Page 70 - 17 August 2012

Tulsa State Fair Mixed Stakes
WESTERN ROCKER
by Tracy Gantz
The Paint Horse Western Rocker comes by his racing ability quite naturally. His sire, Country Quick Dash, and dam, Western Lineage, are among the all-time Paint leaders by progeny earnings, and his full brother SM Country Snowman is a two-time world champion Paint.
Adding to the family’s success, Western Rocker scored in the Aug. 4 Tulsa State Fair Mixed Stakes at Fair Meadows. The gelding came out of the
gate smoothly, drifting out as he motored down
the 350 yards. He and Imachickenkicker-APHA matched strides on the outer part of the track, while Appocalypto-ApHC challenged on the inside.
It took a photo to separate the three, with Western Rocker a neck in front in :17.732.
Durk Peery trains Western Rocker for owner Ronald Yates. Yates bred Western Rocker in Arkansas from winner Western Lineage. In addition to SM Country Snowman, the mare has produced Paint Champion Western Snow and stakes-placed Snow Warning among her seven winners from eight starters.
Randy Wilson piloted Appocalypto (Apollo-TB- Miss Fancy Layne) for owner-breeder Christopher Brandon and trainer Dee Keener.
Shirley Wheeler owns and bred Imachickenkicker (Dos Poruno-Game Chicken), who was ridden by G.R. Carter Jr. and is trained by Luis Villafranco. Imachickenkicker is a half-sister to world champion Paint Flashthechicks.
Rounding out the field were Hesa Sweet First Down-APHA (Sweet First Down-Emilys Valentine), Sexy Senorita-APHA (SF Royal Quick Flash-Texas Showboat), Mean Little Sis-APHA (Coronas Prospect- Magic Misty Morning), Cobra Cash-ApHC (Dean Miracle-Joyball), Awesome Tricketta-APHA (Awesome Chrome-Rebas Daughter), Pocahottie-APHA (SF Royal Quick Flash-Corona Lacey), and TBS Runnin On Faith- APHA (SM Country Snowman-Heros Valentine).
Cherokee Nation Stakes
JESSTA LIL SPITFIRE
by Tracy Gantz
No one likes to lose a race, but there was a silver lining when Jessta Lil Spitfire ran fifth in the FL Lady Bug Stakes at Remington Park earlier this
year. It made her eligible for the Aug. 4 Cherokee Nation Stakes at Fair Meadows, a race open to non- winners of a stakes race. Jessta Lil Spitfire collected the Cherokee Nation with ease as the 11-10 favorite.
Swift Hero hopped at the start, veering out toward Jessta Lil Spitfire, who didn’t let the incident faze her. With G.R. Carter Jr. aboard, Jessta Lil Spitfire flew to the lead and won by a length, travel- ing the 350 yards in :17.676.
Clinton Crawford, who on the same card saddled Hiclass Vodka and Haulin Candy Salt to win the Speedhorse Futurity-G2 and Speedhorse Derby-G3, respectively, trains Jessta Lil Spitfire. Owners Rick and Connie Dickson bred the filly in Oklahoma. Jessta Lil Spitfire had won two trials in four starts prior to the Cherokee Nation.
Unraced Ima Disco Dancer produced Jessta Lil Spitfire to the cover of Spit Curl Jess. The filly is the first winner in two starters for the mare, who traces to Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer, her paternal grandsire, and All American Futurity win- ner Easy Jet on the bottom.
Juan Vazquez piloted Brace For Bernal (Furyofthewind-Zoom Bracer) to second. Luis Villafranco trains the colt for owner Noel Lopez Prieto. Brace For Bernal most recently had broken his maiden at Fair Meadows on June 28.
Crawford also owns and trains Fisher Of Men (Fishers Dash-My Monica), who finished third with Alex Baldillez Jr. in the irons. The gelding had won two of four races prior to the Cherokee Nation.
Completing the field were HM Tresaces (Tres Seis-Debs Cartel), Swift Hero (Valiant Hero-Libbys Cartel), and Thatsnowivoryjames (Ivory James- Flowing Snow). Cartel Dynasty was scratched.
Walter Merrick Mem. Stakes
OH COOPER GO
by Tracy Gantz
Quick out of the gate and with a long stride that defied anyone catching him, Oh Cooper Go proved a definitive winner of the Aug. 3 Walter
Merrick Memorial Stakes at Fair Meadows. In his second start at 870 yards, the four-year-old gelding now has one win and a second at the distance.
Jockey Randy Wilson hustled Oh Cooper Go out of the gate from post five. Broman, half of the even-money favored entry, gave chase from inside, but could never get past Oh Cooper Go’s hip. Oh Cooper Go won by 2 1/2 lengths as the 9-5 second choice, stopping the timer in :45.810.
Guillermo Valdivia trains Oh Cooper Go for Rob and Jill Waters. Rex and Sue Cox, who bred him in Oklahoma, initially campaigned Oh Cooper Go through three starts at two in 2010 and his first three starts at three. Oh Cooper Go broke his maiden at Will Rogers Downs in his first start for the Waters and finished second in the 2011 FQHRA Stallion Stakes Derby at Hialeah Park.
A son of the Thoroughbred stallion Apollo, Oh Cooper Go is the first foal out of the winning Strawfly Special mare Oh Strawfly Go. The mare also has a yearling colt by Carters Cartel.
Carny Streakin Dash (Streak And Dash-Carny Girl), bred, owned, and trained by J. D. Anderson, finished second with Stormy Smith aboard. The 8-year-old gelding won the Merrick in 2009.
Corona Princess (Coronas Prospect-Princess Savannah-TB) ran third for owner-trainer James Parsley and jockey Josh Romero. The 6-year-old mare’s most recent victory came in $7,500 claiming company.
Completing the field were Chase This Chic (Country Chicks Man-Boppem Easy), A Swamp Rat (Oak Tree Special-Pas N Runaway), Ice On The Lake (Granite Lake-Carny Girl), Broman (Country Chicks Man-Coordinated Babe-TB), and Coronel Stone (SC Chiseled In Stone-Hamattress-TB).
Fair Meadows • $20,800 350 yards • :17.732 • si 88
Royal Quick Dash
Country Quick Dash
Country Zevi
Judys Lineage Western Swing
WESTERN ROCKER, ’10-g. Western Lineage
Fair Meadows • $22,000 350 yards • :17.676 • si 89
Mr Jess Perry
Lil Spit Curl
Pas Seul-TB
Spit Curl Jess
JESSTA LIL SPITFIRE, ’10-f.
Ima Disco Dancer
Miss Laury Michelle
Fair Meadows • $22,500 870 yards • :45.810 • si 91
Apollo-TB OH COOPER GO, ’08-g.
Falstaff
Tumble Along Strawfly Special Oh Mickey Go
Oh Strawfly Go
68 SPEEDHORSE, August 17, 2012
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