

The Arabian World Cup (Gr 1) saw twenty horses compete for a purse of $1 million Euros.

In November, U.S. horses Paddys Day, RB Rich, RB Frynch Broad and So Big Is Better, were invited to participate in the richest Arabian race in the world held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. All expenses were paid for the horses, owners, trainers and jockeys. The purse was $1.2 million Euros. The race was won by Kalino bred by Trackside Farm in Williston, FL.

21 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

R

eflecting back on 2015, it seems that the year came and went before most of us had time to catch our breath.

I think it is safe to say that 2015 continued to test the strength of our industry and present us with more challenges than we anticipated. While not taking a blind eye to all around us, the Cup Stewards continued to focus on our 2014 commitment to build a strong, modern Cup program.

Let’s take a look at how we did in 2015…

Incentive monies to be shared equally between California and Delaware. EARA and ARAC were very cooperative in making the Cup races a success, and because of these

Traditionally, January is our most important month and sets the pace for the rest of the year. Along with breeding and foaling season on everyone’s minds, January kicks off the usual 3 months of nonstop preparations leading up to our Darley Awards and 2015. Among the Cup Stewards’ many responsibilities are overseeing the Darley Voting Academy, the trophies, researching and proofing stats for the printed programs, advertising and promotion, compiling the guest lists, developing and managing the Stallion Auction. It is a daunting and exhausting responsibility and requires working in cooperation with our lead sponsor and benefactor, which offers its own set of challenges. When all is said and done, as those of you who attended the 2015 Darley Awards in Hollywood can attest, it was an exciting and fun event. Next time you bump into a Cup Steward, please thank them for their contribution, and make sure you put The Darleys on your calendar for this year.

As Cup Stewards, we made a commitment that the Cup would have a have representative at each Cup stakes event, as well as attend as many racing events as possible around the US. In 2015 we kept that commitment, despite busy personal schedules, traveling coast to coast, participating not only as Stewards but also as owners, breeders, and spectators.

Looking back to 2014, the Stewards made the decision that beginning in 2015, the number of nominees in each Darley category would be cut from 5 nominees to 3 nominees per category across the board. This was based on the fact that the number of Arabian race horses and individuals in the US were down a full 2/3 from a decade ago. The new ruling was implemented in 2015, making for stiff competition for a coveted nomination. Without question, it was a very close call in a few of the categories.

For the past 3 years, one of our most important events of the year is our annual Stewards’ retreat, a time we meet to grade our performance, target our priorities, and plan for the future. Normally held in May, our 2015 retreat was held in August, however the consensus was that was a bit late in the year and needs to return to May to give us more time in the year to strategize and plan.

Following the success of our stakes sponsorship of the 2014 Arabian Stallion Stakes (G3) in Texas, in 2015 the Cup announced adding $20,000 in sponsorship and Breeders

successes, the Stewards have decided to continue the Cup race program in 2016. Rewarding the breeders of the top 3 finishers in the Cup stakes is extremely gratifying as we give back to our racing community.

Two new events were added to the 2015 race schedule: In May, the inaugural HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship, part of HH Sheikh Mansoor Global Festival, was held in Lexington, Kentucky. Fellow Cup Steward Sam Vasquez and I attended in support of our partnership with the Festival. The difficult logistics for the horsemen were cause for concern, but if the promised changes are made, it will be an exciting addition to the 2016 season.

In November, the first Dubai International Arabian Race event was held in the US. Under the DIAR banner, hosted

by Shadwell Estate Company, 4 stakes races with purses totally $80,000 were held on a Friday evening at Lone Star Park. TABA served as the host organization with full cooperation from track management. It was a beautiful and exciting weekend for everyone, and I am hopefull we will have DIAR back in the US in 2016.

The following day Cup Steward, Michelle Morgan and husband Mickey hosted an Open House and Western BBQ at their beautiful Mandolynn Hill Farm. A raffle offering stud fees and other items was held, raising over $3,000, which she generously donated to the Cup. Many thanks, Michelle and Mickey.

The Cup’s mission statement is very clear. “The mission of the Arabian Racing Cup is the national and international promotion of breeding and racing purebred Arabian horses”. Let’s see if we are living up to our mission.

On the National level, we are all familiar with the trials that

22 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

face Arabian racing nationwide with every racing venue under pressure in 2015. EARA is struggling to maintain a viable presence at the venerable Delaware Park, while TABA is dealing with the upheaval between the powerful Texas politicos and the Texas Racing Commission. Not immune are Colorado, California, and Michigan, who are dealing with their own regional issues. For fear of stepping backwards, the Cup has grown our program conservatively, allocating Breeders Incentive and sponsorship monies to encourage more breeding and more ownership. We’ve seen encouraging signs of this working and in 2016, we are stepping up our involvement so all Arabian racing regions will receive Breeders Incentive awards funds.

On an International level, since entering our partnership with HH Sh Mansoor Bin Zayed al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, there is no denying that international recognition and respect for US Arabian racing has exploded. For this reason alone, it is important that representatives from the Cup, the AJC, and state racing organizations take advantage of their invitations to attend 3 major hosted by the Global Festival. In 2015, various Cup Stewards attended the World Conference in Warsaw in May, the ADIHEX Exposition in Abu Dhabi in September, and the EARS Conference and Opening Season Race Weekend in Abu Dhabi in November, where we proudly cheered

on our 4 US runners. All of these events are a vital time to share ideas, thoughts, and concerns of our fellow Arabian racing leaders and enthusiasts around the world. This is when we learn their struggles and successes are not all that different from our own. As I have said before, our US presence at these international events is paramount to our acceptance, recognition and respect in the global Arabian racing community.

So here we are again in January, and like every January before, the Darley Awards are foremost in our minds. However, as you also read in this issue, the Cup will be launching of our new, modern Breeders Incentive Awards and Stallion Nomination programs. These will benefit our industry and hopefully re-engage those who had questioned the future of Arabian racing. Our work is not done, but I am proud of my fellow Stewards and their tireless dedication to this industry. Let us not forget, we are all on the same team, and we are here to listen and learn from you, as well.

As Dr Sam would say, The Best You Best!

Denise Chief Steward Arabian Racing Cup

SOME FACTS FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT THINK ABOUT RACING THEIR ARABIANS In 2014, approximately $1 million in prize money was distributed among thousands of show horses. Over $2 million was paid out in purse money in the US among less than 300 horses. Which odds do you like for your Return on Investment? The costs for training are comparable and costs for a race meet are minimal. No stall fees, no hauling fees, no entry fees (except for stakes races and futurities).

What about when your horse is done with racing? Many go on to a second career in other disciplines including Endurance, Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, Reining and others.

A new incentive program is being sponsored by the Heritage Arabian Racing Club (HARC) that is offering incentives to breeders and owners of Arabians who are not currently being well represented in racing. The progeny of six stallions currently dominate Arabian racing similar to racing lines in Thoroughbreds. To encourage more diversity in racing bloodlines and to reward owners and breeders to test the athletic ability of their stock, five races will be offered in five states, California, Colorado, Delaware, Michigan and Texas, where HARC-eligible horses will be able to win additional money over and above the race’s purse money. The first placing HARC-eligible horse (regardless of finish position in the race) will receive $1,000 for the owner of the horse and $1,000 for the breeder of the horse.

The second placing HARC-eligible horse will receive $600 to the owner and $600 to the breeder and the third placing HARC-eligible horse will receive $400 to the owner and $400 to the breeder. Evie Tubbs Sweeney is the US HARC representative and can be contacted for further details. She can be reached at evie@evieinc.net.

The Arabian Jockey Club stands ready to help in any way we can and can be reached at our website, www.arabianracing.org or visit our Facebook page, Arabian Jockey Club.

-Sue Meyer

23 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

WAR MARE

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF OFIRKA 1939–1967

By Tobi Lopez Taylor

Some individuals make history, and others watch it unfold.

Ofirka—the namesake daughter of Poland’s superb sire, Ofir—did both.

Ofirka was foaled at Janow Podlaski Stud in the spring of 1939, a pivotal year that would see Poland ransacked first

by Germany and then by the Soviet Union. In September 1939, when word reached Janow that the German army had moved westward into Poland, hundreds of horses were evacuated. The stallions, including Ofir and Ofirka’s half brother Pamir, left first, followed the next day by about 100 broodmares, 150 young horses (including Ofirka), and 19 horse-drawn wagons. During this harrowing journey toward the east, scores of horses escaped from their handlers, and others were hurt, some mortally. When the much-diminished group of men and horses finally arrived in Kowel, Volyhnia (now Kovel, Ukraine), they met refugees headed west, fleeing the Soviet army. The dispirited group’s leaders decided it was most practical to turn around and go back to Janow. However, numerous horses, particularly the younger ones, were so exhausted by the trek that they had to be left behind.

Ofirka—at that time an unnamed filly—was part of the young stock thought to be lost during that evacuation. The “loss” of Ofirka was actually a stroke of luck for Polish breeders, however. Upon the group’s return to Janow, many of the horses were confiscated by the Soviets to be used in the breeding program at Tersk Stud. These included Ofirka’s sire, her dam Fryga II (Bakszysz x Gazella II), her full sister Wesola, and her two half sisters Maskota and Nirwana. Ofirka herself was not located until 1941, when she was finally found a farm in Volyhnia. It’s said that when the Polish inspector Adam Sosnowski finally rediscovered this then-unnamed, malnourished filly, he exclaimed “Ofirka!”— meaning “Ofir’s daughter!”—since she so greatly resembled her famous sire, and that epithet became her registered name.

