Page 177 - February 2016 Speedhorse

Hialeah Maturity
MOONIN THE EAGLE
by John Moorehouse
An equipment adjustment helped Moonin The Eagle ring in the new year by soaring to his second stakes victory.
The four-year-old gray colt entered the company of multiple-stakes winners on Jan. 17, winning the $204,310 Hialeah Maturity at Hialeah Park.
Rolando Almanza, the trainer of Moonin The Eagle, made a switch to the horse’s setup prior to this out. Specifically, the colt now wears a flipping halter when he runs.
“I’ve had Moonin for quite a bit. I had him last year,” Almanza stated. “When I got him back this year, he had lost some weight.
“We put him on the rig (the flipping halter) and that seemed to help him quite a bit,” Almanza added. “He’s still a stud, so what he tends to do is he starts looking around not paying attention to what he’s doing. It helps him keep his head straight, keeps him focused. Him being a stud, I thought it would help.
It did.
Making his debut out of 2016, Moonin The Eagle carried over the success he enjoyed at the end of 2015, which included a win in
the South Florida Derby, a second in both the Refrigerator Handicap-G1 and the Hialeah Derby, and a finalist in the Rainbow Derby-G1 and Sam Houston Derby-G3. He also topped
the qualifying ladder for this maturity with a time of :21.917 in his 440-yard trial heat on December 26.
Moonin The Eagle actu-
ally surpassed that top quali-
fying time in the stakes final.
The colt broke on top from
the 3 gate. He was running
third at the first call and
second entering the stretch.
And then, Moonin The
Eagle overtook then-leader
TF Cajun Cartel to win by three-quarters.
“He’s always been a good breaker,” Almanza said. “I knew if he could break with them, then he could win the race. That was always my theory. I knew he could do the rest.”
Jockey Ricky Ramirez, who was aboard Moonin The Eagle for the trials, drew the rid- ing assignment in the finals as well.
Moonin The Eagle completed this 440- yard trip in :21.201, registering a 105 speed index. The victory marked the fifth win in 12 starts for the colt, who is owned by Gregorio Garcia Garza, and his career bankroll has now jumped past the $300,000 milestone to $316,478 with the addition of the $85,810 prize from this event.
“He’s a distance horse, he does like to run 440,” Almanza said. “Ricky does a heck of a job with him as well. He didn’t push him until he had to.”
Moonin The Eagle
is the progeny of two Champions. He is sired by 2008 Champion One Famous Eagle, who is the sire of three Champions himself. Moonin The Eagle is out of 2-time
2001 Champion Your First Moon, who is the dam of 2-time 2014 Champion Moonist.
Moonin The Eagle was bred by Vessels Stallion Farm, LLC, which also bred Moonin The Eagle’s dam.
Ramon Vega owns Your First Moon, a 1999 mare who holds a pair of prestigious stakes wins. Victories in the 2001 runnings
of the Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG1 and Los Alamitos Million Futurity-G1 highlighted a career that included seven wins and more than $750,000 in earnings.
As a broodmare, Your First Moon has 15 offspring, 11 of whom have made starts with 8 winners/ROM earners. Moonin The Eagle is one of four stakes winners in the brood, including the mare’s top money earner 2-time Champion Moonist ($802,194), as well as Jess My Moon ($78,150) & Stray Cat ($58,638).
Multiple stakes winner TF Cajun Cartel (Corona Cartel-Dashadee) finished second for owners Fernando Carrete and Ascencion Fernandez. Carrete also trains the colt, who had Tanner Thedford aboard.
Multiple stakes placer RC Me Leaving You (Coronas Leaving You-Sixy Bottom) placed third for owners Bennie and Teresa Jeter. Judd Kearl is the trainer and Rodrigo Vallejo had the riding assignment.
Rattle N Battle (Apollitical Jess-Tinys Corona Queen), Yurman (Bigtime Favorite- Kpax), Premier Ethics (Ethics Aside-Poker Pot Dash), De Mille (Corona Cartel-All About Ease), Mavara Vegas (FDD Dynasty-Jess
Like Vegas), Seize The Win (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Jess An Illusion) and A Royal Fling (This Snow Is Royal-A Cartel Fling) com- pleted the field.
The Hialeah Maturity marked the first career defeat for 6th placed Premier Ethics at Hialeah Park, who had won her prior five outs at that Florida track.
Hialeah Park $204,310 • 440 yards :21.201 • si 105
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
MOONIN THE EAGLE, ‘12-c.
First Down Dash
Your First Moon
Moon Arisen
Moonin The Eagle & Ricky Ramirez draw clear to win the $204,310 Hialeah Maturity
SPEEDHORSE, February 2016 175
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography