Quarter Horse News

Racing Industry Update

American Quarter Horse Association, May 24, 2013- AQHA is strongly urging all horsemen and racing jurisdictions involved with American Quarter Horse racing to begin the process of adopting, by reference, the Racing Commissioners International Controlled Therapeutic Medication schedule.
 
With the boards of both the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (consisting of 24 racing industry stakeholders and organizations) and RCI (consisting of representatives from racing authorities across the United States, Canada and other international jurisdictions), these medications and this schedule have been vetted by the scientific experts and rule makers in our industry that should give states and provinces the information they need to move forward with adoption.
 
“The RMTC’s approval of these last few thresholds and withdrawal times from the set of 24 therapeutic substances identified by the industry represents a significant investment of resources by the RMTC and its stakeholders,” said RMTC Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis in a press release on March 22. “These guidelines will pave the way for uniform adoption of medication regulations across the country.”
 
In an April 2 press release, RCI gave final approval to the “RCI Controlled Therapeutic Medication Schedule.” RCI Chairman Duncan Patterson said, “For years, we have talked about uniformity, but today is the first day that we can say there is agreement as to what constitutes a violation.”
 
RCI President Ed Martin said, “Regulators are being encouraged to achieve uniformity by adding the RCI schedule to their rules ‘by reference,’ a common way to incorporate a nationally recognized standard into public policy.”
 
Eight states in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Northeast United States have already begun the process for adopting the rules and have set a goal of January 1, 2014, to have the uniform rules in place.
 
New Mexico and Texas have each taken steps to strengthen their respective commissions and rules. New Mexico increased the budget for investigations, drug testing and other areas. Last October, Texas released a memo stating that it reviewed the ARCI’s Task Force on Medication Science’s proposed changes to the list of approved therapeutics and revised its list of medications and their permissible post-race concentration levels in blood and urine. Texas also adopted new Clenbuterol thresholds on March 28.

AQHA also is announcing today that the American Quarter Horse Foundation is funding a dermorphin study through a private donation to fund a research project being conducted by the RMTC and HFL Laboratories in Lexington, Kentucky. Methods to detect and identify dermorphin have been developed but there is no certified reference material to compare samples to. This project is aimed at supporting the development of a synthetic reference dermorphin that will be provided to racehorse testing laboratories for use as a reference testing standard.
 
“I am proud that AQHA can take a leadership role, especially with respect to funding the dermorphin study, which will be useful to all racing breeds,” said AQHA President Johne Dobbs of Champaign, Illinois. “I’m also grateful to our members who step up to help the industry in the many ways they have. It is the responsibility of every person involved to do all we can to clean it up and make it safe for all.”

Believed to have up to 40 times more potency than morphine, dermorphin is produced naturally as a skin secretion in certain species of South American frogs, but can also be produced synthetically. It is speculated that the drug is being manufactured synthetically, due to the high doses that would be required to produce an effect in a horse.
 
“Today is the day,” said AQHA First Vice President Johnny Trotter, an active racehorse breeder and owner from Hereford, Texas. “The various states and provinces will each have to go through a process to get this done but make no mistake – Congress is watching.”

Trotter is referring to the recently introduced Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, written by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA).

“Members in Congress still do not believe that the racing industry will address and fix its problems,” Trotter concluded. “We must demonstrate otherwise.”
 
“The industry has come a long way the past couple of years and we are close,” added AQHA Executive Vice President Don Treadway Jr. “We encourage people to start the process to adopt the new medication schedule and, if additional assistance or information is needed, AQHA’s racing office is a ready resource. We are confident we will continue to gain ground, keep cheaters and those who risk harming our horses and riders out of the business, while protecting the trust the wagering public has placed in our sport – and in us as industry leaders.”
 
AQHA and its numerous committees and groups dedicated to protecting the horse, horsemen and the wagering public will remain vigilant in its pursuit of clean racing, and respected and honorable horsemen. In turn, the fans and public will know they are competing at the highest levels and with the utmost integrity. AQHA will continue to support anyone who pursues better drug testing, harsher penalties and improvements in our industry that is good for the whole.
 
Leadership at tracks such as Los Alamitos Race Course, Ruidoso Downs, Remington Park, Hialeah Park, Sunland Park, Sam Houston Race Park and others have proven that they are going to do what it takes to punish cheaters and keep horse racing honest. AQHA supports these efforts and the efforts of the racing authorities in the respective jurisdictions.

For further information, please visit www.aqharacing.comfor information about AQHA’s racing welfare and medication efforts and other industry news.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Futurity Weekend at Delta Downs

American Quarter Horse Association, May 23, 2013 - Kay and Wade Loup’s homebred Kiss You All Over in Friday’s $246,142 Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2) and Luciano Rodriguez’s Run Daddy Run in Saturday’s $271,460 Louisiana Breeders Laddie Futurity (RG2) help make for a big state-bred futurity weekend at Delta Downs.

Kiss You All Over (Fast Prize Dash-Sheza Neon Rose by Takin On The Cash) has shown promise in each of her two starts. After a second-place run in her career debut, the Vann Haywood-trained filly sped to a length win at 14-1 odds in her futurity trial. She raced in the last of 11 trials. Her time of :16.793 for 330 yards was the top mark.

Douglas Traylor’s Dashing Jet Rio (Jet Black Patriot-Dashing Obsession by Mr Jess Perry) demands attention after winning her trial by 1 1/2 lengths in her first start. The Kenny Roberts-trained filly raced to the second-fastest qualifying time of :16.840 and figures to improve in her second start.

Run Daddy Run (Sir Runaway Dash-Missy Sister by Runaway Winner) topped the 13 Laddie trials at nearly 9-1 odds when he won the seventh heat by a neck in :16.815. The member of the Joseph Vacca barn prepared for the trials with a third-place finish in a Louisiana Downs maiden race.

Pina-Garcia Ranch’s Yagouti (Jet Black Patriot-Afri by Fishers Dash) has an experience edge with three starts and finishing fifth in the Mardi Gras Futurity (RG3). He came back from that futurity run for trainer Robert Meche to win his Laddie trial by a half length. He was clocked in the second-fastest time of :16.837.

In addition, Ruidoso Downs opens its summer meet with 25 Ruidoso Futurity (G1) trials on Friday and Ruidoso Derby (G1) trials on Saturday. The Racing Aces will be following the action, with timely updates and coverage via Facebookand Twitter.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Records Could Fall in Kindergarten

American Quarter Horse Association, May 16, 2013 - The records for wins by an owner and wins by a trainer in the fabled Kindergarten Futurity, which was first contested in 1955 (four years before the first All American Futurity), could fall on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

The Kindergarten was once an iconic target for 2-year-olds and had a purse high of $607,710 in 1982. Now it has been relegated to Grade 2 status, with a $281,000 purse. It has been surpassed on the Los Alamitos 2-year-old stakes lineup by the three Grade 1 million-dollar futurities: the Ed Burke Million, Golden State Million and the Los Alamitos Two Million. Previous Kindergarten winners during the race’s golden years included Pap (1956), Tonto Bars Hank (1960), Pokey Bar (1961), Jet Deck (1962), Whataway To Go (1969), Osage Rocket (1971), Pockatu (1972), Easy Date (1974), Ettago Chickie (1980), First Down Dash (1986), Runaway Winner (1987) and Corona Chick (1991).

Owner James Streelman’s Dutch Masters III is trying to surpass the record of four wins he shares with Ivan Ashment, whose four wins include three-straight victories with Bobby’s Angel, Sir Chica Mor and Town Policy.

Trainer Jaime Gomez shares the record of seven Kindergarten wins with American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame trainer Blane Schvaneveldt, who trained all of Ashment’s horses. Gomez has conditioned Dutch Masters III’s Kindergarten winners.

On Sunday, Gomez saddles Dutch Masters III’s fastest qualifier She Forgives (Foose-Forgive Him by Hawkinson), the Dutch Masters III and Gomez co-owned Docs First Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Dutch Secret by Separatist) and Bobby Cox’s Shake Djibouti (TR Dasher-Jess Shakem by Mr Jess Perry).

She Forgives has won each of her two starts and took her Kindergarten trial by a length over fourth-fastest qualifier Bad Fast (No Secrets Here-Faster Car by Tres Seis). She Forgives topped the nine trials with her :15.375 time for 300 yards, while Bad Fast was timed in :15.526. She Forgives showed her potential in her debut when she won by a half length, with a :15.51 time for 300 yards.

Docs First Fire is a maiden after finishing second in a maiden race and then third in his Kindergarten trial, with the ninth-fastest qualifying time of :15.615.

Shake Djibouti, co-bred by Streelman with Bill Dale, could be dangerous in the Kindergarten after moving forward with a 1-length trial win in the third-fastest time of :15.487. In her other start, she was a non-threatening fourth in a maiden race.

The Jose Flores-owned and -trained Glitter In My Face (Special Cartel-Granny Janny by Pritzi Dash) is perfect after two starts and boasts the second-fastest qualifying time. She won her maiden by a half length and then took her Kindergarten trial by three quarters of a length in :15.429.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Familiar Face Returns to Poll

American Quarter Horse Association, May 15, 2013 -Cold Cash 123, American Quarter Horse racing’s world champion in 2011, served notice that he’s back in a big way Sunday when winning the Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2) at Remington Park. That effort landed him the No. 3 ranking in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings for the older horses. The poll for the 2-year-olds also made news this week as pollsters teetered in favor of Especially Tres as the new No. 1 juvenile in the land.

Cold Cash 123 now has won 13 of 22 starts for more than $1.3 million and is expected for a title defense June 1 in the Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1).

The national poll for the older horses continues to be led by unanimous No. 1 Rylees Boy, winner of the Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1). PJ Chick In Black held second this week narrowly, 77-73 in the balloting, over Cold Cash 123.

On the 2-year-old front, the season’s second week of rankings saw balloters shift slightly at the top. Only two points separated the top two vote-getters in the division’s season debut poll last week, and this week Especially Tres landed three points to the good of WR Golden Eagle, 91-88, on the ballots. Two new runners cracked the bottom of the Top 10 for the juveniles, No. 9 Wagon Tales and No. 10 Dynasty Edition. Wagon Tales impressed pollsters with his trial victory for the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) this past weekend.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS
 
    1. ESPECIALLY TRES (91)
    2. WR GOLDEN EAGLE (88)
    3. CORONADO CARTEL (81)
    4. FETCHING BEAUTY (69)
    5. HOUDINI (50)
    6. SEPARATIST FIRSTDOWN (39)
    7. MOONIFISANT (29)
    8. SANDRA SUE BLUE (28)
    9. WAGON TALES (27)
    10. DYNASTY EDITION (10)

Anna Delovely (9), She Forgives (8), Hes Relentless (6), GI Genes (4). Chief Coronas Charm (3), Ellens Regard (2), Race Day Delight (2), Mistic Rose (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER
 
    1. RYLEES BOY (100)
    2. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (77)
    3. COLD CASH 123 (73)
    4. REMEMBERING SPENCE (66)
    5. FIRST IN CLASS DBS (59)
    6. TF FEATURED EFFORT (42)
    7. KOOL COUNTRY MAN (36)
    8. BRACE FOR BERNAL (31)
    9. FEATURE MR WHO (17)
    10. TRES OF LINDA (16)

Fast Prize Mike (13), Mr Ease Cartel (8), Big Boi (5), Flirtingwithamiracle (3), Tejas Energy B (1), Runaway Wagon (1), Bills Last (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Horseplayernow.com, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Gilbreath Duo Lead Remington Challenge Night

American Quarter Horse Association, May 9, 2013 - The Sleepy Gilbreath-trained pair of 2011 world champion Cold Cash 123 and Leo Stakes (G1) runner-up The Long Knife racing in the $101,340 Bank of America Remington Park Championship Challenge (G2) highlight a card dominated by Bank of America Racing Challenge races on Sunday at the Oklahoma City track.

T-Bill Stables’ Cold Cash 123 (Oak Tree Special-Hot Cash 123 by Takin On The Cash) returns to the Gilbreath barn after racing at Los Alamitos under the care of trainer Denny Ekins. At Los Alamitos, he won the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) and was third as the 2-5 favorite in the Robert L Boniface Los Alamitos Championship (G1). Those were his best finishes from five West Coast starts. He will be making his first appearance in the Bank of America Remington Challenge Championship since a troubled sixth-place finish in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) in mid-February.

Cold Cash 123 made two starts at Remington Park a year ago for Gilbreath, winning the Leo Stakes (G1) and the Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) in successive starts as the solid choice in each race.

During his 2011 world championship campaign, he raced to Grade 1 wins in the Rainbow Derby, Texas Classic Derby and The Championship at Sunland Park for Gilbreath.

Steve Denny’s The Long Knife (Tac It Like A Man-Oodles Of Cash by Hooked On Cash) comes off a close second-place finish in the Leo Handicap on March 30. The gelding finished just a neck behind First In Class DBS as the 2-1 favorite. He won the Texas Classic Derby (G1) in November and was second behind champion Feature Mr Bojangles in the 2011 Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Wade Siegel and Don Boyle’s BF Farm Boy (Hawkinson-Shirleys Strawfly by Strawfly Special) returns to the stakes ranks under trainer William Harris’ care after taking a $25,000 allowance race on April 21. The gelding was third in the 2012 Bank of America Los Alamitos Championship Challenge (G3) and qualified for the 2010 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) while being trained by Paul Jones, his conditioner until his latest start.

In the $40,860 Merial Remington Distaff Challenge at 400 yards, Reliance Ranches’ Cruzin The Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Penelope Cruzin by Okey Dokey Dale) and the Dean Frey-owned, -bred and -trained Shez Jess Toxic (Take Off Jess-Dashing Fly Lady by Victory Dash) meet in a deep field of 10 fillies and mares.

Cruzin The Wagon chases her first stakes win during the current Remington Park season after finishing third in the Mighty Deck Three Handicap and second in the Decketta Stakes (G3) as the 5-2 favorite. A year ago, she won the $135,000 Oklahoma Derby and Jack Brooks Stakes (RG3) at Remington Park.

Shez Jess Toxic makes her Remington Park debut after finishing fourth in the Charger Bar Handicap (G2) at Los Alamitos back in January. She was second in the Southern California Derby (G1) in her start before the Charger Bar.

In the $45,270 Red Cell Remington Distance Challenge (G3) at 870 yards, Steve Holt’s champion De Passem Okey (Okey Dokey Dale-Impassable Gal (TB) by Sir Richard Lewis) heads an entertaining and competitive lineup of nine distance specialists.

De Passem Okey returned from a layoff to finish second in the Pauls Valley Handicap (G3) and then win a $25,100 allowance race as the 3-5 choice. A former $7,500 claimer, the Rodney Reed-trained gelding won last year’s Red Cell Remington Park Distance Challenge (G3) by 3 lengths while winning each of his four starts, including three stakes, during the 2012 Remington Park season.

Richard Sturdevant, Terry Wootan and J.D. Yates’s DM Streakn Thru Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Sashay N Six by Sixarun) is a rising 870-yard star. In his 870-yard debut, he won his trial to the Red Cell Sunland Distance Challenge (G3) and then finished second in the finals as the 11-10 favorite, his most recent start.

DM Streakn Thru Fire won the 2012 Lovington Stakes (G2), was second in the Zia Park Championship (G1), and was a close third behind Cold Cash 123 in the 2011 Rainbow Derby (G1), third in the Texas Classic Futurity (G1) and qualified for the All American Futurity (G1) while racing on the straightaway.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacingon Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscastand visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Los Al, Sunland Winners Crack National Top 10

American Quarter Horse Association, April 10, 2013 - Two new faces joined this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings, which once again was headed by the unanimous No. 1 Rylees Boy. The newcomers were Feature Mr Who, who debuted at No. 7 following his win in the $107,370 Bank of America Sunland Championship Challenge (G2), and Mr Ease Cartel, now ranked No. 8 following his score in Los Alamitos’ $205,900 El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2). Both won their first stakes races, and Feature Mr Who earned a flashy 108 speed index in his Sunland Park score.

The national top 10 has really taken shape in recent weeks with last year’s champion 2-year-old filly PJ Chick In Black making a successful sophomore return in the West Texas Derby (G3) and First In Class DBS taking Remington Park’s first major Grade 1 of the older-horse division in the Leo Stakes.

The AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings are presented each Wednesday of the racing season through year’s end. The national poll for 2-year-olds will debut later this spring as more juveniles embark on their racing careers.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, THREE-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER
 
    1. RYLEES BOY (100)
    2. REMEMBERING SPENCE (76)
    3. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (72)
    4. TF FEATURED EFFORT (53)
    5. FIRST IN CLASS DBS (51)
    6. TRES OF LINDA (41)
    7. FEATURE MR WHO (39)
    8. MR EASE CARTEL (29)
    9. FAST PRIZE MIKE (27)
    10. BIG BOI (12)
 
Brace For Bernal (9), Revv Me Up (8), Fast Prize Jordan (8), Henoshersecret (6), Bills Last (5), JD Baccarat (4), Tejas Energy B (3), ICU Deity (2), Hez Our Secret (2), Last To Fire (1), Habits Secret (1), Thisfeatureisspecial (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Horseplayernow.com, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Showdown in Bank of America Sunland Challenge

American Quarter Horse Association, April 4, 2013 -Fastest-qualifier WDC Wendys Wine and impressive trial winner Jess Featureme Quick are set for a showdown in the $107,370 Bank of America Sunland Championship Challenge (G2) on Sunday after winning the two trials to the 440-yard stakes.

Also on the card is the $231,438 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) for state-bred juveniles, which features fastest qualifier Moonifisant, who races for Peter Gallegos, Robert Sanchez and Patricia Gonzalez.

Alonso and Sylvia Aranda’s WDC Wendys Wine (Woodbridge-Signs Of Speeding by Vital Sign) was claimed for $6,500 13 months ago, and has proven an exceptional choice. She is chasing her fourth-straight win and first stakes victory in the Bank of America Sunland Park Challenge. The Isidoro Rodriguez-trained mare won her trial by three quarters of a length. Her time of :20.761 was the quickest mark.

While WDC Wendys Wine has the top time, favoritism may fall to the stakes-seasoned Jess Featureme Quick (Feature Mr Jess-One Quick Cookie by Royal Quick Dash). The Melissa Ann Miller-owned and Paul Jones-trained gelding brings solid stakes credentials into the Bank of America Sunland Park Challenge with a win in the Hobbs America Derby (G3) and then taking on older horses with a third in the Zia Park Championship (G1) and a second in The Championship at Sunland Park (G1). He was defeated by two-time champion Prospect To The Top in the Zia Park Championship and The Championship at Sunland Park. Jess Featureme Quick impressed in his Bank of America Sunland Challenge trial, winning by three quarters of a length while under a firm hold by jockey Jesse Levario. Jess Featureme Quick’s time of :20.833 was the second-fastest qualifying mark.

At Los Alamitos, trainer Paul Jones looks to dominate as he saddles the fastest qualifiers to the $205,900 El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2) and the $199,400 La Primera Del Ano Derby (G3).

Owned and bred by Jones with Thompson Racing, Henoshersecret (No Secrets Here-Shenosherconorna by Corona Cartel) is the top qualifier to the El Primero Del Ano Derby for males on Sunday night. Cina and John Sperry’s Revv Me Up (Stel Corona-Revv It Up by First Down Dash) holds top honors for the La Primera Del Ano Derby for females on Saturday night.

Henoshersecret raced to his latest two wins in futurity trials and then did not light the board in the finals. He won his Governor’s Cup Futurity (RG2) trial by a half length and then was seventh in the finals at less than 3-1 odds after a troubled start. He then dominated his Golden State Million Futurity (G1) trial by 1 3/4 lengths and then was fourth behind world champion One Dashing Eagle as a 22-1 outsider. The colt displayed similar dominance in his El Primero Del Ano Derby trial with a 1 3/4-length win. His time of :19.687 for 400 yards was the quickest mark from four trials.

Jones’ La Primera hopeful Revv Me Up, co-bred by Jones with Keilani Farms, jumped up and won her maiden in her ninth start with a three-quarter-length win in her trial with a :19.737 time. While winless before her trial, she had six second-place runs in her eight previous starts. In her other two races, Revv Me Up was fifth in the Kindergarten and ninth in the Ed Burke Million.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Fearless Freda Joins Rare Club as Newest Dam of Distinction

American Quarter Horse Association, April 3, 2013 - Robert Gentry’s Fearless Freda has become the newest AQHA Dam of Distinction. She joins only 44 other mares to receive the award.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of racing broodmares. To qualify for the award, a mare must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Dams that produced two or more individual AQHA racing champions
• Dams that produced at least three individual Grade 1 stakes winners
• Dams that produced at least two foals ranked in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year, and two G1 stakes winners
• Dams that produced at least three foals that were in the top 10 money earners of any particular year, as of December 31 of that year.

When the award was created, mares that have produced at least three individual stakes winners prior to 1983, and those wins were the equivalent of a G1-quality race, were also accepted.

Fearless Freda was foaled in 1993, and is by Dash For Cash out of the Special Effort mare Such An Easy Effort. Bred by the Gentry Bros. and named for the brothers’ mother, Fearless Freda won or placed in 17 of 25 starts and earned $262,121. She won the Texas Classic Derby (G1) and QHBC Championship Classic (G1), as well as the Retama Park Derby (G2). She also placed in the 1997 Vessels Maturity (G1) and All American Derby (G1).

Fearless Freda from14 foals has produced 10 starters, eight of whom have come home winners. They have combined earnings of $1,018,772. Her foals include champions Fredricksburg (by Mr Jess Perry, $369,304) and Fredaville (by Mr Jess Perry, $325,321), as well as stakes winner Dasha Freda (by Mr Jess Perry, $111,741) and stakes-placed runners Fearless Fritz (by Shazoom, $100,085) and Fredona (by Corona Cartel, $59,178). Fearless Freda has a 2-year-old by Azoom named Harrisburg.

Prior to Fearless Freda, the most recent Dam of Distinction was Swingin Otoole, recognized in 2010.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

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Rylees Boy Returns to Familiar Poll Perch

American Quarter Horse Association, March 27, 2013 - The top-ranked performer of the 2012 AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 Poll has already returned to his perch in the first poll of 2013. Rylees Boy was last year’s Champion of Champions (G1) hero, and has already added to his impressive resume this season by winning the Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1). The 8-year-old gelding is the reigning champion aged horse and champion aged gelding.

Rylees Boy, a winner in 22 of 45 starts for more than $1.3 million in lifetime earnings, will be aimed at a fall campaign and defense of his Champion of Champions title in December. But pollsters expect him to be prominent in the rankings throughout the season.

The season’s first top 10 also includes Los Alamitos Winter Championship-placed horses Bills Last (No. 7) and Hez Our Secret (No. 9). The sophomore Remembering Spence debuts at No. 2 following his victory in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1). The rest of the first five is rounded out by West Texas Maturity (G2) winner TF Featured Effort, Charger Bar Handicap (G2) heroine Tres Of Linda and Eastex Handicap (G2) champ Fast Prize Mike.

The AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings are presented each Wednesday of the racing season through year’s end. The national poll for 2-year-olds will debut later this spring as more juveniles embark on their racing careers.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER
 
    1. RYLEES BOY (100)
    2. REMEMBERING SPENCE (74)
    3. TF FEATURED EFFORT (56)
    4. TRES OF LINDA (54)
    5. FAST PRIZE MIKE (51)
    6. BIG BOI (35)
    7. BILLS LAST (32)
    8. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (31)
    9. HEZ OUR SECRET (17)
    10. HABITS SECRET (16)
 
JD Baccarat (14), Last To Fire (12), Mr Comando (9), Slew By You (8), Thisfeatureisspecial (6), T Boy C (5), Henoshersecret (5), Fast Prize Jordan (4), Bet On Ballou (4), Creole Williams (3), Revv Me Up (3), Perry Affair (3), First Black Wagon (2), WDC Wendys Wine (2), Zulu Dragon (1), Eufaula Me (1), La Mos Chingono (1)

The 10 voters are:
Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Horseplayernow.com, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)


AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.

Futurity Season Revvs Up in Oklahoma, Louisiana

Q-Racing Journal, March 21, 2013 -James Sills’ fastest-qualifier Swingin Debut heading the $345,000 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) and Wade Helton’s leading-qualifier Llano Cartel facing a deep field in the $136,000 Oklahoma Derby provide an attractive doubleheader on Saturday night at Remington Park.

Swingin Debut (Swingin Jess-Elegant Debut by Corona Cartel) did what his name implies in his Oklahoma Futurity trial when he raced to a three-quarter-length win in his first start. The Eddie D. Willis-trained gelding impressed with the fastest-qualifying time of :15.378 while runner-up Tuff Princess LBH (Stoli-Sixarun Bug by Sixarun) came up with the second-fastest qualifying time of :15.503 from 12 trials.

Laurel Brothers Horses LLC’s Tuff Princess LBH, trained by Christian Rubalcava, was making her first start.

Gaylin Childers’ Royal Rythm (Royal Blue Chew Chew-Supersonic Rhythm by Winning Rhythm) took his trial by a half length with a late charge. The Eddie Lee Willis-trained gelding raced to the third-fastest qualifying time of :15.531.

