FloridaHorseOctober2011

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� Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.FTBOA Annual Membership MeetingGolden Hills Golf & Turf ClubFor Information,Please Contact the FTBOA Officeat 352/629-2160

� Friday, October 14, 2011Annual Golf ClassicGolden Hills Golf & Turf ClubFor Registration & Information,Please Contact theGolden Hills Golf and Turf Clubat 352/629-7981

� Saturday, October 15, 2011Florida Stallion StakesMy Dear Girl

Florida Stallion StakesIn Reality

Calder Race CourseFestival of the SunFor Information,Please Contact Calder Casino & Race Courseat 305/625-1311

� Tuesday - Wednesday, October 18-19, 2011OBS Fall Mixed SaleFor Information,Please Contact theOcala Breeders’ Sales Companyat 352/237-2154

FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION801 S.W. 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474352-629-2160 • Fax 352-629-3603Email: [email protected] • www.ftboa.com

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4 THE FLORIDA HORSE • OCTOBER 2011

CONTENTSO c t o b e r 2 0 1 1 VO L 5 4 / I S S U E 8

The title of leading Florida sire by stakes winnersis coming down to a wild finish.By Jo Ann Guidry

A look back at Florida-bred Brave Raj’s stellarjuvenile season.By John Califano

Bill and Cindy Nassal, owners of Stonecliff Farmin Ocala, are enjoying the success ofFlorida-bred Currency Swap.By Jo Ann Guidry

By Connie Duff Wise

Floridian Victoria Colvin is just 13 years oldand headed to the Washington International.By Diana De Rosa

8

October is Greenways and Trails Month in Florida.

By Jamie Cohen

American Horse Slaughter Prevention ActIntroduced.

Developing a vaccination program.

Ideas Needed.By Paul Moran

COVER PHOTO: NYRACONTENTS: FLORIDA-BRED BRAVE RAJ—JEAN RAFTERY

DEPARTMENTS/COLUMNS

FEATURES

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FTBOA OFFICERS ANDBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Fred Brei, PresidentBrent Fernung, First Vice President Phil Matthews, SecondVice President

Sheila DiMare, Secretary Bonnie M. Heath III, Treasurer

DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVEVICE PRESIDENTRichard E. Hancock

801 SW 60thAvenue • Ocala, Florida 34474(352) 732-8858 • Fax: (352) 867-1979 • www.ftboa.com

American Horse Publications • FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION • MEMBER BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

© THE FLORIDA HORSE (ISSN 0090-967X) is publishedmonthly except July by THE FLORIDA HORSE, INC., 801SW 60th Ave., Ocala, Florida 34474, including the annual Sta-tistical Review in February.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors anddo not necessarily reflect those of Florida Equine Publicationsor the Florida Thoroughbred Breedersʼ and Ownersʼ Associa-tion. Publication of any material originating herein is expresslyforbidden without first obtaining written permission from THEFLORIDA HORSE©.

Statistics in the publication relating to results of racing inNorth America are compiled from data generated by Daily Rac-ing Form, Equibase, Bloodstock Research Information Serv-ices, and The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., thecopyright owners of said data. Reproduction is prohibited.

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Printed by Boyd Brothers, Inc. BOYD

THE FLORIDA HORSE • OCTOBER 2011 5

Linda Appleton PotterJoe Barbazon

Dean DeRenzoDonald Dizney

Barry W. Eisaman

Roy LermanJ. Michael O’Farrell, Jr.Jessica SteinbrennerFrancis VanlangendonckCharlotte C. Weber

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Michael Compton

BUSINESS MANAGER

Patrick Vinzant

ART DIRECTOR

John Filer

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

JoAnn Guidry

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Beverly Kalberkamp

CORRESPONDENTS

Jay Friedman, Doug McCoy, Cynthia McFarland, Mark Shuffitt

PUBLISHERFlorida Equine Publications, Inc.

(A corporation owned by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association)

Executive Office - 801 SW 60th Avenue • Ocala, Florida 34474

BOARD OF DIRECTORSFred Brei, President/Board ChairmanBrent Fernung, 1st Vice PresidentPhil Matthews, 2nd Vice President

Sheila DiMare, SecretaryBonnie M. Heath III, Treasurer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Richard E. Hancock

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Caroline T. Davis

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Florida sires Shakespeare, who stands at Sig-

nature Stallions, and Exclusive Quality, a

Journeyman Stud stallion, were represented

by their first stakes winners on the racetrack in

early October.

Shakespeare’s Shkspeare Shaliyah captured the

Pilgrim Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park on Oct. 2,

while Exclusive Quality’s Exclusively Maria

won the Cassidy Stakes at Calder

the same weekend.

Shkspeare Shaliyah, bred in

Florida by Guil and Angela

Bombonato, rolled from last to

first to win the 11⁄16-mile turf

event under Alex Solis for owner-trainer Dood-

nauth Shivmangal (For more on that victory, see

page 12 of this issue).

Shakespeare, a son of Theatrical (IRE) and an

earner of more than $1.3 million during his racing

career, is currently the 3rd-ranked freshman sire in

Florida, trailing only Ocala Stud’s High Cotton and

Journeyman’s Saint Anddan. Shkspeare Shaliyah is

his leading earnerwith a bankroll of $96,700. Shake-

speare has five winners from nine runners to hit the

track andhas amassedprogeny earnings of $281,634.

ExclusivelyMaria proved best while racing be-

tween horses to the line of the Cassidy Stakes. She

crossed the wire a neck in front of Another Ro-

mance. Owned by Sherry Parbhoo, Exclusively

Maria is trained by Bisnath Parbhoo and was bred

by DavidWylie Perkins.

Exclusive Quality, a stakes-win-

ning son of Elusive Quality, ranks

4th on Florida’s freshman list with

$248,927 in progeny earnings. He

is represented by six winners to

date. Exclusively Maria is his lead-

ing earner at $98,258.

The aforementionedHighCotton

leads all Florida freshman sires with

progeny earnings of $399,135. His

leading earner is Florida-bred Cur-

rencySwap,winner of theHopeful

Stakes (G1) at Saratoga,with a bankroll of $180,000.

Saint Anddan is next with progeny earnings of

$297,400. His leading earner is Saint D’aroak

($78,388).

With this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Thor-

oughbred Championships less than a month away

as this issue goes to press, a number of Florida-

breds have already secured a position in the start-

ing gate on racing’s biggest day thanks to victories

in Breeders’Cup “Win andYou’reWin” events.

Among the Sunshine State products guaranteed

Breeders’ Cup berths in their respective races are:

Coil and Flat Out in the Classic; Currency Swap in

the Juvenile andTeaksNorth in theTurf. First Dude

also won a “Win and You’re In” race, taking the

Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) over the summer at

Hollywood Park, but he has since been retired.

The Breeders’ Cup is set for Nov. 4-5 at

Churchill Downs, and it should be an exciting re-

newal oncemore for Florida runners. Florida-breds

captured three Breeders’Cup races last year—Big

Drama won the Sprint (G1);Awesome Feather the

Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Dubai Majesty the Filly

and Mare Sprint (G1).

If recent history is any indication of future suc-

cess, Florida-breds should have anothermemorable

Breeders’Cup showing against international com-

petition on the world stage.�


editor’s welcome

Michael Compton/JOE DIORIO PHOTO

Freshman SiresRepresentedby First StakesWinners

Florida sire Shakespeare (above)and Shkspeare Shaliyah

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Exclusively Maria(below) and Florida sire

Exclusive Quality(bottom)

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By MICHAEL COMPTON

Without the likesofTizwayorHavredeGrace

standing in his way, Florida-bred Flat Out demon-

strated his affinity for Belmont Park, where he is

perfect in two starts, with a facile victory in the

$750,000 JockeyClubGold Cup (G1) onOct.1.

FlatOut’sGoldCupscore earnedhimanauto-

matic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at

Churchill Downs as the prestigious race is part of

the Breeders’Cup “Win andYou’re In” series.

The 5-year-old son of Flatter—Cresta Lil, by

Cresta Rider, bred byNikolaus Bock and owned


By MICHAEL COMPTON

Taking on older mares for the first time did-

n’t deterFlorida-bredPomeroysPistol onSept. 24

in the Gallant BloomHandicap (G2) at Belmont

Park. The daughter of Vinery stallion Pomeroy

comfortably dispatched her older rivals and de-

feated fellow Sunshine State product Tamarind

Hall by four lengths at thewire of the 6½-furlong

fixture. She stopped the clock in 1:16.60.

“The filly is really strong. She’s so big and tal-

ented,” saidwinning rider JavierCastellano. “The

way the race unfolded, she put herself in goodpo-

sition, which helped me a lot, and when I asked

her she took off. Very nice filly, and very im-

pressive first time against older fillies.”

Pomeroys Pistolwill nowbepointed toward a

start in the Grade 1 Breeders’Cup Filly &Mare

Sprint on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, according

to her breeder, owner and trainer,AmyTarrant.

“I thought shewas absolutely awesome,” said

Tarrant. “It was the best result we could possibly

expect: it wasn’t by a nose, it wasn’t by a head.

She pretty much dominated, I think, in the race.

We’re very excited about it, and now she is going

to go home for a nice rest and we’re going to be

looking towards the Breeders’Cup for her.We’ll

be staying atMonmouth and shippingout toKen-

tucky on Oct. 31.”

Tarrantwas confident about her charge facing

elders for the first time.

“I’mvery happy about that because that’swho

she’ll be facing in theBreeders’Cup,” saidTarrant.

“Therewill be a few3-year-olds, but itwillmostly

be theolder girls.Theywere anicegroupofhorses

today, which makes me even happier. When she

comes into the paddock like an old cart horse and

is quiet like that, she always has a great race.”

Pomeroys Pistol has now won two graded

stakes, having also taken the Grade 2 Forward

Gal in January at Gulfstream Park. Bred in

Florida by Tarrant’s Hardacre Farm, Pomeroys

Pistol is 4-3-2 in 11 starts and has earned

$450,178, including the $90,000 winner’s share

of the Foxwoods Gallant Bloom purse.

TamarindHall roundedout theFlorida exacta.

She is a daughter ofWindingOaks Farm stallion

Graeme Hall. Lovely Lil was third, followed

home by GoldMark Farm’sMoontuneMissy.

Pomeroys Pistol Fires Big Shot in Gallant Bloom

‘Flat Out’

Florida-bred Flat Out

Florida-bred Pomeroys Pistol

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By MICHAEL COMPTON

Florida-bred Grade 1 winner First Dude

will stand the 2012 breeding season at Don

Dizney’s Double Diamond Farm in Ocala,

Florida, the farm announced last month.

Double Diamond Farm was instrumental in

developing the successful stallion careers of Run-

away Groom and NorthernAfleet, and Dizney is

excited about First Dude’s prospects at stud.

“We’re very excited to offer breeders the op-

portunity to breed to First Dude,” said Dizney.

“We plan to support his books with our best

mares. I believe Florida is the best place to breed

and raiseThoroughbreds and that’s why wemade

the decision to stand him in Florida.”

A classically struck son of Stephen Got

Even—Run Sarah Run, by Smart Strike, First

Dude won this year’s Hollywood Gold Cup (G1)

at Hollywood Park, earning a career-best Beyer

Speed Figure of 106, as well as the Alysheba

Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs en route to ca-

reer earnings of $1.4 million.

Shortly after the Gold Cup victory came the

sobering news from trainer Bob Baffert that First

Dude had suffered a strained tendon that forced

his retirement.

Baffert took over the training of First Dude this

year following the colt’s 3-year-old season in which

he placed in five Grade 1

events, including two classic

races, while in the care of

trainer Dale Romans. Baffert

believesFirstDudehas all the

ingredients to be a top sire.

“He is a big, solid and

smart horse,” said Baffert. “He is just beautiful.

He is very balanced for a big horse. He was be-

coming a great horse. Hewas going to have a huge

year. He is the best older horse in the country.”

In addition to his graded stakes victories this

season, First Dudewasmultiple stakes-placed last

year at age three. He finished third in the Blue

Grass Stakes (G1), second in the Preakness

Stakes (G1) and the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and

third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), the Haskell In-

vitational (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1).

FirstDude’s consistency in top company earned

him Florida Champion 3-year-old honors in the

FloridaThoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’As-

sociation’s Chase to the Championship in 2010.

by Preston Stables, also became racing’s newest

millionaire. The $450,000 winner’s share of the

purse boosted the OBS graduate’s career

bankroll to $1,109,713.

“This is my first Grade 1 win; you wouldn’t

believe how big this is,” said 70-year-old win-

ning trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey. “I’ve

been training since 1963. It’s tremendous. It’s

hard to fathom, but I like it.”

Ridden confidently byAlexSolis, FlatOut set-

tled comfortably behind the early pace set byRod-

man. Flat Out ranged up to the leaders around the

far turn and kicked clear at the head of the stretch.

Hewasnever seriouslychallenged through the lane

and crossed thewire in 2:03.17 for the 1¼miles.

Drosselmeyer, the 2010 Belmont Stakes (G1)

winner, finished second, 2 ¼ lengths behind the

winner.FavoredStayThirstywasnever a threat and

finished third in his first start against older.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?,” said winning owner

Art Preston. “He’s a great horse – he’s run a lot of

good seconds and everything, and he just had the

race he needed today. It’s the first Gold Cupwe’ve

run in, and towin the first one, that’s pretty special.

It was his race today. Everythingworked out.”

FlatOut’s onlyother start atBelmont resulted in

a 6½-length romp in the Suburban Handicap (G2)

in July. Following that effort, he finished second to

Tizway in theWhitneyHandicap (G1)andwas run-

ner-up toHavre deGracewhen shebeat theboys in

theWoodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in Septem-

ber. Flat Out could face both of those rivals once

more in the Breeders’CupClassic inNovember.

“He ran two real good races at Saratoga; you

can’t knock those horses he faced there,” said

Dickey.


Musical RomancePrevails in Masters

Florida-bred Musical Romance summonedallher courage to register a narrow decision in thePresque IsleMasters (G2) onSept.10.BredbyOcalaStud, thedaughter of Concorde’sTune shipped fromher Calder base for trainer Bill Ka-plan to take down top prize in therich $400,000 event.

