Horse Racing
“And they’re off!” Horse racing of all types is found in our racing section, including Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Harness, Steeplechase and Arabian racing.
Want to get lucky? Take a look at the Wagering to help guide you. Keep track of upcoming horse races and racing events in our Calendar of Events for Horse Racing.
Want to live the dream of owning a racehorse? Check out the Breeding, Partnerships, Sales & Bloodstocks sections where you can help yourself be a force in the Sport of Kings.
Need a place to train your baby and help develop his successful career? You will find both training facilities and professional racehorse trainers in our Training section. See you in the winners’ circle!
By T. D. Thornton
Backed by the political clout of United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), proponents of a federal bill mandating an independent anti-doping and medication control program for horse racing announced at an Aug. 31 press conference at Keeneland that a retooled version of the framework of legislation that has existed since 2015 will be introduced in the Senate in September by McConnell himself.
Backers of the bill spoke Monday of newfound compromise and consensus among the sport’s stakeholders that they said would help to usher the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HSIA) to passage. They also outlined how a nine-member oversight board known as the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority would craft the new program, and how that Authority would contract with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to manage and administer the new set of rules. A fresh component that would also cover racetrack safety standards will also be written into McConnell’s new version of the bill.
But more questions than answers were raised by the half-hour media event. There was no discussion of how this new Authority would be funded, and there was zero mention of the contentious topic of race-day medication (specifically Lasix), the prohibition of which has been a difficult sticking point in previous versions of the bill.
Although a representative from Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), was on the sales pavilion stage with the bill’s proponents and the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) was mentioned as a supporter two minutes before the press conference ended, there was no discussion about what tradeoffs had been made to gain the favor of those two entities, both of which had previously not supported federally mandated oversight of the sport.
In addition, the post-conference question-and-answer session with reporters was not made available to journalists working off the internet stream. TDN emailed McConnell’s media liaison three brief follow-up questions about funding, the status of race-day medication, and how the compromises with non-supporters came about. A spokesperson replied without addressing the questions, writing instead that “I will make sure you’re updated with more info when the Senator’s bill is introduced!”
The Blood-Horse subsequently reported that the new bill would still outlaw the use of race-day Lasix, but that states would be allowed to request a three-year waiver for some exceptions. TDN could not independently verify this aspect of the legislation.
1- Phar Lap (1930)
Phar Lap is regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. His appearance in the prestigious Melbourne Cup was always going to qualify as a memorable moment in the history of the competition.
The great racehorse entered the race as a top favorite in 1930. Even though he was carrying a huge 63kg handicap, the Harry Telford trained horse managed to claim the Melbourne Cup title with ease. It is said that he even survived an assassination attempt while training for the race.
We had a wonderful opportunity to meet Belmont Stakes and now Traver Stakes winner Tiz the Law, Barclay Tagg and Robin Smullen, the morning after his Travers win. This remarkable New York Bred is now the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
You can find out more at the Daily Racing Form.
The highlight of the summer at Sandown Park is the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes over about a mile-and-a-quarter. Unlike most years, the 2020 renewal is only open to older horses because of the race’s proximity to The Derby and The Oaks on Epsom Downs 24 hours earlier.
Sitting between Royal Ascot and the King George at the same track, the Eclipse takes place on 5 July this year. Who are the contenders for Sandown’s big horse race?
Enable
Last year’s Eclipse heroine Enable is set to return to action with a defence of her crown. Owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah and trained by John Gosden, the beloved six-year-old mare has one mission: to try and win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France for a historic third time.
That doesn’t mean that they can’t make hay with Enable elsewhere, though. How she gets on in the Eclipse will shape her route back to France for Europe’s most famous race and she is a warm favourite for another Sandown success.
Read more: Five Contenders for the 2020 Eclipse at Sandown Park
Ramón Dominguez and Ryan Moore
We have watched, with increasing concern, as momentum to effectively ban the use of the riding crop has built around the world. The negative perception of the crop is real and it matters. You may think it is overblown, the domain of activists, but those among us who dismiss animal welfare concerns will first find ourselves riding without crops, and then not riding at all.
We shoulder some blame in this scenario. As riders we have failed–and fail still–to make a persuasive argument about the crop’s use as a safety or corrective tool and its importance to the integrity of the sport. We did not move quickly to innovate its design as criticism of it grew louder. For years, we have simply insisted “we need it” while refusing to compromise on a sustainable framework for its use.