In the Oklahoma Derby, Llano Cartel (Teller Cartel-Eyesa Lil Cuervo by Lil Bit Cuervo) and Hiclass Vodka (Hiclass La Jolla-Newport Lily by Stoli) grabbed the top two qualifying spots after finishing just a head apart in the fifth of seven trials. Llano Cartel was timed in :17.224 for the 350 yards while Hiclass Vodka was clocked in :17.250.

Cynthia Allen’s fastest-qualifier Secrets Fly looks to start the Louisiana open futurity season with a win as the fastest qualifier to the $191,500 Harrah’s Futurity (G3) on Saturday afternoon at Louisiana Downs.

Secrets Fly (No Secrets Here-Once Upon A Fly by Strawfly Special) was expected to win his trial with his 2-1 odds, and came through with a one-half-length win. The gelding was timed in :15.550 for the 300 yards to lead the five trials. The Vann Haywood-trained gelding earned his trial favoritism with a bullet work from five horses working 220 yards on February 8 at Louisiana Downs.

Victor Silva’s Bux For Bricks (Zoomin For Bux-Brick House Blonde by First Wrangler) also impressed in the trials with a one-half-length win, with the second-fastest qualifying time of :15.564. The filly stood out during works on February 1 at Retama Park when she posted the fastest drill from 55 horses to work 250 yards.

Oscar Canales Ramirez and Isidro Flores’ Separatist Firstdown (Separatist-Shesa Firstdown Jess by First Down Dash) also came through in his first start with a length win and the third-fastest time of :15.576. The Isidro Flores-trained colt went to the front and steadily increased his advantage through the trial.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Futurity Season Kicks Off in Louisiana

Q-Racing Journal, March 14, 2013- Teddy Abrams Jr.’s Kerrys Special Crown leads the list of Louisiana-breds in the year’s first official futurity, the $281,796 Mardi Gras Futurity, at Louisiana Downs on Saturday afternoon.

The sharp T Boy C tops the $84,000 Mardi Gras Derby on the same program.

Kerrys Special Crown (Special Crown Royal-Prissy Lege by Reeds Dash) came through as the 5-2 favorite in the last of 14 trials on February 25 with the fastest-qualifying time. The Franks Cavazos-trained colt won by three quarters of a length with a :15.289 time for the 300 yards with a 12 mph tail wind.

Second-fastest qualifier Struttinthedayaway (Struttin To Beduino-Stol The Day by Stoli) also started his career with a win. The Lanny Keith-trained colt could step up in the futurity after winning his trial by 3 lengths in :15.357 with no wind. The colt is co-owned by his trainer in partnership with James Lynn.

Third-fastest qualifier Wow What A Prize (Fast Prize Dash-Princelydancersjewel by First Down Jewel) and fourth-fastest qualifier Bradys March Madness (Jess Louisiana Blue-Kokopelli Hills by JJ Shot Glass) were the second- and third-place finishers behind Kerrys Special Crown.

Wacky Racing’s Wow What A Prize was timed in :15.397 while Jess Rodriguez Jr.’s Bradys March Madness was credited with a :15.447 time.

In the 400-yard derby, Jose Guzman’s T Boy C (Sir Runaway Dash-Toast To Mallard by Toast To Dash) is in top form and enjoys the Louisiana Downs racing surface with a win and a second from two starts over the track.

T Boy C gamely scored a nose win in his trial over second-fastest qualifier Lets Jess Do It (First Prize Perry-Lets Separate by Separatist). T Boy C was timed in :19.552 while Lets Jess Do It was credited with a :19.563 time.

Miguel Rodriguez’s T Boy C returned from a freshening in January to race to a close second-place finish in the Billy Montgomery Stakes (RG3), his start before his Mardi Gras Derby trial.

Noe Pena’s Lets Jess Do It nearly got the trial win at 17-1 odds. His most important of two career wins came in the LQHBA Sale Invitational (R) at Evangeline Downs.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Eastex Handicap Highlights Remington Opening Weekend

Q-Racing Journal, March 7, 2013 - Remington Park opens its racing season March 8, and James Sills and Abel Flores’ A Toss Up carries high weight of 125 pounds when he returns from a winter’s rest in the $50,000 Eastex Handicap (G2) for older horses to highlight a stakes doubleheader on Sunday.

Supporting the Eastex Handicap is the $50,000 Mighty Deck Three Handicap for older Oklahoma-breds.

A Toss Up (Sweet First Down-Shake Cartel by Corona Cartel) was nominated to both races and his connections chose to take on open horses at 350 yards in the Eastex.

The 4-year-old gelding adores Remington Park with three wins and a pair of seconds from seven starts at the track. A year ago, trainer Eddie Willis sent him out to back-to-back stakes wins in the $246,000 Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby (R) and the $100,000 Sooner State Stakes (RG1), defeating state-breds in each race.

After a fifth-place finish in the Remington Park Championship (G1), he was a close second to JD Baccarat in the Higheasterjet Stakes (G3) at Ruidoso Downs. He then won his trials and qualified to both the Grade 1 All American and Texas Classic derbies.

Denis and Julie Schoenhofer’s champion First Klas Fred (Fredricksburg-She Flies First Klas by Strawfly Special) concluded his 2012 season with a win in the Classic Chevrolet Stakes (R) and a second in the B.F. Phillips Handicap (RG3). Each of those races was at Lone Star Park for Texas-breds.

First Klas Fred won the 2009 Ruidoso Futurity (G1) on his way to being honored as champion 2-year-old gelding.

John Lawless’ very consistent Eufaula Me (Okey Dokey Dale-Yawls Spreadn Rumors by Serious Rumors) makes his first start since taking the $94,400 Polk County Derby (R) at Prairie Meadows in October. The close second-place finisher in last year’s $135,000 Oklahoma Derby also boasts stakes wins at Prairie Meadows in the Jim Bader Futurity (R) and the Iowa Double Gold Derby (R).

Two racing champions will make their 2013 debuts on Friday at Sunland Park. Champion 2-year-old filly PJ Chick In Black and champion distance horse All About Larry will start in trial races for the West Texas Derby (G2) and Red Cell Sunland Distance Challenge (G3), respectively.

PJ Chick In Black (Desirio-Eddie Jym by Corona Cocktail) races for Denny Bowen, Susie Taylor and Jack Smith Farms. She won five of six starts last year, including the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and New Mexico Spring Futurity (RG2), on her way to championship honors. She will attempt to follow a similar route to a 3-year-old championship taken by 2010 champion 3-year-old gelding Double Down Special, who won the West Texas Derby (G3), then traveled to Ruidoso Downs where he won the Grade 1 Ruidoso and All American derbies. She races in the third of seven trials for the derby, which is the fifth race on the card.

All About Larry (Heza Motor Scooter-Come Hell Or Hiwater by Shoot Yeah) races for Diane Heath. Last year, the champion distance horse won six of eight starts, including the Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1). He races in the second of two trials to the Red Cell Sunland Distance Challenge, the second race on the card.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Jump Down Azoom Headlines West Texas Maturity

Q-Racing Journal, February 28, 2013 -Crowson Racing’s Jump Down Azoom looks to push his record at Sunland Park to three-for-three when he starts as the fastest qualifier to the $95,400 West Texas Maturity (G2) on Saturday afternoon.

Jump Down Azoom (Azoom-Jump Down First by First Down Dash) raced to wins in his two starts at Sunland Park this winter while rising up in class. He made his local debut for trainer Victor Rodriguez-Flores when he won a conditioned allowance race in a sharp :16.95 for 350 yards with a tailwind. He fought for the neck win with a hand ride.

The 4-year-old gelding stepped up in his West Texas Maturity trial when he raced to a half-length win in the last of three trials. His time of :19.276 for 400 yards topped the qualifiers’ list.

Rodriguez-Flores also saddles Jess Cuervo (Corona Cartel-Jessica Ravin by Mr Jess Perry) for owner Anna Crowson. The Grade 1-placed runner has won each of his two Sunland Park starts in impressive fashion as the favorite in each race. After taking a $28,000 allowance race by 1 1/2 lengths, he won his West Texas Maturity trial by three quarters of a length, with the fifth-fastest time of :19.483.

Valle Guadiana Corp.’s Tres Seis Nueve (Tres Seis-Ya Ya Sisterhood by Chicks Beduino) hasn’t found the winner’s circle in four starts during the meet, however has three second-place runs and a third-place finish. The Juan Gonzalez-trained gelding finished second to Jump Down Azoom in their trial as the 2-1 favorite. He was timed in the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.354.

Tres Seis Nueve earned that favoritism after finishing a close second behind Our First Corona (Corona Cartel-Hawk Three by Fishers Dash), who also races in the West Texas Maturity, in the Sunland Park Winter Derby (G2) and then third to JD Baccarat in the KOFX-FM Handicap (G3).

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Los Al Winter Derby, Championship Full of Stars

Q-Racing Journal, February 14, 2013- This weekend, Los Alamitos Race Course will host the first Grade 1 races of the year. On Saturday the Southern California track hosts the $232,650 Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1). The $171,300 Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) follows on Sunday night.

Francisco Guzman’s Remembering Spence faces his sternest test when he makes his Grade 1 debut against a deep field in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby, which includes four members of the powerful Paul Jones barn.

Remembering Spence (TR Dasher-Sables Bono by Bono Jazz) started to build a promising career last summer at Los Alamitos when he won the Ed Burke Juvenile (R) and was a very competitive third-place finisher in the Governor’s Cup Futurity (RG2). He battled with the leaders for the 350 yards and came up just a head behind Secretly Hot.

The gelding was then sidelined until the Winter Derby trials and he returned in stunning fashion with a 1 ¾-length win. His time of :19.742 was easily the quickest mark from six trials. Remembering Spence has raced to three wins, a second and a pair of thirds from six starts.

Champion trainer Jones will saddle second-fastest qualifier Creole Williams (Jess Louisiana Blue-Picture Perfect Tee by Power Train), fourth-fastest qualifier High School Secrets (No Secrets Here-Summertime High by On A High), fifth-fastest qualifier Stel My Corona (Stel Corona-Ocean Express by Fishers Dash) and eighth-fastest qualifier Jabuti Eagle SA (One Famous Eagle-Queen Of Appeals by First Down Dash).

Double Bar S Ranch’s Creole Williams is also taking a jump in class with a consistent record. After winning the Corona Chick Handicap and finishing second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Juvenile (R), the gelding made a fast late rush to the finish line to win his trial by a length, with the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.947.

On Sunday night, a Los Alamitos Winter Championship field filled with the earners of more than $7 million – highlighted by three millionaire champions – makes for a sensational start down the road to the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1). The winner receives the first invitation to the prestigious race in December and provides the horse’s connections the advantage of having the time to carefully prepare for the 440-yard classic for older horses.

Every horse in the field has competed at the Grade 1 level and all have substantial earnings, with consistency at the highest level. None of the horses have won the All American Futurity (G1) or Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) (the two richest races for juveniles); or the All American Derby (G1) or the Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) (the two richest races for 3-year-olds).

The three millionaire champions in the field are $1,844,839 earner Jess You And I, $1,321,916 earner Rylees Boy and $1,271,031 earner Cold Cash 123.

Double Bar S Ranch’s Jess You And I (Feature Mr Jess-Gold Daze by Tolltac) is after his ninth Grade 1 victory and 20th career win in his 42nd start. The winner of the 2009 Winter Championship was seventh in last December’s Champion of Champions (his record fifth-straight start in the prestigious race) and then was a creditable second behind 2012 champion 3-year-old colt Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash-Secret Separation by Separatist) in their Winter Championship trial.

Jess You And I is trained by Paul Jones, who will also saddle possible favorite Rylees Boy (Heza Motor Scooter-Pipistrelle by Rocky Jones).

Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez’s Rylees Boy has taken a liking to the Southern California lifestyle in the Jones barn. After being checked in the Go Man Go Handicap (G1), the gelding raced to 440-yard wins in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) and the Champion of Champions, beating champion Flame N Flash by a head. The winner of 21 of 44 starts came back to make the Winter Championship with a third-place finish in the first of two trials.

Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas’ Last To Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Last Shall Be First by Strawfly Special) won the trial over Rylees Boy and topped the qualifiers with a :19.676 time for 400 yards. The Jose De La Torre-trained gelding was second in the 2011 Los Alamitos Two Million and came into the Winter Derby trials off a third-place finish in the Southern California Derby (G1).

Johnny Trotter’s Hez Our Secret won the other trial by three-quarters of a length, with the third-fastest time of :19.810. The Trey Wood-trained colt earned his champion 3-year-old colt title last year, with second-place finishes in the All American Derby behind Ochoa and the Los Alamitos Super Derby behind Deniro. He has earned $806,495 with six wins, three seconds and a third from 14 starts.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Slinkys Fortune Tries To Step Up in Magnolia

Q-Racing Journal, February 8, 2013 - The Henry Padgett-owned and -trained Slinkys Fortune, second or third in his latest four starts at short odds, tries to make amends and reach the winner’s circle in the $35,000 Magnolia Stakes over 870 yards for Louisiana-breds at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.

Slinkys Fortune (Dashs Slinky-Chasing A Fortune by Six Fortunes) is still a danger at 9 years old, although his closing charge has come up short in his recent starts. After a pair of third-place runs in allowance races, he went seven-wide in the Au Revoir Stakes at Evangeline Downs and was able to gain third place at 19-10 odds. He then came up 1¼-lengths short in Louisiana Downs’ Marathon Stakes at 23-10 odds on January 12.

Geral Dewitt’s Direct Zach Attack (Direct Hit (TB)-LP Rainbow Rose by The Rainbow Ranger) upset the Marathon Stakes at 10-1 odds and looks to substantiate that effort in the Magnolia Stakes. The Anthony Arey-trained 7-year-old gelding went four wide on the turn and then drew out for his first win since taking back-to-back claiming races last fall.

The Louisiana Downs Maiden Stakes supports the Magnolia Stakes with Carlan Hagan and Ramon Suarez’s Seza Fast Alyssa (Heza Fast Dash-Holy Effort by Special Effort) holding the fastest qualifying time from four trials.

Seza Fast Alyssa, a 4-year-old mare, won her maiden in her 12th start when she won her trial by a half length in :17.792 for 350 yards. The Frank Cavazos-trained mare has done her best work at Louisiana Downs with a pair of seconds to go with her trial win from three starts at the track.

The Dewitt-owned and Arey-trained Cosino Winner (Cosino-Winners Never Quit (TB) by Bag) is a 3-year-old gelding who bears watching after winning his maiden in his trial while making just his second career start. He won his trial by 1 1/2 lengths and was timed in :17.885.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

Louisiana, Florida Stars to Line Up

Q-Racing Journal, January 31, 2013 - Oscar Rohne’s La Mos Chingono looks to keep her ultra-consistent stakes record intact when she heads the $35,000 Party Girl Stakes at 350 yards for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares on Friday at Louisiana Downs.

Supporting the Party Girl Stakes is the $15,000 Swift Stakes with Refrigerator Handicap (G1) winner Charal Kid and Louisiana Champions Day Classic (RG2) winner Martini Mountain.

La Mos Chingono (Heza Fast Dash-Rita Regent by Gold Regent (TB)) comes off a third-place run as the 1-2 favorite in an allowance race, however in her six previous starts – all stakes – she racked up three wins and a pair of second-place finishes. She wrapped up her 2012 season with wins in the Audobon Stakes nd the Billy Montgomery Stakes before finishing second by a neck in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic against males at 440 yards.

A year ago, the Kenneth Roberts-trained daughter of Heza Fast Dash won the Party Girl Stakes by a neck as the 2-5 favorite.

Malinche Cattle Co.’s Charal Kid (Streakin La Jolla-The Special Feature by Strawfly Special) takes a huge class drop for the Swift Stakes after winning the Refrigerator Handicap at Remington Park and then racing in the Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos. In the Refrigerator, the gelding surprised at 16-1 odds with a head win over Mr Truly Uno. It was his third-straight win after taking the Miss Polly Stakes and a division of the Garlyn Shelton Stakes.

Glen Graff’s Joltin Jess in the $20,000 Sawgrass Stakes at 440 yards and Lazaro Gonzalez’s Call Me Sundown in the $20,000 Moonstone Stakes over 660 yards highlight the two contentious stakes on Sunday at Hialeah Park.

Joltin Jess (Take Off Jess-Jettin Home by Pine’s Easter Jet) won the 550-yard Orange Blossom Stakes by a neck on December 23 at Hialeah and then came back to finish third in the City of Hialeah Stakes in his most recent start. The Matt Frazier-trained gelding was a very close second in the All American Quarter Horse Congress Maturity in his start before shipping to Hialeah.

Bennie and E. Teresa Jeter’s Executive Prince (Executive Menace-Sticky N Picky by Sticks An Stones) fits well after being awarded the win through disqualification in the Bienvenido De Nuevo Stakes on December 23. The Judd Kearl-trained gelding won the Live Oak Handicap (R) and was second in the Classic Chevrolet Stakes in successive starts back in August and September.

Moonstone Stakes hopeful Call Me Sundown (Call Me Together-Sundown Lucy by Hooked On Sun) raced to his first win from 10 starts at Hialeah Park when he won the Crystal River Stakes at 660 yards on January 20. The Darlon Mesa-trained gelding made his stakes debut in the Crystal River Stakes and has moved up from running against $5,000-claiming company a year ago at Hialeah.

Rachel L. Stephens’ Doyles Dashing Star (Heza Fast Dash-Georgia Wildcat by Groovy (TB)) could gain the favorites role in the Moonstone after finishing second by a neck behind Call Me Sundown in the Crystal River Stakes as the 3-5 favorite. She was a close second behind Joltin Jess in the Orange Blossom Stakes in her first start for the meet and then handily won a 660-yard allowance race.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Champions, Top Runners Fill Los Alamitos Winter Trials

Q-Racing Journal, January 25, 2012 -  This weekend's trials for the $200,000 Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) and $232,650 Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1) themselves have a Grade 1 feel, as a number of champions will be on display.

Champions Rylees Boy, Cold Cash 123, Jess You And I and Hez Our Secret are all set to run at Los Alamitos. The horses with the 10-fastest times will return for the finals on February 16-17, and the Winter Championship winner receives the year’s first invitation to the Champion of Champions (G1) in December.

In the Winter Championship trials, the first provides a matchup of Rylees Boy with El Aguila Real.

Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez’s Rylees Boy (Heza Motor Scooter-Pipistrelle by Rocky Jones) rallied to catch Flame N Flash to win the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) by a head on December 15. He was rewarded as the champion aged horse and champion aged gelding. It was the second-straight year he was named the champion aged gelding.

Javier Molina’s El Aguila Real (Corona Czech-I Am All That by Lanes Leinster) started a three-race winning streak when he won last year’s Winter Championship at 10-1 odds. That winning streak concluded with his victory in the $200,000 Vessels Maturity (G1).

In the second trial, 2011 world champion Cold Cash 123 meets the class-filled veteran Jess You And I and the recently named champion 3-year-old colt Hez Our Secret.

T-Bill Stables’ homebred Cold Cash 123 (Oak Tree Special-Hot Cash 123 by Takin On The Cash) had a throw-out race in the Champion of Champions when he broke slowly and then lacked racing room. The gelding finished eighth as the 19-10 favorite. He earned that favoritism after winning the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) and finishing a close third in the Los Alamitos Championship (G1) in his only other starts at Los Alamitos for trainer Denny Ekins.

The Grade 1 derby season starts Saturday night with Bobby Cox’s homebred The August Heat, a close second in the $2,024,275 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1), returning in the trials to the $232,650 Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1).

The August Heat (Corona Cartel-Jess Genuine by Mr Jess Perry) got hot this winter in his latest two starts when he won his Los Alamitos Two Million trial by 1 1/2 lengths and then just missed the win in the Los Alamitos Two Million, the richest race during the yearlong season at Los Alamitos. In the 400-yard Two Million, The August Heat battled with Matabari and suffered a very narrow defeat in the tight finish between the top-four runners.

The August Heat races in the second trial and faces $398,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (RG2) runner-up JR Dynasty Mountain (FDD Dynasty-Prissy B Panther by Panther Mountain) and PCQHRA Breeders Futurity third-place finisher and fellow Million qualifier Far Niente (FDD Dynasty-Shahayla by Chicks Beduino).

The first trial brings together PCQHRA Breeders Futurity winner Stel My Corona (Stel Corona-Ocean Express by Fishers Dash) and $375,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity (RG2) winner Secretly Hot (Walk Thru Fire-Secret Reflection by Raise A Secret).

Arnold Gonzalez’s Fires Blazin (Walk Thru Fire-Thatsa Blazin Chick by Chicks A Blazin) is very well seasoned at the Grade 1 level after qualifying for the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million, Golden State Million and the Los Alamitos Million futurities. The gelding’s best effort was a second-place finish, beaten by a length, behind world champion One Dashing Eagle in the Ed Burke Million.

Fires Blazin drew into the fourth trial against Wild West Futurity winner Checkspeed (Check Him Out-Speedy Speedette by Red Hot Rhythm), who has been first or second in his latest four starts for trainer John Wells.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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One Dashing Eagle Named World Champion

Q-Racing Journal, January 16, 2013 -Freshman colt One Dashing Eagle is the 2012 World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse. He also is the champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt.

Owned by Jose and Gustavo De La Torre with Jorge Carmona’s San Gregorio Racing Stable of Norco, California, One Dashing Eagle made history by winning three million-dollar futurities and setting a single-season earnings record of $2,079,065. He won six of seven races, including the $2.4 million All American Futurity (G1), $1,073,000 Golden State Million Futurity (G1) and $1,001,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1). One Dashing Eagle joins a select group of 10 horses chosen as world champion in their freshman year, with the most recent being Stolis Winner in 2008.

Bred by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame members Allred Bros. of Mesa, Arizona, One Dashing Eagle is by champion and leading freshman sire One Famous Eagle and out of the First Down Dash mare One Sweet Dash. His trainers include Jose and Ugo De La Torre and Eloy Navarro, and his jockeys include Ramon Sanchez and Adrian Loza.

PJ Chick In Black is the champion 2-year-old filly. The winner of the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2), she won five of six starts and earned $523,339. Bred by Fredda Draper of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, she is owned by Dennis Bowen, Susan Taylor and Jack Smith Farms of El Paso, Texas. The New Mexico-bred is by Desirio and out of the Corona Cocktail mare Eddie Jym. The filly was trained by Carl Draper and John Stinebaugh, and ridden by Esgar Ramirez.

El Duero is the champion 2-year-old gelding. The gelded son of Oak Tree Special out of the Streakin La Jolla mare La Jolla Rocket won the West Texas Futurity (G1) and was second by a nose in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1). With a record of one win and three seconds in four starts, El Duero earned $285,378. El Duero was trained by Toby Keeton and ridden by Agustin Silva, G.R. Carter Jr. and Francisco Ramirez. Bred by Jorge Haddad of Seguin, Texas, El Duero is owned by Joel Valeriano, Sammy Valeriano and Lionel Zapata’s R/T Stables of Odessa, Texas.
 
3-YEAR-OLD

Ochoa adds to his already luminous record, as he picked up two more championships – champion 3-year-old and champion 3-year-old gelding. The winner of six of eight starts in 2012, Ochoa won the All American Derby (G1) and Rainbow Derby (G1) while earning $1,375,541. He also became the sport’s all-time leading money earner, with more than $2.6 million in the bank. Ochoa, who was the 2011 champion 2-year-old and 2-year-old gelding, is owned by his breeder, John T.L. and Brenda Jones’ J Bar 7 Ranch of Quanah, Texas, in partnership with Monte and Katsy Cluck and Doug Benson. Ochoa is by Tres Seis and out of the Stoli mare Stolis Fortune. He was trained by C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath and ridden by Roy Baldillez.

Johnny Trotter’s Hez Our Secret is the champion 3-year-old colt. He made eight starts, with three wins, two seconds and one third and earnings of $630,252. He won the Z. Wayne Griffin Director’s Trial, was second in both the All American Derby (G1) and Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) and fourth in the Champion of Champions (G1). Hez Our Secret was trained by Blane and Trey Wood, and ridden by Ricky Ramirez. Bred by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC, Hez Our Secret is by First Down Dash and out of the Separatist mare Secret Separation.

Flame N Flash had a strong year, and becomes the champion 3-year-old filly. Owned by Robert Williams of Roosevelt, Utah, the filly won the La Primera Del Ano Derby (G3), then defeated older mares in the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1) and came within a nose of taking it all in the Champion of Champions (G1). She started eight times, winning four, and finishing second and third once each. She earned $353,756. She was trained by Juan Aleman and Elena Andrade, and ridden by Francisco Rubio. Bred by Dr. Ed Allred, Flame N Flash is by Walk Thru Fire. She becomes the third champion produced from the Shirley’s Champion (TB) mare Oh La Proud, the others being Hawkinson and Hawkish.
 
AGED

On the heels of winning the Champion of Champions (G1), Rylees Boy earns his second consecutive nod as champion aged gelding and also picks up a win as champion aged horse. Racing for Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez of Surprise, Arizona, he won four of seven starts in 2012, with one second place, and earnings of $609,685. In addition to the Champion of Champions, he also won the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) and Bank of America Sunland Championship Challenge (G2). Rylees Boy was trained by Paul Jones and Gerardo Ochoa, and ridden by Ramon Sanchez and Joe Ruiz. Bred by Gary Nesbitt, the 7-year-old is by Heza Motor Scooter and out of the Rocky Jones mare Pipistrelle.

