NEWS AND NOTES FOR APRIL 3, 2015

CORINTHIAN COLT TOPS FASIG-TIPTON TEXAS 2YO SALE
The Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale was held Tuesday on the grounds of Lone Star Park, and a son of Corinthian topped the auction at $75,000. The Kentucky-bred, who worked an eighth-mile in :10 1/5 in the under tack show, sold to Carl R. Moore Management LLC from the consignment of Ray Bryner, agent for B & C Bloodstock.

The highest-priced filly and second-highest price overall at the sale was a Texas-bred daughter of Too Much Bling out of the stakes-placed Dove Hunt mare Funny Tune. Clark Brewster purchased her for $68,000 from Asmussen Training Center, agent. The third-highest seller was also a Texas-bred as a colt by Valid Expectations sold for $63,000 to Danny Keene from Benchmark Training Center, agent for Ed Few.

All told, 66 head sold for $1,161,900 for an average of $17,605 and a median of $13,000. Thirty-three horses were reported as not sold. Last year’s auction totaled $1,818,700 with 80 of 124 sold for an average of $22,734 and median of $15,000. For complete hip-by-hip results, go to http://www.fasigtipton.com/ci/results/view/2015/Texas-Two-Year-Olds-In-Training.

The auction marks the final sale for Fasig-Tipton in Texas after nearly 20 years. The Texas Thoroughbred Association, which sponsors the sale, is actively discussing other options and an announcement will be coming later in April about the continuation of Thoroughbred auctions in Texas.

“The TTA would like to thank Fasig-Tipton for their many years of involvement in Texas, and we appreciate everything they did to bring a professional sale operation here,” said TTA executive director Mary Ruyle in a statement. “We plan to have a yearling sale later this year and a 2-year-olds in training sale next spring, and we will have more details on that shortly.”

Over the years, the auctions at the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on the grounds of Lone Star Park have produced many equine stars, including Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I) winner Kip Deville, multiple graded stakes winner Bwana Charlie, and North East Bay, the dam of recent $10 million Dubai World Cup (gr. I) winner Prince Bishop.

The auctions in Texas have also been tied to the TTA Sales Futurity, a $100,000 stakes at Lone Star with divisions for colts/geldings and fillies. The TTA also plans to continue with those races, which this year will be run July 11.

NOTES: Horsemen’s representatives told the Ohio Horse Racing Commission March 30 that equine medication rules, which the commission is reviewing, should be breed-specific in nature…New York lawmakers have given final approval to an expansion of video lottery terminal games at six of the state’s nine racetrack-based casinos, a move expected to bring more money to the state, vendors, and purses. The state estimates that when fully up and running the new devices will bring an additional $40 million to the state…Equibase Company has announced that effective immediately it will include information on claims that were subsequently voided in its data feeds, result charts, and Equibase past performance products…Six-time leading Oaklawn Park trainer Steve Asmussen earned his 7,000th North American victory April 1, when Drama Coach won the second race at Oaklawn to also give the trainer the sweep of the early Daily Double…Come out to Lone Star Park on Friday April 10th and meet jockey Rosie Napravnik and Hall of Fame Trainer Jack Van Berg, enjoy a fabulous buffet, open bar, a great night of live racing and live and silent auctions to benefit retired racehorses as they retrain for second careers at Remember Me Rescue. Tickets now on sale at http://teamkeen.com/2015lonestarparkgala.html …Nice article on Valor Farm at http://www.drf.com/news/valor-farm-continues-scharbauer%E2%80%99s-legacy… Best of racing luck to Accredited Texas-bred Pure Tactics (Pure Prize – Dixie Tactics), who is entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita…The Texas Racing Commission has announced that the necropsy program is now in effect and notices are being posted at the racetracks as well as on the TxRC website at www.txrc.texas.gov.