W W W. A ME RI CA NRA CEH ORSE. C OM WINTER 2019
IN THIS ISSUE THE LEGACY OF LEXINGTON • HOW RACING CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA OKLAHOMA HORSEMAN C.R. TROUT • KEEPING YOUR FOAL HEALTHY BEHIND THE SCENES WITH TRACK SUPERS
A Division of Center Hills Farm
DEN’S LEGACY
LIAISON
(Medaglia d’Oro-Sunshine Song, by War Chant)
(Indian Charlie-Galloping Gal, by Victory Gallop)
OKLAHOMA’S #1 STALLION BY MARES BRED IN 2018! A Grade 1-placed and Grade 3 winner by a top international sire
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
2019 FEE: $2,500
POLLARD’S VISION
THE VISUALISER
(Carson City-Etats Unis, by Dixieland Band)
(Giant’s Causeway-Smokey Mirage, by Holy Bull)
Progeny earnings of more than $1.5 million in 2018 with THREE graded stakes performers, including G3 winner VISION PERFECT ($777,304)
Sire of top sprinter WELDER ($635,151), who won six of eight starts in 2018, including four straight stakes at Remington Park to be named Horse of the Meet
2019 FEE: $2,500
2019 FEE: $1,500
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
Welcome to Indiana Why breed in Indiana? • 20+ Indiana-bred and Indiana-sired stakes races $100,000 or more • More than $16 million in incentives • Smaller farms = a more personal breeding experience • Invaluable bloodlines at valuable prices
We invite you to bring your mare to Indiana to experience REAL hospitality and horsepower.
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IS YOUR RESOLUTION TO SUCCEED ON THE TRACK IN 2019? Asmussen Horse Center and El Primero Training Center are ready to put more than 50 years of experience in your corner to develop your horse into a winner. We are the Southwest’s Most Complete Equine Facility!
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Coady Photography
NITROUS
We kicked off 2019 with a bang as El Primero grad NITROUS, who was Grade 1-placed last year, won his 3-year-old debut in the $106,000 Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park! Congrats to owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables!
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MIDNIGHT BISOU
STANDING IN 2019: LITTLEEXPECTATIONS Valid Appeal – Mepache, by Iron Constitution 2019 Fee: $1,500
INTIMIDATOR Gone West – Colonial Play, by Pleasant Colony 2019 Fee: $1,500
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Coady Photography
And trainer Steve Asmussen, who was an Eclipse Award finalist in 2018 with 401 wins and a career-high $26.4 million in earnings, picked up where he left off by winning Sam Houston’s marquee race with MIDNIGHT BISOU in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3)! Congrats to owners Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing!
LOOK FOR THE ASMUSSEN HORSE CENTER CONSIGNMENT AT THE TEXAS 2YO SALE! Breeze Show: April 7 • Sale: April 9 Lone Star Park
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.comAMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
3
CSABA IS THE TOTAL PACKAGE!
CSABA
Kitten’s Joy - High Chant, by War Chant POWERFUL PEDIGREE AND TRIPLE DIGIT BEYER SPEED! BIG PEDIGREE!
BIG BEYERS!
CSABA is the most accomplished dirt runner by champion, leading stallion and emerging sire of sires KITTEN’S JOY from a female family loaded with black-type that includes full sister KITTEN’S QUEEN (G1-placed SW with 102 Beyer), second dam HIGHFALUTIN (MGSP SW of nearly $400,000) and VERY SUBTLE (Breeders’ Cup Sprint-winning millionaire).
CSABA has a race record that matches up with virtually any stallion in Indiana or anywhere else when you consider his PRECOCIOUSNESS (2 wins in 4 starts as 2yo), SOUNDNESS (10 or more starts each year at 3, 4 and 5), TALENT (9 stakes wins, 3 graded) and TRIPLE DIGIT BEYERS (earned five figures of 100+, including a 106).
2019 FEE: $2,000 – LIVE FOAL
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R STAR STALLIONS • Anderson, Indiana Inquiries to Leigh Ann Hopper 5255 N 350 E, Anderson, IN 46012 Cell: (765) 425-5790 • E-mail: hopperleighann@gmail.com Website: www.rstarstallions.com AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
R STAR STALLIONS A powerful roster of stallions to help you capitalize on all the benefits of racing and breeding in Indiana!
CSABA - $2,000 Kitten’s Joy – High Chant, by War Chant The leading dirt runner by KITTEN’S JOY with nine stakes wins, five triple digit Beyers and $682,844 in earnings
GOLD FOR CASH - $1,000 Eurosilver – Carib Gal, by Awesome Again New for 2019! An accomplished sprinter on both turf and dirt with 11 wins and more than $350,000 in earnings
PRAYER FOR RELIEF - $3,000 Jump Start – Sparklin Lil, by Mr. Sparkles Indiana’s richest stallion, a winner of $2.2 million who won or placed in 26 graded stakes from ages 2 to 9
TAPRIZE - $2,500 Tapit – Fun House, by Prized A son of leading sire and sire of sires TAPIT and a full brother to champion UNTAPABLE ($3.9 million)
TIZ SARDONIC JOE - $1,000 Tiznow – Distorted Blaze, by Distorted Humor New for 2019! A versatile graded stakes-placed runner who racked up 13 wins and a bankroll of nearly $350,000
WHAT NOW - $1,500 Distorted Humor – Tizamazing, by Cee’s Tizzy A half brother to OXBOW out of a full sister to TIZNOW and one of Indiana’s most promising young stallions R STAR STALLIONS • Anderson, Indiana Inquiries to Leigh Ann Hopper 5255 N 350 E, Anderson, IN 46012 Cell: (765) 425-5790 • E-mail: hopperleighann@gmail.com Website: www.rstarstallions.com
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 5
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 Chris Daley Judy L. Marchman Kim Mariette Megan Tracy Petty, DVM Jennie Rees
Photographers Coady Photography John Engelhardt Keeneland Library Collection Emily Lago Tony Leonard Library of Congress/Harris & Ewing Collection Horsephotos.com Mark – stock.adobe.com New York Public Library/Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs Dustin Orona Photography otsphoto – stock.adobe.com Jennie Rees Remington Park Eriech Tapia Tierney – stock.adobe.com volgariver – stock.adobe.com J.J. Zamaiko Photography Cover Photo Skijoring (a race with a jockey on the horse and a skier being pulled behind) at White Turf St. Moritz in Switzerland. Photo by Silvano Rebai – stock.adobe.com
Copyright © 2019 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. 6 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
WHAT’S INSIDE
American RACEHORSE
Winter 2019
18
The legacy of Lexington
29 Working hard on the track
Departments Fast Furlongs 10 State Association News
51
The Marketplace Classifieds
66
Features
44 Tweeting up the fans
Lexington, America’s Thoroughbred The story of one of the nation’s first great racehorses and stallions
18
A Long Day’s Night Track superintendents go the extra mile to keep horses and riders safe
29
Mark of Success 37 Oklahoma horseman C.R. Trout keeps raising the bar for Oklahoma breeding and racing How Horse Racing Is Using Digital Media 44 to Grow Fan Engagement Different than other major sports, horse racing has the opportunity to capitalize on a unique digital and social strategy Ask a Vet: 48 Keeping Your Newborn Foal Healthy Proper diagnosis and corrective action are key when dealing with common new foal problems
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 7
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2/5/19 4:01 PM
fastfurlongs Oaklawn Announces $100-Million Expansion with Hotel, Event Center
Courtesy Oaklawn
Oaklawn’s expansion plans call for a 200-room hotel overlooking the racetrack. Oaklawn Racing and Gaming has announced plans to build an expansion project in excess of $100 million that includes the construction of a high-rise hotel, a multipurpose event center, a larger gaming area and additional on-site parking. The project is one of the largest hospitality investments in the history of Arkansas. “This historic announcement represents a new chapter in the rich 114year history of Oaklawn,” said Louis Cella, president of Oaklawn Jockey Club. “As we enhance the entertainment experience for our customers, we will also further elevate Thoroughbred racing and help make Arkansas and Hot Springs even stronger regional tourism destinations.” The yet-to-be-named hotel will be seven stories with 200 rooms, including two presidential suites. Amenities will include an outdoor swimming pool, luxury spa, fitness center and restaurant. “The hotel will offer a unique vantage point for our patrons in that it will overlook the track. Imagine the spectacular view as the horses are heading down the stretch,” said Cella. Adjacent to the hotel will be a 14,000 square-foot multipurpose Event center that will accommodate up to 1,500 people for various events such as concerts, meetings, banquets and weddings. The project also includes 10 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
the addition of approximately 28,000 square feet of gaming space and significantly expanded parking. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the Oaklawn expansion will be monumental. “The state of Arkansas is grateful to Louis and his family for their commitment to growing their business right here at home,” Hutchinson said. “This project, which will be financed exclusively with private funds, not only represents one of, if not the largest, tourism related expansion projects in our history, it will also rank among the state’s largest economic development projects in 2019.” Construction on the project will begin in May immediately following completion of the 2019 racing season. The target completion date for the gaming expansion is January 2020 with the hotel and event center to be completed in late 2020. This major expansion represents the second significant announcement at Oaklawn since Louis Cella succeeded his late father, Charles, as president of Oaklawn Jockey Club in December 2017. In April 2018, Oaklawn announced it would shift its racing season later in the calendar and for the first time continue racing into May. It’s the biggest change in the traditional Oaklawn racing schedule since World War II.
Longtime Texas Stallion Dixieland Heat Dies at 29
By Charlotte Cosulich
Illustrated by Susie Gordon
Tony Leonard
Dixieland Heat, the longtime Texas stallion who achieved fame as the sire of Eclipse Award winner Xtra Heat, died in late January at age 29 at Sue Cook’s Richland Ranch near Corsicana, Texas. The son of Dixieland Band won half of his 18 starts on the Dixieland Heat track, including the Louisiana Derby (G3) in 1993, while running for Cook’s late husband, Leland. Prior to coming to Texas, Dixieland Heat sired the Kentuckybred Xtra Heat, who won 26 of 35 career starts and earned more than $2.3 million. One of the nation’s top sprinters, she received the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly in 2001 and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2015. Dixieland Heat also sired numerous top Texas-breds, including multiple stakes winner and Texas Champion Coastalota. He also stood in Texas at Key Ranch and Q6 Ranch.
A CHILDR EN’S PICTUR E BOOK
A racehorse catches a lucky break and learns about pride along the way. AVA I L A B L E A T A M A Z O N . C O M & L U L U . C O M
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 11
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WinStar Farm Invests in Ohio with Blazing Meadows to Form WinBlaze LLC 3 Bay Shore in a quick time over a nice horse in Engage, and we felt he may be our Preakness horse. Sadly, he contracted EPM at the racetrack. “This partnership provides a great opportunity, not only for us but it should be National Flag exciting for guys up there who breed to race. National Flag will be a part of our ‘Dream Big’ program. We are offering 20 shares where if a breeder brings two mares and has foals by him, they will inherit lifetime breeding rights. We stand his sire Speightstown, who throws horses that run on all levels—dirt, turf, long or short. Now we are seeing that he is proving to be a sire of sires.” National Flag will stand at Blazing Meadows in North Jackson, Ohio, for an introductory fee of $2,500.
Courtesy WinStar Farm
It appears the experiment has been a success, and it is time to patent the product. Several years ago, WinStar Farm in Kentucky and Tim Hamm’s Blazing Meadows Farm in Ohio entered into a partnership with selected stallions being bred to Hamm’s mares who return to Ohio to foal. WinStar began to add its mares to the formula, and since the foals have hit the track with Hamm as trainer, there have already been several stakes winners and two state champions. With those experiences in place, WinStar has decided to expand its hoofprint in the Buckeye State by standing National Flag, a graded stakes-winning colt it raced with China Horse Club International. WinBlaze LLC is the name of the recently formed alliance. “WinBlaze LLC is something I would hope Ohio would embrace,” said Elliot Walden, president/CEO and racing manager of WinStar. “These are things you see in a good state program. We just purchased 10 mares to move to Ohio and will have a total of 16 there. “It’s a business venture based on two main points,” he added. “The first is the health of the Ohio program and it looks to be strong. The second is the opportunity to get National Flag off to a solid start as a stallion. He’s a graded quality horse and a well-made individual who was a $600,000 yearling purchase. As he developed as a 3-year-old he captured the Grade
For more racing and breeding news, go to AmericanRacehorse.com San Antonio Horse Sale Company Announces Dates for Two Texas Auctions The San Antonio Horse Sale Company, which in January announced it was returning to the auction business after a 17-year hiatus, has confirmed the dates and location for its 2019 sales. The San Antonio Rose Classic Mixed Horse Sale will be held on Saturday, June 22, at the Travis County Exposition Center in Austin. “We looked at a lot of locations for these sales, and we really think this is the perfect spot,” said longtime horseman Bart Sherwood, who previously operated the sale company from 1998 to 2002. “The Travis County Expo Center is a centrally located facility serving the needs of all Texas horsemen and women, both consignors and buyers. The San Antonio Horse Sale Company looks for a long-term partnership with the Expo Center as the home for all future sales.” The sale is open to both Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horses and will include yearlings, broodmares and horses of racing age, plus barrel racing and hunter/jumper prospects. “We felt like this was the right time to bring back a sale to the central Texas area and that there will be demand from both buyers and sellers for a sale like this that includes Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses and multiple disciplines,” Sherwood said. “We had some very 12 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
good sales back in the day, so we are optimistic that we can get that success going again.” The entry deadline is April 22 with a consignment fee of $450 and commission rate of 5 percent, with a $250 minimum. Net proceeds from the sale will benefit the San Antonio-based Train a Dog Save a Warrior program that provides veterans with a dog and the training and tools to help them become an accredited service dog team, at no charge to the veteran or their family. As an incentive for all consignors, the San Antonio Horse Sale Company is offering a $50 “Early Bird” discount on each horse’s consignment fee before February 28. Also, there will be a $50 discount for each horse consigned when the consignor enters four or more horses in the sale. The discounts can also be combined, so early consignment of four or more horses would be just $350 each. The sale company will also conduct the Alamo Classic Fall Mixed Horse Sale on Saturday, September 28, at the Expo Center. For more information, contact Sherwood at (210) 842-1072 or sanantoniohorsesalecompany@gmail.com or visit sanantoniohorsesale company.com.
Champion Rivers Runs Deep Returns to Ohio for a New Career
J.J. Zamaiko Photography
Rivers Run Deep is arguably the fastest horse ever bred in Ohio. You don’t get named as the state’s sprint champion for four consecutive years without the credentials to back it up. After six seasons of competition on the track, he is leaving the shedrow of trainer Chris Hartman for a new residence and career as a stallion at Poplar Creek Horse Center in Bethel, Ohio. The son of Ready’s Image out of 2017 Ohio Broodmare of the Year Music Miss was bred by OTBO member Nancy Lavrich and Walmac Farm LLC. Rivers Run Deep joined the millionaire’s club with 20 career victories, including 14 stakes wins in the Buckeye State. Along the way he set two six-furlong track records at Belterra Park. His career started with a maiden special weight win at Del Mar and continued for more than five years before ending with a bankroll of nearly $1.2 million. While he certainly proved himself outside of Ohio with wins at Oaklawn and Churchill Downs, he truly shined in his home state for owners James and Ywachetta Rivers Run Deep three starts at 2 including the Group 1 Gran Criterium at a mile in Driver. He enters stud with a sterling career record of 46-20-12-6. “He’s retiring sound after 46 career starts. He had quite a following in Italy. He is a three-quarters brother to the A.P. Indy daughters Delta Ohio—he was his own advertising billboard! He should be the star of the Princess, a three-time graded stakes winner of $740,918, and Indy Five Hundred, a Grade 1 winner on the turf and earner of $244,510. Delshow up there now,” Hartman said. While his forte was sprinting, he did prove he could win at two turns ta Princess is the dam of Royal Delta, who earned $4,811,126 and was and on the grass. His robust physicality combined with soundness and named champion 3-year-old filly in 2011 and champion older mare in speed will be especially welcomed to the Ohio program—kudos to the 2012 and 2013. Biondetti’s second dam is Proud Delta, who earned $387,761 and rehome state hero. Plans are to have him stand at an introductory stud fee ceived champion older mare honors in 1976. He was the leading thirdof $2,000. Group 1 winner Biondetti will join Rivers Run Deep at Poplar Creek crop sire in Florida before his move to Ohio. Robin Murphy, who operates for 2019. He is an impeccably bred son of Bernardini out of the Group 2 Poplar Creek Horse Center, purchased him privately and says he will stand winner Lyphard’s Delta, by Lyphard. Biondetti was undefeated in his first at the farm for $2,500.
Graded Stakes Winner Blueskiesnrainbows Relocated to Oklahoma
Blueskiesnrainbows Blueskiesnrainbows, a son of English Channel, has moved to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, the home base of owner Kelly Mitchell’s Bad Boy Racing, for
the 2019 breeding season. Blueskiesnrainbows, a multiple graded stakes winner of more than $672,500, is standing for a fee of $2,500 at Sunlight Farm, which is managed by equine veterinarian Marcinda Mitchell. “We are really excited to move Blueskiesnrainbows to Oklahoma to be a part of their excellent state-bred program,” Marcinda Mitchell said. “He formerly stood in Indiana and his first foals will hit the track this year as 2-year-olds. His foals are looking fantastic and should prove themselves very soon. “My family was an early part of Oklahoma horse racing with my mom, Delores, serving on the first racing commission; my father, Bob, raising, racing and standing fine Thoroughbreds here at Sunlight Farm in Sallisaw; and my brother, Kelly, owning former Oklahoma Horse of the Year Slew O Mink. It is so exciting to be involved with the Oklahoma-bred program again.” Blueskiesnrainbows won both the San Pasqual (G2) and Swaps (G2) stakes wire to wire. He was second in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G2) and third by a half-length in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). For more information, visit blueskiesnrainbows.com. AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 13
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Equine Sales Company Announces Complete 2019 Auction Schedule Equine Sales Company has released its complete 2019 sale schedule after previously announcing that the 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale would be April 2. All auctions will be held in Opelousas, Louisiana. The 2019 schedule includes the Consignor Select Yearling Sale on Thursday, September 5, and the Open Yearling and Mixed Sale on Sunday, October 27. While the 2-year-old sale is being held about a month earlier than in previous years, the other two sales are essentially at the same spot on the calendar.
