Horse Racing
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala set for Oct. 4th
By texasthoroughbred.com (edited from Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame release)
Aug 8, 2008, 11:21

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame will once again honor those that have enriched the tradition of horse racing in Texas at the 10th annual Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala on Saturday, October 4, 2008.

The gala and induction of Hall of Fame honorees will be held before and during the races on that Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. The gala includes valet parking, cocktails, a gourmet buffet dinner, wine tasting, induction of the honorees, silent auction, and races, of course. October 4th is the biggest night of Retama Park’s Thoroughbred racing season, with six races worth $500,000 in purse money.

All proceeds from the gala will benefit the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The 2008 inductees include racing legends Bill Allen, Bobby D. Cox, Dorothy Scharbauer (now deceased) and Joe Straus, Jr. The Joann Weber Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Mary Ruyle.

Bill Allen has been involved in the horse racing business for nearly 40 years. Over the years he has owned many horses ranging from claimers to top-level stakes runners. Allen organized and led Black Chip Stables, owner of Wild Again, the winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic in 1984. Wild Again stunned the racing world at 32 to 1 beating the heavy favorites in a thrilling stretch duel resulting in a photo finish and lengthy inquiry. Allen's Texas roots and racing background led him to acquire the bond originally issued to finance Retama Park in San Antonio. He then put together the management team that successfully helped Retama emerge from bankruptcy.

Bobby Cox began purchasing race horses in 1976, and a couple years later, he turned a cotton field in West Texas into a first class horse facility. After creating a safe and comfortable environment to raise horses, he began purchasing stakes winners and stakes producers, and bred them to the best stallions available. Over the years, Cox has owned or currently owns lifetime breeding rights in several syndicated stallions. Through May 1, 2008, Cox has been the breeder of 28 stakes winners with total earnings of $7,913,657.00. Several of Cox’s goals in horse racing are to win both the All American Futurity and the Champion of Champions.

Dorothy Turner Scharbauer, who passed away in 2005, was the co-owner of the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba, who became the all-time leading earner and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was co-owner of Valor Farm in Pilot Point, Texas with her husband Clarence Scharbauer. A lifelong Midland County resident, she and Clarence were known for their financial and personal contributions, especially to the Museum of the Southwest and Midland College. The college named its student center the Dorothy and Clarence Scharbauer, Jr. Student Center in May 1995.

Joe Straus, Jr., breeder and owner of Thoroughbred horses, is the founder of the Texas Horse Racing Association and is one of the leaders in the passage of pari-mutuel racing in Texas. He is chairman of Retama Entertainment Group in San Antonio, the management company of Retama Park Racetrack. He is co-founder of Retama Park Racetrack, and partner in Straus and Novak racing stable. Straus 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 race horses. In 2006, Joe and his brother David J. Straus, were presented with the 2006 Freeman Award by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for their excellence and contributions to agribusiness.

The Joann Weber Distinguished Service Award goes to Mary Ruyle. She was first hired as a bookkeeper in 1988 for the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA), and ascended the ranks as membership coordinator, accreditation manager and office manager. Serving TTA for 20 years, she is presently the association’s business manager. The TTA recently awarded her with the Allen Bogan Memorial Award and named her a Lifetime Member of the association, citing that she is “a loyal business associate, the ultimate team player, a superior supervisor, an outstanding administrator……and a veritable human equivalent of a Grade 1 stakes winner.”

Tickets are $125 per person. Generous sponsorship packages are available. For more information and biographies and/or photos on the inductees, please contact Sharolyn Grammer at (210) 651-7000, retama@flash.net.

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization—was formed as an educational institution that promotes the character and integrity of the horse racing industry and highlights the enjoyment the sport provides.

Each year, since its inaugural event in 1999, the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala has recognized the accomplishments of Texas racing legends (individuals and horses) by inducting them into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The event is also designed to promote the rich history of the horse racing industry; recognize and honor Texas racing legends; and educate the public on the sport of racing.

The Hall of Fame honors the horses, jockeys, trainers and breeders who have significantly influenced and contributed to the history of horse racing in Texas and is temporarily housed on the Clubhouse level at Retama Park Race Track. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about these historical figures through biographies, view awards from their achievements, see stunning trophies and beautiful silks.

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