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Month: April 2019
Agent Stevens Likes What He Finds at Louisiana Sale
Purchased Calibrachoa filly for $45,000 to top this year’s sale.
Josh Stevens is a regular at all prominent North American sales, but for the past two years he has also been in action at the Equine Sales of Louisiana’s 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Opelousas, La., an auction that is below the radar for many bloodstock agents.
Stevens, who said he started attending Equine Sales of Louisiana when his clients began sending horses to race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, purchased a gray/roan daughter of Calibrachoa for $45,000 at this year’s renewal April 2. The price was the highest paid for any horse at the auction, which also included broodmares and racing or broodmare prospects.
Fillies Set Pace at Texas 2-Year-Old Sale
After four fillies tied for the fastest time during Sunday’s under tack show at Lone Star Park, fillies again took center stage in Wednesday’s Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale with the five highest prices. The auction, sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, was held at the Dallas-area track.
From 110 horses going through the ring, 75 head sold for a total of $1,751,400. The median was $14,500, up 10.69% from last year’s $13,100, and the average dipped 9.27% from $25,737 to $23,352. Buy-backs at this year’s sale came in at 31.82% compared to 20.75% last year when 84 of 106 head sold for a total of $2,161,900.
“Overall we were pretty pleased with the results,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “I’m happy to see that the median jumped up. Last year we had four horses break $100,000 compared to two this year, so that affected the average a bit but there was strong demand in the middle of the market as evidenced by the median going up. I heard from several horsemen today who said they were impressed by the quality of horses brought by our consignors.”
Hip 21, a daughter of Street Boss who worked an eighth-mile in :10.3 in Sunday’s under tack show, topped the sale with a $150,000 bid from Maui James. Consigned by Asmussen Horse Center, agent, the unnamed Kentucky-bred is the first foal out of the winning Successful Appeal mare I Have a Price.
Maui James was the leading buyer with two purchases for $203,000 with Danny Keene ranking second with four bought for $171,000.
The second-highest price was for hip 131, All in Harmony. The Kentucky-bred filly by Palace Malice went for $140,000 to Carl R. Moore Management LLC from the consignment of Twin Oaks Training Center LLC, agent. She is out of the Tale of the Cat mare Cativating and worked a furlong in :10.3.
The highest-priced male, and sixth-highest overall, was hip 129. The Oklahoma-bred colt named Duffield and sired by Kennedy sold for $62,000 from Bryan Ford, agent, to John James.
Complete results are posted at www.ttasales.com.
TAA LAUNCHES AFTERCARE SURVEY FOR INDUSTRY
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance launched an online survey April 10 to gauge Thoroughbred industry participants’ views on Thoroughbred aftercare.
The survey is now live and can be accessed by clicking here.
The TAA encourages all Thoroughbred industry participants, from owners and trainers to breeders, horseplayers, and fans, to take the survey and share their feedback.
“Understanding the Thoroughbred industry’s views on current aftercare initiatives is a priority for the TAA as we plan for the future,” TAA president Mike Meuser said. “Equine welfare and aftercare is of the utmost importance for the future of our sport, and knowing where we currently stand will help us best serve the industry going forward.”
Ours To Run Defeats Open Company in $150,000 Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn
Carousel Stakes
Oaklawn Park, 4-6-2019, 6 furlongs
4YO and Upwards, fillies and mares, $150,000
OURS TO RUN
Half Ours–Brown Eyed Baby
Breeder: Clifford Grum (LA)
Owner: Colonel Thoroughbreds LLC
Trainer: J. Larry Jones
Jockey: Terry J. Thompson
2nd
Mia Mischief
Into Mischief–Greer Lynn
Breeder: Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY)
Owner: Heiligbrodt, Heiligbrodt, Heider Family Stables LLC and Madaket Stables LLC
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana, Jr
3rd
Shanghai Tariff
Shanghai Bobby–Star White
Breeder: Rose Hill Farm (KY)
Owner: Doubledown Stables, Inc.
