Horsemen advised to grip purse strings
The Nov. 14 article "Separate accounts at NYRA" stated that the New York Racing Association officials admitted to federal prosecutors in February that they owed $14 million to the horsemen's purse account - the account containing horsemen's earned purses, claiming monies, etc. Now NYRA admits to owing the purse account $20 million - another $6 million in just nine months!
The New Mexico Racing Commission awarded a horse racing and slot-machine license on Wednesday to a group headed by R.D. Hubbard, former chairman of Hollywood Park.
The group plans to build a $43 million racetrack and casino in Hobbs, N.M., in the southeastern corner of the state. To be called Zia Park, the casino is scheduled to open in November 2004, while the racetrack would follow one year later.
Zia Park will become the fifth racetrack-casino in the state, joining Ruidoso Downs, Sunland Park, Sun Ray Park, and the Downs at Albuquerque. Hubbard also owns Ruidoso.
Carl Lizza, who maintains one of the largest breeding operations in New York, will reduce the number of broodmares he owns.
Lizza, who owns Highcliff Farm in Delanson, N.Y., with Joseph Bartone and races his horses under Flying Zee Stable, will cut his broodmare band from 110 to 70. Most of the mares who are for sale are in foal. The mares who are offered for sale will be listed on the New York Thoroughbred Breeders sales page at http://nybreds.com/NYTB/sale_ads.html.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A discussion regarding a uniform medication policy whereby Lasix would be the only medication given to horses on race day was met largely with resistance from Kentucky trainers and veterinarians in a meeting at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano was taken to Caritas Medical Center shortly after Wednesday's third race at Churchill Downs, when his mount, Eaglez Crown, unseated him after appearing to clip heels down the backstretch. Bejarano told medical personnel that he had pain in his lower back, but he was ambulatory, and Eaglez Crown did not appear to be seriously hurt. . . . The Maryland Racing Commission has approved 220 days of live racing at Laurel Park and Pimlico for 2004. Laurel will hold meets in winter (Jan. 1 to March 28), summer (July 22 to Aug. 27), and fall (Oct. 6 to Dec. 31).
PORTLAND, Ore. - Houston Shuffle stayed undefeated and extended his winning streak to three in last Saturday's $16,740 Bill Wineberg Stakes for Oregon-bred 2-year-olds.
Under leading rider Juan Gutierrez, who rode with a neck injury incurred in a gate mishap earlier in the day, Houston Shuffle assumed a short lead at the start and held steady to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over the fast-finishing Tom Won in 1:13.16 for six furlongs.
If life on the road has taken a toll on 2-year-old filly America America, it did not show last Saturday night. In her 16th start of the year, she turned in her most impressive effort when she beat male rivals in the $150,000 Sam Houston Texan Juvenile at Sam Houston Race Park.
A group of 10 new tracks are in the process of joining the Southern Racing Cooperative, the coalition of 17 tracks from middle America that on Tuesday remained locked in a simulcast rate conflict with Churchill Downs Simulcast Network.
Many of the new tracks are small, but when they are tied together with the existing membership, the cooperative accounts for close to $1 billion a year in handle, according to a release issued by the group. The new tracks will not be named until an application period of about two weeks is complete.
Miesque's Son, a former Three Chimneys stallion who stood the 2003 breeding season at Lakeview Farm in California, has been sold to Societe d'Exploitation des Haras to stand at stud in France, according to syndicate manager Robert Clay. Miesque's Son, an 11-year-old son of Mr. Prospector out of Miesque, is the sire of six stakes winners, three of them group winners.
Imperial Dancer came from last to first to take the Group 1, $341,000 Premio Roma at the Capannelle on Sunday by three lengths from local favorite Altieri. Ridden by Ted Durcan for trainer Mick Channon, Imperial Dancer, a British-bred son of Primo Dominie, covered 1 1/4 miles on very soft turf in 2:01.60. . . . Canterbury Park Holding Corp., owners of a racetrack and card club in Shakopee, Minn., reported earned net income of $575,547 on revenues of $14,981,550 for the three months ended Sept. 30, 2003.
