SureBet June 2014 by SureBet Racing News

jUNE 2014 · VOL.8 NO.6

Kiss My Hocks top qualiﬁer for Ruidoso Futurity pg. 5

G.R. Carter Jr. sets new record

pg. 6

SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

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MAIN OFFICE: 2810 Sudderth, Ste. 206 • Ruidoso, NM 88345 575.808.8479 • 8 - 6, M - F www.surebetracingnews.com PUBLISHER: EUGENE HEATHMAN Cell: 575.937.9330 publisher@surebetracingnews.com BILLING/ACCOUNTING: ANNA FUQUA Cell: 575.937.6849 billing@surebetracingnews.com AD SALES: MANDA TOMISON Cell: 806.777.2075 manda@surebetracingnews.com E D I T O R I A L S TA F F : TODD FUQUA editor@surebetracingnews.com MICHAEL CUSORTELLI oaktown_c@hotmail.com MARTHA CLAUSSEN mclaussen50@yahoo.com TOM DAWSON tvtom@aol.com TY WYANT ty_wyant@yahoo.com COPY EDITOR: MIKE SCANLON DESIGN DIREC TOR: KATHERINE KIEFER production@surebetracingnews.com C O N S U LTA N T : LAURA FLYNN

CONTENTS JUNE 2014

•

VOL. 8 NO. 6

Cover photos courtesy of Todd Fuqua

Cover Story: Kiss My Hocks proves his worth in Ruidoso Futurity trials by Ty Wyant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Carter sets new record by Todd Fuqua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Top Racing Story: Rock You tops derby qualifiers by Ty Wyant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Feature Stories: ‘Trained racehorses don’t fall out of the sky’ by Mike Curran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rocky Gulch named to Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Racetrack chapels tend to those in need by Mike Curran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The economics of horseracing in NM and Ruidoso Downs by Eugene Heathman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 It’s in the blood by Ty Wyant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Street Boss filly tops Barretts May Two-Year-Old Sale by Michael Cusortelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 News

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

All American Gold Cup added to Champion of Champions; California Chrome nominated to Los Alamitos Derby; Kiss My Hocks named Horse of the Meet; Handle and attendance solid for 2014 Quarter Horse meet at Sam Houston; Angel Sanchez wins first training title; Luis Vivanco earns third leading riding title; ‘Racing Free Day’ at Ruidoso Downs June 7

Racing Commission Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 RCI Chief comments on NFL drug scandal; New Mexico Investigations and Enforcement; Meetings of interest calendar; Mares receives RCI Presidents Award

Race Recaps: Quarter Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Results from Los Alamitos Race Course; Delta Downs; SunRay Park; Remington Park; Sam Houston Race Park

Thoroughbred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Results from Evangeline Downs; Canterbury Park; Ruidoso Downs; SunRay Park; Lone Star Park; Emerald Downs

SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 3

SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

COVER STORY

Kiss My Hocks proves his

worth in Ruidoso Futurity trials May 22 • Ruidoso Downs, NM

By Ty Wyant

onda Maze and Tyler Graham’s Sam Houston Futurity winner Kiss My Hocks made a stunning Ruidoso Downs debut when he won his trial to the Grade 1, $700,000 Ruidoso Futurity by three lengths with the fastest-qualifying time May 22. Kiss My Hocks raced the 350 yards in 17.281 seconds for the top time from the 12 trials. The time also held up through the second day of trials, as Jon and Donna McPherson’s Famous Corona Lady ran the course in 17.367 seconds in her racing debut. She was just one-thousandth of a second faster than Flashy First Cartel and Jm Miracle, who were each clocked in 17.368 on the day. The five fastest horses from each day earned a spot in the Ruidoso Futurity final, to be run June 8. Kiss My Hocks simply demolished his competition from the inside post position in the seventh trial. The impressive son of Tempting Dash quickly went to the front and then drew away for the easiest of victories under jockey Cody Jensen. The Toby Keeton-trained colt came into the Ruidoso Futurity trials off of two stunning wins at Sam Houston Race Park in his only two starts. He broke a 12-year-old 330-yard track record in his first start when he won his Sam Houston Futurity trial in 16.433. At top, jockey Cody Jensen and Kiss My Hocks easily outpace the field in the seventh trial to the Ruidoso Futurity, May 22 at Ruidoso Downs. Kiss My Hocks – winner of this year’s Sam Houston Futurity – was the fastest time on the day by a tenth of a second. At right, Kiss My Hocks with Jensen up, return to the winner’s circle after the race. Photos courtesy of Todd Fuqua SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 5

“

He’s the real deal, the horse of a lifetime.

”

— Toby Keeton, trainer of Kiss My Hocks

2014 Ruidoso Futurity trials fastest qualifiers Horse/Trial # Day 1

Kiss My Hocks/7 Jm Famous Master/8 Bodacious Eagle/2 Madmax/5 Separate Dynasty/6

Trainer

Jockey

Wind

Time

Toby Keeton Jose Luis Muela Blane Wood Madilyn Watts Mike Joiner

Cody Jensen Alonso Rivera Ricky Ramirez Omar Reyes Cody Jensen

10t 0 4t 6t 9t

17.281 17.348 17.382 17.448 17.461

Then, in the Sam Houston Futurity, he ran a race similar to his Ruidoso Futurity trial. He started from the inside post Day 2 Famous Corona Lady/9 Paul Jones Esgar Ramirez 10h 17.367 position, broke sharply to gain the lead and go on to win Flashy First Cartel/4 Anna Crowson Roman Chapa 11t 17.368 the $564,000 futurity Jm Miracle/2 Jose Luis Muela Alonso Rivera 6t 17.368 by one-half length. Penthouse Sweet/1 Eddie Willis Jimmy Brooks 7t 17.480 The Sam Houston Tempting Destiny/5 Mike Joiner G.R. Carter 6t 17.480 Futurity win earned him the No. 2 ranking Jm Famous Master also has stakes experience. The J&M Racing and in the weekly AQHA Farm-owned son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon came off a third-place Racing-Horseplayernow run in the Grade 2, $267,651 West Texas Futurity. weekly poll. He won the eighth trial in 17.348 with a one-and-three-quar“He is just an unbelievable ter-length advantage. Alonso Rivera was up for trainer Jose Muela. horse,” said Keeton. “You can’t ask for anything more. He is A stunning debut just a pleasure to train. With Esgar Ramirez aboard “We’ve had him up here (at May 23, Famous Corona Lady Ruidoso’s 6,000-foot altitude) made a sharp break from the for three weeks and he’s accliinside post position and then mated really well. He’s the real overwhelmed her rivals to win by Toby Keeton deal, the horse of a lifetime.” three lengths in her career debut. Second-fastest qualifier Photo courtesy of Todd Fuqua “She’s been a superstar from the start,” said trainer Paul Jones. “She is beautiful with a lot of class.” Famous Corona Lady showed her potential during the third day of three days of training races at Ruidoso Downs. She raced to the day’s fastest time while facing a fierce headwind. The well-bred Famous Corona Lady was a $155,000 purchase at the 2013 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. She is sired by leading sire Corona Cartel and out of One Famous Lady, the dam of champion and leading sire One Famous Eagle. “The McPhersons were looking for a well-bred filly that they could race and then add to their broodmare band,” said Jones. “They are very nice people and we’re happy to have found a good one for them. She’ll make a great addition to their broodmare band.” Co-second-fastest qualifiers Jm Miracle and Flashy First Cartel also each won their trials in their first starts. J&M Racing and Farm’s Jm Miracle won the second trial by one-and-one-half lengths with Alonso Rivera aboard. Then, two races later, Crowson Racing’s Flashy First Cartel matched that time with a three-quarter-length victory under Roman Chapa. The fourth- and fifth-fastest qualifiers also shared the same time. Penthouse Sweet and Tempting Destiny each stopped the timer in 17.480. Tempting Destiny gave jockey G.R. Carter Jr. his all-time record 3,632nd victory. Ty Wyant has been covering racing since 1976. He is currently the media relations director for Ruidoso Downs and Zia Park, and the curator of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame. 6 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

COVER STORY

Carter sets new record

May 23 • Ruidoso Downs, NM

By Todd Fuqua

fter dominating the standings at Remington Park, it seemed only a matter of time before G.R. Carter Jr. would break the all-time Quarter Horse win record at his home track. Instead, Carter won the record at his “second home,” Ruidoso Downs, during trials to the Ruidoso Futurity. Carter earned his 3,632nd victory to surpass Alvin “Bubba” Brossette, winning the fifth trial May 23 aboard appropriately-named Tempting Destiny. He turned what could have been a third-place finish into a win when Roger More – leading at the 150-yard mark – began bucking near the end of the race. Regardless of how the race ended, Carter won to add to his many accolades. A member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame, Carter is a 10-time national champion jockey. His mounts – more than 23,000 – have earned $64.8 million. “The money record is related to the growth of Quarter Horse racing with inflated purses. That was easier,” Carter said. “There is only one way to win a race, and that is one at a time. This record was set over the long haul, by being as good as I can be every day.” Carter became a full-time jockey in the summer of 1986 and has won at least 100 races per year since 1987. “I’ve steered clear of injuries, and I know how hard that is,” he said. At Ruidoso Downs, he has won every Grade 1 futurity or derby. He has two wins in the All American Futurity and victories in the All American Derby, Rainbow Futurity, Rainbow Derby, Ruidoso Futurity and Ruidoso Derby. His Jockey G.R. Carter disAll American Futurity wins came with Falling In Loveagain (1998) mounts in ﬂashy fashion and Stolis Winner (2008). after winning his record“Ruidoso is the place that makes you famous. The dream and breaking 3,632nd Quarter goal of every Quarter Horse jockey is to win here. I’ve been fortuHorse victory – passing nate to win the All American (Futurity) twice and, hopefully, can win retired jockey Alvin “Bubba” it again. But, if I had never won the All American Futurity, I would Brossette – May 23, during feel unfulfilled.” the second day of trials Carter said that he has enjoyed the chase for the all-time record. to the Ruidoso Futurity at “My goodness, how often will this happen? Twenty-five years? Thirty Ruidoso Downs. years?” he said. At right (and on the cover), Carter rides high in the stirTodd Fuqua is the former award-winning sports rups after leading Tempting editor for the Ruidoso Free Press, Ruidoso News and Roswell Daily Record. He has written exDestiny to victory in the tensively about racing at Ruidoso Downs Race Ruidoso Futurity trials. Track, having covered the All American Futurity and Derby for the past 12 years. Photos courtesy of Todd Fuqua Ty Wyant contributed to this story. SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 7

Rock You tops derby qualifiers May 24 Ruidoso Downs, NM Rock You, Jimmy Dean Brooks up. Photo by Roberta Harris, Ruidoso Downs Race Track

By Ty Wyant

eliance Ranches, LLC’s Rock You raced to his fourthstraight win and set the fastest-qualifying time to the record-setting Grade 1, $943,127 Ruidoso Derby at Ruidoso Downs. The purse for the 400-yard Ruidoso Derby surpassed previous record of $822,753 set last year. The $100,000 Mr Jess Perry will also be run for the first time this year in connection with the Ruidoso Derby on June 7. Preference for the Mr Jess Perry will be given to horses who raced in the trials and did not qualify for the Ruidoso Derby. Rock You, the 1-2 favorite, dominated the eighth of 10 trials

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when he broke sharply from the inside post position and went to the lead. He then cruised to a three-quarter-length win with a 19.539 time while facing an eight-mile-per-hour headwind. “He left there and then rebroke again about the third jump,” said jockey Jimmy Dean Brooks. “I just kept his attention with the headwind.” A gelding by Foose, Rock You has been on a winning streak

TOP RACING STORY since finishing third in the Grade 1, $1,045,000 Golden 2014 Ruidoso Derby unoﬃcial qualifiers State Million last fall at Los Alamitos Race Course. “That’s Horse/Trial # Trainer Jockey Wind Time when we knew he was a good horse,” said Brooks. Rock You/8 Eddie Willis Jimmy Brooks 8h 19.539 Rock You came back from the Golden State Million to Cr Tuckernuck/2 Stacy Capps Berkley Packer 9t 19.547 win his Grade 1, $1,916,525 Los Alamitos Two Million trial Carters Disco/1 John Stinebaugh Omar Reyes 10t 19.576 by three-quarters of a length, however his time was not Super Sporting Dash/2 Joel Valeriano Roman Chapa 9t 19.618 fast enough to qualify for the finals. Dm One Hot Charmer/8 Gerald Reed GR Carter Jr. 8h 19.643 Trainer Eddie Willis then gave Rock You a rest of more Jz Fast Boy/1 Donnie Strickland GR Carter Jr. 10t 19.665 than three months and brought him back at RemingOne Valiant Hero/3 Eddie Willis Jimmy Brooks 0 19.675 ton Park. He won an allowance race and then took the Grc Justplainazoom/1 Paul Jones Esgar Ramirez 10t 19.691 $50,000 Bob Moore Stakes in April, his start before the Cruzin/1 Blane Wood Felipe Garcia-Luna 10t 19.704 Turbulent Times/6 Brandon Muniz Eduardo Nicasio 12h 19.704 Ruidoso Derby trials. Dan and Jolene Urschel’s Cr Tuckernuck won the Mr Jess Perry Preferred second trial with the second-fastest time of 19.547 over Horse/Trial # Trainer Jockey Wind Time Valeriano Racing Stables LLC’s Super Sporting Dash, who Rae of Fire/7 Juan Gonzalez Jaime Leos 8h 19.732 qualified with the fourth-fastest time of 19.618. Lord Valiant/1 Blane Wood Ricky Ramirez 10h 19.736 The Stacey Capps-trained Cr Tuckernuck prepared Rocked Up/2 Juan Gonzalez Jaime Leos 9t 19.774 for the Ruidoso Derby trials with a one-and-one-quarterQuick Dynasty/5 Brandon Muniz Eduardo Nicasio 15h 19.810 Belle Helene/3 Blane Wood Ricky Ramirez 0 19.812 length allowance win at Remington Park. The gelding Corona Firewater/4 Blane Wood Ricky Ramirez 1h 19.816 closed out his 2-year-old season by qualifying for the Vh Won/1 Eddie Willis Jimmy Brooks 10t 19.828 Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park. Coronado Cartel/5 Eddie Willis Jimmy Brooks 15h 19.833 Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas’ Turbulent Times Dynastys First Call/6 Blane Wood Ricky Ramirez 12h 19.844 squeezed into the Ruidoso Derby with the 10th-fastest Bp Wagon Train/9 Blane Wood Ricky Ramirez 8h 19.874 qualifying time, however could be one of the favorites as a Grade 1 winner with five victories from six starts. The Furyofthewind son won his Ruidoso Downs debut by one length in lion and suffered his only setback when he was a troubled fourth in the Grade 1, $1,111,000 Ed Burke Million. Each of his previous five 19.704 while facing a 12-mile-per-hour headwind. Turbulent Times won the Grade 1, $1,045,000 Golden State Mil- starts were at Los Alamitos last year.

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SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 9

F I R S T S TA RT E R , F I R S T W I N N E R , F I R S T 2 Y O R A C E O F 2 0 1 4

NA’s Leading Freshman Sires 1. QUALITY ROAD, KY 2. HOLD ME BACK, KY 3. SOUTHWESTERN HEAT, NM

SOUTHWESTERN HEAT GONE WEST - XTRA HEAT, BY DIXIELAND HEAT



2014 Fee: $2,500 ZUELLAS HEAT won her career debut in a maiden special weight at Sunland Park in :21.22, nearly matching the track record of :21.20

 By SPEIGHTSTOWN, 2nd Leading Sire in 2013

and his 23 stakes winnners recorded the most stakes wins, 36

 Out of champion 3YO filly XTRA HEAT, G1 winner of 26 of 35 starts and $2,389,635, a 2014 Hall of Fame nominee

 Broodmare sire by DIXIELAND BAND, a top 10 broodmare sire last year

10 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

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NEW MEXICO’S LEADING STORM PRODUCER



#1 ACTIVE SIRE IN NM in 2013 & 2014 Lifetime Earnings over $2.5-Million



Sired the Most Stakes Winners (4) & Stakes Wins (6) in the state last year



#5 in North America by 2013 2YO ABC Index at 3.14



3.16 A Runner Index, higher than Giant’s Causeway, Smart Strike, Kitten’s Joy, etc.



9 with $100,000 or more in earnings, including 2013 NM Champion 2YO REAPER ($251,730 to 4, 2014) and 3YO NM Champion HUSH’S STORM ($214,933, SP 2014)

ATTILA’S STORM FOREST WILDCAT-SWEET SYMMETRY, BY MAGESTERIAL

2014 Fee: $3,000

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SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 11

W I C K E D L Y

F A S T

NEW MEXICO HISTORY MAKER FIRST SIRE TO FINISH AMONG NA FRESHMAN LEADERS

NOW NORTH AMERICA’S #1 SIRE OF 2YOS

2014 Juveniles: Trial winner RAIDER RED won the Copper Top Futurity to keep a perfect record. DIABOLICAL DAME was runner up in the filly division of the Copper Top Futurity SEVEN STAKES HORSES – No other North American second crop sire has as many. Twenty-one winners, co-leading number from a group that includes sires of two Kentucky Derby runners!

DIABOLICAL artax - bonnie byerly, by dayjur

Adam Coglianese

2014 Fee: $5,000

12 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Inquires to Fred Alexander (915) 539-2176 Office: (915) 539-0040 Fax: (575) 882-1235 • Email: aahorseranch1@aol.com 1713 W. Washington, Anthony, NM 88021 • www.aaranch.org

Two-year-old TWIXY ROLL was an easy maiden special weight winner on 4/8 at Sunland by 1 ¾ in :51.41

BACK SEAT ROLL by Roll Hennessy Roll

WINNERS KEEP ROLLIN’ IN  Co-Leading General Sire in New Mexico by 2013 Stakes Winners

 Sire of: BACK SEAT ROLL ($276,114) five time winner, four stakes wins; ROLL OUT THE BAND ($148,758 at 2, 2013, 1st Rio Grande Senor Thoroughbred Futurity, Totah S.); HENNESEY SMASH ($252,006, 1st Peppers Pride H., etc.); KISS MY HENNESSY ($219,238) multiple stakes winner, 1, 2 or 3 in 7 stakes!

 Sire of a $25,000 yearling in 2013

ROLL HENNESSY ROLL HENNESSY - ROLL OVER BABY, BY ROLLIN ON OVER

2014 Fee: $3,500

Inquires to Fred Alexander (915) 539-2176 Office: (915) 539-0040 Fax: (575) 882-1235 • Email: aahorseranch1@aol.com 1713 W. Washington, Anthony, NM 88021 • www.aaranch.org

SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 13

‘Trained racehorses don’t fall out of the sky’ Premier trainer Blane Wood explains the exacting work it takes to prepare each horse for competition on a racecourse

By Michael Curran

UBBOCK — It is doubtful many fans at a particular racetrack ever consider what it takes to get a racehorse ready for battle on any given race. Hard work, consistent effort, money and constant thought go into the making of every potential four-legged athlete. The whole process begins seven to eight months before the equine student receives its baptism of fire on a racecourse and can often require 14-hour days – sometimes more – depending on the number of horses in training. Many important professions go into the sum total of a successful racetrack and all are significant, but certainly, none are more relevant than the endeavors of a recognized horse trainer. Without them, there would be no organized racing for fans and spectators to enjoy.

High plains training

“It may be news to some, but trained racehorses don’t fall out of the sky ready to race,” congenial trainer Blane Wood said. “Furthermore, they are not delivered by the stork.” Wood’s wit and affability should not be misconstrued. His wisdom and work ethics – borne out of humble beginnings – go into the crucial mix of what it takes to be a consummate trainer. He, and his trainer son and partner, Trey Wood, produce big winners every year. Therein is the proof. The year begins for most budding racehorses in September or October for next season’s crop at Wood’s sprawling 87-acre horse training facility in Lubbock. Yearlings – those less than two years old – are procured at sales or from people that breed them and brought to Wood as babies to be molded into finished competitors. In February 2013, Wood had 85 horses at his training center. Wood’s training complex is replete with two modern horse barns, an indoor, 60-foot diameter round walking pen filled with deep sand, walkers, a pasture and a mile-long racetrack with a 500-foot straightaway. He and his wife, Sandy, live within a few feet of the barns. Wood refers to the initial stages of training a racehorse as “boot camp.” It is here they are taught the fundamentals and breaking process, which includes walker breaking, pony lead 14 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

training and rider affiliation. Walker training is a three- or four-day process that teaches the equine athletes to first walk alone for 45 minutes or an hour on a motorized exerciser and then to walk in pairs. When they are comfortable with a walker they are exercised on it every day. Next comes the pony lead development where a horse and rider guide the future star around the indoor pen and get it familiar with being led by another horse. Next up, the student is saddled and bridled in its stall and brought to the riding pen – minus a rider – for an hour of getting used to its new accoutrements. Three or four days later, depending on the student, the future racehorse is ridden in the pen and out into the pasture for about two weeks every other day. When a horse is comfortable with that, it is then put out on the track on alternate days to gallop for 60 to 75 days. They are then ready to gallop in pairs and stretch out for a light breeze for 100 yards in the beginning stages of this process. The students are breezed once every four or five days. Later on they are breezed for 200-250 yards. Once ready for the breeze stage, a jockey like Ricky Ramirez, is called in so the horse and professional rider can get to know one another. During this stage they are led through a starting gate by hand and are still galloped every other day for two-and-a-half to three weeks and are then breezed for a third time. At this time, some horses are ready to go to the gate and be “hopped out.” After this gate-breaking process, some horses take a fourth

breeze, while others don’t. Every time they go to the track and pass through the gate, there is someone in the gate above their heads to grow them accustomed to an assistant starter in an actual starting gate. Selected students are then ready for their first gating, where they are locked up, front and back. A trained gate person stands in front, opens the gate by hand and the horse is “popped out.” All are started with blinkers and each student is blinker-adjusted at the trainer’s discretion. About two-and-a-half to three weeks later they are loaded in the locked gates again, popped out and allowed to work 220 yards. It is only then – if there is not any sickness, soreness or mental issues – that a successful, mistake-free horse is ready to go to the track and get an official workout time, complete with a clocker.

A proven system

This seven- to eight-month systematic routine is adhered to as consistently as possible. Wood feels he has to live around his students. He finds it necessary to spend ample time with each individual horse during the total breaking process. Because of that philosophy, his training center in Lubbock never closes and is open all day. To that end, he employs 12 employees, including grooms, gallop boys and a night watchman. For a trainer, labor, feed, bedding and training fees are major expenditures. And these expenses are not the end of it. Horses need to be shod every four to six weeks and a farrier is brought in every Thursday to attend to those needs. The students get regular vaccinations and are wormed every four to six weeks by a vet. Teeth are taken care of by an equine dental specialist. As 2-year-olds (a yearling turns 2 on Jan. 1), an AQHA representative tattoos students and each

equine is given an identifiable number. This process takes about 20 minutes to complete. Additionally, Coggins and piroplasmosis tests (to test for blood diseases) and registration papers have to be collated, updated and put together before a horse can travel. Now you know – as has been said – “the rest of the story.” The next time you watch your favorite racehorse give its all down the stretch, you may want to give an appreciative nod to the trainer who put it there. After all, trained racehorses don’t fall out of the sky. Michael Curran has spent the past seven years as the sports editor for the Ruidoso News. A Pittsburgh native, Curran moved to Ruidoso having never seen a horse race, yet has become an enthusiastic supporter and writer about the Sport of Kings. The sometime political writer likes nothing more than spending time on the backside of a track, digging up stories that might pass others by.

At far left, horse trainer Blane Wood plots out the day’s regimen in his office at the 87-acre training facility near Lubbock, Texas. Above, Wood makes sure one of his 85 students is comfortable. Below, Wood prepares his mile-long practice racecouse near Lubbock on a cold February day. Photos courtesy of Michael Curran

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SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 17

Rocky Gulch named to Hall of Fame

UIDOSO DOWNS – The first New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred to earn $1 million, Rocky Gulch, will be honored as the horse inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame during ceremonies in late June. Rocky Gulch reached millionaire status in 2006 and then the undefeated (19 for 19) Peppers Pride became the second New Mexicobred Thoroughbred millionaire two years later. Peppers Pride was inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame in 2011. The 2014 class in the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame also consists of owners/breeders R. C. “Punch” and Suzanne Jones, trainer Carl Draper and jockey/trainer Cliff Lambert. The 2014 class celebrates New Mexico racing with each of the inductees being historic contributors to racing in The Land of Enchantment. Bred and raced by Larry Teague of Hobbs, N.M., Rocky Gulch won 18 of 38 starts and amassed $1,151,725 in earnings with his career ending in December 2007. He counted 14 stakes from those 18 wins with each of his stakes wins coming against New Mexico-bred company. He gained acclaim when he stepped up against top open company to run second in the $105,000 Borderland Derby and fin-

18 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

ish third in the second running of the $500,000 WinStar Derby, each at Sunland Park. The WinStar Derby is now the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby and has become an important race on the trail to the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Terry Walker, Rocky Gulch gained fame not only for his millionaire status and his 14 stakes wins, but also for carrying imposts in his victories. At Sunland Park in 2004, in successive starts, he won stakes races carrying 123 pounds, 124 pounds, 127 pounds and 128 pounds. At Ruidoso Downs, he was undefeated from five starts. His freshman summer in 2003 at Ruidoso Downs was a coming-out party for the promising youngster. After winning his maiden at first asking and finishing a close second in the $172,000 Copper Top Futurity at Sunland Park, he stepped up at Ruidoso Downs to win his Rio Grande Senor Futurity trial by more than 11 lengths and then winning the $87,000 Rio Grande Senor Futurity by 15 lengths at 3-10 odds while setting a fiveand-one-half-furlong track record of 1:02. The next summer, Rocky Gulch continued to show his affection for Ruidoso Downs with a three-and-one-halflength win in the Road Runner Handicap as the 1-5 favorite while toting 126 pounds. He concluded his Ruidoso Downs racing two years later, in 2006, with back-to-back allowance wins. Rocky Gulch now lives in pampered comfort under the care of trainer Barbra Brown, Walker’s wife, as a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame. For complete Ruidoso Downs’ information, go to www.raceruidoso.com, visit the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino Facebook page and follow the Ruidoso Press Box (@RuiPressBox) on Twitter. There is a From top left, Rocky Gulch; owners/breeders R. page dedicated to C. “Punch” and Suzanne Jones; jockey/trainer the Ruidoso Downs Cliff Lambert (photo is of the first All American Racehorse Hall Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in 1959); and trainer of Fame at www. Carl Draper (above). raceruidoso.com/ Courtesy photos hall-of-fame.php.

Racetrack chapels tend to those in need Across the U.S. chaplain-ships minister to a variety of essential necessities making this racetrack entity a valuable part of racing

for us to make contact with one another and share ideas,” Winter said. “These chapels have a purpose to support horseracing communities.” Winter gives thanks for his station in life. By Michael Curran “Chaplains find themselves UIDOSO DOWNS – In the U.S., there are in unique situations to share the 35 chaplain-ships scattered throughout Gospel,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to various racetracks, providing indispensable have done this for these many years. services to workers, owners, trainers and many The uniqueness of it humbles me. track employees. The Cowboy Chapel at Ruidoso The position chaplains sometimes Downs Race Track epitomizes just what the find themselves in can be unparalchurch can do for the community it serves. Darrell Winter stands behind the pulpit at the leled. To be able to speak into someChaplain Darrell Winter and his organization Cowboy Chapel at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. one’s life to those who may never walk into a church can be gratifying. offer citizenship classes, ESL (English as a second Photo courtesy of Michael Curran Bible study is ongoing at the language), counseling to those with a variety Cowboy Chapel at Ruidoso Downs Race Track on Thursdays and of disorders, not unlike many small communities, and many other Sundays. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. social services as well. “As a chaplain, the focus is not only on physical needs but spiriMichael Curran has spent the past seven tual needs, too,” Winter said. “Spiritual awakening may lead one to come to a knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. It’s fulfilling, as a min- years as the sports editor for the Ruidoso News. A Pittsburgh native, Curran moved to ister of the Gospel, to share Christ’s love with those I come in contact Ruidoso having never seen a horse race, yet with. There’s nothing more rewarding than to see lives change for has become an enthusiastic supporter and the better. At Ruidoso Downs Race Track, we have some great oppor- writer about the Sport of Kings. The sometunities with children on summer break to offer important programs.” time political writer likes nothing more than Some of these programs include camera club, robotics, continu- spending time on the backside of a track, diging education, crafts and Bible lessons five days a week (since 2002). ging up stories that might pass others by. Field trips, for children and adults, are also available and include trips to Fort Stanton, White Sands and other areas. These trips showcase the beauty and culture of our region,” Winter said. “We were limited before, but new this summer, our trips will be more extensive because of gracious, recent donation of a 15-passenger van, which was donated by Ranch Hand Auto Sales of Hobbs, N.M. “We have other programs, which are generously supported by faithful donors such as the Hubbard Foundation, among many other invaluable sponsors. Every chaplaincy relies heavily on the generosity of horse industry people and those in the surrounding communities.”

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Winter is in his 14th year as a chaplain and recently attended an early-April Racetrack Chaplaincy of America meeting at its home office in Lexington, Kentucky. “About 20 of the 35 chaplains were there, and it was beneficial

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SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 19

The economics of horseracing in New Mexico and Ruidoso Downs By Eugene Heathman

standpoint, more than$69 million is generated annually from pahe horse racing industry has been a significant contributor of trons outside the state betting on races in the state, attracting more tax revenues to New Mexico’s economy and job creator for the than one million people to visit New Mexico’s racetracks annually. For every $1 invested in the racing industry, $1.59 is generated in state since 1938. Rural – what are considered secondary job markets – often lack total economic impact to New Mexico’s economy. Ruidoso Downs Racing Inc. anticipates each spring to swell the stability of traditional workforce related positions as urban areas from approximately 125 permanent employees to an increased yet provide a crucial economic boost to local economies. Horse summer season workforce to 437 employees for the summer peak racing is one of New Mexico’s top economic drivers. Racetracks season. Approximately 230,000 patrons will visit the racetrack, its cathroughout New Mexico secure approximately 13,000 jobs in the sino and food service operations from the season opener Memorial racing industry. Day weekend to the final race day of the season on Labor Day. In addition to the economic trickle-down effect horseracing The racetrack isn’t the only game in town when it comes to has on jobs in rural communities, it is estimated that nearly 500 competing for summer seasonal employees. The Village of Ruidoso manufacturing jobs are created in response to spending associated with the New Mexico horse racing industry. “An integral part of New hires parks and recreation maintenance and concession employees. Mexico’s tourism and agriculture, the racehorse industry contributes The Inn of the Mountain Gods also beefs up its summer staff. Local construction, landscape companies and retail stores are looking $535 million annually to the state’s economy,” said Vince Mares of for quality employees to fill positions. This mass hiring throughout New Mexico Racing Commission. Ruidoso for summer seasonal jobs is considered a rite of spring with Several studies of New Mexico’s Race Horse Industry impact the first days of live racing. on the economy were conducted since 2005 including; Estimated Approximately 14,300 horses comprise the industry in New Impacts on the State’s Economy (2012); Jay Lillywhite & Mark Wise, Mexico, and more than 11,000 people were licensed by the New NMSU (2006); Survey NMSU Dept. of Animal & Range Sciences Mexico Racing Commission to participate in the industry. The sur(2005); Deloitte Consulting (2005) in an effort to determine the full veys demonstrate that the average horse in New Mexico is valued at impact of jobs created and revenue generated by the industry’s approximately $19,000, which would mean the overall investment trickle down multipliers from service providers. From a tourism in racehorses only would be nearly $275 million. The average cost associated with the annual care of a racehorse is approximately $26,000 per year bringing total expenditures in the state to between $200 and $370 million per year. More than 53,000 horses reside on more than 9,200 farms or ranches in the state. It costs between $8,500 and $12,250 annually to maintain a mare for breeding. More than 3,000 races are run annually in New Mexico. Horsemen compete for purses of more than $55 million on an annual basis including some of the most nationally prominent races in the country like Sunland Park’s Kentucky Derby prep, the Grade 3 $800,000 Sunland Derby and Ruidoso’s Grade 1, $900,000 Rainbow Futurity, the $2.6 million All American Futurity and $2.5 million All American Derby. A total of five racehorse tracks; Sunland Park, Zia Park in Hobbs, Ruidoso Downs, SunRay Park in Farmington and the Downs at Albuquerque operate in New Mexico. New Mexico racetracks offer live horseracing at one or more venues almost on a year-round basis. Racehorses train, on average, nine months out of the year. The five race tracks pay approximately $65 million annually in gaming taxes, not including gross receipts taxes, property taxes and other associated taxes and fees, to the state of New Mexico and various city and county governments.

