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Category: TTA
David Hooper, Longtime Racing Official and Executive, Passes
David Elliott Hooper, 88, of Georgetown, Texas, passed away peacefully on Monday after after a long battle with cancer. As in life, his beloved wife Martha was by his side.
Hooper was born on Jan. 3, 1935, to Raymond and Doris Hooper in East Rutherford, N.J. After attending the United States Naval Academy through an appointment from Congress (1953-56), he completed his studies by graduating from University of Pennsylvania as part of the class of 1961.
After graduating with a degree in International Relations, Hooper began a storied career in the horse racing industry that spanned over 60 years. He held many regulatory positions, including executive secretary of the Illinois Racing Board, and served as a steward at the state and racetrack levels in eight states. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Pete Pedersen Award from the Racing Officials Accreditation Program, which recognizes professional excellence, integrity, and benevolent consideration in the performance of their duties. Often referred to respectfully as “Judge,” Hooper was regarded widely as being fair in his stewardship and interactions with fellow horsemen, while prioritizing the ethics of the game and safety of the jockeys. He retired in 2020, his final position as steward at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.
TTA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon on June 24th at Lone Star Park
The TTA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon will be June 24th in the Alysheba Suite at Lone Star Park. The day includes full day of racing including four stakes worth $750,000.
During the awards ceremonies, the Texas Champion “Horse of the Year” and the owners and breeders of the champions of each racing division will be honored, along with the TTA Member of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, the Leading ATB Money Earner and Texas Breeder of the Year. Current Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund scholarship recipients will be recognized, along with an update on the activities of The Paddock Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the lifelong welfare of the Thoroughbred horse.
We will focus on the positive results generated through our initiatives and programs, celebrating the accomplishments of Texas youth, Texas horses and their owners and breeders. We hope you will be able to join with us in doing so.
Reservation deadline is June 5th. Click here to access the printable reservation form or click here to access the digital/fillable reservation form. Please note that if you are using the Chrome extension to fill out the PDF it will show the wrong tabbing order … please open the desktop app or download to complete the form for the correct tabbing order.
Award recipients are:
Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Come To The Party (by Bradester) • Owners: Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt • Breeder: Three Feathers Farm
Champion 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Vietnam Victory (by Klimt) • Owner: James Stodola • Breeder: CJ Thoroughbreds
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly: Texas Thunder (by Bradester) • Owner: Carl R. Moore Management LLC • Breeder: Robert C. Francis
Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Lucky’s Special (by Special Rate) • Owner: Victoria Lynn Heine • Breeder: Victoria Lynn Heine
Champion Older Filly/Mare & Horse of the Year: No Mas Tequila (by Northern Afleet) • Owner: James Sills • Breeders: Ronald & Margaret Ellerbee
Champion Older Horse: Mr Money Bags (by Silver City) • Owner: Erma Cobb • Breeder: Roy Cobb
Champion Claimer: My Babys Gone (by Congaree)
Champion Broodmare: Foxy Boss (by Street Boss)
Breeders of the Year: Ronald & Margaret Ellerbee
Leading Accredited Texas-Bred Money Earner: Macassar Corporation.
Allen Bogan Award for TTA Member of the Year: Tracy Sheffield
T. I. “Pops” Harkins Award for Lifetime Achievement: Ken Carson
Thank you!
Texas Thoroughbred Association
192 Cimarron Park Loop, Suite A
Buda, TX 78610
Phone: 512-458-6133
Fax: 512-453-5919
2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale Will Be Held On August 28th
(Austin, TX) – The Texas Thoroughbred Association will hold its 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale on August 28th. The sale will be held at the sales pavilion at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
“We’re fresh off the successful 2023 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, so now we turn our attention to our yearling sale,” TTA sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “We’ve already had a lot of interest from our owners and breeders about our 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale. This announcement of our date on August 28, 2023 is just the start of our planning process as we work to continue to put on successful sales in the Texas region.”
The 2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale set records for the TTA Sales company. One-hundred-sixty-one horses sold for $3.41M in total sales, up from $3.2M at the 2021 sale. The average sale price in 2022 increased and the median price was also up year to year.
“We are proud of the gains made at our 2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale,” Bridewell added. “In 2023, we have an opportunity to continue to grow our sales operation and provide a strong marketplace for our buyers to shop for and our sellers to showcase quality horses in the region.”
The Entry Deadline for the 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale is June 30, 2023 and consignment forms are now available at www.ttasales.com.
