Horse Racing
Texas Thoroughbred Association Executive Director's Update from Dave Hooper - August 28
By
Sep 4, 2008, 14:58

Have a comment or question about this week's update? Send an e-mail to davidh@texasthoroughbred.com. Read past updates in the Executive Director's Update archive.

FASIG-TIPTON TEXAS YEARLING SALE AVERAGE, MEDIAN DROP; GROSS UP
The Fasig-Tipton Texas Summer Yearling Sale concluded Tuesday with mixed results. With a larger catalog, the gross rose slightly but both median and average fell by double-digit percentages. But considering the disappointing results of yearling sales in other markets, the final results of the Texas sale were respectable.

From an offering of 443 yearlings, 281 sold for $3,369,700, an increase of 2.6% from the 2007 gross of $3,283,200 for 241 sold. The average dropped 12% from a sale-record $13,623 last year to $11,992, and the median fell to $4,500 from $6,200, a decline of 27.4%. Buybacks were virtually unchanged at 36.6% this year compared with 36.9% in 2007.

A Louisiana-bred son of Even the Score topped the sale with a $120,000 bid from Louisiana-based Lee Young Farm. The colt, whose dam has produced five winners from as many starters, was consigned by Elysian Bloodstock, the operation of Terry Gabriel and TTA Director Tod Wojciechowski.

The highest-priced Texas-bred was the fourth and final horse to be sold for six figures. A daughter of leading Texas stallion Valid Expectations was purchased by Bobby Powell as agent for former Texas Racing Commissioner Mike Rutherford for $100,000. Lane’s End Texas, agent, consigned the filly, who is a full sister to 2008 TTA Sales Futurity winner Bridesmaid.

Lane’s End Texas was also responsible for the second-highest Texas-bred, a colt from the first crop of Lane’s End Texas resident Midway Road whom Keith Asmussen bought for $97,000.

RETAMA HAS FULL FIELDS; GILLESPIE RUNS 26 THOROUGHBRED RACES
Retama Park, which averaged more than 10 horses per race during its 2007 meet, drew several full fields for its first of 35 cards starting tomorrow, Friday, August 29, with first post at 6:45pm. Following the Saturday night program, Retama will begin racing on a Thursday-Saturday night schedule for the balance of its 14th Thoroughbred season, which ends on November 15.

The 8-day Gillespie County Fair meet concluded last Sunday with 26 Thoroughbred races run, a new high number for the Fredericksburg track whose overnight purses continue to attract full fields and more interest from owners and trainers. Prince Krimmer bested Aggies Rule by a length and one-half in the closing day $18,500 GCFA Texas-Bred Stakes, which had a gate full of 10 runners.

TEXAS-OWNED MR. NIGHTLINGER EARNS BERTH IN BREEDERS’ CUP TURF SPRINT
Mr. Nightlinger, who races for the Texas-owned partnership of Martin Racing Stable and Carl Moore Management, earned an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint when he set a new course record for 5 ½ furlongs at Arlington Park last Saturday. Saddled by Bret Calhoun, Mr. Nightlinger showed his heels to the rest of the field in the $200,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap while shouldering topweight of 124 pounds. He covered the distance in 1:01.89 for his fifth consecutive sprint win since moving from dirt to the grass. The stakes is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” challenge series that guarantees the winner entry into the comparable Breeders’ Cup race. Mr. Nightlinger went through the Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale but was RNA’d for $45,000.

Fast furlongs...The Jockey Club has downsized its 2009 foal crop projections to 35,400, a decline of 3.3% from the revised estimate of 36,600 registered foals for 2008...Santa Anita’s new synthetic racing surface will be unveiled this Saturday, but the trainers of several racing stars, including Curlin and Proud Spell, have already indicated they will not run in Breeders’ Cup races over the new strip...Adena Springs, owned by Frank Stronach, will not offer its annual 2-year-olds in training sale in Ocala next year, having elected to use several yearling sales this fall to market its 2007 crop...Churchill Downs Inc. has raised allegations of “price-fixing” over its ongoing dispute with the Kentucky Divisions of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group, which represents 17 different state horsemen’s organizations...There hasn’t been racing in Raton, NM, since 1992 when La Mesa Park closed, but racing will return to the Northeast New Mexico city now that the New Mexico Racing Commission has granted a license to a group planning to build a $50-million racino...The racing boards in Kentucky and Louisiana have passed new rules prohibiting the use of anabolic steroids for racing in those states...TTA’s office will close at noon on August 29 to give the staff a nice long Labor Day weekend.


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