Letter from the EDITOR If you have turned to this page after receiving Southern Racehorse for the first time, you might be wondering how and why the magazine appeared in your mailbox. Thanks to partnerships with the Georgia Horse Racing Coalition (GHRC) and South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (SCTOBA), Southern Racehorse, which is published six times annually plus the Southern Racehorse Stallion Register in December, will go to all members of both organizations free of charge. I’d like to thank Steve Crayne, executive director of the GHRC, and Lee Christian, president of the SCTOBA, for helping to make this possible. And I would like to welcome supporters and members of both organizations. Southern Racehorse looks forward to promoting the racing industry in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as around the entire region. You can always find current news and information on our website at southernracehorse.com, our Facebook page at facebook.com/southernracehorse or by following @SRacehorse on Twitter. • I invite you to contact us at any time with your comments or suggestions at (512) 695-4541 or info@southernracehorse.com. Southern If you are a member of the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) Racehorse or Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma (TRAO) or involved now covers with the industry in Louisiana, you might be wondering why this magazine is now covering Georgia and South Carolina. After all, there is no Georgia Thoroughbed racing in those states, right? Well, that might be true in Georgia, but there is a strong effort underway and to pass pari-mutuel legislation there and bring first-class horse racing to the South state. And the Peach State has a powerful spokesman, or rather spokeshorse, Carolina in Georgia-owned Mucho Macho Man, the winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. It might also come as a surprise to know that there have been • two millionaires bred in Georgia (Vivace and Bluesthestandard) compared to just one in Texas (Groovy), although the Lone Star State still has a significant upper hand in overall breeding success. I wish good luck to the Georgia horsemen and horsewomen in their quest, to which many Texans and Oklahomans can surely relate after going through similar and successful efforts to pass pari-mutuel legislation in those states. As for South Carolina, there is indeed racing there in the form of the Aiken Trials and Elloree Trials in the spring and Kingstree Trials in the fall. These non-pari-mutuel events showcase the considerable talents of horses that have come through the many training centers in the Palmetto State, and they attract impressive crowds. The list of horses with ties to South Carolina is lengthy and distinguished, with Ruffian and Secretariat being just two of the many in the state’s legacy of champions. South Carolina is home to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum, and steeplechasing also has a big presence in the state with the Carolina Cup and Colonial Cup, plus the National Steeplechase Museum. While I am excited to cover the industry in both of those states, I promise to continue the same level of coverage for Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana while also providing news and updates for TTA and TRAO members. Nothing will change with the coverage for those states. In this issue, you’ll find a blend of coverage from all five states, from horses—both past and present—aiming for the Kentucky Derby to the artist who created the official poster for Churchill Downs to a look at how partnerships have changed racing in the region and around the country. I hope you enjoy it. Denis Blake Editor/Publisher, Southern Racehorse
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Southern Racehorse • MARCH/APRIL 2014