Page 14 - June 2021

TRACK CHATTER
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
by Jennifer K. Hancock
2021 RUIDOSO DOWNS HALL OF FAME
The 2021 Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame class includes an influential group of outstand- ing females. On July 10, 2021, the mare Laico Bird, owner/breeder Julianna Hawn Holt, trainer Donna McArthur and jockey Tami Purcell-Burklund will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Turf Club at Ruidoso Downs Race Track.
In 1967, Laico Bird not only won the All American Futurity but was also voted the AQHA World Champion, Champion Mare and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly. As a 2 year old,
she had 17 starts, 11 wins and five seconds with five stakes wins on six different racetracks. At the time of her retirement from racing in 1968, she had 34 starts with 17 wins, 12 seconds, and three thirds with earnings of $435,653 and was the all-time leading money earning Quarter Horse in race training. Laico Bird was owned by Jimmy R.B. Jones and his late brother Floyd H. Jones Jr. of Norman, Oklahoma.
Perennially among the leading AQHA breeders of racehorses in the nation, Julianna Hawn Holt has bred earners of more than
$9,977,000 from her Blanco, Texas ranch. Her presence at the annual Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale has been paramount for the past 20 years where she has sold many of
the industry’s top racehorses, including All American Futurity winner Fly Baby Fly, Los Alamitos $2 Million winner Flash And Roll, Rainbow Futurity winner A Revenant and leading sire Valiant Hero.
Her elite set of broodmares include the Champions of Champion producers Apollitical Time, Coronas First Diva, Eddie Jym, Kates Dynasty, Stylish Jess BR, and Flash And Roll. Her current race mares are recent millionaire Apollitical Patty and 2020 stakes winner Aint She Tempting. Hawn Holt is also the co-owner of the San Antonio Spurs.
Presently, Donna McArthur is AQHA’s second all-time leading female trainer of money earners with earnings of $13,606,700 and an impressive 64 Quarter Horse stakes wins. She trained All American Futurity winner Corona Cash, Los Alamitos Million winners Corona Kool and This Snow is Royal, Champion of Champions winner Dashing Folly, and leading
sire Jesse James Jr. In addition, she has also trained 415 Thoroughbred starters earning $585,342 and recording 43 wins.
Donna and her husband James McArthur have won the All American Futurity a com- bined three times with Corona Cash (1997), Eastex (1984), and Easy Date (1974). Donna is joining James, who was inducted in 2013 to the Hall of Fame.
As the AQHA’s all-time leading female jockey of money earners, Purcell-Burklund had 5,008 Quarter Horse starts in her career and rode her mounts to 823 wins with earnings of $9,905,500. She also had 1,810 Thoroughbred starts with 200 wins and earnings of $726,574.
In 1997, she rode All American Futurity winner Corona Cash to victory. She was also aboard Champion of Champions winner Dashing Folly, Rainbow Futurity winner Feet Down First, AQHA Challenge Championship winner Kool Kue Baby, Texas Classic Futurity winner Toast To Dash, Remington Park Futurity win-
ner Bullet Bullion, and Louisiana QHBA Futurity winner Shining Tee Pie.
Laico Bird with her winning connections after the 1967 All American Futurity.
12 SPEEDHORSE June 2021