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Presque Isle Jockeys Back In Action After Safety-Related Refusal To Ride

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A catastrophic equine injury to the trailing runner in the third race at Presque Isle Downs on Tuesday hospitalized a jockey with multiple broken bones and required the euthanization of a 5-year-old mare who unseated him after she “took a bad step” at the quarter pole, according to the Equibase chart of the race.

The accident involving Laughing Fit (Practical Joke) and jockey Huber Villa-Gomez led to the jockeys refusing to ride the remaining five races on the Sept. 8 card at Presque Isle over concerns related to safety protocol and medical care.

Chelsea Hackbarth of the Paulick Report had the scoop, quoting both a regional manager for The Jockeys’ Guild and a spokesperson from the corporate owner of Presque Isle, each of whom had a different account of what happened to Villa-Gomez while the veteran rider with 25 years of experience was awaiting on-track medical treatment.

The Paulick Report quoted Herbie Rivera Jr. of the Guild as saying that the riding colony was unhappy with Villa-Gomez’s care following the spill.

Hackbarth wrote that “Rivera said Villa-Gomez was moved without a neck brace and expressed concern about the length of time before a transfer ambulance arrived to transport him to the hospital. Rivera said the incident occurred at 4:26 p.m. and said the transport ambulance did not arrive until 5:05 p.m.”

On Wednesday, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) defended the medical response, emphasizing to the Paulick Report that the on-site ambulance arrived within 11 seconds of the spill.

“As is the case in many jurisdictions, the on-track medical unit provides immediate emergency care, while transport to the hospital is performed by the local county or municipal EMS agency,” Breck Thomas-Ross, CDI’s senior director of communications, wrote to the Paulick Report.

Hackbarth reported that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is gathering information to determine whether established protocols were followed.

Villa-Gomez’s agent, Rocco Pignataro, posted a social media update Tuesday night about the jockey’s condition.

“Unfortunately he does have some broken bones and ribs causing him a lot of pain, but he’s alert and in good spirits. Thank you to everyone reaching out, and for the love and support for Huber,” Pignataro wrote.

Laughing Fit was from a one-horse stable. She was owned and trained by Julia Mauro, whose only win in 44 starts as a trainer came 25 years ago.

Mauro did not start a horse between 2001 and 2023, and has been winless in 30 starts since 2024. The only other horse she has started this year was vanned off at Penn National on June 12.

On June 19, Mauro claimed Laughing Fit for $4,000 out of a winning effort at Penn as the 11-10 favorite.

Off for more than two months, the mare resurfaced in an Aug. 26 $44,000 allowance race on the turf at Penn, where she finished sixth of eight at 113-1 odds.

In her Sept. 8 start at Presque Isle, Laughing Fit dropped to the $5,000 claiming level on the Tapeta surface and was off at 40-1 odds, the longest shot in the six-runner field.

The post Presque Isle Jockeys Back In Action After Safety-Related Refusal To Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Tawny Port Could Target The Melbourne Cup After Gold Cup Win At Kentucky Downs

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Second in this same race one year ago, Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) stepped up to go one better Wednesday, stretching out from the GI Christope Clement Turf at 1 1/2 miles to win the marathon 2 1/16-mile Marsh McLennan Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational Stakes.

A true war horse who has contested six straight graded stakes races between last September’s Gold Cup runner up and now, the 3-2 favorite took down the two-mile GII Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga June 4 with a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure but weakened to fifth most recently in the aforementioned Christophe Clement Turf Stakes in New York aug. 15.

Back to Kentucky Downs, the favorite came away mid pack and was able to tuck down as the inside runners went forward to pace the field through the opening furlongs. Hugging the fence into the first of three bends, Tawny Port settled nicely as the field strung out down the front stretch for the first time led by Goldeneye (Hard Spun), also the pacesetter in last year’s edition of this face, who opened up a sizable advantage as they entered the clubhouse turn. Still galloping nicely at halfway, Tawny Port still waited under Flavien Prat as Goldeneye’s lead stretched to double digits. Finally given some rein, the favorite began to eat into the leading margin, working his way up the fence as the field caught that loose leader, swarming around all sides with Tawny Port surging to the inside of the tiring Goldeneye as that runner began to lug out. With just Lambeth to deal with in the final sixteenth, Tawny Port held that runner at bay for the three-quarter length win.

