Page 15 - June 2017

Thoroughbred riders. The Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award is the first and only one of its kind in the Quarter Horse industry.
Previous winners include: Roy Brooks in 2011, Gilbert Ortiz in 2012, G.R. Carter Jr. in 2013, Cody Jensen in 2014, Eddie Garcia in 2015, and Ramon Sanchez in 2016.
ArApAhoe pArk opening DAy Cut Short
Arapahoe Park is scheduled to conduct 39 days of live horse racing in 2017, but opening day was cut short due to inclement weather. Arapahoe Park cancelled its May 19 opening- day card after the third race because of cold and rainy weather. The meet at the Aurora, Colorado track will conclude Aug. 13.
On June 17, Arapahoe Park will partner with the Colorado Horse Council for the Heritage Ride, which will give fans the chance to bring their horses and ride on the racetrack. A Father’s Day buffet and festivities will take place June 18. Track announcer Jonathan Horowitz will host the weekly feature television show Gates Open at Arapahoe Park on Altitude Sports & Entertainment about the behind-the-scenes
of horse racing. Visit www.altitude.tv for the complete TV schedule and www.mihiracing. com for Arapahoe’s full stakes schedule.
SunlAnD plAnS MixeD Meet
The New Mexico Racing Commission meets June 15 in Albuquerque and, according to a press release, Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino plans to submit its 2017-18 race meet format to the commission.
The 72-day meet will run from Dec. 15 through April 17, 2018, with four days of racing per week. The estimated split would include about 70 percent Thoroughbred races and 30 percent for Quarter Horses, a similar format
to that presented during the track’s 2016-17 season. The daily purses for the mixed meet are estimated to be about $220,000.
Management at the track plans to work on improvements for the on-track experience of Sunland guests. In recent years, the track has drawn crowds through festivals and is looking at opportunities to draw more people to the track with the possibility of Quarter Horse twilight racing after the March 2018 time change, and other events.
Will rogerS getS upDAteD look
Race fans visiting Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Oklahoma, will notice updates to the facility. A $5 million budget went into the renovations, including an upgraded dance floor and entertainment venue, a new gaming floor and simulcast area, and a refurbished banquet space. The gaming floor offers 250 electronic games in a new location on the south side of the casino, while the simulcast viewing area has been relocated to the northwest corner and features numerous large screens and seating for over 100. The Horseshoe banquet space can accommodate 150 additional fans during major events. The indoor paddock observation area off the simulcast room offers
a VIP view to the paddock area. Will Rogers Downs will begin Quarter Horse racing on Sept. 9. Visit www.cherokeecasino.com for the latest information.
horSeMen rAlly For oklAhoMA tornADo ViCtiMS
On May 16, a tornado passed through
Elk City, Oklahoma, and Lake and Ladonna Newcomb’s Newcomb Cattle Company took a direct hit, which resulted in the loss of homes, barns and animals. Lake, who is a past president of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA), currently serves as a director of the organization. Heritage Place has facilitated a Go Fund Me account to help the Newcomb family, with 100 percent of donations to go directly to the Newcombs. As of May 24, the fundraising efforts had passed the half-way point with $16,520
raised of the $30,000 goal. The OQHRA also has a charitable fund called the Oklahoma Equine Disaster Fund that contributes financial help to Oklahoma horsemen in times of tragedy.
Fore!
The 38th Annual Jay Pumphrey Cowboy Classic Golf tournament is slated for Aug.
29 at The Links at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso,
and AQHA is accepting registrations. “The Pumphrey” coincides each year with the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale and All American Week at Ruidoso Downs. The tournament is intended to promote fellowship among Quarter Horse racing enthusiasts and has helped get many newcomers involved in the industry. The $150 entry fee includes green fee, cart, range balls, and an invitation to the dinner and awards presentation following the competition. A silent auction will be held during dinner, with all proceeds benefiting the Jay Pumphrey Animal Sciences Scholarship Fund. Entries are due by Aug. 23, 2017, and can be found at www.aqha.com/racing.
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track chatter