Trainer: James P. DiVito
Jockey: Fernando De La Cruz
Louisiana-Bred Among Quartet of Fillies Tied for Fastest Time at Texas 2YOs in Training Under Tack Show
Four fillies clocked an eighth-mile in :10 2/5 on Sunday at Lone Star Park during the under tack show for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The auction, originally scheduled for Tuesday, will be held this Wednesday at noon. The sale is sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park.
“We saw some great times considering the track was a bit heavy from some significant rain last night, and early on during the under tack there was a pretty stiff head wind,” said Tim Boyce, sales manager.
The first horse to clock the co-fastest time of the day was hip 35, a Kentucky-bred from the first crop of Florida Derby (G1) and Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution. Consigned by Diamond C Racing Stables, she is out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Lil Red Cozette, whose only starter is a stakes winner by Graydar.
Hip 58, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Flat Out from the consignment of Bryan Ford, agent, equaled the fastest clocking. The March 4 foal is the second out of the Dehere mare Preciouspurplerain.
From the consignment of Twin Oaks Training Center, agent, hip 72 also joined the fastest group. The Louisiana-bred is from the second crop of Grade 2 winner Guilt Trip out of the Known Fact mare Seda Fina, whose offspring include multiple stakes winner Su Casa G Casa.
The final horse to work :10 2/5 was hip 133, a Texas-bred daughter of Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy, also consigned by Twin Oaks Training Center, agent. She is the first foal out of the winning War Front mare Clara Kelly.
Prior to Wednesday’s sale, a pre-sale brunch will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the sales pavilion with a complementary bloody marys and mimosas along with a selection of complimentary breakfast items and food for purchase.
Replays of the under tack show are available at www.ttasales.com.
OURS TO RUN EXTENDS STREAK WITH MILD CAROUSEL UPSET
Colonel Thoroughbreds LLC.’s Ours to Run extended her win streak to five with a dominating performance in Saturday’s $150,000 Carousel Stakes before a crowd of 16,000 in attendance for the annual Boat & Truck Giveaway. It was the fifth straight stakes victory for the Louisiana-bred daughter of Half Ours and first against open company.
“She’s done really well,” trainer Larry Jones said. “There wasn’t anything else to do with her in Louisiana right at this moment. We had a little space and she was doing good. It was maybe the time to try it. They were predicting rain. She loves the off track, so that was not against us at all when this happened. I can’t say that we maybe won’t keep her with some open company because now Louisiana is penalizing her so much. She’s packing so much more weight than the other horses. Her last win, she was 9 pounds heavier than anybody. There comes a time when you’ve got to start taking that into consideration. She handled this so well, so we may go to the drawing board and try to see what else we can come up with.”
In the Carousel, Ours to Run patiently raced behind the early speed in fourth as Salt Brae led for a quarter mile in :21 4/5. Shanghai Tariff took over before a half mile in :45, but that was short lived as she was quickly headed by heavy favorite Mia Mischief and the eventual winner at the top of the stretch. As soon as jockey Terry Thompson asked, Ours to Run responded by drawing away from her competition and winning easily by 3 ¾ lengths in 1:10 4/5 for six furlongs over a sloppy track. Mia Mischief held second with Shanghai Tariff third.
“It was a short field with lots of speed on the inside,” Thompson said. “I had the perfect post position to see how the race set up. It worked out just like Larry and I thought. She engaged them at the top of the stretch and gave me all that she had. She dominated at the end.”
Ours to Run improved her record to 11-2-1 from 19 starts and has now earned $427,988. The 5-year-old mare returned $8.80, $3 and $2.20 as the 3-1 second choice in the field of five. Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Amy’s Challenge scratched from the race in favor of the Grade 1 Madison Stakes where she finished a narrow second.
The other big winner Saturday was Julie Erkel from Brentwood, TN, who won a new 2018 Ford F150 Supercab 4X2 courtesy of Crain Automotive Team and a 20ft Sylvan Mirage 820 CC Pontoon courtesy of Gregg Orr Marine. Erkel was one of 16 finalists selected by the winning jockey after each of the first eight races. Winning jockey Terry Thompson drew her name after winning the Carousel.
Obituary: Judith “Judy” Foster
OBITUARY
Judith “Judy” Foster
JUNE 27, 1949 – APRIL 4, 2019
A gathering of friends and family will be held for Judith “Judy” Foster, 69, at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home on Saturday, April 6, 2019, between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Judy was born on June 27, 1949, in Hodge, LA and passed away on April 4, 2019. She was a 1967 graduate of Jonesboro Hodge High School and raised her family in the Haughton, LA area. Her greatest delight was her family and spending time with her nine grandchildren.
Judy is preceded in death by her sister, Tootie Vines; and her parents, Dwight Vines, Sr. and Marie Vines. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Bob Foster; her children, Shannon Smith, Donna Freeman and husband Greg, Amy Anderson and husband Randy, and Lori Rhymes; and her grandchildren, Brad, Cody, Tucker, Liv, Marie, Sydney, Kylie, Landon, and Thad; five sisters and one brother.
The family would like to thank Judy’s home health nurse, Christie Jones and the ICU staff of Willis Knighton Bossier for their compassion and care.
Services
| 6APRIL |
Memorial Visitation12:00 pm – 2:00 pm HILL CREST MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOMEStateroom 601 Hwy 80 |
Lost and Found Presented by Horseware: Guidry Enjoying New Role As Louisiana Racing Official
An undated image of Guidry from his racing days
Statistically, Mark Guidry is one of only 34 jockeys to ride more than 5,000 races. In addition to those glittery stats, he is so well regarded by his peers that he received the 2006 George Woolf Award that honors jockeys whose character and career reflect positively on themselves and Thoroughbred racing.
When he received the Woolf award, Guidry credited his Louisiana upbringing that emphasized respect. He said that treating others the way one wanted to be treated was “pounded” into youngsters while growing up. In those formative years in a racing-rich culture, Guidry had easy access to horses and, like so many premiere jockeys, he started riding in informal races during his youth.
Dept. of Homeland Security Announces Plans to Allocate 30,000 Additional H-2B Visas in Current Fiscal Year
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this week communicated to Congressional offices that it would allocate 30,000 additional H-2B visas for the current fiscal year that concludes on September 30, 2019. This nonimmigrant visa program is used by many industries that need temporary non-agricultural help when domestic workers are unavailable. For the horse racing industry, racehorse trainers rely heavily on the H-2B program to fill various backside positions.
“We applaud Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen for her decision to allocate an additional 30,000 H-2B visas for the remainder of fiscal year 2019,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “This will provide relief to horse trainers desperate to hire foreign workers for backstretch positions that U.S. citizens are not filling. While the number is probably not sufficient to meet the demand, it is decidedly better than the 15,000 additional H-2B visas issued in the last two fiscal years.”
Below is the complete statement from DHS:
________________________________________________________________________________
The H-2B nonimmigrant visa program allows U.S. employers who meet specific statutory and regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a statutory cap on the total number of foreign nationals who may be issued an H-2B visa or otherwise granted H-2B status during a fiscal year. Under section 214(g)(1)(B) and 214(g)(10) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (INA), Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with a maximum of 33,000 available during the first half of any given fiscal year and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year.
Section 105 of Div. H of Public Law 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, was signed into law by the President on February 15, 2019. This fiscal year, for the third year in a row, Congress delegated to the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to allocate visas above the 66,000 cap if the Secretary determines, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, that the needs of American businesses could not be satisfied with U.S workers who are willing, qualified, and able to perform temporary nonagricultural labor.
After consultation with Secretary Acosta and carefully weighing several factors, including whether U.S. workers may be harmed, and impact statements from your constituents, Secretary Nielsen has decided to allocate an additional 30,000 H-2B visas for the remainder of fiscal year 2019. Further, this supplemental visa allocation will be available only to applicants who have held H-2B status in at least one of the past three fiscal years (2016, 2017 and 2018). Details on eligibility and filing requirements will be available in the temporary final rule and on uscis.gov when the final temporary rule is posted for public inspection.
As Secretary Nielsen has stated, Congress is in the best position to know the “right” number of H-2B visas that American businesses should be allocated without harming American workers. DHS is committed to ensuring that our immigration system is implemented lawfully and that American workers are protected. We look forward to working with Congress so it can set an appropriate numerical limitation moving forward.
Thank you.
Office of Legislative Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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