Page 158 - August 2017

Rainbow Derby-G1
HOLD AIR HOSTAGE
By Michael Cusortelli
The very successful season of Hold Air Hostage continued on June 23, as the geld- ing dominated his competition in the 440-yard $1.15-million Grade 1 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs.
Ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo and sent to post as the 3-2 favorite in the field of 10 three year olds, Hold Air Hostage defeated 7-2 second choice High Plains Perry by a clear 1 1/2-lengths while making his trip in :21.397 and posting a 94 speed index.
Judd Kearl prepped the sorrel gelding for Darling Farms of Lamont, Oklahoma, which purchased Hold Air Hostage for $12,700
at the 2015 Heritage Place Mixed Sale in Oklahoma City.
“Judd told me that he came out of this race in good shape -- so good that we could’ve raced him the next day,” said Darling.
The gelding was coming off of a convinc- ing wire-to-wire 2 1/4-length victory in the fourth of 11 Rainbow Derby trials heats on July 9. Making his first start at the 440-yard distance in the Rainbow Derby trials, the gelding beat out 94 other contestants to set the fastest qualifying time.
Raced in Oklahoma and New Mexico, Hold Air Hostage has now won six of nine starts. The $483,000 winner’s share of
the Rainbow Derby-G1 purse pushed his bankroll to $640,236, of which $624,858 has been earned this season.
The gelding’s two stakes
wins include a 1 3/4-length
score in the 400-yard
$297,100 Heritage Place
Derby-G2 at Remington
Park on June 3. He also ran
eighth in last year’s $177,000
Oklahoma Horsemen’s
Association Mystery Futurity for state-bred two year olds at Will Rogers Downs.
Darling said that Hold Air Hostage would be pointed to the August 20 All American Derby-G1 trials. The gelding will have to be supplemented to the All American trials, just as he was for the Rainbow Derby trials.
“The only bad race he’s ever had was the Mystery Futurity, but we x-rayed him after that race and discovered that he had chips in both knees,” Darling said. “We didn’t rush him back after the surgery. I just put him out in the pasture and let him be a horse.”
Hold Air Hostage was bred by Luis Miguel Albores Gleason of Miami, Florida. The geld- ing is the top earner and one of 11 winners
and three stakes winners from 13 starters produced by Fols Zookie Cookie.
A gray Illinois-bred daughter of the Fol’s Native TB stallion Fols Gold, Fols Zookie Cookie won three stakes races at 350, 400, and 440 yards, and she set a New Track Record at Arlington Park for 400-yards when
she won the 1994 Windy City Dash Stakes. The mare
also won the 1994 Blue Ribbon 440 Derby and the 1995 Frances Carr Distaff Stakes at Manor Downs.
Fols Zookie Cookie’s other stakes winners are half-siblings to Hold Air Hostage and include graded stakes winner Thru Rebas Eyes, winner of the 2000 AQHA Oklahoma Juvenile Challenge Stakes-G3 at Blue Ribbon Downs, 2002 KHEY/Y96 Handicap at Sun Downs, and the 2002 Colors Of The Wind Handicap at Retama Park where he set a New Track Record for 350 yards.
The mare’s other stakes winner is multiple graded stakes winner is Zookie Street, who won three graded stakes, including the 2003 AQHA Texas Championship Challenge-G1 at
Ruidoso Downs $1,150,000 • 440 yards :21.397 • si 94
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Jess
Apollitical Time
HOLD AIR HOSTAGE, ’14-g.
Fols Gold
Fols Zookie Cookie
Zookie Cookie
156 SPEEDHORSE, August 2017
Hold Air Hostage & Rodrigo Vallejo go wire-to-wire in the $1,150,000 Rainbow Derby-G1
RACING NEWS
Ruidoso Downs