Page 128 - November 2016

Speedhorse Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1
IVORIONA
by Tracy Gantz
Ivoriona APHA has the talent not only to win Grade 1 races, she has had to overcome a host of adversity to do it. She hasn’t let health issues or racing luck deter her, most recently triumphing in the Speedhorse Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 on Oct. 29.
When the gate opened in the 400-yard event, Ivoriona zipped to the lead, which was indeed fortunate. Behind her to her outside, Jess Cuz ApHC and Cherry Cobbler APHA bumped. To her inside, Jess Icy APHA broke awkwardly. None of that trouble bothered Ivoriona, who powered along to score by a length in :19.942 as the 2-5 favorite.
“We had a new rider because our rider (Jorge Torres) had to go out to California, to Los Alamitos (for Champions Night),” said co-owner Randy Hill. “We struggled with that, but Luis Vivanco did a good job and put a good ride on her. It worked out.”
Hill and his wife, Stacy Charette-Hill, have trained Ivoriona throughout the season. Hill owns her with longtime friend and partner Mickey Johnson. The group has gone through some highs and lows with Ivoriona as she navi- gated through the three races of the Speedhorse Paint and Appaloosa Triple Crown.
In 2015, Painted Turnpike APHA became
back, only to encounter traf- fic trouble.
“She got hit from both sides in the trials,” said Hill. “I don’t know how she over- came it, but she qualified.”
Ivoriona ran fourth in her trial and third in the final. With time off, she was in top form for the Lone Star race.
“We thought if she got
a good start, she would be hard to beat,” said Hill. “It’s a
pleasure to own and train her.”
Ivoriona hails from good Paint roots.
Mickey and Stanley Johnson bred her in Oklahoma from the stakes-placed Paint mare Friona, who has produced two winners in four starters, including multiple stakes-placed Sen Tosa. Friona, who produced a filly by Kool Wagon earlier this year, is a full sister to Paint World Champion Texas Wildcat and Paint Champion Verona.
Hill said they would give Ivoriona some time off now. She suffers from an arthritic con- dition known as kissing spine, so Hill wasn’t sure whether she would race in 2017 as a 3
year old. Ivoriona may compete in next year’s Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Derby-G1, though either way she will go on to be a broodmare.
“She’s got color, and she’ll make a nice broodmare,” said Hill.
PHQ Goodbye Earl APHA (Awesome Chrome-Sayonara) ran second under Jesus Salazar for trainer and breeder Dee Keener, also the co-owner with his wife, Wendy, and Steve and Tracy Wright in the name of Paint Horse Queens. Sandra Garnett-Tatom’s home- bred Tell Him Bye APHA (Hiclass La Jolla QH-Dial Judy) finished third. Gaspar Garcia rode the gelding for trainer Sleepy Gilbreath.
Completing the field were Jess Cuz ApHC (Frieighttrain B QH-Jess Streakin), CRM Radio Flyer APHA (PYC Paint Your Wagon QH-Elaina Go Go), Ho Lotta Love APHA (Capo De Capi QH-A Little Lovin), DTL Batter Up APHA (Royal Quick Flash-Beef Jerkin Queen), Jess Icy APHA (Boknaai QH-Together Again), Paint Me Turnpike APHA (PYC Paint Your Wagon QH-Turnpike Texas Hero), and Cherry Cobbler APHA (Capo De Capi QH-Mt Dash Olene).
the first-ever Speedhorse Triple Crown winner. Though Ivoriona was unable to duplicate his feat, she performed best in the three races this year to be top in the point standings and become the 2016 Speedhorse Triple Crown High Point Champion, worth a $5,000 bonus check and other prizes.
“The Triple Crown just
wasn’t meant to be,” said
Hill, “but we are really proud of her. She’s
so easy to handle. She has a lot of class. She knows what to do. These kind of horses have the intelligence to go with the racing ability.”
Ivoriona debuted with a 3 1/4-length maiden win in March at Remington Park. She won her trial for the Speedhorse Graham Paint and Appaloosa Futurity-G1, but developed
a lameness prior to the final. X-rays showed nothing broken, and she was able to dead-heat for the win with PHQ Goodbye Earl APHA.
About five days before the trials for the Speedhorse Paint and Appaloosa Futurity-G1 at Fair Meadows, Ivoriona developed a tem- perature of nearly 106 degrees. She bounced
Lone Star Park $94,700 • 400 yards :19.942 • si 88
Corona Cartel
Ivory James QH
Dashin Follies
IVORIONA APHA, ’14-f.
Texas Hero
Friona
Savona QH
Ivoriona & Luis Vivanco are never headed & win the Speedhorse Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity by a length
126 SPEEDHORSE, November 2016
RACING NEWS
Dustiin Orona Photography