American Racehorse - Winter 2017

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CENTENNIAL THE SANTA ANITA OF THE ROCKIES

A Division of Center Hills Farm

DEN’S LEGACY (Medaglia d’Oro-Sunshine Song,

by War Chant)

MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian Charlie-Timely Quarrel,

by Time for a Change)

NEW FOR 2017 A Grade 1-placed and Grade 3 winner by a top international sire

KIPLING (Gulch-Weekend Storm,

by Storm Bird)

2017 FEE: $2,500

Sire of Breeders’ Cup winner and $3.3 million earner KIP DEVILLE

NEW FOR 2017 A Grade 1-placed and Grade 3 winner and sire of LINGERLONGER ($195,883) 2017 FEE: $2,000

2017 FEE: $2,000

POLLARD’S VISION (Carson City-Etats Unis,

by Dixieland Band) Oklahoma’s leading sire by progeny earnings for 2016 2017 FEE: $3,000

SAVE BIG MONEY (Storm Cat-Tomisue’s Delight,

by A.P. Indy)

THE VISUALISER (Giant’s Causeway-Smokey Mirage,

by Holy Bull) Sire of Will Rogers Downs Horse of the Meet WELDER ($157,997)

Sire of multiple stakes horse Mimi’s Money ($130,073)

2017 FEE: $2,000

2017 FEE: $2,000

All fees are stands and nurses All stallions are nominated to the Oklahoma Bred Program, Oklahoma Stallion Stakes and Iowa Stallion Stakes

Mighty Acres

675 W. 470 Rd. • Pryor, Oklahoma 74361 Phone: 918-825-4256 • Fax: 918-825-4255 Randy Blair: 918-271-2266 www.mightyacres.com

The Leading Texas Stallion Roster Has added the First Grade 1 Winner to retire to Texas

BRADESTER

EQUI-PHOTO

LION HEART – GRANDESTOFALL, BY GRAND SLAM

Winner of Churchill Downs’ $500,000 Grade 1 Stephen Foster S. beating the likes of Grade 1 Millionaires EFFINEX and MAJESTIC HARBOR Ten career wins from two to six, posting multiple 109 Beyer Speed Figures, and earning $1,196,332

Six-time Graded Stakes Winner, incl. back-to-back runnings of the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup S., Grade 3 Salvator Mile S., Grade 3 Ack Ack H., and Grade 3 Mineshaft H.

By Grade 1 winner and highly successful sire LION HEART (110 Beyer)

From the immediate family of THERE’S ZEALOUS (115 Beyer), HERE’S ZEALOUS (110 Beyer), etc.

2017 Fee: $3,500

Bradester • Congaree • Crossbow • Early Flyer • Grasshopper My Golden Song • Stonesider • Too Much Bling Douglas Scharbauer Ken Carson, General Manager Donny Denton, Farm Manager • David Unnerstall, Attending Veterinarian Post Office Box 966 • Pilot Point, Texas 76258 (940) 686-5552 • Fax (940) 686-2179 www.valorfarm.com • www.facebook.com/valor.farm

AMERICAN RACEHORSE •JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 1

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ABOUT AMERICAN RACEHORSE

American Racehorse (formerly Southern Racehorse) covers Thoroughbred racing and breeding in the Southwest, Midwest and Midsouth regions. The magazine is mailed to all members of the following associations: • Alabama Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association • Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association • Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association • Georgia Horse Racing Coalition • Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association • Michigan Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Minnesota Thoroughbred Association • North Carolina Thoroughbred Association • Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma • South Carolina Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association • Texas Thoroughbred Association • Plus hundreds of Louisiana horsemen.

For more information or to inquire about advertising, contact Denis Blake at (512) 695-4541 or visit www.americanracehorse.com.

CONNECT WITH AMERICAN RACEHORSE HHH

Online: www.americanracehorse.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanracehorse Twitter: @AmerRacehorse Email: info@americanracehorse.com Phone/Text: (512) 695-4541 • Fax: (512) 870-9324

Published by Pangaea Enterprises LLC d/b/a American Racehorse American Racehorse • P.O. Box 8645 • Round Rock, TX 78683 Physical Address American Racehorse 1341 Meadowild Drive • Round Rock, TX 78664 Editor/Publisher Denis Blake • info@americanracehorse.com Senior Art Director Amie Rittler • arittler3@gmail.com Graphic Designer Julie Kennedy • julie@digitalcitydesigns.com Copyeditor Judy L. Marchman Contributors Ciara Bowen J. Keeler Johnson John Murphy Jen Roytz

Photographers Ciara Bowen Al Braunworth Photography Joe Bruno Coady Photography Tory Egerton Equi-Photo/Taylor Ejdys Gay Harris Horsephotos.com Jill Johnson Collection of the Littleton Museum Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Dustin Orona Photography Ron Pollard Photography Louise E. Reinagel Don Shugart Cover Photo Collection of the Littleton Museum

Copyright © 2017 American Racehorse All rights reserved. Articles may not be reprinted without permission. American Racehorse reserves the right to refuse any advertising or copy for any reason. American Racehorse makes a reasonable attempt to ensure that advertising claims are truthful but assumes no responsibility for the truth and accuracy of ads.

4 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

WHAT’S INSIDE

American RACEHORSE

Winter 2017

24

Remembering Colorado’s Centennial Race Track

38 How Thoroughbred stallions influence the Quarter Horse breed

Departments Fast Furlongs 12 State Association News

64

The Marketplace Classifieds

74

Features Centennial: The Santa Anita of the Rockies 24 Colorado’s first major racetrack had a big impact on the region despite a relatively short run Double Stud Duty 38 Thoroughbred sires make their mark in American Quarter Horse racing and breeding

47 Not Her First Thoroughbred Rodeo A Minnesota-bred with a sparkling pedigree is winning in another form of racing A Special Bond 55 A Thoroughbred and her former student trainer are reunited

47 A different kind of racing

Year-End Stars 61 Oklahoma- and Texas-breds get their chance to shine as 2016 comes to a close

for a retired racehorse

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 5

PIKE RACING • BLOODSTOCK • BREAKING • SALES PREP We can get your yearlings ready for the races or for the 2-year-old sales!

Whether you are an experienced owner or just getting into the game, PIKE RACING is ready to help you succeed. Now based in Louisiana, we cover auctions across the region and across the country. We offer a full range of services for auctions, bloodstock, sales prep, breaking and training.

CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFO!

Hodges Photography

VICAR’S IN TROUBLE, broken by Pike Racing and consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2YO Sale, sold for $80,000 to Ken and Sarah Ramsey and went on to become one of the top Louisiana-breds of all time with earnings of $1.22 million and wins in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, Grade 2 Super Derby and Grade 3 LeComte!

PR

IKE ACING

Putting decades of experience to work for you

pikestables@aol.com • (817) 304-0556

6 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

AMERICAN RACEHORSE •JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 7

We’ve been a supporter of horse owners and those linked to the land for a long time … and we’re not going to slow down anytime soon.

This partnership is hitting its stride

As a partner to horse owners and the equine industry, we provide special equipment discounts for equine association members like you … and a percentage of every purchase puts money back into the equine industry to help further the bond between people, horses, and the land.

To learn more about the benefits to the industry, and how members of qualifying equine associations can save on John Deere equipment, call us toll-free at 866-678-4289.

Some restrictions apply. This offer is available to qualified equine associations members in the U.S. and Canada and is subject to change without notice. Coupon savings offer not to be used with full-time equine discount program. John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.

JohnDeere.com/Ag

AMERICAN RACEHORSE •JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 9

TCA’s support, we “canWith provide...programs and

services to more than 2,000 backstretch workers each year. TCA allows us to give back to those who are the backbone of the industry we love.

“

Anne M. Eberhardt

— Wade Haga BLUE GRASS FARMS CHARITIES

Improving Lives Hannah Bennett/USEA

Thoroughbred Charities of America is about more than just improving the lives of Thoroughbreds. Almost half of TCA’s grants support nonprofit backstretch and farm employee programs that provide a variety of health and human services.

Saratoga WarHorse

Breeders’ Cup

Since 1990, TCA has awarded more than $21 million to nonprofits whose missions support backstretch and farm employee programs, post-racing careers for Thoroughbreds, equine research and therapeutic riding programs. We extensively vet the organizations we work with, so you can rest assured that your donation—95% of which is passed on to the programs—will have maximum impact.

One. Helping Many.

Make your tax-deductible donation online at www.tca.org, call (859) 276-4989 or send your donation to the address below.

P.O. Box 910668, Lexington, Kentucky 40591 | www.TCA.org | E-mail: ecrady@tca.org |

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Look for the Asmussen Horse Center consignment at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4 at Lone Star Park!

Asmussen Horse Center was the leading consignor at last year’s sale with 10 sold for $262,900, including THREE STAKES WINNERS:

Mary Cage

BLING ON THE MUSIC – 2 stakes wins and a Grade 2 placing with earnings of $153,082 COUNTRY CANDY – 2 stakes wins and earnings of $121,030 Bling on the Music topped last year’s sale at $95,000 and has easily earned that back for Keene Thoroughbreds LLC

H

SHADED – a stakes win and earnings of $80,782

Check out this year’s consignment of Texas-breds:

Colt • Littleexpectations – Fearless Wildcat, by Forest Wildcat Filly • Intimidator – Readylight, by More Than Ready Colt • Littleexpectations – Trifolium, by Candy Ride (Arg) Filly • Intimidator – Ms Classic Seneca, by Seneca Jones Colt • Littleexpectations – Tiffany Royal, by Seneca Jones Colt • Intimidator – Roundabout Lass, by Seneca Jones Colt • Littleexpectations – Seneca Woman, by Seneca Jones Colt • Intimidator – Dixies Destiny, by Pleasant Colony Filly • Primal Storm – Stillatouch, by Lenox Road Colt • Intimidator – My Precious Trick, by Clever Trick Filly • Eskendereya – Queen Cumulus, by Sky Mesa

INTIMIDATOR and LITTLEEXPECTATIONS are both standing at Asmussen Horse Center this breeding season.

Congratulations to trainer Steve Asmussen and his entire team on reaching 500 victories at Oaklawn Park! That win also marked 7,500 for Steve’s career, ranking him first all-time among active trainers and second overall.

His career earnings also surpassed $250 million!

HH

H

Keith Asmussen, 956-763-8907

Dr. Steve Velasco, veterinarian • Dee Martinez, office manager, 956-763-7594 P.O. Box 1861 • Laredo, TX 78044 • Phone: 956-723-5436 • Fax: 956-723-5845 Email: kaasmussen@aol.com • Website: www.asmussens.com

Coady Photography

5 PM

LOOKING FOR A 2-YEAR-OLD WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE?

fastfurlongs Grade 1 Winner Bradester to Valor Farm, New Stallions Also at Keen Farms and J & M Equine Reproduction Center The stallion ranks of the Southwest continue to grow as the 2017 enjoyed his finest season as a 4-year-old in 2013 when he captured the breeding season approaches. Several new arrivals have landed in Texas Grade 2 Citation Handicap on the Hollywood Park turf and placed and Oklahoma since the profiles printed in the November/December in four other graded events, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup issue of American Racehorse.

Mile. At 5, he placed in three more graded stakes and showed his Bradester, a Grade 1-winning millionaire, has been retired from versatility with a third-place effort behind Goldencents in the Grade racing and will stand his first year at stud at Valor Farm in Pilot Point, 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on the synthetic surface at Texas. The 7-year-old son of Lion Heart will become the first Grade 1 Del Mar. winner to stand his initial season in the Lone Star State.

Mexikoma, a Grade 1-placed stakes winner by Belmont Stakes (G1) Bradester won 10 of 26 career starts and placed in nine others while winner Birdstone, will also stand his first season at Keen Farms. He will running mostly against graded stakes company. He broke his maiden stand for a $1,000 fee as property of the Keens. in his second career start as a 2-year-old at Churchill Downs, and as a Mexikoma hit the board in eight of 12 starts with four victories and 3-year-old he finished second in earnings of $339,054. His biggest the Grade 2 Indiana Derby. He victory came in the $250,000 then earned two graded stakes Sunshine Millions Classic at wins each year at ages 4, 5 and Gulfstream Park, and he followed 6 with victories in the Mineup that effort with a third-place shaft Handicap (G3) at Fair run in the Grade 1, $500,000 Grounds, Ack Ack Handicap Donn Handicap for then owner (G3) at Churchill and Salvator Team Valor International.

Mile Stakes (G3) and twice in The 6-year-old stallion is out the Monmouth Cup Stakes of the Toccet mare Toccet Over.

(G2) at Monmouth Park. His The stakes-winning Rascal Grade 1 victory came in the Cat, who sold for $1.3 million Stephen Foster Handicap as a as a yearling at Keeneland, will 6-year-old at Churchill. He restand his first season at Jim and tired with a bankroll of nearly Marilyn Helzer’s J & M Equine $1.2 million.

Reproduction Center in PurEQUI-PHOTO cell, Oklahoma. He will stand Bradester’s fee has been set at $3,500, and he will stand as Bradester is the first Grade 1 winner to be retired to stand his first season in Texas. for a fee of $1,500 as property property of Joseph W. Sutton. of Murray Irving Cluff.

Silentio, one of the nation’s top turf runners in 2013, has been Like Tapit, North America’s leading sire for the last three years runretired from racing and will stand his first season at Dallas and Donna ning, Rascal Cat is a son of Pulpit. California Chrome, North America’s Keen’s Keen Farms in Burleson, Texas. Silentio is out of an A.P. Indy all-time leading earner with a bankroll of more than $14.5 million, is also mare and is a son of multiple graded stakes winner Silent Name (Jpn), a product of the Pulpit line as a son of the Pulpit stallion Lucky Pulpit. the leading sire by 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence standing Rascal Cat, an earner of $203,124 with 11 victories, is out of the very outside of Japan. Silentio will stand for a $1,000 fee as property of productive Storm Cat mare Razzi Cat, who is the dam of eight other Acacia Racing. winners, including Group 1 winners Rocking Trick and Randy Cat. Running for breeder Wertheimer et Frere, Silentio earned $712,815 Rascal Cat previously stood in Canada, and his first crop of runners with a record of 19-4-1-7. He broke his maiden at first asking as a are yearlings of 2017.

2-year-old and as a 3-year-old won the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes Ivy Rose Equestrian Center in Cameron, Texas, also announced a on the grass at Santa Anita Park in just his fourth career start. He roster of four stallions for the 2017 breeding season (see page 18).

12 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Coady Photography

Indiana Horse of the Year Lady Fog Horn Wins Grade 2 Falls City Handicap

Lady Fog Horn is the all-time leading Indiana-bred female runner with a bankroll of $764,553.

The Elkstone Group LLC’s Indiana homebred Lady Fog Horn—the 2015 Indiana Horse of the Year—sounded off against open company on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs with a 1 ½-length triumph over Streamline in the 101st running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Falls City Handicap for fillies and mares.

Lady Fog Horn, trained by Tony Granitz and ridden by Albin Jimenez, ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:50.85 to notch the eighth stakes win of her career but first outside of competition against fellow Indiana-breds.

The now 5-year-old daughter of Zavata out of the Northern Spur (Ire) mare Titia carried 117 pounds.

The victory was worth $116,560 to her owner Stuart Grant of The Elkstone Group and brought Lady Fog Horn’s career earnings to $764,553 with a record of 13-3-2 in 22 starts. She is the record-holder for the richest Indiana-bred female of all time. She was sired by Zavata when the stallion was standing in Indiana; he was later sold to stand in Saudi Arabia.

For Jimenez, it was the first graded stakes win of his North American riding career, which began in 2010. Granitz secured his first graded stakes win since False Promises won the 2003 Hawthorne Derby (G3).

“I saw [She Mabee Wild] take the lead, and I was sitting in behind nice and easy,” Jimenez said. “My horse came down the stretch nice and strong. I thank God first and a thank you to the owner and the trainer and all the people that are involved.”

Lady Fog Horn was scratched five days earlier from the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap (G2) on the turf in favor of the Falls City on the main track.

