Category Archives: Racing

Frankel Reigns Supreme

20/10/12 – Rarely has a racehorse captured the hearts of an entire country in the way that Frankel has in the last twelve months. The very popular National Hunt heroes Desert Orchid and Kauto Star spring to mind but neither created the tide of emotion witnessed at Ascot last weekend.

Trained by the ever popular Newmarket based Henry Cecil, Frankel has been ridden by Irish jockey Tom Queally in all of his races, the partnership securing their first Classic victory in the Qipco 2000 Guineas in 2011. From there onwards it has been a true fairy story culminating in ten Group 1 races (nine consecutive) and nine of the Qipco British Champion Series.

Frankel was born in 2008 at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket and bred by Prince Khalid Abdulla. The winning combination of both well renowned sire Galileo and Juddmonte bred dam, Kind, produced this impressive looking bay colt who inherited his mother’s laid-back temperament. He is aptly named after one of the greatest American trainers of all time, Bobby Frankel, who died in 2009 and who had also successfully trained horses for Prince Khalid.

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Racehorse Veterinarians Meet to Reduce Track Deaths

UK Veterinarians Present Way to Identify Horses That Should Rest, Not Race

October 15, 2012 — Veterinary experts gathered in Chicago to consider how standing MRI can help diagnose and prevent potentially catastrophic injuries in racehorses. It’s a subject of keen interest in the United States racing industry, which has been under fire in recent months by mainstream media outlets.

The meeting was hosted by Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging, originator of the standing MRI system. As Dr. Dan Brown, business development director for Hallmarq, explained, “The demands of regular training and racing create stress in the bones of racehorses. Some horses respond with increasing strength and speed, others react differently and develop changes which, if undetected, can result in permanent injury, or even fracture, of bones in the fetlock (ankle). As a UK-headquartered company, we’ve worked extensively with UK racehorse veterinarians to establish protocols to accurately identify horses at risk of these injuries, so they may be rested and returned healthy to racing.”

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Trainers Suspended Following Medication Rulings

Q-Racing Journal, October 9, 2012 – The American Quarter Horse Association today has announced that it is taking action regarding 11 trainers who were recently suspended by the Louisiana Racing Commission and the Zia Park Board of Stewards (New Mexico) as a result of horses testing positive for Class I drugs.

The 11 trainers include Alvin Smith, Jr., John D. Soileau, Lamont Charles, Alonzo Loya, Kyi Lormand, Heath Taylor, Anthony Agilar, Gonzalo Gonzales, John Henry Bassett, Jeffery Heath Reed and Carlos Sedillo.

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Belmont Stakes Champion Sarava to Old Friends

Sarava at Old Friends. Photo: Rick Capone

GEORGETOWN, KY — SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 — Sarava, winner of the 2002 Belmont Stakes, has been retired to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.

Co-owners Gary Drake of Louisville and Paul and Susan Roy of Great Britain donated the 13-year-old stallion to the organization.

Sarava arrived at Old Friends early this morning from the Appleton family’s Bridlewood Farm near Ocala, FL, where he has stood stud since 2010.

Bred in Kentucky by Bill Entenmann’s Timber Bay Farms, Sarava was sired by 1984 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Wild Again and is out of the Deputy Minister mare Rhythm of Life. He career boasted three wins from 17 starts and earnings of $773,832.

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Old Friends Welcomes New York Horse of the Year Dancin’ Renee

Dancin' Renee at Old Friends, photo by Rick Capone

GEORGETOWN, KY — SEPTEMBER 15 2012 — Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, has welcomed new retiree Dancin’ Renee, a graded-stakes winning mare and 1997’s New York Horse of the Year.

A homebred for owner Sanford Bacon, Dancin’ Renee is the New York-bred daughter of Distinctive Pro out of three-time New York Broodmare of the Year Lolli Lucka Lolli.

For three seasons, Renee had a stellar career on the track, with 14 wins from 21 starts. In her banner year, 1997, she claimed seven consecutive victories, including the GR3 Honorable Miss at Saratoga, the Broadway Handicap at Aqueduct, and the Monmouth Park Regret Stakes, which was her final start. Her earnings totaled $490,258.

For her efforts in ‘97, Dancin’ Renee was crowned New York Horse of the Year as well as Champion Sprinter and Champion Older Female by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

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Ex-Racehorses Need Second Chance at Life!

