Month: July 2016

Jockey Steve Bourque gets 4,000th Career Win

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JOCKEY STEVE BOURQUE GETS HIS 4,000TH CAREER WIN ON THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT PROGRAM AT EVANGELINE DOWNS 

 – 53-YEAR-OLD LOUISIANA NATIVE HAS BEEN RIDING SINCE 1979 –

 

VINTON, LA. – Jockey Steve Bourque reached a milestone in his career at Evangeline Downs on Wednesday night as he recorded his 4,000th career win. The 53-year-old native of Louisiana booted the 4-year-old Space Book in the second race on the program, a $5,000 claimer for fillies and mares.

Bourque has been a mainstay in this part of the country since 1979 when he began his career at the original Evangeline Downs in Carencro, Louisiana. His first win came aboard the Terry Romero trainee Royal Avery. His richest tally came with Nitro Chip, who won the $200,000 Gold Cup at Delta Downs in 2004 for trainer Sam Breaux.

After retiring from the saddle for five years from 2010 to 2015, Bourque returned to racing at Delta Downs earlier this year. The time off was due to a job he took for his father-in-law Joe Coulatta who owned an oil services business in the Lafayette, Louisiana area which eventually shut down leading to Bourque’s return to racing. Bourque now ranks 69th among all North American jockeys in terms of wins.

 

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 atwww.boydgaming.com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.

Delta Downs Announces Thoroughbred Stall Application Deadline

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DELTA DOWNS RACING OFFICE ANNOUNCES STALL APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ITS 2016-17 THOROUGHBRED SEASON

 VINTON, LOUISIANA OVAL WILL CONDUCT 84 DAYS OF RACING STARTING OCTOBER 19–

 

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs’ racing office has announced that stall applications for the track’s 2016-17 Thoroughbred season are due by August 15. The upcoming meet is scheduled to run from October 19 throughMarch 11 with live racing each Wednesday through Saturday night.

Stall applications for the new season at Delta Downs are available online at www.deltadownsracing.com under the ‘Horsemen’s Info’ section. For more information about the season call Racing Secretary Matt Crawford or his staff directly at 1-888-589-7223.

Delta Downs’ Thoroughbred meeting has grown tremendously in recent years and the new season promises to be one of the best in the track’s 43-year history. The highlight of the 84-day stand will come on Saturday, November 19 when the track hosts the 14th edition of Jackpot Day which will showcase the richest race of the year, the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (Gr. 3). The Jackpot annually serves as one of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ races for horses hoping to make it to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby in May.

Louisiana Premier Night will also be a highlight of the upcoming season. The annual event offers 10 stakes races and over $1,000,000 in total purse money for Louisiana-bred horses. Louisiana Premier Night takes place in early February. Delta Downs will release its complete stakes schedule for the 2016-17 season in the upcoming weeks.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.

Lane’s End Texas To Close, Stallions To Stay In State At Valor Farm

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Lane’s End Texas, one of the Lone Star State’s leading Thoroughbred farms, has closed and the three stallions standing there—Too Much Bling, Grasshopper and Congaree—have been relocated to Valor Farm near Pilot Point, Texas.

Located near Hempstead, Texas, and formerly known as Huisache Farm, Lane’s End Texas stood many of the top Texas stallions over the past two decades, including all-time leading Texas stallion Valid Expectations. William S. Farish, owner of Lane’s End Texas as well as Lane’s End in Kentucky, has been a perennial leading owner and breeder in Texas. The stallions were managed by longtime farm general manager Danny Shifflett.

“I have been very blessed during my time at Lane’s End to work for someone like Mr. Farish and enjoy the type of animals he has produced and the care that he allows you to give to those horses,” said Shifflett. “We had a great staff with some remarkable people who were here for many, many years. We really appreciate the support we received from the Texas industry and from around the country.”

The upcoming Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale on August 29 at Lone Star Park will feature a dispersal of some Lane’s End Texas’ broodmares along with weanlings and yearlings by the farm’s former stallions.

