Page 158 - January 2018

Lone Star Park concluded its 20th Fall QH season with gains in attendance and on-track live handle.
Leading sire Mr Jess Perry was laid to rest after a battle with laminitis.
November 17-21
The American Association of Equine Practitioners annual convention was held
to discuss details of hair testing protocol to ensure the reporting of uniform results. After a closed session with industry and laboratory leaders, it was agreed that a Standard Operating Procedure will be developed, with procedures to be finalized by mid-January 2018. A study was set in which all labs will be sent portions of the same sample to determine if their findings are uniform.
November 28
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member R.C. “Punch” Jones, 89, passed away. Punch and his wife Suzanne received the AQHA 30- year continuous breeder award and 50-year cumulative breeder award. Punch served as a director of NMHBA and AQHA, where he was a member of both the racing and stud book and registration committees, and was president of the New Mexico Horse Breeders Association. He was honored in 2000 with the first Annual Southwest Cowboy Celebration, was inducted into the Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2004, and was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2008.
November 8
A federal jury found Kyle James Hebert and Kohll’s Pharmacy & Healthcare Inc. guilty of conspiring to sell an unapproved opioid drug to improve performance of race horses. Hebert and Kohll’s were also found guilty of 2 additional counts, with Hebert facing 5 years for conspiracy and 3 years for each of the other counts and Kohll’s facing substantial fines and other penalties. Evidence revealed that from 2010- 2012 both conspired to distribute a synthetic form of Dermorphine. Eight other trainers, including John Darrel Soileau, Alonzo Loya, Alvin Smith and Michael Heath Taylor, received fines and lengthy suspensions in the case.
November 11
Lone Star Park concluded its 20th Fall Quarter Horse season with gains in attendance and on-track live handle, paying over $3.5 million in purses. Paragon Farms LLC was the leading owner of the meet, Trey Wood earned his sixth training title, and Ricky Ramirez took his seventh Lone Star Park leading jockey award.
November 15
Two-time Champion and the #3 all-time leading sire of money earners, Mr Jess Perry was laid to rest after a battle with laminitis.
At the time of his passing, the 1992 stallion had sired the earners of nearly $53 million, with over $2.1 million in 2017 alone, and his leading money earning son, World Champion Apollitical Jess, is the leading sire of 2017 money earners. Mr Jess Perry is the sire of 9 Champions and the broodmare sire of another 9 Champions.
November 16
The four new owners of Ruidoso Downs,
Stan Sigman, Johnny Trotter, John Andreini and Narciso Flores, pledged $10,000 to the AQHA equine research fund in honor of past president Dr. Glenn Blodgett, who worked on developing a new set of drug protocols that will be implemented by Ruidoso Downs. The new ownership group is actively pursuing new ways to safeguard the American Quarter Horse.
November 16
Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Centaur Holdings LLC for $1.7 billion in cash, thus adding Hoosier Park Racing and Casino and Indiana Grand Racing and Casino to its Total Rewards network. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Punch Jones died at 89.
156 SPEEDHORSE, January 2018