2009 Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala Set for October 10
San Antonio,
TX – July
23, 2009—
The Texas Horse Racing
Hall of Fame will once again honor those that have enriched
the tradition of horse racing in Texas at the 11th annual Texas
Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala on Saturday, October 10, 2009.
The gala and induction
of Hall of Fame honorees will be held before and during the
races at Retama Park on that Saturday, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
The gala includes valet parking, cocktails, a gourmet buffet
dinner, wine tasting, induction of the honorees, silent auction,
and races, of course.
All proceeds from
the gala will benefit the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The 2009 inductees
include racing legends Harold Goodman and Jeff Carr (both now
deceased) and horses Got Koko, Top Deck and Pass Over. The Joann
Weber Distinguished Service Award will be presented to former
Texas Senator O.H. “Ike” Harris (R-Dallas)
Harold
Goodman was a prominent owner and breeder in Texas.
He was the 1994 Texas Breeder of the Year and owner/breeder
of Texas’ former all-time leading female money earner,
Two Altazano (winner of the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks,
Grade II Monmouth Oaks, Grade II Fantasy Stakes, Grade III Fair
Grounds Oaks, Marie P. DeBartolo Memorial Oaks and Sam Houston
Oaks in 1994). Goodman, born in Beaumont and lifelong resident
of Houston, founded the Goodman Manufacturing Company in 1977.
In 1992, Goodman purchased one-eighth of A.P. Indy, the 1992
Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr. I) champ and Horse of the Year.
Goodman also owned the Brazos T Ranch (complete with a training
center) near Brookshire, where he stood premier Texas stallion
Manzotti. Michael Stidham, one of Lone Star Park’s top
trainers, was Goodman’s private trainer. Goodman succumbed
to cancer on January 13, 1995, one day before he was to accept
the award as Texas’ top breeder of 1994 and the award
for Two Altazano as 1994 Champion Texas-bred 3-Year-old Filly.
Before his death,
Jeff Carr was still active in the practice
of law (particularly with regard to oil and gas exploration),
farming, ranching and the horse business. He was instrumental
in the formation of Retama Partners, Ltd.—who constructed
the first class horse race track in San Antonio—where
he served on the board as president. Carr was a member of the
American Quarter Horse Association for 30 years, and was a member
of the Texas Thoroughbred Breeders Association for 16 years.
Got Koko
was a Thoroughbred mare who was one of only three horses bred
in the state of Texas to ever win a Grade 1 stakes. Got Koko
scored her biggest win in the 2002 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at
Santa Anita in California. In 2003, Got Koko became just the
third-ever winner of the La Cañada Series for fillies
at Santa Anita Park since its inception in 1975. In addition,
she won the 2003 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap (Gr. II),
by defeating American Horse of the Year, Azeri, who came into
the race having won 11 straight races. She placed in that year’s
Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) and the Clement L. Hirsch
Handicap (gr. II). In her last start, she finished third in
the 2004 Santa Monica Handicap (gr. I). Trained by Bruce Headley,
Got Koko won or placed in a dozen of 15 races and earned $960,946.
Got Koko died on March 4, 2009 from foaling complications
while delivering a Bernardini colt.
Unraced as a Thoroughbred,
the stallion Top Deck, bred by King Ranch, went on to become
a famous sire of Quarter Horses. He was injured as a young foal,
preventing a racing career. Top Deck died in 1965 in Purcell,
Oklahoma and was the sire of Go Man Go, Rebel Cause, Top Ladybug,
Mighty Deck, Decketta, War Machine and Moon Deck. Two of his
sons were inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
- Go Man Go and Moon Deck. He sired 440 Quarter Horse foals,
with four AQHA Champions, 219 Race Registers of Merit, 12 Performance
Registers of Merit and 21 Superior Race Horse awards. Two of
his offspring earned the AQHA Supreme Champion award - Astro
Deck and War Machine. He was inducted into the American Quarter
Horse Hall of Fame in 1990.
Pass Over, a 1971 sorrel
Quarter Horse mare, was a world champion two-year-old filly
and world champion three-year-old filly. At one point in her
racing career, she was the world’s leading money-winning
Quarter Horse female. She was called “The Cinderella of
the Quarter Horse World” and labeled by Clark Nealon of
the Houston Post as being even bigger among Quarter
Horses than Secretariat was among Thoroughbreds.
