Page 162 - March 2016

Cristian Esqueda AQHA January Jockey Of The Month
Jockey Cristian Esqueda was named the AQHA/Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Month for the month of January. A victory in the Hialeah Juvenile Invitational on Jan. 17 aboard String Bet, trained by Elio Vazquez and owned by Cristian’s fiancé Stephanie Flores, gave Esqueda the leading stride for the title. Esqueda finished the month with 16 wins and was third in total earnings among all AQHA riders with $228,537.
2015 World Champion Heza Dasha Fire Has Minor Surgery
2015 World Champion Heza Dasha Fire had minor surgery on both knees to remove bone chips. The 4-year-old gelding will return to Los Alamitos for approximately 30 days of stall rest before heading to Dr. Rick & Mindy Overly’s Lazy Creek Ranch in Murrieta, California, to complete rehabilitation. It is expected that Heza Dasha Fire should return to training in June or early July.
ApHC 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC)
on Feb. 12 announced their 2015 Hall of
Fame Inductees, recognizing individuals
and horses that have made a positive impact
on the Appaloosa industry. The individual inductees are Jim Jirkovsky of Kearney, Nebraska, and Roland “Pete” Wood of Ocala, Florida. Horse inductees include 1984 mare Zipposcountrygirl, 1992 stallion All Hands
On Zip (sire of 40 bronze medallion earn-
ing foals), 1990 mare Texas Tough (dam of 5 bronze medallions earning foals), 1999 gelding Death Wish (earned 18 bronze medallions & 4 silver medallions), and 1999 gelding One Hot Chip (earned 18 bronze medallions & 4 silver medallions). These inductees will be honored at the 2015 year-end awards banquet held in con- junction with the 69th National Championship Appaloosa Show in Fort Worth, Texas.
CHRB News
On Feb. 25, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) approved a rule prohibiting the presence of clenbuterol in a Quarter Horse test sample. Horses treated with clenbuterol must be placed on the Veterinarian’s List and are prohibited from racing until the horse tests clear. On Feb. 24,
the CHRB announced that CHRB investiga- tors would work with local law enforcement to identify licensees who may be participating in illegal match races. The CHRB also amended
a proposal to change the state’s riding rules by cutting down a “multiple infraction window” for jockeys from 90 to 60 days, and also eliminate language that disqualifications could only occur if the infraction caused a horse to lose a placing.
Triangle Sales Winter Results
Triangle Sales’ Winter Sale was held Jan. 21-24, with final totals reflecting a top 10 average of $27,700 and an 80% sales completion from 807 horses catalogued. An additional 59 horses were placed in Triangle’s “Top $10,000 Club.” The event also featured the second Triangle Versatility Ranch Championship and Sale with a $20,000- added payout won by Dual Smarts Smooth (Dual Smart Rey-Smooth And Pretty). Topping the
sale at $50,000 was Quejanapep (Dual Pep- Quejanamia, Son O Mia), a 1996 accomplished cutting horse mare consigned by Sunrise Ranch and sold with two embryos by Metallic Cat to her breeder Coalson Acres. For more information on upcoming sales, visit trihorse.com.
LG Pro Classic Barrel Sale
The 2016 Lance Graves Pro Classic Barrel Sale was held Feb. 11-14 in Kinder, Louisiana. The sale topper at $61,500 was Hip #78, SR Industry Titan (Firewaterontherocks-Mulberry Canyon Moon, Marthas Six Moons), a 2013 colt consigned by Matt and Bendi Dunn and purchased by Nicholas Wylie. The 4-day sale ended with $574,400 in total sales and a top- five average of $36,800.
Thoroughbred Stallion Snowbound Dies
Thoroughbred stallion Snowbound (Meadowlake-Gray Tab, Zulu Tom) died in early February. At the time of his death, the 21-year-old gray stallion was the sire of nearly $3 million in Quarter Horse runners, including 2-time Champion Distance Horse and 3-time track record setter Snowbound Superstar,
as well as many other Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred stakes winners.
Correction: Earnings For Moonist
The earnings for 2015 AQHA Champion Aged Horse, Champion Aged Gelding Moonist that appear in the headline of page 51 in our February 2016 issue are incorrect and should have read $802,194.
Speedhorse Photo Archive Answer
The picture on page 159 shows 1977 mare Denim N Diamonds and her winning connections after winning the Vessels Maturity at Los
Alamitos Race Course on July 4, 1981. In the winner’s circle are owner R.D. Hubbard, jockey Jerry Nicodemus, and trainer H. Don Farris. Denim N Diamonds (Timeto Thinkrich-Bachelor’s Dream, Rebel Cause) was named that year’s Champion Aged Horse and Champion Aged Mare. She received Champion Aged Mare honors the following year as well. Denim N Diamonds raced from 1979-1982 and won 25 races with 10 stakes wins, including the Champion of Champions, Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, Vessels Maturity, Go Man Go Handicap, Horseman’s QHRA Championship, Sunland Park Fall Derby, Miss Peninsula Handicap, Peninsula Championship, Shue Fly Handicap, and Go Together Handicap.
She ended her career on the track with a race record of 25(10)-5(3)-2(2) from 35 starts and $731,118 in earnings. Denim N Diamonds went on
to a second career as broodmare. Although not as illustrious as her racing career, she became the foundation of a line that has produced Champion Prankster CF, Canada Champion The Diamond Side, World Champion Barrel Racer Memories To Cherish, top sires Winners Version and Latest Version, and many other stakes winner and New Track Record setters. This year’s $25,000 Denim N Diamonds Handicap for four-year-old and older fillies and mares was contested at Los Alamitos Race Course on Feb. 20 and was won in wire-to-wire fashion by Foo Who.
160 SPEEDHORSE, March 2016
news briefs