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Month: July 2018

ERIC HALSTROM JOINS HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS AS VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

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Eric Halstrom
Coady Photography

Bossier City, LA – Harrah’s Louisiana Downs has named Eric Halstrom as the new Vice President of Operations, pending all regulatory approvals.

Mike Rich, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs made the announcement. Halstrom takes on the role vacated by Trent McIntosh, now the new General Manager of Hoosier Park in Indianapolis, Indiana for Caesars Entertainment.

Halstrom is a graduate of the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program and has a strong background in in racetrack management. He served as the Vice President of Racing at Canterbury Park from 1997-2008 and then spent five years at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as the Vice President and General Manager of Racing Operations. Most recently, Halstrom has lent his expertise to the team at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, as the assistant director of racing.

“Eric has a vast knowledge of the industry and is a passionate sports and racing fan,” said Rich.

Halstrom is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota and the father of three children: Bailey 22; Ben 19 and Colin 15. He is relocating to Bossier City and will work closely with David Heitzmann, who was recently promoted to Director of Racing at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.

“I am looking forward to returning to Louisiana and this tremendous opportunity at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs,” said Halstrom. “There is a great team in place and very loyal horsemen as well as enthusiastic racing fans. I know the excitement is building for the Grade 3, $300,0000 Super Derby, which is coming up on September 2.”

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 26. For more information on the upcoming racing season and special events, visit https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-louisiana-downs/racing.

 

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

PICKETT, ATCHATA WIN COLT AND FILLY DIVISIONS OF D.S. “SHINE” YOUNG FUTURITIES AT EVD

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OPELOUSAS, LA – Evangeline Downs hosted two divisions of the $75,000 D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity on Saturdaynight for Louisiana-bred 2-year-olds, one for colts and geldings and one for fillies.

PICKETT - The DS Shine Young Futurity
Pickett wins the colt division of the D.S “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity. Coady Photography

​D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity (colt and gelding div.)
Evangeline Downs, 7-14-18, 5 1/2 furlongs, $75,000
2YO Accredited Louisiana Breds

PICKETT
Goldencents–Street Beat
Breeder: William D. Pickett
Owner: Charles Carlton
Trainer: Glenn Delahoussaye
Jockey: Timothy Thornton

2nd
Victory Trip
Guilt Trip–Anne Margaret
Breeder: Terry Adcock
Owner: Norman Stables
Trainer: Lonnie Briley
Jockey: Ashley Broussard

3rd
Beto
Custom for Carlos–Bella Moneta
Breeder: Jason Hall & BCS Thoroughbreds LLC
Owner: L. William and Corinne Heilibrodt
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Jockey: Roberto Morales

 

In the Colts and Geldings Division, a speed duel between the two betting choices developed as Beto and Pickett hooked up shortly after the start. The pair duked it out through a swift 21.97 seconds for the quarter-mile and 45.87 for the half. Beto, the 7-5 betting favorite, was the one that gave way as they entered the stretch. Pickett then had to withstand a late challenge from Victory Trip and did so convincingly, pulling away to a nine-length victory in a final time of 1:05.37 for the 5-1/2 furlongs over the fast track.

 

Pickett was sent off at 5-2 by the wagering public and paid $7.60 to win, $3.40 to place and $2.60 to show. Victory Trip returned $4.40 to place and $3 to show. Beto held third and paid $2.60 to show.

 

Pickett was bred in Louisiana by William D. Pickett and is owned by Charles Carlton. The 2-year-old gelding is trained by Glenn Delahoussaye and was ridden to victory by Tim Thornton. Pickett is by two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner, Goldencents and out of the Dixie Brass mare, Street Beat. He is now 2-for-2 in his brief career and the $45,000 first-place purse increases his lifetime earnings to $59,400.

