American Racehorse - Fall 2018

W W W. A M E RI CA NRA CEH ORSE. C OM FALL 2018

IN THIS ISSUE:

LEARNING FROM SEABISCUIT’S DNA NEW STALLIONS IN THE REGION HOW HORSES HELP VETERANS WITH PTSD THE EQUINE WAR HERO SGT. RECKLESS

A Division of Center Hills Farm

LIAISON (Indian Charlie-Galloping Girl, by Victory Gallop) NEW TO OKLAHOMA FOR 2019!

A Grade 1 winner at 2 who in just two crops has sired eight stakes horses, including MOONLIGHT ROMANCE ($359,600) and G1-placed Thirteen Squared 2019 FEE: $2,500

DEN’S LEGACY

POLLARD’S VISION

(Medaglia d’Oro-Sunshine Song, by War Chant)

(Carson City-Etats Unis, by Dixieland Band)

A Grade 1-placed and Grade 3 winner by a top international sire

More than $1.4 million in progeny earnings in 2017 and the leading stallion in Oklahoma by mares bred in 2016 and 2017

2019 FEE: $2,500

2019 FEE: $2,500

ALSO STANDING: SAVE BIG MONEY • THE VISUALISER

All fees are stands and nurses All stallions are nominated to the Oklahoma Bred Program, Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, Iowa Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes

Mighty Acres

675 W. 470 Rd. • Pryor, Oklahoma 74361 Phone: 918-825-4256 • Fax: 918-825-4255 • Randy Blair: 918-271-2266 www.mightyacres.com

2018 Repeat CHAMPION Gr 2 WOODFORD STAKES • Keeneland All-time money-earning leader in Indiana

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k WHERE DO 2-YEAR-OLD STAKES WINNERS COME FROM?

H

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H

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CHECK OUT THESE 2YO EL PRIMERO GRADS THIS YEAR:

NITROUS ($99,521) H 3rd in G1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga TIGHT TEN ($98,500) H 2nd in G2 at Saratoga and G3 at Churchill TOBACCO ROAD ($79,130) H Winner of Ellis Park Juvenile WHISKY ECHO ($77,250) H 3rd in G3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga NINTH STREET ($65,586) H Winner of Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs PICK N RUN ($21,457) H Stakes placed at Retama Plus 10 other maiden winners!

B. B. DUDE broke his maiden at Churchill Downs and then won the Marzano Stakes at Albuquerque and Kip Deville Stakes at Remington with earnings of $108,819 in four starts!

H H Denis Blake

Denis Blake

Keith and Marilyn Asmussen

ADVENTUROUS LADY broke her maiden in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star and then took the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes at Remington to go over $120,000 in earnings in five starts!

Keith Asmussen, 956-763-8907

Dr. Steve Velasco, veterinarian • Dee Martinez, office manager, 956-763-7594 P.O. Box 1861 • Laredo, TX 78044 • Phone: 956-723-5436 • Fax: 956-723-5845 Email: kaasmussen@aol.com • Website: www.asmussens.com AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

3

ABOUT AMERICAN RACEHORSE

American Racehorse (formerly Southern Racehorse) covers Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the Southwest, Midwest and Midsouth regions. The magazine is mailed to all members of the following associations: • Alabama Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association • Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association • Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association • Georgia Horse Racing Coalition • Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association • Michigan Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Minnesota Thoroughbred Association • North Carolina Thoroughbred Association • Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners • Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma • South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Texas Thoroughbred Association • Plus hundreds of Louisiana horsemen.

For more information or to inquire about advertising, contact Denis Blake at (512) 695-4541 or visit www.americanracehorse.com.

CONNECT WITH AMERICAN RACEHORSE

HHH Online: www.americanracehorse.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanracehorse • Twitter: @AmerRacehorse Email: info@americanracehorse.com Phone/Text: (512) 695-4541 • Fax: (512) 870-9324 Published by Pangaea Enterprises LLC d/b/a American Racehorse American Racehorse • P.O. Box 8645 Round Rock, TX 78683 Physical Address American Racehorse 1341 Meadowild Drive • Round Rock, TX 78664 Editor/Publisher Denis Blake • info@americanracehorse.com Senior Art Director Amie Rittler • arittler3@gmail.com Graphic Designer Julie Kennedy • julie@digitalcitydesigns.com Copyeditor Judy L. Marchman Contributors Rick Capone Annise Montplaisir Judy L. Marchman Megan Tracy Petty, DVM

Photographers Barry’s Gallery – stock.adobe.com Rick Capone Coady Photography Coglianese Photos Jacqueline Cooper Davis Innovation Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO Joanne Dew John Engelhardt Heather Grevelis Horsephotos.com Keeneland Library/Cook Collection Keeneland Library/Morgan Collecction Kellyvandellen – stock.adobe.com Lea Photography Linscott Photography Mark – stock.adobe.com Louise Reinagel Stunning Steeds Brianna Vitt Cover Photo Mark – stock.adobe.com

Copyright © 2018 American Racehorse All rights reserved. Articles may not be reprinted without permission. American Racehorse reserves the right to refuse any advertising or copy for any reason. American Racehorse makes a reasonable attempt to ensure that advertising claims are truthful but assumes no responsibility for the truth and accuracy of ads.

4 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

WHAT’S INSIDE

American RACEHORSE

Fall 2018

15

The horse who became a Marine

22

Departments

How horses help veterans

Fast Furlongs 8 State Association News

57

The Marketplace Classifieds

66

Features The Ultimate Equine War Hero The Marine mare Sgt. Reckless is being recognized again with statues and books

15

A Vital Purpose 22 The Man O’ War project brings veterans and horses together to treat PTSD From the North Dakota Prairie 31 to the Kentucky Bluegrass Army veteran Mark Simms Jr. is a young trainer with a bright future

38 Seabiscuit’s legacy lives on

Technology Meets History DNA analysis of Seabiscuit may yield insights into his racing prowess

38

New Faces and New Places A look at some relocated and recently retired stallions around the region

45

Ask a Vet: 52 Prepping an Open Mare for Breeding The time to get a maiden or barren mare ready starts well before breeding season begins AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 5

CONSIGN NOW!

Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park S ale : T uesday , A pril 9, 2019 • B reeze S how : S unday , A pril 7, 2019 L one S tar P ark • G rand P rairie , TX E ntries C lose : J anuary 15, 2019 • P aperwork D eadline : M arch 8, 2019 W hy S ell

in

T exas ?

T he 2018 2-Y ear -O lds in T raining S ale posted a S outhwest leading average of $25,737 and median of $13,100! A total of 20 horses sold for $40,000 or more !

W hy B uy

in

T exas ?

A ll sale grads are eligible for the T exas T horoughbred F uturity ( two divisions at $100,000- est . apiece ) at L one S tar P ark .

R ecent

grads of

T exas

sales include :

• WAKEFIELD – W on the colts / geldings division of this year ’ s T exas T horoughbred F uturity and has earned more than $91,000.

• ADVENTUROUS LADY – W on the fillies division of the T exas T horoughbred F uturity and a stakes at R emington P ark this year with earnings of $120,126.

• SHOTSOFT – W on

this year ’ s

E l J oven S takes

at

R etama P ark .

• B. B. DUDE – A maiden winner at C hurchill D owns and two - time stakes winner this year with earnings of $108,819.

• TEXAS CHROME – A T exas - bred two G rade 3 wins !

millionaire with

• BLING ON THE MUSIC – A G rade 2- placed , two - time stakes winner of $153,167. S old for $260,000 as a broodmare in K entucky .

TTA SALES

For more information, go to www.ttasales.com or call Tim Boyce at (972) 523-0332 or the Texas Thoroughbred Association office at (512) 458-6133.

6 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • SUMMER 2017 6

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fastfurlongs Two $1 Million Races, New Stakes Highlight 2019 Season at Oaklawn

8 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Coady Photography

One of the richest Thoroughbred race meets in North America will offer two $1 million Kentucky Derby prep races and two additional signature races in 2019.

Oaklawn, which earlier this year announced a significant change to its race dates, turned it up another notch when it announced that both the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the Rebel Stakes (G2) will offer a guaranteed purse of $1 million next year. The two races for 3-year-olds highlight a 57-day season that begins January 25 and for the first time in the 115-year history of the facility extends past Arkansas Derby Day through Saturday, May 4, Kentucky Derby Day. The Rebel, which has offered a $900,000 purse since 2016 and is the third of four races carrying Kentucky Derby qualifying points, will be run Saturday, March 16. The Arkansas Derby will hold Oaklawn’s meet will be extended past Arkansas Derby Day on April 13 and continue through May 4. its traditional spot on the calendar three weeks before the Kentucky Derby on April 13. Oaklawn’s 3-year-old prep $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3). season begins opening day with the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and The Arkansas-bred program also gets richer. Joining the Oaklawn also includes the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Monday, February 18. Invitational as the co-closing day feature is the $200,000 Arkansas BreedOaklawn will host the new $250,000 Oaklawn Invitational for 3-year- ers’ Championship, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles and will crown the olds at 1 1/8 miles on closing day, May 4, with the inaugural $200,000 meet’s Arkansas-bred champion.

Oaklawn Mile for 4-year-olds and up being run the day before.

Oaklawn’s signature event, the Racing Festival of South, runs from In addition to the Rebel, several other stakes are receiving a purse Friday, April 12, through Sunday, April 14. The Arkansas Derby increase in 2019, including the Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old highlights the Saturday card that also includes the $750,000 Oaklawn fillies on their way to the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Increased by Handicap (G2) and $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) $100,000 to $500,000, the Fantasy kicks off the Racing Festival of Saturday, April 13. New in 2019, the $700,000 Apple Blossom Handithe South Friday, April 12. The Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies cap (G1) for older fillies and mares moves to Sunday, April 14. and mares was increased $50,000 to $200,000 and will now share Overall, the 2019 stakes schedule features 30 races worth $8.85 the February 18 Presidents’ Day card with the Southwest Stakes and million. View the complete stakes schedule at oaklawn.com.

Lone Star Park Meet Concludes with Record Increases Even though the Lone Star Park meet ended on a subdued note when racing was canceled July 20-22, the final three days of the meet, due to extreme heat, the track concluded its 22nd Thoroughbred season with a record increase of 14.7 percent in average daily handle over 2017.

That number tops last year’s increase over 2016 of 11.7 percent, which was also a record. Daily average on-track handle on Lone Star races increased 5.7 percent from 2017, and daily average export handle increased by 17.6 percent.

Especially noticeable is the growth over the last two seasons. Daily average export handle increased 36.4 percent from 2016 and is indicative of the increased awareness of the track’s races thanks to a high-definition upgrade to the video production beginning with the 2018 season as well as airing races on the TVG Network beginning in 2017. Additionally, the Lone Star racing product was more attractive to bettors due to an average field size of 8.4 starters per race, which was above the industry average and nearly a one horse per race increase over 2017. The increased field size was helped by a purse increase this season.

The all-sources handle daily average of just over $1 million per day is the highest daily average since the 2010 Thoroughbred season.

Richard Eramia topped the jockey standings with 77 wins and earnings of more than $1.13 million. Karl Broberg recorded the most wins among trainers with 69, while Steve Asmussen was the only conditioner to hit seven figures in purse earnings at $1.07 million. Broberg’s End Zone Athletics Inc. topped the owner standings with 39 wins and earnings of more than $477,000.

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Triple Crown Winner Justify Joins Breyer Stable

Courtesy Breyer

The number 13 is anything but unlucky for Justify, who this year became only the 13th horse in history to win the Triple Crown and only the second since Seattle Slew to win with an undefeated record. Now, the recently retired son of Scat Daddy joins 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah as one of Breyer’s greatest commemorative racing collectibles of the century.

“It’s an honor to have Justify join the Breyer stable of champions and to now be able to share him with fans of all ages,” said Elliot Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm, which shared ownership of Justify with the China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing.

Despite heavy rain and sloppy track conditions at Churchill Downs and Pimlico Race Course, the 16.3-hand Justify’s powerful front-running style left him virtually mud-free as he carried jockey Mike Smith over the finish lines and trainer Bob Baffert into the winner’s circles at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Winning the Derby, Justify dispelled the “Curse The full-size Justify meets the “ Breyer-size Justify. of Apollo,” as no horse since 1882 had won the Derby without having “Fans of all ages have been calling and messaging our office first raced as a 2-year-old. In winning the Belmont Stakes, he dispelled daily since Justify went wire to wire in the Belmont Stakes, requesting a doubts about his endurance and durability during the challenging Triple Breyer Justify model to call their own,” said Stephanie Macejko, vice Crown trail. president of marketing for Breyer. “We’re thrilled to make it a reality.”

“This horse is just amazing,” trainer Bob Baffert said about his secBreyer will release a collection of portrait models honoring Justify ond Triple Crown champion in three years after also conditioning this fall at the Traditional (1:9 scale), Classics (1:12 scale) and Stablemates American Pharoah. “It never gets old. American Pharoah was my first (1:32 scale) sizes, as well as a holiday ornament. An additional sculpture is love, but wow, Mike Smith deserved something like this.” underway for 2019 to celebrate his accomplishment.

For more racing and breeding news, go to AmericanRacehorse.com Midnight Lute Filly Tops Equine Sales Company 2-Year-Old Sale Equine Sales Company’s Consignor Select Yearling Sale, held September 6 in Opelousas, Louisiana, recorded significant increases in gross sales and average price compared with last year’s auction, which itself posted big increases over the prior year. All told, 150 of 206 yearlings sold this year for a total of $1,949,900, with an average of $12,999 and a median of $6,000. Last year, 138 of 193 head sold.

This year’s figures marked a 19.2 percent increase in gross sales from last year’s $1,636,400 and a 9.6 percent jump in average from $11,858. This year’s median was down from last year’s $7,000, with this year’s buy-back rate at 27.2 percent compared with 28.5 percent last year.

“We had a very strong sale last year, so we were extremely pleased to exceed those numbers this year,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director.

“The fact that we had 10 horses go for $50,000 or more proves that our consignors really brought some quality stock and that our buyers stepped

up to get those individuals.

“There’s a lot of money to run for in Louisiana, and Louisiana-breds have proven again and again that they can win anywhere, most recently with Classy John, who sold here as a 2-year-old for $12,000, winning an $85,000 maiden special at Saratoga in August by daylight.”

The sale was highlighted by two Louisiana-bred colts who hit six figures, topped by a February foal from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Palace. Consigned by 4M Ranch, agent, the colt went to J. Stevens Bloodstock, agent, for $105,000. Close behind the saletopper was a March foal by Grade 1 winner and first-crop sire Lea who sold for $100,000 to Carl Moore Management LLC from Red River Farm, agent.

The Equine Sales Company Open Yearling and Mixed Sale was held October 28 after press time for this issue.

For results of both sales, go to equinesalescompany.com. H

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 11

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www.riveroaksthoroughbreds.com 14 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps

The horse named Sgt. Reckless won numerous medals and accolades for her military service, as well as the respect and admiration of the American public and those who served with her on the battlefield.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

THE MARINE MARE SGT. RECKLESS IS BEING RECOGNIZED AGAIN WITH STATUES AND BOOKS HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

By Rick Capone

S “

he’s not a horse; she’s a Marine!”

With those words, James E. “Ted” Bassett III, a World War II Marine Corps combat veteran and the former president and chairman of the Keeneland Association, initiated a fundraising campaign to bring a statue of Sgt. Reckless to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Who was Sgt. Reckless?

She was indeed a horse but perhaps a horse unlike any other, as she was a U.S. Marine and a Korean War hero.

Some months after those words were spoken, the statue was unveiled on May 12, 2018, in front of some of the people instrumental in getting it accomplished, including Bassett; Robin Hutton, author of the New York Times bestseller Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse; Jocelyn Russell, the statue’s

sculptor; and Laura Prewitt, executivedirector of the Kentucky Horse Park.

Also present were a number of retired Marines who served with Sgt. Reckless (they lovingly called her “Reckless”) in the Korean War; current Marines, who were respectful of the soldiers and mare and impressed by what they accomplished; and fans of Reckless.

