Page 108 - December 2015

Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1
IMA FEARLESS HERO
by Tracy Gantz
The Meneely family, trainer Jose Flores,
and jockey Cruz Mendez had the weekend of their lives Dec. 12-13 at Los Alamitos.
A night after they collaborated with
Heza Dasha Fire to win the Champion of Champions, they returned to the winner’s cir- cle after Ima Fearless Hero, a half-brother to Heza Dasha Fire, captured the Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity.
“It’s unreal,” said Flores. “I started at
Los Alamitos when I was 18 years old, and I’ve been here 23 years. I can’t believe it. Yesterday’s dash (with Heza Dasha Fire in the Champion of Champions) made it look easy, but today it was a tough race. We are without words for this.”
The similarities between the two half- brothers went even deeper. Both had the outside post, and both went off as heavy favor- ites. When the gate opened in the $2 Million Futurity, Ima Fearless Hero broke second behind fastest-qualifier Docs Best Card, the second choice.
“The horse was slipping around, but he kept going,” said Mendez. “I saw that we were bunched up at about the 300-yard mark, but I could feel that we were catching up. I started to feel like we were going to win at about 350 to 370 yards in this one. It was a tough race.”
Ima Fearless Hero responded to Mendez’s urg- ing to overhaul Docs Best Card right at the wire and win by a neck in :19.682 for the 400 yards.
Don and Kathy Meneely
of Kennewick, Wash., bred
and own Ima Fearless Hero
with their son, Shawn, in the
name of S-Quarter K LLC.
Heza Dasha Fire, a son of
Walk Thru Fire, and Ima
Fearless Hero, a son of Valiant Hero, are the only two horses the family has in training.
After Ima Fearless Hero finished second in his first start, he was gelded. Flores and Don had wanted to geld the youngster, while Kathy was somewhat reluctant.
“He’s such a gorgeous horse,” said Kathy. “Dash is bigger and longer than he is, but Ima Fearless Hero is absolutely well balanced, with a big rear end, big gaskin, and big shoulder. He’s correct and he’s got good bone. If there was ever a stallion prospect, he was it.”
Flores said that gelding the colt helped his attitude. “He moved forward right after being a gelding, and he’s just been phenomenal.”
Ima Fearless Hero broke his maiden in his next start. He was third in his trial for the Ed Burke Memorial Futurity, then won the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile. In his first graded attempt, he scored in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity.
Ima Fearless Hero and Heza Dasha Fire, both bred in Washington, are two of five winners in six starters for the broodmare Dasha Freda. She
has also produced Mexican stakes winner Heza Fearless Dasher.
Jaime Gomez owns and trains second-place Docs Best Card (Corona Cartel-Docs First Card). Oscar Peinado rode the colt. Dynasty Energy (FDD Dynasty-Terrific Energy) finished third
for jockey Tony Guymon, trainer Christopher O’Dell & owner Parsons Family Limited Partnership. Completing the field were We Like Corona (Corona Cartel-Jess Jets), Jess A Pollitician (Apollitical Jess-Royal Motions), Time For Jess (Apollitical Jess-Coronation Time), Senor Gianni (Good Reason SA-Shescheckinumout), Mi Viejo (Mr Jess Perry-Lady Of Lake-TB), Sale Topper (Walk Thru Fire-Special And Proud) & Walk Thru Crystal (Walk Thru Fire-Corona Crystal).
Los Alamitos $1,908,175 • 400 yards :19.682 • si 92
First Down Dash
Valiant Hero
Corona Chick
IMA FEARLESS HERO, ’13-g.
Mr Jess Perry
Dasha Freda
Fearless Freda
106 SPEEDHORSE, December 2015
Ima Fearless Hero (#10) and Cruz Mendez win the Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos