Posted 2/3/2010, 1:50 pm

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Jeff Mullins and New York-based IEAH Stables confirmed Wednesday they had reached a financial settlement regarding payment to the trainer for I Want Revenge's victory in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct last April.

Mullins said the trainer received $31,336 from IEAH on Monday, which covered his share of the purse and other expenses related to the Wood.

Mullins, based in California, had filed a financial complaint against New York-based IEAH Stables with the Santa Anita board of stewards last month. A hearing on the matter scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled after Mullins informed racing board officials that he had been compensated.

"It's all settled," Mullins said.

IEAH, which co-owns I Want Revenge with David Lanzman, could have faced a sanction from Santa Anita stewards if the financial complaint had not been satisfied.

Mullins said he had sought assistance on the matter with officials from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board as far back as August.

In his complaint to the Santa Anita stewards, Mullins contended he was owed $20,625 in purse earnings and the rest in expenses from IEAH. Mullins said that Lanzman had paid his share of the earnings.

I Want Revenge has not started since the Wood Memorial. He was morning-line favorite for the 2009 Kentucky Derby but did not start because of an ankle injury. Michael Iavarone of IEAH said on Wednesday that the group is in the process of buying out Lanzman's share of I Want Revenge and that the colt is nearing a return to racetrack training.

I Want Revenge is in training at a farm in Kentucky and could be transferred to trainer Rick Dutrow in Florida this month. "

"We're hoping to have him there next week," Iavarone said.

Date Posted: 2/3/2010 1:23:27 PM Last Updated: 2/3/2010 2:39:33 PM

Though he plans to remain in the Thoroughbred business, prominent horse owner Ahmed Zayat said Feb. 3 he has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for his Zayat Stables.

Zayat said the legal move is designed to protect his horse operation from efforts by Fifth Third Bank to have a receiver appointed to oversee Zayat Stables, which owns more than 200 horses. Zayat said he will make sure all bills related to the stable, including payments to trainers, suppliers, and farms where his horses are boarded, will be paid during the time he reorganizes under Chapter 11.

“This action is aimed only at one entity,” Zayat said in a telephone interview.

The owner said his business plan remains unchanged -- to operate a stable at the highest level, with top trainers -- and that he will continue to pursue his goal of winning the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Fifth Third has filed suit against Zayat seeking payment on more than $34 million in loans. Zayat has filed a counterclaim against Fifth Third in which he alleges the bank’s officers engaged in "misleading, deceptive, and predatory practices" that have "positioned Zayat Stables for financial ruin."

Zayat has contended that appointment of a receiver is not necessary because the bank has failed to show that the horses’ care is being neglected or that he is not paying for their care. Zayat Stables provided statements from its trainers and farms where its horses are maintained, attesting that the bills were current and that the horses’ care had not been compromised.

"I had no other option but to use my federal right and to go to federal court for protection,” noting that his plan of reorganization is designed to keep him in the horse business.

A hearing on Fifth Third’s request for a receiver had been scheduled in Lexington on Feb. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge Karen Caldwell.

Zayat’s bankruptcy filing in Newark, New Jersey, will likely mean the hearing will be postponed or cancelled. The Chapter 11 filing has the effect of halting all actions in the Fifth Third case, said attorney Dick Downey.

“A bankruptcy filing imposes an automatic stay on all pending collection measures, including lawsuits to collect money and enforce security agreements,” Downey said. “The stay prohibits further litigation in other cases unless and until the stay is lifted by an order of the bankruptcy court. This means that the Feb. 8 hearing will be canceled unless the bankruptcy court orders the stay be lifted in the meantime.”

Date Posted: 2/3/2010 10:20:50 AM

Fueling speculation that it is setting the stage for a first-ever matchup between Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and champion older mare Zenyatta, Oaklawn Park has scheduled a Feb. 4 announcement of “A Race for the Ages."

The Hot Springs, Ark., track sent notices Feb. 2 for an invitation-only breakfast to be held at 10 a.m. (CST) at the track. Promotions for the event said it would include the announcement “regarding one of the greatest stakes in our 106-year history,” according to the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.

While no other details of the announcement were made, it fueled speculation that the track would boost the $500,000 purse of the April 3 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) as a lure to the connections of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, the only two candidates for Horse of the Year honors in 2009.

Rachel Alexandra is owned by Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick and Zenyatta is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss.

