Jockey & Trainer News 2023

[Gemini]

Asmussen assistant, Toby Sheets, found dead in Greece.



https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a ... in-greece/

Updated reports say he drowned. How awful.

[Mylute]

Shortly After Transplant, Owner Ramsey Turns to Horses
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... -to-horses

I know he's been "controversial" (so to speak) the past few years but I do hop he heals up well. I really like seeing those silks in the winner's circle. I miss Kitten's Joy and I was quite sad when Sarah passed away, though I know she lived a good and prosperous life

[Equipoise]

In case anyone is interested, Rhett Fincher (Todd's brother) has a YouTube channel (@SavvyRacing) where he breaks and trains horses for the track using natural horsemanship. I'm an armchair racing fan who doesn't work with horses, so I've found it very interesting. He has five that he is breaking right now and he uploads each of their sessions.

[HB1994]

I hope he does well.

US legend and 'world-class' rider John Velazquez heading for surprise first ride in Ireland on Wednesday

https://www.racingpost.com/news/ireland ... HV5K7oFCp/

[Squeaky]

When will CDI make a decision on whether Bob can run in the Derby next year?

[Flanders]

When will CDI make a decision on whether Bob can run in the Derby next year?

They waited til the Spring meet was over last year, it was right at the beginning of July before the 4th. I would imagine it will be the same this year.

[Squeaky]

When will CDI make a decision on whether Bob can run in the Derby next year?

They waited til the Spring meet was over last year, it was right at the beginning of July before the 4th. I would imagine it will be the same this year.

Thanks Flanders

[Squeaky]

James Glenn a new trainer to TB racing ( is a successful QH trainer) wins a 2yo maiden race at Los Al with Mischief River beating Bob’s horse Privman . Says he does not know Bob but admires him and his team, but is not afraid of him. Wants to stay in QH’s but train about 5 TBs too. He is off to a good start! https://x.com/thetdn/status/1807162046124838984?s=46 https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/q ... at-los-al/

[Missbeholder]

When will CDI make a decision on whether Bob can run in the Derby next year?

They waited til the Spring meet was over last year, it was right at the beginning of July before the 4th. I would imagine it will be the same this year.

Thanks Flanders

Darren Rogers with CDI was on local radio this morning and he didn't sound like he was particularly happy with being asked about this. He just gave a pretty "wrote" response to the question and kind of indicated that until Bob accepts responsibility for the breaking of the rules, the ban is likely to stay in place. He DID NOT SAY that, but that's the message that I took from his statement.

[stark]

Steve Andersen
@DRFAndersen
·
1h
Sad news in Southern Cal racing - trainer David Hofmans died earlier today. Hofmans was 81. A tribute will appear on http://DRF.com later this evening. #Drf

[Starine]

David Hofmans, trainer of Touch Gold and Awesome Again, dies at 81
https://www.drf.com/news/david-hofmans- ... in-dies-81

[Flanders]

omg I was sad to see he died but to see that he took his own life is terrible.

[Curtis]

Steve Andersen
@DRFAndersen
·
1h
Sad news in Southern Cal racing - trainer David Hofmans died earlier today. Hofmans was 81. A tribute will appear on http://DRF.com later this evening. #Drf

Fifty years ago in 1974, Karen and Mickey Taylor, soon to be of Seattle Slew fame, got into the game. They and Jim Penney, the biggest trainer in WA, bought a stakes level gelding named Triangular as well as a couple of unraced 3yo’s. They were purchased from Jack Dreyfus who ran under the name Hobeau Farm. One of the unraced 3yo’s was a colt by Dreyfus’s stallion Watch Your Step and was cleverly named Ouch. Triangular, whose forte was running long on turf, won at least one graded stake at Santa Anita for Pearson’s Barn which was what the Taylor’s called their stable. Karen’s maiden name was Pearson. I was not of driving age in 1974 and had to depend on the largesse of family members to make trips to the track. I attended several times during Hollywood Park and Ouch, a maiden, seemed to be in every time I went. By Del Mar, the still winless, Ouch had become like a piece of the furniture. August 10, 1974 was the first time I attended Del Mar, I remember because President Nixon resigned the day before. Of course Ouch was in that day in the 6th race, a 8.5f MSW on the turf. I had $10 with me that day and convinced my father to put $2 across for me on Ouch. John Ramirez bounced Ouch out of the gate on top and walked the dog and Ouch was a maiden no more. I’ll never forget, he paid all even sums. $18, $9 & $5. My $6 became $32, if it were only that easy. Jim Penney was at Longacres but his assistant, a 31yo David Hofmans with a full head of hair, held Ouch’s head in the Winner’s Circle. Things went sideways with the Taylor’s and Penney so by meet’s end Hofmans was the new trainer. Soon he directed the Taylor’s to buy an older stakes type sprinter named Palladium at auction and promptly won a stake at the Oak Tree meet. The next year, a freaky filly named Sarsar was winning everything a 3yo filly would want to win at Santa Anita before going east and beating colts in the Withers. Sarsar’s older half-sister, Mama Kali, was bouncing around the allowance ranks in so. CA. Figuring at the very least she’d make a nice broodmare prospect, Hofman’s advised the Taylors to buy her from William Haggin Perry. Hofmans moved Mama Kali up and from August 1975–the end of 1976, she was a consistent stakes winner.

