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After an online poll with more with
300 responses, Uncle
Rose has been voted as the 2009 Texas Champion Claimer.
The award was created three years ago to recognize the
hard-working performers who fill the majority of race cards every
day. The nominees, which comprised Boom Boom Bubba, Dixie Dust,
Favorite Jazz, Hannah Bo Banna, Talon Noir and Uncle Rose, were
the winningest Accredited Texas-breds who raced primarily in the
Lone Star State last year.
Bred by Joe Carothers, Uncle Rose
is a 2004 gelding by Uncle Abbie.
The Texas-bred started the year running for Keith and Cash
Asmussen, for whom he won a $5,000 claiming race at Manor Downs.
Then it was on to Lone Star Park, where Uncle Rose won for tags of
$4,000 and $5,000 going 1 1/16 miles for owner and trainer Danny
Pish. In August, the gelding won the seven-furlong, $19,800 GFCA
Texas-bred Stakes at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds. Uncle
Rose continued his good form for Pish at Retama Park, where
although he didn’t win, he hit the board in all four starts,
including two on the turf course. In his final start of the year,
Uncle Rose scored in a $7,500 claiming race at Sam Houston Race
Park to end 2009 with a record of 15-5-3-3 and earnings of
$35,675.
Uncle Rose has already kicked off
2010 on a winning note with a victory in a starter allowance race
on January 21 at Sam Houston. All told, the gelding has a record
of 40-14-3-8 with earnings of $102,348. Uncle Rose is out of the
Waco Connection mare Waco Roses.
(article excerpted from texasthoroughbed.com)
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100%
Winners for Special Rate
The
New Year started off right for Special Rate. He now has five
starters, five winners, and one stakes-placed runner.
On
New Year's Day, Ornery went wire to wire and finished 3 1/4
lengths ahead, going 1 mile 70 yards at Sam Houston Race Park.
Congratulations to owner and breeder Brian C. Schartz and trainer
Randy Mayfield. Ornery is by Special
Rate out of Solo Rolo, by Air Forbes Won.
On January 21, 2010,
Cozamotion was winner of a Maiden Special Weight at Sam
Houston Race Park, with a fine finish after going 1 1/6
miles. The filly placed in two out her first three starts
before breaking her maiden. Congratulations to owner Scott Brown,
trainer Danny Pish, and breeder Star Bright Thoroughbreds.
Cozamotion is by Special Rate out
of Wishes n' Dreams, by Hermitage.
In a strong drive, Moonbeam
Special came out on top by 1 1/4 lengths on January 23, 2010,
in a Maiden Special Weight race at Sam Houston Race
Park. Sent off as the 6/5
favorite, Moonbeam Special covered the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:06.1. This was the fourth start for the filly by Special
Rate. She had previously run third on the turf in her second
start, and ran second in her third start on January 14, with the
rest of the pack 14 lengths behind her. Congratulations to
owner and breeder Star Bright Thoroughbreds and trainer Randy Mayfield.
Moonbeam Special is by Special Rate
out of Mal's Showntell, by Cryptoclearance.
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SCRAPPY
ROO is Back on Track
Texas
Champions Day, December 5, 2009, saw the return of SCRAPPY ROO
to the action. He ran second by a neck in the Richard King
Stakes,
1 1/8 miles on the turf, at Sam Houston Race Park.
He was on the move, and just a few more yards could have
given him the win. Scrappy
Roo is the only Texas bred to ever win the $200,000 John B.
Connally Turf Cup [G3], and was Texas' Champion Older Horse
of 2008. He had just come off a well-earned four
month layoff. The stakes
placing brought his earnings to $202,830.
Scrappy Roo is by the late Key Ranch stallion Roo Art out
of Dance’s Lyph, by King Lyph.
Congratulations again to owner and breeder Tawana Cantrell
and trainer John Locke.
