SALE ENTRIES SURPASS 100
The Texas Thoroughbred Association announced today that entries for its Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale have surpassed 100, and entries are still being accepted. The sale, which is held in partnership with Lone Star Park, is set for August 29 at the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on the grounds of the Dallas-area track. This will mark the return of a summer yearling auction to the state after a one-year hiatus of the auction formerly run by Fasig-Tipton. The TTA also announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity.
“We are very pleased to already have more than 100 entries for this sale,” said Tim Boyce, who previously ran the auction for Fasig-Tipton Texas and has continued on to manage the sale for the TTA. “We already have a strong catalogue with two yearlings by Uncle Mo and a strong representation of stallions from around the Southwest. I expect to pick up more quality entries in the coming days.”
Currently the list of entries includes yearlings by top Texas stallions Congaree, Too Much Bling, Grasshopper, Intimidator and My Golden Song, as well as Oklahoma stallions Euroears and Oratory. The sale also features entries sired by prominent nationally-ranked stallions Uncle Mo, Street Boss and Lookin at Lucky. The mixed session will offer mares by A.P. Indy, Kingmambo, Pulpit, Summer Squall and Valid Expectations.
The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, which will be run for the first time this year on July 9 at Lone Star with divisions for fillies and colts/geldings at $100,000-estimated apiece, will have an eligibility change for next year’s race.
Each yearling, no matter where foaled, that goes through the ring at the sale is eligible to be nominated to the Futurity. Additionally for every yearling that goes through the ring, its consignor and buyer will each receive a berth, which they can use to nominate an accredited Texas-bred foal of 2015 to the Futurity. Berths can only be used by the original consignor or buyer and cannot be transferred.
“We think this change will raise the value of horses in the sale, and it also serves as an extra incentive for horsemen to participate as a buyer or consignor,” said Boyce.
The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity took the place of the race formerly known as the TTA Sales Futurity.
For an entry form, go to http://www.ttasales.com/forms/
TTA BOARD ELECTS OFFICERS
At the TTA’s board meeting on Saturday, Phil Leckinger of Tioga, Texas, was elected as president of the association. Also elected were first vice president Phil Adams; second vice president Bill Tracy; secretary/treasurer Fred Taylor Jr. and at-large executive committee members Danny Keene, Hal Wiggins and Henry Witt.
WILLIAM FARISH RECEIVES TOP HONOR FROM TTA, IVAN FALLUNOVALOT NAMED HORSE OF THE YEAR
The Texas Thoroughbred Association held its annual awards banquet on Saturday night at Lone Star Park with Ivan Fallunovalot receiving the Texas Horse of the Year award to top the previously announced equine winners. The TTA’s human awards were not announced in advance, and the top honor, the T.I. “Pops” Harkins Award for lifetime achievement, went to William S. Farish III.
To the general public, Farish is known as a successful businessman, philanthropist and the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and on the national racing scene he is a two-time Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Breeder and the 2009 recipient for the Eclipse Award of Merit for lifetime achievement. His Lane’s End farm in Kentucky is one of the leading stallion farms in the country.
In his home state of Texas, Farish has been a vital part of the industry, as he served on the TTA Board of Directors and as the TTA’s president in the 1980s before pari-mutuel was legalized once again in the Lone Star State. His Lane’s End Texas, located in Hempstead and formerly known as Huisache Farm, stood all-time leading Texas stallion Valid Expectations and current leading Texas stallion Too Much Bling. Farish has been a perennial top breeder and owner in Texas, and he has been a major donor to the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund, which provides grants to TTA members and their children to help them reach their educational goals. Several scholarship recipients were on hand to present the trophy for that night’s Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes for Texas-breds, won by More Than Most.
