Page 149 - April 2017

Oklahoma Futurity-G3
IMA CHINA RUSH
by Tracy Gantz
All owners like to win a big race. But Ima China Rush’s victory in the March 25 Oklahoma Futurity-G3 means even more to Sherry Gilmore. She and her husband, Terry, stand the stallion, raced the mare, and foaled Ima China Rush themselves at their Gilmore Stables in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
“We’re still in shock,” said Sherry three days after the race. “We knew that she was a good horse, that she had the potential. It was just a dream come true.”
Ima China Rush made her debut in
the March 11 Oklahoma Futurity trials
at Remington Park. She won easily by 1 1/4-lengths under jockey Larry Payne to qual- ify the fastest. Sent away as the favorite in the finals, she felt so good in the post parade that she reared.
“She has a real sensitive mouth,” said Sherry. “She got to showing off a little bit, and they pulled back on her. She just reared up and let Larry slide right off.”
Once Ima China Rush calmed down, Payne remounted and the race went off without incident. Ima China Rush broke on top, battled briefly with a couple of rivals, but led throughout the 300 yards to win by 1/2-length in :15.286. It was the
richest running ever of the Oklahoma Futurity, gross- ing $525,050. The $210,020 winner’s share of the purse boosted Ima China Rush’s cumulative earnings to $215,750.
“She left there really hard, towards the front of the race,” Payne said. “There were a couple of horses on the out-
side that was heads apart with her. That last hundred yards
she put them away pretty good.”
Guillermo Valdivia trains Ima China Rush for the Gilmores. He also trained her sire, Rushago, and her dam, Ima PYC China Doll, for them. The couple bred Rushago
in Sherry’s name, and while he never won a stakes, he placed in several graded events, including a second in the 2009 Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Futurity-G1.
The Gilmores stand Rushago, but his stallion career was compromised when Blue Ribbon Downs closed.
“He started standing the year Blue Ribbon shut down, so it negatively affected his first year,” said Sherry. “He’s an amazing horse, though.
This one I’m hoping will help light the board for him.
“We raised the stallion and watched him grow. We just saw that special some- thing within him and saw this huge development of heart that was bigger than our house. He was just so deter- mined, and I’m seeing the same thing with this baby.”
Ima China Rush has surprised Sherry with how
quickly she has matured.
“She is so focused,” said Sherry. “We’re just
so grateful—we have been blessed, it’s that simple. I look at her now and think how can she be this competitive when she was such a lover as a baby.”
The Gilmores purchased Ima PYC China Doll privately from breeders Donald and Kathy Rystrom before she began racing. Ima PYC China Doll is out of stakes winner Ima Lazie Too. Ima China Rush is the mare’s first foal. The Gilmores entered Ima PYC China Doll in the 2015 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale, and after she didn’t bring her reserve, they sold her privately to Gordon Pevehouse.
Sherry said that she viewed the Oklahoma Futurity victory as a celebration for mom-and- pop operations everywhere. She encouraged all such breeders, saying, “You’ve got as much chance as anybody.”
PYC Fun N Fancy (PYC Paint Your Wagon-First Prize Fancy) finished second with Daniel Torres in the irons. Luz Chavira trains the colt for owner Jose Ernesto Guzman. In his racing debut, PYC Fun N Fancy won his futurity trial to be the second-fastest qualifier.
Agustin Silva rode Piloto Strong (Mr Piloto-Strength In Numbers) to third for trainer Clinton Crawford and owners Renee K. Wilson and Raymond Merrill. The gelding had finished second in his trial,
but was elevated to first upon Bird Train’s disqualification.
Completing the field were Unconquerable (High Rate Of Return-Fleeting Touch), Ima Louisiana Girl (The Louisiana Cartel-Majorly Cranky), Tres Of Elegants (Tres Seis-
Elegant Debut), Chasin My Desire (Chicks Regard-Hi Ho Desirio), Im Jess Sweet (One Sweet Jess-Sweetness Special) & Krash Master (Krash Cartel-Makin It Stormy). Lions Express was scratched.
Remington Park $525,050 • 300 yards :15.286 • si 94
Agouti
Rushago
Rush Rush
IMA CHINA RUSH, ’15-f.
PYC Paint Your Wagon
Ima PYC China Doll
Ima Lazie Too
Ima China Rush & Larry Payne go wire-to-wire to win the $525,050 Oklahoma Futurity-G3 by 1/2-length
SPEEDHORSE, April 2017 147
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography