Page 43 - 22 June 2012

Ruidoso Derby-G1
EXECUTIVE BRASS
by John Moorehouse
The field for the Ruidoso Derby-G1 was intimidating. The 10 finalists included two AQHA champions, and three stakes winners. By the time the 400-yard race concluded, it was Executive Brass standing tall in the winner’s circle. John Thurmond and Sherree Meridyth’s gelding picked the perfect time to log his first- ever stakes victory, making a late move to finish first in the lucrative $679,207 derby.
Executive Brass all but came out of nowhere to appear in this race, much less win it. After posting two wins as a 2-year-old in eight starts, and also mustering a second-place finish in the Four Corners Futurity, Executive Brass’ connections decided to geld him during the offseason. That made a world of difference on the track. He came into this derby with a three-race winning streak. That included a one-length victory in the derby trials, which he entered as a supplemental nominee.
Trained by James Gonzales II, Executive Brass posted the top qualifying time by cover- ing the 400 yards in :20.121. He was even faster in the stakes final, and needed every bit of that speed.
With jockey Bonifacio Perez aboard, Executive Brass broke on top, bursting from the No. 2 gate leading the pack. He quickly
yielded the advantage to longshot Bills Last, however, and the running became tight with several competitors vying for the lead. Perez made his move during the
final 100 yards or so, getting Executive Brass back in front and urging the gelding to the wire first by a neck.
“He broke super good,” Perez, a two-time Ruidoso Futurity winner, said after the Ruidoso Futurity. “I was patient with him and he found his stride and I urged him to the finish.”
Executive Brass finished
the race in a time of :20.099,
registering an 80 speed
index while running into a
25 mile per hour headwind. Thurmond and Meridyth reaped a handsome $285,267 payday for the stakes victory, exponentially increas- ing the gelding’s career bankroll to $371,611. Executive Brass improved his overall record
to 5-3-0 in 11 starts, and remained perfect in four outs so far during his sophomore season.
Winning the Ruidoso Derby was a big deal for Executive Brass’ trainer, who is no stranger
to being connected to lucrative stakes victories at this track. He rode The A List to winner’s honors in the 2003 Ruidoso Futurity.
“It’s an honor for me just to be in a race like this with great champions like Ochoa and Feature Mr Bojangles, and trainers like “Sleepy” Gilbreath. It’s an honor to run in a race with the best against the best,” Gonzales said after the race.
Some of the top 3-year- olds of the 2012 campaign were included. Ochoa was the AQHA Champion 2-Year- Old and 2-Year-Old geld- ing. Feature Mr Bojangles, meanwhile, was the reigning
AQHA Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. Both were essentially co-favorites at the betting window but ran into bad luck coming out of the gates. Feature Mr Bojangles broke out and bumped into Whirlaway Red en route to a fifth-place finish. Ochoa, meanwhile, stumbled at the start and never recovered, finishing ninth.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Executive Brass, who is not eligible for the Rainbow Derby or All American Derby. Gonzales, after the race, didn’t rule out that the gelding could be supplemented to either event.
Bred by Scarlett Hill Farm, Executive Brass becomes the first stakes winner out of his dam, Entrust, a half-sister to All About Ease, winner of the 2004 Ruidoso Futurity. Entrust has five foals, two of whom have made starts.
Dashing Vike (First Down Dash-Runaway Vike), the biggest longshot in the field at 42-1 odds, surprised in second place for owners Dolores and Robert Gerhardt. The colt is trained by Carlos Sedillo and had Jesse Levario in the irons. RC Black Mamba, the only filly in the field, (Desirio-Hidden Dragon) hit the board in third. She is owned by Fredda Draper and Lola Willis. Carl Draper is the trainer and Esgar Ramirez drew the riding assignment.
The remaining order of finish was Dashing Spartacus (Mr Jess Perry-Serenity Dash), Feature Mr Bojangles (Feature Mr Jess-Catch This Dash), Bills Last (Shazoom-Crystalinas), Mighty Famous Vic (Mighty Invictus-Fame Us Katie), Texas Rockstar (Feature Mr Jess-Elegant Elaine), Ochoa (Tres Seis-Stolis Fortune) and Whirlaway Red (Mr Jess Perry- The Creole Queen).
Ruidoso Downs

Streakin La Jolla
Executive Menace
Scoopie Fein
EXECUTIVE BRASS, ’09-g.
Relagate TB
Entrust
Effortless Again
Executive Brass and jockey Bonifacio Perez duel to win the $679,207, Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby.
SPEEDHORSE, June 22, 2012 43
RACING NEWS
Ty Wyant