ACCREDITED TEXAS-BREDS IN WEEKEND STAKES
On Saturday, Henry Witt Jr.’s stakes winner Witt’sdollarnight (Mr. Nightlinger – Doublethetrouble) is in a field of 11 for the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby for 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf at Canterbury Park. Bred by Jerry Chapman, the gelding is coming off a 5th place finish in the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia on August 7, but won the Harry Jeffrey Stakes there on July 15th. He has been given odds of 20/1.
This is the last weekend of the 2017 live race meet at Gillespie County Fair and Saturday’s card has five races for Thoroughbreds. Race #10 is the $18,500 G.C.F.A. Texas Bred Stakes for ATB 3-year-olds and up going 7 furlongs, which has a field of 7.
Trainer Danny Pish will send out three for the race, starting with 9/5 favorite Reflector ( Ready’s Image – Passionate Dancer). Bred by John T. L. Jones Jr., the 6-year-old gelding is owned by GFB Racing LLC. He won an allowance optional claiming race at Lone Star on July 27 and boasts a career record of 36-6-10-6 with $223,157 in earnings.
With odds of 5/2, Witts Henny Penny (Drums of Thunder – Soda Queen) was bred by Henry Witt Jr. and now runs for Longwood Longshots Racing. Edelmiro Carrizales trains the 4-year-old gelding who is coming off a win in an allowance race at Lone Star on July 29th.
Pish will also saddle Leon Bauerle’s homebred S J Country (Seeking a Home – Isolde) and Mula Run (Mula Gula – Choctaw Lady), a homebred for Sonny Ellen.
Completing the field are The Ginja Ninja (Euroears – Moon Over Malibu), bred by George Allan Bryant and owned by Edith A. Mojica; Jet Texas (Jet Phone – Marronwhiteandfast), bred by Richard Mays DVM and owned by Michael G. Valenzuela; and Maria C. Martinez’ homebred Valid Silver Charm (Valid Performance – Sail On Silvergirl).
THOROUGHBRED RACES AT GCFG
In addition to the stakes race, there are four other Thoroughbred races on Saturday. Race 1 is a 5 1/2 furlong maiden claiming with a field of 8 of which 4 are Accredited Texas-bred.
Race 3 is a 5 ½ furlong allowance for Accredited Texas-breds with a field of 8, and race 7 is a 6 furlong allowance with 3 Accredited Texas-breds in the field of 10. Race 12 has a field of 9 for the 4 furlong maiden claimer that includes 6 Accredited Texas-breds.
TEXAS CONNECTIONS IN TRAVERS STAKES
We wish the best of luck to our Texas connections who have horses in Saturday’s $1,250,000 (Gr. 1) Travers Stakes.
Owned by TTA member Brad Grady, Haskell Invitational winner Girvin will take on 11 competitors in the 1 ¼ mile race for 3-year-olds. The multiple graded stakes winner is trained by Joe Sharp and has morning line odds of 10/1.
Steve Asmussen will saddle multiple graded stakes placed Lookin at Lee for L and N Racing LLC. He finished third in the August 5th West Virginia Derby. His odds are 30/1.
TTA SALE RESULTS
A pair of Texas-bred yearlings by leading Texas stallion Too Much Bling topped Monday’s Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale at Lone Star Park with bids of $100,000 apiece.
The yearling portion of the auction posted solid gains compared to last year, as 59 of 90 head sold for $681,800 with an average of $11,556 and a median of $4,500. That total is up 11.4 percent from last year’s $611,800, while the average jumped 19 percent from $9,711 and the median increased 80 percent from $2,500. The buy-back rate this year was 34.4 percent compared to 31.5 percent last year.
Hip 14, a colt named Lullaby Bling from the consignment of Benchmark Training Center, agent, sold to Jackson Durham. The January 22 foal is a full brother to Bling on the Music, who topped the 2016 Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at $95,000 and has since earned $153,082 with two stakes wins and a Grade 2 placing. Lullaby Bling is out of the winning Action This Day mare Soft Music.
The second $100,000 Too Much Bling yearling, a filly consigned by Asmussen Horse Center, agent, and prepped by Brant Schafer of Elgin, Texas, sold to Susan Moulton as hip 62. The March 19 foal is out of the unraced General Meeting mare General Reunion, who produced a full brother named Nublado Bling, a stakes winner of more than $140,000.
The mixed session totaled $33,000 with 14 of 36 sold for an average of $2,357 and median of $1,400. Last year’s mixed session, which featured a strong consignment from the closing of Lane’s End Texas, brought in a total of $167,700 with 28 of 30 sold for an average of $5,989 and median of $2,700.
The high seller from the mixed session was hip 212, Tin Top Cat, in foal to Stonesider who sold for $11,000 to Jerry Durant from Eureka Thoroughbred Farm, agent. Tin Top Cat is a multiple stakes winner with over $384,000 in earnings.
For hip-by-hip results, see www.ttasales.com
SALE SEMINAR
Two dozen people attended the Horse Sale Seminar held last Sunday morning in the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion. Moderated by Denis Blake, panelists included Tim Boyce, Brad Grady, Bill Tracy, Walt Robertson Sr., Walt Robertson Jr., Jackie Rich DVM, Lyndia Cotton, Susan Sartain and Jennifer Gibbs. Topics covered included The Sale Company and Resource Materials, The Buyer and Options for Ownership, The Veterinarian and the Repository, Conformation, Pedigrees, Equine Law, Equine Appraisal and Insurance, and TTA info regarding ATB and race eligibility status of sale horses.
PRESALE PARTY
On Sunday evening over 100 guests attended the annual pre-sale party, co-hosted by Lone Star Park and TTA, and sponsored by American Racehorse, Asmussen Horse Center, Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health, Double Infinity Ranch, Haynes Stables, Horse Logic Professional/John Ewing Company, Inside Move, Inc., Ivy Rose Equestrian/7 Cent Stable, Ed and Paula Larson, Stoneview Farm and Valor Farm.
Many attendees won doorprizes donated by Daily Racing Form, Asmussen Horse Center, Stoneview Farm, Inside Move, Inc., Bluebonnet Feeds and Stride Animal Health, The Paddock Foundation and TTA.
A framed and autographed photo collage print of Texas Chrome was live auctioned to benefit the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund, netting $2,100. Bethe Deal was first successful bidder, donating it back to be sold again. This time Sue Dowling purchased it and donated it back to be sold a third time, when it was bought by Gage and Blanca Gandy.
Many thanks to our attendees, sponsors, doorprize donors and auction participants!