Page 191 - July 2016

Bitterroot Derby
MAGIC MOMENT BLUES
Hby Tracy Gantz
aving the winter off to develop proved the key to
Magic Moment Blues, who captured his first stakes in the Bitterroot Derby at Sandy Downs on June 25.
“We always knew he was good, but he just couldn’t quite win the futurities last year,” said trainer Mark Hanson.
Magic Moment Blues qualified the fastest for the Derby in the June 11 trials. In the final, he dueled with Hanson trainee Coronas Fast Game, edging his stable- mate to win by a neck with Nakia Ramirez aboard. Magic Moment Blues ran the 400 yards in :19.449.
The Hanson family’s RTM Stables, LLC owns Magic Moment Blues with Robin Dunn and Larry Chapple. Hanson’s mother, Susan, bought him for $28,000 at the 2014 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, and Mark’s father, Jim, trained the gelding last year.
Lucky Seven Ranch bred Magic Moment Blues in Oklahoma from stakes-placed runner Run The Dash, the 2007 Broodmare of the Year. The mare has produced 18 winners in 27 starters, including World Champion Blues Girl Too.
Uriel Dominguez rode Coronas Fast Game (Coronas Fast Dash-Game Snowlady) to second for owners RTM Stables and Ben McKinney. Four times stakes-placed, Coronas Fast Game finished second in last year’s Bitterroot Futurity.
Jim Walker’s homebred Zoomin For Spuds (Zoomin For Bux-A Perfect Cocktail) ran third for jockey Tony Guyman and trainer Monty Arrossa. The gelding has won three stakes at Los Alamitos.
Completing the field were RTM Moonshine (Separatist-Shirleys Secret), First Prize Chicks
(Spit Curl Jess-First Prize Chic), Love To Reason
Br (Good Reason SA-Strength In Numbers), Wait (Favorite Cartel-Katie Katella), DK Rays Runnaway (Separatist-A Special First), Sweet Sweet Love (One Sweet Jess-Miss Willie Nilly), and Bugs Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Dancing Tonight).
Alex Picov Maturity
FIRST DOWN THE TRACK
Fby John Moorehouse
irst Down The Track posted her first stakes win
in nearly three years, taking the $43,897 Alex Picov Maturity at Ajax Downs on June 5.
A six-year-old mare owned by Richard Wincikaby and the DK Training Centre, First Down The Track notched her 11th win in 34 career starts and her third victory in stakes company in winning this event. First Down The Track also brought home a $17,558 payday, taking her total earnings to $217,492.
A muddy racing surface did little to slow First Down The Track, who broke from the 4-post on the lead. She was running a close second entering the stretch and then beat her nearest rival to the wire by 3/4-length. Trained by Don Reid, First Down The Track covered the 300 yards in :15.270, posting a blistering 106 speed index. Brian Bell did the riding as First Down The Track tallied her third stakes win,all at Ajax Downs.
Lance Robinson & Max Anderson bred First Down The Track. First Down Runner, the dam of First Down The Track, also holds a stakes win. Erico Braga owns First Down Runner, who has produced 14 starters from 19 offspring. First Down The Track remains her first stakes winner.
One Famous Glass (One Famous Eagle-Quick Glass) finished 2nd for Carol Robertson, Jaime Robertson & Dr. Charles Hall. Bryn Robertson is the trainer & Helen Vanek was aboard. Wincikaby & the DK Training Centere also own the 3rd-place finisher Sign It Down (First Down Dash-Apollos Signature), another Reid trainee with Cory Spataro in the irons. Followed by Fast Man Vic (Mighty Invictus-Precious Debutante), Pegasos One Underpar (Down Home Dash-Pegasos Easy Seven), Fiesty Icon (Sugarman Perry-Fiesty Spirit), Eyesa Speedy Simon (Its All About Speed-Eyesa Player), Mr Act Up (Mr Piloto-Act Up), Memories Times Six (Sixes Royal-Is It Memorex) & Bold Six Love (Streakin Six Cartel-Miss Triple Lynn).
Ontario Sires’ Stakes Derby
ALAKAZAAM
by Michael Compton
A
unblemished with his 4th straight win (and 5th con- secutive dating back to last year) of the season in the Ontario Sires Stakes Derby at Ajax Downs in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, on July 3.
With regular rider Chelsey Willick aboard, Alakazaam broke sharply in the 350-yard event and dueled with Sugarmans Delight for the early lead. Alakazaam, the odds-on race favorite, surged late to prevail at the finish, defeating Sugarmans Delight and jockey Cory Spataro by a nose in :17.750, good for a 95 speed index.
It was the initial stakes victory for Alakazaam, who improved his record to 8-5-0-1 for owner Full Circle Racing and Cummings Cattle Co. and trainer Greg Watson. Alakazaam won his June 19 trial heat for the fastest qualifying time.
Bred in Maryland by Lucas Racing Inc., Alakazaam is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Corona Deluxe. A 2-time winner in her racing career, Corona Deluxe won twice and placed in 3 graded races includ- ing the 2006 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G1 at Los Alamitos en route to earnings of $168,135. She
is the dam of additional stakes winner Country Boy Deluxe and Grade 1 placed Reagal Eagle, 2nd in the 2013 All American Futurity-G1.
Runner-up Sugarmans Delight (Sugarman Perry- Wonders Delight) races for owner Christine Tavares & is trained by Joe Tavares. Speedocracy (Its All About Speed-Hotdoggin Baby Doll) finished 3rd under Cassandra Jeschke in an even effort for George Coleman & trainer Scott Reid. Followed by Faster Than U (Dash To The Arctic-Is It Real), Hope Rambles On (Ramblin On Down-Bottoms Up Corona), Kinda Likea Lovesong (Wild Boyz-Cloverleaf North) & DQ’d from 4th to
7th Hal Bent (Flick Me a Corona-Hi Class Shine). Blue Speedo, Hammer Tyme & Ice Fishin were scratched.
lakazaam has made winning races a habit. The
3-year-old sorrel gelding kept his 2016 record
Sandy Downs • $38,307 400 yards • :19.449 • si 109
Corona Cartel
Jumping Tac Flash
Carters Cartel
MAGIC MOMENT BLUES, ’13-g.
Sixarun
Run The Dash
Dashin Rosie
Ajax Downs • $43,897 300 yards • :15.270 • si 106
Holland Ease
Corona Chick
FIRST DOWN THE TRACK, ‘10-m.
First Down Dash
First Down Runner
Corona Cartel
All Runner
Ajax Downs • $57,266 350 yards • :17.750 • si 95
Mezoomn ALAKAZAAM, ‘13-g.
Shazoom
Rosas Special Corona Cartel
Corona Deluxe
First Down N Surfin
SPEEDHORSE, July 2016 189
RACING NEWS
Tony Harris Photography
Clive Cohen Photography
Clive Cohen Photography