“It was a tough call scratching her last week because we had run second in the Cardinal Handicap last year and she was doing so well,” Granitz said. “We were trying to make the right decision and it was a last-minute one. Albin couldn’t ride her [in the Cardinal]. He had to ride in a stakes race in Ohio, so I said, ‘I want her regular rider to come and ride her,’ and we knew today he could do that. It was a tough call and this was a big move for me to scratch her out of the race last week to put her in here.”

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 13

fF Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club

Texas Horse of the Year Ivan Fallunovalot Takes Grade 3 De Francis Dash

With earnings of $800,808, Ivan Fallunovalot now sits seventh on the all-time list of Texas-bred earners behind leader Groovy ($1,346,956).

Jockey Calvin Borel built a successful career by sticking close to the rail, but the Hall of Fame rider left the rail as soon as he could on November 19 at Laurel Park while riding Texas-bred Ivan Fallunovalot in the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) sponsored by Maker’s Mark.

Borel’s out-of-character strategy resulted in a 4 ½-length victory aboard

the Valid Expectations gelding, who scored his 15th career triumph but his first graded stakes success in the De Francis Dash with a time of 1:10.07 for six furlongs.

“We broke a tad slower than usual for him,” Borel said. “I got him in the race early and went really slow. We backed it up a lot. I just let him go up to [favorite X Y Jet], and the best horse that’s going to finish is going to win.

That’s what it amounted to.”

After calling it a career in the fall of 2015, Borel came out of retirement this past summer and had ridden 19 winners from 213 mounts in the Midwest before this victory.

“This is my first stakes win since coming back on a Thoroughbred,” he said.

“I won an Arabian stakes at Churchill earlier [in 2016]. It’s been awhile since we were at Laurel.”

Trainer Tom Howard claimed Ivan Fallunovalot on behalf of Arkansas owner Lewis Mathews Jr. for $25,000 out of a win at Oaklawn in March 2014. The 2015 Texas Horse of the Year has since won 11 races and more than $740,000 for his new connections. All told, the 7-year-old gelding bred by Eileen Hartis has a record of 24-15-3-1 with earnings of $800,808.

Ivan Fallunovalot was scheduled to run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park on November 5 but was withdrawn due to chronic hoof issues that were resolved in time to make the De Francis.

“We had to pass the Breeders’ Cup due to quarter cracks, but everything fell into place for this race,” Howard said. “This will set us up good for Oaklawn.”

Texas Stallion Jet Phone Dies Texas stallion Jet Phone, the sire of Texas Champion Aces N Kings, died November 27 from kidney and liver problems at the age of 15. The son of Phone Trick stood his entire career at Valor Farm and was bred and raced by the late Clarence Scharbauer Jr., who founded Valor Farm with his late wife, Dorothy.

A three-time winner on the track, Jet Phone had success as a stallion despite having only 24 starters from six crops to race. His offspring include Aces N Kings, a six-time stakes winner of $246,639; W V Jetsetter, a two-time stakes winner in Texas who placed in the Grade 3 Jersey Shore Stakes in New Jersey and Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes in New York; and Texas-bred stakes winner Aces N Jacks.

Aces N Kings, the only foal from Jet Phone’s first crop, was bred by Diamond D Ranch and campaigned by Caroline Dodwell to a title of Texas Champion 2-YearOld Colt/Gelding with five wins from eight starts as a juvenile.

“We foaled [Jet Phone] here and, other than the racetrack, he lived his whole life here; now he’ll be buried here,” said Ken Carson, general manager of Valor Farm, in a Bloodhorse.com article. “He never got enough mares to be of any significance, but everyone loved him. He was a really kind horse, and we sure hated Jet Phone sired a total of five stakes runners from only to lose him.”

24 starters.

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Equine Equipment Sponsors Track-Crew Internships at Keeneland, Mahoning Valley Innovative Equine Marketing, which provides manufacturer discounts Other tracks can apply for a 2018 Equine Equipment Track Internto the horse world through its Equine Equipment program, is launch- ship by contacting Andersen at steve@equineequipment.com or (877) ing America’s first internships for college students interested in the field 905-0004. of racetrack maintenance and getting on course to being a track “These guys are the hardest-working guys on the track,” Andersen superintendent. said of track superintendents. “There are many of them working the Keeneland Association in Lexington, Kentucky, and Hollywood track all night long so it doesn’t freeze. It’s not a question of ‘What Gaming Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown, Ohio, have time are you coming home?’ It’s ‘Are you coming home tonight?’ They’re been awarded the first Equine Equipment Track Internship scholarships often expected to hold equipment together with fishing line, duct tape for 2017. Seed money for the internships will be provided by Equine and gum, and hope it holds up because they’re not going to get the Equipment, which provides facilities and active participants in the horse budget to do or buy more. And sometimes it’s ‘Don’t spend too much industry discounts through local dealers on tractors, mowers and paint on the gum.’ with best-selling brands such as Toro, Massey Ferguson, Exmark, Farm“It’s a tough business, and track supers have to fight to get the equipment they need and get the very best value and take care of it,” he added.

Paint and Challenger.

“This is just my idea to give back to the industry and to support the “They have to appease the horsemen and appease management.” racing facilities and the tracks that support me,” said Innovative Equine Marketing founder Steve Andersen. “Maybe a University of Kentucky ag student doesn’t want to work in soybeans, corn and tobacco. But he likes dirt, likes equipment and likes being outside. We want to give them the opportunity to see the wonderful world of being a track superintendent.”

Andersen is working with the University of Kentucky and Youngstown State University to provide candidates for the internships at Keeneland and Mahoning Valley. Keeneland Track Superintendent Javier Barajas and Mahoning Valley Track Superintendent R.J. Moore will then pick the recipients.

“Keeneland is excited to be able to offer this internship to introduce college students to racetrack maintenance and encourage them to pursue a career as a track superintendent,” Barajas said.

“With a dirt track, turf course and all-weather training track at Keeneland, a student will receive a unique opportunity to learn about the maintenance of three different surfaces.”

Mark Loewe, vice president for racing operations at Mahoning Valley, applauded a program that will give smart and motivated students the Call Heather or Cyndi for early booking discounts! opportunity to learn under the direction of two of the best track superintendents in the business.

“It’s a great idea; as an industry I think we should be looking at more internships for other 2652 Reece Lake Road positions,” Loewe said. “Working racetracks is a Washington, Oklahoma 73093 science, certainly not something that anybody can okequine@aol.com walk in off the street and do. It’s a great idea if we www.okequine.com can get some young people interested in it. And (405) 288-6460 it’s a very interesting profession, to say the least.”

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Hennessy – Key Hunter, by Jade Hunter

Sire of Oklahoma Stallion Stakes winner HARD CIDER ($182,612), stakes-placed Shut the Gate ($142,244) and Only Liquor ($116,013).

2017 Fee: $1,000

OKLAHOMA EQUINE

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 15

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Sam Houston Postpones Texas Champions Weekend Stakes Due to EHV-1 Outbreak in Louisiana

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The Horse Supply Specialists Servicing Evangeline Downs & Evangeline Downs Training Center each race day.

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16 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Trainer Don Von Hemel is a member of the Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame, a fixture in Oklahoma racing, credited with 2,516 victories since 1956, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1981 and the conditioner of Win Stat when he set a world record for a mile and 70 yards in 1984 at Oaklawn.

But Von Hemel, 82, has never trained a Don Von Hemel has trained more than 2,500 winners but never a millionaire.

“I always turn seven-figure earner. them over to Donnie,” Von Hemel jokingly said about his son, Donnie K. Von Hemel. “He’s trained about seven of them.”

Don’s son Kelly is also a successful trainer.

Don Von Hemel could strike training a millionaire off his bucket list in 2017, possibly at Oaklawn. He trains multiple stakes winner Smack Smack, who has earned $955,430 for country music star Toby Keith, also the breeder of the 6-year-old Closing Argument gelding.

Smack Smack ran second in the $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes on January 13 at Oaklawn to move closer to the milestone.

“I’d love to see him do it here,” Von Hemel said, referring to the millionaire status. “Most of mine have just been blue-collar horses, trying to fit wherever we’ve taken them.”

In addition to Smack Smack, Von Hemel’s top horses have included Mariah’s Storm (career earnings of $724,895), No Spend No Glow ($548,352), Now I Know ($461,721) and Win Stat ($438,378).

Smack Smack bankrolled $427,366 last year, highlighted by a victory in the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3). He added the $175,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap in New Mexico.

Courtesy Oaklawn Park

Sam Houston Race Park postponed the seven $50,000 Texas-bred stakes scheduled for January 20-21 as part of Texas Champions Weekend due to an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) outbreak at Fair Grounds in Louisiana. Sam Houston carded extra overnight races to replace the postponed races, which were planned as part of the Houston racetrack’s annual opening weekend festivities.

Sam Houston placed restrictions on horses shipping into the track from the affected area, which would have limited entries for the Texas Champions races. The policy was designed to protect the current Sam Houston horse population from the virus, and the track has not had a case of the virus.

The Bara Lass Stakes and San Jacinto Turf Stakes will now run on Friday, March 10. The Yellow Rose Stakes and King Richard Stakes will run on Saturday, March 11. The Groovy Stakes and Spirit of Texas Stakes will run on Monday, March 13, and the Star of Texas Stakes will run on Tuesday, March 14, the final day of the Thoroughbred meet.

For the latest information, go to shrp.com.

Trainer Don Von Hemel Closing in on First Millionaire Racehorse with Smack Smack

Joe Bruno

Daughter of Texas Stallion Too Much Bling Remains Undefeated in Puerto Rico

Too Much Tip, shown here in a training race, has won all five of her races with four stakes wins.

Too Much Tip, a Kentucky-bred daughter of leading Texas stallion Too Much Bling, recorded her fifth win in as many starts at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day with a dominating 7 ½-length victory in the Grade 3 Clasico Verset’s Jet Stakes in her first race as a 3-year-old.

Too Much Tip was coming off a perfect 2-year-old campaign with four wins in four starts, with three of those coming against graded stakes foes, including the Grade 1 Accion de Gracias Stakes. She has banked $90,478 in her five wins for owner Belka Stud and trainer Jose D. Garcia Jr. Too Much Tip was bred by W.S. Farish and sired by Too Much Bling when he stood at Farish’s Lane’s End Texas near Hempstead. Upon the closure of Lane’s End Texas last year, Too Much Bling was relocated to Valor Farm near Pilot Point, Texas.

Too Much Tip sold for $10,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Camarero Race Track is named in honor of the Puerto Rico-bred horse of the same name who won 73 of 76 career races, including a world record 56 in a row from 1953 to 1955.

For more racing and breeding news, go to AmericanRacehorse.com Equine Sales Company Sets 2017 Auction Dates Equine Sales Company has announced its complete 2017 auction schedule. In addition to the 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale already announced for May 9 with a breeze date of May 7, two other sales will be held at the Opelousas, Louisiana, facility.

The Consignor Select Yearling Sale will be held Thursday, August 31, and the Open Yearling and Mixed Sale will be held Sunday, October 15. All three sales will be held on dates similar to the 2016 schedule.

“Equine Sales Company had its best year yet in 2016, and I think we have found a good spot on the calendar for all three sales to work well for consignors and buyers, both nationally and regionally,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director for Equine Sales Company. “The addition in 2016 of the Equine Sales Derby and Equine Sales Oaks at Evangeline Downs for sale graduates has proven to be a big boost for breeders, buyers and consignors, and we look forward to continuing those races in 2017 and beyond.”

The 2016 Consignor Select Yearling Sale marked the first unified yearling sale held with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which had previously held a separate yearling sale. The unified sale proved to be successful, and that partnership will continue in 2017.

For more information, go to equinesalesofla.com.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 17

fF Texas’ Ivy Rose Equestrian Center Enters Racing Business, Brings in New Stallion Spellbinder

Spellbinder Adding to the already significant list of stallions coming into Texas for the 2017 breeding season, a new farm has entered the Thoroughbred domain as Ivy Rose Equestrian Center in Cameron will stand race-bred stallions for the first time.

Owned by Melanie Teal and co-managed by her mother, Mary Ellen, Ivy Rose is new to the racing business but not to the horse business.

“We have been in the horse industry for 30-plus years, and it’s been a lifelong endeavor,” Teal said. “I’ve done competition, rehabilitation, foaling, raising and training, and I’ve had Thoroughbreds before but never for the racing industry.”

Teal and her mother said they became interested in the Thoroughbred racing market after seeing the versatility of the breed, and they hope their connections and experience in the sporthorse world will allow for some crossover between the two disciplines. They would like to get sport horse enthusiasts interested in racing, while also introducing racing horsemen to some of the other pursuits Thoroughbreds can excel at, which in turn can help find a new home or career for a racehorse after his time on the track.

“The racing industry seemed like a good opportunity and one that has room to grow again in Texas, so we think it’s an ideal time to get into it,” Teal added. “The Thoroughbred is amazingly versatile, so we think an operation like this can serve both the sporthorse and the racing markets.”

The mother-daughter team is not afraid to admit that they still have things to learn about the racing side of the business, but they have worked with trainer Kris Fullerton and are excited to become more involved in racing.

As for the 2017 stallion roster at Ivy Rose, the headliner is multiple graded stakes winner Spellbinder, who comes to Texas from Florida. The 16-year-old stallion’s leading progeny includes Well Spelled, an earner of $364,160 who won the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park and the $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing.

18 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Spellbinder, by Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Tale of the Cat, earned $499,057 while winning six of 29 starts. Racing almost exclusively in California, Spellbinder won the San Antonio Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita Park and the Berkeley Handicap (G3) at Golden Gate Fields. He also placed in three other graded events.

Spellbinder is out of the Quiet American mare Thorough Fair, who also produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and sire Whywhywhy.

Ivy Rose’s remaining stallion roster features some strong pedigrees.

Class Warfare is by Horse of the Year A.P. Indy out of millionaire and Grade 1 winner Take D’ Tour; Real Quiet Cat is a son of Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Real Quiet out of a winning Storm Cat daughter; and Bug a Boo Ben is a son of Awesome Again out of the Grade 1-winning Dynaformer mare Collect the Cash.

Spellbinder will stand for an introductory fee of $1,200, and Bug a Boo Ben will stand for $750. Class Warfare and Real Quiet Cat will both stand for a private treaty.

“We are very excited to be a part of the Thoroughbred racing industry,” Teal said, “and we look forward to meeting more people in the industry in the coming months and years.”

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From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

CENTENNIAL THE SANTA ANITA OF THE ROCKIES COLORADO’S FIRST MAJOR RACETRACK HAD A BIG IMPACT ON THE REGION DESPITE A RELATIVELY SHORT RUN •

BY J. KEELER JOHNSON

24 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 25

From the Collection of the Littleton

Museum

Centennial Race Track, located south of Denver in Littleton, got out of the gate running on July 4, 1950, with nearly 10,000 people in attendance.

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

I

26 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

n the city of Littleton, Colorado, there is a place just off U.S. Highway 85, along the South Platte River, where condominiums are lined up in rows surrounding a circular street called Riverwalk Circle. You could drive down the street, shop at the local Home Depot and play golf at the Littleton Golf and Tennis Club, all without ever realizing that you are treading the same ground where Thoroughbreds once thundered down a long-gone homestretch.

In the late 1940s, following the conclusion of World War II, the sport of horse racing was reaching ever-greater heights across the country. During the Great Depression, taxes on pari-mutuel wagering had been seen as a way to generate revenue for state governments, and as racing was legalized in states where it hadn’t previously been allowed, racetracks were built to feed the demand for racing (and state revenue). The process slowed down during World War II, but once peace was reached and restrictions on travel and sporting events were lifted, the sport thrived. The number of races run in the United States rose from 19,587 in 1943 to 26,932 by 1950, and purse distribution nearly tripled from $18,555,680 in 1943 to $54,436,063 by 1948.

Bay Meadows, Hollywood Park, Tropical Park, Narragansett Park and Longacres all got their starts during the 1930s, and Garden State Park in New Jersey opened its doors in 1942. A few years later, Colorado passed the Pari-Mutuel Act of 1948, opening the path for the construction of a racetrack within the state. The brand-new facility, built south of Denver in Littleton under the management of Willard Tunney, was called Centennial.

