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RACING NEWS
TQHA Sale Futurity-RG2
CRUZIN CARTEL
by John Moorehouse
After topping the qualifying ladder for the TQHA Sale Futurity-G2, Cruzin Cartel came back to win the $406,110 stakes final held at Retama Park on July 25.
In a race meant to celebrate the annual TQHA Yearling Sale, which also took place in the final weekend of July, a former sale acqui- sition ended up in the winner’s circle. Raul E. Galvan purchased Cruzin Cartel at last year’s sale for $18,000.
In the July 10 TQHA Sale Futurity trials, Cruzin Cartel was making his first official start, and he broke his maiden with a wire- to-wire 1-length victory to top the qualifying ladder with a time of :18.274 under jockey Bryan Candanosa.
In the TQHA Sale Futurity finals, Candanosa was aboard once again, and he urged Cruzin Cartel to a driving finish to secure his breakthrough stakes victory.
The gelding broke well and in third from the two-post. He had a narrow head lead at the first call. Quick Chicks Dynasty moved in front and still led at the stretch, but Cruzin Cartel closed strong to regain the advantage and he hit the wire first with a 1/2-length margin of victory.
Facing 3-1 odds at post time, Cruzin Cartel reaped a $180,720 payday. That pushed
the gelding’s earnings to $185,520 from just two starts.
Raul Galvan owns and trains Cruzin Cartel. The two-year-old sorrel gelding finished the 350-yard race in :17.865, posting a career high 90 speed index. That one- upped his field-topping time in the trials.
Twin Spires Farm home-
bred Cruzin Apollo, the
dam of Cruzin Cartel. The
2002 mare won four of 28 starts as a competi- tor before becoming a broodmare. She has six starters thus far among seven total offspring, with Cruzin Cartel becoming the second member of the brood to tally a win in stakes company. The other is Down N Cruzin, a half- brother to Cruzin Cartel who captured win- ner’s honors in the 2017 version of the Gillespie County Fair Juvenile.
This win by Cruzin Cartel immediately propelled the gelding to the top earner among Cruzin Apollo’s foals, and the only member of the brood with a six-figure bankroll. Greysland and Quick Chicks Dynasty finished second and third to Cruzin Cartel in their July 10 TQHA Sale Futurity trial and
they finished the stakes final in the exact same order.
Juan Manuel Pastrana owns second-placed Greysland (Kiss My Hocks- Grey Daze), the slight post-time favorite ahead of Cruzin Cartel. Alonso Neri is the conditioner and jockey Manuel Gutierrez was in the irons. Greysland’s dam, Grey Daze, won the 2014 running of this futurity.
Quick Chicks Dynasty (Special Royal Corona-Corona Quick Chick), a 39-1 long- shot, followed a head back in third place. She is owned by Francisco Plasencia. The Angel Sanchez trainee had Jose Martinez aboard for this race.
The remaining order of finish was Patron TLC (The Louisiana Cartel-Jess Another Habit) in fourth, followed by Captain (Captain Courage-Zenergy), Lovin The Drama (Stel Corona-Love Ya KK), Ima
Jet Stream (EC Jet One-Ima Perry Girl), Tempting Knockout (Tempting Dash-Passem Up Perry), Dash N Leader (Down N Dash- Cartel Leader) and JLC Steal Your Cash (Royal Always-Coronas Going Places).
Retama Park $406,110 • 350 yards :17.865 • si 90
Corona Cartel
Teller Cartel
Jet Along Jamie
CRUZIN CARTEL, ‘18-g.
Apollo TB
Cruzin Apollo
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136 SPEEDHORSE August 2020
Cruzin Cartel and jockey Bryan Candanosa win the $406,110 TQHA Sale Futurity-RG2.
Coady Photography