Joel Tavarez’s Prospect To The Top earned another championship, this as the champion aged stallion. Last year’s champion 3-year-old colt returned to the races late in 2012 to win three of five starts, with one second place and earnings of $275,500. He won the Grade 1 Zia Park Championship and The Championship at Sunland Park, as well as the All American Gold Cup (G3). He was trained by Ralph Muniz, Mario Sanchez and Brandon Muniz, and ridden by Oscar Rincon. The 4-year-old is bred by Sue May and is by Coronas Prospect and out of the Easily Smashed mare Cream To The Top.

Champion aged mare Fredaville picks up another championship for her owner and breeder, the late Robert Gentry of Lubbock, Texas, who died last week. The 6-year-old mare won three of seven starts in 2012, with one second and three thirds, while earning $131,920. She won the Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1), Merial Los Alamitos Distaff Challenge (G3) and Merial Remington Distaff Challenge, was second in the Junos Request Stakes (G2) and third in the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1). She was trained by Juan Aleman, Cody Joiner, Matt Frazier and Clint Crawford, and ridden by G.R. Carter Jr., Francisco Rubio and Shanley Jackson. By Mr Jess Perry, Fredaville becomes the second champion produced from the Dash For Cash mare Fearless Freda, dam of champion Fredricksburg.
 
DISTANCE AND INTERNATIONAL

All About Larry smoked his competition on his way to his nod as champion distance horse. Owned by Diane Heath of Cochise, Arizona, the 5-year-old gelding won six of eight starts in the year with one second and earnings of $144,490. He won the Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1), Red Cell Lone Star Distance Challenge, Master Salls Handicap and SunRay Park Marathon. The gelding was trained by John Stinebaugh and Tom Bartol, and ridden by Salvador Martinez, Jorge Carreno and Ry Eikelberry. All About Larry was bred by Las Vegas Ranch of Prescott, Arizona. Sire Heza Motor Scooter becomes the only stallion to have two champions during the year. All About Larry is out of the Shoot Yeah mare Come Hell Or Hiwater.

Steve Hunter’s homebred Zoomin After Six is the Canadian champion. The 3-year-old gelding won six of eight starts in the year, with one second and one third, and earnings of $109,257. Campaigned exclusively at Ajax Downs, he won the Maple Leaf Derby and Ontario Bred and Foaled Derby (R) and was second in the All Canadian Derby (R). The gelding was trained by Janet Grice and ridden by Helen Vanek and Scott Sterr. Zoomin After Six is by Zoomin For Bux and out of the Sixavike mare Silk At Six.

SF Banko Aguerrido is the Mexican champion. The 2-year-old filly won half of her eight starts, with one second and one third, and earnings of $154,996. She is owned by Artemio Bastida Maya and won the Subasa Selecta Futurity (RG3). She was trained by Ruben Contreras and Raymun Sandoval, and ridden by J.T. Diaz, N.J. Hernandez, P.O. Rodriguez, Antonio Aguinaga, Rodrigo Vallejo and Arturo Romero. Bred by Hector Arreola Roldan, she is by SF Royal Bank and out of the Aguerrido mare Aguerrido Candorosa.

Dash Glory Ease is the South American champion. The award is given to the horse who wins the Bank of America South America Championship Challenge. The 4-year-old stallion races for his breeder Haras Fazenda Bela Ltd. He finished his year with a record of one win in three starts and earnings of $55,887. After winning the Bank of America South America Championship Challenge, he was flown to the United States to contest the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1). He was trained by J. Sampaio and Paul Jones, and ridden by J.A. Gomez and Cesar DeAlba. The stallion is by Holland Ease and out of the Thoroughbred mare Medvedev, a daughter of Minstrel Glory.
 
PEOPLE

Jose and Gustavo De La Torre with San Gregorio Racing earn the title of champion owners on the strength of world champion One Dashing Eagle’s accomplishments. With a three-horse stable, they topped the list of owners by money earned, with six wins from 11 starts and earnings of $2,079,965.

Also feted as the 2012 champion breeder are the Allred Bros. of Mesa, Arizona, the breeders of One Dashing Eagle. Comprising the late brothers Jerry, Harvey and Dale Allred, they were inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2012, horses they bred earned $2,491,469 while winning 14 of 50 races. 

Blane Schvaneveldt Champion Trainer Paul Jones earns the trainer title for the 11th consecutive year. In 2012, his trainees earned $4,487,221 while winning 167 of 905 starts, putting him in No. 1 on the list of trainers by earnings. He was also the leader in the wins mark. This year, Jones trained champions Rylees Boy and Dash Glory Ease.

Champion Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. fills another spot on his trophy mantle, as he earns his 10th national riding title. The Oklahoma native rode the earners of $4,503,632, who won 120 of 808 starts. He was the leading jockey by money won, and was sixth on the list by races won. Carter rode champions El Duero and Fredaville during the year.  

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Long and Short Highlight Louisiana Downs Opener

Q-Racing Journal, January 11, 2013- The long and the short of American Quarter Horse racing highlights opening day of the Louisiana Downs season with the $15,000 Marathon Stakes over 870 yards and the $15,000 Harrah’s Dash at 250 yards topping Saturday’s program.

Kellie Hebert’s Mr Fallen Angel (Oak Tree Special-Angels Quick Dash by Royal Quick Dash) tries for his second-straight stakes win in the Marathon after taking the 870-yard Au Revoir Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths while leading for the entire race. The 4-year-old gelding from the Randy Hebert barn moved up from the claiming ranks to take the Au Revoir Stakes. Previously, he raced to two wins and a pair of second-place efforts in four starts from the $5,000 to $10,000 claiming level.

Mr Fallen Angel has found his distance at 870 yards with two wins and two second in four starts, his four most recent efforts.

The Henry Padgett-owned and -trained Slinkys Fortune (Dashs Slinky-Chasing A Fortune by Six Fortunes) is always dangerous in 870-yard races on the Louisiana circuit. He has five wins, three seconds and a third from 10 starts at Louisiana Downs.

Slinkys Fortune, an earner of $282,733, has made each of his 31 career starts at 870 yards, with 11 wins, 12 seconds and five thirds.

The 9-year-old gelding is in top form and comes off a third-place run in the Au Revoir Stakes when he was forced to make a seven-wide move and was defeated by 3 lengths.

In the Harrah’s Dash, James Mitchell’s Martini Mountain (Panther Mountain-Glitz Gator by Streakin La Jolla) makes his first start at 250 yards after winning the $100,000 Louisiana Day Classic (RG2) over 440 yards by a neck. He opened a lead in the Classic before winning at 47-1 odds.

While much of his success has come at longer distances, Martini Mountain was beaten by only a nose in his latest start at 350 yards, a $17,500 optional-claiming race, and won his most recent start at 330 yards, an $18,000 allowance race.

Guadalupe Chavira’s Rumbulling Knight (Midnight Knight-Rumbulling Jazz by Jazzing Hi) excels at shorter distances and adores Louisiana Downs. The Anireal Chavira-trained gelding has two wins and two thirds from four starts at 250 yards and is three-for-three at Louisiana Downs. He won his maiden over 300 yards at Louisiana Downs a year ago and then came back to take his next two races, each at 250 yards.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Prospect To The Top Earns Supreme Race Horse

Q-Racing Journal, January 7, 2013- Champion Prospect To The Top has earned his AQHA Supreme Race Horse title.
 
The 2011 champion 3-year-old colt returned to racing in 2012 and in five starts won three races, including the Zia Park Championship (G1) and The Championship at Sunland Park (G1). With his December 30 win in the latter race, he earned the prestigious AQHA Supreme Race Horse title. His race record is 10 wins, five seconds and two thirds in 22 career starts and earnings of $924,150.
 
The award recognizes a racing American Quarter Horse who during his or her career earns $500,000 or more, wins two or more open Grade 1 stakes races and at least 10 races. Prospect To The Top becomes the 31st to earn the award since it was created in 2002, and the 102nd horse to earn this award in total (the remaining horses were awarded retroactively).
 
Prospect To The Top is owned by Joel Tavarez of Odessa, Texas. The 4-year-old stallion by Coronas Prospect out of the Easily Smashed mare Cream To The Top was bred by Sue May of Fort Stockton, Texas.
 
Prospect To The Top is a 2012 champion nominee in the category of aged stallion. The winners will be announced January 16 at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City, and the ceremony will be broadcast live at www.aqharacing.com and www.qracingvideo.com. This year, Prospect To The Top will stand his second season at stud at JEH Stallion Station-Texas.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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One Dashing Eagle, Rylees Boy Top Final Racing Poll

Q-Racing Journal, January 2, 2013 -Pollsters concluded the 2012 AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings with final endorsements of One Dashing Eagle as the top 2-year-old and Rylees Boy as the No. 1 horse aged 3 years old or older. The pair posted signature wins on the season, with One Dashing Eagle capturing the All American Futurity (G1) and Rylees Boy annexing the Champion of Champions (G1).

The poll’s major mover in the final week was Prospect To The Top, who re-entered the rankings for the older horses at No. 8 following a victory in the December 30 Championship at Sunland Park (G1). The victory marked the second Grade 1 win of 2012 for the 4-year-old stallion.

The AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 Poll will be on hiatus for the next two months, and will return weekly starting in March. On January 16, the 2012 racing champions will be unveiled at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City. The event will also be broadcast live and free of charge on www.qracingvideo.com.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2. MATABARI (80)
3. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (79)
4. CARTERS COOKIE (69)
5. BP CARTELS ALIBI (62)
6. VALIANT LIL LADY (47)
7. EL DUERO (22)
8. RONNIE JAMES (18)
9. SUDDEN THOUGHTS (16)
10. A DREAM TO REMEMBER (13)

Aha Moment (11), Lota PYC (8), The August Heat (8), Open Me A Corona (8), Dash For Coronas (3), Heroes Heart (2), Freedom Choice (1), Sassmaster (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1. RYLEES BOY (98)
2. OCHOA (90)
3. COLD CASH 123 (78)
4. EL AGUILA REAL (60)
5. FLAME N FLASH (58)
6. CHECK MY THOUGHTS (42)
7. DENIRO (35)
8. PROSPECT TO THE TOP (33)
9. CHIVALRY SR (20)
10. HEZ OUR SECRET (11)

A Toss Up (10), Llano Teller (8), Executive Brass (7), Senor Toby (7), Priceless Feature (4), The Long Knife (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Prospect To The Top in Championship at Sunland Park

Q-Racing Journal, December 27, 2012 - Joel Tavarez’s champion Prospect To The Top, who returned to racing this summer after standing to his first book of mares, looks to conclude his comeback with a pair of Grade 1 victories when he starts in the $350,000 The Championship at Sunland Park (G1) over 400 yards on Sunday afternoon.

Prospect To The Top (Coronas Prospect-Cream To The Top by Easily Smashed) returned to racing this summer in peak form. In his return at Ruidoso Downs, he was second by just a head in the Mr Jet Moore Handicap (G3) and then pulled away for a three-quarter-length win as the 13-10 favorite in the 440-yard All American Gold Cup (G3).

The 4-year-old ran a “throw out” race in the Refrigerator Handicap (G1), finishing sixth, at Lone Star Park and the regained his form with a 1 3/4-length win in the $150,000 Zia Park Championship (G1), his latest start on December 2.

Wootan Racing and Reed Land and Cattle Co.’s Llano Teller (Teller Cartel-Annie Eye Over by Mr Eye Opener) is winless since taking the Bank of America Remington Park Challenge (G2) back in May. However, he has placed in three important stakes. The gelding raced to runner-up finishes as the favorite in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), Leo Stakes (G1) and the Bank of America Prairie Meadows Challenge (G2), and had a third-place run in the $250,000 Remington Park Championship (G1).

In his most recent race, he was well beaten by Prospect To The Top in the Zia Park Championship after being sent off as the 3-2 favorite.

Steve Denny’s The Long Knife (Tac It Like A Man-Oodles Of Cash by Hooked On Cash) makes his first start at Sunland Park after winning the $377,219 Texas Classic Derby at Lone Star Park on November 10 at nearly 30-1 odds. Last year, the Sleepy Gilbreath-trained gelding was second in the Rainbow Futurity (G1) and was fourth in the Texas Classic Futurity (G1).

Melissa Miller’s homebred Jess Featureme Quick (Feature Mr Jess-One Quick Cookie by Royal Quick Dash) has reached peak form this fall for trainer Paul Jones. After a third-place run in the $2,235,000 All American Derby (G1), he won the $199,000 Hobbs America Derby (G2) and was third behind older horses in the Zia Park Championship.

Telling No Lies Partnership’s DM Streakn Thru Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Shashay N Six by Sixarun) is in top form for hot trainer Mike Joiner after a three-quarter-length win in the Lovington Stakes and then finishing second in the Zia Park Championship, behind Prospect To The Top and ahead of Jess Featureme Quick.

The race is the 10th on Sunland’s Sunday card, with a post time of 4:05 p.m. (mountain time). Fans can watch the race at www.qracingvideo.com. Starting at approximately 3:15 p.m., racing commentators Tom Dawson and Chris Kotulak will be broadcasting an enhanced program via the live streaming. They will cover not only the Championship at Sunland, but also preview some of the championship categories for the 2012 racing champions.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Check My Thoughts Earns Second Derby Win, Place in National Rankings

Q-Racing Journal, December 26, 2012 - Check My Thoughts added his second major Derby score of 2012 to his record on Sunday when he captured the Southern California Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos. Twice-placed in a pair of other major Derby finals this year and winner of the Golden State Derby (G1) in August, Check My Thoughts landed at No. 6 in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 poll for older horses.

The current poll is the next-to-last for the 2012 season. The season’s final poll will be taken after Sunday’s $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (GI) and released next Wednesday, January 2.

There were no other changes to the rankings this week for the older horses or the 2-year-olds. Champion of Champions (G1) winner Rylees Boy remains top-ranked among the older set this week, 97-90, over star sophomore Ochoa. Among the 2-year-olds, the unanimous No. 1 choice remains One Dashing Eagle, one of the leading contenders for 2012 world champion.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2. MATABARI (80)
3. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (79)
4. CARTERS COOKIE (68)
5. BP CARTELS ALIBI (61)
6. VALIANT LIL LADY (41)
7. EL DUERO (22)
8. SUDDEN THOUGHTS (21)
9. THE AUGUST HEAT (16)
10. RONNIE JAMES (14)

Aha Moment (11), Lota PYC (10), A Dream To Remember (9), Open Me A Corona (8), Dash For Coronas (4), Heroes Heart (2), One Handsome Man (2), Freedom Choice (1), Sassmaster (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1. RYLEES BOY (97)
2. OCHOA (90)
3. COLD CASH 123 (80)
4. EL AGUILA REAL (59)
5. FLAME N FLASH (53)
6. CHECK MY THOUGHTS (46)
7. DENIRO (37)
8. CHIVALRY SR (23)
9. LLANO TELLER (14)
10. HEZ OUR SECRET (11)

A Toss Up (10), Senor Toby (8), Executive Brass (8), The Long Knife (7), Prospect To The Top (5), Priceless Feature (4), Charal Kid (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Check My Thoughts Looks For Another Grade 1 Win

Thursday, December 20, 2012 -- Dr. Ed Allred’s homebred Check My Thoughts, winner of the Golden State Derby (G1), looks for a second Grade 1 derby victory when he starts as the fastest qualifier to the Southern California Derby (G1) on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

Check My Thoughts (Check Him Out-Just Think by Pritzi Dash) successfully stepped up to the Grade 1 derby division at Los Alamitos this year with his win in the Golden State Derby, a close third in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1) and a third-place run in the Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1).

In the Golden State Derby in August, he jumped to an early lead and then scored the half-length victory in :19.590 for 400 yards.

The Jim Glenn-trained Check My Thoughts earned his way into the Southern California Derby, the final Grade 1 race of the year-long Los Alamitos season, with an easy length win in :19.967 for the 400 yards over a track rated as good. It was the top mark from four trials.

At 2, Check My Thoughts showed his potential with wins in the Golden State Juvenile (R) and the California Breeders Freshman Stakes (R).

Mary and Mark Parsons’ homebred Kobe (Mr Eye Opener-Rubiate by Red (TB)) has the class and figures to move forward for trainer Paul Jones in his second start off a layoff. Early this year, before his eight-month layoff, he made a statement with his game nose win over Deniro in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1), a win in the Holiday Handicap and a second in the El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2).

In his Southern California Derby trial, Kobe finished just a nose behind Our Man David (Walk Thru Fire-Secret Goer by Raise A Secret) with the sixth-fastest time of :20.151 while Our Man David raced to the fourth-fastest time of :20.147.

Jose and Gustavo De La Torre’s Last To Check Him (Check Him Out-Last Shall Be First by Strawfly Special) raced to her first win from six 2012 tries in her Southern California Derby trial. She won by a half length, and her time of :19.988 was the second-fastest time.

Last To Check Him, third in the 2011 Los Alamitos Two Million (G1), was one of three Southern California Derby qualifiers from the Jose De La Torre barn. He will also saddle El Primero Del Ano Derby qualifier Our Man David and Golden State Derby qualifier La Corona Cartel (Corona Cartel-Adashin Runaway by Adash For Cash).

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Rylees Boy Claims Top Spot in National Rankings

A late-running victory in Saturday’s prestigious Champion of Champions (G1) earned Rylees Boy the No. 1 spot in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 Poll for older horses. Rylees Boy toppled the season’s toughest field, which included seven nationally ranked runners at the time. Among those going down in defeat was former No. 1 Cold Cash 123, who slid to the No. 3 spot in this week’s poll.

Rylees Boy boasts a resume that also includes a victory this fall in the Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), giving him a big late-season double. It was enough to leap over this week’s No. 2-ranked Ochoa, the brilliant 3-year-old who bypassed the Champion of Champions. Over all, the Top 10 remained intact this week with no new faces, just a reshuffling based on the results from Los Alamitos.

As for the 2-year-old rankings, One Dashing Eagle remained a unanimous No. 1 choice among pollsters once again this week. But Sunday’s Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) heroine Matabari shot up the charts from unranked all the way to No. 2. The filly has won three of five starts this year and tallied her first stakes final in the Los Al Two Million. Race runner-up The August Heat also debuts in the rankings this week at No. 9.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2. MATABARI (80)
3. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (79)
4. CARTERS COOKIE (68)
5. BP CARTELS ALIBI (61)
6. VALIANT LIL LADY (41)
7. EL DUERO (22)
8. SUDDEN THOUGHTS (21)
9. THE AUGUST HEAT (16)
10. RONNIE JAMES (14)

Aha Moment (11), Lota PYC (10), A Dream To Remember (9), Open Me A Corona (8), Dash For Coronas (4), Heroes Heart (2), One Handsome Man (2), Freedom Choice (1), Sassmaster (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1. RYLEES BOY (97)
2. OCHOA (90)
3. COLD CASH 123 (80)
4. EL AGUILA REAL (63)
5. FLAME N FLASH (61)
6. DENIRO (38)
7. CHIVALRY SR (33)
8. LLANO TELLER (20)
9. HEZ OUR SECRET (16)
10. THE LONG KNIFE (11)

Executive Brass (10), Senor Toby (9), Prospect To The Top (6), Priceless Feature (6), A Toss Up (4), Ethics Aside (4), Charal Kid (2), Check My Thoughts (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Top Horses Line Up in Champion of Champions

Q-Racing Journal, December 13, 2012 - T-Bill Stables’ homebred Cold Cash 123, the top-ranked older horse in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayer.com National Poll, will make his case for a second straight world championship in the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) on Saturday night at Los Alamitos. The 440-yard race has determined more world champions than any other, and this year’s running has an abundance of storylines.

Cold Cash 123 adores 440 yards, with nine wins from 11 career starts at the distance. The 2011 world champion, Cold Cash 123 is the only horse in the field to have won three Grade 1 races so far this year. He won the Leo Stakes, Remington Park Invitational Championship and Go Man Go Handicap before finishing third in the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship.

He will face a field of top horses, including the horse that defeated him in the Invitational Championship, Stern Ranches’ homebred Chivalry SR (Walk Thru Fire-Artesias Bediuno by Beduino (TB)), who also finished third in last year’s Champion of Champions.

Javier Molina’s El Aquila Real (Corona Czech-I Am All That by Lanes Leinster) won three-straight races before finishing a very close second in the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship. His wins include the Los Alamitos Winter Championship (G1) and Vessels Maturity (G1), each at 400 yards.

In its 40 editions to date, only two horses that have won the Champion of Champions have not taken home a championship title that same year, while 26 of the winners were world champions in the year of their victory. This year’s race is likely to be no different.

The following day at the Orange County oval, Jose and Gustavo De La Torre’s fastest-qualifier Freedom Choice tries to step up for the stable when he meets proven Grade 1 futurity horses in the $2,108,275 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

The stable’s star, probable champion juvenile One Dashing Eagle, was not eligible for the Two Million, and Freedom Choice (A Regal Choice-Five Bar Molly by Dash Ta Fame) came through in the 13 trials on November 25. The gelding was making just his third career start and his first start since qualifying to the Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) in June (he did not run back in the finals). He responded with a very impressive 2 1/4-length victory, and his time of :19.638 for 400 yards was the top mark from the trials to the year’s final Grade 1 futurity.

Trained by Jose De La Torre, Freedom Choice showed promise before his layoff. After racing to a very troubled fifth-place finish in a Los Alamitos maiden race, he won his Ed Burke trial by a length with a strong finish.
   
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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National Top Ten Boasts Seven For Champion of Champions

Q-Racing Journal, December 12, 2012 - This week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 Poll for older horses includes seven runners who will clash in Saturday’s prestigious Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos. The rankings once again are led by Cold Cash 123, who could sew up the year’s top perch with a win Saturday.

But holding the top spot won’t be easy for Cold Cash 123, as six other nationally ranked contenders are among the Champion of Champions lineup. They include No. 3-ranked El Aguila Real, No. 4 Chivalry SR, No. 5 Rylees Boy, No. 6 Deniro, No. 8 Flame N Flash and No. 10 Hez Our Secret. Five of the nation’s top six-rated horses this week will be headlining the Champion of Champions field.

There were no major changes to the 2-year-old poll this week, but Sunday’s Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) figures to have a major impact moving forward. One Dashing Eagle remains the unanimous No. 1-rated juvenile this week. None of the finalists for the “Deuce” currently sit in the Top 10, although Aha Moment sits just outside the rankings with some balloting support.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2. PJ CHICK IN BLACK (83)
3. CARTERS COOKIE (75)
4. BP CARTELS ALIBI (72)
5. VALIANT LIL LADY (48)
6. A DREAM TO REMEMBER (32)
7. RONNIE JAMES (31)
8. EL DUERO (29)
9. LOTA PYC (25)
10. SUDDEN THOUGHTS (24)

Aha Moment (14), Open Me A Corona (12), Secret Courage (7), Dash For Coronas (5), One Handsome Man (4), Heroes Heart (3), Stel My Corona (3), Sassmaster (2), Big Boi (2), Blackberry Czech (1), Freedom Choice (1), PYC Kant Katch Me (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1. COLD CASH 123 (97)
2. OCHOA (88)
3. EL AGUILA REAL (76)
4. CHIVALRY SR (68)
5. RYLEES BOY (50)
6. DENIRO (34)
7. LLANO TELLER (29)
8. FLAME N FLASH (26)
9. THE LONG KNIFE (25)
10. HEZ OUR SECRET (14)

Executive Brass (11), Charal Kid (6), Ethics Aside (5), Priceless Feature (5), JLS Mr Bigtime (4), A Toss Up (4), Check My Thoughts (4), Senor Toby (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

Los Alamitos to Host 2013 Challenge Championships

California racetrack to host Challenge Championships for tenth time.

Q-Racing Journal, December 11, 2012 - The Bank of America Racing Challenge Championships will return to Los Alamitos Race Course in 2013, which is the tenth time the Challenge Championships have been held at the Orange County oval.

The AQHA Racing Conference will be held in conjunction with the event, November 6-9. The Challenge Championships are November 9.

“We are very excited that this great racetrack will again play host to this great event,” said AQHA Executive Director of Racing Trey Buck. “Los Alamitos has been the stage for historic performances by many American Quarter Horses, and we are looking forward to that happening again next year.”

The Challenge Championship card will be highlighted by the $350,000-est. Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1). Also included for the championship races are the $200,000-est. Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G1), $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2), $100,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) and $100,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1).

Only Lone Star Park, a four-time host, has had the event more than once. Other racetracks that have played host to the Challenge Championships once are Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds, Prairie Meadows, Retama Park, Sam Houston Race Park, Sunland Park and Turf Paradise.

Stay tuned to www.aqharacing.comfor further details.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

T BOY C IN CONTENTIOUS $1 MILLION LQHBA FUTURITY
More stakes featured at Zia and Los Al.

Q-Racing Journal, November 16, 2012 – Jose Guzman’s T Boy C brings fastest-qualifier honors into a contentious $1 million LQHBA Breeders’ Futurity (RG1) that features just one stakes winner – Logans Mountain – on Saturday evening at Evangeline Downs.

The LQHBA Breeders’ Futurity boasts the largest purse of any Quarter Horse race ever held in Louisiana.

 

T Boy C (Sir Runaway Dash-Toast To Mallard by Toast To Dash) comes into the 400-yard LQHBA Futurity off the most impressive win of his five-race career. The gelding pulled away in the third of 11 trials by 2 lengths. His time of :19.639 was the quickest mark.

 

The Miguel Rodriguez-trained T Boy C raced to his other win when he narrowly took a futurity trial at Fair Grounds by a nose back in August.

 

Armando Fernandez’s Logans Mountain (Panther Mountain-Logans Game by Game Patriot) won the $60,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R) in July to be the sole stakes winner in the field. He was third in the $264,480 LQHBA Futurity at Evangeline Downs after making a late rally.

 

Logans Mountain has won four of six starts and accumulated $86,852 in earnings.

 

Charles Forbes Jr. and Tommy Hays’ Open Me A Corona (Coronas Leaving You-In The Open by Mr Eye Opener) may be the “now horse” in the LQHBA Futurity after winning each of his two starts. He decisively won his maiden at first asking by 1 3/4 lengths in May at Delta Downs, qualifying for but not running back in the $225,337 Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity (RG2), and then was off until he secured a nose decision in his LQHBA trial with the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.667 for trainer Bobby Martinez.

 

Luis Castellanos’ Cougar Hill (Panther Mountain-Lovers Dash by Sir Cashanova) was that close second-place finisher behind Open Me A Corona and is credited with the third-fastest qualifying time of :19.674. The Judy Beavin-trained filly has shown her stakes class with a close second in the Gillespie County Futurity (G3) and qualifying for the Louisiana Breeders’ Lassie Futurity (RG2).

 

Billy Kirk’s Heza Fast Snow (Heza Fast Dash-Mary Snow by This Snow Is Royal) is another lightly raced improving prospect who bears attention. The Kenny Roberts Sr.-trained gelding was a close second in a maiden race in his first start and then returned to win his LQHBA Futurity trial by a half length, with the fourth-fastest time of :19.735.

 

 

Fast Prize Mike in Deep Evangeline Derby

 

Evelio Salazar’s Fast Prize Mike, recently second in the Dash For Cash Derby (G2) at 18-1 odds, looks to prove that effort was not a fluke when he starts against a deep field in the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Derby over 400 yards on Saturday night.

 

Fast Prize Mike (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Fast Mans Prize by Heza Fast Man) must defeat 2011 Firecracker Futurity (G2) winner Sizzlin Cartel, TQHA Sires Cup Derby (RG3) winner Jumpn Beau Chick and The Treme Derby (R) winner Lil Jess Oak. A top-two finisher in nine of 11 starts, Fast Prize Mike has improved his form with two second-place runs in his two starts since qualifying for the $144,065 Firecracker Derby.

 

J.E. Jumonville Jr.’s homebred Sizzlin Cartel (Corona For Me-In His Dreams by Apollo (TB)) looks to return to the form he showed throughout his juvenile season and the first half of this year. At 2, he was second in the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) and then reeled off three-straight wins, including the Firecracker Futurity (G2). Sizzlin Cartel is winless from seven 2012 starts.

 

Francisco Garza’s Jumpn Beau Chick (Jumpn Chic-Beaukas by Make It Anywhere) has stepped up from being a maiden from five starts last year to scoring a half length win in the TQHA Sires Cup Derby (RG3) and finishing second by a head in the Adequan Retama Park Derby Challenge. The Bobby Martinez-trained filly has been on the board in six of seven starts this year.

 

Gerald Libersat’s homebred Lil Jess Oak (Oak Tree Special-Lil Jess Print by Mr Jess Perry) scored a 10-1 upset win in the $40,000 The Treme Derby for Louisiana-breds two starts ago. He made a late bid in the 350-yard stakes to win by a nose over a sloppy track at Fair Grounds.

 

 

Im Royal Quick Back in King Rick Rack

 

Anna Garcia and Jose Orquiz’s Im Royal Quick, dominating winner of the Herman Jefferson Stakes (G3), tries for his second stakes win of the Zia Park season when he starts in the $55,000 King Rick Rack Stakes over 870 yards on Sunday afternoon.

 

Im Royal Quick (Royal Quick Dash-Im Brenda Baby by Merridoc) could be making his final start of a productive fall campaign in the King Rick Rack. The gelding dominated the Herman Jefferson over 870 yards when he went from gate-to-wire on the lead to win by nearly 6 lengths.

 

Kathryn Maynard and Carla Feerer’s homebred KC Royal Flush (Sixes Royal-Willie May Dash by Willie Wanta Dash) returns to open competition after winning the $140,000 New Mexico Classic Cup 870 Championship (R) over state-breds on October 28. The gelding made a four-wide run from the rear of the field at the start to get the win by a neck in the final strides.

 

Tony Sedillo and Jimmy Negrete’s Tango Blue (Favorite Trick (TB)-Oodles Of Cash by Hooked On Cash) won the 2010 running of the King Rick Rack and was second to champion De Passem Okey in last year’s renewal. The Tony Sedillo-trained gelding has not won since he was claimed for $15,000 out of a winning effort at Ruidoso Downs on July 2.

 

 

Top Two in Autumn Handicap Return

 

The top-two finishers in the $35,000 Autumn Handicap – Sugarbear Sax Man and Secret Hero – are set for a rematch on Saturday night at Los Alamitos in the $25,000 Corona Chick Handicap for 2-year-olds over 400 yards.

 

Cesar Edgardo Muniz Gomez’s Sugarbear Sax Man (Tres Seis-Therestischemistry by Jazzing Hi) raced to a half-length win in the 350-yard Autumn Handicap on October 12 for his first win since winning his maiden in his career debut back in April. However, the gelding has posted three second-place finishes from his six starts. Sugarbear Sax Man developed quickly this year and qualified for the $268,200 Kindergarten (G2) in May.

 

Michael Isom’s homebred Secret Hero (Valiant Hero-With Real Intent by Raise A Secret) has stepped up since arriving at Los Alamitos this fall from the Northwest. He won his Wild West Futurity trial by a length and then recorded the second-place finish in the Autumn for trainer Justin Clark.

 

Also trained by Clark, IBA Dream Away (Ocean Runaway-IBA Dream by Chicks Beduino) moves up from the claiming ranks chasing her fourth-straight win. The filly owned by Cal West Racing, Thomas Peffer and Rasool Rastgoo won her maiden in August and then won for an $8,000-claiming price and then took a $20,000-claiming race in her most recent effort.

 

 

Separate Thoughts Challenges Elders in Las Damas

 

Theresa and Edward DeNike’s homebred Separate Thoughts returns after a close second-place finish in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby (G3) to challenge older mares in a contentious $35,000 Las Damas Handicap (G3) over 400 yards on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

 

Separate Thoughts (Separatist-A Lil’ Alimony (TB) by Mr. Procrastinator) came back from a summer’s rest to win her trial to the PCQHRA Derby and then run second in the 400-yard derby while being defeated by only a neck. The Pat Visscher-trained filly earned her first stakes win when she won the La Pacifica Handicap in her final start before her layoff.

 

The Vessels Stallion Farms’ homebred Onemoreglassofwine (Heza Fast Dash-Fine Wines by First Down Dash) took the Elan Again Overnight Handicap two starts ago and then was fourth in the Mildred Vessels Handicap (G1). The veteran mare has past class with a win in the 2011 PCQHRA Breeders Derby (G3) and was third in the 2010 Golden State Juvenile (R).

 

Mimi Wells’ homebred Getit Together (Separatist-Seronka by Dash Thru Traffic) comes off a length win in an allowance race. Earlier this year, the Dan Francisco-trained mare was second in the Ivan Ashment Handicap (R) and third in the California Breeders Matron Stakes (RG3).

 

Steve Burns’ homebred Enjoy The Walk (Walk Thru Fire-Enjoy The Moment by Chicks Beduino) fits well at this level as the winner of this year’s California Breeders Matron Stakes, her most recent win on July 28. The Mike Casselman-trained mare was a close second behind Onemoreglassofwine in the 2011 PCQHRA Breeders Derby.

 

Fans can watch all of these races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

OCHOA’S TEXAS LOSS COSTS HIM TOP SPOT IN RANKINGS

Q-Racing Journal, November 14, 2012 – A fifth-place finish in Saturday’s Texas Classic Derby (G1) made Ochoa’s stay at the top of the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings for older horses a short one. In his first defense of the nation’s top perch, the sport’s all-time leading money earner relinquished the No. 1 spot this week to reigning world champion Cold Cash 123. Voters gave Cold Cash 123 the 95-88 edge as Ochoa slid to No. 2 overall.

Longshots riddled the Texas Classic Derby as 29-1 upsetter The Long Knife parlayed the biggest score of his career into a No. 9 national ranking this week. The C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath trainee was the only newcomer to the rankings for the 3-year-olds and older this week.

 

As for the 2-year-olds, Texas Classic Futurity (G1) winner Valiant Lil Lady made a debut splash in the poll this week at No. 5. The Valiant Hero filly has now won four of five career starts. The juvenile rankings continue to be paced this week by unanimous No. 1 One Dashing Eagle, winner of three major futurity finals in 2012.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (82)

3.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (73)

4.   CARTERS COOKIE (62)

5.   VALIANT LIL LADY (46)

6.   RONNIE JAMES (37)

7.   LOTA PYC (32)

8.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (30)

9.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (29)

10. EL DUERO (26)

 

Aha Moment (9), A Dash For Coronas (5), Stel My Corona (4), One Handsome Man (3), Heroes Heart (3), Big Boi (3), Sassmaster (2), PYC Kant Katch Me (2), Krash Cartel (2), Blackberry Czech (1)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (95)

2.   OCHOA (88)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (78)

4.   CHIVALRY SR (66)

5.   RYLEES BOY (51)

6.   DENIRO (38)

7.   LLANO TELLER (32)

8.   FLAME N FLASH (24)

9.   THE LONG KNIFE (20)

10. JLS MR BIGTIME (13)

 

Executive Brass (12), Priceless Feature (9), Hez Our Secret (6), Charal Kid (6), Ethics Aside (5), A Toss Up (4), Check My Thoughts (3)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

OCHOA PUTS RANKING ON LINE AT LONE STAR
Will Rogers strikes Black Gold while Evangeline dishes Dash.

Q-Racing Journal, November 8, 2012 –Champion and all-time leading money earner Ochoa has the first opportunity to defend his No. 1 ranking in the AQHA Racing-Horserplayernow.com national poll when he starts in the $377,219 Texas Classic Derby (G1) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

Ochoa (Tres Seis-Stolis Fortune by Stoli) became the all-time leading money earner when he dominated the $2,234,539 All American Derby (G1). He has since taken his Texas Classic Derby trial in thrilling fashion, and his earnings stand at $2,604,653, with $2,526,493 of those earnings coming at the Texas Classic Derby distance of 440 yards.

 

Owned by Johnny T.L. Jones Jr.’s J Bar 7 Ranch, Monty and Katsy Cluck and Doug Benson, Ochoa was the overwhelming winner of the 2011 $2.4 million All American Futurity (G1) and the 2012 All American Derby (G1), each at 440 yards. The Johnny T.L. Jones Jr.-bred gelding won the All American Futurity by 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 favorite and then pulled away to take the All American Derby by 1 1/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite.

 

The C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath-trained gelding was the 2-5 favorite in his Texas Classic Derby trial and scared his many backers at the trial’s start. He broke poorly and was actually behind Runaway Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Dashin Vike by Dashin Bye) for half of the race. He then unleashed his astonishing closing rush and got up to win the trial by a heart-pounding nose. His time of :21.394 was the second-fastest qualifying time.

 

Topping the qualifiers was Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Linda Tee Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Jess Linda Tee by Mr Jess Perry) with a :21.383 time after winning the first of five trials by a neck over Leonard Lyne’s homebred fourth-fastest qualifier, Texasindependencegal (Mr Ottyes-Lovely Legs by Strawflyin Buds), who was timed in :21.430.

 

Linda Tee Fire, trained by Mike Joiner, is after his first stakes placing after showing he can earn his way into Grade 1 stakes. A year ago, he qualified for the Texas Classic Futurity and was sixth in the All American Derby behind Ochoa, beaten by less than 3 lengths.

 

Tommy Hays and Bobby Barnett’s Runaway Wagon, who nearly held on to beat Ochoa in their trial, won the $144,065 Firecracker Derby by three-quarters of a length at Delta Downs. Now trained by Bobby Martinez, Runaway Wagon was fourth in his Dash For Cash Derby trial before his very game effort in his Texas Classic Derby trial.

 

Ronnie James Continues Rise in Texas Classic

 

Brett Mennen’s homebred Ronnie James tries to continue his rise in the national rankings when he tries for his fourth-straight win and sixth victory from seven starts in the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

 

Ronnie James (Valiant Hero-Jess A Lil Bit by Feature Mr Jess) faces the sternest test of his career and appears to be in peak form after a stunning 4-length trial win. He raced in the first trial, and his time of :19:436 held up as the top mark from 14 trials.

 

JNB Enterprises LLC’s PYC Kant Katch Me (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Wanna Be Me by Disco Jerry (TB)) is undefeated from five starts and is also up against the deepest field he has ever faced. The Judd Kearl-trained colt won the Remington Park Juvenile Stakes (R) and then was a 3-length winner of his Heritage Place Futurity trial. Although he qualified to the final, he was scratched.

 

Kearl then saved PYC Kant Katch Me for the Texas Classic Futurity trials, and he responded with a length win and qualified with a :19.689 time.

 

Bryon Gardner’s Valiant Lil Lady (Valiant Hero-Rustys Lil Lady by Fredricksburg) impressed in her trial while returning from a five-month layoff. The Judd Kearl-trained filly raced in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) back in May and then came back in her Texas Classic Futurity trial. She won by 2 1/4 lengths with the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.524.

 

Trainer Trey Wood has the sharp pair of Weetona Stanley’s First Prize Shaunda (PYC Paint Your Wagon-First Prize Leesa by Mr Jess Perry) and Raymundo Villarreal Jr.’s Eyegotitgoinon (Mr Eye Opener-Cant Hide Love by Special Effort).

 

First Prize Shaunda has thrived this fall at Lone Star Park with a daylight maiden win and taking her Texas Classic Futurity trial by 1 1/2 lengths with the third-fastest qualifying time of :19.541.

 

Eyegotitgoinon won the Easy Jet Stakes (RG3) at Remington Park and qualified for the Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs. He is also two-for-two at Lone Star Park and won his Texas Classic Futurity trial by 2 lengths with the sixth-fastest time of :19.667.

 

Futurity Doubleheader at Will Rogers

 

Andrew Smith’s Wicked Courage is trying for his fourth-straight win in the $418,993 Black Gold Futurity Championship (RG3) and fastest-qualifier Eye Kelly heads the OHA Mystery Futurity for Oklahoma-breds in a futurity doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs.

 

Wicked Courage (Captain Courage-Wicked Pamela by Dash For Cash) started his winning spree when he arrived at Will Rogers this fall after being winless at Ruidoso Downs and Remington Park.

 

The Luis Villafranco-trained gelding easily earned a spot in the Black Gold Futurity Championship with a 2 1/2-length trial win with the top time of :19.688 for 400 yards.

 

Gabriel Guiterrez’s First Down Shazoom (Shazoom-Nonanon by First Down Dash) fits well in the Black Gold Futurity Championship. He is the second-fastest qualifier with a :19.753 time for trainer Guillermo Valdivia and has the stakes resume. The gelding was second in the Lady Bug’s Moon Stakes (R), fourth in the Easy Jet Stakes (RG3) and qualified for the Dash For Cash Futurity (G1).

 

James Goodnight’s Eye Kelly (Mr Eye Opener-Beam Me Up Kelly by First Down Kelly) makes her stakes debut in the Mystery Futurity after winning her latest two stakes. The Bill Goodnight-trained filly scored by one-half length in her Mystery Futurity trial. Her time of :17.536 for 350 yards was the best mark from seven trials.

 

Jose Badilla’s Pajarita Sita (Pappasito-Mongoose Jet Eye by Mr Eye Opener) has the class with a third-place finish in the West Texas Futurity (G1) and qualifying for the Ruidoso Futurity (G1). The filly won her Mystery Futurity trial by a neck with the second-fastest time of :17.594.

 

Evangeline Dash in Contentious Divisions

 

David West’s Sheezespeciallyfast brings a sharp record and success over short distances into the first division $25,000 Evangeline Downs Dash at 220 yards on Saturday evening at Evangeline Downs.

 

In the second division, Gerald Lebersat’s Taylors Toastin Papa tries for a fourth stakes win and a fifth victory from eight starts this year.

 

Sheezespeciallyfast (Heza Fast Dash-Spice Your Glass by Special Effort) has been on the board in nine of 10 starts this year and has a win and second-place run in her only two starts at the distance. Two starts ago, in a $25,000 optional-claiming race, she won over 220 yards at Evangeline Downs by a half length, an impressive margin at such a short distance.

 

Jaime Torres’ Memorys Fast Dash (Heza Fast Dash-Grab A Memory by Holland Ease) won the 250-yard Gentilly Dash Stakes two starts ago at Fair Grounds. He got up to win by a nose in :12.978 after returning from nearly a 10-month layoff.

 

Guadalupe Garcia’s Corona Mistress (Corona For Me-Fastmans Mistress by Heza Fast Man) is another short-yardage specialist with a second in the 110-yard Texas Twister Stakes back in April. He finished in a dead heat for the win in his only start at 220 yards, a $7,500 conditioned claiming race.

 

Taylors Toastin Papa (Toast To Dash-Tacha La Jolla by Streakin La Jolla) comes into the second division trying to continue his break-out season. He won the Mr Jess Perry Stakes (RG3) at Louisiana Downs and the Juan Alleman Stakes (RG3) at Delta Downs in successive starts earlier this year.

 

The Keven Broussard-trained Taylors Toastin Papa comes off a win in the Don Cravin Stakes (R) by a neck at Evangeline Downs. He closed well to get the win in :19.859 for the 400 yards.

 

JLS-Speed Horse Ranch’s JLS Party Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Dancing Tonight by On A High) is after his first stakes win since taking the 2011 Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) early in his juvenile season. He may be rounding into form for trainer Darrell Soileau with a nose win over 330 yards in an Evangeline Downs allowance race in his latest effort.

Fans can watch all of these races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

ONE DASHING EAGLE CEMENTS UNANIMOUS CASE AS NO. 1 JUVENILE
Q-Racing Journal, November 7, 2012– Sunday’s sizzling Golden State Million Futurity (G1) win by One Dashing Eagle left no doubt who is atop the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings for 2-year-olds. The unanimous choice among pollsters going into his season finale, the All American Futurity (G1) winner romped in stakes-record time to his third major futurity score of the season worth $1 million or more. That’s never been done before, and pollsters rewarded the resume with a sweep of the ballots.

One Dashing Eagle’s incredible 2012 run has seen him win six-straight races since a debut runner-up effort. He has become the first American Quarter Horse ever to earn $2 million in a single season ($2,079,065).  His futurity troika includes the Ed Burke Memorial in June, the All American in September and the Golden State Million in November.

 

It was a big weekend for trainer Jose De La Torre’s barn as One Dashing Eagle was not the only newsmaker. Saturday’s Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) victory for Deniro earned not only a berth in the Champion of Champions (G1), but also the No. 6 spot in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings for older horses. The Super Derby marked the first stakes win for Deniro, who has scored in three of six starts this year. The Washington-bred has tallied five of 12 starts for $450,543 in career earnings. 

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (86)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (71)

4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (70)

5.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (40)

6.   RONNIE JAMES (39)

7.   LOTA PYC (33)

8.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (26)

9.   EL DUERO (25)

10. ONE HANDSOME MAN (14)

 

Aha Moment (11), Heroes Heart (8), Stel My Corona (6), Dash For Coronas (6), Krash Cartel (5), Blackberry Czech (4), Sassmaster (3)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   OCHOA (98)

2.   COLD CASH 123 (89)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (75)

4.   CHIVALRY SR (58)

5.   RYLEES BOY (54)

6.   DENIRO (31)

7.   LLANO TELLER (30)

8.   FLAME N FLASH (28)

9.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (19)

10. JLS MR BIGTIME (18)

 

Charal Kid (10), Priceless Feature (9), Hez Our Secret (6), Ethics Aside (5), A Toss Up (4), Check My Thoughts (4), Fredaville (3), Senor Toby (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

ONE DASHING EAGLE HEADS GOLDEN STATE MILLION
Los Al also hosting Super Derby and Town Policy Handicap.

Q-Racing Journal, November 2, 2012 – Two-time million dollar futurity winner One Dashing Eagle will be favored to take his third seven-figure stakes when he concludes a probable championship season in the $1,118,000 Golden State Million Futurity (G1) on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.


One Dashing Eagle (One Famous Eagle-One Sweet Dash by First Down Dash) has been sensational at Los Alamitos and Ruidoso Downs and has been a primary force in helping his sire become the leading freshman sire in history.

 


Owned by Jose and Gustavo De La Torre with San Gregorio Racing Stable, One Dashing Eagle has earned $1,628,405 and would go over the $2 million mark with a Golden State Million victory.
 


One Dashing Eagle, winner of five-straight races since finishing second in his debut, has massed this most impressive bankroll with wins in the $1,001,000 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity (G1) and the $2,400,000 All American Futurity (G1), the world’s richest Quarter Horse race.
 


After easily taking the All American Futurity by three-quarters of a length at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day, it appears those two million-dollar stakes victories have not taken any edge off the colt. He easily won his Golden State Million trial by 2 1/2 lengths and his time of :19.482 was the fastest time from the 11 trials.

 

One Dashing Eagle will likely conclude his 2-year-old campaign in the Golden State Million since he is not eligible for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) and there is no time-of-entry supplemental payment for the race.

 

Salvador Pimienta’s Bingo (Tres Seis-Corona Blurr by Corona Cartel) takes on One Dashing Eagle after setting the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.708 while winning his trial by a length over Rainbow Futurity (G1) finalist Scatmandu.

 

The developing Bingo, trained by Felix Gonzalez, returned to win his Golden State Million trial after racing to a third-place finish in the $38,790 John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge.

 

Lucky Seven Ranch’s homebred Amore La Blue (Mr Jess Perry-Blues Girl Too by Corona Cartel) has the breeding and may be ready for the Grade 1 stage after two-straight wins for trainer Joe Bassett. The daughter of 2007 world champion Blues Girl Too came back from a layoff since June to win her maiden by 2 lengths in September and then stepped forward in the second Golden State Million trial, winning by a length with the third-fastest time of :19.713.

 

Arnold Gonzalez’s Fires Blazin (Walk Thru Fire-Thatsa Blazin Chick by Chicks A Blazin) raced to a second-place finish behind One Dashing Eagle in the Ed Burke Million back in June. Trainer Guillermo Morales brought the gelding back for the Golden State Million trials and he responded with a neck win in :19.785, the fourth-fastest qualifying time.

 

Flame N Flash is Hot Horse in Super Derby

 

Robert Williams’ Flame N Flash continues her late-season run toward a possible championship and her next step is the $1 million Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

 

The winner of the 440-yard Super Derby earns a berth in the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) in December, although Flame N Flash already has a berth.

 

Flame N Flash (Walk Thru Fire-Oh La Proud by Shirley’s Champion (TB)) has already defeated sophomore fillies and then older mares in graded stakes, and now takes on males in the Super Derby, the richest race for 3-year-old or older horses at Los Alamitos.

 

In the Super Derby trials, the Juan Aleman-trained Flame N Flash ran a perfect race from the rail post position to win the first of four trials by a half length, with the top qualifying time of :19.571. It was an impressive, stakes-class trial with Golden State Derby (G1) runner-up Do You Do Corona (Corona Cartel-MLA Do You Love Me by On The Dash), Golden State Derby winner Check My Thoughts (Check Him Out-Just Think by Pritzi Dash) and Governor’s Cup Derby (RG2) winner Terrific Synergy (FDD Dynasty-Terrific Energy by Mr Jess Perry) finishing in second through fourth positions. Do You Do Corona and Check My Thoughts will join Flame N Flash in the Super Derby.

 

Jose and Gustavo De La Torre’s Do You Do Corona raced to the third-fastest time of :19.667 while finishing second to Flame N Flash. He has now been first or second in seven of eight career starts.

 

Check My Thoughts has a :19.705 qualifying time while Terrific Synergy was the final qualifier with a :19.859 mark.

 

Aleman will also saddle Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas’ Last To Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Last Shall Be First by Strawfly Special), who won the third trial with a big late charge. He won by one-half length over Adequan Los Alamitos Derby Challenge winner Tres Of Linda (Tres Seis-Lindas Dasher by Chicks Beduino), who holds the eighth-fastest qualifying time of :19.706.

 

In 2011, Last To Fire was second in the $2,152,300 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) and third in the $1,173,400 Golden State Million Futurity (G1). The gelding was fifth in the $236,400 Golden State Derby in his start before his trial victory.

 

Big Weekend Starts With Town Policy

 

One of the most important weekends during the year-long Los Alamitos season starts on Friday night with Dr. Ed Allred’s consistent Kool Million racing in the $25,000 Town Policy Handicap for 3-year-olds over 400 yards.

 

Kool Million (Bono Jazz-Kool As Ever by Chicks Beduino) won his only start at 2 and has moved up to the stakes division this year. After taking the $151,750 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes, he won the Dillingham Handicap, was second in the Vandy’s Flash Handicap and daylighted the field in the Jens List Stakes (R).

