Month: November 2016

Ross Granger, Son of LTBA Board Member Nathan Granger Loses Battle with Cancer

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Ross Stephen Granger

Born: December 8, 1996

Died: November 11, 2016

 

Erath – A Mass of Christian burial for Ross Stephen Granger, 19, will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, November 14, 2016 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church with Fr. Andre Metrejean officiating, assisted by Fr. Bill Melancon, Fr. Manny Hernandez, and Fr. Wayne Duet.  Interment will follow at Our Lady of Lourdes Mausoleum.

Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville on Sunday, November 13, 2016 from 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM, with a recitation of the rosary at 7:00 PM.  Visitation will resume on Monday at 9:00 AM until the time of the funeral service.

Ross was called peacefully home on Friday, November 11, 2016, lovingly surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.  He was a lifelong resident of Erath and a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Ross was a 2015 graduate of Erath High School, where he was valedictorian.  While at Erath High, he enjoyed many leadership activities as a member of the Beta Club, Math Club, and Student Council.  He was crowned EHS Powder Puff King in 2014, and was Voted Most Likely to Succeed by his classmates. He also excelled in sports as a member of the football and baseball teams, holding records in both sports.  He was a member of Team Louisiana Baseball, and a signee to the LSU Eunice baseball program.

During his illness, Ross devoted his time to speak with many youth groups and sports teams about the love of God, and the fortitude, commitment and dedication it takes to succeed at anything you do.  His unwavering faith, courage, and strength were an inspiration to all who knew him.  #WUPKAR was his mantra for approaching and facing challenges.

Left to cherish his memory are his parents, Nathan and Dana Granger of Erath; four siblings, Mason, Hannah, Regan, and John Eric;  Kristin Vincent; paternal grandparents, Stephen and Deanna Granger of Erath; maternal grandparents Stephen and Juliette Langlinais of Erath; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and many, many devoted friends.

He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents:  Dudley and Leona Granger, Paul and Rita Harrington, Wilfred and Anna Langlinais, all of Erath; and Ted and Lena Toups of Henry.

Serving as pallbearers will be Mason Granger, Ross’s brother; Troy Theriot, godfather; Cole Bourque and Grant Harrington, cousins; Taylor Abshire and Ross Bares, devoted friends.

Honorary pallbearers are Fr. Greg Cormier, Eric Granger, Keith Calvert, Seth Bourque, Grant Kimbell, Rhett Kimbell, Zachary Granger, Cody Granger, Ken Myers, Brian Soignier,Jake Delhomme, Dexter Babineaux, Kimble Sagrera, Christopher Sagrera, Erik Belanger, Ben LeBlanc, CKourtlenDuhon, Jonah Philley, Layne Faulk, Ty Melancon, Zack Campos, Nick Lucas, Trevor St. Amant, Edward Hutchinson, the Erath High School football and baseball teams, the LSUE baseball team, and the Quality Companies.

The Granger family wishes to extend thanks to Dr. Marta Penas-Prado, Susan Carr, and Sandra Montez at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Brian Soignier, the staff at Houston Methodist Hospital, the staff at TIRR Memorial Hermann, the staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Neuro Rehab, Dr. Ed Lafleur, Dr. Karen Roden, Tammie Cheramie, Rhonda Guidry, Concepts of Care Home Health, and Hospice of Acadiana.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Ross Granger Memorial Fund.

David Funeral Home of Abbeville,  2600 Charity Street ,  (337) 893-3777 will be handling arrangements.

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ERATH WINS PLAYOFF GAME, BUT LOSES ONE OF ITS BROTHERS

GUNNEVERA HEADS FULL FIELD OF AMBITIOUS 2-YEAR-OLDS ENTERED IN NEXT SATURDAY’S $1,000,000 DELTA DOWNS JACKPOT

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TRIPLE CROWN WINNING TRAINER BOB BAFFERT WILL SEND OUT HOT SEAN

 VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs’ racing office saw a flurry of activity on Friday morning as final entries and post positions were drawn for next Saturday’s $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (Gr. III). The 5-2 morning line favorite for the 14th running of the track’s signature event is Gunnevera, winner of the Saratoga Special (Gr. II) in August. Gunnevera hails from the barn of Antonio Sano. A total of 10 talented 2-year-olds were entered for the 1-1/16 mile race.

