Month: January 2024

Speakers Announced for Owner Seminar at Sam Houston February 17

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TOBA

Speakers Announced for Owner Seminar at Sam Houston February 17

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is hosting an Owner Seminar Saturday, February 17 at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas. The daylong seminar will be held on Texas Preview Day with five stakes for Texas-breds. Attendees will learn insights on different aspects of Thoroughbred ownership including bloodstock, pedigree, and conformation analysis from industry professionals as well as enjoy a day at the races. The Owner Seminar is sponsored by FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips, and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

The topics and speakers at the clinic include:
• Thoroughbred Horse Racing Partnerships, presented by Corey Johnson (CJ Thoroughbreds, President)
• Horse Selection/Conformation/Pedigree, presented by Cash Asmussen (Cashmark Farm, Owner)
• Role of the Veterinarian at Public Auction, presented by David Stephens, DVM, DABVP (Weems & Stephens Equine Hospital, Owner)
• Barn Tour of Multiple Leading and Stakes Winning Trainer Danny Pish, hosted by Danny Pish (Sam Houston and Texas based Thoroughbred Trainer)
• Bloodstock and Racing Manager Roles and Responsibilities, presented by John Adger (previously served as Bloodstock and Racing Manager of Bob and Janice McNairs’ Stonerside Stable)

The TOBA Owner Seminar is aimed towards all levels of experience – from beginners to knowledgeable owners looking to continue their education. The clinic is open to the general public, with a special discount for TOBA members. Meals, educational materials, and a TOBA gift bag are included in registration.

Registration is available online, until Friday, February 16, at: toba.memberclicks.net/seminars-clinics. Questions about the clinics and seminars may be directed to Barkley N. Porter at barkley@toba.org or (859) 276-6793.

The Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association (TOBA), based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders. 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, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree Clinics, US-Bred, TOBA Owners Concierge, OwnerView and the Sales Integrity Program. 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 Thoroughbred Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, is the co-owner of BloodHorse LLC. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members.

LTBA Office Closed Until Roads Open, Tuesday, January 16

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Due to winter weather and road closures, the LTBA office is currently closed, Tuesday morning, January 16th. We intend to open once we can get to the office. Please check back as the roads clear of ice.

Louisiana-Bred Colt is Golden Pal’s First Foal

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Coteau Grove Farms bred the colt out of the Scat Daddy mare Multi Strategy.

Ashford Stud’s grade 1-winning turf sprinter Golden Pal   sired his first reported foal Jan. 9 when the winning Scat Daddy mare Multi Strategy produced a bay colt at Keith and Ginger Myers’ Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana.

Multi Strategy, who is owned by the Myers, is out of the French Deputy grade 3 winner Freefourracing , making the mare a half sister to stakes winners Ready Racer  and Speedway . The immediate family also includes grade 1 winner Five Star Flight.

“This is a strong colt with great bone and muscle,” said Coteau Grove broodmare manager Jacob Cyprian. “He has a beautiful head with quality. We sold his half brother for good money, so hopefully this colt will do the same.”

 

Read BloodHorse Article

Fair Grounds Announces 10% Across the Board Purse Increase

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Strong Early Business Prompts Daily Bump and Stakes Boost

New Orleans, La (Jan. 9, 2024) – Inspired by strong handle during the first seven weeks of the 152nd racing season, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has announced a 10% purse increase across the board, along with $25,000 added to the purses of ten stakes.

“We’re extremely excited to announce a 10% increase to our daily purse structure along with the $25,000 boost to ten stakes,” Fair Grounds’ racing secretary Scott Jones said. “Based on the strong early handle returns and continued support from our owners, horsemen, and horseplayers, we are in a position to raise purses.”

The 10% across the board purse increase will go in effect with the soon to be released condition book #4, which begins with the Thursday, Jan. 25 card (drawn Thursday, Jan. 18).

The purse increase includes both open races and Louisiana-bred races. Maiden special weight races will now be worth $57,000.

The seven remaining stakes listed at $75,000 have been increased to $100,000: Louisiana Broodmare of the Year, Louisiana Stallion of the Year, Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial, Black Gold, Edward J. Johnston Memorial, Red Camelia, and Page Cortez. In addition, three stakes run on Louisiana Derby Day (March 23) have been boosted by $25,000. The Tom Benson Memorial, a 1 1/16 miles turf route for older fillies and mares will now be run for $150,000 purse, and both the Crescent City Derby and Oaks will now be run for $125,000.