 

The horse who defeated Kool Million in the Vandy’s Flash was Feliz Gonzalez’s A Mere Dynasty (FDD Dynasty-A Mere Classic by A Classic Dash) and he will be trying to break a two-race losing streak in the Town Policy after winning four-straight races. In addition to his Vandy’s Flash win, he took his Adequan Los Alamitos Derby Challenge trial during his winning streak for trainer Jose Antonio Moreno.

 

Mimi Wells’ New Look (Walk Thru Fire-Make Over by Separatist) fits well at this level. The Dan Francisco-trained gelding is also trying to regain his winning form. He won five of six starts from December through July. He has been winless in his latest four starts, but qualified for the Golden State Derby (G1) and the Governor’s Cup Derby (RG2).

 

The peak of his hot streak and his career came when he won the $184,000 El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2) as the 13-10 favorite.

 

Fans can watch all of Los Al’s races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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OCHOA ASSUMES NO. 1 POST AFTER COLD CASH 123 DEFEAT

Q-Racing Journal, November 1, 2012 – For the first time in 2012, there’s a new sheriff among the older horses in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings. Following Sunday’s surprising defeat in the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship (G1) by Cold Cash 123, pollsters moved All American Derby (G1) hero Ochoa to the top of the list. The sport’s all-time leading money earner in terms of purses, Ochoa out-pointed Cold Cash 123 by a 98-89 margin this week.

El Aguila Real remained No. 3 this week following a runner-up effort in the Los Al Invitational where he outfinished Cold Cash 123 for the place spot, while Chivalry SR leaped into the rankings at No. 4 following that upset victory. Meanwhile, Bank of America Racing Challenge Championship (G1) winner Rylees Boy returned to the rankings this week after his impressive Saturday night score, reappearing at No. 5. Llano Teller fell three spots to No. 7 after finishing second in the big finale at Prairie Meadows.

 

While the rankings for the older horses provided volatile this week, the 2-year-old poll was at ease. One Dashing Eagle remains the unanimous No. 1-rated juvenile. The poll saw only minor shuffling at the bottom of the top 10.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (86)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (71)

4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (70)

5.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (40)

6.   RONNIE JAMES (39)

7.   LOTA PYC (33)

8.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (26)

9.   EL DUERO (25)

10. ONE HANDSOME MAN (14)

 

Aha Moment (11), Heroes Heart (8), Stel My Corona (6), Dash For Coronas (6), Krash Cartel (5), Blackberry Czech (4), Sassmaster (3)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   OCHOA (98)

2.   COLD CASH 123 (89)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (77)

4.   CHIVALRY SR (62)

5.   RYLEES BOY (60)

6.   FLAME N FLASH (35)

7.   LLANO TELLER (32)

8.  -tie JLS MR BIGTIME (23)

8.  -tie  EXECUTIVE BRASS (23)

10. CHARAL KID 12)

 

Priceless Feature (11), Ethics Aside (5), A Toss Up (4), Hez Our Secret (4), Jess Featureme Quick (4), Ima Chickie Two (4), Fredaville (3), Senor Toby (2), Ultimate Wave (1), Check My Thoughts (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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Challenge program recognizes leading owner, breeder, trainer and jockey.

The 20th year of the Bank of America Racing Challenge was a great one. The program was created to provide more opportunity for racing American Quarter Horses, and by all indications it has succeeded in that goal.

It saw 23 different tracks host 61 regional qualifying races, with more than $2.5 million dollars in purses – $1.8 million of that as added money. There were also 28 tracks that hosted 33 Bonus Challenge by Markel races, whose purses included more than $398,000 in added money. And the Bank of America Maiden Challenge continues to gain ground, running at mega-tracks and county fairs, from Alberta to Mexico City, from Hialeah, Florida to Washington State, and everywhere in between.
 
The Bank of America Racing Challenge Champion Owner, Trainer, Breeder and Jockey are determined by points accumulated in regional final races. Contenders receive 10 points for a win, 9 points for a second-place finish, and so on. At year-end, the top earner in each division receives an award from one of AQHA’s Corporate Partners.

The 2012 John Deere champion owner was newcomers Gully Enterprisesof Novice, Texas. Carolyn and Pat Gully are experienced horsemen, and very involved with cutting horses. This is, however, their first year as racehorse owners. With the help of trainer Alvin Turner, it was a memorable one. Among their horses was Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G1) finalist Special Awards. They earned the most points of the year with 52, a five point lead over second-place finisher Dean Frey. As champion owners, the Gullys take home a John Deere Gator utility vehicle and a custom buckle from Montana Silversmiths.

AQHA champion breeder Bobby Cox is this year’s Challenge Nutrena champion breeder with 91 points earned. With the win, Cox earned $5,000 cash, three tons of Nutrena feed and a custom buckle from Montana Silversmiths. Vessels Stallion Farm LLC was second with 88 points.

The closest race of the year was the Vetrolin champion trainer award. Trainers Charley Hunt and Bret Vickery tied with 95 points, but Hunt won the tie breaker and earned the title. Hunt earned a $5,000 check, a Tex-Tan saddle, a custom buckle from Montana Silversmiths and product from Vetrolin.

AQHA champion jockey and all-time leading money earner G.R. Carter Jr. brought home yet another award, as he was this year’s Wrangler champion jockey. Carter earned 121 points to defeat second place-finisher Stormy Smith with 93 points. Carter wins $2,000 cash, a Tex-Tan saddle and a custom buckle from Montana Silversmiths.

2012 CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
This year's champs to be decided Saturday at Prairie Meadows.

Q-Racing Journal, October 25, 2012 – The Bank of America Challenge Championships take center stage on October 27 at Prairie Meadows. On Saturday, the Altoona, Iowa, racetrack plays host to a full card of 11 Challenge races. These include the six headlining championship events, as well as five undercard races, with purses for the evening totaling more than $1.1 million. First post is at 7 p.m. The races can be watched live at www.qracingvideo.com, with complete coverage at www.aqharacing.com.

Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1)

The $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) is the headlining event of the night and goes off as the 10th race on the card, with post time at 10:45 p.m.

 

Champion Rylees Boy has been installed as the 7-2 morning line favorite. All-time leading trainer Paul Jones has training duties on the 7-year-old son of Heza Motor Scooter who is enjoying his fourth consecutive trip to the Challenge Championships. Rylees Boy (Heza Motor Scooter-Pipistrelle by Rocky Jones) will break from Post 9 under the handling of Ramon Sanchez. In 2009, Rylees Boy was third and in 2010 and 2011, he finished second in this race. The reigning champion aged gelding races for Lorena Velazquez Rodriguez of Surprise, Arizona. 

 

Rylees Boy’s stablemate is 4-year-old Dash Glory Ease (Holland Ease-Medvedev (TB) by Minstrel Glory), who makes his United States debut for breeder Haras Fazenda Bela Ltd. of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He will win the frequent flyer award, as he has been flown in from Brazil, where in February he won the Bank of America South American Championship Challenge. 

 

Three-time Grade 1 winner Llano Teller (Teller Cartel-Annie Eye Over by Mr Eye Opener) is also set to contest the race. An earner of $1,687,347, Llano Teller races for breeder Terry Wootan’s Wootan Racing of Llano, Texas, in partnership with Reed Land & Cattle Co. This year, Llano Teller was second to world champion Cold Cash 123 in the Leo Stakes (G1), then won the Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2). He was third in the Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) and, in September, was second to Jorge Gonzalez’s Ethics Aside (Mr Jess Perry-Daring Difference by Victory Dash) in the Bank of America Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge.

 

Jorge Haddad’s homebred Giorgino (Apollo (TB)-Las Alamitos by First Down Dash) won three stakes as a juvenile and is still a dangerous stakes horse as a 4-year-old. The stallion has made three starts this fall at Prairie Meadows, with a second in the October 6 Prairie Meadows Bonus Challenge and a third in the August 18 Keokuk Stakes (G3).

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

A Spring Snow, Tony Guymon, 6-1

Dash Glory Ease, Cesar DeAlba, 10-1

Giorgino, Agustin Silva, 15-1

Llano Teller, G.R. Carter Jr., 9-2

Fearles Fred, Freddie Martinez, 12-1

Fast Fifty, Mark Luark, 15-1

Patriots Glory, Elliot Bachicha Jr., 8-1

Kool Country Man, Alfonso Lujan, 20-1

Rylees Boy, Ramon Sanchez, 7-2

A Royal Dervish, Never Marin, 6-1

Ethics Aside, Oscar Delgado, 10-1 

 

Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G1)

The Mesa Valley Farms LLC homebred Fols Jesse is the 4-1 morning line favorite going into the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G1). The 400-yard race is exclusively for 3-year-olds and will be run as the eighth race on the card.

 

Fols Jesse (Jesse James Jr-Sheza Jet Dash by Dash To Chivato) enters the race off a half-length score in the Kip Diderickson Handicap at Los Alamitos against older horses.

 

Not worse than third in all of his six starts this year, Fols Jesse was second in his Adequan Les Bois Derby Challenge regional race and third in the Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap.

 

Tom Maher’s gelding Painted Lies (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Teller Lies by First Down Dash) is having a sensational sophomore campaign with five wins, two seconds and a third from nine starts. The highlights of this streak include a win in the June 9 Minnesota Stallion Breeders/NCQHRA Derby (R) at Canterbury Park and then his most important career victory in the September 15 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge (G3). The Amber Blair-trained Painted Lies has the advantage of coming into the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship off that win at Prairie Meadows, when he dug in to secure the game neck win over the highly regarded Huckleberry Mojito.

 

LMR 2011’s Huckleberry Mojito (Feature Mr Jess-Eye Opening Special by Mr Eye Opener) has five wins and a close second to Painted Lies as the even-money choice in the September 15 Adequan Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge (G3) from her latest six starts. Her wins during this stretch for trainer Ed Hardy include a track record-setting win in the $39,000 Canterbury Derby and the $27,000 Race for Hope, both at Canterbury Park. 6.

 

Mary Kirby’s Second Painted Sign (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Stylish Sign by Vital Sign) comes off a pair of stakes wins and tries for his fourth-consecutive win. Two starts ago, Second Painted Sign defeated Oklahoma-breds by three quarters of a length in the $90,000 Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Derby on June 30 at Fair Meadows and then he earned his trip to the Challenge Championships with a win in the Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge on September 30. The Jackie Kirby-trained colt pulled away to a 2-length win as the 4-5 favorite while covering the 400 yards in :19.746.

 

Michael Amburn and trainer Guy Hopkins have two in the race, with Jess A Comment (First Comment-Jess Quick Fun by Mr Jess Perry) and A Game Dame (First N Kool-Miss Game Tee by Game Patriot). Jess A Comment won the Adequan Retama Park Derby Challenge on August 11 for his second-consecutive win and has been rested since that effort. The Guy Hopkins-trained gelding has qualified for the Texas Classic Futurity (G1), TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2), John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge (G3) and TQHA Sires’ Cup Derby (RG3). A Game Dame won the May 19 Adequan Sam Houston Derby Challenge. Last year, she won the TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) and has earnings of $88,320. 

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

Painted Lies, Cody Smith, 8-1,

Huckleberry Mojito, Juan Vazquez, 6-1,

Fols Jessie, J.L. Cruz, 4-1

Attack The Cartel, Ramon Sanchez, 8-1,

Ultimate Wave, Esgar Ramirez, 5-1,

Special Awards, Cody McDaniel, 20-1,

A Game Dame, Stormy Smith, 12-1,

Jess A Comment, Cody Jensen, 6-1,

Second Painted Sign, G.R. Carter Jr., 10-1,

Mr Taka B, Freddie Martinez, 12-1,

Exciting The Planet, Mark Luark, 20-1.

 

John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2)

The Horton Racing LLC homebred Heroes Heart will have home track advantage in the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) and is the morning-line favorite. The race brings together top 2-year-olds over 350 yards. 

 

Heroes Heart (Valiant Hero-Sweethearts Quicksix by Sixarun) made two starts here this year – the trials and finals to the John Deere Prairie Meadows Juvenile Championship – and won both. She has never been worse than third in four career starts. Charley Hunt will send out the daughter of Valiant Hero, whose half sister Snow Burn won the 2008 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1).

 

Rockin J Running Horses and Jack Manning’s Rockin Disco (Rock Solid Jess-Check This Disco by Check Him Out) put together a promising summer at Ruidoso Downs when he won his trial and final of the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge (G3) and then his All American Futurity (G1) trial in successive starts. The Mike Wakefield-trained gelding surprised at 9-1 odds in the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge when he got up at the wire to defeat Llano Cartel by a head.

 

Alan and Tawn Perkins’ Sheaintcrynrealtears (Jet Cartel-Tear Drop Six by Sixarun) has been a close second in her latest three outs against solid company. After finishing just a neck behind Adoring Jess as the 3-2 favorite in the August 11 John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge, she was second by a neck in her Dash For Cash Futurity trial and then second by a head in the September 29 Dash For Cash Juvenile (R) at Lone Star Park.

 

Ronald Martin and Randal Dees’ All Out Arrogant (FDD Dynasty-Oh So Arrogant by Chicks Beduino) made the trip from Los Alamitos in Southern California after finishing second in the August 28 John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge. The Cody Joiner-trained gelding won back-to-back races at Los Alamitos before the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge.

 

Noel Prieto’s Brace For Bernal (Furyofthewind-Zoom Bracer by Shazoom) and Cynthia Gonzalez’s Jess Like Stoli (Stoli-Miss Jess Rogue by Mr Jess Perry) both come off regional victories. Brace For Bernal won the September 30 John Deere Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge by a half length at 30-1 odds while Jess Like Stoli won the October 14 John Deere Turf Paradise Juvenile Challenge by a scant nose at nearly 3-1 odds.

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

Brace For Bernal, Paul Nieto, 15-1,

Jess Like Stoli, Esgar Ramirez, 8-1,

All Out Arrogant, G.R. Carter Jr., 5-1,

Rockin Disco, Russel Hadley, 9-2,

Heroes Heart, Stormy Smith, 4-1,

Rogue County, Doug Frink, 20-1,

RG Tres Effort, Mark Luark, 12-1

Ms Eaves, Alfonso Lujan, 8-1,

Sheaintcrynrealtears, Juan Vazquez, 6-1,

RC Had To Be My Day, Cody Jensen, 10-1,

Rightamountofwrong, Ramon Sanchez, 15-1.

 

Fans can watch all of the Bank of America Challenge Championship races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY NIGHT

Q-Racing Journal, October 24, 2012 – The Bank of America Challenge Championships take center stage on October 27 at Prairie Meadows. On Saturday, the Altoona, Iowa, racetrack plays host to a full card of 11 Challenge races. These include the six headlining championship events, as well as five undercard races, with purses for the evening totaling more than $1.1 million. First post is at 7 p.m. The races can be watched live at www.qracingvideo.com, with complete coverage at www.aqharacing.com.

AQHA will release previews of the John Deere Juvenile, Adequan Derby and Bank of America Championship races tomorrow, October 25.

 

Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1)

Robert Gentry’s classy homebred Fredaville looms as a dangerous threat in the $125,000 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1). The morning line favorite will break from the outside post. She is looking for vindication this year, as the mare was second in last year’s running of the race. The Merial Distaff Challenge at 400 yards is the spotlight race for 3-year-old and up fillies and mares on the Bank of America Challenge Championship program.

 

The well-traveled Fredaville (Mr Jess Perry-Fearless Freda by Dash For Cash) has the highest earnings in the field, with $266,571 from 34 career starts. The six-time stakes winner this year has made six starts and never been worse than third. They include wins in the Merial Remington Park Distaff Challenge and Merial Los Alamitos Distaff Challenge. She was second in the Junos Request Stakes (G2) and third in the Charger Bar Handicap (G2), Hialeah Invitational and most recently the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1). She represents four generations of Gentry breeding – Robert and his brother, Bruce, bought the mare’s fourth dam, Cute Kiss, back in 1971. Fredaville is trained by Cody Joiner and will have champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr. aboard. 

 

Fredaville isn’t the only representative of a long-term breeding program. Believers Gathering, too, is a fourth-generation homebred racing for AQHA Past President Walter Fletcher and his wife, Pat. The Fletchers bought this mare’s fourth dam, Sweet Mooner, as a 2-year-old in 1975. Believers Gathering is out of Prairie Meadows star None As Easy ($265,132), who won five stakes at the Iowa track. Believers Gathering is by Agouti, and has won or placed in 24 of her 44 career starts while earning $177,539. Believers Gathering is a three-time stakes winner, including two at the Iowa racetrack, and in 2010, was second in the Merial Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Fair Grounds. 

 

Tommy Hays and Bobby Barnett’s Painted Sable (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Sables Dash by Dash Thru Traffic) has the advantage of coming into the Merial Distaff Challenge Championship off a win over the Prairie Meadows track. The Ed Hardy-trained Painted Sable responded with a half-length win as the 6-5 favorite in the Merial Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge on September 15. Painted Sable also won the July 8 Hill Country Stakes at the Gillespie County Fair in Texas and was third in the Merial Sam Houston Distaff Challenge earlier this year.

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

L Bar D Snow Princes, J.L. Cruz, 12-1,

RTM Say Your Prayers, Allen Corson, 8-1,

Im A Feature Girl, Agustin Silva, 15-1,

Painted Sable, Stormy Smith, 6-1,

Believers Gathering, Cody Smith, 10-1,

Bertha Venation, Esgar Ramirez, 5-1,

Surprise Ending, Juan Vazquez, 15-1,

Leanintoit, Cody Jensen, 7-2, 

Corona For You, Alejandro Luna, 12-1,

Fredaville, G.R. Carter Jr., 3-1

 

Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1)

Eight horses are set to run in the competitive $125,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship (G1), set as the sixth race and first championship race. The race is 870 yards. 

 

The super-hot runner All About Larry (Heza Motor Scooter-Come Hell Or Hiwater by Shoot Yeah) has been installed as the early favorite and was given Post 4. The gelding, who races for Diane Heath and is trained by John Stinebaugh, has won five of seven starts this year and is in dominating form. Two starts ago, he won the August 12 Master Salls Handicap at Ruidoso Downs by 9 3/4 lengths and then demolished the September 28 Red Cell Lone Star Distance Challenge field by 9 lengths while setting a track record.

 

Rene Laatsch’s Yin Your Eyes returns to defend his title in the race, as the Bill Hoburg-trained gelding won the race at Los Alamitos last year. The Eye Yin You gelding, whom Hoburg also bred in partnership, has won or placed in 18 of his 30 career starts and earned $125,994.

 

The winner of the 2010 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship, De Passem Okey (Okey Dokey Dale-Impassable Gal (TB) by Sir Richard Lewis) has been the sport’s champion distance horse both of the past two years and has won six of his latest seven starts dating back nearly a year. The gelding was unbeatable this spring at Remington Park when he went four-for four, won three graded stakes and was the overwhelming favorite in each start. He took the April 1 Pauls Valley Handicap (G3), the May 6 Red Cell Remington Distance Challenge (G3) and the May 28 Remington Park Distance Handicap (G3).

 

Trainer Rodney Reed prepared De Passem Okey for the Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship by easily winning a $20,680 allowance race over 870 yards at Will Rogers Downs on September 15. De Passem Okey has won two of three starts at Prairie Meadows and has proven victorious in 16 of 30 outs over 870 yards.

 

Horton Racing’s homebred Call Her Hero (Valiant Hero-Shady Caller (TB) by Caller I.D.) brings a four-race winning streak, including those three wins over Yin Your Eyes, into the Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship. Following an 8-length romp in a July 6 Fair Meadows maiden race, she came to Prairie Meadows and rattled off wins in her Red Cell Prairie Meadows Distance Challenge trial, the September 15 Red Cell Prairie Meadows Distance Challenge final and the October 6 Covered Bridges Stakes (G3). She was the odds-on favorite for her latest two wins.

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

De Passem Okey, G.R. Carter Jr., 4-1

Call Her Hero, Stormy Smith, 5-1

Bok Man, Jeff Jermain, 20-1

All About Larry, Salvador Martinez, 2-1

Hes A Real Stone, Cody Smith, 8-1

JW A Royal Flirt, Esgar Ramirez, 6-1

Yin Your Eyes, Mark Luark, 12-1

Emperor Valerian, Cody Jensen, 6-1

 

Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship

Aint Eye Kool has been installed as the early favorite in the evenly matched $75,000 Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship. The 350-yard Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship is dedicated to the working-class claiming horses who comprise the majority of horses racing throughout the United States. Each of the horses in the Pfizer Starter Allowance Challenge Championship will be competing for the largest purse of their careers.

 

The 4-year-old gelding (First N Kool-Aint I An Eyeopener by Mr Eye Opener) races for David Alaniz of Odessa, Texas, and enters the race off a season that includes three wins and one second in four starts. In his two most recent starts, he won the Pfizer SunRay Starter Allowance Challenge by a length, then took a SunRay starter allowance by nearly 2 lengths. The winner of six of 24 starts, Aint Eye Kool has won $53,882 in his career. He is trained by John Stinebaugh. 

 

Danny Caldwell of Poteau, Oklahoma, owns two of the starters in the race, including Pfizer Prairie Meadows Starter Allowance Challenge winner Zoomfection, as well as Pfizer Will Rogers Starter Allowance Challenge winner JA Sundance. Both are trained by Brian Muse.

 

Zoomfection (Shazoom-Dashs Perfection by Dash For Cash) has competed from the $5,000 to the $15,000 claiming level this year. He was second for a $15,000 tag two starts ago and then won the September 15 Pfizer Prairie Meadows Starter Allowance Challenge for his second win from four starts over the track. JA Sundance (Gol-JA Sofisticated Lady by First Down Dash) won a $10,000 claiming race at Will Rogers Downs and scored by a length in the September 30 Pfizer Will Rogers Starter Allowance Challenge.

 

Miguel Banuelos’ Senor Fish (Fishers Dash-First Place Affair by First Place Dash) is in sharp form. The gelding was third in the $21,000 Fair Meadows Maturity on July 7 and then won two $10,000 starter allowances at Prairie Meadows, both by a half length, one at 220 yards and the other at 250 yards.

 

The Jose Antonio Moreno-owned and -trained Moonin The Chicks (Looking For Chicks-Your First Moon by First Down Dash) makes his first start away from Los Alamitos. The gelding has won five of seven starts this year and took a $30,000 claiming race in a quick :15.30 for the 300 yards on September 28 before shipping to Prairie Meadows.

 

The complete field in post position order, from the inside out, including jockey and morning line odds:

 

Zoomfection, Stormy Smith, 6-1

First Time Ta Town, Cody Jensen, 10-1

Summit Bid, G.R. Carter Jr., 8-1

Eyes Movin, Juan Vazquez, 15-1

Aint Eye Kool, Esgar Ramirez, 4-1

Moonin The Chicks, Gaspar Garcia, 9-2

JA Sundance, Josh Romero, 8-1

Oh My Gol Sis, Oscar Delgado, 10-1

Senor Fish, Jose Montoya, 5-1

Dear Henry, Freddie Martinez, 12-1

 

Fans can watch all of the Challenge Championship races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

RONNIE JAMES MAKES BIG MOVE IN POLL
Texas Classic Futurity top qualifier Ronnie James moves up in the racing poll.

Q-Racing Journal, October 24, 2012 –The big mover in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings was 2-year-old Ronnie James, who on Saturday posted the fastest qualifying time for the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity (G1), which is set for November 10. The Heath Taylor trainee moved from No. 10 to No. 6 nationally among the juvenile rankings, which continue to be led by unanimous No. 1 One Dashing Eagle, who on Sunday posted the fastest qualifying time for the $1 million Golden State Million Futurity (G1), which is set to run November 4.

The disappointment from the Texas Classic Futurity trials was the fourth-place effort by BP Cartels Alibi, who dropped from No. 3 last week to No. 4 in his first start since the All American Futurity (G1). The top five this week behind One Dashing Eagle also includes PJ Chick In Black, Carters Cookie and Sudden Thoughts.

 

As for the older horses, Cold Cash 123 reigns supreme as the unanimous No. 1 once again this week. There were no major changes to those rankings this week, which see Ochoa, El Aguila Real, Llano Teller and Executive Brass completing the top five. Major changes may be in store, though, as No. 1- and No. 3-ranked runners Cold Cash 123 and El Aguila Real are set to contest the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship on Sunday. On Saturday, No. 4-ranked Llano Teller is set to run in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1). Additionally, all-time leading money earner Ochoa and the No. 2 older horse in the country on Friday posted the second-fastest qualifying time for the $400,000 Texas Classic Derby (G1) on November 10. Also qualifying for the race was No. 10-ranked A Toss Up.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (86)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (71)

4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (70)

5.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (40)

6.   RONNIE JAMES (39)

7.   LOTA PYC (38)

8.   EL DUERO (27)

7.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (26)

10. ONE HANDSOME MAN (17)

 

Aha Moment (12), Stel My Corona (6), Dash For Coronas (6), Krash Cartel (5), Blackberry Czech (4), Sassmaster (3)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)

2.   OCHOA (90)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (79)

4.   LLANO TELLER (52)

5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (47)

6.   FLAME N FLASH (46)

7.   JLS MR BIGTIME (34)

8.   CHARAL KID (28)

9.   PRICELESS FEATURE (23)

10. A TOSS UP (18)

 

Jess Featureme Quick (8), Hez Our Secret (5), Ima Chickie Two (4), Senor Toby (4), Rylees Boy (4), Check My Thoughts (3), Terrific Synergy (1), Ethics Aside (18), BPS Jumpin Frisco (1) Mr Truly Uno (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

UNANIMOUS NO. 1's CONTINUE TO LEAD POLLS

Cold Cash 123, One Dashing Eagle continue to dominate their divisions.