In late October 1939, the Germans wrested control of Janow from the Soviets, and the stud’s breeding program recommenced in 1940. Ofirka’s first foal was born in 1944, when she was five years old. That summer, during the Soviet offensive, the Janow horses were evacuated west, to southern Saxony, in Germany. Then, in early February 1945, the horses were scheduled to be moved again, this

24 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2015

time to Torgau, in northern Saxony. The route they were slated to take happened to go directly through the city of Dresden. On February 13, 80 stallions from Janow were led into Dresden and were walking through the middle of the city when the first firebombing began. Although most of the stallions died or were lost, among the survivors were Ofirka’s paternal half brothers Witraz and Wielki Szlem, whose groom, Jan Ziniewicz, held tight to their lead ropes as incendiary bombs exploded around them.

Ofirka and the other mares, as well as their foals and young stock, spent the night on the road outside Dresden, in the driving snow. They were marched through the city the next day. What was left of Janow’s horses trekked to Tornau, and then to Holstein, where they stayed until the fall of 1946. That year, the horses finally returned to Janow, where the stud began a new chapter in its Arabian breeding program, in which Ofirka would play an important role.

Roman Pankiewicz, former manager of Poland’s Albigowa Stud, wrote this about Ofirka: “[She] was small (probably as a result of her wartime rearing), but had a strikingly handsome head and great refinement. Her spectacular Arabian type and golden-bay colour clearly showed the stamp of her sire, the celebrated Ofir.”

While Ofirka herself did not race, she was the daughter of two race winners and half sister to four winners, including Ramajana, who won the Oaks. From 1944 to 1963, Ofirka produced 18 foals by nine different sires. Amazingly, 100% of her 14 foals to race were winners. Of these, five were stakes winners, including Orla (by *Pietuszok), winner of the Polish Triple Crown; Adis Abeba (by Amurath Sahib), winner of the Oaks; Gastronomia (by Marabut); and Ogadan and Orszak (both by Laur). Ofirka’s son *Orzel++, a full brother to *Orla, won races in Poland and America, and was the only horse to defeat the great Kontiki. *Orzel++ was named 1967 U.S. National C h a m p i o n Racehorse.

Ofirka appears in racing pedigrees primarily through her d a u g h t e r s Gastronomia and *Orla, and her son *Orla, one of the best daughters of Ofirka, was a Polish Triple Crown winner and founder of her own female dynasty.

*Orzel++ races to victory in a test races at Evangline Downs in 1967.

*Orzel++. Gastronomia, who Pankiewicz said “resembled closely the Arab horses bred in the desert,” produced three race winners, among them the stallion Grabiec, sire of several top broodmares. Grabiec’s daughter Mandore was the dam of the legendary Dormane, a leading sire of stakes winners and racing champions whose exploits merit an entire article to themselves. In addition, Gastronomia’s unraced son *Gedymin sired Embargo, winner of the Criterium Stakes.

About *Orla, Pankiewicz wrote, “The last daughter of Ofirka is the bay mare Orla 1962 (by Pietuszok). She is not only strikingly handsome, full of quality and substance, but also a fine racer...She is also notable for transmitting her racing ability to her offspring.” *Orla produced eight foals: seven in Poland and the last one in the United States after her importation in 1982. She was the dam of three race winners and one stakes winner, the filly *Orgia, who, like her mother, was a Polish Triple Crown winner. A number of *Orla’s daughters became valuable broodmares. *Orgia produced the stakes winners HF Olympia, HF Orrsala, and *Origan, Polish Racehorse of the Year; she also was the granddam of Orgia Fata, the 2007 Polish Triple Crown winner. *Orla’s daughter *Orlica produced the stakes winner HF Orzonna and was the granddam of Darley Champion and sire Ontario HF. *Orzel++, born in 1967, was Ofirka’s eighteenth and last foal, and her only son to sire purebred offspring. *Orzel had fourteen race winners and five stakes winners (Brusally Gaysar, Brusally Orlen, Orzela, SGR Vayu, and Worzel). His son Ormir was voted U.S. Race Colt of the Year, and his daughter Brusally Zelyna was named Race Mare of the Year. *Orzel’s grandget included 136 race winners and 25 stakes winners. Several of his racing grandget were honored with year-end awards, including Bask-O-Zel, U.S. National Champion Racehorse; Magna Terra Macho, U.S. Racehorse of the Year; FMR Hadassah, Darley Horse of the Year; RD Zell, Darley Champion Sprinter; and Zachzell, Darley Champion Older Horse.

25 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2015

Today, the little filly who was once lost in Volyhnia is well represented in Arabian racing pedigrees worldwide.

Contemporary sires that trace to Ofirka include Abu Alemarat, Akim de Ducor, Al Nasr, Chndaka, Divamer, Djendel, Doran SBFAR, Dormane (recently deceased), Hilal Al Zaman, Johnny B Goode, KA Czubuthan (recently deceased), Kaolino, Mahabb, Marwan, Norphe, Ontario HF, SW Zell, and The Last Danse, among others.

In 2015 alone, horses that trace to Ofirka won a number of important races, including: Manark, who triumphed in the $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr 1); Kalino, who won the 1.2 million Euro Jewel Crown (Gr 1); DC Willey’s Song, who was victorious in the Buzz Brauninger Arabian Distaff H. (G1); Alladyn, who won the Polish Derby; Om Darshaana, who cruised to victory in the Polish Oaks; and Westim, winner of the Polish Criterium Stakes. (Interestingly, Manark traces to Ofirka through *Orzel++ and Gastronomia, and Alladyn is descended from Ofirka through Gastronomia and Orla.)

In the spring of 1967, Janow Podlaski celebrated its 150th anniversary with a pageant of horses. Wearing a saddle cloth bearing her name and her year of birth, Ofirka was chosen to represent both the stud’s darkest days— the war years—and its renaissance. One observer remarked that, despite all she’d been through, Ofirka was “28 years old but still full of vigor.” May her line continue to flourish.

Kalino (Kaolino x Virlaxy, by Virgule Al Maury) has the blood of Ofirka in his veins through Grabiec, broodmare sire of Dormane, on the sire side. Photo by Debbie Burt.

Manark (Mahabb x Mendra, by Sousse) traces to Ofirka through *Orzel++ on his sire's side and Grabiec on his dam's side. Photo by Debbie Burt.

26• Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

TABA Arabian Race Horse Breedings Worldwide

AUCTION 2016 Online January 15th - 31st, 2016 www.racearabians.com To include your stallion, call: Sam Vasquez, 281-808-8125 Corliss Hazard, 469-215-0444 Stephanie Corum, 240-344-1462 or email: auction@texasarabianbreeders.com Register Early and be ready to Bid: www.racearabians.com

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The Little Iron Horse A rare national treasure of Canada is the simply named Canadian Horse. This rare, but hardy breed, is descended from two stallions and two mares sent to Quebec from King Louis XIV of France. These horses were believed to be of Arab, Andalusian and Barb ancestry, which can still be seen in today's Canadian Horse, which appropriately enough is the national horse of Canada.

For 200 years, with little outside influence, these horses developed into the sturdy breed seen today. They evolved into a tough, strong horse able to withstand harsh weather and little food, and are extremely easy keepers. Thus, they became known as the "Little Iron Horse".

In the late 1800’s they numbered about 150,000 and were soon exported to serve as stage- line horses in the New England region of the United States. They were used as founding stock for North American breeds such as the Tennessee Walker, Morgan, Standardbred and the American Saddlebred. The Canadian Horse was a favored mount in both the Boer war and the American Civil war, but as a result their numbers dropped to around 400 animals in 1870’s.

Fortunately, Dr. J. G. Rutherford and others took matters into their own hands from the 1870's through the early 1900's to save this hearty breed from extinction. Then in 1913, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture set up a breeding program in Quebec that improved the breed until 1981. Today's Canadian Horse stands 14 to 16 hands and weighs between 1000 and 1400 pounds. While they are most frequently black, dark brown, bay and chestnut colors are also seen. They are known for their gentle nature, intelligence and willingness to please. (Sounds like an Arabian, doesn't it?)

With numbers now around 13,000 the Canadian Horse has definitely made a comeback. Used in dressage, jumping, hunt and carriage, there’s nothing this horse can’t do. Recognizing the importance of this horse to Canada with the expansion to the west, farming and the foundation of many breeds of North America, in 2002 Canada officially recognized the Canadian Horse as a national symbol of Canada. The Little Iron Horse that could would and did become Canada.

The Heath family farm, in Elmira, Ontario, made good use of horses for many years. These photos were taken in the 1920's and are from the family collection.

36 • Arabian Finish Line • January 2016

Exclusive Offerings for the World Market

MADJAXY 2013 chestnut filly ( MADJANI x Virlaxy, by Virgule Al Maury ) Maternal sister to international stakes winner KALINO

MYSTICAL MHF 2013 chestnut colt ( MADJANI x Morning Lyght, by MONARCH AH ) Maternal brother to international stakes winner KATONAHOTINROOF MHF and WILGA FATA

EDJALIE ( BENGALI D'ALBRET x Edjara Al Garamaze,

by DJELFOR ) In foal to MADJANI. Also available is her 2015 NO RISK AL MAURY filly, pictured.

SPECIAL OFFERING:

Mata Haree 2013 chestnut filly

By AL SAKBE (his last offspring) and out of MORE ADORAABLE (twice Darley Champion).

Maternal sister to THE SECRET

Contact us for more information about these fine individuals.

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