Page 72 - New Mexico Horse Breeder, Fall

RUIDOSO DOWNS
BY BY JJ STAKES (R)
by Michael Cusortelli
Winners Version
Holland Ease
The Jubilee Diamond
Cmon Jesses Girl
Jesse James Jr
Hot Babe Indy Suds
JESS VERSionTino
Orona Racing LLC’s Jess Versiontino earned his first stakes victory in the 400- yard, $50,000 By By JJ Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs on July 28.
Trained by Gaston Valenzuela and racing under cloudy skies on a track officially labeled “good,” Jess Versiontino defeated Wood Be A Superstar by a half of a length in :19.836 in wire-to-wire fashion under jockey Federico Martinez.
The Winners Version colt earned a career best 91 speed index and the $30,000 winner’s share of the purse.
Jess Versiontino was bred by Dan Newby and was a $4,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs.
The colt is out of Cmon Jessies Girl, a winning homebred 8-year-old daughter of Jesse James Jr who ran third in the 2013 Sunburst Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred sophomore fillies at Sunland Park.
“I saw his momma (Cmon Jessies Girl) run, and I liked her,” said Missael Orona.
“So, for $4,000 I took a shot, and now we’re running with the big boys.”
Jess Versiontino’s second dam, the unraced Corona Caliente mare Hot Baby Indy Suds, produced 2016 Zia Futurity (RG1) winner Hot Indy Chick, a half sister to Cmon Jessies Girl.
The colt traces back to his fourth dam, Oak Creek Annie, a daughter of Merridoc who foaled graded stakes winners Indy Bud Bob and X Nitro.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, Jess Versiontino has won two of five starts and has earned $57,640.
His season race record includes a second- place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Saul, in the 350-yard, $120,652 New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) at SunRay Park on May 13.
Wood Be A Superstar finished second and was followed by Daddys Wine, Jessa Whistlin Dixie, Igotmybiggirljeanson, Cartel Mister, Cristobell Fame, Jess Shaker Runaway, and Sugar Momma Blue.
Wood Be A Superstar is a sorrel son of
Woodbridge owned by Aldai Transport, which acquired the gelding as a yearling for $33,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale. Wood Be A Superstar has won two of five starts, and the $10,000 runner-up share of the By By JJ Stakes purse bumped his earn- ings to $21,445.
Daddys Wine races for David Barrett, Sandra Barrett, J & SM Inc., and Ralph Nix Jr. A gray son of Big Daddy Cartel, the gelding has won one of six starts and has banked $11,140.
LinCoLn HAnDiCAP (R)
Your Eminence
Saint Ballado
Carols Folly
Explosive Dancing
Danzatore
Impish Spy
ExPLoSiVE SPY
Michael G. Weatherly’s Explosive Spy,
a homebred 5-year-old daughter of Your Eminence, outran her 8-1 odds to win the 6-fur- long Lincoln Handicap (R) for New Mexico- bred distaffers at Ruidoso Downs on July 29.
Ridden by Frank Reyes for trainer Simon Buechler, Explosive Spy rallied on the fractions of :23.06 and :45.92 established by 2-1 favorite Rappakuba and reached the wire in 1:11.41. The mare’s margin of victory was two lengths from Bryn’s Fancy Pants, and she banked the $30,000 winner’s share of the $50,000 purse. Explosive Spy was coming off of a third- place finish, 6 3/4 lengths behind winner K P Wildcat, in the 6-furlong, $30,000 First Lady Handicap at Ruidoso on June 3. The mare is one of 72 winners from 113 starters sired by Your Eminence, an unraced Kentucky-bred son of Saint Ballado.
A half brother to two Grade 1 winners, including 2001 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Unbridled Elaine, Your Eminence has sired the earners of more than $3.6 million from eight crops. Explosive Spy is also one of
two winners from five starters produced by Explosive Dancing, a winning daughter of the Northern Dancer stallion Danzatore.
Explosive Spy has won five of 18 starts, including the 6 1/2-furlong, $40,000 Russell & Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap (R) at Sunland Park in April. The mare has earned $149,900, of which $68,090 has been banked from six races this year, and her season race record includes a third-place run, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Tilla Cat, in the 5 1/2-furlong, $85,000 La Coneja Stakes (R) for state-bred fillies and mares at Sunland Park on March 17.
Explosive Spy returned an $18 win mutuel and teamed with Bryn’s Fancy Pants for a
$2 exacta payoff of $52.80. Mike And Trixie finished third, 7 3/4 lengths behind Explosive Spy, and was followed by Rappakuba, Summer Runner, Sunday Rose, I’m A Dancin Who, Sidewinder Sally, and Ivy Gimlet.
Bryn’s Fancy Pants was coming off of a three- quarter length victory in a 6-furlong allowance- optional claiming ($20,000) race at Ruidoso on July 1. Owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC,
Carey Taylor, and Jon Hogg, the homebred 5-year-old Southwestern Heat mare has banked $303,916 from 17 outs, all in New Mexico, and her eight wins include three stakes scores.
Mike And Trixie has earned $45,280 from six starts for owner Michael G. Weatherly, who also bred the gray or roan 4-year-old daughter of Fusaichi Zenon (JPN). The filly has won three races, including a 5 1/2-furlong, $15,000 non-winners-of-three allowance sprint at Ruidoso on June 24.
70 New Mexico Horse Breeder