Bron and Brow Scores Second Palmisano

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Bron And Brow with Reylu Gutierrez aboard wins the 2nd running of the Gary P. Palmisano Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

 

Driving down the lane and being defended every step of the way, Gary Barber’s Bron and Brow muscled his way into the clearing to score his second $100,00 Gary P. Palmisano at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Mark Casse and receiving the services of Reylu Gutierrez, the Louisiana-bred 5-year-old beat five foes going six furlongs in a final time of 1:10.55.

“We’re very proud of the horse and thankful to Mr. Barber,” David Carroll said, assistant trainer on the grounds to Mark Casse. “I can’t speak enough about this horse’s heart and guts, he’s a class horse to be around. Truthfully, I don’t think it was his best race. I think it was a savvy ride by Reylu. Down the backside I was a little bit concerned that he wasn’t traveling as smoothly as he normally would be. Bron and Brow at the end of the day was the best horse on the day and showed a lot of guts and determination and we’re very proud of him.”

Mike J and Not On Herb both broke sharply, but Mike J led the duel making the first two calls in :22.42 and :45.65. Breaking near the lead himself, Bron and Brow was settled, giving the leaders several lengths, and soon guided to the four-path keeping Autumns Strong Man in his sights. Invited to the rail by that foe, Bron and Brow took the bait in the far turn, leaving him in a precarious spot needing to get clear as Autumns Strong Man matched his every stride. Shouldering out at the 3/16ths pole, Bron and Brow took aim and drove past Mike J at the 1/16th pole as the convincing 2 1/4-length winner.

“Credit to the horse and the staff,” Gutierrez said. “I knew he was much more ready today (than his second-place finish in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint). Mr. Carroll has had him in his hands for about a month now. I saved a little bit of ground in the turn and from the quarter pole home, got him in the clear. This is a tremendous horse and he beat some nice horses today.”

Sent off as the even money favorite, Bron and Brow paid $4.00, $2.40, $2.10. After doing all the dirty work on the lead, Mike J returned $3.80, $2.40. Mangum made a late move to return $2.10.

“Gary Palmisano was a great mentor to me when I first arrived (at Fair Grounds),” Carroll said. “Now with his son Gary (Jr.) working for Churchill, it is just a great thrill to win this race. After Bron and Brow ran in Ellis in June, Mark and Mr. Barber decided to give him a break, get him ready for the Fair Grounds meet. Hopefully we can continue on this route and take him back to Delta (Downs) and repeat what we did last year. It worked out beautifully today even though there were a few worrying moments.”

 

With two Palmisano’s on his resume, Bron and Brow’s lifetime stats sit at 16-6-4-3 and $384,370 in earnings. The son of Gormley was bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock & Hume Wornall.

Ova Charged Crushes Bob F. Wright Field

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Going faster than the Palmisano-winner Bron and Brow, Brittlyn Stable’s Ova Charged cruised to victory on Saturday in the $100,000 Bob F. Wright Memorial at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained and piloted by the current meet-leaders Shane Wilson and Jose Guerrero, the 6-year-old daughter of Star Guitar won the Wright by 6 3/4 lengths over Beleout.

“She felt amazing,” Guerrero said. “When she came out of the gate and I asked her a little bit, she went, but I said ‘not yet.’ Last race she was coming off of the layoff, but the way she warmed up today, I knew she was 100% good to go.”

Never being menaced by any of her six foes and leading at every call, Ova Charged stopped the clock in 1:09.75, which is .80 seconds faster than the male stakes winner earlier on the card.

“We knew she was going to get tired in the (Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint),” Wilson said. “I stuck my neck out after that last one and said anybody can come and try her now that we had that race under her belt. I think we showed it today–she is the best sprinting mare in the state. We’ll get her back on the turf (next). She’s undefeated on the turf so we want to show that angle again, too.”

As the 7-5 second-favorite, Ova Charged paid $4.80, $3.20, $2.10. Beleout spiced up the payouts to the tune of $8.20, $2.80. As the public’s top preference, Free Like a Girl returned $2.10.

“When I saw 1:09 I knew she was back,” Evelyn Benoit of Brittlyn Stable said. “She needed the break. Jose Camejo had taken good care of her but the Wilsons took over and everything has worked out perfectly. So excited for Star Guitar. Can’t tell you enough how much I love that stallion.”

Wilson reported he is considering the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes on Feb. 13 for Ova Charged’s next start. It would be her third try against open company.

Other than a second-place finish in the Victory Ride (G3) at Belmont, a loss last summer at Keeneland, and a local defeat at the hands of statebred males last spring, Ova Charged has never lost. Undefeated facing statebred fillies, she also has an open company allowance win at Monmouth and can boast a 13-10-1-0 lifetime record with $488,780 in the bank.

