Juan Carlos Avila - trainer of Kentucky Derby hopeful - King Guillermo - in profile

By Bill Heller

Too often, dreams are derailed, deferred or dismissed. That doesn’t mean they never come true. Even if they’re delayed.

Before he emigrated from Venezuela to America in 2018, trainer Juan Carlos Avila had one dream: “To watch the Kentucky Derby as a fan,” he said.

Now he’s in it.

So is another dreamer—retired five-time All-Star baseball player Victor Martinez, a Venezuelan who followed through on his discussions with his wife about what they might do when he retired: buy a Thoroughbred. When that moment arrived, he told his trainer Juan Carlos Avila, “I don’t want a horse that can run in the Kentucky Derby, I want a horse to win the Derby.”

Avila replied, “You’re crazy.”

Not that crazy. Martinez is in it, too.

Yet another Venezuelan, Jockey Samy Camacho, dreamed of riding in the United States in major races. “That’s the dream of every jockey—like a baseball player—to move to the big time.” he said. “Everybody wants to ride here.”

He’s in the Derby, too.

All three—Avila, Martinez and Camacho—will have to wait a bit to realize that accomplishment as they and the entire world pray that the coronavirus pandemic, which led to Churchill Downs delaying the Derby from the first Saturday in May (May 2) to the first Saturday in September (September 5), has subsided by then.

The horse that has led to this incredible confluence of Venezuelan dreamers is King Guillermo, named for Martinez’s father who died when Martinez was seven years old. King Guillermo’s dominant 4 ¾ length victory in the Gr2 Tampa Bay Derby at odds of 49-1 March 7 made him a legitimate Derby contender. His winning time was the third fastest in the Tampa Bay Derby’s 40-year-history.

He followed that performance with a strong second to undefeated Nadal in the second division of the rescheduled Gr1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on May 5. King Guillermo finished three lengths behind Nadal while a length and a half ahead of Finnick the Fierce in third.

“He put his heart out,” Martinez said May 7. “He showed a lot of people what he did in Tampa wasn’t a fluke. He’s got a big heart. I was really happy.”

Martinez, who watched the Arkansas Derby with his family on their ranch in Okeechobee, Fla., says King Guillermo would likely get another start before the Derby. He’s also hoping the coronavirus pandemic won’t cause Churchill Downs to change the September date. “Right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s still a lot of questions with this virus going around. There’s nothing you can do about it. You hope it goes back to normal.”

Having a starter in the Derby is his new normal, and he couldn’t be happier about that. Making King Guillermo’s ascension even more unbelievable is that Martinez might not have stayed in the U.S. to become a baseball star had his mother not advised him at a critical point at the beginning of his career to not abandon his dreams and continue to work hard. He did and he prospered. 

When he retired, Martinez bought two horses at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale and headed home to his family in Orlando. He purchased a colt, Tio Will, and a filly, Princess Coro, who have begun their careers while still seeking their first victory. That night, Martinez dreamt of owning a horse by Uncle Mo. The next morning, his wife gave him an okay to buy a third horse. When King Guillermo failed to reach his RNA, Martinez was able to purchase him for $150,000.

Camacho, who was the leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs in its 2018-2019 season and is currently second in the 2019-2020 jockey standings, only got the chance to ride King Guillermo—who he had never sat on in a race or workout—in the Tampa Bay Derby after Paco Lopez opted to ride Chance It (who went off the 5-2 second choice in the race and finished fifth).

Then there’s King Guillermo himself. In his only prior dirt race, he had finished sixth by 11 ¼ lengths in his maiden debut last September 29 at Gulfstream Park. He wouldn’t have been in the Tampa Bay Derby had Martinez not reminded Avila that he wanted a horse to win the Kentucky Derby; and he deserved a second chance to race on dirt. Avila caved and said okay. Then Martinez told his trainer he wanted that start to be in a race with qualifying points to get into the Derby. That was the Tampa Bay Derby. And King Guillermo delivered a sublime performance, prompting announcer Richard Grunder to call in the stretch, “Do you believe this?”

Minutes later in the winner’s circle, there were three delirious believers from Venezuela celebrating in utter joy—their ticket to the Kentucky Derby punched.

“We still don’t believe it,” Avila said.

Five days after the Tampa Bay Derby, Martinez said, “Man, we’re still talking about it. It’s 24/7 in my house, and we don’t get bored talking about it. We can’t believe it.”

They are hopefully headed to Louisville on the first Saturday in September—49 years after Canonero II (Venezuelan owned, trained and ridden) shocked the equine world by winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before finishing fourth in the 1971 Belmont Stakes.

Avila had decided to train King Guillermo up to the Derby without another prep race, before the news broke of the Derby Delay. He had given King Guillermo a week of R&R at Savannah Farms in Ocala after his extraordinary win in the Tampa Bay Derby. “He’s very intense in that every time he works out, he wants to make holes in the dirt,” Avila said. “He puts so much into his workouts. He works better than any horse I’ve trained in 30 years. We wanted him to relax for a week. At 6 a.m., he goes into the paddock. He’s just running around to 2 p.m. when they come out to get him.”

Avila, 56, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, without any family background in racing. He played baseball, then decided to go to the racetrack in Caracas, La Rinconada Hippodrome. “I never touched a horse before that,” he said. “I was looking. I was learning.” He began as a hotwalker, advanced to groom and ultimately to trainer—winning nine training titles, including seven straight, while compiling nearly 3,000 victories.

He thought long and hard about leaving troubled Venezuela for the United States and did so in 2018. “It was the situation in the country,” he said. “The insecurity we had over there. It was dangerous. It was tough to live there. If you went out of your house, you didn’t know if you’d come back.”

He showed up at Gulfstream Park in February 2018, and he began the arduous task of finding owners. It didn’t take him long to make an impression. On behalf of JCA Racing Stables, he purchased Trophy Chaser, a Twirling Candy colt out of European Union by Successful Appeal, for $42,000 at the March Ocala Breeders Two-Year-Olds-in Training Sale. Trophy Chaser made his debut on August 25 that year and won a maiden race by 15 ¾ lengths. He had one win, one second and one third from five starts in 2019, then won his four-year-old debut this year at Gulfstream Park in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park by 8 ¼ lengths. Then, on the Tampa Bay Derby undercard, he won the Gr3 Challenger Stakes by a head with Paco Lopez riding him for the first time.

Avila met Martinez a month before the 2019 Ocala Two-Year-Olds-in Training April Sale through Martinez’s baseball agent Wilfredo Polidor. Avila had trained Thoroughbreds for Polidor in Venezuela.

Born in Bolivar, Venezuela, on December 23, 1978, Martinez is forever grateful for how hard his mother worked, especially after his father died. “My mom was a nurse,” he said. “She used to make $100 a month to support four kids in Venezuela.”

The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in 1996. “I came to this country in 1997 with zero dollars in my pocket,” he said. …

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Bleeders - facts- fiction - future - treatment - of exercise-induced haemorrhages

By Dr. David Marlin

We are now approaching half a century since Bob Cook pioneered the use of the flexible fibreoptic endoscope, which allowed examination of the respiratory tract in the conscious horse. One of the important outcomes of this technique was that it opened the door to the study of “bleeding” or exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH).

But nearly 50 years on the irony is perhaps that whilst we have become good at describing the prevalence of EIPH and some of the factors that appear to increase the severity of EIPH within individual horses, we still lack a clear understanding of the condition and how to manage it.

I use the term manage rather than treat or prevent as our knowledge of EIPH must show us that EIPH cannot be stopped entirely; it is a consequence of intense exercise. The other irony is that in the past 50 years, by far the majority of research into the management of EIPH has focused on the use of the diuretic furosemide. Whilst we have good evidence from controlled studies that furosemide reduces the severity of EIPH on a single occasion, we still lack good evidence to suggest that furosemide is effective when used repeatedly during training and or racing; and there is also evidence to the contrary. Let’s review some basic facts about EIPH, which should not be contentious.

• EIPH is the appearance of blood in the airways associated with exercise.

• EIPH occurs as a result of moderate to intense exercise. In fact, EIPH has been found after trotting when deep lung wash (bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL) is done after exercise.

• EIPH most often involves the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) but can sometimes and less commonly be due to the rupture of larger blood vessels.

• The smallest blood vessels are extremely thin. Around 1/100th the thickness of a human hair. But this extremely thin membrane is also what allows racehorses such as Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Arabs to use oxygen at such a high rate and is a major reason for their athleticism.

• EIPH is a progressive condition. The chance of seeing blood in the trachea after exercise increases with time in racing.

• EIPH is variable over time, even when horses are scoped after the same type of work.

• If you ‘scope a horse after three gallops in a row, you can expect to see blood in the trachea on at least one occasion.

• EIPH damage to the lungs starts at the back and top, and over time moves forward and down and is approximately symmetrical.

• Following EIPH the lung becomes fibrotic (as scar tissue), stiffer and does not work as well. The iron from the blood is combined with protein and stored permanently in the lung tissue where it can cause inflammation.

• High blood pressure within the lung is a contributing factor in EIPH. Horses with higher blood pressure appear to suffer worse EIPH.

• There is also evidence that upper airway resistance and breathing pattern can play a role in EIPH.

• Airway inflammation and poor air quality may increase the severity of EIPH within individual horses.

• Increasing severity of EIPH appears to have an increasing negative effect on performance.

• Visible bleeding (epistaxis) has a very clear and marked negative effect on performance. In order to make progress in the management of EIPH (i.e., to minimize the severity of EIPH in each individual), there are certain steps that trainers can take based on the information we have to date. These include:

• Ensuring good air quality in stables • Regular respiratory examination and treatment of airway inflammation • Reduced intensity of training during periods of treatment for moderate to severe airway inflammation

• Extended periods of rest and light work with a slower return to work for horses following viral infection

• Addressing anything that increases upper airway resistance (e.g., roaring, gurgling)

• Avoiding intense work in cold weather

• Avoiding extremes of going

• Limiting number of training days in race preparation and increasing interval between races.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING EIPH

We have to accept EIPH as a normal consequence of intense exercise in horses. Our aim should be to reduce the severity to a minimum in each individual horse. However, there are areas in which we still need a much greater scientific understanding.

What actually causes the capillaries to leak or rupture?

If you ask any vet, scientist or informed trainer what is the cause of EIPH, they will give the phrase “pulmonary capillary stress-failure”. But this is simply a description of what happens—NOT an explanation or a mechanism. EIPH and pulmonary capillary stress-failure are both descriptions of what’s happening. We know high blood pressure makes the capillaries stiff. But what makes them actually rupture? A balloon filled with water may be distended and under a lot of stress. But a pin prick will actually make it burst. The pin is the cause.

Assessing EIPH

At present the most common way to assess the severity of EIPH in horses in training and racing is by ‘scoping 30-40 minutes after exercise and scoring the amount of blood in the trachea. This is a crude method, and when we see a horse that has a score of 1 after one gallop and a 3 after the next gallop, we don’t know whether this is due to differences in how quickly the blood has moved from the periphery of the lung into the trachea or due to a true difference in the amount of bleeding. We know our ‘scoping scores vary from gallop to gallop; we just don’t know why.BAL (deep lung wash) is not the answer either. It will pick up blood when there is none to be seen in the trachea (i.e., it’s a more sensitive technique), but with BAL we are looking atrelatively small areas of the lung. What we need is a technique that will allow us to image the whole lung and map the blood that is in the airways and not in the blood vessels so we can assess volume and distribution of hemorrhage.

Furosemide is not the answer

A number of well-conducted and well-written scientific studies have shown conclusively that furosemide is effective in reducing the severity of EIPH in individual horses when used ONE time! We lack convincing studies that prove furosemide works as well when used one to two times a week for two to three months. In fact, several studies suggest that furosemide becomes less effective with regular use, such as the return to previous performance of horses after initial racing and improved performance on furosemide. In human medicine, repetitive administration of furosemide induces short-term (braking phenomenon, acute diuretic resistance) and longterm (chronic diuretic resistance) tolerance (i.e., if you give the same dose repeatedly, the body becomes tolerant and you get less and less urine production). A study in horses from Michigan State University in 2017 showed horses develop tolerance to furosemide. Why, when we have had nearly 50 years of research into EIPH with more published studies devoted to furosemide than any other aspect, do we still not know if furosemide is effective when used on a regular basis?

Is EIPH really blood?…

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Jessica Buckley - Senior Vice President of Racing Operations - Woodbine and Woodbine Mohawk

By Alex Campbell

After the Woodbine Entertainment Group announced a reorganization of their senior leadership team in January, Jessica Buckley—the former president of the company’s Standardbred track, Woodbine Mohawk Park—was named Senior Vice President of Racing Operations for both Thoroughbred racing and Standardbred racing.

Buckley’s role of managing racing operations for two different breeds at the same time appears to be unique in North American racing. And while she has direct experience running a Standardbred racetrack, she also has strong roots in Thoroughbred racing in the province of Ontario. Buckley is the daughter of the late Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Robert Anderson, who operated leading breeding operation, Anderson Farms, in St. Thomas, Ontario for more than 40 years. Buckley said she has fond memories growing up on the farm that produced the likes of 1992 Preakness Stakes runner-up Alydeed, and Canadian champions Larkwhistle, Prince Avatar and Fifty Proof.

“I couldn’t help but be interested in the horses,” she said. “I always knew how lucky I was to have horses like that in my backyard. It was a really great childhood growing up with the mares in foal. My first job on the farm was doing my homework in the barn, on foal watching in the evenings. I always loved the horses.”

Despite her love of horses, Buckley did not plan on having a career in the racing industry. She graduated from Western University in nearby London, Ontario in 1994, and had aspirations of becoming a television producer.

“I found myself graduating in the nineties in a recession and couldn’t find a job in the field that I was interested in at the time,” Buckley said. “They were hiring at Woodbine, so I took a position for the summer and that’s where my career in racing began.”

Buckley’s summer position at Woodbine in 1994 was in customer service, providing racetrack tours and information on how to place bets. From there, Buckley helped manage the launch of HorsePlayer Interactive—Woodbine’s account wagering service—in 1997.

“I got into the operations of the racetrack and racing and realized how fascinating it was and all of the opportunities that were there,” she said. “It was on the cusp of technology in the nineties, and there were a lot of projects on the go that were new and exciting to be involved with.”

Buckley remained with Woodbine until 2001, when an opportunity came up for her and her family to move to Pasadena, Calif., to join The Stronach Group for the launch of Xpressbet’s account wagering service there. Buckley remained with Xpressbet as the Director of Account Wagering until 2003, when she moved into television as the Director of Marketing for HRTV.

“That was the serendipity to me,” she said. “I had always been interested in television, and then ended up getting involved with the launch of HRTV. I wasn’t a producer, but I was involved on the marketing side and affiliate sales and distribution and getting our product distributed across the United States.”

Buckley remained with HRTV for more than nine years before leaving The Stronach Group in 2011. Her father had passed away in 2010, and she managed Anderson Farms with her brother, David Anderson, for a short period of time before Anderson bought out Buckley’s share in the farm.

Buckley’s father Robert was inducted in 2015 to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

“It was great working with my brother, and it certainly felt like we were closer with my dad and his legacy,” she said. “I was living in New Jersey at the time with my family. My brother was the brains on the breeding side and doing all of the work and making all of the really great decisions that he made back then that have now really paid off for him. He was the one really running with it and making the business succeed, and we just made the decision that he would buy me out and continue on running Anderson Farms.”

Buckley’s husband’s career wound up bringing the family back to Canada in 2013. Buckley was running a children’s winter accessory business when Woodbine offered her the role of Vice President of Community and Government relations in 2015.

“They were looking ahead to some exciting projects that were going to be happening,” she said. “They were working on a lot of things on the property development side and ways to sustain racing and create value and keep racing going for many, many years to come. I started speaking to them about it and then ended up coming back to help them initially with some government relations and community relations work, and things have evolved from there.”

In her role, Buckley was involved in a number of initiatives with all three levels of government as the horse racing industry in Ontario dealt with the fallout of the cancellation of the slots at racetracks program; and the evolving gaming landscape, as the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation sought to modernize their operations. Woodbine Entertainment was also looking to begin several development projects on their properties, including converting Woodbine Mohawk Park into a year-round Standardbred racing facility. In 2017, Buckley became the president of Woodbine Mohawk Park to lead that transition.

“The decision was made to move Standardbreds year-round to Mohawk, and there was gaming expansion happening as well with the new gaming partner,” she said. “We were creating a real destination for Standardbred racing, gaming and entertainment in the Halton Region.” 

Under Buckley’s leadership, Woodbine Mohawk Park successfully completed $10 million in capital improvements to allow for year-round racing, rebranded the track and hosted the 2018 Breeders’ Crown.

This past January saw Buckley change roles within the Woodbine senior leadership team. Buckley was named Senior Vice President of Standardbred Racing and Thoroughbred Racing, and will report directly to CEO Jim Lawson. Buckley said she is excited to be back involved with Thoroughbred racing again.

Training scenario under new regulations.

“It’s been a great challenge to take on the Thoroughbreds as well,” she said. “I’m much more familiar with Thoroughbred racing, and I feel much more comfortable in Thoroughbred racing than I certainly did in Standardbred racing when I first arrived at Mohawk. I had a very steep learning curve, but the people were absolutely fantastic.”

Buckley has been dealing with a unique challenge in just her first few months in her new role, as the horse racing industry and the world have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Woodbine Mohawk Park was able to race without spectators for two racing dates in March before having to cancel races indefinitely, while opening day for the Thoroughbreds at Woodbine (originally scheduled for April 18) was postponed. While some tracks, most notably Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park, have been able to continue to race during the pandemic, Buckley said a state of emergency issued by the government of Ontario had prevented Woodbine from being able to do the same.

“In the state of emergency declaration, we’re a non-essential business,” she said. “We tried to continue to race as long as we could with all of the safety protocols in place without spectators. We were doing so successfully, but then when the state of emergency was declared, we did close.”

Buckley said 1,100 Thoroughbreds were stabled on the Woodbine backstretch at the time the state of emergency was declared, and the track opted to keep the backstretch open as opposed to forcing horses off of the grounds.

“We made the decision that we would continue to keep the backstretch open for the health and welfare of the horses but that we wouldn’t be conducting any non-essential business activities,” she said. “It has been difficult to strike the right balance, but Jim Lawson has been very focused on keeping people safe, number one; and number two, making sure the horses have the ability to get out of their stalls every day and do some jogging and galloping on the track.”…

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Justify & Jimson Weed - from the racetrack to the courtroom - positive test result for a banned substance on race day

By Peter J. Sacopulos

Justify’s victory in the  2018 Santa Anita Derby served as the springboard for trainer Bob Baffert’s second Triple Crown triumph. In the wake of a 2019 New York Times article revealing the colt had tested positive for a banned substance on race day, Ruis Racing has filed a lawsuit against the California Horse Racing Board. Ruis claims the CHRB failed to do its duty, and the 2018 victory and the $600,000 first-place purse rightfully belong to Bolt d’Oro.  

Justify with trainer Bob Baffert.

A Duel at Santa Anita

As the starting bell sounded for the million-dollar Santa Anita Derby on April 7, 2018, folks who knew racing knew the contest was likely to come down to a duel between two horses: Bolt d’Oro and Justify. Both were big, beautiful and born to run. Bolt d’Oro, owned/trained by Mick Ruis and ridden by Javier Castellano, had experience on his side. Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, had only two races to his credit, but the handsome colt had won both and was already tagged as a rising star. A first- or second-place finish in Santa Anita would guarantee a spot in the Kentucky Derby, and Baffert, who had captured the Triple Crown with American Pharaoh only three years earlier, publicly hinted that his latest protégé could go all the way as well. 

Baffert’s confidence seemed well placed when Justify, ridden by Mike E. Smith, took an early lead. Having firmly established themselves in second place, Castellano and Bolt D’Oro made their move in the final turn. With announcer Mike Worna describing the match as “prodigious talent versus established class,” Bolt d’Oro closed the gap and appeared ready to nose it out. But Justify sprang ahead in the final furlong, and prodigious talent won the day in an electrifying climax.

History in the Making

The rest, as they say, is history. Bob Baffert and Justify kept their string of victories going through a muddy Kentucky Derby, a foggy, rain-soaked Preakness, and a beautiful day at Belmont. Justify became the thirteenth horse to win the Triple Crown, and Baffert decked his already legendary status with fresh laurels. The trainer had chalked up an astonishing two Triple Crowns, five Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes and three Kentucky Oaks. 

Baffert had his eyes on The Grand Slam, but a problem with his superstar’s left front ankle led to the stallion’s retirement in late July 2018. Justify had earned $3,798,000 in six races. He followed Seattle Slew as the second winner in Triple Crown history to retire undefeated. Breeding rights were sold for a reported $60 million, plus a $25-million bonus for the Triple Crown triumph. Justify’s stud fee was reportedly set at $150,000.

A Stunning Revelation & Angry Allegations

Then, last fall, a dark cloud appeared above the green pastures of Justify’s retirement. On September 11, 2019, The New York Times ran an article headlined, “Justify Failed a Drug Test Before Winning the Triple Crown.” Racing journalist Joe Drape revealed what the California Horse Racing Board and the horse’s trainer and owners had managed to keep secret for over a year. Justify had tested over the acceptable limit for scopolamine on the day of his crucial victory at Santa Anita.

That would have been a bombshell in and of itself. But the article went on to detail a series of questionable actions by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) in the aftermath of the positive test. Actions that, in the eyes of many, defied logic, violated procedure, and made mockery of ethics and transparency. Some even claimed the governing body had violated California law.

Less than two weeks after the Times article appeared, California Governor Gavin Newsom publicly blasted the CHRB and the horse racing industry. “What happened last year was unacceptable, and all of the excuses be damned. We own that going into next season, and we’re going to have to do something about it,” Newsom told the Times. “I’ll tell you, talk about a sport whose time is up unless they reform. That’s horse racing,” the governor continued. He went on to excoriate the industry’s treatment of racehorses and warn that industries that don’t reform themselves get reformed by others.

A race becomes a case

Bolt d’Oro

In January 2020, Ruis Racing, which owned and trained Bolt d’Oro, filed a lawsuit in the California courts. The suit contends that, under the California rules for Thoroughbred racing, Justify must be disqualified from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, Bolt d’Oro must be recognized as the race’s rightful winner, and Ruis Racing must be awarded the first-place prize money. ($600,000 vs. their $200,000 second-place purse.) The suit also claims that the CHRB knowingly violated statutes and procedures, and that Ruis Racing is entitled to compensatory damages and reimbursement for all legal costs incurred by the suit.

Trainer Bob Baffert is interviewed after winning the 2018 Santa Anita Derby.

In the wake of the first Times article, Bob Baffert released a statement declaring that neither he nor his staff administered scopolamine to Justify prior to the Santa Anita run, or to any of his horses, ever. The statement said the substance had undoubtedly entered the horse’s system due to ingesting jimson weed—a natural source of scopolamine that can turn up in hay, straw and cereal grains. Baffert further stated that the CHRB had found no wrongdoing, that he had no influence over the Board or its decisions, and that Justify had tested clean in all of his other races.

Getting into the Weeds

Justify, ridden by Mike Smith, in the winners circle after winning the 2018 Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert’s statement correctly identified jimson weed as an environmental source of scopolamine. The chemical is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in noxious plants, including jimson weed. Invasive and aggressive, jimson weed is despised by farmers around the globe. Its defenses against nature’s plant-eaters include thorny seed pods, an unpleasant smell, and an extremely bitter flavor. Scopolamine not only contributes to the plant’s unappetizing taste, it adds toxicity. Though used in small amounts in human digestive remedies for centuries, modern medical experts consider jimson weed ineffective and unsafe, since ingesting the plant or its seeds can produce vomiting, seizures, muscle cramps and death. Its toxic effects extend to horses as well. …

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Bowed tendons - different treatment options - new ultrasound technology - ultrasound tissue characterization

By Sarah Plevin

Overstrain injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries for all athletic equine disciplines but account for a significant amount of wastage in the Thoroughbred (TB) racehorse.

Treatment options for such ‘bowed tendons’ are many and varied, but all have a couple of things in common: time out of training; expense and no guarantee of success.

It makes sense then, that prevention of injury should always be the goal, and failing that, a method to optimally guide rehabilitation is needed.

Unfortunately, limitations of current imaging diagnostics have restricted their use for accurately monitoring the tendon.

A new ultrasound technology, however, called ultrasound tissue characterization, may get us one step closer to achieving the goals of injury prevention and optimal rehabilitation.

What would the ideal tendon imaging modality allow us to do?

• Monitor the effects of exercise on the tendon

• Early detection of overstrain injuries

• Be able to stage the lesion, i.e., determine the level of degenerative change within the tendon structure

• Fine-tune therapy

• Guide rehabilitation

Why are tendon injuries so tricky?

Figure 1: Functionally normal healthy aligned tendon bundles.

• A normal healthy tendon is made from aligned organized tendon bundles. (Figure 1) Deterioration of this structure ranges on a spectrum from complete disruption (core lesion) to more minor changes, but all affect the ability of the tendon to function optimally.

• Degenerative changes within the tendon matrix are not uniform—meaning that not all overstrain injuries to the SDFT are represented by the same level of deterioration or structural change, so there is not a one-size-fits-all pathology or diagnosis, and therefore there cannot be a cure-all treatment.

• Most tendon injuries have a sneaky onset with tendon degeneration developing initially without clinical signs, so problems start without you or your horse even knowing about them. Often by the time you realize there is a problem, tendon matrix degradation has already begun.