The three Lane’s End Texas stallions will join the roster of another elite farm in the state, Valor Farm. Started by Dorothy and Clarence Scharbauer Jr. in the early 1990s, Valor Farm has also been home to many top Texas stallions over the years including Hadif, Magic Cat and Rare Brick. The farm’s 2016 roster included Crossbow, Early Flyer, Jet Phone and My Golden Song. Over the past few years, Valor Farm stallions have consistently sired Texas-bred graded stakes winners including Promise Me Silver, Fiftyshadesofgold, Thegirlinthatsong and He’s Comin in Hot.

Too Much Bling, currently the leading Texas sire by 2016 progeny earnings, just had his offspring sweep both divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity earlier this month at Lone Star Park, with both being bred by Farish. From 195 foals of racing age, Too Much Bling has sired 20 blacktype stakes winners, which at 10.2% ranks him highest among all stallions in North America.

Grasshopper, currently #2 on this year’s Texas sire list, is the sire of recent Assault Stakes winner Supermason (also bred by Farish) and Texas Chrome, a four-time stakes winner and runner-up in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby this year.

Congaree, who moved to Texas in 2015, is the sire of six graded stakes winners, including three Grade 1 winners.

The combination of stallions gives Valor Farm six of the top 10 active stallions in the state by 2016 progeny earnings.

“We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to stand these top stallions that Danny and his team have done such a great job with,” said Valor Farm General Manager Ken Carson. “Keeping these horses in Texas is important. The response we’ve gotten from our clients already has been great; people are excited to have them in North Texas.”

 

LTBA to Award Scholarships at Louisiana Cup Day at LAD

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(New Orleans, La.) – Louisiana Cup Day will take place on Saturday, August 6, at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack in Bossier City, La. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award two (2) scholarships, each valued at $1,000, during the event.

The drawings will be after the fifth race. The races begin at 3:15 p.m. and the student must be there to register between 2:15 p.m. and 3:15 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 continues to make 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.

 

LOUISIANA CUP DAY RACES

FIRST RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 6th Running of Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies
$50,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED TWO YEAR OLD FILLIES.
SIX FURLONGS

SECOND RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 6th Running of Louisiana Cup Juvenile
$50,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED TWO YEAR OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS.
SIX FURLONGS

THIRD RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 35th Running of Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint
$50,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED FILLIES AND MARES, THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD.
SIX FURLONGS

FOURTH RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 38th Running of Louisiana Cup Sprint
$50,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD.
SIX FURLONGS

FIFTH RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 32nd Running of Louisiana Cup Distaff
$75,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED FILLIES AND MARES, THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD.
ONE MILE AND ONE SIXTEENTH (FRANKS TURF)

SIXTH RACE LOUISIANA STAKES
The 32nd Running of Louisiana Cup Turf Classic
$75,000 Guaranteed
FOR ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD.
ONE MILE AND ONE SIXTEENTH (FRANKS TURF)

SEVENTH RACE STAKES
The 33rd Running of Super Derby Prelude
$100,000 Guaranteed
FOR THREE YEAR OLDS.
ONE MILE AND ONE SIXTEENTH

 

For more information please call 1-800-772-1195 or visit louisianabred.com.

 

Trainers Exam Prep Class to be Held at Remington Park

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The Elite Program, Inc., home of the Groom Elite national groom certification program, is presenting C. Reid McLellan, PhD and his Trainers’ Exam Prep Class August 15-17 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. McLellan, one of the original writers and national instructor of Groom Elite 101, the racing industry’s only national groom certification program, is a respected and engaging educator that has been teaching people about horses for over 40 years. McLellan, a participant on the Welfare and Safety of Racehorse Summit’s committee that wrote the current National Trainers Exam, founded an award winning BS degree Equine Program at Louisiana Tech University that was honored when one of its first graduates, Keith Desormeaux, saddled a classic winner in the 2016 Preakness. McLellan’s Trainers’ Exam Prep class is an intensive 20 plus hours of information about the Rules of Racing, including material covered on both the barn and written portions of a trainer’s licensing exam. In addition to individuals considering taking a racehorse trainer’s licensing exam to be licensed as either a trainer or assistant trainer, owners or horseplayers that want to know more about the Rules of Racing are encouraged to attend.

