NEWS AND NOTES FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2014
THREE STAKES ON TAP THIS WEEKEND
Sam Houston Race Park will host three stakes tomorrow: the $75,000 Jim’s Orbit division and the $75,000 Two Altazano division of the Texas Stallion Stakes and the $50,000 Jersey Village Stakes.
The 7-furlong Two Altazano will feature a field of eight and will mark the return of a very promising filly Fiftyshadesofgold. The Clarence Scharbauer Jr., homebred by My Golden Song broke her maiden by 10 lengths last May at Lone Star Park for trainer Bret Calhoun. She made her next start at Churchill Downs, romping to an eight-length score in the $113,400 Debutante on June 22. Calhoun has overseen her training at Fair Grounds, where she has posted four bullet works since January 17. Rosie Napravnik will make the trip from Fair Grounds to pilot the gray filly, who has been installed as the 7-5 favorite.
Another daughter of My Golden Song, Swifterthantaylor, will be gunning for her third career victory for owner John Silverthorne Ranch Inc. Larry Taylor retains the mount for trainer Danny Pish.
Calhoun will also saddle Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Scooter’s Choice, the winner of the $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes on January 17. Bred by Will S. Farish, the daughter of Too Much Bling will reunite with jockey Lindey Wade.
The contentious field also includes two fillies trained by Steve Asmussen, who has won the last two runnings of the Two Altazano. Paddle Out and Traced will run for breeder/owner Will S. Farish, who was victorious in 2013 with Makeshift. Paddle Out is a daughter of Valid Expectations, and Traced is another promising Too Much Bling filly.
Bakken Baby, Forever Since, and Thegirlinthatsong round out the field.
Stakes winners F J Uncle Vic and Aces N Jacks will face a full field in the Jim’s Orbit Stakes. F J Uncle Vic returns off a convincing score in the $50,000 Allen’s Landing Stakes on January 25 for Johnny Evans and Terry Eoff, who also trains the 3-year-old son of Key Ranch stallion Uncle Abbie. Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez stays aboard the 5-2 morning line favorite.
Aces N Jacks, a song of Jet Phone, was a game winner by four lengths on January 18 in the $50,000 Groovy Stakes for owner and trainer Caroline Dodwell. Larry Taylor has the mount.
Calhoun trained 2013 Jim’s Orbit victor Worldventurer, who was later named 2013 Texas Horse of the Year, and the trainer has two entrants in this year’s stakes, Ibaka and Circustown Flyer. Ibaka broke his maiden at Remington Park for owner Doug Wall before running fifth in the Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park. The son of Uncle Abbie prepped for the Jim’s Orbit with an allowance score January 10 at Delta Downs. Rosie Napravnik has the mount.
Circustown Flyer had an auspicious debut last summer at Lone Star Park, where he won the $100,000 TTA Sales Futurity. Justin Shepherd will guide the son of Valor Farm stallion Early Flyer, who ran second in the Groovy Stakes.
Asmussen sends out the entry of Dial Up and Pop Music, both progeny of Too Much Bling who will run for Will S. Farish. Colby Hernandez has the riding assignment on Pop Music and current Sam Houston Race Park leading rider Deshawn Parker rides Dial Up.
Check Ride, Time Iz Flyin, Ring Necked, Awesome J T and From Day One complete the field.
The third stakes of the Saturday evening card is the $50,000 Jersey Village with a field of ten accredited Texas-breds competing at a mile and one-sixteenth over the Connally Turf Course.
Danny Pish, 2013 Sam Houston Race Park leading trainer, has three solid contenders in the Jersey Village. Deshawn Parker has the mount on Special UFO, a son of Stoneview Farm stallion Special Rate owned by Southwestern Racing LLC.
Pish bred and owns Quiet Acceleration, who returns to the Connally Turf Course off his victory in the $50,000 Richard King Stakes last month. That was the eighth turf win from 26 starts for the 5-year-old son of Silent Picture, who will be ridden by 2013 Sam Houston leading rider, Gerardo Mora.
Safe Range, a 6-year-old son of Valid Expectations, completes the Pish trio. He will break from the rail under Lindey Wade.
Fly the Red Eye, Wild Slew, Valid Message, Zaptitude, Saalem Intent, Spiderman Ridge and Doctor Romane round out the field.
