Through the first 11 months of the year, a total of 8,718 Quarter Horse races were run at recognized tracks, an decrease of 2.6 percent from the 8,950 run during the same period in 2008. However, total purses paid to horsemen and women reached $118,805,880, a slight increase from the $118,521,020 paid during the first 11 months of last year.

As a result of the number of races being down and the total purses being up, the average purse per race through the end of November was $13,628, nearly 3 percent better than the first 11 months of ’08. These are encouraging figures for any season, but particularly during a recession year.

Another sign of economic health is the amount of added money – that is, money from pari-mutuel handle and alternative gaming revenue, rather than payments by owners – was up nearly 4 percent. Through November 30, added money reached $96,654,078, which compares favorably to last year’s $93,070,742.

Pari-mutuel handle has decreased 3 percent, from $318.7 million in 2008 to $309.2 million so far this year. But because the number of races was down, the average-per-race handle dropped just 0.2 percent to $35,776.

We plan to give an update comparing the 2009 totals to ‘08 when they’re released at the end of the year.

---------------------------------------
Lone Star Park ended its 31-night Fall Meeting of Champions on November 28, and even though attendance and handle declined by double digits, a star in the making showed his face in Tempting Dash. A sorrel colt by all-time leading sire First Down Dash, Tempting Dash won all four of his races for owner Jose T. Morales, including the Grade 1, 400-yard Texas Classic and Dash For Cash futurities.

Tempting Dash not only won Lone Star’s two richest futurities, he also took the measure of both stakes records. The colt’s :19.379 clocking in the Dash For Cash Futurity broke by 14/100ths of a second the previous mark set by Rock Solid Jess two years ago. Stopping the timer in :19.205 in the Texas Classic, Tempting Dash shattered by 28/100ths – or about a length and a half – the previous record set by champion 2-year-old Eyesa Special in 2000.

Reigning world champion Stolis Winner showed us he still had it when he won the 440-yard Texas Classic Derby (G1) on closing night in :21.267, the third-fastest winning clocking in the stakes’ 17-year history. The victory marked the 3-year-old Stoli gelding’s first stakes win since September 1, 2008, when he won the All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs, an accomplishment that is still being contested in district court in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tempting Dash also broke Lone Star’s 400-yard track record in the Texas Classic. In all, four track standards were lowered during the meet – Danny R. Caldwell’s Slick Little Beduino broke the 100-yard record when he won the Gridiron Gallop Stakes in :06.343 on October 31, Randy L. Hill’s Comin Thru won a 250-yard allowance sprint in the mud in :13.011 on November 21, and Reneta Alvares Santos’ Sixes Sign won a 300-yard allowance in :15.171 on September 26.

Sixes Sign showed his versatility on December 5, when the Texas-bred colt by Streakin Sixes set the second-fastest qualifying time for the 440-yard, $100,000-added Hialeah Derby, which will have its inaugural running at Hialeah Park this Saturday. We’ll have a handicapper’s analysis of that race in our next blog update.

During Lone Star’s season, average daily attendance dropped 19 percent from last year to about 2,785, marking the first time in the meet’s history that average attendance slipped below the 3,000 mark. Total handle declined about 26 percent from 2008, and all-sources handle fell about 21.4 percent to a daily average of $1,073,319.

---------------------------------------
Meanwhile, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission approved Hoosier Park’s Thoroughbred dates for 2010. Located in Anderson, about 15 miles northeast of downtown Indianapolis, Hoosier Park will run a 63-date meet from July 30-October 24.

Hoosier Park’s season, which will include 26 days of Quarter Horse racing, will feature live racing on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule. Post time will be 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A Labor Day holiday card on Monday, September 6, will start at 1 p.m.

---------------------------------------

CLOCKER’S CORNER

FRIDAY

Gerald D. Libersat’s With Endurance (Game Patriot-Holy Ground by Especially Rare) breezed 220 yards in :12.24 at Evangeline Downs, the fastest of 17 moves at the distance. A Louisiana-bred 2-year-old gelding, With Endurance ran third in the July 12, $50,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R) at Delta Downs.

High On Cat (Dome [TB]-French Dame by On A High) breezed 660 yards in :36.19 at Sunland Park. Racing for A.J. Renner of Sidney, Montana, the homebred 5-year-old gelding was last year’s AQHA champion distance horse.

Also at Sunland, W. Ray Herring’s Heavenly Corona (Corona Caliente-Heavenly Shuttle by Shuttleman [TB]) breezed 660 in :36.40. The sorrel 4-year-old gelding has earned $101,281, and his four wins in 23 starts include last year’s 870-yard, $50,000 Getaway Handicap at Sunland.

SATURDAY

Stakes winner El Corona Ariero (Corona Czech-Barahona [TB] by Apollo [TB]) worked 660 yards in :33.12 at The Downs at Albuquerque. The 6-year-old gelding, who races for Edmundo and Elizabeth Gutierrez, has earned $73,084 from 23 outs, and his five career victories include the 2007 California Breeders’ Sprint Stakes (RG3) at Los Alamitos.

Recent Zia Park maiden winner Dash Ta Strawfly (Dash Ta Fame-Thethomascrownaffair by Strawfly Special) breezed 220 in :12.84 at Sunland Park. A homebred sophomore filly owned by Dave Grabbert and Ellen Flitner, Dash Ta Strawfly ran third as a 50-1 longshot in the April 18 Sunburst Handicap (R) at Sunland.

Also at Sunland, A Streak Regard (Chicks Regard-A Streak Ahead by Streakin Six) breezed 60 in :35.61. Racing for KH Logax Inc. of Oro Valley, Arizona, the homebred 4-year-old gelding won two graded state-bred futurities in New Mexico in 2007, and he ran third against open company in the September 5, $50,000 All American Gold Cup (G3) at Ruidoso Downs.

SUNDAY

Jim Nebeker’s Jess Ought To Flash (First To Flash-Jess Ought To Go Now by Mr Jess Perry) breezed 330 yards in :17.15 at Sunland Park. The 4-year-old gelding by the late First To Flash has earned $154,509, and his stakes resume includes a victory in the $132,955 Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs in 2008.

Also at Sunland, Contradictions (Windhams Winner-Lookin At’cha [TB] by Look See [TB]) breezed 660 in :35.06. A $20,000 claim by owner Keith Johnston in February 2008, the 6-year-old gelding subsequently won the $55,000 Zia 870 Championship (R) at Ruidoso Downs.