• Staging the structural integrity of the tendon or classifying the extent of structural deterioration present is, therefore, imperative—not only for optimal therapy selection and appropriate rehabilitation guidance but also if prevention of injury is ever to be achieved.

  

Why isn’t conventional ultrasound enough?

• Unfortunately, although conventional ultrasound has historically been used to evaluate equine tendon, limitations have restricted its ability to accurately monitor tendon structure, predict injury or guide rehabilitation. 

• Clinical improvement is usually not accurately correlated with changes in imaging status using conventional ultrasound, especially in the later stages of healing with conventional ultrasound not demonstrating enough sensitivity to determine the type of tendon tissue under investigation. 

• So, while regular ultrasound can easily demonstrate the presence of a core lesion when it first appears, by about two months post injury, its capacity to provide information regarding the health of the tendon is limited. Because of its inability to interpret the integrity of the underlying tendon structure accurately, along with inconsistencies in imaging, reliance on operator skills and the inherent lack of ability of a 2D conventional ultrasound image to fully decipher a 3D tendon structure, its ability to reliably evaluate and monitor the SDFT following the initial acute period is severely restricted. 

What is ultrasound tissue characterization?

Ultrasound tissue characterization is a relatively new technique intended to alleviate some of the problems encountered with conventional ultrasound by improving objective tendon characterization. It does this by providing a 3D reconstruction of the tendon and by classifying and then quantifying tendon tissue into one of four color-coded echo types based on the integrity of the tendon structure.

It can assess in detail the structural integrity of the tendon; it can discriminate a variety of pathological states and is sensitive enough to detect the effect of changing loads on the tendon within days.

What do the colors mean? (Figure 2)

Figure 2: Color-coded ultrasound tissue characterization echo types represent the stability of echo pattern over contiguous images related to tendon matrix integrity.

Green (type 1 echoes) are normal, well-aligned and organized tendon bundles, and at least 85-90% of this echo type should be found in a healthy tendon (SDFT). Blue (type 2 echoes) are areas of wavy or swollen tendon bundles. They can represent remodeling and adapting tendon or inferior repair. Red (type 3 echoes) represents fibrillar tissue (the smaller basic unit or building block of tendon). This echo type can represent partial rupture of the tendon where they reflect breakdown of normal structure or they can represent initial healing as the tendon begins to rebuild. Black (type 4 echoes) are areas of cells or fluid and represent core lesions where no normal tendon tissue exists. 

How is ultrasound tissue characterization currently used?

The aim of ultrasound tissue characterization is not to replace conventional ultrasound but on the contrary, it is recommended to perform an evaluation with both conventional B mode ultrasound and ultrasound tissue characterization to achieve a complete picture of tendon health.

Currently it is used successfully in elite human athletes such as NBA and soccer players to monitor the health of their tendons (Achilles tendon and patellar tendons) and to guide exercise regimens post injury.

Figure 3: Ultrasound tissue characterization tracker frame with attached ultrasound probe.

In the equine field, it is used in elite sport horses as part of routine maintenance evaluations to direct exercise, to monitor tendon health and guide rehabilitation following an injury.  

How does it work?

It consists of a standard linear ultrasound probe mounted onto a motorized tracking device (Figure 3). Due to the sensitivity of this equipment, the limbs should be clipped in order to obtain good quality images.

The probe moves non-invasively and automatically down the tendon from top to bottom over a 12-cm scanning distance (see Introphoto) …

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Kentucky Derby - the road takes a detour - impact of the delayed Derby - horse preparations

By Bill Heller

Who could have imagined that the road to the Kentucky Derby would have a detour? Or that the order of the Triple Crown Classics would be reshuffled? Or that major stakes would be contested without fans? Or that three undefeated colts who might have been vying for favoritism in the Derby would be injured or retired? 

The first Saturday in May, the Run for the Roses in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, became the first Saturday in September—September 5. That will be the second  leg of the Triple Crown, not the usual first.

The Preakness Stakes, regularly the second leg of the Triple Crown, was rescheduled for October 3 as the final leg of the Triple Crown.

And the Belmont Stakes, reduced from a mile-and-a-half to a mile and-an-eighth, will begin the Triple Crown instead of ending it on June 20.

Horses who had already earned enough points to start for the Kentucky Derby may now be joined by late-developing three-year-olds arriving on the scene. The top 20 point leaders to get into the Derby on the original date for the Kentucky Derby (May 4) could look much different than the top 20, four months later.   

It’s never been more challenging for trainers entrusted with the difficult goal of getting their horses to peak on the first Saturday of May than being able to do the same four months later.

Barclay Tagg

“I’m just glad they’re having the Triple Crown,” Baffert said. “They could have canceled them all.”

Now? “Everybody out there is in the same boat,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. Tagg’s boat carries his outstanding three-year-old Tiz the Law, whose four-for-five record stamps him as one of the Kentucky Derby’s major contenders. “Of all the horses out there, Tiz the Law is right there with my guys,” Baffert said in late May before fate intervened. At the time, his guys were three undefeated colts: Nadal, Charlatan and Authentic.

Unfortunately, after working a half-mile at Santa Anita on May 28, Nadal suffered a colyndar fracture of his left front knee. Surgery was done and two screws were inserted, and Nadal was retired and will be able to impact future generations of Thoroughbreds as a stallion. Then Charlatan suffered an ankle injury which means he’ll miss the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby. Finally, Authentic finished second to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby on June 6th. 

Tiz the Law

That left Tiz the Law as a likely heavy favorite in the Belmont Stakes, and, if he wins, clearly the horse to beat in the Kentucky Derby. His top threat could be Honor A.P., who impressed winning the Santa Anita Derby for trainer John Shirreffs.

Churchill Downs reopened without fans on May 14. Santa Anita, where Baffert is based, began spectator-less racing the very next day. “The whole world is going through this,” Baffert said. “I’m just thankful that Los Angeles County let us open back up. It’s the safest environment. We keep the barns disinfected. We don’t want viruses spreading from barn to barn. Everybody is wearing masks. We treat it very seriously. What I was worried about was the backstretch workers. I’m responsible for a lot of families back there. If we didn’t open up, there wouldn’t have been jobs for them. I kept people on that had worked for me.”

Tagg had a heck of a problem just figuring out when he could ship Tiz the Law from his barn at Palm Meadows to his barn at Belmont Park, which will begin spectator-free racing on June 3 after a planned opening day on April 24. “I made a couple calls to New York and I asked, `Should we stay in Florida longer? There’s somebody in my barn in New York,’” Tagg said. “They said they’ll get back to me. They called me back. They said it looks like this: we’ll have the horses out of your barn in a day and a half, and then you can move in. Three weeks later, I called the guy in my barn in New York, and he said, `I’m still here. And so are my horses.’”

Finally, Belmont Park got the clearance to announce it would reopen on June 3 and that the Belmont Stakes would be held June 20 at a shorter distance. “They shortened the distance of the Belmont,” Tagg said. “How is it still a Classic if they shorten the distance?”

Maxfield wins the Matt Winn for trainer Brendan Walsh.

But really, there will be asterisks for all the legs of this year’s Triple Crown, especially if one horse sweeps all three. “If a horse wins the first two, if there is a horse going for the Triple Crown, it’ll be great for the Preakness,” Baffert said.

But he’s not thinking that far away. “I don’t think I have to think about it now,” he said. “Every day things change. These are very challenging times right now. You have to be able to change paths.”

He had no idea how many path changes were coming up for his Derby contenders. …

Nadal beats King Guillermo in the 2020 Arkansas Derby.

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The Balancing Act - feed - supplement

By Catherine Rudenko

Key considerations when reviewing what you feed and if you should supplement

With so many feeds and supplements on the market, the feed room can soon take on the appearance of an alchemist’s cupboard. Feeding is of course an artform but one that should be based on sound science. In order to make an informed decision, there are some key questions to ask yourself and your supplier when choosing what ingredients will form your secret to success.

QUESTION #1: What is it?

Get an overview of the products’ intended use and what category of horse they are most suited for. Not every horse in the yard will require supplementing. Whilst one could argue all horses would benefit from any supplement at some level, the real question is do they need it? Where there is a concern or clinical issue, a specific supplement is more likely warranted and is more likely to have an impact. A blanket approach for supplements is really only appropriate where the horses all have the same need (e.g., use of electrolytes).

QUESTION #2: Is it effective?

There are many good reasons to use supplements with an ever-increasing body of research building as to how certain foods, plants or substances can influence both health and performance. Does the feed or supplement you are considering have any evidence in the form of scientific or clinical studies? Whilst the finished product may not—in a branded sense—be researched, the active components or ingredients should be. Ideally, we look for equine-specific research, but often other species are referenced, including humans; and this gives confidence that there is a sound line of thinking behind the use of such ingredients. Having established if there is evidence, the next important question is, does the feed or supplement deliver that ingredient at an effective level? For example, if research shows 10g of glucosamine to be effective in terms of absorption and reaching the joint, does your supplement or feed—when fed at the recommended rate—deliver that amount?

There is of course the cocktail effect to consider, whereby mixing of multiple ingredients to target a problem can reduce the amount of each individual ingredient needed. This is where the product itself is ideally then tested to confirm that the cocktail is indeed effective.

QUESTION #3: How does it fit with my current feeding and supplement program?

All too often a feed or supplement is considered in isolation which can lead to over-supplementing through duplication. Feeds and supplements can contain common materials, (i.e., on occasion there is no need to further supplement or that you can reduce the dose rate of a supplement). Before taking on any supplement, in addition to your current program, you first need to have a good understanding of what is currently being consumed on a per day basis. This is a different matter of comparing one feed tag or supplement pot to another one. Such ‘direct’ comparisons are rarely helpful as dose rates or feeding rates differ, and the manner in which units are expressed is often confusing. Percentages, grams, milligrams and micrograms are all common units of measure used on labeling. The unit chosen can make an inclusion sound significant when perhaps it is not. For example, 1g could be expressed as 1,000mg. Looking at the contribution, any feed or supplement made on an as-fed basis is the only way to know the true value for the horse. There are many categories of supplements in the market with the greatest cross-over existing around use of vitamins or minerals, which appear in both feeds and supplements. Occasionally feeds can also be a source of ingredients used in digestive health supplements or joint supplements. The contribution of your chosen feed(s) is the base from which you decide what, if any, of those matching nutrients or ingredients should be added to. Common areas for cross-over include vitamin E, selenium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Duplication may also occur around use of vitamin C (antioxidant), FOS (prebiotic), MOS (pathogen binder), yeast (prebiotic) and occasionally maerl (marine algal calcium source).

Vitamins and Minerals An often-seen addition to the feed program for Thoroughbreds are bone supplements—providing relevant minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Whilst unquestionably important for sound skeletal development these nutrients are also present in feed, albeit at slightly varying levels by brand. Below is a typical profile of a bone supplement with the information as seen per kilogram on the feed label. Calcium and phosphorus are given as percentages on labels and require converting to grams when looking to calculate the amount of nutrients consumed. In this example, the calcium content is 20%, equivalent to 200g per kilogram.

The feeding rate is 31⁄2oz per horse per day. …

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PET scanning - reduces catastrophic fractures - latest advance in equine imaging - designed to image horse legs

By Mathieu Spriet, Associate Professor, University of California, Davis

Santa Anita Park, the iconic Southern California racetrack, currently under public and political pressure due to a high number of horse fatalities during the 2019 season, announced in December 2019 the installation of a PET scanner specifically designed to image horse legs. It is hoped that this one-of-a-kind scanner will provide information about bone changes in racehorses to help prevent catastrophic breakdowns.

What is PET?

Figure 1: The first equine PET was performed in 2015 at the University of California Davis on a research horse laid down with anesthesia. The scanner used was a PET prototype designed for the human brain (piPET, Brain- Biosciences Inc., Rockville, MD).

PET stands for positron emission tomography. Although this advanced form of imaging only recently became available for horses, the principles behind PET imaging have been commonly used at racetracks for many years. PET is a nuclear medicine imaging technique, similar to scintigraphy, which is more commonly known as “bone scan”. For nuclear imaging techniques, a small dose of radioactive tracer is injected to the horse, and the location of the tracer is identified with a camera in order to create an image. The tracers used for racehorse imaging are molecules that will attach to sites on high bone turnover, which typically occurs in areas of bone subject to high stress. Both scintigraphic and PET scans detect “hot spots” that indicate—although a conventional X-ray might not show anything abnormal in a bone—there are microscopic changes that may develop into more severe injuries.

Development of PET in California

The big innovation with the PET scan is that it provides 3D information, whereas the traditional bone scan only acquires 2D images. The PET scan also has a higher spatial resolution, which means it is able to detect smaller changes and provide a better localisation of the abnormal sites. PET’s technological challenge is that to acquire the 3D data in horses, it is necessary to use a ring of detectors that fully encircles the leg. 

