Page 71 - 31 August 2012

Mile High Derby
GalIon
by Tracy Gantz
Galion competed in three derby trials before getting his chance to participate in a final. But he made that first final count
as he won the Aug. 18 Mile High Derby at Arapahoe Park.
From post nine under jockey Esgar Ramirez, Galion broke behind the leaders in fourth. He edged up closer to the lead, while several of the others rushed up as well. From the field of 10, seven horses
crossed the wire separated
only by two heads, two
noses, and two necks. Galion
got there first by a head in
:19.881 for the 400 yards.
Jaime Dominguez owns and trains Galion, having purchased him in partner- ship with SM Cattle Export Company for $12,000 at the 2012 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale. Jerry Windham bred the gelding in Texas
and campaigned him at 2 last year. Fifth in his first trial at Arapahoe in May, Galion qualified for the June 9 Adequan Arapahoe Derby Challenge final, but was a veterinarian scratch. He won his Mile High Derby trial to qualify for the final.
Winning Flair, second in the 1995 San Jacinto Stakes, is the dam of Galion and nine other winners from 11 starters. Those winners
include 2002 East Juvenile Challenge-G3 winner First Place Win, 2007 La Villita Stakes winner Streakin Flair, and stakes-placed Catchin Winnings, Shazoomer, and Favored. Winning Flair is a half-sister to multiple graded winner Vital Time and stakes-placed La Lalique. She is also a full sister to multiple stakes winner Racing Winner.
Carolyn and Ralph Fales’ Block N Tackle (Tac It Like
A Man-Watchin The Rain) finished second with Tony Guymon aboard. Matt Fales trains the gelding, who won the Rocky Mountain Derby at Arapahoe prior to his Mile High Derby trial.
Top Gun B (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Jet Along Jamie) finished third for jockey Russell Vicchrilli, trainer Chris Gandarilla, and owner Juniors Quarter Horses Inc. Top Gun B won the 2011 Sunland Park Winter Futurity-G2.
Rounding out the field were Yourjockeystofat (Furyofthewind-Dreams For Lyndsie), Coker James (Ivory James-Scared), Hooray Cowgirl (Separatist-Hooray Baby), Always Furst (Dream On Buster-Glow N Go Tell), Taras Secret (Walk Thru Fire-Secret Card), Zoomin Streak (Streakin Sixes-Azoom Zoom), and Baby I Like It (Ivory James-Baby La Jolla).
Arapahoe Park $79,280 • 400 yards :19.881 • si 90
Takin On The Cash
Shazoom
Keep On Shining
GALION, ’09-g.
Runaway Winner
Winning Flair
Laleli
racing news
oneida county Fair Futurity
sIGnaTuRe RockeT
by John Moorehouse
signature Rocket’s win in the trials for the Oneida County Fair Futurity not only gave the 2-year-old gelding his first career victory, it also qualified him—though just barely with the 10th-fastest qualifying time of :15.973— for the final.
Making the most of that opportunity, Signature Rocket went wire-to-wire in the $34,400 stakes on Aug. 12, logging his second straight win and first in
stakes company. The $15,480
payday, collected by owners
Larry and Joyce Mower,
exponentially increased the
bankroll of Signature Rocket
to $15,905.
Signature Rocket ben- efited from a sharp break, getting out of the No. 5 gate at the front of the pack and sprinting to a half-length lead by the time he entered the stretch. None of the other
futurity competitors made a bid to challenge, and jockey Jesus Virgen brought Signature Rocket coasting across the line in front by a solid three-quarters of a length.
Despite Signature Rocket’s relatively slow performance in the trials, he received some favor at the betting window, going off at post time at odds just over 3-1. The 300-yard
trip took :15.881 to complete—a significant improvement over Signature Rocket’s performance in the
futurity trials. The gelding also posted an 83 speed index, a new career high.
Gary Chambers trains Signature Rocket, who has made four starts thus far in his still-young racing career.
Bred by Bernard Dinneen, Signature Rocket is the only race age foal produced by
his dam, Sheza Signature, an unraced 2005 mare whom
Dinneen bred and the Mowers own. Sheza Signature also has a yearling.
Reed Pierson and Brad Stevenson own Winners Ace (Winners Award-Ace Shooting Star), who outnodded Heart Racer (One Corona-High Desert Chick) to claim second place. Robert Smith trains Winners Ace, and Jason Packer was up. Brad Warren does double duty as owner and trainer of Heart Racer, who had Cody House aboard.
Streaken Hot Kelly (Darkelly-Streak N Wink), the pre-race favorite and fastest quali- fier in the trials, finished fourth. Jessie Blue Bug (Jess Louisiana Blue-Proud Lady Bug), Wave Of Chicks (Wave Carver-Bay Or Gray Chick), Shez Snazzy Ivory (Ivory James-Snazzy Be Kas) and Eyesa Lightning (Dashing Jess Perry-Eyesa Bac) completed the field in the Oneida County Fair Futurity.
Oneida County Fair $34,400 • 300 yards :15.881 • si 83
Eyesa Special
First I Am
First Prize Dash
SIGNATURE ROCKET, ‘10-g.
Vital Sign
Sheza Signature
Merrie Minnie
SPEEDHORSE, August 31, 2012 69
kc Photography coady Photography