Page 30 - New Mexico Summer 2022

The mare competed four seasons at the highest levels. Her campaign launched at Los Alamitos in April 1997, where she logged four consecutive wins in June, July and August. They included the trials and finals of the Grade 1 Governor’s Cup Futurity and the Grade 1 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity.
Two weeks after the Ed Burke, she was in line for the Grade 1 All American Futurity trials at Ruidoso. She won her heat and returned
to capture the finals. That little ol’ girl Tami Purcell was in the irons, completing the first female team to win the All American Futurity. She ended her freshman year with $1,105,161 and a 7-2-0 record from 11 starts. Hate to be repetitive, but she was one tough mare with a trainer who knew how to keep her physically and mentally fit.
Corona Cash was back in 1998, winning the Grade 3 Town Policy, the Grade 1 Golden State Derby, the Grade 1 Governor’s Cup Derby and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Derby. She added the Grade 1 Mildred N. Vessels Memorial to the list in 1999, along with the Grade 2 Las Damas and the Grade 3 Z. Wayne Griffin. She wrapped up everything in 2000 with a victory in the Dash For Speed Handicap.
Corona Cash retired with $1,542,880 from a remarkable 32 starts. She was off the board only four times. No one will argue, that’s a race mare and that’s a trainer.
Before Corona Cash retired, Donna had Corona Kool (First Down Dash-Sizzling Lil, Sizzle Te TB) making headlines for her. Also bred by Etchandy, the filly, foaled in 1997, was owned by Lucas Racing.
Corona Kool ran from 1999 through 2003. She earned $1,296,797 without the All American Futurity. She had 27 starts, failing to place six times, and including in her win tally the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Invitational, Grade 1 Charger Bar and Los Alamitos Derby, Grade 3 California Breeders’ Matron, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Million Futurity, Grade 1 California Breeders’ Sophomore/2nd Division and the Grade 1 Ed Burke Memorial Futurity.
Other jewels in Donna’s training crown included Dashing Folly (First Down Dash-Hemps Folly, Hempen TB), $535,841. She was a perfect 10 for 10 under Tami Purcell as a three-year-old, winning the Champion of Champions and named 1996 AQHA World Champion. And 1997 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt This Snow Is Royal (Chicks Beduino- Florentine, Dash For Cash) with $554,748, who won 7 of 11 starts including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Million Futurity.
“I’ve never seen anyone as tough and as gritty as Donna,” James said in a voice tinged with awe. “There’s just no one like her when it comes to dedication and devotion.
“She’s up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to do her own feeding. That’s the way she wants it. She just absolutely loves what she does, and I have no idea what would make her quit. She has a frame of mind that keeps her looking forward, never back. She’ll work her butt off and then have nothing but bad luck at a set of trials. She won’t talk to you about that bad luck, though. It happened yesterday, and she’s already looking at tomorrow.”
Both James and Donna put a tremendous reliance on their faith in God. They also believe FDR when he said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Donna is the only woman to ever be named World Champion Trainer, to saddle more than 50 stakes winners, and to train seven AQHA Champions. And she’s not forgotten even the smallest detail about how she did it.
“There’s just no other life like this one,” Donna stated. “And I know good things are on the way because I’m living my passion.”
And that means the McArthurs have never worked a day in their lives....regardless of what time they roll out of bed in the mornings.
*Note: Many other stakes-winning horses from the McArthur Racing Stables were not mentioned by name in this article.
28 New Mexico Horse Breeder
Corona Cash winning the 1997 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.
Corona Kool winning the 1999 Los Alamitos Million Futurity.
Dashing Folly winning the 1996 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos.
This Snow Is Royal winning the 1997 Los Alamitos Million Futurity.