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NEWS BRIEFS
Jockeys and Jeans Sets Record at Annual Fundraiser
The 9th annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser, which benefits the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, was held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
on June 24. The event raised a record $400,000, bringing the total raised by the group to $3.1 million. A record 300 attended, along with 13 Hall of Fame jockeys and 11 jockeys who suffered career ending injuries. An anonymous donor
gave $50,000, Caesars Entertainment presented
a check for $30,000, the Indiana HPBA led by Director Brian Elmore contributed $25,000,
and Canterbury Park’s CEO Randy Sampson accounted for $17,500 in donations. The sales topper was a Churchill Downs donation of a
box of six for the 150th Kentucky Oaks and Derby that sold for $17,000. Entrepreneur, philanthropist, horse owner/breeder, and PDJF donor Jim” Mattress Mack” McIngvale accepted the Person of the Year Award, calling for jockeys to have nationwide Workers Compensation Insurance and for horse owners to finance better injury insurance, retirement benefits, and funds for severely injured riders. “It is impossible
to sufficiently thank all the staff who at the beginning promised to ‘Vegas-Size’ the event,” said Jockeys and Jeans President Barry Pearl. Jockeys and Jeans is an all-volunteer group started in late 2014 by five former jockeys.
Flying Cowboy 123 Sells,
Will Stand at Royal Vista Ranch in 2024
Royal Vista Ranch Inc. announced on
July 2 that Whitmire Ranch purchased the 2023 leading first-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 from Paragon Farms LLC. The 2-time Champion earned $965,811 winning the Texas Classic Futurity-G1 and Texas Classic Derby-G1.
Flying Cowboy 123 (Apollitical Jess-Hot Cash 123, Takin On The Cash) is the sire of over $1 million from his first crop to race in 2023 with 35 winners and seven stakes winners. He is also the 2023 leading sire of sale yearlings by average of two or more sold with six yearlings selling
at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale for an average of $35,750. “We are so excited to add Flying Cowboy 123 to our program,” said Raymond Whitmire. “We are very happy to have such a great addition to our stallion roster with Flying Cowboy 123,” said Royal Vista owner Cole Morehead. “We are very appreciative of the Whitmire’s for allowing us at Royal Vista to stand him in Oklahoma.” Flying Cowboy 123 will
join the Royal Vista Ranch LLC stallion roster in 2024, with a fee to be announced later.
Flying Cowboy 123 Breaks First Crop Million Dollar Mark
2-time Champion Flying Cowboy 123 (Apollitical Jess-Hot Cash 123, Takin On The Cash)
is the leading first crop sire of 2023, and he recently topped the $1 million mark in progeny earnings. He has sired 35 winners, 7 stakes winners and the earners of $1,313,669. His top performers include Jess Flying Cowgirl SI 105 ($187,064, 1st Sam Houston Futurity-G2),
R Cowgirl SI 95 ($128,206, 1st Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1), Double Down 123 SI 96 ($118,263, 1st Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2), Woopaa123 SI 94 ($110,863, 1st Old South Futurity, etc.), Jess A Rednec Cowboy SI 89 ($61,952, 1st
Easy Jet S.-G3) and Wicked Cowgirl Smart
SI 84 ($19,845, 1st Fred Scane S.). Recently purchased by Whitmire Ranch from Paragon Farms LLC, Flying Cowboy 123 won 8 of 13 starts and earned $965,811 winning the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity and Derby.
Texas Racing Commission Halts Racing at Retama Park
The Executive Director of the Texas Racing Commission (TRC) has rescinded previously approved live race dates for Retama Park on
July 6, 7, 8, 13, and 14. On June 29, Retama
Park faced a critical power outage which resulted in cancellation of evening horse races and races scheduled for the next day. The power outage brought to light challenges Retama has been confronting to comply with the Texas Racing Act and Texas Rules of Racing. On July 1 following the power outage, Cook sent Retama’s management
a notice of unsafe conditions and a list of matters to address before they resumed live racing.
The Texas Racing Commission did not receive documentation of Retama’s effort to address these concerns, yet Retama continued to communicate with horsemen and the public that live racing would resume. “Unfortunately, today (July 5), I had to take the extraordinary step of initiating an enforcement action against Retama Park for failing to address numerous deficiencies noting where
the track was not in compliance with the Racing Act and Rules of Racing in Texas,” said Amy F. Cook, Executive Director of the Texas Racing Commission. “This agency has spent significant time for nearly a year to encourage them to address the numerous challenges and are hopeful they
will be able to overcome them quickly to resume live racing in the weeks ahead.” Pending TRC approval, Retama Park should be able to re-open on July 19.
Leading Trainer & Two Jockeys Suspended at Horseshoe Indianapolis
Randy M. Smith, the leading Quarter Horse trainer at Horseshoe Indianapolis every year since 2014, and two of his current riders – Juan Marquez and German Rodriguez – have been summarily suspended by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. The suspensions were confirmed by senior state steward Eric Smith, who said they are “pending completion of an
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August 2023
SPEEDHORSE PHOTO ARCHIVES
Can you identify the horse is this photo? Here’s a hint: He won the Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs the first year it became a Graded event. The answer is on page 234.
Speedhorse Archives