Page 130 - November 2015

Cherokee Challenge
LLANO CARTEL
by John Moorehouse
Llano Cartel rebounded nicely from a tenth-place finish in his prior out to win the $29,756 Cherokee Challenge held Oct. 24. The five-year-old gelding owned
by A. Wade Helton led at every call of the 300-yard event, registering the fourth stakes victory of his career.
Llano Cartel improved his overall record in 39 starts, and the $17,724 winner’s payout increased
his cumulative bankroll to $377,509. He was also a pleasant surprise at the betting window, paying off at nearly 19-1 odds.
Starting from the number 3 gate in a nine-horse field, the veteran gelding broke on top and was never headed. He led by a head going into the stretch and held off Redneck Sis to win the race by a neck.
Trained by Madilyn Watts, Llano Cartel finished the race in :15.397, tallying a 96 speed index. Edgar Martinez was aboard for the trip.
Wootan Racing bred Llano Cartel and owns his dam, Eyesa Lil Cuervo, a 2005 mare who won the 2008 running of the La Villita Stakes at Retama.
Eyesa Lil Cuervo has produced six starters among eight total offspring. Llano Cartel is the only stakes winner in the brood.
Redneck Sis (SC Chiseled In Stone-Dads Sassy Sissy) finished a game second for owner Jack Benton Wilson and trainer Bonnie Wilson. Randy Wilson drew the riding assignment. Kuhl Wave (Wave Carver- Shazooms Doll), the pre-race betting favorite, took third place by a nose. Miguel Banuelos owns and trains Kuhl Wave, who had Mario Delgado in the irons.
The remaining order of finish was Im Beau Brown (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Special Smoothie), I V Gone (Ivory James-Bye Bye Bygones), Defiant Red Rooster (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Dashing Mariah), The Swagger Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon- Royalty Fee), Carpe Diem Drew (Valiant Hero- Megas Way) & Just Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Debs Cartel). Shelby C scratched.
OQHRA Fall Classic
ADMIRAL ZOOMWALT
by Michael Compton
Admiral Zoomwalt took charge of the $19,138 OQHRA Fall Classic at Will Rogers Downs on Oct. 17 shortly after the start and never looked back.
Piloted by James Flores, Admiral Zoomwalt employed a change of tactics in the OQHRA Fall Classic, and it paid off handsomely.
Instead of racing in mid-pack early, as he had
in prior starts, the three-year-old gelded son of Shazoom flashed early speed away from the gate and led six rivals from start to finish.
Admiral Zoomwalt broke on top from the seven- hole. He had a length lead at the first call and at the top of the stretch.
Saddled by Gerry McLean, Admiral Zoomwalt was never headed, winning with authority by 1 3/4-lengths. He stopped the timer for the 400 yard contest in :19.498, earning a speed index of 102. The final clocking was just ticks off of Black Oak Special’s 2010 track record of :19.361.
The $11,472 winner’s share of the OQHRA Fall Classic purse raised Admiral Zoomwalt’s lifetime earnings to $46,495 for owner Terry McLean. The gelding also improved his tab to four wins and one second from 13 career starts.
Bred in Oklahoma by Mike Nobles and Christine Hudson, Admiral Zoomwalt is out of the winning First Down Dash mare Tellin It All, who earned $14,248 in her racing career as well as a 97 speed index. The 2002 Tellin It All is the dam of four winners/Register of Merit earners from as many starters. Admiral Zoomwalt is the first stakes winner in the brood.
Hesa Crackerjack (Jonathan Perry-Rachels Okey Girl), who was coming off a 350-yard allowance vic- tory at Will Rogers Downs, proved no match for the winner, but held the place spot under Agustin Silva. The five-year-old gelding, who is owned by Oscar Padilla and trained by Oscar Nunez, was a finalist in last year’s SLM Big Daddy Stakes at Remington Park.
Big Kids Birthday (Furrteeous-Bobbie Blue Chewchew) dueled for the early lead and faded in the lane to finish third for jockey Larry Payne. The three-year-old gelding, who races for Adrian Jeffery Bigby and is conditioned by Dee Keener, was com- ing off a third-place finish in an allowance at Will Rogers Downs. Prior to that, he finished second in this year’s Speedhorse Derby at Fair Meadows.
Quarter Focus (The Crawfish-Feeling Giddy) finished fourth, followed by Ja Gol Star (Gol-Zee Ann), Ja Long Gone (Gol-Ja Impetously) and Love Me Madly (FDD Dynasty-First Black Rose).
Don Drake P&A H.
TEXAS SILK
by John Moorehouse
Texas Silk keeps showing his quality in stakes com- petition. The three-year-old Paint gelding tallied
the sixth stakes win of his career on Oct. 23, leading at every call of the $16,552 Don Drake Paint & Appaloosa Memorial Handicap held at Will Rogers Downs.
Charles Leggett owns Texas Silk, who now has reached the winner’s circle eight times in 17 career starts. The gelding’s connections banked a $9,906 payday that pushed the horse’s lifetime earnings near the quarter-million mark at $241,038.
Six of those eight victories have come in stakes company, and all of Texas Silk’s stakes wins have been in graded races.
The gelding looked sharp in this race, breaking on top from the number 3 gate, leading by a head at both the first call and as he entered the stretch, and then widening the gap during the final yards to hit the finish line first by a 1/2-length.
Dee Keener trains Texas Silk, who finished the 350-yard race in :17.635 and posted a 92 speed index. Jimmy Brooks drew the riding assignment.
H.T. and Kay Churchwell bred Texas Silk out of Judys Silk APHA, a 1999 mare who is a stakes win- ner herself, taking first in the 2002 running of the Summer Paint Derby at Yellowstone Downs. Judys Silk has seven foals. Three of them are starters, and all three are stakes winners.
Dashin JJ APHA (Jungle Jet -Dashin Di QH) took second place by a head for owner/trainer Ray Enlow. Mario Chavez did the riding. Keener also trains Cant Be Caught ApHC (With Intent -Unique Form QH), who finished third. John Diediker is the owner and Randy Wilson did the riding.
Shezapaintyourwagon APHA (PYC Paint Your Wagon QH-Shezarareimage) and Southern Snow APHA (Southern Corona QH-Snow Warning) finished in a dead heat for fourth while I Kick Chrome APHA (Awesome Chrome-I Kick) completed the field.
Will Rogers Downs • $29,756 300 yards • :15.397 • si 96
Teller Cartel LLANO CARTEL, ‘10-g.
Corona Cartel
Jet Along Jamie
Lil Bit Cuervo
Eyesa Lil Cuervo
Annie Eye Over
Will Rogers Downs • $19,138 400 yards • :19.498 • si 102
Takin On the Cash
Shazoom ADMIRAL ZOOMWALT, ‘12-g.
Tellin It All
Keep On Shining First Down Dash Teller Queen
Will Rogers Downs • $16,552 350 yards • :17.635 • si 92
Texas Six APHA TEXAS SILK APHA, ‘12-g.
Judys Silk APHA
Texas Hero APHA Beccas Quick Six QH Judys Lineage APHA Silk Twayna QH
128 SPEEDHORSE, November 2015
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
Coady Photography