 

ATCHATA - The DS Shine Young Futurity
Atchata wins the filly division of the D.S “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity. Coady Photography

D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity (filly div.)
Evangeline Downs, 7-14-18, 5 1/2 furlongs, $75,000
2YO Accredited Louisiana Bred Fillies

ATCHATA
Apriority–Sweet Jackie Jo
Breeder: 4M Ranch
Owner: L. William and Corinne Heilibrodt
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Jockey: Diego Saenz

2nd
D’Rockette
D’wildcat–Rock N Roll Brick
Breeder: Carrol J. Castille
Owner: Whispering Oaks Farm LLC
Trainer: Steven B. Flint
Jockey: Roberto Morales

3rd
Scat At M. Pat’s
Bind-Fast Annie
Breeder: J. Adcock
Owner: Rodney Virgadamo and Keith Bonura
Trainer: Justin Jeansonne
Jockey: Timothy Thornton

 

In the Fillies Division of the $75,000 D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity, it was Atchata who shone the brightest. The filly, who was sent off as the 4-5 betting favorite, was one of the early pacesetters after a strong start. She and Scat At Ms. Pat’s dueled through strong fractions of 22.12 seconds for the quarter-mile and 46.14 for the half-mile. As the field turned for home, Atchata turned on the after-burners and drew away to a convincing 6-1/2 length victory in a final time of 1:06.25 for the 5-1/2 furlongs. An 80-1 longshot, D’rockette closed to get second and Scat At Ms. Pat’s held third.

 

Atchata returned $3.60 to win, $3 to place and $2.40 to show. D’Rockette paid $27.80 to place and $7.80 to show, while Scat At Ms. Pat’s paid $3 to show.

 

Atchata was bred in Louisiana by 4M Ranch and owned by Corrine and William Heiligbrodt. The 2-year-old filly is trained by Steve Asmussen and was ridden to victory by Diego Saenz. Atchata is by Apriority and is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare, Sweet Jackie Jo. She has now won two of three races in her career and the $45,000 first-place purse increased her lifetime earnings to $100,000.

Goldencents, Apriority Get First Black-Type Winners

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Pickett and Atchata won editions of the D.S. Shine Young Futurity July 14.

Spendthrift Farm’s Goldencents  was represented by his first black-type winner July 14 when his son Pickett scored a nine-length, gate-to-wire romp in the D.S. Shine Young Futurity for colts at Evangeline Downs.

Trained by Glenn Delahoussaye, the 2-year-old gelding broke sharply in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint, shook free from the rest of the pack as they hit the turn, and drew off in the stretch under a brisk drive to finish in 1:05.37.

Saturday’s win was the second for Pickett, who broke his maiden May 30 with an equally speedy 6 1/2-length win going 4 1/2 furlongs.

Goldencents, whose three grade 1 wins included consecutive Breeders’ Cup Dirt Miles, is the son of fellow Spendthrift stallion Into Mischief . The now 8-year-old horse broke his maiden on debut at Del Mar and competed in graded stakes races for the rest of his career.

Goldencents retired in 2014 with a record of 7-7-0 from 18 starts and career earnings of $3,044,000. His advertised fee for the 2018 breeding season was $12,500.

Also taking home the first black-type win for her sire Saturday was Atchata, a 2-year-old daughter of Apriority. Competing in the filly division of the D.S. Shine Young Futurity for Louisiana-breds, she dueled for the lead and kicked away in the lane to win by 6 1/2 lengths.

The win was the second in three starts for the bay filly, who debuted May 24 on grass for trainer Steve Asmussen. She finished third in that maiden special weight debut at Belmont Park. Atchata won next time out going six furlongs on the Belmont inner turf but was switched to the dirt for the Futurity.

Bred in Florida out of the Storm Bird mare Midway Squall, Apriority was his best at 4, when he won the Mr Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park for trainer David Fawkes. The Donald Dizney homebred started 36 times and retired at 7 with a record of 6-9-3 and earnings of $525,829.

The son of Grand Slam entered stud in 2015 at Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana, where he stands for a fee of $2,000.

Recovering Corey Lanerie Returns to Winner’s Circle

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Jockey credits support of friends, family since June 22 death of his wife, Shantel.

