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‘Not Simply A Rescue Issue:’ Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Marks 10 Years

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Kelley Stobie, co-founder and executive director of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA) in Puerto Rico, doesn’t lead a prosaic life. Her day starts fast and ends even faster.

One day she is on a plane to the U.S. Virgin Islands to speak with government officials about horses being exported to the islands, and the next she is doing checks with her vet along the shedrow.

Stobie has played a major role in equine advocacy in Puerto Rico, and aftercare has grown by leaps and bounds because of her efforts. But the work is never done.

Ten years have flown by since Stobie and Shelley Blodgett founded CTA in 2016, and she says that is how it goes in the world of aftercare.

“I think that over the years, the growing concern I have is about the overpopulation of horses in general,” Stobie said. “That probably comes as a shock to those who talk so much about the declining foal crop stateside. Everyone needs to remember that this is an island environment. In the Caribbean, we have a huge lack of education on equine welfare in general, along with the overpopulation.”

Camarero in Puerto Rico | T.D. Thornton

On Nov. 7, CTA will celebrate the past decade with ‘Ten Years of Hope and Second Chances,’ a fundraiser in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Stobie is a tireless advocate for any horse, and the event is an opportunity to look back at the hundreds of former equine athletes who have come through her program. When the phone rings, though, it is usually the future calling.

“I receive calls and messages almost every single day about horses in need,” she said. “Sometimes it is an abandonment situation; other times a family no longer has the space, a child is going away to college, or a horse is simply no longer needed by its original connections.”

According to Stobie, these situations are a microcosm of much bigger issues. She says greater accountability and responsibility are needed in horse ownership, importation, and the regulations surrounding them. It is just too easy to look the other way.

“If we continue bringing horses to an island where there are already so many in need, then we also need to consider what happens when those horses are no longer wanted or needed,” Stobie said. “There must be a responsible plan for the long haul.”

Stobie sees horses in Puerto Rico that come from all over the United States, many clearly not in racing condition. She added that they are not just from the minor circuits.

“The reality is that we have fewer than a handful of equine aftercare and rescue programs throughout the islands capable of helping these horses,” she said. “Those organizations that continue to exist are already struggling with limited funding, space, and resources.”

The Puerto Rican racing situation has been well-documented, especially after 1/ST Racing cut its Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park signal to the island’s Hipódromo Camarero over a year ago. Horse welfare, safety, and post-racing retirement care were the main issues. The company has also imposed penalties on owners whose horses started at Gulfstream and then appeared in Puerto Rico to race. Stobie says the moves have been a step in the right direction, but the number of horses in need of aftercare has increased dramatically.

During her Sept. 14 trip to St. Thomas and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Stobie spoke with local officials about the horse trade coming from Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, and her concerns about horses unfit to race at the Clinton E. Phipps Sr. Racetrack, which has had breakdowns over the past couple of years.

Barone Cesco before he was euthanized in the USVI | Kelley Stobie

While touring the backside, she found a Kentucky-bred horse named Barone Cesco (Klimt) in a stall, malnourished and living in his own feces. When she asked why he wasn’t being cared for properly, she was told he was being shipped to St. Croix and that no one knew who owned him.

Stobie and Triple H Ranch, a local horse rescue, cleaned his stall and fed him for seven days. A week later, Stobie learned he had been euthanized, for reasons still unknown. She also saw more than a dozen malnourished Thoroughbreds at another facility on the islands.

Since her visit, a federal veterinarian has committed to traveling to St. Thomas to examine the horses and investigate, and CTA and Triple H Ranch have offered to help rehome those deemed fit.

“Aftercare cannot be an afterthought,” she said. “If we are going to continue supporting the equine industry, we must also take responsibility for the horses while they’re working, racing, and when their careers come to an end. This is not simply a rescue issue. It is a responsibility that belongs to the entire equine community.”

Ten years went by in a flash for Kelley Stobie. She said the next 10 will be equally crucial.

Click here to learn more about the CTA and the 10th Anniversary Fundraising event.

The post ‘Not Simply A Rescue Issue:’ Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Marks 10 Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Six Speedy Fillies for the Week of Sept. 21-27

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Not surprisingly, the Beldame provided the two fastest females of the week based on Beyer Speed Figures.

