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RACING NEWS
FREEDOM FLASH
by Michael Cusortelli
Sent to post as the 3-1 second choice in a full field of eight state-bred Quarter Horses, Freedom Flash rallied to win the
$150,000 New Mexico Classics Cup 870 Championship-RG3 at Zia Park on Nov. 26.
Freedom Flash covered 870 yards in :44.504 while aided by a reported 5-mph tail wind in the homestretch, and his margin of victory was three-quarters of a length over First Apollo Moon.
Alfredo Sigala rode the homebred 7-year-old son
of 2009 Champion Aged Stallion First Moonflash for owners Pierre J. Amestoy, Jr., Leslie Amestoy, and Roger K. Beasley, and trainer Todd Fincher.
Freedom Flash earned
a 107 speed index while banking $87,300 from his third lifetime graded stakes win. The bay gelding is
out of Mi Camila TB, a
winning Kentucky-bred daughter of the Halo stallion Southern Halo. A 1998 foal, Mi Camila has produced 100% winners from 6 starters, include Mi Moonflash,
a full sister to Freedom Flash, who won
the 2022 New Mexico Fillies and Mares Championship and Champagne Lane Stakes and has earnings of $315,357.
Freedom Flash was coming off of a third- place finish in an 870-yard $77,000 open-
condition allowance race for New Mexico-breds at Zia Park on Nov. 3. Campaigned exclusively in New Mexico, the gelding has won eight
of 34 races and has banked $531,827, and his five
wins in 13 outs at the 870 distance include last year’s New Mexico Classics Cup 870 Championship-RG3. Freedom Flash has won
a total of four stakes, including the 870-yard Starr Western Wear Stakes at
Sunland Park on Feb. 4 and the 2019 New Mexico Classic Cup Derby-RG2 at Zia Park.
First Apollo Moon (First Moonflash- Officer Of The Court) pocketed the $29,100 runner-up share of the purse for his owner, Isidro Esparza. Gerardo Vera rode the 6-year- old stallion for trainer Cosme Velasquez.
Miss Tizy (Mr Special Cartel-Tizy Fit) ran third, 1 1/4-lengths behind Freedom Flash, while earning $14,550 for her owner, Julian A. Aguirre. Noe Garcia, Jr. rode the 5-year-old mare for trainer David Hancock.
El Vital (Mr Special Cartel-WDC
Vital Sound), Sonny Surfer (Corona Surfer-Domeinitchy), Big Moon Dawg (First Moonflash-Bundle Doe), Dan The Flashman (First Moonflash-Domeinitchy), and odds-on favorite Classy Moon (First Moonflash-Shez Classy Now) completed the order of finish.
NAMGIS KODIAK KISS
by Michael Cusortelli
Sixth-fastest qualifier Namgis Kodiak Kiss earned his second career stakes win in the $128,200 QHRAI Derby for sophomores at
Horseshoe Indianapolis on Oct. 28.
Trained by Tony Cunningham for owners
A Win Investments and Duke Racing, LLC, Namgis Kodiak Kiss went 400 yards on a sloppy and sealed track in :19.769, and his margin of victory was a clear 1 1/4-lengths over Piloted By An Angel. Saul Lopez rode the bay son of Kiss My Hocks.
Namgis Kodiak Kiss was bred in Texas by Tommy Tatum and Namgis QH, LLC, and he was purchased privately by his owner and brought to Indiana before the start of the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet.
“He ran a great race,” said Pam Hann, one of
the partners of A Win Investments and co-owner Duke Racing, LLC. “We’ve
had high hopes for him, but he has exceeded our expectations. I have to give a lot of the credit to Chris Duke, who picked him out and acquired him for us.”
Namgis Kodiak Kiss began his career in New Mexico last year. The gelding ran 2nd in a 400-yard Rainbow Futurity trial, and 2nd in a 440-yard All American Futurity trial, both at Ruidoso Downs.
“He ran against tough competition last year and never finished off the
board,” said Chris Duke. “We knew he would perform really well in Indiana, and he has.”
Namgis Kodiak Kiss is out of Mischka Brown, a winning mare. All told, the gelding has won four of 12 races and has earned $164,374, of which $145,154 has been pocketed from seven starts this year.
Piloted By An Angel (Paint My Pilot-La Blue Angel) banked the $25,640 runner-up share of the purse
for her owner, Salvador Villalobos. Francisco Quintero rode the Indiana-bred filly for trainer Tony Cunningham.
WRS Hava Dasher (Apollitical Blood-WRS Kissandteller) finished third, 1 1/2-lengths behind Namgis Kodiak Kiss, while earning $12,820 for her owner, Williams Racing Stables, Inc. of La Center, Kentucky. Berkley Packer rode the homebred filly for trainer Tony Cunningham.
My Little Star (Volcom-Captains Dream), Rogues Last Game (Game Patriot-Miss Jess Rogue), Kiss Of Valor (Kiss My Hocks-Belle Of Valor), Louisiana Faster (The Louisiana Cartel-Fabulously Fast), Ivory Six Pax (Ivory James-Epix), and fastest qualifier Time For A Hero (Apollitical Blood-Jess Valiant) completed the order of finish. Tenth-fastest qualifier Booray (Docs Best Card-Valdarama) was listed as a veterinarian scratch.
212 SPEEDHORSE
December 2023
New Mexico Classic 870 Championship-RG3
Coady Photography Coady Photography
Zia Park
$150,000 • 870 yards :44.504 • SI 107
First To Flash
First Moonflash
Nagano Moon
FREEDOM FLASH, ‘16-g.
Southern Halo
Mi Camila TB
Lady Of Tralee
QHRAI Derby
Horseshoe Indianapolis
$128,200 • 400 yards :19.769 • SI 07
Tempting Dash
Kiss My Hocks
Romancing Mary
NAMGIS KODIAK KISS, ‘20-g. Big Daddy Cartel
Mischka Brown
Mischka