TEXAS HORSEMEN’S PARTNERSHIP 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION RESULTS
The two partners in the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, LLP – the Texas Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (TTHBPA) and the Texas Hosemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (THBPA) – recently concluded their annual Board of Directors elections.
TTHBPA members were selecting two owner and one trainer representatives. Steven Batchelder and Donna Keen were elected as owner representatives, and incumbent trainer W. Bret Calhoun was re-elected in the trainer category to receive another term on the TTHBPA Board.
CANTERBURY, PRAIRIE MEADOWS TO ONCE AGAIN PARTNER ON STATE-BRED PROGRAM
Again for the second year, Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, and Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, have agreed to extend opportunities to host restricted races for Thoroughbreds foaled in Iowa or Minnesota during this year’s racing season.
This arrangement is beneficial to both racing jurisdictions because it allows Minnesota Thoroughbreds to compete at Prairie Meadows in restricted races written for Iowa Thoroughbreds prior to the start of the Canterbury Park race meet on May 16.
Likewise, when the Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred meet concludes in early August, Iowa Thoroughbreds will have an opportunity to run alongside Minnesota Thoroughbreds in designated race restrictions at Canterbury Park through mid-September.
RACING IDEA CONTEST LEADS TO THRILLING OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Check out this article in the Paulick Report about a man who won a racing idea contest and became part-owner of a racehorse: http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/racing-idea-contest-leads-to-thrilling-ownership-experience/
INSTANT RACING GAINS BEST SINCE SUMMER
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission reports Instant Racing games in use at two Kentucky tracks saw their best year-over-year gains in January since last summer. The $26.13 million wagered at the two tracks in the first month of 2014 was up 38.53 percent over the previous January — the biggest increase since August’s 68.35 percent.
The $23.89 million at Kentucky Downs was up 42.2 percent over the previous January, the biggest year-over-year increase at the Franklin track since a 53.07 percent jump last August.
Ellis Park’s $2.24 million was up 8.69 percent, the biggest year-over-year increase at the Henderson track since September.
The legality of the game is before the Kentucky Supreme Court. The next date for the high court to release opinions is Feb. 20th.
BOISE HOUSE WANTS CASH-ONLY FOR HISTORICAL HORSE RACE BETS
The 2013 Idaho Legislature voted to approve the use of instant racing machines, but when operators of the Les Bois racetrack in Garden City revealed that they were prepared to install as many as 200 instant racing machines as early as this Spring, some legislators balked
The House State Affairs Committee voted to reject proposed rules for the instant gaming while the Senate State Affairs Committee approved the rules. And until the two sides of the Idaho Legislature can hammer out an agreement, historical horse racing remains in the paddock.
Boise Republican Rep. Lynn Luker appeared before the Idaho State Affairs Committee to propose a bill that, if historical horse racing does indeed happen, would require all betting be cash-only.
NOTES: TTA now has a Twitter account! Follow us: @ThoroughbredTX…Congrats to TTA Lifetime member Bret Calhoun on his induction to the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame… SHRP is now on Instagram: http://bit.ly/MLAOe2… Reserved seating for Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie’s upcoming 2014 Spring Thoroughbred Season will go on sale Monday, February 17 at 8:30 a.m.; customers can purchase seats by calling the reservation line at (972) 263-PONY (7669)… Sam Houston Race Park now has a race video replay archive system at http://www.shrp.com/samhouston.asp; click on the date in the calendar, once the date is chosen, then click the race number to view the replay of that race…The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will hold a Thoroughbred ownership seminar April 18 in Lexington… Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 157 selected juveniles for its 2-year-olds in training sale March 24 at Adena Springs South in Williston, Fla…National and world leaders in horse racing investigations will gather in Lexington, Ky., March 2- 5 for the annual meeting of The Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI), which was established in 1991 with the purpose of addressing the problems of the pari-mutuel racing industry as they relate to the integrity and general health of the sport… Quarter horse trainer John Stinebaugh has been suspended 16 years and fined $40,000 after four horses in his care tested positive for Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra…We hope to see you tomorrow night at SHRP for TTA Night at the Races! Call 281.807.8710 and join us for a great evening of live racing and a chance to win some great doorprizes.