News and Notes for November 1, 2013

NEWS AND NOTES FOR NOVEMBER 1, 2013 

TTA ONLINE STALLION SEASON AUCTION
The Texas Thoroughbred Association Online Stallion Season Auction is now open. Thanks to the generosity of stallion owners across the region, you have the opportunity to purchase a 2014 breeding season while at the same time helping the TTA’s Political Action Committee, General Fund, Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund or Paddock Foundation.

Bidding closes on December 2 at 5 p.m. Central. Bid amounts will be updated through the end of the auction. In the event that a bid is received within the last 15 minutes of an auction, the time will be extended to an additional 15 minutes to allow for other bids.

To view a list of available stallions and place a bid, go to:

https://texasthoroughbred.com/stallion-register/online-stallion-auction/.

SPECIAL RATE RELOCATED TO STONEVIEW FARM
One of the leading sires in Texas, Special Rate, has been moved to Stoneview Farm in Hempstead for the 2014 breeding season.

A son of Pulpit, Special Rate is out of the stakes-winning and two-time Grade 1-producing Nureyev mare Viviana. Considered by many to possess one of the deepest and richest pedigrees of any son of Pulpit at stud, Special Rate is producing runners that are finding success on the dirt or turf, going long and short. His leading runner is multiple stakes winner Patty’s Pride, a winner of over $250,000.

Owned by a syndicate, Special Rate formerly stood at Key Ranch in Texas. His 2014 stud fee is $3,000 LFSN. For more information, please contact Sue Dowling at Stoneview Farm at (713)299-1644 or stoneviewfarm@hotmail.com or www.stoneviewfarm.com.

BREEDERS’ CUP NEWS
Texas Thoroughbred trainer Danny Pish will saddle his first Breeders’ Cup runner with Kentucky-bred Got Shades (Pollard’s Vision – Melancholy) in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Owned by TTA member Dennis Foster, Got Shades has closed in his last two stakes victories, the Sunny’s Halo and Sunday Silence, both on the Louisiana Downs turf course. He was shipped to Santa Anita where he ran third in the Zuma Beach on October 6. That effort was the confirmation that Pish and Foster were seeking to take the next step to the Breeders’ Cup. The 2-year-old son of Pollard’s Vision was ridden in Louisiana by Roman Chapa, but gets the riding services of the resurgent Gary Stevens on Friday afternoon. Got Shades started his career at Lone Star Park, where he ran third against maiden company.

The dark bay colt has a record of 4-2-0-2 with earnings of $104,123 and will break from post position 3 under Stevens at odds of 30-1.

Other Texas connections include Blueskiesnrainbows (Marathon), owned in part by Whizway Farm; Graydar (Dirt Mile), bred by W. S. Farish; Easter Gift (Dirt Mile), bred by Ward Williford; Untapable (Juvenile Fillies), trained by Steve Asmussen; Unbridled’s Note (Turf Sprint), owned by Mike McCarty and trained by Steve Asmussen; Flat Out (Classic), owned by Preston Stable LLC and whose dam is Accredited Texas-bred Mare Cresta Lil; Graydar (Classic), bred by W. S. Farish; Palace Malice (Classic), bred by W. S. Farish; Paynter (Classic), bred by Texan Gerald Ford’s Diamond A Racing Corp.; Justin Phillip (Sprint), trained by Steve Asmussen; and Wine Police (Sprint), owned by TTA members J. Kirk & Judy Robison.  Good luck to all!

All 14 Breeders’ Cup races will be televised live by NBC and NBCSN. The 30th running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be broadcast live in primetime on Saturday, November 2, culminating 9 1/2 hours of Breeders’ Cup World Championships coverage over two days by the NBC Sports Group.

Live NBC Sports Group coverage begins on Friday, November 1, from 4-8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, continues on Saturday, November 2, from 3:30-8 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and culminates with the live primetime broadcast of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Saturday, November 2, 8-9 p.m. ET on NBC.

For the first time, live Breeders’ Cup bonus coverage will air during NBCSN’s 3 p.m. Notre Dame-Navy pregame show. In the first segment of the pregame show, NBCSN will televise live the $2,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race, which has a 3:05 p.m. ET post time.

THE STARTING GATE RADIO SHOW
There’s a new way for horse racing fans and wanna be owners to learn about the sport of Thoroughbred racing – a bi-weekly radio program called “The Starting Gate”.

Partnering with KCLW in Hamilton, TX, Mojo Thoroughbred Holdings, LLC will produce 25 shows about horse racing and the ownership experience that will be on the air every first and third Saturday each month starting November 2.

“I want to help people better understand the sport from the inside out,” says Fred Taylor, Mojo’s CEM. “And, my overall goal with this radio program is to provide our listeners with unique perspectives about the nuts and bolts of Thoroughbred racing—the things that really make the sport interesting.”

Links to each broadcast will be available on the Mojo website via The Starting Gate page. And each show will eventually be converted to podcasts for the listener’s mobile convenience.

“Thoroughbred racing is a fun, fashionable, and social sport,” Fred continues. “However, the majority of what takes place these days is being filtered out and only the sensational happenings at the extreme ends of the spectrum are being seen. There’s a new generation of people, a gigantic middle ground, that’s missing out on the excitement, as well as the endless supply of heartwarming personal-interest stories that the sport provides. The show is dedicated to giving the people new insights about the benefits of participating in the sport.”

The Starting Gate will be a topic-driven program hosted by Fred Taylor that will run 30 to 40 minutes. The show will take listeners out to the farms, sales companies, and race tracks to introduce the behind-the-scenes perspectives. And, every fourth show will feature an interview with “the experts” who breed, sell, train, and come up with the strategies for horse racing success. The show will also provide businesses with opportunities to sponsor the program and/or place their ads if they like.

“Our show is about discussing why owning a race horse is a fun and personally rewarding experience,” Fred explains. “Though we’ll discuss the fundamentals of racing, The Starting Gate isn’t focused on the daily race card or handicapping—there are already plenty of programs like that out there.”

For more information about The Starting Gate radio show, placing an ad, or becoming a sponsor, please contact: fredtaylor@mojoracingpartners.com, (214) 957-4090 or Tim Rickert at KCLW.

SARATOGA WARHORSE
HRTV will highlight the undeniable bond which exists between man and horse when it offers “HRTV Presents: Saratoga WarHorse,” an in-depth look at a remarkable foundation that is forging extraordinary relationships between war veterans and off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

The special half-hour show will premiere on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET, following the network’s coverage of the Breeders’ Cup.

While many traditional therapies have proven to be ineffective in assisting veterans, Saratoga WarHorse’s ability to pair veterans with recently-retired Thoroughbreds has been a resounding success.  To date, more than 70 veterans have successfully completed the Saratoga WarHorse program, and the stories behind the emotional attachment between veterans and horses are riveting.

This special presentation includes revealing interviews with Bob Nevins, Founder of Saratoga WarHorse, and Marilyn Lane, Director of Thoroughbred Industry Relations and Development for the foundation.  Among the horsemen interviewed were Nick Zito, Bill Mott, Cot and Anne Campbell, and Sean Clancy.

NOTES:  Four Pennsylvania state senators are seeking support for legislation that would put regulatory oversight of horse racing under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and make other changes in policy…Keeneland’s 70th annual November Breeding Stock Sale will begin Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. ET. and the entire 10-day sale, which runs through Nov. 14, will be streamed live at www.Keeneland.com…Ballots for the upcoming TTA Board of Directors election were mailed today to all current TTA members with a December 16 deadline…Many thanks to all the candidates and good luck to all.