10/23/2012 4:14PM

Santa Anita notes: Nates Mineshaft will miss Breeders' Cup

By Jay Privman
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Reed Palmer Photography
Nates Mineshaft has not raced since finishing third in the Stephen Foster in June.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Nates Mineshaft, who recently was transferred to California and to trainer Richard Mandella, will miss the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and will be off indefinitely, Mandella said Tuesday.

“We found a problem and he needs time off, so we sent him home,” said Mandella, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the injury. “We’ll give him a little rest and try to get him back late next year.”

Nates Mineshaft won the New Orleans Handicap earlier this year. He has not raced since finishing third in the Stephen Foster in June. He was taken away from trainer Austin Smith after being scratched from the Hawthorne Gold Cup the morning of the race Oct. 6. Smith did not want to run him.

First local winner for Hernandez

Apprentice jockey Efrain Hernandez, who grew up in Southern California but began his career in the East, earned his first local victory on Saturday with a 15-1 upset on Sea Rascal in the seventh race.

Hernandez, 21, is the son of a local exercise rider. But he was not allowed to come on the track until he completed high school, hence the reason he is still an apprentice at age 21, according to his agent, Derek Lawson.

Hernandez rode previously at Thistledown, Presque Isle, and Mountaineer Park. He currently has a seven-pound allowance. His apprenticeship lasts until next July.

Humberto Loma, the trainer of Sea Rascal, also was scoring his first Santa Anita victory. He was a longtime assistant in Northern California to trainer Steve Miyadi.

Broken Dreams could sneak one in

Broken Dreams, who won the Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, could be wheeled back on Nov. 4 in the Grade 2, $150,000 Goldikova Stakes at one mile on turf, trainer Tom Proctor said.

Broken Dreams suffered a serious knee injury at age 3 before she ever ran, but has gone on to win 7 times in 22 starts. Proctor said she will be retired at year’s end and bred next spring.

Jockeys tend bar to raise money

“Jocktails at the Breeders’ Cup,” featuring jockeys serving as bartenders, will be held Monday at Santa Anita in the FrontRunner restaurant from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with all proceeds going to the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund.

Fans can purchase tickets for $100 online at www.breederscup.com/jocktails.

The fund provides assistance to 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic ontrack injuries. Most have been paralyzed or suffered brain injuries.

Pete R More than 1 year ago
Nate's Mineshaft was scratched from the Hawthone Gold Cup after a lenghty conversation between Pete Reiman, owner, and Austin Smith about an interview Smith gave to the DRF. Smith was asked numerous times during the conversation if Nate was fit to run in the Gold Cup. After Smith asked Reiman if he wanted to scratch Nate the 2nd time I, Reiman, felt the horse was apparently not fit to race that day else why would the trainer ask the owner if he wanted to scratch the horse the 2nd time--of course the owner has to take the trainer's word of the horses well being since the trainer is with the horse daily, trains him, nominates him for the race then enters the horse--it struck a bad chord when the owners had to learn thru an interview with the DRF there was a possibility the horse wasn't fit to run in the Gold Cup. Other than general fitness Smith did not have a clue Nate had an injury--the decision to part ways came from Smith & Reiman readily agreed. The decision to ship Nate to Mandella came after Smith decided to part ways. As it has turned out this was probably a life saving decision to let Mandella have Nate. We are looking forward to Mandella training the horse in 2013.
Perl More than 1 year ago
Darn. There goes my single in the BC Dirt Mile.
charles More than 1 year ago
If there was something wrong with the horse, Mandella most likely did not know til after he worked him in Cal. Else why would he have had a 7f work in which he ran 1:24.60?
Jerry Gryczewski More than 1 year ago
he trained three legged lame at hawthorne. owners decided to send the horse west. now the horse has conduylar fracture. go figure.
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Jerry AGAIN you don't have the knowledge of what was discussed and why Smith left or why Mandella was chosen--as it turns out it was a blessing Mandella got the horse and discovered a hairline stress fracture that is not career ending. Smith had no idea the horse had this injury. This was a disagreement between trainer and owner that the owner felt for the well-being of the horse he should be moved. As it turns out this move probably saved Nate's Mineshaft career.
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Mandella being a very knowledgeable horseman and an outstanding trainer detected a possible prolem--he & his vet examined & X-rayed Nate could not see a problem but enhanced computer imaging showed a very minor stress fracture--Mandella did not & would not take a chance of racing Nate and him breaking down so he decided not to run him and was up front with the owners--the owners didn't have to find out by reading an interview with the DRF there was a possible injury.
Gene Martin More than 1 year ago
Broken Breams? Do they pay at DRF anymore?
Mark Deckert More than 1 year ago
It appears Austin Smith, who took a claimer to Graded stake winner, was correct after all.....owners trying to wear britches just a little too big for them......
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Mark You haven't a clue as to why Nate's Mineshaft was scratched at Hawthorne-it was because A. Smith did not tell us the horse wasn't ready to run until I confronted him about an interview he gave to the DRF. After questioning him thoroughly about horse's fitness & him never admtting that horse was not fit to run and asking me the 2nd tme if I wanted to scratch him did I realize there was something wrong & I told Austin yes scratch him. As it turns out Nate did have an injury but Smith didn't know this--x-rays showed no problem but enhanced computer image showed a very slight hairline fracture which will be OK after some time off is to the horses advantage-Mandella was responsible or finding something wrong not Smith.
Thomas Cook More than 1 year ago
Seems like Austin Smith found the problem and the owners wanted to run Nate anyway. Mandella just closed the issue. Good job Austin protecting your colt.
Big Jeff More than 1 year ago
Conjecture?
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Big Jeff Conjecture I'm sure. Had Mandella not got Nate the minute hairline fracture would possibly not been discovered until horse broke down BUT Mandella being the outstanding trainer he is & detected a problem noone else had detected Nate would probably broke down and ended his racing career. THANKS goes to Richard Mandella.
Vinod Jhangimal More than 1 year ago
How much do you think it cost to have the horse being taken care of by Mr. Smith and how much will it cost now that Mr. Mandella will take care of him? I am guessing that with Mr. Mandella the owners will pay a premium to have the horse sidelined
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Vinod, Nate's Mineshaft has earned ove $600,000.00 so I think he has paid his way and will continue to do so.Smith losing the horse and Mandella getting the horse was a blessing for Nate--had he been left where he was he probably would have had a shortened racing career. Seldom does a horse with Nate's ability comes along we feel very fortunate to have him--we wish Smith well & we are looking forward to 2013 with Mandella being the trainer. All I can ay to Mandlla is thanks.
Pete R More than 1 year ago
Thomas as I said to another blogger you have no idea what you are talking about--you almost sound like a politician running for office you can say anything you want true or not and post a blog.Some people will believe you simply because they like to read these untrue oneliners. The move to Mandella saved a very fine racehorse career and consequently Mandella will train Nate in 2013.