Category: 2022
LTBA Announces 2022 Accredited Louisiana Bred Champions
2022 Louisiana Futurities
2022 Louisiana Champions Day
With Law Changed, HISA Back in Court
Formal motion to set aside unconstitutionality ruling to be filed Jan. 3.
An attorney for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority this week asked a federal appeals court panel to set aside its ruling declaring the entity’s underlying legislation facially unconstitutional, citing a recent amendment to the law.
A letter signed by Pratik A. Shah Dec. 29 on behalf of HISA formally notified the three-judge panel “that on December 23 Congress passed, and on December 29 President Biden signed into law an amendment” that gives the Federal Trade Commission more power to regulate the Authority.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, had declared the legislation facially unconstitutional for failing to give the FTC adequate oversight over the Authority, a private entity created by the legislation.
Biden Signs Omnibus Bill With HISA Language Into Law
The sweeping bill contains clarifying language that gives more authority to the FTC.
As expected following passage from the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, President Joe Biden on Dec. 29 signed into law a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that among its many items contained legal clarifying language related to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the act that authorized it. Additionally, the bill, known as H.R. 2617, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,” calls for consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023, and provides emergency defense assistance to Ukraine.
HISA was created to implement national, uniform rules in Thoroughbred racing. The first of HISA’s two programs, the Racetrack Safety Program, had already gone into effect in July of this year. It was HISA’s second program, the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program, that was placed on hold. The ADMC program was originally slated to go into effect Jan. 1, 2023, but its implementation, even with the passage of H.R. 2617, remains delayed.
Mandy Lynn Delahoussaye, 47, Passes Away
Daughter of Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye.
Mandy Lynn Delahoussaye passed away Dec. 30 at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, La. She was the daughter of retired jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1993. Eddie Delahoussaye serves as a commissioner with the Louisiana Racing Commission and on the board of directors for the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.
The Martin & Castille Funeral Home-Southside in Lafayette will host a visitation Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. CT, followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. at Martin & Castille’s La Fleur de Lis Chapel. Deacon Cody Miller will officiate the memorial. A private inurnment will be held later in the Holy Family Cemetery and Mausoleum in New Iberia.
Jack Hammer wins Louisiana Futurity (colts and geldings)
Allied Racing’s homebred Jack Hammer pressed outside Z Resurrection and overcame a green stretch run to win the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (boys) by 2 1/4 lengths. Beating a field of seven 2-year-olds, Jack Hammer notched win number 19 for trainer Brett Calhoun who has an impressive eight-win lead in the trainer standings after scoring earlier on the card with Kupuna.
Jack Hammer ran the six furlongs in 1:12.14 across a track listed as good. Rey Gutierrez piloted Jack Hammer, earning his 24th win on the meet and securing his place at the top the jockey standings.
The field broke cleanly and Jack Hammer emerged from the group, but his inside foe Z Resurrection hustled out to take the lead along the rail running the opening fractions in :22.16 and :46.37 as Jack Hammer settled to his immediate outside. With little change in position throughout the race, the two front runners remained engaged as Calicoco and King’s Lute dueled for third behind them. Jack Hammer wandered greenly but summoned a powerful kick to draw clear of Z Resurrection in the final sixteenth. King’s Lute kept the advantage over Calicoco to finish third in front of that foe.
“He’s a little better on dirt and an off track, so I was kind of hoping this (washed off the turf) would happen,” Williamson admitted. “We were tracking the weather forecast and it came out in our favor. This horse is bred for turf and he’s run well on it, but you just never really know. His last couple numbers (speed figures) on the dirt were very good.”
Jack Hammer is a son of Jimmy Creed out of the Flatter mare Lipstick Junky and was bred in Louisiana by owner Allied Racing. The two-time winner returned $3.40, $2.60 and $2.20 as the 3-5 favorite.
“They’ve got a great breeding program here in Louisiana,” Chester Thomas of Allied Racing said. “We’ve got Mr. Money standing down here at Clear Creek now. Bret (Calhoun) is off to an awfully good start at the meet. We’ve got a couple seconds that we are hopeful can turn to wins. Bret and Reylu (jockey) are on fire, we are just happy to be a part of it.”
Stiff Drink, Ranch Water, and Flash N Class completed the order of finish. Steauxlit was scratched.
Jack Hammer netted $60,000 and now boasts career earnings of $90,000 from a record of 2-2-0 in 2 starts.
“This is a nice horse,” Calhoun said. “We’ve liked him from very early on. He’s still very green and inexperienced, but we think he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Norah G comes through as overwhelming Futurity (girls) Favorite
Tom Galvin’s homebred Norah G proved too much for the field of seven lassies in the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity. A touch slow from the gates, the up-and-coming star from Patricia West’s barn asserted herself through the turn and pulled away, but then just held safe late to win by a diminishing 3/4 length over the rail rally of the longshot maiden Everlyn’s Angel.
“I thought her break from the gate was much improved for the first two tries, so we’re moving in the right direction,” West said. “We do hope to try her at two turns in the near future.”
The debut winner earned her second victory completing the 6 furlongs over a good track in 1:14.93. Deshawn Parker was up for the score, one of two stakes wins for Parker, who also won the Woodchopper aboard Britain’s Kitten.
Longshot New Destiny, who attracted the services of Florent Geroux, vied for the early lead to set the fractions of :22.55 and :47.40. Norah G settled second to last after the slow break and had to maneuver through the forward five runners to make a sweeping move that propelled her to the lead. Everlyn’s Angel kept things interesting late rallying up the rail to secure second over New Destiny.
“Getting away from the gate went a little better,” Parker said. “She broke a step slow but not as bad as she normally does, so she’s getting better. Every time she’s raced so far she’s put herself in tight spots so I wasn’t surprised when she took me through those runners.”
Norah G is a daughter of Fast Anna out of the Malibu Moon mare Mr. G’s Moonshine and was bred in Louisiana by owner Tom Galvin. The 1-5 favorite returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.
Shes a Lucky Rebel, Hopeitsmyluckyday, Star moment and Paramour completed the order of finish.
Norah G netted $60,000 and now boasts career earnings of $110,000 from a record of 2-1-0 in 3 starts.
Highland Creek Holds Off Ballinonabudjet To Take The Boyd Rewards Stakes at Delta Downs
W. BRET CALHOUN TRAINEE WINS FIRST STAKES RACE OF HIS CAREER
VINTON, LA. – Allied Racing Stables, LLC’s Highland Creek used a perfect trip to hold off favored Ballinonabudjet in Friday night’s featured $70,000 Boyd Rewards Stakes under jockey C. J. McMahon. In the process the W. Bret Calhoun trainee notched the first stakes win of his 17-race career.
Breaking from post position four in a seven-horse field, Highland Creek settled off the pace set by longshot Doctor Leo, who went the opening quarter mile in 23.96 and the half mile in 48.95. As the field entered the second turn of the 7 ½-furlong test for 3-year-old and up Louisiana-breds, McMahon asked his mount to rally from just off the pace and he responded by taking a clear lead entering the upper-stretch.
Inside the final furlong a stout challenge was mounted by race favorite Ballinonabudjet, who took an inside path and ran at the leader with abandon. At the finish line Highland Creek proved a head better than his rival while Venn wound up another two lengths behind the top pair in third. Highland Creek covered the distance over a good track in a time of 1:32.92.
Highland Creek earned $42,000 for his win and now has a career bankroll of $253,081. His overall record includes five wins, five seconds and one third from 17 trips to the starting gate.
Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock and Neal McFadden, Highland Creek is a 4-year-old bay gelding by Broken Vow, out of the Mizzen Mast mare Mizzenway.
Sent to the gate as the second choice of the wagering public, Highland Creek paid $5.80 to win, $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Ballinonabudjet returned $2.60 to place and $2.20 to show. Venn was worth $3 to show.
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