The Track

all have a racing surface, a grandstand, stables for the horses and such. But it is in the details that tracks can vary greatly, giving each track a distinct charm and flavor. Reeves recalled that Centennial “always played ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ [theme song] from three minutes prior to post time.”

While most of the races at Centennial were for Thoroughbreds, the track also ran American Quarter Horse races; for many years they held one race on each day of the meet for that breed.

Centennial Race Track officially opened for business on July 4, 1950, and the oval was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of almost 10,000 people that pushed half a million dollars through the betting windows on the very first day. Although these lofty heights proved to be the exception and not the norm, the 40-day meet was a success overall, with a total of 245,435 visitors and wagers of $8,683,041.

From this total, more than $7,000 was donated to Colorado charities, and betting handle would only The Horses grow over the next few When a brand-new seasons as the track moved racetrack is built in an to a 50-day meet and area that hasn’t previcontinued to draw strong ously enjoyed large-scale support from the local horse racing, it can take fans and horsemen. many years for the oval Part of what made Cento build up a presence Ron Pollard Photography tennial so popular was and exert influence on The interior of the Centennial grandstand was a bit the fact that it was, quite a national level. But spartan compared to the likes of Santa Anita but simply, a lovely track with Centennial, regarded by the track still drew comparisons nonetheless. a picturesque location feamany to have been a gem turing a one-mile oval and infield lake with the Rocky Mountains of the Southwest circuit, didn’t follow the rules. as a backdrop. Horsemen appreciated the layout of the facility, with Not long after Centennial opened, the young track started makthe barns located about as close to the racing surface as possible, ing headlines. At the inaugural meet, a talented Colorado-bred allowing trainers to quickly get horses out of the barns and onto 2-year-old colt named Phil D. was among the starters, finishing the track for morning works. More than 30 years after the last races third in the Colorado Futurity. In 1951, he would carry his Cenat Centennial were run, people who knew the track still recall how tennial background to some of the greatest racing venues in the special it was. country, winning the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita and finishing “The location and the backside were really well set up,” said second in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, which earned him a Linda Wood, who used to work at Centennial as a groom and now start in the historic Kentucky Derby. Sent off as a 14-1 shot in the operates Menoken Farms, one of Colorado’s leading stallion and “all others” mutuel field, he outran expectations by setting the pace breeding farms. “The track itself, the whole environment … when and holding on to finish a respectable fourth. they opened it, they called it the ‘Santa Anita of the Rockies.’ ” Phil D. would go on to achieve more stakes success in California, “This was the Golden Age of racing,” added Mike Reeves, and he returned to Centennial in 1953 to dominate the local races who spent a few summers walking hots at Centennial and has been once again. After two prep races at Centennial, Phil D. challenged involved in racing in various capacities both backside and front side the youngster Lefty James—a local star that had won the 1952 throughout his life and still dabbles as an owner.

Centennial Derby—and beat him in the $7,500 Colorado Mile With horse racing one of very few options for legal gam- Handicap while conceding him seven pounds. Nine days later, Phil bling, Centennial “was often crowded,” Reeves added. “The local D. won again in the $10,000 Rocky Mountain Handicap, thus newspapers, the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post, often sweeping Centennial’s two biggest races for older horses. headlined their sports section with stories on racing at Centennial.

If Phil D. put Centennial on the map as a racetrack from which Entries and charts were always included in both.” talented horses could emerge, a 3-year-old filly named Encantadora To a certain degree, all Thoroughbred racetracks are similar; they helped to keep it there. In 1951, she made history at Centennial AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 27

the Littleton Museum

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum - Ralph Morgan Newspictures

From the Collection of

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum - Ralph Morgan Newspictures

A large crowd was on hand to watch the 1966 Colorado Breeders Stakes.

28 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Monita, the 1951 co-world champion Quarter Horse, raced at Centennial twice that year, winning both times.

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

From the Collection of the Littleton

Museum

Also known as Centennial Turf Club, the track had to compete with a nearby greyhound track and eventually the Colorado Lottery.

“Jumping Jack” Keene piloted Colorado-bred Phillip Henry to victory in a 1970 race.

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 29

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

by running five furlongs in :57 flat, breaking the world record of :57 1/5 set 36 years before by the great Texas-bred mare Pan Zareta.

Of course, being tucked away in Colorado and far from racing epicenters like New York and California, Centennial was never destined to attract racing’s greatest horses and established champions, but that didn’t really matter—Centennial had its own local stars.

every year through her 8-year-old season in 1963, many of them at Centennial. Thanks to her talent and durability, she retired with a record of 33 wins from 97 starts and earnings of $135,233.

Arapahoe Park, the Denver-area track that picked up the horse racing torch from Centennial, runs the Spicy Handicap for Colorado-breds each year.

Consistent and talented horses are always popular, but surprising longshot winners are equally memorable for the lucky bettors with a winning wager.

“One memorable win was by a horse named Big Knees, a 17.2-hand gelding that returned $133.00 for a $6.00 combine,” Reeves said. “His win was a fluke, and was by virtue of being in last by 10 lengths at the middle of the far turn when the leader The daily race cards at Centennial never matched those of the nation’s elite on the inside blew the turn tracks, but the Colorado oval did feature many quality runners over the years, and took the field that was including Phil D., Spicy and Track Robbery. bunched together with him to One such horse was O Be Joyful, a tough-as-nails veteran who the outside fence. Big Knees was not hampered by this and sailed made 96 starts at tracks across the Midwest in the late 1960s and through the aircraft carrier-sized opening created and docked into early 1970s. He won stakes races at Turf Paradise and Ak-Sar-Ben the winner’s circle a most unlikely winner.” and ran second in two renewals of the Brown Palace Hotel Handicap at Centennial. Mike Reeves remembers that for all of O Be The People While horses might be the stars of the sport, it would be imJoyful’s success, he wasn’t the easiest horse to handle.

“O Be Joyful was an extremely mean horse; many people had possible to race them in organized fashion without the dedicated scars he inflicted,” Reeves said. “Strange as it may seem, my 10-year- efforts of the breeders, owners, jockeys, trainers and racing officials old sister hotwalked him with no chain over his nose or any other that make horse racing possible, and Centennial had its fair share sort of restraint. Once he had his halter on, he was a perfect gentle- of memorable human stars. man—getting the halter on in his stall was the challenge. Often it “I would say it was the people and the horses that made it special,” Linda Wood said. would take 10 minutes to halter him.”

In the history of the sport, few jockeys have ever achieved more O Be Joyful’s disagreeable nature extended to his morning training sessions. than Bill Shoemaker and Bill Hartack, who won nine Kentucky “He was extremely tough to gallop,” Reeves added. “The gallop Derbys between them plus an untold number of other prestigious boy that exercised him weighed 165 pounds, all muscle, and the stakes races. But despite their national presence, they both took horse would ‘run off’ with him for two miles and he was never able time to ride at Centennial. Jon Court, who has won nearly 4,000 to slow him down until the third mile.” races and more than 60 graded stakes races, scored his first career The filly Spicy was another local sensation. At three, she victory at Centennial on June 7, 1980. beat colts in the 1958 Centennial Derby, but that was just one Hall of Fame Thoroughbred conditioners D. Wayne Lukas and highlight of a fantastic season that saw her win 10 of 16 starts. A Bob Baffert both raced at Centennial during their Quarter Horse force to be reckoned with across the Midwest, she won stakes races training days.

30 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

From the Collection of

Although big-name jockeys sometimes rode at Centennial, the local riders were the real stars of the show.

m

the Littleton Museu

But as with the horses, the biggest stars at Centennial were the local jockeys and trainers who raced there for years, day in and day out. Jack Keene was among the leading riders at the track, and while he doesn’t rank among the nation’s all-time leading riders in terms of total wins or money earned, he was a local legend who rode for decades, eventually retiring in 1995 at the astonishing age of 68. Keene—who was known for walking around with huge cigars in his mouth—also became known for jumping out of the saddle after winning races, a celebration very similar to the popular “flying dismounts” of today’s world-renowned jockey Frankie Dettori. Keene’s celebratory jumps earned him the clever nickname of “Jumping Jack.”

George Munsell Jr. was another veteran of the Southwest circuit, winning 2,822 races during a career that, like Keene’s, lasted for more than 40 years. Centennial was one of the tracks where he rode on a regular basis, and Reeves remembers him well.

“I spent summers during my high school years in Omaha at Ak-Sar-Ben and Denver at Centennial; George was among the leading riders at both tracks,” he said. “I spent many early mornings in the track kitchen sitting at the same table listening to him, his agent, my father and his trainer … I also saw him at the barn in the morning after coffee in the track kitchen

when he was there to blow out a horse. I dined with him at celebratory occasions.

“George’s nickname was ‘Mumbles,’ ” Reeves continued. “Not sure everyone called him that, but the people I knew called him Mumbles … he simply talked with his lips pursed. Perhaps [it was due to] ill-fitted false teeth. At times I could guess what he was saying and process it correctly, but for the most it was all mumble-jumble.”

But, added Reeves, it didn’t affect Munsell’s abilities as a jockey.

“His talent for riding was far superior to his speech,” he said.

“Frontrunners, stalkers, closers, colts, fillies … horses ran for him.

He sat real still and didn’t whip a lot, like [Hall of Fame jockey] Pat Day.”

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

Large crowds patronized the track in the early days after opening in 1950, but for a variety of reasons attendance gradually started to wane until the track ultimately closed in 1983.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 31

Ron Pollard Photography

Centennial was a family-friendly racetrack, as the group of young people watching the start of a 1977 race attests (below), although perhaps parents didn’t heed the sign about supervising children at all times.

From the Collection of the Littleton Museum

Lyman Rollins, described in 1972 by the El Paso Herald-Post as “the perennial trainer champ at Centennial,” enjoyed strong success at tracks like Centennial, Ak-Sar-Ben and Turf Paradise during a career that lasted until just before his death in 2012 at the age of 92. Rollins’ son Bradley was a sensation as an apprentice jockey during the late 1950s and rode six winners at Centennial on July 4, 1964, a record that would stand unmatched throughout the track’s history.

Described as “baby-faced” and “a clear-eyed and friendly youngster” in the September 4, 1958, edition of the Mt. Vernon Register-News, Bradley Rollins was “a straight-A student at Washington High School in Phoenix,” where he “won letters in football and wrestling.” In fact, one racing official went so far as to say that Bradley “is a high-class boy who is proud to be a jockey.

He’s the reason why horse racing is good.”

The Register-News also described a race at Centennial in which Rollins won in particularly impressive fashion. After the race, as he “rode slowly by the stands, with his rooting section of teenage girls whooping it up, the embarrassed Rollins fell off his horse.”

32 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

In addition to his role as a jockey, the young Rollins got up at 4:30 each morning to help with his father’s horses. This experience would come in handy after Bradley Rollins retired from the saddle, for he soon joined his father as a licensed trainer and campaigned horses in his own name until his death in 2006. One of his last major wins came in the 2005 Manhattan Beach Stakes at Hollywood Park, in which Bradley sent out Kresgeville to win by a nose at odds of 30-1.

In memory of this father-and-son horsemen team, Turf Paradise runs a race each year called the Lyman and Bradley Rollins Handicap.

The Flood Being positioned along the edge of the South Platte River gave Centennial a beautiful location, but it wasn’t without the potential for danger. On June 16, 1965, heavy rains caused the river to swell dramatically and flood its banks, devastating the entire city of Littleton and causing more than half a billion dollars’ worth of damage.

Centennial was hit particularly hard, with water sweeping through the stable area, damaging barns and leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Although an early warning enabled horsemen to rescue more than half of the horses stabled at the track, taking them to nearby stables and to higher ground, a hundred horses still drowned in the flood. More than two dozen people in the Littleton area lost their lives.

Coming just weeks before the start of the 1965 meet, the damage to the track was expected to curtail racing, but the diligent efforts of track employees allowed

The track and barn area suffered significant damage from a 1965 flood but recovered quickly.

Centennial to bounce back and resume racing with minimal delay. With a fresh coat of paint, the track even benefited from an improved appearance.

“The barn area and all the other buildings on the grounds had been totally repainted following the flood of 1965,” Reeves recalled. “The paint was still relatively fresh when I was there, and the structures were quite beautiful.”

another form of competition.

The beginning of the end came in 1981, the same year that the Gold Rush Futurity received its graded status. The track property—by some measures, worth more for real estate than for racing—was sold for $17.7 million, and plans were made to develop the track. On November 6, 1983, the last day From the Collection of the Littleton Museum of racing was held, and the track Like many racetracks of its day, Centennial’s location eventually became too valuable, and as shut its doors for the final time.

“Like a lot of other urban, the Denver metropolitan area grew, the land The Final Years metropolitan areas, the land became a prime spot for redevelopment. of Centennial just became so valuable for deAs the years progressed, velopment, that was the reason racing at Centennial seemed to be doing well. Although greyhound they sold it,” Linda Wood explained, “to build shopping malls and racing at the Mile High Kennel Club generally drew more wagering condominiums. That’s pretty much what’s there.” than Centennial—the competition “was a detriment to ThoroughThe Littleton Golf and Tennis Club came first, and the course breds at Centennial,” according to Reeves—the track continued to weaved its way across the grounds where horses once galloped. prosper from a racing perspective. In 1978, a 2-year-old filly named Even still, the faint, vague outline of the far turn could still be seen Track Robbery burst on the scene, winning four of her six starts until the late 1990s, when the last remnants of the course disapat Centennial. The following year, she won four more races at the peared under the construction of the Home Depot.

“A lot of people in Littleton didn’t really appreciate it until it was Littleton track, including the Turn of the Century and Turf Club Centre handicaps against colts. From these beginnings, she would gone,” Wood added. “They didn’t realize how much of the econrise through the ranks and eventually become a mainstay of the omy it generated at the time, and after it was gone, they realized best filly and mare races in the country, winning three Grade 1 rac- how much different it was … that [the track] was probably a better es—the Vanity Handicap, Apple Blossom Handicap and Spinster option than shopping malls.”

Stakes—among other races during a career that included an Eclipse And in the life that revolves around a racetrack, Centennial supported other agricultural and horse-related businesses in the area.

Award as champion older mare of 1982.

“And farming and ranching, and farriers and veterinarians,” Track Robbery’s biggest accomplishments were on the national stage, but Centennial was also doing well on the local level. One Wood added. “You know, more of a western style of living, I guess.”

In the scheme of Thoroughbred racing’s long history, Centenniof the highlights of every meet was the Gold Rush Futurity, a significant race for 2-year-olds, and following the creation of graded al’s 33 years were relatively short and somewhat unremarkable— stakes races in 1973, Centennial attempted to push the Gold Rush a small, almost unnoticeable thread in the overall tapestry of Futurity toward graded status. Raising the purse to $100,000 did the sport. So brief was the beauty of Centennial that it can be the trick, and in 1981, the race was recognized as a Grade 3 event. said the track was as fleeting as the horses that used to thunder But while the racing was still strong, not all was as glorious as it down its homestretch, there one moment and gone the next, appeared to be. The advent of off-track wagering and simulcasting like a mirage on the pavement of Riverwalk Circle in the town of offered the potential for greater revenue for purses but also meant Littleton. H J. Keeler Johnson (also known as “Keelerman”) is a writer, blogthat bettors no longer had to visit a track to play the races. As a result, attendance dropped, giving the impression of declining popu- ger, videographer, handicapper and all-around horse racing enthusiast. larity. In addition, the greyhound racing at Mile High continued to Johnson writes for the Bloodhorse.com blog Unlocking Winners and is a significantly outperform Centennial in terms of wagering and atten- frequent contributor to America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net). dance. The Colorado Lottery also began in the early 1980s, adding He is also the founder of the horse racing website, theturfboard.com.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 33

34 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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Before ALSVID won multiple graded stakes races and earned in excess of one million dollars, Thoroughbred Review purchased his dam for $20,000.