By Jennie Rees, Ellis Park track publicist

Corey Lanerie rode at Ellis Park July 13 for the first time this summer, as the four-time meet titlist resumed riding regularly following the June 22 death of his wife, Shantel Lanerie.

With his third mount of the day, Lanerie was back in the winner’s circle for the fourth race, with track announcer Jimmy McNerney saying, “Hide the Honey with Corey Lanerie on her back, and an angel on his.”

“It feels great to be back riding, doing what I love,” Lanerie said before the first race. “Kind of get life moving forward again, because it’s hard. I think when I get back to riding, it will kind of get my mind freed and back to normal life. It’s going to be weird. I really don’t know what I’ll feel like out there. I actually rode last weekend, and it was pretty good. Once I get on the horse, I focus on the race and my job, whatever I have to do. I think I’ll go out there and do my job and just let it go as it is, and I think I’ll be fine.”

Lanerie rode in four stakes July 7 at Arlington International Racecourse near Chicago and came away with a pair of fourth-place finishes. Those were his first mounts since June 17.

Shantel was undergoing treatment for stage 1 breast cancer when she underwent emergency surgery for an infected colon June 21. She died the next day.

Lanerie wears an undershirt with “Fight with Shantel” on the collar embroidered in pink, as well as a bracelet.

“Before it happened, we’d ordered these shirts to ‘Fight with Shantel,’ so I’m going to just keep wearing them in honor of her,” he said. “The bracelet is the same thing. A bunch of us are wearing them, and we won’t forget her.”

The Laneries have a 10-year-old daughter, Brittlyn. Shantel and Brittlyn were regular fixtures at the racetrack, known for their splendid attire when Lanerie received an award or reached a milestone victory.

“There will be an empty spot for sure,” Lanerie said. “Because she supported me through thick and thin. She was there when I wasn’t doing any good and at my best moments.”

The jockey said his daughter is doing well. He said Brittlyn is with family in Louisiana and will be doing some traveling with close friends. But he acknowledged that facing life as a single parent is daunting.

“I think it’s sunken in,” he said. “Now I’m just scared of whatever the future has in store and whatever I’m going to have to do. I was lucky. She did everything, so it’s going to be a learning process for me. That’s kind of where I’m at, and I’m just going to take it day by day.

“It will be hard. With my career, to be honest, I don’t think I can do it as a single parent. I’m going to have to get some help. Shantel’s parents are going to come for a couple of weeks, and after that, my parents are going to come, my mom for sure, for at least three weeks, maybe a month so we can get Brittlyn settled in. Then I’m probably going to have to end up hiring a nanny or somebody. Because she likes to dance and all that, and to get her to and from practice with the hours I work, it just wouldn’t be possible.”

Lanerie said he greatly appreciates the outpouring from the racing community.

“The support and the family love has been great. Everybody has reached out to me and offered their help, anything they can do. We’re a big family here, and it really showed. A lot of people have stepped up and just gone above and beyond, just with phone calls and stuff to do. It was amazing, so heart-warming.”

Lanerie, a 43-year-old native of Lafayette, La., who has made Louisville home since moving to the Kentucky circuit in 2005, has won the last two Ellis Park training titles, as well as in 2013 (a tie with Roberto Morales) and 2010. The winner of more than 4,400 races, Lanerie is a 15-time meet leader at Churchill Downs.

Lanerie and Brittlyn were part of the award presentation when the jockey’s good friend Brian Hernandez Jr. was honored as leading rider for Churchill Downs’ spring meet. Hernandez held a one-win margin over Lanerie when Shantel was hospitalized on June 21.

“That was pretty special because Brian worked really hard and is a really good jockey,” Lanerie said. “He deserved to be leading rider. He came down (to Louisiana) for the wake. He was going to stay if I wanted him to, but I said, ‘If anybody is going to get it, Shantel would want you to have it. So go there and do what you do.'”

Lanerie said he made the decision to return to riding because “It’s not going to get any better. Life has to go on, and I figure the sooner we go and start doing things and trying to get normalcy back in our life, things will be better.”

JOCKEY GERARDO MORA BACK ON TOP AT ​ HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS

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Bossier City, LA –  Gerardo Mora, who was the leading rider last year at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, is now in the lead with 35 trips to the winner’s circle. He won five races on the June 27th card, sending the message that a repeat of his title is certainly on his mind.

“My meet started a little slow, but I did not think about it too much,” said Mora. “I am just focused on winning races.”

Born in Palestine, Texas, Mora, 26, has ridden in Texas and Louisiana since 2011. He rode as an apprentice at Retama Park near San Antonio, and won the riding title at Sam Houston Race Park in 2013 and 2014.   He has ridden 4,877 Thoroughbreds with a record of 623 wins, 689 seconds, 629 thirds and earnings of $9.2 million.

Mora is riding for a number of horsemen at Louisiana Downs, including Danny Pish, Ralph Irwin, Jamie Pasto, Patrick Moutonand last year’s leading conditioner, Joey Foster. He credits his agent, former top Louisiana jockey, Ronald Ardoin for building his business.

“I’ve got a great agent,” added Mora. “He sees the races better than anyone and is always there to help me.”

Mora added another three wins on the Monday, July 9th card, including a victory for Liaison Halo for Pish and owner Dennis Foster.

“He was making his second start and improved off his experience in his first race,” said Mora. “He relaxed as we made the trip between horses and handled the rail very well.”

Several jockeys are riding very well this meet Mora knows the race for the title could go down to the wire. Emanuel Nieves is second in the standings with 34 wins. Joel Dominguez took command of the June 23rd card, winning six of the seven races. He has won 32 races to date.  Richard Eramia, who has locked up leading rider honors already at Lone Star Park, has 25 wins to his credit at Louisiana Downs.  He will be a threat once Lone Star concludes on July 15.

 

Louisiana Cup Day News

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs will present Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 4 featuring seven stakes for Louisiana-breds.

Trainer Danny Pish may nominate Liaison Halo for the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile, a six-furlong stakes he won last year with Scott Brown’s Ace Guitar.

“He’s a definite maybe,” said Pish. “He ran a very professional effort on Monday, so we will just have to see if mentally and physically, he is ready to take the next step up.”

 

Mary Rampellini of the Daily Racing Form broke the news that Autumn Warrior, who ran his record to 2-for-2 in the recent Lafayette Stakes at Evangeline Downs, is under consideration for the $60,000 Prelude Stakes. Trainer Al Stall, Jr. has the mile and one-sixteenth mile main track race in mind for the son of Orb, bred and owned by Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables, Inc. The Prelude serves as a prep for the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby which will be run on Sunday, September 2.

 

Louisiana Cup Day nominations for the following stakes close on July 21.

 

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile                    2 YO LA-Bred                        Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies          2 YO Fillies LA-Bred             Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint  3 YO & Up F&M, LA-Bred  Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint                        3 YO & Up LA-Bred              Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic              3 YO & Up LA-Bred              1 1/16 miles (T)

$50,000 Louisiana Distaff                              3 YO & Up F & M LA-Bred  1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 Super Derby Prelude                         3 Y0                                        1 1/16 miles

 

Al Stall, Jr. and Danny Pish Tied for Leading Trainer

As of July 10, Al Stall, Jr. and Danny Pish are tied for the lead in the trainer standings with 13 wins each. Joe O. Duhon is second with 12 victories and Karl Broberg and Henry E. Uriegas have each saddled ten winners to share third place. Eric Nelson, Jr. and Beverly Burress follow closely with nine wins each.

Dream Walkin Farms, Inc. tops the owner standings with nine wins with End Zone Athletics, Inc. in second place with eight winners.  Jorge Gomez is third with six wins, one more than Patti Turner. 

 

Post Times and Stakes Schedule

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 27. The 84-day meet will include 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 4and Super Derby Day on Sunday, September 2. As previously announced one major change for the upcoming season is that the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby will return to the main track at a distance of a mile and one-sixteenth on Sunday, September 2.

