Page 47 - January 2016 Speedhorse

2015 A YEAR IN REVIEW
December 5
Suzanne Norton Jones of Tatum, New Mexico, passed
away. Jones, 91, was involved in nearly every aspect of the
horse industry as well as being a published author. Jones
and her husband, New Mexico rancher & AQHA Director
R.C. “Punch” Jones, were successful breeders, receiving a
30-year continuous breeder award and 40-year cumulative
breeder award. Suzanne was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1999, the same year she was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame, and she and her husband were inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame in 2014.
December 13
Leading Sire Corona Cartel became only the second
stallion in history to pass the $50 million mark in
progeny earnings. The 1994 stallion has stood
his entire career at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie,
Oklahoma. Bred in California by Robert Etchandy, Corona
Cartel, who was raced by Celina Molina and is owned by a syndicate, is the sire of seven Champions from 15 crops to race, including all-time leading filly/World Champion Blues Girl Too ($2,032,328).
December 20
Los Alamitos Racecourse ended its 150-night Quarter Horse race meet & honored its 2015 meet leaders: AQHA Hall of Fame Owner & Breeder Ed Allred was the leading owner with 69 wins; Paul Jones was the leading trainer for the 17th time in 18 years with 101 wins; and Cruz Mendez won 119 races, making him the leading jockey for the 4th consecutive year.
December 26
Hialeah Park began its 2015-16 live racing season with a record-breaking start, posting an all-time high of $597,070 in all-sources handle on a single Quarter Horse card in Florida.
December 7
AQHA Hall of Fame Member
& legendary jockey Charlie
“Choo Choo Charley” Smith
passed away. Smith, 86, was
the only jockey ever to ride
World Champion Jet Deck,
who won 14 stakes races and
broke 6 Track Records. An 11-time leading rider at Los Alamitos, Smith helped build Los Alamitos when he was superintendent in the 1970s and 80s.
December 17
Speedhorse Art Director/ Senior Designer Mark Holley (left) was surprised with a 30- year award
presentation
at the
Speedhorse
Christmas
Dinner.
December 17
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) approved an expansion of conditions for the claim void rule, allowing claims to be voided in cases where the horse is visibly bleeding from the nostrils. Previously, claims could
be voided for unsoundness, if a horse suffered a fatality during a race, or if he was euthanized before leaving the track.
December 19
Evangeline Downs ended its 46-day Quarter Horse racing season and announced its 2015 meet leaders: Robert Touchet was named leading trainer with 30 wins as well as leading owner with 14 wins; and John Hamilton & David Alvarez tied for leading jockey after each winning 40 races.
December 28
2012 sorrel
gelding Heza
Dasha Fire
(Walk Thru
Fire-Dasha
Freda, Mr
Jess Perry)
became the
106th horse
to be named an AQHA Supreme Race Horse, which recognizes racing Quarter Horses who earn $500,000 or more and win two or more open Grade 1 events and at least 10 races. Heza Dasha Fire has won 11 races with earnings of $1,689,388 thus far, winning four Grade 1/Grade 2 races. Heza Dasha Fire, who is bred/owned by S-Quarter K LLC, was the 2014 Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding and is a leading contender for 2015 championship honors.
December 10
The Missoula County Commission voted against a contract with the Western Montana Turf Club to return racing to the fair in 2016, citing poor facilities & the absence of long-term plans. Some commissioners would like to see the facility focus on a multi-event center that would operate all year and host concerts & various sporting events.
December 11
Congress passed a bill offering relief for H-2B visa employers, including racehorse trainers, including a provision allowing taxpayers to depreciate on a 3-year schedule racehorses 24 months of age & younger when purchased and placed into service. This schedule better reflects the length of a racehorse’s career & is more reasonable for owners.
December 12
Jockey Saul Ramirez, Jr., 43, retired to pursue a new career
as a trainer. Ramirez, who has ridden the earners of nearly $24 million, ended his riding career finishing 2nd on Slinky Kas in a claiming race at Evangeline, but earlier that day rode Open Me A Corona to the colt’s 6th consecutive stakes win in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic-RG2.
December 21
Carl Draper, 76, suffered a heart attack and passed away at his home in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. Draper was a 2-time All American Futurity-winning trainer and a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame. He trained the earners of over $12.6 million, including World Champion DM Shicago.
SPEEDHORSE, January 2016 45