The 1,000-pound bronze statue is the third to honor Reckless, all thanks to Hutton’s tireless work to garner recognition of the mare. The original statue is located at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia, and a second is at Camp Pendleton in California, where Reckless lived out her life after the war.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 15

The story of Reckless is an equine rags-to-riches tale. A small chestnut Mongolian-bred mare, she was running races—and winning them—at a Korean racetrack for Kim Huk Moon, a young trainer who truly loved her. Her lineage and year of birth are not known, and while she was not a pure Thoroughbred, she likely had some Thoroughbred blood running through her veins.

In 1952, when Sgt. Reckless was around three or four years old, Lt. Eric Pedersen of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marines Regiment purchased her for $250 to help transport equipment for the Marines. The reason Moon let his beloved filly go was because he needed the money to purchase a prosthetic leg for his sister.

When Reckless reached camp, the soldiers fell in love with her and adopted her as their own. They built a paddock for her, and she had free rein over the camp. At times, she wandered into soldiers’ tents for warmth on cold Korean nights. Other times, she went into the mess tent, where she was offered many treats, including soda, beer, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, cake and anything else she wanted.

To prepare for her mission, Sgt. Joseph Latham put her through “hoof camp,” so she could get used to the equipment she would carry and the noises she would hear during a battle.

He even taught her how to “duck and cover,” where she learned to get down into a prone position in the event of an attack.

Reckless participated in a number of missions in the war, bringing heavy loads of equipment to the front lines, sometimes with someone leading her and other times on her own, because once she knew the route, she could do it without any human assistance.

Reckless stands next to a 75mm recoilless rifle, which she transported, along with ammunition, to the front lines.

Courtesy www.SgtReckless.com

Courtesy www.SgtReckless.com

H H A HORSE UNLIKE ANY OTHER H H

16 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

The main piece of equipment she carried was the recoilless rifle, which, according to Hutton’s book, was “six-feet, ten-inches in length and weighed nearly 115 pounds.”

She also carried the ammunition— 75mm shells.

The biggest battle she participated in, and the one she is most remembered for, was the Battle for Outpost Vegas. There, in just one day of battle, Reckless made 51 trips to and from the front lines carrying three ammo canisters on each side of her body and two on her back.

Another Marine who served with Reckless, retired Sgt. Harold Wadley, recalled in Hutton’s book: “That’s 192 pounds she would have to carry up and down steep terrain.”

All told in that battle, Reckless carried 386 rounds and made close to 95 percent of the trips by herself.

Some parts of the trip included going up very steep hills. She needed to make a running start to make the climb and then rest briefly at the top before continuing to the gun placements.

In addition, while being injured twice due to shrapnel, she transported injured soldiers back to camp, got some rest, was repacked and then back up the hill she’d go again.

According to Wadley, when he first saw Reckless doing her work, he was concerned for her.

“Being a ranch kid and raised with horses, I didn’t think she’d live five minutes,” he said. “I thought that’s the last time we’re going to see her with the amount of artillery and shrapnel and stuff coming in and the rounds on the ground.”

But, in the end, like everyone else, he was impressed by and appreciated what she did.

Reckless stands with Sgt. Joseph Latham in Korea.

Latham put Reckless through “hoof camp,” teaching the mare the things she would need to know to accomplish her mission.

Courtesy www.SgtReckless.com

Lt. Col. Andrew Geer, who worked tirelessly to make sure Reckless got the credit she deserved and to bring her to the United States after the war, treats her to some beer—one of her favorite beverages.

H H ACCOLADES APLENTY H H

Courtesy www.SgtReckless.com

The most enduring memory Wadley has of the mare, whom he called “incredible” in Hutton’s book, came during the Battle for Outpost Vegas.

“The planes were dropping flares—you know, 10-foot silk shoots—and [as] the big burning candles come down, they swing, swing. They make shadows and there is a lot of smoke from the white phosphorous shells; they put up a lot of smoke.

“And, in and out of the smoke and flare light, there was a silhouette of that mare loaded down. And [as she climbed the hills], she’s got her nose about that far off the deck [holds

his fingers a little more than one-inch apart], because she’s overloaded. But to keep her balance, [that’s what she had to do] because it was a steep ridge. … [That memory], yeah, that’s forever.”

For her service, Reckless earned numerous medals and awards and was promoted to Staff Sergeant on June 12, 1957, while living at Camp Pendleton. As noted in Hutton’s book, “The Staff Sergeant chevrons were all displayed proudly on her red and gold blanket.”

Reckless also earned two Purple Hearts, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Presidential United Citation with Star, Navy Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, French fourragère and the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals Dickin Medal, which is a British medal considered “the greatest award an animal can receive for gallantry and bravery during a military action.”

Reckless died May 13, 1968, and was buried at Camp Pendleton with full military honors.

H H MEMORIES FROM THOSE WHO SERVED WITH HER H H Of course, Reckless’ heroism in battle was just one side of her story. The other side comes from the tales fondly recalled by the Marines she served with in Korea.

Three fun stories were told at the statue unveiling by retired Cpl. Mike Mason.

“In Korea, after the truce, they moved us all back into the reserve area, and that’s where I first met Reckless,” he said. “I was on the same outpost [as she was]. We had eight-man tents.

Just had those little tarps to move out of the way [for doors].

Reckless delivers ammunition to the front lines during a battle in the Korean War.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 17

why have I never heard about her?,’ because it was the greatest horse story I’ve ever read.

“I knew her story was out there waiting to be just re-released,” Hutton added.

“She was as famous as Lassie and Rin Tin Tin in her day. And I knew that once people started to hear it that she would hit the historical pages again with a fury. And that’s what she’s done.”

It took Hutton seven years to write Sgt. Reckless, and the result has been a bestseller, three statues and honors around the country—for the book, the horse and Hutton. A movie about Reckless’ life is also in the works.

The renewed interest in Sgt. Reckless also led to the reprinting of Reckless: Pride of the Marines, a 1955 book by Lt. Col. Andrew Geer.

When talk of creating the first statue began, Hutton contacted artist Jocelyn Russell, who jumped on board to help.

“My first contact with Robin [was when] she was trying to get fundraising to cast a monument,” Russell said. “So, I came up with a miniature design, and then we got approval on that. … Then by the time I got the actual go-ahead to do the life-size [statue], the sculpting was about a year.”

Adding in another six months to do the casting, it was around a one- to two-year project.

Today, Russell and Hutton have become good friends because of this experience.

“I didn’t know Robin before this, and we’re fast friends now,” she said. “We stay in touch, probably more than anybody.”

With all the publicity generated by Hutton’s book, as well as the unveiling of the three statues, everyone involved has enjoyed bringing the story of Sgt. Reckless back to light these past few years.

“It’s [been] a Reckless ride,” Russell said. “I can’t even really quantify it. It’s been so far-reaching with the Marines and then the Marines’ families. And then the ripple effect. It’s just been completely life-changing. It’s very enriching.” H

Rick Capone

The Sgt. Reckless statue was unveiled at the Kentucky Horse Park on May 12, 2018, thanks to the efforts of many people led by James E. “Ted” Bassett III and Robin Hutton, author of Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse.

“Reckless had the run of the camp. One of the guys in my tent was a corporal—Cpl. Myers as I recall. He worked in the mess hall.

“Every morning about 5:30, six o’clock, Reckless would come in, walk right into the tent, hit him on the side of his head with her nose, and if he didn’t wake up and give her something, she’d take a bite of his covers and pull the covers off. So, he’d give her an apple or an orange or whatever he had.

“Another incident right after we got moved back to reserve, the cook made what they called sheep pies. They’d be 3 feet by 2 feet. They’d set them out on the rail. Then [one day] all hell broke loose. We thought the North Koreans were probably coming at us again. It was Reckless out there. She loved cherry pie. She just ate the centers out of every damn one of them.

“And one more I’ll tell you,” said Mason, with a big smile on his face. “We were sitting around the Quonset huts, and we had cases of beer. Each Marine, I think, got two cases of beer.

We’d sit there, and she’d come up and nudge you; we’d hold a beer up for her to drink. But we got smart, because a lot got wasted. We took the helmet liner out of a steel pot [helmet], dumped the beer in it, held it up, and she wouldn’t stop until it was gone. Then, going back to the paddock, she’d sway [back and forth], just like a Marine would do.”

The story of Reckless came back to light a few years ago thanks to the release of Hutton’s book. She discovered the story in a book called Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover’s Soul. In it, she said, there was “a short story about Reckless, and it was just an amazing story and I thought, ‘Who is this horse and 18 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Rick Capone is a freelance writer living in Versailles, Kentucky, just down the road from Keeneland. He is also a volunteer at Old Friends, where he is part owner, with friends Michael Blowen and Tim Ford, of Miss Hooligan, a lovable retired mare at the farm.

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WILBURN

Bernardini – Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City

The leading sire in the entire Southwest for 2017 and 2018!

WILBURN was one of the top 3-year-olds of his crop with five wins against some of the best horses in training, including an emphatic 4 ¾-length win in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby while defeating a field that included Preakness Stakes (G1) winner SHACKLEFORD and King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) winner CALEB’S POSSE, who won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his very next start.

WILBURN had a spectacular 2018 as the top sire in Oklahoma and the Southwest region (through mid-October) by winners (67), repeat winners (33) and earnings ($2.16 million)! WILBURN is the sire of three-time graded stakes winner LOVELY BERNADETTE ($570,312) and four-time stakes winner AFLEET WILLY ($555,485)!

2019 FEE: $2,500 LIVE FOAL (Payable when foal stands and nurses)

For information:

River Oaks Farms Inc.

P.O. Box 97 • Sulphur, Oklahoma 73086 Inquiries to Lori or Francisco Bravo • Ranch: (580) 622-4412 Phone: (940) 367-4380 or (940) 367-4457 • Fax: (580) 622-4411

Accredited Oklahoma Stallion • Nominated to the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, Iowa Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes

www.riveroaksthoroughbreds.com

DRAMEDY

Distorted Humor – She’s a Winner, by A.P. Indy

A Grade 2 winner from one of the Stud Book’s best families!

A son of leading sire and top sire of sires DISTORTED HUMOR, DRAMEDY is a Grade 2 winner with a potent pedigree!

From a family loaded with black-type, DRAMEDY is a half brother to Grade 1-winning millionaire and top sire BLUEGRASS CAT. He descends from the foundation mare LA TROIENNE with a pedigree that includes GET LUCKY, who is a sister to champion RHYTHM and the dam of G1 winner GIROLAMO, G2 winner DAYDREAMING (dam of millionaire IMAGINING) and Supercharger, the dam of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner SUPER SAVER. His first four dams have produced the winners of more than $10 million and his broodmare sire A.P. INDY ranks among the best of all time.

2019 FEE: $2,000 LIVE FOAL (Payable when foal stands and nurses)

For information:

River Oaks Farms Inc.

P.O. Box 97 • Sulphur, Oklahoma 73086 Inquiries to Lori or Francisco Bravo • Ranch: (580) 622-4412 Phone: (940) 367-4380 or (940) 367-4457 • Fax: (580) 622-4411

Accredited Oklahoma Stallion • Nominated to the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, Iowa Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes

www.riveroaksthoroughbreds.com

Keeneland Library/Cook Collection

The great Man o’ War was named so

by Eleanor Belmont in honor of the military service of her husband and the horse’s breeder, August Belmont II, and now a century later the legendary name is attached to a project to help military veterans.

a vital purpose

The Man O’ War Project brings veterans and horses together to treat PTSD

By Judy L. Marchman

22 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

“There’s something about the outside of a horse that’s good for the inside of a man.”

– Winston Churchill

A little horse therapy can go a long way. Anyone who owns or works with horses understands the natural lift being around these noble animals can give you. And that special bond between horse and human could be a key to helping treat military veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That’s what a groundbreaking clinical research program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York is trying to determine.

The Man O’ War Project is the first university-led research study to examine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy in treating veterans with PTSD. Founded in 2015 by longtime Thoroughbred owner/breeder Earle I. Mack, the project was born out of his concern about the mental health crisis facing veterans and his observation of various equine-assisted therapy groups already working with those who served their country.

PTSD affects nearly one in five veterans, and symptoms can range from nightmares and negative thoughts to debilitating anxiety and hypervigilance. Some veterans may turn to substance abuse or have difficulty maintaining their relationships or jobs. PTSD also can put veterans at an increased risk for suicide. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), more than 20 veterans a day die by suicide.

“We owe our fighting men and women a great debt,” said Mack, a U.S. Army veteran himself. He began noting how different equineassisted therapy programs around the country were working with veterans. “I saw first-hand what they were doing and they are very heroic for doing it,” but he noted that “there was no science or methodology proving that equine-assisted therapy could actually effectively treat veterans with PTSD. All reports were anecdotal.”

Mack reached out to researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry to develop a clinical approach to using equine-assisted therapy in treating veterans with PTSD and to establish a standardized treatment protocol. Mack backed up his support with a $1.2 million grant from his Earle I. Mack Foundation.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 23

Program in Action

Cour

tesy

Man O

’ Wa r Pro ject

Dr. Prudence Fisher and Dr. Yuval Neria at the Bergen Equestrian Center in New Jersey, where the program is conducted. u

24 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

The Man O’ War Project is led by co-directors Dr. Prudence Fisher and Dr. Yuval Neria. Fisher is an associate professor of clinical psychiatric social work at Columbia University and an expert in PTSD in youth, and Neria, a veteran of the Israeli Armed Forces, is a professor of medical psychology at Columbia and director of trauma and PTSD at New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Fisher admitted that using equine-assisted therapy wasn’t something they’d considered before Mack approached the department, but the challenge of developing an innovative new treatment protocol was exciting.

“There’s never been any specific way of doing this kind of treatment, so first we needed to determine a method,” she said.

After spending a year researching and learning from existing equine-assisted therapy programs, Fisher and Neria conducted a pilot study in 2016 to develop a standard treatment protocol. The pilot included two groups of four veterans each and lasted eight weeks.

The project is now in the open clinical trial phase and is close to reaching its goal of 50 to 60 participants; as of mid-July, about 40 veterans had gone through the program. The study is conducted at the Bergen Equestrian Center in Leonia, New Jersey, about 15 minutes from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

Like the pilot study, the treatment protocol lasts eight weeks, and each group includes three to six people. As part of the process, each participant undergoes interviews before, during and after the treatment period and receives follow-up evaluations for three months post-treatment to observe the long-term effect of the program. MRI scans also are conducted before and after the treatment to determine if any structural changes are occurring in the brain.

“We look at the brain before and after the treatment to observe any changes in connectivity between various regions of the brain,” Neria said. “From previous studies on PTSD, we know that decreased connectivity can lead a person to become more anxious or more hypervigilant.”

He added that an effective treatment should increase brain connectivity, which would allow a person to better control those negative emotions.

Hors epho

tos.c o

m

Each weekly session lasts 90 minutes and is all ground-based work. The program works with five horses at the Bergen Equestrian Center, using the same two horses per treatment group. The veterans start by observing the horses and slowly building on their interactions, from leading to grooming and group exercises, gaining confidence as they go.

“We take a team approach to the treatment,” Fisher said. “We have trained mental health professionals, social workers, equine specialists and a horse ‘wrangler’ for an extra set of eyes to ensure safety during each session.”

“Unlike many PTSD treatments, we don’t talk about the trauma,” Fisher said. “All of them have PTSD, but their traumas are all different.”

Very few people have dropped out—less than 10 percent.

“We take people up to age 70, and it’s a male/female mix,” she said. “About 40 percent are women.”

Results to date are encouraging and positive. Fisher said that in post-treatment interviews, everyone has told her they wish the program were longer.

“But I have had them also say that if we had told them in the t Thoroughbred owner beginning that the program was longer than eight weeks, they and breeder Earle I. wouldn’t have done it,” she added.

Relationships with Horses Many of the veterans who have participated have little to no experience with horses and find themselves not only gaining confidence in working with the horses but in other aspects of their lives too.