“I need to speak with [Peachtree Stables’] Mr. [John] Fort, but I would be game to do it, why not? We’ve done a lot of bold things in the stable lately,” winning trainer Miguel Clement told the TDN of a potential next start in the Nov. 2 Melbourne Cup. “I was there once when I was on the Flying Start program, it’s a great race. My owner is keen to run him in the Canadian International and then bring him back for some of the big races in New York, but winning this race perhaps gives me a little more leeway. Regardless, I think the horse is very talented and let’s see how he comes out of it, but we are heavily considering the race.”

One of four winners for his stakes-winning first dam, Tawny Port has a yearling half-brother by Cody’s Wish and a weanling half-sister by Maclean’s Music yet to represent the family.

MARSH MCLENNAN BOWLING GREEN GOLD CUP INVITATIONAL S., $701,250, Kentucky Downs, 9-9, 3yo/up,
2 1/16mT, 3:27.91, fm.
1–TAWNY PORT, 124, h, 7, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie
(SW & MGSP, $354,069), by Macho Uno. ($430,000 Ylg ’20
KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Miguel Clement; J-Flavien Prat. $447,038. Lifetime Record:
MGSW/GISP, 34-7-6-5, $2,801,631. *1/2 to Broadway Lady
(Constitution), GSP, $211,051.
2–Lambeth, 120, h, 5, Arrogate–South Bank, by Tapit.
($135,000 3yo ’24 FTDOCT). O-Carl R. Moore Management,
LLC; B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Joe Sharp. $146,625.
3–Greystone, 120, g, 6, Will Take Charge–Like a Gem,
by Tactical Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Run Your Race Stables and
Mauro Iriarte; B-Garland E. Williamson (ON); T-Michael J.
Maker. $35,813.
Margins: 3/4, 2, HD. Odds: 1.50, 14.44, 13.10.
Also Ran: Goldeneye, Navy Seal (Ire), Truly Quality, Limited Liability, Passing Game. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.

The post Tawny Port Could Target The Melbourne Cup After Gold Cup Win At Kentucky Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Presque Isle Jockeys Back In Action After Safety-Related Refusal To Ride

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A catastrophic equine injury to the trailing runner in the third race at Presque Isle Downs on Tuesday hospitalized a jockey with multiple broken bones and required the euthanization of a 5-year-old mare who unseated him after she “took a bad step” at the quarter pole, according to the Equibase chart of the race.

The accident involving Laughing Fit (Practical Joke) and jockey Huber Villa-Gomez led to the jockeys refusing to ride the remaining five races on the Sept. 8 card at Presque Isle over concerns related to safety protocol and medical care.

Chelsea Hackbarth of the Paulick Report had the scoop, quoting both a regional manager for The Jockeys’ Guild and a spokesperson from the corporate owner of Presque Isle, each of whom had a different account of what happened to Villa-Gomez while the veteran rider with 25 years of experience was awaiting on-track medical treatment.

The Paulick Report quoted Herbie Rivera Jr. of the Guild as saying that the riding colony was unhappy with Villa-Gomez’s care following the spill.

Hackbarth wrote that “Rivera said Villa-Gomez was moved without a neck brace and expressed concern about the length of time before a transfer ambulance arrived to transport him to the hospital. Rivera said the incident occurred at 4:26 p.m. and said the transport ambulance did not arrive until 5:05 p.m.”

On Wednesday, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) defended the medical response, emphasizing to the Paulick Report that the on-site ambulance arrived within 11 seconds of the spill.

“As is the case in many jurisdictions, the on-track medical unit provides immediate emergency care, while transport to the hospital is performed by the local county or municipal EMS agency,” Breck Thomas-Ross, CDI’s senior director of communications, wrote to the Paulick Report.

Hackbarth reported that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is gathering information to determine whether established protocols were followed.

Villa-Gomez’s agent, Rocco Pignataro, posted a social media update Tuesday night about the jockey’s condition.

“Unfortunately he does have some broken bones and ribs causing him a lot of pain, but he’s alert and in good spirits. Thank you to everyone reaching out, and for the love and support for Huber,” Pignataro wrote.