The first ever equine PET scan was performed at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California in 2015. At the time, a scanner designed to image the human brain was used (PiPET, Brain-Biosciences, Inc.). This scanner consists of a horizontal cylinder with an opening of 22cm in diameter. Although the dimensions are convenient to image the horse leg, the configuration required the horse be anesthetised in order to fit the equipment around the limb. 

The initial studies performed on anesthetised horses with the original scanner demonstrated the value of the technique. A first study, published in Equine Veterinary Journal, demonstrated that PET showed damage in the equine navicular bone when all other imaging techniques, including bone scan, MRI and CT did not recognise any abnormality.

A pilot study looking at the racehorse fetlock, also published in Equine Veterinary Journal,  showed that PET detects hot spots in areas known to be involved in catastrophic fractures.

Figure 2: These are images from the first horse image with PET. From left to right, PET, CT, MRI, and bone scan. The top row shows the left front foot that has a severe navicular bone injury. This is shown by the yellow area on the PET image and abnormalities are also seen with CT, MRI and bone scan. The bottom row is the right front foot from the same horse, the PET shows a small yellow area that indicates that the navicular bone is also abnormal. The other imaging techniques however did not recognize any abnormalities.

This confirmed the value of PET for racehorse imaging, but the requirement for anesthesia remained a major barrier to introducing the technology at the racetrack. To overcome this, LONGMILE Veterinary Imaging, a division of Brain-Biosciences Inc, in collaboration with the University of California Davis, designed a scanner which could image standing horses. To do this, the technology had to be adapted so that the ring of detectors could be opened and positioned around the limb. 

With the support from the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Southern California Equine Foundation and the Stronach Group, this unique scanner became a reality and, after the completion of an initial validation study in Davis, the scanner was installed at Santa Anita Park in December 2019.

Figure 3: The two images on the left are bone scan images from a 4-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse. The images on the right are 3D projection of PET images of the same fetlock. The bone scan revealed an abnormality at the bottom of the cannon bone. The PET scan confirmed this abnormality and helped better localize it. In addition, several other abnormalities were found on the PET scan in the sesamoid bones.

PET at the racetrack

The new PET scanner has been used to image the equine limb from the foot to the knee. The current main focus at the racetrack is fetlock imaging, as the majority of catastrophic breakdown in racehorses affects this area. The UC Davis pilot study highlighted the value of PET for detecting abnormalities in the proximal sesamoid bones—the two small bones at the back of the cannon bone—that are commonly involved in catastrophic fractures. Previous necropsy research on horses which suffered breakdowns has shown that changes can be present in the bones prior to the development of major injuries. The goal of the Californian PET project is to detect these warning signs in order to avoid training and racing horses at high risk for catastrophic breakdown.

Alternative imaging techniques

Other imaging techniques are available for examining equine bone. Scintigraphic bone scans are doing an excellent job at detecting stress fractures of the humerus or tibia, and this has helped markedly decrease catastrophic injuries in these areas. Bone scan is also used for fetlocks; but “hot fetlocks” are common on bone scan, and the lower resolution 2D images often do not allow to truly determine whether horses are at high risk of fractures or have normal bone adaptation to training.

Figure 4: The MILE-PET scanner (LONGMILE Veterinary imaging, Rockville, MD) is the first PET scanner specifically designed to image standing horses. An openable ring of detectors allows easy positioning and safe scanning.

MRI is used for fetlock imaging too, and MRI scanners designed for imaging standing horses have been available for over 15 years. Several large racing centers are equipped with such scanners, and MRI excels in particular at detecting changes in the cannon bone that precede condylar fractures. MRI can detect areas of bone densification, or even accumulation of fluid in the bone, typically indicative of microtrauma that can weaken the bone.

Computed tomography (CT) has also recently been used for standing imaging of the fetlock. At the moment, there are a few centers equipped with a CT scanner allowing standing fetlock imaging, but they are only available at, for example, New Bolton Center, Pennsylvania - USA, and the University of Melbourne, Australia. CT uses X-rays to create 3D images. Similar to MRI, CT can detect areas of bone densification or areas of bone loss. …

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George Bolton - Chris Mara - Jack Knowlton

By Bill Heller

George Bolton (Nadal)

George Bolton

Having campaigned such stars as two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Lady Aurelia, My Miss Aurelia and The Factor did absolutely nothing to diminish George Bolton’s excitement for his latest home-run hitter, the undefeated three-year-old colt Nadal, whom he owns in partnership with Barry Lipman, Mark Mathiesen and Arthur Hoyeau.

Unfortunately, on May 28, after working a half-mile at Santa Anita, Nadal suffered a colyndar fracture of his left front knee. Surgery was done with two screws were inserted, and Nadal will be able to start a new career as a stallion.

Bolton is thankful that he saw all of Nadal’s four victories. Bolton sneaked into Oaklawn Park May 5 to watch Nadal improve his record to four-for-four by taking the second division of the rescheduled Gr1 Arkansas Derby for trainer Bob Baffert.

“If they can really run, you get your ass there,” Bolton said. “I went to see every one of his races: his maiden, his San Vincente, Rebel and the Arkansas Derby. I was the only owner allowed in at Oaklawn. I snuck in. I had a mask on, but I wasn’t near anyone. I wanted to be with the horse. This is a special horse. I spent as much time at the barn after his race as before. I never missed Curlin, Lady Aurelia, The Factor and My Miss Aurelia. For me, you get the one that’s good, you go see him.”

He was perfectly happy sharing the experience with his partners. “Celebrating by yourself isn’t much fun,” Bolton said. “You spread the risk. At the level I play at, when you’re buying, you have to do it as a partnership.”

Bolton, who is the chief investment officer, portfolio manager and partner of WestEnd Capital Management in San Francisco, currently lives in Key Largo, Fla. He was born near Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. “I grew up on a farm that my great, great aunt owned,” he said. “It was left to my father. He had a lot of jumpers. I grew up around it.”

He graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He’s been an avid supporter of the Cavaliers, and rode the roller coaster of seeing Virginia become the first basketball No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed—the University of Maryland-Baltimore-County—in the NCAA Tournament, and winning the national championship the following season. “I’ve been swinging with the Cavaliers for a long time,” he said. “Virginia is a great place.”

In college, Bolton had the good fortune of becoming friends with Bill Farish, whose father, Will, a former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was building Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. 

“Bill asked me to get involved in the business in 1989,” Bolton said. “I just got off to a good start. I didn’t have anybody marking up horses for me.”

 By 1989, Bolton had moved to San Francisco after working for Alex Brown & Sons in Baltimore. He continued to work for them in San Francisco, becoming the firm’s youngest managing partner in 1991. While leading institutional equity sales on the West Coast, he also separately managed accounts for high net-worth individuals. In 2004, Bolton left Alex Brown to become a partner and chief investment officer at WestEnd Capital Management.

His ongoing success has allowed him to pursue his passion, where he’s become a major player. The Farishes brought Bolton in on a Miswaki filly named Exotic Moves. “We sold her after she won three races for a clean `double,’ and I was hooked,” he told the Paulick Report in a March 26, 2018 story.

Curlin—the 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year—took him to a whole new level, winning 11 of 16 starts and earning more than $10.5 million. No victory was more meaningful to him than Curlin’s come-again victory in the Preakness in Pimlico. “He got passed, and he came again,” Bolton said. “It was crazy. Most of the stretch, I thought he would lose.”

Bolton’s My Miss Aurelia, the 2011 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly won the first six starts of her career and never finished out of the money in 11 starts, earning more than $2.5 million. The Factor, who continues a marvelous stallion career at Lane’s End, won six of 13 starts and more than $900,000. And Lady Aurelia, who won five of 10 starts and more than $800,00, captured the 2017 Gp1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, defeating 17 colts and three fillies.

The international bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe hooked up with Bolton in 2018, buying yearlings for him in Australia, Europe and the United States. “George got in touch with me, and he said `I want you to buy for me,’” she said in a phone interview from Newmarket May 15.

She purchased Nadal—a massive, muscular colt by Blame out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel bred by Sierra Farm—for $700,000 at the 2019 Gulfstream Park Two-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale that March for Bolton and another investor. The second investor bailed, and Bolton reached out to Lipman, Mathiesen and Hoyeau. Trainer Randy Bradshaw had originally purchased Nadal for $65,000 as a yearling. “When I was looking at him, Randy told me, `Kerri, this is a special horse,’” Radcliffe said. “He breezed like a monster, and when you saw his breeze and saw how big he was, you couldn’t quite figure out how that horse did that.”

She named him for tennis star Rafael Nadal. Previously, she had named a colt Gronkowski for Ron Gronkowski, the All-Pro tight end of the New England Patriots. 

The equine Nadal had a rough time getting to the races. After beginning training at Los Alamitos, Baffert shipped Nadal to his barn at Santa Anita. On the van trip there, he kicked out of his stall and got his hind leg caught over the partition. “He flipped over,” Bolton said. “He cut himself on the back of his legs and had lacerations on his hocks. When we finally got him back, he wasn’t working well. We examined him again and gave him three months off. Sometimes, missing a two-year-old year helps as a three-year-old.”

Nadal, who weighs in at 1,325 pounds, hasn’t done a thing wrong since returning to Baffert. “He’s a monster,” said Bolton, who compared him to former New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and legendary Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills’ defensive end Bruce Smith. “It takes him a little while to get going, but his gait versus the other horses is exciting.”

So are the results. “I had 68 texts right after the Arkansas Derby,” Bolton said. “Twenty-eight were from racing people; 40 of them were from Virginia and business people. All of them watched the Derby. It was great for the sport because it’s great that people know him.”

And the tennis star he’s named for? “I’ve talked to his agent,” Bolton said. “He’s aware of the horse. I am a big fan of him as a person and as an athlete. I hope he’s enjoying the horse.”

Bolton sure did. So did Nadal’s other owners: Lipman, whose family runs Lipman Family Farms—North America’s largest tomato grower with headquarters in Florida; Mathiesen, who owns a medical service company and was introduced to racing by his daughter Hannah; and Hoyeau, a French-based bloodstock agent. “These guys are guys you want to work with,” Bolton said.

Chris Mara (Charlatan)

New York Giants Senior Vice President Chris Mara’s passion for Thoroughbred racing goes back a long way. After purchasing a football franchise—which ultimately became the New York Giants—for all of $500 in 1925, his grandfather, Tim Mara, was a legal bookmaker at Belmont Park in the 1930’s. Tim passed both his Giants’ legacy and his love of Thoroughbreds onto his son Wellington, who in turn passed it onto Chris and his brothers.

“He influenced my dad, and my dad influenced me,” Chris said in a phone interview. “The first Saturday in May, you couldn’t find my dad. He and my mom were at the Derby.”

His father took him to Belmont Park for the first time when he was 10. 

Chris’ first trip to the Kentucky Derby was in 1982 when he, his parents and their dear friends the Rooneys watched Gato del Sol take the first leg of the Triple Crown. Chris would marry Kathleen Rooney, NFL pioneer Art Rooney’s granddaughter. 

Chris spent one summer, while in college at Boston College after transferring from Springfield, parking cars at one of the Rooneys’ racetracks, Yonkers Raceway. “I loved it,” Chris said. “It was a very interesting job to say the least. The guys were teaching me how to park cars. I parked one, and when I returned the car, the guy gave me a $20 tip. That was like 1977 or 1978. It was a lot of money. I told the guys, `They gave me $20.’ They said, “You [bleep, bleep].’”

He came a long way from parking cars at that harness track. Some 35 years ago, he owned his first Thoroughbred, Itchy Hooves, with his mom. Fast forward a lot of years. After meeting Starlight Racing’s managing partner Jack Wolf in a Saratoga golf tournament hosted by basketball coach, Thoroughbred owner and long-time friend of the Mara family Rick Pitino in August 2012, Chris decided to make a serious commitment to Thoroughbred ownership by joining Starlight Racing.

“I had been looking into it,” Chris said. “I sought out a couple different people and asked them what they thought I should do. They suggested various syndicates. I looked at all of them. Then I sat down with Donna Brothers (who works for Starlight Racing) at the Saratoga Sale. Then I met Jack Wolf on the golf course at Saratoga National.”

That did it. Maybe Chris was feeling giddy—the after effect of a memorable year, which featured the New York Giants beating the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl; and his daughter, Rooney Mara, for being nominated for an Academy Award for her title role in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

In a May 3rd Newsday story, Chris told Ed McNamara, “I sat down with Jack, and he asked me what I was going to bring to the table; and I answered, `Luck! We just won a Super Bowl, and my daughter is up for an Academy Award!’”

That very afternoon, Chris and Starlight Racing’s two starters in the 2014 Kentucky Derby—General Rod and Intense Holiday—finished 11th and 12th, respectively, to California Chrome.

