Page 206 - January 2018

The Championship At Sunland Park-G1
TF IM THAT GUY
by Michael Cusortelli
Victor Diaz’s TF Im That Guy, a four-year- old son of all-time leading sire First Down Dash, earned his second graded and first Grade 1 victory in the 440-yard Championship at Sunland Park-G1 on Dec. 31.
Ridden by Manuel Gutierrez for trainer Lorenzo Vega and racing against a reported 13-mph head wind, TF Im That Guy completed his 440 yard quarter-mile trip in :21.493, and his margin of victory was a neck from Once Over. In addition to earning a
94 speed index, the sorrel colt banked the $162,330 winner’s share of the $350,000 purse.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, TF Im That Guy has now won six of 24 starts and has earned $698,144. His stakes resume includes
a 1-length victory in the 2016 Hobbs America Derby-G3, as well as seconds in this year’s
Zia Park Championship-G1 and Lovington Stakes-G2. He also made a third-place run behind winner 2-time Champion Jess Good Candy, in the 2015 All American Futurity-G1. In all, TF Im That Guy has a race record of 24-6(2)-5(2)-5(3) and was named the New Mexico Hi-Point 3-Year-Old Colt of 2016.
A resident of Sunland Park, New Mexico, owner Victory Diaz also bred/owned 2016 Champion Distance horse Coronas Boy. Diaz acquired TF Im That Guy for $32,000 at the
2014 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The colt was bred in California by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC and Tate Farms, and he is one of nine winners from 13 starters produced
by TF Ms Special Perry, a 10-year-old daughter of 1991 World Champion Special Leader. The mare won the 2009 Firecracker Futurity-G2.
TF Im That Guy is a
1/2-brother to stakes win-
ners Not Pretty Perry, who won 2 futurities at Delta Downs in 2015 including the Firecracker Futurity-G2, and TF Jess A Leader, who won the 2016 QHRAI Derby. Two additonal horses in the brood were graded stakes finalists. TF Im That Guy’s 3rd dam, the First Down Dash mare Deelish, was the 1998 Champion 2-Year- Old Filly and 2000 Champion Aged Mare. The colt traces back to his 4th dam, Such An Easy Effort, a multiple graded stakes winning daugh- ter of 1981 World Champion Special Effort.
Runner-up Once Over (Walk Thru Fire-Look Her Over) brought a three-race win streak into the Championship at Sunland Park that included victories in the James Isaac Hobbs Stakes-G2
in September and the Lovington Stakes-G2 on
November 5. Raul Herrera rode the 8-year-old gelding for owner Bujanda Racing Stables and trainer Carlos Alvidrez.
Jessies First Down, the sport’s 2016 World Champion and 3-10 favorite in the field of 8, was bumped on both sides shortly after the start and fin- ished 3rd. Jessies First Down (FDD Dynasty-Jess A Classy Lassy) races for Ted G. Abrams of Houston, Texas, who also Jessies First Down banked the
204 SPEEDHORSE, January 2018
TF Im That Guy (#3) & Manuel Gutierrez win the $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park-G1
Sunland Park $350,000 • 440 yards :21.493 • si 94
Dash For Cash
First Down Dash
First Prize Rose
TF IM THAT GUY, ‘13-c.
Special Leader
TF Ms Special Perry
Dashadee
bred the gelding.
$39,830 3rd-place share of the purse to push his earnings to $1,050,864 from 34 outs. Rodrigo Vallejo rode for trainer Jimmy Padgett.
Followed by Cobalt Creek (Walk Thru Fire-Checknbac) Marseille (FDD Dynasty-KR Dragonfly), De La Eagle (One Famous Eagle-La Reina De La Noche), JM Mister Destiny (Mr Jess Perry-Dinastia Toll Brz), and Don Quixote (Stel Corona-Romanticist).
The Championship at Sunland Park has become one of AQHA’s prominent stakes since its inaugural running in 2001. Past winners of this race include World Champions A Ransom (’01), Streakin Sin Tacha (2002), and Jessies First Down (’16).
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