JC / Railbird - Thoroughbred racing news and notes

I met Marc Subia today and he told me the story of his amazing autograph jacket. "It's my most prized possession." Marc started coming to Del Mar with his dad in the 1970s. It's his home track. And he's been collecting jockey autographs for decades ...

Grand Jete keeping an eye on me as I take a picture of Rushing Fall's #BC17 garland. #thoroughbred #horseracing #delmar

Another #treasurefromthearchive — this UPI collage for Secretariat vs. Sham. #inthearchives #thoroughbred #horseracing

Thanks, Arlington. Let's do this again next year. #Million35

That's a helmet. #BC16 #thoroughbred #horseracing #jockeys

Lady Eli on the muscle. #BC16 @santaanitapark #breederscup #thoroughbred #horseracing

Headlines: April 12

– Lost in the Fog’s next race will be at home. He’ll start in the May 14 Golden Bear at Golden Gate Fields. (TT)
– Churchill Downs has asked a judge to prohibit another jockey walkout. In a motion filed March 29, Churchill said it believes the Jockeys’ Guild may stage a Kentucky Derby week walkout much like the one jockeys took part in last fall over insurance concerns. (Globe)
– Congressmen John Sweeney and Ed Whitfield predict anti-slaughter legislation will pass this year. “The bill had the support needed to gain House passage last year, but died in the Agriculture Committee. This year, it will come before the Commerce Committee that Whitfield belongs to. That panel’s chairman has already agreed to schedule a hearing and hold an ‘up-down’ vote that virtually guarantees the bill’s passage in committee.” From there, it will go the House floor, where the bill has 220 sponsors, two more than needed for passage. (Sara.)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted by JC in Miscellany on 04/12/2005 @ 9:05 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter

CHRB Investigates

“The California Horse Racing Board announced late Sunday that it was reviewing events prior to Sweet Catomine’s fifth-place finish in the $750,000 race at Santa Anita.” Good. More transparency and accountability in this sport, please. (Blood-Horse)
Is the story more complicated than initially reported? Bill Christine writes, “George Slender, a Santa Anita steward, said that there were reports that Sweet Catomine hadn’t been moved at all, and that this was one of the issues state investigators were addressing.” (LA Times)
Continuing fallout: Sweet Catomine and other horses owned by Marty and Pam Wygod have been moved from trainer Julio Canani’s barn to that of John Shirreffs. “Shirreffs, who has other horses for the Wygods, described it as a ‘tough situation.'” (Blood-Horse)

Posted by JC in Misdeeds & Wrongdoing on 04/11/2005 @ 7:15 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter

Not Such a Sweet Ending

Harsh words from Sherry Ross: “Running a ‘short’ horse is nothing new in this game…. This was a case, though, of connections of a highly regarded horse who otherwise appeared to be in top condition, and who needed to prove herself in the Santa Anita Derby in order to earn a trip to Kentucky. All who wagered on her that day, or in the future book for either the Derby or Kentucky Oaks (she was favored in the latter pool but won’t compete in the filly version of the Derby either) are now, officially, suckers. Or in the immortal words of Mullins, idiots…. What her connections did to the champion filly was a disservice. What they did to the bettors was dishonest. Not such a sweet ending after all.” (NY Daily News)

Posted by JC in Horses on 04/11/2005 @ 7:13 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter

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