Page 52 - NM Spring 2019

“Fincher has a total of three of the 2018 TB champions as trainer.”
NM Champion TB Three-Year-Old Filly
Hennessy Express
(Roll Hennessy Roll-Accomodate, Pleasantly Perfect)
Bred/Owned by: Dale F. Taylor
Trained by: Todd Fincher
2018: 10-4-1-1 $190,606 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks, Enchantress Stakes
The dark bay Hennessy Express knows her way around a race track and, even more impor- tantly, she doesn’t back down from a challenge – even when that means looking down the barrel of 10 tough starts last year. She finished with a 4-1-1 record and $190,606. Her headline ac- complishment was in the New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks at Sunland Park in March.
The filly’s pedigree is interesting in the Thor- oughbred world since it shows evidence of no inbreeding through the fifth generation.
Hennessy Express’ sire, Roll Hennessy Roll by Hennessy by Storm Cat, is credited with some extremely strong numbers. The 2000 stallion has 148 starters from 189 offspring. From those 148, 103 are winners with a cumulative $6,768,452.
Pleasantly Perfect, the 1998 broodmare sire, is solid but not as impressive as Roll Hennessy Roll. From 218 foals, he has 114 starters and 70 winners. Progeny earnings come to $5,660,883.
NM Champion TB Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding
Blazing Navarone
(Song Of Navarone-Carmen’s Delight, Carmen’s Glory) Bred by: Lucky Six, Inc.
Owned by: George E. Coleman and
Henry Dominguez
Trained by: Henry Dominguez
2018: 7-3-0-2 $215,250
New Mexico Classic Cup Derby Championship Stakes, New Mexico Breeders’ Derby, Red Hedeman Mile Stakes
The bay gelding Blazing Navarone made 2018 his year to pull in some serious black type, winning the Red Hedeman Mile in January and the New Mexico Breeders’ Derby in March, both at Sunland. The two stakes wins accounted for two of his three wins from seven starts. He also had two seconds and total earnings of $215,250 for the season.
The black type gelding has a career total of 16 starts, an 8-2-3 record with $406,576. He’s already had two starts in 2019 and scored wins in both, starting his four-year-old season with $74,100 in bank deposits.
The only close-up breeding in Blazing Nava- rone’s pedigree is a 5Dx5D cross to Bold Ruler. There is no repetition in the first four generations.
One of the more interesting details in the gelding’s background are the scant numbers coming from his sire and his broodmare sire.
Song Of Navarone, the 2004 sire, accounts for only 42 foals with 27 starters. There are 18 winners with a total of $1,135,045.
Carmen’s Glory, the 1995 broodmare sire, has six foals to his credit with five starters and four winners. Progeny earnings come to $619,572. That means Blazing Navarone has earned nearly as much as all of Carmen’s Glory’s performing offspring.
NM Champion TB Two-Year-Old Filly
Roll On Matilda
(Roll Hennessy Roll-Pay Back Time, Songandaprayer) Bred by: Fred Alexander and Todd Fincher
Owned by: Raymond Gilder
Trained by: Todd Fincher
2018: 5-3-1-1 $138,836
New Mexico Classic Cup Lassie Championship Stakes
At this point in the narrative, Todd Fincher deserves a personal shout-out. He was already mentioned at the beginning of the Thorough- bred champions in conjunction with his recent, national news coverage.
Fincher has a total of three of the 2018 TB champions as trainer. He’s also the co-breeder for two – Roll On Matilda and Hustle Up. This isn’t an unusual position for Fincher.
“I’m always in partnership on mares,” he said. “I’ve had as many as eight or nine and I probably have around five right now.” By his own admission, the successful trainer/breeder/ owner likes being “involved in every aspect of horse racing in New Mexico.”
Roll On Matilda made five starts in 2018, winning three along with one second and
one third. She rewarded her connections with $138,836. Her major coup was winning the New Mexico Classic Cup Lassie Championship at Zia Park in November. She was also second in the Rio Grande Senorita. She’s set out on her 2019 season with a second place in her first start of the year in the La Senora Stakes, adding another $17,000 to her income.
Roll Hennessy Roll is also the sire of Three- Year-Old Filly, Hennessey Express.
“She doesn’t back down from a challenge – even when that means looking down the barrel of 10 tough starts.”
50 New Mexico Horse Breeder