The finalmargin of victorywasa neck as she held the late ralliesof Ariana D and Shotgun Gulch atbay in the 6½-furlong test overPresque Isle’s Tapeta surface.

Impressive

First Dude to StandAt Double Diamond Farm

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Florida-bredFirst Dude

Florida-bred Musical Romance

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Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino an-

nounced in early October the Gulfstream

VIP Fan Experience, a unique and exclusive

experience that will allow fans an all access

and behind-the-scenes look atThoroughbred

racing from the training of horses in the

morning to presenting a trophy in the win-

ner’s circle in the afternoon.

The GulfstreamVIP Fan Experience will

offer racing fans an opportunity to view

areas previously accessible only to owners

and trainers of the sport. It will also afford

them the opportunity to meet some of the

sport’s biggest stars.

The Gulfstream VIP Fan Experience has

limited space and is currently only available

on the weekends of Jan. 7, Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.

The cost is $500 per couple.

All proceeds raised through the VIP Fan

Experience will go to the Gulfstream Park

ThoroughbredAfter-Care Program (gpafter-

care.com). Established by Frank Stronach,

chairman of Gulfstream Park, the After-

Care Program helps to care and match re-

tired Thoroughbreds with owners who will

make a lifelong commitment to their health,

safety and well being. The After-Care Pro-

gram also offers a curriculum for elemen-

tary schools and opportunities to adopt and

sponsor retired Thoroughbreds.

“The Gulfstream VIP Fan Experience is

the equivalent of sitting in the dugout during

a game at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium,

sitting on the bench during a Lakers game, or

standing on the sideline during the Super

Bowl,” said Gulfstream’s President and

General Manager Timothy Ritvo. “Gulf-

stream offers the best racing and the biggest

stars during its meet. Now fans can get in-

side the greatest sport in the world with this

all-access opportunity. It’s also a fantastic

opportunity to raise money and awareness

for our after-care program and our wonder-

ful equine athletes.”


Gulfstream Park Announces VIP Fan Experience

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The GulfstreamVIP Fan Experience includes:�A morning tour of Gulfstream’s backstretch and an opportunity to meet trainers and

jockeys as horses are trained and groomed. Fans will also visit with Hollywood, Gulf-

stream’s official mascot.

� Presenting a plaque in the winner’s circle to the winning connections.

�A birds-eye view of Gulfstream to watch clockers record workouts.

�Apersonal seminar on the day’s races with Gulfstream handicappers RonNicoletti, Jes-

sica Pacheco, Ed Gray or Brian Skirka.

�Watching track announcer Larry Collmus call a race.

�A tour of the jockey’s room with clerk of scales Victor Sanchez.

� Lunch at Ten Palms.

�A visit to theWalking Ring.

�A Gulfstream Park gift bag.

For more information call 954.457.6451.



By MICHAEL COMPTON

Florida-bred Flat Out won the rich

Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont

Park on Oct. 1 and the following day, fellow

Sunshine State products Vexor and Shks-

peare Shaliyah successfully carried the

state’s banner to victory in a pair of stakes

for the 2-year-old set.

The victories also

carried plenty of weight

at home in Ocala. Shks-

peare Shaliyah’s vic-

tory in the Pilgrim

Stakes (G3) represented

the first stakes victory

for his sire, Shakespeare,

who stands at Signature Stallions.

Shkspeare Shaliyah settled last of six

runners early in the 11⁄16-mile race on the

inner turf underAlex Solis. He made a five-

wide move around the turn and finished

strongly under a brisk hand ride. He crossed

the wire one-length clear of Kitten’s Kid,

stopping the timer in 1:51.59.

“This morning, after I gave him a bath and

put him in the stall, he was eager to go. We

thought he might break

through the webbing,”

said winning owner and

trainer Doodnauth Shiv-

mangal. “I told everyone

he is not going to lose, I

know this horse. He is the

best horse I have ever

trained. He is very pro-

fessional.

“I knew he was going to make that one

big run, and the longer the races get, the

more he wants to go,” he added.

The Pilgrim was the first victory in a

graded stakes for Shivmangal, who indi-

cated his Florida-bred is Breeders’ Cup

bound after the impressive performance.

“We refused a lot of

money for this horse but

we didn’t sell him because we bought this

horse for my granddaughter and there is no

amount of money that can buy this horse,”

he said. “He is definitely headed to the

Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Turf].”

Shkspeare Shaliyah, a $21,000 OBS

graduate, was bred by Guil and Angela

Bombonato and is produced from the Clever

Trick mare Tricky Mistress. He broke his

maiden over the Belmont turf in September

in his second career start.

Also on that Oct. 2

program, Florida-bred

Vexor withstood an early

pace duel to prevail in

the Nashua Stakes (G2).

The son of Journeyman

Stud stallion Wildcat

Heir pressured Trin-

niberg, by Journeyman

Stud stallion Teufles-

berg, through fractions

of 22.12 and 45.19 be-

fore poking a head in

front of that rival in the

stretch. He defeated

Trinniberg by just under a length at the wire,

stopping the clock in 1:10.71 for the six fur-

longs.

“His maiden race kind of shows it wasn’t

a fluke,” said winning conditioner John

Kimmel. “He ran a very good race up

there. We had some question marks after

he ran so poorly in the Hopeful. It was so

bad that we just kind of had to throw the

race out. He came back and had two nice

works. Today he was on the outside,

tracked the speed and was there when it

counted. It’s nice to get back and get a

good performance out of him. He’s obvi-

ously earned his way

into the Breeders’ Cup

Juvenile Sprint.”

A $90,000 OBS

graduate, Vexor was

bred by Carlos Rafael

and Briggs and Cromar-

tie Bloodstock and races

for GoldMark Farm. He

broke his maiden at

Saratoga in his second

career start in August.

Prior to his Nashua win,

Vexor finished a dismal

8th in the Hopeful.


Florida-bred Juveniles Score at Belmont

Florida-bred Vexor (above) and Wildcat Heir

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Offspring of Wildcat Heir and Shakespeare notch stakes scores

Florida-bred Shkspeare Shaliyah (below)and Shakespeare

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Tampa Bay Derby en-

trants have won two of the

past five editions of the Kentucky Derby, so

the eyes of theThoroughbredworld will focus

onTampa BayDownswhen the 32nd renewal

of the $350,000 showcase for 3-year-olds is

contested March 10.

The 86th season of racing at the Oldsmar

oval features 25 stakes offerings and approx-

imately $2.6 million in purses. The 92-day

meeting beginsDec. 3 and runs throughMay6,

the day after the 2012 Kentucky Derby.

TheTampaBayDerby, whichwas elevated

to Grade 2 status last year, is the highlight of

Tampa Bay Downs’ Festival Day, which fea-

tures $600,000 in guaranteed stakes purses.

Top Thoroughbred sophomores will at-

tempt to use the Tampa Bay Derby as a

springboard to success at Churchill Downs in

Louisville, following in the footsteps of 2007

Tampa Bay Derby winner Street Sense and

2010 Tampa Bay Derby third-place finisher

Super Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher.

Local longshots dominated the 2011

Tampa BayDerby, with the Kathleen O’Con-

nell-trained Florida-bredWatch Me Go win-

ning at odds of 43-1.

The lucrativeMarch 10 Festival Day of rac-

ing includes the$150,000,Grade3Hillsborough

Stakes for older fillies andmares at 11⁄8 miles on

the turf and the $100,000Suncoast Stakes for 3-

year-old fillies at amile and 40 yards.

Including the Suncoast

Stakes, seven stakes have been

increased by $25,000 from last season.

The Sam F. Davis Stakes for 3-year-olds,

one of three stakes on the Feb. 4 racing card,

has been increased to $250,000 while re-

taining its Grade 3 status. The race has often

been used by local trainers and outside in-

terests as a prep for the Tampa Bay Derby.

Also on the Feb. 4 card is a pair of $150,000

turf races at 11⁄16 miles—the FloridaOaks for 3-

year-old fillies and the Grade 3 Endeavour

Stakes for older fillies and mares.

This is the second year the Florida Oaks

will be contested on the turf. Last year’s win-

ner, Dynamic Holiday, earned her Oaks score

as one of three consecutive stakes victories

(including the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride

Stakes at Gulfstream) for ownerAugustin Sta-

ble and trainer Graham Motion, the condi-

tioner of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner

Animal Kingdom.

The fourth-place Florida Oaks finisher,

Her Smile, won the Grade 1 Prioress at Bel-

mont on July 4 and also finished second in

the Comely Stakes at Aqueduct.

Another graded stakes on the 2011-12 cal-

endar is theGrade3TampaBayStakes for older

horses at amile and a sixteenth on Feb. 25.The

$150,000 purse repre-

sents a $25,000 jump

from last season.

Racing fans can

also look forward to

the 10th annual

Florida Cup Day on

April 7. Geared to-

ward Florida-bred horses, the Florida Cup

features six stakes worth $75,000 each.

The Tampa Bay Downs stakes schedule

begins on Opening Day, Dec. 3, with the

$75,000-guaranteed Lightning City Stakes

at five furlongs on the turf for fillies and

mares 3-and-upward. The following Satur-

day, Dec. 10, Cotillion Day, features the six-

furlong Inaugural for 2-year-olds and the

six-furlong Sandpiper for 2-year-old fillies,

both offering $75,000.


Florida-bred Watch Me Go

By SANTA ANITA PUBLICITYFlorida-bred Broken Dreams validated

her Hollywood Park upset of Santa Anitadownhill turf course specialist Unzip Me witha furious late rally to capture the $100,000Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3) on openingday at Santa Anita Sept. 30.

With Garrett Gomez at the controls, Bro-ken Dreams stormed from fifth at the six-teenth pole to defeat Givine by one-half lengthwhile covering 6½ furlongs over SantaAnita’sunique grass layout in 1:12.23. Florida-bredTanda finished a nose back in third.

Maddy Stakes defending champion UnzipMe, the 4-5 favorite who had won 5 of 7 pre-vious competitions over the course,had to set-tle for fourth.

A 5-year-old mare trained by Tom Proctorfor Leonard Lavin’s Glen Hill Farm, BrokenDreams had run second to Unzip Me in twoearlier meetings over the course before finallytaking her measure by 1¼ lengths while rac-ing six furlongs over Hollywood Park’s turf

course. Broken Dreamssubsequently finishedfourth, 1¼ lengths be-hind Unzip Me, in DelMar’s Aug. 12 Daisycut-ter Handicap at five fur-longs on turf.

“Rock and roll is all Ican say,” Proctor said following the Maddy.“She actually ran good last time in the Daisy-cutter. The stretch at Del Mar is a little short forher. It was really one of her better races, and Ithought if she could run that way today,maybeshe’d win. It’s nice to see her win a stakes.This was a good bunch of fillies.”

Broken DreamsWins Maddy Stakes

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Tampa Bay Downs Announces Stakes Schedule

Florida-bred Broken Dreams

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By NYRA PRESS

Florida-bred Unbridled Humor pressed

a fast pace and maintained a clear lead in the

stretch to register a 1¾-length victory in the

$100,000 Noble Damsel (G3) Stakes last

month at Belmont Park.

Second outside longshot

Twilight Memory through an

opening quarter of 23.41 sec-

onds, Unbridled Humor pulled

to the lead midway along the

backstretch, opened a four-

length advantage on the far

turn, and was never threatened

in the stretch.

It was the first graded

stakes win and fifth victory

overall from six starts for Un-

bridledHumor, who completed

the one-mile distance on turf in 1:34.09.

Unbridled Humor opened her career with

four wins, including a triumph in the Memo-

ries of Silver overnight stakes last November

atAqueduct, before she suffered her first de-

feat in her most recent start, a seventh as the

favorite in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga Race

Course on July 30.

In the Diana, Unbridled Humor led early

as she tugged at her rider before she faded in

the stretch. This time, she rated well enough

to hold off the stretch runners.

“Ideally, trainerGrahamMotionwouldhave

liked to seenher coveredup, butwith the lackof

speed in the race thatwas going to be difficult,”

said winning jockey Ramon Dominguez, who

was aboard the 4-year-old filly

for the first time in her career. “I

just took a long hold. She was

eager, butwithin reason.Turning

for home, she switched leads on

her own and she picked it up

pretty nicely. I’m very happy

withher.Typically, horses tend to

relax more when they are cov-

ered up, and that’s been the case

with her. Even when she is not

covered up,when she has a cou-

ple of horses to look at, she

seems to relax better. But she is

pretty versatile; you can do pretty much what

youwant with her.”

The victory was gratifying for Motion’s

team, which has copedwith the filly’s

personality quirks.

“She’s quite difficult,” said

HeatherCraig, assistant toMotion.

“We’ve had some issues with her

as far as getting to the gate, getting

to the track. She was so well behaved

today, and Ramon did an excellent job. We

were a little concerned that she was that close

to the lead and that they went that quick, but it

seems as long as you keep her happy, regard-

less of how slow or quick she goes, she runs

well. She’s an amazing filly. We’re happy to

train at Fair Hill all the time. It seems to really

benefit her.”

Unbridled Humor, a Live Oak Plantation

daughter of Distorted Humor, has earned

$177,520, including the $60,000 winner’s

share of the Noble Damsel purse.


The Jockey Club ReleasesBreeding Statistics

The Jockey Club last month reported

that 2,904 stallions covered 44,184 mares

in NorthAmerica during 2010, according

to statistics compiled through Sept. 7,

2011. These matings have resulted in

23,558 live foals of 2011 being reported

to The Jockey Club on Live Foal Reports

received as of Sept. 7, 2011.

The Jockey Club estimates that the

number of live foals reported, at this

point in time, is approximately 85 per-

cent complete. The reporting of live foals

of 2011 is down 13.5 percent from last

year at this time when The Jockey Club

had received reports for 27,233 live foals

of 2010.

“The decline in breeding activity in re-

cent years has resulted in a downward

trend for live foal returns that is expected

to continue next year, based on our re-

cently announced foal crop estimate of

24,700 for 2012,” said Matt Iuliano, The

Jockey Club’s executive vice president

and executive director.

In Florida, 3,233 mares were bred in

2010 and 1,565 live foals have been re-

ported this year, marking a drop of 25.4

percent from last year’s 2,097 live foals.

