“FIRST RACE SINCE WIND SURGERY” information available in British racing
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced that, as of 19 January 2018, racecards will be able to carry information that confirms when a horse is having its first run after having undergone a wind surgery.
This has been introduced with the needs of the sport’s betting customer as the focus, and in the interests of openness and transparency. A survey led by the Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF) recently found that information on wind surgeries is the piece of information most requested by the betting public.
As well as enhanced data for betting customers – and the beneficial impact this will also have on the integrity of betting markets – this development will also allow the BHA to collect research data on the nature, frequency and impact of wind surgeries on racehorses.
Jamie Stier, Chief Regulatory Officer for the BHA, said:
“The sport’s betting customers, and potential customers, are at the heart of this development. It is simply essential that the sport is seen to be open, fair and transparent. In a modern world, information which may have an impact on a horse’s performance should be available to all, not only those who are close to the horse in question.
“The more data that is available to the betting customer serves to make the sport a more attractive betting product. It is vital that we keep up with other sports if we are going to continue to compete in an increasingly crowded betting marketplace.
“We commenced consideration of this initiative some time ago as we were aware, anecdotally, that it was an issue which concerned the betting public. A survey by the Horseracing Betting Forum which showed that this piece of information was the punters’ number one issue reinforced the need to act on this matter.
“Declaration of wind operations is already mandatory in some other racing nations, and the BHA are led to believe that other racing nations will also consider following suit following the BHA’s implementation of the changes.”
David Sykes, Director of Equine Health and Welfare for the BHA, said:
“Wind operations are routine surgical procedures which are designed to assist a horse with its breathing. We have identified a list of five of the most relevant and frequent surgeries, which we are asking trainers to declare.
“We believe it is reasonable that the betting customers will take it as read that the trainer, owner, and their veterinarian will have performed the most appropriate surgery to address the issue with the specific horse.
“Assumptions on the impact of the surgery on the horse’s form should rest entirely with the betting customer. It is understood that not all wind surgeries are successful…but some clearly are. Because of this, it is our view that the information should be in the public domain, and the betting customer should be given the opportunity to assess the value of the information.
“We are aware of the view that information about wind operations being made public may have an impact on bloodstock values. However, we place the importance of openness and transparency above this commercial interest.
“Moreover, the gathering of data from declared wind operations could be invaluable for equine welfare research and development in the future.”
Simon Rowlands, Chair of the Horserace Bettors Forum, said:
“HBF welcomes this initiative by the BHA and the decisive way in which it has responded to requests for wind-operation data from a section of the British horseracing public surveyed by HBF.
Declaration of wind surgeries: Details
As of 19 January 2018, racecards will have the ability to display “WS” identifying that a horse has had “new wind surgery since last performance”.
This means that WS, when carried in racecards, will only appear for a horse’s first race start following wind surgery and not for subsequent race starts.
The types of wind surgery required to be declared are:
Tie back (prosthetic laryngoplasty)
Hobday (ventriculectomy/cordectomy)
Epiglottic surgery
Tie forward (dorsal displacement soft palate surgery)
Soft palate cautery
Racecards carrying “WS” will not display the specific type of wind surgery.
The declaration of wind surgeries will only be required for horses which have previously raced, regardless of whether this was in Great Britain or elsewhere. The declaration of a wind surgery will be required prior to declarations for the horse’s first race start after it has been subjected to wind surgery. Where a horse is subjected to wind surgery on multiple occasions the declaration will be required on each occasion.
The requirement to declare wind surgeries will apply equally to horses trained in Great Britain and horses trained overseas which are racing in Great Britain.
In instances when the surgeries are not declared, and of which the BHA becomes aware, there will be a framework within the Rules to enable the non-compliance to be addressed. Non-compliance can be detected through, for example, accessing horses’ veterinary records, or other information gathered through the BHA’s regulatory processes.