Eugene Heathman is a native of New Mexico, and in 2002 embarked on a real estate career in West Texas and New Mexico. Heathman developed a start-up newspaper and website into Lincoln County’s No. 1 award winner as managing editor for the Ruidoso Free Press. He maintains a strong broadcast and online news and entertainment territory, encompassing all of south-central and southeastern New Mexico as well as reaching into parts of West Texas. 20 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

It’s in the blood C

By Ty Wyant an a Grade 1 stakes winner not be well bred? How about a classic winner? Is it possible? The questions speak to the definition of a well-bred horse. The goal of a pure breeder is for his horses to win major stakes races and, hopefully, championships. The reason I say pure breeder is that many, if not most breeders, are market breeders. Their goal is to sell a yearling for a sizable profit. If it becomes an important racehorse, that’s great because it enhances the value of future foals. If not, they still have their money. Then there is California Chrome, who is trying to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Is he well bred? He certainly wouldn’t have attracted attention at any popular yearling sale. He would not have been a marketable horse being out of a $8,000 mare and produced by a $2,500 stud fee. He probably would have created more buzz for his color and markings than his pedigree. But, he surely looked like a well-bred horse in the winner’s circle following the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. California Chrome is a well-bred horse because he won two of the most important races on the planet. That, by my definition, constitutes a well-bred horse. The object is to win races. The breeding objective is not to sell a catalog page. Steven Coburn and Perry Martin’s homebred California Chrome proves that a classic winner does not need to come from a major international breeding operation. He does not need to be by a highly fashionable stallion and out of a mare who produces top-dollar yearlings on the strength of her black-type pedigree. California Chrome is from the highly productive sire line of A.P. Indy, Seattle Slew’s important son. A.P. Indy’s son Pulpit sired California Chrome’s sire Lucky Pulpit. Pulpit is also the sire of Tapit, sire of this year’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable. The A.P. Indy son Malibu Moon sired the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb. Lucky Pulpit won the $47,250 Smile Stakes over five furlongs on the turf as a 4-year-old. He did place around turns in graded stakes company at 2 and 3. He is out of the winning Cozzene mare Lucky Soph, a three-quarter sister to the dam of leading sire Unbridled’s Song. Lucky Soph was produced by the graded stakes winner Lucky Spell. She won Grade 3 stakes on the turf and dirt and produced Torrey Pines Stakes winner Goldspell, an earner of $186,010. While Lucky Pulpit scored his most important win at five furlongs, obviously A.P. Indy’s descendants are performing at the highest level at classic distances. There is stamina in California Chrome’s female family. California Chrome’s dam, Love Chase, is bred 3x3 to the great mare Numbered Account. She was the 1971 champion 2-year-old filly set the Keeneland one-and-one-eighth-mile track record that was previously held by Round Table. She produced Grade 1 winners Dance Number and Private Account, sire of Personal Ensign. California Chrome’s second dam, Chase it Down, is a half-sister to a mare that twice won stakes at one-and-three-eighths mile. The third dam of California Chrome, Chase The Dream, is sired by Sir Ivor and the fourth dam, La Belle Fleur, is a daughter of Vaguely Noble. California Chrome is bred 4x3 to Mr Prospector, the sire of dominating 1982 Belmont winner Conquistador Cielo. At the time, pundits questioned whether a Mr Prospector son could race

California Chrome winning the California Cup Derby by 5 ½ lengths Jan. 25 at Santa Anita Race Park, Arcadia, Calif. Photo courtesy of © Benoit Photo

1 1/2 miles. He won by 14 lengths over Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol. Can California Chrome handle the one-and-one-half-mile Belmont, called “The Test of Champions?” Is any horse in North America bred with the goal of winning at that distance? Probably not. His running style suggests he can handle the Belmont distance. An in-depth look at his not-so-fashionable pedigree indicates that he may have breeding. If he wins, he does. Ty Wyant has been covering racing since 1976. He is currently the media relations director for Ruidoso Downs and Zia Park, and the curator

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Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, The Los Alamitos Super Derby, The Bank of America Challenge Championship, and the Los Alamitos Race Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials. Course, Cypress, CA The Champion of Champions will be held for the 43rd time All American Gold Cup Dec. 13. added to Champion of If there is a dead heat for Champions first in any of the nine automatThe All American Gold ic berth races, there will be a Cup has been added to the shake to determine the Chamqualifying format for the 2014 pion of Champions qualifier. In $750,000 guaranteed Champion the event that a second berth of Champions. to the Champion of Champions The All American Gold Cup becomes available, the horse will replace the Zia Park Cham- that finished in a dead heat pionship in the qualifying effort would be offered the berth due to the tight scheduling instead of it reverting to the Z. between the running of the Zia Wayne Griffin. Regardless of the Park Championship Nov. 26 and different possible scenarios, the the running of the Champion Z. Wayne Griffin will always have of Champions Dec. 13. The All a minimum of one berth to the American Gold Cup will now Champion of Champions. featured a $200,000 purse and As in recent years, the will be held in late summer at Grade 1 $100,000 Go Man Go Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. on September 20 also remains The All American Gold Cup part of the Champion of Chamwas first won by the great milpions format. If any horse wins lionaire Higheasterjet in 1982 more than one race with an auand has a tremendous stakes tomatic berth to the Champion history. Past winners of the All of Champions, that berth will American Gold Cup include go to the winner of the Go Man greats like 1983 World ChamGo (as long as there were no pion Dashingly, Mr Master Bug, dead-heats for first place in any 1984 World Champion Dashs of the other qualifying races). If Dream, Heavenly, 1990 World the connections of a horse with Champion Dash For Speed, a starting berth decline their 1991 World Champion See spot in the Champion of ChamMe Do It, 1992 World Champions, that berth would also pion Special Leader, multiple revert to the winner of the Go champion Noconi and multiple Man Go (again as long as there champion and 2012-2013 winare no dead heats in any of the ner Prospect To The Top. other qualifying races). Any The races now offering other available berths would be automatic berths into the 2014 decided in the Z. Wayne Griffin Champion of Champions are: Directors Trials. the Los Alamitos Winter ChamThe format to the Z. Wayne pionship, which was recently Griffin trials remains similar held Feb. 18 and won by the to that of past years. Horses talented mare Nellie Delaney, eligible will be those that finish The Remington Park Champion- first, second or third in a Grade ship, The Vessels Maturity, The 1 race, first or second in a Grade All American Derby, The Mildred 2 race and first in a Grade 3 race. Vessels Memorial Handicap, The Races for 2-year-olds or races

at 870 yards are not considered. A horse not meeting those requirements can enter the Z. Wayne Griffin by paying a $5,000 fee. That $5,000 fee will be put into the purse of the Champion of Champions finals, making up the difference between the added money and the guaranteed $750,000. Horses receiving an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions or qualifying via the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trial will now be required to pay a $12,500 entry fee. In order to collect purse money a horse must actually start in the Champion of Champions and there will be no also eligible list. The winner of the Champion of Champions will earn $375,000. The Champion of Champions has been contested at Los Alamitos every year since 1972 when Mr Jet Moore edged champions Kaweah Bar and Charger Bar. Since then, 27 of its 42 winners have been crowned World Champion by the AQHA. Easy Date, Dash For Cash, Refrigerator, SLM Big Daddy, Tailor Fit and Blues Girl Too are among the World Champions that have won the sport’s most prestigious race for older horses. For complete rules refer to the Los

Alamitos Stakes book or call 714-820-2788.

California Chrome nominated to Los Alamitos Derby California Chrome, a contender for the Triple Crown after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (Grade 1), heads a star-studded list of 56 horses nominated to the inaugural running of the $500,000 Los Alamitos Derby (Grade 2) to be held on Saturday, July 5 during the Orange County track’s new Thoroughbred meet. California Chrome is no stranger to Los Alamitos Race Course, as he was stabled and trained here prior to winning the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Owned by Steve Coburn and Perry Martin and trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome was one of the first horses nominated to the race at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. The Los Alamitos Derby will be the marquee event of the track’s eight-day summer season that will run from July 3 through July 13. The list of Los Alamitos Derby nominations also features the unbeaten Eclipse

California Chrome Courtesy photo SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 23

Award-winning 2-year-old colt Shared Belief; Dance With Fate, who won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade 1); Hoppertunity, winner of the Rebel Stakes (Grade 2) and gallant runnerup to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby (Grade 1); Candy Boy, who won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II); and Chitu, winner of the Sunland Park Derby (Grade 3). Dance With Fate, Candy Boy and Chitu faced California Chrome in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. The Los Alamitos Derby is the opening leg of the brand new $1 million Bolton Challenge bonus, which would be paid to any horse that can win the Los Alamitos Derby, the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (Grade 1) on Aug. 24 at Del Mar, and the $5 million Breeder’s Cup Classic (Grade 1) on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. The Bolton Challenge is offered by the Los Alamitos Racing Association in partnership with the Californiabased insurance brokerage firm Bolton & Company. Other top names nominated to the Los Alamitos Derby include Bayern, the third place finisher in the Arkansas Derby (Grade 1); Diamond Bachelor, winner of the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes; Awesome Return, who scored in the Snow Chief Stakes; plus the graded stakes placed runners Kristo, Pablo Del Monte, and Rprettyboyfloyd. Led by Hoppertunity, Bayern and Chitu, Bob Baffert trains a total of five horses nominated. Doug O’Neill trains 10 of the nominees, while Jerry Hollendorfer conditions three other horses nominated in addition to champion Shared Belief, who has not raced since winning the Cash Call Futurity (Grade 1) on Dec. 14. Shared Belief is back in training and morst recently worked five furlongs handily from the gate in 1:00.80 at Golden Gate on May 8. For more information on the Los Alamitos Derby, please call Los Alamitos 24 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Thoroughbred Racing Secretary Bob Moreno at 714-820-2658. Nominations to the Los Alamitos Futurity, formerly the Cash Call Futurity, and Starlet will close on Thursday, May 15. Both of those races will be held during the December meeting at Los Alamitos Race Course.

will qualify for the All American (Futurity) as well.” In addition to being honored by Sam Houston Race Park, Kiss My Hocks has earned national recognition as the top ranked 2-year-old in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com Poll

Handle and attendance solid for 2014 Quarter Horse meet

Sam Houston Race Park, Houston, TX Kiss My Hocks named Horse of the Meet

Sam Houston Race Park officials were pleased with handle and attendance numbers for the 24-day Quarter Horse meet, which began March 21. Total daily handle was up 9 percent, with an increase of 1 percent on daily live handle. Daily export handle up 12 percent. Increases were noted on both Friday and Saturday evenings, with total handle up 27 percent on Friday evening and patrons wagering on racetracks across the country up 38 percent. An increase of 8 percent on total handle was also noted on Saturday evenings. Sam Houston Race Park reported increases in attendance and handle for its simulcast of the 140th Kentucky Derby coupled with live racing on Saturday, May 3. A total of 12,102 racing fans were in attendance compared to 11,023 in 2013. In addition to the almost 10 per-

Sam Houston Race Park announced that Kiss My Hocks, a 2-year-old colt owned by Conda Maze and Tyler Graham,was named 2014 Horse of the Meet. The talented juvenile set a new track record in his career debut here and followed that with a victory in the richest race of the 2014 American Quarter Horse season, the $563,950 Sam Houston Futurity (Grade 2). The son of Tempting Dash out of the Tres Seis mare Romancing Mary was bred in Texas by Tyler Graham and John Mayers. Trainer Toby Keeton had the colt in fine form March 29 when he won his 330-yard trial in a time of 16.433, and broke a track record of 16:514 seconds set July 5, 2002 by Pies Power Play. Maze accepted the trophy on Sunday, thanking Keeton and his crew for their exceptional care of Kiss My Hocks. “Toby, Cindi (Keeton) and all the boys on the backside have done a tremendous job,” said Maze. “We thank Sam Houston Race Park for this honor and for having such a kind racing surface.” “He is the soundest 2-yearold I have ever seen,” added Graham. “He’s a big colt, but very light on his feet. He’s training Kiss My Hocks now for the Ruidoso Futurity and if all goes well, we hope he

cent increase in attendance, officials noted a 7.5 percent boost in all handle for live racing, and the Churchill Downs card including the Kentucky Derby. “We are thrilled to have another great racing season under our belts,” said Sam Houston Race Park president, Andréa Young. “The gains we experienced during the Quarter Horse meet are a testament to our great fans and great horsemen.”

Angel Sanchez wins first training title Angel Sanchez earned the Trainer of the Meet title, the first ever for the Texas horseman who has been training for seven years. Sanchez won 18 of his 68 starts to surpass six-time leading trainer, Judd Kearl, who saddled 14 winners; Trey Wood, whose runners won 12 races this meet and Bobby Touchet, whose horses made nine trips to the winner’s circle. While Sanchez did not have a stakes winner this season, he trained Cartel Arrangement, the fastest qualifier for the $167,300 Sam Houston Derby (Grade 3). “I am thrilled to have won my first title,” said Sanchez. “I want to thank my wife and children. I am grateful for the support of my owners, especially J. B. and Sherrie Morace, who have been with me since I

Courtesy photo

began training.” Sanchez, who resides in Stockdale, Texas, will ship his runners to Retama Park for their 2014 Quarter Horse meet, which gets underway on June 6.

Luis Vivanco earns third leading riding title For the third year in a row, jockey Luis Vivanco has topped the rider standings at Sam Houston Race Park. He was dominant throughout the 2014 meet, finishing with 30 wins, 18 seconds and 21 third-place finishes. The 31-year-old jockey was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico and has been one of the top riders in Texas, winning three titles at Retama Park and finishing second at Lone Star Park. His most notable stakes win this meet was aboard Kiss My Hocks in the $563,950 Sam Houston Futurity, the richest race of the season. “First, I want to thank God and my family,” said Vivanco. “I also want to thank all the trainers that gave me great horses, especially Toby Keeton, Abel Morin, Jesse Yoakum, Mauricio Lopez and Bobby Touchet.” Vivanco is also planning on returning to Retama Park for their Quarter Horse season, and hopeful he will also have a chance to make his first start at Ruidoso Downs. Ricardo Aguirre, who finished fourth in the 2013 jockey race, had an excellent meet, riding 22 winners to notch second place in the standings. Francisco Calderon was third with 19 winners and Santos Carrizales was a close fourth with 18 victories. Three horsemen tie for leading owner title The race for Owner of the Meet went to the wire on the final day of the meet and ended in a three-way tie between Texas horseman A. D. Maddox, John Boegner and Pete Scarmardo. Each won five races. This was the fifth title for Maddox, whose horses are

trained by James Gerhards. Boegner owns and trains his runners and Scarmardo had success with Guy Hopkins and Leon Bard, who conditioned Raising Kain, the winner in of the $58,860 Adequan Texas Derby Challenge on the final day of the meet.

