LEGISLATIVE RECAP
While none of the 5 bills relating to the horse industry were passed, it would be most unusual for any bill presented for the first time to get out of Committee, much less be passed into law.

Each session, there are thousands of bills filed and hundreds die for various reasons, including running out of time.

We do believe that great strides were made in this session, particularly in the Senate, where 2 of the 3 bills passed. Great thought was put into drafting creative initiatives that would benefit not only the horse industry, but worthy charitable organizations, veterans, peace officers and firefighters.

We all need to continue to persevere in the time available before the 2019 legislative session, and getting to know our personal legislators is imperative. That is the only way to get horse industry issues on their radar screen.

If your Senator or Representative supported these bills, write a letter to thank them and ask for their future support. If they did not, respectfully ask why, and explain how the bills would have been of benefit to you – the constituent. Contact them on a regular basis, so you have the opportunity to develop a positive relationship that will provide the means for educating them about an industry that may be unfamiliar to them. Invite them to visit your farm or go with you to the races. Let’s do all we can to help our industry and livelihoods.

ATB’S IN WEEKEND STAKES
Both divisions of the $65,000 Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes (TSS) for 3-year-olds going one mile on the turf will be contested at Lone Star Park on Saturday evening.

There are 7 in the field for the Got Koko division for fillies, including 3 trained by Bret Calhoun. The 6/5 favorite is stakes winner Kat’s Infatuation (Silver City – Red Thread), bred and owned by Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch. She finished 2nd in the $65,000 Two Altazano division of the TSS at Houston in February, won the $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes there in March and just came off a 2nd place finish in the $50,000 Cajun Miss Stakes at Evangeline on April 14th. 

Calhoun also has 9/2 Gold Shock (My Golden Song – Shocktime) and 20/1 Better Belle (Early Flyer – Nothinbettertodo) for owner Douglas Scharbauer.   Multiple stakes placed Gold Shock finished 2nd in the $65,000 Darby’s Daughter division of the TSS at Retama last November, and 6th in the $65,000 Two Altazano division in February.  Her last out was a 2nd place finish in the $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes on March 10th.  Better Belle is coming off an April 23 win in a 5 ½ furlong claiming race.

Stephen Baker’s homebred Celebrity’s Gift (Eaton’s Gift – Celebrity Ball) will be saddled by Brent Davidson. She is listed at 5/1 after a 5 /34 length win in a 1-mile allowance on May 12th.

After a stellar 2-year-old campaign, multiple stakes winner Country Candy (Intimidator – Trifolium) has had a slow start this year, and is looking for her first win as a 3-year-old for owner Keene Thoroughbreds LLC (Danny Keene).  She has the highest earnings in the field with $124,480. Trained by Allen Milligan, she is listed at 6/1.

Steve Asmussen will saddle 8/1 stakes placed Pure Grey (Too Much Bling – Folksy), who he owns in partnership with Clark Brewster.

Mindy Willis will send out Culpepper Stock Company’s homebred Mighty Ferrari (Special Rate – Hermighty), also at 8/1.

The Stymie division for colts and geldings has drawn a field of 8, starting with Fletcher Properties homebred 7/5 favorite Rumpole (Too Much Bling – Dehere’s Dream), trained by Bob Young.  After taking the $65,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the TSS by a whopping 6 ½ lengths at Houston in February, Rumpole also won the $50,000 Groovy Stakes there in March.

Danny Pish will saddle stakes placed Fast Talkin Man (Oratory – Dancingwithfortune), bred and owned by Born to Run LLC, Marietta Burks, Carl and Betty Davis.  After finishing 3rd in the $50,000 Heritage Stakes at Houston in February, Fast Talkin Man picked up a win in an allowance race on May13th going a mile on the turf.  He had odds of 5/2

Asmussen has two in this race, Clark Brewster’s stakes winner Shaded (Too Much Bling – Fast Find) at 5/1, who placed 3rd in the $50,000 Groovy Stakes at Houston in March, and his own Mosta Flying (Early Flyer – Olmosta), bred by Thomas Castoldi. Mosta Flyin won his last out, a 1-mile allowance on April 23.  He is listed at 8/1.

Charlie Haverkamp will send out 12/1 Imma Wild Bling (Too Much Bling – Imma Be a Wildcat) for Charles Fisher.  Bred by Hall Family Trust, the colt won the My Dandy division of the TSS at Retama last November and finished 3rd in the Jim’s Orbit division of the TSS at Houston in February.  The morning line has him at 12/1.

Completing the field are 15/1 Checker Czech (Valid Expectations – Smokin N Jokin) bred by Haynes Stables, LLC, owned by Linda and Michael Mazoch, and trained by Austin Gustafson; 15/1 Medieval Medicine (Oratory – Lady Primal) bred by Justin Williams, owned by Justin Williams and Sonja Dupuy and trained by A. C. Dupuy; and 20/1 Too Much Gone (Too Much Bling – Going Away Baby), bred by Danny Pish, owned by Adriel Gonzalez and trained by I. V. Gonzalez.

2016 Texas Champion Horse of the Year Texas Chrome (Grasshopper – Margarita Mistress) will compete in a field of 5 in the $200,000 (Gr 3) Lone Star Park Handicap on Sunday. Bred by Craig Upham, owned by Keene Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by J. R. Caldwell, the multiple graded stakes winner most recently finished 2nd in the $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (Gr 3) at Lone Star on May 7th.  He has been given odds of 9/5.

NOTES: The deadline to accredit foals of 2016 at the $75 member rate is May 31st…Steve Sexton, Cliff Berry and G. R. Carter will be inducted to the Lone Star Park Hall of Fame on Sunday…Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen finished with 38 points to earn a $50,000 bonus from a total pool of $100,000 offered to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 stakes races over Preakness Stakes (G1) weekend at Pimlico Race Course…The TTA office will be closed on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.