Page 31 - New Mexico Fall 2020
P. 31

2019 New Mexico Thoroughbred Champions
  Stallion of the Year
Attila’s Storm
(Forest Wildcat-Sweet Symmetry, Magesterial) Owner: R.D. Hubbard
18-5(2)-4(3)-4(3) $534,983
Attila’s Storm has garnered many head- lines and many champion honors; so many there’s a tendency to think the stallion must be 25- or 30-years-old. In truth, he’s only 18 but with enough accomplishments to span decades. The name most closely associ- ated with Attila’s Storm is owner R.D. Hub- bard, one of the racing industry’s most influential builders and leaders. Sadly, Hubbard passed away recently after years of industry-changing contributions.
Attila’s Storm crosses twice to North-
ern Dancer, Nearctic, Natalma and Native Dancer, and three times to Bold Ruler. Those are five of the strongest names in Thorough- bred racing history, and there’s no reason to think they may ever fall from grace.
The bay colt launched the stakes portion of his career as a two-year-old in 2004. He suited up for one black type event, but it was a “no-go.” The young stallion laid low for a little while and went through another arc in both his physical and mental growth curve.
He won the Fall Highweight Handicap in 2005 and the G3 Toboggan Handicap in ‘07. He left the track with a nice nest egg.
Broodmare of the Year
Speedin Excess
(In Excess (IRE) -Danish Dessert, Regal Classic) Owners: Brad King & Todd Fincher
7-2-3(1)-3 $108,989
Speedin Excess raced in her two- and three-year-old seasons for a total of seven times, including three on the turf. Turned out, she rather enjoyed pounding the grass with one win and one second from those three efforts. The closest she came to a stakes score, whether on dirt or turf, was a second in 2009.
The filly wasn’t brilliant on the track, but she was solid and consistent; she was plenty good enough to be eyed as a broodmare pros- pect to owners Brad King and Todd Fincher. Besides, King tends to trust Fincher’s judg- ment since he’s a former jockey and, now, a successful trainer and owner
Bred in California, Speedin Excess made things interesting in 2019 for her owners, when she appeared on the champion list along with her gelded son Hustle Up, the 2019 Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding.
Two-Year-Old Filly
Count Them Again
(Premeditation-Count Your Cards, Royal Orleans) Breeder: Jim Volk
Owner: Lola Cuellar
6- 4(2)-0-0 $159,780
The bay filly had a hell of a two-year-old debut. She seemed to know what she was doing the moment she stepped into her first starting gate. Her attitude seemed to be, “Either I’m go- ing to win or I’m not doin’ nothin’.” And that’s what she did.
Count Them Again was sent to four races
in 2019 and she won all of them. Two of them were stakes – The New Mexico Classic Cup Lassie Championship and the Manzano. She set her performance pace in her maiden voyage, the Classic Cup, which she won by 4 1⁄2-lengths.
The filly has started three times in 2020 but hasn’t quite picked up her pace from last year. According to all indications, there’s no reason to think she won’t find her groove again.
“The filly wasn’t brilliant on the track, but she was solid and consistent; she was plenty good enough to beeyedasa broodmare prospect ”
 Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding
Shame On Powers
(Shame On Charlie-Shug’s Midnight, Storm Of Goshen)
Breeder: Barbara Brown
Owners: Jimmy and Rebecca Powers 13-4(1)-1(1)-1 $168,375
New Mexico breeder Barbara Brown decided to drop Shame On Powers’ name into the catalog for the 2018 Ruidoso New Mexico-Bred Sale. She tacked him down with a modest $12,000 reserve. Stepping forward with the nod to purchase were Jimmy and Rebecca Powers with trainer Clifford C. Lambert, Sr.
Lambert started training and the gelding stepped out with a third in his fist effort. His connections felt good about his performance, but they were convinced he hadn’t reached down very far. They were right.
Before 2019 ran its course, Shame On Powers wrestled his competition to the ground to win the Rio Grande senor TB Futurity-R, followed by a second in the Mountain Top New Mexico-Bred Futurity- R. He then finished out the season with two consecutive victories.
The gelding has already logged three starts in 2020, with one third.
  FALL 2020 29






























































   29   30   31   32   33