Page 52 - February 2016 Speedhorse

astica si 110, $308,923
champion 3-Year-Old Filly
Breeder/Owner: MJ Farms
Trainer: Jason T. Giles
Jockeys: Adrian Ramos & Salvador Martinez
2015 Record: 6-5(3)-1(1)-0, $216,263, Zia D.-RG2, First Moonflash S., Pelican S., 2nd New Mexico F&M Ch.-RG1,
3rd Mtn. Top F.-RG3, Ntr ALB 400yds.
Homebred Champions are truly special, as Mac and Janis Murray can attest. They bred and race Astica in the name of their MJ Farms, and she became the darling of her home state, New Mexico, during 2015.
Yet the Murrays came within $5,000 of not racing Astica because they entered her in the 2013 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
“We didn’t put a reserve on Astica because I don’t like to put them on our yearlings,” said Mac. “But, we placed a figure of $50,000 on her. I had the last bid of $50,000, and we got her back. If the bidding had reached $55,000, somebody else would own her.”
Instead, the Murrays have had that pleasure. They sent her to trainer Matthew Fales at Turf Paradise for her early racing at two in 2014. She won a couple of races, but chipped a knee.
“We sent her back to Matt this year and he swam her for 30 days and started ponying her,” said Mac. “Matt gets a lot of credit for bringing her back the way he did.”
Wesley and Jason Giles trained Astica in New Mexico during 2015. She won five of her six starts, beginning at Albuquerque with the Pelican Stakes. Astica set a track record of :18.912 for 400 yards while crushing the competition by 3-lengths.
Next came the trials and final of the Zia Derby-RG2 at Ruidoso Downs, resulting in two more victories. She qualified the fastest for the First Moonflash Derby at Albuquerque and proved best once again in the final.
Astica concluded the year in the New Mexico Filly and Mare Championship at Zia Park. Though her winning streak ended, she put in a valiant effort to lose by just a neck. She has already begun 2016 with another victory
at Sunland Park in the Lou Wooten Sydney Valentini Handicap-RG2.
The Murrays bred Astica from Champion Alice K White. They bred and raced Alice
K White also, campaigning the daughter of multiple graded winner Champagne Lane to multiple graded stakes wins at Los Alamitos. Astica continued the family’s championship ways and could ultimately produce a third generation of champions.
Mr Jess Perry
Jesse James Jr
Loose Lips
Streakin La Jolla
Scoopie Fein
First Down Dash
Streakin Six Bottom’s Up
Sinn Fein
Legs La Scoop Dash For Cash First Prize Rose Champagne Charlie Patsy’s No Fool TB
Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Gallant Jet
Rose Bug Leinster House TB Lanes Star Miss Streakin Dash Synchrocept
Easy Six
Miss Assured
Raise Your Glass TB La Jolla
Three Oh’s Vansarita Too Scooper Chick
La Ferne
Rocket Wrangler Find A Buyer TB Gallant Jet
Rose Bug
Northern Dancer Shy Dancer
No Fooling Showpiece
Rocket Bar TB Go Galla Go To Market Hide And Seek Jet Deck
Leo Jewel
Lady Bug’s Moon Casco Rose Manacle
Dail Elith Antelope Mike Lane’s Star Lady Streakin Six
Got Alot Going Zevi TB
Miss Moolah Bar
Easy Jet
Peggy Toro
Little Request TB Assured
Raise A Native Champagne Woman
St Bar
Top Pretty TB
Three Chicks OhMyOh
Vandy Garrettsmisspawhuska Triple Chick
Scoop Bam Quicksilver King
Nikita
Rocket Bar TB
Go Galla Go
To Market
Hide And Seek
Jet Deck
Leo Jewell
Lady Bug’s Moon Casco Rose
Nearctic
Natalma
Bolero
Shy Bim
Tom Fool
Real Delight
Imbros
Capricos Lady
Three Bars Golden Rocket Go Man Go
La Galla Win Market Wise Pretty Does Alibhai Scattered
Moon Deck Miss Night Bar Leo
Linda Jewel
Top Moon
FL Lady Bug Levan
Prissy Hankins Sing Sing
Hard And Fast Tamerlane Cheville
Mr Cute Bar Peggy Royal Skippety Flip Black Bottom 4 Easy Six
Miss Assured Dash For Cash Gotta Go Too Cornish Prince Spire
Moolah Bux TB Miss Baldy’s Bar
Dondamar TB ASTICA, ‘12, f.
First Down Dash
Alice K White
Champagne Lane
Dash For Cash
First Prize Rose
Lanes Leinster
Dashin Sandy
50 SPEEDHORSE, February 2016
Astica wins the Pelican Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque
coady Photography