Page 232 - February 2021

NEWS BRIEFS
Correction
In our Stallion Register, we showed that Smithworks had earnings of $115,689, which was incorrect. His correct earnings are $215,689.
Everardo Rodriguez Rides 5 Winners At LAD
Jockey Everardo Rodriguez won five races at Louisiana Downs on Jan. 26. His streak began in the second race with Cold Call Wagon in a claiming event; in the third race of the day, Rodriguez scored aboard Angelas Queen by 3 3/4-lengths in a maiden; in the fourth race, he won another claiming race on One Sweet Man; in the fifth he went wire-to- wire on Jessa Valiant Hero in a maiden; and in the seventh, it was another wire-to-wire win on Tee Mahtoo in a claiming race. Rodriguez was the 2021 leading jockey by wins with 147, with 18 stakes wins, and was ranked second by earnings with over $3.4 million.
Washington Bill Could Provide Funds To State Tracks
House Bill 1928, which is going through the Committee on Appropriations in the Washington State House of Representatives, could provide funds to revive horse racing to smaller tracks in the state, including
Sun Downs, Dayton, Waitsburg and Walla Walla. The bill would allocate $6 million
in sales tax on equine related products and on other taxable sales directly related to equine ownership, riding or boarding to the
Washington State Horse Racing Commission (WSHRC). The bill does not add a new tax, but rather allocates sales tax already collected. WSHRC executive director Doug Moore estimates $600,000 could be set aside for non-profit tracks and $55,000 per day could be available to the state’s Class C tracks, funding such expenses as insurance, purses and other costs.
2021 Wagering Up For First Time Since 2009
2021 wagering on horse racing in the U.S. saw an increase for the first time since 2009 when $12.315 billion was bet. According to Equibase, wagering reached $12,218,407,637 in 2021 - an 11.86% increase over 2020. The increase in wagering is largely attributed to gamblers turning to horse racing after COVID- 19 shutdown four major sports in the U.S.
The most ever wagered in the U.S. was in
2003 when $15.18 billion was bet. Purses also increased 35.77% over 2020 to $1,180,853,677 for an average purse increase of 9.91% per race to $273,871. Field size, however, was down 7.2% over 2020 to 7.37 runners per race.
AAEP EP Guidelines
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has published on their website a comprehensive guideline to help veterinarians identify, control and prevent Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), a blood-borne infection
with a mortality rate of up to 50% for infected horses. Although the tick-borne disease is rare, “Re-use of needles, syringes, and IV sets, blood- contamination of multi-dose drug vials, use of illegal blood products from other countries, and direct blood doping between horses have been identified as common methods of blood-borne disease transmission in this population,” said Dr. Angela Pelzel-McCluskey, national epidemiologist for equine diseases at USDA APHIS Veterinary Services. It is recommended that Quarter Horse racehorses be routinely tested for EP and other blood-borne diseases such as EIA. Visit www. aaep.org for more information.
Remington Park Requires Negative EP Test
Remington Park will require a negative Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) blood test, effective immediately, for Quarter Horses, Paints,
and Appaloosas entering the grounds for the upcoming meet that begins March 3. EP is
a tick-borne disease that can be transmitted through ticks or contaminated blood. The fact that most horses do not show any signs of the disease means there is a danger of an endemic. EP can cause fever, anemia, limb and abdomen swelling, and shortness of breath, and death, among other things.
Lip Chip LLC Integrity & Transparency Program
Lip Chip LLC announced a new program
to be launched at Ruidoso Downs in 2022
to bring integrity and transparency to horse racing through advanced equine microchipping technology. The Chip Link System includes:
a low frequency microchip; owner, breed, age, sex, color, markings, and emergency contact information uploaded into the database; and four photos and copies of health certificates and registration papers uploaded into the database. Once a horse is implanted with the microchip, the horse can be scanned when
he enters or exits the backside, clocks a work, enters the test barn, etc., to verify identity. “We are excited to team up with Lip Chip to protect our horses and better serve our racing fans,” said Rick Baugh of Ruidoso Downs. “Our track is continually working to improve security on the backside and keep our equine population safe. We want to produce a product that assures the fans a level playing field.”
Texas Racing Commission Halts Hair Testing
The Texas Racing Commission placed a notice on their website and on social media that they will temporarily suspend hair
testing on all racehorses effective Jan. 13. The decision was made following meetings with key stakeholders’ concerns about the practice. The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership raised concerns about the implementation of the policy, not the testing procedure. Concerns include not
SPEEDHORSE PHOTO ARCHIVES
Can you identify the horse in this photo? Here’s a hint: This stallion was named AQHA World Champion in the 1980’s. The answer is on page 232.
230 SPEEDHORSE February 2022