 

LTBA Office to Close at Noon, Monday, Jan 8

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Due to bad weather predicted to hit New Orleans, the LTBA office is closing at 12:00 noon today, Monday, January 8th. The office will re-open tomorrow, Tuesday, January 9th at 8:00 a.m.

We apologize for any inconvenience .

Stovall Deploys New Tactics to Win Futurity; Guitar Solo Bests Freeburn in Fillies Futurity

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Stovall with Corey Lanerie aboard passes Carpis feet from the wire to win the 60th running of the Louisiana Futurity Colts and Geldings Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

 

New Orleans, La (Dec. 31, 2023) – With a change of tactics and a change in riders, Clyde Moran Sr and Jeff Plotkin’s Stovall won Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Boys) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. After being in the thick of the early mix in each of the juvenile’s five races, Stovall’s trainer Samuel Breaux called upon Corey Lanerie to settle the son of Half Ours early and save his run for the last two furlongs.

“We did a few adjustments and decided to come off the pace instead of going up there,” Breaux said. “There was lots of speed in there, and he stopped the other day (in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile), so we decided to change strategies.”

With his eyes set on the even-money favorite Carpis throughout, Stovall followed that leader through the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Lanerie showed him daylight and Stovall responded to run down Carpis, officially beating that foe by a 1/2 length. Going six furlongs, the colts & geldings division of the Futurity was run in 1:11.54.

“I looked at his form and he’s always up front battling and he always sort of stops,” Lanerie said. “I hadn’t spoken to Sam (Breaux) until I got into the paddock, and he said ‘there’s a lot of speed, maybe we got to come from behind.’ We both agreed we shouldn’t take him back but we wouldn’t send him. He put me in a great spot right behind the favorite. He’s pretty strong. He wasn’t really wanting to sit back there but he wasn’t crazy rank. When I showed him daylight, he gave me another gear and it was enough.”

Later in the card, Lanerie won the fillies division aboard Guitar Solo.

Stovall returned $22.60, $6.40, $3.80. Carpis offered $2.60, $2.40. Tdzshininluckystar paid out $4.80.

After winning his first stake in his fourth try, Stovall’s 2-year-old record tops off at 6-3-0-1 with  $105,850 in earnings.

 

 

Guitar Solo Bests Freeburn in Fillies Futurity 

Guitar Solo with jockey Corey Lanerie aboard wins the 57th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity Filly Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Jan Brubaker

Though she came up short on Louisiana Champions Day, Guitar Solo substantiated her monster debut effort with a dominant win in Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Girls) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. With the lead and the rail, World War IV Racing’s homebred trained by Allen Landry saved every inch to beat six Louisiana-bred juvenile fillies to the wire  by 2 1/4 lengths over Freeburn.

“She showed up today,” Landry said. “Last time (in the Lassie) we ran her back in just nine days. It was a little quick, but we just sort of had to.”

Being pressured throughout by Freeburn, Guitar Solo ran professionally and in tune with her jockey Corey Lanerie throughout to cover the six furlongs in 1:10.87, over a half-second faster than the winner of the Boys division earlier on the card.

“I really just had to be a good passenger and hope we got a good break and she did the rest,” Lanerie said. “(Freeburn) came up to me around the turn and I wasn’t sure, I thought it was going to be close all the way to the end. She proved to be the best horse today and got the job done.”

The Star Guitar filly could be even better covering a route of ground.

“I think once we get to stretching out she’ll be better,” Landry said.

Guitar Solo paid $6.20, $3.80, $2.80. Freeburn returned $3.40, $2.60. Platinum Minit scrambled down the center of the track to edge out Clearly a Test and pay $4.20.

Capping off her freshman year at 3-2-0-1, Guitar Solo has earned $96,800.

The race week concludes on New Year’s Day with a 9-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. CT.

 

BALLINONABUDJET RALLIES TO WIN THE BOYD REWARDS STAKES; BASALT STREET HANGS ON TO TAKE ROSEWATER STAKES AT DELTA DOWNS

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VINTON, LA. – Race fans were treated to a pair of stakes races at Delta Downs on Friday night as the track embarked on its final race weekend of calendar year 2023. The featured races were the $70,000 Boyd Rewards and the $70,000 Rosewater Stakes.

Ballinonabudjet wins the 2023 Boyd Rewards Stakes at Delta Downs.

