Page 156 - July 2019

Mr Jess Perry Stakes
LETHAL LIL
by Danny Camp
Lethal Lil was deadly in the $100,000 Mr Jess Perry Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on June 8. It was a 400-yard stakes that was run into a
17 mph head wind. The bay filly stepped away from the 2-post on the lead and the finish was just a matter of 19.883 seconds later. She and rider Jose Alvarez made the trip in wire-to-wire style, crossing the line 1-length in front. The daughter of Corona Cartel
earned an 89 speed index and a first place check worth $42,000. She has now won four races out of 11 starts and has earned a total of $278,714. Her connections include owner La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and trainer Manuel Rodriguez.
P. K. Thomas bred Lethal Lil out of New Track Record setter Lethal Delight, who won 2009 Shuefly Stakes-G1. She has produced
Ruidoso Juvenile
100% money earners from 22 starters, includ- ing top earner JM Miracle, who won the
2014 All American Futurity-G1. Lethal Lil, who is her third stakes winner, has a record
of 11-4(1)-1-2(1) with a third in the 2018 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity-G1.
“This filly came out of the Ruidoso Yearling Sale,” said trainer Manuel Rodriguez. “After
her two-year-old campaign,
we turned her out for a few months. I think that made a big difference. She’s sound, and sound horses are happy horses. Lethal Lil is a happy horse, she likes her job. She is mellow and easy to be around. We didn’t push her very hard before her trial heat and we knew she might be a little short. We knew she needed that race. In the finals, she broke good and once she put her nose in front, Jose Alvarez sat chilly and let
her coast. We are looking at the Rainbow and of course the All American.”
Buckie Jones (Mr Jess Perry-PYC First
Prize Dash) finished second for owners R. D. Hubbard, Izora Southway, Johnny D. Cope and Ray Willis. Cody Jensen rode the gelding for trainer Mike Joiner. A Louisiana Fantasy (Louisiana Senator-Corona Fantasy) finished third under James Flores for owner Mario Perea Cardona and trainer Jose Muela. Completing the field were Longgone Perry (Mr Jess Perry- The Long Straw), Breaking New Ground (One Dashing Eagle-Heavenly Trip), Genereightor (Corona Cartel-Shesa First Ratify), Rustys Miracle (Valiant Hero-Rustys Lil Lady), Extremely Defining (Corona Cartel-Defining Difference), Sooner Cartel (Coronado Cartel- Buckshot) and Moonflash Numbers (First Moonflash-Strength In Numbers).
Apollitical B Beast (Apollitical Blood- Chalala) led throughout the contest, but was outfinished and took second place for owner Rancho el Cabresto Inc. Alan Hernandez rode the homebred filly for trainer Rudy Valles. Three Times A Ladye (Tres Seis-Shesa First Ratify), who still is looking to break her maiden, ran a good race to finish in third under James Flores for owner 21 Partnership and trainer Ricardo Armendariz.
Followed by FM Dynasty Rock (Mr Jess Perry-Kates Dynasty), Rtempting Fortune (Tempting Dash-Rmiss Jessy), Fantsy First Down (First Down Dash-Fantsy Pants),
BD Charles In Charge (Bodacious Dash- Thereaintnobugsonme), Cash For Willie
(Mr Jess Perry-Take The Cash Willie), and Bodacious Time (Bodacious Dash-One Prompt Chick). KJ Mucho Macho Man scratched.
MIDNIGHT MOONLYTE
by Michael Cusortelli
Brenda Reiswig’s homebred Midnight Moonlyte, a son of Champion First Moonflash, sprinted to a 1/2-length win in
the $100,000 Ruidoso Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs on June 9.
Ridden by Cody Smith for trainer Clint Crawford, Midnight Moonlyte covered 350 yards in :17.455. The brown gelding recorded a 98 speed index and banked the $42,000 winner’s share of the purse from his first stakes victory.
Midnight Moonlyte made his career debut with a 1-length victory in a 250- yard maiden special-weight dash at Remington Park on March 29. All told, he has won two of three starts and has earned $57,440. Midnight Moonlyte made his local debut with
a second-place finish in a Ruidoso Futurity-G1 trial on May 25.
As far as what’s in store for Midnight Moonlyte in the near future, “We’ll save him for the fall,” said Crawford. “We’ve always had high hopes for him. Now we’ll have a fresh horse for the fall.”
Reiswig bred the gelding out of Midnight Sunlight, a daughter of Ivory James who won the 2012 Northlands Futurity at Canterbury Park. The mare was also a runner-up in the
2012 Oklahoma
Futurity-G2 and fourth in the 2013 Race For Hope Bonus Challenge. Midnight Sunlight has produced 100% money earners and mul- tiple stakes finalists from
six starters, with Midnight Moonlyte being her first stakes winner. His second dam, the Royal Quick Dash mare Quick Moon Sign, won two Grade 1 futurities in Oklahoma in 1997, includ- ing the Remington Park Futurity-G1.
154 SPEEDHORSE, July 2019
Ruidoso Downs $100,000 • 400 yards :19.883 • si 89
Holland Ease
Corona Cartel
Corona Chick
LETHAL LIL, ‘16-f.
Dean Miracle
Lethal Delight
Miss Lethal
Ruidoso Downs $100,000 • 350 yards :17.455 • si 98
First To Flash
First Moonflash
Nagano Moon
MIDNIGHT MOONLYTE, ‘17-g.
Ivory James
Midnight Sunlight
Quick Moon Sign
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