SureBet Racing News - June 2009 by SureBet Racing News

VOL. 3

N O . 5 • M AY/ J U N 2 0 0 9 • W W W. S U R E B E T N M . C O M •

NM owners and Mine That Bird rock in 135th Kentucky Derby

INSIDE: Pioneerof the Nile

powers to victory in Santa Anita Derby

First Moonﬂash

smashes 4th world record

First Prize Leesa , Rarely Makes It Home

triumphant in Remington Park Futurity, Derby

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID FULTON, MO PERMIT #38

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

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Racing & Casino News, Inc. VOL. 3

N O . 5 · M AY/ J U N 2 0 0 9

ON THE COVER

SureBet would like to congratulate the winning connections of MINE THAT BIRD on their victory win in the 135th Kentucky Derby. Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen have brought great honor to the state of New Mexico and we thank you. We wish you all the luck in the 134th running of the Preakness® Stakes on May 16 and know that all of us back home will be cheering for you every step of the way!

Coming in June SureBet will feature a special edition highlighting the talented Horsemen and great racing in the great State of Texas. Happy Racing from the staff of SureBet!

CONTENTS 4

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PO Box 1971 • Ruidoso, NM 88355 Office hours: 9-5 M-F • 575.257.0874 Website: www.surebetnm.com

Mine That Bird flies home to Kentucky Derby upset (by John Asher); First Prize Leesa triumphant in Remington Park Futurity; Rarely Makes It Home wins Derby; Varsity Girl wins $252,625 Grade I West Texas Futurity; Royal Proclamation sets a stakes record in El Primero Derby; Pioneerof the Nile powers to victory in Gr. I Santa Anita Derby (by Beth Harris, AP Racing Writer – courtesy of Santa Anita)... Sunland Park – Photo credits: Eugene O’Neill / Coady Photography, SureBet Santa Anita – Photo credit: Benoit Photo Los Alamitos – Photo credit: Courtesy of Los Alamitos Remington Park – Photo credit: Dustin Orona Photography

What do you do with the fastest Quarter Horse in the world? by Greg Thompson

16 18

Medellin’s Year by Pete Herrera

The natural equine experience

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From legal eagle to top trainer

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Ruidoso Downs ready to roll by Ty Wyant

TOP RACING STORIES

First Moonﬂash winning the Bank of America New Mexico Challenge April 12, 2009 • Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

hat would you do if you owned the fastest Quarter Horse on the planet? This is the enviable position that the connections of First Moonflash are in at the moment. The theme music floating in my head when I think of this horse’s remaining path in his four-year-old campaign is the song by The Clash entitled “Should I Stay Or Should I Go.” Should he stay: meaning stay in New Mexico / Texas / Oklahoma area in an effort to remain undefeated in his four-year-old campaign or should he go west to California to attempt a run at World Champion honors at the end of the year? With First Moonﬂash, you have a horse that has become the terror of New Mexico. He has turned away world class Californian invaders on his home turf, and he has garnered four consecutive world records in the process. All of the seven consecutive victories this four-year-old son of First To Flash has come in his home state of New Mexico. If there’s any way to knock this multi-world record holder, and I haven’t yet run into someone who could, it would be only because this horse has not accomplished any of these feats outside of the confines of Sunland and Zia Park. Detractors might also say that he hasn’t run under the lights in these victories, but whether that’s a real

What do you do with the fastest Quarter Horse in the world? by Greg Thompson

issue is a matter of opinion. Nevertheless, many of the meaningful Gr.1 level races leading to a world championship are contested under light bulbs. I believe that this horse is the lightning bolt of speed that his world records portray him as. I could shout it from the rooftops until I am blue in the face pleading this horse’s case, but this is why the Champion of Champions is run every year, to make this decision for us. This horse’s name is already followed by the tag lines of world record holder, multiple grade 1 champion. In order to add the moniker of world champion beside his name, invariably he will have to venture west to Los Al. “Obviously our goal for this year is to make this horse a World Champion,” said co-owner Pierre Amestoy. “We have the Champion of Champions in the back of our mind when we are mapping out the rest of the year for this horse. But first you have to become eligible, so that should be our next goal.” That could be the next time we see this talented New Mexico bred. The Gr.1 Remington Park Invitational, one of the nine automatic berth preps, is a very probable next step towards the Champion of Champions. At Remington Park he would

Continued on pg. 15 SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

TOP RACING STORIES way,” said Gonzales. “We would love to run locally (New Mexico) because of the get exposure under the lights, as well as great racing, but I really want to see how face off with another world class runner good this horse really is against the top in the Paul Jones trained Separate Bet. horses in the world. To face those types Remington Park racing Secretary Fred Hutton is longing for the possible match- of horses for a chance at being world champion you have to go to California up between these two giants of the older at the end of the year. To have such a male division. monster in my barn like this horse is a “First Moonﬂash is definitely the top tremendous thrill, and just never knowolder horse in the division right now,” ing if you will have another horse of this said Hutton. “We are talking with his magnitude again. Regardless, we will connections in New Mexico and we would certainly hope that we could get to do what is best for the horse, but if he is see this horse run here against the likes of doing well, I sure would like to be in the Separate Bet. That would certainly be like gate for the big race.” So back to the question of should he a championship caliber race in midseason stay or should he go? To stay and run in of ’09 if that happens.” the local events at the end of the year, The trainer of the multi-world record holder is hoping for the opportunity some or swing for the fences and shoot for the biggest race of them all for older horses is trainers dream about. Twenty-seven year the question. My answer, being a Quarter old trainer Jose R. Gonzales, Jr., who is Horse racing fan, is definitely let him go. a third generation horsemen would love to cap off 2009 with an appearance in the First Moonﬂash has four world records and seven consecutive wins. He deserves Champion of Champions in December. “I would like to take this horse all the a shot at “Horse of the Year.” B Continued from pg. 13

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Medellin’s Year

here was a time when Alejandro Medellin earned barely more than bus fare while trying to break into the tough business of riding fast horses. Those days seem as far off now as the blue waters of Cancun that Medellin expects to see a good deal of this summer. Since arriving in New Mexico a little over a year ago, the soft spoken but inwardly confident Medellin has proven to be the most versatile and highly prolific jockey on the state’s racing circuit. “He thinks he can win every race and

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

by Pete Herrera

that’s how he rides,” said veteran Thoroughbred trainer Henry Dominguez, one of the conditioners that Medellin rides for. Medellin won 113 races at the Sunland meet this season. He wasn’t the leading Thoroughbred rider or the leading Quarter Horse jockey, but his overall numbers were so impressive that the Sunland management recognized his sensational meet with a special award. So how did the 31-year-old Medellin, who has won more than 900 races in Mexico, finally make it to the U.S.? He did it as a favor for a longtime friend and former Mexican trainer who had horses stabled last year at SunRay Park in Farmington. That trainer asked Medellin to ride for him and Medellin arrived in El Paso just before the Sunland meet ended. Medellin rode a horse for trainer Ramon Gonzalez on Sunland’s closing day and won the race. Two days later, he was headed to Farmington and Gonzalez was so impressed by what he saw that he offered Medellin the chance to ride for Gonzalez’ stable of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds full time. It didn’t matter to Gonzalez that Medellin had ridden mostly Thoroughbreds in Mexico. He went on to win 78 races at SunRay last year and by the time he returned to Sunland last December, Medellin’s reputation as a hot rider had spread. “When I get on a horse, I try to get everything I can out of that horse,” says Medellin. “I want to win every race even if I’m supposed to have the worst horse in the race. I want to finish with him trying. There’s jockeys who get on a longshot and say, I’m riding him just to ride. If I can

at least finish third, it’s better for the owner and for myself. We both make money.” Medellin made the crossover from Thoroughbreds to Quarter Horses with amazing ease. He figured out quickly that a clean, fast getaway from the starting gate is a must in Quarter Horse racing. “I learned that you’ve got to try to be right on the lead or close to it in the first couple of jumps,” he says in Spanish. Medellin did not come to riding naturally. His father, Jose Guadalupe Medellin, has worked as a handyman much of his life. But his grandfather, Antonio, loved to watch the horses run at the track in Mexico City. So did his uncles, several of whom worked at the Mexico City track. And when they went to bet the races, more often than not, they took their young nephew along. Alejandro was in high school when one of his uncles suggested he should try riding. His family enrolled Alejandro in a jockey school and once he got on a horse, Alejandro knew he’d found his niche. “I knew I wanted to be a jockey,” says Medellin. But the toughest part was still ahead. After jockey school he went to work as a stable hand. He says he earned meager wages, sometimes just enough to pay his way from home to the stables. But once he became an apprentice rider, his career had a huge upside. For the first 13 years, Medellin

was content to stay in Mexico. When he agreed to come to New Mexico to help his longtime friend, Medellin figured it would be only for a short while. “The hardest part was leaving my family behind,” says Medellin. “I came to Farmington by myself. Then I went to Ruidoso and would ride one week there and then go home and ride a week in Mexico. I was constantly on airplanes back and forth.” His wife, Yaneth, and the couple’s two boys, Eric Alejandro, 7, and Edgar, 18 months, have since joined him in New Mexico. The Medellins plan to stay in New Mexico until the SunRay meet ends, then will head back to Mexico. “It’s been a long year,” says Medellin. “I want to go to Cancun for a week and just rest up. When I come back to Zia (Park), I’ll be ready to go again.” Without a doubt, this has been Medellin’s best year. He says he’s happy riding in New Mexico, but like most jockeys, can’t help wondering what it would be like to ride against the Garret Gomez’s and Mike Smiths of the world. “Everyone wants to climb higher,” he says. “The goal of all jockeys is to ride at the bigger tracks in Florida, California and New York. You want to be able to ride alongside the jockeys with the most prestige.” In New Mexico, at least, prestige is a good word to describe what Medellin has accomplished in a very short time. B

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Texas 2YO-in-training

Fantasy Challenge

efore the beginning of football season in late August, as well as towards the end of spring training in later March, you can find herds of sports fans huddled together in living rooms all across the U.S., going through a mock draft in the world of fantasy football and baseball. Isn’t it fitting that horse racing should enter into this fantasy sports world as well? The vision is of a fantasy sports league of horse racing where your name has the word Maktoum or Magnier in it, and you are at the horse sales with a large bankroll to draft the next superstar of the turf. So I decided to Google the phrase “fantasy horse racing,” and even though I discovered several exciting fantasy horse racing games that I was unaware of, I did not find what I was looking for. So with the lack of an existing world to play around in, I decided to challenge myself to begin this fantasy game of choosing a two-yearold in training at the upcoming Fasig Tipton Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale with a hypothetical bankroll of $50,000 and to follow its career to see how good my eye for young horses might be. Now, I’m not highly qualified for this challenge. I am like most fantasy footballers or fantasy baseball fanatics. By this I mean I have a lot more armchair time logged in the sport than actual real experience in the field. And like the fantasy baseball and football participants, love of the game is what drives me in this venture. But with that being said, I still wanted to make an informed decision. The first piece of advice, which I took from an ex-trainer friend of mine, was to pick two horses from the Fasig18

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

by Greg Thompson Tipton sale, instead of pinning my hopes on just one. As you can imagine, I have a much higher likelihood of making it to the track with at least one horse if I choose two. Secondly, as mentioned in the opening paragraph, I wanted to fantasize that I was at the sale with the name of Maktoum or Magnier on the side of my private jet parked at the airport. If you are going to think big at a Fasig-Tipton sale, even though I am only playing with a hypothetical $50,000, you would assume that you would be there choosing horses on the advice of bloodstock agents. For this task, I retained the services of Gerald and James Hall of Hall Brothers Bloodstock of Granbury, Texas. With the help of Gerald and James, I developed a game plan of narrowing down the catalog to a manageable 25 or so horses to view at the sale. If you have never been to a horse sale you will soon discover that looking at a lot of horses becomes a daunting task. It becomes an all-day horse extravaganza that could be easily summed up as: exhausting. So narrowing down the field of possible two-yearolds was more than necessary. So once I had my list of 25 or so two-year-olds, I then asked for the help of Texas trainer John Locke. John was extremely gracious in answering my mountain of questions of what to look for and what to avoid when picking out young horses. We then watched the horses work time and time again on the video monitors that kept replaying them throughout the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion. Once armed with a trainer’s opinion on confirmation, I felt I was now up for the task. The novice in this situation would

Magic Legend

go for the horse with the 10.0 flat 1/8 of a mile workout, but with a bankroll of only $50,000 you will quickly find out that those horses will not land in that price range. I was looking for a two-year-old with as much pedigree as the price would allow, something as sound as possible, and one that looked like an athlete during their eighth or quarter of a mile workout. My last strategy before the auctioneer began the day of sales was to look for one on the high end of the $50,000 bankroll, and then one at a bargain price.

The first horse chosen in my Texas Two-Year-Olds In Training Fantasy Challenge was Hip #140, which is a colt by Repent named Go for Dough that went for $5,500. I thought the colt worked a little green, but really finished a strong quarter in 22.4. This colt is now in the barn of trainer Sharon Barker, and has worked 3f in a leisurely 40.0 since the sale. The second horse chosen was one that I thought I would not be able to select for fear she would fall out of the price range of this challenge. Hip #182, an accredited Texas bred filly by Gold Legend named Magic Legend, was my second choice at $40,000. This filly is a beauty. I am overly anxious to see how this filly performs. The filly is now under the care of trainer Cash Asmussen. B

(To be continued)

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. â&#x20AC;˘ May/Jun 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ Vol. 3 No. 5

natural equine experience

The

by Pamela Cromwell

hen I think of a trail ride, I think of head-to-tail nags plodding along a well-worn path they’ve traveled a million times. I’ve been on mounts with a walk that rocked me like a rowboat on the high seas, and I’ve known trail horses whose trot would pound your spine into your skull if you didn’t know how to post. But if you want a pleasure riding experience that’s a little different from the norm, you should spend a few hours with Irene Howcroft at Ruidoso Equine. A horseback ride in the forest is only part of the equine experience Howcroft delivers to her guests. The pleasure ride is actually the end product of her main focus, which is to expose people to natural horsemanship. I thought I knew a lot about horses, but Howcroft gives even an experienced horse person new ideas and insights into the average horse psyche. For novices, her advice for handling a horse calms fears and empowers the rider to avoid accidents. The most interesting part of the experience, though, is getting access to breeds that are uncommon in these parts of New Mexico. All but one of Howcroft’s horses are gaited breeds, animals that naturally perform smooth ambling gaits, that keep your seat virtually immobile and makes a long ride much easier. These gaited breeds include the Mangalarga Marchador, the Peruvian Paso, the Rocky Mountain Horse, and the Tennessee Walker, all of which are stabled at Ruidoso Equine. These are breeds I’d only read about as a child, and I was thrilled at the chance to actually ride one. Before I could jump on and experience this bounceless ride I’d heard so much about, though, I had to get my schooling from Howcroft. I expected the lesson to be the same routine I’d heard my whole life, but I was surprised by ideas I’d never considered before. For example, I’d always wondered why we put shoes on horses when, apparently, wild

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

horses do just fine without them. Howcroft’s research into that very question reveals that the ancients shod their horses for war, work and migration. Today most people shoe their horses as a matter of course without really considering whether the protection is necessary or even helpful. Being strictly pleasure horses who don’t suffer the stress of war or hard labor, Howcroft’s horses go barefoot, which actually improves their footing because they don’t slip on asphalt or rocks. Howcroft’s horses are nourished on baled gramma grass with some supplements, and they are never given oats. This keeps them energized, but not too hot, so the rider feels a mount who has some life in him. Another handling habit that I’d never questioned was clicking my tongue at a horse or making a kissy sound to get his attention or urge him forward. Howcroft asked me not to do that with her horses because, she said, it’s a predator’s way of herding a horse into the kill zone. Sure, he’s paying attention to you, but he’s getting nervous. Howcroft prefers to motivate her horses without using her natural predatory instincts – she doesn’t pat them, she never approaches Continued on pg. 22

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Continued from pg. 20

them with her hands held forward (like claws), and she doesn’t rake her fingers along their coats (also like claws). I was a little skeptical of this notion that horses read human habits as predatory, but I have to say I did notice that when I followed Howcroft’s instruction, my mount was decidedly more relaxed. I had never viewed horses as prey and myself as predator, but in that light a lot of experiences I’ve had with horses make sense. It wasn’t easy, but I practiced restraining my clicking and patting, and I learned the rein handling Howcroft’s horses are trained to, and I mounted my first gaited horse – a roan-colored Mangalara Marchador, still a bit pudgy from his sedentary winter. We practied some reining in the arena, then it was time for my reward, a lovely ride in the Bonito canyon. Howcroft’s strategy worked: a little effort into making my horse comfortable, and gaining his trust and respect, made for a glorious ride. Hawks circled and cried above in azure sky, a light breeze cooled the sun from our shoulders, and we were filled with the spirit of silent pines and the music of a horse’s footfall. For more information about Ruidoso Equine, please call 575-336-1633. B

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

From legal eagle to top trainer Q

by Pete Herrera

uarter Horse trainer Alonso Orozco calls, ten-year-old Our Talisman his “consentido”— his favorite horse. Perhaps it’s because every time he looks at the older runner, Orozco is reminded of how far he’s come in a very short time. After all, it was Our Talisman who brought him to the U.S. from Mexico. He’s the horse that helped Orozco make the cross-over from a successful criminal defense attorney south of the border to a trainer who has built his stable into one of the most successful in the Southwest. Orozco says his formula for success is a no-brainer: hard work, patience and the willingness to spend whatever money is necessary to give every horse in his barn a chance to win. “I train horses to win, not just to participate,” Orozco says in Spanish. “Every race I enter, I do so to win.” Don’t get the idea that the handsome, well-spoken 30-year-old bachelor has a big ego. Quite the contrary, he speaks in humble tones, deferring the success of his barn to what he calls his team of helpers. That team includes veterinarian Bob Story, Orozco’s brother, his father, his grooms and jockey Esgar Ramirez. “If it was just me, I wouldn’t win a race. It’s a team and we all work together,” said Orozco. Being a lawyer and a horse trainer is a rare combination, but Orozco managed both while in Mexico. His roots in racing run deep since his father Arturo trained in New Mexico, California and Texas. “Since I was born I’ve been around horses,” said Orozco. Since arriving in New Mexico, Orozco’s horses have won with impressive regularity. Over the past year, Orozco has been the leading Quarter Horse trainer at Sunland Park, The Downs at Albuquerque, the State Fair, Zia Park and SunRay Park. But while there is much in Alonso’s

world, there is also a great deal missing. “I don’t have a social life. I don’t go out, I don’t drink,” says Orozco. “I’m married to the horses. I spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the horses. I sleep in my barn. The only thing I like to do is the horses.” So much so that Orozco was willing to give up his successful law practice in Mexico to resume his lifelong passion of training race horses. Lawyers in Mexico, says Orozco, live a good and prestigious life. But leaving the bar for the barn was an easy decision. “It was a tougher decision to be a lawyer,” he says. And so he left the courtroom and headed north with Our Talisman. They arrived in Ruidoso two years ago and Orozco turned Our Talisman over to fellow Mexican trainer Juan Gonzalez. “I bothered him every day. I wanted to know how my horse was training and when he was going to run,” says Orozco. “Juan is a good friend and a good trainer.” Our Talisman won under Gonzalez’ conditioning but eventually Orozco decided to branch out on his own. His career and his stable both took off. By the end of the 2007-08 Sunland meet, Orozco had 16 horses, all of which he had claimed for himself. By the end of this year’s Sunland meet, his barn had more than 100 horses. It’s a mixture of his horses and those of other owners. Among them is Our Talisman. A formidable runner, he’s taken on the likes of former All American Futurity runnerup Gun Battle and finished third in last year’s Zia Championship in Hobbs. Orozco’s barn is filled with lower and mid-level claimers. They are mostly older horses, many of whom had physical problems in the past. They’re horses, says Orozco that many other trainers aren’t willing to take. “I have average horses. I don’t have Continued on pg. 24

Visit the website to review the artists and request a brochure. Brochures also available at Chambers of Commerce, Gallery 408 in Carrizozo and other locations listed on the website. SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Continued from pg. 23

Mr Jesses Corona winning the West Texas Derby, Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

any superstars. All of my horses have had problems. They are older, but with a lot of heart. You need to find what was once there.” Horses like Mega Task, Flydragonfly and Another Talker. Orozco claimed Mega Task, a 10-yearold, for $7,500. “They told me, ‘You’re crazy, he’s going to be 11 years old. He’s always been a claimer.’ I said, ‘He was once a stakes horse.’ I take cheap horses and try to make them better.” Under Orozco, Mega Task ran second in claiming races of $12,500 and $16,000, won for $25,000 and went on to win the Canterbury Championship before dying of colic. Flydragonfly was claimed by Orozco for $6,250 and he bought Another Talker for $2,000. Flydragonfly won at Sunland on closing day this year and Another Talker won on the same day at SunRay Park. Orozco says the best way to rehabilitate a horse is to diagnose his physical problems and give him plenty of time to heal. “I think every horse has a chance to win. If you find the problem, that’s the key to winning. Every horse is different, but if they have class and heart, every horse can run.” Orozco says he sometimes spends more money getting a broken down horse fit than what the horse can earn if he returns to racing. And the money his horses earn he pumps back into his operation. “I don’t care about the money. What I care about is that the horses win and I win with them. That’s my pleasure,” he says. Orozco says it takes a lot of work to keep a horse healthy and at his peak in New Mexico’s year-round racing circuit. “If one of my horses can’t run at 100 percent, I won’t run him. I’ve had problems with owners because of that. He says the owners usually win that argument. “They pay the bills. With the ones I own, I’m willing to wait until they’re ready.” Given the success he’s had, it’s likely more owners with higher class horses may seek his training expertise. The fact he won the West Texas Derby at Sunland this past season with Mr Jesses Corona certainly helps his resume. For Orozco, each day brings a new challenge and another journey through the learning curve of a business he loves. “I try every day to learn something new,” he says, “whether it’s from a groom, my dad or another trainer. If I don’t know something, I ask. I’m not afraid to ask questions.” B

Ruidoso Downs

ready to roll J

ockeys may appear perplexed when they walk into the Ruidoso Downs jockey’s quarters. Certainly, they will do a “double take.” Last July 27, a date that will thrive in Ruidoso Downs’ history, a wall of rising water rolled through the Ruidoso Downs infield. The normally tranquil Rio Ruidoso turned into a torrent that killed one person and devastated a corridor along the river from the Upper Canyon area through Midtown, then gained force as it ravaged the Ruidoso Downs infield. The rain started on a Saturday night and continued through Sunday. The recovery at the track then became more of a story than the actual flood. Crews did astonishing work to get the track running by the following Saturday. Other tracks, like Sam Houston Race Park, cancelled race meetings because of water damage. The Ruidoso Downs crew would not be denied providing racing for horsemen and fans. The 2008 All American Futurity would be run on Labor Day and at Ruidoso Downs. The summer of the flood became the summer of the recovery at the small track in New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains. The jockey’s quarters felt the floodwaters’ full blast. The water rose to the four-foot level in the building, destroying

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

by Ty Wyant

the interior. Since the structure became unserviceable, temporary quarters were brought in for the meet’s remaining five weeks. During the off-season, the jockey’s quarters were completely renovated. “We took everything down to the cinder-block walls,” said Les Nichols, Ruidoso Downs’ vice-president of racing and facilities. After a redesign by an architect, the new jockey’s room came to life with new drywall, electrical system, tile, paint, air conditioning, roof and a completely new kitchen. Basically, the plumbing system was flushed and the cinder blocks were cleaned, but everything else was upgraded and replaced. The lounge and men’s dressing area was redesigned and the women’s dressing room was greatly enlarged. The remodel started in February after the architect finished his plans. “The renovation has gone smoothly and we’ll be ready for opening day (May 22),” Nichols said. The jockey’s quarters complete renovation was the major off-season project, but the flood of 2008 also impacted other areas that need off-season attention. Fans will have an improved view when they peer out towards the infield this summer. Artificial grass has been added

between the jockey’s quarters and the saddling paddock, and an irrigation system has been built into the infield. The infield will be seeded with grass and the irrigation system ensures that the grass will germinate. Other off-season flood-related projects included cleaning the retention ponds and extensive landscaping. The winds that whip through the Rio Ruidoso Valley annually take some of the racing surface to points east. Every year new material is added to the track, and this year 600 tons of new material was added to the track surface, an average amount of new material. Last year, the racing surface was renovated and the new material keeps that renovation intact for this summer’s racing season. Weather is always a story at Ruidoso Downs. Usually that story concerns wind direction of trials days or the track’s condition during the summer monsoon rains. Last summer, weather was the story. It was a story dividing the meet into the pre-flood season and the post-flood season. Hopefully, this year there will just be a racing season that, once again, is home for some of New Mexico’s most compelling racing storylines. B

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Mile-high

challenge

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

he newly formed Colorado Horsemen’s Coalition hopes to boost the state’s beleaguered horse industry. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado has a rich horse racing history. These days, a group of horsemen are working to ensure that the state’s best racing years can’t be found in a rearview mirror. The Colorado Horsemen’s Legislative Coalition, which has the support of the racing and non-racing segments of the state’s horse industry, as formed in 2008. According to the group’s website (www.coloradohorsecoalition.com), its mission is to “develop and lobby for legislation that will promote the growth and success of all parts of the Colorado horse industry, which includes owners, trainers, breeders, and others who work within the industry.” Even though it’s designed to assist all equine breeds and disciplines in Colorado, the coalition was spurred by the declining condition of the state’s racing industry. At one time, Centennial Racetrack in suburban Denver was Colorado’s flagship track, drawing top Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horses from throughout the region. The state also featured several “grass roots” brush tracks, including Gateway Downs in Holly. Centennial hosted the Gold Rush Futurity, which often produced contenders for the Thoroughbred Triple Crown races the next season. In 1981, Centennial was the first track to import a race from another track for wagering purposes. The “simulcast” – that term hadn’t yet been coined – of the Kentucky Derby (G1) drew 12,000 fans and a handle of nearly $1 million. Unable to compete with nearby greyhound tracks, Centennial closed in 1983 after 34 years of operation, and Gateway Downs hasn’t held a live official race in several years. Centennial was replaced in the Denver area by Arapahoe Park, a one-mile oval located in Aurora. As far as Colorado racing goes, it’s come down to this: Arapahoe is the state’s lone remaining horse track, and it will host a 36-day meet spread out over 12 weeks, beginning May 23.