“We think the earlier 2-year-old sale will work well for buyers and consignors according to the feedback we received,” Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “But we also heard that the other two sales were already scheduled well. Our select sale last year was one of our best ever, so we want to stick with what is working.” The entry deadline for the 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale has passed, but late supplements may still be accepted. The breeze show is set for Sunday, March 31, with the auction on Tuesday, April 2. For more information, go to equinesalescompany.com.
More New Stallions Come to Indiana New stallions to the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development program continued to arrive in the Hoosier State in addition to those previously profiled in American Racehorse. R Star Stallions in Anderson has added the Eurosilver son Gold for Cash, an 11-time winner of more than $350,000. Bringing the much sought after Medaglia d’Oro bloodline to Indi-
14 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
ana, Forever d’Oro will stand at Hidden Springs Farm in Palmyra after being campaigned by trainer Dallas Stewart and owner Charles Fipke for career earnings of more than $61,000. Gun Power, an unraced son of Unbridled, will stand at Ed Miller’s farm in Hamilton. Other new stallions to Indiana include Stewart (by Black Minnaloushe) and Youngs Mill (by Henny Hughes). H
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. HN, A C L A S S Y J O D U AT E RA $ 1 2 ,0 0 0 G 1 8 2 Y O 0 2 R U O OF KE B , S A L E R O AT N E ID A H IS M IN G IN F IR S T A S K AT T AUGUS FOR AN R A S AT O G A U R S E ! $ 8 5 ,0 0 0 P
JOIN US IN 2019! 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Auction: April 2 Breeze Show: March 31 Consignor Select Yearling Sale September 5 Open Yearling and Mixed Sale October 27
Where Real Consignors and Real Buyers Come Together!
www.equinesalescompany.com
Equine Sales Co. For Further Information: 372 Harry Guilbeau Road Foster Bridewell, Sales Director Opelousas, LA 70570 Tel: 214-718-7618 Web: www.equinesalescompany.com Tel: 337-678-3024 • Fax: 337-678-3028 15 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
SUPERIOR PEDIGREES... REASONABLY PRICED!
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 starter us ro o m Gla fi t rst won a at asking 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
Lexington,
The story of one of the nation’s first great racehorses and stallions By Kim Mariette
T
he city of Lexington, Kentucky, is synonymous with horse racing as the home of the iconic Keeneland Race Course, and it’s renowned for horse auctions, breeding farms and stallion power. But what about Lexington, the horse? Virtually every Thoroughbred breeder has picked up a copy of the BloodHorse Stallion Register and, knowingly or not, gazed at artist Edward Troye’s painting of the great racehorse and even greater sire. By the fiery Boston out of the high-strung Alice Carneal, Lexington was born on March 17, 1850, on the Lexington, Kentucky, farm of Dr. Elisha Warfield. Initially named Darley (because of a perceived resemblance to a portrait of the Darley Arabian), the bay colt inherited neither the hot temper of his sire nor the nervous temperament of his dam. His disposition was often described as “excellent,” both as a racehorse and later as a stud. Darley did, however, inherit the best racing qualities of both parents—excellent conformation that combined to produce a powerful racing machine. Warfield disapproved of the “new-fangled” practice of racing horses as 2-year-olds, so Darley was not raced until his 3-year-old season. His maiden race was on May 23, 1853, in the Association
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Keeneland Library Collection
America’s Thoroughbred
Stakes at the Kentucky Association track (which Warfield cofounded) in Lexington. Before the one-mile heat could get underway, Darley and two other horses made a false start and ran 2 3⁄4 miles before they could be pulled up. Five minutes after the horses were brought back, the race was started. Even though he had already galloped more than two miles, Darley plowed down the knee-deep muddy course in the lead all the way. In the second one-mile heat, Darley again barreled to the front of the field and led them to the finish. Darley’s impressive performance caught the eye of Richard Ten Broeck, who was at the track looking for prospects to race in his Great State Post Stakes. As the owner of the Metairie Course in New Orleans, Ten Broeck was trying to put together a field of runners with one from each racing state. Four days after the Association Stakes, Darley raced at an increased distance of two miles in three heats in the Citizen Stakes. Darley started the first heat well but ended up losing to Midway, a Boston filly. However, Darley rallied to beat Midway and the rest of the field easily in the second and third heats. After this race, Darley entered the ownership syndicate of Ten Broeck and his partners.
From Darley to Lexington Renamed Lexington, the horse was sent to the Natchez, Mississippi, farm of trainer John Pryor. Pryor described Lexington as “a horse of the best and kindest temper, a good feeder and at the same time was a horse that never wanted the hard work that some horses do. I never allowed him to run his best in any trial.”1 Alabama horseman Louis Smith lost out on ownership of Lexington when Warfield decided to sell him to Ten Broeck’s syndicate. This left a bad taste in Smith’s mouth. He had been campaigning to purchase the horse to represent his home state in Ten Broeck’s Great State Post Stakes. Determined to prove out his grudge, Smith challenged the syndicate to a match race between Lexington and his top racing filly Sallie Waters, offering to pay $8,500 if Lexington could beat his horse in three-mile heats at Metairie. The $8,500 prize money was too tempting for Ten Broeck, and he convinced the syndicate to agree to the race date of December 2, 1853. Despite concerns that this match race would be at three miles, a distance Lexington had not yet raced, he was hastily prepared for the big day. Lexington was in no condition to compete, however. Five weeks before the match race, he escaped from his stall during the night and gorged himself on corn. In a letter to author B.G. Bruce (Memoir of Lexington, 1880), Lexington’s trainer John Pryor explained the accident: My DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 28th ultimo was received, and I hasten to give all the information I can concerning Lexington’s blindness. When he came to me from Kentucky in the year 1853, no horse had better eyes than he had. The late Capt. Wm. J. Minor told me he would like much to see him work, and I invited him to come the next morning. That night Lexington got out of his box stall and stood the whole night at the feed box. My stable was a large one, with a passage in the middle, and double doors on each end, and the bars must have been left down off his door, so that he could get out in the passage to the feed box, and I not knowing this, when Captain Minor came, worked the horse two miles. He moved so sluggish that I knew there was something wrong, and I did not give him any more work. As soon as Captain Minor went away I went over to the stable to see what was the matter. I found the horse with a high fever, both eyes closed, and I bled him freely. At the same time I told Old Henry (my headman) he had to tell me how the horse came in such a fix, and he frankly acknowledged the horse getting out of the stable to the feed box, and ever after this his eyes were affected. I have no doubt that working the horse full brought it about. He shrunk to nothing,
Preakness, Son of a Champion The race that has become the second jewel in the Triple Crown was named for a son of Lexington. Bred in Kentucky by Robert Alexander, Preakness was sold as a yearling in 1868 to Milton H. Sanford and received his name from Sanford’s Preakness Stud in New Jersey. Preakness debuted at 3 in the 1870 Dinner Party (now Dixie) Stakes as part of the grand opening of Baltimore’s new track, Pimlico. Preakness won easily. And he went on to a successful racing career, with victories in the Westchester Cup, Manhattan Handicap and Jockey Club Handicap (twice), among others. In 1873 Pimlico named a race for the colt to be run at 1 1⁄2 miles for 3-yearolds. The inaugural Preakness Stakes was won by Survivor, who was out of a Lexington mare. In 1875, at age 8, Preakness won the 2 1⁄4-mile Saratoga Cup in a dead heat with Springbok (out of a Lexington mare) in what turf historian Walter Vosburgh deemed the “greatest field of horses that ever started for this, the most famous of all of America’s long-distance fixtures.” Preakness and Springbok set a track record of 3:56 1⁄4 that stood for 23 years. Later that year, Preakness was sold to England’s Duke of Hamilton to stand at stud. The horse raced in England at 9, winning once. He ended his career with 18 wins and 12 seconds in 39 starts. Preakness not only inherited his grandsire Boston’s speed and durability but also his famous temper. During a breeding session that wasn’t going according to Hamilton’s plans, Preakness struck out at his owner. Incensed, Hamilton took out his pistol and killed the horse. The public was outraged at the incident, which eventually led to a reform of England’s animal welfare laws. But it didn’t bring Lexington’s son back, and Preakness’ outstanding pedigree died with him. On August 3, 2018, Preakness was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. On his plaque, it reads: “Summarizing the career of Preakness, Turf and Sport Digest said: ‘It is improbable that a more courageous, stouter, or more rugged horse, enduring, consistent and, with it all, of intense speed, ever trod an American race course.’ ”
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and it was more than a week after he ate nothing but a few green blades of fodder. I am very much pleased and take much pleasure in reading the memoir of Lexington that you are now finishing. Every word you say about him is true. He was undoubtedly the best race horse that ever was foaled. Very truly yours, J. B. PRYOR.2 Lexington recovered well enough to resume training, and 10 days before the match race, Ten Broeck sent Lexington to New Orleans to get acclimated with light, easy gallops. Not everyone was pleased. The horse’s supporters felt that he was not in racing condition due to his recent illness, whereas Sallie Waters had continued to race—and win. On the day of the match race, Sallie Waters was no match for Lexington’s endurance. Running on a surface that he liked— deep, sloppy mud—Lexington won the first heat despite Sallie Waters’ valiant effort to overtake him. In the second heat, Sallie Waters’ fatigue was apparent, even as she drove hard to catch Lexington, but she wound up being distanced by the indefatigable horse. The filly was unable to recover from being ridden so hard in wet, heavy conditions, and later collapsed from exhaustion and died.
A Rivalry Versus Lecomte April 1, 1854, found Lexington representing the state of Kentucky in the Great State Post Stakes at Metairie. Lexington faced two other sons of Boston: Lecomte and Arrow. Undefeated Lecomte represented the state of Mississippi; Arrow ran for Louisiana. Another horse, Highlander (by Glencoe), raced for Alabama. Although Ten Broeck had campaigned for more participants from other states, a field of four was the best that he could muster. The Great State Post Stakes was Lexington’s first time racing in four-mile heats, but he was clearly up for the challenge. In the first heat, on his favorite track surface—heavy and wet,
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Keeneland Library Collection
Courtesy VistLEX, photo by Gathan Borden
Lexington’s memorial, sculpted by Gwen Reardon, stands at the Kentucky Horse Park in the city that shares its name with the legendary Thoroughbred.
Lexington led from start to finish and completed the four miles in 8:08 3⁄4. The second heat was a repeat of the first, essentially a match between Lexington and Lecomte. Although Lecomte led the race for three miles, Lexington passed him in the fourth mile and pulled away at the finish with a time of 8:04. The obvious rivalry brewing between Lexington and Lecomte proved too much for Ten Broeck. He pleaded with his syndicate partners to agree to enter Lexington in the Jockey Club Purse, to be contested just a week later, for a rematch of the two horses. But the syndicate would not budge, feeling it was too risky to run Lexington again so soon. In the end, Ten Broeck bought out his partners and quickly entered Lexington in the race. On April 8, Lexington met Lecomte head-on in the Jockey Club Purse at Metairie. As with the Great State Post Stakes, two heats were to be run at four miles each. Although he was heavily spurred to keep pace with Lecomte in the first heat, Lexington could not overtake him and for good reason. Lecomte set a world record in that heat with the impressive time of 7:26. Lexington became distressed after the heat, but it was chalked up to the extremely fast time run during the hottest part of the day. By the time of the second heat, Lexington seemed ready to run. Lexington and Lecomte traded the lead until the third mile, when Lexington was inexplicably pulled up. Lexington’s inexperienced jockey failed to count the laps correctly, so he began to slow his horse down. Quickly realizing his mistake, he let Lexington out and urged him back up to speed, but it was too late. Despite Lexington’s heroic effort to catch up, Lecomte blazed across the line with a time of 7:38 3⁄4. Unhappy with the outcome, Ten Broeck attempted to get a third match set up between Lexington and Lecomte, but Lecomte’s owner was not interested. With Lexington done with racing for the season, Ten Broeck shipped the horse and stablemate Arrow north to prep them for the inaugural meeting of the National Course on Long Island, New York, scheduled to open in mid-September. The horses traveled by boat, captained by William Stuart, to Louisville on April 22. Stuart then took them up to Saratoga Springs, New York, to spend some time in the country before traveling to Long Island. Upon Stuart’s sudden death from cholera, however, Lexington and Arrow were quickly transferred to trainer Charles Lloyd, who moved the horses to his farm in Holmdel, New Jersey. Lexington was intended to make his northern debut in the Astor House Stakes in two-mile heats on September 18. Fate had other intentions for Lexington. A few days before the race, Lexington’s bridle broke as he galloped over the Holmdel training track and he swerved into a field of corn. Before he could be stopped, he had bruised his legs so badly that he had to be pulled for the remainder of the season. Eventually he was shipped back to Louisville, then on to Natchez, where he re-entered training for a second time under Pryor (and with a more secure stall door). The racing season of 1855 found Ten Broeck still anxious for a rematch between Lexington and Lecomte. Hoping to lure Lecomte’s owner into an agreement to race, Ten Broeck
Keeneland Library Collection
Lexington’s dam Alice Carneal was an excellent broodmare, producing 12 foals, six of which could be considered exceptional.
Alice Carneal, Dam of a Champion Lexington’s dam Alice Carneal was named after breeder Dr. Elisha Warfield’s daughter-in-law. By the English import Sarpedon out of Rowena, Alice Carneal was a high-strung bay mare who didn’t race publicly until she was 5. Although fast, she had such a nervous temperament that she would “get out of condition” on her way from the stable to the racecourse. She would sweat profusely, shake uncontrollably and repeatedly urinate and defecate. Warfield insisted that, despite her difficulties at the racecourse, at home Alice Carneal was “superior to any horse that he ever owned or bred.” But races aren’t won at home. Warfield knew his mare was fast and he wanted her to run. In her first season, Alice Carneal raced four times. She won once, placed once and showed twice. At 6, Alice Carneal raced at the Lexington track, placing in a four-mile heat, then being disqualified in the second heat. In Louisville, she placed in one heat and finished third in another. By the time Alice Carneal was 7, she raced only once in a two-mile heat in Lexington with no record of her performance. That ended her racing career and she was sent to the breeding shed on Warfield’s farm in 1843. Lexington was Alice Carneal’s fifth foal. She died in 1860.
came up with the idea to run Lexington against the clock— specifically the 7:26 record time that Lecomte had posted in the 1854 Jockey Club Purse. The idea of a race against the clock met with instant success. The race would be public and held on the Metairie Course on April 2. Ten Broeck refused to use an inexperienced jockey this time. He hired Gilbert Patrick (whose name was often shortened to “Gilpatrick”), one of the top jockeys in the country, to guide Lexington down the course. Two pacesetters were chosen to encourage Lexington’s speed, Arrow being one of them. Lexington was also allowed to start running before the judge’s stand so that by the time he passed it, he was at top speed. The pace horses never got near Lexington. He ran so hard over a firm course that his left front plate came off and the right one partially twisted but stayed secured to his hoof. Gilpatrick had been keeping Lexington tight to the rail where the course was hardest but after losing his left plate and part of his right, Lexington travelled to the middle of the course where it was soft and muddy. Gilpatrick fought Lexington back to the rail the entire last mile of the race, trying to keep him where the course would give them the fastest time. In the end, Gilpatrick’s strategy worked; Lexington crossed the line at 7:19 3⁄4, six seconds faster than Lecomte’s record. That’s all it took for Lecomte’s owner to rise to the rematch challenge. A “southern” horse could simply not allow a “northern” horse to best him in a match race. The match race between Lexington and Lecomte was scheduled for April 14, 1855, at Metairie in two four-mile heats. Unfortunately, Lecomte had colicked a week before the match and was not up to par for the race. Lecomte’s owner heard rumors about Lexington having sore front feet from his barefoot race against the clock, so he decided to pit his ailing horse against Lexington anyway. No sore hooves were evident in the first heat. Lexington won easily, while Lecomte, clearly compromised, ran but did not race. Lexington turned in a time of 7:23 3⁄4, the fastest time ever in a four-mile heat between horses. Lecomte’s owner wisely pulled him from the second heat before more injury occurred to his horse. It wasn’t long before accusations of Lecomte being drugged by the competition began to circulate. Although the two owners sparred back and forth in the papers, nothing was proven and Lecomte continued to race. It was subsequently determined that Lexington’s eyesight had failed to the point where he could no longer race, so he was retired to stud. In only seven races, Lexington left the track with six victories and as America’s third greatest money-winner of the time with earnings of $56,600.
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Ten Broeck sent Lexington back to Kentucky to stand at the Harper family’s farm (later named Nantura Farm) near Midway. In Lexington’s first season, he was limited to 20 mares, with a $100 stud fee. He started the 1856 breeding season at the Harper farm as well, again limited to 20 mares at $100 each. That same year, the man who would become Lexington’s next owner was touring Europe, looking for breeding stock for his Woodburn Farm, located adjacent to the Harper property. After meeting with Ten Broeck in England, Robert A. Alexander bought Lexington sight unseen for the astronomical sum of $15,000 ($463,000 in today’s currency). Alexander planned to race the horse in England under his own colors. Dismayed to learn that his new purchase’s eyes were severely compromised, Alexander sent Lexington to the breeding shed at Woodburn instead. Although Lexington’s racing days were over, his stud career was about to take off. Alexander published the first catalog of Thoroughbred breeding at Woodburn, which featured Lexington as his premier stallion in 1857: “LEXINGTON is known as a foal getter, and the appearance of his foals of the last two seasons being such as to give satisfaction to those who have bred to him, he will continue to stand at $100 for the season, the money due when the mare is served.”3 Lexington became so famous at Woodburn that people from all over the country came to see him, including General George Custer, who wrote that “visiting the horse was like being in the sacred presence of royalty.”4 Lexington was Woodburn’s top stallion, and for good reason: He was a prime example of what a Thoroughbred should be. In his book The American Thoroughbred (The Macmillan Company, 1905), Charles E. Trevathan describes Lexington in his prime: Lexington was a blood bay, about 15 hands high, with fore and hind feet and pasterns and a small portion of his hind legs above pasterns white. His bones were not particularly large, except the backbone, which was unusually so. His muscle was abundant, dry, and sinewy, without any cumbrous flesh; his ears, which were handsome and wide apart, were beautifully placed; his head, though not small, was bony, clean, and handsome. His nostrils being large, the jaw-bone was uncommonly wide apart, affording abundant room for a clear and well-detached throttle. His left eye was full and mild, though animated; his right eye had lost its convexity from disease; he had a noble countenance, indicating good temper and disposition, for which he was remarkable. His neck rose well from his shoulders and joined his head admirably. His shoulder had a very wide bone, very strong, well displayed, particularly oblique, and rose sufficiently high at the withers, without any of that superfluous neck so frequently seen to surmount the shoulders two or three inches, which cannot add to power or easy motion. His arms came out well from the body, were sufficiently wide apart 22 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Library of Congress/ Harris & Ewing Collection
A Legend in the Breeding Shed
Lexington’s figure stands atop the Woodlawn Vase, originally created in 1860 and now presented to the winner of the Preakness Stakes.
for a good chest, and were long, muscular, and strong. His back was of medium length, coupling well back, a loin wide, slightly arched, and very powerful. His body would bear the most rigid scrutiny—it looked perfection, being ribbed in the best possible manner, and very deep throughout, which made his legs appear short, while at the same time he had a great reach. His hips were not remarkably wide, though strong, and in the sweep, down to and embracing the hock, he had rarely an equal. His feet, though mostly white, were excellent, as were his legs, with good bone, clear strong tendons, and good proportions, uniting in their motion great ease and correctness. His action could not be surpassed; bold, free, elastic, and full of power, and, with his elegance of action and remarkable racing-like form throughout, he united great beauty and grandeur.5 Lexington was a prepotent stallion, stamping his likeness and speed on more than 800 offspring. Of the 840 mares that Lexington covered from 1855 to his death in 1875, 236 of those pairings produced top-notch racehorses. Lexington’s progeny amassed an astonishing $1,159,321 in race winnings at a time when racing was almost nonexistent due to the Civil War. Unfortunately, many of Lexington’s offspring were funneled directly into the war and were lost, never having the opportunity to prove themselves as racehorses. Lexington led the American sire list a phenomenal 16 times, from 1861 to 1874 and again in 1876 and 1878. Among his progeny are notable names such as Asteroid and Norfolk, both of which were never beaten. The first running of the Kentucky Derby occurred in 1875, the year that Lexington died. He was the broodmare sire of the first Derby winner, Aristides, and later of Day Star (1878), Hindoo (1881) and Ben Ali (1886). He was the grandsire of the 1879 Derby winner, Lord Murphy, and the 1882 Derby winner, Apollo.
The End of an Era In 1864 Alexander noted in his yearly catalog that it was the last year that Lexington would stand at public stud. After the season, he would be used as a private breeding stallion only. That is, if Alexander could keep him alive. The Civil War started in 1861, and by early 1865, Woodburn had been the victim of two Confederate remount raids which cost Alexander 15 horses and the lives of two of his stallions. In one of those raids, Lexington’s son, the undefeated Asteroid, was stolen. A neighbor recognized the horse as it passed his farm and ransomed Asteroid back for $250. Alexander sent Asteroid, Lexington and the rest of Woodburn’s breeding stock to Springfield, Illinois, to stay with relatives until the war was over. The end didn’t come easily for the old horse. The last three years of his life, Lexington suffered from inflamed mucous membranes in his nose and throat. During the few months before his death, however, the mucus from the irritated membranes became heavy and thick, severely impairing his breathing. On the day before he died, Lexington’s breathing became increasingly labored and heavy, so much so that he refused to eat. But the 25-year-old stallion was a trooper, remaining standing and conscious until the very end, when he finally went down and breathed his last at midnight on July 1, 1875.
Keeneland Library Collection
The first Preakness Stakes (named for a son of Lexington—see sidebar) was held in 1873, and it didn’t take long for Lexington’s sons to win it: Tom Ochiltree (1875), Shirley (1876) and Duke of Magenta (1878). Lexington was the grandsire of winners Cloverbrook (1877) and Dunboyne (1887) and the broodmare sire of the first Preakness winner Survivor (1873), as well as Grenada (1880), Saunterer (1881), Vanguard (1882) and Montague (1890). The first Belmont Stakes was held in 1867, and Lexington made his pedigree presence known almost immediately, as the sire of the second winner, General Duke (1868). He sired additional Belmont winners Kingfisher (1870), Harry Bassett (1871) and Duke of Magenta (1878). Lexington left his legacy as broodmare sire of Belmont winners Springbok (1873), Spendthrift (1879), Grenada (1880) and Saunterer (1881). In addition, he was the grandsire of the 1877 Belmont winner Cloverbrook. Nine of the first 15 Travers Stakes were won by offspring of Lexington: Kentucky (1864), Maiden (1865), Merrill (1866), The Banshee (1868), Kingfisher (1870), Harry Bassett (1871), Tom Bowling (1873), Sultana (1876) and Duke of Magenta (1878).
Lexington’s sire was the fiery Boston, described by one of his trainers as a stallion so savage that he be “either castrated or shot— preferably the latter.”
Boston, Sire of a Champion When Boston was a 2-year-old, his breeder John Wickham lost him in a card game or gave him to a friend to pay off an $800 debt, depending on which version is to be believed. Either way, the horse eventually came under the ownership of Colonel William R. Johnson. Boston was sent to a trainer, then another, and then back to the first again. The colt’s forceful temperament and troubling habit of lying down and rolling with a rider up made him a challenge to train for racing. Eventually his tempestuousness was cautiously converted to speed and stamina, and “Old Whitenose” had plenty of it. A son of Timoleon, Boston raced until he was 10, winning 40 of his 45 starts, 30 of which were four-mile heats. At the time of Boston’s career, races were held cross-country over open terrain. Johnson was often paid not to run his horse. Boston started his stud career in Virginia while he was still a racehorse, having the endurance and stamina to do both. In 1846 he was moved to Kentucky to stand at Colonel Edward Blackburn’s farm in Midway (near Woodburn and Nantura). He became a three-time leading sire of Thoroughbreds and influenced the Standardbred breed as well. In addition to Lexington and Lecomte, other top runners sired by Boston included Commodore, Ringgold, Wade Hampton, Zero and Arlington. By 1849 Boston was blind and needed a sling to stand in his stall. He was found dead a year later. Boston joined his famous son Lexington in the 1955 inaugural class of inductees into the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 23
New York Public Library/Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs
Lexington is captured by photographer James Mullen in this undated photo.
Over a quart of chewed food was discovered to have forced its way into Lexington’s skull by way of an extracted tooth in his upper jaw. This material deformed the old horse’s skull, pushing out the bone beneath his eyes and no doubt affecting his vision when he was alive. Lexington’s body was placed in a coffin and he was buried in front of the stable where he had resided since 1856. He reportedly became the first Thoroughbred in Kentucky to have a headstone marker placed over his grave, although no trace of that marker exists today. Upon Lexington’s death, Joseph Cairn Simpson was moved to write: “As a racehorse he stands pre-eminently the best this country every produced; and as stallion, he must take the foremost rank in the world. He was as far superior to all horses that have gone before him as the vertical blaze of a tropical sun is superior to the faint and scarcely distinguishable glimmer of the most distant star.”6 Lexington’s story does not end with his death, however. Robert Alexander’s brother, Alex, who had taken over ownership of Woodburn after Robert’s death in 1867, gave permission for Lexington’s bones to be exhumed and sent to the Smithsonian Institution in 1878. For more than a hundred years, Lexington’s skeleton was on display in the Osteology Hall in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, sharing his case with the skeletons of a dinosaur, a kangaroo lizard, an ostrich and a llama. A brief bio card identified his skeleton as a “fine example of Equus caballus.” That he was. 24 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
In 1956 the Smithsonian reorganized its exhibits and Lexington was relegated to its fourth-floor attic, where he languished for years between a blackfish and an okapi as “Catalog 16020.” Then in 1999, Lexington’s skeleton was used in a National Museum of American History display of a stopwatch that split time into fractions of a second, which helped to portray Lexington’s racing speed. When that museum closed for renovations in 2006, Lexington’s skeleton became available for loan. The International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington first started negotiating for Lexington’s skeleton in 1985. The museum became a Smithsonian associate in 2005, paving the way for Lexington to return to Kentucky after a 132-year absence. In November 2010, Lexington made the journey from Washington, D.C., to the state of his birth, securely packed in a custom-made shipping crate with his skull placed between his front legs. He is now on permanent loan at the Kentucky Horse Park, safely displayed in his own case, a testament to his enduring influence. Lexington galloped to greatness, both on and off the track, and his get galloped right behind him. He was a member of the inaugural group to be inducted into the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in 1955. Lexington’s renown doesn’t stop there. He was the model for the proud horse on top of the beautiful Woodlawn Vase, awarded to the winner of the Preakness Stakes, and he has become the symbol of his birthplace, the city of Lexington, as “Big Lex”—depicted using his famous Troye portrait but turned blue to represent the rich Kentucky bluegrass where he made his home. H Kim Mariette is a Minnesota-based author who specializes in horses and related subjects, with an emphasis on military themed topics. Her 35-year career spans a diverse range of equine publications, from Art Horse to Western Horseman. The author wishes to thank Roda Ferraro of the Keeneland Library for providing information, resources and images to support this article.
Notes 1. B.G. Bruce, Memoir of Lexington (1880), 37. 2. Bruce, Memoir of Lexington, 46. 3. Salvator, “The Get of Lexington,” The Thoroughbred Record, vol. 105, 466. 4. Tom Eblen, “Lexington Namesake Might Come Home,” Lexington Herald-Leader, March 15, 2009. 5. Charles A. Trevathan, The American Thoroughbred (London: The MacMillan Company, 1905), 309–310. 6. Arnold Kirkpatrick, “Most Famous Thoroughbred of the 1850s, Lexington, Was Foaled, Raced, Off Loudon,” The BlueGrass Historian, March 2001, 5.
Bibliography Alexander, R. Aitcheson. The Woodburn Stud Farm, Lexington, Ky.: Kentucky Statesmen Print, 1857.
International Museum of Racing, www.racingmuseum.org.
Armistead, Gene C. Horses and Mules in the Civil War: A Complete History with a Roster of More Than 700 War Horses, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2013.
Keeneland Library, www.keeneland.com/keeneland-library.
Bruce, B.G. Memoir of Lexington, 1880. Bundy, Diane, and Jennifer Howard. “The Alexander Family of Woodburn Farm, Woodford County, Kentucky,” Kentucky Ancestors: A Genealogical Quarterly, Frankfort, Ky.: Kentucky Historical Society, Autumn 2009, 4–14. Chew, Peter. “Great Stallion’s Skeleton is Stabled in Museum Attic, Smithsonian, May 1974, 74–76. Crichton, Andrew, ed. “Scorecard: Big Daddy,” Sports Illustrated, August 26, 1974. Dunnigan, Candice C. “Horse Racing Tales, Famous Jockeys, and Triple Crown Legends,” The Mackinac Island Town Crier, vol. 65, no. 10, June 30, 2018–July 6, 2018, 24. Eblen, Tom. “Lexington Namesake Might Come Home,” Lexington HeraldLeader, March 15, 2009. Fleming, Mary. “Lexington and His Dynasty,” Thoroughbred of California, October 1975, 55, 63–65, 70.
International Museum of the Horse, www.imh.org. Kirkpatrick, Arnold. “Most Famous Thoroughbred of the 1850s, Lexington, Was Foaled, Raced, Off Loudon,” The BlueGrass Historian, March 2001, 4–5. Lexington Herald-Leader. “Best Horse Ever? Try Lexington,” April 12, 1970, and “Council seeks return of horse’s remains,” August 26, 1988. Louisiana Thoroughbred. “Lexington Versus Le Comte,” The Chronicle of the Horse, November 28, 1969. Mooney, Katherine C. Race Horse Men, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2014. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, www.racingmuseum.org. “One hundred sixty years after his birth a racehorse’s bones return to Lexington,” Smithsonian Insider, November 17, 2010, www.insider.si.edu/ 2010/11/after-160-years-racehorse-lexingtons-bones-returned-to-the-townof-his-birth. Phelps, Frank T. “Skeleton of Lexington May Return to Bluegrass,” Lexington Herald-Leader, August 18, 1974.
Hervey, John. Racing in America, New York: The Scribner Press, 1944.
Ruehling, Mike. “Unequaled as A Sire of Racers,” Louisville Courier-Journal, May 4, 1973.
Hirsch, Joe. “Lexington could run, too,” Daily Racing Form, December 7, 1992.
Salvator, “The Get of Lexington,” The Thoroughbred Record, vol. 105, 466.
———. “Not just a great stallion,” Daily Racing Form, November 29, 1993.
———, “The Greatness of Lexington,” The Thoroughbred Record, vol. 105, January 22, 1927, 114.
Hollingsworth, Kent. “Famed Lexington Arrived 110 Years Ago Today and Dr. Warfield’s Choice Was to Call Him Darley,” Lexington Leader, March 17, 1960.
Strine, Gerald R. “Lexington, Hideout in The Attic,” The Blood-Horse, September 5, 1970, 2858–2861.
———. “Lexington Greatest Thoroughbred America Has Ever Seen,” Lexington Leader, April 17, 1961. ———. The Kentucky Thoroughbred, Lexington, Ky.: University of Kentucky, 1985. ———. “A Line Not Ended,” The Blood-Horse, November 27, 1972, 4668.
Thoroughbred Daily News. “Lexington’s Remains Coming to Kentucky Horse Park,” Press Release, August 31, 2010. Thoroughbred Racing Associations. “Racing’s Skeleton in the Attic Being Dusted Off by Smithsonian,” Press Release, July 29, 1974. Wilson, Amy. “Lexington Back in Lexington at Last,” Lexington HeraldLeader, September 1, 2010.
Coglianese Photos
Coming Soon in AMERICAN RACEHORSE...
RUFFIAN, THE REAL STORY
Aaron Wilson/Albuquerque Journal
THE RISE AND FALL OF SANTA FE DOWNS
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 25
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 by winners (80), repeat winners (38) and earnings ($2.65 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)
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Accredited Oklahoma Stallion • Nominated to the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, Iowa Stallion Stakes and Minnesota Stallion Stakes
www.riveroaksthoroughbreds.com 26 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
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)
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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
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Track superintendents go the extra mile to keep horses and riders safe
work day in the life of Keeneland track superintendent Javier Barajas is, more accurately, a day and night. A 9 to 5 job? Try more like 5 to 9—as in a.m. to p.m.—but even that doesn’t start early enough. It’s a good thing that Barajas lives in a house on Keeneland property just a few furlongs from the main track. He and rotating members of his crew are looking at the track by 3:30 a.m. on days when there’s racing or training. His phone often starts ringing shortly thereafter, especially when there’s rain or a pending storm. Are we off the grass? Do I need to change my horse’s shoes? Barajas’ day might not be done until two or more hours after the last race, concluding after 8 p.m., as his crew smooths out the track and puts on the “seal” to prevent any moisture from penetrating the surface or to keep in the water his crew applied. Some days, the turf course rail must be moved or the grass cut. “You have to have it in your heart and really care that it’s got to be perfect,” the 56-year-old Barajas said, “because we have horses and humans on it. You can’t sleep in and say, ‘The heck with it.’ You have to really pay attention to the track.”
By Jennie Rees and Denis Blake
Keeping an Eye on the Sky— and the Weather Channel The best track superintendents don’t consider a track just an oval of dirt with a ring of grass inside, but rather a living, breathing creature often displaying different personalities and moods. Sometimes a gentle touch, caressing or cajoling is required to have the track at its best. Other times, a get-tough approach might be needed. Track supers must determine when manicuring, manhandling or a makeover is in order, and the equipment and procedure required. “They live and die by the weather,” said Butch Lehr, now an industry consultant who spent more than 45 years working on Churchill Downs’ track, the last 32 as track superintendent before his 2012 retirement. “My favorite TV channel was the Weather Channel. I used to say they’ll never make all the tracks the same until they can figure out how to put a roof over it. You have to stay on top of the job. You can’t operate it from being home and making calls on when you should water or not. We’d watch it minute by minute, trying to always do the right thing at the right time.” AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 29
Jamie Richardson, who took over for David Lehr—Butch’s younger brother—at the Louisville track after previously working at Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park and Oaklawn, said that freezing weather is among the biggest challenges he faces, along with unexpected weather conditions. A prime example is last year’s Kentucky Derby. “It was supposed to rain on Oaks Day and it never did, and on Derby Day they said light rain in the morning and tapering off in the afternoon, and it did the opposite and rained harder throughout the day,” Richardson said. “The weatherman has a tough job; when they get it right, no one ever says anything—it’s just when they get it wrong. So we prepare for what they say it’s going to do but also prepare for other things if necessary.” While the jobs of a weatherman and track super are vastly different, perhaps they are similar in that, as Richardson said, credit is rarely given for a job well done. But after the unexpected deluge at Churchill to kick off Justify’s successful Triple Crown run, Richardson and his crew did earn some well-deserved accolades. “No one questioned if Justify was the best horse that day, so it was nice to hear that we did a good job considering the weather,” he said. “And it wasn’t me; it’s my whole crew. It’s a team effort.”
Going Up Against Budgets and Mother Nature
Another challenge that many track supers face is getting the proper equipment to do the job right. “We are an expense department; we don’t generate revenue,” Richardson said. “I need to justify why I need something, but Churchill has been very good about providing equipment. Some small tracks are pretty good about getting equipment
30 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Jamie Richardson has one of the most important—and perhaps overlooked—jobs in racing as the person in charge of the track surface for the Kentucky Derby and all the other races at Churchill Downs.
“I really don’t like attention,” Barajas said, while sitting on his tractor between races during Keeneland’s fall meet. “I just want the track to be the best I can. And I do get a lot of respect
Emily Lago
too, but some track guys do struggle to get the resources they need, regardless of the track size.” Even if track supers sometimes work in the shadows, both literally and figuratively, the majority of horsemen and track executives recognize how important they are. “They’re invaluable,” said John Hopkins, Oaklawn’s plant superintendent who oversees track superintendent Kevin Seymour and his team. “If you don’t have a good track super and a good crew underneath him, it’s going to be disastrous when you start racing horses. They work so many hours it’s unbelievable. “My track guy works all summer getting this track ready for January when we start live racing,” Hopkins continued. “It’s a full-time, yearround job. It’s very tough. You’re getting new material. You’re taking the material on the track and remixing it. The one thing that people don’t understand—and I didn’t until I got in this business—is that dirt wears out. I’m glad I’m managing the guy instead of being the guy!” While praise for a track super might be rare, sometimes they know they are doing a good job precisely because no one talks about them. It can be easy for horsemen to criticize a surface without understanding the nuances involved in maintenance, including the difficulty of finding the right equipment or adequate supplies of just the right soil.
Courtesy Churchill Downs
Jennie Rees
Javier Barajas uses his more than 40 years of experience to keep the equine and human athletes at Keeneland as safe as possible.
from the trainers. Rusty Arnold said, ‘Javier, you’re going to be miserable if you try to make all of us happy, because we’re like the Three Bears: It’s too hard, too soft.’ “We’re trying to give them the exact cushion, the exact track, every single day, whether we race, train or whatever,” Barajas added. “When you have to deal with weather, it gets a little more difficult, and they don’t always realize that. At 3:30 a.m., we’re looking at the Doppler [radar], seeing if it’s going to be raining, when is it going to start? Or can we train, open up the track, harrow it and give it the 3 1⁄2 inches of cushion and have it ready for them? We’re making the decision at 3:30, not when they wake up. “I’ve been doing it 42 years, and even now, a trainer said that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. And you know what? He’s right! I don’t know what the hell I’m doing when I’m dealing with Mother Nature.” Many race days, Barajas applies between 85,000 and 120,000 gallons of water on Keeneland’s main track. He calls water a track superintendent’s No. 1 tool—balanced, consistent moisture content is vital—and likes to say of the track, “I’m going to try to dry it so I can put water on it.”
Using Proven Techniques with a Dash of Technology
Barajas is old school and proud of it. But he appreciates the place for the high-tech methodologies Keeneland installed when its Polytrack main track was replaced with a state-of-theart dirt surface and drainage system in 2014. When Barajas walks the turf course, before training or during the 8 a.m. maintenance break for the main track, he uses a “going stick” to measure the amount of force required to penetrate the surface and strength of the grass roots. The data is automatically recorded, a computer creating a “going report”
that rates the turf course firm, good, yielding or soft—though Barajas makes the official determination reported to the public. Tim Fahrendorf, who joined the Keeneland crew after graduating from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program and prior to that spent 11 years as a groundskeeper for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball, is in charge of data collection and tracking moisture content. Fahrendorf takes daily readings every sixteenth-mile at three, seven and 15 feet from the inside rail on the turf and dirt courses with a specialized probe to determine volumetric moisture content. The massive grader uses GPS to keep the track surface even and track cushion uniform, with 14 satellites positioned 12,400 miles above earth feeding data that directs the grader to the exact height to maintain or create the desired cushion. But even this science relies on human confirmation, with Fahrendorf following behind to manually measure cushion depth from the surface to the limestone base. Barajas calls the new technology “great support” but says that the art can’t be left out of a “state-of-the-art” track. “I’m not really a scientist,” he said. “Doing it 42 years, when I go and poke at the turf, how it feels, I know it’s soft or good or firm. We do have the going stick that does it, too. But at the end of the day, it’s my word against the going stick. But we do have that to back us up. More than three inches of rain was recorded on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, but by virtually all accounts the track surface performed admirably thanks to Jamie Richardson and his crew. Coady Photography/Churchill Downs
Emily Lago
Barajas and his crew at Keeneland are basically on-call 24 hours a day during race meets.
“The GPS, even though we have 14 satellites up in the sky telling the radio on the grader to go up or down or whatever, I’m still on the machine and I’ve got somebody behind me double-checking to make sure that we’ve got exactly the six inches we’re looking for. … If you have something scientifically to back up what you feel and see, you don’t get questioned quite as much. Humans don’t believe humans.” AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 31
For Many, It’s in Their Blood
Being a track superintendent quickly becomes a way of life, a future cast early for Barajas. His father worked on Arlington Park’s turf course for 35 years, with young Javier going to work for his dad at age 13. By then, he already was a veteran hotwalker. “I really didn’t want to go with my dad, because I loved the horses and wanted to be with them,” he said. “My dad said, ‘No. You’re coming to the turf course with me.’ I thought, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to be a track superintendent, and I’m going to be his boss.’ Be careful what you wish for. I became the assistant track superintendent at Arlington, and my dad was the turf foreman and he worked for me. Then when I went to San Antonio, I took him out of retirement and put him on the turf course at Retama. He was really proud of me.” Richardson was also born into the industry, as his father was a trainer. Remarkably, he is just the fifth track super at Churchill Downs since 1911 and the first not named Lehr in nearly five decades. Prior to the Lehr brothers, Tom Young, who was appointed by Churchill’s renowned general manager and president, Col. Matt Winn, served for 50 years until 1962 when Thurman Pangburn took over for 20 years before the Lehrs. Barajas has tended tracks and courses around the world, including Arlington, Retama Park, Fair Grounds, Canterbury Park, Golden Gate Fields, as well as in Dubai, China, Chile and Peru. He only half-jokingly says that “cholesterol, double and triple bypasses and divorces come with the territory.” The increasing demand for turf racing, making it exponentially more difficult to keep the grass course in good shape, only adds to ever-present angst. Whenever a horse is injured, “You beat up yourself: What happened? What went wrong?” Barajas said. “You double check where the injury happened. First, you have to make sure it wasn’t the racetrack. There are a million reasons why a horse has an injury. The one who is going to get blamed is this big thing here,” he continues as he makes a sweeping motion toward the track. “I tell my guys, ‘You won’t really know you’re a track superintendent until you’ve had a really rough day and you’re in the shower almost crying.’ ” Barajas, who has a 10-person dirt crew and similar number for the turf, says in addition to proper resources, the most important thing that track management can provide is respect. He says he’s fortunate he’s always had that from his bosses. “We should have the same respect as the vice president or general manager,” he said. “This is a very difficult job. If your supervisors think you’re more important than them, that’s really helpful. That’s how I treat my crew. I think if they’re not as good as me, they’re going to be better. That’s what I try to teach to the younger guys. I always tell them that I’m a great teacher because my students are better than me. “A track superintendent can’t do everything on our own. We need a lot of support from management.”
32 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Meeting of the Minds
The horse racing industry certainly has no shortage of meetings, conventions and conferences, but one of the most important might be one that relatively few horsemen know about. The Track Superintendent Field Day has been held annually since 2002 and is set for the 2019 renewal on June 24-26 at Charles Town Races in West Virginia. The agenda includes numerous workshops and equipment demonstrations plus the chance for track supers to share insights and best practices among themselves. Thanks to sponsors, including title sponsor Equine Equipment, there is no charge for registration and a discounted hotel rate is available. “Years ago, I think sometimes people had tunnel vision and guys maybe had never been to other tracks,” Churchill Downs Track Superintendent Jamie Richardson said. “So this meeting is very beneficial. Now you see something that someone else is doing and maybe it works at your track. The more you see and the more information you have, the better it is for everyone, so it’s been great to get out and talk to other track supers and see other tracks. “Everyone I know in the industry, all the guys that do this job, these guys really care and want everyone to come back safe and sound,” Richardson added. “Everyone is doing their best, but with Mother Nature and year-round racing and in some cases budget constraints, it’s a challenging job.” For more information, go to tracksupers.com.
Courtesy Track Superintendent Field Day
Barajas said that includes understanding the importance of track superintendents getting together at events such as the Track Superintendent Field Day (see sidebar). “Some management thinks, ‘Oh, you don’t need to do that. It’s not in the budget,’ ” he said. “But you can learn so much, teach someone so much, sending them to school for a few days and just paying hotel and flight. It makes you feel good that there are others who have been in the same situation you have. It’s great to check out different types of equipment. If someone has better harrows, whatever is going to make the track better, it’s great to know.” He says some of the best track superintendents are those without the resources others enjoy, “because they’re holding things together with duct tape.” Hopkins said such events, which he regularly attends, are incredibly beneficial—especially when he and other managers are kicked out so just the track supers can talk freely among themselves. He said it’s not just a good trackman who is invaluable. “Let me give you a good example,” Hopkins said. “I had a tractor driver—we were working the track at night in the winter—who ran through the rail. You can’t just go get a tractor driver. You have to have somebody who knows what they’re doing, stays alert. So in the middle of the night, I’m trying to find enough material to put the rail back together for training the next morning. There are lives of horses and riders at stake, so you can’t take shortcuts.” H
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Mark of success OKLAHOMA HORSEMAN C.R. TROUT KEEPS RAISING THE BAR FOR OKLAHOMA BREEDING AND RACING • BY JUDY L. MARCHMAN
Shotgun Kowboy was the lone Oklahoma-bred in the field of 12 for the 2015 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park. Owned, bred and trained by C.R. Trout, the 3-year-old gelding was the post-time favorite at 5-2 even though he was making only his second start of the year. With jockey Cliff Berry aboard (in what was Berry’s final season before retiring), Shotgun Kowboy went to the front not long after the break and held off all comers to win the $400,000 race by a half-length. The victory remains one of the biggest and most important in Trout’s career: a hometown horse taking Oklahoma racing’s biggest prize. The whole family was there to watch and celebrate: wife, Arletta, and daughters Shelby, Tamara and Ronda and their families. “He was a hands-on deal,” Trout said of his Derby winner. “We bred him, foaled him out and trained him.” “It was so exciting to see 30 years of his hard work—truly a family operation— culminate with a victory like that,” said Matt Vance, vice president of operations at Remington Park. For several years, Vance has commissioned a garland of flowers for the Oklahoma Derby winner and seeing it go to a local horseman like Trout was a special moment. “I escorted Arletta and C.R. to their truck and got to see them take that garland home.” AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 37
Remington Park
Maysville Slew, a 1996 Kentucky-bred son of Slew City Slew based in Oklahoma, excelled at home and on the road during a career in which he earned $1 million the hard way with 17 wins from 69 starts.
Getting Started
Remington, with assistant trainer Daniel Ortiz and four grooms to keep everything running smoothly. For the meet, according to Remington Park statistics, Trout won nine of 52 starts with 22 placings for an 17 percent strike rate and 60 percent in the money rate. His typical routine is to get to the track around 15 minutes after 5:00 a.m. The track opens for training at 6. “We’re done around 10, then there’s the shoeing, vet work and so on,” he said. “Then I come home and hang out on the farm.” Said Day: “A great mark of his success is that he surrounds himself with good people. He makes it worth their while to stay and shares the credit.” Another mark of that success is the time and attention Trout takes to get to know his horses and figure out what makes them tick. “You have to understand what distances they can run—they’ll tell you that,” Trout said. “If you take care of their feet, teeth and the rest of their health, they’ll perform for you. They’ll tell you when things are not going right. “That’s what makes this fun. You don’t have to be smart to do this,” he joked. One of Trout’s first major runners was Maysville Slew, a 1996 gelding by Slew City Slew bred in Kentucky by R.L. Sanford. Out of the Smile mare Shotgun Romance, who would have a significant impact on Trout’s breeding operation, Maysville Slew became Trout’s first millionaire and a multiple stakes winner in open company, most impressively capturing the Grade 3 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn in 2000. He won 10 stakes throughout a seven-year career that encompassed 17 wins and 18 placings in 69 starts for earnings of $1,046,409. Fittingly, Maysville Slew’s final win came at Remington Park in August 2004 in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance. The gelding would race four more times that year, including a second in the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Memorial Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Remington, before being retired.
Trout came to the racing game relatively late, though he had been around horses in some form or another for much of his life. A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, Trout grew up in the western part of the state when his family moved to Hammon. His father had kept a horse or two around and the family would go to racetracks like the one in Raton, New Mexico. Trout first dabbled in horse ownership in 1978, when he and four other guys bought a Thoroughbred and raced him at Raton. “He couldn’t outrun me,” he laughed, “but we had a lot of fun watching him try.” In the mid-80s, Trout and his brother, Roy, got into horse ownership a little deeper, claiming a Thoroughbred and buying a few more. With their oil field business going strong, Trout decided to start training horses as well. Roy took control of the business and “came to watch the horses run.” “It worked out well. I couldn’t have done it without him,” he said of his brother, who has since passed away. “He was a good brother and a good friend.” Trout eventually sold his half of the oil business to Roy’s children to focus on the horse business. In 1998 he moved from Hammon to Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, where he established his farm. Edmond is a convenient 10- to 15-minute drive to Remington Park. As a trainer, according to Equibase (as of early January), Trout has amassed 303 wins in 1,692 starts and more than $9 million in earnings since 1991. Through 2018, 201 of those wins (from 975 starts) had come at Remington Park, said Dale Day, longDustin Orona Photography time track announcer at Remington. “That’s a 21 Trout prefers to breed, own and train most of his percent win rate,” Day said. horses, and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire For the 2018 season, Trout had about 18 horses at Shotgun Kowboy is one of his greatest success stories. 38 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Stable of Stars
Classics Distaff Turf at the 2018 Remington meet. Trout is not above selling a horse, either while it’s still racing or as The resident star of the Trout barn is, without a doubt, Shotgun a breeding prospect, if the timing (and offer, of course) is right. Last Kowboy. Shotgun Kowboy has been extraordinarily consistent during his year he sold Euro K Shotgun to Kentucky interests. And such was also career, earning 13 victories and 10 placings from 33 starts with the case with Shotgun Gulch. An Oklahoma-bred daughter of Thunder Gulch bred, owned and earnings of $1,375,501 through the end of 2018, to rank as Trout’s trained by Trout, Shotgun Gulch made racing headlines outside of biggest money earner. The now 7-year-old son of Kodiak Kowboy had a stellar 2018 Oklahoma and the Southwest region when she won the 2011 Vinery campaign with four wins, including scores in the Lone Star Park Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. She also finished third that year Handicap (G3) and Oklahoma Classics Cup. The latter marked his third in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2). Shotgun Gulch had done her due diligence at Remington at 2, consecutive victory in Oklahoma’s richest state-bred race, and fourth winning the E.L. Gaylord Memorial and Oklahoma Classics LassClassics win after taking the 2014 Juvenile. While Shotgun Kowboy’s Oklahoma Derby victory still remains ie. Then at 3, she headed to Oaklawn to capture the Dixie Belle Stakes. Later that year, she added the primary feather in his ownthe Oklahoma Classics Filly Sprint er’s cap, the gelding has taken the before going farther afield again to home track advantage to new levels finish third in the Treasure Chest at Remington Park. He’s raced 14 Stakes at Delta Downs and the times at the Oklahoma City track, Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa winning eight. Anita. She concluded her career in As a 2-year-old of 2014, he 2011 with seven wins in 21 starts broke his maiden at Remington in and earnings of $528,976. his debut that August. He made four The following February, Trout more starts there that season, winsold Shotgun Gulch privately to ning the Juvenile and Clever Trevor Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm, Stakes and finishing second in the who bred her to Bernardini. That Springboard Mile and third in the November, she was entered in the Kip Deville Stakes. Keeneland breeding stock sale where At 3, in addition to his Oklahoshe sold for $1.6 million to Mandore ma Derby score, he captured his International Agency and was sent to first Oklahoma Classics Cup. And France. at 4, while winless in six starts, he Dustin Orona Photography Shotgun Gulch has since produced did tally four consecutive secondWhen Trout (pictured with wife, Arletta) two stakes-placed runners in Europe: place finishes, including three in won the Oklahoma Derby with Shotgun Rabdan, a 4-year-old colt by Frangraded stakes: the Texas Mile (G3), Kowboy, it marked the first time an Oklahoma-bred had won the race since kel, and Watan, a 3-year-old colt by Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) and Clever Trevor captured it in 1989 as Toronado. The former ran third in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker the Remington Park Derby. the Prix de l’Avre last May for trainer Handicap (G3). Euro K Shotgun, a half sister to Shotgun Kowboy by Euroears, Andre Fabre, while the latter finished second in the Group 3 Tatterdidn’t start until age 3 but made a splash when she did, winning her salls Acomb Stakes in August at York for trainer Richard Hannon. first four starts including the Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Stakes and the Both race for Al Shaqab Racing. “I get a lot of questions about her family—I still have her mother,” Oklahoma Classics Distaff Sprint. Her record stands at five wins in Trout said. “It’s an exciting time in my life getting exposure for my 13 starts with earnings of $204,227. A couple of other recent Trout runners have also done well babies.” for themselves at Remington. Bring It On Dude, a gelded son of Munnings, won the 2015 Kip Deville Stakes and Oklahoma Clas- Family Affair Trout owns 80 acres near Edmond where he keeps a band of 14 sics Juvenile, while his half sister, Sunday Night Miss (by Mr. Nightlinger), captured the 2017 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Stakes. Sunday mares. Two mares in particular have been extra good to Trout and Night Miss won an allowance and finished second in the Oklahoma his breeding operation—the half sisters Rosieville and Shotgun Jane. AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 39
Both are out of the unraced Smile mare Shotgun Romance, who was in the family” feel. Arletta names all of the horses, and their owned by the aforementioned R.L. Sanford. He bred the two sisters grandchildren—five boys ranging in age from 12 to 21—have grown as well as their older half sibling Maysville Slew. Sanford was a long- up around the farm and receive plenty of opportunities to help out, time partner with Trout in the oil business, and when he passed away, from learning how to drive a tractor to mowing and painting fences. the horses came to Trout because Sanford’s family wasn’t interested Longtime farm manager Jeff Garretson takes care of day-to-day operations. “He’s part of the family. My grandkids couldn’t do in continuing the operation. “All of our [female] families come from those branches,” Trout said, without him—he’s like another grandpa,” Trout said. referring to Shotgun Jane and Rosieville. “If you have a good mother, that’s the biggest part. You then breed to a good stallion—you breed Supporting Oklahoma Racing Trout breeds and raises most of his horses—“I’ve bought one in to the best and hope for the best—and hope they’ll surprise you and the last five or six years”—because he found over time that he could bless you along the way.” Shotgun Jane has, of course, produced two of Trout’s best run- breed a better foal than he could buy. This policy has also placed him ners in Shotgun Kowboy in a prime position to take and Euro K Shotgun, and advantage of the greater opportunities and purses preshe has another promising sented by the current racing young runner in the stakesscene in Oklahoma. And placed winner Shotgun’s at Remington Park, in parNight (by Mr. Nightlinger), ticular. It’s the home track, who was second in the 2018 after all, and Trout has been Oklahoma Stallion Stakes. there since the beginning. Now 17, the daughter of “I was here when they Siphon is in foal to Upstart opened,” he said. “I’m one for a 2019 foal. of the oldest living trainers In addition to producing Dustin Orona Photography here. Shotgun Gulch, Rosieville, It was a family affair for the Trouts in the winner’s “Back then, the purses by Boston Harbor, is the circle after the Oklahoma Derby. weren’t anything, but now dam of the stakes-placed winner Sundayville Break, who has produced the stakes winners they’re up to almost $44,000 for Oklahoma-breds,” he added. “And Bring It On Dude and Sunday Night Miss; the stakes-placed winner the facility has improved; we’ve got a grandstand second to none. SiScat Baby, dam of the winning 4-year-old filly Va Va Va Boombaby; mulcasting has grown and there are great opportunities for racing in and the current stakes-placed winner Rose of Malibu. The 18-year- Oklahoma—people are sending horses here that never have before.” Matt Vance goes way back with Trout (“literally to opening day old Rosieville is in foal to Speightster for a 2019 foal. The Shotgun Romance family has been good to Trout in other ways of Remington Park”) and couldn’t be happier that his breeding and as well. A granddaughter, Cherylville Slew, whom Trout raced and racing operation is rewarding him so well. trained, became a multiple stakes winner and her winning daughter “He really enjoys all of it,” Vance said. “Like clockwork, you’ll see Successful Slew went on to produced the homebred stakes winner him at the barn every morning. He’s always got a cup of coffee and a Hailstorm Slew. The 6-year-old daughter of Munnings won four stakes warm handshake ready.” including the 2017 Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs. In December 2017, Trout was inducted into the Oklahoma Horse “He’s constantly evaluating his broodmare band,” Day com- Racing Hall of Fame at Remington, not just for his many racing mented. “He keeps his numbers controlled and controls his quality. accomplishments but also for the unflagging support he’s given to the He keeps it as a business and as a passion. He’s done an amazing industry in the state over the years. “He deserves to be there,” Vance said. “I wish we had three or four job with that.” Danielle Barber, the executive director of the Thoroughbred Racing more people like him.” H Association of Oklahoma, concurred: “He has his bloodlines down. Judy L. Marchman is an Austin-based freelance writer and editor and Every year, his horses seem to be getting better and better. “He also breeds to in-state stallions,” she added. “In my opinion, serves as copy editor for American Racehorse. She worked for Bloodwhat he’s trying to do is get better value for Oklahoma-bred horses.” Horse in Lexington, Kentucky, for 15 years before returning to Texas. You As with Trout’s horses, the farm operation maintains that “all can follow her on Twitter @judy_writes. 40 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
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How Horse Racing Is Using Digital Media to Grow Fan Engagement
H Different than other major sports, horse racing has the opportunity to capitalize on a unique digital and social strategy • by chris daley
44 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
orse racing is no different than TRAINER GRAHAM MOTION, PICTURED WITH GRADE 1 other professional sports in how WINNER IRISH WAR CRY, the industry strives to evolve with HAS NEARLY 25,000 the digital media landscape to TWITTER FOLLOWERS. boost fan engagement. Whether it’s attracting new fans or keeping current fans connected, there are a lot of entities trying to collaborate. Different organizations and racetracks and individuals like owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, media members, as well as other influencers, are all seeking ways to capitalize on digital media to reach target audiences. Just like major sports leagues, Thoroughbred racing has been transforming its media distribution strategies and pushing out more digital content. The main difference, though, is that horse racing does not have an official league office or governing body as its chief authority. Unlike most professional sports, it does not have a central command to lead an all-encompassing vision for horse racing’s digital media future. Different organizations are trying to team up across platforms, while people working in racing have been using outlets like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to express their personalities with fans and build their personal brands. Ed DeRosa, director of marketing for the handicapping information website Brisnet.com (owned by Churchill Downs Inc.), said, “Individuals have made better use of social media than most industry properties have. For better or worse, the industry is more reticent to inject personality into its brands.”