A field of 10 went postward in the Boyd Rewards, a Louisiana-bred event for 3-year-olds and up competing at 7-1/2 furlongs. The race was won by Jeffery A. Reeves’ Ballinonabudjet under jockey Devin Magnon.

Ballinonabudjet, who is trained by Jeffery Reeves, Jr., dropped back in the field early after the break before moving into contention up the backstretch. In the meantime, it was Jack Bob and Larry who set the early pace of 23.62 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 48.27 for the half mile while being pressed by Venn. That pair reached the far turn together before Jack Bob and Larry threw in the towel and receded.

At the head of the lane Play Mo took a narrow lead while battling with a tenacious Venn through the stretch before Ballinonabudjet rallied late to collar the pair just before the finish line. The winning margin for Ballinonabudget was one length while Venn settled for second, a head better than Play Mo. The final running time for the race was 1:33.72 over a fast track. It was the first career stakes winner for trainer Reeves.

The win by Ballinonabudjet was the seventh of his 30-race career. He banked $42,000 for the effort and has now earned $332,314.

Bred in Louisiana by Spartan Team Investments LLC, Ballinonabudjet is a 5-year-old bay gelding by Sky Kingdom, out of the Wildcat Heir mare Heir to Glory.

Sent off at odds of 6-1, Ballinonabudjet paid $14.20 to win, $6.80 to place and $4.60 to show. Venn was worth $13.20 to place and $8.40 to show. Play Mo returned $3.60 to show.

 

Basalt Street wins the 2023 Rosewater Stakes at Delta Downs.

The Rosewater appeared to be a two-horse race on paper and that’s what it turned into until the final strides. Basalt Street and World War hooked up in a speed duel for most of the 7-1/2 furlongs while setting fractional times of 23.81 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 48.28 for the half. But as the pair turned for home World War backed off and left the lead to Basalt Street, who appeared to be a clear winner until Muchmorethanready launched a furious late rally that resulted in a tight photo finish. The result was a narrow win by Basalt Street over Muchmorethanready while World War wound up third, another 2-3/4 lengths behind the top pair.

The final time for Basalt Street, who was ridden to victory by jockey Tim Thornton, was 1:34.35.

Owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling and trained by Gary Scherer, Basalt Street has now won seven of 24 starts. The $42,000 paycheck on Friday night raised her overall bankroll to $311,613.

Bred in Louisiana by Paul Pruett & Lindsay Syler, Basalt Street id a 4-year-old dark bay or brown filly by Uncaptured, out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Shirley Street.

Basalt Street paid $4.60 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.40 to show. Muchmorethanready returned $4 to place and $2.80 to show. World War paid $2.60 to show.

January Calendar of Events from the LTBA

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Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association would like to share the following list of dates of interest to Louisiana horsemen and women.

Brought to you by Whispering Oaks, and Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Click images link to more information
Dec 22-25

  • LTBA Office closed for Christmas Holidays

Dec 31

  • New Years Eve
  • Louisiana Futurity, Divisions for Fillies and for Colts and Geldings, New Orleans Fair Grounds

YEAR END REMINDER:

  • Louisiana Stallion Registrations Due
  • Louisiana Futurity Nominations Due (pregnant mares)
  • FINAL DAY to apply for accreditation of 2023 Louisiana Bred foal at weanling rate  of $75. As of January 1, 2024, 2023 foals become yearlings and the rate increases to $250.

Jan 1

  • New Years Day Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association Office Closed

Jan 5

  • Sam’s Town S., Delta Downs, Vinton, LA
  • Orleans S., Delta Downs, Vinton, LA

Jan 6

  • Bob F. Wright Memorial S., New Orleans Fair Grounds
  • Gary P. Palmisano Memorial  S., New Orleans Fair Grounds
  • Nelson J. Menard Memorial S., New Orleans Fair Grounds

Jan 20

  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Road to the Derby Day, New Orleans Fair Grounds
  • G3 Lecompte S, Silverbulletday S., Duncan F. Kenner S., G3 Louisiana S., Col. E. R. Bradley H., Marie G. Krantz Mem. S.
Would you like to sponsor a newsletter? Reach more than 2,500 readers.

Please contact Linda 504-460-5518, linda@louisianabred.com or Roger 504-947-4676, roger@louisianabred.com for cost and availability.

Do you have a date pertaining to Louisiana-breds that you would like included in an upcoming calendar? Please contact Linda 04-460-5518, linda@louisianabred.com or Roger 504-947-4676, roger@louisianabred.com for consideration.

Any questions or need more info call

Roger A. Heitzmann III, Secretary/Treasurer

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association

504-947-4676
Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association louisianabred.com
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