Page 193 - August 2017

NDQHRA Derby
RAMBLIN ROCK ON
by John Moorehouse
Ramblin Rock On went wire-to-wire to win the $17,960 North Dakota Quarter Horse Racing Association Derby at North Dakota Horse Park on
July 30.
Cole Wilson trains Rambin Rock On, who made
a sharp break on the lead from the 4-gate in a nine- horse field. The gelding led at every remaining call, opening up a 1/2-length separation as he entered the stretch. Ramblin Rock On continued to widen the gap, winning the race wire-to-wire by 3/4-length. Marcus Delorme drew the riding assignment.
The gelding completed the 400-yard trip in :20.180, posting a 99 speed index while logging his third win in six outs thus far in 2017.
Steve Leonard owns the sophomore gelding, who posted his fourth lifetime victory in nine career starts and his first in stakes company.
Ramblin Rock On broke his maiden in his last start of 2016, winning a 300-yard maiden at Fargo
by 1 1/2-lengths. He opened his 2017 season with
a fourth-place finish, but then won his next two consecutive starts - one at Brown County Fair and
the other at Chippewa Downs. Following those two wins, Ramblin Rock On finished fourth in the North Dakota Grass Roots Mixed Derby. Then he finished second in a claiming race at Fargo prior to heading into the NDQHRA Derby and his first stakes victory.
Ramblin Rock On now has a $14,046 bankroll with the addition of the $8,980 prize from the NDQHRA Derby
Randal Schwartz bred Ramblin Rock On out
of lightly raced Make It Special. The mare has produced 100% winners/ROM earners from four starters. Ramblin Rock On is her first stakes winner and top earner.
Little Wing (Ima Ramblin On-An Eye Full) finished second for owner Lloyd Counts, Jr. and trainer Jim Fleming. Zack Ziegler drew the rid- ing assignment. Heza Prospect (Prospect To The Top-Little Love Affair), the pre-race favorite, hit the board in third place. The gelding is owned by Leon Glasser and trained by Jason Olmstead. Jake Olesiak was up.
Ramblin On In Style (Ima Ramblin On-Runaway In Style), Miss Ramblin Moon
(Ima Ramblin On-Major Lunar Eclipse), Winner Whisper (Cat Whisper-Winners Gray Company), Denim Dust (Winners Version-Two Eyes), Miss Jess Cando It (Such Easy Cash-Miss Salty Val) and Cartellin (Favorite Cartel-Sapientia) completed the order of finish.
Spencer L. Childers Champ.-RG1
HE LOOKS HOT
by Tracy Gantz
He Looks Hot and 2015 World Champion Heza Dasha Fire have a rivalry that dates back to their 2-year-old seasons in 2015. Heza Dasha Fire had a
3-1 lead going into the July 29 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap-G1, but He Looks Hot closed the gap to 3-2 with his Childers victory.
Heza Dasha Fire broke on top in the Childers, and He Looks Hot immediately engaged him. With Jesus Ayala aboard for the first time, He Looks Hot edged the Champion at the wire by a head in :19.509 for 400 yards. The $55,000 winner’s share pushed the gelding’s earning to $1,058,614.
Scott Willoughby trains He Looks Hot for owner Dr. Ed Allred, who bred the gelding in California. He Looks Hot first defeated Heza Dasha Fire in the 2015 Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1. He Looks Hot also won the 2016 Vessels Maturity-G1 and Nutrena Stakes without Heza Dasha Fire in the field.
He Looks Hot is out of Allred’s stakes-winning mare Look Her Over. She has produced 13 winners in 16 starters, including stakes winners Once Over and Take A Look and three stakes-placed runners.
S-Quarter K’s homebred Heza Dasha Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Dasha Freda) ran second under jockey Cruz Mendez for trainer Jose Flores. The gelding is a 4-time Champion and an earner of nearly $2 million.
Allred also owns third-place Stel Easy (Stel Corona-Fames Easy), in partnership with Tom Seibly, and Willoughby trains the gelding. Rodrigo Aceves rode Stel Easy, who last year won the Jens L. List Jr. Memorial California Breeders’ Stakes.
El Remalcable (Two Corona Special- Remarkable Power) finished fourth and was fol- lowed by Sepertist Dash (Igreedycuzisepertist-Aze Wanta Dash).
Calif. Breeders’ Matron Stakes-RG3
MAGGIE DURANT
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Lin Melton and Spackman Racing have done well with their Maggie Durant, but bettors didn’t pay much attention in the California Breeders’ Matron-G3 at Los Alamitos on July 29. They let her go at 44-1 and when she scored, she paid a whopping $91.20 for a $2 win bet.
“To be honest, I don’t know why she was such a longshot,” said Melton.
Breaking from the rail, Maggie Durant raced briefly in second before grabbing the lead. She never relinquished it for the rest of the 400 yards, winning by a neck under jockey Eduardo Nicasio in a time
of :19.876. The $22,000 winner’s share boosted her earnings to $80,524.
Last year, Maggie Durant won the Merial Los Alamitos Distaff Championship Challenge. Two races before the Matron, she defeated older fillies and mares in an allowance race at Los Alamitos.
Spackman Racing bred Maggie Durant in Idaho from stakes-winning Up Down Dash. The mare has produced nine winners from 11 starters, including Head Bud and Bud Cheeks and stakes-placed Down The List and Right Side Up.
The Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s home- bred Thermonuclear Energy (Walk Thru Fire-Terrific Energy) ran second for jockey Jesus Ayala and trainer Christopher O’Dell. The 4-year-old filly in 2016 won the Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational. C. K. and Laurel Allen’s homebred Strawfinders Jessee (One Sweet Jess- Strawfinder) finished third. Tony Guymon rode the 4-year-old filly for trainer John Cooper. Strawfinders Jessee finished third in two stakes last year.
Completing the field were You Can Fly (Walk Thru Fire-Babe On The Fly), Bemused (Separatist- Just Think), Nymph (Foose-Elans Last), I Wont Give Up (Hawkinson-Gimme Back Mybullets), Favorite Kiss (Favorite Cartel-The Goodbye Kisser), and Zendaya (Foose-Red Hawk Chick).
North Dakota Horse Park • $17,960 400 yards • :20.180 • si 99
Corona Cartel
Ima Ramblin Girl Make It Anywhere Six Tees Seranade
Ima Ramblin On RAMBLIN ROCK ON, ‘14-g.
Make It Special
Los Alamitos • $100,000 400 yards • :19.509 • si 98
Walk Thru Fire HE LOOKS HOT, ’12-g.
Look Her Over
First Down Dash Sweet Beduino Check Him Out Oh La Proud
Los Alamitos • $40,000 400 yards • :19.876 • si 89
One Sweet Jess MAGGIE DURANT, ’13-f.
Up Down Dash
Mr Jess Perry
One Sweet Dash First Down Dash Dimples Up
SPEEDHORSE, August 2017 191
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos