Page 51 - 22 June 2012

Selma Stakes, Division 1
BERTHA VENATION
by John Moorehouse
Bertha Venation matched her dam’s victory total in stakes races, coming on strong late to catch Classic Wagon and win the $20,000 first division of
the Selma Stakes on June 8 at Retama Park. Owned by Jose Luis Salazar, Bertha Venation
now holds three wins in stakes company. The 5-year- old mare finished first in the 2008 Gillespie County Fair Futurity-G3, then triumphed in the Firecracker Derby at Delta Downs the following season. Her dam, Dash To Glory, also won three stakes races— all handicaps during the 1996 campaign.
Bertha Venation came on strong up the middle of the track to secure her first victory in 2012 and sixth in 19 lifetime outs. She made a solid break from the six hole underneath jockey Rodrigo Vallejo, and ran down early leader Allure Sr to win by a neck.
Eusevio Huitron saddled Bertha Venation, who finished the 350-yard race in :17.551. She now has total earnings of $137,081. Corner K Quarter Horses LLC bred Bertha Venation and owns her dam Dash To Glory, who has seven starters from eight foals. Bertha Venation is the only stakes winner.
Classic Wagon (PY Paint Your Wagon-Classic Bully) overtook Allure Sr in the final yards to take sec- ond. Luis Delacerda owns Classic Wagon, a Yasmine Fierro trainee who had Luis Vivanco aboard. Allure
Sr (Make It Anywhere-Lili Call Me) hit the board in third. Gilberto Flores is the owner, Janet Van Bebber the trainer, and Gilbert Ortiz the jockey.
The remaining order of finish was Jakes Charming Jody (Jody O Toole-Charming
Elan), Strawfly Corona Chic (Coronas Prospect- Strawfly Beduino), Behold Those Eyes (Gol-Aint
I An Eyeopener), CC Jo Jos Leaving (Leaving Memories-Jo Jo O Toole), Ifoolmeneasy (Dashin
Is Easy-A Fool For Men), Painted Sable (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Sables Dash) and Didya C That Diamond (Brimmerton-Chicks A Diamond).
Selma Stakes, Division 2
BZ AMAZIN GRACE
by John Moorehouse
Returning to Retama Park for the first time since her maiden out yielded the first-ever stakes win for BZ Amazin Grace. The 3-year-old filly snatched
victory in the last few yards of Division 2 of the $20,000 Selma Stakes on June 8.
BZ Amazin Grace now has won both her starts
at Retama, also finishing first by a half-length margin in her very first out. The filly holds four wins in seven total outs, and the $11,000 payoff from
this stakes victory pushed her lifetime bankroll to $28,641 for owner Shirley Flores.
Prepped by Manuel Flores, BZ Amazin Grace started from the outside gate of the 10-horse field. Jockey Ignacio Bustamante urged BZ Amazin Grace to find an extra gear late in the race. Her surge pro- pelled her past Sea U Later just before they reached the wire, with BZ Amazin Grace first by a neck. She completed the 350-yard trip in :17.708.
Gaye Lynn Tatum bred BZ Amazin Grace and owns her dam, Easy Dash Miss, an unraced 1990 mare. Easy Dash Miss has five starters from 10 foals, although BZ Amazin Grace is her only winner.
Sea U Later (Latest Version-Tinky Bar Lass), a 16-1 longshot, finished second for owners Bennard and Barbara Rowland. John Sharp Sr. trains the filly, who was ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo. Zoomin To Win (Azoom-First Place Winner), the betting favorite,
hit the board after placing third by a neck. Kimberly and Herman Hogue own Zoomin To Win, a Heath Taylor trainee who had Jerry Yoakum aboard.
The remaining order of finish was Sarah Must (Jet Cartel-Go You Must), Speeding (Shazoom-Speedy Empress), Unknown Source (Feature Mr Jess-Ladys A Special Star), Tooty Fruity Fish (Fishers Dash-A Tooty Fruity Baby), Babe At The Bar (Country Chicks Man- Third N Coming), Pretty Woman Kn (SC Chiseled In Stone-Count The Colours) and Flyin Deanie (Genuine Strawfly-Speedin Deanie).
Ruidoso Juvenile
PYRO
by Tracy Gantz
Pyro may have missed out on qualifying for the $600,000 Ruidoso Futurity-G1, but he neverthe- less became a stakes winner in only his second start
by capturing the Ruidoso Juvenile, for non-qualifiers from the Futurity trials.
At the break of the 350-yard Juvenile, favored Big Sluggo stumbled and veered in, which started a chain reaction that affected several runners. Luckily for Pyro, he drew post eight, to the immediate outside of Big Sluggo, and was unaffected by the incident.
Solid Anita Jo quickly flew to the lead, but Pyro caught her about 10 strides from the wire. Under jockey L.S. Martinez, Pyro held off a fast-closing CR Sweet Te to win by a half-length in :17.921. Martinez had also piloted the gelding in his racing debut.
John Stinebaugh trains Pyro for owner-breeder Kathleen Matey. Matey has developed Pyro’s family for quite some time, having bred his first two dams, Rare Kayoh and Four Oh Won Kay. Rare Kayoh won the 2007 Colors of the Wind Handicap. Pyro is the mare’s first winner from just two starters. Rare Kayoh is a half-sister to $169,208-earner Wowzer Won, whose stakes wins for Matey included the 2010 Sam Houston Distaff Challenge-G3.
Roy Baldillez rode CR Sweet Te (Treis Seis-Lead Or Run) to second for trainer Roy Marcom Jr.
W. Ray Herring owns the filly. CR Sweet Te ran third in a maiden race on April 7 at Remington Park, then won her training race at Ruidoso Downs with
a sharp :15.754 time, the third-fastest time from the three days of training races. She ran second in the last of 25 trials for the Ruidoso Futurity prior to returning for the Juvenile.
Tammy Johnson and Jack Manning’s Solid
Anita Jo (Rock Solid Jess-Arriba Reba) ran third for jockey Jose Alvarez. Solid Anita Jo began her career at Sunland Park in the trials for the West Texas Futurity-G1. She failed to qualify for the big event, but ran back in the West Texas Juvenile, where she finished seventh. Mike Wakefield now trains her. Solid Anita Jo is from the first crop of Grade 1 stakes winner Rock Solid Jess.
Completing the order of finish in the Ruidoso Juvenile were Dont Tell Lila (Teller Cartel- Jessthisgirl), Stoli Steel (Stoli-Miss Jess Perry), Ivory Cameo (Ivory James-Miss Wide Open), Love Of Queenie (Corona Cartel-The Creole Queen), Big Sluggo (First Timber-Miss Smart Pockets), Fireworks (Walk Thru Fire-Workslikacharm-TB), and Ill Stop The World (FDD Dynasty-You Light Up My Life).

Corona Caliente BERTHA VENATION, ’07-m.
Dash To Glory
First Down Dash Corona Chick Texigo Star Easy Buy

Corona Cartel
Tinys First Corona
BZ AMAZIN GRACE, ’09-f. Easy Dash Miss
Tiny First Effort Dash For Destiny Easy Pearlie

Make It Anywhere PYRO, ’10-g.
Rare Kayoh
First Down Dash Seperate Ways Rare Form
Four Oh Won Kay
SPEEDHORSE, June 22, 2012 51
RACING NEWS
Jeff Coady: Coady Photography
Jeff Coady: Coady Photography