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Month: December 2020
Swot Analysis Has a Read on Futurity Field
Dazzling Local Winner Tops Strong Field of State Breds
New Orleans (December 28, 2020) – A talented septet has assembled for the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity, though there’s little doubt as to the horse to beat in the 6-furlong state-bred dash for 2 year olds, as D.J. Stable LLC, Cash is King LLC, and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Swot Analysis, off an overpowering 9 ¾-length local debut win, will be tough to deny if he can deliver an encore.
Swot Analysis (post 6 at 5-2 on Mike Diliberto’s morning line, with Declan Carroll to ride), a son of Anchor Down, didn’t fire when a distant sixth in an open-company MSW debut November 1 at Churchill Downs, as he tired badly after dueling for the lead early. Trainer Mark Casse regrouped and sent him to Fair Grounds where he met fellow state breds November 27, and the result was in stark contrast to the run in Louisville, as Swot Analysis pressed the pace from the outside, took charge off the far turn, and blew clear for a dominant win. Swot Analysis, purchased for $62,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company July Teo-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale 2020, clearly took to his new surroundings at Fair Ground, which was no surprise to Casse’s local assistant Dave Carroll.
“We were expecting him to win, to be honest, based on the tough maiden he came out of, though we weren’t expecting him to win like that,” Carroll said. “We got a race into him at Churchill and it was a tough race, but he was able to build off it.”
The Futurity is a definite step up in class, with a trio of impressive local winners, as well as a stakes-placed runner, so Carroll knows Swot Analysis will need to answer the bell one more time, regardless of how impressive he looked last time.
“We’re taking everything with a grain of salt, sometimes you draw off and win like that against Louisiana breds,” Carroll said. “It’s a good spot for him and we’re hoping he runs a big race.”
Trainer Ron Faucheux will saddle a pair of local debut winners, with Flurry Racing Stables LLC’s Guice (post 5 at 4-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) the more highly regarded off a sharp 2-length MSW score December 12. The son of Half Ours went a long way in making back his $52,000 purchase price as a yearling when he pressed the pace in the mud and drew off late, and is perfectly drawn for his style. Picard Thoroughbreds Racing Stable LLC’s Perfect Perigee (post 2 at 6-1 with Florent Geroux) dueled and pulled clear in a December 11 $25,000 maiden-claimer and could be the controlling speed. The son of Court Vision takes a significant rise in class, though he figures to make the front after setting a :45 4/5 half-mile split last time.
Andrus J Pellerin’s Jimmy Two Times pressed the pace and drew off to an easy 4 ¼-length win here in a November 29 N2L allowance in the slop. The Half Ours gelding won on debut at Evangeline Downs in June for trainer Kith Bourgeois then was off-the-board to Chu Chu’s Legacy in a pair of state-bred stakes, but clearly rebounded in his local bow. Jimmy Two Times figures to be closest to Perfect Perigee early, though he’s a bit of a question mark on a fast main track.
Completing the Louisiana Futurity field from the rail out: Patrick Lee Racing LLC’s Adieu Le Chat (6-1 with Santo Sanjur), winless in four starts for trainer Tucker Alonzo; John F Earles’ Bunkie’s Song (post 3 at 15-1 with James Graham), no better than fifth in a trio of starts for trainer Allen Landry; and Horseplayers Racing Club LLC’s Creole Charlie (post 7 at 9-2 with Adam Beschizza), a distant third in both the Louisiana Cup Juvenile at Louisiana Downs in September and Jimmy Two Times’ allowance win for trainer Justin Jeansonne.
Big Time May be Ready for it After Lassie
Undefeated Filly Can Double Up Off Local Stakes Win
Ten state-bred 2-year-old fillies are scheduled to meet the starter in the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity, though if Valene Farms LLC’s Big Time has anything to do with it, the other nine will be running for second-money in the 6-furlong dash, as she looks for her second stakes win of the meet.
Big Time (post 6 at 5-2 on Mike Diliberto’s morning line with Brian Hernandez Jr. to ride) may have stunned bettors when she paid $79.60 on debut in an open MSW at Churchill Downs in June for trainer Dallas Stewart, but she was a much more known commodity when she met state breds in the December 12 Louisiana Lassie. The daughter of Astrology settled early over a muddy main track, snuck through up the inside off the far turn, then powered clear for an easy 3 ½-length win over seven rivals, a trio of which will try her against in the Futurity. Big Time led every step in her Churchill win but showed a newfound rating gear in the Lassie, which only adds to her appeal.
