Page 128 - December 2016

Texas Classic Futurity-G1
HIGH PLAINS PERRY
by Tracy Gantz
Even though Koolnfamous qualified
the fastest to the Nov. 12 Texas Classic Futurity-G1 finals, to a student of the race’s
history, it might have been somewhat surpris- ing to see him favored over High Plains Perry.
Trainer Trey Wood and jockey Ricky Ramirez had combined to win the two previous runnings of the race, along with the 2010 edition.
Wood qualified four to the race this year and finished first and in a dead heat for third with three of them.
The trainer declined to take much credit, though the operation he and his father, Blane, have built in Texas has had plenty of success throughout the country.
“We point for the All American Futurity, but it just seems like bringing those horses off the mountain (at Ruidoso Downs) and getting them down here (in Texas), they just always seem to run really well,” Trey said.
High Plains Perry qualified the fourth fast- est by winning his Oct. 22 trial, winning his heat in wire-to-wire fashion.
Then, in the finals, he bounded out quickly from the 2-post after Midnight Heat got the jump on the field.
In just a few strides, Ramirez had High Plains Perry dueling with Koolnfamous on the rail for the lead to the wire while several others made it close.
The photo showed High Plains Perry the winner by a head over Koolnfamous. High Plains Perry stopped the timer in :19.935 for the 400 yards.
“He left the gate as good as you could ask him to leave,” said Wood. “He had come back good after the trials.”
Wood trains High Plains Perry for Tommy Lipar’s Paragon Farms LLC, a relative new- comer to racehorse ownership.
“They just had one three year old last year,” said Wood. “We went out and pur- chased all their yearlings for them, and this is really their first full year in the business. We probably have 10 or 12 for them. They’re really good people.”
High Plains Perry competed in the trials for all three of the big futurities at Ruidoso Downs, winning the first two and running second in his All American trial after being bumped. He didn’t qualify for any of the finals, however.
“He got bounced around in his All American trial and kind of ran all over the
place,” said Wood. “He’s got all the talent in the world, but he’s kind of immature. This was the most profes- sional that I had ever seen him run.”
Johnny Trotter and
Burnett Ranches bred High
Plains Perry in Texas, and
Blane Wood sale-prepped
the youngster for the
Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.
Father and son liked him so
much that they bought him out of the sale for $100,000 for Paragon Farms.
High Plains Perry is out of stakes placed winner Sky Chicks, who ran second in the 1995 The Classics Futurity and was a finalist in the Los Alamitos Million Futurity-G1 and Southern California Derby-G1. The mare has produced 100% money earners from
24 starters, including stakes winners Dutch Schultz, Spike It And Fly, and Rule The Skies, and stakes-placed Watch Linda Ballet, Duke Kahanamoku, and Lite Up The Skies. Dutch Schultz is her top earner.
Fastest qualifier Koolinfamous (One Famous Eagle-Kool Fire), ridden by Esgar Ramirez, finished second by a neck over
Wood’s dead-heating
duo. Toby Keeton trains Koolnfamous for own-
ers Gene White, Wayne Metcalfe, and Jerry Cate. The gelding broke his maiden in his trial for the All American to qualify for the final, where he came home with a sixth place finish.
Tough To Bee (Apollitical Jess-Peppermint Seis) and Percyjones (Jesse James
Jr-Maggies Miracle LX) finished in a dead- heat for third. Paragon Farms also owns Tough To Bee, who ran third in the Ruidoso Futurity-G1. Terry and Irene Stennett own Texas Classic Futurity trial winner Percyjones, earlier stakes-placed in the Mountain Top Futurity-G3 and By By JJ Stakes.
Maxx (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Bullions N Garters) finished fifth and was followed across the wire by Midnight Heat (Corona Cartel-Sandras Task), Jimmy Eagle (One Famous Eagle-Go You Must), Firing Tools (Walk Thru Fire-No Tools Required), So Rapido (Corona Cartel-Sinuous), and Jess Paint Ur Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon- Jesses Peach).
Lone Star Park $1,000,000 • 400 yards :19.935 • si 88
Streakin La Jolla
Mr Jess Perry
Scoopie Fein
HIGH PLAINS PERRY, ’14-g.
Chicks Beduino
Sky Chicks
Star Crafted
126 SPEEDHORSE, December 2016
High Plains Perry & Ricky Ramirez win the $1,000,000 Texas Classic Futurity-G1
RACING NEWS
Dustin Orona Photography