The 7-2 second choice in the morning line is Bob Baffert’s trainee Hot Sean. Baffert is a Hall of Fame conditioner who is best known for his work with 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Hot Sean will be making his stakes debut in the Jackpot after winning consecutive races at Santa Anita in October. Baffert’s best finish in the Jackpot came in 2006 with Pirates Deputy.

Doug O’Neill, who won this year’s Kentucky Derby with Nyquist and the 2013 ‘Run for the Roses’ with I’ll Have Another, will saddle Dangerfield next Saturday. Dangerfield will try to give O’Neil his second win in the Jackpot after Goldencents took the race in 2012.

Included in the field is Louisiana Bred Tip Tap Tapizar. The Sapling Stakes winner is twice placed in Graded Stakes, running 2nd in the Gr. II Saratoga Special S. and 3rd in the Gr. III Bashford Manor S.

The $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot is the centerpiece of an 11-race program that will feature eight stakes races, two graded stakes, and over $2.3 million in total purse money.

The entire field for the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot is listed below along with morning line odds for each horse.

Post #           Horse                                  Jockey                        Trainer                                   ML

1               Pat On the Back                   Robby Albarado        Kenneth McPeek                 15-1

2               Line Judge                             C. J. McMahon           Joe Sharp                               6-1

3               Thirstforlife                         Florent Geroux          Mark Casse                            8-1

4              Our Stormin Norman         Julien Leparoux         Mark Casse                           8-1

5              Dangerfield                           Flavien Prat                Doug O’Neill                        12-1

6              Gunnevera                            Javier Castellano       Antonio Sano                       5-2

7              Balandeen                             Channing Hill            Chris Hartman                   10-1

8              Hot Sean                                Martin Pedroza          Bob Baffert                           7-2

9               J Boys Echo                           Corey Lanerie           Dale Romans                         8-1

10            Tip Tap Tapizar                    Gerard Melancon     Steve Asmussen                 10-1

 

 The winner of Saturday’s main event will earn a $600,000 paycheck and 10 points toward a possible starting position in next year’s Kentucky Derby by way of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ series. Since 2002, a total of 14 horses have participated in the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot before going on to compete in the Kentucky Derby as 3-year-olds. There have been eight horses make it to the Kentucky Derby after running in the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot since 2013.

Long time horseman Dale Coleman Passed Away

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William Coleman

1941 – 2016

William Coleman Obituary

BOSSIER CITY, LA – William “Dale” Coleman, 75, of Bossier City, Louisiana, passed away on Tuesday, November 08, 2016. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, November 11, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Hill Crest Funeral Home with burial to follow at Hill Crest Memorial Park. Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2016 from 5 PM to 7 PM at the funeral home.

Dale was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on May 26, 1941. Dale graduated from C.E. Byrd High School. He married Pam Pennewell on September 1, 1987. He had a career in bull riding and horse racing with Lonestar Racetrack and Louisiana Downs. He also had a passion for fishing, golf, and pool.

Dale is survived by his wife Pam Coleman; children, Dawn, Shawn, Chris, Cordell, Jody and husband Frank, and Donna; grandchildren, Joseph, Jack, Cole, Will, Laney, Ethan, and Erica; sister, Brenda Weaver and husband Jimmy; and nephew, Blayne.

Please visit http://www. hillcrestmemorialfh.com to leave online condolences for the family.

Published in Shreveport Times on Nov. 9, 2016

 

Texas Thoroughbred Association Announces Renewal of 2-Year-Old Sale

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The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that it will hold its second Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4, 2017, at Lone Star Park. The under tack show will be April 2, also at Lone Star. Entries for the sale will close January 16.

The TTA, in partnership with Lone Star Park, held its first 2-year-old sale in April, taking over the auction from Fasig-Tipton. This year’s 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. As was the case this year, graduates of the 2017 sale will be eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred 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 three 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 and 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,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “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.”