Page 43 - 23 November 2012

Texas Classic Derby-G1
The lOnG KniFe
by Stacy Pigott
Back in 1993, owner Steve Denny experi- enced one of his greatest thrills in Quarter Horse racing when his MD Hammertime
won the $364,716 Graham Farms Futurity at Bandera Downs. Fast forward 19 years to Nov. 10, 2012, when Denny once again reached
the pinnacle of the sport with The Long Knife’s victory over all-time leading money earner Ochoa in the $377,219 Texas Classic Derby-G1 at Lone Star Park.
Both MD Hammertime and The Long Knife were bred by Denny, who runs a small breeding operation at his Becklyn Farm in Graham, Texas. MD Hammertime went on to finish in the money in 12 of 19 starts, earning $183,085. The Long Knife has finished in the top three in eight of 10 starts, and already has career earnings of $357,176.
“We had a lot of fun with (MD Hammertime),” said Denny. “We’ve had a lot of good horses since then, but this is the big- gest thing we’ve done.”
Trained by Sleepy Gilbreath, The Long Knife broke his maiden in his first asking on April 10, 2011. He won a trial to the Rainbow Futurity-G1, and finished second in the finals. While he failed to qualify for the All American Futurity-G1, he did make it into the Texas Classic Futurity-G1, where he was fourth. This year, he ran twice in derby trials at Ruidoso Downs, not making finals either time.
“He needed a good trip. We run him at Ruidoso two times and I don’t think he liked the racetrack. It was either muddy or slick,” said Gilbreath. “He needed something he could get a hold of. He had a good trip tonight.”
While The Long Knife had a good trip
in the Texas Classic Derby,
Gilbreath’s other entrant, heav-
ily-favored Ochoa, the sport’s
all-time leading money earner,
did not. Ochoa broke slowly
and then had his path taken as
Haulin Candy Salt, A Toss Up
and Texasindependencegal all
came together and were in tight quarters early.
“Ochoa had quite a bit of trouble,” said Gilbreath. “He’s a great horse but you’ve got to get away good. If he’d have broke he was still going to get run over.”
Under jockey Ramon Sanchez, The Long Knife got off to a brilliant start and imme- diately hooked up with Sarah Must on the outside. Those two dueled through most of the 440 yards, with The Long Knife drawing off to win by three-quarters of a length with Sarah Must second, three-quarters of a length in front of Texasindependencegal in third. The Long Knife stopped the timer in :21.552.
“I’ve dreamed this same dream for 44 years,” said Denny. “When you’ve been in that stall on your knees with them when they take their first breath, it makes a difference.”
Denny nearly lost The Long Knife when the colt was born with a low white blood cell count. The veterinarians at Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, in Weatherford, Texas, saved the youngster, who hasn’t been sick a day in his life since, says Denny.
“He’s a fun horse to be around. He and I are big buddies,” Denny related. “He wintered with me last year. He acts like he’s glad to see me every morning. Not all horses do that. He’s pretty special to me before tonight, and he
really is now.”
Denny bought The
Long Knife’s mother, Oodles Of Cash, as a 3-year-old at Heritage Place. She ran second twice in stakes company and found her true calling
as a broodmare. From 20 foals, she has 15 start- ers, 14 ROM, 12 winners, four stakes winners, five stakes-placed runners and one regional champion. Her stakes winners include Down Solid, Fifty Party Night and Tango Blue.
“I have owned his mother for 16 years
and about every year I take Sleepy one and
he gets all the run out of them that they have in them,” said Denny, who currently has a yearling by One Famous Eagle and a weanling by Hawkinson out of Oodles Of Cash.
Finishing second was Sarah Must (Jet Cartel-Go You Must). Jesse Yoakum trains the filly and co-owns her with J.T. Hooten. Jerry Yoakum rode the five-time stakes finalist.
Texasindependencegal (Mr Ottyes-Lovely Legs) recovered from some bumping at the start to finish third under Eleazar Guillen. Lance Moore trains the filly for owner Leonard Lyne. Texasindependencegal has a solid history in stakes company, including two stakes wins.
The remaining order of finish was: Linda Tee Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Jess Linda Tee), Ochoa (Tres Seis-Stolis Fortune), Lethal Volt (Volcom-Miss Lethal), Haulin Candy Salt (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Salt Lake Spitty), A Toss Up (Sweet First Down-Shake Cartel), and Separate Cartel (Separatist-Remember The Cartel). Runaway Wagon was scratched.
Lone Star Park $377,219 • 440 yards :21.552 • si 92
First Down Dash
Tac It Like A Man
Jumping Tac Flash
THE LONG KNIFE, ’09-g.
Hooked On Cash
Oodles Of Cash
Calamity Miss
Steve Denny (right) with his son Matt, whose initials helped name MD Hammertime.
Ramon Sanchez guided The Long Knife to his first stakes win in the Texas Classic Derby-G1.
SPEEDHORSE, November 23, 2012 41
racing news
Janey Stoody
Stacy Pigott: Speedhorse