Miss Code West travels to Sam Houston Park

Miss Code West, who was named Remington Park’s horse of the meet for the second year in a row last week, was to have traveled to her winter base of Sam Houston on Friday, according to trainer Kevin Scholl.

He said Miss Code West likely will make her next start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic. The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares is the richest offering of the meet. It will be run Jan. 25.

“I think that’s probably where she’ll go her next out,” Scholl said. “It would be nice to get her graded placed – or a win.”

Miss Code West has dominated the Oklahoma-bred program at Remington and also made a strong showing against open company this meet when second to Alpine Princess in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks.

Miss Code West closed out this year’s meet Dec. 13 with a more-than-eight-lengths win in the Useeit Stakes. She earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 82.

Overall, the daughter of Code West is a seven-time stakes winner. She races for Jeffry Puryear and Julie Puryear. The only other horse to win Remington’s horse of the meet title more than once is Welder, according to a press release from the Oklahoma City track.

Sam Houston announced it has received Texas Racing Commission approval for a 42-date meet, racing from Jan. 3-April 6. The track will race Friday nights and on Saturdays and Sundays.

Canterbury dates set for 2025

The Minnesota Racing Commission has granted Canterbury Park a 51-date meet for 2025, the track announced. The season will begin May 24 and continue through Sept. 20.

Canterbury will race Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and will have six special cards on Thursdays. The meet is three dates shorter than last season and is opening a week later and ending a week earlier in a calendar agreed to by both horsemen and Canterbury.

Canterbury plans to open its stable area the second week in May.

Sheffield in new role with TTA

Tracy Sheffield will become the executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association beginning Jan. 1, according to a press release from the organization. She takes over from Mary Ruyle, the longest-tenured employee of the TTA who will stay on through July to help with the transition. Sheffield is the current president of the TTA, but will resign from that role and be replaced by vice president Phil Leckinger. Sheffield has been a board member since 2017 and has been a leader in helping to rehome retired racehorses.

“No one can replace Mary, but I’m excited to take on this new position with the TTA,” Sheffield said in a release. “Certainly there are challenges for the Texas racing and breeding industry, but with a strong sales company and solid purses and incentives for accredited Texas-breds, I think we are well positioned to meet those challenges. All TTA members and Texas horsemen and women owe Mary a debt of gratitude for her work over the years, and I’m thankful she will remain available through July.”

Ruyle joined the TTA in 1988 as a bookkeeper and became executive director in 2012. She has won multiple awards for her service to racing and breeding in Texas.

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