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Thoroughbred sires make their mark in American Quarter Horse racing and breeding

By John Murphy

When Good Reason SA put a nose in front at the wire to win the $750,000 Champion of Champions in 2011 at Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California, the colt further bolstered the résumé of his late sire, 1997 Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Favorite Trick.

Never heard of Good Reason SA? That could be because he’s not a Thoroughbred, and even pedigree enthusiasts might be surprised to learn that the top earning offspring of Thoroughbred champion Favorite Trick is actually an American Quarter Horse.

A quick Quarter Horse primer for those who do not follow the sport: Good Reason SA was that year’s champion older stallion, and the Grade 1, 440-yard Champion of Champions is the equivalent of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Good Reason SA won a Grade 1 race in each of his three years on the track, and he retired with earnings of more than $1.44 million.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Favorite Trick’s reputation as a sire was built largely through his Quarter Horse progeny. For that racing breed, Thoroughbred stallions are used to introduce new outcrosses and provide stamina.

More than 30 Thoroughbred stallions are advertised to breed racing Quarter Horses on the reference site StallionESearch.com, and not surprisingly the majority are based in

38 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Favorite Trick is among the most successful stallions of his breed in the Quarter Horse world.

Louise E. Reinagel

the Southwest, where sprint racing is most popular. Because these stallions present so many unknown variables in regard to their pedigree and output, breeders may be slow to experiment with a Thoroughbred sire until he is proven with Quarter Horse mares. Once the stallion is established, however, the owner can reap the benefits.

“There haven’t been very many of them that worked,” said Andrew Gardiner, then general manager of Jim and Marilyn Helzer’s JEH Stallion Station operations in Texas and Oklahoma, in a 2012 interview. “There are a lot of horses that seemed to have tremendous potential that simply were unable to be Quarter Horse sires. A lot of the intrigue is the simple fact that if a guy can come up with one of them, they’re going to have a corner on the market.”

Favorite Trick was brilliant in his championship 2-year-old season, winning all eight of his starts and highlighting his campaign with wins in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Hopeful Stakes.

He retired after his 3-year-old season with 12 wins in 16 starts for earnings of $1,726,793.

The son of Phone Trick was a decent sire of Thoroughbreds after his retirement from the racetrack in 1998, siring the earners of $17.8 million and 276 winners from eight crops, with 27 stakes winners, led

by Grade 3 winners Datrick and Trick’s Pic and Singapore Group 3 winner Safety Outlet. After stints in Kentucky and Florida, he moved to JEH Stallion Station at its former operation in New Mexico.

JEH stood several sires that performed double duty as sires of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. Favorite Trick took well to his new assignment, siring Grade 1 Quarter Horse winners Prankster CF and Favorite Cartel in addition to Good Reason SA. “The thing that caught everybody’s eye with that horse was his look,” Gardiner said, commenting on Favorite Trick’s compact frame and powerful hip. “He had the look a Quarter Horse guy was looking for.”

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 39

Don Shugart

Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Favorite Trick is among the most successful stallions of his breed in the Quarter Horse world.

Louise E. Reinagel

Favorite Trick (right) and his Quarter Horse son, Good Reason SA (above)

Thoroughbred sires can also be popular with Quarter Horse breeders looking for “distance” horses, which in that breed means horses going 870 yards around a turn (just short of four furlongs).

Unfortunately, Favorite Trick’s promising new endeavor was cut short when he perished in a 2006 barn fire that also claimed the life of successful Grade 1-winning stallion Saratoga Six. In the Thoroughbred breeding industry, a setback like the death of a stallion brings his breeding career to an abrupt halt. However, because artificial insemination is allowed in Quarter Horse breeding, breeders may store frozen semen to be used as long as there is a supply and regardless of whether the stallion is alive or dead.

Through intracytoplasmic sperm injection, breeders are able to isolate a single sperm cell and inject it into an egg withdrawn from a mare, magnifying the 40 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

potential ability of a stallion several hundredfold.

“The downside to that is it’s very expensive,” Gardiner said. “The procedure itself costs [several thousand dollars] on top of the stud fee, which takes a lot of people out of the game when you’re looking to spend that amount of money to breed a mare.”

Favorite Trick has sired 44 Quarter Horse winners from 107 foals of racing age. His Quarter Horse progeny earned $4.3 million, and despite that sport offering lower purse levels compared to Thoroughbreds, his Quarter Horse starters averaged $52,004 each while his Thoroughbred starters averaged $44,986. He had success with runners on the straightaway (440 yards or less), such as Good Reason SA, and “around the hook” at 870 yards with champion distance horse Prankster CF and multiple graded stakes winner Tricky Dust. Favorite

Quarter Horse champion Jess Good Candy, here winning this year’s Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby in New Mexico, is a grandson of Thoroughbred Favorite Trick and poised to become one of the Quarter Horse breed’s most sought after stallions for the 2017 breeding season.

Gay Harris

Trick was last advertised on the Oklahoma-based JEH Equine Reproductive Specialists website during the 2013 breeding season for a fee of $3,000.

His son Good Reason SA has proven to be an excellent sire himself, as his son Jess Good Candy was 2015’s champion 2-year-old and won the sport’s most prestigious race for juveniles, the $2.5 million All American Futurity (G1). Sadly, Good Reason SA died after his first season at stud, although his services were still available via frozen semen for an advertised fee of $12,500 during the 2017 breeding season.

The sire line will live on through Jess Good Candy, who retired after his 3-year-old season with a perfect 8-for-8 record and earnings of just more than $2 million. He will stand the 2017 breeding season at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma, for $9,500, making him one of the highest-priced Quarter Horse stallions in the nation.

Appendix Horses The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) created a special registry and numbering system for Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred crosses, referring to them as “Appendix” horses. The AQHA has registered more than 600,000 Appendix horses to date.

Appendix horses are eligible to compete in all AQHA competitions, including racing, without restriction, but they can only be bred back to a permanent, or regular numbered, Quarter Horse. An Appendix horse cannot be bred to a Thoroughbred or another Appendix horse and still be registered with the AQHA. However, if an Appendix horse proves itself worthy, it can earn advancement, loosening its breeding restrictions. Advancement may be obtained by earning a speed index (similar to a Beyer Speed Figure) of 80 or higher on the racetrack or earning a Register of Merit in the open division at an AQHA-approved show.

Any foals by an advanced stallion or mare are also eligible for advancement through the above criteria, and future foals can be registered by the AQHA. If an advanced Appendix horse is bred to another Appendix or Thoroughbred, the foal reverts to Appendix status.

Stallion Qualities Stallions advertised for Quarter Horse breedings have run the gamut from Eclipse Award winners to speedy hard-knockers. However, the common factor among most of them is a predisposition to early speed through breeding and performance and having “the look.”

“Quarter Horse people want one that’s built like a Quarter Horse,” said Fred Alexander, owner of A & A Ranch in Anthony, New Mexico. “They’re not looking for the tall, lanky Thoroughbred type, even if they were fast.”

Thoroughbreds bring two key factors to the table as prospects for Quarter Horse breeding—outcross potential and stamina.

Though artificial insemination has prolonged the careers of many Quarter Horse sires, it also has diminished the diversity of the breed’s stallion market. If a breeder can introduce a new bloodline into the gene pool, that operation could have a valuable commodity. Additionally, embryo transfer is allowed in Quarter Horse breeding so a mare can have multiple foals each year through recipient mares.

“With the Quarter Horses, we have kind of backed ourselves into a little bit of a corner pedigree-wise because of the fact that unlike the Thoroughbred business, there’s virtually no limit to what you can breed a stallion to as far as number of mares,” Gardiner said. “Basically, instead of having 100 nice sires out there, the Quarter Horse business has eight or 10 top sires that breed a tremendous amount of mares, and if you do that year after year, it narrows your gene pool.”

Breeding to a Thoroughbred sire also can help add stamina to a pedigree that might need the extra distance.

Thoroughbreds bring two key factors as Quarter Horse breeding prospects—outcross potential and stamina.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 41

Three Bars, a rare Thoroughbred member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, was one of the most influential early sires of the Quarter Horse breed.

Courtesy AQHA

“A lot of Quarter Horses are extremely fast at 300 or 350 yards, but they have a hard time stretching out to 440, which is what the All American Futurity is,” Alexander said. “So if you have a Quarter Horse mare that just couldn’t get the 440 yards, that’s when they want to cross to a Thoroughbred and see if they can stretch them out a little bit.”

Three Bars’ Influence No other Thoroughbred sire has had more influence on the racing Quarter Horse breed than Three Bars.

Named after the winning arrangement of symbols on a slot machine, Three Bars, by Percentage out of the Luke McLuke mare Myrtle Dee, turned a promising, if injury-plagued, racing career into a respectable retirement as a Thoroughbred sire. His stallion career took off, though, in the late 1940s and 1950s in the Quarter Horse realm, siring five world champions and an astounding 316 winners (77 percent winners from starters) from 497 foals of that breed.

Three Bars’ success continued throughout the generations, as he became one of the breed’s all-time great broodmare sires and sire of sires.

From 1940 to 1988, 287 Quarter Horses were awarded the title of running champion. Of those award winners, 55 were sired by Three Bars, his sons or grandsons.

Three Bars further cemented his legacy as the paternal great-

42 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

grandsire of major commercial stallion Dash For Cash, who in turned sired all-time leading Quarter Horse stallion First Down Dash.

The stallion’s storied career also included an incident in the late 1950s where he was stolen out of his barn during the night to breed the horse rustlers’ mares. He eventually found his way back home with a broken nose after apparently being clubbed by the rustlers.

Despite the injury, Three Bars continued his breeding career until his death in 1968 at age 27.

Three Bars was enshrined in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in its inaugural class of 1989, the first of only three Thoroughbred members. The other two, Rocket Bar and Lena’s Bar, were sired

by Three Bars.

Storm Cat’s ‘Comeback’ Arguably, the highest-profile instance of a Thoroughbred stallion testing the Quarter Horse market in recent years is Storm Cat, who was offered by Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, for artificial insemination in 2009.

True to his reputation as a sire of sires in the Thoroughbred world, Storm Cat has many sons with Quarter Horse progeny, including Hennessy, who sired Grade 1 winners from both breeds prior to his death in 2007. Storm Cat has at least three sons currently advertised for Quarter Horse breedings.

Storm Cat, among the most prolific stallions in the history of the Thoroughbred breed, produced a small number of Quarter Horse foals, as did Alydar.

“In the Thoroughbred community, he was known for precocity in his foals and speed,” said Overbrook consultant Ric Waldman, who managed Storm Cat’s career. “He has a lot of speed on his female side. [Storm Cat’s dam] Terlingua was extremely fast.”

The influential sire had been pensioned from live cover duty in 2008 due to declining fertility, but there was an attempt to extend his stud career with the help of a special fertility procedure developed at Texas A&M University. Seasons to Storm Cat were offered for a fee of $20,000.

Storm Cat sired only one Quarter Horse foal, a colt named Stray Cat owned and co-bred by country music artist Lyle Lovett. The colt raced from 2011 to 2014 and became a notable runner at the 870-yard distance, winning the Grade 3 Remington Park Distance Challenge in 2013 and making the final gate for the Grade 1 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship later that year.

Stray Cat most recently resided at Oklahoma Equine Reproductive Center in Washington, Oklahoma, where he was advertised for a $2,500 fee in 2015.

Waldman said one horse was not a large enough sample to make a judgment about Storm Cat’s viability as a sire of Quarter Horses.

Storm Cat died in April 2013.

“Had he been able to breed a large number of some of the top Quarter Horse mares—and there were indications from some of the breeders that showed interest in him that they were willing to use

Horsephotos.com

some of their best mares—I think a larger number of those might have come up with different conclusions,” he said.

“We were probably late off the mark realizing the potential,” Waldman continued. “Had we realized the potential earlier, we would have collected his semen when it was more lively and would have been more successful in impregnating Quarter Horse mares.”

Prior to the Storm Cat experiment, the Hall of Famer Alydar sired a handful of Quarter Horse foals, including one winner.

We’ll never know what might have been for Storm Cat, or any other number of Thoroughbred stallions, but it’s an option to consider for any owner with a stallion that fits the bill for what Quarter Horse breeders want. H AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 43

SEEING IS BELIEVING! Foals by the young stallions at EUREKA THOROUGHBRED FARM are on the ground and looking good!

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READ THE FOOTNOTES

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Jill Johnson

The experience Arghazi gained at the racetrack is helping her excel in the sport of barrel racing.

By Jen Roytz It’s not often you see a former Thoroughbred racehorse running barrels in a lively and loud rodeo setting. When you do, it’s even less often you find a professional rodeo rider in the saddle. But Lindsay Jensen is bucking that trend, most recently with a gray Thoroughbred mare named Arghazi, and she’s picking up some major hardware along the way.

“She’s a better rodeo horse than a jackpot horse, simply because she thrives off of the crowd cheers and loud music in the

rodeo world,” said Jensen of her 12-year-old Minnesota-bred mare. “She does just great at barrel races, too, but really loves the rodeo setting.”

Arghazi only made four starts on the track—two each at ages 2 and 3—but she did break her maiden at first asking against special weight company at Canterbury Park near Minneapolis in her home state. She certainly had a license to be a racehorse, as she was a daughter of Grade 1 winner Ghazi, AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 47

tional Thoroughbred Barrel Racing Association Championship in 2014. That year they were also the top money-earners among all Thoroughbred barrel racers in the country.

But just as Arghazi hasn’t always been a barrel horse, Jensen wasn’t always a Western rider. Before navigating barrel patterns, she was a hunter/jumper rider through and through.

“My parents had horses, so I was riding by the time I could walk,” she said. “My mom worked at a hunter/jumper barn, so she taught me everything she knew. I started showing ponies in the hunter ring when I was about 7 years old, and I also ventured into the jumper ring as well.”

Jensen showed hunter/jumpers until she was 17. Then, she met a boy.

“At the time, I was dating a cowboy, and sure enough, I traded my helmet for a cowboy hat,” she joked.

Jensen attended college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and competed on the school’s rodeo team. It was while in school that she came to the conclusion that she wanted to train horses for a living.

Coady Photography

perennially one of Minnesota’s leading sires, and Argenti, a three-time stakes winner at Minnesota’s only Thoroughbred track. Arghazi never duplicated that maiden-breaking effort, however, and Jensen acquired her a year after her last race, getting the filly for free after passing on purchasing her as a training and resale project.

“A friend who announces for many of the horse shows in the area had her for sale,” Jensen said. “He owns racehorses, and she had been sitting for a while. We had looked at her as a jumping prospect but decided she wasn’t big enough. He ended up giving her to us. We decided she wasn’t going to make a jumper because her stride was on the shorter side and she was on the smaller side, but at 15.3 [hands], she’s huge for the Western world.”

Arghazi was just 4 years old when Jensen restarted her under Western tack and taught her barrels. They have competed together for the past seven years.

Jensen earned her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association card off of Arghazi, and together the pair took home the na-

Arghazi (outside) won her first career start at Canterbury Park but did not hit the board in three subsequent races.

48 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Courtesy Canterbury Park

Argenti, the dam of Arghazi, earned more than $150,000 on the racetrack and captured three stakes, including the 1995 Minnesota Oaks.

Al Braunworth Photography

“Thoroughbreds that come through our training program are After college, she went out on her own as a trainer and has never looked back. She owns and operates Rush Meadow Farms, treated just like any other horse,” she said. “So many people have a full service lesson and training facility located in Detroit Lakes, this misconception of OTTBs as being crazy, hot, sensitive or Minnesota. While her specialty isn’t Thoroughbred ex-racehors- flighty. I feel like if you treat them as fragile-minded and sensitive, that’s what you’ll create. If you treat them like quiet, well-minded es, she has found much success with the breed.

“Arghazi is the only ex-racehorse I currently own,” Jensen horses, that’s what they become. All of the Thoroughbreds I’ve said. “I recently sold an OTTB gelding and still have my re- owned have been great trail horses as well as arena horses.” tired Thoroughbred gelding, Here’s To Ya, who never raced. I’ve Thoroughbreds like Arghazi had a number of OTTBs throughare changing the stereotype out the years that I’ve used for the that former Thoroughbred Extreme Retired Racehorse Makeracehorses do not make good over Barrel Race competitions in barrel racers.