Accredited Texas Bred Deadline May 31
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Tapwrit Filly Tops the 2023 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale
(Grand Prairie, Texas) The hammer dropped on the gray filly by Tapwrit at $300,000 Wednesday to lead the way at the 2023 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Consigned by Pike Racing as Hip 167, the Tapwrit filly, who is out of the winning and producing Henny Hughes mare Sky O’Blue, walked into the sales ring with much anticipation. Randy Morse, as agent, signaled the winning bid, signing the ticket on the filly who breezed the 9.4 bullet for 1/8th of a mile at Lone Star Park on Monday.
“The Tapwrit filly certainly didn’t disappoint at any point this week,” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “She breezed in 9.4, showed well at the barn, and presented herself beautifully in the ring. We’re lucky to have had her in our sale and thankful to all parties involved.”
A Bolt d’Oro colt brought $160,000 marking the second highest priced horse to leave the ring Wednesday and the highest priced colt. The Oklahoma bred son of Bolt d’Oro, out of a producing Street Sense mare, was consigned by Bryan Ford Training Stable. Larry Hirsch signed the ticket. Hirsch also bought Hip 190, a colt by Lord Nelson out of the stakes-placed mare Malibu Party, for $155,000 from the Oak Creek Thoroughbreds consignment. Hip 193, a filly by Nyquist consigned by Clary Bloodstock, sold for $150,000 at the very end of the sale to Hirsch as well.
“We’re truly fortunate to have had such quality offerings in our 2023 sale,” Bridewell said. “It’s a testament to the hard work and time put in by our sellers and teams behind these athletes. And we’re grateful to our buyers locally, nationally, and internationally for supporting our sale.”
In total, 103 hips sold Wednesday at the 2023 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale for a total of $3,420,000, an increase from last year.
Full results are posted at TTAsales.com.
2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale Will Be Held On August 29th
(Austin, TX) – The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced its 2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held on August 29th. The sale, co-presented by Lone Star Park, will be held at the sale pavilion at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
“After the results of our 2021 yearling sale, we have a lot to look forward to with the 2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale,” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “The yearling market in Texas in 2021 was strong, thanks to our consignors, who brought quality physicals and pedigree to our sale, and thanks to the buyers who certainly loved the individuals on the grounds.”
The 2021 sale concluded with an increase in the total number of yearlings cataloged and sold, as well as a positive jump in the average and median sale prices. Texas sales graduates are eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star Park at two and the new Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and Oaks for three-year-olds at Sam Houston.
“There’s really never been a better time to sell and buy racehorses in the Texas,” Bridewell said. “Thanks to the passage of HB 2460 in 2019, the Texas horse industry benefits from the infusion of $25 million per year, increasing purses and Accredited Texas-bred incentive awards. This is all thanks to Texas lawmakers who support racing in this state; it’s truly a great time to bring horses to Texas to sell and for buyers to find quality prospects.”
The Entry Deadline for the 2022 Texas Summer Yearling Sale is June 24, 2022 and consignment forms are now available at www.ttasales.com.
Stallion Power In the 2022 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale Catalog
(Austin, TX) – One-hundred-thirty-two two-year-olds are cataloged with sire power, both nationally and regionally, in the 2022 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, presented by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park. The sale is set for April 6th at the sale pavilion at Lone Star Park; the breeze show is April 4th at the track in Grand Prairie.
Two-year-olds by Arrogate, Connect, Constitution, Distorted Humor, Ghostzapper, Hard Spun, Kantharos, Malibu Moon, Runhappy, and Sky Mesa represent national and international stallion power. The catalog features prospects from first year stallions Accelerate, Always Dreaming, Army Mule, Cloud Computing, Good Samaritan, McCracken, Mendelssohn, Mo Town, and Tapwrit. And offspring from some of Texas’ leading stallions, including Bradester, Competitive Edge, Eagle, and Too Much Bling, will go through the auction ring.
“We tried to put together a diverse catalog with something for just about everyone,” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “Our consignors really had a lot to offer, in terms of stallion strength and pedigree, and we are grateful they saw fit to sell with us. We’re excited about book we’ve put together and think our buyers will be too.”
The catalog is full of notable pedigrees both regionally and nationally. Hip 117 is half to Texas champion Mr Money Bags, by Too Much Bling, from Clary Bloodstock. Hip 19 is a half to Texas Thoroughbred Futurity winner Streak of Silver consigned by Pike Racing. Hip 87 is a half-sister to stakes winner Pinky Ring Bling and Texas champ Gold Pilot from the Benchmark Training Center draft. Hip 98 is a Ghostzapper filly out of a half-sister to GSW stallion Adios Charlie, consigned by Twin Oaks Training Center. Hip 102 is a half-sister to Texas champion Ima Discreet Lady and Hip 114 is a Hard Spun colt out of a mare that’s already produced GSP Crowded Trade.
