Page 200 - February_2023

NEWS BRIEFS
Correction
In the Industry Profile featured in our December 2022 issue (pages 82-87), we have photos listed as being taken by Charlotte Angin, but were in fact taken by Grants Pass Downs track photographer Vince Williams.
We apologize for this mistake.
Kelly Cathey New Director of Racing at Remington Park
Kelly Cathey has been named the new director of racing at Remington Park, and he will oversee the operations for all breeds competing at the Oklahoma City racetrack. Cathey brings over 30 years’ experience in horse
racing to Remington Park. He began work assisting his father, a trainer, in the late 1980’s, served as a groom, pony rider, assistant trainer, valet and assistant starter. He moved into track management in 1998 at Retama Park, and
has worked at Lone Star Park, Sam Houston Race Park and Will Rogers Downs – holding nearly every position in racing, pari-mutuel wagering and simulcast operations. “His extensive experience with both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses and their respective organizations throughout the region makes him uniquely qualified to lead our racing department at Remington Park,” said Matt Vance, executive vice president of racing operations at Remington Park. The American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season begins March 9, and the Thoroughbred season begins in late August.
Koenig Named KQHRA Executive Director
Former State Representative Adam Koenig has been named the first Executive Director of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association (KQHRA). The decision to appoint Koenig comes as the group works with Revolutionary Racing Kentucky to build the first Quarter Horse track and equine facility in the state. Koenig has spent more than a decade fighting
to improve the horse racing industry through changes to wagering and other revenue- generating steps. He is an eight-term state legislator first elected in 2006, where he was chair of the Licensing, Occupations and Administration Regulations Committee and oversaw all gaming issues. He also carried
the Historic Horse Racing bill through the House of Representatives and co-chaired the Pari-Mutuel Task Force in 2021, helping to modernize those laws and developing a strong and trusted relationship with horse owners
and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Koenig will lead the organization’s day-to-
day operations and serve as the lead point of
contact for legislators, regulators, and others. “Representative Koenig spent many years helping Kentucky’s horse racing industry and we are grateful he will continue that work in this new role,” said Dr. Richard Connelley, KQHRA President. “He brings unmatched leadership and relationships that will help us take the biggest step in our history.”
Jockey Cody Rodger Smith Charged With Felony
Jockey Cody Smith has been charged with
a felony related to use of a stimulating device
in the Nov. 15 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Championship Futurity-G1 at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, OK. According to online court records, Smith was arrested on Jan. 25 and has since made his $2,000 bond. His arraignment was held on Jan. 31 in Rogers County District Court. Smith was summarily suspended beginning on Dec. 6.
Appaloosa Hes Bulletproof Co-High Seller At Heritage Place
Three-year-old Appaloosa colt Hes Bulletproof (Hes Relentless QH-R Sassy Corona, PYC Paint Your Wagon QH) set a new record for an Appaloosa sold at auction when
he became the co-high seller at
the 2023 Heritage Place Winter Mixed
Sale in Oklahoma City. Consigned by Bob
Moore Farms LLC, Agent for breeder/owner Jeff Adams, Hes Bulletproof was purchased by Lisa Miladinovich for $200,000. Hes Bulletproof
has won four of 10 starts at two-years of age
in 2022, with earnings of $46,059 and wire- to-wire wins in the Cricket Bar Futurity and Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Juvenile. Hes Bulletproof is the 2022 Appaloosa Supreme Champion Two Year Old and the Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 2022.
Merz New Canterbury Director of Horse Racing Operations
Chris Merz, 32, on Jan. 16 was named the Senior Director of Horse Racing Operations
at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Merz will oversee all aspects of live racing at
the racetrack, including supervising the racing secretary, the manager or racing operations,
the superintendent of turf and grounds, and
the stable area manager. He will serve as liaison with the Minnesota Racing Commission,
racing stewards, office staff and veterinary staff, and is also responsible for HISA regulations compliance. Merz, a 2012 graduate from the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program, previously served as racing secretary
at Maryland Jockey Club, assistant racing secretary at Los Alamitos Racecourse, and stakes coordinator at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Golden Gate Fields. Merz also serves on the American Graded Stakes Committee and the Breeders’ Cup World Champion and Field Selection Committee.
Rillito Park To Test StrideSafe Sensors
According to the Paulick Report, Rillito Park in Tucson, Arizona, will test StrideSafe sensor technology at its 2023 meet, which runs Feb. 4-April 2, hoping to improve the track’s safety record on racing Quarter Horses. The track struggled with seven fatal injuries from 63 races in the first four weeks of its 2022 season. Racing steward Dan Fick will oversee the project and will determine next steps after a horse receives a red rating, which would likely include placing on the veterinarian’s list. Rillito’s field safety stewards’ aides will also work to identify horses they think should wear StrideSafe in workouts and be subjected to a pre-workout examination by track veterinarians. Students at the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program will help analyze the information.
StrideSafe is a device that uses three accelerometers and GPS to identify changes in a horse’s high-speed movement. It has previously been utilized in New York where it collected data from 6,626 starts. The device generated 12% red alerts from the data. During the same period there were 20 fatal breakdowns, 18 of which had generated red alerts. “After the Rillito Park research, major tracks around the world could potentially employ StrideSafe biometric sensors to identify horses with a potential for significant injury to horses and riders,” said Rillito Park general manager Mike Weiss.
Indiana Horse Racing Economic Impact
The results of a recent economic impact analysis conducted by Purdue University shows the horse racing industry in Indiana has more than doubled over the past decade, reaching just under the $2 billion mark. The study was a joint effort between all entities associated with the Indiana horse racing industry, including the Quarter Horse Associations, and covers
all aspects of the industry including breeding
198 SPEEDHORSE February 2023
Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse Speedhorse