Page 159 - October 2016

PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity-G2
RACY HIGH ROLLER
by Tracy Gantz
Trainer Christopher O’Dell couldn’t have
been more delighted for owner Abigail Kawananakoa over the first weekend in October at Los Alamitos. Not only did she obtain several excellent prospects at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale, 2-year-old Racy High Roller captured the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity-G2 on Oct. 1.
“We were jumping for joy—we were very happy,” said O’Dell. “I needed to win that one for Miss Abigail. We need her in horse racing, so that gave her a little boost. She wasn’t there, but she had representatives there and a lot of people who work for her were at the sale.”
Second in his Sept. 11 trial, eighth place qualifier Racy High Roller had jockey Cody Jensen for the first time in the final.
“He was bopping his head a little bit in there, and I have to give big credit to my head- man,” said Jensen. “He did a heck of a job. He really got him standing looking at the track at the right time. He got away great.”
Racy High Roller quickly took the lead after a few jumps. Several others challenged them, but Racy High Roller kept his neck in front at the wire, completing the 350 yards in :17.635. The $176,400 winners share of the $420,000 purse boosted the geldings earnings to $259,250.
“We got a good clean break, and that’s what helped us,” said O’Dell. “It was tough-fought
race, but he was able to win.” O’Dell purchased Racy High Roller for Kawananakoa
at the 2015 Heritage Place Yearling Sale for $125,000 from the consignment of Sunflower Supply Co., which bred the colt in Missouri.
“We love this horse,” he said. “He was my number one pick. He was just a picture-perfect kind of horse. He’s an outstanding horse, just a beautiful colt.”
O’Dell not only liked Racy High Roller’s looks, “He’s bred impeccably,” the trainer said. By One Famous Eagle, Racy High Roller is out of unraced First Down Racy, who has produced two winners in three starters, including Grade 1 stakes-placed winner/top earner First Fancy Racy. The second dam, multiple Grade 1 win- ner Miss Racy Vike, has produced a string of stakes winners and stakes-placed horses includ- ing Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Miss Racy Jess.
O’Dell bonded with Racy High Roller, though he did note that the colt was a trouble- maker early on and needed to be gelded to help him focus. That worked well, and Racy High Roller broke his maiden in his first outing. He
qualified for the Ed Burke Million F.-G1 and finished fourth in the final.
“He’s a super-cool horse, but all the credit needs to go to Miss Abigail because had she not let me pull the trigger on the horse, we wouldn’t be talking today. For her to show enough faith to let me pick out horses means a lot to me.”
O’Dell also praised Parsons Ranch in Sanger,
California, where Racy High Roller received his first lessons.
Jose Flores trains both second and thirdplace finishers. Thirty Six Curls (Tres Seis-Fire In The Curl) finished second under Cruz Mendez for owner Juan Humberto Moya. Six Zeroes (Walk Thru Fire-Million Ways) finished third under G.J. Rangel for owner Howard Nichols.
Followed by Kiddy Up Cowgirl (Kiddy Up-Girls Choice), Doctor Fantastic (Fantastic Corona Jr-Docs Check), LD Is Back (Walk Thru Fire-Prima LD), Start Somethin Bad (Pappasito-Letsgetitstarted), Hawktomatic (Foose-Tahma Hawk), Sweet Aguila (One Sweet Jess-First Magical Dash), and Better Check Him Out (Foose-Better Check Me Out).
Los Alamitos $420,000 • 350 yards :17.635 • si 91
Mr Jess Perry
One Famous Eagle
One Famous Lady
RACY HIGH ROLLER, ’14-g.
First Down Dash
First Down Racy
Miss Racy Vike
Racy High Roller (#4) and Cody Jensen win the $420,000 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity-G2
SPEEDHORSE, October 2016 157
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos