Month: June 2016

LOUISIANA LEGENDS NIGHT SATURDAY AT EVANGELINE DOWNS

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PROGRAM WILL FEATURE EIGHT STAKES RACES WORTH $775,000 IN PURSES

 

OPELOUSAS, LA- Evangeline Downs will be hosting its marquee night of Thoroughbred racing on Saturday, July 2 with Louisiana Legends Night. The 10-race program will include eight Louisiana-bred stakes races totaling $775,000 in purse money.

The featured event on the Louisiana Legends Night program is the $125,000 Louisiana Legends Classic. The 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of six will be Sunbean, a 6-year-old gelding that has earned $1,059,750 in his career. Sunbean has a perfect three-for-three record at Evangeline Downs, winning the 2013 Louisiana Legends Mile, the 2014 Louisiana Legends Classic and the 2014 Evangeline Mile. He also won his most recent start at Fair Grounds on March 26 in the Star Guitar Stakes. Sunbean was bred in Louisiana by the owner Brittlyn Stable Inc. He is trained by Ron Faucheux and will be ridden on Saturdayby Richard Eramia.

There will be a second million-dollar earning horse on the Louisiana Legends Night program at Evangeline Downs. String King, who has earned $1,011,052 in his 29-race career, has been installed as the 4-1 morning line favorite in the field of 12 for the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Turf. String King is the defending champion in the Louisiana Legends Turf, having won the 2015 edition of the race that was taken off the turf. String King has been facing graded stakes company in his last three starts at the Fair Grounds. He has not been to the racetrack since finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz in New Orleans. String King was bred in Louisiana by the owner-trainer, Charles Smith. The 8-year-old gelding will be ridden on Saturday by John Jacinto.

There will be other featured horses on the Louisiana Legends Night program including Painting The Sky, the dual registered Thoroughbred-Paint horse from the Brett Brinkman barn with two wins in five lifetime starts who will be in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Soiree. A two-time stakes winner this season at Evangeline Downs, Couche Couche, will be in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Cheval. The gelding has previously won the $50,000 Ragin Cajun and the $75,000 Equine Sales Derby at Evangeline Downs. He is trained by Karl Broberg, who currently leads the nation in wins, and will be ridden by Colby Hernandez.

Evangeline Downs will conduct live racing on its usual Wednesday–Saturday schedule this week. Post time each night will be 5:50 pm Central Time.

For more information on the Thoroughbred season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website at www.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs’ Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

 

 

About Evangeline Downs

Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  Boyd Gaming press releases are available at www.prnewswire.com.  Additional news and information can be found at www.boydgaming.com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.

 

LouisianaBred: Michelle LaVoice #LouisianaBred

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“It is great for families to spend time together and have kids get involved.”

 

Folsom, Louisiana is homebase for Michelle LaVoice and her family. She has been a Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association member for 15 years and has served on the Board of Directors for the last four years. She brings an understanding of the business and people to the Board along with innovative programs to attract a younger demographic to the business.

The thoroughbred business is truly a family affair for Michelle. She works for Clear Creek Stud and manages about 100 horses. She is the Clear Creek Stud farm manager and her father, Val Murrell, is general manager. Her husband, Trey, is the operations manager.

She was raised with thoroughbreds and the racing and breeding business is her sole occupation. She is often seen handling energetic yearlings at horse sales and horses that are easily ten times her weight or more.

Clear Creek Stud was founded in 1969 by renowned horseman Jack Lohman. Over the years Clear Creek has become known as one of Louisiana’s premiere thoroughbred operation and has been home to many of Louisiana’s leading sires.

She and her husband work together daily and keep family life a priority. Their three-year-old daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzy), already has horses in her life.

There are many reasons why Michelle believes the Louisiana Bred program is important. One of them is that “it is very good for the state because it employs so many people.”

Her favorite Louisiana Bred (and her daughter’s) is Ante Up Annie. She was bred and raised at Clear Creek.

REAP to Host July Events

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2016 REAP NIGHT AT THE RACES
Thursday, July 7th
Evangeline Downs, the John Henry Room
We will have a buffet with heavy appetizers for $40 per person
ACTIVIES WILL INCLUDE
Reverse Drawing – $5000.00 in cash prizes
($100.00 per ticket/100 tickets available)
Silent Auction
Sponsorship opportunities are also available
Sponsors will have Races named after them

DAVID BANKS MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, July 5th 1 p.m. Shotgun Start
Farm d’Allie Golf Course
$100 per player, $300 per team of 3
Player’s Clinic – June 28th at 5 pm at Farm d’Allie Golf Course,
please call 337-886-2227 ext 1 for reservation in clinic
$15.00 per person

LUNCH FOR THE BACKSIDE
Wednesday, July 20th noon REAP Hall
Racing Employees Assistance Program
REAP was formed to assist the horsemen in need.
REAP also supports the good work of the
Chaplain, providing facilities and support.