Graham Motion, a trainer who is actively using social media and has acquired thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram, is one example of an individual who has embraced these platforms to insert his personality. “I think it’s a great opportunity for our sport,” he said. “It really works, between the access to instant information for betting purposes and the beauty of the photography associated with what we do on a daily basis.” When it comes to showcasing his personality through social media, Motion commented, “Some people might say that they would prefer that I didn’t. Look, I think it all adds to the interest in what we do, how we do it and who we are. “Generally, I have had a good experience. I have a lot of followers so obviously not everyone is going to agree with what I do or say. The ‘nastiness’ on Twitter can be alarming, whereas Instagram is a much friendlier platform.”
Sports and has content-sharing partnerships with NBCSports.com and CBSSports.com. According to Panus, in 2017 alone, America’s Best Racing produced more than 1,500 written content features and more than 300 videos, not including videos shared on social media. “Unlike traditional media, America’s Best Racing covers the sport in a unique way, leveraging the power of social, digital, video, radio/ podcast and TV channels that bring people closer to the people, horses, destinations, venues and lifestyle that fuel the sport. This includes fashion, bourbon (and other cocktails), food, travel, celebrities, pop culture, art and culture, business and more,” Panus added. Many horsemen’s associations have also jumped into the social media waters. The National HBPA is active on Facebook and Twitter, and among its affiliates, the Kentucky HBPA has been among the most progressive. With guidance from Eclipse Awardwinning journalist Jennie Rees, the Kentucky HBPA has launched a variety of digital initiatives, including a successful #KyDerbyKids Twitter campaign that provided the public with an insider’s view of the road to the Kentucky Derby through the eyes of sons and daughters of Derby horsemen. “There’s really no playbook for promoting horsemen and their horses through social media, but we’ve seen great results so far and I think we’ve really raised the profile of Kentucky horsemen,” Rees said. “It takes some time and effort, but not a big financial commitment; we shoot video with an iPhone and the quality is high enough that it’s been used by several TV stations, and the audio has also been used by TV and radio stations. It’s absolutely getting racing into media outlets.”
u
RACING PROMOTING ITSELF
The focus should be on producing more creative and innovative digital content with dynamic personalities behind it. u
The Jockey Club primarily serves as the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds, but among other roles it plays, the organization supports and leads different initiatives associated with raising the profile of horse racing, which according to its website, includes serving the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. In 2012 The Jockey Club launched America’s Best Racing, a fan engagement initiative for Thoroughbred racing. “An increase in digital video content, along with strategic crosspromoting and sharing of the content by racing entities, serves to expand the digital and social footprint of the sport and its compelling lifestyle to the modern consumer,” said Stephen Panus, president of TJC Media Ventures, a subsidiary of The Jockey Club. “Continued and increased communication and collaboration among racetracks and America’s Best Racing, The Jockey Club and the Breeders’ Cup, among others, across digital and social channels will enable the sport to better target and attract new fans, increase engagement with casual fans, and offer existing fans new promotions and a better overall experience when attending a racetrack.” America’s Best Racing serves content distributed across multiple platforms, including a national radio show in collaboration with SB Nation, a mobile app featuring fan contests, as well as its social channels, which have a combined audience of over 250,000 across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. The initiative is also the title sponsor of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series televised by NBC
2018 HORSE RACING STUDY Last summer, The Jockey Club hosted its 66th annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing. McKinsey and Co., a global management consulting firm that conducts qualitative and quantitative research to guide management decisions, released its 2018 Horse Racing Study at the conference, indicating that racing needs to create more engaging mobile content and increase money invested behind promoting the content. Additionally, the study suggested that horse racing must do a better job of capturing fan data that can be used for more personalized digital marketing strategies. Senior external adviser for McKinsey, Mike Salvaris, stated at the conference, “We need to promote our content so casual fans can see it. Publishers of all types discover the vast majority of their AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 45
Tierney – stock.adobe.com
consumption happens outside of their sites and apps, and therefore, they need to invest to target fans and promote their content to them on social platforms.” DeRosa, who has been attending races his entire life and has a career in racing, feels there is an opportunity to increase fan engagement through the type of content being shared, coupled with different entities expressing their personalities more through digital media channels. “I’d like to see the industry inject more personality into its brands,” he said. “A lot of the industry-owned Twitter accounts follow a similar template for engagement in terms of the type of content they share. I’d also like to see a lot more information on betting on the races. There’s a duality to consuming baseball around the casual fan enjoying the game and the so-called stats geeks really getting into all the ways to parse information, including quasi-proprietary information like WAR [wins above replacement], fWAR [FanGraphs’ WAR], etc.” DeRosa also added, “Racing has done a poor job using its data-rich history to appeal to people who like activities such as this.” Overall, Motion thinks digital and social media can be an effective tool to promote the sport and support fan engagement. But, there should be some thought put into it, and those new to the digital environment should be prepared for some criticism, especially jockeys. “Part of what I do or say is to promote the sport, promote individuals or horses within the sport,” he said. “I try to make suggestions that may help the sport. I am constantly tweaking the way that I handle it but strongly believe that it can help trainers, bettors and newcomers to the sport to increase their knowledge of what goes on. “I think it’s tougher for jockeys who are open to more criticism than any of us; sometimes you have to have a thick skin,” he added.
LEGALIZATION OF SPORTS BETTING Last year’s Supreme Court decision that opens the doors for individual states to legalize sports betting may provide an opportunity for racing to reach new fans and benefit from digital media opportunities in the future. 46 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
For example, in conjunction with the $1 million betfair.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey last July, a parlay option was available at the track called the “Grand Slam.” It allowed bettors a chance to win if they selected the winners of three races, including the Haskell, along with the winner of the Major League Baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals that evening. Panus thinks that these types of synergies are a way to introduce horse racing’s product to a wider, more diverse audience who may be inclined to engage with and wager on sports, many through their mobile devices. “Offerings of a blended parlay among other sports and horse racing, such as what Monmouth introduced on Haskell Stakes day this past July, serve just that purpose,” he said. The growth of digital media has proven to be a successful fan engagement tool for horse racing, just like other professional sports. However, it is unfair to compare Thoroughbred racing’s digital strategies to a league like the NBA, which some experts try to do. While fan engagement goals are similar, the sports are set up differently and have different resources backing them. Horse racing’s different entities and individuals must continue to collaborate and work toward common objectives. This does not necessarily mean that more digital content needs to be distributed, but the focus should be on more creative and innovative offerings with dynamic personalities behind them. Without a central league office enforcing policies, this can open up creativity and new ideas that other sports cannot implement. That can drive its digital media vision and push the horse racing fan-engagement needle forward. H This article originally appeared on the sports business site Front Office Sports, which can be found at FrntOfficeSport.com and is on Twitter @FrntOfficeSport. Chris Daley has worked in marketing and public relations for 15 years and recently founded the communications agency Whirlaway LLC. During his career he once served as the public relations representative for Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.
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z
Keeping Your Newborn Foal Healthy
PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION ARE KEY WHEN DEALING WITH COMMON NEW FOAL PROBLEMS By Megan Tracy Petty, DVM otsphoto – stock.adobe.com
F
oaling season is a game of minutes. Sometimes it’s the five minutes you step away in the middle of the night for a cup of coffee that the mare decides to foal. Sometimes it’s the minutes during labor that make the difference between life and death. And sometimes it’s the minutes between determining that a new foal is sick and taking action that can make all the difference in prognosis. Let’s look at some of the more common and potentially life-threatening ailments that 48 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
can affect newborn foals and the types of treatments your veterinarian may administer.
Failure of Passive Transfer The most common condition of the newborn foal is probably failure of passive transfer (FPT), but it is thankfully also one of the most easily diagnosed. Foals who suffer from FPT are more likely to die from sepsis or contract secondary issues such as “joint ill” (septic arthritis).
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A foal derives 100 percent of its immune system from the colostrum, or “first milk,” consumed from its mother in the first hours of life. Failure of passive transfer occurs if the foal fails to consume the necessary colostrum or if the mare fails to produce (or loses) colostrum of adequate quality. To improve a mare’s colostrum quality, it is common practice to vaccinate her four to six weeks prior to her due date, which is when the antibody-rich colostrum is being created and concentrated in her udder. Diagnosis of FPT can be made as soon as six hours after the foal has consumed its first meal by testing for Immunoglobulin G (IgG). The magic number that makes the heart of any equine veterinarian or farm manager soar is 800 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), and likewise, the number that strikes fear and dread on the spot is anything less than 400 mg/dl. There are various methods to test a foal’s IgG level, most of which are available in a stall-side test kit. Qualitative tests, such as the popular SNAP test, provide a range of IgG levels and are essentially “yes or no” tests. Quantitative tests, such as those used in a veterinary clinic, provide an exact measurement of the IgG level. The protocol of our practice—and most others—is to not only check the IgG level but also to perform a complete blood count (CBC) and measure fibrinogen. The CBC and fibrinogen both can serve as early indicators of impending trouble even if the IgG level is adequate, and treatment can be implemented prophylactically before the foal begins showing clinical symptoms. Treatment of FPT depends on its severity and the foal’s age and overall health status, as determined by a clinical exam and ancillary blood tests. Antibodies from colostrum are absorbed through the foal’s digestive tract until about 18 hours of age. Thus, if FPT is diagnosed prior to this 18-hour mark, oral intervention can be undertaken to correct a low IgG level. Typically, the foal will need to be fed colostrum via a nasogastric tube. The colostrum can come from the dam, if it has been measured and deemed to be of acceptable quality, or banked colostrum (colostrum obtained from another mare and frozen) can be used. Remember that administering any oral substances other than colostrum to a neonatal foal will expedite the closure of its gut and interfere with the normal antibody absorption. If FPT is diagnosed after 18 hours of age or is associated with concurrent illness or severely low IgG levels, it will require more aggressive treatment. High IgG plasma administered intravenously is the treatment of choice, with prophylactic antibiotics and other supportive care measures implemented as necessary. Depending on the severity of the FPT, multiple plasma transfusions may be required, as will frequent monitoring of the IgG and other blood values of the foal.
Neonatal Diarrhea Foal heat diarrhea is a common term for a non-infectious, typically
benign cause of diarrhea that most every foal will experience around five to 14 days of age. It is so called because it often coincides with the mare’s first heat cycle post foaling. The fact that the mare is in heat has nothing to do with the actual cause of the foal’s diarrhea. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed to be due to the turnover of the cells that line the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the foal. This non-infectious diarrhea is often mild and self-limiting with no change in attitude or appetite of the foal. Yet, any occurrence of diarrhea in a foal should be taken seriously and warrants evaluation by a veterinarian chiefly because the infectious causes can strike rapidly and severely. Foals with an infectious cause of diarrhea can go from fine, frolicking youngsters to dishrag limp, severely dehydrated and in grave danger in a matter of hours. Diarrhea can be the presenting complaint of foals with sepsis, which should be the primary differential diagnosis until it can be ruled out. Common infectious causes include rotavirus and the bacterial culprits clostridium perfringens, clostridium difficile and salmonella. Studies have shown that 40 percent of foals with diarrhea worldwide will have rotavirus isolated from their feces. Rotavirus is typically encountered in foals housed in large groups, and they often display symptoms of dehydration, decreased appetite and profuse watery diarrhea. The virus infects and affects the microvilli in the GI tract and creates a situation of increased secretion and decreased fluid absorption from the gut. As with any virus, there is no specific treatment, but these foals tend to respond well to IV fluid administration and oral sucralfate to coat and soothe their GI tract. Broad spectrum antibiotics are often implemented to prevent secondary bacterial infections, and IV plasma administration can also benefit critically ill foals. The clostridial causes of diarrhea (C. perfringens, C. difficile) are increasingly recognized as a serious pathogen in foals. Foals with clostridial diarrhea often display abdominal pain along with dehydration and watery diarrhea. They may even have blood in their feces, which has been associated with a poorer prognosis. Finding this pathogen along with the associated toxins in feces is definitive. Treatment for clostridium diarrhea is symptomatic with the addition of the antibiotic metronidazole. Broad spectrum antibiotics are often used in conjunction with metronidazole to prevent bacterial translocation-associated sepsis in these foals. Salmonella has also been implicated as a bacterial cause of foal diarrhea and is usually associated with septicemia in foals and E. coli. Note that 50 percent of foals presenting with diarrhea from any cause will have bacteremia (bacteria in blood) at the time of their first exam. Another common cause of foal diarrhea is the parasite strongyloides westeri. Foals are infected via milk and tend to display symptoms of diarrhea at around eight to 12 days of life. Fortunately, this cause of diarrhea is often mild and responds well to deworming of the foal. A common husbandry practice is to deworm the mare with ivermectin AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 49
after foaling to halt the parasite before the foal can ingest it from the mammary gland.
Neonatal Isoerythrolysis Neonatal isoerythrolysis, or NI, is a disease in which the mare’s antibodies attack her foal’s red blood cells due to a blood group incompatibility with the foal antigen inherited from its sire. NI foals are born normal but become depressed, weak and anemic with yellow mucus membranes (icterus) within 12 to 72 hours of life. NI is a complicated process and can be common in Thoroughbreds due to the breed’s propensity to have the necessary blood groups that lead to incompatibility. Presumptive diagnosis can be made in any foal younger than four days that shows lethargy and icterus. Definitive diagnosis is based on finding alloantibodies in the serum or colostrum of the mare that are directed at the foal’s red blood cells and concurrent anemia. A stall-side agglutination test can be performed by mixing 1 cc of sterile saline with one drop of foal blood and then adding one drop of colostrum from the mare. If a pellet forms, you know you have a problem. Treatment depends on the foal’s age at diagnosis and the severity of the clinical symptoms, and is aimed at reducing kidney damage with supportive care and IV fluids. Prognosis directly correlates with the quantity and activity of absorbed antibodies and indirectly correlates to the rate of onset of symptoms. If a foal becomes sick quickly, it can often die before a diagnosis is made, while slowly progressive symptoms generally allow appropriate supportive care to be implemented, which improves the prognosis. From a management standpoint, any mare who has produced an NI foal in the past is in danger of producing another. Any future foals out of the mare should be provided colostrum from a banked source unless the stallion and mare have been blood typed and there is known blood group compatibility.
