(November 29, 2006) - Ivory James, the fastest qualifier to Saturday’s $1,053,912 Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park, was not allowed to start in Texas’ richest horse race because he experienced “exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage” during his November 18 trial race and was placed on the Texas Veterinarian List. The diagnosis by State Veterinarian Dr. Ron Browning will prevent the 2-year-old from racing for 30 days.

Immediately after running 400 yards in :19.796 – the fastest time among 58 American Quarter Horses in six November 18 trial races – Dr. Browning discovered blood in the nostrils of Ivory James back at the Lone Star Park Test Barn.

Typically, a bleeder is a horse that bleeds from the lungs when small capillaries that surround the lungs’ air sacs rupture. The medical term is “exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage” (EIPH). Blood may be seen coming out of the horse’s nostrils, known as “epistaxis,” although it is typically discovered by a fiber optic endoscopic examination after exercise.

Hot, humid weather and cold are known to exacerbate the problem. The most common preventative treatment currently available is the use of the diuretic furosemide, or commonly known under the trade name Lasix. Less than one bleeder in 20 shows signs of epistaxis.

According to Section 319.111 of the Texas Racing Commission rules and laws that govern Texas pari-mutuel racing, a horse is ineligible to start for 12 days when it is first diagnosed as a bleeder. For the second diagnosed EIPH event, a horse shall be placed on the veterinarian’s list and is ineligible to start in a race before the 30th day after the date of the second EIPH event.

Because Ivory James had been treated with Lasix in each of his six starts, he was considered to be a second-time bleeder by the Texas Racing Commission. His owners, Bobby Cox and Sylvia Pittman, argued otherwise before the 201st District Court in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, but they were denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed Ivory James to run.

Even without Ivory James, Cox and trainer John Buchanan will be well-represented Saturday in the 400-yard race – one of three stakes races on the 12-race closing night program at Lone Star Park. Their entry of Dont Let Down and Riddick was made the early 7-5 morning line favorite after entries for the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity were taken Wednesday morning.

The complete field, from the rail out, for the 14th running of the Texas Classic Futurity (with jockeys and morning line odds): City Class (Russel Hadley, 8-1); Iam Little Strawfly (Alex Baldillex Jr., 12-1); First Prize Perry (Jacky Martin, 5-2); Valiant Hero (G.R. Carter Jr., 7-2); First Freeze (Gilbert Ortiz, 5-2); Fantasies Royal (Jose Alvarez, 15-1); Jess Katen (Roy Baldillez, 20-1); Dont Let Down (Juan Vazquez, 7-5); and Riddick (Larry Payne, 7-5).

In addition to the coupling of Dont Let Down and Riddick, the Heath Taylor-trained duo of First Prize Perry and First Freeze will also run as an entry, which means there will only be seven betting interests in the race.

Riddick, an Invisible Injun gelding who has been victorious twice in seven starts, was the second fastest qualifier with a time of :19.811 in the first trial of the night.

Dont Let Down, who followed his third place finish in the All American Futurity with a half-length victory in the Grade 1, $426,375 Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star on Oct. 28, will attempt to become the first horse to complete a Dash For Cash-Texas Classic Futurity double. The Buchanan-trained Pivotal Decision came closest to the feat in 2000 when he finished a neck back of champion Eyesa Special in the Texas Classic.

Here were the 10 fastest times in six trials races on Nov. 18: Ivory James (:19.796); Riddick (:19.811); Valiant Hero (:19.853); City Class (:19.986); Dont Let Down (:19.912); First Prize Perry (:19.937); First Freeze (:19.976); Iam Little Strawfly (:20.006); Fantasies Royal (:20.025); and Jess Katen (:20.045).

The Texas Classic Futurity has helped crown an American Quarter Horse Association champion in eight of the last 12 years. Past winners are Heza Fast Man (1993-Trinity Meadows); Mr Jess Perry (1994-Sam Houston); Winalota Cash (1995-Trinity Meadows); Toast to Dash (1996-Retama Park); The Informant (1997); Fast Debonair (1998); BK Runner (1999); Eyesa Special (2000); Pretty Boy Perry (2001); Capones Vault (2002); Mitowilard (2003); Azoom (2004-Sam Houston); and PYC Paint Your Wagon (2005).

