Page 166 - SpeedhorseMarch2021

NEWS BRIEFS
Correction: Artwork by Mikel Donahue
We ran this artwork of Whistle Stop Cafe and
failed to give proper credit. This painting was
Fiesty Icon wins the 2020 Alex Picov Memorial Championship
2020 Ajax Quarter Horse of the Year Fiesty Icon
Fiesty Icon (Sugarman Perry-Fiesty Spirit, Special Effort) was named the 2020 Ajax Downs Quarter Horse of the Year by the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario. The 2012 sorrel gelding was bred by Picov Cattle Co. and is owned and trained by Richard W. Kennedy. Fiesty Icon, who was also named Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario 2020 High Point Aged Horse and 2020 High Point Aged Gelding/Stallion, won three races in 2020 including the Alex Picov Memorial Championship. In all, the multiple stakes winning gelding has won 20 of 50 starts with $280,034 in earnings.
“. . . he just loves racing and I think that is why he’s just so good every year,” said Kennedy, according to StallioneSearch, adding that Fiesty Icon, “. . . is chomping on the bit ready to do something. He’s had a great winter and now he is getting bored.”
Successful QROOI Stallion Auction
The second annual Quarter Racing Owners
of Ontario (QROOI) Stallion Season Auction saw an increase in total bids of nearly 20% compared to last year. The resulting offspring of stallions that donated a breeding through the auction will be eligible for a free nomination and sustaining payments to the 2024 Stallion Auction Futurity at Ajax Downs. To see the stallion seasons that are still available for bid- ding visit www.qrooi.com, call (905) 426-7050 or email qrooiheadoffice@gmail.com.
Jockeys And Jeans First Great American Stallion Season Sale
The Jockeys And Jeans first annual Great American Stallion Season Sale raised $67,600 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Jockeys And Jeans is an all-volunteer group
founded by five former riders in 2014 and has raised $1.6 million for 60 disabled former jockeys who receive a $1,000 monthly stipend from the PDJF. For more information, contact Jockeys And Jeans president Barry Pearl at jockeysandjeans@gmail. com or call (717) 503-0182, or vice president Eddie Donnally at djockeysandjeans@gmail.com or call (818) 653-3711.
Arizona Downs Partners With Colonial
Downs Operator
Arizona Downs on March 3 announced a new partnership with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) for the 2021 summer meet that opens June 1. P2E will consult with Arizona Downs regarding the management of live racing and simulcast operations during the racing season. “We are pleased to partner with P2E, who has the knowledge and expertise to help revitalize Arizona horse racing,” said Tom Auther, manag- ing member of JACOR, the owner of Arizona Downs, according to StallioneSearch.com.
John Andreini Scholarship Applications
Applications are being accepted for the third annual 2021 John Andreini Scholarship, which is awarded by the All American Ruidoso Foundation Board of Directors in memory of former owner and partner John Andreini. The scholarship fund has been increased this year from $6,000 to $7,000, and the deadline for applications is April 15. Eligibilities include: applicants or their fam- ily must be involved in the horse racing commu- nity; applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA in their most recent year of study; applicants must currently attend or will attend a college within 6 months of applications date. Applica- tions are available at RaceRuidoso.com.
Affiliates Advocate for QH Racing in Kentucky
In the Kentucky Quarter Horse Association (KyQHA) and the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association (KyQHRA), Quarter Horses and their owners have a large presence across the state of Kentucky, which does not offer any sprint racing. Thus, no Historical Horse Racing (HHR) earnings are available to Kentucky own- ers and breeders of Quarter Horses. Therefore, both the KyQHA and the KyQHRA will not
be taking formal positions regarding proposed legislation to maintain the status quo for opera- tors of HHR facilities until given the opportu- nity to review the legislation. “At such time as details of the proposed legislation are known by KyQHRA and KyQHA, the determination of our industry to support it will likely be based upon whether the legislation contains features of language that indicate some clear path to the long-overdue restoration of pari-mutuel Quarter Horse racing to Kentucky,” stated KyQHRA president Richard Connelley.
Jan. 2021 Shows Increase in Betting Handle
According to figures released by Equibase on Feb. 4, the handle on U.S. racing was up 9.57% to $959,602,269 compared to January 2020, average wagering per day was up 21.60% to $3,763,146, and field size increased to 8.09 from 7.95. Purses, however, were down 1.41% and the number of race days and the number of races available also fell.
done by Mikel Donahue and was featured on our
COVER__October2020.indd All Pages 10/1/20 9:34 AM cover in October of 2020. We would like to ex- tend our most sincere apologies for this oversight.
Correction: Chantelle Bourgeois QROOI’s High Point Owner/Trainer
In our 2021 February issue, the 2020
Champion Awards for Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. should show Chantelle Bourgeois as QROOI’s High Point Owner/Trainer. Con- gratulations, Chantelle!
Indiana Grand To Host 2022 AQHA BOA Championship Races
Indiana Grand Racing and Casino will host the 2022 American Quarter Horse Association Bank
of America Challenge Championship races, with qualifying races contested in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil. This will be the first time for the event to be held at the track in Shelbyville, Indiana. “Being able to expand our American Quarter Horse program to include the Bank of America Challenge elevates our entire racing operations in Indiana,” said Eric Halstrom, Indiana Grand vice president and general manager of racing, reported by Stal- lioneSearch. “This challenge will shine a spotlight on our ever-growing American Quarter Horse industry and grant many of our local horsemen the opportunity to participate on a national level. We are excited to partner with AQHA on this endeavor and look forward to welcoming new American Quarter Horse participants and fans into Indiana for the first time in the history of the Challenge.”
164 SPEEDHORSE March 2021
SPEEDHORSE OCTOBER 2020