Page 166 - July 2016

Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
PHQ GOODBYE EARL & IVORIONA
by Tracy Gantz
Usually, once a Triple Crown begins, only one horse has the opportunity to sweep all of the races. But following the Grade
1 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity at Remington Park on June 4, two horses will have that chance because Ivoriona and PHQ Goodbye Earl dead-heated for first.
Of the field that qualified for the final, only 2 were undefeated - Ivoriona & Paint Me Turnpike, also the 2 fastest qualifiers. Nolan Pevehouse, who bred and owned the 2015 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown winner Painted Turnpike, brought Paint Me Turnpike, who is
by PYC Paint Your Wagon, the sire of Painted Turnpike, and out of that colt’s 2nd dam.
But it was Ivoriona who was expected to win, going off as the 1-2 favorite. She scampered to the lead quickly under jockey Jorge Torres. PHQ Goodbye Earl, with Jesus Salazar in the irons, began to gain ground in the late stages. The two horses battled to the wire and reached it at the same time, resulting in the dead heat while completing the 350 yards in :17.416.
Dee Keener trains PHQ Goodbye Earl and races her with his wife, Wendy, and Steve and Tracy Wright in the name of Paint Horse Queens.
“We were thrilled,” said Wendy Keener. “I didn’t think there was a horse anywhere that could outrun Ivoriona or even run close to her. It was a victory for us for sure. It looked like he (PHQ Goodbye Earl) was having trouble get- ting hold of the track the first hundred yards or so, then he pretty much exploded.”
Stacy Charette-Hill trains Ivoriona for the partnership of her husband, Randy Hill, and Mickey Johnson. Randy Hill explained that Ivoriona almost had to miss the finals.
“We were lucky to be there,” he said. “The Wednesday before the race, we stood her in the gates and she came back with a bad limp in her right hind.”
They X-rayed the filly and were relieved that she had no broken bones. In a race of less importance, they might have passed—Hill said it was 50-50 that Ivoriona would be scratched and admitted that his wife didn’t want to run her.
“I don’t want to use it as an excuse—the other horse is a really nice horse,” said Hill. “We knew he would be the competition.”
After the race, they had their veterinar- ian again look Ivoriona over closely. She had bruised her hock but, “She’s okay and we can go on to the Speedhorse in Tulsa,” said Hill. “We were very, very lucky.”
Mickey and Stanley Johnson bred Ivoriona in Oklahoma from stakes- placed Friona. The mare has produced two winners in four starters, including multiple stakes-placed Sen Tosa. Friona is a full sister to Paint World Champion Texas Wildcat
and Paint Champion Verona. She is in foal to Kool Wagon, a multiple stakes winner
of Michael Pohl’s who was trained by Hill.
“We raised that filly,” said
Hill of Ivoriona. “From day
one we knew she was special.
She handles herself profes-
sionally and hits the ground
easily. She’s got a lot of leg on
her, and she’s light on her feet.
What I like about her most is her mind.”
She also has interesting markings. She looks like a solid-colored Quarter Horse on her right side and a Paint on her left side.
Ivoriona debuted in a maiden race at Remington, crushing her competition by
3 1/4 lengths. She returned in her trial for the Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa
Futurity, winning by 2 lengths F
a s s t t h h e e f f a a s s t t e e s s t t q q u u a a l l i i f f i i e e r r. . a
PHQ Goodbye Earl also
b e e g g a a n n h h i i s s c c a a r r e e e e r r a a t t R R e e m m i i n n g g t t o on n, , b
taking a few starts to find him- t
s e e l l f f. . T T h he e n n h he e f f i i n n i i s s h he e d d s s e e c c o on nd d s
in his trial for the American i
Pa a i i n nt t C C l l a a s s s s i i c c a a n n d d w w o o n n t t h h e e f f i i n n a a l l P
by 1 1/4 lengths. He scored in b
his Speedhorse Graham Paint h
& Appaloosa trial by 2 lengths &
as the third-fastest qualifier. a
Wendy Keener noted that
a s s s s i i s s t t a a n nt t t t r r a a i i n n e e r r J Je e f f f f D D e e a a n n a a n n d d a
his wife, Angie, have been h
instrumental in PHQ Goodbye i
Earl’s development. E
“We wouldn’t have been
a b b l l e e t t o o d d o o i it t w w i it t h h o o u u t t t t h h e e m m , , a a n n d d a
I w w a a n nt t e e d d t t o o b b e e s s u u r r e e t t o o t t h h a a n n k k I
them,” Wendy said. t
Dee Keener bred PHQ Goodbye Earl in Oklahoma from Sayonara, the 2010 Champion Running Breeding Stock 3 Year Old and 3-Year-Old Filly. Sayonara won the 2010 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Derby-RG1. PHQ Goodbye Earl is her first foal.
“We bought the mare privately as a yearling from Shari Burger,” said Wendy. “We liked her
Remington Park $239,400 • 350 yards :17.416 • si 91
Corona Cartel
Ivory James QH
Dashin Follies
IVORIONA APHA, ‘14-f.
Texas Hero
Friona
Savona QH
First Down Dash QH
Awesome Chrome
Okeydokey Baby QH
PHQ GOODBYE EARL APHA, ‘14-g.
Judys Lineage
Sayonara
Kiss This Goodbye
164 SPEEDHORSE, July 2016
Ivoriona (#10) & PHQ Goodbye Earl (#5) deadheat for the win in the $239,400 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
RACING NEWS
Linda Earley