Allied Racing Stable LLC’s Winning Romance (post 2 at 3-1 with James Graham) looks the main danger off a gate-to-wire allowance win here November 27 for trainer Bret Calhoun. The First Samurai won on debut at Evangeline Downs in June then was left in the wake of state-bred star Mirabeau in her next two, though got untracked again in her local bow and could be the inside speed.
Spendthrift Farm LLC and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Rue Lala (post 5 at 6-1 with Adam Beschizza) was actually favored in the Lassie for trainer Steve Asmussen but drew the rail, struggled over the off going, and checked in a distant fourth. The daughter of Star Guitar aired on debut at Louisiana Downs in September then was a distant second to Mirabeau in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies there two weeks later, but could be a rebound candidate on a fast track, with a better post as well.
Horseplayers Racing Club LLC’s Halfglamorous (post 9 at 6-1 with Miguel Mena) was a good second on debut her in November and then built on that and wired locally December 13 for trainer Danny Pish. The daughter of Half Ours has shown speed in both starts and figures to be pressing from an advantageous outside attack post.
Completing the Louisiana Futurity field from the rail out: Brittlyn Stable Inc’s homebred Spirited Beauty (20-1 with Marcelino Pedroza), a distant seventh to Big Time in the Lassie for trainer Jose Camejo; Roger G Smith’s homebred Smittys Barracuda (post 3 at 6-1 with Florent Geroux), a distant second on debut here to dominant maiden winner Australasia November 26, and also cross-entered earlier on the card in and MSW Race 3 for trainer Ron Faucheux; Set-Hut LLC’s homebred Mrs. Judy (post 4 at 10-1 with Shaun Bridgmohan), well-beaten in eight in the Lassis for trainer Jeff Delhomme; Gulf Haven Farms’ homebred Inawic (post 7 at 15-1 with Mitchell Murrill), winless in five starts for trainer Ronnie Ward; Keith Bonura and Rodney Virgadamo’s Louleigh (post 8 at 10-1 with Miguel Mena), a distant third to Winning Romance for trainer Justin Jeansonne; and William and Carolyn Kline’s Amoreena Star (post 10 at 20-1 with Colby Hernandez), claimed for $12,500 by trainer Joe Duhon out of a local December 3 debut state-bred MCL win here.
Clear Creek Stud Offers Scholarship
With an eye toward the future of our industry, Clear Creek Stud will be making a $5000 Scholarship Donation in the name of their clients to a student with Louisiana based connections to the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Breeding and Racing Industry.
The scholarship recipient will be chosen by the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (LaHBPA) and based on their opinion and evaluation of need and merit.
Interested students should send a letter and resume to Eddie Fenasci at the La.H.B.P.A. office by January 31, 2021. Letters can be mailed to La.H.B.P.A. attention to Eddie Fenasci 1535 Gentilly Blvd. New Orleans, La. 70119 or email to efenasci@lahbpa.org.
The recipient will be named by March 20, 2021 at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.
Round 2 of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Online Stallion Season Auction
Desormeaux Returns to Action After Rehab

Kent Desormeaux | Benoit
By Dan Ross
When racing returns to Santa Anita Dec. 26, it does so in a blitzkrieg of high-octane firepower, with races like the GI Malibu S., GI La Brea S. and GI American Oaks luring headline grabbers from across the country.
As things go, race three on the card–a $16,000 claimer–is a far less exulted companion to its starrier cousins. But the race contains its own prodigal return…that of Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux after a hiatus from the saddle. Still, it’s just the sort of low-key call to arms the jockey is looking for.
“It’s not something you get control of and go tell the world about your accomplishment,” said Desormeaux, of his newly established sobriety after a tumultuous six-month period culminating from decades of struggle.
Omnibus Legislation Will Allow Current H-2B Visa Provisions To Continue

A series of current H-2B visa program provisions are set to continue as part of omnibus legislation passed Monday by Congress.
- H-2B visa program policies set to continue include:
- Authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL), to increase the H-2B cap for fiscal year 2021 by up to approximately 69,000 visas if it determines that the needs of seasonal businesses cannot be met with U.S. workers;
- Continuation of the use of private wage surveys for prevailing wage determinations;
- A prohibition against DOL enforcing the corresponding employment and three-quarters guarantee provisions of its H-2B regulations relating to total work hours; and
- Provisions extending the maximum employment season for up to 10 months, as opposed the nine-months in current DOL regulations.
