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Horse Racing - General Information

Will the Geelong-Melbourne Cup Double Be Repeated?

The Geelong and Melbourne Cup races have been completed, with two of Australia's most interesting horse races having been contested. Runaway took the win from the Geelong Cup, while Cross Counter got the job done in the Melbourne Cup. Those results made for the seventh straight year where the winner of the Geelong and Melbourne Cup were different horses, begging the question of whether or not the winner of those two races will be the same within the same year ever again.

As a bit of background, only three horses in the history of the sport have managed to win both the Geelong and Melbourne Cup within the same year. Media Puzzle was the first horse to pull off the feat by doing so in 2002 and was followed by Americain in 2010 and Dunaden in 2011. Dunaden had an even more special run, as the horse managed to take home the Geelong Cup, Melbourne Cup, and Hong Kong Vase within the same year. Runaway got the job done in Geelong, but couldn't pull off the double.

Needless to say, winning both of these races is rare, but just how rare is really put into perspective when you consider how long both of those races have been run. The Melbourne Cup was first run in its earliest form in 1861, while the Geelong Cup was first run in 1872. That means that there has been nearly a century and a half worth of these races, with only three horses managing to win both of them in the same year, making it one of the sport's truly unique accomplishments.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle separating horses from pulling off this accomplishment is that horse racing as a whole has become more specialized. The sport is so full of horses, trainers, and programs that unless a horse is special, it isn't always likely that it will be able to make the jump from a G3 race like the Geelong Cup up to a G1 race like the Melbourne Cup. Either a horse isn't good enough to go from the G3 to the G1, or it is too good to want to take the step down from the G1 to the G3. There are surely some exceptions, as evidenced by the three horses who did the double, but even seeing horses who compete in both races isn't a given each year.

Justify (left) and Enable were two of the most memorable horses of 2018. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Louisville, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2018) – Online voting is now open for the ninth annual Secretariat Vox Populi Award. Created by Secretariat's late owner Penny Chenery, the Vox Populi, or “Voice of the People,” Award recognizes the racehorse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year.

Fans can vote in the online poll, which can be found at Secretariat.com, for one of five nominees selected by the Vox Populi Committee this year. Voters also have the option to write in a racehorse of their choice. The poll is open through Nov. 30, and a public presentation to the 2018 Vox Populi winner is planned for Jan. 12, 2019 at Santa Anita Park.

This year’s world-class nominees present voters with a distinct international flavor:

What is a Bleeder?

To most people a “bleeder” is a horse that has blood at the nostrils during or after training or racing.

All Horses are Bleeders!

However, research has shown that if horses are ‘scoped (the process of placing a thin tube with a camera inside the windpipe) after galloping or racing, between 40-80% of horses will have some blood visible in the windpipe, but not at the nostrils. That is, you would not know the horse had bled unless you ‘scoped it. If you ‘scope any horse on three different occasions after galloping it will have blood in the windpipe on at least one occasion. If we look even deeper into the lung we know that all horses break blood vessels.

Horses Do Not Have to Gallop to Bleed.

Research in Japan showed that horses that only cantered at speeds of up to 20 mph (a very slow canter for a racehorse) all had damage to their lungs as a result of broken blood vessels

Mister Whittaker Favourite in Wide-Open Gold Cup at Cheltenham

As the final few major fixtures of the flat calendar expire horse racing enthusiasts turn their attention to the longer distances where the brave go over hurdles on testing ground and in freezing conditions. National Hunt competitors are made of stern stuff, but the prizes are well worth the winning.

A fine example of this can be found on Saturday 17th November at Cheltenham, where the Gold Cup is decided over 2m 4f on the Old Course. A history stretching back almost six decades, followers have witnessed some memorable renewals, including Bradbury Star’s doubleheader in 1993/94.

A Grade 3 contest on an important week for racing, the stands will be packed for what the ante-post horse racing betting tells us will be a fascinating instalment. But, who will reign supreme on the day and grab themselves a slice of sporting history? Bookmakers have had their say, and they’re stuck on the fence.

Will Harry Angel Defend His Sprint Cup Crown?

