Trainer Kenny McPeek has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance in support of the Horseracing Integrity Act, which would standardize medication rules in American racing by appointing an independent, non-governmental agency to oversee regulations, testing and enforcement and align the United States with international standards on race-day medication.
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Ortiz Brothers Day at Gulfstream Park?
Ortiz Brothers Day at Gulfstream Park? Must’ve missed the memo. The Ortiz Brothers, however, did not, and demonstrated such a dominance of the day’s racing that it boggles the mind. In the first race, a maiden claimer, Jose Ortiz rode the winner, and Irad Ortiz, Jr., came in second. In the second, another claimer, it was Irad who won. In the third, another claimer, Jose won, with Irad coming in second. In the fourth, the brothers gave Jaramillo a chance to win, but came in second (Jose) and third (Irad).
Flashback Relocates To Pennsylvania
Tapit’s son Flashback, who began his stud career in 2015 at Lexington’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, complete with guarantees to breeders selling weanlings and yearlings from owner Gary and Mary West, and a full first book, has been moved for the 2019 season to Diamond B Farm in Pennsylvania, and will stand there for $3500, compared to his beginning fee of $7500 in Kentucky.
Hall of Fame Nominees: Ladies and Gentlemen…The Supremes! (Plus That Guy)
The annual Hall of Fame nominees were announced, and they really did resemble that fabulous girl group from Motown, ages ago—gorgeous, harmonic, stellar. They were three time Champion and winner of six Grade One races, Royal Delta (Empire Maker); Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam); her frequent nemesis (you’ve got to have rivalries in girl groups), Champion Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision); and the only filly to ever win the Belmont S.-G1 (and two other prestigious Grade One races for fillies), beating leading sire Curlin in the process in an unforgettable stretch duel, Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy).
The Usual Suspects – Tapit, Blame and War Front Dominate The Saturday Stakes
An alien, landing on Earth on Saturday, February 16, 2019, to play the ponies, would’ve come to believe that only three stallions on the planet are worth breeding to (as Scat Daddy, the sire of Anothertwistafate, the El Camino Real Derby winner, is deceased), and this alien may be right.
Simon Callaghan Owns Saturday at Santa Anita!
This being awards season for movies, it would be appropriate for big winners to thank everyone in the world who ever helped him or her get anything done. The length of lists can be appalling. On Saturday, February 9, 2019, however, when John Sadler won the San Marcos S.-G2 at Santa Anita with his Galileo colt Platinum Warrior, he would only have had to thank one person: Simon Callaghan, for not entering a horse in the race.
Thoroughbred People: Jockey Austin Solis
Name: Austin Solis
Occupation: Jockey
Location: Monrovia, CA
What are your earliest memories of big races or/and horses? My first memories of horse racing starts the day I was born. I grew up into horse racing. My dad is Hall of Fame rider Alex Solis. I was lucky to watch him race across the world winning big races.
Pedigree Column: Tax and Harvey Wallbanger
With all the great racing on Saturday, February 2, 2019, you’d expect a variety of pedigrees to begin appearing on the Kentucky Derby Trail. You’d be wrong. Harvey Wallbanger, who won the Holy Bull S.-G2 for trainer Kenny McPeek, and Tax, who won the Withers S.-G3, off a brilliant claim by trainer Danny Gargan, have so many similarities in their pedigrees that it would appear they may have been separated at birth, like the triplets movie CNN won’t stop advertising.
Stud Notes: A Seismic Shift in The New Year’s Leaders
2019 is still a very young year, but the leading sires of three-year-olds, thus far, is worth examining. The usual suspects have changed, at least enough to remark upon. After a couple of stellar weekends in which his youngsters won nearly everything, stakes and maiden special weights, Violence leads the pack. Though his stud fee, at Hill ‘n’ Dale in Lexington, has rightly been upped to $40,000, it’s still unusual for a stallion with such a relatively low stud fee to be number one.
Thoroughbred People: Breeder Roberta Smoodin
Name: Roberta Smoodin
Occupation: Breeder
Location: Wilds of Northern New Mexico
What are your earliest memories of big races or/and horses?
The first horse I fell in love with was Secretariat, of course. His personality, his playing to the camera, and of course, his Belmont. I remember Silky Sullivan from early childhood, because like my beloved Zenyatta much later, he came from behind to win when he seemed utterly without hope.