The Joann Weber
Distinguished Service Award goes to former Texas Senator O.H.
“Ike” Harris. A former member of Texas
Sunset Advisory Commission (that identifies and eliminates waste,
duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies), Harris
had a 40-year political career in the Texas House and Senate.
He was successful in passing pari-mutuel wagering as the sponsor
of the bill in 1987. Senator Harris chaired the Interim Committee
on Horse Racing and Pari-mutuel Betting in 1971 that laid out
the reasons why Texas should have pari-mutuel horse racing.
WHEN:
Saturday, October 10, 2009, 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Retama Park Race Track, 1 Retama Pkwy, Selma, TX (outskirts
of San Antonio).
TICKETS:
$125 per person.
Generous sponsorship
packages are available. For more information and biographies
and/or photos on the inductees, please contact Sharolyn Grammer
at (210) 651-7000, retama@flash.net
MORE:
The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame—a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization—was formed as an educational institution
that promotes the character and integrity of the horse racing
industry and highlights the enjoyment the sport provides.
Each year, since
its inaugural event in 1999, the Texas Horse Racing Hall of
Fame Gala has recognized the accomplishments of Texas racing
legends (individuals and horses) by inducting them into the
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The event is also designed
to promote the rich history of the horse racing industry; recognize
and honor Texas racing legends; and educate the public on the
sport of racing
The Hall of Fame
honors the horses, jockeys, trainers and breeders who have significantly
influenced and contributed to the history of horse racing in
Texas and is temporarily housed on the Clubhouse level at Retama
Park Race Track. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about
these historical figures through biographies, view awards from
their achievements, see stunning trophies and beautiful silks.
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Announces
2005 Inductees
San Antonio, TX – September 8,
2005— “And the nomination goes to…” are the words
the horseracing industry has been waiting to hear. The inductees will join the
best of the best at the Texas Horse Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, housed at Retama Park. This year, the
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame will hold their annual Gala and Fundraiser on October 1, 2005 beginning at 4:00 pm at Retama Park Racetrack and
will be followed by the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Stakes.
According to Frances Rushing, Executive Director, “This year’s nominees are
well deserved, pillars of the horseracing community, who helped put Texas horseracing on the map. We are very pleased to be honoring
these outstanding individuals and horses by inducting them into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame.”
The Inductees include Mr. D. Wayne Lukas,
who has been in the industry since 1972. He has since become the most successful
trainer in the history of the Breeder’s Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, with earnings of $18,128,000. Mr. Herbert Graham operates Graham Farms in Gardendale, Texas. The
farm is home to many top American Quarter Horse stallions and houses one of the largest bands of broodmares in the nation. Josephine Abercrombie along with her father, the late Houston oilman, J.S. Abercrombie established
Pin Oak, a thoroughbred-breeding farm. Pin Oak is known for its accomplished
breeding and racing operation. Miss Princess began her racing career in 1945
in Mexico City. Her most anticipated race of all time was in 1947, where she ran against
Shue Fly, who throughout the 1940’s, was untouchable on the Quarter tracks. Miss
Princess retired after she successfully achieved all her owners and trainers set out for her to accomplish. Mr. Jim Helzer is being honored with the JoAnn Weber Distinguished Service Award for his many contributions
to the Texas Horse Racing Industry. Mr. Helzer established JEH Stallion Station
East and JEH Stallion Station West, and has served within the American Quarter Horse Association, Texas Quarter Horse Association,
Texas Thoroughbred Association, Texas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, and the Texas Horsemen’s
Partnership management committee. This is the first year for this award which
is named after JoAnn Weber who lost her battle with Cancer in December of 2004 and who gave many years of distinguished service
to the horse racing industry. She was also the first Executive Director of the
Texas
Horse Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.
Rushing states “This year’s gala is going to be one to remember with everyone coming together
to celebrate the success of these individuals and to help raise money to support the ongoing work of the Texas Horse Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, to be built on the grounds of
Retama Park”
