WINNING BEYER FIGURES IN CANADA LAST WEEK, through Aug 11
95 MR RITZ – won the Grade 3 Seagram Stakes for owner Earle Mack and trainer Josie Carroll; 2018 champin older male and turf horse Mr Havercamp was a fading fourth
88 CANMORE – -turf
87 AMERICAN GURU – turf
82 SOUPER SUCCESS – turf
WOODBINE MILE NEXT FOR FILLY GOT STORMY
GOT STORMY – PHOTO BY VANESSA NG – photo published on horse-races.net
Gary Barber and Southern Equine Stables’ Got Stormy had her connections in positive spirits after the 4-year-old Get Stormy filly bested the boys to win Saratoga’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on Saturday.
The Mark Casse trainee, who won the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose on August 3 at Saratoga, stormed back a week later to set a course record at one mile on the inner turf, stopping the clock in 1:32 flat and automatically qualifying for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. She earned a lifetime best 108 Beyer Speed Figure.
With encouragement from Barber to race again off a quick turnaround, Got Stormy rewarded that faith by earning a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure. Her sire, Get Stormy, won the 2010 edition of the Fourstardave.
“She came back good and was real happy this morning,” said Jamie Begg, assistant to Casse. “I thought it was a big ask, but her numbers said it was good enough. That’s the first time she’s done it. There was every reason there to do it.
“People just don’t do it. If you do it and goes badly, you look dumb. But when it works out, it’s great.”
After the win, Casse was quick to credit Barber for having faith in Got Stormy, who became the first filly in 35 runnings of the Fourstardave to earn a trip to the winner’s circle.
“Mark’s not one to take credit. He said Gary was the one who made the decision,” Begg said. “[Mark] conditions the horse and got her in a position to succeed, but he said, ‘I’m not making that decision on my own.'”
Got Stormy is likely to make her next start against the boys once again in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on September 14. Casse won the Woodbine Mile in 2016 with Tepin, who went on to finish second in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, and again in 2017 with World Approval, who bested a field of 14 to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Both Tepin and World Approval went on to win Eclipse Awards.
STRONGER TOGETHER DISCUSSION PANEL AUG 9
“Stronger Together: Uniting Horse Racing for a Sustainable Future” was moderated by host Jason Portuondo, and featured industry leaders John Hayes (Independent Chair, Ontario Racing), Stephen Rigby (President and Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.), Jean Major (Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) and Jim Lawson (Chief Executive Officer, Woodbine Entertainment).
Questions were requested in the weeks before the discussion and as there were many submitted, some were combined and some were not addressed due to time constraints.
Each speaker spoke at length about their group’s role in Ontario horse racing (Thoroughbred , Standardbred, Quarter Horse) and then fielded a few questions that had been submitted.
The general consensus about the meeting, from an informal poll done by this writer is that it was more of a basic, bare bones review of what every organization does.
Some items of note that perhaps would have shed light on the how racing is doing from a business standpoint according to Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson –
*Woodbine loses a lot of money each time it has a racing day. Slides were shown with figures about how much it costs to put on racing. Queen’s Plate day was a success, however (the track broke even) and that has been a bright sign
*A trial could be held in the fall with jockeys being required to whip underhanded only
*Lawson mentioned that issuing ‘trespass’ notifications to any horseperson who is not wanted on the property could occur to combat complaints that the appeal process – done by the HORSE RACING APPEAL PANEL – is too slow and seemingly does not eliminate rule breakers from the tracks. (Noted were several standardbred horse people with half a dozen previous positives and other items that are still licensed and still working).
*If the GO TRAIN STATION is built and overlaps the Woodbine training track, it will not be eliminated, it will only be moved .
A video of the discussion will be available shortly.
Here is a recap from Standardbred Canada
ALBERTA: CANADIAN DERBY SUNDAY!
CTHS Yearling Sale Sept. 13, catalogue on-line
Alberta’s biggest Thoroughbred race, the Grade 3 CANADIAN DERBY will be run Sunday for the 90th time and the field will be announced Wednesday during a post position draw.
While racing had to be cancelled on Sunday due to lack of entries, the Derby card should be a go.
OIL MONEY, the Manitoba Derby winner, is not nominated to the race. Possible starters for the Canadian derby include Ole A Nielsen’s recent winner Explode plus stakes winners Sharp Dressed Beau and Senor Friday.
The CTHS Alberta yearling sale catalogue can be viewed here.