Florida ranks third in the country

by number of live foals, trailing

Kentucky (11,065) and Cali-

fornia (1,762) and just ahead of

fourth-place Louisiana (1,516).

The 2011 registered foal crop

projection of 27,000 takes into ac-

count that not all live foals become regis-

tered. In addition to the 23,558 live foals

of 2011 reported through Sept. 7, The

Jockey Club had also received 3,731 No

Foal Reports for the 2011 foaling season.

The number of stallions declined 7.2

percent overall from the 3,130 reported

for 2009 at this time last year, while the

number of mares bred decreased 10.6

percent from the 49,404 reported for

2009.

“Even when she isnot covered up,

when she has a cou-ple of horses to lookat, she seems to

relax better. But sheis pretty versatile;you can do prettymuch what youwant with her.”—jockey

Ramon Dominguez

Unbridled Humor ComposedIn Noble Damsel VictoryCO

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Florida-bred Unbridled Humor

Live Oak homebred wins first graded stakes



“He is the best older horse in the country. He is just beautiful.He’s a big, solid and smart horse. He is very balanced for a big horse.He was becoming a great horse.”—Bob Baffert

First DudeStephen Got Even—Run Sarah Run, by Smart Strike

retires toDouble Diamond Farmin Ocala, Florida, with a bankroll of$1.4 million in a brilliant racing career.

Winner:(G1) Hollywood Gold Cup(G3) Alysheba Stakes

Placed:(G1) Blue Grass Stakes(G1) Preakness Stakes(G1) Belmont Stakes(G1) Haskell Invitational(G1) Travers Stakes(G2) Pennsylvania Derby

HORS

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SERI

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FirstDudeSpread3_USEOpportunity.qxd:Layout 1 10/5/11 2:39 PM Page 18

Contact Melissa Anthony for stallion inquiries899 S.W. 85th Ave., Ocala, FL 34481 • (352) 237-3834 Fax: (352) 237-6069 • visit-www.doublediamondfarm.com

Also StandingAmerican Spirit • Wekiva Springs

A history of successbegins with attention

to the individual.

899 S.W. 85th Ave., Ocala, FL 34481 • (352) 237-3834 Fax: (352) 237-6069 • visit-www.doublediamondfarm.comContact Melissa Anthony for stallion inquiries

FirstDudeSpread3_USEOpportunity.qxd:Layout 1 10/6/11 10:59 AM Page 2


PhotoSpr_FlatOut.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 1:26 PM Page 20


Florida-bred Flat Outrolled to an impressive victoryover a sloppy track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 1at Belmont Park. Flat Out’s win over the 1¼ miles earned him aberth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov. 5.

The 5-year-old son of Flatter was bred by Nikolaus Bock and races forPreston Stables. Flat Out’s victory provided his 70-year-old trainer,

Chalres “Scooter” Dickey, with his first Grade 1 win.

Flat Out was foaled in Florida at Gary Mesnick andNorman Dellheim’s The Summit and was sold by

Thoroughstock.

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By JO ANN GUIDRY

It's turning into a wild race to the finish for the title

of leading Florida sire by 2011 stakes winners.After

being tied for weeks at six each, Wildcat Heir

moved ahead by one over Pomeroy in the last week of

September.Through the end of September, Journeyman

Stud's Wildcat Heir had recorded seven stakes winners

and Vinery's Pomeroy had posted six. Here's a look at

the two stallions' leading 2011 progeny.

WILDCAT HEIR – 7 STAKES WINNERS

The leading earner forWildcat Heir to date this sea-

son is Florida-bred stakes winner John Johnny Jak, who

has banked $139,971.The 4-year-old ridgling out of the

the Saint Ballado mare PureAdrenalin has been consis-

tent, winning two stakes and placing in two others.

Bred by Murray Smith and racing for Kretz Racing

LLC, John Johnny Jak won the Carterista Starter Stakes

onApril 24 at Gulfstream Park. He then scored a victory

in the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes onAug. 24 at Del Mar.

In addition, John Johnny Jak was second in both the

Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar andMecke Stakes at Calder.

Wildcat Heir is also represented this season by

Florida-bred graded stakes winnerWildcatMarie. Bred

by CloverLeaf Farms and Brent Fernung,WildcatMarie

captured the Whimsical Stakes (G3) at Woodbine on

April 23. She was also third in the Hendrie Stakes (G3)

at Woodbine and in the Satin and Lace Stakes at

Presque Isle Downs. A 4-year-old filly out of the Wild

Rush mare Miss Rachel Marie, Wildcat Marie is raced

by Joseph Baldesarra and Partners. On the season, she

has earned $129,182 to date.

Black Diamond Cat was a two-time stakes winner at

Calder during the summer.On July 4, the 4-year-old geld-

ing won the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Stakes for owner

BluestoneThoroughbreds LLC.He came back onAug. 6

to score awin in theMajorMoran Stakes.Also second in

theWhippleton Stakes at Calder, BlackDiamondCat has


The title of leading Florida sire by stakeswinners is coming down to a wild finish.

SiresBySW_WildRace.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:07 AM Page 22


banked $128,805 to date this season. Out of theMiswaki

mare SweetGlory, BlackDiamondCatwas bred byMike

Eckman andMark and Debbie Ravenscraft.

Another double stakes winner forWildcat Heir this

season is Florida-bred Wild About Marie, who won a

pair at Fair Grounds. Raced by Ike and Dawn Thrash,

Wild About Marie tallied wins in the Dr. A.B. Leggio

Memorial Stakes on Jan. 22 and Bienville Stakes on

March 19. She also posted seconds in both the Giant's

Causeway Stakes at Keeneland and Satin and Lace

Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. Bred by partners Robert

Dodd, Tonya Jurgens and Dry Creek Stables LLC, the

4-year-old filly is out of the Valid Wager mare Joyful

Wager. To date this season, Wild About Marie has

banked $115,035.

Rounding out Wildcat Heir's list of current stakes

winners are Karmageddon and Breathoffreshair. Kar-

mageddon, a 4-year-old filly, won the Jersey Girl Hand-

icap and was second in the Open Mind Handicap at

Monmouth Park. Breathoffreshair, a 3-year-old filly,

captured the Ruthless Stakes and was second in the

Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct.

Wildcat Heir is also represented to date this season

by seven stakes-placed runners: Wildcat Aly, Jocata,

Greatful Heir, Banner Cat, Sonofawildcat, Future

Covenant and Depeche Cat.

By Forest Wildcat out of the stakes-producing Pen-

telicus mare Penniless Heiress, Florida-bred Wildcat

Heir was a Grade 1 stakes winner of $424,460. Enter-

ing stud in 2006, Wildcat Heir was the 2009 leading

Florida freshman and juvenile sire. In 2010, Wildcat

Heir was the leading Florida general sire and juvenile

sire. Wildcat Heir stands as property of Taylor

Made/WinStar Venture and New Farm at Brent and

Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud.Florida sireWildcat Heir

LOUI

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Entering stud in 2006,Wildcat Heir was the 2009 leading

Florida freshman and juvenile sire. In 2010,Wildcat Heir was

the leading Florida general sire and juvenile sire.

SiresBySW_WildRace.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 1:37 PM Page 23

POMEROY – 6 STAKES WINNERS

Among Pomeroy's six stakes winners are multiple

graded Florida-bred stakes winners Pomeroys Pistol

and Flashpoint. Pomeroys Pistol gets the nod as his

leading earner with a hefty bankroll of $401,188 to

date this season.

Owned and trained byAmy Tarrant, Pomeroys Pistol

was also bred in the name of Tarrant's Hardacre Farm.

Pomeroys Pistol kicked off the season with an impressive

win in theForwardGal Stakes (G2) atGulfstreamPark on

Jan. 30. She followed thatwith a tally in the Just Smashing

StakesonJune11atMonmouthPark.PomeroysPistolwas

back in thewinner's circlewith awin in theGallantBloom

Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park on Sept. 24.

Sandwiched in between thosewins, Pomeroys Pistol

posted a quartet of graded stakes-placings. Shewas sec-

ond in the Prioress Stakes (G1), Test Stakes (G1) and

Old Hat Stakes (G3), as well as finishing third in the

Davona Dale Stakes (G2).A 3-year-old filly, Pomeroys

Pistol is out of the Point Given mare Prettyatthetable.

Flashpoint, raced byPeachtree Stable,won theHutch-

eson Stakes (G2) on Feb. 26 at Gulfstream Park to begin

the year on a graded stakes-winning note. He made it a

pair with a tally in the Jersey Shore Stakes (G3) on July 3

atMonmouth Park. Bred by Silverleaf Farms, Flashpoint

is a 3-year-oldgray/roan colt out ofTwoPunchLil, byTwo

Punch.To date this season, he has earned $262,700.

Florida-bred Positive Response, a 3-year-old geld-

ing out of the Farma Way mare Lisa's Approval, has

won two stakes to date this season. Bred by Rosebrook

Farms LLC andMoreau Bloodstock International, Pos-

tive Response won the California Derby on Jan. 15 at

Golden Gate Fields. Twomonths later, he scored a win

in the John BattagliaMemorial Stakes atTurfway Park.

Also third in the El Camino Real Derby (G3) at Golden

Gate Fields, Positive Response has banked $148,520 to

date this season.

Pomeroy is also represented this season by stakes

winners Mel Beach (Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes),

Golden Springs (Island Fashion Stakes) and URBurn-

ing Daylite (Golden Boy Stakes). In addition, Pomeroy

Star is stakes-placed in Puerto Rico.

A multiple Grade 1 stakes winner of $845,050,

Pomeroy is by Boundary out of Questress, by Seeking

the Gold. Pomeroy entered stud in 2007 and stands at

Vinery Florida.�


Wild Race

Florida sire Pomeroy

LOUI

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Pomeroy's stakes

winner Pomeroys

Pistol gets the nod

as his leading

earner with a hefty

bankroll of

$401,188 to date

this season.

SiresBySW_WildRace.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:08 AM Page 24

NYRA

PHOTO

FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 352-629-2160 • Fax: 352-629-3603

www.ftboa.com [email protected]

Experience the thrill of victory in Florida's Thoroughbred industry.To learnmore about breeding and owning racehorses in the Sunshine State,

call us today or visit us on the web at www.ftboa.com

www.facebook.com/thefloridahorse



the Bright SeasonBy JOHN CALIFANO

Twenty-five years have elapsed since she

streaked across the racing firmament,

only to disappear after one bright

season. She packed a lot of punch into nine

starts and became a Breeders’ Cup winner,

divsional champion, and richest two-year-

old female ever at that point in time; and

there is no telling what she might have

achieved in maturity.

The dark bay/brown filly Brave Raj was bred

in Florida by Dr. W.S. Karutz, and foaled in 1984.

Originally owned by Al-Ben Partnership and condi-

tioned by Ben Perkins Jr., Brave Raj was privately pur-

chased by Dolly Green for $300,000 after breaking her

maiden and sent to the stable of California-based horseman

Melvin F. Stute.

FAMILY TIES

Brave Raj was sired by Rajab out of the Bravo mare

BravestYet. Rajab, a chestnut horse, was a mulitple graded

stakes-placed performer in 1977, his best efforts com-

BraveRaj.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:45 AM Page 26

ing in Santa Anita’s San Fernando

Stakes and San Bernadino Handicap and Holly-

wood Park’s Bel Air Handicap, all over 11⁄8 miles.

Brave Raj’s grandsire, Jaipur, in 1961 at age two, won

the seven-furlong Cowdin and 6½-furlong Hopeful

Stakes. The following year he was named three-year-old

male champion after winning the 1½-mile

Belmont Stakes, eclipsing Man o’War’s track

record in the 1¼-mile Travers Stakes, and cap-

turing the 11⁄8-mile Jersey Derby. He also won

the mile Withers and Gotham Stakes.

Rajab’s dam, Classicist, was

sired byPrincequillo (GB),

out of the Stymie

mare Classic

Music. The stakes-winning Princequillo was one of the

sport’s great sires and broodmare sires. The exceedingly

popular champion Stymie had seven campaigns during the

1940s, became racing’s first $900,000 earner, and the

sport’s all-time money leader before being surpassed by

Citation. Brave Raj was also inbred 3x4, top and bottom,

to Nasrullah (GB), an English champion two-year-old,

among the breed’s greatest stallions, and sire of

Nashua and Bold Ruler.

BraveRaj’s first five damswere not re-

markable racers, norwas her broodmare

sire Bravo, from 11 starts. Bravo

however, was sired by Bold Ruler,

the 1957 Horse of theYear, and

American racing’s leading

sire of the 20th century,

heading the list eight

times, and counting nu-

merous champions

among his descen-

dents, most no-

tably Secretariat.

“I talked to Ben Jr., and he saidhe’d get a hold of his dad, and that’s how the deal

started. Nice filly to be around. Not big, not little.I’d say about the right size, probably close to fifteen,three. I was impressed by her. She was alwaysimpressive in workouts.”—Mel Stute


FOUR

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Bravo was out of the Ambiorix (FR.) mare Magneto.

Ambiorix, who would becomeAmbiorix II, was lightly

raced but still good enough to become two-year-old

French champion in the late 1940s.

Brave Raj’s second dam, Perfect Hand, was sired by

the gray black-type winner Hand to Hand, himself by

gray two-year-old champion Warfare, a son of Deter-

mine, who was the first gray colt to win the Kentucky

Derby. Determine sired another Derby winner, the gray

California-bred colt Decidedly.

Her third dam, the unracedTurnAhead, was sired by

black-type winner DeadAhead. Brave Raj’s fourth dam,

Millie H., was byMark-Ye-Well, a bay colt by the mag-

nificent stallion Bull Lea, out of the Bleinheim II (GB)

mareMar-Kell. Bull Lea producedmany luminaries, in-

cluding his greatest son, Citation. Bleinheim II was sire

of 1941 U.S.,Triple Crown winner Whirlaway, and

broodmare sire of such illustrious figures as Coaltown,

Hill Gail, and Kauai King.

Mark-Ye-Well won the 1952Arlington Classic, when

contested at a mile, 11⁄8-mile American Derby and 15⁄8-

mile Lawrence Realization at age three. He captured the

1¼- mile Santa Anita Handicap at four, under 130

pounds, in addition to the 11⁄16-mile San Fernando Stakes.

