News and Notes for November 22, 2019

ATB’S AND TEXAS CONNECTIONS IN UPCOMING STAKES
Richard L. Davis (Rick Davis) has his homebred Thirsty My Friend (Stay Thirsty – Miss Zippy) entered in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat S. for 2-year-old fillies going a mile at Delta Downs today.  Trained by Steve Asmussen, she won both of 2 outs at Remington on October 10 and November 1, and has odds of 4-1.

Asmussen also has 6-1 Green Destiny (KY) and Danny Pish has 7-2 Trixie Racer (KY).

On Saturday at Delta, Asmussen sends out Sir Rick (KY) for owner/breeder Rick Davis and Something Super (KY).

Coming up on November 27, Zia Park has a full day of stakes races.  In the $100,000 Distaff, Tom Durant owns 5-2 Cashcheckorcharge (KY) and Steve Asmussen trains Mt. Brave (KY), the 8-5 favorite.

In the $100,000 Sprint, Asmussen sends out 5-2 Tiz Alluptome Now (KY) for Jim McGuire, J. Kirk and Judy Robison own 8-1 Secular Nation (KY), and Roy Gene Evans owns 9-5 favorite Chief Cicatriz (KY).

Stakes winner Bubba Bling (Too Much Bling – My Silver Song) will compete in a field of 7 in the $75,000 Juvenile for owner/trainer Steve Asmussen.  Bred by James Wessel, the colt won the My Dandy division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama on September 11 by 2 lengths and is the 3-2 favorite.

Also in this race is 15-1 Heraclitus (FL), bred by Brad and Misty Grady and 7-2 Competitive Idea (KY), bred and owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison.

Stakes winner Gee She Sparkles (Race Day – Pata Fresca) is running in a field of 9 for the $75,000 Princess Stakes.  Bred by Inside Move, Inc., the filly won the $109,167 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park in July by a whopping 5 ¼ lengths. Danny Pish trains and co-owns her with GFB Racing LLC.  She has odds of 4-1.

Steve Asmussen will saddle 7-5 favorite Wasabi Girl (KY) in the Princess S., 3-5 favorite Lady Apple (KY) in the $250,000 Zia Park Oaks, and 8-1 Lookin at Lee (KY) in the Championship Handicap.

Mike Neatherlin will send out Roy W. Cobb’s homebred multiple stakes winner Mr Money Bags (Silver City – Miss Photogenic) in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby for 3-year-olds going a mile and a sixteenth.  Mr Money Bags’ stakes wins include the $65,000 Stymie division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star on June 1, the $50,000 Groovy Stakes at Houston on March 23 and the $65,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes there on February 23.  The gelding has a career record of 9-6-0-1 with $195,270 in earnings and has odds of 8-1.

Other Texas connections in the race include Michael Stinson, who owns 15-1 Dueling (KY), and Asmussen trained 3-1 Bankit (NY) and 5-2 favorite Tone Broke (ON).

TTA ONLINE AUCTION OF 2020 BREEDING SEASONS CLOSING SOON
If you have not placed your bid in the Texas Thoroughbred Association Online Stallion Season Auction, please do so now. Thanks to the generosity of stallion owners across the region, you have the opportunity to purchase 2020 breeding seasons AT SPECIAL PRICES while at the same time helping the TTA’s Political Action Committee, General Fund, Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund or Paddock Foundation. Bidding closes on November 26 at 5 p.m. Central. To view a list of the 34 stallions seasons available, go to http://bit.ly/2WFl15W.

TEXAS 2-YEAR-OLDS IN TRAINING SALE MOVED TO APRIL 3
The Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale will be held April 3, 2020, at Lone Star Park. The date was originally set for March 31 but has been pushed back to better fit with the national sales schedule and with the start of the Lone Star Park Thoroughbred meet. The breeze show will be held April 1. Presented by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, the sale this will also include a horses of racing age session.

“We’ve already seen some added interest from consignors and potential buyers now that purses are on the upswing in Texas thanks to recent legislation,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “Sam Houston Race Park has announced a lucrative purse structure for their upcoming meet, and Lone Star Park is also expected to have larger purses this year. I expect there to be added demand for the Texas-breds in this sale now that buyers will have a chance to run for some nice money this summer, including the $100,000-estimated Texas Thoroughbred Futurity in two divisions for sale grads.”

The entry deadline for the sale is January 15, 2020, and consignment forms will mail prior to Thanksgiving.

For more info, go to ttasales.com.

NOTES: Eureka Thoroughbred Farm in Fredericksburg, Texas, has announced the addition of Keep Up for the 2020 breeding season. The multiple stakes-winning son of Unbridled’s Song will stand for a $2,000 fee with substantial discounts for mares that are foaling in Texas…Horsemen are reminded that Retama Park is currently requiring 48-hour health certificates for horses coming from Remington Park due to a horse testing positive for Equine Herpesvirus-1 at the Oklahoma City track. For more information about the EHV-1 situation at Remington Park, read this article from BloodHorse – http://bit.ly/2CYIIgN. For more information about the health certificate requirement, contact the Retama Park racing office.