Page 128 - July 2015

Universal City Handicap
CORONA LA JOLLA
by Michael Cusortelli
Donna Mushinski’s Corona La Jolla broke sharply from post 2 and sprinted for a wire-to-wire victory in the $15,000 Universal City Handicap at
Retama Park on June 6.
Prepped by trainer Kie Mushinski and ridden
by jockey Luis Vivanco, Corona La Jolla covered the 870 yards in :46.660 while defeating Bling Bling Bok by 1 3/4-lengths and posting a season-best 87 speed index.
The six-year-old gelding’s win marked his second career stakes score, and the $8,850 winners share of the purse pushed his bankroll to $61,360.
Corona La Jolla has won seven of 25 outs, includ- ing the 870-yard San Marcos Handicap at Retama two years ago, and his race record includes a second- place finish in the 2013 Universal City Handicap.
Corona La Jolla was bred by Donna Mushinski, a resident of Hearne, Texas. The gelding is one of three winners from six starters produced by winner Mary La Jolla. The gelding’s second dam, Miss Mary Dee, was a two-time stakes winner for the Mushinskis at Sam Houston Race Park in ’94.
Bling Bling Bok (Boknaai-Shiney Creek Dancer) is a homebred five-year-old owned and trained by John Boegner. The multiple stakes placed gelding, who raced for a $10,000 claiming tag at Lone Star Park last fall, was ridden by Francisco Calderon.
Dashers Midnight (Some Dasher-Sheza Moon Bar Baby) ran third as the 7-10 favorite in this year’s Universal City Handicap. The homebred eight-year-old gelding was ridden by Santos Carrizales for owners Joe and Elaine McAnally and trainer James Gerhards.
Toodles Bullet (Barrett’s Bullet-Toodledoo Otoole), First Spectacular (Make It Anywhere-Dutchess Eben), Furys Folly (Furyofthewind-Alikazam) & Snowbound Cowboy (Snowbound TB-Strawberry Cartel) com- pleted the order of finish.
Ben E. Keith Stakes
RISKEE CHIC
by Michael Compton
Lightly-raced Riskee Chic roared from last to first to score the initial stakes victory of her career in the $15,000 Ben E. Keith Stakes at Retama Park on
June 20.
Iris Buchanan’s homebred three-year-old filly
trailed the 7-horse field early under Russel Hadley. The Texas-bred, who is trained by Iris’ husband John, hit her best stride in the lane, however, and a strong late surge propelled Riskee Chic past the field within the shadow of the wire.
Sent off as the race favorite, Riskee Chic got
up in time to defeat Potus by a head, stopping the timer for 330 yards in a lively :16.850 for a 101 speed index, just ticks off of Classified Bull’s 2008 track record of :16.600.
It was the first stakes win and third lifetime victory from just five starts for Riskee Chic, who boasts earn- ings of $26,174 with the $9,150 Ben E. Keith winner’s share. She broke her maiden in her second try last July at Retama and went to the sidelines. She resurfaced in March of this year, taking an allowance non-winners of two test at Remington Park before finishing fourth in her next condition allowance, also at Remington.
Riskee Chic is the first winner and first stakes winner produced from the winless Azoom mare Withalotazoom.
Ben E. Keith Stakes runner-up Potus (Toast to Dash-Toole N Round), ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo,
is still a maiden after earning a stakes-placing in just his 3rd lifetime outing for owner-breeder Pat Allen & trainer Leslie Padilla. First Down Date (FDD Dynasty- Dirt Track Date), with jockey Sergio Fuentes aboard, dueled throughout and held 3rd for owner Manuel Munoz & trainer Robert Madrigal. Followed by Shakeemforthemoney (Red Oak Special-The Marquis Queen), Ms Sue Nomie (Wave Carver-Sixes Ms Perry), Honey Ryder B (Bigtime Favorite-LS Honey Brown) & Dash N Special (Down N Dash-Special Cheat).
Tower of the Americas H.
JRC CALLAS FIRST
By Danny Camp
Fast horses can sometimes be hard to keep sound. Therefore, much credit is due to the conditioner anytime there is a 5 year old that has won 12 races from
21 tries. In this case the conditioner is Brian Stroud, trainer & part owner - with Dana L. Stroud - of JRC Callas First. Obviously, the gelding is fast. He won last years Tower of the Americas & set a 550-yard Ntr in the process. He is also last year’s World Champion, Champion Aged Horse & Champion Aged Gelding, having won races such as the Zia Park Champ.-G1, Refrigerator H.-G1, B. F Phillips Jr. H.-RG3, etc.
In this year’s win of the 550-yard $15,000 Tower
of the Americas Handicap at Retama Park on June 26, he didn’t get hold of the track right out of the 4-hole. Under regular rider Damian Martinez, JRC Callas
First still moved to the front by the 1st call. Staying focused, the gelding never relinquished the lead, gain- ing 1 1/2-lengths by the top of the stretch and finishing 2-lengths to the good. They stopped the clock at :27.168 to earn a speed index of 103, shy of his 110 career high. Including the $8,250 first place check from this victory, JRC Callas First has a total bankroll of $256,631.
JRC Callas First was bred in Texas by J. R. Cass, out of unraced Calla Missy Jane., who has only produced this starter so far, although she does have a weanling filly.
If I Were Famous (One Famous Eagle-Runn Oner Mind) was 2nd under Gaspar Garcia for owner Dawn Ivey & trainer Rubio Esteban. The photo showed The Field Cricket (Lead The Field-Quick Lil Cricket) in 3rd under Jerry Yoakum for owner Claud R. Denson & trainer Jesse Yoakum. Followed by Feature My News (Feature Mr Jess-Goodnews Montanna), Portugee (One Famous Eagle-Oodles Of Cash), Sophies Special (Visionarian-Special Lassie), Captain Wallace (Feature Mr Jess-Hawks Dancing Straw), King Of Leon (Panther Mountain-Americas Sweetheart), Jump N Bok (Boknaai-Wish I Dustem) & First Spectacular (Make It Anywhere-Dutchess Eben TB).
Retama Park • $15,000 870 yards • :46.660 • si 87
Corona Cartel
Tinys First Corona
CORONA LA JOLLA, ’09-g. Mary La Jolla
Tiny First Effort Streakin La Jolla Miss Mary Dee
Retama Park • $15,000 330 yards • :16.850 • si 101
Corona Cartel
Tinys First Corona
RISKEE CHIC, ‘12-f. Withalotazoom
Tinys First Effort Azoom
Taking Risks
Retama Park • $15,000 550 yards • :27.168 • si 103
Winners Award JRC CALLAS FIRST, ’10-g.
Runaway Winner
Sweet Miranda
Dirty Coup
Calla Missy Jane
Missy Joyce
126 SPEEDHORSE, July 2015
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Coady Photography