Tag Archives: Racing

Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Racing

Awad, Winner of the 1995 Arlington Million, Dead at 21

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GEORGETOWN, KY – JULY 23, 2011 – Millionaire and four-time GR 1 winner Awad has died.  The 21-year-old stallion was discovered early this morning in his paddock at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, where he has been pensioned since 2006.

According to veterinarian Dr. Douglas Byars and Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen, the cause of death was a sudden heart attack, but a full necropsy is currently underway at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington.

The hard-knocking son of Caveat, Awad raced for seven seasons as a homebred for Maryland’s Ryehill Farm, capturing 14 of his 70 starts. His career earnings totaled $3,270,131.

Awad’s first GR1 win came in the 1993 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington International, which would prove to be a lucky course for the Maryland bred throughout his career. In 1995 he captured the GR1 Arlington Million in record time, 1:58.69, shaving one-fifth of a second off the course mark set by Perrault in 1982.

With the win he not only gave trainer David Donk and jockey Eddie Maple their first Million triumphs, he also became the first horse to ever win both of those GR1 turf events at Arlington.

Continue reading Awad, Winner of the 1995 Arlington Million, Dead at 21 →

Breeds, Racing, Racing Sources

Ontario Racing Commission Expands Clenbuterol Testing

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Q-Racing Journal, July 15, 2011 – Starting August 15, testing for clenbuterol in Ontario Quarter Horse racing is expanding to include a 30-day withdrawal period and lower threshold levels, according to a release by Ontario Racing Commission Deputy Director Rob McKinney. The goal of the initiative is to eliminate any abuse, overuse, or non-therapeutic use of this drug, and when used, to confirm that the drug has been legally obtained and correctly administered.

Clenbuterol is a bronchial dilator sold under the name Ventipulmin (trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica) as an injectable suspension and oral syrup to treat breathing disorders.

This expansion by the Ontario Racing Commission will complement the existing efforts of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency, which has included clenbuterol in its testing protocol for over 20 years. This new initiative is a result of concerns brought forward by the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. regarding alleged misuse of this therapeutic drug and the health and safety of the horse.

On June 16th, the ORC announced the first phase of this project involving random out-of-competition testing for the presence of the drug. ORC investigators will continue to inquire as to the use of clenbuterol and then examine the records of the trainer and veterinarian.

Under this new phase, a 30-day clenbuterol withdrawal period for a horse competing in a race and minimum threshold are: 200 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml) or less in urine and 1-2 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml) in blood.

A directive authorizing this phase of the project is under development, but it is anticipated that the regulatory action for confirmed presence of clenbuterol will include:
· Disqualification of the horse from the race;
· Return and redistribution of all earnings from that race;
· Horse made ineligible to race until owner produces a negative test result; and the ORC investigation is complete.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

Events, Racing

Horse Dies on First Night of Calgary Stampede

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July 10, 2011 – A horse has died on the first night of chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede in Canada. The death in the fifth race resulted despite changes to rules and standards aimed at minimising the risk to horses taking part in the famous event. The changes were brought about following sharp criticism following the deaths of six horses at the event last year. Stampede spokesman Doug Fraser said: “The leg injury was considered a catastrophic injury, so our veterinarian made the decision to euthanize the horse immediately.” The injury was not as a result of a crash, but happened between turns on the course during the race.

Read more at http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/07/063.shtml.

Breeds, Events, Racing, Racing Sources

Delta Fireworks Boost Two New Juveniles into National Poll

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, July 7, 2011 – Sizzlin Cartel set a 350-yard track record in Saturday’s Firecracker Futurity (G2) at Delta Downs, earning him a No. 8 ranking in the latest AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 poll for 2-year-olds. He was one of two Delta Downs-based juveniles to make a national splash this week, joining Sunday’s Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) winner Little Bit Trashy, who debuted at No. 10.

Sizzlin Cartel lowered the 350-yard standard to :17.218 behind a romping, 1 1/2-length win in the Firecracker Futurity. Runner-up in the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) final at Louisiana Downs earlier this year, Sizzlin Cartel has now won three of five lifetime starts.

Little Bit Trashy set a Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity stakes-record time of :17.231 for 350 yards, winning for the third time in four career starts while taking on fellow Louisiana-bred runners.

Meanwhile, this Friday’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs will feature three of the top-ranked juveniles in the nation in this week’s poll, No. 3 Mighty B Valiant, No. 4 Silver For Me and No. 9 JLS Party Wagon. Separate Fire maintains the top spot in the 2-year-old poll as July is unveiled, while Rylees Boy remained No. 1 among pollsters in the rankings for horses 3 and older.

Continue reading Delta Fireworks Boost Two New Juveniles into National Poll →

Breeds, Events, Racing, Racing Sources

Hot Firecracker Weekend at Delta

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 30, 2011 – Executive Miss Dash and One Famous Brioni, the top two qualifiers and one-two finishers in their trial, are set for a rematch in the $297,077 Firecracker Futurity (G2) during a stakes-filled Fourth of July weekend at Delta Downs.

The 350-yard Firecracker Futurity is joined by the $133,045 Firecracker Derby on Saturday as Louisiana-breds highlight Sunday’s card in the $458,180 Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) on Sunday.

Albert Vera Jr.’s Executive Miss Dash (Executive Menace-Miss Ryon Dash by Dash For Destiny) raced to her third win from four starts with the game win over the promising One Famous Brioni in their trial. The Erika Huitron-trained Executive Miss Dash fought for the lead in her trial and prevailed by a neck with a :17.577 time for the 350 yards.

The only blemish on Executive Miss Dash’s record is a second-place finish in the John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge (G3) two starts ago on May 14. She finished three quarters of a length behind Pandorum as the 5-2 second choice.

Mary Thompson’s One Famous Brioni (Mr Jess Perry-One Famous Lady by Chicks Beduino) is still a maiden after two starts; however the half brother to champion One Famous Eagle has a large upside. The Larry Kopycinski-trained colt was a late-running third in his career debut and then came back to finish well in his trial with the second-fastest time of :17.608.

Continue reading Hot Firecracker Weekend at Delta →

Breeds, Racing, Racing Sources

Neversaynever Sets 350 Yard World Record

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 15, 2011 – The 4-year-old stallion Neversaynever has officially captured the 330 yard world record. The gray, owned by Tony Sedillo and Sherri Galvez, on February 27 raced to a time of :15.859 at Sunland Park, and the mark was approved by AQHA.

The time lowers Wcrseperateandcool’s record of :15.951 set 21 days earlier at the same track.

Neversaynever set the record in a starter allowance for horses 4 and up. He was trained by Tony Sedillo and ridden by Miguel Perez, and won the race by two lengths while earning a 124 speed index. There was a 28 mph tailwind during the race over a fast track.

The verification of the new record was pending when Vaughn Cook’s Ivory Riches raced to a 330-yard time of :15.922 on May 30 at Arapahoe Park, which appeared to be faster than Wcrseperateandcool’s time, but is slower than Neversaynever’s time.

Bred by MJ Farms, Neversaynever is out of the Thoroughbred mare Numbered Lady, by Polish Navy. He has won five of 12 lifetime starts and earned $63,862.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

Breeds, Racing, Racing Sources

Streakin Down Is Newest Supreme Race Horse

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 6, 2011 – Ed Melzer’s Streakin Down has become AQHA’s newest Supreme Race Horse. The honor is given by AQHA to a horse that during its racing career earns $500,000 or more and wins at least 10 races, including two or more open Grade 1 stakes races.

Streakin Down is the 26th racing American Quarter Horse since 1983 to earn the distinction of AQHA Supreme Race Horse. He is a 4-year-old gelding by Streakin Sixes out of the Heza Fast Man mare First Lady Amber. He finished the qualifications for the award on April 24, when he won his trial for the Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2) in track record time, covering the 440 yards in :21.005.

Streakin Down has won 10 of 22 starts and earned $741,326.  Last year, he won the Heritage Place Derby (G1) and Texas Classic Derby (G1). He has also run second in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) and third in the Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) and was a finalist in the All American Derby (G1), Rainbow Derby (G1) and Remington Park Derby (G2).

This year he was second in the Eastex Handicap (G2), Leo Stakes (G1) and Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2) and third in the Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1).