Date Posted: 2/3/2010 1:14:22 PM

Representatives of the Thoroughbred industry testified Feb. 3 before various New York Senate committees looking into the state of the horse racing industry. The following edited remarks were sent to The Blood-Horse.

Rick Violette, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association:

“We represent 5,000 owners and trainers currently competing at the New York Racing Association tracks. But they are just a fraction of the community supported by New York Thoroughbred racing. Statewide, there are tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on the industry—from the backstretch workers to those employed by feed companies, vanning services, and equine medical professionals. We have the clerks and the people who work the concession stands at the tracks, the maintenance and security crews, and that’s not to mention those hard at work at the training centers and breeding farms in New York.

“The impact of the sport in our state grows from there. New York boasts racing that is second to none. If you want to see the best horses, you go to Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. Thousands of people do just that every year, boosting the local economies. It would be hard to imagine Elmont, N.Y., without Belmont Park, or Saratoga Springs without its premier summer race meet.

“But even more important than that is the billions—and that’s billion with a ‘B’—bet on racing in New York. It is bet on New York racing because it is the best in the country. Period. The majority of horseplayers now watch racing via satellite TV, and they make their wagers on the Internet. They are no longer limited to betting on the local product. They shop for the highest quality, and they find that in New York.

“There are more grade I races in the state than anywhere else, drawing the finest and fastest Thoroughbreds from across the country and around the world. There’s good reason why 18 of the last 20 champions crowned Horse of the Year raced in New York. The fact that Rachel Alexandra trounced fillies at Belmont and beat the boys at Saratoga while Zenyatta never left California undoubtedly convinced voters to give the 2009 Horse of the Year title to Rachel.

“Last year, there was $14.3 billion bet on Thoroughbred racing in America. Less than 5% of the 50,000-plus races in North America in 2009 were held in New York—yet more than 18% of those wagers ($2.2 billion)—was bet on racing in New York. You don’t have to be a racing expert to know that the big players focus their attention—and their money—on New York because we offer a superior product, and you don’t have to be a mathematician to understand the importance of that revenue to the state’s economy.

“But that revenue could disappear if New York racing isn’t allowed to thrive. The best horses are here because the best purses are here. If the purses decline, the horses will go elsewhere. It’s that simple.

“It is hard enough to make ends meets in this business. As it is, 90% of horse owners lose money every year. Revenue has already been hit by the recession, and now (New York City Off-Track Betting Corp.) has proposed a plan that will cut purse funds by another 15%. The purse money available would drop to what it was nearly 25 years ago. That’s just not workable. New York racing will be crippled by a cut like that.

“This is a highly mobile business, and the people paying the bills aren’t necessarily the wealthy owners of years ago. Gone are the Vanderbilts and the Mellons, replaced in large part by hard-working people who have decided to take their discretionary income and buy a horse or two. They can’t afford to participate in an industry where they have zero chance of economic survival. Horse owners aren’t looking to make a fortune, but, if revenue falls, they will take their stables and move them to states where services are less expensive and purses are higher. With this exodus, the thousands of jobs, the billions in revenue, the millions in tax revenue, the green space, all will follow. Again: Just imagine Elmont without Belmont Park.”

Jeffrey Cannizzo, executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders:

“There are two main factors that enhance the market value of New York-breds: the New York Breeding and Development Fund, which gives cash awards to breeders and owners of New York-breds, and (New York Racing Association) racing, which offers tremendous opportunities for New York-breds to race. It is neither hyperbole or boastful to say that NYRA’s racing is the best in the country, with the largest purses and highest caliber of competition.”

“The once-thriving New York breeding industry is in crisis. In the down U.S. economy, Thoroughbred sales took a serious hit nationwide. Also, last year saw an approximately 10% decrease in wagering handles. Finally, we come to the most recent crisis: the insolvency of NYCOTB, the last element in a perfect storm of adversity for breeders. Let me speak plainly and for the record. If NYCOTB does not continue its statutory payments to the industry, breeding and racing in New York will become a thing of the past

“You are all aware I am sure how seriously the delay (in operating video lottery terminals at Aqueduct) hurts our industry. The good news, the nine-year-awaited announcement last week is a step in the right direction, and we thank those officials involved. The bad news, the damage created by the nine-year delay has and continues to be devastating to say the least.

