Page 226 - Speedhorse August 2018

Albuquerque Downs To Host 2019 Bank of America Challenge Championship
The AQHA has chosen Albuquerque Downs to host the 2019 Bank of America Challenge Championship races. This marks the first time that Albuquerque Downs has hosted the event and the first time since 1993 that the Challenge Championship races will be held in New Mexico. The 1993 inaugural Challenge Championships were held at Sunland Park. According to a press release issued by AQHA, Albuquerque Downs has committed to
funding that will strengthen the Challenge Championship purses.
PCQHRA Paid California Breeders’ Night Start Fees
The Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association offered an additional incentive
to owners on top of the more than $885,000 in purse money that was up for grabs as part of the California Breeders’ Champions Night card on July 28, paying the $300 start fee for each horse racing that night. With 94 horses, PCQHRA paid $28,200 in additional money.
Eric Halstrom Accepts Post at Louisiana Downs
Eric Halstrom, the assistant director of racing at Prairie Meadows, has accepted the position of vice president of operations at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs. Halstrom will be stepping in for Trent McIntosh, who moved
to take over Hoosier Park in Indiana. Prior to Prairie Meadows, Halstrom was at Canterbury Park and spent five years at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
Lazy A Farm – A Farm To Visit In New Mexico
Every July, Speedhorse runs a list of Farms To Visit While On A Road Trip. We ask that you contact us if we did not include your ranch, and we heard from Norma Alvarez
at Lazy A Farm. She asked that we include her on our list, so please make arrangements to visit this ranch at 1049 Mercantil Ave. in Anthony, New Mexico, the next time you’re out that way. The phone number is (915) 526-1405 and the email is lazy_a@msn.com. Happy travels.
Local & State Grown Commodities At North Dakota Horse Park
Local restaurants and commodities, as well as a representative of one of America’s most successful craft breweries, were featured at the first Taste of Ag Event at the North Dakota Horse Park on July 20. “We couldn’t think of
a better way to tie in this celebration of local agriculture than to align it with our live racing season,” said North Dakota Horse Park general manager Mike Schmitz. The race meet in Fargo, North Dakota, began July 14 and ran through July 28.
Thoroughbred jockeys (left) compete against Quarter Horse jockeys in the annual Tug of War contest at the PDJF Racing Across America night at Indiana Grand.
Jockeys Raise Awareness And Funding For PDJF
Jockeys at Indiana Grand participated in the annual “PDJF Racing Across America” on July 28 to help raise awareness and funding for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Indiana Grand was one of 25 tracks across North America participating in the event.
The jockeys participated in several events at the track, including tug of war between the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse jockeys and a foot race from the starting gate. Money was raised through the dunk tank and donations from the crowd. Since 2006, the PDJF has disbursed over $9 million to jockeys, many of whom have paralysis or brain injuries.
23rd Running of the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals
Katherine and Eddie Kirshner’s Baby Bo dominated the 23rd annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals title for the second year in a row at Los Alamitos on July 21. The 2 1/2-year old black doxie won his trial and easily defeated his nine rivals gate-to-wire in the finals. Baby Bo has now earned the first-place prize of $1,000
in each of his two championship races, and
his second Wienerschnitzel restaurant-shaped doghouse. The Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals is a fundraising event for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a non-kill shelter in Orange County, California. The Wiener Nationals and SBACC have raised over $260,000 over the years.
Eusevio Huitron Passes Away
Longtime Quarter Horse trainer Eusevio Huitron, 54, passed away on July 23. Huitron saddled 219 Quarter Horse winners from 1,328 starters with earnings of more than $4.46 million. Huitron is an all-time leading owner and leading trainer, training the winners of
the Refrigerator Handicap-G1, Texas Classic Futurity-G1, and Dash For Cash Futurity-G1. Included among his top horses are Champion Tempting Dash, Champion Miss Kips Streakin, Easy Dashin Sixes, Charal Kid and many more. Huitron is survived by his wife, Denise, his five children and many other fam- ily members and friends.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Los Alamitos Linscott Photography