 

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

 

DAVID HEITZMANN PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF RACING AT HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS

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David Heitzmann

Bossier City, LA – David Heitzmann, who has been the racing secretary at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs since March, 2010, has been promoted to Director of Racing/Racing Secretary, pending all regulatory approvals.

Mike Rich, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs made the announcement about Heitzmann and the departure of Trent McIntosh, who has taken on the new role as General Manager of Hoosier Park in Indianapolis, Indiana for Caesars Entertainment.

Heitzmann has been affiliated with many racetracks across the country including Keeneland, Arlington Park, Fairgrounds and Churchill Downs, prior to his tenure at Louisiana Downs. Racing runs in the Heitzmann family as his father, Roger Heitzmann, Jr. was a trainer and he has three brothers involved in the racing industry. Roger, III, is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Association (LTBA); Mike serves as General Manager of Stone Bridge Farm in Kentucky and Eric, is a trainer who currently has 25 horses at Canterbury Park.

“David has a wealth of racing knowledge as he has worked in the industry for 31 years,” said Rich.

Born in Covington, Kentucky, Heitzmann grew up in Metairie, Louisiana, and is committed to supporting the horsemen who have shown loyalty to Harrah’s Louisiana Downs. While he does not predict any major changes this meet, he is clear on his goals.

“Our main focus is in our local horsemen,” stated Heitzmann. “We want to help them as much as possible as they support our daily racing programs. We are working on keeping the field size up and working with TVG in getting our signal out to horseplayers.”

Louisiana horseman Joe O. Duhon is the current co-leader in the Harrah’s Louisiana Downs trainer standings and has a long association with Heitzmann.

“David’s doing a super job,” said Duhon. “He’s a horseman; comes from a family of horsemen and I know he will do his best to look out for us.”

Camel and Ostrich Racing Set for July 4

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs is hosting Exotic Animal Races on Wednesday, July 4th. Fans of all ages will enjoy Ostriches and Camels racing on the main track in between live Thoroughbred races. Post time is 3:15 pm and activities for families on the Kid’s Zone apron will get underway at noon.  The popular Food Trucks will make a return appearance and The Harrah’s Club is offering an All you can eat, All day Buffet for $29.99.

 

Trainer, Jockey and Owner Standings

As of July 2, Joe O. Duhon and Al Stall, Jr. are tied for the lead in the trainer standings with 11 wins each. Karl Broberg, Danny Pish and Henry E. Uriegas have each saddled ten winners to share second place. Eric Nelson, Jr. and Jorge Lara follow closely with eight wins each.

 

Several jockeys are riding very well this meet and a tight battle for leading rider is underway. Emanuel Nieves is the current leader in the standings with 31 wins. Joel Dominguez took command of the June 23rd card, winning six of the seven races. He has won 30 races to date. Gerardo Mora, who was the leading rider last year at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, is third with   28 winners. He won five races on the June 27th card, sending the message that a repeat of his title is certainly on his mind. Richard Eramia, who has locked up leading rider honors already at Lone Star Park, has 25 wins to his credit at Louisiana Downs.  He will be a threat once Lone Star concludes on July 15.

 

End Zone Athletics, Inc. and Dream Walkin Farms, Inc.  top the owner standings with eight wins each.  Jorge Gomez is second with six wins, one more than Patti Turner.  P and D Racing Stables and Indian Creek Thoroughbred Farms LLC follow with four wins each.

 

Post Times and Stakes Schedule

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 27.

 

The 84-day meet will include 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 4 and Super Derby Day on Sunday, September 2. As previously announced one major change for the upcoming season is that the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby will return to the main track at a distance of a mile and one-sixteenth on Sunday, September 2.

 

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

 

Ask Your Veterinarian: How Much Does Environment Influence OCD Lesions?

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by | 07.09.2018 | 2:38pm

Question: What do we know about environmental factors that could make a horse more or less likely to get OCD?