“The catalog is strong, family wise,” Bridewell added. “We have horses that are out of stakes winners, by stakes winners, by proven and new stallions, half siblings to stakes winners or stakes placed horses, and half to Texas champions. We couldn’t ask for a better group and can’t thank our consignors enough for bringing them to Texas.”
The interactive catalog is available now at www.ttasales.com. Supplements to the catalog are expected and will be posted at www.ttasales.com.
TTA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet, March 19th
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TTA Releases Video Honoring 2020 Texas Champions and Human Award Winners
The Texas Thoroughbred Association has released an online video honoring the 2020 Texas Champions and human award winners. Traditionally the TTA would have an in-person awards ceremony, but one will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While we are disappointed in not having an awards ceremony this year, we are proud of the accomplishments of Texas-breds and Texas horsemen last year, and we are pleased to honor them with this video,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “Congratulations go out to all the award winners.”
The 2020 Texas Champion horses were previously announced, and those horses are highlighted in the video along with four human award winners that were not previously announced. The video can be viewed on the TTA’s Facebook page and at https://youtu.be/9f3C63Mrk6A.
The T.I. “Pops” Harkins Award for lifetime achievement was awarded to Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale and Joe Straus Jr.
McIngvale has found great success in both the business world and on the racetrack. His Houston-based Gallery Furniture has sponsored numerous stakes races over the years and frequently features racing-related promotions, including one involving the 2021 Kentucky Derby that helped raise the profile of the sport to non-racing fans. He won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Runhappy and now stands the stallion and often sponsors racing events to promote him. He is also a noted philanthropist and has supported numerous charitable efforts within and beyond the world of racing.
Straus is one of the founding fathers of modern Texas horse racing. He was instrumental in the passage of pari-mutuel wagering laws in the state and is a co-founder of Retama Park near San Antonio. Straus also serves as chairman of the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, of which he is also an inductee. Also a successful breeder and owner, Straus has worked hard to ensure a level playing field for horsemen and served on the Texas A&M Target 2000 committee and spearheaded efforts for the Texas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to serve as the lead agency to test competition racehorses.
The Allen Bogan Memorial Award for TTA member of the year was awarded to Bill Tracy and Martha Claussen.
Tracy is a longtime TTA member and Texas horseman who worked at JEH Stallion Station in New Mexico and Oak Tree Ranch in Bandera, Texas, and presently is farm manager at Mike Grossman’s Eureka Thoroughbred Farm in Fredericksburg, Texas. He has served on the TTA board for a combined total of nearly 20 years, and he has also served on the board of the TTA’s Paddock Foundation and as president of the Texas Thoroughbred Educational Fund. In his work to support TTA and Texas racing, he has testified before the Texas Racing Commission and spent numerous hours working with legislators to highlight the importance of horse racing to our state.
Claussen has worked to promote Texas horse racing for nearly 25 years after being hired as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park in 1997. Since then, she has distributed countless news releases and photos to better inform the media and general public about the special people and horses in our sport. While many news releases just list out basic information, Claussen always goes the extra mile to include quotes from the winning connections and other details to recognize the effort it takes to win a stakes race. She is among the most active and recognized voices on social media when it comes to Texas horse racing, and she is a familiar face nationwide from her frequent winner’s circle interviews.
Following is the complete list of the previously announced 2020 champion horses:
2-Year-Old Filly: Con Lima (by Commissioner) • Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Graffeo, Joseph F., Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Johnson, Troy • Breeder: Lisa Kuhlmann
2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Hulen (by Tapiture) • Owner: L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables LLC and Spendthrift Farm LLC • Breeder: Keith Asmussen
3-Year-Old Filly: Boerne (by Fed Biz) • Owner: De Luca and Sons Stable • Breeder: Randi and Eric Moreau-Sipiere
3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Gold Pilot (by My Golden Song) • Owner: Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch • Breeder: Ronald and Margaret Ellerbee
Older Filly/Mare: Ima Discreet Lady (by Discreet Cat) • Owner: Duane Coker and Raymond Todd White • Breeder: Larry S. Huntsinger
Co-Champion Older Horse: Sunlit Song (by My Golden Song) • Owner: Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding • Breeder: Carolyn Barnett
Texas Champion Claimer: Meme Jo (by Too Much Bling) • Owner: John L. Pierce II • Breeder: Jeanne Bruce
Champion Broodmare: My Silver Song (by My Golden Song)
Horse of the Year and Co-Champion Older Horse: Redatory (by Oratory) • Owner/Breeder: James Wessel
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