6. GALLANT GRETA, RP, 9/27-7th, Ricks Memorial Stakes, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 88 (VIDEO)
(m, 5, by Twirling Candy–Tulipmania, by Empire Maker)
O-Jordan Wycoff. B-Gallagher’s Stud (NY). T-Mike Maker. J-John Velazquez.

Racing outside New York or Florida for the first time, Gallant Greta returned from a seven-month layoff to claim her first stakes victory and keep Jordan Wycoff undefeated at Remington Park. Wycoff has managed the Three Diamonds Farm stable for parents Kirk and Debra but is now 7-for-7 at Remington when racing in his own name; he also won six stakes there in 2016-2018 with Oklahoma-bred Gianna’s Dream, who had been claimed for $25,000 by Maker and became his first stakes winner.

5. VALTELLINA, BEL, 9/25-4th, allowance, 1 mile
Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (VIDEO)
f, 4, by Complexity–Take Charge Sue, by Take Charge Indy)
O-Pavilion Racing. B-Thorostock (NY). T-Raymond Handal. J-Dylan Davis.

Valtellina scored her first open-company win with a career-high Beyer. She and Gallant Greta (above) are both NY-breds with a shared pedigree thread: Valtellina’s maternal grandsire Take Charge Indy is out of multiple Grade I winner Take Charge Lady and Gallant Greta’s dam Tulipmania is out of a half-sister to Take Charge Lady.

Super Corredora | Benoit

4. SUPER CORREDORA, 9/27-8th, GII Zenyatta Stakes, 1 1/16 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (VIDEO)
(f, 3, by Gun Runner–Super Simple, by Super Saver)
O-Spartan Equine Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Robert Gardiner and Michael Olszewski. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-John Sadler. J-Joel Rosario.

After what Sadler described as a “screwed-up winter,” last year’s 2-year-old filly champ emerged from a 6 1/2-month break with a return to form–but not without a tense pre-race moment. In her most recent start, she threw her head at the break in the GIII Santa Ysabel and wound up well behind the others. In the Zenyatta, she again tossed her head and reared at a potentially untimely stage, but Rosario was ready for her antics. “That had me concerned for a moment,” Sadler said. The Zenyatta is a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but no firm decision has been made as to Super Corredora’s next start.

3. AMORITA, SA, 9/26-5th, GII Eddie D. Stakes, 6 1/2 furlongs (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 91 (3rd) (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Liam’s Map–Cara Bella, by Ghostzapper)
O-Augustin Stables or Stone Farm. B-Stone Farm (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. J-Kazushi Kimura.

Out of an unraced half-sister to Preakness winner Red Bullet, Amorita was already a turf-sprinting stakes winner this year and Mandella gave her a chance against males Saturday down the hill at Santa Anita. And she held up well, leading to midstretch and finishing a solid third while missing second by only a neck. She previously had been second twice in graded stakes down the hill against females.

2. DONOR ADVISED, BEL, 9/25-2nd, GII Beldame Stakes, 1 1/8 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 99 (2nd) (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Gun Runner–Toy Moon, by Malibu Moon)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-Chancey Mill Farm (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco.

Owner Seth Klarman got a valuable graded placing for his Gun Runner filly in her stakes debut, and meanwhile is making plans to confront Nitrogen (below) at the Breeders’ Cup with his more accomplished GI Personal Ensign winner Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law). That 4-year-old will get her Distaff prep against another Mark Casse-trained star, 3-year-old Counting Stars (Honor A.P.), in Sunday’s GI Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.

1. NITROGEN, BEL, 9/25-2nd, GII Beldame Stakes, 1 1/8 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 103 (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Medaglia d’Oro–Tiffany Case, by Uncle Mo)
O/B-D. J. Stable (Ky). T-Mark Casse. J-Jose Ortiz.

In the words of Casse, Nitrogen’s final tuneup for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff was “perfect…what we were hoping for.” The 1-20 favorite set an uncontested pace and cruised home 2 3/4 lengths in front of improving Donor Advised (above), who made her work just enough to get something out of the race, in the estimation of Casse. “I wanted her to do a little something today, so it was good,” he said. Nitrogen had most recently earned a 105 Beyer in her runner-up effort vs. males in the GI Whitney and a stratospheric 113 in her tour de force in the GI Ogden Phipps.