Answer: Osteochondrosis (OC) is widely understood to be a disturbance of endochondral ossification (the formation of bone from cartilage) and is arguably one of the most clinically relevant developmental orthopedic diseases in the equine patient. Although it was once thought that OC lesions were static, sequential radiographic studies on foals, weanlings, and yearlings revealed that the characteristic lesions of OC could increase in size or completely regress (“heal”) up to 12 months of age. The timeline of this lesion formation and regression is different for each joint, and has supported the idea that there are number of environmental factors, in addition to genetics, that play a role in the progression of osteochondrosis.

Although no definitive cause of osteochondrosis has been determined, factors such as nutrition and exercise have been shown to play a role in the development and progression of OC lesions. Of these possible etiologies, the role of nutrition has been most closely investigated. Initial research into the effect of diet on OC focused largely on dietary energy level, usually in relation to a high growth rate.  Although the results of many of these studies seem to be conflicting, many support the conclusion that high growth rate (a combination of genetics and diet) is associated with an increase in the severity of OC lesions. It is important to note, however, that this is a combined effect: decreasing nutritional plane below maintenance levels will not decrease the incidence or severity of OC lesions and can lead to other dietary imbalances.

Studies investigating the role of trace elements (copper, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus) have determined that low copper levels (which can be induced by increased zinc) are linked to decreased resolution of OC lesions, and copper supplementation, to a certain extent, was able to reduce the severity of cartilage lesions. Investigations into the role of calcium and phosphorus in OC have determined that high calcium diets failed to produce OC lesions, whereas high phosphorus diets (five times NRC) reliably produced lesions in foals.

The role of exercise in the formation of OC lesions seems intuitive; it is well known that exercise is vital to the formation of a functional articular cartilage surface and OC is a developmental defect in articular cartilage. Investigations into the exact role of exercise in OC however, have yielded conflicting results.  In some studies, increased exercise was correlated with decreased incidence in OC, whereas other research was unable to find decreased incidence in OC lesions with exercised horses but did notice a decrease in severity of existing lesions. As with nutrition, it is clear that although exercise can play a supporting role in decreasing the incidence or severity of OC, no single factor is responsible for the course of the disease.

Since the process of cartilage metabolism and bone formation is highly dynamic, especially during the first year of age, it is widely thought that there are certain periods of times (“windows of susceptibility”) during which environmental factors can play a pivotal role in the severity of OC lesions. Research investigating these developmental periods, as well as the exact pathogenesis of osteochondrosis, will yield more answers and recommendations in the future.

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Equine Sales Launches Redesigned Website

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EQUINE SALES COMPANY
Equine Sales Company is proud to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website, www.equinesalescompany.com.   We have updated and improved it with our clients foremost in mind, by streamlining menus, simplifying navigation, building a responsive layout for all platforms and providing more resources and information on our company and our services.
 
One goal with this new website is to provide our visitors an easier way to learn about Equine Sales Company’s services and solutions and also to allow the visitor to browse information based on their own choice.
 
Amongst the new features, the site contains access to necessary sales forms and industry links for both Buyers and Consignors alike.  Another goal we have is to foster improved communication with our clients. We will be constantly updating our content with helpful information, articles, company announcements and client successes in the Racing and News section.  We encourage everyone to visit and explore the site, discovering the full spectrum of  Equine Sales Company has to offer.
We hope you find the new website with a fresh look, easy to access information and we also wish to establish this portal as a source of information for those who visit our site.
 
We would like to thank NanC Mark and her amazing staff at Techmark, LLC (https://techmark.me) who spent countless hours building this new site.
If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share with our team… Contact Us!  We will be happy to help!
 
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Equine Sales Company, 372 Harry Guilbeau Road, Opelousas,, LA 70570

Keeneland Reinstates April Sale, Tweaks September Format

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Keeneland will reinstate its April Sale in 2019, as one of three changes to its sales calendar announced Thursday. The April auction, last held in 2014, will be staged as a one-day sale of 2-year-olds in training, as well as horses of racing age. Dates for the preview and sale will be announced at a later date.