“Call it a cliché if you must, but (the NYCOTB restructuring plan) would be the last nail in the coffin for the once-thriving vibrant breeding industry in the state of New York. VLTs would not offset the damage. And it doesn’t need to happen. The solutions to this crisis are in the hands of our elected leaders. An entire industry looks to you to ensure that Thoroughbreds do not become a distant memory in a state that has consistently dominated the track.”

Posted 2/3/2010, 2:19 pm

Embattled Thoroughbred owner Michael Gill said Wednesday that the 40 or so horses he has had stabled at Penn National Race Course are being moved to his private farm as he continues to liquidate his stable, a process sparked by the controversy in which he has been embroiled in Pennsylvania since Jan. 23.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission ruled off Gill at Penn National, allowing the track to avert an apparent jockeys' boycott and a major disruption in the Wednesday night program at the Grantville, Pa., track. Gill had planned to run horses in four of the nine Wednesday races, but Penn jockeys, who have gone on record as saying they fear for their safety in races in which Gill's horses are racing, were prepared to boycott, making those races impossible to run.

The Tuesday letter and formal ruling from Michael Dillon, executive secretary of the commission, says that Gill's ejection from Penn "is based upon information received by the commission from the Penn National jockeys and the HBPA [Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association] regarding an ongoing controversy which will jeopardize the orderly conduct of the race meet." It further states in part that "your presence, your trainer(s)' presence, and your horses' presence at Penn" is deemed to be "detrimental to the best interests of racing."

The Tuesday letter asked Gill to plan on attending a meeting among himself and representatives of the track, the jockeys, the HBPA, and the commission on or about Feb. 23 at the commission offices in Harrisburg.

Gill, 54, said he believes he is being unfairly singled out by the commission and by Penn National and that he "absolutely" is considering a lawsuit against Penn National and/or the commission, citing a possible antitrust aspect to his banishment. Gill sued Delaware Park over a similar ban in 2003 in a case that eventually was settled out of court.

"To me, all this means is they found nothing on me and anyone could be thrown out for whatever they consider to be 'the best interest of racing,' " Gill said. "If they had even the littlest thing to hang on me, believe me, they would have."

The commission ban does not preclude Gill from racing at Philadelphia Park, where his stable has been and will continue to be active for the foreseeable future. There have been no reports of major complaints about Gill from the Bensalem, Pa., track.

Gill, who does not have stalls at Philadelphia Park, said his entire stable is being consolidated at his 140-stall private training facility in Oxford, Pa., in the southeastern part of the state. Private farms do not fall under the jurisdiction of the commission.

Gill announced Monday that he intends to sell off all of his 100-plus Thoroughbreds and other racing-related holdings because of the latest controversy. He said Wednesday he already has sold "about 15, maybe more" of the horses since deciding to disperse. "I'm just going to have the horses trained there at the farm, sell some, have some claimed, and just keep going until I don't have any more," he said, adding that anyone interested in his horses can contact his trainer, Tony Adamo.

The commission has been investigating the breakdowns of Gill's horses at Penn in recent months. The last breakdown, by Laughing Moon on Jan. 23, led to jockeys refusing to ride in races in which Gill's horses were scheduled to race.

Gill said he was informed at a Saturday meeting with officials and veterinarians from the track that necropsies for Laughing Moon and for Melodeeman, who also suffered a catastrophic breakdown Jan. 21 at Penn, uncovered no wrongdoing.

At Penn, six Gill horses had suffered catastrophic breakdowns since Oct. 1, according to Daily Racing Form data, while another nine were pulled up, badly eased, or went lame in races during that period. Overall, Gill won with 370 of 2,247 starters in 2009 and has maintained that, aside from Penn National, he had only one catastrophic breakdown during the entire year at other tracks.

Gill has led North American owners in wins four times since 2003, including last year and in 2005, when he was voted the Eclipse Award for top owner.

Posted: Wednesday, February 3, 2010

HAZEL PARK — Hazel Park Raceway CEO Dan Adkins has launched a petition through Racing to Save Michigan to allow casino gambling at five horse racetracks in Michigan and to allow three more independent casinos not affiliated with racetracks.

Casino supporters were given 180 days to gather 400,000 signatures needed to bring the concept to voters in November as an amendment to Michigan's constitution. If passed, existing Michigan horse raceways, including Hazel Park Raceway in Hazel Park, Northville Downs in Northville, Pinnacle Race Course in New Boston, Sports Creek Raceway in Swartz Creek and Mount Pleasant Meadows in Mount Pleasant could each establish casinos, dubbed "racinos."

