Page 126 - December 2016

Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1
WORTH DOING
by Tracy Gantz
An entire family collaborated to get Worth Doing to the Dec. 11 Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity-G1. Their efforts proved “worth doing” when the gelding posted his first stakes victory in the racetrack’s biggest futurity.
Worth Doing’s owner, Fawna Knight, and trainer, Mark Skeen, are brother and sister. Knight’s son Ren helped his mother pick out the horse at the 2015 Los Alamitos Equine Sale, and Skeen’s wife, Holly, a former jockey, is instrumental in running the barn.
Jockey Tony Guymon is practically family as well, having ridden Worth Doing in every one of his starts. Guymon moved from Utah to ride at Los Alamitos full time, and while his wife couldn’t be there for the big race, his son, Yencye, was.
“Probably half the little town where I’m from is watching (on TV),” said Guymon. The race was delayed slightly when one
starter needed his saddle adjusted, which required unloading the entire field from the starting gate and then reloading them. Worth Doing never got nervous, which helped when the gate finally did spring open.
“Unloading him tonight, that didn’t hurt him,” said Skeen. “I wasn’t nervous about that, and I think it probably helped him. Tony does such a good job riding that horse. Every morn- ing he’s there to work in the barn. He hasn’t missed a morning.”
Worth Doing broke well and quickly put himself into contention. He grabbed the lead and then refused to give in when others chal- lenged him. He held them off to win by a head in :19.831 for 400 yards.
“I have my whole family here, including my mom,” said an emotional Fawna Knight. “We lost my dad two years ago.”
“Without him, this wasn’t possible,” added Ren Knight.
Ronald “Rip” Skeen, Fawna and Mark’s father, died on Christmas Day 2014. The three of them collaborated on Oatman, who won the 2011 Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G2. Oatman and Worth Doing have much in common, both being by Walk Thru Fire and bred in California by Dr. Ed Allred.
Allred bred Worth Doing from 2010
All American Derby-G1 finalist Callan Rocks, whose family includes Champions Heartswideopen and Special Phoebe. Callan Rocks has produced 100% money earners and four winners from five starters.
Allred offered Worth Doing at the 2015 Los Alamitos Sale, where Knight got him for $50,000.
“He was definitely our favorite (at the sale),” said Knight. “We really didn’t know if we would get him bought for what we wanted to spend. We really liked that line of horses.”
Knight and her hus-
band, Keith, split their time
between Scottsdale, Arizona, and Yorba Linda, California. Knight said that Keith has been very supportive.
“He just lets us do kind of what we want,” said Fawna. “He shows up for the sale on the day that he thinks we might have something to buy. He brings the grandkids over, and he’s very supportive. He’s always telling Mark (to bid) one more time.”
Worth Doing has been a gem of consis- tency, never finishing worse than third in nine starts. Though the Los Alamitos $2 Million was his first stakes victory, he ran second
in the Ed Burke Million Futurity-G1 and Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG2 and third in the Golden State Million Futurity-G1.
Fastest-qualifier and favored Lotta Blues Man (Favorite Cartel-Lotta Love For Robyn), owned and bred by the Lucky Seven Ranch, finished second with Cody Jensen aboard. Mike Casselman trains the gelding, who was coming off three consecutive wins, including the Golden State Million Futurity-G1.
Katella Deli (Foose- Katie Katella), named for a longtime popular
restaurant down the street from Los Alamitos, finished third. Carlos Huerta rode the gelding for trainer Jaime Gomez and owners Paul Blanchard and Dutch Masters III. Katella Deli was coming off two seconds in futurity trials.
Completing the field were Cartel Sixes (Corona Cartel-Eye For The Sixes), Mr Apollitical Dash (Mr Jess Perry-Apollitical Dash), Kissed By An Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Dreaming Of Kisses), Ms Jess Knockout (Apollitical Jess-Adolph Tres Knockout), Jess Mas (One Sweet Jess-Corona Mas Fina), One Hot Habit (Walk Thru Fire-Jess Another Habit), and Billionaire Boy (Carters Cartel-Fovee).
Los Alamitos $1,908,050 • 400 yards :19.831 • si 90
First Down Dash
Walk Thru Fire
Sweet Beduino
WORTH DOING, ’14-g.
Corona Cartel
Callan Rocks
Phoebe Ryon
124 SPEEDHORSE, December 2016
Worth Doing & Tony Guymon win the $1,908,050 Grade 1 Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos