Month: April 2019

MONTE MAN NAMED 2018 LOUISIANA BRED HORSE OF THE YEAR

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MONTE MAN - Louisiana Legends Sprint - 05-26-18 - R07 - EVD - Finish
Monte Man wins the 2018 Louisiana Legends Sprint. Coady Photography.

On Sunday afternoon, Louisiana horsemen and women gathered at the Equine Sales facility in Opelousas to honor the 2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Champions and their connections at the Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet.

While the majority of the award winners had been announced previously, the overall horse of the year was named at the banquet. Voted on by the LTBA Board of Directors, this year’s Louisiana Bred Horse of the Year is Monte Man. 

LA-HOY-Connections
LTBA President Warren Harang (center) presents the trophy for 2018 Louisiana Horse of the Year, Monte Man, to Breeder, Val Murrell (left), and trainer, Ron Faucheux.

Monte Man won six of seven starts in 2018, including five stakes wins. He won the Louisiana Premier Night Sprint at Delta Downs in February, the Costa Rising Stakes at Fair Grounds  in March, the Louisiana Legends Night Sprint at Evangeline Downs in May, the Louisiana Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs in August and the Heitai Stakes at Fair Grounds in November. In his final start of the year Monte Man ran third in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint. Total 2018 earnings for the son of Custom For Carlos out of Sarah’s My Angel  added up to $257,690. Monte Man , who also received the award for Older Louisiana Bred Male was bred by Val C. Murrell, is owned by Ivery Sisters Racing and trained by Ron Faucheux.

Before the presentations, Lori Johnson of The Jockey Club delivered a very informative presentation on the new paperless registration process. There were many questions about the new process, and LTBA members were quite grateful for Lori’s knowledge of the topic at hand.

Following is a complete list of the Award Recipients and their connections:

Louisiana 2018 Horse of the Year
Monte Man
Sire: Custom For Carlos
Dam: Sarah’s My Angel
Breeder: Val C. Murrell
Owner: Ivery Sisters Racing
Trainer: Ron Faucheux

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Two-Year-Old Filly
Midnight Fantasy
Sire: Midnight Lute
Dam: St. Jean
Breeder: J. Adcock & Hume Wornall
Owner: Carl R. Moore Management LLC
Trainer: Joe Sharp

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Two-Year-Old Colt
Classy John
Sire: Songandaprayer
Dam: Kitty’s Got Class
Breeder: Tom Curtis & Wayne Simpson
Owner: Valene Farms LLC
Trainer: Dallas Stewart

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Three-Year-Old Filly
Testing One Two
Sire: Star Guitar
Dam: Yes Sir
Breeder: Brittlyn, Inc.
Owner: Brittlyn Stable, Inc.
Trainer: Victor Arceneaux

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding
Givemeaminit
Sire: Star Guitar
Dam: Powerful Nation
Breeder: Clear Creek Stud
Owner: Valene Farms
Trainer: Dallas Stewart

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Four-Year-Old and up Fillies & Mares
Ours To Run
Sire: Half Ours
Dam: Brown Eyed Baby
Breeder: Clifford Grum
Owner: Colonel Thoroughbred LLC
Trainer: Larry Jones

2018 Accredited Louisiana Bred Four-Year-Old and up Male
Monte Man
Sire: Custom For Carlos
Dam: Sarah’s My Angel
Breeder: Val C. Murrell
Owner: Ivery Sisters Racing
Trainer: Ron Faucheux

2018 Louisiana Broodmare of the Year
Street Beat
Dixie Brass – Mary Eby
Owner: William D. (Joe) Pickett

2018 Andrew L. “Red” Erwin Stallion of the Year
Star Guitar
Quiet American – Minit Towinit
Owner: Brittlyn Stable (Evelyn & Maurice Benoit)

2018 Louisiana Leading Breeder by Breeders Awards
J. Adcock (Red River Farm LLC)

2018 Louisiana Leading Breeder by Percentage of Stakes Winners
James McIngvale

Bruce Salard Named LQHBA Executive Director

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Alexandria, Louisiana Native to Take the Helm on Monday, April 15

 

Bruce Salard-2019
Mark Herron/TRACK Magazine photo

Alexandria, Louisiana (April 3, 2019) –  The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) is pleased to announce that Bruce Salard has been named executive director of the state-bred racing association. He will replace the position vacated by Tony Patterson, who served as executive director of LQHBA, before resigning last month.

Salard was born and raised in Alexandria, attending Holy Savior Menard High School before continuing his education at Louisiana Tech University, where he earned his BS of Finance. He went on to receive his MBA from Southern Methodist University. Professionally, Salard began his career as an audit and tax accountant before joining JP Morgan Chase as a controller and senior vice president. He was recruited by Barclays and spent four years in London serving as finance director before returning to the United States and taking the position as controller for the National Bankruptcy Services in Dallas, Texas.

His extensive financial background aside, Salard is well-versed and passionate about horseracing in his home state of Louisiana.

