News and Notes for January 6, 2017

ttagenericSEND US YOUR FOAL PHOTOS
Foaling season has begun and we would love to share your foal photos. Send these photos in by posting to this page, messaging this page, or emailing ttafoals@yahoo.com. Please include the sire, dam, breeder, foaling date, and any other information/stories you would like to include.

SHARE THE AMERICAN RACEHORSE MAGAZINE
We always have extra copies of American Racehorse that eventually get recycled, but we’d rather have them go to good use. If you have a farm or equine business (or a connection at your local feed store, tack shop, etc.) and would like to have some free back issues to put out for people to pick up so we can spread the word about Thoroughbred racing and breeding, we would be happy to send you a box at no charge. Just contact us at info@americanracehorse.com.

SHRP ENTRY POLICY REGARDING EHV-1
Due to the additional outbreaks of the neurological strain of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) at Fair Grounds Race Course, the following entry policy will be implemented at Sam Houston Race Park, effective January 3, 2017 and until further notice:

No horses (including pony horses) will be permitted to enter the grounds of Sam Houston Race Park if they are coming from the state of Louisiana.

Any other horses entering Sam Houston Race Park must have a current health certificate issued within 72 hours prior to arrival. 

The health certificate must include evidence of vaccination with an FDA approved modified live or killed virus vaccine for EHV-1, administered not less than 14 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date of entry.  The certificate must include the date of vaccination, brand, serial number and expiration date for the vaccine.

The health certificate must also contain a statement by the issuing veterinarian that: the veterinarian has physically examined each horse within 72 hours of issuing the health certificate, and the horse does not exhibit any clinical signs of the virus; the temperature of the horse was normal at the time of the examination; and the veterinarian verified with the owner or trainer that the horse has not been exposed to a suspected EHV-1 positive horse.

If the driver is unable to provide health certificates that include all of the requirements listed above for every horse in the driver’s trailer, van or transport vehicle, then none of those horses shall be permitted entrance to Sam Houston Race Park.

No trailer, van, or transport vehicle will be allowed to enter the enclosure of the racetrack unless the driver signs an affidavit that the horses being delivered are not coming from Louisiana.

All trainers and horse haulers are urged to take extreme caution when transporting horses to properly disinfect and sanitize their trailers if there is any chance they may have transported an exposed horse.

TEXAS 2-YEAR-OLD SALE
The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that it will hold its second Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4, 2017, at Lone Star Park. The under tack show will be April 2, also at Lone Star. Consignments will be taken through January 16.

The TTA, in partnership with Lone Star Park, held its first 2-year-old sale in April, taking over the auction from Fasig-Tipton. This year’s sale posted an average of $18,515 and a buyback rate of 19.7 percent, both significant improvements over the last Fasig-Tipton juvenile sale in 2015. As was the case this year, graduates of the 2017 sale will be eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity to be run in two divisions at $100,000-estimated apiece at Lone Star. The sale will again be managed by Tim Boyce.

The 2016 2-year-old sale has already produced three stakes winners from 53 head sold, highlighted by Bling on the Music, a Texas-bred daughter of Too Much Bling who topped the sale at $95,000 and has recorded two stakes wins and a placing in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Keeneland with earnings of $153,082.

“The results of our first 2-year-old sale, and our first yearling and mixed sale in August, have shown that Texas and the surrounding region can support a strong auction market for both buyers and sellers,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “With the experience of those auctions and more time to market the 2-year-old sale, we expect to grow both TTA sales in 2017.”

For more information, see http://www.ttasales.com/forms/.

SILENTIO TO STAND AT KEEN FARMS
Multiple graded stakes-winning Silentio (Silent Name (JPN) – Listen A. P. by A. P. Indy) has arrived at Keen Farms in Burleson.  He won the Gr. 2 Sir Beaufort as a 3-year-old. As a 4-year-old, he won the Gr.2 Citation Handicap and finished 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Throughout his 7-year racing career he placed in 9 graded stakes, earning more than $712,000. For more information, call 817.689.1214 or go to http://dallaskeen.com/keenfarms/stallions.html.

2017 STALLION SEASON AUCTION
The final round of bidding in the internet auction of 2017 stallion breedings is now underway, with a bid closing deadline of 5pm Central on Friday, January 13th.  Stallions include A. P. Million; Awesome Bet; Black Onyx; Burning Roma; Doneraile Court; Due Date; Expect a Lot; Greatness; Kibbutznik (ON); King Cha Cha; Littleexpectations; Lord of Greatness; Orderly; Orthodox; Puck; Royal Challenger; Shermanesque; Suns Out Guns Out; Suntracer; Telling, The Hunk; Zahadoom; and Zimmer.

To place your bid; go to texasthoroughbred.com/stallion-register/online-stallion-auction/ and click on the link at the bottom of the page.

NOTES: Check out a new Facebook group, Growing the Texas Racing Industry, that has been established to brainstorm ideas to grow our industry…Sonny Henderson’s Suddenbreakingnews, who finished second in last year’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and won the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park worked a bullet four furlongs this week for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel, who will decide soon whether the gelding will make his 2017 debut in the $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes on January 13 at Oaklawn.