reap-2

Summer Horse-Care Tips from KER

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Wednesday, June 22, 2016— Summer has arrived! Temperatures are up, sweat is dripping, and insects are swarming all over. While the warm weather offers great opportunities to work with your horse, it also brings certain horse-care challenges. Consider the following summertime horse-management tips from the equine nutrition experts at Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Heat. Temperatures are capable of soaring past 100 degrees on summer days. As the mercury creeps up, horse owners must fine-tune certain facets of management, including provision of shade and plenty of fresh drinking water. Read more to help your horse beat the heat:

·         Hot Weather Hazard for Horses

·         Checking for Dehydration in Horses

·         Summer Pasture-Associated Heaves

·         Keeping Horses Cool in Hot Weather

Sweat. Sweating is the only way horses have to dissipate body heat. Unlike dogs, horses can’t pant to cool off! Some horses even experience issues with sweating.  Learn more about your horse’s sweat:

·         Watery or Lathered: Differences in Horse Sweat

·         Anhidrosis in Horses and Electrolyte Therapy

·         Electrolytes and Performance Horses: Is a Salt Block Enough?

·         Dietary Sources of Potassium for Horses

Skin. Despite the short, tight hair coats characteristic of summertime, problems still pop up in the skin, hair, and hooves of horses. Keep an eye on coat and hoof health through daily grooming and hoof-picking. Read more to keep your horse comfortable this summer:

·         Feeding for Sound Summer Hooves

·         Hoof Rings in Horses: What Do They Mean?

·         Maintaining Coat Health of Horses: Grooming, Bathing, and Feeding

·         Skin Problems in Horses: Culicoides Hypersensitivity

·         Common Skin Problems in Horses

Foals. As foaling season comes to an end, fruits of the breeders’ labors are on full display, but foals are just as, if not more, vulnerable to health problems as their mature horses. Foal caretakers know that several once-overs a day will keep illness away. Keep your foal healthy with these tips:

·         The Young Years: Nutrition from Birth to Two Years of Age

·         Foal Diarrhea: Look to Nutritional Supplements for Help

·         Estimating a Foal’s Mature Height

·         Keep an Eye on Foal Halters

·         Foal Dribbling Urine: Patent Urachus

·         Rhodococcus equi Infection in Foals

For more seasonal tips like these, subscribe to Seasonal Spotlight, a quarterly mailing full of timely information on equine nutrition and health. Seasonal Spotlight won the Business Equine-Related eNewsletter award at the 2015 American Horse Publications (AHP) Equine Media Awards. KER also offers The Weekly Feed, a previous AHP winner delivering the most recent headlines in equine nutrition every week.

 

TTA Yearling Sale Surpasses 100 Entries

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TTA Yearling Sale Surpasses 100 Entries, Changes Announced to Texas Thoroughbred Futurity

 

The Texas Thoroughbred Association announced today that entries for its Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale have surpassed 100, and entries are still being accepted. The sale, which is held in partnership with Lone Star Park, is set for August 29 at the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on the grounds of the Dallas-area track. This will mark the return of a summer yearling auction to the state after a one-year hiatus of the auction formerly run by Fasig-Tipton. The TTA also announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity.

“We are very pleased to already have more than 100 entries for this sale,” said Tim Boyce, who previously ran the auction for Fasig-Tipton Texas and has continued on to manage the sale for the TTA. “We already have a strong catalogue with two yearlings by Uncle Mo and a strong representation of stallions from around the Southwest. I expect to pick up more quality entries in the coming days.”

Currently the list of entries includes yearlings by top Texas stallions Congaree, Too Much Bling, Grasshopper, Intimidator and My Golden Song, as well as Oklahoma stallions Euroears and Oratory. The sale also features entries sired by prominent nationally-ranked stallions Uncle Mo, Street Boss and Lookin at Lucky.

The mixed session will offer mares by A.P. Indy, Kingmambo, Pulpit, Summer Squall and Valid Expectations.

The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, which will be run for the first time this year on July 9 at Lone Star with divisions for fillies and colts/geldings at $100,000-estimated apiece, will have an eligibility change for next year’s race.

Each yearling, no matter where foaled, that goes through the ring at the sale is eligible to be nominated to the Futurity. Additionally for every yearling that goes through the ring, its consignor and buyer will each receive a berth, which they can use to nominate an accredited Texas-bred foal of 2015 to the Futurity. Berths can only be used by the original consignor or buyer and cannot be transferred.

“We think this change will raise the value of horses in the sale, and it also serves as an extra incentive for horsemen to participate as a buyer or consignor,” said Boyce.

The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity took the place of the race formerly known as the TTA Sales Futurity.

For more information, go to www.ttasales.com.

 

LouisianaBred: Loretta Romero #LouisianaBred

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LouisianaBred: Loretta Romero
#LouisianaBred

“I truly enjoy racing in Louisiana.”

