ATB’S IN UPCOMING STAKES
Accredited Texas-bred stakes winner Overland Park (Snow Ridge – Bonnie’s Slam) will compete in a field of seven 3-year-olds and up going a mile and a sixteenth in the $50,000 Veteran’s Stakes at Zia Park on October 30th. Bred by Joe K. Davis, the 5-year-old gelding now races for Donna Eaton. He has been given odds of 8-1.
TEXAS-BRED MILLIONAIRE RETIRED
Texas Chrome, who in July became just the second Texas-bred millionaire – joining 1987 champion sprinter Groovy – has been retired at age 4, owner Danny Keene said Wednesday. The horse had been working sharply at his Remington Park base for the Fayette Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.
Keene said precautionary X-rays revealed a “little” hairline fracture in a knee, leading to the decision to retire the horse to stud. Keene is determining whether Texas Chrome will stand privately or commercially and whether he will stand in Arkansas or Texas.
Texas Chrome retires with nine wins from 22 starts for earnings of $1,033,262. He won eight stakes, including the Super Derby and Oklahoma Derby. Keene said the back-to-back Grade 3 wins last year were a highlight.
A.P. INDY STALLION REVOLVING RELOCATED TO STAND IN TEXAS
Revolving, a winning son of A.P. Indy and a leading second-crop sire in Florida, has been relocated to Texas for the 2018 breeding season and will stand at Double S Thoroughbreds in Poynor. He will stand for a fee of $1,000 as the property of 224 Thoroughbreds LLC under the ownership of Mark A. Davenport.
By Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy, Revolving is out of Grade 1 winner Circle of Life, who also produced Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Circular Quay and multiple Grade 2-placed The Roundhouse.
Currently ranked third among all second-crop sires in Florida, Revolving is represented by six winners this year with three repeat winners and progeny earnings of more than $160,000 in 2017.
SATURDAY LAUNCH TO STAND AT BAKER RANCH IN TEXAS
Saturday Launch, the first North American winner sired by Grade 1 winner Any Given Saturday, has been retired from racing and will stand stud at Baker Ranch near Iredell, Texas. He will stand for a fee of $1,000 as property of TTA lifetime member Stephen Baker, who campaigned the horse throughout his career.
Saturday Launch won seven times during his career and earned $266,433. He ran a close fourth in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby defeating Our Entourage, Z Rockstar and Currency Swap.
Saturday Launch is out of Ardum Relaunch, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Cee’s Tizzy.
ONLINE STALLION AUCTION
The number of stallions available through TTA’s online auction of 2018 breedings is now up to 25, with a bid closing date of 5pm Central on November 2. To see the full list of stallions and place your bid, go to https://texasthoroughbred.com/stallion-register/online-stallion-auction/.
LETTERS TO TRC RE PROPOSED RULE AMENDMENTS
The Texas Racing Commission convened its Ad Hoc Finance Committee on October 24th. Despite over two hours of discussion and objections by the horsemen, TxRc Chairman John Steen told the group that the best way forward was to proceed with the rule amendment to Section 309.8, raising track license fees and cutting race days.
The 2018 Proposed Race Day Calendar is:
SHRP 32 TB days, 20 QH days; Lone Star 44 TB days, 16 QH days;
Retama 12.5 TB days, 12.5 QH days In a mixed format; Gillespie 8 says In a mixed format.
This is a reduction of 14.5 days for Thoroughbreds and a reduction of 29 days for Quarter Horses from the 2017 calendar.
On November 8th, the Commission will vote on the proposed rule amendment and race dates for 2018 will be allocated.
Be aware that the preamble to the proposed rule amendment states in part: “This amendment will have no adverse economic effect on small or micro-businesses”. It also states “There are no negative impacts upon employment conditions in this state as a result of the proposed amendment.”
Earlier this week, the TxRc had only received 75 letters in opposition to the proposed rule amendment. It is IMPERATIVE that the commission receives as many letters as possible in opposition to the proposed rule.
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF LETTERS IS NOVEMBER 5TH, so please send a letter today to be sure it is received and counted. Email to: info@txrc.texas.gov, mail to: Jean Cook, Texas Racing Commission, PO Box 12080, Austin, TX 78711, or fax to: 512.833.6907.
A sample letter is available at https://texasthoroughbred.com/wp-content/uploads/Sample-Public-Comment-Letter-1.pdf .
To read the funding proposal that was approved on September 20, go to this link: http://www.texashorsemen.com/PDFs/TxRCFundingProposal092017.pdf .
THE TTA IS FIGHTING FOR OUR INDUSTRY, BUT WITHOUT YOUR HELP, WE CANNOT BE EFFECTIVE.
Please contact the TTA office at 512.458.6133 with any questions.