Q-Racing Journal, October 18, 2012 – There were no changes to the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings this week for either the 2-year-old or the older horses. Pollsters remained firm with their No. 1 selections once again as One Dashing Eagle was tabbed the unanimous top choice among the juveniles, and Cold Cash 123 the unanimous top-ranked horse aged 3 and older.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (85)
3.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (76)
3.   CARTERS COOKIE (65)
5.   LOTA PYC (51)
6.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (47)
7.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (28)
8.   EL DUERO (23)
9.   ONE HANDSOME MAN (22)
10. RONNIE JAMES (16)

Aha Moment (12), Stel My Corona (7), Dash For Coronas (6), Krash Cartel (5), Blackberry Czech (4), Sassmaster (3)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)
2.   OCHOA (89)
3.   EL AGUILA REAL (80)
4.   LLANO TELLER (55)
5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (50)
6.   FLAME N FLASH (40)
7.   CHARAL KID (32)
8.   JLS MR BIGTIME (30)
9.   PRICELESS FEATURE (18)
10. A TOSS UP (15)
 
Rylees Boy (8), Senor Toby (7), Jess Featureme Quick (7), Hez Our Secret (5), Terrific Synergy (4), Ima Chickie Two (4), Check My Thoughts (3), BPS Jumpin Frisco (1), Ethics Aside (1), Mr Truly Uno (1)
 
The 10 voters are:
 
Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

Futurity, Derby Doubleheader at Prairie Meadows and the Last Chance to Qualify for the Challenge Championships

John Hudson’s fastest-qualifier Ride My Wagon goes for his third-straight win in the $211,750 Valley Junction Futurity (G3) and John Lawless’ Eufaula Me is in a similar position in the $84,950 Altoona Derby (G3) to provide an inviting stakes doubleheader at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night.

Supporting the Futurity and Derby on the card is the $45,000 Two River Stakes (G3) at 440 yards, featuring Hollywood Trickster and Jess A Runner.

Ride My Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Shawne Kate by Shawne Bug) makes her stakes debut after winning three of five career starts. She showed she is ready for the class jump to the graded stakes level when she overcame a rough start to win her Valley Junction trial by three-quarters of a length, with a time of :17.682 for 350 yards, the quickest mark from four trials.

The Stacy Hill-Charette-trained Ride My Wagon broke her maiden in her second start and then, two starts ago, took a nonwinners-of-two allowance by three-quarters of a length.

Leo Buitell and Mike Schau’s Hada Certain Charm (Hadtobenuts-LK Classy Perk by Dash For Perks) should vie for the favorite’s role with his stakes credentials and four wins from six starts. The gelding won the June 24 Minnesota Stallion Breeders’ Futurity (R) at Canterbury Park and then was second in the September 2 Iowa QHRA Sale Futurity (R) over the Prairie Meadows straightaway.

Hada Certain Charm, from the Ed Hardy barn, impressed in his Valley Junction trial when he drew away to a 1 1/4-length win in :17.721, the second-fastest time.

Trainer Brent Clay is dangerous in the Altoona Derby with fastest-qualifier Eufaula Me and second-fastest qualifier Cruzin The Wagon.

Like Ride My Wagon, Eufaula Me (Okey Dokey Dale-Yawls Spreadn Rumors by Serious Rumors) has won his two previous starts, but has a stakes win two starts ago. The gelding was the 1-5 favorite in the September 2 Iowa Double Gold Futurity (R) and had to rally to get the neck win in :20.005 for 400 yards.

Eufaula Me came back at 1-2 odds in his September 29 Altoona Derby trial and scored an easier half-length win in :19.702 for 400 yards, the top time from the two trials.

Like Hada Certain Charm, Terry and Mary Louise Pursel’s Cruzin The Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Penelope Cruzin by Okey Dokey Dale) is not the fastest qualifier but certainly could be the favorite. She has been on a roll since winning last year’s Northlands Futurity (G3) and Valley Junction Futurity (G3). Including those victories, she has won six of eight starts, this year with wins in the March 17 Oklahoma Derby, May 20 Jack Brooks Stakes (RG3) and August 18 Keokuk Stakes (G3), and a second in the $246,000 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby (R) on April 14. Cruzin The Wagon is an earner of $296,629 with 10 wins and a pair of seconds from 13 starts and is the second-fastest qualifier with a time of :19.756.

In the Two Rivers, Christine Hovey’s Hollywood Trickster (Favorite Trick (TB)-Hollywood A List by Heza Fast Man) rides a three-race winning streak, including the May 28 Skip Zimmerman Stakes and the July 3 Great Lake Stakes at Canterbury in his two latest outs. The Hardy-trained gelding also was third in the 2011 Red Cell Prairie Meadows Distance Challenge.

JK Running Horses LLC’s Jess A Runner (Jess Louisiana Blue-Katiebug Driver by My Designated Driver) makes his second start off a seven-month layoff and figures to step forward. Before the layoff, the Kenny Laymon-trained gelding won the $75,000 Hialeah Invitational Championship on February 19. He was third in the 2011 running of the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Los Alamitos.

Fillemup Phil Tops Hoosier Classic

Brian Gunder’s Fillemup Phil, no worse than third in every out this year, looks for his fifth 2012 win in his eighth start when he heads the $100,000 Hoosier Park Classic on Saturday.

Also on the card is the $100,000 Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes for 3-year-old Indiana-breds.

Fillemup Phil (Brookstone Bay-Miss Reminence by Premiership (TB)) has been very hot this year after a winless 2011 and now is after his first stakes win of the year. His best stakes effort was a second in the $109,000 Woodard Stakes on June 30 at Indiana Downs.

Fillemup Phil, trained by Danny Lang, won the first of two trials by a nose over second-fastest qualifier Lovemelikethat (Likenothinyoueversaw-First Smart Stride by First Smart Money). Fillemup Phil was timed in :20.122 for 400 yards while Lovemelikethat was given a :20.129 mark.

That was the third-consecutive second-place finish for Daniel Cooter’s Lovemelikethat; in each race, she was the favorite and narrowly beaten, the largest margin being a neck. Lovemenlikethat won last year’s Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes (R) and the QHRA of Indiana Derby.

In this year’s Sterlie Bertram Stakes, Alberto Valadez’s Heza Door Prize (First Prize Perry-Rectitude by Heza Fast Man) is an interesting prospect. He is making just his third career start and only his second out this year. He was overlooked at 11-1 in his trial and responded with a half-length win for trainer Jorge Gonzalez in :17.911 for 350 yards, the fastest time from three trials. In his sole 2011 out, Heza Door Prize was fourth in a Hoosier Park allowance race.

Conversely, the Randy Smith-owned and -trained Dezenzo (Ivory James-Hooked On Leveaux by First Down Leveaux) and Randy Thompson’s Successful Dash (Cartel Success-Rita Anns Dash by Dash For Cash) both come into the Sterlie Bertram off winning streaks.

Dezenzo took an August 18 allowance by 1 1/2 lengths and then was the second-fastest qualifier at :17.952, with a neck score in the September 29 trials.

The Thomas Mosley Jr.-trained Successful Dash has won his latest three starts, including the August 18 QHRA of Indiana Stallion Service Derby (R). He won his September 29 trial by a half length at 3-10 odds, with the third-fastest time of :17.964.

Flying Fish Ready for Herman Jefferson

Flyin Fish, fourth in last year’s Herman Jefferson Stakes, should be ready to move up off an allowance win when he starts in the $55,000 Herman Jefferson Stakes over 870 yards at Zia Park on Saturday afternoon.

Owned and trained by Tony Sedillo, Flyin Fish (Fishers Dash-Jazzing Cheree by Jazzing Hi) fought for the lead for the entire 870 yards in that September 18 $42,681 allowance race before prevailing by a nose over Im Royal Quick, who also returns for the Jefferson.

Flyin Fish qualified for last year’s All American Derby (G1) and comes off a troubled fifth-place finish in the September 2 All American Gold Cup (G3) when he lost his path. The Gold Cup was won by champion Prospect To The Top, while two-time champion Noconi finished second.

David Barrett and Sue May’s Pakea Bay (Brookstone Bay-Pakea Kai by Mr Eye Opener) is a New Mexico-bred who will be racing against open horses. The New Mexico Cup Distance Championship is just a few weeks away with a higher purse, so trainer Fred Danley could run him in both races or skip one of the 870-yard stakes.

Pakea Bay bested state-breds in his latest effort when he won the $50,000 John Augustine Stakes (R) on August 26 at The Downs at Albuquerque. This summer at Ruidoso Downs, he finished first in a $12,500 claiming race on June 24, but was disqualified to last for a positive lab report for clenbuterol, and then returned to score a $19,000 allowance race on July 8 before finishing fourth in the July 29 Zia 870 Championship (R).

Ted Abrams Jr.’s Cat Five Storm (Panther Mountain-She Wants Cash by Send Cash) makes her Zia Park debut after winning the $30,000 Faubourg St John Stakes on August 25 at Fair Grounds. In that 870-yard stakes, she rallied from second to win by a length. On May 27 at Ruidoso, she was second in the Fine Loom Handicap.

Final try for Challenge Championships

Horses in three divisions have their final opportunity to earn berths in the Bank of America Challenge Championships when they race in the $60,000 Bank of America Turf Paradise Challenge (G2), the $20,000 John Deere Turf Paradise Juvenile Challenge and the $17,000 Red Cell Turf Paradise Challenge on Sunday at Turf Paradise.

The winners of each of those races earn the final berths to their respective races during the Bank of America Challenge Championships on October 27 at Prairie Meadows.

The Felix Gonzalez-owned and -trained Pot Ocash (Mr Eye Opener-Corona Cash by First Down Dash) chases his fourth-consecutive win in the Bank of America Turf Paradise Challenge and comes off a successful Turf Paradise debut in his September 28 trial. The gelding got off to a slow start in his trial and battled back into contention to win by a neck with the second-fastest qualifying time of :21.603.

Prior to coming to Turf Paradise, Pot Ocash won back-to-back races at Los Alamitos, where the 5-year-old gelding took a conditioned allowance race by a half length on April 15 and then prevailed by a neck to win the $25,000 Independence Day Handicap on July 1.

Nadia Zavala’s Whiskey (Mr Corona Cash-Been Bad N Bac by Splash Bac) raced to his third win from four starts when he stood out with a 3 1/2-length win in the second of three trials on September 28. His time of :21.554 was the fast-qualifying mark.

Trained by Leonard Espinoza, Whiskey took his trial after a nearly five-month layoff after finishing sixth in the May 4 allowance at SunRay Park. In 2011, he won his November 25 maiden trial and came back to win the December 10 final at Turf Paradise.

The Cynthia Gonzalez-owned and -trained Jess Like Stoli (Stoli-Miss Jess Rogue by Mr Jess Perry) scored a narrow head win in the second of two September 28 trials to establish the fastest-qualifying time to the John Deere Turf Paradise Juvenile Challenge. He was timed in :17.891 for the 350 yards.

Jess Like Stoli broke his maiden with the trial victory, but he has stakes credentials. On June 17 at SunRay, the gelding was a close third-place finisher in the $129,000 Four Corners Futurity (G3) when he was beaten by only a neck.

The Armando Castellanos-owned and -trained Black Storm Regard (Chicks Regard-Miss Quick Houston by Mr Houston) also has a trial win and a stakes resume. She won her trial by a half length, with a :17.905 time. In her previous start, the May 4 Desert Classic Futurity (R), she was placed third through a disqualification.

The Gerardo Ochoa-Pena-owned and -trained Prince Bac (Splash Bac-Queen Creek Queen by Bunny Bid) is in sharp form for the Red Cell Turf Paradise Distance Challenge at 870 yards. The veteran 8-year-old gelding comes off a win in the August 19 Special Hank Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque and was third in the April 1 Red Cell Sunland Park Distance Challenge (G3).

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

PAIR OF “SEVENS” ENTERS NATIONAL POLLS

Q-Racing Journal, October 10, 2012 –Pollsters tabbed two newcomers to this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings, and both A Dream To Remember and Charal Kid landed at No. 7 in their respective polls. A Dream To Remember was the week’s only fresh face in the national 2-year-old rankings, while Charal Kid debuted among the older horses.

A Dream To Remember is a daughter of renowned Louisiana-bred Thoroughbred Hallowed Dreams, who won her first 16 career starts to tie the modern-day consecutive win record. A Dream To Remember captured Sunday’s $299,843 Hobbs America Futurity (G2) at Zia Park for trainer Paul Jones, her third win in seven starts. The top of this week’s juvenile rankings saw no changes, as All American Futurity (G1) winner One Dashing Eagle remains the unanimous No. 1 among pollsters.

 

As for the older horses, Cold Cash 123 also remains the unanimous No. 1 atop the rankings. But Charal Kid made it back into the discussion this week following Saturday’s 16-1 upset win in the Refrigerator Handicap G1) at Lone Star Park. The 13-time stakes winner earned a berth into the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos via the score in the Refrigerator Handicap, which included defeating champion JLS Mr Bigtime, who slipped to No. 8 after his fourth-place run in Texas.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (85)

3.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (76)

4.   CARTERS COOKIE (65)

5.   LOTA PYC (51)

6.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (47)

7.   A DREAM TO REMEMBER (28)

8.   EL DUERO (23)

9.   ONE HANDSOME MAN (22)

10. RONNIE JAMES (16)

 

Aha Moment (12), Stel My Corona (7), Dash For Coronas (6), Krash Cartel (5), Blackberry Czech (4), Sassmaster (3)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)

2.   OCHOA (89)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (80)

4.   LLANO TELLER (55)

5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (50)

6.   FLAME N FLASH (40)

7.   CHARAL KID (32)

8.   JLS MR BIGTIME (30)

9.   PRICELESS FEATURE (18)

10. A TOSS UP (15)

 

Rylees Boy (8), Senor Toby (7), Jess Featureme Quick (7), Hez Our Secret (5), Terrific Synergy (4), Ima Chickie Two (4), Check My Thoughts (3), BPS Jumpn Frisco (1), Ethics Aside (1), Mr Truly Uno (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

TRAINERS SUSPENDED FOLLOWING MEDICATION RULINGS

Q-Racing Journal, October 9, 2012 –The American Quarter Horse Association today has announced that it is taking action regarding 11 trainers who were recently suspended by the Louisiana Racing Commission and the Zia Park Board of Stewards (New Mexico) as a result of horses testing positive for Class I drugs.  

The 11 trainers include Alvin Smith, Jr., John D. Soileau, Lamont Charles, Alonzo Loya, Kyi Lormand, Heath Taylor, Anthony Agilar, Gonzalo Gonzales, John Henry Bassett, Jeffery Heath Reed and Carlos Sedillo.

 

Effective immediately, AQHA has suspended any AQHA memberships issued to the above trainers pending final outcome of their cases with the Louisiana or New Mexico Racing Commissions.  Furthermore, effective October 19, 2012, horses in which the above trainers are listed as an owner or trainer shall be ineligible to receive AQHA racing points or AQHA honors/awards including AQHA year-end Champion or AQHA Regional High Point recognition.  Finally, effective October 19, 2012, horses in which the above trainers are listed as an owner or trainer shall be ineligible to enter any AQHA Challenge regional, bonus or maiden races including the upcoming 2012 Bank of America Racing Challenge Championships to be held October 27th at Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino in Altoona, IA.

 

AQHA’s action stems from the following penalties issued by the Louisiana Racing Commission and New Mexico Board of Stewards:

 

Louisiana Racing Commission penalties:

 

• Alvin Smith, Jr.; 10 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $20,000

• John Soileau; 10 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $20,000

• Lamont Charles;  3 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $2,500

• Alonzo Loya; 5 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $10,000

• Kyi Lormand; 3 year suspension beginning July 4, 2012; fined $2,500

• Heath Taylor; 5 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $10,000

• Anthony Agilar; 3 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $5,000

• Gonzalo Gonzales; 3 year suspension beginning October 29, 2012; fined $2,500

 

The 8 suspensions above include denial of access to all racetracks, off track wagering facilities and recognized training tracks under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Racing Commission.

 

Zia Park Board of Stewards penalties:

 

• John Henry Bassett; 10 year suspension beginning October 12, 2012; fined $10,000

• Jeffrey Heath Reed; 21 year suspension beginning October 19, 2012; fined $23,000

• Carlos Sedillo; 10 year suspension beginning October 20, 2012; fined $10,000

 

The 3 suspensions above include exclusion of the trainers from all areas of the grounds under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico Racing Commission and stipulation that all horses owned, trained or under the care of such trainers are ineligible to be entered or start in any race under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico Racing Commission.

 

These 11 trainers have certain appeal rights governed by the racing jurisdictions who issued the disciplinary actions.  AQHA will continue to monitor the cases and has taken its action pending the final outcome of the cases.  

 

Over the next several weeks there will be important racing industry meetings that will bring together the national associations to discuss ways to further strengthen rules, policies and plans to move forward with reformed racing rules.  AQHA also will continue to work with all racing jurisdictions that participate in American Quarter Horse racing to develop a database for our Members to have access and to communicate about rulings and where AQHA might be able to offer assistance.

 

 “The vast majority of our Members love and enjoy spending time with their horses.  They want the drug issue cleaned up, and AQHA is dedicated to using the resources we have available to make sure this happens.  The statements made over the last several months by tracks such as Los Alamitos, Ruidoso Downs, Remington Park and actions taken by racing jurisdictions such as California, New Mexico and Louisiana show that progress is being made.  We applaud them and others for their efforts in addressing these issues, and encourage all racing jurisdictions to reciprocate and recognize rulings from other jurisdictions” said Don Treadway, AQHA Executive Vice President.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

PCQHRA BREEDERS FUTURITY AT LOS AL

Lone Star and Zia Park also hosting graded stakes.

Q-Racing Journal, October 4, 2012 – Tom Atwood and Vessels Stallion Farms’ Far Niente has the opportunity to prove he belongs in the top tier of the Los Alamitos juvenile division when he starts as the fastest qualifier in $392,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (G2) on Saturday night at the Southern California track. 

Far Niente (FDD Dynasty-Shahayla by Chicks Beduino) has won three of four starts, with his only defeat a troubled seventh-place finish in his Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) trial. Trainer John Wells then brought him back in a non-winners-of-two allowance race, and he responded with a half-length win in a crisp :15.425 for the 300 yards.

 

Wells gave the colt another shot in the trials to a graded futurity in the Breeders Futurity trials, and Far Niente responded in the second of nine trials with a three-quarters length win with the top time of :17.407 for 350 yards.

 

Far Niente faces the stakes-tested Blackberry Czech, winner of the Kindergarten Futurity (G2), and Grade 1-placed Joy Roses Eagle SA.

 

S-Quarter K LLC’s Ima Chickie Two, winner of last year’s PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (G2), shoots for the futurity-derby double when she brings the second-fastest qualifying time into the $170,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby (G3) on Friday night at Los Alamitos.

 

The second of three trials to the Breeders Derby was the key trial with the top three qualifiers coming out of that 400-yard heat. Fastest qualifier Separate Thoughts finished a head in front of Ima Chickie Two, while Feature Jessie Gail grabbed the third-fastest qualifying time finishing a length behind the top two qualifiers.

 

Ima Chickie Two (Chicks Beduino-First Down Dream by First Down Dash) won last year’s Breeders Futurity by a half length and turned heads with an excellent :17.193 time for the 350 yards. She has maintained her stakes class this year with a second behind the highly regarded Terrific Synergy in the Governor’s Cup Derby (RG2).

 

Trained by Guillermo Morales, Ima Chickie Two raced to a :19.847 time for the second-fastest qualifying mark.

 

Theresa and Edward DeNike’s homebred Separate Thoughts (Separatist-A Lil’ Alimony (TB) by Mr. Procrastinator) edged Ima Chickie Two in their trial and on the qualifiers’ list with her :19.834 time. The filly has been improving for trainer Patricia Visscher with a head win in the La Pacifica Handicap in her start before the Breeders Derby trials.

 

TEXAS

 

Legendary trainer C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath keeps JLS Mr Bigtime’s races well spaced, and the gelding makes his third 2012 start of a successful season in the $75,000 Refrigerator Handicap (G1) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

 

A homebred from JLS-Speed Horse Ranch, JLS Mr Bigtime (Bigtime Favorite-Psalmist by Osceola Warrior) made his first start in nearly nine months when he made his 2012 debut in the $250,000 Remington Park Championship (G1) in May. He ran a strong race to finish second to stablemate and reigning world champion Cold Cash 123.

 

JLS Mr Bigtime came back against Louisiana-breds in his latest race –the $100,000 Louisiana Classic (RG2)– on July 14 as the 1-2 favorite and scored a head win while setting a Delta Downs track record of :21.303 for the 440 yards.

 

Joel Tavarez’s 2011 champion 3-year-old colt Prospect To The Top (Coronas Prospect-Cream To The Top by Easily Smashed) had a strong summer at Ruidoso Downs after standing to his first book of mares this spring. He was second by a head in the Mr Jet Moore Handicap (G3) and then spoiled champion Noconi’s swan song race when he defeated the veteran in the All American Gold Cup (G3) by three-quarters of a length.

 

Prospect To The Top earned his championship with wins in the Hobbs America Derby (G2) and West Texas Derby (G3) and a second in the All American Derby (G1) for trainer Ralph Muniz.

 

IOWA

 

Horton Racing’s homebred Call Her Hero tries to continue her climb in the 870-yard ranks when she starts in the $25,000 Covered Bridges Stakes on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

 

Call Her Hero (Valiant Hero-Shady Caller (TB) by Caller I.D.) has won each of her three starts at 870 yards, and they have been her three latest races. She won her maiden in her 870-yard debut when she pulled away to score by 8 lengths. She then came back in a trial to the Red Cell Prairie Meadows Distance Challenge and surprised at nearly 10-1 odds while winning by 1 3/4 lengths.

 

That win convinced the fans of the Charlton Hunt-trained filly’s ability, and she was sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the Red Cell Prairie Meadows Distance Challenge. She proved her supporters correct with a one-half length win and a starting spot in the $125,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship on October 27.

 

NEW MEXICO

 

Fastest qualifier Sashay Hot tries for her first stakes win in the $300,000-est. Hobbs America Futurity (G2), and champion Feature Mr Bojangles chases his first stakes win since taking last year’s Hobbs America Futurity when he races in the $200,000-est. Hobbs America Derby (G3) on Sunday afternoon at Zia Park.

 

R.D. Hubbard’s Sashay Hot (Walk Thru Fire-Salty Shay by Mr Eye Opener) raced to her best career performance when she won her Hobbs America Futurity trial by an expanding half length. Her time of :19.327 for the 400 yards was the quickest clocking from eight trials.

 

Feature Mr Bojangles, the 2011 champion 2-year-old colt, had a sensational 2011 season with three futurity wins, concluded by his half-length win in the Hobbs America Futurity as the 2-5 favorite. That win capped a seven-race winning streak that included the Rainbow Futurity (G1) and the Four Coroners Futurity.

 

This summer, he qualified for the Ruidoso and Rainbow derbies.

 

Feature Mr Bojangles was second in his Hobbs America Derby trial in his first start for trainer Paul Jones.

 

Also on the program is the running of the $55,000 Lubbock Stakes for fillies and mares that was cancelled last Saturday when racing was cancelled due to track conditions.

 

Sally and Dave Kidd’s homebred KR Dragonfly makes her second start off a layoff when she defends her title in the Lubbock Stakes (G3).

 

KR Dragonfly (Separatist-Dreamers Wild Child by Sixarun) has not won since taking last year’s Lubbock Stakes by one-half length. After her Lubbock win, she shipped to Los Alamitos and raced to a third-place finish in the Las Damas Handicap (G3) and then was fifth in the Charger Bar Handicap (G2), defeated by Dash Back Perry in each race.

 

Fans can watch all of these races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.

TWO NEWCOMERS IN POLL
Two new faces emerge in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com Poll.

Q-Racing Journal, October 3, 2012 – Two fresh faces emerged in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top-10 rankings, one in the juvenile poll and one for the older horses. But life at the top remained firm for national leaders One Dashing Eagle and Cold Cash 123, once again unanimous No. 1 choices in their respective divisions.

The newcomer to the 2-year-old poll is One Handsome Man at No. 8 this week. He registered a popular victory at 8-5 odds in Saturday’s Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park, but did so via the disqualification of Prince Valleyant. The remainder of the juvenile rankings remained intact as Aha Moment was dropped from the Top 10.