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Uncle
Rose Scores Stakes Win
Uncle
Rose made it look easy in the GCFA Accredited Texas
Bred Stakes at Gillespie County Fairgrounds on August 23,
2009. He was seventh at the quarter pole, sixth at the half
mile mark, and rushed forward to win the seven furlong race by 2
1/2 lengths. Congratulations to owner and trainer Danny Pish and breeder
Joe Carothers. Uncle Rose is by Uncle
Abbie out of Waco Roses, by Waco Connection. His
earnings now total $98,388.
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Special Red Bird is Second
Starter and Second Winner for Special Rate
Special
Red Bird was winner of his first start, going five furlongs over a
muddy track at Lone Star Park on June 11, 2009. After dueling for
the lead the entire race, he drew away to score the win under a
hand ride. Congratulations to
owner and breeder Red Bird Farms and trainer
Charles Haverkamp. The two-year-old gelding is by Special
Rate out of Scheduled Flight, by A.P. Jet. Special Rate
now has two starters and two winners.
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Valid Heart is First
Starter, First Winner, and First Stakes Horse for Special Rate
Valid
Heart broke his maiden in his first start at Manor Downs
on April 11, 2009. The 4 1/2 furlong race was a futurity
trial for the Manor Downs Futurity Stakes. On April 26 he
finished a game second in the $50,000 Futurity, one month before
his second birthday. The two-year-old colt is by Special
Rate out of Valid Obsession, by Valid Appeal.
Congratulations to owners Keith and Cash Asmussen, breeder Keith
Asmussen, and trainer Cash Asmussen.
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Monica's
Skirmish Achieves Black Type on Valentine's Day
Monica’s
Skirmish finished third
in the $125,000 Two Altazano Texas Stallion Stakes on
February 14, 2009. The one mile race was run at Retama Park.
The stakes placing brings the total earnings to $53,660 for the
three-year-old filly by Uncle Abbie out of Bellaslew, by Slewacide.
Congratulations to owner and breeder John Gilpin and trainer
Nathan Hatcher.
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Another
Stakes Placing for Way Up There
Way
Up There took second place in the Pete Selin Memorial Stakes
at Rillito Park on February 2, 2009. This was the second
stakes placing for the filly by Tinners
Way out of Suit Up, by Stalwart. Her earnings currently
stand at $76,921. Congratulations to owner and trainer Wayne
Brasher. Way Up There was bred by Harris Farms.
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Scrappy
Roo is Texas' Champion Older Horse for 2008
Scrappy Roo is the Champion Older Horse in Texas for
2008. Scrappy Roo made history April 5, 2008, as the first
Texas-bred ever to win the $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup [G3],
held at Sam Houston Race Park. The competition included
graded stakes winners Student Council, Embossed,
and Going Ballistic, as well as graded stakes-placed
Eighteenthofmarch. Scrappy Roo held the early lead in the
race, was headed twice, and then dug in at the wire to hold off a
fast finishing Going Ballistic. The win was the fifth
straight for the five-year-old gelding by Roo Art, out of Dance's
Lyph. Scrappy Roo won the Tomball Stakes on February 23, 2008,
which was his first attempt at stakes competition. He has
now earned $183,280.
Congratulations
to owner Tawana Cantrell, breeder David Taylor, and trainer John
Locke. Scrappy Roo is full-brother to stakes winner It's Roo,
by Roo Art, and half-brother to Hollye Lynne, by Uncle Abbie. Multiple
graded stakes winner and millionaire Roo Art stood at Key Ranch
until his death in 2004.