Other human awards went to Dallas and Donna Keen’s Remember Me Rescue as the Thoroughbred Charities of America Award of Merit winner for Texas. Remember Me Rescue helps find new careers and homes for retired racehorses. The Allen Bogan Memorial Award went to Denis Blake for his efforts to promote the TTA and Texas racing and breeding through American Racehorse magazine. The Blood-Horse leading breeder award went to Eileen Hartis, the breeder of Ivan Fallunovalot.
A son of Valid Expectations, Ivan Fallunovalot won four of seven starts in 2015 with earnings of $312,200. Trained by Tom Howard and owned by Lewis Mathews Jr., the gelding won the King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn and the David M. Vance Sprint and Remington Park Sprint Cup in Oklahoma. He ended his season as the only Texas-bred to compete in the Breeders’ Cup, and he finished ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Following are all the equine award winners:
Champion Claimer: Bolton Express (by Too Much Bling) • Owner, Jose Luis Espinoza • Breeder: Fletcher Properties Inc.
2-Year-Old Filly: My Master Plan (by Oratory) • Owner: Joyce McGough • Breeder: Dan McGough
2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Texas Chrome (by Grasshopper) • Owner: Danny Keene • Breeder: Craig Upham
3-Year-Old Filly: Promise Me Silver (by Silver City) • Owners/Breeders: Robert & Myrna Luttrell
3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: A M Milky Way (by Elusive Bluff) • Owner/Breeder: David Davis
Older Filly/Mare: Thegirlinthatsong (by My Golden Song) • Owner: D. Gatto, J. Hollendorfer, S. Melen, P. and T. Russo and S. Taub • Breeder: Clarence Scharbauer Jr.
Horse of the Year and Older Horse: Ivan Fallunovalot (by Valid Expectations) • Owner: Lewis Mathews Jr. • Breeder: Eileen Hartis
Champion Broodmare: Flashdance Missy (dam of Ivan Fallunovalot)
During the evening’s festivities, live and silent auctions were conducted to benefit the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund and The Paddock Foundation, with over $8,800 raised.
Many thanks to event sponsors Equine Equipment Savings, Frost Bank, John Deere/NTRA Advantage, Sam Houston Race Park and to our host, Lone Star Park.
FAVORITE MORE THAN MOST WAS BEST IN THE 5TH EDITION OF THE LANE’S END STALLION SCHOLARSHIP STAKES
Douglas Scharbauer’s More Than Most, trained by Bret Calhoun, was victorious in Saturday’s 5th running of the Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes at Lone Star Park.
With jockey C. J. McMahon up, the three-year-old filly by Indygo Mountain out of Better Than Most, by Elusive Quality completed the seven and a half furlong turf route in 1:26.99. The course was labeled firm.
The win was McMahon’s third on the night’s card, and his third stakes win of the meeting. The horse and rider won the Texas Stallion Stakes earlier in the meet.
Expect Royalty, winner of the 2015 Lane’s End edition was second by three quarters of a length and it was another head back to Whiskey Eyes in third. Slew’s Song, Texas Belle, Infectious, My Silver Lullaby and Seven Violets completed the order.
With this win, More Than Most has earned $161,378 from her new career record of 11-4-1-3.
REMEMBER ME RESCUE 4TH ANNUAL GALA
Tonight, Remember Me Rescue will hold its 4th annual gala and fundraiser at Lone Star Park, with special guests Barclay Tagg, Stacie Clark and Jack Van Berg. Tickets are still available and more information is available at http://www.teamkeen.com/2016fundraiserandgala.html
NOTES: A special shout-out to a pair of ATB, Texas 2YO sale graduates who broke their maidens on June 17 at Lone Star Park: Shaded (Too Much Bling – Fast Find) broke her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths in her first out, and More Than Gone, who won by 4 lengths in her second out. Both were consigned by Asmussen Horse Center…Best of luck to Henry Witt’s homebred Witts Lil Apache (Drums of Thunder – Chrome Doll) and to Silver City Ditty (Silver City – Wild Ditty), bred by the John Silverthorne Ranch and now owned by Shelley Brown, who will compete in Saturday’s Chantilly Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.