“One of the things we’ve talked about is why horses and veterans work well together, and one of the similarities is that they are both mission-driven—particularly ex-racehorses,” said Anne Poulson, president of the Man O’ War Project board of directors and a former chair of the Virginia Racing Commission. “They are trained to do a job, and now they don’t have one and they are looking for a new purpose, just like many veterans are. With this program, there is a new purpose for both.”

As anyone who works with horses knows, horses, as prey animals, are naturally skittish and hypervigilant, and their fear responses offer veterans the opportunity to recognize and understand similar behavior in themselves and how they interact with others.

“Veterans can learn how to regulate their behavior,” Poulson said.

“They can recognize their own reactions when they observe how a horse responds in a certain situation.”

Horses also provide participants with a patient, nonjudgmental learning environment.

“Horses are in the moment,” Poulson said. “The veterans develop a different dynamic with the horses, and that translates to their relationships with others.”

But that relationship must be earned, as Mack pointed out.

Through the equine-assisted therapy, veterans work to earn their horse’s trust and, in doing so, are re-learning how to build trust with others—and in themselves.

“It can be hard to win over a horse’s confidence,” Mack said. “But when you do, it’s the one of the best feelings you can have. When your horse is no longer hypersensitive to

Mack founded the Man O’ War Project.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 25

Though not an actual session, as participants’ information is confidential, this photo represents how the program looks with veterans, a therapist and an equine specialist interacting with a horse. u

Courtesy Man O’ War Project

you, it’s such a great accomplishment, and that confidence can carry over to other areas and skills.”

The benefits of the program also extend to the horses themselves by providing an avenue for a second career as a therapy horse. One of the Man O’ War Project horses is the ex-racehorse Crafty Star. The 10-year-old Crafty Friend gelding didn’t do much on the track, managing one win—a maiden claimer at Parx—in 26 starts, but he’s taken to his new career with élan.

“He’s quite dapper and proud of himself,” Poulson said. “He’s frisky around everyone else, but when he’s with the veterans, he knows his job and becomes focused and on point with them.”

Moving Forward Once the open trial is complete and the findings are published, there are several long-term considerations for the Man O’ War Project, including conducting a formal, closed study and creating a training center where other equine-assisted therapy groups could be trained in the treatment protocol.

“Ultimately, we would love to create treatment facilities around the country to expand the program’s reach,” Poulson said.

That could potentially include non-veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD, such as victims of child abuse or domestic violence.

Developing a viable, clinically proven treatment protocol could allow the Man O’ War Project to take advantage of grant opportunities to fund these next steps, and strategic partnerships in the horse industry and raising the organization’s visibility with the VA are also key to keeping the mission moving forward.

Potential funding options also could come thanks to the approval of a congressional appropriations bill that included an amendment by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) to provide $5 million to equine-assisted therapy programs for veterans for fiscal year 2019.

“I’m optimistic this treatment protocol will be proven effective, and I hope it will lead to happier, healthier relationships between veterans and their families, friends and coworkers,” Mack said. “Ultimately, our goal is to help these veterans and enable them to learn new skills through their interactions with horses.”

To learn more or to donate to the Man O’ War Project, visit mowproject.org. If you know a veteran in crisis, you can contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 toll-free at (800) 273-8255 and press 1, or go to veteranscrisisline.net/chat. H Judy L. Marchman is an Austin-based freelance writer and editor and serves as copy editor for American Racehorse.

She worked for BloodHorse in Lexington, Kentucky, for 15 years before returning to Texas. You can follow her on Twitter @judy_writes.

26 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Coady Photography

SPECIAL BLESSING, a $110,000 graduate of our 2017 2-year-old sale, wins the $75,000 Equine Sales Oaks at Evangeline Downs.

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IT MAKES “CENTS” TO BREED IN IOWA! Iowa offers one of the top breeding and racing incentive programs in the country, and Iowa State University has the stallions to help you capitalize!

FORMIDABLE Sky Mesa - Santaria, by Star de Naskra • A five-time winner and Grade 2-placed son of Grade 1 winner and top 2yo sire SKY MESA (lifetime progeny earnings of more than $50 million) • Out of the four-time graded stakesplaced STAR DE NASKRA mare SANTARIA, who also produced Grade 2 winner AIR COMMANDER and multiple graded stakes winner and successful sire MEDALLIST

Sire inals, yF ng ed M duri of Ac winner 8 ime a 4-t the 201 ows d a e ie M Prair meet!

2019 Fee: $1,500 Considerations for multiple mares

NEWPORT More Than Ready - Secretly,

by Secretariat • Son of Grade 1 winner and leading sire MORE THAN READY (stands for $80,000 with progeny earnings of nearly $100 million) • Out of the Grade 2-placed SECRETARIAT mare SECRETLY 2019 Fee: $1,500 Considerations for multiple mares

Standing at: Iowa State University 119 Kildee, Ames, IA 50011 Inquiries to Nikki Ferwerda Phone: (515) 290-7669 • Fax: (515) 294-0018 nikkif@iastate.edu • www.ans.iastate.edu/stallions Both are Iowa accredited stallions and nominated to the Iowa Stallion Stakes

E

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EASILY IOWA’S LEADING STALLION IN 2017 & 2018!

f Sire o nd ers a n n i 42 w repeat 21 2018 n i s er winn ounting! and c

STROLL Pulpit – Maid for Walking (GB), Prince Sabo (GB) • A son of the tremendous sire of sires PULPIT, STROLL was a superior racehorse who had seven wins and three seconds in 16 starts with four graded stakes victories, including the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic • Progeny earnings of more than $12.6 million, with $1.6 million in 2018 alone, making him Iowa’s top stallion in a runaway!

• STROLL has sired 24 stakes horses, including Grade 3 winner SKYLANDER GIRL ($809,310), Grade 3 winner and Canadian champion VAN LEAR ROSE, Grade 3 winners GREAT MINDS and WALKABOUT, and Grade 1-placed Moonlit Stroll 2019 Fee: $2,000

Standing at: Iowa State University 119 Kildee, Ames, IA 50011 Inquiries to Nikki Ferwerda Phone: (515) 290-7669 • Fax: (515) 294-0018 nikkif@iastate.edu • www.ans.iastate.edu/stallions Iowa accredited stallion • Nominated to the Iowa Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes

“Probably the first time we’ve mentioned an Iowa stallion. Unbelievable what this sire does with ordinary mares. Progeny are remarkably quick and can run on all surfaces. Maybe the most potent sire to ever stand in Iowa.”

—ThoroughbredReview.com

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orth Dakota has a long history of horse racing, but it’s not quite the storied history of Kentucky. Even so, the “smaller” racing states are an important part of the national scene. Despite the stereotype of horse racing being a sport for the older generation, there are young people from cities small and large who dream about getting into the industry. I include myself in that group, and recently I found another during my journey to join the world of horse racing.

Last year, I went to Churchill Downs with friends to enjoy an afternoon of racing after having recently begun an internship at Keeneland Race Course, and by coincidence, I ran into another North Dakotan at the world’s most famous racetrack.

In the paddock before a race, I was introduced to Tammy Fox, trainer Dale Romans’ life partner. She asked me where I’m originally from and how I got into horse racing. I responded “Fargo, North Dakota” and “at the North Dakota Horse Park.”

She looked at me incredulously, laughed and said, “You’re never going to believe this, but I’m going to introduce you to someone who will know exactly the place you are talking about.”

From the North Dakota Prairie to the Kentucky Bluegrass Army veteran Mark Simms Jr. is a young trainer with a bright future

By Annise Montplaisir Photos by Davis Innovation and Brianna Vitt

She walked away and came back with a tall young man named Mark Simms Jr. who was working as an assistant to Romans at the time. And as it turns out, he did indeed know exactly where I was talking about because he is originally from Belcourt, North Dakota. Simms grew up around horse racing in the Dakotas—including at the North Dakota Horse Park— and I knew I had to write about him.

In Kentucky, saying I’m from North Dakota raises eyebrows and emits a lot of “how in heaven’s name did you get here?” remarks. And yet, Simms and I made it to the horse racing capital of the United States, both representing the importance of small-time regional horse racing, the lessons it teaches you and the positive results of hard work and dedication.

Back in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby this past May, I paid a visit to Simms and the two racehorses he trains at Trackside Louisville, a Thoroughbred training center near Churchill. Simms is now his own boss with a trainer’s license.

I had recently been accepted to the Godolphin Flying Start program, an esteemed international Thoroughbred industry AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 31

leadership course, and started a summer position with historic Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington.

Amazing how things worked out for a couple North Dakota kids.

A DEDICATION TO RACING

Mark Simms stood in a stall holding the lead shank of Country Fast, a dark bay colt who had his front feet soaking in a black tub of warm water. The colt’s eyes were half closed, relaxed and enjoying the feeling of the liquid on his feet.

Before Country Fast arrived at Simms’ barn, he raced four times, twice on the West Coast and twice in Arkansas, under the care of Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill.

Based on what he has seen during the colt’s training, Simms believes he has potential.

“He’s just going to be one of those horses that you’ve got to spend a lot of quality time with,” Simms said. “He loves this. If you come in his stall without him standing in his bucket, he’ll try to bite you sometimes. But this thing feels so good when his feet bother him. And then when he’s tired of it, he’ll step right out of it and he’ll be done for the day.”

Sure enough, 20 minutes later Country Fast lifted one front foot and then the other from the water and backed out.

Many of the methods Simms uses to care for the racehorses he trains, from vibration plates to soaking feet, he learned from working as an assistant to classic-winning trainer Dale Romans.

However, Simms’ history with horse racing commenced long before he moved to Kentucky. It started with his grandfather, Mike Nelson, in Belcourt, North Dakota, on the Turtle Mountain Reservation where Simms grew up.

“My grandpa would tell a story that I learned to walk walking into a horse barn,” Simms said. “As long as I can remember, my big passion, what I’ve always loved, was horses.”

Simms’ parents were both in the military, prompting their family to move frequently when he was a child but returning

Although Simms has launched his own training operation, he still works with Dale Romans (right), the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs.

32 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Simms gets a barn visit from his wife, Shayla, and daughter, Ashton.

to the reservation during school breaks. No matter where his travels have taken him, Simms has always found a way to be around horses.

He attended high school in Virginia, where his family had settled at the time, and graduated from Virginia State University in 2011 with degrees in criminal justice/law enforcement administration and animal sciences. During those years, he got his racing fix at the now-closed but soon to be reopened Colonial Downs. Post-college, Simms was commissioned in the Army as a brigade assistant intelligence operations officer, concurrently finding ways to expand his knowledge of horse training.

While stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, he drove hours every weekend to assist fellow North Dakotan and trainer Jerry Gourneau at Turf Paradise in Phoenix.

“I would do my Army training all week, and Friday after class at like seven, I would drive three or four hours to Phoenix, and we’d run horses all weekend,” Simms said. “Then once we’d finish up on Sunday, I’d jump in the car and drive back down. I’d do that every week when I was down there in Arizona to be around horses and really just try to be a sponge and learn as much as I could.”

After Arizona, Simms was stationed in South Korea for a year. He visited a South Korean racetrack in his free time, learning to dissect the racing program and betting on races with the help of a South Korean soldier.

When he returned to the U.S., Simms wanted the opportunity to serve in Afghanistan and requested to be based with an infantry division at Fort Knox in Kentucky. When he realized Fort Knox was only a 40-minute drive from Churchill Downs, he began sending emails to trainers, expressing his interest in working at the track. Deployed in 2013, Simms served as an intelligence officer in the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and returned to the Bluegrass State the following year.

Tari Hendrickson, who was managing Romans’ social media at the time Simms reached out, had a son in the Navy and a penchant for helping veterans.

Simms’ first official win as a trainer came at the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo, a long way from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.

Through the contacts Hendrickson facilitated, Simms began driving from Fort Knox to Romans’ Liberty Lane Training Center in Goshen, Kentucky, in the mornings. He mucked stalls, walked horses and filled in where needed, with his work ethic earning him an assistant trainer license and a position in Romans’ barn at Churchill Downs.

As Simms’ capabilities grew, so did the number of opportunities to attend events like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup. Simms also has a close connection to one of the biggest upsets in recent years when Keen Ice took down 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Simms remembers having Keen Ice in their barn and watching him grow from chubby kid to a robust, monstrous bay who wore down the heavy favorite in the final strides of the Midsummer Derby.

“Keen Ice kind of sticks out because they put him in the first stall, and I can remember he was kind of chunky when he came in,” Simms recalled. “In the mornings he would stand

in the back of the stall and just paw and paw and want to get out. The groom Anibal [Abrego] worked with him and got him to settle down. It’s cool to see them grow up—come in as little 2-year-olds and not know a whole bunch, and then watch them mature.”

Simms also worked with prominent horses Silver Max, Brody’s Cause, Molly Morgan and J Boys Echo.

Racehorse trainers are similar to sports team coaches, as they each have their own philosophies on conditioning athletes and must be familiar with their strengths. Many aspiring trainers work for established individuals with success in the industry to learn their style and techniques.

After four years of working with Romans, Simms said one of his most valuable takeaways is the importance of teamwork within a top racing operation. Romans also helped him from a networking standpoint, telling his story and introducing him to clients. And to Simms’ benefit, he already had skills applicable to racing, including discipline and attention to detail, acquired from serving in the Army.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 33

GOING OUT ON HIS OWN

After his grandfather—so influential in building his foundation in the racing industry—passed away shortly after the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Simms decided to put these experiences to work for himself with his own training operation.

“I was thinking now is kind of my time, so I really pushed to do it on my own,” he said. “I let Dale and the team know next year I want to get my license and get a couple horses. So I stayed with those guys through the rest of the year.”

The first winner Simms trained was Bob’s Grand Slam in a race at the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo last year. The now 7-year-old gelding started his career with Romans in Kentucky but was not quite talented enough to run in the “big leagues.”

Simms could tell from the gelding’s compact conformation that he had the speed and athleticism to be competitive at the smaller, tighter-turning tracks of North Dakota.

“We bought him and I sent him up there and my uncle and my grandpa had him,” he said. “And then when my grandpa passed, I took his share of the horse and worked with my uncle [Francis Nelson] like ‘Hey, let’s do this, let’s do that.’

“So that was super exciting getting to watch that from here and getting to share that experience with my uncle and my family up there during a tough time with my grandpa going.”

Simms currently has four colts at his Kentucky base, with a goal of increasing his stable size to 10 horses before stepping away from his position at GE Appliances to train full time.

Simms still pitches in with the Romans crew on big race days like this year’s Kentucky Derby, where their contenders Promises Fulfilled and Free Drop Billy finished 15th and 16th, respectively. Simms’ wife, Shayla, 3-year-old daughter, Ashton, and mother, Debbie, were also there. The three constituted what Simms called “kind of a small contingent” compared to past years, when a large portion of his North Dakota family traveled to Kentucky to support him on Derby day.

“I’ll tell you, the first night I was in Kentucky, I was still in the Army but I drove to Churchill Downs and I saw the Barbaro statue,” Simms said, reflecting on the significance of how far he has advanced in the horse racing industry. “I don’t know if I cried, but I felt super emotional. And I can remember every morning just waking up and driving up here and thinking man, I’m living the dream.” H

A

nnise Montplaisir became interested in racing as a 12-year-old visiting the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo, where she later got her start in journalism. She has interned with the American Quarter Horse Association, Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland Race Course, spent two summers as a staff writer for The Saratoga Special and worked last summer at historic Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. She is currently traveling the world with the Godolphin Flying Start program, a two-year international Thoroughbred industry management course.

facebook.com/americanracehorse @AmerRacehorse americanracehorse.com 34 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

REVOLVING IS TURNING HEADS! • A son of Horse of the Year and sire of sires A.P. INDY out of G1 winner and G1 producer

CIRCLE OF LIFE

• Easily Texas’ #1 third-crop sire and overall #6 sire in 2018 with those above him having at least twice as many runners to date • Lifetime winners/starters of 73% and lifetime average earnings per starter of nearly $27,000 (and his older runners are only 4-year-olds of 2018) • First Texas foals coming in Spring 2019 2019 Fee: $1,000

Accredited Texas Stallion • Nominated to the Texas Stallion Stakes Series and the Breeders’ Cup

REVOLVING

A.P. INDY – CIRCLE OF LIFE,

BY BELONG TO ME

Standing at:

DOUBLE S THOROUGHBREDS

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There are seven water wells that contribute to self-watering system in each run. Four lush Bermuda pastures that produce almost 1,000 round bales per year make this ranch self-supporting. Ranch also has three homes and an apartment all in great condition. Main home is over 5,500 sq ft and has a gorgeous view of the 28-acre private lake.