A recent Michigan racino impact study estimated the initiative could bring as much as $472.5 million to the state's coffers annually. That's from a 75 percent tax on the $578.3 million estimated annual gross average. Michigan counties would split a 20 percent tax to the tune of $126 million. Oakland County would get 3 percent, about $18.9 million, and Hazel Park would see 2 percent, about $12.6 million annually.

"Detroit casinos provide 8.25 percent tax to the city, but the state sees little financial benefit," Adkins said. "Native American casinos in Michigan provide no tax revenue to the state. We want to even the playing field in Michigan while helping to revitalize our industry and bring in much-needed tax revenue to our city, county and state."

In April 2004, Hazel Park Raceway, which has stood for about 60 years, started construction on a 65,000-square-foot casino next to its grandstand after the House and Senate approved the use of slot machines in its facility.

But Gov. Jennifer Granholm didn't sign the measure into law, and now the building sits unfinished and empty. Several sections of the existing buildings also are closed off. There has been a steady decline in harness racing since casinos in Detroit opened for business.

Adkins said he hopes this latest petition will prompt voters to allow the casinos, which he said would help save the harness racing industry in Michigan.

"We built the casino as a sign of good faith," said Ladd Biro, racing director at Hazel Park Raceway. "We took it on the chin in 2004, but we have a chance now to create and retain many jobs here. Area businesses would see an increase in revenue, too. While it's not an answer to the economic problems, it's a short-term solution to a long-term problem."

Hazel Park Raceway represents about 10 percent of the city's geographical area. Revenues from the raceway to the city have steadily declined from $900,000 in 1999 to about $300,000 now, said City Manager Edward Klobucher.

"The city supports this initiative," he said. "This is a common sense approach, which is critically important for saving this industry (harness racing) and will add hundreds of new, well-paying jobs. It would go a long way in plugging the whole in Michigan's economy.

"It's not just Hazel Park that will benefit, but other cities, the county and the state as well. It will keep Michigan's gaming money in Michigan."

Date Posted: 2/2/2010 2:30:51 PM Last Updated: 2/3/2010 8:34:51 AM

New Vocations racehorse adoption program reported the placement of more than 330 retired racehorses into new homes and careers during 2009.

The program, which has facilities in Lexington, Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee, is in its 18th year of operation and has adopted more than 3,000 retirees into carefully screened and monitored homes.

“This is a very difficult time for unwanted horses,” said program director Anna Ford in a release. “In order to find homes for our retirees, we must invest in their retraining. Anyone who has been around racehorses knows that they are truly athletes who love having a job. Once they retire from racing it is crucial that they receive proper handling and training so they may find a good home and excel in a new career.”

Horses entering the program are professionally evaluated for temperament, soundness, and suitability while being transitioned toward a new career. Detailed descriptions, quality photographs, and videos portray the horses to potential adopters via www.horseadoption.com.

New Vocations receives horses from racetracks all over the country with the top five states being Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Kentucky, and Florida.

“Our stats this year were interesting,” said Ford. “Although we don’t have facilities in all our top states, owners and trainers are willing to ship their horses to us just so they can go through our program. We are grateful to the many conscientious owners and trainers who support our efforts to give these horses a life beyond the track. We couldn’t begin to assist this many horses without their help.”

New Vocations places its horses throughout the Central and Eastern United States. Potential adopters need to have owned horses or have several years of documented experience. They must furnish personal and vet references, have approved stabling, and sign a contract that the horse will not be sold for at least a year. In return, adopters receive a well-mannered, athletic individual with a firm foundation for pleasure riding.

One of many success stories from 2009 was Frazee’s Folly who won $537,602 in 90 starts and upon retirement was donated to New Vocations. He was quickly adopted by 14-year-old Megan Roland and less than six months later the horse and girl successfully competed at the New Vocations Charity Horse Show.

“One might think that at age 12 after competing in nearly 100 races that Frazees Folly might need to retire to green pastures, but that’s not the case,” said Roland. “Folly loves having a job as much as I love riding him.”

New Vocations has plans to expand to Indiana in 2010. For information on adopting or donating a horse visit www.horseadoption.com or call (937) 642-3171.

