Breeders

The battle over the federal budget has been playing out slowly in Congress for weeks, but it came galloping toward Maryland's thoroughbred farms recently in the form of a proposed tax increase. After threatening to trim the nation's ballooning budget deficits in part by ending tax breaks on corporate jets, high-priced yachts and hedge funds, Senate Democrats also proposed eliminating a $126 million tax carve-out for the nation's horse racing industry. The idea has prompted an outcry from Maryland's already struggling horse breeders.

Team Valor International, owner of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, has announced that Maryland-based trainer Graham Motion is once again hoping to prep the horse for a run in the $10 million Dubai World Cup next spring. Animal Kingdom finished a charging second in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 3, despite not racing for 259 days while recovering from a small fracture -- his second such injury since the 2011 Belmont. The colt stood in Motion's barn in Fair Hill for the beginning of the year, as Motion trained his best 3-year-olds toward this year's Kentucky Derby.

America's richest steeplechase, which had been a Maryland event for half of its 8-year history, has been discontinued, prompting one prominent trainer to call it "a big slap in the face.""What this has done," said Jonathan Sheppard, the sport's premier trainer, "is to polarize us in steeplechasing and say 'You don't belong in real racing.' "The board of directors of Breeders' Cup Limited, which had sponsored the race since 1986, met at Gulfstream Park yesterday and voted to discontinue the $250,000 race.

Oden Bowie, the former secretary of the Maryland Senate and grandson of Maryland Gov. Oden Bowie, died Oct. 23 at the Arbor at Baywoods in Annapolis of complications from a fall he suffered at his home last month. He was 97. His daughter, Ambler Bowie Slabe, said he had spent his entire life at Fairview, the Bowie home in Prince George's County. She said he was the sixth generation of his family to reside there. "He was respected and admired by everyone," said Maryland Senate President Mike Miller.

Trainer Lukas cracks the one-linersHALLANDALE, Fla. -- D. Wayne Lukas, as usual, has been in rare form this week."I love the big events," he said. "This year's Breeders' Cup card is as good as last year's, and there might even be more depth and flavor with so many European horses running. They are taking a hell of a shot and it's hard to figure out how they factor in. I can't even pronounce their names."Lukas, the Breeders' Cup winningest trainer, has four starters -- Salt Lake (Sprint), Lite Light (Distaff)

I awoke Monday to news the horse racing industry is in trouble ("Md. horse farms fear tax break will be cut," July 11). Yet I was not at all surprised by Sen. Barbara Mikulski's negative comments regarding Republicans, specifically that they want to "get rid of teachers. " As usual, the Democrats and The Sun paint Republicans with a too broad brush. What the writer failed to mention is that, in the sausage-making process required to solve the federal deficit, the Republican leadership has taken a principled stand to insure that no American's taxes are raised.

The domination by West Coast horses in the Breeders' Cup could be about to end.In the past two runnings at warm-weather tracks in Florida and California, five of the seven rich stakes have been won by West Coast-trained thoroughbreds.But don't be surprised if the balance swings back to the East Coast this year, said New York trainer Shug McGaughey when a record 126 horses, including 33 from Europe, were pre-entered yesterday for the $10 million card to be run Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky."

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- There are just a few Maryland connections in this year's Breeders' Cup. The only Maryland-bred is Secret Odds in the Juvenile Colts.Two Maryland jockeys, Edgar Prado and Tommy Turner, have mounts. Prado is on Booly in the Juvenile Fillies and Jolie's Halo in the Classic. Turner rides Diamond Duo in the Distaff.Two Maryland trainers, Larry Murray (Secret Odds) and Bill Donovan (Diamond Duo) are making their Breeders' Cup debuts as well as Maryland owners, Howard and Sondra Bender (Secret Odds)

NEW YORK -- An international selection committee that is determining the remaining five starters has ruled against Quiet American being in the field for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Belmont Park on Saturday. Trainer Gary Jones' 4-year-old colt didn't have enough points to earn one of the first nine spots.Quiet American has won only once in five starts this year, but has beaten Bayakoa and finished second to Dispersal in the Woodward Handicap at Belmont on Sept. 15.

