Chippewa Downs

A recent article in the TDN, "He Thought His Horse Had Been Retired, So Why Did It Show Up at Chippewa Downs?" has attracted a lot of attention. It should. It's an unfortunate situation: an older Thoroughbred, sold for breeding purposes and believed by its owner to have been retired from racing ultimately returns to racing under new connections, raising understandable concerns about welfare and accountability. Scenarios like this are preventable and can be addressed through an existing protocol. Transferred as Retired from Racing (TRR)--a process available to all owners--should...

All Brad Altschuld wanted for his horse Nepal Up (Will Take Charge) was for him to go somewhere where he could enjoy his retirement, the type of situation where the owner would never have to worry about his horse's future. Nepal Up was about to turn 10 and had been put on the vet's list after a Sept. 1 starter handicap race at Monmouth. So Altschuld found someone who agreed to take the horse, a small-time breeder in Nebraska named Christina Nelson who said she was willing to give Nepal...

After Nepal Up (Will Take Charge) finished fifth in a Sept. 1 handicap race at Monmouth last year, owner Brad Altschuld knew it was time to retire the horse. He was nine and had been put on the vet's list as the result of the general wear and tear that can develop when a horse races for so many years. Nepal Up had made 46 career starts, earned $283,630, and his claim to fame was that he won the 2025 Trail's End at Oaklawn, the mile-and-three-quarters race traditionally run as...

The Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP), which accredits and provides continuing education to all racing officials, stewards, and judges in racing, will hold its annual accreditation school for stewards and judges at California's Los Alamitos Race Course from Sept. 11-18. The course, which includes 60 hours of schooling, provides classroom instruction as well as time shadowing officials. Curriculum covers both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing, as well as harness racing. The accreditation school is open to all applicants who meet and complete the registration requirements by Aug. 12. In addition,...