by Michael Cusortelli “We’re looking for more racing opportunities,” Tony Gasich told the Horsemen’s Corner radio show on a recent broadcast. Gasich is one of the founding members of the coalition and a board member of the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association’s (RMQHA) racing division. “The 36-day meet we have right now really isn’t long enough to develop a good racing program for the state,” he added. Rally Time Back in January, a rally organized by the coalition drew more than 200 horsemen to the state capitol in Denver. The purpose of the rally – which was attended by representatives of major national racing organizations, including American Quarter Horse Association Executive Director of Racing Trey Buck and Jockey Club Executive Vice President Dan Fick – was to garner support for legislation that the coalition hopes will, in its own words, “modernize horse racing simulcasting,” with the resulting revenue dedicated to the Colorado horse industry and state and local governments. Gasich said that the pending legislation addresses several issues. “We need to increase our revenue opportunities – we can’t just keep splitting up the same small pie,” he said. “We need to get additional sources of revenue for the industry, and then we need to make sure that revenue is distributed equitably. Everyone needs to get a little piece of it, and that includes the owners, breeders, trainers, state and local governments, the racetracks and the non pari-mutuel segments of the horse industry.” The first thing the coalition would like to do is increase opportunities for Colorado tracks and off-track wagering facilities to offer wagering on imported simulcasts. Currently, they can only offer simulcast wagering 250 days a year, and the legislation would increase that to 360. Second, the legislation would modernize Colorado’s advanced deposit wagering – or Internet betting – laws. “Unfortunately, a lot of people are participating in that in Colorado, but the state isn’t re-

ceiving any revenue from it,” said Gasich, who added that if ADW companies like TVG and TwinSpires became licensed in Colorado, the state’s horsemen and racetracks would benefit from increased revenue. “These companies retain about 15 percent of every dollar wagered, after they pay the host track (for the right to offer their signal),” he said. “If someone in Durango bets on a race from New York or California, a third of that 15 percent would go to the ADW company, a third would go to horsemen for purses and a third would go to the local track.” The pending legislation would also allow Colorado tracks and off-track wagering locations to offer Instant Racing. Popular for the past few years at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and instrumental in helping that resort-area track increase its purses substantially, Instant Racing allows bettors to wager on previously run races from a database of about 250,000 races. “Instant Racing is pari-mutuel, just like we currently have with live racing, and it pays off just like if you were at a racetrack,” Gasich said. “It’s offered at self-service terminals, and it allows people to wager on horse races at their speed and comfort level, instead of having to wait 20 minutes between races. It’s consumer-friendly, and today’s consumer is looking for fast action. “We need to be more consumer friendly,” he added. “Right now, horse racing is stuck in the 1950s, and the consumer has changed. We’re trying to bring horse racing up to date. All of these ideas have been proven to work in other states. We’re not coming up with something that’s completely unproven, where we don’t know what it’s going to do. “We believe the highest form of flattery is plagiarism, and we want to imitate other states’ successful programs. This is just a slight variation from the highly successful program they have in Kentucky. They have a breeders’ incentive program that’s funded from sales taxes on stud fees. We don’t want to start taxing stud fees, but what Kentucky has done with its program is increase their non-racing breeding industry to where it’s three times bigger than it was just three years ago.” Widespread Support To Gasich, that last point is particularly key. In his interview with Horsemen’s Corner, he stressed the coalition’s widespread industry support – all equine breeds and disciplines will benefit from the increased revenues. “Besides racing, the biggest segments (of

the horse industry) are the show, performance, recreation riders and ranch people,” Gasich said. “They need to get a piece of this action too.” According to projections, $1.136 million would be available to the non-racing horse industry, 70 percent of which would go to state breed organizations, such as RMQHA and the Rocky Mountain Paint Horse Association. “We’d just figure out how many Coloradobreds each organization has, pro-rate it out and give them the money,” Gasich said. “And that money could be used as each association sees fit, under certain guidelines, of course. We’d like the money to go to purse supplements, owners awards and breeders awards, that type of thing.” The other 30 percent of the $1.136 million would go to the Colorado Horse Development Authority. “They already get a little money from the state brand board – I think it’s $3 per brand inspection,” Gasich said. “If this legislation passes, they’d get an extra $350,000 to them to allocate to different groups for the economic development of the horse industry. It could be used for putting on a horse show, building a trail for trail riders, or maintenance of an existing trail. They could use it on anything that develops the horse industry in the state.” Also, Gasich said that the legislation would raise in revenue $17 million for the state government and $4 million for the local government coffers. “And that’s not counting what would come from the (business) growth,” he added. “Right now, we have 21,000 people in Colorado with jobs in the horse industry. If we’re able to increase that by 50 percent, that would be 10,000 more jobs in this state. How important would that be? “We’re not asking the state for a dime to grow the horse industry. We’re not looking for a subsidy or a handout. We’re just looking for an opportunity to let the horse industry selffund and grow itself. All we’re asking for is to change some laws so we can get modernized.” B (Arapahoe Park’s 2009 meet runs from May 23 - August 9. For more information on the track’s racing program, visit its website at www.mihiracing.com/arapahoe_park.shtml.) (To hear Tony Gasich’s entire interview with the Horsemen’s Corner radio show, visit www.coloradohorsecoalition.com, and click on the “click here to listen now” link on the homepage.) SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

AZ Arizona

April 6, 2009 Tucson, AZ Jockeys’ Guild Assembly joins with University of Arizona Symposium on racing & gaming held in Tucson

The Jockeys’ Guild will move its annual assembly to Arizona this year, becoming part of the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing & Gaming held in Tucson each December, Guild national manager Terry Meyocks said April 6. Traditionally, members of the Guild assemble in Las Vegas during the first week of December. Meyocks said the decision to become a part of the symposium was made in order to facilitate continuing positive relations

California

April 23, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Former Los Alamitos leading trainer Bob Baffert makes it to Thoroughbred Racing’s Hall of Fame

Bob Baffert, who trained four Quarter Horse champions, including 1986 World Champion Gold Coast Express, was selected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. Baffert and one of the best fillies he trained - Silverbulletday - along with jockey Eddie Maple and steeplechase trainer Janet Elliot were announced as the new additions to the Hall of Fame this year. Baffert was a leading Quarter Horse trainer at Los Alamitos. He was the leading trainer during the 1988 summer meeting at Los Alamitos and also saddled Gold Coast Express to victory in the 1986 Champion of Champions. Baffert won 497 Quarter Horse races at Los Alamitos, including 46 stakes wins. Baffert also saddled Shawnee’s Favorite to take the Champion of Champions in 1988. Born in Nogales, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 1953, Baffert grew up on his family’s 240-acre cattle ranch near the Mexico border. His parents, Bill, a cattle rancher and Quarter Horse breeder) and Ellie (an elementary-school teacher and principal, raised seven children. Baffert started with horses at age 10 when grooming and galloping Quarter Horses owned by his father. Baffert had a brief career as a jockey. In 1970, he rode the first winner in a sanctioned race at Flagstaff in Arizona. He recorded his first win as a trainer with Baffert’s Baron at Flagstaff in 1971. A graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in animal sciences and racetrack management, Baffert made his first Thoroughbred auction purchase, Thirty Slews, in 1988. Thirty Slews would go on to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 1992. Over the year, Baffert has saddled three Kentucky Derby winners. He has trained the winners of eight Triple Crown races, seven Breeders’ Cup races and has handled 10 Thoroughbred champions.

April 22, 2009 Paso Robles, CA First Down Express to stand at Goforth Equine

Multiple stakes sire First Down Express was recently purchased by the First Down Express Partnership, and will be available for public breeding for the first time in three years. He will be standing at Go

between the riders and key industry figures. “The arrangement is more tied into the industry,” Meyocks said. “Racetrack managers are there, the press is there, (racing) commissioners are there--it makes sense.” “We think its a great idea, and I think it’s a benefit to the industry because, like so many other stakeholders, (jockeys are) an important part of the business,” said Doug Reed, director of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program. The jockeys will hold their traditional board meetings Monday of symposium week, then participate in crossover agendas Tuesday, Reed said. Typical issues discussed during Guild assemblies include health and safety initiatives, media rights fees, and opportunities in corporate sponsorship. The 36th symposium will be held Dec. 7-10 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson.

Forth Equine in Paso Robles, California. The 19-year-old stallion, which in 1993 was the California high-point 3-year-old colt, won four of 24 starts and earned $76,927 at 2 and 3. He won the 1993 QHBC Far West Classic Derby and was second by a nose in Mega Dash’s 1992 Kindergarten Futurity (G1). He was also a finalist in the Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) and set a 300 yard track record at Hollywood Park. From First Down Dash’s second crop, First Down Express is out of the stakes winning Tripoli Jet mare Ettagos Express. He is a half brother to stakes winner Royalclassic Express. First Down Express has sired 123 winners from 170 horses to race, including 16 stakes winners. His get have earned more than $4 million and include Grade 1 winners The A List and Heza Secret Diamond. First Down Express will stand for a $1,000 stud fee. For additional information or breeding contracts, call Mark Goforth at (805) 441-5962 or Larry Konecne at (805) 467-2850.

April 19, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA On-track business at Santa Anita up, free Fridays, Santa Anita Derby lead way

Santa Anita Park concluded its 84-day winter/spring meeting in robust fashion on Sunday, posting the first gain in on-track attendance at any major California racetrack since the summer of 2007 at Del Mar. Leading the way was Santa Anita’s “Free Fridays” promotion, which offered fans free on-track General Admission, free box seating and one dollar concessions, along with a robust Santa Anita Derby Day crowd on April 4 of 50,915, which helped Santa Anita to post a one percent gain in on-track attendance, reversing a trend of steep declines at racetracks nationwide. “Derby Day was a home run for us, no doubt about it,” said Santa Anita President Ron Charles. “Along with the big crowd, our on-track handle was tremendous. We handled over $5.6 million and that was a 10 percent increase over last year. Operationally, things went very smooth and anyone who came out on Derby Day, saw Santa Anita at its absolute best.” This year’s Derby Day crowd also marked the fourth year in a row that on-track attendance has exceeded 50,000 people. The “Free Fridays” promotion was by all accounts, a smashing success. On-track attendance on Fridays showed a 55 percent jump over last year and the on-track handle was up 15 percent. On-track handle dipped three percent compared to 2008, while all-

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

sources handle fell 12 percent. “We knew coming into this meet that we were going to be facing serious challenges due to the economy, both nationally and locally,” said Charles. “We wanted to let people know that they could count on Santa Anita for the best entertainment and sports value in metro L.A., and our numbers showed we delivered. “Given the state of the economy in America and particularly in California, this was an extraordinary meet. The Free Fridays promotion got rolling early and it built throughout the meet. The proof of that is that we had over 9,000 people here on Friday, which was our biggest non holiday weekday in years,” he added. “When you look at the way this recession is affecting other sports and gambling businesses, it’s really gratifying to be able to finish the meet with an increase in on-track attendance,” said Charles. “Although we were down marginally in our on-track handle, we are very pleased that we more than held our own in this tough economy and we’re hoping we can do even better next year. “As for the decline in our total handle, we certainly anticipated that. There simply isn’t as much money in circulation as there was a year ago and we knew that to be the case coming into this meet. While disappointing, it was gratifying to hold it as well as we did. We’d like to thank our horsemen and our fans, both here in California and around the country for their continued support. We can’t control the economy, but we can try to make our product as appealing and affordable as possible and we’ve done that.” On the racetrack, Pioneerof the Nile was a clearcut standout for Horse of the Meet honors, as he took the Gr. II Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 7, the Gr. II San Felipe Stakes on March 14 and the Gr. I Santa Anita Derby on April 4, thus cementing his status as the West Coast’s top Kentucky Derby candidate. Owned and bred by Zayat Stables LLC, the Kentucky-bred colt by Empire Maker is trained by Bob Baffert and is ridden by Garrett Gomez. High riding Rafael Bejarano took his second consecutive Santa Anita riding title and in so doing, set a record by becoming the first jockey to ever win six consecutive Southern California riding titles. Bejarano finished with 99 wins. Veteran trainer John Sadler won a tough, head and head duel with Mike Mitchell for leading trainer honors, winning Sunday’s seventh race and breaking a tie to take the training title 40-39. This was the 52-year-old Sadler’s first-ever Santa Anita title. Ron Valenta’s La Canada Stables LLC, won a total of 24 races and was voted top owner by the media. Live racing will return to Santa Anita with the 41st Oak Tree Meeting scheduled to begin on Sept. 30. The Breeders’ Cup World Championships return for an unprecedented second consecutive year Nov. 6 and 7.

April 15, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Paulo Lobo making the move East

Paulo Lobo, who trained the champion Farda Amiga earlier in this decade, is moving his stable from California to New York later this month, he said this week. Lobo, 40, said he will move 25 horses from his current base at Hollywood Park to Belmont Park in the last week of April. “I was thinking about this for a while,” he said. “I don’t have anything against California. It was a decision for me and my owners. Almost all of my owners would like to do this. “I’ve been very lucky here. It’s time for a change.” The loss of Lobo’s stable is a blow to Southern California racing, which is facing a shortage of raceready horses. In recent weeks, trainers Mark Casse,

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Christophe Clement, Graham Motion, and Todd Pletcher removed divisions of their stables from Santa Anita after spending the winter here. In addition, locally based trainers Vladimir Cerin, Bobby Frankel, and Bob Hess Jr. moved part of their stables to other circuits. Lobo said he will have about four more starters in California before leaving, and that some of his clients have chosen to leave their horses in the state with other trainers. A native of Brazil, where he trained a successful stable, Lobo came to the United States in 2001. He won the 2002 Kentucky Oaks with Farda Amiga, who was later named the champion 3-year-old filly that season. During that campaign, Farda Amiga won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and was second to eventual Horse of the Year Azeri in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Arlington Park. More recently, Lobo has trained Pico Central, the winner of two Grade 1 sprint stakes in 2004; Molengao, the winner of the 2007 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap; and Gayego, the winner of the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby last year. Gayego was later sold to race in the Middle East, and was second in the Godolphin Mile in Dubai on March 28 for the Maktoum family’s Godolphin Racing. This year, Lobo’s stable has struggled at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Through Sunday, he was winless with 23 starters, but did win a maiden race with Smart Tiffany at Golden Gate Fields on April 3. Among the horses going to New York is the promising Runforthedoe, who was second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 4.

April 10, 2009 La Mesa, CA Stardom Bound owner Charles Cono dies

Charles Cono, who reached a pinnacle in racing last year with Stardom Bound while he battled health issues, died on Thursday at his home in La Mesa, California. He was 86. Cono suffered from lupus and pulmonary fibrosis. He only owned Thoroughbreds for about eight years, but he and trainer Chris Paasch forged a successful relationship that skyrocketed with the purchase of Stardom Bound for $375,000 in the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co.’s March two-year-olds in training sale. The gray or roan filly scored three Grade 1 wins for the duo, prevailing in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) before delivering as the favorite in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She was a near unanimous choice as champion two-year-old filly. Citing his health concerns, Cono sold her for $5.7-million to IEAH Stables and partners in the FasigTipton Kentucky fall mixed sale. Cono and Paasch also won the 2005 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) and ’06 Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (G2) with Diplomat Lady. Cono’s other stakes winners were Conveyor’s Angel, Crowned Dancer, Foxy Danseur, Hello Lucky, Ponche de Leona, Prime Ruler, Principle Secret, and Veiled Speed. A native of Washington D.C., Cono was the coowner of a real estate investment and management firm in La Mesa. He was very involved in philanthropic initiatives, including the establishment of a training institute for the disabled in Oceanside, California. “Charlie and I are partners in business, but several years ago Charlie Cono became my friend, and that means more to me than anything,” Paasch told the San Diego Union-Tribune last fall. “I never really had a huge father figure in my life, and I think of Charlie Cono as much as a father figure as I do a friend and business partner. … He’s my hero.”

NM Peppers Pride in foal to Tiznow New Mexico

Peppers Pride, who holds the modern day American record for consecutive wins, is in foal to Tiznow from a March 23 cover. She is boarded for owner Joe Allen at Nathan Fox’s Richland Hills Farm near Midway, Ky. Bred in New Mexico by Allen, Peppers Pride (Desert God—Lady Pepper, by Chili Pepper Pie) won all 19 races. She earned $1,066,085. Tiznow, who recently was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, stands for $75,000 at Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky. The Richland Hills website, www.richlandhillsfarm. com, features a Peppers Pride section with the mare’s past performances and pedigree, a photo gallery, and updates on her life at the farm.

system has been installed in the infield. The infield will be seeded and the irrigation system will be used to germinate and grow the new turf. Annually, the racing surface is checked and required maintenance is performed to guarantee a safe racing surface for the racehorses and their riders. Last year, a complete track renovation was completed and this year about 600 tons of new material was added to the track, an average amount for an off-season refitting. The summer season is highlighted by the three Grade 1 futurities at Ruidoso Downs. Following the Ruidoso Futurity, the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity and the Grade 1, $2 million All American Futurity are contested. The All American Futurity highlights closing day on Labor Day. If any horse wins all three of those futurities then his connections receive a $4 million bonus, the largest bonus in quarter horse racing.

April 20, 2009 April 22, 2009 SunRay Park, Farmington, NM SunRay signal held back Ruidoso Downs, NM SunRay Park in Farmington, N.M., has been unable Improvements to Ruidoso Downs ready to send its signal to out-of-state tracks since its mixed for summer racing season meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses opened Numerous off-season improvements at Ruidoso Downs will be in line for the summer racing season that starts on Friday, May 22. Opening day of the summer season will be filled with the trials to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity. Trials for the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby will be held on Saturday, May 23. There is always free parking and free grandstand admission at Ruidoso Downs. Many of the off-season improvements are a result of the flood that rolled through the track last July 27, causing the loss of only five racing days. The floodwaters ravaged the infield, including the jockeys’ quarters. The building has been completely remodeled and everything, except the cinder-block walls and plumbing was replaced after a redesign by an architect. The upgrades include new drywall, electrical system, tile, paint, air conditioning, roof and a completely new kitchen. The men’s dressing area has been redesigned and the women’s dressing area has been greatly enlarged. The saddling paddock area and infield were also impacted by the flood. The saddling paddock has been highlighted by new artificial turf while a sprinkler

April 22, 2009 Longtime TQHA race member James Harris passes

TX Texas

James Vernon Harris passed away peacefully in his sleep early Saturday morning, April 18, at the age of 84. James was born May 14, 1924 on his family’s farm in rural Corpus Christi, Texas. As a young boy he rose before daylight every morning to do his chores which included milking the cows. One of his favorite memories was of the day his Daddy came home with a pony for him from a neighboring farm. He had admired that pony every weekend when the family would make the trip into Corpus for the day. He attended school in the London community and was a graduate of Corpus Christi High School. When he turned 18 he was ready to sign up with the Navy, but his mother made him

on April 17 because of a dispute with horsemen. Both parties were hopeful the situation would be resolved soon. “It’s nothing to do with any simulcast issue,” said Lonnie Barber, the director of racing for SunRay. Instead, horsemen want resolutions or assurances on a couple of different operations-related issues, said Pat Bingham, the executive director of the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association. Among the topics are racing surface maintenance. “They’re not enormous issues,” Bingham said. “They’re all resolvable. We are not intending to harm our fans, the racetrack, or anybody connected with our sport. We just have some outstanding issues that need to be addressed. The Interstate Horseracing Act does give us some leverage in doing that.” Bingham said SunRay last week sought an injunction against horsemen for withholding the signal, and a hearing was held Monday in Albuquerque. He said the judge has not yet issued a ruling in the case, but he believes she could have a decision before the next SunRay raceday, which is on Thursday. SunRay, in the northern part of the state, also operates a slot-machine casino.

wait to enlist until December of 1942. This delay meant that he would be part of a flight preparation group that received extensive training in Austin, Kerrville, Georgia, Michigan and then back to Corpus Christi NAS. During that time he earned his wings, was specially trained to be a torpedo bomber, and went on to have over forty aircraft carrier landings. As the war ended, he signed on for a shakedown tour on the new USS FDR carrier. After his Navy service he briefly attended Oklahoma A & M and when he returned to Texas he moved to the Rio Grande Valley to work as a crop-duster and begin his own farming business. He soon married his wife of over sixty years, Joe Beth London, on July 3, 1948 and they were a part of the Rio Farms program in Monte Alto. In the 1950’s they had two daughters, Linda and Trudy. James farmed for over 50 years in the Monte Alto and Edcouch area. He was a good husband and provider, SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

a loving, kind-hearted Father and a friend to many. He had a great sense of humor and a way with funny one-liner jokes. James had a lifelong love of horses, cats and dogs and liked to say he never met a dog he didn’t like. In the late 1960’s he began a deep interest in horse training and breeding. In the early days he raced his Quarter Horses in Beeville, Goliad, Skidmore, Bandera and Columbus as well as in the Valley at Las Palmas Downs. In later years, with his good friend, Ricardo Vallejo, he raced at Retama Park, Manor Downs, Fredericksburg, Houston, and Dallas. He loved all his horses, but some favorites included DaddyCat, MollyO, Miss Umatilla, Mito-Mite, and Heza-Shaker. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Harris and Mary Sims Harris Camp; sister, Loraine Crump; and daughter, Linda Cagle-Currie. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by those he is survived by including his wife, Beth Harris; daughter Trudy (Don) Kampa; granddaughter Julie Kampa; also granddaughters Christina Kretschmar, Cheryl Rister (Brian) ; grandson Ryan Cagle; beautiful great-granddaughters Abby and Emma Rister. As a young schoolboy he memorized and could still recite two of his favorite poems: “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer, and an excerpt from “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant which inspired him regarding the end of our earthly lives: . . . . “where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death, thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.” The family wishes to thank the staff of Texas Healthcare Solutions, Pat Long of A Long Stay Retirement Community and staff, including Linda, Chuck, Francisco, Margarita, Renee, and Maria. Special gratitude goes out to loving caregivers Marie, Hector and Virginia. Also appreciation to Aunt Carol Hester and Bobby Wilson, H.E.B. Pharmacy and management, Dr. Terry Grover and staff and Dr. Carlos Diaz and staff, all of Boerne. In the Valley we wish to thank Ben and Barbara Rowland and family, Alberto Flores, Ricardo Vallejo and family, and John Sharp.

April 20, 2009 Ben Wheeler, TX Likenothinyoueversaw gets first stakes winner in $131,256 Kansas Jackpot Futurity Denver Nicholas’ Likenothinyoueversaw sired his first stakes winner, when No Commitment dead-heated for first in the $131,256 Kansas Jackpot Futurity (RG2). From a limited number of starters in three crops to race, he has sired five winners from his 10 starters. A 10-year-old son of Chicks Beduino, Likenothinyoueversaw won four of nine starts and was a grade 3 stakes finalist at 3. Likenothinyoueversaw is out of the grade 1 winning On A High mare Awesome Blossom, winner of the Golden State Derby (G1) and First Down Dash Stakes. She is the dam of 6 ROM included grade 3 winner Awesome Form. His second dam is the stakes winning Easy Jet mare Prissy Gold Digger who earned nearly $300,000 with wins that included the Kansas Futurity and Las Damas Handicap. Likenothinyoueversaw stands for a fee of $1,000 at Prairie Creek Ranch near Ben Wheeler. For additional information or breeding contact Denver Nicholas at 903.920.6263. 34

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First N Kool gets first stakes winner Freshman sire First N Kool got his first stakes winner when BLM Racing Stable’s Poison Sumac dueled to a growing three-quarter length win in the $50,600 West Texas Juvenile (R) on Saturday. The First N Kool filly was ridden by Freddie Martinez and notched her first win in three outs. The Trey Wood-trainee has now earned $32,950. At odds of 6-1, Poison Sumac went the 300 yards in :15.013, earning a 98 speed index. She paid $15.60 to win ($2). Bred by Evans and Evans, Poison Sumac is by First N Kool out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Ought To Go Now. First N Kool is a 9-year-old by all-time leading sire First Down Dash out of champion Kool Kue Baby. He won four of 25 starts, earning $92,393, and won the 2003 Sam Houston Derby (G2). From nine starters, First N Kool has four winners and the earners of more than $65,000. Owned by Chad Hart, First N Kool stands at 6666 Ranch at Guthrie, Texas.

April 18, 2009 Azopardi tenders resignation as Texas Horsmen’s Partnership official Tommy Azopardi has resigned from his position as president, CEO and executive director of Texas Horsemen’s Partnership after 12 years, effective March 20. Azopardi has been on a semi-leave of absence from full-time responsibilities at THP for more than two years in order to be able to serve as president of Texans for Economic Development, which has been very active with legislative initiatives to legalize video lottery terminals at licensed Texas tracks. However, during that time, Azopardi has represented THP at Texas Racing Commission meetings and TRC working group meetings as necessary. While at the THP helm, Azopardi and his staff worked with The Jockey Club’s InCompass Solutions to eventually launch the innovative centralized Horsemen’s Bookkeeper System, which has now been introduced in several other states. Under Azopardi’s leadership, the Groom Elite Program, once a Texas-only educational horsemen’s training program, exploded into a successful national educational program encompassing multiple levels of classes for grooms and trainers. It is now recognized as the gold standard for groom training in the horse racing industry. The THP will conduct a search for the most qualified candidate to fill the vacant position. In other THP news, Dr. Tommy Bullard and John Roark were elected to the Texas Thoroughbred HBPA board of directors joining fellow owners Larry Christopher, Jan Haynes, Lane Hutchins and Don Weeks and trainers Bret Calhoun, Mike Furr, Junior Martinez and Randy Mayfield.

Lusk Ranch suffers devastating losses in North Texas wildfire Lusk Ranch, operated by John Lusk and “K” Downs in Bowie, suffered devastating losses from one of the wildfires that swept across North Texas on April 9. Eleven Thoroughbreds were killed in the wildfire that damaged approximately 75 percent of the Lusk Ranch. The losses included Grande’s Grandslam, an 8-year-old Grand Slam stallion, and 10 horses in training. The wildfire destroyed the stallion barn, two training barns, two trailers, tractors, tack and other equipment, some of which had been in the family for more than 50 years. There is a very moving synopsis of the tragedy posted on the Lusk Ranch homepage at www.luskranch.com. To make a donation of equipment, supplies or funds, contact Mary Kay Hicks at 254-548-6760 or eyesoftexasfarm@aol.com.