Negley, Ohio, including Doc of the Bay, who I won second place in the nation with there, and Sikura’s Gift, who I won fourth with a few years later.”

Jensen usually has about eight horses in training for clients each month. While the majority of Jensen’s training clients and competition mounts are American Quarter Horses, she says there aren’t many differences between how she trains Thoroughbreds to compete versus other breeds.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 49

The biggest difference Jensen finds between training ex-racehorses and other horses is a tendency for former racehorses to be stiff through their necks and not supple, so her first order of business when transitioning a Thoroughbred from racing to rodeo sports is to work on softening them.

Jensen says she rides her horses with soft, quiet hands and that she finds off-track Thoroughbreds do very well with that type of contact.

“I think having been at the track can help with their barrel racing career,” she said. “In addition to becoming accustomed to crowds and loud noises at the track, they also learn how to run. It seems strange, but you do have to teach a horse how to run, but the ones off of the track definitely know how to run.”

Jensen says she finds Thoroughbreds to be light on their feet and able to handle a variety of different arena surfaces. While surprising to some, she also thinks they handle the distractions of the rodeo scene quite well.

“To be honest, I’ve worked with a lot more crazy Quarter Horses than I have Thoroughbreds,” she added. “Thoroughbreds are pretty smooth to ride and are good on all types of rodeo ground. They can handle the deep, as well as the hard, shifty footing because they stay on top of the ground so well.

They always have such big hearts and want to please.” H

This article originally ran in the Paulick Report’s “Aftercare Spotlight” at paulickreport.com.

Jen Roytz is a Lexington, Kentucky-based marketing, publicity and comprehensive communications specialist with a focus on the fields of equine, health care, corporate and nonprofit marketing. She holds board affiliations with the Make a Wish Foundation, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the Retired Racehorse Project, among others. While she currently has no plans to build an arc, she is the go-to food source for two dogs, two cats and two off-track Thoroughbreds. Email Jen your story ideas at jenlroytz@gmail.com or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This section is sponsored by the Retired Racehorse Project, which works to facilitate placement of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in the marketplace and inspiring an army of equestrians to provide the training that secures their futures. RRP programs include online educational resources, programs at major horse expos, interactive databases including a Bloodline Brag and Retired Racehorse Resource Directory, featuring 300 farms and organizations, and more than 200 online horse listings, with most of the horses having some second career training. For more information, go to retiredracehorseproject.org.

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Jensen has ridden Arghazi for seven years and made the mare one of the most successful Thoroughbreds in the sport of barrel racing.

50 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Al Braunworth Photography

•

People can’t keep quiet about SILENTIO… He’s the TALK OF TEXAS! Why is this new stallion the next big thing and a step above the rest?

Terri Cage

• A two-time Grade 2 winner on the turf who placed in seven other graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. SILENTIO earned $712,815 and competed almost exclusively against the very best competition.

• A sterling pedigree as a son of multiple graded stakes winner SILENT NAME (JPN), one of the most accomplished sons of Horse of the Year SUNDAY SILENCE on the track and in the breeding shed, and SILENTIO is out of an A.P. INDY mare.

• SILENTIO offers a rare combination of quality, pedigree, soundness and racing longevity.

2017 Fee: $1,000 – LIVE FOAL Property of Acacia Racing Standing at: Keen Farms Inquiries to Donna Keen 4100 Conveyor Drive • Burleson, TX 76028 Phone: (817) 689-1214 • E-mail: dallaskeen@hotmail.com • www.dallaskeen.com Accredited Texas Stallion • Nominated to the Texas Stallion Stakes

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Tory Egerton

A Special Bond

A Thoroughbred and her former student trainer are reunited

By Ciara Bowen

W

hen Victoria Clark and Brittany Halderman decided to sell their little dark bay Thoroughbred, they were only expecting to find her a forever home. They didn’t think she would be recognized; they just wanted her to be loved. The Facebook ad for the mare included photos from different angles, including one of her face that showcased her markings perfectly. In the middle of the star on her face was a tiny dot, and it was that dot that caught the eye of a friend of mine. We had seen that dot day after day for two years.

“Ciara, when you see this, get on Facebook asap,” the text message said.

I still have the text.

My heart raced moments after seeing the photos and the words proclaiming her to be for sale. The mare’s name was different but

everything else about her was the same—and I couldn’t believe it. My beloved Thoroughbred was alive, and she had been found!

I first met “Sansa” when I was a freshman at Morrisville State College. Located in upstate New York, the school boasts several top equine majors that provide hands-on experience in their respective fields. Students in the Thoroughbred racing program, which was my major, are assigned a care horse and assist in the various aspects of getting their horse to the track.

Cue the trailer pulling in on the first day of classes, the ramp being put down and a yearling filly walking off. She was smaller than the average horse her age but nicely built and the color of dark chocolate.

The freshmen were all assigned to horses quickly, and I was delighted to learn that the new filly would be my charge. Immediately following that announcement, Dr. Clyde Cranwell, the racing AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 55

Ciara Bowen

Sansa proved to be an eager student as she learned about being a racehorse, but that career was not meant to be and now she’s enjoying a new life.

program advisor and the trainer, approached me and said he wanted me to break the filly with another freshman, a girl named Danica.

I told myself before I left home in Arkansas that I was not going to become attached to any of the horses. Racehorses have their jobs, and I had my own horses back home. I didn’t listen to myself, and Sansa—registered with The Jockey Club as Three Love—quickly stole my heart.

Unlike many people in the program, I didn’t have much experience with processes such as wrapping legs or even tacking up a horse in an English saddle, much less an exercise saddle. I had seen it done several times, but seeing and applying practices are two different things. Through the process of teaching Sansa, I also taught myself.

As the days passed, Danica, Sansa and I made more and more progress. After just a couple weeks of initial work, Sansa acted like daily training was no big deal. She went out every morning and be56 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

haved well, as though she’d been working her whole life, and returned ready to get back to eating her hay. I settled into the routine of cooling out and doing leg work and found myself enjoying it.

Then came the day we found heat in her leg. A couple days later she popped a splint and was put on stall rest. Despite everyone’s best efforts, even after coming back from the initial injury, we were forced to remove Sansa from training for good after two years. She popped a splint on the other foreleg and didn’t seem to be recovering from that injury at a speed appropriate for her racing career. The New Yorkbred daughter of Grade 2 winner Sightseeing would never enter the starting gate for a race.

Morrisville’s staff make every attempt to place their horses in homes where they will thrive following the end of their racing (or pre-racing) careers, and several of the horses are now competing in dressage and jumping shows or are broodmares. Sansa was placed with a woman rather quickly, and although I knew I would miss the filly, I hoped she would have a successful second career.

A year went by with no news of Sansa before some classmates and I could locate any trace of her. She had been sold at least twice, and the best information I could find was a former owner who had sold her to become a polo pony.

“I’ll get you the new contact info in the next couple days,” she said.

I never heard from the woman again and after a few ignored messages, I gave up. I figured at that point that that was the end of the

Ciara Bowen

road, but I thought of Sansa even more than I had before. She was the horse that got away.

Another year went by before I received the text that changed everything.

Between that day and the previous year, nobody I know has any idea where Sansa was or what happened to this one Thoroughbred in a sea of thousands, but at some point she ended up at an auction lot in Pennsylvania. She was malnourished and in desperate need of help, and to the person who pulled her from that lot, I just want to say thank you a million times over. Brittany bought Sansa from her unknown savior and began to nourish her back to health. After some time riding her, Brittany decided to sell Sansa and shift her focus to training other horses. Thankfully, she and Victoria were adamant that they would only send her somewhere if that would be her forever home.

I thought my heart would burst out of my chest from excitement as Brittany and Victoria asked if I would like to have her. I immediately said yes and soon had the check on its way. After that, however, my heart began to sink a little. Sansa was in Pennsylvania, and I didn’t have the money on hand to ship her home.

My friends, and a few strangers, pitched in to raise the money and give me the best birthday present I could ask for. Within a single day, they’d reached the amount I was quoted by most shippers and a couple weeks later the trailer was on its way south.

I’ve always been a firm supporter of Thoroughbred aftercare, as these horses do so much for all their connections on the track, but Sansa’s journey opened my eyes to their plight even more. Some of them cannot be saved when they end up at an auction lot, often long forgotten about. During the period of waiting for Sansa’s arrival, all I could think about were those horses, and they made me more thankful for my miracle.

When the day finally came that Sansa was due to arrive, and the trailer door swung open, I felt a knot in my throat. Then I was looking into a face I never thought I would see again as tears welled up in my eyes.

“Hey girl,” I said, taking the lead attached to her halter. “Welcome home.” H Ciara Bowen graduated from Morrisville State College in May 2014 with an associate’s degree in Thoroughbred racing management.

Since then she has been freelance writing and shooting races, combining her passion for photography and journalism with the sport.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 57

Tory Egerton

Despite never making it the races, big impact on thetoraces, SansaSansa mademade a bigaimpact on those those who worked withather at Morrisville College. who worked with her Morrisville State State College.

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HIGAN’S HOPE AT MIC K HAZEL PAR E BETTER HOW TO TAKTOS HORSE PHO CAREER OTTB FINDS LLYWOOD AFTER HO

No other regional or national racing and breeding publication reaches more area horsemen and horsewomen than American Racehorse!

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THE TEXAS SALE IS WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE SOLD! Three of the six Texas Champions of 2016 were sold at the Texas Thoroughbred sales at Lone Star Park!

• TEXAS CHROME – A two-time graded stakes winner and the Texas Horse of the Year with earnings of $842,462…SOLD FOR $10,000 • BLING ON THE MUSIC – A two-time stakes winner and Grade 2-placed runner and the Texas Champion 2-Year-Old Filly with earnings of $153,082…SOLD FOR $95,000 • Chronologic’sghost – Placed in three stakes and the Texas Champion Older Filly/ Mare with earnings of $147,724…SOLD FOR $27,000

The Texas Thoroughbred Association will again host two Thoroughbred sales at Lone Star Park in 2017: TEXAS 2-YEAR-OLDS IN TRAINING SALE April 4 • Under Tack Show on April 2 TEXAS SUMMER YEARLING AND MIXED SALE August/September, Date TBA

Texas Summer Yearling Sale grad Texas Chrome has earned more than $800,000 with two Grade 3 wins and a Texas Horse of the Year title.

Mary Cage

Dustin Orona Photography

For sale catalogs, consignment forms and more information, go to www.ttasales.com or call Tim Boyce at (972) 523-0332 or the TTA office at (512) 458-6133.

Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale grad Bling On the Music has won two stakes and placed in a Grade 2 race at Churchill Downs.

The Too Much Bling colt Imma Wild Bling, who was claimed for $20,000 out of his racing debut by owner Charles Fisher and trainer Charles Haverkamp, drew clear to a 5 ¼-length upset win at 17-1 in the My Dandy Division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park.

Remington Park in Oklahoma City and Retama Park near San Antonio both concluded their meets late in the year, offering the final opportunities for horses bred in Oklahoma and Texas to earn stakes wins on their home turf. Despite a relatively small number of stakes during November and December, there were a pair of doubles recorded in Oklahoma. Tracy Strachan was represented as the breeder of two stakes winners, and C.R. Trout notched two as the winning breeder, owner and trainer.

Following is a list of winners bred in the states covered by American Racehorse who won stakes worth $50,000 or more.

COUNTRY CANDY

$65,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Darby’s Daughter Division) • Retama Park • 2yo filly

by Intimidator • Breeder: Keith Asmussen (Texas) • Owner: Keene Thoroughbreds LLC Trainer: J.R. Caldwell • Jockey: David Cabrera Intimidator stands in Texas at Asmussen Horse Center

HAILSTORM SLEW

$50,000 Useeit Stakes • Remington Park • 3yo filly

by Munnings • Breeder/Owner/Trainer: C.R. Trout (Oklahoma) • Jockey: Israel Ocampo

HALLELUJAH HIT

Coady Photography

$75,000 Don C. McNeill Stakes • Remington Park 2yo gelding by Mr. Nightlinger • Breeder/ Owner/Trainer: C.R. Trout (Oklahoma) • Jockey: Alex Birzer • Mr. Nightlinger stands in Oklahoma at Mighty Acres

Country Candy, a daughter of Intimidator who sold for $65,000 at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, prevailed by a neck in the Darby’s Daughter Division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park to improve her record to 6-3-2-1 with earnings of $119,780.

HYPER DRIVE

$50,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes • Remington Park 3yo gelding by Don’t Get Mad • Breeder: Tracy Strachan (Oklahoma) • Owner: Henry Thilmony Trainer: Randy Oberlander • Jockey: Lindey Wade

IMMA WILD BLING

$65,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (My Dandy Division) • Retama Park • 2yo colt by Too Much Bling • Breeder: Hall’s Family Trust (Texas) Owner: Chuck Fisher • Trainer: Charles Haverkamp • Jockey: Danny Sorenson • Too Much Bling stands in Texas at Valor Farm

OKIE RIDE

$50,000 Silver Goblin Stakes • Remington Park 9yo gelding by Candy Ride (Arg) • Breeder/ Owner: Richter Family Trust (Oklahoma) • Trainer: Kenneth Nolen • Jockey: Luis Quinonez Dustin Orona Photography

YEAR-END

Coady Photography

Stars

Oklahoma - and Texas -breds get their chance to shine as 2016 comes to a close

ROCKPORT KAT

$75,000 Zia Park Sprint Stakes • Zia Park • 4yo gelding by Rockport Harbor • Breeder: H. Allen Poindexter (Oklahoma) • Owner: John Sadler Inc. Trainer: John Sadler • Jockey: Tyler Baze

Oklahoma-bred Hallelujah Hit, a Mr. Nightlinger gelding bred, owned and trained by C.R. Trout, captured the Don C. McNeill Stakes at Remington Park in his first start after breaking his maiden at the Oklahoma City track.

SWEET POSSE

$72,750 Slide Show Stakes • Remington Park 2yo filly by Caleb’s Posse • Breeder: Tracy Strachan (Oklahoma) • Owner: The Elkstone Group LLC • Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel Jockey: Jareth Loveberry AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 61

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STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS ARKANSAS THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS’ AND HORSEMEN’S ASSOCIATION NEWS ATBHA Offers Purse Supplement During Oaklawn Meet

The Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to pay an incentive purse supplement to the owners of Registered Arkansas-breds when their Registered Arkansas-bred places first, second or third in an open company race at Oaklawn Park during the 2017 racing season, excluding all stakes and handicap races, as follows: A. Four thousand dollars ($4,000) will be paid for a first-place finish by a Registered Arkansas-bred in an open company race.

B. Two thousand dollars ($2,000) will be paid for a second-place finish by a Registered Arkansas-bred in an open company race.

C. One thousand dollars ($1,000) will be paid for a third-place finish by a Registered Arkansas-bred in an open company race.

These funds will be paid from the Arkansas Racing Commission Purse and Awards Fund and disbursed by the Arkansas Racing Commission per written directions from the ATBHA pursuant to current Arkansas law.

“The purpose of this purse supplement is to offer incentive for Arkansas-breds to make more starts in open company races and to add interest in owning Arkansas-breds,” ATBHA President Bill McDowell said. “We’ve had a similar incentive in place the last two years, but that was only for horses that won against open company. We’re excited that increased funding from the gaming at Oaklawn has allowed us to increase the amount of this supplement and also make it available to horses that finish second or third.”

For more information, visit atbha.com.

Opening Weekend and Awards Banquet News Opening weekend at Oaklawn Park was well received by all with good fields, good crowds and good weather. The first purse supplement (see story above) of the 2017 meet was paid in the sixth race on the second day of racing at Oaklawn. Comic Bird, bred and owned

by Drs. K.K. and V. Devi Jayaraman and trained by K.K. Jayaraman, won a $74,000 allowance and earned the purse supplement offered for Registered Arkansas-breds running in open company.

