Page 26 - 8 August 2012

Rainbow Futurity-G1
CARTERS COOKIE
by Stacy Pigott
On paper, Carters Cookie looked like a bit of a gamble from the start, but his connec- tions always had faith in the gelding, and were
rewarded with a win in the $700,000 Rainbow Futurity-G1 on July 22 at Ruidoso Downs.
Bred by the Allred Brothers, Carters Cookie first caught the attention of Mark Allen, Dr. Leonard Blach and Henry Southway at the 2011 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The partners paid $40,000 for the colt, who has a strong female family behind him. His dam, One Flying Cookie, is a half-sister to One Famous Lady, the dam of Champion One Famous Eagle. However, Carters Cookie is sired by the young stallion Carters Cartel, and would be among the stallion’s first 2-year-olds to hit the track in 2012.
“We liked him and we kind of honed in on him when we saw him. We vetted him and he vetted out good so he’s the one we decided we wanted,” said Dr. Blach, indicating that the colt’s female family was a major benefit. “I give those freshman sires a lot of credit. It’s a gamble, but it didn’t really concern us.”
Once purchased, Carters Cookie went
to the barn of trainer Mike Joiner. His early works were promising, and while he was eli- gible for the Ruidoso Futurity-G1, Joiner and his owners opted to pass on the early futurity.
“He just wasn’t quite ready to run, men- tally,” said trainer Mike Joiner. “We weren’t in any big hurry. I would have hated to start him when he wasn’t ready and maybe mess him up. The colt showed quite a bit of talent, and we had some high expectations for him.”
By the time the Rainbow Futurity-G1 trials
rolled around on July 3, Carters Cookie was ready to go. He drew into the sixth of 24 trials, and easily won by 2 1/4 lengths. His time of :19.892 stood up through the rest of the day to give him the third fastest qualifying spot for the finals.
“He did it pretty easy, too,” said Dr. Blach. “He just had a real good race, kind of what
we expected. He broke really
good, and then he had a real
strong finish.”
While Carters Cookie’s trial race was impressive, Joiner was slightly concerned about the gelding’s antics in the paddock prior to the race.
“He wanted to be real quiet,
but if something spooked
him, he could get shook up a
little bit,” said Joiner. “In the
trials he was a little rank in the
paddock. Those tarps that they
have there rattled him a little
bit. He got a little spooked and we had a little trouble saddling him.”
Once he left the paddock, Carters Cookie was the consummate professional, as evidenced by his trial win. Joiner was still understandably nervous before the finals.
“I was really concerned about that in the finals, because there are always a lot of people in the paddock,” Joiner said. “But he acted like a professional from the time we left the barn. He seems to be maturing mentally even more from race to race.”
In the finals, Carters Cookie ran with a
seasoned maturity that belied his relative inex- perience. While he was the only horse in the field that hadn’t made a start prior to the trials, he made his second start his best one.
With G.R. Carter Jr. again in the irons, Carters Cookie left the gates quickly from post position seven. Across the track in the two hole, Vancouvers Moon also got off to a good start,
and those two rivals dueled for the lead. Growing stronger as the race went on, Carters Cookie drew away from Vancouvers Moon to win by 1 1/4 lengths, stopping the timer in :19.612 for the 400 yards. In doing so, he became the first Grade 1 winner for his sire, Carters Cartel.
“He trained really well up to the finals,” said Joiner. “I was expecting a big race, andIfeltlikehehada chance to win. It was a little
surprising that he won like he did.”
“He broke really good and they left room for him to run,” said Dr. Blach. “G.R. didn’t
hardly ask him at all, just got him in full stride, and when he got down there in the last 75 yards he really started to open up. It looks like he’s really going to like 440.”
That would be a good thing, as Carters Cookie’s next start will likely come in the 440- yard trials to the All American Futurity-G1
on August 16. He’ll enter his next race undefeated after two starts, with $352,100 in earnings on his record.
Dosi and Norma Alvarez’s Vancoucer Moon came closest to Carters Cookie, finish- ing second with Jaime Leos in the saddle. Juan Gonzalez trains Vancouver Moon (FDD Dynasty-Nagano Moon), who was the second- fastest qualifier to the Rainbow Futurity.
Longshot Blaze Carver, at odds of 23-1, checked into third with Larry Payne up. Ralph Muniz trains Blaze Carver (Wave Carver- Blazin Fire) for Flying Hooves RC LLC.
The top three were followed across the finish line by favored Feature Hero (Valiant Hero-Illegal Feature), Scatmandu (Scat Daddy TB-Fodice), Pyro (Make It Anywhere-Rare Kayoh), Distant Fury (FDD Dynasty- Checknbac), fastest qualifier Jessastar (Mr Jess Perry-Abstinence), Eyegotitgoinon (Mr Eye Opener-Cant Hide Love), and Nellie Delaney (FDD Dynasty-Fleeting Touch).
26
SPEEDHORSE, August 3, 2012
Carters Cookie and G.R. Carter Jr. drew clear in the Rainbow Futurity-G1 at Ruidoso Downs.
Ruidoso Downs

Corona Cartel
Carters Cartel
Jumping Tac Flash
CARTERS COOKIE, ’10-g.
Strawfly Special
One Flying Cookie
One Slick Cookie
RACING NEWS
Ruidoso Downs