The Horsemen's Journal - Spring 2019 by The Horsemen's Journal

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JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL CONTENTS | SPRING 2019 | VOLUME 66/#1

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Message from the National HBPA

Finding Ways to Do Things Better Horsemen get together in Florida to share ideas to improve the industry

A Long Day’s Night Track superintendents go the extra mile to keep horses and riders safe

32 How Horse Racing Is Using Digital Media to Grow Fan Engagement

Different than other major sports, horse racing has the opportunity to capitalize on a unique digital and social strategy

Industry News

38 12

HBPA News

Research & Medication Update

Affiliate News

Feed, Forage and Bedding: What Is Being Called a Positive? A multitude of environmental sources can individually result in a low-level concentration of a substance in a post-race test

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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MESSAGE FROM

THE CEO NATIONAL HBPA 3380 Paris Pike Lexington, KY 40511 P (859) 259-0451 F (859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.hbpa.org

PRESIDENT/ CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Leroy Gessmann SECRETARY/ TREASURER Lynne Schuller CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric J. Hamelback VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Stephen Screnci VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT CENTRAL REGION Joe Davis VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION J. Lloyd Yother

n March 8, the National HBPA issued a statement prompted by the horrible situation at Santa Anita. In the statement, the NHBPA applauded the efforts of California’s horsemen, the California Horse Racing Board and track management in committing to take all steps necessary to ensure the welfare and safety of our equine and human athletes. The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, closed the racetrack, but as the days unfolded, we saw the efforts of The Stronach Group look to move the narrative from one factor being considered—the racing surface—to one of medication, or what some have termed “relentless medication usage.” In my opinion, Santa Anita ownership should be focused on an independent, objective analysis of the problem instead of proposing remedies such as banning the race-day use of Lasix. That is a decision anyone in the industry knows has no proximate link to these tragedies. The Stronach Group’s “house rules” unfortunately fail to address the real problem, which has not yet been concluded at the time this issue went to print. The new rules list popular talking points and follow personal opinions of some loud but minority voices in the industry and animal rights extremists. Some of these new rules also ignore science and sound reasoning. It appears that Santa Anita management simply wants to link horse injury to veterinary therapy and medication instead of decision-making and track management. I do understand the issues with breakdowns are multifaceted, but breakdowns cannot be remedied with a long list of rule changes that have nothing to do with injury. None of these “groundbreaking” and “sweeping” rule changes would have prevented Princess Lili B or the other 21 horses’ fatal injuries, and I oppose the idea that the rule changes in any way reduce horse fatalities. Remember that the last fatality occurred after Princess Lili B was approved to work under new rules implemented after the first track closure. Those who know me know I am all in for measures to make racing safer. We know that after Santa Anita was closed the first time a team of experts, including Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB’s chief equine veterinarian, was brought in to find some answers. What they actually found were more questions. What do we know at this point? • There is no credible scientific evidence showing that Lasix causes breakdowns despite its continual use over the past 40 years. • The American Association of Equine Practitioners continues to support the race-day use of Lasix, when it is most efficacious for the protection of horse and rider. • Nearly half of the deaths (10) have occurred during training.

• •

Necropsies have been performed on each fatality. Have any findings been made public? Data compiled by the CHRB as set forth in its annual reports reveals the following: o In the three years from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2018, there were approximately 25,000 starts each at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. o During that period, with the same medication rules including race-day administration of Lasix, there were 148 fatalities in racing and training at Santa Anita and just 80 at Golden Gate.

A contrasting fatality rate of that magnitude suggests there is a significant correlation between track surface and fatal injury. Banning race-day administration of Lasix is not going to make Santa Anita’s track surface safer for the musculoskeletal system of any racehorse. All of us want to see the Santa Anita situation corrected. But we should actually fix the issue at hand instead of tossing out red herrings. The National HBPA, Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Thoroughbred Owners of California and California Thoroughbred Trainers represent horse owners, trainers and breeders in all 34 horse racing jurisdictions in the United States. These organizations and their constituent members have worked collectively for decades to create and implement uniform policies to safeguard against doping and to protect both the public and the horse. These groups are made up of men and women who are collectively horsemen through and through. These horsemen and horsewomen know these animals inside and out, and their horses are loved as if they are a part of the family. We know something has to be done at Santa Anita, but at this point are we any closer to solving why horses on their track are breaking down? To make matters worse, they have enraged many stakeholders that are critical to addressing this very issue. I would hope for the sake of the horses we come together to understand all sides of the issues at play so that we can collaborate in identifying meaningful solutions. Unfortunately, the suggestion by The Stronach Group regarding a phase out of Lasix will do nothing to safeguard our horses. Sadly, it will do the opposite and cause unnecessary division among the groups who are actually focused on finding the cause. I know this issue is bigger than all of us and cannot be solved by any one person. For the sake of the horses and the industry, we need to work together to determine all issues at play and find the best solution.

SINCERELY, ERIC J. HAMELBACK

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The opinions, representations and viewpoints expressed by the authors in the articles contained in The Horsemen’s Journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions, representations and viewpoints or the official policies or positions of The Horsemen’s Journal, National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation or National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association Inc. and its affiliates (collectively “HJ”). HJ is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on any information contained within this issue. Information in this issue may become outdated due to the rapidly changing nature of the horse industry. The publication of any advertisements or articles should not be construed as an endorsement of any product, service or position unless specifically stated. The Horsemen’s Journal, Volume 66 #1. Postal Information: The Horsemen’s Journal (ISSN 0018-5256) is published quarterly by the National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation, with publishing offices at P.O. Box 8645, Round Rock, TX 78683. Copyright 2019 all rights reserved. The Horsemen’s Journal is the official publication for members of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, a representative association of Thoroughbred owners and trainers. HBPA is a non-profit 501(c)6 Kentucky corporation. Members receive The Horsemen’s

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Journal as a benefit of membership paid by the national office from affiliate dues. Annual non-member subscriptions are $14. Single-copy back issues, if available, are $7. Canadian subscribers add $6. All other subscriptions outside the U.S. add $20 payable in U.S. funds. To order reprints or subscriptions, call (866) 245-1711. The HBPA National Board of Directors has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required of the association. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and/or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the publisher or HBPA board or staff. Query the editor prior to sending any manuscripts. Periodicals Postage Paid at Round Rock, Texas and additional mailing offices. CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement no. 41530527. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P. O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Horsemen’s Journal, P.O. Box 911188, Lexington, KY 40591-1188.

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FEATURE NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Justify Wins Eclipse Award as 2018 Horse of the Year

COGLIANESE PHOTOS/ADAM COGLIANESE

ustify, who became horse racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, was voted the 2018 Horse of the Year at the 48th annual Eclipse Awards held January 24 at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

JUSTIFY WON THE BELMONT STAKES TO CAPTURE THE TRIPLE CROWN.

Presented by The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and the Breeders’ Cup, the Eclipse Awards honor excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing and are voted on by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International Ltd., Starlight Racing and Head of Plains Partners and trained by Bob Baffert, Justify received 191 out of a possible 249 first-place votes for Horse of the Year. Hronis Racing’s Accelerate, who was voted champion older dirt horse, received 54 first-place votes to finish second, followed by the filly Monomoy Girl with two votes and Prince Khalid Abdullah’s filly Enable (GB) with one vote. There was one voter abstention. Justify was also voted the unanimous 3-year-old champion, garnering all 249 votes. He was undefeated in six career starts, including the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and his Triple Crown sweep. He was retired in July of last year due to an ankle injury. A chestnut son of Scat Daddy out of Stage Magic by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, Justify was bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther, who also was voted outstanding breeder of 2018. Justify becomes the third Horse of the Year to be trained by Baffert, who also trained 2015 Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given. In other awards, the Baffert-trained Game Winner was named champion 2-year-old male for owners Gary and Mary West. Trainer Peter Miller saddled two Eclipse Award winners: Roy H repeated as champion male sprinter and Stormy Liberal claimed the champion male turf horse title. Sistercharlie (Ire), winner of the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), was voted champion female turf horse. She is trained by Chad Brown,

who won the outstanding trainer award for the third consecutive year. Hronis Racing LLC, which campaigned Accelerate to the champion older dirt male title, won the outstanding owner award. Irad Ortiz Jr., who led all riders in wins with 346 and total earnings of more than $27 million, was named champion jockey. Here is the complete list of 2018 Eclipse Awards winners: 2-Year-Old Male: Game Winner 2-Year-Old Filly: Jaywalk 3-Year-Old Male: Justify 3-Year-Old Filly: Monomoy Girl Older Dirt Male: Accelerate Older Dirt Female: Unique Bella Male Sprinter: Roy H Female Sprinter: Shamrock Rose Male Turf Horse: Stormy Liberal Female Turf Horse: Sistercharlie (Ire) Steeplechase Horse: Zanjabeel (GB) Owner: Hronis Racing LLC Breeder: John D. Gunther Trainer: Chad Brown Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Apprentice Jockey: Weston Hamilton Horse of the Year: Justify The recipient of the Award of Merit, voted on by a panel of representatives from the three presenting organizations and previously announced, was Joe Harper of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The Award of Merit is presented to honor outstanding lifetime achievement in the Thoroughbred industry. Media Eclipse Awards also are given in the categories of photography, audio and multimedia internet, news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing, national television–feature and national television–live racing programming to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. The 2018 Media Eclipse Award winners were determined by a judges’ panel for each category and previously announced: Feature/Commentary Writing: Tim Layden, SI.com, “Remembering Chic Anderson’s Legendary Call of Secretariat’s Record Run at 1973 Belmont Stakes,” June 4, 2018 News/Enterprise Writing: Jeremy Balan, BloodHorse.com, “San Luis Rey Horsemen Faced Brutal Challenges in Fire,” December 13, 2017 Television–Live Racing Programming: NBC Sports, 2018 Belmont Stakes, June 9, 2018 Television–Features: NBC Sports, “San Luis Rey Fires,” May 5, 2018 Audio/Multimedia Internet: Christie DeBernardis and Patty Wolfe, TDN Weekend, “Cozmic One: Shining New Light on OTTBs,” July 2018 Photography: Barbara D. Livingston, DRF.com, Firenze Fire and Whereshetoldmetogo in Gallant Bob Stakes, September 9, 2018

2019 Fact Book Available on The Jockey Club Website

he Jockey Club has announced that the 2019 edition of the Fact Book is available in the Resources section of its website at jockeyclub.com. The Fact Book is a statistical and informational guide to Thoroughbred breeding, racing and auction sales in North America. It also features a directory of Canadian, international, national and state organizations. Links to the Breeding Statistics report and Report of Mares Bred that are released by The Jockey Club each September and October, respectively, can be 6

found in the Breeding section of the Fact Book. Starting this year, the Fact Book will be updated quarterly, and additional statistics will be made available in the coming months to provide additional insight into overall trends in Thoroughbred breeding, sales and racing. The 2019 editions of the state Fact Books, which feature detailed breeding, racing and auction information specific to numerous states, Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico, are also available on The Jockey Club website. The statistics are updated monthly.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Scott Coles Rallies to Become Youngest NHC Champion

NTRA/HORSEPHOTOS.COM

f Scott Coles wanted to leave the 20th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship presented by Racetrack Television Network, STATS Race Lens and Treasure Island Las Vegas with the $800,000 first-place check and an Eclipse Award to his name, he figured that acting like the best handicapper in the room wasn’t going to cut it. He had to play fields that weren’t obvious attractions. He had to focus on picking winners and not get hung up on odds. He had to find a way during his first-ever try at the NHC to stay one step ahead of those who had been there and done that. “There are so many amazing handicappers here, and I feel like I SCOTT COLES WON THE 2019 NATIONAL had a good strategy, HORSEPLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP IN HIS FIRST because I knew I YEAR COMPETING THERE. wasn’t going to be the best handicapper here,” the 34-year-old Illinois resident said. “There are legends here, people who have been doing it forever. I had to come up with a different game plan.” Coles’ plan worked to perfection when it counted most. A longshot pick in the next to last mandatory race at the 10-person final table propelled him to the front of a tight leaderboard en route to earning the title of 2019 NHC champion with a mythical bankroll of $367. The upstart Coles toppled an NHC field that had 668 entries—the second largest in the event’s history—and 522 individual players. This year marked his first time qualifying for the NHC, and he became the tournament’s youngest ever champion when his total bested runner-up Jim Meeks by a margin of $10.40 in a final table showdown that featured four lead changes in seven races. The final mandatory race, the ninth at Santa Anita Park, scratched down to just four horses when it came off the turf. With a $5.80 advantage heading into that last race, Coles took second-choice Fiery Lady and got to start his celebration early when the mare won by two lengths. Coles, a full-time futures trader for a firm, said he only began playing the races about seven years ago and really got serious during American Pharoah’s Triple Crown campaign in 2015. He began focusing on tournaments the last two and a half years and got dual-qualified this summer on back-to-back weekends in a pair of HorsePlayers.com online tournaments. “I started playing the [NHC] tour at the very end of 2016,” Coles said. “Didn’t qualify. Tried last year on and off, didn’t get there. This year I was fortunate to get double-qualified. Navigating through [the NHC] was interesting. There were a lot of nerve-wracking moments. “I was trying not to watch the odds as much and just pick winners and just keep moving up, knowing that if you get to the final table with how close the pack was, anybody had a chance. All in all, I was just trying to grind out winners rather than worrying about finding 20-1 shots.” Meeks finished second with a bankroll of $356.60 to take the $250,000 runner-up prize. Matthew Vagvolgyi, who like Coles was playing in the NHC for the first time, ended up third with a total of $354 to earn $125,000. The 2019 NHC finals awarded cash to the top 67 finishers (the top 10 percent overall) from a total purse of $2,863,000. An additional $50,000 went to the top 20 in the Consolation Tournament, which was won by TVG racing analyst Dave Weaver. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Thoroughbred Handle and Purses Continued Upward Trend in 2018

horoughbred racing continued to experience an upward trend in handle and purses in 2018, although the decline in race days and number of races also continued. According to figures compiled by Equibase, total handle increased year over year for the fourth consecutive time and topped $11 billion for the first time since 2010. It also marked the biggest single-year gain in handle since 2000, which recorded a 4.4 percent increase. Wagering on U.S. races in 2018 hit $11.27 billion, up 3.30 percent from the 2017 total of $10.91 billion. Purses experienced a similar increase of 3.52 percent, with $1.12 billion distributed in 2018 compared to $1.08 billion the year before. The number of race days declined 3.08 percent to 4,432 from 4,573, and accordingly the number of races decreased 2.77 percent from 37,628 to 36,586. The biggest jumps came in the average wagering per race day, up 6.58 percent to $2.54 million, and average purses per race day, up 6.81 percent to $252,195. The increases come on the heels of new tax regulations enacted in September 2017 that changed how pari-mutuel winnings are reported to the IRS. The changes resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of winnings retained by horseplayers rather than being immediately withheld by the IRS. The NTRA reported that an additional $35 million was returned to bettors in the first full year since the changes, and that was likely a contributing factor to the increase as more money remained in play. An improving economy and the Triple Crown run of Justify likely also contributed.

FEATURE

TOBA Announces 2019 Seminar and Clinic Schedule

he Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced the 2019 schedule for its seminars and clinics. These educational events feature various topics for prospective, new and established Thoroughbred owners and breeders. “We are honored to host our seminars and clinics in partnership with many of the top racetracks, breeding farms and sales companies,” said TOBA Marketing and Education Director Meredith Downey. “TOBA programs offer a unique experience welcoming fans and current owners alike to connect with industry professionals and learn more about the care, maintenance and management of the Thoroughbred athlete.”

Here is the 2019 schedule, also available at toba.org: • March 8: Pedigree & Conformation Clinic at Ocala Breeders’ Sales in Ocala, Florida • June 1-2: Breeding Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky • August 5-6: Pedigree & Conformation Clinic in Saratoga Springs, New York • October (date TBA): Pedigree & Conformation Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky • December 7: Ownership Seminar at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida The TOBA seminars and clinics are open to both TOBA members and non-members. TOBA members receive a discounted rate for each clinic, and non-members can join TOBA to take advantage of the discount.

Champion Game Winner Heads 362 Early Triple Crown Nominees

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

ed by 2-year-old champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) hero Game Winner, a total of 362 3-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year’s Triple Crown during the early nomination phase, which closed January 26. Each nominated horse from the 2016 foal crop was made eligible through a $600 payment to compete in any of the Triple Crown contests: the 145th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) presented by Woodford

UNDEFEATED CHAMPION 2-YEAR-OLD GAME WINNER IS AMONG THE 362 EARLY TRIPLE CROWN NOMINEES.

DENIS BLAKE

Reserve on May 4 at Churchill Downs, the 144th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course and the 151st running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 8 at Belmont Park. The total was similar to last year when 360 were nominated at the early stage.

Gary and Mary West’s Game Winner, who boasts a record of 4-4-0-0 with nearly $1.5 million in earnings, was one of 17 horses nominated by Hall of Fame and five-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. The record 15-time Classic winner also trains Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1) victor Improbable, who is campaigned by three-quarters of the same team that swept last year’s Triple Crown with Justify: WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. and Starlight Racing. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen led all trainers with 27 nominations. Like Baffert, Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher also had 17 nominees. Brad Kelley’s Calumet Farm led all owners with 13 nominations and tied with Charles Fipke and Godolphin for the most nominees among breeders with six apiece. For the third straight year, Tapit was the leading sire with 19 offspring nominated. Into Mischief was next with 15, followed by Curlin (13), Cairo Prince (11) and Uncle Mo (11). Four fillies were nominated, including champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Jaywalk and multiple Grade 1-winner Bellafina. The nominees also include 20 horses based outside North America, including 11 from Europe, five from Dubai and four from Japan. Irish-based trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore group nominated seven, including two graded stakes-winning sons of Scat Daddy, Sergei Prokofiev and Van Beethoven. Horses not nominated to the Triple Crown during the early phase can be made eligible at thetriplecrown.com for $6,000 during the late nomination period, which continues through April 1. If not nominated by that date, horses can become eligible through payment of a supplemental nomination fee due at the time of entry for either the Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($150,000) or Belmont ($50,000). Thirteen horses have swept the Triple Crown series: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).

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Inaugural Horse Industry Safety Summit Promotes Education Among Equestrians

he University of Kentucky Ag Equine Programs, Saddle Up Safely and other partnering organizations will host an inaugural Horse Industry Safety Summit on Tuesday, April 23, prior to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The summit will be held at Spindletop Hall at 3414 Iron Works Pike in Lexington from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EDT and will host researchers, equestrians and equine enthusiasts. In a format that combines expert panels, individual speakers and poster presentations, the summit will focus solely on ways to keep equine riders and handlers safe. “Saddle Up Safely and the University of Kentucky are thrilled to gather this stellar lineup of professionals from all facets of equestrian sport to highlight the importance of safety in all aspects of equine interaction,” said Dr. Fernanda Camargo, an associate professor and equine extension specialist at the University of Kentucky. “Working with horses inherently places riders and handlers at risk. We look forward to offering an event entirely focused on what can be done to keep people safe when working around horses.”

Sessions include discussions on helmets and helmet testing, traumatic brain injuries, how to fall from a horse safely, concussion protocol, protective vests and how safety is seen from both the competitor and organizational viewpoints. The summit organizing committee consists of representatives from UK Ag Equine Programs, UK College of Health Science, Kentucky 4-H Horse Program, United States Pony Clubs, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Retired Racehorse Project, Saddle Up Safely, North American Racing Academy and UK College of Public Health. The Horse Industry Safety Summit is sponsored by the Kentucky Horse Council, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the National HBPA and Dinsmore Equine Law/Laura Holoubek. Registration is $50 per person and includes lunch. For tickets and more info, go to eventbrite.com/e/horse-industrysafety-summit-tickets-49906582933.

Keeneland Races to Be Featured in EquiLottery’s Win Place Show Trial

President Bill Thomason said. “We’re excited about the potential of this product to bring new fans to the sport of horse racing and create a new revenue stream for an industry so important to Kentucky’s economy. Keeneland is proud to support this initial trial run of Kentucky’s Win Place Show and hopes to see the game expand across Kentucky and beyond.” “We are thrilled to count Keeneland as one of our racetrack partners for this game,” EquiLottery Games CEO Brad Cummings said. “Being able to offer such premium content will make our game the best experience possible for our players. This will help us create new fan engagement for the horse racing industry while adding new lottery players in Kentucky. We love the natural synergies this partnership creates for economic development in the commonwealth as we extend the idea of what it means to be Kentucky Proud.” To play Kentucky’s Win Place Show, players purchase a $2 Quick Pick ticket of three horses at the same place they purchase lottery mainstays such as Powerball. Winning tickets match all three horses in a row, all three horses in any order and any two horses exactly. A mobile app, currently in demo mode, is available in the App Store and Google Play so players can watch the races on their phones. Visit winplaceshowlotto.com/retailers for a full list of trial stores and addresses. HJ

DENIS BLAKE

eeneland and live sports lottery game provider EquiLottery Games have agreed to feature races from the 2019 Keeneland spring meet as part of the upcoming trial run of Kentucky’s Win Place Show, the first daily U.S. lottery game based on the results of live horse racing. Due to this agreement, Kentucky Lottery players in 45 test locations across the state will be able to purchase Win Place Show tickets based on Keeneland races every day of the meet from April 4 to April 26. This 90-day limited trial will gauge the market for such a game, with the 45 test stores evenly split among the Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky markets. Should the trial run of this game meet or exceed targets set by the Kentucky Lottery, a full state rollout is anticipated. “We have been supportive of this initiative over the years as the EquiLottery Games team has taken this game from concept to reality,” Keeneland CEO and

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FEATURE

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NATIONAL HBPA’S CORPORATE PARTNER LIST HITS DOUBLE DIGITS The list of National HBPA corporate partners now numbers 10 as companies continue to see the value of partnering with North America’s largest horsemen’s association. “The National HBPA and its nearly 30,000 members are grateful for the support of our corporate partners,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the NHBPA. “These partnerships help make possible all the things that the association does on a yearround basis to assist horsemen and their horses. Our group of 10 corporate partners cover a wide variety of products and services for horsemen, and I continue to encourage all our members to consider doing business with these companies.” Equine Equipment, which helps members of the horse industry get discounts on farm equipment, mowers and more, joined the list of NHBPA corporate partners last year through a marketing partnership with Tenda Horse Products. Tenda is approaching five decades of serving the performance horse industry with products that promote and improve the overall health, soundness, performance and well-being of equine athletes. Visit tendahorse.com or call (888) 836-3213 for more information. Equine Equipment also can help horsemen save up to 26 percent off MSRP on equipment from Toro and Exmark, along with discounts on FarmPaint. Find out more at equineequipment.com or by calling (877) 905-0004. Lavin Insurance Group LLC administers the NHBPA-endorsed Owners’ and Trainers’ Liability Program, which provides coverage for assets in cases of injury or property damage as the result of equine activities, such as racing, sales, training and breeding. The policy covers liability claims, contractual liability and premises and operations liability at an affordable cost to horsemen. The policy includes up to $1 million in coverage for each occurrence and $2 million general aggregate. For more information, visit lavininsurance.com or call (502) 228-1600. Daily Racing Form, “America’s Turf Authority since 1894” for Thoroughbred racing horseplayers and professionals, is the industry’s dominant multichannel media company. Daily Racing Form is the only daily newspaper in the United States dedicated solely to the coverage of a single sport. Its companion website, drf.com, is the most heavily trafficked horse racing destination, providing players with extensive racing news coverage, interactive past performances, exclusive handicapping tools and access to the online and mobile wagering platform DRF Bets. Since making their published debut in 1991, Beyer Speed Figures have become an industry standard for the comparison of one horse’s performance to another. One of the company’s newest offerings, Beyer Sire Performance Standings, examines stallion performance beyond wins and earnings by measuring a sire’s ability to produce high-quality horses, not necessarily the most winners or highest earners. For more information, go to drf.com. Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies has served the equine community for more than three decades by offering racing supplies and an extensive line of horse health care items. The company also carries product lines for all equine disciplines—a testament to the company’s efforts to be a convenient, one-stop shopping destination for horsemen and women. Plus, Big Dee’s has a variety of equine gifts and custom products, as well as a complete line of dog12

related products. Customers can shop by phone at (800) 321-2142 or online at bigdweb.com. A complete product line catalog and a specific racing product catalog are available upon request. Equineline.com provides a variety of services and reports for horsemen. Among the reports offered are pedigrees, race records and an assortment of breeding, racing and sales information for individual horses (Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse), including free five-cross pedigrees for Thoroughbreds, free auction results search for Thoroughbreds and a free racing recap for Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races. Many of the Thoroughbred reports include video replay capabilities. Equineline.com, a service of The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., also offers products that can help save horsemen both time and money, including the Trainer Program, Farm Program, Owner Program, Sales Catalog App and Portfolio Service. To find out more, visit equineline.com. Finish Line Horse Products Inc. manufactures products for racing and other performance horses and strives to provide the right products at the right price. The company also offers a free hotline for customers to ask trained staff about Finish Line products or general equine-related questions. Although Finish Line has grown to serve many other equine disciplines over the years, Thoroughbred racing was the first and is still a core business for the company. Finish Line products are made in the United States and are 100 percent guaranteed to horsemen every time with the goal to “produce products that will show you a noticeable improvement in your horse.” That makes Finish Line’s products a necessary part of many trainers’ barn programs and a factor in racing barns throughout the country. For more information, visit finishlinehorse.com. Horseman Labor Solutions provides immigration services to the industry and assists trainers in maintaining their staff of skilled guest workers. Whether it is a 10-month temporary visa for a skilled groom or hot walker or a five-year visa for exercise riders and jockeys, Horseman Labor Solutions and its immigration services are considered second to none by many horsemen. CEO William Velie is a frequent speaker at National HBPA conventions and is hands-on in meeting with both trainers and guest workers to cover all details in the visa process. For more information, call (800) 678-RACE (7223). NTRA Advantage offers National HBPA members significant savings on nationally known products used for equine farm, business or personal use. Since the inception of NTRA Advantage in 2002, industry participants have made $900 million in purchases, resulting in $175 million in savings. Partners in the NTRA Advantage program include John Deere, Sherwin Williams, Office Depot, Suncast Commercial, Nationwide Insurance, UPS, Hagyard Pharmacy, Flair Equine Nasal Strips, Double R Manufacturing Inc. and Red Brand. For more information, call (866) 678-4289 or visit ntraadvantage.com. Red Brand has been a leading manufacturer of American-made premium agricultural fencing products for well over a century. The company was founded in 1889 as Keystone Steel & Wire Company and began in a humble shed on a rented farm in Dillon, Illinois. It was there that Peter Sommer invented a machine that wove steel wire fence to replace traditional wooden timber fences. The first “Red Brand” fence appeared around 1925, with, in a display of modern marketing savvy, Keystone wire and fence posts dipped in red paint, making the THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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new Red Brand products instantly recognizable on farms all over America. For more information about Red Brand products and to find a dealer near you, go to redbrand.com or call (800) 447-6444. Xpressbet provides legal and secure online wagering services to horseplayers in the United States. It is the industry’s most comprehensive and user-friendly wagering site, allowing customers to wager on more than

300 of the world’s best racetracks from their computer, phone or mobile device. Xpressbet operates XB SELECT, the industry’s premier destination for highvolume wagering, and XB Net, which connects bet shops and wagering sites from around the world to North American racing. For more information, go to xpressbet.com.

RICHARD YATES OF CANADA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA HBPA AFFILIATES PASSES AWAY It is with great sadness that the National HBPA reports the passing of HBPA of Canada and HBPA of British Columbia Secretary-Treasurer Richard Yates, who died of a massive heart attack on March 22. He was also a writer extraordinaire, who produced the very popular and insightful “Richard’s Wrap Up” after each race day at Hastings Racecourse, giving a rundown of the winning horses and their connections and important events of the day with his own amazing descriptive and humorous fashion. “Richard was highly respected, and his influence went across Canada through his role for years as an officer and secretary-treasurer for the HBPA of Canada, as well as his service with the National HBPA of the United States where he served on numerous committees and assisted in executive matters,” said National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “Richard’s mentoring and friendship will be forever missed.” A well-liked and integral part of the backstretch community of British Columbia, Richard gave freely of his time, trying his best to help anyone and everyone in need. He also will be remembered for his quick wit and extraordinary ability to draw laughter from industry participants, colleagues and friends, of which he had many. Richard’s memorial will be held during the Hastings racing season on a date to be announced. HJ

ACKERLEY IMAGES

Richard was a true advocate, ambassador and friend to racing. Over the past eight years, he was an integral and important part of an industry-based initiative to stabilize and secure a productive future for Thoroughbred horse racing in British Columbia. Richard helped to create the outstandingly successful Hastings Racing Clubs I and II, and he expertly managed the RICHARD YATES (RIGHT) WITH NATIONAL clubs’ 500 members through HBPA CEO ERIC HAMELBACK personal meetings, phone calls and countless emails, introducing the new members to our spectacular world of Thoroughbred horse racing.

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Please send all address changes either by e-mail to: hj@hbpa.org Or by mail to: The Horsemen’s Journal, P.O. Box 911188, Lexington, KY 40591-1188

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IMMUNEX: IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT FOR THE EQUINE ATHLETE SHIPPING HORSES CAN RESULT IN A VARIETY OF ILLNESSES DUE TO REDUCED IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION. IMMUNEX, A NEW EQUINE HEALTH PRODUCT BY FINISH LINE® HORSE PRODUCTS, CAN HELP OWNERS TO SUPPORT THEIR HORSES’ IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION DURING THE STRESS OF SHIPPING. THE EFFECTS OF SHIPPING ON HORSES Shipping, especially over long distances, produces stress and adverse reactions in horses. According to a study titled “Changes in Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte and Neutrophil Counts and Function Following Long-Term Road Transport in Thoroughbred Horses” published in The International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine, long-term shipping has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system in Thoroughbred horses. Shipping horses carries risks of shipping fever, ulcer development prompted by stress, and an overall increased risk of illness due to reduced immune system function. Shipping is a frequent and necessary requirement of sport horses. Racehorses and performance horses in particular travel frequently, often crossing multiple states or even traveling internationally for competitions. In an effort to support the immune system and reduce the risk of travel-associated illness, Finish Line® Horse Products’ chemist team, with the help of independent veterinarians, including Hall of Fame veterinarian Dr. Mark Phillips, decided to develop a product to give owners and trainers greater control over their horses’ health. Their goal was to keep horses healthy during and after shipping, allowing more horses to successfully compete even after long trips. The result is Immunex. SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT Finish Line® Horse Products, Inc. enlisted Mark Phillips, DVM, to test the product’s effectiveness after development was complete. Finish Line® developed a study to evaluate whether Immunex could successfully promote equine immune system function. This study was conducted at the University of Florida with help from Bikash Sahay, DVM, PhD, CVM. The horses selected for the study included mares, geldings, and one stallion, and the horses ranged from 4 to 14 years old. They were randomized into groups of six, and all of the horses finished the study except for one horse, which was sold during the study. The treated group of six horses were given the recommended dose of 2 ounces of Immunex per day for 30 days, while the control group of six horses did not receive

Immunex. Both groups of horses were maintained on normal feeding, exercise, and showing schedules. All of the horses were then shipped from Florida to Tennessee. Blood samples were drawn from all of the horses prior to the study’s onset, before the horses were loaded on the day of shipping, and upon the horses’ arrival in Tennessee. The results of the blood samples were analyzed, and revealed the following: • CD4 cell glycoproteins, which remind the immune system to fight infections, were increased in the horses that received Immunex. • CD8 cell glycoproteins, which are attached to the cells that fight infections, were increased in the horses that received Immunex. • Fox P3 cell proteins, which may cause immune diseases, were decreased in the horses that received Immunex. THE BENEFITS OF IMMUNEX Through the testing described above, Immunex was shown to be effective at stimulating the immune system in order to counteract the negative effects of stress prompted by shipping. In turn, Immunex may help to promote a healthy response to pathogenic threats. Immunex contains natural active ingredients and will not test positive, making it ideal for use in performance horses, racehorses, and even pleasure horses. Immunex can be fed daily to support the immune system of performance horses who regularly travel. It is also beneficial for horses who travel only occasionally, making shipping an unusual and particularly stressful experience. Horses who are known to be nervous shippers can also benefit from this natural health product, or any horse needing immune system support. Understanding the importance of easy administration and overall value, Finish Line® Horse Products, Inc. developed Immunex to be simple and convenient to feed. This product is in powder form, is highly palatable, and can be used to top dress feed for quick and efficient daily administration. The recommended dosage is just 2 ounces per day, and its price point makes it accessible to trainers with large stables as well as to the hobbyist horse owner. Immunex will be available from Finish Line® Horse Products, Inc. in the second quarter of 2019. Visit www.FinishLineHorse.com for more information. To view graphs of the data from this study, go to www.FinishLineHorse.com/index.php/an-intro-to-immunex/.