The ATBHA will hold its annual awards banquet Friday, March 31, at The Clarion on the Lake. Awards will be presented for breeder, horse, stallion and broodmare of the year for 2016, and all registered Arkansas-bred stakes winners of 2016 will be recognized.

The ATBHA is excited to have Chris Kotulak, currently full-time paddock host and handicapper at Remington Park and formerly with TVG, as the guest speaker at this function. Chris authored the biography about Thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame Trainer Jack Van Berg entitled JACK, From Grit To Glory, A Lifetime of Mentoring, Dedication and Perseverance. Van Berg is currently stabled at Oaklawn Park and it is hoped that he also will be in attendance at the banquet.

For more information or reservations, contact the ATBHA office

by March 27.

64 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Arkansas Race Track Chaplaincy Update Located on the backside of Oaklawn Park is the Arkansas Race Track Chaplaincy (ARTC), which serves all frontside, backside and area farm employers and employees involved in the horse racing industry. The overall mission of the ARTC, through its council and chaplains Rich and Robi Heffington, is to make disciples for Jesus Christ through teaching, preaching and ministering to the spiritual, emotional, physical, social and educational needs of those persons involved in all aspects of the horse racing industry.

The ARTC has many programs for these individuals, including a Best Turned Out Groom Award, Feed the Barn lunch program, English as a Second Language (ESL), Spanish and English Bible worships, a clothes closet, an emergency food pantry, drug and alcohol guidance, bereavement counseling, men’s and women’s Bible studies, the annual backside Christmas party and the annual Filly Feed luncheon for women working in racing. In addition to these programs and activities, the chapel’s doors are open every afternoon and evening providing a warm, dry recreational area for these individuals to gather, watch television, play games and socialize.

The ARTC has two major fundraisers with the annual charity golf tournament to be held on a Monday in March and the annual benefit dinner with live and silent auctions being held at the Hot Springs Convention Center on April 13. Tickets for this event go on sale February 15. For more information on either of these, please contact Chaplain Robi Heffington at the chapel or (405) 388-9026.

The ARTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Funding is solely through fundraising and donations. Participation is the key to its success.

GEORGIA HORSE RACING COALITION NEWS American Pharoah Portrait to Benefit Georgia Horse Racing Coalition

The Georgia Horse Racing Coalition (GHRC) has unveiled a portrait of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah painted by award-winning Georgia artist Len Jagoda. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit the effort to legalize pari-mutuel racing in the state.

“Selecting Len, a Georgia artist well known for his equine portraitures of important racehorses, for this project was an easy decision,” said Steve Crayne, executive director of the GHRC. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”

Museum-quality reproductions of this portrait are now available from the GHRC. This special edition is limited to 350 signed and numbered 15-by-17-inch prints.

“Like so many horse racing fans in Georgia, for over 30 years Len has dreamed of seeing one of America’s oldest and grandest sports being legalized in Georgia,” Crayne added. “This stunning limited edition portrait of American Pharoah is a must-have piece for racing fans. The coalition is extremely proud to be able to offer this timeless and classic portrait.”

Jagoda is an elected member of the American Artists Professional League and a juried member of the American Academy of Equine Art, and his work has been accepted to many juried

exhibitions, galleries and shows. He was the official artist for the 2011 Aiken Steeplechase and has had his art featured on the covers of Chronicle of the Horse and Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

To purchase the print and support the GHRC’s efforts, please visit gahorseracing.org, and to see more of Jagoda’s works, go to backstretchstudio.com.

members to attend for what promises to be a memorable night as we honor the top horses and horsemen in Indiana and enjoy the company of our fellow horsemen and horsewomen.

The event is free to attend for ITOBA members, so if your membership is due for renewal or if you are thinking of joining, now is the time! You can join online at itoba.com or call (317) 709-1100.

INDIANA THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS Dates Announced for 2017 Racing Season at Indiana Grand

Dates Set for 2017 Indiana Sales

Racing dates for the upcoming 2017 Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse season at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino were recently approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. The 120-day meet begins Tuesday, April 18, and concludes Saturday, October 28.

Racing will be offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2:05 p.m. ET while Saturday night racing will be conducted at 6:05 p.m. Thursday racing will be added to the schedule from July 6 through August 24, also with a 2:05 p.m. post time.

Quarter Horse racing will be provided during the season at the conclusion of most programs, and six nights showcasing all-Quarter Horse racing will be announced at a later date.

The 23rd running of the Grade 3, $500,000-added Indiana Derby has been set for Saturday, July 15. The event highlights a stakes schedule that includes more than $4 million in purses.

The Indiana Derby began during the inaugural season of pari-mutuel Thoroughbred racing in 1995 at Hoosier Park and was moved to Indiana Grand in 2013 when the state established the Shelbyville track as the location for all Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. Over the years, the race has grown in status, displaying some of the best 3-year-olds in the country. Last year’s event was won by Cupid for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who scored his fourth win in the race in the past eight years.

The Grade 3, $200,000-added Indiana Oaks will join the Derby on the July 15 program that boasts more than $1 million in purses.

Indiana Derby Night will once again be complemented by other activities in the days surrounding the event along with other stakes races, bringing the attention of the horse racing world to Indiana during that time.

The complete Indiana Grand stakes schedule will be announced soon.

Stall applications are available at indianagrand.com. They are due back to Director of Racing Kevin Greely by February 17. The barn area and racetrack will open March 13, weather permitting.

Awards Banquet Set for April 23 Make plans to attend the ITOBA Annual Awards Banquet set for Sunday, April 23. The event will again be held at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and will close out what should be an exciting opening week of racing at the track.

Indiana Grand always does a great job hosting this special evening for the Indiana racing industry, and we encourage all ITOBA

ITOBA members and horsemen around the country will again have the opportunity to buy and sell stock—and participate in the lucrative Indiana program—at Indiana’s two Thoroughbred sales this year.

The ITOBA spring sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age will be held June 11 at Indiana Grand. We’ve already seen several horses from last year’s sale excel on the track, and we are looking forward to another strong sale this year.

The ITOBA fall mixed sale with yearlings, broodmares and horses of racing age will be held October 15. In a change from recent years, this sale will be held at Indiana Grand rather than at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

For more information on both sales, including deadlines and nomination forms, visit itobasales.com.

IOWA THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS AND OWNERS ASSOCIATION NEWS Prairie Meadows Sets 2017 Racing Calendar The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has approved Prairie Meadows Casino Racetrack and Hotel’s 28th season of live racing at its one-mile oval track, located just outside of Des Moines.

Prairie Meadows will continue to feature both Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse meets with a few adjustments on post times and scheduling that will benefit the overall racing program The 67-day Thoroughbred season will open Thursday, April 27.

A typical race week will feature races Thursday through Sunday.

This season, there will also be several special race days: May 29 (Memorial Day), June 14, July 3 and August 9. A fireworks show will follow the Memorial Day and July 3 races. The season will end with the Iowa Classic, which will feature seven Iowa-bred Thoroughbred stakes races worth a total of $665,000, on Saturday, August 12.

The 26-day Quarter Horse season will start August 19 and conclude October 14.

The Thursday and Friday post times have been modified for the 2017 season with racing beginning at 6 p.m. CT instead of 5:30 p.m. Weekend racing will continue with 1 p.m. post times.

In 2017 several new special race days will have varying post times. Triple Crown Saturdays (May 6, May 20 and June 10) will have a post time of 4 p.m. Post time for Mondays May 29 and July 3 will be at 1 p.m. Wednesdays June 14 and August 9 will have a 6 p.m. post time. Lastly, Saturdays July 8 (Iowa Festival of Racing finale) and August 12 (Iowa Classic) will have a 4 p.m. post time.

These special post times include the Iowa Festival of Racing, which has historically attracted some of the top horses in the AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 65

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS nation to Prairie Meadows. The three-day festival will run from July 6 through July 8, with two stakes races on each of the three days.

The $100,000 Saylorville and $200,000 Iowa Oaks (G3) are scheduled for Thursday, July 6. The $100,000 Iowa Distaff and $250,000 Iowa Derby (G3) are set for Friday, July 7. The $100,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap and $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) are slated to close out the festival on Saturday, July 8.

Additional information on the 2017 racing season will be sent out to horsemen over the next couple of months. To stay up to date with the latest racing news, visit prairiemeadows.com.

Older Horse/Gelding: Boo Dutton (by Equality) • Owner: Kala Crampton • Breeder: Twin Cedars Farm Broodmare of the Year: Inty Binty (by Cryptoclearance) • Owner: Twin Cedars Farm Stallion of the Year: Equality (by Mt. Livermore) • Owner: Equality Syndicate; stands at Dickinson Farm Breeder of the Year: Campbell Stable Smaller Farm Breeder: Elkhorn Oaks Owner of the Year: Felicia Campbell Horse of Year: Pink Pajamas

Iowa-bred Chanel’s Legacy Wins $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn

MINNESOTA THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION NEWS Canterbury Park Announces 2017 Meet and Stakes Schedule

Proving again that Iowa-breds can and do win against horses anywhere in the country, Chanel’s Legacy, at odds of 5-1, came flying down the lane to capture the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park on January 21. Bred by H. Allen Poindexter and owned by his Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC, Chanel’s Legacy won the six-furlong race by 2 ½ lengths with Alex Birzer aboard for trainer Lynn Chleborad.

“We talked about it this morning and we thought there would be speed,” Chleborad said about the filly’s perfect stalking trip. “We thought we’d be laying about third, right off of them, pressing the pace if things worked out. But, you never know until they break. I think she could have gone to the lead pretty easy, but she’s got to save her kick for the end. And that makes her a better horse, when she comes from off the pace and then kicks in down the lane.”

The 3-year-old filly began her career in her home state with a third-place effort in the Iowa Sorority Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

She then moved on to Remington Park, where she won a maiden race and the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes. The Iowa-bred then finished fourth in the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess Stakes and fourth again in the Trapeze Stakes at Remington to close out her 2-year-old season. Her earnings now stand at $159,394.

Chanel’s Legacy is a daughter of Kentucky stallion Dominus out of the Value Plus mare Chanel Number Mine, who won three times in 24 starts while spending much of her racing career at Prairie Meadows and Remington Park.

MICHIGAN THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS Michigan 2016 Award Winners

The Michigan Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association would like to congratulate our 2016 year-end award winners!

2-Year-Old Filly: Poof Its Magic (by Zulu Magic) • Owner/Breeder: Jenny Barbeau 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Blessed Redeemer (by Equality) • Owner: Daniel S. McCarthy • Breeder: Guy and Deborah Russell 3-Year-Old Filly: Pink Pajamas (by Equality) • Owner: Mast Thoroughbreds LLC • Breeder: Campbell Stable 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Synclines Trip (by Syncline) • Owner: Ronald D. Allen Sr. • Breeder: Felicia Campbell Older Filly/Mare: Valid Offer (by Valid Trefaire) • Owner/Breeder: Felicia Campbell 66 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

Canterbury Park’s 2017 live racing season will begin May 5 and run through September 16. The Minnesota Racing Commission has approved the Twin Cities-area racetrack’s request for a 67-day Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse meet.

Racing on Thursdays and Fridays will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT and weekend and holiday racing at 12:45 p.m. On May 5 and July 3, racing will begin at 4 p.m.

“We are very pleased with the 2017 racing schedule,” Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson said. “We will begin racing earlier than we have for the past eight years, with opening weekend coinciding with the Kentucky Derby. This allows additional opportunities for owners to run their horses and also better accommodates trainers coming from race meets that end earlier in the spring.”

From 2005 to 2008, the Canterbury meet also opened on Kentucky Derby weekend and produced some of the largest crowds in track history, including 18,230 on Derby Day in 2008 and 17,111 in 2006. The Derby will be run May 6 this year.

With July 4 falling on a Tuesday, Canterbury will conduct six consecutive days of racing, June 29 through Independence Day, followed by an eight-day break with racing resuming on July 13. The down time will be used for track and turf maintenance.

“A week-long break in the schedule is unprecedented at Canterbury, but it serves the horse population very well and allows our track crew to make sure the racing surfaces remain in top shape for the second half of the meet,” Sampson said.

Canterbury’s Thoroughbred stakes schedule will include 32 races and more than $2 million in purses. The richest race of the season, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, will be run August 26. Long a fixture on the schedule, the Minnesota Festival of Champions will be held for the 24th time on August 20. The six Thoroughbred stakes run that day, all reserved for horses bred in the state, will pay $410,000 in purse money.

Owners of Minnesota-breds will find a pair of new state-bred turf stakes on June 10, the Minnesota Turf and Minnesota Turf Distaff. Both races will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs and will offer $50,000 purses.

To view the complete stakes schedule and first condition book, go to canterburypark.com. Stall applications are due March 13 and are also available online.

NORTH CAROLINA THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION NEWS Message from the President I finally understand what this means: if you find something you love to do, you’ll never work another day in your life. Before I retired, I was a park ranger/naturalist and eventually became a supervisor and managed a nature center. My employer paid me well to lead nature-guided hikes, go kayaking, fishing, spend days cruising on pontoon boats and other outdoor nature-related recreational activities, as well as curate exotic animals and design museum exhibits. However, it was still just a job. I still hated Mondays mornings most of all and looked forward to quitting time. So many people envied my position and the flexibility I had. Sure, it looked good. However, it wasn’t my passion. I saved all my sick days and took an early retirement. I figured I just didn’t like to work, period. I just wanted to do what I wanted to, and do it when I wanted to do it.

While that is not totally untrue, I was confusing employment with work. I love working for you. I don’t even complain that I don’t get paid. Being the president of this organization is the best job I’ve ever had. I wake up thinking about what needs accomplishing, how I can do things better, what you might want, how to engage you and get you as excited as I am about our future and the possibilities of what we can create here and how are we going to get it done together.

So, why am I writing about myself, you may be asking? It’s because that’s what I know the best. But I also want to get to know you better and I plan to make an effort to do so. For each issue, I would like to include a “Getting to Know You” column (our first is included in this issue). I can hear Julie Andrews singing it in my head now: “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.”

That about sums it all up for me, except for a friendly reminder to please renew your membership for 2017! I have sincerely liked each person I have met, even if it’s only been a few so far. So please help me stop writing about myself and let me write about you.

Rebecca Montaldo, NCTA President

Awards Dinner Announcement It is with great enthusiasm that I can finally announce our awards dinner speaker. Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron has graciously accepted our invitation to share his knowledge and stories of his legendary career at our annual event.

He is donating his time and travel expenses to show his support for our organization and the racing industry. I hope that you will also show your support and appreciation for all of his efforts by attending the dinner. It is important that we have a full audience.

Chris is in high demand, but he chose us. He is an exceptional presenter, and you will be entertained and learn a lot. If you can’t attend, please sponsor a North Carolina State University equine veterinarian student to come in your place.

As many of you know, Chris piloted the great John Henry, Alysheba, Go for Gin, Lady’s Secret, Tiznow, Alphabet Soup, Precisionist and many others. He has won all the major races, including all three Triple Crown races. He is an advocate for disabled

jockeys, industry safety and retired racehorses. As usual, there will be a chance to mingle and get to know this industry leader.

Also, don’t forget about the silent auction. We gave Chris the opportunity to choose the charity to which the proceeds will be donated. He suggested the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farms. We have some fabulous racing collectibles, antiques and home décor items to bid on.

The awards dinner will be held February 11 at 6 p.m. at Finley Golf Course Clubhouse in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Tickets are $70 per person. You do not need to be a member to attend.

Thank you for keeping the NCTA alive. If you have any questions, please contact the NCTA at ncthoroughbred@gmail.com.

Send your check to: NCTA, P.O. Box 76, Fayetteville, NC 28302

Getting to Know You: Elizabeth Houck Elizabeth “Liz” Houck never has to prove her bravery in any other way. She has thrown caution to the wind and allowed me to introduce you to her without the benefit of a previous example of this column. She is on the NCTA board and our first member to step up and participate in this column.

This act of courage does not surprise me when one considers her past. Liz’s passion for horses started at a very young age and was supported by her father, who bought her that first pony of most young girls’ dreams. Later, when she traveled to Penn National Race Course with a friend’s family, her love for horse racing was ignited. Not content to be a passive viewer of the sport, while attending community college, she discovered a career path to the industry through a course she took about being a jockey.

