Quarter Horse racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Thoroughbred Pedigrees Abound In All American Futurity Trials

The All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs is the richest race in the country for Quarter Horses, and it could be won by a horse with Thoroughbred blood in their veins.

The trials for the $3-million race take place on Friday and Saturday, and seven entries over the course of the 30 trials have a Thoroughbred sire or dam. The American Quarter Horse Association allows half-Thoroughbred runners, known as “appendix horses,” to compete in races, with certain restrictions on their breeding careers to maintain AQHA registration.

Thoroughbred stallions as notable as Storm Cat and Alydar have sired Quarter Horse runners, and Spendthrift Farm advertised Into Mischief and Mitole for Quarter Horse breedings in 2020. The AQHA features several full-blooded Thoroughbreds in its Hall of Fame who had an impact on the breed.

Following is a list of the half-Thoroughbred appendix horses in the All American Futurity trials, with pedigree notes for each entry's Thoroughbred parent. The Thoroughbred half of each runner's pedigree will be in all-caps.

Friday, August 20

Race 2
#5 Lukka
Br. c., FAVORITE TRICK x Jess a Cartel
Breeder: Bobby Simmons (TX)

Favorite Trick, Thoroughbred racing's Horse of the Year in 1997, is one of the most successful Quarter Horse sires of the past two decades. After beginning his stud career in Kentucky, Favorite Trick was eventually moved to JEH Stallion Station in New Mexico, where his sturdy frame and elite sprinting ability made him a candidate to try crossing with the breed.

The stallion died in a barn fire less than a year after arriving in New Mexico, but because Quarter Horse racing allows for artificial insemination, JEH Stallion Station was able to collect semen to freeze and use for years to come. Had he strictly been covering Thoroughbreds, Favorite Trick would have only been able to cover mares in-person, and his final crop would have been born in 2007.

Favorite Trick has sired a pair of champion Quarter Horses, in $1.4-million earner Good Reason SA and champion distance horse Prankster CF. He's also the sire of Grade 1 winner Favorite Cartel.

Race 5
#6 Conant Valley
Br. g., One Famous Eagle x CLUSTER OF STARS
Breeder: McColee Land & Livestock (UT)

Cluster of Stars was a perfect seven-for-seven during her on-track career, including victories in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park and the G2 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct. The daughter of Greeley's Galaxy was named New York-bred Horse of the Year in 2013.

She had one Thoroughbred foal in 2015, a winning Graydar filly named Kenzie, before exclusively producing appendix foals.

The best of her 12 starters to date is Valiant Stars, a 3-year-old daughter of Valiant Hero who finished second in this year's G1 Ruidoso Derby.

Race 8
#8 Double Duty
Ch. f., A Revenant x BRICKYARD LANE
Breeder: D Hubbard & Lee Lewis (TX)

Brickyard Lane, a New Mexico-bred daughter of Devon Lane, won one of five career starts, all at Sunland Park.

She has been bred to a mix of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in the Southwest, but her three foals that were successfully carried to term have all been Quarter Horses. Double Duty is by far her best runner to date, with a third-place effort in the G1 Rainbow Futurity.

Race 11
#9 One Famous Trick
Br. c., FAVORITE TRICK x One Famous Surfer
Breeder: Darling Farms (OK)

While his long-term legacy is in the Quarter Horses, Favorite Trick's best Thoroughbred runners include Grade 3 winners Datrick and Trick's Pick, Grade 2-placed Sum Trick, and Australian Group 3-placed French Favorite.

In addition to being the sire of two runners in the All American Futurity trials, Favorite Trick is also the paternal grandsire of 19 additional trial runners over the two days through sons Favorite Cartel and Good Reason SA.

Race 13
#8 The Stars of Corona
B. f., Corona Cartel x CLUSTER OF STARS
Breeder: McColee Land & Livestock (UT)

Because Quarter Horse racing permits embryo transfer, as opposed the stricter Thoroughbred side, Cluster of Stars is able to have multiple foals per year through surrogate mares. She has produced three or more foals each year since 2017.

The 2019 crop that produced The Stars of Corona and Conant Valley also includes the Corona Cartel colt Next Galaxy and the One Famous Eagle gelding Irwin.

[Story Continues Below]

Saturday, August 21

Race 4
#7 Ryder Lee
Gr. g., TOO MUCH BLING x Backwoods Bar B
Breeder: Rio Rojo Racing Stables (TX)

Like Favorite Trick, Too Much Bling was a successful sprinter. Unlike Favorite Trick, he is much better know at stud for his work on the Thoroughbred side of the aisle.

The son of Rubiano entered stud at Lane's End Texas in 2007, and has remained in the state since then. His Thoroughbred exploits include siring regional stars Direct Dial and Texas Bling.

Too Much Bling has just five registered Quarter Horse foals, and Ryder Lee is his lone winner, having taken a Ruidoso Downs maiden race on July 23.