Favorites have won five of the 13 runnings with five seconds and two thirds. Jacky Martin, who rides First Prize Perry, will attempt to add to his record of three Texas Classic Futurity wins (Fast Debonair, Eyesa Special and PYC Paint Your Wagon). Jack Brooks, who conditions Valiant Hero, is the only two-time winning trainer (Eyesa Special and PYC Paint Your Wagon).

In addition to the Texas Classic Futurity, Saturday’s program includes the Grade 1, $318,593 Texas Classic Derby (3-year-olds at 440 yards) and $20,000 Burnett Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 550 yards).

PYC PAINT YOUR WAGON LEADS TEXAS CLASSIC DERBY FIELD

Last year’s Lone Star Park Horse of the Meeting, PYC Paint Your Wagon, will get a chance to complete a rare sweep of the Texas Classic Futurity and Derby after he recorded the fastest 440-yard time (:21.502) in one of three trial races on Nov. 17. Michael Pohl’s PYC Paint Your Wagon, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Jack Brooks and ridden by five-time AQHA champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr., hopes to join Mr Jess Perry as the only horse to win both the Texas Classic Futurity and Derby. Mr Jess Perry accomplished the feat in 1994-95.

The complete Texas Classic Derby field: Sin Tacha Perry (Alfonso Lujan, 9-2); Brindis Por Cayenne (Jacky Martin, 6-1); Alluring Streak (Jose Alvarez, 20-1); Texas Sixes (Jim Brooks, 8-1); This Candys Red Hot (Roy Baldillez, 4-1); PYC Paint Your Wagon (G.R. Carter Jr., 8-5); Streakin Graffiti (Stormy Smith, 15-1); Automatically (Gilbert Ortiz, 15-1); Jess Sin Tacha (Juan Vazquez, 9-2); and Going to the Hague (David Brown, 12-1).

The filly Sin Tacha Perry and gelding Jess Sin Tacha will run as an entry for owners Jerry Gaston and Janet Van Bebber, who also trains the horses. The connection of the two horses runs much deeper. Thanks to science, Mr Jess Perry was bred to the broodmare Sin Tacha (who also produced 2002 AQHA World Champion Streakin Sin Tacha) and two 3-year-olds were produced. One, however, was a result of an embryo transfer where a fertilized egg from Sin Tacha was removed and placed in the womb of a donor mare that carried the foal to term. The donor mare is the actual dam of the resulting foal and the recipient mare acts as a surrogate.

SHAKE EM FEVER MILD CHOICE IN BURNETT HANDICAP

Shake Em Fever, who seeks his fourth stakes win this year, is the mild 7-2 morning line choice in the Burnett Handicap over None as Easy and 2003 Texas Classic Futurity champ Mitowilard, who is now a 5-year-old. The complete field: Valors Gold (Jeff Jerman, 12-1); Im Bionic (Rogelio Izquierdo, 20-1); Ronas Wind Dancer (Rodrigo Vallejo, 8-1); Sizzlin Red Corona (Jeff Williams, 8-1); El Zapatista (Arturo Puga, 10-1); Dashin Prince Henry (G.R. Carter Jr., 10-1); Mitowilard (Alex Baldillez Jr., 9-2); Speedy Injun (Larry Payne, 6-1); Shake Em Fever (Jim Brooks, 7-2); and None as Easy (Randy Wilson, 4-1).

DOWN THE STRETCH –

Defending riding champ “Diamond” Jim Brooks entered closing week at Lone Star Park with a two-win advantage, 27-25, with jockeys Fidencio Hernandez and Jeff Williams. John Buchanan seeks his first local training title and had an 18-15 advantage over Judd Kearl, who won the Sam Houston title prior to the Lone Star meet. A.D. Maddox, last year’s leading owner, was poised to repeat with a 9-6 lead over Bobby Cox in the owner standings . . .

All customers with paid admission for Saturday’s closing night program at Lone Star Park will be given an entry form for Fan Appreciation Night prize drawings between live races throughout the evening. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the first of 12 live races is 6:35 p.m. All contest entry forms must be submitted by 7 p.m. to be eligible for the prizes . . .

