VA DERBY WINNER WINS AGAIN

Multiple graded stakes winner Gio Ponti, who won this year's Virginia Derby (G2), closed with a rush in the final furlong to win the $100,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes in his synthetic surface debut at Santa Anita Park.

The three-year-old Tale of the Cat colt raced in last place for the first half of the one-mile race, then closed from fourth in early stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:34.92 on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface.

The race was moved off the turf, a surface on which Gio Ponti made his first eight career starts.

The Sir Beaufort was automatically downgraded one level, from a Grade 3 race to an ungraded race, pending a review by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Jockey Garrett Gomez rated Gio Ponti at the back of the nine-horse field as Icemancometh (Ire) set brisk fractions of :23.03 and :46.53 through a half-mile. Icemancometh continued to lead through six furlongs in 1:10.84 as Gio Ponti advanced to seventh.

As the field fanned out on the turn for home, Gomez patiently waited for an opening. Once he found daylight, he gave Gio Ponti his cue and the colt accelerated to a clear win as the 13-to-10 favorite.

Medjool finished second, a head in front of third-place finisher El Gato Malo.

Gio Ponti improved to five wins in nine career starts, including the Hill Prince Stakes (G3) in June at Belmont Park and the Virginia Derby (G2) in July at Colonial Downs, and boosted his bankroll to $820,800 for owner Castleton Lyons.

Bred in Kentucky by Kilboy Estate Inc., Gio Ponti is out of the Alydar mare Chipeta Springs

TURKISH “EMPEROR” RETIRES AT 66

ISTANBUL – Turkish horse-racing bid farewell to its greatest ever jockey as Süleyman Akdı called it a day after a magnificent career that spanned 44 years.

The 66-year-old Akdı’s contribution to the sport was hailed during a farewell night organized by the Turkish Jockey Club, or TJK.

This was the first time the club held a farewell event for a jockey, which indicates the importance of Akdı, nicknamed the Emperor because of his brilliant career.

"Looking back, it has been a long time, but I can not understand how 46 years have passed by so quickly," said Akdı. "Everything has an end, but what matters is leaving something good behind. I am very happy now. I was successful because I loved my job and worked with determination."

Attendees of the ceremony voiced their praise for the great jockey. "If a man is called the Emperor, he is certainly a great success," Istanbul Governor Muammer Güler said of Akdı, who won roughly 4,500 of 13,000 races.

Akdı said he would continue working in the racing community as a trainer and also work with apprentice jockeys.

"Of course young jockeys come to me and I always help them," he said on his new direction. "My advice to them is to work hard and never think they know everything. They should always be open to learn something new."

COLONIAL SEEKS SHORTER MEET

By Andee Sears/Richmond Times Dispatch

Published: December 18, 2008

The monthly meeting of the Virginia Racing Commission (last Wednesday) turned into marathon session dealing with disagreements over satellite signal sales and the annual argument over racing dates.

A work session was held after the regular meeting in an attempt to avoid the most acrimonious debates between Colonial Downs management and Virginia horsemen over how many days of live racing the track will host.

Last month, the Standardbred horsemen announced that they had agreed to 36 days of harness racing in 2009, two days more than in 2008.

Colonial Downs President Ian Stewart and legal counsel Jim Weinberg tentatively suggested that Colonial Downs host only 25 days of Thoroughbred racing, down from 45 this season.

Stewart blamed the high overhead cost of Thoroughbred racing, particularly in a down economy. Track management said last month that Jacob's Entertainment Inc., the company that owns Colonial Downs, will be unable to provide the same line of credit for purses that it has in the past because of the financial crisis.

Frank Petramalo, Jr., executive director of the Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, reiterated his group's offer to loan the $3 million difference to Colonial Downs until income from off-track wagering compensated for the high cost of racing. Petramalo added that this agreement is available only if the track races the same number of days in 2009 that it did in 2008. This year's 45-day meet was the longest in track history. In order to operate satellite wagering, Colonial Downs legally is required to host live racing.

A few representatives of the Virginia racing industry -- including owners, trainers, breeders and veterinarians -- stayed to participate in the working session. Ideas for improving the Colonial Downs meet included:

* restructuring rewards to Virginia-based breeders whose horses have in-state success;
* renewing the free horse van between Maryland and Colonial Downs;
* paying nonplacing horses in races with a certain number of entries.

