Page 96 - January_2023

202 Y E A R i n 2 REVIEW
AJAX RUNS FIRST 870-YARD RACE
(July 17) Ajax Downs in Ontario, Canada ran its first pari-mutuel 870-yard race. The event was worth $11,890 U.S. and was won by Had To Be Relentless (Hes Relentless-Had To Be Fandango), who raced in fourth place early and made a bold move in the stretch to win by
MILLIONS FOR PET FOOD INGREDIENT APPROVAL/CLAIMS
(July 20) According to the Paulick Report, the U.S. House of Representatives on July 20 passed six spending bills allocating $8 million to improve the Food and Drug Administration’s review and approval process
REVOLUTIONARY RACING KENTUCKY QH TRACK
(July 26) Revolutionary Racing submitted an application for the final racetrack license in
the state of Kentucky and laid out concrete plans for its proposed Quarter Horse track in the eastern part of the state in Camp Landing. Revolutionary Racing told the commission that
Crawford Named LAD Racing Secretary
3/4-lengths. Ridden by Josh Scott, the 4-year- old gelding was bred and is owned by Carol and Jamie Robertson and trained by Bryn Robertson. “He’s been asking for more distance every race,” said Scott. “You never really know what they are going to do in a new race like this. On the backside he was a little timid, so I let him go back to sleep and wait for our time to run.”
for animal food ingredients and to regulate animal-food ingredient claims. Animal feed industries expect the funding to expedite FDA approval of new animal food ingredients in a timely manner and allow manufacturers to develop recipes using the latest nutrition science in an effort to keep animals healthy.
AQHA RACING COUNCIL ELECTS NEW MEMBERS
The AQHA Racing Council elected three new members to serve 3-year terms that will end in May 2025. Ron Bullock and Bobby Simmons are AQHA directors and Tim Williams will serve as a track representative. Bullock has been involved in Quarter Horse racing for over 40 years and is serving his second term on the Racing Committee; Simmons was a professional roper and he and wife Catherine have served on several committees; and Williams has been involved in racing for over 40 years as a trainer and jockey, is the director of racing at Remington Park and has served on the AQHA Racing Committee. Bullock, Simmons and Williams join the 10-member Racing Council which also includes AQHA Executive Committee Member Jeff Tebow, Racing Committee Chairman G.R. Carter Jr., and members Duayne Didericksen, John Hammes,
Lloyd Yother, Ross Brigden and Dr.
Larry Findley.
OK AND TX PARTNER ON HAIR TESTING
(July 25) The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association partnered with Will Rogers Downs and Lone Star Park to
collect hair testing samples for the 2022 Fall Quarter Horse season at both tracks. Supported by the Texas Quarter Horse Association and the Texas Horsemens group, OQHRA will oversee the program at Lone Star in 2022 and will train personnel to continue the program in the future. For
a $240 onsite fee, horsemen can have hair tested and the results will be reciprocated so the horse is eligible for entry at both tracks, with the hair tests being good for 90 days. At Will Rogers Downs, horses that qualify for futurities and derbies will be required
to have a negative hair test between trials and finals.
the track is projected to bring an annual handle of $500 million, with a net revenue of $40 million, and an estimated $1 million in taxes. Track designer Tod Gralla said the new track would be based on the design of Los Alamitos Race Course. Phase 1 of construction would include stalls, a picnic area, a laboratory to test horses and an isolation barn. Phase 2 would include construction of a horse arena for shows. Co-founder Larry Lucas said the track would support 200 full time jobs and $500,000 in daily purses once in full operation.
HISA HALTED IN LOUISIANA AND WEST VIRGINIA
(July 26) Louisiana and West Virginia won a preliminary injunction in federal court to keep the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority’s rules from being implemented
in the states until a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HISA is decided in full. “This Court is only ruling on the adoption of the rules by HISA, not the constitutionality of the Act,” wrote Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana. “The geographic scope of the injunction
shall be limited to the states of Louisiana and West Virginia, and as to all Plaintiffs in this proceeding.” Chief executive officer of the HISA Authority Lisa Lazaras said that the ruling from the Western District of Louisiana, “relates only to the FTC rules, is limited in geographic scope to Louisiana and West Virginia...and does not question HISA’s constitutionality or validity.”
TEXAS FILES NEW HISA LAWSUIT
(July 29) According to an article by Dan Ross posted on the Thoroughbred Daily News website TDN.com, a group of racing-related entities filed
a new lawsuit against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). The suit focuses on the power of the HISA to implement the program
and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with a request for a preliminary injunction. The Texas Racing Commission (TRC) has refused to comply with HISA, which went into effect July 1, arguing that only the commission has the authority to oversee horse racing in the state under current Texas law. HISA covers Thoroughbred racing
in the state and as a result, Texas Thoroughbred meets cannot send their race signals out of state and advance deposit wagering companies cannot
Coady Photography
CRAWFORD NAMED LAD RACING SECRETARY
(July 18) Matt Crawford, 65, began his new position as racing secretary for the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred meets at Louisiana Downs. Crawford began his horse racing career as an assistant trainer and transitioned to numerous racing office roles, including assistant racing secretary at Louisiana Downs from 2008- 2013 and racing secretary at Delta Downs, Canterbury Park, Sam Houston Race Park, Ruidoso Downs, Zia Park, Hialeah Park and Lone Star Park.
GLOBAL GAMING WITHDRAWS FROM NEBRASKA RACETRACK/CASINO
(July 19) Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma and
owner of Remington Park and Lone Star Park, has withdrawn a proposed partnership with Brian Becker, who’s family operates Fair Play Park in Nebraska, to develop new racinos at two locations in the state. The Becker’s group planned casino site in North Platte is owned by Sovereign Properties Holdoco of Ada, Oklahoma, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation which purchased the 77-acre site for more than $2.4 million.
94 SPEEDHORSE January 2023