 

Among the older horses, the 3-year-old filly Flame N Flash debuted at No. 7 this week following her win against elders in the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1) on Sunday at Los Alamitos. The win qualifies the Walk Thru Fire filly for the Champion of Champions (G1) at season’s end. Creston Goer fell from the rankings this week to make room for Flame N Flash.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (85)

3.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (71)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (70)

5.   LOTA PYC (51)

6.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (47)

7.   EL DUERO (35)

8.   ONE HANDSOME MAN (20)

9.   RONNIE JAMES (18)

10. BLACKBERRY CZECH (14)

 

Aha Moment (13), Native Tea Rose (7), Sassmaster (6), Krash Cartel (5), Dash For Coronas (5), Ms Jingles (2)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)

2.   OCHOA (89)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (80)

4.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (51)

5.   LLANO TELLER (47)

6.   JLS MR BIGTIME (39)

7.   FLAME N FLASH (36)

8.   PRICELESS FEATURE (26)

9.   SENOR TOBY (25)

10. A TOSS UP (12)

 

Creston Goer (11), Terrific Synergy (9), Rylees Boy (6), Hez Our Secret (5), Jess Feature Me Quick (4), BPs Jumpn Frisco (3), Check My Thoughts (2), Ethics Aside (2), New Look (1), Chicks Smart Money (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

PRINCE VALLEYANT FASTEST TO DASH FOR CASH FUTURITY

Q-Racing Journal, September 28, 2012 – The Russell Harris-owned and -trained Prince Valleyant won his maiden at a fortuitous time in the trials and now should be dangerous in the $473,300 Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

Also on the impressive card is the $174,000 Dash For Cash Derby (G2) and the Merial Lone Star Distaff Challenge.

 

Prince Valleyant (Valiant Hero-Itsmybag (TB) by Bag) topped the 14 trials to the 400-yard Dash For Cash Futurity when he won the final trial by 2 lengths. His time of :19.506 placed him atop the qualifiers’ list.

 

Harris started the gelding three times this summer at Ruidoso Downs and he showed promise, with third-place efforts in his Ruidoso and Rainbow futurity trials. He then reared at the start of his All American Futurity trial and was never in contention.

 

Flying Hooves RC’s One Handsome Man (One Famous Eagle-Helens First Choice by First Down Dash) could be dangerous in this contentious field after winning his latest two races, each futurity trials to Grade 1 races. The colt won his All American Futurity trial by a neck in :21.469 for 440 yards as the 19-10 favorite and then made a late run to take his Dash For Cash Futurity trial by 1 1/4 lengths, with the second-fastest time of :19.511.

 

Gabriel Guiterrez’s First Down Shazoom (Shazoom-Nonanon by First Down Dash) gained stakes experience this spring at Remington Park and, after taking the summer off, appears ready to compete at the Grade 1 level. The Guillermo Valdivia-trained gelding raced to a second-place finish in the Lady Bugs Moon Stakes (R) in his first start and was fourth in the Easy Jet Stakes (RG3) in his third effort. He was rested after winning a futurity trial at Fair Meadows and surfaced to win his Dash For Cash Futurity trial by a length, with the third-fastest time of :19.575.

 

Carl Pevehouse’s homebred Send A Candy Guy (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Send The Guys Candy by Disco Jerry (TB)) also has minor stakes success with a win in the Bugs Alive In 75 Stakes and a close second in the Fair Meadows Juvenile. The Clinton Crawford-trained colt has the sixth-fastest time of :19.624.

 

Samuel Valerino’s Jess Lips has been close in major Grade 1 stakes and now may by positioned for his first stakes win as the fastest qualifier to the $174,000 Dash For Cash Derby (G2) on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

 

Jess Lips (Mr Jess Perry-Loose Lips by First Down Dash) nearly won the Golden State Million Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos last fall and impressed with a close third-place finish in the Rainbow Derby (G1) this past summer at Ruidoso Downs. Champion Ochoa surged to get the win and Jess Lips was just a neck back for third in the tight finish.

 

After finishing second in his All American Derby trial, Jess Lips overwhelmed the second of six Dash For Cash Derby trials to win by 1 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite. He raced to the fastest-qualifying time of :21.215 for the 440 yards.

 

Dan Adams, P.K. Thomas and Gene White’s Lethal Volt (Volcom-Miss Lethal by Chicks Beduino) raced to a fifth-place finish in last year’s All American Futurity (G1) and then was defeated by only a nose in the Southwest Juvenile Championship (G1) in his final 2011 start. The Trey Wood-trained gelding scored his first 2012 win when he won his Dash For Cash Derby trial by 1 1/2 lengths, with the second-fastest time of :21.367.

 

Joe Kirk Fulton’s homebred Sweet Oblivion (Mr Jess Perry-Daring Difference by Victory Dash) has put together a consistent record for trainer Mike Robbins this year. The filly was second in the Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge as the 4-5 favorite after she won her trial by more than 3 lengths, with the fastest-qualifying time. After a close second in her All American Derby trial, she won her Dash For Cash Derby trial, with the third-fastest time of :21.369.

 

Fans can watch all of Lone Star Park’s American Quarter Horse races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

COLD CASH FIRM AT NO. 1
World champion regains unanimous status at top of national poll.

Q-Racing Journal, September 27, 2012 – Top-ranked Cold Cash 123 coasted to a handy score Sunday in the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) at Los Alamitos and was made the unanimous choice as the No. 1 older horse in the land in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top-10 rankings. Top-ranked all season, Cold Cash 123 had held a narrow 96-94 lead for the No. 1 spot in the balloting over All American Derby (G1) winner Ochoa heading into last week’s Go Man Go.

The national poll saw quite a bit of shifting this week in addition to the separation at the top spot. Go Man Go runner-up Creston Goer parlayed his second-place finish into a No. 10 spot in the rankings, while Rylees Boy dropped out of the poll after a last-place finish at Los Alamitos. Senor Toby, third in the Go Man Go, returned to the Top 10 this week after an absence and landed at No. 8.

 

As for the 2-year-olds this week, All American Futurity (G1) champ One Dashing Eagle remains the unanimous No. 1 in the balloting. Pollsters made a minor shift just below him, however, swapping BP Cartels Alibi and Carters Cookie at No. 3 and No. 4.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (85)

3.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (72)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (71)

5.   LOTA PYC (51)

6.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (48)

7.   EL DUERO (37)

8.   RONNIE JAMES (18)

9.   BLACKBERRY CZECH (17)

10. AHA MOMENT (16)

 

Sassmaster (11), Native Tea Rose (12), Ms Jingles (6), Dash For Coronas (5), Krash Cartel (5), Sum Better Stuff (1)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)

2.   OCHOA (89)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (80)

4.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (51)

5.   LLANO TELLER (50)

6.   JLS MR BIGTIME (44)

7.   PRICELESS FEATURE (31)

8.   SENOR TOBY (24)

9.   A TOSS UP (17)

10. CRESTON GOER (16)

 

Terrific Synergy (13), Rylees Boy (10), Check My Thoughts (6), Hez Our Secret (6), Jess Featureme Quick (5), BPS Jumpn Frisco (4), Ethics Aside (2), New Look (1), Sparky E Boy (1)

 

The 10 voters are:
 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

POLL RACE FOR NO. 1 TIGHTENS
Voting for the top older horse tightens at the top.

Q-Racing Journal, September 20, 2012 – There were no significant changes to the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 rankings this week, but the gap between No. 1 Cold Cash 123 and No. 2 Ochoa closed by a point in balloting and now stands at 96-94 in favor of the reigning world champion. The entire Top 10 among the older horses remained the same this week.

It is likely to have big moves this weekend, as the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) at Los Alamitos is promising to be a memorable event. Among the horses nominated are world champion Cold Cash 123, No. 3 contender El Aguila Real, No. 7 Rylees Boy and No. 8 Terrific Synergy.

 

Among the 2-year-old rankings, top-ranked One Dashing Eagle remained a unanimous choice among balloters this week. The poll’s only newcomer was an interesting mover, as Dash For Coronas returned to the races last Saturday at Lone Star Park and returned to the rankings at No. 10. The winner of March’s Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park and away from the races since May, Dash For Coronas finished a troubled seventh as the even-money favorite in his Dash For Cash Futurity (G1) trial this past weekend.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)

2.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (85)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (74)

4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (70)

5.   LOTA PYC (48)

6.   SUDDEN THOUGHTS (45)

7.   EL DUERO (37)

8.   BLACKBERRY CZECH (23)

9.   RONNIE JAMES (21)

10. DASH FOR CORONAS (14)

 

Aha Moment (13) Sassmaster (11), Native Tea Rose (9), Krash Cartel (5), Ms Jingles (4), Sum Better Stuff (1)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (96)

2.   OCHOA (94)

3.   EL AGUILA REAL (77)

4.   LLANO TELLER (64)

5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (48)

6.   JLS MR BIGTIME (44)

7.   RYLEES BOY (35)

8.   TERRIFIC SYNERGY (28)

9.   PRICELESS FEATURE (21)

10. A TOSS UP (15)

 

Hez Our Secret (6), Check My Thoughts (5), BPS Jumpin Frisco (5), Jess Featureme Quick (4), Prospect To The Top (2), Ethics Aside (2), Senor Toby (2), De Passem Okey (1), Jess Lips (1), PK Fire (1), New Look (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

AJAX STAKES TEST WIN STREAKS
Will Rogers, Los Al also hosting multiple stakes.

Q-Racing Journal, September 7, 2012 – Fastest-qualifier Lil Fishy tries to push her record this year to five-for-five in the $105,000 Alex Picov Memorial Championship, and Zoomin After Six also tries for his fifth-straight win in the $75,000 All Canadian Derby at Ajax Downs on Tuesday afternoon.

Dream Chaser Farm’s Lil Fishy (Fishers Dash-Corona Lil by Corona Cartel) has won each of her 2012 starts, each at Ajax Downs, and has been the favorite in her latest three races. The Bridgette Cheetham-trained mare was the even-money choice in her Picov trial and responded with a length win in :22.070 for the 440 yards in the first of two trials.

 

In the All Canadian Derby, Steve Hunter’s homebred Zoomin After Six (Zoomin For Bux-Silk At Six by Sixavike) started his winning streak with a 1 1/4-length win in the $57,361 Maple Leaf Derby. The Janet Grice-trained gelding then took two allowance races before winning the third of three trials to the All Canadian Derby (R). He won by 1 3/4 lengths, with a :19.860 mark for 400 yards.

 

OKLAHOMA

 

Fastest-qualifier JB James shoots for his fourth win from five starts in the $100,000 Black Gold Division II Futurity during a stakes tripleheader at Will Rogers Downs on Saturday.

 

Also on the card, the only racing date this week, is the $65,388 Kansas Jackpot Futurity and the $20,000 Don Steele Stakes.

 

Bella Vista Farms’ JB James (Ivory James-Deans Dusty Bunny by Dean Miracle) should gain favoritism with his sole career defeat a fifth-place finish in the $75,000 Heritage Place Juvenile (R). He had a two-month freshening after that defeat and came back to win his Black Gold trial by an easy 1 1/4 lengths, with a :16.647 time for the 330 yards, the fastest time from 11 trials.

 

In the Kansas Jackpot Futurity, David Richardson’s Breathless Moment (Designated Driver-EJ Ms Vital Lady by Vital Sign) could be a filly with a future after setting the fastest qualifying time in her career debut. The Jake Eck-trained filly won her trial by a nose in :18.066.

 

In The Don Steele Memorial for 3-year-olds, James Sills and Gerald Swindell’s PYC Cash (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Wallstreet Darlin by Bully Bullion) boasts the stakes credentials to thrive at this level. He comes off a third-place run in the Speedhorse Derby (G3) and was a troubled third in the Mr Master Bug Handicap (R) earlier this year at Remington Park.

 

At 2, the gelding qualified for the $1,029,950 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) and the $426,624 Black Gold Championship (RG3).

 

CALIFORNIA

 

Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Buy Buy and Rosario Jimenez’s Mama Mia Bella, each winners on California Breeders Championship night, meet over 350 yards in the $25,000 Pat Hyland Handicap on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

 

Buy Buy (Stel Corona-Aquisitive by Separatist) was claimed for $10,000 by Ledgerwood out of a winning effort at the non-winners-of-two level on June 30. Trainer Roberto Dominguez brought Buy Buy back in the California Breeders Fillies Stakes (R) and she came through, with a three-quarter-length win as the 9-5 favorite.

 

Mama Mia Belle (Royaltys Choice-Fed X Dash by A Classic Dash), fourth in the Kindergarten Futurity (G2), won her maiden in her fourth start in June by 1 1/4 lengths and then came back to take the California Breeders Freshman Stakes (R). She battled to a nose win as the 22-10 favorite.

 

On Sunday, EG High Desert Farms’ homebred Letty Bail Regis Out, who raced for a $2,500 tag three starts ago, is after her fourth-straight win and second consecutive stakes win when she starts in the $25,000 Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap.

 

Letty Bail Regis Out (Bail Me Out Baby-Artesias Merridoc by Merridoc) scored her first stakes win when she won the California Breeders Debutante Stakes (R) on July 28 at 5-2 odds. She pulled away from her 3-year-old filly rivals to win by a half length. The Francisco Vallejo-trained Letty Bail Regis Out won her maiden over a year ago for a $4,000 claiming tag and then was away from the races until May of this year. She won two claiming races before taking the California Breeders Debutante Stakes.

 

Fans can watch all of these races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

OCHOA SETS EARNINGS RECORD IN ALL AMERICAN DERBY
Gelding completes All American sweep with another impressive performance at Ruidoso Downs.

Q-Racing Journal, September 2, 2012 – American Quarter Horse racing has a new leader on top of the all-time earnings list after Ochoa scored a dominating victory in the $2,234,540 All American Derby (G1) on Sunday in front of a crowd of 20,932 at Ruidoso Downs. It’s only fitting that Ochoa broke the record in the 440-yard race that sets its own record for the richest Quarter Horse purse for any race for 3-year-olds or older.

Breaking from the outside Post 9 after the scratch of A Toss Up, Ochoa and jockey Roy Baldillez battled for the early lead and then drew clear to win by 1 ¼ lengths with a clocking of :21.272 over a fast track with no wind. The first-place check for $938,507 increased Ochoa’s earnings to $2,584,243. Bred in Texas out of the Stoli mare Stolis Fortune by John Jones Jr. Interests Ltd., Ochoa runs for Jones’ J Bar 7 Ranch LLC, Monte and Katsy Cluck and Douglas Benson.

 

“He broke good,” said Baldillez. “The inside horse (Testing The Ice) had us beat by about a neck in the first 50 yards. After 50 yards, Ochoa turned it on and from then on he did it by himself. The farther he goes, the better he gets. He’s an awesome horse.”

 

“It feels great,” said trainer C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath. “He’s just a great horse and he’s the richest earning horse as a 3-year-old. We’d like to run him some more and increase the record. I was just concerned that he might get into trouble, but once I saw he had a place to run I wasn’t worried.

 

“I've trained two of the best horses I've ever had in my career the last two years,” added Gilbreath about Ochoa and reigning world champion Cold Cash 123. “I hate to see them hook up together. They probably will one of these days, but I'd rather it be later.”

 

Gilbreath said Ochoa would likely be pointed to the Texas Classic Derby (G1) at Lone Star. This victory also earned him a berth in the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course in California.

 

“Everyone always wants to come by and see the horse,” said Jed Vane, Gilbreath’s assistant. “Sleepy’s been keeping them away this week. He said come by the day after the race and you can come look at him all you want. Everyone wants to go up to the stall and play with him, and (Ochoa) loves it. He comes to the front of the stall and they will pet him and he’ll play with them. But when they leave, he goes back in his stall and he’s all business.”

 

Last year’s champion 2-year-old gelding and champion 2-year-old, Ochoa finished third in the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) before cruising to a 1 ½-length win in the All American Futurity (G1). He took the rest of the year off after that effort and returned to compete in the Ruidoso Derby (G1), where he finished a troubled ninth and missed hitting the board for the first time in his career. He got back on track with wins in his trial and the final of the Rainbow Derby (G1), and then he scored by 2 lengths in his All American Derby trial to set up his chance to make history.

 

“I thought when he was clear he was going to win,” said Jones. “He's just an awesome horse, and we're very fortunate to own him. We're very fortunate to have bred him, and we're very fortunate that the Lord blessed us with him.

 

“I've gotta give all the credit to (trainer) Sleepy (Gilbreath),” he added. “I didn't sleep with him, but Sleepy did.”

 

World champion Stolis Winner, just recently officially retired, is now second on the all-time earnings list at $2,235,161.

 

“I’m not a bit disappointed that Ochoa broke the record,” said Jerry Windham, the breeder and owner of Stolis Winner. “Great horses are meant to break records.”

 

Johnny Trotter’s Hez Our Secret, a First Down Dash colt bred by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC, got up to take second with Ricky Ramirez riding for trainer Blane Wood. The California-bred more than tripled his bankroll to $577,985.

 

“We broke decent; not super sharp but decent,” said Ramirez. “About 100 yards out, (Testing The Ice) hazed me out. He didn’t hit me but kind of hazed me out. Coming to the wire I was in the middle between (Testing The Ice and Jess Featureme Quick), and I nosed them out. I never saw Ochoa until the wire. I was going to run second to him regardless. He’s an awesome horse – fast, impressively fast.”

 

Jess Featureme Quick took third in his stakes debut for breeder/owner Melissa Ann Miller and trainer Paul Jones. Ramon Sanchez rode the Feature Mr Jess gelding.

 

“Everybody wants to win it, but third-place for the horse who was picked to finish last, we couldn't be any more excited,” said Miller.

 

Testing The Ice finished fourth, followed by Bills Last, Linda Tee Fire, Eyein This Feature, Lotta Love For Robyn and BPs Jumpin Frisco. A Toss Up was scratched.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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ALL AMERICAN PROFILES

Meet the qualifiers for the All American Derby and Futurity.

Q-Racing Journal, August 31, 2012 – The 2012 All American Futurity (G1) is the richest race for 2-year-olds in North America, regardless of breed. Run every Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs in the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, the $2.4 million-est. race will be contested September 3 by 10 2-year-old American Quarter Horses. Meet two of the finalists:

 

One Dashing Eagle

 

One of two horses in the All American Futurity field to have already won a million-dollar race, One Dashing Eagle (One Famous Eagle-One Sweet Dash by First Down Dash) came from California to earn a spot in the All American Futurity with the sixth-fastest time. 

 

The colt has already won the $1 million Ed Burke Memorial Futurity (G1) and has won three of four lifetime starts. Bred by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame members the Allred Bros., who also bred 2002 All American Futurity winner AB What A Runner, One Dashing Eagle was purchased at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale for $43,000 by Jose and Gustavo De La Torre and San Gregorio Racing Stable Inc. of Norco, California.

 

Jose De La Torre is not only one of the horse’s owners but is also the trainer. 

 

Native Tea Rose

 

One of two fillies in the All American Futurity, Native Tea Rose (First Down Dash-St Pats Tea by Mr Jess Perry) earned the fifth-fastest qualifying time in the seventh trial, surging clear by a length. 

 

Native Tea Rose was bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston of Seguin, Texas, and was purchased for $330,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale by Abigail Kawananakoa. Hawaii-native Kawananakoa, who maintains the breeding facility Lakeview Quarter Horse Farm at Nuevo, California, won the 1993 All American Futurity with champion A Classic Dash. The son and assistant trainer of leading trainer Mike Joiner and a successful trainer in his own right, trainer Cody Joiner since 2000 has conditioned the earners of more than $1.15 million. 

 

ALL AMERICAN DERBY (G1)

 

This year, the $2.2 million-est. All American Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds is September 2. The race will set a record for the richest purse ever offered for racing American Quarter Horses aged 3 and up. Meet two of the finalists:

 

A Toss Up

 

Finishing in a dead heat to earn the co-third fastest time, A Toss Up (Sweet First Down-Shake Cartel by Corona Cartel) has already had a good season.  

 

Racing for breeder James Sills, who owns the horse in partnership with Abel Flores, A Toss Up earlier this year won the Sooner State Stakes (RG1) and Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby (R). Most recently he was second in the Higheasterjet Stakes (G3) and was also fifth in the Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1).  

 

A Toss Up is one of two horses qualified by trainer Eddie Willis, the other being fastest qualifier BPs Jumpin Frisco. 

 

Hez Our Secret

 

Highly regarded as a 2-year-old, Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash-Secret Separation by Separatist) has had an uphill battle during his career. He qualified for the Rainbow Futurity (G1) but was scratched after emergency colic surgery. After he recovered, the colt returned to the races to finish fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) after a rough trip. Given a break over the winter, he returned on June 9 to finish third in a Ruidoso allowance behind fellow All American Derby qualifier Testing The Ice, then was fourth in Ochoa’s Rainbow Derby (G1) trial. In his All American Derby trial, Hez Our Secret finished in a dead heat victory with A Toss Up. 

 

Bred by the sport’s No. 2 all-time leading breeder, Vessels Stallion Farm of Bonsall, California, Hez Our Secret is owned by AQHA Second Vice President Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas. Trainer Blane Wood has since 1975 sent out the earners of more than $10.9 million, including champions Leading Spirit and Haulin Pass. 

Fans can watch the All American Derby and Futurity – and many other races – free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. Q-Racing Video provides unlimited access to live and replay simulcast race video of most American Quarter Horse tracks in the United States and Canada. For complete coverage of All American week at Ruidoso Downs, visit www.aqharacing.com. Read the September issue of the Q-Racing Journal, the digital publication covering American Quarter Horse racing, for full post-race analysis, at www.aqharacing.com, and find us on Facebook (Q-Racing) or Twitter (@AQHARacing).AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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TOP JUVIES CLASH IN ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY
Top juveniles to meet in $2.4 million All American Futurity on September 3.

Q-Racing Journal, August 31, 2012 – The $2.4 million All American Futurity (G1) is the world’s richest Quarter Horse race and the richest for any 2-year-old race, regardless of breed, in North America. On September 3 at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, New Mexico, a group of top horses will compete for a record winner’s share check of $1.2 million.

 

Among them is AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top-10 poll leader and Grade 1 winner PJ Chick In Black, as well as million-dollar futurity winners One Dashing Eagle and BP Cartels Alibi. That’s a recipe for one of the most anticipated Quarter Horse races in recent years.

 

PJ Chick In Black (Desirio-Eddie Jym by Corona Cocktail) is a New Mexico-bred who in her undefeated career has won the $251,359 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) and $600,000 Ruidoso Futurity (G1). She has so far this year earned $428,339. PJ Chick In Black races for farrier Denny Bowen, pony person Susan Taylor and Susan’s parents, who race as Jack Smith Farms, and is trained by John Stinebaugh. After her nearly 6-length victory in the All American trial, she was placed first in the national rankings. 

 

California invader One Dashing Eagle (One Famous Eagle-One Sweet Dash by First Down Dash) won the $1,041,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) in only his third career start, and for most of the summer was ranked No. 1 in the weekly poll. The colt, who has earned $426,205, earned a trip to “the mountain” to race in the All American Futurity trials for trainer Jose De La Torre, who owns the horse in partnership with Gustavo De La Torre and San Gregorio Racing Stables. 

 

From Oklahoma comes Raymundo Villarreal Jr.’s BP Cartels Alibi (Corona Cartel-My Ladys Alibi by Chicks Beduino). The gray won the $1,048,560 Heritage Place Futurity (G1) by a nose over Grade 1 winner El Duero. Trained by Blane Wood, BP Cartels Alibi has earned $452,335 in four career starts.

 

Other All American Futurity qualifiers include Jess A Zoomin, Ruidoso Futurity runner up Krash Cartel, Just Wanna Corona, Native Tea Rose, Aha Moment, Mr Perry Cartel and Sudden Thoughts.

Fans can watch the All American Derby and Futurity – and many other races – free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. Q-Racing Video provides unlimited access to live and replay simulcast race video of most American Quarter Horse tracks in the United States and Canada. For complete coverage of All American week at Ruidoso Downs, visit www.aqharacing.com. Read the September issue of the Q-Racing Journal, the digital publication covering American Quarter Horse racing, for full post-race analysis, at www.aqharacing.com, and find us on Facebook (Q-Racing) or Twitter (@AQHARacing).AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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ALL AMERICAN DERBY SHATTERS RECORD
All American Derby sports biggest purse ever, Ochoa goes for all-time earnings record.

Q-Racing Journal, August 30, 2012 – It’s all about champion Ochoa and money in the September 2 All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, New Mexico. 

 

The All American Derby purse of $2,234,539 demolishes the previous record purse for a 3-year-old or older Quarter Horse race, which was the $1,548,685 offered in the 2010 All American Derby. The winner’s share of $938,506 is also a record for 3-year-old and older horses.

 

And there’s one more piece of history on the line – if Ochoa (Tres Seis-Stolis Fortune by Stoli) takes that first-place check, he would leapfrog to the top of the all-time-leading money-earning American Quarter Horse rankings.

 

The winner of last year’s All American Futurity (G1), Ochoa has earned $1,645,736 and with a win in this race, he would skyrocket his earnings to $2,584,242. The current earnings record is $2,235,161, held by former world champion and 2008 All American Futurity winner Stolis Winner. Ochoa also won the Rainbow Derby (G1) and last year was the sport’s champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old gelding.

 

Co-owned by breeder Johnny T.L. Jones Jr.’s J Bar 7 Ranch at Quanah, Texas, with Monte and Katsy Cluck and Douglas Benson, Ochoa put himself in position to get the earnings record with wins in last year’s All American Futurity and this year’s Rainbow Derby (G1). As a yearling, Ochoa was repurchased by his breeder for $25,000. 

 

To earn the record, Ochoa must line up against a field of proven stakes horses.

 

Among them are Bill Price’s homebred fastest-qualifier BPs Jumpin Frisco (Jumpn-Frisco Fling by Dash For Cash), who put together a respectable stakes run at Remington Park this spring, with a close second in the March 18 Mr Jet Moore Stakes and then third-place finishes in the April 14 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Derby (R) and the May 26 Heritage Place Derby (G2).

