News and Notes for January 19, 2018

LIVE THOROUGHBRED RACING RETURNS TO SAM HOUSTON RACE PARK
This weekend marks the opening of Sam Houston Race Park’s 24th Annual Live Racing Season with the kick off of the 2018 Thoroughbred Meet.  Nine races have been carded for both days, with a 7pm post time this evening and a 6pm post on Saturday.  Additionally, camel and ostrich races will be featured between the live Thoroughbred races.

2018 BREEDINGS AVAILABLE AT SPECIAL PRICES
We still have 2018 breedings available to the following stallions: A. P. Million, Affirmatif, Bug a Boo Ben, Congaree, Crossbow, Home of the Brave, Intimidator, Littleexpectations, Lockout, Orderly, Revolving, Spellbinder, and Stonesider, All are available at the stated minimum bid price, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Check out the list at https://texasthoroughbred.com/stallion-register/online-stallion-auction/ and call Mary Ruyle at 512.458.6133 to purchase.

FORMER TTA PRESIDENT JOE MCDERMOTT PASSES AWAY
Joe A. McDermott age 89 of Houston passed away peacefully Sunday, January 14, 2018, surrounded by his family and many dear friends.

He founded his McDermott Ranch in 1968 and made a showing in American Quarter Horse racing, producing half a dozen All American Futurity qualifiers, and ranking among the leading breeders and owners of American Quarter Horses for many years.

McDermott later turned to Thoroughbred racing and served as president of the Texas Thoroughbred Association in 1984 – 1985.  He bred and owned 2001 Texas Horse of the Year Lights on Broadway and was named Texas Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year in 2002. He also was honored by the TTA with the T. I. “Pops” Harkins Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2013 and inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2014.

The complete obituary can be found at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=joe-mcdermott&pid=187869116&fhid=18013

NOTES: After running second in his 8-year-old debut at Oaklawn, Ivan Fallunovalot is now less than $40,000 away from joining Groovy and Texas Chrome as the only Texas-bred millionaires…The TTA Board of Directors will meet at 10:30am on Saturday, January 27 at Sam Houston Race Park…We are still accepting consignments to the 2018 Texas 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale scheduled for April 10…Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund Scholarship Applications for the 2018-19 school year are due by February 15th.