FEATURE NEWS

RESEARCH AND MEDICATION UPDATE

RMTC Approves More Than $250,000 for Studies on Detection of EPO and Nerve-Blocking Agent

At its February 11 meeting at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) board approved the funding for two tactical research projects with a combined price tag in excess of $250,000 as part of its ongoing focus on detecting and eliminating illicit substances in racing. advances that will benefit horse health as well as the integrity of racing. We anticipate no problem finding racing stakeholders who will help us fund them.” “Trying to come up with new methods to potentially better and more economically detect substances which currently can’t be detected in post-race samples is an appropriate and good use of RMTC funds,” said Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio HBPA and chair of the National HBPA’s Medication Committee. Additionally, the RMTC board heard an update regarding the detection of LGD-4300—one of the substances known as SARMs or selective androgen receptor modulators. LGD-4300 creates anabolic-like effects in the horse. “Preliminary results indicate that this research, funded by the RMTC as part of last year’s tactical research efforts, could lead to a broader method to control all anabolic-like substances in the horse,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, executive director of the RMTC. “The RMTC’s support of this and so many other tactical research projects is exciting, because each of them is crucial to the long-term health and vitality of horse racing.” The RMTC board also created a subcommittee to study and develop potential research projects to address bisphosphonates, as very little is known about the effects of these drugs on young, exercised racehorses. Among the first items to come from this committee will be an educational pamphlet available in the next few months. RMTC board members also approved educational materials on the risks of compounded medications, nutraceuticals and cannabidiol (CBD). A bulletin on CBD is available on the Tactical Research page of the RMTC website at rmtcnet.com, where the other pamphlets will be posted soon. HJ

DENIS BLAKE

With the first project, the RMTC is seeking to develop an inexpensive screening method for the detection of potential blood doping. The proposed project, if successful, will provide racing laboratories with a relatively inexpensive method of detecting nefarious administrations of EPO (erythropoietin) and related blood doping agents by detecting changes in the horse’s blood. The goal is to detect many more EPO substances at much lower concentrations than previously achieved. The project goes hand-in-hand with another tactical research project, funded by RMTC in 2017, that has already improved the detection of many common EPO products. Both EPO-related projects are being completed at the University of California, Davis Kenneth L. Maddy Laboratory. “We are very excited about the potential of these advanced testing techniques to detect EPO administration,” said Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board. “With the 2017 RMTC grant, the Maddy lab has already greatly improved the industry’s EPO confirmation capabilities. Our expectations are that this second grant will enable the industry to close the circle and allow us to more effectively detect EPO micro-dosing.” The second tactical research project will be completed at the University of Florida Racing Laboratory and will focus on the detection of the nerve-blocking agent known as liposomal bupivacaine. When misused, this drug has the potential to last for several days and evade detection in the laboratory. The project goal will be to determine how long these products last in the horse and to develop methods to detect and identify them in post-race testing. “The RMTC is excited to be spearheading efforts to fight the abuse of this nerve-blocking agent on the racetrack,” RMTC chair Alex Waldrop said. “Each of the projects approved by the RMTC board this week represents significant

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FEATURE

FINDING WAYS TO DO

THINGS BETTER

o grow its consumer base and revenue, horse racing must change the way it does business—including giving away free past performance information to horseplayers. That belief was expressed repeatedly throughout the first day of panels and presentations at the National HBPA Convention, held March 12-16 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The event was graciously hosted by the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA. This year’s theme for the annual conclave of North America’s largest horsemen’s association was finding ways for horse racing to do things better. Adding to the sense of urgency for well-reasoned change is the expansion of legalized sports betting in the United States, as well as the necessity of promoting to the general public how horse racing cares for its equine participants. “This turned out to be one of the best conventions in recent memory, and I truly think it put forth some meaningful ideas and objectives on how to grow our industry,” said Eric Hamelback, the National HBPA’s CEO. “It was gratifying to see strong attendance with horsemen from all over the country, and I encourage all horsemen to continue their hard work in promoting horse racing and our admiration for our horses.” Representatives from the new Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF), a horse racing think tank created to find paths of growth for the sport, presented a special keynote panel discussion to address the convention’s theme. Glen Hill Farm president Craig Bernick, who developed the idea for TIF, said during the keynote panel that the think tank has four areas it believes the horse industry needs to improve: pricing for customers gambling on horse racing, transparency, innovation and technology, and access to information. “The retail price for horse racing generally at 20 percent is four times what it costs to bet on a normal sporting event,” he said, referring to takeout. “As young people decide they want to start gambling, and sports betting gets legal

HORSEMEN GET TOGETHER IN FLORIDA TO SHARE IDEAS TO IMPROVE THE INDUSTRY BY JENNIE REES PHOTOS BY DENIS BLAKE

in more and more states, we’re up against it if we continue with that model.” In a later panel titled “Accessing Our Industry’s Stats into the Future,” moderator Steve Byk, host of the popular online racing talk show “At the Races with Steve Byk,” said sports betting provides an opportunity to attract those gamblers to horse racing but has work it must do first. “There are all these people with pent-up demand to bet sports, and they think it’s going to be easy,” Byk said. “‘I’m right all the time … I’m going to be the next Jimmy the Greek.’ They’re going to find out that it’s not easy to win. At that point, I think racing has got to be in the position to say, ‘Come on over here.’ Just like we try to explain to casino bettors and other bettors that this is a game you can win, because you’re betting against the opinion of others. Yes, there is a house take, obviously, but you’ve got a fighting chance in our game as a bettor.” However, he cautioned, “We’ve got the most complex wagering equations of any betting game. We’ve got more moving parts.”

FROM LEFT, JUSTIN NICHOLSON, CRAIG BERNICK, JACK WOLF AND COREY JOHNSEN PRESENTED THE KEYNOTE DISCUSSION AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THOROUGHBRED IDEA FOUNDATION.

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The panel also urged horse owners to stake a right to the statistics compiled from their horses’ performances and how that data is utilized—including offering free past performances. “The No. 1 goal in this industry should be to increase handle,” said Patrick Cummings, TIF executive director, who spoke during the statistics panel. “When you have to pay to become more informed, we’re saying release those shackles and turn it into a marketing expense.” “One of the biggest hurdles when I’m trying to get my friends involved is that you have to pay for the basic information to make an educated wager,” said statistics panelist Papo Morales, simulcast director/program coordinator for the online wagering platform AmWest Entertainment/AmWager. “I’m not talking about speed figures necessarily—but the raw data should, if not free, be available at minimal cost, cents actually. If you want to upgrade, if you want to get BRIS, Thoro-Graph, then you’re going to have to pay for a premium product.” Equibase, the industry’s official data-keeper formed in 1990 by The Jockey Club and Thoroughbred Racing Associations tracks, does offer considerable free information at equibase.com but not the basic past performances or raw data files, as TIF recommends. “Equibase is one of the best things to happen to our industry in the last 20 to 30 years,” said TIF board member and keynote panelist Corey Johnsen, a horse owner-breeder and racetrack operator who spent 12 years as Kentucky Downs’ president until its recent sale. “Let’s just make a guess that Equibase turns out $4 million a year in profits, split by The Jockey Club and the tracks. Let’s just say we could move the needle and increase handle $100 million by making data more available to our fans—an assumption, I understand. With takeout, you probably have $20 million in commissions. I think anybody would take a $4 million investment to then make $16 million—and I think it could be much more. “We have to work with the tracks, The Jockey Club, and figure out the best way to implement this. But I’d contend we need to do something,” he added. Wilson Shirley, an industry consultant on the statistics panel, said other sports are catching up with baseball’s Sabermetric revolution in the 1970s and that racing must as well. That includes tracking all the information of individual horses, rather than just where the field is at a certain point in a race, he said. Shirley urged horsemen’s organizations to assert and claim a proprietary right on behalf of their members to the data record of horses’ performances in the race. While there was legal debate over whether data rights exist, the conclusion was that horsemen should make it part of their contracts with racetracks, which in turn would negotiate with the data-collection system. “These are questions that you have to ask now,” Shirley said. “Because if you don’t, five years from now, these systems will be running and whatever claim to the property rights of horse owners in this matter, they’ll be gone.”

[CARING FOR THE HORSES]

The care of racehorses during their careers and afterward—and horse racing getting that message out to the mainstream public—was another topic threaded among panels. Bernick said there have been “about five nuclear bombs” for horse racing since 2007, most recently Santa Anita shutting down temporarily in the wake of a rash of equine fatalities that made headlines across the country. “We all want more press about the horse business, but we want that when there’s a Derby and Preakness winner and why aren’t more people talking about the Belmont?” he said. “It’s disappointing as an industry as a whole that we haven’t handled this situation well enough to the outside world. … All the industry’s efforts are about getting somebody to a horse race, to show young people who are good-looking having a good time. … What I always really loved about horse racing was being around the horses. I think we as an industry need to show that to the outside world, to be our own advocates.” THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Bernick cautioned that factions in the industry must work together instead of, in some instances and some jurisdictions, going “back to their own corner and just screaming louder and louder about what they’re saying. The circus is gone. Dog racing in Florida, they voted to get rid of it. SeaWorld is in trouble. … The message to the public is something that, wherever you sit, it’s very, very crucial that we get it right.” Also on the TIF keynote panel was Starlight Racing founder Jack Wolf, the force behind the creation of the broad-based Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, one of the industry’s great success stories.

[PUTTING THE “WE” IN WELFARE]

The first day of programming started with an analytical view of why racing must embrace racehorse welfare if the industry wants to thrive, let alone survive. Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, the New York Racing Association’s chief examining veterinarian and operator of the Racing Matters consulting business, traced how Americans have transformed from an agricultural lifestyle where humans and animals were dependent upon one another to a society where a majority have never had physical contact with a non-companion animal and 75 percent of households have pets. “Today’s relationship to animals is primarily one of emotional companionship,” and DR. JENNIFER that influences perceptions about horse racing, DURENBERGER TOLD THE AUDIENCE HOW A SINGLE Durenberger said. But she said the majority of TWEET SHE POSTED GAVE people just want to know that the horses are THE GENERAL PUBLIC AN being well cared for—and that’s where racing INSIDER’S VIEW OF RACING. can tell its story better. Durenberger said horse racing is different than the now-defunct Ringling Bros. circus or SeaWorld because of the massive employment and economic impact, statistics that many people don’t realize but appreciate hearing. “Know your numbers. Talk about those numbers,” she said, adding that horsemen and the industry need to listen and respond to concerns. “Don’t be afraid to make change where needed.” She urged everyone in racing to be an ambassador for the sport. As an example, she shared a tweet she made on Aqueduct’s Gotham Day: “When a horse is claimed, the new groom will find the old groom and ask about favorite treats and toys so the horse can feel right at home in their new barn.” She said the tweet resonated with the general public and got a huge amount of traction.

[FUTURE OF FIXED ODDS IN AMERICAN RACING]

International wagering consultant Michele Fischer provided insight into sports wagering and the potential place for fixed-odds wagering in American racing. “We have an explosion of sports betting in the U.S., and we keep asking ourselves: Is it a threat or is it a complement to horse racing?” she said. “We seem to be waiting to find out where we really should be positioning ourselves to use it to our advantage. We need to move, not wait.” Fischer said sports betting’s benefit to racetracks and wagering platforms probably is bringing in new customers to bet on horses as well as cross-marketing horse racing and sports. She said some sports operators are interested in adding pari-mutuel horse racing to their offering as a complementary product. Fischer said Australia could provide America a good model, where total betting on horse racing has increased in recent years while shifting from pari-mutuel to fixed odds. 19

FEATURE “Over this time, the purses saw a 21-percent cumulative growth,” she said. “So we did not cannibalize this market. It’s a really good example showing how both fixed odds and pari-mutuel can live. But it’s predicated on the economic model between the racetracks, the racing authorities and the bookmakers.” Fischer said there’s a place for both systems of betting on horses, with pari-mutuel making more sense with multi-race and multi-horse wagers. “Why are fixed odds attractive? It’s a guarantee of the odds when the wager is placed,” Fischer said. “You know what you get. Customers don’t trust late odds shifts … It appeals to younger and casual bettors. It’s really easy to understand, especially in the context of sports wagering.”

[A BUSY FIRST DAY IN FLORIDA]

Colonial Downs Senior Vice President and General Manager John Marshall was the luncheon speaker on the first full day, providing an update on the return to horse racing in Virginia under new track ownership following a six-year hiatus. Bush Racing Stable’s Penn National-based Persie, a winner of 10 races in 2018, was honored as the National HBPA Claiming Horse of the Year at the luncheon. As the winner, Persie is guaranteed a home at an Old Friends equine retirement farm. Also, Retired Racehorse Project Executive Director Jen Roytz provided an update on the growth of the Thoroughbred Makeover and increasing market for off-track Thoroughbreds in other equine endeavors. Equine Equipment’s Steve Andersen and Lori Douglas made a presentation about TENDA horse products.

[LOUISVILLE ECONOMIST: HAVE DATA, WILL STUDY]

Economist Steven Vickner, an associate professor in the University of Louisville College of Business’ equine industry program, knows the possibilities of cutting-edge research that could help horse racing make smarter business decisions. He just needs the data. So continued the call on the second full day at the convention for greater sharing of data and revvedup analytics. STEVEN VICKNER IS USING DATA Vickner described the beneficial TO HELP THE INDUSTRY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFIC FACTORS ways to “tease out” factors involved THAT DRIVE HANDLE. in when, why, how and on what people bet as limited only by the access to data. The presentation dovetailed with TIF’s recent white paper advocating for free past performances. The white paper also recommended partnering “with universities to study racing data, developing new and advanced metrics for the betterment of the sport.” Enter Vickner, who said U of L’s goal is to regain its position as the world’s academic thought leader on the equine industry. Beyond the massive time and expense to researchers of collecting data, some tracks are reluctant to share data because of concern of revealing proprietary secrets or that something might “shine a negative light on a company,” he said, adding that tracks are more likely to feel comfortable sharing old data. Vickner said that fear should be assuaged once multiple tracks become part of a study, where conclusions can be broad-based and individual operations can’t be pinpointed. He said his research team will be making requests of Equibase, The Jockey Club Information Systems and racetracks for data but wants to do it for 20

upcoming racing rather than for old data. One such project is with Monmouth Park for the New Jersey track’s 2019 racing season that will include data from Monmouth’s new sports book. Practically speaking, online advance deposit wagering platforms are the only entities that can reliably provide information on who is betting what and when. Louisville-based AmWager officials said they are excited about the opportunity to collaborate, with founder Nelson Clemmens and simulcasting director Papo Morales (a U of L grad) telling Vickner they will open up all of their data to a research project that can advance the sport. Vickner said U of L ultimately will conduct economic impact studies on every Kentucky racetrack every year for free as part of the mission of working for the commonwealth’s horse industry. He currently has economic impact studies in the works on Turfway Park and Kentucky Downs for 2018, along with the 2015 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and 2011 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs. “The idea is then to show this product to each and every racetrack in America and say, ‘Wouldn’t you want one of these, too?’” he said. Vickner also encouraged tracks, horsemen and industry entities to come up with research ideas that could be studied by teams of four or five students.

[DIGITAL TATTOO UPDATE]

Digital tattoos and foal papers for racehorses not only are coming, they’re here. After December 31, 2019, only electronic rather than hard-copy registration papers will be issued and the physical ink-based lip tattoo will be officially replaced with a microchip. Curtis Linnell, executive vice president of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, and TRPB agent Emma Smith provided an update on digital tattoos for horsemen at the convention. The electronic papers will include photographs of a horse’s markings and identifying characteristics, as well as a history of ownership, sales, claims and more. Also to be logged is any time a set of electronic papers is pulled up for viewing, including by a track racing office, stewards and veterinarians and for a claim or sale. The microchip will be the size of a grain of rice and have a 15-digit number. The Jockey Club, North American racing’s official registrar, made microchipping optional for foals born in 2016 and mandatory starting with Thoroughbreds born in 2017. The electronic papers became available in 2018, though physical papers still could be requested. “Lip tattoos will end December 31, 2019,” Linnell said. “So if you want to get your horse with a lip tattoo, you better get that horse scheduled now with a technician. We will be applying digital tattoos at some point this year in addition to lip tattoos. Starting January 1, 2020, we’ll do digital for every horse that is identified.” The process of registering horses remains the same, including taking a mane sample from the foal for DNA certification, he said. When the microchips are scanned using Bluetooth technology, the electronic papers and foal photographs will automatically be pulled up on a computerized device, including a tablet or phone. The National HBPA’s Eric Hamelback said many horsemen want to know how the advent of electronic registration changes the old standard of having papers on file in a certain track’s racing office to get a preference date. Linnell said there will be an electronic process to check out and administer papers but that comes under the purview of The Jockey Club, its InCompass system for racetracks and individual racing offices. Also on the second day, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association representatives Lauren Monnet and Meredith Downey updated the convention on the array of information, services and initiatives available to owners and prospective owners. A regular fixture at the convention, The Jockey Club Information Systems’ director of marketing Susan Martin gave her annual update on the newest data and statistical information and services available to horsemen through equineline.com. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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That includes a broodmare portfolio service that automatically updates pedigree information, sales entries and results of family members and racing records.

[HAMELBACK: STEWARDS ADVISORY REVIEW COMMITTEE PROPOSAL]

On the convention’s third day of meetings, Hamelback outlined a concept he believes would help stewards navigate the increasingly complex world when highly sophisticated testing collides with environmental contamination and the inadvertent transfer of matter to racehorses. He shared his vision for a program he has dubbed SARC: Stewards Advisory Review Committee. An accredited high school football official, Hamelback likened the concept to the NFL adding replay booths to assist the referees on the field. The idea is to provide more information to make sure the right call is made, though SARC would not be making official rulings, just providing input and context to the stewards before they make a decision whether to issue a ruling. NATIONAL HBPA CEO ERIC HAMELBACK PRESENTED A NEW IDEA TO ASSIST “I see this as a proposal to STEWARDS. establish a public and private collaboration that would function as a resource for review, interpretation and support for stewards,” he said. Hamelback said the advisory committee could counsel on three areas: policy, practice and analysis. “The members of the SARC would represent a cross-section of regulatory officials, equine veterinarians, equine pharmacologists and equine toxicologists who are recognized as leaders in their field,” he said. “Obviously, we want to ensure our industry’s integrity, and it’s essential for all our equine testing to work properly. The critical task of determining the validity of the test result should be to those who are, and have been, working in and understanding the legal and technical issues involved. “So by utilizing a SARC program or SARC committee as an advisory board for the stewards, the racing commission and the equine medical directors, I believe it could provide assistance based on experience and knowledge of precedent, thus aiding in making determinations for violations found in a biological sample.” Under the still-developing concept, the SARC members would review the findings sent to them from a requesting body seeking possible next-step procedures. Hamelback stressed that SARC would have no regulatory authority. “This is a back-up for your stewards, that if they have a question, if they have something that they find and they don’t have a precedent, this group could be a great advisory resource for them,” he said. “This is not something we have currently.” Hamelback was to make a similar presentation at the Association of Racing Commissioners International meeting in early April and plans to present a proposal to the education committee of the Racing Officials Accreditation Program.

