Tuesday, October 29, 2013

2012 Louisiana Sales Graduate Entered in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies


For Immediate Release
LTBA Contact:
Roger Heitzmann
(800) 772-1195
 
Media Contact:
Julie Calzone
(337) 235-2924 ext. 18
 
 
2012 Louisiana Sales Graduate Entered in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Owner Dedicates Race to Father Who Will Be 96 in January
 
(New Orleans, La.) –The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association has already earned bragging rights in this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup. 2012 Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana graduate, Designer Legs, is entered in the Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles, California, November 1 and 2.
 
Designer Legs will be running in the Grade I $2 million mile and one sixteenth race set for two year-old fillies.
 
 
“The thoroughbred industry in Louisiana has grown to become one of the state's top industries,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana executive director.  “Through the Association’s efforts and the implementation of the breeding incentive program, Louisiana-breds have flourished. Designer Legs’ appearance in the Breeders’ Cup is proof that our horses are competitive anywhere.”
 
Murray Valene, a 40-year supporter of the Louisiana bred program, purchased Designer Legs at the 2012 sale. “She was a stand out,” said Valene. “She had the ‘look’ and was a big, strong yearling.”
 
Designer Legs broke her maiden in her first start at Canterbury Park. Less than a month later she won the Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes.
 
The Graeme Hall daughter won the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga. She entered the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes off her win and managed a fifth place finish. The filly then traveled to Keeneland Racecourse in Kentucky where she finished sixth in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes.
 
Designer Legs won her first two races at Canterbury and Prairie Meadows with trainer Gary Scherer before being turned over to trainer Dallas Stewart by owner Murray Valene to point for the Adirondack. She is still currently in training with Stewart.
 
Valene feels that Louisiana breds have helped him build a successful program. “Louisiana breds can run anywhere in the U.S.,” said Valene. “They are competitive at any racetrack and the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association program is the best one out there. It’s my favorite program.”
 
Designer Legs is proving her owner right with her entry in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies this weekend. “She is real,” said Valene. “She has the class and the points to get there. She will try the entire race and this is all for my dad who will be 96 in January.”
 
Valene reported that the filly is doing extremely well at Santa Anita. “She’s got a pretty good shot because any filly can win this race,” said Valene. “It is a level playing field.”
 
Two Year-Old Championship entrants shall not have medications, or any other substances administered within 24 hours of post time including authorized bleeder medications otherwise permitted by state regulation.
 
Valene Farms is ranked as a Graded Stakes Winning Owner with six Top 100 rankings since 2000.  Valene Farms has 69 starts in 2013 with 12 firsts, six thirds, and earning of $420,474. Total earning for Valene Farms are listed at nearly $10 million.
 
Stewart is a multiple Graded Stakes winning trainer. He was second in the 2013 Kentucky Derby with Golden Soul and second in the 2008 Preakness with Macho Again. He has been in the Top 100 Rankings nine times since 2000.
 
What began as a one day, 7-race event has grown into a two-day, $27 million extravaganza attracting the best horses, trainers, and owners from across the globe. It has also become the unofficial end and culmination of the thoroughbred-racing season, often with the Breeders’ Cup Classic being the deciding factor in Horse of the Year.
 
For more information call (504) 947-4676 or visit louisianabred.com.
 
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