Page 10 - Speedhorse, October 2021

TRACK CHATTER
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
by Jennifer K. Hancock
CHALLENGE RETURNS TO ALBUQUERQUE
The Bank of America Challenge Championships weekend at The Downs at Albuquerque in New Mexico, will kick off Oct. 20 with the post position draw.
On Oct. 21, the AQHA Racing
Workshop will be held at the Embassy Suites Albuquerque, with educational opportunities for racing horsemen. The Downs Challenge Golf Tournament and a luncheon and fashion show is also scheduled for that day.
The Embassy Suites Albuquerque hosts
the AQHA Racing Committee on Oct. 22. While registration is required, the meeting is open, and non-Racing Committee members are invited to attend.
On Oct. 23, Challenge Championship owners will be recognized at a morning brunch, and everyone is welcome to purchase a brunch ticket to attend.
At 3 p.m. on Oct. 23, Ed Burgart will host a handicapping seminar in advance of the Challenge Championship’s first post at 4 p.m., and all-time leading jockey G.R. Carter Jr. will be a special guest at the event.
You can find more information at www.aqha.com/challenge-championships.
TESTING IN TEXAS
The Texas Racing Commission announced that effective Oct. 12, 2021, all racehorses will be subject to random hair testing and for cause testing.
The Texas Racing Act, TEX. OCC. CODE § 2034.001(c) states: “The commission’s rules must require state-of-the-art testing methods. The testing may: (1) be prerace or postrace as determined by the commission; and (2) be by an invasive or noninvasive method.”
The Texas Rules of Racing, 16 TEX. ADMIN. CODE CHS. 301 and 319, provide
as follows: §301.1(74) states: “Specimen – a bodily substance, such as blood, urine,
or saliva, taken for analysis from a horse, greyhound, or individual in a manner prescribed by the Commission.”
§ 319.301 states: “(a) The stewards and racing judges may require a specimen of urine, blood, saliva, or other bodily substance to be taken from a race animal for the purpose of testing for the presence of a prohibited drug, chemical, or other substance. (b) Testing under this subchapter may be required at
any time in accordance with these rules and may be conducted in an area approved by the commission veterinarian under the supervision of the commission veterinarian. (c) A person
is not entitled to a purse until drug testing has been completed and the executive secretary has cleared the race for payment.”
§ 319.303 states: “(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a person may not
SPEEDHORSE CHILDRENS ACTIVITY/COLORING BOOK
John Bachelor, left, of Speedhorse presents a $4,000 donation to Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund board member G.R. Carter, Jr., right, in Ruidoso, N.M., Sept. 5.
SPEEDHORSE has created a Children’s Activity Book/Coloring Book that is given to children at Quarter Horse Racetracks, Quarter Horse Sales, and other Quarter Horse Racing Events. The gift activity book comes with a pack of crayons free to
any child or to his family in attendance at these Quarter Horse Racing events. The SPEEDHORSE sales team contacted our advertising clients and offered them the opportunity to be a sponsor for $50. Due the overwhelming response, SPEEDHORSE has chosen
to donate all the proceeds from the sale of these sponsorships and add to the total and donate a check in the amount of $4,000 to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
G. R. Carter Jr., board member of PDJF since its founding, received the
check from John Bachelor, President of SPEEDHORSE, at Ruidoso Downs on September 5, following the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award presentation.
8 SPEEDHORSE October 2021
Linda Earley, Speedhorse