It is easy to see why Loretta Romero loves her job and racing in Louisiana. The Bossier City resident manages the Shreveport office at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs and attends every Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association board meetings and championship day events.

While she prefers to be behind the scenes, Loretta is the engine that drives the North Louisiana operation. Her welcoming smile is the first thing anyone sees when they enter the office. She takes care of any and all details that members need.

When you ask her to talk about herself, she is genuinely humble. She always credits the people around her and her team at LTBA. Her can do attitude motivates everyone around her. She will tell you that she is just doing her job and she has been doing it for 34 years. That is an invaluable asset to LTBA and the members.

Loretta has been associated with thoroughbred racing and breeding business for 50 years. She is a warehouse of information on the history, the people and the industry. She really understands what it takes and that is why she is so amazing at her job.

She is currently involved in the racing business with her husband and former jockey, Gerald Romero. Together they own and operate Bethany Farm, the breeding side of their thoroughbred business. It is apparent she loves horses and is passionate about her work with them.

Her favorite Louisiana Bred (besides her husband) is Superior Storm. “She was a champion horse and won each Champions Day at all four racetracks in Louisiana.”

 

 

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association Will Award Scholarships at Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs

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(New Orleans, La.) – Louisiana Legends Night will take place Saturday, July 2, at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas, La. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award two (2) scholarships, each valued at $1,000, during the event.
The drawings will be between the fifth and sixth races. The races begin at 5:50 p.m. and the student must be there to register between 4:50 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. at the designated registration booth.
The requirements for the scholarship are as follows:
·       Must be a college student enrolled full-time for Fall 2016.
·       Must be in good standing with the college or university.
·       Must be present to win.
The scholarship will be deposited directly into the student’s account at the college or university. The student is asked to know the name and address of the college that they are attending.
“The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association is pleased to continue making an investment in the future of our state by investing in the education process,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association.
The Louisiana Legends Night annual event features eight stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and total purse money of $775,000. The highlight of the evening will be the $125,000 Louisiana Legends Classic for 3-year-olds and up competing at 1-1/16 miles.
Louisiana Legends Classic
3+ La bred
1m 1/16
$125,000 G
Louisiana Legends Distaff
FM3+ La bred
1m 1/16
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Sprint
3+ La bred
5 1/2f
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle
FM3+ La bred
5 1/2f
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Turf
3+ La bred
1m 1/16 (Turf)
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Cheval
3 yr La bred
1m (Turf)
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Soiree
F 3yr La bred
1m (Turf)
$100,000 G
Louisiana Legends Starter
3+ La bred
1m 1/16
$50,000 G
For more information please call 1-800-772-1195 or visit louisianabred.com.

 

MOBILE BAY NAMED 2015 LOUISIANA BRED HORSE OF THE YEAR

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Mobile Bay
Sire: Lone Star Special
Dam: Tranquility Bay
Breeder: Tigertail Ranch
Owner: Tigertail Ranch
Trainer: Victor Arceneaux

Mobile Bay winning the $400,000 GII Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.

 

Mobile Bay was named Louisiana’s Horse of the Year at the June 11 Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s annual meeting and awards banquet. The Tigertail Ranch homebred was named Louisiana’s 3-year-old champion male earlier this year after ending his 2015 campaign with a record of 6-3-3 from 13 starts and $614,290 in earnings. Four of his six wins were stakes.

The highlight of Mobile Bay’s 3-year-old season was a win in the $400,000 Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs Sept. 12 over a field of six other 3-year-olds. Mobile Bay had previously won the Louisiana Legends Cheval Stakes at Evangeline Downs on Independence Day and the Lafayette Stakes at the same track. He would seal the deal with a win in the Zea Park Derby in the fall of the year, a race in which he defeated Louisiana Derby winner, International Star. Additionally, he scored stakes placings in the Prelude, GIII Oklahoma Derby and Louisiana Champions Day Classic.

The son of Lone Star Special is out of Tranquility Bay (Out of Place), the dam of five winners from six starters including the stakes placed Galveston Harbor. She also has an unraced juvenile filly by U S Ranger and foaled a Dominus colt in April. Lone Star Special, the sire of Mobile Bay belongs to Tigertail Ranch and stands at The Horse of Course in Benton, La.

Trained by Victor Arceneaux, Mobile Bay has won two stakes from four starts so far this season, including the May 1 Sunland Park Handicap in his last effort, taking his career earnings to $768,290.

Saturday Race to Honor Billie Jo Courville

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Evangeline Downs has named the first race on the Saturday, June 11th card in honor of Billie Jo Courville. Billie Jo had been a long time employee of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, serving breeders at the Evangeline Downs office from February 2004 until her recent death this past February. Her brightness of spirit and smiling face are missed by all who knew her.
The Billie Joe Courville Memorial Race is scheduled to be the first race on Saturday’s card with a post time of 5:50 p.m. There will also be a presentation in the winners circle.