Laughing Fit was from a one-horse stable. She was owned and trained by Julia Mauro, whose only win in 44 starts as a trainer came 25 years ago.

Mauro did not start a horse between 2001 and 2023, and has been winless in 30 starts since 2024. The only other horse she has started this year was vanned off at Penn National on June 12.

On June 19, Mauro claimed Laughing Fit for $4,000 out of a winning effort at Penn as the 11-10 favorite.

Off for more than two months, the mare resurfaced in an Aug. 26 $44,000 allowance race on the turf at Penn, where she finished sixth of eight at 113-1 odds.

In her Sept. 8 start at Presque Isle, Laughing Fit dropped to the $5,000 claiming level on the Tapeta surface and was off at 40-1 odds, the longest shot in the six-runner field.

The post Presque Isle Jockeys Back In Action After Safety-Related Refusal To Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Tawny Port Could Target The Melbourne Cup After Gold Cup Win At Kentucky Downs

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Second in this same race one year ago, Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) stepped up to go one better Wednesday, stretching out from the GI Christope Clement Turf at 1 1/2 miles to win the marathon 2 1/16-mile Marsh McLennan Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational Stakes.

A true war horse who has contested six straight graded stakes races between last September’s Gold Cup runner up and now, the 3-2 favorite took down the two-mile GII Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga June 4 with a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure but weakened to fifth most recently in the aforementioned Christophe Clement Turf Stakes in New York aug. 15.

Back to Kentucky Downs, the favorite came away mid pack and was able to tuck down as the inside runners went forward to pace the field through the opening furlongs. Hugging the fence into the first of three bends, Tawny Port settled nicely as the field strung out down the front stretch for the first time led by Goldeneye (Hard Spun), also the pacesetter in last year’s edition of this face, who opened up a sizable advantage as they entered the clubhouse turn. Still galloping nicely at halfway, Tawny Port still waited under Flavien Prat as Goldeneye’s lead stretched to double digits. Finally given some rein, the favorite began to eat into the leading margin, working his way up the fence as the field caught that loose leader, swarming around all sides with Tawny Port surging to the inside of the tiring Goldeneye as that runner began to lug out. With just Lambeth to deal with in the final sixteenth, Tawny Port held that runner at bay for the three-quarter length win.

“I need to speak with [Peachtree Stables’] Mr. [John] Fort, but I would be game to do it, why not? We’ve done a lot of bold things in the stable lately,” winning trainer Miguel Clement told the TDN of a potential next start in the Nov. 2 Melbourne Cup. “I was there once when I was on the Flying Start program, it’s a great race. My owner is keen to run him in the Canadian International and then bring him back for some of the big races in New York, but winning this race perhaps gives me a little more leeway. Regardless, I think the horse is very talented and let’s see how he comes out of it, but we are heavily considering the race.”

One of four winners for his stakes-winning first dam, Tawny Port has a yearling half-brother by Cody’s Wish and a weanling half-sister by Maclean’s Music yet to represent the family.

MARSH MCLENNAN BOWLING GREEN GOLD CUP INVITATIONAL S., $701,250, Kentucky Downs, 9-9, 3yo/up,
2 1/16mT, 3:27.91, fm.
1–TAWNY PORT, 124, h, 7, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie
(SW & MGSP, $354,069), by Macho Uno. ($430,000 Ylg ’20
KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Miguel Clement; J-Flavien Prat. $447,038. Lifetime Record:
MGSW/GISP, 34-7-6-5, $2,801,631. *1/2 to Broadway Lady
(Constitution), GSP, $211,051.
2–Lambeth, 120, h, 5, Arrogate–South Bank, by Tapit.
($135,000 3yo ’24 FTDOCT). O-Carl R. Moore Management,
LLC; B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Joe Sharp. $146,625.
3–Greystone, 120, g, 6, Will Take Charge–Like a Gem,
by Tactical Cat. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Run Your Race Stables and
Mauro Iriarte; B-Garland E. Williamson (ON); T-Michael J.
Maker. $35,813.
Margins: 3/4, 2, HD. Odds: 1.50, 14.44, 13.10.
Also Ran: Goldeneye, Navy Seal (Ire), Truly Quality, Limited Liability, Passing Game. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.

The post Tawny Port Could Target The Melbourne Cup After Gold Cup Win At Kentucky Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.