Page 119 - July 2015

Mr Jess Perry Stakes
CARTERS LAST STRAW
by Michael Compton
Carters Last Straw registered the 1st stakes win of his young career on June 6, getting up by a neck in the $100,000 Mr Jess Perry
Stakes (for horses who didn’t qualify to the Ruidoso Derby). Ridden by Adrian Ramos, Carters Last Straw raced in 6th position early. Despite drifting in under a full head of steam, the lightly-raced gelding rolled past the field to score. Sent off at 8-1 odds, Carters
Last Straw covered 400 yards in :19.549 for a 96 speed index.
Owned by John & Kathy Lee, who were in attendance for the win, and trained by Wesley Giles, Carters Last Straw has never finished worse than 3rd, with earnings of $95,157. He nearly became
a stakes winner 2 starts back at age 2, just missing in the Sunland Park Winter F.-G2 where he was 2nd by a head after closing strong in the lane.
Carters Last Straw was 3rd in his Ruidoso Derby trial for the 21st-fastest time of :20.091 for the 400 yards. “We were confident going in,” said John. “We knew he was going to give a better effort than he did in the trials. We pushed him a little bit to make the trials. We took a chip out after the Futurity at the end of last year. He is just now coming back to form. We figured he
would improve in his second start back. He never gets out of the gate real good, but he always closes strongly. He’s big and powerful and he goes away so hard that sometimes he doesn’t get away from there. We know at the end he’ll come running.”
As for what’s ahead, John said, “It’s nice to have a 3 year old with some run. We’ll see how he comes out of this one and he’ll tell us where we go next; maybe the Rainbow or the All American.”
Bred in Oklahoma by Christine Hudson, Carters Last Straw is out of winner Hawks Dancing Straw & is a full brother to 2014 La Villita stakes winner Cartel Arrangement.
JM Onehotchickie (First Down Dash-Me Chickie) was 2nd under Jesse Levario for J & M Racing and Farm and trainer Albert Franco. Race favorite & graded stakes winner Moonstruck Love (First Moonflash-Authorized Love) was 3rd under L.S. Martinez for Jose Luis Ozuna & trainer Paul Jones. Followed by JM Famous Master (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Cosmotoligist), Last Secret Dash (First Down Dash-Dicey Secret), Rebas Corona Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Little Rebas Corona), Flowered Up (Jet Black Patriot-Miranda Fame), Lethal Perry (Mr Jess Perry-Miss Lethal), Flashy First Cartel (First Moonflash-Cartel Dash) & Cheyenne Hero (Valiant Hero-Illegal Feature). Pacifico was scratched.
Ruidoso Downs $100,000 • 400 yards :19.549 • si 96
Corona Cartel
Carters Cartel
Jumping Tac Flash
CARTERS LAST STRAW, ‘12-g.
Hawkinson
Hawks Dancing Straw
Matching TB
RACING NEWS
TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity-RG3
CARELESS LIGHTNING
by Michael Compton
Careless Lightning struck for the first time in his young career, getting to the wire ahead of 9 others in the $100,000 TQHA Sires’
Cup Futurity-RG3 at Retama Park on June 27. With Larry Payne in the saddle, Careless
Lightning raced in contention throughout the 350-yard dash. In a game effort, he drove past rivals approaching the wire to defeat Shakem Valentine by 1/2-length at the finish.
In capturing the initial win of a 3-race career, Careless Lightning, 2nd in his trial heat in his previous outing, stopped the timer in :17.969, earning a speed index of 87 for the winning effort.
Gilbert Aguirre III saddled the gelding for owner Jesse Gibson. Careless Lightning was a $9,500 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale graduate and was bred in Oklahoma by Bobby Cox.
“That was an awfully exciting race,” said Gibson. “He broke out great and had a tre- mendous kick at the end. The horse was very confident going into the race. He had a hard time coming out of the gate in his previous races, so we worked a lot with him at the gate. He had a great rider on him in Larry Payne, and Larry did a great job with him and pulled him right on through there.
“I also want to thank
my trainer and his staff and everyone that has supported us all along,” Gibson added. “The horse came out good. We’ve had no problems with him. We iced him down, walked him and he ate up all his food.”
Careless Lightning is the initial stakes winner for his dam, Corona Edge, a daugh- ter of Corona Cartel. She has thrown 4 other starters.
Shakem Valentine (Royal Shake Em-Relagation) closed fast from the back of the pack to finish 2nd under Santos Carrizales. A sharp winner of her trial heat June 12, Shakem Valentine is owned by Isabel Huitron and is trained by Adrian Huitron. TC Paint N Dreams (Furyofthewind-La Natural Rona) finished 3rd as the 5-2 favorite. Francisco Calderon partnered with the sorrel gelding, a 2-time winner who was victorious in his trial heat for owner-breeder T.C. Flack and trainer Leon Bard. Followed by Shiner Blond (Make It Anywhere-Blood Cartel), SR Esmeralda (Red Storm Cat-Lets Get Fiscal), PYC Tyme (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Sir Nick
of Time), Surviving Legend (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Surviving Success), Runaway Chic LBH (Jumpn Chic-Sheza Runaway Winner), Carters Sixty Six (Carters Cartel-Going Sixty Six) & Built Bok Tuff (Boknai-Wish I Dustem).
Retama Park $100,000 • 350 yards :17.969 • si 87
Ocean Runaway
American Runaway
Allamericandreamgirl
CARELESS LIGHTNING, ‘’13-g.
Corona Cartel
Corona Edge
Such An Easy Effort
SPEEDHORSE, July 2015 117
Coady Photography Ruidoso Photography