Page 21 - October 2016

Ruidoso Downs $3,000,000 • 440 yards :21.478 • si 90
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
IMPERIAL EAGLE, ’14-g.
Genuine Strawfly
Jenuine Joy
Super Perla Negra
All American Futurity-G1
IMPERIAL EAGLE
By Tracy Gantz
Chuck Robinson took three days to drive with a friend in his motor home from North Carolina to Ruidoso Downs. He has
a physical disability that makes it difficult to travel, but after his gelding Imperial Eagle qualified for the Sept. 5 All American Futurity-G1, he wasn’t going to miss the chance to be there for the big event.
“This was the first race I’d been to in quite a long time,” said Robinson.
The owner had never seen his horse in person until making the trip. And what a trip it was. Imperial Eagle performed as if he knew all of the effort Robinson went to, capturing the big race in a brilliant performance.
Imperial Eagle went into the All American Futurity off a three-race winning streak. Victorious in his trials for all three of Ruidoso’s major futurities, he didn’t qualify in the
first two. During the first day of All
American trials, Imperial Eagle quali-
fied the fastest, in :21.499 for the 440
yards. That ended up being the overall
fastest qualifying time from both days of trials.
Sent off as the 3-1 favorite, Imperial Eagle broke behind the leaders in the All American final. As the nine competitors surged down the stretch, Imperial Eagle closed ground relent- lessly. The Marfa Lights was also closing and appeared to have the advantage right until the end. Imperial Eagle snatched the victory by a neck, racing the distance in :21.478.
Esgar Ramirez piloted Imperial Eagle for an impressive double. Just the day before, Ramirez won the All American Derby-G1 aboard EC Jet One. He became the fourth jockey to put those races together in the same year, following Billy Hunt (twice),
Juan Vazquez, and Ramon Sanchez. “I had a clean
trip—my horse broke really good,” said Ramirez. “Everybody
was hollering and he tried to beat the gate, but he still got a real good break. The longer he goes, the better he gets.”
The stallion One Famous Eagle also earned a double, as he sired the one-two finishers. One Famous Eagle was the sire of four quali- fiers, something only First Down Dash had done previously.
Tony Sedillo trains Imperial Eagle for Robinson, and he was ecstatic with the win. “My parents, Christine and Leddie Sedillo,
said you’re gonna win it,” he said. “They were involved in the horse industry my whole life. They helped me and followed me everywhere I went.
Imperial Eagle & Esgar Ramirez come on strong to win the $3,000,000 Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs
Jockey Esgar Ramirez and owner Charles Robinson
SPEEDHORSE, October 20156 19
Ruidoso Downs