He returned at age five and annexed the 11⁄8-mile San

Antonio Handicap, under 130, in addition to the 1¼-

mile San Marcos Handicap on the

turf. The following year, the six-year-

old Mark-Ye-Well equaled the track

record of 1:48 2⁄5 in the nine-furlong

Stars & Stripes Handicap. Through

her fifth dam, Transparent (GB),

Brave Raj was a distant relative to the legendary English

champion and stallion Hyperion (GB).

GETTING STARTED

Brave Raj made her racing debut a dominant one, on

May 22, 1986, at Garden State Park inNew Jersey. Facing

six rivals in a five-furlong Maiden Special Weight, she

rompedhomebymore thanseven lengths ina finishing time


“Dolly wanted to try her against colts. She was the best filly in the country andthat’s why I ran her. The owner of Snow Chief, Carl Grinstead, was a little upsetbecause if she had won, she would have passed him. I was a little disappointed

because I thought she would beat the boys.”—Mel Stute

Raj


of :59. Stute had seen the race and through his assistant,

GaryGregory, became aware that Brave Raj was for sale.

“I talked to Ben Jr., and he said he’d get a hold of his

dad, and that’s how the deal started,” Stute said. “Nice

filly to be around. Not big, not little. I’d say about the

right size, probably close to fifteen, three. I was im-

pressed by her. She was always impressive in workouts.”

Brave Raj headed out to California, making her next

start in a stakes, under new rider PatrickValenzuela, who

would pilot her in all but one remaining race. In Holly-

woodPark’s six-furlongLandaluce (G3), on July 4, Brave

Raj met eight other fillies, including the highly regarded

Bobby Frankel trained DelicateVine, and finished a dis-

tant fifth asDelicateVine camehome two lengths in front.

Making her way down to Del Mar for the six-furlong

JuniorMiss onAug. 6,BraveRaj had a compromised start

but managed to finish a solid second, three-quarters of a

length behindFooty, thewinner in receipt of three pounds,

with Evil Elaine, a head back of Brave Raj, in third.

STREAK

Twelve days later, Brave Raj went on a five-racewin-

ning streak, beginningwithDelMar’s seven-furlong Sor-

rento Stakes (G3).Among a field of 10, she broke fifth,

gradually advanced, before eventuallymoving ahead and

hitting the wire 1 1⁄4 lengths in front of Breech at equal

weights of 117. She then proceeded to annex the one-

mile Del Mar Debutante (G2) onAug. 31.

Racing secretary Kenny Noe asked Stute to bring

Brave Raj back to Florida, and three weeks later she was

entered in the seven-furlong restricted Susan’s Girl at

Calder Race Course.The surface conditions were sloppy

but Brave Raj crossed the finish with a 4½-length win-

ning margin. On Oct. 12, as part of a 13-horse field, she

made her first attempt at a route race inCalder’s restricted

11⁄16-mile My Dear Girl, and held offAdded Elegance by

less than a length to post her fourth straight victory.

Brave Raj returned to theWest Coast, and showcased

her talent with the biggest performance of her young ca-

reer on the biggest stage in NorthAmerica.

“All that time I wasn’t figuring she was a Breeders’

Cup horse because of the distance and her pedigree was-

n’t that great,” Stute said.

Noe however encouraged the trainer to enter her, so

she was put on a plane back to California, and her date

with destiny.


Brave Raj winning the1986 Florida StallionStakes, the My Dear

Girl Division, overAdded Elegance.

JEAN

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LEADER

The 1986 Breeders’ Cup Championships were held at

Santa Anita Park on Nov. 1, and Brave Raj was the third

choice in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

(G1), contested at 11⁄16 miles.

The early favorite had been a filly who would eventu-

ally make history of her own; but at the time, Personal En-

sign had sustained a pastern fracture in aworkout andwould

not race again until the following September. Favoritism fell

to theD.WayneLukas trained Sacahuista, coming off a solid

win in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G1).

DelicateVine, previously undefeated, had finished third

in the Oak Leaf, and suffered a career-ending injury. Tap-

piano was the second

choice. Another entry in

the field was Ruling

Angel, Canada’s eventual

1986 Sovereign Horse of theYear.

Among a field of 12, Brave Raj would break from post

four underValenzuela.When theywere sent away,Tappiano,

AnythingForLove, Sacahuista andRulingAngel vied for the

early lead with Brave Raj farther back in fifth. Entering the

clubhouse turn,Valenzuela settled Brave Raj comfortably in

fourth, asSacahuista droppedback,with aquarter run in :221⁄5.

Down the backstretch there wasn’t much change in the

order with the half covered in :45 3⁄5. Tappiano andAnything

For Lovewere still in frontwithRulingAngel also engaging.

Tappiano started to draw away, with RulingAngel in pursuit,

while Brave Raj advanced along the inside, cutting intoTap-

piano’s lead around the far turn, with six furlongs in 1:10 1⁄5.

As they headed into the stretch, Brave Raj ran Tappiano

down, quickly surged ahead along the rail, and built an in-

surmountable margin, hitting the wire clear by 5 ½ lengths.

Tappiano held second, followed by Saros Brig. Sacahuista,

with a strong late bid, finished fourth. Brave Raj’s final time

was 1:43 1⁄5, three-fifths of a second faster thanCapote’swin-

ning performance in the Breeders’Cup Juvenile (G1).

The victorywasmonumental for the Florida-bred daugh-

ter of Rajab, who had collected $450,000 of the purse and

was now the all-time leading juvenile female earner with

$911,150.

Brave Raj would make onemore start for the year and at-

tempt tobecome the first two-year-old, of eithergender, to earn

one million dollars; but if she succeeded, she would do it in

open company. Brave Raj could reach the milestone by fin-

ishing at least third, but even if she fell short, could still be-

come the richest juvenile. Her stablemate, the three-year-old

California-bred colt and Preakness winner Snow Chief, cur-

rentlyheld that distinctionafter earning$935,740 in1985; and

Brave Raj would pass him by simply reporting home fourth.

As the favorite, and lone filly in the group, Brave Raj

would break frompost eight, against 11males inHollywood

Park’s one-mile Hollywood Futurity (G1) on Dec. 14. The

purse was $1 million with nearly half that amount going to

the winner. When the dust cleared, three horses were at the

wire withTemperate Sil, under 55-year-old Bill Shoemaker,

ahead of future superstar Alysheba by a neck, with Master-

fulAdvocate another neck behind him. Finishing 31⁄4 lengths


BraveRaj

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Brave Rajwinning the DelMar Debutante

“She was a pretty smart mare and she was pretty tough too. She wasn’tmean and she wasn’t hard to work with but she could get a little fired up

sometimes. She was a great mother, raising babies.”—Barry Ezrine


back in fifthwasBraveRaj, an effort that earnedher $22,500.

“Dolly wanted to try her against colts,” Stute said. “She

was the best filly in the country and that’s why I ran her.”Al-

though Brave Raj had not reached the $1 million milestone

nor caughtSnowChief, Stute’s filly had enjoyed a remarkable

year, posting six wins and a second from nine starts, and

record divisional earnings of $933,650. Among the year’s

money earners, shewas 10th on the list, with eventualHorse

of theYear Lady’s Secret and SnowChief the top two.

“The owner of Snow Chief, Carl Grinstead, was a little

upset because if she had won, she would have passed him,”

Stute remarked. “Iwas a little disappointed because I thought

she would beat the boys.”

CHAMPION

BraveRaj’s campaignmerited anEclipse award for 1986,

which she received as champion two-year-old female. Snow

Chief received theEclipse as champion three-year-oldmale.

Due to physical problems following her campaign, Brave

Raj did not race beyond her stellar juvenile year.

“She was very good,” Stute remembered. “She was too

good a filly to take a chance.”

AFTERMATH

In retirement, the broodmare Brave Raj resided at

Warren Rosenthal’s PatchenWilkes Farm in Lexington,

Ky., and produced 10 winners out of 13 named foals,

including stakes winner Bravo Bull, by Horse of the

Year Holy Bull. Brave Raj was also bred to England’s

last Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky II, and from that

cover produced the filly Russian Tango, herself a stakes

winner and future dam of Grade 2 winner Eurosilver.

Another daughter, El Rabab, by Irish/English champion

Roberto, produced Canadian grade two winner Muntej

(GB).

Barry Ezrine, FarmManager at PatchenWilkes, shared

his recollections about Brave Raj.

“She was a pretty smart mare and she was pretty tough

too. She wasn’t mean and she wasn’t hard to work with but

she could get a little fired up sometimes. She was a great

mother, raising babies.”

Having survived colic surgeries, Brave Raj died on Jan.

28, 2006, at age 22, one week after aborting a filly by

Gulch. The cause of her demise was believed to be a bro-

ken blood vessel. In her honor, the one-mile, seventy yard

Brave Raj Stakes for two-year-old fillies, is run in Sep-

tember at Calder. Brave Raj added a lovely touch of class

to the sport ofThoroughbred racing, enriched its great her-

itage, established her legacy, and secured a lasting place in

the hearts of racegoers, particularly in Florida and Cali-

fornia. For as long as horses take to the track, Brave Raj’s

memory fondly endures. �


FOUR

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Trainer Mel Stuteoutside his barn atSanta Anita withBrave Raj (right)and Snow Chief.

BraveRaj.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 12:35 PM Page 31

www.facebook.com/thefloridahorseFlorida... the Best State for Business

GetOnBoard.qxd:Layout 1 8/10/11 9:41 AM Page 1

No tax on stallion seasons.No personal state income tax.

No individual capital gains tax.National leader in veterinary and equine research.

Ranked third in the U.S. for number of horses and size of horse industry.Feed and animal health items, along with other specific items, are also exempt.

Horses are exempt from sales tax when purchased from their original breeder.Florida’s greenbelt exemption provides property tax breaks for Florida horse farms.

Physical climate allows for year-round training, racing, showing and business opportunities.

FLORIDA DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICESAdam Putnam, Commissioner 850-921-7916 • Fax 850-922-0374

e-mail:[email protected] S. Calhoun • 427-A Mayo Building, Tallahassee, FL 32399

FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’AND OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION

801 SW 60th Ave. • Ocala, FL 34474 • 352-629-2160Fax: 352-629-3603 • www.ftboa.com • [email protected]

From coast to coast,Florida’s tax-friendly, pro-business

environment is poised and ready toattract new companies and create

new employment opportunities.

GetOnBoard.qxd:Layout 1 8/10/11 9:42 AM Page 2


By JOANN GUIDRY

The Nassal Company, founded

in 1984 by Bill and Cindy

Nassal, fabricates and in-

stalls themed environments for enter-

tainment, zoo, aquarium, leisure and

sports venues. The company’s client

list includes Walt Disney World,

Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe

and Universal’s Wizarding World of

Harry Potter. The Nassal Company’s

master artists and craftsmen perform

their own brand of magic, bringing to

life what imagination creates. Think

the Hogwarts School castle, the

Georgia Aquarium and Legoland.

But on Sept. 5, the Nassals experi-

enced a different kind of magic. Call it the

Thoroughbred kind when Currency Swap,

who the Nassals bred in the name of their

Ocala-based Stonecliff Farm, won the

Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Cur-

rency Swap became the first stakes winner

bred by the Nassals, who established

Stonecliff Farm in 2000.

“We’re a small operation,” said Cindy

Nassal. “We have only three broodmares

and to produce a horse like Currency

Swap is very exciting for us.”

So exciting that the Nassals were at

Saratoga days prior to the Hopeful Stakes.

Bill and Cindy Nassal, owners ofStonecliff Farm in Ocala, are enjoying the

success of Florida-bred Currency Swap

Nassals_CurrencySwap.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 2:11 PM Page 34


We’re a small

operation.We have

only three broodmares

and to produce a

horse like Currency

Swap is very exciting

for us.—Cindy Nassal

NYRA

PHOT

O“

”


They visited Currency Swap, who they still refer to by

his farm name of Cotton, on the backside. They joined

owners Seth Klarman and William Lawrence, as well

as trainer Teresa Pompay, in the saddling ring. Minutes

later, they would all be in the winner’s circle.

“When he took the lead, I started yelling ‘Run, Cotton,

Run,’ kind of like ‘Run, Forrest, Run,’and I didn’t stop

until he crossed the finish line,” saidCindy. “It was a very

big day for us.Wewere just beamingwhenwewent down

to the winner’s circle for the picture with everyone else.”

It was only the second career start for Currency Swap,

a 2-year-old colt by Ocala Stud stallion High Cotton out

of the Pine Bluff mare Echo Bluff. He broke his maiden

by six lengths onAug. 6 at Saratoga.Amonth later, Cur-

rency Swapwon theHopeful Stakes by three-quarters of

a length over Trinniberg. He clocked 1:26.16 for the

seven furlongs over a sloppy track. Racing for the previ-

ously noted Klarman’s Klaravich Stables Inc. and

Lawrence, Currency Swap has to date banked $180,000.

The Nassals purchased the unraced Echo Bluff, the

dam of Currency Swap, for $4,500 at the 2002 Ocala

Breeders’ Sales Company’s January mixed sale. Con-

signed by Janie Roper, agent, EchoBluff is out of graded

stakes winner and stakes producerYou’renotlistening, by

Kennedy Road. Echo Bluff is a full sister to stakes win-

ner Your Bluffing; she is also a half-sister to graded

stakes-placed Nacho Friend and stakes-placedYachats.

“When we bought Echo Bluff, she was an unraced

three year old,” said Cindy. “I liked everything about her.

Shewas fromagood family andwas a nice, big,well-mus-

cled filly. I thought she’d be a good broodmare and pro-

duce nice, big babies.And that’s exactlywhat’s she’s done.”

In fact, Currency Swap was so nice that the Nas-

sals had originally intended to keep the foal they

dubbed Cotton.

“I have to give credit to bloodstock advisor Wiley

Perkins, who recommendedwe breedEchoBluff toHigh


SuccessfulSwap

NYRA

PHOT

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Cotton,” saidCindy. “He thought it would be a great cross

and hewas right. Cottonwas an exceptional foal from the

start and we thought we’d keep him to race ourselves.”

But plans changed when OBS inspectors came to

check out a Stonecliff Farm client’s horse for the up-

coming October sale.