During the regularly scheduled meeting, Colonial Downs and Twin Spires, the advanced-deposit wagering company owned by Churchill Downs, Inc., announced that they were unable to agree on negotiations over the cost of satellite signals.

The current deal expires at the end of this month. In a closed session, the Racing Commission exercised its right to implement a six-month provisional license, but imposed strict deadlines for signs of progress before it would appoint a mediator.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

Two things dominate recent conversations on Garrett Street – 1) the upcoming session of the General Assembly and the 2) the ongoing problem of ADW (telephone and internet wagers) being conducted here in the Commonwealth without the Breeders Fund getting compensated.

The stakeholders with the support of the Virginia Racing Commission will offer an omnibus bill in the 2009 General Assembly. Tentatively named the Secretariat Thoroughbred Industry Revitalization Act, the bill deals with a number of issues facing the industry. The most important is the request to remove the enabling referendum and replacing it with an alternative local government approval to allow CLN to locate their remaining SWFs.

While we have been discussing this for years, the timing seems right to pursue this change in 2009. As most of you know, the referendum process has kept Colonial Downs out of Northern Virginia. We estimate that the NoVa market could produce anywhere from $50 to $100 million in new wagers and $500,000 to $1 million in new Breeders Fund money.

We will simply be asking the General Assembly to give the Racing Commission the authority to operate the way the state’s Lottery Commission does. The lottery was also passed by a state-wide referendum as was pari-mutuel wagering. After the referendum, the Lottery Commission was allowed to place outlets in every municipality in the state – even in those that voted no. We are simply asking the General Assembly to allow the industry and the Commission to work with local governments to help stimulate our industry.

The ADW and Breeders Fund debate is slowly working toward a conclusion. The Virginia Racing Commission will address this subject at their meeting on Wednesday (12/15/08), and hopefully a resolution of the matter will come about. Feel free to attend the meeting and make yourself heard.

We are also seeking compensation in arrears for the ADW that has occurred since 2005. We need this money to fund Breeders and Stallion Awards for 2008 after the 100% Owners Bonus during the past Colonial meet depleted the Breeders Fund. Negotiations are on-going.

On an ongoing basis, there is talk of legislation to secure payment of the Breeders Fund from each ADW wager.

More later and comments are welcome.

RESEARCHER WINS GRADED 3 STAKES

Mr. and Mrs. Hermen Greenberg’s Rutledge Farm’s Virginia-bred Researcher charged from off the pace to win the $108,400 Queens County Handicap (G3) by a half-length on Saturday at Aqueduct and earn his fourth consecutive victory. Researcher was bred by the Virginia Tech Foundation’s M.A.R.E. Center in Middleburg.

The four-year-old Two Smart gelding won an allowance/optional claiming race at Laurel Park on September 10 and the HBPA Governor’s Cup Handicap at Charles Town Races on October 17. Researcher made his graded stakes debut in the Queen’s County off a win in the Mountaineer Mile Handicap at Mountaineer Race Track on November 8 for trainer Jeff Runco.

Brilliant Son set the pace in the 1 3/16-mile race on Aqueduct’s inner dirt track and built a three-length advantage on the backstretch. Temporary Saint was Brilliant Son’s closest pursuer in the five-horse field while Researcher settled into third.

Turning for home, Researcher seized command and held off determined Brilliant Son to prevail in 1:55.87 on a track rated as fast.

Dry Martini, sent off as the 1.75-to-1 favorite, closed ground late to take third, 5 ½ lengths behind runner-up Brilliant Son.

The Queen’s County was the first graded stakes victory for both Researcher and Runco, who arrived at Aqueduct 30 minutes before the race due to a flight delay.

“The horse is on a roll,” Runco said. “This is pretty much how we thought the race would go. [We] figured the two horses [Brilliant Son and Temporary Saint] would go out in front. I said to [Mike] Luzzi, 'Sit tight, just wait, save something for the end.' ”

Researcher improved to eight wins in 14 starts and boosted his earnings to $289,870. He is the first stakes winner out of the Apalachee mare Wild Magnolia.

(Edited from ThoroughbredTimes.com. NYRA Photo/Adam Coglainese)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sir Barton, pictured on the Audley Card, was America's first Triple Crown winner. He started his breeding career at Audley in 1921 and stud there for over decade.

