Other Racing: Quarters, Harness, Jumps

[Northport]

Facile Vega (2nd foal out of Quevega) demolished his rivals by 14 lengths on his hurdle debut, really excited to see how the rest of his season goes!

https://twitter.com/racingtv/status/15 ... vkR16E6ZaQ

When you hear a trainer like Willie Mullins say “you wait your whole career for a horse like this” you realize this one may be a monster.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Facile Vega is an exciting horse, but....he's a gelding.
Here's a great talent, with a pedigree that shows that talent is being passed on, so one would think the horse would be a fine stallion prospect.
Is it IMPOSSIBLE to keep a hurdler entire? Don't you lose potentially good studs when all the males are cut?

[KatieD]

Facile Vega is an exciting horse, but....he's a gelding.
Here's a great talent, with a pedigree that shows that talent is being passed on, so one would think the horse would be a fine stallion prospect.
Is it IMPOSSIBLE to keep a hurdler entire? Don't you lose potentially good studs when all the males are cut?

Far more horses race entire over jumps in France - and French-breds tend to do very well here (the UK). They certainly race more entires in France with the intention of ‘making’ jumps sires.
We do get entires racing over hurdles (the late Sir Eric, Solo and Midnight’s Legacy spring to mind as recent examples) but they’re rare - Midnight’s Legacy was a rare example of trying to ‘make’ a jumps sire who had proven himself over fences here in the UK. It’s certainly possible, but the general perception is that it’s just so much easier to manage a gelding on a busy yard and that it just isn’t worth keeping them entire. Added to which, proving the ability of a jumps stallion takes longer than ‘proving’ a flat sire, as we don’t race over fences at 2 so I think it simply isn’t worth it for most owners.
It’s definitely not IMPOSSIBLE and yep, we must be losing some fabulous sires. I do wonder if, in years to come, we’ll see a move to allow AI in NH before we see it on the flat - things like pre-gelding sperm-harvesting etc. We already allow non-TBs (not all French-bred horses are pure TB) to race over fences but I don’t know what the rules are in those registries or what the procedure is for which horses are and which aren’t officially allowed to run.

[Northport]

Every now and then a four year old G1 winning French Hurdler colt will go on to be a stallion. In England and Ireland, however, there is no interest in making a stallion out of a jumps colt. The National Hunt sphere has had no trouble producing good jumps producing stallions from middle distance and staying flat horses for the last 70+ years.

I think trainers and owners in the NH world are in the business of thrills and racing their horses for 4-5 seasons, not marketing future stallions. Regardless of breeding, almost all NH bound colts are gelded when theyre two or three. Even when you get intact colts that start winning over hurdles in England/Ireland, like Ser Eric or Dolos, connections always state that the horse will be gelded at over the Summer holiday.

[Miss Woodford]

Topic Changer's connections at least seem committed to keeping him intact. He's a promising 3yo by Flintshire out of Blank Slate by Gio Ponti. 2-for-2 over fences, broke his hurdle maiden over older company and won a 3yo stake at Charleston. Flintshire seems to sire horses with good minds.
https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/1 ... on-finale/

[Miss Woodford]

Speaking of stallions with nice temperaments, Bulldog Hanover just had his retirement festivities at Woodbine.
Taking photos with fans https://twitter.com/KirbyMcGinnis/statu ... 6673849344
Cute tiktok - he even met Santa Claus! https://twitter.com/mrwillw/status/1599231981501714432
Can't find video his final lap (will probably be on youtube) but this is the retirement ceremony, including interviews with his groom, trainer and owners plus a tribute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-9nN41OIY

Bulldog Hanover shirts are available from the Hambletonian Society https://standardbredcanada.ca/news/12-1 ... nover.html I like the long-sleeved shirt best, the throwback fonts/style they've been going for with his merch look really nice.

[brunanas]

someone on instagram posted a picture of the "selection order" for the champion of champions and the two million futurity, and that order was different from the actual post positions. what is that and how does it work? is that a thing for every race or only for graded stakes?

[brunanas]

also, i was looking through the entries for both races and of the 15 males entered, 12 are geldings. why is gelding so common in the qh racing world? does it have anything to do with the lack of genetic diversity and the breeders trying to fix it in a way?