Rules of Racing differ from state to state and this class points out those important differences. Claiming rules are undergoing major changes in some jurisdictions. Drug rules and regulation uniformity is a goal of the racing industry, but it is important that trainers (and owners) understand the significant differences that still exist, even among major racing jurisdictions.

Registration fee after August 12th is $350 and includes a 110-page study guide, refreshments and lunch each day, a ROAP produced DvD “Duties of Racing Officials”, a CD with narrated power point study guides and a link to a private web page where attendees can take practice written tests. New to the 2016 class materials is a section of racehorse handling videos that reinforce the written materials. Participants that register by July 31 get to pay a special “Early Bird” registration fee of $299; those that register between August 1 and August 12 pay $329. Class size is limited to 12 so early registration is suggested.

For more information and to register for the August 15-17 Trainers’ Exam Prep Class in at Remington Park, go to http://www.purplepowerracing.com or call Dr. McLellan at 859-321-4377.

Large Catalog on Tap for Equine Sales Company Consignor Select Yearling Sale

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Opelousas, Louisiana – July 21, 2016 – Equine Sales Company today announced a catalog of 224 head for its Consignor Select Yearling Sale to be held September 7 in Opelousas, Louisiana. This year’s offering represents a 19 percent increase from the 188 head consigned last year, and it will mark the first unified yearling sale in partnership with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, which formerly held a separate sale.
            “The results of the agreement with the LTBA are evident in this catalog,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director for Equine Sales Company. “Not only do we have significantly more yearlings compared to last year, but we have also seen an increase in the quality of consignments. We have nearly 40 different consignors, including some who are making their first appearance at this sale.”
            As usual, the catalog includes offspring of leading Louisiana sires with last year’s top five stallions by progeny earnings—Half Ours, E Dubai, Songandaprayer, D’Wildcat and Closing Argument—all represented, along with many others. The list of prominent national sires represented in the catalog includes Curlin, Gemologist, Into Mischief, Oxbow, Paddy O’Prado, Quality Road and Warrior’s Reward.
            Graduates of this sale will be eligible to nominate to the 2018 Equine Sales Derby and Equine Sales Oaks, both offering a $75,000 purse at Evangeline Downs.
            The sale catalog is available online at www.equinesalesofla.com.

 

Jockey Club Report of Mares Bred Due by Aug. 1

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The Jockey Club July 20 reminded stallion managers to submit their Reports of Mares Bred for the 2016 breeding season by Aug. 1.

“We ask that RMBs be submitted by Aug. 1 to enable us to provide the most comprehensive breeding statistics possible to industry stakeholders,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club.

Iuliano noted that stallion managers who submit their RMBs by Aug. 1 are among the first to receive their Stallion Service Certificates, which expedites the timely registration of 2017 foals.

Reports of Mares Bred may be submitted via interactive registration at registry.jockeyclub.com, or a form is available by email, fax, or mail by contacting inquiries@jockeyclub.com.

 

Shine Young Winner Crosscheck Carlos to be Auctioned in California Saturday

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CROSSCHECK CARLOS (Custom for Carlos-Weepnomoremylady) remained undefeated when he shipped to Evangeline Downs and showed his class by winning the $100,000 D.S. Shine Young Futurity for Louisiana-breds in his second start in very game fashion (race replay) on an unexpected sloppy track last Saturday night.

 

He is one of only two stakes winning two-year-old colts in Southern California and they are both scheduled to sell in the Fifth Annual Paddock Sale at Del Mar of Race Ready Horses on Saturday, July 23 in the Del Mar paddock approximately 30 minutes after the last race is completed.   Information including pedigree, complete past performances and a recent race video, if applicable, for each horse can be found in sortable format here. 

For the first time, there will be a training preview for horses in the Paddock Sale catalog on Friday, July 22.   This preview will start immediately after regular morning workouts end at 10 a.m. and will be held in the manner of morning workouts.   All horses who work must work at least 3/8ths of a mile.  This preview will be broadcast live here and videos will be posted on-line soon thereafter.

 

Printed catalogs will be available ONLY at Del Mar.

 

For further information, please contact:

Barretts

http://www.barretts.com

Phone: (800) 467-7379

FAX: (909) 629-2155

 

THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS LAUNCHED IN USA

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Open to anyone working in a supporting role in racing and breeding, TIEA recognize and reward the dedicated, hard-working people who are the backbone of the industry.

