News and Notes for August 5, 2016

ttastar150ACCREDITED TEXAS-BREDS IN WEEKEND STAKES
Saturday, August 6 finds four Accredited Texas-breds competing in stakes action, starting with the $175,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going a mile and an eighth with a field of 8.  Sam E. and Sammy L. Stevens’ homebred multiple stakes winner Ol Winedrinker Who (Sligo Bay (IRE) – Silverup) is coming off a third place finish in the May 1 Sunland Park Handicap.  The 7-year-old gelding with career earnings of over $737,000 has been given odds of 8/1.  Stakes-placed Overland Park (Snow Ridge – Bonnie’s Slam) was bred by Joe K. Davis and now runs for Donna Eaton.  The 4-year-old gelding has been given odds of 12/1.

The $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs has a full field of 14 of 3-year-olds going a mile and a sixteenth, including Buck Fifty (Proud Citizen – Nicholella), bred by David & Barbara Kraus and owned by Church Racing.  Charlie Hukill is the trainer.  J. R. Caldwell will saddle multiple graded stakes placed Texas Chrome (Grasshopper – Margarita Mistress) who is coming off a 2nd place finish in the Gr. 3 Iowa Derby on July 1.  With earnings of $302,462 he was bred by Craig Upham and runs for owner Keene Thoroughbreds LLC – Danny Keene.

ANNOUNCING NEW BENEFITS FOR TTA MEMBERS!
The Texas Thoroughbred Association is excited to announce a new partnership with HotelStorm to bring exclusive hotel discounts to our members. When you use HotelStorm, you’ll find savings of 10-55% over other online travel agencies. HotelStorm offers thousands of hotels worldwide, 24/7 concierge, and the best hotel prices.

HotelStorm is a great resource, whether traveling to Saratoga, Lexington, Ocala, Hot Springs, Sunland Park, or Del Mar and everywhere in between!

Check with HotelStorm first when making travel plans for horse racing, horse sales, summer vacations, holiday travel, meetings, or any other hotel needs you may have.

The site can be accessed at https://www.hotelstorm.com/texas-thoroughbred-association?region=&checkIn=&checkOut=&utm_source=smaller-associations&utm_medium=solo-email&utm_campaign=hs-texas-thoroughbred-association-7-6-2016&_=1470325310819#?language=en.  Enter access code TXHORSE.

Please contact Mary Ruyle in the TTA office at 512.458.6133 with questions.

TOBA TO RECOGNIZE STATE OWNERS AND BREEDERS
The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has announced the regional owners and state and Canadian breeders who will be recognized at its National Awards Dinner September 10 at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington.  We offer heartiest congratulations to Eileen Hartis’ Runaway Farm as the Texas Breeder of the Year.  Hartis bred 2015 Texas Champion Older Male and Horse of the Year Ivan Fallunovalot.

NOTES: Good luck to Sonny Henderson’s Suddenbreakingnews in the $750,000 Gr. 2 West Virginia Derby on Saturday…Gillespie County Fair Grounds has announced they will be increasing all day-race purses by at least $2,000…Congrats to Tom Durant, whose stallion Sing Baby Sing sired his first two stakes winners – Durant’s Grandma’s Princess, who won the $65,000 Prairie Gold Lassie on July 28 and Raise the Rumor, winner of the $65,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 29…The next meeting of the Texas Racing Commission is set for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 9 in the John H Reagan Building located at 105 W. 15th Street in Austin.  The agenda can be found at http://www.txrc.texas.gov/agency/meetings/meetings.php