Page 46 - September 2020

SPEEDLINES
Eyesa Special wins the 2000 All American Futurity (440yds)
Eyesa Special was bred by Marvin Selig and Allen Moehrig of Seguin, Texas. The name Allen Moehrig may be familiar to some, as he is the breeder of Special Effort, who in 1981 became the first and only horse to win the Triple Crown of Quarter Horse Racing in the Kansas Futurity, Rainbow Futurity and All American Futurity.
It was Marvin Selig and Emmett Donegan who loaned Moehrig the money to breed Raise Your Glass to Go Effortlessly to get Special Effort.
fast horse. Brooks told the press he was a colt that, even as early as the winter, they knew had speed.
Despite the speed, the Eyesa Special’s race career got off to a slow start because of a foot problem that necessitated his wearing glued on shoes. His first start was in the Remington Park Futurity trials in April, which he won and qualified for the finals, but in which he didn’t compete. His next start was in the Rainbow Futurity trials with a sixth-place finish failing to qualify.
finally put it together, starting with a victory in his trial with the fastest qualifying time of :21.52. Fashionisanattitude was next to qualifying in :21.69. First Down N Surfin was next in :21.74, and Copper Buff qualified in :21.78. Brooks professed to the press that he felt Copper Buff was his biggest concern and competition. Ima Royal Winner was the next qualifier in :21.80; Whosleavingwho in :21.82; Blazen Maven in :21.87, but was scratched from the finals; Becca
Selig, Moehrig and Donegan formed the SMD syndicate, whose mares included not only Go Effortlessly, but also a mare named Jetta O Toole.
In 1989, Moehrig and Selig became the breeders of Miss O Toole, a daughter of Special Effort out
of Jetta O Toole. Miss O Toole became a race mare and then broodmare for Moehrig and Selig. She produced Eyesa Special in 1998. A partnership
of Jim Pitts of Wichita Falls, Texas, Terry Bell of Lawton, Oklahoma, and Homer Hill of Dimmitt, Texas, paid $15,000 for Eyesa Special as a yearling.
Eyesa Special was turned over to trainer Jack Brooks and jockey Jacky Martin to start his race career. Brooks and Martin discovered they had a
One of the hardest things to do at Ruidoso Downs in the summer is to qualify for all three of the big futurities. This appears to be the case for the summer of 2000. Fightin Jane won the Ruidoso Futurity-G1. Then she won her trial and qualified for the Rainbow Futurity, where she ran seventh. She didn’t race again in 2000. Feature Mr Jess didn’t run in the Ruidoso Futurity, but won the Rainbow Futurity-G1 and then ran second in his trial to the All American Futurity, but not qualify for the finals.
So, when we look at the qualifiers for the 2000 All American Futurity, it appears to be an open field. But Eyesa Special had other ideas. He
Quick Six in :21.90; and Eye On Paydirt and Toughest Test having a times of :21.92.
When the gates opened for the finals, Eyesa Special took the lead and about midway down the track he was 2-lengths in front. From that point on it was a hand ride with a 2-length winning margin and a New World Record time for a two-year-old colt at 440 yards of :21.09. That record held until No Secrets Here crossed the finish line in 2006 in :20.88. Eyesa Special was awarded $1,000,000 of the $2.2 million purse.
The second fastest qualifier, Fashionisanattitude, was second, with third fastest qualifier First Down N Surfin third.
Eyesa Special fulfilled the All American Dream for Jim Pitts, Terry Bell and Homer Hill. He provided Jack Brooks with his eighth All American victory and Jacky Martin with his seventh. He also gave Marvin Selig and Allen Moehrig a record setting All American Futurity winner, this time as co-breeders.
Eyesa Special wins the 2000 All American Futurity.
44 SPEEDHORSE September 2020