Page 17 - February 2017

The most recent victory was also his 10th career victory in 27 career starts and pushed his earnings to $582,107 to qualify him for the award.
He becomes the 38th horse since 2002 and the 109th horse in total to earn the award (the other awards were given retroactively).
At the close of 2016, Lotta Love For Robyn (right) earned the rare honor of AQHA Dam of Distinction.
Lotta Love For Robyn is a 2009 sorrel daughter of First Down Dash out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Love Ya Miss Jess. Bred by Kim Kessinger and
Jim Geiler of Akron, Colorado, she is owned by Reliance Ranches, LLC of Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Lotta Love For Robyn was a successful runner on the track, earning $238,746 and whose name honors the late Robyn Williams, the wife of the mare’s former owner, Brad Williams. Robyn passed away from cancer just before the mare’s racing career began.
Lotta Love For Robyn has only produced two starters to date, but they teamed to earn her this award by being top 10 money earners – Tres Friends in 2015 and Lotta Blues Man in 2016. The two horses, both Grade 1 winners, have combined earnings of $1,797,395.
The mare has produced seven foals total, including two 2 year olds and two yearlings.
The Dam of Distinction award recognizes the accomplishments of racing broodmares.
To qualify for the award, a mare must meet
one or more of the following criteria: dams
that produced two or more individual AQHA Racing Champions; dams that produced at least three individual Grade 1 stakes winners; dams that produced at least two foals ranked in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year, and two Grade
1 stakes winners; and dams that produced at least three foals that were in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year.
When the award was created, a grandfather clause also allowed mares that had produced
at least three individual stakes winners prior to 1983, and those wins were the equivalent of a Grade 1 quality race, to be accepted.
AQHA LAuncHes PubLic PoLicy cHeck-off
The American Quarter Horse Association launched its new Public Policy Check-off Program at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale in January. The program allows sellers to choose to donate one quarter of one percent of the sale price of their consignments toward AQHA’s lobbying efforts. That translates to $2.50 per $1,000 sold.
“AQHA’s check-off program will aid lobbying efforts in Washington,” said Ward Stutz, AQHA director of breed integrity, animal welfare and
education. “Support of the check-off will aid in protecting the interests of our industry.”
This marks the launch of the program, which Stutz hopes will soon stretch to more sales across disciplines within the industry.
Support of AQHA’s Public Policy program will help the Association’s legislative efforts to ensure that the horse industry’s voice is heard in Washington D.C. “As an industry, we can’t be complacent with respect to legislation,” Stutz said. “We owe it to our members to work cohesively to advocate on behalf of our American Quarter Horse.”
To opt into the program, consigners simply need to fill out the card included in their consigner packet, or fill out a card at the AQHA booth located on site at Heritage Place.
LocAtion Announced for 2017 cHALLenge cHAmPionsHiPs
The 2017 Bank of America Challenge Championship will be held Oct. 14, 2017, at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. This is the third time the racetrack will host the championship event. The first regional qualifying event will take place at the Hipodromo in Mexico City with $15,000 added
in the Merial Distaff. Trials will be held Feb. 12
and the final will run Feb. 26. The 2017 tentative regional, maiden and bonus Bank of America Racing Challenge schedules are available at www. aqha.com/racing.
guiLty PLeAs in cArteL cAse
On Jan. 18, five members of the Villarreal family pleaded guilty to charges that prosecutors alleged involved drug smuggling and money laundering. The scheme included purchasing real estate and racehorses.
Juan “Juando” Villarreal Arelis, Jose Luis “Nune” Villarreal Gonzalez and Manuel Villarreal Garcia, all of Mission, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Jovanna Villarreal Diaz, also of Mission, pled guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. According to court records, she was accused of laundering $2.7 million through her McAllen, Texas, business, Party Discount. Raymundo “Mundito” Villarreal Jr. of Mission, Texas,
pled guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiring to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements.
Denis Winn of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, also pled guilty to the structuring conspiracy. Under federal law, a currency transaction report must be filed
with the IRS by a financial institution for any currency transaction over $10,000, and it is illegal to structure transactions in order to avoid this filing requirement.
These individuals were part of 15 arrested last June and announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Texas. Prosecutors had alleged that the Villarreals were part of a criminal organization called “Los Piojos,” which translates from Spanish to “The Lice”.
These six individuals are expected to be sentenced in May and based on the plea agreements, Juan and Jose Luis Villarreal will be sentenced to between 18 and 20 years in prison and Jovanna and Raymundo Villarreal will receive between three and four years in prison. Manuel Villarreal is expected to be sentenced to between 10 years to life in prison and Winn will get five years probation.
SPEEDHORSE, February 2017 15
track chatter
Coady Photography