Officials dub claimer winner 'anatomical hermaphrodite'

Racing is littered with instances of ringers and horses not being quite what they appear and that is certainly the case with Award It, a four-year-old filly who won a claimer at Santa Anita on Saturday and was described on the changes board by officials before the race as "an anatomical hermaphrodite and appears unable to be bred".

Connections of the daughter of Tapit, who ran in the colours of the Wertheimer brothers with Joe Talamo aboard, have been aware of the issue since she came into training, but along with officials they felt it was important to make the information public in light of her running in a claimer.

Now successful in two of her ten starts, she was saddled by Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Richard Mandella, who has sent out more than 10,000 runners, but has never seen an instance like this.

"They discovered it when she was born," said Mandella, quoted by the Blood-Horse. "She has physical signs. We haven't seen the other part – at least I haven't – but she's like a gelding. She's a racehorse. There's no reason she can't run, but she's not for breeding.

"She's a good-looking filly. Not gifted with the most talent, but we're trying to find a place where she can play the game."

Award It was claimed by Ron Ellis, and Santa Anita racing secretary Rick Hammerle added of the note on the changes board: "We do it for any kind of oddity – like if there is a mare in foal, we do that – and this comes under that as an oddity.

"You let the buyer know ahead of time, they can go ahead and do it, but this is what you're getting."

Mandella said Award It had been tested and is registered as a filly to race, but joked: "We've had some nice offers to scratch and sell her to breed. If I could figure out how to get away with it, I'd have done it!"

California Horse Racing Board equine medical director Dr Rick Arthur attempted to clarify the case.

"She is a filly," he said. "Her registration papers say that and she has been tested. Chromosomally she is fully XX [males are XY], but she has malformed external genitalia. I have not examined her myself, but her testosterone levels are normal."