Defending champion Harry Angel can become only the second competitor to defend the Haydock Sprint Cup when he participates in the event in September. Clive Cox’s charge put forward a dominant run last season to claim the crown ahead of a talented field. He will now aim to become the first horse since Big Friendly in 1967 to successfully win back-to-back victories.

However, the bay colt will face a challenge, facing off against a strong field in the event. Tasleet, Blue Point, The Tin Man and Brando are among the leading contenders to knock Harry Angle off his perch. At least one of the horses are worth a shout in the betting odds for an outright win at Haydock Park. Given the nature of race and the unpredictability of form, it can be a more prudent option to use an each-way bet. An each-way bet allows the punter to cover his bases by picking a horse in the top three or lower pending on the bookmakers' discretion. The odds can be a quarter or a fifth of the starting price, but given the unpredictable nature of sprint it's a savvy way to protect your stake.

Five Equine Ambassadors Arrive at the TRF Summer Farm at Saratoga

by Lori Mahan

Saratoga Springs is the summer place to be, and this year the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will host five of their retired Thoroughbred racehorses at a local farm to serve as ambassadors representing the organization’s herd of 750 horses and former racehorses across the country.

These Thoroughbred ambassadors come to Saratoga from the TRF’s Second Chances program at the Wallkill Correctional Facility in New York. They will be spending the summer in Saratoga Springs helping to introduce the TRF herd to the racing community and racing fans and to raise awareness of the importance of thoroughbred aftercare to everyone visiting the Spa this summer. Upon their June 26 arrival at the Summer Farm, they were warmly welcomed by the TRF team and enjoyed carrots and apples. They quickly settled into their pastures and embraced their new home as “the summer place to be.”

The five horses at the TRF Summer Farm @Saratoga are representatives of the Thoroughbred horses to whom the TRF provides lifelong sanctuary through the network of 19 farms, located in 12 states and including eight Second Chances programs at Correctional Facilities. They look forward to meeting new friends and longtime supporters of the TRF throughout the summer meet. Who are the horses?

Cogs My Man is an 18-yearold, Kentucky bred gelding with five career starts. His sire, Louis Quatorze, won the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in 1996.

Son of a Gun is a sweet, smart 12-year-old bay gelding, who would definitely like a human to call his own.

Blown Save is a 10-year-old bay gelding, who raced 12 times. His sire is the great Smart Strike. He is the big man of the herd standing at 17 hands.

Dusk to Dawn is an impressive looking 7-year-old, bay, NY bred gelding. His sire is Malibu Moon. “Dusky” had eight career starts. He is a big horse and quite the character. He last raced in 2015 and still remembers the call to the post song when played!

Bold Mon is a 15-year-old grey gelding who had a successful racing career with lifetime earnings of $170,000. His last race was at Saratoga and he is happy to be back for a visit

The farm will be open Tuesdays during racing season from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment with the TRF. The retired racehorses will be staying at the Heading for Home facility located just east of Saratoga Springs. Heading for Home is a racehorse rescue and retraining facility for both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses.

Tanya Gunther at Glennwood Farm (photo by Anne M. Eberhardt)

by Meredith Daugherty

With Justify becoming just the 13th Triple Crown winner in history and now unbeaten Without Parole taking home his first graded win across the pond at Royal Ascot, owner/breeder Tanya Gunther is having a good year. Part of the father/daughter team that owns and operates Glennwood Farm in Kentucky, Tanya has combined her passion for pedigrees with her skills as a former investment banker to catapult her farm to the peak of classic success. BloodHorse Marketwatch recently spoke with Tanya about what makes her operation unique and how she plans to top a banner year.

MarketWatch: What drove you to leave your successful career in finance to pursue work in the Thoroughbred industry?

Tanya Gunther: My father started out breeding a few mares on our farm in Langley, Canada, so I grew up around them, as well as riding horses. My sister and I both spent a great deal of our spare time after school or during school holidays riding and competing in the hunter/jumper and equitation worlds. We also attended the races at Hastings Park in Vancouver as a family, spending many weekends at the track. After high school, I went directly to university to pursue a business degree (University of British Columbia, Bachelor of Commerce) and then, after working in finance for a couple of years in Vancouver, I moved to London to obtain my master's in Finance at London Business School and begin a career in investment banking. After several years in investment banking in London, I decided to leave the finance industry and focus on my passion, which was Thoroughbred horse racing. By that time, my father had grown his "horse habit" substantially, having purchased and developed Glennwood Farm in Kentucky, taking his breeding operation to an entirely new level.