 

James Sills and Abel Flores’ A Toss Up (Sweet First Down-Shake Cartel by Corona Cartel) is another Oklahoma invader. The gelding impressed when he won the Remington Derby and then stepped up and beat older Oklahoma-breds in the April 28 Sooner State Stakes (RG1). He continued his success against older horses at Ruidoso Downs when he was a close second behind JD Baccarat in the July 1 Higheasterjet Handicap (G3). A $50,000 supplemental nominee to enter the All American Derby trials, A Toss Up finished in a dead heat with Hez Our Secret (First Down Dash-Secret Separation by Separatist), and they share the third-fastest time.

 

Johnny Trotter’s Hez Our Secret became ill after qualifying for last year’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) but then was able to return last winter and race to a fourth-place finish in the $2,236,000 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1). The Blane Wood-trained colt scored his first win from three starts this summer at Ruidoso Downs when he finished on even terms with A Toss Up in their trial.

 

Other qualifiers include Linda Tee Fire, Bills Last, Eyein This Feature, Testing The Ice, Lotta Love For Robyn and Jess Featureme Quick.

 

The All American Derby winner receives an invitation to the $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) in December at Los Alamitos.

Fans can watch the All American Derby and Futurity – and many other races – free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. Q-Racing Video provides unlimited access to live and replay simulcast race video of most American Quarter Horse tracks in the United States and Canada. For complete coverage of All American week at Ruidoso Downs, visit www.aqharacing.com. Read the September issue of the Q-Racing Journal, the digital publication covering American Quarter Horse racing, for full post-race analysis, at www.aqharacing.com, and find us on Facebook (Q-Racing) or Twitter (@AQHARacing).AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

ALL AMERICAN PROFILES
Meet the qualifiers for the All American Derby and Futurity.

Q-Racing Journal, August 30, 2012 – The 2012 All American Futurity (G1) is the richest race for 2-year-olds in North America, regardless of breed. Run every Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs in the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, the $2.4 million-est. race will be contested September 3 by 10 2-year-old American Quarter Horses. Meet two of the finalists:

 

Aha Moment

 

Tying for the seventh-fastest qualifying time was the bay colt Aha Moment (No Secrets Here-Thrill And Grace by Mr Jess Perry). In Trial 21, Aha Moment finished in a dead heat with BP Cartels Alibi. The son of All American Futurity stakes record holder No Secrets Here, Aha Moment was purchased by Jimmy and Marilyn Harrel of Weatherford, Oklahoma, for $29,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. 
 

Aha Moment was bred by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Joe Kirk Fulton of Lubbock, Texas, and is trained by all-time leading Quarter Horse trainer Paul Jones, who won the All American Futurity with champion Teller Cartel (2005), No Secrets Here (2006) and champion Runnning Brook Gal (2009). 

 

BP Cartels Alibi

 

Already a veteran of winning seven-figure races, BP Cartels Alibi (Corona Cartel-My Ladys Alibi by Chicks Beduino) is looking to earn his second Grade 1 win after dead-heating with Aha Moment to earn the seventh-fastest time. 

 

BP Cartels Alibi in May won the $1 million Heritage Place Futurity (G1). 

 

Bred by Thackerville, Oklahoma, resident Bill Price, BP Cartels Alibi is owned by Mission, Texas, resident Raymundo Villarreal Jr. Training Quarter Horses since 1975, Blane Wood has trained great horses that include champions Leading Spirit and Haulin Pass, and last year conditioned three qualifiers in the All American Futurity, with Jess Send Me finishing second, Lethal Volt fifth and Denver Pass seventh.

 

ALL AMERICAN DERBY (G1)

 

This year, the $2.2 million-est. All American Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds is September 2. The race will set a record for the richest purse ever offered for racing American Quarter Horses aged 3 and up. Meet three of the finalists:

 

Eyein This Feature

 

The colt Eyein This Feature (Feature Mr Jess-This Girl Is Special by Special Effort) will make his stakes debut in the All American Derby. One of three horses to qualify once the Ruidoso surface was inundated with rain, Eyein This Feature won the seventh trial by 1 1/2 lengths at 13-1 odds over Ruidoso Derby (G1) winner Executive Brass. 
 

Bred by the Jumonville family of Ventress, Louisiana, Eyein This Feature is owned by Robert Sanchez of Alcalde, New Mexico. The colt is trained by Juan Gonzalez, who in 2003 sent out All American Futurity winner By By JJ.

 

Ochoa

 

Champion Ochoa (Tres Seis-Stolis Fortune by Stoli) will bid for history in the All American Derby, as a win in the race would make him the sport’s all-time leading money earner. The gelding last year won the All American Futurity and this summer won the Rainbow Derby (G1), and currently has earnings of $1,645,736. He chases all-time leading earner Stolis Winner, who has earnings of $2,235,161.
 
 

Breeder and racing icon John T.L. Jones Jr. of Quanah, Texas, got his start in Quarter Horse racing before moving into Thoroughbred racing. Jones owned and managed Walmac International Stud. Ochoa was a $25,000 repurchase from the Ruidoso Select Sale, and Jones partnered with friends Monte and Katsy Cluck and Doug Benson on the horse. 
 

“He’s a special horse, and we’re pretty fortunate to ever have one like him,” Jones said. “They sure don’t come in trailer loads.”
 

Trainer Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, a member of the Ruidoso Hall of Fame, has trained the earners of more than $25.1 million. They include All American Derby winners Six Popper (’86) and Snow Big Deal (’03).

 

Bills Last

 

The ultra-consistent Bills Last (Shazoom-Crystalinas by Beduino (TB)) qualifies for his fourth Grade 1 race in two years. He also competed in the All American Futurity (G1) and Grade 1 Ruidoso and Rainbow derbies.
 
 

The horse’s name is a nod to a tiny bit of AQHA history. Bills Last, who was bred by AQHA Past President Jerry Windham of College Station, Texas, was the final horse registered with AQHA while the Association was overseen by AQHA Executive Vice President and recent American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee Bill Brewer. 

 

Owner Paul Blanchard of Albuquerque, New Mexico, bought Bills Last from the 2010 All American Select Sale.
 
 

“He’s just a solid war horse,” Blanchard said of his horse. “He just goes about his business and always performs well. He always gives it what he’s got, and that’s all you can ask of him.”
 
 

All-time leading trainer Paul Jones took over training duties of Bills Last about a month before the All American trials. The reigning champion trainer for the past decade, Jones won the All American Derby in 2008 with Noconi and in 2009 with Inseperable.

Fans can watch the All American Derby and Futurity – and many other races – free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. Q-Racing Video provides unlimited access to live and replay simulcast race video of most American Quarter Horse tracks in the United States and Canada. For complete coverage of All American week at Ruidoso Downs, visit www.aqharacing.com. Read the September issue of the Q-Racing Journal, the digital publication covering American Quarter Horse racing, for full post-race analysis, at www.aqharacing.com, and find us on Facebook (Q-Racing) or Twitter (@AQHARacing).AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal or America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

ALL AMERICAN PROFILES

Meet the qualifiers for the All American Derby and Futurity.

Q-Racing Journal, August 29, 2012 – The 2012 All American Futurity (G1) is the richest race for 2-year-olds in North America, regardless of breed. Run every Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs in the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, the $2.4 million-est. race will be contested September 3 by 10 2-year-old American Quarter Horses. Meet two of the finalists:

Sudden Thoughts

 

Tenth-fastest qualifier Sudden Thoughts (Wave Carver-Cee Cee Otoole by Corona Cartel) finished second to Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) winner One Dashing Eagle in the 26th and final All American Futurity trial. Sudden Thoughts had been scratched from the July 22 Rainbow Juvenile Invitational Stakes (R).

 

Sudden Thoughts races for Anwar Elias-Ortiz’s 21 Partnership of El Paso, Texas, which also has in its stable Grade 2 winner Zulu Dragon ($130,509). Sudden Thoughts was purchased for $14,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Since 2009, trainer Eduardo Gonzalez has conditioned the winners of 23 of 168 starts, with his starters earning more than $393,000. In 2010, Gonzalez sent out Shy Ann Jess to score in the Higheasterjet Handicap (G3) at Ruidoso Downs.

 

Sudden Thoughts was bred by Burkburnett, Texas, resident Jim D. Pitts, who in his own name since 1989 has bred 218 Quarter Horses, of which 136 have started races and 67 have come back as winners, including seven stakes winner. Altogether, they have earned more than $1.88 million, led by West Texas Futurity (G1) winners No Dice Special ($162,61) and Valiant War Hero ($127,012), and graded stakes winner and Grade 1 qualifier Myster Quick Fix ($109,896). Pitts also has been involved in numerous partnerships, notably with Terry Bell and Homer Hill, who won the Grade 1 All American and Texas Classic futurities with champion Eyesa Special.



Mr Perry Cartel
 


Ninth-fastest qualifier Mr Perry Cartel (Carters Cartel-Miss Lena Perry by Mr Jess Perry) is the most inexperienced of the All American finalists with only two starts to date. He broke his maiden with a three-quarter-length win in the 20th trial that included Grade 1-placed Blaze Carver.

 

Breeder Javier, Hermelinda and Manuel Rodriguez’s La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC at North Las Vegas, Nevada, has bred four winners from 18 starters. The Rodriguezes raced champion and All American Futurity winner Heartswideopen ($1,885,283). The gelding was purchased at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale for $17,000 by Javier and Elsa Marquez, who base their J & M Racing & Farm at Monahans, Texas.

 

Since 1991, trainer Alejandro Sanchez has conditioned 80 winners and the earners of more than $666,000 from 760 starts. Sanchez sent out Fury Of The Storm to win the July 29 Zia Derby (RG3) at Ruidoso Downs.

 

This year, the $2.2 million-est. All American Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds is September 2. The race will set a record for the richest purse ever offered for racing American Quarter Horses aged 3 and up. Meet three of the finalists:

 

Jess Featureme Quick

 

The gelding Jess Featureme Quick (Feature Mr Jess-One Quick Cookie by Royal Quick Dash) is from the small breeding program of Melissa Ann Miller of Belton, Texas. He surprised in the All American Derby trials, winning over a field that included champion Feature Mr Bojangles and earned the 10th-fastest time. The gelding will make his stakes debut in the All American Derby. 

 

Trainer Paul Jones’ horses have won more than $66.1 million. The reigning champion trainer for the past decade, Jones won the All American Derby in 2008 with Noconi and in 2009 with Inseperable. Jones also qualified Bills Last to the race.



Lotta Love For Robyn

 

The filly Lotta Love For Robyn (First Down Dash-Love Ya Miss Jess by Mr Jess Perry) last year finished fourth in the All American Futurity and was this year’s Derby’s ninth-fastest qualifier. Bred by Kim Kessinger and Jim Geiler, Lotta Love For Robyn is owned by Wayne Barton. A cotton farmer at O’Donnell, Texas, Barton and friend Brad Williams purchased Lotta Love For Robyn for $80,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The filly went through the sale ring under the name Lotta Love, and the new owners added the ‘For Robyn’ in honor of Williams’ wife, Robyn, who died of cancer in January 2011. 
 

Lotta Love For Robyn is trained by John Bassett, who has won the All American Futurity with A Delightful Dasher (’99) and Ausual Suspect (’01).

 

Testing The Ice

 

The gelding Testing The Ice (Stoli-Streakin La Tac by Streakin La Jolla) defeated Grade 1 winner The Long Knife by three-quarters of a length to earn the eighth-fastest time in the ninth of 10 trials. In February, Testing The Ice contested Kobe’s Los Alamitos Winter Derby (G1). He also won the 2011 Markel Stakes at Los Alamitos. 
 

Bred by Cindy Knox’s Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Corner K Quarter Horses, Testing The Ice is owned by the Fresno, California-based partnership of Jesus Avila and Jesus Cuevas. Testing The Ice is trained by Ralph Muniz, whose trainees include champion Prospect To The Top, as well as Grade 1 winners Varsity Girl and Little Bit Of Ah Ha.

 

Fans can watch the All American Derby and Futurity – and many other races – free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. Q-Racing Video provides unlimited access to live and replay simulcast race video of most American Quarter Horse tracks in the United States and Canada. For complete coverage of All American week at Ruidoso Downs, visit www.aqharacing.com. Read the September issue of the Q-Racing Journal, the digital publication covering American Quarter Horse racing, for full post-race analysis, at www.aqharacing.com, and find us on Facebook (Q-Racing) or Twitter (@AQHARacing).
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

GOLDEN STATE DERBY TOPS SO-CAL CARD
Los Al, Ajax also running Juvie Challenge qualifyers.

Q-Racing Journal, August 24, 2012 – The Henry Brown-bred, Jose and Gustavo De La Torre-owned and Eloy Navarro-trained pair of Zoomdasher and Do You Do Corona won the two trials with the top-two times to head the $236,000 Golden State Derby (G1) on Sunday night at Los Alamitos. 

Zoomdasher (Azoom-Dashing Little Reba by First Down Dash) won the first trial by three-quarters of a length while scoring the mild 8-1 upset. She was timed in :19.732 for the 400 yards to gain the fastest mark. The winner of three of 10 starts, the filly would gain her first stakes win in the Golden State Derby after posting a third-place effort in the La Primera Del Ano Derby (G3).

 

Do You Do Corona (Corona Cartel-MLA Do You Love Me by On The Dash) rides a four-race winning streak into the Derby, which started with her maiden win back in June 2011. She has steadily moved up the class ladder and won her trial by a nose over New Look (Walk Thru Fire-Make Over by Separatist) with the second-fastest time of :19.819.

   

Fastest-qualifier Joy Roses Eagle SA figures to have a strong chance to gain her first stakes win when she starts in the $25,000 John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge at the Southern California track on Saturday evening.

 

Owned by the estate of the late Gianni Franco Samaja, Joy Roses Eagle SA (One Famous Eagle-Gather The Roses by Mr Eye Opener) won her trial as the 2-5 favorite when she pulled out to an easy neck win in :17.678, the fastest time from three trials. The Paul Jones-trained Joy Roses Eagle SA earned her strong favoritism in her trial after finishing third behind One Dashing Eagle in the $1,014,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1). One Dashing Eagle went on to qualify for the $2.4 million All American Futurity (G1) on Labor Day at Ruidoso Downs.

 

ONTARIO

 

Cedar Creek Tree Farm Ranch and Racing’s Rogue County has found a good spot for a stakes win when he starts as the fastest qualifier in the $30,000 John Deere Ajax Downs Juvenile Challenge on Tuesday at the Canadian track.

 

The winner of the John Deere Ajax Downs Juvenile Challenge qualifies for the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) on October 27 at Prairie Meadows.

 

Rogue County (Kipas Special-Royal Stakes Quick by Royal Quick Dash) topped the two trials and led the top-three qualifiers into the finals with a neck win over second-fastest qualifier Hi N Dry (Royal Shake Em-Its A Dry Heat (TB) by Dixieland Heat) and third-fastest qualifier CR Cartin The Cash (Carters Cartel-Air Traffic Controlr by Dash Thru Traffic) was another three-quarters of a length back in third. The Cedric Hayden-trained Rogue County broke his maiden in his fifth out when he took the second of two trials in :18.030 for the 350 yards. Rogue County had qualified for the Pot O Gold Futurity at Sun Downs in Washington and the Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass Downs in Oregon.

 

LOUISIANA

 

The Rachael Stephens-leased Doyles Dashing Star looks to score her third win of the year and second-consecutive stakes win when she starts in the $30,000 Faubourg St. John Stakes over 870 yards at Fair Grounds on Saturday afternoon.

 

Doyles Dashing Star (Heza Fast Dash-Georgia Wildcat by Groovy (TB)) posted her two 870 wins at Delta Downs this spring when she took an allowance race and then won the Virgil Bond Stakes through a disqualification. A 6-year-old mare from the Gene Stephens barn, Doyles Dashing Star dominated the 870-yard allowance race when she went from gate-to-wire on the lead to win by 3 1/2 lengths. She returned in the Virgil Bond Stakes to finish second behind Leading Patriot, who was disqualified from the win and that moved Doyles Dashing Star up to first place.

 

TEXAS

 

Luis Castellanos’ fastest-qualifier Cougar Hill and Old South Futurity winner RDD Dashin Effort meet over 350 yards in the $120,400 Gillespie County Fair Futurity on Sunday at the Texas track.

 

Cougar Hill (Panther Mountain-Lovers Dash by Sir Cashanova) has finished first in three of five starts, but was disqualified from the win in her first start. She then won her Delta Downs Lassie Futurity (RG2) trial and qualified for the finals, finishing seventh. The Judy Beavin-trained Cougar Hill stepped up in her Gillespie Futurity trial to win by three-quarters of a length and her time of :17.611 for the 350 yards led the qualifiers from seven trials.

 

Owned by Santiago Castillo and Julio Rodriguez, RDD Dashin Effort (Dashin Bye-Miss Native Effort by Streakin Effort) has already made seven starts and responded with four wins, highlighted by his head score in the $81,000 Old South Futurity. The gelding easily won his Gillespie Futurity trial by 1 3/4 lengths with the second-fastest time of :17.680.

 

Fans can now watch unlimited American Quarter Horse racing live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.
 

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

-30-

NEW NO. 1 EMERGES FROM ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY TRIALS

Q-Racing Journal, August 22, 2012 – PJ Chick In Black is the red-hot name after her fastest-qualifying performance last week in trials for the $2.4 million All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs. So much so, pollsters in this week’s latest AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top-10 Poll for 2-year-olds moved her up two spots to become the division’s new No. 1. 

 

With a smashing 5¾-length victory her trial race, PJ Chick In Black clocked in at :21.081, which bested all 253 All American trials aspirants. Last week’s No. 1-rated juvenile, One Dashing Eagle, also qualified for the All American final as the sixth-fastest contender and sits at No. 2 in this week’s poll.

 

Heritage Place Futurity (G1) winner BP Cartels Alibi, ranked at No. 4 this week in the 2-year-old rankings, also earned an All American Futurity finals berth as the eighth-fastest qualifier. That means that the current No. 1-, No. 2- and No. 4-ranked juveniles are set for a Labor Day showdown in the lucrative final at Ruidoso. 

 

As for the older horses, Cold Cash 123 remains the unanimous No. 1 this week, but Rainbow Derby (G1) winner Ochoa moved up one spot to No. 3 following his All American Derby trial performance last week. He is the only active member of the Top 10 qualified to the $2.2 million All American Derby (G1) final. Meanwhile, Sunday’s Golden State Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos figures to have some impact on the poll next week for the 3-year-olds and older.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

 

1.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (96)

2.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (88)

3.   CARTERS COOKIE (76)

4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (73)

5.   LOTA PYC (51)

6.   EL DUERO (50)

8.   BLACKBERRY CZECH (30)

7.   RONNIE JAMES (25)

9.   DASH FOR CORONAS (19)

10. MS JINGLES (11)

 

Krash Cartel (9), Sassmaster (9), Native Tea Rose (6), Sum Better Stuff (3), Vancouver Moon (1), Secretly Hot (1), Gonna Cha Cha (1), Just Wanna Cartel (1)

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

 

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)

2.   EL AGUILA REAL (85)

3.   OCHOA (78)

4.   LLANO TELLER (68)

5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (47)

6.   RYLEES BOY (32)

8.   PRICELESS FEATURE (31)

9.   TERRIFIC SYNERGY (26)

10. SENOR TOBY (12)

 

A Toss Up (9), BPS Jumpin Frisco (7), PK Fire (4), De Passem Okey (4), Kobe (1), Jess Lips (1), New Look (1)

 

The 10 voters are:

 

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)

Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)

Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)

Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)

Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)

Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)

Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)

Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)

Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)

Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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CHALLENGE RUNS AT RETAMA
Plus Evergreen Hosts Challenge While Ruidoso Serves Master Salls.

Q-Racing Journal, August 9, 2012 – Fastest qualifier Sheaintcrynrealtears, searching for her first stakes win in the John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge, and five finalists from the Steven Kearl barn racing in the Adequan Retama Park Derby Challenge combine for a Challenge doubleheader at Retama Park on Saturday night.

 

Tawn and Allen Perkins’ John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge headliner Sheaintcrynrealtears (Jet Cartel-Tear Drop Six by Sixarun) made her first start at Retama Park and her first start for trainer Jesse Yoakum in the John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge trials. She responded with a neck win as the 5-2 favorite, and her time of :17.748 for 350 yards was the quickest mark from five trials.

 

While Kearl has the numbers in the Adequan Retama Derby Challenge, top-qualifier honors went to the Guy Hopkins-trained Jess A Comment (First Comment-Jess Quick Fun by Mr Jess Perry). He scored a game trial win by a head over Jess Tee Off (Tres Seis-Jess Linda Tee by Mr Jess Perry). Jess A Comment was timed in :19.816, while Jess Tee Off earned a :19.854 time.

 

Michael Amburn’s Jess A Comment brings a stakes resume into the Adequan Retama  Derby Challenge. The gelding has qualified for the Texas Classic Futurity (G1), TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2), John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge (G3) and the TQHA Sires Cup Derby (RG3).

 

CANADA

 

Gary Chumbley’s homebred EZ Gamer and Dean Frey’s Just Cant Hide It are set for a rematch in the Merial Evergreen Distaff Challenge after they finished just a nose apart while setting the two-fastest qualifying times in their trial at Evergreen Park.

 

EZ Gamer (Game Patriot-Easy Verna by Georgias Easy) raced to the narrow win in :20.010, while Just Cant Hide It (Make It Anywhere-Petite Azure by Band Of Azure) was given a :20.020 time for the 400 yards.

   

Barry and Janice Sather’s Bond Is Back makes his first appearance in a year when he defends his title in the $32,000 Bank of America Evergreen Challenge at Evergreen Park on Sunday afternoon.

 

Bond Is Back (A Regal Choice-Lady Lucchese by Spanish Boot) won last year’s running by 1 1/4 lengths as the 3-2 favorite for trainer Janice Sather. He won three of four starts last year with his only setback a disqualification from a first-place finish. His first two 2011 wins came in Los Alamitos claiming races.

 

NEW MEXICO

 

Steve Holt’s two-time defending distance champion De Passem Okey shoots for his sixth-straight win and his fifth win this year when he carries high weight of 128 pounds in the $30,000 Master Salls Handicap at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.

            

De Passem Okey (Okey Dokey Dale-Impassable Gal (TB) by Sir Richard Lewis) won five of eight starts last year to take his second-straight champion distance horse award. He looks like he is still in sensational form. After starting his current winning streak in his final 2011 start, the King Rick Rack Stakes, he has gone four-for-four this year, including three Grade 3 races.

Fans can watch all of these races live and free of charge on Q-Racing Video, a service of AQHA Racing and the Q-Racing Journal. Q-Racing Video offers horsemen and handicappers unparalleled access to American Quarter Horse racing. Users have unlimited access to the live simulcast signals of almost every American Quarter Horse racetrack in the United States and Canada. Q-Racing Video also provides unlimited access to race replays, which are available immediately following each race. The archive of past races goes back several years for most tracks. Fans can register at www.qracingvideo.com.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

NATIONAL POLL REMAINS FIRM
One Dashing Eagle, Cold Cash 123 remain atop polls.

Q-Racing Journal, August 9, 2012 – There were no changes in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top-10 rankings for either the 2-year-olds or the 3-year-olds and older divisions. Pollsters once again filed unanimous choices in the top spots as One Dashing Eagle garnered all 100 points in the juvenile rankings and Cold Cash 123 swept the 100 points of the older horse balloting. It’s the second consecutive week with a pair of unanimous No. 1-ranked horses.

Top-ranked Cold Cash 123 arrived at Los Alamitos late last week and will embark on a West Coast run now under the tutelage of trainer Denny Ekins. The Champion of Champions (G1) qualifier could reappear in the Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap on September 23 and/or the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship on October 28.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1.   ONE DASHING EAGLE (100)
2.   CARTERS COOKIE (87)
3.   PJ CHICK IN BLACK (82)
4.   BP CARTELS ALIBI (62)
5.   EL DUERO (57)
6.   LOTA PYC (55)
7.   RONNIE JAMES (39)
8.   BLACKBERRY CZECH (28)
9.   MS JINGLES (13)
10. DASH FOR CORONAS (12)

Sassmaster (7), Secretly Hot (6), Sum Better Stuff (4), Gonna Cha Cha (4), Krash Cartel (3), Cash Flow Cartel (3), PYC Kant Katch Me (2), Vancouver Moon (1), SS Poker Face Dream (1)

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS & OLDER

1.   COLD CASH 123 (100)
2.   EL AGUILA REAL (86)
3.   LLANO TELLER (73)
4.   OCHOA (67)
5.   EXECUTIVE BRASS (47)
6.   RYLEES BOY (37)
8.   JLS MR BIGTIME (36)
8.   PRICELESS FEATURE (34)
9.   TERRIFIC SYNERGY (27)
10. SENOR TOBY (15)

A Toss Up (14), De Passem Okey (5), PK Fire (4), Jess Lips (2), New Look (2), Twelve Stepper (2) Noconi (1), Kobe (1)

The 10 voters are:

Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper)
Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper)
Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper)
Mike Joyce (TVG analyst)
Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer)
Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper)
Jerry Shottenkirk (Q-Racing Ace, handicapper/oddsmaker)
Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host)
Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper)
Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA)

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journalor America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.

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