Canadian sales dates –
1. CTHS Manitoba – Aug 11
2. CTHS Ontario Aug. 29
3. BC CTHS Sept. 10
4. CTHS Alberta Sept. 13
5. CTHS Ont Mixed Nov. 23
MANITOBA: YEARLING SALE SEES INCREASE IN GROSS SALES, NUMBER SOLD
Average price tumbles 45%
A full sister to one of Canada’s top 3-year-old fillies, unbeaten HIDDEN GRACE, topped the Manitoba yearling sale at $25,000 on Sunday. Ziprick Thoroughbreds photo
A bigger catalogue was offered to prospective buyers at the CTHS MANITOBA YEARLING SALE SUNDAY at Assiniboia Downs and that is good news for field size in coming years at the Manitoba track. Gross sales was up to $117,550 from $88,500 as 26 yearlings were sold compared to just 10 last year. Because there were more horses sold the average yearling price was expected to decline and it did from $8,850 to $4,521.
Also easy to predict was the sales topper. A chestnut filly by Going Commando – Hidden Pioneer by Pioneer ofthe Nile, full sister to this year’s undefeated 3-year-old HIDDEN GRACE, was sold by Ziprick Thoroughbreds to Barry Arnason, who also is a co-owner of champion ESCAPE CLAUSE, a daughert of Going Commando.
Arnason often purchases horses bred by Ziprick and it was that pair plus Charles Fouillard who bred Hidden Grace and also race her.
The highest priced male yearling was a gelding by Ontario stallion Society’s Chairman from the mare Impersonate by Southern Image, named Mr. Fallon, who sold for $7,000.
2019
Gross $117,550
26 sold ( 40 offered) 65%
Average $4,521
2018
Gross $88,500
10 sold ( 27 offered) 37%
Average $8,850
THE JOCKEY CLUB WRAPS UP ROUND TABLE
Projects 2020 foal crop
The 67th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing concluded Sunday with a focus on the importance of the Thoroughbred industry uniting on matters from drug policies to interference rules if stakeholders wish for it to be successful.
James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, hosted a Q-and-A session with John Messara, the owner and chairman of Arrowfield Stud in New South Wales, Australia, who spoke of the positive impact that uniform drug policies in the United States would have on the Thoroughbred industry.
“I think that having a national drug policy would unleash an economic monster in America,” said Messara. “It is difficult for us in Australia to judge if we should buy a mare or stallion from the U.S. because we do not know if it received medication. Rather than get bitten by it, we stay away.
“I would appeal to American horsemen to join together. The [Horseracing Integrity Act] would be a great base for the future if you can get it through. It will create a level playing field and make the sport more international.”
Kim Kelly, the chief stipendiary steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, educated the audience on stewarding practices in Hong Kong and the benefits of the category 1 interference rule. In Hong Kong, almost all matters, from potential interference and riding tactics to horses over- or underperforming, are addressed on race day, and jockeys are called into the Inquiry Room before a stewards panel immediately following the race in question.
Regarding category 1 rules, Kelly noted that all major racing jurisdictions except for the United States, Canada, and Turkey operate under category 1. Kelly stated in favor of category 1 that this rule rewards the best horse in a race and provides more consistent outcomes without compromising safety.
“It is my respectful opinion that category 2 yields inconsistent and undesirable outcomes,” said Kelly. “Whilst category 1 may not be perfect, one interference rule is significantly less imperfect than the other.”
Kelly emphasized that regardless of which interference rules are used, it is vital that racing regulators and stewards are transparent in how they determine rulings and share their explanations with the public.
“So long as decisions are properly considered with all of the relevant factors and competing arguments being taken into account, then those decisions will always be able to be supported. Transparency is king. Confidence in the regulation of racing is paramount. Confidence lost, everything lost.”
The Jockey Club Projects Foal Crop of 20,500 in 2020
The Jockey Club is projecting a 2020 North American registered Thoroughbred foal crop of 20,500.
The Jockey Club also announced a revision to the 2019 foal crop from 21,500 to 20,800. This adjustment is based on the number of Live Foal Reports received to date for the 2019 foaling year.
The foal crop projection, traditionally announced in mid-August, is computed by using Reports of Mares Bred (RMBs) received to date for the 2019 breeding season. RMBs are to be filed by August 1 of each breeding season.
“We estimate that approximately 80% of reports of mares bred, which the foal crop estimate is based on, have been received,” said Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s executive vice president and executive director.
Additional foal crop information is available in The Jockey Club’s online fact book at jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp and in the online state fact books.
VAEISHA
Condolences go out to Nathan, Veronica and Larry Attard whose 7-year-old mare VAEISHA was euthanized July 13 after suffering an injury in her season debut on the grass at Woodbine. The Wando mare had won 7 of 25 races and over $290,000 US.
