News and Notes for August 14, 2020

REGISTER NOW FOR ONLINE BIDDING
The Texas Thoroughbred Association is pleased to announce that registration is now open for online bidding on the August 24 Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale at Lone Star Park. Buyers must register in advance and submit a credit reference form in order to bid online. Registrations are now being accepted at www.ttasales.com.

“We are very excited to offer the option to bid online, and we encourage all interested bidders to register well in advance of the sale,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “We are also taking all the recommended safety precautions to allow buyers to attend the sale in person at the sales pavilion at Lone Star Park.”

The TTA also announced the return of the Texas Winter Mixed Sale, which will be held December 6, 2020, at Lone Star. This will be the first standalone mixed sale to be held in several years and now gives the TTA three annual auctions as this sale joins the 2-year-old sale in the spring and the yearling sale in the summer.

“Despite the challenges during this health pandemic, Lone Star Park just completed a successful Thoroughbred meet and this upcoming sale attracted double the number of yearlings compared to last year, so we think this is the right time to bring back the Texas Winter Mixed Sale,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “Purses and breeding incentives in Texas have been boosted significantly thanks to the passage of HB 2463, so we expect there to be a lot of demand for broodmares and racing stock.”

The entry deadline for the Texas Winter Mixed Sale is October 2, and consignment contracts are available at www.ttasales.com.  

NEW ATB BREEDER AWARDS TO BE PAID ON 2020 RACING
Thanks to House Bill 2463, we are now able to pay an ATB Breeder Bonus to the eligible breeders of ATB horses that finish 1, 2 or 3 in open company races in Texas.  These awards are in addition to the regular Breeder Awards paid for success in any race in Texas and will be paid out in mid-to-late September.

Also, new funds have been allocated to pay ATB Breeder Awards for Accredited Texas-breds that place 1, 2 or 3 in out-of-state races within the US when there is no live racing in Texas (unless the out-of-state race is a stakes race with a minimum purse of $50,000). These funds will be paid out in January 2021.

LONE STAR PARK TO HOST 870 BATTLE OF THE BREEDS
Who do you think is fastest at 870 yards…Thoroughbreds, American Quarter Horses, American Paint Horses or Appaloosas? This race might not answer the question definitively, but it will be fun to watch the new Lone Star 870 Battle of the Breeds this November at Lone Star Park.

In addition to the $35,000-added purse, an additional $15,000 is available for Accredited Texas-breds ($5,000 each to Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses and Paints). The 870-yard race (almost four furlongs) will be run with a $7,500 claiming price with trials on November 6 and the final on November 21. The entry form can be found at  https://texasthoroughbred.com/wp-content/uploads/870BattleoftheBreedsClaimingChampionship.pdf.  Contact the Texas Paint Horses Breeders Association at (817) 781-5980 or (817) 222-6444 if you have any questions.