LQHBA president Ryan Robichaeaux has enjoyed a long association with
Salard and his father, Willie, a Quarter Horse breeder and owner who had a number of successful Louisiana-breds including Magic Black Jack. The son of Jet Black Patriot set a new AQHA world record on July 8, 2017, winning the 220-yard Flying Breed Stakes at Delta Downs in a sizzling:11.466 seconds, a 118 speed index.

“Tony Patterson did a tremendous job for our association for the past 11 years,” said Robicheaux. “We are extremely fortunate that Bruce has returned to Alexandria and accepted our offer. He is an excellent businessman, great communicator and knows and loves horses. We believe that with Bruce’s leadership, we can continue to grow and take our association to the next level. We are, and will always be Louisiana Strong!”

Salard, is thrilled to return to his hometown and direct his business acumen and energies to breeding and racing in Louisiana.

“I grew up down the road from Leverne Perry and my fondest memories involved racing,” said Salard. “When I was 21, my first horse qualified for the LQHBA Breeders Futurity. My family loved Quarter Horses. The joy of seeing my father breed a world record-setting stakes winner will stay with me forever.”

Salard has attended numerous racing events in Louisiana over the years and knows the current LQHBA staff and board of directors very well.

“I have many goals as I embark upon the role of LQHBA executive director,” added Salard. “It will be important to get to know each of the horsemen and horsewomen who have worked tirelessly to grow racing and breeding in Louisiana.  Attracting even more prospective buyers to our two annual sales is another very important priority. This is a very exciting move for me!”

About the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA)

The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) is the state racing affiliate of the American Quarter Horse Association.  It is also the official registry for accredited Louisiana-bred racing Quarter Horses and is recognized by the Louisiana Legislature and the Louisiana State Racing Commission.  Since its inception in 1966, the association has developed many programs to further breeding and racing in Louisiana. Last year in Louisiana horsemen competed for over $21 million in purses, and breeders’ incentives for mares and stallions of accredited Louisiana-bred foals totaled approximately $4.7 million.  LQHBA oversees the annual LQHBA Yearling Sale and Fall Mixed Sale and has raised and donated over $570,000 to support its Louisiana youth scholarship program.

 

Jockey Club Calls for Dramatic Industry Changes

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A 23rd horse died at Santa Anita Park only three days after racing resumed; it is the 23rd horse fatality in the past three months.

The string of deaths at Santa Anita isn’t the first spike in fatalities at a U.S. racetrack — these tragic events have happened before at other tracks and they will continue to occur without significant reform to the horse racing industry. The issue isn’t about a single track; horse fatalities are a nationwide problem that needs to be addressed on an industrywide basis.

There has been tremendous focus on the track surface, but the core of the problem lies in a fundamentally flawed system that falls far short of international horse racing standards — standards that better protect horses and result in far fewer injuries and deaths.

Chief among the principles that make up the standards of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) are those guiding the development of an effective anti-doping program and the regulation of the use of performance-enhancing drugs and drugs that can mask injuries, both of which can result in injuries and deaths. Under IFHA policies, commonly used therapeutic medications capable of masking pain and other symptoms of discomfort must be withdrawn days or even weeks prior to the race as compared to hours before the race in the U.S. IFHA policies also encourage rest to recover from injuries as opposed to policies here that facilitate treatment so training can continue, imperiling both horse and rider.

It’s time we joined the rest of the world in putting in place the best measures to protect the health and safety of our equine athletes and that can be done only with comprehensive reform. Reform that includes creation of an independent central rule-making authority, full transparency into all medical treatments and procedures, comprehensive drug reform, and strict anti-doping testing both in an out of competition.

On March 28, 2019, The Jockey Club published a major white paper — Vision 2025, To Prosper, Horse Racing Needs Comprehensive Reform — outlining the need for reforms and specific recommendations, including passage of H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is the sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

 

HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS ANNOUNCES ITS 2019 THOROUGHBRED STAKES SCHEDULE

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Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby Set for Saturday, September 7

 

Bossier City, LA – The 2019 Thoroughbred racing season will get underway at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs on Saturday, May 4. The 84-day meet includes 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 3 and Super Derby Day on Saturday, September 7.

 

The marquee stakes of the meet is the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby, which will be run at a distance of mile and one-sixteenth. Contested on the Frank’s Turf Course in 2017, the Super Derby reverted to a main track feature last year. Hall of Fame conditioner, Steve Asmussen won the 2018 Super Derby with Limation. The prestigious race, which had its first running in 1980, had a noted history as a graded stake run at nine furlongs on the dirt.  The nationally acclaimed racing event has a distinguished list of past champions, including four Kentucky Derby winners, four Preakness Stakes winners, five Belmont Stakes winners and seven Travers Stakes winners. Six previous Super Derby entrants have won the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Classic and three Super Derby winners, Tiznow, Sunday Silence and Alysheba have been voted the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year, the industry’s highest award.

 

There are a few changes for 2019 Super Derby Day. The date has been moved up one week and will be contested on Saturday, September 7, instead of Labor Day weekend. Also, the $60,000 Unbridled Stakes, a turf feature, has been renamed as the Frank L. Brothers, to honor the Louisiana horsemen, who was a leading trainer in Louisiana before gaining national prominence in the sport.