Seven horses that are either stabled in Maryland or have made their last starts in some of the state's big races are scheduled to run in Breeders' Cup XI on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.The latest horse added to the list is Laurel Dash winner Soviet Problem. The filly was not nominated to the Breeders' Cup program as a foal by her California owners, John Harris and Don Valpredo. That means they will have to supplement her at a cost of $120,000 to start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Breeders' Cup Motion's 'Kingdom' to compete in Mile Animal Kingdom will return in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on the Santa Anita Park turf on Nov. 3 with a chance to become the first Kentucky Derby winner to go on to Breeders' Cup glory since Unbridled in 1990. The reigning champion 3-year-old male of 2011, who finished second in last year's Preakness after winning the Derby, scored an easy turf win Feb. 18 at Gulfstream Park in his only start this year. He developed a stress fracture of the ilium three weeks later that knocked him out of the Dubai World Cup. Over the summer, trainer Graham Motion suggested the Mile as an option if the colt didn't encounter any setbacks.

Paul J. Prosser III, of White Hall, owns one bull listed in the 2012 Fall Sire Evaluation Report published by the American Angus Association in Saint Joseph, Mo. Issued in both the spring and fall, the new report features the latest performance information available on 6,067 sires, and is accessible at http://www.angussiresearch.com. "This report provides both Angus breeders and commercial cattle producers using Angus genetics with accurate, predictable selection tools for improving their herd," Sally Northcutt, genetic research director, said in a press release.

Prominent Maryland horse owner and breeder Sondra Bender died Wednesday afternoon after a battle with uterine cancer. She was 78 A resident of Bethesda, Bender and her husband Howard owned Glade Valley Farm in Frederick. “I considered her the first lady of Maryland racing,” Larry Murray, who has trained for Bender since 1988 and is the farm manager at Glade Valley, said in a news release. “She enjoyed the game and was very classy. She took the bad just as well as the good.

College football Hopkins QB Tomlin is Gagliardi finalist Johns Hopkins senior quarterback Hewitt Tomlin was named one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is presented annually to the Division III Player of the Year. Tomlin was 225-for-334 for 2,683 yards with 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions this season. His completion percentage (.674) this season is a school record, while his 24 TDs ties the school single-season mark. Tomlin is the first player from Johns Hopkins to be selected as a finalist for the award.

A year ago, Shared Account arrived at Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf as an outsider. Oddsmakers made her a 46-1 long shot, and her response was to win. This year, she's back to defend her title in the $2 million Grade I race. Do the oddsmakers love her? Not exactly. They've given her 30-1 morning-line odds, a fact that has Sagamore Farm general manager Tom Mulligan sending out a warning. "The field is deep, and it's another tough ask of her," Mulligan said.

Lost in the ecstasy of Zenyatta's heroic effort and the agony of her narrow loss in the Breeders' Cup Classic last year was the pain in Garrett Gomez's shoulder. Gomez won with a great ride aboard a great horse named Blame. In 19 previous tries, no other horse had been able to withstand the closing rush of the greatest equine closer of our time, and when unbeaten Zenyatta came up about three inches short this time, the bigger story was her effort and her close call. When the reality of what had happened set in on the massive crowd at Churchill Downs, the mood turned immediately dark, just as day had turned quickly to night.

Race 1 -- Breeders' Cup Sprint The Sprint in usually one of the most hotly contested Breeders' Cup races. It's the first of the series, there is a bulky 14-horse field going just six furlongs and the jockeys' adrenalin is flowing. Something unique always seems to happen, from Dayjur jumping a shadow and handing the race to Safely Kept (1990) to On The Line getting jumped on and breaking down (1989).Meafara, the lone filly running against the males, should get the first call, pushed along by Salt Lake and King Corrie.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The shake of the pills changed the face of Breeders' Cup XI yesterday, when three of the seven expected favorites drew outside posts and made their chances of winning just a bit riskier.Lure, Paradise Creek and Devil His Due -- all initially picked as choices by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia -- either drew the 13 or 14 posts in bulky 14-horse fields. In two of the three instances, the poor posts resulted in changes in Battaglia's official odds line.In the case of Devil His Due, who starts from the 14 gate in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Classic, Battaglia hastily changed his mind after the 5-year-old drew the extreme outside post.

Breeders' Cup Leatherbury not entering Ben's Cat King Leatherbury said Tuesday he will not be taking Ben's Cat to the Breeders' Cup next week at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. "I made the rule from the beginning, if I could not raise the [supplemental] $100,000 entry fee, I wasn't going," the legendary Maryland horse trainer said. "I couldn't raise the money, so the decision was made for me. " Ben's Cat qualified for the Breeders' Cup Grade II, $1 million Turf Sprint by winning a "Win and You're In" qualifying race.