The post Six Speedy Fillies for the Week of Sept. 21-27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

‘Not Simply A Rescue Issue:’ Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Marks 10 Years

---

Kelley Stobie, co-founder and executive director of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA) in Puerto Rico, doesn’t lead a prosaic life. Her day starts fast and ends even faster.

One day she is on a plane to the U.S. Virgin Islands to speak with government officials about horses being exported to the islands, and the next she is doing checks with her vet along the shedrow.

Stobie has played a major role in equine advocacy in Puerto Rico, and aftercare has grown by leaps and bounds because of her efforts. But the work is never done.

Ten years have flown by since Stobie and Shelley Blodgett founded CTA in 2016, and she says that is how it goes in the world of aftercare.

“I think that over the years, the growing concern I have is about the overpopulation of horses in general,” Stobie said. “That probably comes as a shock to those who talk so much about the declining foal crop stateside. Everyone needs to remember that this is an island environment. In the Caribbean, we have a huge lack of education on equine welfare in general, along with the overpopulation.”

Camarero in Puerto Rico | T.D. Thornton

On Nov. 7, CTA will celebrate the past decade with ‘Ten Years of Hope and Second Chances,’ a fundraiser in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Stobie is a tireless advocate for any horse, and the event is an opportunity to look back at the hundreds of former equine athletes who have come through her program. When the phone rings, though, it is usually the future calling.

“I receive calls and messages almost every single day about horses in need,” she said. “Sometimes it is an abandonment situation; other times a family no longer has the space, a child is going away to college, or a horse is simply no longer needed by its original connections.”

According to Stobie, these situations are a microcosm of much bigger issues. She says greater accountability and responsibility are needed in horse ownership, importation, and the regulations surrounding them. It is just too easy to look the other way.

“If we continue bringing horses to an island where there are already so many in need, then we also need to consider what happens when those horses are no longer wanted or needed,” Stobie said. “There must be a responsible plan for the long haul.”

Stobie sees horses in Puerto Rico that come from all over the United States, many clearly not in racing condition. She added that they are not just from the minor circuits.

“The reality is that we have fewer than a handful of equine aftercare and rescue programs throughout the islands capable of helping these horses,” she said. “Those organizations that continue to exist are already struggling with limited funding, space, and resources.”

The Puerto Rican racing situation has been well-documented, especially after 1/ST Racing cut its Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park signal to the island’s Hipódromo Camarero over a year ago. Horse welfare, safety, and post-racing retirement care were the main issues. The company has also imposed penalties on owners whose horses started at Gulfstream and then appeared in Puerto Rico to race. Stobie says the moves have been a step in the right direction, but the number of horses in need of aftercare has increased dramatically.

During her Sept. 14 trip to St. Thomas and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Stobie spoke with local officials about the horse trade coming from Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, and her concerns about horses unfit to race at the Clinton E. Phipps Sr. Racetrack, which has had breakdowns over the past couple of years.

Barone Cesco before he was euthanized in the USVI | Kelley Stobie

While touring the backside, she found a Kentucky-bred horse named Barone Cesco (Klimt) in a stall, malnourished and living in his own feces. When she asked why he wasn’t being cared for properly, she was told he was being shipped to St. Croix and that no one knew who owned him.

Stobie and Triple H Ranch, a local horse rescue, cleaned his stall and fed him for seven days. A week later, Stobie learned he had been euthanized, for reasons still unknown. She also saw more than a dozen malnourished Thoroughbreds at another facility on the islands.

Since her visit, a federal veterinarian has committed to traveling to St. Thomas to examine the horses and investigate, and CTA and Triple H Ranch have offered to help rehome those deemed fit.

“Aftercare cannot be an afterthought,” she said. “If we are going to continue supporting the equine industry, we must also take responsibility for the horses while they’re working, racing, and when their careers come to an end. This is not simply a rescue issue. It is a responsibility that belongs to the entire equine community.”

Ten years went by in a flash for Kelley Stobie. She said the next 10 will be equally crucial.

Click here to learn more about the CTA and the 10th Anniversary Fundraising event.

The post ‘Not Simply A Rescue Issue:’ Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Marks 10 Years appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Six Speedy Fillies for the Week of Sept. 21-27

---

Not surprisingly, the Beldame provided the two fastest females of the week based on Beyer Speed Figures.