In 2018, two months before the Kentucky Derby, Chris, through Starlight Racing, became a partner on both Justify and Audible, who finished first and third in the Run for the Roses. Then Justify became racing’s 13th Triple Crown champion and retired as the only undefeated Triple Crown champion.

This summer, Chris and Starlight are back again as partners on undefeated Charlatan, who injured his ankle in early June and will be pointed to the Preakness Stakes, now the final leg of the Triple Crown this year. Charlatan’s ownership includes a bunch of other partners and partnership groups. “It’s a lot of people,” Wolf said May 14. “They’re really fine partners to have.”

Charlatan was scheduled to test his three-for-three record in the rescheduled Belmont Stakes on June 20 as the first leg of an entirely rescheduled Triple Crown, to be cut back from a mile-and-a-half to a mile-and-an-eighth in this chaotic year defined by the coronavirus pandemic plaguing the entire globe.

“Ever since I got involved with Starlight, the ultimate goal was to get a horse to the Derby,” Chris said. “With Charlatan, it’s just fun to have a horse like this.”

Hearing that would make his grandfather smile.

“I just love this sport,” Chris said. “I loved reading about my grandfather.”

It’s hard for Chris to not think of his grandfather. “I walked into Belmont Park one day and there was a picture of my grandfather taking bets on the second floor,” Chris said.

In the picture, Tim Mara is wearing a large, silver button stating he was a legal bookmaker. The button has been passed on to Chris. “I kept it in my pocket before the 2018 Kentucky Derby,” Chris said. “I didn’t wear it, but it worked. I will bring it with me for Charlatan.”

Asked what he thought as Justify crossed the finish line to win the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Chris said, “I hope I didn’t lose all the winning tickets. I had a lot of them. My grandfather would have been proud, but he wouldn’t have been happy because he was the bookie.”

Jack Knowlton (Tiz the Law)

Can it be 17 years since Sackatoga Stable partners rolled into Churchill Downs on a rented yellow school bus and left with all the roses when Funny Cide became the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby? …

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#Soundbites - trainers - horses had the fewest number or average starts per year - smallest field size

By Bill Heller

The new Jockey Club Fact Book showed 2019’s average field size dropped again to 7.24, and 2019’s starts per runner dropped again to 5.96. Both numbers are the lowest since at least 1950. Does that concern you?

Todd Pletcher

It does concern me. There’s a concern that today’s horses aren’t as durable as they were in the past. We need increased field size to increase handle. That’s a worry. But we also want to try to lessen breakdowns, and trainers are spacing races out more to make sure their horses are ready to run an optimal performance. We found over the years that horses, especially after hard races, need more time. It’s a complicated issue. It’s a constant learning curve. Each horse is different. Certainly we see that when we approach Triple Crown races for three-year-olds.

Neil Drysdale

Neil Drysdale

It does, obviously. It keeps contracting. We know that from the foal crops. It leads to us to say we should have less racing to get better field size. I think it will happen. When I started, we didn’t have year-round racing. Racing has been proliferating, but the boutique meets have done so well: Keeneland, Del Mar, Saratoga, Hot Springs.

Tom Albertrani

Tom Albertrani

It’s interesting to hear statistics about it. Am I concerned? I don’t think so. I think we’re still a pretty strong industry. I know there’s been a lot of smaller fields the last couple of years.

Ron Moquett

Ron Moquett

Not where I’m at. I go to the track at Remington Park, Oaklawn Park and Keeneland. They offer some of the largest field sizes there are. If you look it up, I think Remington is No.1, and Oaklawn is No. 2. That’s where I race most of my horses. I like bigger fields for handicappers to bet on. It’s easier to win races when they’re less, but I like people to see big fields with good horses. 

Tony Dutrow

Yes. No. 1, I’m not surprised. It’s been alarming me for a number of years. Horses are not as sound. The reasons for the drop in starts, in my opinion, is that racing’s become enormously commercial. When I was so much younger, more breeders bred horses to race them much more than they do today. The people that have the funds fuel this game. The people who fuel the game need good broodmares. Then they breed them to a successful stallion. They spend a lot of money. And then they’re going to sell that horse at a sale. They’re not going to keep that horse running in the field with his buddies. That has a lot to do with why horses have less starts.

John Shirreffs

John Shirreffs

It does not really concern me. When I first was working on the racetrack as a hotwalker/ponyboy, Laffit Pincay was just beginning to ride. The rumor was that if you use him, you wouldn’t be able to run your horse again for 30 days because he got everything out of the horse. Now all the jockeys are like Laffit. Jockeys are now fitter, stronger and ride harder from gate to wire. I think the horses are asked to do more, so recovery takes a little longer. Horses are also carrying a lot more weight than they ever did. There used to be weight allowances. Look at the scale of weights. Much higher.

Wayne Catalano

Of course it concerns me. We’re running out of horses. We’re not breeding as many horses as we used to. I don’t know the numbers, but it’s finally catching up with us. Field size is handle, right? We get paid by the handle.

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#Coronavirus Soundbites

By Bill Heller

We asked trainers how they are handling the coronavirus pandemic and what advice they have for getting through this ordeal

Todd Pletcher

We had to close down our Belmont division. There were workers with symptoms. They went to the clinic and were quarantined. More than anything, it was making it difficult to have a safe workplace. At that time, we thought there wasn’t going to be racing in New York for a while. We had 20 horses at Belmont. That normally would be the time we’d be sending horses to Belmont. We had to put that on hold.

We left it up to owners to decide what to do with their horses. Some went to their farms; a couple went to Fair Hill; some went to Ocala and some went to Palm Beach Downs. We did not move any workers [but] have about 100 horses at Palm Beach, a small string at Gulfstream Park [and] four at Oaklawn scheduled to run. We’ve been fortunate with Gulfstream being able to run. We’ve been able to keep some schedules. It’s juggling a lot of schedules. It’s trying times for everyone. We want to make sure to keep our horses and our employees healthy.

Current practices at Palm Beach?

We’re just going by the recommendations as to what the government is saying. Masks are optional. Some are wearing them; most are not. At Gulfstream, we’re just trying to use common sense, keep people from congregating, keep six feet apart. The one thing we are learning is that social distancing is working. We try to keep that policy in mind.

Planning ahead?

That’s something I have to work around. I’m a target-oriented trainer. I like pointing to specific spots. At Aqueduct, the condition book is in the garbage—Keeneland, too. These are unique times. You have to adjust on a daily basis. Everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone’s facing several challenges.

Suggestions?

Use common sense. Take care of your horses and your staff. In time, we’ll return to normalcy. Try to remain positive.

                     *******************************************

Eoin Harty

It’s been no harder for me than everybody else. You worry about your family, in California and Europe. Every day you wake up, that’s the first thing on your mind. With horses, you have to take care of them every day. It would be a lot worse for me if we were home 24-7.

Eoin Harty

Precautions?

You can feel that tension in the air. I check every person in the barn; nobody’s coughing. Everyone is wearing gloves and masks—masks for sure around the barn. You don’t have to ask people twice.

Racing?

There’s been a lot of speculation about Santa Anita using Los Alamitos. I don’t know if it’s viable. I think we could be racing at Santa Anita again. The best case scenario is racing at the end of the month or in May. We haven’t had a single case on the racetrack. There hasn’t been a single one. That’s a good thing.

Personally?

I keep six feet away—don’t touch anything.

Suggestions?

Do what you have to do to protect yourself and your family. Right now, it’s common sense. Look out for your friends. Racing will take care of itself.

                     ***************************************

Graham Motion

Graham Motion

My family is all home. My wife is trying to run the business from home. As far as the barn, we’re taking a lot of precautions. We have one person disinfecting everything first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. He takes everybody’s temperature when they come in the morning. We’re trying to have employees not group up in the tack room. After a week or two, you have to remind them.

Six feet away?

We try to. It’s not totally realistic. You have to give a leg up. Most of the time with gloves. We try to do the best we can.

We’re going to try to get everybody to wear masks. We tried to order some. We have 100 employees all told at all the locations: Fair Hill, Palm Meadows. Normally, we would have pulled out from Palm Meadows for Keeneland, but now we’re staying at Palm Meadows.

Normally I train down there while my son, Chappy, goes to spring break. We got from Fair Hill to North Carolina. We planned to overnight in North Carolina. Once we got there, things were getting bad. We spent two nights in North Carolina, and we decided we’d rather be in Maryland. We went back to Fair Hill. It kind of reminded me of 9-11.

Advice for horsemen?

I think in general, the horsemen are lucky. We get to keep on doing what we do. The horses have to get out of their stalls. I think the unsettling part is not knowing when we’ll race again. We worry about our owners who are paying training fees every day. I’m worried about them. We have 60 horses at Fair Hill and 20 at Palm Meadows. I just brought in a few two-year-olds.

When new people come in, they stay away for two weeks. We’re trying to follow the guidelines.

                     ***************************************

Tom Proctor

 I’m in a little better shape than most. Other than Gulfstream and Tampa Bay, I have horses at Oaklawn, and the rest are at Glen Hill Farm south of Ocala. Most of my horses are gathered up at Ocala. We probably got 25 in Ocala and a dozen are at Tampa Bay. I’m spending most of my time in Ocala.

Precautions?

We did have horses at the Fair Grounds. We kept those people from Fair Grounds separate for two weeks. We did get out of New Orleans pretty early—about the middle of March. 

Tom Proctor

In Ocala, gloves and masks?

Most of our people don’t leave the farm. We’re not really wearing masks. We’re washing our hands. The zip code we’re in hasn’t had a single case.

When you go to the track, do you take precautions?

I’ve stayed away from people—social distancing when I can. For a trainer, it’s easier than most. I check on the horses when nobody else is around.

                     **************************************

Tom Amoss

(Tom Amoss was exposed to the virus by being with New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, who contracted the virus, at the Fair Grounds. Amoss self-quarantined for two weeks while continuing to work from home for TVG.)

Did you have the virus?

 I never really found out. When it happened, it wasn’t easy to test. I stayed at home for two weeks. Now I’m going to work every day. They really don’t want us up and around in New Orleans. I’m here at my barn every morning from 6-10. My routine is the same.

Protocols at Fair Grounds?

 That’s an evolving thing. Our temperature is taken when we come into the track. We’re not allowed in the buildings. Social distancing is a requirement. Fifty percent of the people on the backstretch are wearing masks. We’ve had zero issues in my barn, and none in other barns as well. There’s a reason for that. My help lives on the racetrack. They’re self-contained. There’s a grocery on the backstretch—Canseco’s. We’re the opposite of how New Orleans is doing. We have nothing bad in our barn. I haven’t heard of one case.

Suggestions for other horsemen?

It’s a tough question. Look, there’s a difference between our horses and the horses in California. Our horses are allowed to ship to Oaklawn. No people are shipped. I’ve got a barn up there. I’m blessed in the fact that I already have people there.

Stables?

Ever-changing. There are a lot of horses I have who race on grass. They have been sold or turned out. Other horses who don’t fit the condition and book at Oaklawn have been sold or turned out. We’ve down-sized about 20 percent.

                     ****************************************

Linda Rice

Linda RIce

Handling this?

We’re doing very well. We’re being very careful on Long Island. We know New York City has a lot of cases. We’ve been using masks, gloves and social distancing. We’ve been doing that for three weeks now. We have a regular training schedule at Belmont. It’s good to have a routine. We’re happy to go to work every day. A lot of people are stuck at home. They can’t work. We can.

Response so far?

The help is doing great. Everyone is concerned. We watch the news. It scares the hell out of you. But it’s the old adage: the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man, or a woman.

What’s going on with racing in New York?

Aqueduct, obviously, is being used as a hospital. I think everyone here is under the impression that we’ll be racing at Belmont. It’s just a matter of when. We’re looking at June 1st. If it’s sooner than that, great.

Outlook?

The entire world is dealing with this. If there is small business assistance, that’s great if it can get processed. Unemployment for those out of work will help. We’re making sure of helping everyone on the backstretch who needs it. We’re making sure our horses and our people are safe.

Last five standing - What measures have the five Thoroughbred-only tracks taken to continue racing during the coronavirus shutdown?

By Bill Heller

By Bill Heller

Thoroughbred racing hasn’t escaped the pandemic of the coronavirus that’s changing the world every day we wake up. Accordingly, during the first two weeks of April, there were only five racetracks offering spectator-less Thoroughbred racing in the county.

Those five tracks—Fonner Park in Nebraska, Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma, Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park—offer the horsemen lucky enough to be at those tracks the opportunity to keep working while millions of other Americans have become unemployed. Thousands of other Americans have died from the virus.

This is a new world, and these five racetracks are operating under guidelines—some mandatory and some not—aimed at keeping horsemen and anyone they come into contact with safe. Keeping the horses safe is a given.