April 16, 2009 Houston, TX Sam Houston Race Park establishes facility-wide green initiatives as part of grand re-opening Recycling & Conservation Programs Along With Non-Smoking Policy For Racing & Concert Events Set Industry Example

Sam Houston Race Park (www.shrp.com), with the support and cooperation of corporate partners Budweiser and Coca-Cola, has implemented a comprehensive green program to address recycling and conservation issues across the facility’s racing, special event and concert programs. The recycling program addresses several key areas of use from aluminum bottles, cans and plastic containers to paper recycling including news print, paper print mix and cardboard. The newly launched recycling program will debut as part of the Park’s grand re-opening festivities, which begin this weekend with Fall Out Boy (April 18) and continue through the return of live racing on May 1, after enduring a nine-month layoff caused by Hurricane Ike. The Park’s program estimates 12 tons of cardboard, 36 tons of newsprint and 24 tons of paper print mix will be recycled annually. “We recognized that we have an incredible opportunity to set an example within the racing and entertainment industry by implementing a comprehensive plan to significantly reduce waste from an operational standpoint,” said Andrea Young, President & Chief Operating Officer, Sam Houston Race Park. “We examined every aspect of our operations and have developed a strong program in conjunction with our corporate partners that we think will enhance and positively impact our guest experience at Sam Houston Race Park.” The Park, which enforced a non-smoking policy after moving simulcast operations to the Pavilion Centre during facility renovations and roof construction in September, will continue to enforce a non-smoking policy throughout the facility. As part of The Park’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, recycling efforts will extend to both fans and staff. Large-scale bottle and can recycling locations as well as paper recycling outlets have been added throughout The Park’s Grandstand, Pavilion Centre, stables, maintenance areas and The Showgrounds, The Park’s 15,000 capacity outdoor concert venue. The containers used for recycling are provided by Budweiser and Coca-Cola. The Park will also extend its recycling efforts to include barn waste, landscaping and bio-diesel recycling. Currently, The Park has approximately 8,000 tons of barn waste annually, which includes 6,500 tons of stable stall debris and 1,500 tons of landscaping debris and grass clippings. This waste will now be hauled off property to recycling areas around Houston. In addition to these changes, The Park’s large body of water, located in the infield area of the track, was designed to capture run-off rain water from the track and stable area and has been reused for irrigation of the property since The Park’s opening in 1994. In addition to recycling efforts, The Park is now participating in the State’s Emergency Interruptible Load Service (EILS) program. In the event of an emergency energy shortage in Texas, this program, through its various participants, makes available to the state’s electrical grid excess electricity that it may have available. The Park is set to re-open nine months after Hurricane Ike forced the cancellation of the last weekend of American Quarter Horse meet and the entire 2008/09 Thoroughbred meet. In addition to the new state-of-the-art Daktronics tote board, The Park will

debut a new roof system, renovated stable and barn areas and various interior upgrades including a new members-only Jockey Club when it opens for the 2009 American Quarter Horse meet, which will run from May 1 through August 29. As part of the promotional calendar for the summer meet, The Park will feature: a National Anthem Singing Contest (April 16); Mother’s Day Diamond Dig and Brunch (May 12); Preakness Triple Crown Simulcast Event (May 16); 15 yr Anniversary Celebration Prize Giveaways (May 31, June 25, July 30 & Aug 20); Belmont Triple Crown Simulcast Event (June 6); Weiner Dog Races (June 13); Wine Tasting (June 25); Dollar Days (May 25 & July 2); July 4th Celebration; and an Epicurean Night (Aug 21). The Showgrounds 2009 concert season will include performances from: Fall Out Boy (April 18); The 5th Annual “A Day in the Country” festival (April 25); Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with special guests The Smithereens (May 2); Ghostland Observatory (May 9); Jason Aldean (May 16); The Point Birthday Bash featuring The 80s Lost Tour: Flock of Seagulls, When in Rome, Dramarama & Gene Loves Jezebel (May 23); Kevin Fowler (May 30); America with special guest Christopher Cross (June 13); Eddie Money with special guest Lou Gramm (June 20); Eli Young Band (July 11); Cross Canadian Ragweed (July 18); Counting Crows (August 1); and Badfish (August 8). Additional performances will be announced soon.

April 14, 2009 Texas Horsemen’s BPA elects new Board of Directors The Texas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and Texas Throughbred HBPA Inc., the two component organizations that make up the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership LLP, recently concluded their annual Board of Directors elections. THBPA members were selecting two owner and one trainer representatives. Incumbants Ted Abrams and Manuel “Bebe” Gonalez, Jr. were re-elected to another term, defeating David Graham. Trainer L. R. “Tooter” Jordan ran unopposed in the trainer category to receive another term on the THBPA Board. The 2009 THBPA Board of Directors is: Owners Ted Abrams (Houston, TX) Manuel B. “Bebe” Gonzalez, Jr. Dr. Tommy Hays (Elgin, TX) Jim Helzer (Arlington, TX) Connie Nobles (Houston, TX) Jerry Windham (College Station, TX) Trainers John S. Buchanan (Peaster, TX) Guy Hopkins (Cypress, TX) L. R. “Tooter” Jordan (New Braunfels, TX) Ordinarily, TTHBPA members would have been electing one owner and one trainer to the Board this year. However, the resignation of former TTHBPA President Carl Moore a few months ago precipitated a need for members to elect a second owner representative. In the TTHBPA owner category, the top two vote getters were John O. Roark and Dr. Tommy Bullard, D.V.M. They defeated a strong group of opponents consisting of James Driver, Larry Dyson, Steve Robbins, and Tammy Wincott. Owner Bill Martin chose not to run for another term on the TTHBPA Board. The THP would like to think Mr. Martin for his service to the horsemen and women of Texas during his term on the Board. Incumbant Randy Mayfield was elected to another term as a trainer representative on the Board, defeating Jack Bruner.

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

The full 2009 TTHBPA Board of Directors is: Owners Dr. Tommy Bullard (Weatherford, TX) Larry Christopher (Crockett, TX) M. Jan Haynes (Dallas, TX) Lane Hutchins (Fredericksburg, TX) John Roark (Temple, TX) Don Weeks (Dallas, TX)

Mike Furr (Boerne, TX - Arabian Special Director) Eleuterio “Junior” Martinez,Jr. (San Diego, TX) Randy Mayfield (Grand Prairie, TX) The THBPA and TTHBPA’s 2009 officers, as well as each organization’s representatives for the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership Management Committee, will be selected at each organization’s next Board of Directors meeting. The THP would like to welcome all new and returning members to its Boards.

Trainers W. Bret Calhoun (Grand Prairie, TX)

Multiple foal production numbers from registration How many foals are mares typically having through the use of embryo transfer under the multiple foals rule? According to AQHA registration records, there have been 6,213* sets of multiple foals born, all foaling years combined (a mare is counted for each set of multiple foals she produced). In that number, there were - 4,830 sets of two foals - 1,067 sets of three - 253 sets of four - 47 sets of five - 11 sets of six

- 4 sets of seven - 1 set of nine foals. Those 6,213 sets represent 14,251 registered foals, or an average of 2.29 foals per set. *These numbers are as of February 5, 2009.

Fick elected president of Race Track Chaplaincy of America Dan Fick was elected president of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America for 2009 at the annual board meeting on March 30 in Grapevine, Texas. Fick, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, previously served as president and treasurer of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America. Also at the board meeting, Nick Caras was elected vice president, Amy Bondon was voted secretary, and Patsy Payne was elected treasurer. B

RACING NEWS ARIZONA

April 27, 2009 Turf Paradise, Phoenix, AZ Hidden Character beats White Spar at Turf Paradise

Hidden Character made it a perfect 3 for 3 to start his career as the 4-year-old gelding captured Turf Paradise’s $50,000 Sandra Hall Grand Canyon Handicap Saturday, part of a five-stakes program on Arizona-bred Day. Owned by E E Dotte Ranch and trained by Wade Rarick, Hidden Character stalked the pace, moved up to contend with heavy 3-10 favorite White Spar going into the far turn, got the better of that rival, and edged away late under Miguel Hernandez to win by 1 1/2 lengths. He covered the six furlongs in 1:09.05 and paid $6.20 as the second choice. White Spar battled gamely and was a clear second in the field of five. Hey Slick was third. In other action: Racetrack Barbie put up a super performance, romping in the $50,000 Joanne Dye. The 3-year-old filly, owned, bred and trained by Jacque Guerra and ridden by Vince Guerra, went right to the lead and just kept going in the 6 1/2-furlong event, winning by 10 1/4 lengths. She paid $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite and ran the distance in 1:17.14. Towson ran second with Keyless third in the field of seven. Instantly rallied strongly from off the pace to upset heavy 2-5 favorite Ez Dreamer in the $50,000 Dwight D. Patterson Handicap. Ridden by Miguel Hernandez the 9-year-old sat back and blasted home to win the 1 1/16mile turf race by 4 3/4 lengths. Ez Dreamer dueled and ran second with Berudenottoo in third in the field of six. Instantly paid $17.60 and ran the distance in 1:43.18.

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Beacon Falls had little trouble validating her 3-5 price as the 5-year-old mare dueled early in the six-furlong Ann Owens Distaff Handicap and drew away to win by 4 1/2 lengths under Adolfo Morales for owner Dennis Weir and trainer Sandi Gann. She covered the distance in 1:09.83 and paid $3.20. Meet Anzi chased the winner in second all the way around and finished 2 lengths ahead of M J’s Headache in third in the field of eight. French Hit surged to the lead and then just held off hard-charging longshot Who’s Ralph to capture the $65,424 Arizona Breeders’ Derby. Owned by Triple AAA Ranch and trained by Kory Owens, the 3-year-old gelding sat back under Jake Barton, made a strong rally to take the lead, opening up three lengths in midstretch, and then just held on by a nose over Who’s Ralph. Tribal One was third, with favored One Call fourth in the field of eight. French Hit paid $14.40 and ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.70.

April 17, 2009 Turf Paradise, Phoenix, AZ Fantastic Dasher returns to win AQHRA Open Spring Futurity Fantastic Dasher picked up his first career stakes victory in just his second start on Friday with a win in the $47,880 AQHRA President’s Open Spring Futurity at Turf Paradise. Racing for owner/breeders Burnett Ranches and Mitchell Ranch, the John Bassett trainee covered the 330 yards in :16.102 seconds. Ridden by David Reyes-Frisby, the First Down Dash colt set the fastest qualifying time of :15.891 on March 27th when he won his first start by 1-1/4 lengths.

RACING NEWS Repurchased at the 2008 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, he is the first foal out of the stakes winning Mr Jess Perry mare Fantastic Jessie. He earned $23,940 for the effort. Deb Copenhaver’s Streakin Coronas finished second and earned $9,576. The Tres Seis gelding out of Stitch N Time, by Corona Cartel was saddled by Raul Hernandez. Vince J. Guerra got the riding assignment. Wartime Rocket, the second fastest qualifier from the March 27 trials, settled for third 1-1/2 lengths back. The Royal Quick Dash colt owned by Randal Robbins was saddled by Matthew Fales. Rick Oliver was in the irons. Completing the field were Real Platinum Teller, Royal In The Sky, Six Figured Effort, Corona Charlie and Fishinforcompliments.

April 6, 2009 Turf Paradise, Phoenix, AZ Allegre, Shesa Private I take twin features

It was Grade 1-caliber shipper Obrigado who drew all the attention before Sunday’s $50,000 Wildcat Handicap at Turf Paradise, but it was the up-and-coming Allegre who got all the plaudits after the 1 3/8-mile turf race as he posted a powerful victory. Allegre, a 4-year-old colt by champion sprinter Orientate, made it three wins in a row and five of his last six for trainer Mike Chambers. He sat midpack early off modest splits, surged to a clear lead into the lane, opened up, and won by 3 1/2 lengths with seemingly something left. On My Dime was near the winner throughout; he couldn’t accelerate with that rival but ran on to get second, a head in front of Obrigado, the 6-5 favorite who rallied from well back for third in the field of nine. Allegre ran the distance in 2:14.58 under Jake Barton, and paid $7.80 as the second choice. The winner’s share of $30,000 pushes his earnings to $78,320 from five wins in 10 starts. He might go next in the 1 7/8-mile Hasta La Vista Handicap, the traditional closing-day feature here May 3. * Shesa Private I, sent off the heavy 3-5 favorite in the $50,000 Princess of Palms after a strong win in last month’s Mesa Handicap, backed up bettors’ confidence with a game win. She dueled with Goodbye Norma Jean from the start in the six-furlong contest for older fillies and mares, got the better of that rival in the lane and edged away for the length victory under Barton, who won both of the day’s stakes. Goodbye Norma Jean stayed on for second, ahead of Wide Eyed View in third in the field of six. Shesa Private I, owned by Tangarae Farms LLP and trained by Bart Hone, ran the distance in 1:08.92. She paid $3.40, and the winner’s share of $30,000 pushes her earnings to $310,755 from 12 wins in 29 starts.

April 5, 2009 Turf Paradise, Phoenix, AZ Frisky Ricky finds right level in Arizona Stallion Stakes Frisky Ricky’s proven turf form and a class drop paid off as the 3-year-old led all the way to post a facile win in Saturday’s $51,939 Arizona Stallion Stakes at Turf Paradise. Owned by Arrowhead Racing and trained by Wilton Whitehouse, the son of Rocky Bar led all the way to beat $16,000 claimers in his turf debut here Feb. 3, but then found open foes too tough when seventh in the Tempe Handicap on this course March

14. He moved in against restricted company and under Akifumi Kato jumped right out to a clear lead in the 7 1/2-furlong grass event and never really had an anxious moment thereafter, reporting home 2 3/4 lengths in front. French Hit, the 8-5 favorite in the field of seven, stalked the pace and tried to make a run at the winner through the lane but had to settle for second. Who’s Ralph finished third. Frisky Ricky ran the distance in 1:30.23 and paid $6.60. The winner’s share of $28,855 pushes his career earnings to $43,123 from three wins in eight starts.

CALIFORNIA

April 26, 2009 Hollywood Park, Inglewood, CA Hall of Fame jockey Smith completes hattrick on Madeo

Jockey Mike Smith, showcasing his Hall of Fame credentials, gave Madeo a perfectly-timed ride as the 4-year-old caught pacesetter Storm Military at the wire to win by a head at Sunday’s $100,000 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park. The victory completed a hat-trick for the 43-year-old Smith, who has ridden 4,781 winners since breaking his maiden in 1982 at Sante Fe, New Mexico. Madeo, fifth rounding the far turn, closed in the middle of the Lakeside Turf Course through the stretch to win for the fifth time in 13 career starts, giving the team of owners-breeders Jerry and Ann Moss, trainer John Shirreffs and Smith a second win on the afternoon. Earlier they clicked with Aitcho. Smith also rode Silver Swallow to victory one race before the Grade III Inglewood. “He’s got a really, really good turn of foot,” Smith said of Madeo. “I wanted to stay right there when they accelerated because they were going pretty easily and I knew they were going to finish. He’s got such a great little turn of foot . . . he’s so agile. When I called on him, he jumped on it. He wanted to hang just a little, but I let him know to go on by and he did. Earlier in his career he was just green at times and he kind of caused some of the things that happened to him. One time he’d pull, the next time he wouldn’t. He’s finally figuring things out.” Madeo covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.04 while paying $6.60, $3.40 and $2.60 as the 2-1 favorite in the field of seven older horses. Storm Military, with Brice Blanc up, returned $4.80 and $3. The show payoff on U S Ranger — ridden by Garrett Gomez — was $3. Madeo, a son of Mizzen Mast, won the Del Mar Derby and finished second in the Oak Tree Derby in 2008. Third in the Arcadia Handicap last outing, he banked $60,000 Sunday to boost his earnings to $463,715. “He looked good on the backside, very comfortable,” Shirreffs said. ”He looked like he was in good position, he just needed to finish. We wanted him closer, he was way back in the Arcadia. “We can’t take him anywhere, the son of a gun,” Shirreffs added. “He doesn’t like anything. You try to do something with him and he just walks over the top of them. Unless he’s home he is unhappy. But he is maturing now, he’s maturing a lot. He’s developing a style too. He’s repeating his performances and developing a running style. He’s very versatile.” Argentine-bred Storm Military had not started in eight months. “We had a perfect trip,” Blanc said. “It kind of set up that way on paper. He relaxed nice and finished up good. He ran his guts out. He hadn’t run since Del Mar and Bobby (Frankel) did a great job just getting him that close.”

Allegre

Shesa Private I

Frisky Ricky

Madeo

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April 25, 2009 Hollywood Park, Inglewood, CA Lightly-raced Compari clicks under Gomez in $250,000 Snow Chief; Bejarano rides record five stakes winners on Gold Rush card

Compari posted a mild upset under Garrett Gomez in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes, but Rafael Bejarano stole the spotlight with a five-win afternoon Saturday on the tenth annual California Gold Rush program at Hollywood Park. Compari Gomez, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey the last two years who returned to town from Kentucky a half-million dollars ahead of Bejarano as the country’s leading jockey, was in jeopardy of losing the top spot as the field headed to the starting gate for the 16th running of the Snow Chief. But the three-time money-leader quickly regained command as Compari — making just his third career start for trainer Marty Jones — set the fractions and pulled away in the stretch for a 1 ¾-length win over Triumphant Flight and Bejarano. Gomez came right back to take the $60,000 NTRA Stakes in the nightcap, but until the late double the day belonged to the 26-year-old Peruvian who has swept the last six major Southern California riding titles. Bejarano completed his five-win afternoon with a victory aboard Liberian Freighter in the $150,000 Tiznow Unusual Smoke Stakes, coming within one win of the Hollywood Park record of six victories in a day while setting a single-day record for stakes wins. His other victories came with Waveline in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes, Bootleg Annie in the $150,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, Tribal Justice in the $71,200 Grey Memo Stakes and Pretty Unusual in the $200,000 Melair Stakes. His mounts earned $509,600 on the day as he closed to within $162,492 of Gomez at the top of the nation’s money list. “I’m going to be a week away (from Hollywood Park), so I’m trying to do my best,” said Bejarano, who holds a six-win lead over Joel Rosario atop the jockeys’ standings with 12 wins through four racing days. “Any jockey could have won with these horses,” he added. “When you have the best horse, you can do anything you want. The last five races I won, I had the best horse in each race.” Bill Shoemaker set the Hollywood Park record of six wins with eight mounts on June 20, 1953, and also clicked with six of seven mounts on June 24, 1970. Laffit Pincay Jr. rode six winners with nine mounts on April 27, 1968, and Kent Desormeaux rode six winners with ten mounts on July 3, 1992. Bejarano had three mounts remaining after moving to within one win of the record, but the best he could do was a pair of seconds behind Gomez in the late double. He and trainer Barry Abrams combined to win the 1 1/16-mile Melair for the second straight year with 9-1 shot Pretty Unusual. They won through disqualification a year ago when Bel Air Sizzle was placed first. Pretty Unusual did not need any help, rallying from eighth in the final three furlongs to win by one length over Chalula One. Al and Sandee Kirkwood’s front-running Bootleg Annie held off a determined bid by Spinning Yarns through the stretch to win the Fran’s Valentine by a length — her third straight victory. Favorite Bel Air Sizzle broke poorly and was never a threat while finishing fifth in the field of six. J. Paul Reddam’s Waveline gained the lead from pacesetter Gambler’s Justice in mid-stretch and went on to score a 1 ¼-length while covering seven furlongs in a stake’s record time of 1:20.89 in the $150,000 B. SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5 Thoughtful. Favorite Lady Railrider finished third.

The only major-race winner not ridden by Bejarano or Gomez came when jockey Martin Garcia and trainer A.C. Avila combined for their richest Hollywood Park win with 6-1 shot Unusual Smoke in the $150,000 TVG Khaled Stakes. Unusual Smoke — the second winner on the card sired by Unusual Heat — has won three races and has finished second twice in five starts since being claimed for $12,500 in January. In the Snow Chief, Gomez let Compari roll when he left the gate running. Compari, a homebred owned by Harris Farms, John Nicoletti and Don Valpredo, finished third in his career debut in February and broke his maiden March 29.

Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Mr Napper Tandy wins $300,000 San Francisco Mile by a nose

Mr Napper Tandy charged down the middle of the Lakeside Turf Course and got up in the final jump to nail pacesetter Yacht Spotter on the wire and win the $300,000 San Francisco Mile Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. Ridden by Julio Garcia, Mr Napper Tandy defeated Yacht Spotter and jockey Alex Bisono by a nose in the Grade 2 SF Mile, Northern California’s richest and highestrated race. Bold Chieftain finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Yacht Spotter. British-bred Mr Napper Tandy raced in last for the majority of the SF Mile before unleashing a powerful stretch kick that earned the 5-year-old horse his first stakes victory and just his fourth win in 23 career starts. Mr Napper Tandy, who has 11 seconds, was timed in 1:36.07 and paid $15.20 to win. Mr Napper Tandy is based at Santa Anita and trained by Jack Carava, who thought his horse might like the lush Golden Gate Fields turf. “I really wanted to try him on that turf course because of his come-from-behind style,” said Carava via cell phone from Hollywood Park, where he had several horses running Saturday. “The turf course there isn’t as hard as the ones here (in Southern California) and I thought that might help him. “I’ve always liked this horse even though he’s a frustrating horse because of all the seconds,” continued Carava. “Julio rode him well. He’s a tough horse to ride.” Garcia, a 46-year-old journeyman jockey, said he simply followed instructions en route to earning his second victory in the SF Mile. “They said don’t hurry the horse in the beginning and wait, wait, wait before letting him run,” said Garcia “My horse really responded. Past the wire I asked Alex (Bisono on Yacht Spotter) if I had won and he said, ‘yeah, you got me.’” Garcia won his first SF Mile in 1985 aboard Truce Maker. Bisono and a very game Yacht Spotter came up just inches short of earning a victory in the SF Mile. “He’s all heart,” said Bisono of Yacht Spotter. “He ran so hard it’s a shame he got beat. He may not have the class of some horses but he tries harder than the rest of them.” Ferneley, the 6-to-5 favorite ridden by Russell Baze, never threatened and finished a disappointing sixth. Ferneley had scored an impressive victory on the Golden Gate Fields turf on April 3 but couldn’t duplicate that effort Saturday. “They pushed him down inside going into the first turn,” said Baze. “I was never able to get him out but I don’t know if it would have made any difference because he didn’t really respond when I asked him. He didn’t show the acceleration he had in his last race.” Mr Napper Tandy, owned by La Canada Stables, earned $180,000 for the SF Mile victory. Twelve horses were entered in the SF Mile but the

RACING NEWS field was reduced to nine when Liberian Freighter, Storm Military and Silent Soul all scratched Saturday morning in order to run in stakes at Hollywood Park. Liberian Freighter won Saturday’s Tiznow Stakes. Storm Military and Silent Soul will run Sunday in the Inglewood Handicap.

Hulapai earned $16,500 for the win to take his career earnings to $72,850. Double Bar S Ranch’s Bud Cheeks earned $6,750 for running second for trainer Jaime Gomez and jockey Juan Andrade. Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga’s Check Out Corona finished third. Fire Is On, Tabasco Perry, To Shay and Oh So Chilly completed the field.

Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Kaweah Bar belongs to A Mere Chocolate April 23, 2009 A Mere Chocolate’s last start ended in disappointment Hollywood Park, Inglewood, CA for his connections. The 4-year-old stallion by The ChocoTalamo “wows ’em” in Hollywood Park late Rocket crossed the finish in first place in a trial to the Los Alamitos Winter Championship back on January feature 31 but he was eventually disqualified and placed eighth, eliminating him from qualifying to the final. The end of the Kaweah Bar Handicap was a lot sweeter for the connections of A Mere Chocolate on Saturday night, as the Felix A. Gonzalez-owned sprinter dominated the 350-yard race en route to a half-length victory over stablemate Chiselled In Glory at Los Alamitos. A Mere Chocolate, who won last year’s Los Alamitos Winter Derby, was picking up his fifth win in 14 career starts. After covering the Kaweah Bar distance in :17.382, the runner bred by Felix’s son, Jose Luis Gonzalez, earned $13,750 for the win. He’s now won $171,260. A Mere Chocolate’s victory was also sweet redemption for winning jockey Juan Andrade, who had been so distraught over the disqualification in the Winter Championship trials. Jesus Nunez saddled A Mere Chocolate as well as stablemate Chiselled In Glory, who earned $5,625 for running second. Freaky, who came into this race after posting the track record at 350 yards, ran third after a very troubled break that left in sixth place at the start of the race. Go Love A Lark Go ran fourth and was followed home by Pappyscoronalilbro, Go Straight and Hawk In The City.

April 24, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Hulapai now three for three in 2009 after Dillingham victory

Owner Carlos Romero knew he wanted to claim a Quarter Horse last spring; he just wasn’t quite sure which one it would be. He had narrowed his choices down to two, both talented runners, one of them however was a gelding that simply was too tough for Romero ignore. “I had filled up two claim slips and I had them with me all night,” said Romero. “I was with trainer Miguel Rodriguez at the time and he told me that it was my choice. I went with Hulapai, who I liked a lot because of his breeding and the times of his morning workouts. I got him and I haven’t regretted my choice for one minute ever since.” Claimed for $16,000 on May 8, 2008, the Ed Allredbred sprinter has since developed into a Grade 1 finalist and a super derby prospect for 2009. Now trained by Hector Jaime Hernandez, the sorrel gelding out of the Raise A Secret mare Kingman Kin has won all three of his starts this year, including his first stakes win ever in Friday’s $30,000 Dillingham Handicap. Ridden by Rodrigo Aceves for trainer Hector Jaime Hernandez, Hulapai continued his perfect campaign in the 400-yard race thanks to a 1-Ľ length victory over 24-1 longshot Bud Cheeks. His winning time was :19.69. With nine starts under his belt, Hulapai has already won five races in his career while qualifying to the Ed Burke Million Futurity and also the Los Alamitos Juvenile Stakes. He did rest for a couple of months in the middle of last year, not racing from the night of the Ed Burke on June 21 until the trials to the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in late November.

The appropriately-named Allicansayis Wow and 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo made a miraculous recovery to score a dramatic come-from-behind win in Thursday’s $50,000 feature at Hollywood Park after clipping heels and almost going down early in the stretch run. Allicansayis Wow, last in the field of five at the top of the stretch, clipped the heels of Lullabytime, stumbled, but regained his stride under the cool handling of Talamo and struck late to win by a neck. Talamo, who leaves here after Sunday’s action for Churchill Downs where he will ride leading contender I Want Revenge in the Kentucky Derby on May 2, looked ready for the part Thursday. “It’s kind of instinct,” he said. “The last thing I remember is she was about to go down. She just gathered herself back up and went on.” Allicansayis Wow, the highest price in the field at 9-1, paid $21.40, $7.80 and $6.60 while helping set up a Pick Six carryover of $63,740 when racing resumes Friday night at Hollywood Park. Lullabytime paid $3.80 and $3, while the show payoff on Grace Anatomy was $4.80. Allicansayis Wow, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Street Cry, was making her U.S. debut after winning one of eight starts in Ireland. The Patrick Bianconetrained filly banked $30,000 to boost her earnings to $83,706. Rafael Bejarano and Tyler Baze each rode a pair of winners.