6. GALLANT GRETA, RP, 9/27-7th, Ricks Memorial Stakes, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 88 (VIDEO)
(m, 5, by Twirling Candy–Tulipmania, by Empire Maker)
O-Jordan Wycoff. B-Gallagher’s Stud (NY). T-Mike Maker. J-John Velazquez.

Racing outside New York or Florida for the first time, Gallant Greta returned from a seven-month layoff to claim her first stakes victory and keep Jordan Wycoff undefeated at Remington Park. Wycoff has managed the Three Diamonds Farm stable for parents Kirk and Debra but is now 7-for-7 at Remington when racing in his own name; he also won six stakes there in 2016-2018 with Oklahoma-bred Gianna’s Dream, who had been claimed for $25,000 by Maker and became his first stakes winner.

5. VALTELLINA, BEL, 9/25-4th, allowance, 1 mile
Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (VIDEO)
f, 4, by Complexity–Take Charge Sue, by Take Charge Indy)
O-Pavilion Racing. B-Thorostock (NY). T-Raymond Handal. J-Dylan Davis.

Valtellina scored her first open-company win with a career-high Beyer. She and Gallant Greta (above) are both NY-breds with a shared pedigree thread: Valtellina’s maternal grandsire Take Charge Indy is out of multiple Grade I winner Take Charge Lady and Gallant Greta’s dam Tulipmania is out of a half-sister to Take Charge Lady.

Super Corredora | Benoit

4. SUPER CORREDORA, 9/27-8th, GII Zenyatta Stakes, 1 1/16 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (VIDEO)
(f, 3, by Gun Runner–Super Simple, by Super Saver)
O-Spartan Equine Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Robert Gardiner and Michael Olszewski. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-John Sadler. J-Joel Rosario.

After what Sadler described as a “screwed-up winter,” last year’s 2-year-old filly champ emerged from a 6 1/2-month break with a return to form–but not without a tense pre-race moment. In her most recent start, she threw her head at the break in the GIII Santa Ysabel and wound up well behind the others. In the Zenyatta, she again tossed her head and reared at a potentially untimely stage, but Rosario was ready for her antics. “That had me concerned for a moment,” Sadler said. The Zenyatta is a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, but no firm decision has been made as to Super Corredora’s next start.

3. AMORITA, SA, 9/26-5th, GII Eddie D. Stakes, 6 1/2 furlongs (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 91 (3rd) (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Liam’s Map–Cara Bella, by Ghostzapper)
O-Augustin Stables or Stone Farm. B-Stone Farm (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. J-Kazushi Kimura.

Out of an unraced half-sister to Preakness winner Red Bullet, Amorita was already a turf-sprinting stakes winner this year and Mandella gave her a chance against males Saturday down the hill at Santa Anita. And she held up well, leading to midstretch and finishing a solid third while missing second by only a neck. She previously had been second twice in graded stakes down the hill against females.

2. DONOR ADVISED, BEL, 9/25-2nd, GII Beldame Stakes, 1 1/8 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 99 (2nd) (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Gun Runner–Toy Moon, by Malibu Moon)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-Chancey Mill Farm (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco.

Owner Seth Klarman got a valuable graded placing for his Gun Runner filly in her stakes debut, and meanwhile is making plans to confront Nitrogen (below) at the Breeders’ Cup with his more accomplished GI Personal Ensign winner Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law). That 4-year-old will get her Distaff prep against another Mark Casse-trained star, 3-year-old Counting Stars (Honor A.P.), in Sunday’s GI Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.

1. NITROGEN, BEL, 9/25-2nd, GII Beldame Stakes, 1 1/8 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 103 (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Medaglia d’Oro–Tiffany Case, by Uncle Mo)
O/B-D. J. Stable (Ky). T-Mark Casse. J-Jose Ortiz.

In the words of Casse, Nitrogen’s final tuneup for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff was “perfect…what we were hoping for.” The 1-20 favorite set an uncontested pace and cruised home 2 3/4 lengths in front of improving Donor Advised (above), who made her work just enough to get something out of the race, in the estimation of Casse. “I wanted her to do a little something today, so it was good,” he said. Nitrogen had most recently earned a 105 Beyer in her runner-up effort vs. males in the GI Whitney and a stratospheric 113 in her tour de force in the GI Ogden Phipps.

The post Six Speedy Fillies for the Week of Sept. 21-27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.