Announced by Godolphin in May, the TIEA are in the homestretch for nominations for five award categories with winners to be announced at a ceremony at Keeneland in October. In partnership with the National HBPA, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) and The Jockey Club, the awards are open to anyone working in horseracing and breeding across the USA in order to recognize and reward the dedicated, hard-working people who are the backbone of the industry and play an invaluable role in caring for our equine athletes.

John Ferguson, Chief Executive and Racing Manager for Godolphin, said: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin are proud and honored to be able to launch the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards in America. We speak of our equine athletes at length but it is also important to ensure that those individuals who make up the fabric of the sport and work tirelessly behind the scenes get the merit they deserve. We look forward to watching this initiative become a significant event in the racing and breeding calendar this year and in the years to come.”

Trainers Kiaran McLaughlin and Bob Baffert, owners Maggi Moss and Sol Kumin, breeder and owner John Phillips, Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron and former jockey and broadcast racing analyst Donna Brothers, have taken on ambassadorial roles in support of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

The TIEA ceremony will be held on opening day of Keeneland’s fall meet, October 7, with recognition given to a total of 13 individuals in five different categories: Leadership Award Farm, Leadership Award Racing, Dedication to Breeding Award, Dedication to Racing Award and a Thoroughbred Industry Community Award.

In addition to a commemorative trophy for the winners, three individual awards in each category will be distributed for first place ($10,000), second place ($2,500) and third place ($2,500) in the first four categories respectively, with a single first-place award given in the fifth. On top of this, farm and racing employees associated with each award recipient will receive monetary recognition. Total prize money for the five awards will be $115,000.

The nominating process closes on Monday, August 1st. For more information go to

www.godolphinUSawards.com

 

 

 

TOBA, based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred breeders and owners. TOBA’s mission is to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, TOBA Owners Concierge, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree Clinics and the Sales Integrity Program. TOBA, in collaboration with The Jockey Club, has also created a free information resource called OwnerView to provide pertinent information to new, prospective and current Thoroughbred owners. TOBA provides international representation for U.S. owners and breeders on the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, International Cataloguing Standards Committee and International Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, owns The Horse magazine, Eclipse Press and is co-owner of The Blood-Horse LLC in a partnership with The Jockey Club Information Systems. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members.

LouisianaBred: Jake Delhomme ‪#‎LouisianaBred‬

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“It’s a very integral part of our culture and a great program that has been the leading model in the country.”

Jake Delhomme has served on the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association Board of Directors for four years. He is a past president of the Board and currently serves as the first vice president.

Jake has grandfather bred horses, and Jake’s father was a jockey who began racing at eight years old. Jake has called horses his “first love,” and today he, his father, and his brother own and train thoroughbreds.

Jake’s been involved with thoroughbreds for 24 years. His racing and breeding operation is Set-Hut, LLC, based in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He is an outside director of a Community Bank.

Delhomme became a star NFL quarterback after setting Ragin’ Cajun football records that still stand.

A Breaux Bridge native, Delhomme rewrote the Ragin’ Cajuns football record book and then led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl to highlight an 15-year NFL career. In college, he threw for 9,216 yards and 64 touchdowns from 1993-1996. Delhomme made the New Orleans Saints roster as an undrafted free agent, but made his big NFL splash when he turned the Panthers into a Super Bowl team in his first year in Carolina in 2003. For New Orleans, Carolina and Houston, Delhomme totaled 126 touchdown passes and 20,975 yards with a 59 percent completion rate.

He was inducted in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this year.

Delhomme married the former Keri Melancon in 2000; the two were childhood sweethearts and were “Junior Sweethearts” at Teurlings Catholic High School. They have two daughters: Lauren Elizabeth, who was born on December 17, 2002, and Lindsey Marie, who was born on February 25, 2007. Delhomme wears #17 because it is the date of his first daughter’s birthday; she was born after 17 hours of labor.

Jake’s favorite Louisiana Bred is Forest Lake because “she is mine!” Forest Lake was foaled and raised at his home. She was Jake’s first multiple stakes winner. He also lists Hallowed Dreams as a favorite.