March 2000 California Thoroughbred

calhead3.gif (20471 bytes)

March 2000

STUD NEWS

Tom Cruiser to Van Mar

tomcruis.gif (58618 bytes) Stakes winner Tom Cruiser has relocated from Kachina Farm to Van Mar Farms near Galt for the 2000 breeding season. The eight-year-old son of Time for a Change captured the Ack Ack Handicap and The Wicked North Stakes and was twice stakes-placed for career earnings of $246,474. He is being advertised for $1,200 live foal as the property of Stanley J. Bell.

Santa Ynez Thoroughbred Association Honors Year's Best

The Santa Ynez Valley Thoroughbred Association held its annual banquet and awards dinner on Feb. 7 at the Alisal Ranch. The awards dinner honored outstanding horses from the Santa Ynez Valley and the winners were as follows: Stallion of the Year, Bertrando, from River Edge Farm; Broodmare of the Year resulted in a tie between Good Faith Woman, owned by Marvin Malmuth, and Pharapache, owned by Marshall Naify; Colt of the Year, Domination, bred by Ray Stark's Rancho Corral de Quati. Filly of the Year and also Horse of the Year was awarded to Smooth Player, bred and owned by Martin Wygod and John Spohler. Multiple graded stakes winner Tranquility Lake, owned by Martin and Pam Wygod. Robert and Beverly Lewis, owners of Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm and Charismatic, were the honorary guests for the evening's festivities.

A silent auction featuring breedings to many of California's leading stallions and various equine-related items raised nearly $40,000. Out-going president John G. Turner introduced the new president of the association, Marvin Malmuth.

Team Free House Supports Kids to the Cup

Kids to the Cup, a non-profit organization formed to develop young racing fans, is pleased to announce that Team Free House has donated $20,000 to help kick off the group's 2000 funding campaign. The team includes trainer Paco Gonzalez, owners Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan, and Free House himself. Each member donated $5,000 to the KTTC cause.
"When I met Tom Jackson, a teenager who was president of the online Free House Fan Club, I wondered 'What are we doing to encourage young people to be involved in our sport?'" McCaffery explains.

The answer is Kids to the Cup, a multi-facted program that focuses on direct access to the sport's major players--owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians and horses. The program also sends selected youngsters to various marquee racing events during the year; last year, it sponsored a group of four kids to the Breeders' Cup at Gulfstream Park. The youngsters were featured on NBC's telecast of the Breeders' Cup and have enjoyed a great deal of publicity since. The first KTTC outing this year will be the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

"We thought this would be a great way to get the ball rolling," said McCaffery, who is founder and president of the organization. "The response to this idea has been phenomenal and we'd like to take it to the next level--from a successful outing to a full-blown program. But you can't do that without help. We're planning on sending kids to all three Triple Crown races, too, so we've got a lot of work to do."

For more information on Kids to the Cup, visit www.kttc.org or call (626) 359-8354 or (626) 359-5935.

CHRB Approves Use of Nasal Strips on Horses

The California Horse Racing Board has approved the procedures to be used in conjunction with its previous approval of equine nasal strips, and the equipment can be used starting March 1.Under the procedures worked out between the racing associations and the CHRB, horses using equine nasal strips will be indicated as such in the daily program. The strips are believed to ease horses' breathing problems and possibly reduce pulmonary bleeding, but the overall benefits of the nasal strips are the subject of a study currently underway at UC Davis.

Performance Registry Sold

The Jockey Club has sold its Performance Horse Registry to Edward S. (Ned) Bonnie. The sale became effective on Jan. 1, but former PHR president Roger Shook said short-term plans are for The Jockey Club to continue operating the registry until new offices can be found. Bonnie is an attorney in Louisville, Ky., who most recently served as chairman of the PHR.
"Clearly, the need for a registry like the PHR is as strong today as it has ever been, " said Bonnie in a Blood-Horse interview. "The way our sport horse industry handles its pedigree and performance records is falling further and further behind other nations."

The Performance Horse Registry currently keeps records on about 6,700 Thoroughbreds or half-Thoroughbreds involved in non-racing equestrian disciplines.