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.
SUPER SAVER’S TEXAS CONNECTIONS TRY FOR SECOND JEWEL OF TRIPLE CROWN
Two weeks after Super Saver’s win in the 136th Kentucky Derby, his Texas owners, Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, and Texas-born trainer Todd Pletcher, will try to add the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes, at storied Pimlico Race Course this Saturday.
Super Saver has 11 3-year-old foes in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 test including four returnees from the Derby, Paddy O’Prado (3rd), Lookin At Lucky (6th), Dublin (7th) and Jackson Bend (12th). The new competition will come from Aikenite, also trained by Pletcher, Caracortado, First Dude, Northern Giant, Pleasant Prince, Schoolyard Dreams and Yawanna Twist. Super Saver is favored in the morning line at 5-2 with Lookin At Lucky, unlucky in his last four starts, the second choice at 3-1, and Paddy O’Prado next at 9-2. Post time for the Preakness is 5:12pm (CDT) with live coverage on NBC-TV.
All Texas tracks will be offering advance betting on the Preakness beginning on Friday and starting early on Saturday in order to be open when Pimlico’s first race goes off at 9:45am CDT. Lone Star Park will also have a Drive-thru-wagering booth open at 8am on Saturday near Gate 2 beginning at 8am.
Lone Star’s Preakness Day feature is a one-mile $30,000 allowance race for Texas-bred fillies and mares on turf where the versatile Holly Lynne, a daughter of Uncle Abbie, appears to be the controlling speed as she seeks her fourth consecutive victory while moving up the class ladder.
EQUINE PIROPLASMOSIS TESTING NOW MORE CONVENIENTLY LOCATED AT TVMDL
The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (TVMDL), located in College Station, has received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services to test for Equine Piroplasmosis (Piro) for interstate and intrastate movement. Before TVMDL received approval to test for Equine Piro, all testing had been done only at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, IA.
Owners and trainers shipping across state lines are advised to check for any testing requirements or shipping restrictions that may be in place. Owners and trainers shipping into Texas tracks are advised to consult with each track’s race office or the Texas Racing Commission to determine requirements in place.
COYOTE LEGEND, TIN TOP CAT AND GAME ON DUDE CAPTURE LONE STAR STAKES
Clarence Scharbauer’s Texas homebred Coyote Legend and Jerry Durant and Bill Jordan’s Texas homebred Tin Top Cat added their second victories in respective $100,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes Series for foals of 2007 last Saturday at Lone Star Park. They had each previously won the third leg of their respective divisions at Sam Houston Race Park in February.
Coyote Legend scored by a widening 7 ¼ lengths after completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45 2/5 to beat Royal Hay Patch and Wild Mudder. Tin Top Cat held off the charging Dixieland Baby by a head with Camille’s Appeal another 2 ½ lengths back. Tin Top Cat’s winning time was 1:47 2/5. Both winners were trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Bobby Walker Jr.
On the same card, Game On Dude shipped in to capture the co-featured $200,000 Lone Star Derby and give trainer Bob Baffert his fourth win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 stakes run in 1:44 3/5. Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Crider finished 4 ½ lengths behind the winner, but 3 ½ lengths before Henshin Hero.
ATTORNEY GENE PALMER ACCORDED MARTINDALE-HUBBELL’S TOP LEGAL RATING
Attorney Gene Palmer, who has represented Texas Thoroughbred Association and several other industry organizations in the past 15 years, received news earlier this week that he has been awarded the highest possible rating, AV Preminent, in both legal ability and ethical standards after peer review by Martindale-Hubbell.
The prestigious Austin Club also honored Palmer last Tuesday in recognition of his 40 years of service as the Club’s secretary with his wife and family members also present to his surprise. Also, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell issued a proclamation making last Tuesday Gene Palmer Day in the City of Austin.
Congratulations Gene on recognition well deserved. Now pick the Preakness winner.
Fast furlongs...The Austin Jockey Club closed on the purchase of a 160-acre parcel of land in the vicinity of Creedmoor, off the 130 toll road, on May 3...Darley Stable’s Cocalero, a 3-year-old A.P.Indy filly out of the late former Texas Horse of the Year Got Koko, received rave reviews for overcoming a slow start in her debut to win impressively going away at Belmont Park a week ago...Chief of Affairs, bred in Texas by TTA President Jacquelyn Rich, came within .05 seconds of the Indiana Downs track record of 1:08.80 for 6 furlongs when he splashed to a 1 ½-length win over Riley Tucker in Wednesday night’s $75,000 James Whitcomb Riley Stakes...Clarence Scharbauer’s Texas champion homebred Gold Coyote, a 9-time stakes winner of $424,400 with 11 career wins in 21 starts, has been retired and now roams one of the paddocks at his owner’s beautiful Valor Farm in Pilot Point...Tricky Prospect, a 12-year-old winning son of Grade 2 winner Prospect Bay, has been relocated to the Texas A&M University-Commerce Farm in Commerce for the balance of the 2010 breeding season...The undefeated Zenyatta is featured on a billboard located near Hollywood Park as the newest participant in the “This Is My Town” ad campaign promoting Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers ...Bidders seeking to operate the Aqueduct Racetrack video slots are lining up as the process reopens once again, but they have to have $300,000,000 in their hands in order to apply...In the meantime, legislative efforts in the Empire State to provide the New York Racing Association with a $17,000,000 loan have fallen through...We wish Val Clark a speedy recovery from the after effects of being rear-ended by a UPS truck in an accident that totaled her car within a 9-iron shot of TTA offices where she was headed for last Wednesday morning’s Texas HORSE meeting.