Two Socks, before. (Photos courtesy of Florida TRAC)

Loxahatchee, FL (September 10, 2012) – Florida Trac is a rescue organization dedicated to caring for Florida thoroughbred horses that are no longer able to race. Many of these horses have sustained injuries or acquired medical or even surgical problems that are crippling and/or life-threatening and expensive to treat. Once Florida Trac makes the commitment to care for these horses, they are fed, cared for and given veterinary care on par with privately owned horses anywhere. This care can at times be elaborate and can run into considerable cost. On a number of occasions, such care has been life-saving. Reid & Associates Equine Clinic in Loxahatchee, Florida has provided some of this care for many of these horses. Unfortunately a large number of rescues were made simultaneously with the occurrence of a number of serious illnesses in horses already committed to by Florida Trac and/or Reid & Associates. Consequently, it is possible that Florida Trac will be unable to meet its financial obligations to Reid & Associates in a timely fashion. This has compromised our ability to respond to existing and future urgent medical needs. Any financial contributions to help alleviate this situation would be most appreciated.

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Watch Out Horse Racing Fans – Seattle Slew’s Granddaughter Born at New Swan Farm

Everyone knows that in horse racing, the chances of getting a great thoroughbred more often than not depends upon great bloodlines. Well, if you believe that, then there’s a new little filly that just might make some headlines. The filly was born on Independence Day at New Swan Farm and is the granddaughter of Seattle Slew and Smile.

Named Independence Slew, owner Penny Morrell feels she has all of the makings of a great racing prospect.  Seattle Slew won 14 Races with earnings of $1,208.726. He was also the only undefeated Triple Crown Winner and is the sire of more than 100 stakes winners.  Smile won over 1.6 million and won the Grade 3 Fairmount Park Derby setting a new track record for 9 furlongs. He had 14 wins.  Smarty Jones is out of one of Smile’s daughters. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.  Smile’s sire is “In Reality” he remains one of the only male lines of Man of War.  “She has it all; I can’t wait to see where she will go,” states Morrell.

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Zippy Chippy Comes to Old Friends Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, KY — JULY 17, 2012 – Zippy Chippy is in the house!

Zippy Chippy, racing’s biggest loser, will be spending the summer at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement center in Georgetown, KY. He is on loan from the organization’s satellite facility in Greenfield Center, N.Y.: Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division.

Zippy arrived in Georgetown (along with his best buddy, Red Down South) courtesy of Salle Vans on Friday July 13 and will be staying through August.  The now 21-year-old gelding is best known for losing 100 consecutive races.

The horses are part of an Old Friends exchange that sent two-time Whitney Handicap winner Commentator to New York and brought Zippy to Kentucky.

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KY Vets Develop Plan for At-Risk Racehorses

An increase in the number of fatal racing injuries in May led Kentucky regulatory veterinarians to devise ways to better identify at-risk horses.

According to statistics compiled by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission equine medical director Dr. Mary Scollay, there were six catastrophic breakdowns at Churchill Downs in May. There were only three from January through April at Turfway Park and Keeneland.

The vets had a meeting to strategize and now “provide deeper scrutiny” of horses when they are entered, including studying past performances, Scollay said. Since the protocol was established in early June, there have been no fatal breakdowns, she said.

Overall, Kentucky has seen a decrease in catastrophic breakdowns in racing since 2007, where there were 40, according to KHRC statistics. There were 36 in 2008, 33 in 2009, 26 in 2010, and 27 in 2011.

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A Bluegrass Welcome for Superstar Gelding Rapid Redux at Old Friends

Photo by Rick Capone

GEORGETOWN, KY – JUNE 2, 2012 – On Friday June 1st Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, hosted a welcome reception and press conference for media and fans to meet new retiree Rapid Redux.

Despite rainstorms and a drastic drop in temperature, About 35 journalists, photographers, and fans–some from as far away as New York– came out to see the 6-year-old gelding that holds the modern North American record for consecutive wins by a Thoroughbred.

In January of this year, Rapid Redux, a Kentucky bred, earned his 22nd victory at Laurel Park before he was retired from racing.  He bested the 19-race win streaks set by Peppers Pride and 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta by three.

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