HALL OF FAME GALA, FOUR STAKES ON TAP FOR RETAMA PARK
The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala and induction ceremony will be held in the Showplace Pavilion at Retama Park on Saturday evening.  The event starts at 5pm. with complimentary valet parking, delicious hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, wine tasting, a prime rib buffet and the opportunity to bid on a large list of unique live and silent auction items.  Tickets are $125 each and can be paid at the door the night of the event or by calling 210-651-7045.

Four stakes races are scheduled for the evening, including the Darby’s Daughter and My Dandy divisions of the $75,000 Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes Series for 2-year-olds going 6 furlongs (races 5 and 7), the $50,000 Fiesta Mile (turf) for Accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, (Race 6) and the $50,000 Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for Accredited Texas-breds, 3-years-old and up, going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf (race 8).

In the Darby’s Daughter division of the Texas Stallion Stakes Series, six fillies take to the field, led by 2/1 favorite Fleet Grey (Too Much Bling – Funny Tune), who is trained by Steve Asmussen for Clark Brewster. Bred by W. S. Farish, she is coming off a win in the filly division of the TTA Sale Futurity in July at Lone Star Park.  Undefeated in two starts, she has the highest earnings in the field with $78,192.

Completing the field are Too Much Prada (Too Much Bling – Kimbell’s Prada); Indygo Rocket (Indygo Mountain – Rockin Regent); Witt’s Lil Apache (Drums of Thunder – Chromedoll); Vanilla (Special Rate – Sublimation) and Thievery (Valid Expectations – Keepthename).

He’s Comin in Hot (Early Flyer – Shocktime), bred by Valor Farm, Inc. and owned by Douglas Scharbauer, is the 2/1 favorite in the My Dandy division of the Stallion Stakes. Trained by Bret Calhoun, the gelding won the $100,000 (gr.3) Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs in June and finished 5th in the $150,000 (gr.3) Sanford Stakes at Saratoga in July.

He faces tough competition from undefeated Texas Chrome (Grasshopper – Margarita Mistress), bred by Craig Upham, owned by Danny Keene and trained by Shea Stuart.  Undefeated in 3 starts, Texas Chrome won the colt/gelding division of the TTA Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park in July and the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park on August 15th.

Rounding out the field are Ghost Trail (Silver City – Cats Meow); Bravura (Early Flyer – Coryphee); Break Free (Grasshopper – Head for the Shed); Sapphire Storm (Primal Storm – Bluehue); and Fred’s Lucky Boy (Wimbledon – Dancin’ Daphne).

The $50,000 Fiesta Mile has drawn a field of 6 headed by last year’s winner, the 9/5 favorite Expect Royalty (Valid Expectations – Autumn Sky). Bred, owned and trained by Leroy Pollok, the multiple stakes-winning mare has a career record of 16-9-3-1 with earnings of $183,450, including wins this year in the $50,000 San Jacinto Stakes at Houston in January and the Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes at Lone Star in June.  Rounding out the field are My Silver Lullaby (My Golden Song – Super San San); Tea for Two (Valid Expectations – Bridal Tea); Infectious (Valid Expectations – Red Cell); Manyriverstocross (Minister Eric – River of Rum); and I Am Jane Dough (My Golden Song – Strawberry Smile).

A pair of seasoned 7-year-olds top the field in the Hall of Fame Stakes, with Paul Rigali Jr.’s homebred Texas Air (Texas City – Malaysian Air) installed as the 2/1 morning line favorite.   Allen Milligan sends out the tenacious gelding, who boasts a career record of 42-8-12-4 and earnings of $359,274, including his most recent win in the $200,000 (gr.3) Texas Mile at Lone Star Park in May.

Providing some tough competition is Fly The Red Eye (Early Flyer – Rare and Sixy), with his own admirable record of 61-14-17-12 and earnings of $307,425.  Bred by Brent Davidson, the hard-knocking gelding will be saddled by Bret Calhoun for owner Brad Grady.

Completing the field are F J Uncle Vic (Uncle Abbie – Let Her Reign); Special Praise (River Squall – With Praise); Special U F O (Special Rate – Mysterious Light); and Mula Boss (Mula Gula – Choctaw Lady).

TTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION
The TTA Nominating Committee will be accepting names of eligible TTA members until September 21st for candidates to run for 3-year terms on the TTA Board of Directors.  Five at-large directors will be elected statewide as well as regional directors to represent the South and Northeast Regions of Texas. You may submit nominees to any member of the Nominating Committee or to the TTA executive director.

Nominating Committee Members are Ken Carson, 940.686.5552, kencarson@valorfarm.com; Ed Few, 409.383.0555, edfew@ymail.com; Danny Keene (Chairman), 903.454.3939, dkeene5745@aol.com; Brent Savage, 713.805.9685,  basavage731@aol.com; Bill Tracy, 830-688-1709, tracyhorses@gmail.com; Alfred Vardeman, 325-728-8055, vardeman.alfred@yahoo.com; and Henry Witt Jr., 254-662-4004, aglass2@hotmail.com.

NOTES: Former Texas Racing Commissioner Glenn Blodgett of Guthrie, Texas has been elected to the American Horse Council’s Board of Trustees; he is also the current president of the American Quarter Horse Association…Summer is not quite over but it’s just about time to start thinking about the 2016 breeding season and the American Racehorse Stallion Register.  Contact Denis Blake at denisb@texasthoroughbred.com, info@americanracehorse.com or via phone at 512.695.4541 to discuss advertising options…Through September 8, David Cabrera is the leading jockey at Retama Park with 18 wins, Danny Pish is at the top of the trainer standings with 9 wins and owner Jose Luis Espinoza has been to the winner’s circle 6 times…ATB awards checks for racing at Gillespie County Fair Grounds have been mailed…Best of luck to Better Than Magic (My Golden Song – Most Magic) and Mach Five (Silent Picture – Terrific Speed), who are entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Sunday Silence Stakes at Louisiana Downs.