ATB HORSES AND OTHER TEXAS CONNECTIONS IN UPCOMING STAKES
In Saturday’s $100,000 (G.3) Bashford Manor Stakes for 2-year-olds going 6 furlongs at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen will send out Accredited Texas-bred Hulen (Tapiture – Clamorous Clarissa), bred by Keith Asmussen and owned in partnership by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt. The colt broke his maiden on June 12 and has odds of 5/1.
At Lone Star Park on Sunday, Bret Calhoun will saddle Gold Pilot (My Golden Song – Formal Flyer) for the $75,000 Grand Prairie Derby for 3-year-olds going a mile and a sixteenth with a field of 8. Bred by Ronald and Margaret Ellerbee, he is owned by Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch. Having placed 2nd in the June 14th Groovy Stakes here, he has odds of 5/2.
Kenai Bob (Shackleford – Blue Envy) takes on 8 competitors in the $75,000 Lone Star Mile Stakes for 4-year-olds and up. Owned by Mike Grossman and bred by his Eureka Thoroughbred Farm, he won the Star of Texas Stakes here on June 14th by a whopping 10 ½ lengths. He is trained by Mindy Willis and has odds of 15/1.
LONE STAR
PARK STAKES
There are four $75,000 stakes slated for the Stars of Texas Preview on Sunday,
July 5th including the Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Scholarship Stakes,
the Wayne Hanks Memorial and both divisions of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr.
Texas Stallion Stakes for 2-Year-Olds. A
list of horses eligible to run in the Stallion Stakes can be found at https://texasthoroughbred.com/wp-content/uploads/Copy-of-TSS20.pdf.
Stars of Texas Day is scheduled for Sunday, July 26 with the Valor Farm Stakes
and the Highlander Training Center Assault Stakes, each with a purse of $75,000
and both divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred (Sales) Futurity with estimated
purses of $100,000 apiece. A list of
eligible horses can be found at https://texasthoroughbred.com/wp-content/uploads/TTF2020-Final-Eligible-List-as-of-June-19-2020.pdf.
In the absence of Thoroughbred racing at Retama Park this year, Lone Star Park has agreed to run the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, the Fiesta Mile and both divisions of the second leg of the Texas Stallion Stakes Series part of the card for the Texas Summer Classic on closing day, August 11th..
TTA BOARD
ELECTS OFFICERS
The Texas Thoroughbred
Association’s board of directors met via conference call on June 19th.
Part of the day’s business included the election of officers and executive
committee members to serve a one-year term through June 2021. Officers are Phil Adams of Gainesville – President,
Tracy Sheffield of Wimberley – Vice President, and Chris Hicks of Mason – Secretary/Treasurer.
Other members of the executive committee include John Adger of Houston, Ken
Carson of Pilot Point, Corey Johnsen of Grapevine, Phil Leckinger of Tioga, and
Bill Tracy of Fredericksburg.
Citing ongoing uncertainty due to the pandemic, the board regretfully voted against trying to reschedule the Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet for this year. All paid tickets will be refunded and awards shipped to recipients along with a copy of the Champions video. The video is also available for viewing on the TTA Facebook page.
The board also voted to extend the “Texas Trifecta” membership promotion through the end of 2020. Originally scheduled to end on June 30, the promotion allows new and renewing TTA members to get a free year of membership when they buy two years. Additionally, $20 from each membership will be donated to a Thoroughbred aftercare organization of the member’s choice among LOPE Texas, Remember Me Rescue or The Paddock Foundation.
More information on the membership promotion is available at www.texasthoroughbred.com.
NOTES: Gillespie County Fairground Association has released their 2020 stakes schedule and Condition Book which includes $1,500 across the board purse increase for both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred day races. The live race meet will run July 4 thru August 23…The Texas Racing Commission has scheduled an Ad Hoc Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 7th, in advance of their regular meeting on July 21.