And now, here we are. Faced with restrictive rules pending in California and regulatory bodies around the U.S. and the world debating the same issue. The time has passed for stubbornness, but we do need the riding crop to ensure the safety and integrity of our sport for all participants.
There are so many ways in which a horse can act unpredictably during the running of a race and require a rider to take corrective action to protect themself as well as the animal. A crop is the most important tool a rider can rely on to correct a horse. These corrections are not always clear cut and often a matter of feel for the jockey given position in the race, communication with the horse, and overall experience.
Being able to proactively use the crop, for example by tapping a horse on the shoulder anticipating that he/she is going to do something erratic, is much safer than trying to correct a horse who has already drifted. In a scenario where the crop can only be used for “safety,” a rider will have to wait for the unsafe situation to become apparent or face penalties. This increases risk for all participants.
Read more: Banning the Crop is Not the Answer–but Riders Need to Open Their Eyes
by CL Cimino
The 2020 Grand National was a hugely anticipated event in the United Kingdom. However, the famous racing event got canceled, like all other major sports events in the world, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. For online horse betting fans who had been expecting some real fun and enjoyment, the cancellation of the Grand National was a big blow. But for the good of all people, it was a necessary action.
1- Devon Loch’s defeat on the brink of victory
E.S.B. won the 1956 edition of the race but he didn’t become the reason for the incredible popularity of this Grand National. Instead, it was Devon Loch who failed from the brink of victory and hence gained great infamy in the history of the competition. To do a Devon Loch even became a metaphor to describe a sudden failure.
Devon Loch was performing brilliantly on the racing day and everybody was expecting an easy victory for him. His chances of victory further improved when two top contenders Must and Early Mist fell early in the race. There looked no question of defeat for Devon Loch on the final stretch as he had been leading by a great margin. However, he did something that shocked everyone at Aintree Racecourse that day. Suddenly and inexplicably, he belly-flopped to the turf and thus gave E.S.B. the chance to claim victory.
Jockey Dick Francis could not believe this shocking turn of events and cried bitterly. No one could provide a good explanation for this unexpected behavior of an amazing horse, though a lot of people gave their theories on the matter.
by CL Cimino
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious of all National Hunt events. A lot of Britishers come to attend this racing event every year at Cheltenham Racecourse. While a lot of people follow the Cheltenham latest news to keep themselves abreast of all the happenings.
1- Arkle
Arkle is one of the biggest names in the horse racing world. He won many prestigious races in his career but his Cheltenham Gold Cup achievements truly immortalized his name. Timeform has given him the rating of 212 which is the highest ever awarded to a steeplechaser.
When Arkle first entered the Gold Cup in 1964, he was not a well-known racehorse. In fact, he was defeated at Newbury by Mill House in the 1963 Hennessy Gold Cup, and so everyone’s eyes were on the Fulke Walwyn trained racehorse who was regarded as a top favorite to win the race. However, Arkle was determined to win this time as he easily got the better of Mill House by five lengths.
by David Grening
Jockey’s goggles can be used by health-care workers in the fight against coronavirus.
Buoyed by Shirley Jerkens, the wife of trainer Jimmy Jerkens, jockeys at tracks currently racing in Florida, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are collecting new and used jockey’s goggles to send to hospitals nationwide for doctors and nurses to use as eye protection while treating coronavirus patients.
Goggles for Docs, an effort to get eye protection in the hands of health-care workers treating patients with COVID-19, began in late March when Jon Schaefer, general manager for Berkshire East Mountain Resort, a ski resort in Massachusetts, received an email from a New York doctor looking for used goggles as hospitals quickly became overrun with patients and there was a need for additional equipment. Word quickly spread, and several ski resorts were involved collecting goggles.
Shirley Jerkens saw a news report about it and reached out to Trevor Crist, one of the founders of Goggles for Docs, with the idea of using jockey’s goggles. Crist and his associates sent photos of jockey’s goggles to medical professionals who okayed them for use. A list of which hospitals are accepting goggles can be found at www.gogglesfordocs.com.
