Page 71 - NMHBA Summer 2017

By Michael Cusortelli
DINE STAKES (R)
R.D. Hubbard’s Go For A Stroll, the 3-5 favorite in a field of eight New Mexico- bred 3-year-olds, rallied to win the $40,000 Dine Stakes (R) at SunRay Park on June 5.
Prepped by Todd Fincher and ridden by Tracy Hebert, Go For A Stroll closed on the fractions of :24.32 and :47.97 established
by pacesetter Waitingonasunnyday. The homebred dark bay or brown gelding covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.32, and his margin of victory was three-quarters of a length from 4-1 second choice Thunder Dome.
Go For A Stroll is one of 85 winners from 122 starters sired by Attila’s Storm, a 15-year-old son of Forest Wildcat who has sired the earners of $6.8 million from seven crops. Racing from 2004-07, Attila’s Storm won five of 18 starts, including the 2007 Toboggan Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct, and earned $534,983.
Attila’s Storm has sired 16 official black- type stakes winners, including multiple stakes winners Thermal, Dashkova, and
To TAH STAKES (R)
PJ’s Gold led at every call en route to
a 5 1/4-length victory on June 12 in the $45,000 Totah Stakes (R) for New Mexico- bred 2-year-olds at SunRay Park.
Ridden by Enrique Gomez, PJ’s Gold covered 4 1/2 furlongs in :52.19. Henry Dominguez prepped the homebred colt for owner Paul W. Jenson.
PJ’s Gold is one of four winners from nine starters sired by Mr. Gold Mover. An unraced 9-year-old Virginia-bred son of Mr. Greeley and the Grade 2-winning Gold Fever mare Gold Mover, Mr. Gold Mover is a half brother to stakes winners Maleeh and Giant Mover.
Mr. Gold Mover has sired the earners of more than $163,000 from two crops, including M G M’s Valentine, the runner- up to Sippin in last year’s New Mexico Cup Lassie Championship (R) at Zia Park. The stallion is owned by JT & B Racing and stands at Bar Y Equine at Berino, New Mexico.
Reaper, and Hermano, the $100,000 sale- topper at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The stallion is owned by R.D. Hubbard and stands for a $4,000 fee at Fred and Linda Alexander’s A & A Ranch at Anthony, New Mexico.
Go For A Stroll’s dam, the unraced 9-year-old Bernardini mare Garter, has foaled three winners from as many starters. Stormy Day, a full sister to the gelding, won last year’s 6-furlong Lincoln Handicap (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Go For A Stroll was shortening in distance off of his come-from-behind, neck victory in the 1 1/16-mile, $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby (R) at Sunland Park on March 26. All told, the gelding
has won three of six races, and the $24,000 winner’s share of the Dine Stakes purse bumped his bankroll to $128,418, of which $113,118 has been pocketed this season.
Waitingonasunnyday finished third, 4 1/4 lengths behind Go For A Stroll, and
PJ’s Gold is also the first starter foaled by Shes A Looker RF, a winning 8-year-old daughter of Silver Season. His second dam, the Sunday Minister mare Smooching, is
a half sister to Ciento, a gelding who won 14 New Mexico-bred stakes and earned $816,244 from 2000-08.
PJ’s Gold traces back to his fourth dam, Maybe A Kiss. A winning daughter of 1967 horse of the year Damascus, Maybe A Kiss was a full sister to Drachma, the winner of the 1987 Gallant Man Stakes (G3) at Saratoga, and she was a half
sister to ’91 Travers Stakes (G1) winner Corporate Report.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, PJ’s Gold has won two of three starts, and the $27,000 winner’s share of the Totah Stakes purse bumped his bankroll to $34,548. The gelding was a finalist in the Copper Top Futurity (R) at Sunland Park on April 16.
PJ’s Gold was sent to post as the 1-2 favorite and returned a $3 win mutuel.
was followed by C K Charlie, Go Gotta Go, Smashed, Blazing Away, and Que Pasa.
Runner-up Thunder Dome was making his season debut in the Dine for owners W.D. Carson Sr., M.H. Carson, and Leach Racing LLC. A chestnut son of the Storm Cat stallion Dome, the gelding has won two of eight starts, including last year’s 5 1/2-furlong, $152,986 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs, and he has banked $144,283.
Waitingonasunnyday is a bay son of Weather Warning campaigned by Orville L. Blades. The gelding has won one of eight outs, and the $4,000 third-place share
of the Dine purse pushed his earnings to $29,106.
Go Fo R A STRol l
Attila’s Storm
Forest Wildcat
Sweet Symmetry
Garter
Bernardini
Fire The Groom
PJ’S Gol D
Mr. Gold Mover
Mr. Greeley
Gold Mover
Shes A Looker Rf
Silver Season
Smooching
Hollywood Henry, the 7-1 third choice, finished second to complete a $13.80 ($2) exacta.
Gabby Who, Personal Guarantee, Smooth Talkin Red, and Jeremiah Who completed the order of finish.
A son of Roll Hennessy Roll, Hollywood Henry was making his debut for owner Bennie A. Vanecek. The colt was purchased as a yearling for $17,500 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, and he banked $9,900 for his second-place run in the Totah.
Gabby Who finished 10 1/2 lengths behind PJ’s Gold. The gelded son of The Way Home has earned $4,936 from three starts for his owner, Thomas Ciaccio.
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