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Call Krista Martin, EXIT Realty Premier for a list of amenities and YouTube video 405-401-5068 • KristaMartinRealtor@gmail.com https://krista.exitrealtymartin.com/ AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 35

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! American Racehorse covers the racing and breeding industry in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas and provides you with the news and information you need to know!

Each issue features articles on horse health, second-career racehorses, horsemen and horses in the region and more, plus breeding, racing and sales news.

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YOUR AFTERCARE AUTHORITY. Funds raised by the TAA support 64 accredited aftercare organizations in the TAA network. Since 2012, the TAA has granted more than $10.8 million to organizations accredited through a rigorous process and on-site inspections.

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7/11/18 4:47 PM

Keeneland Library/Morgan Collection

Seabiscuit, pictured with trainer Tom Smith and jockey John “Red” Pollard in 1937 at Empire City Race Track in New York, died more than 70 years ago but recently his DNA was extracted with the hope of learning what made him a great racehorse.

TEC HN OLO GY MEE T S HI ST ORY DNA analysis of Seabiscuit may yield insights into his racing prowess (From the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation)

S

eabiscuit was not an impressive-looking horse and was considered to be quite lazy, preferring eating and sleeping to exercise. The horse had been written off by most after losing his first 17 races; however, he eventually became one of the greatest Thoroughbred champions of all time.

A grandson of Man o’ War, Seabiscuit raised the hopes and spirits of a beleaguered nation during the Great Depression with a series of unlikely victories. November 1, 2018, marks the 80th anniversary of his legendary win in a match race against Triple Crown winner War Admiral at Pimlico Race Course in 1938. The race drew 40,000 spectators and was broadcast by radio to 40 million listeners across the country. Considered a

38 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

West Coast underdog, Seabiscuit inspired America with his victory against all odds, but what made this crooked-legged, supposedly lazy horse a hall of fame champion who won 33 races and earned $437,730?

This and other questions led to a collaboration between molecular geneticist Dr. Steven Tammariello, the director of the Institute for Equine Genomics at Binghamton University in New York; Jacqueline Cooper, Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation President Emeritus; and Col. Michael Howard, U.S. Marines (Ret.), the great-grandson of Seabiscuit’s owner, Charles S. Howard. The study, however, began not with Seabiscuit himself, but with one of his descendants.

Jacqueline Cooper

Tammariello was initially contacted by Cooper, a hooves, suggests the DNA extracted is indeed from Seabiscuit.

Thoroughbred breeder, who owns Seabiscuit’s descendants Though the nuclear DNA was significantly degraded, stabled at historic Ridgewood Ranch, the home and final Tammariello and DeRosa were still able to partially sequence resting place of the champion, located in the oak- and specific genes associated with optimal racing distance in redwood-studded ranchland and mountains of northern Thoroughbreds. Seabiscuit was found to have gene variants California. Seabiscuit stood at stud there and had been often observed in horses that have a strong route-running nursed back to health there after sustaining a serious injury ability, but underlying this were variants in minor racing at age 7. His recuperation at Ridgewood set the stage for an genes that are normally found in sprinting horses. This electrifying blaze-of-glory career finish at Santa Anita Park somewhat rare genetic combination of stamina and speed that captivated Depression-era America. seems to be reflected in the champion’s race record, as he won At Cooper’s request, Tammariello tested a descendant of races from five furlongs to 1 ¼ miles. Further, horses with Seabiscuit, Bronze Sea, on a genetic panel that can be used this genotype today tend to be late-developing, winning their to predict a horse’s racing potential. This raised the question first race almost three months later (on average) than horses of comparing Bronze Sea’s DNA with that of his famous with a genotype of precocity. ancestor. This could only work Trainer “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimif DNA from Seabiscuit still mons saw potential in Seabiscuit existed, an unlikely proposition, but considered the horse to be since he died in 1947, explained too lazy, consigning him to a Tammariello. heavy schedule of smaller races.

Obtaining a sample of Seabiscuit failed to win his first Seabiscuit’s DNA was made 17 outings, usually finishing possible, however, in a joint back in the field, but began to effort between the Seabiscuit gain attention after winning Heritage Foundation, a two races at Narragansett Park nonprofit organization dedicated and setting a track record. At to historic preservation and land two, Seabiscuit won five of 35 conservation at Ridgewood races, including three claiming Ranch, and the California races where he could have been Thoroughbred Foundation purchased for $2,500 but had where Seabiscuit’s silvered no takers. In 1937, as a 4-yearhooves, originally loaned by old, Seabiscuit won 11 of his Charles Howard’s wife, Marcela 15 races for trainer Tom Smith Howard, are displayed. Although and was the nation’s leading not common practice today, money winner. historically it was customary to Tammariello and DeRosa will Seabiscuit’s hooves are currently on display at remove the hooves of a champion continue examining Seabiscuit’s the California Thoroughbred Foundation. racehorse prior to burial as a genome, focusing on genes that keepsake. Col. Howard, the are linked to other physical Howard family historian, agreed attributes, as well as genes that that an attempt could be made encode for neurotransmitter to extract the champion’s DNA from the hooves and attested receptors, which are known to control behaviors such as they are authentic. aggression, curiosity and trainability in horses. Perhaps Tammariello and PhD student Kate DeRosa, with assistance Seabiscuit had variants in these behavioral genes that gave him from Dr. Andy Merriwether, professor of anthropology and the incredible desire to win despite his less-than-ideal physical the director of the Ancient DNA and Forensic Laboratory attributes. For those who are curious, due to the insufficient at Binghamton University, successfully isolated DNA from quantity and poor quality of the nuclear DNA, the prospect of the coffin bone inside two of the hoof capsules. Analysis of cloning Seabiscuit is not possible at this time. the samples revealed that the nuclear DNA was somewhat Through this study, the collaborating partners hope to degraded, most likely due to the age of the hooves or because get an idea of what genetic components made Seabiscuit the of the harsh chemical treatment during the silvering process. great racehorse that he was, including a comparison between However, the mitochondrial DNA was intact and used to Seabiscuit and modern-day Thoroughbreds. More data will be verify that the DNA extracted from each hoof is from the released as it becomes available. maternal family line 5-j, from which Seabiscuit is descended.

In the 2003 movie “Seabiscuit,” Charles Howard perhaps This, coupled with Col. Howard’s historical connection to the summed it up best: “The finish line is the future.” H AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 39

It PAYS to NOMINATE ATTENTION OWNERS: ALL 2017 foals by the following stallions are eligible to nominate to Iowa Stallion Stakes, regardless of what state they are foaled in.

One time payment, due Dec 3rd makes your 2017 foals eligible for a 2yo and a 3yo stakes.

EZ Effort Fast Anna Field Commission Five Iron Flashback Flight West Foreign Policy Giant Oak Hightail Holiday Justice Honorable Dillon I Want Revenge Icon Ike Jafmil Jersey Town Justin Phillip

Kennedy King of Scat Kipling Latent Heat Lentenor Line of David Liquor Cabinet Lotsa Mischief Lovango Macho Rocket Majestic City Margie’s Wildcat Matt’s Broken Vow Micromanage Midas Touch Monarchos

Mr. Nightlinger Mucho Macho Man Mustanfar Native Ruler New Year’s Day Newport Northern Afleet Notional Oratory Ordained Overanalyze Paddy O’Prado Pass Rush Pataky Kid Perfect Soul Pollard’s Vision

Portobello Road Power Broker Quien Read the Footnotes Ready’s Image Run Away and Hide Santiva Save Big Money Sebastian County Secret Circle Self Control Shackleford Shadow Hawk Shore Breeze Sidney’s Candy Sky Kingdom

Smarty Jones Soaring Empire Special Rate Strong Contender Tactical Cat Tale of Ekati Tapiture The Visualiser Three Hour Nap Tidal Volume To Honor and Serve Trinniberg Two Step Salsa Uptowncharlybrown What Now Woke Up Dreamin

Coady Photography

Coady Photography

Colonel John Commander’s Shoes Cougar Cat Courageous Cat Cyber Secret Dialed In Discreet Cat Discreetly Mine Domestic Dispute Dominus Dramedy Drill Drosselmeyer El Caballo Entourage Euroears

Coady Photography

A.P. Million Affirmatif Alternation American Lion Artie Schiller Astrology Autonomy Bahamian Squall Birdrun Blake’s Passion Blueskiesnrainbows Bold Warrior Brahms Caleb’s Posse Capo Bastone C’Mon Tiger

TIN BADGE

ONE LAST EMPRESS

SUBSTITUTION

by THE DEPUTY

by DAAHER

by ALTERNATION

■

Won the 2018 $92,240 ITBOA Stallion Auction Stakes Season donated by Rockin’ River Ranch

■

Won the 2018 $93,800 ITBOA Stallion Auction Filly Stakes Season donated by Shadwell Farm

■

Won the 2018 $94,300 ITBOA Stallion Auction Futurity Season donated by Pin Oak Stud

Nominations are also due December 3rd for Iowa Bred Foals born in 2017.

Visit www.iowathoroughbred.com for nomination forms

STALLION OWNERS:

Consider donating a season to the ONLY Stallion Auction where YOU could receive up to $15,000 • ALL foals born in 2020 by your stallion, regardless of what state they are foaled in, are eligible to nominate to our 2022 ITBOA Stallion Futurity for two year olds and 2023 Stallion Stakes for three year olds.

• Proceeds from the season’s sale will be solely designated to the ITBOA Stallion Futurity & ITBOA Stallion Stakes • NO ENTRY FEE FOR THE STALLION OWNER INTO THE STALLION AUCTION

2018 Stallion Auction Mid-December www.iowathoroughbred.com for donation form and more info

IOWA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS AND OWNERS ASSOCIATION For More Information Contact Our ITBOA Office at 800-577-1097, or e-mail ITBOA@msn.com Visit our website at www.iowathoroughbred.com

ATTENTION STALLION OWNERS & FARM MANAGERS

Here is the ONLY Stallion Auction where YOU could receive up to $15,000 SEASON DONOR FORM FOR 2019 BREEDING SEASON             

ALL foals born in 2020, regardless of what state they are foaled in, are eligible to nominate to our 2022 ITBOA Stallion Futurity for two year olds and 2023 Stallion Stakes for three year olds. (3 yo race will have a filly AND a colt/gelding division) EASY one time nomination of only $200 for the foals to nominate; which means MORE of your foals will be eligible to run in a Black Type race.

The ITBOA will mail nomination forms to ALL breeders with a foal by your stallion The opportunity to receive $15,000 to the Stallion Donor with our Stallion Incentive Bonus Program, $90,000 paid out so far!!!

All sale prices will be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL between the buyer, the seller and the ITBOA. Seasons will be sold online through www.thoroughlybred.com in mid December. Only E Bay like website dedicated to the thoroughbred industry!

Donations are not split with the season donor and/or stallion owner. Only 100% donation seasons accepted.

Bidding will begin at $500 unless a higher reserve is set. Any reserve must be in writing. Reserves are defined as “the minimum a season may be sold for”.

Proceeds from the season’s sale will be solely designated to the ITBOA Stallion Futurity & ITBOA Stallion Stakes 2018 Stallion Futurity, Stallion Stakes & Stallion Filly Stakes had total purses of just over $280,000!!!

YOU decide if to allow a Breed Back if no foal in 2020.

NO ENTRY FEE You can provide up to five pictures to be used on website and provide a link to the stallion’s page and/or farm website.

# of Seasons To Each

Stallion

Standing Farm

2019 Stud Fee

State

*Breed Back Yes or No?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ *This will allow a breed back in 2020 if the mare does not conceive, aborts the fetus, or does not produce a live foal which stands and nurses in 2020.

Applicable only if the stallion is standing at the same farm in 2020.

Donor: (as it is to appear in advertising. Please print)_______________________________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Authorized Signature:__________________________________________Print Name:____________________________________________ Phone No.:_____________________________________________E-mail address:_______________________________________________

Email pictures and website links to itboa@msn.com by November 14th to be included in our advertising.

Donations WILL be accepted until the day of the auction.

Please fill out and submit to: Fax: 1-888-505-3556 Email: itboa@msn.com Or mail to: ITBOA 1 Prairie Meadows Dr Altoona, IA 50009 800-577-1097

Special Instructions, Reserves, Website Links, etc: (this may be left blank) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________

If your season does not sell, would you like to buy it for the minimum to make ALL the foals eligible for the Stallion Futurity & Stallion Stakes? _____Yes _____No

It PAYS to donate to the ITBOA Stallion Auction: Congratulations to Pin Oak Stud, Shadwell Farm & Rockin River Ranch on being the 2018 Stallion Incentive Bonus winners of $5,000 each. Their stallion’s foals, Substitution by Alternation, One Last Empress by Daaher and Tin Badge by The Deputy won the ITBOA Stallion Stakes Races. $90,000 has been paid out to date!!!

Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association 2019 Membership Application Applications and payments should be returned to the ITBOA Office at: One Prairie Meadows Drive, Altoona, IA 50009.

Applications received by February 20, 2019 will be included in the ITBOA Membership Directory.

NEW: You can now pay for ONE year or TWO years.

2019 Membership Fees

PLEASE type or print

Individual...

1 yr. $75 or 2 yrs. $125 ($25 discount) Husband & Wife.. 1 yr. $100 or 2 yrs. $175 ($25 discount)

NAME(S)_______________________________________________________________________________ (No farm names. Need each members full name for election mailing)

STREET ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________ CITY _______________________________________ STATE_____________ ZIP__________________ HOME PHONE ________________________________________________________________________ BUSINESS PHONE______________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS _______________________________________________________________________ FARM NAME____________________________________________________________________________ Please check the following if they have applied to you in the last three years: Iowa-Bred Owner____

Iowa-Bred Breeder_____

Farm Owner_____

Farm Manager _____

Iowa-Bred Trainer _____

Stallion Owner_____

Contributions or gifts to ITBOA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses subject to restrictions imposed as a result of association lobby activities. ITBOA estimates that the nondeductible portion of your 2019 dues allocable to lobbying is 4%

Membership is open to ANYONE interested in the Thoroughbred Industry.

Thank you for your support of Iowa Racing FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

Received:

Check #:

Amount:

IOWA NEW MARE BONUS NOMINATION FORM

For Mares that have never foaled in the State of Iowa or Maiden Mares for 2019 Foaling Season

RECEIVE UP TO $20,000 BONUS BY FOALING YOUR NEW OR MAIDEN MARE IN IOWA By nominating your mare, you are eligible for a $10,000 Bonus if that foal is the leading money earner (from mares nominated) at Prairie Meadows for any season, starting in 2022.

That foal is only eligible to win the Bonus one year.  $5,000 Bonus if that foal went through the sales ring as a weanling or yearling during the

ITBOA Fall Sale.

 $5,000 Bonus if the foal is by a stallion that sold in the Dec. 2017 ITBOA Stallion

Season Auction.

TOTAL OF $20,000 IN BONUSES AVAILABLE

This is non-transferrable. Bonus will only be paid to the Breeder of the foal, as long as it is the same entity that nominates the mare.

Name of New or Maiden Mare:

Sire:

Dam:

In Foal To:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Nomination Schedule: July 1, 2019 ……….……….…..$200.00 (ITBOA Members) $300 (non-members) Late entries by September 2, 2019 ………...………..$500.00 OWNER_____________________________________________________

I have enclosed payment to the ITBOA for

ADDRESS___________________________________________________

$___________

CITY__________________________ST________ZIP________________

Please return this form with payment to the ITBOA Office: 1 Prairie Meadows Dr. Altoona, IA 50009

TELEPHONE___________________E-MAIL:______________________

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the ITBOA Office at 1-800-577-1097 or email at: itboa@msn.com FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:

Received:

Check #:

Amount:

44 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

New Faces and New Places

mark - stock.adobe.com

A look at some relocated and recently retired stallions around the region By Denis Blake

O

ne never knows how each breeding season will turn out, but it is a certainty that new and relocated stallions will appear each fall and winter around the region to give breeders an increasing number of options for their broodmares. This season is no different, as through mid-October, a number of stallions have moved or retired to the states covered by American Racehorse. Following is a look at selected commercial stallion movements announced as of press time and news about the first winners for two stallions in the region. Further updates will be posted at americanracehorse.com.

GRADE 1 WINNER LIAISON TO MIGHTY ACRES IN OKLAHOMA

Louise Reinagel

Grade 1 winner Liaison has been relocated to Dr. Warren Center’s Mighty Acres in Pryor, Oklahoma, in a deal brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock.

Liaison’s first crop includes the talented filly Thirteen Squared, who placed in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 2 Summertime Oaks this year, and multiple stakes winner Bronx Beauty. His second crop contains the recent $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Moonlight Romance, to date an earner of $359,600 in four starts.

The son of Indian Charlie has seasonal earnings of more than $1.5 million through mid-October, enough to make him the second-leading sire of 2018 in Oklahoma. He also has a crop of nearly 80 yearlings to run for him in 2019, meaning that he is well placed to maintain that momentum.

Liaison was a top runner himself for Arnold Zetcher and Bob Baffert and capped his juvenile season with a victory in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. After hitting the board in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Swaps Stakes at three, he returned at four to win the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

A precocious and tough performer who held his own at a high level over three seasons, Liaison retired to stand at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky as the winner of five of 18 starts for career earnings of $767,288. Spendthrift will retain the right to return Liaison to Kentucky, should it choose.

“We are delighted that Liaison will be available to breeders at Mighty Acres for next season,” Schumer said. “[He’s] the first son of Indian Charlie to stand in Oklahoma, and his 2-year-old form as well as his ability to sire 2-year-olds of the caliber of Moonlight Romance makes him a good fit for that market.”

Liaison’s fee has been set at $2,500.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 45

BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER CALEB’S POSSE TO RIVER OAKS IN OKLAHOMA

Louise Reinagel

Caleb’s Posse, winner of the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), has been relocated to stand at Lori and Francisco Bravo’s River Oaks Farms in Sulphur, Oklahoma, and still stand for a $2,000 fee.

One of the nation’s top sprinters and milers during his 3- and 4-yearold seasons, Caleb’s Posse compiled a record of 8-5-2 from 19 starts with more than $1.4 million in earnings. In his Breeders’ Cup win at Churchill Downs, he defeated runner-up Shackleford by four lengths while stopping the timer at 1:34.59. He also earned a Grade 1 win in the seven-furlong King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, defeating Uncle Mo. While Caleb’s Posse’s biggest achievements came in Kentucky and New York, he should be well known to Oklahoma horsemen as he has numerous connections to the state. He was bred in Kentucky by the late Don McNeill, one of Oklahoma’s most accomplished breeders, out of the Oklahoma-bred Slewacide mare Abbey’s Missy. McNeill campaigned Caleb’s Posse with Cheyenne Stables LLC, which is owned by fellow Oklahoman Everett Dobson, and Oklahoma stalwart Donnie Von Hemel trained the horse.

McNeill, Von Hemel and Caleb’s Posse are all members of the Remington Park Hall of Fame, with the latter earning induction for winning the Clever Trevor Stakes (named after another of McNeill’s top horses) as a 2-year-old and for bringing attention to the track and his Oklahoma connections at the Breeders’ Cup. “I’m excited about getting Caleb’s Posse to Oklahoma, where his first three dams were raised and where his damsire, Slewacide, a perennial leading sire in Oklahoma, stood for many years,” said Dobson, who will retain an interest in the stallion and continue to support him in Oklahoma. “We think he is excellent for the state-bred program, and it’s a great opportunity for breeders in Oklahoma to take advantage of a two-time Eclipse Award nominee and one of the most impressive racehorses of his generation.”

“We are honored to have a Breeders’ Cup-winning millionaire standing here,” said Francisco Bravo. “He’s already a proven stallion, and we think he’s going to be an asset for the Oklahoma breeding program.”

Caleb’s Posse, who has stood at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky since entering stud in 2013, is a leading third-crop sire in North America by percentage of winners to named foals, with $2,837,897 in cumulative earnings through late October. In his first crop, Caleb’s Posse boasted 85 percent winners to runners with 29 winners from 34 runners and two stakes winners, including Girls Know Best, a stakes winner on both dirt and turf with earnings of $392,624.

GRADED STAKES WINNER CORFU TO STAND IN OHIO

Louise Reinagel

Duncan Farms has announced that it will be standing the speedy Corfu at its farm in Warsaw, Ohio. A son of top sire Malibu Moon, Corfu was a leading 2-year-old both in the sales ring and on the racetrack in 2013. He topped the Barretts March select sale for 2-year-olds in training, bringing $675,000 from Demi O’Byrne after breezing a quarter of a mile in :20 4⁄5.

Corfu impressively broke his maiden at first asking at Saratoga Race Course in :58.27 in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

Coming back just 17 days later, Corfu led at every call to score his biggest career win in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, setting a stakes record in a dazzling 1:15.57 for the 6 1⁄2-furlong event contested at that distance since 1994.

“He showed his brilliance as a 2-year-old,” said Darryl Duncan, who operates Duncan Farms with his wife, Sally. “You look at his time in the Special and he ran faster than the likes of Favorite Trick, City Zip, Union Rags, Exaggerator and Gunnevera—those are some really nice horses. He brings that speed and Malibu Moon bloodlines to Ohio, and I think he will be well received.”

Corfu was also runner-up in the Grade 2 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park. He retired with earnings of $214,200.

Corfu is out of the Forest Wildcat mare Fashion Cat, a half sister to the three-time Grade 1-winning Peace Rules, who earned more than $3 million. Corfu will stand his first season in Ohio for $1,500.

46 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

STAKES WINNER SKY FLIGHT TO STAND AT CIRCLE C RANCH IN TEXAS

Coglianese Photo

Sky Mesa’s son Sky Flight, a two-time stakes winner and graded stakes-placed runner, will stand his first season as a stallion at Circle C Ranch in Emory, Texas. He will stand for a $1,000 fee for Richard Penn and Kevin Clifton.

After debuting with a fifth place in September of his 3-year-old season, Sky Flight reeled off three straight turf victories in a span of two months with a maiden win at Keeneland, an allowance score at Churchill Downs and a black-type win in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park.

As a 4-year-old, Sky Mesa hit the board in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and Grade 2 Firecracker Stakes at Churchill before ending his season with a win in the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct. He raced through his 7-year-old year for a total of five wins from 24 starts and earnings of $262,684.

SPECIAL RATE RELOCATED TO RIVER OAKS FARMS IN OKLAHOMA Special Rate, a stakes-winning and graded stakes-siring son of Pulpit, will stand the 2019 breeding season at Lori and Francisco Bravo’s River Oaks Farms in Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Special Rate’s leading runner is Texas-bred Patrona Margarita, winner of last year’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. During her 3-year-old campaign this year, Patrona Margarita finished third to Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. All told, the filly has earned $222,153 in eight starts.

Special Rate is also the sire of Special Rockstar, winner of the last two runnings of the Fiesta Mile Stakes on the turf at Retama Park. The mare has earned nearly $175,000 with eight wins in 39 career starts.

“We are excited to have Special Rate at River Oaks Farms and allow breeders to take advantage of the lucrative Oklahoma-bred program,” said Phil Leckinger, part of the syndicate standing the stallion. “He offers a really strong combination of race record and pedigree along with a proven sire record.”

On the track, Special Rate was a stakes winner at Hollywood Park who hit the board in 10 of 12 starts with earnings of $187,950.

By sire of sires Pulpit, Special Rate is out of the stakes-winning Nureyev mare Viviana, who also produced Grade 1-winning millionaires Sightseek and Tates Creek.

“We feel privileged to have a stallion of this quality coming to River Oaks,” said Francisco Bravo. “We already have a great roster of stallions here, and Special Rate helps us make that roster even better.”

Special Rate will stand for a fee of $2,000.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 47

READ THE FOOTNOTES RELOCATED FROM OKLAHOMA TO NEW MEXICO Multiple Grade 2 winner Read the Footnotes has been relocated from Oklahoma to stand at Creekside Farm near Tularosa, New Mexico. He will stand as the property of Bryan and Dr. Megan Petty at their new farm. Megan Petty is a longtime Texas Thoroughbred Association member and practicing veterinarian who is also involved in the TTA’s Paddock Foundation.

“This horse is a good fit for New Mexico,” Megan told BloodHorse. “You have the influence from Smoke Glacken, who was fast, and then Read the Footnotes had one of the fastest works ever at a Fasig-Tipton sale. He went on to prove that speed on the track.”

On the track, Read the Footnotes won five of his eight starts, including the Grade 2 Remsen, Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 3 Nashua, and won at distances from five furlongs to 1 1⁄8 miles.

The son of Smoke Glacken has sired the earners of nearly $18 million and was a top five sire in Oklahoma in 2017 with progeny earnings of $1.16 million. Among his top runners are Grade 1 winner Rightly So and multiple stakes winner and $608,318 earner Readthebyline.

Read the Footnotes had been standing as property of Eureka Thoroughbreds at River Oaks Farms in Oklahoma. Eureka is owned by Mike Grossman, who also stands stallions in Texas at his Eureka Thoroughbred Farm, which is managed by Bill Tracy, Megan’s father.

Read the Footnotes will stand for a $2,000 fee.

Stunning Steeds

TEXAS STALLION MR. BESILU GETS FIRST WINNER AT CANTERBURY PARK

48 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

The first starter for Texas stallion Mr. Besilu turned out to be a winner as his 2-year-old daughter She B Glamorous won a maiden special weight contest on July 20 at Canterbury Park. With Jareth Loveberry up for trainer Francisco Bravo, the Minnesota-bred earned $20,400 for the victory clocked in 1:07.58 for 5 ½ furlongs. The filly runs for Mike Grossman, who bred her in the name of his Eureka Thoroughbred Farm. She B Glamorous is out of the Artie Schiller mare Gold N Glamore, who compiled a record of 9-3-2-1 with two stakes placings and earnings of $74,492 while running for Grossman and Bravo. Mr. Besilu stands at Eureka Thoroughbred Farm in Fredericksburg, Texas, as property of Benjamin Leon of Besilu Stables.

A $4.2 million Keeneland yearling, Mr. Besilu is a son of A.P. Indy out of Grade 1 winner and millionaire Balance, who is a half sister to Horse of the Year Zenyatta. Mr. Besilu hit the board twice in a racing career cut short by injury.

NECK ’N NECK, TIZ SARDONIC JOE JOIN INDIANA STALLION RANKS Among the new additions to the Indiana program are graded stakes-winning millionaire Neck ’n Neck and graded Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO stakes-placed Tiz Sardonic Joe. Neck ’n Neck, a son of Travers Stakes (G1) winner Flower Alley, enters stud at Scott and Janice Jordan’s Breakway Farm in Dillsboro after a career that included four graded stakes victories and more than $1.17 million in earnings.

Neck ’n Neck should be well known to those in the Hoosier State as his resume includes a win in the 2012 Indiana Derby (G2), then run at Hoosier Park. He also captured three other graded stakes.

Neck ’n Neck will stand for a fee of $2,000 as property of Dennis Farkas and Tracey Wilkes, the wife of Ian Wilkes who trained Neck ’n Neck for a good chunk of his career.

“I think the Indiana program is a great program, and Neck n’ Neck I believe Neck ’n Neck will be a standout,” said Farkas in a BloodHorse article. “This is a good-looking, well-balanced horse that could really run.”

Tiz Sardonic Joe, a graded stakes-placed son of Horse of the Year Tiznow, will stand his first season in 2019 at Kerry and Leigh Ann Hopper’s R Star Thoroughbreds in Anderson.

Tiz Sardonic Joe earned his maiden win as a 2-year-old at Saratoga Race Course and then scored in allowance races during his 3-year-old season at Saratoga and Gulfstream Park. As a 4-year-old at Gulfstream, he ran second, beaten a neck, in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes.

While much of his success came on the turf, Tiz Sardonic Joe also won races on synthetic and dirt surfaces. All told, he won 13 races with seven seconds and six thirds from 55 starts with earnings of $347,801.

Tiz Sardonic Joe is out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare Distorted Blaze. That mare has proven to be very productive as the dam of Group 2-placed Danse Grecque, 10-time winner and $473,291 earner Joes Blazing Aaron and multiple stakes-placed $364,247 earner Majestic Hussar.

Tiz Sardonic Joe’s stud fee has not yet been announced.

STRONG CONTENDER GETS FIRST INDIANA-SIRED WINNER Former Indiana stallion Strong Contender was represented by his first Indiana-sired winner on July 17 at Indiana Grand as his 2-year-old son S S Trooper won an open maiden special weight race.

Bred and owned by Marvin Johnson and Doug Schmuecker and trained

by Johnson, S S Trooper sat in second under jockey Fernando De La Cruz for much of the five-furlong turf sprint before taking command late and winning by a length in a time of :58.85.

The victory by S S Trooper proved the benefit of breeding and racing Indiana-breds as the gelding earned $26,040 for his maiden win from a base purse of $31,000, which was increased by 40 percent due to his Indiana-bred status. That doesn’t include additional breeder and stallion owner bonuses.

Strong Contender, who formerly stood at R Star Stallions in Indiana and now stands in Texas at Ivy Rose Equestrian Center, won four of his eight career starts, including the Grade 2 Super Derby and Dwyer Stakes. The son of Maria’s Mon also finished third in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. His leading runner is multiple graded stakes winner Grand Contender, an earner of $660,400.

“For an Indiana-sired horse to win against open company first time out is a big accomplishment. The Indiana program has been growing each year and so has the quality of runners sired in this state,” said Kerry Hopper, who owns and operates R Star Stallions with his wife, Leigh Ann. “We congratulate Marvin and Doug for a nice colt and nice win. Thanks for investing your best in Indiana.” H AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 49

SUPERIOR PEDIGREES...

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Check out the QUALITY BLOODLINES at Eureka Thoroughbred Farm...

MR. BESILU A.P. Indy – Balance, by Thunder Gulch By the incomparable racehorse and sire A.P. INDY out of the multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire BALANCE, who is a half sister to the great ZENYATTA.

t His firs B e h S r starte us ro o m Gla rst fi t won a t a g in ask ury! rb te n Ca

2019 Fee: $2,000

Mr. Besilu

THE HUNK Speightstown – Penniless Heiress, by Pentelicus A stakes winner by champion sprinter and leading sire SPEIGHTSTOWN and half brother to successful stallion WILDCAT HEIR. 2019 Fee: $2,000 The Hunk

EXPECT A LOT Awesome Again – Tizamazing, by Cee’s Tizzy A son of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner AWESOME AGAIN and a full brother to Preakness Stakes (G1) winner OXBOW and G3-placed SW AWESOME PATRIOT. Nearly the same pedigree as Grade 1 winner and Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up PAYNTER. 2019 Fee: $2,000 Expect A Lot

Vanning a problem? Give us a call and we can help!

EUREKA THOROUGHBRED FARM All fees are stands and nurses Inquiries to Bill Tracy 6476 U.S. Highway 290 E. • Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Phone: (830) 688-1709 • Email: info@eurekathoroughbreds.com Website: www.eurekathoroughbreds.com Accredited Texas Stallions Nominated to the Texas Stallion Stakes Series and Minnesota Stallion Stakes

PROVEN AND PROMISING! Whether you want a proven graded stakes-siring stallion in LATENT HEAT or one of Oklahoma’s most promising young stallions in EXCAPER, we have the right stallion for you!

LATENT HEAT

Maria’s Mon – True Flare, by Capote One of the most accomplished sires in Oklahoma with progeny earnings of more than $12 million and 22 stakes horses, including seven graded stakes performers!

2019 Fee: $2,000

EXCAPER

Exchange Rate – Ada Ruckus, by Bold Ruckus A Grade 2-winning and Grade 1-placed Breeders’ Cup runner on the turf. Look for his first 2-year-olds in 2019!

2019 Fee: $2,500

RIVER OAKS FARMS INC.

All fees are stands and nurses 3216 U.S. Hwy. 177 North • Sulphur, Oklahoma 73086 Inquiries to Lori or Francisco Bravo Ranch: (580) 622-4412 • Francisco: (940) 367-4457 • Lori: (940) 367-4380 • Fax: (580) 622-4411 Email: riveroaksfarms@aol.com • Website: www.riveroaksthoroughbreds.com Accredited Oklahoma Stallions Nominated to the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes Stallions are property of Eureka Thoroughbred Farm

ask a vet

z

Prepping an Open

Mare for Breeding

THE TIME TO GET A MAIDEN OR BARREN MARE READY STARTS WELL BEFORE BREEDING SEASON BEGINS

By Megan Tracy Petty, DVM

52 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

kellyvandellen – stock.adobe.com

W

e typically think of breeding season starting around February 14 or once a mare has delivered a healthy foal. But what about when the mare is open, either because she is a maiden or because she did not conceive the previous year?

While breeding season can’t start until the sheds open (usually around that Valentine’s Day mark), the preparation for an open mare begins months earlier.

Mares are seasonally polyestrous, meaning they have multiple heat cycles during a particular time of the year and do not cycle outside of that season. A mare left to her own devices usually will not come into heat until mid-March or later and will cycle every 21 days through the summer months. However, for our performance horses, there is an advantage (both real and perceived) for foals who are born earlier in the year. A 2-year-old performance horse born in January versus one born in May competing in the spring and summer of the 2-yearold year can look drastically different. That disparity tends to be less noticeable as the years go by, but we all know that the size advantage can be the difference in great sums of money for some performance horses, either in earnings on the track or sale price at auction. So how do we get a January foal when a mare will not come into heat on her own until mid-spring? Enter veterinary medicine. The approach for preparing the open mare for breeding season is essentially the same whether she is maiden or barren, with a few added steps for the barren mare. Typically, we start this process in the fall.

History and Physical Exam The first step requires a detailed history of the mare including her age, number of previous foals, any known foaling complications and any other known underlying diseases or illnesses. A thorough physical exam should be performed, focusing first on the whole horse and then narrowing down to a reproductive exam. The mare’s body condition score, overall weight and physical status should be carefully considered. If a mare is over or under weight, she will have difficulty conceiving or carrying a foal to term. Using the Henneke horse body condition scoring system (developed in the 1980s by Don Henneke at Texas A&M University), which ranks horses from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (extremely fat), the ideal score is 5, where the ribs can be easily felt but not easily seen.

Any lameness issues that would preclude the mare from walking and moving around with the extra weight of an in-utero foal should be evaluated as well. Mares should be evaluated for any endocrine or metabolic diseases as this can dramatically affect fertility too.

External and Internal Reproductive Exams The external reproductive exam includes both perineal and udder conformation. “Tipped” perineal conformation is a common abnormality that can occur with age or if a mare is or has been too

thin. With this conformation, the anus becomes sunken in and will rest further in than the vulva. Mares with this conformation are at risk of ascending uterine infections as well as urine pooling. Ascending uterine infections can cause placentitis (inflammation of the placenta) once the mare is in foal or create such a contaminated uterine environment that the mare will be unable to conceive.

Typically, this condition can be corrected with a Caslick’s procedure—suturing the vulvar lips together to help prevent contamination. Some mares have such poor conformation that they also require a surgical perineal body transection to correct this problem. Mares with elongated vulvas may require a Caslick’s procedure, as well.

Evaluation of the udder is important for the end of pregnancy when the foal hits the ground. An open mare with dramatically enlarged nipples typically retains this udder conformation post-partum, and the foal potentially will have a more difficult time suckling. Taking note of any and all external reproductive abnormalities better guides the internal reproductive exam and prepares the examiner for what may be found going forward.

An internal reproductive exam should include a vaginal speculum exam, rectal palpation of the cervix, uterus and ovaries and an ultrasound exam of the same structures. A vaginal speculum exam allows the veterinarian to directly observe the cervix as well as the vaginal vault and the vestibulovaginal seal. These three structures are the main barriers that prevent uterine infection, and if any of these are damaged or abnormal, appropriate intervention steps will need to be undertaken during and after the breeding process. Unfortunately, little can be done to improve a damaged cervix, but this speculum exam can identify cervical damage or changes early in the process before numerous covers and hundreds of dollars have been spent.

Diagnostic Tests The preparation process commonly diverges between maiden mares and mares who have previously foaled in the following diagnostic steps. Maiden mares typically do not require a uterine culture; however, if a mare has foaled previously, particularly if there has been a year or more of being barren, a culture is of paramount importance.

To perform a uterine culture, the mare’s tail is wrapped and her perineum cleaned well. The guarded culture swab is then introduced as cleanly as possible through the cervix and into the uterus itself.

This can be accomplished if the mare is out of heat, but more useful information is gained if she is in heat, as the cervix is open and thus potentially more prone to infection. The culture can then be sent off for evaluation or plated and read in-house.

If bacterial colonies are grown, an antibiotic sensitivity test should be performed. The sensitivity test determines the appropriate uterine antibiotic treatment to eliminate a “shotgun” therapy approach, which involves use of multiple antibiotics to blindly treat the uterus. This AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 53

approach is rarely effective and can be detrimental in the long run as it think spring is starting when it’s still mid-fall. predisposes the mare to developing both resistant bacterial infections Starting in mid-November, the mare should be provided 16 hours and yeast. While maiden mares usually do not necessitate a culture, of light, both normal daylight and artificial light to prolong the maiden mares bred through two estrous cycles without conception perception of daylight. The artificial lighting program should be continued for 60 days, which places us squarely in the middle of should be cultured.

A valuable and often underperformed test that can be procured with February and breeding season.

Chemical manipulation, in the the culture is uterine cytology. The form of progesterone and estradiol, cytology provides an up close and can also be started in the weeks prior personal look at the uterine environment and can identify problems that to the breeding shed opening. This may not be identified otherwise. To chemical manipulation works in tandem with the lighting program and create a cytology, the culture swab allows the veterinarian and breeding is rolled onto a microscope slide, staff to take control of the timing of the slide is stained to highlight red the estrous cycle and reliably dictate and white blood cells and bacteria, and then the slide is viewed under a when the mare will ovulate for the microscope. first time that breeding season. This is It is not uncommon to identify an important necessity for American significant amounts of white blood Quarter Horse performance mares as cells and bacteria on a cytology and shipped semen is the most common have no growth on the correspondbreeding method, but also for ThorBarry’s Gallery – stock.adobe.com oughbred mares, especially those ing culture. Conversely, if bacterial Although exams and diagnostic tests are an added booked to high-demand stallions. colonies form on the culture media, expense, they can pay off in the long run. the cytology helps characterize the We may only have one day available significance of the bacterial growth. If there is bacterial growth without to take her to the breeding shed, so knowing precisely when the mare’s corresponding presence of white blood cells, it can be concluded that estrous cycle will start for the breeding season makes setting up those the bacteria grown on the plate are likely due to contamination. If a shed appointments much simpler and certainly increases the likeliculture fails to grow bacterial colonies but the cytology identifies bacte- hood of that desired early pregnancy. ria and white blood cells, treatment still should be implemented. If we Following this protocol is still no guarantee of success. As I remind were to rely on the culture alone, we could miss treating a dirty mare my clients (myself and my husband with our own mares), the swimmers still have to get to the egg and fertilization still has to occur. Reor miss addressing those subtler problems that can also affect fertility.

Depending on the mare’s history and number of years she has been alistically, we have very little control over that part of the process. Yet, open, a uterine biopsy should be considered. The biopsy provides in- in doing the leg work in the fall and having our mares programmed formation about the degree of scarring and inflammation in the uterus via lighting and chemical manipulation, we give ourselves the greatest as well as infection. The lab the biopsy is sent to will determine a grade chance of getting the mare in foal early and thus having an early baby. that gives a range of the likelihood a mare will get in foal and carry to Even if she doesn’t “take” on the first cover, we are still miles ahead of term. This information can be helpful in the preparation process of a where we would be if we waited for her to come into heat on her own, “problem” mare. Depending on the biopsy grade, the decision can be bred her a few times and then realize she has a uterine infection or made prior to breeding season for how aggressive treatment needs to some other issue that is preventing her from conceiving. H be and if treatment will likely result in a live foal.

Megan Tracy Petty, DVM, is an associate equine veterinarian at The Final Step Tularosa Equine Clinic in Tularosa, New Mexico. A born and raised We’ve done all of this work in the fall to get our mare ready for Texan, Petty is a member of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, serving the breeding season, but we’re still months away from her coming as president of the Paddock Foundation and on the board of the Texas into heat naturally. To “trick” the mare’s body into coming into Thoroughbred Educational Fund. She is passionate about horse owner heat in February versus mid- to late spring, a lighting program education, racehorses and spending time with her husband, Bryan, and should be implemented. The days are short in the fall, and mares their dogs Maverick and Ray on Creekside Farm, their work-in-progress are long-day breeders by nature, so we need the mare’s brain to horse farm in Bent, New Mexico.

54 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

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STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS Alabama Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association News Magic City Classic and Supplemental Purse Update The Magic City Classic is scheduled to be run Friday, December 7, at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, Louisiana. Presented by the Birmingham Racing Commission, the race features a purse of $50,000-guaranteed, which includes a $10,000 supplement from the Alabama Thoroughbred Association. With a shortfall in funding this year, the ATA stepped up to help maintain the $50,000 purse in a continuing effort to support all horsemen in Alabama. The Alabama HBPA will pay shipping up to $500 for horses running fourth and out. A valid bill or gas charge must be presented for reimbursement.

The Magic City Classic is at one mile for registered Alabama-breds, 3-year-olds and up. Nominations close November 14 and can be obtained from the Birmingham Racing Commission office. Please call (205) 838-7477 or (205) 937-2232 for questions.

Year to date, the Alabama HBPA has paid $17,200 in supplemental purse distributions. Menewa, owned and bred by Bobby Pruitt, still leads the list. Miss Mississippi, owned and bred by Diane Harrington, is still second with Mamaslittlesecret, owned and bred by George Bruce, in third. Branchwater, owned and bred by Dennis Murphy, is now fourth. We have a three-way tie for fifth with All Abouthe Salsa, previously owned by Tome Racing; Indy’s Code, previously owned by Live-Lee Farm; and Two Mikes N Doc G, owned and raced by Kent Gremmels. We know there are more Alabama-breds running out there, so please get your results to Nancy Delony at (205) 969-7048 or nancy.m.delony@ms.com as soon as possible.

A total of $25,000 in added money has again been deposited by the Alabama HBPA with the Louisiana HBPA horsemen’s bookkeeper for Alabama-breds running at any of the four Louisiana tracks. With approximately $16,500 paid out, there are still funds that we hope to see disbursed by year end.

We hope to see you in Louisiana for the Magic City Classic!

—Nancy Delony, Executive Director

Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association News December 31 Deadline Reminders Arkansas horsemen are reminded of upcoming December 31 deadlines. Registration of 2018 foals as registered Arkansas-breds and stakes nominations of registered Arkansas-bred foals of 2017 are due by that date without paying late registration and/or nomination fees.

All ATBHA registration forms have been updated. We ask that the new forms be used for all future registrations of a stallion, broodmare or foal.

The new forms are available online at atbha.com or from the ATBHA office.

Oaklawn Park’s stable area opens Friday, November 23. The track will open for training the following week, and the 2019 live meet begins Friday, January 25. Trainers and owners are encouraged to have The Jockey Club Certificate of Foal Registration for their registered Arkansas-breds stamped at the ATBHA office prior to turning them in to the Oaklawn racing office. Failure to have proof of Arkansas-bred

registration stamped or affixed to The Jockey Club certificate could cause your horse to be ineligible to be entered in restricted races.

For a preview of the meet and an update on the enhanced stakes schedule, please turn to page 8 of this issue.

The 2019 ATBHA Stallion and Farm Directory will be available at the ATBHA office in mid-November.

Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association News 2018 Stakes Winners Recap Congratulations go out to all the Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association stakes winners from 2018: The Ingrid Knotts • Galactic Princess • Breeder: Mark Hillman • Owner: Hilltop Stable LLC and Eleanor Martin The Aspen • Sky T • Breeder: Glen Scott • Owner: Kim Oliver The Vannacide • Celee’s Te • Breeder: Willard Burbach • Owner: Russell Vicchrilli The Get Happy Mister • Speedo Te • Breeder: Willard Burbach • Owner: Francine Stoss Frank and Charles Dunleavy III The Spicy • Galactic Princess • Breeder: Mark Hillman • Owner: Hilltop Stable LLC and Eleanor Martin The Lassie • Sun Maiden • Breeder and Owner: F.A. “Hecky” Heckendorf Jr. The Futurity • Blue Twisted Steel • Breeder and Owner: F.A. “Hecky” Heckendorf Jr. The Mount Elbert • Dewey • Breeder and Owner: Willard Burbach The Oaks • Behold That Word • Breeder and Owner: Donna Eaton The CTBA Derby • A J Samurai • Breeder and Owner: Robert Schreiber

Indiana Thoroughbred Owner’s and Breeder’s Association News ITOBA Stallion Season Auction Stakes One of the many benefits of being an ITOBA member and participating in the Indiana program is the ITOBA Stallion Season Auction Stakes.

Starting with the 2020 races, ITOBA-sponsored owner awards will be paid to the owners of horses finishing in the top three of either division if the horse is sired by an Indiana Horse Racing Commissionregistered stallion. The first-place bonus is $3,000, second is $1,500 and third is $500, so that equals a potential bonus of $10,000 each year. The owner awards are also set for the 2021 races. An ITOBA membership in good standing is required.

These races are $75,000 per division with one for fillies and the other for colts and geldings. And remember, every Indiana-bred foal sired by a stallion sold in the ITOBA Stallion Season Auction is eligible for nomination (not just the foal resulting from the season purchase).

The nomination deadline was November 1 for the payments of each of the races of 2019, 2020 and 2021 (foals of 2016, 2017 and 2018), but late nominations are available for each of the races, with an additional fee.

For nomination information and a list of eligible stallions, go to itoba.com.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 57

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS ITOBA Fall Mixed Sale Results The ITOBA Fall Mixed Sale, managed by Duane Swingley Auctioneers, was held October 14 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and recorded gains over last year. A total of 41 of 54 head sold for $239,400 with an average of $5,839. Last year’s auction had total sales of $214,700 with an average of $4,771 from 45 of 56 head sold.

A pair of horses sold for $20,000 apiece to top the sale. First up was hip 5, an Indiana-bred and -sired yearling colt by Strong Hope who went to John Cox from St. Simon Place, agent for Jon Cowan. Hip 16, an Indiana-bred and -sired yearling filly by Sangaree, matched that price when she sold to Ted Barlas from Elliott Ventures, agent.

For complete results, go to itoba.com.

2019 ITOBA Awards Banquet The ITOBA Awards Banquet will be held the weekend prior to the start of racing at Indiana Grand next year. Watch for more details at itoba.com.

Bold Concept, the People’s Horse, Wins at Indiana Grand

Linscott Photography

She did it! Bold Concept, the people’s horse at Indiana Grand, rallied home with a late burst of speed to break her maiden and provide the 44 owners of Grand Gesture Stable, Indiana Grand’s racing club, with their first trip to the winner’s circle on September 22. After five previous tries and finishing second in four of those attempts, the 3-year-old filly raised the sound level tremendously in the grandstand as she and DeShawn Parker shot under the wire for the win.

There were a lot of question marks coming into the race. It was the first time Bold Concept had ever attempted two turns, it was the first time she had raced under the lights and it was the first time she had worn blinkers. But the Indiana-bred and -sired daughter of Deputy Storm handled all of the challenges with no worries and closed strongly to win by nearly two lengths for trainer Tony Granitz.