“The OBS guys saw Cotton and asked about him,”

recalled Cindy. “When I told them he wasn’t going to

be sold, they just went on and on about what a nice

colt he was. So we changed our minds and decided to

put him in the sale.”

Consigned by Summerfield, agent for Stonecliff

Farm, the Nassals’ Cotton sold for $42,000 to Break-

water Farm at the 2009 OBS October mixed sale. Then

at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale,

the colt was consigned by Nick de Meric, agent, and

sold for $70,000 to Four Star Stable, agent. After he

was a $92,000 RNA at the 2011 OBS March juvenile

sale, the colt was kept to race by his current owners.

“Selling Cotton turned out for the best,” said Cindy.

“He’s with good people and doing well. As a horse

person, you can’t ask for more than that.”

Cindy Nassal admits she was “one of those horse-

crazy kids always begging my parents for a pony.” She

finally got her wish when she was nine.

“My first horse was a glorified plow horse,” said

Cindy, who grew up in Madison, West Virginia. “But

I thought he was beautiful. I rode him all around town

and in every town parade.”

Another childhood memory for Cindy involved

Florida, where her mother had family in Crystal River

and the Ocala area.

“Every time we drove through Ocala, my mother

would tellme that thiswaswhereNeedleswas from,” said

Cindy. “And I just thought

that was great and the

Thoroughbred farmswere

all so beautiful.”

In 1974, Cindymoved

to Orlando because she

“When we bought Echo Bluff, shewas an unraced three year old. Iliked everything about her. She wasfrom a good family and was a nice,big, well-muscled filly. I thoughtshe’d be a good broodmare andproduce nice, big babies. And

that’s exactly what’s she’s done.”—Cindy Nassal



“was young, the Florida skies were blue and there was

no winter.”While working for a national builder based

in Orlando, Cindy met future husband Bill Nassal,w

ho was also involved in the construction business.

After they married in 1984, the Nassals bought a small

farm in Seminole County and soon Cindy got a horse.

“I thought it would be nice to have a horse again and I

ended up getting an ex-racehorse,” saidCindy. “Her name

was Spectacular Splash and I competed in hunter/jumper

showswith her. Shewas very fast andwehad a lot of fun.”

It wasn’t long after that the Nassals became in-

volved in pinhooking Thoroughbreds for a couple of

years, buying weanlings and reselling them as year-

lings at OBS. But soon between the responsibilities of

a family and establishing The Nassal Company, there

was less time for the horses.When the Nassals sold the

Seminole County farm, they stopped pinhooking and

Cindy gave Spectacular Splash to a friend in Virginia.

“But years later after we were doing well and bought

a second home in Vermont,” explained Cindy, “Bill

tracked down Spectacular Splash and bought her back

for me. I kept her at a stable not far from our Vermont

home. I had her until she died at 28 and that’s when I de-

cided I never wanted to be without a horse again.”

At the 1998 OBSApril juvenile sale, Cindy bought

a Blue Ensign out of Peaceful Meadow, by Mead-

owlake, colt for $6,500. The colt was bought with the

intention of being a riding horse.

“He was a big beautiful gray colt,” said Cindy.

“When aThoroughbred trainer friend of ours looked at

him, he told us we should think about racing him. We

thought that might be fun and decided to give it a try.”

Named Savoy, the Blue Ensign colt did well for the

Nassals. Racing for three years, he earned $74,600 on

fivewins, one second and one third in 21 starts. Hemade

all but one of those starts for the Nassals. OnAugust 6,

2000, Savoy won and was claimed off the Nassals for

$10,000 at Calder. A week later, Savoy won again at

Calder and the Nassals claimed him back for $14,000.

“I get very attached to my horses and I really liked

Savoy,” said Cindy. “He had been very good to us and

I wanted to make sure that he always had a good home.

He was retired after that last win and we brought him

home to our farm in Ocala. He’s still here.”

Nestled between Live Oak Stud and Double Dia-

mond Farm, the 104-acre Stonecliff Farm was previ-

ously Golden Orb Farm. The Nassals named the farm

for the large limerock pit on the property, which they

fenced off, sodded, and where every March, they host

a popular croquet tournament.

“The farm is just a beautiful piece of land andwe have

great neighbors in Live Oak andDouble Diamond,” said

Cindy. “We sold our house inWinter Park and moved to

the farm. Bill commutes four days a week to the com-

pany headquarters in Orlando.We love living in Ocala.”

Determined to always have a horse, Cindy admits

that “it was accumulation of horses that led to buying

the farm.” Currently the farm’s equine population

numbers 13, spread out among three active brood-

mares, their offspring, and a field full of retirees, in-

cluding the aforementioned Savoy.

The three active broodmares are Currency Swap’s

dam, Echo Bluff, Rucielo and Keepondealing. Echo

Bluff had a 2010 full sister to Currency Swap; named

Dirt Candy, the filly was sold privately by the Nassals

shortly after Currency Swap broke his maiden. Echo

Bluff was barren in 2011 and is not in foal for 2012.

Rucielo, a 1997 mare by Rubiano out of the Con-

quistador Cielo mare Stella Cielo, was bought by the

Nassals for $60,000 at the 1999 OBS February juve-

nile sale. She made but two starts, posting a win and

a second, before being injured and retired. To date, she

is the dam of four winners, including stakes-placed

Car Thief. A 2005 Cat Thief gelding, Car Thief was

third in the 2011 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Hand-

icap. Sold by the Nassals through Nick de Meric,

agent, for $28,000 at the 2007 OBS April juvenile

sale, Car Thief has to date earned $167,960.

The Nassals still own Rucielo’s 2008 Closing Ar-

gument filly, named Appealing Stella; they privately

sold her 2009 Alphabet Soup filly, named Littlemis-

sattitude. Rucielo has a 2011 Congrats colt on the

farm. Rucielo is not in foal for 2012.

Completing the trio of Stonecliff Farm broodmares is

stakes winner Keepondealing, a 1998 mare by Friendly

Lover out of Keep Dealing, by Explosive Bid. Durable

and consistent, Keepondealing made 45 lifetime starts,

recording 10 wins, 12 seconds and six thirds to bank

$299,515. She won the NewYear’s Eve Handicap and


“Every time we drove through Ocala, my motherwould tell me that this was where Needles wasfrom. And I just thought that was great and theThoroughbred farms were all so beautiful.”—Cindy Nassal

SuccessfulSwap


Wishing Well Stakes, as well as being stakes-placed

three times.The dam of four winners from four starters,

Keepondealing had a 2010 Put It Back filly and a 2011

D’wildcat colt. Keepondealing is not in foal for 2012.

“We like to keep our operation small, manageable

and enjoyable,” said Cindy, who with Bill has three

children and 10 grandchildren. “And to have Cotton,

a horse we bred, go from our pasture to become a

Grade 1 winner is more than we ever could’ve

dreamed about happening.” �


Ocala Stud stallionHigh Cotton, sireof Currency SwapLO

UISE

REINAG

ELPH

OTO

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Following are the “FTBOA Chase to the Championship ” Point Standings through September 28, 2011.

Year-end divisional champions will be determined using the “FTBOAChase to the Championship” point system, a ranking that awards points forsuccess in stakes races.

The “FTBOA Chase to the Championship” allocates points for stakes wins ingraded races,open-company stakes and Florida’s signature racing days,with thenumber of points awarded based upon the classification of the race. Internationalstakes race status is governed by the International Cataloguing Standards Com-mittee. The first three finishers in all Group/Graded and listed races appearing inPart I of the International Cataloguing Standards and International Statistics Bookprinted by The Jockey Club receive “black-type” designation.Ten point bonus tobe awarded to any 2-year-old colt or filly sweeping all three legs of the Florida Stal-lion Stakes in determining the Champion 2-year-old Florida-bred.

The Florida-bred with the most points in each division on December 31is deemed champion of that division. Horse of the Year, Broodmare of theYear and Breeder of the Year will be voted on by the FTBOA Board of Di-rectors and announced at the FTBOA’s annual awards dinner.

In the case of a year-end tie in points in any division, earnings will beused to decide the tiebreaker. — Points are assigned as follows:

� World Thoroughbred ChampionshipBreeders’ Cup Race:Win: 20 pointsPlace: 15 pointsShow: 10 points

� Grade 1 Stakes Race:Win: 15 pointsPlace: 10 pointsShow: 5 points

� Grade 2 Stakes Race:Win: 5 pointsPlace: 3 pointsShow: 2 points

� Grade 3 Stakes Race:Win: 3 pointsPlace: 2 pointsShow: 1 point

� Sunshine Millions(equivalent to a Grade 2 Stakes Race):Win: 5 pointsPlace: 3 pointsShow: 2 points

� Other Florida-bredSignature Race Days(equivalent to a Grade 3 Stakes Race):(The Florida Million, Florida Cup,Florida Stallion Stakes Series):Win: 3 pointsPlace: 2 pointsShow: 1 point

� Open-Company Stakes($50,000+Purse) Points for WIN ONLY:Win: 2 points

� Selection Criteria for Florida-bred champions

Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Breeder Owner TrainerCurrency Swap (High Cotton) - 15 Stonecliff Farm Klaravich Stables Inc &William H Lawrence Teresa M PompayFort Loudon (Awesome of Course) - 6 Jacks or Better Farm Inc Jacks or Better Farm Inc Stanley I GoldArgentine Tango (Black Mambo) - 4 Jacks or Better Farm Inc Jacks or Better Farm Inc Stanley I Gold

Two-Year-Old FillyRedbud Road (Awesome of Course) - 7 Jacks or Better Farm Inc Jacks or Better Farm Inc Stanley I GoldQueen Drama (Burning Roma) - 5 Harold L Queen Harold L Queen David FawkesCandrea (Trippi) - 2 Ocala Stud Karl Watson, Michael Pegram & Paul Weitman Bob BaffertCitizen Advocate (Proud Citizen) - 2 Peter Vegso Racing Stable White Hall Lane Farm David A VivianConway Two Step (Spanish Steps) - 2 Cashel Stud Inc Alex Lieblong David FawkesEssence of Bubbles (Essence of Dubai) - 2 Susie Leonie Blommaerts Richard Ravin Larry Rivelli

Three-Year-Old Colt/GeldingBrilliant Speed (Dynaformer) - 23 Live Oak Stud Live Oak Plantation Thomas AlbertraniCoil (Point Given) - 21 Glen Hill Farm Karl Watson, Michael E Pegram & Paul Weitman Bob BaffertToby’s Corner (Bellamy Road) - 18 Dianne D Cotter Dianne D Cotter H Graham Motion

Three-Year-Old FillyTurbulent Descent (Congrats) - 55 Ocala Stud Blinkers On Racing, Dave Aurelio, Robert Butler, Joleen Coons, Lapso, et al Mike PuypePomeroys Pistol (Pomeroy) - 34 Hardacre Farm LLC Hardacre Farm LLC Amy TarrantR Heat Lightning (Trippi) - 10 E Paul Robsham Stables LLC E Paul Robsham Stables LLC Todd A Pletcher

Older Male (Four-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding)Teaks North (Northern Afleet) - 33 Brylynn Farm Inc Jules Boutelle Justin SallustoFlat Out (Flatter) - 25 Nikolaus Bock Preston Stables LLC Charles L DickeyJackson Bend (Hear No Evil) - 19 Jacks or Better Farm Inc Robert V LaPenta & Fred J Brei Nicholas P Zito

Older Female (Four-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare)Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook) - 25 Thorobeam Farm IEAH Stables,Whizway Farm, Robert Teel and Pegasus Holding Group Stables Richard E DutrowMusical Romance (Concorde’s Tune) - 21 Ocala Stud Pinnacle Racing Stable &William A Kaplan W KaplanBay to Bay (Sligo Bay) - 13 Adena Springs Robert Smithen Brian A Lynch

Male Sprint (Three-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding, race distances one mile and less)Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil) - 17 Jacks or Better Farm Inc Robert V LaPenta & Fred J Brei Nicholas P ZitoTrappe Shot (Tapit) - 17 Hobeau Farm Mill House Kiaran McLaughlinApriority (Grand Slam) - 16 Donald R Dizney Donald R Dizney David FawkesAikenite (Yes It’s True) - 15 Brylynn Farm Inc Dogwood Stable Todd A Pletcher

Female Sprint (Three-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare, race distances one mile and less)Turbulent Descent (Congrats) - 40 Ocala Stud Blinkers On Racing, Dave Aurelio, Robert Butler, Joleen Coons, Lapso, et al Mike PuypePomeroys Pistol (Pomeroy) - 34 Hardacre Farm LLC Hardacre Farm LLC Amy TarrantAmen Hallelujah (Montbrook) - 25 Thorobeam Farm IEAH Stables,Whizway Farm, Teel, Robert and Pegasus Holding Group Stables Richard E Dutrow

Male Turf (Three-Year-Olds and up Colt/Gelding, races run on the turf)Teaks North (Northern Afleet) - 33 Brylynn Farm Inc Jules Boutelle Justin SallustoJeranimo (Congaree) - 17 Brylynn Farm Inc B JWright Michael PenderBim Bam (Deputy Wild Cat) - 12 J D Farms Chuck, Ella & Lou Hagaman Ron Moquett

Female Turf (Three-Year-Olds and up Filly/Mare, races run on the turf)Bay to Bay (Sligo Bay) - 13 Adena Springs Robert Smithen Brian A LynchRomacaca (Running Stag) - 9 Cashel Stud Inc Frank Carl Calabrese Nick CananiTrip for A.J. (Trippi) - 8 Peter Fuller Peter Fuller Milton WWolfson

ChaseToChampionship.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 2:13 PM Page 16

�Call today for your contract.352.732.8858

Time to Act!



Horse Fever’s 10th anniversary herd of 27 horses trotted intoplace all around Ocala last month. Members of the press got a sneakpeek of the horses early in the month prior to their official unveiling

Sept. 29. Included in the early preview was theFlorida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Asso-ciation’s World Champ, painted by Sharon Crute.

The collection of life-sized, fancifully painted horses,presented by Marion Cultural Alliance and sponsored bythe FTBOA, will be on display until March of 2012.

They will be auctioned off March23, 2012 at Live Oak Plantation.