[BaroqueAgain1]

IMHO, there are a couple factors behind that. The very nature of QH racing creates a anxious, ready-to-explode situation for runners, especially in the gate. Getting intact males to hold still and then run straight as hard as they can right out of the gate may be a challenge that few colts handle well.
QH breeding also allows AI, so more breeders have access to known, successful stallions. That may create less motive for smaller racing owners to keep a talented runner intact. There could be more money available to them if they have a steady gelding, instead of a hot young stallion who constantly blows up in the gate or who won't run straight.

[brunanas]

IMHO, there are a couple factors behind that. The very nature of QH racing creates a anxious, ready-to-explode situation for runners, especially in the gate. Getting intact males to hold still and then run straight as hard as they can right out of the gate may be a challenge that few colts handle well.
QH breeding also allows AI, so more breeders have access to known, successful stallions. That may create less motive for smaller racing owners to keep a talented runner intact. There could be more money available to them if they have a steady gelding, instead of a hot young stallion who constantly blows up in the gate or who won't run straight.

makes perfect sense, thank you! in the topic of AI, it reminds me - once i saw a mare with multiple foals in the same year on pedigreequery. are those fake foals or does the AQHA allow racing mares to have more than 1 foal registered per year (via embryo transfers)?

[BaroqueAgain1]

I will leave it to someone with more knowledge of QH rules to clarify just how many foals a mare may have registered in a single year. I do know that at least two are allowed, as I have seen full siblings racing on the same card at Los Alamitos.

[Flanders]

I could be wrong but I do not think there is a limit. The only limitation is that the mare must have the embryo flushed from her, so I don't know how many foals they could really get in one year. I know the one Thoroughbred mare, Hallowed Dreams, was bred to QH stallions for part of her breeding career. She had 3 QH foals(all fillies) one year, maybe more. They were all by different stallions and at least one went on to win a G1 Futurity.

[Miss Woodford]

Just a sweet little video with Bulldog Hanover's people on the evening of his retirement ceremony. Someone might be chopping onions here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhU1kIWsXOg

[Squeaky]

Empressum won the Champion of Champions at Los Al last night in very “impressive” fashion.

[SukiSatsuki]

There was a horrible accident at Saratoga harness yesterday or the day before. One horse broke down and two ran into him and went down I believe. I have no idea how the drives or horses are

[Miss Woodford]

There was a horrible accident at Saratoga harness yesterday or the day before. One horse broke down and two ran into him and went down I believe. I have no idea how the drives or horses are

One driver with arm or collarbone injury, rest are fine, horses were all walked off. https://twitter.com/mikesardella/status ... 3719513088

[Delamont]

There was a horrible accident at Saratoga harness yesterday or the day before. One horse broke down and two ran into him and went down I believe. I have no idea how the drives or horses are

One driver with arm or collarbone injury, rest are fine, horses were all walked off. https://twitter.com/mikesardella/status ... 3719513088

Good to hear. I believe Standardbred breakdowns are nowhere near as common as Thoroughbreds.

I once saw a horrific multi-horse pile-up in the rain WITH THE PACE CAR. And thought surely there would be fatalities, but no horse or driver was actually injured.

[Miss Woodford]

'Tis the season for 14yo retirement ceremonies. Standardbreds are not eligible to race after their 15th birthday so the horses still racing at that age are making their final starts this month. A number of tracks are honoring their warhorses this weekend:
-Northville Downs in Michigan is wrapping up their 2022 meet and will be reading tributes to the three 14yos racing tonight and Saturday prior to their races: Empire Earl N, Hopetobefirst, and Bold Decision. Nice story about Bold Decision https://ustrottingnews.com/serendipity- ... -decision/ He was purchased for $1500 as a yearling, been with the same owner/trainer his whole career and will remain with her in his second career as a riding horse
-Batavia Downs in upstate NY has their closing day Saturday and they will present trophies to Freaky Flyer, Bettor's Reward, and Parkhill Horton. Their press release has a blurb about each (click the horse's names to see their very lengthy past performances!):
https://standardbredcanada.ca/news/12-1 ... rated.html
-Saratoga's harness track will be hosting their retirement ceremony on Sunday the 18th. I don't have the names of the horses
-Cumberland in Maine is having their Au Revoir Retirement showcase on Monday the 19th, postponed from tomorrow due to weather concerns. From their press release: "Between each race, two of the 18 ‘Au Revior’ retirees will parade in front of the grandstand while the announcer reads a brief biography as we bid farewell to each 14-year-old. Sporting impressive combined earnings of $5.7 million in purse earnings with an average of $317,000, these retiring or retired Standardbreds will be the shining stars of the day. With a combined win total of 784, these ‘monsters of the midway’ have averaged 43 trips to their respective winner’s circles. Combined, these horses have started 5,552 times in races all over the world."
Don't have the names of these 18 horses either but if I can find them I'll post them.

Monticello is having their Au Revoir race next Thursday, not sure who will be in yet. Other tracks are doing theirs the last week of December.

[Miss Woodford]

I love Thoroughbred racing, but harness racing is special in its own way because of things like this. Thank you Cumberland for giving these gallant racehorses their due.

https://ustrottingnews.com/amarettigone ... evior-day/

The day was a special occasion for horse owners throughout the Pine Tree State, as several dozen equine enthusiasts from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York converged upon the Cumberland Fairgrounds for the ‘Au Revoir’ Retirement Showcase.

Eighteen horses paraded in front of the grandstand under sunny skies while the announcer read a biography as fans bid farewell to each 14-year-old. Each horse had a half page bio in the program with a special photo, and was presented with a custom designed plaque, hand-crafted and donated by the talented Barbara Dresser. As the horse and their connections posed for photographs in the winner’s circle, it truly was a day to remember for all involved as each horse has their own unique history and special traits. These equine athletes also look forward to their future as many will be living out their days with their proud owners, or were re-homed to riding stables for a second career as hardy saddle horses. They were all beloved by their owners and trainers.

Standardbreds love to work, and it was evident as the proud steeds paraded before the grandstand with their ears up and their heads held high. Often, when warm-ups or tractors went by, their tails would go up and their steps would lighten, having fondly recalled their days between the shafts.

Sporting impressive combined earnings of $5.7 million in purse earnings with an average of $317,000, these retiring or retired Standardbreds have a combined win total of 784, and have averaged 43 trips to their respective winner’s circles. All told, these horses have started an incredible 5,552 times.

Listed below are all the horses that were recognized, with their owners/trainers of record:
ARSENAL, p,6,1:50.3f, $593,715 , Kelly Case
BETTORS FIRE N, p,11,1:50.1f, $1,043,789 , Ron Cushing & Kevin Swyck, Heidi Gibbs
CJ MARSHAL, p,7,1:53.3f, $138,501 , Scott Farley
CREIGHTON HANOVER, p,5,1:51.4f, $413,050 , Dennis Whittemore
DANSAN CARRUSO, p,7,1:57.3, $72,820 , Dawn Rodney, Billy DuBois
FORWARD BLISS, p,3,1:53.2z, $156,254 , Stephanie and Adam Gray
INTREPID HALL, p,4,1:50.4f, $359,191 , Tracy Hiles, Bobby Melanson
JAY BEES GRIN N , p,8,1:52.4f, $264,493 , Michel Bilodeau
LIFEONTHERANGE, p,3,1:54.3f, $166,076 , Shawn Gray, Kandace Niles
LUCKSGOTTACHANGE , p,9,1:54.2f, $112,424 , Michel Bilodeau
McRUSTY, p,7,1:51f, $494,200 , Kori Kinney, Dan Deslandes
MILLIONDOLLARDAD, p,3,1:54.2f, $199,386 , Dakota Jackson
PERSONNEL SPACE , p,9,1:53.2f, $232,574 , Michael Girouard
RAMBLING JET, p,6,1:54.1f, $193,195 , David Crochere
RIDEOFALIFETIME, 9,1:59.1, $91,404 , Karen Somerby, Roy Somerby
ROAD UNTRAVELED, p,5,1:49.1, $481,002 , John & Thelma Kiernan, Benson Merrill
SHAMDEROCK, p,6,1:51.3f, $289,298 , Mark and Phyllis Liebowitz

Photo album of the 14yos from yesterday, some in their best winning blankets, some decorated for the holidays! https://www.facebook.com/MayGrayPhotogr ... W48EzNyRLl

[tranquilo]

3-time Arabian Horse of the Year Paddys Day has been retired from racing with a record of 57 (31-13-3) $783,967. He's currently hanging out at the farm of Arapahoe Park's track announcer Jonathan Horowitz

https://twitter.com/jjhorowitz/status/1 ... 2301163520