Meconium Impaction Meconium impactions are a common cause of acute abdominal pain in foals. Meconium is the dark, tarry, hard first manure produced by a foal. The symptoms of the need to defecate are familiar if you have spent time around newborn foals—hunched back, wagging tail and straining to pass manure. Most foals will pass meconium 50 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
after their first meal, but the flip side is that most foals will not nurse well until they have defecated. Occasionally, foals will defecate but continue to act uncomfortable, and if a true meconium impaction is present, abdominal pain symptoms will persist as gas accumulates behind the impaction. These foals will often display the common colic behavior of the “cockroach” position: rolled up on their backs with all four legs up in the air. Typically a gravity flow enema with warm, soapy water does the trick to relieve the meconium impaction. The common practice of using store-bought Fleet enemas is cautioned against as they can cause rectal irritation and increased phosphate levels. In extreme cases, a retention enema may be necessary to relieve the impaction, and surgery could be required in severe cases. Pain management in these foals should be approached Mark – stock.adobe.com with caution as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories have a more severe effect on the kidneys and gastrointestinal mucosa than in adult horses. The major concern surrounding meconium impactions is the potential for sepsis to occur secondary to FPT from insufficient colostrum consumption or from bacterial translocation across a disrupted mucosal barrier of the GI tract. A myriad of disease processes and illnesses can affect the equine neonate in the early hours and days of life. While none of these conditions are 100 percent preventable, most are successfully treatable if dealt with promptly and thoroughly. As I remind my clients during this time of year, it is much more cost-effective to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to a foal. These babies are an investment of money and time, and there is nothing more heartbreaking than to get through a delivery smoothly only to have the foal die from a preventable situation. Early intervention is the key, especially in instances where the foal appears completely normal but has trouble lurking on the horizon. H Megan Tracy Petty, DVM, is an associate equine veterinarian at Tularosa Equine Clinic in Tularosa, New Mexico. A born and raised Texan, Petty is a member of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, serving as president of the Paddock Foundation and on the board of the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund. She is passionate about horse owner education, racehorses and spending time with her husband, Bryan, and their dogs Maverick and Ray on Creekside Farm, their work-in-progress horse farm in Bent, New Mexico.
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS ALABAMA HORSEMEN’S BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION NEWS Magic City Classic Results, Supplemental Purse Money Recap With nine Alabama-breds entered, the Magic City Classic on December 7 at Fair Grounds once again turned out to be an exciting race. The 7-year-old gelding Buggin Out, owned and bred by Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Murphy of Vandiver, Alabama, came from off the pace to catch Menewa and capture the race for the third year in a row. Two Mikes N Doc G, an 86-1 longshot, ran third. Buggin Out is by Indy, who stands at Longview Farms in Vandiver. Menewa, owned and bred by Bobby Pruitt, is by Royal Empire, who is owned by Pruitt and stands in Hope Hull, Alabama. Two Mikes N Doc G, owned and bred by Kent Gremmels, is by Doc N Bubba G. Supplemental purse monies paid out in 2018 came to $26,800 with Abbey’s Snow White claiming the largest supplement at $4,600. Running at Presque Isle Downs, the now 6-year-old mare is owned by Country Acres Stables LLC and trained by Jamie Buhrow. Bred by Gary House, Abbey’s Snow White is by Prospector Street out of Robyn’s Maid, by Robyn Dancer. Menewa, the Magic City Classic runner-up, received $4,000; Out Late, owned and trained by Charles Hukill, received $3,200; and Diane Harrington’s Miss Mississippi received $2,800 with the balance distributed to nine other recipients. These supplemental purse monies are available to any Alabamabred horse running in open company in the United States. In addition to the supplemental purse monies, in cooperation with the Louisiana HBPA, we paid out $18,190 in added money to horses running at the four Louisiana tracks. These horses are also eligible for the above supplemental purse distributions. We will start gearing up for the Kenneth Cotton Classic for Alabama-breds for 3-year-old and older maidens or non-winners of two that broke their maiden for a claiming price of $25,000 or less. We will have updates later when a date is confirmed.
ARKANSAS THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION NEWS More Good News in Arkansas Total 2018 earnings by registered Arkansas-breds increased by more than 10 percent over the previous year. Now, with the passage of the casino gaming bill last year and the enormous expansion announced by the Oaklawn Jockey Club (see page 10), Arkansas’ horsemen are more than anxious to see the impact those developments will have on the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry in the state. Oaklawn Park’s 2019 live meet kicked off with cool temperatures, but that didn’t hinder the excitement that this fan favorite sporting event brings to the Hot Springs area. The horsemen and patrons all hope for no lost days due to inclement weather, and looking ahead we will roll on with our “Stay Until May” meet that will conclude during Arkansas’ most beautiful spring weather.
Twenty-four hopefuls entered the $77,000, six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up in Oaklawn’s first Arkansas-bred race of the year and 11 went to post. Souixper Charger, a 3-year-old colt owned by J J Thoroughbreds and trained by Al Cates, won the debut race on January 25. Field sizes are never lacking during the 57day meet for registered Arkansas-breds. For open company races, as previously announced, ATBHA is again paying a bonus purse supplement for registered Arkansas-breds finishing first, second and third. The annual ATBHA awards banquet will be held Friday, April 5, at The Hotel Hot Springs. Those interested in attending should contact the ATBHA office for more details.
INDIANA THOROUGHBRED OWNER’S AND BREEDER’S ASSOCIATION NEWS 2019 Racing Dates Approved for Indiana Grand The Indiana Horse Racing Commission at its December meeting approved 2019 racing dates for Indiana Grand. The Indiana Grand meet will mirror 2018 racing dates with a 120day racing meet set to begin Tuesday, April 16, and continuing through Wednesday, November 6. Racing will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays beginning at 2:05 p.m. with Saturday racing conducted at 6:05 p.m. Also, two Thursday racing dates will be held July 18 and September 5 with a 2:05 p.m. post. “We are already working on several aspects of our 2019 racing program and are very pleased that we will follow nearly the same schedule for racing from 2018,” said Jon Schuster, Indiana Grand’s vice president and general manager. “We have worked over the years to tweak our racing days of the week and post times and feel our current schedule accommodates our horsemen and fits well into simulcasting schedules.” Get more information, including the stakes schedule expected to be announced shortly after publication of this issue, at indianagrand.com.
$700,000 Track Renovation Underway at Indiana Grand At the conclusion of Indiana Grand’s 16th racing season on November 7, the track maintenance crew immediately began renovation on the one-mile dirt racetrack. The $700,000 project is expected to be completed in March when the barn area opens for training. Several consultants have been brought in during the renovation, including Gerry Porcelli, former trackman for the New York Racing Association for more than 40 years. Porcelli, who worked under the famed Joe King, oversaw the maintenance of 14 individual racing surfaces during his tenure in New York. He, along with Butch Lehr, who served as trackman for Churchill Downs for more than 45 years, is working closely with Indiana Grand’s track superintendent Roy Smith for the project that will span more than four months. Smith noted that after the three to four inches of lime “cap” had been placed over the base, they would let it set through the winter. Six to eight inches of brand new cushion will then be put in place. “In a project like this, everything is weather-related,” Smith said. “The AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 51
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS Courtesy IHRC
stage we are at now with the renovation, the cold weather actually helps us. We will lay the new cushion down the last of February or the first of March when we get a window of decent weather.” The track renovation was identified as a priority of capital investments by Caesars Entertainment, which assumed ownership of the track in July 2018. In addition to the track renovation, Caesars is also replacing the existing exterior stair wells on the grandstand, which will be completed before racing resumes on April 16.
Indiana Horse Racing Represents Niche at Equestricon The Indiana Horse Racing Commission realizes that one of the biggest struggles for the horse racing industry is growing a following that includes not only owners and breeders but fans. That’s why, when the second annual international horse racing convention, fan festival and trade show Equestricon came to Louisville in conjunction with the 2018 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, it was important to the commission to be part of it. Equestricon brings together not only horse racing fans, but the legends of horse racing, handicappers and potential owners and breeders, as well as ways to facilitate and indulge any curiosity they might have. Held at the Kentucky International Convention Center October 29-30, Equestricon saw thousands of attendees stream through the doors for various educational talks, inspiring speeches and camaraderie. “We felt it was important for the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, and its three breed development programs, to be part of this event,” said Megan Arszman, IHRC marketing and communications director. “First of all, it’s in our own back yard, so the cost wasn’t an issue. Second of all, this seemed like the best chance to inform the younger generation about how lucrative regional breeding programs can be, especially if they’re just starting out in the industry.” Indiana was the only state that represented all three of its breed development programs—Standardbred, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred—and one of only two state programs in the trade show. Jessica Barnes, the director of racing and breed development, and Arszman were on hand to answer questions, as were IHRC staff that attended in support. The Indiana contingent also was represented during the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Breeders’ Cup Post Position Draw, when 2017 Indiana-bred Horse of the Year Bucchero drew post position 2 for the Grade 1 Turf Sprint. Bucchero finished off the board in his second Breeders’ Cup appearance and then retired to stud in Florida after a career that saw him earn $947,936, the highest all-time for an Indiana-bred.
Indiana Breeders Represented in Thoroughbred Makeover Competition The sport of horse racing isn’t for the delicate heart, especially breeders. Once a foal leaves the farm or sale ring, the breeder might not be able to follow its career and life. But for the breeders of 26 Indiana Thoroughbreds, they had the opportunity to see these horses excel not only on the track, but also in a new venue. These 26 horses competed in the Retired Racehorse Project’s $100,000 Thoroughbred Makeover on October 4-7 at the Kentucky 52 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Indiana-bred Franchitti is excelling in a second career.
Horse Park in Lexington. The makeover is a training competition featuring more than 400 retired Thoroughbreds competing in 10 different disciplines. Horses entered in the 2018 competition must not have raced or had a published work after June 30, 2016, and not have started training in their second career before December 1, 2017. Trainers had to apply in early December the year before and approvals were announced at the beginning of February 2018. Trainers can be professional, amateur or junior riders. To keep things even, the Thoroughbreds that trainers select all get a maximum of 10 months of retraining by the time the competition commences. Trainers have until July 30 of the makeover year to register a horse for the competition. One Indiana-bred horse entered in last year’s makeover was Franchitti, a then 6-year-old gelding purchased as a sales prospect by trainer Megan Sanders. Christine Cagle of Martinsville bred Franchitti, a son of Alaazo out of the Newfoundland mare Rushland, and still has fond memories of the horse. “He was just a ham and he still is,” Cagle laughed. “He was talented, big and pretty. He has so much power. He also loved Dragonfly IPA beer.” Cagle said as far as she knows, Franchitti didn’t get as much of a chance to prove himself on the track as she would have liked, earning only $785 in six starts. “I tried my best to keep up with him as he went from trainer to trainer, but it gets hard,” she said. Now at Brookwood Farm Sporthorses in Conyers, Georgia, Franchitti has blossomed with Sanders. “From day one, he has been the sweetest addition to the barn,” Sanders said. “In addition to his amazing personality, Franchitti has a lovely way of going and a fabulous work ethic. He’s game for anything.” Franchitti and Kaelya Sommer competed in the show hunter and freestyle competitions. Other Indiana-breds in the Thoroughbred Makeover included the following: • Hot Wind (Indiana-sired by Mr. Mabee, $188,970 in earnings), bred by South River Ranch Inc.; Working ranch and competitive trail with Kaci Harrell
• DM’s Exclusive (by Einstein [Brz], $17,409 in earnings), bred by Skipper Cheesman; Polo with Juliette Powers • Another Dispute (by Domestic Dispute, $24,194 in earnings), bred by Raimonde Farms Ltd.; Polo with Justin Whitesell • Awesome Victor (by On Board Again, $240 in earnings), bred by Risen Storm Thoroughbreds; Freestyle and eventing with Sarah Bowman • Valiant Vixen (by Paddy O’Prado, $12,140 in earnings), bred by Deann and Greg Baer; Eventing and show jumping with Allie Morua • Utterly Rachel (by Action This Day, $10,780 in earnings), bred by South River Ranch Inc.; Eventing and show jumping with Brittany McDonnell • Chasing Sunsets (Indiana-sired by Pass Rush, $39,400 in earnings), bred by Swifty Farms; Show hunter and show jumping with Laura Tommaso • Flashback Justice (Indiana-sired by Lantana Mob, $8,753 in earnings), bred by Justice Farms; Field hunters and competitive trail with Meagan Delisle • Leota Pass (Indiana-sired by Pass Rush, $16,226 in earnings), bred by Steve Terry Phillips and Paula Schenck; Eventing and dressage with Ashley Lilley • Vhaar She Goes (by Daaher, $66,424 in earnings), bred by Bill and Cathy Meyer; Competitive trail with Michael Klinner “We love hearing that our Indiana-breds are finding success in new venues after their racing career,” said Jessica Barnes, the IHRC’s director of racing and breed development. “The Thoroughbred Makeover competition is a wonderful addition for aftercare programs. More information about the Thoroughbred Makeover can be found at tbmakeover.org.
ITOBA Stallion Season Auction a Success Thank you to everyone who supported the ITOBA Stallion Season Auction. A list of the supporting stallions and farms is available at itoba.com. Some seasons are still available for a limited time through the ITOBA office. Remember, every Indiana-bred sired by a stallion sold in the auction is eligible for our exclusive ITOBA Stallion Season Auction Stakes races. Nomination details are available for each years' races on the website.
Save the Date for ITOBA Awards Banquet Please make plans to attend the annual ITOBA awards banquet, set for April 14. Look for more information at itoba.com and in the next issue of this magazine.
IOWA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS AND OWNERS ASSOCIATION NEWS Message from Our President Happy New Year 2019! The good news is purses are going up by at least $1,000 per race thanks to the increase in gaming revenue from the casino. Iowa Classic Night has been moved to Labor Day, Monday,
September 2, and our fall sale date has changed to Thursday, September 5. The sale will still be held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Please mark your calendars with all of the important dates listed on the next page. Everything will also be in the ITBOA calendar that members will receive in March. The Iowa Stallion Auction was a tremendous success. I would like to thank the stallion owners who donated seasons. I would also like to thank ITBOA member Allen Poindexter for his time in contacting the stallion farms and securing some top Kentucky stallions. Allen, we can’t thank you enough! I also want to thank ITBOA board member Jason Loutsch for donating several seasons for the Albaugh Family Stable stallions Not This Time, Brody’s Cause and Free Drop Billy. Great job by the ITBOA Stallion Auction Committee that includes Pam Schutz, Jason Loutsch, Nikki Ferwerda and Tanner Tracy and everyone else involved with this record-breaking stallion auction. The ITBOA board and general meeting was held December 15, and unfortunately it was poorly attended, again. There were two openings for new board members. Doug Vail was the lone member wanting to run for the board. Carmen McShane’s term was up, and she agreed to stay on the board another term due to no other members wanting to run. Thank you, Carmen! We would really like to see our ITBOA members get more involved in our association. We will not have another election until December, but it is never too early to consider running for our board. If interested, please contact me, Brandi Jo Fett or any of the board members for any questions or concerns. Prairie Meadows is working on a possible starter incentive program. Brandi will email members when the program is finalized. If you currently do not receive our email updates, please contact Brandi at itboa@msn.com, and she will get you added. —Steve Renftle, ITBOA President
Message from Our Vice President The 2018 Iowa Stallion Season Auction once again proved to be one of the greatest online auctions in the entire nation. As the committee chair, I want to thank everyone involved in this endeavor, everyone who makes the phone calls to recruit seasons, everyone who bids even if you weren’t the winning bidder, everyone who shares our information on social media and the stallion owners and farms who support our auction by donating seasons. It really takes a network of people to make this auction a success every year. There were buyers from all across the nation with 113 seasons sold this year for a record-breaking total of $216,128. That number will rise as we allow stallion owners the opportunity to buy their stallion season back for the minimum to make all of that stallion’s foals eligible for our three stallion stakes races. I encourage everyone who has foals to make sure you get them nominated to be eligible to run in these stakes races, and remember that the horse does not have to be an Iowa-bred. I am a stallion season auction junkie; I watch every auction closely and can tell you that we are in the top five for sale proceeds (possibly even top three for 2018) of all auctions held. That’s pretty awesome, so again thank you to everyone who gets involved in different ways for the success of this auction! AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 53
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS I have been asked a few questions about the Iowa New Mare Program and encourage anyone who has questions to give us a call. We don’t want you to miss out on an exciting new idea because you misunderstood something. I want everyone to understand that a mare does not have to be “new” to you. She could be a mare that you have owned for many years; the “new” is that she would be a new mare to foal in Iowa—that she has never foaled in Iowa before—so for those of you who foal in multiple states, you could switch around your mares, bring them to Iowa to foal and be eligible for this program so long as those mares have never foaled in Iowa before. It is the mare you will be nominating to the program, not the foal. There will be a new group of mares every year to nominate. Starting in 2022, a foal out of a nominated mare is eligible to win a $10,000 bonus if it becomes the leading money earner at Prairie Meadows for any season. But a foal is only eligible to win the bonus one time. We don’t want a dominant horse winning multiple times, as we are trying to spread the bonus around to get a different winner every year. Once the program has gone on a few years, it could be a 2-year-old or an 8-year-old that wins the bonus. There will be a total of $20,000 in bonuses available, as we also have a $5,000 bonus if the foal of a nominated mare goes through the sales ring as a weanling or yearling in the ITBOA sale and a $5,000 bonus if the foal is by a stallion that sold in our stallion auction. Bonuses will be paid to the breeder. It will be interesting to see what the average number of mares will be in the program; I think the pool of horses won’t get much over 100 head. If we get 20 mares each year and figure that, over time, some of those mares’ foals will move on to other careers and some won’t get to race at all, then you will have horses moving out of the pro-
gram along with new coming in each year. Looks like pretty good odds to hit this bonus if you ask me. Please call us if you have questions. My best to all racing, breeding and foaling in 2019! —Pam Schutz, ITBOA Vice President
Important Dates
April 15—ITBOA Board Meeting, Palmer Room at Prairie Meadows, 6:30 p.m. (all times CT) May 2—Iowa HBPA General Membership Meeting, Backside Lounge, 11 a.m. May 18—ITBOA/IAHBPA 2018 Champions Presentations, winner’s circle during races May 20—ITBOA Board Meeting, Palmer Room at Prairie Meadows, 6:30 p.m. June 11—ITBOA Charity Golf Tournament, Terrace Hills Golf Course, 12:30 p.m. July 1—Fall Sale Consignment Contracts Due in Office at 12 p.m. ($250) July 1—Iowa New Mare Bonus Nomination Due August 1—Late Fall Sale Consignment Contracts Due ($350) August 12—ITBOA Board Meeting, Palmer Room at Prairie Meadows, 6:30 p.m. September 2—Iowa Classic Night September 5—ITBOA Fall Sale at Iowa State Fairgrounds October 21—ITBOA Board Meeting, Palmer Room at Prairie Meadows, 6:00 p.m. December 7—16th Stallion Season Auction, ends at 7 p.m. December 14—ITBOA General Membership Meeting, Backside Lounge, 12 p.m.