This statue, designed by Jan Woods, was unveiled on September 5,2008 as part of celbration marking 30 years of family ownership.

RACETRACK COMMERCIAL PRAISED

Sam Houston Race Park’s “Here’s to Racing: Restroom Race” television commercial has been selected as one of the “Funniest Commercials of the Year” by national cable super station, Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).

The commercial, available to view at http://www.shrp.com/News_Media.html, will air as part of a special, hosted by Saturday Night Live legend, Kevin Nealon, featuring the funniest commercial spots from 2008 on Tuesday, December 23 at 9 p.m. .

UNWANTED HORSE COALITION SURVEY

From the American Horse Council:

You are likely aware of the problem of thousands of unwanted and abandoned horses in the United States. Some say the problem is an epidemic, however, much remains unknown. The first step toward a solution is to gather and examine the facts.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is launching a nationwide survey of the problem and we're asking for participation from horse owners, equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, state and local law enforcement, and rescue groups. Our goal is to hear from everyone interested in the welfare of horses chapter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO PERSONALLY.

Please take the UHC national online survey by going online at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/. Your answers will be confidential.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

NICE HATS. Olivier Peslier on Doctor Dino waves to the crowd after winning the fourth race at the Hong Kong International Races in Hong Kong on December 14, 2008. French jockey Olivier Peslier, who in 2007 rode Good Ba Ba to victory, won the $14 million Hong Kong Vase for the second year on Doctor Dino, in the most dramatic finish of the day.

Trained by Briton Richard Gibson in France, Doctor Dino pipped Purple Moon in the last dip with his trademark fast finish.

(Photoby Cheung Ka Chun/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

LONG WAY FROM COLONIAL DOWNS. In this photo provided by Benoit Photo, Laragh and jockey Edgar Prado, right, outrun Wynning Ride, second from left, and Alpha Kitten, left, to win the Grade I $438,500 Hollywood Starlet horse race on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008, at Hollywood Park, Inglewood, Calif.

YOU'RE WELCOME

VA DERBY RUNNER-UP WINS HOLLYWOOD DERBY

Thoroughbred Times (edited) - Virginia Derby runner-up Court Vision completed a last-to-first rally under Ramon Dominguez to secure his first Grade 1 win in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) on Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Racing Hall of Fame member Bill Mott for owners IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm, Court Vision closed with a rush from the outside to win by three-quarters of a length over runner-up Cowboy Cal. The three-year-old Gulch colt covered 1¼ miles in 2:01.43 on turf rated as firm.

Jockey David Flores sent Muny from the outside post to the front and the Oak Tree Derby (G2) winner led the nine-horse field through dawdling fractions of :25.10, :49.41, and 1:13.40 through six furlongs while Court Vision saved ground in last place.

Multiple Grade 3 winner Cowboy Cal tracked Muny from second through one mile in 1:43.40. Court Vision raced three wide into the stretch and advanced to seventh as Muny led by a half-length. The multiple graded stakes winner eagerly responded to urging from Dominguez with about a furlong to run to win for the second time in eight starts this year.

Cowboy Cal raced between foes late for second place, three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Midships. Gio Ponti, the 3-to-1 favorite, chased the early pace but lacked running room in the stretch and finished seventh.

Dominguez swept both Grade 1 races on the card with the win after riding Cocoa Beach (Chi) to victory in the Matriarch Stakes (G1) two races prior to the Hollywood Derby.

Court Vision (pictured above with Gio Ponti #7, green silks in the 2008 Virginia Derby G2) entered off a victory in the Jamaica Handicap (G2) on October 4 at Belmont Park to halt a six-race winless stretch, including a 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), after capping his juvenile campaign with a neck win in the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.

Bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish and Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, Court Vision is out of the Storm Bird mare Weekend Storm. He has won five of 12 career starts and amassed $1,006,400 in career earnings.

(Photos by Benoit and Jeff Coady)

PICTURES OF THE DAY

BIG CROWD AT JAPAN CUP. Over 100,000 racing fans watched jockey Mirco Demuro riding Screen Hero (c) win the $5.5 million Japan Cup 2008 at Tokyo Racecourse on November 30, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan.

(Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)