Fonner Park

Fonner Park switched its daily schedule in late March, going from a Thursday, Friday and Saturday operation to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday—the same schedule Will Rogers Downs is operating to take advantage of simulcasting revenue.

“We started this schedule March 23rd,” Fonner Park Racing Secretary Doug Schoepf said. “There were a lot of racetracks shutting down. The horsemen are very thankful that we are able to continue to run. They’re able to run for some purse money. If we close down, they have nowhere to go. Tracks around us have delayed their meets.”

Schoepf said that every person working at the track wears a mask and gloves. “They also do social distancing—10 people or less,” he said. “There’s an empty stall between each stall with a racehorse. We limit it to two people in the stall: the trainer and the groom. Trainers and grooms must wear masks and gloves. Our valets wear masks and gloves.”

Asked about the effectiveness of the safety protocols, Schoepf said, “It’s working well.”

Fonner Park was approved for 12 extra dates of spectator-free racing from May 4th through May 31 on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule.

At Will Rogers Downs, the March 16 through May 19 meet has proceeded without interruptions. “We all wear masks, plexiglass and gloves,” Paddock Judge Scooter Rippy said. “We draw cards in open air. The governor has put restrictions on people coming in. It’s really kind of crazy, but it seems to be working.”

Will Rogers Downs

Will Rogers Downs Race Secretary John Lies said, “For out-of-state shippers, per the governor of Oklahoma two weeks ago, we are not allowing entries or jockeys from six states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Washington and Louisiana.

He said that all track employees must wear a protective mask while on the property. “We provide gloves for all,” he said.

Additionally, the clerk of scales in the jockey room takes all riders’ temperatures.

Asked if horsemen are following the protocols, he said, “They definitely are following it. They want to keep the track open.” 

Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs, has just extended its meet through until the end of May given that horsemen would have nowhere to go if the meet had finished at planned at the start of the month . “We’re not letting in any backside help or riders that haven’t been here already,” Racing Secretary Allison De Luca said. “We’re not letting in a horse who started in another state unless they have a workout in Florida. The main thing is we’re about the health of horses coming in. We’re trying to keep it down and use horses from here, Gulfstream Park, Palm Meadows or training centers in Ocala and Miami.”

De Luca said everybody is wearing gloves and masks “pretty much all the time.” That includes jockeys, officials, all the pony people. “Every time they come into the track, their temperature is taken at the stable gate,” De Luca said. “And then, when they go into the paddock, their temperature is taken again. Security workers are also taking temperatures on the backside and are reminding people not to gather [into] groups, even if it’s by accident. We’re just trying to keep people separated—trying to keep people apart. So far, it’s worked out pretty well.”

The response from horsemen has been very positive. “At first, I just don’t think we had everything in place,” she said. “Now people are responding very well to it, and they’re happy that we’re still racing.”

Gulfstream Park

She added that the racing office has been closed and that entries are being taken by phone. “We’re trying to be safe for everyone,” De Luca said. “The horses are here, and they have to be taken care of. Everybody that’s back there has to be.”

De Luca also said that the track has procedures for quarantines. “But they haven’t been needed yet,” he said.

Gulfstream Park seemed to be in danger of losing its signature race—the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29, but the track remained open, ran the race, and has continued to operate on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. 

“We’ve put in place many, many protocols for human safety and horse safety,” Racing Secretary Mike Lakow said. “I believe at this point, they (the officials making such decisions) are comfortable with what we’ve put in place.”

That doesn’t mean it’s business like usual. “It’s weird,” Lakow said. “After Tiz the Law won the Florida Derby, I went over to (jockey) Mike Franco and told him, `Manny, I’m really sorry. There should be high-fives and cheering.’ He said, `I get it,’ and nodded.”

 https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/horse-racing/article241189496.html

 Credit: MATIAS J. OCNER mocner@miamiherald.com

In South Florida, no horsemen, including jockeys, from out of state have been allowed at the Stronach properties; Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Park West (Calder). “If they come from out of state, they must quarantine for two weeks at a facility in Florida,” Lakow said. “Jockeys, if they haven’t been riding here, they’re not allowed here.”

Oaklawn Park

Among the many protocols at Gulfstream Park include keeping jockeys apart and ensuring all humans wear gloves and a mask or bandana. “Social distancing is key to us,” Lakow said. “We’re limiting it to two people or occasionally three in the paddock. Right now, it’s working great. The horsemen have been tremendous. They’re bending over backwards because they know we’re trying to keep racing going. They’re incredible.”

Asked if those protocols are keeping people safe, Lakow said, “Of course.”

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., is hopeful its current 57-day meet, which ends May 2, will be held in its entirety—racing on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“We only take horses shipping in for stakes,” Racing Secretary Patrick Pope said. “We’re basically allowing horses from everywhere, but no people, especially from New York and Louisiana. Vans drive in and drop the horses off. Trainers are calling friends here to saddle their horses.”

Among the precautions being taken include taking everybody’s temperature. “We’re asking for social distancing,” Pope said. “We keep minimum people in the paddock: two people and that’s it.”

Gloves and masks are recommended but not mandated. “We’ve seen some,” Pope said. “Some trainers do wear them, some don’t. But if the governor of Arkansas says wear them, we’ll wear them, or they won’t be allowed in.”

Asked if he’s happy with this routine, Pope said, “It seems to be working. We’re trying to do everything we can to let them run for purse money with so many other tracks not open. You’ve got to take care of the horses and feed them.

We’re fortunate to be working. We try to keep any negatives out of it—anything to keep the people and the horses safe.”

Against the odds - how two tracks kept racing and reaped handle rewards

By Jeff Lowe

Fonner Park and Will Rogers Downs were the surprise beneficiaries of national attention on the racing landscape in late March and throughout the month of April. They were the only racetrack signals available early in the week with a somewhat captive audience as so many sports-starved handicappers were stuck at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Off-track handle exploded to record totals at both racetracks, but the bottom line effects were different with the backdrop of empty grandstands. 

Fonner Park in Grand Isle, Neb., has quietly built up an impressive on-track business model for its annual race meets, spanning from late February to Kentucky Derby weekend in early May. The meet has now been approved for 12 extra dates of spectator-free racing from May 4th through May 31 on a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule.

The grandstand sells out most every Saturday for 11 straight weeks, and the revenue from tickets, on-track handle, food and beverage are a large piece of the track's financial puzzle. The usual all-source handle for a Saturday at Fonner might not surpass $600,000, CEO Chris Kotulak said. Even though off-track handle skyrocketed to as much as a state record of $7.2 million for a mandatory Pick 5 payout and otherwise averaged about $2.5 million with the altered schedule, the track's off-track take at a rate between 3 and 4 percent is not enough to completely make up for the missing revenue from on-track patrons, he said. 

Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak

"You see those sexy mutuel numbers and might think 'Wow, what a success!'" Kotulak said. "My response is 'Really, we're just surviving.' The horsemen, other than reducing the purse values for a couple stakes races, the purses have not changed one penny. For them, it's pretty much status quo. But people have asked me, 'Are we going to stick with this Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday schedule to be more visible nationally,' and I don't even let them finish the sentence. Absolutely not. Fonner Park is not making any revenue on food, beverage or seating on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays now, and going forward we wouldn't make anything comparable to what we do on the weekends. We need that revenue to put that into our coffers to keep up on maintenance and repairs for our facility, and on top of that, it's the experience that is so important here. 

"No one is going to get sold on horse racing by going to a racetrack on a Tuesday afternoon with a handful of people there. A lot of the nation doesn't realize we sell out every Saturday for 11 weeks of racing, our grandstand is jammed pack, and Sundays are big here too. That vibe is what brings people back.

We are very much alive and thriving on-track every racing weekend. We are a clean, tidy, efficient little racing facility, and if you haven't been to us before, you wouldn't have any reason to realize what we do well.

You'd think this is a dusty, five-eighths mile racetrack with a ratty old grandstand; and that is not us at all. We run a proper race meet, we keep up the facility, and we have more than 900 horses stabled here. So we are not just some carnival that comes to town; we've been operating since 1954 and it's a rich tradition here." 

Fonner Park during normal times.

Kotulak realistically does not expect Fonner's signal to become more popular or pervasive after this unique circumstance that thrust the track into the limelight. 

"We'll be yesterday's news once other racetracks come back online," he said. "I get it. I understand most people would rather bet on $200,000 stakes races with horses running on the turf, but with what we're offering, we're presenting full fields and competitive racing, so it makes sense that as the only show in town, we're benefiting with huge off-track handle totals compared to what we're used to; but I don't want to overstate what that means for our bottom line.

"One other piece of this equation is that there is never a race run at Fonner Park where the commission of the mutuel handle on that race pays for the purse of that race. We're offering $50,000 in purse money a day for our (original) 31-day race meet not for what they wager on a big Saturday or a big week or a season. It's the season plus the Triple Crown races, plus the Breeders' Cup and our big, mega handicapping challenge we offer in January each year that is either the third- or the second-best weekend we have annually. All that put together, we're able to scratch and claw together a condition book with roughly $5,000 a race in purse money." 

Trainer David Anderson has been racing at Fonner for 40 years and said the surreal circumstances are never far from his thoughts in this meet. 

"It's just a weird feeling every step of the way," Anderson said. "You're saddling horses with no people in the stands and with our masks on. There's no rah-rah and go-go, which is totally different for Fonner Park. It's always been a track with great crowds; the clubhouse sells out all the time. It's a big thing in Grand Island, Neb., and people come from all over the state. It's a real social gathering. Without all that, we're holding our own; but trust me, no one is liking this. There's the anxiety that if someone on the backside were to test positive for the virus, you got to think we'd be shut down right away. Then, there's no place to go. Every day we get to race; we've got to be thankful." 

The big difference at Will Rogers Downs compared to Fonner is the presence of an onsite casino. Will Rogers—about 30 miles outside Tulsa, Okla.—is owned and operated by the Cherokee Nation. On-track attendance for racing is not that important in the overall revenue model, but Will Rogers was already positioning its schedule for more exposure by racing early in the week when there is less competition from bigger tracks. In March and April, Will Rogers only races on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In May, Saturdays are added in. 

Will Rogers Downs handled $16.8-million during an entire 25-day Thoroughbred meet in 2019. This year, that total was surpassed by the eighth day of racing. 

"We have been the beneficiaries of this global pandemic that has shuttered racetracks—there is no question about it," said Jon Lies, who serves triple duty as the Will Rogers racing secretary, track announcer and oddsmaker. "Our racing product has really improved. Not only is field size up, but more importantly, the quality of the races has increased tremendously. The class levels of races that I'm able to offer have also increased; it results in much better cards, and the horseplayers have responded very positively. Purse levels have not changed and look to remain the same for the foreseeable future. The main catch right now is that the casino is closed, and the simulcast operations have also stopped at this point; and that's a lot of our purse money for the future. The additional handle that we're getting now is obviously much greater than before, so the percentage of that going back into purses has increased dramatically. So time will tell as far as what impact that will have for future race meets here." 

A sign of the strange times is the availability—or lack thereof—of wagering for horsemen to bet on their own horses at Fonner and Will Rogers while much of the racing world is watching. 

Fonner owners and trainers can bet online through an ADW. Owners can do so onsite at Fonner from the comfort of their vehicles. The track is allowing owners to drive up to the track apron and watch their horses run live, but without getting out of their cars. 

In Oklahoma, in-state owners and trainers with horses running at Will Rogers do not have a way to bet on the races; there is no wagering on-track or simulcast operations during the pandemic, and ADW wagering through an online provider was already not an option in the state. 

"It's a very unusual situation where this Oklahoma track is thriving as much as it is, but the horsemen that are here year after year can't bet on their own races," Lies said. 

"Going forward, I think it's opened up a lot of doors for us. We've gone international and had eyeballs on us that we never would have imagined. Our goal is to try to retain this new audience that we have gained to what we feel like is a very attractive wagering product." 

Will Rogers is the true home track for trainer Scott Young—he lives a few furlongs up the road and has led the trainer standings in recent years. This meet has been much more competitive, he said. 

"It's definitely tougher racing, but we're just happy to be racing," said Young, who had a division this winter at Sam Houston Race Park, which cut short its meet due to COVID-19. "You have a lot of people shipping in since so many other tracks are closed, but I'm all for it. We're able to take advantage of it and put out a product that the gamblers are liking and seeing since we're pretty much the only game in town. 

“It's nice to see full fields and the horses we enter are able to race, as opposed to races getting called off because of four or five entries. Before, we were life and death to draw enough horses for the ‘two other than’ allowances and upper-level claiming races, but now we're filling every race that's written, and horses are shipping in from Kentucky, New Mexico—you name it. You see horses shipping 12 or 13 hours to come run here at Will Rogers and it's kind of unbelievable."

Michael Hui

By Bill Heller

Stakes winning owners - spring 2020

By Bill Heller

Michael Hui – Zulu Alpha

When Michael Hui made his first trip to the racetrack (Oaklawn Park), he was 15 years old. He saved his first bet, christening his entrance into horse racing. “It’s the first wager I ever made—a $2 show ticket, an old Amtote ticket,” he said. “I definitely loved watching the horses.”

Forty-one years later, he’s saving much better souvenirs, thanks to his first Gr1 stakes winner, Zulu Alpha, a horse he claimed for $80,000 in September 2018. The seven-year-old gelding has emerged as one of the best turf horses in the country, thanks to consecutive victories in the Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Turf and the Gr.2 Mac Diarmida Stakes.

“He’s exceeded every expectation,” Hui said. “I’m going to enjoy this ride. It could be a real fun year.”

But Hui not only owns a Gr1 winner, he and his wife have also bred a Gr1 winner, Nickname—the daughter of Nina Fever, a horse they claimed for $40,000. Nina Fever suffered a fractured sesamoid in the race she was claimed, was retired, and then was bred to Scat Daddy, producing Nickname—the winner of the 2015 Grade 1 Frizette.

This is heady stuff for Hui, who has only been in the game since February 25, 2010, when he claimed Diablo’s Holiday for $30,000 when she finished second in a maiden claimer at Oaklawn Park. He’d fallen in love with horse racing much earlier.

Hui’s parents, Albert and Ellen, came to America for an education and wound up educating others as professors: Ellen in chemistry and Albert in math and physics at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, 100 miles southeast of Oaklawn Park. 

When he started going to Oaklawn Park as a teenager with his friends, Hui said, “We had a blast.  We continued going when we could through college.”

Hui graduated from the University of Arkansas with a double major in math and physics and tacked on a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Working in analysis and management, Hui spent nine years at a logistics company in Shreveport, La.

He co-founded Transportation Insight, a logistics cost management consulting firm in Hickory, N.C., in January 2000; and it did well enough for him to relocate to Arkansas, where he reconnected with his teenage passion, in 2004. “It pulled me back in,” he said. “I’d be at Oaklawn Park most weekends.”

He thought about getting in the game. “I thought about it for a half dozen years,” he said. “I decided to take a little shot. It was cool to own a horse.”

His first claim, Diablo’s Holiday, didn’t give him his first winner. Amelia, a $7,500 claimer, got the job done.

“I didn’t really experience my first win until 10 or 11 months after I got in,” Hui said. “It was fun, but we ran second a lot, third a lot. It was all a positive experience.”

Not even close to how he did with two subsequent claims he made after connecting with Mike Maker. Taghleeb, a $62,500 claim at Saratoga in July 2016, won the $100,000 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park, the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park in January 2017. He then finished second in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park.

Another $62,500 claim, Greengrassofyoming at Churchill Downs in 2016, won the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

An $80,000 claim, Hogy, captured the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint and finished second in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes at Keeneland.

But the best claim was yet to come. That was Zulu Alpha, claimed for $80,000 by Hui on September 14, 2018, with another trainer Hui used, John Ortiz. Zulu Alpha won that race by 9 ½ lengths. “When I claimed the horse, I offered John a half-interest,” Hui said. “He said, `No, I have enough horses.’”

Zulu Alpha captured his first start for his new connections in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland.

Then Hui switched trainers to Maker, and Zulu Alpha won the Grade 3 McKnight, the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup after finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 United Nations. Zulu Alpha finished his six-year-old season by rallying from 12th to finish fourth by 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf to Bricks and Mortar, who would be named Horse of the Year.

With Mike Maker, Hui won his first Gr1 stakes with Zulu Alpha in the Pegasus World Cup.

In 2020, Zulu Alpha is two-for-two, and the sky’s the limit. Hui credits Maker: “He doesn’t say a lot, but when he talks about horses, he talks about balance and height. I have faith in Mike.”

“I never thought when I got in this, I would win a Gr1,” Hui said. “For someone who didn’t think he’d win a Gr1, it was like Christmas.” Even if it was a month late.

Coronavirus Update - state by state

By Bill Heller

As tracks continue to juggle their schedules regarding training and upcoming meets, we’ve put together a snapshot of what is happening across different racing jurisdictions as well as provide website links for horsemen who need support. Nationally, the Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation was set up to help backstretch workers. Working with the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, the Safety Net Foundation is focusing on the immediate need of stocking food pantries at racetracks around the country. Donations are tax deductible and can be made at tjcfoundation.org/donate. Because of the coronavirus, checks are not being accepted. On April 17, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) issued suggested guidelines for all tracks. “We’re not trying to tell government health officials and racing commissions what to do,” Eric Hamelback, CEO of the NHBPA, said in a release. “We hope it provides a path forward.” The NHBPA disclaims any liability for use of those guidelines, which can be found in its entirety on the NHBPA website: www.nationalhbpa.com. Among the guidelines:

• To limit exposure and prevent the spread of germs and disease, no visitors or guests will be allowed to access the backside, racetrack, track aprons, paddocks or jockeys’ room. Nonessential personnel are prohibited on the grounds.

• There must be multiple health check stations at every accessible gate/entry for the stable area. Health check stations will take temperatures of all people and note any symptoms of illness before granting access. A log will be kept of all people granted access. Before authorized personnel arrive, all must have had their temperatures taken.

• Trainers are responsible and accountable for ensuring all their employees have had their temperatures monitored and approved.

• Racetrack management is accountable for ensuring all their employees have had their temperatures taken and approved.

• All incoming van drivers not showing symptoms of illness must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and wear gloves to pick up or drop off horses. Drivers and attendants must have minimal contact with any stable personnel.

• All pony personnel must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and gloves when in contact with jockeys.

• Gate crew workers must wear a mask, scarf or bandana over their nose and mouth and wear gloves when loading horses in the starting gate. They will have no contact with any other personnel unless it’s in the best interest of safety.

• No owners, media or fans will be allowed. There will be no guests with no exceptions.

• All personnel should observe social distancing.

• All jockeys and essential personnel in the jockeys’ room, including valets and the clerk of scales, will have their temperatures monitored daily. Anyone showing any signs of illness must be denied access. All saunas and extraneous facilities must be closed. Showers can remain open but will be sanitized frequently throughout the day.

• All jockeys are required to wear riding gloves.

• The guidelines include several suggested cleaning and hygiene protocols.

Even the long trip to normalcy begins with slow steps. Additionally, the National Thoroughbred Racetrack Association has a wealth of information for horsemen at its website, www.NTRA.com.

HERE’S THE LATEST INFORMATION, STATE BY STATE:

ARIZONA Turf Paradise’s meet, which was scheduled to conclude on May 3, ended on March 14. The backstretch has remained open with over 700 horses on site. Horses are currently able to remain in situ until mid-May, but no training is permitted on the track.

ARKANSAS See “Last Five Standing” article about Oaklawn Park.

CALIFORNIA Racing at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields ended abruptly on March 17 and April 9, respectively by their respective county mandates. Santa Anita has now issued a conditions book (click here). Racing resumed at Santa Anita on May 15 under strict protocols, including the exclusion of spectators.

Del Mar’s meet is scheduled from July 18 through September 7. The San Diego County Fair, which was supposed to run from June 5 through July 5, was canceled. Los Alamitos, which is currently conducting Quarter Horse racing, will race Thoroughbreds from June 26 through July 5.

Golden Gate Fields is set to resume racing (without spectators) on May 14. A revised conditions book and stakes schedule will be released over the coming days with the signature $250,00 San Francisco Mile (Gr.3 turf), moved to the closing day - June 14.

Sanitising according to the guidelines at Santa Anita.

DELAWARE Delaware Park’s meet was scheduled to run from May 27 through October 31.

The first day of the meet has been delayed by three weeks to Wednesday, June 17, and the meet will finish on Saturday, Oct. 17.

FLORIDA See “Last Five Standing” article about Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Tampa Bay Downs has subsequently applied for dates in June, looking to race on a Monday / Wednesday schedule: June 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24. Tampa would then race again on June 30 and July 1 with the June 30 date being the first day of the track's normal two-day summer festival of racing.

ILLINOIS On April 23, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker extended the stay-at-home order through the end of May. Arlington Park, which was supposed to open on May 1, is now hoping to run a 30 day meet during August and September.

INDIANA Racetracks have a reopening plan that includes additional protocols and procedures that all participants will be asked to abide by to ensure everyone’s health and safety as these stages are rolled out. Both racetracks will be posting those protocols on their website.

May 11 – Essential travel restrictions were lifted (local non-essential travel allowed). Horses currently located in Indiana were allowed to begin moving onto the backside of both racetracks. This applies only to those trainers with horses currently located in-state. Please contact Harrah’s Hoosier Park or Indiana Grand’s racing office to schedule your arrival date.

May 24 – No travel restrictions; horses originating from out-of-state are allowed. Horses currently located outside of Indiana will be allowed to begin moving onto the backside of both racetracks. This applies to those trainers with horses originating from out of state. Please contact Harrah’s Hoosier Park or Indiana Grand’s racing office to schedule your arrival date.

June 14 - Pari-mutuel racing allowed to commence – spectator free. 

July 4 – Pari-mutuel racing and County and State fair racing anticipated to begin (with spectators) should there be no change in the ‘Back on Track Indiana’ roadmap.

Governor Holcomb’s ‘Back on Track Indiana’ roadmap includes four guiding principles the state of Indiana will utilize to determine if the stages outlined continue to move forward. Participants should be aware that if these principles are not met, the stages may be paused, or we may need to return to an earlier stage. Details regarding the principles can be found at www.backontrack.in.gov

“Our industry leaders, from racetrack management, horsemen associations and IHRC staff have been working diligently to advocate for our racing industry to get us to this point. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding as we move forward and navigate through this reopening process,” stated Deena Pitman, Indiana Horse Racing Commission Executive Director.

Indiana Grand are planning to run a 86 day thoroughbred meet - from June 15 through November 18. Racing will take place from Monday to Thursday.

Indiana Grand has issued a revised condition book and stakes schedule for the 2020 season.

IOWA Prairie Meadows, which had a Thoroughbred only meet from May 1 to June 8 and a mixed Thoroughbred/ Quarter Horse meet from June 12 through September 26, has temporarily ceased operations. But is now looking to open again at some point between June 15 and July 1 and to reopen its backside some three weeks before racing begins.

KENTUCKY Keeneland dealt with the pandemic early and efficiently. Training has continued under specific protocols. Checkpoints have been set up at all gates. Individuals with a temperature higher than 100.5 degrees are not admitted. They also must be showing no symptoms of the coronavirus. The track kitchen has extended its hours to 6 p.m.

On May 22, Keeneland submitted a request to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s Race Dates Committee for a five-day Summer Meet, to be held Wednesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 12. Under the current safety protocols, the Summer Meet would be held without spectators.

Churchill Downs’ owned Turfway Park closed its winter meet early on March 28, losing three race dates.

Churchill Downs has postponed the running of the 146th Kentucky Derby from the first Saturday in May (May 2) to the first Saturday in September (September 5).

On May 12, Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races that could be used for the extension of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve,” pending agreeable race placement by the host tracks.

Additionally, the first race in the extended series, the $150,000 Matt Winn (Grade III) on May 23 at Churchill Downs, will have Top 4 points raised from the previously announced 10-4-2-1 to 50-20-10-5.

Mike Ziegler

“Based on measured interest from horsemen and limited racing opportunities for 3-year-olds across the country, the Matt Winn at the home of the Kentucky Derby appears to be the lone race in May on the national calendar for horsemen to use as a prep to possible important stakes engagements in mid-to-late June,” said Mike Ziegler, Churchill Downs Incorporated’s Executive Director of Racing. “For that reason, we’re pleased to be able to fill the void and raise the significance of the Matt Winn.” 

The other two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown – the Preakness (GI) and Belmont (GI) – have yet to be rescheduled. Should those races be scheduled in advance of the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, points to the Top 4 finishers will be worth 150-60-30-15.

          “We’re in the midst of an unprecedented year, and this year’s Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown will be one of the most memorable of our lifetimes,”

Ziegler said. “There are a lot of moving parts and there are still a lot of unanswered questions, including who will be running and when. We’ve had great conversations with our partner racetracks and believe we’ve identified the best extension to a most unique Road to the Kentucky Derby. This will continue to evolve, including date placement, as host tracks firm up their plans.”

          The following races, separated by region, have been added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Once the New York Racing Association finalizes their stakes schedules, eligible races could be added to the series:

·      East: Haskell (100-40-20-10) and Pegasus (20-8-4-2) at Monmouth Park.

·      Midwest: Matt Winn (50-20-10-5); Indiana Derby (20-8-4-2); Blue Grass (100-40-20-10); and Ellis Park Derby (50-20-10-5).

·      West: Santa Anita Derby (100-40-20-10); Los Alamitos Derby (20-8-4-2); and Del Mar’s Shared Belief (50-20-10-5).

Because this is an unprecedented and fluid situation, all races are subject to change and events could be added or removed. Additionally, the point values for each race will be subject to readjustment based on their proximity to all Triple Crown races.

Additionally, the following races, separated by region, have been added to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Once the New York Racing Association finalizes their stakes schedules, eligible races could be added to the series:

- East: Delaware Oaks (50-20-10-5) and Monmouth Oaks (50-20-10-5).

- Midwest: Dogwood (20-8-4-2); Indiana Oaks (20-8-4-2); Ashland (100-40-20-10); and Beaumont (20-8-4-2).

- West: Santa Anita Oaks (100-40-20-10).

A phased, systematic and controlled return of horses and their personnel to the stable areas at Churchill Downs, started on Monday, May 11.

A revised stakes schedule and condition book for the schedule of races is now available - click here to access.

Ellis Park is still scheduled to open on June 28 and concludes September 6. To help horsemen, the Kentucky Equine Economic Advocate (KEEP) has a link to information about services at https://horseswork.com/covid-19-resources.

Information is available regarding contacts, resources, unemployment insurance, latest news and pending legislation. There is also a link to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce about who’s hiring, resources for employers and advice for small businesses concerning the Disaster Loan Program.

As far as breeding goes, Gray Lyster, president of the Consignors Breeders Association (CBA) in Lexington, said, “We actually had a board meeting online. We’re wondering about farms and sales. What are public sales going to look like in the future? Up to $200 million in two-year-old sales need to happen. That’s at the top of the list.” Lyster said he advised CBA membership “to get familiar with video cameras. Nobody knows where we’re going to be. Things seem to be changing by the day, or by the minute.” Lyster said at farms, vets are wearing masks 100 percent of the time, social distancing is practiced, and contact is being limited whenever possible. “We’ve stopped nonessential work, be it tree trimming or adding a barn,” he said. “Elective surgeries are not being done. But the breeding season has gone on.”

Gray Lyster, president of the Consignors Breeders Association (CBA).

LOUISIANA As of April 14, all four tracks: Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs are currently closed for racing. Fair Grounds, which began its traditional winter meet on Thanksgiving Day, lost six racing days before its scheduled closing March 29 because of the pandemic. The track remains open for training.

On May 5, Louisiana Downs was given clearance by the Louisiana State Racing Commission during a May Thoroughbred meet June 6 and continue until Sept. 23. The sole graded race to be run at the meet (Super Derby Gr. 3) has been cancelled with the purse money being redistributed to overnight races.

Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs were closed but then ordered to reopen for training on April 10 by Judge Sharon Wilson in-accordance with an emergency order issued by the Louisiana State Racing Commission. Boyd Gaming, which owns Delta Downs and Evangeline Downs, filed a temporary restraining order against the LSRC order citing the pandemic.

Boyd argued that opening their facilities posed “a significant risk that by calling back their employees back to work, they may be exposed to the coronavirus and could become sick or die.” Boyd was not allowing training on its two tracks. According to Keith Smith—president and CEO of Boyd Gaming Corporation—Boyd closed all of its 29 properties in 10 states over the course of six days because of the pandemic.

On May 15 the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and

Protective Association issued a statement to say that Boyd Gaming were looking at June 5 as the new opening day, with fifty racing days applied for. Racing would be held on a Wednesday to Saturday schedule.

MARYLAND On the order of the Maryland governor, Laurel Park’s meet, which began February 15, ended on March 15.

On May 16 it was confirmed by Belinda Stronach that this years Preakness Stakes would run at Pimlico on October 3.

“All of us are hopeful that racing can resume, even without fans if necessary,” Cricket Goodall of the Maryland Thoroughbred Breeders Association said. “Laurel was racing for two weeks without fans when the governor really closed everything.” Legislation, which would greatly enhance racing at both Laurel Park and Pimlico, passed earlier this year. “It still needs to be signed by the governor,” Goodall said. “It would be huge. You’re going to have essentially brand-new facilities. I think it will be a huge boon for racing and breeding.”

On May 8 Laurel Park released a Conditions Book for the first 15 days of the meet but have yet to announce when the first day back will be. The Conditions Book can be viewed by following this link

MINNESOTA Canterbury Park opened its stable area May 8. A revised racing schedule will be announced shortly. Those wishing to ship to Canterbury must be pre-approved for entry and schedule arrival times for their horses. On May 13 Canterbury Park submitted a revised racing plan to the Minnesota Racing Commission, seeking a 52-day meet to begin June 10 and finishing on Sept. 9. The plan shows for racing to be held on a Monday to Thursday schedule.

NEBRASKA See “Last Five Standing” article about Fonner Park.

Fonner Park

NEW JERSEY Monmouth Park’s 56 day meet has been trimmed to 36 dates, and opening day has been delayed from May 2 to July 3. The barn area will open June 1. The Monmouth-at-Meadowlands this fall has been cut from 19 days to 15. “The few tracks that are open are doing good business, and I wish we were open. But the bottom line is that this is a very scary pandemic, and it could cause a lot of people to not only get sick, but die; so we have to be serious about it,” Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Monmouth Park, told The Blood-Horse April 21.

NEW MEXICO Sunland Park closed on March 16 and postponed the Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks. Albuquerque Downs is temporarily closed. Its Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet is scheduled to run from July 17 through September 2. Meanwhile, Ruidoso Downs is still scheduled to open on May 22, with the first horses allowed to ship in from the first week in May. Racing will be conducted on a mainly Saturday and Sunday schedule, through September 7.

NEW YORK On May 16 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that all racetracks in the state can resume racing June 1. Belmont Park will reopen on June 3 and will race for 25 days. Racing will be held on a Thursday to Sunday schedule with closing day on July 12.

The 2020 running of the Belmont Stakes will be on June 20 over a revised distance of one mile and one eighth. A revised stakes schedule has now been published.

Specifically, NYRA will clean all high-touch areas and facilities; post coronavirus updates in English and Spanish; allow entry through Gate 6 only with health testing including temperature taking; not allow shippers except those with extenuating circumstances approved by NYRA; allow the Morning Line cafe and the track kitchen to continue to offer grab-and-go options, and the clockers’ stand will be limited to only essentially safety personnel. Martin Zapata, a 63-year-old groom for trainer Tom Morley, died of the coronavirus on April 7. “Martin was a beloved member of our team for the past two years who always greeted you at the door with a huge smile,” Morley said. “He’ll be sorely missed by all those in the New York racing community.” Morley started a Gofundme project in Zapata’s memory.

New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack is serving as a temporary hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NYRA still plans to begin the Saratoga meet July 14, but it has delayed the opening of the Oklahoma Training Track and Saratoga stabling area, which were scheduled to open April 15, due to the coronavirus. NYRA is working with the New York State Gaming Commission and public health agencies to determine an appropriate date to safely open the Oklahoma for training and stabling.

The delay does not impact the start of the Saratoga racing season, which is scheduled to begin July 16 and run through September 7. “While we are monitoring the current conditions and consulting with the New York State Department of Health, we are planning for Saratoga to open as scheduled and run in its entirety across the 40-day meet,” NYRA Spokesperson Pat McKenna said. “We are working in earnest each and every day to prepare for the 2020 Saratoga season.”

In the interim, with no live racing in New York, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America has launched a gift drive for its food pantry that will benefit backstretch workers. Donations through June 6 will be matched up to $25,000 by a member of the NYRA Board of Directors. The Chaplaincy is accepting both monetary and food donations. For more information about what to donate and the drop-off location, contact info@rtcany.org or text 516-428-5267. On April 15, the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (BEST) is seeking additional donations. BEST operates the BEST Health Center on the Belmont Park backstretch. BEST has a staff of 15 and numerous volunteers. They provide backstretch workers free health care, life insurance, drug and mental health counseling, as well as food and clothing. Donations can be made via www.bestbackstretch.org/ donate.

On April 21, NYRA and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association announced they will match the per-start aftercare contribution by New York owners to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) through the end of the canceled Aqueduct spring meet. New York owners donate $10 per start to the TAA, and NYRA matches that donation. That will amount to a $24,000 donation to the TAA.

Meanwhile, Finger Lakes in Farmington, N.Y., have announced that they are planning to open for training on June 1 and to resume live racing July 13. The meet is scheduled to end November 25.

Finger Lakes HBPA Executive Director Austin Reed said he’s hopeful the track can still run a meet of 85 to 90 days. In the absence of live racing, the Finger Lakes HBPA, in conjunction with racetrack management, will send out checks of $25 to trainers for every start they made during the 2019 Finger Lakes meet and checks of $100 to owners for every start they made during the 2019 meet. The estimated cost of $827,000 will be funded through the canceled race days this year and a reduced stakes program. “It’s designed to be a shot in the arm for our trainers and owners,” Finger Lakes HBPA President Chris Vaccaro told Horse Racing Nation April 21. “Our horsemen continue to feed and take care of their horses with no way to earn income to defray the cost, adding to their financial hardship.”

OHIO Belterra Park suspended its April 24th opener until June 4. Horses that are based in Kentucky and Ohio can begin shipping in the from May 30. The first day of training on track will be June 1, from then, horses from other states can also begin shipping into the stable area. 

JACK Thistledown has slated its first day or racing for June 4. The meet will last through October 22 with racing conducted on on Monday to Thursday schedule.

Mahoning Valley closed on March 20 but the backstretch has remained open. With the reopening of both Belterra Park and Thistledown, remaining horses at Mahoning Valley must vacate the track by May 31.

OKLAHOMA See “Last Five Standing” article about Will Rogers Downs.

PENNSYLVANIA On April 18, a Twitter message from Toss Mostoller (executive director of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association) said that Churchill Downs-owned Presque Isle Downs, whose meet was scheduled to run from May 11 to October 22, will open its backstretch on May 15 and open its season on June 8. If new information arises to change that schedule, the meet will open on June 22. Parx, which operates year round, closed until further notice. Penn National, which operates year round, is temporarily closed.

TEXAS Lone Star Park, which was supposed to open April 16, planned to reopen the backstretch in the first week of May. Training on track will be permitted, yet there is no date set for racing to start up again. On May 18 Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, issued an executive order which will permit the reopening of the state's racing from May 22. 

On March 20, Sam Houston Race Park canceled the final four days of its Thoroughbred meet. It also canceled its Quarter Horse meet that had been slated to begin April 10.

VIRGINIA The governor has ordered a lockdown through June 10. Colonial Downs meet is scheduled from July 23 through August 29. “As of now, we’re going forward with that plan,” Jill Byrne, Vice President of Racing at Colonial Downs, said. “The stable area is scheduled to open July 9. We’ll be following all state and federal guidelines and protocols. We’ll be putting stall applications on our website: www.colonialdowns.com. Everything will be on there. It’s a long way off. Fingers crossed for everything.” Debbie Easter, executive director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and president of the Virginia Equine Alliance, said, “For us, just like everyone else, I worry about the fund for our breeders and owner awards that are distributed in the Mid-Atlantic. Hopefully, we’re going to run.”

WASHINGTON Emerald Downs will reopen on June 22, initially running on Monday and Tuesday schedule and when spectators are allowed, it will revert to a more traditional Friday to Sunday schedule. Closing day will be October 4. The 85th running of the Longacres Mile is to be run on September 13,

WEST VIRGINIA Both Charles Town and Mountaineer Park have been cleared to resume racing. On May 14, Charles Town Races restarted their meet and was also able to establish a new track record for the largest non-Charles Town Classic day handle in track history with $4,330,203 being wagered over the course of the nine race program.                                                       

The all-sources total for Charles Town’s first day back represents the fifth largest handle in the track’s near 87-year history trailing only the Charles Town Classic events held in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. 

“After the hard work of so many at the track, within the HBPA and at the state level, we’re incredibly proud to be able to re-establish racing for our community and our horseplayers”, said Charles Town’s Vice President of Racing & Sports Operations, Erich Zimny. “There was unquestionably a heightened morale at our property tonight, which is a very welcomed sight during such a difficult time.”

CANADA

ONTARIO Woodbine’s opener on April 18 was canceled and will now be held on either June 6.

The 161st Queen’s Plate will now run on September 12 and the The Woodbine Oaks and The Plate Trial are pencilled in to be run on August 15.

There is limited training for the 1,100 Thoroughbreds stabled at Woodbine and horses have been able to breeze since May 1. Timed workouts are expected to available from the middle of the month. Horsemen can get relief to get through this period of non-racing through the Ontario Racing Commission’s agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which provides $1,500 per month for Ontario Thoroughbreds in training. Two-year-olds are included as of June 1. Hastings Race Course in Vancouver, British Columbia, re-opened May 1 for stabling and training.

Jim Lawson – Woodbine https://www.ustream.tv/embed/recorded/126367763

WINNIPEG Assiniboia Downs will open its live racing season May 25. Racing without will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. CDT. The meet is scheduled to finish on September 15.