Streakin Down has been trained throughout his career by Eddie Willis. Bred by Marcus Smith, the Texas-bred gelding is the first stakes winner out of his unraced dam, a half sister to stakes winner Miss Jess Perry.

Streakin Down is by the Streakin Six stallion Streakin Sixes, a stakes-placed runner who has sired the earners of more than $4 million, including champion Miss Kips Streakin.

A resident of Edmond, Oklahoma, Melzer bought Streakin Down for $17,000 at the 2008 Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Racing

The Epsom Derby, England, 5th June, 2011, Won by French Colt – Pour Moi

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5th June, 2011 – Queen Elizabeth ll’s dream of finally winning the Epsom Derby with ‘Carlton House’ was crushed by an electric burst of acceleration from a French trained colt ‘Pour Moi’. Carlton House, a gift to the Queen from Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed, carried the hopes of many after widespread media coverage prior to Her Majesty’s 10th attempt to win the world’s greatest flat race.

Pour Moi, trained by Chantilly-based Andre Fabre and ridden by teenage Derby debutant Mickael Barzalona, gave a scintillating performance to stun the crowd of royal supporters, Andre having had nine previous attempts himself to win this greatest of accolades.

Sired by the great Montjeu who now stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, Pour Moi is owned by the Tabor, Magnier and Smith partnership who now not only look forward to a slice of the £1.2m prize money but riches much greater in future stud fees that a triumph in this Classic will generate.

By LYNN LAWSON

Breeds, Racing, Racing Sources

Remington Park Victors Rewarded with Top Spots in Both Polls

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 1, 2011 – The May 28th mega-program at Remington Park produced not one, but two, new No. 1-ranked horses in the latest AQHA Racing.com-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 polls. Heritage Place Futurity (G1) winner High Rate of Return zoomed to the top of the rankings for 2-year-olds, while Rylees Boy registered a sharp Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) score and the top position in the poll for older horses.

Rylees Boy handled one of the strongest fields ever assembled and did it by holding off the late charge of last week’s No. 1-ranked runner Louisiana Senator, who was flying late but came up a head short in defeat. Pollsters rewarded Louisiana Senator with a No. 2 ranking this week. Third-place finisher Streakin Down earned the No. 9 national ranking for his efforts. The Invitational included four of the top seven-ranked horses in the national poll last week and lived up to its billing. Former world champions Freaky and Stolis Winner finished fourth and fifth, respectively, underscoring the race’s quality, which featured the earners of more than $7.1 million lifetime.

The rankings for older horses also got a solid jolt when last year’s All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet (G1) runner-up and beaten favorite JLS Mr. Bigtime made his 2011 debut in the poll at No. 5. The Louisiana-bred tallied the Delta Downs Louisiana Breeders’ Derby (RG2) by a head on Saturday as the odds-on choice in his first finals appearance of the season. Another 3-year-old who debuted this week in the poll for older horses was Heritage Place Derby (G2) upsetter Capo De Capi, who knocked off stablemate Freighttrain B in Saturday’s final and was rewarded with a No. 8 national ranking.

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Breeds, Contributors/Press, Racing

Stakes Winner Afternoon Deelites Arrives at Old Friends

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GEORGETOWN, KY — MAY 24, 2011 — On Sunday Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, happily welcomed GR1-winner and top sire Afternoon Deelites.  The 19-year-old son of Private Terms will be permanently pensioned at the farm alongside one of his sons, 12-year-old Popcorn Deelites.

He was donated to the organization by Val Murrell’s Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, LA where he was retired from stallion duty earlier this year.

Bred and raced by Burt Bacharach’s Blue Seas Music, Afternoon Deelites hit the ground running as a 2-year-old, capturing his first three starts, including the GR1 Hollywood Futurity and the GR3 Hollywood Preview Breeders’ Cup Stakes. The following season the handsome bay won the GR2 San Felipe Stakes and the GR1 Malibu before coming second by a head in the Santa Anita Derby.

He capped off his four-year-old season with a win in the GR1 Metropolitan Handicap before being retired to Airdie Stud in Midway, KY with seven wins in 12 starts and earnings of $1,061,193.

Continue reading Stakes Winner Afternoon Deelites Arrives at Old Friends →