Texas racing

Steve Asmussen, Stewart Elliott and owner Richard Chandler lead their respective divisions at the conclusion of the 42-day meet at Sam Houston Race Park that wrapped up Sunday. Asmussen won his 17th training title at the northwest Houston racetrack. He was honored as top trainer here in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005; 2014 -2025. Asmussen started 210 runners, finishing with a record of 41 wins, 39 seconds, 24 thirds and earnings of $1,309,988. He added a record-setting sixth victory in Grade 3, $300, Houston Ladies Classic with Winchell Thoroughbred, LLC's...

The Texas Hall of Fame will honor Larry Craft, Bill Melson, Joe Peacock, Sr. and Joe Peacock, Jr., Mike Rutherford and American Quarter Horse Havanah Goodtime and Thoroughbred Too Much Bling. The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Board of Directors and its Hall of Fame Selection Committee will induct its 2025 Hall of Fame Class into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Lone Star Park. "This year's inductees include some of the finest Texas Horses, Breeder's and Horsemen," said Tommy J. Azopardi, Chairman of the Board....

The Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) has named Tracy Sheffield as the new executive director effective Jan. 1, replacing Mary Ruyle, who will stay on through July to help with the transition, according to a TTA press release on Thursday. The holder of an Animal Science degree from Oregon State University, Sheffield is the founder and managing partner of T&L Veterinary Business Consulting. She has been a TTA member for more than 20 years and is active with the organization's Paddock Foundation, which helps find second careers for retired racehorses. Sheffield...

Sam Houston Race Park concluded its 43-day Thoroughbred live racing season Sunday, Apr. 7. Heading the training ranks this season, Steve Asmussen notched his 16th title after receiving the honor in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005; 2014 -2024. Asmussen started 249 runners, finishing with a record of 48 wins, 36 seconds, 31 thirds and earnings of $1,260,342. R. Caldwell was second in the standings with 28 victories. Trainer Ronnie Cravens won 22 races and Sarah Davidson rounded out the top four conditioners with 19 winners. Jockey Stewart Elliott held off...

At 271 head, one of the largest catalogs in its history, the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Yearling Sale will be held Monday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. (CT) at Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion. The 2022 edition, which reported a buy-back rate of 24%, saw 161 yearlings out of 211 sell for a total of $3,416,000--up almost 6% from the previous year when 177 out of 228 grossed $3,229,600. Growth was also seen in last year's average of $21,217, an increase from $18,246 in 2021, while the median was...

Eight additional yearlings have been supplemented to the 264 already catalogued for the 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale, which will be held Aug. 28 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. Six of the supplements will be catalogued as hips 265-270, while two of the supplemented horses will replace horses already reported as outs. "The additions to the catalog add to our strong regional base already and we're glad to have these additional offerings in our sale," said Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) Sales Director Foster Bridewell. A supplemental paper...

The horse...inquisitive, sensitive, totally aware, much smarter than you think, fearful, and a creature of habit. When my daughter returns to our family barn after training in Florida for six months, her retired horses greet her with a whinny. An old friend has returned. The horse is a fabric of historical Texas. The horse represents how we all arrived here, and how we survived in the earliest days. Some horses are bred to run--that's their job. All animals need a job and thrive when working. The thoroughbred's instinct is to...

After a series of false starts, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) signature anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program is now set to go into effect Monday. On Friday, TDN spoke with HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus on a variety of topics including the launch of HISA's signature drug control program, operational expenses, the Forte situation, Kentucky Derby week and Texas. The following is a very lightly edited version of that interview. TDN: Last week, the TDN published a story on the headwinds facing the Texas racing industry. In it,...

The Texas judge handling the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) constitutionality lawsuit that is trying to halt the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) on Wednesday refused to grant an injunction that would delay the May 22 implementation of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program. In issuing his order, United States District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas (Lubbock Division) pointed out that it is the second time in two weeks that he has informed the plaintiffs in a court order that...

The Thoroughbred racing season at Lone Star Park will begin Thurs., April 13, with 44 live racing days and will conclude Tues., July 4. The calendar will feature live racing on Thursdays and Fridays at 6:35 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day at 1:35 p.m., and special twilight post times of 5:00 p.m. on July 3 and July 4. The 2023 stakes schedule has a total of 21 stakes worth a combined $2,925,000. The highlight of the schedule is Lone Star Million Day on Memorial Day featuring the GIII Steve...

The Congressional amendment to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) at the end of last year--affording the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more rule-making governance--has not yielded a pause on the legal maneuverings surrounding the law. Already this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a motion by the HISA Authority for that court to vacate its recent opinion that HISA is unconstitutional, and instead sent two different cases back down to the district court level. In response, the Texas Racing Commission--which has so far barred the federal law...

Despite previously announcing that interstate simulcast wagering would resume Friday, Feb. 3, Sam Houston released a statement Friday morning postponing it. "We have determined that more time is needed to fully evaluate the many legal complexities surrounding recent court decisions and the HISA amendment enacted by Congress at the end of last year," the statement read. "While we are eager to export our signal across the country, our commitment to maintaining federal and state compliance remains our top priority. We will export our signal across state lines when we are...