“Keeneland’s April Sale produced a number of champions and Classic winners, including 2017 champions Lady Eli and Roy H in its final edition in 2014,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “Horsemen are very supportive of the sale returning this spring, and we are excited to expand the auction from previous years by offering a limited number of horses of racing age.”

Keeneland also announced the format for its upcoming September Yearling Sale. Book 1 of the auction, which was one session in 2017, will be held Monday through Thursday (Sept. 10-13) this year and will include approximately 1,000 yearlings with sessions beginning at 11 a.m. After a dark day Friday, Book 2 will be held Saturday and Sunday with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. The Book 2 portion of the 2017 sale was three days. Books 3-6 of the September sale will be held the following Monday through Sunday (Sept. 17-23).

Keeneland introduced a bonus structure tied to its one-session Book 1 in 2017. With the longer Book 1 section in 2018, the bonus will not be applicable to graduates of the sale this year.

“Keeneland engages in an ongoing dialog with our clients to collect their feedback and adapt our sales formats to meet the ‘market of the moment,’” Elliston said of the changes. “The market is fluid from year to year, and our primary goal is to create a sales environment that will produce the best results for our sellers and buyers.”

Finally, Keeneland announced it will open its November Breeding Stock Sale with an exclusive Book 1 session to be held Monday, Nov. 5.

“The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are at Churchill Downs the weekend before the November Sale begins, so what better way to continue the excitement than to host a select Book 1 on opening day,” said Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason.

The entire November Sale schedule will be announced later.

Mott Reaches Settlement With NY In Medication Case

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Four-year-old dispute over alleged positives changed how state handles samples.

 

Trainer Bill Mott has reached a court settlement with the New York State Gaming Commission after a nearly four-year legal battle concerning a disputed medication overage from September 2014.

Mott agreed to take a seven-day suspension, effective July 5-11, and pay a $1,000 fine to end the case, which began when Saratoga Snacks, a horse he trained, was found to have two alleged medication overages in tests conducted after an allowance race at Belmont Park on Sept. 20, 2014. The NYSGC originally imposed a 15-day sanction against Mott for overages of Banamine and Lasix that were for such excessive amounts that they seemed to defy logic.

Mott steadfastly claimed the testing, conducted by New York’s contract lab at Morrisville State College, was incorrect, and he was backed by testimony from the two veterinarians who administered medication to the horse the week of the race.

Further, Mott raised as a central issue the failure of the lab to provide him a sample of the horse’s blood (plasma) with which to do a “split sample” test at an independent laboratory. Mott sued state regulators and stewards, claiming he was denied his constitutional right to challenge the alleged overages. In subsequent testimony, evidence was introduced showing a continuing pattern of New York regulators denying samples to horsemen for split-sample testing for two decades. As a result of the Mott case, a new agreement was reached at the beginning of this year guaranteeing that a second dose of blood would be pulled from horses and kept in a separate refrigerator, making split samples available to horsemen who want to challenge called overages.

“A settlement doesn’t make either side happy,” said Drew Mollica, Mott’s attorney. “But Bill changed the way they do business by holding their feet to the fire. Split sampling is now in New York because of Bill Mott. Off all his accomplishments in his Hall of Fame career, this is his shining hour because he didn’t wage this battle for himself, but for other horsemen.

“We exposed the failure of the prior New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association administration, which let this due process travesty go on, knowing its membership was being prosecuted without the ability to challenge evidence.

“This case could have gone on another three or four years, and we believe in our hearts we would have won.”

Said Mott, “I settled this last week just to get the thing behind me. The testing was flawed, the overages were excessive, and we didn’t get the right to defend ourselves. That’s what the fight was about, them saying you had a right to a split sample when you really didn’t.

“I’ll take a few days away from training and do some work around the house. It’s good to get this behind me, and I’m hoping the horsemen’s group takes the initiative to work on these issues as a group instead of people having to do it individually.”

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