[Diver52]

They waited til the Spring meet was over last year, it was right at the beginning of July before the 4th. I would imagine it will be the same this year.

Thanks Flanders

Darren Rogers with CDI was on local radio this morning and he didn't sound like he was particularly happy with being asked about this. He just gave a pretty "wrote" response to the question and kind of indicated that until Bob accepts responsibility for the breaking of the rules, the ban is likely to stay in place. He DID NOT SAY that, but that's the message that I took from his statement.

I know there are people on this forum who think that Baffert should burn in hell but when does CDI's vendetta start to turn your stomachs? What is he supposed to do to "accept responsibility?" He's admitted giving Medina Spirit the butt cream. The legal challenges as to whether the ambiguous rules meant to include topical administration were not ridiculous, although in a state which loves Mitch McConnell there probably wasn't much hope. His main owners have stayed loyal this year so what is the point that CDI is making? It sure isn't about protecting the integrity of the sport.

[Squeaky]

Thanks Flanders

Darren Rogers with CDI was on local radio this morning and he didn't sound like he was particularly happy with being asked about this. He just gave a pretty "wrote" response to the question and kind of indicated that until Bob accepts responsibility for the breaking of the rules, the ban is likely to stay in place. He DID NOT SAY that, but that's the message that I took from his statement.

I know there are people on this forum who think that Baffert should burn in hell but when does CDI's vendetta start to turn your stomachs? What is he supposed to do to "accept responsibility?" He's admitted giving Medina Spirit the butt cream. The legal challenges as to whether the ambiguous rules meant to include topical administration were not ridiculous, although in a state which loves Mitch McConnell there probably wasn't much hope. His main owners have stayed loyal this year so what is the point that CDI is making? It sure isn't about protecting the integrity of the sport.

I don’t know but maybe they want a groveling outright apology. Otherwise they need to let Bob know what he has to do to be able to run there again.

[BaroqueAgain1]

"....but when does CDI's vendetta start to turn your stomachs?"

I reached that point about a year ago. When CDI turned what should have been a straightforward 'this is the infraction, this is length of the suspension," into a never-ending (and disturbingly personal) vendetta, they lost me.

[Missbeholder]

"Otherwise they need to let Bob know what he has to do to be able to run there again."

That's the ticket! They need to tell him exactly what they want him to say. They want to write the script and put up a "no improvising" sign. As said already, they want a "crawling on the knees", groveling, tearfully pleading, and otherwise humiliating display of abject remorse. The problem is that they're not going to get it. Baffert has many moneyed horse-breeding and owning interests behind him, and they spoke loud and clear this year by shunning the Kentucky Derby and CDI's ridiculous extension of the "ban".

Like Diver52 said, there's folks here who would like to see Bob burn in hell, or maybe just dragged through the streets by his "__ls".
But he's still the most KY Derby winning trainer in history, the most Preakness winning trainer in history, the most Triple Crown race winner in history, and, at this point in time, still only the second-most Breeders Cup race winner in history. How CDI thinks that carrying on this vendetta against him is good for their brand is kind of beyond me!

[Tessablue]

Their vendetta against him isn't impacting their brand at all--handle is up and viewership is up. The Derby has shown it doesn't need him, but the risk of further damage to their brand remains as long as he keeps saying that what he did was within the rules. It's essentially all risk with no reward, so from a business perspective, it makes plenty of sense. Internet fanbases do not equate to the interests of the general public.

Personally, I don't care either way. I'm not even convinced that it's making much of a difference at this point. His 3yos put together one or two good wins in February/ March, then they go on the bench for unspecified reasons for unspecified lengths of time and may or may not be heard from ever again. And it's not like the horses themselves are banned--if their owners want to keep complaining about the lack of opportunities as they keep throw their million-dollar colts into the nebulous layoff vortex of banishment, that's frankly on them.

[Squeaky]

It is disappointing that Bob and his owners are so secretive about the physical maladies and injuries of many of his initially promising horses. If I hear “minor issue” one more time… It’s like they just disappear for months or a year or more with no updates. And I know they don’t have to tell us and don’t owe us this information, but in the current climate it would be very helpful for racing’s social license and fan support to be a bit more open about this type of thing, IMHO. And yes I know the old Charlie Whittingham quote about feeding and keeping owners in the dark like mushrooms. It just doesn’t work anymore, for owners or fans.

[Izvestia]

"Otherwise they need to let Bob know what he has to do to be able to run there again."

That's the ticket! They need to tell him exactly what they want him to say. They want to write the script and put up a "no improvising" sign. As said already, they want a "crawling on the knees", groveling, tearfully pleading, and otherwise humiliating display of abject remorse. The problem is that they're not going to get it. Baffert has many moneyed horse-breeding and owning interests behind him, and they spoke loud and clear this year by shunning the Kentucky Derby and CDI's ridiculous extension of the "ban".

Like Diver52 said, there's folks here who would like to see Bob burn in hell, or maybe just dragged through the streets by his "__ls".
But he's still the most KY Derby winning trainer in history, the most Preakness winning trainer in history, the most Triple Crown race winner in history, and, at this point in time, still only the second-most Breeders Cup race winner in history. How CDI thinks that carrying on this vendetta against him is good for their brand is kind of beyond me!

It’s not hurting them.

It also seems a lot of his big name connections don’t particularly care about HOW they win, it’s big money at all costs.