Page 168 - June 2017

Congress Passes Bill To Up Nonagricultural Visas
Both houses of Congress approved a budget bill that will allow for an increase in the number of non-agricultural visas issued during this fis- cal year that ends in September. The bill allows the cap on nonresident, nonagricultural visas
to rise from 66,000 to 130,000 at the approval of the secretary of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor. Racing lobbyists are expected to ask for a permanent increase during the next budget negotiations.
Sam Houston Meet Leaders
Wes Giles Reaches Milestone
Champion Trainer
Wes Giles reached his
1,000-win milestone on
May 28 when Apolltical
Chad (Apollitical Jess-Fast
Prize Tracy, Shazoom)
won his trial to the
Ruidoso Derby by 1
1/4-lengths under Adrian
Ramos for owner Nueve
Racing. The 3-year-old sorrel gelding qualified with the second fastest time to the $800,000 estimated Grade 1 finals that will run June 10. Giles won the $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity-G1 with Apolltical Chad last year.
Construction Begins On CSU Research Center
Construction for Colorado State University’s newest research facility began June 2 when the university broke ground on the $65 million C. Wayne Mcllwraith Translational Medicine Institute, named for the distin- guished professor and veterinarian who built an equine clinic and research enterprise in orthopedic medicine during nearly 40 years at the university. Mcllwraith is also a founding director of CSU’s Orthopedic Research Center as well as a pioneer in equine arthroscopic surgery and research into biological therapies based on living cells and their products. John and Leslie Malone provided the transforma- tional lead gift of $42.5 million to establish the institute. Adding to the Malones’ gift, Princess Abigail K. Kawanankoa donated the institute’s naming gift of $20 million.
Florida Court Denies Gretna Bid
The Florida Supreme Court on May 18 ruled against efforts by Gretna Racing in Gadsden County to add slot machines. Gretna was the first of several Florida operations to secure a pari-mutuel license by staging a series of unconventional races such as barrel races and two-horse short distance races. The Supreme Court stated, “In the absence of such a specific authorization, a county cannot initiate a refer- endum that will authorize the Division to issue a license any more than the county could itself issue a slot machine gaming license.”
Horse Racing Bill Dies In Texas House
The Texas Senate recently approved two bills to boost racing in Texas. However, both bills have died in the House. One bill would have provided the racing industry with $25 million over two years, while the other would have added support for the state’s breeding interests. Texas horse tracks attracted more than $300 million in wagers each of the past two years, with nearly half coming from Sam Houston Race Park.
Flare For Ivory Breaks 20 Year Track Record
Flare For Ivory (Ivory James-Special Phoebe, Special Effort) broke the 20-year- old 330-yard track record at Arapahoe Park when she won the $14,550 Dash For Speed Stakes on May 28. The four-year-old filly, ridden by Tanner Thedford, covered the distance in :15.432, which was 0.22 seconds faster than the previous track record of :15.65 set by Flew Bye A Winner on Aug. 31, 1996. Trained by Jose Barron for Hugo Barron and Marguerita Melendez, Flare
For Ivory has five wins from 16 starts and $75,414 in earnings.
G.R. Carter Bobble Heads
Speedhorse and
Albertson’s Market
in Ruidoso, New
Mexico, sponsored
an autograph signing
party with jockey
G.R. Carter Jr. on
May 25, opening
weekend of Ruidoso
Downs, giving away
free bobble heads
of the Champion
rider. In addition, the
first 700 fans who
purchased a program
on May 26 received a
G.R. Carter Jr. bobblehead. Carter, a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame, is the all-time leading Quarter Horse jockey by wins and earnings.
38th Annual Triangle Spring Sale Makes History
Despite heavy rainfall, the 38th Annual Triangle Spring Sale on April 29 made history by achieving a net sales average of $7,000 per head. The $50,000 sale topper was the cutting horse GS The Iceman (Smart Little Lena-Cruel Jewel, Lenas Jewel Bars), a 2008 sorrel gelding consigned by Michelle Moore, Agent. The Triangle Summer Sale is scheduled for Aug. 11-12, and the Triangle Fall Sale is set for Oct. 27-29, which will include the 2nd Triangle Future Fortunes Select Sale. Visit www.trihorse.com for more information.
The 2017 Sam
Houston Race Park
Quarter Horse
meet ended May
22 and declared
their meet leaders:
Sam Houston
Futurity-G2 win-
ner This Is An
Eagle (One Famous
Eagle-Lady Lilia,
First Down Dash)
was named Horse of the Meet for breeder Pete Scarmardo, owner Mary G. Lynne Thompson and trainer Leon Bard; A. D. Maddox took his fifth Leading Owner title at the track with eight wins; AQHA Champion Trainer Judd Kearl won his eighth Leading Trainer title at Sam Houston with 30 winners; and Rodrigo Vallejo picked up his fifth Leading Rider title with 28 wins.
AQHA Racing Integrity Teams
The AQHA commitment to protecting the welfare of the running Quarter Horse includes their Racing Integrity Teams (RIT), which regu- larly team up with racetracks and racing commis- sions at racing events. RIT work includes assisting local racing commission and track staff, perform- ing searches of barns or cars, sharing knowledge and intelligence with local enforcement teams, and other general security and deterrence actions. These teams are made up of members of the Organization of Racing Investigators and often have hundreds of years combined experience.
Ricky Ramirez Reaches Milestone
Champion Jockey
Ricky Ramirez reached
his 1,000-win milestone
on May 19 in an allow-
ance/optional claiming
race at Remington Park.
He is one of 85 jockeys to
have reached this mark.
Ramirez began riding
racehorses at the age of 13
and rode his first official
race in 2003. He has ridden multiple Grade 1 win- ners and has earnings of more than $26.4 million.
Judd Kearl & Rodrigo Vallejo
166 SPEEDHORSE, June 2017
news briefs
Coady Photography