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O My Darlin Diane Voted 2008 Texas Champion Claimer
O My Darlin Diane (by Uncle
Abbie) didn’t make her racetrack debut until halfway through
her 4-year-old year, but she’s proven to be worth the wait for
owner Henry S. Witt Jr. and trainer Brandon Jenkins. Witt claimed
the mare from breeder Larry Binnion the same night she broke her
maiden at Retama Park in October 2007. Since then, she has won
five races for Witt, including four this year. In her 5-year-old
campaign, O My Darlin Diane, a true sprinter, took a tour of Texas
while competing at Sam Houston Race Park, Lone Star Park,
Gillespie County Fairgrounds and Retama before heading north to
Penn National. O My Darlin Diane’s bankroll clocks in at $36,572
with six wins in 25 starts. Witt’s runner Angry Angel won the
inaugural Texas Champion Claimer Award in 2007. (excerpted from
texasthoroughbred.com)
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Accident Results in Tragic Loss of Sand Ridge
Sand Ridge was
euthanized in October after a playful missed step caused a cannon
bone to shatter. On the track, he ran with blistering speed
and great heart, recording a dozen triple-digit Beyer's, and
retired completely sound with 17 wins and 24 placings from 59
starts. A multiple Stakes Winner of
$708,149, Sand Ridge was twice Graded Stakes-placed at 6 furlongs
and 1 1/16 miles. To achieve such success on the track
without a single injury is extraordinary. It is
heartbreaking to lose this very special and promising young
stallion to such a wry twist of fate. We extend our
sincerest sympathies to all those involved with Sand Ridge.
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Monica's Skirmish Breaks Maiden with Impressive Win at Lone Star
Monica’s
Skirmish broke her maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs in a maiden special
weight race at Lone Star Park on June 27, 2008. She
commanded the race wire to wire and finished ahead by four
lengths. This was the second
race for Monica's Skirmish, with the first start resulting in a
tight second place at Lone Star on June 6.
The two-year-old filly is by
Uncle Abbie out of Bellaslew, by
Slewacide. Congratulations to owner and breeder John Gilpin and
trainer Nathan Hatcher.
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Lil's Lassie is Latest Stakes Horse for Lil's Lad
Lil's Lassie finished
second by a neck in the Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on
March 1, 2008. The five-year-old filly set a new track record for
the track in January, running 1 mile 40 yards in 1:40.18.
Lil's Lassie is by Lil's Lad, out of Fivetwentyone, by Metfield. From
6 crops of racing age, Lil's Lad has
sired 15 stakes horses, including 6 stakes winners, with
$4,390,440 in earnings.
UPDATE: Lil's
Lad has 18 stakes horses, including 7 stakes winners and progeny
earnings of over $5,300,000, to 2009.
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Classie Baloo Wins Two Altazano Stakes
CLASSIE BALOO had a dramatic finish
in the Two Altazano Stakes, the 3yo leg of the Texas Stallion
Stakes Series, on February 16, 2008. The 3yo filly by Uncle
Abbie went from last to first in the mile race, making a
fantastic move while 4 wide in the last turn and going into the
stretch in fourth place. Classie Baloo won her first start
at 2, and finished second in the 2yo Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone
Star Park in 2007. Congratulations to owner Diane Greiner,
breeder Steve Buttieri, and trainer Tony Edison. Classie
Baloo is by Uncle Abbie out of
Hullabaloo Canek, by Flying Granville.
UPDATE: Classie Baloo has
earned $175,126, to 2009.
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WRENICE is 2007 Texas Champion 3yo
Filly
2006 Texas
Champion 2yo Filly WRENICE made history again by claiming the
title of Texas Champion 3yo Filly for 2007. Wrenice has
earned $389,046 to date, with seven stakes wins and two stakes
seconds. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to owner and
breeder Stewart Hamblen of Canyon, Texas. Wrenice
is by Uncle Abbie, out of Slew (by
Slewacide). Wrenice
will return to racing action in April after some much deserved
time off.
UPDATE: Wrenice has
earned $494,061, to 2009.
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Hollye Lynne takes Martanza Stakes by 7
HOLLYE LYNNE scored in
the Martanza Stakes at Sam Houston in December, winning by 7 3/4
lengths. The 3yo filly is by Uncle
Abbie. Congratulations to owner Tawana Cantrell, breeder David
Taylor, and trainer John Locke.
UPDATE: The earnings
for Hollye Lynn are currently $144,738, to 2009.
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