MR PILOTO PULLS HUGE UPSET IN ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY

Sep 8th, 10
In one of the closest finishes in the long history of the $1.9-million All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet (G1), 22-1 longshot and 10th-fastest qualifier Mr Piloto prevailed by a nose in a three-horse photo to earn the $1-million check on Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs.

Jockey Jacky Martin, who was seeking his eighth All American Futurity win, had a troubled trip on favorite and fastest qualifier JLS Mr Bigtime but made a valiant run to take second. The Bigtime Favorite gelding earned $285,000 for breeder/owner JLS Speed Horse Ranch Inc. and trainer Darrel Soileau. It was another nose back to Bobby Cox’s homebred Mr Jess Perry colt Dominyun, who was ridden by Russel Hadley and trained by John Buchanan.

Mr Piloto, a Mr Jess Perry colt who is owned by Jose Trevino’s Tremor Enterprises LLC and was ridden by Esgar Ramirez, broke from the outside post in the field of nine depleted by the scratch of Episode Of Fire. The Felipe Quintero-trained Mr Piloto, who showed speed from the start, drifted out toward the fence and just prevailed at the wire. The colt finished the 440-yard race in :21.553 for a 87 speed index against a 5 mph headwind. He entered the race with earnings of $2,240 and left with a bankroll of $1,002,240. 

Mr Piloto (then named Maverick Perry) sold for $81,000 at the 2009 Heritage Place Yearling Sale to Ramiro Guajardo Villarreal. In January, Fernando Garcia's Garcia Bloodstock & Racing of Tucson, Arizona, acquired the colt, who began his racing career four months later with trainer Jim Boss. Quintero took over the training duties after Mr Piloto finished off the board in trials to the Grade 1 Ruidoso and Rainbow futurities. Mr Piloto was sold privately to Tremor Enterprises LLC prior to the All American trials and in his first start for Quintero, the gelding won the 15th of 20 All American trials in :21.477 to earn the final qualifying spot.

Quintero took the unusual step of stabling Mr Piloto at Horseman’s Park, a training center in nearby Tularosa, in the time between the trials and the final.

“I can't explain it,” said the trainer. “It's the best feeling in the world. I just have to thank (jockey) Esgar Ramirez, who did a wonderful job. He got the horse out of the gate the way he should.”

At age 27, Quintero is among the youngest trainers to win the prestigious race. The youngest trainer to win the All American is believed to be 26-year-old Jimmie Jones, who saddled Laico Bird to win the 1967 running.

“He broke real good,” said Ramirez. “He started lugging out a little bit. I was in front all the way, and I started getting excited because I didn't see anybody besides me. I just kept riding all the way to the wire.”
 
Bred in Louisiana by Ill Take a Twirl LLC, Mr Piloto is out of the Grade 3 stakes-winning Splash Bac mare Ms Pilot Point, whose first foals are 2-year-olds of this year. Owned by Grant Farms LLC, Ms Pilot Point is also the dam of Goose Perry, a full brother to Mr Piloto who posted the 12th-fastest time to the All American.

Mr Piloto is the first All American Futurity winner for Mr Jess Perry, who is the sire of 68 stakes winners and the earners of more than $32 million. Mr Jess Perry, a Grade 1 winner and the AQHA Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in 1994, stands at Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. The stallion had three other horses in the race, Dominyun, Miss Racy Jess and JD Baccarat.

Make Me Fly finished fourth, followed by DM Streakn Thru Fire, Cuz Iba Okey, Miss Racy Jess, JD Baccarat and Prospect To The Top, who crossed the wire seventh but was disqualified to ninth for interference.

In the $150,000 All American Juvenile Stakes (R) earlier on the card, 13-1 longshot Cold Cash 123 drew away to a two-length victory under jockey Jose Montoya. The Michigan-bred stopped the timer at :21.269 to earn a 94 speed index at 440 yards. Bred and owed by T Bill Stables Inc., the Oak Tree Special gelding won his August 19 trial for the All American Futurity presented by Sentient Jet (G1) but was not quite fast enough to make it into the final. Cold Cash 123, who is conditioned by C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, picked up $42,325 for the win.

Joe M. Flores’ The Printing Press, a gelding by Feature Mr Jess, got up to take second at odds of 23-1. Another longshot, Pump It Up Teller, finished third at 23-1 for owners Jeff Jones and Stephen Williams. Rainbow Futurity (G1) winner Hes Too Icy For Me crossed the wire fourth as the 7-10 favorite. AQHA Communications