Race 7
#9 Riii de Axe
Gr. f., Howdoyalikemesofar x STORMINTHEMORNING
Breeder: Rafter 3 Holdings (SK)

Storminthemorning is an unraced North Dakota-bred daughter of Category Five. Riii de Axe is her first foal of either breed, and she is unplaced in two starts. The mare produced a colt by the same stallion in 2020.

The post Thoroughbred Pedigrees Abound In All American Futurity Trials appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

’22 California Schedule Could Include One-Week Break

As the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) begins the planning process for crafting 2022 race dates on both the Southern and Northern circuits, it appears as if there is some consensus for including a one-week break with no racing, although no exact time frame for any proposed hiatus has been publicly identified.

At Wednesday's monthly meeting, CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales updated the full board on the two-hour dates subcommittee teleconference that took place Tuesday and included representatives from tracks and horsemen's groups.

“We obviously didn't take a vote on any ideas or measures, although I felt that the groundwork was laid for the 2022 race dates,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said to expect “mostly what we've seen over the last year or two in terms of dates layout. One of the issues that the board will be having to take up as we look to solidify that calendar will be the idea of a break, a week in which there will be no racing. That was communicated for a variety of reasons.”

Gonzales said that he wants “to make sure that any kind of a break does not happen arbitrarily, but rather with the full understanding of the impact” the time off will have on workers,” both backside and frontside.

To that end, CHRB executive director Scott Chaney said that the concept of breaks generated robust discussion among stakeholders and subcommittee members, including “whether they are effective, what they are for, and whether they should be mandated or association-determined.”

Gonzales also cautioned that the CHRB's planning for 2022 will still have to be mindful of potential COVID-19 contingencies as the global pandemic nears its 18-month mark with no definite signs of abatement.

Gonzales said it's imperative to note that “until we get the all-clear signal…we will be continuing to operate under the emergency rules and the guidelines handed down by the counties and the state.”

Sept. at Los Al Greenlighted

Race dates in California are doled out in blocks for an upcoming year, then the actual applications get approved by the CHRB as each track's race meet approaches.

Thus, the September Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos Race Course was approved unanimously by the CHRB at the Aug. 18 meeting.

But it was only nine months ago when debate raged within the CHRB over the course of two separate meetings about whether Los Al was a safe enough track to merit the granting of a year-round Quarter Horse license, as has been routine.

Amid concerns that Los Al wasn't doing enough to mitigate the 29 equine deaths that occurred at the track in 2020, the CHRB in December 2020 voted 5-1 to only grant the track a six-month license.

In the immediate aftermath of that controversial vote, Los Al owner Ed Allred had threatened to close his Quarter Horse track and develop the property for a purpose other than racing, which would also affect the Thoroughbred meets that Los Al hosts in June/July, September and December.

One month later, in January 2021, the CHRB took up the issue again, re-voting 4-3 to grant Los Al its customary full-year Quarter Horse license.

Even though that Quarter Horse license is separate from the Thoroughbred meet that got approved for Los Al on Wednesday, safety still percolated to the top of discussion, with Gonzales wanting to make it known that he now believes Los Al has worked diligently to make improvements.

“I have been part of the commissioners that really have raised the bar on Los Alamitos,” Gonzales said. “And I have seen what I would describe as improvement and the right commitment of leadership, resources and time on the part of Los Alamitos. If I were to ask a direct question about, 'Is Los Alamitos doing better than it has in the past?' I am very, very confident that the answer would be yes.

“Is there room for improvement? Always,” Gonzales continued. “That applies to not just California racing, but across the country. I just want to see continued improvement by the leadership of Los Alamitos. I believe that they have made all of the adjustments and honored the requests of this board. And again, I have gone on record as being among the toughest [safety critics]. But I also want to acknowledge leadership when I see it. And I have seen that effort being made.”

CHRB Chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, said that he would endorse what the vice chairman said.

The two commissioners haven't always been in agreement on how to handle Los Al's licensure.

Back in December 2020, Ferraro had been the lone dissenting board member in that 5-1 vote to issue only a six-month license. He said at the time that granting only a half-year license made no sense considering the CHRB has the power to halt any California track's Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred racing at any time over safety issues.

Gonzales, by contrast, had pushed hard for the six-month license and had said back in January that Los Al's safety needed to be more closely monitored.

The post ’22 California Schedule Could Include One-Week Break appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ernie Gaskin, Dr. James Carmichael Inducted Into Indiana Horse Racing Association’s Hall Of Fame

The Indiana Horse Racing Association (IHRA) has announced the newest class of inductees into the organization's Hall of Fame. Ernie Gaskin, longtime Standardbred owner, trainer, and breeder, and Dr. James Carmichael (posthumously), longtime advocate, owner, and breeder in Quarter Horse racing, have been selected for the prestigious honor.