Posted: Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Winslow Homer, who won Gulfstream Park's Jan. 23 Holy Bull Stakes to become one of the early favorites for the May 1 Kentucky Derby, is off the Triple Crown campaign after a stress fracture in his left front shin was detected, owner Rick Porter said Tuesday.

Winslow Homer was ranked No. 4 in The Courier-Journal's first Derby poll Sunday. The colt had won three straight races after finishing a close third in his first start.

"I just found out a few hours ago. It's a bummer, that's the bottom line," Porter said in a phone interview. "We were very fortunate to get a nice horse like that. But when you've been down this road a few times, you always keep thinking not to get too excited because things can come to a halt in a hurry."

Porter said Winslow Homer is likely to be off 60-90 days and could be back racing in the summer. He said it's not yet been determined if Winslow Homer will have surgery or just stall rest, but that noted equine surgeon Larry Bramlage said "it's as close to 100 percent as possible that we can get the same horse back."

Porter said he's also lost his backup for the Derby, with Count Fleet winner Laus Deo getting 30 days off after having throat surgery to correct a breathing problem.

Both horses are trained by Tony Dutrow, the older brother of Rick Dutrow, who won the 2008 Derby with Big Brown. Dutrow began training for Porter after Larry Jones announced his plans to retire last fall.

"I'm out of commission for the Triple Crown," said Porter, who had Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire in last year's Derby after finishing second in 2008 with the ill-fated filly Eight Belles and second in 2007 with Hard Spun. "But that's OK. I've had a good run -- three in a row with a pretty small stable. I'll just enjoy some of the good memories and try to block out some of the bad memories."

Winslow Homer is by Unbridled's Song, who is one of Porter's favorite stallions because of his progeny's talent and looks. But those horses also have experienced some high-profile injuries, the most dramatic being Eight Belles who sustained fatal leg fractures as she was just about pulled up after finishing the Derby.

The Porter-owned Old Fashioned suffered a career-ending fracture when second in last year's Arkansas Derby. And one of Porter's first big colts, Remsen winner Rockport Harbor, was knocked off the 2005 Derby trail by foot problems that started when it was injured as a 2-year-old while winning the Remsen.

Porter said he didn't buy any horses by Unbridled's Song last year, but that was simply because his team didn't see individuals they wanted to purchase.

"The problem is he's given me such great horses, but we've had some bad luck with a lot of them," he said. "Rockport Harbor, that was a freak accident. Eight Belles, that was a fluke -- a very bad fluke. Obvious you read a lot about the unsoundness of Unbridled's Song, but ... we have Honest Man. I think he's a Grade I horse, and he's 6.

"Am I going to give up on Unbridled's Song? He's been too good to me. It's the kind of horse of horse McGreevy (bloodstock agent Tom McGreevy) shows me, and I fall in love with them, too. I can't say I'm going to just quit buying them. His horses look a lot alike, and it's exactly the kind of horse Tom picks out and I like. We see the downside, but I don't think I could give up on him."

Date Posted: 2/1/2010 3:34:55 PM Last Updated: 2/2/2010 8:20:17 AM

An exercise rider and backstretch worker died Feb. 1 after a horse fell on top of him while exercising at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Robert Shields, 60, died after one of the horses got spooked and fell over, fatally injuring him.

Spokeswoman Vida Morgan says Shields was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to WFTS TV, the horse, a 3-year-old named Gael Lea, was unhurt. The accident, on a dark day at the track in which there is no live racing, happened around 8 a.m. (ET).

Posted 2/1/2010, 3:27 pm

Owner Michael Gill said he intends to sell off all of his Thoroughbred holdings, saying he is "just worn down" by the recent controversy involving the breakdowns of his horses at Penn National Race Course.

In the meantime, Gill said he intends to race the four horses he has entered for Wednesday night at the Grantville, Pa., track, although an apparent jockey boycott may make running those races impossible.

Gill has one horse entered in each of the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth races Wednesday night. But only four other horses in those races - two in the fifth race and two in the eighth race - have jockeys named to ride on the revised overnight sheet, released Monday. On the original overnight sheet, released Friday, every horse in those four races had a rider named. Jose Baez has replaced Francisco Garcia on the four Gill horses, while Abel Mariano and Luis Quinones each has a mount in the fifth race, and David Cardoso and Stacey Zavala remain named on horses in the eighth race. No horse besides Gill's has a rider named in the third and fourth races. A total of 26 jockeys originally named Friday to ride in those races have taken themselves off mounts.