A Mere Chocolate

April 22, 2009 Hollywood Park, Inglewood, CA Backbackbackgone looks sharp in Harry Henson win

Backbackbackgone drew away from favorite Wall Street Wonder inside the sixteenth pole to score an impressive 2 1/2-length victory under jockey Rafael Bejarano in the $73,450 Harry Henson Stakes as Hollywood Park opened its 70th Spring/Summer Meet on Wednesday. Backbackbackgone, the second of two winners on the opening-day program for Bejarano, broke on top and set the pace while making his first start on turf. The victory was the fifth in seven starts for the Florida-bred colt, who covered six furlongs in a stakes record 1:08.16 while paying $6.40, $4 and $2.20. Position A, who got up in the final strides under Victor Espinoza to snare second money by a neck over Wall Street Wonder, paid $4 and $2.80. The latter paid $2.10 to show. Backbackbackgone, who won the Golden Bear in his 2009 debut, had not started since finishing tenth in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream Park in late January. “The timing just made sense to try him on turf,” trainer Peter Miller said. “We got him back off the layoff and this was the spot we were pointing him to.” Bejarano, the defending riding champion, will be aiming for his seventh straight Southern California title at the

Backbackbackgone

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

65-day meeting. He got off to a good start, although he fell two wins behind Joel Rosario who rode four winners on the card. “Being his first time on the turf, I think it was the best choice to send him because I wanted to keep him out of trouble,” Bejarano said. “He was very comfortable on the lead. He was still running strongly at the end. He didn’t change leads, but he never does. He’s a real nice horse and he’s still learning.” Backbackbackgone, owned by Gerson Racing, Charleville Stables and John Rogitz, banked $43,830 to raise his earnings to $203,270.

April 19, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Track record part of Travel Plan

Travel Plan

Owner Armando Aguirre is living in Surprise literally and figuratively. The native of Surprise, Arizona, enjoyed another fun night at the races on Sunday at Los Alamitos after his Spanish Boot gelding Travel Plan broke A Mere Fame’s 16-month old world record at 220 yards. This was the second horse owned by Aguirre to set a track record at this meeting. Travel Plan’s record effort was not expected, as the 5-year-old sprinter was racing against $6,250 claimers and his odds were 5.50 to 1. None of that matter to the Donald H. Ryan Revocable Trust-bred runner, as he broke nicely from the outside post to cover the distance in :11.49. The clocking eclipsed the previous world mark posted by A Mere Fame at Los Alamitos of :11.51. Travel Plan’s time will become the official world record after the American Quarter Horse Association confirms it. Earlier this year, Aguirre had another pleasant surprise when Freaky, a horse that he had purchased recently, set the 350 yard track record in his first start for the owner. Freaky won the race in :17.14. Trainer Felipe Quintero saddled Travel Plan to his fourth win in 14 starts. Francisco Rubio, who is back riding in top form after being involved in a scary spill on April 9, rode the bay gelding. “The doctors gave me some medicine for the pain and that was it,” Rubio said. “It feels great to ride Travel Plan to this track record. I’ve been working with the horse for about a month. The horse finished super.” Aguirre first claimed Travel Plan for $2,000 on January 23 before decided to give Quintero the duty of training his new purchase. “I was lucky to get some of his business,” Quintero explained. “We decided to run him for $6,250 because he was doing everything perfectly and he looked great physically. He ran a solid second in his first start for me so we moved him up to run against starter allowance competition. He ran second again so we’ve been happy with his performances. We’ll keep moving him up and hopefully we we’ll have an opportunity to see how tough he is against strong competition.” Travel Plan also gave Quintero his second track record victory of his training career. He also saddled Little Bit Of Baja to the 400-yard track record in last year’s Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Favored Midships virtually walks off with San Juan Capistrano Midships

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Finding a paceless field in North America’s longest graded stakes race, Midships took full advantage with a wire-to-wire victory by three-quarters of a length over Spring House in Sunday’s 70th running of the Grade II, $200,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at 1 ¾ miles over Santa Anita’s Camino Real turf course on the meet’s closing day. Jockey Victory Espinoza, slowing the pace to a virtual crawl, therefore provided Juddmonte Farms and Hall of

Fame trainer Bobby Frankel with their first win in the historic race since 1996 when their Raintrap just happened to be the event’s last wire-to-wire winner. The final time of 2:49.26 was the slowest running of the race since 1989 when Nasr El Arab posted the last of legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham’s record 14 San Juan Capistrano victories while clocked in 2:51 2/5. Espinoza stole away with early fractions of 51.90, 1:17.37 and 1:44.17 for the half-mile, six furlongs and one mile to blunt the hopes of the closers including defending champion Big Booster, who wound up fourth in the field reduced to five by the late scratch of 30-1 outsider On Fire. Spring House, the 5-1 fourth choice ridden by Alex Solis, was the only horse to make any kind of impact among the closers while finishing well from third to overtake 11-1 Obrigado, who had tracked Midships much of the way. The latter held on for third, three-quarters of a length behind Spring House. Mike Mitchell, who had saddled Big Booster last year and trained 2007 winner On the Acorn, wound up on the other end of the spectrum this year. Big Booster, the 5-2 second choice, beat only stablemate Church Service, the 4-1 third choice who was pulled up at the head of the stretch. Church Service walked off the course after apparently running out of air. He was considered a nonfinisher. With the public savvy to the likely pace scenario, Midships was sent off as the even-money favorite while carrying 115 pounds. In his previous start at 1 ½ miles, the 4-year-old gray son of Mizzen Mast took the Grade II San Luis Rey Handicap while leading every step of the way under Espinoza. For his victory in the San Juan Capistrano, Midships paid $4, $3.20 and $2.40. Spring House returned $4.80 and $3.20. The show payoff on Obrigado was $3.40. “This is the longest race ever, and you have to take your time and be patient,” said Espinoza after winning his second San Juan in three years while having handled On the Acorn two years before. With the San Juan marking the second win for Midships in his fourth start in the United States since being imported from England, he earned $120,000, which increased his career earnings to $345,830 from an overall record of 4-3-3 in 14 lifetime starts.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Pioneerof the Nile named Horse of Meet in media poll

Sadler, Bejarano Earn Honors as Top Trainer and Jockey Pioneerof the Nile, who won the Santa Anita Derby to remain unbeaten in three stakes at the meet and establish himself as a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby on May 2, was named Horse of the Meet in Santa Anita’s annual Media Poll. Pioneerof the Nile, a 3-year-old son of 2003 Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker owned by Ahmed Zayat, also won the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes and the Grade II San Felipe Stakes, following in the footsteps of last year’s Santa Anita Derby winner, Colonel John, as Horse of the Meet. Rafael Bejarano, who won his first Santa Anita riding title last season despite missing three weeks late in the meet due to two fractured vertebrae suffered in a March 13 riding mishap, was again named the meet’s Outstanding Jockey, outpolling Garrett Gomez. Bejarano, a 26-year-old native of Peru, overtook Gomez after Gomez moved his tack to Keeneland in early April. Bejarano won 99 races; Gomez, 86. Bejarano also won his sixth straight Southern California riding title, which was named Achievement of the Meet.

RACING NEWS John Sadler won with his only starter on the final day of the meet, Oil Man, who got up to win the seventh race by a nose, to edge defending champion Mike Mitchell for his first Santa Anita training title, 40-39. The two were tied at 39 each going into the meet’s final two days. Ron Valenta, who races as La Caňada Stables, LLC, was named Owner of the Meet for winning a phenomenal 24 races. His horses are trained exclusively by Jack Carava. Zayat Stables, which campaigns Pioneerof the Nile, also received votes. Other poll winners were: Older Horse, Santa Anita Handicap winner Einstein; Older Filly or Mare, Life Is Sweet; who swept the El Encino Stakes, the La Caňada Stakes and the Grade I Santa Margarita Handicap; Grass Horse, Midships, winner of the San Luis Rey Handicap and the San Juan Capistrano Handicap; Grass Filly or Mare, Magical Fantasy, who nosed out Black Mamba to win a dramatic renewal of the Grade II Santa Barbara Handicap; Outstanding 3-year-old filly, champion Stardom Bound, who won the Grade I Las Virgenes Stakes and the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks; and Outstanding Sprinter, Georgie Boy, who captured the Sunshine Millions Sprint and the Grade II San Carlos Handicap. 2008-09 Santa Anita Media Poll The La Cañada Stakes, in which Life Is Sweet overcame an unfavorable pace scenario to win, was named Race of the Meet, outpolling the Santa Anita Oaks, which Stardom Bound won by a nose in a four-horse blanket finish. Also, Bootleg Annie, who jumped from a $40,000 claiming victory on Feb. 28 to capture the March Madness Starter Handicap on March 29 for trainer Kathy Walsh, was named Claiming Horse of the Meet. 2008-09 Santa Anita Winter/Spring Media Poll Horse of Meet: Pioneerof the Nile Sprinter: Georgie Boy Older Horse: Einstein Claimer: Bootleg Annie Older Filly/Mare: Life Is Sweet Trainer: John Sadler Grass Horse: Midships Jockey: Rafael Bejarano Grass Filly/Mare: Magical Fantasy Apprentice: N/A 3-Year-Old: Pioneerof the Nile Race: La Cañada Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly: Stardom Bound Achievement: Bejarano, six titles

April 18, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Maid For Music posts 10-to-1 upset in Golden Poppy Stakes at GGF

Irish-bred Maid For Music charged from sixth in a field of nine to post a 10-to-1 upset in the $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate Fields Saturday. Trained by Southern California-based James Cassidy and ridden by Frank Alvarado, Maid For Music rallied along the rail to defeat pacesetter Summers Peace by 1 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/16-miles turf contest for 3-year-old fillies. Point of Reference, the 9-to-5 favorite, moved up to challenge Summers Peace for the lead in midstretch but ended up having to settle for third after drifting out in the late stages. Summers Peace took second by a head over Point of Reference. Maid For Music was timed in 1:44.81 on a firm Lakeside Turf Course and paid $23.60 after recording her second win in eight career starts and her first stakes victory.

“She’s a little filly with a big heart,” said Alvarado of Maid For Music. “I saved all the ground and had a perfect trip. She gave me everything from the threesixteenths pole to the wire.” Deron Pearson owns Maid For Music, a bay daughter of Dubai Destination. Maid For Music earned $45,000 for her Golden Poppy victory. Bisono said he’d recommend blinkers for Point of Reference, who drifted in and out down the stretch. “She just pulled me up to [Summers Peace] and then wanted to lay into her,” said Bisono. “I hit her lefthanded and she ducked out. I think blinkers will help her a lot.”

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Magical Fantasy takes Santa Barbara as Black Mamba nose victim again

After a wait that seemed endless on Saturday, Black Mamba realized a fate all too similar to the one that had befallen her one year before when beaten by the shortest of noses in Santa Anita’s Grade II, $200,000 San Barbara Handicap, but this time it was Magical Fantasy who took her measure. A 4-year-old filly ridden by Alex Solis, Magical Fantasy barely rebuffed the circuitous charge from last by Black Mamba in the 61st running of the mile-and-onequarter turf event for fillies and mares raced in 1:59.83. If was of small consolation to Black Mamba, who was ridden by Joel Rosario, that she avenged last year’s narrow nose loss to Foxysox. The latter wound up a well-beaten fifth this time. Magical Fantasy closed strongly to overtake 5-2 favorite Toque de Queda in the final quarter, which was run in 23.41, to prevail, but ever so barely. Toque de Queda finished three-quarters of a length behind the top pair, both exactly 3-1 in the wagering. Foxysox also was sent off at 3-1. The finish was so tight that winning trainer Paddy Gallagher had his doubts. “I felt like the other filly had it right before the wire, and my filly came on. I would have taken a dead heat.” Commented John Sadler, who trains Black Mamba, “At first I thought we got beat a nose, and then when I watched the replay, well, it was really close.” Said Solis, “I knew it was close, and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if she had her nose down on the wire.” Magical Fantasy paid $8, $4.60 and $3.40 for her hard-earned victory. Black Mamba, 9-2 when beaten last year, paid $4.20 and $3. Toque de Queda, with Victor Espinoza in the irons, paid $3 to show. Owned by the partnership of David Bienstock, Paul Mandabach and Charles Winner, British-import Magical Fantasy gained her second stakes victory and first since posting a 42-1 upset in last summer’s Del Mar Oaks. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Diesis earned $120,000 to boost her career winnings to $452,431 from a 3-4-0 record in 14 lifetime starts. “I had a perfect trip until we got to the three-eighths pole,” said Solis. “Espinoza (aboard Toque de Queda) came up inside on the rail, and I had to put the brakes on. I lost all my momentum. She got back into the race right away, though, and we got the job done, but she should have won by two or three lengths.” Magical Fantasy returned to the turf in the Santa Barbara following a runner-up effort in the Grade II La Canada Stakes and a fourth in the Grade I Santa Margarita Handicap, both on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. “Getting back on grass is better for her,” observed Solis. Black Mamba, meanwhile, remains winless in eight races over Santa Anita’s turf course while having finished second four times and third on three occasions. But there’s always next year’s Santa Barbara for the 6-yearold mare who has earned $702,171. After winning 2 of 3 starts including a maiden event

Magical Fantasy

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

this season over the track’s hillside turf course, Mr Gruff was victorious in his stakes debut with a front-running triumph in the day’s co-featured Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon Handicap. With regular rider Rosario aboard, the lightly-raced 5-year-old gelding resisted the late rally by Doppio to win by three quarters of a length while traversing the 6 ½-furlong layout in 1:11.88. It was another one-half length back to Euroglide in third among the nine starters. Desert Code, upset winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over the course in October, faded to last after pressing the early pace. Both Mr Gruff and slightly favored Desert Code were sent off at odds of 5-2 as was Prussian, who wound up a nonthreatening sixth. Mr Gruff paid $7, and $5 and $3.60. The mutuels on 21-1 shot Doppio, ridden by Solis, were $17.60 and $7. Euroglide, with Michael Baze in the saddle, paid $5.40 to show. Ron Ellis, who trains Mr Gruff for Gary Broad, was not displeased with the early fractions of 22.01 and 43.61 coming down the hill. “The fractions were okay,” Ellis said. “He was just doing it so easy. He’s got a lot of natural speed, and Desert Code looked like he was struggling to keep up with him the first half-mile. “He’s (Mr Gruff) really learned to run down this hill,” continued Ellis, “so he just kind of spurted away at the head of the lane. But it looked like Joel had a ton of horse all the way.” “He went pretty fast the first half,” Rosario said, “but my horse likes to be on the lead, so I sent him. After the first half, he relaxed pretty good and he went all the way.” After being winless in two starts over Santa Anita’s main track last year, Mr Gruff returned this season at a relatively advanced age to break his maiden by 4 ¼ lengths in his turf debut. He subsequently lost an allowance race by a nose before coming back to win by 2 ¾ in his third start over the layout. The son of Mr. Greeley’s first stakes victory was worth $60,000 and brought his career earnings to $137,880 from a 3-2-0 record in six races.

April 17, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Hope To See Ya Zooms to victory in La Pacifica

Hope To See Ya Zoom

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

The Gonzalez family is one of the most prominent ones in Quarter Horse racing, especially at Los Alamitos Race Course. For starters, Enrique Gonzalez operates one of the game’s biggest breeding farms in the form of EG High Desert Farms, while his brothers Felix and Rodrigo Gonzalez campaign a solid group of mostly stakes and allowance level performers. The competition between the brothers often comes to a boil on the racetrack and it is not rare for each of one of them to have a horse competing in the same race. It’s often the case that two out of the three brothers will go head to head in a high level event. That was the case in Friday’s $30,000 La Pacifica Handicap as EG High Desert Farms’ Catahawk faced Rodrigo Gonzalez’s Hope To See Ya Zoom in the 350-yard test for 3-year-olds. Following a good battle between the two, it was the Rodrigo’s Shazoom filly who had the last laugh. Trained by the owner’s 23-year-old son, Carlos De Jesus Gonzalez, Hope To See Ya Zoom held off Catahawk by 3/4 lengths in a winning time of :17.454. Bred by D. & L. Nelson and The Victory Group, Hope To See Ya Zoom earned $16,500 for the win while improving her third victory in 12 career starts. Ramon Sanchez piloted the 9-1 shot to victory from post number five.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Comebacking Globetrotter lifts Sadler into training tie

Comebacking Globetrotter gained his first victory since taking the 2007 running of Canada’s Group III Grey Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Woodbine on Friday when he captured Santa Anita’s $56,400 allowance feature at 1 1/8 miles on turf, before a meet-high “Free Fridays” crowd of 9,040. Joel Rosario, who had missed the previous two days of racing due to illness, guided the 2-1 favorite between horses in the stretch to emerge with a one-length win over Lease of Life and give trainer John Sadler his second victory of the afternoon. As a result, Sadler made up four wins since Wednesday to move into a tie with defending titlist Mike Mitchell in the meet’s trainers’ standings with two days remaining in the 84-day race meet. Each has saddled 39 winners. Globetrotter, a 4-year-old son of Street Cry, was timed in 1:46.04 after running second on March 18 in his first start for Sadler following 15 months on the sidelines. Lease of Life, ridden by David Flores, edged Power Blitz, with Alex Solis aboard, by one-half length for the place while 2-1 second choice Temple City settled for fourth after running into severe traffic problems in the field of six. The winner paid $6.40, $3.40 and $2.60. Lease of Life returned $3.80 and $3.20 while Power Blitz paid $4 to show. A $150,000 yearling purchase owned by Earle I. Mack, Globetrotter began his career in 2007 with a pair of wins including the Grey Stakes. He went on the shelf following a fourth-place finish in Woodbine’s Display Stakes in November of 2007. Friday’s winning purse of $33,600 boosted the chestnut Florida-bred’s earnings to $235,554 in five career starts. With the trainers’ race going down to the wire, Sadler sends out but one starter on Saturday, 2-1 morning line favorite Black Mamba in the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 ¼ miles on turf. Mitchell sends out the morning line favorites in two other races. Mitchell, however, will have far greater opportunities on Sunday’s closing day when saddling six entrants including leading contenders Big Booster, the defending champion, and Church Service in the Grade II, $200,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at 1 ¾ miles on turf. Sadler will run only one horse on Sunday.

April 16, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Silent Stalk wins second in row over hillside turf course

Silent Stalk, who has blossomed with the addition of blinkers to her racing equipment, gained her second successive victory over Santa Anita’s hillside turf course Thursday when fighting off several late challenges to gamely capture Santa Anita’s seventh race, a $51,860 allowance feature for 3-year-old fillies. After setting the early pace under Tyler Baze in the 6 ½-furlong event, the bay daughter of Petionville prevailed by a nose over Gold Goddess with 2-1 favored Starlarks another length back in the field of seven. Trained by Julio Canani for the partnership of Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino, Silent Stalk covered the distance in 1:13.17. As the 5-2 second choice, she paid $7.20, $3.80 and $2.80. Gold Goddess, ridden by Danny Sorenson, returned $4.20 and $3.20. Starlarks, with Alex Solis aboard, paid $2.80 to show.

RACING NEWS After a third and a second in her first two starts last year, Silent Stalk finished a well-beaten third as the 9-10 favorite in her third effort as a maiden. After a brief hiatus, she returned wearing blinkers to finish a creditable second over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. Silent Stalk proceeded to break her maiden in her first start over the hillside turf course on March 14 with Baze in the saddle before extending the streak to two on Thursday. The winning purse of $28,800 elevated her career earnings to $81,800.

April 15, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Upsetter Cat by the Tale takes Linda Eder Purse in U.S. debut

A neck separated a pair of European imports making their United States debuts Wednesday when 11-1 longshot Cat by the Tale edged 9-2 Meydan Princess in Santa Anita’s featured $58,208 Linda Eder Purse, a second-condition allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf. After stalking the pace set by 5-2 second choice General Consensus, Cat by the Tale took charge 50 yards from the wire under jockey Rafael Bejarano and was able to withstand the swift closing bid of Meydan Princess with David Flores aboard. General Consensus, ridden by Alex Solis, held on for third, another neck behind the runner-up. The winning time was 1:49.91 for the nomadic 4-year-old daughter of Tale of the Cat, who was bred in Kentucky, raced twice in Chicago, and then headed for Ireland where she raced eight times from The Curragh to Cork before returning to the U.S. at the end of last year. Joining the barn of Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, Cat by the Tale was freshened for five months before being turned loose in the Linda Eder with Santa Anita’s leading jockey in the irons. She paid $25.40, $11.20 and $7. Meydan Princess, an Irish-bred who had last raced on Sept. 27 at Ascot in England, returned $7.40 and $4.20. General Consensus paid $3.40 to show. Comebacking graded stakes winner Missit, the 8-5 choice in the field of eight, finished seventh without threatening. Cat by the Tale earned $33,600 for owner Raymond Keogh, which was nearly as much as the $35,298 she had won in her first 10 starts. Her overall record became 3-0-2 in 11 races.

April 12, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Jockeys Baze, Antongeorgi III enjoy Easter Sunday triples

Jockey Russell Baze capped a huge week at Golden Gate Fields by riding three winners Sunday. Baze’s Easter Sunday hat trick was preceded by two-win afternoons on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and a four-victory Saturday. The Hall of Famer tops the Golden Gate Fields jockey standings with 124 wins. Baze won the second race with Nail Polish ($7.00), the fourth with Virginia Pearl ($3.00) and the fifth with Miki’s King ($6.60). Virginia Pearl and Miki’s King are both trained by Steve Sherman, the second-leading conditioner at the meeting. Jockey William Antongeorgi III, third in the jockey standings with 61 victories, also rode three winners Sunday. Antongeorgi teamed up with leading trainer Jerry Hollendorfer for his first two wins, taking the first race with Sky Patriot ($5.00) and the third with Mim’s Man ($4.40). Antongeorgi completed his riding triple with a victory aboard the Steve Miyadi-trained She’s All Rev’d

Up ($3.20) in the sixth race. Hollendorfer has won 59 races at the meeting and owns a 14-victory advantage (59-45) over Sherman in the trainer standings.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Gotta Have Her denies Gomez recordtying bid in Las Cienegas

Garrett Gomez’s bid to tie Santa Anita’s record of 19 stakes races during a single season was denied on Sunday when 7-10 favorite Tuscan Evening faded to third behind victorious Gotta Have Her in the Grade III, $100,000 Las Cienegas Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs over the track’s hillside turf course. Tyler Baze stole the day’s thunder from the nation’s leading jockey in purse earnings the last three years when he rallied 5-1 shot Gotta Have Her on the far outside to nip Reba Is Tops by a nose. Pace-setter Tuscan Evening wound up another three-quarters-of-alength behind after having yielded to the latter’s pressure through a swift early pace. The winning time was 1:11.92. The riding win by Baze was his third straight on the program and provided 5-year-old mare Gotta Have Her with the first graded stakes victory of a career that had included three runner-up finishes in graded competition during her previous five starts. Gotta Have Her bobbled at the start as British-bred import Tuscan Evening was sent to the lead by Gomez, who had ridden the 4-year-old bay filly to dominant wins in her two earlier stateside starts, both over the hillside turf course. Reba Is Tops, with Joe Talamo in the saddle, took up the chase through early fractions of 22.02 and 44.02. Baze, meanwhile, kept the winner in the clear on the far outside as she mounted her winning rally for trainer Jenine Sahadi and Green Lantern Stables. “When she (Gotta Have Her) stumbled coming out of the gate,” said Baze, “I just had to sit there, let her tell me what she wanted to do and point her in the right direction. Jenine said don’t move until you get back on the grass, so I waited until we crossed (the main track). When we hit the grass again, I hit her a few times, and she just flew home. I have all the confidence in this mare. She’s just unbelievable to ride.” Gotta Have Her, fourth choice in the field of eight, paid $13.40, $6 and $3.20. Reba Is Tops, who turned in a game effort at 16-1, returned $10 and $4.20. Tuscan Evening paid $2.10 to show. With her victory in the 35th running of the Las Cienegas, Gotta Have Her earned $60,000 to lift her career figure to $396,023 from a 6-4-2 record in 18 lifetime starts. “I’m not sure where she’ll go next,” said Sahadi. “I’m savoring this moment.”

April 11, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Alice K White gets the job done in La Primera Del Ano Derby

Like mother like daughter. The year was 1997 when Champagne Lane won the $109,840 La Primera Del Ano Derby. It’s 12 years later and Alice K White has duplicated her mother’s accomplishment by winning a La Primera Del Ano Derby, worth more than twice as much as that ‘97 running on Saturday at Los Alamitos. With $236,100 on the line, a quality field lined up to compete in the 400-yard race and when the gates opened it was Moonlight Corona who flashed the best quickness to take the initial advantage. Alice K White, meanwhile, settled into a nice rhythm with jockey Cody Jensen in the irons. By the time the field moved past the

Gotta Have Her

Alice K White

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Battle of Hastings

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

1/8th pole, Alice K White had already taken the lead and the New Mexico-bred daughter of First Down Dash would never relinquish her position. Trained by Mike Joiner, Alice K White went on to cover the distance in :19.51, the second fastest time in the 32-year history of the 400-yard derby for fillies. Alice K White, who earned $99,162 for her fourth win in six career starts, finished 3/4 lengths ahead of Theresa and Edward DeNike’s A Silver Flash. The latter picked up $40,137 for finishing second while Robert Williams’ Dance Baby won $28,332 for third place. Early leader Moonlight Corona finished fourth and was followed across the wire by Azoom Babe, Suger Mama, Asyouwish, Another Wise Lady, Luzoom and Little Surfer. Mac Murray of MJ Farms was on hand to enjoy Alice K White’s tremendous performance in the La Primera. It was actually a rare Los Alamitos appearance for this time of the year for Murray, who during the breeding season stays extremely busy while helping his wife, Janis Spencer Murray DVM, manage their highly successful breeding farm in Veguita, New Mexico. “We have 90 acres, own about 30 broodmares and three stallions,” Murray said. “I took a flight here and arrived at about 8 p.m. (two hours before the actual running of the La Primera) and I have a flight back on Sunday at noon. It was a trip well worth it. We do enjoy coming out to Los Alamitos in the summer and fall. We actually came for the Los Alamitos Equine Sale and bought a couple of mares and stayed for the races. We sometimes come for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity trials. It’s a little tougher to make it here from about the start of February until about June 1 because of breeding season, so this is actually a treat. I’m sure Janis is watching this race on TVG. I watch the Los Alamitos races just about every night on TV but she watches every single night. She records them and then watches them in the morning while on the treadmill. There’s not much that happens on the track at Los Alamitos that she doesn’t know about.” Mac Murray grew up in a ranch and always had an affinity for horses, but it wasn’t until about two decades ago that he began to really get involved with Quarter Horses. “I had a regular job,” Murray said. “I was an auto sales manager in Utah, which is where I grew up. “Now the farm is what I do for a living,” he continued. “Janis and I work outside on our place all day long. We start at about 5 a.m. and we finish at around 5:30 p.m. After a day’s work is done we enjoy going to a local restaurant to sit, relax and talk about the things that happened during the day, what we will do tomorrow and everything else that is going on in our lives. It’s like a mini-business meeting,” he added with a smile. “Because we’re usually doing things at different ends of the farm, we might only see each other three or four times during the day. We catch up with what’s happening during our dinner talks. We love it. Horses, they’re our whole lives. We’ve been doing this for a long time and we love it. We’re doing what we love to do.” Murray said that around 400 mares were bred at MJ Farms in 2008. He expects business at the farm to remain status quo with about 350 to 400 mares bred this year. “We have three stallions that we stand in Dash To Fame, Jesse James Jr and Woodbridge, who is a brother to (former world record holder) Kendall Jackson.” When the conversation turned to possible future breeding suitors for Alice K White the name of Jesse James Jr came up again. “He would fit her if we elect to go that way,” Murray said. “I don’t know what we will do. We discuss the breedings together, usually over a glass of wine. We have Dash To Fame standing at the farm but Jesse James Jr is priced reasonably. We bred just over 100 mares to him, so you’ll probably see 70 or so on the racetrack in 2011.” “She did well as a 2-year-old and the Joiners have done a tremendous job bringing her along for her sophomore year,” he added. “They’ve been very patient with

her and that paid off. She’s a very independent filly. She’s not ornery by any means but she does like to do things on her own. She’s not mean. We’ll just call her independent.” Alice K White is eligible to several more derbies in 2008, including the Governor’s Cup Derby and PCQHRA Breeders Derby. She’s also eligible a couple of derbies in New Mexico but Murray said she’ll most likely stay in California for her entire 3-year-old campaign.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Battle of Hastings gains second straight stakes win in La Puente

British-bred Battle of Hastings, -- whose “light bulb went on” in his last race, according to jockey Tyler Baze – scorched his competition Saturday in Santa Anita’s $100,000 La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds when rallying to a 1 ½-length victory over Smokey Lonesome in the one-mile turf event executed in 1:34.38. It was the second straight stakes win for the Jeff Mullins-trained import who took last month’s Grade III Baldwin Stakes at odds of 7-1 after Baze described him as “lost” during a dull United States debut in Hollywood Park’s Grade III Generous Stakes last November. Battle of Hastings, the 7-5 favorite on Saturday, was all business despite being forced wide early in the field 10. Baze settled him three lengths behind the early leaders. Smokey Lonesome got first run along the rail to take the lead in midstretch before being overtaken on the outside by Battle of Hastings, who was being wrapped up under a hand ride. Smokey Lonesome, ridden by Victor Espinoza, held on for second, a head in front of Wall Street Wonder with Joel Rosario aboard. Leedstheway, a stablemate of the winner, was a late scratch. The winner paid $4.80, $3.20 and $2.60. The payoffs on Smokey Lonesome were $4.40 and $3.20. Wall Street Wonder returned $3.40 to show. A bay gelding owned by Michael House, Battle of Hastings earned $60,000 to increase his career total to $153,875. After losing his first three starts in England, he won a pair before being imported to this country. The La Puente provided his fourth win in eight starts. Tyler Baze’s cousin, Michael, reached the winner’s circle one race later after guiding 5-1 shot Champagne Eyes to a wire-to-wire victory in a supporting feature, the $74,950 Santa Lucia Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. A 4-year-old filly trained by Doug O’Neill for Suarez Racing, Champagne Eyes gamely withstood the closing bid of 2-1 second choice Miss Singhsix to score by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:42.88. Theodora, the 4-5 favorite, checked in a well-beaten third, three lengths in arrears of Miss Singhsix. The winner had been freshened since a fourth-place finish in the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 13. Her supporters were rewarded with mutuels of $13.40, $5.20 and $2.60. Miss Singhsix, handled by Alex Solis, paid $3.20 and $2.10. The show price on Theodora, with Mike Smith aboard, was $2.10. The victory was the second in six career starts for Champagne Eyes with the winning purse of $44,730 elevating her earnings to $120,652.