MW: Your father credits your encyclopedic knowledge of pedigrees for much of the success Glennwood has achieved. What first drew you to studying pedigrees?

Justify captures the Belmont Stakes to become the 13th Triple Crown winner in history. (NYRA/Chelsea Durand)

by Tom Pedulla

Justify stands alone.

Of the swift and lucky 13 Thoroughbreds who have won the Triple Crown since Sir Barton became the first to wear the mantle of greatness in 1919, only Justify holds the distinction of accomplishing the rare sweep after going unraced as a 2-year-old.

Justify completed a dizzying rise to superstardom, one brilliantly orchestrated by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, when he won the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets with a commanding 1 ¾-length victory against late-running Gronkowski on Saturday at Belmont Park.

“This horse ran a tremendous race. He’s so gifted,” said jockey Mike Smith, 52, in a post-race interview on NBC. “He’s sent from heaven, I tell you.” Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown.

A crowd capped at 90,000 spectators roared its approval as the imposing chestnut colt prevailed for the sixth time in less than four months in a whirlwind campaign that allowed him to join Seattle Slew as the only undefeated Triple Crown winners.

Slew, benefitting from three starts at 2, was perfect through eight starts before he passed the Belmont’s arduous mile-and-a-half “Test of Champions.”

Baffert joined “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons as the only trainers to produce two Triple Crown winners. Baffert, of course, saddled American Pharoah in 2015 when that horse ended a record 37-year drought. Fitzsimmons added to his legend with Gallant Fox (1930) and Omaha (1935). Baffert’s 15^th Triple Crown win overall moved him ahead of D. Wayne Lukas for the all-time lead.

“It never gets old,” Baffert said, adding, “American Pharoah, he’ll always be my first love.”

Affirmed (inside) edges Alydar to win the 1978 Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown. (Photo courtesy of BloodHorse/Bob Coglianese)

J. Keeler Johnson

How many times have some of the greatest sporting events in America been held? The Super Bowl is relatively young, having been contested 52 times. The World Series of Major League Baseball is more than twice that old with 113 editions in the history books.

But the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in New York has them both measured for longevity, as the 2018 renewal will mark the 150^th edition of the historic 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion.”

Through the years, the Belmont Stakes has produced an exciting variety of results ranging from blowout wins to photo finishes. It’s been won by some of the greatestby champions ever seen on a racetrack, yet it has also produced some of the most unforgettable upsets in the history of the sport.

Let’s step back through time and recall some of the memorable milestones in the history of the Belmont Stakes….

1867: The inaugural running of the Belmont Stakes is held at the newly-opened Jerome Park in New York. At the end of 1 5/8 miles (the race was an eighth of a mile longer at the time), the filly Ruthless prevails in a photo finish over De Courcey.

1874: The distance of the Belmont Stakes is changed to 1 ½ miles and Saxon comes out on top in the time of 2:42.20, a slow clocking by today’s standards.

1882-1888: Jockey James McLaughlin wins six Belmonts in the span of seven years, setting the record for the most Belmont wins by a jockey.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Justify towers over stable pony Sunny at Churchill Downs. (Julie June Stewart photo)

by Julie June Stewart

It was a typical glorious morning at Santa Anita Park in 2013. The horses were met with brilliant sunshine as they gracefully slipped onto the track for their morning workouts. There was the usual crowd at Clockers’ Corner and a line of photographers on the rail hoping to catch a perfect “morning sunlight” shot as the horses went by. The Bob Baffert horses were heading onto the track under the supervision of his assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes. Suddenly there was a moment of silence as every camera aimed at Barnes. His horse was a vision of perfection. A beautiful burnished palomino whose coat gleamed in the sunlight. There was a quiet explosion of shutters going off as photographers focused on the palomino and for a moment forgot the world-class Thoroughbreds just outside their viewfinders. A single voice said, “Who was that?” Someone said, “Baffert’s new pony – he’s called Sunny.” You could tell by the photographers’ reactions that there was an instant star in the Baffert barn.