2019 Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred Meet JULY
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SEPTEMBER
67 Day Thoroughbred Meet: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Post Time 6:00PM Saturday, Sunday Post Time 1:00PM
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Special Post Times and Race Days: Saturday, May 4th (Kentucky Derby) Post Time 4:00PM Saturday, May 18th (Preakness) Post Time 4:00PM Monday, May 27th (Memorial Day) Post Time 1:00PM Saturday, June 8th (Belmont) Post Time 4:00PM Wednesday, July 3rd (PRM Fireworks) Post Time 4:00PM Thursday, July 4th (Independence Day) Post Time 4:00PM Friday, July 5th & Saturday, July 6th (Festival of Racing) Post Time 6:00PM Monday, September 2nd (Iowa Classic) Post Time 6:00PM
A Busy Summer Coming Up at Canterbury The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association has scheduled a variety of events for the summer that will provide our members and guests with opportunities to learn, celebrate and support our jockeys, and add a Minnesota-bred or two to their stables. While plans are still in process and some dates have yet to be set, you can always visit minnesotabred.com for details. The MTA will celebrate the 2018 accomplishments of our Minnesota-bred equine athletes and their breeders, owners and other connections at our awards brunch on Saturday, June 1, at Canterbury Park. We’re looking forward to having our members, trainers and grooms share in the success of these amazing equine athletes. Canterbury Park’s Leg Up Fund Day is tentatively scheduled for August 10. The Leg Up Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money to help jockeys who are injured in the course of their work at Canterbury Park. Fundraising events will include a raffle, a silent auction, a poker tournament, photos and autographs with our jockeys and many other fun activities. Many jockeys face financial hardship during their rehabilitation from injuries sustained on the track. The needs of our injured jockeys can be substantial. The day-to-day living and family support expenses pose financial challenges to these individuals who courageously test their physical limits every day. Since 2014, the Leg Up Fund has raised more than $190,000 and has provided over $42,000 in financial assistance to 13 jockeys. The MTA and Minnesota Quarter Horse Racing Association will once again come together to fire up the grills, roll out the fixings and feed Canterbury Park’s backside workers in a favorite annual event. The people who work on the backside are critical to the health and safety of our racehorses, and we look forward to this opportunity to show our appreciation for their long hours, diligence and tender care. Annually, nearly 500 people enjoy grilled pork loin, a variety of salads, baked beans and plenty of dessert! Ownership seminars, member events and conformation clinics are part of the MTA’s ongoing effort to educate both those with extensive horse racing experience and those who are just getting into the game. We will be posting upcoming clinics, seminars and events on our website. September 8 will bring a new crop of Minnesota-bred yearlings to the sales ring for the 2019 MTA Yearling Sale. The sale will be Minnesota-bred preferred and yearlings will arrive at Canterbury on September 7. The consignments will be available for inspection during an evening preview from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. following the afternoon’s race card, and the sale will be held in Canterbury Park’s Expo Center beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8. We’re excited to have Philip Pierceall handling the microphone and gavel for the 2019 sale. In cooperation with Canterbury Park, there is a special racing opportunity for sale grads. The MTA Sales Graduate Futurity will offer eligible 2020 2-year-olds the opportunity to run in this new stakes race. Yearlings that are consigned to the 2019 sale and sell during the auction are eligible to nominate.
In addition, the breeder of each Minnesota-bred yearling that sells during the MTA Yearling Sale will receive a Yearling Sale Graduate Breeder’s Bonus if the MTA sale grad breaks its maiden in a maiden special weight or allowance race at Canterbury Park. The bonus will be paid to the breeder within 30 days of the horse breaking its maiden. The breeder of Minnesota-conceived and -foaled MTA sale grads will receive a $2,000 bonus, while the breeder of Minnesota-bred MTA sale grads will receive a $1,000 bonus. And a new, just added twist has been announced. The stallion owner of Minnesota-conceived and-foaled MTA sale grads will receive a $1,000 bonus as well. There will be so much happening at Canterbury Park this summer that you won’t want to miss a minute. Remember that details about all of our events can be found at minnesotabred.com.
OHIO THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS AND OWNERS NEWS OTBO Fall Mixed Sale Grads Run Big in Glacial Princess Stakes Mobil Lady’s win in Mahoning Valley’s Glacial Princess Stakes on November 17 was not only an eye-popping one for owner Laurie Pratt but also a real shot in the arm for Ohio’s rejuvenated OTBO Fall Mixed Sale. Only three-quarters of a length separated the top two at the wire in the six-furlong contest for 2-year-old Accredited Ohio-breds. Mobil Lady had been improving every start of her career until a 12thplace finish in the sloppy John Galbreath Memorial at 1 1⁄16 miles. That headscratching effort swayed the betting public when she returned to sprinting in the Glacial Princess, and she was made the longest shot in the field at 17-1. Off a bit slowly under Christian Pilares, she began her move on the turn and then circled the field to edge to the lead late over the fastclosing Show Me Some Sass. Odds-on Hey Adrian, off two straight stakes victories, set most of the pace and finished third. OTBO sale grad Mobil Lady became a Trained by Robin stakes winner under the guidance of jockey Schuster, the juvenile filly Christian Pilares. is a daughter of Mobil out of Surviving New York, by Survivalist, and was bred by Daniel Gale. Mobil Lady was consigned by Phantom Farms LLC and brought a final bid of $5,300 at the 2017 OTBO Fall Mixed Sale and now has earnings of $74,850. Show Me Some Sass was a $500 bargain at the 2017 sale consigned by Robert and Daniela Rowe and in seven starts shows a $28,063 bankroll. These two stakes horses are going a long way in the promotion of the OTBO Fall Mixed Sale. John Engelhardt
MINNESOTA THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION NEWS
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 55
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS Ohio Stallion Ranks Continue to Grow
Mahoning Valley Ends 2018 with Record Handle
In another good sign for Ohio racing and breeding, the state’s list of quality stallions keeps expanding for the 2019 breeding season. Among the recent additions are National Flag at Blazing Meadows and Rivers Run Deep and Biondetti at Poplar Creek Horse Center. Turn to pages 12 and 13 of this issue for more information.
Mahoning Valley Racecourse recently concluded its fall meet and 2018 calendar season and did so with yet another annual increase in wagering. Since its launch in 2014, the young racetrack has seen handle increases each calendar year. All told, wagering volume on the Mahoning product for 2018 increased 10.6 percent from 2017. For the fall meet, jockey Luis M. Quinones captured his first riding title at Mahoning Valley, piloting 31 of his 189 mounts to the winner’s circle. Quinones also finished third nationally in 2018 with 282 wins. While Quinones notched his first riding title, it was more business as usual in the trainer’s standings as Jeff Radosevich collected yet another title. For the Ohio-based Radosevich, there’s little better than winning another training title on his longtime stomping grounds. “I have great owners,” he said. “Obviously, I couldn’t have done any of this without their continued and unwavering support. I love Ohio. Mahoning Valley gives me an opportunity to race year-round from my home. Thank you, Mahoning Valley!” Mahoning Valley held its signature event, the $250,000 Steel Valley Sprint, on November 19, and the race didn’t disappoint as Trigger Warning survived an epic stretch duel and an objection to win the race over Bobby’s Wicked One. Trained by Mike Rone, Trigger Warning was put on the lead early under Irwin Rosendo and then engaged in a fierce battle with the runner-up from the top of the stretch to the wire and was made the winner after Tyler Gaffalione’s claim of foul was not allowed. While she did not take part in any of the unrestricted stakes Mahoning offered during the fall meet, Leona’s Reward was named horse of the meet after dominating Ohio-breds in three restricted stakes. Trained by Tim Hamm, Leona’s Reward romped by eight lengths over Ohio-bred fillies and mares in the Ohio Debutante Handicap on November 3 and followed that up two weeks later with a win against the boys in the Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Stakes. In her final start of the meet, the daughter of Parents’ Reward returned to face fillies and mares in the Bobbie Bricker Memorial Handicap and cruised to a seven-length score. All told, Leona's Reward banked a total of $138,000 during the meet for her owners Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Friedman.
OTBO Inaugurates Palacios Trainer Award
John Engelhardt
By a unanimous vote, the OTBO board of directors elected to add a new category to its annual awards banquet, the Albert Palacios Award. The award will honor the achievements of a trainer involved in the Ohio program, current or past. “While our banquet celebrates the divisional leaders in the state and our members are the investors who breed and own the horses, someone has to be responsible for the efforts behind getting them to the winner’s circle,” OTBO Executive Director John Engelhardt said. “Albert [Palacios] was outstanding in creating a team from the farm to the track. His warm personality also welcomed new ownership into the sport in Ohio, and he did it all with a smile. I think it is great to recognize an individual horseman each year with a special trophy.” And special those trophies will be. After Palacios’ wife, “Traudy” Palacios, passed away last July, her home went up for sale and the family sought a place to donate Albert’s many trophies. After family members selected some of their most cherished memories of his champions and stakes winners, they gave the rest to the OTBO. “Our office looked Luis Albert Palacios like ‘Albert’s Trophy and Plaque Emporium’ for a few days,” Engelhardt laughed. “We thought it would be fitting to pass these along to deserving top trainers in his memory.” Luis Albert Palacios was an Olympic equestrian in his homeland of Argentina before moving to the United States in the late 1950s. An outstanding polo player on the elite Florida circuit, he turned to training for David Frisch, founder of the Frisch’s restaurant chain, and eventually trained racehorses for Frisch’s son-in-law, Jack Maier. Over the years, Palacios won 60 stakes races with 1,436 wins and numerous training titles at River Downs and Beulah Park. He saddled several state champions in Ohio including the undefeated 1991 Horse of the Year Alphablood and 1995 Horse of the Year Major Adversary. Palacios died in 2005 at the scene of a three-car crash near his home in Wilmington at the age of 73. 56 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Thistledown Closes Out 2018 Meet after Hosting Best of Ohio and Grade 3 Ohio Derby The 2018 live racing season at JACK Thistledown Racino came to a close after 100 days that saw Ohio Derby (G3) starters make national waves, the Best of Ohio series return to North Randall and familiar names lead the season’s standings. After finishing second by a nose in the Ohio Derby, Lone Sailor earned his first graded stakes win in the Oklahoma Derby (G3). It was the second straight year the Ohio Derby produced the Oklahoma Derby winner, following Untrapped in 2017. Trigger Warning, third at 86-1 in the Ohio Derby, followed with a second in the Indiana Derby (G3) and is now Grade 1-placed after finishing third in the Pennsylvania Derby. Ohio Derby contenders Flameaway, Diamond King and Title Ready also later placed in graded stakes.
John Engelhardt
The Best of Ohio series saw crowns passed, champions return and newcomers rise. Twotime Ohio Horse of the Year Mo Dont No won the Endurance for the third straight year. Altissimo got the best of five-time champion Rivers Run Deep in the Sprint, and Takechargedelilah caught Ohio’s champion handicap mare Leona’s Reward in the Distaff. Drillit and Diamond Dust stamped themselves juveJeff Radosevich added to his collection of niles to watch in the leading trainer titles by topping the standJohn W. Galbreath ings at both Mahoning Valley Racecourse and Juvenile Stakes, and Thistledown. respectively. From 384 mounts, Walter De La Cruz led all jockeys with 81 wins. Jeff Radosevich, the track’s leading trainer across a dozen meets, again led the trainer standings, finishing with 83 wins from 303 starters. Robert Gorham was second with 44 wins from 257 starters, and Gary Johnson, who resurrected his training career in 2017 after a 10year absence, was one win behind in third with 43 wins from 250 starters. The trainer standings reflect powerhouse owners with large stables. Radosevich is the primary trainer for leading owner Loooch Racing Stables, who finished the season with 90 wins from 297 starters. The stable campaigns 2018 stakes winners Mo Dont No, Heavenhasmynikki and Proper Discretion. Gorham trains for runner-up Mast Thoroughbreds, whose 25 winners from 150 starters included stakes winner Drillit. Johnson trains for Irish Charm Thoroughbreds, who tied for third with Michael Friedman. Both owners finished with 19 wins, Irish Charm from 139 starters and Friedman from 80 starters. Live racing returns to JACK Thistledown Racino April 27. Simulcast racing continues daily year-round.
Save the Date for the OTBO Awards Banquet Mark your calendars for Friday, May 17, for the OTBO awards banquet at historic Darby Dan Farm in Galloway, Ohio. The evening will include cocktails, an outstanding banquet and the film “Here’s to the Winner” that unveils the Ohio Horse of the Year. Contact info.otbo@fuse.net for reservations.
THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA NEWS Thoroughbred Season Handle Is Positive for Remington Park The Remington Park Thoroughbred season concluded December 16, and total handle for the 67-day season was up 7.4 percent over 2017. The total wagering on Remington Park’s 609 races reached $71,798,190, compared to the $66,844,252 played in 2017. For the first time since 2014, Remington Park enjoyed increases in both ontrack handle and export handle in the same season. The live handle from on-track players was $3,615,779, an increase of 4.7 percent over the 2017 total of $3,454,413. The export handle was $68,021,279, up 7.6 percent over the 2017 total of $63,188,252. The daily average handle for Remington Park in 2018 was $1,071,615. “It was a tremendous season by every measure,” said Scott Wells, Remington Park president and general manager. “Attendance, live handle, export handle and purses were all higher than the previous season. That’s a credit to our fans, our horsemen and our operations team. Closing day with the Springboard Mile and the other stakes races made a fitting climax to a terrific year for Remington Park.” Remington Park offered a pair of graded stakes races for the first time in its 30-year history when the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks was contested on the undercard of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The average field size in 2018 was 9.01 horses per race with 5,490 horses starting in the 609 races. This was an increase over the 8.96 horses per race in 2017, when 5,410 horses started in 604 races. Total horsemen’s purses for 2018 reached $16,576,725 for a daily average purse distribution of $247,413. Total purses were up 0.6 percent from the 2017 number of $16,482,646 when the daily average was $246,009. Live attendance for the 2018 season was 488,496, up 4.3 percent over the 2017 total.
Oklahoma-bred Welder Voted Remington Park Horse of the Meeting As expected, Welder was named Remington Park’s 2018 Horse of the Meeting in a landslide vote. Welder became the first horse in Remington Park history to win four stakes in the same season. With jockey David Cabrera aboard, the gelding won the five-furlong, $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint on a sloppy main track in his season debut September 7; the six-furlong, $150,000 David Vance Stakes in open company September 30; the six-furlong, $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint Stakes October 19; and the 6 1⁄2-furlong, $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes November 16. All but the Vance were stakes for eligible Oklahoma-breds.
AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 57
Dustin Orona Photography
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS
Oklahoma-bred Welder made history as the first horse in Remington Park history to win four stakes in a single meet.
By the Mighty Acres stallion The Visualiser from the Tiznow mare Dance Softly, Welder also was voted best in three other divisions: Champion Older Male, Champion Sprinter and Champion Oklahomabred. Bred by Center Hills Farm, the gray speedster is owned by RaMax Farms and trained by Teri Luneack. Following are the other meet champions. Media covering the season and Remington Park racing officials and management participated in the ballot process. Gianna’s Dream—Champion Older Female and Champion Turf Performer Joining Welder as the only competitor this season to win multiple honors, Gianna’s Dream once again shipped in to win a pair of turf stakes. The mare won both the Bob Barry Memorial and the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf (over a sloppy main track) to pull in two honors. Both of her wins were facing eligible Oklahoma-breds. Owned by Jordan Wycoff and trained by Michael Maker, Gianna’s Dream is a daughter of Twirling Candy from the Rahy mare Untamed Beauty. She was bred by Center Hills Farm and Randy Blair. Long Range Toddy—Champion 2-Year-Old Long Range Toddy won the top two stakes for 2-year-olds at Remington Park, earning him champion juvenile honors. Owned and bred by Willis Horton Racing and trained by national Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Long Range Toddy won the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes and then the track’s richest race for juveniles, the $400,000 Springboard Mile. The Kentucky-bred colt by Take Charge Indy from the Unbridled’s Song mare Pleasant Song earned 10 qualifying points for the 2019 Kentucky Derby with his Springboard triumph. Cowgirls Like Us—Champion 2-Year-Old Filly One start at Remington Park was enough this season for Cowgirls Like Us as her win in the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes made her the champion 2-year-old filly. Bred and owned by Douglas Scharbauer and trained by Bret Calhoun, Cowgirls Like Us is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Valor Farm’s Texas stallion My Golden Song and the Gold Legend mare Nothinbettertodo. Lone Sailor—Champion 3-Year-Old A thrilling win in a three-horse photo in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby gave Lone Sailor top 3-year-old honors for the season. 58 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
Owned by G M B Racing, Lone Sailor rallied down the middle of the stretch to win the Oklahoma Derby by a head under jockey James Graham. Trained by Tom Amoss, Lone Sailor won his first race of 2018 in the Oklahoma Derby after many near misses in top company, including a second by a nose in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in March, another second by a nose in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in June, a third-place run in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in July, and another runner-up in the Grade 3 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in early September. Lone Sailor is a Kentucky-bred colt by Majestic Warrior from the Mr. Greeley mare Ambitious. She’s a Julie—Champion 3-Year-Old Filly She’s a Julie was voted top 3-year-old filly off her win in the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. Owned by the partnership of Whispering Oaks Farm LLC, Team Hanley, Bradley Thoroughbred and Madaket Stables LLC, She’s a Julie is trained by Steve Asmussen and is a daughter of Elusive Quality from the Dubai Millennium (GB) mare Kydd Gloves. Sure Thing Sheila—Champion Claimer A now 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Archarcharch, Sure Thing Sheila won four straight races at Remington for claiming prices ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 while also winning a starter allowance race. Sure Thing Sheila won her first three races for owner Colleen Davidson and trainer Brent Davidson before being claimed for $25,000. She then won for her new owner M and M Racing and trainer Karl Broberg. Sure Thing Sheila alternated her wins over the main track and turf, all at one mile. Remington Park live racing is on hiatus until the 2019 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season begins March 8.
