Month: August 2021

LTBA Office to Close at 1 today, August 27th Due to Hurricane Ida

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The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association office will be closing at 1:00 today, Friday, August 27th in preparation for Hurricane Ida. Current plans are to be closed Monday August 30th as Hurricane Ida is predicted to directly affect New Orleans.

All Breeders’ data is backed up and will be in secure locations for the duration of the storm.

The office will re-open  as soon as it is safe to do so. Please check back on our website for updates.

We appreciate your patience and pray for the safety of all in the face of this hurricane.

CAMEL AND OSTRICH RACES RETURN TO LOUISIANA DOWNS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

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Solid Handle Increase Noted on Louisiana Cup Day

 

Bossier City, LA – As a result of the enthusiast response from racing fans of all ages, Louisiana Downs will once again present Camel and Ostrich Races on Sunday, September 5. The Bossier City racetrack welcomed the exotic animals on Sunday, May 30 to the delight of the crowd. The wildly popular special event, combined with live Thoroughbred racing and simulcast racing from tracks across the country, will make for a very enjoyable Labor Day weekend outing.

 

The first live Thoroughbred race runs at 2:45 pm (Central) with the 100-yard camel race to be run following the fourth race of the afternoon (approximately 4:15 pm) and the super speedy ostriches scheduled to take to the track after race six.

 

For further details on Labor Day weekend racing and festivities at Louisiana Downs, click HERE.

 

Louisiana Cup Day Handle Success

Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 21 featured six $50,000 stakes for Louisiana Thoroughbreds. The annual afternoon of racing salutes the breeders, owners, trainersand jockeys who give so much to the Louisiana Thoroughbred industry. It was also an excellent day regarding handle with a total of $1,440,039 million wagered on the seven-race card.  That represented an increase from the 2020 Louisiana Cup day handle of $1,210,487 with eight races on the program.

 

Officials had requested permission from the Louisiana State Racing Commission to offer the Pick 5 wager with a mandatory payout. With the carryover of $349,000heading into August 21, the pool reached $476,970.  Plenty of handicappers put together winning tickets and were rewarded with a payout of $3,353.

 

Race 3     $50,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff                              Net a Bear                   $4.40

Race 4     $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile                             True Deal                    $12.60

Race 5     $50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint                                Chu Chu’s Legacy      $15.80

Race 6     $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic                      Carlea’s Dream           $5.80

Race 7     $50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint          Strong Beauty             $10.80

 

“We were very pleased with this year’s Louisiana Cup Day,” said David Heitzmann, Louisiana Downs Director of Racing. “We were able to run stakes on the main track as well as the turf and  our horseplayers responded very well to the Pick 5 wager which boosted our handle for the day. We thank our horsemen and fans for their support of our premier day of racing!”

 

Registration Still Open for the Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Louisiana Downs will host its annual Charity Golf Tournament at Northwood Hills Golf Club in Shreveport, Louisiana on Wednesday September 1.The event will benefit The Winner’s Circle Church and Chaplain Jimmy Sistrunk for his many programs to assist the Louisiana Downs racing community and backstretch workers.

 

Sign in for the event’s Four Person Scramble kicks off at 10:00 a.m. with tee off at 10:30 a.m.  The fee is $80 per person or $320 for a four-person team.  The fee includes green fees, golf cart, lunch, and Super Derby t-shirt/cap. Trophies will be presented to the first, second and third-place teams.

 

The deadline to enter is Wednesday, August 25th. Attendees can register in person in the Louisiana Downs Racing office, or by mail. Checks should be payable to The Backside Benevolence Fund and mailed to:  Jennifer Sokol, Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, 8000 East Texas Street, Bossier City, Louisiana, 71111.  For further information, please contact Jennifer Sokol at (318) 741-2512 or (318) 573-5830.

 

Louisiana Downs Trainer, Jockey and Owner Standings

Through August 24, Shane Wilson leads his fellow conditioners with 42 wins since the 2021 Thoroughbred meet began on May 1.  Joey Foster has saddled 32 winners and Joe Duhon rounds out the top three with 27 wins.

 

Joel Dominguez, who won the title last year, is currently on top of the jockey standings with 67 wins. Also having an excellent meet is 2019 leading rider Carlos Lozada with 65 victories and Emanuel Nieves with 59 trips to the winner’s circle.

 

Competition is also very tight in the battle for leader owner with Wayne T. Davis in the lead with 21 wins. End Zone Athletics Inc. follows with 18 victories and Dream Walkin Farms Inc. is in third place with 16 wins.

 

Live racing takes place Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday until the conclusion of the 2021 Thoroughbred meet on Tuesday, September 21.

 

About 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.

 

The Jockey Club Elects Six New Members

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The Jockey Club today announced the election of six new members: Gayle Benson, Dr. Jeffrey Berk, Drew Fleming, Kevin Lavin, Anthony Manganaro, and Adam Wachtel.

Gayle Benson established GMB Racing Stables in 2014 with her husband, Tom Benson. Horses campaigned by GMB Racing include grade 1 winner Tom’s d’Etat and graded stakes winners Tom’s Ready,  Mo Tom, and Lone Sailor. She owns Benson Farm in Paris, Kentucky, which is active in Thoroughbred breeding and sales, having more than 20 broodmares on the farm. Benson is the only female owner to solely own an NFL and NBA franchise, providing leadership for the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and New Orleans Pelicans (NBA). Through the Tom and Gayle Benson Foundation, her sports organizations, and other business enterprises, Benson annually puts tens of millions of dollars back into the community in financial support, in-kind donation, charitable appearances, and donations of goods and services. Benson also oversees Benson Capital Partners, a multi-million dollar investment arm deploying millions to start-up businesses in the state of Louisiana and the Gulf South.

Dr. Jeffrey Berk is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and current chair of their Racing Committee. He began his career as an attending veterinarian at Thistledown Racetrack near Cleveland, Ohio, before starting his own practice in Ocala, Florida. He ran the practice for 19 years before merging with and becoming a partner in Ocala Equine Hospital in 2000. In 2010, he joined Equine Medical Associates PSC in Lexington, Kentucky, where, in addition to his sales work, he does pro bono work for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.

Drew Fleming is the president and chief executive officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited. He spearheads the general day-to-day operations of the company, including host track relations, long-term planning and business growth, finance, sponsorships, marketing, and legal. Prior to joining the Breeders’ Cup, Fleming practiced corporate law, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Fleming serves on the board and executive council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and chairs its Governance Committee, and the board of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition.

Kevin Lavin is a partner and the director of Equine Insurance at Sterling Thompson Company. He also serves as vice chairman of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. He was a past director of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Kentucky Derby Museum, Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs, Thoroughbred Club of America, Longfield Farm, and Lavin Bloodstock Services.

Anthony Manganaro founded Siena Farm, located in Paris, Kentucky, with partners Nacho Patino and David Pope. He is the founder of Siena Corporation, a real estate development company based in the Baltimore/Washington corridor, and Boston Medical, an international medical supply company based in Columbia, Maryland. Horses raced by Siena Farm alone or in partnership include Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming; Travers Stakes winner Catholic Boy; grade 1 winners Angela Renee, Bal a Bali (BRZ), and Dayoutoftheoffice; grade 2 winners Isabella Sings and Royal Ship (BRZ); and grade 3 winner First Captain.

Adam Wachtel is a longtime owner and breeder, racing under Wachtel Stables. Top horses he has raced in partnership include Breeders’ Cup winners Tourist and Vequist and grade 1 winners Bolo, Channel Maker, Exaggerator, Ron the Greek, Sharla Rae, and Spiced Perfection. Outside of racing, he is involved in private equity investments.

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 founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

TTA Announces Expanded $500,000 Stakes Program for Texas Sale Graduates

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The Texas Thoroughbred Association is pleased to introduce a revamped Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity and the new Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and Oaks, with purses totaling more than $500,000.

 

The races are restricted to horses that go through the ring at the upcoming Texas Summer Yearling Sale on August 30 or the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale this coming spring. Horses need not be Texas-breds to be eligible, and the new format eliminates the previous payment schedule.

 

“In the last two years, Texas Thoroughbred racing has shown a resurgence due to the increased purse money at Lone Star Park and Sam Houston Race Park,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “To continue to build on that progress, the TTA has revamped the Futurity and created a Derby and Oaks with significantly increased purses for all those races. We look forward to our yearling sale on August 30. Our goal is to create greater value for breeders, consignors and buyers.”

 

The revamped Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity will feature divisions for 2-year-old fillies and colts/geldings with $150,000 guaranteed for each division. Both divisions will be run at 5 ½ furlongs on closing weekend of the 2022 Lone Star Park Thoroughbred meet. The races previously offered purses of approximately $100,000 apiece.

 

The new Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and Oaks will be held at Sam Houston Race Park in 2023. The Derby and Oaks will be run on the dirt at a distance of one mile or more. Both races will carry purses of $100,000-added.

 

For more information on the races go to texasthoroughbred.com and for Texas Summer Yearling Sales information go to ttasales.com.