News and Notes for April 28, 2017

SONS OF TOO MUCH BLING SHINE
It was a big afternoon Wednesday for leading Texas stallion Too Much Bling of Valor Farm. His 2-year-old Texas-bred son Direct Dial crushed the field at first asking in a $60,000 maiden special at Keeneland by 7 ¾ lengths for breeder W.S. Farish and trainer Steve Asmussen.

Direct Dial, out of the Mineshaft mare Fast Find, was the sales topper at the 2016 TTA Yearling & Mixed Sale last August at $105,000. He is a full brother to Texas-bred Stakes winners Scooter’s Choice and Shaded.

A few minutes earlier at Gulfstream Park, Too Much Bling’s 8-year-old son Blings Express earned career victory 19 and hit the $400,000 mark in earnings with a starter allowance win.

ACCREDITED TEXAS-BREDS IN WEEKEND STAKES
Keene Thoroughbreds LLC’s Country Candy (Intimidator – Trifolium) will run in a field of 8 in Saturday’s $65,000 Goldfinch Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 6 furlongs at Prairie Meadows.

The multiple stakes winner was purchased by Keene for $65,000 at last year’s Texas 2-Year-Old Sale from the consignment of breeder Keith Asmussen.

With a career record to 9-3-2-1 and $124,480 in earnings, Country Candy has morning line adds of 10/1.

TEXAS THOROUGHBRED SALES FUTURITY REMINDER
If you purchased a horse at the 2017 Texas 2-Year-Old Sale that was not already nominated to the Futurity, it can be late nominated by payment of $5,000 no later than May 1st.

Please contact Jennifer in the TTA office at 512.458.6133 with any questions.

TEXAN BRAD GRADY AND GRAND OAKS SELL CURRENT OCALA SALE TOPPER
A Blood-Horse article describes the scene in the sale pavilion at Ocala Breeders’ Sales as “electric” on April 27, when a Tiznow colt—the buzz horse of the sale—was led into the ring midway through the third session of the spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.

After an opening bid of $500,000, competition for the colt consigned by Bobby Dodd on behalf of Brad Grady ebbed and flowed up to $2 million, when three different parties went to and fro, in $50,000 increments. Bidding stopped at an OBS record $2.45 million. 

Agent John Moynihan secured the colt on behalf of Coolmore’s M. V. Magnier. Moynihan said Coolmore put together a partnership to race the colt.

Grady set a reserve he was comfortable with, and lined up partners to race the colt should expectations fall short. Then he enjoyed watching the bidding fireworks.

The colt’s attraction stemmed from not only being speedy—he turned heads when he breezed an eighth of a mile in :09 3/5, co-fastest time during the pre-sale under tack show—but also his breeding. He is out of the Distorted Humor mare Moonbow and his second dam is multiple stakes winner Storm Beauty, a Storm Cat half sister to champion sprinter Gold Beauty, who has produced grade 3 winner Buffum, multiple stakes winner and grade 2-placed Stormy West, and graded stakes-placed Renaissance Lady.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, the colt was bought by Grand Oaks for $125,000 from Woodford Thoroughbreds, agent, at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

The record-priced colt is a testament to the breeding, racing, and pinhooking program put together by Grady, Dodd, and their Grand Oaks operation. Grady-owned and -bred Girvin is one of the top prospects for this year’s Kentucky Derby. Girvin is currently battling a quarter crack in his right front foot but his connections are still hopeful the son of Tale of Ekati will be ready to run on May 6th.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Committee Substitute Senate Bills 1971 (Kolkhorst, Buckingham) and 1972 (Kolkhorst) were passed out of the Agriculture, Water and Rural Affairs Committee on April 24th.  Per the Author’s / Sponsor’s Statement Of Intent, S.B. 1971 establishes an economic incentive fund to be administered by the Officially Recognized Texas Horsemen’s Organization and the Officially Recognized Texas Breed Registries, as designated by the Texas Racing Act. The intent of the program is to foster a strong Texas racing industry that would, in turn, allow the preservation of a historic Texas institution.

S.B. 1972 seeks to shift the Accredited Texas Bred funds from the Texas Racing Commission’s (TRC’s) operating budget and into a separate escrow account.

The next step in the process is for the bills to be debated on the House floor, hopefully within the next two weeks. Stay tuned for updates.