Ruidoso Downs, NM ‘Racing Free Day’ at Ruidoso Downs June 7

Quarter horse racing enthusiasts, mark your calendars for June 7 and be sure to make it out to Ruidoso Downs for not only the Ruidoso Derby Finals, but the second annual showcase of Ruidoso Down’s support of Racing Free. Ruidoso Downs has been a pioneer supporter of Racing Free and horsemen’s desire to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs in racing. Last summer, Racing Free and Ruidoso Downs teamed up to hold “Let Freedom Ring - Racing Free Day at Ruidoso Downs” on July 6 during the Rainbow Derby finals. The local community and horsemen had the opportunity to learn more about the Racing Free program and the horses representing a level playing field. In 2013, there were more than 500 horses enrolled

in both the Racing Free Incentive Program and the Racing Free Breeders Incentive Program. A proud moment for the organization was to have 17 of the 20 All American Futurity & Derby finalists enrolled into the program for the finals on Labor Day weekend. The organization also was recognized by the American Quarter Horse Racing Association by being nominated for the Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award. This year, Racing Free Day will include merchandise sales, a plaque presentation, opportunity drawing for a custom Racing Free Icehole cooler, temporary tattoos for children, and plenty of information on how to

get involved with Racing Free. The Racing Free team is dedicated to shining a positive light on the sport of horse racing while generating funds through sponsorships to assist the sport in regulating and eliminating the use of performance-enhancing drugs. There’s no doubt that both Ruidoso Downs and Racing Free are willing to go the extra mile to preserve the integrity and ensure a bright future for horse racing. You definitely don’t want to miss this year’s Racing Free Day at Ruidoso Downs on June 7. Join the movement, for the future of racing! Visit www.racingfree.com for more information.

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Street Boss filly tops Barretts May Two-Year-Old Sale By Michael Cursotelli

at Fairplex Park. A total of 70 horses sold for a gross of $3,031,500 (average, ong Hot Summer, a unraced daughter of Grade 1 winner Street $43,307), compared to 88 horses selling for a gross of $4,869,200 Boss, sold for $260,000 to top the Barrets May Two-Year-Old (average, $55,332) in 2013. The gross declined nearly 38 percent Sale, held May 12 in Pomona, Calif. from last year, while the average price dropped 22 percent. One of three foals produced Hotlantic, a multiple stakes winThe median held at $30,000, the same as last year. ning 10-year-old mare by Stormy Atlantic, Long Hot Summer was “It was a smaller catalog, and we lacked some of the sire power purchased by Mike Mitchell, agent for Joseph Scardino and Anthony that we had last year, ” said Barretts Sales and Racing general manFanticola. McCarthy Bloodstock consigned the filly for breeders ager Kim Lloyd. “The local buyers were here, but I think some of the John Harris and Don Valpredo. uncertainty in the stabling going forward affected us a bit.” Long Hot Summer was raised at Harris Ranch in Coalinga, Lloyd was referring to the closing of Hollywood Park in IngleCalifornia, and nearby River Ranch in Sanger, the same farms where wood, California, following its 2013 fall meet, after which Barretts Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) and Preakness Stakes (Grade 1) winner (formerly known as Fairplex Park), Los Alamitos and San Luis Rey California Chrome was raised. Downs in Bonsall became off-site stabling and training facilities in Long Hot Summer was one of seven 2-year-olds at the sale that southern California. Barretts could close for off-site stabling by this sold for six-figure prices. The top-priced colt and second-highest summer, and its traditional September race dates could be transseller, Lucky Logan, was acquired for $150,000 by trainer Peter Miller ferred to Los Alamitos. as agent for an undisclosed buyer. Lucky Logan is an unraced dark bay or brown colt by Lucky Pulpit, a stakes-winning and graded Michael Cusortelli is a blogger and freelance stakes placed son of Pulpit and the sire of California Chrome. writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A One of five foals produced by the unraced Tale Of The Cat mare graduate of the University of Arizona Race Treed Cat, Lucky Logan breezed 2 furlongs in :21-2/5 in an underTrack Industry Program, he has been a racing track preview May 9. The colt was consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s publicist and was most recently field editor and Wavertree Stables Inc. of Ocala, Florida, for breeder Jack Hatch. electronic news editor for the American Quarter Matty’s Tribal, a colt by the winning Storm Cat stallion Tribal Horse Racing Journal for 10 years. He has Rule, sold for $145,000 to Halo Farms. Consigned by agent Sam contributed to several industry publications, Hendricks, Matty’s Tribal is out of Gambler’s Justice, a 9-year-old including the New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Magazine, The Horseplayer daughter of Lit de Justice and winner of the 2008 California ThorMagazine, Daily Racing Form, HoofBeats, and the Texas Thoroughoughbred Breeders’ Marian Stakes (R) for state-bred 3-year-old fillies bred Magazine, SureBet Racing News.

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R AC I N G CO M M I S S I O N B R I E F S Lexington, KY May 21 RCI Chief comments on NFL drug scandal RCI President Ed Martin said that today’s front page coverage of undisclosed drug use in NFL games underscores that anti-doping efforts in horse racing are tougher than those deployed in other sports. “What is shocking is the reported extent to which performance enhancing drugs are tolerated,” Martin said of reports that eight retired NFL players have claimed widespread acceptance of performance enhancements that are prohibited in horse racing. “Racing does not allow an undisclosed back door where drug use is condoned in competition,” he said, referencing the therapeutic use exemptions (TUC) that are permitted by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) code for human sport. “If a horse requires medication that can affect performance, the horse is not allowed to compete and is scratched from the program. In horse racing, the review is multi layered with trainers and their attending veterinarians often taking action to preclude a horse from competing. Pre-race exams by track or regulatory veterinarians are an additional stopgap that also results in horses being excluded from competition,” he noted. A reported lawsuit by retired football players against the NFL has again raised the issue of undisclosed drug use in professional sport. The attorney for the plaintiffs, Steve Silverman, is quoted in USA TODAY claiming that team doctors and trainers “were handing out drugs like it was Halloween.” “Racing tests for more substances at deeper levels to ensure that drugs are not in the horse at levels that can affect performance and our model medication policy for racing is designed to further ensure that no substance is masking an injury that should preclude a horse from competition. In horse racing, there are redundant reviews to protect the (equine) athletes and current regulatory policy does not condone the undisclosed use of

performance enhancing drugs as is being claimed in the reports about the NFL. Evidence of the acceptance of using performance enhancements in human sport can be found in the annual reports of the US Anti-Doping Agency. Consistent with approved procedures, applications for exemptions to use stimulants, narcotics, anabolic agents, peptide hormones and other substances are routinely considered by USADA. The public is given no information as to the athlete, the competition, or the prohibited substance for which an exemption was granted. In horse racing the only legal medication that is permitted on race day is furosemide, used to mitigate EIPH (equine nose bleeds). Its use is strictly regulated and disclosed to the general public in the racing program. “When you compare their standards to those used in horse racing it becomes abundantly clear that racing is far tougher on the use of performance enhancements and masking agents than what is permitted elsewhere,” Martin said.

New Mexico Investigations and Enforcement Statutory Authority: 60-1A-3, 60-1A5, 60-1A-27, 60-1A-28 The New Mexico Racing Commission Investigations and Enforcement Division is tasked with ensuring rules and regulations are enforced and applied equally to all participants and to provide a standard of proficiency, professionalism and integrity. The integrity of racing will increase the fan’s confidence, thus increase the handle at racetracks. Ultimately increasing revenues to the state and ensure jobs in the industry. The primary responsibility of the Racing Commission is to assure quality and integrity in New Mexico Racing. This calls for an investigative arm with much diversity and varying dimensions. The Racing Commission’s Executive Director and Investigators coordinate a broad spectrum of investigations. The investigators are responsible for determining the facts involved in allegations of race related, illegal or criminal activities and violations of racing rules and regulations. SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 29

Meetings of interest June 6-8: The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States will meet in LaJolla, Calif. June 9-10: Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) Continuing Education Seminar at University of Louisville, Ky. June 11-19: Flat and Harness Racing Accreditation School at the University of Louisville, Ky.

Summer RCI Board & Model Rules Meetings July 30-31: Hilton Del Mar - San Diego or Del Mar, Calif. Aug. 14-17: National HBPA Summer Meeting, Oklahoma City, Okla. Sept. 29 - Oct. 1: Annual Simulcast Conference hosted by the TRA, HTA and AGTOA. Delray Beach Marriott, Delray Beach, Fla. RCI: 1510 Newtown Pike, Suite 210, Lexington, Kentucky, USA 40511 859-224-7070 By statutory authority, the Commission must closely work with the Horse Racing industry to ensure its integrity. Patrons at the racetracks rely on the Commission so they may confidently place wagers. The Commission welcomes contact from the public and our licensees; please feel free to contact anytime. The investigators contact information is listed below or contact the commission through the main line at 505-222-0700 or email at rc.info@ state.nm.us. It is the NM Racing Commissions goal

to ensure the racing industry in the state is free from corruptive and criminal influence or activity.

Investigators

Leasa Johnson, 505-222-0715; leasa.johnson@state.nm.us Melodie Ryan, 505-222-0710; melodie.ryan@state.nm.us Brad Brocker, 505-222-0712; brad.brocker@state.nm.us Max Sabado (Backgrounds), 505-2220706; max.sabado@state.nm.us

Mares receives RCI Presidents Award The Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) recently presented New Mexico Racing Commission Executive Director Vince Mares with President’s Award for Exemplary Service on April 8 at RCI’s 80th Annual Conference in Lexington, Ky. Mares has served as Director since February 2012 and has continued to work diligently to ensure the integrity of the Racing Industry. The Racing Commission would like to congratulate Director Mares on his Award. His dedication and hard work has been a tremendous asset to the Commission and the State of New 30 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Mexico. Also at the Conference, Chairman Robert Doughty was elected to serve on RCI’s Board of Directors. His term will run for one year. “At a critical time for the racing industry RCI continues to demonstrate proficiency and leadership in a number of areas essential to the sport. The collective involvement of our Members, working in consultation with the various breeds and industry leaders has resulted in important advances designed to safeguard horses as well as the integrity of the sport,” RCI President Ed Martin said.

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE Photo credits:

CALIFORNIA

ARIZONA: Turf Paradise: Coady Photography ARKANSAS: Oaklawn Park: Coady Photography CALIFORNIA: Del Mar: © Benoit Photo Golden Gate Fields: Vassar Photography Los Alamitos Race Course: Scott Martinez Santa Anita Race Park: © Benoit Photo COLORADO: Arapahoe Park: Coady Photography FLORIDA: Hialeah Park: Coady Photography IOWA: Prairie Meadows Racetrack: Jack Coady/ Coady Photography LOUISIANA: Delta Downs: Nicole Walker/Coady Photography Evangeline Downs Racetrack: Courtesy of Evangeline Downs Fair Grounds: Hodges Photography Louisiana Downs: Natalie Glyshaw/ Hodges Photography MINNESOTA: Canterbury Park: Coady Photography NEW MEXICO: Ruidoso Downs Race Track: Ty Wyant/ Roberta Harris Sunland Park: Coady Photography SunRay Park: Coady Photography The Downs at Albuquerque: Coady Photography Zia Park: Coady Photography OKLAHOMA: Remington Park: Dustin Orona Photography Will Rogers Downs: Courtesy of Will Rogers Downs OREGON: Portland Meadows: Courtesy of Portland Meadows TEXAS: Lone Star Park: Dustin Orona Photography Retama Park: Courtesy of Retama Park Sam Houston Race Park: Coady Photography WASHINGTON: Emerald Downs: Courtesy of Emerald Downs

Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA May 18 Flores happy to repeat Kindergarten result A year after Jose Flores saddled Glitter In My Face to win the 2013 running of the Kindergarten Futurity for his father, Jose Antonio Flores, the trainer saddled Old Girl to win this year’s running of the $261,200 Kindergarten for his uncle, Jose Arturo Flores at Los Alamitos. The victory by the Stel Corona filly led to a full house in the Los Alamitos winner’s circle for the Flores family. “We have a big family and a lot of friends from Pasadena (California) that came to support my uncle’s horse,” said Flores. “My dad and my uncle are from a family of Old Girl 11 children. It was nice to see so said. “They are both very quick fillies. Old many people in the winner’s circle.” Girl flew out the gate all by herself. Right In addition to the family ties, there were several other similarities between from the start she was alone in the front. I just grabbed a hold of her to make sure this year’s Kindergarten and last year’s that she didn’t go inside too much. She event. Jockey Cruz Mendez was the did everything very easy. She warmed winning rider for the second year in a up great. I let her jog out there and she row aboard the Flores-trainee and just like in the case of Glitter In My Face, Old felt really good. I didn’t need to gallop her at all during warm-ups. She was reGirl improved her record to a perfect three for three with the win. Both fillies laxed and I felt that she was happy. She behaved extremely well in the gate and also scored relatively easy wins, with then she took off at the start.” Glitter In My Face winning by a halfAs sentimental a victory as Glitter length while going wire to wire last year, while Old Girl dominated the race In My Face was for Jose Flores – “It was from the starting gate to the finish line great to win one with my dad as the owner,” the trainer said last year – the by a 1¼ length winning margin over trainer felt great about his uncle having runner-up Wild Sixes Cartel, owned by Tom Bradbury, Thomas Bradbury Jr., and an opportunity to enjoy this stakes win. “I owe a lot to my uncle,” Flores said. Lisa Beauprez. Sent off from the outside “I remember a lunch that I had with him post number 10, Old Girl covered the when I first started training horses in the 300 yards in a sparkling time of 15.210 1990s. I was doing my best back and he seconds, an eyelash faster than Glitter told me ‘Hey, when are you going to get In My Face’s winning time of 15.278 a good horse. I’m tired of you not having from post number seven last year. any good horses.’ I told him that there “Glitter In My Face and Old Girl remind me a lot of each other,” Mendez was only so much that I could do, so he SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 31

told me to find a good horse for him to buy.” The year was 1996 and Flores found a 7-year-old gelding named IB Quick, whose performances in stakes races changed the trainer’s career. IB Quick won that year’s running of the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity and would go on to be named the AQHA champion aged gelding for owners Enrique Sanchez and Jose Arturo Flores. “IB Quick ended up running in the Champion of Champions,” Flores said. “I wouldn’t buy a 7-yearold now, but I bought him back then for my uncle and it turned out great. I always wanted to do this job (training horses) and IB Quick was big for me.” Jose Arturo Flores once again instructed his nephew at last year’s Los Alamitos Equine Sale to find him a young futurity prospect. They settled on the Ed Allred-bred filly out of First Down Express mare Female Friend. “We went to the sale with a budget and there were a few horses that I had seen at Doc’s ranch that I liked,” the trainer added. “We ended up paying $6,000 for her, but when you buy a Dr. Allred horse the price doesn’t matter because all of them are class horses. All of his horses have great bloodlines. This filly blossomed into a good runner and she’s my uncle’s first big winner since IB Quick. My uncle works very hard for his money and it’s not easy to pay the futurity nominations. It gives me great satisfaction to see him win this race. This filly is in the Governor’s Cup Futurity and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity so those are two more good races that she will be a part of.” Sent off at odds of 7-2, 32 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Old Girl earned $109,704 for her victory. The trials to the Governor’s Cup will be held on July 12. Trained by Paul Jones and ridden by Ramon Sanchez, Wild Sixes Cartel earned $44,404 for finishing in second place. Tom Bradbury, a longtime Quarter Horse owner, had been in the hospital prior to the running of this race, but he was looking forward to seeing his colt in the Kindergarten. Wild Sixes Cartel’s nice effort will have been well received at the Bradbury household. Balgo Racing Team, Inc’s Pink Berreta was fractious in the gates prior to the start, but still managed to race nicely on the way to finishing third. Ridden by Carlos Huerta for trainer Lindolfo Diaz. The Mr Eyer Opener filly earned $31,344 for running third. EG High Desert Farms’ Perryczech earned $18,284 for as the second longest shot on the board at 36-1 despite bumping several times during the race. The other six others in the field all had to deal with bumping or being bumped during the course of the race. The order of finish from fifth place to 10th was as follows: Off Beat, fastest qualifier Zoomilicious, Mystery Man, Ochoteco, 2-1 favorite Vitali and Viento Negro. Zoomilicious broke through the gate. “She hit the gate and it’s tough to recover after that happens,” said trainer Jaime Gomez, who was looking for a record eighth victory in the Kindergarten. “She did break nicely and she gave us her all.”