April 10, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Veterans Gonzalez, Baze make it back-toback doubles at GGF Jockeys Roberto Gonzalez and Russell Baze, both winners of two races Thursday at Golden Gate Fields, duplicated the trick Friday at the East Bay racetrack.

RACING NEWS Gonzalez recorded his riding double with Izzacopy ($13.60), who won Friday’s first race, and Acekingqueenjacten ($3.60), who captured the fifth event. Baze scored his victories with Any Wager ($3.20), who triumphed in the third race, and Betterthanfiction ($3.40), who took the sixth. Gonzalez, 54, and Baze, 50, are the two elder statesmen of the Northern California jockey colony. Baze tops the Golden Gate Fields rider standings with 117 wins and Gonzalez is fifth with 39 victories. Gonzalez and Baze were two of four jockeys to record riding doubles Friday as Frank Alvarado and Omar Figueroa also won a pair of races. Alvarado, the second-leading rider at the meeting with 72 victories, swept the seventh and eighth races with Miami House ($5.20) and Stanford Dolly ($4.80). Figueroa, eighth in the standings with 24 wins, captured the second race with Appealing Resume ($2.80) and the fourth with Tempest Bay ($7.80). William E. Morey had a training double Friday was he saddled both Any Wager and Stanford Dolly.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA After 1 1/2 miles on turf, three-horse photo goes to Isipingo

After traversing the seldom run marathon distance of 1 ½ miles on turf, it took a photo Friday to separate the first three finishers in Santa Anita’s $55,520 optional claiming feature with the nod going to favored Isipingo. Winless the last two years but able to call on past graded stakes experience, the 6-year-old gelding nosed out second-choice Unusual Smoke with fastest-finishing Romp another head back in third. Isipingo, with Alex Solis in the saddle, rallied from fourth in the field of six while covering the distance in 2:25.80. The winner paid $6, $3.40 and $2.20. Unusual Smoke, ridden by Martin Garcia and seeking a third straight victory after being claimed by trainer A. C. Avila for $12,500, returned $4.20 and $2.60. Romp, with Rafael Bejarano aboard, paid $2.60 to show. Isipingo settled into a stalking position just behind Unusual Smoke as Master Daniel, tracked by Victorian Prince, took the field through fast early fractions for the distance, 46.58 and 1:11.71. Jockey Aaron Gryder sent Victorian Prince to the lead turning for home before surrendering it to Unusual Smoke, who was nailed by the winner in the final jump. Romp, who was six lengths behind the pack on the backside, just failed to catch the first two. Trained by Craig Dollase for the partnership of Coleman, Dasaro and Thomson, Isipingo had been second in his previous two starts at 1 ¼ miles. He clearly relished the added distance. It was his third career start at 1 ½ miles on turf, and he had placed second to Spring House two years ago in the Grade III Carleton F. Burke Handicap at Oak Tree and chased Spring House in Santa Anita’s Grade II San Luis Obispo Handicap last year. While ending his victory draught, Isipingo earned $31,200 which boosted his career earnings to $288,480 from a 4-4-4 record in 20 starts. With three winners on Friday’s program, Bejarano all but clinched his second consecutive riding title at Santa Anita and his sixth in succession at Southern California’s major race meetings after last year becoming the third rider ever to sweep all five. The three-bagger elevated Bejarano to a three win lead over Garrett Gomez, 89-86, with the latter scheduled to ride only two more races at the meet on Sunday before returning to Keeneland where he moved his tack earlier this month. With seven racing days remaining in the Santa Anita meet, third-place Joel Rosario trails Bejarano by 14 victories.

April 9, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Bejarano gains jockey’s race tie to close in another title

Rafael Bejarano, who last year became the third jockey in history to sweep the riding titles at Southern California’s five major race meetings, on Thursday moved closer to securing a sixth consecutive title and his second in succession at Santa Anita. Bejarano rode a pair of winners to tie Garrett Gomez at 86 victories apiece in the season’s jockeys’ standings while moving 12 wins ahead of third-place Joel Rosario with eight racing days remaining in the season. Gomez, whom Bejarano edged, 67-63, one year before despite missing three racing weeks due to two fractured vertebrae, will ride only one more day, Easter Sunday, at Santa Anita this season after having moved his base to Keeneland on April 3. The 84-day Santa Anita meet concludes on the following Sunday, April 19. Bejarano virtually took Southern California by storm after arriving from the East in time for the 2007-08 Santa Anita meeting at the urging of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. He proceeded to add riding titles at Hollywood Park’s spring/summer meet, Del Mar, Oak Tree and Hollywood Park’s fall meeting. The 26-year-old native of Peru thus joined only Chris McCarron (1983) and Patrick Valenzuela (2003) in completing such a sweep. His victories on Thursday included Magenta Light, at $7.20 in the third race, and Meteore, at $6.60 in the sixth, but Bejarano had his hands full with unruly 9-10 favorite Elletelle in the featured $57,000 Angeles Crest Purse won by second-choice Lemon Chiffon. With Mike Smith in the saddle, Lemon Chiffon rallied from last in the field of five fillies and mares to defeat Porto Marmay by 1 ½ lengths while clocked in 1:12.30 for 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. It was 2 ½ lengths further back to Mission Viejo Halo. Bejarano had an eventful trip aboard the heavy favorite who was making her United States debut while bringing a reputation for talent, but unruliness in the starting gate. Lemon Chiffon, victorious in the Las Madrinas Handicap at Fairplex Park last September, had not raced since finishing third in Oak Tree’s Grade II Las Palmas Handicap last Oct. 24. Trainer Sean McCarthy thought she might need a race. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she needed a run,” he had said. Turns out, she didn’t, while drawing clear under a hand ride by Smith at the finish. The 6-year-old chestnut mare, who is headed for the breeders’ shed next year, paid $7.20, $3.20 and $2.60. Porto Marmay, ridden by David Flores, paid $4.20 and $3 while the show price on Mission Viejo Halo, with Martin Garcia aboard, was $3.40. Lightly raced despite her age, Lemon Chiffon gained her fourth career victory in nine races for owner Ron Beegle. The winning purse of $34,200 increased her earnings to $211,117.

April 8, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Top California sire Unusual Heat represented by three winners at GGF

The top California sire Unusual Heat had to be a proud father following the conclusion of Wednesday’s racing at Golden Gate Fields. The 4-year-old filly Mystical Heat, the 6-year-old gelding Unusual Treasure, and the 4-year-old colt Quite Unusual - all sired by Unusual Heat - won races to give their papa a three-win afternoon. Mystical Heat ($20.20), ridden by Kyle Kaenel and

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trained by William J. Morey, Jr., won the second race. Unusual Treasure ($23.60), piloted by Adan Landeros and conditioned by John Anderson, captured the fourth race. Quite Unusual ($8.00), with William Antongeorgi III aboard, won the seventh race for trainer William E. Morey. As of April 5, Unusual Heat and Benchmark were tied for first among California sires in races won. Both had 40 victories.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Malibu Artiste shows way in Reluctant Guest

Favored Malibu Artiste led from start to finish for her third straight victory in Wednesday’s featured $52,000 Reluctant Guest Purse at Santa Anita Park, covering 1 1/8 miles over a firm turf course in 1:48.43. Ridden by Corey Nakatani under 119 pounds for trainer George Papaprodromou, Malibu Artiste won by 1 ½ lengths over Always Auditioning, who had three-quarters of a length on third-place Vikkilee. Malibu Artiste, a Kentucky-bred daughter of the A.P. Indy sire Malibu Moon, earned $31,200 for owner Andreas Loizu of Woodland Hills, California. It was the third win from five career starts for Malibu Artiste, who broke her maiden in a $40,000 claiming race on Feb. 16. She won an allowance race at one mile on Pro-Ride in her next start, on March 19. Papaprodroumou, a 32-year-old native of Cyprus, has 10 horses in training and holds hopes that Malibu Artiste has a future in stakes company. Malibu Artiste paid $6.40 as the choice in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies. Well-rated by Nakatani, the bay filly set fractions of :22.99, :47.28, 1:12.04, 1:36.10 and 1:48.43.

April 6, 2009 Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Lips On Fire wins second race of the meeting for babies

Lips On Fire

Sweet August Moon

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Only eight minutes after the Paul Jones-trained Snowbound Superstar cruised to victory in the Pauls Valley Stakes at Remington Park in track record time, Jones’ barn found yet another reason to celebrate here on the West Coast with the promising freshman Lips On Fire. A winner of the eighth race on Sunday, April 5th, she joins the Blane Schvaneveldt-trained Tylerite as the first two juvenile winners of the 2009 racing season here at Los Alamitos Race Course. A sorrel daughter of Walk Thru Fire, Lips On Fire scored a game half-length victory in the 300-yard race, stopping the timer in 15.902 seconds. Bred in the Golden State of California by Paul and Jeff Jones, she was able to get the victory despite becoming fractious in the gates prior to the start, managing to turn in what was, in the minds of her connections, a very strong effort. Out of the Streakin Six mare Our Lips Are Sealed, Lips On Fire is a half-sister to the exciting young stallion Stel Corona. An earner of $111,584, Stel Corona won eight races lifetime including the Grade II PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby in 2003. Among his most talented sons or daughter to race thus far is Foose, the winner of the 2008 Ed Burke Million Futurity in June. In addition to training Lips On Fire, Paul Jones also trained both Stel Corona and last year’s AQHA Champion Two-year-old Colt Foose. Finishing second in this two-year-old maiden race was the Juan Aleman-trained Dashing Jessee, who was also fractious in the gates before the break. Rounding out the trifecta was Dan Francisco’s Miss Eye Stocks, who finished only a short nose behind Dashing Jessee in third. A mild upset at odds of 6-1, Lips On Fire paid $14.20 to win,

$8.00 to place, and $4.80 to show as the fourth choice in the six-horse field.

April 5, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Antongeorgi has hat trick in front of 11,462 fans at GGF

Jockey William Antongeorgi III, perhaps energized by an on-track crowd of 11,462, rode three winners Sunday at Golden Gate Fields. The attendance was the largest at Golden Gate Fields since Feb. 20, 1995, when 11,087 fans turned out for a Presidents’ Day racing program. Fans at Golden Gate Fields Sunday were treated to $1 specials (general parking, general admission, programs, hot dogs, beers and sodas were all just a buck) and the first annual GGF Dachshund Derby. Some 96 weiner dogs competed in the Dachshund Derby, which featured nine 30-yard heats. The eight winners of the qualifying heats met in the championship final, which was won by Downtown Beans. Owned by Matt Madsen of Sacramento, Downtown Beans simply blew his rivals away in the final. Antongeorgi recorded his riding hat trick by taking the first race with Utahn ($3,00), the fourth with Love Our Grandkids ($3.00) and the sixth with Kaweah Princess ($3.60). Antongeorgi has 53 victories at the 2008-2009 meeting and ranks third in the jockey standings.

Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Sweet August Moon upsets in Las Flores; High Resolve third

While gaining her third straight victory, Sweet August Moon ran down odds-on win machine High Resolve who would fade to third in Sunday’s 57th running of the Grade III, $100,000 Las Flores Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. The victorious 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon thus validated her recent 9-1 upset win in Santa Anita’s $100,000 Honest Lady Stakes as she rallied from third under Aaron Gryder to defeat Foxy Danseur by 1 ¼ lengths while clocked in 1:15.21. High Resolve, who had won 7 of her 10 previous races but was relegated to second in two starts over a synthetic track, led into the stretch with Russell Baze aboard before winding up a head behind Foxy Danseur. She set early fractions of 22.01 and 44:85 as the 4-5 favorite. In securing her first victory in a graded stakes race, 3-1 second choice Sweet August Moon paid $8.20, $4.20 and $2.20. Foxy Danseur, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $3.60 and $2.20. The show price on High Resolve was $2.10. Trained by Brian Koriner for the Legacy Ranch and Shirley MacPherson, Sweet August Moon had begun her career with but two wins in eight starts before launching her three-race winning streak. The Las Flores’ winner’s share of $60,000 increased the career earnings of Florida-bred Sweet August Moon to $230,102 from an overall record of 5-1-1 in 11 starts.

April 4, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Restless Soul charges to victory in Yerba Buena Restless Soul, a British-bred distance specialist, ran down pacesetter You Lift Me Up in the final yards to win the $75,000 Yerba Buena Stakes by three-quarters of a length Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

RACING NEWS Restless Soul was ridden by Chad Schvaneveldt and is trained by Southern California-based Ben Cecil, who won Friday’s one-mile turf feature at Golden Gate Fields with Irish-bred Ferneley. Restless Soul, who was coming off a second-place finish in the 1 1/2-mile La Zanzara Handicap on the Santa Anita turf, won the 1 3/8-mile Yerba Buena in 2:20.49 on a firm Lakeside Turf Course. You Lift Me Up, ridden by Russell Baze, took second by two lengths over German-bred Caprice, the 7-to-5 favorite. Caprice defeated Restless Soul by 1 3/4 lengths in winning the La Zanzara Handicap. Schvaneveldt said he felt confident despite the fact You Lift Me Up and Baze were running comfortably on an uncontested lead through the first half of the race. “I was loaded with horse the whole way and when I pushed the button she gave me everything,” said Schvaneveldt. “She came with a really strong run the last quarter of a mile. That’s what turf racing is all about - who sprints home the fastest.” Baze thought he was home free with You Lift Me Up. “The way she finished up I didn’t think there was any way they could run her down,” said Baze. “She was relaxed [on the lead] and looking around and when I asked her, she sat down and ran. And she ran all the way to the wire. It’s disappointing to lose when one runs that well.” Restless Soul paid $7.60 to win and earned $45,000. A 5-year-old mare, Restless Soul is owned in partnership by Cecil, James McCalmont, Anthony Rogers and Karl Webster.

April 3, 2009 Golden Gate Fields, Albany, CA Irish-bred Ferneley posts smart win on GGF turf

Irish-bred Ferneley, displaying a powerful stretch kick, posted an impressive victory in the $40,704 turf feature at Golden Gate Fields Friday. The one-mile allowance race, a prep for the Grade 2 $300,000 San Francisco Mile on April 25, featured a solid field of six that was headed by multiple stakes-winners Bold Chieftain and El Gato Malo. Ferneley, a 5-year-old horse trained by Ben Cecil, earned his first U.S. stakes victory when he blew by pacesetter Yacht Spotter in midstretch and scored by 3 1/4 lengths. Yacht Spotter took second by 1 1/4 lengths over Bold Chieftain, the even-money favorite. Ridden by Frank Alvarado, Ferneley completed the mile on a firm Lakeside Turf Course in 1:35.96 and paid $8.00 to win. Owned by Silver Springs Stud Farm, Ferneley earned $23,400, a payday that boosted his career earnings to $274,787. El Gato Malo finished fourth and was followed across the wire by Fly Dorcego and Norm’s Nephew.

Los Alamitos Race Course, Cypress, CA Tylerite wins first race for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos

The new 2-year-old racing season at Los Alamitos started in the same way as last year’s racing campaign for 2-year-olds ended, with trainer Blane Schvaneveldt and jockey Eddie Garcia dominating the ranks. The two horsemen finished 2008 by joining forces with Janet McKinnerney’s Tres Passes to win the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Two Million futurities. On Friday night, the two were back in the winner’s circle after Ron and Ronnie Brooks Keller’s Tylerite won the meet’s first baby race. Bred by Ed Allred, the son of TR Dasher out of Perfecter won the 300-yard race by a half length over Allred’s Fabulous Fifties in a time of :15.744.

Purchased as a yearling for $14,000 during last year’s Los Alamitos Equine Sale, Tylerite is a half brother to Southern California Derby runner-up Perfect First, who earned nearly $70,000 in his career while winning the Pomona Championship. Perfecter also produced winners Jolter and Pritzi Perfect, each of which earned nearly $20,000 during their respective careers. For Schvaneveldt, the sport’s all-time leading trainer, the win was especially sweet considering that it came for one of his most loyal clients. “I’ve been training horses for Ronnie Brooks for more than 50 years,” he said. “It’s always good to win a race for Ronnie. I really like Tylerite. He is probably the horse that I like the most out of the all ones that we’ve qualified. We’re a little behind with Old Spice (a half brother to Tres Passes) right now plus he only has one workout. I think that after we give Old Spice another workout he’ll be right there with Tylerite.” Tylerite will make his next start in the trials to the Kindergarten Futurity to be held on Saturday, May 2. “This race sets him up perfectly for the trials,” Schvaneveldt said. “He went in a little bit in this race but I don’t worry about that. As long as my horses break ahead of the rest of the horses they can go in if they want,” he added with a laugh. “It’s fine as long as they end up in the winner’s circle.” “He’s a baby but he still ran a professional race,” Garcia added. “He broke super and I knew we were going to win from there.” This figures to be the first of many wins with 2-year-olds this season for Schvaneveldt and Garcia. “I’m pretty sure that Eddie will ride most of my 2-yearolds this year,” the legendary trainer said. Fabulous Fifties, ridden by Eulices Gomez for trainer Scott Willoughby, is a Separatist gelding out of the Strawfly Special filly Cherished Times. Third place finisher Runaway Tyme is the first baby sired by champion Ocean Runaway to run at Los Alamitos. Bred by James Azevedo and Boyles Trust, Runaway Tyme is out of Summertime High, a half sister to champion Foose’s mother Summertime Quickie. Peggy Fires, Profitist, Walkin Suzy and Private Policy completed the field.

April 1, 2009 Santa Anita Race Course, Arcadia, CA Prussian gives Mitchell three in a row and training lead

Prussian, making his West Coast debut, mowed down his competition Wednesday in Santa Anita’s $56,508 Midnight Rambler Purse to give trainer Mike Mitchell his third consecutive victory and a one-win lead over John Sadler in the meet’s trainers’ race with three weeks remaining. With Rafael Bejarano aboard, Prussian closed swiftly to defeat Headache by 1 ¼ lengths in the optional claiming event contested at 6 ½ furlongs over the track’s downhill turf course. The winning time was 1:12.26. Headache, ridden by Julien Couton, finished one length ahead of third-place Quick Enough, with Jose Valdivia Jr. aboard, in the field of 10. Mitchell, who won last year’s Santa Anita training title with 33 victories, reached that figure with Prussian after taking the two previous races with heavy favorites Dadsalittleunusual and Big Wave Rider. A 4-year-old son of Danzig, Prussian wasn’t quite as well fancied as Mitchell’s previous two winners while sent off at odds of 2-1. He returned $6, $3.80 and $3. Headache paid $7.20 and $3.80. The show price on Quick Enough was $3.20. The Midnight Rambler marked the first start in Mitchell’s care for Prussian, who had not raced since last Aug. 23 at Saratoga while trained by Bill Mott. After winning his first two starts in 2007 including the Group III Summer Stakes at Woodbine Racecourse in Canada, Prussian had raced six times without a victory. However, he was second three times including a runner-

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up effort behind Gio Ponte in last June’s Grade III Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park. With Wednesday’s winning purse of $31,800, Prussian’s earnings were elevated to $274,529 from a 3-3-0 record in nine career starts.

NEW MEXICO

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Dominguez wins Sunland’s Sportsmanship Award by Ray Sanchez

Henry Dominguez

Blazin N Shakin

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Henry Dominguez is one of the most admired and respected horsemen in the history of New Mexico. He has also been the winningest trainer in the State for years. It’s no wonder, then, that he has been selected the 2009 winner of the most prestigious honor at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino: The Bob Haynsworth Sportsmanship Award The award was established 40 years ago by Haynsworth, a major contributor to many sports, including horse racing, in this area. Haynsworth brought Little League baseball to El Paso in the 1950s then, later, he helped save El Paso’s struggling professional baseball team from extinction, ran Sunland Park Racetrack as general manager for four years and founded the New Mexico Horse Breeders Association. All that is besides serving as president of the Sun Carnival Association, the University of Texas at El Paso Touchdown Club and the YMCA as well as serving on such civic organizations as the El Paso Chamber of Commerce. The Haynsworth Award at Sunland is presented each year to a person who best represents the sport of horse racing. Dominguez fits that description to a T. “Henry Dominguez is a fine gentleman and a great horseman,” Haynsworth said. “I’ve never heard anyone say anything but good things about him.” Harold Payne, Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino general manager, says, “Henry is a complete professional at his trade. He is always willing to give his time and experience back to improve and support the racing industry” Johnnie Nall, a trainer and a close friend of Dominguez, speaks of him with awe in her voice. “He’s the most knowledgeable trainer in New Mexico,” she says. Dominguez, like Haynsworth, is a full-fledged El Pasoan. He was born and raised in El Paso and attended Austin High School. He credits a love of horses and hard work for his success. “My parents weren’t involved in horse racing,” he said in an interview, “but I had an uncle, Pete Payan, who had horses at Sunland Park. He took me to the racetrack when I was five or six years old and I immediately fell in love with horses. I would go with my uncle to the track every chance I could. I would do anything to be around them. I would clean out stalls, walk horses, and feed them.” He longed to become a jockey and rode his first race at age 16 in 1974. He finished third. “It was quite a thrill,” he says. Eventually he put on weight and quit riding. He became an assistant trainer to his brother and worked the major tracks in California. He returned to El Paso, got his GED (high school diploma) and launched a career in training that has set New Mexico racing on its ear. He talks about horses under his care as if they’re human. “In a way they are,” he says. “They have different personalities, different habits. You have to get to know each one and you do that by being around them. Horses can’t talk, but they can communicate, let you know how they feel by the way they act. They’re creatures of habit

so when they’re not following their routine you know there’s something wrong.” Dominguez gets up at 4 a.m. every morning and heads for the track He’s there until 6 p.m. on race days. His future looks bright. He has plenty of folks asking him for his services. And his connections in California keep a solid influx of good horses into his stalls.

April 26, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Chris Zamora and Blazin N Shakin earn a sweet win in $82,200 Four Corners Senora Quarter Horse Stakes

Chris Zamora guided Blazin N Shakin to a a sweet win in the $82,200 Four Corners Senora Quarter Horse Stakes at 400 yards. The victory was the first for Zamora since suffering a horrific spill at Zia Park last fall. The former All American Futurity winning rider was coming back from life threatening injuries. Over several months, Zamora recovered from a fractured skull, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a compressed heart and liver. The courageous athlete bounced back in fine style aboard Blazin N Shakin on April 26. Trained by his wife Jamie Zamora, Blazin N Shakin has become one of the leading New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses. She is also one of the nation’s elite Quarter Horse fillies. Coming off a courageous third to three-time world record holder First Moonflash in the Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap at Sunland Park, Blazin N Shakin was in perfect condition for the Four Corners Senora Stakes. The four year-old daughter of Chicks A Blazin did not have it easy in the Farmington feature. She broke in second place and faced early pressure from both Ms Regard and Me Chickie. In the final 100 yards, the 7-5 favorite showed her superiority and responded to Zamora’s urging. She pushed on by her rivals to win by a neck. The winning time of 19.31 seconds just missed the track record of 19.25 seconds. The winner earned a 103 speed index. Blazin N Shakin earned her 8th win from 11 starts. She picked up a $49,320 paycheck for owner Mike Abraham. In total, the fast filly has amassed more than $360,000 in earnings. Me Chickie ran courageously under jockey Oscar Rincon to earn second place. The runner-up put up a gallant fight against the favorite. The Roberto Sanchez trainee earned $16,440 for the SM Cattle Export Company. Former Zia Park stakes winner Ms Regard led briefly midway down the stretch but could not hold off the top two finishers.