Phone calls to two Penn jockeys went unreturned Monday. Very few Penn jockeys are members of the Jockeys' Guild, which has not taken a stance in the matter.

This is the second time the jockeys there have refused to ride in a race with a Gill-owned horse. Jockeys initially refused to ride the remainder of the Jan. 23 card at Penn after a Gill-owned horse, Laughing Moon, broke down shortly after the wire in the fifth race. It was only after the one remaining Gill horse on that program, Justin M, was scratched, that jockeys agreed to continue riding. For the four subsequent days of racing at Penn, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Gill horses were not permitted to run. Wednesday will mark the first day of action there since Saturday.

"I'd rather not speculate on what the jockeys may or may not do [Wednesday night]," Eric Schippers, spokesman for Penn National Gaming, wrote Monday in an e-mail.

Said Gill: "I don't know what's going to happen Wednesday night. All I know is I'm running, even if I have to ride the horses."

Gill, who won the Eclipse Award for top owner in 2005 and led all North American owners in wins last year, said Monday morning from his mortgage business in New Hampshire that he has received death threats and that he is "through with the racing business." He said he owns just over 100 horses, with 49 of them stabled at Penn.

"I don't have the taste to do this anymore," he said. Asked how sure he was that he is getting out, he answered: "100 percent." He said he is unsure of how he is going to proceed with the actual selling of his horses.

Gill met at length Saturday at Penn with officials and veterinarians from the track to address the situation that existed since the Laughing Moon breakdown. Gill said necropsies ordered by the track for Laughing Moon and for Melodeeman, who also suffered a catastrophic breakdown Jan. 21 at Penn, uncovered no wrongdoing.

At Penn, six Gill horses have suffered catastrophic breakdowns since Oct. 1, according to Daily Racing Form data, while another nine were pulled up, eased, or went lame in races during that period. Overall, Gill won with 370 of 2,247 starters in 2009 and has maintained that, aside from Penn National, he had only one catastrophic breakdown during the entire year at other tracks.

"The problem is with their racetrack there at Penn, and they're trying to shift the blame to me," said Gill, 54. "Racing in the mountains in Pennsylvania in the dead of winter? Of course you're going to have problems keeping your track safe."

Schippers said in an earlier e-mail that the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission is continuing to investigate the issues surrounding the Gill breakdowns. "We are not releasing details of the meeting," he wrote.

Gill has been the subject of vitriolic web postings since the Laughing Moon breakdown. He said he received at least two death threats and that his family slept at a hotel "a couple nights" because of the threats.

After Gill was the voted the Eclipse in 2005, he dramatically cut back on his stock, getting down to about 20 horses from a high of about 300 at his peak. He said Monday that during that period he still had a yearning to be part of the game, and he eventually became very active again.

"I can't do this anymore, to myself or my family," said Gill, who has five children and two stepchildren. "If one of my horses breaks down again, I'd be right back in the eye of the firestorm."

He spoke at length Monday of how he believes various trainers, jockey agents, and track officials have conspired against him since he became a force in recent seasons at Penn. Having recently been involved in a five-year audit by the Internal Revenue Service, he said he no longer has the will to fight a war on another front.

Gill has owned horses since 1979, but it wasn't until 2000 that he expanded his stable in dramatic fashion. He deals primarily in lower-level claiming horses, although he has won a number of stakes through the years.

The Penn controversy is the latest in a lengthy list for Gill during his tenure in racing. In 2003, his horses were barred from racing at Delaware, after which he filed an antitrust suit that was settled out of court the following year. In 2003-04, he campaigned a stable in Southern California while claiming a slew of horses and shipping them out of state, much to the consternation of racing officials there. In March 2006, he won a case before the New York Supreme Court, overturning two medication positives from races at Saratoga in 2004.

Date Posted: 1/31/2010 7:24:36 PM Last Updated: 2/1/2010 8:29:52 AM

Veteran turf writer Larry Bortstein passed away in the early morning Jan. 31 at Arcadia Methodist Hospital after sustaining a pulmonary embolism Jan. 23. Bortstein, 67, never regained consciousness and had been on life support since being transported to Methodist following the embolism.

