Things to know today
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Book’em Danno will not race again this year. Jay Briscione, managing partner of Atlantic Six Racing, said the 2025 champion sprinter hyper extended his left foreleg in a stall mishap, the injury that took him out of the Forego on the morning of the race, and that diagnostics point to about four months of rest. The five year old gelding, trained by Derek Ryan, has won twelve of his nineteen starts for 2.27 million dollars and is the highest earning New Jersey bred there has been. He misses the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for a second year running, and Briscione said the priority is his long term health with a return in 2027 the aim (Paulick Report) |
| 2 |
Florent Geroux remains under observation in intensive care at University of Louisville Hospital after a fall at Churchill Downs on 10 September. His agent Matt Nakatani said the rider has a few broken ribs and is still being monitored for internal injuries, and that they hope he can go home in the coming days. Nakatani also said on Monday that they will be out for a few weeks but will be back. Geroux told Churchill Downs media relations he is disappointed to be sidelined and looking forward to beginning his comeback. His mount Flip Flop Freak, trained by Brian Lynch, fell at the half mile pole in a juvenile maiden and was euthanised after a right front leg injury. Geroux has 58 wins from 390 starts this year (Paulick Report, Thoroughbred Daily News) |
| 3 |
Irad Ortiz Jr. could be riding again inside a month. His agent Steve Rushing said Ortiz is doing well and will breeze horses this week, and that he hopes for a return towards the end of the Churchill Downs meet, which closes on 27 September, or the beginning of the Keeneland fall meet, which opens on 2 October. Ortiz has been out since 8 August, when his mount And The Runner Is misbehaved in the post parade before a race and he rolled his left ankle. X rays found no fracture. He gave up the mount on Renegade in the Travers and lost any chance of a riding title he has won seven times (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Tripadvisor has put a disclaimer on racecourse pages around the world saying the business does not currently meet its animal welfare policy, and has stopped selling racing tickets through the platform, apparently from earlier this month. Saratoga, Keeneland, Del Mar, Churchill Downs, Santa Anita and Monmouth Park all carry it. The policy covers animal racing and rodeo style events. The British Horseracing Authority called the move surprising and troubling and has written asking it to reconsider, and Dame Minette Batters, chair of the Horse Welfare Board, said the classification is misleading and does a disservice to decades of investment, science and independent oversight. Tripadvisor had not answered a request for comment (Thoroughbred Daily News, Racing Post) |
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Mike Repole is demanding a full investigation and a corrected record over an Uncle Mo filly at last year’s Keeneland September sale. He says he was the underbidder at around 800,000 dollars, that the hammer fell at 900,000 dollars with Cherie DeVaux recorded as buyer, and that half an hour later the consignor sold the filly to him privately for 500,000 dollars, the figure he was invoiced for. The published result still shows 900,000 dollars. Gabby Gaudet, Keeneland’s director of communications, said published summary results reflect what occurs in the sales ring, which she called standard auction practice. Matt Dorman of Determined Stud, who bred the filly and offered her through the agent Scott Mallory, said that to the best of his memory there was no reserve, and that they bought the horse back because she was a solid horse from day one. No investigation has been announced and no hearing has concluded (Paulick Report, BloodHorse) |
| 6 |
The late Chuck Simon has been named the 2026 recipient of the John K. Goodman Alumni Award by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program. Robert Hartman, chair of the program, said Simon understood that one of the most important things you can do in racing is help the people coming behind you, and pointed to two of his former mentees, Cherie DeVaux and Chad Summers, who between them won the three legs of the Triple Crown this year. The award will be presented at the Global Symposium on Racing awards luncheon on 8 December (Paulick Report) |
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