Page 157 - November 2021

Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship-G1
PATTYS SAINT
By Michael Compton
With her impressive victory in the $106,500 Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge Championship Stakes-G1 at Albuquerque on Oct. 23, three-year-old filly Pattys Saint proved she doesn’t need to take her track with her for success. Robert Harrison’s
homebred, already a multiple stakes winner in her home state of Idaho, shipped out
of state for the first time in her life ahead of the Distaff Challenge Championship. She proved no worse for the trouble, dominating foes once again and earning her first graded stakes win.
Ridden by her regular
pilot Jesus Virgen, Pattys
Saint broke out at the start
of the 400-yard test, but
she broke first and assumed command. Never seriously challenged from any of her 9 rivals, Pattys Saint drew off in the late stages to score by a widening 1 1⁄2 lengths. She covered the distance in an eye-catching :19.155 and earned a speed index of 106. The final clocking just missed Astica’s 2015 track record of :18.912.
Trained by Heath Hillman, who conditions five head, and in addition to training horses also operates his own garage door business away from the racetrack, Pattys Saint improved her
sparkling record to 13-9-3-0. The $48,990 winner’s share of the purse increased her life- time bankroll to $118,001. The win marked her third consecutive victory, which includes victories in the Oneida County Fair Derby and
the Q-Racing Video Pocatello Downs Distaff Challenge.
“She’s a pretty special horse,” Hillman said of
the only horse he trains for Harrison. “She hasn’t done a thing wrong all year. She had a bit of a bad out when she ran second that time. I had a good feeling about her, and it all panned out. This was the first time in her life that she had spent the night somewhere other than my house. All her wins, I have hauled her in on
the day of the race, ran her, and shipped back home every night.
“I have trained horses for Bob for about 25 years,” Hillman added. “We’ve always had a few really nice horses that’ve done well here in Idaho. We haven’t ventured out further than that. Bob, who just turned 90, couldn’t make it to the race, but he loves watching his horses run.”
Hillman conditioned Patty’s Saint’s dam, the Utah-bred SP Saint Patty, a daughter of Saint Shackleton, and ultimately turned her
over to Harrison when she could no longer train and race after suffering an injury.
“I trained her as a two year old and got
her back as a three year old, but she had hurt herself over the winter and couldn’t go on,” Hillman said. “Bob needed a mare after he had lost one, so I gave the mare to Bob.”
Runner-up Tempting Knockout (Tempting Dash-Passem Up Perry) was game in defeat under jockey Juan Pulido. The stakes-winning sorrel filly, a Texas homebred for P & J Racing, is trained by Toby Keeton.
Oklahoma-bred A Pollitical Gal (Apollitical Jess-A Southern Gal), ridden by Francisco Calderon, flashed high early speed and held 3rd for owner Hendrix Horses and trainer Clinton Crawford.
Lynnder 16 (Apollitical Jess-Tinys Corona Queen), Apollitical Mogul (Apollitical Jess-Cash Cartel), Dark Moon (First Moonflash-Special Dark Ivory), FDD Swingin Dynasty (FDD Dynasty-Jess a Swingin), No One Fights Alone (Jesse James Jr-Bac N the Saddle), El Oh El (Apollitical Jess-Cute Ivory Girl), and Sinsational Tacha (Tempting Dash-Miss Sin Tacha) fol- lowed. VR Sheza Fancy PYC was scratched.
The Downs at Albuquerque
$106,500 • 400 yards :19.155 • si 106
Feature Mr Jess
Jess Got Easier
Fashion Dashin
PATTYS SAINT, ‘18. f.
Saint Shackleton
SP Saint Patty
Private Hawkeye
In the winner’s circle trainer Heath Hillman receives the trophies for owner Robert Harrison, along with Patty Saint’s winning jockey Jesus Virgen.
SPEEDHORSE November 2021 155
Coady Photography Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse