Page 22 - October 2016

They were my biggest supporters since I started in this business. Every time I would get beat, they’d say, ‘don’t worry about it, you’ll be back.’”
Robinson has the utmost respect for his trainer, who selected Imperial Eagle out of the 2015 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale for $48,000. “I’ve had horses with him for a couple of years, and I’ve known him for several years,” said Robinson. “He has dedication and professional- ism. He’s a good person and a good trainer.”
Now retired, Robinson has owned horses for many years, dating back to when he worked as chief executive of a telecommunications com- pany in Alaska and Washington state. He began with Thoroughbreds at Portland Meadows
in Oregon, and today he owns about a dozen Quarter Horses, including some he breeds.
“I leave all the Quarter Horse breeding to Butch Wise in Oklahoma,” said Robinson. “He takes care of the breeding choices at the Lazy E.”
Robinson and his wife, Christina, have known plenty of people in the Quarter
Horse business through the years, and the All American gave Chuck the opportunity to reconnect with several.
“I met a few old friends and met a lot of very nice people,” he stated. “Winning the race was like a dream come true. It was a very exciting day, and I was happy I was able to be there for it.
“I didn’t realize the extent of the support for that race until I actually was there. It was a great opportunity to go and watch it.”
This year’s All American Futurity offered a purse of $3 million, which equals the all-time record for the race. Imperial Eagle earned $1.5 million for his effort.
Fredda Draper, whose late husband, Carl, twice won the All American Futurity, bred Imperial Eagle in California. The gelding
is out of Jenuine Joy, a mare Fredda Draper owned and bred and who was trained by Carl. Jenuine Joy earned $382,230 and won five stakes, including the Zia Handicap-G2 at
Trainer Tony Sedillo and owner Chuck Robinson with jockey Esgar Ramirez and sons
20 SPEEDHORSE, October 2016
Linda Earley Photography