Mr Its Country Time

sophomore year a maiden despite a solid 5-race freshman campaign in 2013. But now it’s been his time to shine at Los Alamitos. The Lousiana-bred gelding by Country Chicks Man has been outstanding in four starts in 2014, his most recent outing resulting in a wire-towire 1 ¼ length victory over El Primero Del Ano Derby runner-up Fire Cliff in the $25,000 Dillingham Handicap May 17. Mr Its Country Time came into this race fresh off a victory in the James Smith Memorial Handicap and earlier this season he broke his maiden in a trial to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. His only blemish was a fifth place finish to the iron-tough Viva Mi Corazon in the Winter Derby final Feb. 15. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, Mr Its Country Time was at his finest in the Dillingham, as he left the gate sharply from post number seven on the way to increasing his lead with each stride. Bred by Grant Farms LLC, Mr Its Country Time covered the 400-yard May 17 distance in 19.622 seconds Mr Its Country Time earns while posting a flying final 1/8th of a mile time of 9.44. another stakes win “He won it out of the Jesus Garera Garcia’s Mr gate,” said winning rider Raul Its Country Time began his

Valenzuela. “I felt that we had to beat Spirit Leader because he had finished second to us in the James Smith. My horse had a great start and the way that he was running from there I felt that we would prevail. He didn’t miss a step. He just keeps getting better and better.” Mr Its Country Time’s current form will give his connections some scheduling options for the second part of the year. “The way he ran tonight, I will need to talk to the owner and see if he’d like to make the late payment to make him eligible to the Los Alamitos Super Derby,” said trainer Juan Aleman. “It’s a lot of money to make him eligible ($30,000 due on July 1), but the race offers a big purse and a chance to win a lot of money if he makes it to the final. To be honest, I was a little concern about how he would handle the last 50 yards of this race, but he broke great and his final 1/8th time was like that of the good ones. He finished the race fast.” Aleman added that “after this effort, I’ll talk it over with the owner to see if he wants to roll the dice and pay him into the Super Derby. It’s an

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE

Significant Heart

option. If we do not go in the Super Derby trial (Oct. 12), then we’ll keep looking for handicap races and wait for the races for older horses next year.” Mr Its Country Time earned $13,750 for his Dillingham win to take his career earnings to $48,216. Ed Allred’s Fire Cliff earned $5,625 for running second to take his earnings to $54,908. Carlos Huerta piloted the Walk Thru Fire gelding for trainer Scott Willoughby. Fire Cliff has finished third or better in 10 of 11 career starts. Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Stel Just Me finished in third place for trainer Roberto Dominguez and jockey Cruz Mendez. Smithy, Solo Jess Senor, More Than Wild, Mesa Marvel, Spirit Leader and She Forgives completed the field. Conquer All was scratched earlier on Saturday.

May 11 Return to winning form in Miss Princess for Significant Heart

Horses owned by Abigail Kawananakoa dominated the weekend stakes races at Los Alamitos May 10-11. First it was the princess, Mesa Moonlight, with a dominat-

Seperate Interest

ing performance in the La Pacifica Handicap for 3-yearolds. Then it was the queen, Significant Heart, with a vintage effort to take home the Miss Princess Handicap for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward. The victory was an important one for Significant Heart, as it showed that the 4-yearold mare still has the form to be a major player in the stakes ranks at Los Alamitos in 2014. The daughter of Corona Cartel won five of seven starts last year including stakes victory in the Southern California Derby, Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials and Lanty’s Jet Handicap. But she came into the Miss Princess having lost her last three outings, including a sixth place finish at 3-1 odds when facing mares in the Grade 2 Charger Bar Handicap on Jan. 5. Significant Heart lived up to her 3-5 favorite status in the main event on Mother’s Day, as she led every step of the way while posting a half-length victory in a time of 17.579 seconds. Ridden by Ramon Sanchez for trainer Paul Jones, Significant Heart earned $13,750 for the win. She’s now earned $142,352 and her career record now

stands at six wins in 15 career starts. Sanchez and Jones also combined to win the La Pacifica with Kawananakoa’s Mesa Moonlight on Saturday night. Zory Kuzyk’s Beautiful Fire had a nice debut for trainer Cody Joiner after finishing second in the Miss Princess. A half-sister to 2004 World Champion Be A Bono, Beautiful Fire crossed the wire a half-length ahead of third place finisher Splendiferous Diva. It had been the other way around the last time that Beautiful Fire and Splendiferous Diva met in the Denim N Diamonds Handicap when the latter won the race and Beautiful Fire settled for fourth by ¾ lengths. Ridden by Cruz Mendez, Beautiful Fire earned $5,625 for running second. Veronica Gail Worth’s Splendiferous Diva earned $3,125 for finishing third in this race. Betty Gun, Forgotten Dynasty, Barrel Babe and Chics On Fire completed the field.

May 3 Seperate Interest highlights good day for Cassleman

Lila Kessinger’s Seperate Interest finished strongly

to hold off recent two-time stakes winner Once Over by a neck to win the $25,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap on Saturday night, but on this day trainer Mike Casselman was just as excited talking about fellow Los Alamitos-based trainer Art Sherman and the sensational local hero California Chrome. “It’s been a good day,” said Casselman, one of the most modest and hardestworking trainers at the Orange County oval. “What a fun day at Los Alamitos Race Course. California Chrome’s win is good for our racetrack, great for California. It’s been a lot of fun just being able to watch this.” Casselman’s horses are stabled in one of first shedrows on the Los Alamitos barn area, so he’s been treated with one of the best seats in the house when it has come to watching California Chrome train. “He goes (on the track) right in front of our barn,” said Casselman with a smile. “We get a good view. What a race he ran today. I’m so happy for those guys. My brother-in-law was here from Colorado on one of the days that California Chrome worked. He had SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 33

never seen a horse like that and he was excited. I told him ‘You may have just seen the next Kentucky Derby.’ “I just love Art Sherman’s personality,” Casselman added. “I love to hear his answers to reporters’ questions. He said after the Santa Anita Derby that on the turn for home all he wanted to see was his children shouting and screaming. He had so many people around him on the day of California Chrome’s last work here at Los Alamitos (April 26), but then on the next morning on Sunday I saw Art walking by himself in the barn area. I told him I better take a picture of you right now because this might not happen again for a while.” What Casselman has seen several times now is a tremendous effort by his talented gray colt Seperate Interest. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, the son of Separatist was fifth at the start of the Kaweah Bar, but he was flying during the second half of the 350-yard race en route to a neck victory. Seperate Interest covered the distance in 17.404 seconds while scoring his fifth win in 14 starts. Bred by Eaves Horses Family Ltd Partnership, Seperate Interest won the Town Policy Handicap last year and was second in the 2012 Golden State Million Futurity to World Champion One Dashing Eagle. He also ran second to Once Over in their previous meeting in the Katella Handicap. “He ran a pretty good race tonight,” Casselman added. “He’ll be going in the Vessels Maturity trials from here if everything goes well.” The Vessels trials will be held on Sunday, June 15. Seperate Interest earned $13,750 for his Kaweah 34 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Handicap victory to take his lifetime earnings to $368,639. Trained by Scott Willoughby for owner Ed Allred, Once Over earned $5,625 for running second. The gelding by Walk Thru Fire has started in four stakes races this year and has won two of them and finished second in the other two races. Rodrigo Aceves was aboard. Remembering Spence, High School Secrets, Runaway Corky, Fols Jesse and Mister Michael completed the Game field.

LOUISIANA

Delta Downs, Vinton, LA May 24 Upsets prevail at Delta Downs

Game covered 330 yards over a fast track in 16.661 seconds, which earned him a speed index of 91. The victory was the second of his four race career and it earned him a tidy sum of $132,642. His overall bankroll now stands at $151,902. The fans who backed Game at the wagering window were rewarded with payoffs of $29.40 to win, $7.40 to place and $6 to show. Buzzing was worth $4.60 to place and $3.80 to show. See Yacht Sea Jump returned $6.20 to show. Game is a 2-year-old by Game Patriot, out of the Hotdoggin mare Hot Charge. He was bred in Louisiana

Delta Downs hosted a pair of American Quarter Horse stakes races on May 24 and the results came as a bit of a surprise to the betting public. In the $265,285 Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2) it was Game who orchestrated a 13-1 upset and in the $50,000 Vinton Stakes (RG3) Scooter Prize won at odds of 23-1. The victory by Game, who is owned by Joseph Landreneau and is trained by Kelli Smith, came after the bay gelding broke sharply from the gate before fighting hard all the way to the finish line under jockey Orlando Baldillez. Game defeated Buzzing by a neck while See Yacht Sea Jump wound up another ¾ of a length behind in third. Scooters Prize

by Joe F. Gutierrez, Jr. Game was purchased by his current connections for $12,000 at the Louisiana Yearling Sale in 2013. Scooter Prize’s win in the Vinton Stakes came as an even bigger shock to fans on hand as she pulled the upset under jockey Raul Ramirez, Jr. who accepted the mount from trainer Martin Trejo. Scooter Prize is owned by Ana L. Alvadrez. Scooter Prize defeated Sir Prize by ¾ of a length with 3-2 favorite Ol Time Preacher Man rounding out the top three positions another neck behind in third. The running time for Scooter Prize at 400 yards

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE

Embrujo Star

was 19.809 and it earned her a speed index of 89. She has now won six of 16 starts and her bankroll now stands at $139,837 after grabbing the $30,000 top prize Saturday night. Scooter Prize is a 3-yearold filly by First Prize Perry, out of the A Royale High mare Royal Baby Scooter. She was bred in Louisiana by John K. Leger. The payoff in the Vinton Stakes were $49 to win, $15.20 to place and $7.20 to show for Scooter Prize. Sir Prize paid $4.60 to place and $2.80 to show. Ol Time Preacher Man was worth $2.40 to show.

May 23 Embrujo Star pulls upset

Overlooked on the toteboard at odds of 11.8 to 1, Hubert Vestal’s 2-yearold filly Embrujo Star rallied under jockey Jose Vega for a sharp victory in the May 23 $286,280 Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) at Delta Downs. Embrujo Star began her 330-yard journey from the outside post position in a field of 10. A few strides out of the gate she appeared to have a tough task in front of her as she was in eighth

Jess A Rogue

position before she took off in mid-stretch. At the wire she was moving best and had overhauled the early leader Dynastys Jumpin by a head at the finish line. Jetta Loves to Dash wound up another half-length behind the top pair in third. Embrujo Star covered the distance over a fast track in 16.842 seconds. The clocking was good for a speed index of 86. Trey Ellis trains Embrujo Star, who gave the young horsemen his second stakes win in less than a week. He also saddled Jess a Rogue before last Saturday night’s $83,615 Old South Futurity at Delta Downs. The win by Embujo Star was her second of the season as she also won her qualifying heat for the Lassie on May 2. Overall she has won two of three starts in her career and her bankroll now stands at $154,360. She earned $143,140 for her first stakes tally. Embrujo Star is a filly by Embrujo Fg, out of the Toast to Dash mare Allas Toast. She was bred in Louisiana by Gabrial L. Lewis. The sorrel runner was purchased by her owner for $5,000 at the

Louisiana Mixed Breed Sale in 2013 as a yearling. Fans who backed Embrujo Star at the wagering windows were handsomely rewarded as she paid $25.60 to win, $8.40 to place and $6.20 to show. Dynastys Jumpin was worth $4.80 to place and $4 to show. Jetta Loves to Dash paid $12 to show.

May 18 Old South Futurity to Jess A Rogue

Delta Downs hosted a pair or stakes races on May 18. Jess a Rogue was victorious in the $83,615 Old South Futurity for 2-year-olds while Big Timer orchestrated an upset in the $55,000 Delta 550 Championship for Louisianabred 3-year-olds and older. The win by Jess a Rogue, who is owned by Triple M Farms LLC (Menard) and is trained by Trey Ellis, was a dramatic one as the 2-yearold filly fought hard to the finish line under jockey Alfonso Lujan and won by just a nose over the tenacious On the Wagon. It was another half-length back to the third-place finisher Jess Toast Winner. Jess a Rogue completed

the 330-yard distance of the Old South in a time of 16.640 seconds, which earned her a speed index of 92. The victory by Jess a Rogue was the second of her undefeated career. She also won a trial for the Old South in her career debut on April 26. Saturday’s effort earned her $41,808 and she has now banked a total of $46,808 in all. Jess a Rogue is a bay filly by Heza Fast Dash, out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Miss Jess Rogue. She was bred in Louisiana by her owner.

Delta 550 surprise

Big Timer’s tally in the Delta 550 Championship came as a surprise to the betting public as the Vann Haywood trainee was sent off at odds of 15.9 to 1 in a field of eight May 18. The property of Stacey Moak, who also bred the gelding in Louisiana, beat Bipty Dash by a neck with T Boy P finishing another two lengths behind the top pair. Big Timer went 550 yards under jockey David Alvarez in a time of 26.704 and earned a speed index of 97. The win by Big Timer was the fourth of his 14-race career. He earned $33,000 for SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 35

Big Timer

Separist Firstdown

his effort and his career bank- index of 89. The victory by Separatroll now stands at $97,606. ist Firstdown, who is conditioned by his co-owner Isidro May 17 Flores, gave him nine tallies Separatist Firstdown from only 14 career starts. scores in Old South He earned $31,405 for his Derby After finishing second in effort on Friday which raised his overall bankroll to a lofty his qualifying trial for Saturday night’s $62,810 Old South $352,041. Separatist Firstdown is Derby, Oscar Canales Ramirez a 3-year-old colt by Sepaand Isidro Flores’s Separatist ratist out of the First Down Firstdown put it all together Dash mare Shesa Firstdown in the final and won by ¾ of a length under jockey Martin Jess. Separatist Firstdown was bred in Texas by Narciso Rubalcava. Flores. After a clean break from Separatist Firstdown was the outside post position sent to the gate at odds of in a field of nine, Separatist 3-5 and returned $3.20 to Firstdown took the lead but win, $2.60 to place and $2.40 started to drift inward, as he to show. Jp in Hot Pursuit was also did in his trial heat. Luckworth $9.40 to place and $7 ily for him the four horses to to show. Cash for Strikes paid his inside bumped together $4.60 to show. at the start and had a much

awareness for breast cancer research. After a bump at the start, Louisana Corona was straightened away by Purcell in the 350-yard showdown and proceeded to charge to the lead. In mid-stretch the 4-year-old mare was engaged in an all-out battle with Jetblack Gold Moment to her outside and Allizoom to her inside. As the trio approached the finish line it was Purcell and Louisana Corona who came out on top by a neck over Jetblack Gold Moment with Allizoom finishing another head behind in third. Louisana Corona covered the distance over a fast track in 17.330 seconds, which was

slower break leaving the center part of the racetrack free of traffic. At the finish line, Separatist Firstdown reported home in front of Jp in Hot Pursuit, who finished second while Cash for Strikes wound up a length behind the top pair in third. The running time for Separatist Firstdown in the 400-yard showdown over a fast track was 19.771 seconds, translating to a speed

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May 10 Tami Purcell rides Louisiana Corona to win

It was a very special night at Delta Downs as May 10 as American Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading female jockey, Tami Purcell, came out of retirement to ride Louisana Corona to victory in the $29,000 Mother’s Day Stakes. Purcell agreed to accept the mount as a way to raise Louisiana Corona

resulted in a speed index of 95. The win by Louisana Corona was made even more special as her dam, Corona Cash, gave Purcell a victory in Quarter Horse racing’s richest and most prestigious event the All American Futurity in 1997. “When I was aboard this horse warming up before the race she felt just like Corona’ did back then,” said Purcell in the winner’s circle with a tear in her eye. “It was like déjà vu. It just made this race even more special for me.” This was the first start of the year for Louisana Corona and it marked the fifth win of her 11-race career. She earned $15,000 for the effort

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE which raised her bankroll to $151,022. Louisana Corona is a bay mare by Jess Louisiana Blue, out of the First Down Dash mare Corona Cash. She was bred in Oklahoma by Henry E. Brown and is owned by Jason Richards and Michael J. Leblanc. Kenneth L. Roberts, Sr. conditions Louisana Corona and is also the trainer of the Mother’s Day runner-up Jetblack Gold Moment.

