News and Notes for July 9, 2015

STARS OF TEXAS DAY AT LONE STAR PARK
On Saturday, July 11, Lone Star Park will host Stars of Texas Day featuring two $100,000 stakes and two $50,000 stakes.

Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-Year-Old Sale graduates are the favorites in both of the 5-furlong, $100,000-estimated divisions of the TTA Sales Futurity.

Fleet Grey (Too Much Bling – Funny Tune) is the 3/5 morning line favorite in the filly division.  Bred by W. S. Farish, the Accredited Texas-bred was purchased by Clark Brewster out of the Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-Year-Old Sale in April for $68,000.  She is trained by Steve Asmussen.

Completing the field for the 4th race are Ohio-bred Flashy G, Oklahoma-breds Josie the E F Five and Kipling’s Appeal, and Accredited Texas-bred Flight Plan (Early Flyer – Shesabigcat),and Flyin’ Katnip (Early Flyer – Cat Tale).

Carded as race 9, the colt/gelding division boasts a robust field of 11 topped by 2/1 favorite Kentucky-bred Cash Bonus.  The colt is trained by Bret Calhoun for Carl Moore, who purchased the colt for $75,000 from the April sale.  Calhoun will also saddle Flying Cat (Early Flyer – Hadif Cat), Jet Over (Jet Phone – Belle of the Band), and Moon Hopper (Grasshopper – Summer Moon).

Rounding out the field are A. P. Bling (Too Much Bling – White Wing), Break Free (Grasshopper – Head for the Shed), Chatte Blue (Grasshopper – Chatte Noir), Fred’s Lucky Boy (Wimbledon – Dancin’ Daphne), Phrase (Grasshopper – Five Star Mystery), Tall Tales (Special Rate – Mal’s Showntell) and Texas Chrome (Grasshopper – Margarita Mistress).

The 6-furlong $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes for Accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up has a competitive field of 8, headed by 8/5 morning line favorite Lasting Bubbles (Pulling Punches – Slim’s Secret).  The multiple stakes winning 7-year-old mare with earnings in excess of $400,000 is trained by Kevin Peek and runs for breeder Judy Peek.

She will face some tough competition from the likes of Best Bling (Too Much Bling – Best Expectations), Bethyl’s Royalrose (Too Much Bling – Royalactgo), Everything Bling (Too Much Bling – Anythingmore), Final Song (My Golden Song – Final Trick), Infectious (Valid Expectations – Red Cell), Prada’s Bling (Too Much Bling – Kimbell’s Pride) and Scooter’s Choice (Too Much Bling – Fast Find).  The race is the 4th on the card.

There is a nice field of 11 for the 8th race, the $50,000 Assault Stakes for Accredited Texas-bred 3-year-olds and up, going a mile on the main track.

The 7-year-old graded stakes winner Texas Air (Texas City – Malaysian Air) is the 8/5.  Paul Rigali Jr.’s homebred winner of over $349,000 will be saddled by trainer Eddie Milligan, Jr.

Providing competition are Dusty Ryder (Lil’s Lad – Dearly Two), F J Uncle Vic (Uncle Abbie – Let Her Reign), Fly the Red Eye (Early Flyer – Rare and Sixy), He Has Bling (Too Much Bling – Deeya Maria), Overspent (Too Much Bling – Pinwheel), Ring Necked (Too Much Bling – Wood Duck), Special U F O (Special Rate – Mysterious Light), Supermason (Grasshopper – Folksy), Texas Bling (Too Much Bling – Anythingmore) and The Lone Roo (Sing Baby Sing – Hollye Lynne).

CONGAREE TO STAND AT LANE’S END TEXAS
Congaree, a multiple Grade 1 winner and accomplished stallion, will stand the 2016 breeding season at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Texas near Hempstead. Farm Manager Danny Shifflett said the 17-year-old stallion is due to arrive today. A stud fee will be announced soon.

Congaree earned $3,276,490 during his racing career with five Grade 1 victories from seven furlongs to 1 ¼ miles in the Swaps Stakes, Hollywood Gold Cup, Carter Handicap and Cigar Mile (twice). He finished third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and also found success in Texas with a victory in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap.

As a stallion, Congaree has sired the earners of more than $15.4 million with 15 stakes winners. Among his progeny are Grade 1-winning millionaires Jeranimo and Don’t Tell Sophia. The latter is out of a daughter of Valid Expectations, Texas’ all-time leading stallion who stood at Lane’s End Texas until being retired from stud duty in 2013.

Congaree is a son of champion Arazi out of the Grade 1-placed Mari’s Book mare Mari’s Sheba. Congaree’s half brother, Sangaree by Awesome Again, is a Grade 1-placed stakes winner who stands in Indiana.

Congaree, who stood the 2015 season at Saratoga Stud in New York, was bred and campaigned by Texans Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable and is still owned by the couple under the Magnolia Stable name.

ROSES TO RIBBONS HORSE FAIR SUPPORTS THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE
The Texas Thoroughbred Association’s non-profit Paddock Foundation is hosting the Roses to Ribbons Old Fashioned Horse Fair event at Lone Star Park on Saturday, July 11 to help find a new home for Thoroughbred race horses nearing the end of their racing career.  The Roses to Ribbons Old Time Horse Fair is an opportunity to showcase these special Thoroughbreds.

There will be horses available for sale and a chance to meet with racehorse trainers and tell them what kind of horse you are looking for. Horses will be presented walking in hand in the paddock where prospective buyers can view all available horses.  This is not an auction – private sales will be negotiated between buyers and sellers.

Open to the public, the event begins with horses available for viewing at 11:00a.m.   Racehorse re-homing organizations will be in attendance, as well as vendors and exhibitors, with concessions available.

Attendees will receive complimentary admission to the races on Saturday evening.

WELFARE AND SAFETY SUMMIT: ‘CULTURAL CHANGE’ OF PUBLIC DEMANDS PROACTIVE STRATEGY
The sixth Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit was held Wednesday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky, and this one placed an emphasis on racetrack surfaces, equine and jockey injury databases, continuing education and post-mortem programs.

The conference, held in the Keeneland sales pavilion, once again brought together a cross-section of the Thoroughbred industry, including owners, breeders, horsemen, veterinarians, jockeys, track managers, and regulators.

Approximately 200 people attended the summit and an international audience watched the entire program on a live video stream. All slide presentations from the summit are available at grayson-jockeyclub.org/WelfareSafety/default.asp?section=48 and a video replay is expected to be available July 9.

NOTES: Our condolences to the family of Anne Lang, a racing journalist and a past editor of the Texas Thoroughbred magazine, who passed away Monday…The first condition book for the Thoroughbred meet starting August 21st at Retama Park is now available on their website at www.retamapark.com… Remember to send an e-mail or a letter to the TRC in support of keeping the HRT rules in place. Letters may be sent via email to info@txrc.texas.gov, fax to 512.833.6907, or via regular postal mail to Texas Racing Commission, PO Box 12080, Austin, TX 78711 or Texas Racing Commission, 8305 Cross Park Dr. #110, Austin, TX 78754…There is a great article discussing how purses drive the Thoroughbred industry – check it out at http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/empire-state-new-york-breeding-goes-from-darkest-days-to-banner-year/…The TTA office will be closed on Friday, July 10 for staff to travel to Lone Star Park for the Roses to Ribbons event and Stars of Texas Day at Lone Star Park.