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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 BLOODHORSE.COM/DAILY BENOIT PHOTO WORK OF ART Thoroughbreds a Lifelong Love for Artist MacPherson See page 4 IN THIS ISSUE 11 Woodbine Jockey Tests Positive for COVID-19 12 Casse Records 3,000th Victory 15 Churchill Downs Halts Turf Racing, Scraps Two Stakes BLOODHORSE DAILY Download the FREE smartphone app PAGE 1 OF 28 CONTENTS 4 Thoroughbreds a Lifelong Love for Artist MacPherson 8 Leading Sires of Weanlings by Average 9 Los Alamitos to Submit Joint Injection Plan to CHRB 11 Woodbine Jockey Tests Positive for COVID-19 12 Casse Records 3,000th Victory 14 Laurel Park to Close to Fans; Horsemen Still Welcome 15 Churchill Downs Halts Turf Racing, Scraps Two Stakes 16 Drafted Eyes Stateside Return After Dubai Success 20 British Government Pledges Aid to Racing Amid COVID-19 21 Group 1 Winner Sands of Mali to Stand at Ballyhane 22 O’Brien Brothers Join Racing League 23 Results & Entries RICK SAMUELS #PABred MSW Someday Jones PENNSYLVANIA The only place to breed & race! Up to 50% BREEDER AWARDS pabred.com #PABred A publication of The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc. and TOBA Media Properties, Inc. ON THE COVER Editorial Director General Manager Red Flag wins the Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar Evan Hammonds Scott Carling Visuals Director Managing Editor Anne M. Eberhardt Claire Crosby Bloodstock Editor Digital Designer Eric Mitchell Erin Morgan Assistant Editors Senior Web Producer Meredith Daugherty Christine Wittmer Molly Rollins Digital Content Coordinator Associate Editors Michelle Benson Byron King Copy Editor Mark Sonka Christine Oser Regional Sales Managers Features Editor Shirley Dievert Frank Angst Kristi Heasley Sales Editor Ellen Lambertus Ron Mitchell Amanda Ramey Senior Correspondent Classified Sales Bob Ehalt Catherine Johnston Senior Columnist Director of Technology Jay Hovdey Courtney Bearse Senior Bloodstock Columnist Pedigree Analyst Bill Oppenheim Alan Porter MICHAEL BURNS Contact Us: Woodbine congratulates Mark Casse on his 3,000th win Editor: [email protected] • Advertising: [email protected] BLOODHORSE DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 PAGE 3 OF 28 INTERVIEW THOROUGHBREDS A LIFELONG LOVE FOR ARTIST MACPHERSON By Meredith Daugherty t @BH_MDaugherty hen Red Flag crossed the wire in the Nov. 15 Bob WHope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, the colt became the first stakes winner for sire Tamarkuz and stamped himself a possible contender on the 2021 California road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The 2-year-old is one of a handful of foals bred by Canada native Elaine MacPherson, who is not only a Thoroughbred breeder and owner but also a respected artist whose equine paintings and sculptures can be seen at tracks across Canada and the United States. BloodHorse MarketWatch spoke to MacPherson about her lifelong love of the Thorough- bred breed and how she’s created a unique breeding OF ELAINE MACPHERSON COURTESY and training program built around giving her horses Elaine MacPherson every chance to succeed both on and off the track. MarketWatch: How did you become involved with I ever did of a galloping horse. Of course, his hocks Thoroughbreds? were backwards and they looked like knees. But when Elaine MacPherson: Horses have been a part of I was about 8—and I grew up in Toronto—my mother my life forever. I actually have the first crayon drawing would always listen to CFRB, which was the radio station at the time. At the end of racing days, they would play the call to post and when I heard that, I would come to my mother and say, "My people are calling me." So I started off very early being interested in Thoroughbreds. I went to the Ontario College of Art, where I was horribly criticized for being a horse-crazy girl and all that. When I graduated I went straight to Woodbine, where I met Bruce Walker, who was the publicity director. He instantly hired me to do line drawings for the paper, the Globe and Mail, of racehorses for their upcoming season. I was 22 and driving behind buses, looking at my artwork on bus boards, and it was incredible. Right out of the gate, I can say I've had a pretty charmed COURTESY OF ELAINE MACPHERSON life in that regard. Surrender is the dam of Bob Hope Stakes winner Red Flag (continued on page 5) BLOODHORSE DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 PAGE 4 OF 28 INTERVIEW THOROUGHBREDS A LIFELONG bought a horse farm here. My first big horse I