Page 172 - August 2017

Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
EXPRESSIONS N SNOW
by Tracy Gantz
Nine years ago, the Paint colt SM Country Snowman had a perfect season at Fair Meadows. So it was only fitting that his
daughter Expressions N Snow is unbeaten at the track after capturing the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 on July 29.
In 2008, SM Country Snowman was coming off his first season as a World Champion. His run of four straight victories at Fair Meadows that year went a long way toward earning him a second consecutive World Championship title. SM Country Snowman won the Speedhorse Derby-RG1, Lewis Wartchow Memorial Stakes-G1, and OHA Paint & Appaloosa Derby-RG2 at Fair Meadows that season.
Expressions N Snow is emulating her sire. After two seconds at Remington Park, she broke her maiden at Fair Meadows on June
9 and followed that up with her success-
ful Futurity trial on July 15. She not only trounced the competition wire-to-wire by 1 1/2-lengths, she qualified the fastest.
Despite her fastest qualifying time, bettors sent Expressions N Snow off as the 3-1 third choice. They preferred favorite
Hotwiredotcom and second-choice Bully Pulpit, who had three stakes wins between them. Bully Pulpit and Hotwiredotcom had finished one-two in the June 3 Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Futurity-G1 at Remington Park.
Expressions N Snow drew the outside post and broke on top under James Flores, who has ridden her in all of her races.
“She had a real clean
break,” said Flores. “The
assistant starter did a great
job of standing her up and
getting her squared. We
broke on top and I had
to rush her just a little bit
midway down the racetrack,
and she just rebroke and
she responded excellently. She drew off and proved herself to be the best horse.”
Expressions N Snow won wire-to-wire
by 3/4-length in :17.795 for 350 yards. The $34,998 winner’s share boosted the filly’s earn- ings to $62,620.
Flores knows the filly well, having broken her.
“She was a real smart yearling and really easy to handle,” Flores said. “She’s gritty—she likes to do her job. She’s small, but she doesn’t know it. She likes to run. She’s been fun to be
on, a real sweetheart.” John Weghorst trains
the filly for owners Sharon Hafliger and R.J. Ziegler.
Hafliger bred Expressions N Snow in Oklahoma from her homebred Quarter Horse mare Expressions In Stone, who finished third in the 2006 Kansas Bred Futurity. The mare has no Quarter Horse starters and two Paint starters, both by SM Country Snowman. The other one, If Ur Buyn Im Flyn, won five
races and earned $54,691.
Fourth fastest qualifier Ima Good
Time Charlie APHA (First Smart Money QH-Jezebellway) finished second with Daniel Torres in the irons. Sam Howard trains the gelding for owner Ronnie Hagood. Ima Good
Fair Meadows $92,100 • 350 yards :17.795 • si 89
Country Quick Dash
SM Country Snowman
Western Lineage
EXPRESSIONS N SNOW, ’15-f.
SC Chiseled In Stone
Expressions In Stone QH
Flying Fava
The winning connections for Expressions N Snow include owners Sharon Hafliger & R.J. Ziegler, trainer John Weghorst & rider James Flores
170 SPEEDHORSE, August 2017
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