Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
War Stopper a colt to watch
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The third race last Saturday at Aqueduct did produce a 3-yearold with a future. It just wasn’t the one who was so highly touted going in.
War Stopper, a son of Declaration of War, rolled to a frontrunning four-length victory in the one-mile race. He covered the distance in 1:37.54 – a solid time for this track – and earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. War Stopper was making his fourth start, all for owner Mike Salerno and trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
Given his pedigree, War Stopper made his first two starts on turf, but without success. He tried dirt on Dec. 7 – a day when speed was very good at Aqueduct – and after breaking poorly he never really got involved, finishing fifth, nine lengths behind Cost Basis.
Joel Rosario, who rode War Stopper that day, suggested to Rodriguez he try blinkers. The equipment seemed to help as War Stopper broke alertly under Jorge Vargas Jr. on Saturday, showed good speed, and finished well.
“We always liked him, we tried him on the grass because they said he had a lot of breeding for the grass,” Rodriguez said. “When we ran him [first time] on the dirt, he just ran okay. Joel said maybe put blinkers on him because he was looking around.”
Rodriguez said by Sunday that he had already fielded calls from agents looking to buy the horse. Rodriguez said the decision whether to sell would be made by Salerno. Rodriguez said if the horse is still with him, he would consider running War Stopper in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes here March 7.
“He definitely ran a big race. We’re going to see where he takes us,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, the sky’s the limit.”
Meanwhile, First Line, whom trainer Orlando Noda had expressed great confidence in, chase the early pace and faded to fourth, beaten 28 3/4 lengths, in the field of six.
Rice proud of N.Y. success
When reflecting on becoming just the third female trainer to reach the 2,000-win plateau, Linda Rice points to her success on the New York Racing Association circuit as something about which she is extremely proud.
“It’s really exciting to have gotten to New York and to be successful in New York, in this arena,” Rice said following Scilly Cay’s victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Rego Park Stakes which was Rice’s 2,000th career victory.
Rice joined Kim Hammond (2,280) and Kathleen O’Connell (2,127) as the women trainers to reach that threshold. An unofficial tally of all her wins shows that Scilly Cay’s victory was Rice’s 1,300th career victory at a NYRA track, and her 657th win at Aqueduct. Statitics show Rice has won 442 races at Belmont and 201 at Saratoga.
“It’s very competitive. There are a lot of great horsemen in New York and a lot have been here before us,” Rice said. “It’s historic. For me, it’s exciting.”
Rice’s biggest accomplishments have come in New York. She won the 2009 Saratoga trainer’s title, won three graded stakes at Saratoga with City Zip in 2000, and captured two Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga with Palace, a horse she claimed for $20,000. Her first Grade 1 victory came at Saratoga with Things Change in the 1998 Spinaway. Her most recent Grade 1 win came at Saratoga with Voodoo Song in the 2018 Fourstardave.
Rice won last year’s Aqueduct winter title and through the first 18 days of this winter meet, she leads all trainers with 23 victories.
Workers’ comp rates declining
Workers’ compensation insurance rates for New Yorkbased trainers have declined significantly over the last two years and could decrease further with the implementation of a new high-deductible plan, according to a release put out over the weekend by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.
According to the release, the New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund has been able to lower horsemen’s cost for premiums to cover jockeys and exercise riders by $4,000 per trainer and $500 per owner. Further, rates for worker’s compensation insurance for grooms and hotwalkers have fallen 36 percent over two years, according to Joe Appelbaum, president of both NYTHA and the NYJICF.
Under a new proposed highdeductible plan, horsemen who maintain a clean safety record could see their premiums continue to decrease.
NYTHA has been able to work with NYRA to help reduce expenses and to implement the new high-deductible plan. NYRA has approved the use of $4.15 million from the purse cushion as collateral for the high-deductible plan.
Last June, NYRA agreed to not charge an insurance fee for a trainer’s first 12 stalls and that program is expected to continue in 2020. Further, NYRA has agreed to renew a $300 per start credit to horsemen for every off-the-board start at Aqueduct from January through March to help offset the cost of the $1,000 base premium payment and additional stall fees.
“NYTHA has worked diligently with our state legislators, the New York State Gaming Commission, and NYRA to find ways to reduce the cost of doing business in New York,” Appelbaum said.