North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians; Dr. Thomas Tobin, the University of Kentucky pharmacologist and veterinarian who is one the country’s foremost authorities on equine testing; and Dr. Wayne Duer, a chemist, mathematician and statistician who has worked in forensic toxicology for 40 years. The topics mirrored a feature in this issue by the three panelists, in addition to Dr. Kimberly Brewer. Turn to page 38 for the article. In addition to the educational panels outlined in this article, attendees enjoyed a day at the races at Tampa Bay Downs and shared information about best practices during two benefit provider meetings, which included an immigration update from attorney Will Velie of Horseman Labor Solutions and Julio Rubio, the NHBPA’s national immigration liaison and Kentucky HBPA’s backstretch services coordinator and immigration liaison.

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[POTENTIAL POSITIVES LURKING IN FEED, FORAGE AND BEDDING]

Hamelback’s presentation was part of the Kent Stirling Memorial Scientific Panel, an annual convention component named in honor of the longtime executive director of the Florida HBPA who was a relentless advocate for horsemen and a leading authority on racehorse medication issues before his 2017 death. The panel included Dr. Clara Fenger, a veterinarian who founded the

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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CONVENTION ATTENDEES ENJOYED A BEAUTIFUL DAY AT THE RACES AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS.

A DV ERT ISEMEN T

From Bleeding

to Winning

New Natural Approach Can Stop Bleeding In Its Tracks // BY MARK HANSEN

There it was again. A trainer’s worst nightmare. Suddenly not just one, but two of his best horses were bleeding from EIPH (Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage). They were in danger of being banned from racing, even though they were still in their prime. Lasix (Salix) wasn’t cutting it this time. The trainer was at a loss. What can be done? EIPH is a rough deal for any trainer, horse owner, and horse. After all, it can lead to poor performance, lost training days, costly treatments, or worse — a very sick horse that’s banned from racing for life. Facing these concerns for two of his horses, the trainer (who asked us to withhold his name for competitive reasons) was willing to try anything. So, he searched for another option. He gave his horses an alternative

to bleeder drugs and treatments; something he had read about called BleederShield. This natural respiratory horse supplement helps control bleeding. It is just as effective in improving the health and performance of bleeders but without any of those “drug issues” that come with most race-day bleeder medications. “I used BleederShield paste on two horses that had been bleeding. Now, neither horse has bled. This is a great product; it saved the careers of two very good horses.” The Science Behind BleederShield To understand how the paste works, we looked at a controlled study run by veterinarians at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. They investigated the effects of the active ingredient in BleederShield,

yunnan baiyao, which has been shown to help reduce bleeding in people and animals. The veterinary team wanted to see how this active ingredient specifically affected bleeding in horses. They measured template bleeding times in horses before and after receiving a supplement with the active ingredient. The researchers reported that the supplement significantly reduced bleeding time. They concluded that the active ingredient in BleederShield was effective at minimizing blood loss in horses.1 What surprised us the most about BleederShield is its effectiveness without the use of drugs. Having a drug-free option is critical in countries that ban most race-day EIPH medications. And even though Lasix/Salix isn’t banned in the USA yet, its day may be coming. There’s a serious need NOW for a natural solution that can help control bleeding in performance horses. Trainers and owners alike are impressed with the results they are seeing from BleederShield. One winning trainer told us: “I have horses that bleed and when I use this product I have no problems. I’m sure there are a lot of products on the market but I stand behind this one all the way.” Now you can improve the health of your horses while protecting the investment in their racing careers. With the results from the scientific studies, you can expect BleederShield to reduce bleeding events in horses during intense exercise… repair damaged blood vessels … and provide support for normal lung function and normal blood flow.2 Best of all, BleederShield is easy AND affordable. It could be the smartest investment you make to avoid pricey problems related to EIPH. It’s well worth the small price to avoid a banning risk or losing a great horse. A company spokesperson confirmed an exclusive offer for Horsemen’s Journal readers: if you order BleederShield this month, you’ll receive $10 off your first order by using promo code HJ10 at checkout. You can order BleederShield today at www.BleederShield.com or by calling 800-557-9055. 1. Graham L. et al. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 12:4 (2002) 279-282. 2. Graham L. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2006.

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ACKERLEY IMAGES

FEATURE

A LONG DAY’S NIGHT TRACK SUPERINTENDENTS GO THE EXTRA MILE TO KEEP HORSES AND RIDERS SAFE By Jennie Rees and Denis Blake

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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.”

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE SKY— AND THE WEATHER CHANNEL

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

JENNIE REES

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.” 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 welldeserved 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.”

JAVIER BARAJAS USES HIS MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO KEEP THE EQUINE AND HUMAN ATHLETES AT KEENELAND AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

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FEATURE 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 ½ 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-the-art 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.

COURTESY CHURCHILL DOWNS

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 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, year-round 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. “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 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

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.

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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. “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.”

FOR MANY, IT’S IN THEIR BLOOD

EMILY LAGO

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.

BARAJAS AND HIS CREW AT KEENELAND ARE BASICALLY ON-CALL 24 HOURS A DAY DURING RACE MEETS.

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FEATURE

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

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY/CHURCHILL DOWNS

“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.” 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.” HJ

THE TRACK SUPERINTENDENT FIELD DAY HAS BEEN HELD SINCE 2002 AND THIS YEAR WILL BE AT CHARLES TOWN RACES.

MORE THAN THREE INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECORDED ON LAST YEAR’S KENTUCKY DERBY DAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS, BUT BY VIRTUALLY ALL ACCOUNTS, THE TRACK SURFACE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY THANKS TO RICHARDSON AND HIS CREW.

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FEATURE FEATURE

TRAINER GRAHAM MOTION, PICTURED WITH GRADE 1 WINNER IRISH WAR CRY, HAS NEARLY 25,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS.

THE HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

How Horse Racing Is Using

DIGITAL MEDIA

to Grow Fan Engagement

DIFFERENT THAN OTHER MAJOR SPORTS, HORSE RACING HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON A UNIQUE DIGITAL AND SOCIAL STRATEGY By Chris Daley

Horse racing is no different than other professional sports in how the industry strives to evolve with the digital media landscape to 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 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.

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“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.”

Racing Promoting Itself

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 cross-promoting 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.”

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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 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 Award-winning 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.”

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 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

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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“PART OF WHAT I DO OR SAY IS TO PROMOTE THE SPORT, PROMOTE INDIVIDUALS OR HORSES WITHIN THE SPORT. …

I strongly believe that [social media] can help trainers, bettors and newcomers increase their knowledge of what goes on.” —TRAINER GRAHAM MOTION

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. 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.

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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. HJ This article originally appeared on the sports business site Front Office Sports (FrntOfficeSport.com), which is on Twitter @FrntOfficesport. 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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FEATURE FEATURE

FEED, FORAGE AND BEDDING:

WHAT IS BEING CALLED A POSITIVE? A MULTITUDE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES CAN INDIVIDUALLY RESULT IN A LOW-LEVEL CONCENTRATION OF A SUBSTANCE IN A POST-RACE TEST By Clara Fenger, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Kimberly Brewer, DVM, MSc; Wayne Duer, PhD; and Thomas Tobin, MRCVS, PhD, DABT

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THE SENSITIVITY OF TESTING IN HORSE RACING HAS CREATED AN ARMS RACE AMONG LABORATORIES, WITH TESTING FACILITIES EMPLOYING EVER-NEWER TECHNOLOGY TO IDENTIFY SUBSTANCES AT LOWER AND LOWER CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SAMPLES THEY TEST. ROUTINE TESTING HAS NOW REGULARLY REACHED THE PICOGRAM OR PART PER TRILLION (PPT) LEVEL, WITH MANY SUBSTANCES DETECTED AT THE FEMTOGRAM OR PARTS PER QUADRILLION LEVEL. TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, A QUADRILLION EQUATES TO ONE SECOND IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU ARE 32 MILLION YEARS OLD. THIS RAPID INCREASE IN THE SENSITIVITY OF DRUG TESTING HAS NOT BEEN MATCHED BY A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF WHAT THESE LEVELS MIGHT MEAN.

CHRWEISS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

“Hay, oats and water” is a catchphrase thrown around to imply that horses should not require anything other than those basic needs. But it’s not quite that simple. Hay, oats and water fail to fulfill the basic nutritional requirements of high-level competition horses and often come with unintended ingredients. Water from just about any source is contaminated with pharmaceuticals, sometimes in sufficient concentrations to exert effects on aquatic organisms. Oats and other grains like corn may be contaminated with molds that can produce

metabolites that, if present at high enough concentrations, have pharmacological effects in animals. One such example is zeranol, which is sold as Ralgro, a growth promoter in livestock, but is also produced by a fungus found on corn and now classified as an Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Class 4, Penalty Class C drug. Hay and straw are also commonly contaminated with weeds that make their way into the fields.

WEEDS IN HAY AND STRAW: The Jimsonweed and Scopolamine Story

JIMSONWEED CAN BE DIFFICULT TO SEE WHEN MIXED IN WITH HAY, AND IT HAS LONG BEEN A CULPRIT FOR FEED-ASSOCIATED CONTAMINATION.

The original feed-associated contaminant was scopolamine. Scopolamine identifications began to be reported in racehorses and show horses about 30 years ago, usually in low-number identification clusters consistent with episodic environmental sources. In many cases, these scopolamine identifications have been attributed to hay contamination by jimsonweed or other Datura species. Recognizing the dietary origins of some positive tests, Hong Kong restricts the maximum permitted alkaloid content in feed provided to its racehorses to 30 nanograms per gram (ng/g) of scopolamine and 100 ng/g of atropine. Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing organic compounds produced by plants and include well-known substances like caffeine, cocaine, morphine and nicotine. These substances generally provide protection to the plant from predators, parasites or disease, and scopolamine, like many alkaloids, was found to have pharmacological effects on animals, hence becoming an FDA-approved drug for nausea. Other effects of this anticholinergic alkaloid include bronchodilation, or opening of the airways in animals. Presumably, at pharmacological levels, it may improve lung function in racehorses, although there is no evidence that it has any effect on lung function in non-asthmatics. Nonetheless, the doses required for any such effects are considerably higher than those found in horses after incidental ingestion of jimsonweed-contaminated hay or straw. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

Local and international jurisdictions and regulatory bodies have identified the need for establishing screening limits for contaminants that may find their way into animal forage. In response to this issue, Louisiana introduced a cutoff level for scopolamine of 75 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) in urine. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) has a comparable urinary cutoff of 60 ng/ml of scopolamine. This reflects the realization by regulatory bodies that trace identifications of scopolamine that originate from inadvertent dietary sources should not tie up precious resources in time and money and cloud the perception of horse racing. Because they are herbivores, horses tend to be easier targets for incidental scopolamine contamination, with the most likely source being feed or bedding. Additionally, because horses are kept, fed and bedded in groups at the racetrack, such scopolamine exposures typically involve more than one horse, giving rise to the classic cluster pattern. A cluster is defined as a number of similar identifications reported in a group of otherwise unrelated trainers/horsepersons but in a specific location and within a given timeframe, consistent with the source being shared feedstuff or bedding. Investigation of scopolamine or any other environmental substance identification in a post-race sample requires the reporting of at least an estimate 39

FEATURE

KSENA32 – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

of the claimed concentration. In the case of scopolamine, a finding with the urinary concentration in the order of the Louisiana/IFHA thresholds is consistent with an inadvertent environmental source. The investigation should include inspection of the feed and bedding environment for sources of scopolamine, although dried jimsonweed may be difficult to identify in dried hay. Further, it is unlikely to be uniformly distributed in fields, hay or straw. An approach more likely to meet with success would be to test the urine of other exposed horses

for the presence of scopolamine, identify the hay or straw in common for any positive animals and then test the suspect hay/feed/bedding samples. The majority of equine scopolamine identifications result from random inadvertent dietary or environmental exposure to scopolamine-containing plant materials. Equally important, urinary findings of less than 60 ng/ml of scopolamine are now recognized worldwide as being most likely due to inadvertent environmental exposure and of no regulatory significance.

WOOD BEDDING: Tulip Poplars and the Glaucine Story

WOOD SHAVINGS ARE ANOTHER POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTOR TO A POSITIVE TEST, ESPECIALLY SHAVINGS FROM POPLAR TREES.

Tulip poplar trees are a common source of shavings and sawdust for bedding for horses. This soft, low-dust wood is highly absorbent, making it an excellent option. Poplar is also a common source of construction material for barns, run-in sheds and other structures used on horse farms. Some people even use it for fence plank, although its utility for fencing is limited by the propensity of many horses to eat the wood, as compared to oak or other wood sources. In 2013 a cluster of trace urinary positives for the plant alkaloid glaucine was called in Pennsylvania racing. Although glaucine is produced by many plants, the primary identified source is the yellow-horned poppy, which is native to the coastal regions of Northern Africa, Western Asia and Europe and has been introduced into North America. Glaucine can also be produced by the tulip poplar tree, particularly in response to environmental stress to the tree. Additionally, glaucine has been identified at very low concentrations in Yunnan baiyao, a common herbal preventative for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Regulators in Pennsylvania recognized poplar bedding as the source of the glaucine, and the cases were dismissed. The laboratory identifications of glaucine in horse racing slowed down after the cluster in 2013. Whether laboratories ceased to call them, poplar trees were less stressed or horsemen stopped using poplar bedding, we will probably never know. However, in 2016, glaucine identifications came back with a vengeance, with a number reported in New York and New Jersey. Regulators and investigators alike searched for a possible source. With the reported pharmacological effects of glaucine in humans, it seemed likely that some new herbal supplement or compounded medication would be implicated. However, other than a seized bottle of Yunnan baiyao, no such supplements or compounds were found. The levels were mostly in the picograms per milliliter concentrations, although a very few were as high as 2 ng/ml. While these higher levels are considerably higher than most of the positive tests, things are not always as they seem.

A normal distribution is what we typically identify as a bell-shaped curve. It is the basic feature of population variation; as a rule, characteristics of biological entities cluster around an average value, with low and high levels stretching to the edges of the bell curve. About 95 percent of the characteristics of a normally distributed population fall below the average (or mean) plus two standard deviations. Interestingly, the characteristics of drug exposure, disposition, metabolism and individual variation do not adhere to the expected bell curve. The actual drug level depends not on a single step, such as absorption from the intestine, but on many steps, including absorption, liver enzymes that metabolize the drug and kidneys that eliminate the drug. The individual variation of these characteristics is multiplied, resulting in what is termed a “skewed” or log-normal distribution. Most drug-level distributions fall into the category of log-normal, where the high end of the 95 percent confidence interval is actually an order of magnitude or more above the average or mean value. Some horsemen may simply be a victim of circumstance, with a horse that was attracted to eating the shavings more than most and absorbed the glaucine more than most, metabolized it more slowly than most and eliminated it at higher urinary concentrations than most. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium put out an advisory to horsemen to avoid bedding on bulk poplar shavings, particularly in the last 24 hours before racing. Of course, while this may be the best way to avoid these positive tests, it likely costs the horsemen hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to use bagged shavings instead of the bulk shavings. Additionally, as a popular wood for barn construction, poplar is going to be a difficult wood to avoid. Requiring expensive bedding or even requiring that horsemen have all hay and feed tested for foreign substances before feeding them to their horses would certainly avoid these positive tests. Or alternatively, there could be commonsense screening limits.

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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KIMBOBO – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

MORE WEEDS IN HAY:

The Yellow Rocket and Aminorex Story

THE YELLOW ROCKET PLANT IS LIKELY THE STARTING POINT FOR A COMPLEX CHAIN THAT CAN END WITH A POSITIVE FOR AMINOREX.

