SPECIAL August 10, 2015 www.PaulickReport.com Only One Path Toward Medication Uniformity By Ray Paulick Do we really need federal legislation to establish a struc- horse industry serving on the THADA board if they have ture for a national agency to regulate medication use in an investment in horses, provide services in the horse horse racing? The Jockey Club, Breeders’ Cup and the ad- industry or work for a horse industry organization. vocacy group, Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA), say yes. The Tonko-Barr bill has language specifying that it does The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective not “modify or eliminate any of the consents, approvals Association, Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Thor- or agreements required by the Interstate Horserac- oughbred Owners of California and Association of Racing ing Act of 1978 or impair or restrict the operation and Commissioners International, among others, say no. enforcement of state law or regulation of Thoroughbred horseracing with respect to matters unrelated to anti- Two bills have been filed dealing with this issue. The first doping or for violations of state or federal criminal law.” It one, H.R. 2641, is a holdover from 2013 that failed to get creates a national authority that will have input from the out of committee. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Congress- horse racing industry in drafting national medication rules, man Joe Pitts and others, this bill puts the United States drug testing standards and protocols (including out-of- Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in charge of regulations, competition screening) and uniform rules for enforcement phases out furosemide (Lasix) in two years, installs strict and penalties for violators. penalty guidelines but appears to compromise horse- men’s consent on simulcasting guaranteed by the Inter- Continued on Page 7 state Horseracing Act of 1978. No horseracing organiza- tions support H.R. 2641, though some individuals believe this is the correct path for the industry. The second bill, H.R. 3084, is sponsored by Reps. Paul Tonko (Democrat/NY) and Andy Barr (Republican/ KY), co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus. This is the one supported by Breeders’ Cup, The Jockey Club and WHOA, who along with the Kentucky Thorough- bred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, and the Humane Society of the United States are members of a group called the Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity. This bill would establish an independent, non-governmental agency (to be called the Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority) that would be popu- lated by the CEO of USADA, five USADA board members and five individuals nominated by Thoroughbred industry organizations and selected by USADA. The conflict of interest language in the bill precludes anyone from the ASK RAY QUESTION: Monmouth Park attracted more than 60,000 people to see American Pharoah win the Haskell but on-track wagering per person fell from $70 in 2014 to $48 this year. What’s your explanation for the drop? ANSWER: Ahmed Zayat must have been using his advance deposit wagering account. www.PaulickReport.com Page 2 Pedigree Spotlight Bodemeister By Frank Mitchell As a racer, Bodemeister led nearly every step of the way Storm Cat’s son Yankee Gentleman. in two classics, but he was caught late in both the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness by I’ll Have Another, now at It never hurts to have good relations. Bodemeister was stud in Japan. such a classy racehorse that he certainly made the mat- ing that produced American Pharoah look like a good idea. Bodemeister was also the last great hurrah for his sire, But, now that American Pharoah is acclaimed as one of the Unbridled stallion Empire Maker, winner of the 2003 the greats of racing, he makes Bodemeister even more Belmont Stakes who was sold by owner Juddmonte Farms interesting to breeders and buyers. to stand in Japan after the 2010 breeding season. Empire Maker’s other classic-placed son is Pioneerof the Nile, who At the Saratoga select yearling auction, Bodemeister is rep- was second to Mine That Bird in the resented by his first crop and has 2009 Kentucky Derby. nine yearlings consigned. Among those Bodemeister yearlings on the But Pioneerof the Nile’s lasting fame sale’s first day is Hip 38, a bay colt is that he has sired the first Triple out of major winner Awesome Hu- Crown winner in 37 years, and mor (Distorted Humor). Awesome American Pharoah is unbeaten on Humor showed her best at the Spa, the racecourse, aside from that little winning the G1 Spinaway Stakes, as misunderstanding in a maiden race well as the G2 Adirondack, and then in the colt’s debut last year. the next year, Awesome Humor came back and finished second in The reflected glory of American the G1 Alabama Stakes, Saratoga’s Pharoah, plus other good racehors- grandest test for 3-year-old fillies. es, has propelled Pioneerof the Nile into the upper echelon of American Louise Reinagel Awesome Humor has stakes- stallions, and he will be standing for placed Keep Me Informed (A.P. a six-figure stud fee in 2016 after beginning the 2015 Indy) among her four winners to date, and the G1 winner is breeding season at $60,000. out of the stakes-winning Pass the Tab mare Horns Gray. Awesome Humor is also a half-sister to Surf Club, the dam None of this can be bad for Bodemeister, who cut out of G1 Forego Stakes winner Emcee (Unbridled’s Song). a blazing pace in the Kentucky Derby (:22.32, :45.39, Among Surf Club’s three other stakes horses is Baffled 1:09.80, 1:35.19) and held on to be second, a length and (Distorted Humor), the dam of Florida Derby winner Con- a half behind the winner. stitution (Tapit). Furthermore, Bodemeister is pedigreed on the same lines The young stallion’s other yearlings at Saratoga are pri- as American Pharoah. Bodemeister is by Empire Maker marily out of young mares with stakes performance or pro- out of a Storm Cat mare, and the Triple Crown winner is duction and bode well for his prospects for the future. PRS by Empire Maker’s son Pioneerof the Nile out of a mare by The affordable The and reliable little 3E Series 0% for tractor 60 Months that OR $2750 Call us toll-free at 866-678-4289 or visit can. Cash Bonus www.NTRAadvantage.com. www.PaulickReport.com Page 3 Honor Roll Like Father, Like Son: Rock Fall Proves A Top Sprinter By Scott Jagow Rock Fall prepared to make his debut at Saratoga a year later. But a setback put him on the shelf until the spring of 2014, when he broke his maiden second time out by 9 1/4 lengths. Following a win in allowance company, the colt needed another layoff and stayed on the sidelines until March. No problem. He’s reeled off four more victories this season for owner Stonestreet Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher, most recently getting up by a nose after a gutsy stretch duel with The Big Beast in the Vanderbilt. Rock Fall’s form doesn’t just come from his sire. His dam, Renda, was graded stakes-placed and competed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. “She had some speed and precocity and was by a very de- 2011 Dk B Colt, Speightstown — Renda, by Medaglia sirable sire,” said O’Callaghan. “She was a Medaglia d’Oro d’Oro. Consigned by Woods Edge to 2012 Fasig-Tipton mare and she could run.” Saratoga Sale, purchased by Stonestreet Stables for $250,000. Last year, Renda produced a filly by Bodemeister now with Bluewater Sales who O’Callaghan called “outstanding.” As So far, Rock Fall is looking a lot like his sire on the race- for Rock Fall, he looks a serious threat to keep following in track, and that’s a good thing. his sire’s footsteps and take home a victory in the Breed- ers’ Cup Sprint. PRS Speightstown was a high-caliber sprinter, winning 10 of 16 starts on his way to earning more than $1.2 million. He finished off the board just two times, one of them in his first start. He capped off his stellar career with a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. In seven career outings, Rock Fall has failed to reach the winner’s circle only once, and that was in his debut. The 4-year-old has prevailed in six consecutive starts, includ- ing back-to-back scores in the G2 True North and G1 Vanderbilt Handicaps, a feat that yes, Speightstown also accomplished. Bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock, Rock Fall looked the part early on, according to consignor Peter O’Callaghan of Woods Edge Farm. “He was a strong horse, very correct, and a good mover,” O’Callaghan said. “He looked like he’d make a good 2-year- old.” After selling for $250,000 as a yearling at the 2012 Fasig- Tipton Saratoga Sale, all was going according to plan as RANDOM FACTS by Ray Paulick In the last 110 runnings of the Travers, 49 favorites won (44.5 percent). Twenty-four Kentucky Derby winners ran in the Travers; 10 won. No horse has won both the Travers and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Of the three Triple Crown winners to run in the Travers, only Whirlaway (1941) won. Affirmed was DQed from the win in 1978. www.PaulickReport.com Page 4 About For advertising inquiries please call Emily at 859.913.9633 Ray Paulick - Publisher [email protected] Emily Alberti - Director of Advertising [email protected] Scott Jagow - Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Mary Schweitzer - News Editor [email protected] Natalie Voss - Features Writer [email protected] Emily White - Weekend Editor [email protected] Frank Mitchell - Contributing Writer COPYRIGHT © 2015, BLENHEIM PUBLISHING LLC www.PaulickReport.com Page 5 How does your yearling grow? By Natalie Voss It’s no secret that young Thoroughbreds seem to be constantly growing in their first months of life, but how exactly does that growth occur, and what does it mean for managers and sales agents? In a presentation before the Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association annual seminar in the United Kingdom last month, Kentucky Equine Research president Dr.