Page 210 - August 2021

NEWS BRIEFS
$400,000 under CEO Travis Boersma. “Joe was extremely insightful when he focused on our first and highest priority of safety for human and equine athletes,” said track president Randy Evers.
Grants Pass Downs Sets Handle Record
Grants Pass Downs in Oregon set a new record for total handle during the 17-day spring/summer meet that concluded July 6. Total handle reached a record $6,919,434 with a daily average handle of $407,026. The meet featured 138 races with an average field size of 7.34 and paid out over $1.1 million
in purses. Also, during the meet, Five Bars Blazin (Five Bar Cartel-Afterglow, Shazoom) scored an upset wire-to-wire win in the $90,000 Firecracker Futurity in what was the richest race in the history of the track. Grants Pass Downs will resume racing Sept. 20 with the opening of their 18-day fall meet.
Zero Tolerance On Albuterol In Louisiana
Zero tolerance for Albuterol will become effective in the State of Louisiana on Feb. 17, 2022. The Louisiana State Racing Com- mission at their June 17 meeting voted to approve a “Notice of Intent” on an amend- ment to Quarter Horse race medication, stating “Albuterol is a prohibited substance in Quarter Horses and other breeds racing with Quarter Horses. There is no applicable withdrawal guideline for such horses.” The amendment adds an additional penalty for positive testes for prohibited Clenbuterol
in Quarter Horses. For more details, visit horseracing.louisiana.gov.
Exotic Animal Racing At Indiana Grand
Indiana Grand Racing & Casino for the first time hosted ostrich, camel and zebra racing dur- ing their third all-Quarter Horse day of racing on July 24. Four zebras took to the track, with exercise rider Amara Kranz scoring aboard Zebi- scuit. “I’ve ridden some tough horses before but never a Zebra. I was just worried about hanging on,” said Kranz. Next, four camels exited the gates with Oh Camel Y Faithful winning under jockey Natasha Fritz, who said, “I just held on with my knees and set up a little and shot him
his head. And then I just yelled ‘ye ye ye’ the whole way.” The final event saw five ostriches in the gates, with the birds breaking in all differ- ent directions. Emu-Ji scored under jockey Jose Ruiz, who said, “I just held on and tried not to fall off.”
Jockeys And Jeans Fundraiser, Sept. 11
The annual Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser is set to be held for the first time at Monmouth Park in New Jersey on September 11, fea- turing a record 17 jockeys. The event will honor seven riders who suffered catastrophic, career-ending injuries, as well as firemen and police officers on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. All proceeds from the event go directly to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. A donation will also be made to a charity that helps first responders and the families of those who gave the ultimate sacri- fice. The Jockeys and Jeans
Sharon List Passes Away
Longtime horse breeder/owner Sharon List, 78, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on June 30. Sharon was born in South Dakota and lived there until she married Jens L. List Jr and they moved to California. Together, they founded Double Bar S Ranch and they soon were major players in the Quarter Horse industry. After Jens passed away, Sharon gave her blessing for her children Rhonda and Dawn to continue to oper- ate the ranch. Since 2000, Double Bar S Ranch starters have earned over $8.6 million. Among their top horses are World Champion sire Straw- fly Special, 3-time Champion Jess You And I, Champion Carters Cartel, and Grade 1 winners Igotyourtac and Tac It Like A Man. Sharon is survived by daughters Pam, Rhonda and Dawn, several grandchildren, and many other
Jean Dillard Passes Away
Dona Jean Luttrell Dillard passed away follow- ing a lengthy illness on July 11 at her Dillard Ranch in Ringling, Oklahoma. Jean was born in 1927 in North Dakota and moved to Oklahoma with her parents. While attending Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University), she met her husband James Houston Dillard.
They married in 1947 and had six daughters. They began breeding horses in the 1960’s and together they developed a successful breeding program – starting with their foundation mare Miss Breeze Bar, whose first foal is their 2-time Champion Howdy Jones. After James passed away in 1978, Jean continued to run the busi- ness and is the breeder of over $4.2 million in earners. Beside Howdy Jones, her top horses include her homebred mare 1989 World Cham- pion See Me Do It – out of a granddaughter
of Miss Breeze Bar. Jean is also the breeder of horses with over 3,000 AQHA points, including AQHA Performance World Champion Rona Cabrona and Reserve World Champions JD Heckle and Devils Parr. Dillard is survived by five daughters, many grandchildren and great- grandchildren, and numerous family members and friends. Her ashes will be scattered over the “pastures with her beloved mares.”
Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa Passes Away After On-Track Accident
Jockey Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa, 29, passed away following an accident in the first race
on July 14 at the Crooked River Roundup
in Prinveville, Oregon. Eduardo was aboard 2-year-old Quarter Horse Godfather Advice (Best Advice-Chick N Dales, Okey Dokey Dale) in a maiden event when the colt hit the rail and threw his rider over the rail. Godfather Advice, who is owned by Enrique Garibay-Ceja and trained by Eduardo’s wife Rosa Rodriguez, walked off the track, but Gutierrez-Sosa was fatally injured. Eduardo has ridden the earn- ers of over $850,000 in Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred races and was ranked a leading jockey by wins from 2016-2019. He is survived by his wife and their three children.
208 SPEEDHORSE August 2021