Page 176 - October 2015

Downs At Albuquerque Futurity
RG MIRACLE
by John Moorehouse
Kenneth and Shirley Grisham have a bumper crop of rookie starters this year. One of
the crown jewels in that two-year-old group,
RG Miracle, has Kenneth Grisham pondering what might lie ahead for his organization later this year.
RG Miracle tallied another impressive effort on Sept. 26, claiming victory in the $214,768 Downs at Albuquerque Futurity.
It marked the fourth trip to the winner’s circle for RG Miracle, and his second triumph in stakes company.
The young gelding produced a six-figure payday of $107,384 that more than doubled his prior earnings to $180,436.
Three of those wins have come in succes- sion, the result of finally finding a productive pairing between horse and rider.
RG Miracle had five different jockeys in each of his first five outs, but the gelding is undefeated since Isaias Cardenas became the full-time rider.
“We had nine two year olds and he was the best of all of them,” said Kenneth Grisham, who trains RG Miracle. His wife, Shirley, is the owner.
“He wouldn’t break bad, but he’d come on at the end,” he continued. “Nothing but sec- onds in maiden races. Then I broke his maiden the first weekend up at Farmington. ... now we’ve got a rider who gets him out of the gate really, really good.”
Since then, there’s been no stopping RG Miracle, and there was no stopping him in the Downs at Albuquerque Futurity.
After breaking on top from the 2-hole, the gelding led by a head at the first call and wid- ened his advantage at every subsequent junc- ture. RG Mirace was in front by 1/2-length going into the stretch, then pulled away from any would-be rivals to reach the wire sporting a comfortable 1 1/4-length margin.
The 400-yard trip took :19.806, produc- ing an 87 speed index. RG Miracle won his Sept. 11 futurity trial in :19.739, which was the second-fastest time on the qualifying ladder.
RG Miracle began his win streak at this year’s New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity-RG3 at SunRay Park, and now that the horse is on a roll and has two prominent stakes victories, it may yield a breakthrough feat for the veteran horseman Grisham.
“I’m an old man, I’m 77 years old or gonna be in January,” Grisham stated. “The closest
I ever came to winning the All American
(Futurity) was in ‘73. ... I’ve had some others since then but never good enough to qualify.”
Might RG Miracle make
the All American Derby field
next year? Maybe. If not,
there’s another contender
in the Grishams’ barn - the
filly Good Job Honey, who
won this year’s Four Corners
Futurity-RG3 at SunRay
Park. Shirley Grisham and
John T.L. Jones’ J Bar 7 Ranch co-own Good Job Honey.
RG Miracle is out of the Thoroughbred mare Purple Ice, who also is owned by the Grishams.
“She was just a claimer,” Grisham noted. “The horse he’s by (Hearts Miracle) is kind of unproven ... he ran pretty well and had a fast speed index, but he got crippled and ended up making only $70,000 or so. He belongs to my neighbors, and I bred that mare to him three times. This was her first baby.”
Even if RG Miracle can’t put Grisham in the All American, his rookie campaign isn’t finished yet. The gelding is paid into the Shue Fly Stakes at Sunland Park in December.
Running at Hobbs isn’t out of the question, either.
A 20-1 longshot, Chickaloni (Jess A Chicks- Machi Moon) made a steady run for second place. The filly is owned by David and Ross Hinkins, and is trained by Lori Chavez. Jose Ortiz drew the riding assignment.
Grisham also trains Rocky El Roble (Jesse James Jr-Lady Chimes), who hit the board in
third for Astorga Racing, LLC. Jorge Bourdieu was in the irons.
Major Bites (Jesse James Jr-Dyno Mo Rime) finished fourth and was followed by A Blazin Flash (Chicks A Blazin-Flash Me First), First Note Medley (First Moonflash-A Medley Of Chicks), fastest qualifier Wahoo Raider (Jess A Chicks-Eye Leaving),
My Mojito (Jesse James Jr-Reacorona),
Miss Ravens Wood (Woodbridge-Three
Dee Dreams) and Lil Moonshiner (First Moonflash-Posies Woodette).
This race was part of a historic weekend at The Downs, that saw 20 races contested with a track-record $1,031,231 money avail- able in purses.
Downs at Albuquerque $214,768 • 400 yards :19.806 • si 87
Dean Miracle
Hearts Miracle
Heart Sparks
RG MIRACLE, ‘13-g.
Mountain Meal
Purple Ice TB
LA Looker
174 SPEEDHORSE, October 2015
RG Miracle & Isaias Cardenas go wire-to-wire in the $214,768 Downs at Albuquerque Futurity
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Coady Photography