Page 27 - 23 November 2012

John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship-G2
HeRoeS HeARt
homebuilding company, had an interest in Thoroughbreds and frequented Oaklawn Park and Keeneland.
“I will never forget the first horse I bought,” Todd said. “I saw an ad for a grand- daughter of Mr. Prospector. Later on, I realized that Mr. Prospector had thousands of grand- daughters and the one I bought was no big deal. We certainly have paid our dummy taxes in this business over the years. I would say we have earned our Ph.D now.”
Despite the success their small operation has enjoyed, there have been some lean times. Todd said in 2010 and 2011 he estimates
the barn endured a 1-for-26 stretch on the racetrack.
“It’s what makes moments like these all the more special,” said Jodi. “We truly are blessed.” Heroes Heart and Snow Burn are produced
from the winning mare Sweethearts Quicksix. Snow Burn won three of 21, including her AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship score, and was graded stakes-placed three times. She earned $124,245 for the Hortons. Heroes Heart is now a two-time stakes win- ner, having also annexed the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Challenge on Sept. 15.
Second-place finisher in the Juvenile Challenge Brace For Bernal was dismissed
at long odds despite entering the race off a stakes victory in the Sept. 30 John Deere Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge. Owned by Noel Prieto, Brace For Bernal (Furyofthewind- Zoom Bracer) was piloted by Paul Nieto and is trained by Luis Villafranco.
RC Had To Be My Day rallied from the back of the pack to finish
third under jockey Cody Jensen. Owned by Jesus Longoria, RC Had To Be My Day (Hadtobenuts-Make It My Day) was bred in Texas by R C Running Horses and was saddled by Alex Villareal.
Completing the
order of finish were Rightamountofwrong (Fly Jess Fly-Aftertheloveisgone), Sheaintcrynrealtears (Jet Cartel-Tear Drop Six), Rockin Disco (Rock Solid Jess-Check This Disco),
All Out Arrogant (FDD Dynasty-Oh So Arrogant), Jess Like Stoli (Stoli-Miss Jess Rogue), Rogue County (Kipas Special) and RG Tres Effort (Tries Seis-Kissing Effort). Ms Eaves was a trainer scratch.
Heroes Heart and Stormy Smith parlayed a fast break into a solid win in the $150,000 Grade 2 John Deere Juvenile Challenge at Prairie Meadows.
todd and Jodi Horton of Horton Racing
are no strangers to the Bank of America AQHA Challenge Championships. Involved in racing American Quarter Horses for 12 years, the Hortons stood in the winner’s circle following the 2008 Merial Distaff Challenge Championship-G1 with their homebred Snow Burn. On Oct. 27 at Prairie Meadows, the Hortons found themselves in the winner’s cir- cle once again following a Championship race, this time with their 2-year-old filly Heroes Heart, who defeated the boys in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship-G2.
A Horton homebred daughter of Valiant Hero, Heroes Heart, a half-sister to Snow Burn, broke out slightly at the start of the 350-yard dash. Jockey Stormy Smith quickly righted her path and challenged early leader Brace For Bernal for supremacy. In a gutsy effort, Heroes Heart put away Brace For Bernal in the late stages and crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of that 32-1 long shot. Sent off as the 5-2 race favorite, Heroes Heart covered the distance in :17.488.
To say Todd Horton was confident a couple of jumps out of the gate, might be an understatement.
“I felt pretty good the way she left there,” Todd said. “I turned to my wife after the start and said ‘If they didn’t get to her early, they are not going to touch her.’ And they didn’t. It was a good win.”
The Hortons reside in Hudson Oaks, Texas, and along with their
two children—daughter
Alex, 18, and son Cal, 14,
dedicate much of their lives to the family’s horse operation.
“We are definitely a fam- ily operation,” said Todd. “The only reason the kids aren’t here with us tonight is because they have to feed the horses at home. They are a big part of our success. We all do a little bit of everything to keep the operation going. We don’t have any employees on the farm, it’s just us.”
Married for 19 years, the Hortons both grew up with a passion for horses. Jodi was raised with show horses and Todd, whose family owns D.R. Horton, a national
Prairie Meadows $150,000 • 350 yards :17.488 • si 97
First Down Dash
Valiant Hero
Corona Chick
HEROES HEART, ’10-f.
Sixarun
Sweethearts Quicksix
Sweetheart Stones
SPEEDHORSE, November 23, 2012 25