SunRay Park, Farmington, NM Family affair in Senora Stakes by Steve Bortstein/For The Daily-Times It’s been just a few weeks since jockey Chris Zamora returned to racing full-time, but if Sunday’s winning ride in the $82,200 Four Corners Senora Stakes aboard Blazin N Shakin is any indication, Zamora is doing just fine, thank you very much. Zamora, who was critically injured in a spill at Zia Park last November, has apparently returned at full strength from the multiple injuries, which included a fractured skull, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a compressed heart and liver. “Wins like these and horses like this one make it all feel a little better,” Zamora said in the SunRay Park and Casino winners circle after he rode Blazin N Shakin to an impressive score in the 400-yard quarter horse stakes

RACING NEWS races for New Mexico-bred fillies and mares. Trained by his wife, Jamie Zamora, and owned by Mike Abraham, Blazin N Shakin picked up her seventh win from 11 career starts on Sunday, topping her bankroll to over $360,000 while staving off a determined finish from runner-up Me Chickie, winning by a neck in the thriller. Zamora, a native of Albuquerque, is one of the nation’s leading quarter horse riders, and despite the numerous injuries suffered in the near-fatal spill last year, the confidence he showed aboard Blazin N Shakin was nothing short of a miracle. Days after his injury, Jamie explained her husband’s situation from the perspective of physicians. “One of his doctors told me it looked like his entire torso just got compressed,” Jamie recounted at the time. “What didn’t break bruised.” Less than five months after that accident, Zamora looked just fine guiding the 4-year-old filly by Chicks A Blazin to a near track-record time of 19.31 seconds, just six-hundredths of a second of the current mark at the 400 yard distance. Breaking from the 3 post, Zamora dueled early with Me Chickie, ridden by Oscar Rincon. Those two battled all the way down the lane, with only a fraction separating them as they crossed the wire. It was another half-length back to third place finisher Ms Regard and jockey Tony Guymon. During Chris’ absence, Blazin N Shakin was still winning races, including a Grade 1 stakes race at Sunland Park last December. Last time out, Blazin N Shakin finished third behind First Moonflash in the Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap, a race in which the winner shattered the world record for 350 yards in 16.71 seconds. Four times, G.R. Carter, also regarded as one of the nation’s leading quarter horse riders, filled in admirably during Chris’ rehabilitation. “He (Carter) did a great job keeping up with her,” Chris said in the winner’s circle. “She only got beat a little bit in a race won by the fastest horse in the world, so he did an awesome job with her.” Sent off as the overwhelming favorite at odds of 14to-10, Blazin N Shakin returned $4.80 to win on each $2 win bet.

April 25, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Let the Musicbegin closes fast to win $75,000 Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap by Eric Alwan Let the Musicbegin closed with a terrific burst of speed to win the $75,000 Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap at SunRay Park going six and one-half furlongs. Under a patient ride from Miguel Perez, Let the Musicbegin generated one of the greatest come from behind efforts in SunRay Park history. With less than 2 furlongs to go, the Chimes Band mare looked hopelessly beaten racing far behind the leaders. Heading into the stretch run, the 6-5 favorite Askmetodance had slipped through an opening along the rail and took command. Let the Musicbegin was in seventh place launching a five wide bid nearly 7 lengths off the pace. The six-year-old mare never gave up and circled the field with a power move. Perez angled his mount to the middle of the track where she found her best strides. Let the Musicbegin inhaled Askmetodance in the shadow of the wire to win by a half-length. The stretch running expert came from 9th place to win the distaff feature. She benefited from a hot pace set by Frilly Not Tricky and Bullish Liz. The early fractions were 22 and 44.59 seconds.

Despite coming off a big win in the $100,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap at Sunland Park last March, Let the Musicbegin was let go at 7-1 odds in the Farmington feature. She paid a handsome $17.00 on a $2 win ticket. The winning time was a good 1:17.97 in spite of some very blustery conditions. Let the Musicbegin earned $45,000 for the Ladys First. Under the tutelage of trainer Claire Greenwood, the gritty New Mexico-bred mare has earned nearly $300,000 from six career wins. She defeated open company stakes horses at Zia Park last fall. The classy multiple stakes winner Askmetodance had to settle for second despite a brilliant ground saving ride from jockey Joe Martinez. She earned $15,000 for the Double Eagle Racing Stable. Bullish Liz held sway in third place for owner-trainer Thomas Pierce, Jr. The Inexcessive Bull filly was second in the Sydney Valentini Handicap. Frilly Not Tricky was used up setting the pace and finished fifth.

Let the Musicbegin

April 24, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Sunland Park Champions 2008-09 Song of Navarone, Peppers Pride highlight racing season

It was a successful 2008-09 racing season at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, highlighted by top performances by several top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse performances. Among the top horses on the Thoroughbred side this year were Peppers Pride, Kelly Leak and Song of Navarone, here is a look at some of the best performers of the season. The Horse of the Meet was 3-year-old Kelly Leak, which won the Sunland Derby in impressive fashion on March 29. Peppers Pride, which retired undefeated with 19 wins, was named the top handicap filly or mare. Song of Navarone was named the top handicap colt or gelding after a strong performance in the past several months. He won the Winsham Lad, Curribot and Sunland Park Handicaps. Wind Water was the named the top sprinter after winning the KLAQ and Bill Thomas handicaps. Daddy O was named the top older New Mexico-bred colt or gelding distance champ after going 5-for-5, including a win in the New Mexico State University Stakes,. Dos and Dont’s was named the 3-year-old sprinter for colts or geldings, Gabby’s Golden Gal took top honors for the top 3-year-old filly for longer distances, Askmetodance was named the top New Mexico-bred sprinter for fillies and Retap earned top 2-year-old colt or gelding after winning the Riley Allison Futurity. In Quarter Horse racing, First Moonflash earned the Horse of the Meet after a brilliant showing. He won four stakes races, set three world records and went 5-for-5 during the meet. Perrys Queen Bug was named the top older filly or mare after taking top honors in the West Texas Maturity. Mr Jesses Corona took top honors as the 3-year-old colt or gelding after winning the West Texas Derby. The top 2-year-old filly is Varsity Girl, which was impressive in winning the West Texas Futurity, while GBH Stepping Johnny earned top 2-year-old New Mexico-bred honors for colts or geldings after winning the New Mexican Spring Futurity. Also earning honors was Gone To The Mountain, which won the Red Cell New Mexico Distance Challenge in a world record time of :43.029. The handle was also solid for the 2008-09 season

Song of Navarone

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

with $62,182,578.35 being wagered. This year’s figure was down just .68 percent from last year. There was $7,383,004.50 bet on track and $54,799,573.85 bet off track.



Two year old TB NMB C or G Distance 

SUNLAND PARK CHAMPIONS 2008-09 THOROUGHBREDS HORSE OF THE MEET 

Kelly Leak (won Sunland Derby)

TB Handicap Horse C or G (ability to carry weight) 

Song of Navarone (won Winsham Lad H., Curribot H. and Sunland Park H. )

TB Handicap Filly or Mare (ability to carry weight) 

Peppers Pride (won NMSRC H. before retiring undefeated with 19 wins)

TB Distance Horse 

Song of Navarone (see above)

TB Sprinter 

Wind Water (won KLAQ H.; won Bill Thomas H., 3rd Budweiser H.) Prairie Charm (won Harry Henson Handicap)

Older TB Sprint Mare 

Stealth Cat (won Santa Teresa H., 2nd Bold Ego H.)

Older NMB C or G Distance 

Daddy O. (five wins from five starts including NMSU Stakes)

Older TB NMB C or G Sprinter 

Key’s Band (won Mt Cristo Rey H. in Track Record Time, 49:43)

Older TB NMB Filly or Mare Distance 

Let The Musicbegin (won Sydney Valentini H.)

Older TB NMB Filly or Mare Sprinter 

Peppers Pride (won NMSRC Handicap)

Three year old TB colt or gelding Distance 

Kelly Leak (won Sunland Derby)

Three year old TB C or G Sprinter 



Gabby’s Golden Gal (won Sunland Park Oaks)

Three year old TB filly Sprinter 

Cherry One (won El Paso Times H.)

Three year old NMB TB C or G Distance 

Runnin Red (won NM Breeders Derby)

Three year old NMB C or G Sprint 

Waymore’s Blues (won Pepsi Cola)

Three year old NMB TB Filly distance 

Oh My Ghost (won NM Breeders’ Oaks)

Three year old NMB TB filly sprint 

Askmetodance (won La Coneja as 3 yr old; won allowance as 4 yr old)

Two year old TB C or G 

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Retap (won Riley Allison Futurity)

Two year old TB Filly

Explosive Mine (won Copper Top Futurity)

Two year old TB NMB filly 

Marquee Avenue (2nd in Copper Top Futurity)

TB Claimer C or G 

Super Danny (won two legs of Sunland Park Claiming Series, third in the other)

TB Claimer (Filly or Mare) 

All Eyes On You (four wins in four starts)

TB Claiming (NMB) 

Vincent (four wins from five starts)

TB Most Improved (C or G) 

American Classic (three wins, from five year old maiden non starter to double allowance winner)

TB Most Improved (F&M) 

Oh My Ghost (Maiden $10,000 win to winner of NM Breeders’ Oaks)

TB Most Improved (NMB) 

Daddy O. (5 wins from 5 starts, from non two allowance to stakes winner)

QUARTER HORSES Quarter Horse of Meet 

First Moonflash (five for five including four stakes wins and three world records)

Older QH colt or gelding 

First Moonflash (won Mesilla Valley Speed H. and Bank of America NM Challenge as a 4 year old)

Older QH Filly or Mare 

Perrys Queen Bug (won West Texas Maturity)

Older New Mexico Bred QH C or G 

First Moonflash (see above)

Older New Mexico Bred QH F&M 

Dos and Don’ts (won Daylight Sprint)

Three year old TB filly Distance 

Lefty Who (won Red Hedeman Mile)

Two year old TB NMB C or G Sprint

Older TB Distance Mare 

Restless Miracle (maiden win and third in Riley Allison Futurity)

Blazin N Shakin (as 3 yr old won Lou Wooten; as 4 yr old won allowance race and ran 3rd in Mesilla Valley Speed H.)

Three year old QH Colt or Gelding 

Mr Jesses Corona (won West Texas Derby)

Three year old QH Filly 

Three Past Six (won Sunland Park Fall Derby)

Three year old NMB QH C or G 

First Moonflash (won Jess Burner H. and The Championship at Sunland Park as a 3 year old)

Three year old NMB QH Filly 

Lethal Delight (won Shue Fly in January)

Two year old QH Colt or Gelding 

Unbridled Jet (won Sunland Park Winter Futurity)

Two year old QH Filly 

Varsity Girl (won West T`exas Futurity)

Two year old NMB QH C or G 

GBH Steppin Johnny (won New Mexican Spring Futurity)

RACING NEWS 

Two year old NMB QH Filly 

QH Claimer

Seven Coronas (won New Mexican Spring Fling)



QH Older Distance Horse 

Gone To The Mountain (won Red Cell New Mexico Distance Challenge in world record time, :43.029)



Three year old QH Distance SUNLAND PARK From 12/12/2008 To 04/21/2009 For Breed: Thoroughbred Current Meet Leading Jockeys Sts

Recall Dreams (see above) SUNLAND PARK From 12/12/2008 To 04/21/2009 For Breed: Quarter Horse

1st 2nd 3rd Win% $%

Ken S. Tohill 374 83 Alejandro Medellin 383 72 Luis Contreras 301 53 Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 293 39 Jorge Martin Bourdieu 221 32 Joe A. Martinez 181 25 Carlos D. Madeira 187 24 Miguel A. Perez 216 23 Antonio Lopez Castanon 191 22 Casey T. Lambert 269 20 Current Meet Leading Trainers Chris A. Hartman 184 48 Jon G. Arnett 202 44 Henry Dominguez 164 36 Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. 146 25 Joel H. Marr 130 22 Steven M. Asmussen 112 20 Bart G. Hone 131 20 Jeff Mullins 73 18 Todd W. Fincher 78 16 H. Ray Ashford, Jr. 104 13 Current Meet Leading Owners Leslie A. and Pierre J. Amestoy, Jr. 83 20 Black Hawk Stable (Allen, et al) 53 16 Adam R. Lewis 46 16 Gary L. Thompson 41 12 Tricar Stable, Inc. 77 9 Brian Mundell 50 9 Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC 40 9 Frontier Stables LLC, Joey K. Davis et al 31 9 Heiligbrodt Racing Stable 29 7 Rogers Farms 26 7

Recall Dreams (three wins, from $10,000 to allowance)

MOST IMPROVED QH

Nik The Qwik (won Challenger Six H.)

Name

Ucallit (three wins, M20,000 to Allowance)

QH NMB Claimer

NMB Distance QH 

Chocolate Mountain (won Getaway Handicap)

Purses

Current Meet Leading Jockeys Name

Sts

1st 2nd 3rd Win% $%

60 53 62 34 22 27 23 31 16 31

40 37 46 40 36 24 18 30 16 31

22 19 18 13 14 14 13 11 12 7

49 42 53 39 41 42 35 39 28 30

$1,694,479 $1,601,803 $1,255,479 $887,759 $667,837 $640,880 $678,541 $603,073 $458,579 $688,615

34 28 25 23 22 20 20 9 10 14

24 28 24 22 12 19 11 11 17 15

26 22 22 17 17 18 15 25 21 13

58 50 52 48 43 53 39 52 55 40

$921,763 $680,295 $875,550 $684,442 $712,638 $602,655 $433,503 $226,524 $419,984 $395,549

Current Meet Leading Trainers Alonso Orozco 126 22 Ralph Muniz 74 20 Roberto Sanchez 100 20 Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. 70 19 Wesley T. Giles 102 16 Juan M. Gonzalez 59 13 Carl W. Draper 67 10 Michael W. Joiner 86 9 H. Armando Orozco 95 9 Arnulfo Ascencio, Jr. 44 8

$581,244

7 5 6 9 9

6 5 6 8 5

30 35 29 12 18

55 57 59 34 46

$219,981 $220,086 $192,712 $147,156 $158,560

$240,858

2 6 5

8 6 3

29 24 27

61 66 58

$190,900 $166,507 $126,300

Current Meet Leading Owners Adan Reyes 23 11 Maria G. Gonzalez 32 9 H. Armando Orozco 64 7 W. Ray Herring 42 7 S/M Cattle Export Co. 41 6 Rogers Farms 21 5 Jaime Dominguez 20 5 Pierre J. and Leslie A. Amestoy, Jr. & Maria G. Gonzalez 6 5 Rosa A. Barroteran 17 4

April 21, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Dos and Don’ts takes $50,000 Daylight Sprint; Chocolate Mountain wins $50,000 Getaway Handicap Under a stellar ride from Casey Lambert, Dos and Don’ts pulled clear in the final 50 yards to win the $50,000 Daylight Sprint at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Tuesday. The former Santa Anita runner applied plenty of pressure down the stretch to overwhelm the speedy favorite Sky Jedi in the 6 furlong feature written for threeyear-olds. The high quality son of Petionville stalked off the pace and made a prolonged run on the outside to wear down the front runner. The bay colt pulled clear by three parts of a length in a time of 1:09.31. He is un-

Esgar Ramirez Freddie L. Martinez Alejandro Medellin Kenny Muntz Bonifacio Perez Oscar Rincon Jorge Martin Bourdieu Alonso Rivera Ricky Ramirez Tony F. Guymon

250 237 204 167 114 143 112 120 88 127

41 41 41 21 21 20 16 16 15 11

Purses

46 32 26 19 15 17 13 12 13 10

36 29 28 25 10 25 17 10 8 16

16 17 20 13 18 14 14 13 17 9

49 43 47 39 40 43 41 32 41 29

$973,511 $939,542 $1,096,587 $664,386 $481,927 $464,378 $436,785 $401,476 $564,029 $265,125

29 16 15 7 11 7 6 12 12 8

16 7 12 8 13 7 11 16 10 4

17 27 20 27 16 22 15 10 9 18

53 58 47 49 39 46 40 43 33 45

$531,722 $465,906 $442,215 $410,532 $374,308 $342,295 $268,640 $321,629 $228,748 $132,339

2 5 6 5 7 3 1

3 4 8 4 4 5 3

48 28 11 17 15 24 25

70 56 33 38 41 62 45

$170,249 $174,530 $142,311 $145,484 $131,993 $109,217 $93,378

0 9

0 0

83 24

83 76

$376,940 $152,660

beaten in two Sunland Park starts this season for winning trainer Johnnie Nall. Dos and Don’ts earned $30,000 for the Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, LLC of Santa Ynez, California. The sophomore owns 3 wins from 4 career starts. Sky Jedi ran a bold race as the 4-5 favorite. Under jockey Alejandro Medellin, the powerful sprinter raced past All Maxed Out rounding the turn to take command. He fought valiantly through a prolonged stretch battle but could not hold off the winner. The runner-up finished a neck in front of the fast closing Accolades N Praise. Casey Lambert earned a double on the card by piloting Mr. Pursuit to a wire to wire win in the seasonal finale, the $42,700 Adios Amigos Claiming Handicap at one and one-quarter miles. The H. Ray Ashford trained paid $12.40 on a $2 win ticket. Chocolate Mountain surged in deep stretch to take a neck victory in the $50,000 Getaway Handicap at 870 yards. Trained by Wesley Giles, the three-year-old son of Panther Mountain won his third straight race at the distance. The 4-5 favorite dug in determinedly to defeat

Dos and Don’ts

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Cach D Fish in a driving finish. With jockey Ricky Ramirez, the winner overcame a 5-wide journey around the turn and still had enough energy to outrun his rival along the rail. Chocolate Mountain covered the distance in a good 45.30 seconds. The Utahbred Quarter Horse won 3 of 5 races this season. Chocolate Mountain earned a $30,000 paycheck for owner Ray Herring. The Thoroughbred Cach D Fish made a valiant run along the rail and just missed with jockey Joe Martinez. Pretty Perfect Dream wound up a close third at 20-1 odds.

Chocolate Mountain

Explosive Mine

Mr Pursuit

Cape of Bradford

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

April 18, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Explosive Mine wins $205,107 Copper Top Futurity in impressive fashion

Explosive Mine was very sharp in his debut back on March 31, winning by 11 ½ lengths. On Saturday afternoon, the 2-year-old colt was very good once again in winning the 4 ½ furlong Copper Top Futurity for New Mexico breds at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. This race wasn’t as easy as the first outing, but Explosive Mine showed plenty of class down the stretch in winning the $205,107 race. Hollywood Showbiz and Marquee Avenue battled for the lead early and led going into the final stretch, but Explosive Mine showed a stronger kick and won by 1 and 1/2 lengths to improve to 2-for-2 lifetime. The 3-2 favorite returned $5 to win, $3 to place and $2.20 to show for his loyal backers. Alejandro Medellin was the winning jockey and Michael Welch was the winning trainer. Medellin was on Explosive Mine for the first time in a race-type situation. Explosive Mine is owned by Rolling K Farm, R.E. Keith and Phillip Godwin of Brownwood, Texas. Explosive Mine earned $102,554 for its owners and has now collected more than $108,000 from two wins. Explosive Mine’s winning time of 51.55 seconds was very comparable to recent winning times in the Copper Top Futurity. Marquee Avenue finished second and returned $4.40 to place and $2.80 to show and Hollywood Showbiz ran third and returned $2.40 to show. Welch said he was very happy after the win and while the trainer or owners wouldn’t commit to where the son of Ghostly Moves is headed, the horse could be featured in top races this summer and later this year at the start of the 2009-10 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino meet. In the 300-yard West Texas Juvenile, it was Poison Sumac earning top honors. The 2-year-old Texas-bred daughter of First N Kool made a strong run down the middle of the track to earn her first career win in three starts. Poison Sumac has now hit the board in two of her three starts for trainer Trey Wood. The winning jockey was Freddie Martinez and the winning owner was BLM Racing Stable Inc. of El Paso, Texas. Poison Sumac returned $15.60 to win, $6 to place and $3.20 to show. “She broke super and went on with it,” Martinez said. Be See N Ya was second and Chattaway was third. In the first running of the Sunburst Handicap for registered New Mexico fillies, Bridgelei won the 350-yard race in 17.23 for trainer Ramon Ronquillo. Bridgelei now owns two wins in six starts and returned $29.60 to win, $12.60 to place and $8.20 to show. My Box of Chocolate was second, followed by Dash Ta Strawfly. Also on Saturday Sunland Derby participant Advice won the $300,000, Grade 2 Coolmore Lexington Stakes

at Keeneland in Kentucky. Advice, ridden by former Sunland Park jockey Garrett Gomez, came from dead last to win the race over Conservative and Square Eddie. Advice was let go at 15-1 odds for trainer Todd Pletcher. Advice finished fifth in the $900,000 Sunland Derby on March 29.

Cape of Bradford storms to victory in $50,000 Czaria Handicap; Seven Coronas takes $75,500 New Mexican Spring Fling Racing as the 2-1 second choice, Cape of Bradford stormed to a wire to wire victory in the $50,000 Czaria Handicap at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Saturday. Under leading Thoroughbred rider Ken Tohill, Cape of Bradford broke on top and never relinquished control of the 6 furlong distaff feature. The four-year-old Cape Town filly relaxed kindly on the lead and opened up a 2-length advantage in upper stretch. The speedy front runner had matters settled in deep stretch, and she cruised home for a three-quarter length victory over Sailor’s Sister. The winning time through the very windy conditions was a good 1:09.43. Cape of Bradford maximized her early speed and had plenty in reserve. Tohill said in the winner’s circle, “She was certainly on top of her game today. We were a little worried about the wind. I tried to get her to relax down the backside. In the end, I didn’t have to ask her. She did it all on her own.” Cape of Bradford earned her first stakes win for trainer Chris Hartman. She improved her career mark to 3 wins and 2 thirds from 5 starts. The victory was worth $30,000 for the Frontier Stables led by Joey Davis. Loyal backers of Cape of Bradford received $6.80 on a $2 win ticket. Tohill and winning trainer Chris Hartman combined for three winners on the day. Tohill is a 5-time Sunland Park riding champion while Hartman has won the Sunland Thoroughbred trainer championship for the last two years. Sailor’s Sister made a gallant late run to finish in second place. The rapidly improving Petionville filly ran out of real estate under jockey Joe Martinez. The runner-up finished one and one-quarter lengths in front of Testify To Love. Both the second and third place finishers were trained by Henry Dominguez. Heavily favored Stealth Cat never seemed to get untracked. The multiple stakes winning filly failed to generate a bid and finished a distant fifth.

Austin Lights explodes late to win $40,000 Inaugural Handicap

Austin Lights exploded late to defeat elite company in the $40,000 Inaugural Handicap at SunRay Park on April 18. Coming off an impressive win in the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino Claiming Stakes Phase #3, Austin Lights was in sharp form for trainer Jon Arnett. The Texas-bred son of Hadif was moving up in class taking on Bill Thomas Memorial Handicap winner Wind Water and Sunland Park six and one half furlong track record holder Happy Humor. Under the talented jockey Catalino Martinez, Austin Lights was dismissed in the betting at nearly 12-1 odds. Austin Lights raced far off the pace in last place in the six and one-half furlong feature while Loves Bonus and Wind Water battled for early supremacy. On the turn for home, Loves Bonus shook free from Wind Water and had the look of a winner. Austin Lights unleashed an explosive move in upper stretch and streaked past the pace setters. The five-year-

RACING NEWS old gelding won by nearly 3 lengths in a time of 1:17.92. He returned a healthy $25.40 to win for all his loyal supporters. Winning owner Charles Gray received a check worth $24,000. Loves Bonus held on for second place after gaining a daylight advantage. The 8-5 favorite was ridden by Ricardo Jaime. Happy Humor, another Jon Arnett trainee., closed belatedly to gain third place honors. He completed a $2 trifecta worth $351.00 Wind Water ran out of steam under jockey Brian Theriot. The 2-1 shot finished fourth for trainer Chris Hartman.

April 17, 2009 SunRay Park, Farmington, NM Enriquez shines on opening weekend by Steve Bortstein/For The Daily-Times Last year, it was Alejandro Medellin who made a big splash on opening weekend. This time, as SunRay Park opened their 2009 racing season this past Friday, a new shooter to the scene might give Medellin, as well as the entire SunRay jockey colony a run for their money. Isaias Enriquez, who plied his trade on Southern California tracks competing with moderate success among racing’s elite in recent years, won seven races on the first two days of the meet and may have given both fellow race riders and handicappers something to think about. Enriquez came into Friday’s opening day program with no wins from 60 starts in California in 2009, but by the time the dust had settled on Saturday’s program, Enriquez had won seven times with just 10 mounts. That’s 70 percent of his rides, for those of you scoring at home. Medellin had a similar strong opening weekend last year when he debuted at the Farmington track, on his way to winning the jockeys title in a near runaway. As the racing season wraps up at Sunland Park wraps up on Tuesday near El Paso, Texas, Medellin leads the overall rider standings with over 106 wins. The advantage for Medellin when he arrives at SunRay is that he will ride both quarter horses and thoroughbreds, while Enriquez will likely ride only in thoroughbred races. Many of the region’s leading riders will return to SunRay when racing resumes on Thursday, including perennial leading rider Ken Tohill, who is named on two mounts, as well as Alfredo Juarez, Jr., and Joe Martinez, who are scheduled to ride in five and four races, respectively. The potential for a good race in the jockey standings should make for interesting relations on the backstretch as well, as trainers will be looking to secure mounts with both riders while they battle for supremacy atop the leaderboard.

April 12, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM First Moonﬂash smashes world record in $115,740 Bank of America New Mexico Challege First Moonflash demolished the 440 yard world record with a smashing 3-length win in the $115,740 Bank of America New Mexico Challenge at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Sunday. The four-year-old dynamo won his seventh race in a row and stopped the clock in a record setting 20.274 seconds, besting his former world and track record of

20.685 seconds. First Moonflash earned a 122 speed index and set a lofty benchmark in the history of Quarter Horse racing. He is a cinch for Quarter Horse of the Meet honors and deserves the title of world’s fastest Quarter Horse. Under jockey Alejandro Medellin, First Moonflash rocketed to the front and never looked back. He charged through the stretch well clear of his rivals. The First To Flash colt completed a stellar Sunland Park campaign with wins the $400,000 Championship at Sunland Park, the $125,000 Jess Burner Memorial and the $100,000 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap. He currently holds the world records for 350, 400 and 440 yards. The winner picked up a $53,240 paycheck for owners Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Maria G. Gonzalez. He earned an automatic berth for the Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos on Oct. 31 and next season’s Championship at Sunland Park. Overall, First Moonflash has compiled earnings of nearly $600,000 from 10 career wins. Pierre Amestoy said in the winner’s circle, “What a fantastic race. What a fantastic horse! He’s been a dream for us. We plan on giving him a little rest and plan for a fall/winter season. We’re considering either the Challenge Championship or the Champion of Champions. He’s the fastest horse in the world.” Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. is the winning trainer. Head Bud nosed out both Here to Entertain and Heavenly Trip for second place honors.