Press release from The British Horseracing Authority
GULFSTREAM PARK TO INSTITUTE WEIGHING EACH RACE STARTER IN PADDOCK
It will soon be mandatory for all horses in a Gulfstream race to be weighed prior to each race according to a notice on the track’s overnight entries this week.
Much like boxers are weighed before each fight, each starter at Gulfstream will be weighed as part of the ore-race activities whch includes checking the lip tattoo.
Remington Park in Oklahoma began a program called ‘Right Weigh’ last summer, 25 years after its first foray into reporting horse’s weights ended.
Remington general manager Scott Wells was behind the process last summer.
“It is simple information to collect and provides handicappers an extra tool while giving interesting information to all fans,” Wells noted. “It’s one of the keys to transparency, it’s a very important handicapping factor and it’s something that even novices can relate to.”
Presenting the weights for each horse allows horseplayers to gauge the fitness of an individual horse, especially after a history of each horse’s weight has been established for referencing.
“Handicappers can utilize the weights, not so much to pick winners, but to eliminate horses who may be racing into fitness or possibly have lost too much weight since their previous race.”
CTHS ONTARIO ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT, BOARD MEMBERS
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) (CTHS) election of Directors for the 2018 – 2020 term resulted in four new people being added to the seven Directors that have been re-elected to the Board.
The 11 members elected to the Ontario Board of Directors, for the three-year term beginning in 2018, held their first meeting of the year where they elected the Officers, representatives to the various board positions and committees.
Elected Directors
Peter Berringer – President
Frank Di Giulio – 1st Vice President
John Burness – 2nd Vice President
Dermot Carty – National Director
Tim Orlando – National Director
John Carey
Rolph Davis
Richard Hogan
Robert Landry
Bonnie Rowntree
Glenn Sikura
GLENN SIKURA has been CTHS Ontario president for 23 years and remains on the board. Recent directors who have stepped away from the board are Richard Lister, Bernard McCormack, Yvonne Schwabe and Dave Whitford.
RAINBOW 6 AT GULFSTREAM STILL GROWING
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot grew to $2,571,483.50 for Friday’s program at Gulfstream when the popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the 32th consecutive program Thursday.
Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $1,907.30.
The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
There is a mandatory payout Jan. 28 in which the entire jackpot will be paid out to anyone with the winning sequence of 6 winners.
There are many ways to play the Rainbow 6 and a bettor can spend as little as 20 cents total (one horse in each race) or thousands of dollars. You can zero in on a horse or two in the sequence that appears to be a low-priced, logical winner and spread your selections in other races or take longshots all the way through and hope to be the only one with the winning numbers.
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
Trainer STEVEN CHIRCOP sent out Murray Stroud’s RICHEST GIFTS to win a $27,696 maiden allowance race at Penn National on Thursday evening. The 3-year-old Kentucky bred gelding won the 6 furlong race on dirt by a head at 3 to 1 in his first start since he was seventh in a maiden race at Woodbine in December.
Chircop is coming off one of the best seasons of his career with 16 wins in 2017, matching his previous best in 2012. This was his 2nd winner from four starters in 2018.
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
The Sunshine Millions races take place at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, four events restricted to Florida-breds. Canadian racing fans will note that the favourite for the Filly & Mare Turf is STARSHIP JUBILEE, owned by Ontarians Kevin Attard and Soli Mehta.
Starship Jubilee, who has a good chance to be named the Champion Turf Female in Canada at the Sovereign Awards in April, is 2 to 1 for the grass event which carries a purse of $150,000.
Attard is off to a great start to 2018 with a stakes victory 2 weeks ago by his 3-year-old trainee Piven.
RACE 10 – POST TIME – 4:30 PM Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf S.
Purse $150,000. Florida-Bred Fillies And Mares, Four Years Old And Upward.