Sneak Peek


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HorseFever2.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 12:37 PM Page 22


Each day and each season at the Florida Agricul-

ture Center and Horse Park, we welcome new

opportunities and challenges. That strong spirit

continues, thanks to a dedicated board of directors and

staff, fantastic volunteers, benevolent donors, and a

newly formed foundation. Our team’s focus is solid and

ever-sharpening.

The Park has long been recognized as a major equine

attraction – well-known for horse shows, horse trials and

trails, distance riding competitions, camping and various

equestrian-related events. Our unique connection to the

famous Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

gives us a special signature difficult to find anywhere

else in the U.S.

What many don’t realize is that the Florida Agricul-

ture Center and Horse Park is also a top year-round des-

tination that, in addition to horses, hosts everything from

food festivals and competitive BBQs to RV shows, dog

races, foot races and farmers’markets.

We’ve stepped up our marketing this month to better

share that message with all Floridians and visitors.

In keepingwith the original intent and long-termmis-

sion of the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park,

we are pleased to have recently introduced updated

branding (seen above). This enhanced image more fully

represents the Park’s legal description, approved by

Florida statute in 1996. Soon, thanks to the generosity of

LAMARAdvertising Co., you’ll see multiple billboards

on I-75 delivering this Florida Agriculture Center and

Horse Park info to tens of thousands of people traveling

through the heart of Florida every day.

FALL FUN STUFF

As always, a slew of activity is taking place at the Park

this October andNovember, including dog lure coursing,

dressage shows, horse trials and endurance rides.

One of the Park fundraisers, the second-annual Fall

Farm Tour sponsored by Great American Insurance

Group, is sold out. For this unique event, 300 ticket hold-

ers will meet at the Park on Oct. 27 and travel to three

prominentMarion County facilities: Plumley Farms,The

Sanctuary, and Lynn Palm’s Fox Grove Farm. Special

guests include the wonderful mini equines with Gentle

Carousel Therapy Horses of Alachua County, Fla. We

owe great thanks to each farm, sponsor and volunteer

who is working to make this fundraiser a success…al-

lowing us to share agriculture and horses withmanywho

are unfamiliar with the industry.

Plus, on Friday, Nov. 18, our outreach extends to local

and state elected officials as we present our inaugural

Legislative Trail Ride at the Park. We are excited to host

our decision-makers in government and introduce them to

the vast green space and trails, competition and outdoor

adventure that make the 500-acre Florida Agriculture

Center and Horse Park a state jewel. Cactus Jack Trail

Rides will be providing bombproof horses for attendees

to ride, as well as wagon rides for others, and RFD-TV

personalityTreyYoung, “America’s Horseman,” of Craw-

fordville, Fla., will give riding tips and rope trick demos.

The ride will be followed by a BBQ and live band, and

photo opportunities, as we break ground for the first

plantings of our Memorial Tree program.

Step by step, day by day, we are fulfilling our motto

of “Making the Land a Hero.”

Would you like to get involved? Come see us, drop

us a line, invite us to speak at your club or organization,

make a tax-deductible donation, purchase a Memorial

Tree to be planted at the Park…or sign up as a volunteer!

Findmore atwww.flhorsepark.com,or connectwithour

sites on Facebook for frequent up-

dates: Florida Horse Park and Foun-

dation for the Florida Horse Park.

Happy Trails,

What many don’trealize is that theFlorida Agricul-ture Center andHorse Park is alsoa top year-rounddestination that, inaddition to horses,hosts everythingfrom food festivalsand competitiveBBQs to RVshows, dog races,foot races andfarmers’markets.

YourHorses, Hikers, Bikers...and More

Connie DuffWise / Chairman of the Board

FloridaAgricultural Center and Horse Park

FLORIDA HORSE PARK

YourFloridaHorsePark.qx:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 2:17 PM Page 1

By DIANA DE ROSA

Most teenage girls are enjoying play dates,

texting their friends, and planning ahead

for the weekend, but 13-year-old Victoria

Colvin, Loxahatchee, FL, spends most of her time rid-

ing and/or competing on at least 10 horses a day.

Victoria’s very first experience ridingalmost endedher

career right then and there. “I was three and the pony ran

offwithme. Iwas so scared I didn’t ride again until Iwas

five.” Since then the young teenager hasn’t looked back.

Victoria’s parents, Brigid and Jim, are 100 percent

behind Victoria’s love of horses because they share

her passion.

“They support me a lot,” saidVictoria as we chatted

after she’d just finished competing in one of her many

classes of the day. “My dad is a farrier and my mom

takes care of our ‘house’ barn.”

One of Victoria’s favorite places to compete is the

Washington International Horse Show, which this year

takes place Oct. 25-30. She likes the change of pace

since most of the shows she competes in have multiple

rings going at once and are outdoors. Not so at Wash-

ington, where the classes are showcased in Verizon

Center, with only one class going at a time.

“The first year I showed there was in 2007 and I

was reserve champion on a large pony named Sunday

Best. I was only nine years old and it was truly amaz-

ing. It’s an honor to make it to any indoors but Wash-

ington has a special feel. It is downtown and gives me

that tingly feeling. It makes all the classes I compete

in there special to me,” she said.

If last year’s victories are indicative of how she’s

done atWashington, it’s no wonder she loves that show.

In 2010 she was grand champion in the medium

ponies on Ever Luvin’owned by Scott Stewart; cham-

pion in the large ponies on ForThe Laugher owned by

Dr. Betsee Parker and Best Child Rider on a Pony.

In fact, when asked what her greatest achievement

has been so far at WIHS, it was these last honors that

she is most proud of.


Floridian Colvin is Just Thirteen andHeaded to the Washington International

YoungCompetitor

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“Being name Best Child Rider on a Pony

and also being champion in both divisions

meant a lot tome,” saidVictoria,whose charm-

ing smile andwide grinmade it clear thatwin-

ning is the icing on the cake for this youngster

who is just at the beginning of her career.

Yet it’s not just the riding she enjoys at

Washington. “I love Puissance night and

being able to walk up to the puissance wall.

It is huge.”

This year she’ll be back and already has a

plan: “I am hoping to improve from last year.

I am riding Ovation and Vip Z owned by

Scott, Sanzibar owned by Karen Long

Dwight and Barbara Ridder Irwin.

This talented teenager is the go-to rider

for many owners and gets to ride some won-

derful horses. “In the large juniors I have a

choice between Havanna owned by Karen

and Barbara, Inclusive owned by Scott,

Touchdown owned by Becky Gochman or

Way Cool owned by Dr. Parker.

Victoria knows that to be successful it takes

a team effort and she credits much of her suc-

cess to her trainers, Stewart and Ken Berkley.

“They are great people and amazing train-

ers. They giveme somuch.They have taught

me to trust my feel,” she said. “Every day I

am grateful for everything my parents and

Scott and Ken do for me.”

This year has also brought new victories

toVictoria’s trophy chest. During the winter,

she won one of the grand prix at the Winter

Equestrian Festival inWellington, FL. More

recently, she won the $50,000 Jumping

Derby at the Hampton Classic, truly a huge

honor for a girl her age.

While size-wise she is still able to com-

pete in the ponies, what appeals to her most

these days is equitation and show jumping.

“I want to do well on my jumper and I

would love to do well in the equitation,” she

said. In fact,Victoria is leading theEast Coast

standings for the WIHS Equitation Finals so

you can be sure she’ll be doing her best to con-

tinue to be at the top of the pack of this three-

phase competition at Verizon Center (hunter,

jumper and then

the top ten meet

in the Finals).

Victoria gets home schooled “because it

workswithmyschedule,” sheexplained. And if

you think that schedule is only about riding,

you’d be wrong. “I love tennis. I miss it and

when I’m not riding that’s all I want to do.”

When askedwhat it is about the horses that

fascinates her and gives her the desire to focus

somuch of her time and energy on her riding,

Victoria’s responsewas short and to the point.

“I love it. I love riding.”

And for a final comment about theWash-

ington International and why it is so special

to her she added, “For people who haven’t

been toWashington, you must go. The peo-

ple are friendly. The ambiance is amazing.

The hours are hard but fun. When else can a

thirteen-year-old wake up at two in themorn-

ing to ride. It’s fun!”�


“I love it. I love riding.”—Victoria Colvin

Young Competitor




Governor Rick Scott proclaimed the

month of October as Florida Greenways and

TrailsMonth, celebrating the important recre-

ational and economic benefits of Florida’s

greenways and trails.The FloridaDepartment

of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida

Park Service, Office of Greenways & Trails

welcomes this annual occasion to recognize

communities throughout the state as they host

events on the more than 600 miles of beauti-

ful greenways and trails in Florida.

“Greenways and Trails Month offers

Floridians and visitors the opportunity to

come together and celebrate thewealth of nat-

ural resources available to them throughout

the state,” said Florida Park Service Director

Donald Forgione. “This is the perfect time of

year to take a long stroll on your favorite trail

or dust off your bike and find some great new

riding spots along Florida’s state trails.”

To commemorate FloridaGreenways and

Trails Month, DEP held a special reopening

ceremony on Oct. 6 at the Tallahassee-St.

Marks Historic Railroad State Trail. The

event took place at the north trailhead in

Woodville to celebrate the newly resurfaced

and widened 16-mile multi-use trail. After

more than 20 years of service, Florida’s first

paved rail-trail has been widened to 12 feet,

to meet current state and national standards.

“Florida is home to a wide variety of na-

ture-based recreational opportunities,” said

Kent Wimmer, Chair of the Florida Green-

ways andTrails Council. “October is a great

time of year to take advantage of the cooler

temperatures and explore the state’s many

beautiful trails, parks and forests.”

Events throughout the state will highlight

the value of Florida’s greenways and trails as

an affordable, accessible source of recreation

and effective boost to Florida’s tourism. Dur-

ing FiscalYear 2010-2011, theMarjorie Har-

ris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and state

trailsmanaged by theOffice ofGreenways&

Trailswelcomedmore than 4million visitors,

generating an estimated $94 million in eco-

nomic impact. A recent study conducted by

the East Central Florida Regional Planning

Council concluded that three trails in Orange

County supported 516 jobs and an estimated

economic impact of $42.6 million in 2010.

Developed in response to increased de-

mand for trails by Florida visitors, VISIT

FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism mar-

keting corporation, created a website that

provides a range of travel-related informa-

tion for more than 100 trails throughout

Florida.Those ready to hike, bike, paddle or

horseback ride on the state’s unique system

of trails and greenways can visit www.VIS-

ITFLORIDA.com/trails. �

NEWS BITS

LOUI

SERE

INAG

ELPH

OTO

October is FloridaGreenways and Trails Month

McKathan Trail

NEWSBits_Oct.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 3:50 PM Page 3

By JAMIE COHEN, Farm Outreach Coordinator

Aswe move through the season, the yearling

sales are now complete and training is under-

way for our young horses, so it’s a good time

to take a look around your farm and see where you can

save yourself some money, which will, in turn, reduce

your carbon footprint, preserve water and benefit us all.

Everyone knows that it is very costly to run and

maintain a farm, and the cost of everything just keeps

rising, but there are ways to make significant impacts

with your savings, which will also have the added ben-

efit of impacting our world for the long-term.

New technologies are available today that can help you

to use less electricity on the farm. Small things, like

changing your light bulbs from the old, incandescent or

fluorescent bulbs, to the newer LED lighting, can have

big impacts on your electric costs (NewLED lighting also

shares an added benefit of not attracting pesky insects).

Washing blankets, wraps, saddle towels and other

items is a non-stop cycle in barns that can wreak havoc

with your electric bill. Newer, “Energy Star” elec-

tronic equipment is set-up specifically to use as little

energy and water as possible, which is great when your

washing machine and dryer run 24/7 on the farm. Try

to think of how many hours a day your lights are on in

the barn and how often your washer and dryer runs;

then think how having superior, highly efficient

equipment can both streamline your operation and put

a dent in already enormous bills by saving on your

electric and water use.

Water usage is another aspect on farms to consider.

Running the water heater continuously for bathing and

washer needs can be very costly. Simply having all pad-

docks use automatic water troughs, which runs a pump

continuously (and uses electricity) creates more ex-

pense. Solar electric, an often overlooked, but highly

successful Florida option, can help reduce the cost of

running water pumps, as well as provide additional

electricity for your barn. Solar water heaters are signif-

icantly more efficient than the standard storage tanks.

To get more ideas about how to better and more ef-

ficiently use your electricity, fellow agent, John Lin-

hoss, will be running a program in Ocala, Florida, on

Thursday, Nov. 10th from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm titled,

”Farm Energy Options: New Ways to Power your

Farm.” This program is designed to specifically give

you answers to questions about different energy effi-

ciency ideas, renewable and alternative energy applica-

tions and how to help finance these upgrades. Register

online at: http://farmenergyoptions.eventbrite.com or

call 352-671-8400. The cost is only $10.

In times of limited spending, finding ways to save

money can help those already tight purse strings take a

breather. Upgrading appliances, putting in solar panels

and other things, such as adding insulation, may seem

costly and impossible, but consider them investments.

All improvements made will end up saving you money,

leaving you with more in your pocket each month. So,

efficiency improvements pay for themselves.

I hope these suggestions give you some ideas about

how to save money and “go green.” As we all know,

improving the bottom line also helps preserve and pro-

tect our beautiful state and beyond. Remember, the

more careful we all are, the more years we will have for

our “day at the races.”

Keep up the goodmanagement practices.

FARM MANAGEMENT

ReduceYour Carbon Footprint:FarmEnergyOptions andMore

Farm Energy Options

Schedule a Farm Call:

Jamie A. CohenFarm Outreach CoordinatorUF IFAS/Marion County Extension Service352-671-8792 • [email protected]


Cohen_FarmManagement_USE.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:22 AM Page 1


Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN)

introduced the American Horse Slaugh-

ter Prevention Act (H.R.2966) in Sep-

tember. The bill would prohibit the

slaughter of horses for human consump-

tion. A Senate version of this bill S.1176

was introduced in June by Senator Mary

Landrieu (D-LA). The House and Senate

bills are identical.

This bill would amend the Horse Pro-

tection Act (HPA), which was enacted in

1970 to prohibit the showing, transport

or sale of horses that have been subjected

to any painful process to accentuate their

gait. The Animal & Plant Inspection

Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department

of Agriculture enforces the HPA.

