News and Notes for October 30 2015

TTA ACTION ALERTS REGARDING TRC FUNDING

Please take a look at this excellent video providing a short explanation of the battle Texas Racing is in with the State Government, and share it with all your contacts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5lXqqDdo0U

Then, please contact the office of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to respectfully ask for full funding of the Texas Racing Commission.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick 512-463-1001
LTGConstituent.Affairs@ltgov.state.tx.us

Also, ask your own Senator and Representative to contact the LBB to express their support for full funding of the TRC on behalf of the horsemen in their district. To find who represents you, go to:
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

For updates, please visit www.facebook.com/TexasThoroughbredAssociation and remember that your support is vital to help keep racing in Texas.

With the deadline for funding of the Texas Racing Commission looming, we need to make a concerted effort for FULL funding.  Short-term funding does nothing positive for the Texas Thoroughbred industry, especially with the SHRP and LSP spring meets coming up, breeding season and the Texas 2YO sale.

As a Texas horseman, we need you to call Rep. John Otto (who is Speaker Straus’ designee on the Legislative Budget Board) on this issue and ask him to stand strong for full funding. He can be reached at 512.463.0570. Email is john.otto@house.state.tx.us.

Also, please call each of the following members of the House Appropriations Committee, and urge them to contact Rep. Otto regarding full TRC funding:

Cecil Bell 512.463.0650 cecil.bell@house.state.tx.us

Sarah Davis 512.463.0389 sarah.davis@house.state.tx.us

Larry Gonzales 512.463.0670 larry.gonzales@house.state.tx.us

Donna Howard 512.463.0631 donna.howard@house.state.tx.us

John Raney 512.463.5109 john.raney@house.state.tx.us

Sylvester Turner 512.463.0554 sylvester.turner@house.state.tx.us

Please make these calls today!

BALLISTIC KITTEN TO STAND IN TEXAS AT DOUBLE S THOROUGHBREDS
Ballistic Kitten, a son of champion and multiple Grade 1 winner Kitten’s Joy, has been retired to stud and will stand his first season at Double S Thoroughbreds in Poynor, Texas. He will stand for a fee of $1,500 as property of Terry and Rhonda Tuley of Godley, Texas.

The unraced 5-year-old stallion is the first son of Kitten’s Joy to stand in the Lone Star State. Kitten’s Joy, the #3 sire in North America last year by progeny earnings, stood the 2015 season for a $100,000 fee.

Ballistic Kitten is out of the Saint Ballado mare Ballade’s Girl and is a full brother to $546,383 earner Coalport, who won the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park and finished second in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.

Also standing at Double S Thoroughbreds in 2016 will be Total Command, a son of Forestry, and former Texas Champion Captain Countdown, by Relaunch.

For more information, contact Dwayne “Pete” Sackett at (903) 283-2170 or Rhonda Tuley at (817) 933-0961.

TEXAS CONNECTIONS IN THE BREEDERS’ CUP ON SATURDAY
Texans Bill and Corrinne Heiligbrodt’s Kentucky-bred Whence, trained by Steve Asmussen will take on 10 foes in race number 2 on Saturday, the $100,000 Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes.  He has been given odds of 6/1.

In race number 4, the $1-million (gr.1) TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Bret Calhoun will saddle Marchman, a Kentucky-bred owned by Stevie and Bill Martin.

Race number 7, the $1.5-million (gr. 1) TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint has a trio of Texas connections in the field of 14 to cheer for.  Accredited Texas-bred Ivan Falllunovalot (Valid Expectations – Flashdance Missy), bred by Eileen Hartis, has been given odds of 30/1.  Steve Asmussen will saddle Holy Boss, a Kentucky-bred owned by Jerry Durant listed at 15/1.  The 3/1 Runhappy is a Kentucky-bred owned by James Mcingvale.

Good luck to all.

MEDIA SCHEDULE FOR BREEDERS’ CUP COVERAGE
NBCSN begins coverage today from 3 – 6pm ET, and continues on Saturday from 1 – 4pm ET before switching to NBC for coverage from 4 – 6pm ET.

TVG will broadcast a Handicapper’s Preview tonight at 8pm ET, and a Breeders’ Cup Post Show at 6pm ET on Saturday.

Tune into HRRN from 3 – 6pm ET this afternoon for the Breeders’ Cup Race Broadcast, followed by the Xpressbet Weekend Stakes Preview from 6-7 p.m. ET

Saturday, HRRN will broadcast the Equine Forum Show 8-10 a.m. ET, followed by the Breeders Cup Race Broadcast from Noon-6 p.m. ET.

NOTES: Due Monday, November 2, stall applications for the upcoming Thoroughbred meet at Sam Houston Race Park are available at http://www.shrp.com/imgs/TBStallApp2016.pdf … The backside opens Friday, December 4 and training begins Friday, December 11.