The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Arlington legend Richard Duchossois dies aged 100
North America: US racing is mourning the death of Richard L Duchossois, an iconic industry figure, mainly in his role as longtime owner of Arlington Park in Chicago, where he was a pioneer of international racing.
According to a family press release, he "passed away peacefully" in his Chicago-area home at the age of 100.
In a distinguished military career, Duchoissois was a Second World War hero awarded the Purple Heart and Legion d’Honneur for his valour in five campaigns under General Patton.
After a successful stint in the automotive industry, the man known affectionately as ‘Mr. D’ purchased Arlington Park racetrack, which sadly closed its doors for the last time in 2021 after the track's final owners sold the land fo revelopment.
A prominent racehorse owner, Duchossois became synonymous with the rise to prominence of famous Chicago venue, where he was the driving force behind the ‘Miracle Million’ in 1985, when the track’s signature race, the Arlington Million, went ahead days after an electrical fire devastated the stands. The race was won by Lord Derby's Teleprompter representing the British trainer-jockey partnership of Bill Watts and Tony Ives.
The Arlington Million continued annually until its final race in 2021, when it was renamed the Mister D Stakes in honour of Duchossois. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019, he also won three Eclipse Awards.
Five-time Aussie Derby-winning trainer Murray Baker set to retire
Oceania: "I've been training for 43 years, and the old engine is starting to run down a bit," said Kiwi trainer Murray Baker as he announced his retirement at the end of April.
Baker confirmed co-trainer Andrew Forsman will continue the operation in his own right. The 75-year-old, one of the most successful trans-Tasman trainers of all time, started training at Woodville in the 1980s.
Before that he had a brief career as a cricketer that saw him play one List A and 17 first-class matches for Central Districts and Northern Districts from 1966 to 1975.
A five-time winner of the Australian (AJC/ATC) Derby, Baker said he was “very fortunate to have some good horses that have been able to compete” in Australia. “It's just a buzz to step onto any of those Australian metropolitan courses,” he added.
Baker’s signature horse was probably Dundeel (known as It's A Dundeel when racing in Australia). The son of High Chaparral won six G1s on his way to claiming A$5m in prize-money and becoming the fifth and most recent winner of the Sydney-based ‘Australian Triple Crown’ for three-year-olds in 2013.
Six-month ban for G1-winning trainer Fabrice Vermeulen
Europe: France Galop has handed trainer Fabrice Vermeulen a six-month ban after an investigation into accusations that the G1-winning handler falsified the ownership details of 12 horses.
The Belgian has saddled 14 winners this term and is, at the time of writing, second in France’s prize-money standings behind world #24 Jean-Claude Rouget. Three months of his sentence has been suspended for five years.
The majority of Vermeulen’s alleged misdemeanours relate to the involvement of an ownership entity called SAS Le Marais, a company registered to bloodstock agent Jeremy Para. It was subject to an investigation by the Service Central des Courses et Jeux in 2020 and whose findings led France Galop to bar the company from racehorse ownership.
Para, for his part, was given a one-year racecourse ban, with six months suspended
Big prize boost for Inglis sales race series
Oceania: Australia's largest and oldest bloodstock auctioneer, Inglis and Sons, has boosted the prize pot by A$1.55 million for its Inglis Race Series, a series for horses offered (sold or passed in) exclusively through eligible Inglis Sales.
The increased prize-money will come into play as of the 2022-23 racing season and is headlined by the introduction of a A$1m 'Pink Bonus' targeting horses purchased with a minimum of 75% female owners will be eligible for the incentive.
Qualified ownership groups will have their horses running for the $1m Pink Bonus prize-money, which sees up to A$400,000 in bonuses on offer in each of the four designated races. A Pink Bonus of A$400,000 will be awarded to the first eligible horse home in the Inglis Millennium and A$200,000 in the Inglis Sprint, the Inglis Banner and the Inglis Nursery.
The Inglis Sprint now worth A$1m, which is up A$300,000 from last year’s running; the Inglis Banner and Inglis Nursery both receive a A100,000 hike to $500,000; Inglis Bracelet’s increases from $250,000 to $350,000.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch hopes the initiative will “service existing owners” as well as enticing new owners in 2022.
“There has been a significant growth in the volume of female racehorse ownership,” he said. “Twelve of the runners in the Millennium in 2021 had female owners – and we feel that this bonus series has the capacity not just to further reward those existing owners but stimulate greater involvement.”
First foal for Higher Power
North America: Darby Dan Farm’s Higher Power has sired his first reported foal at Julie Rini’s Crowning Point. The filly out of the Curlin mare Curlita was bred by Deann Baer.
A G1-winning millionaire by Medaglia d’Oro, Higher Power, was a five-time winner of nearly $1.6m for owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler. He also placed in the G1s the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Hollywood Gold Cup and Awesome Again Stakes.
Higher Power bred 152 mares in his first season at stud and will stand the upcoming breeding season for $10,000 S&N.
Elsewhere in racing …
North America: A jury has found veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman guilty in doping case. More here
Europe: Sweden bans use of whip for encouragement from new season in April. More here
North America: Multiple stakes producer Blending Element has died aged 29 at Sheltowee Farm in Midway. More here