Yellow rocket is a member of the Brassicaceae plant family that flowers bright yellow in North American hayfields in the spring for an almost ubiquitous presence. Similar to the production of alkaloids described earlier, plant compounds called glucosinolates are produced by yellow rocket to deter damage from herbivores. Yellow rocket produces the glucosinolate glucobarbarin, which is converted to barbarin upon ingestion by an herbivore. Barbarin, in turn, is chemically related to aminorex. Aminorex is an amphetamine-like substance at one time marketed in Europe as a weight-loss medication but withdrawn when its use was linked to pulmonary hypertension. In the United States, aminorex is a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule 1 controlled substance and an RCI Class 1, Penalty Class A substance. Identifications of aminorex in equine urine samples can result and have led to significant penalties for horsemen. The yellow rocket/aminorex story is complex. Starting in Ohio in 2004 and later in Pennsylvania and Canada, aminorex positive identifications numbered in excess of 80. These identifications continued in the face of significant penalties, consistent with horsemen and the entire racing community, regulators included, being unaware of how these positives were originating. A parallel storyline was unfolding at the same time, as clinicians in Florida began to recommend the use of the dewormer levamisole as an adjunct treatment for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Three years into these aminorex identifications, Dr. Frank Pellegrini of Freedom Health LLC, working with Industrial Laboratories in Denver, Colorado, identified the relationship between levamisole administrations and aminorex identifications. After Pellegrini communicated these findings in March 2008, the high numbers of aminorex identifications stopped abruptly. However, a small number of aminorex positives continued to crop up, raising the possibility of another unidentified source of aminorex identifications. At the 2018 International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians in Dubai, the LGC laboratory in England reported aminorex identifications with no history of levamisole administration. Their investigation identified a number of small plant-related molecules in these samples, suggesting that the source of these aminorex identifications could be plant-origin barbarin. Following this report and a request from Dr. Richard Sams, we synthesized barbarin for use as a standard and for equine administration experiments. Professor George A. Maylin of the New York Drug Testing and Research Program then fed yellow rocket plants and the synthetic barbarin to research horses and subsequently identified aminorex in their urine, confirming the scientific insights of our LGC colleagues. This experimental result explains the ongoing sporadic aminorex identifications in U.S. racing after horsemen became aware of the association with levamisole. As could be readily predicted, despite the steep penalties associated THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

with aminorex positives, classic clusters of aminorex identifications have continued, including in Ontario and more recently in Massachusetts harness racing. These clusters are presumably associated with inadvertent inclusion of barbarin-containing plants in the feedstuffs of these horses. A similar cluster of aminorex identifications was made recently in Kentucky but was not pursued administratively. Kentucky Horse Racing Commission representatives argued that it is possible that the conversion from barbarin to aminorex may actually occur in the sample after it has been collected. As the laboratory could not be sure that the aminorex was in the horses or newly produced in the urine sample after collection, the cases were not pursued. The link between barbarin and aminorex identifications sheds fresh light on other positive findings. In English racing, pemoline, a closely related substance to aminorex, was identified after levamisole administration. On review of the chemical structures of aminorex and pemoline, the latter turns out to be a simple oxidation product of aminorex. Dr. Thomas Tobin proposed that these English pemoline identifications were an outcome of levamisole administrations and that the pemoline detected in these horses could actually be a downstream metabolite of aminorex, an explanation accepted by the British Horseracing Authority. This evaluation raises the possibility that other pemoline identifications in post-race samples may be related to exposure of the horses involved to barbarin or barbarin-related materials metabolizing to aminorex and then to pemoline. The question then becomes, “How often are low concentrations of pemoline identified in post-race samples?” There are two significant reports of low-concentration urinary pemoline identifications in Thoroughbred racing. First, a French sample sent in recent years to Hong Kong was identified as containing pemoline, which is apparently an unusual identification in Hong Kong. In French, Belgian and even Peruvian racing, however, low-concentration pemoline identifications are not unusual, and the Belgian laboratory has long had in place an in-house screening limit for pemoline. We understand the limit is in the order of several nanograms per milliliter in urine, fully consistent with the existence of an unknown environmental source of low-concentration pemoline identifications. Second, in last year’s racing season, a number of Indiana horsemen received verbal notifications of pemoline identifications in post-race samples from their horses racing in that state. No administrative action was being taken on these notifications, but the horsemen were advised that they should take more care in their administration of levamisole to their horses. The problem was that the horsemen were not using levamisole and therefore did not know how to prevent the reported pemoline identifications. After discussions between Tobin and the laboratory, this matter was resolved, although it would be fair to say that the matter of the source of these low-concentration pemoline identifications has not been resolved. However, an obvious potential source of unex41

FEATURE

ISAVIRA – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

plained low-concentration pemoline identifications, as in Belgium, France and now apparently in Indiana, would be exposure of the involved horses to plants or hay containing barbarin or barbarin-related materials. Plants containing barbarin or barbarin-related glucosinolates are widespread across the globe, and these plants can give rise to low-concentration urinary aminorex identifications, as have been identified in English and U.S.

equine urine samples. Second, a closely related substance, pemoline, is also a not infrequently identified low-concentration substance of unknown origins occurring in European, U.S. and Peruvian samples. As such, barbarin or a closely related substance is high on the list of candidates as the unknown environmental source of these low-concentration urinary aminorex and pemoline identifications.

HEMP, CANNABIDIOL, THC HEMP HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY-POPULAR COMPONENT OF FEED FOR LIVESTOCK, AND CBD OIL IS BEING MARKETED FOR CONSUMPTION BY BOTH HUMANS AND ANIMALS, WHICH RAISES THE POSSIBILITY OF DETECTION OF CBD OR THC IN HORSES. THC IS THE PSYCHOACTIVE CONSTITUENT IN MARIJUANA, WHICH MAY BE PRESENT IN SMALL QUANTITIES IN HEMP AND CBD OIL.

On December 12, 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill and effectively legalized the production and sale of hemp. Hemp can be considered a superfood that is high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and contains high-quality protein, all essential amino acids, vitamin E and a myriad of minerals. It is therefore no surprise that ongoing research on feeding hemp products to livestock has shown benefits including improved meat and egg quality in poultry and decreased rumen methane production in cattle. The National Animal Supplement Council, a nonprofit trade organization that works with non-food animal supplement manufacturers and the various agencies that regulate them, has clarified that passage of the Farm Bill paves the way for hemp products to be added to animal supplements. Like most plants, hemp contains a variety of compounds and metabolites, most called cannabinoids. Minor components of hemp include cannabidiol (CBD) and a very small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which must be present at less than a 0.3 percent level for the plant material to be considered hemp. Its DEA-regulated cousin, marijuana, typically contains 5 percent to 10 percent THC. Cannabinoids and similar compounds are actually common across plants, including in black pepper and echinacea.

CONCLUSION 42

All vertebrates, including humans and horses, have an endocannabinoid system, meaning cannabinoids are actually endogenous substances in the nervous system. Cannabinoid receptors help regulate a wide range of bodily functions. Based on this, CBD oil has experienced aggressive marketing, both for human and animal usage. CBD oil and hemp oil are not the same thing. CBD oil is typically purified cannabidiol that is added to oil, resulting in concentrations as high as 80 percent CBD. Marketing claims are made that CBD oil can be used for pain, inflammation, cardiovascular health, allergies and immune function. Note that any hemp product may return a trace urinary level of CBD or even THC. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky spearheaded the effort to have the Hemp Farming Act added to the 2018 Farm Bill. In light of hemp’s benefits as an agricultural commodity, he said it was “brought to my attention just how wrongheaded the federal ban on hemp was.” So, on the cusp of hemp and hemp products entering the mainstream of agricultural commerce, two of its components, CBD and THC, have made their way onto the RCI schedule. THC is an RCI Class 1, Penalty Class A substance, and CBD is an RCI Class 2, Penalty Class B substance. No provision for screening limits has been added.

The sensitivity of laboratory testing of horse blood and urine has far outpaced any discussion of what these new ultra-low concentration findings mean. In human forensic toxicology, drug tests are reviewed by trained and accredited medical review officers to separate the meaningful from the meaningless drug levels. Perhaps it is time for a similar approach before more innocent horsemen are penalized for just feeding and bedding their horses. HJ

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THE HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS ALABAMA HBPA 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 Alabama-bred 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.

Date Set for Kenneth Cotton Classic The fourth running of the Kenneth Cotton Classic for Alabama-breds will be contested at Evangeline Downs on Saturday, May 11. The $25,000 purse includes $20,000 from the Alabama HBPA and $5,000 from the Louisiana HBPA. The six-furlong race on the main track is for 3-year-olds and up that are maidens or non-winners of two that broke their maiden for a claiming price of $25,000 or less.

Accomplished Stakes Winner Chamois Joins Alabama Stallion Ranks Chamois, a multiple stakes winner of $353,914, has been retired and will stand the 2019 breeding season at Flying P Ranch in Hope Hull, Alabama. A son of two-time leading sire Smart Strike out of Grade 1 winner and multiple stakes producer Meridiana (Ger), Chamois will stand for $2,000, with special consideration to approved mares. A second-out winner at age 2 in maiden special weight company at Aqueduct, Chamois went on to win Aqueduct’s Duluth Stakes and Delaware Park’s Stanton Stakes, earning 111 Equibase speed figures in each of those 1 1/16-mile turf events. Chamois ended his career with five wins, six seconds and six thirds, including a runner-up finish in Aqueduct’s Danger’s Hour Stakes and third-place efforts in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico and Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont. By leading international sire Smart Strike—whose 131 black-type winners include outstanding sires such as Curlin, Lookin At Lucky, English Channel and THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Dominus—Chamois is out of $556,795-earner Meridiana, who captured the Group 1 Oaks d’Italia in Italy, the Grade 2 Orchid Handicap and Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes in the U.S. and two additional stakes in her native Germany. Among her nine foals of racing age, Meridiana has produced stakes winner Infinite Wisdom (earner of $304,778), Grade 1-placed Center Divider ($341,446), Grade 3-placed Pine Needles ($136,780) and three additional earners of more than $200,000. “Not only was Chamois a tremendously classy racehorse who broke his maiden and was competitive at the stakes level over several seasons on the world-class New York circuit, he sports a pedigree that I’d hold up against any horse who’s ever stood in the state of Alabama,” said Flying P owner Bobby Pruitt. “Given the success of Smart Strike sons at stud—especially with Curlin’s ascent to world-class commercial status and Lookin At Lucky’s breakout year in 2018 via Breeders’ Cup Classic champ Accelerate—we couldn’t be more optimistic about Chamois’ chances. When regional breeders come out and see this horse with their own eyes, we’re almost certain they’ll be as bullish as we are.” The deal to sell Chamois to Flying P was brokered by New Jersey-based bloodstock agent Michael Slezak.

ARIZONA HBPA Turf Paradise-Arizona Downs Simulcast and Legislative Updates So far 2019 has been a trying time for the Arizona HBPA board of directors. Dealing with the ownership of Turf Paradise has been troubling. We have been trying to negotiate a new contract as our current contract expires at the end of this year’s race meet. Up until now, we have had little success with negotiations. We have been doing everything we can to get Turf Paradise to lift the block of the Monarch simulcast signal to Arizona Downs. Again, we have been unable to make any progress. We have been working with Turf Paradise General Manager Vince Francia on trying to get better maintenance on the backside restrooms and to get roofs fixed. I understand some of your frustrations with the leaky roofs. We are also working to get the streets repaired as we have had several reports of horses with bruised feet from the pot holes in our streets. I want you to know your board is working hard to get these things fixed with little cooperation with track ownership. Your board members have taken some hard line stands and are being threatened with lawsuits from the ownership of Turf Paradise. Your board has also been working hard on the fatality issue that has plagued Turf Paradise the past couple of years. They are working toward 100 percent vet inspections of all horses running on race day. We haven’t really come to any conclusions yet on the reasons for the increase in fatalities, but we do believe the track superintendent is doing a great job, especially with all of the rain we have had this year. We need everyone to do their part and only lead over horses that are 100 percent sound. There are three different bills in the legislature the board members are working on: 1. HB 2576 would add 1 percent to the handle on the wagers made in Arizona, and that money would go to the breeders’ fund to be paid out in purse supplements as well as a portion being paid out to mare and stallion owners. The board is supporting this bill in an attempt to help reestablish a breeding program in Arizona. 2. SB 1144 covers ejection or exclusion from a racetrack and the 47

NEWS conditions that must be met, including a ruling from the stewards, a determination by the commission director and a majority vote by the commission in a public meeting. We believe if there is a need to exclude someone it needs to be done only through the stewards. 3. HB 2731 would eliminate the day of live racing restriction being placed on Rillito Park. This will enable Rillito to simulcast yearround, and they would no longer have a 20-day limit. Also, this bill includes a clause that says if a simulcast company like Monarch does business in the state with one track, it has to offer its signal to all tracks at the same price.

Arizona Downs Opening Soon

COURTESY ARIZONA DOWNS

Arizona Downs is excited about its opening, and the board has agreed on a contract with the track formerly known as Yavapai Downs. Racing will begin on May 24 with a four-day racing week. After that, racing will be on Saturdays and Sundays except for the holiday weekends. The meet will run through Labor Day weekend. Arizona Downs’ goal is to have an average purse level of $70,000 per day. The backside will be opening sometime in the latter part of April and will remain open until September 15. The new racing secretary is Randy Wehrman, who has previously worked in Kentucky and Ohio. Randy is working on the first condition ARIZONA DOWNS IS GETTING READY TO OPEN book and will be FOR LIVE RACING THIS MAY. distributing the book in the near future. They have also hired Lee Peterson as starter and Kim Pomposelli as mutuels manager. All are respected industry veterans. Arizona Downs will have spent more than $8 million on the remodeling of the grandstand, racetrack and backside. I am sure everyone will find Arizona Downs to be a great place to race. The above photo shows the track work, which includes a complete survey and regrading. Material mixes are being evaluated by Dr. Michael “Mick” Peterson with the University of Kentucky’s Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory. The clubhouse and bar on the top floor have been completely renovated, and a simulcast room has been added. Track officials are in the process of tripling the electrical capacity in the barn area. I have made several visits to Arizona Downs, and they are doing everything first-class. General Manager Ann McGovern is very excited to have all of you enjoy your summer racing at Arizona Downs.

Rillito Park Update Rillito Park is off and running. General Manager Mike Weiss is again working with the University of Arizona Race Track Industry program and students. Several students are working at the track. The article below was written by one of the students, Zach A. Taylor: The beginning of the Rillito Park race meeting brings opportunity to the horsemen of Southern Arizona and excitement to the throngs of race fans who will attend the races at the historic track. For a group of students at the University of Arizona, the beginning of the Rillito race meeting offers a chance to gain 48

valuable hands-on experience in their field of study. The Paribet Racetrack Industry Student Experience (PRISE) is entering its fifth year under the direction of Rillito Park General Manager Michael Weiss. Weiss, an alum of the Race Track Industry Program (RTIP), offers current students in the program a real taste of life as a racetracker. This year, RTIP students are filling a myriad of roles, from clubhouse hostess to assistant general manager. Jacob Shepard, a student seeking his second degree, is acting as programs manager. Using experience from his time at Brisnet, Jacob oversees the design, creation and distribution of live racing programs as well as the simulcast programs offered by Rillito Park. Another student seeking a second degree, Claudia Alvarez, has multiple roles at Rillito. She serves as timing official and photo finish operator. Between races, Claudia hustles down to the paddock from her perch in the official’s booth for an on-air handicapping segment, which she performs bilingually. In total, there are 16 students from the RTIP learning and gaining valuable hands-on experience at Rillito to complement their academics. Along with PRISE, Rillito Park has partnered with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona. The partnership with the college has opened the door for even more students to gain experience, as well as college credit hours, while working at Rillito. One of the most exciting opportunities presented to students in the CALS program coincides with a new initiative. This year, with the help of well-traveled regulator Dan Fick, Rillito Park is piloting their Equine Wellness Program. Four lucky students were chosen out of a large pool of applicants to act as stewards’ field safety aides. The safety aides assist the stewards and track veterinarians with a multitude of tasks including prerace exams, enforcement of safety protocols and general backside management. The Equine Wellness Program was put in place by Rillito’s management to ensure a racing environment in which the health and safety of horses and riders are a primary objective. Fick coordinates the program with Weiss, Racing Secretary Debi Ferguson, Arizona Equine Medical Director Scot Waterman and track veterinarian Chuck Hoover. In addition to stricter policies for horses entering the backside, several lectures have been planned for local horsemen and women. The Equine Wellness Program also calls on all other officials to be mindful and vigilant in watching for safety violations and any other indicators that might suggest a looming incident. Rillito Park is the birthplace of American Quarter Horse Racing. It is also the first track to implement photo finish cameras. It boasts being the track where legendary trainer Bob Baffert both rode and trained his first winners. The inclusion of students from the University of Arizona is a great way to ensure that the list of innovations that came from Rillito Park will continue to grow and that future leaders of the sport will have had their first taste of the industry from their time at Rillito.

Spring Fling Party The AZHBPA board members will again be hosting a Spring Fling. The party will begin after the last race on March 27. There will be a barbecue with entertainment and free beer. Please mark your calendars for a fun night at Turf Paradise. Please send your email address to azhbpa@outlook.com to get added to our master mailing list.

ARKANSAS HBPA New Executive Director Loretta Brennan had been terminated as executive director of the Arkansas HBPA, and we are pleased to welcome Jeanette Milligan to the position, effective March 4. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS

The track where purses have been steadily rising for 11 straight years is at it again. Oaklawn is increasing all overnight purses, some as much as $6,000, retroactive to the Thursday, February 14, card. Maiden special weights and open allowances are being bumped $6,000 and are now $83,000 and $87,000, respectively. Purses for all starter allowances, claiming races with a claiming price of $16,000 or greater and maiden claiming races with a claiming price of $20,000 or greater are being increased by $3,000. All other races are being increased by $2,000. “We’re off to a fantastic start because the fans have responded to great weather and great racing,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the response we’ve gotten in support of our new race dates. We opened later and had one of the best opening weekends in 10 years. “We are mindful of the fact that bigger purses bring in the best horses and human athletes, which in turn brings out the fans. Our goal is to have the richest and most competitive racing product in the country between January and early May.” “I think from a horsemen’s perspective this shows that the late start has been successful and was a wise decision,” Arkansas HBPA President Bill Walmsley said. “The horsemen are already reaping the benefits in the form of this purse increase so quickly in the season. It is both unexpected and appreciated.” “It’s fantastic,” said Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who is spending his first winter in Hot Springs. “I’ve been praising the Cella family and their organization. They have a great organization and great people who work for them. And now I think the horsemen are rallying around them. It’s a testament to how well you can work together in this business. It’s a wonderful thing.” Oaklawn’s 2019 live meet continues through Saturday, May 4.