The bill would prohibit the shipping,

transporting, or sale of horses for

slaughter for human consumption. Such

activities would be a violation of the

HPA and subject any person who know-

ingly violates the Act to penalties of up

to $3,000 and/or one year in jail for the

first offense and up to

$5,000 and/or two years in

jail for a second offense. An

offender may also be subject

to civil penalties of $2,000

for each violation.

The bill authorizes $5

million for enforcement.

The bill has been re-

ferred to the House Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce and has 56

co-sponsors.

� The American Horse Council also

announced last month that Douglas

Dean, CPA of Dean Dorton Allen Ford

PLLC in Kentucky as the newest con-

tributor to its bi-monthly Tax Bulletin.

The Tax Bulletin is AHC’s most pop-

ular publication, featuring timely articles

on equine tax and business issues. It pro-

vides updates on the latest tax court de-

cisions, IRS regulations, and legislation

that might impact one’s ability to run a

profitable business.

Dean joined AHC’s Tax Bulletin Ad-

visory Committee in June, adding to an

impressive editorial board of tax profes-

sionals. “We are very pleased that Doug

Dean agreed to join the tax team. He

brings years of experience and will make

the AHCTax Bulletin even more inform-

ative,” said AHC President Jay Hickey.

Dean has extensive experience in pro-

viding tax compliance and planning, es-

tate planning, and business valuation

service, and has represented clients in

dealing with federal, state, and local tax

authorities. Additionally, he was the ini-

tial leader of his firm’s Equine Industry

Team, a position in which he served for

many years.

“I’m very pleased and honored to join

AHC’s Tax Bulletin Advisory Commit-

tee. Owners and operators of horse busi-

nesses, involvingThoroughbreds and other

breeds, have been a big part

of our firm’s and my profes-

sional practice for many

years,” said Dean. “As a long-

time reader of the AHC’s tax

communications, I’m now

glad to participate in the com-

mittee’s part of providing this

service,” he added.

The AHC Tax Bulletin is available

through membership with the American

Horse Council. For more information on

how to become a member and receive the

horse industry’s most informative tax up-

dates visit http://www.horsecouncil.org/ahc-

memberships or contact Bridget Harrison at

(202) 296-4031 or [email protected].

Learn more about equine business tax

issues in the 2011 Horse Owners and

Breeders Tax Handbook by Thomas A.

Davis, Esq of Davis and Harman. This

two-volume edition has everything you

need to know pertaining to tax laws for

your equine business. Topics covered in

the Handbook include: business versus

hobby - including summaries of impor-

tant court decisions; Passive loss rules;

Forms of doing business; Record keep-

ing and accounting rules; Sales, Ex-

changes and Involuntary conversions;

Depreciation; and much more.

HORSE COUNCIL NEWS

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Introduced

BECOMEA

www.facebook.com/thefloridahorsewww.ftboa.com

HorseCouncilNews.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 12:34 PM Page 54

(ex•cel•lence) nounthe fact or state of excelling;superiority; distinction;

possessing good qualities in high degree.

Get noticed

For the fifth consecutive year,

Publisher: Richard Hancock • Editor in chief: Michael ComptonBusiness manager: Patrick Vinzant • Art director: John FilerAdministrative assistant: Beverly Kalberkamp

The Florida Horse is the official publication of theFlorida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Associationwww.ftboa.com • www.facebook.com/thefloridahorse

352.732.8858



Amanda M. House, DVM, DACVIM

VACCINATION

Routine vaccination is a critical com-

ponent of developing a health main-

tenance program for horses. It is

important to emphasize that there is no stan-

dard vaccination program that is suitable for

every horse, and that individual programs

should be developed with your veterinarian.

Vaccinations help to prime the immune

system to respond quickly when a horse is ex-

posed to an infectious agent. Although vacci-

nations cannot guarantee disease prevention

in all circumstances, they help minimize the

risk of infection and aid in the prevention of

certain diseases. Vaccination is not a substi-

tute for other goodmanagement practices, and

should be used in conjunction with proper nu-

trition, deworming, pasture management and

minimizing stress and overcrowding for opti-

mal results in each horse and herd. Ideally, all

horses in a group should receive vaccinations

and be on the same schedule when possible.

The vaccination program appropriate for an

individual horse or herd

needs to take into account

things such as age, sex, ge-

ographic location, use of

the horse, pregnancy status

and risk for developing the

disease. Currently, there

are vaccines available for

tetanus, encephalomyelitis,

West Nile virus, rabies,

rhinopneumonitis (equine

herpes virus), influenza,

strangles, Potomac horse

fever, botulism, equine

viral arteritis, anthrax, and rotavirus.

The vaccines are administered by an intra-

muscular or intranasal route depending on the

disease. Influenza and strangles have both in-

tramuscular and intranasal vaccines available.

Adverse reactions to vaccination are not

common but are a potential risk of vaccina-

tion. Signs of an adverse reactionmay include

muscle soreness, swelling, fever, anorexia, and

lethargy. If the signs are severe or are not self-

limiting, your veterinarian should be informed

and may want to initiate additional therapy.

When considering a vaccination program

for your horse, it is important to remember

that each horse’s immune systemwill respond

a little differently to vaccination. Not every

horse will be protected to the same degree or

for the same amount of time following vacci-

nation. A primary series of the vaccines with

booster doses will be required for an appro-

priate immune response before exposure to

the disease. It will take 1-2 weeks after a com-

pleted vaccine series for your horse to be pro-

tected against the disease. After the initial

vaccine series, most horses will require annual

or semi-annual booster vaccinations.

An overview of basic vaccination guide-

lines and the diseases follows. This is only a

guideline, and a specific plan for your horse

should be developed in conjunction with your

veterinarian.

Generally, vaccination is recommended for

all horses for tetanus, encephalomyelitis, ra-

bies, andWest Nile virus.

Rabies is an uncom-

mon occurrence, but is

fatal in all cases; there-

fore, vaccination is ad-

vised. Vaccination for

influenza and equine her-

pes virus (EHV) is rec-

ommended in most cases,

especially in performance

horses and horses ex-

posed to a transient or

young equine population.

Broodmares and wean-

lings have specific vacci-

nation recommendations tailored for their

needs, and will not be covered in detail here.

Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani, an

anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium.The bac-

teria are present in the intestine andmanure of

horses, as well as in the soil. Clostridium

tetani produces spores that can survive for

years in the environment.The spores can gain

access to the horse through wounds or lacera-

tions, or the umbilicus in foals. The clinical

signs of tetanus are a result of toxin produc-

tion, and includemuscle stiffness and rigidity,

third eyelid prolapse, stiff legs and “sawhorse”

stance, nostril flare, and lockjaw.

Horses with severe disease are unable to eat,

and may be down and unable to get up; many

progress to death or require euthanasia. All

horses should be revaccinated annually for

tetanus, and boostered immediately if they sus-

tain a wound or undergo surgery more than six

months after their previous vaccine.Tetanus an-

titoxin canbe administered to horses that sustain

a wound (increasing their risk of disease) and

that have not previously been vaccinated with

tetanus toxoid.

The equine encephalomyelitis viruses

(eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE),

western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE), and

Venezuela equine encephalomyelitis (VEE))

are transmitted by mosquitoes to horses and

humans from wild birds or rodents (VEE).

Horses and humans are considered dead-

end hosts for the disease, and cannot pass it to

others. Infection with these viruses can cause

fever and neurological symptoms such as de-

pression, difficulty walking/staggering gait,

changes in behavior/mentation (profound de-

pression, abnormal mental responses), and

seizures. VEE is a reportable foreign animal

disease, and has not been seen in the U.S. for

many years.

The death rate is 70-90% for horses with

EEE or VEE, and about 50% for horses with

WEE.The mortality rate in cases with EEE is

generally higher that 90%. All horses should

be vaccinated for EEE/WEE in the spring,

prior tomosquito season. Horses in the south-

eastern states such as Florida should be vacci-

nated at least 2-3 times per year.

West Nile virus is another virus transmitted

by mosquitoes that can cause neurological

symptoms such as muscle tremors, loss of co-

ordination, hypersensitivity to being touched,

and recumbency (a horse with recumbency

cannot stand up). The death rate for infected

horses is about 33%. Multiple vaccines are

available for use, and horses should be vacci-

nated annually.

EquineCare

The vaccination program

appropriate for an indi-

vidual horse or herd

needs to take into account

things such as age, sex,

geographic location, use

of the horse, pregnancy

status and risk for devel-

oping the disease.

EquineCareVaccination.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 12:38 PM Page 52

Fortunately, rabies is an uncommon dis-

ease in the horse. However, in any areas where

rabies is endemic in the wildlife population,

horses can be exposed through a bite from an

infected animal. Rabies results in progressive

neurological disease and is

fatal in all cases. It can be

transmitted from infected

horses to humans.Vaccina-

tion is recommended fol-

lowed by a yearly booster.

Equine influenza is one

of the most common infec-

tious respiratory diseases in

the horse. The virus is

highly contagious and can

be transmitted through the

air from horse to horse as a

result of coughing. The

most common signs of in-

fection are fever, cough,

nasal discharge, and reduced appetite. Young

horses and horses exposed to large numbers

of other horses through showing or transport

seem to bemost susceptible to infection.Most

horses recover from infection in about 10-14

days, and treatment consists of supportive

care.

Vaccination is available in intramuscular

(killed virus, and canary pox vectored vac-

cine) and intranasal (modified live virus) for-

mulations.Vaccination is recommended every

six months, and is done more frequently

(every 3-4months) in some horse populations.

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and

equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) can both

cause respiratory infections (rhinopneumoni-

tis) in horses, generally affecting the upper

respiratory tract and causing fever, nasal dis-

charge, and sometimes cough. However,

EHV-1 can also result in neurological disease,

abortion, and foal death. EHV-1 and EHV-4

are transmitted through the air or by direct

contact with secretions from the nose, on

equipment, or in drinking water.

It is likely that initial infection with EHV-

1 and EHV-4 first occurs in foals, but clini-

cally apparent infections are seen as they get

older and are exposed to new horses. Vacci-

nation is recommended for prevention of

abortion in pregnant mares (with a killed vac-

cine product licensed for prevention of abor-

tion) and for reduction in signs and spread of

respiratory disease in foals,

weanlings, yearlings,

young performance, and

show horses that have a

higher risk of exposure.

Vaccination does not pre-

vent the neurological form

of EHV-1.

Additionally, vaccines

for strangles (Streptococ-

cus equi infection) and Po-

tomac horse fever (PHF)

are available and their use

should be discussed with

your veterinarian. Potomac

horse fever is not typically

seen in Florida, but vaccination may be con-

sidered in horses that are traveling to the

northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. The vac-

cine for PHF is not completely protective, and

additional study on this vaccination and dis-

ease is warranted.

Vaccinations for botulism, rotavirus, and

equine viral arteritis are usedmore commonly

in breeding populations. TheAmericanAsso-

ciation of Equine Practitioners has recently

updated their guidelines for vaccination of the

horse, and is an excellent resource for owners

at www.aaep.org. That website has an excel-

lent chart available for download on vaccina-

tion of foals and adults.

PARASITE CONTROLEstablishing a deworming program for

equine parasites has become a somewhat con-

troversial topic of discussion. Due to the emer-

gence of resistant parasites (worms that are

not killed by traditional dewormers), some of

the emphasis is shifting to prevention and con-

trol, rather than just routine rotational treat-

ment with anthelmintics.

TheAmericanAssociation of Equine Prac-

titioners (AAEP) recommends establishing a

program with your veterinarian that works

best for your horse and/or herd, in conjunction

with these suggestions for environmental

management:

Clean and dispose ofmanure in the pasture

at least twice weekly.

Mow and harrow pastures regularly to

break up manure and expose parasite eggs to

the sun.

If possible, rotate pastures by allowing

other livestock to graze them.

Group horses in a pasture by age to reduce

exposure to certain parasites, and maximize

the deworming program geared to that group.

Prevent overgrazing and reduce fecal con-

tamination by keeping the number of horses

per acre to a minimum.

Feed horses in a feeder for hay and grain

rather than on the ground.

Remove bot eggs from the hair routinely to

prevent ingestion.

Equine tapeworms are difficult to identify

in fecal examinations, and deworming for

tapeworms is recommended biannually or an-

nually with a product containing praziquantel

(Zimectrin Gold®, Equimax®, Quest Plus®),

or double dose pyrantel pamoate or tartrate.

A blood test has been developed that iden-

tifies antibodies to tapeworms in horses. This

test is only available at one lab in the United

States at the University ofTennessee’s College

of Veterinary Medicine. However, there are

likely horses with tapeworms that this test will

not identify, and it is more practical to be sure

horses are dewormed annually to biannually

for tapeworms.

Consult your veterinarian for a deworming

strategy that works best for your horse and/or

herd. �


Due to the emergence

of resistant parasites

(worms that are not

killed by traditional de-

wormers), some of the

emphasis is shifting to

prevention and control,

rather than just routine

rotational treatment

with anthelmintics.

EquineCareVaccination.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 12:39 PM Page 53


FLORIDANEWS

By MICHAEL COMPTON

Florida-bred Awesome Feather made her long-awaited

seasonal debut on Oct. 5, defeating a compact field in the Le

Slew Stakes at Belmont Park.

Awesome Feather had not raced since she wrapped up an

undefeated juvenile season last year by taking down top prize

in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs

for trainer Stanley Gold in the colors of her breeder and owner

Jacks or Better Farm.

Following the Breeders’ Cup triumph, Awesome Feather

was sold to Frank Stronach for $2.3 million at Fasig-Tipton’s

November mixed sale. She had a delayed start to her cam-

paign this year because of a bowed tendon that required time

to heal. She won the Le Slew Stakes in Stronach’s colors and

was saddled by trainer Chad Brown.

“There was a lot of pressure today,” Brown said. “She had

been training very well. You can never have a horse coming

off this type of injury [at] a full fitness level. We brought her

in here a little short fitness-wise, but nice and sound and

healthy. We figured this was as close as we were going to get

and gave her a shot, and she ran really well.

“I was a little worried early because coming off this type

of layoff I didn’t want to crank the screws too much in the

morning and never get to this day,” he added. “So, I felt like

I probably had her 75 percent fit, but perfectly sound, and I

took that as enough to get her started. When I saw 22, 45 and

she’s only a length off it, for a horse off a layoff, that’s a de-

manding pace to chase and still have finish. I was a little wor-

ried down the backside but she dug in. She has the heart of a

champion. It might have not been a stellar group, but she got

the job done.”

In her Eclipse championship season racing for Fred and

Jane Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm, Awesome Feather was per-

fect in six starts. She swept the fillies division of the Florida

Stallion Stakes series at Calder before capturing the Breeders’

Cup Juvenile Fillies in November.

“I’m delighted to see her comeback like that,” said Fred

Brei. “I hope we see her go onward and upward from here.”

Awesome Feather is by Journeyman Stud stallion Awesome

of Course and is out of the Gone West mare Precious Feather.

Call: 352.732.8858


The Florida-bred Eclipse championturns back four others in Le Slew Stakesto remain undefeated.

Awesome Feather Victorious in Return

Florida-bred Awesome Feather

NYRA

PHOT

O

News_AwesomeFeather.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 9:20 AM Page 1


The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing resultsupdated through October 5, 2011. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.

Leading Florida Sires

WILDCAT HEIRLEROIDESANIMAUX GRAEME HALL

NA Stk Gr Leading Leading Yrlg Yrlg 2yo 2yoName Sire Name Farm Name Earnings Strtrs Wnrs SW's Wins SW's Earnings Earner Earnings Sold Avg Sold Avg

Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) Candy Stripes Stonewall Farm Ocala $3,647,727 80 39 5 7 4 $3,823,662 Animal Kingdom $1,904,900 16 39,823 3 $53,500

Wildcat Heir Forest Wildcat Journeyman Stud $3,630,245 163 85 8 11 2 $3,642,707 John Johny Jak $139,971 21 $27,524 16 $39,531

Graeme Hall Dehere Winding Oaks $2,742,620 116 70 3 3 3 $2,747,391 Duke of Mischief $719,881 10 $22,250 5 $17,600

Chapel Royal Montbrook Signature Stallions $2,134,815 186 82 1 1 0 $2,144,390 Dahlgren Chapel $93,120 15 $13,380 11 $19,836

Consolidator Storm Cat Journeyman Stud $1,817,859 156 73 0 0 0 $2,038,763 Consolidator Joe $115,874 20 $7,153 6 $11,917

With Distinction Storm Cat Hartley/DeRenzo $1,922,021 115 51 1 2 0 $1,945,740 Decisive Moment $333,700 20 $27,060 38 $26,250

Strong Hope Grand Slam Winding Oaks $1,837,696 114 55 2 3 0 $1,939,247 Clement Rock $190,494 3 $2,833 4 $16,750

Montbrook Buckaroo Ocala Stud $1,892,234 79 40 2 5 2 $1,904,525 Tackleberry $599,667 4 $16,500 12 $35,142

Pomeroy Boundary Vinery $1,788,567 71 36 6 10 2 $1,888,555 Pomeroys Pistol $401,188 12 $30,667 17 $78,235

Greatness Mr. Prospector Stonewall Farm Ocala $1,771,156 67 37 3 9 1 $1,771,156 Jenny's So Great $213,684 1 $1,000 1 $2,000

D'wildcat Forest Wildcat Vinery $1,558,593 103 48 1 1 0 $1,688,099 D'wild Ride $110,175 17 $18,100 24 $31,279

Concorde's Tune Concorde Bound deceased $1,595,003 72 36 1 4 1 $1,628,334 Musical Romance $460,734 7 $27,214

Halo's Image Halo deceased $1,605,231 74 39 5 5 1 $1,606,976 Atlantic Hurricane $212,698 4 $5,675 4 $12,250

Put It Back Honour and Glory Bridlewood Farm $1,451,340 146 56 4 6 2 $1,585,585 It's Me Mom $97,300 26 $14,992 24 $27,000

Full Mandate A.P. Indy Hartley/DeRenzo $1,552,243 110 51 1 1 0 $1,555,950 Full of Gut $124,120 3 $1,400 5 $17,540

Value Plus Unbridled's Song Stonewall Farm Ocala $1,534,809 113 56 1 1 0 $1,536,884 All Due Respect $70,638 $14 9,593 4 $41,250

Roar of the Tiger Storm Cat deceased $1,370,729 106 48 3 4 0 $1,370,729 Tazz $127,370 6 $8,833 9 $14,667

Concerto Chief's Crown Ocala Stud $1,336,437 73 47 1 3 0 $1,337,101 Vuelve Ruben M . $146,987 4 $23,375

Suave A.P. Indy Vinery $1,095,090 90 40 1 1 0 $1,231,070 Indy Tune $76,866 14 $6,423 2 $6,500

Three Wonders Storm Cat deceased $1,198,509 100 52 1 2 0 $1,212,246 Trelawny $62,516

Black Mambo Kingmambo deceased $1,171,206 81 40 1 1 0 $1,186,176 Big Push $109,180 3 $5,000 3 $10,903

West Acre Forty Niner Stonehedge $1,157,463 45 27 4 4 1 $1,157,463 Watch Me Go $258,070 1 $2,500 5 $9,900

Burning Roma Rubiano Rising Hill $1,147,411 84 45 3 3 0 $1,148,945 Queen Drama $123,705 6 $6,833

Bwana Charlie Indian Charlie Journeyman Stud $1,082,241 58 28 0 0 0 $1,082,241 Comma to the Top $227,000 8 $3,500 15 $10,160

Indian Ocean Stormy Atlantic Bridlewood Farm $987,003 78 37 1 1 0 $987,003 Ocean Princess $115,844 8 $5,063 7 $12,286

LeadingSires_General.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/5/11 12:21 PM Page 1


The following list includes currently active, deceased, and pensioned stallions, with racing resultsupdated through October 5, 2011. Statistics provided by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc.

Leading Florida Juvenile Sires

AWESOME OF COURSEHIGH COTTON WITH DISTINCTION

NA Stk Gr Leading Leading Yrlg Yrlg 2yo 2yoName Sire Name Farm Name Earnings Strtrs Wnrs SW's Wins SW's Earnings Earner Earnings Sold Avg Sold Avg

High Cotton Dixie Union Ocala Stud $373,108 22 7 1 1 1 $390,571 Currency Swap $180,000 9 $26,222 23 $31,518

Awesome of Course Awesome Again Journeyman Stud $385,825 5 3 2 4 0 $385,825 Redbud Road $162,855 1 $10,000

With Distinction Storm Cat Hartley/De Renzo $315,006 38 11 0 0 0 $335,763 Angelofdistinction $40,535 20 $27,060 38 $26,250

Wildcat Heir Forest Wildcat Journeyman Stud $303,222 17 6 1 1 1 $303,222 Vexor $133,000 21 $27,524 16 $39,531

Saint Anddan A.P. Indy Journeyman Stud $297,400 26 9 1 1 0 $297,400 Saint D'aroak $78,388 3 $12,667 24 $18,396

Chapel Royal Montbrook Signature Stallions $296,636 30 11 1 1 0 $296,636 Navy Chapel $46,290 15 $13,380 11 $19,836

Burning Roma Rubiano Rising Hill $293,647 13 7 2 2 0 $293,647 Queen Drama $123,705 6 $6,833

Shakespeare Theatrical (IRE) Signature Stallions $240,627 9 5 1 1 1 $281,634 Shkspeare Shaliyah $96,700 3 $38,667 3 $78,667

Exclusive Quality Elusive Quality Journeyman Stud $248,545 22 6 1 1 0 $248,545 Exclusively Maria $98,258 13 $8,831 30 $21,550

D'wildcat Forest Wildcat Vinery $242,095 27 6 0 0 0 $242,095 Blue Forty $55,042 17 $18,100 24 $31,279

Put It Back Honour andGlory Bridlewood Farm $219,815 25 6 0 0 0 $219,815 Hot Ride $34,120 26 $14,992 24 $27,000

Consolidator Storm Cat Journeyman Stud $216,588 27 7 0 0 0 $216,588 Love Contract $43,200 20 $7,153 6 $11,917

Pomeroy Boundary Vinery $210,536 16 5 1 1 0 $210,536 Mel Beach $92,554 12 $30,667 17 $78,235

Mr. Sekiguchi Storm Cat Bridlewood Farm $182,360 7 1 1 1 0 $182,360 Rose and Shine $170,502 3 $3,400 8 $21,563

City Place Storm Cat Hartley/De Renzo $170,617 15 6 0 0 0 $170,617 Bob's Place $41,950 6 $9,583 16 $32,469

Bring the Heat In Excess (IRE) Ward Ranch $156,631 10 6 0 0 0 $156,631 Firefall $37,843

Black Mambo Kingmambo deceased $154,183 7 3 0 0 0 $154,183 Argentine Tango $91,550 3 $5,000 3 $10,903

Simon Pure Silver Deputy Hartley/De Renzo $148,454 13 7 0 0 0 $148,454 Pure Whim's Gem $38,800 7 $6,757 22 $13,732

Teuflesberg Johannesburg Journeyman Stud $141,040 13 3 0 0 0 $147,751 Trinniberg $101,300 1 $6,000 7 $44,000

Halo's Image Halo deceased $146,239 8 3 1 1 0 $146,239 Hello Prince $120,210 4 $5,675 4 $12,250

West Acre Forty Niner Stonehedge $143,893 8 5 0 0 0 $143,893 Melpomene $49,940 1 $2,500 5 $9,900

Indian Ocean Stormy Atlantic Bridlewood Farm $134,308 12 3 1 1 0 $134,308 Indian Assault $64,432 8 $5,063 7 $12,286

Proud Accolade Yes It's True deceased $119,125 8 4 0 0 0 $127,409 Gentlemans Code $40,222 7 $7,886 4 $56,750

Montbrook Buckaroo Ocala Stud $126,900 11 2 0 0 0 $126,900 Montessa G $38,225 4 $16,500 12 $35,142

Bwana Charlie Indian Charlie Journeyman Stud $113,920 12 5 0 0 0 $113,920 Galan's Wings $38,974 8 $3,500 15 $10,160

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

LeadingSires_Juvenile.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:25 AM Page 1

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Inspiration that fosters meaningful innovation in the

racing business is as rare as a Triple Crown winner.

Basically, the sport defies meaningful positive

change. Speed from gate to wire is the immutable point

of every decision and action, from the planning of a

breeding, to conception, to the purchase of a yearling,

selection of a trainer and execution of a fragile career

plan. The variables, positive and negative, are many, but

also eternally present in a game of chance and fate.

Still, within that framework there is a richness of

color, stories untold, charismatic horses and above all a

connection between man and beast that is as old as the

human and the Thoroughbred. But we need ideas.

In almost three decades since the first running of the

Breeders’Cup, there has never been a time in which in-

novation, particularly in the interest of widening the

sport’s sphere of exposure and footprint, was more criti-

cal than it is at the moment. The Breeders’ Cup is ar-

guably the last idea in racing that really mattered.

While the opinion that the Breeders’ Cup has lost its

way while pursuing a course of dilutive expansion is

widely held and not without merit, it was, in its nascent

form, an event designed for television and executed with

remarkable effect.

Its founders promised the best day of racing ever held

in North America and the competitors, animal and

human,American and international, delivered.The multi-

hour, Saturday-afternoon network exposure achieved the

intended purpose brilliantly, the event encapsulated in a

dramatic, fast-moving package that has been essentially

nullified by the current two-day version, which is almost

allegorical. Major League Baseball stands as a sterling

example of the mutual exclusivity of a successful tele-

vised sporting event and a long attention span.

Quite simply, beyond the Triple Crown, there is far

too little racing on television, both regularly scheduled

and event-specific. Fans and horseplayers in too few mar-

kets have access to televised racing that is available in

home without fee-based subscription to one of the es-

tablished racing networks,TVG and HRTV.An audience

not served will eventually disappear.

Both interested horseplayers and casual fans have be-

come accustomed to in-home television access to any de-

sired product – golf to fishing, cooking to automobile

racing – available without cost beyond a standard fee.

Weekend telecasts of racing from Saratoga over the

summer and Keeneland during its fall meeting produced

by NBC and VERSUS proved quite popular this year,

evidence of demand that is largely unmet during most of

the year.

Stakes run during boutique meetings are easily

arranged into packages suitable for television but it is im-

portant that similar packages be created throughout the

year that lend exposure to important races that have dis-

appeared from broadcast schedules.

The lack of television exposure in recent years for

stakes run in winter and early spring that lead toward the

Kentucky Derby andTriple Crown is an alarming case in

point. In contrast, the popularity of one-day events such as

Super Saturday at Belmont Park underlines the appetite

for concentrated, high-quality banquet-style racing days.

Exposure of these and other races not available on

non-subscription television should be at the core of a na-

tionally focused marketing effort, but every attempt to

establish a central marketing effort has been abandoned

by the potential beneficiaries.

There is no better example of the industry’s short-

sighted approach to promotion than the piecemeal aban-

donment of the National Thoroughbred Racing

Association, established in no small part to serve the

sport’s marketing and media interests.

The NTRA’s communications office, once a robust

agency going back to a time when it was known asThor-

oughbred Racing Communications, now operates on

fumes and left without resources as racing associations

withdraw support. Growth of brand and the raising of

profile require time, money, effort and people with ideas.

Media is itself in a state of flux and themarketing land-

scape is forever changed. It is incumbent upon the sport’s

leaders to take up the cause of self-promotion, to make its

own stars and tell its own stories. Newspapers barely exist

anymore and few lend meaningful space to racing, fewer

still the educated manpower. Television is the most effec-

tive medium for this purpose but without a meaningful,

widely supported, internally propelledmovement, that rich

vein will at great peril remain unexplored. �

PLAYER’S PAGE

by Paul Moran

Media is itselfin a state of flux

and the market-

ing landscape is

forever changed.

It is incumbent

upon the sport’s

leaders to take up

the cause of self-

promotion, to

make its own

stars and tell its

own stories.

IdeasNeeded

PlayersPage_Oct.qxd:Florida Horse_template 10/6/11 11:27 AM Page 1



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