ACCREDITED TEXAS-BREDS IN WEEKEND STAKES
On Saturday, Cattle Company (Early Flyer – Miss Lorena) will take on 11 foes in the $35,000 Arapahoe Park Classic Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.  Bred by the late Clarence Scharbauer Jr., the stakes-winning gelding is coming off a big win in the Colorado Derby Stakes on July 17.  Now owned by Jeff West, he has morning line odds of 12/1.

On Sunday, Bling On the Music (Too much Bling – Soft Music) will compete in a field of 9 for the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity for 2-year-olds going 6 furlongs at Arapahoe Park.  Bred by W. S. Farish and now owned by Keene Thoroughbreds LLC, the filly is undefeated in two starts.  Most recently, she won the $93,903 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park on July 9 by an incredible 8 ½ lengths.  Bling On the Music is trained by J. R. Caldwell.

LIVE RACING AT GILLESPIE COUNTY FAIR
Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is on tap this weekend at Gillespie County Fair Grounds with a 1:00 p.m. post time each day.  On Saturday, Thoroughbred races include a 4-furlong maiden, a 5 ½-furlong allowance and a 7-furlong claiming race.  Quarter Horse futurity trials comprise most of the card on Sunday, along with a 6-furlong Thoroughbred allowance.

TEXAS RACING COMMISSION GRANTS 2017/2018 RACE DATES FOR TEXAS TRACKS
At its meeting Tuesday, the Texas Racing Commission approved the following 2017/2018 race dates for Texas racetracks:

Gillespie County Fair Grounds; 2017; 8-day mixed meet: July 1, 2, 15, and 16; August 12, 13, 26, and 27.  2018; 8-day mixed meet; July 7, 8, 21, and 22; August 11, 12, 25, and 26.

Lone Star Park: 50-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from April 20 to July 30, 2017.

Retama Park: 26-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from September 1 through November 25, 2017.

Sam Houston Race Park: 32-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from January 19 through March 18, 2018.

Sam Houston Race Park was previously granted a 32-day Thoroughbred meet from January 20 through March 14, 2017.

In all, the 2017 race dates for Texas racetracks include 112 Thoroughbred race days, 70 Quarter Horse race days, and 8 days of mixed breed racing.

FUSAICHI PEGASUS STALLION SHERMANESQUE TO STAND IN TEXAS
Shermanesque, a multiple graded stakes-placed son of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, has been relocated to Texas to stand at Broughton Farm in Midland as property of Misti Broughton. He will stand for an introductory fee of $750. 

A $350,000 Keeneland yearling purchase, Shermanesque broke his maiden at Churchill Downs at first asking as a 2-year-old and then posted three consecutive placings against graded stakes company in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill, the Saratoga Special Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2) in New York and the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park. He retired from racing after five starts with a bankroll of $104,516 and a record of 5-1-2-1.

Shermanesque is out of the stakes-winning T.V. Commercial mare T.V. Countess, and he is a half brother to champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Countess Diana.

Shermanesque’s leading runner is 11-time winner Lemon Sherbert, a stakes-placed earner of nearly $250,000. The stallion formerly stood at Whispering Oaks Farm in Louisiana.

For more information, contact Jerry or Misti Broughton at misti76200@yahoo.com or visit the stallion’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/shermanesquetb/.

TEXAS HORSE RACING HALL OF FAME’S WALK OF FAME
The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame has started laying bricks in their new Walk of Fame at Retama Park. The project is aimed at honoring horses that are owned, bred, raced, or standing in Texas. Owners, breeders, and trainers that have a horse that has won a stakes may participate. For more information please contact Ryan Grammer at 210-651-7045 or email at txhorseracinghof@gmail.com.

FOREVER LINKED, RACHEL ALEXANDRA AND ASMUSSEN ENTER HALL OF FAME TOGETHER – from DRF.com:
Rachel Alexandra and trainer Steve Asmussen will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame together today.

Asmussen is a two-time Eclipse Award winner, earning those accolades as his Hall of Famers Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, both campaigned in majority by the late Jess Jackson and wife Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farm, were consecutive Horse of the Year honorees. Asmussen saddled Curlin, who retired as North America’s leading money winner, to win eight Grade 1 events, including the Preakness, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup, and two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Rachel Alexandra, who was a graded stakes winner at ages 2 and 4, retired following the 2010 season with a record of 19-13-5-0 and earnings of $3,506,730.

Asmussen has continued to achieve at a high level while weathering a series of professional and personal challenges. Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra nearly lost her life, bouncing back from a veterinary emergency with the courage she displayed on the racetrack.

“To be able to go in with Rachel is quite special,” Asmussen said. “She’s amazing and then some. She’s indescribable is what she is.”

Classic winners Rachel Alexandra and Curlin have highlighted a career in which Asmussen has climbed to second in North American history with 7,379 wins and fourth in earnings with $244,994,807 through Tuesday. He saddled Creator to win this year’s Belmont Stakes and has won two editions of the Kentucky Oaks, with Summerly (2005) and the champion Untapable (2014), the latter also winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Asmussen’s other Breeders’ Cup victories came in the 2011 Juvenile Fillies with the champion My Miss Aurelia, the 2012 Dirt Mile with Tapizar, and the 2011 Turf Sprint with Regally Ready. He has led the nation in wins nine times and earnings thrice, ranking in the top 10 in both categories every year since 2000.

“It’s a great celebration of family and friends,” Asmussen said of the Hall of Fame induction. “I’m an extension of [my parents], and this is their accomplishment as well. I think what is beautiful about it is it is such a shared thing with the barn and with everyone who is involved in it.

“To be able to celebrate and share that with your family means everything. Everything,” he said. “Racing for me is a family affair. I grew up in my parents’ barn, and they’re still a huge part of it.”

After the celebration, it will be right back to work for Asmussen, who describes himself as not “even halfway done” with his career.

Congratulations from Texas!

NOTES: We offer our condolences to the family of well-known local horseman Joe Rubarth of New Braunfels, who recently passed away. A memorial service will be held at Retama Park on Sunday, August 28th at 11:00 am…Congrats to Super Derby Prelude winner Texas Chrome, who now has a berth in the $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs…”Get well soon” wishes to Eddie Milligan, who was injured in a training accident this week…Remember to check out HotelStorm, a new benefit for TTA members. Begin your hotel search by going to our site at https://www.hotelstorm.com/texas-thoroughbred-association and use TTA Member access code TXHORSE. Please contact Mary Ruyle in the TTA office at 512.458.6133 with questions…ATB awards in connection with the Thoroughbred meet at Lone Star Park will be in the mail next week…Have you checked out the new interactive catalog for the TTA Summer Yearling Sale? There are now 48 photos posted of horses consigned. See them at:
https://www.thoroughbredcatalog.com/Sales/Details/1011