Seven Coronas

GBH Steppin Johnny wins $299,305 New Mexican Spring Futurity

Gbh Steppin Johnny blasted away to a three-quarter length victory in the $299,305 New Mexican Spring Futurity at 300 yards. The two-year-old Southern Cartel gelding remained unbeaten in three starts despite a fractious episode in the gate. The 6-5 favorite recovered well enough to break on top under jockey Nate Smith. The 7-5 favorite took a stranglehold of the lead midway home and finished full of energy to win impressively. The winning time was 14.838 seconds, good for a 103 speed index. Gbh Steppin Johnny collected a hefty first prize check worth $140,673 for winning owners Gary Hartstack and B & B Electric of Bryan, Texas. The sensational freshman has reeled off three victories including his maiden debut on March 1. Jackie Riddle trains the stakes winning New Mexicobred. Mr Regard finished willingly in second place with jockey Tony Guymon. The runner-up trained by Juan Gonzalez earned $53,875 for the K H Logax, Inc. Kate of Spades and jockey Freddie Martinez closed well to get third. The Blane Wood trainee earned $32,924. Captain Jacksboro finished a nose back in fourth.

First Moonﬂash

GBH Steppin Johnny

April 5, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Austin Lights wins $36,950 SPRC Claiming Series – Phase #3

Austin Lights surged in mid-stretch to take a commanding three and one-half length win in the $36,950 SPRC Claiming Series – Phase #3. Under a patient ride from Ken Tohill, the 6-5 favorite came through as advertised with a stirring stretch run. The former Texas stakes winner was in sharp form for trainer Chris Hartman. The seven-year-old bay gelding by Hadif won for the 8th time in his career. He earned a $22,170 paycheck for the Black Hawk Stables. Winning time for the six and

Austin Lights

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

one-half furlongs was a good 1:15.84. Austin Lights has earned over $204,000 in his career. He was subsequently claimed for $10,000 by new owner and trainer Charles Gray. Sunny Topper finished second, three-parts of a length in front of Super Danny. The latter had won the first two legs of the claiming series.

Gone to the Mountain smashes 870 yard world record in $57,600 Red Cell New Mexico Challenge

Gone to the Mountain

Mr Jesses Corona

Mark It Famous

Esperanzas Quickdash 54

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

The phenomenal 870 yard star Gone to the Mountain smashed the world and track records with a powerful win in the $57,600 Grade 3 Red Cell New Mexico Challenge at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Sunday. Racing as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite, Gone to the Mountain shot to the front early in the 870 yard event and was in total control rounding the far turn. With jockey Freddie Martinez in the saddle, Gone to the Mountain opened up the throttle racing into the stretch with a 4-length lead. The inspiring distance champ rolled to a near 7-length win in a track and world record time of 43.02 seconds, good for a 115 speed index. The previous 870 yard track record was held by Rock N Strawfly in 2002 with a 43.845 second clocking. Gone to the Mountain also demolished the former world record of 43.533 seconds held by Heza Mystic Man at Yavapai Downs. He has been scintillating in all three Sunland starts this meet. His combined win margin from three wins is nearly 17 lengths. His velocity has increased in each start. Gone to the Mountain earned a $27,648 for owner Clyde Woerner of Georgetown, Texas. He is trained by Wes Giles. The four-year-old stallion by Panther Mountain has earned over $244,000 from 6 wins in 17 starts. Woerner indicated that his charge would be campaigned in Oklahoma and Texas challenge races. Tricky Dust, a multiple stakes winner at the distance, closed nicely from a slow start to gain second place. The nine-year-old Favorite Trick gelding finished strongly after a wide trip under jockey Kenny Muntz. The runner-up sped past High On Cat in deep stretch but was no threat to the winner. Tricky Dust has earned over $415,000 in his well decorated career. He has 15 wins and 6 second from 38 starts. High On Cat delivered a solid effort and finished in third along the rail. He was nearly 3 lengths in front of Stand Up Philosopher. The popular $2 superfecta returned $59.60.

April 4, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Mr Jesses Corona takes $173,524 Grade 2 West Texas Derby Top qualifier Mr Jesses Corona sped to a neck victory in the 46th running of the $173,524 Grade 2 West Texas Derby on Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Racing at 4-1 odds, Mr Jesses Corona broke alertly and took command midway through the 400 yard dash with a fast tail wind blowing. The well bred three-yearold son of Feature Mr Jess responded eagerly for jockey Esgar Ramirez. The duo opened up a half length lead in deep stretch and could not be overhauled. Mr Jesses Corona held on to win by a neck over a game Double Feature Jess. The winner was timed in an exceptional 18.918 seconds, good for a 101 speed index. Esgar Ramirez said, “He gave me a good three-quarter length lead at the front. He lugged in a little bit down

the lane, but I straightened him as much as I could. He usually runs away from the whip.” Mr Jesses Corona has improved rapidly in recent months under the direction of trainer Alonso Orozco. He broke his maiden in the West Texas Derby trials on March 20. His second career win from 8 starts was worth $81,557. He is owned by Rosa Barroteran of El Paso, Texas. Double Feature Jess recovered from a slow start and burst through the stretch to gain second place honors. The runner-up was ridden by Antonio Escareno. The son of Feature Mr Jess picked up a $31,234 check for owners William and Mary Robertson of Odessa, Texas. Dashing Coverage and jockey Alejandro Medellin finished a close third, beaten less than a length.

April 3, 2009 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, Sunland Park, NM Mark It Famous is top qualiﬁer for $252,438 Grade I West Texas Futurity

Mark It Famous sailed to a dominant one and onequarter length win on Friday and set the top qualifying time for this year’s $252,438 Grade 1 West Texas Futurity at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Trained by Wesley Giles, Mark It Famous made his career debut a winning one by collecting a handy win in the 3rd trial at 300 yards. The two-year-old son of Mark My Dial was timed in fast 14.85 seconds with a tail wind blowing. Saul Ramirez, Jr. rode the 6-1 long shot winner. Last year, Giles saddled Fast Prize Zoom to victory in the West Texas Futurity. He also won the 2007 edition with Wild Six. Trainer Carl Draper qualified two runners for the finale to be held on Sunday, April 19. He enjoyed solid debut wins with Painted Runaway (8th race) and Corona for the Lady (10th race). Here’s the list of qualifiers: Mark It Famous, 14.856; Heza Miracle Dip, 15.005; Shake Em Money Pop, 15.021; First Klas Fred, 15.037; Sheza Special, 15.067; Painted Runaway, 15.067; Varsity Girl, 15.090, Corona for the Lady, 15.099; Crystal Jade, 15.119 and Justaspecialseis, 15.146. This year’s winner takes home a $118,646 first prize check.

OKLAHOMA

April 25, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Esperanzas Quickdash wins easily, pulls upset in American Paint Classic

Esperanzas Quickdash picked as good a race as any to win for the first time in his career, running away with Saturday’s $100,540 American Paint Classic at Remington Park, winning by a three-quarters of a length. Owned by the Tulsa, Okla. partnership of Sammy Hester and Charles Trochta and trained by Hester, Esperanzas Quickdash rolled to the easy score under jockey Larry Payne. Winless through his first three career attempts this season, the 2-year-old Paint surged to the front in the 350-yard Classic in the final 100 yards and stopped the timer in 18.140 seconds over a fast track. Esperanzas Quickdash, while winless, had shown potential, qualifying for the Oklahoma Paint Futurity in March and finishing seventh. He came back to qualify for the Classic and picked tonight’s stage as his coming out party. Sheza Royal Secret drifted out badly throughout the distance but still managed to finish second, a head better than I Kick. Sayonara was fourth. The coupled wagering entry of top qualifier SM Coun-

RACING NEWS try Bandit and SM Country Shamrock were favored at even-money and finished fifth and sixth respectively. Overlooked in the wagering at 9-1 odds, Esperanzas Quickdash paid $21.60 to win, $7.80 to place and $5.40 to show. Sheza Royal Secret paid $14.60 to place and $10.80 to show. I Kick paid $3.40 to show. The exotic wagers paid well in the Classic with the exacta (Nos.3-9) paying $465.40 and the quinella (Nos.3-9) paying $545.60. The trifecta (Nos.3-9-8) payoff was $2,708.40, while the superfecta (Nos.3-9-8-2) paid $3,563.70 on a 10-cent ticket. Esperanzas Quickdash earned $37,305 for winning the Classic. The 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred Paint gelding by Country Quick Dash from the Rare Form mare Rare Esperanza has now made $42,545 through four starts. The 3-year-old Paints had the main undercard race on the evening in the $35,705 American Paint Derby, won by Awesome Fling. Owned by Michelle Caldwell of Poteau, Okla. and trained by Matt Whitekiller, Awesome Fling rallied during the 400-yard race to come from behind and win by a neck over the 6-5 favorite PF Chief Runnin Bear. The two had finished in reverse order earlier this season in the Graham Paint & Appaloosa Derby. Under Cody Smith, Awesome Fling covered the distance in 20.318 seconds. Away from the starting gate at 3-1 odds, Awesome Fling paid $8.80 to win, $3 to place and $2.10 to show. PF Chief Runnin Bear returned $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Awesome Rip was third and paid $2.80 to show. The win was the fourth from 12 lifetime attempts for Awesome Fling, an Oklahoma-bred Paint gelding by Awesome Chrome from the Judys Lineage mare Last Fling. The first-place check of $16,069 runs his career total to $66,402.

April 23, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Consistent Brimin Special wins Thursday feature; Taylor saddles three winners

Brimin Special managed to finish second in late March on a night that seemed more like late December than early spring, battling through cold temperatures, cold rain, and snow and high winds. Thursday night, he just had the wind as temperatures were in the 70s and the track fast for his first Remington Park triumph. Owned by Dean Boeckenstedt of Edgewood, Iowa, and trained by Charley Hunt, Brimin Special came on strong in the second half of a $25,250 allowance race for 3-year-old fillies at 330 yards to win by a neck under Tommy Byrd. The effort continued her perfect career of never finishing out of the money as she has managed first, second or third in all seven of her career starts. Jess Naughty rolled up outside of Brimin Special for second while Eye Kiss For Cash was third. Brimin Special hit the finish in 17.317 seconds. At 3-1 odds in the wagering, Brimin Special paid $8.60 to win, $5.60 to place and $5.80 to show. Jess Naughty returned $14.40 to place and $7.60 to show. Eye Kiss For Cash paid $4 to show. The second career win for Brimin Special, and her first at Remington Park, was worth $12,930 to her total earnings which now stand at $39,772. A filly by Brimmerton from the Special Effort mare Special Moon, Brimin Special was bred in Iowa by her owner. Trainer Heath Taylor, hot off a weekend where he saddled First Prize Leesa to victory in the $683,600 Remington Park Futurity, continued his winning ways by saddling a trio of winners Thursday. Oh What A Fly ($14.20 to win) won the second race while Fast Prize Tracy ($5.80) won the third. The training triple was completed with Straight Stoli ($7.20) in the eighth race.

Taylor now has 19 wins for the season, good for second in the standings behind Guillermo Valdivia who leads with 26.

April 19, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Hot Lips Perry roars to win in Nightcap

Sunday’s $22,000 allowance feature at Remington Park went to 6-5 favorite Hot Lips Perry as she rolled from an outside post to win convincingly. Owned by Michael Pohl of Montgomery, Texas, and trained by Stacy Charette-Hill, Hot Lips Perry won by three-quarters of a length under jockey Cody Jensen. The 3-year-old filly scored ahead of Mr Eye with Ho Lotta Speed another three-quarters of a length back in third. Hot Lips Perry covered 300 yards in 15.439 seconds over a fast track and paid $4.40 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.40 to show. Mr Eye returned $3.60 to place and $3.20 to show. Ho Lotta Speed paid $4.40 to show. The win was the second from seven career starts for Hot Lips Perry who finished fifth in the Oklahoma Derby last month. A gray Texas-bred filly by Mr Jess Perry from the Royal Quick Dash mare Rustys Quickid, both of her career victories are at Remington Park. The first-place check of $12,930 moves the lifetime bank for Hot Lips Perry to $34,888. The 2009 American Quarter Horse & Mixed-breed Season will continue on Thursday with 11 races starting at 6:25pm.

April 18, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Track records continue to drop; Quickid Corona sets new 300 yard track record

Track records have been falling throughout the 2009 Remington Park season and continued to drop Saturday with the $51,300 Bob Moore Memorial Stakes providing the stage for Quickid Corona to write some history. Owned by the Konawa, Okla. partnership of Randy Hill and Michael Pohl, Quickid Corona flew over the 300 yards in a blazing 15.003 seconds. The effort shaved nearly a quarter of a second from the 2007 mark of 15.22 seconds established by Mr Chivato To You. Trained by Stacy Charette-Hill and ridden by Ricky Ramirez, Quickid Corona pulled away to win by threequarters of a length over Special Headlines. Last year’s Bob Moore winner Duck Mea Running was third. Dismissed at 13-1 odds, Quickid Corona returned $28.80 to win, $11.60 to place and $5.60 to show. Special Headlines paid $7.60 to place and $5.20 to show. Duck Mea Running paid $3.80 to show. A 4-year-old Texas-bred by Corona Cartel from the Royal Quick Dash mare Rustys Quickid, Quickid Corona won for the seventh time in 16 lifetime efforts and captured his fourth local race. The triumph gave his connections their first win in the Bob Moore, named after the late owner and breeder who had decades of success in the sport as well as an instrumental role in bringing parimutuel racing to Oklahoma. The top Paints and Appaloosas battled in the $35,000 Mister Lewie Memorial Handicap at 400 yards. The event was the first career loss for Got Country Grip last year. The 6-year-old Paint reversed the results this season, avenging that loss with a half-length victory. G.I. Jana, an Appaloosa was up for second. Got Country Grip used a quick start while displaying plenty of heart in holding off late efforts by many in the field. Owned by Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas and trained by Brandon Parum, Got Country Grip crossed the finish in 19.746 second under Ramirez. The people’s choice at 8-5 in the wagering, Got Country Grip paid $5.40 to win, $3.80 to place and $3.20

Awesome Fling

Photo Credit: Dustin Orona Photography

Brimin Special

Hot Lips Perry

Quickid Corona

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Got Country Grip

to show. G.I. Jana returned $15.40 to place and $5 to show. SM Country Snowman was a neck behind the runner-up and paid $2.80 to show. Got Country Grip won his 18th career race from 22 attempts and his eighth at Remington Park. The winner’s check of $20,500 makes him the first Paint in history to top the $300,000 mark in earnings. He now stands at $312,528. An Oklahoma-bred by Country Quick Dash from the Super de Kas mare Got A Grip, Got Country Grip was bred by Linda Fox. The Mister Lewie is named in honor of the late Lewis Wartchow. Known as the ‘King of Paints’ for his tremendous success in training that breed, Wartchow won multiple Remington Park stakes races in his career.

April 17, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Hot Memory impresses as upset winner; Valdivia saddles three winners

GHF Kool Kotton

Hot Memory made his 2009 debut a winning one, in a big and profitable way to fans that backed him at the pari-mutuel windows. The 4-year-old won Friday’s $24,700 allowance feature by a half-length at 27-1 odds. Owned by the Jones, Okla. partnership of L.V. Ray and Connie Barnes, Hot Memory is trained by Mark Barnes. Under jockey Randy Wilson, Hot Memory took full advantage of a sharp start by jumping to the early lead then improving his stature as he crossed the 350yard finish in :17.536 over a fast track. Red Bug Man was second while Iwannamakeitwithyou was along for the show. Dashin BK was the beaten favorite, finishing fourth at 7-5 odds. Hot Memory paid $57.20 to win, $24.80 to place and $11 to show. Red Bug Man returned $9.60 to place and $4.60 to show. Iwannamakeitwithyou paid $5.40 to show. The victory was the fifth from 15 career starts for Hot Memory, a New Mexico-bred gelding by Corona Caliente from the Leaving Memories mare Memory Crest. All five of his career wins have come at Remington Park, including a string of three in a row last year. The winner’s check of $13,884 boosts Hot Memory’s lifetime bankroll to $73,465. Leading trainer Guillermo Valdivia of Sallisaw, Okla. continues to succeed, saddling multiple winners on Friday night. His training triple started with Mr Southern Breeze ($27.60 to win) in the fifth race and continued with Top Of The Game ($6.80) in the ninth and Thats A Perry ($14.60) in the 11th and final race. The training hat trick gives Valdivia 25 wins for the season, 10 better than Luis Villafranco.

April 16, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Carter wins three to start Remington Park Futurity week

Photo Credit: Dustin Orona Photography

SM Country Bandit

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Remington Park leading jockey G.R. Carter became the first rider this season to reach the 40-win mark, posting three victories on Thursday night. The program was the first of the week leading into Saturday’s big Remington Park Futurity night card. Carter, of Oklahoma City, used rides in two distance races and another in the richest event of the evening to gain his triple. He brought both Frontier Injustice ($7.20 to win) and Cronus ($6) home to the winner’s circle after their respective 870-yard events in races four and eight. In the Thursday nightcap, an Oklahoma-bred allowance race carrying a purse of $28,500, Carter was aboard Fast Prize Dash for the Madill, Okla. partnership of Weetona Stanley and W.E. Smith. Trained by Heath Taylor,

Fast Prize Dash started sharply and finished strongly to win by a neck at 350 yards over Prairie Dasher with Tom Rider in third another nose behind. Fast Prize Dash crossed the finish in :17.70 over a fast track. Somewhat dismissed at 8-1 odds, Fast Prize Dash paid $19.80 to win, $6 to place and $5.40 to show. Prairie Dasher returned $8.80 to place and $8.40 to show. Tom Rider paid $7.40 to show. The win was the second from five attempts for Fast Prize Dash, a 3-year-old colt by Mr Jess Perry from the Heza Fast Man mare Fast First Prize. He earned $16,180 for the win to push his career total to $22,608. Carter now has 40 wins through the first 23 nights of racing, 19 ahead of Larry Payne who is in second with 21.

April 12, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK GHF Kool Kotton gives Mourning 1,000 career wins

Easter Sunday night racing at Remington Park tested the talents of many against very wet conditions as rain fell off and on through the card. The conditions did not hinder GHF Kool Kotton as he rolled to victory around the turn and gave trainer Don Mourning a career milestone achievement. GHF Kool Kotton’s front-running win at 870 yards was the 1,000th American Quarter Horse victory of Mourning’s career. A work in progress that started in 1981 and is now in its 28th year, Mourning’s career rose to new heights in the late 1990s when he conditioned two-time American Quarter Horse Association World Champion SLM Big Daddy. He has since had many solid runners including GHF Kool Kotton who has now earned close to $200,000 overall. Owned by Monte Griffin of Lamesa, Texas and ridden by Stormy Smith, GHF Kook Kotton started quickly in the claiming race around the turn and never let any of his six rivals take the lead away. Holding his advantage by three-quarters of a length to the finish over a closing Dr D, GHF Kook Kotton covered the ground in :45.821 over a sloppy track. Away as the wagering favorite at 5-2 odds, GHF Kool Kotton paid $7.20 to win, $4.80 to place and $3.40 to show. Dr D returned $4.60 to place and $2.40 to show. Bold Chivato paid $6.20 to show. The 10th career win from 45 lifetime starts for GHF Kool Kotton was also his fourth win at Remington Park. A Texas-bred 7-year-old gelding by Dean Miracle from the Gone To The Man mare Beautiful Gift, GHF Kook Kotton picked up $11.718 for the score to run his lifetime earnings to $183,016.

April 11, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK SM Country Bandid posts top time for American Paint Classic

SM Country Bandit won the first of five trials for the American Paint Classic on Saturday at Remington Park and in the process put up the fastest time in the 350yard heats. Owned by Rafter SM Ranch of Wagoner, Okla. and trained by Sparky Mullins, SM Country Bandit shot from the starting gate on his way to a convincing 2-1/4 length win under jockey Cody Smith. A 2-year-old Oklahomabred colt by Country Quick Dash from the Mr Eye Opener mare Ms Painted Eyeopener, SM Country Bandit covered 350 yards on a fast track in 17.97 seconds. Bred by Linda Fox, SM Country Bandit was one of just two Paints to qualify for the April 25 American Paint

RACING NEWS Classic with a time under 18-seconds. I Kick managed to come in with a clocking of 17.976 seconds by winning the second trial of the night. The other eight joining SM Country Bandit and I Kick in the American Paint Classic, with their qualifying times, are: Dos Aces, :18.008; Esperanzas Quickdash, :18.033; Sayonara, :18.156; Snoopaloop, :18.174; Jungle Bug, :18.216; Flashy Dos, :18.244; Sheza Royal Secret, :18.249 and SM Country Shamrock, :18.271. Rafter SM Ranch and Mullins also qualified SM Country Shamrock for the American Paint Classic which will force same owner coupled entry situation in the final in two weeks. Jockey Adalberto Candanosa posted a riding triple on Saturday beginning with Inner Strength ($17 to win) in the opener. He also took Fantastic Six ($5.80) in race three and Eyesa Candy Man ($25.40) in race five to the winner’s circle. Candanosa’s three wins give him 11 on the season, jumping him up to seventh in the jockey standings.

April 10, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Hot Valdivia barn wins three with stars shining brightly

Trainer Guillermo “Bill” Valdivia of Sallisaw, Okla., is having his best season ever at Remington Park, sitting atop the training standings while saddling three winners on Friday night. The victorious trio included standouts such as Streakin Six Cartel and Hez Lights Out. Owned by Jose and Julian Angel of Marietta, Ga. and ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Streakin Six Cartel made his first start as a 3-year-old a winning one. Coming off a 2-year-old campaign in which he won the $520,000 Remington Park Futurity, Streakin Six Cartel still had allowance conditions and used those to run in a $27,750 event for non-winners of four career races. Streakin Six Cartel was every bit the professional, leaving the starting gate sharply and dueling throughout 350 yards to win by a neck over Eyes For Another with Champs First Dasher well back in third. Favored at 4-5 odds, Streakin Six Cartel covered the distance in :17.585 over a fast track. Streakin Six Cartel paid $3.60 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.80 to show. Eyes For Another returned $3 to place and $3.20 to show. Champs First Dasher paid $11.80 to show. The win was just the third from seven career starts for Streakin Six Cartel, an Oklahoma-bred colt by Corona Cartel from the Streakin Six mare Streakin Six Love. All three career wins have been at Remington Park. The winner’s check of $14,484 boosted his career earnings to $342,028. Hez Lights Out was up next in the race after Streakin Six Cartel’s win, a starter allowance event worth $18,300. Hez Lights Out was aiming for his second win in a row and third from his last four races. Played down to 4-5 odds by the fans, Hez Lights Out rolled to victory with ease under Vallejo, scoring by 1-1/2 lengths over Intrepid Stryker. Never encouraged by Vallejo, Hez Lights Out handled 330 yards in :16.567, just .08 off the track record. Hez Lights Out paid $3.60 to win, $3 to place and $2.20 to show. Intrepid Stryker returned $10.80 to place and $5.40 to show. Big Horn Moonie paid $9.20 to show. The win was the seventh from 15 career attempts for Hez Lights Out, owned by Jose Angel of Marietta, Ga. His two wins this season are the extent of his Remington Park success. A Utah-bred 5-year-old gelding by Heza Fast Man from the Twaynas Dash mare Cinderella Dash, Hez Lights Out made $9,630 on Friday to roll his lifetime bankroll to $29,567. Valdivia’s third win was with Backs To The Wall

($19.40 to win) in the second race as the 2-year-old filly won the second race on the card. Valdivia now has 20 wins on the season, leading the trainer standings by five over Luis Villafranco. Jockey Larry Payne posted a riding triple on Friday. The Midwest City, Okla. rider won with Eye Can Make It ($8.40 to win) in the fourth race, Jody Dat Cash ($6) in the seventh and Fast Eddy 123 ($7.20) in the eighth. Payne’s three wins give him a total of 19 on the season, moving him into second place in the jockey standings behind G.R. Carter’s 34 wins.

April 9, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Corona Fireball scores Thursday feature; Stormy Smith triples The classy Corona Fireball found his second career victory on Thursday night at Remington Park, in a $25,250 allowance race for 3-year-olds seeking the same. Owned and bred in Oklahoma by Pine Ridge Farm of Yukon and trained by Eddie Willis, Corona Fireball won the Oklahoma Futurity last year at Remington Park before qualifying and running fifth in the $1.1 million Heritage Place Futurity at the end of the season. The colt didn’t run again until qualifying for the Oklahoma Derby last month, where he finished sixth. Seeking a possible confidence-building run, Corona Fireball found it Thursday with jockey Larry Payne up. He shot from the starting gate in his third attempt of the year, rolling through the 350 yards in :17.558 over a fast track. Corona Fireball was never seriously threatened in finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Flyin Express who was a head better than Woodford Reserve. Away as the even-money wagering favorite, Corona Fireball did not disappoint in paying $4 to win, $3 to place and $2.40 to show. Flyin Express returned $5.60 to place and $3.20 to show. Woodford Reserve paid $6.20 to show. By getting his second career win from seven lifetime attempts, all at Remington Park, Corona Fireball earned $16,288. The colt by Corona Cartel from the Easily Smashed mare Hotsie Tootsie has now bankrolled $174,021 overall. Jockey Stormy Smith had his best night of the season with three wins. His triple started with long shot Douglas O Toole ($43.60 to win) in the fifth race, followed by Streakin For Fun ($5.80) in the eighth and Teller B ($21.40) in the 11th and final event. The three wins for Smith give him seven on the season.

Streakin Six Cartel

Corona Fireball

April 5, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Snowbound Superstar runs win streak to 13 in Pauls Valley Handicap, shatters oldest track record at Remington Park

The top distance runner in American Quarter Horse racing made his Remington Park debut a special one Sunday in the $35,000 Pauls Valley Handicap. Snowbound Superstar put on a show in winning his 13th consecutive race and crushing one of the oldest track records on the books in Oklahoma City. Owned by Brenda & Tom Brinkley of Hollister, Calif. and trained by Paul Jones, Snowbound Superstar rolled to an 870-yard victory in the Pauls Valley under Cody Jensen in 44.334 seconds on a fast track. The new track record wipes from the ledgers the Miami Prince standard of 44.58 seconds, set by the former local multiple distance champ who carried the moniker ‘Captain Hook’

Snowbound Superstar

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Dynaglide

View Me Flying

Photo Credit: Dustin Orona Photography

Finche

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during his career at Remington Park. The record had stood since July 13, 1996. In winning the Pauls Valley, Snowbound Superstar quickly overcame a start where he broke outward slightly. Despite the less than perfect beginning, by the midpoint of the turn, the 6-year-old Washington-bred gelding was on the front. He drew off in the stretch to win by 3-1/4 lengths over Vital Winner. First To Ramble had the lead early before settling for third. Snowbound Superstar was the high-weight of 129 pounds for the Pauls Valley Handicap. The impost did not seem to bother him as Vital Winner carried the next highest weight of 124 pounds. Away as the heavy 1-2 wagering favorite, Snowbound Superstar paid $3 to win, $2.20 to place and $2.10 to show. Vital Winner paid $2.40 to place and $2.20 to show. First To Ramble returned $2.80 to show. A gray son of Snowbound (tb) from the Oh My Gee Whiz mare Shania Cash, Snowbound Superstar won his Remington Park debut and his 13th career race. He had not won until he was moved to distance racing in early 2006. He has not lost since while twice being named an American Quarter Horse Association Champion Distance runner. The Pauls Valley earnings of $21,000 give Snowbound Superstar $205,847 for his career. While the wind howled from the north to create a strong tailwind early in the Sunday program, the 330yard Remington Park track record fell for the second time in 10 days. The third race on the program was for maidens with Feature This Effort winning her first career race from six starts and crossing the finish in 16.487 seconds. The clocking bettered Okey Dokey Irish’s track record at 330 yards set on March 27 over a sloppy track. Prior to that, the 330-yard mark had stood since 1996. Feature This Effort is owned by Cory Whittle of Aubrey, Texas and trained by Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath. The 4-year-old mare was ridden by Cody Smith. She’s a Texas-bred daughter of Feature Mr Jess from the Special Effort mare Troffe Effort.