The H-2B visa guest worker program is a nonimmigrant visa program used by many industries that need temporary non-agricultural help when domestic workers are unavailable. For the horse racing industry, racehorse trainers rely heavily on the H-2B program to fill various backside positions. Demand for H-2B visas often exceeds their availability and the cap level is quickly reached, leaving employers without sufficient help.
The NTRA, through its involvement with the H-2B Workforce Coalition, supports efforts for comprehensive reform of the guest worker visa program.
Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act Signed Into Law
by Ray Paulick
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is now law.
The legislation passed by the Senate on Dec. 21 that will put anti-doping/medication control and safety programs under the umbrella of one independent, non-governmental Authority, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was part of a 5,500-plus page, $2.3 trillion bipartisan government funding bill that included $900 billion in coronavirus relief extending unemployment benefits and providing up to $600 in cash payments to individuals. President Donald Trump, whose Treasury Department officials helped negotiate the package, had threatened to veto the bill, in part demanding that the $600 individual benefits be increased to $2,000.
On Sunday night, Trump signed the bill into law.
Carmouche One of Five Finalists Named For George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
Thoroughbred Connect Information now Available with Digital Foal Certificates
The Jockey Club Registry announced December 17th that contact information submitted through its Thoroughbred Connect program by those interested in providing aftercare or assistance for a Thoroughbred is now available when a horse’s digital certificate of foal registration is accessed by the certificate manager.
Thoroughbred Connect enables anyone with an Interactive Registration (IR) account to express his or her willingness to be contacted by someone in possession of a Thoroughbred in the event the horse is in need of aftercare or assistance. It is also a resource for horse owners to list a Thoroughbred that is in need of aftercare or assistance. With this update, contact information for those who would like to help a specific Thoroughbred is displayed by default on a horse’s digital certificate page. Thoroughbred Connect users can elect to opt out of this setting at any time. Contact information associated with horses born prior to 2018, and who thus might not have a digital certificate, can still be shared with a successful connection made via the Thoroughbred Connect link after logging into IR. “Adding contact information from Thoroughbred Connect to a horse’s digital certificate page ensures that a horse’s emergency contact will never be lost or removed and will always be easily accessible to its current digital certificate manager,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club. “We believe this change will facilitate connections to transition Thoroughbreds to new homes when their racing or breeding careers are over.” “We at Herringswell Stables believe in the importance of ensuring that Thoroughbreds are cared for at all stages of their lives and have attached our contact information to physical copies of foal papers for years,” said Graham Motion. “We are excited to take advantage of The Jockey Club Registry’s update to Thoroughbred Connect, which replicates the purpose of stickers and stamps in the age of digital certificates.” “We commend The Jockey Club for their aftercare initiatives and their efforts to help horses transition to careers beyond the racetrack or breeding shed,” Staci Hancock of Stone Farm said. “From the Thoroughbred Incentive Program and “Transferred as Retired from Racing” designation to this most recent update to Thoroughbred Connect, we thank The Jockey Club for looking out for the welfare of Thoroughbreds and promoting their potential as sport, pleasure, and therapy horses.” Since its introduction in May 2011, more than 3,500 users have signed up for Thoroughbred Connect, and there are currently more than 8,600 horses in the system that have at least one customer who has provided contact information to indicate their willingness to provide aftercare assistance. For more information about Thoroughbred Connect or to sign up for an IR account, please visit registry.jockeyclub.com. The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com. |
Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act Passes Senate
By Bill Finley
Included in a year-end government funding bill that included a $900-billion COVID-19 relief package, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was passed by the House of Representatives and Congress Monday night. The bill is expected to be signed into law shortly by President Donald J. Trump, which would mean that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, once considered a longshot to pass, will become a reality.
The passage of the bill was a a bipartisan effort led by Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“Kentucky’s cherished horseracing traditions deserve to be protected. I’m proud the Senate agreed to my legislation to preserve our signature racing industry and the 24,000 workers who support it,” McConnell said in a statement. “With the leadership of Congressman Andy Barr and the partnership of sport leaders, horse advocates, and fans, we’re one step closer to promoting fairness and safety across Thoroughbred racing. As Majority Leader, I made this Kentucky-focused legislation a top priority in the Senate. I look forward to this major advancement for our beloved sport becoming law.”
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