A native of New York, Bortstein was a versatile writer who covered horse racing for the Orange County Register for the past 17 years and had covered all major sports at various times over the past 40-plus years. In addition to his work at the Register, he was also a current contributor to the California Thoroughbred magazine, which is published by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

“He was a consummate pro,” said former L.A. Herald Examiner sports writer and current Santa Anita publicity staffer Jack Disney. “Larry was very passionate about racing and the people in it. He was always for the underdog, and he had a broad network of sources.

“Larry overcame a lot. He was sight-impaired and had to depend on other people to transport him to the track, or to whatever sports venue he may be covering, be it a high school game or a major league baseball game. He was good-hearted, and he was extremely conscientious. He’ll be missed.”

In addition to sports, Bortstein also had a passion for music, singing in particular. He was a member of a barbershop harmony group and had sung professionally to help support his family since he was a small boy.

Bortstein is survived by his wife, Pat, a son, Steven, daughter Christy and grandson, Jeff. Memorial services are pending according to Pat Bortstein.

Date Posted: 2/1/2010 1:41:14 PM Last Updated: 2/2/2010 8:19:38 AM

The third annual Horsemen’s Golf Tournament, scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Westin Diplomat Golf Resort in Hallandale Beach, Fla., will benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

According to tournament directors Bill and Mary Hirsch, the tournament format is two-person teams, best ball and low-net, with prizes to the top 10 teams. The cost, which includes lunch, refreshments on the course, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner, is $225 per person.

There is also an opportunity, for an additional $225, to play on a team with a jockey. The tentative list of available jockeys includes Jesus Castanon, Angel Cordero, Chris DeCarlo, Kent Desormeaux, Alan Garcia, and Elvis Trujillo.

For more information, contact Mary Hirsch at mer@nyc.rr.com

Date Posted: 2/1/2010 8:52:04 AM Last Updated: 2/2/2010 8:19:17 AM Eclipse Award winners Gio Ponti and Lookin at Lucky are among the record 1,951 horses nominated to the March 27 Dubai World Cup program at the new Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Gio Ponti, the champion male handicap horse and champion male turf horse, was among 288 horses nominated to the $10 million World Cup (UAE-I), the centerpiece of the eight-race card that will be contested over the Tapeta synthetic surface for the first time. Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old male of 2009, tops the field nominated to the $2-million UAE Derby (UAE-II). According to the Dubai Racing Club, the nominees consist of 911 individual entries from 23 countries. The host United Arab Emirates topped the nominations list with 371 individual nominations and 919 total nominations. The U.S. was next, with 159 individual nominations and 271 overall nominations. The World Cup card consists of seven Thoroughbred races and one race restricted to Arabian horses. Among other top American horses on the nomination list are Furthest Land, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) who was nominated to the Godolphin Mile (UAE-II), and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner California Flag.

Date Posted: 1/20/2010 12:36:46 PM

Canterbury Park will host this year’s Claiming Crown on July 24. The Claiming Crown, which was patterned after the Breeders’ Cup, was designed to reward claiming level horses. It will offer six races at varying distances on dirt and turf with a total of $500,000 in purses.

This year will mark the 12th renewal of the Claiming Crown, and the 10th time Canterbury has hosted the event. They also hosted the inaugural running in 1999.

"Claiming Crown has always attracted top trainers, jockeys, and claiming horses from throughout the country," said Randy Sampson, president and general manager of Canterbury. "In 2009 we saw the winningest rider in this sport’s history, Russell Baze, win two races and the 2009 Eclipse Award-winning jockey, Julien Leparoux, win one. The competitiveness and ability of many of the Claiming Crown horses was emphasized when Furthest Land, fourth in the 2009 Claiming Crown Jewel, went on to win the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).”

Like in 2009, to be eligible to participate a horse must have started for or below a specific claiming price since Jan 1., 2009. The races will again have purses ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, and the claiming levels will range from $7,500 to $35,000.

The six races are as follows:
--Iron Horse: $50,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $7,500 or below, 1 1/16 miles.
--Express: $50,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $7,500 or below, six furlongs.
--Glass Slipper: $75,000 for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, starters for $16,000 or below, six furlongs.
--Rapid Transit: $75,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $16,000 or below, six furlongs.
--Emerald: $100,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $25,000 or below, 1 1/16 miles on turf.
--Jewel: 150,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $35,000 or below, 1 1/8 miles.