Page 82 - 20 July 2012

Carl Draper, trainer of DM Shicago, Dr. Glenn Blodgett and Anne Marion of The Four Sixes Ranch, jockey Kip Didericksen and trainer Heath Taylor stand before the cases commemorating their inductions into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame.
6666 Ranch, Didericksen, Taylor & DM Shicago Inducted Into Ruidoso Racehorse Hall of Fame The Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of
Fame induction ceremony was held June 29 at Ruidoso Downs. Inductees included the 6666 Ranch, trainer Heath Taylor, jockey Kip Dider- icksen and World Champion DM Shicago.
The 6666 Ranch is a part of Burnett Ranches, LLC. Their racehorse breeding program has been headed by World Cham- pion Dash For Cash, Streakin Six and Special Effort, and today by Bodacious Dash, Captain Courage, Eyesa Special, Fantastic Corona Jr, Jess Zoomin, Mr Jess Perry, Ocean Runaway and One Famous Eagle.
Heath Taylor is the third all-time leading trainer by stakes wins behind Paul Jones and Blane Schvaneveldt, and the fourth all-time leading trainer by money earned behind Jones, Schvaneveldt and Jack Brooks. Among his top horses are World Champion Stolis Winner and Champions Fredricksburg, Miss Kips Streakin and Vals Fortune.
Kip Didericksen was the Champion Jockey in 1986 and from 1989-1992. Among the top horses he guided to victory were two-time World Champion Refrigerator, who he rode to win the 1990 All American Futurity-G1, and World Champion Dash For Speed.
AQHA’s 2005 World Champion DM Shicago (Separatist-Leading Sensation, Spe- cial Leader) was bred by Don Moler, owned by Moler and Fredda Draper, and trained
by Carl Draper. The 2002 gelding won the All American Futurity-G1, All American Derby-G1, Ruidoso Derby-G1 and Rainbow Derby-G1, becoming the only horse ever
to win the All American Futurity and then sweep all three derbies. DM Shicago, who was piloted by Juan Vazquez for all of his 19 starts, earned $1,812,513.
Speedhorse Magazine and Jockeys’ Guild Announce Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award Nominees
Four Quarter Horse jockeys have been nominated for the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award, which honors riders whose lives and character positively impact the Quarter Horse racing industry, both on and off the racetrack. The nominees are G.R. Carter Jr., John Hamilton, Freddie Martinez and Gilbert Ortiz. Ballots were mailed to Quarter Horse tracks around the country in June. Any active Quarter Horse jockey who has ridden in at least 12 races in the past 12 months is invited to vote. The nominee with the most votes will be presented with the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award during
a special ceremony at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012.
The award is given in honor of the late Sam Thompson, a Quarter Horse jockey who was well liked and highly respected both on and off the racetrack. Thompson died in 2008
due to injuries suffered in a riding accident at Los Alamitos. A leader in the jockey’s room throughout his career, Thompson was a Jock- eys’ Guild senator and the room representative at Los Alamitos. He was also a council member of the Los Alamitos division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Developed as a joint effort between Speed- horse Magazine and the Jockeys’ Guild, the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award was modeled after the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award for Thoroughbred riders. The Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award is the first and only one of its kind in the Quarter Horse industry. For more information, please contact Speedhorse at (405) 288-2145.
Florida Pari-Mutuel Barrel Racing Hearing Scheduled For August
A final hearing on whether the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering allowed pari-mutuel barrel racing without enabling legislation, regulatory hearings or public input is likely to be scheduled for two consecutive days in August. State law requires pari-mutuels to hold live horse racing in order to operate card rooms and slot machines. Gretna Racing, LLC has operated card rooms and is pursu-
ing a license for slot machines despite litiga- tion over the legitimacy of its racing license award. Nearly 450,000 horsemen and eight Florida and national organizations hold that the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering overstepped its authority in awarding Gretna Racing its license. The AQHA has refused to sanction pari-mutuel barrel racing as legitimate Quarter Horse racing.
Portland Meadows flash mob.
Portland Meadows Embraces Social Media Marketing
Portland Meadows has launched an in- novative new marketing campaign for their summer racing season, which began on
July 15 and runs through Dec. 9. Racetrack officials hired Official Mfg. Co. (OMF- GCO) to re-brand the track, which has a new logo and is being heavily advertised in print publications and on area billboards. Portland Meadows is also taking advantage of the popularity of social media with two innovative marketing campaigns. On June 30, the track began an Instagram Horse Race promotion utilizing the popular and free photo sharing application Instagram. Eight plastic horses and jockeys were strategically placed in various locations around Portland. The first horse to be shared 25 times via Ins- tagram won the race, and the 25 participants each won a $50 betting voucher for open-
ing day. Clues were posted on the Portland Meadows’ Twitter and Facebook pages.
The other inventive marketing campaign included two horse-masked flash mobs that were scheduled to take place on July 7 and July 14. Portland Meadows currently offers live Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing on Sunday afternoons, and Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Cloned Horses Can Compete In International Competition, Olympics
The Federation Equestrian International (FEI), the international governing body
for several equestrian sports and Olympic disciplines, has ruled that cloned horses can compete in FEI competitions. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in dressage, para-equestrian dressage, jumping, eventing, driving, para-equestrian driving, endurance, vaulting and reining. Other equestrian associations still prohibit clones, including Thoroughbred racing organizations and the American Quarter Horse Association. No cloned horses are currently scheduled to compete in the 2012 Olympics.
80 SPEEDHORSE, July 20, 2012
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