CHARLES TOWN HBPA 2019 West Virginia Legislative Session Our legislative session, which began January 9, has been very active with positive results. Senate Bill 13 passed this year, restoring $11 million annually to the purse funds of the racing industry in West Virginia to be shared on a pro-rata basis among the two Thoroughbred and two greyhound racetracks. This is a first step in our journey to reinvigorate and grow our industry. Other bills include plans to license advance deposit wagering sites in the state and a plan to provide funds for state-directed necropsies, as well as aftercare for horses that have run in West Virginia.

Honoring Barbara Jo Rubin On February 22, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races honored Barbara Jo Rubin on the 50th anniversary of her race as the first woman to ride against men at a nationally recognized racetrack in the United States. Rubin began riding at the recommendation of her doctors as she was recovering from polio as a child. She worked for free, grooming horses and hotwalking to learn the riding game at Tropical Park in Florida. When she was finally named on a horse in a race, the other jockeys boycotted. The Jockeys’ Guild tried to keep her from riding. Even though a huge crowd had shown up, Rubin was taken off her mount. Then, a fellow jockey threw a brick through the window of her trailer.

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None of it stopped Rubin. She finally got that mount at Charles Town on February 22, 1969, where she made history before a crowd of thousands. “I am so thrilled to be honored at Charles RETIRED CHARLES TOWN FEMALE RIDERS Town,” Rubin said. (FROM LEFT ON HORSEBACK) LAURA CARSON, “Charles Town has a NATASHA BRACALONI, ODESSA CLELLAND,LORI very special place in BOURNE, (FROM LEFT, STANDING) BARBARA JO RUBIN, KRISTY PETTY AND JUDY GRAMS my heart. Everyone at Charles Town welcomed me, and it was so very memorable for me.” COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

Oaklawn Increases All Overnight Purses

Promoting the West Virginia Equine Industry West Virginia public television has recently begun airing programming that showcases the state’s equine sports and horsemen. “Horse Power,” hosted by Jeff Gilleas, airs on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. on West Virginia PBS. Recent shows have included interviews with local horsemen Mark Russell and James W. Casey and the team at Mountain View Polo, as well as “Vet’s Corner” segments with Dr. Keith Berkeley of Valley Equine Associates. Previous episodes can be seen online at wvhorsepower.com.

Congratulations to the West Virginia Breeders Award Winners The West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Awards took place on Sunday, February 25. This year’s honorees included the following: Champion West Virginia-Bred 2-Year-Old Filly: Battleground Star • Owner/Breeder Coleswood Farm Inc. • Trainer: Jeff Runco Champion West Virginia-Bred 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Burnin Ring O Fire • Owner/Breeder: Ray M. Pennington III • Trainer: Ollie Figgins Co-Champion West Virginia-Bred 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Opera Nite • Owner/Breeder: Germania Farm Inc. • Trainer: Jeff Runco Co-Champion West Virginia-Bred 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: William and Mary • Owner: Taylor Mountain Farm • Breeder/Trainer: James W. Casey Champion West Virginia-Bred Older Filly/Mare: Anna’s Bandit • Owner: No Guts No Glory Farm • Breeder/Trainer: John Robb Champion West Virginia-Bred Older Colt/Gelding: Runnin’toluvya • Owner: Grams Racing Stable • Breeder: Leslie G. Comer • Trainer: Tim Grams Champion West Virginia Bred Sprinter: Aaron’s Tap • Owner: Smart Angle LLC • Breeder: A & B Bloodstock • Trainer: Jeff Runco Champion West Virginia-Bred 3-Year-Old Filly and West Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year: Late Night Pow Wow • Owner: Breeze Easy LLC • Breeder: John McKee • Trainer: Javier Contreras West Virginia Broodmare of the Year: Holy Pow Wow • Owner: John McKee West Virginia Stallion of the Year: Fiber Sonde • Owner: John McKee West Virginia Breeder of the Year: James W. Casey, Taylor Mountain Farm

NEWS

2019 LIVE RACING CALENDAR Post times: Tues, Wed, Thur & Fri 2:15 EDT Saturday: 6:15 EDT APRIL SUN MON TUE WED THUR 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30

FRI SAT 5 6 12 13 19 20 26 27

MAY SUN MON TUE WED THUR 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 30

JUNE SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 30 1* 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

JULY WED THUR 3 4 10 11 17 18 24 25 31

SUN MON 4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

SUN MON 6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

AUGUST TUE WED THUR 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

OCTOBER TUE WED THUR 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22 23 24 29 30 31

FRI SAT 2 3 9 10* 16 17 23 24 30 31

FRI SAT 4 5* 11 12 18 19 25 26*

Indiana Derby (July 13th) 50

SUN MON TUE 1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 29 30

SUN MON 1 2 8 9 15 16 22 23 29 30

SUN 3 10 17 24

SEPTEMBER TUE WED THUR 3 4 5 10 11 12 17 18 19 24 25 26

FRI SAT 3 4 10 11 17 18 24 25 31

FRI SAT 5 6* 12 13 19 20 26 27

FRI SAT 6 7 13 14* 20 21 27 28

NOVEMBER MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30

Quarter Horse Days * THE HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS INDIANA HBPA

Iowa HBPA Office Hours and Information

Indiana Grand Track Renovation

Until the track opens, our office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Once the track opens in April, we will have the office available six or seven days a week, beginning at 8 a.m. and going until 3 p.m. We can be reached at (515) 967-4804. To keep up to date on news and issues occurring in Iowa, you can find us on our Facebook page (search Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Inc.) and follow us on Twitter @IowaHBPA. You can also sign up to receive our emails by emailing us at info@iowahbpa.org. We look forward to seeing the return of our horsemen including familiar and new faces!

Local horsemen are excited to be training and racing on a totally renovated dirt track surface at Indiana Grand in 2019. The process has taken four months and includes removing and stabilizing the sub-base with new material and the milling of a totally new cushion consisting of sand, silt and clay. The horsemen appreciate Caesars Entertainment’s commitment to providing the best and safest track surface for our equine and human athletes to train and race over. Also, many thanks to Indiana Grand Vice President and General Manager of Racing Jon Schuster and his team for leading the renovation project and keeping the horsemen, jockeys and Indiana Horse Racing Commission updated through weekly communications as the project has progressed. Indiana Grand is the place to race in 2019 as excitement abounds!

President’s Message

IOWA HBPA 2019 Iowa HBPA Schedule of Events Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming events: May 2—Iowa HBPA general membership meeting May 3—Opening day of the Prairie Meadows meet May 18—Iowa HBPA awards ceremony held in conjunction with ITBOA July 2-31—Adventureland tickets will be sold and available for use through Iowa HBPA July 5—HART (Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds) silent auction July 5-6—Iowa Festival of Racing September 2—Iowa Classics Night for Iowa-breds

Prairie Meadows 2019 Racing Season Information Book 1 for the Prairie Meadows meet features a variety of incentives for horsemen who choose to make Iowa their summertime racing destination. Incentives include the Starter Bonus, which awards $250 to every starter in an overnight race during the bonus period, which runs from May 3 to May 27. There is a two-race cap for the Starter Bonus, regardless of ownership during either start. We encourage horsemen to take advantage of this opportunity to run for additional purse monies, and in return we can grow the racing industry here in Iowa. Thank you for your participation. The 67-day Thoroughbred season runs May 3 through September 10. Opening weekend racing is that Friday and Saturday. The following weekend will see Friday through Sunday race days, and Thursday will be added from May 16 through August 10. Beginning August 19, Thoroughbreds will race on Mondays and Tuesdays for four weeks. Please refer to the live racing calendar on prairiemeadows.com for complete schedule details. For all overnight races (stakes not included), horses that finish sixth through last will each receive $250 for participating in that race. For stakes, please refer to the individual stakes conditions for how the purse monies will be distributed to all runners. The first condition book, stall application, live racing schedule, training schedule and other racing-related documents can be found at prairiemeadows. com/racing/horsemens-info/thoroughbred-meet and in print at the Prairie Meadows racing office.

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KENTUCKY HBPA

SPRING 2019

Heading into spring, horsemen are beginning to return from their winter locations back to Kentucky. At Keeneland and Churchill Downs, they will see purses infused with revenue from historical horse racing located in proximity to the track. In addition, Ellis Park, with the benefit of historical horse racing at the track and a sizable grant approved by the Kentucky HBPA from Kentucky Downs’ historical horse racing facility, is giving horsemen a real reason to stay in Kentucky for the remainder of 2019. The KHBPA continues to push for the implementation of historical horse racing at Turfway Park, which we feel could be a lucrative location, but thus far our efforts have been futile. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and KHBPA are pushing hard to make this a reality. Recently, I appeared before the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee in Frankfort, Kentucky. The purpose was to voice our concern regarding the number of horses that are claimed at racetracks in Kentucky and immediately vanned to other states to resume racing there. Just at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, 578 horses were claimed in 2018, mostly by horsemen racing in other jurisdictions. We approached the KHRC with some common-sense approaches, which Ben Huffman, director of racing at both Keeneland and Churchill Downs, had also agreed might diminish the claiming to a certain extent. The KHRC submitted several regulation changes to the subcommittee, but the changes did not include any of the recommendations from the KHBPA or Ben Huffman to address the problem. In addition, we voiced our opposition to the voided claiming rule. We explained that not only are the purported welfare benefits of the voided claiming rule unfounded, but offering a warranty will encourage predatory claiming behavior by outside interests. I explained to the subcommittee that the KHBPA appreciates the time and effort that the KHRC applied to the project of revising the regulations. However, by not addressing the significant problem of horses being claimed and leaving the state and by the voided claiming rule giving a warranty to outside interests claiming Kentucky horses, we are jeopardizing the industry we are trying to protect. Good luck in your endeavors. Rick Hiles, President KHBPA

NEWS

Kentucky Horsemen Aiming for the Run for the Roses

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

Kentucky-based horses and horsemen were a dominant force as the roads to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks heated up in early winter. The wealth was spread around, rather than just a couple of trainers cleaning up. Speaking of wealth, those who bet Super Steed at 62-1 odds in Oaklawn Park’s $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) were well-compensated. Super Steed, owned by Michael Pressley of Henderson, Kentucky, and Dr. Steed Jackson (a name deserving to own a Derby horse if ever there was one) of Evansville, Indiana, spent the summer training at Ellis Park as part of western Kentucky favorite son Larry Jones’ operation. He was second in his debut at Keeneland and then won a Churchill Downs allowance race before two off-the-board finishes in stakes led to his $126.60 mutuel in Arkansas.

SUPER STEED

Debutante and 19 ½-length heroine of Churchill Downs’ Pocahontas (G3), rebounded from a disappointing Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to capture the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds. A half-hour later on Fair Grounds’ second-biggest card, LeComte Stakes (G3) winner and Churchill maiden winner War of Will took the Risen Star Stakes (G3) to go to three-for-three on dirt after being winless in four starts on the turf for which the Mark Casse-trained and Gary Barber-owned charge is so royally bred (he’s by War Front out of the Irish-bred Sadler’s Wells mare Visions of Clarity). The cleverly named New York-bred Somelikeithotbrown (by Big Brown out of the roan Marilyn Monroan) made his first four starts in New York but has spent most of his time at trainer Mike Maker’s Trackside Training Center base near Churchill Downs. That included preparing for a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at 15-1. In his first start since then, Somelikeithotbrown shipped from Maker’s Gulfstream winter base to win Turfway Park’s $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial for the Kentucky-based partnerships of David Koenig’s Sand Dollar Stables and Dr. Harvey Diamond’s Skychai Stables. Among other notable 3-year-olds who call Kentucky home much of the year is Dwight Pruett’s Gray Attempt, who won Fair Grounds’ Sugar Bowl Stakes and Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes for trainer Jinks Fires. Michael Ryan’s filly Positive Spirit shipped from trainer Rodolphe Brisset’s Keeneland base to New York to take the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) by 10 ½ lengths off a Churchill maiden race. “It just goes to show how strong Kentucky’s 2-year-old racing is,” said Kentucky HBPA Executive Director Marty Maline. “Obviously these were just the winter preps, and there’s a lot more racing to go before the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. But these horses and horsemen have been great endorsements for Kentucky racing as they fan out to other regions for the winter. They are doing their part, and we strive to do our part by promoting these accomplishments through our enhanced website and our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and the Kentucky HBPA YouTube Channel that is growing in popularity. “We can’t emphasize enough how tracks working with their horsemen’s group is assisting the entire Kentucky circuit. The Kentucky HBPA arranging with Kentucky Downs to transfer $2.9 million in purse money to Ellis Park made it possible for us to get Serengeti Empress back to Kentucky for the Ellis Park Debutante and for Larry Jones to bring his stable back to Kentucky, to name just two examples. “With Churchill Downs’ Derby City Gaming so successful with its new historical horse racing operation, it’s just going to get even better.”

HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Update from Julio Rubio

SERENGETI EMPRESS

Harold Lerner and partners’ Harvey Wallbanger, a Churchill maiden winner trained by Kenny McPeek, was dispatched at odds of 29-1 when he captured Gulfstream Park’s Holy Bull Stakes (G2) by a length over Calumet Farm’s Ellis Park maiden winner Everfast, who went off at 128-1 for trainer Dale Romans. Joel Politi’s Serengeti Empress, the 13 ½-length winner of the Ellis Park

The H-2B visa cap for FY2019 was reached on February 22. The H-2B visa, through which immigrants are applying for limited opportunities to work in the United States, is the virtual lifeblood of many horsemen who are unable to find enough competent and experienced American workers to fill the various types of positions on the backstretch of a racetrack. Upon opening the H-2B visa window, there were approximately 100,000 applications for the roughly 30,000 H-2B visas available during this application period. The result is that several trainers who assisted their employees in applying for H-2B visas found that only a limited number obtained eligibility. The KHBPA regularly advocates in Washington, D.C., on issues important to horsemen. In this instance, Julio Rubio, KHBPA’s immigration liaison, joined members of the H-2B Visa Coalition in D.C. to advocate for horsemen and implore members of Congress to address the H-2B visa issue. Rubio, along with Will Velie and Elizabeth Conley, both renowned attorneys specializing in immigration law, met with officials in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office and with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Also, they met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. In the meetings, they explained that despite extensive efforts to recruit and train American workers through programs

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AFFILIATE NEWS such as Groom Elite, there are simply not enough American workers to fill critical jobs. Further, without consideration by Congress to increase the H-2B visa cap, the entire racing industry in the United States is in jeopardy. As a result of the advocacy, Congress passed a law authorizing the White House to increase the number of H-2B visas by 66,000. This will sufficiently address the number of positions applied for this year. We anticipate that President Trump will issue the H-2B visas authorized by Congressional action. However, Rubio and the H-2B coalition will continue advocacy efforts with the White House and Department of Homeland Security. We hope to have a resolution soon. In other news, a bill has been introduced to permanently correct the annual H-2B visa cap shortfall. We will have more updates on this bill at a future date. We hope to report positive feedback soon.

The HBPA Is You The HBPA, established in 1940, is an organization of owners and trainers numbering approximately 30,000 nationally in 23 states and Canada and more than 6,000 in Kentucky. The association is governed by a board of directors consisting of owners and trainers volunteering their time and elected by the membership every three years. The HBPA is committed to working for the betterment of racing on all levels. The HBPA represents owners and trainers on several fronts: · The HBPA is present in negotiating sessions with each racetrack regarding purse structure, equitable share of simulcast revenues, overall track safety, sanitation and security. · The HBPA provides benevolence to horsemen in need, education and recreation programs to the backstretch, and various insurance packages that include—free of charge to members—fire and disaster insurance and claiming coverage. Visit one of the fully staffed HBPA offices at the currently running racetrack in Kentucky for details. · The HBPA works in conjunction with the chaplaincy program and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund to provide support and benefits for horsemen. · The HBPA supports scientific research and marketing initiatives on a regional and national level to help promote interest in Thoroughbred racing. · The HBPA is at the forefront in litigation and legislation on issues involving horsemen’s rights in regard to interstate simulcasting, proprietary rights, casino gambling, therapeutic medication, sports betting and many other areas of concern to horsemen.

How can I join? You are invited to drop by the HBPA office to meet the staff and learn more about current projects and how you can get involved in helping to improve the industry. There are no membership fees. Remember, this is your organization. Become an active participant and one of the horsemen helping horsemen. To join, all you need to do is fill out our membership card and fax, mail or email it back to us. For more information, please visit our website at kyhbpa.org and click on “How to Join.”

LOUISIANA HBPA Delta Downs The 2019 American Quarter Horse meet at Delta Downs begins April 19 and ends July 6. The closing day card features eight stakes for Louisiana-breds totaling more than $1 million, including the Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) and Delta Downs Louisiana-Bred Derby (RG3). The futurity had a purse of $700,000 for the 2018 edition. For additional information, contact the Delta Downs racing office at (888) 589-7223.