Gaskin came to the state of Indiana in the early 1990s and worked as the head trainer for Viking Meadows Farm in Carmel, Ind. He and his wife, Darla, relocated to Anderson at the start of pari-mutuel racing to create and operate Crimson Lane Farm, complete with a training track, two training barns, a breeding operation and multiple outdoor paddock space.

Gaskin was one of the initial members appointed to the Indiana Standardbred Breed Development committee. The Vermont native has worked tirelessly to assist with projects in horse racing, including lobbying for casino gaming at racetracks, enhanced breed development funding, and overall positive solutions impacting horse racing. Gaskin was recently added to the prestigious Hambletonian Society Board of Directors.

Gaskin is a two-time leading trainer at Harrah's Hoosier Park (1997 and 1998) and was the track's all-time leading trainer in wins for more than a decade. He has conditioned four Indiana Sires Stakes champions (Brooklets Hotshot, Hoosier Nat, Sapphire Martini, Jammin Joshua) with Jammin Joshua earning more than $1 million and now standing as a stallion in the state of Indiana.

Joining Gaskin as an inductee is Dr. James Carmichael of Sullivan, Ind., who is being inducted posthumously. Dr. Carmichael, a longtime practicing veterinarian in Sullivan County, joined his father, Eugene, in creating Carmichael Stock Farm, a Quarter Horse breeding operation in the western part of the state. They raced across the country before Quarter Horse pari-mutuel racing came to Indiana in 1997.

In the 1970's, the Carmichaels purchased Jaguar Rocket to add to their breeding and racing operation in the Hoosier State. The California-bred grey stallion was a stakes winner in the late 1960's, winning 10 of 40 starts before being offered for sale by a Hollywood director. His impact on the state of Indiana has endured the past three decades. Jaguar Rocket is an inductee into the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Hall of Fame and has a stakes race named in his honor at Indiana Grand.

In addition to breeding and racing Quarter Horses, Dr. Carmichael also served on the board of QHRAI for more than a decade, an organization he stayed active in until his death in 2009. The Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine graduate also served on the Thoroughbred Breed Development Committee where he was elected chairman. His wife, Jan, still resides on the family farm and maintains several horses on the property.

Both Gaskin and Dr. Carmichael will be inducted into the IHRA Hall of Fame during a special ceremony Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville. Portraits of the inductees will be added to the display on the mezzanine level at Indiana Grand following the ceremony. Gaskin and Dr. Carmichael join a list of 17 previous inductees into the IHRA Hall of Fame.

The Indiana Horse Racing Association, Inc. (IHRA), an Indiana Not-For-Profit Corporation, was founded in 2014 for the following purposes: 1) Establishing and maintaining the Indiana Horse Racing Hall of Fame to recognize leaders in the Indiana horse racing industry; 2) Preserving the history, heritage and traditions of the sport; and 3) Educating the public about the rich and colorful history of horse racing in Indiana and its many contributions to Indiana agriculture and Indiana's economy. The organization consists of six board members representing all three racing breeds in the state of Indiana.

The post Ernie Gaskin, Dr. James Carmichael Inducted Into Indiana Horse Racing Association’s Hall Of Fame appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Online Quarter Horse Dispersal Ordered In Federal Drug, Money Laundering Case

Two Quarter Horses, including a Grade 1-placed runner, will be offered at online auction as part of a court-ordered dispersal for owner Antonio Delgado, who faced multiple federal drug and money laundering charges.

Delgado was one of several defendants charged in September 2020 with two felony counts related to the possession and intent to distribute cocaine. In a superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, on April 20, Delgado was individually charged with two counts of conducting transactions using the proceeds from unlawful activities in an attempt to conceal the money's origin.

One of those counts singled out the purchase of the Quarter Horse Carters Yachtz for approximately $25,000.

The 4-year-old Carters Cartel gelding has won two of four starts, all at Delta Downs, and he most recently finished third in the Grade 1 Lee Berwick Futurity on July 22.

Upon conviction, Delgado was ordered to forfeit several pieces of property, including the horse. Carters Yachtz will be one of two horses offered without reserve on the ThoroughbredAuctions.com online auction platform, with bidding opening on Aug. 8 and closing on Aug. 11.

Delgado has been an owner of record since 2005, primarily racing Quarter Horses. He has won 18 of 112 Quarter Horse starts, and his runners have made $483,784 on the racetrack.

Carters Yachtz is Delgado's highest-earning runner, having made $129,778. He is followed closely by Jls Go Big Daddy, a Grade 1-placed gelding who made $126,433 racing in Texas and Louisiana in the early 2010s.

K2 Solutions Inc., serves as agent for the U.S. Marshals Service in the dispersal, and Carters Yachtz is available for inspection in Bastrop, Texas.

To view the online catalog, click here.

The post Online Quarter Horse Dispersal Ordered In Federal Drug, Money Laundering Case appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post