 

“We want racing fans to see our Super Derby live and enjoy the many special events planned for our signature event at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs,” said Eric Halstrom, Louisiana Downs director of operations “We found that many patrons had out-of-town plans or holiday gatherings with family members on Labor Day weekend, so we shifted our date to the next weekend.”

 

Frank L. Brothers is Louisiana horseman, who won over 2,300 races and trained notable champions including Pulpit, Hansel, First Samurai and Arch. In 1991, the New Orleans native won two of the three U.S. Triple Crown races. He was inducted into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame that year, and in 2015, became the first Louisiana trainer to be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Brothers won nine training titles at Louisiana Downs and officials felt that naming a race in his honor was well-deserved. He retired four years ago and lives in Kentucky with his wife, NBC racing reporter, Donna Barton Brothers.

“Frankie is a very skilled horseman and was highly respected by our fans and horseplayers across the country,” stated David Heitzmann, Harrah’s Louisiana Downs director of racing. “We are pleased to honor him and look forward to presenting an excellent Super Derby card.”

The annual Louisiana Cup  Day will feature six divisional stakes for horses bred in Louisiana, with four six-furlong main track stakes as well as the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic and the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff to be contested at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf. The program also includes the $60,000 Prelude, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds that serves as the local prep race for the Super Derby. Purses for the Louisiana Cup Day stakes will total $360,000.

 

Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a 3:15 p.m. post time and Saturday’s card to commence at 12:55 p.m. For more information on the upcoming racing season, which runs through September 25, visit https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-louisiana-downs/racing.

 

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs 2019 Stakes Schedule

 

Saturday, August 3                           Louisiana Cup Day               Noms close July 20

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile                    2 YO LA-Bred                        Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies          2 YO Fillies LA-Bred             Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint  3 YO & Up F&M, LA-Bred  Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint                        3 YO & Up LA-Bred              Six furlongs

$50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic              3 YO & Up LA-Bred              1 1/16 miles (T)

$50,000 Louisiana Distaff                              3 YO & Up F & M LA-Bred  1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 Super Derby Prelude                         3 Y0                                        1 1/16 miles

 

Saturday, September 7                     Super Derby Day                  Noms close August 24

$60,000 Frank L. Brothers                           3 YO & Up                             1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 River Cities                                       3 YO & Up F&M                    1 1/16 miles (T)

$60,000 Happy Ticket                                    2 YO Fillies                             One Mile (T)

$60,000 Sunday Silence                                 2 YO                                       One Mile (T)

$300,000 SUPER DERBY (G3)                         3 YO                                       1 1/16 miles

$60,000 A. L. (Red) Erwin                             3 YO LA-Bred                        One Mile (T)

$60,000 Elge Rasberry                                   3 YO Fillies, LA-Bred            One Mile (T)

 

To see a complete list of the stakes schedule, including nominations, click here.

 

About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.

 

Obituary: George F. Graham Jr.

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George F. Graham Jr. Obituary

George F. Graham Jr. passed away on Friday, March 29, 2019 at the age of 81.

George is preceded in death by his parents, George F. Graham Sr. and Hellen Marie Graham-Boutte; and his beloved wife of 48 years, Ione Nichols Graham. He is survived by his daughter, Connie G. Garnes (Timothy) of Madisonville, LA; grandson, Jordan Graham Martinez (Stacy); great-grandchildren, Mason and Presley; sister, Cindy Boutte Cannizzaro (Mike); brother, Nol A. Boutte (Terry); as well as many dear nieces, nephews, and cousins.

George proudly served his country as a member of the Louisiana Air National Guard, 122nd Fighter Group, Belle Chasse, LA from 1954-1958. He owned and trained thoroughbreds at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Track, Evangeline Race Track, Jefferson Downs, Suffolk Downs, Mountaineer Park and Delta Downs. George was also a Steward and Louisiana Racing Commission Association Judge for 38 years. He was also a contractor, and built many homes in Belle Chasse.

He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to a visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at Garden of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70001. A Catholic Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home chapel. To express condolences, please visit www.gardenofmemoriesmetairie.com.

Equine Sales Co. Breeze Show Videos Available. Sale Tuesday Starting at 11

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EQUINE SALES COMPANY

2019 Two Year Old in Training Sale 

with Race Age Horses.

BREEZE SHOW VIDEOS

 TO VIEW THE BREEZE SHOW
 
Equine Sales of Louisiana -2019 Two Years Old in Training Sale - Breeze Show
Equine Sales of Louisiana -2019 Two Years Old in Training Sale – Breeze Show

 

SEE YOU AT THE
TWO YEAR OLD SALE 
Sale Date:  Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Sale starts at 11:00 am
 
 

 

**********************************
Equine Sales Company
372 Harry Guilbeau Road
Opelousas, Louisiana  70570
 
Office:  337-678-3024 * Fax:  337-678-3028
 
Sale Director:  Foster Bridewell
Cell:  214-718-7618