Page 14 - Jan_2020

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by Jennifer K. Hancock
WRONA NAMED NEW TRACK ANNOUNCER AT LOS ALAMITOS
On Dec. 27, Los Alamitos began the 2019-2020 season, and new track announcer Michael Wrona stepped up to the mic after long-time announcer Ed Burgart retired. The new season will include 150 nights of racing. Los Alamitos, which first opened on Dec. 4, 1951, with an 11-day season, is celebrating its 70th year of live racing.
CODY JENSEN: ON HIS RETIREMENT
Three-time AQHA Champion Jockey Cody Jensen rode his last race at Sunland Park on Dec. 29 to close out 2019 and his riding career.
“I’m really lucky,”Jensen said. “I feel like
I’m still able to ride at a high level, but I don’t ever want my body to get to the point where I can’t ride at that high level again. I never want
to be the guy where people say, ‘You know, he used to be good. He should have hung it up.’ I’ll go ahead and step away while I feel that I’m still riding well and have something to contribute and get on horses like Flash And Roll and Up And Coming. To ride those type of horses for my sendoff is pretty great.”
in addition to meeting the other requirements, before it will be removed from the AQHA Awards and Publicity violations list.
This recommendation originated from the AQHA Racing Committee, and was then approved by the AQHA Racing Council, followed by approval from the AQHA Executive Committee.
Violations include positive tests for Class 1 or Class 2 substances, clenbuterol, any prohibited substances
in the presiding jurisdiction, or any medications other than those defined by ARCI as being a controlled therapeutic medication, and also include as a violation the failure to report for out-of-competition testing.
The full AQHA Policy Concerning Awards and Publicity of Horses and/or Trainers with Racing Medi- cation Positives, as well as a list of trainers and horses with violations, is available on the AQHA website. Information will also be posted about the standard procedure for the collection and testing of hair.
AQHA RACING CHAMPION NOMINEES
On Dec. 31, AQHA announced the contenders for the 2019 racing Champion awards.
The Racing Champions Ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. CST on Jan. 15 at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City. The ceremony will be aired via live webcast at www.aqha.com/racing.
Also, for 2020, all horses entering regional final races in the Bank of America Racing Challenge program will be required to pass a hair test, as a condition of entry.
All horses competing in the Bank of America Challenge Championships have been required to pass a hair test as condition of entry for the championship races since 2016, and a committee suggestion approved by the AQHA Executive Committee
expanded the rule.
“Our Association is run by its members, and
I am proud of those who have stepped up and demanded the expansion of this requirement,” said AQHA Chief Racing Officer Janet VanBebber. “Our membership is dedicated to protecting our American Quarter Horse athletes as they compete in Challenge races around the world.”
The full Bank of America Racing Challenge regional schedule is on pages 138 & 139 and is avail- able at www.aqha.com/racing. The season begins Feb. 23 with the Hipodromo Distaff and will conclude on Oct. 9 with the Derby, Juvenile, Distaff and Distance at Will Rogers Downs.
The 2020 Bank of America Challenge Championships will return to The Downs at
Albuquerque on Oct. 24.
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
Jennifer K. Hancock
Ed Burgart and Cody Jensen
AQHA ANNOUNCES NEW POLICIES
In an effort to recognize only those whose stan- dards help to maintain the integrity of our sport, the American Quarter Horse Association created the Racing Awards and Publicity Policy in 2018. This policy prohibits any horse or trainer of record with racing violations from being considered for AQHA awards or publicity.
Effective Jan. 1, 2020, any horse associated with a trainer who is added to the violations list during the year will be required to pass a hair test,
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SPEEDHORSE, January 2020
TRACK CHATTER