There’s a stakes doubleheader on Friday featuring the $15,000 Hipodromo de las Americas (2-year-old colts and geldings at 400 yards) and $15,000 Joe B. Turner Memorial Stakes (2-year-old fillies at 400 yards) . . .

The Hipodromo de las Americas field: High Flyin Playboy (Roy Baldillez, 4-1); Double T Down Easy (Adalberto Candanosa, 8-1); Jet Black Rebel (Larry Payne, 10-1); Sixes Split Pea (Jim Brooks, 3-1); Prospect of More (Fidencio Hernandez, 6-1); Im Passing By (Rodrigo Vallejo, 10-1); Truly a Natural (Martin Rubalcava, 10-1); First Signing (Debbie Freeman, 12-1); Indio Solitario (Alfonso Lujan, 15-1); and Jodys Swinger (Alex Baldillez Jr., 5-1).

The Joe B. Turner Memorial field: Sign Me Double Fast (Jose Alvarez, 5-1); Underneath It All (Russel Hadley, 8-1); Family Secrets (Alex Baldillez Jr., 10-1); Bridled Lightnin (Jeff Jerman, 10-1); She Takes the Cash (Jim Brooks, 4-1); Jess a Little Smart (Jeff Williams, 20-1); Eyesa Little Doll (Adalberto Candanosa, 15-1); Ms Streakin Special (Jose Vega, 15-1); Eyes On the Form (Cipriano Vidana, 7-2); and Happy Streaker (Rodrigo Vallejo, 9-2).

The field sizes for races on closing week are particularly strong: 85 horses for the nine-race program on Wednesday (9.44 per race); 91 for the Thursday’s nine-race card (10.1); 123 for Friday’s 12 races (10.3); and 119 for the dozen that comprise closing night (9.9) . . .

The Lone Star Park Charitable Foundation for Grand Prairie’s 26th annual Mistletoe Ball will be held Friday night at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas. The party, billed “A Season to Give,” will include dinner, live and silent auctions and musical entertainment by InsideOut. For $100 tickets to the charitable black-tie gala, call (972) 237-1188 . . .

Northern California’s kingpin jockey Russell Baze won two races Sunday at Bay Meadows and was within two victories of equaling legendary Laffit Pincay Jr.’s all-time win record of 9,530. The 48-year-old Baze entered Wednesday with 9,528 career wins and had six scheduled mounts at Bay Meadows . . .

Eddie Martin Jr., Lone Star’s leading rider in 2004 who is now based at Aqueduct, began Wednesday one victory shy of his 3,000th career win . . .

Delta Downs will stage the Grade III, $1 million Boyd Gaming’s Delta Jackpot Stakes (2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles) on Friday night. Also on the card: the $300,000 Boyd Gaming’s Delta Princess Stakes (2-year-old fillies at one mile); $100,000 Sam’s Town Stakes (3-year-olds and up at one mile); $100,000 Treasure Chest Stakes (fillies and mares at one mile); and $50,000 Zydeco Stakes (3-year-olds and up at five furlongs) . . .

Calder Race Course will host Grand Slam I on Saturday with four hundred granders: the Grade III Tropical Turf Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf); Grade III My Charmer Handicap (fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf); What a Pleasure Stakes (2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles); and Three Ring Stakes (2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles) . . .

West Coast sprinters will be showcased at Hollywood Park on Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (3-year-olds and up at six furlongs) . . .

Fair Grounds featured race is Saturday’s $75,000 Tenacious Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles) . . .

Saturday night is Texas Champions Night at Sam Houston Race Park. Texas-breds will be showcased in eight stakes races cumulatively worth $500,000 – the $100,000 Star of Texas Stakes (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles); $75,000 Martanza Stakes (fillies and mares at one mile); $50,000 Richard King Stakes (3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf); $50,000 San Jacinto Stakes (fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf); $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes (3-year-olds and up at six furlongs); $50,000 Yellow Rose Stakes (fillies and mares at six furlongs); $50,000 Groovy Stakes (2-year-olds at seven furlongs); and $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes (2-year-old fillies at seven furlongs) . . .

The lone graded stakes event on Sunday, Dec. 3 is the Grade III, $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles) at Hollywood Park.