Evangeline Downs The 2019 Thoroughbred meet at Evangeline Downs begins April 3 and ends August 24. The Evangeline Mile will be conducted June 22 for a $100,000-guaranteed purse. Louisiana Legends night will be May 25 with eight Louisiana-bred stakes for more than $600,000 in purses. For additional information, contact the Evangeline Downs racing office at (337) 594-3022.

Louisiana Downs The 2019 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred meet begins May 4 and concludes September 25. The Louisiana Super Derby on September 7 will be the meet’s marquee event with a guaranteed purse of $300,000. The September 7 card will have a total of seven stakes for $660,000 in purses. The meet will also feature the annual Louisiana Cup Day on August 3 for Louisiana-bred horses featuring more than $350,000 in purses. For additional information, contact the Louisiana Downs racing office at (318) 741-2511.

DENIS BLAKE

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

NEWS

Fair Grounds Race Course 2018-2019 Race Meet

Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino 2019 Race Meet

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Harrah’s Louisiana Downs 2019 Race Meets

Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino 2019 Race Meet

8000 Hwy 80 East, PO Box 5519, Bossier City, LA 71171 318-742-5555 * www.ladowns.com

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2235 Creswell Lane Extension, Opelousas, LA 70570 Toll Free: 866-4-Racing * www.evangelinedowns.com

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THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS MICHIGAN HBPA A Tumultuous Time in Michigan Last year was a difficult one for Michigan Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing. In April 2018, we witnessed the unexpected closing of Hazel Park Raceway, leaving our horsemen without a location for racing after the last-minute cancellation of the meet. As our members were literally moving their horses into Hazel Park, the gates were closed and the announcement was hurriedly made. Michigan owners and trainers scrambled to find out-of-state locations for the season. While the exact reasons for the Hazel Park closure were not made public, the track was sold to a developer, and the track, barns and grandstand have since been leveled. It was announced that the property would be converted to a warehouse facility. Immediately thereafter, the Michigan HBPA began searching for a location for a 2018 or 2019 meet. State fair track locations were explored and were deemed to be too expensive to convert for a safe and appropriate facility. Surface conditions, rails and licensing requirements for the fair locations, along with many other obstacles, eliminated this option. Sports Creek Raceway in Swartz Creek, Michigan, had been idle since closing in 2015 and appeared to be the best option to pursue. The MiHBPA realized that an operator for a potential new track and a meet at Sports Creek would require a significant capital expenditure. To offset a portion of the expenditure, any potential operator would have to factor in what the potential revenue stream would be for a new venture in addition to simulcasting revenues. The most significant potential source of new revenue would be from the successful passage of the advance deposit wagering (ADW) bill that had been pending in Lansing for nearly two years. In the summer of 2018, the highly respected Stronach Group expressed interest in Sports Creek. After considerable discussions and conversations, the Stronach Group determined that the timeline for a successful and appropriate race meet license application for 2018–19 could not be met. Following their decision, Amwest, a Kentucky company, indicated that they were interested in the facility and a proposed Thoroughbred meet. The MiHBPA began immediate and considerable conversations with Amwest and their newly formed operating company, Amrace. In August, Amrace applied for a race meet license and a racing license at Sports Creek with the Michigan Gaming and Control Board (MGCB). The board issued a conditional license for Amrace, with the conditions for an approval listed in the order. As a matter of public record, the order called for certain conditions to be met on a specified timeline. The principal condition stated that the track property had to be purchased by Amrace and that Amrace complete the purchase in late 2018. During this time, the ADW bill continued to languish in Lansing, and representations were made to the MiHBPA, the bill sponsors and other stakeholders that the legislature would pass the ADW bill during the “lame duck” session. Representatives of the governor’s office gave every indication that the governor would sign the ADW bill if it reached his desk. At the same time, additional bills were introduced from other gaming interests, including the casino industry, that addressed internet gaming, sports betting and other gaming changes. For reasons that were never fully explained, the speaker of the Senate decided to tie the ADW bill to all of the other pending gaming bills. Simply stated, if all of the gaming bills did not pass, the ADW bill would not pass. At the same time, additional restrictive language was added to the ADW bill that would make it difficult for any racetrack to explore future forms of additional revenue. The MiHBPA worked very hard to release the tie-bar and to remove the restrictive language, but our efforts were blocked by other interests in Lansing. THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

Although the bills passed the Senate, the governor vetoed all of the new bills, including the ADW bill. This was another considerable blow to the industry. At this writing, Sen. Dan Lauwers has introduced SB 12, which addresses ADW alone but continues to include the restrictive added language. The conditional license granted to Amrace on October 31, 2018, also included the provision that Amrace and the MiHBPA would have a contract for racing. The conditional order called for 26 days of racing in the summer of 2019. Although the Racing Act requires a minimum of 30 race meet days, the MiHBPA determined that there was an adequate supply of purse pool funds available for 27 days for this first rebuilding year. This formula called for the purses to be at the same level as the purse structure at Hazel Park for 2017. The principal duty of the HBPA is to provide horses for a race meet and to administer the flow of purse funds from our escrow account to the track to pay for purses earned via racing. The MiHBPA firmly believed we could fulfill our obligation under the law. A proposed contract between the MiHBPA and Amrace was submitted to Amrace in October. Following the veto of the ADW bill, Amrace responded to our proposed contract with some significant revisions. Specifically, the Amrace revisions called for $450,000 paid to Amrace by the MiHBPA for track improvements or all of the purse pool revenue, a reduction of 37 percent in our purse pool funding from simulcasting revenues and relinquishing our portion of any live handle money due to the MiHBPA. Additionally, the revisions called for a reduction of race days for 2019 to 12 days from the allotted 26. In December, the MiHBPA contract committee met and unanimously rejected the proposed revisions. Additionally, the entire MiHBPA board reviewed the revisions and also unanimously rejected the revisions. This information was sent to Amrace, and they indicated that they would revise their requests and submit a new proposal to the MiHBPA. To date, nothing has been received. Throughout our conversations with Amrace, we indicated that the MiHBPA would assist Amrace in the following areas: 1. We would meet our legal obligations for horse supply and the administration of purses. 2. The MiHBPA removed and purchased the safety rail from Hazel Park and, with the board’s approval, would donate the rail to Sports Creek for the track renovations. All of the acquisition and removal costs, as well as the continued storage of the railing, would be borne by the MiHBPA. 3. The MiHBPA is currently awaiting a decision from the liquidators of Hazel Park as to its unsecured claim and what will be paid. With the board’s approval, some or all of these potential funds would be passed through to Amrace to offset their costs. 4. The MiHBPA would dedicate all of our current purse pool balances to purses at Sports Creek for the approved meets. 5. The MiHBPA would encourage, assist and work with all of our membership owners and trainers to fund whatever barn improvements the trainers would need to do to their allotted stalls in anticipation of a race meet. The MiHBPA, along with our lobbying efforts, were principally involved and responsible for the changes in the Horse Racing Act in 2016 and with the ADW bill. We would, of course, continue to work on a successful passage of an ADW bill and strive to secure additional forms of revenue for the track. In January, Amrace withdrew their application for a race meet license and track license with the MGCB for 2019, and the board has since rescinded the conditional order. Amrace has indicated that they want to pursue the licenses with the MGCB for 2020 for Sports Creek. Their new application to the board is due August 31. The MiHBPA remains willing to discuss a contract with Amrace for 2020 and beyond. It will be the responsibility of the MiHBPA board of directors to negotiate any future contract. 55

NEWS

MINNESOTA HBPA Women in Racing Luncheon at the Capitol Canterbury Park Preview The management team at Canterbury Park is celebrating its 25th season at the helm with a rich overnight and stakes program that gets underway Friday, May 3. All told, there will be $14.25 million in purse money, which equates to $215,000 in average daily purse distribution. Though the management team headed by CEO Randy Sampson has been at Canterbury for a quarter-century, there are new faces at the Shakopee oval this year. Matt Crawford takes over as the new director of racing and racing secretary. Likewise, Johnnie Jamison is the new track superintendent for what is a newly refurbished racetrack. Last fall, Canterbury Park worked extensively with contractor Hentges & Sons to repair and rebuild the limestone base of the main track. Guided by GPS technology, Hentges & Sons completely overhauled the grade and contour of the base. In doing so, the entirety of the base was reset and packed to the same specifications as originally designed in 1985. The refurbished racetrack is indeed good news as is the new incentive program provided by Canterbury Park and the Minnesota HBPA. In 2019 each starter in a race from the first condition book (May 3 through June 2) will receive a minimum of $500. Throughout the entirety of the meet, all runners will be paid a minimum participation fee of $250. In addition to the race-friendly news for 2019, there is also big entertainment news for one of the most fan-friendly racetracks in America. From July 18 through July 20, the inaugural Twin Cities Summer Jam will be presented at Canterbury Park. Arena-level performers in rock, pop and country will headline the event. So 2019 looks to be a stellar year for Minnesota racing at Canterbury Park, and it’s just around the corner. The stable area is slated to open on April 19.

MOUNTAINEER PARK HBPA Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort 2019 Racing Meet The 2019 race meet at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort will kick off April 28 and run through December 4 with the West Virginia Derby (G3) on August 3 (see calendar).

THE WOMEN IN RACING LUNCHEON ATTRACTED A GOOD CROWD.

West Virginia Racing Industry Promoted at the Capitol As part of an effort to have the Thoroughbred racing industry recognized as a contributor to the tourism and agriculture industries in West Virginia, the Charles Town HBPA and Mountaineer Park HBPA have again worked together to provide a presence at various events at the capitol.

West Virginia Racing Commission Retirement Plan for Backstretch Workers The enrollment period for the West Virginia Racing Commission Retirement Plan for Backstretch Workers for the 2018 plan year will take place April 15 through May 15. Visit the Mountaineer Park HBPA office for more information and applications. Participants must complete the applications each program year to be eligible. DENIS BLAKE

West Virginia Legislature Passes Bill to Restore $11 Million to Racetrack Purse Fund

Representatives from the Mountaineer Park HBPA, Charles Town HBPA, West Virginia Breeders Association and the Jockeys’ Guild sponsored a Women in Racing luncheon at the capitol on January 21 hosted by Sen. Patricia Rucker. The well-attended event provided an educational presentation on the racing and breeding industry in the state of West Virginia. Representatives received a glimpse of the daily activities of the industry and were able to ask questions of the horsewomen present.

The West Virginia Legislature passed legislation that would restore the $11 million that was directed to pay the Workers’ Compensation Debt Reduction Fund since 2005 to the four racetracks’ purse funds. “The restoration of $11 million to our purse funds will allow us to provide competitive purses,” said Jami Poole, president of Mountaineer Park HBPA. “The Charles Town HBPA, Mountaineer Park HBPA, the Jockeys’ Guild and the West Virginia Breeders Association worked together to gain some stability for the racing industry in West Virginia.” The legislation will be on the governor’s desk for signature. When signed, the bill will take effect July 1, 2019, and carry through for each fiscal year. The money would be distributed to the four racetrack purse funds based on the actual purse earnings of each licensee. 56

THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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AFFILIATE NEWS

MOUNTAINEER PARK April 28 - December 4, 2019 LIVE RACING CALENDAR - 130 DAYS January

Febuary

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Post Time - 7:00 pm Post Time - 2:00pm THE HORSEMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

West Virginia Derby 57

NEWS

OHIO HBPA Thistledown Begins 100-Day Race Meet on April 29 Ohio HBPA Main Office Moves The main offices of the Ohio HBPA and the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Health Fund have moved. Both are now located at 3860 Broadway, Grove City, OH 43123. All mailed communications to either organization should be sent to the new address. The phone numbers for both organizations remain the same.

Two New Scholarship Opportunities for Sons or Daughters of Ohio HBPA Members Two scholarships are being offered to the sons or daughters of current Ohio HBPA members in 2019. The scholarships total $7,000 and begin at $1,600 in the first year and then increase yearly to $1,700, $1,800 and finally $1,900 in the fourth and final year. The application and awarding process is being handled by College Now Greater Cleveland Inc. These scholarships are available to the dependents of any Ohio HBPA member, which includes both owners and trainers. To be eligible, the recipient must be between the ages of 18 and 25 and must either be a high school senior in 2019 or currently enrolled as a college undergraduate at an accredited, notfor-profit, higher educational institution. Other eligibility requirements include a minimum 2.5 grade point average (whether a high school senior or college undergraduate) and being a full-time student (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester) if a college undergraduate. The application for the scholarships can be found at app.smarterselect. com/programs/56850-College-Now-Greater-Cleveland. The deadline to apply is May 24.

Mahoning Valley Schedules Makeup Days Mahoning Valley Race Course, in cooperation with the Ohio HBPA, has scheduled five makeup dates for weather and track-related cancellations thus far during the 2019 winter-spring meeting. Makeup days were scheduled for Friday, March 15, and Friday, March 29. The meet, which was scheduled to end on Saturday, April 20, will now be extended with racing dates added on Monday, April 22, through Wednesday, April 24.

Belterra Park 2019 Racing Season Set to Begin With a Number of Changes Belterra Park kicks off its 93-day race meeting on Friday, April 26, with a number of changes in store for the season. The primary change is that Belterra Park is under new ownership. Boyd Gaming completed its purchase of the track last fall, and 2019 will be Boyd’s first year conducting live racing at Belterra Park. Boyd also owns and operates Thoroughbred tracks Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs in Louisiana. Bill Couch becomes the fourth racing secretary in as many years at Belterra Park. Couch has a long history in Ohio racing, having served as the racing secretary at Thistledown from 1997 through 2012 and also serving as director of racing at the track from 2003 until his departure in 2013 to become the racing secretary at Finger Lakes in New York. Racing will be conducted on a Thursday through Sunday schedule through closing day on September 29 with a 12:35 p.m. post daily. Additional racing days will be held on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, and Labor Day, Monday, September 2. 58

Thistledown will conduct its 100-day race meet beginning Monday, April 29, and running through Saturday, October 19. Patrick Ellsworth returns as racing secretary and has added the title of director of racing this year, taking over for his father, David, who retired as director of racing at the end of January. Thistledown will again offer the highest purse structure in Ohio this year with average daily purses from all sources set to exceed $150,000. Racing will be conducted on a four days per week schedule with live racing set for Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA (OKLAHOMA HBPA) 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. 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 on-track handle and export handle in the same season. 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 THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

DUSTIN ORONA PHOTOGRAPHY

AFFILIATE NEWS

WELDER

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 ½-furlong, $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes November 16. All but the Vance were stakes for eligible Oklahoma-breds. 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 Oklahoma-bred. The now 6-year-old gray speedster is owned by Ra-Max Farms of Claremore, Oklahoma, and is 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. 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 THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

SPRING 2019

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 Thoroughbreds 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. She 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 was on hiatus until the 2019 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season began on 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 alltime winningest trainer at the track. Those totals are now Von Hemel with 1,036 and Asmussen with 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 of all-time victories in Oklahoma City now stands at 318.

Clever Trevor Statue Unveiled at 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. 59

NEWS Renowned equine artist Lisa Perry was commissioned to create the Clever Trevor statue. The sculpture of Clever Trevor 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 Clever Trevor 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’s subsequent success on the national stage helped 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 ¼-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

OREGON HBPA Portland Meadows Recap Portland Meadows wrapped up its 2018–19 season on February 5. Leading trainer for the meet was Rigoberto “Jesse” Velasquez with the help of his assistant trainer Lisa Baze and their hard-working grooms. He had 97 starts with 22 wins, 21 seconds and 17 thirds. Pablo De Jesus was second with 115 starts with 19 wins, 14 seconds and 26 thirds, followed by Jonathan Nance with 92 starts with 14 wins, 25 seconds and 15 thirds. Mike Thompson earned leading owner honors with eight wins, two seconds and four thirds in 26 starts. John Parker had 32 starts with seven wins, four seconds and eight thirds, and Barbara Eakin and Jonathan Nance had 47 starts with five wins, 14 seconds and nine thirds. Patrick Henry Jr. was the leading rider with 60 wins, 45 seconds and 42 thirds in 262 mounts. Leonel Camacho-Flores had 54 wins, 48 seconds and 48 thirds with 254 mounts, and Jose Luis Zunino had 43 wins, 47 seconds and 45 thirds with 231 mounts. Congratulations to you all! The backside is almost empty, with a few horsemen and horsewomen having trouble getting to the next race meet because no one tells Mother Nature what to do at any certain time. Hopefully they all get there eventually and safely. We are looking forward to our summer fair meets even if it is a few months away. Hope you all have good luck wherever you are!

REMINGTON PARK

PENNSYLVANIA HBPA Potential Star Filly Calls Penn National Home

OKLAHOMA-BRED CLEVER TREVOR HELPED PUT REMINGTON PARK ON THE MAP.

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.

