Page 144 - July 2017

Ruidoso Futurity-G1
EAGLE JAZZ & UPTOWN DYNASTY
by Michael Cusortelli
Eagle Jazz and Uptown Dynasty both had their pictures taken following the silver- anniversary running of the 350-yard $1-mil-
lion Ruidoso Futurity-G1 on June 11. Like in the Ruidoso Derby-G1 the day
before, Ruidoso Downs’ sophisticated photo finish equipment couldn’t make the separa- tion, as the two rivals reached the wire in :17.537 against a 10-mph head wind.
Rodrigo Vallejo rode Eagle Jazz for owner Juan A. Medina of Zapata, Texas, and trainer Judd Kearl, while Cipriano Vidana was aboard Uptown Dynasty for owner Melvin Neugebauer and trainer Wes Giles.
A son of One Dashing Eagle and the fastest overall qualifier from two days of trials on May 26 and 27, Eagle Jazz drew clear in his trial heat and won by 2-lengths.
The sorrel gelding accomplished his share of his first stakes victory in the Ruidoso Futurity finals despite a less-than-perfect start.
“We had a very bad start; he fell twice,” said Vallejo. “But this horse has a big heart, and that’s why he won this race.”
Kearl, the reigning AQHA Champion trainer, was also impressed by Eagle Jazz’s recovery and late stretch run.
“It’s a great feeling to win a race like this, but when the gates opened and he fell down,
the feeling wasn’t so great,” Kearl said. “This horse ran a huge race to come from two lengths behind and catch them for the dead heat.
“This horse takes care of himself,” the trainer added. “He sleeps all day, but when- ever he goes to the track he’s all business. He showed his class the way he came back from that start.”
Juan Medina’s home-
bred, Eagle Jazz is one of
three winners from four
starters foaled by Baja Jazz,
a daughter of Champion
Tres Seis. The mare won the
2008 Longhorn Futurity-G1
at Manor Downs, was
second in the Retama Park
Futurity-G1 and a finalist in the Heritage Place Derby-G2. Now 11, Baja Jazz has pro- duced a total of two stakes winners, including Teller Baja, a half-sister to Eagle Jazz who won last year’s Remington Park Futurity-RG2 for Oklahoma-breds.
Eagle Jazz traces back to his third dam, Wicked Willa, a daughter of Runaway Winner
who won the 1998 Ruidoso Derby-G1.
Eagle Jazz himself finished second, a short nose behind winner La Vencedora, in
this year’s Remington Park Futurity on April 22. All
told, the gelding has won four of five outs and has earned $478,049 with the addition of his $300,000 portion of the winner’s share from the Ruidoso Futurity.
A resident of Manzanola, Colorado, Neugebauer acquired Uptown Dynasty for $65,000 at last year’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City.
Uptown Dynasty won the first heat from the first day of trials to the Ruidoso Futurity by 1 1/2-lenghts after being crowded at the start of the race. He
was the third fastest qualifer from the May 26 trials and the eighth fastest overall qualifier. The bay gelding was a 17-1 longshot in the finals. In fact, according to trainer Wes Giles, the son of Champion Mr Jess Perry was a long- shot to even make the May 26-27 trials.
Ruidoso Downs $1,000,000 • 350 yards :17.537 • si 94
One Famous Eagle
One Dashing Eagle
One Sweet Dash
EAGLE JAZZ, ’15 g.
Tres Seis
Baja Jazz
Only The Wicked
Streakin La Jolla
Mr Jess Perry
Scoopie Fein
UPTOWN DYNASTY, 15 g.
FDD Dynasty
Ms Southern Dynasty
Southern Price
Eagle Jazz (#3), under Rodrigo Vallejo, and Uptown Dynasty(#5), under Cipriano Vidana, deadheat for the win in the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity
142 SPEEDHORSE, July 2017
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