Page 244 - September 2023

RACING NEWS
Bitterroot Futurity-RG3
SHINY NOVA
by Michael Cusortelli
Shiny Nova, the fourth-fastest qualifier from five trials run on July 7, scored an upset victory in the 350-yard Bitterroot Futurity-RG3
for 2-year-olds sired by participating stallions at Pocatello Downs on July 28.
Trained by Ramiro Fregoso for owner/ breeder J.P. Sample, Shiny Nova went wire-to- wire and defeated stakes winner Kaleigh Mac by 1-length in :17.530 while earning a lifetime- best 98 speed index. Oscar Villa rode the homebred sorrel gelding.
Shiny Nova was bred in Idaho, and he was coming off a third-place finish, a neck behind second-fastest qualifier Attribute, in the first Bitterroot Futurity trial.
The gelding is out of Alltheshine, a Louisiana-bred daughter of the First Down Dash stallion First To Shine, who began her racing career with a five-race win streak that included a 1/2-length
Governors Cup Derby-RG2
victory in the $15,880 Gem County Fair Futurity at Emmett, Idaho, and a nose win in the $25,883 Dutch Masters III Futurity at Jerome, Idaho.
Shiny Nova began his career with a neck victory in a 300-yard $4,350 maiden-special- weight dash at Jerome on June 4. Campaigned exclusively in Idaho, the gelding has won two of four races, and the $45,259 winner’s share of the $113,149 Bitterroot Futurity purse increased his
bankroll to $48,019.
Kaleigh Mac (Texas Icon-
Icebreaker) was coming off
of a 1/2-length victory in the $53,422 Beehive Futurity on April 30 at Weber Downs in Ogden, Utah. The Arizona- bred filly and $10,000 yearling purchase at last year’s Los Alamitos Equine Sale earned the $22,630 runner-up share of the Bitterroot Futurity purse to bring her bankroll to $46,567 from four outs for her
owner, Gabriel Carballo. Jesus Canales rode the chestnut filly for trainer Sergio Canales.
Chile Cartel (Five Bar Cartel-Dinastia Rose) ran third, 2-lengths behind Shiny Nova, while pocketing $11,315 for her owner, W3 Farms of Far West, Utah. Jose Antonio Figueroa rode the homebred chestnut filly for trainer Sergio Canales.
JS Night Moves (Winners Version-
Judging Julie), Walking Thru (Bodacious Dash-Awesome Gift), Coronas With One S (KVN Corona-Melisa With One S), Attribute (Favorite Cartel-Seperate Flight), Texas Five Star (Five Bar Cartel-Lonestar Shaker), M E Easy Jet This (EC Jet One-Ettago This), and Docs Best Medicine (Docs Best Card-Maddies Special Turf) completed the order of finish. The fastest qualifier and 3-2 favorite in the full field of 10, Docs Best Medicine bucked out of the starting gate and was eased.
FUTURE VERSION
by Tracy Gantz
Future Version dominated the July 30 Governor’s Cup Derby-RG2 at Los Alamitos, scoring wire-to-wire by 2-lengths in
a masterful performance.
Though the fastest qualifier to the 400-yard
Derby, Future Version was sent off as the 4-1 third choice. He came out of the gate on top for jockey Cruz Mendez and kept widening his advantage to the wire. Future Version stopped the clock in :19.754.
Diego Rojas in the name of his Rojas Racing LLC owns Future Version in partnership with Juan Moya. Jose Flores trains the gelding, who has won his last three in a row. Future Version was one for seven as a two year old.
“He struggled concentrating as a two year old,” explained Rojas. “He is three for three as a three year old, and we are thrilled with this victory.”
Rojas traveled from Fresno to Los Alamitos with his wife, Aarika, and his parents for the race.
“I can’t put a price on a moment like
this with my family,” he said. “I’m in this sport because of my family, and I’m sure this moment is not only a special memory for me, but also a great memory for them as well.”
Rojas said that his father-in-law, Antonio Romero, was already involved with horses when
Diego met Aarika.
“I’m now in my fourth
year in the industry, and I feel blessed to win a race of this caliber,” Diego said. “It’s an honor to do it at this racetrack, which has so much history.”
Dr. Ed Allred bred Future Version in California and consigned him to the 2021 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Flores bought Future Version for $73,000 as agent for Moya.
Gildardo Garcia’s
homebred Don Lazaro (Favorite Cartel-Secretly Hot) finished second for jockey Rodrigo Aceves and trainer Adan Farias. Still a maiden after 10 starts, Don Lazaro has finished second twice and third twice in his previous races.
Victor Salazar rode BF Lizzierageous (Foose-BF Outrageous) to third for owner Kevin Birrell and trainer Paul Jones. BF Lizzierageous has won once, finished second three times, and finished third four times in 14 prior starts.
Completing the field were Phoebes Baby Girl (Favorite Cartel-A Political Lady), Up For Everything (Favorite Cartel-Up For It), Terrific Phoenix (Fly Thru The Fire-Terrific Energy), Turbeau (Favorite Cartel-Babe On The Fly), La Tarahumara Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Strict), Required First (First Down Dash-No Tools Required), and Escalated (Favorite Cartel-Babe On The Fly).
242 SPEEDHORSE
September 2023
Amber Mendez, Los Alamitos Sam Wilson
Pocatello Downs
$113,149 • 350 yards :17.530 • SI 98
Stel Corona
Racy Casanova
Miss Racy Eyes
SHINY NOVA, ‘21-g.
First To Shine
Alltheshine
Menoalamo
Los Alamitos
$180,000 • 400 yards :19.754 • SI 91
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
FUTURE VERSION, ‘20-g.
Separatist
Make Over
Elans Special