Page 135 - June 2015

John Deere HOU Juv. Ch.-G3
UNDIVIDED ATEMPTION
by Michael Cusortelli
The third-fastest qualifier and 13-10 favorite, Undivided Atemption sprinted to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $77,760 Grade 3 John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge on May 16.
Undivided Atemption went 350 yards in :17.610 under jockey Manuel Gutierrez. Rolando Almanza trains the sorrel gelding for owner Quency E. Grant of Hopkins, South Carolina.
Undivided Atemption made his debut with a 1 1/4-length win in the fourth of 10 trials on April 23. “He was a little green in his trial,” said Almanza.
“We knew he could run. We were just hoping for a good break. He did it and came out on top.”
Undivided Atemption was bred by Zule Farms LLC of Balch Springs, Texas. He is the first winner from four starters foaled by his dam, Efforts Easy Dash.
“He was born at the house and my son broke him,” said Grant of Undivided Atemption. “We’ve run second in a previous stakes, but this is our first stakes win.”
The winner’s share of the John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge increased Undivided Atemption’s earnings to $37,570. The gelding also earned a berth
in the $150,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship-G2 at Lone Star Park on Nov. 7.
Almanza also prepped the runner-up, Favored Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Favored). Rodrigo Vallejo rode the homebred brown colt for owner Luis Miguel Albores-Gleason. Pete Scarmardo’s This Bug Can Dash (Down N Dash-Cant Bug This Game) ran second. Luis Ramirez rode the homebred chestnut filly for trainer Brian Stroud. Followed by Sensual Queen (Woodbridge-Quintessential Queen), Bos Big Shamoon (Shamoon-Bos Arrival), Brookstone Dash (Brookstone Bay-Classic Guitar), Dashin Dictorial (Dictorial-Dashin Fling), Scarface Cartel (The Louisiana Cartel-Time For Lilly) & SR Esmeralda (Red Storm Cat-Lets Get Fiscal). Fastest qualifier Tellereyematthebar was scratched.
Governor’s Cup Marathon
FIRE ON THE FLY
by Michael Cusortelli
Asharp break helped Bullard Farms’ Fire On The Fly score a 3 1/2-length win in the 870-yard $25,000 Governor’s Cup Marathon Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on May 9.
Ridden by Damian Martinez for trainer Tommy Bullard, Fire On The Fly stopped the timer in :45.801 and earned a 97 speed index. The $15,000 winner’s share of the purse pushed the homebred 5-year-old gelding’s bankroll to $120,505.
Fire On The Fly was making his first start since Oct. 18, when he ran fourth in the 870- yard $100,000 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship-G1 at Prairie Meadows.
“He’s a special horse, but he’s had some issues and was never 100 percent ready to run,” said Bullard, a practicing veterinarian. “I don’t think I did that much with him. He’s an amazing athlete.”
Fire On The Fly has won eight of 20 races, and his three stakes victories include last year’s Governor’s Cup Marathon and AQHA Sunland Distance Challenge-G3.
Fire On The Fly is the first Quarter Horse starter foaled by the Thoroughbred winner Shades Of
Pink. The mare has produced eight winners from
10 Thoroughbred starters, including Shady Caller, who ran third in the 2005 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Remington Park.
The Field Cricket (Lead The Field-Quick Lil Cricket) ran 2nd for owner Claud R. Denson. The homebred 7-year-old gelding was ridden by Jerry Lee Yoakum for trainer Jesse Yoakum. Joe and Elaine McAnally’s Dashers Midnight finished third. The homebred 8-year-old gelding was prepped by James Gerhards, who gave a leg up to jockey Santos Carrizales. Bling Bling Bok (Boknaii-Shiney Creek Dancer) ran fourth and was followed by EC Cartel (Tinys First Corona-Twayna Too) and Awesome Slinky (Dashs Slinky-Warriors Reason).
Picov Maturity
SM CHICKS N GARTERS
by John Moorehouse
SM Chicks N Garters qualified 2nd-fastest to the Picov Maturity, but had the most speed when it mattered. Rick Crispi’s 4-year-old colt broke well & won the $53,158 stakes with relative ease on May 31 at Ajax Downs in Ontario, Canada. SM Chicks N Garters visited the winner’s circle for the 3rd time in 14 career outs, and this marked his 1st victory in stakes company. The colt already had black type, finishing 3rd in the 2013 Black Gold Futurity Championship-RG3.
Trained by Rene Wilson, SM Chicks N Garters took to a sloppy and wet course, but that didn’t slow him down. The colt covered the 300 yards in :15.600 for a 93 speed index. SM Chicks N Garters broke on top from the 4-gate, led by 3/4-lengths going into the stretch & coasted to the line sporting a 1/2-length mar- gin under a hand-ride from jockey Dylan Williams. The win produced a $21,263 payday, improving the colt’s lifetime earnings to the cusp of six figures at $99,922.
Rafter SM Ranch bred SM Chicks N Garters out of Bullions N Garters, who won 11 stakes races as part of a career of 19 wins and nearly a half-million dollars in prize money. She’s foaled seven offspring, five starters & four winners, but SM Chicks N Garters becomes the first to secure a stakes victory.
Mitford (Ivory James-Fitting Celebration) took 2nd under Cassandra Jeschke for John S. Wilson & trainer Scott Reid. In a DH for 3rd was 33-1 longshot Varsity Lace (Shazoom-Follys Dash), under Shanley Jackson for David Evans & trainer Jason Pascoe, and race favorite One Famous Glass (One Famous Eagle- Quick Glass), under Cory Spataro for owners Carol Robertson, Jamie Robertson & Dr. Charles Hall and trainer Bryn Robertson. Followed by Mr Victory Six (Tres Seis-Judinell Jo), Streakinshagginwagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-La Jollas Fortune), Zip Kode (Bigtime Favorite-Fee Lion), Runaway Cause (Ocean Runaway-The Just Cause) & Piranhaaa (First Down Straw-Eyes Like Rapid). Storytime Blue scratched.
Sam Houston Race Park • $77,760 350 yards • :17.610 • si 94
Tempting Dash
First Down Dash
A Tempting Chick
UNDIVIDED ATEMPTION, ’13-g.
Streakin To Early
Efforts Easy Dash
Zure Special One
Sam Houston Race Park • $25,000 870 yards • :45.801 • si 97
Jet Cartel FIRE ON THE FLY, ’10-g.
Corona Cartel
Lil Bit Rusty
Fight Over
Shades Of Pink TB
Swing Forever
Ajax Downs • $53,158 300 yards • :15.600 • si 93
Chicks Beduino
Country Chicks Man
Country Zevi
SM CHICKS N GARTERS, ‘11-c.
Bully Bullion
Bullions N Garters
Guns And Garters
SPEEDHORSE, June 2015 133
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
Coady Photography
Clive Cohen Photography