“When we were pulling up after the race, I was right beside Santo [Sanjur] and he said it sounded like I had just won the Preakness,” said Parker, who has more than 5,400 career wins. “I could really hear the owners cheering when we were coming down the stretch. I’m very happy for all of them and for Tony and his team.”

More than 30 of the owners were trackside to experience the victory.

“To me, it was just like winning the Preakness,” said Mark Pufahl, one of the owners in Grand Gesture Stable. “I have to drive back to Fishers [Indiana] tonight, but I think I could float home. I never

ItIt was was aa crowded crowded winner's winner's circle circle after after Bold Bold Concept's Concept's first first win. win.

58 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

thought I would ever have the opportunity to stand in a winner’s circle like this and be part owner of a horse.”

Grand Gesture Stable is in its second season at Indiana Grand.

Shares of Bold Concept were sold for $300 at the beginning of the season, and there are 44 owners of the filly with no additional funds due during the duration of the program. At the conclusion of the season, Bold Concept will be sold and after all expenses are paid, including the purchase price of the horse, any funds left over in the Grand Gesture Stable account will be divided evenly among all owners.

“My husband, Paul, bought the share of Bold Concept for me in May for my birthday,” said Lynda Peterson-Ohman. “We had just gotten married and couldn’t swing it last year, but this is the best birthday present I ever had.”

Owners in Grand Gesture Stable extend all across the Hoosier state. Many of the owners come down weekly on Saturdays to take advantage of a barn visit to see Bold Concept, bringing her treats, including her favorite, carrots with the stems attached. Several of the owners were part of the inaugural group from 2017 and are experiencing their second horse with Grand Gesture Stable.

Bold Concept gave her many owners yet another thrill on October 13 at Indiana Grand when she won a $35,500 allowance race to boost her earnings to $77,400 for the year, most of which has been earned under the Grand Gesture Stable silks.

Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association News Saluting the 2018 Iowa Classic Winners Prairie Meadows showcased the best Thoroughbreds bred in the state on August 11 during Iowa Classic Day, and ITBOA congratulates all of the winners.

Making only her second start, Steven Frum’s Olive Oyl was still a maiden when she broke from the starting gate in the Iowa Sorority for 2-year-old fillies. Six furlongs and a little over a minute later, the precocious daughter of Albertus Maximus crossed the finish line more than two lengths in front of Run With the Brave to tally a strong victory under jockey Terry Thompson. Trainer Tom Wellington sent out Olive Oyl, who earned a $55,200 winner’s check for her initial victory.

“She wasn’t 100 percent healthy when she ran her first race,” Wellington noted. “I told my daughter Kylie that she could win the Sorority, but I was still nervous.”

The winner was bred by Frum and Roger Pelster.

Going into the six-furlong Iowa Cradle for 2-year-old colts and geldings, much of the attention was on the undefeated Substitution and on Pepe’ Longstocking, a winner by daylight last out. But Black Oak Farm’s homebred colt Topper T, who finished third behind the aforementioned horses two starts back, turned the tables with a frontrunning victory in the Cradle. Trainer Ray Tracy Jr. gave jockey C.J. McMahon a leg up on the son of Bellamy Road, and the visiting rider made it look easy.

“He did it all on his own,” McMahon said. “He left the gates real well, we got good position and he did the rest.”

The 5-year-old gelding One Fine Dream, running for the Umbrella Stables II of Leroy Gessmann and trainer Kelly Von Hemel, did what he’s always done: save his best effort of the season for Iowa Classic Day. The son of Woke Up Dreamin triumphed in the Governor Terry E. Branstad Stakes by 4 1⁄4 lengths for his second consecutive win in the race and his fourth Classic Day victory. Bred by Gary Lucas and Linda Woods, One Fine Dream, under jockey John Bisono, closed from off the pace, went wide into the stretch and wore down No Holds Barred for a convincing triumph in the 1 1⁄16-mile race.

“He worried me a bit when he fell back on the far turn,” Bisono said. “But I let him take a breather and he went on when I asked him to go.”

One Fine Dream’s victory in the Branstad was worth $59,100 for his connections and the payday upped the gelding’s career earnings to $504,624 from 10 wins in 26 lifetime starts.

If there was any concern that an inside post position would compromise the chances of defending champion Mywomanfromtokyo in this year’s renewal of the Donna Reed Stakes, it was short-lived.

Trainer Kelly Von Hemel watched regular rider Glenn Corbett hustle the 5-year-old daughter of Neko Bay right to the front heading into the first turn and never look back. The tandem repulsed a brief challenge from runner-up My Sister Madi at the top of the stretch before exploding late to win by almost nine lengths.

“We figured Glenn would have to use her speed to get position,” owner/breeder Scott Pope commented. “But when she turns for home and she hasn’t been pressed, she’s tough to beat.”

The winner, running for Pope’s Crimson King Farm and Christine Rhiner, earned $58,800 for her eighth career victory from 22 starts.

Owner Danny Caldwell was back in the winner’s circle on Classic Day after his gelding Itsallaboutyou charged from off the pace to record a second consecutive victory in the Dan Johnson Sprint at six furlongs.

“I talked to [jockey] C.J. McMahon and told him to sit just off the pace,” Caldwell said. “When I saw the fractions come up, I knew we had a shot.”

A $5,000 claim by Caldwell in 2016, Itsallaboutyou, bred by Dave McShane and Don Frazier, upped his winnings to $388,137 with the victory. It was his 18th win in 52 lifetime races and 15th tally for Caldwell.

Trainer Lynn Chleborad was smiling ear to ear after the Iowa Breeders’ Oaks. Two of her three runners in the race, Tracy Racy and Glitzy Lady, finished one-two in the event for 3-year-old fillies. Tracy Racy, with Alex Birzer up, stalked the pace early in the mile-and-70-yard Oaks. She took over at the quarter pole, opened up and held. Owned

by Chleborad in partnership with Allen Poindexter’s Poindexter Thoroughbreds, Tracy Racy earned $60,990 for the win and upped her earnings to $144,133.

“We bought her as a 2-year-old,” Poindexter noted. “Lynn and I looked at her together, we decided to buy her, and we’ve been pleased with her.”

Last year’s Iowa Cradle victory capped a perfect 2-year-old season for the gelding Tin Badge. His 3-year-old season, which tested the confidence of trainer Greg Zielinski, ended with another Classic Day victory, an impressive 8 1⁄2-length triumph in the 1 1⁄16-mile

Iowa Breeders’ Derby for owner-breeder Mamas Thoroughbreds LLC (Marylee Vanderpool). Jockey Glenn Corbett kept the son of The Deputy (Ire) under a hold early before turning him loose on the final turn.

“I knew the first half-mile was quick,” Corbett said. “I was hoping and praying that he had enough left in the tank when he needed it, and he did.”

Minnesota Thoroughbred Association News MTA Stallion Service Auction The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association will be holding its 2019 MTA Stallion Service Auction January 4-12 at thoroughlybred.com.

This is a terrific opportunity for mare owners from around the country to bid on stallion seasons throughout the United States. MTA representatives are hard at work recruiting stallions for our auction, and we’re looking forward to offering an extensive list of top-quality stallions that are certain to be the perfect nick for your mare. As seasons are donated, we will be updating our stallion auction page at minnesotabred.com.

While you don’t want to be late to the party, if you miss out on buying a season during the initial auction, a Book II Auction will be held January 14-31. The Book II Auction will include seasons not sold on January 12, if the stallion owner agrees to list them. Why take the chance of missing your perfect stallion? Bid early! Bid often! Bid last!

All 2020 progeny of stallions sold during our auction, regardless of where they are foaled, will be eligible for nomination to the 2023 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes. This race for 3-year-olds will run for an estimated $75,000 purse, in addition to special bonuses. Mare owners purchasing a season during the 2019 online auction will have the opportunity to name the mare bred by October 31, 2019. If the foal resulting from this breeding wins the 2023 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, the mare owner and the stallion donor will share a $10,000 bonus. In addition, when a Minnesota-bred finishes first, second or third, they will receive the usual percentage of a $5,000 added bonus.

Nominating to the 2023 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes is easy. Owners of the 2020 foals have several opportunities to ensure their foals’ eligibility for this race. A $300 nomination, paid on or before July 1, 2022, is the first and least expensive option. A late nomination, paid on or before July 1, 2023, will cost $1,000. And, finally, a nomination paid on race entry day will come at a price of $10,000.

Do you have a stallion season you’d like to donate? The MTA is accepting stallion season donations until December 31. Donation forms are available on our website, by emailing kay@minnesotabred.com or by calling (952) 233-4802.

MTA Yearling Sale Recap The 2018 MTA Yearling Sale was held at Canterbury Park on Sunday, August 19, in the Canterbury Park Expo Center. The $100,000 top price shattered the sale’s previous record high of $56,000 for a Minnesotabred yearling, set in 2012. Congratulations to Mary and Eric Von Seggern for breeding, raising and consigning the sale-topper, a gelding by Discreet Cat, and to Novogratz Racing Stables Inc. for seeing his potenAMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 59

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS

Remembering Jack Walsh The Minnesota horse racing industry lost an important and longtime participant when John “Jack” Walsh passed away at the age of 86 on September 27.

Jack was born April 27, 1932, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Earl and Hildegard. He grew up on the East Side of St. Paul, attended Sacred Heart Grade School and graduated from Cretin High School in 1950. He went on active duty in the Air Force in 1951, and he was released within the year on dependency discharge after the death of his father. He returned home to assist his mother in caring for his six younger siblings. In 1954 he reenlisted in the Air Force and completed service in 1956. He graduated from St. Thomas College in 1959, then from William Mitchell College of Law in 1964.

Jack was a Minnesota public defender Jack Walsh for 28 years and in pri60 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

vate practice in Stillwater for over 50 years.

Jack started with American Quarter Horses and owned and cared for a herd that grew to more than 80. With the opening of Canterbury Downs in 1985, he switched to Thoroughbreds. He contributed to the racing industry for over 30 years as an owner, breeder and representative to the horsemen both individually and as a board member and president of the Minnesota HBPA. For these contributions, he was inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jack loved and took great pride in his family. He and his wife, Gail, raised their four girls in the home they built in Somerset, Wisconsin. “Grandpa Jack” was a boisterous fan, rarely missing his grandchildren’s sporting events or activities. He will be remembered as a sharp-witted, charming straight shooter and a friend to most everyone he encountered. He will be greatly missed by his family and huge network of friends.

North Carolina Thoroughbred Association News President’s Message We certainly experienced a September with a most unwelcome visitor—Hurricane Florence. I appreciate Erin Crady from the Thoroughbred Charities of America for reaching out to our organization ofHurricane Florence caused tremendous fering help to Thoroughflooding on Joanne and Sandy Dew's farm, bred farms and breeders Dogwood Plantation, on September 16. affected by this relentless storm. The massive flooding caused by four days of heavy rain had local governments calling for mandatory evacuations on the coast in advance of landfall.

However, many inland communities’ mandatory evacuation orders came during the middle of the hurricane.

Evacuating becomes a tremendous and improbable undertaking when trying to move multiple horses and farm animals, especially in high winds and driving rains. Living in a small town near Wilmington, former NCTA president Joanne Dew would not leave her animals behind. She and her husband, Sandy, were at home when the water started to rise rapidly and overtake the pastures and barns. They were able to save seven goats and seven cats and swim three horses to safety. Unfortunately, one goat was unable to be rescued and drowned. The Dews’ neighbor provided refuge for the animals. Luckily, the Dews’ home was untouched by the water, and they could sleep in their beds after they guided their menagerie to shelter. Well done, Joanne and Sandy. Well done.

It’s time to renew your NCTA membership. All memberships expire on December 31. Please renew. With only 40 members, we cannot afford to lose one of you. The association is the only official state organization representing horse racing and off-track Thoroughbreds on the national level through TOBA and The Jockey Club. Don’t forget: Your membership also includes subscriptions to the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and American Racehorse magazines. We may be small, but we are still here thanks to you.

Joanne Dew

Heather Grevelis

tial. Two other Minnesota-bred yearlings sold for more than $50,000. A Fusaichi Pegasus filly consigned by Wood-Mere Farm was purchased by Novogratz Racing Stables Inc. for $55,000, and an Astrology filly consigned A son of Discreet Cat sold for a record price by the Von Seggerns sold of $100,000 at the MTA Yearling Sale. to Lothenbach Stables Inc. for $53,000.

A total of 33 of the 40 Minnesota-bred yearlings presented in the auction ring sold to new owners during the sale. We look forward to seeing these yearlings on the track at Canterbury Park where they will have the opportunity to earn their breeders a $1,000 bonus when they break their maiden in a special weight or allowance race. All 2018 sale graduates will also be eligible for nomination to the $50,000 MTA Sale Graduate Futurity in 2019.

We thank our consignors for their investments of money and time that they put into bringing horses to the sale. Thank you to the buyers who saw the potential in these yearlings and were willing to make the investment in their racing future. We’re happy to provide both consignors and buyers a local venue for our Minnesota-bred yearling crops each year. We wish everyone a safe and successful season of breaking, training and conditioning these babies before bringing them back to the Canterbury oval.

Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners News John Engelhardt

Ohio Mixed Sale Recap

Majestic Farm served as an excellent venue for the Ohio Mixed Sale.

The Ohio Mixed Sale took place October 7 at Majestic Farm in Batavia. Autumn weather was replaced with a summer sear that came within a degree of the all-time high for that date. Nonetheless, the horses on the grounds handled it well and the facility provided plenty of hoses for cooling baths at various times over the two days the horses were on display.

So many in attendance commented on how well the horses were presented by their consignors, as well as on the beauty and functionality of the venue and the quality of the catalog over the previous year when the sale was revived after a 10-year hiatus.

The sale-topper was a yearling Cryptolight filly consigned by Breakaway Farm and purchased by David Hicks for $17,500. Cryptolight was a son of Fantastic Light out of two-time Ohio Horse of the Year Crypto’s Redjet. He stood at R.C. Cline Thoroughbred Farm and was a loss to the Ohio program when he died in a paddock accident after covering mares for two seasons.

Crypto’s Redjet was bred by the late Dr. Paul Gutheil, former president of the OTBO, who brought Ron DeWolf in as a partner. At three, she won four of her 11 starts, but her career took off at four, when she capped a six-win year with a victory in the Best of Ohio Distaff for earnings of $125,605. Things for the daughter of Cryptoclearance only got better at five when she recorded five stakes victories, including the state’s two richest races for fillies and mares, the $75,000 Rose DeBartolo Memorial and $75,000 Best of Ohio Distaff.

While 82 horses were catalogued (including two supplements) for the mixed sale, 73 went through the ring and there were 27 RNAs. “As strong as the Ohio program is going at the present, no one is giving anything away,” OTBO Executive Director John Engelhardt said.

“There is too much upside and several of the breeders told me they were going to partner up with those bidding on their horse or race them themselves. Some with weanlings said they will see how they fill out and grow and may well be back next year. We are only in our second year of the sale business and it is going in the right direction.”

George Sikora, DVM, of Mapleton Farm brought and sold four homebreds by his stallions Cowtown Cat and Mobil.

“I’m pleased to get them in good hands; one of the top trainers

in the Midwest took home one of my best,” he said. “I sell a few privately off the farm, keep some to race and now I root for all of them, as the Ohio Breeders Awards program has been very good for me.”

Duncan Farms brought in one weanling and five yearlings, each of them by accredited Ohio stallions, and they all went to a new home.

“I’ve got to feel good about the barns they are going to,” said Darryl Duncan, who operates the Warsaw, Ohio, operation with his wife, Sally. “The buyers were no strangers to stakes competition. Mark Doering, Gary Patrick, Jim Rankin, Michael Evans and Rodney Faulkner all know how to get a horse ready to go to the races.”

The sale recorded 46 head sold for a gross of $161,100 with an average price of $3,502, compared with a $2,610 average for 60 that grossed $156,600 a year ago. This year’s median price was $2,600 and the 27 that went unsold from 73 offered represented a buy-back rate of 37 percent.