Ujjayi’s convincing win in her racing debut last August went just as trainer Erin McClellan planned, sort of. First, the trainer planned to run T.L. Wise’s homebred at Penn National, where McClellan is based and where the filly received her foundational work. But McClellan couldn’t find a suitable race at the Grantville track, so she made plans for a 5 ½-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies over Laurel Park’s turf course. But those plans for a turf debut fell apart when rains forced the race onto the main track. And then there was the quality of the competition Ujjayi lined up against. “There were some fillies in the field who were bought at sales for $1 million; I was a little intimidated,” McClellan admitted. A truth of racing is that million-dollar prices don’t win races, fast does, and Ujjayi proved to have the advantage there. Ujjayi stalked the early leader under the confident rating of Andrew Wolfsont, moved to the front on the turn without need of coaxing as noted in the Equibase chart and then eagerly drew out to win under urging by nearly eight lengths. “I didn’t think she would romp over them like that,” McClellan said.

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AFFILIATE NEWS Ujjayi came up a little sore in the shins following her maiden win and was given time at Jim Nolan’s farm. She returned from her three-month-plus layoff to make her first start against winners in Penn National’s Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies Stakes at six furlongs, where she finished second behind fellow Pennsylvania-bred Please Flatter Me. She followed with another second to that rival in Laurel’s seven-furlong Gin Talking Stakes. Ujjayi, named for a yoga breathing exercise, came back in late January for Aqueduct’s $100,000 Ruthless Stakes. She was engaged on the front end from the start of the seven-furlong contest, and then she drew out through the final furlong to win by nearly two lengths under Tyler Conner (the son of McClellan’s beau, trainer John Conner), who picked up the mount three starts back after returning from riding on the West Coast. “The Ruthless was a fantastic race for her,” McClellan said. “They challenged her so much down the lane, but she just dug in and showed she really wanted it. I was a little worried since our track was closed most of the week prior to the race and Aqueduct’s track is deeper than she’s used to. “She’s been invited back to Aqueduct for the Busher Stakes on March 9,” McClellan said about the race run after press time for this issue. “That’ll be a tougher race in competition, and it’s at a mile. We’re asking a little more of her each time.” McClellan is eyeing the Kentucky Oaks for Ujjayi, and the filly is earning points for a starting berth in that Grade 1 test. As Ujjayi adds to her resume, she may soon join the short list of Penn National-based distaffers who recently made their mark in racing. Taris won the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) for Commonwealth New Era Stable and trainer Todd Beattie before she was sold at auction for more than $2 million. Taris went on to become a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire, while Crabcakes, who is trained by Bernie Houghton for Morgan Ford’s Farm, is a multiple stakes winner of nearly $420,000. McClellan, who has trained since 2010, doesn’t even consider Ujjayi her best horse. “I don’t want to put her in a box like that,” she said. “She may have the most upside, but I have a barn full of old class horses who have given their all who I really have a lot of respect for.” Ujjayi is by Smarty Jones out of the War Front mare Ocean Road. Smarty Jones is back in Pennsylvania and stands at the Pennsylvania HBPA’s New Start board member Rodney Eckenrode’s Equi Star Farm in Annville. Wise, the breeder and owner of Ujjayi, lives and works in real estate in Kentucky but is invested in Pennsylvania racing because he feels strongly about the state’s breeding program and the rewards it offers.

Food Trucks Service Backside Food trucks are now taking up positions in the stable area to replace services lost with the shuttering of the track kitchen. More trucks are expected to be added as demand grows.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS HBPA Tampa Bay Downs Update The Tampa Bay Downs HBPA kicked off the 2018–19 season with its annual Christmas party, which was held December 18. Thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to help serve food to the enormous crowd of owners, trainers and backside employees. Some of the charitable organizations that we are proud to be affiliated with include Catholic Charities Mobile Medical Services, Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, RVR Horse Rescue, Equestrian THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL

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Inc. and Step Ahead Thoroughbred Retirement. Sister Sarah Proctor of Catholic Charities and her army of volunteers work diligently to ensure that the health needs of our backside are met. Charitable organizations such as these not only enrich the lives of our backside but also ensure the safe retirement of our equine athletes. The National HBPA annual convention was held in Clearwater Beach, Florida, March 12-16. Tampa Bay Downs graciously provided a luncheon and a day at the races for all of the affiliates in attendance. Florida Cup Day, sponsored by the Florida Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Association, Tampa Bay Downs and the TBD HBPA, will be held on Sunday, March 31, with $690,000 in stakes purses. One of the most popular events of the meet, Florida Cup Day showcases Florida-breds as well as providing a special day for breeders, owners and trainers. Congratulations to the following TBD HBPA “Groom of the Week” winners: Jacqueln Johnson, trainer Foley; Julio Gutierrez, trainer Gonzalez; Mario Carbajal, trainer Demasi; Martin Garcia, trainer O’Connor; Henry Osorio, trainer Stidham; Albert Thomas, trainer Wilson; Santo Villa Nueva, trainer G. Bennett; Enrique Lopez, trainer Tomlinson; Carlos Lopez, trainer G. Bennett; and Andres Sandoval, trainer Delacour. Each groom receives $50, a jacket and a photograph posted on our Wall of Fame. AAA Feed owners Nancy and Jerry Perrello have graciously continued sponsoring a Barn of the Month award given at the end of each month. So far, the lucky winners are Aldonna Gonzalez and Benny Feliciano, December; Charlie Harvatt, January; and Anthony Rini, February. Our annual backside barbecue, catered by Sonny’s Real Pit Barbecue, will be held in early April. We’ll have the details on the overnights as soon as they are finalized. Best wishes for a prosperous racing season.

WASHINGTON HBPA Washington HBPA’s Lanna Allen and Sippin Fire Honored at Washington Champions Event In sync with the Academy Awards, Washington Thoroughbred racing’s finest of 2018 were celebrated at Emerald Downs on February 23, just hours before the film industry champions were crowned. A crowd of more than 250, many dressed in glitz and glamour, attended the annual celebration coined “Champions Night—Hollywood Style.” Emerald Downs’ Director of Broadcast Publicity Joe Withee served as the emcee, aided by Director of Media Relations Vince Bruun. Drew Baker served as auctioneer for the fundraising portion of the event, which benefited the breeders organization. The annual Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association banquet (in conjunction LANNA ALLEN WITH HER WHBPA WILLING with the WHBPA and HEART AWARD Emerald Downs) honors horses and their breeders, owners, trainers, grooms and riders who have been nominated and designated as the best in their particular divisions. In addition, 61

NEWS the WTBOA, WHBPA and Backstretch Chapel present awards recognizing certain individuals who have stood out for their achievements or contributions to the racing industry. This year’s WHBPA Willing Heart Award went to the association’s own executive assistant, Lanna Allen, who was totally shocked to receive the honor. To make the presentation a surprise, Lanna had been told the award was going to someone else. “It took a bit of lying and the help of Marshall [Lanna’s husband] and [Thoroughbred owner] Jodi Peetz to keep the award a secret,” said WHBPA Executive Director MaryAnn O’Connell, who literally had to hold Lanna by the arm to get her on the stage. “In fact, halfway through the award presentation, she looked at me and said, ‘Who is he talking about?’” Lanna got her start in horse racing by assisting her father, Leo Wert, at the former Longacres racetrack in Renton, Washington. By the 1970s, she was training for him and had also picked up a few other prominent owner clients. In 2005 she joined the staff at the WHBPA. Lanna’s most notable attribution is her ability to go beyond simply communicating when working with trainers, owners or stable area personnel. She truly connects with people through her vast knowledge of the industry and her cheerful and friendly disposition. Above all, she is a great listener and has mastered the art of helping people. Emerald Downs’ paymaster, Jan Baze, received a WHBPA/WTBOA Special Achievement Award and a standing ovation in appreciation of her many contributions to the racing community. During the presentation, Jan was described as a “wonder woman … who accomplished single-handedly what normally takes four or five persons.” Besides her paymaster duties, Jan is the resident bookkeeper/payroll administrator for several trainers and other small businesses in the stable area. She also owns and operates Across the Board Jockey Silks and Racing Attire, which supplies most of the custom silks, blinkers and saddle towels that are seen at Pacific Northwest racetracks. In her “spare time,” Jan is a volunteer treasurer/bookkeeper for several of the track’s nonprofit organizations and has served on the Emerald Downs Daycare board of directors. She is also known as a volunteer extraordinaire when it comes to community fundraising events. Not surprisingly, as her award was being presented, Jan was behind the scenes helping auction bidders settle their accounts as her accolades were being sung. The grand finale of the night was the crowning of Sippin Fire as Washington Horse of the Year. He was also recognized as Champion 3-Year-Old and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding. Last summer, the son of Harbor the Gold rolled to four consecutive stakes victories at Emerald Downs. Bred by Bar C Racing Stables and Desert Rose Racing, Sippin Fire is owned by the How We Roll Syndicate #4, which includes WHBPA owner director David Israel, Joe Withee, Al Adams, Charlie Clark, Angela Wilson and Steve Pilgrim. Trainer Steve Bullock was acknowledged with a special racetrack achievement award. In 2018 he successfully campaigned Sippin Fire and Emerald Downs’ champion 2-year-old filly Northwest Factor, who took two stakes for How We Roll #4, including the Gottstein Futurity. Northern Californian Scott Herbertson’s Pyscho Sister took the titles as Champion Older Filly/Mare and Champion Turf Horse. Her $122,070 earnings, which she won after Herbertson claimed her in January 2018, also led him to the title of leading owner in Washington-bred earnings. It was the first time a non-Washingtonian had earned this award. Pyscho Sister was bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst, who were named Washington’s leading breeder for the fifth time. The Pabsts also stand 2018 Washington leading sire Atta Boy Roy at their Blue Ribbon Farm. A new Daily Racing Form award was presented to the breeder of the statebred with the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year. Hit the Beach earned this award for his breeders, Jeff and Doris Harwood, when he won the 6 ½-furlong Pete Pedersen Overnight Stakes with a 90 Beyer in September. Owned by Ed 62

Zenker, Richard Larson and trainer H.R. “Pat” Mullens, Hit the Beach was also named Champion Older Horse. Mullens, who just turned 92, was also given a special achievement award to acknowledge his consummate training skills as a nonagenarian. Jockey Rocco Bowen was recognized for his special achievement of leading all Emerald Downs riders for the third consecutive season by money and wins with 23 percent wins and 56 percent top-three finishes (2016–18). Other Washington 2018 champions include the following: Champion Sprinter: Invested Prospect • Owners: Country Lane Farm and Riverbend Farm • Trainer: Blaine Wright • Breeder: Dunn Bar Ranch LLC Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Bella Mia • Owner: Country Lane Farm • Trainer: Blaine Wright • Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. William T. Griffin Champion 2-Year-Old and Gold Rush Dancer Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/ Gelding: Baja Sur • Owners: Country Lane Farm and Riverbend Farm • Trainer: Blaine Wright • Breeder: John Roche Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Money Inthe Starrs • Owner: Mark DeDomenico LLC • Trainer: Michael Puhich • Breeder: Connie Lynn Belshay Plater of the Year: Party for One • Owners: Pam Tumminello and Jerry Carmody/John E. Parker/Matt M. Hughes • Trainers: Rigoberto Velasquez, Candi Tollett and Mary Tate • Breeder: Coal Creek Farm Most Improved Washington Plater: Fly Far Away • Owner/Breeder: Scatter Creek Training Center • Trainers: Blaine D. Wright and Vladimir Cerin Broodmare of the Year: Premo Copy (1999, Supremo—Soft Copy, by Staff Writer) • Owner: Roche Farm • Nine foals of racing age, 8 starters, 8 winners, 3 stakes winners (including two Washington champions) Washington-bred OTTB: Back to Wine (2010 gelding by Baquero) • Owner and Rider: Christina Klein • Earned 5,300 points recorded through The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Performance Awards Special Breeding Achievement Award: Connie Belshay, Only Me Thoroughbreds • For producing two juvenile stakes winners in Money Inthe Starrs and This Great Nation from a broodmare band of only two Mark Kaufman Media Awards: Michelle Ludtka of KCPQ-TV for the station’s annual coverage of Emerald Downs racing and the outstanding video of Washington horseman Junior Coffey, and Paul Beattie of elisportsnetwork.com for the continuing coverage of Emerald Downs and the Washington racing industry. For a complete list of award winners and their connections, go to washingtonthoroughbred.com/washington-champions-for-2018/.

Inaugural Faithful Servant Award— An Award of Firsts

BARTOLO VILLA (RIGHT) HOLDS THE BACKSTRETCH CHAPEL FAITHFUL SERVANT AWARD WITH CHAPLAIN GILBERT AGUILAR.

For the first time, the Backstretch Chapel presented an industry award this year at the WTBOA Awards banquet. This is indicative of the growing unity within the Washington horse racing industry as a once solely “breeders” event has expanded to honor those involved in other facets of horse racing and Thoroughbred ownership. The Faithful Servant of the Year is a new award for the Backstretch Chapel, and in fact, the

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AFFILIATE NEWS recipient was chosen prior to creating the title. The award is actually more about leadership than service because good leaders are first good servants. Bartolo Villa, the first recipient of the Faithful Servant of the Year award, is such a leader. Bartolo, who holds a degree in engineering, was first licensed as a groom at Emerald Downs in 1998. Almost immediately, he began volunteering for the chaplaincy and the WHBPA. Since then, he has been an integral part of the ministry throughout the many changes in Chapel boards, chaplains and programs. As the presenter indicated with a bit of humored truth, Bartolo has been one of the most consistent factors, other than God, in the entire ministry. Attendees at the banquet noticed by his acceptance speech that Bartolo is a man of few words. This is further exemplified by how he unfailingly has provided encouragement to chaplains and other people working in the stable area, not by talking but by taking action. Bartolo always seems to be present for set up and clean up, has helped managed the recreational program and shows support for the WHBPA and Chapel programs by attending events, Bible studies and services. The entire board of directors of the Backstretch Chapel wishes to acknowledge Bartolo Villa and thank him for his years of dedication and contribution to the Backstretch Chapel Ministry. Bartolo, you have made the difference in the lives of many and are sure to one day hear the words, “Well done, my faithful servant.” A native of Mexico, Bartolo currently works for trainer Frank Lucarelli. Although Bartolo travels with the Lucarelli Stable, he and his wife, Maria, make their home in the Seattle area.

Emerald Downs Announces 2019 Stakes Schedule

“Snowmageddon” Keeps Horses in the Barn at Emerald More than 200 horses were on the grounds for what was to be the opening day of training for the 2019 season at Emerald Downs Racetrack & Casino on February 4. Frozen conditions and a moderate amount of snow kept the track closed until February 7, when it finally was suitable for jogging at about 11:30 a.m. Sweet Sophie Grace, a 4-year-old Curlin filly trained by Roy Lumm, was the first horse on the track, jogging one mile under exercise rider Miguel Landeros. That Friday, February 8, heavy snow started to fall again, causing a near natural disaster in western Washington, a region known for very mild winters. Not only did the storm further delay training, “snowmageddon” caused hundreds of airline flight cancellations, a store shelf inventory crisis and near panic in the city of Seattle. Midway through the month, the snow began to melt, but intermittent sub-freezing days did not allow for the normal training schedule conditioners are used to. On behalf of owners and trainers, the WHBPA board acknowledges the cooperative efforts by Emerald Downs management and staff to adjust track hours and allow for as much training time as possible so horses could be prepared for opening day of the 67-day meeting on April 20. The required rescheduling of EMTs, track maintenance crew, clockers and outriders, as well as informing trainers of current conditions, was an ongoing effort that is appreciated. With freezing temperatures and possible snowfall still in the forecast as of early March, owners and trainers were hopeful the “in like a lion” weather would be “out like a lamb” soon so training at Emerald could get back on schedule. On March 1, the WHBPA reported there are more than 500 horses in the stable area, just under the average amount for this time of year. Director of Racing Bret Anderson expects the horse population to swell to nearly 1,000 by opening day. HJ

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Upon approval of the Washington HBPA, Emerald Downs Racetrack & Casino announced a 27-race stakes schedule worth $1.55 million in purses for 2019. The 84th renewal of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on Sunday, August 11—the earliest date ever for the Northwest’s premier race—anchors a quadruple-header featuring championship races in four separate divisions. The August 11 card also features the $50,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares, the $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds and the $50,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. With the Distaff, Derby and Oaks all carded at 1 1/8 miles, the day features an unprecedented four two-turn stakes events. “Having four championship races in one day is a compelling concept for fans and horsemen alike,” Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler said. “The buildup should be a lot of fun.” The majority of stakes are scheduled during the latter half of the 67-day meeting, with 22 stakes scheduled for July, August and September. A second stakes quadruple-header is offered Sunday, July 21, and the Xpressbet Washington Cup—six stakes for Washington-breds totaling $300,000—

features stakes double-headers on September 1, 8 and 15. The new Washington Cup format was an instant hit in 2018 with an average field size of 8.2 runners. At 1 1/16 miles, the Gottstein Futurity is the lone route stakes for 2-year-olds and scheduled for closing day, Sunday, September 22. The race offers $100,000 in total purse money, including $50,000 to eligible Northwest Racing Series horses. Ineligible horses can be made eligible for NWRS funds via a $5,000 supplemental nomination, which would be added to the Gottstein purse. The ninth renewal of the 440-yard Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge is offered for American Quarter Horses on Sunday, August 25, part of a Quarter Horse triple-header also featuring the $25,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge at 350 yards and $15,000 Emerald Downs Distance Challenge at 870 yards. For the complete stakes schedule, go to emeralddowns.com.

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