Page 140 - June 2016

Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2
ONE PROUD EAGLE
by Tracy Gantz
The fastest three qualifiers to the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2 at Los Alamitos finished in that exact same order in the final. Maybe winner One Proud Eagle, however, got a little push from the late Bobby Adair, in that owner-breeder Ronald J. Hartley and trainer John Cooper were great friends of the former jockey.
About 40 of Adair’s family gathered in the winner’s circle to honor the memory of Adair, for whom Los Alamitos renamed the Kindergarten Futurity. Adair died last year.
“I was clerk of scales here when Bobby first came here during the 1960s,” said Hartley.
Cooper will always remember Adair for the 22-1 upset the two of them collaborated on
in the 1979 Champion of Champions. Adair piloted Mr Doty Bars to the victory. “When he won the race he came back and said, ‘You know what, John, the other guys can’t ride.’ I can still see him saying that,” Cooper recalled in the winner’s circle.
“They didn’t call him The Master for noth- ing,” Cooper continued. “He’d get on a horse and when he would come back he’d say, ‘Hey, this feels a little funny.’ He’d be right. He was a horseman.”
So are Cooper and Hartley, who have col- laborated on Champion Moonist as well as on One Proud Eagle.
When One Proud Eagle debuted in a maiden race on April 16, he was bumped at the start and finished third.
He came back strong in his futurity trial, however, breaking on top and winning his heat by 3/4-length in wire-to-wire fashion for the fastest qualifying time.
In the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity final, One Proud Eagle, who was ridden by his regular rider Tony Guymon, took off like
One Proud Eagle & Tony Guymon receive every call winning the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G3
a shot and was out of the 4-hole on the lead.
Three Six On Fire V bat- tled with One Proud Eagle early on in the race, but then One Proud Eagle drew off from that rival and the rest to win by an easy length in :15.353 for the 300 yards.
The gray gelding com- pleted the trip on top from start to finish, earning the $179,928 winner’s share of the purse.
“He had a little of a rough go in his first time out - he got bumped around, but still kept fighting,” said Guymon.
“He ran great in the trials, and in the final he just took off,” the jockey continued. “I may have seen another horse in my peripheral for a few jumps, but that was it. He just kept giving me another gear and he just kept going faster.”
Hartley was winning his first major futurity, and it was Cooper’s first Kindergarten victory. “He was a little ugly duckling that turned
into a swan,” said Cooper of One Proud Eagle. “He’s one of those at the end of the barn,
and all of a sudden he’s doing everything right,” the conditioner said.
Cooper was responsible for Hartley owning Guy Chasing, the dam of One Proud Eagle. Her owner had died, and the heirs asked
Cooper to find a home for the mare. Cooper said he would buy Guy Chasing, and then let Hartley buy her when he expressed an interest in the mare.
Guy Chasing may have only won one race on the track, but she finished second four times and third once.
The mare was well bred, being a daughter of Fishers Dash and out of multiple graded stakes winner Girl Secrets, the dam of graded stakes winner Secret Path. Guy Chasing has produced two starters, both winners/ ROM earners.
For longtime client Dutch Masters III, trainer Jaime Gomez saddled Chazaq (Corona Cartel-All About Ease) to finish second. Regular rider Alejandro Luna rode the gelding, who also won his trial for the second-fastest qualifying time after breaking out at the start and finishing strong for a 3/4-length win.
Three Six On Fire V (Tres Seis-Velvette) ran third with his regular rider Cruz Mendez in the irons. Jose Flores trains the gelding for owner Jose Ivan Muniz. Three Six On Fire V also won his trial heat for the third fastest qualifying time, completing the trip in wire- to-wire style for a 1 1/2-length victory.
Followed by Stel A Wish (Stel Corona- Devons Wish), Katella Deli (Foose-Katie Katella), Brimmin Corona (Fantastic Corona Jr-Brimin Special), Stelfast (Stel Corona-The Goodbye Kisser), Paint A Candy Storm (Red Storm Cat-Send Me Candy Paint), Jess A Chick Magnet (Apollitcal Jess-Chickitita) and Ur My Princess (Walk Thru Fire-Thatsa Blazin Chick).
138 SPEEDHORSE, June 2016
Los Alamitos $428,400 • 300 yards :15.353 • si 96
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
ONE PROUD EAGLE, ’14-g.
Fishers Dash
Guy Chasing
Girl Secrets
One Proud Eagle’s winning connections include owner Ronald J. Hartley, trainer John Cooper & jockey Tony Guymon.
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