News and Notes for June 21, 2019

ATB’S IN WEEKEND STAKES
Sunday’s Lone Star Showcase features 4 Stakes Races worth $230,000.

Race 6 is the $65,000 Pan Zareta division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes with a field of five 2-year-old fillies going 5 furlongs.  Bret Calhoun will send out 8–5 favorite Dust a Flying (Early Flyer – Dixie Dust), bred by Douglas Scharbauer and owned by Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch.  Sanders and Hirsch purchased the filly for $7,000 from the 2018 Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale. She finished second in her debut at 4 ½ furlongs on May 27th.

Calhoun also has 2018 Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale grad Oklahoma Gold (My Golden Song – Krystal’s Henny) for Rio Rojo Racing Stables LLC.  Bred by Chuck Arend, this is her first out, and she has odds of 5-2.

Completing the field are 7–2 It’s My Money (Early Flyer – Pete’s Five); 15–1 Hottie Dottie (The Hunk – Singasong) and 3–1 Tell Me U Love Me (My Golden Song – Red Thread).

The $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial Stakes for 3-year-old and up Accredited Texas-breds going 6 ½ furlongs is carded as Race 7 with a field of eight.

W. S. Farish’s homebred Direct Dial (Too Much Bling – Fast Find) is the 6–5 favorite.  Trained by Steve Asmussen, the multiple stakes winner has a career record of 15-5-3-4 with over $251,000 in earnings, and won the $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes at Houston in March by 5 ½ lengths.

Bob Young will saddle Rumpole (Too Much Bling – Dehere’s Dream) for breeder Joe Archer who runs under Fletcher Properties, Inc. The multiple stakes winner is returning from a long layoff and has odds of 2–1.

Rounding out the field are 6-1 A M Milky Way (Elusive Bluff – Actress E); 30–1 Don’t Blame Dexter (My Golden Song – Don’t Blame Wayne); 10–1 Kats Second Silver(Silver City – Red Thread); 10–1 Supermason (Grasshopper – Folksy); 15–1 Texas Long Bow (Crossbow – Determined Daria); and 30–1 Trumps Revenge (I Want Revenge – Cookin’s Cast).

Race 8 is the $65,000 Staunch Avenger division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes, which has drawn a field of eight 2-year-old colts and geldings going 5 furlongs.

The 1–1 favorite is Good Judgment (Too Much Bling – Libbies Mission), trained by Steve Asmussen for Michael P. Lyons, Clark O. Brewster and Montgomery Lair. Bred by Larry S. Huntsinger, the colt is a $22,000 graduate of the Texas 2-Year-Old Sale, and broke his maiden by 4 lengths here on May 25th.

Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Gold Pilot (My Golden Song – Formal Flyer) is listed at 7–2.  Bred by Ronald and Margaret Ellerbee, the gelding is a $15,000 grad of the Texas Yearling and Mixed Sale.  He is trained by Bred Calhoun.

J. R. Caldwell owns and trains 5–1 Wonders of Hislove (Early Flyer – Maymeister), bred by Stephen Baker.  The colt is also a Texas sale graduate.

Other competitors are 12-1 Cafe Gold (My Golden Song – Santacafe); 20-1 Clamarator (Intimidator – Clamorous Clarissa); 30-1 Colonel Bowie (Early Flyer – Volant); 6-1 Luckenbacher (Mr. Besilu – Cat’s Production); and 15-1 Moro Said Ready (Moro Tap – Who Said Ready).

The $50,000 Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Scholarship Stakes is carded as Race 9 and has a field of 10 ATB fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, going 7 ½ furlongs on the turf.

Mindy Willis will saddle 2-1 favorite Texas Belle (Angliana – Inthemiddleofitall) for owner Richard P. Chandler.  Bred by Eureka Thoroughbred Farm, the 7-year-old won the $50,000 San Jacinto Turf Stakes at Houston in March.

Ian Yarnot’s homebred Corluna (Unbridled’s Heart – Red Moon Cat) is trained by Sara Delany and has odds of 3-1. The 4-year-old filly finished second to Texas Belle in this year’s San Jacinto Turf Stakes.

Karl Broberg will saddle 7-2 Ima Discreet Lady (Discreet Cat – Ima Three Blinger) for owners Raymond Todd White and Duane Coker.  Bred by Larry S. Huntsinger, she won the $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes at Houston in March and the $50,000 Bluebonnet Stakes here on April 18th.

Completing the field are 20-1 Ardennes (American Lion – Sauternes); 15-1 Discreet Smile (Discreet Cat – Smiles Golden Song); 20-1 Seven Violets (Four Sevens – Mattie M); 5-1 Shes Our Fastest (Oratory – Dawali); 30-1 Sing Prada Sing (Sing Baby Sing – Kimbell’s Prada); 20-1 True Confession (Broken Vow – Ruby’s Big Band); and 12-1 Zarelda (My Golden Song – Tiz Tiz).

Best of racing luck to all!

TEXAS RACING GETS ASSIST FROM TWO NEW LAWS
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed two pieces of legislation that will be of benefit to the breeding and racing industry:

House Bill 2463 is a purse matching bill that would take a portion of the money collected by the state on the taxable sale of horse feed, supplement and tack to create an incentive fund that would increase purses to bring quality race horses and breeding operations back to Texas. The bill, which creates no new taxes, would make Texas racing regionally competitive again.

A recently completed economic impact study demonstrates the positive impact implementation of the bill could have both on the racing industry and the State of Texas.

House Bill 3366 would take the Accredited Texas-Bred (ATB) funds out of the Texas Racing Commission budget and establish an escrow account for that money. This would ensure that the incentive fund is protected and delivered to the audience targeted by the Legislature. It would also provide a more accurate reflection of the Texas Racing Commission’s actual budget.

Many thanks to our friends in the Texas legislature!

For more information, see https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/234296/texas-racing-gets-assist-from-two-new-laws.

JULY 13 ROSES TO RIBBONS AT LSP
Do you have a horse nearing the end of its racing career? Please plan to attend the fifth annual Roses to Ribbons Old Fashioned Horse Fair to be held on Saturday, July 13 in the paddock area from 10:00 am until Noon. It is an event designed to promote Thoroughbred horses moving to new careers after racing.

Minimal preparation is required for the Roses to Ribbons event. Horses will be presented walking in hand in the paddock. Prospective buyers will view all available horses. Veterinary history and evaluation of your horse’s demeanor and personality will be helpful for buyers wanting to make an informed decision. This is not an auction – private sales will be negotiated between buyers and sellers.

Please contact Tracy Sheffield at 512-395-5314 for further details.

NOTES: The TTA Board of Directors elected the following officers at their June 8 meeting: President – Phil Adams; Vice President – Tracy Sheffield; Secretary/Treasurer – Chris Hicks; and Executive Committee members John Adger, Ken Carson, Corey Johnsen, Phil Leckinger (immediate Past President), and Bill Tracy…The Texas Racing Commission met in Austin last week and voted to open an application period for race dates for January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 and January 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021.