One And One Sixteenth Miles. (Turf) (Rail at 120 Feet)
1 Elizabeth Aurora (FL) 6/M L M A Vasquez 117 F Abreu 30/1
2 Bonita (FL) 5/M L E J Zayas 121 C J Stewart 6/1
3 Bitacora (FL) 4/F L I Ortiz, Jr. 117 P R Walder 10/1
4 Starship Jubilee (FL) 5/M L J Lezcano 123 K Attard 2/1
5 Katinka (FL) 4/F L L Reyes 121 M Yates 15/1
6 Daddy’s Boo (FL) 7/M L J Castellano 121 L Rivelli 5/2
7 Graceful Heart (FL) 4/F L P Lopez 117 M D Wolfson 12/1
8 Surprise Wedding (FL) 4/F L J M Rios 117 D Fawkes 10/1
9 Eva London (FL) 5/M L J R Leparoux 117 A A Penna, Jr. 20/1
10 Josdesanimaux (FL) 6/M L J L Ortiz 119 R E Nicks 8/1
COWBOY JOINS PEGASUS FIELD, GUN RUNNER ARRIVES AT GULFSTREAM
GUN RUNNER is the top racehorse in training in North America – Vanessa Ng photo- horse-races.net
Well-traveled Fear the Cowboy, a three-time stakes winner at Gulfstream Park, has been confirmed as the 11th starter in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational to be run on Saturday, January 27.
A total of 12 runners will go to the gate for the second edition of the Pegasus, the world’s richest race. Gun Runner, the likely Horse of the Year, heads a strong field that features six Grade 1 winners.
Gun Runner arrived in Florida from New Orleans on Thursday evening.
Fear the Cowboy, co-owned by Raffaele Centofanti and Kathleen Amaya, will run in the Pegasus for the partnership of Stronach Stables, and Ronald and Jerry Frankel. The 6-year-old son of Cowboy Cal trained by Efren Loza, Jr. had a strong 2017 season compiling a 4-3-1 record in 10 starts. Two of those victories last year came in stakes at Gulfstream Park, the Skip Away (G3) on March 25 and the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) on Dec. 16.
The Pegasus will be the first start in a Grade 1 race for Fear the Cowboy. Since Loza took over the training of the horse early in 2015, he has started at 12 tracks in nine states. Loza welcomes the opportunity to run his road warrior in the top-level international event.
“It’s a really tough race,” Loza said. “Our horse is really in good form. He loves Gulfstream. I know this is a big challenge, but our horse is in the peak form of his career. He’s a horse who when you put him in with good competition he will work hard. He’s the kind of horse who puts in enough effort to make a good race.”
Loza said that Fear the Cowboy will breeze Saturday in Ocala and ship to Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24. He expects that the jockey for the Pegasus will be named by this weekend.
Probable field for $16 million Pegasus World Cup
Fear the Cowboy – Cowboy Cal – Whom Shall I Fear by Soto
last 3 Beyer Figures 105, 92, 87
Giant Expectations – by Frost Giant cycled up to a career top Beyer Figure of 106 in his recent victory.
His last 3 Beyer Figures read 106,94, 81.
Collected – 101, 115, 114
Owner: Speedway Stable LLC. | Trainer: Bob Baffert
Hall of Fame trainer Baffert, who saddled Arrogate to victory last year, returns with two starters including Collected, a multiple-graded stakes winner who finished second Nov. 4 at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The son of City Zip has won eight of 13 starts and is currently training at Santa Anita.
**Game Over – 92, 93, 94
not confirmed
One of 2 Loooch racing horses entered and this 4-year-old by Mineshaft has not raced since september when 4th beaten 9 lengths to West Coast in the Pennsylvania Derby.
Gunnevera – 109. 104, 86
Owner: William C. Gallo, et al. | Trainer: Antonio Sano
The popular colt won the Fountain of Youth (G2) and was second in the Travers (G1) at Saratoga this summer and finished in a dead-head for fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has three victories over Gulfstream Park and is training at Gulfstream Park West.
