Page 178 - Speedhorse March 2019

Heath Taylor Reinstated After 5 Year Suspension
In 2012, trainer Heath Taylor was cited for a drug violation at Delta Downs and was sus- pended for five years and fined $10,000, and on Jan. 28 he was reinstated by the Louisiana State Racing Commission. Taylor, 48, had a record of 1,551 wins and earnings of over $30 million prior to his suspension. Among his top runners are World Champion Stolis Winner and Champions Fredricksburg, Miss Kips Streakin, and Vals Fortune.
Cesar De Alba Saddles First Starter
Recently retired leading Quarter Horse jockey Cesar De Alba began his training
career when he saddled Pied N True at Santa Anita on Feb. 23. The mare ran second in the $16,000 claiming event, being claimed by Matt Chew, who previously owned her. “Thanks
to all the supporters out there,” said De Alba on his Twitter page. “Pied N True ran great! Hopefully I can claim one soon and get it to the winner’s circle.”
New Mexico No-Tolerance Albuterol Rule
The New Mexico Racing Commission Rules (NMRC) and Medication Committee voted on Jan. 16 to pass a zero tolerance rule for albuterol. The new rule will go into effect in May and will be utilized for post-race test- ing as well as the out of competition testing program used by the NMRC. The rule is not breed specific and will apply to both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds.
John Andreini Scholarship
The first scholarship award in memory of the late John Andreini will be awarded in the fall of 2019. Applications opened Feb. 15 and will close April 15. A written essay is part of the application, which will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the All American Ruidoso Downs Foundation (AARDF) Board of Directors. To be eligible, the applicant or their family must be involved in the horse racing community, maintained a GPA of
2.5 in their most recent year of study, and currently attend or will attend a college within six months of application date. A total of $6,000 will be awarded to the winning applicants. Visit www.aardfoundation.org for more information.
University of Arizona RTIP & ARCI Racing Investigator Training Program
The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program (RTIP) plans to launch an educational program in the third quarter of 2019 for horse racing investi- gators employed by racing commissions and tracks. This program is the first of its kind and will complement the work of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) and the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP).
AQHA Exploring Possible Relocation
Talk of possibly moving AQHA headquar- ters from Amarillo to Fort Worth has been rekindled, and efforts are being made by key industry stakeholders, external to AQHA staff, to raise funds to support the move. AQHA’s primary goal will always be, “to continue
the hard work of rolling out new registry computing technology that will improve our service levels to the membership,” says AQHA Executive Vice President Craig Huffines. AQHA will keep the public informed as devel- opment regarding the possible move evolves.
Los Alamitos Enhances and Renames La Primera Del Ano Derby
In 2020, the La Primera Del Ano Derby will be known as the Los Alamitos Oaks with a $400,000 estimated purse. Trials for the race for 3-year-old fillies are set for March 7, 2020, with the finals on March 28, 2020.
Wyoming Downs Select Mixed Horse Sale
Wyoming Downs has set its second annual Select Mixed Horse Sale for Aug. 3 following the track’s race day. The sale is estimated to begin at 5:30 p.m. Consignments for race bred horses of all ages and breeds are welcome. Early consignments will be accepted through May 3, with consignments closing June 3. Contracts are available at www.wydowns.com/horsesale.
Hall of Great Western Performers Inductees
Actor Kevin Costner, performer Howard Keel (1919-2004), 3-time World Champion steer roper Clark McEntire (1927-2014), and cowboy, former slave and discoverer of the first Folsom archaeological site George McJunkin (1851-1922) will inducted into the 2019 Hall
of Great Western Performers during the 59th annual Western Heritage Awards hosted by
the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on April 12-13. Cowboy entertainer and musician Dave Stamey will be honored with the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, and singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphey will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Each individual will receive a Wrangler bronze statue created
by Oklahoma artist Harold T. Holden, a 2017 Hall of Great Westerners inductee.
Tim Williams Named Remington Park Racing Secretary
Remington Park’s president and gen-
eral manager Scott Wells confirmed that
Mike Shamburg has stepped down and Tim Williams has been named as Racing Secretary. Williams has been the assistant racing secretary at the Oklahoma track for eight years.
AAVMC 2019 Iverson Bell Award
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named Dr. Kenita S. Rogers from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences as the 2019 Iverson Bell Award recipient. The AAVMC presents the award
in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions in promoting opportunities for under-represented minorities in veterinary medical education. Dr. Rogers is TAMU’s Executive Associate Dean and Director of College Inclusion and Diversity. She has devel- oped memoranda of agreements (MOAs) with four Texas A&M University system schools for
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