TEXAS 2-YEAR-OLD SALE CANCELLED, TEXAS THOROUGHBRED FUTURITY, CONSIGNMENTS TO BE PROMOTED ONLINE
The Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park have announced that the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale scheduled for April 3 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. All entry fees for the sale have been refunded.

It was also announced that all horses currently nominated to the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park will remain eligible provided the final payment of $350 is made. All horses entered in the 2-year-old sale will be considered to have passed through the sales ring for the purposes of eligibility for the race. Additionally, the April 15 due date for the final payment has been pushed back to May 15. The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, with a fillies and colts/geldings division for a $100,000-estimated purse apiece, is scheduled for July 12 at Lone Star. The TTA and Lone Star will make a future announcement should a date change be needed.

“We are obviously disappointed to cancel this sale, especially with a record number of consignments, but it’s really the only option at this point and postponing the sale simply was not feasible,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. “We are leaving the sale catalogue online and making some enhancements so that potential buyers can view photos and videos submitted by consignors and make contact to negotiate private sales.”

In the coming weeks, the TTA will accept photos and videos from consignors to be added to the sale website at www.ttasales.com. The online repository will also be opened to help consignors market their horses. Each consignor’s contact information will be listed so that buyers can make direct contact about a private sale. The TTA will not track or collect commissions on any private sales.

“We feel this was probably the best group of horses to be catalogued to this sale in over a decade, so we encourage potential buyers to view the horses being offered,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “We truly appreciate all the support from consignors, so we are working to make the best of this situation and help buyers and sellers get connected.”

The Texas Summer Yearling Sale is set for August 24 at Lone Star and will also include a horses of racing age session.

RACETRACK PARK WINNING TICKETS, VOUCHERS
Due to the closure of Texas racetracks, many of you may have winning tickets/vouchers that are about to expire. If you have winning tickets/vouchers from March 19th, 2019 through the present, you can mail them to the track and you will be mailed a check in the amount of the winning voucher/ticket.. Please mail your tickets to:

Carl Layne, Retama Park
One Retama Parkway
Selma, TX 78154

Sam Houston Race Park, Attn: Mutuels Dept.
7575 N. Sam Houston Pkwy W.
Houston, TX 77064

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie
Attn: Mutuels Department
1000 Lone Star Parkway
Grand Prairie, Texas, 75050

LSP NOTE: Please send the ticket certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and retain a copy of the ticket for your records.

TEXAS HORSEMEN’S PARTNERSHIP NOTICE ON “SHELTER IN PLACE” ORDERS
As more shelter in place orders are issued, please be aware that you are free to leave your home or other domicile in order to see to the needs of your animals. This means obtaining feed and veterinary care. We have been in touch with the largest animal feed mills in Texas and have been assured that there is no shortage of horse or other animal feed. Feed mills and feed stores are considered essential business during a shelter in place order.

VETERINARY TELEMEDICINE
As a concession to allow veterinarians to treat patients while reducing social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Food and Drug Administration has eased restrictions on telemedicine. For more information, go to: https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/239263/fda-eases-restrictions-on-vets-use-of-telemedicine

EXTENSION FOR TXRC OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES EXPIRING MARCH 31
By order of the executive director, all TxRC occupational licenses set to expire on 03/31/2020 are now valid until 4/30/2020. This applies ONLY to licenses that expire at the end of this month.

TTA OFFICE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Hays County (location of TTA offices) is now under a “shelter in place” order.

Staff has the ability to easily monitor office phone calls and emails and will return them as soon as possible.

We also are able to access our work computers from home.

Thank you for your patience.