Cabrera, Asmussen, Caldwell Win Titles at Remington Park Jockey David Cabrera, trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Danny Caldwell won champion titles at the Remington Park meet, setting records along the way. Cabrera unseated five-time reigning champ Ramon Vazquez and took one of his records in the meantime. The 26-year-old new top rider was picking broccoli and peppers as a teenager on the family farm in Mexico only a decade ago. He has quickly developed into a rider gaining respect in the Southwest and returned to Oaklawn in Hot Springs for the winter/spring meet after winning 95 races during the Remington Park Thoroughbred meet. He set a track record for earnings with $2,377,944, breaking Vazquez’s old mark of $1,978,896, set last year. Vazquez made a strong move to pass Richard Eramia late in the meet to finish second with 81 wins. Asmussen broke records for number of wins and purse money earned in one meet. He needed two wins on closing night to tie his own record of 102 wins in a Remington Park season, set in 2009. He managed that easily, making five visits to the winner’s circle, one with $400,000 Springboard Mile winner Long Range Toddy, to set the new standard at 105. He also became the first trainer to pass the $3 million mark in earnings with $3,001,673.
It was Asmussen’s 14th training title at Remington Park. Second is Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer Donnie Von Hemel with 12 seasonal titles. Asmussen’s 105 victories moved him within 67 wins of Von Hemel as the all-time winningest trainer at the track. Those totals are now Von Hemel, 1,036, Asmussen, 969. In winning his 10th champion owner award, Caldwell became the only owner to reach the 300-win mark at Remington Park with 36 trips to the winner’s circle this season. His total victories all time in Oklahoma City now stand at 318.
Clever Trevor Statue Unveiled at Remington Park
Remington Park
Remington Park celebrated the final day of its Thoroughbred meet December 16 with a stakes-laden racing program led by the $400,000 Springboard Mile and a special statue dedication to Clever Trevor, the great Oklahoma-bred who helped put Remington Park on the national racing map.
Oklahoma-bred Clever Trevor became a Sooner State sensation after winning the inaugural Oklahoma Derby in 1989.
Renowned equine artist Lisa Perry was commissioned to create the Clever Trevor statue. The sculpture was modeled from his win in the inaugural Oklahoma Derby (then known as the Remington Park Derby) in 1989. Perry worked on the project for more than 10 months before sending her work to the foundry. The statue is scaled to three-quarters the actual size of the famous millionaire and has been placed in the center of the paddock walking ring. Perry has created numerous statues of famed racehorses, including one for Alysheba, the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner and 1988 Horse of the Year, which stands at the entrance of Lone Star Park in Texas. “We’re so proud of what Lisa’s created,” said Matt Vance, Remington Park’s vice president of operations, who spearheaded the project. “Clever Trevor really put Remington Park on the map in a big way. His accomplishments made us all very proud. He was such a special horse, becoming part of the Von Hemel family for many years after his retirement. We are pleased that Clever Trevor can be memorialized in the Remington Park paddock and extend our gratitude to all the donors and Global Gaming Solutions for their generosity in finalizing this effort.”
The Clever Trevor statue was made possible thanks in large part to Global Gaming Solutions RP, the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma and Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., the son of Remington Park founder, the late Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Many other generous donors also helped make the statue a reality. Bred and owned by the late Don McNeill of Edmond, Oklahoma, Clever Trevor won four of six starts at the brand-new Remington Park in 1988 and 1989 at 2 and 3, with three victories in stakes. A gelding by Slewacide, Clever Trevor won the first Oklahoma Derby in 1989. Trained by Donnie Von Hemel, Clever Trevor went on to succeed on the national stage, helping to establish Remington Park as a prominent track in its initial years of operation. Clever Trevor raced seven more times at 3 after his Remington Park Derby score, including a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby (G2) and then scores in the Saint Paul Derby (G2) and Arlington Classic (G1). The Arlington stakes set him up for what was perhaps the greatest effort of his career in the Travers (G1) against Easy Goer, who had won the Belmont Stakes and denied Sunday Silence a Triple Crown in the process. The Oklahoma-bred held the lead throughout most of the 1 1⁄4-mile Travers, taking his advantage into the middle of the homestretch. Easy Goer eventually wore down Clever Trevor to win by three lengths but the gelding held strong for second. Clever Trevor retired in 1993 and lived out his life at the Von Hemel farm in Piedmont, Oklahoma, passing at age 30 in 2016. Clever Trevor was just the second Oklahoma-bred to become a millionaire (1986 Horse of the Year Lady’s Secret was the first), finishing his career with $1,388,841 in earnings. A winner of 15 races from 30 attempts, Clever Trevor raced in 11 states and Ontario, Canada, winning in six different states. He was ridden in all but two of his starts— and for all of his victories—by Don Pettinger, with Hall of Famer Pat Day up for the other races. Clever Trevor, Don McNeill, Donnie Von Hemel and Don Pettinger are all members of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park. The track has conducted the Clever Trevor Stakes for 2-year-olds since 1997.
SOUTH CAROLINA THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS Twenty-Three Graded Stakes Winners In 2018, 23 graduates from South Carolina farms and training centers won graded stakes. This is an achievement we can all be proud of. Travis Durr’s Webb Carroll Training Center led the way with nine, topped by Abel Tasman, winner of the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga and a finalist for champion older mare honors. Spring Quality captured the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Stakes on the grass at Belmont Park. Grade 2 winners included Backyard Heaven, Sue’s Fortune and Hembree, and Grade 3 winners included Irish War Cry, Gamble’s Ghost, Harlan Punch and Firenze Fire. Franklin “Goree” Smith’s Elloree Training Center had six graded stakes winners emerge from his operation. The leader of the pack was Promises Fulfilled, who captured four graded stakes, including AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 59
STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream and the Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Carrick was another Grade 1 winner, crossing the finish line first in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, and Are You Kidding Me and Liora won Grade 2 races in the Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine and Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs, respectively. Also out of Elloree were Grade 3 winners Mr. Freeze and Farrell. An alumnus of Jane Dunn’s Holly Hill program is Synchrony. He won four graded stakes in 2018, including the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds. Cary Frommer conducts a very successful pinhooking operation out of Aiken. Four graduates won Grade 2 races in 2018: Still Having Fun (Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park), Concrete Rose (Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland), Princess Warrior (Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs) and Maximus Mischief (Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct). Kip Elser’s Kirkwood Stables produced Grade 3 winner Berned. On the jump scene, Show Court, owned by South Carolina resident Mark Byck and trained in Camden by Arch Kingsley, won the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga. Another Grade 1 winner over jumps was Balance the Budget, trained by South Carolina-based Julie Gomena. Balance the Budget captured the Marion DuPont Colonial Cup in Camden.
New SCTOBA Directory
Coady Photography
Thanks to the efforts of SCTOBA member Marsha Hewitt, we now have a South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association directory. This pamphlet provides the names and contact information for training centers and farms in Aiken, Camden, the Midlands and the Upstate. Copies will be available at various events or by contacting Jack Sadler at jack@eclipsetbpartners.com.
Direct Dial 60 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019
TEXAS THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION NEWS Direct Dial Named 2018 Texas Horse of the Year William S. Farish’s homebred Direct Dial has been named the 2018 Texas Horse of the Year. The Texas-bred colt also received Texas Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding honors for a season in which he hit the board in six of his eight starts while earning two stakes wins and $113,350. The 2018 Texas champions were determined by points earned in stakes performances during the year. A son of leading Texas sire Texas Bling, who stands at Valor Farm, Direct Dial won divisions of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes Series at Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park. The colt also finished third in the $125,000 Gazebo Stakes against open company at Oaklawn and placed in two other stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen. As the leading Texas-bred money earner for the year, Direct Dial earned his breeder the BloodHorse Breeder of the Year Award, and Farish’s Fast Find, the dam of Direct Dial, took the Texas Broodmare of the Year Award. Among the human awards, Lee Ackerley will be honored with the T.I. “Pops” Harkins Award for lifetime achievement. Ackerley, with his brother, Bob, formed Ackerley Brothers Farm and campaigned Valid Expectations, one of the first major stakes winners for Asmussen. Ackerley retained an interest in Valid Expectations as a stallion, and the multiple graded stakes winner went on to become the all-time leading sire in Texas history. Ackerley has also bred and owner numerous other stakes winners, both in Texas and at the national level. Bart Lang, director of racing at Lone Star Park, will be honored with the Allen Bogan Memorial Award as TTA member of the year. Lang was instrumental in launching the Lone Star Park Racing Club, which enjoyed great success in its first year, including running Texas Champion Claimer Fred’s Lucky Boy. Valor Farm, which stands or formerly stood stallions represented by four of the divisional champions, will be honored as the leading Accredited Texas-Bred money earner for 2018. Following is the complete list of the 2018 champion horses: 2-Year-Old Filly: Silver Moon Rising (by Silver City) • Owner: M and M Racing (Mike Sisk) • Breeder: Caroline Dodwell Co-2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Shotsoft (by Grasshopper) • Owner: M and M Racing (Mike Sisk) • Breeder: W.S. Farish and E.J. Hudson Jr. Irrevocable Trust Co-2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Wakefield (by Munnings) • Owner: Jerry Namy • Breeder: Nathan Wallis 3-Year-Old Filly: Patrona Margarita (by Special Rate) • Owner/ Breeder: Craig D. Upham Older Filly/Mare: Zippit E (by My Golden Song) • Owner/Breeder: Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch Older Horse: Ivan Fallunovalot (by Valid Expectations) • Owner: Lewis Mathews Jr. • Breeder: Eileen Hartis Champion Claimer: Fred’s Lucky Boy (by Wimbledon) • Owners during 2018: End Zone Athletics Inc., Lone Star Park Racing Club, Madelon L. Bradshaw • Breeder: E. Fred Currie Champion Broodmare: Fast Find (by Mineshaft) Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Direct Dial (by Too Much Bling) • Owner/Breeder: W.S. Farish
Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Set for April 9
We Have Your Money... You Have Our Information!
As of press time, the catalog for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale was still being put together, but we are anticipating another strong group of juveniles at this year’s auction. The breeze show is set for April 7 with the sale on April 9 at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie. The interactive catalog, which includes photos and videos after the breeze show, will be available at ttasales.com along with live video during the sale.
Is your name on this list of breeders and owners who have earned money through the Accredited Texas-Bred Program for 2017 racing? For various reasons, the TTA has been unable to pay the individuals listed below. Usually the problem is very simple to correct. Perhaps a transfer form was never completed when you purchased your money-earning Texas Thoroughbred, or maybe you have moved and forgotten to tell us. Please call the TTA’s Accreditation Department at (512) 458-6133 so we can complete your paperwork—and so you can collect your ATB earnings.
Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity Reminder The Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity, run in divisions for fillies and colts/geldings at 5 ½ furlongs for $100,000-estimated per division, has been scheduled for July 14 at Lone Star Park. For those already nominated, the next sustaining payment of $350 is due April 15, and horses can be nominated late for $5,000 by May 1 (graduates of the 2019 Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale only). For more information, call the TTA office at (512) 458-6133 or go to texasthoroughbred.com.
Courtney Barousse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,096.87 Candy Courtemanche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $471.24 Richard E. Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $184.30 Teodoro Delgado-Muriel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $378.84 Bob Glasgow and Ray Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $302.85 Reggie Hickerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $220.98 Ila Faye Jarvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $201.02
Board of Directors Election Results Ballots in the TTA board of directors election were tabulated in December and the results are as follows: John Adger, Terry Eoff, Chris Hicks, Phil Leckinger and David Stephens, DVM, were elected to three-year terms as at-large directors. Judy Peek was elected to represent the North East Region. Congratulations to all, and thank you to all the members who voted.
Raymundo Juarez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $930.47 Magnolia Racing Stable and Jim Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $289.58 Dan Pish and Richard Mays, DVM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $119.37 Shadowlands Farms LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $71.42 Thomas D. Tiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $153.47
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SAN ANTONIO ROSE CLASSIC MIXED HORSE SALE SATURDAY - JUNE 22, 2019
Travis County Expo Center, Austin, TX
Featuring
Quarter Horses • Thoroughbreds Broodmares (Many 3-in-1 Packages) • Horses of Racing Age Barrel and Hunter/Jumper Prospects * Special Quarter Horse Yearling Session * * Special Thoroughbred Yearling Session *
CONSIGNMENT FEE: $450.00 PER HORSE
Early-Bird Consignment discount of $50 per head before February 28th and $50 per head discount of 4 or more head consigned! COMMISSION: 5% with a $250.00 minimum Consignment Fee, Registration Papers & Signed Transfers MUST Accompany Contract Bart Sherwoodꞏ Sales Manager
San Antonio Horse Sale Company
13423 Blanco Road, Suite 218 • San Antonio, Texas 78216 210-842-1072 • FAX 210-375-4684 For More Info: email sanantoniohorsesalecompany@gmail.com or visit www.sanantoniohorsesalecompany.com
IOWA NEW MARE BONUS 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.
DID YOU KNOW?
that when you purchase a mare and bring her to Iowa, you can make her foal an Iowa-bred. Here’s how:
Register the mare with the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Call (515) 281-4103 The mare must be registered prior to foaling and must remain in the state until she foals. If you brought the mare to Iowa and registered her before December 31, 2018, you may breed her back to any stallion.
• $5,000 Bonus if the foal is by a stallion that sold in the Dec. 2017 ITBOA Stallion Season Auction.
If you bring the mare to Iowa after December 31, 2018, and registered her prior to foaling, you must breed her back to an Iowa-registered stallion if not in foal to an Iowa-registered stallion
NOMINATION SCHEDULE: July 1, 2019: $200.00 (ITBOA MEMBERS) $300 (NON-MEMBERS) Late entries by September 2, 2019 $500.00
The mare is required to be in the state of Iowa for a minimum of 30 days during the foaling period. After foaling, the Department of Agriculture must inspect your foal before it leaves the state.
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.
The foal must also be registered with the Iowa Department of Agriculture prior to racing.
IOWA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS AND OWNERS ASSOCIATION
For More Information Contact Our ITBOA Office at 800-577-1097 or e-mail ITBOA@msn.com
www.iowathoroughbred.com
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:
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Check #:
Amount:
FOR
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:
the marketpl ace Cl a s sified s Dee Martinez Office Manager 956-763-7594
Henry Hadley Manager 956-763-7004
KC HORSE TRANSPORTATION Division of Asmussen Horse Center
Over 50 Years of Quality Service in The Horse Business
Keith Asmussen kaasmussen@aol.com
956-723-5436 • 956-763-8907 P.O. Box 1861 Laredo, Texas 78044
ICC PERMITTED
4707 E. Saunders Laredo, Texas 78045
the marketpl ace Cl assifieds PROFESSIONAL SALE FITTING •
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Attention Horsemen:
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Advertise in the American Racehorse classifieds for as little as $75 per issue! H Contact Denis Blake at (512) 695-4541 or info@americanracehorse.com
Gentlemen’s Bet.................................................................................... 41 Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program.........................1 Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association...............68 Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association....... 63, 64, 65 John Deere............................................................................................47 KC Horse Transportation...................................................................66 Knorpp Bloodstock Insurance Agency LC.......................................... 2 Mighty Acres..................................................................................... IFC Mojo Racing Partners.......................................................................... 14 PastTheWire.com................................................................................. 61 Pyranha.................................................................................................. 36
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americanracehorse.com AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2019 67
Racing Returns to Indiana Grand on Tuesday, April 16 and Runs Through Wednesday, November 6!
SAVE THE DATE! Please make plans to join us for the ITOBA Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, April 14, as we celebrate the success of Indiana racing and breeding! Don’t miss this special evening hosted by Indiana Grand Racing and Casino in conjunction with the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Advisory Committee and ITOBA! The event will include a cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner and award presentations! Attendance is free for ITOBA members! Please RSVP to ITOBA by emailing info@itoba.com or calling 317-709-1100. Check the ITOBA website at www.itoba.com for more information and other important dates in 2019!
www.itoba.com
(317) 709-1100
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3 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • SPRING 2018
2019 VALOR FARM STALLION ROSTER
Offering the most dynamic stallion lineup in the region BRADESTER
Lion Heart – Grandestofall, by Grand Slam
Bee Silva
2019 FEE: $3,500
CONGAREE
Arazi – Mari’s Sheba, by Mari’s Book
2019 FEE: $3,000
EAGLE
Candy Ride (Arg) – Sea Gull, by Mineshaft
Bee Silva
2019 FEE: $3,500
GRASSHOPPER
Dixie Union – Grass Skirt, by Mr. Prospector
MY GOLDEN SONG William Miller
Unbridled’s Song – Golden Par, by Gold Meridian 2019 FEE: $5,000
STONESIDER
Giant’s Causeway – Added Gold, by Gilded Time 2019 FEE: $2,000
TOO MUCH BLING
Rubiano – Rose Colored Lady, by Formal Dinner Bee Silva
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
William Miller
2019 FEE: $3,500