NEWS AND NOTES, January 25, 2013
BIG RACING WEEKEND AT SHRP
Tomorrow evening, the inaugural running of the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at a distance of a mile and one-sixteenth, will take place with a spectacular field of fillies and mares, whose combined earnings exceed $2.3 million.
Starters from the rail out are: Joyful Victory, Rosie Napravnik; Brushed by a Star, Corey Lanerie; Summer Applause, Miguel Mena; Sisterly Love, Luis Saez; She’s All In, Luis Quinonez and Lookingforchange, Rohan Singh.
“We are very proud of the top caliber field in the Houston Ladies Classic,” said Eric Johnston, SHRP vice-president of racing. “Each of our four stakes for this evening drew competitive fields with nationally prominent horses and racing connections. This will be a historical night for Sam Houston Race Park.”
In honor of the Ladies Classic, SHRP has joined forces with the Houston affiliate of the Susan G. Komen For the Cure® and will donate $1 for each patron to benefit the esteemed charity.
Patrons can also show their support for the fight against breast cancer by entering the “Think Pink Hat Contest”, presented by Cadence Bank. Registration will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the Club Level of the Grandstand. The judging will take place at 7:30 p.m. and the winner will receive $500.
There are three additional stakes on Saturday: the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup, the $75,000 Champion Energy Services Stakes, and the $50,000 Allen’s Landing Stakes. The stakes action will be broadcast on HRTV, “The Network for Horse Sports,” and FOX Sports Southwest.
Advance wagering for the January 26 card will be offered on Friday, January 25 and Sam Houston will offer a new wager, “The All-Stakes Pick-4″.
LONE STAR PARK ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TEAM
It has been announced that Lone Star has hired Legends Sales & Marketing (LSM) to exclusively represent the Grand Prairie company in corporate sponsorship sales pursuits.
The press release explains that Legends will represent the track in approaching new and existing corporate partnerships associated with the product offering — the heart of which is the 50-day Spring Thoroughbred Season featuring live Thoroughbred horse racing four days per week. Over 800,000 customers annually visit Lone Star Park for live Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and year-round simulcast wagering as well as for off-season events making the horse racing facility the 10th highest attended major-league sports entertainment facility in the DFW Metroplex.
The joint operating partnership will be led by John Alper, Legends Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, and G.W. Hail, Lone Star Park Vice President & Assistant General Manager.
TEXAS HORSE SURVEY
Texas HORSE has produced an online survey to gather important information about the Texas horse industry. All Texas racing breeders, owners and trainers are asked to participate. The survey will be available for 30 days, but you are encouraged to complete it as soon as possible.
To take the survey, go to :https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KXFBS89
CLENBUTEROL WITHDRAWAL TIME
The clenbuterol withdrawal time has not and will not change until further notification from the Texas Racing Commission. It continues to be a suggested withdrawal time of 96 hours according to the “Medication and Penalty Guide” published by the Texas Racing Commission.
HORSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: KY EQUINE INDUSTRY VALUED AT $23.4 BILLION
Kentucky is home to 242,400 horses and the total value of the state’s equine and equine-related assets is estimated at $23.4 billion, according to the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey.
The comprehensive statewide survey of all breeds of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules was the first such study since 1977. Conducted between June and October 2012 by the Kentucky field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, with support and assistance by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and the Kentucky Horse Council, the survey’s results identified 35,000 equine operations and 1.1 million acres devoted to equine use. The results are a snapshot of the 2011 calendar year.
For more information go to:
Notes: Ballots in the Run-off election for the final At-large position on the TTA Board of Directors must be received by close of business today, and ballots will be counted on Monday, January 28th…Voting for the 2012 Texas Champion Claimer Award also ends today…Mark your calendar and plan to attend the TTA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet at Sam Houston Race Park on February 16th; reservation deadline is Friday, February 1st…Sponsorship opportunities for the Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet are available – call the office for details…The Jockey Club reminds owners and breeders that a valid attempt to name foals of 2011 must be made by Feb. 1, 2013, to avoid a $100 late fee… Check the TTA website for a list of breeders and owners who have money due to them from the ATB Program for 2011 racing…TTA Director Richard Hessee was featured in the January 19 Southwest Regional section of The Blood-Horse… Established stallion Erlton, a multiple stakes-winning son of Buckaroo, has been relocated to stand in New Berlin, Texas, as the property of James Jolley, where he will stand for a $500 fee…Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has announced his Senate committee assignments and Speaker Straus will soon announce his selections for House committees for the 83rd Legislature… Legislation has been introduced in the New Mexico state senate that would create a specific fund for the drug testing of racehorses, to be administered by the New Mexico Racing Commission… Wagering on historical races in Kentucky generated more than $3.8 million for purses and the state Thoroughbred Development Fund from September 2011 through December 2012, according to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission statistics… Slated to become an Ohio racino in April, Thistledown will add 600 jobs in anticipation of VLT installation…The folks at Let Texans Decide have been busy producing YouTube videos, posting updates to their Facebook page and website, and spokesman John Montford has been travelling the state to spread the word about the significant dollars leaving Texas and promote a referendum to allow the citizens of Texas to vote on expanded gaming.