NEW MEXICO

SunRay Park, Farmington, NM May 25 Pretty Woody Jesse fastest in NM Breeder’s Futurity

Yaneth Cabrera’s Pretty Woody Jesse validated the strength of her trial win here on May 9 when she came back with an equally impressive score in Sunday’s $130,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity at SunRay Park and Casino. Pretty Woody Jesse, trained by Javier Roman, Jr. and ridden to victory by Tanner Thedford, bounded away from the gate in perfect fashion and maintained a clear advantage the entire length of the stretch, winning by a length over Regal First Moon, ironically the same horse who ran second to the winner when they met here just 16 days earlier. Pretty Woody Jesse ran the 350 yards in a quick final time of 17.348 seconds over a track listed as muddy due to

early morning rain. Bred by Eloy Duree and winning for the third time in her four-race career, Pretty Woody Jesse picked up $61,000 for her winning effort, increasing her lifetime earnings to over $72,000. “She got out of the gate perfect,” said Thedford after the race. “I really owe it to the team who’ve done such a good job with her.” Roman, Jr., who took over the training duties of Pretty Woody Jesse from Juan Gonzalez prior to her May 9 trial win, sees a bright future for the filly. “We’re very happy with the way she’s come along for us,” Roman, Jr., said. “We’ll look to see what she can do for us later this year at Zia Park.” Listed as the morning line favorite, Pretty Woody Jesse was sent off as the 3-to-1 second choice, returning $8 to her backers at the windows. Favoritism in the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity fell onto Seeyalateralligator, who finished third after a bumpy start under jockey Larry Gamez. Sent off at odds of 17to-10, Seeyalateralligator finished a length behind runner-up Regal First Moon, but was more than a length clear of fourth-place finisher First Power Flash.

Pretty Woody Jesse

ers’ Stakes at SunRay Park and Casino. Owned by Jose Espinosa and Jim & Michele Laird, Too Flash For You bounded away quickly from the blocks and asserted command early on in the 400-yard dash. The son of First Moonflash had a length lead midway down the straightway and continued to roll to victory by a confident neck margin under the talented jockey Larry Gamez, who has been aboard for his last two stakes wins. “He does all the work,” Gamez said after the race. “I make it look easy, but he’s really coming into his own right now.” Trained by Wes Giles, Too

Flash For You ran the 400 yards in a final time of 19.32 seconds. The win is the third in his 11-race career, and Too Flash For You has now surpassed $132,000 in career earnings. Too Flash For You gave racing fans a glimpse into a bright future last February when he won the Grade 2 $85,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association Stakes at Sunland Park. Away from the races since then, he showed off his class Sunday returning from a 91-day layoff and winning as much the best. Sent off as the lukewarm favorite at odds of 3.60-to-1, Too Flash For You returned

May 18 Too Flash For You scores in New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes

Earning his second consecutive stakes win and stamping himself as one of the leading 3-year-old New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses, Too Flash For You outdueled Sassy Moonflash in the $45,000 New Mexico Breed-

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Alis Jumpn

Feature Mr Snow

proved her record to 11-7-1-0 with earnings of $110,510. She is now undefeated in three career starts at SunRay Park, and she has also recorded two wins at Zia Park, one at Sunland Park and one at The Downs at Albuquerque. Kerrys Wave Carver, the second favorite at 5-2, got up to take second in her first start since finishing third in the West Texas Maturity (Grade 3) on March 1 at Sunland. The ultra-consistent Coyote James finished third to hit the board for the 12th time in 14 career starts.

to check and steady under Alejandro Medellin. Feature Mr Snow held eventual runner-up Oh Jess Fly at bay and scored by just over a length as the post time favorite at odds of 8-to-5. Racing for the first time for trainer Ramon Gallegos and owner Pedro Carrillo, Feature Mr Snow beat $5,000 claimers at Sunland Park last time out on March 9. Prior to that, Feature Mr Snow was successfully campaigning against softer company beMay 10 fore the jump into the stakes La Plata goes ranks. to Alis Jumpn “His times were just as Pedro Carrillo’s Alis good as anything running in Jumpn came into the $35,000 May 4 the better ranks, so it made Feature Mr Snow La Plata Stakes (Grade 3) at sense to try this spot,” GalSunRay Park with an impres- wins 7th straight legos said after the race. sive record of six wins from Feature Mr Snow, a The confidence paid off 10 starts, but she had finished Kansas-bred son of Feature as Feature Mr Jess rolled to a beaten ninth in her only Mr Jess, posted a near wirehis 12th win from 38 lifetime other stakes race. to-wire score at SunRay Park starts. The $21,000 winner’s The daughter of Jumpn and Casino in the$35,000 share of the purse increased made amends for that, as she Marathon Handicap at 870 his career earnings to more popped out of the gate was yards. The 7-year-old gelding than $111,000. never headed before hitting posted his seventh straight Oh Jess Fly was nearly the wire a half-length in front victory. a length clear of third place in a time of 19.420 seconds Ridden strongly by Jimmy finisher KC Royal Flush. The for 400 yards. Sent off as the rest of the field was headed Coates just a bit off the rail 8-5 favorite, Alis Jumpn was while nursing a short lead on by JW A Royal Flirt, followed ridden by Jorge Bourdieu for the turn, Feature Mr Snow by Laugh At Life, Jessa Little Rusty, Valentino de Lao and trainer Ramon Gallegos. repelled an early challenge Bred in Texas by Don S. from morning line favorite Im Im Royal Quick. Multiple 870-yard stakes Apodaca, Alis Jumpn imRoyal Quick, who was forced $9.20 to his winning backers. Sassy Moonflash came up short in his bid to upset the favorite. Ridden by Sergio Becerra, the Jose Muela trainee got his nose down just ahead of Jess Sandy Jr and jockey Manuel Gutierrez to earn the place. Behind that one across the wire were Mister Brooks, Wager On Moonflash, James D Man, Genuine Kiss, Eb Blazin Bug and Kaydns Krusader.

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winner Im Royal Quick may have deserved better than his last place finish. Attempting to secure position for a railskiiming rally, Medellin found himself in tight quarters on the turn and was forced to check, losing all chance. For their winning wagers, backers of Feature Mr Snow were rewarded with a $5.20 return on their $2 investment.

OKLAHOMA

Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK May 24 Major Tom stays dominant

Major Tom, the superAppaloosa who makes the exceptional seem routine, glided home to his third stakes win of the 2014 Remington Park season. His one-length triumph in the Grade 1, $35,000 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Stakes also added another track record to his resume. Owned by Mary Hainline of Noble, Okla. and trained

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE

Major Tom

by Eddie Willis, Major Tom was ridden for the first time by someone other than Jimmy Brooks. Jockey Cody Smith picked up the talented mount as Brooks could not make it back to Remington Park after riding throughout the afternoon at Ruidoso Downs, N.M. The change in pilots meant nothing to Major Tom as he was impressive in winning his seventh consecutive race dating back to May 2013. Smith managed to get Major Tom away from the starting gate in the 440-yard affair in fine order, putting him on the lead before the midway point in the race. Turbulence had a great start from his inside post position but was unable to hold off Major Tom who methodically gained his normal advantage while under a strong hand-ride from Smith. Judys Miss Banks rallied to get up for second by a head over Turbulence. Major Tom crossed the finish in :21.059 seconds over a sloppy track, setting a new Remington Park record for Paints & Appaloosas at the distance. The clocking shaved .262 off the 2012 mark set by Barney Ofield in the same

Texas Silk

stakes race. Major Tom set a new 400yard track record for Paint & Appaloosa racing at Remington Park when he won the Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes in April. The heavy 3-5 wagering favorite, Major Tom paid $3.20 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.10 to show. Judys Miss Banks returned $11 to place and $6.40 to show. Turbulence paid $6.80 to show. A 3-year-old gelding, Major Tom defeated four other 3-year-olds and four foes that were 4 or older in the National Cowboy. All of his rivals were Paint racers. A gelding by Red Storm Cat (qh) from the Mr Eye Opener (qh) mare Eyesa Knockout, Major Tom was bred in Oklahoma by Gary Vaughn. The third stakes win of the season is the eighth career win from nine starts for Major Tom with six of the victories taking place at Remington Park. The winner’s share of the National Cowboy purse, $20,784, moves Major Tom’s career earnings to $212,107. During the undercard on Saturday, jockey Cesar Gomez enjoyed his best night of the season, winning five times.

Gomez won aboard: Stone Cold Alibi ($3.80 to win), race four; A Blaze Of Zoom ($24) race five; Pale Face Prospect ($23.20) race six; Gotta Go Streakn ($5.20) race eight and Risky Pursuits ($3.40) in race nine. Gomez now has 14 wins for the season after arriving midway through the season.

Texas Silk will try to add the biggest futurity for Paints & Appaloosas of the season, to his score in April’s American Paint Classic Futurity. Ridden by Berkley Packer, Texas Silk won the first trial of the afternoon, crossing the finish of his 350-yard heat in 17.647 seconds over a fast track. Texas Silk is a 2-year-old May 17 gelding by Texas Six from the Remington Park Futurity Judys Lineage mare Judys Six and was bred in Oklahoma by a close one; Texas Silk H.T. and Kay Churchwell. Now fastest to Speedhorse/ a winner of three-consecutive Graham Farms Futurity races, Texas Silk will lead a Remington Park hosted field of 10 into the Grade 1 six trials for the $253,000 final on Saturday, May 31. Speedhorse/Graham Farms Joining Texas Silk in the Paint & Appaloosa Futurity Speedhorse/Graham Futurity, with Texas Silk qualifying fastwith their qualifying time est for the final. and trial, will be: Fabulous Owned by Charles Dos, 17.681 (trial 2); Flashin Leggett of Muskogee, Okla. The Lace, 17.781 (trial 5); and trained by Dee Keener,

uqua Tax and Financial Management Anna Fuqua Enrolled Agent

anna.fuqua@hotmail.com Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346 • 575-937-6849 Tax Preparation • Bookkeeping Business Startup • Payroll Services SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 39

All Out Arrogant

Wahoo

and needs five more victories to set a new all-time record. Retired Louisiana jockey Alvin “Bubba” Brossette currently holds the mark of 3,631. Carter rides five Quarter Horse races on Sunday’s ninerace program at Remington Park, starting at 1:30 p.m.

two other American Quarter Horse Association Challenge stakes races and a quartet of trials for the Heritage Place Derby. Owned by Randall Dees of Huntington Beach, Calif. and trained by Cody Joiner, All Out Arrogant was ridden by Raul Valenzuela who commented on the rough May 11 beginning. All Out Arrogant wins “He got away a little bit BofA Oklahoma race slow and had a bump (with A Mothers’ Day afternoon SM Chicksastreakin), I just was full of high-level racing pointed him in the right at Remington Park with the direction and he got a little Grade 2, $121,410 Bank of bit of room. After he got America Oklahoma Chamrunning, he switched leads pionship leading the card. All Out Arrogant overcame a and he went on from there. bump at the start of the 440- He handled the track nicely today.” yard event, to find his stride Dees traveled from his and pull the upset at 17-1 west coast home to witness odds. The Sunday card included the All Out Arrogant win and was happy he had a chance to run after the rough start. “He’s been kind of a hard-luck horse but today he came out like a champion, we’re very proud of him.” All Out Arrogant crossed Lincoln County New Mexico’s sports authority the finish in 22.152 seconds www.FuquaSports.com over the fast track into a strong 25mph headwind. 575-937-0344 Finishing a half-length betodd@fuquasports.com hind was River Wind, the 8-5 wagering favorite. Separate Like me on Facebook • Visit my Twitter page Cartel was another neck back

Bestbudde, 17.814 (trial 5); PHQ Princess Stefanie, 17.833 (trial 5); Sueno Pinto, 17.857 (trial 2); Country Dee, 17.860 (trial 3); Cocked An Loaded, 17.861 (trial 6); JJ Country Cash, 17.883 (trial 4) and Miss Movin On, 17.896 (trial 2). Keener qualified five of the 10 for the Speedhorse/ Graham with Texas Silk, PHQ Princess Stefanie, Cocked An Loaded, JJ Country Cash and Miss Movin On all racing out of his barn. Miss Movin On was victorious in the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity here in March. Jockey G.R. Carter picked up one win aboard an American Quarter Horse on Saturday with Spit Curl Trey ($4.60 to win) in the ninth race. He now has 3,627 Quarter Horse wins for his career

TODD FUQUA

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in third. Rewarding his backers at long odds, All Out Arrogant paid $37.80 to win, $13 to place and $8.20 to show. River Wind paid $4.60 to place and $3.80 to show. Separate Cartel returned $12.20 to show. The win was the sixth from 16 lifetime attempts for All Out Arrogant and the first from three tries at Remington Park. A 4-year-old by FDD Dynasty from the Chicks Beduino mare Oh So Arrogant, the gelding was bred in California by Dean and Darrell Frey. Picking up $55,848 for the win, All Out Arrogant has now earned $108,886 overall.

Wahoo takes Red Cell Remington Park Distance Challenge Wahoo sprung a mild upset when he slipped through at the rail at 2-1 to win the $47,250 Red Cell Remington Distance Challenge at 870 yards. A homebred owned by Bobby Cox of Fort Worth, Texas, Wahoo was ridden by Russel Hadley and is trained by John Buchanan. Amanda Hadley (wife of the winning

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE

Shanachee

jockey) serves as the assistant trainer for her father (Buchanan) at Remington Park. Mixed Fantasy was the 3-5 wagering favorite after having won five consecutive races including the 550-yard SLM Big Daddy Stakes here on March 15. He was then an emphatic winning favorite of his Red Cell Distance trial on April 26 over Wahoo, who finished third in that qualifying race. Hadley described how Wahoo made amends for the trial defeat in the more important final. “I was expecting to be a little closer to (Mixed Fantasy) going into the turn but Wahoo missed the break by just enough to give up about a length heading into the stretch. We were both just comfortable, sitting on our horses, me and G.R. (Carter, aboard Mixed Fantasy) and we had a little more at the end today.” Wahoo covered the 870 yards in 45.299 seconds and paid $6.80 to win, $3.60 to place and $2.80 to show. Mixed Fantasy was just a neck behind and paid $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show. Call Her Hero chased the top pair throughout to finish third 4-1/4 lengths behind

This Dude Can Fly

the runner-up to pay $3.60 to show. Wahoo wins his second stakes race of the Remington Park season, after scoring an easy win in the 870-yard Grade 3, Pauls Valley Handicap at Remington Park in early April. A Texas-bred 5-year-old gelding by Feature Mr Jess from the First Down Dash mare First To Celebrate, Wahoo won his sixth career race from 19 starts and his fourth at Remington Park where he has never finished worse than third in all seven of his Oklahoma City outings. The stakes check of $22,680 moves the total earnings for Wahoo to $117,708.

Shanachee rallies to take Merial Remington Distaff Challenge

Shanachee picked a perfect time to get her first win of 2014, posting a half-length win in the Merial Remington Park Distaff Challenge after running second in her qualifying trial. Owned by J. Garvin Kelly of Culver City, Calif. and trained by Juan Aleman, Shanachee was ridden by Omar Reyes, handling 400 yards in :20.193 seconds. “She responded well

today. She didn’t break that good but as soon as I asked her for something she gave it to me. I just never got desperate and I was going to kind of sit for a while but I saw (Ianna) coming so I had to give her one more touch right before the finish.” Shanachee rallied well then held off Ianna, with 5-2 wagering favorite Entrap another three-quarters of a length back in third. Away at 5-1 odds in the betting, Shanachee paid $12 to win, $6.80 to place and $4.80 to show. Ianna returned $4.80 to place and $3.60 to show. Entrap paid $3.20 to show. The victory in the Merial Remington Park Distaff was the seventh from 29 starts for Shanachee, a 5-year-old mare by Country Chicks Man from the Corona Cartel mare Court Etiquette. She is bred in Oklahoma by EIRE Equine Nursery, LLC. The win was worth $20,989 to Shanachee who has now made $124,208 overall. Winning the Zoetis Remington Park Starter Allowance Challenge was Im Beau Brown. All winners of the Remington Park Challenge races are now qualified

for the Challenge Championships in mid-October at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.

Heritage Place Derby trials dominated by trainer Eddie Willis Trainer Eddie Willis saddled the winner in all four of the trials for the $257,050 Heritage Place Derby. The 400-yard final will be conducted on May 31. Willis sent out co-top qualifiers This Dude Can Fly (trial 2) and Shades Of Blues Girl (trial 4) who both handled the measure in 20.019 seconds. The Ultimate Eagle (trial 1) and Fire Tested (trial 3) will also represent the barn in the final. Willis now has 44 wins for the season, easily leading the standings by 20 over Clint Crawford. This Dude Can Fly is owned by Luis De La Cerda and Abel Flores of San Antonio. The 3-year-old gelding is by One Famous Eagle from the Frist Down Dash mare Helens First Choice and was bred in Texas by Robert and Helen Wood. Shades Of Blues Girl is owned by Reliance Ranches of Llano, Texas. The 3-year-old SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 41

filly is by Corona Cartel from the Sixarun mare Run The Dash and was bred in Oklahoma by Lucky Seven Ranch. The field of 10 for the Heritage Place Derby, with their times and trial number: This Dude Can Fly, 20.019 (trial 2) and Shades Of Blues Girl 20.019 (trial 4); The Ultimate Eagle, 20.145 (trial 1); I Dont Need Nobody, 20.242 (trial 1); Rocketair, 20.273 (trial 1); High Ace, 20.283 (trial 4); Wolfgang James, 20.284 (trial 1); Fire Tested, 20.296 (trial 3); Oh No U Didnt, 20.337 (trial 1) and Make It Jess, 20.339 (trial 4). Jockey Jimmy Brooks was up for all of the derby trial wins. The riding quadruple gives him 42 wins for the season. He is 12 behind standings leader G.R. Carter who was shutout on Sunday. Carter remains seven wins behind the retired Alvin “Bubba” Brossette for the alltime win record by a Quarter Horse jockey which is 3,631.

of the meet, Million Dollar Kiss was a convincing winner in the $68,490 John Deere Texas Juvenile Challenge.

DB Captain King and Raising Cain cross the wire in unison in the $58,860 Adequan Texas Derby Challenge

In one of the most exciting finishes of the 2014 Sam Houston Race Park Quarter Horse season, two finalists could not be separated by the photo finish camera. Officials deemed that DB Captain King and Raising Kain finished in a dead-heat in the $59,850 Adequan Texas Derby Challenge. DB Captain King, owned and bred by Dude Biggs, was the fastest qualifier in trials run on April 18. The 3-yearold gelded son of Captain Courage was ridden by Santos Carrizales, breaking cleanly and winning the 400yard final in 20.151 seconds. Pete Scarmardo’s homebred Raising Kain, with Francisco Calderon in the irons, crossed TEXAS the wire in the same time; both earned speed indexes of 92. It was a jubilant winner’s circle celebration as trainers Leon Bard and “Tooter” Sam Houston Race Park, Jordan are close friends and Houston, TX stable together at all of the Texas racetracks. May 11 “This horse had surgery Dead heat closes out after he came back from Sam Houston meet California,” said Raising Kain’s Sam Houston Race Park’s trainer, Bard. “We weren’t American Quarter Horse sure he would be ready, but paid him into this race and he meet concluded with an couldn’t have run better.” excellent card featuring two Jordan was equally Bank of America Challenge pleased with the effort of DB stakes races. There was an Captain King, who is now four exciting dead-heat between DB Captain King and Raising for eight in lifetime starts. “The horse got away Kain in the $58,860 Adequan really well,” said Jordan. “He Texas Derby Challenge. In the second stakes of the final day lugged in a little in the final 42 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

DB Captain King and Raising Kain

strides, which might have cost him, but he ran a good race, I’d like to say a special thanks to Dude Biggs, who is 95 years-old and is watching today. We’ve got a ticket to the dance, so we’ll go to Prairie Meadows.” Neither Bard or Scarmardo had confirmed plans for Raising Kain, but Iowa is definitely the long-term goal. “We were happy to win the (John Deere) Juvenile last year with Raising Cain,” said Scarmardo. “It will be a thrill to try for another championship as a 3-year-old.” Sent off as the post-time favorite, DB Captain King returned $3 for the win. Raising Kain, at odds of 5-1, paid $5. Eagle Money Pop, owned and bred by Johnny Trotter ran third and Time for Jesse Lee completed the superfecta. Both 3-year-olds earned a berth into the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (Grade 1) at Prairie Meadows on Oct. 18.

Million Dollar Kiss posts sharp win in the John Deere Texas Juvenile Challenge Trainer Vicky McIlvain got a perfect Mother’s Day gift

this afternoon at Sam Houston Race Park when Million Dollar Kiss delivered a super performance in the $68,490 John Deere Texas Juvenile Challenge (Grade 3). Owned by Jerry Chapman of Waco, Texas, Million Dollar Kiss made her debut on March 18 at Louisiana Downs. She ran eighth, but once she united with rider Alejandro Medina, she began racking up the wins. Today’s victory was the third in a row for the Jess Louisiana Blue filly. “We’ve been proud of her,” said Espinosa. “Her debut was heartbreaking, but she didn’t have her rider. Alejandro fits her perfectly” Medina crossed the wire of the 350 yard final in 18.047 into a 18 mph head wind. Chapman proudly accepted the trophy and shared that his filly is just beginning to peak. “She started getting into gear and I knew we had it won,” added Chapman. “I think she will be great at 400 or even 440.” Freakin Runaway, the second-fastest qualifier from trials, closed well from the far outside post under Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. Fastest

RACE RECAPS - QUARTER HORSE

Million Dollar Kiss

qualifier Red Corona Warrior finished third, but was disqualified due to interference at the start, and placed ninth by the stewards. Grey Daze was placed third, followed by Corona Blast. Million Dollar Kiss will advance to the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship on Oct. 18 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

May 10 Brimmin Quick lights up toteboard

Brimmin Quick broke out of the maiden ranks in impressive fashion with a stakes win in the $33,480 Bank of America Texas Maiden Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park. The 3-year-old Brimmerton filly made her seventh career start this evening and delivered a peak perfor-

mance under jockey Damian Martinez. She was the sixthfastest qualifier in trials run on April 24, but came flying late to capture her first career win. The final time of the 350 yards was 17.832, which earned the filly a speed index of 90. “She broke really well,” said Martinez, who won his second stakes of the meet this evening. “She got out in front and kept going. I was really surprised!” Owned by Joe M. Flores, the sorrel filly is trained by Mauricio Lopez, who recently celebrated his 21st birthday. “She came out of the trial well and ate well every day,” said Lopez “I was afraid she wasn’t going to qualify, but we took the nose rig off tonight and I think that made a difference. This was our first win of the meet; I couldn’t be happier.”

Michael Amburn’s Pyc Paint Your Wagon gelding, Paintedinoil had the lead under Jose Alvarez, but was caught by the fast-closing Brimmin Quick, who returned $68 to her supporters. All the money was on the fastest qualifier Eye Agree, a daughter of Mr Eye Opener, who broke her maiden and set the fastest qualifying time of 17.904 seconds for 350 yards. “She just didn’t leave the gate,” said jockey Santos Carrizales. “She did the best she could.” Cat Scratch Dash Scores in the $17,200 Colors of Houston Paint Futurity (Grade 2) Cat Scratch Dash owned and trained by Jose Nevarez, Jr., was an impressive winner in the $17,200 Colors of Houston Paint Futurity (Grade 2). The son of Country Quick Dash broke alertly under rider Issac Chapa and defeated his eight rivals in the 300 yard dash. The final time, over a fast track, was:15.790. The sorrel colt won at first asking here on April 1, and was very professional is his return to competition. “He warmed up great and ran a perfect race,” said Chapa. “He just blew them away.” Sent off as the heavy favorite, Cat Scratch Dash paid $2.80 for the win. Easy Cash Fenimore, ridden by

Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr., was second and Jewel Time completed the trifecta.

Im A Corona defies his age in Colors of Texas Paint Maturity (Grade 2)

A full field of nine Paints went postward in the $18,100 Colors of Texas Paint Maturity (Grade 2) and 9-year-old Im A Corona emerged victorious. The 9-year-old Oklahoma-bred prepped for the stakes in an allowance here on April 19 and won the 300-yard race by close to two lengths. Tonight under rider Julio Rodriguez, the son of The Corona closed powerfully from the eighth post position, covering 300 yards in 17.971. Owned by Juan Lozano, Sr., the chestnut gelding made his 31st career start this evening and now has a record of 13 wins, eight seconds and two third-place finishes. He has been trained for the past two years by Alfred A. Aparicio. “He’s as sound as any horse I have ever trained,” said Apraricio. “I got him when he was seven; he’s just a solid runner.” Im A Corona left the gate as the second betting choice and paid $6.60 to win. Rawhide Legend was second and last year’s Colors of Paint Futurity winner, El Intruso was placed third after the steward’s disqualified Laus Deo for interference.

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RACE RECAPS - THOROUGHBRED LOUISIANA

Evangeline Downs, Opelousas, LA May 2 Snappy Girl wins second straight

Snappy Girl recorded her second consecutive victory of the young season at Evangeline Downs Racetrack May 2 with a front-running tally in the $60,000 Tellike Stakes Friday evening. Sent right to the lead under Diego Saenz, the Louisiana bred four-year-old filly by Student Council turned back multiple challenges en route to her first career stakes win. Run at the distance of five furlongs on the grass, the official running time was 55.81 seconds on a course labeled firm, just .81 off the course record set back in August, 2009. The winning margin was ½ length. Little Ms Veta, an outsider in the wagering at odds of more than 20 to 1, rallied strongly to finish in the runner-

Snappy Girl

up spot, with .70 to 1 favorite Seeking Ms Shelley a length back in third. Lexi’s Love was next across the finish line in 4th, followed by Triplemental in 5th. Brighterthanthesun and Tothelastpower rounded out the complete order of finish. Blessed Immaculata was scratched. Trained by Karl Broberg and owned by Jerry Namy, Snappy Girl ($5.00) was a $65,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Texas Two-Year-Old in Training Sale back in April, 2012. The victory, her fifth overall from just fourteen starts was worth $36,000 and pushed her lifetime bankroll past the $146,000 mark, more than twice her purchase price.

MINNESOTA

Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN May 17 Gypsy Melody wins Lady Slipper Stakes Gypsy Melody, owned by Marlene 44 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Colvin of Ethan, S.D., won the 28th running of the $60,000 Lady Slipper Stakes at Canterbury Park. The 6-year-old mare is trained Mac Robertson and was ridden by Quincy Hamilton. Hamilton, whose career began in 2003, is riding fulltime at Canterbury for the first time. This was his first win at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack. Final time for the six-furlong sprint restricted to fillies and mares bred in Minnesota was 1:12.24. Gypsy Melody paid $10.20 to win. Gypsy Melody was taken to the back of the eight-horse field in the early stages. Hamilton swung her to the outside and closed down the center of the track in the stretch, winning by 1 and 3/4 length. “I just followed the trainer’s instruction,” Hamilton said. “Mac told me to break and stay behind the pace.” Wagering favorite Polar Plunge was second and Somerset Swinger, also trained by Robertson, finished third.

May 16 Speakfromyourheart scores upset in 10,000 Lakes Stakes What looked like a match race resulted in an upset when Speak-

Gypsy Melody

fromyourheart and jockey Lori Keith came from off the pace to win by a nose in the 10,000 Lakes Stakes at Canterbury Park. The opening night feature race, a six-furlong sprint over a fast main track, offered a $60,000 purse and was restricted to horses bred in Minnesota. Speakfromyourheart, trained by Vic Hanson and owned by Almar Partners, paid $26.60 to win. Heliskier, two-time Canterbury Horse of the Year, was the prohibitive 1 - 10 favorite in the four-horse field that was depleted when three entrants scratched. Heliskier dueled from the start with Bourbon County, the 3 - 1 second choice, while Speakfromyourheart sat off the pace. Heliskier yielded to Bourbon County in deep stretch as Speakfromyourheart moved up on the outside. Those two hit the wire in unison. The lengthy photo finish determined that Speakfromyourheart had prevailed. “I thought I had it, but I didn’t want to tempt fate,” Keith said. Heliskier finished third and Freedom First was fourth. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:12.44.

Speakfromyourheart

NEW MEXICO

tagecupcake. It was another length back to third-place finisher Bright Town. The First Lady Handicap had the same result as the $50,000 Czaria Handicap at Sunland Park. In that six-furlong test for distaffers, Hard To Resist got up to defeat Ruidoso Downs, NM Cottagecupcake by a nose. The Henry DominguezMay 25 trained Hard To Resist, a Hard To Resist rallies for daughter of Johannesburg, second straight stakes raced against Grade 1 comwin pany in the $500,000 Spinster J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Stakes at Keeneland last fall. Hard To Resist has found a The six-year-old mare then winning home in New Mexi- traveled to Southern Califorco while racing to her second nia and competed in allowstraight stakes victory with ance and optional-claiming a late-running score in the races. She was claimed for $50,000 First Lady Handicap at Ruidoso Downs May 25. Hard To Resist defeated five other fillies and mares with a 1:10.32 time for the six furlongs. Cottagecupcake, the even-money choice, took the lead from the gate with a first quarter in :22.30 and a half in :44.50 while trying to be rated by rider Carlos Madeira. Jockey Enrique Portillo Gomez let Hard To Resist, the 2-1 second choice, settle off the pace and then rallied for through the stretch for the Hard To Resist one-length win over Cot-

$40,000 in March at Santa Anita Park by her current connections and shipped to New Mexico. Hard To Resist found success with a second in the $75,000 Harry Henson Stakes at Sunland Park before narrowly winning the Czaria. The Dallas Barton-trained Cottagecupcake kept her consistent record intact with her runner-up effort. The Stormello daughter has four wins and three second-place runs from seven starts.

May 24 Thoroughbred Safe Trip wins Fine Loom MCM Racing, LLC’s Safe

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Safe Trip

Trip, the only thoroughbred in the eight-horse field, split horses racing through the stretch to win the $30,000 Fine Loom Handicap over 870 yards May 24 at Ruidoso Downs. Safe Trip was timed in 46.220 seconds with Casey Lambert aboard. Whiteface Eagle was two lengths back in second and Im Royal Quick finished third, another one-half length back. As expected, Safe Trip was well behind the quick quarter horses and then began his move entering the stretch. The seven-yearold gelding by Tale Of The Cat boldly moved between rivals in the stretch to score his second-straight win and third victory in his latest four outs. The Weston Martintrained Safe Trip came off a track-record-setting victory over 1,000 yards at Sunland Park. He drew out to a sixlength win in 50.96 as the 17-10 favorite in the $35,075 allowance race. He also won a $35,225 allowance race over 1,000 yards back in December at Sunland Park. Runner-up Whiteface Eagle came off a fifth-place 46 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Be My Desert Angel

finish in the $50,000 Red Cell Sunland Park Distance Challenge. Third-place finisher Im Royal Quick won a $25,000 optional-claiming race at Sunland Park in March.

