Page 127 - May 2016

Sam Houston Futurity-G2
JUST CALL ME CARTER
by Michael Cusortelli
Sent to post at odds of 6-1, trial winner and fifth-fastest qualifier Just Call Me Carter kept his perfect record intact with a neck victory in the $540,000 Sam Houston Futurity-G2 on April 23.
In a hard-fought contest, Just Call Me Carter went the 330 yards in :16.786 and earned a 96 speed index under jockey Francisco Calderon.
The $216,000 winner’s share of the Sam Houston Futurity purse boosted the gelding’s earnings to $217,800.
Angel Sanchez trained the 2-year-old gelding for owner Joel Tipton of Vancleave, Mississippi. Jockey Calderon took over the mount on
Just Call Me Carter from Luis Vivanco, who rode the gelding to a 1/2-length victory in the seventh of 17 trials on April 2. Vivanco opted to ride trial winner and second-fastest quali- fier Midnight Heat in the finals.
“I watched his trial, and he kind of slipped away from the gate,” Calderon said of Just Call Me Carter.
“But, I told Angel (trainer Sanchez) that he had his feet together tonight. I was confident that we had a shot if we could break with them.”
Just Call Me Carter was bred in Oklahoma by Delfino Lozano IV of Zapata, Texas.
Just Call Me Carter’s dam, Justiflied, is a winning 14 year old who ran second in two stakes in 2004, including the 350-yard AQHA New Mexico Juvenile Challenge-G3 at Ruidoso Downs.
The mare has foaled
two winners from her four starters. Just Call Me Carter traces back to his stakes-win- ning third dam, Super Rich.
“This is a good horse,
and we have a good team,” stated Sanchez, who won last year’s Sam Houston Futurity with Ivan James, the eventual Sam Houston Race Park’s spring American Quarter Horse of the Meet.
“We have a lot of good people who know what they’re doing,” Sanchez continued. “We believe in this horse, and he knows how to do it.”
The sixth-fastest qualifier, El Carretonero G 3 (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Deer Oh Deer) finished second for owner Gregorio Garcia Garza. Esgar Ramirez rode the homebred bay gelding for trainer Rolando Almanza.
“He slipped on his back end a little bit
and just got outrun,” said Almanza of El Carretonero G 3, who was reportedly gelded after his 1/2-length trial win.
“He will run in the trials for the Heritage Place Futurity (in May) at Remington Park.” Almanza said.
Dan Grube’s Desdemona Rambler (Tempting Dash-Kritters Effort), a 1 1/4-length trial winner and the third-fastest qualifier,
captured third place. The homebred colt was prepped by Brian Stroud and ridden by Claudio Ponce Aguilar.
Shakeemwhileyoucan (Red Oak Special- The Marquis Queen) ran fourth and was followed by Hez Gone (Gone To The Mountain-Jess Braggin), Dashing Tempest (Tempting Dash-Ottyes Dashing Gal), Midnight Heat (Corona Cartel-Sandras Task), Graceful Eagle (One Famous Eagle- Duplicate Check), fastest qualifier and 8-5 favorite JE And Thee (The Louisiana Cartel- Eternal Destiny) and DF Dashing Champ (One Dashing Eagle-Joanna Kate).
Sam Houston Race Park $540,000 • 330 yards :16.786 • si 96
Corona Cartel
Carters Cartel
Jumping Tac Flash
JUST CALL ME CARTER, ’14-g.
Strawfly Special
Justiflied
Casanova Lady
Just Call Me Carter and Francisco Calderon duel to win the $545,000 Sam Houston Futurity-G2 by a neck
SPEEDHORSE, May 2016 125
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Coady Photography