Page 119 - December 2015

Mike Hastings Memorial
SPECIALS GOLD
by John Moorehouse
Specials Gold added another stakes win to his career record on Dec. 12 at Turf Paradise, remaining victorious again in the $21,000 Mike Hastings Memorial.
Owned by Gilberto Jasso, Specials Gold is a six- year-old gelding who notched his ninth career victory in 35 starts. The $12,499 payday from the Hastings improved Specials Gold’s total bankroll to $179,663. Specials Gold now holds four wins in stakes company, including last year’s version of this event which also marked his most recent prior stakes triumph.
The pre-race favorite, Specials Gold lived up to those expectations. Breaking from the outside of the nine-horse field, Specials Gold ran second to Heat Warning both at the first call and as he entered the stretch. Specials Gold then overtook his competitor and made it to the finish line first by 1/2-length.
Heraclio Botello trains Specials Gold, who finished the 400-yard race in :19.694, registering a 102 speed index. A.C. Taylor bred Specials Gold, who is one of two stakes winners out of his dam, Special Anywhere which Taylor also owns. The mare won the Cherokee Bonus Challenge Stakes in 2007 at Will Rogers Downs. The other stakes winner in the brood is Specials Jamie, who took first in the FL Lady Bug Stakes at Remington Park in 2014.
Both the second- and third-place finishers are owned by Carolyn and Ralph Fales, and trained by Matthew Fales. Runner-up Heat Warning (A Regal Choice-Its A Dry Heat TB) had jockey Jorge Bourdieu in the irons. Vince Guerra drew the riding assignment aboard Block N Tackle (Tac It Like A Man-Watchin The Rain).
The remaining order of finish was Stockton Six (Tres Seis-Smashes It), First Call Corona (Southern Corona-Be A First Call), Jo Jo Hot Legs (Executive Menace-Casino Mill), Niftys First Flash (First Moonflash-Nifty Pink TB), Majestic Policy (Mighty Invictus-Miss JP Delight) & Reacorona Jr (Jesse James Jr-Reacorona).
Texas Classic Juvenile
APPOLITICAL STREAK
by Michael Cusortelli
Appolitical Streak streaked to a 1/2-length victory in the $93,475 Texas Classic Juvenile Stakes at Lone Star Park on Nov. 14.
Racing for Terry D. Stennett of Odessa, Texas, Appolitical Streak covered 400 yards against a 5-mph head wind in :19.676 while scoring his first career stakes win. Ricky Ramirez rode the sorrel gelding for trainer Trey Wood.
Appolitical Streak broke his maiden with a neck victory in the 15th of 16 Texas Classic Futurity-G1 trials. All told, the gelding has won two of five outs and has banked $29,543.
Appolitical Streak was bred by Peter and Marjorie Gallegos of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Appolitical Streak is the first starter foaled by Streak Of Sixes, whose three stakes wins in 2010 included the New Mexican Spring Futurity-RG1 at Sunland Park and New Mexico Cup Futurity-RG2 at Zia Park.
His second dam, the winning mare Perfect Sevens, was a finalist in the ’02 New Mexico State Fair Senorita Futurity-RG3 at The Downs at Albuquerque.
Volcom Bay (Volcom-Miss Lethal) ran second for owners Bennie and Teresa Jeter. The filly was rid- den by Rodrigo Vallejo for trainer Judd Kearl.
Bobby Simmons’ Patriot Pearl (Game Patriot- First Prize Pearl) finished third. The gelding was prepped by C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, who gave a leg up to jockey G.R. Carter Jr.
Miss Aguilar (Tres Seis-First Dashin Bye), Eagle Springs (One Famous Eagle-Aquafina), Celtic Emblem (Apollitical Jess-Three Green Leaves), Bolinas Bay (First Down Dash-Lady Tenaya), Sweet And Slick (One Sweet Jess-One Slick Cookie), Not Holding Back (Ivory James-Coincidentally), &
Jess Envision (Apollitical Jess-Answer The Dream) completed the order of finish.
OHA Mystery Derby
CARTEL ROSIE
by John Moorehouse
Cartel Rosie charged to the third stakes win of her career at Will Rogers Downs, outdueling Specials Jess for first place in the $66,000 Oklahoma
Horsemen’s Association Mystery Derby on Nov. 14. The three-year-old filly has been busy since making
her debut. She now has nine victories, including her Oct. 31 trial as well as the two prior triumphs in stakes company: last year’s running of the Heritage Place Juvenile Invitational and Black Gold 400 Futurity.
Stone Chase Stables, LLC owns Cartel Rosie, who led at every call of the 350-yard derby. She broke on top from the No. 7 gate, led by a head at the first call and maintained that narrow margin at every remaining juncture. Trained by Kasey Willis, Cartel Rosie finished in :17.510, posting a 96 speed index. Jockey Daniel Torres was aboard.
The Double Bar S Ranch, LLC bred both Cartel Rosie and her dam, Long Stemmed Roses. The 2001 mare is stakes-placed as a competitor. As a brood- mare, she has 12 offspring, eight of whom have made starts. Cartel Rosie remains the only stakes winner out of her dam.
Fastest qualifier Specials Jess (Spit Curl Jess- Special Anywhere) was the oddsmakers’ favorite but finished second. Another Willis trainee, the gelding is owned by Alexia Mehrle and had Cesar Gomez
in the irons. Ting Ting Tac (Tac It Like A Man-Jess Because I Could) took third place for Ellen Kennedy Racing, LLC. The Luis Villafranco trainee had Mario Delgado aboard.
The remaining order of finish was Tac My Chances (Tac It Like A Man-Salty And Steady TB), Jo Chrome (Apollitical Jess-Joanna Kate), Big Kids Birthday (Furrtreeous-Bobbie Blue Chewchew), Penthouse Sweet (Corona Cartel-The Way You Want Me), Snowy Man (This Snow Is Royal-A Cartel Fling), Eye Conic (Mr Eye Opener-Modice) & Specials Jamie (Ivory James-Special Anywhere).
Turf Paradise • $21,000 400 yards • :19.694 • si 102
Shazoom
Blazen Maven Make It Anywhere
Voghts Gold SPECIALS GOLD, ‘09-g.
Special Anywhere
Special Copauino
Lone Star Park • $93,475 400 yards • :19.676 • si 94
Mr Jess Perry
Apollitical Time
APPOLITICAL STREAK, ’13-g.
Sixes Royal
Apollitical Jess
Streak Of Sixes
Perfect Sevens
Will Rogers Downs • $66,000 350 yards • :17.510 • si 96
Carters Cartel CARTEL ROSIE, ‘12-f.
Corona Cartel
Jumping Tac Flash
First Down Dash
Long Stemmed Roses
Tinys Rose Bud
SPEEDHORSE, December 2015 117
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