NEWS AND NOTES FOR JULY 19, 2013
LONE STAR PARK MEET RECAP
Lone Star Park concluded its 17th Spring Thoroughbred Season on Saturday, July 6 with slight increases in average daily attendance (+2%), average live product handle (+1%) and average all-sources handle.
On the track, a total of 3,820 starters competed in 461 races compared to 4,086 runners in 488 races during the 53-day meet in 2012. Average field size was 8.29 compared to 8.37 from last year, a decrease of 0.09%. Average daily purses were $143,451 compared to $141,479, an increase of one percent (1%).
Newcomers dominated in all categories in this year’s standings. Each earning their first Lone Star Park season titles were: Jockey Lindey Wade with 54 wins from 183 starts. His mounts earned $715,668. Trainer Allen Milligan had 46 wins from 205 starts with $504,412 in total earnings for his stable. Owner Danny Keene captured 22 wins from 84 starters. His runners earned $230,075. Alfredo Sanchez Sigala earned top apprentice jockey honors with 24 wins from 249 starts and earnings of $366,932.
Horse of the Meet was bestowed on Master Rick. He became the second horse in Lone Star Park history, after Dixie Dot Com in 2001, to sweep the $200,000 Grade III, Texas Mile and the $300,000 Grade III, Lone Star Park Handicap in only two appearances at the track.
Lasting Bubbles (4-2-2-0; $74,400) was named Champion Texas-bred and Black Ida’s Jo Jo (5-4-1-0; $31,440) took Champion Claiming Horse honors.
Lone Star will remain open as a training center until mid-November, and the track is considering the possibility of staying open until Sam Houston opens its stable area for the 2014 meet in mid-December. Training hours will be 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., with no break.
TEXAS YEARLING SALE
Fasig-Tipton’s Texas division will hold its Summer Yearling Sale on Monday, August 26. 129 yearlings have been catalogued and the sale will get underway shortly after 5:00 p.m., following a cocktail reception and charity auction co-sponsored by the sales company and the Texas Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association to benefit the Texas Educational Fund and The Paddock Foundation.
“Among the many sires represented in the sale is Bellamy Road, who had the highest-priced colt at our company’s first yearling sale of the season in Kentucky on July 15,” noted Fasig-Tipton Texas sales director Tim Boyce.
“We have a quality catalogue for the Southwest – nicely balanced between nationally-proven sires like Birdstone, City Zip, Dunkirk, Eddington, Flatter, Political Force, Ready’s Image, Stephen Got Even, and Wildcat Heir and southwest regional sires such as Chitoz, Early Flyer, Save Big Money, Special Rate, Too Much Bling and Valid Expectations. This year I think we’ll see a great deal of interest in the exciting freshmen stallions as well, such as Affirmatif, Grasshopper, Line of David, Silver City, Sing Baby Sing, and Summer Bird.
Catalogues will be available from all Fasig-Tipton offices from July 26th, will be in the equineline iPad App soon and may now be viewed online by clicking here.
GILLESPIE COUNTY FAIR
A total of $307,474 was wagered by the 4,393 fans attending the opening weekend of racing on July 6 and 7, during which Accredited Texas-breds won 5 of the 8 Thoroughbred races contested.
The 6-furlong Texas Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes is carded as the 9th race on Saturday with a field of 9, including the early favorite Solar Charge, owned by H and H Ranch and trained by Danny Pish. Also taking place at the fair grounds will be a CASI-sanctioned Chili Cook-Off. Post time is 1:00 pm each day. Gates open at 11:00 am.
CLONE TRIAL SET TO BEGIN
The civil court case set to decide whether cloned horses can or cannot be registered with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is set to begin trial on July 16 in an Amarillo, Texas federal courtroom.
The civil case was filed in April 2012 by Texas horse owner Jason Abraham and veterinarian Gregg Veneklasen against the Amarillo-based AQHA. The antitrust suit seeks to overturn AQHA Rule 227(a), which states: “Horses produced by any cloning process are not eligible for registration.” Cloning is defined as any method by which the genetic material of an unfertilized egg or any embryo is removed and replaced by genetic material taken from another organism, added to/with genetic material from another organism or otherwise modified by any means in order to produce a live foal.
The lawsuit alleges the AQHA rule illegally limits competition, putting owners of cloned horses and their offspring at an economic disadvantage. Since the AQHA does not register clones, it also does not allow for registration of the offspring of clones. The lawsuit filed against the horse association claims clones produce foals that are not clones, and are actually identical to any foals born following any other form of conception.
In its response to the lawsuit, AQHA attorneys stated as a private organization with voluntary memberships, the AQHA should be allowed to operate without interference from courts. The AQHA filed a motion to dismiss in May 2012, which was denied in late May 2013.
NOTES: Good luck to Steve Asmussen, who sends out Brazen Persuasion and to Bret Calhoun, who will saddle Bahnah for Texas owners Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch in Friday’s $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes (G3) at Saratoga…The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has told Calder Casino & Race Course it will withhold its consent for simulcast approval effective July 25 if the group has no purse contract with the track…Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced Wednesday that it had completed the purchase of Oxford Casino (Oxford) in Oxford, Maine, a deal valued at approximately $160 million…Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino has released its 2013-14 Thoroughbred stakes schedule, which includes 32 races and $4.6 million in total purse money for its 88-day season running October 11 – March 15…The Association of Racing Commissioners International will meet July 30-31 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to consider the proposed model rule for multiple violation penalties..The Maryland Jockey Club will try a new approach to the stakes schedule at Laurel Park clustering stakes on six days during the 59-day meet rather than having at least one almost every Saturday…The Maryland Racing Commission gave conditional approval on July 16 to a rule that would void claims in certain circumstances, similar to rules currently in place in New York…A Texas-bred yearling colt by Midnight Lute sold for $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale in Kentucky. Bred by Virginia Jago Elder and Stoneview Farm Inc. and consigned by St George Sales, Agent II, the April foal sold to Passion Stable.