Soon after, Liz was lucky enough to be introduced to a jockey’s agent, who got her a job in the industry. She learned from the bottom up. She started hot walking, which led to becoming a groom.

It wasn’t long before she became an exercise rider. She worked for Cot Campbell of Dogwood Stables in Aiken, South Carolina, for two years and then piloted horses in races as a jockey for another two years before retiring. That takes guts.

After retiring from riding, Liz received a degree in landscape architecture. She has been working in the profession for 20 years now. Her love for horses and the racing game has never left and is still her No. 1 passion.

Liz purchased a mare, Hope for Sun, which she bred four times.

She received two colts out of the breedings. Her first colt, Stepsun (by Two Step Salsa), sold at auction and is running in New Mexico.

Her current colt, Hot Mesa (by Sky Mesa), is in training at Webb Carroll Training in South Carolina. Liz hopes for a safe and successful racing career for him. She is also interested in finding a person who is as fervent about racing as she is to partner with her on this 2-year-old that is full of potential. Contact her through the NCTA email at ncthoroughbred@gmail.com.

It seems that Liz’s enthusiasm for horses and racing is so intense, it was passed on to her son. He is pursuing a degree in equine science from the University of Kentucky. He is also employed by Lane’s End Farm. We will be looking for him to become an industry leader shortly.

Good luck and much success to them both. Thank you, Liz, for your contributions to the NCTA and the horse racing industry.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 67

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS THOROUGHBRED RACING ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA NEWS Springboard Mile Winner Cool Arrow Named Horse of the Meeting at Remington Cool Arrow, who won two of the three main stakes at Remington Park for 2-year-olds including the richest in the $300,000 Springboard Mile, was named the 2016 Horse of the Meeting.

Owned by Brad Grady of Covington, Texas, and trained by Joe Sharp, Cool Arrow won both the Springboard Mile and $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on his way to a perfect mark of two stakes wins in as many attempts in Oklahoma City. The now 3-year-old colt by Into Mischief was bred in Kentucky by Allen Poindexter.

Cool Arrow was ridden to his Springboard victory by Luis Saez while Joel Rosario had the call for the Kip Deville win. The colt was also named Champion 2-Year-Old Male.

Remington Park’s divisional champions were named in voting by media, racing officials and track personnel who covered and worked the 2016 Thoroughbred season. Following is a complete list of champions.

Champion 3-Year-old Male –— Texas Chrome The gutty winner of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby, Texas Chrome was a unanimous selection as the top 3-year-old male in the voting process.

Owned by Keene Thoroughbreds LLC of Greenville, Texas, and trained by J.R. Caldwell, Texas Chrome was ridden in his Oklahoma Derby triumph by C.J. McMahon. The Texas-bred colt by Grasshopper parlayed his success in the Oklahoma Derby into a start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Bred by Craig Upham, Texas Chrome sold for $10,000 at the Texas Summer Yearling Sale and his sire stands at Valor Farm in Texas.

Champion Older Male and Champion Sprinter — Ivan Fallunovalot The speedy and talented veteran Ivan Fallunovalot continued to relish his racing attempts at Remington Park and in the process was voted Champion Older Male and Champion Sprinter for the second consecutive year. His ballots were unanimous for 2016.

A winner of five of six career attempts at Remington Park, Ivan Fallunovalot won the $150,000 David M. Vance Sprint on the Oklahoma Derby undercard. It was the third straight year that Ivan Fallunovalot managed to win the richest sprint race of the season (formerly known as the Remington Sprint Cup).

Owned by Lewis Mathews Jr. of Bismarck, Arkansas, and trained by Tom Howard, Ivan Fallunovalot was ridden in his two 2016 Remington Park wins by Lindey Wade. The now 7-year-old gelding by Valid Expectations went on to win the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park in Maryland (see page 14) after his successful Remington Park run. He was bred in Texas by Eileen Hartis.

Champion 2-Year-Old Female — Perfect Wife Owned by Fern Circle Stables of Lexington, Kentucky, Perfect Wife won the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes on the Springboard Mile undercard to earn her title. Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Corey Lanerie, Perfect Wife made just one start in Oklahoma.

Champion 3-Year-Old Female — Unbridled Mo In winning her lone start of the season in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, Unbridled Mo was named top 3-year-old female. Winner 68 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

of the Grade 3, $100,000 Monmouth Park Oaks prior to the Remington Park Oaks, Unbridled Mo is a homebred for Red Oak Stable of Old Bridge, New Jersey. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Uncle Mo was ridden to her Remington Park Oaks win by National Racing Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Champion Older Female — Devious Rumor A winner of three races during the season, the now 6-year-old mare Devious Rumor defeated males in the five-furlong Remington Park Turf Sprint for Oklahoma-breds and then won a pair of starter allowance races over the main track to seal her title.

Tough to beat at distances under six furlongs, Devious Rumor is owned by Doyle Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and trained by Scott Young. Jockey Belen Quinonez was aboard for her Remington Park scores. Bred by Rendell Saddler, Devious Rumor is by Street Boss.

Champion Turf Performer — Gianna’s Dream A pair of victories in stakes for Oklahoma-bred females and a perfect two-for-two mark on the year earned the top turf title for Gianna’s Dream.

The now 4-year-old filly won the $50,000 Bob Barry Memorial on the Oklahoma Derby undercard and then the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf. Owned by Jordan Wycoff of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Gianna’s Dream is trained by Michael Maker. She was ridden in the Barry Memorial by Joel Rosario and in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf by C.J. McMahon. The daughter of Twirling Candy was bred by Center Hills Farm and Randy Blair.

Champion Oklahoma-bred — Euro K Shotgun A half sister to 2015 Horse of the Meeting and Oklahoma Derby winner Shotgun Kowboy, Euro K Shotgun made her first racing season at Remington Park count.

Making her career debut at the age of three, Euro K Shotgun rolled to four victories in five attempts, including wins in the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Stakes and $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Sprint.

Owned, trained and bred by C.R. Trout of Edmond, Oklahoma, Euro K Shotgun was ridden by Luis Quinonez. She is a daughter of Euroears from the Siphon (Brz) mare Shotgun Jane. Euroears stands at J & M Equine Reproduction Center in Oklahoma.

Champion Claimer — Itsallaboutyou A winner of four straight races to end his six-start Remington Park season, Itsallaboutyou won claiming events at the $6,250 and $10,000 levels before winning consecutive starter allowance races.

Running for Remington Park’s perennial leading owner Danny Caldwell and trained by Federico Villafranco, Itsallaboutyou was ridden to all of his wins this season by Ramon Vazquez. The now 6-year-old gelding by Harlington was bred in Iowa by Dave McShane and Don Frazier.

The meet’s leading horsemen were all familiar faces, as Steve Asmussen topped the trainer standings, Danny Caldwell was the leading owner and Ramon Vazquez earned leading jockey honors.

After missing the top of the standings a year ago, Asmussen was back at the local summit, winning his 12th Chuck Taliaferro Memorial Trophy as top conditioner in 2016.

The trophy is named in honor of one of the initial leading trainers at Remington Park in the track’s formative years. The Asmussen team racked up 63 wins from 312 starters, winning at a 20 percent clip.

Asmussen also led the way in earnings for trainers with $1,184,238.

Earlier in 2016, the Arlington, Texas, resident was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame. The 12th leading trainer title puts Asmussen into a tie with Donnie Von Hemel for the most Remington Park conditioning championships. Asmussen won his first training title at the Oklahoma City track in 1991.

Finishing second in the standings was 2015 Remington Park champ Federico Villafranco who had 51 winners this year. J.R. Caldwell finished third with 28 winners.

Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Oklahoma, continues to win Remington Park races at a record pace, resulting in his eighth leading owner title and his seventh consecutively.

The Ran Ricks Jr. Trophy, named in honor of the first owner with horses on the grounds at Remington Park and a multiple leading owner in the track’s early years, went to Caldwell, as it has every year since 2010.

Caldwell runners won a record 50 races from 173 starters, a 29 percent win rate. Caldwell was also the top owner by earnings with $862,830.

Heavily involved in the claiming game, Caldwell is constantly spotting horses to acquire and attempt to move up in class, if possible.

Running his horses where they fit best has led to the massive accumulation of wins in Oklahoma City. Since winning his first Thoroughbred season title in 2008, Caldwell has won 243 races at the track.

The Caldwell operation is trained by Federico Villafranco with firstcall riding assignments handled by Ramon Vazquez.

Clark Brewster enjoyed his best overall season in Remington Park history. A mainstay since the track opened in 1988, Brewster won 33 races this season from 123 starts. In third with 14 wins was Keene Thoroughbreds of Greenville, Texas, operated by Danny Keene.

Ramon Vazquez won his fourth consecutive leading rider title at Remington Park, the Pat Steinberg Memorial Trophy, after setting the tone for the season on the meet’s second night.

Vazquez missed opening night on August 12, as he was finishing up the meet at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. He won the jockey title there, riding on that track’s finishing day on August 13. Vazquez then boarded a plane to Oklahoma City and in a matter of a couple of hours, was riding in six of the nine races that same night at Remington Park, winning one of them.

Such dedication to winning led Vazquez to 83 victories for the season from 371 mounts. He also led all jockeys with $1,758,481 in earnings.

David Cabrera, riding his first complete season at Remington Park, was second in the standings with 55 wins. Jockeys Richard Eramia and C.J. McMahon finished third in the standings with 48 winners apiece.

The Steinberg trophy is named for the jockey who won nine consecutive leading rider titles to dominate the early years at the track before his untimely death in an automobile accident in 1993.

Remington Park Handle Decreases for First Time Since 2012 Remington Park concluded its 2016 Thoroughbred season on December 11 with Cool Arrow emphatically winning the $300,000 Springboard Mile, the top 2-year-old stakes race of the meet. The victory closed out a season highlighted by its strong stakes program.

Despite the successes of Springboard Mile Day, Oklahoma

Derby Day and Oklahoma Classics Night, Remington Park’s parimutuel handle dropped for the first time since 2012. The total handle on Remington Park racing was $57,332,509, a decrease of 8.2 percent from $62,475,502 in 2015.

“While not pleased with the overall handle results for the season, Remington Park did achieve positive gains with our large programs of stakes racing,” said Matt Vance, Remington Park vice president of operations. “Oklahoma Derby Day was our biggest handle day since 1999 with over $2.3 million wagered on our races. The Springboard Mile card and the Oklahoma Classics Night both continue to be popular on-track and across North America.”

Oklahoma Derby Day on September 25 consisted of 10 stakes while the Oklahoma Classics Night of state-bred divisional races on October 21 had eight stakes events. The Springboard Mile card had five stakes as part of the 12-race program.

Remington Park’s on-track handle decreased to $3,613,712, down 13.7 percent from 2015 when the figure was $4,185,321. The Remington Park export handle to other jurisdictions was $53,466,844, down 7.8 percent from the $57,966,038 in 2015.

Remington Park’s three off-track sites around Oklahoma City wagered $251,953, down 22.3 percent from the $324,143 in 2015.

After a record-breaking season for purses distributed in 2015, Remington Park horsemen won $15,855,080 this season for an average of $236,643 per day. The total was 6.2 percent less than the all-time high mark of $16,896,014 the year before.

Years of a national diminishing foal crop may have finally caught up to Remington Park as average field size dipped below nine per race for the first time since 2005. There were 5,167 horses competing in the 605 races conducted in 2016 for an average field size of 8.4. That is the lowest average field size since the 2005 number of 8.9. The average field size per race in 2015 was 9.0.

Remington Park conducted two fewer races (605) compared with the 2015 season (607). Both seasons had 67 race dates.

Remington Park racing will begin again in 2017 with the start of the American Quarter Horse season on March 10 with a 50-date meet that concludes June 3. The 2017 Thoroughbred season will begin on Friday, August 25, with the 67-date season finishing on Sunday, December 17.

TRAO Board Election Results The TRAO election director conducted the verification and counting of the trainer or owner/trainer board of directors election ballots for the 2017–19 term on January 5.

The results of the top five vote recipients are as follows: Elected: Donnie K. Von Hemel, Kenny Nolen, Tim Williams, Veronica Griggs, Joe Offolter Not Elected: Mike Biehler, Randy Oberlander, J.R. Caldwell, Tyrone Shaw On behalf of the TRAO, we would like to express our gratitude to all candidates for their decision to participate in the election process and to represent the Thoroughbred horsemen of Oklahoma.

The new board members will take office at the next TRAO board meeting tentatively scheduled for March 28.

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 69

STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS SOUTH CAROLINA THOROUGHBRED OWNERS AND BREEDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS SCTOBA Annual Banquet Was a Winner The South Carolina TOBA Annual Awards Banquet held January 14 at the National Steeplechase Museum in Camden, South Carolina, was a huge success. The guest speaker was Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup trainer Graham Motion. Graham gave a very entertaining talk about the highlights of his career in the horse industry.

Following is the list of our award winners, and we congratulate all!

South Carolina Breeder of the Year: Franklin G. “Goree” Smith Sr. Older Horse of the Year: Gin Makes Ya Sin • Breeder: Franklin G. Smith Sr. Older Mare of the Year: Cursive • Breeder/Owner: Franklin G. Smith Sr. 3-Year-Old of the Year: No See Um • Breeder/Owner: Bailey Bolen 2-Year-Old of the Year: Neyami • Breeder: Darley Farm, Burden Creek Farm and Clifton Farm LLC • Owner: Lee Christian

TEXAS THOROUGHBRED ASSOCIATION NEWS Texas Chrome Named Texas Horse of the Year The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced the 2016 Texas Champions, and the appropriately named Texas Chrome will be honored as the Texas Horse of the Year at the TTA’s annual meeting and awards banquet at Lone Star Park on June 24. The champions are determined by points earned in stakes performances during the year.

Owned by Danny Keene’s Keene Thoroughbreds LLC and trained

by J.R. Caldwell, Texas Chrome compiled a record of 8-4-1-2 with earnings of $659,900 last year, tops among all Texas-breds. Named the Texas Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding for 2015 after recording three stakes wins, the son of Grasshopper earned four stakes victories in 2016. He started with a division of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park, and after placing in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs and Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, he annexed the Super Derby Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Then in a span of just 15 days in September, he captured the Grade 3 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs and Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. He ended his season by finishing off the board in the Grade 1 Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. C.J. McMahon was the primary rider of Texas Chrome.

Texas Chrome, who also earned the title of Texas Champion 3-YearOld Colt/Gelding, was bred by Craig Upham out of the Texas-bred Naevus mare Margarita Mistress. In the name of his and wife Sue Dowling’s Stoneview Farm, Upham consigned Texas Chrome to the 2014 Texas Summer Yearling Sale, where the colt sold for $10,000 to Keene. At the time, sire Grasshopper stood at Lane’s End Texas, and the stallion now stands at Valor Farm in Pilot Point, Texas.

With lifetime earnings of $842,462, Texas Chrome currently sits sixth on the all-time list of Texas-bred earners and this year could become just the second Texas-bred millionaire as he chases all-time leader Groovy ($1,346,956).

Ivan Fallunovalot, the 2015 Texas Horse of the Year, was a repeat 70 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

champion as the gelded son of Valid Expectations earned the Texas Champion Older Horse title for the second time. Bred by Eileen Hartis and owned by Lewis Mathews Jr., the now 7-year-old won three stakes last year, including the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park.

Following is the complete list of 2016 champion horses: 2-Year-Old Filly: Bling on the Music (by Too Much Bling) • Owner: Keene Thoroughbreds LLC • Breeder: W.S. Farish • Too Much Bling stands in Texas at Valor Farm, and Bling on the Music sold at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Raising Rumors (by Sing Baby Sing) • Owner/Breeder: Tom Durant 3-Year-Old Filly: More Than Most (by Indygo Mountain) • Owner: Douglas Scharbauer • Breeder: Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Older Filly/Mare: Chronologic’sghost (by Parading) • Owner: J. C. Racing Stable • Breeder: Oak Haven Farm • Chronologic’sghost sold at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Older Horse: Ivan Fallunovalot (by Valid Expectations) • Owner: Lewis Mathews Jr. • Breeder: Eileen Hartis Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Texas Chrome (by Grasshopper) • Owner: Keene Thoroughbreds LLC • Breeder: Craig Upham • Grasshopper stands in Texas at Valor Farm, and Texas Chrome sold at the Texas Summer Yearling Sale Champion Broodmare: Margarita Mistress (dam of Texas Chrome) The award for the Texas Champion Claimer will be determined by an online vote on the TTA website.

Retama Jockey and Trainer Standings End in Dead Heat

The battles for the leading jockey and trainer titles at Retama Park came down to the last race of the last day of the 2016 Thoroughbred meet, which concluded November 26. Ultimately, both categories ended in a tie.

Ted Gondron, riding the Danny Pish-trained Pharme’s Soul, won the last race to tie Sasha Risenhoover for the leading jockey title.

Risenhoover had ridden two winners earlier in the evening to put her one win ahead of Gondron. Both jockeys had 39 wins.

Trainer Karl Broberg had a win earlier in the evening with Singing Aces, ridden by Rohan Singh, to break the tie for the leading trainer title, but Pish’s last-minute victory brought him back even with Broberg at 26 wins apiece.

Broberg’s End Zone Athletics Inc. topped the owner standings with 17 wins.

TTA Board of Election Results Ballots were tabulated in December for the TTA Board of Directors election, and we offer our congratulations to the following candidates elected to serve three-year terms as at-large directors: Keith Asmussen (incumbent), Ken Carson (incumbent), Tracy Sheffield, Bill Tracy (incumbent) and Henry Witt Jr. (incumbent).

Phil Adams and Dr. Alfred Vardeman will once again represent the North Central Region and West Region of Texas, respectively.

The next meeting of the board is set for February 18 at Sam Houston Race Park.

Many thanks to all of the candidates!

Lone Star Park Sets 2017 Stakes Schedule

Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Set for April 4

The 2017 Thoroughbred stakes schedule at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie will offer 11 stakes worth a combined $1 million in purses, headlined by the $200,000 Texas Mile (G3) on May 4 and the $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) on May 28. The 50-day meet runs April 20 through July 30.

Four Texas-bred stakes make up the Stars of Texas Day card on July 22 with the two $100,000-estimated divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Sale Futurities at five furlongs; the $50,000 Valor Farm for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at six furlongs; and the $50,000 Assault for 3-year-olds and up at one mile.

A pair of $65,000 divisions of the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds will be run at one mile on May 27.

Keeping with tradition, the $50,000 Premiere Stakes will open the meet and kick off the stakes action. The Premiere is for Texas-bred 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs. It is the scheduled first race on opening night.

The remaining stakes on the schedule are the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial for Texas-bred females, 3-year-olds and up, at 6 ½ furlongs on April 23, and the $50,000 Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes for Texas-bred females, 3-year-olds and up, on the turf at 7 ½ furlongs on June 24.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that it will hold its second Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4 at Lone Star Park. The under tack show will be April 2, also at Lone Star.

The TTA, in partnership with Lone Star Park, held its first 2-year-old sale in April 2016, taking over the auction from Fasig-Tipton. That sale posted an average of $18,515 and a buyback rate of 19.7 percent, both significant improvements over the last Fasig-Tipton juvenile sale in 2015.

Graduates of the 2017 sale will be eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity to be run in two divisions at $100,000-estimated apiece at Lone Star. The sale will again be managed by Tim Boyce.

The 2016 2-year-old sale has already produced several stakes winners from 53 head sold, highlighted by Bling on the Music, a Texas-bred daughter of Too Much Bling who topped the sale at $95,000. She has recorded two stakes wins and a placing in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Keeneland with earnings of $153,082.

“The results of our first 2-year-old sale, and our first yearling and mixed sale in August, have shown that Texas and the surrounding region can support a strong auction market for both buyers and sellers,” TTA Executive Director Mary Ruyle said. “With the experience of those auctions and more time to market the 2-year-old sale, we expect to grow both TTA sales in 2017.”

For more information, go to ttasales.com.

BROODMARE FOR SALE

Royally-bred 7YO Broodmare in Foal to Top Texas Stallion GAFF

Lady Jacqueline L English Channel – Lady Brook, by Ascot Knight

By ENGLISH CHANNEL (leading sire; 6-time G1 winner, including Breeders’ Cup Turf, with $5.3 million in earnings) out of stakes winner LADY BROOK,

by ASCOT KNIGHT In foal to GAFF, a top Texas sire who earned $569,513 and was a graded stakes winner on turf and dirt in the U.S. and a stakes winner and group-placed runner in Ireland. GAFF has 17 winners and nine repeat winners in 2016 from only 26 runners!

Contact Billy Dunn at Fairbrook Stables • Houston, Texas • 281-660-2013 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 71

4reasons million OK

thoroughbred r acing a s s o c i at i o n o f o k l a h o m a

in 2016, over $4 million was paid to thoroughbred owners & breeders in oklahoma

breed . race . win

For further information, contact

Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma

One Remington Place . OKC, OK 73111 . 405.427.8753 . www.TRAORACING.com 72 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

REASONABLE RATES

BREEDING • BOARDING • FOALING Larry and Sammie Procell Owner/Operators

Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, Heritage Place, OBS Use the Consignor of Your Choice

500 Joe Bill Adcock Rd. coushAttA, lA 71019 (318) 932-3728 • (318) 220-6748

Your horse will look its very best!

the marketpl ace Cl a s sified s

Call for more information about my program Heidi Bailey • Valley View, TX • 940-372-5804

BRANDON JENKINS RACING STABLE Striving for Excellence MORE THAN 14 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS RACEHORSE TRAINING NOW ACCEPTING HORSES! CONTACT BRANDON AT 512-429-0535

Dee Martinez Office Manager 956-763-7594

Stephenson Thoroughbred Farms Quality Care for Thoroughbreds • Professional Hands-On Mare Care Provided Year Round • Excellent Prospects For Sale at All Times • Horse Transportation KC HORSE TRANSPORTATION

Horsemen: DivisionAttention of Asmussen Horse Center

• Limited RV/Camper now available!

Over 50 Years Hookups of Quality Service in The Horse Business • Conveniently located less than one mile from Evangeline Keith Asmussen Downs Racetrack in a private, quiet setting • Washer/Dryer-Bath available at facility kaasmussen@aol.com

956-723-5436 • 956-763-8907

Pam Stephenson P.O. Box Office: (337)1861 826-0628 • Cell: (337) 515-5555 ICC Laredo, Texas 78044 LA 70589 P.O. Box 1133, Washington, PERMITTED

FOAL TO LLC CHANNON FARM YEARLING HALTER

SAME HALTER • • •Care • Foaling Boarding • Broodmare • Sales Prep Layups • Equiciser One Halter It All the Does marketpl ace 1-800-331-0413 GILLIAN (JILL) TAYLOR (318) 745-9974 • FAX: (318) 745-9976 .com foaltoyearlinghalter

•

PROFESSIONAL SALE FITTING •

MBM HORSE TRANSPORT Thoroughbred and AQHA Race Prospects PE L ICA N STAT E TOP REFERENCES • EXPERIENCED REASONABLE RATES DS T HO RO UG HBRE

Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, Heritage Place, OBS Use the Consignor of Your Choice

ANY HORSE, ANY TIME, ANY WHERE! Your horse will look its very best!

Ardmore, Oklahoma Call for more information about my program (405)Gabriel 820-2921 View,Bill TXAustin: • Terry 940-372-5804

Mark Miller: (580) 221-7631 Heidi Bailey • Valley

12002 Quagliano Road • Folsom, LA 70437 Cell: (504) 957-8026

4707 E. Saunders Laredo, Texas 78045

Mallory Mallory Farm Farm

•HORSE SAME Quality Care for Thoroughbreds

1914 HIGHWAY 163 • DOYLINE, LA 71023

Henry Hadley Manager 956-763-7004

••Breeding Breeding ••Boarding Boarding ••Sales Sales

SCOTT MALLORY Cl assifieds SCOTT 2672 Newtown Pike •MALLORY Lexington, KY 40511 2672 Newtown Pike • Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 707-6469 (859) 707-6469 malloryfarm@yahoo.com

malloryfarm@yahoo.com

PROCELL THOROUGHBRED FARM Moving Like a Winner BREAKING & TRAINING 

Don’t miss our hotSAND prospects 5 ½ FURLONG TRACK from BREEDING •INALL-SEASON BOARDING • FOALING Inside Move at Yearling sales SPECIALIZING STARTING and RACE Two-Year-Old PROSPECTS

inRACING California, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas!



Larry and Sammie Procell Owner/Operators

ACCESS TO ALL TX, LA, AR, OK TRACKS

LAYUPS, FARRIER SERVICE, & BOARDING AVAILABLE OVER 20 YEARS 500 JEXPERIENCE oe Bill Adcock Rd. 903.477.5661 CLIFF DODSON coushAttA , lA 71019 ATHENS, TX 75752

(318) 932-3728 • (318) 220-6748

Bethe Deal • Sabinal, TX Cell: (830) 426-1646 • Email: Bethedeal@sbcglobal.net

Stephenson Thoroughbred Farms Quality Care for Thoroughbreds • Professional Hands-On Mare Care Provided Year Round • Excellent Prospects For Sale at All Times • Horse Transportation

Attention Horsemen:

• Limited RV/Camper Hookups now available!

• Conveniently located less than one mile from Evangeline Downs Racetrack in a private, quiet setting • Washer/Dryer-Bath available at facility Pam Stephenson Office: (337) 826-0628 • Cell: (337) 515-5555 P.O. Box 1133, Washington, LA 70589 74 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017

CHANNON FARM LLC

• Quality Care for Thoroughbreds

Mallory Farm

the marketpl ace Cl a s sified s Animal safety is our priority

7S RACING STABLES Specializing in breaking and preparing your colts for you and your trainer 7S Racing Stables is located 2 hours west of Lone Star Park in Carbon, Texas. We have for several years been working with young race colts, taking them from breaking to conditioning and race prep while cutting down on owner expense and helping you have your colts prepared for the racetrack experience!

www.amerijet.com

FEATURES: • 5/8th-mile training track • Starting gates • Farrier care • Transportation • Complete vet services • Horses for sale • Breaking fees are $35/day

2-YEAR-OLD FILLIES FOR SALE • Theykeeponcomin (foaled 2/17/15 in Illinois)

Dunkirk - Iboughtheranyway, by Dixie Union • $20,000

• Lost Dove (foaled 2/25/15 in Kentucky - KTDF/EBF) Daaher - Dove Code, by Dove Hunt • $7,500

• Wise Deal (foaled 4/29/15 in Kentucky - Breeders’ Cup eligible) Monarchos - Make a Deal, by Private Terms • $20,000

All have 90 days training, experience standing and walking through gates, galloping a mile six days a week at Benton Training Center in Louisiana All three as a package for $40,000 CONTACT MARY WELCH AT 0414MARY@GMAIL.COM OR 870-898-8433

Want to reach thousands of horsemen in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and around the region?

The best price in the area with proven results!

Louisiana- and Oklahoma-bred yearlings and 2-year-olds in training fillies and colts for sale at all times.

Buy your yearlings here at 7S's facilities, have them broke here and save time and money.

2-year-olds in training will be located at tracks in both Louisiana and Oklahoma.

Advertise in the American Racehorse classifieds for as little as $75 per issue!

Contact Denis Blake at (512) 695-4541 or info@americanracehorse.com

Call us for great colts at reasonable prices

7S Racing Stables 254-643-2035 5001 Hwy 1027, Carbon, TX 76435 www.7SRacingStables.com

American Racehorse Advertisers Index 7S Racing Stables.......................................75 Amerijet.......................................................75 The Art of Horse Racing.......................... 74 Asmussen Horse Center............................ 11 Bahamian Squall/Double Diamond Farm... 3 Bluebonnet Feeds........................................ 2 Brandon Jenkins Racing Stable................ 74 Broodmare for Sale.....................................71 Carter Sales Co...........................................22 Dodson Training Stable............................ 74 Equine Equipment.................................... 63 Equine Sales Company............................. 76 Equiwinner................................................. 13 Eureka Thoroughbred Farm....................44 Euroears/J&M Equine Reproduction....... 7 Fillies for Sale..............................................75 First Dude/Double Diamond Farm..........19

Flying H Stables LLC...............................23 Foal to Yearling Halter.............................. 74 Glasses Creek Ranch/Special Rate...... IBC Harmony Training Center........................46 Heritage Place........................................... 34 ITOBA....................................................... 58 John Deere................................................... 8 KC Horse Transportation........................ 74 Liquor Cabinet/Oklahoma Equine........... 15 Mallory Farm............................................. 74 MBM Horse Transport............................ 74 McDowell Farm........................................46 Mighty Acres...........................................IFC Oaklawn Rental Property.......................... 36 The Paddock Foundation..........................35 Pike Racing.................................................. 6 Rascal Cat/J&M Equine Reproduction.... 9

River Oaks Farms Inc...............20, 21, 45, 62 Santa Fe Horse Transport........................ 74 Shermanesque/Broughton Farm.............. 54 Silentio/Keen Farms................................... 51 Southwest Shavings LLC......................... 62 Star Bright Thoroughbreds.......................17 Stemmans.com............................................16 Swifty Farms..........................................52, 53 Thoroughbred Charities of America.........10 Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma........................ 72 Thoroughbred Review.............................. 36 TTA Sales..................................................60 Univ. of Arizona Race Track Industry Program.....................................73 Valor Farm............................................1, BC

AMERICAN RACEHORSE • WINTER 2017 75

JOIN US IN OPELOUSAS IN 2017!

Equine Sales Company is pleased to present our sales schedule for the upcoming year:

2-YEAR-OLDS IN TRAINING SALE Auction: May 9 | Breeze Show: May 7

CONSIGNOR SELECT YEARLING SALE August 31

OPEN YEARLING AND MIXED SALE October 15

All 2-year-old sale graduates will be eligible for the Equine Sales Oaks and Equine Sales Derby to be run at Evangeline Downs in 2018 for $75,000 per division.

Where Real Consignors and Real Buyers Come Together!

www.equinesalesofla.com

For Further Information: Foster Bridewell, Sales Director Tel: 214-718-7618 Web: www.equinesalesofla.com 76 AMERICAN RACEHORSE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Equine Sales Co.

372 Harry Guilbeau Road Opelousas, LA 70570 Tel: 337-678-3024 • Fax: 337-678-3028

Glasses Creek • 11499 HWY 199 • Madill, Oklahoma 73446 Phone: 580.795.3940 • Frankie Williams: 580.263.9224 www.glassescreek.com

2017 VALOR FARM STALLION ROSTER Offering the most dynamic stallion lineup in the region BRADESTER

Lion Heart – Grandestofall,

by Grand Slam

EQUI-PHOTO

CONGAREE

2017 FEE: $3,500

Arazi – Mari’s Sheba,

by Mari’s Book

2017 FEE: $3,000

CROSSBOW

Bernardini – Forest Heiress,

by Forest Wildcat

2017 FEE: $2,000

EARLY FLYER

Gilded Time – Bistra, by Classic Go Go

2017 FEE: $2,500

GRASSHOPPER

Dixie Union – Grass Skirt,

by Mr. Prospector

2017 FEE: $3,500

MY GOLDEN SONG 2017 FEE: $4,000

STONESIDER

Giant’s Causeway – Added Gold, by Gilded Time

2017 FEE: $3,000

TOO MUCH BLING Bee Silva

Rubiano – Rose Colored Lady,

by Formal Dinner

2017 FEE: $4,500

Douglas Scharbauer Ken Carson, General Manager Donny Denton, Farm Manager • David Unnerstall, Attending Veterinarian Post Office Box 966 • Pilot Point, Texas 76258 (940) 686-5552 • Fax (940) 686-2179 www.valorfarm.com • www.facebook.com/valor.farm

Billy Miller

Unbridled’s Song – Golden Par, by Gold Meridian