bought LOVE FOR ARTIST MACPHERSON was a mare named Shy Beauty, and I bred her to Bold Executive. She had a foal named Timely Ruckus (continued from page 4) that I sold as a yearling for CA$14,000. He ended up winning close to US$700,000. He was a sprint Art is my main profession. With my paintings champion (four) years in a row, and he was a big deal. and sculptures, I sell them to racetracks or to I've bred other decent horses from OK mares, but that Thoroughbred horse societies for their awards is how I really waded into the deep end with breeding. banquets and such. Actually, I sell a lot of bronzes to MW: How many mares make up your broodmare racetracks for stakes awards, and I make them limited band at the moment, and where are they located? editions, so I'm working on making EM: I have mares in Kentucky, more of those this year to sell to Ontario, some in California, and tracks. I think if you're winning a some in Alberta as well. Right bronze, it's really nice that they have Thoroughbreds are smart, now I have about seven or eight in a number on them, so that is what I they’re willing, they have total. My husband and I also race will be working on this winter. under Valiant Ranches. We have I also repurpose racehorses. personality, and they’re four horses in training in Ontario, I have a trainer, and if I feel like just amazing horses. In my Alberta, and in California. my horses have any potential as program, I just want to Ontario, of course, has a great hunter jumpers, I give them to purse structure right now. I have a her and we've had some good luck put Thoroughbreds back colt named Garth Vader who will repurposing horses as well. That into the business any way run as a 3-year-old at Woodbine. is my other love—helping move He's got a killer pedigree, and I'm racehorses on to another career. I can.” really looking forward to him. Tiz MW: How did you make —ELAINE MACPHERSON Toujours, a half brother to Red Flag, the move from equine art to I'm sending him to California Dec. Thoroughbred breeding? 1. I like racing in California because we have a house EM: I used to ride dressage and I did that for there and I like to just drive to tracks like Del Mar and about 10 years, but I always used repurposed Santa Anita Park and watch what's going on. Thoroughbreds. Then it just went on from there. MW: Do you choose your own matings? Or do you My discipline at the Ontario College of Art was consult with your bloodstock agent? advertising. I went to the Jockey Club there, which is EM: I use Gayle Van Leer as my bloodstock agent. now the Woodbine Entertainment Group, and I also We've had a lot of fun together as business people went to Windfields Farm and did their advertising for and as friends. I also use Kitty Taylor at Warrendale their stallions through Bernard McCormack. I started Sales. So it's like a triumvirate. I would say in part for getting interested in breeding horses under him. So I the matings, it's mostly Gayle and I that decide. For bought my first mare, Trafalgar Miss, and bred her to example, Gayle doesn't know Ontario pedigrees really Horatius and had a really crummy horse named Dear well but I do, so I will pick those matings. Gayle will Friday that I campaigned with my dad. He was just look at all the Kentucky horses. She's great because horrible, but it went on from there. she will suggest four or five stallions, but she will I got a little more interested in the business and always ask me who I like and we go there. I wanted to buy a farm, so I moved to Alberta and (continued on page 6) BLOODHORSE DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 PAGE 5 OF 28 INTERVIEW THOROUGHBREDS A LIFELONG Session Toppers! Session 1 LOVE FOR ARTIST MACPHERSON $600,000 (continued from page 5) JUSTIFY colt ex Groton Circle bred by Mountmellick Farm sold to Donato Lanni, Agent. MW: Red Flag, who is out of your mare "I wanted to buy a nice Justify. He was an amazing racehorse - he looked just like him." Donato Lanni Surrender (by Stormy Atlantic), was the first stakes winner for Tamarkuz. Did you choose that mating or $600,000 was it also a group effort? AMERICAN PHAROAH colt ex Unicorn Girl bred by J&J Stables & Carlo Vaccarezza sold to MV Magnier EM: That was also a group effort. It was funny because Gayle suggested Tamarkuz, and I knew he Session 2 wasn't super popular and I thought, "Well, he seems a little plain." But she said, "Speightstown is a bit $475,000 plain, too. Let's give this horse a shot." That worked JUSTIFY colt ex Inchargeofme bred by Nursery Place, Manfuso & Wilhite, sold to M.V.