Have a comment or question about this week's update? Send an e-mail to davidh@texasthoroughbred.com. Read past updates in the Executive Director's Update archive.
TTA AWARDS DINNER, ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING NEXT SATURDAY AT SHRP
The Texas Thoroughbred Association will take time next Saturday, February 20, to honor the owners and breeders of the 2009 Texas-bred champions of all racing divisions headed by Eileen Hartis’ homebred Princess Haya, the Texas Horse of the Year and Champion Older Filly/Mare. The presentations will take place during an awards dinner at Sam Houston Race Park beginning at 7pm following a cocktail reception starting at 6pm.
Other individual presentations will be made to the Leading ATB Money Earner, The Blood-Horse Breeder of the Year, Thoroughbred Times Leading Freshman Sire, the Allen Bogan Memorial Award to recognize the TTA Member of the Year, and the T. I. “Pops” Harkins Award for contributions to the TTA, the Texas racing industry and lifetime achievement.
TTA’s Annual Membership meeting will also take place at Sam Houston in the Paddock Room, on the second level of the grandstand overlooking the walking ring, beginning at 2pm next Saturday
The one-mile third legs of the Texas Stallion Stakes Series, for foals of 2007, will highlight the night’s racing program with awards recipients making presentations in the winner’s circle after each stakes.
AUCTION OF RACHEL ALEXANDRA SADDLE TOWEL WILL BENEFIT EDUCATION FUND
New TTA Life Member Hal Wiggins, the original trainer of Rachel Alexandra, is procuring the autograph of jockey Calvin Borel on the saddle towel worn by Rachel Alexandra when she won last year’s Fair Grounds Oaks. Wiggins is donating the saddle towel to be auctioned at the TTA Annual Awards Dinner, with proceeds to benefit the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund. The TTEF is a 50lc3 charitable organization established to provide grants and awards to benefit children of TTA members as they pursue further education after high school graduation.
Wiggins, a Port Arthur native, and his wife, Renee, have recently moved to their new home in Houston and have made reservations to participate in TTA activities next Saturday.
RACHEL ALEXANDRA V. ZENYATTA MATCHUP RESET APRIL 9 AT OAKLAWN PARK
The long-awaited matchup of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and the undefeated 14-for-14 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta is on track to happen on Friday, April 9, at Oaklawn Park on the eve of the Hot Springs track’s closing day when the Arkansas Derby will be renewed.
The Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta camps agreed to target their confrontation after Charles Cella, Oaklawn’s longtime president, decided he would reschedule the Apple Blossom six days later than its original positioning on the stakes calendar on Saturday, April 3. As long as both horses run in the 1 1/8-mile invitational stakes for older fillies and mares, this year’s Apple Blossom will be worth $5,000,000 and make it the richest race ever in North America restricted to members of the distaff set.
Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are scheduled to make their seasonal debuts on March 13. Rachel has the Ladies Stakes at Fair Grounds targeted for her return, while Zenyatta is being pointed towards the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita where she rallied from last to beat the boys in the BC Classic.
TRC REVISES FINGERPRINT POLICY AND SETS MANOR DOWNS BARN ENTRY RULES
The Texas Racing Commission has revised its fingerprint waiver policy effective March 1. TRC has also established stable area entrance requirements for horses shipping into Manor Downs because of the discovery of Equine Piroplasmosis in several horses that are presently on a Kleberg County farm or have been shipped from those premises.
The new fingerprint policy is effective March 1 when the TRC will no longer waive fingerprint requirements for new out-of-state owners and trainers, even though they had been fingerprinted in another state within the past three years and hold a current owner or trainer license. Texas applicants must submit a license application and FBI fingerprint card with the appropriate fees to complete the licensing process.
The new policy will not affect owners and trainers who utilize the multi-state licensing process through either the National Racing Compact (NRC) or the Association of State Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) office.
At Manor Downs, requirements effective for the 2010 meet state that all horses entering the stable area must be accompanied by: (1) A certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate) dated no more than 45 days prior to entrance to the Manor Downs stable area. The Certificate of Inspection must include evidence of a negative EIA (Coggins) test within the past 12 months; and (2) A statement by the accredited veterinarian signing, “I personally inspected this animal and it does not display clinical signs of Equine Piroplasmosis and I inspected and treated for ticks with an approved synthetic pyrethroid spray product;” or (3) An original copy of negative Piroplasmosis cELISA test that has been performed since November 1, 2009. As of this date, the National Services Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, is the only approved laboratory for Equine Piroplasmosis testing.
If horsemen have any questions about the Manor Downs stable area entrance requirements, they should contact the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership or the Manor Downs Race Office.
Fast furlongs...Texas-bred Chief of Affairs showed off his good turn of foot at Oaklawn Park a week ago when he led the $50,000 King Cotton Handicap for all but the last few yards to finish second...The Village at Gulfstream Park opened February 11 to add a new shopping mall mix to the racing and casino activity at the adjacent racetrack...Michigan Thoroughbred and harness horsemen have united in opposition to an initiative to add eight casinos in the state because the percentage of funding for purses is not specified and would come from the state’s share...Bialy, a 3-year-old filly, will be the first runner for the 26 members of the new Fasig-Tipton Racing Club venture when she runs in Gulfstream’s 7th race on Sunday...The TRC will consider Sam Houston’s request to add four Mondays in March to its present meet during a meeting in Austin next Tuesday when reports from representatives of the five licensed, but unbuilt tracks, will also be heard on progress being made to start live racing...Animal Planet’s documentary series entitled “Jockeys” will not return for a third season...The TTA Board of Directors will hold a regularly scheduled meeting on Friday afternoon in Houston...A total of 366 newly turned 3-year-olds were nominated to the 2010 Triple Crown, which kicks off with the Kentucky Derby on May 1...Congratulations to Andrea Young, SHRP’s president and COO, and her husband on the birth of their second child, Lily Ophelia, on February 4.