Jerkens, who is currently in Saratoga, reached out to jockeys Tyler Gaffalione (Gulfstream), Ricardo Santana Jr. (Oaklawn Park), Lane Luzzi (Will Rogers Downs), and Ricky Ramirez (Remington Park) to see if they could help with collecting goggles. Chamisa Goodwin, a placing judge at Oaklawn Park, is assisting in getting the goggles from Oaklawn sent to Goggles for Docs or directly to local hospitals that are in need of equipment.
Jerkens said Gaffalione also has reached out to local tack shops to see what supplies they might have.
“Right now, the biggest need is in Florida, California, and New York,” Jerkens said.
Read more: Jockey's Goggles Become Tool for Whipping Coronavirus
Contributed by Michael Pawluk
It’s April 27th, a grey, overcast day here in Saratoga. We’ve been locked down for what seems like several lifetimes, as COVID-19 has changed our ways of living, possibly forever. Normally the buzz and conversations all over town would begin with seven words, “Who do you like in the Derby?”
Saratoga Springs, New York, is no longer a place which the “city folks” visit for a brief period in the Summer. It’s a vibrant, bustling city with businesses, a college, year-round tourism and many residents who call it home. The essence of Saratoga has changed to many but the driving economic force and passion of the majority of people in the area still is horses and equine sports. Most notably, horse racing. The live Thoroughbred horse racing meet has expanded to almost eight weeks. The Oklahoma training track on the Saratoga Race Course is the home to leading trainers in the country for six-to-seven months a year. Even in the dead of winter, the simulcasting venue at Saratoga Harness always is packed with people watching and wagering on races from all over the country.
All we Saratogians know the drill. The first Saturday in May is the Kentucky Derby. Then, the first seasonal folks begin to arrive, and begin to settle into their annual encampment. Whether it’s Lucy rocking back-and-forth while playing two slot machines at the same time at the Racino; Carlos at the YMCA swimming pool, or the famous license plate of Bill Parcells' SUV, seen moving around town—it all means that summer isn’t far away.
Spring in Saratoga is an exciting time: the air is electric with anticipation. By June, you’ll start to hear the ever-annoying, “Are you ready for the meet?!!” every 10 minutes. I always wonder what will happen if I say no, I'm not ready. Will NYRA delay Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course simply because I'm not ready? Doubtful. By July 4th weekend, Saratoga is packed with folks from all over, enjoying fireworks and eagerly counting the days 'til that Opening Day.
But this year will be different. One of the hardest parts of this international lockdown caused by a pandemic is that…we've never done this before. No one knows what to expect in any part of any life—we don't know what tomorrow will bring, much less, three months from tomorrow. When will the social restrictions be lifted? How will people respond to the lift? Will they crush in in droves, and possibly cause a second wave of the pandemic?
The lack of social contact has been the hardest part for many of us—not just in Saratoga, but everywhere on our planet.
Apart from horse racing, the part I find the hardest in particular is the anxiety: wondering, if life ever will be the same again. Day-after-day floats by; the days all begin to blend into one. I miss the simple things, and wonder if we EVER will get some of them back again. Will the restaurants and bars ever open again? Will they be crowded like they were before? How long will it be before you can walk into a movie theater or casino again? Will sports ever resume? Will there be crowds roaring when a touchdown pass is thrown, or a runner rounds third base to tie the game?
Of course around these parts The Big Question is this: will there be a live racing meet at Saratoga in the year 2020?
Read more: Saratoga Horse Racing in the Time of COVID-19: Yay, or Neigh?
by Terry Conway
John E. Madden was the consummate horseman. He bred champions. He broke, trained and raced many of the good ones himself. The shrewdest horse trader of his era, he cashed them in too.
In the early decades of the 20th century his Hamburg Place Farm in Lexington, Ky., was the celebrated birthplace of Kentucky Derby winners Old Rosebud, Paul Jones, Zev, and Flying Ebony.
SIR BARTON Foaled: Spring 1916 Died: Oct. 30, 1937 Sire: Star Shoot Dam: Lady Sterling, by Hanover Breeder: John Madden (Ky.) Birthplace: Hamburg Place Farm
Hopes were high at Madden's showplace breeding center for greater glory in 1916 when a compact chestnut colt with a crooked blaze was foaled. The colt was given the regal-sounding name Sir Barton. His grandsire, Isinglass, had been crowned England's sixth Triple Crown winner in 1893. Isinglass' son Star Shoot was brought in 1912 to the United States, where he topped the American sire list five times.
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