Page 50 - 17 August 2012

Speedhorse Futurity-G2
HICLASS VODKA
by Stacy Pigott
Clinton Crawford had quite a night at Aug. 4 at Fair Meadows at Tulsa. The trainer sent out a total of 11 horses on the evening’s
card, with six of those in the Speedhorse Futurity-G2 alone. With such a stacked deck the odds were in Crawford’s favor to win, which he did with the speedy 2-year-old colt Hiclass Vodka.
Contested as the 11th race on final 12-race program of Fair Meadows’ 2012 racing season, the Speedhorse Futurity featured nine 2-year- olds racing for $311,349 in purse money. Hiclass Vodka was impressive in the trials on July 20, winning his heat by one length to
set the top qualifying time of :17.102 for the finals, although it was Carl Pevehouse’s four- horse entry, also trained by Crawford, that went to post favored.
With Stormy Smith in the irons, Hiclass Vodka broke on top from post position six. Special Candy Paint and jockey G.R. Carter tried to go with the leader, while JC Wants A Corona also dueled for the early lead. But no one was able to stop Hiclass Vodka, who main- tained a half-length lead to win the Speedhorse Futurity over a sloppy track.
“The horse left there running like he was supposed to,” said jockey Stormy Smith of Hiclass Vodka. “He’s kind of a lazy son of a gun, so you have to keep him focused. But he finished really good like I thought he would. It seemed like he enjoyed running in the mud a little bit. I was really kind of hoping it would
rain, because he’s a big stout colt, and he kind of likes it a little tighter.”
Smith got his wish, and Hiclass Vodka handled the off track with ease, turning in a winning time of :17.231 for the 350 yards. He earned $118,313 for owner Jesus Rodriguez- Najera, who shares ownership of the colt with his brother, Victor Rodriguez. The brothers own their own businesses in
the construction and roof-
ing industry in Oklahoma
City and bought their first
racehorse just three years ago.
Hiclass Vodka is only the third
horse they have owned.
Rodriguez-Najera picked
Hiclass Vodka as a short year-
ling out of the 2011 Heritage
Place Winter Mixed Sale. The
brothers grew up ranching in
Mexico, which is where their
knowledge and love of horses
began. They paid $1,200 for
Hiclass Vodka, who is from the second crop of Hiclass La Jolla and out of the unplaced Stoli mare Newport Lily. Hiclass Vodka’s second dam is Grade 2 stakes winner Newport Fancy. This is the same female family as the great broodmare Sweet Beduino and stakes winners Sweeten The Pot, Dash For Game, Itsa Chicks Game, A Dash Of Beduino, One Sweet Jess, One Sweet Dash, This Jet It Royal, Counting Sheep, and others.
“They really didn’t pay a whole lot for this horse when they bought him at the Heritage sale, because they’re new to the game,” Crawford said of the Rodriguez brothers. “They really lucked into a really fast horse. (Jesus) came to my barn one day and asked me if I would train this horse. I didn’t even know the horse’s name until after I’d had him
a week. I pulled him up on the form and looked at him and I said, ‘Wow, here’s a chance to make some money right here.’ He just was a really nice horse.”
Hiclass Lajolla had already run fifth in the Oklahoma Futurity-G2 and broke his maiden at Remington Park when he moved to Crawford’s barn.
“The first time I
run him was in the Fair Meadows Juvenile,” contin-
ued Crawford, who watched Hiclass Vodka finish third that night. “He ran a good race that night. He’d been in in my barn 30-45 days when I run him then. He’s just getting better and better and stronger. In the trials he just exploded and come back in the finals the same thing.”
Crawford indicated Hiclass Vodka would likely go to Texas for the Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park.
“We found a good trainer in Clinton Crawford,” said Victor Rodriguez. “He’s the right man for us. We’re in good hands right now. We are very blessed.”
Crawford finished second, fourth, sixth and ninth with Pevehouse’s four horses, with Special Candy Paint taking the runner-up spot under jockey G.R. Carter Jr. Pevehouse also bred Special Candy Paint (PYC Paint Your Wagon-This Candys Special), who won her last two races prior to the Speedhorse.
JC Wants A Corona (Ivory James-A Flyin Furr Holme) was third for owner-breeder Jose Cervantes Jr. Luis Villafranco trains the geld- ing who was ridden by L. Martinez.
In fourth was Paint The Candy Lane (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Eden Lane), followed
by Hurri Cartel (Teller Cartel-A Classic Serenade), This Candys Salty (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Salt Lake Spitty), Ernies Palace (Wave Carver-Give Me Candy), Furrst (Furrtreeous- Mercy Mea), and Send A Candy Guy (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Send The Guys Candy).
Fair Meadows at Tulsa $311,349 • 350 yards :17.231 • si 103
Streakin La Jolla
Hiclass La Jolla
Hiclass Cloned
HICLASS VODKA, ’10-c.
Stoli
Newport Lily
Newport Fancy
With Stormy Smith up, Hiclass Vodka easily handled an off track to win the Speedhorse Futurity-G2.
48 SPEEDHORSE, August 17, 2012
Racing news
Stacy Pigott: Speedhorse