Page 172 - December 2020

NEWS BRIEFS
QH Racing In Bolivia
The Haras Olimpo Racetrack in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Boliva, opened for Quarter Horse racing the weekend of Dec. 12 with its own Champion of Champions event. Although the races are not AQHA approved, the association is working with South American affiliates to further Quarter Horse racing in the region. The track was built by German Eduardo Vieira Morales from Haras Olimpo with assistance from other leading horsemen.
Grants Pass Downs Ends 2020 Meet
Grants Pass Downs ended their 2020 fall meet on Nov. 10. The final week of racing saw more than $1.3 million wagered and a record $868,632 on closing day. This was Grants Pass Downs’ most successful meet, with a new total handle record of more than $6 million.
Sunland Meet Postponed
Following a special meeting of the New Mexico Racing Commission, the 2020/2021 Sunland Park meet has been postponed for 30 days. The meet was set to begin Dec. 26 and run through March 30. The track is located near El Paso, Texas, where approximately 1,000 have died from COVID-19. Sunland was forced to end their 2019/2020 meet in mid- March due to the outbreak.
G.R. Carter Jr. Joins Jockeys And Jeans
Champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. has
become an ambassador for Jockeys and Jeans,
an all-volunteer group founded in 2014 that raises money for permanently disabled former jockeys through stallion season sales and a yearly fundraiser. Jockeys and Jeans has raised over $1.5 million to date, with all funds going directly to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Carter will help bring Jockeys and Jeans to the Quarter Horse racing world. G.R. Carter Jr., who retired with over $75 million in mount earnings,
was the winner of the 2013 Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award presented by Speedhorse in conjunction with the Jockeys’ Guild.
White Horse Awards
The Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) White Horse Award recognizes courage and outstanding achievements throughout the horse racing industry. The winner of the 2020 RTCA White Horse Award is Victoria Don Dorrian, who saved a horse that got loose at Prairie Meadows Racetrack on Sept. 28, 2019. Dorrian was attempting to capture the horse when he escaped the track area and ended up on the interstate, running toward oncoming traffic. Dorrian followed, caught up to the horse, jumped over the median, and captured the escapee, show- ing poise and dedication in a dangerous situation. The Iowa HBPA nominated her for the award.
Simulcast Dispute In Arizona
The Arizona Racing Commission met with representatives from Arizona Downs, Turf Paradise and Monarch Content Management on Dec. 10 regarding the state’s simulcast-
ing contracts, with no resolution. The Commission, however, pledged to continue to work to resolve the impasse that surrounds a 2019 Arizona law requiring simulcast providers that send their races into the state to offer the products uniformly to all tracks and associated OTB’s. In January, the Arizona Department
of Gaming said that since Monarch failed to comply, all signals to the state must be turned off. Monarch filed a lawsuit claiming the law was unconstitutional since it pre-empted the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, the federal law that covers simulcasting.
NMHA Sues NMHRC Over Jockey Liability Insurance
The New Mexico Horsemen’s Association on Dec. 2 filed suit against the New Mexico Horse Racing Commission, seeking over $8.4 million it alleges was improperly collected from state horsemen dating back to 2004, including money to pay jockey liability insur- ance. The suit claims the NMRC improperly ordered horsemen to divert a portion of their money to racetracks for jockey liability insur- ance and to pay a gate or starter’s fee every time a horse races. It also seeks an order for the Commission to “cease and desist from ever directing monies be spent by the New Mexico Horsemen’s that by the state’s statue are designated for certain purposes.” Named in the suit are the state’s five commissioners and executive director Izzy Trejo.
TQHA Cancels 2021 Annual Meeting
The Texas Quarter Horse Association
has announced they will cancel their annual meeting that was scheduled for Jan. 29-30, citing the health and safety of members and staff amidst the evolving situation with the pandemic. The association is considering options regarding the general membership and board meetings and will announce plans once
a decision has been made. Youth members who have applied for scholarships should watch their email for updates on how the executive board will conduct interviews.
Cricket Stadium Across From Lone Star Park
A city-owned minor league baseball stadium across from Lone Star Park is set to
be retrofitted into a premier venue for the
sport of cricket. According to the USA Cricket chairman Paraag Marathe, hopes are to bring in World Cup and International events and to make the facility a flagship for the sport. Terms of the deal include $10 million in renovations.
Gary Kurz Passes Away
Longtime horseman Gary Kurz passed away Dec. 10 at the age of 83. Kurz was born and raised in South Texas, working cattle with his father and then owning an auto dealership in San Antonio. He went on to breed and raise
top Quarter Horses with his wife Pat. Known
for their “Pop” horses, Kurz is the breeder of
over $2.3 million, including Jodys Money Pop ($303,026). In a 2014 Speedhorse Industry Profile, Gary stated, “The horse industry has given us an unbelievable life and great friends.” Gary is survived by his wife Pat, two sons and two daughters, and numerous grandchildren, family members and friends. The family is requesting donations be made to the American Quarter Horse Foundation or Alzheimer’s Association.
Monterey Jazz TB Dies
2004 Thoroughbred stallion Monterey Jazz (Thunderello-Reefside, Dynaformer) died Dec. 3. Monterey Jazz, who had been standing at Sierra Blanca Equine in New Mexico, earned $760,841 while winning nine races and four Graded stakes races, including the Strub Stakes-G2 at Santa Anita, and set a New Course Record for 1 mile
at Hollywood Park. Monterey Jazz is the sire of multiple blacktype runners with $601,650 in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse money earn- ers, including top earner Ancient Land TB (2020, $180,546) who won the 2020 Four Rivers John Deere Stakes at Sunland Park and the 2019 Steve Prather Stakes at Zia Park.
170 SPEEDHORSE December 2020