Gun Runner 117, 115, 112
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC/Three Chimneys Farm.| Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Just two days before the running of Pegasus, Gun Runner is favored to be crowned 2017 Horse of the Year at the 47th Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream. Under the care of Hall of Fame horseman Asmussen, Gun Runner won five of six races in 2017, including four consecutive Grade 1 events. He capped off his season with a gate-to-wire victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The son of Candy Ride is training in New Orleans.
Seeking the Soul 103, 103, 93
Owner: Charles E. Fipke. | Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Bred by Fipke, Seeking the Soul will enter the Pegasus off his biggest win, a half-length victory in the Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs November 24. The son of Perfect Soul is currently training in New Orleans.
Sharp Azteca 115, 107 112
Speedster recently was put in the race in a spot purchased by Loooch racing. Won the Cigar Mile in New York recently.
Stellar Wind 80, 103, 101
Owner: Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith (Coolmore). | Trainer: Chad Brown
The lone filly or mare in the Pegasus as of now, Stellar Wind earned an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly in 2015. She reeled off three consecutive Grade 1 victories earlier this year and is the daughter of two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin. The mare is currently in training at Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach.
Toast of New York – n/a
Owner: Al Shaqab, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R.A. Hill, Eric Young. | Trainer: James Osborne
Toast of New York returned from a three-year layoff earlier this month to win at Lingfield Park in Surrey, United Kingdom. After finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2014, the 6-year-old was retired for stallion duties in Dubai but was returned to training in April. He has finished first or second in seven of his nine career starts. He remains in the U.K.
War Story 112 94. 92
Owner: Ron Paolucci and Ashley Quartarolo. | Trainer: Jorge Navarro
West Coast 112. 107. 108
Owner: Gary and Mary West. Trainer: Bob Baffert
Winner of the Travers Stakes and third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, this 3-year-old has won six of nine starts and has never finished worse than third. Currently training at Santa Anita.
Other possible starter – TBA – The Stronach Group – Singing Bullet?
CANADIAN HORSE RACING HALL OF FAME SEEKING NOMINATIONS
The public is invited to participate in the nomination of people and horses who have made a significant contribution to Canadian Standardbred or Thoroughbred horse racing, for induction to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.
Nominations for the following will be considered:
PERSON: Trainers, Drivers, Jockeys
BUILDERS: Includes, but not limited to Breeders, Owners, Officials, and others.
COMMUNICATORS: Includes, but not limited to Writers, Broadcasters, Photographers, Announcers, Bloggers
VETERAN PERSON: Trainers, Drivers, Jockeys whose careers have been concluded for 20 years, but less than 50 years.
MALE HORSE: Stallions or geldings whose contribution to Canadian racing occurred in the past 20 years.
FEMALE HORSE: Mares whose contribution to Canadian racing occurred in the past 20 years.
VETERAN HORSE: Horses whose careers have been concluded for 20 years, but less than 50 years.
All nomination submissions to be made using the form available on the CHRHF website at http://horseracinghalloffame.com/chrhf-2018-nomination-form/ . A copy of the form is also attached, or may be obtained by contacting [email protected]. Complete eligibility criteria may be found at: http://horseracinghalloffame.com/inductees/eligibility/
For further information, or to submit a completed nomination form, contact:
Standardbred Nominations:
Darryl Kaplan, Standardbred Nomination Chair,
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
1-2150 Meadowvale Blvd.,
Mississauga, ON L5N 6R6
P: (905) 858-3060 ext. 241 F: (905) 858-3089
Thoroughbred Nominations:
Tom Cosgrove, Thoroughbred Nomination Chair,
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
555 Rexdale Blvd., P.O. Box 156
Toronto, ON M9W 5L2
P: (416) 213-2113
Nominations forms may also be submitted to:
Linda Rainey, Managing Director
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
P: (416) 417-9404
