The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
HISA names its chief executive
North America: Renowned international sports lawyer Lisa Lazarus has been appointed to the key role of chief executive officer of the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
Lazarus, whose glittering resume includes a ten-year spell as NFL labour relations counsel, starts work on February 15, when she will begin implementing HISA’s racetrack safety program and the process of engaging an independent enforcement agency to oversee the authority’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) programme.
She will also work with stakeholders across the U.S. to evaluate and improve both programs on an ongoing basis.
Lazarus most recently led the equestrian practice at London-based Morgan Sports Law and prior to that worked for the international governing body for equestrian sports, the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale).
“We are thrilled to have Lisa on board as we approach HISA’s program effective date in six short months,” said chairman Charles Scheeler. “Her deep background in sports business and law will be on full display as she leads the racing industry into a new, safer era of clean competition under uniform rules and regulations.”
Lazarus said, “I look forward to working with the impressive and diverse array of independent and industry experts at HISA to make racing safer and fairer for all. As someone who has worked with the industry over the course of my career, and as a horse lover, I’m honored to be taking on this role.”
22 countries represented in entries for Saudi Cup meet
Middle East: The 2-day Saudi Cup meeting next month has attracted over 700 entries from 22 countries, including 71 international G1 winners.
In all there will be $35.1 million prize on offer at the third iteration of the meet, which is headlined by the Saudi Cup, run as a G1 for the first time, again with a purse of $20 million.
Last year’s winner, Mishriff, will defend his crown at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. Should the John and Thady Gosden-trained 5-year-old claim the $10 million winner’s prize, he would become the highest earning racehorse of all time, eclipsing Australian wondermare Winx. Mishriff is currently ninth in the list of all-time highest earning Thoroughbreds.
There is a strong U.S. contingent with over 150 entries, including several high-profile contenders for the Saudi Cup. TRC’s world dirt horse of the year, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Knicks Go, who was fourth to Mishriff in last year’s Saudi Cup, has been given an entry, along with Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good.
Japan, which won two races on last year’s Saudi Cup card, is responsible for over 90 entries and is set to be represented in the big race by T O Keynes.
Tom Ryan, director of Strategy and International Racing at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said, “We couldn’t be happier with the entries for the 2022 Saudi Cup meeting. We are also absolutely delighted to see that more countries have made entries, with 22 in total compared with 19 in 2021. That goes to show how quickly the Saudi Cup meeting has had an impact globally and become a key target for owners and trainers.”
Full list of entries here.
New effort to overturn Baffert Churchill ban
North America: Attorneys representing embattled American trainer Bob Baffert have drafted a complaint that has been shared with Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) management, which they hope will enable the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer to compete in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
CDI imposed a 2-year ban on the Hall of Fame trainer seven months ago when his 2021 Derby winner, Medina Spirit, failed a post-race drugs test. Attorney Clark Brewster, who represents Baffert, told the Courier Journal an abbreviated conference between the parties was held last week and “viewed with optimism by all involved”.
However, it has been widely reported that, in the eyes of CDI chief executive Bill Carstanjen discussions have already reached a dead end.
“The threatened lawsuit is yet another tactic from Mr Baffert's well-worn playbook of obfuscating the facts, inventing excuses to explain positive drug tests and attempting to blame others to avoid responsibility for his own actions,” Carstanjen said.
Medina Spirit collapsed and died at Santa Anita following a 5-furlong workout on December 6. He had a race record of 5–4–1 and career earnings of $3,545,200.
Star Ballydoyle filly Snowfall euthanized
Europe: Aidan O’Brien has confirmed that connections were “left with no choice but to take the heart-breaking decision” to have record-breaking Epsom Oaks winner Snowfall put to sleep after a suspected pelvic injury.
The daughter of Deep Impact sustained the injury at home. The Ballydoyle trainer said that, “despite the best care and attention from our veterinary team”, the 5-time winner’s “condition seriously deteriorated a couple of days ago”.
Snowfall won the Epsom Classic by 16 lengths last summer under Frankie Dettori, as well as the claiming the Curragh and York equivalents. She finished sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before running her final race when third in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October.
“We did everything we could for her, but it wasn’t to be. She is a massive loss to everyone here, from a racing and breeding perspective – she was such a high-class mare,” said the world #6 trainer.
Horse of the Year voting landslide for Efforia
Asia: World #4 Efforia has been named Japan’s Horse of the Year at the JRA Awards for 2021, the which are voted for by 296 of the nation’s racing journalists.
Efforia received a landslide 277 votes with Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine Loves Only You getting 18 and Breeders’ Cup Distaff champ Marche Lorraine picking up the remaining vote.
Efforia was also named Best Three-Year-Old Colt, receiving every single vote in that category.
A full list of the award winners can be found here.
Death of successful sire Frost Giant
North America: Pensioned New York stallion Frost Giant was euthanised following complications with laminitis on January 10 at ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption, which had been his home for the past year.
According to Lisa Molloy, program director for ReRun, the 19-year-old son of Giant's Causeway and sire of 17 black-type winners had “a little bout [of laminitis] earlier in the year, nothing that bad. This last one hit him hard”. She said they “did a ton of stuff” to save the horse, including different farriers, podiatrists and new medications.
“He was like a little firecracker,” Molloy said. “Even if he was a bit sore, he would try to nip at you and be sassy. This last week he was just really quiet. He didn't feel good, so that is why we made the decision to euthanize him.”
Owned by Andrew Cohen, Frost Giant won the 2008 G1 Suburban on his way to earning $454,630 before retiring to stud at Vinery New York a year later. He shuttled to Chile and Australia before settling down in New York at Keane Stud. He was transferred to Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in 2018 and stood there until his recent retirement.
Frost Giant sired multiple Graded stakes winner and millionaire Giant Expectations and multiple Australian Group winner Valour Road.
Elsewhere in racing …
Oceania: Racing Victoria CEO Giles Thompson has announced his resignation, ending a five-year reign. He will remain in the role until June 30, with the hunt for his replacement already underway. More here
Europe: The Racing League will return in 2022, with six evening fixtures offering over £2 million in prize money, and will be broadcast by ITV Racing alongside long-term partner Sky Sports Racing. More here
Oceania: Coolmore bought two colts for AU$1.1 million each – one by Snitzel and one by Not A Single Doubt – within ten minutes of one another at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale on Thursday. More here
North America: Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale catalogue may now be viewed online.
North America: The Grayson-Jockey Club has called for research Into EHV Vaccine. More here