In the next issue look for coverage of the $750,000 Best of Ohio Series.

Corfu, Graded Stakes-Winning Son of Malibu Moon, to Stand in Ohio Duncan Farms has announced that it will stand the speedy Corfu at its farm in Warsaw, Ohio. A son of top sire Malibu Moon, Corfu was a leading 2-year-old both in the sales ring and on the racetrack in 2013.

Read more about him on page 46 of this issue in the new stallion profiles.

Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma News Big Crowd Turns Out for Carter Sale, Mighty Acres Tops Consignors The Carter Sales Co.’s OKC September Sale saw a slight decline in average for the first time at the Labor Day weekend auction, held September 2 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. A total of 50 yearlings sold for an average of $7,228, a 21 percent drop from the 2017 average of $9,137.

Previous sale graduates won three maiden special weight races and an allowance race opening week at Remington Park, and that seemed to have owners ready to hang on to their consignments for the chance to run for the $42,000 maiden purses.

The buy-back rate for the entire catalog, which included a mixed session, was 37 percent with 54 of the 85 horses offered selling. The buy-back rate in 2017 was 24 percent.

There were two sale-toppers at $30,000 apiece. Both horses were from the sale’s leading consignor, Mighty Acres.

The first through the ring was an Oklahoma-bred colt from the first crop of multiple graded stakes winner Race Day. Bred by Center Hills Farm and consigned by Mighty Acres as agent for RML Thoroughbreds LLC, the March foal is a half brother to Welder, a gelding by The Visualiser who has banked nearly $600,000 with 14 wins in 22 starts.

The colt went to RA-MAX Farms LLC, which also owns Welder.

The second sale-topper went to David Rodawalt, who had the winning bid on an Oklahoma-bred colt by Pollard’s Vision out of the multiple stakes-producing mare Foolheartedmemory. The colt was conAMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 61

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS signed by Mighty Acres for Center Hills Farm and Randy Blair. Mighty Acres is also the home of Pollard’s Vision.

The OKC Sale had gross sales of $384,400 from the 54 head sold compared with $531,400 in 2017 for 65 sold. In 2017 four horses sold for more than $40,000 with the sale-topper at $55,000. Those alone make up a $185,000 difference in gross sales.

“We offered one more horse than last year but sold 12 fewer horses and our sale-toppers brought $25,000 less than last year, so that will definitely affect your average,” Sales Manager Terri Carter said.

“But we had the biggest crowd ever and the mood was really light. I think the great racing at Remington Park and our graduates’ success is reflective in our results and our outlook on the future.

“Overall, it was a more balanced sale with consignors confident enough to hang on to their horses.”

For complete results, go to cartersalesco.com.

Heritage Place Thoroughbred Sale Recap Heritage Place conducted its seventh annual Thoroughbred sale on October 7 in Oklahoma City.

With a limited offering available, the yearling session saw an average price of $5,493, down 9 percent compared with last year, but 83 percent of the horses offered were marked sold. The mixed session average was $990 with 80 percent of the horses offered marked sold.

The Thoroughbred sale finished with an overall average price of $2,365, which is much lower than in 2017, due to the low average and lack of demand for the horses in the mixed session.

Heritage Place would like to say thank you to the consignors and buyers for their participation in the sale and wish everyone much success with their purchases.

Oklahoma Racing Industry Loses an Icon in John Smicklas Prominent Thoroughbred breeder/owner John Smicklas, an icon in Oklahoma horse racing who was instrumental in the formative years of pari-mutuel racing in the state, passed away September 23 at the age of 81 at his home in Norman.

Smicklas was heavily involved in many aspects of the state’s racing industry. He served on boards overseeing Oklahoma Thoroughbred breeding and racing as well as serving as an Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission member. Smicklas was instrumental in helping Oklahoma racetracks have the right to hold casino gaming, an initiative that saved the industry in the state.

Smicklas, along with his wife, Barbara, campaigned many top stakes horses with great success at Remington Park including No More Hard Times, John Smicklas 62 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Belle of Cozzene, Brush With Pride and Zee Oh Six, to name a few.

Smicklas was a longtime mainstay in the auto sales industry in Oklahoma City with Smicklas Chevrolet that opened in 1972. He used his platform as one of the state’s leading auto dealers to raise awareness for animal welfare with his “Friends for Life” program, an organization that rescued and placed homeless dogs and cats.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in the name of John Smicklas to the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma Retired Horse Fund.

South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association News South Carolina Racing Commission to Be Formed With the door now open for states to legalize sports betting after the recent Supreme Court decision, a movement is afoot in South Carolina to create a racing commission whose intention would be to help create a bill to allow sports betting, including horse racing through advanced deposit wagering.

A mission statement has been formed: The South Carolina Racing Commission is charged with the responsibility to direct, regulate and promote horse racing and related activities in the state of South Carolina, including horse welfare, wagering and aftercare. The SC Racing Commission will be a leader in both the safety and integrity of the sport. The commission intends to encourage agriculture, the horse breeding industry, the training industry, horse ownership, infrastructure improvement, tourism and employment opportunities in the state of South Carolina.

South Carolina has a long and rich history in the horse industry and in Thoroughbred horse racing. We believe the decision by the Supreme Court can help revitalize the industry in our state.

Texas Thoroughbred Association News Accreditation and Racing Deadline Reminder Texas horsemen are reminded that December 31 is the deadline for accrediting yearlings (foals of 2017) for $200. After December 31, the fee to accredit foals of 2017 is $750 (non-TTA members add $50).

This is also the time of year to check the accreditation status of your mares in foal. If you are not certain if a mare is accredited, please check with the TTA before she has a 2019 foal in Texas. If a mare is not accredited when she has a foal, the only way a mare owner will receive Accredited Texas-Bred breeder awards on that foal is to pay the supplemental mare accreditation fee of $150 during the foal’s weanling year.

If you accredit a mare before she foals, the fee is $75.

December 31 is also the deadline to: • Nominate eligible foals of 2018 to the Texas Stallion Stakes Series for $100.

• Nominate eligible foals of 2017 to the Texas Stallion Stakes Series for $500.

• Nominate foals of 2017 that are graduates of either the 2017 or 2018 Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale; that are consigned

to and pass through the ring at the 2019 Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale; and Accredited Texas-Bred foals of 2017 owned by original berth holders to the 2019 Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity ($100,000 estimated per division).

• Nominate accredited stallions that will be standing in Texas in 2019 to the Texas Stallion Stakes for the 2019 breeding season.

All forms are available at texasthoroughbred.com or by calling the TTA office at (512) 458-6133.

Board of Directors Election Information The candidates for the Texas Thoroughbred Association Board of Directors election have been set. Director Phil Adams made a motion to approve a slate of at-large candidates comprising incumbents John Adger, Terry Eoff, Phil Leckinger and David Stephens, DVM, along with Chris Hicks of Mason and Billy Dee Winters of Bluff Dale, as well as to approve candidate Rick Penn of Parker to run against incumbent Judy Peek for the Northeast Region seat. Since no opponent is available to run against incumbent Bethe Deal to represent the South Region, there will be no South Region election. Director Susan Moulton seconded and the motion carried unanimously among those participating and voting.

Ballots were mailed November 1 and are due back by December 15.

TTA Online Stallion Season Auction Open The Texas Thoroughbred Association Online Stallion Season Auction is now open. Thanks to the generosity of stallion owners across the region, you have the opportunity to purchase 2019 breeding seasons at a special price while at the same time helping the TTA’s Political Action Committee, General Fund, Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund or Paddock Foundation.

Go to texasthoroughbred.com to view the list of available stallions.

It’s not too late to donate a season by contacting Mary Ruyle at (512) 458-6133 or mary@texasthoroughbred.com.

Texas-bred Hadifly Named Thoroughbred Incentive Program Horse of the Year The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) announced the recipient of the T.I.P. Thoroughbred of the Year Award for 2018, and for the second time in as many years a Texas-bred took the top equine honor.

The Thoroughbred of the Year Award recognizes a Thoroughbred that has excelled in a non-competitive career, such as equine-assisted therapy or police work, and includes a $5,000 grant to the nonprofit organization associated with the horse or, if no organization is associated with the horse, to a horse-related charity chosen by The Jockey Club.

This year’s winner is Fly, registered as Hadifly, a 20-year-old gelding that serves as a riding horse at the New Mexico Center for Therapeutic Riding. The therapeutic riding center works with students from the Santa Fe Public Schools and the New Mexico School for the Deaf, at-risk teens and other clients with cognitive, emotional and physical special needs.

Hadifly is a Texas-bred son of longtime leading Texas stallion Hadif who raced 48 times before becoming a three-day event horse and then joining the therapeutic riding center team. He is known for his patience, sensitivity and will to please. He spent most of his racing career in New Mexico, where he won eight times with five seconds and 11 thirds and more than $80,000 in earnings.

Last year Texas-bred Raja’s Best Dancer, a now 24-year-old gelding that serves as a police mount with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, won the same award.

“I feel this is his calling,” said Ashley Armijo, the program director and Fly’s owner. “The calmest and happiest I’ve ever seen him is while he’s working with clients, helping them fulfill their dreams.”

Created in October 2011, T.I.P. recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high-point awards at sanctioned horse shows, year-end performance awards, a recreational riding program and non-competition awards. Additional information is available at tjctip.com and on the T.I.P. Facebook page at facebook.com/tjctip.

Songandaprayer Filly Tops Texas Yearling and Mixed Sale A Louisiana-bred filly by Songandaprayer topped the yearling session of the August 27 Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale at Lone Star Park. Held jointly by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and the track, the auction reported 44 of 82 yearlings sold for a total of $414,300. The median jumped 72.2 percent to $7,750 from last year’s mark of $4,500, and the average dropped from $11,556 to $9,415 this year. The buyback rate was 46.3 percent.

Last year the yearling session grossed $681,800 with 59 of 90 sold.

Susan Naylor signed the ticket on the sale-topper with a price of $30,000. The March filly from the consignment of Clear Creek Stud, agent, is out of the stakes-placed Lion Heart mare Those Lion Eyes, whose one foal to race is a winner.

“Obviously, we would have liked to see some bigger numbers today, but overall the middle and lower-end of the market seemed fine,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “We just didn’t have the really exceptional individuals we had last year, so the average was down a bit but it’s encouraging that the median jumped almost 75 percent. It was also good to see the mixed session numbers jump compared to last year.”

In the mixed session, 18 of 24 head sold for $93,100 with an average of $5,172 and a median of $2,350. Those numbers compared favorably to last year’s mixed session that grossed $30,000 with 13 of 36 head sold for an average of $2,357 and median of $1,400.

The highest-priced horse in the mixed session was a weanling filly by Too Much Bling who sold for $19,000 to Naylor from the consignment of Benchmark Training Center, agent for the Estate of Ed Few. A good portion of the mixed session consisted of horses from Few, one of the state’s leading breeders and owners who passed away in April.

The Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale is next up on the sale calendar at Lone Star and will be held April 9.

For complete results and consignment forms for the 2-year-old sale, go to ttasales.com.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 63

Coming soon in

American Racehorse...

Lexington, America’s Thoroughbred 64 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

Keeneland Library

Coglianese Photos

Ruffian, The Real Story

Moonshine Mullin Albert the Great – Mullen Road, by Distant View

Career Earnings $1,014,361

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Attention Horsemen:

• Limited RV/Camper Hookups now available!

• Conveniently located less than one mile from Evangeline Downs Racetrack in a private, quiet setting • Washer/Dryer-Bath available at facility Pam Stephenson Office: (337) 826-0628 • Cell: (337) 515-5555 P.O. Box 1133, Washington, LA 70589 66 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018

CHANNON FARM LLC

•

Mallory Farm

the marketpl ace Cl a s sified s

WANTED LOOKING TO BUY A DAUGHTER OR GRANDDAUGHTER OF

PANCHO VILLA OR A SON OF

PANCHO VILLA TO BREED TO

Call or text David at 956-236-4117

Advertise in the American Racehorse classifieds for as little as $75 per issue!

Contact Denis Blake at (512) 695-4541 or info@americanracehorse.com

American Racehorse Advertisers Index AmeriJet............................................................................66

Mighty Acres..................................................................IFC

Arkansas-breds For Sale...................................................66

Mojo Racing Partners..........................................10, 44, 64

Asmussen Horse Center.................................................... 3

Pancho Villa Offspring Wanted....................................... 67

Dodson Training Stable...................................................66

RacingHorseArt Photography ....................................... 67

Equine Equipment............................................................. 7

River Oaks Farms Inc.............................................12, 13, 14

The Art of Horse Racing.................................................66 Brandon Jenkins Racing Stable.......................................66 Dramedy.............................................................................21 Equine Sales Company.................................................... 27

Equiwinner.........................................................................9

Moonshine Mullin............................................................68 PastTheWire.com............................................................. 14

Revolving...........................................................................35 Santa Fe Horse Transport...............................................66 Southwest Shavings LLC.................................................10

Eureka Thoroughbred Farm...................................... 50, 51

Stemmans.com....................................................................9

Heritage Place...................................................................55

Stroll.................................................................................. 29

Formidable/Newport....................................................... 28 Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program........................................... 1, IBC

John Deere.........................................................................19 KC Horse Transportation...............................................66 Knorpp Bloodstock Insurance Agency LC...................... 2 EXIT Realty Premier........................................................35

Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association.................................... 40, 41, 42, 43

Street Strategy.................................................................. 65 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.....................................37

Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma........... 30 TTA Sales...........................................................................6

University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program..........................................................44 Valor Farm......................................................................BC

Wilburn............................................................................. 20

X-Stream Therapy............................................................66 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • FALL 2018 67

Street Strategy

Street Sense - Spoken Softly, by Notebook 6 Wins in 11 Starts

Established the track record for the dirt mile at Keeneland Winner of the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park His 6 wins had a combined total of 16 lengths 2015 Participant in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Stands 17.1 hands tall Son of Street Sense who was the Champion 2yr old, classic winner of $4,383,200 Sire of 54 Black Type Winners, 1 Champion, 558 winners in 8 crops of racing age Avg cost of Street Sense yearlings at auction is $189,846

1st foals are weanlings of 2019

2019 Fee: $1000 LFG Randy Patterson, Owner

Standing at:

Lake Hamilton Equine 731 Old Bear Rd – Royal, AR

Inquires to Sara Patterson, Stallion Manager, Cedar Run Farm 989 Point Cedar Rd Pearcy, AR Cell: 620-770-6036 Email: spattersonmt@hotmail.com

Registered Arkansas Stallion

2019 VALOR FARM STALLION ROSTER

BRADESTER

Lion Heart – Grandestofall,

by Grand Slam 2019 FEE: $3,500 Bee Silva

Offering the most dynamic stallion lineup in the region

CROSSBOW

Bernardini – Forest Heiress,

by Forest Wildcat

CONGAREE

2019 FEE: $2,000

2019 FEE: $3,000

EARLY FLYER William Miller

EAGLE

Candy Ride (Arg) – Sea Gull, by Mineshaft 2019 FEE: $3,500

2019 FEE: $2,500

Coady Photography

Gilded Time – Bistra, by Classic Go Go

William Miller

Arazi – Mari’s Sheba,

by Mari’s Book

GRASSHOPPER

2019 FEE: $3,500

Unbridled’s Song – Golden Par, by Gold Meridian

Billy Miller

William Miller

MY GOLDEN SONG

Dixie Union – Grass Skirt,

by Mr. Prospector

2019 FEE: $5,000

STONESIDER

Giant’s Causeway – Added Gold, by Gilded Time 2019 FEE: $2,000

Bee Silva

TOO MUCH BLING Rubiano – Rose Colored Lady,

by Formal Dinner 2019 FEE: $6,500

Douglas Scharbauer Ken Carson, General Manager Donny Denton, Farm Manager • David Unnerstall, Attending Veterinarian Post Office Box 966 • Pilot Point, Texas 76258 (940) 686-5552 • Fax (940) 686-2179 www.valorfarm.com • www.facebook.com/valor.farm