SunRay Park, Farmington, NM May 24 Be My Desert Angel scores upset in Aztec Oaks Be My Desert Angel scored the upset win of her young career with a bold win over Lady Genius in the $45,000 Aztec Oaks at SunRay Park and Casino May 24. With the longest shot on the board Be My Desert Angel and jockey Aldo Arboleda on the lead and heavily favored Lady Genius with jockey Carlos Madeira hot on her heels, Arboleda’s charge found another gear in deep stretch and kept safe distance from a gallant Lady Genius. Trained by Lauren

Fincher for owner Dale Taylor, Be My Desert Angel won by one and one-half lengths and was making only her fourth career start in the Oaks, restricted to 3-year-old New Mexico-bred fillies. The daughter of Desert God had only recorded a maiden win last November at Zia Park before finishing second in an allowance comebacker over this course on May 10. The resume of the winner wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the runner-up. Lady Genius, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly as voted on by the New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association, had never finished worse than second in eight career starts, which included victories in three stakes races. Trained by Dallas Barton for the Leach Racing Stables as well as Mike and Bill Carson, Lady Genius was making her first start of the year and appeared to have momentum on her side as the field reached the top of the lane. But it was Be My Desert Lady, sent off at odds of 22.40-to-1, who prevailed in the Oaks, running the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1 minute, 18.91 seconds over a fast track.

The $27,000 winner’s share of the purse brings Be My Desert Angel’s career earnings to over $40,000 while returning $46.80 to her backers at the windows. Lady Genius settled for the place, finishing nearly five lengths in front of thirdplace finisher Happy N Harmony. Following that one across the wire were Zasha, Woodacouldadid, Storm With Flair, Lookers Gold RF and Js Lucky Charm.

May 3 Alsono upsets Rebranded in SunRay Park and Casino Handicap Alsono, one of three entrants from the powerful Justin Evans stable, proved best in deep stretch over the heavily favored Rebranded in the $35,000 SunRay Park and Casino Handicap. The front running type narrowly prevailed in front of a raucous crowd of over 5,200 fans who also came out to watch California Chrome via simulcast win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Alsono, ridden to victory by Elvin Gonzalez, got first jump on Rebranded

RACE RECAPS - THOROUGHBRED

Alsono

after putting away early pacesetter Cloud Harbor approaching the far turn. The 3-year-old son of Limehouse braced for the challenge of Rebranded at the head of the lane as they both cleared off from the rest of the field. Rebranded, ridden by Ry Eikleberry for Evans and seeking his first stakes win since last December’s Riley Allison Futurity, fought gamely to deep stretch but never could pull clear of Alsono, submitting to a second place finish, beaten by just a head. For Alsono, sent off as the third choice in the wagering at odds of 6.30-to-1, the victory was his fifth from 11 career starts. The $21,000 winner’s share of the purse increased his lifetime earnings to over $154,000. Alsono ran the mile in 1:38.37. Rebranded was 12 lengths clear of the rest of the field when finishing second. Behind that one were Ima Happy Strike, Harbor Fever, Boundtobespecial, Cloud Harbor and Lucky Coin. Lucky Coin was the third of the uncoupled entry owned by Pennington and trained by Evans.

Thegirlinthatsong

TEXAS

tries hard, she’s very relaxed and when you ask her to run, she runs,” said winning trainer Andrew Konkoly. Ridden to the victory tonight by Apprentice David Cabrera, Thegirlinthatsong increased her career earnings Lone Star Park, to $160,020. This was her Grand Prairie, TX fourth win from 12 starts. May 10 Fractions in the race were Thegirlinthatsong upsets 24.32, 47.82 and 1:12.62 with a final time for the one mile favorite of 1:38.53. Thegirlinthatsong Thegirlinthatsong, returned $15.80, $5.00 and owned by Anjo Racing Inc. $3.60. Second place finisher and trained by Andrew Scooter’s Choice returned Konkoly, defeated favorite Scooter’s Choice in the 11th $2.40 and $2.20. Third went running of the $75,000 Clar- to Paddle Out and she returned $3.60 to show. Forence Scharbauer, Jr. Texas ever Since, Swifterthantaylor Stallions Stakes, Got Koko and Pretty N Fast Too comdivision for three-year-old Texas-bred fillies going one mile. Scooter’s Choice at odds of 0.60-1, had the lead from the start, was taken in hand early and set the pace. She was then asked at the quarter mile marker, went under the whip near the sixteenthpole, but was no match for a fast closing Thegirlinthatsong who took the lead approaching the sixteenth-pole drawing away under a hand ride to win by four and onehalf lengths. “She’s an honest filly, she Ibaka

pleted the order of finish. Thegirlinthatsong is by My Golden Song out of Belle of the Band by Dixieland Band. She was bred by Clarence Scharbauer, Jr.

Favorite Ibaka impresses in Stymie division

In the 11th running of the $75k Stymie Division, favorite Ibaka won impressively. Guided by 2013’s leading rider, Lindey Wade, he raced just behind the leader (Internet Success) on the outside prompting the pace, he drew even near the half-mile marker, vied on the outside in the far turn edging clear in upper stretch to prove three lengths better than the rest

SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6 47

under a strong drive. Fractions were 24.23, 48.12 and 1:12.50. Final time for the mile race was 1:37.71. “This colt is just class,” said jockey Lindey Wade. “Today he showed versatility. He relaxed off the pace and around the first turn, I felt like they were going to have trouble beating me. He really came off the bit and relaxed well.” At odds of 0.90, Ibaka returned $3.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Second place went to F J Uncle Vic. He returned $4.20 and $3.60. Ring Necked in third place, returned $3.40. Circustown Flyer, Early Hot Water, Internet Success, Dutch Hohn and Jmac’s Bling completed the order of finish. With this win, Ibaka increased his bankroll to $162,036 in career earnings. This was his fifth win from seven lifetime starts.

furlongs in 1:14.71 and paid $6.40, $4.80 and $2.20. The margin of victory was a stakes record and the winning time was just shy of the stakes record of 1:14.53. “This horse has a crazy good turn of foot down the lane,” Mawing said. “He’s a magnificent specimen of a horse.” Mebossman, ridden by David G. Lopez at 118 lbs, rallied to finish second and paid $8 and $3.20. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Del Rio Harbor, the 4-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Isaias Enriquez at high weight of 122 lbs, and a $2.10 show payoff. Also trained by Harwood, Del Rio Harbor drew the No. 1 post-position, and the track’s 2013 Top Juvenile was in tight traffic into the turn and was outrun in the stretch. Noosito – now 3-0-2 in five starts with earnings of $80,378 for Last Rose Stable WASHINGTON – is bred to be a monster. A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, he’s a full brother to the great Noosa Beach, who won a record 11 stakes including the 2009 Auburn Handicap and two Emerald Downs, Horse of the Meeting titles at Auburn, WA Emerald Downs. May 25 Noosito has a long way Noosito pours it on to go to equal Noosa Beach, but the dark bay or brown in Auburn Noosito evidently means colt obviously has talent. “He looked an awful lot business at Emerald Downs like big brother today,” said in 2014. Harwood, who added she In his first start of the wasn’t too concerned that year, the strapping colt overpowered four opponents Noosito didn’t have a prep race for the Auburn. “Once for a five-length victory you get a racehorse fit they in the 19th running of the $50,000 Auburn Handicap for run to their pedigrees, and 3-year-old colts and geldings. that’s what he did today.” Trained by Doris Harwood Noosito used a perfect and ridden by Leslie Mawing trip for the victory. Breaking at 120 lbs, Noosito ran 6 ½ from the outside No. 5 post48 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Noosito

position, he stalked 17-to-1 long shot Stikine Slough through fractions of :23.15 for the quarter mile and :45.54 for the half. Noosito took command into the lane and drew off under a Mawing hand ride. “Initially, I thought Del Rio Harbor and Stikine Slough would be dueling for the lead, but I saw that Isaias (Enriquez) got a little tight (on Del Rio Harbor),” Mawing said. “I knew Felipe (Valdez) was going pretty slow up front on Stikine Slough, so I just wanted to keep him honest. I had the perfect postposition and for me, that created the perfect trip. At the head of the lane, I tapped my horse a couple times and he just opened up. One minute I was next to Felipe’s horse, and the next minute I was gone.” Harwood said Del Rio Harbor, who defeated Noosito in two of three match-ups as 2-year-olds, figures to get another crack at his stable mate in the one-mile CocaCola Handicap on June 22. “I’m proud of that horse, too,” Harwood said of Del Rio Harbor. “They definitely had a target on him today,

and Noosito was already in motion by the time he got to run.”

May 24 Belt prevails in Muckleshoot Tribal purse Belt powered to the lead into the stretch and held off Del Siete Leguas for a neck victory May 24 in the featured Muckleshoot Tribal Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs. With leading rider Rocco Bowen aboard, Belt ran six furlongs in 1:09.32 and paid $4.20, $3.40 and $2.40. The winner, a 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding, is trained by Tom Wenzel and owned by Ron Crockett Inc. Del Siete Leguas, ridden by Leslie Mawing, closed strongly to finish second and paid $6 and $3.40. It was an encouraging comeback for the 5-year-old gelding, making his first start in over a year. Financial Officer, the early leader ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, held third and paid $3.60 to show. Big Black Cat, Regal Valid, Improviso and Brock Says completed the order of finish. Belt improved to 2-0-0 in

RACE RECAPS - THOROUGHBRED

Why Not Be Perfect

Belt

three starts at the meet, prevailing for a $25,000 claiming price on April 19 and finishing fourth in an optional claiming race May 3. By Cahill Road-La Mariah, Belt has an overall mark of 3-3-0 in nine starts with earnings of $40,135, including a $5,665 check for Saturday’s triumph.

May 18 A Perfect win in Governor’s Handicap Why Not Be Perfect stunned the fans and nearly broke the clock at Emerald Downs. Ridden by Anne Sanguinetti at 117 pounds, the 7-year-old Kentucky-bred motored to a 1 ¼-length victory over Jebrica in the 75th running of the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap for 3-year-olds and up. Why Not Be Perfect ran 6 ½ furlongs in a stakes record 1:13.72, and paid $59.80, $15.20 and $7.60. Jeff Metz trains the winner for J C Racing Stable, nom de course for John Sanguinetti of Los Gatos, Calif., who also is the father of the winning jockey. The 28-to-1 upset was second all-time to the $63.60 payout set by Tout Ou Rien in

the 1983 Governor’s Handicap. The running time bettered the stakes mark shared by Trooper Seven (1980) and Winning Machine (2012). Although a respectable sixth in the 2013 Longacres Mile, Why Not Be Perfect had been off since October and was virtually ignored at the windows. “He’s been training amazing, that’s why we went straight into the stakes instead of waiting for an easier race,” Anne Sanguinetti said. “We were astounded that he went off at 28-to-1. I felt like I was sitting on a 4-to-5 shot. “I had the perfect spot on the outside and I was able to watch everyone else and do what I want. This race played out how I hoped it would. Everybody saw there wasn’t a lot of speed, so they sent their horses.” Indeed. the race was jumbled from the opening strides, as Finallygotabentley, Winning Machine, Absolutely Cool and Mike Man’s Gold smoked through fractions of 21.50 for the quarter-mile and 43.29 for the half. Why Not Be Perfect, in fifth place early, circled the field on the turn, opened a clear lead into the stretch, and held off

Jebrica and Absolutely Cool for the victory. “He was a little tired last summer and had run some big races in a row,” Sanguinetti said. “Sometimes when horses have long campaigns they start to run just a little below themselves. I was a little worried he might not come back to what I knew he was capable of, but once he got here and started training, we all felt like he was back.” Why Not Be Perfect is 9-5-9 in 50 career starts with earnings of $301,145, including $27,500 for Sunday’s win. He’s also 5-for-12 since being claimed by Metz for $40,000 on Oct. 28, 2012, including three stakes wins at Turf Paradise and one at Emerald Downs. Jebrica, ridden by Juan

Gutierrez at 118 lbs, rallied from seventh to finish second and paid $6 and $3.60. Absolutely Cool, ridden by Rocco Bowen at top-weight of 122 lbs, held third and paid $3.40. Mr. Bowling finished fourth, and jockey Isaias Enriquez said the 6-to-5 betting favorite had early traffic problems. “We didn’t have the trip we expected,” Enriquez said. “We wanted a better start, and he was farther off the early pace than he likes. We had a wall in front of us and had to wait around the turn and into the stretch. “The hole opened up and then we had to change course. He’s better if he can keep up with the speed. Going a mile, he’s going to be a better horse.”

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Stopshoppingdebbie

Dontmesswithkitten, Finallygotabentley, Wheelhouse, Mike Man’s Gold and Winning Machine completed the order of finish. The $50,000 Budweiser Handicap at one mile is next for older handicap horses on June 15.

May 11 Hastings win Stopshoppingdebbie’s sixth straight Northwest Farms’ superstar 4-year-old filly Stopshoppingdebbie exploded on the last turn and power housed

Sutherland smoked through fractions of :21.70 and :44.71, Stopshoppingdebbie unleashed a withering rally on the turn, blowing past Ms. Sutherland, Quizzical and Goin to the Window, gained the lead into the stretch, and drew off through the lane for an overpowering victory. “Well, today she showed us that she is the real deal,” Bowen said. “I figured I was going to get packed a little wide, so I just tried to be patient and talk to her the whole way. “When I asked her if home for a four-length victory she was ready to go, she May 11 in the $50,000 Hastresponded. I said you know ings Handicap for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs. what, if they are going to try to run and catch me, then I’m Now unbeaten in six career starts, Stopshopping- going to run them off their feet, and no one was coming. debbie ran six furlongs in a I don’t even think I got her stakes-record tying1:08.38, into second gear.” and paid $3.40, $2.60 and A 4-year-old dark bay $2.10. With regular rider Rocor brown filly by two-time co Bowen aboard at 122 lbs., Stopshoppingdebbie earned Horse of the Year Curlin out $27,500 and boosted her ca- of Emerald Downs champion reer earnings to $156,273 for Taste the Passion, Stopshoppingdebbie is trained by owner/breeder Northwest Farms (Jerre Paxton, Yakima, Tom Wenzel, who earned the Wash.) track’s Top Training DevelopIn fourth place early, ment last year after Stopas 33-to-1 long shot Ms. shoppingdebbie swept all

four stakes races for 3-yearold fillies. With Sunday’s win, Stopshoppingdebbie is tied with 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly Ide Be Cool (6-6-0-0$324,600) for most wins by an undefeated horse in North America. “It’s unbelievable this horse,” Wenzel said. “I thought it might have been a little bit more of a horse race today, I really did. If she doesn’t go (so) wide, she probably runs 1:07 and change.” Madame Pele, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 119 lbs., rallied from sixth place to finish second and paid $5.20 and $3.60. Blueberry Smoothie and Goin to the Window, stable mates of Stopshoppingdebbie, finished third and fourth, and were followed by Finding More, Quizzical, Ms. Sutherland and She’s Stella Marie. Blueberry Smoothie and Goin to the Window, also bred and owned by Northwest Farms, finished second and third to Stopshoppingdebbie in all four 3-year-old filly stakes last year.

Tips for wagering at the track: The Daily Program:

As a fan, your one real necessity is the day’s Official Program. The program lists vital information about each day’s races, including the official numbers of horses for wagering, and helps you make informed wagering selections.

Items to consider when wagering at the races:

program handicapper’s selections. The observations and advice of a recognized expert are generally a good guide for the newcomer. They offer a popular shortcut for the newcomer and a helpful learning tool for developing handicapping skills.

3. Purchase a tip sheet. These are prepared by professional handicappers and may provide useful wagering selections.

Here are some simple tactics which may be helpful to the newcomer: 4. Look in the program for a list of jockey and trainer standings which include the number of wins to date. 1. Wager on the favorite. The favorite is the horse with the The top riders generally ride the best horses, and the lowest odds or the one on which the most money has hot trainers generally have a high win percentage. been wagered. Favorites win approximately one third of the time. 5. View the horses. Watch the TV monitors while the horses are in the paddock and in the Post Parade. 2. Check the local papers, the Daily Racing Form and the

50 SureBet RacingNews.com • June 2014 • Vol. 8 No. 6

Another Win for CalDensity! Kiss My Hocks

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