April 4, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Wind shift affects Remington Park Futurity trials; top runners emerge from ﬁnal four races

Oklahoma, where the wind comes whipping down the plains. Rogers & Hammerstein had it right concerning the gales on Saturday night as 11 qualifying trials were held for to determine the field for the $683,600 Remington Park Futurity. The Saturday program started with winds out of the south, forcing a headwind situation, meaning the horses had to battle through a natural resistant force in order to post their times. After three trials, the winds subsided having virtually no play on the races. However, prior to the eighth trial, Mother Nature went for a late April Fool’s laugh and flipped the wind to come out of the north. The prevailing tailwind aided the horses from that point on and all 10 qualifiers for the richest Remington Park Futurity ever came out of races 8 thru 11. Dynaglide posted the fastest time of the night, winning the 10th trial by a nose over CR Sugar N Spice and crossing the finish for 330 yards in 16.728 seconds. Owned by Evelio Salazar of Sugarland, Texas, Dynaglide is trained by Steve Garrison and was ridden to her trial win by Cody Jensen. A 2-year-old Texas-bred filly by Dash Thru Traffic from the Six Fortunes mare Miss Dynago Six, Dynaglide won her second consecutive career race and her debut at Remington Park. She’ll lead nine others into the April 18 Remington Park Futurity.

The Grade 1, $683,600 Remington Park Futurity qualifiers, with times and race: Horse 330-Yard Time Trial Race 1. Dynaglide :16.728 10 2. CR Sugar N Spice :16.731 10 3. Docs Dusty Okie :16.754 9 4. First Prize Leesa :16.755 11 5. Hot Pepper Jess :16.756 9 6. Ms Athenas Dividend :16.758 9 7. Effortless Jessie :16.759 8 8. Justzoomin :16.761 8 9. Royal Trafeo :16.853 8 10. The Gucci Diamond :16.901 10 The tough-luck horse in qualifying was Okey Dokey Fontana, winner of the fourth trial. He posted a time, into a headwind, of 16.904 seconds.

April 3, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK View Me Flying sets top time in Remington Park Derby trials

A trio of Remington Park Derby trials headlined Friday’s racing program with View Me Flying emerging with the top time for the 400-yard heats. A 3-year-old New Mexico-bred colt, owned by Sara Margaret Hamilton of Lexington, Ky. and trained by Russell Harris, View Me Flying easily won the first of three trials for the derby while establishing the best time of 20.013 seconds over the fast track. Ridden by Ricky Ramirez, View Me Flying was much the best over his seven rivals. The win was the second straight this season for View Me Flying and his third career victory. He now leads a field of 10 to the April 18 $203,509 Remington Park Derby. The other nine qualifiers are: King Brimmerton, :20.016; Lightning Round, :20.163; Stone Eyed Candy, :20.282; Rarely Makes It Home, :20.292; Spit Curl Diva, winner of last month’s Oklahoma Derby, :20.329; Cuz Eye Said, :20.359; Vrrroom, :20.365; Eyesa Love Candy, :20.370 and Deep In The South, :20.378 Trainers John Buchanan and Stacy Charette-Hill each qualified two for the Remington Park Derby. Buchanan had the second and third-fastest qualifiers in King Brimmerton and Lightning Round. Charette-Hill saddled Stone Eyed Candy (4th) and Eyesa Candy Love (9th).

April 2, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK Finche wins season debut as April racing begins at Remington Park The 2009 American Quarter Horse & Mixed-breed Season at Remington Park moved into its second month on Thursday night. Finche helped bring April in by winning his season opener and remaining undefeated in a lightly-raced career. Owned by Larry Abney and Chris Sheehy of Purcell, Okla., Finche won his only start in 2008 at Remington Park before going on the shelf for nearly a full year. Trained by Abney and ridden by Cody Jensen, Finche returned to action full of run, crossing the finish a head better than Freakin Dash in an Oklahoma-bred allowance worth $26,500. Finche handled 330 yards over a fast track in :16.907. Away at 6-1 odds, Finche paid $15.60 to win, $5.40 to place and $5.60 to show. Freakin Dash returned $4 to place and $4.40 to show. Eyesecondthemotion was third and paid $17.80 to show. Tournament Edition was the beaten 8-5 favorite in the race, running eighth. The second career win from as many starts, both at Remington Park, was worth $14,980 to Finche. The

RACING NEWS 4-year-old gelding by Tres Seis from the Bully Bullion mare Doctor Prospector has now earned $26,150. Trainer Don Mourning won a race on Thursday with MGA Miss Easy ($12.20 to win) breaking her maiden in the third event of the evening. The win was the 999th Quarter Horse win in his career. Mourning’s been a regular at Remington Park for years with multiple World Champion SLM Big Daddy and SLM Snowman his biggest stars. Racing resumes Friday night with 11 races underway at 6:25pm. A trio of trials will be conducted at the end of the program, determining qualifiers for the $203,509 Remington Park Derby.

TEXAS

April 26, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Dashin Tres wins Manor Downs 550 Handicap

Joe Bryan Rangle’s Dashin Tres dueled throughout and was driving at the finish to take the $17,300 Manor Downs 550 Yard Handicap on Sunday afternoon. The Tres Seis 3-year-old was picking up this first win of 2009. Also trained by Rangel, Dashin Tres ran sixth the Longhorn Derby on March 22nd before finishing second in the Manor Downs Derby trials on April 11th. Ridden by Santos Carrizales, he picked up $10,380 pushing his career earnings to more than $35,000. The bay colt was time in :27.291 seconds over the 550 yard course to earn a speed index of 105. Jamie Mendoza’s Six Moons Streakin finished a halflength off the winner earning $3,460. Trained by Robert Touchet, the Streakin La Jolla 6-year-old gelding was ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo. Stone Star Jumper finished third for owner/breeder Brian Heath Goodwin. Bobby Moore, Jr., saddled the Sc Chiseled In Stone gelding with J.R. Ramirez on board. Completing the field were Mr Oklahoma Express, Dress Me Anywhere and Make It Kimbo.

April 25, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Mr La Bubba wins Manro Downs Maturity

Newton and Grisham Wilmes’ Mr La Bubba outdueled Old Yellow Water and Vodka With Ice at the wire to take the $50,500 Manor Downs Maturity(G3) Saturday afternoon. Making just his second start in 2009, the stakes winning son of Feature Mr Jess covered the 400 yards in :20.150 seconds to earn a 99 speed index. Saddled by Ed Hardy the gelded sorrel was ridden by Tad W. Laggett. In his last start on March 17, Mr La Bubba finished second in the Streakin La Jolla stakes at Louisiana Downs. The winner of last season’s Canterbury Derby, he pushed his career record to 6-6-2 from 19 starts. Bred in Oklahoma by Steve Holt, the $22,220 winner’s purse pushed his career earnings to more than $107,000. Just a head off the winner was Old Yellow Water, a five-year-old son of First Down Dash owned by Javier Marquez. The California bred was handled by Gregory Gonzalez and picked up $8,585 for his effort. Jose Amador was on board. Another neck back was Vodka With Ice, a stakes winning son of Stoli who was losing the first time in three starts this season. Third place money of $5,050 pushed his career earnings to more than $55,000. Owned by Oscar Jaime Diaz, Vodka With Ice is trained by Eusevio Huitron and ridden by Santos Carrizales. Completing the field were Off Key Harmony, Sheza Bright Wood, El Zapatista, Heza Two Timing Man, Vail Mountain and First Down Devon.

Sir Ellerton wins Manor Futurity; Mr Queens Mystery takes Derby

Ariel R. Campos’ Sir Ellerton picked a great day to break his maiden. The two-year-old Brimmerton gelding scored a ¾ length victory worth $127,160 when he won the $289,000 Manor Downs Futurity (G1) on Sunday afternoon. Sunday the sorrel gelding put it all together with a driving finish under James Brooks into an 18 mph head wind. He was clocked in :18.065 seconds, slower than all ten of the qualifiers that came into the race from the April 12 trials. Previously, Sir Ellerton finished second by a head in his Manor Downs Futurity trial while setting the fourth fastest time. His two prior outings to that trial included an offthe-board Harrah’s Futurity trial effort. He then finished a distant third in a maiden race at Louisiana Downs won by Remington Park Futurity (G1) runner-up Dynaglide on March 15. Campos, who owned and trained Okey Dokey Fantasy to victory in the Manor Downs Futurity (G1) and Longhorn Futurity(G2) three years ago, also trains Sir Ellerton. The son of Okey Dokey Dale went on to win the Ruidoso Futurity(G1) and earn more than $576,000. Mario Saenz’s Cjr Snowman finished second earning $49,130. The This Snow Is Royal colt was saddled by Paul Ramirez and ridden by Saul Ramirez. Ocean Fun, a filly from the first crop of champion Ocean Runaway, was a head off the second place horse to finish third and become her sire’s first stakes horse. Owned by Rogelio Rangel, Ocean Fun earned $28,300 and is handled by Joe Bryan Rangel. Jose Alavarez was in the irons. Completing the field were A Relagate High, Sixy De Quick Draw and Silk Mountain-DH, Johnny One, Shake Em Special, This Hawk Can Fly and First Baby Zevi.

Mr Queens Mystery runs streak to ﬁve in Derby win

Azoom Lp’s Mr Queens Mystery ran his winning streak to five straight on Sunday afternoon with a nose victory in the $146,000 Manor Downs Derby (G3). The grade 1 winning Shazoom colt dueled to the wire and was driving with a :17.799 effort over the 350 yards. Robert Touchet saddled the brown colt who earned the winner’s purse of $64,240 with regular rider Rodrigo Vallejo on board. Bred in Oklahoma by Newcomb Cattle Company and Micah Leslie, Mr Queen Mystery pushed his career record to 5-1-1 from eight lifetime starts and earnings to nearly $590,000. He is out of the multiple grade 1 winning First Place Queen who earned $880,869. Mr Queens Mystery began his win streak on October 31, 2008 with a maiden win at Lone Star Park. He then won a trial to the Texas Classic Futurity(G1) and returned on November 29th to take the $1.15 million final. His Manor Derby trial effort kicked off 2009 with a 1 ½ length fastest qualifying effort. Rc Mezoom (1X) and Rampage (1A) were both disqualified for interference. Owned by J and M Racing and Farm, Rc Mezoom who finished second was placed ninth while Rampage was moved from sixth to tenth. Second place money went to La Jolla Suspect owned/bred and trained by Jorge Haddad. The Ausual Suspect filly picked up $24,820. Saul Ramirez, Jr. was in the irons. Third place money of $14,600 was awarded to Zooomalicious who raced for Sergio Lozano. The Shazoom filly is saddled by Jose Ramos and was ridden by Jose Vega. Completing the order of finish were Charal Kid, Point Of Deception, Arctic Dash, Mdt Streetfighter, It’s a Black Oak, Rc Mezoom and Rampage.

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie, TX Jonesboro gets up just in time to win Texas Mile, becomes Thoroughbred racing’s newest millionaire with Gritty Victory

Jonesboro with Cliff Berry, up

Southern Region

Michael Langford’s Jonesboro, named after Langford’s hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas, trained by Randy Morse, wore down a stubborn opponent in King Dan to win the 13th running of the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile, for 3-year-olds and upward, over a fast track at Lone Star Park on Saturday. With Lone Star Park’s all-time leading rider Cliff Berry in the saddle, Jonesboro showed a sharp first step out of the gate before settling in approximately five lengths off of the early lead set by race favorite Halo Najib. After being pushed toward the middle of the track around the first turn, he waited behind early fractions of 23.28 and 45.83 before building momentum around the second turn and produced a determined stretch run to freeze the teletimer in 1:36.94 for the one-mile journey. It was a half-length back to King Dan in second and another twoand-one-quarter lengths behind to Encaustic in third. “Randy told me to try to get him out good and that it was up to me from there,” said winning jockey Cliff Berry. “Those other horses pushed him out a little bit going into the first turn, but he’s a tough old horse and he just kept trying. He ran great. He dug in the whole way.” With the win, Jonesboro improved his career mark to 13 wins from 38 starts and the $180,000 winner’s share of the purse, pushed Jonesboro past the one million dollar mark in career earnings to $1,123,575. “He’s earned it the hard way. This is actually the biggest race he’s ever won and for him to reach this milestone here in Texas, it’s special. I’m from Texas,” said winning trainer Randy Morse. “It’s been special,” added winning owner Michael Langford. “Randy has done a great job with him. We thought from day one he was a good horse and we’ve been trying for this. We wanted it to happen and it happened here. I want to say that Lone Star Park has been terrific. This is such a nice place and we have enjoyed being here so much.” Jonesboro paid $6.40, $3.40, $2.60, runner-up King Dan returned $6.80, $5.20, and Encaustic paid $5.20 for show. Halo Najib, Por Que, King Darius and Catmantoo completed the order of finish.

Even-money favorite Kays and Jays doesn’t disappoint with 9 1/2-length win in Richland Hills Stakes

Hotlantic

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Even-money favorite Kays and Jays, owned by Zayat Stables LLC. and trained by Mike Mitchell, was an impressive winner by 9 1/2 lengths in Saturday’s 13th running of the $50,000 Richland Hills Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs over a fast main track at Lone Star Park. The three-year-old daughter of Macho Uno finished in 1:08.78, only two hundredths of a second off the stakes record of 1:08.76 set by True Tails in 2005. Ridden by Jose Lezcano, Kays and Jays showed good early speed while pressing the pace from the outside just behind Affirmed Truth through fractions of :21.74 and :43.60. She went three wide on the turn to take the lead before drawing away from the field through the stretch to finish just short of the stakes record. “A good birthday present,” said Mike Mitchell who was celebrating his 61st birthday. “When we drew the outside post, it made it easy. I told my jockey, ‘if they’re really rolling out there and you want to take a hold of her, go ahead.’ She broke pretty sharp and he rode a good race. “There’s always the question, ‘will they like the dirt?

She liked the dirt and that was great,” added Mitchell. Winning jockey Jose Lezcano agreed, “She was very, very sharp, like Mike said. “When I asked her, she came with that punch.” With the win, Kays and Jays improved her record to three wins from six starts and increased her lifetime earnings to $150,200. Capote Attraction finished second, a length-andthree-quarters ahead of the early leader Affirmed Truth, who was third. Kays and Jays paid $4.20, $3.00, $2.20, runner-up Capote Attraction returned $3.60, $2.40, and Affirmed Truth paid $2.60 for show. Smokin Again, and Shining Moment completed the order of finish.

Southern Region, Har D Boy ﬁnish a nose apart to give trainer Steve Asmussen one-two ﬁnish in Grand Prairie Turf Challenge

Whispering Oaks Farm LLC’s Southern Region, with Lone Star Park’s current meet-leading jockey Chris Landeros aboard, took an early lead and held off a furious charge by five rivals to win by a nose in the 13th running of the $50,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge, for 3-year-olds, over a firm turf course on Saturday at Lone Star Park. The winner and second-place finisher Har D Boy gave Lone Star Park’s all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen a one-two finish in the race. A crowded photo finish revealed that Har D Boy was nosed out for the win and he finished only a neck in front of third-place Jake Wil Gallop. And Music Came was fourth, another neck back, and a length ahead of fifthplace finisher Ticfaw, whose strong late charge was too late after being blocked at the 3/16th pole. Southern Region, a 3-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding, set the pace at the head of the 12-horse field through early fractions of 23.17 and 46.66 and responded well in the stretch while being fully extended to hold off his challengers and stop the teletimer in 1:35.99. “He’s got a lot of talent,” said Asmussen. Chris did a very good job just letting him relax and be who he is. I made a few mistakes with him earlier trying to take too much hold of him but Chris did the right thing on him today and he was able to come out on top.” “As soon as I hit the backside, he got on the lead himself and he just backed up and relaxed,” explained Landeros. “I was just buying my time until I kind of pressed him. He is just a nice horse. He just dragged me around there.” With his first career stakes win, Southern Region improved his record two wins, three seconds and a third in seven races. The $30,000 winner’s share increased his lifetime earnings to $82,480. Southern Region paid $8.20, $4.20, $3.40, runner-up Har D Boy returned $5.20, $4.40, and Jake Wil Gallop paid $11.00 for show. And Music Came, Ticfaw, Atlantic Slick, Messy Marvin, Harbour City, Cashinmywranglers, Tamqeen, and Face Off completed the order of finish.

Front-running longshot Hotlantic holds off 10 others to capture Irving Distaff

Longshot Hotlantic, owned by Ace Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by Dallas Keen, went to the lead early and held on to finish 1 1/2 lengths ahead of favorite Everlasting Beauty to win the 13th Running of the Irving Distaff for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, over a firm turf course at Lone Star Park on Saturday. Ridden by Jose Figueroa, the 5-year-old Stormy Atlantic mare responded well in the stretch under strong urging after setting early fractions of 23.28 and 45.86 to earn his fourth career victory that rewarded his backers with a $42.80 win payout.

RACING NEWS “If it weren’t for long shots, I probably wouldn’t have won too many races,” said winning trainer Dallas Keen. “She ran really well at the Fair Grounds. It’s a different turf course than here, not nearly as fast. “She’s a front running filly. She always has been and always will be. My instructions (to the jockey) were not to send her away from the gate. Let her kind of do it on her own, and when it’s time to move, do it like there is one in front of you. That’s what he did and it worked.” “My instructions were to just let her break on top and get a hold of her,” explained winning rider Jose Figueroa. “Don’t get anything out of her, just let her run her race. I wasn’t worried about it (her relaxing). I watched some replays and she usually runs in the front and in the bit. He (Keen) told me not to take anything out of her. I was not looking back, I was just going.” With the win and $30,000 winner’s share, Hotlantic improved to four wins in 21 starts and boosted her career earnings to $116,749. Hotlantic paid $42.80, $14.20, $6.40, runner-up Everlasting Beauty returned $4.00, $3.20, and Love to Tell paid $4.00 for show. R Charlie’s Angel, Pretty Squall, Sweet Lemonade, Plan Nine, Nice Inheritance, and Cigar Starter completed the order of finish.

April 19, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Sweet Violets wins Frances Carr Distaff Stakes

Sweet Violets more than doubled her lifetime earnings Sunday afternoon when she pulled off a ½ length victory in the $40,000 Frances Carr Distaff Stakes(G3) at Manor Downs. The distaff for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up, the Stoli filly covered the 350 yards in :17.565. The winner purse of $17,600 pushed her career earnings to $32,714. Owned by J and M Racing and Farm, Sweet Violets has won five races from 14 career starts. Trained by Gregory Gonzalez and ridden by Jose Alvarez, the fouryear-old mare was making her second start of 2009. Diane and Paul Wolfe’s Check Out Kaelie was 1-1/4 lengths ahead of the field for second. Saddled by Ed

April 26, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Manor Downs Futurity-G1 Trials Horse

Time

Hardy and ridden by Luis Ramirez, the Check Him Out 3-year-old filly earned $6,800 for her effort. She came into the race off an allowance victory at Manor Downs on March 15. Retama Park Futurity(G1) winner Zoomin Doll finished third for Daniel Hernandez Castillo. Runner-up in the Longhorn Derby(G2) in her last start, the Shazoom filly earned $4,000. Trained by Robert Touchet and ridden by Luis Ramirez, Zoomin Doll has earned more than $152,000. Completing the field were Fast Dollars Winning Panther Purr and Reba Cleta (DH), Xo Kate, Probable Interest, Speed Alert and Wanta Be Free.

April 12, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Johnny One best in Longhorn Futurity trials

Johnny One, owned and trained by Jose Espinosa, picked the Longhorn Futurity trials on Sunday to break his maiden. The Jess Louisiana Blue gelding did it in impressive fashion when he roared to a 1-1/2 length win in :17.646 seconds to score the top time from 93 two-year-olds who participated in 10 trial heats. Ridden by Cipriano Vidana, the brown gelding finally got a clean race in his Manor Futurity trial and earned a career high 101 speed index. Bred in Texas by David or Cindy Fazzino, Johnny One is out of an On A High mare, Daves Holiday. Racing for Cesar Lopez, A Relagate High also broke his maiden on Sunday afternoon in the 350 yards trial in :17.662 for the second fastest time. Ridden by Jose Vega for trainer Jose Ramos, the Relagate-TB filly won her trial by one length. It was day for maiden winners posting top times when This Hawk Can Fly owned by Pete Scarmardo and trained by Jane Van Bebber won the seventh trial in :17.711 for the third best clocking. The ten finalists will return on April 26 to contest the $300,000-est. final.

Trials: APRIL 12, 2009 Final: APRIL 26, 2009 Purse: $300,000-EST. Age: 2-YEAR-OLDS Distance: 350 YARDS Owner

Trainer

Johnny One :17.646 Jose R. Espinosa Jose R Espinosa A Relagate High :17.662 Cesar C. Lopez Jose A Ramos This Hawk Can Fly :17.711 Pete A. Scarmardo Janet A Van Bebber Sir Ellerton :17.738 Ariel R. Campos Owner Ocean Fun :17.760 Rogelio Rangel Joe Bryan Rangel First Baby Zevi :17.792 Jorge Meraz Frank Cavazos Shake Em Special Pop :17.824 Sergio Maldonado Elida Bustamante Silk Mountain :17.826 Valeriano, Joel and Valeriano, Jr., Joel Jose M Joe Garza Sixy de Quick Draw :17.848 Pete A. Scarmardo Janet A Van Bebber Gjr Snowman :17.854 Mario L. Saenz Paul Ramirez Trial Notes: Johnny One won the fourth of ten trials by 1-1/2 lengths to post the fastest qualifying time.

April 11, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Mr Queens Mystery sets the pace in Manor Downs Derby trials

After a shaky start, G1 winner Mr Queens Mystery crossed the wire 1-1/2 lengths to win his three-yearold debut and set the fastest qualifying time to the

Jockey Cipriano U Vidana Jose Vega Alfonso Lujan James N Brooks Jose A Alvarez Juan L Vazquez Ignacio Bustamante Rudy Bustamante Alfonso Lujan Saul Ramirez, Jr

$150,000-est. Manor Downs Derby (G2) on Saturday at Manor Downs. The ten fastest qualifiers from the six trials will return on Manor’s closing day, April 26, to contest the 350 yards finale. In his first start since winning the $1.15 million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) on November 29 at Lone Star Park, Mr Queens Mustery ran his winning streak to 4 wins for Azoom, LP.

SureBet Racing & Casino News, Inc. • May/Jun 2009 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Saddled by trainer Robert Touchet and ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Mr Queens Mystery pushed his career record to 4-1-1 in eight starts bringing his total earnings to $525,460. His winning streak started on October 31st with a 400 yard maiden victory at Lone Star winning his trial and posted the second fastest qualifying time to the Texas Classic Futurity to eventual World Champion Stolis

April 26, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Manor Downs Derby-G2 Trials Horse

Time

Winner. The connections of Stolis Winner scratched the gelding from the final and Mr Queens Mystery turned in the best performance to win the 400 yard event by ½ length. Bred in Oklahoma by Newcomb Cattle Company and Micah Leslie, Mr Queens Mystery is out of the multiple G1 winner First Place Queen by First Place Dash. B

Trials: APRIL 11, 2009 Final: APRIL 26, 2009 Purse: $150,000-EST. Age: 3-YEAR-OLDS Distance: 350 YARDS Owner

Trainer

Jockey

Mr Queens Mystery :17.655 Azoom LP Robert J Touchet Rodrigo S Vallejo Arctic Dash :17.823 J and M Racing and Farm Gregory J Gonzalez Abdel Torres Mdt Streetfighter :17.831 Michael Taylor M Heath Taylor J R Ramirez Rampage :17.877 J and M Racing and Farm Gregory J Gonzalez Abdel Torres Rc Mezoom :17.881 J and M Racing and Farm Gregory J Gonzalez Abdel Torres Charal Kid :17.888 Malinche Cattle Co, Inc. Eusevio Huitron Santos Carrizales Zoomalicious :17.895 Sergio Lozano Jose A Ramos Jose Vega Point Of Deception :17.900 Alejandro C. Serrato Javier Noel Contreras Juan L Vazquez Its A Black Oak :17.915 Daniel Hernandez Castillo Robert J Touchet Jose Vega La Jolla Suspect :17.927 Jorge Haddad Owner Saul Ramirez, Jr Trial Notes: Making his first start since winning the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity on November 29, Mr Queens Mystery won the third trial by 1-1/2 lengths over Zoomalicious to post the fastest qualifying time.

April 18, 2009 Manor Downs, Manor, TX Manor Downs Maiden Classic Trials Horse

Time

Owner

Trials: APRIL 5, 2009 Final: APRIL 18, 2009 Purse: $10,000-ADDED Age: 3-YEAR-OLD & UP MAIDENS AT TIME OF NOMINATION Distance: 400 YARDS Trainer

Buy Who :20.179 Jaime Mendoza Robert J Touchet Terra Berra :20.181 Gerardo Rivera Angel Sanchez This Aint Daisey :20.196 C and G Racing Stable James Hardegree Ready Hawk Fly :20.205 J and M Racing and Farm Gregory J Gonzalez Hop Kip And Stoli :20.210 Benavides, Jr., Armando and Gevara, Rene Robert Monsivais Touch Of Grey :20.264 Albert Saenz Robert Monsivais Six Little Cowgirls :20.267 Geovanny Corral Salvador G Flores DH-Snow in March :20.291 Ramiro Araiza Rodolfo Sanchez DH-Chicks Easy Dasher :20.291 Luz Riojas Patricio Riojas Zoom Honi Zoom :20.298 A and D Racing Alfred A Aparicio Trial Notes: Buy Who won the third of six trials by a nose over This Aint Daisey to post the fastest qualifying time.

Jockey Saul Ramirez, Jr Sergio H Fuentes Rudy Bustamante Jose A Alvarez Modesto Pina Modesto Pina Ruben G Flores Saul Ramirez, Jr Rogelio Izquierdo Jose A Alvarez

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